Saturday, September 04, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Four men have been arrested after shoes and eggs were thrown at Tony Blair as he promoted his controversial memoir in Dublin on Saturday.
The former prime minister was heckled and jeered by anti-war protesters at his first book signing in the city’s O’Connell Street. >>> Michael Howie | Saturday, September 04, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Iranian woman facing death for adultery to be whipped despite Times apologising for using picture of another person
Iran has reportedly sentenced Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani – the 43-year-old Iranian woman who faces execution after being convicted of adultery – to 99 lashes in prison for "spreading corruption and indecency" after allowing an unveiled picture of herself to be published in a British newspaper.
The claim, which could not be confirmed, comes from her family and a lawyer representing Mohammadi Ashtiani, based on reports from those who have recently left the prison in Tabriz where she has been held for the last four years.
The latest charges against Mohammadi Ashtiani – if confirmed – would appear to suggest that the Iranian authorities have been stung by the international outcry her case has attracted through the campaign of her family and supporters in the media, and could be read as a warning that it is Sakineh who could suffer from the protests.
What has made the latest charges against her even more extraordinary is the fact that the unveiled photograph in question, published by the Times newspaper on 28 August, was not actually of Sakineh but of another woman, for which the paper has since apologised.
In reality, the woman pictured was Susan Hejrat, an Iranian political activist living in Sweden whose photograph had been published on a website along with an article she had written about Sakineh's case, perhaps causing the confusion. In its apology, published on Friday, the Times said that the photograph had been obtained from Mohammad Mostafaei, one of Sakineh's lawyers, who had claimed that he received the picture from her son, Sajad – which he has denied.
Instead, in an open letter today, Sajad Ghaderzadeh accused the Iranian authorities of using the mistaken picture as "an excuse to increase their harassment of our mother".
He added: "My mother has been called in to see the judge in charge of prison misdemeanours, and he has sentenced our helpless mother to 99 lashes on false charges of spreading corruption and indecency by disseminating this picture of a woman presumed to be her [Sakineh] without hijab." >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan and Peter Beaumont | Saturday, September 04, 2010
leJDD.fr: Nouveau châtiment pour Sakineh : Toujours menacée d’exécution, la mère de famille iranienne a été condamnée à 99 coups de fouet. >>>Karen Lajon - Le Journal du Dimanche | Dimanche 05 Septembre 2010
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Bei einem schweren Erdbeben sind im Süden Neuseelands zwei Menschen schwer verletzt worden. In der am stärksten betroffenen Stadt Christchurch stürzten unzählige Häuser ein. In der grössten Stadt der Südinsel wurde der Notstand ausgerufen. Nach ersten Schätzungen hinterlässt das Beben der Stärke 7,1 einen Schaden in Milliardenhöhe.
Related material here
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran will not be shamed into abandoning stoning, or its nuclear ambitions, says Alasdair Palmer.
Joseph Stalin was once described as "Genghis Khan with a telephone". President Ahmadinejad may soon be Genghis Khan with a nuclear bomb. Admittedly, Ahmadinejad hasn't yet committed mass murder on that scale, although when he promised to "wipe Israel off the map", he showed that he would – if only he could. And he may treat his own people slightly better than Genghis Khan treated his. But as Dr Johnson said, "there is no settling orders of precedence between a louse and a flea".
Ahmadinejad has imprisoned thousands for protesting against the brutality, incompetence and illegitimacy of his rule; he has condoned the imposition of the death penalty for any Muslim who converts to another faith; and he supports punishing adultery by stoning those involved to death.
There has been a global campaign to persuade Iran to end stoning, a disgustingly barbaric punishment which inflicts pain of the same order as impaling, Genghis Khan's favourite method of execution, and may take even longer to cause death. It centres on the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 44-year-old mother and widow who was convicted of adultery in 2006 and punished with 99 lashes. She has been in prison ever since, as the judges decided that 99 lashes wasn't a severe enough sentence for the crime of loving someone who isn't your spouse: she deserved to be stoned to death. Continue reading and comment >>> Alasdair Palmer | Saturday, September 04, 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Gefallener Banker und früherer SPD-Politiker setzt zum Rundumschlag anThilo Sarrazin hat Bundespräsident Christian Wulff vor einem «Schauprozess» gegen ihn gewarnt. Angesichts des gegen ihn laufenden Abberufungsverfahrens als Bundesbankvorstand sagte der wegen seiner Integrationsthesen kritisierte Banker dem Nachrichtenmagazin «Focus»: «Der Bundespräsident wird sich genau überlegen, ob er eine Art politischen Schauprozess vollenden will, der anschliessend von den Gerichten kassiert wird.»
