Saturday, March 14, 2015
Special Report from Libya: How Nato's Toppling of Gaddafi Has Turned to Disaster
Tears rolled down Khadija’s cheeks as the 17-seater plane – the whirr of its propellers deafening in the cabin – began its descent into the capital of a country crippled by war. The hope she’d felt of a better future for Libya after the ousting of dictator Col Muammar Gaddafi had long soured into resentment and fear. Now she was flying back into her homeland from exile. An uncle had been killed and she needed to attend his funeral.
“It wasn’t meant to be like this,” she said. “We have lost our dignity. We fought Gaddafi so that we could speak freely. Now it’s the same as before, but with less security.”
Many of her countrymen agree with her. Since the end of the 2011 Nato-backed war that toppled Gaddafi, Libya has fragmented – with two rival governments and their allied armed gangs vying for power. Nascent democracy has been supplanted by a system of repression and fear. Militias have become the most powerful players in a country devoid of the rule of law, of a national army or a police force. Anyone opposing them, be they politician or civilian, is silenced – often at gunpoint.
In the new Libya, just as in the old, speaking out against those wielding power is enough see you threatened, or killed. There was, many admit, a “golden age” in the months immediately after the end of Gaddafi’s 40-year-rule. But it was not long before factionalism began to spin out of control. Now that brief, optimistic interregnum is spoken of nostalgically, as thought [sic] it were a distant era. (+ video) » | Ruth Sherlock, video by Sam Tarling | Saturday, March 14, 2015
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: I don't regret helping overthrow Gaddafi, says David Cameron after Coptic Christian beheadings: Prime Minister defends Britain's involvement in Libya after 'monstrous' killings of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by Isil » | Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent | Tuesday, February 17, 2015
THE GUARDIAN: We won't abandon Libya after killings, says David Cameron: Prime minister says Britain right to help oust Gaddafi and pledges support to Libya in the wake of ‘brutal, senseless murders’ of Coptic Christians » | Rowena Mason, political correspondent | Tuesday, February 17, 2015
4bitNEWS: Cameron took the glory for toppling Gaddafi – where is he now as Libya implodes? » | Editor | Wednesday, August 06, 2014
CROSSING THE LINE 2
Israel is under assault on North American college campuses today like never before. Anti-Israel activities to alienate, demonize, and delegitimize Israel are increasingly crossing the line into anti-Semitism, in the form of hate speech, harassment and intimidation.
Crossing the Line 2 is a new documentary that reveals the rise of anti-Israel activity and anti-Semitic rhetoric on North American university campuses, and demonstrates when reasonable criticism of Israel ‘Crosses the Line’ into anti-Semitism.
To host a screening of ‘Crossing the Line 2’ at your home, school, synagogue or community center, click here.
Be prepared for anti-Israel activity on campus. Get educated about Israel »
Friday, March 13, 2015
Pope Francis Hints at 'Brief' Papacy
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| Pope Francis praised Pope Benedict's decision to resign in 2013 |
The pontiff made the comments during a interview with Mexican television, marking the second anniversary of his election.
"I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief. Four or five years; I do not know, even two or three," he said.
He praised Pope Benedict's decision to step aside in 2013 as "courageous".
"Benedict should not be considered an exception, but an institution. Maybe he will be the only one for a long time, maybe he will not be the only one.
"But an institutional door has been opened," he told the Televisa channel. » | Friday, March 13, 2015
Gerüchte um russischen Präsidenten: Schweizer Medien berichten über angebliches Putin-Baby
Tessin/Moskau - Das Rätselraten über Wladimir Putin hält an: Seit Tagen kursieren Gerüchte, der russische Staatschef sei schwer erkrankt - und nun soll er sogar Vater geworden sein: Die russische Spitzensportlerin Alina Kabajewa, Olympiasiegerin im Kunstturnen 2004, soll in einer Schweizer Privatklinik bei Lugano ein Kind geboren haben, meldet das Boulevard-Portal "Blick Online". Der angebliche Vater: Putin.
Putins Privatleben wird streng abgeschirmt, Gerüchte über eine Beziehung zu der 32-jährigen Kabajewa gibt es aber schon seit Jahren. Der italienischsprachige Radiosender RSI aus dem Tessin meldet, Kabajewa habe zwei Zimmer in der Klinik reservieren lassen. Die "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" erhielt auf eine Anfrage an die Direktorin der Klinik jedoch eine ernüchternde Antwort: "Es entspricht nicht unserer Praxis, auf solche Anfragen zu antworten." Dafür äußerte sich ein Sprecher des Kreml, der die Gerüchte als haltlos bezeichnete. » | mxw/heb/Reuters | Freitag, 13. März 2015
Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau Face Off Over Niqab Debate
Niqabs ‘Rooted in a Culture That Is Anti-women,’ Harper Says
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| Prime Minister Stephen Harper answers a question during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. |
The Prime Minister was responding in the House of Commons to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who has sharply criticized the Tories for seeking to ban the covering of women’s faces when they are swearing a citizenship oath and has accused Mr. Harper of Islamophobia.
Mr. Trudeau responded outside the Commons Tuesday by declaring that “this government is doubling down on the politics of fear.”
