L'enfance perdue des Yéménites
L’EXPRESS.fr: Le décès d'une fillette de 12 ans pendant son accouchement, au Yémen, rappelle que de terribles traditions sont toujours appliquées dans ce pays, où près de 50% des filles sont mariées avant 15 ans.

A 12 ans, les enfants vont à l'école, dessinent, jouent avec leur copains et apprennent leurs leçons. Ils n'ont pas trop d'inquiétudes.

La petite Fawzia Abdallah Youssef, elle, n'a pas eu cette chance: elle est décédée d'une hémorragie survenue alors qu'elle accouchait, dans un hôpital de la province de Hajja, au nord de Sanaa, la capitale de Yémen. La petite est morte peu après son arrivée à l'hôpital, et l'enfant est mort-né.

Le Yémen n'est malheureusement pas le seul pays où les filles subissent des traditions aussi violentes. On compte aussi l'Arabie saoudite, l'Egypte et l'Afghanistan. Crédits photo : L’Express

Selon l'Organisation yéménite pour la protection de l'enfance (Seyaj), Fawzia "avait été retirée de l'école et mariée de force à onze ans par sa famille qui vit dans le besoin". Son père souffrait d'insuffisance rénale.

"Le cas de Fawzia illustre le drame de celles que nous appelons "les fiancées de la mort", des fillettes de moins de 15 ans que l'on marie de force le plus souvent pour des raisons économiques", a déclaré le directeur de Siyaj, Ahmad al-Qourashi. >>> Par Nathalie Kantt | Lundi 14 Septembre 2009

Unnötiger Triumph für den Kreml
NZZ ONLINE: Kommentar zu Obamas Verzicht auf die Raketenabwehr in Ostmitteleuropa

Noch bleibt undurchsichtig, was genau zur Schubladisierung der amerikanischen Pläne für eine Raketenabwehr in Ostmitteleuropa geführt hat und ob Präsident Obama im Gegenzug etwas dafür in Russland herausgeholt hat. Sicher aber ist, dass diese Entscheidung eine markanten Änderung des amerikanischen Kurses bedeutet.

In der Regierungszeit von Obamas Vorgänger Bush hatten die Vereinigten Staaten die Entwicklung der Technologie zur Zerstörung gegnerischer Interkontinentalraketen ausserhalb der Erdatmosphäre noch mit aller Kraft vorangetrieben. Was in den achtziger Jahren als Idee à la «Star Wars» belächelt worden war, ist in der Zwischenzeit der technischen Reife recht nahe gekommen. 2004 nahmen die USA in Alaska ihre erste Abfangraketen-Basis in Betrieb; sie war Amerikas Antwort auf die Entwicklung nordkoreanischer Raketen mit immer längeren Reichweiten.

Die falschen Signale

Die Abwehrbasis in Polen und die dazugehörige Radarstation in Tschechien wurden analog dazu als Vorkehrungen gegen das islamistische Regime in Teheran projektiert. Angesichts der Fortschritte, die Iran beim Raketenbau und auf dem Weg zur Atombombe gemacht hat, erscheint die damalige Entscheidung auch heute noch als korrekt. Obama hat sich denn auch nicht völlig davon losgesagt, sondern nur eine Warteschlaufe angeordnet. Falls die iranische Bedrohung im nächsten Jahrzehnt akut wird, wie manche Geheimdienste annehmen, so wird kein amerikanischer Präsident – ob Demokrat oder Republikaner – zögern, die Raketenabwehrpläne wieder hervorzuholen. >>> Von Andreas Rüesch | Donnerstag, 17. September 2009

Beschneidung: So brutal werden Frauen verstümmelt
WELT ONLINE: Mehrere Millionen Mädchen in Afrika und Asien müssen jedes Jahr die Beschneidung ihrer Genitalien ertragen. Oft leiden sie danach ein Leben lang. Eine neue Kampagne fordert nun, dass Patenschafts-Organisationen stärker gegen die grausige Praxis vorgehen. Doch die sehen die Sache etwas anders.

Fatous kleine Tochter sitzt auf ihrem Schoß. Sie weint und quengelt, denn sie bekommt gerade Zähne. In Fatous Heimatland würde der Anderthalbjährigen bald ein größerer Schmerz bevorstehen. Im Senegal würden dem Mädchen mit den winzigen Zöpfchen wahrscheinlich bald die äußeren Geschlechtsorgane ganz oder teilweise abgeschnitten werden.

Der Schmerz dabei ist das einzige, woran sich ihre Mutter Fatou noch erinnert. Sie weiß nicht, wie alt sie war, als sie mit den anderen Mädchen aus ihrem Dorf in den Busch ging, wo das Ritual feierlich an ihnen vollzogen wurde. Nur dieser unglaubliche Schmerz ist ihr so heiß in Erinnerung, als sei der Tag ihrer Verstümmelung gar nicht lange her.

Heute sitzt die 26 Jahre alte Fatou in einem Café am Berliner Landwehrkanal. Der Senegal ist weit weg. Den Zorn darüber, dass noch jeden Tag Mädchen in ihrer Heimat ihr Schicksal teilen müssen, hat Fatou mit nach Deutschland gebracht. „Als ich 17 war habe ich in meinem Dorf ein totes Baby gesehen. Es starb an den Folgen der Verstümmelung, wahrscheinlich ist es verblutet“, erzählt Fatou, „Ich konnte nicht mehr aufhören, an dieses kleine Mädchen zu denken. Das konnte doch einfach nicht richtig sein, was wir da taten.“

Mittlerweile ist Fatou als "Sister Fa" in ihrer westafrikanischen Heimat eine gefeierte Rap-Musikerin. Sie bricht Tabus, denn sie singt auch über die Genitalverstümmelung. Und sie redet darüber, dass all die Entwicklungshelfer in ihrem Land nichts bewirken. Deshalb macht Fatou in Deutschland bei einer neuen Kampagne mit, die seit heute mangelnden Schutz von Mädchen in Patenkind-Programmen anprangert.

Der Name ist sperrig, das Anliegen aber klar: Das „Bündnis zum Schutz von Mädchen vor Genitalverstümmelung in Patenkind-Programmen deutscher Entwicklungshilfe“ ist eine Taskforce aus Menschenrechtlern und Künstlern. Ihr Vorwurf ist gewaltig, greift er doch das gute Gewissen des deutschen Bürgertums an – Patenkind-Organisationen, allen voran "Plan", "World Vision" und die Kindernothilfe. Sie dulden, so der Vorwurf, dass hunderttausende Mädchen in ihren Programmen der Genitalverstümmelung ausgesetzt sind, obwohl sie damit werben, das Leben der Mädchen „nachhaltig zu verbessern“ (so ein Werbespruch der Organisation "Plan"). >>> Von Christina Brüning | Donnerstag, 17. September 2009

Etre officier et gay, ce n’est plus un tabou
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ARMÉE SUISSE | Les homosexuels s’affichent dans la grande muette, avec le soutien du haut commandement. Une évolution qui doit tout à un club d’officiers influents.

«L’armée est un milieu souvent homophobe», reconnaît Beat Steinmann (52 ans), colonel EMG de milice. Quand on parle d’homosexualité dans les casernes, c’est surtout pour faire de l’humour graveleux. «Les choses vont changer, même si ça doit prendre du temps», jure Beat Steinmann.


Conseiller en business chez Ruag Electronics, le Bernois témoigne de son homosexualité dans le dernier numéro d’Intra, magazine des employés de la Défense. La publication ne provoque pas que de l’enthousiasme en Suisse romande. «Je n’avais jamais vu un haut gradé confier publiquement qu’il est gay», s’étonne un adjudant vaudois. «Dans l’armée, celui qui avoue son homosexualité est encore un drôle de spécimen, reconnaît Beat Steinmann. C’est encore un sujet tabou pour de nombreuses personnes, voire une source d’irritation pour certains.»



La révolution cette année

Beat Steinmann a créé en 2005 l’association des QueerOfficers (queer signifie homosexuel en argot américain). Avec pour mission de briser un tabou dans la grande muette, et de venir en aide aux homosexuels qui seraient discriminés. Le mouvement compte 75 officiers, hommes et femmes, essentiellement alémaniques. «Nous réfléchissons à l’étendre aux sous-officiers et aux soldats.» Certains gradés au plus haut niveau seraient sympathisants, mais sans être affiliés.


La vraie révolution est en marche depuis cette année: un concept de respect de toutes les minorités, raciales, religieuses ou sexuelles, déjà appliqué dans de grandes boîtes comme Novartis ou Credit Suisse. Les Queer ont su convaincre André Blattmann, chef de l’armée, en lui parlant de «gestion des risques». L’armée n’est pas à l’abri de gros problèmes de discrimination, donc «il vaut mieux prendre les devants plutôt que d’attendre qu’une mine n’explose». Concrètement, l’armée impose maintenant des cours de sensibilisation à ses cadres. La plus gayfriendly >>> Patrick Chuard | Vendredi 18 Septembre 2009

Aceh Govt. Refuses to Sign Stoning By-law
THE JAKARTA POST: The Aceh provincial government will not sign the controversial Islamic bylaw allowing adulterers to be stoned to death, an official said.

