Hundreds Gather to Watch Islamic State Throw 'Gay' Man to His Death

The man was condemned to death after being accused of being gay

SUNDAY EXPRESS: SHOCKING pictures have emerged showing hundreds of people waiting to watch Islamic State (ISIS) militants brutally punish a man accused of being gay.

The horrific new images show the levels of depravity reached by the terror group, who are known for killing homosexual people by throwing them off buildings.

This latest insight into the workings of the extremist organisation shows hundreds of people gathered in the main street of Mosul in Iraq.

They are joined by ISIS jihadis, all dressed in black and white, as a judge reads out a statement which condemns a man to death for allegedly being gay.

In an attempt to publicise the brutal murder, the judge can reportedly be seen making his speech through a microphone system to the blood-thirsty crowd.

The majority of the people gathered were apparently carrying weapons - with even small children wearing ISIS clothing also seen in the street.

A final picture from the heinous scene shows the broken and motionless body of the man on the concrete floor after being pushed from the top of a building.

It is unclear how ISIS discovered the sexuality of the man. » | Levi Winchester | Sunday, July 26, 2015

The West Likes to Think That 'Civilisation' Will Defeat Isis, But History Suggests Otherwise

THE INDEPENDENT: We cling to our belief that barbarism will never outlast the power of the righteous

Hitler set a bad example. He was evil. His regime was evil. His Reich was destroyed, the Nazis vanquished, the Fuhrer dying by his own hand in the ashes of the European nightmare. Bad guys lose. Good guys win. Morality, human rights, law, democracy – though with the latter, we should perhaps speak carefully – will always prevail over wickedness. That’s what the Second World War taught us.

We have grown up in a Western society that believes in such simple, dodgy, history lessons. The world’s major religions teach us about goodness, humility, family, love, faith. So why should we not – however liberal, agnostic, cynical – cling on to our fundamental belief that violence and torture and cruelty will never outlast the power and courage of the righteous?

Isis is evil. It massacres its opponents, slaughters civilians, beheads the innocent, rapes children and enslaves women. It is “apocalyptic”, according to the Americans, and therefore it is doomed. Better still, Ash Carter – the US Secretary of Defence who accused the Iraqis of running away from Isis – lectured the Iraqi Prime Minister last week. His message – I could hardly believe this naivety – was Hollywood-clear. “Civilisation always wins over barbarism.” » | Robert Fisk | Sunday, July 26, 2015

The Greek Debt Crisis Threatens 70 Years of Peace

THE INDEPENDENT: We forget that wars in Europe were the norm before the EU

Political crises in the Middle East and North Africa since 2011 have either produced extreme violence or caused countries to dissolve into civil war. The territorial settlement that followed the defeat of the Ottomans in 1918 is collapsing, but there is no clear sign of what will replace it, other than conflicts which nobody knows how to end.

Bad though this is, the world has got used to instability in the Middle East and North Africa, almost as if it were a natural phenomenon like earthquakes in Japan or hurricanes in the Caribbean. Seven wars are being fought in Muslim countries between Pakistan and north-east Nigeria. In Europe, on the contrary, 70 years of almost continuous peace since 1945 have convinced its people that this is the natural order of things which will continue despite hiccups in atypical places such as Greece and Ukraine.

But peace in Europe has been very much the exception over the past 1,500 years and there is no God-given guarantee it will continue. The golden age of European integration may have ended as long ago as 2008 when the financial crash began to divide eurozone members into winners and losers. In the same year, the easy dominance of the Western powers established after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 began to look less absolute when Russia invaded Georgia. » | Patrick Cockburn | Saturday, July 25, 2015

Barack Obama: I'm Proud to Be the First Kenyan-American President

Barack Obama told crowds gathered in Nairobi he was proud to be the first Kenyan-American president

Read the Telegraph article here | Telegraph Video, and AFP, video source ITN | Sunday, July 26, 2015

Ex-Muslim: Leaving Islam - BBC News

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the UK, with the number of Muslims almost doubling in the last few years from 1.5 million in 2001 to 2.71 million in the latest census, 2011. A small but increasing number of people are also choosing to leave the religion and many say doing so has led them to be rejected by their family and friends and - in some cases - threatened with violence. Benjamin Zand spoke to ex-Muslims.

Petition as French Riviera Beach Closed for Saudi King

BBC AMERICA: More than 100,000 people have signed a petition against the closure of a beach on the French Riviera to allow Saudi King Salman to holiday in private.

The petition insists the public beach in Vallauris should be "available for the benefit of all".

Authorities sealed off the beach early on Saturday to prevent any protesters from occupying it as King Salman was due to arrive in the area.

The Saudi monarch is expected to stay at his villa for three weeks.

He and his entourage of about 1,000 people arrived at Nice airport on Saturday on board two Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747s.

The king's inner circle is staying at the villa - between Antibes and Marseille - while about 700 others will stay at hotels in Cannes.

Michel Chevillon, president of an association of Cannes' hotel managers, said the visit was "clearly good news" for hotels and the local economy.

"These are people with great purchasing power," he said.

However, the closure of a section of La Mirandole beach beneath the king's villa has outraged many local residents. » | Saturday, July 25, 2015

Related »

Barack Obama Tells African States to Abandon Anti-gay Discrimination

THE GUARDIAN: Visiting his father’s Kenyan homeland, US president says ‘bad things happen’ when governments get into habit of treating people differently

The US president, Barack Obama, has launched an unprecedented defence of gay rights in Africa, telling Kenya’s president that the state has no right to punish people because of “who they love”.

Obama, visiting his late father’s homeland for the first time as US president, confronted Uhuru Kenyatta and millions of Kenyans watching on television with his “unequivocal” views. Homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya and surveys show nine in 10 people find them unacceptable.

Obama personalised the issue by comparing homophobia to racial discrimination that he had encountered in the United States. Never before has such a powerful foreign leader challenged Africans so directly on their own soil. » | David Smith in Nairobi | Saturday, July 25, 2015

Origins of ISIS – Special Coverage

In a special report, RT America examines the origins, power and expansion of the terrorist group known as the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS). RT’s Ben Swann delves into the roots of the organization while Ameera David explains how the group amasses the millions of dollars it requires to operate. Finally, Manuel Rapalo explores how the Iraqi army fell apart despite benefiting from billions of dollars of US money – and military hardware – meant to ensure security.

Why Is ISIS Attacking During Ramadan? BBC News (June 2015)

Maajid Nawaz from the Quilliam Foundation describes the reasons why ISIS may have decided to execute attack during the holy month of Ramadan.

