Christians Urged to Pray During Islamic Fasting Month
ETERNITY: Against the background of a poster war between Muslims ("Jesus, prophet of Islam") and Christians ("Glad you want to talk about Jesus"), Christians are being urged to pray for their Muslim Neighbours.

“Muslim Prayer Focus Australia” is part of an international movement encouraging Christians to pray for Muslims during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

The movement began in 1992, when a group of international Christian leaders meeting in Israel prayed about the lack of mission expression in the Islamic world. They came up with the idea of praying every year during Ramadan, since it would be an on-going, annual focus. » | Monday, June 20, 2011

Austrabia – New Dark Age Alert! Australia/Islam: Islam Is One of the Fastest Growing Religions in Australia, Says Ambassador

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC NEWS AGENCY: JAKARTA – The Australian ambassador to Indonesia has said that Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in his country, and that the faith contributes significantly to Australia’s success and contemporary culture.

Greg Moriaty, the Australian ambassador made the comments in a statement released to mark the arrival of three Muslim leaders from Indonesia to Australia earlier this week.

The visit by the Muslim delegation is part of an exchange program between the two countries aiming to build relations between the two countries.

According to ABNA, Moriaty said in the statement that he hoped to show the delegation the cultural diversity of Muslims in Australia, which consists of 70 different ethnic backgrounds, including from Indonesia.

The delegation will visit Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra to meet with various community leaders and religious representatives, and hopes to show Australia as a diverse accepting society. » | IINA | Saturday, June 18, 2011 / 15 Rajab

Defiant Libya Leader Muammar Gaddafi Vows to Fight 'Crusaders'

THE AUSTRALIAN: LIBYAN leader Muammar Gaddafi has issued a defiant audio message, saying he had his "back to the wall" but did not fear death, and the battle against the Western "crusaders" would continue "to the beyond".

"We will resist and the battle will continue to the beyond, until you're wiped out. But we will not be finished," Gaddafi said in the message broadcast late on Wednesday on Libyan television in homage to his comrade, Khuwildi Hemidi, several members of whose family were killed on Monday in NATO raids on his residence. » | AFP | Thursday, June 23, 2011

Geert Wilders Acquitted on Hate Speech Charges

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Geert Wilders, the Dutch far-right politician, has been acquitted on charges of hate speech and discrimination for statements he made attacking Islam.

Judge Marcel van Oosten told Mr Wilders, 47, who has been on trial in the Amsterdam regional court since last October, ruled that his statements were "acceptable within the context of the public debate".

The Dutch MP faced five counts of hate speech and discrimination for his anti-Islamic remarks on websites, internet forums and in Dutch newspapers between October 2006 and March 2008, and in his controversial 17-minute movie "Fitna" ("Discord" in Arabic).

The leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom's (PVV) acquittal comes on the backdrop of a prosecution unwilling to take up the case against the platinum-haired parliamentarian, who claimed before court he was "defending freedom in the Netherlands" against Islam. » | Thursday, June 23, 2011

UK Fears Migrant Influx as EU Bids to Break Down Border Controls

MAIL ONLINE: Brussels bosses want to tear up European Union immigration rules, leaving Britain vulnerable to a new influx of migrants.

The European Commission plans to use human rights laws to break down border controls.

David Cameron will today go into battle to face down plans to scrap the existing rule that means illegal immigrants and asylum seekers are supposed to be sent back to the country where they first enter the EU.

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will use a summit in Brussels today to press for the changes.

He wants the rule suspended indefinitely, opening the door to thousands of immigrants heading for Britain to claim more generous benefits than they could get elsewhere.

British officials fear that suspending the rule will mean that countries on the edge of Europe make far less effort to police their borders, since they will not have to face the consequences themselves of letting in too many migrants.

The situation has been made more acute by the fighting in Libya, which has seen thousands of refugees fleeing Colonel Gaddafi’s regime to take shelter in the EU.

More than one million people have fled Libya since the conflict began. » | Tim Shipman | Thursday, June 23, 2011

Nordkorea: Grenzen auf für Touristen
In der dritten Folge der fünfteiligen Serie über Nordkorea begleitet das «10vor10»-Team einen Touristenführer. Dieser will Schweizer Touristen bisher verborgene Winkel des Landes zeigen. Doch dies ist gar nicht so einfach.

Zum Teil in Schwyzertüütsch (Schweizerdeutsch).

Nordkorea: Besuch in der Kartoffelfabrik
Im zweiten Teil der fünfteiligen Serie über Nordkorea reist das «10vor10» Team nach Daehongdan, eine der nördlichsten Provinzen des Landes. Die vielen gebrechlichen Menschen, denen das Team begegnet, darf es nicht filmen. Auf dem Programm steht stattdessen eine Kartoffel-Vorzeige-Fabrik.

Turkey Reacts to Assad's Speech
Turkey is deeply affected by Syria's crisis, with more than 10,000 refugees having fled across the border.

But Turkish officials have been cautious in their reactions to the ongoing crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad and his reform pledges.

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Boynuyogun refugee camp, on the Turkey-Syria border.

Life Sentences for Bahrain Dissidents
Police and protesters have clashed in Bahrain after eight Shia Muslim activists accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the Gulf Arab state's Sunni monarchy were sentenced to life in prison.

The court also sentenced on Wednesday other defendants - from among the 21 suspects on trial - to between two and 15 years in jail.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports.

Irlande : Le spectre des "Troubles"

FRANCE SOIR: Les récents affrontements à Belfast entre catholiques et protestants rappellent un temps que les Irlandais croyaient révolu.

