Islamic State Threatens to Repeat 9/11 in New Video Warning to America

The video is a reminder of the power if Isil and Al-Qaeda
to inspire followers around the world to 'lone wolf'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Isil supporters launch social media blitz with hashtag #WeWillBurnUSAgain

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's social media have launched a new campaign threatening to repeat 9/11 and bring war to America.

The campaign, given the hashtag #WeWillBurnUSAgain, is accompanied by a video compilation showing some of Isil’s “greatest hits”, including the beheadings of the American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

“America thinks it’s safe because of the geographical location,” its voiceover says. “Thus you see it invades Muslim lands, and thinks that the army of jihad won’t reach in their lands.

“But the dream of Americans to have safety became a mirage.”

The hashtag campaign was announced on April 8, last Wednesday, and launched on Saturday, when pro-Isil accounts posted thousands of tweets with the hashtag with variations on the same theme, of America’s vulnerability to lone wolf and other attacks. » | Richard Spencer | Monday, April 13, 2015

UK: Sharia Courts Abusing Muslim Women

BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS: The report shows how the increasing influence of Sharia law in Britain today is undermining the fundamental principle that there must be equality for all British citizens under a single law of the land.

“I feel betrayed by Britain. I came here to get away from this and the situation is worse here than in the country I escaped from.” — Muslim woman interviewed for the report.

The report concludes by calling on the British government to launch a judge-led inquiry to “determine the extent to which discriminatory Sharia law principles are being applied within the UK.”

“The government’s response will be a litmus test of the extent to which it genuinely upholds the principle of equality before the law or is so dominated by the fear of ‘giving offense’ that it will continue to allow these women to suffer in ways which would make our suffragettes turn in their graves.” — Baroness Caroline Cox.

Muslim women across Britain are being systematically oppressed, abused and discriminated against by Sharia law courts that treat women as second-class citizens, according to a new report, which warns against the spiraling proliferation of Islamic tribunals in the United Kingdom.

The 40-page report, “A Parallel World: Confronting the Abuse of Many Muslim Women in Britain Today,” was authored by Baroness Caroline Cox, a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords and one of the leading defenders of women’s rights in the UK.

The report shows how the increasing influence of Sharia law in Britain today is undermining the fundamental principle that there must be equality for all British citizens under a single law of the land. » | Soeren Kern | Sunday, April 12, 2015

Turkey Anger at Pope Francis Armenian 'Genocide' Claim

BBC AMERICA: Turkey has criticised Pope Francis for using the word "genocide" to describe the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in World War 1.

Ankara immediately summoned the Vatican's envoy after the Pope made the comments at a service in Rome.

Turkey's Foreign Minister described it as "far from the historical reality".

Armenia and many historians say up to 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman forces in 1915. Turkey has always disputed the number of dead.

The dispute has continued to sour relations between Armenia and Turkey. (+ BBC video) » | Sunday, April 12, 2015

Pope Francis Calls Armenian Slaughter 'Genocide'

THE GUARDIAN: Pontiff’s comments are likely to anger Turkey, which denies that the killings 100 years ago during the fall of the Ottoman empire constituted genocide


Pope Francis has described the mass killing of Armenians 100 years ago as a genocide, a politically explosive pronouncement that could damage diplomatic relations with Turkey.

During a special mass to mark the centenary of the mass killing, the pontiff referred to “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the past century. “The first, which is widely considered the first genocide of the twentieth century, struck your own Armenian people,” he said, quoting a declaration signed in 2001 by Pope John Paul II and Kerekin II, leader of the Armenian church.

“Bishops and priests, religious women and men, the elderly and even defenceless children and the infirm were murdered,” the pope said. » | Rosie Scammell in Rome | Sunday, April 12, 2015

'Britain in Danger of Being Outflanked by Growing Islamic Population' Says Church Leader

Reverend David Robertson

DAILY EXPRESS: “SPINELESS” politicians are ignoring the rise of Islam in the UK, according to a prominent church minister.

And the Reverend David Robertson, who will soon take over as Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, also says there is no such thing as “secular Islam”.

His comments come as debate rages throughout Britain as to how to tackle the issue of radical proponents of the religion without alienating minority communities.

But the minister stressed that although he opposes “racist, jingoistic Islamophobia, the fear of Islamophobia is blinding many of our politicians to the threat we face from Islam”.

Mr Robertson has accused politicians of leading the country down a “path of destruction away from the Christian foundations of our nation” by appeasing Muslims.

Writing on the Christian Today website, he said that politicians are either ignorant of the nature of Islam, or frightened of being labelled racist for speaking out about it. He said: “Christianity is the bedrock and foundation of our secular society. Islam is different. Islam has no doctrine of separation of the spiritual from the political. Islam is, and has always been, a political movement.

“There can be no such thing as secular Islam.

“The narrative is that Islam is the same as Christianity, that ISIS and others are just fundamentalists who are not really part of the ‘religion of peace’ and that Christians have their own ISIS equivalents. All untrue. » | Dean Herbert | Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Top Saudi Cleric Denies Issuing Fatwa 'Allowing Husbands to EAT Wives If They Are Hungry'

Grand mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Shaeikh issued the fatwa

DAILY EXPRESS: A SAUDI religious leader has denied reports he issued a fatwa telling husbands they can eat their wives if they are hungry enough.

Saudi Arabian grand mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah was claimed to have said the ruling showed the "sacrifice of women and obedience to her husband".

The reports said the fatwa allowed a man to eat his wife's body parts if he is suffering from "severe hunger".

However, in a statement released via the Saudi Press Agency on behalf of the Grand Mufti the cleric said: "The fatwa attributed to us is wrong.

"It is nothing but lies ... It has been circulated to distort the image of Islam, which has elevated and granted a dignified status to men and women without exceptions."

Reports of the alleged fatwa circulated the world’s news sites before the religious authorities issued the denial. » | Scott Campbell | Friday, April 10, 2015

Tweeting Causes Me Trouble

I shall not be tweeting anything again for the time being. Each time I tweet something, MALWARE and ADWARE seems to attach to my browser, causing me untold problems and wasting so much of my time. In short, Twitter is infecting my computer. I have tried getting help from Twitter itself, but that appears to be a fruitless exercise. I shall therefore STOP tweeting for now, or at least until I can get some advice on, and resolution of, the matter. – Mark

Marine Le Pen Tells Father to Step Down from French Politics

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Leader of France's far-right says her father will be summoned before a disciplinary committee for his anti-Semitic remarks and says she no longer sees a future for him in Front National

France's National Front leader Marine Le Pen urged her father Jean-Marie to withdraw from political life and said she would begin disciplinary proceedings against him over repeated comments that had harmed efforts to broaden her party's appeal.

