'Traces of Pork' Found in Prison Food Served as Halal

THE GUARDIAN: Supplier of meat pies and pasties to prisons suspended after FSA informed of contamination

The Ministry of Justice is suspending one of the suppliers of meat to prisons after it discovered that halal pies and pasties sourced from a properly halal certificated supplier may contain traces of non-halal meat.

The products concerned have been withdrawn immediately, a spokesman said.

He added: "All prisons have been informed about this very regrettable incident and we reported this issue to the Food Standards Agency immediately.

"We are taking immediate steps to suspend the contract with the relevant subcontractor."

Justice minister Jeremy Wright said: "This is an absolutely unacceptable situation and one which we regret greatly. Clearly this must be distressing for those affected and they can be reassured we are doing everything we can to resolve the situation. The prison service is investigating this as a matter of urgency.

The FSA said the incident involved traces of pork. » | Press Association | Friday, February 01, 2013

New Dark Age Alert! Inside Gao Where Arab Jihadis Took Bloody Sharia Retribution On Mali's Black Africans

THE GUARDIAN: The people of Gao endured nine months of amputations and floggings under the rule of Islamist rebels – much of it aimed at ethnic groups

The jihadis carried out amputations in the sandy square where the residents of Gao used to watch basketball. The men who ruled Gao for nine months, until French and Malian troops drove them out last weekend, replaced the words "Place de l'Indépendence" in the green, red and yellow of the national flag with simple white on black: Place de la Sharia.

A thief would lose his right hand. Those accused of burglary would lose both right hand and left foot. On 21 December last year, people were assembled, as they had been several times before, and told to watch.

"No one was allowed to speak," said Issa Alzouma. "Then they cut off my hand with a knife."

Alzouma had been accused of stealing a motorbike, which he denies. At 39, he made a living digging gravel for construction companies. It was enough to support his wife and three children. Now he roams Gao in tattered clothes, the stump of his right arm wrapped in a grubby bandage, a flimsy black plastic bag dangling from his remaining wrist. Inside he keeps a few antibiotics and replacement bandages given by a Red Cross doctor who treated him at Gao hospital a week after his amputation.

"The doctor had to cut in and remove flesh because it was infected," he said. "Under the bandage you can see my bones. It hurts and I feel as if my bones are coming out."

Alzouma has no idea how he and his family will survive. "My wife just cries and cries," he said. His friend Algalas Yatara, who was also accused of stealing a motorbike, carries a sheaf of papers in Arabic in his remaining hand. He thinks it is the judgment but is not quite sure, as neither man can read Arabic. Read on and comment » | Lindsey Hilsum in Gao | The Observer | Saturday, February 02, 2013

Französischer Präsident in Mali: Timbuktu feiert Hollande als Befreier

SPIEGEL ONLINE: "Es lebe Frankreich, es lebe Hollande" - drei Wochen nach dem Beginn des Militäreinsatzes in Mali hat der französische Präsident das Land besucht. In der von Islamisten befreiten Sahara-Stadt Timbuktu wurde er von Tausenden Menschen frenetisch empfangen.

Paris/Bamako - Frankreichs Präsident François Hollande ist am Samstag in Mali angekommen: Tausende jubelnde Menschen begrüßten ihn auf dem Hauptplatz der historischen Wüstenstadt Timbuktu.

"Es lebe Frankreich, es lebe Hollande", riefen sie. Sie wollen Frankreich "Danke" sagen für den schnellen Militäreinsatz gegen die Islamisten. Die Einwohner der Stadt tanzten zu den Rhythmen von Trommeln, die unter den Islamisten verboten waren. "Wir freuen uns, ihn zu treffen, denn er ist unser Befreier, er hat uns von diesen bewaffneten Banditen befreit", sagte ein Händler. "Ohne die Franzosen wäre es eine Katastrophe gewesen." "Wir, die Frauen von Timbuktu, wir danken François Hollande unendlich", rief eine 53-jährige Frau, die sich in eine französische Flagge gehüllt hatte. » | fln/dpa/AFP | Samstag, 02. Februar 2013

Timbuktu Hails France's President François Hollande Its Saviour »

Francois [sic] Hollande to Remove Word 'Race' from French Constitution
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Francois [sic] Hollande is to have the word "race" removed from the French Constitution's guarantee that all citizens will be treated equally.

The French president declared "there is no place for race in the Republic" in March last year while campaigning against his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Hollande's election commitment will be honoured before the summer, aides told Le Figaro on Friday, as part of a wider programme of constitutional reform.

