Friday, February 20, 2015

Saudi King Salman Showers His People with Cash


THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The new Saudi monarch has ordered hefty payments to a large chunk of the population.

Riyadh: European leaders are still battling over austerity. The US Congress is gearing up for another fight over the budget. But in Saudi Arabia, there are no such troubles when you are king - and you just dole out billions and billions of dollars to ordinary Saudis by royal decree.

Not surprisingly, Saudis are very happy with their new monarch, King Salman.

"It is party time for Saudi Arabia right now", said John Sfakianakis, the Riyadh-based Middle East director of the Ashmore Group, an investment company, who estimates that the king's post-coronation giveaway will ultimately cost more than $US32 billion or $41 billion.

Since Salman ascended the throne of this wealthy Arab kingdom last month, he has swiftly taken charge, abolishing government bodies and firing ministers. But no measure has caused as much buzz here as the giant payouts he ordered to a large chunk of the Saudi population.

These included grants to professional associations, literary and sports clubs; investments in water and electricity; and bonuses worth two months of salary to all government employees, soldiers, pensioners and students on government stipends at home and abroad. Some private companies followed suit with comparable bonuses for their Saudi employees, putting another few billion dollars into people's pockets. » | Ben Hubbard | Friday, February 20, 2015

Islamic Supremacist Linda Sarsour on MSNBC: Muslim “Kids Being Executed” in the U.S.



Read the Jihad Watch article and comment here | Robert Spencer | Thursday, February 19, 2015

USA: Obama bekämpft Jihad-Tourismus mit Bürokratie


DIE PRESSE: Seit seinem Amtsantritt versucht US-Präsident Obama vergeblich, mit Beiräten, Arbeitskreisen und Konferenzen die Anziehungskraft des Jihadismus einzudämmen.

Washington. Am Donnerstag war Barack Obama in seinem Element. In seiner binnen 24 Stunden zweiten Rede zur Frage, wie sich der Reiz von Terrorgruppen auf junge Menschen vermindern lasse, appellierte der Präsident in der Sprache des einstigen Universitätsprofessors an die in Washington versammelten Vertreter von knapp 60 Staaten und internationalen Organisationen: „Wir alle haben die Verantwortung, die Vorstellung zurückzuweisen, dass der IS den Islam repräsentiert. Die Vorstellung, dass der Westen im Krieg mit dem Islam sei, ist eine hässliche Lüge.“ » | Vom Korrespondenten der Presse Oliver Grimm | Donnerstag, 19. Februar 2015

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Obama Accused of Skirting Islamic Extremist Threat, at ‘Summit without Substance’


FOX NEWS: President Obama took pains Thursday to stress, once again, that the West is "not at war with Islam" as he wrapped a three-day White House forum on "violent extremism" -- but in the end, drew criticism that he was going to extremes to avoid talking about the threat of Islamic extremists.

"Sadly, this was a summit without substance," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. "Americans understand we are not at war with Islam. But, we will not defeat these fanatics if we refuse to define them for what they are -- violent Islamist extremists."

The president and top officials in his administration, as they have before, generally avoided using the term "radical Islam" during the summit. Instead, Obama argued that groups like the Islamic State "use Islam to justify their violence" and that to accept that connection would be to embrace the "terrorists' narrative." (+ FoxNews video) » | FoxNews.com | Thursday, February 19, 2015

Return of the Religious Police Worries Reformers in Saudi Arabia

Saudi women shopping in Riyadh
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As King Salman takes command, Saudi Arabia's creeping reforms appear to reverse

The violation of modesty might seem technical, but this was Saudi Arabia, and the religious police were having none of it.

They swept through Riyadh's Marina Mall, going through shops with names like "Princesses' Island" and "My Scarf" which specialise in abayas, the all-enveloping, shapeless gown that Saudi women must by law wear in public, and tore down any that weren't black.

Black is the colour stipulated for abayas, but as Saudi society has become more cosmopolitan, women have begun to experiment.

First dark patterns emerged, then a few diamante adornments, then the occasional striped sleeve; finally - the step the religious police thought was taking it too far - abayas of whole different colours, like brown, and dark blue.

The cloaks still hid every vestige of a woman's anatomy: only not in the same monotone.

"It was very annoying," said one shop assistant, who requested that he not be identified to prevent further raids. "They did cause a big problem. However, it is the law I suppose, so we just have to put up with it."

The attack on the Mall was not, women's rights and other activists say, a one-off. It happened shortly after the death of 90-year-old King Abdullah at the end of January, and may have been a sign that the once-feared religious police which he spent years trying to rein in felt they were now in the ascendant again. » | Richard Spencer, Riyadh | Thursday, February 19, 2015

La beauté iranienne à travers le voile


Comment le port du voile a évoulué en Iran depuis 100ans


La beauté iranienne à travers le voile by LePoint

L'organisation État islamique menace l'Europe d'un "chaos" en Méditerranée


LE POINT: La branche libyenne de Daesh envisagerait d'envoyer 500 000 migrants à bord de bateaux fantômes vers l'Italie, en cas d'intervention militaire en Libye.

Le message est clair. L'État islamique menace l'Europe d'envoyer des milliers de barques remplies de migrants vers les côtes italiennes en cas d'intervention militaire en Libye. L'information a été révélée par le quotidien italien Il Messagero qui s'est procuré des écoutes téléphoniques auprès de la police, rapporte Le Figaro. Dans ces enregistrements, les djihadistes parlent de "500 000 migrants" qu'ils enverraient par bateaux vers l'Italie.

Le pays est en première ligne, à 350 kilomètres seulement des côtes libyennes. Son ministre des Affaires étrangères a fait savoir lundi dernier que la Libye devait être "la priorité absolue". Le pays redoute l'installation d'un "califat" en Libye et a averti que le temps était compté pour une solution politique, face au renforcement de l'organisation de l'EI. » | jeudi 19 février 2015

Der kurzsichtige Terrorfürst

TAGES ANZEIGER: IS-Chef al-Bagdadi verbreitet mit seiner Terrormiliz Angst und Schrecken: Deutsche Journalisten haben seine Vergangenheit durchstöbert – und Aussergewöhnliches gefunden.

Die Jihadisten-Miliz Islamischer Staat (IS) sorgt mit ihren Gräueltaten weltweit für Schlagzeilen, doch über ihren öffentlichkeitsscheuen Chef Abu Bakr al-Bagdadi ist wenig bekannt.