The 86-year-old founder of the far-right party, who last week defended a past comment that Nazi gas chambers were a "detail of history", was quoted on Tuesday as calling France's Spanish-born Prime Minister Manuel Valls "the immigrant" and defending Philippe Petain, leader of the war-time government that cooperated with Nazi Germany.

In what has become an increasingly bitter family feud, Marine Le Pen and her aides believe her father is undermining her efforts to rid the anti-immigrant party of its anti-Semitic image and widen its voter appeal as she readies a bid for the presidency in 2017. » | Reuters | Thursday, April 09, 2015

French Media Groups to Hold Emergency Meeting after Isis Cyber-attack

THE GUARDIAN: Culture minister calls talks after television network TV5Monde is taken over by individuals claiming to belong to Islamic State

France’s culture minister is to call an urgent meeting of French media groups to assess their vulnerability to hacking after the public service television network TV5Monde was taken over by individuals claiming to belong to Islamic State, blacking out broadcasts as well as hacking its websites and Facebook page.

All TV5Monde broadcasts were brought down in a blackout between 10pm and 1am local time on Wednesday to Thursday by hackers claiming allegiance to Isis. They were able to seize control of the television network founded by the French government in 1984, simultaneously hacking 11 channels as well as its website and social media accounts.

Experts say the cyber-attack represented a new level of sophistication for the Islamist group, which has claimed complex hacking before, but nothing as big as this. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a terrorism investigation into the attack.

The culture minister, Fleur Pellerin, said she would bring together all heads of big French TV companies as well as newspaper groups and the news agency Agence France-Presse within 24 hours “to assure myself of their vulnerable points, any risks that exist and the best way to deal with it”. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Samuel Gibbs | Thursday, April 09, 2015

Isil Hackers Seize Control of France's TV5Monde Network in 'Unprecedented' Attack

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: TV5Monde still unable to broadcast anything but pre-recorded programmes on its 11 channels after "unprecedented" cyber attack as French government denounces "act of terrorism"

Hackers claiming allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) on Thursday seized control of TV5Monde, France's international TV network, knocking out its 11 channels, website and social media accounts in an attack the government dubbed an "act of terrorism".

TV5Monde was still struggling to regain control of its channels on Thursday morning, forced to broadcast only pre-recorded programmes after what its director called an "unprecedented attack in the history of television" in which its systems were "severely damaged".

Yves Bigot, the network's chief, said he was shaken when a black screen appeared across the entire network at around 10pm local time on Wednesday night.

"When we discovered the sense of the message appearing on our social media and our websites, it both allowed us to understand what was happening and obviously worried us," he told RTL radio. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, April 09, 2015

Americans Are the Real Terrorists, Says Boston Bomber's Mother

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Zubeidat Tsaernaeva posts message after guilty verdict thanking supporters for standing by her son, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Minutes after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been found guilty of killing three people in a bomb attack on the 2013 Boston Marathon, his mother defended him in a message to a supporter's group.

“I will never forget it. May god bless those who helped my son," wrote Zubeidat Tsaernaeva. "The terrorists are the Americans and everyone knows it. My son is the best of the best.”

The message was passed to the Vocativ website by a friend. It was also posted to the “Help for Dzhokhar” site hosted on a Russian social networking site, VKontakte.

In it she thanked supporters. » | Foreign staff | Thursday, April 09, 2015

Obama Blasts 'Less-than-loving Christians' at Easter Prayer Breakfast

President Obama appeared to break from his script for a moment at Tuesday morning's Easter Prayer Breakfast to opine on Christians who espouse "less-than-loving" views. "On Easter, I do reflect on the fact that as a Christian, I am supposed to love," Mr. Obama said toward the end of his speech. "And I have to say…

Obama Takes Jab at Critics in Prayer Breakfast

During the annual Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House, President Barack Obama reflected on what it means to be a Christian at Easter and all year long. (April 7)

Islamic State Launches English-language Radio News Bulletins

The al-Bayan radio network's logo

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The jihadist group already airs bulletins in Arabic and Russian and the English-language bulletin will offer updates on Iraq, Syria and Libya

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has launched English-language radio news bulletins on its al-Bayan radio network.

The militant group’s English bulletin, launched on Tuesday and promoted via Twitter, accompanies Arabic and Russian bulletins already airing on the network. » | AP | Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Cameron’s Unthinking Policy on Syria Has Fuelled the Rise of British Jihadism

THE GUARDIAN: The current focus on domestic politics and the election shouldn’t blind voters to the fact that this prime minister has been a foreign policy disaster

Foreign policy is virtually absent from the election campaign. But if David Cameron had had his way, we could have been embroiled by now – more than we already are – in yet another Middle East war. As it is, his Syria policy has still backfired, contributing to the rise of jihadism in our own back yard.

Cameron should not be let off the hook for supporting the armed opposition in Syria and being ready to start bombing Syrian government forces in 2013 after the Syrians had apparently used chemical weapons. The planes were ready to take off from Cyprus. It was only parliament, in a historic and too-soon-forgotten vote, that stopped this recklessness in its tracks. True, Syria subsequently disarmed itself of chemical weapons, but this was after the climbdown on bombing had shown western public opinion had no appetite for another war of choice. So it was no thanks to Cameron’s warmongering; it was, rather, a result of Russian pressure.

True also, Britain has gone on to join bombing operations against Isis. But it is one thing to bomb a rabble collection of fighters, another to bomb a regular army with an anti-aircraft capability. And what was Cameron thinking – that decimating the Syrian army would make life harder for the Islamists, who are palpably the bigger and more atrocious threat? » | Peter Ford | Tuesday, April 07, 2015

French Minister Agrees That Lack of Mosques Encourages Radicalisation

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lack of "dignified" places of worship for France's Muslims fuels radicalisation, claims Thierry Mandon, French simplification minister, a day after Grand Mosque of Paris rector says number must be "doubled" by 2017

A French minister has poured fuel onto the debate about proposals to double the number of mosques in the country within two years, by conceding that France doesn't have enough mosques.

Thierry Mandon, the minister of simplification, said that the lack of "decent" places of worship for French Muslims was partly to blame for some believers turning to radical Islam.

His words came as France struggles to calm community tensions in the wake of the January Charlie Hebdo attacks.

"There aren't enough mosques in France," Mr Mandon told iTele, the TV news channel. "There are still too many towns where the Muslim religion is practised in conditions that are not decent." » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Tuesday, April 07, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: 'Islam and Nazi German's War'

ISLAM AND NAZI GERMANY'S WAR By David Motadel Belknap Press, $35, 512 pages Wartime alliances are rarely rational. Battlefield allies usually share little but a common enemy. The close relationship between Hitler's top generals and policy planners and the devout Muslim soldiers who fought in Nazi Germany's army was strange and unnatural. The two groups shared…

Theresa May Wants a Police File of Muslim Hate

DAILY EXPRESS: POLICE forces will collect statistics on hate crimes committed against Muslims, the Tories propose if they win the General Election.