Er gehe davon aus, dass Wulff ihn vor einer Entscheidung anhören werde, zumal der Bundespräsident die Stärkung der Demokratie und des offenen Diskurses als sein Zentralthema gewählt habe. >>> ddp | Samstag, 04. September 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Bayerns Innenminister teilt Sarrazins Kritik: Keine Aufenthaltserlaubnis für Imame ohne Deutschkenntnisse >>> ddp | Samstag, 04. September 2010
What is wrong with our so-called leaders? The problem is that they are not leaders at all. They lack the spine, guts, and courage to do what they are elected, employed and paid to do: to lead. Take Angela Merkel and Christian Wulff in Germany as examples. They have set upon poor Thilo Sarrazin and want him out of the Bundesbank, all because he has been intellectually honest and has written a book which I suspect most voters would agree with. Unfortunately, the book is anything but politically correct: It states what the political class, the political élite, does not want to hear. It tells it like it is. And the shit has hit the fan!
Fact is that the leaders in most countries in the West, America included, are part of the problem, not part of the solution, One has to ask oneself one simple question: If our ‘leaders’ won’t save the West from the onslaught of Islam, a dark, backward political system clothed in a deity, then what happens next? Whatever happens, the West HAS TO BE SAVED from the forces of barbarism and darkness. And if you think that I am exaggerating, consider what has been said by a convert to Islam in Australia in the past few days: He has called for Geert Wilders’ head – literally – all because Mr Wilders has criticised Islam and the prophet Muhammad, all because Mr Wilders wants to save the Netherlands from the forces of darkness.
But what is being done about this Muslim’s hate-filled comments, what is being done about his incitement to violence against an innocent man who just doesn’t happen to share this fanatic’s worldview? The answer is simple: Nothing! But when a great intellect such as Thilo Sarrazin writes a book as a warning to Germans that their country is being destroyed, all hell breaks loose! And something IS done about it: Thilo Sarrazin loses his prestigious position in the Bundesbank. And all because the so-called leaders have no spunk. Disgraceful! – © Mark
Related matter here and here
THE TELEGRAPH: Greece’s austerity measures cannot prevent default and will lead to a breakdown of the political order if continued for long, a leading German economist has warned.
“This tragedy does not have a solution,” said Hans-Werner Sinn, head of the prestigious IFO Institute in Munich.
“The policy of forced 'internal devaluation', deflation, and depression could risk driving Greece to the edge of a civil war. It is impossible to cut wages and prices by 30pc without major riots,” he said, speaking at the elite European House Ambrosetti forum at Lake Como.
“Greece would have been bankrupt without the rescue measures. All the alternatives are terrible but the least terrible is for the country to get out of the eurozone, even if this kills the Greek banks,” he said.
Dr Sinn said Greece is an entirely different case from Spain and Portugal, which still have manageable public debts and can bring their public finances back into line with higher taxes.
“Greece would have defaulted in the period between April 28 and May 7, had the money not been promised by the European Union,” he said, describing the failure of the EU’s bail-out strategy to include a haircut for the banks as an invitation to moral hazard.
“There should be a quasi-insolvency procedure for countries. Creditors have to accept a haircut before any money flows for rescue plans, otherwise we’ll never have debt discipline in the eurozone,” he said.
Greek society has so far held together well, despite a wave of strikes and street violence in the early months of the crisis. However, unemployment is rising fast and political fatigue with such austerity policies typically sets in the second year. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in Cernobbio, Italy | Friday, September 03, 2010
BBC: Negotiations to form a coalition in the Netherlands have collapsed after the leader of the far-right Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, walked out.
Mr Wilders said he did not trust some members of the Christian Democrats to adhere to any agreement reached.
Some Christian Democrats have expressed deep reservations about any deal with Mr Wilders because of his strong anti-Islamic and anti-immigration views.
The collapse comes three months after an inconclusive general election.
The Netherlands has been without a government since the previous coalition collapsed in February.
Controversial
"The negotiations did not succeed," Mark Rutte, leader of the centre-right Liberal Party (VVD), told a news conference at the Hague. >>> | Saturday, September 04, 2010
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The Sydney-born Islamic cleric who called for the beheading of a Dutch anti-Muslim MP has been back in Australia for several months and preaching at an Islamic centre in Campbelltown in Sydney's south-west.In a speech on his website, Sheikh Feiz Mohammad described Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, as ''this Satan, this devil, this politician in Holland'' and said his head should be chopped off for denigrating Islam. Sheikh Feiz Mohammad gained notoriety for a speech in Bankstown in 2005 when he said a rape victim had no one to blame but herself for wearing ''satanic skirts''.