A debate over reasonable accommodation in Canada is playing out again, this time over the niqab. Mr. Harper is arguing, as a Conservative fundraising e-mail recently put it, that is “not the way we do things here,” while Mr. Trudeau is championing religious freedom as protected by the Charter of Rights.
Some Muslim women wear face-covering niqabs in public, and the Liberals defend their right to wear the veil during citizenship ceremonies. Mr. Harper, whose government is appealing a Federal Court ruling that would allow people to cover their face while reciting the oath of citizenship, strongly disagrees. » | Steven Chase | Ottawa | Pub. Tuesday, March 10, 2015 | Updated: Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Young Canadian’s Conversion to Radical Islam Leaves Family Devastated
His father thinks he’s lost. His brother holds out hope. But no one in Harun Abdurahman’s family knows how to turn around the young Canadian man who has become an unapologetic supporter of the Islamic State terrorist group.
Born in Ontario to a Christian family steeped in military tradition, the Manitoba resident told the Star in an earlier interview that he believed last fall’s terror attacks on Parliament Hill and in Quebec were “justified” retribution for Canadian military aggression against ISIS.
“I think a lot of Canadians need to wake up and understand that we’re doing this and worse to other people in other countries,” said Abdurahman, who agreed to be identified only by an online pseudonym that he has adopted.
He spoke about his convictions, his belief that all Muslims should emigrate to Syria and Iraq, where the Islamic State has declared a caliphate governed by Sharia law and of learning that he was under investigation by Canadian spies who saw him as a potential threat to national security.
But this turn of events has also had a devastating impact on Abdurahman’s family. Beginning last December, Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents interviewed his ex-girlfriend and older brother in Ontario as well as his father, who is a serving member of the Royal Canadian Air Force in Alberta. The agents carried with them a thick file on the young man.
This week, however, the spy agency told family members they had intensified their investigation. » | Allan Woods | Quebec Bureau | Sunday, March 08, 2015
Leading Politician Says Canada Could End Up Treating Muslims As It Did Jews in the ’30s and ’40s
THE WASHINGTON POST: In a dramatic speech Tuesday evening, the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau, criticized the Canadian government for its rhetoric over the threat of Islamist-related terrorism – and compared the country's treatment of its Muslim minorities with restrictive policies against Jews prior to and during World War II.
Speaking in Toronto to alumni of McGill University, Trudeau, who will compete with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in an election later this year, discussed Canada's idea of liberty. At one point, he listed a number of historical moments when his country had failed in that ideal, including the Chinese head tax (a fixed fee charged to every Chinese immigrant) and the internment of Ukrainian, Japanese and Italian Canadians during the world wars. » | Adam Taylor | Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Harper Says Majority of ‘Moderate Muslims’ Support View on Niqab Ban
The Prime Minister, who upset some Muslim Canadians this week by saying the face-covering niqab is “rooted in a culture that is anti-woman,” stood up in the Commons Wednesday to enumerate support for his government’s campaign to ban the use of the veil when taking the oath of Canadian citizenship. A small minority of Muslim women wear the niqab in Canada.
He listed groups such as the Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations, which, Mr. Harper told the Commons, have declared: “Most Canadians believe that it is offensive that someone would hide their identity at the very moment where they are committing to join the Canadian family.” » | Steven Chase | Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Heresy! Muslim Prayers in Church of England Parish
A Church of England vicar is facing a storm of protest from traditionalist Christians after allowing a Muslim prayer service to be held in his church.
Dozens of Muslims took part in the “Inclusive Mosque” event at St John’s church, Waterloo in central London, in what is thought to have been the first time a full Islamic prayer service has been held within the Church of England.
The vicar, the Rev Canon Giles Goddard, a prominent liberal cleric, joined in the event, reading a passage from the Bible and inviting the congregation to give thanks to “the God that we love, Allah”.
Canon Goddard, described the service, on Saturday, as “very moving” and said it was simply an expression of the church’s desire to offer people a “place to pray”.
But evangelical clerics were angered by the service which they said marked a breach with canon law which forbids any variation from the official liturgy if it contains “any departure from, the doctrine of the Church of England in any essential matter”.
It was also “offensive” to Christians being persecuted for their faith around the world, they said. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor, video source YouTube | Friday, March 13, 2015
Judge: Philly Public Buses Must Run Ads Linking Muslims to Hitler
CBS Philadelphia reports that a federal court judge on Wednesday sided with a New Hampshire based non-profit on its claim that it has a first amendment right to run bus ads linking Muslims to Hitler.
The ads include images of Adolf Hitler and read "Islamic Jew Hatred: It's in the Quran." While they may be incendiary to some, a federal court judge wrote they're perfectly acceptable under the first amendment.
"He agreed with us on all the issues," said attorney Robert Muise.
Muise represents plaintiff American Freedom Defense Initiative. The group has filed more than a half dozen lawsuits against transit authorities across the country over anti-Islamic ads. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority refused to run their ad saying it disparaged Muslims, but the court held the buses are public forums -- so SEPTA cannot censor AFDI's political speech. » | Thursday, March 12, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Americans Are 'Back-stabbers' and 'Tricksters' Says Iran's Leader after Senate Letter
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| Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei |
Iran’s Supreme Leader accused “back-stabbing” America of “tricks and deceptions” on Thursday as the clock ticked towards a deadline for a final agreement on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a caustic response to an open letter from 47 Republican senators, warning that a future US president might revoke any nuclear deal with Iran.
