The Vatican Condemns the Reprinting of the Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad!
TURKISH WEEKLY: CAIRO — The Vatican joined Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni world, on Tuesday, February 26, in condemning the reprinting of a controversial cartoon of prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in Denmark.

"Both sides vehemently denounce the reprinting of the offensive cartoon and the attack on Islam and its prophet," officials from both religious bodies said in a statement seen by IslamOnline.net.

Concluding a two-day meeting of their joint interfaith committee in Cairo, the two sides also denounced any insult to any religion.

Seventeen Danish newspapers reprinted on Wednesday, February 13, a drawing of a man described as Prophet Muhammad with a ticking bomb in his turban.

The move came following the arrest of two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan origin for allegedly plotting to kill the cartoonist who had drew the caricature in 2005.

"We call for the respect of faiths, religious holy books and religious symbols," read the statement.

The two sides urged Muslim and Christian religious leaders, intellectuals and educators to instill such respect in society.

"Freedom of expression should not become a pretext to insult religions and defaming religious sanctities." Vatican Condemns Prophet Cartoon >>>

Hat tip: Always On Watch

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The Audacity of Barack Obama
Part1:


Part 2:


More ‘truth’ about Obama

DAILY MAIL:
Mrs O: The truth about Michelle Obama's 'working class' credentials

Always On Watch

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Richard Miniter Interviews Dr Paul Belien

Paul Belien, Editor Brussels Journal and Atlas - Part 1:


Part 2

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Remember: Europe Under Fire


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EU Begins Talks to Lay Foundation for EU-Libyan Partnership Agreement
LJBC (Libya): 2008-02-28 The European Union Commission announced on Wednesday commencing talks with Great Jamahiriya, to lay the final form for a European-Libyan partnership agreement agreement by the end of 2008, which was approved by EU heads of states and governments at the end of their summit in the Belgian capital Brussels on the 14th of last December. 




The European Commission said in a statement issued today by the External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner that the decision to establish this partnership is a (historical decision, and today, Libya carries out an important role in the area and Africa, we trust that the agreement would establish solid and everlasting relations between Libya and the EU). 



For his part, the EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said (The Union aims at an ambitious free trade agreement with Libya). 



"The Union supports Libya's efforts to join the World Trade Organization," he said in a statement. 



The commission's statement on Wednesday explained that the European-Libyan partnership includes cooperation in areas economy, transportation, education, environment, culture, energy, free trade and combating illegal immigration. 



Notable, the Great Jamahiriya and the European Union signed an agreement on 23rd of last July, to promote relations and work for establishing the partnership in several areas. [Source: EU Commission to begin talks with Great Jamahiriya to lay the final form for European-Libyan partnership agreement 2008-2-28]

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Apologetics: Karen Armstrong on the Qur’an

BBC:
The Whitewash of Islam as Only the BBC Knows How to Do It

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Obama Will Only Prolong America's Racial Divide – Trevor Phillips
THE INDEPENDENT: Trevor Phillips, Britain's most influential black figure, has warned that the election of Barack Obama as US president would prolong rather than end America's racial divide.

The chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission accused Mr Obama of "ruthless cynicism" and said he would not be "the harbinger of a post-racial America" if he becomes the country's first black president.

Mr Phillips' surprise attack on the favourite to win the Democratic Party nomination comes in an article for Prospect magazine published today. Mr Phillips dismissed attempts by the Obama camp to hail their man as a "new JFK", predicting he could emulate the "charm, skill and ruthless cynicism" of Bill Clinton.

Mr Phillips believed there were two types of influential black figures in America, both of whom keep race at the heart of US life -- "challengers", whose ambitions are limited to winning piecemeal concessions for blacks, and "bargainers", who do not make an issue of "white racism" if whites do not play the race card against them. He described Mr Obama as a "natural bargainer".

"In truth, Obama may be helping to postpone the arrival of a post-racial America and I think he knows it," Mr Phillips wrote. "If he wins, the cynicism may be worth it to him and his party. In the end he is a politician and a very good one: his job is to win elections." He backed the argument of Shelby Steele, who said in his biography of Mr Obama: "If he fulfils the hopes of whites, he must disappoint blacks – and vice versa."

