California Gay Marriage Ban Supporters Lodge Appeal
THE TELEGRAPH: Supporters of California's gay marriage ban have filed an appeal of a federal judge's ruling striking down the voter-approved law.

Cindy McCain, the wife of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., posing for the NOH8 campaign. NOH8 is a gay rights group challenging Proposition 8 passed by California voters in 2008 banning same sex marriage. Photo: The Telegraph
The appeal to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals was expected, as lawyers on both sides of the legal battle repeatedly vowed to carry the fight to a higher court if they lost.

On Wednesday, a federal judge in San Francisco overturned California's Proposition 8, which restricts a marriage to one man and one woman. US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the law violates federal equal protections and due process laws.

The outcome in the appeals court could force the US Supreme Court to confront the question of whether gays have a constitutional right to wed.

"This ruling, if allowed to stand, threatens not only Prop 8 in California but the laws in 45 other states that define marriage as one man and one woman," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, which helped fund the 2008 campaign that led to the ban's passage. >>> | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Streit um Homo-Ehe in Kalifornien geht in nächste Runde: Gegner legen Berufung gegen Gerichtsentscheid ein
NZZ ONLINE: Gegner der «Homo-Ehe» in Kalifornien haben Berufung gegen das Urteil eines US-Bundesrichters eingelegt, der ein Verbot für rechtswidrig erklärt hatte. Damit geht der Streit um die Rechte von Schwulen und Lesben in die nächste Runde.

Der seit Jahren andauernde Streit um die Homo-Ehe im Teilstaat Kalifornien geht in eine nächste Runde. Gegner der Homo-Ehe legten am Donnerstag (Ortszeit) Rechtsmittel gegen die Entscheidung eines Bundesgerichts ein, das erst am Mittwoch ein Verbot von Homo-Ehen als verfassungswidrig erklärt hatte.

Rechtsexperten gehen davon aus, dass der Fall in wenigen Jahren vor dem Obersten Gerichtshof der USA landen dürfte. Hin und Her >>> sda/afp | Freitag, 06. August 2010

Google Accused of Betraying Internet Golden Rule in Net Neutrality Row
THE TELEGRAPH: Google, the internet giant, has been accused of betraying one of the most widely accepted "laws" of the internet called net neutrality; the principle that everyone has equal access.

The firm has admitted that it has been in talks with the US communications provider Verizon and even agreed an outline plan on how internet traffic should be carried over networks.

However, many have already voiced fears that if the plan becomes public, it could serve as a blueprint for how to carve up the internet and sell the best performance to the highest bidder.

Some critics have described it as "doomsday scenario" that "marks the beginning of the end of the internet as you know it".

Google said discrimination is permissible in some circumstances.

The principle of net neutrality was one of the founding ideas of the web.

Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a digital rights campaign group, said: "The deal between Verizon and Google about how to manage internet traffic is deeply regrettable and should be considered meaningless.

"The fate of the internet is too large a matter to be decided by negotiations involving two companies."

Josh Silver, president of Free Press, a media reform group, wrote a piece in the Huffington Post and warned: "Since its beginnings, the Net was a level playing field that allowed all content to move at the same speed, whether it's ABC News or your uncle's video blog.

"That's all about to change, and the result couldn't be more bleak for the future of the Internet, for television, radio and independent voices." >>> Andy Bloxham | Friday, August 06, 2010

Sen. Franken: Stop the Corporate Takeover of the Media


A Note to Google Users on Net Neutrality *:
The Internet as we know it is facing a serious threat. There's a debate heating up in Washington, DC on something called "net neutrality" – and it's a debate that's so important Google is asking you to get involved. We're asking you to take action to protect Internet freedom.

In the next few days, the House of Representatives is going to vote on a bill that would fundamentally alter the Internet. That bill, and one that may come up for a key vote in the Senate in the next few weeks, would give the big phone and cable companies the power to pick and choose what you will be able to see and do on the Internet.

Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody – no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional – has equal access. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all Internet access, want the power to choose who gets access to high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest. They want to build a two-tiered system and block the on-ramps for those who can't pay.

Creativity, innovation and a free and open marketplace are all at stake in this fight. Please call your representative (202-224-3121) and let your voice be heard.

Thanks for your time, your concern and your support.

Eric Schmidt [Source: Google Help Center] | 2006

* My - my! How things change when big money and huge profits are involved! – Mark

Josh Silver >>>

Follow Josh Silver on Twitter >>>

Burqa Trial Man Anwar Sayed 'Brutally Stabbed'
Anwar Sayed (right), with lawyer Andrew Skerritt at a previous trial appearance. Photograph: WA Today
WA TODAY: The man whose trial has led to controversy over the wearing of a Muslim headscarf in court has been "brutally stabbed" after being stopped in his car, his lawyer says.

Anwar Sayed, who a court yesterday heard had received written and verbal death threats for supposedly agitating to abolish the wearing of a niqab, also known as a burqa, was allegedly attacked this morning.

Mr Sayed is alleged to have obtained more than $750,000 from federal and state governments by artificially inflating student numbers at Muslim Ladies College in Kenwick.

But the case has been overshadowed by the niqab issue, which has raised legal questions on whether the witness should be entitled to obscure her face from the judge and jury.

While a date was being set today for Mr Sayed's retrial, his lawyer Mark Trowell said the school director had been "brutally stabbed to the chest and face, his car having been stopped".

Mr Trowell told the court Mr Sayed had taken himself to his office after being stabbed, before being rushed to hospital. (+ videos) >>> Chalpat Sonti with AAP | Friday, August 06, 2010

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Margaret Thatcher on Socialism

New Dark Age Alert! Our Dangerous Dalliance with Radical Islam
THE TELEGRAPH: Whitehall's support only puts us at greater risk from the religious revolutionaries, says Andrew Gilligan.

Over the past 10 days, like a submarine just below the surface, the outline has become visible of a massive Whitehall row, the outcome of which could be almost as important to our country as fixing the deficit.

The argument is about the influence that Islamism should have in the British state. Islamism should never, by the way, be confused with Islam. Islam is a religion, practised by millions of British citizens who have never sought to overthrow anything in their lives. Islamism is a revolutionary political doctrine, supported by a small minority of Muslims, whose aim is to overthrow secular democratic government and replace it with Islamic government.

In the words of Syed Mawdudi, its founder: "Wherever you are, in whichever country you live, you must strive to change the wrong basis of government, and seize all powers to rule and make laws from those who do not fear God."

Our new ministers appear to be moving towards a clear and obvious policy, of no official support for Islamism. But they face surprising resistance from the people supposed to carry out their wishes: the Civil Service.

There are, in Whitehall, a number of senior officials and paid ministerial advisers who are sympathisers of Islamism. One of them, Mohammed Abdul Aziz, is an honorary trustee of one of Britain's most important Islamist-controlled institutions, the East London Mosque.

Mr Aziz wrote a paper – leaked to this newspaper – saying that the new administration should build closer ties with the East London Mosque. He recommended that ministers should consider appearing in public with Islamist organisations which promote "a message of divisiveness, expressing intolerance towards other communities in the UK". He said that officials should even deal privately with some organisations which may support "violent extremism in Britain". Continue reading and comment >>> Andrew Gilligan | Friday, August 06, 2010

Mr Gilligan, you have fallen for the pabulum that there is a distinction to be made between Islamism and Islam. And you have made that distinction – erroneously.

There is but one Islam, and that's Islam proper. No self-respecting Muslim would talk of Islamism, for he would know that such a term is a nonsense made up by ill-informed kufaar, or infidels.

To be a Muslim means to submit to the will of Allah (the root verb is 'salama'), and to follow his messenger, Muhammad. All Muslims believe that Muhammad was the perfect man – al insaan al kamil. Good Muslims follow his lead and his example.

