L'Allemagne s'inquiète pour son image en Europe

LE FIGARO: La gestion de la crise chypriote a renforcé la perception d'un « diktat » de Berlin.

La presse populaire allemande salue le retour de sa «chancelière de fer». L'intransigeance d'Angela Merkel dans le sauvetage financier de Chypre lui vaut l'admiration indéfectible de ses concitoyens, dont les intérêts passent avant toute autre considération. Mais Berlin s'inquiète des répercussions de l'affaire sur son image, alors que le «diktat allemand» est violemment critiqué dans les rues de Nicosie. Les manifestants du sud de l'Europe touchent une corde sensible des Allemands lorsqu'ils renvoient le pays à son passé nazi.

Chypre a évité la banqueroute au prix de mesures douloureuses, risquant d'entraîner une récession et une hausse du chômage. La chancelière allemande a jugé «équitable» le plan de sauvetage. Mais, comme en Italie, en Espagne ou en Grèce, l'Allemagne est perçue une fois encore comme le pays tirant les ficelles et imposant des plans d'austérité draconiens aux populations en échange d'une bouée de sauvetage financière.

Grimée en dictateur nazi, Angela Merkel est la cible préférée des manifestants. Dimanche, le journal espagnol El Pais a retiré de son site, après des réactions indignées, une tribune comparant Merkel à Hitler. L'article accusait la chancelière d'avoir «déclaré la guerre au continent» pour s'assurer «un Lebensraum économique» - référence à «l'espace vital» revendiqué par les nazis. » |Par Patrick Saint-Paul | jeudi 28 mars 2013

Anjem Choudary Will Not Face Prosecution
A controversial Muslim cleric will not face action despite telling his followers to claim benefits and saying David Cameron should be killed.

Telling fellow fanatics to claim 'jihad seeker's allowance', Anjem Choudary, who in the past has planned to disrupt the minute's silence on Remembrance Sunday, also openly mocked hard-working Britons, calling them 'slaves'.

The Sun newspaper secretly filmed him saying Islam will overrun Europe, David Cameron and Barack Obama should be killed, and called the Queen 'ugly'.

The newspaper gave its evidence to the authorities, but Thames Valley Police today said: 'The material fell below an evidential threshold to pursue a criminal case against him.' Read all at the MAIL ONLINE » | Richard Hartley-Parkinson | Thursday, March 28, 2013

US Ambassador Susman On (Adam) Boulton
Political editor Adam Boulton talks to US ambassador to the UK Louis Susman before he steps down at the end of the month.

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – NILE GARDINER: American Ambassador to London lectures Britain on Europe, warns EU exit is against US interests » | Nile Gardiner | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Obama Implores Congress to Pass Gun Control Measures
US president Barack Obama delivers an impassioned plea to Congress, to pass his gun control measures, which include universal background checks for gun purchases. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Obama says something must be done to prevent future tragedies, claiming Americans 'have an obligation to try'. Obama's remarks come on National Day to Demand Action, with gun control advocacy groups holding events across the country

Pope Francis Includes Women in Papal Feet Washing Ceremony for First Time
THE GUARDIAN: Pope also breaks convention by travelling to Casal del Marmo prison on Rome's outskirts for traditional Holy Thursday mass


Two young women were among 12 people whose feet Pope Francis washed and kissed at a traditional ceremony in a Rome youth prison on Holy Thursday, the first time a pontiff has included females in the rite.

The pope travelled to the Casal del Marmo prison on Rome's outskirts for the traditional mass, which commemorates Jesus's gesture of humility towards his apostles the night before he died.

The ceremony has been traditionally limited to men because all of Jesus' apostles were male. The Vatican spokesman said two of the 12 whose feet were washed were Muslim inmates.

While the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio included women in the rite when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, it was the first time women had taken part in a papal Holy Thursday ceremony.

Taking the ceremony to a youth prison was also a papal first and Francis, who was elected only two weeks ago, said he wanted to be closer to those who were suffering. » | Reuters in Rome | Thursday, March 28, 2013

Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly Show Stronger Support for Gay Marriage

374 People Embrace Islam in a Month
ARAB NEWS: New converts — 154 men and 220 women — from various nationalities embraced Islam last month, according to a report of the Islamic Education Foundation (IEF) in Riyadh.

The IEF used various means to take the message of Islam to non-Muslims, like lectures, seminars and the distribution of books, tapes and fliers. It also sends its preachers to residential areas and work places where non-Muslims are found in large numbers.

Over the past 20 years, more than 20,000 expatriates embraced Islam since the establishment of the IEF branch in 1993.

The Islamic dawah centers in the Kingdom have encouraged foreigners to revert to Islam. Dawah centers are not imposing anybody to embrace Islam but provide an opportunity for non-Muslims to realize the values and beauty of Islam. » | Ali Fayyaz | Thursday, March 28, 2013

Salafists Destroy Major Sufi Shrine
LIBYA HERALD: The Al-Andlusi mausoleum in Tajura area, one of the major Sufi shrines in Libya, was destroyed early this morning, Thursday, in a bomb attack that is being blamed on Salafists.

An eye-witness, who was at work nearby, told the Libya Herald that he heard three “very loud” explosions around 4 am. He said that he did not see any one near the shrine at the time of the bombing.

The shrine, on a prominent knoll on the Beach Road some 15 kilometres east of Tripoli, is protected under the law as a national monument. » | Farah Waleed | Thursday, March 28, 2013

Europe: The Submission That Dare Not Speak Its Name
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: What is taking shape could be a shift toward the end of the Jewish presence in Europe.

Exactly one year ago, a killer entered the courtyard of a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, and shot in cold blood a rabbi and three children. He said he had wanted to kill more, and to perpetrate a massacre, but that his gun jammed.

During the previous days, he had shot three French soldiers of Arab origin.

The killer was quickly located, besieged by the police for thirty two hours, then riddled with bullets when he tried to escape.

