10% of Germans Want Führer Back - Survey

RT: One in ten Germans would like to see a Führer in power; they see dictatorship as the best option for the country, a survey has revealed.

According to a social study conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, the longing for a strong hand is still common among Germans.

The poll, aimed at revealing ultra-right and nationalistic feeling, covered 2,400 Germans aged 14 to 90, and yielded unexpected results.

Ten per cent of respondents said that for its own sake, Germany needs a strong leader, a Führer who can rule the country with a steady hand. They pointed out that dictatorship was the best form of government. >>> | Published: Friday, October 15, 2010; Edited: Monday, October 18, 2010

Building of Mosques in Poland – Sign of Islamisation or Tribute to Human Rights?

RT: Activists say the construction of a second mosque in Warsaw is part of the Islamisation of the country and could eventually lead to radicalism and terrorism.

But local Muslims claim religious discrimination.



Mohammed moved from Egypt to Warsaw several years ago. Poland’s accession to the EU promised greener pastures. However, he says it’s been hard to settle in.

“I do only freelance jobs as it is very difficult for me to find any permanent work,” he said. “And not because I’m not skilled, but because my applications are turned down as soon as employers learn that my name is Mohammed.”

Poland has long been a mono-ethnic nation with the Muslim community making up less than one percent of the population. Most Muslims are ethnic Tatars who have been here for centuries. But the head of Warsaw’s only Islamic centre says the number of migrants from Muslim countries is growing rapidly. >>> | Published: Friday, October 08, 2010; Edited: Monday, October 11, 2010

There Mustn't Be Any False Tolerance - German Politician

RT: Society does not have to adopt cultural traditions and the laws of immigrants. There can be no compromise between the German rule of law and Sharia law, which has no place in Germany – a German politician told RT.

The problem with the integration of immigrants into German life is that newcomers want society to adopt their culture – and not vice versa, insists Wolfgang Bosbach, a member of the Christian Democratic Union Party which is part of Germany’s leading coalition. >>> | Published: Tuesday, October 26, 2010; Edited: Friday, October 29, 2010

Moscow Muslims Want More Mosques, Residents Stage Protests

RT: Muslims in Moscow say there are not enough mosques in the capital to serve the needs of their community. City Hall refutes the claims.

In recent years, the Muslim community of the capital has repeatedly complained that they need more mosques – the four existing ones are too little for the nearly 2 million believers living in Moscow.

The capital’s officials, however, say that more than enough land has been given over for the purpose of building places of worship.

The lack of mosques has even resulted in Muslims worshipping in Orthodox churches. Islamic leaders are strictly opposed to the initiative, saying that this only triggers hostility between the communities.

At the same time, building new mosques does not help establish better relations between the churches either.

Recently, around 2,000 signatures were collected by residents in the city’s south who did not want a mosque in their area. Instead, they say, the place could be turned into the park.

Orthodox Christian groups added fuel to the fire, saying that they also wanted to use the site for a church but could not get zoning permission, and questioning how their Muslim colleagues were able to get one. >>> | Published: Tuesday, October 12, 2010; Edited: Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Go Back to Where You Are Happy – German Author on Immigration Issue

RT: Immigration tensions are rising in Germany following Chancellor Angela Merkel's statement that multiculturalism has failed in the country.

Udo Ulfkotte, a noted German journalist and author, known for his severe criticism of Islam, shared with RT his view on what is behind the integration dispute and where it may lead.

“What I believe is there is a place for Muslim in this world and for their culture, they have a place to live in,” Ulfkotte told RT. “And there is a place for European and Western culture to live in. What I don’t believe is they will live peacefully together. We have a clash not only of civilizations and religions, we have a clash of ideologies, like we had a clash between communism and capitalism. Now we have a clash because Islam is also an ideology. I believe that Islam is not going to win a battle.”

