Subculture: Sexes, Hairdos and Jeans in Iran
Lavasan, Tehran. Photo courtesy of CaféBabel
1 April is Islamic Republic Day, a national holiday in Iran. Thirty years after the Islamic revolution, an unpopular government is once again struggling with a dissatisfied young population. However, the Iranian resistance against its own regime has no strategy behind it, only tactics. A portrait of the mood in the land of the red squares
CAFÉ BABEL: The drawing that Schirin Germez* pushes quickly across the small table of a smoky café in Esfahan barely fills a napkin. Its shows a naked woman surrounded by threatening blots of ink, looking anxiously at the observer. The surrounding blackness has already taken over the woman’s body. Only a bright, red square in the centre of her body, protected by folded arms, still resists the gloom. 'You can’t take this from me,' says the young actress, as she taps the square with one hand and puts out her cigarette with the other. 'But I can’t ever show it in this country either.'

Fear of the government, which Schirin Germez only shakes off briefly in the company of a foreign traveller, is palpable in cities across the country. The time in office of the reform-oriented former state president Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) was shaped by hopes of change, but since the victory of Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s conservative elite, disappointment has spread among Iran’s urbane young population, who often harbour sympathy towards the west. Some of them are fighting, as in the past, for a liberal society: for instance, the budding doctors at Schiraz University, who are taking a stand against the planned segregation of the sexes in their lecture theatres. However, most have resigned themselves to the belief that they will not be able to change this republic.

So, the younger members of Iran’s middle classes have entered into a risky game of cat-and-mouse with the regime, by trying to fill public areas with signs of their disapproval. The women’s veils fall back, until the police step in to carry out their strict controls. Extravagant hairstyles and clothes are so widespread in some Tehran suburbs that for a short moment it’s possible to imagine oneself in Tokyo or London. But here, too, the powers that be quickly intervene to enforce their self-styled Islamic clothing regulations.

Hairdos ahoy at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran | (Image: ©kamshots/ Flickr)
Hairdressers are even advised, when in doubt, to side with the government’s ideas rather than the customers’ wishes. Many shop owners put up the obligatory photos of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khameini, not over the door or next to the till, but above shelves which – 'oh, what bad luck!' – are piled high and therefore block the view of the leaders of the eternal islamic revolution. On top of all this come drugs, western music and the youth sub-culture’s undermining of the country’s strict sexual morals. All of which is risky – and therefore all the more exciting. >>> By Jan Aengenvoort, Isfahan | Translation: Andrew Christie | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

YOUTUBE: Kiosk : Eshgh e Sorat


CAFÉ BABEL:
Das Land der roten Quadrate - Jugendkultur im Iran >>> (Original-Version des Artikels)

Haaretz Editorial Excoriates Israel’s New Government!
HAARETZ: Israel's 32nd government, which was sworn in last night, is destined to fail. In putting this government together, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demonstrated sophisticated political skills and impressive tricks of wheeling and dealing, along with a total lack of vision, courage and practical judgment.

The fate of the State of Israel was not on the agenda in forming this government, but rather the lust for power of a handful of politicians and the creation of power for their boss. Israel has received the largest government in its history and one of its most meager. Its makeup bodes ill.

When coalition considerations are the only criterion for forming a government, the outcome is a finance minister with no qualifications in economics, a foreign minister liable to be shunned abroad, a defense minister who has failed at the job, an education minister with no experience in education, a Health Ministry without a minister and a long list of ridiculous ministers and useless ministries. There is also a batch of ministers without portfolio and without a role to play, apart from filling a seat at the cabinet table. Such a giant government sends a message of scandalous wastefulness, with the economy on the brink of a grave financial crisis. A Failure Foretold >>> Editorial | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Protesters Take to London’s Streets
FINANCIAL TIMES: Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters have gathered around the capital on Wednesday morning for a day of action ahead of the G20 summit.

By 11am four marches, led by representations of the horsemen of the apocalypse, were preparing to depart to advance on the Bank of England.

Amid a huge police operation, the mood was largely good natured as protest groups assembled, shouting slogans and carrying banners.

But there were early signs of friction as police contained demonstrators within barricades outside Liverpool Street station, who started screaming ”let us go”.

About 100 cyclists sped down Bishopsgate ”pedalling for the planet”. One cyclist was asked why he was taking part. ”It’s a day out of the office,” he said.