Einem Rechercheteam von «Süddeutscher Zeitung», WDR und NDR ist es nun nach eigenen Angaben gelungen, dank Dokumenten und Zeugenaussagen ein genaueres Bild des irakischen Jihadisten zu zeichnen. Wie die «SZ» am Donnerstag berichtete, war al-Bagdadi demnach schon früh machthungrig. Der «Weltspiegel extra» porträtierte den Terroristen. » | spu/AFP | Donnerstag, 19. Februar 2015

Exodus aus Europa


TAGES ANZEIGER - BLOG: Frankreich erlebt eine starke Abwanderung seiner jüdischen Bevölkerung. Wie sieht es im übrigen Europa aus, wie in der Schweiz? Die Daten.

«Wir wären nicht mehr dieselben ohne jüdische Gemeinde.» Die dänische Ministerpräsidentin Helle Thorning-Schmidt rief diese Woche nach den Anschlägen in Kopenhagen die Juden des Landes zum Bleiben auf. Ähnliche Aussagen machten auch die Regierungschefs Deutschlands und Frankreichs. Es war eine Reaktion auf Israels Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, der am Sonntag die Juden Europas zur Auswanderung nach Israel aufgefordert hatte.

Nach den wiederholten Attacken auf jüdische Einrichtungen in verschiedenen westeuropäischen Staaten ist die Verunsicherung gross. Für Aufsehen sorgen neue Zahlen zu Frankreich. 6658 Juden sind im letzten Jahr aus Frankreich nach Israel ausgewandert, wie aus den Daten der dortigen Migrationsbehörden hervorgeht. Das ist eine Verdoppelung gegenüber 2013. Im gleichen Zeitraum hat sich in Frankreich auch die Zahl der registrierten antisemitischen Straftaten verdoppelt. Das Auswanderungsplus gegenüber dem Schnitt der letzten zehn Jahre beträgt gar rund 140 Prozent. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben » | Von Luca De Carli | Donnerstag, 19. Februar 2015

Obama Picks State Dept.'s Jen Psaki To Head White House Communications


State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, who worked on President Obama's re-election campaign in 2012, will become the president's new communications director, White House officials said Thursday. Ms. Psaki will replace Jennifer Palmieri, a veteran Democratic strategist who is leaving the White House to join Hillary Rodham Clinton's likely presidential campaign. She will start her new job…


MONICA CROWLEY: Obama's 'Violent Extremism' Summit A Façade


Another week, another Islamic State slaughter and another Orwellian White House "conference" orchestrated for maximum "newspeak" effect. Just days after the Islamic State beheaded 21 Christians in Libya, the White House welcomed domestic and foreign representatives from law enforcement, government and religious groups (including the extremist Islamic Society of Boston) to a glorified coffee klatch called…


Obama: Too Many People View Muslims As Terrorists


President Obama said Thursday that too many people in the U.S. and other countries view Muslims unfairly as terrorists because they don't socialize with ordinary Muslims. "Many people in our countries don't always know personally somebody who is Muslim," Mr. Obama told foreign ministers at a White House conference on violent extremism. "The image they get…

Wednesday, February 18, 2015


Franklin Graham: Obama 'Only Knows Islam, and He Has Given a Pass to Islam'


The Rev. Franklin Graham said to a Fox News audience that President Obama is seriously understating the Islam tie to recent acts of terrorism around the world - but no wonder, he "only knows Islam." The context of the discussion was the White House's failure to use the term "radical Islam" when describing Islamic State and…

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

ISIS Militants Reportedly Burn to Death 45 People in Western Iraqi Town


FOX NEWS: Islamic State militants reportedly have burned to death 45 people in the western Iraqi town of al-Baghdadi on Tuesday, just five miles away from an air base staffed by hundreds of U.S. Marines.

The identities of the victims are not clear, the local police chief told the BBC, but some are believed to be among the security forces that have been clashing with ISIS for control of the town. ISIS fighters reportedly captured most of the town last week.

Col. Qasim Obeidi, pleading for help from the Iraqi government and international community, said a compound that houses families of security personnel and officials is now under siege. » | FoxNews.com | Tuesday, February 17, 2015

WESLEY PRUDEN: Obama Remains Ignorant as Anti-Semitism Makes a Comeback


We're well into the new century, moving swiftly through the second decade of the new millennium, at ease in an era of science, modern medicine and wondrous electronics that our grandparents could not have imagined. (Even our parents don't understand most of it.) So why does 2015 smell like Munich in 1938, reeking of denial, blindness,…

EDITORIAL: Shaming Saudi Arabia into Freeing Blogger Raif Badawi


The example set by the early Americans who met in Philadelphia to write a Constitution for free men continues to be a beacon to "the huddled masses yearning to breathe free," in the words of the poet Emma Lazarus. We, the most fortunate of men and women, sometimes forget the debt everyone owes to the men…

Marie Harf, State Department, on Islamic State: 'Can't Win by Killing Them'


Marie Harf, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said America can't win against the Islamic State "by killing them" and ought instead to focus on addressing what she claimed was the root problem - their poor economy - and help them get jobs. "We're killing a lot of them, and we're going to keep killing…

'Islamic State's Ambitions in Libya Are a Direct Threat to Europe'


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The militant group's plans to use people trafficking boats as a way to Europe's southern flank should not be ignored, writes Charlie Winter

On Sunday, when Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant supporters began circulating a promotional flyer for an upcoming propaganda video, it was clear that it would feature a break from the norm. The image, over which were embossed the words[.]

“A Message Signed in Blood to the Nation of the Cross”, depicted what appeared to be the Mediterranean Sea, its waves discoloured with blood. » | Charlie Winter | Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Islamic State 'Planning to Use Libya as Gateway to Europe'


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Exclusive: Jihadists hoping to use Libya as a "gateway" to wage war across the whole of southern Europe, plans by Isil supporters reveal

Islamic State militants are planning a takeover of Libya as a "gateway" to wage war across the whole of southern Europe, letters written by the group's supporters have revealed.

The jihadists hope to flood the north African state with militiamen from Syria and Iraq, who will then sail across the Mediterranean posing as migrants on people trafficking vessels, according to plans seen by Quilliam, the British anti-extremist group.

The fighters would then run amok in southern European cities and also try to attack maritime shipping.

The document is written by an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) propagandist who is believed to be an important online recruiter for the terror in Libya, where security has collapsed in the wake of the revolution that unseated Colonel Gaddafi in 2011. » | Ruth Sherlock, Beirut and Colin Freeman | Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Viktor Orbán: Putin's Man In Hungary?


Examining the government of Viktor Orban in Hungary, which rewrote the country's constitution and caused an uproar over its infringements on democratic principles

Should Islam Be Banned for ‘Defamation’?


THE BLAZE: Soon after Muslim gunmen killed 12 people at Charlie Hebdo offices, which published satirical caricatures of Muslim prophet Muhammad, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)—the “collective voice of the Muslim world” and second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations—is again renewing calls for the United Nations to criminalize “blasphemy” against Islam, or what it more ecumenically calls, the “defamation of religions.”

