Gesetz gegen Schwule und Lesben: Westerwelle beschwert sich bei Russlands Botschafter über Homophobie

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Moskau will "Propaganda für Homosexualität" unter Strafe stellen, das Vorhaben ruft Außenminister Westerwelle auf den Plan. In einem Gespräch mit Russlands Botschafter beklagt er das Vorgehen gegen Schwule und Lesben - und warnt vor einer Belastung für die europäisch-russischen Beziehungen.

Berlin - Russland will im ganzen Land "Propaganda für gleichgeschlechtliche Beziehungen" verbieten. Ein entsprechendes Gesetzhat in erster Lesung die Duma passiert. Bislang galt ein ähnliches Verbot in St. Petersburg und anderen, vornehmlich kleineren Städten.

Der Vorgang, der in westlichen Ländern für Empörung sorgt, hat jetzt auch Außenminister GuidoWesterwelle auf den Plan gerufen. Er selbst ist mit seinem langjährigen Partner Michael Mronz verheiratet.

Der 51-Jährige empfing am Montagnachmittag den russischen Botschafter Wladimir Grinin im Auswärtigen Amt. Nach SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Informationen sprach derFDP-Politiker mit seinem Gesprächspartner auch über das neue Gesetzesvorhaben. Westerwelle wurde bei dem Thema, für Diplomaten eher ungewöhnlich, sehr deutlich. In dem Gespräch stellte er klar, dass der Entwurf aus deutscher Sicht gegen die Europäische Menschenrechtskonvention verstößt. Ein solches Gesetz werde die europäisch-russischen Beziehungen erschweren und würde auch das Image Russlands in Europa beschädigen, zitierte ein Mitarbeiter die Position Westerwelles.

Weiter habe Westerwelle darauf hingewiesen, dass er als Freund Russlands und Verfechter guter Beziehungen persönlich enttäuscht sei. Es gehe, so der Außenminister, in der Demokratie auch um den Schutz von Minderheiten. » | Von Severin Weiland | Dienstag, 29. Januar 2013

North Korean Cannibalism Fears amid Claims Starving People Forced to Desperate Measures
THE INDEPENDENT: The reports come as sanctions against the country are tightened against the backdrop of angry rhetoric over missile testing

Reports from inside the secretive famine-hit pariah state, North Korea, claim a man has been executed after murdering his two children for food.

The grim suggestion that North Koreans are turning to cannibalism were reported by the Asia Press, and published in the Sunday Times.

They claim a 'hidden famine' in the farming provinces of North and South Hwanghae has killed 10,000 people, and there are fears that cannibalism is spreading throughout the country.

The reports come as sanctions are tightened against the backdrop of angry rhetoric over missile testing.

In one particularly disturbing report, a man was said to have dug up his grandchild's corpse. Other lurid reports included the suggestion that some men boiled their children before eating them.

Asia Press is a specialist news agency based in Osaka, Japan, which claims to have recruited a network of "citizen journalists" inside North Korea. The reports are considered credible. » | Rob Williams | Monday, January 28, 2013

Barack Obama Opens the Door for 11 Million Illegal Immigrants to Stay in US
THE INDEPENDENT: President optimistic of progress as Republicans soften line

President Barack Obama travelled to Las Vegas to confirm his determination to make overhauling America’s bewildering immigration system a top priority for his second term in office, and opening a path to citizenship for the 11 million people already in the country illegally. » | David Usborne | Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Pakistanischer Atomphysiker: "Muslimische Gesellschaften sind kollektiv gescheitert"
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In islamischen Ländern rumort es, auch nach der Arabischen Revolution sind überall religiöse Kräfte auf dem Vormarsch. Der pakistanische Atomphysiker Pervez Hoodbhoy sieht ein "kollektives Scheitern" von muslimischen Gesellschaften. Im Gespräch mit SPIEGEL ONLINE erklärt er seine These.

Studentinnen und Studenten tanzen um Pervez Hoodbhoy herum. Sie tragen Roben und Doktorhüte, die jungen Frauen haben die Hüte einfach über ihre Kopftücher gestülpt. Gerade haben sie erfahren, dass sie ihre Prüfungen bestanden haben. Jetzt wollen sie sich mit Hoodbhoy fotografieren lassen. Ihrem berühmten Professor.

Pervez Hoodbhoy, 62, ist Nuklearphysiker an der Quaid-e-Azam-Universität in Pakistans Hauptstadt Islamabad. Hier lehrt er seit den siebziger Jahren. Er selbst hat an renommierten Hochschulen in den USA und in Europa studiert und auch unterrichtet. Für seine wissenschaftlichen Leistungen hat er Preise erhalten, und über die Physik ist er zu politischen Themen gekommen.

Zum Beispiel kritisiert er die nukleare Aufrüstung der Atommacht Pakistan und das Vordringen von Religion in wissenschaftliche, kulturelle und politische Bereiche. Mit dieser Haltung macht er sich Feinde in Pakistan, das so stolz auf seine Atombombe ist. Eine Privatuniversität in Lahore hat ihn gerade entlassen, für seine Arbeit in Islamabad wartet er seit Monaten auf seine Bezahlung.

Trotzdem habe er nie daran gedacht, Pakistan zu verlassen, sagt er. Hoodbhoy wurde als Muslim geboren, in eine ismailitische Familie. Von vielen verhasst, aber von manchen auch heimlich bewundert, will er sich nicht mundtot machen lassen. "Ich sage, was ich denke. Und ich begründe es", sagt er in seinem Büro, das er immer noch an der Hochschule hat, die ihn nicht mehr bezahlt. An den Wänden hängen Bilder von Japan nach der Zerstörung durch die Atombomben, auf dem Schreibtisch stapeln sich Bücher über Physik und Politik. Lesen Sie im Interview, warum Pervez Hoodbhoy der Religion so kritisch gegenübersteht und wie er die Zukunft von islamischen Gesellschaften sieht: » | Von Hasnain Kazim, Islamabad | Montag, 28. Januar 2013

Heikler Besuch bei Merkel: Kanzlerin stellt Mursi die Millionenfrage

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Krawalle erschüttern Ägypten, Dutzende Menschen sind umgekommen - dennoch besucht Präsident Mursi am Mittwoch wie geplant Berlin. Es geht nämlich um Geld, um viele Millionen, die Kairo dringend braucht. Doch dafür muss der Islamist Antworten auf einige Fragen geben.

Berlin - Man kann sich kaum einen Small Talk vorstellen zwischen Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und Ägyptens Präsident Mohammed Mursiam Mittwoch beim gemeinsamen Mittagessen. Zu viele und zu ernst sind die Fragen, die sich zwischen beiden aufdrängen.

Mursis erster Amtsbesuch in Deutschland hätte kaum zu einem schwierigeren Zeitpunkt stattfinden können. In drei ägyptischen Städten wurde der Notstand ausgerufen. Seit Donnerstag kamen rund 60 Menschen bei Krawallen ums Leben. Der Militärchef warnte am Dienstag vor einem Staatskollaps.

