In Tourist Idyll of Maldives, Radical Islam Lures Some towards Very Different Paradise

Mohamed Nasheed, former President of the Maldives

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: This island chain in the Indian Ocean has, per capita, supplied more jihadists to Iraq and Syria than any country outside the Middle East

For the million tourists who fly in each year to the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives, the holiday “paradise” of idyllic white sand beaches quickly embraces them.

Speedboats or seaplanes ferry them to luxury resorts on otherwise uninhabited coral atolls, by-passing the rest of the country where local people live in an increasingly conservative Islamic society.

In this tourist-free Maldives, amid the narrow teeming streets of the capital Male and on islands dotted with fishing villages, the siren call of radical Islamist clerics is luring some locals towards a very different paradise.

More than 200 island jihadists are now believed to fighting in Iraq and Syria, and at least seven have died for the cause, their “martyrdoms” hailed on social media aimed specifically at Maldivians.

For a nation that only has a population of about 350,000, the numbers are strikingly high.They also reflect a reality at jarring odds with the country's picture postcard reputation as a honeymoon and holiday idyll.

“It’s quite probable that in per capita terms, the Maldives has more jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq than any other country outside the region,” said a Western security analyst. » | Philip Sherwell, Male, the Maldives | Sunday, September 13, 2015

Merkel 'Expects Cameron to Back EU Army' in Exchange for Renegotiation

THE TELEGRAPH: German chancellor will ask UK to stand aside as she promotes ambitious plan to integrate continental Europe’s armed forces, The Telegraph has been told

Angela Merkel will expect David Cameron to drop his opposition to an EU army in exchange for supporting Britain’s renegotiation, the Telegraph has been told.

The German chancellor will ask Britain to stand aside as she promotes an ambitious blueprint to integrate continental Europe’s armed forces.

It comes as Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, said Britain will get a deal if it gives the green light to a raft of powerful new EU institutions.

A Berlin source said agreeing not to “block” Mrs Merkel's defence plans is a “favour” that she would seek from Mr Cameron as he looks for her support in the renegotiation.

“If you want favours, you have to give favours,” the source said.

"If Cameron wants a 'flexible Europe', he must let other members integrate further. Yes - opt out, opt out, opt out - and then shut up.” » | Peter Foster and Matthew Holehouse | Saturday, September 12, 2015

‘EU Is Very Far from United Policy against ISIS in Syria’

European nations have recognized they must bring peace to Syria, but there has been little agreement so far on how to achieve it. The UK is wavering on the idea of using force, while Germany favors a diplomatic solution. For more RT is joined by political analyst and commentator, John Wight.

Imams Will Have to Register and Face Security Vetting under Home Office Plans

THE TELEGRAPH: Imams, priests, rabbis and other religious figures will have to enrol in a 'national register of faith leaders' and undergo vetting

Imams, priests, rabbis and other religious figures will have to enrol in a “national register of faith leaders” and be subject to government-specified training and security checks in the Home Office’s latest action on extremism.

The highly controversial proposal appears in a leaked draft of the Government’s new counter-extremism strategy, seen by The Telegraph, which goes substantially further than previous versions of the document.

The strategy, due to be published this autumn, says that Whitehall will “require all faiths to maintain a national register of faith leaders” and the Government will “set out the minimum level of training and checks” faith leaders must have to join the new register.

Registration will be compulsory for all faith leaders who wish to work with the public sector, including universities, the document says. In practice, most faith leaders have some dealings with the public sector and the requirement will cover the great majority. » | Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, September 12, 2015

ISIS at the Gates? Refugee Crisis Raises Fears of Jihadists Entering EU

Infiltrated refugee influx has lead to over 40-thousand unregistered migrants on the continent. The security breaches have raised concern about who is coming in among asylum seekers. Some EU countries are worried that Islamic State fighters could appear among the new arrivals.

'Refugees Welcome Here': Thousands Join Support March in London

Tens of thousands of people have poured onto London’s streets, taking part in a rally to support those striving to get to the UK amidst an unprecedented refugee crisis

Deutschland: Ex-Innenminister: "Wir haben die Kontrolle verloren"

PASSAUER NEUE PRESSE: Der frühere Bundesinnenminister Hans- Peter Friedrich (CSU) schlägt Alarm: Die Entscheidung, die Flüchtlinge aus Ungarn unkontrolliert und unregistriert ins Land zu lassen, sei "eine beispiellose politische Fehlleistung" der Bundesregierung und werde "verheerende Spätfolgen" haben, sagte Friedrich im Gespräch mit der Passauer Neuen Presse. Trotz aller menschlich anrührenden Gesten, die die Gesellschaft vielerorts bei der Ankunft der Flüchtlinge zeige, sei es "die Aufgabe der Politik, über den Tag hinaus zu denken und Entscheidungen für die Zukunft zu treffen". Angesichts der Flüchtlingsströme, die sich ohne polizeiliche Prüfung durch Deutschland bewegten, müsse man feststellen: "Wir haben die Kontrolle verloren."

Laut Friedrich ist es "völlig unverantwortlich, dass jetzt Zig-tausende unkontrolliert und unregistriert ins Land strömen, und man nur unzuverlässig genau abschätzen kann, wie viele davon IS-Kämpfer oder islamistische Schläfer sind". Er hoffe, so der CSU-Politiker weiter, "dass dieses nicht noch zu einem bösen Erwachen führen wird. Ich bin jedenfalls überzeugt, dass kein anderes Land der Welt sich so naiv und blauäugig einer solchen Gefahr aussetzen würde." » | Von Alexander Kain | Freitag, 11. September 2015

HT: Catfish »

Nothing Has Changed in 25 years to Ease My Concerns about Islam

A police officer guards the entrance of Paris Great Mosque

THE TELEGRAPH: Significant numbers of Muslims see a faith-run, faith-defined state as the ultimate goal in this life

Viktor Orbán is the prime minister of Hungary. It is through his country that very large numbers of migrants from the Middle East and the Balkans now pass. At the beginning of this month, Mr Orbán said: “I think we have a right to decide that we don’t want to have a large number of Muslim people in our country.”

Mr Orbán was fiercely attacked for the motives behind his remark. I do not know enough about Hungarian politics to say whether such attacks are justified. But, regardless of the precise facts about Mr Orbán, I would guess most people in western – let alone eastern – Europe would quietly agree with his general proposition. One of the biggest anxieties about the current immigration is its high Muslim element. Is it wrong to have such an anxiety, let alone to express it publicly, let alone to want to have a system of immigration based on it?

