Minarets : Deux juristes proposent un article sur la tolérance religieuse
Crédits photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: La Constitution fédérale devrait contenir un article sur la tolérance religieuse plutôt qu’interdire les minarets, préconisent deux professeurs de droit renommés, Jörg Paul Müller et Daniel Thürer. La conseillère fédérale Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf veut rassembler les organisations musulmanes

Jörg Paul Müller, ensignant notamment à l’EPFZ, et Daniel Thürer, de l’Université de Zurich, proposent un article constitutionnel sur la tolérance. Il régirait non seulement la question des minarets, mais aussi des autres signes extérieurs jugés dérangeants par les partisants de l’interdiction, comme le port de la burqa ou les mariages arrangés, selon «Sonntag».

Le projet de texte stipule que «les communautés religieuses prennent garde à ne pas heurter les sentiments du public dans leurs manifestations extérieures, que ce soit par leurs immeubles, leurs prescriptions vestimentaires ou leurs symboles. Elles évitent tout comportement menaçant». Dans l’esprit des auteurs, les attitudes menaçantes peuvent inclure les vêtements «pouvant générer de l’angoisse».

Les constructions prohibées seraient celles qui «traduisent des prétentions au pouvoir ou des représailles de la part d’une communauté religieuse». Le respect des droits humains fondamentaux et de la démocratie de la part des groupes religieux serait aussi inclu. >>> ATS/LT | Dimanche 13 Décembre 2009

Lessons in Revolution, via YouTube
THE SUNDAY TIMES: EVERY evening before dinner, Mohsen Sazegara disappears into the basement of his cosy suburban house in Virginia and makes a 10-minute home movie to post on YouTube.

Far from showcasing the talents of his sons or pets, Sazegara’s videos are of protest tactics aimed at bringing down a regime. His house is the epicentre of what he hopes will be the world’s first technological revolution and his videos are watched more than 6,000 miles away in Iran.

Six months after the disputed presidential election in Iran, the opposition has refused to give up despite a crackdown that has seen arrests, beatings, torture and show trials. Co-ordination of the so-called green revolution has increasingly moved overseas, where exiles are using the new media to spread the message.

Last week, when tens of thousands of students took to the streets of Iran in some of the biggest demonstrations since the elections, Sazegara had been sending instructions via Facebook, YouTube and email.

He stands in front of a green baize screen decorated with a V for victory and the movement’s slogan, “Green means resistance until spring comes”. After a brief assessment of the day’s events, he offers Iranians new ideas for fighting the regime.

They have good reason to listen. Thirty years ago, as a young revolutionary, he helped to topple the Shah, putting today’s Islamic regime in power and working as a speechwriter for its founding father, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Sazegara was one of the founders of the Revolutionary Guard. Now he is teaching protesters how to tackle the force.

“In one part of my life I was involved in creating something; now, after 30 years, I’m trying to destroy it,” he said. >>> Christina Lamb in Virginia | Sunday, December 13, 2009

Mohsen Sazegara on CNN Explains Who Rules Iran

Tagesthemen-Bericht und Kommentar: Schweiz und Minarette


TIMES ONLINE: Muslim population 'rising 10 times faster than rest of society': Professor Coleman said that Muslims would naturally reap collective benefits from the increase in population. “In the growth of any population ... [its] voice is regarded as being stronger in terms of formulating policy, not least because we live in a democracy where most people in most religious groups and most racial groups have votes. That necessarily means their opinions have to be taken and attention to be paid to them.” >>> Richard Kerbaj | Friday, January 30, 2009

Azerbaijan Victims Tell Blair to Cough Up
THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair is under pressure to give to charity a fee of at least £90,000 he was paid for making a speech in Azerbaijan, which is notorious for its human rights abuses.

Tony Blair: His visit was a coup for the country's rulers as his well-known grin beamed out on state television from a press conference to homes throughout the small, oil-rich nation. Photograph: The Telegraph
The former prime minister flew to Azerbaijan where he met the country's president and visited a methanol factory owned by a multi-millionaire businessman.

His visit was a coup for the country's rulers as his well-known grin beamed out on state television from a press conference to homes throughout the small, oil-rich nation.

Now opposition groups and British MPs have complained, that although Mr Blair had every right to visit the country, he missed a golden opportunity to criticise its human rights abuses. They are insisting he should donate his fee to charity.

Earlier this year, David Plouffe, a former senior aide to Barack Obama, was castigated for giving a speech in Azerbaijan - booked through the same Washington-based public speaking agency as Mr Blair. In the wake of the outcry he agreed to hand his fee to a group promoting democracy in the region.

Peter Kilfoyle, a Labour MP who in the mid 1990s helped run Mr Blair's Labour leadership campaign, said: "The very least he can do is donate [h]is fee to a charity that works in the area of human rights.

"He should not be profiting from a country that flagrantly ignores human rights. There have long been questions about the Azeris and their approach to human rights." Tony Blair told by Azerbaijan victims: 'Give your £90,000 speaker's fee to charity' >>> Nick Meo in Baku and Robert Mendick | Sunday, December 13, 2009

Kundgebung von Muslimen gegen Minarett-Verbot in Bern: Zwischen 500 bis 800 Personen protestieren gegen «Islamhetze»
NZZ ONLINE: Mehrere hundert Muslime haben in Bern an einer friedlichen Kundgebung gegen das Minarett-Verbot protestiert. Die Redner prangerten eine Hetze gegen den Islam an. Der umstrittene deutsche Prediger Pierre Vogel, der an der Grenze abgewiesen worden war, soll am 2. Januar in Bern auftreten.

Ein Redner an der Kundgebung der Muslime in Bern. Bild: NZZ Online
Die bewilligte Kundgebung «Islam ohne Vorurteile» begann kurz vor 14 Uhr 30. Zwischen 500 bis 800 Teilnehmer hatten sich bei Temperaturen um die null Grad und leichtem Nieseln auf dem Bundesplatz besammelt. Die Polizei hatte zwar Kastenwagen in den Seitengassen postiert und war mit einigen Männern vor Ort, hielt sich aber im Hintergrund.

Ausser einem kleinen Zwischenfall, bei dem ein Mann von den Sicherheitsleuten der Veranstalter ruhig zur Polizei gebracht wurde, verlief der Anlass friedlich. Der Schweizer Muslim Nicolas Blancho zeigte sich zufrieden. «Wir haben genau das gezeigt, was wir wollten», sagte Blancho, der auch die Eröffnungsrede gehalten hatte. >>> ap/sda | Samstag, 12. Dezember 2009

Blue
One Love
U Make Me Wanna
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

Christian Hoteliers Received Violent Threats over Muslim Guest 'Insult'
THE TELEGRAPH: Christian hoteliers Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang received hate mail after they were accused of insulting a Muslim guest because of her faith.

The Vogelenzangs have five adopted children, including one who is a Muslim. Photograph: The Telegraph
The couple said they have been "living a nightmare" since they were charged in July with a "religiously-aggravated" offence of causing harassment, alarm or distress.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the couple have told of their relief at being cleared of insulting Ericka Tazi, a Muslim woman who was staying at their hotel.

They said that they had suffered emotionally and financially since the prosecution began, received threats warning they would be attacked and nearly lost their business due to an 80 per cent decline in takings at their nine-bedroom hotel, the Bounty House in Aintree, Liverpool.

"The last nine months have been a nightmare for us," said Mr Vogelenzang.

"We've been drained emotionally and financially. We have, sadly, received some threats and hate mail. That has been upsetting.
"Our business has almost been destroyed."

Mrs Tazi, who converted to Islam 18 months ago, stayed at the couple's hotel in March. She claimed they asked her if she was a murderer and a terrorist after seeing her wearing a hijab. She also alleged that Mr Vogelenzang called the Prophet Muhammad a murderer and a warlord and likened him to Saddam Hussein and Hitler.

