Solve Iran Peacefully Urges Syria
BBC: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has said it would be a catastrophe if a peaceful solution could not be found to the Iranian nuclear row.

Mr Assad was speaking after a meeting in Damascus with French President Nicolas Sarkozy aimed at improving bilateral ties.

The leaders also held discussions on Syria's relations with Israel. Solve Iran Peacefully Urges Syria >>> | September 3, 2008

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John McCain and Sarah Palin: Bristol’s Pregnancy Conference Straight Talk

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Sir Ian Blair Will Be Ousted as Head of Scotland Yard
THE INDEPENDENT: Detailed plans are being prepared to oust Sir Ian Blair from his position as head of Scotland Yard in an attempt to halt the collapse of morale in the Metropolitan Police. Ministers, senior officials and leading police chiefs have secretly discussed arrangements for replacing the embattled commissioner by the end of this year.

The Times has learnt that the first step will be taken this week when Sir Ian is told formally, in writing, that his contract will not be renewed when it expires in February 2010. Sir Ian Blair Will Be Ousted as Head of Scotland Yard >>> By Sean O’Neill, Crime Editor | September 4, 2008

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Dubai 'Sex on Beach' Woman Michelle Palmer: Statement Was in Arabic
TIMESONLINE: Michelle Palmer, the British woman accused of having sex on a Dubai beach, has spoken out for the first time, pleading for help to prove her innocence so that she can return home.

Trembling and fighting back tears during a brief appearance at a Dubai court yesterday morning, Ms Palmer spoke to The Times through a friend, in an effort to counter “the lies” she says have been spread about her case.

Ms Palmer, 36, is forbidden to speak directly to the press before her verdict is handed down next Monday. However, she outlined her defence through a close friend, who held her hand throughout yesterday’s hearing and passed a two-page note to The Times.

Ms Palmer has previously denied prosecution claims that the couple were having sex on the beach, saying in an earlier court appearance that they were only “hugging and kissing”. Dubai 'Sex on Beach' Woman Michelle Palmer: Statement Was in Arabic >>> Exclusive: Sonia Verma in Dubai | September 3, 2008

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Tomasky Talk: It’s All about Sarah
Watch Guardian video: Tomasky Talk: It's all about Sarah: Michael Tomasky looks back at a week of Sarah Palin stories and considers what she has to accomplish in her speech tonight at the Republican convention >>> By Michael Tomasky | September 3, 2008

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VP Sarah Palin, Obama Speaks, & the Olympics

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Iran Rejects Easing Polygamy Law
BBC: In Iran, contentious legislation which might have encouraged men to be more polygamous has been sent back to a legal committee for further discussion.

Polygamy is legal in Iran. Men are permitted up to four wives, but only with the permission of the first wife.

In its present form, the proposed Family Support Bill would - if made law - allow a man to marry a second wife without the permission of the first.

Women's rights groups have hailed the move as "a huge victory".

The only condition would be that he is financially capable of supporting both.

Iran's parliament, the Majlis, has sent the bill away for more discussion.

Women's Rights activists are delighted but warn that the bill is still in the system and may reappear.

It is more likely to disappear.

The speaker of the Majlis expressed his reservations about it, and Ayatollah Yusef Sanai, who is a leading source of what is known as "emulation", wrote on his website that a second marriage without the permission of the first wife is "harem, a sin, a religious offence, contrary to the concept of justice prescribed by the Koran."

He also wrote: "I pray that such a decision, that is oppressive to women will not be made into law. God forbid that the Majlis should add another problem to the existing problems of women."

That is remarkable language in a country where there are so-called Guidance Patrols, Gasht-e-Ershad, who are allowed to detain women for showing too much hair, or for having bare feet.