I don’t find these easy questions to answer. Nearly 25 years ago, I wrote an article for which many people, including some I respected, criticised me. In it, I argued that difference of religion often made immigration more difficult, and that this was particularly so in the case of Islam. The piece was written not long after the first Gulf war. I mentioned our Muslim next-door neighbours (we then lived in London). I wrote that they seemed nice people, but that when, during the war, I could hear them praying through the wall, I felt uneasy. Read on and comment » | Charles Moore | Saturday, September 12, 2015


My comment:

This article is rather refreshing to read. Mr. Moore has been willing to say what probably the majority of us have been thinking for a long time. However, there are a few flaws in his line of thinking. One such flaw is this: Mr. Moore asserts that Muslims worship the same god as Christians and Jews. No they don't. This canard keeps rearing its ugly head here in the West. It is true that Muslims have the same name for God as Christian Arabs do, namely Allah. But if you look a little deeper, you will find that a Muslim's understanding of Allah is quite, quite different from an Arab Christian's.

If Allah were to be the same god as God, God would have to be schizophrenic! Nobody in his right mind could truly believe that Allah and God are one and the same. I suspect that Mr. Moore doesn't believe this either. It has been added to an otherwise excellent article in order to placate.

It should be all too clear to our political élite by now that ordinary folk feel very unsettled by the ever-increasing numbers of Muslims here in the UK and Europe. I believe it would be true to say that most people do not want them here. And for one simple reason: Not only do they not want to integrate, they wish––ultimately––to impose their way of life on us, including Sharia law.

There is but one European leader who speaks any sense, and that is Viktor Orbán. I am sure that he is many people's hero now, for having the courage to make a stand against Merkel's insanity. He is certainly mine. In actual fact, Viktor Orbán is the true leader of the West. – ©Mark

This comment also appears here

With Jeremy Corbyn Elected as New Leader, Britain’s Labour Party Takes a Hard Left Turn

Jeremy Corbyn after being elected leader of Britain's
opposition Labour Party on Saturday.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: LONDON - Britain’s opposition Labour Party on Saturday took a remarkable leftward turn, electing as its leader Jeremy Corbyn, a longtime socialist committed to nationalizing key industries, scrapping Britain’s nuclear missile system and reversing the centrist policies of previous leaders such as Tony Blair.

The result of the contest, announced on Saturday morning in London, gave stewardship of the Labour party to the hard left for the first time in more than three decades, a development seen here as one of the most surprising upsets in modern British politics.

As Europe continues to feel the aftershocks of the financial crisis of 2008, voters have been increasingly attracted to the political extremes, with support growing both for socialist parties on the left and nationalist ones on the right. The Labour leadership result could now shift the main opposition party in Britain closer to the types of positions taken by other leftist parties that have become prominent across Europe, including Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain.

Mr. Corbyn, 66, has been a lawmaker for more than three decades but never served in government, preferring to campaign, often for unfashionable causes, and frequently rebelling against the party line. » | Saturday, September 12, 2015

At Least 65 Killed as Crane Crashes into Mecca's Grand Mosque

THE TELEGRAPH: Incident comes as hundreds of thousands of Muslims begin to gather in Saudi Arabia's holy city for the annual hajj pilgrimage

At least 65 people were killed and 80 injured when a construction crane crashed into the Grand Mosque of Saudi Arabia's holy Muslim city of Mecca Friday, the civil defence said on Twitter. Pictures circulating on social media showed bloodied bodies strewn across a courtyard where the top part of the crane, which appeared to have collapse or snapped, had crashed into it. It was raining heavily at the time. The incident occurred as hundreds of thousands of Muslims gather from all over the world for the annual hajj pilgrimage set to begin later this month. » | AFP | Friday, September 11, 2015




THE GUARDIAN: Mecca crane crash: 65 dead at Grand Mosque – live: Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence authority says 154 people also injured in preparations for annual hajj pilgrimage » | Jessica Elgot | Friday, September 11, 2015

Aylan Kurdi's Father Is a People Smuggler, Woman Claims

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: A woman who was on the boat carrying drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi has accused his father of being a people smuggler.

Channel Ten reported Zainab Abbas, who lost two children in the tragedy, claims Abdullah Kurdi was at the helm of the boat when it sunk off the Turkish coast.

"He was a smuggler, yes. He was the one that was driving the boat," the woman told Ten over Skype from Iraq through a translator.

Ms Abbas claims Mr Kurdi was speeding before the boat capsized and pleaded with her while they were still both in the water, "please don't dob me in [Aus. E: betray me, inform on me]". » | Chloe Booker with Kate Aubusson | Friday, September 11, 2015

Obama the Super-salesman Pours Fuel on a Middle East In Flames

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Washington: In the coming days, they'll be putting the finishing touches to the pavilions and adding up the orders at the massive Defence & Security Equipment International arms fair which opens in London's Docklands on September 15.

At the front of the queue, writing cheques worth billions of dollars, will be the Sunni Arab regimes of the Gulf monarchies, making the latest payments in an arms-buying splurge set to surge through the coming decade – in a region already coming apart at the seams.

Touring the Middle East to tamp down anxiety about Iranian expansionism after the signing of the long-awaited nuclear deal, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that Washington "had agreed to expedite certain arms sales that are needed and that have taken too long in the past". » | Paul McGeough | Chief foreign correspondent | Friday, September 11, 2015

So leben die Iraner im Reich der Mullahs

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Es ist weit nach Mitternacht: Die Mädchen sind aufgebrezelt wie Christbäume, geschminkt, enge Hosen, das lange Haar hochgesteckt. Sie trinken Daiquiris oder Mojitos, amerikanische Hits dröhnen aus den Autolautsprechern auf der Straße. Auffällig ist nur: Die Frauen haben ihr Haar - lasziv, aber doch - mit bunten Tüchern teilweise bedeckt, die Blusen sind lang und die Drinks alkoholfreie Abwandlungen von Cuba Libre & Co. Wir sind nicht in New York, sondern in Teheran, der Hauptstadt der Islamischen Republik Iran, eines Landes, in dem zwei Parallelwelten existieren - die der Mullahs und die der Straße. » | Christian Hauenstein, Kronen Zeitung | Freitag, 11. September 2015

Illegale Einwanderer werden "sofort verhaftet"

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Sollte Ungarn in der kommenden Woche den Krisenfall ausrufen, soll jeder illegale Einwanderer "sofort verhaftet" werden. Das erklärte Ministerpräsident Viktor Orban am Freitag nach einem Treffen mit dem deutschen EVP- Fraktionsvorsitzenden Manfred Weber in Budapest. "Wir werden sie nicht mehr höflich begleiten wie bisher." Orban und Weber betonten, dass die EU ihre Außengrenze schützen müsse.