This message – furiously denounced by President Barack Obama – raised the possibility of Iran walking away from an agreement while deflecting the blame on to America.
"Of course I am worried, because the other side is known for opacity, deceit and back-stabbing,” said Ayatollah Khamenei in a speech to the Assembly of Experts, Iran’s most senior body.
"Every time we reach a stage where the end of the negotiations is in sight, the tone of the other side, specifically the Americans, becomes harsher, coarser and tougher. This is the nature of their tricks and deceptions.” » | David Blair, and Peter Foster in Washington | Thursday, March 12, 2015
IS lässt eigenen Scharia-Richter köpfen
Die Nachricht verbreitete sich in den sozialen Medien rasant. Unterstützer des IS twitterten, dass die Organisation ihren Scharia-Richter hingerichtet habe. Grund: die exzessive Auslegung des Takfir-Konzepts. Das berichtet der "Middle East Monitor".
Richter Abu Jaafar al-Hattab war als Mitglied der Scharia-Kommission dafür zuständig, die Rechtsgrundlage für ein Kalifat zu erarbeiten. Dafür wandte er das Konzept von Takfir an – es gilt auch im Islam als umstritten. Takfir erlaubt einem islamischen Gelehrten, andere Muslime zu Ungläubigen oder Abtrünnigen zu erklären. Ein Vergehen, auf das die Todesstrafe steht. Al-Hattab sei für seine Härte bekannt gewesen, so der "Middle East Monitor". » | dol | Donnerstag, 12. März 2015
Kuwaiti Preacher, ISIS Call for Demolition of Egypt’s Sphinx, Pyramids
Although the ancient monuments are not religious – but rather cultural and historic sites – they should still be "destroyed" by Muslims, putting an end to the worship of images, preacher Ibrahim Al Kandari said, according to Al-Watan daily.
"The fact that early Muslims who were among prophet Mohammed’s followers did not destroy the pharaohs' monuments upon entering the Egyptian soil, does not mean that we shouldn't do it now," Al Kandari said.
Another call for the destruction of Egypt's main symbols comes from Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who suggested the demolition of the historic monuments is a "religious duty," Al Alam news reported on Sunday. In the extreme interpretations of Islam, no material objects should be idolized or worshiped.
It comes amid growing concerns over the safety of many other historic and architectural monuments in the region, where militants continue to destroy ancient cities and artifacts. » |Pub. Monday, March 09, 2015 | Ed. Wednesday, March 11, 2015
HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »
Swiss Citizen Arrested for Fighting Islamic State
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| Johan Cosar was arrested by Swiss authorities |
A Swiss man is facing up to three years in prison after he travelled to Syria to fight the Islamic State group.
Johan Cosar, born in Switzerland to parents of Syrian Christian origin, was arrested in Basel in February after his return from the Middle East. Details of his arrest emerged this week.
He had joined a Christian militia fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
Those who travel to Syria to join Isil or other jihadist groups face arrest if they return amid fears they may launch terror attacks in Europe.
But so far most European countries have taken no action against the increasing numbers who are travelling to the region to join local militia fighting against the jihadists.
Mr Cosar helped train the Syriac Military Council, a 500-strong militia which defending the ancient Assyrian Christian minority from Isil, after travelling to Syria as a journalist. » | Justin Huggler in Berlin | Thursday, March 12, 2015
LE TEMPS: «Je ne suis pas djihadiste: je combats les terroristes» » | Valérie de Graffenried | mercredi 11 mars 2015
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
L'Iran durcit sa législation pour freiner la baisse de la natalité
La République islamique ne sait plus comment redonner aux Iraniens l'envie de faire des enfants. Pour tenter de stopper la chute de la fécondité, deux projets de loi sont en cours d'examen au Parlement. Des mesures qui risquent de réduire les femmes à des "machines à faire des enfants", dénonce, ce mercredi, Amnesty International. » | Par LEXPRESS.fr avec AFP | mercredi 11 mars 2015
The Whole World Is Trying to 'Topple' Me, Says Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu claimed to detect a “worldwide effort” to remove him from power on Tuesday as polls suggested that he faces defeat in Israel’s election.
After three terms totalling nine years in office, Mr Netanyahu has become the longest-serving Israeli prime minister since David Ben Gurion. But a poll for Channel 2 News suggested that his Likud party would win 21 seats in the Knesset, or parliament, in next Tuesday's election, compared with 25 for the Zionist Union, an opposition alliance. » | David Blair | Wednesday, March 11, 2015
British Muslims Condemn Terror Laws for Creating 'Witch-hunt' against Islam
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| Moazzam Begg of Cage is one of the signatories to the public statement. |
Anti-Muslim rhetoric and “endless ‘anti-terror’ laws” are in danger of creating a McCarthyite witch-hunt against Muslims, according to the signatories of a strongly worded public statement, who include several controversial figures.
The statement accuses the government of “criminalising” Islam and trying to silence “legitimate critique and dissent”, and decries what it describes as “the ongoing demonisation of Muslims in Britain [and] their values, as well as prominent scholars, speakers and organisations.”
