Vatican Conclave Tainted By Scandal Before It Even Begins

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The conclave, the secretive process by which the Roman Catholic Church will elect a new Pope, has been tainted by scandals affecting Timothy Dolan, a contender for the papacy, and other cardinals.

Cardinal Dolan, the archbishop of New York, has become the latest cardinal to be questioned over his handling of sex abuse by priests and victims in Ireland, US and Belgium.

Of the 116 cardinals who will gather beneath Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, several are embroiled in controversies connected to the Church’s systemic failure to tackle sex abuse against children by paedophile priests.

The question marks over the cardinals’ management of sex abuse cases are an embarrassment for the Holy See, just as Benedict prepares to resign the papacy next Thursday.

Timothy Dolan, the charismatic archbishop of New York, who is considered to have a chance of being elected Benedict XVI’s successor, was formally questioned about abusive priests in his former archdiocese of Milwaukee, just days before his departure for Rome to take part in the conclave. » | Thursday, February 21, 2012

George Galloway Walks Out of Oxford Israel Debate

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George Galloway on Homophobia
George Galloway supports gay rights and gets annoyed at a homophobe.

Pope Benedict Retired after Inquiry into 'Vatican Gay Bishops', Says Paper
THE GUARDIAN: Pope's staff decline to confirm or deny La Repubblica claims linking 'Vatileaks' affair and discovery of 'blackmailed gay clergy'

A potentially explosive report has linked the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI to the discovery of a network of gay prelates in the Vatican, some of whom – the report said – were being blackmailed by outsiders.

The pope's spokesman declined to confirm or deny the report, which was carried by the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica.

The paper said the pope had taken his decision to resign on 17 December, on the day he received a dossier compiled by three cardinals delegated to look into the so-called "Vatileaks" affair.

Last May, Pope Benedict's butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested and charged with having stolen and leaked papal correspondence that depicted the Vatican as a seething hotbed of intrigue and infighting.

According to La Repubblica, the dossier comprising "two volumes of almost 300 pages – bound in red" had been consigned to a safe in the papal apartments and would be delivered to the pope's successor upon his election. The newspaper said the cardinals described a number of factions, including one whose members were "united by sexual orientation".

In an apparent quotation from the report, La Repubblica said some Vatican officials had been subject to "external influence" from laymen with whom they had links of a "worldly nature". The paper said this was a clear reference to blackmail. » | John Hooper in Rome | Thursday, February 21, 2013

Horsemeat Scandal: Welsh Firm Recalls Burgers After Tests Show Illicit Meat

THE GUARDIAN: BMC in Builth Wells, Powys, 'devastated' after one-third of FSA beef burger samples test positive for at least 1% horsemeat.

Thousands of beef burgers made by the Burger Manufacturing Company in Powys, Wales, are being withdrawn from cafes, restaurant, hotels and other outlets as well as wholesalers after three of nine samples ordered by the Food Standards Agency tested positive for at least 1% horsemeat.

Much of the meat used by the company was supplied by Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth, which was raided by police and FSA officials investigating the horsemeat scandal on Tuesday last week. Two men who worked at Farmbox were arrested on Thursday last week.

The FSA said: "Testing carried out by Powys county council, as requested by the FSA, has shown that three samples of beef burger products made by catering supplier, The Burger Manufacturing Company [BMC], have tested positive for at least 1% horse meat. » | James Meikle | Thursday, February 21, 2013

Hundreds Would Have Died in Attack Plotted by Islamic Fanatics
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It would have been the most devastating terrorist attack on British soil leaving hundreds dead – and by al-Qaeda inspired but “home-grown” Islamic fanatics.

Up to eight suicide bombers carrying backpacks rammed with explosives and armed with guns were to carry out a horrifying blend of the 7/7 and Mumbai atrocities.

The jihadi gang planned to walk in to crowded, public places shooting indiscriminately before simultaneously detonating their terrible homemade payloads killing hundreds on their wake.

Although no firm target was settled on, the 2012 Olympics may have been one along with soldiers based in this country.

They even boasted about "hitting" David Cameron, his friends and other non – believers in the "land of Satan".

The plot was the most significant since the plans to blow up transatlantic aeroplanes with liquid bombs in 2006 and is likely to have led to the largest loss of life from a terror attack on UK shores. » | Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | Thursday, February 21, 2013

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Suicide bomb gang guilty of plotting 'worst ever terror attack in Britain': The ringleaders of an al-Qaeda backed British jihadi group have been found guilty of plotting the worst terror attack on UK soil. » | Tom Whitehead | Thursday, February 21, 2013


BBC: Police: Birmingham terror trio 'wanted this to be their 9/11' – Three Birmingham men convicted of planning a campaign of terrorist attacks in the UK "wanted it to be their 9/11", according to police. ¶ Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale said all three had set out "to cause some serious harm". ¶ Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid, 27, and Ashik Ali, 27 were found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of planning to set off up to eight bombs in rucksacks and possibly detonate bombs on timers. (+ BBC video) » | Thursday, February 21, 2013

George Galloway Accused of Racism after Refusing to Debate with Israeli Student

DAILY EXPRESS: GEORGE Galloway has been accused of "pure racism" after storming out of a debate at Oxford Union shouting "I don't debate with Israelis".