Olivier Dale, a 28 year old attending the demonstration said: ”I am sick of these bankers and this greed. It has got to stop. We have to make a stand. But we want it to be peaceful.”

One protester wearing a balaclava and carrying a sign saying ”welcome to pig city” and who declined to be named said: ”I am an anti-capitalist, I am an anarchist. It’s a rich man’s club. I believe in class war. It is poor versus rich, as simple as that. ” >>> By FT Reporters | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Quand la Maison-Blanche voyage
Photo grâce au Figaro
LE FIGARO: C'est une formidable armada qui est mobilisée pour accompagner le couple présidentiel dans ses déplacements.

«Sommes-nous Rome ?» se demandait l'écrivain américain à succès Cullen Murphy, dans un livre récent sur l'Amérique contemporaine, se livrant à une comparaison aussi brillante qu'osée sur les États-Unis des années 2000 et l'Empire romain finissant.

En ouverture de ce livre, il évoquait un voyage officiel en Irlande de dix-huit heures qu'il avait effectué avec l'ancien président George W. Bush. Il y décrivait les légions d'hommes des services et de l'armée déployés sur l'aéroport pour accueillir et protéger l'homme le plus puissant du monde, véritable empereur des temps modernes. Le déploiement des ­avions de surveillance tournant dans le ciel. Les rangées de ministres et de conseillers sherpas. Mais aussi l'intendance, les cuisiniers et les journalistes qui l'accompagnaient.

De ce point de vue, l'Amérique d'Obama ressemblera beaucoup à celle de son prédécesseur, La tournée d'un président américain est un événement qui mobilise une organisation gigantesque. Et des semaines de préparation. « Ce n'est pas le président qui voyage, c'est la Maison-Blanche » , résume l'un de ses conseillers. >>> Laure Mandeville, envoyée spéciale du Figaro à Londres | Mercredi 01 Avril 2009

Indiens Premier: "Pakistan Epizentrum des Terrorismus"
DIE PRESSE: Manmohan Singh wirft Pakistan vor, keine effektiven Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen. Die Regierung sei entweder "unfähig" oder "unwillig".

Manmohan Singh. Bild dank der Presse
Der indische Regierungschef Manmohan Singh hat Pakistan vorgeworfen, das "Epizentrum" des weltweiten Terrorismus zu sein. Das Nachbarland habe es nicht geschafft, effektive Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen, sagte Singh der "Financial Times" (Mittwochsausgabe*). "Wir alle wissen, dass das Epizentrum des Terrorismus in der Welt heute Pakistan ist." >>> Ag | Mittwoch, 1. April 2009

FINANCIAL TIMES: *India’s Economy ‘More Durable’ than China['s]

Democracies have a far better chance of sustaining economic reform than one party states Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, has told the Financial Times in a rare top-level assertion of his country’s stance over neighbouring China.

The architect of India’s market liberalisations and a well-respected economist, Mr Singh has placed the long-term success of the world’s largest democracy over the potential fragility of the fastest growing large economy under Communist party rule.

“The Chinese have certain advantages: the fact that it’s a single party government,” Mr Singh said in an interview with the Financial Times before travelling to the G20 meeting in London on Thursday.

“But I do believe in the long run in the fact that India is a functioning democracy, committed to the rule of law. Our system is slow to move but I’m confident that once decisions are taken they are going to be far more durable.”

Mr Singh’s comments come as China is asserting its leadership among emerging markets of the global economic policy debate.

His remarks come as a tacit reminder to China that it lacks one of the key credentials to contribute to the global policy debate – democracy. >>> By James Lamont, Alec Russell and Amy Kazmin in New Delhi | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Obama in London eingetroffen: Erster Besuch als amerikanischer Präsident in Europa
NZZ Online: Barack Obama ist am Dienstagabend in London gelandet, um seine erste Europareise als amerikanischer Präsident anzutreten. Obama wird von seiner Frau Michelle begleitet.

Michelle und Barack Obama treffen in London ein. (Bild: Reuters)
Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama ist am Dienstagabend zum Auftakt seiner ersten grossen Europareise in London eingetroffen. Begleitet von seiner Frau Michelle, wird er in den kommenden acht Tagen fünf Länder besuchen und an den Gipfeln von G-20, Nato und EU teilnehmen.

