Kuwait Emir's Change to Election Rules Stirs Signs of Arab Spring

THE GUARDIAN: Protests and divisions in small, peaceful oil-rich country include calls to boycott ballot which may have repercussions in region

November evenings are balmy on Kuwait City's waterfront, and there is a festive atmosphere in Irada Square as crowds gather for another protest rally. Women swathed in black mix with others in jeans while men in dishdashas and red-checked ghutra headdresses sip tea on Persian rugs spread on the spiky grass.

Speakers are hammering home the call to boycott this Saturday's elections because the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah, has decreed a change to voting rules that will weaken the opposition. Stewards display spent teargas canisters that were fired to break up an unlicensed protest last month.

Unlike elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa , Kuwaitis are not seeking to overthrow their regime. Irada (the Arabic name means "will") is tamer than Cairo's Tahrir Square. Violence is very rare.

Yet there is no mistaking the depth of divisions in this small but fabulously wealthy country – and the anxiety about how they will play out. Its ultraconservative Saudi and Emirati neighbours are watching nervously.

"The emir's decree was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Sultan al-Majrubi, a young activist who was injured when special forces broke up October's big demonstration. "The Sabah family need to change from the inside. They are not thinking about the future and their credit with the people is running out."

• Kuwait is still the most democratic state in the Gulf. Its "springtime" dates back to 2006, long before the overthrow of the autocrats who ruled Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. » | Ian Black in Kuwait City | Sunday, November 25, 2012

Carla Bruni: A Woman's Place Is in One of Her Homes
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: As a one-time bohemian, lover of rock stars and champagne socialist turned Right-wing presidential consort, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has lived a life far removed from most women’s.

So her entry into the debate about women’s place in society is likely to raise some eyebrows, whether plucked or au naturel.

The 44-year-old, who was France’s first lady for four years until May, has declared: “We don’t need to be feminist in my generation.” Instead she suggests a woman’s place is in the home with her children.

In an interview for the January issue of Vogue magazine, to be published on Dec 1, she develops her views on the women’s liberation movement, adding: “There are pioneers who opened the breach.

“I’m not at all an active feminist. On the contrary, I’m a bourgeois. I love family life, I love doing the same thing every day.’ » | Peter Allen | Sunday, November 25, 2012

Tony Blair's Passionate Plea: We Must Stay at Heart of EU – Or Face Disaster
THE OBSERVER: Former prime minister joins fight with Eurosceptics and says Brussels must promote 'grand plan' about its purpose

Tony Blair will make an impassioned intervention in the debate over Britain's future in Europe, warning that any disengagement from theEuropean Union's "top table" would be a disaster for the UK's economy and its power on the world stage.

With more senior Tories backing moves that could see the UK leaving the EU mainstream, Blair will seek to rally the business community behind a campaign to halt the Eurosceptic bandwagon before it is too late.

At a speech in London on Wednesday, Blair will say that with major economies such as China, India, Brazil and Russia emerging as formidable competitors in the global economic power game, EU membership has never been more important. A source close to the former prime minister said: "Whereas the postwar argument for Europe was about peace versus war, he will make the point that the 21st-century case for Europe is about power versus irrelevance."

In Wednesday's speech, to the Business for New Europe coalition of business leaders pushing for reform in Europe, Blair will argue that the EU needs to promote a "grand plan" about its purpose, driving home the message that member states can best take on these huge economic powers as a united bloc. He will highlight statistics showing that 47% of UK exports go to EU member states while 50% of foreign direct investment is from EU countries. » | Toby Helm, political editor | Saturday, November 24, 2012

North Africa: Tunisians Fear Jihadist Wave
ALL AFRICA: Tunis — One year after extremist violence first emerged in Tunisia, many citizens are convinced that jihadi salafism poses a threat to the future of their country.

From the street to the highest levels of government, Tunisians say that the growing influence of jihadists puts the country's democratic transition in jeopardy.

"Stopping extremist moves, whatever the ideological foundations, means stopping the destructive violence to Tunisian lives and the tarnishing of Tunisia's image abroad," President Moncef Marzouki said Saturday (November 17th) at a Carthage conference.