They have official cars, like police cars, and the Ershad patrols may be seen checking women in parks, or as they emerge from metro stations in Tehran. [Source: BBC] By Hugh Sykes | September 3, 2008

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McCain VP Pick 'Victim of Sexism'
Watch BBC video: Carly Fiorina, a senior advisor to Republican Presidential nominee John McCain, has defended his choice of running mate: She said it did not matter that Sarah Palin is a creationist and a climate change sceptic. She added that Mrs Palin was a victim of "sexist attacks" >>> | September 3, 2008

BBC:
McCain Attacks Media over Palin: John McCain's US presidential campaign has angrily condemned the media for questioning the way his running mate Sarah Palin's candidacy was vetted >>> | September 3, 2008

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Rachida Dati Is Pregnant; But Won’t Name the Father! Allah Will Not Be Best Pleased! It Must Have Happened Because She Doesn’t Wear the Burqah!
NEWS.COM.AU: FRENCH Justice Minister Rachida Dati, one of the stars of President Nicolas Sarkozy's cabinet, has announced she is pregnant - but won't say who the father is.

The divorced daughter of North African immigrants, 42-year-old Dati has become the public face of President Sarkozy's drive to add some much-needed diversity to French politics.

Since taking office last year, she has appeared almost as often in the glossy magazines as the serious political press, prompting criticism that she is seeking celebrity status rather than concentrating on her job.

On Wednesday, she confirmed rumours that she was pregnant after the weekly magazine VSD splashed her on the front page saying she was expecting a child.

Being a single mother carries no social stigma in modern France and a census released earlier this year showed that for the first time in 2006 more children were born out of wedlock here than to married couples.

"I want to remain prudent, because it isn't yet safe. I'm still in the danger zone," the website of Le Monde daily quoted Ms Dati as saying, referring to the risk of a possible miscarriage.

"I am 42 years old and have always said that (having a child) was fundamental for me," she said. "If it goes ahead, I will be happy and have the feeling I've looped the loop."

Ms Dati is photographed alone when she goes out for evening parties.

"My private life is complicated and I'm keeping it off-limits to the press. I won't say anything about it," she told reporters when asked about the father. MP Pregnant – But Won’t Name the Daddy >>> By Crispian Balmer in Paris | September 3, 2008

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE:
Aznar dément être le père de l'enfant de Rachida Dati: L'ancien chef du gouvernement espagnol est en colère: il évoque même de possibles suites judiciaires >>> Agences | 4.9.2008

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH:
Rachida Dati: French Justice Minister Who Refuses to Name the Father of Her Unborn Child: The justice minister refuses to name the man by whom she is pregnant, but the affair makes it harder to defend France's custom that politicians' private lives are private, writes William Langley.
…

Rachida was born in Chalon-sur-Saône, the second of 11 children of a Moroccan father and Algerian mother.

Staunchly secular, she has described herself as "a French woman of French origin", and her prickly relationship with the country's large Muslim population has not been improved by news of her pregnancy.

"It is difficult for Rachida," says Hoffenberg, "because she has been held up as a role model for Muslim girls, and now we have Muslims denouncing her. Most people in France aren't shocked by an unmarried minister getting pregnant. The only real protests have come from her own community, and that must be hard for her."

Dati's wariness of religious dogma is founded on personal experience. In her early twenties, during a visit to the Maghreb, she married a young Algerian – "to please my family" as she put it in a memoir last year.

Arriving back in France, she discovered that not only did she have nothing in common with her husband, she had, effectively, signed the ownership of her life over to him. It took her four years to gain an annulment, by which time she was rising fast as an accountant and business consultant. >>> By William Langley | September 6, 2008

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Gunmen Kill a Journalist in Russia's Dagestan Republic
VOICE OF AMERICA: Police in Russia's southern republic of Dagestan say gunmen have killed a prominent television journalist.



Police say Abdulla Telman Alishayev died in the hospital Wednesday morning. Two men shot Alishayev Tuesday evening, as he sat in his car in the republic capital, Makhachkala.



Officials say Alishayev suffered shoulder and head wounds. Doctors operated, but they could not save his life.



Alishayev was an editor and show host for an Islamic television channel. He also produced documentaries about Wahhabism, a radical form of Islam.



Russia has long been considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.



Sunday, the owner of an independent web site in nearby Ingushetia was shot and killed while in police custody. 



Police say Magomed Yevloyev was arrested and shot accidentally when he lunged for an officer's gun. But human rights groups call the death deliberate. 