Erste Station ist London, wo die Staats- und Regierungschefs der 20 wichtigsten Industrie- und Schwellenländer nach Auswegen aus der von den USA ausgegangenen globalen Finanzkrise suchen. In London trifft Obama mit dem britischen Premierminister Brown, dem chinesischen Präsidenten Hu Jintao und dem russischen Präsidenten Medwedew zusammen. Auch Termine mit der britischen Königin Elizabeth II., dem saudischen König Abdullah, dem indischen Ministerpräsidenten Manmohan Singh und dem südkoreanischen Präsidenten Lee Myung Bak sind hier geplant. >>> ap/sda | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

BBC: Obama Arrives in UK ahead of G20


THE TELEGRAPH: G20 Summit: Barack Obama Lands in Britain for G20 Summit

Barack Obama, the US president, has landed in Britain ahead of the G20 summit, at the start of his first overseas trip since taking office.

The president's plane, Air Force One, landed in Stansted Airport's VIP area at 7.51pm, where he was met on the tarmac by Chancellor Alistair Darling and his wife Margaret.

In stark contrast to the grandeur surrounding Mr Obama's arrival in the UK, Mr Darling travelled to Stansted Airport on the Stansted Express from London Liverpool Street, accompanied by police officers and security staff.

Around ten minutes after landing, Mr Obama and his wife Michelle descended the steps hand in hand, waving at onlookers. The pair shook hands with assembled dignitaries including Mr Darling before the Obamas boarded a Marine One helicopter for the short flight to the US ambassador's residence in London. Several decoy helicopters will also take to the air to ensure maximum security. >>> By Aislinn Simpson and Matthew Moore | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

lePARISIEN.fr: Un périple européen chargé pour Obama

La première grande tournée européenne de Barack Obama s'annonce comme un périple dense, non exempt d'embûches, singulièrement au début de celui-ci, alors que le G20 s'ouvre jeudi à Londres. L'Union européenne voudrait obtenir des engagements forts davantage de régulation financière, Washington a fait connaître ses espérances de plans de relance européens plus ambitieux. Le jeune couple présidentiel a quitté le sol américain mardi en début d'après-mid à bord de l'Air Force One et atterri dans la capitale britannique en début de soirée. Déjà présent à Londres, Mike Froman, un haut responsable de la Maison Blanche, a tenté de gommer toute aspérité avant leur arrivée, pariant sur un large accord des pays du G20 sur les moyens de relancer la croissance comme sur la supervision des institutions financiers. >>> leparisien.fr | Mardi 31 Mars 2009

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Let Them Smoke Cigarettes!
DAILY EXPRESS: She’s unlikely to please the anti-smoking health lobby but actress Maureen Lipman has bizarrely suggested that the problems of Britain’s youth binge drinking culture could be solved by encouraging youngsters to smoke instead.

Maureen Lipman thinks that the youth binge drinking cuture could be solved by encouraging youth to smoke. Photo courtesy of the Daily Express
While the rest of the country is trying to curb smoking, Maureen claims it’s a lesser evil than alcohol and should become ­acceptable in public again.

She is particularly concerned, she says, by the way young women are now becoming drunkenly boorish in a manner that used to be confined to men.

“We fought for equal rights but we have just inherited the worst traits of men,” says Maureen, 62. “This is a bad thing.

“Girls go out drinking and wearing virtually nothing. They are like highly coloured insects looking not just for a drink but a good seeing-to.

“I think we should let them smoke. It was very calming to smoke. There was the whole ritual with the little Zippo lighter. I know it’s the worst thing to say these days but you can go out and drink yourself stupid and kill someone in your car or beat up your wife but you are not allowed to smoke.” Why Lipman Has Got Them Fuming >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Airheads Anonymous! Miss Universe Had a 'Lot of Fun' in Guantanamo
Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza. Photo courtesy of The Independent
THE INDEPENDENT: A "relaxing, calm, beautiful place" may not be everyone's description of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States holds about 240 prisoners in a detention centre that has drawn condemnation from around the world.

But this was the opinion of reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, who visited the US naval facility in eastern Cuba this month on a trip organised by the United Service Organisations (USO) which supports US troops.

The Guantanamo Bay base, whose presence Cuba's government has contested as illegal for years, is used by US authorities as a prison camp for foreign terrorism suspects. Critics have condemned it as a symbol of abuses in Washington's war on terrorism launched after the 11 September, 2001 attacks.

Caracas-born Mendoza, 22, who visited the facility between 20-25 March along with Miss USA Crystle Stewart, 27, enthused about her Guantanamo trip as an "incredible experience" in a blog entry posted on the Miss Universe website dated 27 March 27, 2009 (www.missuniverse.com/missuniverse/blog.php).