Hamid Zein, the head of the legal bureau of the Aceh governor’s office, said Thursday that the administration has firmly rejected the bylaw passed by the legislative council on Monday.

“As long as the executive and legislative bodies do not settle differences in the application of [capital punishment by] stoning, the Aceh government will not sign the bylaw,” Hamid said.

In the deliberation he said government representatives had repeatedly stated objections to the inclusion of the stoning penalty for adulterers in the Islamic criminal code (jinayat). Aceh is the country’s only province with special provisions allowing it to have Islamic sharia-based laws.

However, following initial endorsement of the bylaw, Home Minister Mardiyanto said the government would file a review to the Supreme Court, saying it was “detrimental” to Acehnese and would “frighten” visitors and investors, as well as possibly not respecting the [national] constitution.

His statement signaled the first time the central government had intervened in the issuance of rules and legislation by the Aceh administration and council.

The National Commission on Violence against Women has gone further, calling for a judicial review of the 2006 law on Aceh’s governance that provided its authority to issue sharia-based laws, saying that the bylaw was contrary to human rights.

Governor Irwandi Yusuf on Thursday declined to comment. >>> Hotli Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post , Bandah Aceh | Friday, September 18, 2009

Halal Food: Cut-throat Competition
THE ECONOMIST: Feeding Europe’s Muslims is a growing business

JUST before the beginning of Ramadan, the month-long Muslim fast which ends this weekend, an unusual advertisement appeared on French television. Panzani, a pasta-maker, was touting its Zakia line of halal ready-meals. In a secular nation it seemed like “a little revolution”, as Le Parisien, a newspaper, put it. The French can presumably take it in their stride. The trade in halal food is growing fast, and is likely to continue to do so.

Big food producers have long catered to Muslims, a market worth some $630 billion globally according to KasehDia, a consulting company that specialises in the trade. Nestlé has produced halal goods since the 1980s; 75 of its 456 factories now have a halal certification. But only recently have big European shops followed suit. Carrefour, the world’s second-largest retailer, launched a new range of products just in time for Ramadan. Casino, a French supermarket chain, has a halal line, and British outfits Tesco and Sainsbury’s carry halal products. KFC, an American fast-food chain, is conducting a trial of halal food in eight of its British restaurants. All its French ones are already halal certified.

The main reason for growth is demographic. Although many European countries do not tally Muslims or any other religious group (estimates in France range from 4m to 7m) it is clear that Muslim populations have grown quickly as a result of immigration and higher birth rates. Many of the people who sought asylum in Western Europe in the first half of this decade were Muslims from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Mohammed, Muhammad and Mohammad were all among the 100 most popular baby boys’ names in England and Wales last year. >>> | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Halal Focus >>>

The Gay Sons of Allah: Wave of Homophobia Sweeps the Muslim World
To identify anyone trying to use homosexuality as an excuse to get out of military service, army doctors ask to see photos or videos showing the recruits engaging in sex with a man. And they have to be in the "passive" role. In Turkey being in the active role is considered manly enough not to be proof of homosexuality.

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In most Islamic countries, gay men and women are ostracized, persecuted and in some cases even murdered. Repressive regimes are often fanning the flames of hatred in a bid to outdo Islamists when it comes to spreading "moral panic."

Bearded men kidnapped him in the center of Baghdad, threw him into a dark hole, chained him down, urinated on him, and beat him with an iron pipe. But the worst moment for Hisham, 40, came on the fourth day of his ordeal when the kidnappers called his family. He was terrified they would tell his mother that he is gay and that this was the reason they had kidnapped him. If they did he would never be able to see his family again. The shame would be unbearable for them.

"Do what you want to me, but don't tell them," he screamed.

Instead of humiliating him in the eyes of his family, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of $50,000 (€33,000), a huge sum for the average Iraqi family. His parents had to go into debt and sell off all of their son's possessions in order to raise the money required to secure his freedom. Shortly after they received the ransom the kidnappers threw Hisham out of their car somewhere in the northern part of Baghdad. They decided not to shoot him and let him go. But they sent him on his way with a warning: "This is your last chance. If we ever see you again, we'll kill you."

That was four months ago. Hisham has since moved to Lebanon. He told his family that he had decided to flee the violence and terror in Baghdad and that he had found work in Beirut. Needless to say he didn't disclose the fact that he is unable to live in Iraq because of the death squads who are out hunting for "effeminate-looking" men.

In Baghdad a new series of murders began early this year, perpetrated against men suspected of being gay. Often they are raped, their genitals cut off, and their anuses sealed with glue. Their bodies are left at landfills or dumped in the streets. The non-profit organization Human Rights Watch, which has documented many of these crimes, has spoken of a systematic campaign of violence involving hundreds of murders.

Restoring 'Religious Morals'

A video clip showing men dancing with each other at a party in Baghdad in the summer of 2008 is thought to have triggered this string of kidnappings, rapes, and murders. Thousands of people have seen it on the Internet and on their cell phones. Islamic religious leaders began ranting about the growing presence of a "third sex" which American soldiers were said to have brought in with them. The followers of radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, in particular, felt the need to take action aimed at restoring "religious morals."

In their stronghold, the part of Baghdad known as Sadr City, black-clad militiamen patrol the streets, on the lookout for anyone whose "unmanly appearance" or behavior would make it possible to identify them as being homosexual. Often enough long hair, tight-fitting t-shirts and trousers, or a certain way of walking were a death sentence for the persons in question. But it's not just the Mahdi army who has been hunting down and killing gay men. Other groups such as Sunni militias close to al-Qaida and the Iraqi security services are also known to be involved.

Homosexuals in Iraq may be faced with an exceptionally dangerous situation but they are ostracized almost everywhere in the Muslim world. Gay rights organizations estimate that more than 100,000 gay men and women are currently being discriminated against and threatened in Muslim countries. Thousands of them commit suicide, end up in prison, or go into hiding.

Egypts Starts to Clamp Down

More than 30 Islamic countries have laws on the books that prohibit homosexuality and make it a criminal offense. In most cases punishment ranges from floggings to life imprisonment. In Mauritania, Bangladesh, Yemen, parts of Nigeria and Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Iran convicted homosexuals can also be sentenced to death. >>> Juliane von Mittelstaedt and Daniel Steinvorth | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Burka Ban Proposal Dropped: The governing Conservative Party has dropped its proposal for a ban on the burka
POLITIKEN: A controversial proposal fielded by the governing Danish Conservative Party to ban the Muslim burka and niqab in the public space has been dropped after Justice Ministry officials have studied the idea.

”The Justice Ministry officials have said that in their view, the proposal raises important issues in relation to the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Constitution,” says Justice Minister Brian Mikkelsen (Cons).

”It’s obvious that neither I, nor a party such as the Conservative People’s Party, can support a proposal that raises that sort of legal issue,” says Mikkelsen.

Controversy

Controversy arose on the issue after the Conservative Party’s new integration spokesman announced in August that the party, which is the junior minority coalition party, wanted to introduce a total ban on Muslim burkas or niqabs in the public space.

“We don’t want to see burkas in Denmark. We simply can’t accept that some of our citizens walk around with their faces covered,” MP Naser Khader (Cons) said at the time. >>> Edited by Julian Isherwood | Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Racism Card
TOWNHALL.COM: When Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, some suggested that race played a factor in his success. People "wanted" to elect a black man president because of our history of slavery and the denial of civil rights for so many years to African-Americans. It is never "racism" to vote for someone because he is black. It is only racism to oppose the policies of a black Democrat.

As the president's approval ratings fall and rise and fall again, some of his supporters in journalism and politics are returning to days of old when the label "racist" could end any discussion and force the accused either into stunned silence, or groveling repentance. I suspect the tactic won't work this time because Obama supporters will have difficulty explaining how a mostly white country could elect a black man president last November and ten months later become a racist majority.

Racism has always been a one-way street for the Left. When Clarence Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court, some liberals called him a "handkerchief head negro" and an "Uncle Tom." According to liberal doctrine, black people can never be racist because they are members of a victim class created by white liberals as a kind of modern plantation to keep blacks voting for liberal Democrats. >>> Cal Thomas | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Laying Down Sharia Law
HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST: Consumer demand for sharia-compliant hotels is strong, but confusion surrounding the term means many brands are reluctant to commit. Louise Birchall seeks to clarify what it takes to comply.

Two-to-three years ago ‘sharia’ was the buzz word repeated by ambitious, international hotel chains intent on tapping into the rich, intraregional Arab tourism market by offering a unique and traditional Arabic experience.



