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Please be a little patient for a minute or two. There is a technical glitch at the beginning; but if you bear with the glitches, you will enjoy an excellent show. It’s very insightful. Most enjoyable! Bravo Ibn Misr!

BlogTalkRadio - Ibn Misr with Always On Watch and WC: A Fascinating Show
Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Turks Set to Ease Headscarf Ban
BBC: The Turkish parliament is expected to amend the country's constitution to ease the ban on women wearing Islamic headscarves in universities.

The issue is deeply divisive in Turkey, where the state is strictly secular, and protests are expected.

The government says secularism means many girls are denied an education.

But the secular establishment, including generals and academics, sees this as a first step to allowing Islam to figure more largely in public life.

Opposition parties have vowed to challenge the changes in the constitutional court if, as is expected, they are passed on Saturday. Burka ban >>>

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Pressure Mounts on the Archbishop of Canterbury to Resign
THE GUARDIAN: The Archbishop of Canterbury has hit back over criticism of his comments on sharia law, amid growing calls for his resignation.

Dr Rowan Williams made no proposals for sharia, and "certainly did not call for its introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law", a statement on his website said.

He was "exploring ways in which reasonable accommodation might be made within existing arrangements for religious conscience" and his core aim was "to tease out some of the broader issues around the rights of religious groups within a secular state".

However, at least two Synod members have already called for the Archbishop to go and he has faced criticism from leading bishops, secular groups and Government figures.

Colonel Edward Armitstead, a Synod member from the diocese of Bath and Wells, told the Daily Telegraph: "I don't think he is the man for the job. One wants to be charitable, but I sense that he would be far happier in a university where he can kick around these sorts of ideas."

Brigadier William Dobbie, a former member, described him as "a disaster, a tragic mistake".

The Archbishop was said to be overwhelmed by the hostility of the response to his comments, but some have leapt to his defence. The Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, said he was appalled at the "knee-jerk" reaction to a serious piece of academic work. Pressure mounts in sharia law row >>>

BBC:
Williams shocked at sharia row

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Muslim Reaction to Shariah Row

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Melanie Phillips: The Archbishop’s Speech
THE SPECTATOR: The most bizarre aspect of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s extraordinary declaration today of abject religious and cultural surrender to Islam was the extreme lengths to which he went to avoid precisely the furore which has now erupted — and then proceeded dramatically to depart from his own strategy.

In a major lecture this evening, which I attended, he argued for an accommodation between English law and Islamic sharia law: an end to the ‘legal monopoly’ of English law, in order to allow people to choose between Islamic and English law for the resolution of disputes and the administration of marriage, divorce, inheritance and other matters. This incendiary proposition was nevertheless expressed in the lecture in language so convoluted and ambiguous — ‘nuanced’ is, I think, the current expression of choice — that many in the audience admitted they didn’t have a clue what on earth he was actually saying. So nervous was Lambeth Palace, however, that the press would sensationalise his remarks, it tried to control the reaction by restricting embargoed copies of the text so that few papers would be able to report the lecture — and instead giving an exclusive interview with Dr Williams to BBC Radio Four’s World at One. The Archbishop’s Speech >>> By Melanie Phillips

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Afganistán: La mordaza de Sayed
ELPAÍS: En la cárcel de Bakh, al norte de Afganistán, no se puede leer ni escribir. Algunos días, tampoco se desayuna ni se cena. Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh, un estudiante de periodismo de 23 años, lleva tres meses entre rejas. Comparte una pequeña celda con otros 30 presos que cumplen penas por robo, asesinato o violación. Él está allí por blasfemia. Y está condenado a muerte.

