How Much Does a Grecian Urn?
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Greece's dysfunctional economy is now at the heart of a rescue effort that could be disastrous for the entire continent—and the rest of the world.

Plutus, the Greek god of wealth, did not have an easy life. As the myth goes, Plutus wanted to grant riches only to the "the just, the wise, the men of ordered life." Zeus blinded him out of jealousy of mankind (and envy of the good), leaving Plutus to indiscriminately distribute his favors.

Modern-day Greece may be just and wise, but it certainly has not had an ordered life. As a result, the great opportunity and wealth bestowed by European integration has been largely squandered. And lower interest rates over the past decade—brought down to German levels through Greece being allowed, rather generously, into the euro zone—led to little more than further deficits and a dangerous buildup of government debt.

Now Plutus wants his money back. Europe is entering unprepared into a serious economic crisis—and the nascent global recovery could easily collapse due to the unsustainable and Ponzi-like buildup of government debt in weaker countries.

At the end of the G7 meeting in Canada last weekend, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told reporters, "I just want to underscore they made it clear to us—they, the European authorities—that they will manage this [Greek debt crisis] with great care."

But the Europeans have not been careful so far. The issues for troubled euro zone countries are straightforward: Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain (known to the financial markets, and not in a polite way, as the PIIGS) had varying degrees of foreign- and bank credit-financed rapid expansions over the past decade. In fall 2008, these bubbles collapsed. >>> Simon Johnson and Peter Boone | Saturday, February 13, 2010

Stevie Wonder: I Just Called To Say I Love You

Die Spiele von Vancouver sind eröffnet: Kanadas Ureinwohner begrüssen die Wintersportler der Welt
NZZ ONLINE: In Vancouvers BC Place sind die XXI. Winterspiele mit der Begrüssung durch die verschiedenen Stämme der Ureinwohner Kanadas eröffnet worden. In der ersten olympischen Auftaktfeier unter Dach wurde der Einzug der Nationen gleich an den Beginn des Programms gesetzt.

Ein Snowboarder kurvt durch die grandiose Berglandschaft British Columbias, er fährt durch ein von Fackelträgern gebildetes Ahornblatt, setzt zum Sprung an – und landet im Oval des BC Place, des Hallenstadions von Vancouver. Mit dem Übergang von Video zur Realität, von den Bergen zum Tal, hat die Eröffnungsfeier der XXI. Olympischen Winterspiele in Kanada begonnen. >>> spi. | Samstag, 13. Februar 2010

Le transsexualisme n'est plus une maladie mentale
LE FIGARO: Roselyne Bachelot, la ministre de la Santé, l'avait promis en mai dernier. Le décret a été publié mercredi au Journal officiel. La France devient le premier pays du monde à franchir le pas.

Une avancée historique. Les transsexuels ne sont plus considérés comme des malades mentaux en France. Le ministère de la Santé a en effet publié mercredi au Journal officiel un décret qui retire «les troubles précoces de l'identité de genre» de la liste des affections psychiatriques. Dans l'hexagone, entre 40.000 et 60.000 personnes seraient concernées par cette décision, selon les estimations des associations.

«La France est le premier pays au monde à ne plus considérer le transsexualisme comme pathologie mentale», s'est félicité vendredi Joël Bedos, responsable français au comité IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia and transphobia, NDLR). «C'est historique», a renchéri Philippe Castel, porte-parole de l'Interassociative lesbienne gay bi et trans. «C'était quelque chose de très important et très attendu depuis la promesse» de la ministre de la Santé, Roselyne Bachelot, le 16 mai 2009, à la veille de la journée mondiale de lutte contre l'homophobie et la transphobie», a poursuivi le porte-parole. >>> Par Marion Brunet | Vendredi 12 Février 2010

Surgeon Told Off for Abusing Fat Patient
NEW ZEALAND HERALD: A foul-mouthed surgeon has been reprimanded for swearing at a severely obese patient and for punishing her by removing her from a waiting list.

The doctor, known as "Dr B", told his gastric bypass patient, "Ms A", that she was "going on a f****** diet" after she complained she disliked the word "diet" and preferred to talk about "lifestyle".

He had put the Maori 44-year-old on a list to be considered for surgery after a tense consultation last April at which he used forms of the F word at least three times.

