Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Inside Story – The Emir & the Colonel: Qatar's Rôle in Libya

Qatar's intervention in Libya may have helped cement its role as a world player, but has it been overly ambitious?

Watch the programme here
Latino Family Reflects On Conversion To Islam

KPBS: The Arancibia family home sits on a small hillside in rural Bonita in southern San Diego County. Laughter rings out around the house where Spanish and English comfortably co-exist in an ever-growing family of married children, grandchildren and friends.

Despite appearances, the Arancibia’s are not your typical California Latino family. They’re Chilean, not Mexican, having fled Chile shortly after the fall of Allende. And they’re Christian, but not Catholic.

What sets them apart even more is one son - 38 year old Diego, a project coordinator with After School Assistance Provider (ASAP) - who converted to Islam 13 years ago.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S., with domestic conversion fueling that growth. California Latinos make up the bulk of the domestic conversions.

For Diego Arancibia, the move toward Islam was an evolving process. Read on (+ audio) » | Rebecca Romani | Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Parents of Shafilea Ahmed Charged with Her Murder

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The parents of murdered teenager Shafilea Ahmed have been charged with killing her, Cheshire Police said on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old's decomposed remains were discovered in Cumbria in February 2004 after she disappeared from her home in Warrington, Cheshire, in September 2003. She was the victim of a suspected honour killing.

South Cumbria coroner Ian Smith later recorded a verdict of unlawful killing, saying he believed the teenager was probably murdered.

Cheshire Police said today the teenager's father, Iftikhar, 51, and mother Farzana, 48, have been charged with murder and will appear at Halton Magistrates' Court, in Runcorn, later today.

The couple have always denied any involvement in their daughter's death. » | Wednesday, September 07, 2011

MAIL ONLINE: Muslim parents of 'honour killing victim' schoolgirl, 17, charged with her murder EIGHT years after she vanished » | Emily Allen | Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Angst, Scharia und Geistesblüten: Geert Wilders rät den Deutschen

N-TV: Es ist die Stunde der Islamgegner. Der niederländische Rechtspopulist Wilders ist in Berlin und erklärt, was es auf sich hat mit Burkas, Unterdrückung und dem Licht der Wahrheit. Schließlich herrscht Wahlkampf in der Hauptstadt.

Der große Tag beginnt konspirativ, mit einer SMS am frühen Morgen: Geert Wilders, so heißt es dort, spreche an diesem Tag im Maritim-Hotel in Berlin. Wilders, die niederländische Ikone derRechtspopulisten, soll den Islam und Europa erklären – schließlich herrscht Wahlkampf in Berlin und die dümpelnde Partei "Die Freiheit" braucht, wie schon bei ihrer Gründung vor einem Jahr, dringend Schützenhilfe vom großen Bruder aus den Niederlanden.

Diese allerdings gestaltet sich nicht so leicht. Erst läuft der Ticketverkauf für die Wilders-Veranstaltung schleppend. Selbst die glühendsten Anhänger wollen kaum 100 Euro zahlen, zum Schluss werden die Eintrittskarten für 5 Euro verscherbelt und doch bleiben noch Stühle leer. Und auch mit der Geheimhaltung klappt es nicht ganz. Gegen Mittag drängen sich vor den Absperrungen der Polizei am Hotel nahe der ägyptischen Botschaft Dutzende Gegendemonstranten. Revolutionsfahnen schwenkend, skandieren sie: "Willkommen in Berlin, der Hauptstadt der Angst". » | von Gudula Hörr | Sonntag 04. September 2011
Angela Merkel: "Euro ist mehr als nur eine Währung"

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel bekennt sich zur Europäischen Union, Deutschlands Zukunft sei untrennbar mit Europa verbunden. Der Euro sei ein Garant eines einigen Europas, scheitere er, scheitere Europa. Deshalb dürfe er nicht scheitern und werde nicht scheitern.

Das Video hier abspielen
Islamistes et laïcs se toisent à Benghazi

LE FIGARO: REPORTAGE - Le nouveau paysage politique libyen, à peine émergent, est fortement imprégné par les mouvements à orientation religieuse.

