Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! Frohe Weihnachten! Buon Natale! Felix Nativitas!
’We Three Kings’, an original painting by James C. Christensen. Collage: Google Images
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. – The Gospel According to John, 1, 14

Et la Parole a été faite chair, et elle a habité parmi nous, pleine de grâce et de verité; et nous avons contemplé sa gloire, une gloire du Fils unique venu du Père. – Evangile selon Jean, 1, 14

Und das Wort ward Fleisch und wohnte unter uns, und wir schauten seine Herrlichkeit, eine Herrlichkeit, wie sie der eingige [Sohn] von seinem Vater hat, voll Gnade und Wahrheit. – Das Evangelium nach Johannes, 1, 14

E la Parola è stata fatta carne ed ha abitato per un tempo fra noi, plena di grazia e di verità; e noi abbiam contemplata la sua gloria, gloria come quella dell’Unigenito venuto da presso al Padre. – Evangelo secondo Giovanni, 1, 14

Et Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobus, et vidimus gloriam eius, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Padre, plenum gratiae et veritatis. – Evangelium secundum Ioannem, 1, 14

Louis-Claude d'Aquin: Noël X

The Queen's Christmas Message 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Queen's Speech: 2009 a 'difficult year for many': The nation owes a "profound" debt of gratitude to the Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan, the Queen said in her Christmas message as she spoke of her sadness at the heavy death toll. >>> Anita Singh | Friday, December 25, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: 2009? Some years are best forgotten, says Queen in Christmas address >>> Tom Coghlan | Friday, December 25, 2009

Passions over 'Prosperity Gospel': Was Jesus Wealthy?
Some pastors are making a bold claim: Jesus wasn't poor; he was rich. Photo: CNN
CNN: Each Christmas, Christians tell stories about the poor baby Jesus born in a lowly manger because there was no room in the inn.

But the Rev. C. Thomas Anderson, senior pastor of the Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Arizona, preaches a version of the Christmas story that says baby Jesus wasn't so poor after all.

Anderson says Jesus couldn't have been poor because he received lucrative gifts -- gold, frankincense and myrrh -- at birth. Jesus had to be wealthy because the Roman soldiers who crucified him gambled for his expensive undergarments. Even Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, lived and traveled in style, he says.

"Mary and Joseph took a Cadillac to get to Bethlehem because the finest transportation of their day was a donkey," says Anderson. "Poor people ate their donkey. Only the wealthy used it as transportation."

Many Christians see Jesus as the poor, itinerant preacher who had "no place to lay his head." But as Christians gather around the globe this year to celebrate the birth of Jesus, another group of Christians are insisting that Jesus' beginnings weren't so humble.

They say that Jesus was never poor -- and neither should his followers be. Their claim is embedded in the doctrine known as the prosperity gospel, which holds that God rewards the faithful with financial prosperity and spiritual gifts. >>> John Blake, CNN | Friday, December 25, 2009

How Long Before Small Boys Here Ask: A Church? What’s That, Grandad?
MAIL ONLINE: I had hoped to have a sort of Christmas truce this week, but the controversy just keeps on raging, drowning out the choirs and bells.

And one of the problems is Christmas itself. How much longer will it exist in the form we know today?

I fear it won’t be much longer. Many of its traditions are visibly dying. Teachers complain that children don’t know the carols any more, because their parents don’t know them either.

At a couple of packed services during Advent (a season many haven’t heard of), I’ve noticed that large numbers of adults stand with their lips not moving during the singing of these simple, easily mastered songs.

Perhaps they’re humming, or struck dumb with awe, but it looks to me as if they are just completely unfamiliar with words or music and don’t know what to do.

For the moment, they still think they should come to church, but for how much longer?

A few days ago I heard a story from the former East Germany, where Christianity was coldly tolerated but officially discouraged, and as far as possible denied to children.

This created a mixture of hostility and indifference that has not been overcome in the 20 years since the regime collapsed. The link between people and Christianity, many centuries old, has now been broken.

A small boy was walking with his grandparent past a church in a small town in Brandenburg. ‘What’s that strange building? What’s it for?’ he asked.

But East Germany wasn’t half as subtle as the politically correct revolutionaries who run this country. Our lot are far cleverer.

They hope to destroy the Christian religion through a thousand regulations. But first they have to rob it of its ancient standing by treating it as equal (if not slightly inferior) to Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. >>> Peter Hitchens | Saturday, December 26, 2009 (Boxing Day)

No Burqas in France? Ruling Party Moves to Ban Veils in Public
A woman wears a burqa as she shops with her family at a street market in Roubaix northern France, August 9, 2009. France's ruling party has announced plans to present a bill to ban Islamic veils in all public places. Photograph: The Christian Science Monitor
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: The new effort to outlaw the full-length veil - niqabs and burqas - in public trumps earlier efforts to ban it only in some official buildings. The move comes at a time when French Muslims say they are being targeted as outsiders or not fully French.

Paris: The French ruling party of President Nicolas Sarkozy now affirms it will present a bill to ban full-length Islamic veils in all public places in France. It won't wait for the results of a parliamentary inquiry into the all-covering niqab and burqa to be published. The move adds fuel to an increasingly hot debate on French identity that has minorities here upset.

A nationwide identity debate, engineered by the ruling UMP party last month, has evolved into an embarrassingly unruly discussion about Muslims and northern Africans in France. And it comes on the heels of a surprise vote in neighboring Switzerland last month to outlaw the construction of new minarets at Muslim worship sites.

The UMP effort to outlaw the full-length veil in public trumps earlier efforts to ban it only in some official buildings, and comes at a time when French Muslims say they are being targeted as outsiders or not fully French.

Yet UMP party leader Jean-François Cope yesterday said veils that cover a woman’s entire face are a “violation of individual liberty” and a “negation” of one’s identity and that of others in a public milieu.

Under the proposed law, women would not be able to move in public with their faces fully covered. The legal rendering is that burqas and all-covering niqabs are a public order issue, and not a religious practice issue - as is the French ban on headscarves in schools, which has been carried out to uphold French secularism, known as laïcité.

Offenders wearing veils would receive a fine – though lawmakers now say there will be a period of mediation following the initial charge. Vote expected in early Jan >>> Robert Marquand, Staff writer | Wednesday, December 23, 2009

We Need a Shared Story to Underpin Our National Life
THE TELEGRAPH: Our future leaders must be taught selflessness in place of greed, and service in place of arrogance

By any reckoning, Britons have had an uncomfortable and anxious year. Even as the implications of the financial crisis sank in and the belt-tightening began, news broke of the ride for which we had been taken by our political masters, via their expenses forms. The war in Afghanistan claimed the lives of more than 100 British soldiers. The Copenhagen summit raised awareness of environmental problems, but left it unclear what would or should be done about them. And attacks on the traditional family continued, with claims by ministers and "experts" that no one form of the family was to be preferred to any other.

It has been tough for everyone, but Christians in particular have found themselves under pressure. Nurses have been told not to pray with their patients; registrars ordered to conduct civil partnership ceremonies in spite of conscientious objections; evangelists forbidden to spread the word in "Muslim" areas; and permission for Good Friday processions refused on the grounds that they are a "minority" interest and do not warrant police time.

Given the sea of troubles with which we are faced – at home and elsewhere – what can we look forward to as we face 2010? First, we need to accept that the financial and political crises are not primarily about the failure of procedures and regulation. The angst about the war in Afghanistan, similarly, is not just about the sad loss of life. The broader problem is that there has been the loss of a common narrative, a story which underpins our national life. In the past, this was provided by the Judaeo-Christian tradition, derived from the Bible. This narrative has been at the root of those values which we regard as particularly British, whether to do with the dignity of the human person, with fundamental freedoms of belief, speech and assembly, or with equality – which is not about "sameness", but a recognition of the image of God in others.

