Tuesday, March 12, 2013
THE HUFFINGTON POST: If all had gone according to NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's plan, today would have been the first day without super-sized beverages in New York City.
Known as the "soda ban," Bloomberg's legislation put a cap on the number of ounces of sugary, calorie-laden drinks available for sale in the city. If it hadn't been struck down, restaurants, fast food joints, pizza parlors, movie theaters and bars would currently be unable to sell more than 16 ounce containers of sugary drinks that have more than 25 calories per ounce. That means: sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, juice drinks, slushies and smoothies, among other beverages. Exceptions include alcohol and milk-based drinks.
But in a last-minute ruling, State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling dismissed the law, explaining that the New York City's Board of Health lacked the jurisdiction to enforce it. He further went on to find that the rule was "arbitrary and capricious" -- that it did not accomplish what it set out to do. Or, as HuffPost Live host (and resident legal expert) Mike Sacks put it, "law-speak for too stupid to be legal." » | Meredith Melnick | Tuesday, March 12, 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: As expected, the Hungarian parliament on Monday evening passed a package of constitutional amendments that legal experts say are an affront to democracy. Berlin, Brussels and Washington all voiced their concern in the run up to the vote. Leaders in Budapest, however, were unfazed.
Hungarian President János Áder arrived in Berlin on Monday for what might look merely like a standard bilateral meeting between two EU leaders. But the relationship between the European Union and Hungary is anything but normal these days. Budapest, after all, bid farewell on Monday to many of the values that define the 27-member club.
Prime Minster Viktor Orbán, like Áder a member of the conservative Fidesz party, has expanded his power dramatically. While the head of state was in Berlin, the prime minister moved ahead with a highly controversial package of amendments to the country's constitution. The amendments weaken the country's constitutional court, the last defender of Hungary's constitutional state, and they limit the independence of the entire judiciary branch.
In other words, a country at the center of the European Union is moving away from the principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. » | Keno Verseck | Monday, March 11, 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Homosexuelle stoßen in Russland immer stärker auf Ablehnung. Die Ergebnisse einer aktuellen Umfrage sind erschreckend: 43 Prozent der Befragten sind für eine Zwangsheilung, eine Isolierung oder gar eine Liquidierung von Schwulen und Lesben.
Moskau - Der Druck auf Homosexuelle in Russland steigt: Nach einer aktuellen Umfrage wächst die Ablehnung von Schwulen und Lesben. 43 Prozent der Befragten sind entweder für eine "Zwangsheilung" (22 Prozent), eine "Isolierung" (16 Prozent) oder sogar "Liquidierung" (5 Prozent). Das teilte das Meinungsforschungsinstitut Lewada der Agentur Interfax mit. Diese Werte seien im Vergleich zu früheren Studien gestiegen. » | heb/dpa | Dienstag, 12. März 2013
GLOBAL POST: Hailing from a family of aristocrats, Austria's Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn is widely seen as a moderate figure in the Church but also shares the conservative values of his now-retired mentor Benedict XVI.
The tall, open-faced and oft-smiling archbishop of Vienna is one of the contenders to take over the papacy, although some have questioned the likelihood of a second consecutive German-speaking pope being chosen.
Well-liked and seen as a brilliant theologian, Schoenborn has described himself as "conservative on religious issues but liberal on social matters." » | Agence France-Presse | Thursday, March 07, 2013
KLEINE ZEITUNG: Kardinal Christoph Schönborn wird als einer der Favoriten für das Konklave gehandelt, das heute Nachmittag in Rom beginnt. Seine hochbetagte Mutter Eleonore Schönborn hofft indes, dass ihr Sohn nicht neuer Papst wird und erklärt im Interview, warum.
Kardinal Christoph Schönborns engste Familie, seine Mutter und seine drei Geschwister, erlebt derzeit bange Stunden. "Die ganze Familie hat Angst davor, dass Christoph zum Papst gewählt wird", gesteht die Mutter des Papst-Anwärters.
Eleonore Schönborn lebt hochbetagt in Schruns im Montafon in Vorarlberg, wo auch der für das Konklave hoch gehandelte Wiener Erzbischof nach der Flucht der Familie aus Böhmen aufgewachsen ist. Die 92-jährige Mutter hat die Abschiedsrede von Joseph Ratzinger gehört. "Er sagte, dass man als Papst voll und ganz der Kirche gehört. Da gibt es kein Privatleben mehr." Wenn ihr Sohn Papst würde, "dann ist es für mich vorbei. Dann seh ich den Christoph überhaupt nicht mehr. Denn ich habe nicht mehr die Kraft, nach Rom zu fahren." » | Dienstag, 12. März 2013
L’ESSENTIEL ONLINE: La mère d'un des papables ne veut pas qu'il soit élu : Eleonore Schönborn, mère du cardinal autrichien craint de ne plus le revoir si ce dernier est élu au Saint-Siège et qu'il ne se perde dans les intrigues vaticanes. » | L'essentiel Online/AFP | mardi 12 mars 2013
KLEINE ZEITUNG – FOTO GALERIE: Papst-Wahl: So wohnen die Kardinäle: Während dem Konklave wohnen die Kardinäle in der Casa Santa Marta. »
Monday, March 11, 2013
WORLD TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON — Al Qaida has targeted Christians for recruitment in operations against the United States, according to a new report.
The Henry Jackson Society found that Al Qaida was wooing American Christians interested in Islam as potential recruits for operational and sleeper cells.
In a 720-page report, the society said nearly a quarter of all identified Al Qaida operatives in the United States were Christians who had converted to Islam.