Eager to differentiate themselves, hotel brands witnessed the success of sharia-compliant banking and investment systems compared to conventional institutions and saw an opportunity to apply the concept to hospitality.

This trend, coupled with an increasing amount of government funding and private money being injected into sharia-compliant developments stirred the interest of hotel investors.

However, today only a handful of the talked-about sharia hotel developments have materialised and experts attribute a lack of progress on the hotel front to the confusion surrounding the term ‘sharia’.

Dubai-based Almulla Hospitality recently unveiled plans for a sharia-compliant brand comprising 30 hotels, but there has been no news of its development and similarly Dubai-based Shaza Hotels’ alcohol-free luxury hotel joint venture with Kempinski Hotels and Guidance Financial Group has yet to open the first of its 30 hotels scheduled to launch in the Middle East over the next 10 years.

Defining sharia 


“The terminology ‘sharia compliant’ is mixed up in the sense a lot of people confuse the term and their practices. For a hotel to be fully sharia compliant, it would need a team of religious advisors on board and it really has to go the whole way,” says V. Five Continents Hospitality Group CEO and founder Richard Abou Jaoude.

The Abu Dhabi-based hotel operator’s portfolio of sharia-compliant properties has grown from two to 14 in the Middle East and North Africa since the company entered the market in 2006.

“It was boom time and we realised we were competing with the top guns of the industry and the first thing that came to mind was how to be different, what is missing in the regional hotel market and how can we make a quick return on investment,” says Jaoude.

At that time few companies had approached the sharia niche and V. Five Continents hoped it could differentiate itself with a three- to four-star plus brand. It also had the backing of international brands such as Ramada and timeshare in companies such as Kerzner.

Finding a niche


According to Jaoude, the brand concept proposed by V. Five Continents was to be an “entirely new one”. The concept encompasses the major parts of sharia, including no alcohol, and other aspects such as no smoking, ‘green’ measures in the building and landscaping, and the promotion of wellness. >>> Louise Birchall | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

In Malay-Muslim Heartland, Caning Wins Support
REUTERS: KOTA BHARU, Malaysia - The end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this weekend could see Islamic authorities in Malaysia carry out the country's first caning sentence on a woman, a punishment that is fast gaining support.

Although the penalty has been condemned by rights groups and is being reviewed by an Islamic appeal court, it is endorsed by conservative Muslims whose influence is on the rise in this multi-racial, Southeast Asian country of 27 million people.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, was caught drinking beer in a hotel and faces six strokes of the cane.

There are concerns the caning could damage Malaysia's image at a time when it is liberalizing its economy to attract more foreign investment. But for many people in Kelantan, a poor rural state, it is more important to see justice done.

"Her punishment is not severe, it will educate people. It will be a good lesson especially after Ramadan," said Runaidah Abdul Hamid, a housewife, as she bought vegetables to prepare for the breaking of the fast during Ramadan.

"Kartika will become more Muslim," said Rahayu Nizam Nawi, a vegetable seller in northern Kelantan's capital, Khota Bharu.
Kartika said she accepts the six strokes of the cane and has called for the sentence despite moves by the government, including Prime Minister Najib Razak, to review the punishment.

Malaysia practices a dual-track legal system, with Islamic criminal and family laws applicable only to Muslims, running alongside civil laws. If Kartika is caned, she will be fully clothed. "CITY OF ISLAM" >>> Niluksi Koswanage and Razak Ahmad, Editing by David Chance and Jonathon Burch | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Anger at Wilders' Headscarf Tax
DUTCH NEWS.nl: PVV leader Geert Wilders irritated MPs from all parties during Wednesday's debate on the budget by calling for the introduction of a tax on Muslim headscarves, Trouw reports on Thursday.

It is time 'to clean up our streets,' the anti-immigration party leader said. 'This is pollution of public spaces. Let us do something about this symbol of oppression.'

The proceeds of the €1,000 headscarf licence would go to homes for battered women, he said. 'We have had enough of headscarves.'

Liberal democrat leader Alexander Pechtold asked himself if Wilders was serious while GroenLinks leader Femke Halsema said his speech was 'vulgar'.

And Socialist Party leader Agnes Kant asked Wilders if he also planned to tax Jewish skull-caps or headscarves worn by Christian women in the countryside. [Source: DutchNews.nl] © DutchNews.nl | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Caribbean Blue: Enya

New York Fashion Week: Oscar de la Renta
And not a burqah, abayah, or hijab is in sight! – Mark


THE TELEGRAPH:
New York Fashion Week: Hilary Alexander reviews the Oscar de la Renta spring/summer 2010 collection from New York Fashion Week. >>> Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director at New York Fashion Week | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Anger in Europe as Barack Obama 'Scraps Missile Defence Shield'
THE TELEGRAPH: Reports that US President Barack Obama is to scrap plans to deploy a missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic have provoked anger in Europe.

Mr Obama, who is due to meet the Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev next week in New York, says he wants better ties with Russia . Photo: The Telegraph
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US is to shelve the plan, which was first mooted by the Bush administration and has been a source of friction with Russia ever since.

The move would be a cause of celebration in Moscow but of real concern to Eastern European countries which have looked to Washington for support against their former imperial master Russia. The US has said the shield is to guard against attacks by rogue states, such as Iran.

The former Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, said: "This is not good news for the Czech state, for Czech freedom and independence. It puts us in a position wherein we are not firmly anchored in terms of partnership, security and alliance, and that's a certain threat."

The Polish deputy foreign minister, Andrzej Kremer, said that Warsaw had heard from different sources there were "serious chances" the anti-missile system would not be deployed.

Russian officials said they did not want to immediately comment on media reports that cited unidentified US officials. >>> | Thursday, September 17, 2009

U.S. Shelves Nuclear-Missile Shield: Czech Interim Prime Minister Gets Midnight Call
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: WASHINGTON -- The White House will shelve Bush administration plans to build a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, a move likely to cheer Moscow and roil the security debate in Europe.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell confirmed Thursday that a "major adjustment" is planned and said the decision was made to better protect U.S. forces and allies in Europe from Iranian missile attacks.

The U.S. is basing its move on a determination that Iran's long-range missile program hasn't progressed as rapidly as previously estimated, reducing the threat to the continental U.S. and major European capitals, according to current and former U.S. officials.

The findings, expected to be completed as early as next week following a 60-day review ordered by President Barack Obama, would be a major reversal from the Bush administration, which pushed aggressively to begin construction of the Eastern European system before leaving office in January.

Mr. Obama is expected to make a public announcement later today.

Russia on Thursday welcomed the news, but said it saw no reason to offer concessions in return. At one point earlier this year, Russia President Dmitry Medvedev threatened last November to station tactical Iskander missiles on Poland's border if the U.S. system was deployed. >>> Peter Spiegel | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Iran: Liebe und Sex im Gottesstaat
Ich habe das Kondom heruntergeschluckt, bevor wir zusammen geschlafen haben
ZEIT ONLINE: Lily will vor der Ehe noch viel erleben. Hossein hält mit seiner Freundin nur heimlich Händchen. Ilias Freundin will in Iran nicht versauern. Vier Frauen und drei Männer erzählen von der Liebe.

Ein Paar flirtet im Laleh Park in Teheran. Bild: Zeit Online
"Hast Du schon mal einen Jungen geküsst?", fragt Reza. Reza ist Anfang 30, genau wie ich. Er meint die Frage ernst. Reza lebt in Iran. Dem Land, in dem vorehelicher Sex mit Peitschenhieben bestraft wird, Seitensprünge mit Steinigung. 



Reza und ich essen Chorem-e-Sabzi, Spinat mit Fleisch, und sind beim Thema Liebe angelangt. Reza erzählt, dass er noch nie ein Mädchen geküsst hat. 



Drei Tage später bittet mich Reza nach dem Mittagsgebet zum Gespräch. Er hat Papier, Stifte und eine Schreibunterlage dabei. Er sitzt mir in der Hotellobby, in der er arbeitet, gegenüber wie ein Zinnsoldat und stellt Fragen: Möchtest Du Kinder? Um welche Werte geht’s Dir im Leben? Er notiert meine Antworten. Klack Klack, spielt er mit seinem Kugelschreiber, dann holt er Luft und fragt: "Willst Du mich heiraten?" 



Liebe heißt Eshgh auf Persisch. Eshgh ist nicht immer einfach in Iran. Vier Frauen und drei Männer erzählen von Affären, Liebeskummer und Liebesglück im Gottesstaat.