"It was a loooot of fun!," Mendoza wrote, describing how she and Stewart met US military personnel and took rides around the camp, which is encircled by a barbed-wire fenced, minefields and watchtowers. She said they also visited a bar on the base and the "unbelievable" beach there. >>> Reuters | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Filthy Rich and Enjoying Every Minute of It
Filthy rich and proud of it. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMESONLINE: Stock markets across the world may have tanked last year but that didn’t stop the top performing hedge fund managers from making themselves a huge pile of cash.

In fact, the top 25 made £8.275 billion or an average of $464 million (£331m) each in 2008, according to research by Alpha Magazine. That is enough money to pay for 30 hospitals, employ more than 300,000 nurses for a year, or vaccinate every child in poverty from five preventable diseases.

Anyway, here is the list of the top 10, and how they made their millions (billions). Filthy Rich: The 10 Highest Paid Hedge Fund Managers of 2008 >>> | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

USA-Iran: Erster diplomatischer Kontakt
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der US-Sondergesandte für Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, ist in Den Haag mit dem iranischen Vize-Aussenminister Mehdi Achundsadeh zusammengekommen.

Sucht Wege für eine Zusammenarbeit mit dem Iran: US-Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton. Bild dank dem Tages Anzeiger
Die Aussichten auf eine Entspannung zwischen den USA und dem Iran sind gestiegen: Der amerikanische Spitzendiplomat Richard Holbrooke und der iranische Vize-Aussenminister Mehdi Achundsadeh kamen am Rande einer Afghanistan-Konferenz in Den Haag zu einem bilateralen Treffen zusammen, wie US-Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton mitteilte. Holbrooke und Achundsadeh hätten nach dem «kurzen und freundlichen Gespräch vereinbart, in Kontakt zu bleiben», sagte Clinton.

Die beiden Länder unterhalten keine diplomatischen Beziehungen mehr, seit während der Islamischen Revolution im Iran 1979 das gesamte Personal der US-Botschaft in Teheran in Geiselhaft genommen wurde. Informelle Kontakte zwischen amerikanischen und iranischen Politikern gab es seither aber mehrfach, so kamen die früheren US-Aussenminister Condoleezza Rice und Colin Powell informell mit ihren iranischen Kollegen zusammen. >>> bru/ap | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

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Nétanyahou prêt à la paix avec les Palestiniens
«Le gouvernement sous ma direction agira pour arriver à la paix sur trois volets : économique, sécuritaire et politique», a déclaré Benyamin Nétanyahou. Photo grâce au Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le nouveau chef du gouvernement israélien qui présente ce soir son équipe à la Knesset s'est en revanche gardé de parler d'un Etat palestinien indépendant. L'Autorité palestinienne se dit déçue.

Benyamin Nétanyahou dit vouloir la paix. Le nouveau premier ministre israélien qui présente mardi son gouvernement à l'investiture du Parlement s'est dit prêt à négocier avec les Palestiniens dans cet objectif. «Je le dis aux dirigeants de l'Autorité palestinienne : si vous voulez vraiment la paix, il est possible d'arriver à la paix. Le gouvernement sous ma direction agira pour arriver à la paix sur trois volets : économique, sécuritaire et politique», a déclaré Nétanyahou. «Nous mènerons des négociations de paix permanentes avec l'Autorité palestinienne en vue de parvenir à un accord final et nous ne voulons pas gouverner un autre peuple. Nous ne voulons pas contrôler le destin des Palestiniens», a-t-il ajouté. Il a affirmé que dans le cadre d'un «accord définitif», les Palestiniens «disposeront de tous les droits pour se gouverner eux-mêmes, sauf ceux susceptibles de constituer un danger pour la sécurité et l'existence de l'Etat d'Israël». >>> J.B. (lefigaro.fr) Avec AFP | Mardi 31 Mars 2009

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A Canadian Converts to Islam – Look What Happens...

New Dark Age Alert! Anjem Choudary, Britain’s Cocky Muslim Big Mouth, Calls British Troops "War Criminals" and Muslim Leaders "Hypocrites"
Part 1:


Part 2
Part 3
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Visions of Sharia: Vengeance Allowed But No Less Barbaric
ORLANDO SENTINEL: Although the principle that "the personal is political" was first popularized by the American Women's Movement of the 1970s, the same wisdom may have much to teach us about relations between the West and Islam. The widely-publicized and ongoing tragedy of Ameneh Bahrami and Majid Movahedi offers a glaring example of precisely how.