“Maybe this is just one expression in a post-industrial society of how young people deal with alienation,” former CIA director Michael Hayden, co-author of the report, said. Read the complete article [password protected] » | Compiled by Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com | Monday, March 11, 2013
BBC: Princess Lilian of Sweden, whose romance with husband Prince Bertil became one of Sweden's best-known love stories, has died at the age of 97.
Welsh-born Lilian met Prince Bertil in London during World War II, but they faced objections to their relationship because of the prince's obligations to the throne and Lilian's status as a divorced commoner. They had to wait until 1976 to get married.
In 2010, it was announced she had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
James Savage, managing editor of English-language online newspaper The Local in Sweden, told BBC Radio Wales she was one of the most senior members of the Swedish royal family. (+ BBC audio) » | Monday, March 11, 2013
THE LOCAL SWEDEN: Princess Lilian funeral details released: Sweden's British-born Princess Lilian, who died on Sunday at the age of 97, will lie in state for well-wishers to pay their last respects on Friday, the Royal Court announced on Monday. » | Monday, March 11, 2013
BBC: Tributes have been paid to one of Swansea's "most famous daughters", Princess Lilian of Sweden, who has died at the age of 97. » | Monday, March 11, 2013
THE FIJI TIMES ONLINE: Love story ends as Princess Lilian dies: WELSH-BORN Princess Lilian of Sweden, whose decades-long love story with the king's uncle was one of the better kept secrets of the royal household, has died aged 97. » | News.Com.Au | Tuesday, March 12, 2013
TIMES HERALD RECORD: Princess whose forbidden love gripped Sweden dies » | The Associated Press | Sunday, March 10, 2013
BBC: The commoners who married royalty: Despite her Welsh background and fairytale life, the late Princess Lilian of Sweden was not a household name in the UK. She was also not the first commoner to marry royalty. The BBC looks at others, including the Duchess of Cambridge. » | Monday, March 11, 2013
Related »
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama will be limited to an especially strict Kosher diet when he visits Israel for the first time as US president this month.
The stringent dietary restrictions will be dictated by the timing of Mr Obama's arrival at Jerusalem's landmark King David Hotel on March 20 – after it has changed to a full religious menu in preparation for the start of the annual Jewish Passover festival five days later.
Bosses at the 233-room King David say they are unable to make an exception for the presidential party.
Pasta dishes will be very much off the menu, while dishes rich in vegetables will predominate – even on room service, which will operate 24-hours-a-day for the duration of the president's visit.
"We're used to hosting heads of state and also American presidents, but this situation is very special for us because it's so close to Pesach [Passover]. For us it will be double the preparations," the hotel's manager, Dror Danino, told Haaretz [$] newspaper. » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Monday, Marcj 11, 2013
THE JERUSALEM POST: Army of 10,000 police prepare for Obama visit: Police Spokesman says thousands of police will take part in securing the three-day visit by US president. » | Ben Hartman | Monday, March 11, 2013
YNET NEWS – OPINION: Progress or explosion: Op-ed: President Obama may as well postpone visit to region if he does not plan to advance peace process » | Emanuel Rosen | Sunday, March 10, 2013
ABC NEWS: Long thought to be a modern disease related to contemporary lifestyles, atherosclerosis was common among ancient people as well, a new study found.
Whole body CT scans of 137 mummies from four different ancient populations revealed heart and vascular calcifications consistent with atherosclerosis, reported Dr. Randall Thompson of St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues.
"We were most surprised to find atherosclerosis among hunter-gatherers, whose varied diet and active lifestyle would presumably place them at low risk," he told MedPage Today.
The findings were reported online in The Lancet and at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Francisco.
"The presence of atherosclerosis in pre[-]modern human beings suggests that the disease is an inherent component of human aging and not associated with any specific diet or lifestyle," the researchers concluded. » | Charlene Laino | Monday, March 11, 2013
LE MONDE BLOGS: Son "nouveau départ", Arnoud van Doorn l'a annoncé sur son compte Twitter. Une formule lapidaire, mais lourde de sens pour celui qui n'était connu jusque là que pour son rôle de vice-président du Parti de la liberté (extrême droite néerlandaise) au sein du conseil municipal de La Haye, et sa grande proximité avec Geert Wilders, le chef de file du parti ultranationaliste.
A 46 ans, Arnoud van Doorn a pourtant fait mentir ses orientations politiques en annonçant s'être converti à l'islam. Une annonce qui a surpris la presse néerlandaise, notamment le Amsterdam Herald, qui revient sur cette affaire. Sur son compte Twitter toujours, l'homme a en effet écrit en arabe la phrase de la chahada, premier des cinq piliers de la religion musulmane : "Il n'y a pas d'autre dieu que dieu et Mahomet est son prophète." L'homme n'a pas précisé les raisons de sa conversion, affirmant qu'il s'agissait "d'une affaire personnelle". Continuez à lire et ajouter un commentaire » | lundi 11 mars 2013
TICINO LIVE: Il vice di Geert Wilders si converte all’Islam. Colpo di scena in Olanda: Dopo anni di propaganda contro il Corano, il vice presidente del movimento populista guidato da Geert Wilders si converte all’Islam. » | lunedi 11 marzo 2013
Related »
THE GUARDIAN: One of royal households best-kept secrets, her relationship with Prince Bertil was seen as threat to Bernadotte dynasty
She was one of the better-kept secrets of Sweden's royal household: a commoner and divorcee whose relationship with Prince Bertil was seen as a threat to the Bernadotte dynasty.