The hotel had been reliant for much of its business on a local hospital, which routinely referred outpatients to stay, but hospital chiefs put a stop to this once they heard about the court case. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, December 12, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: 'Our faith is being targeted .... and we've been thrown to the lions': the Christian hoteliers accused of insulting Muslim guest reveal >>> Jonathan Petre and Andrew Chapman | Saturday, December 12, 2009

Sans prononcer le terme, le Tyrol ne veut pas de minarets
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AUTRICHE | Près de deux semaines après le vote suisse sur l'interdiction des minarets, la question est d'actualité en Autriche.

Crédits photo : Tribune de Genève
Le parti d'extrême-droite FPÖ va proposer une loi la semaine prochaine devant le parlement provincial "préservant le caractère du paysage".

Comme la Carinthie et le Vorarlberg, le FPÖ tyrolien se prépare à faire voter un texte qui, sans nommer les minarets, doit "préserver le caractère local du paysage". "Nous faisons confiance en nos juristes pour formuler la loi d'une manière efficace", a indiqué samedi à l'agence APA le député FPÖ au Parlement provincial Richard Heis.

Le FPÖ prépare d'autre part une initiative visant au "maintien des croix dans les classes", a ajouté M. Heis. Il a critiqué au passage la décision de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme en novembre de condamner l'Italie pour le maintien des crucifix dans les écoles. >>> ats | Samedi 12 Décembre 2009

Liens en relation avec l'article :

Le dossier de la Tribune de Genève sur l'interdiction des minarets >>>

Die Lehre der Minarette: Bedroht uns [den Schweizern] ein neuer Kulturkampf?
NZZ ONLINE: Das Plebiszit zum Minarettverbot erregt nicht nur in der Schweiz die Gemüter. Ein international weitläufiges Echo zeigt, dass das Thema des Ineinandergehens von Kulturen noch weiterhin für Sprengstoff sorgen wird.

Minarettverbot: Das Thema sorgt für Sprengstoff. Bild: NZZ Online
Einer aufgeklärten Bürgerin, einem welterprobten Zeitgenossen muss das Resultat der Abstimmung über die sogenannte Minarett-Initiative als beunruhigend erscheinen. War tatsächlich zu erwarten gewesen, dass der Souverän eines Landes, dessen Charakter aus Toleranz und Freiheitsliebe auch historisch bekundet ist, nun plötzlich ein Verbot von Minaretten in der Bundesverfassung verankern würde? So aber ist es gekommen, und seit Tagen laufen die Diskussionen: über das Verhältnis von direkter Demokratie und liberalem Rechtsstaat, über das – zu revidierende? – Selbstverständnis der schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, über mögliche Irrwege der «classe politique», über Fremd- und Eigenwahrnehmung, über Schäden und Folgelasten, über kulturelle Differenz und – einmal mehr – über die Psyche des helvetischen Kollektivs. >>> Martin Meyer | Samstag, 12. Dezember 2009

Nicolas Sarkozy Confronts Radio Host over Question to Carla Bruni
THE TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy has confronted a radio presenter who asked his wife, Carla Bruni: "Would you love him so much if he wasn't President of France?"

French first lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy (looking less than glamorous) speaks to journalist Marc-Olivier Fogiel on Europe 1 radio station. Photograph: The Telegraph
Mr Sarkozy is said to have cornered the outspoken radio host, Marc-Olivier Fogiel, at an awards ceremony at the Elysee Palace.

The President was described by witnesses to have "stormed up" to the surprised DJ to defend his wife's honour.

The stand-off came after Mr Fogiel interviewed the French First Lady on his chat show on radio station Europe 1 last week.

He reminded listeners how Mr Sarkozy met Bruni on a blind date at a Paris dinner party more than two years ago, then proposed on Christmas day after a two-month whirlwind romance.

He then bluntly questioned about her love for the 54-year-old President.

The stunning 41-year-old former supermodel replied simply: "That's a bit of a stupid question."

At the Elysee Palace this week, Mr Sarkozy was heard to have told Mr Fogiel: "I don't appreciate the way you spoke to my wife. It was a clumsy question. I won't forget about it." >>> | Saturday, December 12, 2009

Coming Out Is the Best Decision I Made, Says Soldier
Trooper Ben Rakestrow, right, said that colleagues had been supportive. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: A soldier leaves Afghanistan today after a life-changing six-month tour, having fought the Taleban and told his comrades that he is gay.

Trooper Ben Rakestrow, 21, is one of an unknown number of openly homosexual soldiers in the Armed Forces. He told his unit about his sexuality after a trip to a nightclub during pre-deployment training on Salisbury Plain. “The next morning I arrived for the exercise late because we’d had a bit to drink. The lads all asked if we’d had any luck, then at least our late arrival would have been worth it. I just said, ‘His name was Ryan’. Some of their faces dropped and they asked if I was serious. They couldn’t believe it.”

Trooper Rakestrow, of the Royal Tank Regiment, said that initial uncertainty had given way to acceptance and support from his unit. “I get banter from them all the time, but it’s good banter. They all want to know about my life. I don’t find it hard to talk about it.”

Despite the traditional view of the Army as a homophobic institution, Trooper Rakestrow described the decision as the best one of his life. He advised other gay soldiers considering coming out to talk to close colleagues first. “I would tell guys to find a few close friends and confide in them. Talk about it with them and then, if you’re confident, tell your mates. But the important thing is to tell them when it feels right.” >>> Tom Coghlan | Saturday, December 12, 2009

By Contrast, Being 'Out' Means Being Thrown Out for US Soldiers
Watch AFP video here | Monday, November 02, 2009

Archbishop of Canterbury: 'Labour Treats Us Like Oddballs’
THE TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the Government of treating all religious believers as “oddities” and “eccentric”.


Dr Rowan Williams said ministers were wrong to think that Christian beliefs were no longer relevant in modern Britain and he criticised Labour for looking at religious faith as a “problem” rather than valuing the contribution it made to society.

The Archbishop also suggested that the “political class” was too remote from the concerns of most people, who still had God in their “bloodstream”. In his only interview in the run-up to Christmas, he called on ministers to be more willing to talk about their own beliefs.

Dr Williams told The Daily Telegraph: “The trouble with a lot of Government initiatives about faith is that they assume it is a problem, it’s an eccentricity, it’s practised by oddities, foreigners and minorities.

“The effect is to de-normalise faith, to intensify the perception that faith is not part of our bloodstream. And, you know, in great swaths of the country that’s how it is.”

His comments risked reigniting the public row between the Church of England and Labour over the state’s treatment of faith groups. A Cabinet member was recently forced to deny there was a “secular conspiracy” to silence them.

The Archbishop’s claims that religion was seen only as something for minorities echoed those of a Church-backed report, which accused the Government of paying “lip service” to Christianity while “focusing intently” on Muslims. >>> Martin Beckford and George Pitcher | Friday, December 11, 2009

Woods Wins 'Sex Photo' Court Order
YAHOO! NEWS: Tiger Woods, fighting to fend off intense media scrutiny over allegations he cheated on his wife, has won a British court order banning publication in Britain of any photos or video showing him nude or having sex.

British law firm Schillings, which specialises in protecting the reputations of celebrities, obtained the injunction on Woods's behalf on Thursday at the High Court in London, partner Simon Smith told Reuters. >>> Reuters | Friday, December 11, 2009

TELEGRAPH PHOTO GALLERY: The women linked to Tiger Woods >>>

Tiger Woods to Give Up Golf 'Indefinitely'
THE TELEGRAPH: Tiger Woods has announced that he is giving up golf "indefinitely" in an attempt to patch things up with his wife.

The world's number one player admitted, for the first time, cheating on wife Elin Nordegren and said he was giving up the game so that he could be a "better husband and person".

He said: "After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

"I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children.

"I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try." >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Saturday, December 12, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: This break from golf is good for Woods and good for the game >>> John Hopkins, Golf Correspondent | Saturday, December 12, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Gilette limits Tiger Woods sponsorship deal after affairs scandal: Gillette has announced that it would limit its sponsorship deal with Tiger Woods, following revelations over his private life.

