Islamic State Advances on Homs in Serious Threat to Assad

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As the world focuses on Kobane, jihadists have pressed deep inside Syria – advancing on both Idlib and Homs

Jihadists from the Islamic State have seized two gas fields and attacked a major air force base close to the central city of Homs in Syria – threatening the dominance of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in the critical region.

While US-led air strikes have focused on routing a few hundred fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) from the tiny border town of Kobane in northern Syria, the extremist group has pushed south, expanding its grip on terrain that is strategically vital in the battle for control of the country.

On Monday, Isil posted photographs on social media purporting to show the group's distinctive black flag flying high over Jahar gas field, alongside images of the seized vehicles, weaponry and corpses of Syrian regime soldiers that had controlled the field.

The development follows the group's capture of Sha'ar gas plant last week.

In victorious tones the jihadists declared the conquests part of the "Islamic State", the name the group ascribes to land it controls, which now includes more than a third of Syria and swathes of Iraq. » | Ruth Sherlock, Gaziantep and Magdy Samaan | Monday, November 03, 2014

Army Cadet Suffers Burns in Blowtorch Attack after Selling Poppies

Commemorative poppy wreaths to mark the First World War
are made at The Poppy Factory in Richmond

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Army Cadet, 15, sprayed in the face with makeshift blowtorch in unprovoked attack after selling poppies for Remembrance Sunday

An Army Cadet was blasted in the face with a makeshift blowtorch in an unprovoked attack after selling poppies for Remembrance Sunday.

The 15-year-old boy was waiting at a bus stop at 6pm on Saturday evening in Manchester city centre when a man approached him with an aerosol can and lighter and sprayed him with lit fumes.

The cadet, who was wearing his camouflaged uniform, suffered minor burns to his face and singed hairs in his face and right forearm, Greater Manchester Police said. He and his family are in "total shock".

He had spent the day selling poppies in the city centre to commemorate Armistice Day.

The offender, described as black or Asian, 5ft 8in tall and wearing a dark hooded top, walked off from the bus stop by the Manchester Gallery opposite George Street without saying a word. » | Victoria Ward and agencies | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Saudi’s Secret Uprising

Secret Uprising: The growing Saudi protest movement that's been hidden from the world.

FARS NEWS AGENCY: Saudi King Suspends Death Sentence for Sheikh Al-Nimr after Rafsanjani's Letter » | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Kaspi : "Obama a manqué d'esprit de compromis"

leJDD: INTERVIEW – Barack Obama passera probablement les deux dernières années de sa présidence sans majorité au Congrès américain. Le Sénat, à majorité démocrate, risque en effet de tomber aux mains des républicains, mardi à l’occasion des élections de mi-mandat. Pour l’historien André Kaspi, spécialiste des Etats-Unis, c’est une "situation de blocage" qui s’annonce. » | Arnaud Focraud - leJDD.fr | vendredi 31 octobre 2014

British-Iranian Woman Jailed for a Year for Trying to Watch Volleyball Game

Ghoncheh Ghavami has already been detained for four months
after being arrested at Azadi stadium in Tehran.

THE GUARDIAN: Law graduate from London found guilty of spreading ‘propaganda against regime’ following secret hearing in Iran

A British-Iranian woman detained in Iran for trying to watch a volleyball game has been sentenced to one year in a notorious prison, according to her family and lawyer.

Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, a law graduate from London, was found guilty of spreading “propaganda against the regime” following a secret hearing at Tehran’s Revolutionary Court.

Ghavami has been detained for 127 days in prison since being arrested on 20 June at Azadi (“Freedom” in Farsi) stadium in Tehran where Iran’s national volleyball team was to play Italy. Although she had been released within a few hours after the initial arrest she was re-arrested days later.

Speaking to the Guardian, Ghavami’s brother Iman, 28, said the family was “shattered” by the court verdict.

“We are really disappointed because we felt she would get out on bail immediately. She’s been through a lot and now it’s a full year sentence and she’s already served four months,” he said.

No reason was given for the conviction though Ghavami had been accused of spreading propaganda against the regime, a broad charge often used by Iran’s judiciary. » | Josh Halliday | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Sign the petition: #FreeGoncheh » | Petition by Imam Ghavami, Ghoncheh’s brother, London

Blair's Mistaken View of Islam Could Start New Religious War, Says His Former Aide

Former diplomat Mr Powell was at Mr Blair's side throughout
his time in Downing Street and played a key tole in the
Northern Ireland peace process

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Former chief of staff Jonathan Powell says Tony Blair's view is wrong / He suggests Blair's mistaken analysis could lead to a religious war / Mr Blair has urged people to realise there is a ‘problem within Islam’

Tony Blair's view that religious extremism lies at the heart of the Middle East crisis was dismissed last night by his former chief of staff.

Jonathan Powell said Mr Blair was wrong to blame the region’s problems on tensions within Islam. He even suggested that his old boss’s mistaken analysis could lead to a ‘21st Century version’ of a religious war.

Mr Blair has highlighted the dangers of religious extremism provoking conflicts in regions such as the Middle East and has urged people to realise there is a ‘problem within Islam’.

But Mr Powell, one of the former premier’s most loyal lieutenants during his time in No 10, said: ‘I see it from a different angle. He [Blair] argues that this is a new phenomenon we are facing. I don’t accept that.’

In an interview with Total Politics magazine, Mr Powell said: ‘What Tony Blair is trying to do is to look at it from the inter-faith point of view, which is something beyond me.

‘The danger is that you can end up framing these conflicts in ideological terms and return to the religious wars of the 16th Century in Europe. You don’t want to let this Sunni / Shia divide turn into a 21st Century version of the Thirty Years’ War. Read on and comment » Brendan Carlin for the Mail On Sunday | Saturday, November 01, 2014

The West Is Silent as Libya Falls into the Abyss

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: World View: In 2011, there was jubilation at Gaddafi's demise. Not any more: the aftermath of foreign intervention is calamitous and bloody

Remember the time when Libya was being held up by the American, British, French and Qatari governments as a striking example of benign and successful foreign intervention? It is worth looking again at film of David Cameron grandstanding as liberator in Benghazi in September 2011 as he applauds the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and tells the crowd that "your city was an example to the world as you threw off a dictator and chose freedom".

Mr Cameron has not been back to Benghazi, nor is he likely to do so as warring militias reduce Libya to primal anarchy in which nobody is safe. The majority of Libyans are demonstrably worse off today than they were under Gaddafi, notwithstanding his personality cult and authoritarian rule. The slaughter is getting worse by the month and is engulfing the entire country.