In a touching royal romance, Welsh-born Princess Lilian and the prince kept their love unofficial for decades and were both in their 60s when they finally received the king's blessing to get married.
Lilian died in her Stockholm home on Sunday at the age of 97. The royal palace didn't give a cause of death but Lilian suffered from Alzheimer's disease and had been in poor health for several years.
She met Sweden's Prince Bertil in 1943, but his obligations to the throne and Lilian's status as a divorced commoner prevented them from making their love public. The couple's sacrifices and lifelong dedication to one another gripped the hearts of Swedes.
"If I were to sum up my life, everything has been about my love," the princess said of her husband when she turned 80 in 1995. "He's a great man, and I love him." » | Associated Press | Monday, March 11, 2013
THE DAILY BEAST: Princess Lilian of Sweden: Beloved Princess who was banned from marrying her royal sweetheart for 30 years » | Tom Sykes | Monday, March 11, 2013
Related »
BBC: Princess Lilian of Sweden, whose romance with husband Prince Bertil became one of Sweden's best-known love stories, has died at the age of 97.
Welsh-born Lilian met Prince Bertil in London during World War II.
However, they faced objections to their relationship because of the prince's obligations to the throne and Lilian's status as a divorced commoner. They had to wait until 1976 to get married.
In 2010, it was announced she had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Princess Lilian was born Lilian Davies in Swansea in August 1915 and moved to London aged 16 to follow a modelling career. She was married to actor Ivan Craig when she met Prince Bertil in London in 1943.
The couple fell in love in what Swedish media described as a real-life Cinderella story. She divorced her British husband two years later.
However, Prince Bertil's father, King Gustaf VI Adolf, refused to give his blessing for the couple to get married. » | Sunday, March 10, 2013
Swansea-born Swedish Princess Dies Peacefully in Her Sleep »
LE MATIN: COEUR — Oskar Freysinger est passé sur le billard la veille du dépôt des listes au Conseil d’Etat valaisan. Conforté par le diagnostic, il se sent en forme pour cumuler les mandats.
Les faits sont largement passés inaperçus. Mais le champion du premier tour de l’élection au Conseil d’Etat valaisan, Oskar Freysinger, a eu deux opérations du cœur depuis le début de l’année! «La première s’est déroulée le jour avant le dépôt des listes, pour être sûr que cela n’était pas trop grave. Si cela avait nécessité un pontage, je n’aurais pas pu être candidat, c’est clair! Mais là, il s’agissait d’un rétrécissement coronarien. Mon médecin m’a rassuré en me disant qu’il n’y avait aucun souci. Ensuite, j’ai fait la deuxième opération durant la campagne pour poser deux stents.» » | Par Lise Bailat | jeudi 07 mars 2013
TAGES ANZEIGER: Freysinger will trotz Herzproblemen an mehreren Ämtern festhalten: Oskar Freysinger wurde in diesem Jahr zweimal am Herzen operiert. Bei einer Wahl zum Staatsrat will er auch an seinem Amt als Nationalrat festhalten. Ist er der Doppelbelastung gewachsen? » | Von Lise Ballat | Donnerstag, 07. März 2013
Related »
WIKI: Oskar Freysinger – English, Deutsch, Français
OVB ONLINE: Verfassungsschutz: 4500 Islamisten sind ernste Gefahr [|] Berlin – Der starke Zulauf für potenziell bedrohliche Salafisten in Deutschland beunruhigt die Sicherheitsbehörden.
Verfassungsschutz: 4500 Islamisten sind ernste Gefahr[.]
Berlin – Der starke Zulauf für potenziell bedrohliche Salafisten in Deutschland beunruhigt die Sicherheitsbehörden. Ihre Zahl hat sich laut Verfassungsschutz im vergangenen Jahr von 3800 auf 4500 erhöht. Zusammen mit etwa 1000 gewaltbereiten Islamisten stellten sie „eine ernst zu nehmende Gefahr“ dar, sagte Verfassungsschutzchef Hans-Georg Maaßen dem Nachrichtenmagazin „Focus“. „Wenn der Staat gegenüber salafistischen Bestrebungen nicht klare Kante zeigt, besteht die Gefahr, dass diese Gruppen weiter wachsen. Es ist denkbar, dass die Bereitschaft zur Gewalt, auch zu Anschlägen, zunimmt.“ » | ovb-online | Montag, 11. März 2013
ABNA: In Holland, a major Islamophobic political and social activist, former member of parliament from a right-wing party, Arnoud van Doorn accepted Islam.
The former Islamophobe announced his decision to accept Islam on his Twitter profile. He says it is a new beginning of his life and published the declaration of Shahada (the words on monotheism to become a Muslim) in Arabic.
At first, other users took the news as a joke. After all, an active supporter of a notorious Dutch hater of Islam, Wilders, has repeatedly approved Islamophobic statements and public actions, and personally participated in them.
But van Doorn, who now serves as a regional adviser at the City Hall in The Hague, personally confirmed his decision to practice Islam in an official letter to the city Mayor.
Most recently, the politician filed a formal application to the mayor of the city to allow him to perform prayers obligatory for Muslims during his working hours.
The information on conversion of van Doorn to Islam was confirmed on the official website of the mosque Al-Yaqeen in The Hague. » | Source: News Agencies | Monday, March 11, 2013
Related »
BBC: The Queen has delivered her annual Commonwealth Day message with a focus on equality.
The organisation is adopting a new charter committing all Commonwealth countries to uphold human rights and oppose all forms of discrimination.
This is seen as an important milestone for gay rights but is a sensitive issue as some member states still regard homosexuality as a criminal offence.