The French Constitution, drafted in 1946, states: "France shall be an indivisible, secular, democratic and social republic. It guarantees equality before the law for all citizens without distinction of origin, race or religion." » | Foreign Staff | Friday, February 01, 2013

Egypt: Opposition Rallies as Video Emerges of Naked Man Being Beaten by Security Forces
Egypt's opposition called for the interior minister to resign on Saturday after security forces were seen on television beating and dragging a naked man at a Cairo protest.

Read the article here | Telegraph reporter and foreign agencies | Saturday, February 02, 2013

Dispatch: Inside Timbuktu, the City Freed from Its Al-Qaeda Tormentors
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The image of a severed hand lying beside a bloodied sword was passed from one mobile phone to the next.

The 25-year-old man had been held down while the hand was cut off before a crowd of appalled onlookers, recalled Mousa Ag-Mohammed, 29, who witnessed this punishment. "Some people said that he stole something, but it was not true," he said. "They wanted to do this just to frighten people, for the people to be scared of them."

Whatever the reason, the footage showed how the Islamist overlords of the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu had united high technology with medieval cruelty during their occupation.

Indeed terror was Mr Ag-Mohammed's dominant memory of the 10-month occupation of Timbuktu that ended with a lightning French assault on Monday. » | David Blair, Timbuktu | Friday, February 01, 2013

Gay Marriage Could Cost Conservatives Power, Poll Suggests

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Divisions over gay marriage could cost the Conservatives enough votes to force them out of power at the next election, a new poll suggests.

One in five of voters who supported the party in 2010 would “definitely not” do so again if the Coalition presses ahead with the change, it found. Even though a majority of Conservative voters polled insisted they would stay with the party, the loss of a fifth of its support would be enough to force it out of power.

On Friday night some Conservative MPs described the findings as a “wake up call” to David Cameron, just a few days before the Commons votes for the first time on legalsing gay marriage.

But Tory supporters of the change dismissed the poll, which was commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage, which campaigns against same-sex unions, as “skewed”. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Friday, February 01, 2013


THE GUARDIAN: No concessions for Tory right in David Cameron's push for gay marriage: Prime minister rules out tax breaks for married couples in March budget ¶ David Cameron has slapped down traditionalists in the cabinet opposed to proposed gay marriage laws by saying he would not introduce tax breaks for married couples in the March budget. » | Patrick Wintour | Friday, February 01, 2013

Hillary Clinton Steps Down as US Secretary of State
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton bid an emotional farewell to the State Department on Friday as she stepped down from her post as America's top diplomat to become a private citizen for the first time in decades.


The US Secretary of State addressed a cheering crowd of staff in Washington, telling them that while the world remains "very complex and even dangerous" she was "more optimistic today than I was when I stood here four years ago".

"I'm proud of the work we have done to elevate diplomacy and development, to serve the nation we all love, to understand the challenges, the threats and the opportunities that the United States faces," she said. » | Raf Sanchez, Washington | Friday, February 01, 2013

Kosovo Orders Ban on Headscarves in Schools
Kosovo is one of Europe's majority Muslim countries, but now an administrative order has been issued banning the wearing of headscarves in schools. When one student refused to remove her headscarf, she was expelled. Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan reports.

In Kairo fliegen Molotow-Cocktails

TAGES ANZEIGER: Aus Protest gegen Mohammed Mursi sind in mehreren ägyptischen Städten tausende Menschen auf die Strasse gegangen. In Kairo gerieten erneut Demonstranten und Polizisten aneinander.

In Ägypten ist es bei den Massendemonstrationen gegen die islamistische Regierung zu Krawallen gekommen. Die arabischen Nachrichtensender Al-Jasira und al-Arabiya berichteten von Auseinandersetzungen am Präsidentenpalast in Kairo.

In der Hauptstadt marschierten Tausende Demonstranten trotz Regens zum Tahrir-Platz und zum Präsidentenpalast und riefen dabei Parolen wie «Freiheit» und «Mursi ist nicht rechtmässig». Augenzeugen zufolge bewarfen Demonstranten und Sicherheitskräfte einander in einer Seitenstrasse des Tahrir-Platzes mit Steinen. » | ses/AFP/sda | Freitaag, 01. Februar 2013

Salafismus wächst rasant
DIE WELT: In Norddeutschland gibt es bereits 1500 Anhänge

