Monday, April 20, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Who Is Behind 3rd World Immigration to Sweden?
Soviet Sweden? Model Nation Sliding to Third World
Warnings: Sweden is Headed Toward "a Cliff"...
Germany Marks 70 Years Since the Liberation of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
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| Petr Mischtschuk, from Ukraine, was imprisoned as a 14-year-old by the Nazis at Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen concentration camps. He lays a flower during ceremnonies marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Sachsenhausen. |
Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined Holocaust survivors and other guests on Sunday at the site which was built while Hitler celebrated the 1936 Olympic Games, and where tens of thousands of Jews and other prisoners died.
Mr Steinmeier said Germany had an enduring responsibility not to forget its horrific past, which meant it must "stand against injustice, against any form of xenophobia and discrimination".
He pointed to recent anti-foreigner attacks, cases of arson of refugee centres and anti-Islamic street protests as the number of asylum-seekers rises sharply. » | AFP | Monday, April 20, 2015
Armani Tells Gay Men, 'Don't Dress Homosexual'
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| Giorgio Armani |
One of the world's most famous fashion designers has appeared to condemn gay men for dressing "homosexual".
Giorgio Armani, who has never denied that he is gay, said "a man has to be a man".
The outspoken 80-year-old also criticised men who work out too much, saying he does not like muscle.
"A homosexual man is a man 100%. He does not need to dress homosexual," Armani said.
"When homosexuality is exhibited to the extreme - to say, 'Ah, you know I'm homosexual,' - that has nothing to do with me. A man has to be a man." » | Lyndsey Telford | Sunday, April 19, 2015
Islamic State Murders 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya
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| Masked militants are shown in the video released by Al-Furqan Media, purportedly showing the execution of 30 Ethiopian Christians captured in Libya |
A video purportedly made by Islamic State and posted on social media sites on Sunday appeared to show militants shooting and beheading about 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya.
It was not possible to immediately verify the authenticity of the video, but the killings resemble past violence carried out by Islamic State, which has expanded its reach from strongholds in Iraq and Syria to a conflict-ridden Libya.
The video, in which militants call Christians crusaders and say they are out to kill Muslims, showed about 15 men being beheaded on a beach and another group of the same size shot in their heads in scrubland.
Both groups of men are referred to in a subtitle as "worshippers of the cross belonging to the hostile Ethiopian church".
Libyan officials were not immediately available for comment. » | Reuters | Sunday, April 19, 2015
Muslims Urged to Abstain from Voting Because 'Democracy Violates the Right of Allah'
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| The garish yellow posters have been plastered around Cardiff |
The garish yellow flyers which read "democracy is a system whereby man violates the right of Allah" were stuck on lamp-posts and bus stops this week in Grangetown - a predominantly Muslim area of the Welsh capital.
Ahead of next month's general election, the posters also say: "Islam is the only real workable solution for the UK," before carrying the hashtag #Dontboteformanmadelaw [sic].
Cardiff Council workers have begun removing the "chilling" and "threatening" posters.
Parent Greg Pycroft, 36, was with his two-year-old son when he came across 20 posters plastered on his walk to nursery.
The Welsh Government worker said: "It was quite chilling and threatening to see these posters." » | Rebecca Perring | Saturday, April 18, 2015
Read my essay: Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom »
Kate Middleton's Friend Holds Orgies in Sharia Hotel
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| Kate Middleton with Emma Sayle during training for the 2007 Sisterhood Challenge |
The Duchess of Cambridge's friend has been staging sex parties in the country's first sharia hotel.
Emma Sayle, owner of Killing Kittens, a members-only sex-club, said the Bermondsey Square hotel in London is one of her preferred destinations for the self-styled ‘sexual elite’.
A friend of Kate Middleton's, Miss Sayle, 36, who attended Downe House boarding school with Prince Michael's daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, has used the four loft suites on the seventh floor of the hotel for her parties.
The £220-a-night hotel became the country's first sharia hotel last year, banning the sale of alcohol.