This tradition has also provided us with the virtues for which we have looked in vain in our economic and political leaders. The best of British business and politics has been characterised by a sense – largely derived from the Bible's teachings – of responsibility, of trust, justice, fairness and truth-telling. In recent years, these virtues have been jettisoned, so that we can be more "competitive" in a cut-throat world, or engage in a more adversarial form of politics. We, and the generations to follow, will have to live with the consequences of this dissolution of a moral and spiritual framework for our common life.

But while the task of reconstruction must begin immediately, it cannot be just about tinkering with the expenses system at Westminster, or the regulation of the City. It has to be about moral and spiritual education in our schools and universities. Future leaders must be taught that the public have the right to expect selflessness rather than greed, service rather than arrogance, and even sacrifice for the greater good of the organisation, or the nation. >>> Dr Michael Nazir-Ali | Saturday, December 26, 2009 (Boxing Day)

The Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali is president of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue, and was until this year Bishop of Rochester

Mexico City Lawmakers Approve Gay Marriage Bill


YOU TUBE: Watch Reuters video: Mexico City legalises gay marriage >>> | Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Head of Russian Orthodox Church Condemns Discrimination against Gays
PINK NEWS: The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has said that although homosexuality is still a sin, gay people must not be discriminated against.

Kirill met with Thorbjorn Jagland, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, a pan-European human rights body.

According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, he told Jagland: "We respect the person's free choice, including in sex relations."

Although he reiterated that the majority of religions saw homosexuality as a sin and gay marriage could not be allowed, he added: "Those who commit a sin must not be punished… And we have repeatedly spoken out against discriminating people for their nontraditional sexual orientation." >>> Jessica Geen | Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Yusuf al Qaradawi on Christmas

US on the Brink of Embracing Socialized Medicine! Barack Obama's Health Reform Set to Pass Senate after Abortion Deal
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama's goal of health care reform received a key boost when Senate Democrat leaders said they had secured the key 60th vote needed to pass legislation.

The Senate bill is now expected to be put to a vote before Christmas, despite Republican delaying tactics.

Democrats from the Senate and the House of Representatives will then still have to hammer out major differences between their two versions of health reform before a final bill can be delivered to Mr Obama.

The president has made health reform his domestic policy priority and White House aides welcomed reports that there were now 60 supporters for a compromise deal in the Senate.

Mr Obama devoted his weekend radio and Internet address to the issue he campaigned on in 2008.

"Now - for the first time - there is a clear majority in the Senate that's willing to stand up to the insurance lobby and embrace lasting health insurance reforms that have eluded us for generations," he said.

The breakthrough came when Sen Ben Nelson, a socially conservative Democrat, told his party colleagues that he was willing to accept new wording that restricted federal funding for abortion.

It also emerged that he had secured extra federal funding for health programmes in his home state of Nebraska after days of negotiations.

His support appeared to give Senate leader Harry Reid the 60 votes required in the 100-seat chamber to overcome the threat of a Republican filibuster. >>> Philip Sherwell in New York | Saturday, December 19, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama’s Top Ten Foreign Policy Follies: This has hardly been a stellar year for the projection of American global power. Weakness, rather than strength, has been the hallmark of US foreign policy under Barack Obama, from the Iranian nuclear crisis to dithering over the war in Afghanistan. Instead of strong American leadership, the White House has all too often offered humiliating apologies for America’s past and embarrassing gaffes.

Here is a list of the ten biggest foreign policy follies of Barack Obama’s first year in office. I’ve tried to make the list inclusive of all corners of the world, ranging from Tehran to Tokyo to Khartoum, and frankly could easily have expanded it to a top 20 or even top 30 list. There are plenty to choose from, including some of the most cringe worthy moments in modern American history. >>> Nile Gardiner | Wednesday, December 23, 2009

There'll Be Nowhere to Run from the New World Government
THE TELEGRAPH: 'Global' thinking won't necessarily solve the world's problems, says Janet Daley

There is scope for debate – and innumerable newspaper quizzes – about who was the most influential public figure of the year, or which the most significant event. But there can be little doubt which word won the prize for most important adjective. 2009 was the year in which "global" swept the rest of the political lexicon into obscurity. There were "global crises" and "global challenges", the only possible resolution to which lay in "global solutions" necessitating "global agreements". Gordon Brown actually suggested something called a "global alliance" in response to climate change. (Would this be an alliance against the Axis of Extra-Terrestrials?)

Some of this was sheer hokum: when uttered by Gordon Brown, the word "global", as in "global economic crisis", meant: "It's not my fault". To the extent that the word had intelligible meaning, it also had political ramifications that were scarcely examined by those who bandied it about with such ponderous self-importance. The mere utterance of it was assumed to sweep away any consideration of what was once assumed to be the most basic principle of modern democracy: that elected national governments are responsible to their own people – that the right to govern derives from the consent of the electorate.

The dangerous idea that the democratic accountability of national governments should simply be dispensed with in favour of "global agreements" reached after closed negotiations between world leaders never, so far as I recall, entered into the arena of public discussion. Except in the United States, where it became a very contentious talking point, the US still holding firmly to the 18th-century idea that power should lie with the will of the people. >>> Janet Daley | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Weihnachtsfeier in der Sprache Jesu: Im Dorf Malula in Syrien erlebt das Aramäische eine ganz und gar unerwartete Renaissance
NZZ am SONNTAG: An Weihnachten findet im christlichen Bergdorf Malula eine Mitternachtsmesse statt. Die Leute sind stolz, dass ihre Sprache trotz der Übermacht des Arabischen überleben wird.

Erzählt Mushe Barkula von den Vorbereitungen für Weihnachten, wirkt der schüchterne Mann mit dem Schnauz wie ein schelmischer Bub. «Wir machen Köfte und Hummus, kochen Fisch, Weinblätter und bereiten Taboulé, Salat aus frischen Kräutern.»

Mushe war lange Sanitäter in Malula. Der Cousin des Schriftstellers Rafik Schami kennt die Geschichten der Leute und ihre Sprache. Weihnachten heisst hier «Edha Milothe». Das ist nicht etwa Arabisch, die Muttersprache der meisten Christen im Nahen Osten. Das ist Aramäisch. «Meine Muttersprache und die Sprache Jesu», sagt Mushe, während er in seiner Wohnung an der Einfahrt in das 1500 Meter über Meer gelegene Dorf sitzt, die Frau Kaffee kocht und die Kinder herumtollen.

Malula bedeutet Eingang auf Aramäisch. Es ist tatsächlich eine Pforte im Fels, hinter der sich das Dorf in die Schlucht aus beigem Fels zu drücken scheint. Einige Häuser sind in den Berg gebaut oder stehen wie von Kindern aufgetürmte Bauklötzchen übereinander. Früher lebten die Leute in den Höhlen, deren Eingänge wie Löcher im Fels klaffen. Oft drückt ein Wind aus der irakischen Wüste ins Tal, meist ist der Himmel azurblau. Wenn im Sommer in der Ebene von Damaskus die Hitze steigt, braucht man in Malula nicht einmal eine Klimaanlage. Dann wohnen bis zu 5000 Personen hier. Im Winter sind noch 1000 Bewohner da, die meisten Christen, wenige Muslime, die auch Aramäisch sprechen. Manchmal fällt an Weihnachten Schnee, dann ist der Weg nach Damaskus blockiert. >>> Christoph Plate, Malula | Sonntag, 20. Dezember 2009

It’s Only You Brits Who Don’t Appreciate Me, Insists Tony Blair
Photograph; The Sunday Times
Did the Europeans reject Tone as President of Europe because they appreciated him? – © Mark
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Tony Blair has hit back defiantly at his British critics, insisting that he is appreciated overseas much more than at home. He also defended his money-making activities.

“If I did what these people who criticise me here wanted, I’d end up just sitting in a corner, but that is never going to be me,” he said.

Interviewed for today’s News Review, the former prime minister said: “You get to a position where the criticism you get, you just have to live with. It’s the way it is. When you are someone like me, you create a lot of controversy one way or another. You just decide to do what you are going to do and let that speak for itself.”