Obama's Visit Sparks Debate on Gay Rights in Kenya, Africa

One particular issue has been gripping many Kenyans in recent days. Just what is Barack Obama going to say about gay rights? As in much of Africa, homosexuality is widely frowned upon in Kenya. Some MPs have warned the American president to avoid the matter. But Obama's reportedly said, he will indeed be raising the issue when he's here. CCTV's Kathryn Ogunde has more…

Press Conference in Kenya: Obama and Kenyatta on State of Gay Rights in Kenya (July 25, 2015)

President Barack Obama – Full Interview – BBC News

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC's North American Editor Jon Sopel, US President Barack Obama said a lack of changes on US gun laws was the "greatest frustration" of his presidency. Mr Obama also told the BBC what he will say about gay rights in Kenya, why his own Congress and the Gulf nations should accept the recent Iran nuclear deal, and what he expects his legacy as president will be.

Obama Admits US Gun Laws Are His 'Biggest Frustration'

BBC AMERICA: President Barack Obama has admitted that his failure to pass "common sense gun safety laws" in the US is the greatest frustration of his presidency.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Obama said it was "distressing" not to have made progress on the issue "even in the face of repeated mass killings".

He vowed to keep trying, but the BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel said the president did not sound very confident.

However, Mr Obama said race relations had improved during his presidency.

Hours after the interview, a gunman opened fire at a cinema in the US state of Louisiana, killing two people and injuring several others before shooting himself.

In a wide-ranging interview, President Obama also said: » | Friday, July 24, 2015

Muslim Smashes Wine Bottles in Paris Market to Enforce Sharia

Read the Jihad Watch article here | Robert Spencer | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Barack Obama Says Britain Must Stay in EU

THE TELEGRAPH: US president says Britain is 'best partner', but risks losing its influence on the world stage if it leaves the European Union

Barack Obama has said that Britain must stay in the European Union to continue to have a strong influence on the world stage.

The US president said that Britain was America’s “best and most important partner” because of its willingness to go beyond its "immediate self-interests to make this a more orderly, safer world".

But in his strongest warning to date, he said that for Britain to maintain its global influence, it must stay within the EU.

The EU has "made the world safer and more prosperous", and having Britain in it was crucial for America’s “transatlantic union” both with Britain and the rest of Europe, he said.

“(The EU) is part of the cornerstone of institutions built after World War Two that has made the world safer and more prosperous. » | Barney Henderson, New York | Thursday, July 23, 2015

Iran Nuclear Deal with US Sees Thousands Protest in Times Square

Protesters rally against the US nuclear deal with Iran
in New York's Times Square on 22 July.

THE GUARDIAN: An estimated 10,000 people, consisting mainly of pro-Israel supporters, chant ‘kill the deal’ and demand Congress vote down proposed nuclear agreement

Thousands of protesters packed into Times Square on Wednesday evening to demand that Congress vote down the proposed US deal with Iran.

As the crowd loomed behind police barricades, chants of “Kill the deal!” could be heard for blocks. The event, billed as the “Stop Iran rally” consisted mainly of pro-Israel supporters, though organizers said it represents Americans of all faiths and political convictions.

The group is asking Congress to reject the deal under which the US would agree to lift economic sanctions against Iran in return for measures to prevent the country from building nuclear weapons. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

‘World’s Oldest Qur’an’ Fragments Found at University of Birmingham

The discovery of one of the oldest fragments of the Qur'an at the University of Birmingham is hailed as a historic find of 'global significance'. Radiocarbon analysis has dated the parchment between AD568 and 645. David Thomas, professor of Christianity and Islam at the University of Birmingham, says the results suggest the manuscript was written less than 20 years after the death of the prophet Muhammad


JIHAD WATCH: Oldest Qur’an fragments in the world discovered in the UK? Maybe, maybe not » | Robert Spencer | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

BBC AMERICA: » | Sean Coughlan, Education correspondent | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Conservative TV Host Tomi Lahren Spells It Out for Obama, the Worst President in History

Israeli Envoy 'Spoils the Party' at UN Following Iran Deal Vote

ARUTZ SHEVA: Israel's ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, slams international community's 'poor track record' after it empowers Iranian terror regime.

Israel's ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor took on the United Nations Security Council on Monday, just after it unanimously approved a draft resolution implementing the Iranian nuclear deal with the West.


"You have awarded a great prize to the most dangerous country in the world," Prosor began. "I hate to be the one to spoil the party, but someone has to say the emperor has no clothes."

"Today is a very sad day," he continued, "not only for the State of Israel, but for the entire world. Even at this moment, the international community refuses to see the tragedy."

Without checking first to see that Iran is already taking steps to comply with the agreement, passing the draft resolution is "like allowing a criminal to sit on the jury to decide his own fate," Prosor said.

"It's not only that you have not cured the symptoms, you have strengthened the source of the problem," he added. "You have given the source of the problem - Iran - money, stability at home, and the time to carry out its destructive ideology." » | Nitsan Keidar | Monday, July 20, 2015

Isil Bans Private Internet Access in Syria's Raqqa

THE TELEGRAPH: Islamic State group bans private Wi-Fi access in Raqqa in latest communications diktat

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has banned private Internet use inside the Syrian city of Raqqa, forcing fighters to use public Internet cafés which can be monitored.

The extremist group distributed a leaflet in the city last week warning Internet providers that they had four days to cut off private Wi-Fi connections.

The document was published online on Sunday by a group of media activists known as Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS). Its authenticity was later confirmed by a source with contacts inside the city.

"The following is obligatory on all Internet providers: the removal of Wi-Fi connections distributed outside of Internet cafés and private connections, including for Islamic State soldiers," the leaflet read. » | Louisa Loveluck | Monday, July 20, 2015

Suruc Massacre: At Least 30 Killed in Turkey Border Blast

BBC AMERICA: A bomb attack in the Turkish town of Suruc has killed at least 30 people during a meeting of young activists to discuss the reconstruction of the neighbouring Syrian town of Kobane.

Around 100 others were wounded in the explosion, which may have been caused by a female suicide attacker from the Islamic State group, officials say.

Kobane has seen heavy fighting between IS militants and Kurdish fighters.

It was retaken by the Kurds from IS forces earlier this year.

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said initial findings suggested the attack was the work of IS.

"Turkey has taken and will continue to take all necessary measures against Islamic State," Mr Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara, according to Reuters.