Home Secretary Teresa May said Islamophobic attacks would be recorded separately alongside anti-Semitic crimes.

Her promise was a response to anti-Muslim hostility after atrocities committed in Britain and abroad by Islamic radicals. » | Monday, April 06, 2015

Ridiculous! Theresa May the Lady Imam, Specialist on Islam, Islamic Theologian par excellence: ISIS Doesn't Present Islam

Reclaim Australia Rally Organiser Plans Next Move

Read the Fraser Coast Chronicle article here | Carlie Walker | Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Anti-Islam Group PEGIDA Invites Geert Wilders to Rally

Read the Euronews article here | Monday, April 06, 2015

Zweiter Weltkrieg: Athen beziffert deutsche Schuld auf 278 Milliarden Euro

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Erstmals nennt die griechische Regierung eine konkrete Zahl: Deutschlands Reparationsschuld aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg soll sich demnach auf rund 278 Milliarden Euro belaufen.

Der griechische Vize-Finanzminister Dimitris Mardas hat erstmals konkrete Zahlen genannt: Als Reparationsschuld Deutschlands für den Zweiten Weltkrieg erwarte die Regierung in Athen 278,7 Milliarden Euro.

Die Summe nannte Mardas im Parlament, bei einer Sitzung des parlamentarischen Komitees, das untersuchen soll, wie Griechenland seinen Berg von Staatsschulden angehäuft hat. » | gec/juh | Montag, 06. April 2015

Demand for More Mosques in France Raises Tension

France is home to western Europe's largest Muslim population

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Muslim leaders' demand to double the number of mosques in France within two years causes anger

A call by Muslim leaders for the number of mosques in France to be doubled has aggravated community tensions barely three months after the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

"We have 2,200 mosques and we need double that within two years," the Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, told applauding French Muslims at a conference.

Many Muslims believe local authorities in France block applications to open or build mosques and prayer-rooms, leading to overcrowding and protests over prayers held in the streets.

However, the conservative daily Le Figaro said the comments by Dr Boubakeur, generally considered a moderate, were "provocative". » | David Chazan, Paris | Monday, April 06, 2015

Pat Condell: Free Speech on Campus

Time to stop indulging privileged militant “progressive” puritan bigots.

Free speech? Not at four in five UK universities

Pat Condell: A Guide to the Dark Side

Here’s why Sharia Law has no place in Britain, or elsewhere

David Cameron Declares: ‘Britain Is Still a Christian Country’

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg deliver Easter messages despite being atheists

David Cameron has used his Easter message to the country to declare that Britain is still a Christian country, as he urged the nation to “speak out” over the persecution of the faithful around the world.

The Prime Minister and the other party leaders shared Easter messages - even though some, including Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister, and Labour’s Ed Miliband, are self-proclaimed non-believers.

In his message, Mr Cameron said: “Across Britain, Christians don’t just talk about ‘loving thy neighbour’, they live it out… in faith schools, in prisons, in community groups.

"And it’s for all these reasons that we should feel proud to say, ‘This is a Christian country.’ The church is not just a collection of beautiful old buildings. It is a living, active force doing great works across our country. (+ David Cameron’s Christian message) » | Rosa Prince, Online Political Editor | Sunday, April 05, 2015

'Promote Gay Relationships as Positive in School,' Teachers Say

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The government should be forced to portray gay relationships in a positive light

The government should be forced to portray gay relationships in a positive light, teachers say, causing outrage amongst influential Christian charities.

The call on schools including a "positive portrayal" on same-sex relationships emerged as part of a motion on a debate for a "manifesto for a new government on LGBT rights in schools, which was being debated at the NUT union's in Harrogate.

The motion, which was passed, calls on teachers to put pressure on the government to "make it compulsory that all schools' sex education policies include a positive portrayal of same sex relationships".

Campaigners have been calling on wide-range mandatory sexual relationship in every school. Under current rules, local council-run secondary schools only to provide basic sex education, including subjects such as Sexual Transmitted Diseases. There is no emphasis on a particular gender.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT union, said: “The NUT calls for all parties standing in the 2015 General Election to show their commitment to tackling the discrimination faced by both LGBT students and teachers in schools by following the ten point action plan outlined in the Motion. This includes making it compulsory for all schools’ sex education policies to include a positive portrayal of same sex relationships, promoting LGBT History Month in all schools, and encouraging schools to develop a curriculum that is inclusive of LGBT issues.

“We need education policy that develops curriculum for children and young people that supports the democratic values of a diverse Britain – including LGBT equality. » | Javier Espinoza, Education Editor | Sunday, April 05, 2015

UK Defence Cuts Will Have Profound Effect, Warns US Diplomat

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Proposed cuts in British defence spending could not come at a worse time, says former US ambassador to the UN

One of America’s leading diplomats has said he finds cuts to British defence spending “extremely troubling” and has called on the next government to spend two per cent of GDP on the military.

John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN and a leading Republican spokesman on foreign affairs, said any further cuts in defence spending would make Britain “far more vulnerable militarily” and send a signal to potential enemies that “there is a diminished will in the West to defend itself”.

He warned that further cuts in defence expenditure could seriously affect future coalition operations with the US.

“The decline in British defence spending is extremely troubling,” Mr Bolton said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph. “It means Britain will be far more vulnerable militarily.

“A diminished UK military strength also has a more profound effect internationally because it is a sign to our mutual enemies that there is a diminished will in the West to defend itself. It sends an extremely negative signal to our enemies.”

At a time when the West faced growing threats from countries such as Russia and China, as well as Islamic State (Isil) militants in the Middle East, he said it was vital that Britain retained the military strength to participate in future coalition operations with the US. » | Con Coughlin, Defence Editor | Sunday, April 05, 2015

Video Shows IS Group Destroying Iraq's Hatra

Netanyahu Continues Attack on Iran Nuclear Agreement: It's 'a Very Bad Deal'

THE GUARDIAN: Israel PM: deal did not do enough to dismantle nuclear infrastructure / Energy secretary Moniz: ‘We have a very, very different view of the facts’

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday stepped up his attack on a nascent deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, calling the framework agreement announced in Switzerland last week “a very bad deal”.

The framework did not do enough to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Netanyahu said, and world powers were making a mistake by offering Iran a path to sanctions relief without demanding more in return.