Mercredi, la priorité était d'apaiser les esprits. Les représentants des deux communautés, ainsi que des religieux, se sont réunis afin de tenter de ramener le calme. Depuis deux jours, en effet, Belfast revit une ambiance de « Troubles », ces affrontements interconfessionnels qui, en une trentaine d'années, avaient fait 3 500 morts jusqu'à ce que la paix soit signée en 1998, entre catholiques et protestants. D'où l'inquiétude du Premier ministre protestant, Peter Robinson : « Voir ce niveau de violences revenir dans nos rues est à la fois désolant et très inquiétant ». Quant au vice-Premier ministre, Martin McGuinness, un catholique, il a assuré qu'il « ne sera pas permis à la petite communauté d'individus déterminés à déstabiliser nos communautés de nous faire replonger dans le passé ». » | Par Alain Vincenot | Mercredi 22 Juin 2011

Syrien spricht von «Kriegserklärung»
Heftige Reaktion auf Ausweitung der Sanktionen durch die EU

NZZ ONLINE: Syrien hat heftig auf die Ausweitung der Sanktionen durch die EU reagiert. Aussenminister al-Muallim bezeichnete Europa als inexistent auf der Weltkarte, die Sanktionen seien eine Kriegserklärung. Die EU-Aussenminister bezogen auch Iraner in die Sanktionen mit ein.

Angesichts der Ausweitung der EU-Sanktionen gegen Syrien hat die syrische Führung nun Europa als neuen Feind ausgemacht. «Wir werden künftig so tun, als gebe es Europa auf der Weltkarte gar nicht», sagte Aussenminister Walid al-Muallim am Mittwoch in Damaskus.

Gegen jede Einmischung

Al-Muallim bezeichnete die Strafmassnahmen der Europäer im [sic] dem vom Staatsfernsehen übertragenen Medienauftritt als «Kriegserklärung». Die Sanktionen stellten «die Lebensgrundlage des syrischen Volkes in frage», sagte Muallim. Er wies jede ausländische Einmischung zurück. «Niemand im Ausland darf uns seine Sichtweise aufzwingen.»

Seit Beginn der Proteste habe sich kein europäischer Vertreter nach Syrien begeben, um über die Ereignisse zu diskutieren, beklagte der Aussenminister. Insbesondere der früheren Kolonialmacht Frankreich warf er vor, sich «wie Kolonialherren» zu benehmen. » | sda/dpa/afp | Mittwoch 22. Juni 2011

PSC Comes to Parliament – Bringing a Man Accused of Saying Jews Bake Bread with the Blood of Gentiles

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – MICHAEL WEISS: Last month, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) used Amnesty International’s Human Rights Action Centre to host a “discussion” on how Zionists control the media. They’ve been emboldened by this achievement, and have chosen a more exclusive venue for their next event: Parliament.

On 29 June, PSC is due to host an event titled “Building Peace and Justice in Jerusalem” in the House of Commons. I very much like that sentiment. The problem is, some of PSC’s scheduled speakers don’t.

One of them is Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, a group ideologically affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. The notorious Islamist website Middle East Monitor Online (MEMO) has dubbed Salah ‘The Gandhi of Palestine’ (see above).

Yet his Mahatma-like qualities are not immediately apparent when assessing some of his rhetoric or his actions. In February, 2007, Salah told a 1,000-strong crowd in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Wadi Joz:

We have never allowed ourselves to knead [the dough for] the bread that breaks the fast in the holy month of Ramadan with children’s blood. Whoever wants a more thorough explanation, let him ask what used to happen to some children in Europe, whose blood was mixed in with the dough of the [Jewish] holy bread.

According to the Left-leaning Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, Salah accused Israel of attempting to “rebuild the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount while drenched in Arab blood”. » | Michael Weiss | Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wilders Trial Coming to an End
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: The trial of Geert Wilders is nearly over. On Thursday, the three Amsterdam district court judges conducting the trial will announce their verdict. It is widely expected that Mr Wilders will be acquitted on all the charges facing him.

If that is the case, the 29-month legal struggle which saw one of the country’s most popular and influential politicians accused of hate-mongering will come to an end.

It started back in January 2009 when justices of the Amsterdam court ordered the public prosecutor to bring charges against Mr Wilders of inciting hatred and discrimination, based on a number of his anti-Islamic statements published in the national media, as well as Mr Wilders’ film, Fitna.

The trial was supposed to be about

One moment during the dozens of courtroom sessions encapsulated what, for many, the trial was supposed to be about. Twenty-four-year-old law student Naoual Abaida, daughter of a Moroccan immigrant, stood in the courtroom not two metres from Mr Wilders. She was allowed to speak as one of the ‘injured parties’; one of the people who had initially petitioned the Justice Ministry to prosecute him.

Looking into his eyes she said his “insulting, polarising and provocative language has set the tone for a country becoming increasingly intolerant.”

The trial was really about

But for Mr Wilders and his high-profile defence lawyer, Bram Moszkowicz, the trial has been about free speech. To them, Mr Wilders is being persecuted for expressing his opinion. They have persuaded much of the Dutch public that this is what the trial is really about.

The courtroom trial got underway in January 2010. Cameras were allowed to film without restrictions during court sessions, a first in the Netherlands. The country has since followed the trial closely.

Islam on trial

The initial defence strategy was to put Islam on trial. Mr Moszkowicz asked the court to hear 18 witnesses, including various academics known for being highly critical of Islam, but also Mohammed Bouyeri, the convicted murderer of Theo van Gogh. The defence wanted to prove that the statements Mr Wilders had made about Islam were true, and therefore could not be considered as incitement.