The Queen said, "Our shared values of peace, democracy, development, justice and human rights... mean that we can place special emphasis on including everyone in this goal especially those who are vulnerable". (+BBC audio) » | Monday, March 11, 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In an interview, Luxembourg prime minister and former Euro Group chief Jean-Claude Juncker, 58, urges other EU countries to push ahead with structural reforms, explains why he sees parallels between 2013 and the year preceeding World War I and throws his election support behind Angela Merkel's re-election campaign.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Prime Minister, it has been seven weeks since you stepped down as head of the Euro Group. Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and think: I absolutely have to give another interview on the euro crisis? Juncker: No, I'm not suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I would say that I have a balanced state of mind. My life is less hectic and I'm calmer and more relaxed.
SPIEGEL: For eight years, you were a kind of informal president of the monetary union. When you take stock of your accomplishments during this period, don't you have to admit that Europe has tended to drift apart rather than become more close-knit?
Juncker: For my generation, the monetary union has always been about forging peace. Today, I notice with a certain sense of regret that far too many Europeans are returning to a regional and national mindset. SPIEGEL: What do you mean by that? » | Translated from the German by Paul Cohen | Monday, March 11, 2013
Verwandt »
EUR ACTIV: Thousands of Hungarians protested in central Budapest on Saturday (9 March) against imminent changes to the country's constitution which they fear would curb democratic rights, echoing worries this week from the European Union and the United States.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling center-right Fidesz party has used its unprecedented two-thirds parliamentary majority to make laws that critics say limit citizens' freedoms.
Parliament is scheduled to hold a final vote on the constitutional changes today (11 March).
Decisions of the country's top Constitutional Court made before the new constitution entered into force in 2012 will no longer be valid, discarding an important body of law often used as reference before. Restrictive new regulation may now appear in higher education, homelessness, electoral law and family law.
"We really have had enough of this," said 17-year-old student Luca Cseh, adding the changes limited her prospects of going to university as state subsidies would only be available to students who pledge to work in Hungary after graduation.
"They oppress students, but also the homeless or homosexuals," she said. » | EurActiv.com with Reuters | Monday, March 11, 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Drastische Warnung des Ex-Euro-Gruppenchefs: Jean-Claude Juncker sagte dem SPIEGEL, die Konflikte in Europa könnten sich gefährlich zuspitzen. "Wer glaubt, dass sich die Frage von Krieg und Frieden nie mehr stellt, könnte sich gewaltig irren."
Hamburg - Luxemburgs Premierminister Jean-Claude Juncker will im Bundestagswahlkampf dafür werben, dass Angela Merkel Kanzlerin bleibt. "Man hat mich bereits gebeten, und ich habe bereits zugesagt", verriet Juncker in einem SPIEGEL-Interview. "Ich fühle mich der Kanzlerin und der CDU sehr verbunden." Er habe zwar auch schon auf Veranstaltungen der SPD und der Grünen geredet, habe aber nicht vor, den Wahlkampf der Sozialdemokraten und der Grünen zu animieren.
In der Debatte um die Zukunft der Währungsunion warnte Juncker im SPIEGEL davor, dass sich die Konflikte in Europa gefährlich zuspitzen könnten. "Wer glaubt, dass sich die ewige Frage von Krieg und Frieden in Europa nie mehr stellt, könnte sich gewaltig irren. Die Dämonen sind nicht weg, sie schlafen nur." » | cte | Sonntag, 10. März 2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi newspaper says a ministerial committee is looking into formally dropping public beheadings as a method of execution in the oil-rich kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where a death sentence results in beheading in a public square.
The authoritative daily Al-Watan says in its Sunday edition that the ministerial committee is considering fatal shootings as an alternative.
There have been calls in the kingdom for replacing public beheadings with lethal injections carried out in prisons. » | AP | Sunday, March 10, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been accused of betraying Islam after he was pictured in an emotional embrace with the mother of Hugo Chavez at the late Venezuelan leader's funeral.
The Iranian president's domestic opponents reacted furiously after photos emerged of him giving Elena Frias de Chavez, 78, a consoling hug at last Friday's funeral in Caracas - at which he also kissed Mr Chavez's coffin.
Religious conservatives said the act insulted Iran's religious dignity and amounted to "haram" – a term used to describe a religiously forbidden act under Islamic rules.
Mohammad Taghi Rahbar, the Friday prayer leader of Iran's second city, Isfahan, told Mehr news agency that Mr Ahmadinejad had "lost control".
He added: "Shaking hands with a non-mahram (unrelated by family) woman, under any circumstances, whether young or old, is not allowed. Hugging or expressing emotions is improper for the dignity of the president of a country like the Islamic Republic of Iran." » | Robert Tait, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, March 10, 2013
EMIRATES 24|7: Experts at American University of Sharjah (AUS) and the University of Cambridge presented their insights based on the report Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain: Female Perspectives, which was prepared by Professor Yasir Suleiman, Project Leader and Founding Director at the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge, in association with The New Muslims Project, Markfield. This report was officially released at the panel for the first time.
The panel discussion was part of the two-day AUS–University of Cambridge joint conference on Perspectives on Middle Eastern Studies that brought the latest research and insight on several topics that are shaping global discussions on Middle Eastern studies.
Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain: Female Perspectives is based on original research done in the UK, narrating stories of women who have converted to Islam. It deals with a host of issues, including hijab, marriage, divorce, polygyny, sexuality, domestic violence, mosque provisions for female converts, the challenges facing the children of convert mothers and the role converts play as bridges between heritage Muslims and non-Muslims in society. The report is exclusively about female converts to Islam in Britain, although the converts who took part in the project came from different ethnic, national, faith and no-faith backgrounds that characterize the plurality of British society.