What Westerners call good Muslims, Muslims call fallen ones! They are moderate by dint of the fact that they do not follow correctly and closely the teachings of their prophet. Once they do, they become, in the eyes of people like you, Islamists.

We have a huge problem here in the West. First of all, we have to learn about Islam, and understand it; then we have to be determined to take the action it will take to purge the West of this cancer. If we cannot bring ourselves to do this, we will go down.

For your information, Islam has snuffed out each and every culture it has been allowed into. Ours will be no different. – © Mark

Michael Jackson: Black or White

The Latest in Islam-inspired Winter Coats for Men!
Photograph: Google Images

Children Found Starving in Rural Australia
THE INDEPENDENT: Aboriginal disadvantage has not rated a mention during the Australian election campaign – there are few votes in it. But as the party leaders criss-crossed the country this week, shocking evidence emerged at a government inquiry: children in remote indigenous communities are starving.

The claims were made by child protection workers, who said the situation was so dire that an international aid-style programme was needed – an extraordinary state of affairs in one of the world's most affluent nations. The workers called for essential food to be delivered by an organisation such as Oxfam or the Red Cross to ensure that children got enough to eat.

The inquiry was established by the Northern Territory government, with the aim of strengthening the child protection system. It has already heard a series of disturbing allegations, including that children in remote communities are left to wander unsupervised at night, or are abandoned when their parents go on drinking sessions. >>> Kathy Marks in Sydney | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Barbra's Statement on Prop 8
BARBRASTREISAND.COM: This is in response to Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's decision to deem California's Proposition 8, banning gay marriage, unconstitutional.

"With this judge's decision, we are closer to the day that all people will have access to the same fundamental rights. Hopefully, this remaining civil rights violation will soon be a part of our past and we can look to a future where all people will be treated equally under the law."

--Barbra Streisand [Source: The Official Barbra Streisand Site] | Thursday, August 05, 2010

David Cameron ‘Misspeaks’ by Claiming Iran Has Bomb
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has been accused of being a "foreign policy klutz" after he mistakenly claimed that Iran possessed a nuclear weapon.

David Cameron had a torrid time at his latest PM Direct. Photo: The Telegraph
Downing Street admitted that the Prime Minister had "misspoken" during a question and answer session with voters when he suggested that the Islamic Republic, which is seeking to develop a nuclear capacity, was already in possession of the bomb.

His slip-up came during a torrid “PM Direct” in Brighton, when he was also accused by a pensioner of “denigrating” his country by suggesting that Britain was the junior partner of the United States against the Nazis in 1940s. America did not enter the War until 1941.

It is the latest in a series of off-the-cuff foreign policy remarks, after he last week accused Pakistan of “exporting terror” and claimed that the Israelis were forcing Palestinians in Gaza to live in a “prison camp”.

Mr Cameron made his Iran blunder when he was asked why he was backing Turkey to join the European Union, telling the audience that he hoped that this could help solve global problems: "like the Middle East peace process, like the fact that Iran has got a nuclear weapon". >>> Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Thursday, August 05, 2010

This PM is beginning to appear inept. He has absolutely NO UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM OR THE THREAT IT POSES. His support of Turkey’s accession to the EU is nothing short of CONTEMPTIBLE; and his desire to close down discussion about the banning of the burqah is NAÏVE and STUPID and GUTLESS and SHORT-SIGHTED. Now this display of IGNORANCE! His education at Eton and Oxford is certainly NOT SERVING HIM WELL! – © Mark

Shisha-Kneipen in Bayern: Richter am Zug
SUEDDEUTSCHE: Sie sehen das rigorose Rauchverbot als gravierenden Eingriff in ihre Berufsfreiheit: Wirte von Shisha-Kneipen wollen nun in Karlsruhe für ihre Wasserpfeifen eine Ausnahme erstreiten.

