Muslim Woman Sues Disneyland Over Headscarf
THE TELEGRAPH: A Muslim woman is suing Disneyland, accusing the company’s California theme park of discrimination for telling her she could not serve customers if she chose to wear a headscarf.

Imane Boudal is now bringing Disney before the US Equal Opportunity Commission. Photo: The Telegraph
Imane Boudal, 26, asked her employers at Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel several months ago whether they would permit her to wear a headcovering while working as a hostess, a spokesman for a worker’s union said.

But when no reply was forthcoming, she decided to don the headscarf anyway, timing her decision with the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Leigh Shelton, a spokesman for the Unite Here Local 11 union said.

“Disney told Boudlal that if she wanted to work as a hostess she had to remove her hijab because it did not comply with the 'Disney Look,’” the spokesman said.

“Disney further advised Boudlal that if she refused to remove her hijab, she could either work a back-of-the-house position where any customers would not see her, or else go home.” >>> | Thursday, August 19, 2010

Poll: 1 in 5 Americans Believe Obama Is a Muslim: Should new findings worry White House?

Controversial Imam on U.S.-Sponsored Mission: Muslim religious leader behind embattled Ground Zero mosque on tolerance trip to Middle East paid for by tax dollars

Obama Following Jimmy Carter's Path? : President's approval rating trending eerily similar to last Democratic one-term president

Muslims in America

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Interviewed by Fareed Zakaria
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Australian Court Orders Muslim Witness to Testify Without Burka
THE TELEGRAPH: An Australian court has ruled that a Muslim woman must remove her burka while she gives evidence so that the jury can assess her facial expressions.

Judge Shauna Deane of the Perth District Court said that it was "inappropriate" for the woman, only identified as Tasneem, to have her face covered while testifying in the A$752,000 (£433,000) fraud trial.

Lawyers for Tasneem, 36, had asked the judge to allow her to give evidence while wearing the burka because she had not removed the veil in public as an adult and would find the experience highly stressful.

The full Islamic veil covers the whole body except the eyes and hands.

Mark Ritter, prosecuting, told the court that Tasneem, who emigrated to Australia seven years ago, had worn the garment since she was 17.

He said she wanted to give evidence but would feel uncomfortable without the burka and that could prejudice the way she presented her evidence.

"It goes beyond stress, it would have a negative impact," he said.

However, the defence raised concerns about how the jury could assess her credibility if they could not see her face. They argued that wearing the garment was a cultural, not a religious, choice and that even in Islamic courts women were required to remove the veil. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, August 19, 2010

Burqa Decision Ripples Across World
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: IT WAS just one decision made by one judge in one case in Perth and Judge Shauna Deane was at pains to make that clear.

But the impact of her decision yesterday to order a Muslim woman to remove her burqa in Western Australia's District Court is unlikely to remain so localised.

A prosecution witness known only as Tasneem, 36, has kept her surname a secret but will have to show her face in the fraud trial of a former Muslim school director called Anwar Sayed.

Mr Sayed's defence team - to their client's apparent dismay - had argued the jury should be able to see her facial expressions.
Tasneem had a ''right to religious expression'', Judge Deane found, but she had to be fair to everyone involved in the trial.

The decision was reported around the world and will be popular in Western Australia, with about 80 per cent of 3000 recent respondents to the watoday.com.au and 6PR radio websites believing the witness should be made to remove her burqa. >>> Joel Gibson | Friday, August 20, 2010

Judge Bans Burqa From Perth Court
WA TODAY: The Muslim woman who wished to testify while wearing a full-face veil says she accepts the decision by a Perth District Court judge to ban the niqab.

The 36-year old woman, known only as Tasneem, is a witness in a case against Anwar Sayed.

Mr Sayed is accused of fraudulently stealing up to $750,000 in public funds by artificially inflating student numbers at his school, the Muslim Ladies College in Perth's southern suburbs.

Today, judge Shauna Deane said that in the interest of a fair trial the witness should not be allowed to wear a niqab, commonly known as a burqa.

But she said she would speak to counsel about ways to accommodate Tasneem's desire to maintain her modesty in line with how she practices her faith.

Tasneem issued a written statement following the decision, which said: "I accept her decision and thank her for her careful consideration of this matter.

"I appreciate my request to wear my niqab in court has stirred much public debate, however, I would emphasise that this was not a demand, I merely asked to dress as I normally would in front of people I do not know."

She said she was not trying to make a religious statement.

"This is my personal choice and rather than oppressing me, it liberates me," Tasneem said.

"Like many Australians I believe in God and for me wearing the niqab serves as a constant reminder that I am accountable for my actions.

"I respect that other women who share my religion do not share this particular belief and that interpretations surrounding Islamic dress standards do differ.

"Therefore I understand this can be confusing for non-Muslims as they witness varying degrees of cover and I accept the full cover I choose to wear can be confronting to some." (+ video) >>> Aja Styles | Thursday, August 19, 2010

This Is a Must Read! If a Mosque Opens at Ground Zero on 9/11 Next Year, Obama Can Kiss the White House Goodbye
MAIL ONLINE: Nine years after 9/11, the site of the Twin Towers is still an open sore on the face of New York — a festering reminder of the terror attack which claimed almost 3,000 lives.

To add insult to injury, in the eyes of the victims’ families and the majority of Americans, approval has just been granted for a mosque to be built two blocks away from Ground Zero.

What began as a local planning dispute could come to determine the fate of Barack Obama’s Presidency.