“A better deal would roll back Iran’s vast nuclear infrastructure, and require Iran to stop its aggression in the region, its terror worldwide and its calls and actions to annihilate the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said on CNN. “That’s a better deal. It’s achievable.” » | Tom McCarthy in New York | Sunday, April 05, 2015

Reclaim Australia and No Room for Racism Rallies Clash Across Australia

NEWS.COM.AU: VIOLENCE erupted at protests across Australia as anti-Islamisation and anti-racism groups clashed at rival rallies.

Around the country Reclaim Australia protesters held rallies to oppose “sharia law, halal tax and Islamisation”, where they waved Australian flags and carried signs saying “Yes Australia. No Sharia”.

More than 3000 people clashed in Federation Square and blocked surrounding streets in the Melbourne CBD as it became a battleground of competing ideologies, with a rally by the Reclaim Australia movement and counter-protest by the left-wing No Room for Racism group.

Hundreds of police formed barricades to separate protesters but scuffles still broke out and paramedics had to treat assault victims for minor injuries.

Victoria Police arrested two men and one woman, with all three released pending summons.

Tempers flared as a Reclaim Australia supporter scuffled with a Guy Fawkes mask-wearing socialist protester.

More than 100 officers put up a line of bodies to separate the two groups. (+ videos) » | Sunday, April 05, 2015

Reclaim Australia Marchers Rally against Islam

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Police were out in force in West Perth on Saturday morning keeping apart rival rallies.

Anti-Islam protesters gathered outside Colin Barnett's offices on Harvest Terrace to take part in the national Reclaim Australia series of rallies.

A short distance away in Solidarity Square, close to Parliament House, a group of anti-racist protesters gathered to demonstrate against Reclaim Australia.

Between them, in a deserted car park, was a line of mounted police and other officers on foot, some with dogs, to make sure the two groups did not clash.

The Reclaim Australia rally was much bigger than the anti-racist gathering, with many of those on the hill outside the Department of Premier and Cabinet draped in the Australian flag.

Several speakers said they had gathered to protest against Sharia law, halal certification and Islamisation. (+ video) » | with AAP | Sunday, April 05, 2015

Attacks on Muslims Will Become Specific Hate Crime, Say Tories in Bid to Establish Full Extent of Islamophobia in Britain

DAILY MAIL: All police would record anti-Muslim hate crimes if Tories win the Election / Islamophobic attacks would be separate category, like anti-Semitic crimes / At present some police forces, including Met, record these crimes as such / Would create accurate picture of the extent of these hate crimes in Britain

Every police force in England and Wales will be required to record anti-Muslim hate crimes and treat them as seriously as anti-Semitic attacks if the Tories win the next General Election, Theresa May has announced.

In a move hailed by Islamic groups, Mrs May said that police will have to record Islamophobic attacks as a separate category, just as anti-Semitic crimes are recorded separately.

At present some forces, including London’s Metropolitan Police, do record Islamophobic crimes as such. Other forces categorise them as hate crimes or specific offences such as assault or grievous bodily harm.

The new requirement will create the first accurate picture of the extent of Islamophobic hate crimes in Britain.

Charities say there has been a steady rise of anti-Muslim hate crimes since 9/11.

But after incidents such as the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby outside Woolwich barracks in 2013 and the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January, there are spikes in incidents in the UK, say experts.

Mrs May made her pledge in a speech on counter-extremism to the Foundation for Peace in London just before Parliament was dissolved.

She told the conference: ‘We will require police forces to record anti-Muslim crimes as well as anti-Semitic crimes.’ Read on and comment » | Abul Taher for the Mail On Sunday | Saturday, April 04, 2015

French Flocking to Buy Books on Islam Following Charlie Hebdo Attacks

RT: France is witnessing a surge in people buying books on Islam. Interest in the religion has seen three times as many volumes sold in the first quarter of 2015 than during the same period last year, according to the French National Union of Bookshops.

The public has been trying to make up their minds about Islam following the January terrorist attacks at the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket, which left 17 people dead.

"The French are asking more and more questions, and they feel less satisfied than ever by the answers they're getting from the media," Fabrice Gerschel, director of Philosophie magazine, told AFP. » | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Islamic State Bans Skinny Jeans and Smoking

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Jihadists threaten to jail any young man in Raqqa wearing skinny jeans, smoking or keeping music on their mobiles

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) militants in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa have threatened to jail any young man wearing skinny jeans, smoking or keep[ing] music on his mobile phone.

Residents found in breach of the new restrictions will face at least ten days inside the province's jihadist-run jails, according to anti-Isil activists in the area.

Only those who pass a prison-based 'Islamic course' will be allowed to leave at the end of their initial sentence.

Home to hundreds of thousands of Syrians, Raqqa is known as the "capital" of the jihadist's embryonic Islamic State. Male and female morality brigades patrol the provincial capital on a regular basis, and residents believed to be gay, or to have had sex outside of marriage, face brutal executions justified by obscure [?] Islamic teachings.

The new penalties for practices deemed un-Islamic reveal the extremists tightening their grip over the social mores of millions of Syrians living under its rule. » | Louisa Loveluck in Cairo | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Anti-Islam Pegida Group To Hold First London Rally

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES: The German right-wing, anti-Islam group Pegida, or Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West, will hold its first London rally on Saturday. This would be the group’s second demonstration in the U.K., following its event in Newcastle in February.

“Now is your chance to stand proud in our capital in support of Pegida U.K. and raise awareness of the detrimental affect radical Islam and slack border controls/mass immigration are having on our country,” the German group said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. The rally is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m., local time, (12:00 p.m. EDT) and will include candlelight vigils and speeches by critics of Islam. » | Avaneesh Pandey | Saturday, April 04, 2015

So This Is Easter: Melbourne Faces Off at Anti-Islam Rally as Police on Horseback Hold Factions Apart

THE AGE: Hundreds of people washed spit from their faces on Saturday evening after an ugly stand-off at Federation Square between supporters of Reclaim Australia, an anti-Islamic movement, and No Room For Racism, a coalition of trade union, community and left-wing groups.

It's been reported that these were competing rallies. Those reports are wrong. What occurred at Federation Square was trench warfare — with police on horseback holding the armies apart.

Because the police had been quick to isolate the core Reclaimer group on the forecourt of the SBS building, hundreds of late-comers were left to mingle with the No Roomers. Mingling often meant one-on-one screaming matches that occasionally broke out into pushing and shoving. Now and then a stray punch or two was thrown.

A Federation Square spokesman estimated 3000 thousand people — many carrying many placards, some of them droll: "You keep your Burqua, I'll keep my clitoris" — went at it noisily for more than three hours. » | John Elder | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Related »

Anti-Islam and Anti-Racism Protesters Clash Around Australia

ABC NEWS: Thousands of anti-Islam and anti-racism protesters clashed in angry rallies around Australia on Saturday.