Sie verteilen öffentlich den Koran, vertreten einen rückwärtsgewandten Ur-Islam mit einem "Gottesstaat" und können gewaltbereit sein: Mehr als 4500 Salafisten gibt es nach Angaben des Bundesverfassungsschutzes in ganz Deutschland. "Für die norddeutschen Bundesländer gehen wir realistisch von einer Schätzung von 1000 bis 1500 Salafisten aus", sagte Professor Bülent Ucar, geschäftsführender Direktor des Instituts für Islamische Theologie an der Universität Osnabrück, am Rande einer Fachtagung zum Thema Salafismus. » | Von Edgar S. Hasse | Montag, 28. Januar 2013

Golfe Persique: Des milliers de Bahreïnis manifestent pour la démocratie
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Plusieurs milliers de Bahreïnis ont manifesté près de Manama à l'appel de l'opposition chiite. Ils ont réclamé des réformes démocratiques et le départ du Premier ministre, en poste depuis plus de 40 ans.

Des milliers de femmes et d'hommes ont défilé à Al-Bilad-el-Qadim en brandissant des drapeaux bahreïnis et des portraits de détenus politiques, et en réclamant la démission de Khalifa ben Salmane Al-Khalifa, oncle du roi et Premier ministre depuis l'indépendance de Bahreïn en 1971.

«L'action nationale en faveur du changement démocratique se poursuivra (...) jusqu'à l'obtention de tous les droits», ont affirmé les mouvements chiites de l'opposition dans un communiqué à la fin de la manifestation.

«L'action du peuple de Bahreïn sur le terrain dure depuis deux ans et ne s'arrêtera pas, l'action de l'opposition sera quotidienne et nous manifesterons tous les jours jusqu'à ce que toutes nos revendications soient entendues», ajoute également le texte. » | ats/afp/Newsnet | vendredi 01 février 2013

Que signifie le drapeau noir des salafistes ?
JEUNE AFRIQUE: De Bahreïn à Tombouctou, en passant par l'Algérie, il est au coeur de l'actualité : le drapeau noir imprimé de caractères blancs est devenu le symbole des salafistes du monde entier. Mais que signifie-t-il ? Décryptage.

Des caractères arabes qui claquent en blanc sur fond noir, une apparence familière, celle des étendards sombres du jihad supposés similaires à la bannière que le prophète Mohammed brandissait lors de ses conquêtes. Mais la forme de celle-ci détonne. La calligraphie basique qui le couronne, « La ilaha illa Allah » (il n’y a de dieu que Dieu), tranche avec les volutes compliquées des autres drapeaux salafistes et percute comme un « Just do it » de Nike. Il est frappé en son centre d’une sorte de cercle ovoïde barré de trois inscriptions « Allah » (Dieu),« Rasoûl » (Prophète), « Mohammed ». Un logo sobre et efficace qui évoquerait presque la pomme croquée d’Apple. Depuis 2011 cette bannière se répand dans le ciel des troupes salafistes combattantes ou militantes, des zones tribales du Pakistan aux maquis yéménites et sahéliens, des rues de Beyrouth aux places de Rabat. » | Par Jeune Afrique | mercredi 30 janvier 2013

Un Marocain lié aux salafistes expulsé
EUROPE 1: Un ressortissant marocain, lié au groupuscule salafiste Forsane Alizza, a été expulsé jeudi vers le Maroc, a annoncé le ministère de l'Intérieur dans un communiqué. < ahref=http://www.europe1.fr/France/Un-Marocain-lie-aux-salafistes-expulse-1399715/ target=_blank> » | Par Europe1.fr avec AFP | jeudi 31 janvier 2013

Catholic Event Cancels Talk By Islam Critic

THE BOSTON GLOBE: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester rescinded an invitation Wednesday to Robert Spencer, a Catholic whose work depicts Islam as an inherently violent religion, to speak at its annual Catholic Men’s Conference in March.

The invitation was withdrawn after Muslims in Massachusetts expressed concerns to the diocese about the appearance of Spencer, scheduled to be a featured speaker at the DCU Center on March 16.

Spencer is director of the blog Jihad Watch and a leader of the American Freedom Defense Initiative and Stop Islamization of America, both of which are seen as anti-Muslim groups by some organizations that monitor extremism.

His books include “Stealth Jihad: How Radical Islam is Subverting America without Guns or Bombs,” “The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World’s Most Intolerant Religion,” and “Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics.” On his blog, he has argued that jihad is a central tenet of the faith.

