Sunday, May 10, 2015
Cuban Same-sex Couples 'Wed' in March for LGBT Rights Led by Castro's Daughter
A day before Cuban president Raúl Castro was to visit the Vatican, his daughter sponsored a blessing ceremony for gay couples on an island where gay marriage remains illegal.
More than 1,000 gay, lesbian and transgender Cubans marched through Havana on Saturday, proudly displaying their truest selves for a day in a society where they still endure discrimination.
The Eighth Annual March against Homophobia and Transphobia took on extra meaning for about 20 couples who participated in a “Celebration of Love”, symbolically exchanging vows.
The couples held hands or embraced as American and Canadian protestant clergy members blessed them. It was part of official ceremonies leading up to the Global Day against Homophobia on 17 May.
Castro’s daughter, Mariela, heads Cuba’s Center for Sex Education, which has been pushing for gay rights in a country with a history of persecuting homosexuals. » | Agencies in Havana | Saturday, May 09, 2015
Saturday, May 09, 2015
Egyptian Youths Face Trial for 'Insulting Islam' by Making Fun of ISIS
Aged between 15 and 16, the youths could face up to five years in a youth detention center – while the teacher would serve any sentence he receives in prison – if the court finds them guilty of violating Egypt’s blasphemy law, Egypt-focused activists say.
Egyptian Christian and civil rights groups are leading calls for their release, but the five – members of the Coptic community that descends from the non-Arab people whose Pharaohs ruled ancient Egypt – have already spent weeks in police holding cells. » | Steven Edwards | Saturday, May 09, 2015
Russia Stages Massive WW2 Parade Despite Western Boycott
President Putin (centre) sat alongside the presidents of China (third left) and Kazakhstan (far right) |
Thousands of troops marched across Red Square in Moscow, and new armour was displayed for the first time.
Many foreign dignitaries were present, but most Western leaders stayed away because of Russia's role in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin said global co-operation had been put at risk in recent years. His Ukrainian counterpart accused him of justifying aggression.
Russia denies claims by the West that it is arming rebels in eastern Ukraine. More than 6,000 people have been killed since fighting began in April 2014 in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions. (+ 2 videos) » | Saturday, May 09, 2015
Washington Frets Over 'Distracted' Little Britain
David Cameron’s surprise election victory was greeted with mixed feelings in Washington yesterday as relief over a clear-cut outcome was tempered by worries about the stability of the UK and the prospect of a divisive EU referendum.
Officially, Barack Obama congratulated the prime minister on his “impressive victory”, issuing a statement promising to continue to “strengthen the bonds between our countries, as we work together on behalf of global peace, security and prosperity”.
Behind the scenes however, officials conceded that the prospect of the EU membership vote in 2017 and a resurgence of Scottish demands for independence risked weakening Britain’s ability to deliver on its side of the so-called special relationship. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Friday, May 08, 2015
THE INDEPENDENT: Unshackled from Coalition partners, Tories get ready to push radical agenda: Cameron is expected to move to the right to consolidate support among his backbench MPs after five years of compromise with the Liberal Democrats » | Whitehall Editor | Friday, May 08, 2015
That the World May Not End
Our world is in trouble. A big portion of the human population is following a culture whose mainstream is dominated by some very bad ideas. The Muslim world is heavily influenced by a stream of thought synonymous with terrorism, sabotage, ignorance, anti-Semitism, the oppression of women, aggressive homophobia, sexual repression, hostility to free inquiry and human rights.
There are 13 countries in the world where you can get the death penalty for apostasy; all of them are Muslim-majority countries. Most other Muslim countries imprison apostates. Most countries with astonishing records of violence against women, terrorism exporting and financing, anti-Semitism and hostility to free expression are Muslim-majority countries. Even Europe, the birthplace of modern Western intellectuality and civilization, is not spared from this sea of darkness. Cartoonists, authors and academics frequently need the protection of law enforcement agencies because of the abundance of death threats and fatwas against them. Many of them have experienced assassination attempts, and many did not survive. The biggest demonstrations organized by European Muslims are not to condemn these atrocities but to raise signs like, “Behead those who insult the prophet,” or more moderately, “You are not free to insult the prophet.” Think about this for a moment: There are large numbers of people who actively and violently want to destroy our right to freedom of expression. Some of them are more than ready to lose their lives in order to shut us up. Europe is very quickly being hijacked. » | Hussein Aboubakr Mansour | Friday, May 08, 2015
Friday, May 08, 2015
Nun: 'Islam Is ISIS. Whoever Says Otherwise Is a Liar'
Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been displaced from their homes and countless others have been murdered or enslaved by the jihadist army, with no end in sight.