The court allowed just three of those witnesses to testify in closed hearings. » | Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Krise in Europa: Schmidt fordert Wohlstandsprogramm für Griechen

WELT ONLINE: Altkanzler Helmut Schmidt hält sogar eine völlige Pleite Griechenlands für politisch beherrschbar. Die EU fordert er zu nachhaltiger Hilfe auf – in Form konkreter Projekte.

Alt-Bundeskanzler Helmut Schmidt hat vor Panikmache im Zusammenhang mit Griechenland gewarnt. "Wir haben eine Schuldenkrise einzelner kleiner Euro-Länder, keine Krise der Euro-Währung", sagte Schmid der "Zeit".

Demnach hätte selbst "der Bankrott eines einzelnen, kleineren Mitgliedstaates nur eine vorübergehende psychologische Wirkung".

Schmidt forderte die EU dazu auf, Griechenland "durchgreifend" zu helfen. „Das gilt auch für den Extremfall, dass die griechische Regierung gegenüber ihren ausländischen Gläubigern die Zahlungsunfähigkeit erklärt. Selbst dann – und dann erst recht! – wird es entscheidend, dass Europa die griechische Wirtschaft wieder in Gang bringt.“

Ein derartiges Leitprogramm "muss orientiert sein an Leitideen wie Beschäftigung, Produktivität und Volkseinkommen.“ » | WON/pku | Mittwoch 22. Juni 2011

Le gouvernement prend ses distances sur la binationalité
REUTERS FRANCE: PARIS - Le gouvernement s'est démarqué mercredi des propositions du député UMP Claude Goasguen suggérant de limiter de manière drastique les cas de double nationalité, comme le demande l'extrême droite.

Le parlementaire préconisait, selon le quotidien Libération, d'exiger des personnes nées en France de parents étrangers de renoncer, si elles souhaitaient devenir françaises, à leur nationalité étrangère.

Il ne s'agit pas de la position du gouvernement, a déclaré François Baroin à l'issue du conseil des ministres.

"Le gouvernement est évidemment défavorable à cette proposition et je crois que M. Goasguen lui-même est en recul aujourd'hui par rapport à cette contribution", a dit le porte-parole du gouvernement. » | Patrick Vignal, édité par Yves Clarisse | Mercredi 22 Juin 2011

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Ally Forced to Resign as Pressure Grows on Iran President

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffered a devastating blow to his authority on Tuesday as MPs forced the resignation of one of his closest allies amid growing domestic opposition to his radical leadership.

Fury over Mr Ahmadinejad's handling of government appointments has risen steadily within the mainstream conservative majority in the country's parliament.

Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, who had been appointed deputy foreign minister just four days ago, was forced to resign after a backlash in parliament. MPs had started impeachment procedures against Ali Akbar Salehi, the foreign minister, for elevating a man with a criminal background as his deputy.

Mr Malekzadeh said his resignation should remove the threat of impeachment. "Despite dastardly manipulations and plentiful injustices done against me, I can't accept that you suffer from unjust pressures because of me," he wrote to Mr Salehi.

Despite the abject tone of the letter, MPs vowed to press ahead with the impeachment of Mr Salehi.

Political analysts suggest the ultimate target of the MPs is Mr Ahmadinejad and his controversial right hand man, Esfandiar Mashaie, the president's chief of staff. Mr Malekzadeh served as foreign affairs adviser to the chief of staff.

Mr Ahmadinejad is believed to be viewed with suspicion by the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, who holds ultimate authority in official matters. Mr Mashaie, who's son is married to the president's daughter, has been accused of orchestrating secret contacts with Iran's enemies, including the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Bahrain Rights Activists Jailed for Life

THE GUARDIAN: Military court finds eight campaigners guilty of plotting coup during protests in Sunni-ruled kingdom

Eight Bahraini rights activists have been given life sentences by a military court, which found them guilty of plotting a coup against the government during two months of unrest that rattled the country earlier this year.

Another 13 demonstrators were given sentences of between two to 15 years, as the government attempts to crush dissent that has erupted in the tiny kingdom in February following popular uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world.

The verdicts were immediately condemned by rights groups who said all those found guilty had been campaigning to end discrimination at the hands of the Sunni dynasty. Almost all activists who took to the streets of Manama in February and March were Shia Muslims, who make up 70% of Bahrain's population, but feel largely disenfranchised.

Bahrain's ruling dynasty had instead claimed that the men were part of a "sedition ring", backed by Iran and Hezbollah, who were trying to topple the regime.

Among those given life sentences were leading members of opposition political groups. Leading rights activist Adbul Hadi al-Khawaja, whose daughters Zainab and Maryam are prominent members of the Bahrainhuman rights movement, was one of those condemned to life in prison. Zainab was reportedly removed from the courtroom after protesting against the sentence[.] » | Martin Chulov | Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Osama bin Laden Wife to Leave Pakistan for Yemen
THE GUARDIAN: Amal Ahmed al-Sadah, 29, expected to return home after being held by security services since US raid on compound

Osama bin Laden's youngest wife is expected to leave Pakistan for her homeland, Yemen, within days.

Amal Ahmed al-Sadah, 29, has been held by security services since US special forces killed Bin Laden, whom she married in 1999.

Sadah was wounded in the operation and detained by Pakistani authorities in the compound in the northern garrison town of Abbottabad where her husband was hiding. She is believed to have been questioned by US intelligence services.