Yet the OIC seems to miss one grand irony: if international laws would ban cartoons, books, and films on the basis that they defame Islam, they would also, by logical extension, have to ban the entire religion of Islam itself—the only religion whose core texts actively and unequivocally defame other religions, including by name.

To understand this, consider what “defamation” means. Typical dictionary-definitions include “to blacken another’s reputation” and “false or unjustified injury of the good reputation of another, as by slander or libel.” In Muslim usage, defamation simply means anything that insults or offends Islamic sensibilities.

However, to gain traction among the international community, the OIC cynically maintains that such laws should protect all religions from defamation, not just Islam (even as Muslim governments ban churches, destroy crucifixes, and burn Bibles). Disingenuous or not, the OIC’s wording suggests that any expression that “slanders” the religious sentiments of others should be banned. » | Raymond Ibrahim | Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Double-layered Veils and Despair … Women Describe Life under Isis

Veiled women sit on a bench in Raqqa in March last year. Women
are now instructed to wear double-layered veils, loose abaya and gloves.
THE GUARDIAN: Islamic State has imposed a strict dress code in areas it controls in Iraq and Syria, with punishments of fines or beatings for those who do not comply

Women living under Islamic State’s control in Iraq and Syria are facing increasingly harsh restrictions on movement and dress, which are rigorously enforced by religious police and are leading to resentment and despair among moderate Muslims.

Residents of Mosul, Raqqa and Deir el-Zour have told the Guardian in interviews conducted by phone and Skype that women are forced to be accompanied by a male guardian, known as a mahram, at all times, and are compelled to wear double-layered veils, loose abayas and gloves.

Their testimonies follow the publication this month of an Isis “manifesto” to clarify the “realities of life and the hallowed existence of women in the Islamic State”. It said that girls could be married from the age of nine, and that women should only leave the house in exceptional circumstances and should remain “hidden and veiled”. » | Mona Mahmood | Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Franklin Graham: 'Imagine the Outcry' If Christians Beheaded 21 Muslims


The Rev. Franklin Graham laments what he believes is a religious double standard following the public's response to a brutal five-minute video purporting to show Islamic State militants beheading more than 20 Egyptian Christians. "Can you imagine the outcry if 21 Muslims had been beheaded by Christians?" he asked in a Facebook post Monday. "Where is…

Copenhagen Shooting: Denmark Holds Mass Memorial and Rally to Honour Victims


Tens of thousands gather at torch-lit memorials across the country after two men are charged with helping suspected Islamist gunman obtain weapons and evade police


Read the Telegraph article here | David Chazan and Julian Isherwood in Copenhagen | Monday, February 16, 2015

Monday, February 16, 2015

Maroc: deux journalistes français en tournage expulsés du pays


L’EXPRESS: Deux journalistes français ont été arrêtés dimanche soir à Rabat et expulsés du Maroc alors qu'ils réalisaient un documentaire pour France 3 sur l'économie du pays. Leur matériel a également été saisi.

Peu après la visite de Bernard Cazeneuve, l'affaire fait désordre. Deux journalistes de l'agence Premières Lignes sont revenus en France ce lundi après avoir été expulsés du Maroc, raconte FranceTVInfo. Jean-Louis Perez et Pierre Chautard, qui réalisaient un documentaire pour France 3, ont été interpellés dimanche 15 février dans les locaux d'une association à Rabat et priés de quitter le pays, pour avoir travaillé sans autorisation du ministère de la Culture et de la Communication. » | Par LExpress.fr avec AFP | lundi 16 février 2015

Les cimetières juifs, cibles récurrentes des profanateurs



Lire la suite ice »

Comment l'"État islamique" s'est installé aux portes de l'Europe


LE POINT: En décapitant 20 coptes égyptiens en Libye, les djihadistes mettent brutalement en lumière les territoires qu'ils contrôlent dans le nord de l'Afrique.

"Aujourd'hui, nous sommes au sud de Rome, sur la terre musulmane de la Libye." Couteau à la main, le djihadiste assène son message de haine à la caméra. Derrière lui, une vingtaine d'hommes en combinaison orange, alignés sur une plage les mains menottées, viennent d'être décapités sans pitié. Ces vingt Égyptiens coptes (de confession chrétienne), enlevés le mois dernier en Libye, sont les dernières victimes en date de l'organisation État islamique (EI). Et leurs bourreaux de signer, par cette vidéo atroce, le coup le plus retentissant de l'EI en dehors des frontières de leur califat autoproclamé en Irak et en Syrie.

La création d'une branche de l'EI en Libye date du 31 octobre dernier, date à laquelle la milice du Conseil consultatif de la jeunesse islamique a prêté allégeance à Abou Bakr al-Baghadi, "calife" de l'organisation djihadiste. "Le groupe a été créé début 2014, après le retour au pays de djihadistes libyens qui avaient combattu en Syrie, pour étendre le califat", explique Romain Caillet, chercheur et consultant sur les questions islamistes au cabinet NGC Consulting. "Il répondait ainsi aux consignes de l'EI, qui a appelé les musulmans européens et africains à émigrer en Libye, un territoire plus proche de chez eux" que l'Irak ou la Syrie. » | Par Armin Arefi | lundi 16 février 2015

Talentierter Thai-Boxer, Ex-Häftling und Antisemit


TAGES ANZEIGER: Zwei Tage nach den Anschlägen von Kopenhagen erschliesst sich langsam die Persönlichkeit des Attentäters. Eine Übersicht zu den Terrorakten in Dänemark und die offenen Fragen.

Die dänischen Medien berichten laufend über den Attentäter von Kopenhagen, es werden immer mehr Details über dessen Lebensgeschichte bekannt. Demnach war der 22-jährige Omar Abdel Hamid al-Hussein ein kickboxender Einzelgänger, der wegen mehrerer Gewalttaten bereits der Polizei bekannt gewesen war. Beispielsweise war er 2013 in eine Messerstecherei verwickelt. Bestätigt ist auch, dass er in Dänemark geboren wurde und im Bandenmilieu aufgefallen war. Der junge Mann palästinensischer Abstammung wurde erst vor zwei Wochen aus dem Gefängnis entlassen, wo er wegen eines Messerangriffs in der S-Bahn einsass. Al-Hussein habe Palästina als zweite Heimat betrachtet und sich sehr für die Palästinenser engagiert, heisst es in Medienberichten. Die Zeitung «Ekstra Bladet» sprach mit Schulkollegen des Attentäters, der eine Erwachsenenbildung absolviert hatte. Einer seiner Freunde sagte dem Blatt: «Er hatte keine Angst offen zu sagen, dass er Juden hasse.» Von Zeugen wird er auch als hitzköpfiger Antisemit beschrieben. Laut anderen Weggefährten galt der 22-Jährige als talentierter Thai-Boxer. » | Vincenzo Capodici | Redaktor Ausland | Montag, 16. Februar 2015

Frankreichs Juden in Angst

Jüdische Gegend in Paris
DIE PRESSE: Antisemitische Übergriffe eskalieren in jüngster Zeit vor allem in Frankreich. Eine Haupttriebkraft dahinter ist Rache: Vor allem Islamisten wollen so die Leiden der Palästinenser vergelten.