Sister Hatune Dogan has been on the ground and witnessed the devastation of these ancient Christian communities. She's listened to survivors tell how Christians and Yazidi women are being sold into sex slavery.
"They choose the most beautiful one, even if they have a small child, and they sell these women, these ladies to each other. They don't sell to another religion -- only Sunni Muslim," Dogan said.
"There have been 12,000 kidnapped at the hands of ISIS - Yazidi alone. What is going on there, what I was hearing, is the highest barbarism on earth in the history until today," she added.
Her foundation helps the poor and persecuted in 35 countries, providing them with food, clothing, medicine and shelter.
She travels constantly with a special focus in the Muslim world. » | Erick Stakelbeck | CBN News Correspondent | Friday, May 08, 2015
Brad Thor in Defense of Pamela Geller: Islam Needs More Direct Challenges, Not Less
What I have found particularly galling is the torrent of “She has a right to free speech, but…” coming not just from the left, but also from the right.
Critics – including most of the media – claim that what Geller did was provocative. They never stop to note, as Harris put it, “The point is not (and will never be) that some free person spoke, or wrote, or illustrated in such a manner as to inflame the Muslim community. The point is that only [emphasis added] the Muslim community is combustible in this way.”
Harris goes on to say, “Muslims appear to be far more concerned about perceived slights to their religion than about the atrocities committed daily in its name.”
This goes to the heart of Geller’s event in Garland and what I see not as a provocation, but as a challenge. » | Brad Thor * | Friday, May 08, 2015
* Brad Thor is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of "Black List," "Full Black," "Foreign Influence," "The Apostle," "The Last Patriot" (banned in Saudi Arabia), "The First Commandment," "Takedown," "Blowback," "State of the Union," "Path of the Assassin," "The Lions of Lucerne," and his New York Times bestselling spinoff series, The Athena Project. He has appeared on FOX News Channel, CNN, CNN Headline News, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS programs to discuss terrorism. He has served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Analytic Red Cell Unit and shadowed a Black Ops team in Afghanistan to research "The Apostle."
Brad Thor’s website »
In Germany, the Rise of Anti-Islam Terrorism
German police arrested four people earlier this week accused of belonging to a far-right group plotting terrorist attacks against Muslims in Germany.
Around 250 German law enforcement officers, including specialized counter-terrorism units, conducted raids across four states on Wednesday. Officers found "fireworks with large explosive power" and other evidence of terrorist plotting during the raids but investigators are still trying to determine "whether the suspects already had concrete attack targets or attack dates.”
The four arrested were members of an organization called The Oldschool Society and “strongly suspected of forming a terrorist group,” according to a statement from the German general prosecutor's office. » | Jacob Siegel | Friday, May 08, 2015
Related »
Pamela Geller’s Critics Are Proving Her Point
Instead, the fury against Pamela Geller is motivated mostly by fear — by the understanding that there are indeed many, many Muslims who believe that blasphemy should be punished with death, and who put that belief into practice. It’s motivated by the fear that our alliances with even “friendly” Muslim states and “allied” Muslim militias are so fragile that something so insignificant as a cartoon would drive them either to neutrality or straight into the arms of ISIS. » | David French | Thursday, May 07, 2015
Tajikistan Debates Ban on Arabic Names as Part Of Crackdown on Islam
Tajikistan is debating legislation to ban Arabic names as part of an ongoing campaign against Islam that has seen men being forced to shave their beards and women in hijab being labelled prostitutes.
The president, Emomali Rahmon, ordered his rubber-stamp parliament to consider a bill that would forbid the registration of names considered too Arabic, an official in the Justice Ministry’s department of civil registry told Interfax.
“After the adoption of these regulations, the registry offices will not register names that are incorrect or alien to the local culture, including names denoting objects, flora and fauna, as well as names of Arabic origin,” Jaloliddin Rahimov was quoted as saying. » | David Trilling for Eurasianet.org, part of the New East network | Friday, May 08, 2015
Ed Miliband Resigns as Labour Leader
A devastated Ed Miliband has resigned as leader of the Labour party, saying he is truly sorry for the scale of the party’s crushing defeat.
In an emotional speech, Miliband said it was time for someone else to take over as leader, but called on the party to keep fighting, rather than give in to despair.
“I take absolute and total responsibility for our defeat. I am so sorry for all of those colleagues who lost their seats,” he said on Friday.
He said the party now needed an “open and honest debate” about the best way of rebuilding after the heavy losses, particularly to the Scottish National party. » | Patrick Wintour and Rowena Mason | Friday, May 08, 2015
UK Election Results: David Cameron Pledges a 'Greater Britain'
Speaking outside No 10 after visiting Buckingham Palace, he said the UK was "on the brink of something special".
The Conservatives have 331 seats - five more than needed for a Commons majority - their first such victory since 1992.
