Obama kritisiert Netanyahu öffentlich

DIE PRESSE: Der US-Präsident greift den wiedergewählten Regierungschef für seine harte Haltung gegenüber den Palästinensern an und setzt sich für eine schnelle Einigung im Atomstreit mit dem Iran ein.

US-Präsident Barack Obama hat den israelischen Regierungschef Benjamin Netanyahu öffentlich für seinen Wahlkampf kritisiert. Die von Netanyahu kurz vor dem Urnengang gemachten Äußerungen über arabische Wähler stünden im Gegensatz zum "Besten", was der israelischen Tradition eigen sei, sagte Obama der "Huffington Post" vom Samstag. Netanyahu hatte kurz vor der Wahl auf seiner Facebook-Seite vor "Scharen" arabischer Wähler gewarnt, die der Opposition zum Sieg verhelfen könnten. » | APA/dpa | Sonntag, 22. März 2015

L'extrême droite européenne réunie en Russie

LE POINT: Une dizaine de partis de l'extrême droite européenne, pour certains réputés néo-nazis, se sont réunis dimanche à l'invitation d'une formation pro-Kremlin.

Des représentants d'une dizaine de partis de l'extrême droite européenne, pour certains réputés néo-nazis, se sont réunis dimanche en Russie lors d'un forum organisé par une formation pro-Kremlin, défendant les "valeurs traditionnelles" familiales et critiquant les sanctions contre Moscou liées à la crise ukrainienne.

Près de 150 membres de mouvements nationalistes, comme les partis d'inspiration néo-nazie grec Aube dorée et allemand NPD ou le parti bulgare Ataka, réputé pour sa rhétorique violente anti-minorités, ont discuté du "soutien des valeurs traditionnelles" familiales défendues par Vladimir Poutine, du conflit en Ukraine ou encore de la politique "orgueilleuse" des États-Unis. » | Source AFP | dimanche 22 mars 2015

New Dark Age Alert! Malaysian Parties Chase Islamic Vote with 'Death by Stoning' Law

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Kuala Lumpur: Six months after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak stood before the United Nations and urged Muslims worldwide to be moderate in their religion, members of his own party are supporting a law that punishes adulterers with death and thieves with amputation.

Lawmakers from Mr Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) joined the opposition Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) to pass Islamic criminal law, or hudud, in the opposition-held state of Kelantan.

The move has drawn criticism from other parties in their respective coalitions, while human rights groups say it's an unconstitutional step for secular Malaysia. » | Niluksi Koswanage and Liau Y-Sing | Monday, March 23, 2015

Australia a Puzzling Hotbed of Islamic State Recruiting

SALON: CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A nightclub bouncer who reportedly became a terror group leader. A man who tweeted a photo of his young son clutching a severed head. A teenager who is believed to have turned suicide bomber, and others suspected of attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State movement. All of them, Australian.

The London-based International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence reports that between 100 and 250 Australians have joined Sunni militants in Iraq and Syria. Given Australia’s vast distance from the region and its population of just 24 million, it is a remarkable number. The center estimates that about 100 fighters came from the United States, which has more than 13 times as many people as Australia.

Experts disagree about why Islamic State has been so effective recruiting in Australia, which is widely regarded as a multicultural success story, with an economy in an enviable 24th year of continuous growth.

Possible explanations include that some Australian Muslims are poorly integrated with the rest of the country, and that Islamic State recruiters have given Australia particular attention. In addition, the Australian government failed to keep tabs on some citizens who had been radicalized, and moderate Muslims have been put off by some of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s comments about their community.

Greg Barton, a global terrorism expert at Monash University in Melbourne, said Australia and some other countries underestimated Islamic State’s “pull factor.”

“We’re all coming to terms with the fact that this is a formidable targeter and predatory recruiter that goes after individuals one by one with a very masterful use of technology, and our sense of confidence that because we’ve got society working well makes us secure misses the point,” Barton said. » | Rod McGuirk, Associated Press | Sunday, March 22, 2015

‘In Islam, They Are All Rotten Apples’: Activist Ex-Muslim

NEW YORK POST: There was a time when author and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali believed it all: that, according to Islam, the infidel should die, that the Koran is infallible, that those who violated sharia law — thieves, gays, adulterers — deserved to be stoned to death or beheaded, as they were each Friday in a public gathering place she and her brother called “Chop-Chop Square.”

Today, she is that rare thing: a public intellectual who, despite death threats and charges of bigotry, calls for an end to Islam — not just as the faithful know it, but as we in the West think we know it.

“The assumption is that, in Islam, there are a few rotten apples, not the entire basket,” Ali tells The Post. “I’m saying it’s the entire basket.”

In her book, “Heretic,” Ali argues for a complete reformation of Islam, akin to the Protestant reformation of the 16th century. Though her own education led her to reject Islam and declare herself an atheist, she believes that for the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims, there must be another way.

“If you are a child brought up to believe that Islam is a source of morality” — as she was, in Africa and Saudi Arabia — “the Muslim framework presents you with the Koran and the hijab. I don’t want to be cruel and say, ‘You grow up and you snap out of it.’ But maybe we who have snapped out of it have not done our best to appeal to those still in it,” she says. » | Maureen Callaghan | Sunday, March 22, 2015

The Baroness, Islamic Extremists and a Question of Free Speech

'The Creator is the one who should decide what the laws
should be,' said Abu Essa Niamatullah

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Two groups campaigning to get British Muslims involved in the election are "clever fronts" to win political access and influence for Islamists holding extreme views, writes Andrew Gilligan.

At first glance, it looks admirable: two closely connected campaigns, called YouElect and Mend (Muslim Engagement and Development), to get British Muslims involved and voting in this year’s general election.

Mend says it is “creating and supporting an environment in which British Muslims can confidently and critically engage in politics”. One of YouElect’s leaders, Jamil Rashid, told the Islam Channel: “We’re all part of this society, so I think it’s extremely important that Muslims stand up and be counted.” Who could disagree? That, no doubt, is why the Electoral Commission has made Mend an “official partner” in registering Muslim voters for the coming campaign; why at least 10 Labour and Tory MPs joined the launch of Mend’s “Muslim manifesto” in the Commons earlier this month; and why even Lynton Crosby, the Conservative campaign director, addressed a Mend fringe meeting at last year’s Tory conference.

Mend also holds events with police chiefs, gets funding from the EU and is a “key partner” in the Hacked Off campaign for state-backed controls on the press. The truth, however, is that these distinguished bodies and people have been conned. Both Mend and YouElect are clever fronts to win political access and influence for Islamists holding extreme and anti-democratic views.