Ismaïl Salabi est un bon prêcheur. Le sourire facile, les yeux dorés qui pétillent, ce jeune costaud barbu de 34 ans en chemisette rayée assure avoir les larmes aux yeux quand il évoque en chaire les beautés de la religion. Mais en ce moment, il se consacre à la guerre. Posant un instant sa kalachnikov, Ismaïl Salabi se présente comme chef des opérations du Groupe des martyrs du 17 février, fort de 3000 hommes, l'une des principales unités du front de l'Est. Le supérieur direct d'Ismaïl Salabi, Fawzi Boukatif, commande également le Bataillon de la révolution, une unité plus importante dont le Groupe des martyrs est l'une des branches. » | Par Pierre Prier | Mardi 06 Septembre 2011
France: Manifestation contre «l’islamisation» en Moselle

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: LORRAINE | A Forbach, près de Metz, au nord-est de la France la "Nouvelle droite populaire" organise une manifestation "anti-islam" en dépit d’une interdiction réclamée par plusieurs organisations de gauche.

Une manifestation "anti-islam" de la "Nouvelle droite populaire" (NDP) pourra se dérouler dimanche à 20 heures à Forbach (Moselle) en dépit d’une interdiction réclamée par plusieurs organisations de gauche, a-t-on indiqué mercredi de source préfectorale à Metz.

Prenant prétexte de la victoire d’une coalition européenne - à laquelle participait le duc de Lorraine - contre les Turcs le 11 septembre 1683 à Vienne, la NDP a appelé à manifester contre "l’islamisation de la Lorraine et de l’Europe", le jour du 10è anniversaire des attentats du 11 septembre 2001 aux Etats-Unis. » | ATS | Mercredi 07 Septembre 2011
Calmy-Rey zum Zeitpunkt des Rücktritts

Micheline Calmy-Rey tritt per Ende Jahr aus dem Bundesrat zurück. An einer Medienkonferenz in Bern informiert sie zu ihren Beweggründen und zieht Bilanz über ihre Amtszeit.

708888b4-90ec-499a-b879-0f810233c8ea

SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Calmy-Rey tritt nicht zur Wiederwahl an » | sf/sda/godc/buet | Mittwoch 07. September 2011
Deutschlands EU-Hilfe rechtens

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht von Deutschland hat eine Klage gegen den EU-Rettungsschirm und die Griechenlandhilfe abgewiesen. Gleichzeitig verlangt sie für den Bundestag aber mehr Beteiligungsrechte bei Finanzfragen.

Tagesschau vom 07.09.2011

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Obama's Big Week: Polls Add to Pressure on the President

LOS ANGELES TIMES: As if to make the point vividly clear that summer is unofficially over, the skies of Washington on Tuesday were a metallic gray, with a cold breeze blowing and rain peppering the ground. It had the feel of seriousness, of stakes raised. And no one likely will understand that more this week than President Obama.

Thursday’s joint address to Congress will bring what could be perhaps a pivotal moment in his presidency, with the nation looking for his best proposals to help move the country out of the economic stall in which it has remained for months.

At the same time, Congress reconvenes to begin to shape a bipartisan plan for slashing the federal deficit. The so-called “supercommittee” meets for the first time Thursday as well. Whether lawmakers can deliver a meaningful, achievable solution could also have an effect on how voters view the president’s capacity to match words with results.

And if the nation needed any more of a reminder that we live in perilous times, the week will also feature incessant replays of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in advance of Sunday’s anniversary. » | James Oliphant | Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Les islamistes bien placés pour tirer profit du printemps arabe

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: APRÈS LA RÉVOLUTION | Les mouvements islamistes ont deux options après les soulèvements du printemps arabe: jouer sur le vide sécuritaire ou se muer en parti politique. La seconde option est la plus probable, selon les experts.

Les groupes islamistes pourraient tirer profit du vide sécuritaire créé par les soulèvements populaires dans des pays arabes. Mais il est plus probable qu’ils se lancent dans la conquête du pouvoir politique, a estimé l’institut de recherche IISS dans son rapport stratégique annuel, mardi à Londres.

«Je ne dis pas qu’il y aura nécessairement des activités terroristes, mais la chute d’Etats sécuritaires est certainement quelque chose qui crée pour ces groupes des occasions de passer à l’action», a estimé Emile Hokayem, expert à l’Institut international d’études stratégiques (IISS), au cours d’une conférence de presse.

Les révolutions, qui ont éclaté ces derniers mois dans plusieurs pays arabes, ont apporté la preuve que le changement était possible sans le jihad, a-t-il cependant ajouté.