A few weeks later, his statements to the police during the siege were leaked. They showed that he defined himself as a "soldier of Islam" and that he was trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan by al Qaeda affiliates. He said that he wanted to kill French Arab soldiers because they were "traitors to their religion" and that "all traitors" had to be "eliminated." He also said that he hated "Jews," that Jews had to be "removed form the face of the earth" and that his only regret was that he did not have "the opportunity to kill more Jews." Political leaders and the mainstream media immediately said that these statements did not make sense, and they tried to describe him as a "lone wolf" and a "lost boy" who acted "irrationally." Sociologists explained that he'd had a "hard childhood," and that he'd had to face "French prejudices" all of his life. Radical Islam and hatred of Jews were almost never evoked.

In the months that followed, he became a hero -- almost a legend -- in all French Muslim suburbs. His name, Mohamed Merah, appeared on leaflets and graffiti, and was quoted with praise in rap songs. The number of anti-Semitic attacks increased all over the country: reports show that most perpetrators were young Muslims citing "Mohamed" as an "example" to follow. Two jihadist terrorist cells planning anti-Semitic attacks and assassinations of prominent Jews were dismantled: their members declared after their arrest that they wanted to die as martyrs, and kill Jews, "like Mohamed," who "showed the way." Political leaders and the mainstream media did not speak of leaflets, graffiti, rap songs, anti-Semitic attacks, or references to "Mohamed." They spoke of the dismantling of "terrorist cells" -- as if the cells had no relation to "Mohamed." » | Guy Millière | Thursday, March 28, 2013

US Gay Couple Explain What Their Marriage Means to Them
As the Supreme Court decides on legalising gay marriage across the US, the Telegraph travels to North Carolina to talk to one married couple who’ve been together for 24 years.

Read the article here | Alastair Good | Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Turin Shroud 'Is Not a Medieval Forgery'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Turin Shroud is not a medieval forgery, as has long been claimed, but could in fact date from the time of Christ's death, a new book claims.


Experiments conducted by scientists at the University of Padua in northern Italy have dated the shroud to ancient times, a few centuries before and after the life of Christ.

Many Catholics believe that the 14ft-long linen cloth, which bears the imprint of the face and body of a bearded man, was used to bury Christ's body when he was lifted down from the cross after being crucified 2,000 years ago.

The analysis is published in a new book, "Il Mistero della Sindone" or The Mystery of the Shroud, by Giulio Fanti, a professor of mechanical and thermal measurement at Padua University, and Saverio Gaeta, a journalist.

The tests will revive the debate about the true origins of one of Christianity's most prized but mysterious relics and are likely to be hotly contested by sceptics. » | Nick Squires, Rome correspondent | Thursday, March 28, 2013

Full-time Mothers Penalised by Government, Says Bishop of Exeter
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mothers who choose to stay at home to care for their children are being unfairly penalised by a Government that has failed to reward their role at the heart of society, the Bishop of Exeter said on Wednesday night.


The Bishop of Exeter said that traditional families were being hit by the Coalition in a manner that was “actually unfair” and which risked costing society more in the future.

The Rt Rev Michael Langrish, who sits in the House of Lords, said that his views represented those of a number of bishops who are concerned by the Government’s apparent lack of support for family life.

Over the past few months, ministers have removed child benefit from wealthier families with one breadwinner and restricted financial help with child care to those mothers returning to work, yet repeatedly delayed a promise to bring in tax breaks for married couples.

On [sic] Wednesday, an official international study found that single-earner families in Britain were now paying more tax than the international norm — and had seen their financial position worsen significantly since the Coalition was formed. A leading charity is now also warning that economic circumstances are effectively forcing new mothers back to work too early because they cannot afford to stay at home. Working Families said it had been contacted by at least one major employer worried about the health implications of mothers cutting short their maternity leave.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday night, the Rt Rev Langrish said society needs to place a greater value on the role of stay-at-home mothers and fathers, who were part of “the glue which enables us to be a healthy society”. He said the impact was being felt in “middle England” adding: “The concern for me is for those who have made a principled decision to stay at home and taken the financial hit. It is actually unfair and against the Government’s own rhetoric.” » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Ann Coulter Discussion on ‘Nanny State’ Anti-smoking Law Derails into Debate on Gay Saunas

Read the article here | Corinne Pinfold | Monday, March 25, 2013

Muslim Persecution of Christians: January, 2013
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Egypt: A court sentenced an entire family – Nadia Mohamed Ali and her seven children – to fifteen years in prison for converting to Christianity.

The year 2013 began with reports indicating that wherever Christians live side by side with large numbers of Muslims, the Christians are under attack. As one report said, "Africa, where Christianity spread fastest during the past century, now is the region where oppression of Christians is spreading fastest." Whether in Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Somalia, Sudan, or Tanzania—attacks on Christians are as frequent as they are graphic.

As for the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity, a new study by the Pew Forum finds that "just 0.6 percent of the world's 2.2 billion Christians now live in the Middle East and North Africa. Christians make up only 4% of the region's inhabitants, drastically down from 20% a century ago, and marking the smallest regional Christian minority in the world. Fully 93% of the region is Muslim and 1.6% is Jewish."

How Christianity has been all but eradicated from the region where it was born is made clear in yet another report on the Middle East's largest Christian minority, Egypt's Christian Copts. Due to a "climate of fear and uncertainty," Christian families are leaving Egypt in large numbers. Along with regular church attacks, the situation has gotten to the point that, according to one Coptic priest, "Salafis meet Christian girls in the street and order them to cover their hair. Sometimes they hit them when they refuse." Another congregation leader said "With the new [Sharia-heavy] constitution, the new laws that are expected, and the majority in parliament I don't believe we can be treated on an equal basis."

Elsewhere, Christians are not allowed to flee. In eastern Syria, for example, 25,000 Christians, including Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Chaldeans and Armenians, were prevented from fleeing due to a number of roadblocks set up by armed Islamic militia groups, who deliberately target Christians for robbery and kidnapping-for-ransom—then often slaughtering their victims. » | Raymond Ibrahim | Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Will Pope Francis Become a Dupe of the Islamists?
FRONTPAGEMAG.COM: The Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Azhar University want to shake hands with the new Pope Francis. One of the first pledges he has made is to embrace interfaith dialogue with the Muslim world. Will he become the latest dupe of the “moderate” Islamists?