Eine eigentlich für Dienstag geplante Reise nach Äthiopien zum Treffen der Afrikanischen Union hat der Präsident abgesagt. Doch der Besuch in Deutschland ist für Mursi zu wichtig. Für Mursi steht viel Geld auf dem Spiel, das er dringend benötigt. Ägyptens Wirtschaft steckt in der Krise. Arbeitslosigkeit und Armut nehmen zu, der Vorrat an ausländischen Devisen schrumpft, das Haushaltsdefizit wächst. » | Von Raniah Salloum | Dienstag, 29. Januar 2013

Syrien: Asma al-Assad soll schwanger sein

SPIEGEL ONLINE: In Syrien tobt der Krieg - und Herrscher Baschar al-Assad freut sich angeblich über Familienzuwachs. Seine Frau Asma, die sich seit Monaten nicht mehr öffentlich gezeigt hat, erwartet laut einer libanesischen Zeitung ein Kind. Dies habe der mutmaßlich werdende Vater Besuchern verkündet.

Damaskus - Asma al-Assad, die Frau des syrischen Diktators Baschar al-Assad, soll schwanger sein. Dies berichtet die libanesische Zeitung "al-Akhbar". Sie berief sich dabei auf namentlich nicht genannte "Besucher", denen gegenüber Assad das kürzlich verkündet haben soll.

Das Ehepaar Assad hat bereits drei Kinder. Ob sie sich noch in Damaskus aufhalten, ist unklar. Mutter und Schwester des Diktators sollen sich inzwischen nach Dubai abgesetzt haben. Beide galten als enge Vertraute und wichtige Beraterinnen im inneren Kreis um Assad.

Was die politische Situation in Syrien angeht, habe sich Baschar al-Assad während des Treffens siegesgewiss gegeben, berichteten die Quellen weiter. Seit zwei Jahren kommt es in dem Land zu Protesten gegen Baschar al-Assad. Inzwischen hat er über weite Teile des Landes die Kontrolle verloren, es herrscht Bürgerkrieg. Möglicherweise wurden die Gerüchte um die Schwangerschaft auch gestreut, um die Abwesenheit Asma al-Assads in der Öffentlichkeit zu erklären und die Zuversicht des Diktators zu unterstreichen. » | ras | Dienstag, 29. Januar 2013

Saudi Women Allowed to Work for Intelligence Agency
AL AKHBAR ENGLISH: Saudi Arabia now allows women to join the gulf nation’s intelligence agency, media reported Tuesday.

According to Gulf News, Interior Minister Mohammad Bin Nayef Bin Abdulaziz al-Saud announced the decision to allow women to work for the General Directorate of Investigation (GDI) during a career event in Ottawa, Canada.

“The focus of the Saudi women at the directorate will be on social and humanitarian issues, communicating with the families of the prisoners and detainees, preparing social studies and engaging in management work,” Mohsin al-Shiani, the head of planning at the General Directorate of Investigation, told Saudi daily al-Watan.

Applicants will be chosen primarily from Saudis having studied abroad with solid language skills, and will undergo four months of training before working for the GDI, al-Shiani said. » | Al-Akhbar | Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Muslim Businessman Told to Remove Sign from Home Proclaiming Allah Is the Only God
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A millionaire Muslim businessman who has written a religious slogan on the side of his house has been told to remove it after it upset his neighbours.

Mahmood Ali, 54, fell out with residents and planners over the Arabic slogan which reads: "There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger".

He claims it is just a proclamation of his faith and he should be allowed to write whatever he wants in a free country.

But the council said it contravenes planning laws which are designed to stop people placing advertising hoardings on their homes.

The green sign, which is nearly 7ft wide and 2ft high, is across a first floor archway on his large detached house in a residential street.

It has divided neighbours and he will face a court hearing to decide whether the Islamic slogan is advertising just like a McDonalds or Marks and Spencer banner.

Mr Ali said: "The message is simply there to bless the house. "The symbols are not an advertisement in any sense of the word's use in daily life.

"I chose the sign's green colour to reflect the ambience of the property's character and its surroundings."

Mr Ali had the sign painted onto the side of his large eight-bedroom semi-detached home in Newport, South Wales. Read on and comment » | Richard Alleyne | Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Big Companies Urged to Publish Ethnic Breakdown of Their Workforce under Tory Plans to Woo Black and Asian Voters

MAIL ONLINE: Just 16% of ethnic minority voters supported Conservatives at last election / Cameron orders ministers to target non-whites with new policies

Companies would be encouraged to [to] publish details of how many ethnic minority workers they employ under Tory plans to increase their appeal to black and Asian voters.

David Cameron has also ordered ministers to come up with a shopping list of policies designed to appeal to minorities.

The move is part of efforts to improve the image of the Conservatives among non-white voters, amidst fears the party could be shut out of power by the increasing size of the ethnic minority population.

Despite the Tories' modernising drive over the past few years, many non-whites still appear to associate the party with racially charged speeches by figures such as Enoch Powell.

At the last election, just 16 per cent of ethnic minority voters supported the Conservatives, compared to 37 per cent of whites. Read on and comment » | Matt Chorley and Hugo Gye | Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Jubel in Mali: Timbuktu zurückerobert
29.01.2013 - Die Offensive französischer und malischer Truppen im Norden Malis hat offenbar Erfolg: Mit Timbuktu haben die Truppen eine weitere wichtige Stadt von den Rebellen zurückerobert.

'I Feel Like a Stranger Where I Live’

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As new figures show 'white flight' from cities is rising, one Londoner writes a provocative personal piece about how immigration has drastically changed the borough where she has lived for 17 years

"When you go swimming, it’s much healthier to keep your whole body completely covered, you know.” The Muslim lady behind the counter in my local pharmacy has recently started giving me advice like this. It’s kindly meant and I’m always glad to hear her views because she is one of the few people in west London where I live who talks to me.

The streets around Acton, which has been my home since 1996, have taken on a new identity. Most of the shops are now owned by Muslims and even the fish and chip shop and Indian takeaway are Halal. It seems that almost overnight it’s changed from Acton Vale into Acton Veil.

Of the 8.17 million people in London, one million are Muslim, with the majority of them young families. That is not, in reality, a great number. But because so many Muslims increasingly insist on emphasising their separateness, it feels as if they have taken over; my female neighbours flap past in full niqab, some so heavily veiled that I can’t see their eyes. I’ve made an effort to communicate by smiling deliberately at the ones I thought I was seeing out and about regularly, but this didn’t lead to conversation because they never look me in the face.

I recently went to the plainly named “Curtain Shop” and asked if they would put some up for me. Inside were a lot of elderly Muslim men. I was told that they don’t do that kind of work, and was back on the pavement within a few moments. I felt sure I had suffered discrimination and was bewildered as I had been there previously when the Muslim owners had been very friendly. Things have changed. I am living in a place where I am a stranger.