Jusqu’à récemment, «le jihadisme international bénéficiait du fait que ces groupes pensaient qu’ils ne pourraient rien faire chez eux, donc ils (les jihadistes) ont combattu ailleurs (...). Maintenant, ils ont une occasion (de se faire entendre) plus près de chez eux», a estimé le chercheur installé à Bahreïn. » | ATS | Mardi 06 Septembre 2011
Salvatore Licitra (1968 – 2011) – An Homage

Video shown at the award ceremony of 'Ragusani nel mondo'. The award was given to Salvatore Licitra, in absence, on September 3, 2011



Offer your condolences here or here.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: 'Pavarotti's heir' dies after scooter crash aged 43: Italian opera star Salvatore Licitra has died from head injuries following a scooter accident last month. » | Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Islam in the USA: Adhan (Islamic Call to Prayer) Called in a Christian Church!

Islam in Australia: Interview with Almir Colan

Listen to the interview here
Islamic Finance Australia: Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar

Dr Muhammed Daud Bakar (international scholar), a member of shariah Advisory council of Dow Jones Islamic Market INDEX, AAOIFI, of many financial institutions around the world including the Central Bank of Malaysia.

In my interview with him we will talk briefly about Islamic finance in Australia and some of the opportunities and challenges that are facing the industry.

In this interview:
a. What is Islamic finance?
b. Australia and Islamic finance
c. The Regulatory challenge
d. Risk management...

Interview by Almir Colan, Lecturer (Islamic Finance, Islamic Capital Markets), La Trobe University (School of Economics and Finance)


Al Jazeera English Live

'New Libyan Government Won’t Be Western Puppet'

Monday, September 05, 2011

Frenchman Ordered to Pay Wife Damages for Lack of Sex

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Frenchman has been ordered to pay his ex-wife £8,500 in damages for failing to have enough sex with her during their marriage.

The 51-year-old man was fined under article 215 of France’s civil code, which states married couples must agree to a “shared communal life”.

A judge has now ruled that this law implies that “sexual relations must form part of a marriage”.

The rare legal decision came after the wife filed for divorce two years ago, blaming the break-up on her husband’s lack of activity in the bedroom. » | Telegraph Foreign Staff | Monday, September 05, 2011
House of Lords Debates – Saudi Arabia (May 20, 2010)

On human rights, freedom of speech, equality, and dignity: Is Saudi Arabia prepared to defend human rights, civil liberties and fight terrorism?




House of Lords Debates – Saudi Arabia








Robert Lacey's website »

WIKI: Robert Lacey »

Dr. Mai Yamani »

WIKI: Dr. Mai Yamani's website »
The Rebirth of Ground Zero

Watch Journeyman Pictures video here
Niall Ferguson: 'The Real Point of Me Isn’t that I’m Good Looking. It’s that I’m Clever’

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Historian Niall Ferguson on why broken Britain, celebrity culture and being called a pin-up make him angry.

I have not yet asked Niall Ferguson about him leaving his wife and three children, or his relationship with the Somalian feminist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, so when he launches in to a lengthy and verbose attack against the press during what I thought was a pretty innocuous chat about political correctness (he loathes it, naturally), it seems a little out of the blue.

“I really hate it,” he scowls.

"I can’t stand it. I find the prurience, the prying, the sneering… I find it utterly odious. But the problem isn’t just the amorality of editors and their minions, it is that the British public also has a nauseating prurience. And what I find disgusting is that people want to judge footballers – and professors for that matter – by an entirely anachronistic yardstick. It’s as if by reading this stuff we become Victorians, and we are scandalised, I mean scandalised, to discover that a professor of history is getting divorced, which is clearly outrageous in this day and age.

“I mean, how can this be news? How can this be ------- news? To me, it’s just a collective hypocrisy that attracts people to these stories. This desire to look into the BEDROOMS” – he is practically shouting now – “and pick up the sheets and have a gander. It disgusts me.”

I understand Ferguson’s anger. His new girlfriend, who was circumcised as a young girl in Somalia and is now pregnant with their first child, lived under a fatwa even before Theo Van Gogh – her friend and collaborator on a film about Muslim women – was murdered by extremists, a message affixed to his chest with a knife saying that she was next.

Both Ferguson and Ali are on an al-Qaeda list now and have security. “It’s not just that I can’t understand why the British press should want to write stories about the private life of an academic who has done a bit of telly [his series for Channel 4, Civilization, based on his book of the same name, about the fall of the West, proved incredibly popular]. More than anything else what makes me tremendously angry is that one consequence of the intrusion was to place Ayaan in danger. That is just contemptible.” Continue reading and comment » | Bryony Gordon | Monday, September 05, 2011

MAIL ON SUNDAY: TV historian is having a child with his Somali-born feminist partner » | Mail On Sunday Reporter | Sunday, June 05, 2011

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Scottish Conservative Party Set to Disband

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron is facing the prospect of the end of the Scottish Conservative Party.