The grooming brand is the first major sponsor to act on the scandal engulfing the golfing star.

Gillette said it would now phase out Woods from their television and print advertising as well as public appearances. >>> Robin Henry | Saturday, December 12, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Tiger Woods' statement in full >>> | Saturday, December 12, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: Tiger Woods' 'group sex' with prostitutes: Golfer spent tens of thousands on escort girls, claims Hollywood madam: Tiger Woods was accused last night of spending tens of thousands of pounds on high-priced escort girls when he was away from home playing in golf tournaments. >>> David Gardner | Saturday, December 12, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: Tiger Woods' wife is to 'end marriage after Christmas': How giving up golf may have been too little, too late for humiliated Elin >>> | Sunday, December 13, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Accenture ends Tiger Woods sponsorship deal: Accenture has ended its sponsorship of Tiger Woods, saying the golfer is “no longer the right representative” after the “circumstances of the last two weeks.” >>> | Sunday, December 13, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Tag Heuer appears to backtrack on Tiger Woods support: Tag Heuer, the Swiss watchmaker, has appeared to backtrack on an apparent pledge to stick by troubled golfer Tiger Woods, raising the prospect that it could be next in line to cut ties with the sportsman. >>> | Tuesday, December 15, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: Elin Woods pictured without wedding ring on as she emerges for the first time since Tiger admitted cheating on her >>> Georgina Littlejohn | Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Settlers Attack West Bank Mosque and Burn Holy Muslim Books
The mosque set on fire in the West Bank village of Kfar Yasuf, south of Nablus. Photograph: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Suspected extremist Jewish settlers today attacked a mosque in the northern West Bank, burning holy books and spraying threatening graffiti in Hebrew on the building, Palestinian officials and Israeli police said.

Extremists broke into the mosque in the village of Yasuf, near the city of Nablus, and burned Korans and copies of the Hadith, or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, and prayer carpets, while spraying slogans on the floor reading “Price tag – greetings from Effi.”

A pile of ash on a scorched carpet was all that remained of around 100 holy books, The Times found.

The so-called 'price tag' is the hardline Jewish settlers’ policy of attacking Palestinians and their property in retribution for any Israeli government curb on settlement expansion. Effi is a Jewish name.

Hardliners are furious that the right-wing government of Binyamin Netanyahu has given in to US pressure to try and enforce a temporary freeze on the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, where some 300,000 settlers live. It is feared that the attack may be the beginning of an intensified campaign against the government by the settlers.

While the attackers escaped, the Israeli government was quick to condemn the attack. "This is an extremist act geared toward harming the government's efforts to advance the political process for the sake of Israel's future," said Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, whose department is overseeing the freeze.

When they discovered the desecration of their mosque, Palestinian villagers started throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, whom they often accuse of complicity with settlers when they carry out such attacks on them and their olive orchards. Two Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were hurt in the clashes.

There have been rising tensions since Mr Netanyahu announced the proposed freeze last month, in an effort to meet US and Palestinian demands for a total halt on settlement construction, deemed illegal by the international community but often backed by the Israeli state. >>> James Hider in Yasuf | Friday, December 11, 2009

Schweiz: Islamprediger will trotz Verbot an Kundgebung teilnehmen: Die Grenzwache ist auf dem Posten
NZZ ONLINE: Der umstrittene deutsche Islam-Prediger Pierre Vogel will trotz dem Einreiseverbot an der Kundgebung «Islam ohne Vorurteile» dabei sein. Er werde auf jeden Fall da sein, erklärte der Islam-Prediger in einem Videobeitrag auf seiner Internetseite.

Der umstrittene deutsche Islamprediger Pierre Vogel will trotz Einreisesperre an der Kundgebung vom Samstag in Bern teilnehmen. Die Schweizer Behörden wurden darüber informiert, dass er bereits am Freitagabend einreisen will, wie BfM-Sprecher Michael Glauser sagte. Die Grenzwache sei auf dem Posten.
«Eine Überraschung parat»

Er werde auf jeden Fall da sein, erklärte der Islamprediger in einem Videobeitrag auf seiner Internetseite. Falls wirklich eine Einreisesperre gegen ihn verhängt worden sei, werde man Wege finden. «Wir haben eine Überraschung parat». Vielleicht würden sie auch kurz eingesperrt, das sei aber Berufsrisiko. >>> ap | Freitag, 11. Dezember 2009

Passion Fades for Barack Obama, the Perfect Poster Boy
THE TELEGRAPH: Like many others, I fell for Barack Obama somewhere in the middle of Bush's second term, writes Gill Hornby.

War and peace: President Obama in Oslo. Photograph: The Telegraph
I've probably been in denial for a few months now. Turning a blind eye, trying not to overreact to the little things, even though all the signs were there.

But now it might just be time to face up to it. Another political love affair is over. Another one has let me down.

President Obama's acceptance speech at the Nobel Prize ceremony wasn't the last straw, not exactly. And it certainly wasn't his fault that he won the damned thing. But the text of it – "Some will kill, and some will be killed" – and the headlines – "Obama Defends War as he Picks up Peace Prize": well, it's not exactly what we were hoping for, back in those heady early days. It's change, all right. Just not quite the one we were after.

Like many others, I fell for Barack Obama somewhere in the middle of Bush's second term. One reading of Dreams from My Father, and that was it. A bumper sticker went on the car ("I Got a Crush on Obama"), posters went up in the kitchen, and we gave up domestic news bulletins for CNN and Fox. It was an obsession: David Cassidy all over again.

But say what you like about David Cassidy – he never fudged around on the closure of Guantanamo Bay. Or spent weeks dithering about his policy in Afghanistan, and then came up with a solution that pleased none of the people, none of the time.

Obama's commitment to total health care reform landed in the rough within months. His gift for presentation appeared to vanish the minute he hit office; the rhetoric that left so many of us swooning seems now to have deserted him. His domestic approval ratings collapsed months ago. It's enough to break your heart.

And it's not the first time. The chances are, if you fell for Barack in 2008, you fell for Blair back in 1997. And OK, I admit it: I did. When he stood on that platform at Sedgefield on election night, paused, gulped and promised: "I will not let you down", I actually believed him. >>> Gill Hornby | Friday, December 11, 2009

L'Union européenne appelle Israël à partager Jérusalem
La seule voie d'une paix véritable est une négociation «pour résoudre le statut de Jérusalem comme future capitale de deux États», écrivent les ministres européens. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Les vingt-sept ministres des Affaires étrangères ont choisi de rester flous dans la définition d'un futur État palestinien.

L'Union européenne appelle Israël à partager Jérusalem comme capitale conjointe de deux États hébreu et palestinien, dans un appel urgent à la négociation lancé mardi par les vingt-sept ministres des Affaires étrangères.

Au risque de braquer le gouvernement Nétanyahou et les partisans de l'unité de la ville sous férule israélienne, les Vingt-Sept assurent qu'ils «ne reconnaîtront aucun changement autre que négocié» au statut d'avant 1967, c'est-à-dire antérieur à l'annexion de Jérusalem-Est. La seule voie d'une paix véritable est une négociation «pour résoudre le statut de Jérusalem comme future capitale de deux États», écrivent les ministres dans leurs conclusions. >>> Jean-Jacques Mével, correspondant du Figaro à Bruxelles | Mardi 08 Décembre 2009

Deadly Storm Sweeps across America
THE TELEGRAPH: At least 17 people have died after a huge storm swept across the American Midwest and New England.

In Madison, Wisconsin, the worst affected area, more than 19 inches of snow fell. Photo: The Telegraph
More than a foot of snow has fallen in 12 states as blizzard conditions buried cars under snowdrifts as much as 15 feet deep.

Most of the deaths were due to traffic accidents. In Kansas, visibility dropped to only 50 feet while in Iowa a major highway was closed, leaving lorry drivers stranded.

Hundreds of schools closed, thousands of homes lost power and flights have been cancelled across a wide area.

The Midwest is accustomed to bitterly cold winters but the strength of the storm, which also brought ice and 50mph winds, still took the region by surprise.