I was brought up in a village in Staffordshire, and although I have been in London for a quarter of a century I have kept the habit of chatting to shopkeepers and neighbours, despite it not being the done thing in metropolitan life. Nowadays, though, most of the tills in my local shops are manned by young Muslim men who mutter into their mobiles as they are serving. They have no interest in talking to me and rarely meet my gaze. I find this situation dismal. I miss banter, the hail fellow, well met chat about the weather, or what was on TV last night. » | Jane Kelly* | Tuesday, January 29, 2013

* Jane Kelly is consulting editor of the 'Salisbury Review’

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands Abdicates in Favour of Son

THE GUARDIAN: Beatrix to relinquish crown at end of April after 33 years, leaving monarchy to Crown-Prince Willem-Alexander

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the oldest reigning Dutch monarch, announced her abdication on Monday evening in a sudden move three days before her 75th birthday. After 33 years on the throne following her mother's abdication in 1980, Beatrix said she would relinquish the crown at the end of April, leaving the monarchy to Crown-Prince Willem-Alexander, the oldest of her three sons.

The queen went on national television and radio on Monday evening to announce the departure, having recorded the broadcast earlier in the day. The prime minister, Mark Rutte, delivered a statement on television shortly afterwards, with both stressing that the crown prince had been intensively prepared for the role of monarch.

"The queen was there for us in good times, but also in bad times. Her knowledge and compassion made her an icon of the Netherlands," Rutte said in his statement.

The popular 74-year-old has kept a relatively low profile, aspiring to an image of homely normality by, for example, riding her bike in The Hague. She is also said to be a member of the Bilderberg Group and is ranked among Europe's wealthiest royals. » | Ian Traynor, Europe editor | Monday, January 28, 2013


FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Übergabe nach dreiunddreißig Jahren: Nur drei Minuten brauchte Königin Beatrix, um ihrem Volk die eigene Abdankung nach 33 Jahren Regentschaft zu erklären. Auch im Abschied bleib sie sich treu, auf ihre Weise hat sie sich die Zuneigung der Niederländer erarbeitet. ¶ Dreiunddreißig Jahre wird Königin Beatrix die Niederlande regiert haben, wenn sie in drei Monaten zugunsten ihres Sohnes Prinz Willem-Alexander abdanken wird. Und nur drei Minuten hat sie benötigt, um diese Entscheidung dem Volk mitzuteilen. Ihrem Stil blieb Beatrix in der aufgezeichneten Ansprache treu: sachlich, stolz und doch demütig gegenüber dem Volk. » | Von Andreas Ross | Montag, 28. Januar 2013

Niederländische Monarchie: Königin Beatrix will abdanken

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die niederländische Königin Beatrix will sich am Montagabend überraschend an ihr Volk wenden. Das Königshaus kündigte eine Ansprache an, nannte aber keine Details. Niederländische Medien rechnen damit, dass die 74-Jährige zugunsten ihres Sohnes Willem-Alexander abdankt.

Amsterdam - Dankt die niederländische Königin Beatrix ab? Die Regentin will sich Montagabend überraschend an ihr Volk wenden. Dies teilte das Königshaus am späten Nachmittag mit. Details wurden nicht genannt.

Die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters verbreitete die Nachricht, dass die niederländische Königin abdanken will. Und auch der niederländische "Telegraaf" berichtete unter Berufung auf Palastkreise, die Regentin werde ankündigen, zugunsten ihres Sohnes Prinz Willem-Alexander abzudanken. Beatrix wird am Donnerstag 75 Jahre alt.

Der Palast Huis ten Bosch hat für 19 Uhr eine Pressekonferenz angekündigt. Die Ansprache werde über Radio und im Fernsehen übertragen. » | siu/ala/Reuters | Montag, 28. Januar 2013

An Islamic Response to 'Muslim Street Patrols'
This Friday sermon presents an Islamic response to the so called Muslim vigilantism being carried out by a minority of Muslims who claim to be implementing a 'shari'ah patrol' in the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Muslims condemn behaviour of Islamic vigilantes: Vigilante gangs of Islamic extremists have been branded “complete bigots” by fellow Muslims. » | Monday, January 28, 2013

Marriage gay: Le baiser de deux députés enflamme la France

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Deux politiciens socialistes se sont embrassés dimanche en guise de soutien au mariage entre homosexuels. Plusieurs stars s'y sont mises aussi, comme lundi Anne Roumanoff.

Trois mois après le fameux «baiser de Marseille» devenu une photo culte des partisans du mariage gay, les députés socialistes français Yann Galut et Nicolas Bays, ceints de leur écharpe tricolore, se sont embrassés sur la bouche dimanche lors de la manifestation en faveur du mariage homosexuel, en qualifiant ce baiser de "bisou de solidarité" avec les homosexuels. » | Par Christine Talos avec AFP | Newsnet | lundi 28 janvier 2013

Immigration: Romanian or Bulgarian? You Won't Like It Here
THE GUARDIAN: Ministers consider launching negative ad campaign in two countries to persuade potential immigrants to stay away from UK

Please don't come to Britain – it rains and the jobs are scarce and low-paid. Ministers are considering launching a negative advertising campaign in Bulgaria and Romania to persuade potential immigrants to stay away from the UK.

The plan, which would focus on the downsides of British life, is one of a range of potential measures to stem immigration to Britain next year when curbs imposed on both country's citizens living and working in the UK will expire.

A report over the weekend quoted one minister saying that such a negative advert would "correct the impression that the streets here are paved with gold".

There was no word on how any advert might look or whether it would use the strategy of making Britain look as horrible as possible or try to encourage would-be migrants to wake up to the joys of their own countries whether Romania's Carpathian mountains or Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts. With governments around the world spending millions on hiring London-based consultants to undertake "reputation laundering" there would be a peculiar irony if Britain chose to trash its own image perhaps by highlighting winter flooding of homes or the carnage of a Saturday night A&E ward.

There are precedents. In 2007, Eurostar ran adverts in Belgium for its trains to London depicting a tattooed skinhead urinating into a china teacup. It remains unknown if any discussions have taken place over personalities who could carry off a similar exercise in anti-nation branding. » | Rajeev Syal | Sunday, January 27, 2013

My comment:

Showing videos of Muslim vigilantes in Whitechapel should probably be enough to frighten them away. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

La Turquie bannit le narguilé des lieux publics
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Une coutume ancestrale est morte ce dimanche en Turquie: les gens n’ont plus le droit de fumer le narguilé dans les lieux publics.

Cette fois, la marche forcée vers l’européanisation n’y est pour rien. La mesure anti-narguilé s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une nouvelle réglementation du gouvernement islamo-conservateur turc afin de lutter contre le tabagisme. Selon cette mesure, fumer le narguilé, la pipe à eau, dans les endroits publics est désormais proscrit, et les contrevenants encourent une amende, aux termes du décret gouvernemental publié dans le journal officiel.

En 2009, le gouvernement d'Ankara s'était attaqué au tabagisme, interdisant de fumer dans tous les lieux publics - bars, restaurants et cafés. Le narguilé avait été interdit aux mineurs de moins de 18 ans. » | ats/afp/Newsnet | dimanche 27 janvier 2013

Ontario Liberals Pick Province's First Woman Premier
REUTERS CANADA: TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario's Liberals on Saturday chose a former Cabinet minister to become the province's first female premier and first openly gay leader of a Canadian province.

In her acceptance speech as the new provincial Liberal Party leader, Kathleen Wynne, 59, a former Ontario education minister, thanked her partner, Jane, for her support during a three-month campaign. Ontario was one of the first Canadian provinces to allow same-sex marriage.