Mr Cameron's rivals Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage have all resigned after election disappointment.
The Conservative leader is now beginning the process of putting together the new government, which will have a parliamentary majority of 12. Senior Cabinet appointments are expected to be announced later on Friday. » | Friday, May 08, 2015
Germany Arrests Four in Alleged Anti-Islam Plot
German authorities conducted raids across the country on Wednesday, seizing explosives and arresting four people accused of founding a right-wing extremist group to attack mosques and housing for asylum seekers.
Police arrested three men and a woman accused of leading the group during raids by some 250 investigators on homes in Saxony and four other states, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Prosecutors allege the four helped found the “Old School Society” group and were planning to attack asylum-seeker housing, mosques and well-known members of the Islamic-extremist Salafist scene in Germany.
The four arrested, identified only as Andreas H., 56, Markus W., 39, Denise Vanessa G., 22, and Olaf O., 47, are being held on terrorism charges and are also accused of having procured explosives.
The statement identified Andreas H. and Markus W. as the group's president and vice president. » | Al Jazeera with the Associated Press | Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Islam: Losing My Religion
IDENTIFYING Muslims who have renounced their faith is tricky. Few are open about doing so, even in safe and secular Britain. But among the country’s Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, who overwhelmingly describe themselves as Muslims, the numbers are growing, albeit from a tiny base. According to official statistics, between 2001 and 2011 the proportion of Bangladeshis who say they have no faith has more than tripled, from 0.4% to 1.4%. For Pakistanis it has doubled, from 0.5% to 1.1%. Some who explicitly identify as ex-Muslims are becoming more vocal. Groups such as the Council of Ex-Muslims in Britain (CEMB), set up in 2007, are helping.
Former Muslims’ reluctance to admit to their lack of faith rarely stems from a fear of violence, as in countries such as Sudan where laws make apostasy punishable by death. Rather the worry in Britain is about the social stigma, moral condemnation and ostracism that follows, says Simon Cottee of the University of Kent, who has written a book on the subject.
Many do not divulge their unbelief to their families, let alone the wider community. At events organised by the CEMB, some come straight from the mosque. Women say they continue to wear their veil at home to conceal their change of heart. Those who are openly godless often use the language of gay rights, talking about “coming out” to those close to them. » | From the print edition | Friday, May 09, 2015
David Cameron on Track to Remain PM after Electoral Triumph
David Cameron is on course to secure an astonishing electoral triumph as the Conservative party headed towards an overall majority and unseated a raft of senior political opponents including the Labour shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, and the Lib Dem business secretary, Vince Cable.
The result – devastating Labour and the Liberal Democrats, and leaving Scotland a near one-party state under the control of the Scottish National party – probably represents the biggest surprise in a general election since 1945.
Cameron is to head to Buckingham Palace at 12.30pm to meet the Queen and is expected to make a statement on his return to Downing Street. » | Patrick Wintour and Rowena Mason | Friday, May 08, 2015
VE Day Celebrations (1945)
A Day That Shook The World is the classic series that recalls the days of the 20th century that proved to be era-defining and pivotal in the course of modern history.
«Qui est Charlie?» Unbequemer Blick auf Frankreichs Gesellschaft
Allah Knows Best! Only Allah Can Set the Price of Oil, Claims Saudi Minister as Concerns Rise over Iran Oil
Ali Al-Naimi said that "no one can set the price of oil – it's up to Allah."
The country has decided not to cut its levels of production – and prices could fall further if Iranian crude oil returns to the market.
Sanctions on Iran may be lifted as part of an international nuclear deal.
But Al-Naimi said: "I am not worried about Iranian crude, nor will I try to predict what the price is.
"If I were to predict, I would be somewhere else, gambling." » | Tom Parfitt | Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Thursday, May 07, 2015
Extremists Order East London Muslims to Boycott Election Vote in Tower Hamlets
Voting in the General Election was embroiled in controversy with some Muslims told not to vote while others were allegedly ordered by spiritual leaders to back Labour.
Muslims in east London were warned not to vote in what has been branded an “intimidating” and “covert” campaign.
Flyers claiming that “Islam is the only real working solution for the UK” were stuck to the wind shields of residents’ cars in Tower Hamlets, a borough that has previously been riddled with election fraud.
The leaflets also warned that voting for “man-made law” was a sin, akin to idol worship, and that “democracy is a system whereby man violates the right of Allah”. » | Lyndsey Telford, Robert Mendick and Gregory Walton | Thursday, May 07, 2015
Assad Using Chemical Weapons Again? US Eyes New Allegations, Consequences Unclear
The suspicions have the Obama administration calling for an immediate U.N. investigation into the "abhorrent acts" -- though it remains unclear what, if any, punishment Bashar Assad might face if formally blamed for the string of alleged chlorine gas attacks.