"Your friends in Britain and France will stand with you as you build your democracy," pledged Mr Cameron to the people of Benghazi. Three years later, they are words he evidently wants to forget, since there was almost no reference to Libya, the one military intervention he had previously ordered, when he spoke in the House of Commons justifying British airstrikes against Islamic State (Isis) in Iraq. Read on and comment » | Patrick Cockburn | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Far Right Groups Clash with Anti-fascists in Rochester ahead of By-election

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Leaders of BNP splinter group Britain First say they have "almost everything" in common with Ukip and are backing Mark Reckless "one hundred per cent"

Far-right extremists clashed with anti-fascists on the streets of Rochester, bringing a bitter note to the by-election campaign.

Members of Britain First, the BNP splinter group, marched in uniform to the town’s war memorial shouting incendiary anti-Muslim slogans.

They were blocked by a crowd of more than 100 people, including Labour supporters, teenage Tory activists and anti-fascist groups, hurling chants of “scum” back at them as a wall of police officers kept the two groups apart.

Former Tory MP Mark Reckless, who defected to Ukip last month, will be standing in the by-election for Ukip later this month.

Britain First’s deputy leader Jayda Fransen, also a candidate in the by-election, praised Mr Reckless's defection saying her party and Ukip had “almost everything” in common and were “almost identical in policies”. » | Laurence Dodds, video by Alice Wagstaffe | Saturday, November 01, 2014

Sam Harris Debates Reza Aslan

Sam Harris’ Response to Reza Aslan Calling Him a Fundamentalist Atheist

Reza: "The most literal literalist in the world doesn't read the Bible more literally than Sam Harris does."

Islamic State Executes Scores of Fellow Sunni Muslims

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Islamic State forces have carried out another mass killing of civilians in western Iraq, officials said Saturday – the systematic executions of at least 50 fellow Sunni Muslim men and women belonging to a tribe that has defied the extremist militants.

Amid a months-long onslaught by the Islamic State, Iraq is growing ever more violent. The United Nations mission in Baghdad reported Saturday that at least 1,273 Iraqis had been killed in October, about two-thirds of them civilians.

n the latest grisly episode, members of the Albu Nimr tribe were lined up by the militants and shot dead late Friday in the village of Ras al-Maaa, in Anbar province, according to Naim Al-Kaood, an Albu Nimr tribal leader. He spoke to the Iraqi broadcaster Al-Sumariyah.

Social media websites were flooded with pictures of the dead, their blood seeping out onto the pavement from apparent close-range shots to the head. » | Nabih Bulos, Laura King | Reporting from Amman, Jordan | Saturday, November 01, 2014

Why Don’t More Muslims Denounce Their Co-Religionists’ Barbarism?

NEW YORK OBSERVER: Talking to you, Reza Aslan.

To paraphrase Raymond Carver, it’s time to talk about What We Talk About When We Talk About Islam.

Sometimes it feels like we are living in a giant self-esteem seminar.

When ISIL started beheading men, crucifying Iraqi Christians and sexually enslaving teen girls, a Facebook page and Tumblr sprang up called #Muslimapologies. Now, you might think the people behind this movement were motivated to bring together the good, peace-loving Muslims to renounce the barbarism being done in the name of their common god and holy book.

But no. The hashtag is a forum in which to assuage their sense of group victimization.

Huffpo culled “The Top Ten” such tweets, which ooze condescension and superciliousness, that would be, needless to say, politically incorrect coming from members of any other of the three dominant religions.

“I’m sorry for inventing surgery, coffee, universities, algebra, hospitals, toothbrushes, vaccinations … “

“I’m sorry if my beard scares you, it’s hormonal, I swear.”

And the most offensive of all: “I’m sorry Muslim women had rights 1,400 years ago while you were still discussing if women had souls.”

Barrel of laughs!

Imagine the outrage if Jews had set up a religiously self-congratulatory hashtag and Tumblr during the bombing of Gaza, or if Christians started patting themselves on the back about their compassion after W. rained Shock and Awe on Baghdad.

Muslims might actually want to, if not apologize for, at least renounce, loudly and frequently, what’s being done in the name of their religion. Yet, in the current climate, to say that is to risk being accused of Islamophobia and much, much worse. Read on and comment » | Nina Burleigh | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

New UK Law Would Ban Critics of Sharia from Broadcasting, Protesting or Even Posting Messages on Facebook

JIHAD WATCH: The last free person in Britain, if there is one, might as well turn out the lights. If this becomes law, Britain is finished as a free society. As the law would also forbid opposition to gay marriage, it would be interesting to see what would happen if a proponent of Sharia protested against gay marriage — but Muslim groups are largely for it, since it opens the door to the legalization of polygamy.

In any case, future free historians, if there are any, will look back at David Cameron and Theresa May as essentially saboteurs and traitors who administered the coup de grace to their own nation as a free society. If Britain were still a sane society, as soon as this law was suggested there would have been a no-confidence vote and the Conservative government would have fallen — followed by the arrest of Cameron and May and criminal proceedings against them. Instead, Britain appears prepared to go quietly, although civil war still very likely looms in its future. Read on and comment » | Roberts Spencer | Friday, October 31, 2014

Related: Sharia Law or Gay Marriage Critics Would Be Branded ‘Extremists’ under Tory Plans, Atheists and Christians Warn »

Pat Condell: Laughing at the New Inquisition

The stench of hypocrisy from the “progressive” high moral ground. “Anything but the truth” could be a “progressive” motto.

Pat Condell: The Real Enemy Within

1400 cases of “appalling” sexual exploitation revealed in UK report

Pat Condell: Boo Hoo Palestine

The biggest political con trick in history, and we fall for it again and again.

Egypt Jails 'Gay Wedding Video' Men

BBC: A court in Egypt has sentenced eight men to three years in prison for appearing in a video alleged to show a gay marriage.


All eight had denied charges of inciting debauchery and offending public morality.

The video, which was posted to YouTube in September, shows two men exchanging rings on a boat in the Nile. » | Saturday, November 01, 2014

Are Young Western Women the New Face of Terror?

Oct. 31, 2014 - 2:51 - Amy Kellogg reports from London, England

Sharia Law or Gay Marriage Critics Would Be Branded ‘Extremists’ under Tory Plans, Atheists and Christians Warn

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New Extremism Disruption Orders would class secularists or evangelical Christians alongside Islamic state or Boko Haram, campaigners claim

Anyone who criticises Sharia law or gay marriage could be branded an “extremist” under sweeping new powers planned by the Conservatives to combat terrorism, an alliance of leading atheists and Christians fear.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, unveiled plans last month for so-called Extremism Disruption Orders, which would allow judges to ban people deemed extremists from broadcasting, protesting in certain places or even posting messages on Facebook or Twitter without permission.