Reports in newspapers in the Yemen and Saudi Arabia, confirmed by officials in Riyadh, indicate that arrangements have been finalised between Yemeni and Pakistani diplomats for the return of Sadah and her 12-year-old daughter, Safiya, who was also injured in the raid. » | Jason Burke in Riyadh | Wednesday, June 22, 2011

George Osborne Refuses to Reveal Cost of Libyan Operations

THE GUARDIAN: Chancellor's stance follows comments by Danny Alexander that intervention would reach 'hundreds of millions' of pounds

George Osborne has refused to be drawn on the cost of the Libyan intervention, following comments at the weekend by Danny Alexanderthat it would reach "hundreds of millions" of pounds.

The chancellor and his chief secretary to the Treasury, both present in the Commons, were pressed to confirm the figure by the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, during Treasury questions. Balls said that in March the government had said the operation would cost "tens of millions not hundreds of millions". Instead it was announced there will be a Ministry of Defence statement next week.

On Sunday Alexander told Sky News: "The campaign is costing tens of millions, potentially into the hundreds of millions as it goes on, but that money is coming from the reserve that we have set aside, precisely for contingencies such as this."

When the military campaign started, the chancellor said the cost would be "in the order of tens of millions of pounds, not hundreds of millions".

Since then, defence economists have warned that it could reach £1bn if the campaign stretches on into the autumn. » | Allegra Stratton, political correspondent | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Arab League Chief Admits Second Thoughts about Libya Air Strikes

THE GUARDIAN: Amr Moussa, who played central role in securing Arab support for Nato strikes, calls for ceasefire and 'political solution'

The outgoing head of the Arab League and a frontrunner to become president of a democratic Egypt has voiced reservations about Nato's bombing campaign in Libya, calling for a ceasefire and talks on a political settlement while Muammar Gaddafi remains in power.

Amr Moussa, the veteran Egyptian diplomat who played a central role in securing Arab support for Nato air strikes, told the Guardian he now had second thoughts about a bombing mission that may not be working. "When I see children being killed, I must have misgivings. That's why I warned about the risk of civilian casualties," he said.

Nato admitted this week that it had blundered when a rogue missile killed nine civilians, including children, in Tripoli, while the Libyan regime has claimed another 15 civilians were killed in an attack on a compound west of Tripoli that Nato has confirmed it targeted.

Arab support, in the form of an endorsement from the Arab League, was essential to the Anglo-French-led bombing campaign launched in March following a UN security council resolution mandating the use of force to protect Libyan civilians.

But senior European officials say the Arab world is turning against the west over the Libya campaign. "The Arab League is telling us that we are losing the support of the Arab world," said one source involved in negotiations over Libya. » | Ian Traynor in Brussels | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Riots Rage in Northern Ireland
Tensions are running high ahead of the annual marching season in Northern Ireland.

Petrol bombs, bottles and bricks have been thrown at police officers during a second night of violence.

Politicians say it's the worst violence seen in East Belfast in more than a decade.

Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez reports.

Greek PM Survives Crucial Vote of Confidence
Greece's prime minister has won a confidence vote which will give him the backing to push through major budget reforms.

George Papandreou is hoping the cuts will help avoid a major financial catastrophe, and will convince Eurozone leaders that a second bailout is worth their trouble. But the moves are deeply unpopular and protesters continued their campaign long into the night.

Al Jazeera's Tim Friend reports from Athens.

Battle for Libya: Gaddafi's Former Years
Fifty years ago a young Muammar Gaddafi was welcomed into the city of Misurata which became an important part of his life.

The Libyan leader was educated in the city and helped plot the coup d'etat which brought him to power.

But now the city is a thorn in Gaddafi's side since it is the third largest city in Libya and has been steadfastly on the rebel side.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley has more on Gaddafi's legacy in the rebel held city of Misurata.

Argentina Warns Britain Over Falklands Nationality Switch

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Argentina's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Britain will be to blame if "fanatics" carry out death threats against the first Falkland islander to take up Argentine nationality.

The minister, Hector Timerman, took up the case of James Peck at the annual UN debate on the South Atlantic islands where political leaders from the territory accused Argentina of using "bully boy" tactics.

Peck has become a national hero in Argentina after accepting citizenship so he can be closer to his children who live with his estranged Argentine wife.

His gesture has enraged some in the Falklands which was the venue of a brief war in 1982 when Britain sent a task force to end an Argentine invasion.

"I am forced to denounce the criminal attitude of fanatics that have made death threats against James if he dared to return to the Malvinas islands," Timerman said using the Spanish name for the islands.

"We hold the British authorities who illegally occupy the islands responsible for the security of Argentine citizen James Peck if he decides to exercise his rights to return," the minister told the UN General Assembly's decolonisation committee. » | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Au Maroc, Mohammed VI garde la main

LE FIGARO: Le souverain chérifien propose des réformes sans précédent depuis l'Indépendance.

Avec le discours du roi du 17 juin, le Maroc est entré, douze ans après le début du règne de Mohammed VI, en transition démocratique. Maintes fois évoqué dans les premières années de gouvernance du jeune souverain, le processus s'est finalement enclenché à la faveur du «printemps arabe». Soucieux d'être à l'écoute d'un mouvement transnational en quête de réformes et de plus de libertés individuelles, le roi engage sa révolution tranquille en l'adaptant au particularisme marocain. Il change la Constitution en donnant des prérogatives élargies à un chef de gouvernement issu du parti vainqueur des élections législatives, mais se garde bien de remettre en question les fondements de son pouvoir.

Ce que propose Mohammed VI pourrait être comparé à un système présidentiel à la française plutôt qu'à la monarchie parlementaire espagnole où le roi est hors du champ politique. À la différence près qu'au royaume chérifien, le chef de l'État n'a pas à se représenter tous les cinq ans devant les électeurs et son nombre de mandats n'est pas limité.