In Madison, Wisconsin, the worst affected area, more than 19 inches of snow fell and the local university was closed for the first time in nearly 45 years. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Thursday, December 10, 2009

Muslim Men Who Force Their Wives to Wear the Burkha Are Not Welcome in France, Says Justice Minister
MAIL ONLINE: Muslim men who force their wives to wear a burkha are not welcome in France, the country's justice minister has said.

Michelle Alliot-Marie said husbands making their wives wear a full body coverings did not 'share the nation's values'.

They would have their citizenship requests rejected, she said.

Her remarks come as a French government committee is considering whether to make it illegal to wear burkhas and niqabs on the streets of France.

The burkha is a full-body covering worn largely in Afghanistan with a mesh screen over the eyes, and the niqab is a full-body veil with slits for the eyes.

President Nicolas Sarkozy called them 'a sign of subservience and debasement that imprisoned women', saying they were not not welcome in France.

The country's immigration minister Eric Besson described them as 'an affront to national identity'.

Women's rights groups and left wing MPs went even further, describing them as a 'walking coffin'.

Mrs Alliot-Marie said today she would await the findings of the commission on the burkha, due later this month.

But she added: 'There are still a certain number of basics on which we must stand firm.

'The wearing of the niqab or burkha is a problem that affects our ability to live together, the values of the republic and in particular human dignity.

'For instance, someone who would be seeking French citizenship and whose wife wears the full veil is someone who would not appear to be sharing the values of our country.

'Therefore in a case like that one, we would reject his request.' >>> Ian Sparks | Thursday, December 10, 2009

Vatican Tells Clergy Not to Show Off on Television
TIMES ONLINE: Media-friendly priests and bishops beware: the Vatican has warned clergy who appear on television to remember they are not glamorous “stars" or “showmen" but only communicators bringing the Christian message to a mass audience.

Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, said “evangelisation does not need showmen priests who go on television." He was speaking after a conference on “Communication and the Mission of the Priesthood" at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

“Communication should foster communion in the Church," Monsignor Piacenza said. Television and radio were “not a platform for individuals showing off" and becoming “the centre of attention".

Such behaviour not only interfered with the message itself but “what is more serious still, it introduces division".

He urged priests “not to improvise" on television, and to avoid “banal sentimentality", saying that their message should be based on “2000 years of communion in the faith," a message which “can only be transmitted through one's own experience and interior life". >>> Richard Owen in Rome | Thursday, December 10, 2009

Austrian Parliament OKs Gay Civil Unions
ASSOCIATED PRESS: VIENNA — Austria's parliament passed legislation Thursday allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, a move hailed by proponents as a historic win for gay rights in the country.

The bill, slated to become law Jan. 1, will give same-sex couples many of the rights enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts, including access to a pension if one partner dies and alimony in the event of a split.

"We are living in the 21st century and I'm very glad this step is being taken today," Justice Minister Claudia Bandion-Ortner said during parliamentary debate leading up to the vote.

Christian Hoegl, co-president of the Homosexual Initiative Vienna, Austria's oldest group of gays and lesbians, agreed.

"It's a relief, a big success and a reward for two decades of lobbying," Hoegl said. >>> Veronika Oleksyn (AP) | Thursday, December 10, 2009

Strache: "Homo-Ehe gegen Willen der Österreicher"
DIE PRESSE: Mit den Stimmen von SPÖ, ÖVP sowie einigen Abgeordneten von BZÖ und Grünen hat der Nationalrat das Gesetz zur Eingetragenen Partnerschaft für Homosexuelle beschlossen. Die Debatte war teils emotional.

Mit den Stimmen von SPÖ, ÖVP, sowie je drei Grün- und zwei BZÖ-Stimmen, hat der Nationalrat am Donnerstag das Gesetz beschlossen, das homosexuellen Paaren künftig die Eintragung ihrer Partnerschaft ermöglicht. Während die Wiener Homosexuellen-Initiative mit rosa Punschkrapfen für ein Ja zum Gesetzesentwurf warb, und Justizministerin Claudia Bandion-Ortner einen "großen, historischen Schritt" lobte, ist die Opposition - aus unterschiedlichen Gründen - nicht ganz glücklich über den Entwurf. FPÖ: Geheule des Zeitgeists >>> beba | Donnerstag, 10. Dezember 2009

Schweiz: Einreisesperre für Islamisten
NZZ ONLINE: Demo einer Splittergruppe in Bern

Auch das Demonstrieren gegen einen Volksentscheid gehört zum guten Recht von Demokraten. Doch man sollte wissen, was man mit seiner Präsenz zum Ausdruck bringen will und mit wem man sich einlässt. Am Samstag ist, wie die Gratiszeitung «20 Minuten» meldete, eine Kundgebung «gegen die Islamhetze» in Bern angesagt. 500 Menschen sollen sich auf Facebook bereits angemeldet haben. Organisiert wird der Anlass vom Islam-Zentral-Rat Schweiz.

Als Gastredner angekündigt war der aktive Islamist Pierre Vogel aus Deutschland. Er ist ein zum Islam konvertierter Ex-Profiboxer, der sich an ein junges Publikum wendet, um zum Glaubensübertritt zu animieren. Er soll es verstehen, junge Menschen in seinen Bann zu ziehen. Das Bundesamt für Migration hat nun aber gegen ihn, wie es zu einem Beitrag von «10 vor 10» des Schweizer Fernsehens mitteilt, eine Einreisesperre verhängt. Laut Gesetz ist dies aus Gründen der öffentlichen Sicherheit und Ordnung möglich. >>> cs | Donnerstag, 10. Dezember 2009

Laid Bare: The Sex Life of the Ancient Greeks in All Its Physical Glory
THE GUARDIAN: An Athens exhibition looks unflinchingly at classical perceptions of love and lust

A marble statuette of a sleeping Eros and a lion next to him on display at the Cycladic Art museum in Athens. Photograph: The Guardian
The ancient Greeks were never at a loss for words when it came to love and lust – and an exhibition that opened in Athens today laying bare the practice of sex in classical times through an unprecedented collection of eye-popping art partly explains why.

Eros, the god of love and the great loosener of limbs, was many things: irresistible, tender, beautiful, excruciating, maddening, merciless and bittersweet. There was no position, no touch, no predilection too outre to pay homage to him. From the affectionate embrace to group sex, love came in many forms.

"The Greeks were anything but prudes," said Nicholaos Stampolidis, director of the Museum of Cycladic Art, where the show will run for six months. "Theirs was a society of great tolerance and lack of guilt."

Standing before a giant marble phallus that once graced the facade of an ancient Greek home, he added: "It had what I call balance."

By amassing some 272 objets d'art, including masterpieces from more than 50 international museums which date from the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD, Stampolidis has pulled off the impressive feat of telling the story of love in antiquity.

"The concept of Eros – love – was very broad in ancient times," the archaeologist said. "Sexual desire was, of course, a component but it was also a unifying force that encompassed the desire for anyone or indeed anything."

Accordingly, the exhibition has sought to survey the changing perceptions of Eros from the 8th century BC, when he is seen as a powerful god, to Roman times when, less potent, under the name of Cupid he becomes a mere companion to Venus. >>> Helena Smith in Athens | Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Five American Members of the ‘Religion of Peace’ Arrested in Pakistan
TIMES ONLINE: The FBI is investigating five American Muslim students who are thought to have been arrested in Pakistan yesterday on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks after disappearing from their homes in the US last month.

Pakistani police said they arrested the five men, aged from 18 to their early 20s, in a raid on the house of a member of the banned militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, in the town of Sargodha in the eastern province of Punjab.

The FBI has yet to confirm their nationalities or identities, but Pakistani officials said the men were all US citizens, including three of Pakistani descent, one of Egyptian descent and one of Yemeni descent, and had been staying at the house since November 30.

Their arrest came as David C. Headley, another American citizen, of Pakistani origin, pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges in a case that has raised fears about Islamic militant groups' ability to recruit and operate inside the United States.

