New York Mosque Plans Face Lawsuit
THE TELEGRAPH: A planned mosque and Muslim cultural centre near the site of the September 11 attacks faces a new hurdle as a lawsuit has been filed aiming to block the controversial project.

The former Burlington Coat Factory building that will make way for the Cordoba House which some are calling the 'Ground Zero Mosque' in lower Manhattan. Photo: The Telegraph
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday by the American Center for Law & Justice in Washington whose mission is defending religious freedom, challenged Tuesday's decision by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission not to grant landmark status to the 1857 Italianate building currently on the site.

"This issue has nothing to do with religious freedom," said Brett Joshpe, a lawyer for ACLJ. "Given what the (planned new) building represents, the placement of the project at that location is inappropriate and inflammatory."

Opponents of the center say it would betray the memory of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. >>> | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Related >>>

Dhimmitude! Parents’ Fury at Town Hall Plans for Halal-only Menus in Schools
MAIL ONLINE: Parents have expressed fury at plans to serve pupils halal-only menus for school dinners.

In a move which has also enraged animal welfare groups, only meat from animals killed and prepared using Islamic teaching will be allowed at 52 primaries in Harrow.

Critics say the plan puts the needs of Muslim children before those of other faiths, while parents say they have not been consulted over the scheme.

Schools are free to opt in to the programme or look elsewhere for their meals from the start of next month, according to Harrow Council.

The local authority is thought to be the first in England to insist on a halal-only menu apparently after recommendations of dietitians.

According to the 2001 Census, Harrow is one of the most religiously diverse areas in Britain with fewer than 50 per cent of the population Christian, a fifth Hindu and 7 per cent Jewish.

Using the halal method, animals are slaughtered by being slashed across the neck and being left so that the blood drains from the carcass.

The religious ritual, which does not allow the animals to be stunned beforehand, is considered cruel by campaigners and is exempt from animal welfare laws.

Harrow resident Sheila Murphy said: 'I am appalled at Harrow Council’s decision to serve only Halal meat in the borough’s schools. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, August 05, 2010

The rise of fundamentalism: An increasing number of children go to madrassas. Photograph: Mail Online
”Eye-watering amounts of Saudi money goes into promoting Wahhabism. They fund mosques, religious-schools, imams, conferences and trips to Saudi Arabia. They are our wealthy allies and so are never questioned or stopped.” – Yasmin Alibhai Brown

The Talibanisation of British Childhood by Hardline Parents
MAIL ONLINE: Last November, on the steps of Tate Britain, I witnessed a scene that troubles me still.

A furious Asian father was shaking his young son and tearing up the picture his child had drawn.

The boy kicked and cried. Recognising my face from TV appearances I had made as a commentator on current affairs, the father came across to say 'hello'.

So I asked him what his child had done that had made him so angry. He explained that according to his Islamic mentors, drawing pictures of people was forbidden.

I was flabbergasted. After all, this was in the middle of Britain's multi-cultural capital - a modern metropolis, not some dusty backstreet in Kabul.

What harm can there be in a picture?

So I asked the man if he owned a camera. 'Yes,' he replied. 'And a video camera.'

So why, I asked, was it acceptable for him to take pictures, but not for his child to draw a stick figure?

'The madrasa teacher told me children are not allowed to,' he said, referring to the places of religious instruction for Muslim children, which are the equivalent of Sunday schools for Christians.

'I am not an educated man, so I must listen to them.'

You might think this encounter was a case of an ill-educated parent misinterpreting the teachings of his elders.

Alas, in the past year I have come to realise his attitude towards his child is far from unique.

Such fundamentalist beliefs about parenthood are not uncommon. In private, teachers, lecturers, community, youth and social workers have told me many more such stories of the suppression of simple childhood pleasures in the name of Islam.

An investigation by the BBC revealed one London school where more than 20 Muslim pupils had been removed from music lessons because their parents felt such teaching to be anti-Islamic.

Another one-off? No, the Muslim Council of Britain confirmed that music lessons are likely to be 'unacceptable' to 10 per cent of Muslims.