He blamed his negative image in Britain on the press, saying: “They don’t approach me in an objective way. Their first question is how to belittle what I’m doing, knock it down, write something bad about it. It’s not right. It’s not journalism. They don’t get me and they’ve got a score to settle with me. But they are not going to settle it.”

He added: “It’s not true that nobody likes me! Reading the papers in Britain, you’d end up thinking I’d lost three elections rather than won them. There is a completely different atmosphere around me outside the country. People accept the work that you are doing, as it is. They don’t see anything wrong with being successful financially and also doing good work.”

Since leaving office in 2007, Blair has divided his time between unpaid humanitarian work and lucrative activities advising banks, companies and Arab governments.

There has been criticism of his high fees for public speaking, but Blair responded: “When leaders step down, they all do a certain amount of paid speaking and that is fair enough. If all I wanted to do was make speeches, let me tell you, I could make five times the number.”

He added: “I got out of politics early enough to have a second act in life. Why shouldn’t a politician be able to do that? Others do. Nobody says Bill Gates is bad for moving from business to philanthropy. Why shouldn’t a politician do a business model when they change their life?” >>> John Arlidge | Sunday, December 20, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair: I could make much more money: Tony Blair has likened himself to Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, and suggested he could make five times as many lucrative speeches as he does now >>> James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Sunday, December 20, 2009

THE SUNDAY TIMES: What Tony Blair did next after Downing Street: Is the former prime minister a philanthropist or a hustler? The Sunday Times went to discover the truth about Blair Inc >>> John Arlidge | Sunday, December 20, 2009

UN Averts Climate Collapse by 'Noting' New Deal
THE INDEPENDENT: UN climate talks avoided a total collapse today by skirting bitter opposition from several nations to a deal championed by the US President Barack Obama and five emerging economies including China.

"Finally we sealed a deal," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. "The 'Copenhagen Accord' may not be everything everyone had hoped for, but this decision...is an important beginning."

But a decision at marathon 193-nation talks merely took note of the new accord, a non-binding deal for combating global warming led by the United States, China, India, Brazil and South Africa. >>> David Fogarty and Alister Doyle, Reuters | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Gay Activists Praise Rugby Star Gareth Thomas's Decision to Come Out
THE OBSERVER: Speculation is growing that other gay sports stars may follow suit

Gareth Thomas. Photograph: The Observer
The shock decision by rugby union player Gareth Thomas to announce that he is gay has triggered speculation that other sports stars might come out. Thomas is Wales's most-capped player and a former British and Irish Lions captain. The fact that he has confirmed his sexuality while still playing the game has been praised by gay rights campaigners.

The shock decision by rugby union player Gareth Thomas to announce that he is gay has triggered speculation that other sports stars might come out. Thomas is Wales's most-capped player and a former British and Irish Lions captain. The fact that he has confirmed his sexuality while still playing the game has been praised by gay rights campaigners.

Yesterday the 6ft 3in, 16-stone rugby star said he hoped he could make a difference to others struggling with their sexuality. "I just want to thank everyone for the amazing response I have received, on behalf of me, my family and friends," Thomas said. "I hope that by saying this I can make a big difference to others in my situation."

But he said he did not want to be known as a "gay rugby player" and hoped people would treat his sexuality as "irrelevant" to his career. "What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby," he said. "I'd love for it, in 10 years' time, not to even be an issue in sport, and for people to say: 'So what?'"

Thomas, who came on as a substitute for his team Cardiff Blues as they lost 23-7 to Toulouse in the Heineken Cup quarter-final yesterday, said the secret of his sexuality was like a "ticking bomb" which he had tried to suppress. "I just couldn't ignore it any more," he told the Daily Mail.

"It is very positive Gareth has come out while he is still an active player," said gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. "Many of the sports people who have declared their homosexuality have tended to do so after their careers are over.

"Rugby is a very macho sport and has traditionally had a very robust he-man, heterosexual image so it is really great that he has had the guts to be honest with himself and his fans. Hopefully this will ease the way for other gay and bisexual players to also come out." >>> Jamie Doward | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Controversial Pope Moves Closer to Sainthood
TIMES ONLINE: The controversial wartime pope accused of failing to openly condemn the Holocaust has moved a step closer to sainthood, the Vatican has confirmed.

Pope Pius XII will be declared venerable after the current pontiff Pope Benedict XVI approved a "heroic virtues decree", the first of three stages before canonisation.

To be declared venerable, a church investigation has to conclude that the person in question lived a life of exemplary holiness and heroic virtue. There must be nothing in the dead person’s writings that enables these characteristics to be challenged. >>> Simon Alford | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Kopenhagen gescheitert: US-Präsident Obama stürzt vom Klima-Gipfel
WELT ONLINE: Das faktische Scheitern der Klimaverhandlungen in Kopenhagen ist eine schwere Niederlage für US-Präsident Barack Obama auf internationaler Ebene. Nicht nur, dass er und Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel vorzeitig abreisten, ohne ein sicheres Ergebnis erzielt zu haben. Er ließ sich zudem von den Chinesen vorführen.

Seiner Ankunft folgte sogleich ein markiger Auftritt. Kaum hatte US-Präsident Barack Obama das Konferenzzentrum betreten, ließ er die Anwesenden wissen: „Die Zeit für Reden ist vorbei.“ Ab jetzt wollte er die Verhandlungsführung übernehmen.

Zusammen mit Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel, den „Chefs“ aus Russland, Brasilien, Japan, der Europäischen Union und anderer wichtiger Länder machte sich Obama an die Arbeit. Doch es lief nicht so, wie der Friedensnobelpreisträger es sich vorgestellt hatte. Nur Bundesumweltminister Norbert Röttgen blieb optimistisch. Trotz der zähen Verhandlungen könne es einen Kompromiss geben, meinte er. „Heute fallen die Würfel.“

Stattdessen bahnte sich ein Fiasko an. Es begann in der Nacht von Freitag auf Samstag. Ein enger Verhandlungskreis von 30 wichtigen und repräsentativ ausgewählten Staaten, darunter Deutschland, diskutierten noch immer die Grundzüge eines Zwölf-Punkte-Papiers. Es trug den Titel „Copenhagen Accord“ und bestand aus einer dreiseitigen Sammlung vager politischer Absichtserklärungen ohne fest definierte Ziele oder rechtliche Bindung. >>> Von D. Wetzel und G. Lachmann | Samstag, 19. Dezember 2009

New Dark Age Alert! MP Condemns Plan to Build Muslim Eton for Girls
Forerunner: Students at an all-girl Muslim school in Bradford. Photograph: Mail Online
MAIL ONLINE: A Labour MP has bitterly attacked plans for a Muslim ‘Eton’ for girls.

The college for 1,500 pupils would be both the largest Muslim faith school and the biggest boarding school in the country – larger than 1,330-pupil Eton.

Yesterday Gordon Prentice, MP for Pendle, near the school site in Burnley, warned that it could damage existing schools and colleges in the area and stoke community tensions.

‘The last thing we need is single-sex, single faith schools for girls,’ he told the Times Educational Supplement.

‘It pulls against community cohesion. It makes me weep to think so much time, energy and effort has gone into the community to get people to mix together. [This] goes against all public policy.’

The blueprint emerged after a proposal for a 5,000-place girls’ boarding school in Pendle was dropped amid public opposition.

The Islamic charity behind the Burnley project, the Mohiuddin Trust, insists its aim is to ‘strengthen inter-community relationships’.

It is in the process of setting up Mohiuddin International Girls’ College after purchasing the former Burnley College site for £2million.

The college would cater for girls of 16 and over and teach mainstream qualifications and faith studies.

The trust wants the school to cater initially for 500 students, expanding to 1,500. >>> Laura Clark | Friday, December 18, 2009

Amid the Carols and Decorations, Iraq Christians Fear Extinction
A policeman stands guard atop an armoured vehicle outside a Christian church in Mosul. Photograph: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: It could be a scene from a Victorian Christmas card. The young people gather in the church, decorating a tree, while in the background the choir rehearses for Christmas Day — the tune of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen playing out. In the theatre next to the church two clowns are playing musical chairs with hundreds of children, while a bishop and an inflatable Father Christmas look on.