A string of violent incidents has created an "unhealthy climate, which increased the fear of Tunisians", Marzouki said at the event organised by salafist Sheikh Bechir Ben Hassen.

"Tunisians see the phenomena as a threat to the way of life of the majority," he said, warning against those extremists who try to "impose their law by force in some mosques and neighbourhoods in the country".

Marzouki called on the media, preachers, salafist leaders, families, politicians and the government to work together to stem the spread of extremist ideology.

For his part, Sheikh Ben Hassen called for an end to behaviour that could "lead to a bloodbath and end the Tunisian revolution".

"We are all Tunisians," he said. » | Monia Ghanmi | Friday, November 23, 2012

ALL AFRICA: Tunisie: Les Tunisiens redoutent une vague djihadiste – Tunis — Un an après l'apparition des premières violences extrémistes en Tunisie, de nombreux citoyens sont convaincus que le salafisme djihadiste représente une menace pour l'avenir de leur pays. » | Monia Ghanmi | vendredi 23 novembre 2012

Pope Benedict XVI Appoints Six Non-European Cardinals

BBC: Pope Benedict XVI has appointed six priests from non-European countries to be cardinals, at a service in the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica.

The cardinals, the closest aides of the Pope, come from the Philippines, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Colombia and the US.

Analysts say it is unusual for the Pope to select only non-Europeans.

The Pope told the congregation that the Catholic Church belongs to the whole human race, not just one group, and was a church for all peoples.

Those being presented at the consistory, or cardinal-making ceremony, were:

US Archbishop James Harvey, 63, prefect of the papal household / Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72 / Indian Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church / Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, 68 / Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, 70 / Philippine Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, 55

All six new cardinals are younger than 80 and therefore will likely be eligible to vote for a new Pope when the current pontiff dies.

Three are from countries with large Muslim populations - India, Lebanon and Nigeria.

Cheers broke out among the supporters of each cardinal-designate as the Pope presented them with the gold rings at the consistory and the red hats and vestments, which symbolise their readiness to shed their blood to defend their Christian faith. (+ video) » | Saturday, November 24, 2012

«Les Bettencourt ne m'ont jamais donné un sou»

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: «Les Bettencourt ne m'ont jamais donné un sou», a déclaré jeudi Nicolas Sarkozy aux juges bordelais en charge de l'affaire Bettencourt, selon Sud Ouest qui a pu consulter le procès-verbal d'audition et en publiera samedi les déclarations les plus marquantes.

Nicolas Sarkozy s'est défendu, lors de son audition chez les juges jeudi, d'avoir touché un sou des Bettencourt.

«Ils ne m'ont jamais donné un sou et je ne leur en ai jamais demandé», a notamment dit Nicolas Sarkozy au cours de ces douze heures d'audition transcrites en «32 pages de documents» dont Sud Ouest assure sur son site internet avoir vu l'intégralité. Concernant le financement éventuel de sa campagne présidentielle de 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy déclare : «Je connais les Bettencourt depuis 28 ans et j'en ai 57. J'ai fait cinq campagnes municipales à Neuilly : ils ne m'ont jamais donné un sou et je ne leur en ai jamais demandé.» » | afp/Newsnet | vendredi 23 novembre 2012

1200 Entered Islam in Khober in 2011: Reports
ARAB NEWS: AL-KHOBER: As many as 1213 foreigners residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including 150 women, embraced Islam in Khober last year, a new record of Muslims is embracing Islam in Saudi Arabia over the last years. » | SPA | Saturday, November 24, 2012

Protests and Clashes across Egypt as 'Pharaoh' Morsi Seizes New Powers
Protesters run from tear gas released by riot police during clashes at Tahrir Square in Cairo November 23, 2012

Sharia Police State? Saudi Husbands Can Track Wives’ Travels Electronically
RT.COM: Saudi Arabia introduced an electronic tracking system that alerts men by text message when their wife is leaving the country, even if they are traveling together. The system was swiftly condemned by activists and Twitter users.

Saudi women – banned in the country from driving, denied the right to travel without their husband’s consent and required to wear a veil from head to toe – are now to be monitored by a new electronic system that tracks cross-border movement, AFP reported.