One western U.N. diplomat told Fox News the situation has become "unacceptable" in Syria.
"There is mounting evidence of repeated chlorine attacks," the diplomat said. » | FoxNews.com | Thursday, May 07, 2015
Protester Being Prosecuted for Shouting 'F*** the King' Hopes to Call Dutch Monarchs as Witnesses
An anti-monarchy campaigner hopes to call the Dutch king and queen to the witness box, having been prosecuted for shouting “f*** the king” at a rally in Amsterdam last year. Abulkasim Al-Jaberi was arrested at a demonstration against Zwarte Piet for shouting “f*** the king, f*** the queen and f*** the monarchy.”
Al-Jaberi is due to appear in court in Amsterdam on May 27 after refusing to accept an out of court settlement including a €500 fine. The action taken against him has caused anger on Twitter and vandalism to the Royal Palace.
He is being prosecuted for lèse-majesté, a crime which specifically refers to offences against the dignity of the monarch, for which the maximum sentence is five years in prison. » | Louis Doré | Thursday, May 07, 2015
Lithuania Attacks Russian 'Liberators' ahead of Victory Day Celebrations
Lithuania’s president has launched a scathing attack on Russia on the eve of V-E Day, warning that "we cannot accept the blackmail of an aggressor who calls itself the victor of Europe but who has launched a new war against Ukraine."
Dalia Grybauskaite, president of the tiny Baltic republic that ended the Second World War under Soviet rule, has been one of Russia’s harshest critics since the advent of the Ukraine crisis.
"Those who call themselves the conquer[or]s and liberators of Europe have begun a new war in Europe against a sovereign state wishing only to decide its own future," she said in an interview for the Polish press. » | Matthew Day in Warsaw | Thursday, May 07, 2015
Islam's 'Reformation' Is Already Here and It's Called 'ISIS'
The one argument not being made, however, is the one I make below—namely, that Islam has already "reformed." And violence, intolerance, and extremism—typified by the Islamic State ("ISIS")—are the net result of this "reformation."
Such a claim only sounds absurd due to our understanding of the word "reform." Yet despite its positive connotations, "reform" simply means to "make changes (in something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it."
Synonyms of "reform" include "make better," "ameliorate," and "improve"—splendid words all, yet words all subjective and loaded with Western connotations.
Muslim notions of "improving" society can include purging it of "infidels" and "apostates," and segregating Muslim men from women, keeping the latter under wraps or quarantined at home. Banning many forms of freedoms taken for granted in the West—from alcohol consumption to religious and gender equality—is an "improvement" and a "betterment" of society from a strictly Islamic point of view.
In short, an Islamic reformation will not lead to what we think of as an "improvement" and "betterment" of society—simply because "we" are not Muslims and do not share their first premises and reference points. "Reform" only sounds good to most Western peoples because they naturally attribute Western connotations to the word. » | Raymond Ibrahim, CP Op-Ed Contributor | Thursday, May 07, 2015
The Cartoon Wars
ISIS appears to have inspired its first terrorist attack in the United States: in Garland, Texas. This item may have slipped the attention of many people because as is so often the case today, much of the reporting and commentary has got caught up on other, supplementary issues.
The supplementary issues are first, that the attack targeted a competition set up to show images of what people thought Muhammad may have looked like. Then, there is the identity of the people who organized the exhibition and spoke at it.
Before coming to this, let us just return to that main issue. Since January, the idea that ISIS-like groups can inspire people to carry out murderous attacks in Paris and Copenhagen has come to be accepted. But that this can happen in Texas, of all places, could yet have an even worse "chilling effect" on free speech than the attacks in Paris and Copenhagen. No European country has the constitutional commitment to free speech of the United States. And Texas is not stuck in the moral relativism and fearful multiculturalism of most European countries.
There will be a feeling, post-Garland, that if ISIS can strike in Texas, it can strike anyplace. The entire developed world is therefore a potential site for an attack from ISIS. Although no one will put his hands up and surrender, neither will anyone be likely to draw attention to himself by saying or doing anything that might displease such homicidal censors. » | Douglas Murray | Thursday, May 07, 2015
Charlie Hebdo Editor Seeks to Distance Newspaper From Anti-Islam Causes
In an interview with members of the editorial board of The New York Times, the editor, Gérard Biard, disputed any analogies drawn between the Charlie Hebdo attack and the assault on Sunday against an art contest in Texas organized by Pamela Geller, a conservative activist and blogger.