Introducing the report at the panel, Professor Yasir Suleiman said, “Whether a woman converts to Islam through marriage, or for some other reason, no one route into the faith is considered to be more worthy than the others and there was unanimous agreement among the participants on this issue. However, one of the consistent messages from participants in this project, British women from various faiths who had converted to Islam, was their conversion was not the result of any single theme but of various revelations. We have endeavored to describe the experience of women converts to Islam in contemporary British society and the relationship between the convert, the heritage Muslim communities and wider society is explored with reference to their political, social and religious contexts.” » | Staff | Sunday, March 10, 2013
LE POINT: Ils ont voulu se venger des propos "blasphématoires" qu'un chrétien est accusé d'avoir tenus contre leur religion. Aucune victime n'est à déplorer.
Une vive discussion sur la religion entre deux amis pris de boisson est à l'origine d'une émeute samedi à Lahore, au Pakistan, au cours de laquelle des musulmans ont incendié plus de 100 maisons appartenant à des chrétiens, ont indiqué dimanche la police et des témoins. Plus de 3 000 musulmans en colère ont pris d'assaut Joseph Colony, un quartier chrétien de Lahore (est), après l'arrestation d'un chrétien accusé d'avoir tenu trois jours auparavant des propos blasphématoires contre le prophète Mahomet. Les violences n'ont pas fait de victimes. » | Source AFP | dimanche 10 mars 2013
MAIL ONLINE: First time Her Majesty has signalled support for gay rights in 61-year reign / Also promotes 'empowerment' of women in drive to boost human rights / Insiders say her decision to highlight the event is a 'watershed' moment
The Queen will tomorrow back an historic pledge to promote gay rights and ‘gender equality’ in one of the most controversial acts of her reign.
In a live television broadcast, she will sign a new charter designed to stamp out discrimination against homosexual people and promote the ‘empowerment’ of women – a key part of a new drive to boost human rights and living standards across the Commonwealth.
In her first public appearance since she had hospital treatment for a stomach bug, the Queen will sign the new Commonwealth Charter and make a speech explaining her passionate commitment to it.
Insiders say her decision to highlight the event is a ‘watershed’ moment – the first time she has clearly signalled her support for gay rights in her 61-year reign.
The charter, dubbed a ‘21st Century Commonwealth Magna Carta’ declares: ‘We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds.’
The ‘other grounds’ is intended to refer to sexuality – but specific reference to ‘gays and lesbians’ was omitted in deference to Commonwealth countries with draconian anti-gay laws.
Sources close to the Royal Household said she is aware of the implications of the charter’s implicit support of gay rights and commitment to gender equality.
In her speech, the Queen is expected to stress that the rights must ‘include everyone’ - and this is seen as an implicit nod to the agenda of inclusivity, usually championed by the Left. Read on and comment » | Simon Walters | Saturday, March 09, 2013
BBC: A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced two human rights and political activists to lengthy jail terms for setting up an illegal organisation and rebelling against the authority of the king.
Mohammed al-Qahtani was given 10 years, while Mohammed al-Hamid's earlier sentence of six years was upheld and a further five-year term added.
The court also disbanded their organisation, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA).
An appeal will be heard next month. » | Saturday, March 09, 2013
Saturday, March 09, 2013
DAILY TIMES: 160 houses, 80 shops, several vehicles of Christians set on fire in Badami Bagh area ? SSP among several policemen injured as Saint Joseph Colony turns into ‘battlefield’
LAHORE: Hundreds of angry protesters turned into arsonists, attacking around 160 houses and 80 shops of Christians on Saturday, just a day after allegations of blasphemy were levelled against a man in the Badami Bagh area.
Several policemen, including SSP (Operations) Suhail Sukhera and the Badami Bagh SHO received multiple injuries when the angry mob pelted stones on them during a clash.
The Saint Joseph Colony and its surrounding areas turned into a battlefield when angry protesters started torching the houses and shops.
Upon being informed about the incident, police contingents and rescue teams reached the spot and tried to control the situation.
According to witnesses, the mob broke into the houses, looted them and burnt the remaining belongings in the streets. They said that on Friday, a large number of protesters forced the Christian community members to flee the area, leaving behind their homes and possessions unprotected. They said that the mob had gathered around St Joseph Colony on Noor Road at around 10am, led by a man named Shafiq Ahmed, who was in search of the accused, Sawan, alias Bubby.
They said that the mob first attacked Sawan’s house, setting it on fire and pelting it with stones, and then attacked other houses of the colony. » | Staff Report | Sunday, March 10, 2013
DIE PRESSE: Die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin sprach sich in Ankara zwar für eine Wiederaufnahme der Beitrittsverhandlungen aus, aber das Ziel einer Vollmitgliedschaft lehnt sie ab.
Ankara. Gleich zweimal wurde Angela Merkel am Montag in der Türkei begrüßt: Am Morgen ließen Ballonfahrer in der zentralanatolischen Landschaft Rosen auf das Fahrzeug der Bundeskanzlerin herabregnen. Wenige Stunden später, nach einer Besichtigung mittelalterlicher Felsenkirchen und der Weiterreise nach Ankara, stand dann das türkische Wachbataillon vor dem Ministerpräsidentenamt in der türkischen Hauptstadt vor der deutschen Regierungschefin stramm.