In favour: America’s liberal elite. Against: 70 per cent of the American people. With crucial mid-term elections looming in November, the President finds himself marooned on the wrong side of public opinion. It could cost him control of Congress and, in two years’ time, the White House itself. At an event to mark the Muslim festival of Ramadan, Obama backed the plans for a mosque and Islamic cultural centre 400 yards from Ground Zero, saying: ‘As a citizen and a President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practise their religion as anyone else in this country.

‘That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community centre on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.’

He also managed to ignite the Bible Belt and God-fearing, moderate Middle America by proclaiming that Islam was a major force in ‘advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings’ and had ‘always been part of America’.

In so doing, he displayed an ignorance of history which made David Cameron’s recent confusion over the timing of America’s entry into World War II look like a minor clerical error.

Obama’s words would have come as a surprise not only to the Founding Fathers, who established the United States on concrete Christian principles, but also to those unfortunate women being stoned to death and subjugated in the more barbaric outposts of Islam.

The President’s inept intervention hosed fuel on the flames of a furore which has been smouldering for months. His attempts to backtrack 24 hours later only made him look weak and indecisive.

This all began when an Islamic group submitted plans to convert a former clothing factory. Despite local protests, City officials could see no lawful impediment to the mosque/cultural centre being built.

In that respect, Obama is absolutely right when he talks about ‘local laws and ordinances’. He is also perfectly justified in defending America’s constitutionally protected religious freedom.

But his reaction was characteristically legalistic, when it should have been empathetic. He concentrated on process, when he should have been focusing on politics and public reaction. Continue reading and comment >>> Richard Littlejohn | Thursday, August 19, 2010

'One in Five Americans Think[s] Barack Obama Is Muslim’
THE TELEGRAPH: One in five Americans mistakenly * believes Barack Obama is a Muslim, according to a new poll.

Despite the US president’s attendance in church and his repeated and public statements about his Christian faith, the number of Americans who believe he is actually Muslim is rising, the Pew Research Center poll found.

Meanwhile, the number of Americans who correctly identify Mr Obama as a Christian has fallen by nearly half from a year, to 34 per cent.

The poll, conducted by The Washington Post, found one third of conservative Republicans believe Mr Obama is a Muslim, nearly double the figure who said so last year.

The number of independent voters with the same mistaken belief has also risen, by eight points, to 18 per cent, the Post said. >>> | Thursday, August 19, 2010

* Are they truly mistaken? – Mark

Moosa Benneth: How I Came to Islam
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Australia – ‘Brother Tom’: How I Came To Islam

The Future Belongs to Islam
MACLEANS.CA: The Muslim world has youth, numbers and global ambitions. The West is growing old and enfeebled, and lacks the will to rebuff those who would supplant it. It's the end of the world as we've known it. An excerpt from 'America Alone'. >>> Mark Steyn | Friday, October 20, 2006

Sending Bibles to Judges ‘Puts Sharia Law to Shame’
THE CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE: Thousands of Bibles are being sent to Scottish law courts and judges as part of a campaign urging them to reflect on the Christian virtues of justice and mercy.

But Terry Sanderson, head of the National Secular Society, blasted the scheme saying it “could put the Sharia laws of the Middle East to shame”.

The initiative has been launched by the Scottish Bible Society (SBS) and it is backed by one of Scotland’s most respected legal figures, Lord Mackay of Clashfern.

Foundational

Lord Mackay, a former Lord Chancellor and Lord Advocate of Scotland, wants to highlight the Bible as the “foundational source book for Scotland’s legal system.”

The SBS, of whom Lord Mackay is the honorary president, is also sending an introductory pamphlet to every court in the land.

The pamphlet, entitled The Bible in Scots Law: A Guide for Legal Practitioners, features an introduction by Lord Mackay. >>> | Monday, August 16, 2010

Appeal of Sukuk Spreads Beyond Strongholds
FINANCIAL TIMES: Malaysia and the Gulf have been the traditional strongholds of Islamic bond issuance, but the market is beginning to broaden to other countries, Muslim and otherwise.

On Monday Norton Rose, the law firm, revealed it had advised on a $10m mini-issue by International Innovative Technologies, a maker of industrial milling machines in north-east England. It raised $10m from Millennium Private Equity, based in Dubai.

Millennium will be the sole investor in the sukuk, which will be listed on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. The sukuk will pay 10 per cent a year and expire in 2014. It uses a musharaka structure, also known as profit and loss sharing, allowing Millennium an option to take a stake in IIT.

The offering is the first by a European corporate. Other prominent international companies, though, have tested the waters. >>> Robin Wigglesworth | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Former Muslims United: Nonie Darwish

Barack Obama Earns Lowest Marks on Handling of the Economy
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama has earned his lowest ever marks on his handling of the economy, as only 41 per cent said they approve of his performance, according to a new poll.

The poll, conducted by Associated Press-GfK, taken just 11 weeks before the Midterm elections, found his approval rating dropped from 44 per cent in April. It also found that 61 per cent say the economy has got worse or stayed the same under Mr Obama’s presidency. >>> | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Smokers Could Breathe Life Back into Pubs
THE TELEGRAPH: Why is an amendment to the ban not being taken seriously, asks Philip Johnston.

My eye was drawn yesterday to a small article by our gossip columnist, Mandrake, reporting that the iconic London nightclub Tramp is installing an area for smokers at a cost of £1.8 million.