Pope Francis is a critic of Pope Benedict’s 2006 speech in Germany where he quoted a Byzantine Emperor that said “show me just what Mohammed brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”

It caused a rupture in relations between Muslim authorities and the Vatican, with almost 40 Muslim scholars signing a letter of protest. Five churches were attacked in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, reinforcing the negative depiction of their religion that they were so offended by.

Pope Benedict said he was “deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims” and “These were in fact a quotation from a Medieval text which do not in any way express my personal thought.” It fell short of the direct apology that was demanded.

He tried to make amends by praying inside Turkey’s Blue Mosque and visiting Jordan in 2009, where he reflected upon the “common history” of the Abrahamic religions. He visited more mosques than any other pope, entering twice as many as his predecessor. » | Ryan Mauro | Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Hate Preacher Abu Qatada Told He Can Stay in Britain as Theresa May Loses Appeal against Ruling that He Cannot Be Deported
MAIL ONLINE: Court of Appeal rejects latest attempt by Home Secretary to have Qatada sent back to Jordan / Released from jail in February last year under strict bail conditions / Returned to prison this month for breaching rules / Received over £500,000 in legal aid in ten-year battle with Government

Home Secretary Theresa May today lost her appeal court challenge to finally kick radical preacher Abu Qatada out of the UK.

In a major blow to the government's hopes of ever removing the radical hate preacher, the Court of Appeal ruled that he can stay in Britain.

Mrs May insisted 'this is not the end of the road' and will make another legal challenge against the ruling of judges in November that Qatada could not be deported to Jordan to face justice over alleged terror offences.

Qatada is said to have wide and high-level support among extremists, and featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the September 11 bombers.

Mrs May's legal team argued at a recent one-day hearing in London that Qatada was a 'truly dangerous' individual who escaped deportation through 'errors of law'. Read on and comment » | Matt Chorley, MailOnline Political Editor | Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Pope Francis Shuns Grand Apartment for Two Rooms
BBC: Pope Francis has decided to shun a grand papal apartment on the top floor of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace in favour of a modest two-room residence.

His spokesman said he was "trying out this type of simple living" in a communal building with other priests.

In doing so he has broken a tradition which is more than a century old.

The decision reinforces the newly-elected Pope's austere reputation. As archbishop of Buenos Aires he refused to move into the Bishop's Palace.

Preferring more modest accommodation, he also often cooked his own meals.

Communal meals

Since the reign of Pope Pius X at the beginning of the 20th Century every pope has occupied the palatial penthouse apartment with more than a dozen rooms, staff quarters, a terrace and extensive views over the city of Rome.

But since his election Pope Francis has been living in a simple two-room suite in the Domus Santa Marta - a hotel-style residence built by his predecessor Pope John Paul II next to St Peter's Basilica.

And he intends to go on living there for the foreseeable future, according to the Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.

"This morning he let his fellow cardinals know that he will keep living with them for a certain period of time," Mr Lombardi said. » | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Muammar Gaddafi's Family Take Refuge in Oman
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Oman, a British ally in the Gulf has offered refuge to close relatives of Muammar Gaddafi, including his wife and a hated playboy son, officials from Tripoli and Muscat revealed on Monday.


Safia Gaddafi, the dictator's widow and three of his children left a hideaway in Algeria last October, more than a year after they crossed the border from Libya.

Mohammad Abdulaziz, Libya's foreign minister, said that the group had accepted political asylum from Oman and conceded it was difficult to foresee their return to Libya, where several face criminal charges.

Sultan Qaboos, Oman's ruler, is a Sandhurst-educated Anglophile who last week hosted a three-day visit by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and he is close to several members of the Government.

The Gaddafi group includes the former leader's daughter Aisha, a lawyer who made headlines around the world with her campaigns on behalf of Saddam Hussein.

The most notorious member of the group is Gaddafi's son Hannibal. He is wanted for alleged human rights abuses by the new authorities in Tripoli.

Another son, Mohammad, is the son of the dictator's first wife, but despite being the head of the Libyan Olympic committee, he is not associated with the worst excesses of the regime. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Monday, March 25, 2013

One of the Nastiest and Most Immoral Political Acts in Modern Times
MAIL ONLINE: People who rob old ladies in the street, or hold up security vans, are branded as thieves. Yet when Germany presides over a heist of billions of pounds from private savers’ Cyprus bank accounts, to ‘save the euro’ for the hundredth time, this is claimed as high statesmanship.

It is nothing of the sort. The deal to secure a €10 billion German bailout of the bankrupt Mediterranean island is one of the nastiest and most immoral political acts of modern times.

It has struck fear into the hearts of hundreds of millions of European citizens, because it establishes a dire precedent.

If democratically elected governments are willing to impose outright confiscation of up to 40 per cent of balances over €100,000 upon depositors in Cyprus, then why not another such hit tomorrow — in Spain, Italy or, most plausibly, Greece?

This is the most brutal display since 2008 of how far the euro-committed nations are willing to go to save the tottering single currency. It shows that the zone’s crisis will run and run, to the grievous disadvantage of almost everyone except the Germans. » | Max Hastings | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Radical Islam Tortures, Beats American Pastor Beyond Recognition

CHARISMA NEWS: We have just obtained a new letter from imprisoned American Pastor Saeed Abedini written to his wife, Naghmeh, and his family in Iran. In it, as in his previous two letters written inside the brutal Evin Prison, he documents the results of the continued abuse and torture he endures.

This letter, likely written weeks ago, was received by his family just yesterday. Written on the margins of scraps of newspaper, it is only the third letter Abedini has been able to get to his family in the past nearly 180 days of imprisonment and underscores the difficulty of getting any information from Iran about his condition.