After the Globe sought comment on his scheduled appearance from the diocese and from Muslim organizations Wednesday, the Islamic Council of New England sent an e-mail urging Catholic leaders to cancel Spencer’s appearance. The diocese agreed to do so shortly after receiving the e-mail. » | Lisa Wangsness | Blobe Staff | Thursday, January 31, 2013

Global Leadership Vacuum: Europe Incapable, America Unwilling

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: US Vice President Joe Biden is visiting Germany this week in an effort to strengthen trans-Atlantic ties. Global politics have come to a standstill in recent years, with the United States unwilling to show leadership and Europe and other major powers unable to fill the vacuum.

Ernest Rutherford, the chemist and nuclear physicist, wanted to conduct massive experiments in his laboratories in Britain. He had won the 1908 Nobel Prize in chemistry and would go on to become one of the legends in his field. But he often simply didn't have the funds. Legend has it that he gathered together his team and said: "Gentlemen, we have run out of money. It's time to start thinking."

These words attributed to Rutherford have become world-famous -- also in the realm of politics. And they could hardly be more applicable than to United States Vice President Joe Biden's upcoming trip to Germany. On Friday afternoon, Biden will hold a powwow with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. On Saturday, he is scheduled to deliver a speech at the annual Munich Security Conference.

The reason is clear: Biden might still speak eloquently in public about trans-Atlantic cooperation. But, behind closed doors, his main message will be that America and its allies need to come up with a new way of divvying up responsibilities in this uncertain world. The Exhausted Nation » | An Analysis By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Munich | Friday, February 01, 2013

Vorwürfe des Wiesenthal-Centers: Rabbi nennt Jakob Augstein Antisemiten
31.01.2013 - Das Simon-Wiesenthal-Zentrum hat Aussagen des SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Kolumnisten und Verlegers Jakob Augstein auf eine Liste der schlimmsten antisemitischen Äußerungen gesetzt. In Berlin verstärkte jetzt dessen Vizedirektor Rabbi Cooper die Kritik - und nennt Augstein unverblümt einen Antisemiten.

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Augstein Debate: Rabbi Refuses to Weaken 'Anti-Semite' Claims – Rabbi Abraham Cooper has reiterated the Simon Wiesenthal Center's stance that German journalist Jakob Augstein, who also writes a column for SPIEGEL ONLINE, is a leading anti-Semite. He said that Augstein's recent comments have done nothing to change his opinion. » | Severin Weiland | Thursday, January 31, 2013

Al-Qaeda Threatens US and Europe, Promises 'Earth-shattering' Attack

RT.COM: A message posted on a jihadist website on Sunday promised that “terrible” attacks will soon strike the US, France, Denmark and other European countries.

“Where will the next strike by Al-Qaeda be?” a message on the Ansar al-Mujahidin network read, followed by: “The house of disbelief: America, France, Denmark and other countries in Europe, and in the countries that helped and help France and other places.”

The message threatened attacks that will be “strong, serious, alarming, earth-shattering and terrible,” which will be carried out both collectively and individually.

The post also singled out France, telling the country to prepare for a “long war of attrition.” » | Thursday, January 31, 2013

Barack Obama's Uncle to Face Deportation Hearing

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Onyango Obama, the uncle of US president Barack Obama, will learn if he is to be deported from the US to Kenya at a hearing scheduled for Dec 3.

Mr Obama, 68, is the half-brother of the president's late father. He has lived in the US illegally since arriving from Kenya as a teenager for school.

The date of the hearing was announced on Wednesday.

His status emerged after his 2011 drunken driving arrest in Framingham, Massachusetts. When he was arrested, he told police he would “call the White House”, before being charged with drink-driving. » | Thursday, January 31, 2013

My comment:

Just how many of Obama's extended family are living in the US illegally, actually? – © Mark

Documentary: Make Me a Muslim
Documentary following five girls as they embrace Islam, as Shanna Bukhari sets out to find out why more young British women are giving up partying and drinking to become Muslims.
Watch the BBC documentary here

The Dis-United Kingdom
The Café travels to Bradford to discuss race riots, poverty and polarised communities in the UK.

Dawkins on Religion
An interview with renowned atheist Richard Dawkins on whether religion is a force for good or evil.

Inside Story Americas: What Fuels the Love for Guns in the US?
We examine the history of gun ownership in a country where there are almost as many guns as there are people.

Salafismus in Bonn: Salafisten verteilten Korane in Bad Godesberg
GENERAL-ANZEIGER: BAD GODESBERG. Es war ein unauffälliger Stand, an dem die Anhänger der salafistischen, sprich radikal-muslimischen Gruppierung "Die wahre Religion" am Samstag auf dem Theaterplatz kostenlose Korane verteilten. Zumindest an diejenigen, die an dem wie ein Rednerpult anmutenden Tisch stehenblieben.