Su hermano, Yaqub Ibrahimi, es periodista. Va a verlo una vez a la semana. A Sayed Parwez se le acusa de insultar al profeta Mahoma por distribuir entre sus compañeros de clase un artículo, descargado de un blog en Internet, en el que se considera discriminatorio que el Corán permita al hombre tener cuatro esposas, y a la mujer sólo un marido. "En Afganistán cualquier cosa puede ser blasfemia, sobre todo lo que tiene que ver con los derechos humanos", cuenta por teléfono Yaqub. Ahora está en Kabul, la capital, haciendo todo tipo de gestiones para que el caso se transfiera al Tribunal Supremo y poder así apelar la sentencia. La mordaza de Sayed: El hermano del periodista afgano condenado a muerte por blasfemia asegura que los 'mulás' le tendieron una trampa >>> De Silvia Blanco

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Vorsicht! Islam im Vormarsch in Deutschland!
NZZ Online: Der türkische Ministerpräsident Erdogan hat in Deutschland Aufsehen erregt mit dem Vorschlag, die Bundesrepublik solle türkischsprachige Schulen und Universitäten einrichten. Die CSU wertet eine geplante Grossveranstaltung für Auslandtürken als Affront.

Von Eric Gujer, Berlin

Am zweiten Tag seiner ausgedehnten Deutschlandreise ist der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan mit Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel zusammengekommen. Erdogan überraschte seine Gastgeber am Freitag mit der Forderung, die Bundesrepublik solle türkischsprachige Schulen und Universitäten einrichten. In der Türkei gebe es ebenfalls Schulen, die auf Deutsch unterrichteten.

Türkischsprachige Schulen in Deutschland seien sinnvoll, so meinte Erdogan, da die Migranten zunächst ihre eigene Sprache beherrschen müssten. Er bot an, hierzu Lehrer in die Bundesrepublik zu schicken. Erdogan unterstrich, Integration sei wichtig. Er lehnte jedoch eine Assimilation ab und sagte, Menschen müssten in ihrer Unterschiedlichkeit akzeptiert werden. Merkel reagierte zurückhaltend auf den Vorschlag, der in Deutschland nicht viele Freunde finden dürfte. Erdogan will türkische Schulen in Deutschland: Überraschender Vorstoss in Berlin >>>

NZZ Online:
Erdogan fordert volle EU-Mitgliedschaft der Türkei: «Privilegierte Partnerschaft» als Regelverstoss abgelehnt

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Sharia Law in UK Is ‘Unavoidable’ – Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop Promotes Shariah Law for the UK

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Europe Awaken!

This video was 'A CommonSense Production'. Many thanks to Ray Boyd.

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

”Die Scharia wurde von Prophet Mohammed offenbart und wird sowieso kommen,” so Anjem Choudary
Foto von Anjem Choudary, Mitglied der radikalen Gruppierung, al-Muhajiroun dank der Presse
DIE PRESSE:
GB: Erzbischof will Scharia-Rechtssprechung

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

The ‘Archbishop of Cowardice’ ‘Should Resign’ Over Shariah Row

TIMESONLINE: A senior Church of England clergyman called today for the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, over his remarks supporting Sharia in England.

The call, from a long-standing member of the Church's governing body, the General Synod, demonstrated the strength of the backlash Dr Williams that faces from within his own Church — as well as from political and other faith leaders.

The senior Synod member, who insisted on remaining anonymous, told The Times: "A lot of people will now have lost confidence in him. I am just so shocked, and cannot believe a man of his intelligence could be so gullible. I can only assume that all the Muslims he meets are senior leaders of the community who tell him what a wonderful book the Koran is.

"There have been a lot of calls today for him to resign. I don't suppose he will take any notice, but yes, he should resign."

The Bishop of Southwark, the Right RevTom Butler, also challenged the Archbishop's comments. "It will take a great deal more thought and work before I think it's a good idea," he said.

Although the means of forcing an archbishop out of office are so costly and arcane — short of his committing a criminal act, he could never be made to go — the row represents the most serious threat to the authority of his office since he became Archbishop five years ago. Archbishop of Canterbury 'should resign' over Sharia row >>> By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent, and Joanna Sugden

TIMESONLINE:
Why the Archbishop is Wrong about Sharia

TIMESONLINE:
Sharia in Britain: the reaction

TIMESONLINE:
Archbishop of Canterbury argues for Islamic law in Britain

DAILY EXPRESS:
’Muslim Laws Must Come to Britain’

DAILY MAIL:
Bishops' backlash as Archbishop of Canterbury defends calls for sharia law