"Measures on our border with Syria... will be increased," he added. (+BBC video) » | Monday, July 20, 2015

Melanie Phillips: Jihadists, EU, Sexism & Refugees (Question Time, June 18, 2015)

François Hollande Urged to Intervene in Bitter Row between Saudi Royalty and French Nudists

The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France

THE TELEGRAPH: King Salman of Saudi Arabia has ordered the closure of an entire public beach on the French Riviera, which includes a special area for nudists

Furious French bathers have urged Francois [sic] Hollande, the French president, to step in after a Saudi Arabian king blocked access to a public beach that runs alongside his luxury villa on the Riviera.

Plans for an elevator allowing Saudi royals easier access to the sand have already been approved by the French authorities, while a huge lump of concrete was recently installed on the beach.

Not even fishermen and swimmers are allowed in the area during the king's visit, with the coastguard instructed to move on anyone who dares to swim within three hundred yards of the villa.

Under French law the picturesque Mirandole beach, situated between Antibes and Cannes, is supposed to be open for all to enjoy.

But King Salman has announced plans to block its only entrance with wire fencing ahead of an impending visit.

Now residents have hit back at the royal arrangements with a petition claiming the beach's closure is an affront to France's "most precious democratic values." » | James Rothwell | Monday, July 20, 2015

Related »

It Is Muslims Who Must Reach Out to Britain

David Cameron is right to identify the resentment that young Muslims can feel, but the antidote can only come from within Muslim communities themselves

Read the Telegraph article here | Philip Johnson | Monday, July 20, 2015
David Cameron tells teenage jihadists they are 'cannon fodder' »

David Cameron Launches Five-year Plan to Tackle Islamic Extremism in Britain

THE INDEPENDENT: 'It is an extreme doctrine subscribing to intolerant ideas'

Young Muslims are drawn to fundamentalist Islam in the same way young Germans were attracted to fascism in the 20th century, David Cameron will suggest today, as he sets out a five-year strategy to combat Isis-inspired radicalisation.

In a speech in Birmingham, Mr Cameron will say Islamic extremist ideology is based on the same intolerant ideas of “discrimination, sectarianism and segregation” that led to the rise of Hitler and that still exist in the far right.

He will also reject suggestions that Western foreign policy has contributed to the rise of Isis and its popularity among Muslim populations in the West, arguing that such extremism existed long before the Iraq war.

The Prime Minister will also announce details of a new drive to promote integration led by the Government’s “tsar” for troubled families, Louise Casey. This will include addressing issues around integration, language and employment and learning from “past mistakes” where government funding was “simply handed” over to “self-appointed ‘community leaders’” who “sometimes used it in a divisive way”.

Downing Street said Mr Cameron was determined to make tackling Islamic extremism in Britain a central priority over the next five years with a comprehensive strategy that involved not just the police and the criminal justice system but also “softer interventions” to tackle the root causes of radicalisation. » | Oliver Wright | Monday, July 20, 2015

Texans Threaten to Cover Land with Pigs’ Blood to Block Muslim Cemetery

THE TELEGRAPH: Outrage among residents of Farmersville at proposals for a cemetery 35 miles north-east of Dallas

Angry residents of a small Texan town have threatened to put pigs’ heads on poles and pour the blood onto land which has been earmarked for a Muslim cemetery.

The latest manifestation of anti-Islamic sentiment in America surrounds a small plot of undeveloped land 35 miles north-east of Dallas.

It is a row which predates the killing of five people at a US Marines recruiting centre in Chattanooga, Tennessee by Kuwaiti-born Youssuf Abdulazeez last week.

Some residents of the Farmersville, which has a population of 3,000 said that their main concern was the way in which they believed Muslims inter their dead.

“When somebody dies they bury them at that time. They don’t know whether they were shot, diseased or anything else. All they do is wrap them in a sheet from the grave and bury them,” Troy Gosnell told the local CBS station. » | David Millward, US Correspondent | Monday, July 20, 2015

Catherine The Great - BBC Documentary

ABC Catalyst - Low Carb Diet: Fat or Fiction?

Newcastle University Academic Says Britain Has Become a Less Free, Less Private State Since 7/7

CHRONICLE LIVE: Response to London bombings has seen individual freedom sacrificed for security according to Newcastle University professor Dr Martin Farr

Since July 7 it can be argued that the streets of England are safer but at what cost?

Surveillance has been ramped up, individual privacy and liberties curtailed, controversial legislation proposed and in some cases followed through.

The depth of the scrutiny has been revealed by Wikileaks and CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

But while there is not been another 7/7 on British shores, the threat overseas is ever present as shown by the recent shootings in Tunisia when 30 British tourists were among 38 victims of gunman Seifeddine Rezgui.

Most legislation proposals are preceded by ominous warnings. » | Mike Kelly | Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Royals Told: Open Archives on Family Ties to Nazi Regime

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor meet with Adolf Hitler
in Munich in 1937.

THE GUARDIAN: Historian urges that secret correspondence be made public to reveal the truth after Queen’s Nazi salute footage released

Buckingham Palace has been urged to disclose documents that would finally reveal the truth about the relationship between the royal family and the Nazi regime of the 1930s.

The Sun’s decision to publish footage of the Queen at six or seven years old performing a Nazi salute, held in the royal archives and hitherto unavailable for public viewing, has triggered concerns that the palace has for years sought to suppress the release of damaging material confirming the links between leading royals and the Third Reich.

Unlike the National Archives, the royal archives, which are known to contain large volumes of correspondence between members of the royal family and Nazi politicians and aristocrats, are not compelled to release material on a regular basis. Now, as that relationship becomes the subject of global debate, historians and MPs have called for the archives to be opened up so that the correspondence can be put into context.

“The royal family can’t suppress their own history for ever,” said Karina Urbach of the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London. “This is censorship. Censorship is not a democratic value. They have to face their past. I’m coming from a country, Germany, where we all have to face our past.” » | Jamie Doward and Tracy McVeigh | Saturday, July 18, 2015



THE GUARDIAN: Salute the Sun for daring to go behind royals’ closed doors: We shouldn’t be questioning the decision to print the pictures of those Nazi salutes – we should ask why it wasn’t done years ago » | Peter Preston | Saturday, July 18, 2015

How We Got Gay | Discovery Channel HD Documentary 2015

Trail of Terror: Shooter’s Motive Stumps Obama, FBI, Media

Rush: 'Must avoid bigotry, racism, prejudice and, obviously, the truth'

Read the WND article here | Garth Kant | Friday, July 17, 2015

Anti-racism Protesters and Nationalists Clash in Demonstrations

Anti-Islamic group Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front clash today at demonstration held in Melbourne. Contains lots of capsicum spray, protesters and cops throwing punches.