>>> | Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010; Edited: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Turquie : Un attentat-kamikaze sur une place d'Istanbul aurait fait 22 blessés
L'attaque s'est produite sur l'esplanade de la place de Taksim, centre névralgique de la métropole fréquenté par des dizaines de milliers de personnes chaque jour. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Un attentat-suicide a blessé 22 personnes dimanche en plein centre d'Istanbul, la plus grande métropole de Turquie, et les premiers soupçons se portaient sur les rebelles kurdes. "Nous pensons qu'il s'agit d'un attentat-suicide", a indiqué le chef de la police de la ville, Hüseyin Capkin, qui a fait état dans un premier temps de 15 blessés : six civils et neuf policiers. Plus tard, il a évoqué un nouveau bilan de 22 blessés, dont 10 policiers et 12 civils, tout en rassurant que leurs jours n'étaient pas en danger. Aucun responsable de la ville n'a évoqué le sort du kamikaze, un homme, selon Capkin, qui aurait été tué sur le coup.

Les chaînes de télévision ont montré des images de policiers recouvrant une personne inanimée en sang gisant au sol. Selon les témoins cités par les chaînes d'information, une violente déflagration s'est produite vers 10 h 30 locales sur l'esplanade de la place Taksim, sur la rive européenne de la ville, où des policiers antiémeutes sont en faction 24 heures sur 24. Selon Hüseyin Capkin, l'assaillant aurait visé les policiers. "Il a tenté de pénétrer dans un car de police mais n'a pas réussi", a-t-il souligné. >>> Source AFP | Dimanche 31 Octobre 2010

Turkey Suicide Bomb Injures 15 in Centre of Istanbul
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A suicide bomber has blown himself up in the centre of Istanbul, wounding 15 people.

"We think it was a suicide attack," said Istanbul police chief Huseyin Capkin, adding that two of the wounded were in a serious condition.

Six of the injured were civilians and nine were police, he said. >>> | Sunday, October 31, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Suicide bomb attack on Istanbul's main square: Bomber detonated device near police in Taksim Square, wounding 22 people >>> Associated Press | Sunday, October 31, 2010

Türkei: Verletzte bei Selbstmordanschlag in Istanbul
WELT ONLINE: Ein Selbstmordattentäter hat mitten auf Istanbuls belebtem Taksim-Platz eine Bombe gezündet. Zehn Polizisten wurden verletzt, zwei davon schwer.

Ein Selbstmordattentäter hat am Sonntag im Zentrum der türkischen Metropole Istanbul mit einer Bombe mindestens 22 Menschen verletzt. Bei einer am Tatort gefundenen Leiche handele es sich um den Attentäter, sagte ein Polizeisprecher. Der Mann habe versucht, auf dem belebten Taksim-Platz in einen Polizeibus einzudringen, sei aber abgewehrt worden. Unter den Verletzten seien zehn Polizisten und zwölf Passanten. Zwei der Polizisten sind schwer verletzt.

Kurz nach dem Anschlag ist laut Polizei ein weiterer Sprengsatz gefunden worden. Die zweite Bombe befinde sich bei der Leiche des Attentäters auf dem Taksim-Platz, sagte Polizeichef Hüseyin Capkin. >>> dpa/pku | Sonntag, 31. Oktober 2010

Yemen Bomb Plot: Protests After Woman Arrested
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A female engineering student has been arrested in Yemen on suspicion of posting the packages containing bombs found on two cargo jets in Dubai and Britain.

Women protest outside the university in Sana'a where Hanan al Samawi is studying medicine. Photo: The Sunday Telegraph
The 22-year-old woman, named locally as Hanan al Samawi, was traced through a phone number left with a cargo company. Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, said the information that identified her was provided by the US and the United Arab Emirates.

She was arrested at a house in a poor area in the west of Sana'a, where she is studying medicine at the university. Her mother was also arrested, but is not a prime suspect according to her lawyer.

A group of women gathered outside the university carrying banners, some of them written in English, saying the arrested women is being used as a scapegoat.

The bomb intercepted in Britain on its way to America was designed to explode in mid-air and may have been targeted at the UK.

David Cameron said he believed the device was constructed to detonate while the aircraft was in flight.

He said a plot to blow it up over British soil could not be ruled out.

The Prime Minister's dramatic intervention came as the investigation into the plot was centring on one of al-Qaeda's most senior commanders.

US and British security officials believe Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born figurehead of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was behind the foiled attack in which two ink cartridge bombs, posted in Yemen, were intercepted in Britain and Dubai on the way to America.

Al-Awlaki, who is in hiding in Yemen, is regarded by the CIA and MI6 as the driving force behind the transformation of AQAP from a regional group into an international terrorist organisation.