When not giving reassuring interviews, Mr Rashid is a director of the London-based Muslim Research and Development Foundation, the think tank of one of Britain’s most notorious hate preachers, Haitham al-Haddad, an extremist cleric and Sharia judge from east London.

Haddad describes democracy as “filthy”, regards music as a “prohibited and fake message of love and peace”, states that Jews and Christians are the “enemies of Allah” who will “all go to hellfire” and advises Muslims not to “integrate … as simple as that”.

On March 6, Mr Rashid spoke at a rally organised by Cage, the pro-terrorist lobby group which had the week before provoked outrage by describing Mohammed Emwazi, “Jihadi John”, as a “kind and gentle” man who had been “radicalised by MI5”. He described Cage as “the leaders in our community – we are all Cage, and we stand with them in all their endeavours”. Ismail Patel, the director of YouElect, is also spokesman for the British Muslim Initiative, closely linked to Hamas, the terrorist group which wants to destroy Israel, and the Muslim Brotherhood, which wants to replace secular democratic government with a caliphate under Islamic law.

Then there is Mend. It, too, has defended Cage, accusing the media of trying to discredit the group after the “Jihadi John” episode. It, too, has links to Haddad, who, despite his views on democracy, has appeared in a Mend video urging Muslims to vote. He has said in the past that voting may be permissible to return a Muslim majority government in “50 years, something like this” as a prelude to “Islam spreading all over the world”.

Mend is next month launching an election tour, to “reinforce the importance of electoral participation” and encourage Muslims to go to the ballot box. A star speaker at five of the six events listed will be Abu Eesa Niamatullah, another British extremist who opposes democracy. » | Andrew Gilligan | Sunday, March 22, 2015

Pentagon Investigates 'IS Online Threat' to US Military

BBC AMERICA: The US defence department says it is investigating an online threat allegedly made by Islamic State (IS) to about 100 of its military personnel.

A list of names and addresses was posted on a website linked to the group alongside a call for them to be killed.

The group said it obtained the information by hacking servers and databases but US officials said most of the data was in the public domain.

A US security source told the BBC that those on the list were being contacted.

The group, which called itself the Islamic State Hacking Division, said the personnel named had participated in US missions against IS.

It urged its supporters in the US to "take the final step" and "deal with" those named. » | Saturday, March 21, 2015

Der Umgang mit dem Islam in der Schweiz

VIMENTIS: Seit einigen Jahren hat sich die Wahrnehmung von Muslimen weltweit und in der Schweiz verändert. Der Umgang mit Muslimen beschäftigt die Bevölkerung. In der Schweiz gibt es hierzu zwei aktuelle Beispiele: die kantonale Volksinitiative zur Einführung eines Verhüllungsverbotes im Kanton Tessin, das schliesslich Musliminnen das Tragen von Burka und Niqab verbietet. Vergleichsweise hohe Wellen hat 2009 auch die Anti-Minarett-Initiative geworfen. Die am heftigsten diskutierten Themen im Zusammenhang mit dem Islam werden im Folgenden kurz vorgestellt und erläutert.

Muslime in der Schweiz

Der Islam ist nach dem Christentum die zweitgrösste Religion weltweit. In der Schweiz stellen Muslime die viertgrösste Glaubensgemeinschaft dar: nach den aktuellsten Zahlen von 2011 sind dies 320'958 Musliminnen und Muslime. Diese Zahl ist seit der Erhebung von 2000 praktisch konstant geblieben. Während den grossen Einwanderungswellen ab den 1970er sowie 1990er Jahren sind viele Flüchtlinge und Arbeitskräfte aus muslimischen Ländern in die Schweiz gekommen. Etwa 90% der hier lebenden Muslime stammen somit ursprünglich aus dem Balkan und der Türkei. Insofern überwiegt in der Schweiz ein europäisch geprägter Islam. An der Gesamtbevölkerung bemessen machen Muslime nach den Berechnungen des Bundes heute rund 4.5% der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung aus. Die Mehrheit lebt in den Städten, rund ein Drittel besitzt den Schweizer Pass und etwa die Hälfte spricht eine Landessprache als ihre Hauptsprache.

Es ist wichtig zu betonen, dass die Muslime in der Schweiz weder ethnisch und kulturell noch hinsichtlich ihrer Einwanderungsgründe eine einheitliche Gruppe bilden. Die Bandbreite der Auffassungen ihres Glaubens reicht von weltlichen und modernen bis hin zu streng traditionellen Ansichten.

Nach Schätzungen praktizieren nur 10 bis 15% der Muslime ihren Glauben tatsächlich. Dies liegt in der Grössenordnung der anderen grossen Religionsgemeinschaften in der Schweiz. Die grosse Mehrheit der in der Schweiz lebenden Muslime sind also rein „nominelle“, da sie ihren Glauben nicht praktizieren. Dies heisst allerdings nicht, dass sie nicht gläubig sind. » | Von Ronja Harder | Dienstag, 26. November 2013

University's 'Anti-Semitic' Israel Conference Condemned

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Southampton University's decision to organise a conference questioning Israel's right to exist has been condemned as 'legitimising anti-Semitism'

A leading British university has been condemned for hosting a conference questioning Israel’s right to exist which critics say will legitimise anti-Semitism.

Pressure is growing on Southampton University to cancel the three day event, planned for next month, or face growing anger from academics, politicians and its own fund-raisers.

One prominent lawyer has already said he would think twice before hiring someone from the south coast university.

Mark Lewis, who has represented a string of celebrity clients, said he would look “unfavourably” at CVs sent by graduates of Southampton.

And one of its most respected former alumni has returned his degree in protest and at least one major patron of the university is said to be considering withdrawing funding. » | Patrick Sawer, and Jonny Paul | Saturday, March 21, 2015

Zukunft | CH | Brennpunkt: Die Rückkehr vom Dschihad aus Syrien und Irak zurück nach Europa

Mit in der Sendung sind: Beatrice Gall, Geschäftsführerin der Stiftung Zukunft CH, Daniel Zingg, Islamexperte, Pfr. Hansjürg Stückelberger, Präsident Stiftung Zukunft CH und langjähriger Präsident der Menschenrechtsorganisation CSI M.H., Islamwissenschaftler und Theologe, Prof. Dr. Albert Stahel, Schweizer Politik- und Wirtschaftswissenschafter, Professor für Strategische Studien an der ETH Zürich und der Universität Zürich, Lukas Reimann, Schweizer Nationalrat

Diese Sendung wurde zum Teil in Schweizerdeutsch (Schwyzertüütsch) aufgenommen.