Signatories of the statement include Moazzam Begg, director of outreach for Cage, the organisation that came under fire last week after it sought to explain the radicalisation of Isis killer Mohammed Emwazi. Members of Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in several countries including Germany, have also signed the statement.
It comes after it was revealed earlier this week that the Home Office is planning a “more assertive” stance against extremism, with a series of measures including imposing penalties on benefit claimants who do not learn English and making visa applicants commit themselves to “British values”.
The statement, seen by the Guardian, reads: “We reject the portrayal of Muslims and the Muslim community as a security threat. The latest act of parliament, the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, threatens to create a ‘McCarthyite’ witch-hunt against Muslims, with nursery workers, schoolteachers and universities expected to look out for signs of increased Islamic practice as signs of ‘radicalisation’.”
The signatories state that the “Muslim issue” is being exploited for political capital in the run[-]up to the general election. » | Alexandra Topping, Nishaat Ismail, Shiv Malik | Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Saudi Playboy Caught Drug Driving McLaren Supercar through Hyde Park
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| Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, confessed to smoking the drug |
A rich Saudi playboy was caught by police driving his father's £168,500 McLaren supercar while high on cannabis through Hyde Park.
Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, confessed to smoking the drug at 7.30am that morning and was unsteady on his feet with slurred speech when questioned by officers.
He pleaded guilty to driving a McLaren MP4-12c 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 Velocita Wind Edition in West Carriage Drive on December 11 last year while unfit to drive through drugs.
Student Al-Sharif, who lives off a family allowance, was fined £400, with £85 costs and was ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge. He was disqualified for twelve months.
The supercar, which goes from 0mph to 60mph in 2.8 seconds, has a makeover by German specialists DMC, which increases its brake horsepower to 650bhp and makes the car more powerful and luxurious. » | Agency | Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Spain: "The Mediterranean Corridor of Jihadism"
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| Samira Yerou was arrested March 7 at Barcelona's airport, on suspicion of running a jihadist recruiting network. |
Catalonia is home to approximately 465,000 Muslims. At least 10% of them are estimated to be "radicals" who are hardcore believers in the "doctrine of jihadism." — Jofre Montoto, Catalan terrorism analyst.
In February, the lower house of the Spanish Congress approved far-reaching changes to the country's penal code, as a way to combat Islamic extremism and support for the Islamic State.
Under the new law, anyone convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack will be subject to a life sentence (35 years) without the possibility of parole. The law also calls for 20-year sentences for anyone convicted of supplying weapons to terrorists, or ten-year sentences for funding terror networks.
Spanish police have arrested a Moroccan woman on suspicion of running a jihadist recruiting network for the Islamic State.
Samira Yerou, 32, was arrested at Barcelona's El Prat airport on March 7 upon her arrival on a flight from Turkey, where authorities had detained her for trying illegally to enter Syria with her three-year-old son, a Spanish citizen.
Police say Yerou, who lives in Rubí, a Catalan town situated 15 kilometers north of Barcelona, disappeared in December 2014, while her son's father, a Moroccan-Spaniard, was away on a trip to Morocco. Spanish authorities issued an international warrant for Yerou's arrest.
In a statement, the Spanish Interior Ministry said Yerou had specialized in recruiting women from Europe and North Africa to join the Islamic State. She allegedly became interested in militant Islam after visiting Morocco during the summer of 2013, and later became radicalized through the Internet by "spending many hours consulting" jihadist websites. The boy, who was unharmed, has been returned to his father.
Yerou is one of at least 50 jihadists who have been arrested in Spain during the past twelve months alone. Most of the arrests have taken place in Catalonia and in Spain's North African exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. » | Soeren Kern | Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Course au pouvoir suprême à Téhéran
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La bataille de succession au sommet du pouvoir iranien pourrait survenir plus tôt que prévu. Selon des informations obtenues par Le Figaro auprès de plusieurs sources dans les milieux occidentaux du renseignement, le Guide de la révolution serait atteint d’un cancer de la prostate de stade 4, autrement dit métastasique, ce qui signifie que le mal s’est disséminé ailleurs dans le corps. Compte tenu de son âge, 76 ans, son espérance de vie serait évaluée par les médecins à environ deux ans. » | De Philippe Gélie | mercredi 11 mars 2015
Erschiessungskommandos statt Giftspritzen
Zum Tode verurteilte Straftäter könnten im US-Staat Utah bei einem Mangel an Giftspritzen möglicherweise bald von Exekutionskommandos erschossen worden. Einen entsprechenden Gesetzesentwurf verabschiedete der Senat des Bundesstaates am Dienstag mit einer Mehrheit von 18 zu 10. Wenn der republikanische Gouverneur Gary Herbert das Gesetz nun unterzeichnet, wäre Utah der erste amerikanische Staat, in dem solche Kommandos erlaubt wären. » | chk/AP | Mittwoch, 11. März 2015
America Just Got Its First Accredited Muslim College
On Sunday, Zaytuna College, a liberal-arts school based in Berkeley, California, announced that it was formally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of the six official academic bodies responsible for the authorizing public and private colleges and universities in the United States.
“Today, Zaytuna’s accreditation roots this vision in a reality recognized within American higher education,” Hamza Yusuf, president of the college, said in a statement celebrating the announcement.