THE TELEGRAPH:
Bishop: Impossible to have sharia law in UK By Jonathan Petre, Andrew Porter and Gordon Rayner

TELEGRAPH TV VIDEO:
More on the Shariah Row

NZZ Online:
Scharia-Justiz für britische Muslime?: Merkwürdige Gedanken des Erzbischofs von Canterbury

«Katastrophe für den Zusammenhalt der Gesellschaft»: Kritik an Scharia-Äusserungen von anglikanischem Erzbischof

DIE ZEIT:
London: Erzbischof befürwortet Scharia

LE FIGARO:
Le primat des anglicans n'exclut pas la charia Par Cyrille Vanlerberghe, correspondant à Londres

LE MONDE:
Pour l'archevêque de Cantorbéry, l'adoption pour partie de la charia est "inévitable"

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

BBC Radio’s ‘The Moral Maze’: Melanie Phillips in Debate
Melanie Phillips at her best! Subject: The Home Office Guidelines on terminology for Islamic extremism
To listen you will need to RealPlayer installed on your computer. Download it for FREE from our audio help page - Real Player download

Hat tip to Pastorius for drawing my attention to this excellent debate.

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Dubai Fund Buys Historic London Site from Queen
BREITBART.COM: A property fund backed by an investment arm of the Dubai government bought prime west London property from the Queen's portfolio, the monarch's property managers announced on Wednesday.

The Crown Estate, which manages Queen Elizabeth II's real estate, said in a statement on its website that it had sold the Metropole building and 10 Whitehall Place to a consortium led by International Hotel Investments (IHI) for 130 million pounds (174 million euros, 255 million dollars).

One of IHI's principal shareholders is Istithmar, the investment arm of state-owned tourism company Dubai World.

"IHI’s bid stood out from a strong field of competitors with a proposal to refurbish the building rather than rebuild behind the existing facade," Charles Gardner, the head of office portfolio at The Crown Estate, said in the statement.

"We were impressed by IHI’s track record and are confident that they will restore the once grand Metropole Hotel to its former glory." Dubai fund buys historic London site from Queen >>>

Hat tip to Always On Watch for this article.

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

’Hooks-R-Us’ Preacher of Hate, Abu Hamza, to Be Extradited to US
DAILY EXPRESS: Hook-handed preacher of hate Abu Hamza will finally be kicked out of Britain after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith signed his extradition papers.

Hamza, who has called for non-Muslims to be killed and branded Jews “filthy blasphemous traitors”, will be sent to the US to face terror charges.

The former Imam of Finsbury Park Mosque in North London is wanted in the US on 11 terror charges including playing a key role in a kidnap plot which ended with the deaths of four people.

If convicted Hamza faces a lifetime behind bars. At Last: Hamza Is Kicked Out to Face Trial in US >>> By Sara Dixon

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

A Sad Day for America: Mitt Romney’s Graceful Exit from the Presidential Race
Mitt Romney, the only contender for the White House who seemed truly to understand the dangers of radical Islam and the intentions of the Jihadis, pulls out of the race. It’s a sad day for America. - ©Mark



Hat tip: Ray Boyd

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Is There No End to This Nonsense in the United Kingdom Concerning Islam?
Only a matter of some days ago, we learnt that the United Kingdom is to recognize polygamous marriages. This, of course, is to accommodate the Muslims. The taxpayer will have to pick up the tab. It will hasten the Islamization of our once great country, since more and more children will be born, at taxpayers' expense, to Muslim families.



Now, today, we get this nonsense from the Archbishop of Canterbury! One could be forgiven for believing that the political élite are involved in some sort of conspiracy to undermine the system!


As the Archbishop of Canterbury, and being the leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide, this man should be upholding Christian values, not Islamic ones. If the leader of the Anglican Communion doesn't defend Christian values, then who can we expect to do it?



But instead of that, this weak, cowardly, fawning man chooses to side with the very religion which is engaged in a war against the West, against Judeo-Christian civilization, against all that Christianity stands for. This is really quite, quite unbelievable!



The churches are emptying more with each passing day; yet all this man can think of doing is standing up for Muslims, the Christian Church's traditional archenemy.