Kein Monat vergeht in Frankreich ohne erschreckende Übergriffe auf Juden und ihren Alltag. Es vergeht auch keine Woche ohne beschwörende Äußerungen der Politiker: Sie rufen das Land händeringend auf, sich vereint dem Antisemitismus entgegenzustellen - es müsse ein "Ruck" durch die Nation gehen. Unter den Juden wachsen unterdessen die Angst und der Wunsch, nach Israel auszuwandern.

Immer wieder lockt auch Israels Regierungschef Benjamin Netanyahu sie an: Nach jedem größeren Zwischenfall lädt er sie ein, Frankreich nun den Rücken zu kehren. Das akzeptiert Staatschef Francois [sic] Hollande nicht.

"Nein zum Antisemitismus, dem Krebs unserer Gesellschaft." So hieß es im Dezember als Antwort auf den "Horror von Creteil": Vermummte und bewaffnete Männer hatten in dem Pariser Vorort bewusst ein jüdisches Paar tyrannisiert und ausgeraubt. Die Frau wurde vergewaltigt. Schon damals versprach Innenminister Bernard Cazeneuve, den Kampf gegen den Rassismus und Antisemitismus zur "nationalen Sache" zu machen und die Juden zu schützen. » | DiePresse.com | Montag, 16. Februar 2015

Jews Face Renewed Doubt Over Their Future in Europe

People lay flowers outside a synagogue where an attack took
place in Copenhagen, Feb. 15, 2015.
TIME: Denmark's synagogue attack is the latest in a series across Europe

Denmark will do everything it can to protect Jews, said its Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt to reporters Monday. But across town, the thousands of bouquets that had been laid at the gates of a synagogue where a gunman killed a Jewish man at the weekend were a painful reminder that they hadn’t been protected enough. Here and across Europe, the attack added to a growing fear among Jews that the continent was once again not safe for them.

About 80 people were celebrating a bar mitzvah at the synagogue on the central Copenhagen street of Krystalgade in the early hours of Feb. 15 when Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussain shot and killed synagogue member Dan Uzan, who was guarding the entrance to the building. Earlier El-Hussain had killed one and injured three at a meeting on freedom of expression organized by Lars Vilks, a cartoonist who had depicted the Prophet Mohammed as a dog.

Coming so soon after a similar attack in Paris, in which two gunmen killed cartoonists and editors at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, while another killed five in two other incidents, the Copenhagen events have sharply undermined the small Danish Jewish community’s already deteriorating sense of security.

“It’s terrifying,” says Marianne Isaksen, a member of the congregation where Dan Uzan was killed. She and her husband Alf, both in their 70s, knew Uzan, and had come out to Krystalgade to commiserate with other synagogue members and pay their respects. “We knew things were getting worse, but we never thought it could happen here.” » | Lisa Abend | Copenhagen | Monday, February 16, 2015

Documentary: Jew-hatred and Anti-Semitism in Malmö, Sweden


Why Are They Converting to Islam?


BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS: The Islamic conversion phenomenon includes thousands in Europe, the USA, Australia and even Israel. A small number of converts goes one step further – quite a large step – and joins the Jihad in Syria and Iraq. What make them do it?

One of the things that worries the West is the fact that hundreds and maybe even thousands of young Europeans are converting to Islam, and some of them are joining terror groups and ISIS and returning to promote Jihad against the society in which they were born, raised and educated. The security problem posed by these young people is a serious one, because if they hide their cultural identity, it is extremely difficult for Western security forces to identify them and their evil intentions. This article will attempt to clarify the reasons that impel these young people to convert to Islam and join terrorist organizations.

The sources for this article are recordings made by the converts themselves, and the words they used, written here, are for the most part unedited direct quotations.

Many of the converts are convinced that Islam is a religion of peace, love, affection and friendship, based on the generous hospitality and warm welcome they receive from the Moslem friends in their new social milieu. In many instances, a young person born into an individualistic, cold and alienating society finds that Muslim society provides – at college, university or community center – a warm embrace, a good word, encouragement and help, things that are lacking in the society from which he stems. The phenomenon is most striking in the case of those who grew up in dysfunctional families or divorced homes, whose parents are alcoholics, drug addicts, violent and abusive, or parents who take advantage of their offspring and did not give their children a suitable emotional framework and model for building a normative, productive life.

The convert sees his step as a mature one based on the right of an individual to determine his own religious and cultural identity, even if the family and society he is abandoning disagree. Sometimes converting to Islam is a form of parental rebellion. Often, the convert is spurned by his family and surrounding society for his decision, but the hostility felt towards Islam by his former environment actually results in his having more confidence in the need for his conversion. Anything said against conversion to Islam is interpreted as unjustified racism and baseless Islamophobia.

The Islamic convert is told by Muslims that Islam respects the prophets of its mother religions, Judaism and Christianity, is in favor of faith in He Who dwells on High, believes in the Day of Judgment, in reward and punishment, good deeds and avoiding evil. He is convinced that Islam is a legitimate religion as valid as Judaism and Christianity, so if his parents are Jewish or Christian, why can’t he become Muslim? He sees a good many positive and productive Muslims who benefit their society and its economy, who have integrated into the environment in which he was raised, so why not emulate them? Most Muslims are not terrorists, so neither he nor anyone should find his joining them in the least problematic. » | Dr. Mordechai Kedar * | Sunday, February 15, 2015

* Dr. Mordechai Kedar is a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University. He served in IDF Military Intelligence for 25 years, specializing in Arab political discourse, Arab mass media, Islamic groups and the Syrian domestic arena.

Attack on Europe: Islamic Terrorism Brings a New Era

ASIA NEWS: The Islamic State is a direct threat to Italy and Europe. The biggest risk is its power on "lone wolves" who can be induced to carry out attacks. As jihadism gives purpose to young European Muslims experiencing a crisis of identity and values, the new word "crusader" is disproportionately used in the war of words. Meanwhile, some kind of military operation has become necessary to curb Islamists' harmful and deadly power.

Beirut (AsiaNews) - The terrorist attack in Copenhagen two days ago represents a clear signal that Islamic terrorism is undergoing an escalation and is coming closer to Europe. In the video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya, one of the executioners is heard boasting of being "south of Rome".

All this indicates that terrorists are now moving into Europe. Their violent and bloody fanaticism and their attempt to "invade" the continent carry strong confessional undertones, as an "anti-crusade" crusade.