Mrs May outlined the proposal in a speech at the Tory party conference in which she spoke about the threat from the so-called Islamic State – also known as Isis and Isil – and the Nigerian Islamist movement Boko Haram.

But George Osborne, the Chancellor, has made clear in a letter to constituents that the aim of the orders would be to “eliminate extremism in all its forms” and that they would be used to curtail the activities of those who “spread hate but do not break laws”.

He explained that that the new orders, which will be in the Conservative election manifesto, would extend to any activities that “justify hatred” against people on the grounds of religion, sexual orientation, gender or disability.

He also disclosed that anyone seeking to challenge such an order would have to go the High Court, appealing on a point of law rather than fact.

The National Secular Society and the Christian institute – two organisations with often diametrically opposing interests – said they shared fears that the broad scope of extremism could represent a major threat to free speech. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Friday, October 31, 2014

Why It Still Matters That Apple CEO Tim Cook Announced He’s Gay

SFGATE: Apple CEO Tim Cook’s decision to tell the world he is gay feels a lot like his company’s much-anticipated product launches: The public already knows the news before the event, but the event is momentous nonetheless.

As Cook noted in an essay for Bloomberg Businessweek, he has been quite open about his sexuality with many people. But there’s a difference between friends and colleagues knowing you’re gay and telling the planet.

Just a few years ago, states were writing into constitutions that marriage was strictly between a man and a woman. Now the CEO of the world’s most valuable company can proclaim that he considers “being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”

“The world has advanced to the point that (sexuality) is a total nonissue,” said Gerald Storch, a former CEO of Toys R Us. “Ten years ago, CEOs might have kept it closer to the vest because of consumer backlash.” » | Thomas Lee | Friday, October 31, 2014

Here’s a Picture of All of the Openly Gay CEOs in Top US Companies

Read the Pink News article here | Nick Duffy | Friday, October 31, 2014

Le FN lève la suspension pour "prosélytisme" de l'un de ses élus

LE POINT: Conseiller municipal à Noisy-le-Grand, Maxence Buttey, récemment converti à l'islam, avait été "suspendu provisoirement" pour avoir "dépassé une limite".

Le Front national a annoncé vendredi avoir "levé la suspension temporaire" d'un de ses élus récemment converti à l'islam qu'il avait suspendu samedi, le parti lui reprochant d'avoir fait du "prosélytisme" en son sein. Devant le "bureau exécutif du parti réuni en commission des conflits", Maxence Buttey "a pu confirmer son engagement comme élu municipal du Front national à défendre les idées de son mouvement, notamment la lutte contre le communautarisme et la promotion de la laïcité", écrit le parti dans un communiqué. "Il lui a été signifié ainsi qu'à l'ensemble des protagonistes de ce dossier que l'envoi de vidéos à caractère religieux dans le cadre de fonctions militantes n'était pas acceptable", poursuit le document, qui conclut qu'"en conséquence, après ce rappel des devoirs qui incombent à un élu du Front national", la suspension est levée. » | Source AFP | vendredi 31 octobre 2014

First Muslim to Be Awarded Victoria Cross Needs Recognition, Say Former Army Chiefs

Sepoy Khudadad Khan was awarded the Victoria Cross
during World War One

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross, should be more widely recognised, say two former heads of the Army

Two former heads of the Army have called for greater recognition of the first Muslim soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross, in a move intended as a “riposte” to the “sickening extremism” of Isil militants.

General Lord Dannatt and General Lord Richards lead a group of peers, MPs, historians and religious leaders who say children should be told about the role played by Muslim troops in the First World War.

In a letter to The Telegraph they say that the actions of Sepoy Khudadad Khan in a battle at Ypres 100 years ago on Friday “exemplified the courage” of many who served in the war.

The knowledge of his role, together with that of the other 400,000 Muslims who fought alongside British troops, is vital to “fully understand the multi-ethnic Britain that we are today”, they add. » | Edward Malnick | Friday, October 31, 2014

Baroness Tonge Faces Heavy Criticism after Blaming Israel for Middle East Conflicts

Lady Tonge, who resigned the Lib Dem whip in 2012
over anti-Israel remarks

DAILY EXPRESS: A FORMER Liberal Democrat peer faced a barrage of criticism today after she blamed Israel for the ongoing troubles of the Middle East.

Baroness Tonge suggested Western support for Israel has triggered the growth of extreme Islamic groups “determined to get their own back” through terrorism.

Nor was it a surprise that there had been attacks in Canada and a terrorist plot exposed in Australia since both countries had “unhesitatingly supported Israel” with the UK and US.

“Both of these countries have unhesitatingly supported Israel with the USA and the United Kingdom,” she said. » | Martyn Brown | Friday, October 31, 2014

Report Says Child Sexual Exploitation ‘Normal in Parts of Greater Manchester’

THE GUARDIAN: Study by Ann Coffey MP calls for recognition of ‘real and ongoing problem’ of abuse as a priority public health issue

Sexual exploitation of vulnerable children has become the social norm in some parts of Greater Manchester, fuelled by explicit music videos and quasi-pornographic selfies, an MP has warned.

The systematic grooming of boys and girls remains a “real and ongoing problem”, a year after Greater Manchester police (GMP) was forced to admit it had failed abuse victims in Rochdale, said Ann Coffey, a former social worker who is now the Labour MP for Stockport. “My observations will make painful reading for those who hoped that Rochdale was an isolated case,” she writes in a significant report.

She said Britain needed a big change in attitudes towards child sexual exploitation similar to how perceptions of gay rights have changed over recent decades. She believes such exploitation should be declared a priority public health issue, like smoking, obesity, alcohol and drug use, so that a more strategic approach can be developed. » | Helen Pidd, northern editor | Thursday, October 30, 2014

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

Gov. Huckabee on Why Obama Is Struggling to Lead

Oct. 25, 2014 - 5:32 - President tackles world crises

Persecution, Torture, Murder: Iran Blasted on Human Rights ahead of UN Hearing

FOX NEWS: On the eve of Iran's defense of its human rights record Friday before a key United Nations panel, a lawyer for the woman executed in the Islamic Republic over the weekend for allegedly killing her attempted rapist accused the regime of widespread torture and murder.