What should be a simple pleasure is instead seen by thousands of families as a symbol of moral decadence. >>> Yasmin Alibhai-Brown | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Briton Arrested for Wearing Bikini in Dubai Mall
THE INDEPENDENT: A British woman was arrested and charged with indecency after walking through a Dubai shopping mall wearing a bikini, it was reported today.

The Foreign Office confirmed the woman was arrested and charged, but the charges have since been dropped.

The holidaymaker is believed to have been arrested after a complaint that she was dressed indecently in the Dubai Mall.

The mall is the world's largest shopping centre, with more than 1,200 stores, and is part of the 20 billion US dollar (£12.5 billion) Burj Khalifa complex.

It is believed the woman walked through the mall wearing a revealing top, attracting the complaint from a local woman. She then apparently stripped down to a bikini, prompting her arrest, the Daily Mail reported. >>> Ellen Branagh, Press Association | Thursday, August 05, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: British woman arrested for walking through Dubai shopping mall in a bikini: A British woman has been arrested and charged with indecency after walking through a Dubai shopping mall wearing a bikini, according to reports. >>> Laura Roberts | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Pakistan President Snubs Cameron’s Invitation to Chequers
MAIL ONLINE: Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari has turned down an offer of hospitality at David Cameron’s coun­try retreat Chequers.

Mr Zardari rejected an invitation to spend a night at the Buckinghamshire mansion, saying he was too busy as the diplo­matic row continued over his coun­try’s approach to tackling terrorism.

But he will visit Chequers for dinner this evening for informal talks with the Prime Minister, which are set to be dominated by Mr Cameron’s assertion last week that Pakistan is ‘exporting terror’.

He will then travel back to his hotel in London before returning to Chequers tomorrow for for­mal talks with the Prime Minister, who also accused Pakistan of ‘looking both ways’ on terror.

Mr Zardari will on Saturday address a rally in Birmingham at which he is expected to launch his son with Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal, onto the political stage.

Bilawal, 21, is the young heir to the most important political dynasty in Pakistan and has been at his father's side in France and the UK this week.

He became chairman of the Pakistan People's Party after his mother's assassination and has just graduated from Oxford and will now take to politics full-time.

Mr Cameron’s comments, made during a visit to India last week, have unleashed fury in Pakistan and angered some members of Britain’s million-strong British Pakistani community.

Pakistani sources have said Mr Zardari will use this week’s talks to ‘educate’ Mr Cameron on the suffering that terrorism has caused to his country. >>> Jason Groves | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Iranian Teenager Faces Execution for 'False' Gay Assault Charges
PINK NEWS: An 18-year-old Iranian man is facing execution over a false sodomy charge, campaigners say.

Ebrahim Hamidi was sentenced to death two years ago at the age of 16 for an unspecified assault on another man.

Although the allegation was withdrawn and the Iranian Supreme Court has rejected the guilty verdict and execution order, a lower provincial court is insisting on Mr Hamidi's execution.

Now, his fate lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, which must decided whether to uphold the execution order.

Previously, he was represented by the human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei but Mr Mostafaei has gone into hiding after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The lawyer is also representing Sakineh Ashtiani, the Iranian woman who has been sentenced to death by stoning on charges of adultery.

Supporters of Mr Hamidi say that while Ms Ashtiani is unlikely to face death because she has international support, he could be executed at any time.

They are asking for people to contact their MPs to raise awareness of Mr Hamidi's plight. >>> Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Liberals Quick to Back Burqa Ban
WA TODAY: Liberal leader Tony Abbott and WA Premier Colin Barnett have attacked a Muslim woman's request to testify in a court case wearing a full head covering.

A Perth judge is set to decide this week whether the woman who wears the burqa can testify before a jury in a fraud trial. She is a strict Muslim who does not want to show her face to men.

The traditional headscarf, also known as a niqab, covers virtually the whole body, allowing only a small slit for the eyes through which the woman can see.

The Opposition Leader today weighed into the debate, labelling the burqa a "particularly confronting" piece of clothing.

"I find the burqa a particularly confronting form of attire and I would very much wish that fewer Australians would choose it," Mr Abbott told reporters when asked about the case.