Kevin Doyle, Tramp's owner, said the expense was "worth it" to help stem the loss of business caused by the ban on smoking in public places. He hoped the addition of a smoking area would mark a "return to the good old days" of the 1960s when the venue first opened its doors. Brian Crawford, the club's general manager, said: "To be honest, we lost a lot of our big players because of the ban."

Like many pubs and clubs, Tramp has been hit by a ban that was draconian when it should have been flexible. Around 40 are closing every week, not all, it is true, as a result of the ban (cut-price supermarket booze is probably a bigger threat), and thousands of jobs have been lost. There are 6,000 fewer pubs than in 2005. Proponents of the ban derided claims that it would seriously damage the pub trade and, indeed, believed it would attract a new clientele of non-smokers and families to enjoy a drink and food in a smoke-free atmosphere.

But what about the rights of smokers? Why was the law not framed in a way that would reflect the interests both of the majority who favoured a ban and of those who would like to carry on puffing, whatever damage it might do to their health? Initially, it was envisaged that there would be exemptions for private clubs or the provision of smoking rooms in pubs, and their continuation in workplaces that had already banned smoking in most of their office space. A simpler route would have allowed landlords to designate their pubs as either smoking or non-smoking establishments, giving people – including staff – the choice of where to drink and work.

When the ban came fully into effect in the UK on July 1, 2007, polls suggested that up to 80 per cent of all adults were more likely to visit a pub, but little of that anticipated new custom actually materialised – while regulars have vanished. One perverse outcome of the ban, which was, after all, supposed to protect vulnerable people from the effect of passive smoking, is that many adults stayed at home to smoke, thereby afflicting their children with fumes they might otherwise have avoided. Another purpose was to prevent children seeing smoking and being tempted into the habit – yet, because smokers have to stand in the street, that didn't work, either. Read on and comment >>> Philip Johnston | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

More Than 300 Million Still Smoking in China
THE TELEGRAPH: More than 301 million people are still smoking in China, despite efforts to curb tobacco use, according to the country’s Centre for Disease Control.

A survey of more than 13,000 people earlier this year found no significant improvement in the country’s smoking rate since 2002, China’s CDC said in a joint statement released with the World Health Organization and the United States CDC.

The survey also found that almost three quarters of nonsmokers reported being exposed to secondhand smoke. Though China has pledged to make indoor public places, workplaces and public transport smoke-free by early next year, more than six in 10 of those surveyed said they had seen people smoking in public places or at work in the 30 days before they were interviewed.

“There has been no substantive improvement in the smoking rate or exposure to secondhand smoke,” Yang Gonghuan, deputy director of China’s CDC, said.

Mr Yang said disease and death from problems related to smoking and secondhand smoke, such as cancer and coronary heart disease, were expected to “rise unabated” over the next 30 years.

“The burden on society will be immense and progress in public health will suffer as a result,” Yang said. >>> | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

72 Jahre alte Deutsche hat sich zum Islam bekehrt

The Moderate Muslim Threat
YNET NEWS: Op-ed: NY mosque affair another sign moderate Muslims more dangerous than radicals

Muslims should build mosques “everywhere,” Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar declared Tuesday as he addressed the plans to build a mosque near ground zero in New York. Most of his Muslim brethren, moderates and radicals alike, likely endorsed this sentiment. After all, when one of the pillars of Islam is its very dissemination, one should not wonder that even the “moderates” view ground zero as a suitable site for a mosque.

The fact that almost all global terror in recent years is carried out in the name of Islamic ideas being recited day and night at the finest mosques (both in the East and West,) and that almost 3,000 people were killed in New York in the name of these notions nine years ago should have elicited at least a hint of understanding for the feelings of the victims’ families on the part of Islamic moderates.

New York Governor David Patterson recently announced that Muslims refused his offer to find an alternate site for the new Islamic center. He may have forgotten for a moment that more than anything, the center and its name (The Cordoba House) are a symbol. Seemingly, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Sharif el-Gamal and their partners could have scored quite a few points in America’s public opinion (which in all polls shows firm objection to the center’s establishment) had they accepted Patterson’s proposal.

After all, these distinguished gentleman fully realize that the various shades of Islam, even without the center, do not enjoy an especially positive image in US public opinion, and that a gesture conceding only the site of the mosque, rather than the principle of building it, was virtually a win-win situation for them. Moreover, their willingness to change the location would have ended almost at once the ongoing media and public debate on the actions of 19 of their Islamic brethren nine years ago and the thousands of their victims.

If, as Rauf and Gamal argue, the center’s main purpose is to encourage tolerance and promote interfaith dialogue, while showing maximal sensitivity to the feelings of others, would it not be natural to show a little more than zero tolerance and consideration for other people’s feelings, instead of dismissing out of hand many families of September 11 victims who ask that the mosque be built somewhere else? The trap of Islamic rhetoric >>> Shaul Rosenfeld * | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

* Dr. Shaul Rosenfeld is a philosophy lecturer

Bloomberg Talks Stupid

Tensions Rise in Greece as Austerity Measures Backfire
Photograph: Spiegel Online Internation
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The austerity measures that were supposed to fix Greece's problems are dragging down the country's economy. Stores are closing, tax revenues are falling and unemployment has hit an unbelievable 70 percent in some places. Frustrated workers are threatening to strike back.

The feast of the Assumption of Mary on Aug. 15 is the high point of summer in the Greek Orthodox world. Here in one of the country's many churches, believers pray to the Virgin for mercy, with many of them falling to their knees.