Muslim leaders in Washington said the five men - all students - had been living with their families in northern Virginia until they disappeared last month, and one had left behind a jihad-style "farewell" video message.

Officials from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) told reporters that the men's families contacted the organisation after they went missing.

Nihad Awad, CAIR's executive director, declined to give the men’s names, ages or nationalities, but one of them has been identified as a dental student at Howard University in Washington.

Mr Awad said the families brought along a video that included war images, verses from the Koran and showed one of the five men delivering a "final statement".

"It's like a farewell," he said of the 11-minute, English-language video that one of the families reportedly found in their home. Five US Muslims arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of terror plots >>> Jeremy Page, South Asia Correspondent | Thursday, December 10, 2009

Politik und Sprache: "Obama erreicht die Leute nicht mehr"
ZEIT ONLINE: Wenn der US-Präsident heute den Friedensnobelpreis entgegennimmt, wird er sich einmal mehr vorhalten lassen müssen, dass er die Hoffnungen vieler Wähler enttäuscht hat. Der amerikanische Linguist George P. Lakoff erklärt, wie es dazu kommen konnte.

"Sprache ist immer eine Reflexion der dahinter liegenden Moral. Und die ist verloren gegangen", sagt George Lakoff über Obama. Bild: Zeit Online
ZEIT ONLINE: Ist Barack Obama der erste Präsident, der einen Friedensnobelpreis für seine Kunst der Rede bekommt?

George P. Lakoff: Nein. Er bekommt den Friedensnobelpreis für seine Kunst der Diplomatie.

ZEIT ONLINE: Wirklich? 30.000 zusätzliche Soldaten für Afghanistan, bis jetzt keine Schließung von Guantanmo, kein Abzug aus Irak, keine Gesundheitsreform, keine ernsthaften Klimaversprechen, Schwule sind weiterhin aus dem Militär ausgeschlossen und ... >>> Von Jonathan Stock | Dienstag, 10. Dezember 2009

Iran : «La purge se poursuit dans les universités»
LE TEMPS: Six mois après les manifestations post-électorales qui ont divisé le pays, Amnesty International publie un rapport sur la situation des droits humains, la pire qu’ait connue la République islamique depuis vingt ans

Alors que la planète célèbre ce jeudi la Journée des droits de l’homme, Amnesty International dénonce, dans un rapport, les violations commises en Iran ces six derniers mois. En cause, l’élection présidentielle de juin dernier, qui a reconduit au pouvoir l’ultraconservateur Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, et a aussitôt été contestée par l’opposition et une partie de la population. Des manifestations monstres ont été organisées dans les rues de Téhéran, pour dénoncer les fraudes et réclamer la tenue d’un nouveau scrutin. Les autorités ont alors confié aux bassidji (miliciens islamistes volontaires) et aux pasdaran (les «gardiens de la révolution») le soin de mâter la rébellion. Quelque 4000 personnes ont été arrêtées, 36 officiellement tuées, 200 environ croupissent encore en prison. Le point avec Manon Schick, porte-parole de la section suisse d’Amnesty International. >>> Caroline Stevan | Jeudi 10 Décembre 2009

Et si la Torah se substituait à la loi israélienne…
Un colon israélien brandit la Torah, dans une colonie juive près de Ramallah,en juin 2009. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Les Israéliens laïques voient avec inquiétude croître le poids des religieux.

Le ministre israélien de la Justice a déclenché un tollé en déclarant que la Torah devait progressivement remplacer la loi israélienne. «Petit à petit, nous imposerons aux citoyens d'Israël les lois de la Torah, et nous ferons de la Halakhah (la jurisprudence rabbinique) la loi régissant la nation , a déclaré lundi soir Yaacov Neeman lors d'une intervention publique devant une assemblée rabbinique à Jérusalem. «Nous devons imposer l'héritage des pères de la nation. La Torah donne la réponse complète à toutes les questions qui nous interpellent» , a-t-il ajouté. Le ministre a été vivement applaudi, notamment par le grand rabbin ashkénaze d'Israël, Yona Metzger, et le rabbin Ovadia Yossef, chef spirituel du parti orthodoxe séfarade Shass. Exclusivité juridique >>> Adrien Jaulmes - Correspondant du Figaro à Jérusalem | Jeudi 10 Décembre 2009

Une statue d'Obama enfant érigée à Jakarta
Barack Obama est l'objet d'un véritable culte en Indonésie, où il a passé une partie de son enfance. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Une statue représentant Barack Obama à l'âge de 10 ans a été installée dans un parc de Djakarta, où le président américain a passé une partie de sa jeunesse.

Plus rien n'arrête Barack Obama. Après le Prix Nobel de la Paix,qu'il doit reçevoir ce jeudi, le président a désormais droit à sa statue. Un sculpture en bronze de Barack Obama à l'âge de 10 ans a été inaugurée merceedi dans un parc de Jakarta, la capitale indonésienne où le président américain a vécu une partie de sa jeunesse.

Cette oeuvre, présentée comme la première statue de Barack Obama au monde, le montre, en short et t-shirt, en train de sourire alors qu'il joue avec un papillon posé sur le pouce. Le président américain a vécu de 6 à 10 ans (1967 à 1971) à Jakarta où sa mère, Ann Dunham-Soetoro, s'était installée après s'être remariée avec un Indonésien rencontré à Hawaï. >>> lefigaro.fr (avec AFP) | Jeudi 10 Décembre 2009

Make War, Win Peace Prizes!
TIMES ONLINE: One way that President Obama cannot have expected to make history is as the first reluctant recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

He may, in fact, be thrilled but his task at a white-tie banquet in his honour in Oslo tonight will be to convey in a single short address his gratitude to the Norwegians, his humility in the knowledge that his record of securing peace is thin so far, and his awareness of the troubling reality that the most decisive foreign policy act of his young presidency has been to escalate a long war that his supporters hoped he would bring to a quick end.

Mr Obama landed in Norway this morning night with an unusual entourage for a foreign presidential trip, consisting mainly of family and friends rather than officials. He was accompanied by the First Lady, his half-sister, her husband and his close friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett. They were expected to be joined in Oslo by his other half-sister, Auma Obama, who lives in Kenya.

The presidential party will be on the ground for barely 24 hours, attending today’s banquet and prizegiving ceremony but not a traditional lunch with King Harald, or a concert tomorrow night to be hosted by the film star and occasional rapper Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Barack Obama flies in to collect Nobel Peace Prize as war escalates >>> Giles Whittell in Washington | Thursday, December 10, 2009

Barack Obama Rewrites War and Peace for Nobel Audience
TIMES ONLINE: President Obama turned the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony today into a professorial address on why and when the United States was prepared to use force. There was, he admitted in the Oslo City Hall, some controversy over granting the ultimate peace accolade to the commander-in-chief of an army that was engaged in two wars.

The audience, a strange hotchpotch of Hollywood celebrities, pale Scandinavian politicians and rural Norwegians in folk costume, shifted uneasily when he talked about the necessity for bloodshed. Although the Nobel prize was established by the inventor of dynamite its laureates try to avoid dwelling on death.

“Some will kill,” Mr Obama said of the US soldiers under his command. “Some will be killed.”

He was intent on using the Nobel speech to discuss the costs of armed conflict and to examine “the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other”. >>> Roger Boyes in Oslo | Thursday, December 10, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: In full: Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize speech: The text of President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech as provided by the White House >>> | Thursday, December 10, 2009

LE FIGARO: Barack Obama : «La guerre est parfois justifiée» : Le président américain a reçu, jeudi à Oslo, son prix Nobel de la Paix «avec humilité et gratitude» , quelques jours seulement après avoir décidé d'intensifier l'effort de guerre en Afghanistan. >>> Constance Jamet (lefigaro.fr) avec AP | Jeudi 10 Décembre 2009

Lob und Tadel für Barack Obama in Oslo: Tausende demonstrieren gegen Afghanistankrieg
NZZ ONLINE: Nach der Verleihung des Friedensnobelpreises an den amerikanischen Präsident Barack Obama haben am Donnerstagabend in Oslo mehrere tausend Menschen gegen den Krieg in Afghanistan demonstriert.