According to Miss Sayle, who is a member of Kate's rowing crew, The Sisterhood, the rules at Killing Kitten events state men can’t approach women at parties unless they know them, everyone wears a mask and single men aren't allowed.
She told Conference News: “A lot of our events are in high-end hotels such as The Wood Norton in Evesham and the Bermondsey Square hotel, London, among others."
A spokeswoman for the Bermondsey Square hotel said the sex parties took place in the four loft suites which meant there was no overlap with other guests. » | Nicola Harley | Saturday, April 18, 2015
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Rand Paul Attacks Clinton and Names the Enemy of the US – 'Radical Islam'
Rand Paul on Saturday attacked Hillary Clinton, the only declared Democratic candidate for president so far, over her record as secretary of state under Barack Obama, her use of a private email server while in that job and the human rights records of some donors to her charitable foundation.
The Kentucky senator also asked Republicans to help him take the party’s message to “new people… rich, poor, black, white, brown” as he campaigns for the presidential nomination in 2016.
Speaking in Nashua, New Hampshire, at the Republican Leadership Summit – where most of the declared and potential GOP candidates for president were scheduled to speak on Friday and Saturday – the libertarian-tinged candidate largely focused on foreign policy, an area in which he has been vulnerable to attack over his supposedly isolationist stance.
He named radical Islam as the enemy of the US and focused again on the Benghazi attacks of 2012 and Clinton’s role in the US response.
“Libya was a mistake,” he said, referring the Obama administration’s military support of rebels who toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. “One thing that is probably true in the Middle East: every time we have toppled a secular dictator, a secular strong man, we’ve gotten chaos and the rise of radical Islam. If we want to defend our country, we have to know the enemy and we have to name the enemy.
“The president won’t name the enemy, but I will: it’s radical Islam. Until we name it we can’t defeat them, and I will tell you this: if I were commander in chief I would do everything it takes to … defend the country against radical Islam.” » | Martin Pengelly in New York | Saturday, April 18, 2015
Islamic State Claim Responsibility for Jalalabad Bomb in First Afghanistan Attack
A suicide bomber has killed 33 people queuing outside a bank in Jalalabad in what is thought to be the first terrorist attack in Afghanistan carried out by Islamic State.
Government employees were targeted in Saturday's attack - the worst in Afghanistan since November - which was thought to have been carried out by a suicide bomber on a bicycle or motorbike. Another blast took place near a shrine and municipality buildings, and bomb disposal experts detonated a third explosive device.
Smoke billowed from the building and windows were shattered in the blast, which left people lying in pools of blood and body parts scattered across the ground. Dr Najeebullah Kamawal, head of the provincial hospital, said that over 100 people were injured in the bomb – among them many children.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that his group was not behind the "evil" attack. » | Harriet Alexander | Saturday, April 18, 2015
David and Samantha Cameron Visit Sikh Temple
David Cameron has donned an orange "patka" headscarf as he visited a Sikh gurdwara - or temple - while campaigning in Kent.
The Prime Minister took along his wife, Samantha, who was celebrating her 44th birthday, for the visit to the temple in Gravesend, where they joined around 3,000 worship[p]ers on a parade to celebrate Vaisakhi, a spring festival.
The start of the Camerons' visit was delayed slightly after a scuffle appeared to break out among worship[p]ers when a priest objected to speeches being made while prayers were taking place.
Mr and Mrs Cameron were taken to a side room in the temple until the dispute was resolved.
During the visit to the temple, the couple wore brightly[-]coloured clothes, in line with tradition on Vaisakhi.
They removed their shoes to walk into the temple, where they queued up to kneel before an alter, and say prayers as they made an offering of coins.
Mr and Mrs Cameron were separated, with the Prime Minister joining men on the right of the temple and his wife going to the women's side on the left. » | Rosa Prince, Online Political Editor | Saturday, April 18, 2015
Australian Teens Held Over Alleged Terror Attack
Police arrested five suspects, including two 18-year-olds being held for alleged terrorism-related offences.