All European countries are concerned that the terrorism of the Islamic State (IS) might be coming closer. So far, its terrorist actions have been ad hoc, carried out by individuals. Clearly, such outbreaks of violence are due to the appeal organised terrorism has on young Europeans.

This new age of terrorism fascinates troubled young people. The alleged Danish killer had already spent time in prison. The two Frenchmen who attacked Charlie Hebdo and the one who attacked the kosher store had also former convicts. Organised terrorism gives purpose to young European Muslims going through a crisis of identity and values. All these young attackers were born in Europe, children of Muslim immigrants. » | Samir Khalil Samir | Monday, February 16, 2015

Exclusive: Geert Wilders to Keynote Muhammad Art Exhibition and Contest in Texas

BREITBART: Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders will deliver the keynote address at the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest being held on May 3rd, in Garland, Texas. The Art Exhibit is being put on by Pamela Geller’s American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI). It will be put on at the same facility in Garland as the Honor the Prophet Conference that was held by a pro-Islamic group in January.

Wilders earned international recognition in the free speech movement when he was brought up on charges for speaking out against Islam at a March, 2014, rally where he promised to reduce the number of Moroccans living in the Netherlands. “The public prosecutor in The Hague is to prosecute Geert Wilders on charges of insulting a group of people based on race and incitement to discrimination and hatred,” prosecutors said in a statement, according to an article by Sam Webb on the DailyMail. » | Bob Price | Sunday, February 15, 2015

ISIS Sets Its Sights on Europe in Latest Beheading Video

Relatives of Egyptian Coptic Christians purportedly murdered
by Islamic State (IS) group militants in Libya react after hearing
the news on February 16, 2015 in the village of Al-Awar in Egypt's
southern province of Minya.
TIME: Brutal killing of 21 seems an attempt to provoke retaliation

The executioner speaks in English and points his knife toward the Mediterranean. “We will conquer Rome, by Allah’s permission,” he says.

The video released by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Sunday showing the killings of 21 Egyptian Christian workers, appeared to be directed at the Christian world, the continent of Europe and gloried in its brutality.

It was filmed in Libya on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The video made no reference to the other powers in Libya’s civil war, in which both of the country’s rival governments claim to be combating ISIS. » | Jared Malsin | Cairo | Monday, February 16, 2015

German Carnival Parades Go Ahead Despite Terror Threat

In the run-up to the parades, there were concerns that satirical
floats that poked fun at Islamist terror could provoke attacks
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Annual carnival parades mocking everyone and everything go ahead in Cologne and Düsseldorf despite a terror threat that saw a similar parade cancelled in Brunswick

Annual carnival parades that are among Europe’s biggest street parties went ahead in the German cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf on Monday, despite an Islamist terror threat that saw a similar parade in the city of Brunswick cancelled at the last minute.

Tight security was expected at the annual Rose Monday parades in Cologne and Düsseldorf, which each draw crowds of around a million people, and in nearby Mainz, which attracts around half a million.

A parade in the northern city of Brunswick on Sunday was cancelled just over an hour before it was due to start, after police said they received information about a “concrete threat of an Islamist attack”.

It emerged there was also a previously unreported high terror alert at Frankfurt airport on Sunday after police received a tip-off from an unnamed source who learned of an alleged planned attack in an internet chat, according to a report in Bild.

“Such a serious alert situation has only happened very, very rarely before,” Christian Altenhofen, a police spokesman, told the newspaper. » | Justin Huggler, Berlin | Monday, February 16, 2015

Egypt Strikes Islamic State Group in Libya after Video of Mass Killing


CAIRO (AP) - Egyptian warplanes struck Islamic State targets in Libya on Monday, just hours after the extremist group released a grisly video showing the beheading of several Egyptian Coptic Christians it had held hostage for weeks. An armed forces spokesman announced the strikes on state radio, marking the first time Cairo has publicly acknowledged taking…

Egypt Bombs IS in Libya after Beheadings Video


BBC AMERICA: Egypt says it has bombed Islamic State targets in Libya, hours after the militants released video of apparent beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians.

State TV said the dawn strikes had targeted camps, training sites and weapons storage areas. A second wave of strikes was reported hours later.

Libyan officials said Egypt hit targets in the militant-held city of Derna. The strikes came amid widespread condemnation of the killings. The US and UN described them as "cowardly".

A video emerged on Sunday showing militants forcing a group of men to the ground and decapitating them.

The kidnapped Egyptian workers, all Coptic Christians, were seized in separate incidents in December and January from the coastal town of Sirte in eastern Libya, under the control of Islamist groups.

The video of the beheadings was posted online by Libyan jihadists who pledge loyalty to IS. It was one of the first such videos to come from an IS group outside its core territory in Syria and Iraq.

The video describes the Copts as "crusaders" and refers among other things to two women, wives of Coptic priests, whose alleged conversion to Islam triggered a sectarian dispute in Egypt in 2010.

IS militants claim to have carried out several attacks in Libya, which in effect has rival governments. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, February 16, 2015

How Isil Spread to Libya - and Now Has Europe in Its Sights


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The slow creep of Islamic State through Libya has gone largely unnoticed, but the jihadists have gained support in the divided nation on Europe's doorstep

Isil's execution of 21 Egyptian Christians on Libya's Mediterranean shore is intended as a clear message to Europe: the group is expanding its geographical spread, and it has the West in its sights.

The slow creep of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) through Libya has gone largely unnoticed, but it is here, in a divided nation spiralling further into chaos, that the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's men are now finding find fertile ground.

The jihadist group - one of several now operating in Libya - gained a foothold in the port city Derna in back October, after a senior Isil official travelled to eastern Libya to unite a panoply of militant factions under a single banner.

The Isil leader has since recognised the Libyan "provinces" of Barqa in the east, Tripolitania in the west, and Fezzan in the desert south as belonging to his self-styled "caliphate." » | Louisa Loveluck | Monday, February 16, 2015

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Hundreds of Jewish Tombs Damaged in Northern France

Overturned grave stones in the Jewish cemetery in Saare-Union
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Several hundred Jewish tombs have been damaged in a cemetery near the northeastern French city of Strasbourg

Hundreds of graves have been vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in eastern France, in what the president called an "odious and barbaric" anti-Semitic act against French values.

The vandalism comes at a time of growing insecurity among French Jews and amid general religious tensions in Europe, after Islamic radicals attacked a kosher market and a satirical newspaper in Paris last month and similar attacks hit Denmark this weekend.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement Sunday that a criminal investigation team is at the damaged cemetery in Sarre-Union, near the German border, and authorities will do "everything" to pursue the vandals. » | Reuters | Sunday, February 15, 2015

Islamic State: Egyptian Christians Held in Libya 'Killed'

Egyptians had protested earlier this week calling for the return
of the kidnapped Copts
BBC AMERICA: A video has emerged purportedly showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians who had been kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) in Libya.