Der Besuch von Barack Obama hat viele Menschen in Oslo auf die Strasse getrieben. Bild: NZZ Online
Einige Demonstranten forderten auf Transparenten: «Yes we can - stop the war in Afghanistan.» Andere verlangten ein Verbot von Atomwaffen, den Stopp der Blockade des Gazastreifens und ein Ende des israelischen Siedlungsbaus in den Palästinensergebieten.

Wie es am Tag der Nobelpreis-Zeremonie Tradition ist, zeigte sich Obama zusammen mit seiner Frau Michelle kurz auf dem Balkon des Hotels und winkte den Menschen auf dem Platz zu. >>> sda/dpa | Freitag, 11. Dezember 2009

Obama the Imperialist
THE TELEGRAPH: Several thousand right-wing Israelis have massed in central Jerusalem to denounce a Jewish construction freeze in the West Bank and brand Barack Obama an imperialist.

In their biggest show of force since a moratorium on new residential building was announced late last month, some 3,000 settlers and their sympathizers gathered outside the residence of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.

But it was the American president Barack Obama, seen by many settlers as ultimately responsible for the 10-month construction slowdown, who was as much in the sights of the demonstrators.

In scenes reminiscent of protests in the Arab world during the administration of George W Bush, they castigated Mr Obama as an imperialist from the same mould as his predecessor.

"Obama is continuing Middle East Imperialism," read one banner, "Was hoping for change - Got the same old imperialist," another.

Despite falling domestic approval ratings, Mr Obama remains the subject of much adulation abroad. But there is little evidence of such sentiment in Israel, where less than 10 per cent of the population claims to trust him, according to opinion polls.

The American president has become the focus of right-wing revulsion in Israel ever since he called for a freeze to Jewish settler construction earlier this year, even though he has since appeared to soften his stance.

The demonstrators at the rally had no doubt that Mr Obama was the real cause of the settlers' woes. Right-wing Israelis protest against West Bank settlement freeze >>> Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem | Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Christian Hoteliers Cleared of Insulting Muslimah
MAIL ONLINE: Christian hoteliers accused of insulting a Muslim guest for wearing the hijab and berating her for her beliefs were dramatically cleared this afternoon.

Benjamin and Sharon Vogelenzang denied using threatening, abusive or insulting words which were religiously aggravated against white British Muslim convert Ericka Tazi, 60.

District Judge Richard Clancy, who heard the case in the absence of a jury, told the couple that religion and politics was the 'tinderbox which set the whole thing alight and it would appear because of strongly entrenched positions that is what has happened here'.

Explaining his reasons for dismissing the case, he said Mrs Tazi's claim that she was verbally attacked by the couple for up to an hour had not been borne out by other prosecution witnesses, who suggested that any discussions lasted around seven minutes.

Judge Clancy also highlighted Mrs Tazi's use of language. When describing how she was provoked by the couple about her hijab she used words to the effect of: 'Would you prefer it if I got my tits out?'

He said: 'I mention this because when I read that together with what she said about 'them taking the piss' it doesn't quite form the same religious view that was put to me on the stand'. 'Freedom of speech' victory as Christian hoteliers are CLEARED of insulting Muslim woman as judge slams her evidence >>> | Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Related:

Christian Hotel Manager in Court Accused of Asking Hijab-wearing Guest: 'Are You a Terrorist and a Murderer?' >>> | Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Aggressive Atheism

Islam, Music and the Struggle over the Human Soul
BELFAST TELEGRAPH: I heard them in a narrow street in north Tehran, not one of the rich villa-lined avenues we associate with the Iranian middle classes but a tired thoroughfare of overheated plane trees and shabby, two-storey offices in grey concrete.

The sound was of a scratched record, a 78-rpm rather than a 33-and-a-third, and when I turned to my driver, he assured me there must be some morning party up the road with an old gramophone. But I used to play the violin, and I didn't believe him. And sure enough, down the street came the troubadours.

Yes, real live troubadours in the real live Islamic Republic, two of them, hacking at a violin and beating on a “zarb” drum, the work of the classical Persian musicians, a combination — for a westerner — of gypsy and nursery melodies, a sudden revelation of 14th and 15th century music in a regime which aspires to the purity of the 8th. Habibullah Zendegani introduced himself very quietly and said he was only 26 but had been playing for 15 years.

Beside him, Ramezan Souratipour banged away happily on the drum under his arm, one of a thousand little drummers in Iran — he is 32, but a diminutive figure — whose fingers dab three to a second to Zandegani's violin.

But I am old enough to remember Ruhollah Khomeini banning Mozart and Haydn. So how do the Revolutionary Guards, praetorians of the Ayatollah's spirituality in President Ahmedinejad's oh-so-chaste republic, react to these ghosts of culture past?

“I play music to earn money,” Zandegani replies, a little shiftily I think. “We earn maybe $40 or $50 a day.”

In theory, all music must pass Iran's censorship authorities; a female singer, for example, is not allowed to sing solo lest her lone voice be too arousing for male listeners.

But music and Islam have a dodgy relationship. In Saudi Universities the most sanctimonious of students have assaulted music enthusiasts; when a professor at King Saud University, Hamzah Muzeini, condemned this brutality in the daily Al-Watan newspaper, he was convicted by a Sharia court — a ruling later overturned by King Abdullah. Yet according to journalist Rabah al-Quwai'i, some sheikhs encourage youths to burn instruments and books in public. >>> Robert Fisk | Monday, December 07, 2009

Liliane Bettencourt continuera à gérer seule son argent
Liliane Bettencourt et sa fille, Françoise. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Un juge des tutelles a rejeté la demande de protection judiciaire demandée par la fille de la milliardaire.

Le juge des tutelles de Neuilly-sur-Seine a refusé d'ouvrir une procédure de protection judiciaire visant Liliane Bettencourt, comme le lui demandait sa fille, révèle mercredi le Point.fr . Une information confirmée par l'avocat de la fille, Me Olivier Metzner.

Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, fille unique de l'héritière et actionnaire principale de L'Oréal, avait saisi la semaine dernière le juge, en parallèle de la procédure engagée au pénal contre l'artiste François-Marie Banier. Elle l'accuse d'avoir abusé de la faiblesse de sa mère pour bénéficier de dons approchant le milliard d'euros. Il aurait, estime-t-elle, profité de sa mère, diminuée par «une affection neurologique».

La demande de protection judiciaire aurait pu aboutir à la mise sous tutelle de Liliane Bettencourt. Selon le Point.fr, le magistrat l'a rejetée en raison de l'absence de certificat médical de Liliane Bettencourt attestant de ce problème neurologique. L'ancienne dirigeante du groupe, contre toute attente, a en effet refusé de se soumettre à un examen médical. Le 13 mai 2008, pourtant, elle avait formellement accepté de s'y plier, afin de prouver qu'elle n'avait pas été «abusé» dans cette affaire et qu'elle avait bien toute sa tête. «Une femme libre et lucide» >>> Flore Galaud (lefigaro.fr) | Mercredi 09 Décembre 2009

«C'est mon premier devoir de fille»
LE FIGARO: Le Figaro s'est procuré la lettre que Françoise Bettencourt a fait porter à sa mère, Liliane, mercredi matin.