At first glance, Bahrami's story seems like a tale of medieval injustice. After the Iranian electronics student resisted the persistent and unwanted advances of Movehedi for more than two years, he blinded and disfigured her in a 2004 acid attack.

Such attacks are still all too common in much of Asia -- most notably in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. They are often orchestrated against women who refuse to don the hajib or who resist unwanted proposals of marriage.

Such attacks are barbaric. However, Iranian law provides for an equally barbaric remedy. Under the Islamic rule of qias -- roughly translated as equivalence -- the victims of such attacks may demand identical treatment for their assailants. Bahrami, now receiving free medical care in Spain, has demanded that Movehedi be blinded too.



At her request, an Iranian court recently ordered that sulfuric acid be dropped into one of his eyes. (Apparently, since Iranian law does not view men's eyes and women's eyes as having equal value, Bahrami must pay 20,000 Euros if her spurned suitor is to lose both eyes.) >>> Jacob M. Appel | Special to the Sentinel | Monday, March 30, 2009

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Is There a War on the Term 'War on Terror'
abcNEWS – Blogs: Is there a war on the term "War on Terror"?

Apparently not.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing to the story.

After days of confusion and denial about whether the Obama administration was officially no longer using the term "War on Terror," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the Obama administration is no longer speaking of a "War on Terror."

"I haven't gotten any directive about using it or not using it. It's just not being used," said Clinton during a briefing with reporters aboard her plane to the Hague to attend an international conference on Afghanistan.

"The administration has stopped using the phrase and I think that speaks for itself," she said at a different point during her trip. "Obviously."

The discontinuation of the term "War on Terror" marks a departure from the practice of the Bush administration which began using the phrase in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. >>> Jake Tapper, Teddy Davis, and Kirit Radia | Monday, March 30, 2009

Canada's Tolerance Misplaced
CALGARY HERALD: Canada's Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is getting flak from the usual suspects, but he deserves praise instead.

Recently, Kenney pointed out that while at a meeting in Toronto, members of Canada's Pakistani community called on him to make Punjabi one of Canada's official languages. It makes me angry that such an idea would enter the minds of my fellow and former countrymen, let alone express them to a Minister of the Crown.

A few months ago, I was dismayed to learn that Erik Millett, the principal of Belleisle School in Springfield, N. B., limited playing our national anthem because the families of a couple of his students objected to it.

As a social scientist, I oppose this kind of political correctness, lack of assimilation of new immigrants to mainstream Canada, hyphenated-Canadian identity, and the lack of patriotism in our great nation.

Increasingly, Canadians feel restricted in doing things the Canadian way lest we offend minorities. We cannot even say Merry Christmas without fear of causing offence. It is amazing that 77 per cent of the Canadian majority are scared of offending 23 per cent of minorities. We have become so timid that the majority cannot assert its own freedom of expression. We cannot publicly question certain foreign social customs, traditions and values that do not fit into the Canadian ethos of equality. Rather than encouraging new immigrants to adjust to Canada, we tolerate peculiar ways of doing things. We do not remind them that they are in Canada, not in their original homelands.

In a multicultural society, it is the responsibility of minorities to adjust to the majority. It does not mean that minorities have to totally amalgamate with the majority. They can practise some of their cultural traditions within their homes -- their backstage behaviour. However, when outside of their homes, their front stage behaviour should resemble mainstream Canadian behaviour. Whoever comes to Canada must learn the limits of our system. We do not kill our daughters or other female members of our families who refuse to wear hijab, niqab or burka which are not mandated by the Qur'an anyway. We do not kill our daughters if they date the "wrong" men. A 17-year-old Sikh girl should not have been killed in British Columbia by her father because she was caught dating a Caucasian man. >>> By Mahfooz Kanwar*, for the Calgary Herald, © Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald | Monday, March 30, 3009

* Mahfooz Kanwar, PHD, Is A Sociologist And An Instructor Emeritus At Mount Royal College.

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Obama's Aunt Becomes Symbol in Immigration Debate
ASSOCIATED PRESS: BOSTON — Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt lost her bid for asylum more than four years ago, and a judge ordered her deported. Instead, Zeituni Onyango stayed, living for years in public housing.