Mohammed VI se taille sur mesure un domaine réservé pour assurer la stabilité du régime. Le souverain reste le maître du jeu dans les domaines régaliens de la défense, de la diplomatie et de la sécurité intérieure. Le roi est le chef des armées et accrédite ambassadeurs et diplomates. Un «conseil de sécurité intérieure», présidé par le monarque, est créé. Il aura, selon Mohammed VI, pour mission de «gérer les questions de sécurité internes, structurelles et imprévues». L'organisme va «compter parmi ses membres les chefs des pouvoirs législatif, exécutif et judiciaire, les ministres, les responsables et les personnalités concernées». Qui tranchera en cas de désaccord? Le roi probablement.

Sur le plan religieux, Mohammed VI, «descendant du Prophète», conserve son autorité naturelle grâce au titre de «Commandeur des croyants» qui lui permet d'émettre des fatwas. La «sacralité» de sa personne en revanche disparaît pour être remplacée par une notion plus contemporaine de respect dû. Le libre exercice des cultes est garanti par le monarque qui rappelle toutefois que l'islam est la religion d'État. » | Par Thierry Oberlé | Lundi 20 Juin 2011

No Burkini in Sight! World Skinny Dipping Record Attempted in Wales
Hundreds of people strip off and jump into the freezing cold sea off the Welsh coast in an effort to break the world record for a naked dip

All in a good cause » | Monday, June 20, 2011

Half of Britons Have German Blood

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: They are among Britain’s most bitter rivals, but despite two world wars and any number of football matches, it would seem we are closer to the Germans than many might imagine.

Geneticists claim that as many as half of Britons have German blood, a consequence of Anglo-Saxon migration after the Roman Empire fell.

“There is no use in denying it,” Der Spiegel, the German news magazine, wrote this week. “It is now clear the nation which most dislikes the Germans were once Krauts themselves.”

University College London academics studied a segment of the Y chromosome that appears in almost all Danish and north German men. They found that half of British men also have the segment. » | Monday, June 20, 2011

Deutsches Blut im Königshaus. Deutsches Blut im Volk. Deutsches Blut überall im Lande. Well, well, I never! Whoever would have thought it? – © Mark

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Nordkorea: Drill, Disziplin und Demut
In der ersten Folge der fünfteiligen Serie über Nordkorea besucht das «10vor10»-Team eine Elite-Mittelschule. Doch bevor es eine Drehgenehmigung erhält, muss es eine Bronzestatue des grosses Führers Kim Jong Il besichtigen und dort Blumen niederlegen

Eurabia: Deutsche konvertieren zum Islam
Schaut man diese Videos zu, so bekommt man die Idee, daß ganz Deutschland sich zum Islam schon bekehrt hat!

CNN Tours NATO Airstrike Site

Maid’s Beheading Could See Ban on Workers in Saudi Arabia, Govt Says
JAKARTA GLOBE: The government is considering a moratorium on sending migrant workers to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the execution of Indonesian maid Ruyati Binti Sapubi for murdering her employer.

“It would be better to have a moratorium,” Heru Lelono, a presidential spokesman, said on Monday. “The Saudi court did not inform the Indonesian government about the execution [on Saturday], which shows ill will in regard to the relationship between the two countries.”

He added that it was important for the government to send migrant workers only to countries where their human rights would be respected.

“It’s not inconceivable that the same fate could befall another Indonesian worker,” Heru said.

“The Manpower Ministry must thus set guidelines and tighten the regulations for worker placement agencies. These agencies should not be absolved of all responsibility for the workers after finding them jobs. They should be accountable for any legal problems.”

In another development, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said he had recalled the country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the case.

“We have recalled our ambassador [Gatot Abdullah Mansyur] for consultation to get a clearer picture of the problem so that we can evaluate it accordingly,” the minister said. » | Camelia Pasandaran, Ismira Lutfia & Ulma Haryanto | Monday, June 20, 2011

Related video »

Islamic Barbarity in Saudi Arabia! Furore over Indonesian's Beheading in Saudi
Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia in response to the execution of an Indonesian maid after being convicted of murdering her Saudi employer.

The incident has sparked protests in Jakarta and calls for an explanation from Riyadh.

In the past 20 years, a total of 303 migrant workers from Indonesia have been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia has managed to help only 12 of its citizens escape execution.

Al Jazeera's Syarina Hasi-buan reports from Jakarta.

A Map without Israel: Germany's Left Party Faces Charges of Anti-Semitism

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Swatiskas intertwined in the Star of David, a map of the Middle East with Israel missing, boycotts of Israeli products: Germany's far-left Left Party, many feel, has a growing anti-Semitism problem. The issue threatens to divide the party.

Germany's far-left Left Party has been struggling for months to have its voice heard on the national political stage. Falling membership numbers, shrinking support and a very public leadership battle this spring have all left the party struggling to find relevance.

Now, though, the party is facing yet another challenge. For years, the Left Party -- a partial outgrowth of the East German communists -- has been criticized for harboring anti-Semitism and being overtly critical of Israel. Just recently, Left Party floor leader Gregor Gysi pushed a resolution through the party's parliamentary faction stating: "In the future, the representatives of the Left Party faction will take action against any form of anti-Semitism in society."

The party, the resolution read, will no longer participate in boycotts of Israeli products, will refrain from demanding a single-state solution to the Middle East conflict and will not take part in this year's Gaza flotilla.

That resolution, however, did not sit well with the party's left wing. The group protested against being "muzzled," complaining that Gysi's declaration was "undemocratic" and "dangerous," as Left Party parliamentarian Annette Groth complained. And Gysi, formerly head of the party, gave in. This week, he plans to compose a further resolution on anti-Semitism.