The most violent clash was in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, where police struggled to separate 3,000 opposing demonstrators. The Victoria state ambulance service treated four people, three for minor injuries from assaults in Melbourne, Ambulance Victoria spokesman Paul Bentley said. The fourth was treated for chest pains. None of the injured was taken to a hospital, he said.

Police arrested two men and a woman in the fracas in Melbourne's downtown Federation Square, Victoria Police spokeswoman Belinda Batty said.

Batty said the three were later released. She said all would be charged, but she could not detail those charges.

Reclaim Australia, a community group, organized rallies in 16 cities and towns around Australia against Islamic extremism, the "Islamization" of Australian society, Islamic Sharia law and the Halal-certification of most meats sold in Australia. » | AP | Melbourne, Australia | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Arabs Blast "Obama's Deal" with Iran

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: "This is a dangerous agreement... [it] provides Iran with what it needs most to pursue its wars and expansionism against the Arabs: funds." — Salah al-Mukhtar, Ammon News.

"Iran has tried to intervene in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria and it is seeing that it's not paying any price... There is also a feeling in Tehran that the U.S. is avoiding a military confrontation with the Iranians." — Hassan al-Barari, Al-Sharq.

According to Hani al-Jamal, an Egyptian political and regional researcher, the deal means that the international community has accepted Iran as a nuclear power.

Many Arabs have expressed deep concern over the nuclear deal that was reached this week between Iran and the world powers, including the US.

Arab leaders and heads of state were polite enough not to voice public criticism of the agreement when President Barack Obama phoned them to inform them about it. But this has not stopped Arab politicians, political analysts and columnists reflecting government thinking in the Arab world from lashing out at what they describe as "Obama's bad and dangerous deal with Iran."

The Arabs, especially those living in the Gulf, see the framework agreement as a sign of US "weakness" and a green light for Iran to pursue its "expansionist" scheme in the Arab world.

"Some Arab countries are opposed to the nuclear deal because it poses a threat to their interests," said the Egyptian daily Al-Wafd in an article entitled, "Politicians: Obama's deal with Iran threatens Arab world." » | Khaled Abu Toameh | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Muslim Group with Links to Extremists Boasts of Influencing Election

Sufyan Ismael, CEO of MEND

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A group suspected of being a front for Islamic extremists claims it can control as many as 30 seats in the general election and boasts of acting a "kingmaker"

A front group for Islamic extremists which wants to let British Muslims fight in Syria has boasted that it is “negotiating with the Tory and Labour leadership” to secure some of its demands.

Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) has built links with both parties – and been chosen as an “official partner” by the Electoral Commission for May’s poll – after claiming to promote “democratic engagement” by Muslims. However, it is actually a facade to win political access and influence for individuals holding extreme, bigoted and anti-democratic views.

In new recordings heard by this newspaper, Sufyan Ismail, Mend’s chief executive, describes the group’s strategy to act as “kingmaker” in next month’s election and claims it can control as many as 30 seats. » | Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Fighting Radical Islam in the West: Geert Wilders’ Speech in Vienna Austria

LIBERTY NEWS ONLINE: Geert Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) in the Netherlands paid a visit to Vienna yesterday to meet with Heinz-Christian Strache, his counterpart in the Austrian Freedom Party (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ). Mr. Wilders delivered a speech at the Hofburg Palace, the former imperial palace of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to a full house of more than a thousand people. A press conference before the speech was held in the Austrian parliament.

Below is the English translation of the prepared text for the speech given by Mr. Wilders. The original German version is below the jump.

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I am extremely happy to be here, in the Hofburg, together with more than one thousand proud Austrian patriots.

It is a pleasure to visit Heinz-Christian and my friends of the FPÖ again.

It is an honor to be in this beautiful city.

All over the world Vienna is the symbol of resistance against Islam.

It is here that the Islamic invasion of the West was stopped in 1683.

Islam was defeated at the gates of Vienna.

You and I are standing here today inside these gates.

In the city that Islam was unable to conquer.

And today we have a clear message for Islam again.

The same message that King John Sobieski had when he rushed to Vienna in 1683 to help defend it against the Turks: You will not be able to overwhelm Vienna or the West. Because we will not allow it. » | Geert Wilders | Friday, April 04, 2015

Pauline Hanson Tells Queensland Rally against Islam She's Not Racist

Pauline Hanson: "We have people here today who stand against racism."

BRISBANE TIMES: One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has declared she is not a racist during a rally against Islam in Brisbane.

Ms Hanson, who narrowly lost her fight for a seat in the 2015 Queensland election, joined hundreds of protesters in King George Square.

Many were draped in the Australian flag and carried signs denouncing sharia law and halal certification for Australian products.

The group Reclaim Australia is holding nationwide rallies against "sharia law, halal tax and Islamisation".

But the rally was not an exercise in racism, Ms Hanson said.

"We have people here today who stand against racism. Thank you for your support," she said.

"So do I." » | AAP | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Next, We Muslims Bring Sharia to Indiana

THE DAILY BEAST: Allah’s blessings be upon you, Mike Pence. Now that “religious conscience” means whatever, we Muslims are going to town!

I, along with millions of Muslims across the country, have to give it up for Indiana Governor Mike Pence and his merry band of liberty-loving Republicans in the state legislature. The “religious liberty” law they recently enacted may be causing an uproar, but for us Muslims, it means we can now finally impose sharia law in Indiana!

I’m not sure who is happier, the Wiccans or us? As The Daily Beast’s David Freedlander wrote on Tuesday, the Wiccans are loving this law. Okay, actually they think it’s a “horrible” law because of its potentially discriminatory impact against the LGBT community. But as Dusty Dionne, High Priest and High Summoner of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Washington State, told Freedlander, “If they are going to open up this can of worms, we are going to shove it right in their face.” There has to be one Muslim Wiccan out there who is truly delirious with joy. (Although I’m not sure technically if such a combo is possible.)

In any event, while the NCAA, Apple, and others may be thinking of steering clear of the Hoosier State, we Muslims are coming. Think a caravan of wagon trains heading to the Midwest in the 1800s, but this caravan will be all Muslim, and we will be coming to the state in everything from Mercedes-Benzes to taxicabs.

Some might be asking, could Muslims really impose sharia law in some fashion in Indiana—turning Indiana into a mini Muslim caliphate? Well, the Indiana law doesn’t just provide “religious liberty” for Christians. It provides “liberty” for all faiths, and that includes us Muslims. (Yes, that shrieking sound you heard was from the Christian conservatives who championed this law intending it to truly only benefit fellow Christians.) » | Dean Obeidallah | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Iranian President Praises Nuclear Deal

VOICE OF AMERICA: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has praised the framework agreement reached Thursday on Tehran's nuclear program, calling it a "day that will remain in the historical memory of the Iranian nation."