Zigaretten mögen die meisten von ihnen nicht. Und sie betrachten sich auch nicht als Raucher. Und doch zieht es viele Menschen in Shisha-Cafés, wo sie gemütlich um eine Wasserpfeife herumsitzen und rauchen. Weil sie da nicht mehr dürfen, gehen die Freunde dieser orientalischen Kultur jetzt rechtlich gegen das Rauchverbot vor. Für betroffene Shisha-Wirte und -Raucher erhob die Münchner Anwaltskanzlei Consilia am Mittwoch Popularklage beim Bayerischen Verfassungsgerichtshof. "Und eine entsprechende Verfassungsbeschwerde wird dazu in der kommenden Woche beim Bundesverfassungsgericht in Karlsruhe eingereicht", sagt der Verwaltungsrechtsexperte Professor Michael Hauth.

Man streite hier nicht gegen den Nichtraucherschutz in Gaststätten und Diskotheken, den das Bundesverfassungsgericht vor zwei Jahren über die Interessen der Gastwirte und der Raucher gestellt habe, erklärt der Jurist. "Denn für Shisha-Cafés ist dieses Gesetz gar nicht anwendbar." Es wolle die Bevölkerung nämlich vor gesundheitlichen Gefahren durch Passivrauchen schützen. Doch in Shisha-Cafés könne schon rein technisch gar nicht passiv geraucht werden, sagt der Anwalt: "Anders als bei Zigaretten verglimmen dort keine schädlichen Stoffe, es entstehen also keine gesundheitlichen Gefahren durch Passivrauchen." >>> Von Ekkehard Müller-Jentsch | Donnerstag, 05. August 2010

Newt Gingrich: Freedom Will Prevail

Newt Gingrich: Obamas Willfull Blindness - "The Left Always Preferred Our Opponents to Us"

Newt Gingrich: No Ground Zero Mosque

Newt Gingrich: Ban Sharia - It Is "Totally Abhorrent to the Western World"

Newt Gingrich at the American Enterprise Institute: "America Is at Risk."

Un projet de mosquée à Ground Zero divise l'Amérique
Le complexe islamique devrait se situer au 45 Park Place, à côté de Ground Zero. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Neuf ans après les attentats contre le World Trade Center, un complexe islamique pourrait être édifié.

Neuf ans après les attentats contre les tours jumelles du World Trade Center, le projet de construction d'une mosquée et d'un complexe culturel islamique tout près de Ground Zero devait aider le processus de réconciliation. Il est au contraire en train de susciter un débat d'une extrême virulence aux États-Unis sur la nature de l'islam et la signification de l'attaque du 11 Septembre. Si les marques de soutien à ce projet se multiplient à New York -plusieurs feux verts ont été accordés à la construction du complexe, le plus récent venant de la commission chargée de la préservation du patrimoine new-yorkais- l'opinion américaine, elle, exprime plus souvent son opposition. >>> Par Adèle Smith | Mercredi 04 Août 2010

Heiliger Zorn im Vatikan
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: «Kriminalfälle - die 7 Todsünden»: Heiliger Zorn im Vatikan (4/7). Ein Film von Roland Huber. Im Mittelalter eine Todsünde. Doch noch heute fordert er Opfer. Wie den Kommandanten der Schweizergarde Alois Estermann und dessen Ehefrau, die im Mai 1998 im Vatikan ermordet wurden. Der mutmassliche Mörder, ein junger Schweizergardist, brachte sich am Tatort selbst um. Ein Drama mit biblischen Dimensionen.



Achtung: Zum Teil in Schwyzertüütsch

Group Sues to Stop Mosque Near NY's Ground Zero


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Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Arrested for Shoplifting
THE TELEGRAPH: The daughter of Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York famously tough on crime, has been arrested for shoplifting.

Rudy Giuliani and daughter Caroline Giuliani. Photos: The Telegraph
Caroline Giuliani, a 20-year-old Harvard University student, was seen on security cameras pocketing five items worth more than $100 at a make-up shop in Manhattan, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said.

Store managers, after calling police, said they did not want to press charges against her, he said. However, prosecutors decided she would be charged with petty larceny.

She was to be released later Wednesday from a police station. >>> | Thursday, August 05, 2010