Deportation
BBC: Race hate preacher Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, who influenced one of the 7 July bombers, has been deported from Britain, the home secretary said.

He left Gatwick for Jamaica at 1200 BST, accompanied by two police escorts and an immigration officer.

Al-Faisal, who is of Jamaican origin, lost his appeal against deportation. Race hate cleric Faisal deported (more)

Mark Alexander

Fears Grow Over Military in China

Photo courtesy of Google Images

BBC: The US has expressed concern over China's growing military might.

A Pentagon report given to Congress says Beijing is spending far more on its military budget than admitted and calls for greater transparency.

The report highlights China's greater ability to mount pre-emptive strikes, citing new submarines, unmanned combat aircraft and sophisticated missiles. US fears grow over China military (more)

FINANCIAL TIMES:
Beijing upgrades nuclear arsenal

Mark Alexander

The Shameful State of Women’s Rights in Iran
WFAFI: Limitations on the lives of women are legalized in laws prohibiting women from the presidency, leadership, judgeship and certain educational fields, as well as by inheritance laws. Firmly rooted in the principle of vali-e-faqih, Iran’s constitution controls both the public and private lives and role of women. The concept of male surrogate and guardianship of females is one of the main pillars of Islamic Fundamentalism in Iran. Iranian women are not free to choose or control various aspects of their lives. Evidence of such state-sponsor of violence against women is seen in Iran’s constitution. Official Laws against Women in Iran (more)

Mark Alexander

Schwierigkeiten beim Finden einer geeigneten Vene
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Hinrichtung eines übergewichtigen Straftäters im amerikanischen Bundesstaat Ohio hat fast zwei Stunden gedauert, weil die Injektionsnadel mit dem tödlichen Gift mindestens zehn Mal neu angesetzt werden musste. Üblicherweise dauert die Vollstreckung der Todesstrafe in den Vereinigten Staaten etwa 20 Minuten. Die Amerikanische Bürgerrechtsunion rief die Justizbehörden von Ohio auf, wegen der Probleme bei der Tötung von Christopher Newton alle Hinrichtungen bis auf weiteres zu stoppen. Hinrichtung in Ohio dauert fast zwei Stunden (mehr)

Mark Alexander

The Wonders of Childhood
GLOBE AND MAIL: Study adds to research on ability of infants to recognize dialects long before they can speak themselves

Even with the sound turned off, babies can tell whether a person speaking on video has switched between English and French, a new study suggests.

The findings are the latest contribution to a growing body of research on the remarkable ability of very young infants to process languages.

The paper also shows that babies growing up in bilingual households are better able to retain that ability to visually perceive a switch to another language, whereas such a skill declines among those raised in unilingual settings. French and English look different to babies (more) By Tu Thanh Ha

Mark Alexander

Capitalists keen to capitalize on profits from the sukuk should read the following about Islamic economics, al iqtisad al islamy. Open thine eyes O profit-maximizer, before it’s too late!

Image courtesy of the University of Southern California

"O you who believe! do not devour your property among yourselves falsely, except that it be trading by your mutual consent, and do not kill yourselves. Surely Allah is Merciful to you." Qur'an [4:29] - [Source: University of Southern California]
ISLAMIC-WORLD.NET: Islam uniquely considers distribution as the economic problem, and Muslims do not share the obsession of capitalists and communists with production. Because Islam differentiates between the basic needs and luxuries, there exists no concept of relative scarcity of resources in Islam. The resources available on earth are sufficient to secure the basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) of fifty billion human beings. Such a misunderstanding has concealed the reality that starvation, poverty, and economic backwardness, result from maldistribution exasperated by man-made laws and systems. Under the Islamic system, Nigeria alone could support the whole of Africa, as occurred in the past when, under the system of Islam, Africa sent food to relieve the famine in Medinah during the rule of Omar bin al-Khattab.
By using labels like "Third World" and "First World," this economic conspiracy has worked behind a deceived populace who fail to realize that the "Third World" countries are actually First World in terms of resources. While organizations like Mercy International and UNICEF keep the masses content under the circus act of "humanitarian aid," the capitalist machine works behind the stage to gobble up the resources of the world. Iqtisad al Islamy (Islamic economics): Introduction (more)

Mark Alexander

Scientologen versuchen Ethik und Religionsunterricht in deutschen Schulen einzuprägen