Denn angesprochen wurde niemand der Passanten, die die jungen Männer in Jeans und dicken Jacken meist gar nicht wahrnahmen. Mit Achselzucken reagierten denn auch zwei Fußgänger, die zwischen Theaterplatz und Fronhof unterwegs waren. Ihnen sei die Koranverteilaktion egal, so lange nicht versucht würde, sie zu missionieren. » | GA | Montag, 28. Januar 2013

Szene der Salafisten wächst - Anstieg um 700 Personen auf 4500
DER TAGESSPIEGEL: Im vergangenen Jahr haben sich 700 weitere Menschen den Salafisten angeschlossen. Damit zählt der Verfassungsschutz 4500 Salafisten insgesamt hierzulande. Ein Anführer der Szene aus Berlin will sich unterdessen den Kämpfern in Syrien anschließen.

Die Szene der Salafisten in Deutschland ist nach Informationen des Tagesspiegels im vergangenen Jahr deutlich gewachsen. Die Zahl der Personen, die dem Spektrum zuzurechnen sind, sei auf 4500 gewachsen, teilte das Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz auf Anfrage mit. Im Jahr 2011 hatte der Nachrichtendienst noch 3800 Salafisten festgestellt. Den größten Zulauf hatte die Szene in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Dort verdoppelte sich die Zahl der Salafisten auf 1000 Personen. » | Von Frank Jansen | Dienstag, 29. Januar 2013

David Cameron Greeted with Cries of 'Allah[u] Akhbar' in Surprise Visit to Libya
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron today flew into Tripoli in defiance of the deteriorating security situation.

Earlier this week Britain warned of a "potential threat" to its embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, days after the Foreign Office urged British nationals to leave Benghazi.

However the Prime Minister flew today from Algiers to Tripoli, for his second visit to the capital in 15 months. » | Christopher Hope, Tripoli, Libya | Thursday, January 31, 2013

Algeria Doesn't Need Lectures from Dave on Fighting Terrorism

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron can expect a frosty reception from his Algerian hosts today when he becomes the first British Prime Minister to visit the North African country since it gained independence in 1962.

Mr Cameron's visit is in response to the al-Qaeda attack on the In Amenas gas complex earlier this month in which 68 people died, including three British workers. After the Algerians refused Mr Cameron's offers of help to end the siege – including a SAS unit – the prime minister hopes to establish a better working relationship in fighting the growing Islamist menace that is taking root in North Africa. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Consultants Who Advise on Bankers' Pay Make Prostitutes Look Respectable Says Former Chancellor Lord Lawson

MAIL ONLINE: Lord Lawson made comment as MPs took evidence on standards in banking / He said pay consultants make prostitutes 'seem thoroughly respectable' / Former Chancellor said they feared missing out on future advisory fees if they suggested modest pay deals

Pay consultants who advise banks on their salary packages make prostitutes look ‘respectable’, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer said today.

Tory peer Lord Lawson gave his forthright opinion as MPs took evidence on standards in the banking industry.

He said: ‘In my experience, they [pay consultants] are a profession which makes prostitution seem thoroughly respectable.’

And Lord Lawson, who ran Britain’s finances under Margaret Thatcher, refused to back down even when a female witness giving evidence to him took exception to the characterisation.

Carol Arrowsmith, a senior pay consultant with accountancy firm Deloitte, said it was ‘difficult’ to accept the suggestion that her profession was worse than prostitution.

‘It may be difficult but it may be true,’ retorted the famously outspoken Westminster grandee. » | Rob Davies | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Professor Richard Dawkins Causes Twitter Row with Islamic Barbarian Jibe

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Not content with upsetting the Jewish religion, Professor Richard Dawkins, the celebrated atheist, has now annoyed some Muslims.

Speaking about the damage caused to the library in Timbuktu, in Mali, he described those who burnt it down as Islamic Barbarians.

His comments have been interpreted as being derogatory to Islam and insulting to followers of the religion by some on the social networking site Twitter.

The best selling author of The God Delusion and Oxford Professor, Tweeted [sic] that “Like Alexandria, like Bamiyan, Timbuktu's priceless manuscript heritage destroyed by Islamic barbarians”. » | Richard Alleyne | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Adolf Hitler Anniversary: Angela Merkel Warns Far-Right Could Rise Again

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Germany marked the 80th anniversary of Adolf Hitler's rise to power yesterday with a warning from Angela Merkel that social divisions could allow far-Right tyranny to rise again.