Wynne's victory means Canada's four most powerful provinces will all be led by women. British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec already have female premiers. Women are also at the helm in the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the thinly populated Arctic territory of Nunavut. » | Claire Sibonney and Janet Guttsman | Saturday, January 26, 2013

Merkel: Germany Has ‘Everlasting Responsibility’ for the Holocaust

EUROPEAN JEWISH PRESS: BERLIN (EJP)---Germany has an “everlasting responsibility for the crimes of National Socialism, for the victims of World War II and, above all, for the Holocaust,” Merkel declared in a video message Saturday.

“And this must be made clear from generation to generation and it must be said with bravery and moral courage, every individual can make a contribution so that racism and anti-Semitism have no chance,” she said.

On January 30, Merkel will visit Berlin’s Topography of Terror Documentation Center, built on the foundations of the headquarters of the Secret State Police — the SS — and the Reich Security Main Office, which were destroyed during the war.

Exactly 80 years ago — on Jan. 30, 1933 — Hitler, leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, was sworn in as chancellor by President Paul von Hindenburg.

In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI warned that "the memory of this immense tragedy, which above all struck so harshly the Jewish people, must represent for everyone a constant warning so that the horrors of the past are not repeated." » | EJP | Sunday, January 27, 2013

Holocaust Survivor Testimonies: Selection in Auschwitz

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Opera Depicting Atrocities in Austria Debuts
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: Many children who fell short of the Nazis’ Aryan ideal were killed alongside other ‘unworthy lives’

Thousands of children were murdered by the Nazis because they fell short of the Aryan ideal. Now, a hushed audience has gathered in Austria’s parliament to watch the world premiere of an opera depicting how the Nazis methodically killed mentally or physically deficient children at a Vienna hospital during the second world war.

The killings were part of a greater campaign that led to the deaths of about 75,000 people – homosexuals, disabled people, or others the Nazis called “unworthy lives” – and served as a prelude to the Holocaust.

Austrians played a huge role in these and other atrocities of the era – nearly 800 children were killed at Vienna’s Spiegelgrund psychiatric ward – and the premiere of the opera Spiegelgrund was the latest instalment of a national effort to atone for such acts in word and deed.

The timing was picked to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, which will be observed worldwide today, and the performance was streamed live on the internet for international audiences. But the parliamentary venue was chosen for a particularly Austrian reason: as a reminder of how the country’s politicians fomented the atmosphere of intolerance and authoritarianism that allowed Hitler’s troops to walk in in 1938, and a determination to not let history repeat itself. » | Associated press in Vienna | Sunday, January 27, 2013

Der Norden gedenkt der Holocaust-Opfer

NDR.de: Im ganzen Land wird heute der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus gedacht. Anlass ist der Holocaust-Gedenktag, mit dem weltweit an die Verbrechen des NS-Regimes erinnert wird. Die zentrale Veranstaltung für Schleswig-Holstein fand in Rendsburg statt. Dabei legte Landtagsvizepräsident Bernd Heinemann (SPD) einen Kranz für die Opfer des Holocaust nieder. Ein jüdischer Rabbiner und ein christlicher Propst sprachen Gebete für die Opfer. Heinemann ies in seiner Rede darauf hin, dass immer weniger überlebende Zeitzeugen von den Verbrechen erzählen können. "Deswegen müssen wir gemeinsam als Europäer eine Kultur des Erinnerns etablieren, die die Verantwortung von uns ausgehend auf Europa überträgt, uns Frieden sichert und vor allem auch menschliche Umgangsformen sichert für die Zukunft", forderte der SPD-Politiker. » | Sontag, 27. Januar 2013

Holocaust Memorial Day Marked in UK
BBC: The millions of Jews and others killed during the Holocaust are being remembered in services across the UK, as part of Holocaust Memorial Day.

Candles have been lit at ceremonies in London and Staffordshire's National Memorial Arboretum, 68 years after Auschwitz was liberated.

More than one million people, mostly Jews, died at the Nazi camp before it was liberated by allied troops in 1945.

Organisers say the day also honours victims of genocide around the world.

Some 1,500 events are taking place around the UK on Sunday for Holocaust Memorial Day. » | Sunday, January 27, 2013

«L’Allemagne ne refoule rien»

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: La chancelière Angela Merkel a rappelé la «responsabilité permanente» de son pays face au nazisme à quelques jours du 80e anniversaire de l'arrivée au pouvoir d'Adolf Hitler.

«Naturellement, nous avons une responsabilité permanente pour les crimes du national-socialisme, pour les victimes de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, et avant toutes choses, également, pour l'Holocauste», a déclaré la chancelière, dans un podcast, diffusé samedi sur son site internet alors que mercredi marquera le 80e anniversaire de l'arrivée au pouvoir d'Adolf Hitler, le 30 janvier 1933. » | ats/Newsnet | samedi 26 janvier 2013

Russland will «Homosexuellen-Propaganda» verbieten
TAGES ANZEIGER: Die russische Staatsduma hat einem landesweiten Verbot von öffentlichen homosexuellen Veranstaltungen zugestimmt. Vor dem Entscheid attackierten Orthodoxe Schwule und Lesben mit Eiern.

Schwule und Lesben sollen in Russland künftig nicht mehr über ihre Sexualität reden dürfen. Nachdem bereits mehrere Grossstädte «Homosexuellen-Propaganda» unter Strafe gestellt haben, droht nun ein landesweites Verbot.

Begleitet von Zusammenstössen zwischen Homosexuellen und Ultraorthodoxen nahm die russische Staatsduma erwartungsgemäss in erster Lesung das umstrittene Verbot an. Nur ein Parlamentarier lehnte das Gesetz ab, ein weiterer enthielt sich. » | rbi/sda | Freitag, 25. Januar 2013

Deutsche Dschihadisten: Die Gotteskrieger vom Nil
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Ägypten ist das neue Lieblingsziel deutscher Dschihadisten. Es ist eine Drehscheibe für Ausbildungslager in anderen Staaten geworden. Kairo reagiert nicht. In wenigen Tagen kommt Präsident Mursi zu Besuch nach Berlin.

Ist es nicht Zeit, dass du die Pflicht des Dschihad erfüllst? Ist es nicht Zeit, dass du deine Waffe in die Hand nimmst?“ Der Mann in der Tarnuniform, mit dem schwarzen Vollbart und dem Gewehr auf dem Rücken ist Abu Usama Al-Gharib. Gott sei gepriesen, ruft er auf Arabisch. Immer dann, fährt er auf Deutsch fort, wenn die Mudschahedin die Ungläubigen abschlachteten, wenn eine Kugel den Feind treffe.