The Respect MP – who is a vocal critic of Israel and its treatment of Palestinian people – had been taking part in the debate at Christ Church college.

Golloway is now facing accusations of racism after his outburst last night.

The MP for Bradford West had been speaking for the motion that "Israel should withdraw immediately from the West Bank", when he learned that Eylon Aslan-Levy, a student opposing it, was Israeli.

Galloway interrupted the student after he used the word "we" in reference to Israel.

"You said 'we'," said Galloway. "Are you an Israeli?"

"I am, yes," Aslan-Levy replied.

"I don't debate with Israelis. I have been misled, sorry," Galloway said, standing and putting on his coat, then reiterating as he walked out: "I don't recognise Israel and I don't debate with Israelis." » | Charlotte Meredith | Thursday, February 21, 2013

Höhere Hürden für Einbürgerungen gefordert
NEUE LUZERNER ZEITUNG ONLINE: Die Hürden für Einbürgerungen in der Schweiz sollen angehoben werden. Dies möchte die Staatspolitische Kommission des Nationalrates (SPK). Sie empfiehlt dem Rat, das Bürgerrechtsgesetz zu verschärfen. » | sda | Donnerstag, 21. Februar 2013

Geert Wilders Offered Multiculturalism Lesson
SBS: Multicultural organisations say anti-Islamic Dutch MP Geert Wilders should use his Australia tour as a learning experience.

Mr Wilders says Islam and freedom are incompatible and is coming with a warning about the dangers of allowing Muslims to immigrate to Australia.

But a range of organisations that work in the multicultural sphere are determined to prove him wrong.

The Q Society is funding Mr Wilders' Australian tour, which will involve speeches in Sydney and Melbourne this month -- about what he calls the Islamisation of Australia.

Far from calling for Gert Wilders to be banned from Australia for his controversial views, Theo Mackaay from the Victorian Council of Churches says he is welcome to look and learn.

"Let us extend our hospitality to Mr Wilders, let us engage with him, offer him the opportunity to learn how multiculturalism takes commitment but can be a wonderful wonderful way forward for any society."

Victoria's Multicultural Affairs Minister Nicholas Kotsiras says Mr Wilders' views are wrong and misinformed. (+ audio) » | Source: Andrew Bolton, SBS | Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Dinner Lady Sacked for Serving Muslim Children with Non-halal Meat at Multi-faith School

MAIL ONLINE: Parents forced headmaster to apologise for 'insulting' their faith / Birmingham school has both Muslim students and those of other faiths / All 1,400 students at Moseley School are served Halal meat only

A dinner lady has been sacked for accidentally serving non-halal meat to Muslim students at a multi-faith school.

The incident outraged parents at the 'halal-only' Moseley School in Birmingham, and they have forced the headmaster to apologise for 'insulting' their faith.

The member of staff has been dismissed after the 'unintentional error' on December 12 last year recently came to light.

All 1,400 students at Moseley school are served halal meat, regardless of their religion.

It has not been specified what type of meat was served, but the person responsible for serving the food was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing last Monday.

Parents were informed of the mistake this month, and reacted with outrage, forcing headteacher Carl Jansen to apologise for the ‘unintentional error'.

However, Muslim parents are demanding others be held accountable for the mistake, which they [say] call 'an insult to our faith’.

‘The school have [sic] failed the children,' one parent said yesterday. ‘How did this meal get into the school system to be fed to the children?

‘It's just shocking that dietary requirements haven't been met.' Read on and comment » | Sara Malm | Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Wilders Warns Australia of 'Dangerous' Islam
AL JAZEERA: Police break up a protest in Melbourne against the visit of controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

Protesters have scuffled with police in Melbourne during a visit to Australia by the controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

Mounted police restored order as scuffles broke out outside a venue where Wilders was speaking on Tuesday, but authorities said on Wednesday that no arrests were made.

A group of around 40 demonstrators blocked the gate to a function centre where Wilders made his speech, in which he said he was giving Australia a warning about "the true nature of Islam".

During his address, which won him a standing ovation from the audience, Wilders said Islam was "not just a religion".

"It's primarily a dangerous and totalitarian ideology," he said. » | Sources: Agencies | Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Papst soll auf einem Auge fast blind sein

NEUE LUZERNER ZEITUNG: Der Gesundheitszustand von Papst Benedikt XVI. hat sich einem Medienbericht zufolge in den vergangenen Jahren kontinuierlich verschlechtert. Der Papst sei auf einem Auge fast blind und leide zudem an Bluthochdruck.