Woman in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to leave the ultraconservative kingdom without the permission of their male ‘guardian,’ or husband, who must give his consent by signing a register known as the ‘yellow sheet’ at the border or airport. Now, husbands will receive a text message to remind them even if they’re traveling outside the country alongside their wife. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Egypt's Morsi Branded New 'Pharoah'

THE AUSTRALIAN: EGYPT'S Islamist President Mohamed Morsi assumed sweeping powers yesterday, drawing criticism he was seeking to be a "new pharoah" and raising questions about the gains of last year's uprising to oust Hosni Mubarak.

The move is a blow to the pro-democracy movement that toppled the long-time president, himself derided by many as a pharoah, and raises concerns that Islamists will be further ensconced in power.

"The president can issue any decision or measure to protect the revolution," according to a decree read out on television by presidential spokesman Yasser Ali.

"The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal."

Nobel laureate and former UN atomic energy agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei lashed out at the declaration, which would effectively put the president above judicial oversight.

"Morsi today usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh. A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences," ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account. » | AFP | Friday, November 23, 2012

Nigeria Riot over 'Blasphemy' against Islam's Prophet
BBC: A rumour that a Christian man blasphemed against Islam has sparked a riot in the northern Nigeria town of Bichi, police have said.

Residents said four people were killed and shops were looted.

The riot came on the day the incoming head of the Anglican Church, the Rt Rev Justin Welby, launched an initiative to promote religious tolerance in Nigeria.

Religious clashes have claimed thousands of lives in Nigeria since military rule ended in 1999.

The militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, has also been waging an insurgency since 2009 to impose strict Sharia across Nigeria, which is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and a Christian and animist south. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Canadian Islamic Group Charges Jewish School Uses Racist Textbook
JTA: TORONTO (JTA) -- A Canadian Islamic organization is accusing a Toronto-area Jewish day school of using a textbook that vilifies Muslims.

In a Nov. 19 letter to Jewish groups, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-CAN, charges that a textbook used at the Joe Dwek Ohr HaEmet Sephardic School employs "inflammatory and hateful terms in describing Muslims."

CAIR-CAN alleges that the book, "2000 Years of Jewish History," describes Muslims as "rabid fanatics" with "savage beginnings."

"The entire chapter devoted to Islam presents a pernicious and extreme portrayal of Muslims and the Islamic faith. The material further denigrates the Prophet Muhammad as a 'rabid Jew-hater,' and falsely portrays Islam as inherently anti-Semitic and devoted to hating Jews," the group said in its letter to the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center For Holocaust Studies and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, or CIJA. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Waffenruhe: Iran feiert "Sieg" der Palästinenser
DIE PRESSE: Die vergangenen Tage hätten die "Schwäche und Zerbrechlichkeit der Zionisten" offenbart, sagt Irans Präsident Ahmadinejad. Die arabische Liga fordert ein Ende der Blockade des Gaza-Streifens.

Der iranische Präsident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nennt die Waffenruhe zwischen Israel und der Hamas einen Sieg des palästinensischen Widerstands. "Ein kleiner Ort wie Gaza hat sich gegen die Zionisten (Israel) gestellt und gesiegt", sagte er nach Angaben der Nachrichtenagentur Fars am Donnerstag. "Dies ist eine weitere Offenbarung, wie schwach und zerbrechlich die Zionisten und ihre Verbündeten sind." » | APA/dpa | Donnerstag, 22. November 2012

Dead-End Road for Mr. No: David Cameron's Risky EU Showdown

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: All eyes are on British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday as European Union leaders gather in Brussels for talks aimed at passing the bloc's next budget. His pre-summit blustering leaves him with little wiggle room, and he could emerge as the debate's biggest loser.

When the 27 European Union heads of state and government arrive in Brussels on Thursday evening for the budget summit, all eyes will be on David Cameron. The British prime minister is in a pugnacious mood, and has said he is prepared to veto the European Commission's budgetary proposal for the years 2014 to 2020 if he doesn't get his way.