Es sind solche Hasspredigten, die Mohamed Mahmoud, wie der Mann aus dem Video heißt, bekanntgemacht haben. Der Österreicher mit ägyptischen Wurzeln hatte von 2007 bis 2011 für seine Aufforderung zur Gewalt, die er unter der Marke Globale Islamische Medien Front (GIMF) verbreitete, eine Haftstrafe in Österreich abgesessen. Nach deren Verbüßung ging er nach Deutschland, scharte in Solingen eine Gruppe radikaler Anhänger um sich und warb weiter für den Heiligen Krieg gegen Ungläubige und Kreuzzügler. Sein salafistischer Verein „Millatu Ibrahim“ wurde im Juni vergangenen Jahres von Bundesinnenminister Hans-Peter Friedrich verboten. Seiner Ausweisung kam Mahmoud zuvor, indem er mit seiner Frau, der Konvertitin Miranda K., vom hessischen Erbach nach Ägypten zog. » | Markus Wehner | Samstag, 26. Januar 2013

Les Français veulent que le Royaume-Uni reste dans l'UE
leJDD.fr: SONDAGE – Les Britanniques ne doivent pas quitter l'Union européenne pour 58% des Français, selon une enquête Ifop parue dimanche dans le JDD. Si les sondés refusent une Europe à la carte, une majorité estime toutefois que l'UE coûte plus à la France qu'elle ne lui rapporte.

Les Français veulent toujours de leurs voisins britanniques au sein de l'Union européenne. Selon notre sondage Ifop à paraître dans Le Journal du Dimanche, 58% d'entre eux souhaitent que le Royaume-Uni reste dans l'UE, quand 42% des personnes interrogées préféreraient qu'il la quitte à l'horizon 2015-2017. En cas de réélection en 2015, le Premier ministre David Cameron a en effet décidé mercredi d'organiser d'ici quatre ans un référendum sur cette question, dans le cas où l'Union ne se réformerait pas. » | Arnaud Focraud - Le Journal du Dimanche | samedi 26 janvier 2013

Europeans Increasingly Converting to Islam
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Irish actor Liam Neeson says he is thinking about becoming a Muslim after undergoing a spiritual awakening in Turkey.

Neeson, who was born into a Roman Catholic family in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, told the London-based newspaper The Sun that he was impressed by the religious atmosphere in Istanbul while filming a movie in the city.

He said: "The [Islamic] call to prayer happens five times a day, and for the first week, it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit, and it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing. There are 4,000 mosques in the city. Some are just stunning, and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim."

Neeson is just one of hundreds of thousands of Europeans who are trading their Christian heritage for the supposed exoticism of Islam. The surge in conversions is contributing to the mainstreaming of Islam in Europe and contributing to the Islamization of the continent.

In Britain, the number of Muslim converts recently passed the 100,000 mark, according to a survey conducted by an inter-faith group called Faith Matters. The survey revealed that nearly two thirds of the converts were women, more than 70% were white and the average age at conversion was just 27.

The survey, conducted by Kevin Brice from Swansea University in Wales, asked converts for their views on the negative aspects of British culture. They identified alcohol and drunkenness, a "lack of morality and sexual permissiveness" and "unrestrained consumerism."

More than one in four acknowledged there was a "natural conflict" between being a devout Muslim and living in Britain. Nine out of ten women converts said their change of religion had led to them dressing more conservatively. More than half started wearing a head scarf and 5% had worn the burka.

Separately, government authorities revealed that an increasing number of inmates at British prisons are converting to Islam. For example, one-third of the inmates at one of Britain's most notorious youth jails are Muslims and the religion is attracting a large number of converts. » | Soeren Kern | Friday, January 27, 2012

Muslim Gangs Enforce Sharia Law in London
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: "This is not-so-Great Britain, this is a Muslim area. We are vigilantes implementing Islam upon your own necks." — Member, Muslim London Patrol

Muslim gangs have been filmed loitering on streets in London and demanding that passersby conform to Islamic Sharia law.

The self-proclaimed vigilantes, who call themselves Muslim London Patrol, are seen in several videos abusing people for drinking alcohol, for showing too much flesh and for being homosexual.

In one three-and-a-half minute video posted on YouTube on January 17, a number of hooded men are seen repeatedly shouting "this is a Muslim area" towards non-Muslim passers-by.

In the footage, which was shot at night on the weekend of January 12/13 on a mobile phone, in what is believed to be Whitechapel in east London, one gang member is seen telling a young woman who is wearing a short skirt, "you cannot dress like that in a Muslim area, this is a Muslim area."

A few moments later, the vigilantes confront a man carrying a can of beer, telling him "no alcohol is allowed." They then force him to empty out the contents of the can on the sidewalk. One gang member shouts: "Get him to pour it out, pour it out, Muslim area. Alcohol bad. This is a Muslim area. This area is a Muslim area. No drink in this area." He continues: "What this is, is a Muslim Patrol. We are Muslims and we patrol the area. Forbidden … evil. Alcohol is evil. No alcohol. Yes? Have a good day."

A few moments later, the vigilantes accost a woman who, referring to the imposition of Sharia law in the neighborhood exclaims, "I cannot believe it!" The Muslims respond: "We do not care if you believe it or not."

At another point, one gang member admonishes another gang member not to allow non-Muslims to pass along the sidewalk in front of a mosque. He shouts: "You need to control this area and forbid these people from dressing like this and exposing themselves outside the mosque." A few moments later, a gang member accosts two non-Muslims who are passing by. "Remove yourself away from the mosque. Go away now. This is a Muslim area. Muslim patrol. Muslim patrol. Move away from the mosque."

Another Muslim then shouts: "This is democracy, this is freedom, this is secularism, move away from the mosque. We clearly need Islam. Go away and don't come back. Don't come back. Keep your mouth closed."

Next the men then accost a woman passerby. "We do not respect dolls who disobey God, we don't respect them." The woman, stunned, responds, "I am so appalled." The men reply: "We don't care if you are appalled at all." She says: "This is Great Britain." The men reply: "This is not-so-Great Britain, this is a Muslim area. We are vigilantes implementing Islam upon your own necks."

In another video, Muslims are seen harassing a man they perceive to be a homosexual. They aggressively pursue the man and shout at him, "Hello mate, don't you know this is a Muslim area. Why are you dressed like that for." The man responds: "Why are you bothering me." The Muslims respond: "You are walking in a Muslim area dressed like a fag, mate. You need to get out of here." Clearly terrified, the man responds, "I am getting out of here." The Muslims respond, "Get out of here quicker then. You're dirty mate. Admit you're dirty. You're gay, mate. Get out of here, you bloody fag." » | Soeren Kern | Friday, January 25, 2013

My comment:

So what are the police doing about this? Imagine the situation in reverse. Imagine someone shouting out “This is a homosexual area. You’re dirty mate. Muslims not allowed. Get out of here. This is a gay area. Dirty Muslims not allowed. What’s that fuzz you’ve got on your face? Get out of here! Muslims not allowed. This a gay area. Just imagine the outcry if this were to happen! The police would be after you, the Muslims would be after you, and the liberals would be after you. So why aren’t we going after these throwbacks for going against the law of the land? After all, isn’t this supposed to be a pluralistic, multi-cultural paradise? What’s good for the goose, is also good for the gander – © Mark

Czech Election: Milos Zeman Wins Presidential Poll
BBC: Former PM Milos Zeman has won the Czech Republic's presidential election - the first time the position has been decided by direct popular vote.

He won 55% of votes in the second-round poll, compared to Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg's 45%.

Voters had braved freezing conditions to turn out in what was being seen as a nail-bitingly close poll.

Mr Zeman is seen as a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of opponents.

As president, he will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank, but the post does not carry much day-to-day power.

