If you were in any doubt about the direction the US is taking ...
... then watch this video of Keith Ellison, the US's first Muslim congressman, on the night of his victory:

WATCH VIDEO: Ellison Accepts Seat as First Muslim Congressperson
With thanks to Always On Watch for alerting me to this video.

Mark Alexander

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the Director-General of MI5, paints a depressing picture

1,600 suspects under surveillance
30 plots to kill, maim, damage
200 terror groups or networks

THE TIMES: Hundreds of young British Muslims are being radicalised, groomed and set on a path to mass murder, the head of MI5 said yesterday.

In a stark public warning, Dame Eliza ManninghamBuller, the Director-General of MI5, revealed that the Security Service’s caseload had risen by 80 per cent since January and now involved about 30 “Priority 1” plots.

It has identified 200 terrorist networks involving at least 1,600 people, many under the direct control of al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan.

“More and more people are moving from passive sympathy towards active terrorism through being radicalised or indoctrinated by friends, families, in organised training events here and overseas,” she said. “Young teenagers are being groomed to be suicide bombers.” More Britons are turning to terror, says MI5 director by Michael Evans

But th editorial misses the main point. It's Islam, stupid! The al-Qaeda challenge

WATCH VIDEO: MI5 boss spells out UK threat

Mark Alexander

What might have been

The rueful President Bush

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: US President George W Bush has appealed to members of the US Congress to rise above party differences, after heavy Republican losses in mid-term polls. Bush drive to heal partisan split

Mark Alexander

Talk of Impeachment

Photo courtesy of Google Images

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Democratic voters were last night pressing for the impeachment of President George W Bush for his conduct over the Iraq war.

With the Democrats preparing to control both houses of Congress, they have extensive powers to investigate the president, including the appointment of a special counsel.

Many Democrats are keen to press home their new-found advantage by investigating the president's conduct in the build-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and any role he may have played in exposing the identity of the CIA agent Valerie Plame.

Mr Bush may not know it, but "his presidency is now over" said Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic Party chairman, who promised that Mr Bush would be held accountable for "the colossal failure in Iraq that has set our foreign policy back by 50 years". Cock-a-hoop Democrats clamour to impeach Bush by Alex Massie

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Democrats have now taken control of both chambers of congress, the American media reported late last night. Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress by Sally Peck

Bush's hell starts today by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Mark Alexander

Turkey's bid to join the EU falters

THE TIMES: Turkey was told yesterday to open its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic within the next month or face the suspension of talks to join the European Union.

The ultimatum from the European Commission — the first delivered to a potential EU country — solicited a promise to speed up domestic reforms, but the Turkish Prime Minister insisted that the Cyprus issue could be solved only by Greece and Greek Cypriots. “Don’t expect us to open our ports and airports until the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot state is lifted,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Suspension of accession talks would damage relations between Turkey and the EU. Opposition to Turkish membership in Germany and France would make restarting the process difficult if stalled. Ultimatum may end Turkey EU hope from Rory Watson and Suna Erdem

Mark Alexander

Harte Kritik an der Türkei

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In dem am Mittwoch veröffentlichten Fortschrittsbericht übt die Europäische Kommission harte Kritik am EU-Beitritts-Kandidaten Türkei. Vor allem moniert sie den lahmenden Reformprozess. Für Ankara kommt die Brüsseler Beurteilung einer eigentlichen Ohrfeige gleich. Doch damit nicht genug: Die Regierung Erdogan muss mit der Suspendierung der Beitrittsverhandlungen rechnen, wenn die Türkei bis Ende Jahr das sogenannte Ankara- Protokoll nicht ratifiziert haben wird. Darin hatte sich das Land noch vor Aufnahme der formellen Beitrittsgespräche vor gut einem Jahr verpflichtet, die Zollunion mit der EU auch auf die zehn neuen EU-Mitgliedstaaten, also auch auf Zypern, auszudehnen. Die Türkei weigert sich zurzeit noch, dieser Verpflichtung nachzukommen und ihre Häfen für Schiffe und Flugzeuge aus Zypern zu öffnen. Verkorkste EU-Beitritts-Verhandlungen

Mark Alexander

A Real Leader For Her Time
On the day of the mid-term elections in the States, it seems fitting to profile one of the world's recent great leaders: Margaret Thatcher. The then president of France, President François Mitterand once said of her: "She has the eyes of Caligula, and the lips of Marilyn Monroe."