A UN-appointed human rights advocate had already prepared a voluminous account of Tehran's egregious transgressions, including persecution and imprisonment of religious minorities, alarming numbers of executions and systematic disregard of due process by Saturday, when Reyhaneh Jabbari, a 27-year-old woman who had spent the last seven years in prison, was hanged. Jabbari became an international symbol of the regime's brutality, with the UN and rights groups such as Amnesty International decrying her death sentence. Jabbari's execution served to punctuate this week's hearings, including the independent forum in Geneva on Thursday and a procedure today before a UN Human Rights Council panel. » | Jonathan Wachtel | Friday, October 31, 2014

Tim Cook’s Coming Out: ‘This Will Resonate’

Read the New York Times article here | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Israël à la Suède : "Le Moyen-Orient est plus compliqué que les meubles Ikea"

LE POINT: Pour l'État hébreu, la décision de Stockholm de reconnaître l'État de Palestine "provoque de gros dommages et n'a aucune utilité".

Une décision "malheureuse", qui "renforce les éléments extrémistes et la politique de refus des Palestiniens", a jugé Israël jeudi après la reconnaissance par la Suède de l'État de Palestine. "Le gouvernement suédois doit comprendre que les relations au Moyen-Orient sont plus compliquées que le montage des meubles Ikea, et qu'il faut agir en ce domaine avec responsabilité et sensibilité", a déclaré le ministre israélien des Affaires étrangères, Avigdor Lieberman, dans un communiqué. » | Source AFP | jeudi 30 octobre 2014

Coming-out des Apple-Chefs: Tim Cook bricht das letzte Tabu

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Apple-CEO hat sich als schwul geoutet. Auch wenn seine Orientierung kein Geheimnis war, geht Tim Cook damit einen Schritt, den noch kein Top-Manager gewagt hat. Schwule werden in der US-Wirtschaft toleriert - aber nicht akzeptiert.

Tim Cook wuchs in Alabama auf, einem der konservativsten, lange rückständigsten US-Südstaaten. Trotzdem blieb er seiner Heimat verbunden, selbst nachdem er als Apple-Chef zu einem der mächtigsten Wirtschaftslenker aufstieg. Als ihm Alabama jetzt seine höchste Ehre antrug, die Einführung in die Alabama Academy of Honor, nahm er das gerne an.

Seine Dankesrede jedoch nutzte Cook für eine Abrechnung: Im Kapitol der Landeshauptstadt Montgomery rügte er Alabama am Montag für seine Unterdrückung von Minderheiten. Es sei empörend, dass Homosexualität dort immer noch als Kündigungsgrund gelte: "Wir können die Vergangenheit nicht ändern, aber wir können eine andere Zukunft erschaffen."

Der 53-Jährige sprach sich dabei selbst aus der Seele. Dass Cook schwul ist, war ein offenes Geheimnis, seit er 2011 das Erbe des Apple-Gründers Steve Jobs antrat: Cook marschierte in San Franciscos LGBT-Parade mit und rangierte seit Jahren ganz oben in der "Power 50"-Liste der US-Schwulenzeitschrift "Out". » | Von Marc Pitzke, New York | Freitag, Oktober 31. 2014

Questioning the Faith in the Cradle of Islam

FOREIGN POLICY: In Saudi Arabia, a new generation is pushing back against the government’s embrace of fundamentalism. But is the kingdom ready for nonbelievers?

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Ahmed al-Ghamdi's long, bushy beard and red-checked headscarf are emblems of his conservative approach to Islam, which is no surprise for a man who once supervised the Saudi religious police in the holy city of Mecca.

But it was something surprising about Ghamdi that brought me to his apartment in a scruffy, low-income section of Jeddah in the sweltering summer of 2011. I wanted to know why he had announced that, after extensive research, he could find no Islamic basis for Saudi society's most distinctive feature: its strict gender segregation.

As his wife, sister, and mother listened in with obvious pride, Ghamdi explained that he could no longer take "at face value" religious rulings that gender mixing is haram -- that is, religiously prohibited. "I wanted to go to their underpinnings, so I began collecting all the texts relating to this matter from the Quran and the Sunna [examples from the life and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed]," he said. "My conclusion was that not a single text or verse in the Quran and Sunna specifically says that mixing is haram. The word 'mixing' is not even in the Quran."

Instead, he said he found plenty of texts "that proved that mixing happened at the time of Prophet Mohammed" and that "it is just another part of normal life."

Ghamdi's declaration sparked weeks of impassioned national debate. It also got him fired from the religious police, which enforces the ban on mixing.

His story is but one example of how the religious landscape of Saudi Arabia -- often regarded as fixed and monochromatic -- is increasingly a landscape in flux.

We are not witnessing a Reformation in the birthplace of Islam. Mosque and state remain closely bound in Saudi Arabia, basic law is derived from sharia, and the king is known as the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," a reference to the holy places of Mecca and Medina.

But the religious attitudes of ordinary people are changing, as is the relationship between the House of Saud and its clerical establishment. This evolving religious scene is marked by less clerical control of social behavior, increasing diversity of religious thought, and more polarization between progressive and extreme right-wing versions of Islam. These changes have already diminished the monarchy's ability to use religion to enforce social conformity and political obedience. And as the kingdom struggles with questions over succession and the Middle East's escalating mayhem, these changes will bring added challenges to the House of Saud's grip on power. » | Caryle Murphy | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Former Marine Banned from Daughter’s School after Dispute over Islam Lesson

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com
Read the FoxNews article here | Thursday, October 30, 2014
Related »

Isil Jihadists 'Offered Teenager $25,000 to Carry Out Bombings in Vienna'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A 14-year-old boy suspected of planning a series of bombings in Vienna reportedly offered $25,000 (£16,000) by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to carry out attacks

A 14-year-old boy suspected of planning a series of bombings in Vienna was reported on Thursday to have been offered $25,000 (£16,000) by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) to carry out the attacks amid claims that two other youths recruited in the same way remain at large.

The arrested youth has not been named by authorities, but has been identified by the Austrian media as Mertkan G, the son of Turkish immigrants, who has lived in the country for eight years. He was arrested on Tuesday but details are only now emerging about his case.

Among the sites in which he has admitted planning to plant explosives is Vienna's Westbahnhof station, one of the busiest in the country, used by 40,000 travellers each day. » | Justin Huggler, Berlin | Thursday, October 30, 2014

William Hague: The Situation for LGBT People ‘Is Worsening’ in Many Countries

PINK NEWS: PinkNews Exclusive [–] In his first major speech on LGBT rights, the former Foreign Secretary William Hague, has warned that the situation for gay people abroad “is worsening” in many countries.

Speaking at the annual PinkNews Awards in Speaker’s House, Mr Hague, the First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons spoke of his time in the Foreign Office, and the importance of the “abolition of draconian laws that restrict the lives of LGBT people in other countries”.