The words to the carol are in Iraqi-accented Arabic — Feltestereh qolubikum, ya ayuha al jumoor — “may your hearts take comfort, you who are gathered here”. The church is Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Church in Baghdad, and outside is the more familiar Iraqi scene of barbed wire and armed guards. Behind the tinsel and carols lies a fear that Christians in Iraq are a community under threat of extinction. Proportionally more Christians are leaving Iraq than any other group.

Last week 100 Christian leaders and politicians of all religions held an emergency meeting just before fresh violence broke out in the northern city of Mosul, with attacks on churches and Christian schools. On Tuesday a baby was killed and 40 people, including schoolchildren, were injured in three simultaneous bombings. Two days ago a Christian man was shot dead as he travelled to work. >>> Alice Fordham, in Baghdad | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Eis und Schnee haben Europa im Griff: Eisenbahnzüge stecken im Eurotunnel fest
NZZ ONLINE: Eisige Temperaturen und starker Schneefall haben weite Teile Europas fest im Griff. Als Folge der starken Kälte blieben auch Züge im Tunnel unter dem Ärmelkanal stecken. Und in einigen Staaten Amerikas beginnt der Winter mit Scheestürmen.

In der Nacht zum Samstag sind im Eurotunnel unter dem Ärmelkanal vier Züge mit mehr als 2000 Fahrgästen liegen geblieben. Wie ein Sprecher von Eurostar erklärte, hatte der grosse Temperaturunterschied der Luft innerhalb und ausserhalb des Kanaltunnels zu einer technischen Panne geführt. Für die Fahrgäste habe keine Gefahr bestanden, aber es sei «sehr unbequem» gewesen.

Am frühen Morgen wurden die Fahrgäste zweier liegengebliebener Züge mit einem Notzug aus dem Tunnel gebracht. Eine Ersatzlokomotive sollte die beiden anderen Züge in Richtung Folkestone im Südosten Englands schieben.

In den Eurostar-Hochgeschwindigkeitszügen sassen jeweils zwischen 500 und 700 Menschen fest. Alle vier Züge waren auf dem Weg von Paris nach London, als sie in dem Tunnel steckenblieben. Zwei weitere Züge, die sich aus Brüssel und Paris auf dem Weg in Richtung London befanden, wurden rechtzeitig angehalten. >>> sda/dpa | Samstag, 19. Dezember 2009

Copenhagen Climate Summit: Confusion as 'Historic Deal' Descends into Chaos
THE TELEGRAPH: The “historic” climate change deal at the Copenhagen climate summit has descended into chaos after some developing nations rejected the plan for fighting global warming championed by US President Barack Obama.

(From Left) European Commission President Barroso, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, US President Barack Obama and British PM Gordon Brown. Photo: The Telegraph
An agreement to limit global warming to a 3.6F (2C) temperature rise, alongside a $100 billion (£62bn) a year in aid from 2020, were condemned as inadequate by some delegates and appeared to be in danger of unravelling.

Developing nations, including Venezuela, said they could not accept a text originally agreed by the United States, China, India, Brazil and South Africa as the blueprint of a wider United Nations plan to fight climate change.

Tempers flared during an all-night plenary session, held after most of 120 visiting world leaders had left.

Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, the Sudanese negotiator, said the draft text asked “Africa to sign a suicide pact”.

One Saudi delegate said it was without doubt “the worst plenary I have ever attended.” >>> David Barrett and Louise Gray, in Copenhagen | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Obama's Climate Accord Fails the Test
THE INDEPENDENT: Watered-down agreement follows day of bitter wrangling in Copenhagen

World leaders late last night agreed a hugely watered-down version of a new global pact on climate change, after an astonishing day of deadlock, disagreement, misunderstandings, walkouts and insults at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen.

The agreement, patched together after massive and rancorous divisions between the rich nations and the developing countries, especially America and China, was described as a "meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough" by the US President Barack Obama. However, a senior American official openly admitted it was not enough to combat the threat of a warming planet, saying merely: "It is a first step."

Known as the Copenhagen Accord, the new agreement falls massively short of the ambitions many people had centred on the two-week meeting in the Danish capital, in the hope of a major new effort to combat the global warming threat. Although in principle it commits – for the first time – all the countries of the world, including the developing countries, to cut their emissions of the greenhouse gases which are causing climate change, the accord is not legally binding, merely a political statement. >>> Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor, in Copenhagen | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Milton Friedman: Socialism vs. Capitalism

Neo-Nazis Suspected of Raid on Auschwitz ‘to Rewrite History’
TIMES ONLINE: The slickly organised theft of one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust sent a wave of outrage around the world yesterday.

The sign that hung over the gates of Auschwitz extermination camp, where more than a million people died during the Second World War, was stolen in minutes. Polish police suspect that the culprits were either neo-Nazis or acting on behalf of collectors or a group of individuals.

The slogan wrought in iron, Arbeit Macht Frei (“Work sets you free”), was the cynical welcome to those entering the camp in the 1940s. One million of the 1.1 million people who died at Auschwitz were Jewish.

The theft in the early hours of yesterday was seen as an attempt by right-wing extremists to muddy the narrative of the Holocaust.

“This act constitutes a true declaration of war,” said Avner Shalev, the head of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial institute in Jerusalem. “We don’t know the identity of the perpetrators but I assume they are neo-Nazis.”

Poland is treating the recovery of the sign from the site, near Cracow, as a matter of national honour. President Kaczynski said: “I appeal to all countrymen to help the police to track down the sign. A worldwide symbol of the cynicism of Hitler’s executioners and the martyrdom of their victims has been stolen. This act deserves the strongest possible condemnation.” >>> Roger Boyes | Saturday, December 19, 2009

Iran's Government 'Will Not Last', Says Mehdi Karoubi
BBC: The Iranian government is being kept in power by force and will not last its four-year term, one of the opposition presidential candidates has predicted.

Opposition member Mehdi Karoubi said the government faced pressure from members of parliament, the Iranian public and the rest of the world.

Speaking to the BBC in Tehran, he repeated allegations over the abuse of anti-government protesters in prison.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected in disputed elections in June.

"From the first day the election result came out I was convinced that Mr Ahmadinejad would not survive the full four years of his term," Mr Karoubi said.

"Even within the last six months, the government has only been kept in power by force."

Widespread protests erupted in Iran after the election, with hundreds of anti-government demonstrators arrested.

In a rare interview with a foreign broadcaster, Mr Karoubi told the BBC that heavy-handed treatment by the authorities had been counter-productive.

"At the beginning of the movement, it was just a protest against the election, we didn't recognise it as a serious election.

"The government's response, the crackdown, has not calmed things down at all. In fact, it's just made the chanting louder. It's just increased the people's demands."

He stood by his allegations that opposition activists have been raped in detention - a charge vehemently denied by authorities.

He said he was not afraid of being prosecuted over the claims as threatened by several government officials. Read further (with BBC video) >>> | Friday, December 18, 2009

Bob Geldof accuse: "Merkel n'a pas de coeur"
Crédits photo :
LE FIGARO – BLOG: Le chanteur irlandais engagé contre la famine, Bob Geldof, a examiné de très près le budget 2010 adopté, mercredi, par le gouvernement allemand. Et il accuse Angela Merkel d’avoir trahi sa promesse de dépenser davantage pour aider les pays pauvres en 2010. «Avec ce budget, Angela Merkel brise sa promesse aux hommes les plus pauvres du monde », accuse Geldof. >>> Par Patrick Saint-Paul | Vendredi 18 Décembre 2009

Islamic Insurgents Hack into CIA State-of-the-Art Predator Drones
A US air force 'predator'. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Predator drones used by the CIA against Islamic militants have been hacked into by insurgents using nothing more sophisticated than a $25.95 (£16) off-the-shelf software, it was revealed last night.