Fatemeh (w), 32, verheiratet

Ich lebe in einem Dorf im Süden des Landes und arbeite in einer Apotheke. Einmal kam ein Mädchen in unseren Laden. Sie weinte und sagte, dass sie schwanger sei, obwohl sie ein Kondom benutzt habe. "Habt ihr es richtig angewendet?", fragte ich. "Ich habe das Kondom heruntergeschluckt, bevor wir zusammen geschlafen haben", antwortete das Mädchen. 
Ich bin oft fassungslos, wie wenig iranische Jugendliche über Verhütung wissen. Wobei es mir selber nicht anders ging. In Iran gibt es keinen Aufklärungsunterricht in der Schule. Meine Familie ist zwar westlich eingestellt, trotzdem haben meine Eltern mit mir nie über Sex gesprochen. Erst als ich geheiratet habe, musste ich mit meinem Mann einen Hochzeitskurs besuchen. Das ist Pflicht für angehende Eheleute. Dort habe ich erfahren, dass die Frau einen Orgasmus haben kann. Vorher dachte ich, das wäre ein Privileg des Mannes. 



Ilia (m), 30, noch in einer Beziehung

Meine Freundin Romisa und ich sind seit sechs Jahren ein Paar. Romisa ist toll. Meine Traumfrau. Natürlich tauschen wir Zärtlichkeiten aus. Wir küssen uns, übernachten auch beieinander. Miteinander geschlafen haben wir noch nicht. Wir wollten damit bis zur Ehe warten. Jetzt ist die Hochzeit aber geplatzt. Romisa wandert nach Kanada aus, morgen geht ihr Flieger. Sie will nicht in Iran versauern, einem Land, in dem Ahmadineschad wieder zum Präsidenten gewählt worden ist, sagt sie. Ich verstehe das. Wir haben oft darüber gesprochen, irgendwo neu anzufangen. Aber ich kann nicht weg. Meine Mutter braucht mich. Außerdem hält mich mein Job. Vielleicht bin ich auch einfach zu feige, um Romisa zu folgen. Männer weinen nicht, heißt eine iranische Redewendung. Ich heule seit zwei Tagen. Lily (w), 24, Single >>> Von Carola Hoffmeister | Donnerstag, 17. September 2009

Transsexuelle in Iran: Roxana fällt auf
ZEIT ONLINE: Geschlechtsumwandlungen sind in Iran erlaubt, während auf Homosexualität die Todesstrafe steht. Das Leben eines Transsexuellen ist in der islamischen Republik trotzdem nicht leicht

"Kommt her!" ruft Roxana einem Touristenpärchen aus Deutschland hinterher, das an einem kleinen Kebab-Laden im Zentrum von Teheran vorbeischlendert. Die 25-jährige winkt das Paar mit einer Puderquaste in der Hand zu sich heran. Roxana fällt auf wie ein Paradiesvogel unter Raben. Ihr Gesicht ist geschminkt wie das einer japanischen Geisha. Einen bonbonfarbenem Kussmund und grelle Rotkäppchenwangen hat sie sich gemalt. In ihrem Pony glitzert silbernes Haarspray.

Roxana tritt aus dem Laden heraus in die gleißende Sonne. Dreht sich vor den Touristen wie eine Eisprinzessin. Ihr Glockenrock mit bunten Troddeln am Saum schwingt um ihren Körper. "Ihr seid die ersten Menschen, die sich für mich interessieren", sagt sie, klimpert mit den fliegenbeinlangen Wimpern und nimmt die Hand der Ausländerin, als suche sie eine Verbündete.

Roxana ist ein Sheboy, ein Mädchenjunge. In einem Land, in dem sich Frauen verschleiern müssen und laut Verfassung halb so viel Wert sind wie ein Mann, hat sie sich umoperieren lassen. Vom Mann zur Frau.

Jährlich wechseln ungefähr 450 Iraner das Geschlecht. Nur in Thailand sind diese Zahlen höher. Roxana hieß früher Arash. Nun steht Roxana in ihrem Ausweis. Ein altpersisches Wort für Morgenröte. Roxana mag ihren Namen. Er klingt nach Neuanfang und Aufbruch, sagt sie und ihre Stimme überschlägt sich vor Aufregung.

Roxana und die Touristen betreten den Schnellimbiss. Vier Männer, die bereits bestellt haben, bilden eine Traube um Roxana und die Touristen. Zwei schwarz verschleierte Frauen tuscheln. Roxana zupft ihr Kopftuch mit pink lackierten Fingernägeln zurecht und lacht, als ein Teenager in Jeans ein Handyfoto macht. Roxana liebt es, im Mittelpunkt zu stehen. Meistens jedoch meiden sie die Menschen. Ein Mann drängt sich mit seinen Einkäufen an ihr vorbei, rempelt sie versehentlich an. "Ich hätte Angst, mich mit einem Sheboy zu unterhalten", sagt der Mann leise. 
Roxanas Freund Said ist ebenfalls in dem Imbiss. Er beobachtet das Geschehen von seinem Platz am Fenster aus. Der 59-jährige Anwalt wirkt mit weit aufgeknöpftem Hemd, Nadelsteifenanzug und übergroßer Gucci-Sonnenbrille in der Elvis-Tolle exzentrisch. Als er hört, dass der Fremde Angst vor Roxana hat, seufzt er: "Typisch. Viele befürchteten, dass sie sich nur verkleidet. Dass sie biologisch ein Mann ist, keine Frau. Dann wäre sie ein Transvestit, vielleicht schwul", sagt er. Homosexualität ist in Iran verboten und wird mit dem Tode bestraft. >>> Von Carola Hoffmeister | Freitag, 07. Juli 2009

Homophober Pop: Absagen wäre das Mindeste
ZEIT ONLINE: In seinen Songtexten ruft der Dancehall-Musiker Elephant Man zum Mord an Homosexuellen auf. Ende des Monats will er Konzerte in Deutschland geben. Nun regt sich Protest.

Elephant Man: ein homophober Clown aus Jamaika. Bild: Zeit Online
"Queers must be killed! Take them by surprise", singt O'Neil Bryant aus Jamaika. Er tritt als Elephant Man mit bunt gefärbten Haaren zu schweißtreibenden Dancehall-Rhythmen auf. Sein Hass sitzt offenbar tief. In mehreren Liedern fordert er dazu auf, schwule Männer mit einem Maschinengewehr zu töten und "die Missgeburten zu verbrennen". Zwei seiner Alben wurden bereits indiziert. Insgesamt sechs Konzerte hat der homophobe Musiker Ende September in Europa geplant. Zwei davon in Deutschland, eines in Düsseldorf und eines in Mainz-Kastel.

"Wir meinen, dass hierzulande kein Interpret auftreten darf, der zu Mordtaten an Schwulen und Lesben aufruft", sagt der Lesben- und Schwulenverband Deutschland (LSVD). In einem offenen Brief forderte der LSVD die Klubbetreiber auf, die Konzerte abzusagen. "Strafbar machen sich in diesem Fall auch die Veranstalter", erklärte LSVD-Geschäftsführer Klaus Jetz. Man habe wegen des offensichtlichen Aufrufes zu Straftaten auch den Staatsschutz eingeschaltet. >>> | Dienstag, 15. September 2009

Dieser Text ist dem ZEIT-Blog Störungsmelder entnommen, das sich mit Rechtsextremismus beschäftigt

The American Way of Death
TIMES ONLINE – Leading Article: A botched execution in Ohio should quicken the end of capital punishment

America is the only big democracy — apart, occasionally, from Japan — that still carries out capital punishment. The botched attempted execution in Ohio this week of a murderer should prompt America to join the rest of the developed world in consigning judicial killing to history. There is inadequate evidence that it acts as a deterrent, it ignores the risk of miscarriages of justice and allows no room for repentance or correction. But above all it is a barbarity that stains civilised society.

There is no question but that the crime committed by Romell Broom was vile. He was sentenced to die for the rape and murder in 1984 of a 14-year-old girl. But his execution on Tuesday was halted when technicians failed, after a two-hour-long search, to find a vein sturdy enough to deliver the three-drug lethal injection.

A one-week reprieve granted by the Governor of Ohio may well be extended indefinitely, partly because it is half a century since any inmate was subjected to more than one execution, and partly because some justices of the US Supreme Court have now begun to wonder if botched lethal injections might not violate the eighth amendment ban on “cruel and unusual punishment”. Last year the court upheld the use of lethal injections. But Justice John Paul Stevens, while concurring, said that imposing the death penalty represented “the pointless and needless extinction of life with only marginal contributions to any discernible social or public purposes”. Other justices are believed to share this view.

When Texas became the first US state to introduce lethal injections in 1982, they were thought more humane than the electric chair, gas or hanging. It is time that they went the same way. [Source: Times Online / Comment here] Leading Article | Thursday, September 17, 2009

Queen Mother on 'Abhorrent' Diana, Princess of Wales
THE TELEGRAPH: The late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, reacted with "utter abhorrence" to Diana, Princess of Wales's decision to "wash the dirty linen in public" by disclosing details of the breakdown of her marriage.

An official biography published today describes how Queen Elizabeth was "deeply shocked" when it emerged that Princess Diana had collaborated with Andrew Morton on the book Diana: Her True Story, which caused a sensation when it was published 17 years ago.