Both Dagestan and Ingushetia border Chechnya, where Russian troops have been battling separatists for more than a decade. [Source: VOA] Additional reporting by AP and Reuters | September 3, 2008

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Saudi Arabia Thwarts Military Coup
ALALAM.IR: RIYADH: Saudi Arabian security forces have foiled a military coup seeking to overthrow army officers loyal to the current Saudi King Abdullah.



According to Riyadh-based al-Watan daily, coup leader Major Ahmed Maiad Zahrani, a National Guard officer in the Riyadh, was arrested later for further questioning and charged with conspiracy.



The daily noted that Zahrani, backed by a Saudi prince in the royal family, has recruited approximately 150 officers of National Guards to carry out the coup in the oil-rich kingdom.



The plan was to overthrow the Saudi National Guards leader, who is loyal to King Abdullah and to prevent the selection of other members of the family as crown prince after the death of Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, 80, (who is seriously sick). 



King Abdullah has appointed his eldest son Miti'b as deputy of the National Guards after disagreements among the sons and grandsons of Saudi Arabia's late founder King Abdulaziz led to formation of the Bay'ah Council by senior members of the royal family.



The council is tasked with voting on selection of the crown prince from three candidates named by the king. [Source: ALALAM.IR]

BLOOMBERG:
Saudis Lure Stanford, Cambridge to University Built on Oil Boom >>> By Glen Carey and Matthew Brown | September 3, 2008

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Hold Back the Tears if You Can!
THE TELEGRAPH: A Muslim woman was forced out of her job at a hospital after refusing to bare her arms in order to comply with new hygiene rules.

The radiographer was told by managers at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading that she must either follow the national dress code designed to combat superbugs and roll her sleeves up, or leave.

She refused to abide by the rules and left her job, claiming she was discriminated against and forced to choose between her religious beliefs and her livelihood. Islam teaches that women should dress modestly and cover their bodies while in public.

The woman, who has worked as a therapeutic radiographer for 10 years, has described her situation as a "continuous nightmare" and says she has been "emotionally torn about" over losing her job.

She said that she fears she may not be able to get another job, but has vowed to campaign against the NHS's "bare below the elbows" policy.

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she wants to "prevent the policy from being universally applied, so other Muslim women do not experience the same trauma."

Amid growing concern about the number of patients catching superbugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile while in hospital, the NHS introduced a new dress code for staff in January that was designed to prevent them transmitting bacteria.

The rules require all doctors and nurses who come into contact with patients to have their arms bare below the elbows, by wearing short-sleeved clothes or rolling up their sleeves. Jewellery, watches and false nails were also banned to reduce the risk of infection by staff.

However the policy was criticised by some Muslim doctors and medical students for going against the teachings of the Qu'ran on dress. Muslim Radiographer Loses Job after Refusing to Bare Her Arms >>> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | September 1, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH – related:
Female Muslim Medics 'Disobey Hygiene Rules' >>> By Julie Henry and Laura Donnelly | February 4, 2008

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Muslims Object to Christian Prayer Meeting in Oxford Church
BNP NEWS*: In yet another sign of the increasing Islamification of Britain, a Muslim pressure group in Oxford has demanded — and received — an apology from a Christian prayer group which organised a “Call to Prayer” meeting in St. Aldate’s Church (illustration) in that city centre.

The Muslim Education Centre of Oxford (Meco) accused Witney-based Christian “Open Doors UK” of preaching “evangelical propaganda”, despite that organisation holding an indoor meeting in a Christian Church, and not forcing anyone to attend.

Pathetically, Open Doors UK immediately apologised and insisted the prayer meeting had been taken out of context, although it “regretted” any offence that had been caused. On the contrary, a spokesman for the Christian group said the meeting’s aim “was to reduce fear of Islam.”

Meco chairman Dr Taj Hargey said he was “shocked by their theological self-righteousness. They assume the self-appointed task to ‘pray for Muslims’. They also say that each year there are incredible stories about how God answers these prayers, revealing Himself to Muslims around the world, and bringing many to faith in Jesus.”