Dramatic plans to disband the Tories north of the border were unveiled by the front-runner for its leadership in a move one senior party figure warned could encourage the break-up of the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister – who is spending the weekend in Scotland – faces the prospect of being the first British Prime Minister whose party has no Scottish MPs.

Murdo Fraser, who is favourite to become leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, will announce that he plans to wind up the party if he wins a ballot of members next month.

He would follow disbanding the party by launching a new Right-of-centre party that would contest all Scottish elections — council, Scottish Parliament and Westminster.

Mr Fraser, a member of the Scottish Parliament, believes the Conservatives have become a “toxic brand” in Scotland since losing all 11 of their Commons seats in the 1997 Labour landslide.

Mr Cameron, who is staying with the Queen at Balmoral this weekend, has been told of Mr Fraser’s plans, but has decided to remain neutral for fear of being accused of interfering in the Scottish Tories’ leadership election. Read on and comment » | Alan Cochrane, Scottish Editor | Saturday, September 03, 2011
Watch Al Jazeera English Live

Indonesian Mayor Resists Building of Church

Despite losing all legal battles, mayor says he cannot allow a church to be built on a street with an Islamic name

Is Muhammad a Prophet?

Watch ABN video here

Friday, September 02, 2011

Who Was Muhammad?

9/11 Anniversary: US Issues Worldwide Travel Alert to Americans

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A worldwide travel alert ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks has been issued by the US State Department, calling on Americans living and travelling abroad to remain vigilant.

The department said it had not identified any "specific threats" about possible attacks but that al-Qaeda and its affiliates had "demonstrated the intent and capability to carry out attacks" against the US and US interests.

"In the past, terrorist organisations have on occasion planned their attacks to coincide with significant dates on the calendar," the State Department said.

The alert expires on January 2, 2012, it said.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said there was "no specific or credible intelligence that al-Qaeda or its affiliates are plotting attacks" linked to the anniversary of the worst terror strikes on US soil.

But she added: "We remain at a heightened state of vigilance, and security measures are in place to detect and prevent plots against the United States should they emerge." » | Friday, September 02, 2011
Republikanerin Michele Bachmann nennt Hurrikan ein Zeichen Gottes

Türkei weist israelischen Botschafter aus

Der Streit um die Gaza-Hilfsflotte zwischen der Türkei und Israel hat sich verschärft. Die Regierung in Istanbul hat nun den israelischen Botschafter ausgewiesen

Deutsche Konvertiten zum Islam (aus der Sendung 'ML Mona Lisa' vom 13. Dezember 2009)

Congress Smarts President Obama

When the President of the United States says he wants to address Congress, it is not normally up for discussion but then again, these are far from normal times in Washington DC.

Barack Obama is taking heat for agreeing to reschedule a major economic speech, because Republicans effectively told him they had other plans.

Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports.


Gaddafi Loyalist Tribes in Western Libya

Muammar Gaddafi also says that tribes loyal to him are ready for battle. So how powerful are Libya's tribes and where do their loyalties lie?

Abgehörtes Telefonat: Berlusconi nennt Italien ein „Scheißland“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Es ist der jüngste Ausfall von Silvio Berlusconi: Der Milliardär und Regierungschef soll Italien am Telefon ein „Scheißland“ genannt haben, das er in einigen Monaten verlassen wolle. Bei dem Anruf soll es auch um die Sexaffären Berlusconis gegangen sein. » | dpa | Freitag 02. September 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Berlusconi vows to leave 'shitty' Italy in conversation recorded by police: Transcripts from blackmail investigation reveal the Italian prime minister's frustration with his country » | John Hooper | Rome | Thursday, September 01, 2011
The PC Brigade Kills off Jesus Christ

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH (AUSTRALIA): A DECISION to use politically correct terms - which do not mention Jesus Christ - for dates BC and AD in the new national history curriculum was an act of Christian cleansing, church leaders said yesterday.

BCE (Before Common Era), BP (Before Present) and CE (Common Era) are the new neutral terms to replace the historical terms BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini).

Removing BC and AD from the curriculum was an "intellectually absurd attempt to write Christ out of human history", Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen said yesterday.