Fears of more plots emerged after investigators in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital, said they were examining 24 other suspect packages. Read on and comment >>> Sean Rayment, Patrick Hennessy and David Barrett | Sunday, October 31, 2010

Britons Held at Amsterdam EDL Demo
BELFAST TELEGRAPH: Five Britons were among several dozen people arrested during a demonstration by the right-wing English Defence League in Amsterdam.

Around 60 EDL activists turned up in the Dutch city on Saturday to support Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders.

The Britons were among 34 people arrested during the day, Amsterdam Police spokesman Rob van der Veen said. It is understood the five were held for not producing identification while on their way to the demonstration. >>> | Sunday, October 31, 2010

German Far Right Emerges from Shadows to Join Cologne Campaign Against Mosque
THE OBSERVER: A populist party fighting the building of a Turkish cultural centre has found willing allies among Austrian extremists

Members of the right-wing organisation Pro Cologne protest against plans to build a new mosque in the Cologne in 2007. Photograph: The Observer
The buzz of drills and whine of cranes fill the air as scores of workers in yellow hard hats scuttle around the concrete shell of a building which, even in its unfinished state, dominates the working-class Cologne district of Ehrenfeld. For the thriving local Turkish community, the sprawling complex represents the chance for an entire infrastructure under one roof – from a mosque to a hairdresser's to a travel agency.

But for others in the city the new mosque and cultural centre has provoked fears that the multimillion-euro project will do little to encourage integration and give the Turks free rein to live in their own autonomous world. The right-wing populist Pro Cologne movement has campaigned against the mosque and moved a step closer to its goal last week after joining forces with Austria's far-right Freedom party (FPO [sic]).

"Every new movement needs a unique selling point," said Bernd Schöppe, of Pro Cologne. "Ours is the mosque. If ever you needed a sign of the real threat of Islamisation in Germany, it's that mosque, with its huge dome and 55m-high minarets." Pro Cologne, a small but growing movement which recently won seats on the city council, hopes to boost its profile by associating itself with the FPO [sic], which made its name a decade ago after sweeping to power under the leadership of the late extreme-right firebrand Jörg Haider.

This month the FPO [sic] was celebrating another feat, after securing 26% of the vote in the Vienna elections. One of its slogans urged Muslims to "go home", and among the election paraphernalia it dished out was a computer game where players score points for shooting at mosques and minarets. >>> Kate Connolly in Cologne | Sunday, October 31, 2010

Midterm Elections 2010: Prepare for a New American Revolution
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Popular rage against the elite could change the nature of US politics, says Janet Daley.

More than three centuries ago, the residents of America staged a rebellion against an oppressive ruler who taxed them unjustly, ignored their discontents and treated their longing for freedom with contempt. They are about to revisit that tradition this week, when their anger and exasperation sweep through Congress like avenging angels. This time the hated oppressor isn't a foreign colonial government, but their own professional political class.

In New York last week I was struck by the startling shift of mood since my last visit, during Barack Obama's first year in office. This phenomenon took varying forms, of course, depending on the political orientation of my interlocutor, but the underlying theme of despair and disgust was almost universal. Liberal Democrats (who hugely outnumber most other factions in that city) were despondent and disappointed with the collapse of Obama's popularity. A few of them (remarkably few, actually) were ready to blame this on a "Right-wing conspiracy" of vaguely racist motivation. But most of them were frankly critical of the strategic mistakes they believed the White House had made, and the baffling inability of their President to connect with the people in an engaging way. His shocking lack of emotional expression during last month's commemoration of 9/11 – a point of particular significance to New Yorkers – was remarked upon by a number of people I met.

There was a general sense that his personality was over-controlled and repressed, and that this was perhaps a function of his self-invention: the effect of having made a conscious choice to adopt an identity and a history (the Chicago black activist) which was unconnected to his real past. It occurred to me that, in an odd way, he was a Gatsby-like figure who had reinvented himself but whose new persona could be sustained only with a tremendous act of will. This psychological analysis seemed not unconnected to the political one, which revolved around his peculiar inability to sense what most Americans would regard as alienating and contrary to their own values and culture.