Sweden's Foreign Minister Reviled as an Enemy of the Prophet

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Evidently, Sweden's Foreign Minister was unaware that that by criticizing Islamic sharia customs, such as flogging a blogger a thousand times and the ill-treatment of women, she was, in fact, seen as turning against Islam itself.

There appears to be a genuine but concerning lack of knowledge in the Swedish government about Islam and Islamic affairs.

"It makes no difference what she says. In Islam, it is for Muslims to determine whether or not one has criticized their religion." — Johannes J.G. Jansen, author and historian of Islam.

From a Muslim perspective, any criticism or infringement of sharia law and Muslims' obligation to wage jihad [war in the service of Islam] is a violation of their freedom of religion.

In other words, it is incumbent on Muslims to "terrify" non-Muslims (referring to the Koran 8:60). But when they succeed, Muslim spokesmen accuse their frightened victims of suffering from "Islamophobia," and demand that Western authorities denounce and persecute people beset by the psychiatric malady.

There is nothing, however, to indicate that Margot Wallström and other members of the Swedish government have been driven by fear. They have no knowledge of what orthodox Islam is about, and evidently believe that the religion is benevolent and peaceful, but unfortunately hijacked or misinterpreted by evil men.

As predicted, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström's criticism of "medieval" conditions in Saudi Arabia has caused great parts of the Muslim world to rise up in anger against her and Sweden, the country she represents.

"Almost the entire Muslim world joins in the criticism of Wallström," wrote the Swedish national daily Dagens Nyheter on March 19, adding that around thirty Muslim countries have distanced themselves from Wallström's comments. The Arab League has denounced her for criticizing the lack of human rights in Saudi Arabia, and on Saturday the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which represents 57 Arab and Muslim states, as well as the Palestinians, accused her of having "degraded Saudi Arabia and its social norms, judicial system and political institutions". » | Ingrid Carlqvist and Lars Hedegaard | Saturday, March 21, 2015

Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali Floats Conversion to Judaism

THE JERUSALEM POST: Hirsi Ali says obama [sic] is naïve in his attempt to negotiate a nuclear arms deal with Iran.

Controversial Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali said that she had previously tried to convert to Judaism and suggested that she might attempt to do so again in the future.

At a gathering hosted by Israeli Consul General of New York Ido Aharoni last Thursday, Ali told the crowd that “One day I hope to convert to Judaism,” according to a report by the New York Jewish Week, adding, “I tried it, but it was very difficult.”

Jewish Week Editor and Publisher Gary Rosenblatt, who reported on Hirsi Ali’s comments, noted that it was difficult to tell whether or not she was serious. » | JTA | Saturday, March 21, 2015

Sunni vs. Shia - Differences and Conflict Explained

Sunni and Shia Muslims have enormous conflicts, but the differences between them are frequently misunderstood. The split in Islam after the death of Muhammad is examined, the influence of Ayatollahs, and the political map that is broken down along Shia/Sunni lines are all looked at in this explanation of the wedge in the Muslim world, with Elliot Hill for the Lip News.

Regionalwahlen in Frankreich: Angst vorm Triumphmarsch der Rechten

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Front National könnte bei den französischen Regionalwahlen am Sonntag stärkste Kraft werden. Für Parteichefin Marine Le Pen wäre es eine wichtige Etappe auf dem Weg in den Elysée. Präsident Hollande droht ein Debakel.

Eigentlich gehören die Departementswahlen nicht zu den wichtigsten Terminen in Frankreich: Die zu wählenden Räte kümmern sich hauptsächlich um bürgernahe Anliegen wie Haupt- und Mittelschulen, um Straßen, um Altenheime und Feuerwehr.

Doch am Sonntag und eine Woche später wird es anders sein, das Votum wird zu einer Kraftprobe von nationaler Bedeutung. Die Meinungsforscher erwarten, dass der Front National (FN) erstmals landesweit Ratsposten erobert und in zwei, drei Departements sogar die Führung übernimmt. FN-Chefin Marine Le Pen setzt auf eine "Marine-blaue Springflut", die Frankreich überspülen wird. Den regierenden Sozialisten von Staatschef François Hollande droht dagegen ein Debakel. » | Von Stefan Simons, Paris | Samstag, 21. März 2015

Iran Nuclear Talks: Deal Can Be Reached, Says Rouhani

Mr Rouhani said "shared points of view" had emerged
in latest round of talks

BBC AMERICA: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says that progress made in nuclear talks means a final deal can be reached.

"There is nothing that cannot be resolved," although some differences still remain, Iranian state media quoted him as saying.

US Secretary of State John Kerry also said that "substantial progress" had been made in the talks.

Six world powers are negotiating a deal with Iran aimed at limiting its nuclear activity, with a late March deadline.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes but world powers fear it has military ambitions.

Mr Rouhani said that in the current round of talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, "shared points of view emerged in some of the areas where there had been a difference of opinion".

They could become "a foundation for a final agreement", he said, according to state news agency Irna. » | Saturday, March 21, 2015

Autorin als "Feind Allahs" beschimpft und verprügelt

Thriller sind ihre Spezialität: Schriftstellerin Astrid Korten

DIE WELT: Astrid Korten schreibt Kriminalromane, in einem davon geht es um einen "Ehrenmord". Nach einer Lesung wird die 53-Jährige von jungen Männern überfallen, geschlagen und als "Feind Allahs" beschimpft.

Die körperlichen Schmerzen, gerade am Magen, die nehmen allmählich ab, das wird schon wieder. Astrid Korten nimmt Schmerzmittel, die helfen ganz gut. Viel schlimmer ist im Moment noch die seelische und mentale Aufarbeitung. Der Schock, das Entsetzen darüber, was ihr vor zehn Tagen widerfahren ist. Das Verdauen des Erlebten. Als die Schriftstellerin in Leipzig am Vorabend der Buchmesse von zwei Männern überfallen wurde, attackiert und getreten – kurz nachdem sie aus ihrem neuen Buch eine Passage gelesen hatte, in der es um einen "Ehrenmord" geht.

Bei dem Angriff beschimpfte sie einer der beiden Männer als "Feind Allahs".