Although the insurgents were not able to control the $20 million aircraft, typically armed with Hellfire missiles and flown over the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, they could watch live video feeds beamed back to US control stations through their electronic “eyeballs”.

The hackers’ success raises the disturbing possibility of the Predators being taken over and used to attack US or British forces, or perhaps even domestic targets. Although Predator aircraft are usually flown by remote control from thousands of miles away, some are kept for testing at US Airforce bases such as Creech, near Las Vegas.

Speaking off-the-record, senior American defence officials confirmed that the Predators had been compromised and admitted that the video feeds could give insurgents critical information about US targets overseas, including buildings, roads, and other facilities. >>> Chris Ayres | Friday, December 18, 2009

New Dark Age Alert! Muslim Televangelist Takes His Message to Millions
Not your typical preacher: Amr Khaled is trying to modernise the face of Islam. Photograph: BBC
BBC: Amr Khaled's unique brand of Muslim preaching has made him one of the most popular preachers in the world.

Such is his appeal, he was recently named the 13th most influential person in the world by Time Magazine.

In Cairo, his DVDs stand on the top shelves reserved for best sellers in the Virgin record store, next to Bruce Willis and Charlie Chaplin.

His controversial style, comparable to the almost rock star approach of some of America's Christian evangelists, has drawn criticism from the religious establishment and he has moved away from his native Egypt.

Ironically, thanks to the proliferation of satellite channels, he is now able to reach far greater numbers than he could have ever done had his message remained within the confines of a mosque or a lecture hall.

'You're fired'

Now, following on from his hugely successful TV shows - which are watched by millions across the world - Mr Khaled plans to launch his own version of the reality television show The Apprentice.

"The aim of it is not to make money, but to make the youth ready to support the society," he told the BBC. >>> Magdi Abdelhadi, Arab Affairs Analyst, BBC World Service | Thursday, December 17, 2009

Amr Khaled’s English homepage >>>

Listen to Magdi Abdelhadi’s full documentary, Muslim Televangelists >>>

A Drop of Claret Never Hurt My Little Darlings
THE TELEGRAPH: The latest health fatwa is aimed at the wrong target, as usual, says James Delingpole.

Liam Donaldson's strictures are directed at the wrong target. Photograph: The Telegraph
This weekend I shall sit down to Sunday lunch with my children, splash their glasses with a drop of claret, and drink a hearty toast to the departure of the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson. My children are nine and 11, so I know Sir Liam would disapprove – indeed, he told us as much in his latest fatwa. "Children under 15 should not drink alcohol at all," declared his new health guidelines on children's drinking. "Those between 15 and 17 should be supervised by their parents if they are drinking and should limit alcohol intake to one day a week."

The cheek of it! Was there ever a hectoring, busybodying government directive better guaranteed to have the opposite effect of the one intended? That was certainly its impact upon me. Normally at Sunday lunch, my children only have half a finger's worth of wine in their glasses – just to give the water a bit of colour, and make them feel grown-up. But after Sir Liam's nannying strictures, I'm tempted to treat the little darlings to a magnum each.

What's even more galling about strictures like this is that they're directed at the wrong target. We all know where Britain's most serious child-drinking problems lie: on sink estates and among broken homes where rudderless urchins are routinely downing alcopops and cans of super-strong lager before they've reached their teens. >>> James Delingpole | Friday, December 18, 2009

Sir Liam Donaldson: Parents 'Fuelling' Binge Drinking


THE TELEGRAPH: Liam Donaldson to retire after dealing with swine flu: Sir Liam Donaldson, the governments chief medical officer, will retire in May next year, it has been announced. >>> Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor | Tuesday, December 15, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Why I will let my children drink alcohol: Liam Donaldson's latest recommendations on teenage drinking will work in theory but not in practice, writes Cassandra Jardine. >>> Cassandra Jardine | Thursday, December 17, 2009

More Twaddle from an Effete Government Representative
As far as I am concerned, Liam Donaldson is talking bollocks! The worst thing you can do for a child is forbid something. Forbidden fruits always taste the sweetest; and that's a fact! Further, the only people I know that went off the rails came from homes which banned alcohol completely.

The best way is to allow children of a certain age to have very small amounts of alcohol to feel included in any family gatherings. By not offering them any, the mystery of the demon drink will only grow.

Liam Donaldson's judgment is questionable. This is the man who said he was happy when smoking was banned in pubs, for he said now he can take his children to pubs for Sunday lunch without them having to inhale second-hand smoke. Somebody should have told him that children do not belong in pubs. Indeed, when I was growing up one had to be sixteen even to enter such a public watering hole. Pubs were not conceived for children, but for adults. The proper place to take a child for Sunday lunch if one is not cooking at home is a restaurant. Not a pub!

It seems that he has no better judgment on children drinking a little alcohol.

The true reason for children getting sozzled is that so many of them come from broken homes. Children need stability at home, not prohibitions. –© Mark

New Dark Age Alert! Uganda’s Inhumane Bill
TIMES ONLINE – LEADING ARTICLE: Museveni appeals to anti-gay prejudice to mask growing political repression

To ask the public to voice their views on a question as crudely inflammatory as “Should homosexuals face execution?” is to invite bigotry to put on its boots. The BBC’s facile attempt to stimulate debate on its website has provoked justified outrage that old prejudices should be given a fresh hearing. Yet this same crude question is to be put to the Ugandan Parliament today. And there is a real fear that not only may MPs enthusiastically support the death penalty for active HIV-positive homosexuals; Uganda may soon pass legislation that would legitimise the hounding of gay people throughout Africa.

The proposed legislation is ostensibly meant to curb the spread of Aids, reinforce family values and reflect the widespread disgust many Africans express for what they regard as Western sexual decadence. It proposes a mandatory death sentence for active homosexuals living with HIV or in cases of same-sex rape. Anyone convicted of a homosexual act faces life imprisonment. And the friends and families of gay Ugandans could face up to seven years in jail if they fail to report them to the authorities. Even landlords could be imprisoned for renting to homosexuals. The Bill is an open invitation to a witch-hunt.

The measure has prompted widespread revulsion in much of the world. Gordon Brown and his Canadian counterpart expressed their concern to President Museveni at the Commonwealth summit conference last month. The United Nations and the World Health Organisation have said that Uganda may lose the chance to host an important permanent Aids research organisation if it passes the Bill. And anti-Aids activists have pointed out that the Bill would have only marginal effect on the fight against the disease, as homosexuals were responsible for less than one per cent of new infections last year. >>> Friday, December 18, 2009

Picture of Slain French Jew Appears in Dating Website Ad
YNET NEWS: French site discovers picture of Ilan Halimi, who was brutally murdered several years ago in France, in advertisement for online Muslim dating service. Company claims picture taken from a user's profile page, issues apology

How did the picture of Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish man who was brutally murdered several years ago in France, appear in an advertisement for an online Muslim Canadian dating service?

A French blogging site reported Wednesday that Halimi's picture was given to a Canadian dating website through Google's advertisement database, Google AdSense.

Halimi was kidnapped and tortured for three weeks before his body was found naked and bound with handcuffs near the train tracks in a suburb of Paris in February 2006.

One of the writers for a French blogging website was shocked when he accidentally came across a picture of the slain French Jew on an advertisement for the dating website Qiran.com, which caters to new Muslim immigrants to Canada. >>> Daniel Edelson | Thursday, December 17, 2009

Pour François Fillon, la burqa n'est pas la bienvenue en France
LE MONDE: Le premier ministre François Fillon a réaffirmé, jeudi 17 décembre, que la burqa n'avait pas sa place en France, tout en disant attendre les conclusions de la commission parlementaire sur le sujet pour prendre une décision.