What this man should be doing is preaching that there is no salvation other than through the Lord Jesus Christ, for that is what a true Christian is supposed to believe. He therefore should be spending his time trying to figure out how to fill the empty churches again. After all is said and done, isn't that the raison d'être of an archbishop in the first place? To fill churches.



Muslims need no help to establish Shariah law in the UK; indeed, it is already operating in many no-go areas throughout Europe, including the UK. Moreover, there is no doubt about it that it will spread, because there is nobody in power strong enough, or determined enough, to stop Islam and Shariah taking root.



Does the Archbishop of Canterbury not realize that each and every country which Islam has ever entered, and has been allowed to put down roots, it has eventually taken over? Each and every single one of them! There is only one exception to this rule, and that was Moorish Spain. But it took the Spaniards over five hundred years to reclaim their land for themselves, and there was much bloodshed in the process, much bloodshed in the 'Reconquista'.



Is this what we want for our country? Is this the legacy we wish to bequeath to our children?



It seems to me that the best thing that this Archbishop can do is hang his head in shame, and resign. The already weakened Church can do without his sort. Moreover, he must surely realize that Muslims deny the Christ, they deny the crucifixion, they deny Jesus as the Son of God. So they would do him out of a job straightaway. Muslims are not in the habit of compromising; it's their way or no way.

©Mark Alexander

All Rights Reserved

Mitt Romney Bows Out of Presidential Race Gracefully
YAHOO NEWS: WASHINGTON - John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney prepared to tell conservatives.

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney will say at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

"This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters... many of you right here in this room... have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America." McCain seals GOP nod as Romney suspends >>> By Liz Sidoti

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Sharia Law in UK Is 'Unavoidable', Says the Archbishop of Canterbury
Photo of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, courtesy of Google Images
This is an outrage! That the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide, should state such a ridiculous thing is nothing short of disgusting.

This man is not worthy of the office he holds. He is weak and cowardly and pathetic!

There must be ONE law for all people in the United Kingdom. We must do ALL in our power to stop this. It will lead to the Balkanization of the United Kingdom. This man, I am sorry to say, is a fool!- ©Mark

No Shariah in Europe!

BBC: The Archbishop of Canterbury says the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK "seems unavoidable".

Dr Rowan Williams told Radio 4's World at One that the UK has to "face up to the fact" that some of its citizens do not relate to the British legal system.

Dr Williams argues that adopting parts of Islamic Sharia law would help maintain social cohesion.

For example, Muslims could choose to have marital disputes or financial matters dealt with in a Sharia court.

He says Muslims should not have to choose between "the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty". Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable' >>>

LISTEN TO THIS OUTRAGEOUS BBC AUDIO:
The Archbishop of Canterbury on the ‘Unavoidability’ of Sharia Law

BBC:
The End of One Law for All?

DAILY EXPRESS:
Archbishop: We Should Adopt Muslim Law in UK

THE INDEPENDENT:
Archbishop of Canterbury warns sharia law in Britain is inevitable By Ben Russell and Colin Brown

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Muslim Outrage as Yusuf al-Qaradawi Refused UK Visa
Photo of the preacher of hate, Yusuf al Qaradawi, courtesy of The Times
Thank God Gordon Brown has made the right decision this time. I hope that this decision is the first of many yet to come.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a despicable man; he preaches hatred of Jews, homosexuals, and believes that women should be beaten when they disobey their husbands. This is the year 2008 not the year 600! We don’t need, and certainly do not want, people such as Qaradawi to come to our shores to preach such intolerance and hatred. Keep him out, and keep all the others out that are like him. And while you’re at it, Mr Brown, show us what you are made of and kick all the other people out of our country who preach such intolerance. Deport them! There should be no place in the United Kingdom (or Europe) for such people. We, the British, are sick to death of them. Such intolerant people should not be made welcome here. They are an affront to our civilized society.

If the Muslims of the UK are outraged because of your decision, then let them be. First of all, it doesn't take much to make them outraged (the least little thing will do it), and secondly, we, the true British people, are equally outraged that such fossils should be allowed to enter the United Kingdom to preach their intolerance and hatred of Jews and homosexuals.