Mehr als eine Woche lang hatte Astrid Korten still gehalten. Nichts gesagt darüber. "Ich wollte den Übergriff zunächst tot schweigen", erklärt sie, "um mich und andere zu schützen." Nun aber entschied sie sich nach langem Überlegen, nach Tagen des Zweifels, doch an die Öffentlichkeit zu gehen und darüber zu sprechen. "Ich lasse mich nicht mundtot machen", sagt sie. Deswegen hat sie ihr Schweigen gebrochen und erzählt hier zum allerersten Mal von den Vorfällen des 11. März. » | Von Florian Kinast | Freitag, 20. Marz 2015

Benghazi Committee Officially Requests Hillary Clinton Surrender Her Email Server

The committee investigating Benghazi formally requested Friday that Hillary Rodham Clinton turn her email server over to an independent third party so it can be scrutinized to determine whether she and the Obama administration complied with open-records laws. Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy sent a letter to the former secretary of state's personal lawyer making the request,…

DANIEL PIPES: Islam Bulldozes the Past

The recent bulldozing by the Islamic State (ISIS) of the ancient cities of Nimrud, Hatra, and Korsabad, three of the world's greatest archaeological and cultural sites, is just this group latest round of assaults across the large area under its control. Since January 2014, the flamboyantly barbaric ISIS has blown up Shi'i mosques, bulldozed churches, pulverized…

The Most Dangerous Isis Propaganda Yet? Jihadi Brides with M5s, Fighters Relaxing and Children Playing Used to Present Caliphate as a Utopia

THE INDEPENDENT: The reality of life under Isis is brutal for both fighters and civilians

Much attention is paid to the extreme, distressing and sadistic propaganda disseminated by Isis, who go to great lengths to circulate violent images and videos of the atrocities it commits.

Yet little attention is paid to what could arguably be considered to be the most dangerous propaganda emerging from the group – the pictures and videos that attempt to normalise and even glamorise life within Isis. It is these pictures that are used as a recruiting tool for the extremist group. » | Heather Saul | Friday, March 20, 2015

In Vienna, a Bid to Foster 'Islam of the Austrian Kind'

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: European countries are watching closely Austria's governance of Islam, a faith under the spotlight after recent terror attacks in Paris and Copenhagen. Austria's ban on foreign funding of preachers has raised concerns.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA — A controversial legal reform on Islam in Austria could become a beacon of hope in Europe as it rushes to assimilate its growing Muslim population in an age of insecurity and Islamophobia.

Austrian lawmakers say their aim is to create a democratic, self-sufficient Islam free of radical influence from abroad, thus defusing populist fears about the faith and its minority of extremist followers. To that end, the reform fortifies the legal rights of Muslims, while also banning foreign funding for mosques in an attempt to create what Austria’s foreign minister Sebastian Kurz has dubbed “Islam of the Austrian kind.”

These are the same goals shared broadly across Europe, among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. But Austria’s fast-track approach – coming after Islamist extremist attacks in France and Denmark and amid continued fear of returning European jihadists – is also troubling. While it gives Muslims new protections, such as mandating a right to Islamic pastoral care in hospitals and the military, it places limits on the faith in a way that Muslim leaders says is counterproductive at best, and deeply discriminatory at worst.

At least two faith-based groups have vowed to challenge it in court. For its part, Austria’s far-right Freedom Party criticizes the law as not going far enough. And, in a recent Austrian newspaper poll, more than half of respondents said they feared the radicalization of Muslims here. » | Sara Miller Llana, Staff writer | Friday, March 20, 2015

White House: Obama’s Nowruz Message to Iran, Iranians

۱۳۹۴ پیام نوروزی پرزیدنت اوباما به مناسبت نوروز

Ben Carson Forgets Balts Are in NATO, Dates Islam to Before Christ in Flubbed FP Interview

White House Plots New Snub to Bibi with UN Resolution to Force Peace Talks on Palestine

DAILY MAIL: Obama may end US opposition to a UN Security Council resolution designed to force Israel into a two-state solution with Palestinians / White House is upset that Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected, especially on the U-turn promise that he wouldn't agree to a Palestinian state / Palestinian Authority threatened to file war crimes charges against Israel in the International Criminal Court, related to rocket attacks last summer / US Congress would cut $400 million in annual aid to the PA is it followed through / Obama's spokesman refused to characterize the president's reaction to Netanyahu's reelection on Thursday / He would only say that the Israeli PM's comments on Palestine had lead the president and his advisers to 'evaluate what our path is forward'

The White House is reportedly considering a new power play in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would paint Benjamin Netanyahu into a corner just days after his stunning come-from-behind victory in his country's hotly contested elections.

In the final days of campaigning, Netanyahu vowed in an historic U-turn that his government would never agree to the creation of a Palestinian state. But now President Barack Obama is contemplating using the United Nations as a trump card to force the issue.

Under a plan outlined by Foreign Policy magazine, the U.S. State Department would ease away from decades of opposition to a Security Council resolution demanding peace talks and a final rapprochement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The White House cautiously avoided commenting on its future plans on Thursday when it was bombarded with questions by reporters on the topic, saying only that it would 'evaluate what our path is forward' is in light of Netanyahu's comments. » | David Martosko, U.S Political Editor and Francesca Chambers for DailyMail.com | Thursday, March 19, 2015

The Islamist Struggle Behind Tunisia's Suicide Bombings

The Battle for Bizerte: The ongoing struggle between Tunisia's ultra-conservative Islamists and democratic Government

Wie Saudi-Arabien deutschen Salafismus finanziert

Hat Einreiseverbot im Schengen-Raum: Der "Tom Cruise des
Salfismus", Muhammad al-Arifi

DIE WELT: Saudi-Arabien schickt radikale Imame in deutsche Salafistenmoscheen – die Scheichs werden hier wie Popstars verehrt. Manchmal haben die Vorbeter mehr als warme Worte im Gepäck.

Muhammad al-Arifi ist ein Star. Seine Fans liegen dem saudi-arabischen Scheich zu Füßen. An Freitagen sogar im Wortsinne: Dann steht der sunnitische Imam vor mehreren Hundert Gläubigen, die sich gen Mekka neigen, in einer prächtigen Moschee in Riad und leitet die Gemeinde zum Mittagsgebet. Er trägt eine weiße Robe mit Kapuze, aus der sein langer Fusselbart herausschaut.

Seine Botschaften an die Gläubigen: Polygamie sei kein Problem, der Prophet habe schließlich auch mehrere Ehefrauen gehabt. Regelmäßig bete er für Osama Bin Ladens Seele, denn der sei Opfer einer weltweiten Rufmordkampagne. Der Dschihad in Syrien müsse unterstützt werden – weshalb al-Arifi gern zu Geldspenden aufruft für die Kämpfer gegen die von ihm so gehassten Schiiten. » | Von Eva Marie Kogel | Dienstag, 17. März 2015

Une Afghane lynchée pour avoir brûlé le coran

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Châtiment – Accusée d'avoir brûlé un exemplaire du coran, une femme afghane a été battue à mort et brûlée par une foule en colère à Kaboul.