Doch weder Blumen noch militärische Respektbezeugungen brachten Merkel dazu, ihrem Gastgeber Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in entscheidenden Punkten entgegenzukommen. Bei aller Bereitschaft, die türkischen EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen wieder etwas zu beschleunigen, blieb sie bei ihrem grundsätzlichen Nein zu einer Aufnahme des Landes in die Europäische Union. » | Susanne Güsten | Korrespondentin der Presse | Montag, 25. Februar 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Anti-euro political parties in Europe in recent years have so far tended to be either well to the right of center or, as evidenced by the recent vote in Italy, anything but staid. But in Germany, change may be afoot. A new party is forming this spring, intent on abandoning European efforts to prop up the common currency. And its founders are a collection of some of the country's top economists and academics.
Named Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany), the group has a clear goal: "the dissolution of the euro in favor of national currencies or smaller currency unions." The party also demands an end to aid payments and the dismantling of the European Stability Mechanism bailout fund.
"Democracy is eroding," reads a statement on its website (German only). "The will of the people regarding (decisions relating to the euro) is never queried and is not represented in parliament. The government is depriving voters of a voice through disinformation, is pressuring constitutional organs, like parliament and the Constitutional Court, and is making far-reaching decisions in committees that have no democratic legitimacy."
The sentiment, of course, is hardly new. Euro-skeptics are everywhere these days, particularly in those southern European countries that have been hit hardest by the crisis that continues to plague the common currency. And even in mainstream parties, concerns about the path on which the EU currently finds itself are common. But in Germany, as elsewhere in northern Europe, the most vocal critique of the euro has tended to come from right-wing populist parties. » | Charles Hawley | Friday, March 08, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Radical preacher Abu Qatada has been arrested for allegedly breaching his bail conditions, days ahead of the Government's latest deportation bid in court.
Qatada, 52, once described as Osama Bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe, was led away from his north London home on Friday after police raids at his address.
Specialist officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command searched Qatada’s tax-payer funded home for 12 hours before he was arrested. » | Josie Ensor and Hayley Dixon | Saturday, March 09, 2013
BBC: Bulgaria has expressed regret that more than 11,000 Jews were deported to Nazi concentration camps from areas under Bulgarian control during World War II.
A Bulgarian parliament declaration did however praise Bulgarians for having blocked the deportation of more than 48,000 Jews during the war.
It said it could "not be disputed that 11,343 Jews were deported from northern Greece and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia".
Most Jews sent to the Nazi German death camps in Poland died.
Referring to the 11,343 deported, the MPs' declaration said "we denounce this criminal act, undertaken by Hitler's command, and express our regrets for the fact that the local Bulgarian administration had not been in a position to stop this act".
Only a few hundred of those deportees survived, Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Centre says.
Yad Vashem lists 20 Bulgarians among its "Righteous Among the Nations" - individuals who acted to protect Jews from the Holocaust.
Bulgaria was an ally of Nazi Germany during the war, when Jews were deported en masse from the Nazi-occupied Balkans to death camps such as Auschwitz. » | Friday, March 08, 2013
IRISH TIMES: In an extraordinary personal and political transformation, a former senior member of Geert Wilders’s virulently anti-immigrant Freedom Party (PVV) has converted to Islam – saying it was the party’s anti-Muslim rhetoric which led him to look more deeply into his new religion.
Arnoud van Doorn (46), formerly vice-chair of the PVV group on The Hague city council, announced his conversion on Twitter, first with a tweet saying he was about to make “a new beginning” – and later with another in Arabic proclaiming the Shahadah, his public declaration of belief.
Before leaving the PVV last year to set up a new party, Independent The Hague, Mr van Doorn was regarded as a staunch supporter of Mr Wilders, who wants to end immigration from non-western countries and described Islam as “a retarded culture” and the Koran as “a fascist book”.
Mr van Doorn – who is married, with three foster children – first declined to comment on his conversion, claiming his faith was “a private matter”, but subsequently appeared on al-Jazeera television to say the decision had been “a difficult one” and “not taken lightly”. » | Peter Cluskey in The Hague | Saturday, March 09, 2013
DEUTSCH TÜRKISCHES JOURNAL: Nicht der erste Politiker mit erstaunlichem Sinneswandel: Ende Februar twitterte Arnoud van Doorn, bis 2011 Vize-Vorsitzender der PVV-Fraktion im Gemeinderat Den Haag, das islamische Glaubensbekenntnis. Van Doorn ist nicht der erste Ex-Wilders-Anhänger mit einem erstaunlichen Sinneswandel. » | Von André Krause | Freitag, 08. März 2013
Related »
Friday, March 08, 2013
INDEPENDENT.ie: Robert Fisk: The West has never understood Syria so we’re unlikely to start now » Roberts Fisk | Monday, March 04, 2013
ISLAM STORY – EXTRACTS: “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger”
By this phrase the ex-member of Geert Wilders’s right-wing anti-Islam Freedom Party, Arnoud van Doorn, surprisingly declared his conversion to Islam.
…
‘After communicating with a Muslim colleague at The Hague’s city council- and after long discussions in fact- he directed me to the Sunni mosque where I was embraced with all kindness and affection. My decision came later as I freely embraced Islam. And it is one of my own, out of the question.”
And on quitting a party known with its open enmity against Islam, and being at time one of its voices, Doorn said: ‘We all make mistakes. But, regardless of that, I see for every life experience there’s a meaning. And my own experience has its relevance to my new choice.’