The statement also added, “[Accreditation] helps ensure that Zaytuna successfully fulfills the objectives outlined in its curriculum, which grounds its students in both the Islamic and Western scholarly traditions.”
According to the school’s website, Zaytuna was founded in 1996 as an institute and briefly operated as an Islamic seminary before dedicating itself to becoming a Muslim liberal arts college in 2009. It welcomed its first freshman class in 2010, and conferred its first undergraduate degrees in 2014. It has a student body of around 30 students, and offers a B.A. in Islamic Law and Theology and courses in politics, astronomy, and American history, among others. In a video chronicling the school’s pursuit of accreditation, Colleen Keyes, vice president of academic affairs, explained that the school’s goal is “to prepare and educate students, who are morally committed spiritual, intellectual, and professional leaders who are grounded in the Islamic tradition and conversant with … modern society.” » | Jack Jenkins | Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Op-Ed: Islam Wants to Convert Rome
First the black flag of the Caliphate waving over the Vatican. Then the Colosseum in flames and a sea of blood that submerges it. Finally, the announcement of the Libyan caliphate that “we are south of Rome”.
In the propaganda videos of the Islamic State there are many prophecies about the fall and the conquest of Rome. There is a long Islamic tradition aiming at Rome, “Romiyyah”, aiming to make it the fourth holiest city of Islam (after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem) and the base from which Islam will conquer the Western world. Rome is the greatest magnet of the mystical Islamic universe.
Roger Garaudy, the French intellectual who converted to Islam, in 1986 launched his challenge, boasting: “I’ll bring Islam to Rome”. The foundation of this prophecy is the thirtieth Sura of the Koran, called ar Rum, “Romans”. The fall of Rome is based on the myth of the Emperor Heraclius and a letter that he would have written to Muhammad, recognizing him as “the messenger of God”.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the founder of the Islamic Hanbali school (now in power in Saudi Arabia) reported among the “hadith”, the sayings of Muhammad, that the Prophet of Islam predicted that “the city of Heraclius (Constantinople) would fall first, then Rome”.
In 2003, Osama Bin Laden made a speech on “The new Rome” and three years later, in the footsteps of Pope Benedict’s Islamic speech at Regensburg University, Al Qaeda proclaimed: “Servants of the Cross, expect defeat, the Muslims will conquer Rome as they conquered Constantinople”. » | Giulio Meotti | Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
L'EI exécute un Arabe israélien accusé d'espionnage
Le groupe Etat islamique (EI) a diffusé mardi 10 mars une vidéo affirmant montrer l'exécution par un jeune garçon d'un Arabe israélien accusé d'espionner pour le compte des services secrets israéliens.
Sur la vidéo de plus de 10 minutes, on voit un homme présenté comme Muhammad Said Ismail Musallam vêtu d'une combinaison orange, ainsi que son passeport israélien. Il est ensuite abattu d'une balle dans la tête par le jeune garçon, habillé en treillis. » | afp/Newsnet | mardi 10 mars 2015
MARGARET THATCHER – Book Discussion – "The Downing Street Years" 1993
How Gaddafi's Home City in Libya Fell under the Rule of Islamic State Jihadists
The facade of the building that was once Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s pride and joy is now painted with the distinctive black and white jihadist flag.
In streets nearby, mannequins in women’s clothes shops are covered in demure, shapeless black. Ladies’ hairdressers have been closed down.
The Libyan dictator’s home city and pet project, later the scene of his capture and death, Sirte is now the first major foothold for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) on the Mediterranean coast.
A visit by The Telegraph revealed how a small group of foreign fighters has developed into a force to be reckoned with, 300 miles from Italy’s shores.
“When they arrived they were just a small number,” said Milad, a resident, who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisals. “But then many locals joined them. They see them as the only way to have power in post-Gaddafi Libya.” » | Ruth Sherlock, Sirte, video by Sam Tarling | Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Britain May Broadcast Putin's Financial Secrets to Russian People
Britain may broadcast the financial secrets of Russia’s ruling elite as part of the information war against the Putin regime, the Foreign Secretary has indicated.
Philip Hammond said he was interested by the idea of publicising the wealth of the Russian president’s inner circle in order to embarrass them in front of their people, as part of the response to the ongoing incursion into eastern Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary warned that Putin is rapidly modernising his armed forces, and warned Russia’s bid to destabilise eastern Europe poses “the greatest single threat” to British national security.
Mr Hammond said that Britain must now “accept” that efforts to offer Russia its “rightful place” in the post-Cold War order had been “rebuffed”.
It marks a change in tone from the British government: David Cameron has repeated[ly] said that the door is open to Russia to normalise relations if it ended the assault on Ukraine. » | Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent | Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Franklin Graham: Muslims Kill Christians to Emulate Muhammad
"Muhammad was a man of war and he killed many people," Graham told Tucker Carlson on "Fox & Friends Weekend" on Sunday. "Jesus Christ came as a man of peace, and as a follower of Christ I follow him and I want to emulate Him. But the followers of Islam are emulating the prophet Muhammad, and that’s what you’re seeing carried out."
"We have to be very careful and understand that Islam — the teachings of Islam — are militant," the president of the Samaritan's Purse charity said. " I’m talking about, when you read the Quran, when you read the Surra, it’s very militant."