Abedini writes that he cannot even recognize himself after all the beatings and torture he has endured: “My hair was shaven, under my eyes were swollen three times what they should have been, my face was swollen, and my beard had grown.”

After multiple beatings in interrogations at the hands of the radical Islamic regime, Abedini wrote that the nurse who was supposed to treat injured inmates told him “‘in our religion we are not suppose to touch you, you are unclean ... Christians are unclean!’” He explained, “they would not give me the pain medication that they would give other prisoners because I was unclean.” » | Jordan Sekulow/ACLJ | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Middle Class and Radical Islam in Russia
Watch ABC NEWS VIDEO here | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Anders Behring Breivik Denied Permission to Attend Mother's Funeral
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anders Behring Breivik, the killer who carried out Norway's biggest peacetime massacre, has been denied permission to attend the funeral of his mother.

Breivik, a 34-year-old right-wing extremist who is serving a 21-year jail sentence for killing 77 people in twin attacks in July 2011, is being held under strict prison conditions.

Officials at the high-security Ila prison near Oslo decided to extend his strict security regimen when it came up for review Tuesday, and denied his request to attend the funeral, his lawyer Tord Jordet said.

Wenche Behring Breivik, who died last week aged 66, had shunned the spotlight after her son's attacks. She appeared to be the person closest to him, and he had described her as his "Achilles heel". » | Agence France-Presse | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Magdi Cristiano Allam Is leaving the Catholic Church
Reason: The Church is too weak vis-à-vis Islam.

The high-profile Egyptian ex-Muslim convert to Islam, Magdi Cristiano Allam, is leaving the Roman Catholic Church because of what he sees as an inherent weakness in the Church to confront the excesses of Islam and the Church's legitimisation of Islam as a true religion of God, Muhammad as one of His true prophets, the Koran as a sacred text, and mosques as legitimate places of worship. Magdi Allam is convinced that the ideology of Islam is inherently violent, conflicted within and warlike with the outside world. Moreover, Mr. Allam is convinced that Europe will eventually submit to Islam if Europeans do not have the vision and summon up the courage to stand up to it. Islam, he says, is incompatible both with Western civilization and human rights. He says he will continue to believe in Jesus, whom he has always loved and proudly identified with. Christianity, he says, more than any other religion brings man closer to God, who chose to become man. [Source: Corriere della Sera] | Tuesday, March 26, 2013


WIKI: Magdi Cristiano Allam »

Rome and the Margins
Will a non-European pope be able to reach out beyond the Vatican and connect with an increasingly assertive periphery?

Remaining Syrian Christians Fear Chaos
More than a million people have left Syria to escape what is now more than two years of fighting.

Russian Gay Rights Bill Seen As Anti-gay Campaign
Gays and lesbians complain of persecution as new bill tries to keep homosexuals in closet.

British Muslims Fighting in Syria Could Commit Terrorist Attacks in UK
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: British Muslims fighting in Syria’s civil war could return home to carry out terrorist attacks, intelligence chiefs have warned.

There are “hundreds” of Europeans now fighting in Syria, some of whom are with groups linked to al Qaeda, the Home Office has told MPs.

In an annual report on its Contest counter-terrorism strategy, the Home Office warned of the risk to Britain and other European nations posed by foreign fighters now gaining military experience in Syria.

The Home Office warning – based on assessments by British intelligence agencies – comes as ministers debate doing more to arm and support the rebels fighting the regime of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

The uprising in Syria "has involved many organisations with different political views and tactics; some are connected with and supported by al Qaeda in Iraq,” the Home Office report says. » | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Cyprus Fallout: Moscow Accuses Euro Zone of Theft -- and Worse

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Russia has sharply criticized the bailout deal for Cyprus, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev accusing the EU of theft. Russian state television even likened the forced levy imposed on wealthy investors -- many of them Russian -- to the expropriation of Jews by Nazi Germany.

The verdict of Russian state television on Europe's effort to save Cyprus was damning. The last week "will enter the history books of the EU as a destructive one," said Dmitry Kiselev, the presenter of the popular news program Vesti Nedili on the Rossiya channel.

Kiselev heaped criticism on the forced levy to be imposed on bank deposits in Cyprus. He said the last time a Western European government proceeded so recklessly was when Adolf Hitler expropriated the Jews.

Nazi propaganda at the time described the money held by Jewish people as "dirty," said Kiselev. That was precisely how Europe was talking about Russian assets deposited in Cyprus, he added.

"The new world order is being founded against Russia, at Russia's costs and on the rubble of Russia," said a Rossiya correspondent from the Mediterranean island nation.

The Kremlin feels it has been sidelined in the tug-of-war over the Cypriot bailout, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso visited Moscow for talks last Friday, but just a few days later, Europe's new attempt to avert a financial meltdown in Cyprus has elicited fierce criticism from Moscow. » | Benjamin Bidder in Moscow | Monday, March 25, 2013

The Trouble With Atheism | Full Documentary

Islamismus: Das Netzwerk der Hetzer
Am 11. September 2001 sind einige der Personen, um die es in unserem nächsten Film geht, noch in deutsche Grundschulen gegangen. Zehn Jahre später stecken sie immer noch in der Ausbildung. Allerdings jetzt in der Ausbildung zum heiligen Krieger. Unterrichtet werden sie von Hasspredigern in Hinterhofmoscheen, von Ausbildern in pakistanischen Terrorcamps und von unzähligen Fanatikern im Internet. Führend bei der Gewinnung neuer Glaubensbrüder sind in Deutschland die Salafisten.

Pagan Origin & Worship in Islam

Muslim Activist Confronts Pamela Geller Over ‘Absurd’ Anti-Islam Ads

The Rise of 'Golden Dawn' in Greece - Mini-documentary by The Guardian (English Subtitles)

THE OBSERVER: Film student in UK at heart of Greek neo-Nazi storm: Documentary-maker prompts investigation into Golden Dawn rally racism » | Tracy McVeigh | Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sean Stone: Iran, Islam & America
The son of Academy Award (Oscar) winner Oliver Stone son, Sean Stone, who converted to Islam on February 2012 talks about American wrong and imperialistic policies, wrong understands about Islam and Iran, and the way he became a Shia Muslim. He talks to Marzie Hashemi expert and correspondent of Nasr TV in Tehran.