Am kommenden Dienstag will Ungarns Kabinett entscheiden, ob der Krisenfall ausgerufen wird. Das würde unter anderem bedeuten, dass das Militär die Grenzschützer unterstützen darf. Separat soll das Parlament am 21. September entscheiden, ob die Armee auch dann zum Grenzschutz herangezogen werden darf, wenn kein Krisenfall oder Notstand ausgerufen wurde. » | AG/red | Freitag, 11. September 2015

"Menscheninvasion überfordert Nickelsdorf restlos"

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Nickelsdorfs Bürgermeister Gerhard Zapfl (SPÖ) [E] hat am Freitag in einem offenen Brief an Bundeskanzler Werner Faymann und Innenministerin Johanna Mikl- Leitner Alarm geschlagen und von einer "Eskalation" der Flüchtlingssituation in seinem Ort gesprochen. Eine "wahre Völkerwanderung" führe zu "großer Sorge und Angst" unter den Einwohnern. "Diese Entwicklung war absehbar", politische Entscheidungsträger auf Bundesebene hätten nichts in der nötigen Form entgegengesetzt. » | AG/red | Freitag, 11. September 2015

Viktor Orban dénonce la «rébellion» des migrants

Le premier ministre hongrois Viktor Orban.

LE MATIN: HONGRIE — A partir du 15 septembre, une nouvelle législation sur l'immigration entrera en vigueur en Hongrie et les clandestins qui franchiront la frontière seront arrêtés.

Les migrants qui franchiront illégalement la frontière entre la Serbie et la Hongrie à compter du 15 septembre seront arrêtés, a déclaré vendredi le premier ministre hongrois Viktor Orban. Il a dénoncé la «rébellion» des immigrés arrivés par milliers dans son pays.

«Etant donné que nous devons faire face à une rébellion de ces migrants illégaux, la police fait son travail de façon remarquable, sans faire usage de la force», a-t-il soutenu après une rencontre avec Manfred Weber, qui préside le groupe PPE (Parti populaire européen, droite) au Parlement de Strasbourg.

Les migrants, a ajouté Viktor Orban, «ont occupé des gares, refusé de se laisser prendre leurs empreintes digitales, n'ont pas voulu coopérer et refusent d'aller là où ils pourraient recevoir de la nourriture, de l'eau et des soins médicaux (...) Ils se sont rebellés contre l'ordre juridique hongrois.» » | ats/nxp) | vendredi 11 septembre 2015

Die Angst beherrscht Osteuropa

TAGES ANZEIGER: Analyse: Warum zeigt der Osten Europas so wenig Hilfsbereitschaft, obwohl die Länder selber einst so viel Solidarität erfahren haben?

Noch während Jean-Claude Juncker am Mittwoch in Strassburg seine Rede zur Lage der Europäischen Union hielt, machten zwischen Prag und Warschau osteuropäische Regierungspolitiker erneut Front gegen feste EU-Flüchtlingsquoten, wie der Kommissionschef sie vorschlug. Tschechiens Minister­präsident Bohuslav Sobotka beharrte darauf, dass «Quoten keinen Sinn haben, weil sie von den Ursachen der Migrationswelle ablenken». Seinem Innenminister erteilte er demonstrativ das Mandat, beim Europäischen Rat am kommenden Montag jede Quotenregelung zu blockieren.

Auch Polens Regierungschefin Ewa Kopacz wird nicht müde, «unsere europäischen Partner daran zu erinnern, dass sie von uns keine unmöglichen Dinge fordern sollten», wie Kopacz es gestern formulierte. Flüchtlingsquoten, wie Juncker sie verlangt, seien «nicht realistisch». Ungarn hat seine ablehnende Haltung wiederholt mehr als deutlich gemacht, nicht zuletzt durch den Bau eines Nato-Draht-Zauns an der Grenze zu Serbien. Und der slowakische Premier Robert Fico sagt: «Ich will nicht eines Morgens in einem Land aufwachen, in dem Hunderttausend Araber leben.» » | Von Ulrich Krökel | Freitag, 11. September 2015

Lest We Forget: 9/11 Remembered

9/11 Close Up. Not for the faint-hearted. These scenes are not suitable for children. (18+ only!)

LIVE: 9/11 Anniversary - US Remembers Victims

Government officials and ordinary citizens are gathering across the US to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The suicide attacks claimed the lives of almost 3,000 people when four hijacked airplanes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia and a field in Shanksville.

Saudi Arabia Offers Germany 200 Mosques – One For Every 100 Refugees Who Arrived Last Weekend

THE INDEPENDENT: The kingdom has faced criticism over its response to the crisis

Saudi Arabia has reportedly responded to the growing number of people fleeing the Middle East for western Europe – by offering to build 200 mosques in Germany.

Syria’s richer Gulf neighbours have been accused of not doing their fair share in the humanitarian crisis, with Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE also keeping their doors firmly shut to asylum-seekers. » | Adam Withnall | Friday, September 11, 2015

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die arabische Halbinsel schottet sich ab: Die Golfstaaten und Saudi-Arabien stellen sich taub gegenüber ihren muslimischen Glaubensbrüdern aus den Bürgerkriegsstaaten. Riad möchte lieber für die syrischen Flüchtlinge in Deutschland 200 Moscheen bauen. » | Rainer Hermann | Dienstag, 8. September 2015

Related »

Video Shows Refugees Fed 'Like Animals in Pen' in Hungary Camp

THE TELEGRAPH: Austrian volunteer who filmed footage in Hungary's Roszke camp says treatment of refugees "like Guantanamo in Europe"

Disturbing footage emerged on Friday of the way migrants are being treated inside Hungary's main refugee camp on the border with Serbia, with images showing families fed "like animals in a pen".

The video, shot secretly by an Austrian volunteer who visited the flashpoint Roszke camp on Wednesday, shows some 150 people wildly scrambling for bags of sandwiches thrown at them by Hungarian police wearing helmets and hygiene masks in a fenced-in enclosure inside a big hall.

Hungarian police said on Friday they had launched an investigation into the video.

In an e-mailed response, police said they had launched an "emergency enquiry" into the matter, describing it as a fact-finding investigation, without elaborating. (+ video) » | Telegraph Video, and AFP, video source Michaela Spritzendorfer-Ehrenhauser | Friday, September 11, 2015

European Refugee Crisis - The Anatomy of a Cover-up

‪The Glazov Gang:‬ The Problem With ISNA Influence on Mosques in America

The Glazov Gang-The Problem With ISNA Influence on Mosques in America. Dr. Mark Christian (President, Global Faith Institute)

HT: Jamie Glazov @ Jihad Watch »

Saudi Arabia Won’t Take Any Syrian Refugees, But Offers to Build 200 Mosques for Them in Germany

JIHAD WATCH: This tells you all you need to know about the “refugee” crisis in Europe. It is, as I said, a hijrah: a migration for the sake of Allah, to plant Islam in a new land. If they were really refugees, the Saudis would take them. But no, they are invaders, and the Saudis are offering to make things easier for them by providing them with facilities for the invasion — remember, four separate studies since 1998 have shown that 80% of Saudi-funded mosques in the U.S. teach hatred of Jews and Christians and the necessity to replace the Constitution with Sharia. » | Robert Spencer | Thursday, September 10, 2015

TAGES ANZEIGER: Saudischer König will für Flüchtlinge in Deutschland 200 Moscheen bauen » | Dienstag, 8. September 2015

Netanyahu in Britain: Mideast Crumbling in Face of Radical Islam

THE JERUSALEM POST: Prime Minister Netanyahu declares he is ready to immediately renew peace negotiations with the Palestinians without preconditions.