"It is absurd because the coming of Christ remains the centre point of dating and because the phrase 'common era' is meaningless and misleading," he said.

It was akin to calling Christmas the festive season, Archbishop Jensen said.

The Reverend Fred Nile said the deletion was "an absolute disgrace ... the direction of the national curriculum is towards almost a Christian cleansing to remove from our history any references to the role Christianity had in the formation of Australia and still has today".

"This is the final insult to remove BC and AD which are still recognised around the world," he said. Read on and comment » | Miranda Devine | Friday, September 02, 2011
Root of Syrian Unrest: Politics or Religion?

Inside Gaddafi’s Secret Underworld

Gaddafi Delivers Second Audio Address

In a second audio message broadcast on a Syrian TV channel, Muammar Gaddafi called on his supporters to prepare for a long battle against Libya's new leaders

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Russia Was Never on Gaddafi's Side, Nor NATO's - FM Lavrov

Russia has never supported Muammar Gaddafi, that's the key message from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who also opposed NATO methods to remove the former Libyan leader. Egor Piskunov has more on Russia's answer on the Libyan conflict. Also, to talk more about the future of the Libyan state, RT's joined by Chris Nineham from the "Stop the War Coalition" based in London.

George Clooney: Why I Won't Stand for President

The Hollywood actor explains why he will never stand for President

Head Scarf Ban More Than Safety Issue?

September 01, 2011: Muslim group cries foul

'There's Something Sad About a President This Ineffective'

September 01, 200: Newt Gingrich reacts to clash between Obama and Boehner over jobs speech

Colonel Gaddafi Issues Defiant Warning to Rebels that They Face a 'Long Battle' for Control of Libya

Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi calls on his supporters to set Libya alight as he vows to continue the fight against the rebel1

Gadhafi Vows No Surrender in Libya

THE GUARDIAN: TRIPOLI, Libya — Moammar Gadhafi warned from hiding Thursday that tribes loyal to him were well-armed and preparing for battle, hours after rebels hoping for a peaceful surrender extended the deadline for loyalist forces to give up in the longtime Libyan leader's hometown.

Gadhafi's audio statement, broadcast by Syrian-based Al-Rai TV, came as the rebels said they were closing in on the former dictator.

"We won't surrender again; we are not women [عربي], we will keep fighting," Gadhafi said. His voice was recognizable, and Al-Rai has previously broadcast several statements by Gadhafi and his sons.

Rebels have been hunting for the Libyan leader since he was forced into hiding after they swept into Tripoli on Aug. 20 and gained control of most of the capital after days of fierce fighting. » | Maggie Michael | Associated Press | Thursday, September 01, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi's Sons At Odds Over Surrender

Deposed Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son and heir apparent, Saif al-Islam, tells Syria's al-Rai TV loyalists would never surrender to the rebels - while his brother Saadi, a former footballer, tells al-Arabiya TV he is ready to negotiate with rebels

Post-Gaddafi Libya: A Police Force Trained by Britain; and an Islamist Militia Backed by Qatar

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – ROB CRILLY: The challenges facing Libya as it tries to build a new government after 42 years of Gaddafi rule were all on display at Benghazi airport last night. A huge RAF jet loomed out of the darkness carrying 40 tonnes of banknotes – 280 million dinars worth of crisp bills which had been printed in Britain, but seized aboard the Sloman Provider after her crew had decided not to proceed to Libya in the early months of the uprising.

The banknotes will be used to pay public workers, who have received only a fraction of their wages for the past six months. More importantly, it will add liquidity to an economy which has been in suspended animation during the uprising.

It was the first shipment of frozen cash to arrive back on Libyan soil. David Cameron himself had overseen the logistics, keen that Britain’s key role in backing the rebels was on display on the eve of the Paris conference today. Read on and comment » | Rob Crilly | Thursday, September 01, 2011
Inside Story - Turkey Confronts EU Concerns

The government is taking a bold step to address discrimination against religious minorities but is it a move to appease the European Union or a bid to fend off the Islamist image of the ruling AK party?

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Immer mehr Länder geben Gaddafi-Gelder frei

Grossbritannien hat umgerechnet 1,3 Milliarden Franken für humanitäre Zwecke nach Tripolis überwiesen. UNO-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon hat ebenfalls zu schneller Hilfe aufgerufen, damit sich die humanitäre Lage in Libyen verbessere.