THE TELEGRAPH: Australia police use capsicum spray on protestors at race rally »

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Criticises 'Arrogance' of the United States Following Nuclear Deal

Khamenei said US policies in the region
were "180 degrees" opposed to Iran's policies

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's Supreme Leader has praised his country's negotiators for reaching a nuclear deal, but lashed out at the US for seeking Iran's "surrender"

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has launched an attack on the United States and its Middle East policies, saying Washington sought Iran's "surrender".

Four days after the signing of a nuclear deal in Geneva – an agreement ten years in the making – Khamenei delivered a fiery speech at a Tehran mosque, punctuated by chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". He said he wanted politicians to examine the agreement to ensure national interests were preserved, as Iran would not allow the disruption of its revolutionary principles or defensive abilities.

An arch conservative with the last word on high matters of state, Khamenei repeatedly used the phrase "whether this text is approved or not", implying the accord has yet to win definitive backing from Iran's factionalised political establishment.

"Whether the deal is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon," he said.

"Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant US will not change." Read on and comment » | Reuters | Saturday, July 18, 2015

IS Suspects Held over 'Plot' to Attack Saudi Mosques

BBC AMERICA: Saudi security forces have arrested 431 suspected members of the Islamic State militant group, officials say.

They are accused of plotting suicide attacks on security forces and mosques in various parts of the country.

Most of the suspects are Saudi citizens, but they also include people from six nationalities, including Yemen and Syria, the interior ministry said. » | Saturday, July 18, 2015

The Insanity of Tolerating Islam: For How Much Longer?

How much longer do we, the people, have to put up with Muslims placing innocent people at risk of losing their lives? Yet again, today, we learn of another terrorist attack perpetrated by a Muslim. Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez has killed four INNOCENT US MARINES in Chattanooga, Tennessee. How many innocent people have to lose their lives before our useless, ineffectual politicians do SOMETHING to protect the innocent people of the West?

We, the people, were never asked whether we wanted all these Muslims in the West. We, the people, were never consulted about the decision to change the very nature of the West. We, the people, have been made victims of these barbarous ne’er-do-wells who put themselves forward as God’s Allah’s chosen people. How much longer are our politicians going to be willing to play fast and loose with our safety?

We need a paradigm shift in our thinking. It is high time that we abandon our devotion to political correctness and it is high time that we abandon our commitment to multiculturalism. Please Messrs Politicians, these out-dated concepts are NOT WORKING. They should have no place in our modern, progressive Western world.

Muslims, if you don’t know it, are at war with the modern world. They want nothing less than to take us back to an unenlightened age, a New Dark Age. These throwbacks want us all to live as the so-called prophet Muhammad lived. They want us to be taken back fourteen hundred years to a very unenlightened age.

Our politicians refuse to accept this FACT. They refuse to accept that these people have no truck with the kind of life we envision for ourselves. They have no truck with working women, no truck with homosexuality, no truck with equality for men and women, no truck with gender equality, and so on and so forth.

Get real, Messrs Politicians! For Christ’s sake, come to an understanding of the reality which we face! These people will NEVER integrate into our Western way of life. They will NEVER become Westernized. These people are like a cancer which is metastasizing in our very societies.

These people have had their chance to live with our freedoms. They have shown that they cannot do this. Therefore, they need to be put ON NOTICE. They have to be told that if they cannot integrate and accept Western laws and customs, then they do not belong here.

Tell them to go away and come back, if at all, when they have come into the twenty-first century. For how much longer do we have to put up with this insanity? For how much longer do we have to put up with this dangerous nonsense? – © Mark Alexander

All rights reserved

Eton, Harrow und Co. : Englische Top-Internate enttäuschen

Dauerbrenner Schulsystem: Nicht jeder hält die Elite-Schulen
für eine lohnende Investition.

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Adressen auf der Insel gelten als Garanten für eine exzellente Ausbildung des Nachwuchses. Ein Segen für den, der es sich leisten kann? Das schöne Bild hat seine Schattenseiten. Erfahrungen eines betroffenen Vaters.

Immer wieder heißt es, wie paradiesisch und in jeder Hinsicht förderlich englische Internate sind. Dazu einige Anmerkungen eines Betroffenen. Nach 21 Jahren in London und als Vater von vier Kindern bin ich auf dem besten Weg, eine siebenstellige Summe in das englische Privatschulsystem zu stecken. Meine Kinder (17 Jahre alte Zwillinge, ein 14 Jahre alter dritter Sohn und eine 12 Jahre alte Tochter) sind auf „Top-Internaten“ (Westminster, Sevenoaks), wobei die drei Ältesten bis zu ihrem dreizehnten Lebensjahr eine der besten „Prep-Schools“ für Jungs in England, nämlich „The Hall“ in London, besuchten. Eton, St. Paul’s und andere haben wir zumindest so gut kennengelernt, dass wir ihnen - nach bestandenem Aufnahmeverfahren - Absagen gesandt haben. Mein Fazit bislang: Es ist bei weitem nicht alles Gold, was glänzt. Mein Rat an Eltern in Deutschland, die erwägen, ihre Kinder auf ein englisches Internat zu schicken und es sich finanziell leisten können: Überlegen Sie es sich noch einmal, ob Sie Ihr Geld, Ihre Zeit und die Zeit Ihrer Kinder nicht für etwas anderes aufwenden wollen. » | Arnold Holle | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2015

THE TELEGRAPH: German expat banker tells countrymen: don't send your kids to 'disappointing' British private schools: Arnold Holle, who moved to London from Dusseldorf [sic], says standard has left him with impression expensive boarding schools here are little better than German state schools » | Melanie Hall, Berlin and Victoria Ward | Thursday, July 16, 2015

13 Things ‘Islam Will Ban’ When They Take Power: Muslim Radical’s Tweet Goes Viral

IJ REVIEW: Anjem Choudary is known for stirring up controversy as the vocal Islamic scholar who supports ISIS and gets into screaming matches with conservative pundits.

Now, the founder of the radical terrorist group Islam4UK is getting attention for a provocative tweet that lists the 13 things that he says Muslims want to ban:

Islam will outlaw ALCOHOL PORK GAMBLING PORN USURY PROMISCUITY FREEMIXING GAYS CINEMAS IDOLATRY INSURANCE STOCKS/SHARES INSULTING PROPHETS

— Anjem Choudary (@anjemchoudary) July 16, 2015

Read on and comment » | Kyle Becker | Thursday, July 16, 2015

Netanyahu Rebuffs Philip Hammond over Iran Deal

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond holds a press
conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
at the latter's office in Jerusalem

THE TELEGRAPH: Israeli premier takes Foreign Secretary to task for remarks doubting whether Jewish State would have accepted any deal over Tehran's nuclear programme

Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a sharp rebuff to Philip Hammond over the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday, publicly dismissing the Foreign Secretary's assertion that Israel would have been unhappy with any agreement.