“We have nothing to do with Pamela Geller’s work,” Mr. Biard said. “When Islam or the Prophet Muhammad jump out of the news, we comment on it, we mock it, maybe. But we are not obsessed about it.” » | Rick Gladstone | Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Exclusive: ‘Draw Muhammad’ Winner on Growing Up in Islam and Defeating the Jihad
The event came under attack by AK47-weilding jihadists, who were neutralized by a police officer before they could commit mass murder against the free speech art display’s attendees.
Fawstin talked about his unique experience growing up in the Bronx as a Muslim, how his life changed after the 9/11 attacks, and he shared strategies to defeat the global jihadist movement. His artwork is featured throughout the interview. » | Jordan Schachtel | Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Muslim Hate Preacher Says Blogger Behind ‘Draw Muhammad’ Comp Should Die, On Live TV
American right-wing blogger Pamela Geller clashed with British imam Choudhary just days after gunmen Elton Simpson, 31 and Nadir Soofi, 34, attempted to storm the controversial cartoon event in Garland, Texas.
Geller, 56, has received death threats and Islamic State militants have called for her "slaughter" since the exhibition.
During a heated live Fox News interview, host Sean Hannity questioned Choudhary on his views about the cartoon drawing event and if he thought Ms Geller should die.
The imam replied: "We’re not talking about Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck.
“You’re talking about people who deliberately had a competition to insult the prophet … knowing full well this carries the death threat in Iran.
"If you saw the cartoons that Charlie Hebdo drew [sic], you would understand the anger."
The cleric then went on to say that Geller would be fully aware that many Muslims consider blasphemy a crime that is worth capital punishment. » | Rebecca Perring | Thursday, May 07, 2015
Pamela Geller Takes Heat Over Shooting At Muhammad Drawing Contest
Pamela Geller and other hosts of the "draw Muhammad" contest were lucky to emerge unscathed after two Muslim gunmen attacked the event Sunday, but they haven't escaped the wrath of critics who insist the organizers share the blame for what happened. The two would-be jihadis were killed by police after charging the art exhibit and contest,…
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Franklin Graham: ‘Folks In Garland Were Wrong’
Franklin Graham, one of the world’s best-known Christian evangelists and the head of the nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse, said in a Wednesday morning Fox & Friends interview the “folks in Garland were wrong” to hold their “Draw Muhammad” event. ”
As a Christian, I don’t like it when people mock my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “What this event was doing in Texas was mocking Islam. I disagree with [them].” Graham said today’s society is lacking in civility and the “folks in Garland were wrong” to further that tone. “I think we need to show respect and civility,” he said.
“We need to respect one another … and those that believe differently [from my faith], I’m not going to mock them.”
Graham then condemned the radicalized element of Islam for attacking those outside their faith, and doubled down on remarks made earlier – reported by WND – that the United States should put a hold on allowing anyone into this country who’s coming from a nation with known terrorist cells.
“It’s wrong to prefer violence, period,” he said. “The Muslims have no right to go around shooting people because someone mocks them. … We should not be allowing immigration into this country from any countries that have active terrorist cells.”
Just Tuesday, Graham weighed in on the Texas shootings with a Facebook post saying the god of Islam is not the “God of the Bible,” or of Christianity. » | Cheryl Chumley | Wednesday, May 06, 2015
CNN Promotes Sharia Blasphemy Laws (Alisyn Camerota vs. Pamela Geller)
Robert Spencer on CNN's At This Hour Discussing the Jihad Shooting at AFDI/JW Free Speech Conference
Exclusive–Pamela Geller Calls Out Cowardly Conservatives, Says She’ll Organize Another Free Speech Event in Near Future**Full Image Gallery**e
Geller discussed how much of the political left, Islamic totalitarians, and even some high-profile conservatives have attempted to equate her art exhibit with the actions of the AK47-weilding Islamic terrorists, who were shot dead in their botched attempt to commit mass murder. Geller talked about why drawing Muhammad is so controversial within Islam and how the media is capitulating to Sharia law in America, among other issues. Throughout the interview, view a selection of submissions to the “Draw Muhammad” contest. » | Jordan Schachtel | Tuesday, May 05, 2015
ISIS Threatens Controversial Blogger Pamela Geller in Message Boasting of '71 Trained Soldiers in 15 Different States'
The threat, posted on anonymous message board JustPasteIt, singles out Geller, who helped plan a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest that was attacked by two gunmen in Garland, Texas, over the weekend. ISIS claimed responsibility for the shooting early Tuesday, marking the first time the terror group called an American attack one of its own, though lawmakers believe the two men were influenced by the group, not guided directly by it.
"This is the textbook case of what we're most concerned about," Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told the Associated Press.