In a letter written seven weeks after she complained, the surgeon offered what Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson calls a half-hearted apology - and took her off the list, asserting they no longer had a "therapeutic relationship". >>> Martin Johnston | Thursday, February 11, 2010

'Timid' EU Must Not Make Us Fight This Battle Alone, Says Greek Prime Minister
THE GUARDIAN: Lack of united support blamed for creating a pyschology of imminent collapse / Tentative response fails to impress markets as data shows eurozone stagnating

George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister. Photo: The Guardian
George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, today slammed the EU for displaying "timidity" in its dealings with the country as it grappled with its worst financial crisis in a decade.

In a live address to his cabinet following his return from yesterday's emergency summit in Brussels, the normally mild-mannered leader hit out at the lack of united support from the EU, saying the foot-dragging had exacerbated the load for debt-ridden Greece which has been hammered by markets in recent weeks.

"Greece is not a political or an economic superpower to fight this alone. The EU gave political support in the last few months of this crisis, but in the battle against impressions and the psychology of the market it was at the very least timid."

The union had, he said, been fragmented by multiple voices, differences and diverging statements. "There was speculation about our country which created a psychology of imminent collapse, prophesies which risked becoming self-fulfilling," he said. "There was a lack of co-ordination between various bodies of the union, the commission, the member states, the European Central Bank, even different opinions within those bodies."

EU leaders also failed to impress the financial markets with their tentative response to the Greek debt crisis and suffered another blow from fresh data today showing the eurozone economy stagnated in the last quarter.

With governments declining to put flesh on the bones of plans to rescue Greece from sovereign default, if need be, the markets again rounded on the euro, taking it to a nine-month low against the dollar at $1.3606 this morning.

Despite the market fever, however, leaders across the EU are quietly relaxed about the fall as they view the single currency as too strong. They are privately hoping for an adjustment against the dollar to boost European exports, not least in Germany, the world's champion exporter until recently overtaken by China. >>> Ian Traynor in Brussels, Julia Kollewe, and Helena Smith in Athens | Friday, February 12, 2010

America's Kennedy Dynasty Set to End
THE TELEGRAPH: America's fabled Kennedy dynasty is set to come to an end after the son of the late Senator Edward Kennedy said he would not run for re-election to Congress in November.

Patrick Kennedy with his father, the late Senator Edward Kennedy. Photo: The Telegraph
His decision means that Washington will soon to be left without a member of the Kennedy clan holding political office for the first time since 1947.

Representative Patrick Kennedy, 42, of Rhode Island, who has battled with drugs and alcohol abuse, is to announce on Sunday that his life is "taking a new direction" and indicated that the death of his father in August was a factor in his decision.

"Illness took the life of my most cherished mentor and confidante, my ultimate source of spirit and strength," he said in a television message as a black-and-white photograph of him as a boy sailing with his father appeared on the screen.

"From the countless lives he lifted, to the American promise he helped shape, my father taught me that politics at its very core was about serving others."

The announcement is another blow to President Barack Obama, coming a month after the stunning upset in Massachusetts when Scott Brown, a Republican, won the Senate seat that Edward Kennedy had held since 1962. >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Saturday, February 12, 2010

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Accused of Ruining 'World's Greatest Party'
THE TELEGRAPH: The mayor of Rio de Janeiro has been accused of ruining the atmosphere of the city's famous carnival with a "zero tolerance" approach towards drinking, prostitution and debauched behaviour.

Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome. Photo: The Telegraph
Eduardo Paes wants to end the Brazilian city's general lawlessness with a campaign he calls "Shock of Order" based on the police tactics that brought spiralling crime under control in New York in the 1990s.

But as this year's Rio carnival, billed as the "world's biggest party," gets under way, the youthful Mr Paes, 40, is being denounced by some as a killjoy.

Under his tough measures those who drink too much beer at giant carnival street parties and use gutters as lavatories face a night in a prison cell.

Nearly 100 people have already been arrested ahead of the carnival for an indiscretion always tolerated in the past.

To keep beaches pristine the mayor has also outlawed traditional skewered carnival foods like fried shrimp and grilled cheese sticks.