Photo courtesy of Google Images

TIME: She's called the iron lady, but to me there has never seemed anything iron about Margaret Thatcher, a remarkable woman and one of the greatest politicians of the modern age. I've had the pleasure to meet her many times over the past 17 years, since the fall of communism. She has always been kind and a good listener. Margaret Thatcher: Her political philosophy provided a model for postcommunist countries by VÁCLAV KLAUS

Mark Alexander

Jews and Muslims find common ground: Their aversion to homosexuality

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem have found common ground in their fierce opposition to a gay rights rally due to be held in the city this week.

Leaders from both faiths have united to denounce the parade, which has prompted nights of street protest by ultra-orthodox Jews, who regard homosexuality as an "abomination", and death threats against those taking part. Jews and Muslims unite against homosexuals

In support of free speech

Is gay marriage a threat to marriage? by Steve Chapman

Watch video here: Row over Israeli gay pride

Is a gay who opposes same-sex marriage a hypocrit? by Dennis Prager

Vatican asks Israel to ban Jerusalem gay pride parade

Mark Alexander

Blair opposes death penalty for Saddam

DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair has joined other EU countries in asking Iraq not to execute Saddam Hussein.

Mr Blair said the conviction of the former Iraqi leader was a reminder of his regime’s “barbaric brutality”.

He told his monthly press conference in Downing Street that the Government was “against the death penalty, whether it is Saddam Hussein or anybody else”. Blair opposes execution of Saddam

Mark Alexander

Prayer time banned for Royal Air Maroc staff

BBC: Morocco's state airline Royal Air Maroc has banned its staff praying at their offices and headquarters.

The company says that in the past its workers have abused the privilege of praying, by taking too much time away from their desks and their customers.

But the airline's workers as well as Islamist politicians say it is part of a crackdown on their religious freedom. Moroccan airline bans prayer time

Mark Alexander

Lieberman calls for Arab-free Israel

"Anywhere in the world where there are two peoples and two religions there is conflict. What we have seen in Cyprus is that since they have that model, there is no terror. There is security." - Avigdor Lieberman

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Less than a week after being appointed to the Israeli cabinet, ultra-nationalist Avigdor Lieberman called for Israel to become "as much as possible" an all-Jewish country without an Arab minority. Israeli cabinet minister calls for Arab-free Israel by Tom Regan

Mark Alexander

Attitude to Cyprus could cause serious trouble to Turkey's bid to join EU

BBC: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Turkey's EU bid will be in serious trouble if Ankara does not open its ports and airports to Cyprus.

Mrs Merkel, whose government assumes the EU presidency in January, called on Turkey to "do all it can to prevent such a complicated situation arising". Merkel warns Turkey over Cyprus

Turks cool towards 'unfaithful' Europe

Analysis: Turkey and the EU Drift Apart

Mark Alexander

The Independent's take on the Saddam verdict & more

THE INDEPENDENT: So America's one-time ally has been sentenced to death for war crimes he committed when he was Washington's best friend in the Arab world. America knew all about his atrocities and even supplied the gas - along with the British, of course - yet there we were yesterday declaring it to be, in the White House's words, another "great day for Iraq". That's what Tony Blair announced when Saddam Hussein was pulled from his hole in the ground on 13 December 2003. And now we're going to string him up, and it's another great day.

Of course, it couldn't happen to a better man. Nor a worse. It couldn't be a more just verdict - nor a more hypocritical one. It's difficult to think of a more suitable monster for the gallows, preferably dispatched by his executioner, the equally monstrous hangman of Abu Ghraib prison, Abu Widad, who would strike his victims on the head with an axe if they dared to condemn the leader of the Iraqi Socialist Baath Party before he hanged them. But Abu Widad was himself hanged at Abu Ghraib in 1985 after accepting a bribe to put a reprieved prisoner to death instead of the condemned man. But we can't mention Abu Ghraib these days because we have followed Saddam's trail of shame into the very same institution. And so by hanging this awful man, we hope - don't we? - to look better than him, to remind Iraqis that life is better now than it was under Saddam. Robert Fisk: This was a guilty verdict on America as well

Europe calls for death penalty to be commuted

Bush hopes verdict will boost election campaign

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It is wrong to take pleasure in the approaching death of any human being, and therefore we do not celebrate the fact that – barring an exceedingly unlikely turn of events – Saddam Hussein will soon be dangling from a hangman's rope. But we recognise the justice of yesterday's death sentence by the court in Baghdad, and we also welcome the fact that this guilty defendant will be denied the firing squad reserved for those to whom a shred of honour still attaches. A hangman's noose is all Saddam deserves

Mark Alexander

The Veil: Ban it!