Mr Zeman will replace the eurosceptic Vaclav Klaus, who steps down in March after ten years in office.

Both presidential candidates support deeper integration of the European Union. (+ video) » | Saturday, January 26, 2013

Davos 2013: Femen Stage Topless Protest
Ukrainian protest group Femen, angry over what they perceive as sexism and male domination of the world economy, ripped off their shirts and tried to force their way into the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Documentary | The Island of Cyprus - National Geographic

Indicted Tycoon Kim Dotcom Launches New Site
Kim Dot Com, perhaps the United States' most-wanted computer geek, once operated the file sharing website 'Mega Upload'. It's estimated that it accounted for up to four per cent of the world's internet traffic. A year ago, however, US authorities had the site shut down, and charged Dot Com with piracy. He managed to escape extradition to the US, and now he's started a new website that allows users to share files - but also to choose who they share them with.

Related »

Kim Dotcom Wants to Encrypt Half of the Internet to End Government Surveillance (Full RT Interview)

Berlusconi Neither Down Nor Out

France Declares War on English Language

Auschwitz Concentration Camp Tour | Holocaust | January 2006 | Poland

Holocaust Survivor Reflections: Stories of Courage

Holocaust Survivor Henia Bryer: Prisoner Number A26188

BBC: The German invasion of Poland in 1939 ended the happy childhood of Henia Bryer. Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day she recalls how she was sent to four concentration camps, but survived them all.

"They were wearing these black uniforms with a skull on top and they installed loud speakers all over the town spreading hate propaganda," says Henia Bryer of the German army's arrival in Radom, eight days after they crossed the border on 1 September.

"Hitler's speeches went on for hours and hours... he never made any secret of what he was going to do to the Jews."

At first, Bryer's family - including an older brother and a younger brother and sister - survived on the gold coins saved by her father, a shoe factory owner who continued working, but was not paid. Much worse was to come.

In 1941 they were among the 30,000 people confined to a ghetto, set up in the Jewish area. Conditions were very poor, with 10 people living in a single room.

Violence and shootings were commonplace, yet the family managed to stay together.

It did not last. » | Duncan Walker | BBC News | Saturday, January 26, 2013

BBC: A Chance Encounter: A chance encounter in a concentration camp means Henia is thrown an unexpected lifeline. An old family friend is able to provide her with the clothes she so desperatly needs. »

Muslim Abuser Who 'Didn't Know' That Sex with a Girl of 13 Was Illegal Is Spared Jail
MAIL ONLINE: Adil Rashid admitted travelling to Nottingham and having sex with the girl / He met the 13-year-old on Facebook and they communicated by texts and phone for two months before they met / He was educated in a madrassa and 'had little experience of women' / Said he had been taught 'women are no more worthy than a lollipop that has been dropped on the ground' / Added he was reluctant to have sex but that he was 'tempted by [the girl]'

A muslim who raped a 13-year-old girl he groomed on Facebook has been spared a prison sentence after a judge heard he went to an Islamic faith school where he was taught that women are worthless.

Adil Rashid, 18, claimed he was not aware that it was illegal for him to have sex with the girl because his education left him ignorant of British law.

Yesterday Judge Michael Stokes handed Rashid a suspended sentence, saying: ‘Although chronologically 18, it is quite clear from the reports that you are very naive and immature when it comes to sexual matters.’

Earlier Nottingham Crown Court heard that such crimes usually result in a four to seven-year prison sentence.

But the judge said that because Rashid was ‘passive’ and ‘lacking assertiveness’, sending him to jail might cause him ‘more damage than good’. Read on and comment » | Paul Bentley | Friday, January 25, 2013

Deadly Violence Grips Egypt on Revolution Anniversary
THE GUARDIAN: Seven reported dead and scores of civilians and security forces injured as thousands protest for anti-Morsi protests

Fatal clashes continued into the night in several Egyptian cities on Friday as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest against President Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood, and police brutality – exactly two years after the start of the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

According to state media, at least seven people died in Suez and 379 were injured across the country as riots broke out in Cairo's Tahrir Square and cities including Alexandria, Mahalla, and Ismailia. Police repeatedly fired teargas across much of central Cairo and protesters pelted them with stones – bringing parts of the city's road and metro networks to a standstill.

As night fell, medics warned that the amount of teargas in Tahrir Square had reached a "dangerous level". According to Tahrir Bodyguards, a group protecting female protesters, at least nine women were sexually assaulted in the square – prompting memories of some of the worst moments of the Egyptian uprising in 2011. » | Patrick Kingsley and Abdel-Rahman Hussein in Cairo | Friday, January 25, 2013

Race to Save the Language of Jesus: Aramaic in Danger of Becoming Extinct as Number of Speakers of Ancient Tongue Plummets

MAIL ONLINE: Language once widely used in Middle East but speakers are now scattered / Aramaic is believed to have been used by Jesus and his disciples / British linguist Geoffrey Khan developing database of recordings

It is thought to have been spoken by Jesus Christ and his disciples more than 2,000 years ago.

But now Aramaic, an ancient language related to both Hebrew and Arabic, is threatened with extinction as the number of speakers worldwide has dwindled.

Linguist Professor Geoffrey Khan of the University of Cambridge, has launched a quest to record the language before it dies out by visiting the scattered communities where it is still used.

By recording some of the remaining native Aramaic speakers he hopes to preserve the language which is one of a number threatened with extinction worldwide.

The 3,000-year-old language was once common throughout the entire Middle East and was used for trade, government and divine worship from the Holy Land to India and China.

As a key language used in Israel from 539 BC to 70 AD, experts believe it was likely to have been spoken by Jesus.

It is also the language of large sections of the biblical books of Daniel and Ezra, and is the main language of the Talmud (a key Jewish text).

Parts of the ancient Dead Sea scrolls were written in Aramaic. As Jesus died on the cross, he cried out in Aramaic, 'Elahi, Elahi, lema shabaqtani?' ('My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?').

But speakers are now scattered across the globe, with pockets even found in US cities such as Chicago where several thousands Assyrians live. Prof Khan told Smithsonian.com that he felt his 'calling' to record the language after speaking to a Jew from Erbil, a northern Iraqi city.

'It completely blew my mind,' he said. 'To discover a living language through the lips of a living person, it was just incredibly exhilarating.' Read on and comment » | Sam Adams | Friday, January 25, 2013

Duma beschneidet Rechte von Homosexuellen

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Schwule und Lesben sollen in Russland nicht mehr über ihre Sexualität reden dürfen. Nachdem mehrere Großstädte "Homosexuellen-Propaganda" unter Strafe gestellt haben, droht nun auch ein landesweites Verbot. Vor der Duma kam es zu Zusammenstößen zwischen Aktivisten und fanatischen Gläubigen.

Moskau - Die russische Staatsduma hat erwartungsgemäß in erster Lesung ein umstrittenes Verbot von "Homosexuellen-Propaganda" mit breiter Mehrheit angenommen. 388 von 450 Abgeordneten stimmten für den Entwurf. Er sieht für öffentliche Äußerungen über HomosexualitätGeldstrafen bis zu umgerechnet 12.500 Euro vor. Das meldete die Agentur Itar-Tass am Freitag. Für das Gesetz sind eine zweite und dritte Lesung notwendig.