Mr Phillips said he would be surprised if Mr Obama saw off Hillary Clinton to win the Democrats' nomination, as many commentators expect as she struggles to stay in the race. He conceded that it might happen.

The broadcaster and former Labour politician wrote: "For the black underclass and beyond, Obama may be the latest messiah, but there is anecdotal evidence that, where blacks have prospered to the extent that they are grimly competing for jobs and property with whites, they don't buy 'Obamania'. I would guess this is because the people who actually experience just how far America remains from post-racial harmony are those blacks who work with whites."

Mr Phillips said the guilt associated with slavery is an everyday reality for white America. "But if Obama can succeed, then maybe they can imagine that [Martin Luther] King's post-racial nirvana has arrived. A vote for Obama is a pain-free negation of their own racism. So long as they don't have to live next door to him; Obama has yet to win convincingly in white districts adjacent to black communities." Britain's equality chief: Obama will only prolong America's racial divide >>> By Andrew Grice, Political Editor

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Wolfgang Schäuble will mehr Mohammed-Karikaturen in den deutschen Zeitungen
Schäuble will mehr von den Karikaturen in allen deutschen Zeitungen
WELT ONLINE: Wenn es nach Wolfgang Schäuble gehen würde, müssten alle Zeitungen die umstrittenen Mohammed-Karikaturen erneut veröffentlichen. Er sehe darin ein Zeichen für die Pressefreiheit, sagte der Innenminister. Hier gelte das Motto: „Wir lassen uns nicht auseinanderdividieren".

Bundesinnenminister Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) würde es begrüßen, wenn deutsche Zeitungen dem Beispiel dänischer Blätter folgten und die umstrittene Mohammed-Karikatur abdruckten.

Schäuble sagte der „Zeit“, er habe Respekt davor, dass die dänischen Zeitungen die Zeichnung erneut publiziert hätten. „Eigentlich müssten jetzt alle europäischen Zeitungen diese Karikaturen abdrucken, und zwar mit der Erklärung: Wir finden sie auch miserabel, aber die Inanspruchnahme von Pressefreiheit ist kein Grund, Gewalt zu üben“, sagte der Minister. Hier gelte das Motto: „Wir lassen uns nicht auseinanderdividieren."

Das Bundesinnenministerium legte allerdings Wert auf die Feststellung, dass Schäuble nicht zu einem Abdruck der umstrittenen Mohammed-Karikaturen in allen europäischen Zeitungen aufgerufen habe. Vielmehr habe er sich für den Grundsatz der Pressefreiheit ausgesprochen, sagte Ministeriumssprecher Stefan Paris.

Große dänische Zeitungen hatten Mitte Februar erneut eine umstrittene Karikatur des Propheten Mohammed mit einer Bombe im Turban veröffentlicht. Sie reagierten damit auf die Aufdeckung von Mordplänen gegen den Zeichner. Daraufhin kam es unter anderem im Sudan zu Protesten von mehreren tausende Menschen. Die Demonstranten versammelten sich in der Innenstadt der Hauptstadt Khartum und riefen „Nieder mit Dänemark“ und „Wir werden unseren Propheten beschützen“. Schäuble will mehr Mohammed-Karikaturen >>>

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London’s Mega Mosque: Al Markaz, London

CBN NEWS:
Make Way for the Meag-Mosque

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’Plot’ to Murder Saudi King Foiled
DAILY EXPRESS: Counter-terror police foiled a suspected plot to murder the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, it has been revealed.

Officers discovered a courier trying to smuggle £166,000 through Heathrow Airport on a flight from the United States to Syria.



They believe the money was intended for a dissident cell of Saudi Arabians plotting to assassinate Crown Prince Abdullah. The cash, made up of a wad of US 100-dollar bills, was uncovered during a search.



Scotland Yard said the incident took place in 2003 and a man has since been convicted in connection with it. ’Plot’ to Murder Saudi King Foiled >>>

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The Most Spied Upon People in Europe
BBC: Germany's highest court has ruled that spying on personal computers violates privacy, but governments across Europe are under pressure to help their security services fight terrorism and organised crime.

Here, BBC reporters give a snapshot of the extent of surveillance across Europe. The Most Spied Upon People in Europe >>>

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Outcry in South Africa Over ‘Racist’ Video
BBC: Several white students in South Africa face criminal charges after allegedly forcing black campus employees to eat food that had been urinated on.