The Middle East is disintegrating in the face of extreme Shi'a radicalism embodied by Iran, and extreme Sunni extremism incarnated by Islamic State, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the outset of a meeting Thursday in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Netanyahu said that this – and how to “roll back the tide of militant Islam both in the Middle East and North Africa” – was one of three main issues he wanted to discuss with Cameron.

The second “no less important” issue, he said, was peace. (+ video) » | Herb Keinon | Thursday, September 10, 2015

Is This the ‘Religion of Peace’ Our Politicians Keep Harping On about? Islamic School Teachers Beat Boy, 10, So Badly He Loses Hair from Stress

Mohammed Waqar and his father Mohammed Siddique

THE TELEGRAPH: Mohammed Siddique and son Mohammed Waqar sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting wilful cruelty to young boy in lessons

Islamic school teachers who brutally beat a 10-year-old pupil until he lost his hair from worry have each been jailed for a year.

Mohammed Siddique, 60, and his 24-year-old son Mohammed Waqar were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting wilful cruelty to the boy in lessons.

Judge Mark Wall QC told the pair "it would not be right" to suspend the jail terms, because a message had to be sent that such "brutality" had no place in classrooms. He said: "Acts of brutality of this sort which you each indulged in, with a stick, will not be tolerated."

Their victim was beaten with a plastic stick and given back-handed slaps by tutors for "talking in the classroom" or failing to properly recite the Koran at Sparkbrook Islamic centre, attached to the Jamia Mosque, in Birmingham.

The assaults happened on four separate occasions, with photographs of the boy's injuries showing "extensive" bruising to the backs of his legs. » | Agency | Thursday, September 10, 2015

Poland Launches Probe into Calls to Send Refugees to Auschwitz Camp

In Poland, calls to send refugees to former Nazi camps and have them murdered, appeared in the comments of a local TV channel's social network page. The prosecutor's office in Warsaw has launched an inquiry into incitement of national and religious hatred. The racist comments included calls to exterminate migrants and refugees at Auschwitz.

Islamic Extremists 'Trying to Recruit Syrian Refugees in Germany'

German Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel

THE TELEGRAPH: Islamic extremists in Germany are trying to recruit Syrian refugees to their cause, warns country’s domestic security service

Islamic extremists in Germany are trying to recruit Syrian refugees to their cause, the country’s domestic security service has said.

The warning came as one of Germany’s best known Islamist preachers published a list of suggestions for his followers on how best to approach refugees.

Pierre Vogel, a former boxer and convert to Islam who has been described as “Germany’s most influential Salafist preacher”, a puritan branch of Sunni Islam, called on his followers to seek out new recruits at government refugee shelters.

The preacher told his followers to take gifts and donations with them, and to volunteer to help staff with the influx. If the offer was refused, they should seek out newly arrived refugees at nearby mosques where they would go to pray, he said. » | Justin Huggler in Berlin | Thursday, September 10, 2015

Yazidi Girl: I Was Enslaved by ISIS Leader

A young Yazidi woman tells CNN's Atika Shubert that she was handpicked by ISIS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi, held captive and forced to serve his wives and children.

Österreich stoppt Zugverkehr mit Ungarn: «Die Züge waren an der Grenze völlig überfüllt»

Bruxelles veut que la Suisse accueille des réfugiés

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: La Commission européenne veut inclure la Suisse dans la répartition des réfugiés.

La Commission européenne souhaite que la Suisse participe à l'avenir à la clé de répartition permanente des réfugiés, en tant qu'Etat associé aux accords de Dublin. Mais un flou subsiste sur cette «obligation».

Dans sa proposition, adoptée jeudi par le Parlement européen, la Commission européenne prévoit de créer un mécanisme de répartition permanent et contraignant. Le texte fait référence à l'accord de Dublin passé avec quatre pays non-membres de l'UE, soit la Suisse, l'Islande, la Norvège et le Liechtenstein. » | jeudi 9 septembre 2015

Dutch MP Geert Wilders Speaks to the Invasion of Europe Underway

V DARE: Geert Wilders Demands Netherlands Reject Bogus Refugees » | Brenda Walker | Sunday, September 6, 2015

Isis Shows Hostages 'For Sale': Militants Claim to Have Captured Norwegian and Chinese Nationals

THE INDEPENDENT: The Norwegian government has confirmed one of its citizens is being held in Syria, but says 'Norway does not pay ransom'

The Isis militant group claims it has taken a Norwegian and a Chinese man as hostages, and has posted notices describing the two men as “for sale” in the latest edition of its propaganda magazine.

Pictures of the men dressed in yellow jumpsuits appeared in the final pages of the 11th edition of “Dabiq”, an online English-language magazine released by the group’s media arm.

In what it describes as a “limited time offer”, Isis names the men along with details of their ages and occupations and provides a telegram number. It says: “Whoever would like to pay the ransom for his release and transfer can contact the following.” » | Adam Withnall | Thursday, September 10, 2015

ISIS Recruits Shout "Allah Akbar" in 'Refugee' Trains Going to Germany

Germany: Nazi Salutes and Scuffles as BÄRGIDA Protest Islamism in Berlin

Scuffles broke out as some 100 far-right demonstrators from BÄRGIDA, the Berlin offshoot of 'anti-Islamist' protest group PEGIDA, took to the streets of Berlin on Monday, decrying Islamism in Europe.

Muslim Migrants Chant 'F*** You' and ' Allahu Akbar' in Budapest

Denmark Suspends Ferries as Migrants Demand Route to Sweden

Danish police clash with one of around 300 migrants who were
walking north on a highway in southern Denmark

THE TELEGRAPH: Ferries from Germany closed to trains after migrants refuse to disembark in Denmark, demanding to be taken on to Sweden

A major ferry crossing from Germany to Denmark has been partly closed after hundreds of migrants refused to disembark on arrival, demanding to be taken onward to Sweden, as Europe's migrant crisis spreads northward.

The crossing from Puttgarden to Rodby, Scandinavia's busiest ferry route to Germany, is usually open to car and train passengers.

But operators suspended the latter route after two trains carrying around 350 refugees spent Wednesday stuck in Rodby, demanding to continue on to Sweden.