All I can say is al hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) for this government decision. May there be many, many more like it. - ©Mark

TIMESONLINE: Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a controversial Muslim cleric who defends suicide attacks, has been refused a visa to enter to the UK after a campaign by David Cameron.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said that it deplored the decision and accused the government of caving in to “unreasonable demands spearheaded by the Tory leader”.

Muhammad Abdul Bari, the secretary-general of the MCB, said that Dr al-Qaradawi enjoyed respect as a scholar throughout the Muslim world.

“I am afraid this decision will send the wrong message to Muslims everywhere about the state of British society and culture,” he said.

“Britain has had a long and established tradition of free speech, debate and intellectual pursuit. These principles are worth defending, especially if we would like to see them spread throughout the world.”

The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) described the decision to bar al-Qaradawi, an “eminent scholar”, as “an unwarranted insult to British Muslims”.

Muhammad Sawalha, the BMI president, said: “We would have to go as far back as the medieval age when scholars were hounded and vilified in order to find a similar retrograde decision.”

The 81-year-old Egyptian-born preacher is now based in Qatar and makes regular appearances on al-Jazeera television, clad in white robes, where he denounces anti-Muslim sentiment in the European media.

Sources close to Dr al- Qaradawi said that his visa application had had support within the Home and Foreign Offices. "But the Zionist lobby placed huge pressures to block the visa application and Prime Minister Gordon Brown eventually backed that position," they added.

It is understood that Dr al-Qaradawi, who is banned from entering the United States, applied for a medical visa almost a year ago. In August he was hospitalised for a stomach ulcer, and in November he was treated for a cracked vertebra apparently caused by a slipped disc.

In a fax from the British embassy in Doha, his application was refused, reportedly citing Article 41 of the United Nations charter, which relates to threats to peace and security.

The cleric last visited the UK in 2004, where he was welcomed by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, and chaired the annual meeting of the European Council of Fatwa and Research at London's City Hall.

His visit prompted protests from Jewish groups and gay people, who regard him as anti-Semitic and homophobic. He has called for the death penalty for homosexuality and the destruction of the state of Israel. Muslim outrage as Yusuf al-Qaradawi refused UK visa >>> By Jenny Booth

Hat tip to Ray Boyd for drawing my attention to this article.

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Le Parlement turc ouvre la porte des universités au voile
LE FIGARO: Les islamo-conservateurs veulent autoriser le port du voile dans les universités publiques.

La porte des facultés s'entrouvre pour le foulard islamique : les députés devaient voter dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi un amendement de la Constitution afin d'autoriser le port du voile sur les campus. Cette première étape franchie, il restera un second tour, samedi, puis une modification du texte régissant le Conseil de l'enseignement supérieur (YÖK) pour dégager la voie du fichu dans les universités. Et il faudra encore probablement passer l'obstacle de la Cour constitutionnelle pour boucler le parcours législatif de cette réforme, portée par les islamo-conservateurs (AKP) et l'extrême droite (MHP).

Ces derniers jours, Abdullah Gül, le président de la République, et Recep Tayyip Erdogan, le premier ministre, ont multiplié les déclarations apaisantes pour tenter convaincre de leur attachement à la laïcité. «Je confierais plutôt la garde d'un foie à un chat que celle de la laïcité» au gouvernement, leur a rétorqué Deniz Baykal, qui dirige le Parti républicain du peuple (CHP). Le leader de la gauche nationaliste a annoncé son intention de porter l'affaire devant la Cour constitutionnelle, en espérant rejouer le scénario du printemps 2007 : c'est sa formation qui avait contesté, avec succès, la première tentative d'Abdullah Gül à l'élection présidentielle. Le Parlement turc ouvre la porte des universités au voile >>> Par Laure Marchand

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Posts in Duplicate
Please forgive the multiple posts wherever you find them. For some inexplicable reason, some posts seem to be 'multiplying' themselves! They are cloning each other! I am NOT posting the same blog several times. Whenever I see a duplicate post, I erase it.

Please bear with me on this one. It's a problem which will take a little time to solve.

Sincerely

Mark