Une femme afghane accusée d'avoir brûlé un exemplaire du coran a été battue à mort et brûlée par la foule à Kaboul ce jeudi 19 mars , a annoncé le chef de la police criminelle de Kaboul, le général Farid Afzali. Le corps de la victime a été jetée dans une rivière. » | jeudi 19 mars 2015

Small Town Divided after High School Broadcasts Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic to the Outrage of Some Parents and Students

DAILY MAIL: Pine Bush High School in Upstate New York celebrated National Foreign Languages Week by reading the pledge in different tongues / Administrators were forced to apologize after the reading in Arabic stirred outrage in some parents and students / The pledge will henceforth only be read in English, officials said

A small town in Upstate New York stands divided after their high school's decision on Wednesday to broadcast the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic.

It was meant as a way to celebrate National Foreign Languages Week--each day, the announcements and pledge at Pine Bush High School would be recited in a different tongue.

However, the outrage it caused in some students and parents quickly forced administrators to issue an apology and a promise to henceforth only recite the Pledge of Allegiance in English.

Now, lines have been drawn in Pine Bush (pop. 1,600) as some students and teachers are outraged that an apology was issued at all while others applaud the decision and say the pledge should never have been recited in a language other than English. » | Josh Gardner for DailyMail.com | Thursday, March 19, 2015

IS bekennt sich zu Anschlag in Tunis

TAGES ANZEIGER: Die blutige Attacke in der tunesischen Hauptstadt hätten «Ritter des Islamischen Staates» ausgeführt, heisst es in einer Botschaft. Darin wurde zudem das betroffene Bardo-Museum verunglimpft.

Die Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) hat sich zum Anschlag auf ausländische Touristen in Tunis bekannt. In einer heute im Internet verbreiteten Audiobotschaft wurden die Angreifer als «Ritter des Islamischen Staates» gewürdigt.

In einer Erklärung der sunnitischen Fanatiker vom so genannten Islamischen Staat war die Rede von einer «geheiligten Invasion in einen Unterschlupf der Ungläubigen und des Lasters im muslimischen Tunesien». » | rub/sda | Donnerstag, 19. März 2015

Saudiarabien lässt keine Schweden mehr ins Land

Kritisiert die saudische Gesellschaftsstruktur: Die schwedische
Aussenministerin, Margot Wallstroem, spricht vor der
UNO über sexuelle Gewalt. (10 Juni 2011)

TAGES ANZEIGER: Da die Aussenministerin Schwedens unter anderem die Stellung der Frau in Saudiarabien kritisiert hatte, stellen die Behörden keine Visa mehr für Schweden aus.

Saudiarabien will schwedischen Staatsbürgern keine Visa mehr ausstellen oder verlängern, weil Aussenministerin Margot Wallström die Menschenrechtslage in dem Golfstaat kritisiert hatte. » | pst/sda | Donnerstag, 19. März 2015

Tunisian Authorities Arrest Nine People Following Wednesday's Deadly Museum Attack

Tunisian authorities said Thursday that they arrested nine people directly connected with Wednesday's deadly museum attack. Authorities raised the death toll to 23 in the shooting at Tunisia's National Bardo Museum, with 50 people estimated to be wounded. Although no group has claimed responsibility, security experts said it is likely to be Islamic State sympathizers who…

Benjamin Netanyahu Win Forces Obama to Re-evaluate Middle East Peace Strategy

Prime Minister's Benjamin Netanyahu's decisive election win triggered a sharp reaction Wednesday from the Obama White House, which skipped the customary congratulations to warn that the Israeli leader's eleventh-hour campaign promise to block the creation of a Palestinian state has forced the administration to re-evaluate its overall strategy toward the Middle East peace process. "This administration…

No Mention of Islam, Mr. Cameron? David Cameron Speaks after Briton Killed in Tunisia Museum Attack

David Cameron says his heart goes out to the family of Sally Adey, the Briton killed in an attack on the Bardo national museum in Tunis which he calls an 'appalling, brutal outrage'. The prime minister says terrorism must be fought 'with everything we have' and says he is confident that values such as freedom of speech, democracy and rule of law will prevail in the fight against extremism

Global War Will Result in 'Banner of Islam' over White House: Khamenei Aide

A top special operations aide to Iran's leader says his troops are in a global war that will one day bring "the banner of Islam over the White House." Ali Shirazi is the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's representative on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, the overseas operations branch that trained Iraqi Shiites to kill…

Danish Nationalists to Help Muslims Leave Islam

SPUTNIK NEWS: The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party calls for a national program to help Muslims leave Islam.

Danish People's Party spokesman Martin Henriksen wants to see the state step in and offer help to Muslims who want to give up on their religion but feel bullied into staying, The Local reported. » | Tuesday, March 17, 2015

L'Arabie Saoudite défend sa «justice pour tous»

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Droits humains – En réponse aux critiques d'une ministre suédoise liées à la flagellation du blogueur Raef Badaoui, Ryad a répliqué que «la liberté d'expression est garantie pour tous à l'intérieur du cadre de la charia».

L'Arabie saoudite a assuré lundi 16 mars garantir une «justice pour tous», en réponse aux critiques proférées par la ministre suédoise des Affaires étrangères à la suite de la flagellation du blogueur Raef Badaoui.

Margot Wallström avait dénoncé début mars les «méthodes moyenâgeuses» de la justice saoudienne contre Raef Badaoui, flagellé pour «insulte envers l'islam».

Ryad avait alors qualifié d'«ingérence flagrante» ces déclarations et rappelé son ambassadeur à Stockholm.

Égalité entre les sexes

Le gouvernement saoudien a «renouvelé (lundi) sa condamnation de ces déclarations insultantes». Le système judiciaire du royaume est «basé sur l'islam et assure la justice pour tous», a affirmé le ministre de la Culture et de l'Information Adel ben Zaid al-Toraifi à l'agence de presse officielle SPA.

«La liberté d'expression est garantie pour tous à l'intérieur du cadre de la charia», la loi islamique, a-t-il encore dit. » | lundi 16 mars 2015

Now ISIS Tears Down the Cross: Chilling Photographs Reveal How Islamic State Thugs Have Ravaged Christian Churches

MAIL ONLINE: ISIS militants pictured toppling crosses and smashing relics in Nineveh / Latest evidence of ISIS trying to cleanse caliphate of Christian heritage / Also attacked ancient city of Nimrud and 2000-year-old fortress city Hatra

Shocking new images released today have shown ISIS terrorists toppling crosses, smashing Christian relics with hammers and erecting the black flag of ISIS on churches in Iraq.