Mr Barnett today said he believed Muslim witnesses giving evidence in court should remove their burqa so the "true nature" of their evidence can be seen.

He said although he defended the right of people to dress according to their faith and religion, in this case it would be appropriate for the woman to remove her burqa.

"I would think, normally, witnesses should have their faces exposed," he said.

"I think it's important for the judge and jury to see the true nature of any evidence given, the expressions and the like. But that is a matter for the judge." >>> AAP | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Australian court to rule on whether Muslim woman can give evidence in burka: An intense debate over the burka has been sparked in Australia after a Muslim woman asked a judge to allow her to give evidence while wearing the full veil. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Cross-dressing Men Flogged in Sudan for Being 'Womanly'
BBC: A group of young Muslim men have been publicly flogged in Sudan after they were convicted of wearing women's clothes and make-up.

The court said the 19 men had broken Sudan's strict public morality codes.

Police arrested them at a party where they were found dancing "in a womanly fashion", the judge said.

The men were not represented in court and said nothing in their defence, some hid their faces from the hundreds of people who watched as they were lashed.

'Scared'

The sentence of 30 lashes was carried out as soon as the court in Omdurman, near Khartoum, gave its ruling.

They must also pay fines of as much as 1,000 Sudanese pounds ($400, £252).

One lawyer, who did not want to be named, told Reuters news agency the men had not received a fair trial.

"These people did not get a chance for justice, public opinion and the media prejudged them and lawyers were too scared to come and defend them," he said.

Newspapers had called the party a "same sex wedding". >>> | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

The Never-ending Problems We Have with Islam!
THE TELEGRAPH: The leader of the Conservative party on Slough Borough Council has been charged with bigamy.

Councillor Pervez Choudhry, 52, was arrested on Monday and later released on bail.

Choudhry, who was originally elected as a Labour candidate for the Central Ward but later defected to the Tories, is due to appear at Maidenhead Magistrates' Court next Monday.

Peter Dale-Gough, the acting leader of the Conservative group on Slough Borough Council, said Choudhry had told him that he took part in a religious ceremony to his first wife but never went through with the civil ceremony and was therefore not married by law.

His second wife, a GP who was said to be about 10 years his junior, lives and works in Birmingham. He was said to have met her while using an online dating site and married her in Pakistan.

She was thought to have left Choudhury on learning that his previous marriage may not have legally ended.

Choudhry, of Slough, has vowed to clear his name, after agreeing to stand down as the Conservatives' leader. Tory councillor charged with bigamy >>> Nick Collins | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

California's Proposition 8 Gay Marriage Ban Overturned by Court
THE GUARDIAN – BLOGS – RICHARD ADAMS: Judge rules that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marriage, overturning California's controversial Proposition 8

A judge has overturned California's ban on homosexual marriage as unconstitutional in a sweeping victory for gay and lesbian civil rights – setting off a round of appeals that will see the issue ultimately decided by the US Supreme Court[.]

US district judge Vaughn Walker declared that the ban on gay and lesbian marriage enforced by the Proposition 8 referendum in 2008 – when it was backed by 52% of California's voters – violated the US Constitution's due-process and equal-protection clauses. Continue reading and comment >>> Richard Adams | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

California's Same-sex Marriage Ban Overturned
THE TELEGRAPH: A federal judge has overturned California's same-sex marriage ban in a landmark case that could eventually reach the US Supreme Court.



US District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco defied the state's supreme court and a narrow majority of its voters by ruling that homosexuals and lesbians have a right in the federal constitution to marry on an equal basis with heterosexuals.

The California Supreme Court last year upheld the ban, imposed after a public ballot in November 2008, and argued that people were entitled to change their constitution.

The ban runs counter to a growing trend of accepting such marriages in other states and Judge Walker's ruling had been awaited keenly by gay rights advocates.

His ruling is expected to be appealed and is almost certain to reach the US Supreme Court, via the appeals court. As a result, gay marriage will not yet be allowed to resume. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – TOBY YOUNG: Proposition 8: Hollywood is the capital of gay hypocrisy >>> Toby Young | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Moschee neben Ground Zero
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: In New York soll in der unmittelbaren Nähe von Ground Zero, dem Schauplatz der Terrorangriffe 2001 auf das World Trade Center, eine Moschee entstehen. Dies sorgt für eine heftige Debatte.