The refugees refused to register with Danish authorities, which would mean having to apply for asylum in Denmark or returning to Germany, preferring instead to seek asylum in Sweden, where asylum conditions are more generous. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Al Qaeda Mag Urges Attack on Koch Brothers, Buffett, Bloomberg

NBC NEWS: A notorious Al Qaeda magazine is encouraging lone-wolf terrorist attacks on U.S. economic leaders, including Sam Walton, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett.

The list in Inspire magazine also included industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch, internet entrepreneur Larry Ellison, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, economist Robert Shiller, and former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. Not mentioned is Janet Yellen, who succeeded Bernanke as Fed chairman.

Also pictured was Jim Walton, one of the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune, although he was misidentified in the caption as his late father, Sam Walton. Several other names on the list were misspelled.

The slickly produced magazine article begins with a photo illustration showing blood-spattered pictures of several of the leaders next to a dripping gun. Its stated goal is to derail the "revival of the America Economy."

The article says the "economic personalities" and "wealthy entrepreneurs" can get off the list by withdrawing their money from U.S. banks, investing their wealth outside American soil, and denouncing support for Israel.

Shiller, a Nobel Prize winner, said he was shocked to learn his name was on the list.

"Why me? I am non-plussed. Why I am included?" he said. "I was just in Istanbul for an Islamic finance forum, part of the G20. I quoted Mohammed. I'm sympathetic to the Islamic community." » | Robert Windrem and Tracy Connor | Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Salafisten auf Rekrutierungstour unter Flüchtlingen

Koran-Verteilung durch Salafisten in Wuppertal (Archivbild)

DIE WELT: Kaum im sicheren Deutschland angekommen, geraten Flüchtlinge aus Syrien ins Visier von muslimischen Fanatikern. Der Salafisten-Prediger Pierre Vogel rät seinen Anhängern: "Bringt Geschenke mit!"

Jeden Tag kommen sie mit Zügen aus Südeuropa an: Flüchtlinge aus Syrien. Sie sind dem Krieg entkommen, den Fassbomben des Assad-Regimes und dem Terror des Islamischen Staates. Doch in Deutschland werden sie nicht nur von Hilfsorganisationen und ehrenamtlich engagierten Bürgern erwartet. Sondern auch von Salafisten, die in ihnen potenzielle Rekruten für ihren fanatischen Glauben sehen.

Der in Bergheim (Nordrhein-Westfalen) lebende salafistische Prediger Pierre Vogel hat bereits eine Liste von Ratschlägen veröffentlicht, wie sich Salafisten am besten den Flüchtlingen nähern sollen. Vogel rät seinen Anhängern, Teams zu bilden und alle Flüchtlingsunterkünfte in ihrer Umgebung ausfindig zu machen und zu besuchen.

Auch, wie man die Herzen der meist mittellosen Flüchtlinge erreicht, glaubt Vogel zu wissen: "Bringt Geschenke mit!" Dem Personal der Unterkunft sollen die Salafisten ihre Hilfe anbieten; und wenn diese abgelehnt wird, solle man in nahe gelegenen Moscheen das Gespräch mit den Flüchtlingen suchen. (+ Video) » | Von Stefan Laurin | Mittwoch, 9. September 2015

Europe Faces Political War On Two Fronts As Backlash Builds

A migrant group walks between the railroad tracks near
Roszke village on the Hungarian-Serbian border

THE TELEGRAPH: The EU's Eastern states shocked to lose their sovereignty over borders, just as southern Europe lost economic sovereignty by joining the euro.

The European Union is fracturing along multiple lines of cleavage, torn by an emerging Kulturkampf over migrant flows before it has overcome the bitter conflict at the heart of monetary union.

“The bell tolls, the time has come,” said Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the European Commission, in his State of the Union speech.

"We have to look at the huge issues with which the European Union is now confronted. Our Union is not in a good situation,” he said.

Perhaps it would be churlish to point out that the cause of this near existential breakdown is a series of moves that have his fingerprints all over them: » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Rede der Bundeskanzlerin im Bundestag zu Haushalt und Flüchtlingskrise

Deutschland ist wirtschaftlich stark. Der Haushalt 2016 kommt ohne neue Schulden aus. Die Arbeitslosigkeit ist so niedrig wie seit 1991 nicht. Deshalb kann unser Land in die Zukunft investieren – und auch die Flüchtlingssituation meistern. Das sagte Angela Merkel heute im #Bundestag.

Britain Can Stay ‘In’, Says Juncker, But Then It Should Butt Out

David Cameron and Jean[-]Claude Juncker deep in discussion

THE TELEGRAPH: There was no attempt to sugar the pill in Strasbourg today when Jean-Claude Juncker delivered his 'State of the Union' address

Even when times are tough American presidents always declare the state of their union to be “strong”, or something similarly optimistic, but after a year of near perpetual crisis in Europe Jean-Claude Juncker was past pretending: the European Union, he said, is not in “a good state”.

But if this occasion was a showcase for the European Commission president to lay down a vision for how to fix the continent’s ills, from the recent migrant crisis to the still-wobbly euro, it did not inspire confidence.

Mr Juncker spoke for 90 minutes – an absurdly long time – prescribing “more Europe” as the panacea for everything while being heckled from the upper slopes of the chamber by an assortment of anti-Federalist MEPs, including some from our own Ukip.

As a spectacle, it was risible – but that cannot distract from the fact that Mr Juncker is right about one thing: Europe’s challenges have now taken on an existential quality. » | Peter Foster | Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Wegen Papst-Cover: Saudi-Arabien verbietet „National Geographic“

Verboten: Das katholischer Kirchenoberhaupt
in der Sixtinischen Kapelle.

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Saudi-Arabien verbietet die aktuelle arabische Ausgabe des Magazins „National Geographic“. Anlass ist das Cover und möglicherweise auch die Titelgeschichte.

Die aktuelle Ausgabe des Magazins „National Geographic“ darf in Saudi-Arabien nicht verkauft werden. Auf dem Cover ist der Papst mit der Schlagzeile „Die Kirchenreform – so führt Franziskus die stille Revolution an“ zu sehen. Das reichte offenbar aus, um das Heft in Saudi-Arabien verbieten zu lassen.

Alsaa Omar al-Menhaly, der Chefredakteur des Magazins, entschuldigte sich auf Twitter bei seinen Lesern, die bereits seit einer Woche auf die neue Ausgabe warteten: Das Magazin dürfe „aus kulturellen Gründen“ nicht veröffentlicht werden. In Saudi-Arabien ist es nicht nur verboten, christliche oder jüdische Gottesdienste zu feiern, auch der Import und das öffentliche Tragen von religiösen Symbolen wie Kreuzen, Bibeln oder Rosenkränzen steht unter Strafe. » | Von Kornelius Friz | Mittwoch, 9. September 2015

Inside Story: Desperate Journeys

Refugees cross into Germany after torturous journey from war-torn countries.