The footage shows a group wearing orange overalls, being forced to the ground and then decapitated.

It was posted online by Libyan jihadists who say they are allied with IS.

Egypt's president had earlier this week offered to airlift Egyptian expatriates out of Libyan territory.

The kidnapped Egyptian workers, all Coptic Christians, were seized from the coastal town of Sirte in eastern Libya, now under the control of Islamist groups. » | Sunday, February 15, 2015

Nétanyahou appelle les Juifs d'Europe à émigrer en Israël


LE FIGARO: «Aux Juifs d'Europe, comme à ceux du monde entier, je peux dire qu'Israël vous attend les bras ouverts», a déclaré le premier ministre israélien, dimanche, à Jéusalem.


Avec des mots comparables à ceux qu'il avait employés après la tuerie de l'Hyper Cacher, Benyamin Nétanyahou a lancé dimanche un appel à l'«émigration massive» des Juifs d'Europe vers Israël. «Le terrorisme islamique vient encore de frapper en Europe, a dénoncé le premier ministre israélien lors de la réunion hebdomadaire de son cabinet, et cette vague de terreur va se poursuivre.» Un plan de 180 millions de shekels (environ 40 millions d'euros), destiné à faciliter l'accueil des Juifs de France, de Belgique et d'Ukraine, était examiné au même moment par son gouvernement. «Aux Juifs d'Europe comme à ceux du monde entier, je peux dire qu'Israël vous attend les bras ouverts», a conclu Benyamin Nétanyahou. Cette invitation, lancée quelques heures seulement après l'attaque qui a coûté la vie à un jeune juif posté devant une synagogue de Copenhague, a été accueillie avec une certaine fraîcheur par le grand rabbin du Danemark. » | Par Cyrille Louis | dimanche 15 février 2015

Der neue Exodus der europäischen Juden

DIE WELT: Premier Netanjahu ruft Europas Juden erneut auf, nach Israel zu kommen. Diesmal begnügt sich seine Regierung nicht mit Worten. Sie stockt den Etat für Einwanderer auf und hofft auf einen Massenexodus.

Israels Außenminister Avigdor Lieberman ist nicht bekannt für diplomatische Zurückhaltung. Er pflegt das offene Wort. So auch jetzt, nach den Attentaten von Kopenhagen. Der Politiker forderte einen "kompromisslosen Krieg gegen den islamistischen Terror und seine Wurzeln". "Die internationale Gemeinschaft darf sich nicht mehr mit Erklärungen und Demonstrationen gegen den Terror zufriedengeben, sondern muss die Regeln der politischen Korrektheit aufgeben", verlangte Lieberman auf seiner Facebook-Seite.

Die Anschläge – auch auf eine Synagoge – bewiesen, dass Israel und die Juden "die Frontlinie im Krieg sind, den die Terroristen gegen den Westen und die ganze freie Welt führen". Bei einem Anschlag auf ein Kulturcafé und Schüssen auf eine Synagoge waren in Kopenhagen zwei Menschen getötet und mehrere verletzt worden. » | Von Gil Yaron, Tel Aviv | Sonntag, 15. Februar 2015

Al Qaeda-inspired Gunmen Seize Radio, TV Stations in Central Libya


TRIPOLI, Libya - Gunmen from an al Qaeda inspired militia have taken over radio and television stations in the central Libyan city of Sirte, a security official said. He said the seizure of the buildings happened on Thursday after militants from Ansar al-Sharia had warned the station to stop broadcasting music. The group, considered a terrorist…

European Group Seeks 24/7 Protection at Jewish Institutions


BRUSSELS (AP) - A European Jewish organization on Sunday demanded round-the-clock protection at Jewish institutions following the shooting attacks in Denmark at a synagogue and free speech event that left two people dead. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, general director of the European Jewish Association, accused European Union leaders of not doing enough to combat anti-Semitic attacks and…

Danish PM on Jihad Murders: “This Is Not a War between Islam and the West”

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the Danish Prime Minister
JIHAD WATCH: “We feel certain now that it was a politically motivated attack, and thereby it was a terrorist attack,” said Thorning-Schmidt. But actually, it was a religiously motivated attack. Islam is the only belief-system that mandates violence against those who commit the crime of drawing cartoons of Muhammad and those who commit the crime of being Jews. Thorning-Schmidt’s denial of manifest reality only aids and abets the advancing jihad. Read on and comment » | Robert Spencer | Sunday, February 15, 2015

Saudi Arabia Condemns 'Terrorist' Killing of American Muslims in North Carolina


FOX NEWS: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned the killing in North Carolina of three American Muslim college students as a "heinous terrorist" act, and called for an end to incitement against Muslims.

The statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency also condemned as a "terrorist" act the recent attacks that killed two people in Denmark, one at a panel discussion that included an artist who caricatured the Prophet Muhammad and the other outside a synagogue.

In neighboring Qatar, several thousand people held a march Sunday in the capital Doha in solidarity with the families of the North Carolina victims. The marchers appealed for protection against hate crimes for the tens of thousands of young Arabs studying in the United States on scholarships funded by the energy-rich governments of the Gulf. » | Associated Press | Sunday, February 15, 2015

Muslim Population in England and Wales Nearly Doubles in 10 Years


THE GUARDIAN: More children and fewer elderly people help Muslim population grow faster than population overall, analysis of latest census data shows

The Muslim population of England and Wales is growing faster than the overall population, with a higher proportion of children and a lower ratio of elderly people, according to an analysis of official data.

One in three Muslims is under 15, compared with fewer than one in five overall. There are also fewer elderly Muslims, with 4% aged over 65, compared with 16% of the overall population.

In 2011, 2.71 million Muslims lived in England and Wales, compared with 1.55 million in 2001. There were also 77,000 Muslims in Scotland and 3,800 in Northern Ireland. » | Aisha Gani | Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Obama Receives Secret Letter by Iranian Leader Ayatollah Khamenei


Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Al Khamenei reportedly sent a secret letter to President Obama responding to requests the president made amid nuclear talks. Iran's spiritual leader wrote to Obama in recent weeks to respond to a presidential letter sent in October that suggested the possibility of U.S.-Iranian cooperation in fighting the Islamic State is a nuclear…

'Copenhagen Gunman' Shot Dead


THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Danish police shoot dead man they believe was responsible for two 'Charlie Hebdo-style' attacks in Copenhagen that left two people dead and several injured


Copenhagen police said on Sunday they believe a man shot dead by officers was responsible for two fatal attacks that shocked the normally peaceful Danish capital.