In a tense face-to-face exchange that reflected the gulf between Israel and the six world powers who negotiated with Tehran, Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, rejected the visiting British statesman's efforts to sell the pact signed this week in Vienna. At the same time, he tackled head-on criticisms Mr Hammond had voiced on the eve of his trip.

“Israelis know better than anyone else the cost of permanent conflict with Iran and it is wrong to suggest that Israel wants such an outcome. We [sic] seek a genuine and effective diplomatic solution," Mr Netanyahu told Mr Hammond in Jerusalem.

"The alternative to this deal is not war. The alternative is a better deal that would roll back Iran’s military nuclear program and tie the easing of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program to changes in Iran’s behaviour. That’s the kind of deal that would be welcomed in Tel Aviv and here in Israel’s capital Jerusalem."

The Israeli leader's comments were aimed directly at Mr Hammond's remarks on Wednesday when he told the House of Commons that Israel opposed any accord with Tehran and would prefer permanent conflict. » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Thursday, July 16, 2015

Angela Merkel Tells Sobbing Asylum Seeker Why She Cannot Stay in Germany

Chancellor tries to comfort Palestinian girl whose family is facing deportation after telling her Germany ‘just can’t manage’ more refugees

Read the Guardian article here | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Thursday, July 16, 2015

Saudi Royals in Hot Water with Riviera Nudists over Access to Public Beach

The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France

THE TELEGRAPH: French bathers, including nudists, declare war on Saudi royal family over a bid to privatise a public beach at Vallauris, between Cannes and Antibes, during an upcoming visit

A row has erupted between the Saudi royal family and French bathers who have accused it of commandeering a public Riviera beach ahead of an impending visit as the strip runs right by the monarchs’ luxury villa.

Locals are threatening to sue the Saudi royals over a bid to block an underpass leading to the public Mirandole beach at Vallauris [F] - between Antibes and Cannes - with wire fencing.

They are also furious that workers have begun illegal construction work on a huge concrete slab in the sand as part of the royals’ plan to have the beach all to themselves during their stay.

Under French law, the beach is normally open to local bathers, with part of it reserved for nudists.

The villa is reportedly owned by Muhammad bin Fahd, the eldest surviving son of the late King Fahd, who bought the property around 20 years ago. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, July 16, 2015

Une plage du sud de la France fermée le temps des vacances du roi saoudien » | jeudi 16 juillet 2015

France Foils Charlie Hebdo Anniversary Beheading Plot

THE TELEGRAPH: France holds three suspected of plotting to kidnap and behead a military official to coincide with the January anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo killings

France has thwarted a plot to kidnap and behead a senior military official and post the act on the internet, the interior minister announced on Wednesday night.

The three suspects had planned to time the murder for next January to coincide with the anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo killings in which Islamist gunmen killed 12 at the satirical weekly. They had intended to film their act with a GoPro camera and post it online.

The plot bears similarities with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby, the British soldier of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers hacked to death in London by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale in May 2013. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, July 16, 2015

Angela Merkel Doesn't Believe in Gay Marriage – 'I Don't Want Discrimination... But I Make a Difference at Some Point'

THE INDEPENDENT: German Chancellor insists ‘marriage’ is only for a man and a woman

Angela Merkel has insisted that marriage should only be between a man and woman.

The German Chancellor backed equal benefits for same-sex couples - such as tax breaks - and said that while discrimination should be "eliminated" she drew a "difference" between civil partnerships and marriage.

But the committed Christian, who has been married twice, gave her personal definition of marriage as ‘a man and a woman living together’, in a YouTube interview with Florian Mundt, a YouTube known under the alias LeFloid who has a significant online following.

“I’m someone who is very supportive of us eliminating all discrimination. We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian," she said, according to the Huffington Post.

“For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together. That is my concept, but I support civil partnerships." » | David Trayner | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Islamic State Fanatics Put Up Billboards Ordering Women to Wear the Burkha...or Else

The billboard appeared in the Libyan city of Sirte

DAILY EXPRESS: ISLAMIC State (ISIS) fighters have put up huge billboards ordering women to wear the Burkha or face cruel and severe punishments.

Enormous hoardings setting out the fanatics' oppressive dress code have been put up in a city in Libya held by the militants.

The posters set out seven rules for women, which include making sure that all body parts are covered and a ban on see-through and tight-fitting clothes.

Brand names are also forbidden, as are 'masculine garments' and designs that will attract male attention.

Finally, the Jihadists state that all "perfumed" clothes are heretical and should not be worn. » | Nick Gutteridge | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

'Just Lit the Fuse' Warning That Iran Nuclear Deal Could Spark Middle East Arms Race

DAILY EXPRESS: CONCERNS have been raised that the historic nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers could spark to a Middle East arms race.

The deal, which was struck in Vienna yesterday, will allow Iran to carry out research in return for allowing United Nations (UN) officials access to sites which are suspect of being used to create an atomic bomb.

Iran, who will now be able to enrich uranium levels, have always maintained its nuclear programme is for energy and not for weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the decision makes the world more dangerous and the removal of sanctions was a mistake.

He said: "Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world.

"Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons."

Senator Ben Sasse, from the opposition Republican party in America, also condemned the deal which the US played a driving force in. He said: "Sadly, the Administration just lit the fuse for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

"We all know Iran's neighbours will not sit idly as the world's largest state-sponsor of terror becomes a nuclear-threshold state." » | Peter Henn | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Doku: Die deutschen Gotteskrieger - Töten und Sterben für Allah

ISIS Make Chilling Call to Supporters to Attack Britain after Tunisia Massacre

DAILY EXPRESS: ISLAMIC State (ISIS) has issued a chilling call to arms to their supporters to carry out more attacks on Britain and America.

ISIS's propaganda magazine Dabiq, which describes itself at "The Law of Allah, or the laws of men", celebrates the brutal Tunisia beach massacre as “Bloody Friday”.

The day where Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire to kill 38 tourists, 30 of which were British, also saw the beheading of a business owner in Lyon, France, and the suicide bombing of a mosque in Kuwait.

Printing images of dead bodies on the Sousse beach and the British Army bringing home victims in coffins, the extremists made clear they were planning more serious attacks on the west.

The magazine urges more Muslims to join their regime to “wage war” on their opponents "wherever they're found, especially those belonging to the member nations of the crusader coalition." » | Helen Barnett | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Golden Dawn MP Furiously Tears Up Papers in Parliament over Bailout Deal

Far right Golden Dawn MP, Ilias Kasidiaris harshly criticises the deal Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras agreed to during an impassioned speech to Parliament.