Addressing his nation on live television Friday, Rou[h]ani said the framework agreement reached with six world powers will protect Iran's nuclear rights and provide relief from international sanctions.

The deal acknowledges Iran's right to enrich uranium on its own territory – for peaceful purposes, Rouhani emphasized. (+ video) » | VOA News | Friday, April 03, 2015

US Reportedly Backed Down on Initial Goals in Iran Talks

FOX NEWS: U.S. negotiators reportedly lowered the bar for their own goals during talks over Iran's nuclear program in response to resistance from the Tehran team. And, on the heels of a framework deal being announced in Switzerland, France's top diplomat on Friday admitted his country had initially held out for firmer terms.

The emerging reports indicate the U.S. team, led by Secretary of State John Kerry, gradually backed down over the course of the talks as Iran's delegation dug in. The Wall Street Journal, citing current and former U.S. representatives at the discussions, claimed the White House had initially hoped to persuade Iran to dismantle much of the country's nuclear infrastructure when talks started in late 2013, only to be told categorically that Iran would not do so. (+ FoxNews video) » | FoxNews.com | Friday, April 03, 2015

'Conspiracy of Silence' about Christianity in Britain Boosting Jihadis – Archbishop

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Young Muslims being ‘seduced’ by lure of martyrdom while politicians ‘fight shy’ of recognising importance of Christianity, says Archbishop of York

A “misplaced sensitivity” towards atheists and followers of other religions has led to a “conspiracy” of silence by politicians of all parties about the Christian roots of British society, the Archbishop of York has claimed.

Dr John Sentamu suggested that the abandonment of strong moral principles, rooted in the Bible, in favour of “vague” notions about values was partly responsible for the radicalisation of Muslim youths who were being “seduced” by the lure of extremism.

He said a youthful “yearning for something more idealistic” was being exploited by groups like the so-called Islamic State (IS), also known as Isil and Isil, who offered a “false utopia” and even the prospect of death.

But government programmes intended to prevent radicalisation are, he said, doomed to fail if they did not offer young people something “worthwhile and exciting” to live for.

His remarks came in a strongly worded Easter message, penned for the Yorkshire Post, hitting out at consumerism and the vagueness of politicians.

It comes just days after David Cameron was criticised by figures on both left and right over an Easter message which made no reference to Jesus and suggested the teachings of Christianity could be summed up as “all about change, responsibility, and doing the right thing”. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, April 03, 2015

Far-right Protest outside Mosque

SOUTH WALES ARGUS: Far-right protesters have clashed with Muslims attending afternoon prayers.

Around 100 members of Britain First and the English Defence League shouted and chanted outside the London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre as hundreds of men, women and children moved inside for prayers.

Some protesters chanted anti-Islamic messages, while others waved banners and placards. » | Press Association | Friday, April 03, 2015

Anti-Islam Ads Featuring Hitler Unveiled on Philadelphia Buses

An anti-Islam ad campaign hitting the streets of Philadelphia this week features Adolf Hitler having a sit-down meeting with "leader of the Muslim world" Haj Amin al-Husseini. The ads were created by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a New Hampshire-based nonprofit co-founded by conservative pundit Pamela Geller, and will be displayed on 84 public transit…

Muslim Population in Europe to Reach 10% by 2050, New Forecast Shows

THE GUARDIAN: Pew Research study predicts that America’s Muslim population will grow to 2.1% by 2050, and Muslims will exceed Christians worldwide by 2070

Muslims will nearly double their numbers in Europe – to more than 10% – by 2050 and will outnumber Christians worldwide by 2070, according to a new forecast of the growth of religions around the world.

The report, by Pew Research Center, also predicts that Muslims will become the second-largest religious group in the US – at 2.1% – by 2050.

Europe’s Muslim population, boosted by large families and immigration, will nearly double, from less than 6% (43 million people) in 2010 to more than 10% (71 million people) in 2050, the forecast estimates.

The US by 2050 will still have more Christians than any other denomination, according to the report, but they will decline from 77% to 66% of the population.

Although the Muslim population represents a tiny fraction of Americans – about 1% – it is set to grow rapidly over the next four decades. The report predicts Muslim will surpass Jews to become the second-largest religious group in the US by 2050 – while still only representing 2.1% of the whole country. » | Alan Yuhas in New York | Thursday, April 02, 2015

Christianity On Course to Be Minority Religion in UK

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Global study predicts one in nine Britons will be Muslim by 2050 but UK set to become of least religious countries in the world overall

Christians will be a minority in the UK by the middle of his century amid surging growth in atheism and Islam, an authoritative new study charting the future of the world’s religions predicts.

According to projections by the US-based Pew Research Centre, the proportion of the British population identifying themselves as Christian will reduce by almost a third by 2050 to stand at just 45.4 per cent, compared with almost two thirds in 2010.

The number of Muslims in Britain is predicted to more than double to 11.3 per cent, or one in nine of the total population during that time.

But the reports predicts that biggest change in the religious make-up of Britain in the next three and a half decades will be a major expansion in the number of non-religious people.

They would account for just under 39 per cent, challenging Christians as the biggest faith community in the UK. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, April 02, 2015

Netanyahu to Obama: Iran Deal Threatens Israel's Survival

ARUTZ SHEVA: Netanyahu speaks to President Obama, expresses Israel's "strong opposition" to the framework agreement with Iran.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to President Barack Obama on Thursday evening and expressed Israel's strong opposition to the framework agreement with Iran which poses a grave danger to Israel, the region and the world, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

"A deal based on this framework would threaten the survival of Israel,” Netanyahu told Obama, according to the statement.

“Just two days ago, Iran said that ‘the destruction of Israel is non-negotiable,’ and in these fateful days Iran is accelerating the arming of its terror proxies to attack Israel.”

“This deal would legitimize Iran's nuclear program, bolster Iran's economy, and increase Iran's aggression and terror throughout the Middle East and beyond. Such a deal would not block Iran's path to the bomb. It would pave it,” warned Netanyahu. » | Elad Benari | Friday, April 03, 2015

La Suisse applaudit l'accord sur le nucléaire iranien

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Lausanne – Didier Burkhalter a estimé qu'il s'agissait d'une «bonne nouvelle pour la promotion de la paix».

La Suisse se félicite de l'entente entre les grandes puissances et l'Iran sur le programme nucléaire iranien. «Une bonne nouvelle pour cette région du monde et pour la promotion de la paix», a estimé Didier Burkhalter, chef du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE).