A video has surfaced which appears to show the students instructing five elderly workers to drink beer and perform athletic tasks.

At one point, the University of Free State employees are apparently forced to eat food which has been urinated on.

The rector at the university has strongly condemned the video.

Students and staff joined a protest march at the campus in Bloemfontein, and student groups say they are now planning to call nationwide anti-racism demonstrations.

The video was reportedly recorded in protest at moves to integrate black and white students in the same residences at the University of the Free State.

The BBC's Mpho Lakaje says the university is known for having predominantly white students since the days of apartheid. Outcry in SA over ‘racist’ video >>>

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A Whiff of Coco Chanel
Photo of Coco Chanel in 1936 courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: Coco's time-locked Paris apartment provides Celia Walden with a rare glimpse of the treasures that tell of a life of love and loss

Mademoiselle Chanel is not at home but I am sure that her ghost, severe in a black suit with an angry slash of red lipstick, is present amid a haze of cigarette smoke and her signature No5 scent.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's private apartment, at 31 rue Cambon, Paris, is a source of wonder that has been preserved exactly as the designer left it when she died in 1971. It is closed to the public but, after months of supplication, the fashion house granted me a rare visit.

The building, bought by Chanel in 1920, still houses the ground-floor shop, the haute couture workrooms in the attic (where 100 seamstresses still work entirely by hand), and what is now Karl Lagerfeld's study. Among the labyrinth of rooms, half-way up the Art Deco stairs that run like a spine through the 18th century building, is the apartment, which Coco called her "nest".

It was in these three small rooms that Coco transformed women's wardrobes. Here, she dreamed up "the new uniform of modern women", as French Vogue christened it (she dispensed with restrictive corsets and fabrics, favouring more relaxed and practical designs), and numerous classics that still enchant today - the little black dresses, two-tone pumps, bouclé suits and quilted shoulder bags.

After Coco died in her sleep at the age of 87, the brand - and rue Cambon - languished until 1983, when Lagerfeld was hired by the Wertheimers (who own Chanel) to rejuvenate it. On the day of my visit, Lagerfeld is tearing around Paris preparing for this week's ready-to-wear shows. But inside Coco's apartment there is a mausoleum-like tranquillity. I am not surprised to hear that Lagerfeld often drops in to seek inspiration. A whiff of Chanel No31 >>>

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Earthquake Hits UK
THE TELEGRAPH: An earthquake was felt across large parts of England in the early hours of this morning.

Tremors were felt in areas including Merseyside, Birmingham, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Northampton, Norfolk, Surrey and Greater London - including the offices of Telegraph.co.uk.

There were no initial reports of damage from the five-second tremor, which is believed to have struck at 00.55am. Earthquake Hits UK >>> By Julian Kossoff

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Kidnappers Parade British Hostage on Arab TV
THE TELEGRAPH: A British hostage seized in Baghdad has been paraded in a video and forced to demand the release of Iraqi prisoners.

The video of the man, a computer expert who was kidnapped nine months ago in Baghdad along with four British security contractors, was broadcast on the al-Arabiya satellite news channel.

The man identifies himself as Peter before his words are dubbed into Arabic.

He then appeals to Gordon Brown to release nine Iraqi prisoners in exchange for the five Britons.

"It's as simple as that," he said. "It's a simple exchange of people ... That's all they want. Just to have their people released and we can go home.

"I miss my family a lot and the only thing I want is to get out of here. I tell Gordon Brown: Free their prisoners and we can go home." Kidnappers Parade British Hostage on Arab TV >>> By Tim Butcher, Middle East Correspondent

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Barack Obama’s Track Record Under Scrutiny
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama's track record has come under growing scrutiny as the senator for Illinois moved closer to the Democratic presidential nomination.

While the 46-year-old senator was boosted by the endorsement of Chris Dodd, a leading Democrat senator who dropped out of the nomination race last month, he faced criticism that during the campaign he has shifted towards the centre from the Left of the party.

Critics are increasingly asking in what direction he will lead the country if he wins the nomination and election in November.
The Washington Post said that the candidate remains an enigma.