He said such laws “subject innocent people to imprisonment, violence and stigmatisation.”

“While we’re making progress in Britain and elsewhere because the situation in other countries is not only difficult it is worsening as you know. It is completely incompatible with international human rights laws to make illegal consenting same-sex relations and to deny rights to people on the basis of their sexuality. (+ video) » | Joseph Patrick McCormick | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Politician: Ban Apple CEO Tim Cook from Russia because He Could Have ‘AIDS’ or ‘Ebola’

Vitaly Milonov

PINK NEWS: A homophobic lawmaker is now calling for a lifetime travel ban on Apple CEO Tim Cook, who came out publicly as gay on Thursday morning.

Vitaly Milonov, the politician behind St Petersburg’s anti-gay ‘propaganda’ law that has since been adopted federally by the Russian Parliament, suggested Mr Cook could bring “the Ebola virus, AIDS [and] gonorrhea” to Russia.

“What could he bring us? The Ebola virus, AIDS, gonorrhea? They all have unseemly ties over there,” Mr Milonov told the FlashNord website. “Ban him for life.” » | Scott Roberts | Thursday, October 30, 2014

PM Cameron Appeals to Qatar Emir for More Investment

REUTERS UK: (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday urged Qatar to plough more of its vast oil and gas wealth into infrastructure projects across Britain during an official visit from the Gulf state's emir.

Cameron asked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to consider further funding to help Britain's push to develop cities in the north of the country and connect them to London using a high speed rail line, a statement released by his office said.

Qatar is one of the world's richest countries and is already heavily invested in British firms and property.

Among its highest profile investments are London's tallest building, the Shard, which was funded by the Qatari royal family, and the upmarket Harrods department store owned by sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority.

"The Prime Minister ... encouraged the Emir to consider more opportunities across the country, particularly the government’s plan to establish a Northern Powerhouse by connecting our great Northern cities and the development of high speed rail," the statement said. » | William James | London | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Clashes Erupt as Israeli Police Kill Palestinian Suspected of Shooting Jewish Far-rightist

REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - Israeli police on Thursday shot dead a 32-year-old Palestinian man suspected of having tried hours earlier to kill a far-right Jewish activist, leading to fierce clashes in East Jerusalem and fears of a new Palestinian uprising.

The Al-Aqsa compound, or Temple Mount, which is a central cause of the latest violence, was shut down to all visitors as a security precaution. It was the first full closure of the site, venerated by both Jews and Muslims, in 14 years.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Israel's actions as "tantamount to a declaration of war" and his Fatah party called for a "day of rage" on Friday. It was not clear if Al Aqsa would be opened to Muslims on their holy day. » | Luke Baker | Jerusalem | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Marine Veteran Complains About Pro-Islam Bias In Daughter’s Schoolwork, Gets BANNED From School

THE DAILY CALLER: A Maryland father who asked that his daughter be excused from learning about Islam in her world history class now finds himself under a no-trespass order that prevents him from setting foot on the girl’s public school campus.

The events leading to the no-trespass order occurred at La Plata High School in La Plata, Md., a small town about 30 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., SoMDNews reports, a website for three local newspapers.

The dad is Kevin Wood, a former corporal and eight-year veteran in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Wood was initially upset because he did not want his daughter, a high school junior, to participate in instruction about Islam. » | Eric Owens, Education Editor | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Greta: Obama Owes Netanyahu an Apology

Oct. 29, 2014 - 1:32 - 'Off the Record,' 10/29/14: Senior administration officials were arrogant and disgraceful in their insult to the Israeli prime minister and our president needs to get rid of them. A true leader sets the tone

Report: Gitmo Prisoners Join Forces with ISIS

Oct. 30, 2014 - 2:11 - Jennifer Griffin reports from the Pentagon

Church Condemns Government as Un-Christian over Stance on Drowning Migrants

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bishop says refusal to support rescue operations in Mediterranean by Europe’s leading naval power is an abdication of moral responsibility

The Roman Catholic Church has condemned the British Government as un-Christian over its rejection of rescue missions for refugees drowning in the Mediterranean.

Bishop Patrick Lynch, who speaks for the Church in England and Wales on migration, said the decision not to support a rescue missions was “a misguided abdication of responsibility” to thousands of desperate people feeling war and persecution in the Middle East and Africa.

He said that as Europe’s “leading naval power” the UK has a moral responsibility to step in to save those risking death attempting to reach Europe.

His remarks came as the Home Office reiterated its stance that search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, where around 3,000 migrants are estimated to have drowned this year alone, were simply acting as a “pull factor for illegal migration”.

It claims that rescuing migrants has led to more deaths. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Sweden Officially Recognises State of Palestine

THE GUARDIAN: Sweden becomes first EU member in western Europe to make move, saying ‘we hope this will show the way for others’

Sweden has officially recognised the state of Palestine, the Swedish foreign minister said, less than a month after Stockholm announced its intention to make the controversial move.

“Today the government takes the decision to recognise the state of Palestine,” Margot Wallström said in a statement published in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper on Thursday.

“It is an important step that confirms the Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” the foreign minister said. “We hope that this will show the way for others.” » | Agence France-Presse in Stockholm | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Netanyahu Fumes at ‘Chickenshit’ Slur

JEWISH JOURNAL: An anonymous U.S. official's reported description of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "chickenshit" drew a sharp response on Wednesday from the Israeli leader – no stranger to acrimony with the Obama administration.

The American broadside, in an interview in The Atlantic magazine, followed a month of heated exchanges between the Netanyahu government and Washington over settlement-building in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, which Palestinians seek as the capital of a future state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

"The thing about Bibi is, he’s a chickenshit,” the unidentified official was quoted as saying, using Netanyahu's nickname and a slang insult certain to redden the ears of the U.S.-educated former commando.

"The good thing about Netanyahu is that he’s scared to launch wars," the official said, alluding to past hints of possible Israeli military action against Iran's nuclear program. "The bad thing about him is that he won’t do anything to reach an accommodation with the Palestinians or with the Sunni Arab states."

Netanyahu, the official was reported to have said, is interested only in "protecting himself from political defeat ... He's got no guts." » | Jeffrey Heller, Reuters | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Professor Patricia Ward Identified As New York Woman Allegedly Beheaded By Son

THE HUFFINGTON POST: The Long Island woman beheaded in a gruesome murder Tuesday night was a respected and beloved professor at Farmingdale State College, school officials have confirmed.

Patricia Ward taught language arts at the school for 28 years, spokesman Patrick Calabria said in a statement.