Tagesschau vom 31.08.2011
Sunni Muslims Banned from Holding Own Eid Prayers in Tehran

THE GUARDIAN: Security police block access to houses rented by Sunni minority for worship

Sunni Muslims in Tehran have been banned from congregating at prayers marking the end of Ramadan.

Iran, a Shia country, ordered its Sunni minority not to hold separate prayers in Tehran for Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that brings the month of fasting to an end. They were instead asked to have a Shia imam leading their prayers – something that is against their religious beliefs.

Hundreds of security police were deployed in the capital to prevent Sunni worshippers from entering houses they rent for religious ceremonies. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Bahraini Boy Killed in Protest

A 14 year old boy dies from injuries as anti-government protesters clash with police in Sitra.

The death comes only days after the UN Human Rights Chief criticised Bahrain's treatment of pro-democracy protesters.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports - and a warning, viewers may find some of the pictures distressing.


Gaddafi’s Daughter to Leave Hospital After Giving Birth

OMAN DAILY OBSERVER: ALGIERS — Aisha Gaddafi, who gave birth in Algeria this week after fleeing Libya as her father’s regime crumbled, was to leave hospital in the southern town of Djanet yesterday, a government source said.

The government said Tuesday that she had crossed into Algeria on Saturday with her brother Hannibal, their mother Safiya — Gaddafi’s second wife — and the fugitive leader’s eldest son Mohammed.

“Both (mother and daughter) are in very good health,” said the source who requested anonymity. The government said on Tuesday that Aisha Gaddafi gave birth to a baby girl in the small southern town of Djanet [français], 2,300 kilometres south of Algiers, early on Sunday.

The government official declined to comment on tensions between Algiers and Libya’s National Transitional Council, which has all but vanquished Gaddafi and has called for the handover of the Gaddafi family members.

Algeria’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said the Gaddafi family members were allowed in the country “for strictly humanitarian reasons”.

The daily Ennahar newspaper reported yesterday that up to 62 Gaddafi clan members had entered Tunisia. » | Agencies | Thursday, September 01, 2011
Sharia Enshrined in Libyan Draft Constitution

THE NEW AMERICAN: Now that the U.S. military, under the auspices of NATO, has “liberated” Libya, that country is on a path to become the third such nation to establish Sharia as the principal basis for all future constitutional legislation.

With the pen of power placed in their hands by the armed forces of the United States, the members of the Libyan Transitional National Council (TNC) has released a draft of a proposed new constitution that enumerates Islamic Sharia law as its foundation.

Sharia, which means “path” in Arabic, is the sacred law of Islam. The precepts of Sharia have two sources: the Koran and the writings of Mohammed. Sharia is the code that is responsible for the stoning of adulteresses; the caning of rape victims; and the restrictions on dress, rights of inheritance, and marital status of women.

A document released by the TNC explicitly establishes Islam as the state religion and specifies that the principal source of all laws lawfully promulgated under the proposed constitution will be the precepts of Sharia. » | Joe Wolverton II | Friday, August 26, 2011
Al Jazeera English Live

Jesus or Muhammad?

Did Jesus Die by Crucifixion?

Inside Story - Algeria - Libya Relations

Is al-Qaeda stoking the friction between Libya and its neighbour?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

King Idris of Libya

Sayyid Muhammad Idris bin Sayyid Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Senussi was the King of Libya from 1951 to 1969, and the Chief of the Senussi Muslims. While out of the country he was deposed in a military coup led by Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi. He died in Cairo in 1983 and was buried in Medina, Saudi Arabia.


THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Libyan Prince: I’m Ready to Be King » | John W. Miller | Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Libya’s Crown Prince in Exile


Crown Prince Mohammed El Senussi – Biography »
History of Libya

Documentary film of some of the key events in Libyan history between the years 1911 – 1969


Prince Mohammed El Senussi (Official Website) »
Sky News - Mohammed El Senussi with Adam Boulton [March 22, 2011]


WIKI: Prince Mohammed El Senussi »
Mohammed El Senussi Statement [on] Libya [in Arabic]


CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Prince Mohammed El Senussi’s Personal Message (August 18, 2011) »
The Path of a Young German Salafist

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Robert B. wore long robes, dreamed of paradise and called himself Abdul Hakiim. He and his friend were arrested in July for trying to enter Britain with bomb-making guides and al-Qaida propaganda. They now sit in a London high-security prison. But Robert's motivations remain a mystery.

A mother can't be fooled, and a mother notices when her child goes astray, says Marlies B. That's why she called the state authorities in October 2010 and asked if she needed to be worried about her son.