"Is Mr Obama a standard liberal clad in the soothing language of inclusiveness? ... Do voters understand where, exactly, he would like to lead them?" it said.

He is also facing criticism for being too liberal from Republicans, who expect to be fighting against him soon for the White House.

His rival Hillary Clinton was expected to pick holes in Mr Obama's record and his lack of experience in their final scheduled debate on Tuesday night in Ohio.

She has spent the past few days mocking his "celestial" rhetoric, accusing him of misleading voters and comparing his foreign policy inexperience to President George W Bush. Barack Obama's track record under scrutiny >>> By Alex Spillius in Washington

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Liberal Claptrap!
Muslims are trying to prove their loyalty >>> By Daniel Hannan
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Schlechte Stimmung zwischen Paris und Berlin
Foto von Merkel und Sarkozy dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
NZZ Online: In den deutsch-französischen Beziehungen ist ein Malaise durch die Absage bilateraler Treffen offen zutage getreten. Präsident Sarkozys Plan einer Mittelmeer-Union sowie überhaupt eine in Paris verstärkte Neigung zu Alleingängen führten zu Irritationen.

Ch. M. Paris, 26. Februar

Zwischen Paris und Berlin herrscht ein Malaise, das durch abrupte französische Absagen von bilateralen Treffen nun offen zutage getreten ist. Auf Weisung aus dem Elysée sagte Finanzministerin Lagarde eine Begegnung mit ihrem deutschen Amtskollegen Steinbrück nur einen Tag vor der seit langem vorgesehenen Zusammenkunft plötzlich ab, unter Hinweis auf Termin-schwierigkeiten. Mit der gleichen Begründung hatte Präsident Sarkozy schon vor wenigen Tagen ein auf den 3. März in Straubing anberaumtes informelles Gipfeltreffen mit Bundeskanzlerin Merkel um drei Monate hinausschieben lassen. Schlechte Stimmung zwischen Paris und Berlin: Häufung von Irritationen – Absage bilateraler Treffen >>>

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Islamic Nonsense Just Keeps On Coming! This Time Its Bearing One’s Forearms. It's Against Allah’s Injuctions, You Understand!
Why don’t they just sack these superstitious, backward people?
DAILY MAIL: Health officials are having crisis talks with Muslim medical staff who have objected to hospital hygiene rules because of religious beliefs.

Medics in hospitals in at least three major English cities have refused to follow the regulations aimed at helping tackle superbugs because of their faith, it has been revealed.

Women medical students at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool objected to rolling up their sleeves when washing their hands and removing arm coverings in theatre, claiming it is regarded as immodest.

Similar concerns were raised at Leicester University and Sheffield University reported a case of a Muslim medic refusing to "scrub" because it left her forearms exposed.

Some students have said that they would prefer to quit the course rather than expose their arms, but hygiene experts said no exceptions should be made on religious grounds.

A Royal Liverpool hospital spokesman said they had experienced issues of Muslim staff not sanitising their forearms with alcohol gel although this had now been addressed.

Dr Steve Ryan, medical director at Alder Hey said that while the "bare below the elbows" dress code is a matter of patient safety, the trust would work with Muslim students to find a solution. Muslim medics refuse to roll up their sleeves in hygiene crackdown - because it's against their religion >>>

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The Roman Catholic Church Faces a Crisis
TIMESONLINE: Ireland, a country that used to export its Catholic clergy around the world, is running out of priests at such a rate that their numbers will have dropped by two thirds in the next 20 years, leaving parishes up and down the land vacant.

The decline of Catholic Ireland, for decades the Pope’s favourite bastion of faith in Europe, has been regularly predicted, as the economic successes of the Celtic Tiger brought growing secularisation. But new figures have starkly set out the fate of the Irish priesthood if action is not taken by the Church to reverse the trend.

One-hundred and sixty priests died last year but only nine were ordained. Figures for nuns were even more dramatic, with the deaths of 228 nuns and only two taking final vows for service in religious life.

Based upon these figures The Irish Catholic newspaper predicts that the number of priests will drop from the current 4,752 to about 1,500 by 2028. Catholic Church faces new crisis — Ireland is running out of priests: Ireland is running out of priests at such a rate that their numbers will have dropped by two thirds in the next 20 years >>> By David Sharrock, Ireland Correspondent

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