He provided a hint at what it might contain in a recent interview with the leftist paper Neues Deutschland. "I don't see a problem with anti-Semitism in the Left Party," he said. "I am not a fan of the inflationary use of the term 'anti-Semitism.'" Gysi himself is from a family that has Jewish roots, several members of which were murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust. » | cgh -- with reporting by Markus Deggerich | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Broadcasting to Libya in Berber
The uprising in Libya has shaken Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's hold on the country.

One community that up until now had been too afraid to showcase its cultural heritage is benefiting from greater cultural freedoms in rebel-held areas.

Al Jazeera's James Bays has been spending time with the ancient Berber people and filed this report.


WIKI: Berber languages »

Grim Cigarette Labels Aim to Curb Smoking

This law professor doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about! Distorting the price of cigarettes is about the worst thing a society can do. By increasing and increasing the price of cigarettes, the authorities are making them too expensive for young people to buy. That sounds good, but it isn’t. By doing this, all you are doing is encouraging young people to try far worse, far more addictive alternatives.

A mother told me recently she had a problem with her young son taking drugs. She said that young people today buy rolling tobacco (which is much cheaper) and lace the ‘cigarettes’ with cannabis, etc., thus turning them into joints. I said it would be better for them to smoke a normal cigarette than that, as was usual when I was young. She told me that young people can no longer afford ‘normal’ cigarettes.

So how much good are we really doing by pricing cigarettes so high that young people take to far worse alternatives? This law professor is talking through his hat. And I write as a non-smoker. Give me a son who smokes cigarettes over a son who takes drugs any day. These do-gooders ain’t doin’ any good! – © Mark

FOX NEWS: FDA Pushes Graphic Images on Cigarette Packs »

Azhar Urges Modern, Civilian Egypt State

ON ISLAM: CAIRO – Framing a document with Egypt’s intellectuals on the country’s future, Cairo’s Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, called for a modern, democratic state in Egypt with principals of Islamic shari`ah as the essential source of legislation.

The document aims to define “the relationship between Islam and the state in this difficult phase,” the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayyeb, declared in a news conference broadcast live, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported on Monday, June 20.

The document supports “the establishment of a modern, democratic, constitutional state” based upon the separation of powers and guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens, he said. » | OnIslam & News Agencies | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Bangladesh Retains Islam as State Religion
AFP: DHAKA — Bangladesh's government will retain Islam as the country's official state religion despite pledges by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to restore the state's secular character, a minister said Tuesday.

Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of 150 million, was declared a secular republic in 1972 but a series of constitutional amendments by two military dictators abandoned the principle and made Islam the state religion in 1988.

Since coming to power two years ago, Hasina has taken steps to restore secularism, but a package of constitutional amendments approved by her cabinet Monday stopped short of full reform.

"Islam will remain the state religion," Law Minister Shafiq Ahmed told AFP, adding that Bangladeshi Hindus, Buddhists and Christians would be allowed to practice their religions freely. » | AFP | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Dutch Anti-Islam Lawmaker Wilders Faces Judgement
TIMES OF OMAN: Dutch: Dutch far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders faces judgement Thursday in an Amsterdam court for his statements attacking Islam, which he claimed were made to "defend freedom in the Netherlands."

Wilders, 47, will be in the dock as Judge Marcel van Oosten starts his verdict at 9:00 am (0700 GMT) in a trial watched closely by both Wilders' supporters and his detractors and broadcast live.

Wilders faces five counts of hate speech and discrimination for his anti-Islamic remarks on websites, Internet forums and in Dutch newspapers between October 2006 and March 2008, and in his controversial 17-minute movie "Fitna" ("Discord" in Arabic).

In the past he has likened the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and "Fitna" shows shocking images of 9/11 and other terror attacks on western targets interspersed with verses from the Koran.

The 2008 movie caused widespread outrage in Muslim countries and opposition from the Dutch government, who feared it might spark a militant response similar to that which followed the publication in Denmark of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

But Wilders -- one of Europe's most heavily-guarded politicians -- has demanded his acquittal before the court, saying he was "obliged to speak, because the Netherlands is "under threat" from Islam. » | AFP | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Inside Story: Al-Assad Running Out of Options?
Inside Story discusses with Anas al-Abdah, chairman of the Movement for Justice and Development party; James Denselow, Syria analyst at King's College; and Ahmad Moussalli, professor of political science

Ben Ali Sentenced to Prison Term
A Tunisian court has sentenced former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his wife to 35 years in prison.

They have been found guilty of theft and unlawful possession of cash and jewelry.

Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez reports.


Related »

Net Migration Target to Be Missed, Warn Academics
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron is to fall well short of his pledge to cut immigration to less than 100,000 by 2015, Oxford University academics have warned.

A study by the Migration Observatory today predicts the Government will only get half way towards its target despite major reform of immigration visas.

The body, made up of experts from the leading university, said net migration - the difference between those arriving and those leaving the UK - could still be running as high as 167,000 in four years time.

Figures last month showed net migration is currently running at 242,000 – a six year high – after rising for the fifth quarter in a row.

The Coalition has already been accused of watering down its pledge after Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, described it only as an "aspiration".

And the Migration Observatory now estimates Government reform will only reduce the numbers by 75,000 leaving ministers well short of the target. » | Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tunisia's Former President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and His Wife Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Tunisian court on Monday sentenced ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his wife, in absentia, to 35 years in jail each after finding them guilty of theft and unlawful possession of cash and jewellery.