Boris Johnson: Not True That I Am a 'Nasty Piece of Work'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Boris Johnson was left writhing on live television as he was accused of lying over an alleged extra-marital affair, fabricating quotes and agreeing to help a friend with a plot to get someone beaten up.
Mr Johnson, widely considered a potential successor to David Cameron, looked distinctly uncomfortable as he was grilled about past misdemeanours on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

Ahead of a new documentary about his life, the London Mayor was first questioned about allegations that he made up quotations in a piece of journalism.

He told his interviewer Eddie Mair that these were "big terms" for what happened, before going on to admit he had "mildly sandpapered" the truth. He said this was "very embarrassing" and he is now "very sorry about it".

Things got worse for Mr Johnson as he was then forced to field questions about an alleged extra-marital affair. Mr Mair asked whether he had told "barefaced lies" to Tory leader Michael Howard when he denied a relationship with Petronella Wyatt, a fellow journalist. Mr Johnson was sacked as a shadow minister over the episode in 2004. » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Sunday, March 24, 2013

Norway Killer Anders Behring Breivik's Mother Dies
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The mother of Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a massacre in Norway in 2011, has died at the age of 66.

Breivik, who met with his mother Wenche at the prison where he is being held earlier this month, has said he would like to attend her funeral.

"He was allowed to say goodbye," Mrs Breivik's lawyer said. "They both knew it would be the final meeting... I spoke to him this morning. He was grieving. It was very sad news to him. "

Breivik, a 34-year-old right-wing fanatic, launched Norway's worst peacetime massacre on July 22, 2011.

He detonated a car bomb outside government offices in Oslo killing eight people and then drove to the island of Utoya where he massacred 69 in a shooting spree at the summer camp of the governing Labor Party's youth wing.

Five years before the massacre, Breivik had moved back to live with his mother and ended all social contacts. His mother never attended Breivik's 10-week trial for health reasons, but in a statement read in court she said Breivik had fabricated information. » | Associated Press in Oslo | Saturday, March 23, 2013

Pope Meets Pope: Francis Tells Benedict 'We're Brothers'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis has flown in for lunch with his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in a cliff-top castle outside Rome - the first such encounter for nearly 720 years.


The Argentine Pope flew in by helicopter from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo, where his German predecessor is enjoying the first few weeks of his retirement following his shock decision to resign last month.

The Vatican said the two popes embraced on the helipad. Walking with a cane, Benedict looked frail compared to the robust 76-year-old Argentine.

Traveling from the helipad to the palazzo, Francis sat on the right-hand side of the car, the traditional place of the pope, while Benedict sat on the left.

When they went to pray in the chapel, Benedict offered the place of honour, a kneeler before the altar, to Francis, who declined, saying, "We are brothers, we pray together." The two then prayed together from the same pew.

The Vatican spokesman, Rev Federico Lombardi said he understands Benedict offered his pledge of obedience to the new pope, while Francis thanked Benedict for his ministry. » | Associated Press and Agence France-Presse | Saturday, March 23, 2013

How to Protect an Unpredictable Pope

Pakistani Taliban Threaten to Assassinate Ex-President Pervez Musharraf
CNN: The Pakistani Taliban vowed to assassinate former President Pervez Musharraf if he returns to the country as planned Sunday, a spokesman for the terrorist group said in a video message online.

Tehrik-i-Taliban will send out a "death squad" to kill him, Ehsanullah Ehsan said Saturday.

One of the squad members addressed Musharraf in English, demanding the former president surrender himself.

After resigning in 2008, Musharraf spent five years in self-imposed exile in London and Dubai.

He plans to fly on a commercial airline into Karachi on Sunday, then attend a rally that will include Pakistani expatriates from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, he has said in a statement.

He plans to lead his political party into Pakistan's general elections slated for May. » | Aliza Kassim | CNN | Saturday, March 23, 2013

Pope Meets Pope: Francis Arrives for Historic Talks with Benedict
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis has flown in for lunch with his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in a cliff-top castle outside Rome - the first such encounter for nearly 720 years.

The Argentine Pope has flown in by helicopter from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo, where his German predecessor is enjoying the first few weeks of his retirement following his shock decision to resign last month.

Crowds gathered in the central square of Castel Gandolfo this morning to catch a glimpse of something that has not been seen in centuries: two Popes together. After Francis's 15 minute helicopter ride, the two Popes – both dressed in white vestments – will sit down for a meeting before having lunch together in the magnificent castle, which is perched on the edge of an escarpment that plunges down to a cobalt blue volcanic lake.

The Vatican spokesman promised a general comment about the meeting, but no detailed statement.

There has been enormous speculation about what the two men in white might have to say to one another after making history together. Benedict's unprecedented resignation paved the way for the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit, and the first to call himself Francis after the 13th century friar who devoted himself to the poor, nature and working for peace. » | Nick Squires, in Rome, and agencies | Saturday, March 23, 2013

German TV Drama Confronts a Nation's Wartime Guilt
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A television drama exploring the guilt of ordinary Germans during the Second World War has become a ratings sensation in Germany, reaching more than seven million viewers.

Our Mothers, Our Fathers follows the lives of five young men and women – two brothers who become Wehrmacht soldiers, a singer, a nurse and their Jewish friend.

The drama begins on the eve of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and shows how the young people are rapidly corrupted by the Third Reich. One of the soldiers executes a Russian prisoner, while the nurse betrays a Jewish patient to the SS. The Jewish man is shown escaping the Nazis to find shelter with Polish partisans.