An Islamic news website, MuslimVillage.com, reported yesterday the cleric gave the Friday Prayer sermon at the Campbelltown centre last week.
Mr Wilders has called Islamic culture ''retarded and violent''. [Source: The Sydney Morning Herald] Jim O'Rourke | Sunday, September 09, 2010
Why isn't this firebrand arrested for hate speech and inciting violence? Does the West now officially have double standards for Muslims and infidels? Because this is certain: If an infidel called for a Muslim to be beheaded, for whatever reason, he would arrested and incarcerated forthwith. – © Mark
MSN INDIA: Islamabad, (PTI) A Pakistani minister wants US President Barack Obama to offer Eid prayers at Ground Zero in New York and become the "Amir-ul-Momineen" or Caliph of Muslims.
Minister of State for Industries Ayatullah Durrani, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan People's Party, said the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival, expected to be observed on September 11, would be a "golden opportunity" for Obama to offer Eid prayers and declare himself the leader of all Muslims.
"In this way, all the problems of the Muslim world would be solved," Durrani told The Nation newspaper.
Durrani, a former member of the Pakistan Ideological Council, contended that the Muslim world is in "dire need" of a Caliph and occupying this distinguished slot would provide Obama "exemplary titles" like "Mullah Barack Hussain Obama" or "Allama Obama".
He said: "The time is approaching fast. Barack Hussain Obama must act now. This is a golden opportunity, Muslims badly need it." Obama's elevation to the Islamic Caliphate would be the "key to success, he claimed but did not offer any explanation for his remarks.
''Ground Zero'' is the former site of the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center. [Source: MSN India] | Thursday, September 02, 2010
HT: Always On Watch >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: A state of emergency has been declared after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch, destroying hundreds of buildings.
Police sealed off the centre of New Zealand's second largest city because of the danger from falling masonry during a series of strong aftershocks.
Eighty extra police officers were drafted in Auckland to help enforce a 7pm to 7am curfew.
Army units were also being sent in to assist with relief work.
As night fell on scenes of devastation, fears were mounting of health risks from fractured sewage pipes and residents were warned to boil drinking water.
A fire erupted in the shattered central city and firefighters racing to tackle it were hampered by a lack of water pressure caused by burst mains.
Earlier, isolated cases of looting were reported but police quickly responded by increasing their presence around city centre shops.
Christchurch Hospital was inundated with casualties, mainly cuts and fractures, although at least two people were in a serious condition.
One was a man in his 50s who was hit by a falling chimney, while another man was badly cut by glass.
Ten people were admitted with suspected heart attacks triggered by shock.
No deaths were reported, which John Key, the Prime Minister, described as "a miracle". >>> Paul Chapman, in Wellington | Saturday, September 04, 2010
TVNZ – Watch video: Prime Minister John Key reacts to the Christchurch earthquake >>>
To The Guardian photo gallery >>> | Saturday, September 04, 2010
Curfew declared in New Zealand >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair, the former prime minister, has had shoes and eggs thrown at him as he attended his first book signing in Dublin.
The missiles, which were thrown by anti-war protesters, did not hit Mr Blair as he arrived at a bookshop in Irish Republic at about 10.30am.
Activists clashed with Gardai as they tried to push down a security barrier outside the Eason store.
Campaigners, who turned out in the pouring rain, were chanting: "Hey hey Tony hey, how many kids have you killed today?"
They also shouted: "Tony Blair war criminal" and "blood on your hands". >>> Michael Howie | Saturday, September 04, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: It has already been panned by the critics and lampooned by his political opponents but now Tony Blair’s controversial autobiography has become the target of a mischievous internet campaign.Hundreds of people have joined a group on the social networking site Facebook calling for his memoirs, entitled, A Journey, to be placed in the crime section of all bookstores.
The group urges shoppers to surreptitiously move all copies of the book, which was released on Wednesday, in protest at the former Prime Minister’s record on Iraq.
A number of bookstores have already reported finding Mr Blair’s book in “inappropriate sections” including fantasy and true crime.