Both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security were aware the contest was a potential terror target and issued a joint bulletin on April 20. Organizers, including Geller - who has become a lightning rod for critics who think she promotes anti-Islam views - knew they'd be targeted but refused to back down. (+ video) » | Sasha Goldstein, Jason Silverstein | New York Daily News | Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Texas Attack Shows How US Protects Free Speech – No Matter How Offensive
The fatal shootings in Garland, Texas, of two extremist gunmen as they attacked an anti-Islamist meeting was a vivid reminder of the virtually unique protections afforded by the US constitution to free speech, no matter how hate-filled or provocative, according to prominent first amendment experts.
In many countries across Europe and around the world, Pamela Geller and the American Freedom Defense Initiative, who organized the event in Garland, might have fallen foul of hate speech laws such as the UK’s 1986 public order act or article 266(b) of Denmark’s criminal code. » | Ed Pilkington in New York | Wednesday, May 06, 2015
L'Iran interdit les coiffures punk
Les autorités iraniennes ont interdit les coupes de cheveux non orthodoxes pour les hommes. L'objectif ? Lutter contre les cultes sataniques, a rapporté lundi la presse locale qui évoque également l'interdiction des tatouages et des soins de beauté. Plusieurs coupes de cheveux, notamment les crêtes hérissées sur le crâne, sont devenues ces dernières années à la mode au sein de la jeunesse iranienne. La frange conservatrice de la société leur reproche de ne pas être conformes aux préceptes de l'islam. » | Source AFP | lundi 04 mai 2015
Pictured: Islamic State Opens Luxury Hotel…But Guests Face Beheading If They Break Rules
Fighters for the brutal terror group have refurbished the Ninawa International Hotel in Mosul, the northern Iraqi city currently under IS control.
The 262-bed, five-star hotel, once voted the best place to stay in Iraq, has had an ISIS makeover with manicured gardens and freshly-polished marble floors.
It is unclear whether the hotel once famed for its "luxurious elegance and comfort" has retained its bowling alley and sauna after the recent renovations.
But dancing, music, smoking or gambling are now forbidden and women must dress head-to-toe in black.
Members of the group's notorious al-Khansaa brigade – its female police force - are understood to be tasked with patrolling the grounds to check clients are obeying strict Sharia law.
Patrons risk amputation or beheading for failing to adhere to the Islamic rules that govern the area. » | Tom Batchelor | Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Marine 'Not Fit to Be a Le Pen', Says Suspended Front National Founder Jean-Marie
Jean-Marie Le Pen claimed that his daughter Marine was unfit to run France, saying the Front National leader lacked the “moral principles” to be French president a day after his suspension from the party.
The 86-year old Front National (FN) founder said on Tuesday he would not, as things stand, back his daughter’s bid for the French presidency in 2017, saying his suspension suggested she did not have the moral fibre for the job.
“If such moral principles should preside over France, it would be scandalous given my betrayal,” he said. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Tuesday, May 05, 2015
IS Says It Was Behind US Prophet Cartoon Attack
It said that "two soldiers of the caliphate" carried out the attack at a conference centre near Dallas.
IS's al-Bayan Radio news bulletin said the exhibition "was portraying negative pictures of the Prophet Muhammad".
Both suspects were shot dead after opening fire at the contest on Sunday.
Correspondents say that it is believed to be the first time that IS has claimed to have carried out an attack in the US.
"We tell America that what is coming will be even bigger and more bitter, and that you will see the soldiers of the Islamic State do terrible things," the statement released by the group said. » | Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Are These Portrayals of Pamela Geller Fair?
Geert Wilders, the Champion of ‘Free Speech’ in Texas, Wants to Ban the Koran in Holland
In an e-mail to The Washington Post, Pamela Geller, an anti-Islam activist who organized the event, blamed "Islamic jihadis" who were "determined to suppress our freedom of speech violently." That sentiment was echoed on Twitter by another high-profile, if seemingly out-of-place, guest: the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. » | Adam Taylor | Monday, May 04, 2015
Carly Fiorina Declares Bid for President as New Foil to 'Not Trustworthy' Clinton
Monday, May 04, 2015
Ben Carson Tells US to 'Rise up' as he formally announces run for president
Troll or Hero? The Sex Blogger Who's Offending Muslims
These are all phrases that one of Malaysia's most infamous bloggers, Alvin Tan, uses to describe himself. He has a history of posts that have been highly divisive in the Muslim majority nation, and his latest stunt has involved once again offending Muslim sensibilities with a controversial Facebook post.
In the video, Tan, bare-chested and wearing sunglasses, plays the piano while singing a lyrically garbled version of the Azan - the Muslim call to prayer. Underneath the video, he has written: "Please don't badger me about the wrong lyrics ... First, this is a cover, so creative modification is permitted. Second, I ain't a suicide bomber." » | BBC Trending | Sunday, May 03, 2015
Dallas Prophet Cartoon Attack: Suspected Gunmen 'Named'
Officials have named them as Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, according to the New York Times and the Washington Post newspapers.