She was also dismayed by the Prince of Wales's decision to discuss his private life with the broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby for a TV programme in which he admitted he had been unfaithful.

Queen Elizabeth revealed her thoughts about her grandson's divorce in a series of previously unpublished interviews with Sir Eric Anderson, the former Provost of Eton College, which were made available to the biographer William Shawcross.

"It is always a mistake to talk about your marriage," she told Mr Anderson, who spent a total of 20 hours interviewing her.

Details of Queen Elizabeth's thoughts on the Royal divorce are contained in Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: The Official Biography, which was commissioned by the Queen.

In 1992, Andrew Morton's book disclosed that the Princess of Wales had attempted suicide on at least five occasions in the 1980s, suffered from bulimia and felt rejected both by Prince Charles and other members of the Royal family, including the Queen.

At the time of its publication, it was rumoured that the Princess herself had helped Mr Morton with the book, and after her death in 1997 Mr Morton confirmed that the Princess had indeed been the main source, and had even checked the proofs of the book for accuracy.

In 1995 the Princess recorded a Panorama interview in which she talked about the Prince of Wales's affair with the then Camilla Parker Bowles, saying: "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

Mr Shawcross notes: "(Queen Elizabeth) had been sympathetic to both the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York over the enormous pressures they faced from the media. But the washing of dirty linen in public was utterly abhorrent to Queen Elizabeth. >>> Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Thursday, September 17, 2009

L'Iran et le G20 au cœur d'un entretien Obama-Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy s'est entretenu pendant 30 minutes avec son homologue américain. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Pendant une demi-heure, les deux chefs d'Etat ont discuté des moyens d'amener la République islamique à «se conformer» aux résolutions de l'ONU sur le nucléaire.

Deux semaines après avoir mis en garde Téhéran contre des «sanctions renforcées», Nicolas Sarkozy s'est entretenu pendant une demi-heure, mardi, avec Barack Obama «du niveau des efforts diplomatiques pour amener l'Iran à se conformer à ses obligations internationales sur son programme nucléaire», a fait savoir la Maison-Blanche.

Cet épineux dossier devrait être au cœur de la rencontre qui se tiendra le 1er octobre prochain, probablement en Turquie, entre les représentants des six grandes puissances qui négocient depuis des années sur le nucléaire iranien (Etats-Unis, Russie, Chine, France, Grande-Bretagne et Allemagne) et la République islamique, soupçonnée de vouloir se doter de l'arme atomique sous le couvert d'un programme nucléaire civil. Cette rencontre marquera «l'accomplissement» de la promesse du président Obama de tendre la main à l'Iran malgré trois décennies d'hostilité entre Washington et Téhéran, a estimé mardi sa secrétaire d'Etat, Hillary Clinton. «Nous avons clairement signifié aux Iraniens que toutes les discussions auxquelles nous participerions devaient aborder de front la question nucléaire. C'est incontournable», a-t-elle ajouté. Mettre en œuvre les décisions du G20 de Londres >>> lefigaro.fr (avec AFP) | Mercredi 16 Septembre 2009

Moscou change la donne du poker nucléaire auquel joue Téhéran
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: BRAS DE FER | Le président Dmitri Medvedev n’exclut plus d’adopter les sanctions souhaitées par les Occidentaux contre l’Iran. De quoi modifier la stratégie du régime des mollahs? Rendez-vous dans quinze jours.

Dmitri Medvedev, président russe. Il a semé le doute mardi en laissant entendre que Moscou ne s’opposerait plus forcément à des sanctions plus dures contre Téhéran, qui refuse de geler son programme nucléaire. Crédits photo : Tribune de Genève
Faut-il le prendre au mot? Le président russe Dmitri Medvedev a semé le doute mardi en laissant entendre que Moscou ne s’opposerait plus forcément à des sanctions plus dures contre Téhéran, qui refuse de geler son programme nucléaire. Etonnant. La semaine dernière, le Kremlin déclarait exactement le contraire! Si l’évolution se confirme, ce virage à 180 degrés change la donne du poker international qui se joue autour du dossier iranien.

Voyez plutôt. Dans quinze jours, le 1er octobre, doivent s’ouvrir in extremis des négociations à Istanbul entre le régime des mollahs et les pays membres du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU (Etats-Unis, Russie, Chine, France et Grande-Bretagne). Sans oublier l’Allemagne, qui participe aussi aux pourparlers. Ce dialogue «global, exhaustif et constructif» proposé il y a huit jours par Téhéran, est surtout le résultat d’un ultimatum américain: Barack Obama exigeait avant la fin septembre une réponse de l’Iran à la «main tendue» en mars par le président des Etats-Unis. Ce n’est pas tout: d’ici à fin décembre, la Maison-Blanche veut un «deal». Faute de quoi elle proposera de nouvelles sanctions au Conseil de sécurité. >>> Andrés allemand | Jeudi 17 Septembre 2009

New York songe à bannir la clope de ses parcs et places de jeux
Les politiciens de New York devrait savoir comment faire mieux. Après la tragédie du 9 / 11, ils devraient savoir il ya des choses plus importantes que d'arrêter de fumer dans les parcs. Le temps est venu de donner aux fumeurs une certaine liberté. Quand on parle de fumer dans un espace clos, on peut parler de «fumée secondaire» et ses dangers; dans un espace ouvert, cet argument n'est pas valide. Donnez donc le New-Yorkais la liberté de jouir de fumer dans les parcs et places de jeux et cherchez quelque chose de plus important de légiférer. – © Mark

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: SANTÉ PUBLIQUE | Le responsable de la Santé de la Grosse Pomme a proposé cette semaine d’interdire la fumée dans 1700 parcs et places de jeux de la ville. Une initiative qui s’inscrit dans un contexte d’augmentation des interdictions pour les fumeurs aux Etats-Unis.

José Morales n’aime pas l’idée des autorités new-yorkaises:«Je suis en faveur des restaurants sans fumée, mais là cela va trop loin. Que voudront-ils interdire par la suite? De fumer chez soi?» Crédits photo : Tribune de Genève
José Morales pourrait bientôt faire une croix sur la cigarette quotidienne pendant sa pause de midi à Bryant Park, un espace vert à deux pas de Times Square. Thomas Farley, le responsable sanitaire de New York, a annoncé lundi qu’il veut interdire la fumée dans tous les parcs et sur les plages de la ville. Dans la Grosse Pomme, les cigarettes sont bannies des restaurants depuis 1995 et des lieux publics couverts dont les bars et les bureaux depuis 2003.

«Je n’aime pas cette idée, lâche José Morales en tirant sur sa clope. Je suis en faveur des restaurants sans fumée, mais là, cela va trop loin. Que voudront-ils interdire par la suite? De fumer chez soi?»

A quelques tables de lui à Bryant Park, Richard Beck, un non-fumeur, rejette lui aussi l’idée. «L’interdiction de fumer dans les lieux publics couverts suffit, dit-il. A l’extérieur, les gens doivent avoir le droit d’allumer une cigarette s’ils le désirent. Je pense que les autorités font un excès de zèle.»

Chris Gaughan, un plombier du Bronx de 24 ans, qui fume lui aussi pendant sa pause, s’emporte contre le projet. «C’est fou. On n’habite plus dans le pays de la liberté, dit-il, en faisant référence aux paroles de l’hymne américain. C’est le pays des non-fumeurs.» «La liberté a un prix», renchérit Mike Gragnaniello, un ouvrier de 27 ans, qui s’est lui aussi allumé une cigarette et souligne que le paquet coûte plus de 9 dollars à New York. Ailleurs aussi >>> Jean-Cosme Delaloye, New York | Jeudi 17 Septembre 2009

Darwin Centre Opened by Prince William

Israel startet Kampagne gegen Goldstone-Bericht: «Erschüttert und enttäuscht» – Vorwurf des Antisemitismus
NZZ ONLINE: Mit einer internationalen Kampagne in Medien und Diplomatie will Israel den Uno-Bericht über Kriegsverbrechen im Gaza-Krieg vom Tisch wischen. Die Untersuchung wird als Kampagne gegen Israel dargestellt.

Das israelische Aussenministerium kündigte am Mittwoch Schritte zur «Schadensbegrenzung» an. Die Regierung in Jerusalem will nach israelischen Medienberichten verhindern, dass der Goldstone-Bericht vor den Uno-Sicherheitsrat kommt oder an den Internationalen Strafgerichtshof in Den Haag überwiesen wird. Er wolle beispielsweise während eines Gesprächs mit der US- Botschafterin bei den Vereinten Nationen in New York, Susan Rice, um die Unterstützung der US-Regierung bitten, sagte der israelische Vize-Aussenminister Danny Ajalon.