‘I’ve learned so much from such experience. And I believe it is the reason why I am a Muslim now. It is a new beginning of my life I ask God to guide me through’, He concluded. … » | Tuesday, March 05, 2013
''And by my conversion to Islam I have the feeling that I finally found my path. ¶ ''I realize that this is a new start and that I still have much to learn as well.'' ¶ Departing from his earlier life as a PVV member, Doorn expects much resistance in his political life. ¶ ''The expectation is that I will continue to face much resistance, also from certain government institutions,'' he said. ¶ ''I have all faith in Allah to support me and to guide me through these moments.'' Read all »
Lien en relation avec cette histoire »
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Sieger steht noch nicht fest, aber einen Verlierer haben die Wahlen in Kenia bereits hervorgebracht: Malik Obama. Der Halbbruder des US-Präsidenten kandidierte für einen Gouverneursposten - holte in seinem Bezirk aber nicht einmal 700 Stimmen.
Nairobi - Bittere Niederlage für Obama: Bei den Wahlen in Kenia kam der ältere Halbbruder von US-Präsident Barack Obama auf schlappe ein Prozent der Stimmen. Malik Obama hatte sich in seinem Heimatbezirk Siaya im Westen des Landes um einen Gouverneursposten beworben. Von insgesamt 55.000 Wählern gaben nur 694 dem 54-Jährigen ihre Stimme. Der Sieger, William Odhiambo Oduol, erzielte stolze 56 Prozent.
Der Politiker mit dem prominenten Namen hatte im Wahlkampf die Bekämpfung der Armut, eine Verbesserung der Infrastruktur und die Schaffung von neuen Arbeitsplätzen versprochen. Er fühle sich durch die Leistungen seines jüngeren Bruders inspiriert, hatte er betont: "Es ziemt sich für den Erstgeborenen, ebenfalls einen Beitrag zu leisten, und ich möchte das hier in Kenia tun, in Afrika." » | vme/dpa/Reuters | Freitag, 08. März 2013
FIRST THINGS: Tariq Ramadan emerged after September 11 as an apologist for a liberal, peaceful interpretation of Islam, earning him plaudits from the Western media, including the title of the “Muslim Martin Luther” in a 2004 Washington Post op-ed. In his new book, Islam and the Arab Awakening, he is at pains to stay on script. More than anything, he means to show that the Arab Spring is not a catalyst for the rise of Islamist regimes, but instead could be the initial step in throwing off the yoke of European colonialism and American imperialism in favor of new political arrangements that embody both democratic pluralism and a reinvigorated sense of Islamic identity and culture.
For Ramadan, there is no inherent contradiction between a society rooted in Islamic ideals on the one hand, and the democratic principles of equality, liberty, and pluralism, on the other. Indeed, Ramadan has made a career out of interpreting his religion in progressive, sometimes innovative ways, always insisting that Islam is apolitical and humanistic: that it should be a force for equality (especially for women), public education, consensual government, social justice, and the general elevation of the human condition. Read on and comment » | John Daniel Davidson | Thursday, March 07, 2013
MARK ALEXANDER: Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom »
Read more of my essays here and here
REUTERS.COM: A son-in-law of Osama bin Laden faces arraignment on Friday in a federal court in New York, where he is charged with conspiracy to kill Americans.
Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a militant who appeared in videos representing al Qaeda after the September 11, 2001 attacks, was arrested in Turkey and brought to New York City to stand trial, U.S. government sources said.
Abu Ghaith is one of the highest-ranking al Qaeda figures to be brought to the United States to face a civilian trial.
"Among other things, Abu Ghaith urged others to swear allegiance to bin Laden, spoke on behalf of and in support of al Qaeda's mission, and warned that attacks similar to those of September 11, 2001 would continue," according to the indictment, which was announced on Thursday. » | Reuters | New York | Friday, March 08, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury voiced opposition to same-sex couples adopting children and insisted that the Bible is “clear” that gay couples should not have sex, previously unpublished writings show.
Justin Welby also privately warned of a crisis facing the Church of England as a result of dwindling numbers and financial pressure which could even pose “serious questions of viability” within the next seven to 10 years.
And he openly questioned the formality of the Established Church, wondering aloud whether Jesus would have approved of “big buildings” and elaborate clerical dress.
His comments are disclosed in the first biography of the new leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, who will be formally enthroned in Canterbury later this month.
It charts his transformation from a highly paid City oil executive to life on a clerical stipend before his rapid promotion through the ranks of the Church.
It also reveals some of the most unguarded comments of the future Archbishop yet published, dating from his time as a little known parish priest just over a decade ago.
More recently, he voiced frustration at being branded a homophobic “European Taliban” for advocating traditional views on sex.
Archbishop Welby comes from the evangelical wing of the Church of England, which espouses traditional views on such issues. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, March 08, 2013
AL KANZ: Arnoud van Doorn. Parfait inconnu hier, cet homme politique néerlandais est aujourd’hui mondialement connu. Explications.
Arnoud van Doorn. Ce nom ne dira pas grand-chose au plus grand nombre. Parfait inconnu jusqu’au 27 février dernier, date à laquelle cet homme politique néerlandais a tweeté la shahada (attestation de foi) en arabe, Arnoud van Doorn est aujourd’hui un homme célèbre, à tout le moins dans le monde musulman.
Au moment où nous rédigeons ce billet, ce message sur Twitter a été retweeté, c’est-à-dire posté une nouvelle fois par d’autres internautes, 8 757 fois et mis en favoris 3 573 fois. Il n’est généralement que les célébrités (show business, sport, politique, etc.) ayant plusieurs centaines de milliers ou plusieurs millions de followers (internautes sur Twitter qui suivent un compte) qui voient parfois leurs messages atteindre de tels sommets.