Her son Robert had changed. He'd converted to Islam, forsaken pork and alcohol, and now he wore a knit wool cap and wandered the city of Solingen, northeast of Cologne, in floor-length garments. Marlies B. says she'd never seen him this way. People asked her about it, and it was embarrassing. It frightened her.

At the end of July -- after a period when she couldn't reach him, either on his cell phone or at his apartment -- she printed out a statement from his bank account. (Robert had given her notarized power of attorney years before.) She noticed a flight booked for €447 ($647), and "all of my alarm bells went off," she says. She drove to a national-security office in Wuppertal.

"You're son is doing well," an official told her, asking her to take a seat in the hall. Marlies B. had an uneasy feeling. A mother knows, she says. Two other officials came upstairs. They had just searched Robert's apartment, and they told her that her son had been in a London prison since July 15. » | Julia Jüttner, Solingen | Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Grausamkeiten in Libyen

Jüngste Berichte aus Libyen zeugen von unfassbarer Brutalität auf beiden Seiten des Krieges. Es häufen sich Meldungen über Funde von verbrannten Leichen, Exekutionen, Folter und Massaker. Von Zehntausenden Gefangenen fehlt jede Spur.

10vor10 vom 29.08.2011
Libyan Rebels Demand Return of Gaddafi Family from Algeria

Libya's National Transitional Council says the dictator's wife Safiya, who crossed the border into Algeria with Gaddafi's daughter Aisha, sons Hannibal and Mohammed and their children on 29 August, should be extradited. The family crossed at the south-western Libyan town of Ghadamis into Algeria, according to witnesses

Monday, August 29, 2011

Gaddafis Familie auf der Flucht

Gaddafis Frau und drei seiner Kinder, darunter sein Sohn Hannibal, haben das Land Richtung Algerien verlassen. Vom Diktator fehlt weiterhin jede Spur. Nahostkorrespondent Pascal Weber schätzt für «10vor10» die neusten Entwicklungen ein.

10vor10 vom 29.08.2011
Gaddafis Familie in Algerien

Laut Angaben des algerischen Aussenministeriums ist Gaddafis Ehefrau mit den Kindern Mohammed, Hannibal und Aischa nach Algerien ausgereist. Der libysche Despot Muammar al-Gaddafi ist noch immer auf der Flucht. Die NATO hat erneut Luftangriffe auf Gaddafis Heimatstadt Sirte geflogen.

Tagesschau vom 29.08.2011
Muslim Student Group a Gateway to Jihad?

The Muslim Students Association is one of the largest Islamic organizations in America. Yet some terror experts are saying the group a recruiting tool for jihad.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Das geheime Leben der Hana Gaddafi

WELT ONLINE: Sie wurde vor 25 Jahren für tot erklärt – doch der Verdacht erhärtet sich, dass Gaddafi-Tochter Hana noch lebt. Offenbar arbeitet sie als Ärztin.

Ihr Leben war streng geheim, denn für die Öffentlichkeit durfte sie nicht existieren. Hana Gaddafi, die Tochter des Diktators, wurde im April 1986 nach dem US-Bombenangriff auf Tripolis vom Regime für tot erklärt – aus Propagandazwecken. In den letzten Tagen erhärtete sich der Verdacht: Hana Gaddafi ist am Leben.

Erste Hinweise hatte es gegeben, als die Schweizer Regierung Konten der Gaddafi-Familie einfrieren ließ, darunter auch das Vermögen einer Hana Gaddafi, geboren am 11. November 1985. Die junge Frau hatte in London gelebt, in Libyen Medizin studierte und anschließend als Ärztin gearbeitet.

Die Eroberung der Gaddafi-Residenz Bab al-Asisia förderte weitere Beweise zutage. Eine irische Reporterin stieß in Gaddafis Palast auf einen Raum, in dem ganz offenbar noch vor Kurzem eine junge Frau aus dem Diktatorenclan gelebt hatte. Im Regal standen DVDs der US-Serie „Sex and the City“ und CDs von den „Backstreet Boys“. Außerdem entdeckte die Journalistin Anti-Cellulite-Creme und Stofftiere. » | Florian Flade | Sonntag 28. August 2011
Ouragan Irene: la catastrophe annoncée n'a pas eu lieu

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L'ouragan Irène, entre-temps rétrogradé tempête tropicale, a bel et bien frappé New York. Mais la catastrophe annoncée n'a pas eu lieu.