The killings, coming little more than a month after bloody Islamist attacks in Paris that left 17 people dead, were described by Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt as "a cynical act of terror".

The man believed to be behind the shootings was shot dead after he opened fire on police at a rail station, a spokesman said.

It came after a 55-year-old man was killed at a panel discussion about Islam and free speech on Saturday attended by the Swedish cartoonist behind controversial caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

In the second attack, a Jewish man was killed and two police officers were wounded outside Copenhagen's main synagogue early on Sunday.

"We believe the same man was behind both shootings and we also believe that the perpetrator who was shot by the police action force at Noerrebro station is the person behind the two attacks," Torben Moelgaard Jensen told a press conference. » | AFP | Sunday, February 15, 2015


Copenhagen shooting during debate on Islam: live »

Danish Rabbi Criticises Benjamin Netanyahu's Jewish Emigration Call

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Leader of Denmark's Jews voices "disappointment" over Israeli leader's "come to Israel" plea following deadly anti-Semitic attack

Benjamin Netanyahu has clashed with Denmark's chief rabbi after seizing on the weekend's deadly shootings in Copenhagen to call on European Jews to emigrate en mass to Israel.

Rabbi Jair Melchior said he was "disappointed" by the comments of Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who made a fresh plea for Jewish emigration while extending condolences to Denmark over the twin attacks. An armed assailant killed a Jewish man guarding Copenhagen's main synagogue at around 1am on Sunday morning, following an earlier incident at a cultural centre hosting a conference on free speech in which another man was shot dead.

"Jews have been murdered again on European soil only because they were Jews and this wave of terrorist attacks – including murderous anti-Semitic attacks – is expected to continue," Mr Netanyahu told the Israeli cabinet, as it met to approve a £30 million scheme to absorb Jewish immigrants from France, Belgium and Ukraine.

"Jews deserve protection in every country but we say to Jews: Israel is your home. We are preparing and calling for the absorption of mass immigration from Europe. I would like to tell all European Jews and all Jews wherever they are: 'Israel is the home of every Jew.' ... Israel is waiting for you with open arms." Read on and comment » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Sunday, February 15, 2015

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Dresden: Tausende bei Pegida-Kundgebung


DIE PRESSE: Zur ersten Kundgebung seit dem Ausscheiden von Ex-Sprecherin Kathrin Oertel kamen am Montagabend rund 2000 Personen. Pegida-Gründer Lutz Bachmann trat erstmals seit seinem Rücktritt wieder auf.

In Deutschland rückt mit der Rückkehr von Pegida-Gründer Lutz Bachmann die islamkritische Dresdner Bewegung weiter nach rechts. Zur ersten Pegida-Kundgebung seit Abspaltung der Gruppe um Ex-Sprecherin Kathrin Oertel zogen am Montagabend laut Polizei rund 2000 Demonstranten vor die Dresdner Frauenkirche. » | APA/dpa | Montag, 09. Februar 2015

Record de neige à Boston, des centaines de vols annulés


TRIBUNE DE GENÈVES: Météo – Une nouvelle tempête hivernale, la troisième en deux semaines, paralysait lundi une partie du nord-est des Etats-Unis.

Une nouvelle tempête de neige a provoqué l'annulation de centaines de vols et la fermeture d'écoles et d'administrations dans le nord-est des Etats-Unis, notamment à Boston.

La tempête pourrait encore voir 60 cm de neige tomber sur la principale ville du Massachusetts, qui a déjà battu un record, avec 1,54 mètre de neige tombée en un mois. Le précédent record, qui datait de 1978, était de 1,49 m de neige en un mois. » | lundi 09 février 2015

Monday, February 09, 2015


BROOKE GOLDSTEIN: Denying the Real Motivation for Islamist Terrorism


Islamists are winning their war to silence critical commentary in the West about Islam. So says Flemming Rose, culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which originally published the now-infamous images of Muhammad, in his recent book, "The Tyranny of Silence." Whether motivated by a cowardly nature or by an obsequious desire to be nice, much…

Vladimir Putin's Egypt Visit Sends Message to US


THE GUARDIAN: Russian president’s arrival in Egypt allows both countries to signal that their foreign policies are not to be dictated by others

Russian president Vladimir Putin has flown to Cairo for a two-day visit, in a move nominally aimed at bolstering bilateral ties with Egypt that also allows both countries to send pointed messages to the US.

As Russian and western diplomats struggle to reach a peace deal over the conflict in Ukraine, Putin will spend Monday evening at Cairo’s opera house. In meetings on Tuesday, the day before the resumption of Ukraine peace talks, Putin is expected to hold discussions about ending the use of the US dollar in bilateral trade between Egypt and Russia. Collaboration between a Russian and Egyptian newspaper is also reported to be scheduled for discussion.

Analysts believe both sides, though interested in forming stronger relations, primarily seek to signal to the international community that their foreign policies are not to be dictated by others. In the middle of negotiations that have left him with few friends, Putin wants to show that he still has allies, said Ben Judah, a chronicler of Putin’s life, and the author of Fragile Empire, a book about Putin’s Russia. Read on and comment » | Patrick Kingsley in Cairo | Monday, February 09, 2015

Queen Rania Addresses Government Summit Delegates


رانيا العبدالله في كلمة للقمة الحكومية المنعقدة في دبي

Austrians Say Islam Does Not Belong In Their Nation: Poll


BREITBART: A survey of social attitudes in Austria has revealed the vast majority of Austrians don’t believe Islam belongs in their country, with almost half going further and saying the religion should “definitely not” have a home there.

In the survey, 69 percent of those polled said they did not believe Islam belonged in Austria, a strong rise on previous polls taken before the Charlie Hebdo attacks made earlier in the year, reports TheLocal.at. Even more than that – around three quarters – thought if a citizen left Austria to fight for extremist groups such as the Islamic State, they should have their citizenship withdrawn completely.

Of the nearly seven in ten people who believed Islam didn’t belong in Austria, a sizeable minority went even further, with 42 percent of those polled saying there should “definitely” be no Islam in the country. A similar proportion of people felt Islam was a “threat” to Austria. Read on and comment » | Oliver Lane | Monday, February 09, 2015

TAMMY BRUCE: Obama Discounts Current Sins of Islam


Every week President Obama delivers some new experience that makes me wonder how the entire nation got dropped down Alice's rabbit hole all at once. Yet, in these first few weeks of Mr. Obama's last two years in office, he's made sure the United States won't turn into a collective Sally Field, exclaiming, "You like us!…

Jewish Survivor Zelda-Rivka Hait Testimony


Sunday, February 08, 2015

Should British Muslims Follow 'Values That We Hold Dear'?


Muslims demonstrating in Whitehall have challenged Prince Charles' comments over British Muslims abiding by British values.