Or Arnoud van Doorn n’est ni une star du show business ni un sportif connu. Mieux, le 21 février dernier, il ne comptait que 985 followers contre 14 679 aujourd’hui.
Arnoud van Doorn est un homme politique qui militait dans un parti. Pas n’importe quel parti, au regard de sa conversion à l’islam. Arnoud van Doorn était proche de… l’islamophobe Geert Wilders, chef de file du PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid), un parti nationaliste néerlandais qui milite férocement contre l’islam et les musulmans. D’où la coloration toute particulière que prend cette conversion. » | vendredi 08 mars 2013
Lien en relation avec l’article ici »
THE SUN: HATE preacher Anjem Choudary was caught on camera ranting at a MUSLIM anti-terror cop at a rally.
The extremist and his henchmen accuse the uniformed Asian officer of “spying” on his fellow Muslims. They also call him a liar and accuse him of intimidation.
A video of the clash — insultingly entitled “Munafiq police officer exposed” — has been posted online. In Arabic a munafiq is a religious hypocrite. The hostile exchanges begin as someone asks the unidentified officer — one of three counter-terrorism cops called to the meeting in a Birmingham hall — his name.
After the policeman indicates his collar number, he is asked the question again, before another voice asks: “Are you a Muslim?”
The officer says he is not there to discuss religion and was called by the hall’s owner. A voice then says: “You’re lying, you’re lying.”
As the exchanges continue the officer confirms he is a Muslim — and is branded a “mushrik” or plotter against Islam.
Choudary is then filmed saying: “You come in and you intimidate people. That’s the reason why the Muslim community hate munafiqs and kuffar (non-believers).” (+ video) » | Simon Hughes, Chief Investigative Reporter | Thursday, March 07, 2013
Thursday, March 07, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, held a private dinner with Rupert Murdoch earlier this week in which he suggested he would form an electoral pact with the Conservatives if the Prime Minister stepped down.
The media tycoon invited Mr Farage to a dinner at his central London flat on Tuesday evening in the wake of Ukip’s strong performance at the Eastleigh by-election.
It was the pair’s first meeting and underlines the growing political influence of the fringe party. The Ukip leader is understood to have told Mr Murdoch that he hopes to win half of the seats in next year’s European election.
He said he will then set out plans to join forces with the Conservatives to fight Labour in the 2015 general election, but only if David Cameron agrees to step down as the party leader, well-placed sources said.
Mr Murdoch is said to be supportive of Mr Farage’s views towards Europe and his backing for new grammar schools, but more sceptical about Ukip’s stance on immigration. The emergence of the secret meeting is likely to add to the growing pressure on the Prime Minister amid speculation that Cabinet ministers are positioning themselves for future leadership bids. » | Robert Winnett, Political Editor | Thursday, March 07, 2013
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: The ruling denotes a step forward in the continuing efforts to establish Islam as a mainstream religious and political system in Spain.
The Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that a municipal ordinance banning the wearing of Islamic burqas in public spaces is unconstitutional.
In its 56-page ruling, made public on February 28, the Madrid-based Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) said the Catalan city of Lérida exceeded its authority when, in December 2010, it imposed a burqa ban.
The court said the ban on burqas, a traditional Islamic costume that covers women from head to toe, "constitutes a limitation to the fundamental right to the exercise of the freedom of religion, which is guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution." The court said that the limitation of a fundamental right can only be achieved through laws at the national level, not through local ordinances.
The decision, which the court said addressed a "profoundly political problem," represents a significant victory for Muslims in Spain. Although it is unclear how many women actually wear the burqa there, the ruling denotes a step forward in the continuing efforts to establish Islam as a mainstream religious and political system in Spain.
In recent years, more than a dozen municipalities in Spain have enacted burqa bans and other legal measures to push back against the ongoing Islamization of Spanish society. The rise of Islam has been especially notable in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia, home to the largest concentration of radical Islamists in Europe, and which has emerged as ground-zero for Salafi-Jihadism on the continent. » | Soeren Kern | Monday, March 04, 2013
WORLD | TODAY’S NEWS | CHRISTIAN VIEWS: Secular Europe’s Islamic Spiritual Fix: In secular Europe, countries are starting to see a blowback, not toward their historic Christian roots, but toward Islam. ¶ Islam has been growing in European countries—especially the urban areas of France, the U.K., and Spain—through increased immigration and higher birth rates. But native Europeans also are converting to Islam, either to fit in to Muslim-dominated neighborhoods, for marriage, or to counter the spiritual emptiness in the secular countries, according to an article in last weekend’s ‘New York Times’. » | Angela Lu | Thursday, February 07, 2013
EMIRATES 24|7: A group of 45 Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia converted to Islam after they were taught about the religion during a visit to their company by preachers from a government religious centre in the Gulf Kingdom, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
The preachers from the Islamic Guidance Centre in the capital Riyadh said the 45 Filipinos decided to embrace the new religion after listening to a brief lecture by one of the preachers at their company on Monday. » | Correspondent | Thursday, March 07, 2013
NEWS.AZ: A Turkey-based Armenian journalist is going to face a court proceeding for using an insulting remark against Prophet Mohammed on his personal website.
According to the Turkish-Armenian publication Agos, the complaint against Sevan Nishanyan has been filed by 15 Turkish citizens.
The court has approved a seven-page bill of indictment prepared during the inquest but Nishanyan won’t reportedly admit the accusations despite being declared a suspect. If found guilty, he will face 1.5 years in jail. » | Tert.am | Thursday, March 07, 2013
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