They said the men were planning to target police at an Anzac memorial event in Melbourne next week.
Some 200 police officers took part in the counter-terrorism operation in the city early on Saturday.
Acting deputy police commissioner Neil Gaughan told reporters that evidence gathered by police led them to believe the suspects had been influenced by Islamic State. » | Saturday, April 18, 2015
Egypt Strikes Islamic Texts from Schools, Angering Salafists
While the state views the decision — which will omit some religious texts and passages on historical Islamic figures — as a way to counter radical ideologies and fight extremism, the Salafist movements have deemed it a war on Islam.
Egypt’s Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab announced the decision in a press statement following a meeting he headed with the Curriculum Development Committee on April 11. He said, “We will not allow any academic textbooks that would instill myths and superstition in the minds of students.”
The Curriculum Development Committee was formed March 4 to review curricula and remove any outdated texts that incite violence. » | Ayah Aman | Undated
Friday, April 17, 2015
Stupid Is as Stupid Does! Muslim Women Should Be Allowed to Wear the Veil in Court, Top Judge Suggests
Judges should allow Muslim women to appear in court wearing a full-face veil, Britain’s most senior judge has suggested.
Lord Neuberger, the President of the Supreme Court, said it was crucial that courts and judges “show, and be seen to show” respect towards different customs.
He said this included having an understanding of the “different cultural and social habits” of those appearing as witnesses, defendants or jurors in cases.
His comments, in a lecture about the need for courts to be less intimidating, come at a time of uncertainty over the place of the Muslim niqab, or full face-veil, in the legal system. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, April 16, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Italians Revolt Against Migrant 'Invasion'
Italians are in growing revolt against the number of migrants arriving on their shores, with more than 10,000 people rescued from the Mediterranean in the past week alone.
The huge influx of asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa is putting an intolerable strain on a country that has been in recession for the past five years.
Conservative politicians called this week for boatloads of refugees to be sent back to Libya, while the system of migrant reception centres is on the verge of collapse.
The government in Rome has asked regional authorities to provide 6,500 new beds for migrants who are arriving on a daily basis in Sicily and the tiny island of Lampedusa.
But many regions responded grudgingly - some with downright hostility - saying they had no space to offer.
Val d’Aosta, a small, mountainous region on the French border, offered to take just one refugee.
There was also a frosty reception from the wealthy northern region of Lombardy.
“Here, as in Veneto (a neighbouring region that includes Venice) there is zero space,” said Roberto Maroni, the governor of Lombardy and a member of the staunchly anti-immigration Northern League. "We cannot be subjected to this invasion.” » | Nick Squires, Rome | Thursday, April 16, 2015
Migrants Killed in 'Religious Clash' on Mediterranean Boat
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| About 1,000 people a day are being rescued at the moment trying to reach the Italian coast |
The Christian migrants, said to be from Ghana and Nigeria, are all feared dead.
In a separate incident, more than 40 people drowned after another migrant boat sank between Libya and Italy.
Almost 10,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean have been rescued in recent days. Italy has called for more help from the EU to handle the crisis.
More than 500 people from Africa and the Middle East have died making the perilous crossing since the start of the year. Earlier this week, 400 people were believed to have drowned when their boat capsized. » | Thursday, April 16, 2015
Danish Queen: “It Is Vital That We Give Islam Opposition”
JIHAD WATCH: ”We are challenged in these years by Islam, both globally and locally, and it is a challenge we have to take seriously. … There is something impressive about people for whom religion permeates life from morning to night, from cradle to grave. There are also Christians who feel that way. …
But it [Islam] is a challenge we have to take seriously. We simply let it flutter in too long because we are tolerant, and it’s not so nice. … We should oppose it, and one must sometimes take the risk of being called less flattering things, since there are certain things one should not tolerate. … It is vital that we give Islam opposition. The lax response that has prevailed for many years in Denmark is not enough.”