Nationwide events to highlight Nazi atrocities and the obiliteration [sic] of whole segments of German society were staged to deliver the message never again.

Chancellor Merkel gave a speech timed to coincide with the moment that President Paul von Hindenburg, appointed Hitler as head of government in 1933.

The German leader opened an exhibit named the Topography of Terror that displayed details of crimes at all the key buildings used by the Nazis.

With clear references to the parallels between the economic troubles of inter-war Germany and challenges facing Europe's biggest economy, Mrs Merkel told listeners that Hitler was helped to power by a failing establishment.

"The rise of the Nazis was made possible because the elite of German society worked with them, but also, above all else, because most in Germany at least tolerated this rise," she said. "Human rights don't assert themselves. Freedom doesn't preserve itself all alone and democracy doesn't succeed by itself."

"That must be a constant warning for us, Germans."

Posters draped on landmarks, including the famous KaDeWe department store, contained biographies of the Jews, intellectuals and others who were targetted by the Nazis. At the former heaquarters of the Gestapo another exhibit showed photographs of the Reichstag burning and the first official poster issued by the Hitler government on April 1, 1933 declaring a boycott of Jewish businesses.

"Germans, defend yourselves! Don't buy from Jews," it said. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Inside Story - Redefining Marriage
We examine the global trend towards same-sex marriage and its implications on traditional family structures. Discussing this on Inside Story with presenter Shiulie Ghosh are Guests: Peter Tatchell, a Gay rights activist & director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation and James Bogle, a lawyer & chairman of the Catholic Union of Great Britain.

Inside Story: Are the Royals Still Relevant?
As Netherlands' Queen Beatrix plans to step down, we examine the pros and cons of maintaining the modern monarchy.

Dutch Queen to Abdicate in Favour of Her Son, Prince Willem-Alexander
The Netherlands will have its first king after more than 120 years. Queen Beatrix is abdicating after thirty years as head of state in favour of her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander, who will become the first Dutch king since 1890. The Queen will revert to the title of Princess, but not until the official handover, on April 30. Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan reports.

France to Expel Radical Imams to Tackle 'Global Islamic Jihad'
RT.COM: Paris says it will deport a number of radical religious imams to tackle extremism in Europe and "global jihadism". French Interior Minister warned the eviction would happen "in the coming days".

"We will expel all these imams, all these foreign preachers who denigrate women, who hold views that run counter to our values and who say there is a need to combat France,” AFP quoted foreign minister Manuel Valls as saying.

Speaking at the conference in Brussels, he stressed that the move will affect “Salafist groupings, who are involved in the political process, whose aim is to monopolize cultural associations, the school system."

Radical Islam, the key topic at an international conference in Belgium, is a pressing issue for France especially after Mohamed Merah the al-Qaeda inspired murderer, dubbed the Scooter Killer, shot dead three soldiers, three Jewish schoolchildren, and a rabbi in March 2012. » | Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Clashes in Athens as Protesters Break into Govt. Building

RT.COM: Austerity enraged protesters broke into a government building and threatened the labor minister, Wednesday. Riot police then intervened with tear gas, batons and pepper spray, with one person taken to hospital. Read on » | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

BBC Accused of 'Extraordinary' Censorship after Cutting Honour-killing References from Radio Drama for Fear of Offending Muslims

MAIL ONLINE: Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's episode of DCI Stone is to be broadcast on Radio 4 / Dialogue linked to honour killing removed in 'betrayal' because of 'fear-ridden culture', she says / BBC admit cutting words 'potentially misrepresenting majority British Muslim attitudes to honour killing' / She received death threats after her 2004 play Behzti offended Sikhs

The BBC has been accused of 'extraordinary' censorship by a leading playwright after she had dialogue cut from her hard-hitting drama because it could have offended Muslims.

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, whose 2004 production Behzti was pulled from a Birmingham theatre after it sparked Sikh protests, has accused the Corporation of tampering with her work because it involved an honour killing.

Ms Bhatti's drama The Heart of Darkness will be played on Radio 4 this Friday as part of its popular DCI Stone series, but she says the BBC has caused an 'awful situation' which has led to a 'betrayal' of her work.

At the centre of her story is the honour killing of a 16-year-old Asian girl, and DCI Stone is told by his bosses to treat the case 'sensitively' because she is Muslim.

Although they have admitted removing dialogue from its afternoon drama, the BBC claims they did it to avoid 'potentially misrepresenting majority British Muslim attitudes to honour killing'.