In einer offiziellen Stellungnahme des Aussenministeriums in Jerusalem heisst es, der Bericht habe Israel erschüttert und enttäuscht. Der Bericht offenbare die kaum verhüllte Absicht, eine politische Kampagne gegen Israel zu starten. Ein Regierungssprecher sagte: «Dieser Bericht wurde in Sünde empfangen und ist ein Produkt einer Verbindung von Propaganda und Parteilichkeit». Israel habe eine unabhängige Justiz und werde insbesondere jeden Versuch abwehren, seine Soldaten vor das Internationale Strafgericht in Den Haag zu bringen. >>> sda/dpa | Mittwoch, 16. September 2009

Legislating Gay Hate in Lithuania
THE GUARDIAN: If the Baltic state perseveres with new homophobic laws, it has no place in the European Union

How would you feel if your government tried to render you invisible? If they denied you access to healthcare or healthcare information? Isolated you from people like yourself? Prevented you from having a relaxed, fulfilling romantic life? Stigmatised and bullied you? If your character was constantly slandered and libelled but when you tried to defend yourself, or just tried to live your life peaceably, you were criminalised?

In July, Lithuania issued a law forbidding the "promotion of homosexuality" in places where children would be exposed to it. Which sounded very much like the ludicrous and culturally corrosive legislation that Britain used to have in the now widely ridiculed Section 28. So far, so bad. But things could be about to get a whole lot worse for some of our gay neighbours in eastern Europe.

It's following a familiar pattern. First, you start by claiming that you are protecting the children – an easy and emotive popular argument to win, however bankrupt your goals are – and then you enlarge your agenda. This is what is happening.

A mere two months later and the net is widening. Changes to articles 310 in the penal code, and 214 in the administrative code are being debated in the Seimas (Lithuania's parliament). They will criminalise – with the threat of a fine, community work or imprisonment – anyone involved in the "promotion" of homosexuality in "any public space". This, in the words of Nicola Duckworth, Europe director at Amnesty International, is "a new low in Lithuania's slide to state-sponsored homophobia."

But what would this new law mean? That gay people in Lithuania will not be able to access health promotion material, publicly organise themselves, advertise their businesses, have a gay press, stand up for themselves in public when they are bullied, share or express their culture. It means that they will suffer more discrimination, more harassment. It also invites the question: what next (or indeed, who next?).

Like the now-abolished Section 28 in the UK, it is a bully's charter giving state approval for the harassment of a particular – and already vulnerable – set of people. But where Section 28 was largely toothless and totemic, 310 is harsh and wide-reaching. Could we next be seeing attempts to recriminalise gay sex? >>> Joseph Galliano | Monday, September 14, 2009

Gordon Brown's 'Costs of Failure' Will Reach £256 Billion
Isn’t it high time we kicked this fiscally imprudent government out of office? Gordon Brown and his inner circle have shown us just how totally incompetent they are.

It is going to take us Brits years to get ourselves out of the mess that this Labour government, and Blair’s, have got us into. Shameful politics! Shameful economics! – © Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Social security payments will cost almost £200 billion in four years time, accounting for one pound in every four that the Government spends.

Combined with a debt interest bill of more than £63 billion, items Gordon Brown once called “the costs of failure” will absorb more than a third of all Government spending.

Leaked Treasury documents have revealed the Government’s own bleak forecasts for rising welfare payments and debt interest costs.

The figures, which were not revealed in this year’s Budget, show the scale of the damage that will done to the public finances by rising unemployment and the soaring national debt.

The papers show that the Treasury expects to pay out £193.4 billion on social security benefits in 2013/14. Paying interest on the Government’s outstanding debts will cost £63.4 billion.

Total Government spending in the same year will be £758.3 billion. Welfare and debt interest will be 33.8 per cent of that total.

Around 6 million people in Britain are estimated to claim some sort of employment-based benefits, and the figure is set to rise.

Official figures released on Wednesday showed that unemployment reached has 2.47 million, the highest since 1995. Most economists expect the total to peak at around 3 million early next year.

In his 2000 Budget, Mr Brown described money spent on debt and welfare as “the costs of failure” and lauded Labour’s record in reducing those payments.

He said: "Our promise was to reduce the costs of failure – the bills for unemployment and debt interest – in order to reallocate money to the key public services."

Now, Mr Brown’s own figures reveal how those costs are set to grow dramatically. >>> James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Habsburg Goes to Court over Presidential Ban
AUSTRIAN TIMES: A Habsburg family member and his daughter-in-law have gone to the Constitutional Court after they were excluded from presidential elections next year.



Ulrich Habsburg-Lothringen, a Green councillor in Wolfsberg, Carinthia, and his daughter-in-law Gabriele Habsburg-Lothringen, want the court to review whether the ban is constitutional.



Austrian election laws prohibit any member of the house of Habsburg or any member of a "ruling house" to become a candidate for the presidency.



The ban dates back to the days of the First Republic, when many people wanted to ensure there would be no restoration of the Habsburg monarchy. >>> Lisa Chapman | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Spanish Court Says Calling Your Boss a 'Son of a Bitch' Is Fine
THE TELEGRAPH: A Spanish court has ruled that calling your boss a "son of a bitch" is not grounds for sacking.

A judge in Barcelona said the slight was so common in arguments that it should not be considered a big insult.

The case related to an unnamed worker who directed the comment at his boss during a pay dispute in the northeastern city of Gerona in Jan 2008.

The worker, who also called his boss "crazy," was promptly fired. The man lost a first court challenge, but won on appeal with the Superior Court.

The ruling said his dismissal was a disproportionate punishment and the worker was entitled to be reinstated or receive £5,700 compensation.

Judge Sara Maria Pose Vidal said: "Without a doubt, both expressions are insulting.

"[But] the social degradation of language has caused the expressions used by the plaintiff to become commonly used in certain settings, especially in arguments." [Source: The Telegraph] | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Des religieux contre Ahmadinejad
leJDD.fr: En appelant les dignitaires religieux à dénoncer les violences commises par le pouvoir en Iran, le grand ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri s'est une nouvelle fois attiré les foudres de Téhéran. Plusieurs de ses proches ont été arrêtes.

En Iran, l'opposition peut compter sur le soutien du grand ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. Depuis la réélection contestée de Mahmoud Ahmadinejad à la tête de la République islamique, il n'a cessé de donner de la voix, dénonçant notamment la répression des manifestations. Sa dernière prise de position - il a demandé lundi aux dignitaires religieux de dénoncer les procès des manifestants et les violences commises dans les prisons - a d'ailleurs valu des ennuis à ses proches. Selon la presse réformatrice, plusieurs membres de sa famille, dont les trois enfants de son fils, ont été arrêtés.

Depuis la fin des années 1980, le grand ayatollah – rang le plus élevé du clergé chiite -fait figure de premier dissident religieux. L'homme a pourtant participé à la révolution islamique de 1979 et à l'élaboration de la Constitution iranienne, qui instaure, entre autres, la théocratie. Mais s'il croit toujours au fondement même de la République islamique – à savoir que le religieux prime sur le politique – il s'est très tôt montré très critique envers le pouvoir. Choisi en 1985 par l'Assemblée des experts – un collège de 88 religieux chargé de nommer et de révoquer le Guide suprême de la révolution – pour succéder à l'ayatollah Khomeini, fondateur de la République islamique, il a été écarté par Khomeini lui-même, celui-ci n'ayant pas goûté ses critiques sur la répression politique et culturelle. Son successeur au poste de Guide suprême, l'ayatollah Ali Khamenei, l'a fait placer en résidence surveillée entre 1997 et 2003. Le clergé chiite divisé >>> Marianne Enault, leJDD.fr | Mercredi 16 Septembre 2009

Turkey 'Seeks Duchess of York for Questioning over TV Documentary'
TIMES ONLINE: The Duchess of York faces questioning, and possible arrest and extradition to Turkey over allegations that she and her daughter Eugenie broke privacy laws by filming undercover in Turkish institutions for the disabled.

The Turkish government is believed to have lodged an official request for the British police to help it to secure evidence that the Duchess broke the country's strict privacy laws.

The Metropolitan Police and the Home Office are thought to be discussing the request, which arrived through the formal procedure for Mutual Legal Assistance between different countries.

Under the arrangement, British detectives would question the Duchess and relay their findings to their Turkish counterparts, who could then request further action such as her arrest and extradition.

Neither the Home Office nor the Met would comment on the record about Turkey's request this morning. But a Home Office source told The Sun newspaper last night: "We have received a request from the Turkish government for an MLA in relation to the Duchess of York. We are now awaiting the necessary paperwork but it seems likely the request will be granted."

The row concerns an episode of ITV1's Tonight programme, filmed last September and broadcast two months later, in which the Duchess and her younger daughter donned wigs and headscarves to film the cruel and spartan conditions endured by disabled women and children in two state institutions.

Eugenie wept after she saw children left tied to their beds in Istanbul's Zeytinburnu Centre for the Care of Disabled Children, where 700 youngsters are housed. The Duchess reported seeing faeces left uncleared near a bed holding two women at the Saray Rehabilitation Centre in Ankara.