My Republican friends, perhaps surprisingly, were not gloating. They were too furious. But contrary to the superficial British assumption (heavily promoted by the BBC), they were not devoting their excoriation exclusively to the Obama Administration – or even to its clique of Congressional henchmen, led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. That they were opposed to the Big State, European social democratic model of government which Obama had imported to Washington went almost without saying. But they were at least as angry with the leadership of their own party for having conceded far too much of the argument. Read on and comment >>> Janet Daley | Saturday, October 30, 2010

THE OBSERVER: The Tea Party: on the road with America's right-wing radicals – The Tea Party has dramatically changed US politics in just two years. As jobless figures and house repossessions soar, a growing number of anxious voters are warming to the Party's pledge - to make America great again. In the run-up to the midterm elections, Andrew Neil went on a whistlestop tour of the US to assess the mood of the nation >>> Andrew Neil | Sunday, October 31, 2010

CNBC's Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Photograph: Mail Online
That Guy Obama Loses His Cool!
MAIL ONLINE: The pressure is on Barack Obama - and it is starting to show.

The famously-cool President lost his temper in Connecticut today after hecklers interrupted a speech he was giving at a rally.

Astonished attendees watched as Mr Obama interrupted his own speech as the hecklers - believed to be activists seeking more global Aids funding - began chanting at him.

'Excuse me, excuse me,' he said repeatedly, trying to speak over the hecklers. When they kept chanting, he fell silent for several seconds, looking visibly angry and raising one hand in frustration as the crowd began to boo around him.

'Let me just say this,' he said, addressing the hecklers. 'You've been appearing at every rally we've been doing.

'We're funding global Aids,' he continued defensively. 'And the other [Republican] side is not.

'So I don't know why you think this is a useful strategy to take,' he finished, jabbing his finger angrily in the direction of the hecklers. Barack loses his cool: Angry Obama yells BACK at hecklers... as new poll shows his own party isn't sure he should be President in 2012 >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Saturday, October 30, 2010

A Closer Alliance with France Will Be Good for Britain
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: This week's summit will lead to unprecedented military co-operation between our countries, says Defence Secretary Liam Fox.

Entente cordiale: David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy will establish far greater co-operation between their militaries. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
Too often, the debate on defence within Europe has been focused on what the EU should or should not do. Yet it has always been my view that defence must be a sovereign, and therefore an inter-governmental issue. When nations can benefit from co-operation without losing sovereignty, they should aim to do so – which is why this week will mark the beginning of a long-term commitment to closer defence and security links with France.

There are many reasons why this co-operation makes sense. We are Europe's only nuclear powers. We have the largest defence budgets and are the only two countries with real, large-scale expeditionary capability. We are both permanent members of the UN Security Council, and leading members of the G8 and G20. And there is no better time to deepen our relationship with France. Since President Sarkozy came into office we have seen a vigorous attempt to bring Europe and America closer together, and to bring France deeper into Nato. >>> Liam Fox | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Yemen: The New Breeding Ground for Terror
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The explosive devices intercepted en route to the US started their journey in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda’s latest stronghold, reports Con Coughlin.

Sir John Sawers, the head of Britain's MI6 foreign intelligence-gathering operation, last week singled out Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born terrorist who is believed to be the head of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
For an organisation that is supposed to be the poor relation of Osama bin Laden’s terror network, the sheer sophistication of the plot to plant two bombs on cargo planes en route to the US demonstrates that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is rapidly emerging as a major threat to Western security. Not since the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which killed 270 people, has a terror group sought to smuggle primed explosive devices in the cargo holds of commercial aircraft.

The fact that al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based branch appears – according to the initial reports, at least – to have been able to plant a number of explosive devices on aircraft whose ultimate destination was the United States is a graphic illustration of the sophisticated techniques it is able to employ in its attempts to wreak havoc on the streets of Western cities.

The main focus of the war against Islamist terrorism is focused on the lawless border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda’s main command structure continues to be based in spite of the massive military operation being undertaken by Nato and Pakistani forces. Senior Western intelligence officials, though, are becoming increasingly concerned about the rapid emergence of the off-shoot organisation that has successfully established itself in Yemen. >>> Con Coughlin | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Bill Maher Afraid of Mohammedans

Does Islam make Women Outdated?

Men and Women in Islam

Headscarf Row Mars Turkey's Anniversary Celebration
Hayrunnisa Gul [sic] was once denied enrolment at a university because she wore a headscarf
BBC: Turkey's main opposition leader and military officials have failed to attend the Republic Day reception hosted by President Abdullah Gul [sic].