The newspaper Ta Nea has recommended that the Greek government adopt the very same approach -- the country's leaders have to hope that Mary comes up with a miracle to save Greece from a serious crisis, the paper writes. Without divine intervention, the newspaper suggested, it will be a difficult autumn for the Mediterranean state.

This dire prognosis comes even despite Athens' massive efforts to sort out the country's finances. The government's draconian austerity measures have managed to reduce the country's budget deficit by an almost unbelievable 39.7 percent, after previous governments had squandered tax money and falsified statistics for years. The measures have reduced government spending by a total of 10 percent, 4.5 percent more than the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) had required.

The problem is that the austerity measures have in the meantime affected every aspect of the country's economy. Purchasing power is dropping, consumption is taking a nosedive and the number of bankruptcies and unemployed are on the rise. The country's gross domestic product shrank by 1.5 percent in the second quarter of this year. Tax revenue, desperately needed in order to consolidate the national finances, has dropped off. A mixture of fear, hopelessness and anger is brewing in Greek society. >>> Corinna Jessen in Athens | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Time Is Running Out for the West
THE TELEGRAPH: The Great Recession has dramatically shrunk the time left for the big AAA states to prevent a full-blown sovereign debt crisis as their demographic time-bomb threatens, US rating agency Moody's has warned.

Moody's expects Britain's public debt to reach 90pc of GDP within three years. Photo: The Telegraph
"Genuinely adverse debt dynamics were only expected to materialise in 15 to 20 years. The crisis has 'fast-forwarded' history, eroding all the time available to adjust, " said the group's quarterly Sovereign Monitor.

Moody's fears that the US will crash through its safety buffer by 2013 if growth falters (adverse scenario), with interest payments topping 14pc of tax revenues. The debt-to-revenue ratio has already doubled in three years to 430pc.

The US, UK, Germany, France, and Spain are all at risk of an "interest rate shock", either because they must roll over a cluster of short-term debt (US, France, Spain) or because deficits are so large.

Countries that "fail to demonstrate the level of social cohesion required to stabilise debt" will lose their AAA rating. "Intra-generational" conflict between young and old requires careful handling. States that delay pension reform risk spiralling downwards.

Moody's said the world had changed since Europe's debt crisis. None of the large sovereign states can still assume it is credit-worthy. "The burden of proof now falls on governments," it added. Read on and comment >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Pelosi * : Probe Mosque Opposition
POLITICO: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday said she supports an investigation into groups opposing the building of a mosque near ground zero in New York.

Pelosi told San Francisco’s KCBS radio that “there is no question there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some.”

“I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded,” she said. “How is this being ginned up?”

Republicans have signaled that they will try to turn the mosque into a campaign issue, and nearly all of the leading national Republicans have weighed in against the mosque's construction.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid broke with President Barack Obama recently in voicing opposition to the mosque, but Pelosi indicated support for the cultural center. Read on and comment >>> Andy Barr | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

*Pelosi panders to her constituency; but she makes no sense. She should be suggesting an investigation into how the Islamic cultural center / mosque is going to be funded, not how the opposition is being funded! – © Mark

Mosque Debate Strains Tea Party, GOP
The proposed mosque is becoming a divisive issue between Republicans and tea party conservatives. Photo: Politico
POLITICO: The debate over the proposed mosque near ground zero, which has tied Democrats in knots, turns out to be just as tricky for their adversaries on the right—particularly those in the tea party.

Within the loose coalition of local and national conservative activist groups that form the tea party movement, a quiet tug-of-war is being waged between those who want to embrace the hard-line opposition that has emerged as the Republican Party line and those who have urged their fellow tea partiers to refrain from rallying opposition because it’s inconsistent with the movement’s focus on economic and constitutional issues.

While the debate is taking place within the confines of the movement, it nevertheless reflects a larger sense of unease on the right with an issue that is dividing both Republicans and tea party conservatives over tensions between core principles such as balancing religious freedom and property rights and the raw feelings evoked by the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. >>> Kenneth P. Vogel | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Katie Holmes in Spookily Realistic Recreation of JFK's Funeral
THE TELEGRAPH: Playing John F Kennedy's grieving widow Katie Holmes recreated a spookily realistic image of the former US president's funeral.

The actress, who is playing Jackie Kennedy in The Kennedys, looked uncannily like the First Lady during filming in Toronto, Canada.

Child actors played John F Kennedy Jnr, then aged three, and his sister Caroline, five. >>> Laura Roberts | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

L’imam, promoteur de la mosquée de Ground Zero, conseillait Bush
LE TEMPS: Promoteur du projet, le musulman est accusé d’être un fondamentaliste alors qu’il est décrit par ceux qui le connaissent comme étant au contraire un exemple de modération. Il s’est vu confier des missions par Hillary Clinton

L’imam Feisal Abdul Rauf est-il un terroriste téléguidé par l’Iran qui promeut un projet de mosquée à deux rues de Ground Zero, le lieu très symbolique des attentats du 11 septembre 2001 à New York, comme le prétend Fox News? Le Parti républicain et les milieux conservateurs tirent à boulets rouges depuis des semaines sur le projet et sur le président Barack Obama qui l’a défendu en se basant sur le premier amendement de la Constitution garantissant la liberté de religion (LT du 16.8.10). Désormais, ils dépeignent l’imam en question comme le diable qui salit les 3000 victimes du World Trade Center. Or ils omettent de préciser que Feisal Abdul Rauf a été un fidèle conseiller du président républicain George W. Bush. En 2007, rappelle le quotidien La Repubblica, le Département d’Etat dirigé par Condoleezza Rice envoya l’imam en mission au Maroc, au Qatar et aux Emirats arabes unis pour expliquer au monde musulman que l’Amérique n’est pas un ennemi de l’islam. >>> Stéphane Bussard | Mercredi 18 Août 2010

Iran droht mit «ernstem Gegenschlag» : Warnung vor Angriff auf Atomanlage in Bushehr
NZZ ONLINE: Iran hat vor Angriffen auf seine Atomanlage in Bushehr gewarnt. Jegliche «Aggression» werde einen «ernsten Gegenschlag» nach sich ziehen.