"We are in shock," Calabria told the New York Post. "The staff in her department is teary-eyed. We are providing counseling to the staff who need it. It’s a very sad day. A lot of people are taking it very hard." » | Andres Jauregui | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Israeli MP Proposes Banning Islamic Prayer Call

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New legislation by coalition partner could silence the muezzin's call to prayer from mosques on the grounds of "noise pollution"

Israeli Right-wingers have revived highly contentious plans that could effectively silence the Muslim call to prayer, known as the adhan.

In a move that risks stoking already simmering tensions in Jerusalem between Jews and Arabs, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition is tabling legislation that could put strict limits on Islamic prayer calls from mosques in the city and across Israel.

Robert Ilatov, a parliamentarian with the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, is sponsoring the bill with the support of Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister who is also the party's leader.

While the legislation is being justified on the grounds that prayer calls often produce "intolerable noise" that disturbs many citizens' sleep, it is bound to prompt accusations of religious intolerance and prejudice against Israel's Muslim minority. » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Stevie Wonder: I Just Called To Say I Love You

CAIR Representative Debates Fox's Megyn Kelly on Separating ISIS Violence from Islam

US Beheading: Headless Body Discovered outside NY Apartment Building

FOX NEWS: Professor beheaded in what witnesses first thought was Halloween prank » | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

White House Officials Reportedly Called Netanyahu Names Like "Chickensh*t"

Oct. 29, 2014 - 4:28 - Former Israeli ambassador to the U.N. reacts to claims in magazine article

ISIS Driven by World War I Agreement?

Oct. 29, 2014 - 3:21 - Military historian Joseph Micallef explains

Binyamin Netanyahu 'Chickenshit', Say US Officials in Explosive Interview

THE GUARDIAN: Quotes from senior Obama administration figures damn Israeli prime minister over stance on settlements and peace with Palestinians

US relations with Israel have plunged to new depths of bitterness and hostility as senior officials in the Obama administration decried Binyamin Netanyahu as a “chickenshit prime minister”, “coward” and a man more interested in his own political survival than peace.

The furious assessment delivered in anonymous but no-holds barred comments in an interview with the American journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in the Atlantic underline a state of anger with Netanyahu that is characterised as “red hot”.

The remarks are particularly telling in having been made to Goldberg, a Washington insider who has interviewed both Obama and Netanyahu, and who warned US-Israeli relations were in a “full-blown crisis” that could only get worse after the midterm elections.

Speaking to the Israeli parliament – the Knesset – a few hours after the comments were revealed, Netanyahu angrily insisted he was “under attack simply for defending Israel”, adding that he “cherished” Israel’s relationship with the US. » | Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Man Beheads Woman & Jumps in front of Train

NEW YORK POST: A man beheaded a woman at her Long Island apartment Tuesday night and dragged her out into the street where he kicked her severed head about 20 feet before jumping in front of a train, cops and witnesses said.

The woman, who appeared to be in her 60s, was discovered dead outside an apartment building in Farmingdale at around 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nassau County police said. » | Kenneth Garger | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Erdogan inaugure son nouveau «palais blanc»

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le siège de la présidence turque déménage dans un immense palais construit dans une zone forestière près d'Ankara. Les défenseurs de l'environnement s'y sont opposés. L'inauguration a lieu aujourd'hui.

Le président turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugure en grande pompe ce mercredi 29 octobre, jour anniversaire de la fondation de la République, un nouveau palais présidentiel à l'origine d'une vive controverse avec ses opposants et les défenseurs de l'environnement.

Déjà rebaptisé ironiquement la «Maison blanche» par ses détracteurs, cet immense «palais blanc» («ak saray» en turc) va remplacer l'actuel siège de la présidence, beaucoup plus modeste mais historique, qui a accueilli les onze précédents chefs de l'Etat de l'histoire de la Turquie moderne depuis 1923. » | afp/Newsnet | mercredi 29 octobre 2014

Mohammad Ali Baryalei, Australia's Alleged Senior Isis Recruiter, ‘Killed’

Mohammad Ali Baryalei: news of his death was reported on Twitter.

THE GUARDIAN: Julie Bishop trying to verify reports Baryalei died a few days ago in the Middle East

The foreign affairs minister says the government is trying to verify reports that an alleged Australian Islamic State (Isis) recruiter has been killed in the Middle East.

Mohammad Ali Baryalei, alleged to be the most senior Australian involved in the Isis conflict in Iraq and Syria, reportedly died four or five days ago.

Baryalei has been accused of recruiting Australians to fight alongside Isis forces.

The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, was unable to confirm whether he had been killed. » | Staff and agencies | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Conservative Dad Threatens ‘Sh*tstorm’ If Daughter’s World History Class Includes Islam

RAW STORY: An angry father has been banned from a Maryland high school’s campus after he made vague but ominous threats against the school because his daughter’s history homework mentioned the Islamic faith.

BayNet.com reported that La Plata High School in Charles County, Maryland has issued a No Trespass order after parent Kevin Wood — a former U.S. Marine — called the school and threatened to disrupt classes if his daughter’s world history class continued to study the religion and its impact on human history.

Wood reportedly telephoned Vice Principal Shannon Morris last Thursday enraged over a homework assignment which dealt with the formation of Middle Eastern empires centuries ago. History teacher Katie O’Malley Simpson said that the history curriculum has never been considered controversial in the past.

“The assignment has been given for years,” O’Malley-Simpson said.

La Plata High School Principal Evelyn Arnold issued a No Trespass order against Wood after hearing about the contentious call, in which Wood promised to come to the school and disrupt classes if Islam was mentioned any further.

O’Malley-Simpson called the decision to ban Wood from campus “unusual,” saying, “We don’t file no trespassing charges lightly. We would only do that when we feel someone has threatened the safety of staff and students.” » | David Ferguson | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

On Patrol with the ‘Sharia Police’

SBS.COM.AU: Public caning for violating sharia law is now common in the Indonesian province of Aceh and the police chief wants even harsher penalties. Dateline’s Patrick Abboud gets unprecedented access to follow the sharia police on patrol.

Earlier this year international outrage was sparked after a horrific story of gang rape in the Indonesian province of Aceh emerged.

A group of men raided a woman’s home and found a 25-year-old woman with a married man.

Accusing them of adultery, the vigilantes, one of whom was a 13-year-old boy, gang-raped the woman, dousing her and the man with sewage before marching them to the sharia police.

Despite what happened and the trauma of gang-rape, the sharia police in Langsa insisted the woman would be caned for alleged adultery.

That story never left my mind.