Describing the play's final line, Ms Bhatti told The Independent: 'At the end, a character says: "There is so much pressure in our community, to look right and to behave right." The compliance department came back and said, "we don’t want to suggest the entire Muslim community condones honour killings". Read on and comment » | Martin Robinson | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Gedenken an Opfer der NS-Zeit
Der Mittwoch stand für die Politik in Berlin ganz im Zeichen der Vergangenheit, der Machtübernahme der Nationalsozialisten und der Geschichte von deren Opfern.

Blitz: London’s Firestorm
On 29 December 1940 Hitler hoped his Luftwaffe would create a firestorm to destroy central London and break the spirit of the British people. Tens of thousands of incendiary bombs were dropped on the heart of the city.

The story of that awe-inspiring night is told in a feature-length documentary that brings eyewitness accounts to life using dramatic reconstructions and CGI.

Firemen and heavy rescue workers fought desperately all night to control the burning buildings as the fire raged out of control. And in its path was the symbolic form of St Paul's, which Churchill demanded was protected at any cost.

Londoners had come to expect nightly raids, but this was on a different scale and they fled for the protection of shelters, uncertain if their home would still stand after the bombing. Many were to die.

The following morning the survivors emerged after a terrifying and sleepless night to face the smoking ruins of the city.

Watch the Channel 4 documentary here

Obama - Islamist Appeasing Dhimmi - Pat Condell

Pat Condell: Islamic Cultural Terrorism

Enforcing Sharia Law in London: Muslim Patrol

Census 2011: Polish Becomes the Second Language
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Polish has become England’s second language, the latest figures from the 2011 census show.

An influx of workers from Eastern Europe has transformed the face of the UK over the past decade, with some areas such as Boston, Lincs, and Ealing in west London seeing the most dramatic changes.

A total of 546,000 people in England and Wales said that Polish was their “main” language, second only to English in England.

A total of 562,000 people said that they spoke Welsh, predominantly in Wales. Although four million people living in England and Wales – or eight per cent of the population – said English was not their first language, only 138,000 admitted having no English or Welsh at all. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

NS-Forschung: Wer war Adolf Hitler?

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Vier zentrale Fragen zu dem Mann, der heute vor achtzig Jahren zum Kanzler ernannt wurde, sind noch unbeantwortet. Doch statt wirklicher Analyse blüht in Deutschland eine enervierende, obskurantistische Hitler-Folklore.

Das deutsche Hitlerbild des Jahres 2013 erinnert an die ‚Where’s Waldo?‘-Kinderbücher des Briten Martin Handford. Ähnlich wie der mit einem rot-weißen Streifenpullover und einer Bommelmütze versehene Waldo auf jedem Bild halb versteckt zu finden ist, taucht Hitler in jedem in der Vergangenheit spielenden Film oder als Gesprächsstoff in Fernsehdiskussionen irgendwo und irgendwie am Rande auf. Was er da aber eigentlich soll, weiß man oft nicht so genau. Achtzig Jahre nach seiner Machtergreifung ist Hitler im Leben Deutschlands gleichermaßen omnipräsent und ominös. Hitler wird, vielleicht ungewollt, nicht mehr ernst genommen. » | Von Thomas Weber | Dienstag, 29. Januar 2013

I Wasn’t Looking for a Religion … I Just Fell in Love with Islam
Meet four of the 5,000 Brits who become Muslims each year
THE SUN: EVERY year, more than 5,000 Brits convert to Islam.

More than half of those who make the switch are white – and 75 per cent are women.

But what would make someone want to change their lifestyle so dramatically? Police Community Support Officer Jayne Kemp left her Catholic roots behind after “falling in love” with Islam while helping victims of so-called honour violence.

Here EMILY FOSTER, JENNA SLOAN and EMILY FAIRBAIRN speak to Jayne and three other women about why they decided to become Muslim. » | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Make Me A Muslim is on BBC3 tonight at 9pm.

Sarah Palin, star déchue de l'Amérique conservatrice

LE FIGARO: L'ex-égérie du Tea Party n'a pas renouvelé son contrat d'éditorialiste politique avec Fox News et semble de plus en plus «has-been».