Papers are thrown across parliament and a minister resigns as Greece's PM attempts to win a vote on laws ahead of a new bailout.

Strassenschlachten vor dem griechischen Parlament, wo die Debatte läuft

TAGES ANZEIGER: Molotowcocktails und Steine – Vor den Parlamentsabstimmungen in Griechenland knallt es, die Proteste eskalieren.

Vor der umstrittenen Parlamentsabstimmung über die Sparauflagen sind die Emotionen in Griechenland hochgekocht. Am Abend kam es auf dem Syntagma-Platz vor dem Parlament in Athen zu Strassenschlachten zwischen einer Gruppe Autonomer und Bereitschaftspolizisten. Molotow-Cocktails und Ziegelsteine folgen auf der einen Seite, die andere antwortete mit Tränengas und Pfefferspray. » | sda | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2015



Live: Griechen erwarten Abstimmungsergebnis des griechischen Parlaments über Sparmaßnahmen

Op-Ed: The End of an Era

ARUTZ SHEVA: Liberty, equality and fraternity are now superseded by the recognition accorded the darkest regime known to man.

For the past 226 years, the 14th of July has been commemorated as "Bastille Day", the day that the infamous Parisian prison fell into the hands of the people who, rebelling against King Louis XVI, stormed its gates during the French Revolution of 1789. The fall of the Bastille symbolizes the fall of the French monarchy and its despotism, and the establishment of the Republic, the nation of the people, based on liberty, equality and fraternity. This is France's national holiday. The French Revolution became a model for many other peoples who took their destiny into their own hands, and it is therefore ffitting to view the 14th of July, 1879, as the day that ushered in the democratic era, the rule of the brave people who defeated despotism, destroyed a dictatorship and founded the democratic framework in which a citizenry runs its own affairs, with liberty and freedom for all.

On the very same day, 226 years later, the 14th of July 2015, representatives of several democracies – one of them France – together with representatives of less democratic countries, Russia and China, signed an agreement in which the democratic world capitulated to the despotic dictatorship that is Iran. The world, in effect, authorized Iran's plans to achieve regional, and possibly greater than regional, hegemony, while ignoring the destructive role the land of the Ayatollahs plays in countries like Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. » | Dr. Mordechai Kedar | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Op-Ed: Obama's Iran Deal Has the Makings of a Catastrophe

ARUTZ SHEVA: This is not Libya, the South China Sea or Yemen.

Barack Obama has repeatedly signaled during the past six and a half years that that his No. 1 priority in foreign affairs is not China, not Russia, not Mexico, but Iran. He wants to bring Iran in from the cold, to transform the Islamic Republic into just another normal member of the so-called international community, ending decades of its aggression and hostility.

In itself, this is a worthy goal; it's always good policy to reduce the number of enemies. (It brings to mind Nixon going to China.) The problem lies, of course, in the execution.

The conduct of the Iran nuclear negotiations has been wretched, with the Obama administration inconsistent, capitulating, exaggerating, and even deceitful. It forcefully demanded certain terms, then soon after conceded these same terms. Secretary of State John Kerry implausibly announced that we have "absolute knowledge" of what the Iranians have done until now in their nuclear program and therefore have no need for inspections to form a baseline. How can any adult, much less a high official, make such a statement?

The administration misled Americans about its own concessions: After the November 2013 Joint Plan of Action, it came out with a factsheet which Tehran said was inaccurate. Guess who was right? The Iranians. In brief, the U.S. government has shown itself deeply untrustworthy. » | Prof. Daniel Pipes | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Christian Pastor Slammed after Calling Islam ‘Religion of Hatred’ and Likening Gay People to Paedophiles

Shocking sermon: Steve Crosthwaite

MIRROR: Pastor Steve Crosthwaite has been criticised for the 'disgusting' Sunday sermon in which he also criticised same-sex relationships

A Christian church leader has been slammed after calling Islam a ‘religion of hatred’ and likening gay people to paedophiles in a ‘disgusting’ Sunday sermon.

Pastor Steve Crosthwaite, of Wythall's Hollywood Christian Life Centre in Birmingham, told his 60-strong congregation ‘homosexuality is wrong’ and criticised same sex relationships.

During his 30-minute sermon, branded ’highly offensive’ by a local minister, pastor Crosthwaite said: "Islam is not a peaceful religion. Islam is a religion of hatred, the Birmingham Mail reports.

"Islam teaches there are permissible sins. For a Muslim to tell you 'I love you, I'm a peaceful guy' and it be a lie, well, Allah forgives that sin.

"For a Muslim to go out and kill someone, to commit murder in the name of Allah, well, that's a permissible sin.

"Islam is not a peaceful religion, but we're not allowed to say that are we? In our multicultural society we're not allowed to say things like that."

Crosthwaite gave the sermon, called 'Judging Others', at a 58-year-old place of worship that boasts of "unashamedly following Jesus”. » | Mike Lockley | Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Atomabkommen: Teherans Stärke reizt Riad

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nach dem iranische Atomabkommen stehen die sunnitischen Monarchien mit dem Rücken zur Wand. Eine von ihnen könnte nun selbst nach Nuklearwaffen streben.

Das Atomabkommen mit Iran könnte die bisherigen Allianzen in der arabischen Welt neu ordnen. Bereits seit dem vergangenen Sommer kooperieren die Vereinigten Staaten faktisch mit der schiitischen Führung in Teheran im Kampf gegen die sunnitische Terrorgruppe „Islamischer Staat“ (IS) im Irak. Die iranischen Verbündeten gingen am Boden gegen die Dschihadisten vor, die amerikanische Luftwaffe griff deren Stellungen aus der Luft an. Diese indirekte Zusammenarbeit dürfte sich künftig verstärken – sehr zum Missfallen der sunnitischen Führungsmacht Saudi-Arabien. Am Mittwoch zitierte die saudische Nachrichtenagentur SPA einen Regierungsmitarbeiter in Riad, der Iran davor warnte, dass Versuche, den Einfluss Teherans weiter auszudehnen, mit „Entschlossenheit“ bekämpft würden. » | Markus Bickel, Kairo | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2015

Dante's Tomb in Italy to Get Extra Protection amid Fears It Will Become ISIS Target

DAILY EXPRESS: DANTE'S tomb is set to be given extra protection over fears Islamic State-inspired terrorists might target the site due to the famous poet's fictional slaughter of the Prophet Muhammad.