Chris Rogers, an ITN correspondent who accompanied the Duchess, described what they had seen as "profoundly shocking". He reported seeing children "dressed in bedclothes and rags, some had shaven heads - which gave them the appearance of convicts rather than patients. In every corner, a child showed signs of distress, with many exhibiting the awful violent rocking of the institutionalised." >>> Jenny Booth | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Studie: Muslime fühlen sich von Medien unfair behandelt
WELT ONLINE: Mainstream-Medien berichten unausgewogen und übertrieben negativ über Muslime – das finden jedenfalls viele Betroffene aus Deutschland, Großbritannien und Frankreich. Jeder zweite ist einer Studie zufolge mit der Berichterstattung unzufrieden. Viele wenden sich deshalb ausländischen Medien zu.

Immer mehr Muslime in Deutschland, Frankreich und Großbritannien glauben nicht, dass die Mainstream-Medien ausgewogen über sie berichten. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt ein Pilotprojekt des Londoner Institute for Strategic Dialogue und der Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland, das auf der internationalen Medienkonferenz „M100 Sanssouci Colloquium 2009“ in Potsdam vorgestellt wurde. Für das Projekt mit dem Titel „Muslime in der europäischen Medienlandschaft“ hatten die Forscher fast 150 Medienkonsumenten und Experten aus der Medienbranche befragt.

5 Prozent der befragten Muslime vertraten die Auffassung, die großen Medien berichteten negativ über Muslime. Bei den nicht muslimischen Befragten waren es immerhin 39 Prozent.

Mehr als die Hälfte der Studienteilnehmer sind überzeugt, dass es in den meisten Berichten über Muslime um Terrorismus geht. Ein Drittel glaubt, dass vor allem Fundamentalismus eine Rolle spielt; ein Viertel nimmt als häufigstes Thema in der Berichterstattung über Muslime die Kopftuchdebatte wahr.

Eine Folge der wachsenden Skepsis der Muslime gegenüber der traditionellen Berichterstattung ist die Hinwendung zu alternativen Medien. Sie nutzten entweder ausländische Quellen oder „Minoritätsmedien“, also Medien, die von ethnischen Minderheiten betrieben werden. Als Beispiel für Deutschland nennt die Studie Metropol FM, ein von Türken betriebenes Radioprogramm in türkischer Sprache. >>> Von Miriam Hollstein | Dienstag, 15. September 2009

Belgique: quand la Flandre interdit le voile
L’EXPRESS.fr – BLOG: Bras de fer dans la Flandre belge sur le foulard islamique.

Cette rentrée, les 700 écoles publiques de la région néerlandophone ont reçu consigne d'interdire à leurs élèves le port du voile dans leurs murs. La décision, qui émane du Conseil flamand de l'enseignement, un organisme indépendant du gouvernement flamand en matière pédagogique, suit celle de la ville d 'Anvers, port multiculturel, qui a banni le port de signes religieux sur son territoire.

Cette décision qui prendra pleinement effet l'an prochain est justifiée par des cas de plus en plus nombreux de pressions sur les mineurs qui ne portaient pas le voile.

En Belgique francophone, l'interdiction ou la tolérance du port du foulard relève toujours du chef d'établissement. La classe politique francophone, elle, divisée, observe l'expérience flamande et tergiverse. Les partisans de la laïcité organiseront une manifestation à Bruxelles, samedi. Leur slogan: "Pas de signe religieux à l'école!"

En Flandre, des associations marocaines et arabo musulmanes ont dénoncé "une ségrégation" et annoncé l'ouverture de nouvelles écoles islamiques. Des protestations ont été organisées dans la rue.

Contrairement à la France, où la loi interdisant le voile, avait été appliquée sans heurts ni franche contestation, la mobilisation des pro-foulard s'annonce musclée. Peut-être justement parce qu'outre-Quiévrain la parole politique n'a pas été suffisamment claire sur la question. Beaucoup dépendra donc du rapport de forces dans et autour des écoles. Ce n'est pas un bon signe. [Source: L’Express.fr] Jean-Michel Demetz | Mardi 15 Septembre 2009

Le Yémen est en guerre
LIBÉRATION.fr: Les combats ont repris dans le nord du Yémen entre le gouvernement et les rebelles al-Houtistes. C'est le sixième épisode en cinq ans d'un conflit complexe et méconnu.

Dans la catégorie «conflits oubliés», le Yémen mérite sans doute le podium. Hormis pour quelques kidnappings de touristes inconscients, ce pays désertique de la Péninsule Arabique fait rarement l'actualité.

Le nord du Yémen est pourtant en guerre depuis 2004. Le 11 août 2009, le gouvernement, à dominante sunnite, a lancé l'opération «terre brûlée» contre la rébellion des al-Houtistes, confinée dans la province de Saada. Ces derniers sont les ultimes représentants du zaydisme, une branche du chiisme qui reconnaît l'imam Zayd Ben Ali comme le cinquième et dernier imam. L'armée a affirmé ce mardi avoir tué 40 de leurs combattants au cours des trois derniers jours, et reconnu avoir perdu 7 hommes dans une embuscade sur une route à l'est de Saada. >>> Yann Libessart | Mardi 15 Septembre 2009

Un Ben Laden affaibli s'adresse au «peuple américain»
LIBÉRATION.fr: Dans un enregistrement audio, le chef d'Al Qaeda dénonce les «groupes de pression» œuvrant à la Maison Blanche. Pour plusieurs analystes, ce discours marque un net changement de ton.

Le dernier message d'Oussama Ben Laden, diffusé par le site As-Sahab, traduit selon plusieurs analystes un changement de ton du leader d'Al Qaeda, affaibli et à la recherche d'une porte de sortie. D'après le centre américain de recherche sur le terrorisme Intel Center, qui retranscrit le message audio de Ben Laden, ce dernier a invité les Américains à faire pression sur la Maison Blanche pour qu'elle mette fin aux guerres en Irak et en Afghanistan.

Sans quoi, «nous poursuivrons une guerre d'usure contre vous de toutes les façons possibles» menace Ben Laden. Il leur demande également de se prononcer contre le soutien à Israël de la part de l'administration américaine plutôt que de succomber au «terrorisme idéologique» des néo-conservateurs. Ben Laden affirme que «parmi d'autres injustices» c'est le soutien des Etats-Unis à Israël qui a conduit Al Qaeda à lancer les attaques du 11 septembre 2001.

Obama qualifié d'«opprimé»

«Le nouveau message de Ben Laden traduit un véritable changement (...) il ne comporte pas de menaces et cherche à justifier les attaques du 11 septembre», estime Diaa Rachwane, l'un des meilleurs analystes arabes en matière de terrorisme. «Pas une seule fois dans ce message, et contrairement à son habitude, Ben Laden n'a mentionné les martyrs qui ont mené les attaques du 11 septembre et ne les a salués», relève le directeur adjoint du centre al-Ahram pour les études stratégiques et politiques.

Un autre aspect du discours a retenu l'attention de Diaa Rachwane. Ben Laden qualifie en effet le président américain Barack Obama «d'opprimé» n'ayant pas le pouvoir de changer le cours des guerres et le présente comme un otage des néo-conservateurs et «des groupes de pression et notamment du lobby juif». >>> (Source AFP) | Lundi 14 Septembre 2009

US-Milliardär erschiesst sich nach Ermittlungen der Steuerbehörde
BERNER ZEITUNG: Um 100 Millionen Dollar soll Finn Caspersen den US-Fiskus betrogen haben. Bevor die Steuerbehörde Anklage gegen den Mäzen erheben konnte, tötete sich dieser in seinem Golf-Club. Das Schicksal des Superreichen und prominenten Wohltäters erschüttert Amerika.

Vorbildlicher Bürger oder Steuerbetrüger? US-Milliardär Finn Caspersen brachte sich letzte Woche um. Bild: Berner Zeitung
Dollars, exquisite Clubs und teure Pferde waren seine Welt; sein Name ist in Ehrenhallen von US-Elite-Universitäten eingraviert: Finn Caspersen, bekannter Mäzen und Milliardenerbe der amerikanischen Konsumenten-Kreditbank Beneficial Corporation, hat sich letzte Woche erschossen. Seine Leiche wurde mit einer Kugel im Kopf auf dem Shelter Harbor Golf-Club in Rhode Island gefunden. Niemand rechnete damit, dass der 67-Jährige, der an Krebs litt, Selbstmord begehen würde. Was hat den Philanthropen – er spendete Dutzende Millionen für Spitäler und Universitäten – derart verzweifeln lassen?