In a recent interview given in connection with the Queen’s 75th birthday, our beloved Margrethe says (translated by Nicolai Sennels, via 10news.dk):
Seen with the Queen’s eyes, an important part of the reaction to the terror must be that we stand firmly by the key freedoms that Denmark is founded upon – including freedom of expression – which makes it possible to speak, write and express one’s opinion freely.
“I know there are some who say that we must be careful, and of course we need to think before speaking, but we must certainly also say things the way we think they are. We should not hold back. If you do not speak out about problems they become worse,” said the Queen.
Fear should never be allowed to dominate, although the terrorists are prepared to use violence. » | Nicolai Sennels | Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Muslim Men Branded 'Disgrace' for Praying at Anfield
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| Stephen Dodd posted this photo, but later deleted it, saying the men were a 'disgrace' |
Liverpool FC has said it will take action against a fan who allegedly called two Muslim men "a disgrace" for praying at Anfield.
Stephen Dodd was at the centre of a Twitter storm over a picture of solicitors Asif Bodi and Abubakar Bhula worshipping during the half-time break as the Reds took on Blackburn Rovers on March 8.
The picture appeared to be sent from his account, with the caption: "Muslims praying at half time at the match yesterday #DISGRACE." » | Agency | Wednesday, April 15, 2015
German School Teacher 'Made Children Sing Nazi Propaganda Song’
A schoolteacher in Berlin has been questioned by police on suspicion of making her pupils sing a Nazi propaganda song.
The teacher, who has not been named under German privacy laws, is accused of making her sixth form class sing the Horst Wessel Song, the anthem of the Nazi Party from 1930 to 1945.
The song includes the words “Millions are looking upon the swastika full of hope” and “Soon Hitler’s banners will fly over all the streets”.
It is illegal to sing the song in Germany, and if prosecuted, the teacher could face up to three years in prison.
“She handed out the lines, turned on the music and made us sing and march together,” one of her pupils told Bild newspaper. » | Justin Huggler in Berlin | Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Grave of Hillary Clinton's Father 'Vandalised' Day after She Declared for President
The grave of Hillary Clinton’s father appears to have been vandalised the day after she launched her presidential campaign.
Police in Scranton, Pennsylvania said that the headstone of Hugh Rodham had been toppled, possibly by vandals. » | David Lawler, Washington | Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Erdogan dénonce les «délires» du pape sur le génocide
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| Il s'agit de la première réaction du président après les déclarations du pape. |
Le président islamo-conservateur turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a fermement dénoncé mardi les propos du pape François qui a parlé dimanche de «génocide» à propos des massacres d'Arméniens commis en 1915 par l'Empire ottoman, évoquant des «délires».
«Si les politiques ou les religieux font le travail des historiens, alors on n'aboutira pas aux réalités, ce ne seront que délires», a lancé M. Erdogan dans un discours devant des hommes d'affaires à Ankara.
Il s'agit de la première réaction du président turc aux remarques du souverain pontife qui ont provoqué une crise entre Ankara et le Vatican. » | afp/Newsnet | mardi 14 avril 2015
Die Gotteskrieger vom Islam (Doku 2015)
Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen im Namen des Islam. Mordende Glaubenskrieger des Islamischen Staates (IS), die aus Sicht der Bundesregierung nur mit Waffen . Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen.
Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen im Namen des Islam. Mordende Glaubenskrieger des Islamischen Staates (IS), die aus Sicht der Bundesregierung nur mit Waffen . Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Kurz vor dem Tod sprach Grass vom dritten großen Krieg
Günter Grass hat sich bis kurz vor seinem Tod große Sorgen um die Zukunft der Menschheit gemacht. Am 21. März, knapp drei Wochen vor seinem Tod, gab der Literatur-Nobelpreisträger in Lübeck der spanischen Zeitung "El País" noch ein Interview.
"Wir steuern auf den dritten großen Krieg zu", sagte Grass in dem Interview, das am Dienstag erstmals veröffentlicht wurde. "Es gibt überall Krieg. Wir laufen Gefahr, dieselben Fehler wie früher zu machen. Ohne es zu merken, als wären wir Schlafwandler, können wir in einen neuen Weltkrieg gehen", warnte er.