Das sagte ein Sprecher des iranischen Aussenministeriums am Dienstag in Teheran. Ein Angriff auf Bushehr würde ein «internationales Verbrechen» darstellen, fügte der Chef der iranischen Atomenergiebehörde, Ali Akbar Salehi, laut der Nachrichtenagentur Irna hinzu. >>> sda/afp | Dienstag, 17. August 2010

Frankreich: Roma-Ausweisung beginnt trotz Kritik
DIE PRESSE: Am Donnerstag werden 79 Roma ausgewiesen. Sie verlassen Frankreich nach Regierungsangaben freiwillig. Rumänien warnt Paris davor, Roma nicht "kollektiv" und "aufgrund ethnischer Kriterien" auszuweisen.

Nach der Räumung von mehreren Dutzend Romalagern steht am Donnerstag in Frankreich die erste Ausweisung von zunächst 79 Betroffenen bevor. Die Gruppe soll nach Medienberichten vom Mittwoch nach Rumänien geflogen werden.

Sie verlässt Frankreich nach Regierungsangaben "auf freiwilliger Basis", nachdem jedem der Ausreisenden 300 Euro pro Person sowie 100 Euro für jedes minderjährige Kind gezahlt wurden. Innenminister Brice Hortefeux hatte angekündigt, dass bis Monatsende 700 Roma "in ihre Heimat" nach Rumänien und Bulgarien zurückgeflogen werden sollen. >>> APA/dpa | Mittwoch, 18. August 2010

What Does It Mean to Be a Muslim in Germany?

«Es gibt Hölle und Paradies, das ist die Wahrheit»
WELTWOCHE: Die Sichtung des Neumondes ist bestätigt, es ist Ramadan. Während Millionen Muslime die Fastenzeit ruhig, besinnlich oder überhaupt nicht angehen, nutzen einige fundamentalistische Konvertiten die Zeit für massive Propaganda. Von Daniel Glaus

Verbreitet auch in der Schweiz sein islamistisches Gedankengut: Wanderprediger Pierre Vogel. Photo: Weltwoche
Um 3.30 Uhr in der Nacht auf Mittwoch sollten Muslime aufstehen und die Vorfastenmahlzeit Sahur einnehmen. Ab 4.18 Uhr darf dann bis um 20.50 Uhr nicht mehr gegessen, getrunken oder geraucht werden. "Auch auf sexuellen Umgang sowie auf die Einnahme aller nicht durch ärztliche Indikation für zwingend notwendig erklärten Medikamente muss tagsüber verzichtet werden." Ausgenommen sind Kinder vor der Pubertät, kranke und Reisende, sowie unter Umständen Alte und Schwangere.

Diese Anweisungen hat der Islamische Zentralrat der Schweiz (IZRS) am 1. Ramadan 1431 verschickt. Also am 10. August 2010. Im Schreiben "bestätigte" er "die Sichtung des Neumondes und damit den Beginn des Heiligen Monats Ramadan".

Teufel und Dämonen in Ketten gelegt

Ramadan bedeute für Muslime nicht nur durch Enthaltsamkeit, schreibt der IZRS, sondern der Monat zeichne sich vielmehr als "potentiell moralischer Antrieb vieler Gläubigen" aus. Explizit heisst es: "So glauben Muslime, dass während der Dauer dieses Monats die Teufel und Dämonen in Ketten gelegt und die Tore des Himmels geöffnet werden."

Da sich die Exponenten des islamischen Zentralrats für gläubige Muslime halten, darf man annehmen, dass auch sie Teufel und Dämonen für real halten.

Rational denkende Menschen können die Existenz von Teufel und Dämonen nicht komplett ausschliessen, denn die These ist weder bestätigt noch widerlegt. Sicher ist hingegen, dass Teufel und Dämonen in einer aufgeklärten Gesellschaft und einem liberalen Rechtsstaat das ganze Jahr über in Ketten gelegt sind. Der Weg zu den Toren des Himmels ist reine Privatsache.

Man kann den IZRS-Mitgliedern ihren Glauben nicht zum Vorwurf machen. Sie sollen ihn auch in Gemeinschaft praktizieren dürfen. Auch mit ihren langen Bärten und in ihren Gewändern nach dem Vorbild des Propheten. "Bedanke Dich immer wieder bei Deinem Mann" >>> Von Daniel Glaus | Mittwoch, 11. August 2010

Islam & Islamismus >>>

Germany – Pierre Vogel / Abu Hamza – A German Muslim: My Way to Islam
Part 1:



Part 2:

Schwere Zeiten für Michael Douglas
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Beim 65-jährigen Hollywood-Schauspieler Michael Douglas ist ein Tumor am Hals entdeckt worden.