La fille de Lilianne Bettencourt, héritière du groupe l'Oréal, a saisi un juge des tutelles d'une demande de «protection judiciaire» de sa mère. Cette décision pourrait aboutir à son placement sous tutelle. Mardi, Françoise Bettencourt a fait déposer une lettre manuscrite d'une page au domicile de sa mère, à Neuilly. En voici le texte :

«Ma chère maman, aussi triste et douloureux que ce soit pour toi et pour moi, je tiens à t'écrire ces quelques mots. Au delà de la femme admirable (...) que tu es, qui a su accompagner le développement de cette belle entreprise fondée par ton père, tu es pour moi et avant tout ma maman. À entendre tous les témoignages qui me sont parvenus, je sais dans quelle situation d'isolement et d'emprise on t'a placée. On a voulu te faire rompre avec ta famille et t'éloigner de tous ceux, amis, employés, qui dans ton entourage étaient considérés comme “gênants”. Tout cela et ta santé, bien sûr, m'obligent à réagir, à ne pas me résoudre à fermer les yeux et à laisser les choses en l'état. C'est mon premier devoir de fille, je le pense profondément. J'ai déjà essayé en engageant il y a bientôt deux ans la procédure qui te contrarie tant mais cela n'a hélas pas suffit. C'est pourquoi je pense n'avoir d'autre choix, aujourd'hui, que de solliciter du juge civil ta protection. >>> | Jeudi 03 Décembre 2009

LE FIGARO: Les dons généreux de Liliane Bettencourt >>> Cyrille Louis | Vendredi 04 Décembre 2009

Le juge des tutelles refuse d'ouvrir une procédure visant à placer Liliane Bettencourt sous "protection judiciaire"
Crédits photo : LePoint.fr
LEPOINT.fr: Le juge des tutelles du tribunal d'instance de Neuilly a refusé d'ouvrir une procédure visant à placer Liliane Bettencourt sous "protection judiciaire", comme le lui avait demandé sa fille, Françoise Meyers-Bettencourt, la semaine dernière. >>> Par Hervé Gattegno | Mercredi 09 Décembre 2009

Writer-photographer Francois-Marie Banier Faces Charges over €1bn 'Gifts'
TIMES ONLINE: A Parisian photographer and friend of celebrities was sent for trial today on charges of manipulating France's richest woman into giving him gifts worth nearly €1bn.

Judges approved a private action against Francois-Marie Banier, 62, who has been at centre of a mother-daughter feud over the fortune of Liliane Bettencourt, 87, heiress to the L'Oreal cosmetics empire.

Mr Banier, a flamboyant socialite and friend of celebrities since the 1960s, is accused by Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, 56, Mrs Bettencourt's only child, of fleecing her mother during two decades of close friendship. The gifts he received included paintings by Picasso, Mondrian and Matisse.

Ms Bettencourt inherited her fortune — currently estimated at €10 billion (£9 billion) — from her father, Eugène Schueller, who founded the L’Oréal cosmetics company in 1909.

After a police investigation last year, the case was dropped but Ms Bettencourt-Meyers sought a private prosecution on charges of abusing a frail person, an offence which carries a possible three-year prison term. Her lawyers argued at a hearing yesterday that she was mentally impaired.

"Should a daughter ... who sees her mother in decline, under the power of a predator remain silent and do nothing?" Olivier Metzner, the daughter’s lawyer, asked the judges at Nanterre, in western Paris. "Mr Banier considers pain to be a merchandise," he added.

The case, with its airing of family secrets and supporting cast of celebrities including President Sarkozy, has appalled the discreet world of France’s super-rich. Ms Bettencourt-Meyers is accusing the Paris establishment of trying to stifle an affair which they find embarrassing. The judges over-ruled a request from the prosecutor in court yesterday to dismiss the case.

The photographer, whose past close friends included Salvador Dali, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin, confirmed this week that he received the gifts, in cash, life insurance policies and paintings. "These are gifts, which I refused for a long time," he told Le Monde. >>> Charles Bremner and Alexandra Mauviel | Friday, December 11, 2009

Liens en relation avec l’article / Related / Verwandt:

THE TELEGRAPH: Because He Ain’t Worth It! >>>

THE INDEPENDENT: L'Oréal Heiress Gives €1bn to Photographer 'Because He's Worth It' >>> | Monday, December 15, 2008

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Weiblich und milliardenschwer - die reichsten Frauen der Welt >>> Von Alexandra Sillgitt | Samstag, 08. März 2008

Antigay Ugandan Law Disastrous for NGOs
ADVOCATE.COM: A bill calling for death sentences in multiple scenarios for gays and lesbians in Uganda will create a chilling effect for on-the-ground charities and aid groups seeking to effectively curb HIV infection.

“Just by recognizing gay rights, our organization could be accused of promoting homosexuality, and our staff could risk being imprisoned for three years.” 


This I was recently told by a contact whose charity works in Uganda. Desperately worried about whether the group will be able to continue with its important work, the source asked me not to identify the charity, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on sexual and reproductive rights that operates a program in this landlocked, East African country. Yet the group’s work is both more important and in greater danger than ever.



Under the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill rearing its twisted head in Uganda—one that calls for the death penalty for acts of “aggravated homosexuality—any corporate body, business, association, or non-governmental organization risks being stripped of its license to practice in the country. Directors risk seven-year prison sentences if they are involved in the so-called “promotion” or funding that “in any way abets homosexuality and related practices.” In a country with nearly one million people living with HIV, Uganda’s parliament is about to criminalize the very organizations that are there to help. And it may further criminalize a group of people who are already criminals in the eyes of the law. 



But the NGOs would be affected by more than just the “promotion” clause. Under the proposed bill, anyone not reporting a known breach of the law within 24 hours faces a three-year sentence. Anyone with HIV engaging in gay sex, or having sex with someone under 18, or who is a serial offender (surely most gay people would, by their nature, be serial offenders) could be executed. >>> | Thursday, December 03, 2009

Uganda plant Todesstrafe für Schwule
Bild: Die Presse
DIE PRESSE: Empörung über Gesetzentwurf im ostafrikanischen Staat Uganda. Der Entwurf beinhaltet die Todesstrafe für HIV-infizierte aktive Homosexuelle und auf homosexuelle Handlungen stünde lebenslange Haft.

Manchem Schwulen in Uganda könnte die Todesstrafe drohen. Angehörige und Freunde müssten mit sieben Jahren Gefängnis rechnen, wenn sie sie nicht verpetzen. Vermieter hätten Haftstrafen zu befürchten, wenn sie Homosexuellen Wohnraum vermieten. Das sieht ein Gesetzentwurf vor, der derzeit in Uganda erörtert wird und international zunehmend Empörung auslöst.



Bürgerrechtler sehen darin eine Anstachelung zum Schwulenhass und eine Gefahr für die Bemühungen zur Aids-Bekämpfung. Für sie steht der Entwurf im Rahmen einer heftigen Gegenreaktion in ganz Afrika darauf, dass sich Homosexuelle nicht mehr verstecken wollen. "Das ist eine Frage des Sichtbarwerdens", glaubt David Cato, der zum Aktivisten wurde, nachdem man ihn vier Mal zusammengeschlagen und zwei Mal festgenommen, als Lehrer hinausgeworfen und in der Presse geoutet hatte. "Wenn wir offen auftreten und unsere Rechte einfordern, machen sie Gesetze gegen uns." >>> Ag./AP/Katharine Houreld und Godfrey Olukya | Donnerstag, 10. Dezember 2009

The Rachel Maddow Show: Maddow Takes on Ex-Gay Movement

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

ADVOCATE.COM: Maddow Takes on Ex-Gay Movement: In her continuing series “Uganda Be Kidding Me,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Tuesday night interviewed Richard Cohen of the ex-gay group the International Healing Center. >>> Advocate.com Editors | Tuesday, December 08, 2009

WIKIPEDIA: Rachel Maddow >>>

Ireland Moves Toward Gay Marriage as Church Influence Wanes
FORTH: Civil partnership likely to be approved but many want marriage

Despite being rocked by strikes, scandals and financial collapse, Ireland’s social transformation continues unabated. Thursday December 3 saw the latest rupture from the past as the Republic of Ireland became the latest country to begin the process of affording recognition to same-sex couples. Dáil Éireann, Ireland’s parliament, read and debated the Civil Partnership Bill 2009 introduced by Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern.

The Bill would, if passed, grant same-sex couples rights in relation to domestic violence, residential tenancies, succession, refugee law, pensions, medical care, access to state benefits and immigration.