Photo courtesy of Google Images

WELT ONLINE: Scientologen versuchen Einfluss auf den Ethik- und Religionsunterricht an deutschen Schulen zu nehmen. Im gesamten Bundesgebiet verschicken Mitglieder zweifelhafte Informationsmaterialien an Schulleitungen. Davor warnt jetzt der Deutsche Philologenverband. Scientologen drängen in die Schulen (mehr)

Mark Alexander

La Corée du Norde à procédé vendredi à plusieurs tirs de missiles en direction de la mer du Japon
LE FIGARO: Dix mois après la crise des missiles, Pyongyang provoque une nouvelle fois ses voisins régionaux. Tokyo et Washington minimisent.

Dix mois après la crise des missiles entre Pyongyang et Tokyo, la Corée du Nord a procédé vendredi à plusieurs tirs de missiles à courte portée en direction de la mer du Japon. Cette information, révélée par l'agence de presse japonaise Kyodo, a rapidement été confirmée par les services de renseignements sud-coréens. «Il semble que les tirs de missiles par la Corée du Nord fassent partie des exercices militaires de routine qui se tiennent chaque année», a expliqué un porte-parole de renseignement sud-coréens (NIS).

Le premier ministre japonais Shinzo Abe a quant à lui déclaré que ces tirs ne constituaient "pas un grave problème pour la sécurité du Japon". La Corée du Nord tire des missiles en mer du Japon(encore)

Mark Alexander

Is the US Changing Its Nature?
BBC: The BBC Persian Service's Kambiz Fattahi recounts his own experience of being singled out on the basis of his appearance and asks whether fears of terrorism are undermining America's traditional values. Does US insecurity put liberty at risk (more) By Kambiz Fattahi

Mark Alexander

Whither Turkish Democracy?
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: After the bomb attack on Tuesday, tensions are mounting in Turkey. The government blames the Kurds and the military has not ruled out hunting down Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. German commentators fear that Turkey could be sliding deeper into chaos.

The attack was the worst in Ankara in 10 years. On Tuesday, a suicide bomb in the Turkish capital killed six people and injured 100. The government immediately fingered the Kurdish separatist group Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) of carrying out the attack, but the group denies any involvement. ’Turkish Democracy Is in Danger’ (more)

BBC:
Turkey president vetoes vote plan

Mark Alexander

The Sukuk Goes From Strength to Strength
MIDDLE EAST BANKER: Sukuk is the hot topic in Islamic finance, and we will soon see the industry reach a value of some tens of billions, as Michael Saleh Gassner from IslamicFinance.de writes.

Islamic finance has for some time missed investment opportunities for Muslims that offer a predictable return with low risk. The majority of investment opportunities are based either on stock markets with high volatility or on real estate transactions. The investment galaxy for the Islamic investor is lacking the variety of instruments to create an efficient portfolio in line with portfolio theory and financial planning. Sukuk certificates meet the pressing need for a medium term investment and reached, in 2004, a market volume of nearly US $7 billion. This volume will multiply in coming years to tens of billions of dollars annual volume. Already a number of world-class borrowers have used the new Islamic Sukuk market: Germany; the IMF Group; and Sovereign states like Qatar and Malaysia. Reasons to issue Sukuk and the structures behind them (more)

Mark Alexander

The Pay Gap Widens; Top Executives Paid More Than Ever
NEW YORK TIMES: Like most companies, Office Depot has long made sure that its chief executive was the highest-paid employee. Ten years ago, the $2.2 million pay package of its chief was more than double that of his No. 2. The fifth-ranked executive received less than one-third.

But the incentive for reaching the very top of the company is now far greater. Steve Odland, who runs Office Depot today, made almost $12 million last year, more than four times the compensation of the second-highest-paid executive and over six times that of the fifth-ranking executive in the current hierarchy.

As executive pay has surged in most American companies, attention has focused on the growing gap between the earnings of top executives and the average wage of workers in cubicles or on the shop floor. Little noticed, though, is how much the gap has also widened between the summit and the next few echelons down. More Than Ever, It Pays to Be the Top Executive (more)

FINACIAL TIMES:
Tycoon to 'fight on' after £48m ruling

Mark Alexander

The Jihad Must Be Stopped, But Time Is Tight
FINANCIAL TIMES: Editorial - It was perfectly forseeable, and indeed predicted, that the US-led invasion of Iraq, far from striking a decisive blow against terrorism, would proliferate militant Islamism all over the Arab and Muslim worlds, from where a new generation of jihadis would strike into Europe and the west. The roll-call of atrocities, from Casablanca to Istanbul, Bali to Mumbai, Riyadh to Amman, London to Madrid, is bloody indeed. Now, however, jihadi extremism is sprouting like poisonous mushrooms in the darkness enveloping the Middle East.