Michael Douglas: «Ich war ein schlechter Vater»
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Schauspieler Michael Douglas ist froh darüber, dass sein Sohn Cameron fünf Jahre hinter Gitter muss. Und er gesteht, ein schlechter Vater gewesen zu sein.



ZDF Video hier

Verbunden >>>

Pat Condell: Freedom Is My Religion


Pat Condell: Godless Comedy >>>

Pat Condell: A God of Life

Obamas Head to Martha's Vineyard for 10-day Holiday
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama and his family are about to set off on a 10-day holiday in Martha's Vineyard, an island hideaway favoured by the rich and well-connected, before returning to a busy autumn election season.

As they did this time last year, Mr Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia, 12, and Sasha, nine, are leaving Washington for the coast of Massachusetts.

"The president is definitely going to spend a little time recharging his batteries," said Bill Burton, the deputy White House press secretary.

No public events are planned and like last year, Mr Obama will work to perfect his swing at one of the island's golf courses, Mr Burton said.

"There will be some hiking, some time at the beach, some time at the ice cream store - all the sort of things you do when you're at Martha's Vineyard. You enjoy the people and the good food," he said. >>> | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Moscow to Ban Late Night Sales of Spirits
THE TELEGRAPH: Moscow is to ban sales of spirits and other strong alcohol at night and in the early hours of the morning in an attempt to wean Russia off one of its biggest health problems, according to reports.

According to a decree signed by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, shops in the Russian capital will no longer be able to sell drinks containing more than 15 per cent alcohol between 10:00 pm and 10:00 am.

This will prevent Muscovites from buying strong spirits like vodka and cognac late at night but will not affect sales of beer and wine. It remains to be seen how the ban will be implemented. >>> | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Role Reversal Saudi Comedy Provokes Anger Among Male Population
THE TELEGRAPH: A role reversal comedy shown on Saudi television in which a woman marries four husbands has hit the very nerve it satirised - male pride and double standards.

Clip taken from the satirical Saudi show Tash Ma Tash. Clip: The Telegraph
The comedy was an episode in Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated satirical series, Tash Ma Tash or No Big Deal, a take-off of social prejudices shown annually during the holy month of Ramadan.

The central character takes four husbands, explaining herself using the conventional arguments Saudi men use to exercise their legal and religious privilege of marrying four times.

When she remarries for the first time she complains that her existing husband has stopped caring about his looks after five years, and is preoccupied with work. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Burqa Ban: Angry Muslim Tells UK MEP "Go Back Home"

Turkey: Good Muslim Wigs
Watch Journeyman Pictures video here

Osmanisches Reich
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Top Democrat Splits with Obama on Ground Zero Mosque
THE TELEGRAPH: Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the US Senate, has publicly broken with Barack Obama by opposing plans to build a mosque near the Ground Zero site of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Senator Harry Reid’s opposition to the controversial Cordoba Centre is his first major public disagreement with the US president and signals the possibility of an electorally dangerous split in the Democratic party ahead of the midterms.

Mr Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, who faces a tough re-election battle in Nevada in November, said through a spokesman that although he respects the constitutional right to freedom of religion it was “very obvious that the mosque should be built someplace else”.

It is also a rare rebuke to Mr Obama from a top Democrat. Mr Obama became embroiled in the issue when he told Muslims gathered for a White House dinner that they had the “same right to practise their religion as everyone else in this country”. >>> Toby Harnden, Washington | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Bloomberg takes leave of his senses >>>

THE GUARDIAN: Ramadan clash with 9/11 anniversary raises fears of anti-Islam backlash: Celebrations to mark end of Muslim fasting could be deliberately misinterpreted to spark hostility, religious groups warn >>> Riazat Butt and Chris McGreal | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Taliban Stone Afghan Couple to Death for Adultery
THE GUARDIAN: Amnesty International condemns first confirmed stoning in Afghanistan since fall of the Taliban in 2001

Taliban forces have stoned a couple to death for adultery in a public execution.

With Nato and UN officials in Kabul poring over the latest Taliban proposal to establish a joint commission to investigate civilian casualties, officials in the north of the country were detailing a killing that Amnesty International described as the first confirmed stoning in the country since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.

Militants ordered the stoning after a married man and a single woman in Dasht-e-Archi district, Kunduz province, were accused of eloping.

Amnesty International called the stoning a "heinous crime" that showed the Taliban and other insurgent groups "are growing increasingly brutal in their abuses against Afghans".

"Amnesty International has warned that the Afghan government should not sacrifice human rights, particularly the rights of women and minorities, in the name of reconciliation with the Taliban and other insurgent groups," said a spokesman for the group. >>> Associated Press | Monday, August 16, 2010

Mosque Divides Nation's Top Democrats: Ground Zero debate raises major strategy issues heading into midterm elections

Obama, the One-term President
POLITICO: Q: Will Barack Obama be a one-term president? / A: Yes, he might last that long.

Honest to goodness, the man just does not get it. He might be forced to pull a Palin and resign before his first term is over. He could go off and write his memoirs and build his presidential library. (Both would be half-size, of course.)

I am not saying Obama is not smart; he is as smart as a whip. I am just saying he does not understand what savvy first-term presidents need to understand:

You have to stay on message, follow the polls, listen to your advisers (who are writing the message and taking the polls) and realize that when it comes to doing what is right versus doing what is expedient, you do what is expedient so that you can get reelected and do what is right in the second term. If at all possible. And it will help your legacy. And not endanger the election of others in your party. And not hurt the brand. Or upset people too much. >>> Roger Simon | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Will Obama Be a One-Term President? : Weighing the president's 2012 reelection prospects


Obama “Doesn’t Get” Mosque

Shown here is the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church near the World Trade Center, before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Photo: Fox News
What About the Ground Zero Church? Archdiocese Says Officials Abandoned Project
FOX NEWS: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America accused New York officials on Tuesday of turning their backs on the reconstruction of the only church destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks, while the controversial mosque near Ground Zero moves forward.