The Facebook group called “Subversively move Tony Blair's memoirs to the crime section in book shops" claims it wants to “make bookshops think twice about where they categorise our generation’s greatest war criminal”. >>> Martin Evans | Saturday, September 04, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair's memoirs: a strange book by a gifted man – Tony Blair's memoirs are unlike those of any previous prime minister, not least because of the space devoted to settling scores with his arch rival. But they fail to tell the whole story, says Simon Heffer. >>> Simon Heffer | Thursday, September 02, 2010
Friday, September 03, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: The internet giant's New York headquarters have fallen prey to a city-wide outbreak of bed bugs
They are reddish-brown, smaller than an apple seed, have a taste for human blood and when they bite they itch like hell. And now the onward march of the common bedbug has extended into cyberspace.
The search engine giant Google confirmed today that its 9th Avenue offices in Manhattan have been infested with the bugs. Parts of the headquarters, a futuristic space renowned for having a Lego room and scooters for staff to move around, have been found to be harbouring the parasites, prompting the wags at Gawker media group to wonder whether its possible for them to spread via the internet.
Google is the latest victim of an epidemic that has been rampaging through New York over the summer and has the city that normally prides itself on its permanent state of cool in a veritable panic: the blood suckers have wreaked havoc everywhere from the Empire State building to hospital wards, the prosecutor's office in Brooklyn and Time Warner's Manhattan headquarters. >>> Ed Pilkington in New York | Friday, September 03, 2010Related material here and here
LE MONDE: Feiz Muhammad, un prédicateur islamiste radical, a lancé un appel en vue du meurtre de Geert Wilders, le leader populiste du Parti pour la liberté (PVV) aux Pays-Bas. Les services antiterroristes néerlandais (AIVD) sont en possession de l'enregistrement d'un message posté sur un site djihadiste par cette figure connue de la mouvance radicale. Etabli en Australie, Feiz Muhammad répondait aux questions de jeune radicaux néerlandais, explique, vendredi 3 septembre, le site Web du quotidien De Telegraaf, où le message peut être consulté.
Dans cette intervention, M. Wilders est accusé d'insulter le prophète et de se moquer de l'islam. Dès lors, il convient de "le tuer" et de "le décapiter", indique le prédicateur. Informé par De Telegraaf, M. Wilders s'est dit "choqué". Il a eu, jeudi soir, un entretien avec le coordinateur néerlandais de la lutte antiterroriste, Erik Akerboom, auquel il reproche de ne pas l'avoir immédiatement informé de cette affaire. >>> Jean-Pierre Stroobants, Bruxelles, correspondant | Vendredi 03 Septembre 2010
LE MONDE: Aux Pays-Bas, Geert Wilders irrite en se prononçant contre la mosquée de Ground Zero >>> Jean-Pierre Stroobants, Bruxelles, correspondant | Lundi 09 Août 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Geert Wilders, the maverick Dutch politician, denounced a Australian Muslim leader’s call for his beheading for denigrating Islam.
Mr Wilders, who lives under perpetual death threat and is the country’s most heavily guarded politician, demanded assurance from the country’s Interior Ministry that the message was been treated seriously.
“This is really terrible news and a very serious threat, unfortunately,” Mr Wilders said.“I will ask for clarification from the Dutch minister of interior/justice why the secret service and anti-terrorism unit NCTb have not informed me before and what the consequences will be for me.”
Sydney-born Feiz Muhammad posted a speech on an Internet site in which he condemned Mr Wilders as “this Satan, this devil, this politician in Holland” and called on his followers to “chop off his head” because Wilders “denigrated” Islam. >>> | Friday, September 03, 2010
FINANCIAL TIMES: Wilders pulls out as Dutch talks fail: Geert Wilders, the anti-Islamic Dutch politician, ruled himself out of a government role on Friday as the latest attempt to form a ruling coalition in the Netherlands collapsed. >>> Michael Steen in Amsterdam | Friday, September 03, 2010
Bullshit from ‘The Financial Times’ on Islam and Immigration >>>
Which British prime minister inspires confidence? Which British prime minister has offered us true leadership? Under whose leadership would you feel secure? Fact is that we are under attack by Al-Qaeda and radical Islam. Radical Islam is out to destroy the West. I’m sure that OBL and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are quaking in their leather thongs observing David Cameron kissing his new born child so tenderly on the steps of Number 10.
Of course, it is normal for a father to kiss and love his baby. But is such a show of tender affection on the steps of Number 10 really necessary in these dangerous times? David Cameron is obviously such a new man. I wonder if he does the vacuuming between cabinet sessions. All he needs is a ‘pinnie’! – © Mark
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