According to Graham, one of the reasons for the rise of Christian persecution in the Middle East was the fall of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
"When Iraq was invaded by our country — and I’m not saying this was right or wrong, I’m just saying it’s a fact — there was a large Christian minority. Saddam Hussein gave them quite a lot of freedom," he explained.
"But when that government fell and the new government came to power, the Islamists in the country, al-Qaida and others, began to attack and burn churches," Graham said.
"We’ve seen that happen throughout Iraq, and now it’s happening in Syria," he explained.
And now as a result, "the Christian community is being slaughtered by the Muslims, and they’re being forced to leave," he said. » | Courtney Coren | Monday, March 09, 2015
Junckers Armee ist eine Utopie
Eine EU-Armee wird es auf absehbare Zeit nicht geben. Das weiss auch Jean-Claude Juncker. Der Kommissionspräsident aus dem kleinen Luxemburg ist ein Mann der grossen Träume. Die braucht es manchmal, um einem alten Projekt neuen Schub zu verpassen. Die Idee einer europäischen Streitmacht taucht nicht zum ersten Mal auf, ist aber bisher immer wieder schnell in der Versenkung verschwunden.
Juncker sieht angesichts der neuen Bedrohung durch ein aggressives Russland neue Chancen für das Fernziel und frische Dringlichkeit, darauf hinzuarbeiten. Die Frage im Hintergrund lautet vereinfacht: Wie hält es Europa mit seiner Verteidigung?
Fast alle Regierungen sind sich einig, dass der Status quo höchst unbefriedigend ist. Die Europäer haben in den letzten Jahren ihre Verteidigungshaushalte zum Teil rigoros zusammengestrichen und sind deshalb für ihre Sicherheit mehr denn je auf ihre amerikanischen Verbündeten angewiesen. » | Stephan Israel, EU-Korrespondent | Brüssel | Montag, 09. März 2015
Netanyahu bremst amerikanisch-iranische Annäherung ab
Der israelische Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanyahu hat mit seiner Rede im US-Kongress die Widerstände gegen eine amerikanisch-iranische Annäherung offenbar verstärkt. Nach dreitägigen Gesprächen zwischen US-Aussenminister John Kerry und seinem iranischen Kollegen Mohammed Dschawad Sarif dämpften US-Diplomaten die Erwartungen, dass es bis Ende März das geplante Rahmenabkommen zum Teheraner Atomprogramm geben werde.
Ein ranghoher US-Diplomat sagte zum Stand der Gespräche, angestrebt werde nun nur noch eine «Verständigung, die mit einer Vielzahl von Details gefüllt sein muss». Es sei nun an Präsident Barack Obama, darüber zu befinden, ob die erzielten Fortschritte eine ausreichende Grundlage böten, ein endgültiges Abkommen bis Ende Juni zu erreichen, sagte der Diplomat. Die nächste amerikanisch-iranische Gesprächsrunde sei für den 15. März an einem noch nicht festgelegten Ort vereinbart worden. » | Mittwoch, 04. März 2015
Republikaner torpedieren Obamas Iran-Politik
Die Republikaner im US-Kongress torpedieren weiter Präsident Barack Obamas Atomdiplomatie mit dem Iran. In einem offenen Brief an die iranische Führung warnten 47 republikanische Senatoren, dass es ohne die Zustimmung des Parlaments kein langfristiges Abkommen geben werde. Das Weisse Haus reagierte empört und warf den Abgeordneten vor, sich unzulässig in die Aussenpolitik einzumischen. » | Dienstag, 10. März 2015
Inside Libya: How Battle for Oil Has Left Country Close to Collapse
Libya will "run out of money" in 18 months despite once being one of Africa's richest countries, officials have told The Telegraph as internecine fighting grinds its oil and gas industry to a halt.
Mashala Zwai, the oil minister for one of Libya's two rival governments, warned that the country was becoming "a second Somalia".
"This is a critical time in a critical situation," said Mr Zwai, speaking from the Tripoli offices of the National Oil Corporation, which manages Libya's energy sector. "By next year the state will not be able to pay Libyans' salaries."
Oil battlefields
With the government split into two rival authorities, Libya's oil installations are becoming battlefields where affiliated militias vie for power.
They are also the focus of attacks by Islamist extremists, including a local branch of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), who are thriving in the country's state of lawlessness. » | Ruth Sherlock, near Sidra, Libya, video by Sam Tarling | Monday, March 09, 2015
Obama Mocks Republican Letter to Iran over Nuclear Talks
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| Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, was the lead author of the letter to Iranian leaders |
He said the 47 senators made an "unusual coalition" with Iran's hard-line religious leaders.
The letter reminds Iran that any deal is just an executive agreement unless it gets congressional approval.
Talks on Iran's nuclear programme are at a critical stage, with an outline agreement due on 31 March. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, March 09, 2015
Monday, March 09, 2015
Japan Must Face Up to Its Shameful Second World War Past like Germany Did, Says Angela Merkel
Japan must face up to its actions during the Second World War if it is serious about building better relations with its neighbours, Angela Merkel warned on Monday.
The German chancellor is on a two-day official to Japan, but her comments are unlikely to be welcomed by Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, whose conservative views on Tokyo’s war crimes are under scrutiny.