Mais que va donc devenir Sarah Palin ? La presse américaine se pose la question. Il y a un peu plus de quatre ans en effet, cette inconnue amatrice de chasse à l'ours, chantre de la maman (de cinq enfants) moderne, était choisie comme vice-présidente par le candidat à la présidentielle, John McCain. Aujourd'hui, l'ex-gouverneure d'Alaska disparaît des écrans de télévision: la très conservatrice chaîne de Rupert Murdoch, Fox News, a annoncé vendredi qu'elle ne renouvelait pas son contrat d'éditorialiste politique, après trois ans de collaboration. Un contrat d'un million de dollars par an grâce auquel Palin était payée 15,85 dollars (près de 12 euros) par mot, selon une étude d'Eric Ostermeier, de l'université du Minnesota, publiée lundi. » | Par Anne-Laure Frémont | mardi 29 janvier 2013

Adolf Hitler: Germany Marks 80 Years Since Nazi Leader's Rise To Power
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Berlin today commemorates Adolf Hitler's rise to power 80 years ago, with exhibitions exploring what Chancellor Angela Merkel has called Germany's "everlasting responsibility" for crimes committed by the Nazis.

In a black-and-white photo, visitors can make out the Fuehrer saluting the crowd from the chancellery window on the evening of January 30, 1933, after earlier having been made chancellor and been charged by president Paul von Hindenburg with forming a new government.

The picture is on display at "Berlin 1933. On the Path to Dictatorship", due to be opened by Mrs Merkel in the German capital on Wednesday, on a site charged with history as the former headquarters of the Gestapo, the secret police of the Nazi regime.

It now houses The Topography of Terror [D], an open-air documentation centre whose exhibition will trace Hitler's first months in power through photos, newspapers and posters.

"The hour has come! We are at Wilhelmstrasse (the site of the chancellery at the time). Hitler is chancellor of the Reich. Like in a fairytale," wrote Joseph Goebbels, who was to become Nazi propaganda chief, in his diary on January 31, 1933.

Posters go on to show images of the Reichstag going up in flames the following month and then the first measures taken against the Jews on April 1, with the start of a boycott of Jewish shops, doctors and lawyers. » | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

SALZBURGER NACHRICHTEN: Vor 80 Jahren kam Hitler in Deutschland an die Macht: Adolf Hitlers Aufstieg zur absoluten Macht beginnt vor 80 Jahren: Am 30. Jänner 1933 wird der verkrachte Kunststudent aus dem oberösterreichischen Braunau und Anführer der Nationalsozialisten Reichskanzler in Berlin. » | Von Sn, Dpa | Mittwoch, 30. Januar 2013

SUEDDEUTSCHE.DE: Nazionalsozialismus: Wie Hitler an die Macht kam » | Mittwoch, 30. Januar 2013
N-TV MEDIATHEK: Der Weg in die Diktatur, Hitler und das Jahr 1933: Wie die Nazis Deutschland eroberten »

Quilliam Chairman and Co-founder Releases His Autobiography Radical
QUILLIAM FOUNDATION: Radical – My Journey from Islamist Extremism to A Democratic Awakening is the story of a British-Pakistani born and raised in Essex, Maajid Nawaz, who was recruited into Islamism as a teenager. Abandoning his love of hip hop culture, he joined Hizb al-Tahrir, where he played a central role in the shaping and dissemination of an aggressive anti-West narrative, which included the creation of new international cells and the encouragement of military coups.

Arriving in Egypt the day before 9/11 to study as part of his Arabic and law degree, his Islamist views soon led to his arrest and incarceration. Whilst mixing with everyone from Sadat’s assassins to Liberal reformists, an intellectual transformation occurred and Amnesty International adopted him as a Prisoner of Conscience. Upon his release, Maajid renounced political Islamism, while remaining a Muslim, and now travels the world educating and inspiring young people about democracy through both Quilliam and Khudi. » | Thursday, July 05, 2012

New Dark Age Alert! Muslim Patrols Could Become More Prevalent and More Violent, Warns Anti-extremist
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Muslim patrols stalking British streets could become “a lot more dangerous” and perhaps even willing to maim or kill, the head of an anti-extremism organisation has warned.


As British jihadists venture abroad to capitalise on the aftermath of the Arab Spring and then return to the UK, they are likely to bring a greater level of violence back home, Maajid Nawaz, the chairman of the Quilliam Foundation, suggested.

His comments follow incidents in which groups of Muslim vigilantes, dubbing themselves 'Muslim Patrols' have approached Londoners and demanded they behave in an Islamic way by not drinking.

They have also told women to put more clothes on, claiming they are entering 'Muslim areas'.

Their actions could be “a sign of things to come” and are part of a pattern of extremism spreading across Europe in different forms, be it far right fascism or Islamism, Mr Nawaz said.

Writing in The Times, he said: “While this street-level problem festers across Europe, al-Qaeda and its affiliates are busy capitalising on the chaos of the post-Arab Spring world. » | Ross Silverman | Wednesday, January 30, 2013

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’