Geert Wilders on Muslim Hit Lists before Muhammad Cartoon Attack
The keynote speaker at Sunday's Muhammad cartoon-drawing contest in Texas was Dutch politician Geert Wilders, a longtime target of Muslim extremists in Europe. Mr. Wilders is an ally of anti-Shariah organization American Freedom Defense Initiative, which sponsored the event that came under attack from two gunmen and a possible car bomb Sunday. He also was a…
Shooting Reported at Prophet Muhammad Cartoon Contest Near Dallas, Texas
Police in a Dallas suburb killed two men in a car during a gun battle as they attacked a Muhammad-cartoon drawing contest. As the event at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland was ending, "two males drove up to the front of the building in a car." according to a statement Sunday night by the city…
Texas Gunman 'Tweeted Allegiance to ISIS During Attack'
A Twitter account which appears to have belonged to one of the two gunmen shot dead outside a Mohammed Cartoon contest in Texas Sunday night, posted a message swearing allegiance to ISIS around the time of the attack.
The account, @atawaakul, has now been removed by Twitter. Its profile picture was a photo of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-educated cleric who became the influential mouthpiece of Yemen's Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) before being killed in a US drone strike.
In the message, the poster says: "The bro with me and myself have given ba'yah [allegiance - ed.] to Amirul Mu'mineen [leader of the believers - ed.], may allah accept us as mujahideen [holy warriors - ed.]" » | Ari Soffer | Monday, May 04, 2015
Chancellor Merkel Marks 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Dachau
Police in Texas Kill Gunmen at Exhibit Defying Islam
Officials did not give the identities of the gunmen or the security officer and did not assign a motive for the attack. The Texas State Police and the F.B.I. referred reporters’ questions to the Garland Police Department. The City of Garland confirmed the episode in a Facebook posting. » | Manny Fernandez and Liam Stock | Sunday, May 03, 2015
Sunday, May 03, 2015
British Muslims and UK Elections
Historically it's been said Muslims have identified themselves mostly with the Labour Party.
However, in 2010 less and less Muslims voted for them. Experts say British Muslims have become increasingly disenfranchised with mainstream parties. (+ video) » | Saturday, May 02, 2015
Islamic State: Militants 'Kill 300 Yazidi Captives'
A statement from the Yazidi Progress Party said 300 captives were killed on Friday in the Tal Afar district near the city.
Iraqi Vice-President Osama al-Nujaifi described the reported deaths as "horrific and barbaric".
Thousands of members of the religious minority group were captured last year.
It is not clear how they were killed, or why this has happened now, says the BBC's Middle East editor Alan Johnston.
Many are reported to have been held in Mosul, the main stronghold of IS after the militants swept through large areas of northern and western Iraq, and eastern Syria in 2014.
Yazidis, whose religion includes elements of several faiths, are considered infidels by IS. (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, May 02, 2015
Saturday, May 02, 2015
Dutch Anti-Islam Lawmaker Issues ‘Warning’ to America
“I am warning America. Don’t think that what’s happening in Europe today will not happen in America tomorrow because it will,” Wilders told reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington.
“Islamic immigration has proven to be a Trojan horse, the jihadists are among us,” he added, warning of “enormous security problems” in the United States if Muslim immigrants are allowed to stay.
“Let them go, but never let them return,” he said. » | JP Newsroom | Friday, May 01, 2015
Obama: Islam's Most Powerful Friend
Massive Crowd in Sanaa Protests Saudi Strikes in Yemen
Islamic State Terrorists Brutally Execute Men by Smashing Concrete Blocks onto Their Heads
Horrific images have emerged showing the Islamists lifting the large blocks above their heads as they shadow over the men cowering on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs.
The next photos show horrendous images of blood spattered across the road and dripping down the side of a pavement as a shouting crowd cheers the executors on.
Both men were bludgeoned to death in Nineveh province in northern Iraq after the Islamic police arrested them for allegedly robbing and killing three women.
The execution is known as a 'qisas' punishment, or an 'eye for an eye' retribution.
The pictures come in the same week as two other men were shown on social media being beheaded by Islamic State militants with a huge machete in the Syrian village of Jarnyah, west of Raqqa.
It is thought they were executed after being accused of practicing sorcery.
Last week militants stoned two gay men to death seconds after they were photographed embracing and 'forgiving' them. » | Alix Culbertson | Friday, May 01, 2015
Transgender Jews: Beyond the Rainbow
Deborah attends services at Temple Aliyah nearly every week, but on a Friday night two years ago, she was nervous. Her daughter, Rebecca, then 18 and known all of her life as Jeremy, had chosen the Kabbalat Shabbat service to come out in public dressed as a woman for the first time. Deborah worried Rebecca’s newfound confidence and courage might be shot down by disapproving stares.