He added: “Not only was this evangelical activity ill-conceived and insensitive, it was grossly insulting and inflammatory to Oxford’s Muslim inhabitants. At Meco our aim is to bring people of all faiths together, not divide them further. Things like this only serve to break people apart.” Muslims Object to Christian Prayer Meeting in Oxford Church >>> | September 2, 2008

Please note that this should NOT be construed as an endorsement of the BNP. I do not endorse the BNP or any other political party.

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What Does the Future Hold for the British Ethnic Minority?
BNP NEWS*: THE growing influence of Islam within Britain continues apace and the silence that greets this colonisation by stealth is deafening.

Our Christian spiritual leaders, who should be raging from their pulpits at this usurping of the centuries-old religious traditions of our country, appear to have just thrown in the towel and accepted defeat.

No doubt they are worried that if they speak out against Islam they might cause offence, a mortal sin on a par with taking a life in their new politically correct list of priorities.

In those areas where Muslims are now the majority, they have moved from claiming ‘equal rights’ with the host population, to imposing their demands on the non-Muslim population. What Does the Future Hold for the British Ethnic Minority? >>> By Martin Wingfield | September 3, 2008

*Please note that this should NOT be construed as an endorsement of the BNP. I do not endorse the BNP or any other political party.

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Pat Condell: Islam’s War on Freedom

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Anschlagspläne gegen Empire State Building entdeckt
NZZ Online: Bei einer Pakistanerin, die in Afghanistan festgenommen worden ist, haben Ermittler Anschlagspläne auf das Empire State Building, die Freiheitsstatue und andere New Yorker Wahrzeichen gefunden. Ein Regierungsmitarbeiter erklärte allerdings, es handele es sich eher um eine «Wunschliste» möglicher Ziele. Es gebe aber keinen Beweis für eine glaubhafte Verschwörung.

(ap) Die amerikanischen Sicherheitsbehörden haben nach eigenen Angaben Hinweise auf Anschlagspläne gegen das Empire State Building, die Freiheitsstatue und andere New Yorker Wahrzeichen gefunden. Entsprechende Dokumente seien bei einer Pakistanerin entdeckt worden, die in den USA studiert habe und in Afghanistan festgenommen worden sei, teilte die amerikanische Staatsanwaltschaft mit. Die Frau wurde am Dienstag wegen Mordversuchs angeklagt, weil sie versucht haben soll, während einer Vernehmung Soldaten und FBI-Agenten zu töten. Anschlagspläne gegen Empire State Building entdeckt: US-Behörden finden «Wunschliste» bei pakistanischer Frau in Afghanistan >>> | 3. September 2008

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Geert Wilders to Address Islam Conference in Jerusalem
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: JERUSALEM: An Israeli lawmaker says a controversial Dutch legislator and filmmaker will speak at an upcoming Jerusalem conference on combatting radical Islam.

Geert Wilders' film "Fitna" linked attacks by Islamic militants to texts from the Quran, Islam's holy book. It sparked angry street protests in Muslim countries earlier this year and Jordan has informed Interpol he is wanted to face charges there.

The conference in December will be tailored to European legislators seeking to unite in opposition to militant Islam.

Ultranationalist Israeli lawmaker Arieh Eldad told a news conference Wednesday that the Europeans who would attend the gathering would represent the political mainstream in their countries and not the far-right. [Source: IHT] AP | September 3, 2008

YNET NEWS:
MK Eldad Forms Anti-Islam Coalition: Right-wing MK announces some 30 European lawmakers to take part in anti-jihad conference in Jerusalem, says 'the spread of Islam threatens the foundations of the Western civilization.' MK El-Sana: Eldad joining school which produced Nazis >>> By Ronen Medzini | September 9, 2008

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Britons Could Be Tried in Absence in Foreign Courts under EU Plan
THE TELEGRAPH: British people could be convicted in their absence by foreign courts, under proposals approved by the European Parliament.

The plans could see them immediately extradited to a European country on the basis of an "in absentia" guilty verdict in its courts for offences carrying fines or custodial sentences.

In a joint statement the Parliament said: "The EU wants to create a common area for justice, which requires the mutual recognition of criminal law judgments by member states."