The sidelined project is the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, a tiny, four-story building destroyed in 2001 when one of the World Trade Center towers fell on top of it. Nobody from the church was hurt in the attack, but the congregation has for the past decade been trying to rebuild its house of worship.

While the mosque project cleared red tape earlier this month, negotiations between government officials and the church stalled last year -- and have stayed that way. Though the particulars of the two projects are completely different and on the surface unrelated, the church and its supporters see a disconnect in the way the proposals have been handled.

An archdiocese official said Tuesday that the situation has created "consternation" for those still struggling to jump-start talks over the church.

"We have people that are saying, why isn't our church being rebuilt and why is there ... such concern for people of the mosque?" Father Alex Karloutsos, assistant to the archbishop, told FoxNews.com. He said "religious freedom" would allow a place of worship for any denomination to be built, but accused officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey of making no effort to help move the congregation's project along. >>> Judson Berger | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

British Physicist and Scientist Reverts to Islam

American Converts to Islam after Reading the Quran

Israel: USA sollen dem Iran drohen
DIE PRESSE: Israelische Militärvertreter fordern die USA auf, schärfer gegen das Atomprogramm des Iran vorzugehen. Washington müsse die Bereitschaft zu einem Luftangriff zeigen.

Israel fordert von den USA eine glaubhafte militärische Drohung gegen das iranische Atomprogramm. Washington müsse die Bereitschaft zu einem Luftangriff zeigen, sollte Teheran nicht doch noch im Atomstreit einlenken, sagte ein hochrangiger israelischer Militärvertreter der "Financial Times Deutschland" (Dienstag): "Wenn man nur erwähnt, dass man die militärische Option hat, macht das keinen Eindruck."

Die USA müssten den Iran durch die Demonstration der eigenen Stärke abschrecken. Der Rückzug aus dem Irak biete eine Chance: "Wenn man sich von einem Schauplatz zurückzieht, kann man sich auf ein anderes Sicherheitsrisiko konzentrieren, und das ist für uns der Iran." Lesen Sie weiter und schreiben Sie einen Kommentar >>> Ag. / Red. | Dienstag, 17. August 2010

Steinigung als Merkmal nationaler Souveränität: Iran wehrt sich gegen Einmischung des Westens
NZZ ONLINE: Die iranische Regierung weist Appelle zum Verzicht auf die Steinigung einer Ehebrecherin zurück. Das Verfahren gegen die Frau, der auch Beihilfe zum Mord vorgeworfen wird, verlaufe nach den Gesetzen Irans und juristisch korrekt.

Die Regierung in Teheran hat den Westen aufgefordert, sich nicht in den Fall einer zum Tod durch Steinigung verurteilten Ehebrecherin einzumischen. Die Ermittlungen zu dem Fall von Sakine Mohammadi-Ashtiani dauerten noch immer an. Dieser wird auch Beihilfe zum Mord an ihrem Ehemann zur Last gelegt.

«Unabhängige Nationen können nicht akzeptieren, dass andere Länder in ihre richterlichen Entscheidungen eingreifen», sagte ein Sprecher des Aussenministeriums am Dienstag. Das Vorgehen der Gerichte sei strikt geregelt. Der Fall werde «akribisch» geprüft. Weiter lesen und inen Kommentar hinterlassen >>> sda/afp | Dienstag, 17. August 2010

Islamische Gerichte sind in England legal
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Wer an Scharia hört, denkt an die Steinigung von Ehebrecherinnen. Tatsächlich steht die Scharia in manchen Teilen im Widerspruch zu den Menschenrechten. Trotzdem gibt es in Grossbritannien seit Jahrzehnten legale Schariah-Gerichte. Doch auch Muslime kritisieren diese religiöse Sondergerichte.

Imam gegen Burka
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Ein Imam in Frankreich spricht sich gegen die Burka aus und wird aus islamischen Kreisen heftig kritisiert. Einblick in das Leben eines Vorkämpfers für einen aufgeklärten Islam.

Fareed Zakaria Interviews Anjem Choudary
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A Big Mistake by the White House

CAIR: Anonymous Hate Flyers Target Kentucky Mosque Plans

CAIR-NY Rep Discusses Islamic Center Proposal on MSNBC

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

Islamophobia, America’s New Anti-communism

RUSSIA TODAY: Islamophobia, America’s new anti-communism: Islamophobia was quick to rise after the 9/11 attacks in the US but recently it has emerged again, following controversial plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero, with President Obama backing the decision. >>> Published Sunday, August 15, 2010; Edited Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Ramadan Kicks Off Amid Rise in Islamophobia

RUSSIA TODAY: Ramadan kicks off amid rise in Islamophobia: It is just another day of the week for most us, but for Muslims worldwide, it’s the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. >>> | Published Thursday, August 12, 2010; Edited Friday, August 13, 2010

Julia Gillard Wants Australia to Become a Republic at End of Queen’s Reign
THE TELEGRAPH: Julia Gillard, the Australian prime minister, has said Australia should cut its ties with Britain and become a republic when the Queen dies or abdicates.