Opposition to the Bill was muted. Minister Ahern has told his colleagues, Fianna Fáil lawmakers, concerned about the Civil Partnership Bill that he is ruling out a “freedom of conscience” amendment that would allow any organisations run people offended by homosexuality, such as Church halls and wedding photographers, to consider same-sex couples unmarried.

The Bill’s passage into law this month is virtually assured because of strong backing by opposition parties. However, reaction to the Bill from gay rights organisations has been mixed. >>> | Tuesday, December 08, 2009

US to Spend $3bn Compensating Native Americans
THE TELEGRAPH: The Barack Obama administration has offered to spend $3 billion (£1.8bn) to settle a long-running lawsuit with native American tribes that claim they were swindled out of billions of dollars in royalties for oil, gas, grazing and other leases dating back more than a century.

If cleared by Congress and the courts, the settlement would be the largest Indian claim ever approved against the US government – exceeding the combined total of all previous settlements of Indian claims.

President Obama said an agreement on the case, known as Cobell v. Salazar, was an important step to reconcile decades of acrimony between Indian tribes and the federal government.

"As a candidate, I heard from many in Indian Country that the Cobell suit remained a stain on the nation-to-nation relationship I value so much," the president said in a written statement. "I pledged my commitment to resolving this issue, and I am proud that my administration has taken this step today."

Under an agreement reached with tribes, the Interior Department would distribute $1.4 billion to more than 300,000 native American tribe members to compensate them for historical accounting claims, and to resolve future claims.

The government also would spend $2 billion to buy back and consolidate tribal land broken up in previous generations. The scheme would allow individual tribe members to obtain cash payments for land interests divided among numerous family members and return the land to tribal control.

The settlement would give every tribe member with an Interior Department account an immediate check for $1,000, with additional payments to be determined later under a complicated formula that takes into account a variety of factors.

Many tribe members also would receive payments for parcels of land that are held in some cases by up to 100 family members, in an effort to consolidate tribal land and make it more useful and easier to manage. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Major Indian Tribes in the United States >>>

Les moments tendres de la politique! Sealed with a Loving Kiss!
THE TELEGRAPH: David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, greeted his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in a decidedly Continental fashion on Tuesday in Brussels before an EU General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting.

David Miliband greets his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner. (Hillary, eat your heart out!) Photo: The Telegraph
What began with a firm handshake ended in a familiar kiss with the French foreign minister, as Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign affairs minister, looked on.

The affectionate greeting came just three days after Mr Miliband's body language suggested that the special relationship was continuing to flourish between the US and Britain. David Miliband greets Bernard Kouchner with a kiss >>> | Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Afghanistan: Stanley McChrystal Says Osama bin Laden Must Be Killed to Ensure al-Qaeda Defeat
THE TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden must be captured or killed if al-Qaeda is ever going to be defeated, the top US commander in Afghanistan has said.

Gen Stanley McChrystal said bin Laden had become an "iconic figure" among terrorists.

He said President Barack Obama's deployment of 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan meant success was possible.

But he said the mission was "undeniably difficult" and the next 18 months would be crucial.

"I don't think that we can finally defeat al Qaeda until he's captured or killed," Gen McChrystal told a Senate committee.

At the same time, he cautioned that killing or capturing the Saudi-born leader of the group that mounted the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States would not by itself dismantle al-Qaeda. >>> | Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Sommet de Copenhague : L’OPEP joue des billions
LE TEMPS: Les pays exportateurs de pétrole ont beaucoup à perdre dans la bataille du climat. Ils revendiquent une aide financière des pays industrialisés pour compenser la chute de leurs revenus si la Conférence de Copenhague atteignait ses objectifs

C’était joué d’avance. Le chef de la délégation saoudienne à la Conférence de Copenhague, Mohammed al-Sabban, a profité de l’affaire des e-mails controversés de l’université britannique d’East Anglia pour remettre en cause le réchauffement climatique. «Le niveau de confiance est affecté, a-t-il déclaré lundi, au premier jour du sommet. Le Climategate va clairement influencer la nature de ce en quoi nous pouvons croire […] et les orientations qui seront prises dans les jours qui viennent.»

L’Arabie saoudite et, derrière elle, l’Organisation des pays producteurs de pétrole (OPEP) se sentent menacées par la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique depuis qu’elle s’est dessinée, en 1992, au Sommet de la Terre de Rio. Elles craignent qu’une mobilisation mondiale contre les gaz à effet de serre n’exerce une double pression à la baisse sur le pétrole, leur principale source de revenus: pression sur la demande et pression sur le prix. >>> Etienne Dubuis | Mercredi 09 Décembre 2009

Religionsfreiheit: Das schwere Los der Christen im Islam
WELT ONLINE: Eine Woche nach dem Volksentscheid gegen den Bau neuer Minarette dauert die Diskussion über die Entscheidung an. Muslimische Staaten werfen der Schweiz eine schwere Verletzung der Religionsfreiheit vor. Doch sie selbst unterdrücken ihre christlichen Minderheiten aufs schärfste.

Die islamische Welt zeigt sich wieder einmal schockiert. Ob Mohammed-Karikaturen, Regensburger Papst-Rede oder jetzt das Minarett-Verbot in der Schweiz: Religiös motivierte Empörungskampagnen sind jederzeit abrufbar. Das türkische Außenministerium reagierte am vergangenen Dienstag umgehend und warf den Schweizern vor, mit dem Volksentscheid Menschenrechte und grundlegende Freiheiten verletzt zu haben.

Der türkische Staatspräsident Abdullah Gül legte nach und geißelte die Minarett-Entscheidung als eine „Schande für die Schweizer“. Die Abstimmung zeige, wie sehr „die Islamophobie in der westlichen Welt um sich greift“. Für Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan ist das Referendum gar Ausdruck einer „zunehmenden rassistischen und faschistischen Haltung in Europa“.

Religions- und Meinungsfreiheit seien Grundrechte der Menschheit, die nicht zur Abstimmung gestellt werden dürften, sagte Erdogan im türkischen Parlament. Wie ernst soll man solch drastische Äußerungen eines Politikers nehmen, der ein Land regiert, in dem die Leugnung des türkischen Völkermordes an den christlichen Armeniern Staatsdoktrin ist? Und das bis heute religiösen Minderheiten die freie Religionsausübung verwehrt? >>> Von Heimo Schwilk | Samstag, 05. Dezember 2009

Nach Minarettverbot: Schweizer Rechtspopulisten planen nächsten Coup
WELT ONLINE: "Wenn man in der Schweiz lebt, sollte man sich anpassen." Das sagt der Bürgermeister von Seehof. In seinem Ort haben 96 Prozent für das Minarettverbot gestimmt. Das Referendum bewegt die Politik in der Schweiz nachhaltig. Oberwasser haben die Rechtspopulisten. Sie denken über die nächsten Maßnahmen nach. >>> Von Elisalex Henckel | Dienstag, 08. Dezember 2009

Minarets suisses : premiers appels à annuler le vote
Manifestation contre les résultats du vote, le 1er décembre à Lausanne. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Un avocat a décidé de saisir la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme.

Et si on annulait la votation ? Complètement déboussolée après le succès de l'initiative antiminarets, approuvée le 29 novembre par plus de 57 % des votants, la classe politique suisse étudie toutes les pistes : faut-il saisir la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme, comme le souhaitent les Verts, soutenus par Daniel Cohn-Bendit, ou bien lancer une «contre-initiative», comme le proposent les radicaux ? Deux plaintes ont déjà été déposées au Tribunal fédéral. L'avocat Antoine Boesch, qui se dit soutenu par des clients de tous horizons et de toutes confessions, a, pour sa part, décidé de saisir la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme. Quant au Club helvétique, composé d'une vingtaine d'intellectuels, de juristes et de responsables politiques, il suggère de remplacer l'interdiction des minarets dans la Constitution par une «disposition sur la tolérance» . >>> Stéphane Kovacs | Mardi 08 Décembre 2009