Der Abgeordnete Sergej Dorofejew von der Regierungspartei EinigesRussland sagte vor der Abstimmung, mit dem Gesetz sollten Minderjährige "vor den Auswirkungen der Homosexualität" geschützt werden. Die Abgeordnete Elena Misulina von der liberalen Oppositionspartei Gerechtes Russland sagte, "homosexuelle Propaganda" schränke "das Recht der Minderjährigen zur freien Entwicklung" und zur freien Wahl ihrer sexuellen Orientierung ein.

Dutzende fanatische Gläubige attackierten mit faulen Eiern und Farbe homosexuelle Aktivisten, die sich aus Protest gegen das Vorhaben vor derDuma öffentlich küssten. "Moskau ist nicht Sodom", riefen die Gläubigen gegen "Sünde und Lasterhaftigkeit". Aber nicht die Angreifer kamen in Polizeigewahrsam, sondern die lesbischen und schwulen Aktivisten, die um ihr Recht auf Selbstbestimmung und freie Meinungsäußerung kämpften. "Wir haben auch ein Recht auf Liebe", riefen sie an diesem eisigen Tag. » | ler/dpa/AFP | Freitag, 25. Januar 2013

North Korea Threatens to Attack the South
North Korea threatens to attack the South if Seoul joins a new round of tightened UN sanctions. Pyongyang has declared a boycott of all dialogue aimed at ending its nuclear programme. The country has also vowed to conduct more rocket and nuclear tests following UN security council sanctions for a long-range missile launch in December

Read the article here

Ägypten: Polizei setzt Tränengas gegen Demonstranten ein
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In der ägyptischen Hauptstadt Kairo haben sich Regierungsgegner und Polizei heftige Auseinandersetzungen geliefert. Die Sicherheitskräfte schossen mit Tränengas auf Hunderte Demonstranten - sie haben sich zum zweiten Jahrestag des Revolutionsbeginns auf dem Tahrir-Platz versammelt.

Kairo - Ihr Protest gilt Präsident Mohammed Mursi: Zwei Jahre nach dem Beginn der Massenproteste gegen den damaligen Machthaber Husni Mubarak haben Tausende Ägypter gegen die neue islamistische Regierung demonstriert. » | hen/Reuters | Freitag, 25. Januar 2013

Berlin: Gericht verurteilt Qaida-Mitglieder zu langjährigen Haftstrafen
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Sie ließen sich im afghanisch-pakistanischen Grenzgebiet im Umgang mit Waffen und Sprengstoff ausbilden - und reisten dann zurück nach Europa, um sich "für bestimmte Operationen" bereitzuhalten: Das Kammergericht Berlin hat jetzt zwei Qaida-Terroristen zu mehrjährigen Haftstrafen verurteilt.

Berlin - Rund zwölf Monate dauerte das Verfahren, jetzt hat das Berliner Kammergericht sein Urteil gegen zwei Mitglieder des Terrornetzwerks al-Qaida gesprochen: Ein 23-jähriger Österreicher muss für sechs Jahre und neun Monate ins Gefängnis, ein 27-jähriger Deutscher für neun Jahre. » | hen/dapd/dpa | Freitag, 25. Januar 2013

Iran Creates Fake Blogs in Smear Campaign against Journalists in Exile

THE GUARDIAN: BBC Persian staff victims of online identity theft designed to discredit them, with family in Iran facing harassment as well

Iran has been conducting a smear campaign designed to intimidate Iranian journalists living in exile, including apparent death threats. Cyber-activists linked to the Islamic republic have fabricated news, duplicated Facebook accounts and spread false allegations of sexual misconduct by exiled journalists, while harassment of family members back in Iran has been stepped up by security officials.

Staff at the BBC's Persian service in London are among dozens of Iranian journalists who have been subjected to what appears to be an operation sponsored by the authorities and aimed at discrediting reporters in the eyes of the public in Iran.

It is not the first time the Iranian authorities have resorted to such tactics, but Sadeq Saba, head of BBC Persian, said the number of incidents and level of harassment has increased in the last few weeks.

"In comparison to previous round of harassment, this time the language they were using in Iran [against the family members] was more threatening," he said. According to Saba, members of journalists' families have been summoned to the intelligence service headquarters for questioning. One journalist whose parents were interrogated several times said they were told he should stop working for the BBC or risk being killed. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, January 24, 2013

'Muslim Patrol' Gang: Police Arrest Three More After Homophobic Video
THE GUARDIAN: New arrests bring total to five after incidents and YouTube videos in which east London gang harass members of public

Detectives investigating a self-styled Muslim patrol gang have made three more arrests, Scotland Yard has said.

Officers are investigating a string of incidents in east London over the weekend where the group harassed members of the public.

A video posted on YouTube showed the gang hurling homophobic abuse at one man, whom the police have urged to come forward.

In the film, titled "Muslim vigilantes in London harass and taunt gay male", they are heard to shout "get out of here you fag … don't stay around here any more".

In a second video, also posted online, men from the gang in Whitechapel tell another man "no drink in this area, it's a Muslim area" before ordering him to pour away his alcohol.

Det Chief Inspector Wendy Morgan from Tower Hamlets borough said: "The Met takes such homophobic behaviour very seriously. (+ video) » | Press Association | Thursday, January 24, 2013

Fewer Than One In Four People Think Islam Is Compatible With British Life, Faith Minister Warns

MAIL ONLINE: Baroness Warsi accuses critics of Islam of being 'un-British' / She points to polling which shows just 24% think Islam is compatible with being British and 23% ay it is not a threat to Western civilisation

Fewer than one in four British voters believes Islam is compatible with the British way of life, the UK's first Muslim woman Cabinet Minister reveals today.

Baroness Warsi will quote private police figures which show that more than half of race hate attacks in Britain are against Muslims as she condemns critics of Islam for peddling 'hate'.

Lady Warsi sparked huge controversy two years ago when she said Britain's approach to Muslims has made Islamophobia acceptable at middle class dinner parties.

But in a new speech today she accuses critics of Islam of being 'un-British' themselves by grouping ordinary Muslims with extremists.

The Minister for Faith and Communities reveals stark polling conducted by YouGov which found that just 24 per cent of voters think Islam is compatible with being British, while more than half disagree. Only 23 per cent say Islam is not a threat to Western civilisation.

An unrepentant Lady Warsi, whose parents emigrated from Pakistan, said that she was right to speak out before and will use the new evidence to warn that the 'underlying, unfounded mistrust' of Muslims is fuelling extremism. Read on and comment » | Tim Shipman | Thursday, January 24, 2013

David Cameron Europe Speech: Germany's Bild Pays Tribute to 'Crazy Brits'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Germany's Bild newspaper has published an impassioned editorial in defence of the "crazy Brits" and David Cameron's pledge to hold a referendum on the European Union.

Going against the grain of most European press coverage of the Prime Minister's speech, which is hostile, the popular German newspaper, praises Britain for "once again making an extra sausage", or seeking an extra democratic advantage.

"Crazy Brits. The Brits put Europe into a frenzy," the newspaper opines.