Ms Gillard, who was born in Wales and moved to Australia with her parents aged five, acknowledged that many Australians had “deep affection” for the Queen, but said that the status quo could not remain.

“What I would like to see as prime minister is that we work our way through to an agreement on a model for the republic,” she said during an election campaign stop in Queensland.

“I think the appropriate time for this nation to move to be a republic is when we see the monarch change.

“Obviously I’m hoping for Queen Elizabeth that she lives a long and happy life, and having watched her mother I think there’s every chance that she will.”

While it has its own flag and national anthem, Australia currently operates as a constitutional monarchy, which means that the Queen, as head of state, has the same formal role as she does in Britain. Her representative, the governor-general, is in charge of the army, must give assent to all laws passed by parliament and has the power to dissolve both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The role of the Queen as Australia’s monarch was laid down at federation in 1901 and a complex system of constitutional ties would have to be unravelled for the nation to become a republic. >>> Bonnie Malkin, Sydney | Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Gericht verlängert Untersuchungshaft für Chodorkowski
ZEIT ONLINE: Michail Chodorkowski kommt nicht auf freien Fuß. Ein Moskauer Gericht hat entschieden, dass der frühere Chef des Ölkonzerns Yukos bis November in U-Haft bleibt.

Ex-Yukos-Chef Michail Chodorkowski wurde bereits 2005 wegen Betruges und Steuerhinterziehung zu acht Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt. Bild: Zeit Online
Ein Gericht in Moskau hat die Untersuchungshaft für den früheren Ölmagnaten Michail Chodorkowski verlängert. Das Gericht folgte damit einem Antrag der Staatsanwaltschaft, die eine dreimonatige Verlängerung der Untersuchungshaft für Chodorkowski und seinen früheren Geschäftspartner Platon Lebedew bis Mitte November gefordert hatte.

Richter Viktor Danilkin begründete die Entscheidung damit, dass der im Frühjahr 2009 eröffnete Prozess gegen die beiden Männer nicht bis zum Ablaufen der ersten Frist der Untersuchungshaft am Dienstag beendet werden könne.

Chodorkowskis Anwälte kündigten an, gegen die Gerichtsentscheidung Rechtsmittel einzulegen. Sein Verteidiger Wadim Kljuwgant sprach von einem "ungeheuerlichen Verstoß" gegen geltendes Recht. >>> Zeit Online, AFP | Montag, 16. August 2010

Rep. Peter King on Obama's Mosque Comments: Critics blast president's remarks on 'Ground Zero mosque'

America's Obama Love Affair Over? : New poll numbers show president losing support from key group of voters


THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – DANIEL HANNAN: Barack Obama is abandoned by the Left as his approval ratings collapse: When your own tribe turns on you, you’re in serious trouble. Barack Obama was never going to convert Republican irreconcilables. Many US conservatives had convinced themselves before the election that Obama would be an interfering socialist. Fair enough: he was never really after their support. >>> Daniel Hannan | Monday, August 16, 2010

Obama Clarifies Comments on Controversial Mosque: But did the president miss opportunity to display political leadership?

Michael Douglas atteint d'un cancer
LE FIGARO: L'acteur américain Michael Douglas va devoir suivre un traitement contre le cancer. Ses médecins lui ont diagnostiqué une tumeur à la gorge. Agé de 65 ans, la star américaine devra suivre une chimiothérapie ainsi que huit semaines de radiations. Il s'est dit confiant quant à son rétablissement et a même déclaré au site People.com - qui a révélé l'information - qu’il était «très optimiste». [Source: Le Figaro] | Lundi 16 Août 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Michael Douglas having chemotherapy for throat tumour: Michael Douglas is to undergo radiation and chemotherapy after doctors found a tumour in his throat. >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Monday, August 16, 2010

MAIL ONLINE: Douglas could lose his voice: New blow for golden couple as Michael battles throat cancer and Zeta >>> Alison Boshoff | Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Geert Wilders Warning to America
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Mexico's Indigenous Minority Converting to Islam

Risks of Female Masturbation According to Islam

Frontal21: Fundamentalist Pierre Vogel

The Towers of Barbarism
CANADA FREE PRESS: The Saudis have unveiled a plan to define Mecca as the center of the world by building a giant clock tower in Mecca. The Bin Laden group’s Royal Mecca Clock Tower which reads “In the Name of Allah”, aims to replace GMT time, with “Mecca Time”. The Royal Mecca Clock Tower, which looks like something you expect to pass on the way to Disneyland, like Dubai’s Burj Tower, or its world islands are pathetic attempts to buy the facade of civilization with petrodollars.

The Royal Mecca Clock Tower is emblematic of the inability of the Muslim world to do the hard work of actually becoming civilized. Instead they build Pharaoh-like monuments to their own glory using imported slave labor. And they finance all that using money given to them by civilized countries in exchange for a particular resource that happens to be located on their territory. A resource that was discovered and developed for them by companies belonging to civilized countries.

The barbaric thinking behind the Royal Mecca Clock Tower is that if they build a really big clock tower, it will become a global standard and the infidels will acknowledge the Koran’s Islamic science “zero magnetism zone” claims for Mecca. That sort of thinking demonstrates a basic incomprehension of how civilization works. It shows no understanding of why Greenwich Mean Time serves the function that it does, which isn’t because England spent money given to it by more civilized countries to build a really big ugly tower that impressed everyone. >>> Daniel Greenfield | Monday, August 16, 2010