The proposals, which were put forward by seven countries, including Britain, were described as "by their very nature a violation of the fundamental procedural rights of the accused" by the European Criminal Bar Association.

In a letter to MEPs, it said: "The rights of European citizens will be undermined because in absentia judgments will result in the surrender of European citizens on the basis of a judgment given at a trial in which they never had the chance to participate." Britons Could Be Tried in Absence in Foreign Courts under EU Plan >>> By Jon Swaine | September 3, 2008

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Are We Mad? Every Organ of the State Now Seems Intent on Protecting Those Who Would Destroy Us
MAIL Online: The picture on today's Mail Online website says it all. Abu Qatada, wanted by Jordan for involvement in terrorist attacks, strolls down a London street, carrying groceries paid for by the British taxpayer.

Beside him, on a mobile phone, apparently acting as a go-between, is Yasser Al-Sirri, wanted by Egypt for aiding an assassination attempt in 1993 of the then Prime Minister with a car bomb, which instead killed a young girl.

Both these men despise the country that is sheltering them. To Qatada, it is the duty of Muslims to kill non-Muslims. Al-Sirri refers to the 'impotence and criminal nature' of the British government.

Well, he's right about the impotence. The decent people of this country want hate-mongers like these thrown out, but the Government seems powerless.

Between the human rights industry and a judiciary that appears more concerned about perpetrators than victims, foreign extremists are a protected species.

In the case of Qatada, the immigration authorities, the police, the security services, the judiciary and the politicians have been almost criminal in their failure to deal with a ruthless fanatic.

Abu Qatada arrived here in 1993 on a forged passport. This did not bother the immigration service, who accepted his claim that he would be tortured if he went home to Jordan so they gave him and his wife and five children asylum.

Why? Did no one run a check on him? There was ample evidence of his extremism but no one bothered to look for it.

Supported by state benefits, Qatada began preaching in local mosques his blood-thirsty anti-Jewish and anti-Christian messages and calling for Muslims to kill non-Muslims.

Because of a toxic mixture of political correctness and ignorance that seems to pervade all our dealings with Muslim extremists, the police were ignoring the rants of even the most incendiary preachers, so Qatada spread his poison undisturbed. Are We Mad? Every Organ of the State Now Seems Intent on Protecting Those Who Would Destroy Us >>> By Ruth Dudley Edwards | September 3, 2008

CITIZEN WARRIOR:
The Wahhabi Invasion of America >>> By Mark Silverberg / Hat tip: AlwaysOnWatch

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U.S. Fights Islamic Anti-Defamation Push: Cites Clash with Free Speech
THE WASHINGTON TIMES: UNITED NATIONS | The Bush administration, European governments and religious rights organizations are mounting a new effort to defeat a General Assembly resolution that demands respect for Islam and other religions but has been used to justify persecution of religious minorities.

The resolution, called "Combating Defamation of Religion," is sponsored by the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and has been approved by the world body annually since 2005. It comes up for renewal this fall.

U.S. officials said they hope to persuade moderate Muslim nations - among them Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Indonesia - to reject the measure, which lacks the force of law but has provided diplomatic cover for regimes that repress critical speech. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.

Religious rights groups say other U.N. measures, including statements by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, replicate the language of the resolution.

"Before, it was one resolution with no impact and no implementation," said Felice Gaer, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan federal body that investigates abuses and proposes policies to advance "freedom of thought, conscience and religion."

"Now we are seeing a clear attempt by OIC countries to mainstream the concept and insert it into just about every other topic they can," Miss Gaer said. "They are turning freedom of expression into restriction of expression."
European governments are also concerned.

The European Center for Law and Justice filed a brief with the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in June warning that such anti-defamation resolutions "are in direct violation of international law concerning the rights to freedom of religion and expression."

U.S. officials working on human rights said the resolutions are being used to justify harsh blasphemy laws in countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Afghanistan.

The OIC said most of the language in the Combating Defamation of Religion resolution has been used in conventions on cultural and civil rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and resolutions to combat racism. U.S. Fights Islamic Anti-Defamation Push: Cites Clash with Free Speech >>> By Betsy Pisik | September 2, 2008

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