The latest photos show the militants vandalising churches in Nineveh, the ancient capital of the Assyrian empire.

Pictured in civilian clothing, the ISIS thugs are seen overturning statues, destroying religious icons and replacing Christian crosses with the chilling ISIS banner.

The disturbing images - provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) - are the latest evidence of ISIS trying to cleanse its caliphate of its Christian heritage. » | Thomas Burrows for MailOnline | Monday, March 16, 2015

Leptis Magna: War-torn Libya's Forgotten Ancient Roman City

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As Libya's war keeps foreign visitors away, the Roman Empire's magnificent capital in Africa lies forgotten, with weeds growing among the cracks of the cobbled stones

For over 900 years Leptis Magna – once the pride of the Roman Empire in Africa – lay hidden, forgotten by man, beneath Libya’s sand dunes.

Now, excavated and magnificent on a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Leptis Magna stands, once again, alone and almost entirely abandoned.

As political instability besets Libya, the theatre, parliament and wide, straight, cobbled roads of the “best preserved” Roman city in the world are devoid of tourists.

“We haven’t had any tourists since the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011,” said Osama Krema, a Libyan tour guide working at the site. “Occasionally aid workers staying in the country come to visit. They factor in only half an hour initially. » | Ruth Sherlock, Leptis Magna, video by Sam Tarling | Monday, March 16, 2015

Netanjahu schließt eigenen Palästinenserstaat aus

Spricht sich im Wahlkampf gegen die Schaffung eines
Palästinenserstaats: Israels Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu

DIE WELT: Unmittelbar vor der Parlamentswahl in Israel rückt Ministerpräsident Netanjahu von der Zweistaatenlösung ab. Sollte er Ministerpräsident bleiben, werde es keinen palästinensischen Staat geben.

Offenbar im Bemühen um Stimmen im rechten Lager hat Israels Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu einen Palästinenserstaat im Falle einer Verlängerung seines Mandats ausgeschlossen.

"Alle, die die Schaffung eines Palästinenserstaates und die Rückgabe von Gebieten wollen, machen diese Gebiete anfällig für Angriffe des extremistischen Islam gegen den Staat Israel", sagte Netanjahu am Montag, einen Tag vor der Knesset-Wahl, dem Nachrichtenportal NRG. Dies sei "die Wahrheit, die sich in den vergangenen Jahren ergeben hat". Wer dies ignoriere, "steckt den Kopf in den Sand".

Auf die Nachfrage, ob dies bedeute, dass es keinen Palästinenserstaat geben werde, wenn er Regierungschef bleibe, antwortete Netanjahu: "Das ist richtig." » | AFP/mak | Montag, 16. März 2015

Iranian Professor Loses Job due to 'Feminine' Voice

Iranian professor Qasem Exirifard has not had his contract
renewed due to his high-pitched voice.

THE GUARDIAN: Khajeh Nasir Toosi university dismisses Dr Qasem Exirifard on the grounds that his voice would lead to ridicule in classroom, he tells reformist newspaper

A top physics professor in Iran has lost his job because he was told he has a feminine voice that prevents him from effectively communicating with his university students.

Qasem Exirifard has been dismissed from Tehran’s Khajeh Nasir Toosi university after its academic committee, in charge of examining staff’s qualifications, deemed his voice was effeminate and said it could lead to students ridiculing him in the classroom.

According to the reformist Shargh newspaper, the 40-year-old Exirifard is a former national physics olympiad medallist who has a doctorate degree from Italy’s International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA). Shargh described him as a genius in physics with great academic achievements.

He began teaching at the institution in February 2014 but his contract, which was up for renewal last month, was not extended due to the university committee’s ruling.

“I was disqualified, why? Because I have a high-pitched voice, what they [the university] call a feminine voice,” Exirifard was quoted as saying. “They said I would not be qualified to communicate scientific contents to students because they said my voice was effeminate.” » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Monday, March 16, 2015

Tony Blair 'Had No Credibility' in Middle East Process, Says US Official

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: All sides in Middle East peace process would roll their eyes at mention of Tony Blair's name, US government official involved in talks tells Telegraph

Tony Blair had “no credibility” left with the parties in the Middle East peace process, a former US government official who was closely involved with trying to revive the talks last year has told The Telegraph.

“Frankly all sides just rolled their eyes at the mention of his name,” the official said as it was reported that Mr Blair was being “eased out” of his role as head of so-called Quartet.

Rumours that Mr Blair was being asked to step down have been circulating for some days, but were apparently confirmed on Sunday night by The Financial Times. Mr Blair’s office has declined to comment.

In his role, which he took up in 2007, Mr Blair represented the United States of America, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union as a Middle East peace envoy working with the Palestinians.

But in the last round of failed negotiations which began after John Kerry took over as US secretary of state 2013 and broke down last year, Mr Blair had become “a standing joke”, the official said, speaking last week. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Monday, March 16, 2015

Iran Deal Could Start Nuclear Fuel Race - Saudi Arabia

BBC AMERICA: A senior member of the Saudi royal family has warned that a deal on Iran's nuclear programme could prompt other regional states to develop atomic fuel.

Prince Turki al-Faisal told the BBC that Saudi Arabia would then seek the same right, as would other nations.

Six world powers are negotiating an agreement aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear activity but not ending it.

Critics have argued this would trigger a nuclear arms race in the region spurred on by Saudi-Iran rivalry.

"I've always said whatever comes out of these talks, we will want the same," said the prince, Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief.

"So if Iran has the ability to enrich uranium to whatever level, it's not just Saudi Arabia that's going to ask for that.

"The whole world will be an open door to go that route without any inhibition, and that's my main objection to this P5+1 [the six world powers] process." With a late March deadline for an Iran deal approaching, Saudi Arabia last week signed a nuclear co-operation agreement with South Korea that included a plan to study the feasibility of building two nuclear reactors in the kingdom.

Riyadh has also signed nuclear co-operation agreements with China, France and Argentina, and intends to construct 16 nuclear power reactors over the next 20 years. (+ BBC video) » | Barbara Plett Usher | BBC News, Riyadh | Monday, March 16, 2015

Iraq Conflict: Saddam's Tomb Destroyed in Tikrit Fighting

BBC AMERICA: The tomb of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has been almost completely levelled in fighting near Tikrit.

Footage filmed by the Associated Press shows that all that remains standing of the once-lavish mausoleum in the village of al-Awja are some pillars.

Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Shia militia are battling to drive Islamic State (IS) militants from Tikrit.