Reading out the verdict and sentence in the courtroom after just one day of deliberation, the judge also ruled Ben Ali and his wife would have to pay fines totalling 91 million Tunisian dinars (£40.6 million).

The judge said the verdict on other charges, relating to illegal possession of drugs and weapons, would be pronounced on June 30.

Ben Ali, who is in exile in Saudi Arabia, is being tried in absentia at the Tunis criminal court.

The court is hearing two embezzlement, money laundering and drug trafficking cases against the 74-year-old. It follows the discovery of around $27 million in jewels and cash plus drugs and weapons at two palaces outside Tunis after he flew to Saudi Arabia on Jan 14.

Saudi Arabia did not respond to an extradition request, and some Tunisians expressed frustration that he would not be present for his judgment.

Ben Ali vigorously denied the charges in a statement through his French lawyer, calling the proceedings a "shameful masquerade of the justice of the victorious." » | Monday, June 20, 2011

Mubarak Suffering from Cancer, Defence Lawyer Confirms

THE GUARDIAN: New medical report cited before August trial shows ex-Egyptian president has tumours in the gall bladder and pancreas

Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak has cancer, his defence lawyer has said , citing a medical report to assess whether the former leader is fit to face trial. "Mubarak has cancer and this was included in the last medical report," said lawyer Farid el-Deeb. Mubarak, 83, was forced from office in February during Egypt's uprising.

He is due to stand trial on 3 August over the killing of protesters and abuse of power, charges he denies. He has been detained in hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh since mid-April after officials claimed he had heart problems during initial questioning. » | Reuters | Monday, June 20, 2011

Iranian Protestors Plan to Turn Tehran into Ghost Town

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anti-government activists in Iran are planning to turn Tehran into a “ghost town” as part of a nationwide silent protest to mark the anniversary of a young woman shot dead by security forces

Neda Agha-Soltan became the international face of Iran’s Green Movement after the 26-year-old was gunned down in Tehran during protests over claims that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s supporters had rigged the result in his favour.

Following the success of last weekend’s silent protest, when thousands of protesters took to the streets to make the second anniversary of the disputed election, organisers have called for Green Movement activists to turn Tehran and other cities into a “ghost town” on Wednesday by staying at home and leaving the city streets deserted. The organisers say many shops and cafes in Tehran will be either closed or unoccupied, while streets that are normally filled with cars will be mainly free from traffic, apart from a few empty buses.

The protest is scheduled to last for four hours on Wednesday afternoon, and organisers hope to turn the Iranian capital into “lifeless Tehran”. » | Con Coughlin | Monday, June 20, 2011

Fancy That! Eight Million Gallons of Water Drained from Reservoir after Man Urinates in It

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Eight million gallons of water had to be drained from a reservoir in Oregon after a man urinated in it.

The operation is costing the state's taxpayers $36,000 (£22,000) and was ordered after Joshua Seater, 21, was caught on a security camera relieving himself in the pristine lake.

Health experts said the incident would not have caused any harm to people in the city of Portland, who are supplied with drinking water from the reservoir.

They said the average human bladder holds only six to eight ounces, and the urine would have been vastly diluted.

But David Shaff, an administrator at the Portland Water Bureau, defended the decision to empty the lake.

"There are people who will say it's an over reaction. I don't think so. I think what you have to deal with here is the 'yuck' factor," he said.

"I can imagine how many people would be saying 'I made orange juice with that water this morning.' "Do you want to drink pee? Most people are going to be pretty damn squeamish about that." » | Nick Allen, Los Angeles | Sunday, June 19, 2011

Illegal Immigrant Slashes Throat On Board Plane as He Is Deported

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An illegal immigrant slashed his throat on a plane today as he was being deported to Jamaica.

The man is receiving treatment in hospital after the Virgin Atlantic flight from London Gatwick to Kingston, Jamaica, was postponed.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said an investigation was being launched into how the man was able to inflict the ''superficial injuries'' on himself.

Passengers, who watched in in horror as the incident took place, have been offered counselling by the airline.

Emergency services prevented more serious injury by "gluing" his throat together, a source said. » | Monday, June 20, 2011

Syria: Protesters Hit the Streets after President Assad Claims He Is More Loved Than Ever
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Demonstrators hit the streets of Damascus following Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's speech in which he insisted his people loved him more than ever.


President Assad blamed the unrest gripping his country on foreign conspirators and Islamic extremists.

But Opposition figure Walid al-Bunni said: "The regime has no realisation that this is a mass street movement demanding freedom and dignity.

"Assad has not said anything to satisfy the families of the 1,400 martyrs or the national aspiration of the Syrian people for the country to become a democracy."

Activists and residents returned to the streets in the suburbs of Damascus as well as in the coastal city of Latakia shortly after Mr Assad's speech.

Addressing Syrians for the first time in more than two months, Mr Assad mixed defiance with the language of conciliation, but the concessions he laid out looked unlikely to end the uprising against him. » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Monday, June 20, 2011

Tunisia Begins Trial of Ousted President Ben Ali

REUTERS: Tunisia began the trial on Monday of former president Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali, whose ouster by protesters angry over corruption and police repression inspired the "Arab Spring" that has swept the region.

Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14, after mass protests against 23 years of rule in which he, his wife and their family built stakes in the country's biggest businesses and accumulated vast fortunes at what Tunisians say was their expense.

Tunisia's revolt electrified millions across the Arab world, who suffer similarly from high unemployment, rising prices and repressive rule. Ben Ali's trial will be watched closely in Egypt, where former president Hosni Mubarak is due to stand trial over the killing of protesters.