La commission parlementaire sur le port du voile intégral – niqab ou burqa –, présidée par le communiste André Gérin, doit rendre ses conclusions en janvier sur une possible interdiction qui fait l'objet de prises de position diverses au gouvernement.
"Le président s'est exprimé de façon très claire. Il a dit, et je partage cette opinion, que la burqa n'est pas la bienvenue en France", a déclaré François Fillon en marge de la visite d'un centre de formation de la Défense, à Marseille. >>> LeMonde.fr avec Reuters | Jeudi 17 Décembre 2009

Frankreichs Konservative wollen Ganzkörper-Schleier verbieten
DIE PRESSE: Die Abgeordneten der französischen Regierungspartei wollen das Tragen von Ganzkörper-Schleiern komplett verbieten: "Nicht mit den Werten der Republik vereinbar."

Die Abgeordneten der französische Regierungspartei UMP wollen muslimischen Frauen das Tragen von Ganzkörperschleiern in der Öffentlichkeit komplett verbieten. "Realität ist, dass in Frankreich vernünftigerweise niemand will, dass sich diese Praxis in unserem Land ausbreitet", sagte UMP-Fraktionschef Jean-Francois Cope der Tageszeitung "Le Figaro". 



Die Mehrheit der Franzosen und auch die Vertreter der Muslime im Land seien der Ansicht, dass das Tragen eines Ganzkörperschleiers nicht mit dem Gemeinschaftsleben und den Werten der Republik vereinbar sei. Mögliches Verbot >>> Ag | Mittwoch, 16. Dezember 2009

CNN: Spreading Islam in Britain

L'extrême-droite autrichienne a trouvé son maître
L'ancien rival Heinz-Christian Strache est désormais le nouveau visage d'un FPÖ puissant et réunifié. Crédits photo : L’Express.fr
L’EXPRESS.fr: Les frères ennemis ont liquidé ce mercredi l'héritage Haider. L'ancien rival Heinz-Christian Strache est désormais le nouveau visage d'un FPÖ puissant et réunifié.

Sans leader, pas de parti. Les héritiers de Jörg Haider n'auront pas survécu à la disparition de leur chef. Ils ont rejoint ce mercredi le parti qu'ils avaient quitté avec fracas en 2005, abandonnant toute prétention politique pour survivre. L'éphémère BZÖ (Alliance pour l'Avenir de l'Autriche) disparait alors de la scène politique, malgré la résistance des durs de durs, regroupés autour de la soeur de Haider, élue au parlement, et qui se déclarait hier "humainement déçue". >>> Par Blaise Gauquelin | Jeudi 17 Décembre 2009

The Queen Dropped from Victoria's Legal System
THE TELEGRAPH: The Australian state of Victoria is to dump the Queen from legal proceedings only days before Prince William arrives on a goodwill visit.

Prince William and the Queen. Photo: The Telegraph
From Jan 1, all criminal court cases will be brought in the name of the director of public prosecutions instead of the monarch as traditionally.

Announcing the change, Rob Hulls, the state's attorney-general and acting Labour premier, said: "Having cases presented in the name of the Queen of England is an outdated colonial tradition that has really passed its use-by date.

"Substituting the director of public prosecutions for the Queen or Regina reflects the legal and political independence from the United Kingdom and its monarch that has been achieved by Australia."

He denied the change was a snub to Prince William, who arrives in the state on Jan 21 during a visit that has been described as an opportunity to better acquaint himself with Australia.

Mr Hulls, an avowed republican, said: "This is all about making our laws and legal procedures relevant. It's no more or less than that." >>> Paul Chapman | Thursday, December 17, 2009

Not Before Time! Big Companies May Be Coming to Their Senses!
THE TELEGRAPH: Nike, Adidas and other companies may cut their spending on sports sponsorships after the coverage of Tiger Woods's marital infidelity, it has been claimed.

Tiger Woods was earning about $100 million (£62 million) a year from his sponsors before the scandal. Photo: The Telegraph
In the past week, Accenture ended its endorsement deal with Woods, while Gillette said it would not use Woods in its marketing. Others are reevaluating their deals with the golfer.

Omar Saad, a Credit Suisse analyst, said that Nike and other companies are being forced to rethink the effectiveness of the vast sums of money they spend on individual and team sponsorships. Tiger Woods: sports sponsors may slash spending on big stars >>> | Thursday, December 17, 2009

Christians Outraged by Poster Showing Mary and Joseph after Sex
THE TELEGRAPH: A risque church billboard showing the Virgin Mary and Joseph in bed apparently after having disappointing sex has caused outrage among Christians in New Zealand.

The poster sparked a barrage of comments to radio stations and on internet websites. Photo: The Telegraph
The large poster depicts a dejected-looking Joseph lying next to Mary, whose eyes are turned heavenwards, under the words: "Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow."

Both figures, painted in classical fresco style, appear to be naked.

Within hours of the billboard being erected outside the Anglican church of St Matthew's in the City, in central Auckland, it had been attacked by a man who clambered on to the roof of his car to smear brown paint over it.

As a result it was almost obliterated and the church, which describes itself as "progressive", is seeking a replacement.

Archdeacon Glynn Cardy said the billboard was intended to lampoon the literal interpretation of the Christmas conception story "and that somehow this male God impregnated Mary".

"What we're trying to do is to get people to think more about what Christmas is all about," he said.

"We actually think God is about the power of love as shown in Jesus, which is something quite different than a literal man up in the sky." >>> Paul Chapman in Wellington | Thursday, December 17, 2009

Mühen der Deutschen mit direkter Demokratie: Nach dem Schweizer Minarettverbot geraten Volksabstimmungen in Verruf
NZZ ONLINE: Dass es die Schweizer gewagt haben, den Bau neuer Minarette zu verbieten, hat in Deutschland die Debatte über die plebiszitäre Demokratie neu entfacht. Die Befürworter repräsentativer Formen sehen sich bestätigt.

Die Schweizer Minarettabstimmung macht den Deutschen zu schaffen. Nicht primär ihres sehr bedauerlichen Ausgangs wegen – in ihrer Verdammung des Resultats waren sich die Kommentatoren der führenden Medien zumindest in den ersten Tagen praktisch einig. Nein, was die Deutschen irritiert, ist die Tatsache, dass es das Volk war, das die Entscheidung traf, und nicht die gewählte Elite. Denn auch hierzulande gilt die Forderung nach mehr Volksentscheiden grundsätzlich als «gut», progressiv und politisch korrekt, und im Volk geniesst sie – man ist zu sagen versucht: natürlich – grosse Unterstützung.

Stolz auf die eigene Tugend

Die herablassende Selbstgerechtigkeit, mit der die schweizerische Entgleisung zunächst gerügt wurde, ebbte in Deutschland schon nach wenigen Tagen merklich ab. Überheblichkeit im Umgang mit der Schweiz ist eher medialer Reflex als nationaler Charakterzug, und so debattierte man schon bald bang die Frage, ob es sich beim Schweizer Nein zu neuen Minaretten tatsächlich nur um eine isolierte, die lichte Welt europäischer Aufgeklärtheit aber nicht weiter tangierende Manifestation eidgenössischer Rückständigkeit handle oder ob hier nicht doch eine Haltung zum Ausdruck kam, die sich auch anderswo, eventuell sogar in Deutschland, finden liesse. Alerte Beobachter wiesen auf Blogs und Webseiten hin, in denen der Schweizer Entscheid mit überwältigendem Mehr begeistert begrüsst wurde. Womit man beim Problem der direkten Demokratie angekommen war. … >>> Ulrich Schmid, Berlin | Donnerstag, 17. Dezember 2009

Germany Donates £50m to Auschwitz
THE TELEGRAPH: Germany has donated more than £50 million to a global fund that aims to preserve the site of the Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland.

Auschwitz: Photograph: The Telegraph
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum said that the 60 million euros pledged by the German government represented half the total it needs to ensure the future of the Second World War site as a permanent memorial to the Nazis' victims.

"This is a great day! The plan for the long-term preservation of this memorial is becoming a reality," said Piotr Cywinski, director of the state-run museum and head of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation which was launched earlier this year.