Now, in a case that puts the president in a tough position both personally and politically, Onyango's request is being reconsidered under a little-used provision in U.S. immigration rules that allows denied asylum claims to be reheard if applicants can show that something has changed to make them eligible.

Such as the ascension of her nephew to the presidency of the world's most powerful country.

"If she goes back to Kenya, she is going to be much more in the limelight, and that, in and of itself, could put her at a greater risk. The chances of her going back and keeping a low profile are gone at this point," said Boston immigration attorney Ilana Greenstein.

Onyango, 56, the half-sister of Obama's late father, moved to the United States in 2000. Her first bid for asylum was rejected, and an immigration judge ordered her deported in 2004; she continues to live in public housing in Boston.

In December, a judge agreed to suspend the deportation order and reopen her case. An initial hearing is scheduled Wednesday in U.S. Immigration Court in Boston.

Obama has said repeatedly that he didn't know his aunt was living in the United States illegally and believes that laws covering the situation should be followed. If she wins asylum, he could look soft on immigration enforcement. If she loses, he could face criticism from immigrant advocacy groups.

The White House says Obama is staying out of it. >>> By Denise Lavoie | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Is Financial Crisis Fueling Europe’s Far Right?
BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES: In early March, a captain of the far-right Magyar Garda, or Hungarian Guard, addressed his followers about the worsening worldwide financial crisis that had brought Hungary to the brink of bankruptcy.

“Jews run the world,” Draskovics Andras said in remarks that were recorded by a camera crew from Hungarian state TV. Jews “need only 2 billion people for their tricks, and the rest of the mankind will be executed,” he said, according to a Hungarian news Web site, Hvg.hu.

Soon after, on a national holiday in mid-March, the Hungarian Guard inducted 600 new members, who marched with insignias resembling those of its Nazi-era predecessors in Budapest’s largest square.

As the global financial crisis deepens, hitting some Eastern European countries particularly hard, Jews in Europe are watching closely to see whether far-right movements will rekindle old stereotypes about Jews and money, and fuel antipathy toward Jews.

The concern comes as Jews in Europe continue to reel from a sharp spike in anti-Semitic attacks during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, including several arson attempts on synagogues.

“The German neo-Nazis never fail to mention that Jews are to blame for the economic downturn at demonstrations when they think the authorities are not monitoring them,” said Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. “Over the last six months their supporters have used slanders like ‘greedy Jews.’

“There is constant talk of Bernard Madoff and how he is Jewish,” he said. “We are worried about this trend of connecting Jews to the crisis within the whole society.” >>> Dinah Spritzer, JTA Wire Service, Prague | Monday, March 30, 2009

Témoignage du Docteur Minoo Mohraz sur l’épidémie de sida en Iran. Cette femme a créé centre de recherche iranien de lutte contre le Sida (IRCHA) en 1985
Après:

2. Portrait d’un famille au bazar de Téhéran.
3. Souvenirs d’un infirmier.

New Dark Age Alert! 'Worse than the Taliban' - New Law Rolls Back Rights for Afghan Women
A burqa-clad Afghan woman walks in an old bazaar in Kabul. Photograph courtesy of The Guardian.
THE GUARDIAN: Hamid Karzai has been accused of trying to win votes in Afghanistan's presidential election by backing a law the UN says legalises rape within marriage and bans wives from stepping outside their homes without their husbands' permission.

The Afghan president signed the law earlier this month, despite condemnation by human rights activists and some MPs that it flouts the constitution's equal rights provisions.

The final document has not been published, but the law is believed to contain articles that rule women cannot leave the house without their husbands' permission, that they can only seek work, education or visit the doctor with their husbands' permission, and that they cannot refuse their husband sex.

A briefing document prepared by the United Nations Development Fund for Women also warns that the law grants custody of children to fathers and grandfathers only.

Senator Humaira Namati, a member of the upper house of the Afghan parliament, said the law was "worse than during the Taliban". "Anyone who spoke out was accused of being against Islam," she said. >>> Jon Boone in Kabul | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

"Men and women have equal rights under Islam but there are differences in the way men and women are created. Men are stronger and women are a little bit weaker; even in the west you do not see women working as firefighters." – Ustad Mohammad Akbari, MP and leader of a Hazara political party, Afghanistan

Guardian audio: Afghan women: 'A wife will not be allowed to refuse sex': Jon Boone reveals Afghanistan's new law denying women's rights >>> | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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