Last year, the local Sunni population said they had removed Saddam's body and taken it to an unknown location. » | Monday, March 16, 2015

Baghdad Hosts First Fashion Show Since 1988

An Iraqi model presents a dress during the 2015 Baghdad
Fashion Show at the Iraqi capital's Royal Tulip Hotel

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iraqi capital harks back to liberal days of the 1980s with fashion show at luxurious Royal Tulip hotel as war with Isil goes on to the north

Models in designer clothes strutted down a catwalk in front of Baghdad's high society on Friday for a fashion show that tickled one generation's nostalgia and filled the next one with hope.

Umm Mustafa and her husband cancelled all their family duties, bought new clothes and spent a whole week preparing for the first edition of the Baghdad Fashion Show.

"The last show we saw was in 1988 at the Palestine hotel," she said, wearing a burgundy suit with flowery prints and candy floss pink nail varnish assorted to her smartphone cover.

"We love fashion and design... It's the security situation that has affected everything. There's development here but no opportunity to show the world," said her husband, also in his late forties.

Despite Iraq's eight-year war with Iran, Baghdad in the eighties had a vibrant cultural life and its society was less religiously conservative.

Around 500 people turned out in their best attire to watch 16 young Iraqi women model collections by six home-grown designers Friday as an oriental beat shook the walls of the luxurious Royal Tulip hotel's gala hall. » | AFP | Saturday, March 14, 2015

Robert Spencer On Why ISIS Is Islamic

ISIL: Force May Be Necessary Says Vatican Ambassador to Geneva

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Silvano Tomasi says armed response could [be] needed to protect minorities from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

The Vatican's ambassador in Geneva has said the use of force will be necessary to protect minority groups from Islamic State aggression if a political solution cannot be achieved.

In an interview with U.S. Catholic website Crux, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said the jihadists, who have declared a cross-border caliphate after seizing land in eastern Syria and northern Iraq, were committing "genocide" and must be stopped.

"What's needed is a coordinated and well-thought-out coalition to do everything possible to achieve a political settlement without violence," Crux quoted Tomasi as saying on Friday, "but if that's not possible, then the use of force will be necessary." » | Reuters | Sunday, March 15, 2015

Queen Rania: Let’s Drop The First ‘I’ In ISIS

In conversation with Arianna Huffington, Queen Rania of Jordan says there is nothing Islamic about the self-proclaimed “Islamic State,” or ISIS.

My comment:

With all due respect to Queen Rania, the following has to be said: ISIS beheads those who go against Islam: They kill apostates, they stone people to death, they crucify people too. Further, they amputate limbs for theft. But aren't these practices also carried out in Saudi Arabia, in the home of Islam? Please correct me if I am wrong, but if I understand you correctly, if these barbarous acts are carried out officially in Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, they are Islamic; however, if they are carried out in the name of ISIS, they are unIslamic. I don't get it. Could someone please explain? – © Mark

Jordan’s King Abdullah: What It Means to Be a Muslim : الملك : هذه القيم التي أربّي أولادي عليها

L'EI utiliserait des bombes au chlore

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Irak et Syrie – Les autorités du Kurdistan irakien ont indiqué samedi disposer de preuves que le groupe Etat islamique (EI) a eu recours à des bombes au chlore.

Dans un communiqué publié samedi, la Commission de sécurité de la région du Kurdistan a indiqué que «les forces peshmergas ont fait des prélèvements de sol et des lambeaux de vêtements après un attentat suicide à la voiture piégée le 23 janvier 2015». » | afp/Newsnet | samedi 14 mars 2015

Schlacht um Tikrit: IS steht vor erster großer Niederlage

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Der Islamische Staat steht neun Monate nach seinem Vormarsch im Irak vor seiner ersten großen Niederlage: Die Provinzhauptstadt Tikrit ist offenbar so gut wie gefallen. Iraks Anti- IS- Koalition hat die "vollständige Rückeroberung" der wichtigen Stadt "bis spätestens Dienstag" angekündigt.

Etwa 30.000 Mann hatte die irakische Regierung in die Schlacht um Tikrit - die Geburtsstadt des gehenkten Diktators Saddam Hussein - geworfen. Der Großangriff begann vor rund zwei Wochen. Unterstützt von Luftangriffen der US- geführten Anti- IS- Koalition sowie Militärexperten, Beratern und wohl auch Kampftruppen aus dem Iran (bis vor Kurzem noch der Erzfeind der Amerikaner), konnten die irakischen Einheiten nun bereits bis ins Zentrum der Stadt vordringen. Dort sollen sich nur noch einige Dutzend IS- Terroristen verschanzt haben, umzingelt von den irakischen Truppen, hieß es am Samstag. » | Kronen Zeitung/AG/red | Samstag, 14. März 2015

Junger Türke muss wegen Erdogan-Beleidung ins Gefängnis

DIE PRESSE: Der Student hatte den türkischen Präsidenten wärend der Gezi-Unruhen einen Diktator genannt.

In der Türkei muss ein Student ins Gefängnis, weil er Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan einen "Diktator" genannt hat. Wie die Online-Ausgabe der Zeitung "Hürriyet" am Freitag meldete, beläuft sich die Strafe gegen den angehenden Ingenieur Aykutalp Avsar auf 14 Monate Haft. Demnach wurde Avsar am Donnerstagabend im zentralanatolischen Kayseri verhaftet. » | APA/AFP | Freitag, 13. März 2015

Nick Clegg Blocks Terror Laws Banning Extremists from Universities

Mr Clegg said he could not support the new legislation

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Laws to ban extremist speakers have been blocked by the Liberal Democrats for fears of "eroding" free speech after one of the worst Cabinet rows of the Coalition

Nick Clegg has blocked tough new laws intended to stop extremist speakers brainwashing university students for terrorism, raising fears that Britain will be left more vulnerable to attack.

The Deputy Prime Minister personally vetoed the plan during private talks with David Cameron, after one of the worst Cabinet rows in the Coalition’s five-year rule.

Mr Clegg said he could not support moves to require university bosses to vet visiting speakers and prevent impressionable students from falling under the spell of extremists – because Liberal Democrats feared the move would erode “free speech”.

Draft legal guidelines detailing how the ban would work, which were published by the Home Office in December, have now been scrapped. Senior government sources warned that students would remain at risk of radicalisation by preachers visiting campus Islamic societies. » | Tim Ross and Robert Mendick | Saturday, March 14, 2015

For the Ayatollahs: Pharrell Williams – Happy (from Tehran)

ISIS Vows to Bomb 'White House, Big Ben, and the Eiffel Tower'

NEWSMAX: ISIS has declared its intention to "blow up your White House, Big Ben, and the Eiffel Tower," its official spokesman said in a new audio message.