Beach football, a near religion in Brazil, is banned until 5pm and Rio's infamous waterfront pickup club for legal prostitutes on Copacabana beach has been closed to make way for a museum.

Mr Paes also recently told Cariocas, as Rio residents are known, to stop being such "pigs" by leaving piles of rubbish on the beach.

Part of the motivation for the carnival clean-up is Brazil's effort to shine when it hosts the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic games. >>> Nick Allen | Friday, February 12, 2010

Abdur Raheem Green: Loving Allah and His Messenger

Diplomatie: Obama ne doit pas voir le dalaï-lama, insiste Pékin
Le dalaï-lama. Crédits photo: Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Selon l’agence Chine Nouvelle, Pékin a demandé l’annulation de la rencontre entre le président américain et le leader tibétain en exil, prévue le 18 février. La Chine a transmis une représentation solennelle auprès de Washington

«La Chine s’oppose fermement à ce que le Dalaï-lama rende visite aux Etats-Unis et aux dirigeants américains», a déclaré le porte-parole cité par l’agence Chine Nouvelle, reprenant mot pour mot une déclaration faite quelques heures plus tôt.

«Nous pressons la partie américaine de comprendre pleinement le caractère hautement sensible des problèmes liés au Tibet et d’honorer son engagement à reconnaître le Tibet comme partie intégrante de la Chine et de s’opposer à l’indépendance du Tibet», a ajouté Ma Zhaozu. >>> ATS | Vendredi 12 Février 2010

Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem: Friendship Between Man and Woman Is Forbidden

Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem: Polygamy in Islam

Sheikh Assim Al-Hakeem: Plucking One’s Eyebrows in Islam

Sheikh Assim al Hakeem: The Beard in Islam

Important for Westerners to Understand: Sheikh Assim al Hakeem: Love for the Prophet Muhammad
Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:

We Ignore This Devotion at Our Own Peril! Muslims of the World: “Our Love for the Prophet”

Swiss Politician Bans Minarets then Converts to Islam
Al-JAZEERAH.info: The Swiss politician Daniel Streich, who rose to fame as a result of his opposition to mosques in his homeland, has now embraced the faith he reviled.

Daniel Streich was a member of then Swiss People's Party (SVP) in Switzerland. A well-known politician, Streich led the calls for a ban on minarets across Switzerland. He was active in building anti-Muslim sentiments throughout Switzerland. This sustained campaign led to him being given a high ranking position in the Swiss Army.

SVP Witch Hunt

Streich left the SVP in November 2009 calling his party's campaign against Islam as a 'witch hunt.' The date coincided with the second anniversary of Streich's conversion which he had kept secret from the party.

With the party's campaign to ban minarets leading to a referendum, Streich said the situation had become unbearable for him. >>> Faisal Hanif | Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Anti-Minarett-Initiative – Ex-SVPler: «Schweiz braucht mehr Moscheen»
20 MINUTEN ONLINE: Daniel Streich, Militärinstruktor und bis vor Kurzem SVP-Politiker in Bulle, ist aus der Partei ausgetreten. Grund: Er ist zum Islam konvertiert. Zwei Jahre lang verheimlichte er dies seiner Ex-Partei. Jetzt - mit der «Hetzjagd gegen den Islam» - wurde die Situation für ihn untragbar.

Er war ein treuer SVPler und Christ, las die Bibel und besuchte regelmässig die Kirche. Nun liest der Militärinstruktor und Gemeinderat von Bulle, Daniel Streich, den Koran, betet fünfmal täglich und geht in die Moschee. «Der Islam bietet mir logische Anworten auf wichtige Lebensfragen, die ich im Christentum nicht abschliessend fand», sagt Streich. >>> dp/20 Minuten | Montag, 23. November 2010

Muslime in Uniform: Sicherheits-Risiko für unsere Armee?
BLICK.ch: ZÜRICH – Daniel Streich ist Militärinstruktor. Und: Er ist Muslim. Das ist kein Einzelfall. Ein Problem für die Schweizer Armee?

Lange hat er sein Doppelleben geheimgehalten. Einerseits strammer SVP-Rechtsaussen und Militärinstruktor. Anderseits streng praktizierender Muslim. Er bete fünfmal jeden Tag und gehe in die Moschee. Jetzt habe Streich die Flucht an die Öffentlichkeit angetreten, berichtet «20 Minuten». Hat sich öffentlich zum Islam bekannt – und den Austritt aus der SVP bekanntgegeben. Jetzt will Streich der BDP von Bundesrätin Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf beitreten.