BBC: A month after ex-foreign secretary Jack Straw suggested that Muslim women who wear veils over their face can make community relations harder, what do people within the Muslim community in the UK think of his remarks?

Jack Straw's comments on veils have been good news for the owner of The Hijab Centre in the MP's constituency of Blackburn.

Nadeem Siddiqui tells me he is selling more veils than he did before his local MP made his controversial remarks. How veil remarks reinforced its support

Mark Alexander

First Roman Catholic Wedding in Vatican for British Royal Family for 500 years

THE SUNDAY TIMES: IN SUSSEX they celebrated England throwing off Catholicism with traditional bonfire night gusto yesterday by blasting effigies of the Pope to smithereens. In Rome, meanwhile, a Catholic member of the British royal family married a fellow papist as if the 16th-century break with the Vatican was ancient history.

The marriage of Lord Nicholas Windsor, youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, to Paola Doimi de Frankopan is thought to be the first British royal marriage to take place at the Vatican since the Reformation. It was blessed by the Queen, who has written to the couple paying tribute to their shared devoutness. After 500 years, a royal wedding in the Vatican by Christopher Morgan

Mark Alexander

Far-left, Pro-gay, Feminist Bishop Heads US Episcopal Church

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: Katharine Jefferts Schori has taken office as the first female leader anywhere in the Anglican denomination.

Bishop Jefferts Schori, 52, became the presiding bishop and primate of the US Episcopal Church at an investiture service in Washington DC.

She was selected in June to lead the 2.3m-strong Church after narrowly winning a vote.

The choice has proven controversial as most other Anglican Churches around the world do not allow women to be bishops. Woman bishop takes over Church

Watch Video of snippets from ceremony in National Cathedral in Washington here: Church first for woman bishop

Mark Alexander

Erdogan refuses to meet Pope during visit to Turkey

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH (AU): PRESSURE is growing on Pope Benedict XVI to use a trip to Turkey this month to rebuild badly strained ties between the Vatican and the Muslim world.

Two new developments last week – a shooting incident at the Italian consulate in Istanbul and news that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan would not meet him during his visit – have given an added edge to the visit from November 28 to December 1. Pressure on Pope to rebuild ties with Islam

Mark Alexander

"Victimhood and domination" - this is the psychology of Muslims, says leading Bishop

Photo courtesy of the BBC

THE SUNDAY TIMES: THE Church of England’s only Asian bishop, whose father converted from Islam, has criticised many Muslims for their “dual psychology”, in which they desire both “victimhood and domination”.

In the most outspoken critique of Muslims by a church leader, Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, said that because of this view it would never be possible to satisfy all their demands.

“Their complaint often boils down to the position that it is always right to intervene when Muslims are victims, as in Bosnia or Kosovo, and always wrong when the Muslims are the oppressors or terrorists, as with the Taliban or in Iraq,” said Nazir-Ali.

“Given the world view that has given rise to such grievances, there can never be sufficient appeasement and new demands will continue to be made.” Bishop attacks 'victim' Muslims by Christopher Morgan

Bishop attacks 'Muslim hypocrisy'

Mark Alexander

Despite pro-secular demonstrations, the Islamization of Turkey gathers momentum

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: ANKARA, Turkey: Thousands of pro-secular, nationalist Turks marched in the capital Saturday, vowing to defend the secular regime against Islamization and urging the government not to make too many concessions in order to gain European Union membership.

Some 12,000 people from more than 100 pro-secular associations waved Turkish flags as they marched to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, in a show of loyalty to secularism.

"Turkey is secular and it will remain secular," they chanted during a march broadcast live on some TV channels. 12,000 pro-secular Turks march against radical Islam, urge against making concessions to EU

Italian Foreign Minister runs scared of culture clash with Islam

BBC: Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the EU of placing new obstacles on Turkey's bid to enter the bloc.

"Don't ask us for things that aren't part of the programme," he said, adding that the EU should be "honest and sincere" in its approach.

He was responding to a draft European Commission report, due to be released next week, that raises fresh doubts about Turkey's bid to join the EU. Turkish PM regrets EU 'obstacles'

Watch 'Obstacles' to Turkey's EU bid

Mark Alexander

Just a little respite from the dour news of Islam
Have you noticed that we never hear any good, light-hearted music these days. Nor do we get 'entertaining' films. Everything has become so, so HEAVY! The more influence Islam will have over the West, the WORSE it will get. For now, just for a change, click here to understand what life used to be like: Smokey Robinson

PS: I make nothing from this. I bring this music to you so that you do not forget what life used to be like: Light-hearted and happy! Why don't YOU add a link to the music of your choice. Let's have a jam session!

Mark Alexander