Cette déclaration commune constitue un pas important vers plus de sécurité dans le monde, une des priorités de la politique étrangère de la Suisse, selon Didier Burkhalter, cité dans un communiqué du DFAE diffusé jeudi soir. «Elle démontre que la solution à de profondes et complexes divergences sur le plan international ne peut être trouvée que par la voie diplomatique.» » | jeudi 02 avril 2015

‘Islam Is a Very Dark Theory’: Yousef, Son of Founding Member of Hamas

Read the Blaze article here

Israeli Officials: Iran Deal an 'Historic Mistake'

ARUTZ SHEVA: Israeli officials say new framework deal with Iran "will make the world far more dangerous." Lapid, Herzog and Livni speak out as well.

Left and right in Israel were on Thursday night united in their opposition to the new framework agreement reached between Iran and six world powers on Tehran’s nuclear program.

Israeli government officials said that the framework deal will be remembered as a "historic mistake".

"If an agreement is reached on the basis of this framework, it is an historic mistake which will make the world far more dangerous," said the officials, briefing journalists on condition of anonymity.

"It is a bad framework which will lead to a bad and dangerous agreement. The framework gives international legitimacy to Iran's nuclear program, the only aim of which is to produce a nuclear bomb," they added. » | Elad Benari | Friday, April 03, 2015

Obama’s Folly in Iran Needs a Page from Reagan’s Playbook

FOX NEWS: President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are negotiating an agreement with Iran that will accelerate a nuclear arms race in a part of the world that has begun a 30-year, fight to the finish, religious war. It is a prescription for disaster.

The administration won’t portray it that way, of course. They will say they have succeeded in slowing down Iran’s program. They will offer the usual Obama straw man argument -- it’s a choice between this deal and war with Iran. And nobody wants another war in the Middle East. » | K. T. McFarland | Wednesday, April 01, 2015

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Lessons in Munich Agreement for Iran Deal

The Western capitulation to Adolf Hitler in the 1938 Munich Agreement is cited as classic appeasement that destroyed Czechoslovakia, backfired on France and Britain, and led to World War II. All of that is true. But there was much more that caused the Munich debacle than simple Western naivete. The full tragedy of that ill-fated agreement…

Iran Militia Chief: Destroying Israel Is ‘Nonnegotiable’

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Basij commander Mohammad Reza Naqdi also threatens Saudis, saying their fate will be like that of Saddam Hussein

The commander of the Basij militia of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that “erasing Israel off the map” is “nonnegotiable,” according to an Israel Radio report Tuesday.

Militia chief Mohammad Reza Naqdi also threatened Saudi Arabia, saying that the offensive it is leading in Yemen “will have a fate like the fate of Saddam Hussein.”

Naqdi’s comments were made public as Iran and six world powers prepared Tuesday to issue a general statement agreeing to continue nuclear negotiations in a new phase aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord by the end of June. » | Lazar Berman | Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Statement by PM Netanyahu on Lausanne Talks

Boehner: Iran Has 'No Intention' of Keeping Its Word on Nuclear Deal

THE GUARDIAN: Speaker slams Obama, says Iran has ‘never kept their word about anything’ / Promises new sanctions will ‘come quickly’ if no agreement reached

Iran has “no intention” of keeping its word on an agreement being negotiated in Switzerland over its nuclear programme, House speaker John Boehner said on Sunday.

The top Republican’s comments came as negotiations in Lausanne approached the 31 March deadline for the drafting of a framework for a deal, under intense criticism from Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.

Speaking on CNN, Boehner said he had serious doubts about the talks. “We’ve got a regime that’s never quite kept their word about anything,” he said. “I just don’t understand why we would sign an agreement with a group of people who have no intention of keeping their word.”

If there was no agreement, Boehner said he would move “very” quickly to impose new sanctions on Iran.

“The sanctions are going to come and they are going to come quickly,” he said. » | Dominic Rushe in New York | Sunday, March 29, 2015

Bill Maher Laments 'Deeply Stupid' Political Correctness on Far Left

Bill Maher blasted "deeply stupid" far-left liberals on Friday for being too politically correct, criticizing Hollywood elite for its reaction to designers Dolce and Gabbana's comments on "synthetic" children. "What is the point of attacking people who are ninety-five percent on your side?" Mr. Maher asked on his HBO show "Real Time," Mediaite reported Friday. Last…

Rechtspopulist Geert Wilders in Wien: “Freie Ausreise für Jihadisten”

VIENNA ONLINE: Mit einem ungewöhnlichen Lösungsvorschlag für das Problem ausländischer Kämpfer in Syrien und im Irak hat der niederländische Rechtspopulist Geert Wilders am Freitag aufhorchen lassen: Er verstehe nicht, warum westliche Regierungen diese Menschen an der Ausreise hinderten.

“Wenn ein Jihadist gehen will, lasst ihn gehen, aber hindert ihn, daran zurückzukehren”, sagte der Islamkritiker bei einer Pressekonferenz mit FPÖ-Bundesparteiobmann Heinz-Christian Strache in Wien.

Er wolle nicht, dass Jihadisten irgendwo Verbrechen begingen, aber wenn sie es schon tun müssten, “dann ist es mir lieber, die Verbrechen werden in Syrien oder im Irak begangen, als in meinem eigenen Land”, so der Niederländer. » | APA/Red | Freitag 27. März 2015

Salafismus in Deutschland

Der Salafismus ist im 19. Jahrhundert in Ägypten entstanden und eine ultrakonservative Strömung innerhalb des Islams. Geprägt ist die Bewegung von stark intoleranten Zügen, so werden etwa alle Nicht-Salafisten, auch andere Muslime, zu den Ungläubigen gezählt. Der Begriff der "Salafisten" bedeutet - aus dem Arabischen übersetzt - "fromme Altvordere". Welche Gefahr besteht für uns hier in Deutschland, vor was müssen wir uns fürchten?

Gäste: Katharina Fegebank (Grüne Hamburg), Abdullah Uwe Wagishauser (Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat), Usman Naveed Ahmad (Imam aus Hannover) und Petra Loztkat (Amt für Arbeit und Integration in der Sozialbehörde) moderiert von Sami Khokhar.

Diese Sendung wurde am 02. Februar 2015 auf TIDE TV sowie Radio TIDE live ausgestrahlt.

Iran Nuclear Deal Progress: Sudden Thaw in Decade-long Atomic Standoff

It's a bitter stand-off that's lasted a decade, involving sanctions and dozens of marathon talks. And now the US and the EU are on the verge of reaching a deal with Iran, over its nuclear programme.