The three-part series has been hailed by critics as a "turning point" in German television for examining the crimes of the Third Reich at an individual level. The screenplay of Our Mothers, Our Fathers draws on the experiences of the film-makers' parents – the screenwriter Stefan Kolditz's father was a 19-year-old soldier on the eastern front, while a scene in which a Jewish child is shot was based on an event witnessed by the producer Nico Hofmann's father. » | Jeevan Vasagar, Berlin | Friday, March 22, 2013

Les réseaux de l'extrême : les enragés de l'identité (Caroline Fourest)

UK Faces Fitch Downgrade Over Debt Levels
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain's credit rating faces another downgrade in the next month after Fitch warned it is reviewing the country's "AAA" status in the wake of the Budget.

The agency warned that there is a "heightened probability of a downgrade" as it conducts a review of the rating by the end of April.

Fitch said its decision to put the UK on a "negative watch" was because Britain's debt will now be bigger than Chancellor George Osborne first forecast and is taking longer to bring under control. » | Andrew Trotman, and agencies | Friday, March 22, 2013

Günther Jauch - Im Namen Allahs: Was tun gegen Deutschlands Gotteskrieger?

Wolfgang Bosbach »

Yassin Musharbash »

Güner Balci »

Ferid Heider, Imam »

Damascus Mosque Suicide Bomb Blast Aftermath
Footage showing the aftermath of a suicide bomb blast at a mosque in Damascus on Thursday, in which a Sunni Muslim preacher was killed. The explosion took place during evening prayers inside the mosque. The prominent cleric and supporter of President Bashar Assad, Sheikh Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti, died in the blast along with others who were in attendance at the mosque

Centre Set Up in Europe to Train Missionaries and Spread Islam
NITI CENTRAL: In its December 30, 2012 issue, Urdu daily Dainik Munsif, reported that a special centre has been set up in France to propagate Islam in which around 300 youths are being given training. The youths will work as Imams in mosques and impart Islamic teachings.

According to the daily, out of 300 people, around 150 are Christian converts. They are being given religious teachings along with Arabic, and are also being trained to work as Imam. Women however, will not be allowed to work at this centre.

The daily also claimed that trained Islamic missionaries will be sent across Europe to propagate Islam. At present, there are 2,260 mosques in France where Islamic training is being given. [Source: NITI CENTRAL] | Niti Central Staff | Friday, March 22, 2013 | [Original Source: India Policy Foundation]

Cal Thomas: Confront Truth About Radical Islam
OMAHA.COM: President Barack Obama should listen to former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the “founder” of shuttle diplomacy.

Kissinger told Bloomberg TV’s Judy Woodruff recently that he sees little hope in the “Arab Spring,” nor is he optimistic about peace in the region following the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Welcome to the party, Dr. Kissinger. Some of us who have been denigrated for taking seriously the Muslim Brotherhood’s goal to promote radical Islam worldwide are happy for you to join us in Realityville.

The New York Times headlined a recent story: “Muslim Brotherhood’s Statement on Women Stirs Liberals’ Fears.” What took them so long? It isn’t like the fundamentalist Muslim position on women is new.

President Obama’s first in-office trip to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, seemingly, is mostly about keeping Israel from attacking Iranian nuclear sites. He also may restate the failed policy of asking Israel to “do more” for peace. How about asking Israel’s enemies to do less: Less terrorism, less incitement, less teaching young people that Israel is evil and must be destroyed? » | Cal Thomas | Friday, March 22, 2013

In Saudi Arabia, Activists Find an Oasis of Free Speech
Social media is giving Saudi Arabians an outlet for free speech. But offline, prominant activist Waleed Abu Alkhair takes great risks to host a face-to-face exchange of ideas

Pope Urges Dialogue with Islam, More Help for the Poor

REUTERS.COM: Pope Francis urged the West on Friday to intensify dialogue with Islam and appealed to the world to do more to combat poverty and protect the environment.

Speaking in Italian, the new pontiff said richer countries should fight what he called "the spiritual poverty of our times" by re-forging links with God.

"How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure!" he told the diplomats in the Vatican's frescoed Sala Regia.

Some critics of the Catholic Church, which has been struggling with scandals and internal divisions, say its rejection of contraception in particular harms the poor.

Others say it does much good in the developing world, running thousands of hospitals, schools, orphanages and hospices.

Francis made his appeal in an address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, sending a message through them to the leaders of the 180 states with which the Vatican has diplomatic relations.

He urged them to help keep religion central in public life and promote inter-religious dialogue as a catalyst for efforts to build peace.

"In this work (peace building), the role of religion is fundamental. It is not possible to build bridges between people while forgetting God," he said.

"But the converse is also true: it is not possible to establish true links with God while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam."

Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, said he was grateful that many Muslim religious and civilian leaders attended his inaugural Mass on Tuesday. DIALOGUE, NOT RIVALRY » | Philip Pullella | VATICAN CITY | Friday, March 22, 2013

Citizens' Campaign to Arrest Blair Continues
AL JAZEERA: Citizens band together to arrest former British prime minister over involvement in Iraq's invasion a decade ago.


London, United Kingdom - It was only as David Cronin saw Tony Blair and his entourage striding towards him that he finally plucked up the courage to go through with his plan to attempt to arrest the former British prime minister over his role in the invasion of Iraq and claim a bounty on his head.

"I walked up to him very briskly and managed to put my hand on his arm and say, 'Mr Blair, this is a citizen's arrest,'" Cronin told Al Jazeera of the 2010 encounter at the European Parliament in Brussels, where he worked as a journalist.

"I didn't have time to say anything else before his bodyguards pushed me away, so I just shouted at him, 'You are guilty of war crimes!' He looked at me for a split-second before I was bundled off. I can only describe it as a look of puzzlement and contempt."

Ten years since British forces joined the US-led assault, many in the UK are more critical than ever of the country's involvement in a conflict documented by the Iraq Body Count database to have killed more than 112,000 civilians.

More than a fifth - 22 percent - of Britons polled by YouGov this month said they believed Blair should be tried as a war criminal for his role in the conflict, which was preceded by massive anti-war demonstrations in London and other cities.