Es war wohl das Geheimnis, das er mit sich herumtrug: Die US-Steuerbehörde verdächtigte ihn des Steuerbetrugs. Als er sich selbst richtete, bereiteten Steuerdetektive gerade eine Klage gegen ihn vor: Er soll Teile seines Vermögens bei der LGT, der Bank des Fürstenhauses von Liechtenstein, parkiert haben – vorbei am Fiskus. Die Summe, die dem Staat so entging, beläuft sich angeblich auf 100 Millionen Dollar. Gegenüber der «New York Times» sagte eine eingeweihte Person, die nicht genannt werden will, Caspersen drohte sogar eine Gefängnisstrafe. Vielleicht wollte er mit dieser Schande nicht leben. Fürchtete er sich vor dem 23. September? >>> cha | Mittwoch, 16. September 2009

Peres: UN Gaza Report Makes Mockery of History
HAARETZ: President Shimon Peres said Wednesday that the Goldstone report, which accuses Israel of committing war crimes during its military offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip earlier this year, "makes a mockery of history."

The president issued a stinging rebuke to the report, which was commissioned by the United Nations and authored by Richard Goldstone, a South African war crimes prosecutor who investigated Israeli and Palestinian conduct during Operation Cast Lead.

Though the report accuses both Israel and Hamas of carrying out war crimes during the three-week campaign in Gaza, it focuses primarily on Israel's actions during the fighting.

Over the course of the hostilities, which erupted on 27 December 2008 and lasted three weeks, human-rights groups say approximately 1,400 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians, along with Israeli fatalities of three civilians and 10 soldiers.

Israel says it launched the offensive in response to persistent Palestinian rocket fire against towns and communities in the western Negev.

"The report in practice grants legitimacy to terrorism, premeditated shooting and killing while ignoring the duty and the right of a state to defend itself, something which is explicitly stated in the UN charter," Peres said.

"The Hamas terror organization is the one that launched the war, and it also committed other horrific crimes," the president said. "Hamas has employed terrorism for years against Israeli children. It has detonated explosive devices in the heart of Israeli cities, harmed civilians, launched over 12,000 missiles and mortar shells aimed at innocent civilians with one clear goal in mind - to kill."

"Israel evacuated its soldiers and citizens from Gaza, opened its crossings, and aided in the rehabilitation of the Strip," Peres added. "After the Israeli evacuation, Gaza was overrun by force by a murderous, illegitimate terrorist organization - Hamas - which launched a mutiny against the legitimate Palestinian Authority."

"Instead of building Gaza and worrying about the welfare of its residents, Hamas built offensive tunnels against Israel and brutally used Palestinian children and civilians in order to conceal terrorists and hide weapons," Peres said.

The president said criticism against Israel's actions fails to offer effective alternatives that can stifle rocket fire against the country's outlying towns. >>> Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service | Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Rabbi Tovia Singer & Jeremy Gimpel: Will There Be One World Power?

Gaddafi’s Heir Leaves Clue to His World Vision in His PhD
TIMES ONLINE: Buried away on the dusty shelves of a London library is a student’s vision for a new world order.

Doctoral dissertations are usually of little interest outside the world of academic research but this book casts an intriguing light on the beliefs of one of the Middle East’s most influential figures.

The publication by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the eldest son of the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife, is set to fuel the debate about the pace of democratic and economic reform in his homeland.

Perhaps because it is published under the surname Alqadhafi, the blue cover of the PhD thesis appears to have been little read since it was filed at the Senate House library of the University of London last autumn. Over 428 pages, the man seen as heir apparent to the socialist dictator who has ruled Libya for 40 years calls for democracy and greater influence for business in his vision of the world’s governing institutions.

Dr Gaddafi has become an increasingly powerful voice in the oil-rich country, which has influence in both the Muslim world and the African Union. Although dismissed by critics as a playboy prince for his frequent international travel and attendance at celebrity parties, Dr Gaddafi spent four years researching his thesis at the London School of Economics.

While other doctoral students struggled to survive with occasional lecturing, the multimillionaire Libyan was also negotiating the release of the Lockerbie bomber and $1.5billion compensation for his victims, opening up his country’s oil and gas fields to international businesses and restoring diplomatic links with the US.

Dr Gaddafi, 37, introduces his work by writing: “I shall be primarily concerned with what I argue is the central failing of the current system of global governance in the new global environment: that it is highly undemocratic.”

The comments will be read with interest in Libya, where his father has ruled since a military coup in 1969 and where opponents are still ruthlessly suppressed. Dr Gaddafi says that his dissertation “analyses the problem of how to create more just and democratic global governing institutions”, focusing on the importance of the role of “civil society”. >>> David Brown | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Gaddafi Son’s Academic Thesis Boosted by Corporate Consultants
TIMES ONLINE: When it comes to carrying out original research, few PhD students have access to one of the world’s most prestigious corporate consultancies, with advisers including the former head of the Secret Intelligence Service.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi used Monitor Group to carry out a survey and interviews with the leaders of non-governmental organisations to provide the empirical data for his thesis at the London School of Economics.

Senior advisers at Monitor Group include Sir Richard Dearlove, who was recruited in 2005, the year after he retired as head of MI6. Sir Richard was well known to the Libyans because Colonel Gaddafi had chosen British intelligence as the go-between when he decided to surrender his country’s nuclear programme.

The company also employs Sir Mark Allen, another former MI6 agent and a senior adviser to BP. Sir Mark lobbied Jack Straw just before the Justice Secretary abandoned efforts to exclude the Lockerbie bomber from a prisoner transfer deal. Mr Gaddafi hired the company in 2004… >>> David Brown | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Gaddafi's Son Used Spies for British PhD Thesis that Decries Lack of Democracy

THE TELEGRAPH: Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan dictator, used a firm that employs the former head of British intelligence to carry out research for his doctoral thesis.

Mr Gaddafi used Monitor Group to interview the heads of non-government organisations for a paper that argued the "central failing" of current global institutions was that the set-up was "highly undemocratic.

The 37-year-old is seen as a potential heir to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi who has been dictator of Libya for 40 years. Monitor Group employs both Sir Richard Dearlove, head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) at the time of the Iraq war and Sir Mark Allen, the intelligence agent who brought Col Gaddafi's regime in from the cold.

Mr Gaddafi spent four years researching his thesis at the London School of Economics and his PhD thesis was filed at the Senate House library of the University of London last autumn. The paper runs to 428 pages and calls for democracy and greater influence for business* in multi-national affairs. >>> Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

*What sort of nonsense is this? It is precisely because business has had far too much influence in multi-national affairs that we have just experienced the fiasco of the craven British government caving in to Libya over the release of Megrahi. If we are going to have a world in which corporations wield too much power, then we are going to have a sick world to live in! Go back to the LSE, Dr Gaddafi, you've got some learning to do! – Mark

New Book Claims George W Bush Said Barack Obama 'Has No Clue'
THE TELEGRAPH: George W Bush believed Barack Obama was "a cat" who "has no clue", dismissed Sarah Palin as a nonentity and insulted Hillary Clinton's posterior, according to a new account of life in the White House under the former president.

For all his politeness in public, Mr Bush is alleged to have privately mocked fellow big name politicians, claims his former speech writer Matt Latimer, whose book Speech Less: Tale of a White House Survivor has been awaited with some anxiety by members of the previous administration.

In extracts published by GQ magazine, Latimer writes: "He came in one day to rehearse a speech, fuming. 'This is a dangerous world,' he said for no apparent reason, 'and this cat [Obama] isn't remotely qualified to handle it. This guy has no clue, I promise you'." >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Mohammed Now No.1 Baby Boys' Name in London
THE TELEGRAPH: Telegraph.co.uk today reports that Mohammed has become the most common name for baby boys born in London and in three other English regions.

In the capital, the Islamic name - including its varient spellings - was twice as popular as the second-placed name, Daniel, in 2008.

For those who follow these things, this won’t come as a huge surprise. We know that the UK’s Muslim population is growing, both through immigration and through its higher birthrate. We know that there are particular concentrations in London, the West Midlands and the North of England. We know that Muslim families tend to choose one particular name for their baby boys - Mohammed - a way that other communities do not.

And last week it was reported that the name was now the third most popular in England as a whole. In fact, Mohammed probably rose to the number one slot in the capital some time ago. For several years, I have been trying to pin this down as a fact. But until now, it has proved impossible because for the past decade or so, the Office for National Statistics has not disclosed regional breakdowns of popular baby names, only national totals. My requests for the regional figures were met with the response that this would be impossible to provide, even under the Freedom of Information Act. >>> Ben Leapman | Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Jimmy Carter Says Joe Wilson's Attack on Barack Obama Was 'Based on Racism'
THE TELEGRAPH: Former President Jimmy Carter has said that Joe Wilson's outburst during President Barack Obama's speech to Congress last week was an act "based on racism" and rooted in fears of a black president.

"I think it's based on racism," Mr Carter said at a town hall held at his presidential centre in Atlanta. "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."

The Georgia Democrat said the outburst was a part of a disturbing trend directed at the president that has included demonstrators equating Mr Obama to Nazi leaders.

"Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," he said.

"It's deeper than that." >>> | Wednesday, September 16, 2009