The tomb in Ravenna, on the north east coast of Italy, is on a list of churches and sites where extra security will be implemented amid concerns of an ISIS attack, according to Italian newspaper reports.

All the sites have links to or contain art works featuring Muhammad or referring to victories over Muslim armies.

Dante Alighieri, known as Italy's greatest poet, describes a fictional encounter in his gory verse The Divine Comedy where devils have to cut Muhammad's chest open as he descends into hell. » | Alix Culbertson | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Iran Nuclear Deal: However the Great and Good Represent It, America Has Now Taken the Shia Side in the Middle East's Sectarian War

THE INDEPENDENT: Obama hailed a 'more hopeful world...an opportunity to move in another direction'

However much Bibi Netanyahu of Israel and the Gulf sultans rage at the Vienna agreement, the Arabs at least will suspect the truth: that the Americans have taken the Shia Muslim side in the Middle East’s sectarian war.

That’s not how it was represented by the great and the good, of course. The headlines were simple. The Iranians agree to jam the breaks on their nuclear programme, pack up their centrifuges for a decade and cut back their uranium stockpile. All this in return for an end to the sanctions, financial goodies and bank transfers that Washington, the EU and the dear old United Nations had variously imposed on and witheld from the nation which that bearded old prelate Ruhollah Khomeini founded as an Islamic Republic 36 years ago. » | Robert Fisk | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Israel and Saudi Arabia Present United Front over Iran Deal

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's enemies unsettled by its deal with the West, but Bashar al-Assad of Syria says it is 'a great victory'

The nuclear deal with Iran caused fury in Israel and consternation around the region at the likely increase in influence and resources of a newly enriched Iran.

Most telling was the loudest expression of support. "I am happy that the Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved a great victory by reaching an agreement," President Bashar al-Assad of Syria said in a message to his Iranian opposite number, Hassan Rouhani.

"In the name of the Syrian people, I congratulate you and the people of Iran on this historic achievement."

Israel and the Sunni Arab world have set aside old grievances to stand together against the West’s engagement with Iran.

The more strident denunciations came from Israel, which regards Iran as a direct threat. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, said the country would not be bound by what he called a "stunning historic mistake".

"Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran," he said in a televised address hours after the conclusion of the accord. "Iran continues to seek our destruction and we will defend ourselves." » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor and Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Iran's Supreme Leader Posts Photo of Himself Trampling Israeli Flag: 'The Zionist Regime Is Doomed'

The caption on this photo, posted on supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's website[,] is 'The Zionist
Regime is Condemned to Vanish' 

CNS NEWS: (CNSNews.com) – A photograph posted on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s official website--as the Obama administration was finalizing negotiations on a deal intended to prevent Iran from building a nulcear [sic] weapon--shows the walking stick-waving supreme leader striding across, and apparently glaring at, a painted representation of Israel’s national flag.

The caption on the photo, according to a translation by American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin, reads, “The Zionist Regime is Condemned to Vanish.”

“The Zionist regime is a regime with very shaky pillars,” the caption continues. “The Zionist regime is doomed. The Zionist regime is an imposed regime and was created with intimidation. Nothing created with intimidation can last long and this one will not last long either.” » | Patrick Goodenough | Monday, July 13, 2015

Irans Regime verwandelt sich nicht über Nacht in die Heilsarmee

DIE PRESSE: Zum Atomabkommen hätte es schlechtere Alternativen gegeben. Doch sich davon eine Zeitenwende im Nahen Osten zu erwarten ist schwer übertrieben.

Am Ende waren in Teheran sogar die Scharfmacher der Partei der „Selbstlosen“ begeistert. Außenminister Javad Zarif habe mit viel diplomatischem Geschick Irans Interessen verteidigt, ließen die ultrakonservativen Abgeordneten wissen; vor Kurzem noch hatten sie ihn als Verräter beschimpft. Die Iraner können mit dem Wiener Atomabkommen zufrieden sein. Sie sind nicht nur die Sanktionen los, die ihre Wirtschaft abgewürgt haben, sondern auch ihren internationalen Pariastatus. » | Christian Ultsch (Die Presse) | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2015

Tumulte flammen in Nordirland auf

TAGES ANZEIGER: Bricht Nordirland auseinander? Die Unsicherheit wächst, eine Einigung für den Haushalt muss erzielt werden. Dabei helfen die neuen gewaltsamen Ausschreitungen nicht.

Neue Sorgen um Frieden und Stabilität in Nordirland haben jetzt, zu Beginn der sommerlichen «Marschsaison», schwere Zusammenstösse zwischen Loyalisten und Polizei in Belfast ausgelöst. Dass ausserdem ein 16-jähriges katholisches Mädchen von einem Auto überfahren wurde, dessen Fahrer offenbar ein Mitglied des protestantischen Orangisten-Ordens war, hat auch in irisch-katholischen Stadtteilen Belfasts zu zornigen Reaktionen geführt. » | Von Peter Nonnenmacher, Korrespondent | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2015

Netanyahu Tells Obama: Iran Deal Threatens Israel's Security

ARUTZ SHEVA: In post-deal phone call, Israeli PM tells US president deal will allow Iran to go nuclear and funnel hundreds of billions to terror.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday evening with US President Barack Obama, following the deal signed between world powers and Tehran over the latter's nuclear program.

Netanyahu used the opportunity to express Israel's concerns regarding the nuclear deal with Iran.

Warning the agreement threatened the State of Israel's security, Netanyahu stressed two central concerns.

First and foremost, he noted that it will still mean Iran can produce nuclear weapons at a future date - whether in 10-15 years' time when the deal's limitations expire, or by breaking its commitments before that time.

In addition, Netanyahu said, it will funnel hundreds of billions to the terror machine, and the Iranian war that threatens Israel and the entire world.

Earlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu launched a fierce attack on the deal, calling it a "stunning, historic mistake" and stressing that Israel is not bound by it. » | Ari Soffer | Tuesday, July 14, 2015

'Historic Mistake' Israel Blasts Iran Nuclear Deal as 'Surrender by West to Axis of Evil'

DAILY EXPRESS: IRAN has reached a landmark agreement with the UN over its controversial nuclear programme which will give officials access to all sites suspected of improper use – to prevent the rogue state from building an atomic bomb.

Iran has always contended that its nuclear programme is peaceful, and after 17 days of gruelling talks with diplomats from the US, Russia, the UK, France, China and Germany in Vienna an agreement has at last been reached.

But Israel has condemned the deal as a "stunning historic mistake". The country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the world was now a "much more dangerous place" and claimed that by removing sanctions, Iran will receive billions of dollars to support what he calls a worldwide terrorism network.