Grass analysierte in dem Gespräch die aktuelle Situation kritisch: "Heute haben wir auf der einen Seite die Ukraine, deren Situation einfach nicht besser wird. In Israel und Palästina wird es immer schlimmer. Im Irak haben uns die Amerikaner ein Desaster hinterlassen. Es gibt die Gräueltaten des Islamischen Staates und das Problem in Syrien, das fast aus den Nachrichten verschwunden ist, obwohl sich die Menschen dort weiter gegenseitig umbringen." » | dpa/dol | Dienstag, 14. April 2015
Related »
Günter Grass: We Are 'Sleepwalking' into World War
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| Gu[e]nter Grass |
Germany's Nobel-winning author Günter Grass said he feared humanity was "sleepwalking" into a world war in the last interview he gave before his death on April 13 2015.
"We have on the one side Ukraine, whose situation is not improving; in Israel and Palestine things are getting worse; the disaster the Americans left in Iraq, the atrocities of Islamic state and the problem of Syria," he told the Spanish newspaper El Pais [sic] in the interview published a day after his death.
"There is war everywhere; we run the risk of committing the same mistakes as before; so without realising it we can get into a world war as if we were sleepwalking," he added. » | Martin Chilton, Culture Editor online | Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Ex-British Diplomat Accuses Hillary Clinton of Role in Meltdown of Iraq
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| Emma Sky, a former British diplomat |
A former British diplomat has accused Hillary Clinton of contributing to Iraq’s disastrous meltdown during her four years as Barack Obama’s foreign policy chief.
Emma Sky, who served as an adviser to one of the top US commanders in Iraq, claims in a new book that Mrs Clinton operated a “dysfunctional” diplomatic mission to Baghdad that allowed a lapse back into sectarian warfare after elections in 2010.
At that time Mrs Clinton was mid-way through her four-year stint as Mr Obama’s Secretary of State, the equivalent position to Foreign Secretary in Britain.
The criticisms, which come as Mrs Clinton announces her presidential bid, are contained in a book that Ms Sky, an Oxford-educated Middle East expert, is to publish next month about the seven years she spent in Iraq.
Entitled The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq, it paints an unflattering picture of the Obama administration as it tried to extricate itself from the country as hastily as possible. » | Colin Freeman, Chief foreign correspondent | Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Islamic State Threatens to Repeat 9/11 in New Video Warning to America
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| The video is a reminder of the power if Isil and Al-Qaeda to inspire followers around the world to 'lone wolf' |
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
Sunday, April 12, 2015
UK: Sharia Courts Abusing Muslim Women
“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
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'
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
Friday, April 10, 2015
'Britain in Danger of Being Outflanked by Growing Islamic Population' Says Church Leader
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| Reverend David Robertson |
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'
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| Grand mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Shaeikh issued the fatwa |
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
Marine Le Pen Tells Father to Step Down from French Politics
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
Thursday, April 09, 2015
French Media Groups to Hold Emergency Meeting after Isis Cyber-attack
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
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
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
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Obama Takes Jab at Critics in Prayer Breakfast
Islamic State Launches English-language Radio News Bulletins
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| The al-Bayan radio network's logo |
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
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
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
Theresa May Wants a Police File of Muslim Hate
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
Monday, April 06, 2015
Zweiter Weltkrieg: Athen beziffert deutsche Schuld auf 278 Milliarden Euro
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
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| France is home to western Europe's largest Muslim population |
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
Free speech? Not at four in five UK universities
David Cameron Declares: ‘Britain Is Still a Christian Country’
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 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
Sunday, April 05, 2015
UK Defence Cuts Will Have Profound Effect, Warns US Diplomat
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
Netanyahu Continues Attack on Iran Nuclear Agreement: It's 'a Very Bad Deal'
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
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
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
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
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
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
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Anti-Islam Pegida Group To Hold First London Rally
“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
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