Fifty-three percent said the invasion was wrong, while half said Blair, a key international ally of US President George W Bush, had deliberately misled the British people over the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.

Blair's schedule these days is a closely guarded secret to avoid ambushes by the protesters who stalk his public appearances armed with eggs, shoes and banners reading: "BLIAR". Even his testimony at last year's phone-hacking inquiry was interrupted by an intruder shouting, "This man is a war criminal!" Online campaign » | Simon Hooper | Thursday, March 21, 2013

Sarkozy Charged Over Campaign Donations
Ex-president accused of accepting illegal donations from L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, France's richest woman

Verwandt »

Sarkozy — vom Präsidentenpalast in den Knast?
HANDELSBLATT: Ex-Präsidenten Sarkozy droht im schlimmsten Fall eine Gefängnisstrafe. Denn es wird nicht leicht sein, die Vorwürfe des illegal finanzierten Wahlkampfs zu entkräften. Sein politisches Comeback rückt in weite Ferne.

Paris Nicolas Sarkozy könnte der erste französische Ex-Präsident werden, der ins Gefängnis muss. Seit dem späten Donnerstagabend ist er Beschuldigter in der sogenannten Bettencourt-Affäre, bei der es um illegale Spenden der reichsten Frau der Welt geht. Sarkozy soll, so die Vorwürfe, die Schwäche der 90-jährigen, stark dementen l’Oréal-Erbin ausgenützt haben, um 2007 seinen Wahlkampf um die Präsidentschaft zu finanzieren.

Wenn es seinem Anwalt nicht gelingt, die vom Untersuchungsrichter Jean-Michel Gentil zusammen getragenen Verdachtsmomente zu widerlegen, wird der im Mai 2012 abgewählte Sarkozy sich schon sehr bald vor Gericht verantworten müssen. Im Falle der Verurteilung drohen ihm drei Jahre Haft und eine Geldbuße von fast 400 000 Euro sowie der Verlust des passiven Wahlrechts für fünf Jahre. » | Von Thomas Hanker | Freitag, 22. März 2013

HANDELSBLATT: Traum vom Comeback »


Lien en relation avec l’article »

Austro-Islamist: Gestoppt auf dem Weg zum Jihad
DIE PRESSE: Mohamed Mahmoud wollte in Syrien kämpfen. Doch türkische Ermittler nahmen den 29-jährigen Österreicher fest.

[WIEN] Der Zug in den Heiligen Krieg ist für Mohamed Mahmoud gestoppt. Ausgebremst wurde der Austro-Islamist dabei von türkischen Ermittlern, die ihn in der Stadt Hatay, nahe der syrischen Grenze, festgenommen haben. Der 29-jährige gebürtige Wiener dürfte dort versucht haben, Anschluss an islamistische Kampfgruppen in Syrien zu finden.

Die Festnahme markiert den vorläufigen Endpunkt einer Jihadisten-Karriere, die in Wien ihren Anfang genommen hat. Hier hatte der Sohn ägyptischer Einwanderer Gefallen an einer radikalen Auslegung des Islam gefunden und 2006 mit Aufrufen zum Wahlboykott erstmals den Verfassungsschutz auf sich aufmerksam gemacht. 2007 wurde er schließlich als mutmaßlicher Drahtzieher von Drohvideos gegen Österreich und Deutschland festgenommen - und wegen Bildung und Förderung einer terroristischen Vereinigung zu vier Jahren Haft verurteilt. Bald nach Absitzen der vollen Strafe ging er nach Deutschland, gründete die extremistische Bewegung Millatu Ibrahim und rief zum Heiligen Krieg gegen „die Ungläubigen" auf. Als ihm die Ausweisung drohte, setzte er sich nach Ägypten ab. » | Von Erich Kocina und Christian Ultsch | Die Presse | Donnerstag, 21. März 2013

Bettencourt : Nicolas Sarkozy est sorti du palais de justice de Bordeaux
LE POINT: L'ancien président a été confronté au majordome. La justice s'est intéressée à la fréquence de ses visites au domicile des Bettencourt.


Une confrontation inhabituelle entre l'ancien président de la République Nicolas Sarkozy et plusieurs membres du personnel de Liliane Bettencourt s'est déroulée jeudi à Bordeaux dans la plus grande discrétion, pour vérifier si l'ancien chef de l'État s'était rendu une ou plusieurs fois chez la milliardaire pendant sa campagne en 2007, et s'il l'a vue. L'ancien président, selon des sources proches du dossier, a été notamment confronté à l'ex-majordome des Bettencourt Pascal Bonnefoy, dont l'arrivée au Palais de justice, à la mi-journée, a été rapportée par un témoin. Mais personne n'a vu entrer l'ancien président ou d'autres membres du personnel.

Nicolas Sarkozy, convoqué par le juge Jean-Michel Gentil dans le cadre du dossier sur les abus de faiblesse dont aurait été victime l'héritière de L'Oréal depuis septembre 2006, date à laquelle les experts font remonter le début de l'affaiblissement mental de la milliardaire, avait été placé sous le statut de témoin assisté par le juge le 22 novembre 2012, à l'issue de douze heures d'audition. Après l'incroyable attente des journalistes pendant trois semaines sur le trottoir du Palais de justice et la cohue de cette journée-là, "le juge avait toujours dit qu'en cas de nouvelle audition personne n'en saurait rien", rappelait malicieusement jeudi un connaisseur du dossier. » | Source AFP | jeudi 21 mars 2013

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy placed under formal investigation: Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal investigation for allegedly taking advantage of the ailing L'Oreal [sic] heiress Liliane Bettencourt and accepting cash-stuffed brown envelopes from her to illegally fund his 2007 election campaign. » | Henry Samuel in Paris | Thursday, March 21, 2013

Obama in Israel: Peace Is Possible

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Flustered Barack Obama on the back foot over Israeli settlements: Barack Obama experienced the sobering realities of re-engaging with the Middle East peace process on Thursday when the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, openly challenged his line on Jewish settlements. target=_blank> » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Thursday, March 21, 2013

Justin Welby Enthroned as 105th Archbishop of Canterbury
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Justin Welby warned against “severing the roots” of more than 1,000 years of Christianity in Britain as he was enthroned as 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.