Cameron is set to arrive ahead of most of his European counterparts for talks with European Union Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso in an attempt to outline a possible compromise. It promises to be a difficult task.

Every seven years, the EU must come together to fashion a spending plan, and each time it becomes a bitter battle over national interests. For the approaching seven-year period, the Commission has proposed raising EU spending to €1.091 trillion. And the EU's executive body has the support of the European Parliament as well as the 17 countries who are net recipients -- a group made up primarily of Southern and Eastern European countries who receive more from the EU budget than they pay in. » | Carsten Volkery in London | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all my American visitors, followers, and Twitter followers a VERY HAPPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING

Abstract Painting, ORIGINAL Contemporary Art "Alembic" (Thanksgiving) by Elizabeth Chapman
Elizabeth Chapman lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her family, where she works as a professional artist and teaches out of her home studio. The majority of her work can be described as contemporary expressionism. This acrylic painting (16” x 20” x ¾”) is available for purchase. »

Osama bin Laden: Code for Body Was 'Fedex Package'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The first details of Osama bin Laden's secret burial at sea have been revealed in internal US military emails.

The emails were released by the Pentagon after a freedom of information request by the Associated Press, but were heavily redacted.

They disclosed that the funeral was so secret that none of the crew on USS Carl Vinson witnessed the burial at sea. They confirmed what the administration said at the time that Islamic rituals were observed.

In an indication of the intense secrecy surrounding the operation, senior naval officers referred to the slain terror leaders's [sic] body was referred to as a FedEx package. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Mali: des djihadistes arrêtés au Niger
L’EXPRESS.fr: Les djihadistes affluent pour soutenir les rebelles islamistes au Nord du Mali. Au Niger, un Franco-Congolais a été arrété alors qu'il tentait de passer la frontière malienne.

Les services de sécurité nigériens sont sur les dents. Outre l'arrestation, le 7 août, d'un Franco-Congolais qui voulait rejoindre les islamistes armés dans le nord du Mali, de nombreux candidats africains au djihad ont été interceptés à Niamey ces derniers mois. Avant tout pour une raison géographique: la capitale du Niger n'est distante que de 450 kilomètres de Gao, ville du Nord malien tenue par le Mouvement pour l'unicité et le djihad en Afrique de l'Ouest (Mujao), satellite des terroristes d'Aqmi. » | Par Boris Thiolay | mercredi 21 novembre 2012

Religion: "Ein düsterer Tag für die Kirche"
DIE PRESSE – AUSZUG: Die Synode der Church of of England verhinderte, dass es künftig auch weibliche Bischöfe gibt. Traditionelle Anglikaner sehen darin einen Verstoß gegen die Bibel. In anderen anglikanischen Kirchen sind sie längst üblich.

…

Elisabeth II., als Königin auch Oberhaupt der Staatskirche, kommentierte die jüngste Entwicklung wie üblich nicht – wobei sich viele Briten fragen, warum eine Frau zwar problemlos Chefin der Kirche sein kann, aber nicht Bischof. Den ganzen Artikel hier lesen » | Julia Kastein (Die Presse) | Mittwoch, 21. November 2012

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Comes into Effect in Gaza

BBC: A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement which governs Gaza has come into effect.

Under the deal, Israel has agreed to end all hostilities and targeted killings, while Hamas will stop attacks against Israel and along the border.

At least 157 people have died since the flare-up of violence began last week.

Both sides continued to fire on each other as the 21:00 (19:00 GMT) ceasefire deadline approached, but no incidents have been reported since.

Earlier, a bomb exploded on a bus in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, leaving three people needing surgery.

Wednesday also saw at least 13 people die in Gaza.

Israel has agreed to "stop all hostilities on the Gaza Strip, land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals", the ceasefire deal says.

"All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel, including rocket attacks, and attacks along the border," it stipulates. (+ video) » | Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Afghan Shia Muslims Flog Themselves for Ashura Festival
Hundreds of Shia Muslims in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, flog themselves to mark the festival of Ashura on Wednesday. The festival marks the martyrdom of Hussain, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, in the battle of Karbala in Iraq in the year 680. Shia Muslims mourn for a month as part of the festival