Europe Divided Over Growing Refugee Crisis

The European Commission has presented a seven-step solution to tackling the ever-growing refugee crisis swamping the continent. And, in the process, it's accusing member countries of lacking unity in handling the situation. But despite the gravity of the problem facing Europe, the parliament session still occasionally descended into a less-serious mood. Germany is, by far, the favored destination for migrants and refugees coming to Europe.

Cold Welcome: Protesters Flock to London in Rally against Netanyahu Visit

While the Israeli Prime Minister is due in London today, he might not get a very warm welcome. Protests over his visit are taking place and RT's Polly Boiko is following them for us.

Germany Torn by Migrant Hatred

What P****s Me Off About The European Migrant Crisis

Police Fire Rubber Bullets at Pro-refugee Protesters in Switzerland

Riot police fired rubber bullets at a crowd of pro-refugee protesters in Zurich on Saturday.

'You've Simply Got It Wrong' Farage Blasts EU's Juncker as He Dishes Out Refugee QUOTAS

Nigel Farage has blasted Jean-Claude Juncker for his
'compulsory' refugee quotas

EXPRESS: NIGEL Farage has blasted the European Union for allowing migrants to "flow" into Europe in "biblical proportions" as Jean-Claude Juncker sets out COMPULSORY refugee quotas to share 160,000 asylum seekers.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has called for solidarity from the EU's 28 member states in responding to Europe's worst migration crisis since the Second World War.

Criticising Europe's failure to come up with a united response to the hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving on its shores, Mr Juncker said quotas will now be "compulsory".

He took a swipe at David Cameron's refusal to voluntarily sign up to the quota, saying he hoped this time "everybody will be on board".

As he dishes out quotas for each country in the Schengen open borders arrangement, Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: "Mr Juncker you've simply got this wrong."

He said his stark warning in April, that the terms of the European Common Asylum Policy were set so wife [sic] that "anyone who sets a foot on EU soil can stay".

He added: "I said it would lead to a flow of biblical proportions and indeed that is what we are beginning to see and that's been compounded by Germany last week saying that basically anyone can come. » | Selina Sykes | Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Refugee Crisis: Juncker Calls for EU to Take 'Bold, Concerted Action'

European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker
addresses the European parliament in Strasbourg.

THE GUARDIAN: European commission president uses first state of the union address to urge member states to accept plan to relocate 160,000 refugees

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, has called for “bold, concerted action” to deal with Europe’s most serious refugee crisis since the second world war.

In his first annual state of the union address before the European parliament in Strasbourg, Juncker urged member states to accept the commission’s plan to relocate 160,000 refugees fleeing war and terror.

Juncker acknowledged that the numbers of people arriving in Europe was “frightening” for some, but declared: “Now is not the time for fright, this is time for bold, concerted action. It is a matter of humanity and dignity, for Europe it is a matter for historical fairness.”

Recalling past waves of migration, Juncker reminded his audience that Europe was the world’s wealthiest and most stable continent.

“We have the means to help those fleeing war and terror. There is certainly an unprecedented number of refugees, but it is just 0.11% of Europe’s population. Refugees represent 25% of Lebanon’s population,” said Juncker. » | Mark Tran | Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Queen Becomes Longest-reigning Monarch - 'A Record She Would Rather Not Have Had'

THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron will lead the world's tributes to a monarch who has served the Commonwealth through the Cold War, the Space Age and the Internet Age

In her 21st birthday broadcast to the Commonwealth, Princess Elizabeth memorably promised that “my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service”.

She could not have expected as she said those words that the burden of monarchy would fall on her shoulders so soon afterwards, but more than 63 years after she ascended the throne, the Queen has never wavered from that pledge.

On a day of history, of celebration and gratitude as she becomes our longest-reigning monarch, David Cameron will express the thanks of a nation for her "remarkable record" of duty.

In turn, Her Majesty is expected to make a brief reference to her achievement in surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria when she opens a new railway in the Scottish Borders. Read on and comment » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Tuesday, Sepptember 8, 2015


THE DAILY MAIL: DOMINIC SANDBROOK: Let's be frank: The young woman who became Queen in 1952 could not have imagined the Britain of today » | Dominic Sandbrook for The Daily Mail | Wednesday, September 9, 2015

'Terrorist Don't Move by Timetable, Our Borders Completely Open' - Former German Deputy Defense Minister

The unending influx of migrants has reinvigorated fears that Islamic State fighters could be hiding among the crowds storming Europe's borders. Some reports suggest that thousands of extremists have already been smuggled in. Germany's Federal Intelligence Service chief Gerhard Schindler said that terrorists would rather travel by plane on forged documents than use overcrowded migrant routes. But a former German Deputy Defence Minister Willy Wimmer doesn't quite buy that.

Österreich: Strache zum aktuellen Flüchtlingsstrom | FPÖ-Wahlkampfauftakt 2015

Germany Faces Massive Anti-migrant vs Pro-migrant Standoff

Germany is once again in the midst of massive anti-immigration rallies, which are often met with counter-marches, dividing the country in two. The latest demonstrations saw thousands of right-wing protesters expressing anger over the influx of refugees.

A l'université d'été du FN, Marine Le Pen tente de capitaliser sur le "fardeau" de l'immigration

Devant environ 3 500 personnes, la présidente du Front national a érigé pendant une heure et quart la crise migratoire comme numéro un des "gigantesques défis" que la France doit selon elle affronter.

A l'université d'été du FN, Marine Le Pen... by francetvinfo

Selon Marine Le Pen, la majorité des migrants qui arrivent de Syrie «ne sont pas des réfugiés politiques»

La présidente du Front national refuse de dire que les migrants, et plus particulièrement les Syriens fuyant le régime de Bachar el-Assad, sont persécutés. Invitée ce lundi sur iTélé, Marine Le Pen assure que «la majorité de ces gens qui arrivent ne sont pas des réfugiés politiques».

«Si l'on s'en tient aux critères de l'asile, il faut être persécuté par le gouvernement en place. Ceux qui sont actuellement combattus par le gouvernement en place, ce sont les fondamentalistes islamistes. Alors vous voyez qu'avec ce genre de critères, on se prépare peut-être à des lendemains qui déchantent.»


Selon Marine Le Pen, la majorité des migrants... by libezap

Pope Francis Makes It Easier for Catholics to Divorce

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Vatican City: Pope Francis, making the most substantial changes to Catholic marriage annulment procedures in centuries, on Tuesday radically simplified them and said bishops should give greater help to divorced couples.

In a move that again showed his desire for the Church to be more merciful to Catholics in difficulty, Francis reaffirmed traditional teaching on the "indissolubility of marriage", but streamlined annulment procedures many considered cumbersome, lengthy, outdated and expensive.