It is not just that all America’s enemies – al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Iran, Hizbollah and Hamas – have been strengthened by the policies of the US and its allies. The totalitarian jihadism peddled by Osama bin Laden and his growing following is emerging in new chapters all over the Middle East, including in places it has never before been seen. Time is short to halt spread of Jihadism (more)

Mark Alexander

”We have to stay on the offence”, says Bush
BBC: US President George W Bush has warned that the coming weeks and months will be critical for the success of the new security strategy for Iraq.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Bush said the last of the US troop reinforcements would arrive in Baghdad by the middle of June.

He said he expected heavy fighting to continue in Iraq during this time. Critical time for Iraq says Bush (more)

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Bush: Critical time for Iraq

Mark Alexander

„Es gibt im Koran nichts, was mit den Werten Amerikas unvereinbar ware”, so eine CAIR Sprecherin!
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die New Jersey Avenue läuft schnurgerade aufs Kapitol zu. Wo sie die E Street kreuzt, drei Blocks südlich des Parlaments, nimmt ein Backsteingebäude die Nordwestecke ein. Mit seinen drei Stockwerken ist es weiter nicht auffällig, nur das Gerippe eines Türmchens, das sich unverkleidet über dem Flachdach erhebt, setzt einen sehr eigenen Akzent. Ganz gewiss sieht es aber nicht wie ein Minarett aus. CAIR, der Council on American-Islamic Relations, der hier seinen Hauptsitz hat, vertritt zwar die Sache der amerikanischen Muslime, begreift sich jedoch nicht vorrangig als ihre religiöse Lobby. Unser Land, unsere Truppen, unsere Unterschiede (mehr) Von Jordan Mejias

Mark Alexander

Bald wird in Großbritannien die Internet-Scheidung möglich: schnell, leicht und presigünstig!
DIE PRESSE: In Großbritannien können sich Paare bald online scheiden lassen. Damit will der Anbieter allerdings keine Trennungen fördern. Scheidung: Schnell, preisgünstig und via Internet (mehr)

Mark Alexander

France Exasperated by “Uncontrolled Immigration”: Incentives to Be Given for Immigrants to Return Home
BBC: France has said it plans to offer incentives to more immigrants - especially those from Africa - to return home voluntarily. Paris to pay immigrants to return (more)

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: New French President Nicolas Sarkozy made immigration a central issue of his campaign. Now, his new minister for immigration and national identity says its time to start paying immigrants to leave the country. France to Pay Immigrants to Return Home (more)

Mark Alexander

A Case of Anti-Semitism? Geneva Synagogue, Hekhal Hanes, Set Ablaze
BBC: A fire has gutted a synagogue in the city of Geneva, in what Swiss police suspect was an arson attack. Blaze destroys Geneva synagogue (more)

NZZ:
Synagoge in Genf ausgebrannt

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE:
La synagogue de Malagnou incendiée: la communauté juive est sous le choc

LE FIGARO:
Une synagogue de Genève part en fumée

Mark Alexander

Israel Detains Hamas Officials
BBC: More than 30 senior officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been detained by Israeli forces in overnight raids in the West Bank.

Those taken, mainly in Nablus, include the Palestinian education minister, three lawmakers and three mayors. Israel detains thirty Hamas officials (more)

BBC:
A young Briton’s fight for Israel

Mark Alexander

L’homophobie en France
LE FIGARO: Près de la moitié des homosexuels déclarés seraient victimes de discriminations dans leur entreprise.

INSULTES, brimades, discriminations, carrière au point mort, renvois ou démissions forcées : l'en­treprise serait aujourd'hui l'un des derniers lieux où vivre son homosexualité reste difficile. « L'homophobie au travail est le premier motif de saisie de notre association », rappelle Jacques Lizé, président de SOS Homophobie. L'association vient de sortir son rapport annuel à l'occasion de la troisième journée de lutte mondiale contre l'homophobie. L'homophobie toujours présente en enterprise (encore)

Mark Alexander