The Glazov Gang – The Real Meaning of "Allahu Akbar"

Daniel Greenfield (Shillman Fellow, Freedom Center)

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

EXCLUSIVE: Twisted Obsessions of Killer in Cockpit: Lubitz Trawled 'Dark Side' of the Web

SUNDAY EXPRESS: KILLER co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was trawling suicide and gay websites as he spiralled into mental illness.

The 27-year-old also had problems with his eyesight and tore up sick notes from his doctors after fearing his mental state could lose him his job.

Just weeks before crashing the Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 plane, killing 149 passengers, he had learned he could also face a big pay cut and changes to his company pension.

A police source in Dusseldorf said: “We have a team disassembling his computer, and that of his girlfriend, because the information that we received was that he trawled the dark side of the web visiting, among other things, sites containing gay porn, suicide themes and sexual perversions.”

Lubitz also endured the nickname “Tomato Andy”, a German term for repressed homosexuals and a dig at his previous job as a flight attendant.

Reports have suggested he was troubled by his sexuality and also seeking treatment for vision problems. Last year he scared a girlfriend with remarks that showed his mind was in a dark and secretive place. » | James Murray and James Fielding | Sunday, March 29, 2015

Andreas Lubitz's Father 'Devastated... a Man Whose Life Has Broken Down'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sympathy for father of Germanwings crash co-pilot, who is "at the centre of a tragedy he did not seek"

The father of the Germanwings co-pilot who allegedly deliberately crashed his plane into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board, is “devastated, completely shattered” by his son’s act, a French official who spoke to him said.

“He is carrying on his back the entire weight of the drama. He is a man whose life has broken down,” said Bernard Bartolini, the mayor of Prads-Haute-Bléone, a small town near the site of the crash.

The parents of Andreas Lubitz have not spoken in public since the crash on Tuesday. They were questioned by French police during their stay in France and German police were due to talk them when they returned to Germany.

Mr Bartolini said he met them when they visited the crash site and attended a memorial ceremony nearby on Thursday along with families of the passengers and crew who died. » | Rory Mulholland, in Paris | Saturday, March 28, 2015

The New Statesman Special Report - The Great Koran Con Trick

NEW STATESMAN: Scholars claim that Islam's holy book is not quite what it seems

The news that a recent scientific paper on the common genetic roots of Jews and Palestinians had been suppressed by learned journals, because of the political sensitivity of its conclusions, made for depressing reading. Findings that might have provided reason for hope, or even for solidarity between the Arab and Israeli peoples, were instead considered too hot to handle.

The furore over the geneticists' discoveries will have come as no surprise to other academics in the Middle East and the Muslim world, where even the most apparently dispassionate research can be swept up in the blinding ideological sandstorms that choke reasoned dialogue. Such is the intensity of feeling that many who work in highly charged areas of scholar- ship - history and archaeology, for example - choose to keep a low profile, circulating their work only in trusted academic circles. Thus the censorship that plagues the Middle East seeps into every corner of intellectual life.

Nowhere is this more true than in the study of the origins of Islam, where some of the conclusions being drawn are potentially even more explosive than the argument that Israelis and Palestinians have common ancestors. Tucked away in the journals and occasional papers of the world of Islamic studies is work by a group of academics who have spent the past three decades plotting a quiet revolution in the study of the origins of the religion, the Koran and the life of the Prophet Mohammad. The conclusions of the so-called "new historians" of Islam are devastating: that we know almost nothing about the life of the Muslim prophet Mohammad; that the rapid rise of the religion can be attributed, at least in part, to the attraction of Islam's message of conquest and jihad for the tribes of the Arabian peninsula; that the Koran as we know it today was compiled, or perhaps even written, long after Mohammad's supposed death in 632AD. Most controversially of all, the researchers say that there existed an anti-Christian alliance between Arabs and Jews in the earliest days of Islam, and that the religion may be best understood as a heretical branch of rabbinical Judaism. » | Martin Bright | Monday, December 10, 2001

Hitler’s British Girl

‘You Are Always Close to Me’: Unity Mitford’s Souvenirs of Hitler

THE SPECTATOR: Hitler’s adoring notes to Unity Mitford – and her family’s campaign to stop my book

The English aristocracy has had its fair share of misfits, and one of the most far-fetched was Unity Mitford. No novelist would dare invent the story of a young woman of 19 who settles in Germany in 1933, determines to captivate Hitler, and succeeds. Eva Braun, the long-term mistress whom Hitler married in the last days of his life, gives way in her diary to jealousy and spite. There is evidence provided either by Unity herself or Nazi officials that Hitler held her hand, stroked her hair and called her ‘Kind’ (child). During his preparation for world war in the summer of 1939, he found time to arrange for a Jewish couple to be dispossessed from their apartment in Munich in order for Unity to have it. He also paid various expenses. » | David Pryce-Jones | Saturday, March 28, 2015

Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Minister Has Dared to Tell the Truth about Saudi Arabia. What Happens Now Concerns Us All

THE SPECTATOR: Margot Wallström’s principled stand deserves wide support. Betrayal seems more likely

If the cries of ‘Je suis Charlie’ were sincere, the western world would be convulsed with worry and anger about the Wallström affair. It has all the ingredients for a clash-of-civilisations confrontation.

A few weeks ago Margot Wallström, the Swedish foreign minister, denounced the subjugation of women in Saudi Arabia. As the theocratic kingdom prevents women from travelling, conducting official business or marrying without the permission of male guardians, and as girls can be forced into child marriages where they are effectively raped by old men, she was telling no more than the truth. Wallström went on to condemn the Saudi courts for ordering that Raif Badawi receive ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes for setting up a website that championed secularism and free speech. These were ‘mediaeval methods’, she said, and a ‘cruel attempt to silence modern forms of expression’. And once again, who can argue with that?

The backlash followed the pattern set by Rushdie, the Danish cartoons and Hebdo. Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador and stopped issuing visas to Swedish businessmen. The United Arab Emirates joined it. The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, which represents 56 Muslim-majority states, accused Sweden of failing to respect the world’s ‘rich and varied ethical standards’ — standards so rich and varied, apparently, they include the flogging of bloggers and encouragement of paedophiles. Meanwhile, the Gulf Co-operation Council condemned her ‘unaccept-able [?] interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’, and I wouldn’t bet against anti-Swedish riots following soon.

Yet there is no ‘Wallström affair’. Outside Sweden, the western media has barely covered the story, and Sweden’s EU allies have shown no inclination whatsoever to support her. A small Scandinavian nation faces sanctions, accusations of Islamophobia and maybe worse to come, and everyone stays silent. As so often, the scandal is that there isn’t a scandal. » | Nick Cohen | Saturday, March 28, 2015