An annulment, formally known as a "decree of nullity", is a ruling that a marriage was not valid according to Church law because certain prerequisites, such as free will, psychological maturity and openness to having children, were lacking. » | Reuters | Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Saudischer König will für Flüchtlinge in Deutschland 200 Moscheen bauen

TAGES ANZEIGER: Saudiarabien lässt die Flüchtlinge nicht in ihr Land. Nun will sich aber einer der Machthaber engagieren und in Deutschland 200 Moscheen errichten. » | hae/mlr/pat/sda/afp | Dienstag, 8. September 2015

Flüchtlingskrise: Die arabische Halbinsel schottet sich ab

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die Golfstaaten und Saudi-Arabien stellen sich taub gegenüber ihren muslimischen Glaubensbrüdern aus den Bürgerkriegsstaaten. Riad möchte lieber für die syrischen Flüchtlinge in Deutschland 200 Moscheen bauen.

Die arabischen Golfstaaten sind reich, sie sind muslimisch, und sie schotten sich gegenüber ihren Glaubensbrüdern aus Syrien mit einer Kälte ab, die immer mehr zu einem Skandal wird. Europäische Länder nehmen aber großzügig Flüchtlinge aus den arabischen Bürgerkriegsregionen auf, viele auf dem christlichen Kontinent scheuen keine Lasten, um ihrem humanitären Anspruch gerecht zu werden. Gegenüber diesem Leiden stellen sich die arabischen Golfstaaten jedoch taub, obwohl sich der saudische König als „der Hüter der beiden Heiligen Stätten des Islams“ anreden last

Sie bauen die größten Moscheen, die höchsten Gebäude und die prächtigsten Paläste. Der Flüchtlingsstrom fließt jedoch nach Norden, nach Europa, nicht nach Süden, auf die Arabische Halbinsel. Das hat zwei Gründe. Zum einen wollen die Flüchtlinge nicht in einem unfreien Land wie Saudi-Arabien leben; nach allem, was sie erlebt haben, lechzen sie nach Freiheit und nach Sicherheit.

Zum anderen sind diese Flüchtlinge in den Staaten des Golfkooperationsrats (GCC) auch gar nicht erwünscht. Seit dem Ausbruch erst der Krise und dann des Kriegs in Syrien war es für Syrer immer schwieriger geworden, überhaupt ein Einreisevisum zu bekommen, das zudem sehr teuer ist. Die Syrer könnten ja auf Arabisch, der gemeinsamen Sprache, berichten, was in Syrien tatsächlich geschieht, und sie würden die saudische Gesellschaft in einem unerwünschten Maße politisieren. In den vergangenen Jahren wurden dann, vor allem in Saudi-Arabien und den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, zunehmend Aufenthaltsgenehmigungen für syrische Gastarbeiter nicht mehr verlängert. » | Von Rainer Hermann | Dienstag, 9. September 2015

Germany: Protesters Hurl Rocks at Anti-refugee Rally Organisers in Dortmund

Protesters hurled bottles and stones at the car of the organisers of an anti-refugee rally led by right wing political party "Die Rechte" in Dortmund, Monday night.

Germany: PEGIDA Swarm Munich in Anti-refugee March

Germany: 10,000 PEGIDA Protesters Rally against Refugees in Dresden

An estimated 10,000 supporters of PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans against Western Islamization), marched through the group's place of origin, Dresden, Monday, decrying Islamism in Europe and the mass immigration of Muslim refugees into Germany.

Germany – Arson Attack: Planned Refugee Shelter Set On Fire

Germany to Spend Six Billion Euros on Refugees

Greeks Evacuate Refugees from Lesbos as Island Overflows

Europe Refugee Crisis: Greek Island of Lesbos "Near Explosion"

The Glazov Gang - The Flood of Fake Syrian Refugees into America

HT: Jihad Watch »

Lammert verurteilt Fremdenhass: "Die Flüchtlingskrise wird Deutschland verändern"

Norbert Lambert verurteilt Pöbeleien und gewaltsame
Übergriffe gegen Flüchtlinge. 

T ONLINE: Der Präsident des Bundestages, Norbert Lammert, hat fremdenfeindliche Tendenzen in Deutschland verurteilt und betont, dass das Land wegen der Flüchtlingskrise vor einem dauerhaften Wandel stehe. "Diese große humanitäre, politische und kulturelle Herausforderung wird Deutschland verändern", sagte er im Bundestag.

Der CDU-Poltiker zeigte sich überzeugt, dass die Aufnahme von Flüchtlingen zum Vorteil des Landes geschehe. Dafür müssten die Verantwortlichen aber so mutig und entschlossen handeln, wie das zuletzt etwa bei der Finanz- und Bankenkrise geschehen sei. » | rtr, dpa, t-online.de | Dienstag, 8. September 2015

Röszke: Zusammenstöße als Flüchtlinge Polizeikette durchbrechen

Flüchtlinge haben gestern in Röszke nahe der ungarischen Grenze zu Serbien eine Polizeikette durchbrochen, um ihre Reise nach Westeuropa, vor allen Dingen Deutschland, fortzusetzen. Auf ihrem Weg riefen sie im Chor „Germany“. Die Gruppe wurde später von der Polizei angehalten und ungefähr die Hälfte der Menschen in ein so genanntes „Auffanglager " gebracht, der Rest setzte seinen Marsch Richtung Budapest über eine Autobahn fort.

Syrien-Report der UNO

Die Untersuchungskommission der UNO zur Menschenrechtslage in Syrien zeichnet in ihrem neusten Bericht ein düsteres Bild der Lage. Von wahllosen Tötungen und sexueller Sklaverei ist die Rede.

Germany Says It Could Take 500,000 Refugees A Year

THE GUARDIAN: German vice-chancellor repeats call for EU countries to take their fair share of refugees, as violence flares on Greek island of Lesbos

Germany could take 500,000 refugees each year for “several years”, the country’s vice-chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, has said, as fresh clashes broke out overnight between police and refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos and thousands of people gathered amid chaotic scenes on the Greek border with Macedonia.

“I believe we could surely deal with something in the order of half a million for several years,” he told ZDF public television. “I have no doubt about that, maybe more.” Germany expects to receive 800,000 asylumseekers this year, four times the total for 2014.

Gabriel also stressed that other European countries must also accept their fair share as refugees flee war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa and head for the EU. » | Helena Smith in Athens, Mark Tran in London and agencies | Tuesday, September 8, 2015

British Jihadist Killed after Plot to Kill the Queen

The Prime Minister told MPs that three jihadists had been
killed in Syria

THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron says an Isil jihadist was assassinated by an RAF drone in an attack he describes as a "new departure" for Britain in the fight against terrorists.

A British jihadist has been killed by UK forces in Syria after he directed a plot to kill the Queen, it emerged on Monday night.

In a move David Cameron said was “a new departure” for Britain, Reyaad Khan was last month assassinated in an RAF drone strike after security services uncovered his bid to stage a terror attack in the UK.