In an impassioned sermon at Canterbury Cathedral he attributed some of the greatest advances in our history – from the abolition of slavery to the foundation of the NHS – to its Christian heritage.

He said that Britain’s laws and social order drew on its “rootedness in Christ”.

And he insisted that the Church must now focus on new battles including combating global poverty and protecting the environment.

His comments came amid a colourful enthronement service attended by the Prince of Wales and David Cameron as well – for the first time in recent years – the leaders of all branches of the Anglican church worldwide.

Speaking about the miracle of walking on water he urged the Church not to be cowed by falling numbers ands said there was “every possible reason for optimism” about its future.

Speaking after taking his p[l]ace on the Sixth Century throne of St Augustine, he said: “For more than 1,000 years this country has to one degree or another sought to recognise that Jesus is the son of God; by the ordering of its society, by its laws, by its sense of community.

“Sometimes we have done better, sometimes worse.

“When we do better we make space for our own courage to be liberated, for God to act among us and for human beings to flourish. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, March 21, 2013


As it happened: Archbishop of Canterbury enthronement » | Thursday, March 21, 2013

Frank Gaffney Obama Administration Bowing to "international Muslim Mafia"

Storm Brewing as King Abdullah Denies Attacking the Neighbours

THE INDEPENDENT: Jordan's monarch hits out at US journalist as comments about several Arab leaders cause a stir

The King of Jordan has fired a broadside against a veteran US journalist for penning a magazine article in which the monarch was quoted berating other Middle Eastern leaders and describing his country’s tribal elders as “dinosaurs”.

Abdullah II’s court released a statement calling Jeffrey Goldberg’s 10,000-word piece for The Atlantic “inaccurate and dishonest” after its contents caused a stir in regional media. Of particular contention were what seemed to be derisory references to the leaders of Turkey and Egypt, and tribal chieftains in Jordan’s impoverished south.

The article, which paints a portrait of a weary monarch with a deep mistrust of the Muslim Brotherhood, comes at a delicate time for the pro-Western King. Abdullah managed to cling to power even as his country was buffeted by Arab Spring protests, but he has since faced increasing criticism from the country’s tribes – a traditional backbone of support. » | Loveday Morris | Beirut | Wednesday, March 20, 2013

THE ATLANTIC: The Modern King in the Arab Spring: Amid the social and political transformations reshaping the Middle East, can Jordan's Abdullah II, the region's most pro-American Arab leader, liberalize his kingdom, modernize its economy, and save the country from capture by Islamist radicals? » | Jeffrey Goldberg | Monday, March 18, 2013

Silent Conquest: A Tale of Sharia and Western Self-Censorship

THE FOUNDRY: At yesterday’s debut showing of Silent Conquest: The End of Freedom of Expression in the West at The Heritage Foundation, one of the most shocking moments was a comment by Lars Hedegaard, a Danish historian and chairman of the Danish Free Press Society.

Hedegaard was asked: Could the screening of this movie and the free intellectual discussion of the advance of Islamic Sharia law in the West have taken place at a European—say British—think tank? “No, I don’t think so” was his chilling answer. The subjects of Islam and Sharia have simply become taboo in many European countries. Free speech advocates, among them moderate Muslim voices, are deeply concerned.

As shown in Silent Conquest, throughout Europe, in Canada, and even in the United States, judicial systems in countries with large Muslim minorities are under pressure to adopt Sharia free speech restrictions. As a result, in many places, including Denmark, it is now a crime to say anything negative about Islam or the prophet Mohammed, regardless of whether such statements are factual or not. The concept that even offensive speech is protected—so fundamental to the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment—is collapsing. » | Helle Dale | Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Leveson Deal: New Regulator Will End 300 Years of Press Freedom, New York Times Warns
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain's new media regulator will "stifle" journalism and end 300 years of press freedom, The New York Times has warned.

In an editorial, the newspaper says that the draft royal charter will "create a system of government regulation" and damage democracy.

It argues that existing criminal and civil laws are sufficient to deal with phone hacking and "egregious actions" by tabloid newspapers, such as the now defunct News of the World.

The editorial says: "In an attempt to rein in its reckless tabloid newspapers, Britain's three main political parties this year agreed to impose unwieldy regulations on the news media that would chill free speech and threaten the survival of small publishers and Internet sites.

"The kind of press regulations proposed by British politicians would do more harm than good because an unfettered press is essential to democracy.

"It would be perverse if regulations enacted in response to this scandal ended up stifling the kind of hard-hitting investigative journalism that brought it to light in the first place." » | Steven Swinford | Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Public Can't Be Bluffed
HERALD SUN: THE Cyprus fiasco teaches a terrific - but often forgotten - lesson to every social planner of the Left.

That fiasco is the astonishing decision to steal up to 10 per cent from every bank deposit in Cyprus to help fund a bailout of that country's banks.

This overnight theft was a condition demanded by the new masters of Europe, the European Union and International Monetary Fund, to raise $8 billion towards its $12.5 billion bailout of Cyprus.

But Cypriots reacted with such fury that not one Cypriot MP dared back the plan and even the Cypriot President, who reluctantly struck the deal last week, dropped it "because (the people) think it is unjust".

The banks remained closed for days to stop a bank run by people who rightly realised their accounts were now overseen by thieves and the panic threatened to spread to other debt-crushed European countries.

Even in Australia, our markets plunged $30 billion for fear of what might happen next. As former Cyprus central bank governor Athanasios Orphanides rightly said: "To confiscate deposits is essentially sending a message that no one with deposits ... in a weak country, like Spain, should feel safe ..."

So here are the lessons for the Left. » | Andrew Bolt | Herald Sun | Wednesday, March 20, 2013