Read the Channel 4 article here | Sunday, February 08, 2015

Related »

Prince Charles Tells British Muslims 'If You Live in Our Country, Abide by Our Values'


SUNDAY EXPRESS: PRINCE Charles issued an extraordinary rallying cry today calling on Muslims living in the UK to show more respect for British values.

The heir to the throne railed against the radicalisation of young British men by Islamist extremists as he launched an impassioned defence of Britain's "Christian" heritage.

Telling British muslims that they should show more respect for "the values we hold dear," the Prince revealed that he was terrified by the influence of radical preachers who spread their teachings on the internet.

In an unprecedented outburst, he said: "The radicalisation of people in Britain is a great worry, and the extent to which this is happening is alarming, particularly in a country like ours where we hold values dear.

"You would think the people who have come here, or are born here, and go to school here, would abide by those values and outlooks."

He added that it was "frightening" that young British Muslims were being radicalised by "crazy stuff on the internet".

The outspoken comments are a further sign that the Prince is not prepared to keep quiet on political causes close to his heart, despite assuming more and more responsibility from the Queen.

They came as he started a six-day tour of the Middle East in his mother's place, during which he has been urged to speak out against the barbaric practises of some Gulf states.

It is understood that the Prince will challenge new Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud over the terrible punishment handed down to blogger Raif Badawi when the pair meet face to face this week. » | Nick Gutteridge | Sunday, February 08, 2015

Related »

Austria Threatens to Close Saudi-Backed Interfaith Dialogue Center

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann has expressed public outrage over the refusal of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue to speak out against the flogging of Raif Badawi, a Saudi human rights activist and blogger who has been sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam."

"Saudi Arabia practices a form of Sharia law that is one of the most brutal systems in the world... Does the Austrian Foreign Ministry really want to give such a state the opportunity to build an international propaganda center in Austria?" — Editorial, Die Presse.

"An inter-religious dialogue center that remains silent when it is time to speak out clearly for human rights is not worthy of being called a dialogue center. It is a silence center." — Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann.

"If the center wants to remain only an economic center with a religious fig leaf, then Austria should no longer be a part of it. In any event, Austria will not allow itself to be threatened or blackmailed." — Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann.


The Austrian government has threatened to close a controversial Saudi-sponsored religious dialogue center because of the latter's failure to condemn the flogging of a Saudi human rights activist and blogger.

Saudi Arabia has responded to the threat by issuing a counter-threat to move the permanent headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries [OPEC] out of the Austrian capital of Vienna. » | Soeren Kern | Sunday, February 08, 2015

Al-Khanssaa Brigade, Women of Islamic State, Print Manifesto: Girls, 9, May Marry


The all-female militia unit of the Islamic State - the Al-Khanssaa Brigade - put out a manifesto that, translated into English, says women should be homemakers and mothers, and that girls as young as age 9 can marry. "It is considered legitimate for a girl to be married at the age of 9," the manifesto said,…

The Radical Cleric Building a Militia in the Heart of Islamabad

Cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz shows religious books to the media
during a news conference in Islamabad on Friday.
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Maulana Abdul Aziz, the cleric of the Red Mosque and one of the most dangerous men in Pakistan, tells the Telegraph if the country does not implement Islamic law, he and his followers “will solve it”.

He is one of the most dangerous men in Pakistan and is supposed to be in police detention.

Instead, as several thousand hardline Muslim worshippers knelt in prayer at the Red Mosque in the heart of Islamabad, the voice of Maulana Abdul Aziz called out over them defiantly.

Seven years ago, the radical cleric led heavily armed al-Qaeda gunmen in a bloody siege at the Red Mosque, or Lal Masjid in Urdu, which left more than a hundred children, soldiers and militants dead.

The brutal denouement, including the killing of his brother and son, set off a wave of Taliban suicide bombings which struck at the heart of Pakistan's military establishment.

Now Pakistan’s intelligence services believe he is building a new militia, grabbing land for more madrassas and preparing for another tilt at forcing the country to adopt strict Islamic law. Eyewitnesses said they had seen 30 to 40 heavily armed men from the militant group Sipah-e-Sahaba inside the mosque.

Once again, he is a reminder that one of the West's most important allies against the forces of terror has a problem dealing with militant voices even in the middle of its own capital. In December, a Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant for Aziz but the police have been unable to enforce it. “We are trying out best to implement it,” a police official said. » | Dean Nelson, Islamabad | Sunday, February 08, 2015

Huge Crowd of Muslim Protesters Picket Downing Street to Protest at Charlie Hebdo Cartoons

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The protestors, many of whom were divided into groups of men and women and included children gathered just yards from the Cenotaph

At least 1,000 Muslim protesters gathered outside the gates of Downing Street to protest against the depictions of the Prophet Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine.

The protestors, many of whom were divided into groups of men and women, gathered just yards from the Cenotaph which remembers Britain’s war dead, and blocked half of Whitehall as they demonstated.

It comes weeks after two terrorists attacked the offices of Charlie Hebdo, the Paris-based satirical magazine which had published images of the Prophet Muhammad, killing 12 staff and wounding 11 others.

The protest was organised by the Muslim Action Forum, which said that the Charlie Hebdo cartoons had helped “sow the seeds of hatred” and had damaged community relations.

One young child, who appeared to be under the age of 10, stood next to a placard displaying the message: “Charlie and the abuse factory”. A series of Muslim leaders addressed the crowd from a platform outside the Ministry of Defence, with the message “Be careful with Muhammad”. » | Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspodnent | Sunday, February 08, 2015

Prince Charles Says Radicalisation of Young People 'Alarming'

Prince Charles also discussed the work of his charity
The Prince's Trust in combatting radicalisation
BBC AMERICA: The Prince of Wales has described the extent to which young people are becoming radicalised as "alarming" and one of the "greatest worries".

In an interview with Radio 2's The Sunday Hour, Prince Charles spoke of his hopes to "build bridges" between different faiths.

He also spoke of his "deep concern" for the suffering of Christian churches in the Middle East.

He is currently in Jordan on a six-day tour of the region.

The prince arrived in the capital Amman on Saturday night and is due to hold talks with King Abdullah II later.

The Radio 2 programme covers visits by the prince to Armenian, Roman Catholic Chaldean and Syrian Orthodox churches in the UK, and contains accounts from members of these denominations who have had to flee persecution in Syria and Iraq.

On the radicalisation of young people, Prince Charles says: "Well of course, this is one of the greatest worries I think, and the extent to which this is happening is the alarming part.

"And particularly in a country like ours where you know the values we hold dear.

"You think that the people who have come here, [are] born here, go to school here, would abide by those values and outlooks."

He told the BBC programme he believed part of the reason some young people are radicalised is a "search for adventure and excitement at a particular age". » | Saturday, February 07, 2015