The Prime Minister said that it is the first time UK forces have directed a targeted attack against one of its own citizens when Britain is not at war.

It is also marks the first British military action in Syria and Mr Cameron made clear that UK forces are now prepared to carry out more strikes in Syria, Iraq and Libya against specific targets.

Downing Street denied the existence of a “kill list” of terrorists.

However, it has been made clear by Whitehall sources that British-born Isil fighters including Jihadi John, the terrorist responsible for executing westerners in Syria, are targets for UK forces. » | Peter Dominiczak, Ben Farmer and Steven Swinford | Monday, September 7, 2015

Migrant Crisis: Influx Will Change Germany, Says Merkel

BBC: Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the "breathtaking" flow of migrants into Germany will "occupy and change" the country in the coming years.

She said Germany would speed up asylum procedures and build extra housing, but called on other EU states to help.

French President Francois Hollande said quotas for EU countries to relocate 120,000 migrants were being planned and that France would take 24,000.

Meanwhile, the flow of migrants across Europe shows no sign of easing.

On Monday, large numbers of people were reported to be streaming into Hungary across its southern border with Serbia. » | Monday, September 7, 2015

East-West Divide: Clashes in Budapest, Eastern Europe Rejects Migrant Sharing Quotas (September 4, 2015)

Clashes break out in Budapest as a crowd of football fans marches by a camp of refugees in the heart of the Hungarian capital. Meanwhile, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have unanimously rejected a quota system for sharing migrants.

ISIS Cells in USA & Europe Ready to Launch Third World War - Terrorism Expert

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) has been calling in recruits from all across the globe – and it’s not just men who answer. Young women come to IS to join the jihad, to be sex slaves for terrorists – or to commit terror attacks themselves. What lures girls into a life of fanaticism and violence? And how does desperation drive one into donning a belt with explosives? We pose these questions to a criminologist and terrorism expert, a reserve lieutenant colonel of the Israeli Army and a recently elected member of the Knesset. Dr Anat Berko is on SophieCo today.

RT Documentary: ISIS vs Christ

In early 2015, a small Egyptian village was dealt a cruel blow. ISIS killed 20 men from Al-Ur because they were Christian. Now their families take comfort from their faith as they to come to terms with the loss. The whole community honours the dead as martyrs, Christian and Muslim neighbours alike mourn their deaths and condemn the killers. A few survived and are torn between survivor’s guilt and admiration for the courage shown by their fallen friends. However hard times may be for this village, the community finds solace and pride in how the martyrs’ faith remained strong to the very end.

Majority of Brits Would Vote for Brexit amid EU Migrant Crisis

More people in Britain want to leave the EU than to stay - according to new poll by the country's 'Mail on Sunday' newspaper. It's the first time since November that the public have swung towards quitting the bloc. And, it's an issue Brits could soon get to decide on for real.

The Men Evading Tajikistan's de-facto Beard Ban

'I did not grow a beard to be vulgar but because it's beautiful',
says Romish Ibrohimov.

THE GUARDIAN: Reports indicate the government is clamping down on facial hair on religious grounds, but the rules don’t seem to apply to all. Global Voices Online reports

Russia’s great moderniser Peter the Great was responsible for one of history’s strangest tariffs: the beard tax.

Now, more than 300 years later Tajikistan’s president Emomali Rahmon is clamping down on facial hair with the same fervour, seemingly linked to the government’s ongoing campaign against the influence of Islam in Tajik society.

Reports that police in the former Soviet state have been forcibly shaving men with facial hair are widespread.

In April, Rustam Gulov claims the police took him into custody and shaved him against his will. “Judging by the hair in the room, I estimate they shaved the beards of approximately 200-250 people before me,” the well-known blogger later wrote. » | Global Voices Online, part of the New East network | Monday, September 7, 2015

UN Refugee Chief : History Will Judge Us Harshly Over Syria Crisis

THE TELEGRAPH: Peter Sutherland, the UN's special envoy for migrants and refugees, says this is not a temporary phenomenon

The flood of refugees into Europe from the Middle East and Africa has only just begun as states disintegrate in a maelstrom of religious war, the United Nations has warned.

"We cannot comfort ourselves that this is a temporary phenomenon," said Peter Sutherland, the UN's special envoy for migrants and refugees.

Quite apart from Syria, much of the Sahel across sub-Saharan Africa is hanging by a thread, and ISIS is expanding into every country of the Maghreb. » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Como, Italy | Monday, September 7, 2015

Pastor Converts to Islam with 480-member Congregation in Rwanda

UMMID.COM: Kigali (Rwanda): In one of the largest reversion cases of Christians to Islam, a Rwandan pastor and his entire 480-member congregation have reverted to Islam, as the world fastest growing religion expands its presence in the African continent.

Salim Mikdad, a former pastor, reverted to Islam after being convinced into it by Muslim scholars, Nigeria Watch reported.

Later on, he managed to convince his entire 480-member congregation to take a similar decision on August 25. » | Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Angola Officially Bans Islam, Closes Mosques

MOROCCO WORLD NEWS: Taroudant – Angola has reportedly banned Islam, Muslims and has closed the mosques in the country.

After its decision to ban the practice of Islamic religion and the shutting down of its places of worship in the whole country, Angola became the first country in the world to officially ban Islam.

“This is the final end of Islamic influence in our country,” Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said on Sunday.

Angolan Minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, announced earlier the ban, saying that “the process of legalization of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice.”

She also said that the ban must take place because Islam was “contradictory to the customs of Angola culture and it is a sect”. » | Larbi Arbaoul | Sunday, September 6, 2015

Putin: EU-Flüchtlingskrise war voraussehbar und bedingt durch blinden Befehlsgehorsam gegenüber USA

Der Präsident der Russischen Föderation, Wladimir Putin, hat im Rahmen einer Rede auf dem Wirtschaftsforum in Wladiwostok darauf hingewiesen, dass die Flüchtlingskrise in Europa angesichts der westlichen Interventions-Politik im Nahen Osten nicht überraschend kommt. Zudem betonte er, dass die USA, denen die EU im blinden Gehorsam folgte, kaum von dem Flüchtlingszustrom betroffen ist, trotz ihrer maßgeblichen Rolle bei der Destabilisierung der Region.

Pope Calls on All of Europe’s Catholics to House Refugees

THE NEW YORK TIMES: VIENNA — Pope Francis on Sunday called on every parish, religious community, monastery and sanctuary in Europe to shelter refugees fleeing “death from war and hunger,” adding that the Vatican’s two parishes will lead the way by taking in two families.

In a speech to thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square, the pope said it was not enough to say “have courage, hang in there” to those marching towards what he described as “life’s hope.”

It was the pontiff’s first direct message to Europe — and the world — about how to embrace and integrate the largest mass migration Europe has seen since the end of World War II. » | Alison Smale | Sunday, September 6, 2015