“Germany was lucky to be accepted in the community of nations after the horrible experience that the world had to meet with Germany during the period of National Socialism (Nazism) and the Holocaust,” Mrs Merkel said in a public lecture hosted by the left-leaning Asahi newspaper.
“This was possible first because Germany did face its past squarely, but also because the Allied Powers who controlled Germany after the Second World War would attach great importance to Germany coming to grips with its past.”
“One of the great achievements of the time certainly was reconciliation between Germany and France ... The French have given just as valuable a contribution as the Germans have.” » | Julian Ryall in Tokyo | Monday, March 09, 2015
Greece's Defence Minister Threatens to Send Migrants Including Jihadists to Western Europe
Greece will unleash a “wave of millions of economic migrants” and jihadists on Europe unless the eurozone backs down on austerity demands, the country[‘s] defence and foreign ministers have threatened.
The threat comes as Greece struggles to convince the eurozone and International Monastery Fund to continue payments on a £172billion bailout of Greek finances.
Without the funding, Greece will go bust later this month forcing the recession-ravaged and highly[-]indebted country out of the EU’s single currency.
Greece’s borders with Turkey is the EU’s frontline against illegal immigration and European measures to stop extremists travelling to and from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) bases in Syria and Iraq.
Panos Kammenos, the Greek defence minister, warned that if the eurozone allowed Greece to go bust it would give EU travel papers to illegal immigrants crossing its borders or the 10,000 currently held in detention centres. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Monday, March 09, 2015
Saudi Man Faces Death for Ripping Up Koran, Renouncing Islam
The Saudi Gazette reported the unnamed man in his 20s posted a video online on the social networking site, Keek, where he ripped up a copy of the Koran, hit it with a shoe and cursed Allah and the Islamic Prophet Mohammad – all considered crimes in the Saudi Kingdom. Under Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi system of Islamic Sharia law, those convicted of crimes of apostasy receive the death penalty, often carried out by public beheading.
One of the United States’ key allies in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has received a criticism over lack of transparency in its legal proceedings and utilization of beheadings as the main method of execution. Last August, NBC reported that the Kingdom’s rate of executions had increased to one per day and, last month, a top Saudi official protested over comparisons between the county and ISIS. However, Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki, told NBC News that Saudi criminal punishments were legitimate because they are based on "a decision made by a court" as opposed to ISIS' "arbitrary" killings. " » | FoxNews.com | Monday, March 09, 2015
Using Sign Language, ISIS Appeals to the Deaf
The Islamic State released a new recruitment video over the weekend in an attempt to court a new group – the deaf. The video shows two militants from the organization's ranks – both deaf themselves – addressing the audience in sign language. (+ video) » | Roi Kais | Monday, March 09, 2015
'Jihadi John' Issues Apology - For 'Shaming His Parents'
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| "Jihadi John" a.k.a. Mohammed Emwazi is sorry - for upsetting his parents |
Mohammed Emwazi, the man revealed as ISIS executioner "Jihadi John", has reportedly written a letter to his family apologizing for "shaming" them - but not for his murderous acts.
According to the UK's Sunday Times, Emwazi sent a letter to his family - who, since he was outed as the face behind the black-clad jihadi killer have fled Britain back to Kuwait - in which he said he was sorry for the "problems and trouble the revelation of his identity has caused."
The letter reached his family via a third party from Syria, where Mohammed is based.
But notably he did not express any remorse whatsoever for the gruesome beheadings of a series of western and Japanese hostages, mainly aid-workers and journalists. » | Ari Soffer | Monday, March 09, 2015
The Time When Americans Drank All Day Long
The Puritans get a bad rap in America - especially when it comes to alcohol. They are generally blamed for putting the dampeners on any form of fun, and many people assume that it was the nation's puritanical roots coming to the surface when Prohibition was introduced in 1917.
But while they weren't exactly party animals, a new exhibition at the US National Archives reveals that the Puritans actually approved of drink.
"One of the things we understand now is that the initial ship that came over from England to Massachusetts Bay actually carried more beer than water," says Bruce Bustard, senior curator of Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History.
In fact Increase Mather, a prominent Puritan minister of the period, delivered a sermon in which he described alcohol as being "a good creature of God" - although the drunkard was "of the devil."
Early Americans even took a healthful dram for breakfast, whiskey was a typical lunchtime tipple, ale accompanied supper and the day ended with a nightcap. Continuous imbibing clearly built up a tolerance as most Americans in 1790 consumed an average 5.8 gallons of pure alcohol a year. » | Jane O’Brien | BBC News, Washington | Sunday, March 08, 2015
Sunday, March 08, 2015
La lutte pour le contrôle de l’or noir devient féroce
Quatre champs pétroliers ont été attaqués ces derniers jours. Sept étrangers auraient été kidnappés et huit gardes tués. La Libye, 12e producteur mondial de pétrole, devient peu à peu un enfer pour les compagnies pétrolières. L’insécurité se mêle à une forte baisse de production avec 531 000 barils par jour en février contre 1,7 million en 2010.