Verbunden / Related >>>

Massachusetts Governor Declares His Support of the Ground Zero Mosque and Displays His Ignorance about Islam >>>

Ahmadinedschad entgeht Anschlag
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Auf den iranischen Präsidenten Mahmud Ahmadinedschad ist offenbar ein Anschlag verübt worden. Ahmadinedschad kam dabei nicht zu Schaden.



Related / Verbunden >>>

Netanyahu: Hamas Responsible for Rockets on Eilat; We Will Retaliate
HAARETZ: PM also blames Lebanese government for violence at border, days after Grad rocket salvo killed Jordanian man in attack from Sinai.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking on Israeli television on August 4, 2010. Photo: Haaretz.com
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Israeli television Wednesday that Hamas was responsible for the deadly rocket fire on Israel's and Jordan's Red Sea ports on Monday, and that Israel would retaliate.

Earlier Wednesday, Egyptian officials also confirmed that the rocket attacks, which had killed a Jordanian taxi driver in Aqaba, had been carried out by the militant Palestinian group operating from Egypt, after days of denials.

"Over recent days we've witnessed three attacks against Israel," Netanyahu said in a special announcement on Israeli television. "An attack from Gaza on Ashkelon, an attack by the Lebanese army on Israel Defense Forces troops carrying out a routine operation, and another attack from the Sinai peninsula at Eilat. I want to make very clear to Hamas and to the Lebanese government that we view them as responsible for the violent provocation against us."

"Don't test our determination to protect our citizens," the prime minister went on to say. >>> News Agencies and Haaretz Service | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

L'Argentine face au douloureux débat de l'avortement
Cristina Kirchner, présidente de l'Argentine. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Elle n'a que 11 ans et vit dans un quartier pauvre de Córdoba, dans le Centre argentin. Alertée par son comportement bizarre, sa mère a découvert qu'elle était tombée enceinte après avoir été violée par un voisin. Mais lorsque la famille de la fillette demande un avortement, un fonctionnaire public avertit qu'il lui est "impossible d'avorter sans l'intervention de la justice".

Si la fillette a finalement fait une fausse couche, cette situation sordide a ouvert une forte polémique en Argentine sur le thème ultrasensible de l'avortement. Dans ce pays où 90 % de la population se dit catholique, l'avortement est illégal, sauf cas exceptionnel. L'article 86 du Code pénal argentin stipule que "l'avortement n'est pas punissable seulement s'il a été pratiqué afin d'éviter un danger pour la vie ou la santé de la mère" ou "s'il provient d'un viol ou d'un attentat à la pudeur commis sur une femme démente". >>> De correspondant du Point à Buenos Aires, Olivier Ubertalli | Mercredi 04 Août 2010

Pamela Geller: 'Hitler Inspired by Islam'

Shame on you !!! Landmarks Preservation Commission & Mayor Bloomberg

Republicans Wage War on Immigrants in Constitution Citizenship Challenge
THE TELEGRAPH: Leading Republicans have joined a push for a repeal of the constitutional amendment that confers citizenship upon anyone born in the United States as immigration takes centre stage ahead of the mid term elections.

They argue that the 14th amendment, which was enacted in 1868, is being exploited by illegal immigrants as well as wealthy people who want to use their children to "anchor" themselves to the US.

The suggestion of a review or repeal of the amendment is a highly controversial move as most American view the constitution as sacrosanct. The 14th amendment was designed to prevent individual states refusing to grant citizenship to slaves freed in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Among the leading Republicans in the Senate supporting the move is John McCain, the 2008 presidential candidate, who is currently facing a Right-wing challenge from within his own party in his re-election bid in Arizona, the border state where immigration is a dominant issue. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Umarow will nun doch «Emir vom Kaukasus» bleiben: Erklärung über Videobotschaft auf Internetportal Youtube
NZZ ONLINE: Der tschetschenische Rebellenführer und selbsternannte «Emir vom Kaukasus», Doku Umarow, will entgegen eigener Ankündigungen seinen Posten nun doch behalten.