Mr Netanyahu said: "Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world.

"Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons." » | Patrick Maguire, Alix Culbertson and Tom Batchelor | Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Iran Nuclear Talks: 'Historic' Agreement Struck

BBC AMERICA: World powers have reached a deal with Iran on limiting Iranian nuclear activity in return for the lifting of international economic sanctions.

US President Barack Obama said that with the deal, "every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off" for Iran.

His Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, said it opened a "new chapter" in Iran's relations with the world.

Negotiations between Iran and six world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - began in 2006.

The so-called P5+1 want Iran to scale back its sensitive nuclear activities to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon.

Iran, which wants crippling international sanctions lifted, has always insisted that its nuclear work is peaceful.

There has been stiff resistance to a deal from conservatives both in Iran and the US. The US Congress has 60 days in which to consider the deal, though Mr Obama said he would veto any attempt to block it.

The Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John Boehner, said the deal would only only "embolden" Tehran.

"Instead of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, this deal is likely to fuel a nuclear arms race around the world," he added.

Israel's government has also warned against an agreement. » | Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Look Who Just Pledged $32 Billion To Promote Islam And Sharia Law In America

WESTERN JOURNALISM: Anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller sees Alwaleed’s generosity as a Trojan Horse.

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a senior member of the Saudi royal family, announced that he will be giving away his entire $32 billion fortune to charity–but his past statements and commitment to promote Islam in the United States have raised red flags for some.

Alwaleed Philanthropies’ statement regarding the prince’s intentions indicates his donation would “help build bridges to foster cultural understanding.”

“Philanthropy is a personal responsibility, which I embarked upon more than three decades ago and is an intrinsic part of my Islamic faith. With this pledge, I am honoring my life-long commitment to what matters most – helping to build a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world for generations to come,” says Prince Alwaleed. » | Randy DeSoto | Friday, July 10, 2015

Der Handschlag, der Putins riskanten Plan besiegelt

Neue Freunde: Wladimir Putin mit dem saudischen Prinzen
Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud

DIE WELT: Woher bekommt Russland neues Geld? Präsident Putin hoffte auf Hilfe aus China, doch plötzlich taucht ein neuer Spieler auf. Einer, der Milliarden investiert – und die Spielregeln radikal verändert.

Was der russische Staatspräsident Wladimir Putin dem saudischen Prinzen Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud im Gespräch auf dem Wirtschaftsforum in St. Petersburg Mitte Juni konkret gesagt und vielleicht gar versprochen hat, wird man vermutlich noch lange nicht erfahren. Aber es muss eindrucksvoll gewesen sein.

Bis dahin nämlich waren die Scheichs äußerst skeptisch und zurückhaltend gewesen, wenn es darum ging, Geld in ein Land zu stecken, mit dem man nie sonderlich befreundet war und das zudem Hauptkonkurrent auf dem Weltölmarkt ist. Putin, der kühle Mann im Kreml, hat jedenfalls auf seine Art das Eis gebrochen. Und Saudi-Arabien hat zugesagt, zehn Milliarden Dollar (9,07 Milliarden Euro) in russische Investitionsprojekte fließen zu lassen.

Damit hatte kaum jemand gerechnet. In einer Zeit, in der russlanderfahrene Unternehmer eher das Weite suchen oder ihre Projekte zumindest auf Eis legen, plötzlich Beistand aus dem arabischen Raum? Und das vor dem Hintergrund, dass Russland der westlichen Welt seit über einem Jahr erklärt, aufgrund der Sanktionen vermehrt die wirtschaftliche Eigenständigkeit und Kontakt mit China und anderen ostasiatischen Staaten zu suchen. » | Von Eduard Steiner , Moskau Korrespondent | Montag, 13. Juli 2015

Pentagon Plan to Allow Transgender People to Serve in US Military

Defense Secretary Ash Carter

THE TELEGRAPH: Plan would give recognition to the 15,000 transgender people serving in silence in US military

The US military is finalising a plan to allow transgender people to serve openly in the armed forces it emerged on Monday night, ending what is seen as one of the last discriminatory barriers to active service.

The move would also offer recognition to the 15,000 transgender people who are thought to be currently serving in the military, many of whom keep their status a secret.

Ash Carter, the US defence secretary yesterday announced the plan to study "readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly".

“We have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines - real, patriotic Americans - who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that's contrary to our value of service and individual merit," he said.

"Transgender men and women in uniform have been there with us, even as they often had to serve in silence alongside their fellow comrades in arms."

The armed services are expected to have six months to assess the impact of the change before it is introduced.

During that period, transgender individuals would still not be able to join the military, but any decisions to force out those already serving would be referred to the Pentagon, the Associated Press reported. » | Barney Henderson, New York | Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Greek Protesters Set Fire to Syriza Flag

Avji Voutsina, protester burning Syriza flag

THE TELEGRAPH: Protesters campaign outside the Greek parliament against the new EU bail-out deal

Greece's small left-wing anti-capitalist Antarsya party and affiliated trade unions staged a rally on Monday night outside parliament in Athens against Greece's new bailout.

The party has said "the hours are critical" for those who favour left-wing policies.

One protester burnt Syriza's party flag outside parliament, saying that the leftist-led coalition government had reneged on its pre-election pledge to put an end to austerity. (+ video) » | Robert Midgley, and agencies | Monday, July 13, 2015

Isis Launches Russian-language Propaganda Channel

THE GUARDIAN: Islamic State’s social media and video efforts have stepped up, part of a region-wide effort to sign up youths to fight take up the black flag. RFE/RL reports

The militant group Islamic State has stepped up its Russian-language propaganda efforts, another sign it is becoming more powerful in the post-Soviet countries.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said recently that 2,000 Russian nationals are currently fighting in Syria or Iraq. In June, the country’s security council chief, Nikolai Patrushev, said that there was “no possibility” of stemming the tide of fighters.

Though Russian-speaking Islamic State (Isis) militants have put out their own messages for some time, in recent weeks a new Russian-language wing, Furat Media, has emerged, with Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr accounts broadcasting under a river-themed logo.

It was through Furat that the militant group declared the establishment of a province in the North Caucasus, inside the Russian Federation itself. The propaganda wing also issued a professionally produced video, Unity Of The Mujahideen Of The Caucasus, which included interviews with Russian-speaking militants in Iraq and Syria. Dozens more are easily available for download from their site.

Previous Russian-language output had been piecemeal, with most videos either without subtitles or arriving after the Arabic versions were broadcast. Much was produced from outside of Isis-controlled territory. » | Joanna Paraszczuk for RFE/RL, part of the Guardian New East network | Monday, July 13, 2015