An Auschwitz survivor, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski - a former Polish foreign minister who is considered a moral authority in his country and set up the foundation - hailed Germany's sense of "responsibility with regard to history". >>> | Thursday, December 17, 2009

Swiss Minaret Appeal Goes to European Court
BBC: An appeal against last month's decision by Swiss voters to ban minarets has been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The appeal was lodged by Hafid Ouardiri, an Algerian-born Muslim and a former spokesman for the Geneva Mosque.

Mr Ouardiri wants the court to rule that the ban is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Some 57.5% of Swiss voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban last month.

The referendum proposal was put forward by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which said minarets were a sign of Islamisation.

Switzerland's federal government had urged Swiss voters to reject it, warning it would contravene religious freedom and human rights and could stoke extremism. >>> | Wednesday, December 16, 2009

BBC News Website Asks Users: 'Should Homosexuals Face Execution?'
This is a clear example of the BBC taking leave of its senses! Shame on the BBC for asking such a ridiculous, cruel question! This subject is not worthy of debate. Period! – © Mark

THE GUARDIAN: Talkboard post seeks readers' views ahead of interactive World Service programme Africa Have Your Say

The BBC's Have Your Say talkboard. Image: The Guardian
The BBC today asked users of its news website "Should homosexuals face execution?" on a talkboard discussion for a World Service programme for African listeners.

Posted on a BBC News premoderated talkboard, the thread was designed to provoke discussion ahead of the latest edition of interactive World Service programme Africa Have Your Say.

"Yes, we accept it is a stark and disturbing question, but this is the reality behind an anti-homosexuality bill being debated on Friday by the Ugandan parliament which would see some homosexual offences punishable by death," the post said.

The talkboard post asked users to send in their views to the programme, which goes out on the World Service and is also available online.

"Has Uganda gone too far? Should there be any level of legislation against homosexuality? Should homosexuals be protected by legislation as they are in South Africa? What would be the consequences of this bill to you? How will homosexual 'offences' be monitored?," the post added.

Premoderated posts included one from Chris, Guildford, posted at 8.59am, which attracted 51 recommendations of support. He wrote: "Totally agree. Ought to be imposed in the UK too, asap. Bring back some respectable family values. Why do we have to suffer 'gay pride' festivals? Would I be allowed to organise a 'straight pride' festival? No, thought as much!! If homosexuality is natural, as we are forced to believe, how can they sustain the species? I suggest all gays are put on a remote island somewhere and left for a generation - after which, theoretically there should be none left!"

Another, from Aaron in Freetown, said: "Bravo to the Ugandans for this wise decision, a bright step in eliminating this menace from your society. We hope other African nations will also follow your bold step." >>> Stephen Brook | Wednesday, December 16, 2009

BBC Defends Debate on Gay Executions in Uganda
PINK NEWS: BBC editors have defended allowing online readers to debate whether gays in Uganda should be executed, saying they accepted it was a "challenging question".

The discussion, on the broadcaster's Have Your Say feature, asked: "Should homosexuals face execution?"

The debate centres on Uganda, where an anti-gay bill is passing through parliament. It would impose execution or life imprisonment on gays, its sponsor David Bahati MP says.

Some commentators on the site, from both the UK and Africa, had agreed with the country's proposed law.

It was closed at around 4pm this afternoon after provoking a storm of anger on Twitter.

A number of readers emailed PinkNews.co.uk to complain that the question was offensive, arguing that readers would not be asked to debate the extermination of Jews in World War II. >>> Staff Writer, Pink News | Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Uganda Antigay Sentiments Hit Close to Home
ADVOCATE.COM: COMMENTARY: Kim Stolz wonders why certain U.S. senators refuse to comment on Uganda's "kill the gays" bill — a bill the White House, international human rights organizations, and even some typically conservative Christian groups have condemned.

Collage: Advocate.com
In his State of the Union Address in January 2003, President George W. Bush gave one of his more eloquent and moving speeches about his upcoming HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program, and included specific praise for the African country of Uganda in paving the way to lower AIDS population rates on the continent. This fall, the international community, feeling helpless and stunned, watched as severe antigay legislation was introduced in Uganda on Oct. 14, which called for a life imprisonment sentence for homosexual acts and the death sentence for those engaging in homosexual activity repeatedly and for any HIV-positive person doing so. 
 


The current law in Uganda states that anyone who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual, or transgender should be sentenced to a minimum of 14 years imprisonment. While 14 years is the stated term, being convicted as an LGBT person commonly results in a life sentence. While it has never been safe to identifying as a gay person in Uganda, the bill introduced October 14, if passed, would make a nonstraight lifestyle impossible in the African country. The new legislation calls for a life sentence as a minimum punishment for any LGBT person and further states that anyone who fails to report a homosexual to the government within 24 hours will be sentenced to three years in prison. The final part of the bill is perhaps the most shocking, given Uganda’s history of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. It states that death by hanging is the punishment for “aggravated homosexuality,” which is defined as any of the following: a repeat offender of the homosexuality law, having homosexual sex when any intoxicating substance is involved (for instance, if two men meet at a bar, buy each other a drink and then have sex, both of these men would be sentenced to death,) if one engages in homosexual activity as an authority figure, and finally, having sex if you’re HIV-positive. 
 


After hearing about the new “kill the gays” legislation in Uganda, President Obama, international human rights groups (specifically Human Rights Watch), and various public figures around the world made statements against the proposed law. In fact, Christian groups, which have remained divided on issues like civil unions and gay marriage, came together to oppose the flagrant human rights violation. Still, though, among the authority figures who strictly opposed the potential law, there were a few famous and prominent faces in the crowd — familiar faces to the Ugandan government — who connect through a wide “family” network and are now hiding from the accusations that they may actually be connected to this disgusting and murderous legislation. >>> Kim Stolz | Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Just Half of Britons Now Call Themselves Christian after a ‘Sharp Decline’ in Faith over Past 25 Years
THE TELEGRAPH: Only half of Britons now consider themselves Christian after a “sharp decline” in religious belief over the past quarter of a century, according to a new academic study.

Researchers describe a large proportion of the country as the “fuzzy faithful” who have a vague belief in God but do not necessarily belong to a particular denomination or attend services.

However, most people still say religion helps bring happiness and comfort, and regret its declining influence on modern society.

Professor David Voas, who has analysed the latest data, said: “More and more people are ceasing to identify with a religion at all.

“Indeed, the key distinction in Britain now is between religious involvement and indifference. We are thus concerned about differences in religiosity - the degree of religious commitment - at least as much as diversity of religious identity.”

His analysis, to be published in January by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), looks at the results of 4,486 interviews conducted in the respected 2008 British Social Attitudes survey.

It shows that just 50 per cent of respondents now call themselves Christian, down from 66 per cent in 1983. NatCen said it confirmed “the sharp decline in religious faith in Britain.”

At the same time, the proportion of Britons who say they have “no religion” has increased from 31 per cent to 43 per cent. Non-Christians, including Muslims and Jews, now represent 7 per cent of the population, up from 2 per cent, 25 years ago. >>> Martin Beckford | Wednesday, December 16, 2009

George Pitcher: Christianity Dying? Don't Bet Your Church on It
THE TELEGRAPH: I went on Vanessa Feltz’s radio programme this morning – no mean feat, I might say, while buying a train ticket and finding a platform – to talk about this story of the “lost Christians”, with only half of we Britons now considering ourselves Christian.

I’m not as disheartened as Ms Feltz suggested I should be. And I don’t mean in that way that clergymen sometimes sound like the Lib Dem candidate who has just taken a massive hit in a local election: “This is actually an encouraging result for us, with our share of the vote having risen against the Zoroastrians.”