«Angesichts der Situation im Kaukasus erachte ich es als unmöglich, mein Amt abzugeben», sagte Umarow in einem Video, das am Mittwoch auf mehreren den Rebellen nahestehenden Webseiten sowie dem Internetportal Youtube zu sehen war. >>> sda/afp | Mittwoch, 04. August 2010

Sodomie: Malaise en Malaisie
leJDD.fr: Lundi, le procès de l'ancien vice-Premier ministre malaisien, Anwar Ibrahim, qui risque 20 ans de prison pour sodomie, a été ajourné au 9 août. Son assistant, qui l'accuse, entretiendrait une liaison avec un membre de l'équipe du procureur. Le leader de l'opposition clame son innocence et dénonce une mascarade pour briser sa carrière politique.

Accusé de sodomie, Anwar Ibrahim, leader de l'opposition malaisienne -ici accompagné de son épouse Wan Azizah Wan Ismail- dénonce une mascarade pour briser sa carrière politique. Photo : leJDD.fr
Pour Anwar Ibrahim, l'histoire semble singulièrement se répéter. A 63 ans, le leader de l'opposition malaisienne et ancien vice-Premier ministre n'en est pas à son premier procès pour sodomie. Condamné en 1998, cet homme marié à une autre femme politique a passé six ans derrière les barreaux, avant d'être finalement acquitté en 2004. En Malaisie, où l'homosexualité est interdite, l'acte est passible de 20 ans de prison et qualifié de "relation charnelle contre l'ordre de la nature" dans le code pénal. En juillet 2008, nouvelle accusation d'un ancien de ses assistants, de 40 ans son cadet, pour le même motif. Depuis, Anwar Ibrahim n'a cessé de clamer son innocence. "C'est la répétition du même scénario " avait-il déclaré, joint par le New York Times en janvier 2010, un mois avant le début du procès. Une carrière politique brisée >>> Charlotte Lazimi, leJDD.fr | Mercredi 04 Août 2010

Malaysia Opposition Leader Accused of Sodomizing Aide
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Malaysia’s resurgent political opposition, took refuge on Sunday in the Turkish Embassy in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, saying he feared for his security after an aide accused him of participating in homosexual acts.

The police in Malaysia said they would investigate allegations by the aide, Saiful Bahari, a 23-year-old campaign worker, that he had been sodomized by Mr. Anwar. Sodomy is described under Malaysian law as “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” and is punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

The accusation, similar to one that led to Mr. Anwar’s dismissal as deputy prime minister and jailing a decade ago, comes at a time of turbulence in Malaysian politics, with Mr. Anwar threatening to woo enough defectors from the ruling coalition to form his own government.

Mr. Anwar spent six years in prison for the 1998 sodomy case but was ultimately acquitted and released.

“Not again,” said Mr. Anwar, reached by telephone inside the embassy. “It’s a repeat of the same script.” >>> Thomas Fuller | Wednesday, June 30, 2010

US Heads for Civil War Over Health Insurance
Tea Party Patriots demonstrate against healthcare reform. Photo: The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – JANET DALEY: The Battle of Obama’s Healthcare is looking to go down in history as a major confrontation between the power of federal government and the self-determination of individual states. And that eternal tension between what used to be called state’s rights and the coercive inclinations of federal authority has been at the heart of the most momentous struggles in national history – not least the civil war which tested the strength of the Union to breaking point.

Barack Obama’s health reforms have been challenged by a startlingly successful rebellion in Missouri. A state ballot referendum on Proposition C which prohibited federal government from requiring people to buy health insurance or from penalising them if they did not, was carried by a majority of 71 per cent. (Making health insurance compulsory is one of the fundamental tenets of Obamacare.) The actual constitutional basis for this challenge may seem technical in British terms: it centres on the point that there should be no federal compulsion forcing people to engage in inter-state commerce (ie buying things across state lines). Read on and comment >>> Janet Daley | Wednesday, August 04, 2010