Wieviele Muslime in der Armee?

Offiziell gibt es keine Infos zur Anzahl der Muslime in der Armee. «Die ist wahrscheinlich viel höher, als uns bewusst ist», sagt Strategieexperte Albert A. Stahel von der Uni Zürich gegenüber Blick.ch. Es gebe zahlreiche eingewanderte Kosovaren, Bosnier, Türken, die heute als Eingebürgerte Militärdienst leisteten.

Sind Muslime in der Armee ein Sicherheitsrisiko? Diese Frage wird in westlichen Demokratien zunehmend diskutiert, seit der muslimische Militärpsychiater im texanischen Fort Hood wegen seinem Hass auf die USA 13 Kameraden tötete.

In der Schweiz gibt es einen Bericht über die politische Einstellung der Imame in der Schweiz, den das VBS erstellt hat, aber nicht veröffentlichen will. Ob auch etwas über Muslime in der Armee und mögliche Auswirkungen steht, ist ebenfalls nicht bekannt. Islam und Armee: «Gleiche Macho-Kultur» >>> Von Michael Scharenberg | Dienstag, 24. November 2009

Vicar Outrages Congregation by Telling Women to 'Be Silent and Submit to Your Husbands'
MAIL ONLINE: A vicar has come under fire after instructing his female parishioners to 'be silent' and 'submit to your husbands'.

Angus MacLeay, the rector of St Nicholas Church in Sevenoaks, Kent, issued a leaflet to his congregation saying that women should 'not speak' if questions could be answered by their husbands.

The pamphlet, entitled The Role Of Women In The Local Church, has enraged female members of the congregation, in particular a section called Family Life And Church Family Life.

It reads: 'Wives are to submit to their husbands in everything in recognition of the fact that husbands are head of the family as Christ is head of the church.

'This is the way God has ordered their relationships with each other and Christian marriage cannot function well without it.'

The leaflet - under a section called More Difficult Passages To Consider - continues: 'It would seem that women should remain silent... if their questions could legitimately be answered by their husbands at home.'

Reverend MacLeay, whose wife teaches at fee-paying Sevenoaks School, sits on the General Synod and is chairman of the board of trustess of Reform, a hardline organisation committed to 'reforming the church from within according to the holy scriptures'. >>> Graham Smith | Friday, February 12, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: David Code warns parents how spoilt children turn into monsters >>> Penny Wark | Saturday, February 13, 2010

Portugals Parlament stimmt für Homo-Ehe: Entscheidung liegt nun bei Staatschef Cavaco Silva
NZZ ONLINE: Das portugiesische Parlament hat in zweiter Lesung einem Gesetz zur Einführung der Homo-Ehe zugestimmt. Für das Vorhaben stimmten wie schon bei der ersten Lesung die Abgeordneten der linksgerichteten Parteien.

Der Gesetzestext schliesst ein Adoptionsrecht für gleichgeschlechtliche Ehepaare allerdings ausdrücklich aus. Über das Inkraftsetzen der Reform entscheidet nun Portugals Staatschef Cavaco Silva, der sein Veto gegen das Gesetz einlegen könnte. >>> sda/afp | Freitag, 12. Februar 2010

«Menschen in Iran wollen Demokratie» : Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Ebadi bittet Uno um Hilfe
NZZ ONLINE: Die iranische Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Shirin Ebadi hat wegen der angespannten Lage in ihrem Land ein Hilfegesuch an die Uno gerichtet. «Bitte helft uns», sagte sie am Freitag bei einer Veranstaltung am Uno-Sitz in Genf.

«Helft uns, den Frieden im Iran wieder herzustellen und das Feuer in unseren Häusern zu löschen», bat Ebadi. Es sei Zeit, dass die iranische Regierung «dem Volk zuhört, sonst gibt es schon morgen eine Katastrophe». Die Lage im Iran soll am Montag vor dem Uno-Menschenrechtsrat diskutiert werden. >>> sda/afp | Freitag, 12. Februar 2010