Bahi, Dahra et Ghani- dans le bassin de Syrte, ont été visés. Vendredi, huit gardes ont été tués dans une nouvelle offensive contre Ghani où travaille Petro-Canada. Sept étrangers, dont un Tchèque et un Australien, auraient été kidnappés. Aucune de ces actions n’a été revendiquée, mais le gouvernement de Tobrouk pointe du doigt l’Etat Islamique, bien implanté dans la région. Son rival basé à Tripoli accuse les kadhafistes. » | De Maryline Dumas, Tripoli | dimanche 08 mars 2015
Austria Defends New Law on Foreign Funding of Mosques
Austria’s foreign minister has rejected criticism of the country’s new law on Islam aimed at cutting off foreign influence and funding, arguing that the legislation should become a model for the rest of Europe.
In an interview with the Guardian, Sebastian Kurz, whose role in the Austrian government also includes the portfolio for social integration, took particular aim at the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, suggesting Erdogan’s opposition to the law was motivated by fear of losing political influence on Austrian Muslims.
“I‘m not surprised by the criticism from President Erdoğan. This was to be expected,” Kurz said. “In our opinion, imams should be role models for young Muslims and must show that it is possible to be a proud Austrian and a believing Muslim at the same time and so there will be no need for Turkish imams in the future.
“And this is maybe the point why Erdoğan is so critical about our Islam law. At the moment we have more than 60 imams from Turkey and in the future we will have our own Austrian imams,” Kurz said. “It will not be possible in the future to have imams employed by the Turkish government.” » | Julian Borger Diplomatic editor | Sunday, March 08, 2015
Präsidentenwahl in Frankreich: Premier Valls warnt vor Sieg der Rechtspopulisten
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| Frankreichs Premier Valls: "Ich habe Angst um mein Land" |
Paris - Frankreichs Premierminister Manuel Valls hat vor einem Siegeszug des rechtsextremen Front National (FN) gewarnt. Es sei nicht auszuschließen, dass der FN schon die kommende Präsidentschaftswahl im Jahr 2017 gewinnen könnte, sagte der Regierungschef im TV-Interview bei iTéle. » | vek/AFP | Sonntag, 08. März 2015
Blogger Lashing: Saudi Rejects Criticism of Badawi Case
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| Raif Badawi's punishment has drawn condemnation around the world |
In its first official statement on the case the foreign ministry said it rejected any interference in its internal affairs.
Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail last year.
He received the first 50 lashes in January prompting strong criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
The foreign ministry said it could not accept any impingement on the country's sovereignty, or on the impartiality of its judiciary system.
"The kingdom unequivocally rejects any aggression under the pretext of human rights," it added. » | Sunday, March 08, 2015
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Saudi-Arabien-Reise: Gabriel setzt sich für Blogger Badawi ein: Heikle Mission für den SPD-Chef: Bei seiner Saudi-Arabien-Reise kritisiert Sigmar Gabriel die harte Strafe für den Blogger Badawi - und irritiert mit der klaren Haltung die Scheichs. » | Von Gerald Traufetter, Riad | Sonntag, 08. März 2015
President Obama Pays Tribute at Selma, 50 Years On
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Extremism in Britain: Now the Crackdown Is Launched
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| Police escort an Islamist demonstrator marching to protest outside the US embassy in London |
The Government is planning a series of tough new measures to combat the growing threat from Islamist extremists.
A leaked draft of the Home Office’s new counter-extremism strategy, seen by The Telegraph, targets Sharia courts and calls for a ban on radicals working unsupervised with children over fears the young could be brainwashed.
Other measures include a requirement that staff at job centres identify vulnerable claimants who may become targets for radicalisation, after public outrage at people who hate Britain being able to live off the state.
There will also be an introduction of penalties in the benefits system to make people learn English to improve their integration into British society.
The rules on granting citizenship will also be tightened to ensure new residents embrace “British values”.
The crackdown is part of a new “get tough” strategy to deal with the perceived growing threat to the UK from Islamist extremists. » | Andrew Gilligan, Robert Mendick | Saturday, March 07, 2015
Egyptian TV Host Ahmed Moussa: The US, Turkey, and Qatar Constitute the Axis of Evil
ISIS Reportedly Demolishing Another Ancient Archaeological Site In Iraq
An official with the ministry of tourism and antiquities' archaeological division in Mosul told The Associated Press that multiple residents living near Hatra heard two large explosions Saturday morning, then reported seeing bulldozers begin demolishing the site. He spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal.
Saeed Mamuzini, a Kurdish official from Mosul, told the AP that the militants had begun carrying away artifacts from Hatra as early as Thursday and on Saturday, began to destroy the 2,000-year-old city. » | FoxNews.com | Saturday, March 07, 2015
DIE WELT: Terrormiliz zerstört weitere Kulturstätte im Irak: Die Ruinen der jahrtausendealten Stadt al-Hadra nahe Mossul sind der Terrorgruppe Islamischer Staat zum Opfer gefallen. Es ist bereits die zweite Zerstörungsaktion dieser Art binnen weniger Wochen. » | dpa/tan | Samstag, 07. März 2015
LE POINT: Les vestiges archéologiques de Hatra, nouvelle cible de l'organisation État islamique : Après des statues et des sculptures du musée de Mossoul, le groupe terroriste État islamique (EI) entreprend de raser cette cité vieille de 2 000 ans. » | 6Medias | samedi 07 mars 2015
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