Tall and thin, with a head of brown curls that were still short on that day so early in her transition, Rebecca wore a straight, white skirt and a top with large purple paisleys. She doesn’t like to be showy, so she wore flats and no makeup.
When Deborah and Rebecca walked into the family service at the Woodland Hills Conservative synagogue, along with Rebecca’s younger brother, they were greeted with friendly smiles, with Temple Aliyah’s Rabbi Stewart Vogel in the lead. » | Julie Gruenbaum Fax | Thursday, April 30, 2015
Friday, May 01, 2015
Jupe "trop longue": Najat Vallaud-Belkacem soutient la décision du collège
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem reste ferme. Pour la ministre de l'Education, il ne fait aucun doute que la direction du collège de Charleville-Mézières, dans les Ardennes, a fait preuve de "discernement" pour juger du caractère "prosélyte" de l'attitude d'une élève, Sarah, alors qu'elle portait une longue jupe noire. A deux reprises, l'établissement a refusé à la jeune fille de 15 ans de se rendre en cours, considérant la jupe comme un signe religieux ostentatoire. » | Par LEXPRESS.fr avec AFP | jeudi 30 avril 2015
Gauck zeigt sich offen für Entschädigung Griechenlands
Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck zeigt sich offen für eine Wiedergutmachung deutscher Kriegsverbrechen in Griechenland. In einem vorab veröffentlichen Interview mit der „Süddeutschen Zeitung“ sagt Gauck: „Wir sind ja nicht nur die, die wir heute sind, sondern auch die Nachfahren derer, die im Zweiten Weltkrieg eine Spur der Verwüstung in Europa gelegt haben - unter anderem in Griechenland, worüber wir beschämend lange wenig wussten“.
Gauck fügt hinzu: „Es ist richtig, wenn ein geschichtsbewusstes Land wie unseres auslotet, welche Möglichkeiten von Wiedergutmachung es geben könnte.“ » | Quelle: Reuters | Freitag, 01. Mai 2015
Pegida-Mitgründerin bittet Muslime um Entschuldigung
„Pegida“-Mitgründerin Kathrin Oertel empfindet offenbar inzwischen Reue über das Schüren von Ressentiments gegenüber Andersgläubigen. In einem neu auf ihrer Facebook-Seite eingestellten Video bat Oertel dafür um Verzeihung. Wörtlich sagte sie: „Ich möchte die Gelegenheit nutzen und mich bei allen Migranten und vor allen bei den Muslimen unter ihnen entschuldigen.“ » | Quelle: epd | Freitag, 01. Mai 2015
Muslim Congressmen Try to Boot Islam Critic Geert Wilders
As one of the world’s most prominent critics of Islam, Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders doesn’t go anywhere without his security detail of as many as six plainclothes police officers, and he rarely crosses international borders without causing political uproar, having already been banned in Britain at one time.
So it was of little surprise that three U.S. congressmen urged Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to deny him a visa ahead of his planned visit to the U.S. this week, due to his alleged ongoing “participation in inciting anti-Muslim aggression and violence.”
Reps. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., and André Carson, D-Ind., who both are Muslim, along with Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., wrote a letter April 23 citing “the International Religious Freedom Act which allows the Department of State to deny entry to a foreign leader who is responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.”
Nevertheless, Wilders – who insists he doesn’t hate Muslims but believes Western civilization is threatened by adherents of the Islamic supremacy taught in the Quran – showed up on Capitol Hill Wednesday and spoke at two events at the invitation of Reps. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, and Steve King, R-Iowa[.] » | Art Moore | Thursday, April 30, 2015
Cameron and the Election's Career-defining Moment
Isis Leader Incapacitated with Suspected Spinal Injuries after Air Strike
Jeb Bush Thinks Islam Has Been 'Hijacked' by 'Barbarians'
Jeb Bush, the potential Republican presidential candidate, said in an appearance in Washington on Thursday afternoon that the religion of Islam had been “hijacked” by “barbarians” – and that peaceful practitioners of the religion should not be offended by his saying so.
Bush made the comments at a conservative conference during a one-on-one interview with the National Review Institute’s Rich Lowry.
Lowry asked: “Is Islam a religion of peace?”
Bush’s reply, in full, ran:
“I’m sure for some of the practitioners, but it’s been hijacked by people who have a [sic] ideology that wants to destroy western civilization, and they’re barbarians. And so that part, which is the part that we need to confront head-on, is clearly not a religion of peace.
“And I think it’s – you’re not offending the sensibilities of people that are peaceful in the adherence to their faith when you say what I just said.” » | Tom McCarthy in New York | Thursday, April 30, 2015