Securing access to meet sharia police chief, Ibrahim Latif, I found myself in Aceh soon after. » | Patrick Abboud | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Geert Wilders Cake Lands Six in Saudi Arabian Jail

NL TIMES: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Saudi Arabia has closed down a sweets shop for selling offensive to Islam cakes.

The commission raided the shop after they received a tip from a client complaining about the cakes that featured a plane and anti Islam messages. The six men working in the shop were arrested.

The messages were inspired by Geert Wilders’ idea for a new Saudi flag. His idea changes the Islamic declaration of faith into anti Prophet, anti Islam and anti Koran words. » | Janene Van Jaarsveldt | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Germany Warns Security Situation 'Critical' due to Radical Islam

REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - Radical Islam poses a critical security threat to Germany, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere warned on Tuesday, saying the number of people capable of staging attacks in the country stood at an all-time high.

Besides the risk posed by German jihadists returning from Syria, there was also the danger of violent clashes on German streets as rival extremist groups turn on each other - mirroring the conflicts of the Middle East, he told a security conference.

De Maiziere said security forces believed the greatest danger came from radicals striking out alone, as happened in Canada last week, when two soldiers were killed in attacks that police said were carried out by recent converts to Islam.

"The situation is critical. The number of threatening individuals has never been as high as now," he said. "We represent freedom, and are therefore an object of hate."

The domestic intelligence agency (BfV) has warned that ultra-conservative Salafism was becoming increasing popular -- boosting the number of potential recruits for Islamic State. » | Alexandra Hudson and Sabine Siebold | Berlin | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Iran Accuses 'Foreign Agents' of Being behind Acid Attacks on Women

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A senior Iranian official says that "foreign agents" were behind at least eight acid attacks on women in the city of Isfahan - believed to have been carried out by ultra-conservatives angry at "immodest dress"

A senior Iranian official has claimed that the recent spate of acid attacks on women in the country “is the work of foreign agents,” whom he accused of seeking to undermine the stability of the Islamic republic.

At least eight women have had acid thrown in their faces this month in the city of Isfahan, a Unesco world heritage site 200 miles south of Tehran. Some local reports say as many as 20 have been attacked.

In the weeks before the attacks began, clerics railed against the wickedness of “bad hijab” — lax adherence to the formal dress code — by women, and the victims are thought to have been targeted for being seen in “immodest dress”. » | Ahmed Vahdat, and Harriet Alexander | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Britain to Face Arctic Winter as Mild Autumn Triggers Polar Gales and Heavy Snow

Read the Express article here | Nathan Rao | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Thousands Pay Final Respects to Slain Canadian Soldier

Oct. 28, 2014 - 2:29 - Jonathan Hunt reports from New York City

Domestic Terror Threat from the North

Oct. 25, 2014 - 5:04 - Mike Scheuer provides insight

George Galloway Talks About ISIS (October 18, 2014)

George Galloway Hammers Jacqui Smith on Bombing ISIS (September 2014)

Five Things John Cantlie's Latest Video Teaches Us About Isil's Strategy

Find out what John Cantlie's latest video appearance teaches us about Isil's strategy, as new video apparently showing the hostage "reporting" from Kobane is released by Islamic State

Read the short Telegraph article here | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

«Dem IS könnten bald einmal die Ressourcen ausgehen»

IS-Kämpfer in einem Propaganda-Video

Die Terrormilizen des Islamischen Staates können in Syrien und im Irak kaum gestoppt werden – auch die US-Luftangriffe bleiben oft ohne Wirkung. Weshalb ist das so? Der Berner Islam-Wissenschaftler Reinhard Schulze gibt Auskunft.

Den Artikel hier lesen | Dienstag, 28. Oktober 2014

Armed Soldiers outside Horse Guards Parade amid Terror Attack Fears

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Soldiers pictured with machine guns for first time outside Horse Guards Parade as Westminster put on high alert in wake of Ottawa shooting

Armed soldiers have been stationed in Whitehall amid fears that terrorists will try to attack ceremonial guards in the wake of shootings in Canada.

The soldiers, who are armed with machine guns, have been deployed at the entrance to Horse Guards Parade where thousands of tourists gather every day to witness the Changing of the Guard. » | Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Temps présent – Sur la piste des Suisses partis faire le djihad en Syrie et en Irak

Ils viennent du Nord vaudois et d'ailleurs en Suisse romande et ils sont partis se battre avec les djihadistes sanguinaires de l'Etat islamique, en Syrie et en Irak. Assassinats de journalistes, décapitations et crucifixions, des Suisses sont-ils impliqués dans ces atrocités ? Pour cette enquête exclusive, Temps Présent a remonté la piste des réseaux djihadistes helvétiques et les possibles crimes de guerre commis par des concitoyens.

Le groupe Etat islamique interdit plusieurs facultés à l'université

RTS INFO: Le droit, les sciences politiques ou l'éducation physique ont été interdits d'enseignement par le groupe Etat islamique à l'université irakienne de Mossoul et dans les facultés du "califat".

Après avoir pris dimanche le contrôle de l'université irakienne de Mossoul, le groupe Etat islamique (EI) a décidé d'interdire divers enseignements dans les facultés dans son califat autoproclamé en Syrie et en Irak, révèle le site italien Linkiesta.

Dans un texte daté du 24 octobre et diffusé lundi sur les réseaux sociaux, l'EI annonce prohiber le droit, les sciences politiques, l'archéologie, l'éducation physique, la philosophie et l'hôtellerie.

La narration et le théâtre en français et en anglais sont aussi interdits, ainsi que la traduction. » | mardi 28 octobre 2014

The Glazov Gang – Geert Wilders on “The West’s Battle for Freedom.”

Political Correctness and Islam

THE JERUSALEM POST: With no end in sight to Islamist violence, perhaps the time has finally come to muster up the courage and take a long, hard look at why it is afflicting dozens of countries around the world.

For much of the past 13 years, ever since al-Qaida attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the West has found itself confronting an increasingly dangerous foe in the form of jihadist terror.

From New York to London to Madrid, Islamic extremists have carried out brazen attacks, targeting airplanes, public transportation and, of course, innocent civilians.

They have left a trail of tragedy and bloodshed and it would appear that the struggle to defeat them is far from over.

But despite the passage of so much time, and the gallons of ink that have been spilled in reporting on their actions and analyzing their motives, there is one critical question that has been largely ignored by the mainstream press.

It is a sensitive issue, the kind that makes people shift uncomfortably in their seats and anxiously clear their throats, but it is one that must, nonetheless, finally be addressed.