Mr Gul [sic] had decided to allow his wife to wear the Islamic headscarf at the event in Ankara. In previous years he had held two separate receptions.

The fiercely secular army held its own reception, just before the president's.

Mr Gul's [sic] move is seen as a symbolic challenge to restrictions on wearing the scarf in public.

It also reflects the government's growing confidence that it can overturn the restrictions, correspondents say.

The Supreme Court recently has warned their relaxation violated the constitution.

Women are currently forbidden from covering their heads in many universities and all government offices, but few universities are complying and the education ministry says it will back any student flouting the ban.

President Gul [sic] had in the past held two receptions, so secular officials and military staff would not have to shake hands with his headscarf-wearing wife, Hayrunnisa. 'Creeping Islamisation' >>> | Saturday, October 30, 2010

'More Immigrants Should Work for the State': German Chancellor Angela Merkel Adds to the Country's Roaring Immigration Debate
MAIL ONLINE: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has risked causing further outrage by saying that more immigrants should work for the state.

The country has been in the grip of a tense debate about the integration of Muslims for several weeks.

Fuelled by divisive comments about Turks and Arabs by central banker Thilo Sarrazin, Germany has been debating how to balance an economic need for more workers with growing public concern over integration of immigrants.

Merkel spakred controversy earlier this month when she said that multiculturalism had 'utterly failed' in Germany.
Her latest comments are now likely to cause more anger among citizens who feel alienated by the influx of immigrants to the country.

Interviewed by a 31-year-old Berlin policeman of Turkish origin for her latest internet podcast four days ahead of an integration summit at her chancellery, Merkel said:
'Today, people with a migrant background are under- represented in the public sector, and that needs to change.'

However, Merkel conceded that this was not always easy.
'I've also noticed that if someone has a name that doesn't sound German they can often have trouble being taken on at all in some professions,' she said.

Since Sarrazin inflamed opinion by asserting Turks and Arabs sponged off the state and refused to integrate, some of Merkel's conservatives become more critical of Muslims, who make up an estimated 4 million of Germany's 82 million population. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Saturday, October 30, 2010

How Obama Surrendered at Home and Waged War Abroad
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As the midterms loom, the President is facing annihilation at the ballot box. Tariq Ali examines how the promise of Obama's election campaign has been so dramatically lost.

Barack Obama with the Daily Show host, Jon Stewart, this week. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
As the midterms rapidly approach, the beleaguered US President’s ratings are in steep decline, putting him on the defensive with little to offer his supporters except fine words. Those supporters have been voicing their discontent on the television networks but, much more seriously, are likely to punish Obama by staying at home and ignoring the ballot box on Tuesday.

Indeed, this has been a humiliating time for the once seemingly messianic President. This week’s decision for Obama to appear on the US satirical current affairs TV programme The Daily Show – which is largely watched by liberal voters – was a disaster. The audience openly laughed at him; the presenter, Jon Stewart, gave Obama the honour of being the first President to be called ''Dude’’ to his face on national television; and, worst of all, Obama was forced to recant on the most effective marketing slogan of his generation. ''Yes we can,” Obama admitted, had become ''Yes we can, but...’’ Not exactly a rallying cry.

The desperate move to try to rescue himself from disarray, if not extinction, was misguided. While the audience laughed at him, Obama’s self-justificatory response was wooden and dull. “When we promised 'Change you can believe in’, it wasn’t 'Change you can believe in in 18 months’.”

So how has Obama ended up in this mess? The question voters are asking is whether anything has altered substantially since the White House changed hands? To which I can answer: very little, apart from the mood music. The high hopes aroused during Obama’s galvanising election campaign have receded rapidly. Two wars and an economic crisis would test the capacity of any president, but Obama has been found wanting on many levels. His desire to please all has succeeded in antagonising many of his own supporters. Read on and comment >>> Tariq Ali | Saturday, October 30, 2010

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US midterm elections: Barack Obama's world turned upside down as Democrats face electoral disaster: By abandoning his own rhetoric of bipartisanship, President Obama divided America and set the course for a heavy Democratic defeat in Tuesday's midterm elections, argues Toby Harnden. >>> Toby Harnden, American Way | Saturday, October 30, 2010

Islamization of London (French with English subtitles)