"Most EU countries have tacitly agreed to build Europe above the heads of the people. Motto: The European project is simply too important for democratic participation. And then along comes this Cameron!"

The German newspaper upbraids those who are seeking to kick Britain out of the EU and to lecture Britons on their national interest as defined by outsiders in Brussels or elsewhere on the continent.

"Nice that the rest of the world knows better than the Brits do the interests of their country. » | Bruno Waterfield | Thursday, January 24, 2013

BILD.DE: Bitte geht nicht, ihr seid so schön crazy! : Kaum hat Großbritanniens Premier David Cameron eine Volksabstimmung über die Zugehörigkeit der Insel zu EU-Europa angekündigt, steht der alte Kontinent Kopf. » | Mittwoch, 23. Januar 2013

Trillions of Dollars Worth of Oil Found in Australian Outback
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Up to 233 billion barrels of oil has been discovered in the Australian outback that could be worth trillions of dollars, in a find that could turn the region into a new Saudi Arabia.

The discovery in central Australia was reported by Linc Energy to the stock exchange and was based on two consultants reports, though it is not yet known how commercially viable it will be to access the oil.

The reports estimated the company's 16 million acres of land in the Arckaringa Basin in South Australia contain between 133 billion and 233 billion barrels of shale oil trapped in the region's rocks.

The find was likened to the Bakken and Eagle Ford shale oil projects in the US, which have resulted in massive outflows and have led to predictions that the US could overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer as soon as this year.

Peter Bond, Linc Energy's chief executive, said the find could transform the world's oil industry but noted that it would cost about £200 million to enable production in the area. Shale oil is more costly to extract than conventional crude oil and involves the controversial process of fracking, in which water and chemicals are used to break up the rocks.

"If you took the 233 billion, well, you're talking Saudi Arabia numbers," Mr Bond told ABC News. » | Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney | Thursday, January 24, 2013

Pentagon Lifts Ban on Women in Combat
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is lifting the military’s ban on women in combat, which will open up hundreds of thousands of additional front-line jobs to them, senior defense officials said on Wednesday.

The groundbreaking decision overturns a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricts women from artillery, armor, infantry and other such combat roles, even though in reality women have found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 20,000 have served. As of last year, more than 800 women had been wounded in the two wars and more than 130 had died.

Defense officials offered few details about Mr. Panetta’s decision but described it as the beginning of a process to allow the branches of the military to put it into effect. Defense officials said Mr. Panetta had made the decision on the recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. » | Elisabeth Bumiller | Wednesday, January 23, 2013

This is the West’s unrelenting quest to turn men into women, and women into men. Soon, there will be no masculine men or feminine women left. – © Mark

Prince Harry: 'I Don't Know What Normal Is'

Muslim Patrol: Thugs Abuse Man in Second 'Vigilante' Video
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A second inflammatory video featuring Islamic vigilantes emerged today, which appeared to show members of the group hurling homophobic abuse at a man and telling him to leave their "Muslim area".


The footage, from a group calling themselves Muslim Patrol, shows the gang abusing the unnamed man who was walking by himself in Whitechapel, East London.

Today Scotland Yard said they were investigating the video, which was posted on YouTube. Muslim leaders also condemned the thugs' behaviour.

It comes after the gang uploaded another video called "The Truth About Saturday Night", in which white women were called "naked animals with no self-respect".

In the latest video, hooded thugs shout at the terrified man, who appears to be wearing make-up, before one tells him: "Mate, don't you know this is a Muslim area. What's wrong with your face?"

Another then shouts: "This is a Muslim area get out of here. Get out here you b----- f--. You can't stay round here anymore."

During the latest filmed confrontation, the victim can be heard to say: "I am a homosexual."

A yob then asks: "Why are you dressed like that?"

The same yob then tells the man: "You are walking through a Muslim area dressed like a f--. You need to get out of here. "Get out of here quicker. You're dirty mate."

The man then forces the victim to admit he is dirty, he can be heard saying: "Are you dirty? Say it again." » | Telegraph Reporters | Tuesday, January 22, 2013

EU-Partner zeigen London kalte Schulter

DIE PRESSE: David Cameron droht mit seinem Druckmittel eines Referendums zu scheitern, weil die großen EU-Partner den Briten keine Sonderrechte mehr zugestehen wollen. Ein EU-Austritt wird realistisch.

London. Die Reaktion kam rasch und war eindeutig: Die beiden großen EU-Länder Frankreich und Deutschland wollen Großbritannien keine neuen Sonderrechte mehr zugestehen. Sie möchten sich auf das Druckmittel des britischen Premiers, der am Mittwoch ein Referendum über den Verbleib seines Landes in der EU angekündigt hat, nicht einlassen.

David Cameron hat den Einsatz in der Europapolitik mit seiner Rede in London noch einmal erhöht. Bleiben die EU-Partner hart, werden die Briten möglicherweise Ende 2017 nicht über eine neue Sonderrolle der Insel in der Europäischen Union, sondern lediglich über ein Ende der Mitgliedschaft entscheiden. Ein Recht, das ihnen der Lissabon-Vertrag mit der Austrittsklausel zugesteht. » | Gabriel Rath | Die Presse | Mittwoch, 23. Januar 2013

Thousands Convert to Islam in Dubai

KHALEEJ TIMES: DUBAI — Statistics say that Islam is the fastest growing among over 4,200 religions in the world today, with the emirate of Dubai seeing the conversion of more than 4,000 people last year.

There were 4,229 in all who converted to Islam at the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (Diaca) and the Islamic Information Centre of the Dubai government-run Dar Al Ber Society.

Diaca saw the conversion of 2,322 residents from 77 different countries — 70 per cent of whom were women. Diaca director-general Hamad Al Shaibani said the department spared no effort to convey the tolerant message of Islam, develop awareness about Islamic culture, and enhance national identity.

“We also pay much attention to new Muslims and provide them with an array of lectures, activities and training courses for them and their family members.” » | Ahmed Shaaban | Wednesday, January 23, 2013

EU-Referendum: Lasst die Briten gehen!
STERN.DE: David Cameron hat den Briten ein Referendum zur EU versprochen. Und sie bekommen es. In vier Jahren. Aber es bleibt die Frage: Wird das Land dann noch abstimmen oder ist es nicht jetzt schon raus? Ein Kommentar von Cornelia Fuchs

Während meiner Zeit als Korrespondentin in London habe ich viele Vorträge von Politikern und Politikbegeisterten gehört, die ihre Theorien zur EU vor mir ausbreiteten. Ob dies im Pub passierte oder in einem Vortragsraum - die Mehrheit hatte einen eindeutigen Grundtenor: Wir brauchen Euch nicht, aber Ihr braucht uns.

EU-Gegner riefen dabei nicht selten das alte Empire ins Gedächtnis: Die ehemaligen Kolonien seien eine viel natürlichere Gemeinschaft für das Vereinigte Königreich, der Commonwealth mit dem beliebten, weißen und weisen Oberhaupt Königin Elizabeth II. Oder man folge der Muttersprache und vereine von Indien bis zu den Vereinigten Staaten alle Länder der "Anglosphere", des englischen Einflusses. » | Cornelia Fuchs | Mittwoch, 23. Januar 2013