I mean two things. First, since my generation is the first to follow the “Christendom generations”, I’m encouraged that so many are still signing up to the faith. By that, I mean that our parents would answer automatically to form-fillers (or any equivalent to the National Centre for Social Research, whence the latest stats emerge) that they were “Church of England”, without any real sense of conviction. It was just what you were. This applied less to other minority denominations, because the CofE was a default position – the established Church was just part of the background, ambient noise. In contrast, these days people are thinking about what and why they believe. And that must be a good thing. And rather good that half of them, voluntarily and thoughfully [sic], sign up to Christianity. >>> George Picher | Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Die Schweiz nimmt einen Guantánamo-Häftling auf: Entscheidung des Bundesrates aus «humanitären Gründen»
NZZ ONLINE: Die Schweiz nimmt aus humanitären Gründen einen Guantánamo-Häftling auf. Dies hat der Bundesrat am Mittwoch entschieden. Beim ehemaligen Häftling handelt es sich um einen Usbeken, der keine Gefahr für die öffentliche Sicherheit darstellen soll. Er wird im Kanton Genf leben.

Der Bundesrat wolle mit dem Entscheid zur Lösung des Problems beitragen, teilte das Justiz- und Polizeidepartement mit. Der Entscheid zur Aufnahme des Usbeken stütze sich auf intensive Abklärungen, heisst es weiter. Die gegen ihn erhobenen Anschuldigungen der Verbindung zu terroristischen Kreisen hätten sich nicht erhärten lassen. Bereits im Jahr 2005 sei er von den USA «zur Freilassung freigegeben» worden. Bereitschaft zur Integration >>> sda/ap | Mittwoch, 16. Dezember 2009

Gulf Petro-powers to Launch Currency in Latest Threat to Dollar Hegemony
THE TELEGRAPH: The Arab states of the Gulf region have agreed to launch a single currency modelled on the euro, hoping to blaze a trail towards a pan-Arab monetary union swelling to the ancient borders of the Ummayad Caliphate.

“The Gulf monetary union pact has come into effect,” said Kuwait’s finance minister, Mustafa al-Shamali, speaking at a Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) summit in Kuwait.

The move will give the hyper-rich club of oil exporters a petro-currency of their own, greatly increasing their influence in the global exchange and capital markets and potentially displacing the US dollar as the pricing currency for oil contracts. Between them they amount to regional superpower with a GDP of $1.2 trillion (£739bn), some 40pc of the world’s proven oil reserves, and financial clout equal to that of China.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar are to launch the first phase next year, creating a Gulf Monetary Council that will evolve quickly into a full-fledged central bank.

The Emirates are staying out for now – irked that the bank will be located in Riyadh at the insistence of Saudi King Abdullah rather than in Abu Dhabi. They are expected join later, along with Oman.

The Gulf states remain divided over the wisdom of anchoring their economies to the US dollar. The Gulf currency – dubbed “Gulfo” – is likely to track a global exchange basket and may ultimately float as a regional reserve currency in its own right. “The US dollar has failed. We need to delink,” said Nahed Taher, chief executive of Bahrain’s Gulf One Investment Bank.

The project is inspired by Europe’s monetary union, seen as a huge success in the Arab world. But there are concerns that the region is trying to run before it can walk. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Tuesday, December 2009

Mystery as Lockerbie Bomber Goes Missing from Home and Hospital
The freed Lockerbie bomber Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi with his mother and daughter. Photograph: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Mystery surrounded the Lockerbie bomber last night after he could not be reached at his home or in hospital.
Libyan officials could say nothing about the whereabouts of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, and his Scottish monitors could not contact him by telephone. They will try again to speak to him today but if they fail to reach him, the Scottish government could face a new crisis.

Under the terms of his release from jail, the bomber cannot change his address or leave Tripoli, and must keep in regular communication with East Renfrewshire Council.

Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic and relatives of the 270 people who died in the 1988 bombing expressed anger about al-Megrahi’s disappearance. Richard Baker, Labour’s justice spokesman in the Scottish Parliament, said the whole affair was turning into a shambles and putting Scotland’s reputation at risk. “This flags up just how ludicrous it is that East Renfrewshire Council, a local council thousands of miles away from Libya, is responsible for supervising al-Megrahi’s conditions of licence,” he said. >>> Martin Fletcher, Tim Reid and Angus Macleod | Wednesday, December 16, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Justice Secretary under fire as bomber defies three-month prognosis >>> Charlene Sweeney, Martin Fletcher | Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Abuse of Process
TIMES ONLINE – LEADER: The targeting of Israeli ministers by the courts is not justice, it is a disgrace

The application of law to warfare is among the greatest advances in Western civilisation over four centuries. In the name of human rights, that tradition is being traduced by a politicised campaign to harass the statesmen of a democracy. It is unlikely that you will have needed to read this far to learn that the targeted nation is Israel.

Tzipi Livni, the leader of the Israeli Kadima party, accepted an invitation to speak at an Anglo-Jewish event in London last weekend. It emerged in the meantime that British magistrates had issued an arrest warrant against Ms Livni for alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza last winter, when she was Foreign Minister (see page 14). The warrant was the latest attempt by pressure groups to seek British court authority for the arrest of Israeli leaders. It was rescinded only when the court learnt that Ms Livni had cancelled her trip to Britain, apparently because of a scheduling clash. The Israeli Foreign Ministry nonetheless expressed fury.

The Israeli reaction is far from overwrought. Ms Livni’s is the second such case in recent months. Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defence Minister during the Gaza offensive, attended a meeting at the British Labour Party conference in September. Campaigners unsuccessfully sought an arrest warrant against him from the same court.

The difference between the cases appears to be that Mr Barak was still a serving minister, whereas Ms Livni is not. Lawyers acting for the campaigners cite the principle of “universal jurisdiction”. Under it, courts in England and Wales have jurisdiction over certain crimes regardless of where in the world they were committed. >>> | Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Men Turn Tables on Regime by Donning Headscarves and Dresses
THE INDEPENDENT: Hundreds of pictures of men in women's clothing have been posted online by Iranian opposition supporters in mockery of what they say is a crude attempt by the authorities to humiliate and discredit a reformist student leader by photographing him in a head scarf and chador.

The student, Majid Tavakoli, was arrested after he gave a speech urging fellow students at Amir Kabir university to reject "tyranny," in protests which swept the country last week. Iranian state media released photographs of Mr Tavakoli wearing a black chador, and a blue scarf around his unshaven face. >>> | Monday, December 14, 2009

Yob Who Yanked Off Muslim Woman's Headscarf Ordered to Pay Her £1,000 Compensation
MAIL ONLINE: A thug who ripped off a Muslim woman's headscarf as she passed him in the street says he's 'ashamed' of what he did.

Stephen Ard was handed a 16-week jail sentence, suspended for a year, after he admitted a charge of religiously aggravated assault.

Leicester magistrates also ordered him to pay his victim £1,000 compensation after hearing he was drunk at the time of the incident which took place in October in the Highfields area of the city.

His victim Rehana Sidat told the court she felt 'invaded' by the attack and is still scared to walk the streets alone.

Ard, 29, walked free after writing a letter of apology to the court. He said he felt 'ashamed and embarrassed' by his behaviour.

Miss Sidat, 28, was walking to her job at a drop-in centre for people with learning difficulties when her attacker suddenly snatched the veil - also called the niqab - from her face.

She said Ard's actions had left her 'emotionally and psychologically' hurt. >>>| Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Burka Barbie: Famous Doll Gets a Makeover
THE TELEGRAPH: Barbie, the iconic plastic doll, is famed for her glamorous clothes and pneumatic figure – but that tradition has been turned on its head with the introduction of a new burka-clad model.

The look is part of an exhibition, backed by Barbie creator Mattel, of the doll in multicultural outfits by Italian designer Eliana Lorena.

Two of the Barbies are wearing the burka, the loose fitting robe with veiled holes for the eyes which is worn by some Muslim women.

The collection of more than 500 Barbies is being sold at a Sotheby's charity auction in Florence, Italy, in aid of Save The Children.

The sale is part of Barbie celebrations for her 50th anniversary this year. >>> | Tuesday, December 15, 2009