Judge Touhami Hafian, sitting in the Palace of Justice in the Tunisian capital, said the court would begin by hearing charges that Ben Ali was in unlawful possession of foreign currency, jewelry, archeological artefacts, drugs and weapons. » | Tarek Amara | TUNIS | Monday, June 20, 2011

Athens Protests: Syntagma Square on Frontline of European Austerity Protests

THE GUARDIAN: The area in the centre of the Greek capital is playing host to thousands of angry demonstrators

Athenians used to stop off at Syntagma Square for the shopping, the shiny rows of upmarket boutiques. Now they arrive in their tens of thousands to protest. Swarming out of the metro station, they emerge into a village of tents, pamphleteers and a booming public address system.

Since 25 May, when demonstrators first converged here, this has become an open-air concert – only one where bands have been supplanted by speakers and music swapped for an angry politics. On this square just below the Greek parliament and ringed by flashy hotels, thousands sit through speech after speech. Old-time socialists, American economists just passing through, members of the crowd: they each get three minutes with the mic, and most of them use the time alternatively to slag off the politicians and to egg on their fellow protesters.

"Being here makes me feel 18 again," begins one man, his polo shirt stretched tight over his paunch, before talking about his worries about his pension.

The closer you get to the Vouli, the parliament, the more raucous it becomes. Jammed up against the railings, a crowd is clapping and chanting: "Thieves! Thieves!"

There is another mic here, and it's grabbed by a man wearing a mask of deputy prime minister Theodoros Pangalos: "My friends, we all ate together." He is quoting the socialist politician, who claimed on TV last year that everyone bore the responsibility for the squandering of public money. Pangalos may have intended his remark as the Greek equivalent of George Osborne's remark that "We're all in it together", but here they're not having it."You lying bastard!" They roar back. "You're so fat you ate the entire supermarket."

This is an odd alloy of earnestness and pantomime, to be sure, but it's something else too: Syntagma Square has become the new frontline of the battle against European austerity. And as prime minister George Papandreou battles first to keep his own job, and then to win MPs' support for the most extreme package of spending cuts, tax rises and privatisations ever faced by any developed country, what happens between this square and the parliament matters for the rest of the eurozone. » | Aditya Chakrabortty | Sunday, June 19, 2011

Syria: Bashar al-Assad Must Stop the Bloodshed or Step Down, William Hague Says

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: William Hague has called on Bashar al-Assad to step aside if he cannot deliver reforms as the Syrian leader told his country that it had reached a turning point after two months of nationwide protests.

Syria's embattled president said "saboteurs" were trying to exploit legitimate demands for reform in the country.

He said Syria was at a "turning point" after "difficult days," and promised it would emerge stronger in the face of the "plotting" against it.

He added that "a small faction" was causing a lot of damage after infiltrating peaceful protests.

The opposition estimates more than 1,400 Syrians have been killed and 10,000 detained as Assad's forces try to crush the protest movement that began in mid-March, inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

Protesters insist they will accept nothing less than the downfall of a regime that has held power for more than 40 years[.]

The Foreign Secretary has gone beyond calls on President Assad to show restraint to raise the question of his regime's future after a government clamp down on pro-democracy protests has left 1,400 dead and 10,000 people imprisoned. » | Bruno Waterfield, Luxembourg | Monday, June 20, 2011

The Arab Awakening - Death of Fear
Rageh Omaar examines how the death of a penniless fruit seller in Tunisia first ignited mass revolt in the country, led to the overthrow of its president and effects far beyond its borders

Greek Debt Crisis: Eurozone Ministers Meet Amid Deepening Gloom

THE GUARDIAN: Finance ministers to throw Greece a €12bn lifeline but meeting marked by pessimism over fate of euro

Europe's single currency governments are expected to throw Greece a summer lifeline, agreeing to disburse €12bn by next month to keep the debt-stricken country from going broke and triggering an international crisis.

But the meeting in Luxembourg of finance ministers from the 17 eurozone countries also faced the much bigger challenge of trying to structure a new three-year bailout for Greece in a way that would persuade European banks, pension funds and other private creditors to roll over the country's ballooning debt.

The Eurogroup meeting took place amid a mood of growing futility over Greece and pessimism over the fate of the euro.

"We wouldn't be able to control an insolvency," warned the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. "We all lived through Lehman Brothers. I don't want another such threat to emanate from Europe." » | Ian Traynor in Brussels | Sunday, June 19, 2011

Laut Islamwissenschaftler Reinhard Schulze ist Marokkos Verfassungreform ein Schritt in Richtung Demokratie
Marokkos König Mohammed VI. gibt etwas Macht ab. Am Freitagabend präsentierte er eine Verfassungsreform, wonach Regierungschef und Parlament mehr Kompetenzen erhalten. Die Mitglieder der Jugendbewegung sind überzeugt, dass dies nur ein kosmetischer Akt ist. Islamwissenschaftler Reinhard Schulze sieht es optimistischer. Die Reform sei der Weg in Richtung Demokratie, sagte er in der «Tagesschau»

The West at Its Worst, at Its Most Common!
Amy Whitehouse Drunk On Stage in Belgrade »

The Progressive West v. the Backward Middle East
Today, it has been confirmed that Liechtenstein has said yes to gay marriage. This week, in Saudi Arabia women protested in order to be allowed to drive cars!

Very little more needs to be said about the state of development of the Muslim world and the Western world. In Liechtenstein, among many other countries, homosexuals are gaining rights to form lasting unions, with full rights before the law, whilst in a Muslim country such as Saudi Arabia women are still struggling for the right to drive a vehicle! If anything contrasts better the backwardness of the Middle East with the progressiveness of the West, I’d like to hear about it.

© Mark Alexander

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