L’ouragan Iréne a frappé ce week-end la côte Est des Etats-Unis, faisant douze morts. Il a été rétrogradé en tempête tropicale alors qu’il atteignait New York, où il a provoqué des inondations et de fortes pluies. La catastrophe redoutée n’a toutefois pas eu lieu.

New York «s’en est sortie», a déclaré le responsable des services de secours de la ville Joseph Bruno. «Certaines parties de la ville sont inondées, il y a de la pluie, mais globalement, je pense que nous nous en sommes sortis», a-t-il déclaré sur CNN.

Il a également évoqué des «milliers d’arbres à terre ou endommagés, de nombreux débris, et des inondations». Plus de 70’000 personnes ont été privées d’électricité dans la métropole.

Mais en milieu de matinée, la pluie avait faibli, la circulation reprenait progressivement, et certains New Yorkais se promenaient en famille, dans une ville toujours privée de transports en commun. » | AFP | Dimanche 28 Août 2011
Gaddafi Extends Olive Branch?

Prof. Bernard Lewis - Radical Islam, Israel and the West

Prof. Robert Wistrich: An Interview

Robert Wistrich: Jihad and the Spread of Islamism

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Anjem Choudary Invites World Religious Leaders to Embrace Islam (October 24, 2009)

Pat Condell: Europe Needs a Revolution

Friday, August 26, 2011

Hurricane Irene: Barack Obama Warns Americans 'To Prepare for the Worst'

President Barack Obama has warned people on the east coast of America to "be prepared for the worst", as what promises to be a "historic hurricane" is poised to wreak havoc throughout the weekend


Read article here | Friday, August 26, 2011

Thursday, August 25, 2011

New Book Review: The Dawning of a New Dark Age

I have just received a great review of my book, The Dawning of a New Dark Age, written by Michael Arch. Naturally, I am very grateful to Michael both for writing it and sending it to me, and it goes without saying that I want to share it with you.
I recently read ‘The Dawning of a New Dark Age’ by Mark Alexander…

There have been a number of books published on the rise of Islam and the threat it poses to the West, especially to Europe and the U.K. I have read a number of these books as this is a subject that interests me greatly. Mark’s book debunks a number of myths surrounding Islam, in particular the much-parroted concept that Islam is a ‘religion of peace’. Mark’s work is well thought-out and clearly laid-out. I found it a very informative read. It compared very well with the other books I have read; indeed, it was better than many of them. My favourite chapter was “Islam – Time to End the Myths”. In fact, in my opinion, pretty much all of the chapters were spot on. I highly recommend ‘The Dawning of a New Dark Age’ if you want to know about Islam and the threat it poses to the West. Read it! Islam is the elephant in the room. Mark is pointing at it with this book. Observe! – Michael Arch, August 2011
Inside Story – Challenges for Libya’s New Leaders

What does the immediate future hold for the new leaders of Libya?

People and Power - Germany's Records of Repression

Fifty years after the Berlin Wall was erected, the spectre of the Stasi continues to loom over Germany

China Rises: US Warns Beijing Is Expanding Its Military Power

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: China is pouring money into aircraft carriers, missiles, cyber warfare and "space dominance", a US Pentagon report has claimed.

China will have a modern military capable of force-projection and sustained high-intensity combat as early as the end of this decade, an annual Pentagon report into the state of China's armed forces has claimed.

New aircraft carriers, a stealth fighter program, carrier-killing ballistic missiles, improved cyberwarfare techniques and a doctrine of "space dominance" would all contribute to China's ambitious plans to modernise its 2.3million-strong People's Liberation Army.

The annual report comes as the US, Japan and several of China's smaller neighbours in the South China Sea voice concerns both about China's investment in offensive weapons technologies and Beijing's belligerent and bullying attitude towards regional disputes.

China rebuffed the 94-page report, accusing the Pentagon of "overlooking the country's peaceful defence policy" and "interfering" over Taiwan, the island that split from China in 1949 but that Beijing yearns to see re-united with mainland.

China's embassy in Washington described the report as "a reflection of Cold War mentality" that would needlessly be used to depict China as a threat and urged the US to "to work with China" to create healthy military ties between the two powers. Read on and comment » | Peter Foster, Beijing | Thursday, August 25, 2011
Gaddafi Rap Catches Mood in Arab World

Alooshe, known in Israel for his witty musical remixes of pompous statements by political figures, posted this video in February. The Zenga Zenga rap has become a viral hit, with more than 4m hits

Wednesday, August 24, 2011