Simply put: If Islam is a religion of peace, then why are so many of its followers in so many countries killing so many people with such brutality? And, no less important, why are Western leaders so insistent on telling us after each attack that Muslim terrorists are distorting Islam? Each month, literally hundreds of people, if not more, are being killed by Muslims in the name of Islam in a multiplicity of conflicts around the world. » | Michael Freund | Monday, October 27, 2014

British Journalist John Cantlie Used As 'Isil Reporter' Inside Kobane

John Cantlie appearing in the new propaganda video reportedly
filmed in Kobane

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: John Cantlie, a British journalist who is being held captive by Isil inside Syria, has appeared in a sixth propaganda video

The British freelance journalist held hostage by Isil jihadists has appeared in a news report purporting to be from the embattled Kurdish city of Kobane.

John Cantlie has already appeared in five propaganda videos for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

But in those he sits at a desk, wearing the same orange jump suit that other prisoners have worn as they are filmed being beheaded.

In this latest production, he is wearing black and is filmed as if on a normal television report, describing events happening around him.

He points to the Syrian-Turkish border behind him, and claims that contrary to recent reports claiming the Kurdish fighters defending the city are pushing back Isil, it is in fact in control of the south and east, and “mopping up” the rest of the resistance street-by-street. » | Richard Spencer | Monday, October 27, 2014

Federal Election Commission Chair Goodman on Push to Regulate Online Political Ads

Archbishop of Canterbury Condemns Politicians Who View Immigration as a ‘Deep Menace’

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Justin Welby describes tone of debate about immigration as un-Christian and un-British in wake of Michael Fallon's claim that people feel ‘swamped’

The Archbishop of Canterbury has condemned politicians who speak of immigration as a "deep menace" which will "overwhelm" the country for voicing un-Christian and un-British rhetoric.

The Most Rev Justin Welby’s comments came as the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon apologised for claiming that some communities feel “swamped” and “under siege” from migrant workers.

Mr Fallon, who was slapped down by Downing Street, said he had been “a little careless” in his language.

The Archbishop, whose grandfather came to Britain as a German Jew, said clergy across the country are reporting an upsurge in “frightening” racist language in their communities.

While refusing to comment on Mr Fallon's remarks directly, the Archbishop said it was wrong to view immigration as “something that is somehow going to overwhelm” Britain. » | John Bingham and Georgia Graham | Monday, October 27, 2014

Ces réseaux salafistes qui inquiètent les autorités allemandes

FRANCE 24: La Rhénanie-du-Nord-Westphalie, dans l’ouest de l’Allemagne, est devenue un bastion des groupuscules salafistes. Leur activisme inquiète aussi bien les autorités allemandes que la population. Reportage.

Selon les services de renseignement occidentaux, plus de 400 jeunes allemands sont partis faire le jihad en 2013 en Irak et en Syrie. Un nombre important d’entre eux ont rejoint les rangs de l’organisation de l’État islamique (EI), le groupe jihadiste dirigé par le "calife" autoproclamé Abou Bakr al-Baghdadi. Les envoyés spéciaux de France 24 se sont rendus en Rhénanie-du-Nord-Westphalie, dans l’ouest de l’Allemagne, là où les groupuscules salafistes, dont sont issus la plupart des jihadistes, sont de plus en plus actifs. Ce qui inquiète aussi bien les autorités que la population[.] (+ vidéo) » | mercredi 01 octobre 2014

L’infiltration des principes de la Charia au Royaume-Uni

SISYPHE.ORG: Néo-libéralisme et fondamentalisme religieux se traduisent au Royaume-Uni par une limitation de l’accès à la justice. Pragna Patel affirme que les femmes issues des minorités ethniques se voient refuser le droit de participer au collectif politique général en tant que citoyennes et non plus comme simples sujets. » | dimanche 26 octobre 2014

Maldives : la charia au paradies

Les Maldives : une république islamique parmi les plus strictes de la planète !

Lire le reportage ici | Un reportage de Nicolas Betrand er David Da Meda

La charia a très officiellement cours en Grèce

MÉDIAS-PRESSE-INFO: Grèce – En Thrace occidentale où vivent près de 100 000 musulmans, la charia est officiellement d’application. Nous sommes bien ici dans un pays membre de l’Union européenne. Et pourtant, des citoyens grecs musulmans font ici appel aux muftis et à la loi islamique pour régler leurs affaires familiales et personnelles. Une possibilité permise par la loi du 5 janvier 1914 qui porte sur « la législation applicable dans les territoires cédés et leur organisation judiciaire ». » | Par Pierre-Alain Depauw | lundi 27 octobre 2014

Australia: Mosque Open Day to Challenge Misconceptions of Islam

BBC: There has been a reported increase in attacks on Muslims in Australia following the rise of the militant group Islamic State.

On Saturday, Muslims from mosques across Australia aimed to change misconceptions of Islam by holding an open day.

Phil Mercer reports. Watch BBC video » | Monday, October 27, 2014

Australian Muslim: 'A Tirade of Anti-Muslim Abuse and Threats'

BBC: There has been a reported increase in attacks on Muslims in Australia following the rise of the militant group Islamic State.

Arif Hussain Khan is a Muslim youth worker in Wollongong, south of Sydney.

He says he was savagely abused by a middle-aged woman in an anti-Muslim attack. Watch BBC video » | Monday, October 27, 2014

Hooligans gegen Salafisten: «Brachialgewalt war Eigentor»

In Köln ist es gestern zu schweren Ausschreitungen von gewaltbereiten Hooligans gekommen. Gegen 5'000 Hooligans unterschiedlichster Fussball-Clubs waren es, um - so die Ankündigung - gegen Islamisten zu demonstrieren. Was auffiel: es waren auch viele aus der rechts-radikalen Szene mit dabei.

Warum haben sich Holligans aus unterschiedlichsten Fan-Lagern zusammengeschlossen? Antworten von Günter A. Pilz - er ist Sportsoziologe und gilt als einer der führenden Fan-Forscher in Deutschland.

«Hooligans gegen Salafismus» in Deutschland

Mindestens 3000 Fussball-Hooligans und Rechtsextreme haben sich am Sonntag in Köln zusammengerottet und alles kurz und klein geschlagen, was auf ihrem Weg lag. Dass verfeindete Fussball-Schläger, die sich sonst immer gegenseitig verprügeln, nun plötzlich gemeinsam auf andere losgehen, ist neu - und trotzdem typisch.

Krawallen nach Marsch gegen Salafisten

McFarland: Why Lone Wolf Terror Is The 'Most Scary'

Oct. 27, 2014 - 5:16 - Fox News national security analyst on 'cheap and easy' recruiting