An ISIS spokesman said Thursday that the organization had accepted a pledge of allegiance from the Nigerian terror group Boko Haram, Canada's National Post newspaper reported.

In a 28-minute Arabic-language audio, translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani declared that Boko Haram's move was "a new door opened by Allah" and said jihadists should go to West Africa.

Adnani said ISIS wanted control of numerous cities across the globe, including Jerusalem, Kabul, Rome, and Paris.

The ISIS spokesman warned Jews and Christians that they could either "convert to Islam or pay the ultimate price when your armies are expelled from Muhammad's peninsula, from Jerusalem, and all Muslim lands," Ynet News reported. » | Joel Himelfarb | Friday, March 13, 2015

Copenhagen Attack Cartoonist Lars Vilks Wins Award

Lars Vilks has been living under police protection in Sweden

BBC AMERICA: A Swedish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a dog has made his first public appearance since attending a debate that was targeted in a gun attack in Copenhagen last month.

Lars Vilks received a prize for courage from a free press group, at a heavily secured event in the Danish parliament.

His cartoon offended many Muslims and he now lives under guard in Sweden. » | Saturday, March 14, 2015

Vanuatu: les premières images après le cyclone

Quelques heures après le passage du cyclone Pam sur l'archipel des Vanuatu, les rues de la capitale Port Vila étaient dévastées. Plusieurs dizaines de personnes pourraient être décédées.

Irak: Kurden werfen IS Einsatz von Chemiewaffen vor

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Autonomieregierung der Kurden im Nordirak wirft der Terrormiliz "Islamischer Staat" den Einsatz von Chlorgas vor. Den Beweis hätten Proben geliefert, die ein unabhängiges Labor untersucht haben soll.

Die Kurdenregierung im Irak hat der Extremistenmiliz "Islamischer Staat" vorgeworfen, chemische Waffen eingesetzt zu haben. Der regionale Sicherheitsrat in Erbil erklärte am Samstag, ihm lägen Beweise vor, dass die sunnitischen Extremisten im Januar bei einem Selbstmordanschlag mit einem Auto gegen kurdische Peschmerga-Einheiten Chlorgas verwendet hätten. » | mik/Reuters | Samstag, 14. März 2015

Wuppertal: Polizei löst Hooligan-Demonstration auf

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Pegida, Hooligans, Salafisten sind in Wuppertal am Samstag auf der Straße, rund 1000 Sicherheitskräfte im Einsatz. Nach ersten Böllerwürfen löst die Polizei die Demonstration der Rechtsextremisten auf.

Schnelles Ende des Aufmarschs von Rechtsextremisten: In Wuppertal hat die Polizei Hooligans bei einer Kundgebung von Pegida NRW auseinandergetrieben. Die Beamten schritten ein, nachdem Vermummte erste Böller geworfen hatten. Die Einsatzkräfte versuchten, die Angreifer zurückzudrängen. » | mik/AFP | Samstag, 14. März 2015

Iran's Advances Create Alarm in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf

THE GUARDIAN: Arabs believe Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sana’a are in effect under Iranian control – and power may shift further if US sanctions are eased

The commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been working overtime recently, flaunting their achievements across the Middle East and flexing muscles as international negotiations over the country’s nuclear programme enter their critical and perhaps final phase.

On Wednesday it was the turn of Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the IRGC’s most senior officer. “The Islamic revolution is advancing with good speed, its example being the ever-increasing export of the revolution,” he declared. “Not only Palestine and Lebanon acknowledge the influential role of the Islamic Republic but so do the people of Iraq and Syria. They appreciate the nation of Iran.”

Last month a similarly boastful message was delivered by General Qassem Suleimani, who leads the IRGC’s elite Quds force — and who is regularly photographed leading the fightback of Iraqi Shia miltias against the Sunni jihadis of the Islamic State (Isis) as well as against western and Arab-backed rebels fighting Bashar al-Assad in southern Syria. “Imperialists and Zionists have admitted defeat at the hands of the Islamic Republic and the resistance movement,” Suleimani said.

Iran’s advances are fuelling alarm in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, where Tehran has been a strategic rival since the days of the Shah, and which now, it is said with dismay, in effect controls four Arab capitals – Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut and in the last month Sana’a in Yemen – which is uncomfortably close to home. » | Ian Black Middle East editor | Additional reporting by Saeed Kamali Dheghan | Friday, March 13, 2015

John Brennan, CIA Director, on the Beauty of Islam

John Brennan, CIA Director, Backs Obama: Islamic State Is Not Islamic

The Obama administration is doubling down on its refusal to call the Islamic State group "Islamic," with the director of the CIA saying the word would give the group "legitimacy." "It is totally inconsistent with what the overwhelming majority of Muslims throughout the world" view as Islam, said CIA director John Brennan, at a discussion Friday…

U.S. Embassy Warns Saudi Arabia Oil Workers Of Kidnap Plot

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia has issued a warning about a potential militant plot to kidnap Western oil workers. The warning, issued late Friday, said officials received information about a threat to kidnap the workers, including Americans, from oil fields in the kingdom's Eastern province. The embassy said it had "no…

Special Report from Libya: How Nato's Toppling of Gaddafi Has Turned to Disaster

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The country that fought for freedom is falling back into factionalism and bloodshed

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

The Rise Of Anti-Israel Activity And Anti-Semitism On Campus
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 »

Pope Francis Hints at 'Brief' Papacy

Pope Francis praised Pope Benedict's decision to resign in 2013

BBC AMERICA: Pope Francis has suggested he may resign his papacy like his predecessor, rather than remain at the Vatican for life.

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

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Erst kursierten Gerüchte über den Gesundheitszustand von Wladimir Putin. Jetzt soll der russische Präsident auch noch Vater geworden sein, behaupten Schweizer Medien. Die angebliche Mutter: eine junge Olympiasiegerin.

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

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau face off over a growing debate about whether wearing a niqab is a choice and when it should be allowed.

Niqabs ‘Rooted in a Culture That Is Anti-women,’ Harper Says

Prime Minister Stephen Harper answers a question
during Question Period in the House of Commons
in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Stephen Harper says the practice of covering one’s face with a niqab is “rooted in a culture that is anti-women” – his bluntest effort to date to explain why the Conservative government is fighting the use of these veils during Canadian citizenship ceremonies.

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

THE STAR: A father has given up hope of changing his son, who has become a cheerleader for the Islamic State terrorists and has landed himself on the radar of CSIS.

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