Vatikanstadt. Dies berichtete der italienische Vatikan-Reporter Marco Tosatti am Mittwoch auf seinem Blog "Vatican Insider". Tosatti bezog sich auf vertrauliche Informationen von Gehilfen des Papstes, die er bis zum Ende des Pontifikats geheimhalten wollte.

Mit der Rücktrittsankündigung Benedikts zum 28. Februar sei er nun von dieser Verpflichtung entbunden, erklärte Tosatti.

Wegen des Bluthochdrucks habe der Arzt des Papstes empfohlen, Flugreisen einzuschränken und auf den Transatlantikflug zum diesjährigen Weltjugendtag in Rio de Janeiro zu verzichten. Der 85-jährige Papst habe zudem oft Schlafprobleme und sei auf Auslandsreisen in der Vergangenheit mehrfach aus dem Bett gefallen. » | NLZ Online | Mittwoch, 20. Februar 2013

Wilders Heckled as ‘Racist Scum’ in Australia
EURONEWS: Demonstrators scuffled with police in the Australian city of Melbourne on Wednesday where Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders was giving a speech.

Dozens of officers formed a ring around the venue as protesters voiced their opposition to his appearance by chanting the words: “Racist scum!”

“These are all the demonstrators who are actually, just peacefully, trying to raise awareness of the fact that we oppose Islamophobia and all the things that Geert Wilders and the people that come to the Geert Wilders’ event, preach,” said one protester. » | Euronews | Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Boko Haram, la secte anti-Occidentaux se radicalise
LE FIGARO: Enlevés au Cameroun, les sept otages Français auraient été transférés aussitôt vers le Nigeria, où sévit la secte islamiste Boko Haram. Ce groupe terroriste, influencé par al-Qaida, se tourne vers le rapt d'Occidentaux.

Vingt-quatre heures après l'enlèvement de sept Français dans le nord du Cameroun, aucune revendication n'est encore parvenue aux autorités françaises. François Hollande, comme Laurent Fabius quelques heures plus tard, a toutefois avancé qu'il pourrait s'agir d'un «groupe terroriste que nous connaissons et qui est au Nigeria». Ce groupe serait Boko Haram. » | Par lefigaro.fr | mercredi 20 février 2013

Prophet Muhammad Saviour Of Humanity!

Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq »

Ex-Muslim: "Islam is a Lie"
Prominent Ex-Muslim and son of Hamas founder 'Sheikh Hassan Yousef' speaks about the religion he was brought up to believe in.

Malmö Mayor Concerned about Islam-critical Show
THE LOCAL (SWEDEN): The mayor of Malmö has slammed an upcoming exhibition of work by controversial Swedish artist Lars Vilks, saying he hoped no one would visit the gallery to see artwork he said was "associated with xenophobes".

"Of course he has the right to display what he calls art anywhere he wants," Mayor Ilmar Reepalu told the TT news agency.

"But as far as I can gather, this is pretty bad art and I think they want to use the gallery for political ends," he added.

"Vilks is increasingly associated in people's minds with xenophobic groups at the far right of the political spectrum. I hope not a single person visits the gallery."

News of the show, set to open in July, prompted representatives from different religions in the multicultural southern city to call an emergency meeting,

Some observers appeared frightened that the show would provoke a violent reaction.

"I urge everyone to avoid violence in their demonstrations, because then the cause will be lost,” said Björn Lagerbäck of the municipal anti-discrimination project Dialogforum.

Vilks has faced numerous death threats since his drawing of the Muslim prophet with the body of a dog was first published by Swedish regional daily Nerikes Allehanda in 2007. It was published to illustrate an editorial on free speech.

The new paintings of Mohammed would show the prophet - still with a dog's body - transplanted into famous works by artists including Claude Monet, Peter Paul Rubens and Anders Zorn, Vilks told the AFP news agency. » | TT/The Local/AFP/og | Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Millionaire Businessman Islamic Creed 'as Obtrusive as McDonald's Sign' Can Stay on His House after Winning Fight with Council
MAIL ONLINE: ‘There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger,' sign reads / Planners banned slogan saying it was like a McDonald's billboard / But Mahmood Ali, 54, wins right to keep sign after ruling is overturned / 'I wouldn't mind if my neighbours painted a cross on their house,' he says

A millionaire businessman today won his fight to keep a large Islamic slogan which he painted on the side of his house.

Mahmood Ali had been ordered to remove the words because they were a form of advertising comparable to a McDonald's billboard.

But he appealed the ruling, and successfully argued that the slogan was not disproportionately large or garish and did not damage the character of his neighbourhood.

The 54-year-old painted an Arabic message meaning, 'There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger,' on the side of his semi-detached eight-bedroom home in Newport, south Wales.

The council later ruled that he required planning permission to display the slogan, saying that it fell under the same category as a commercial advertisement.

Today planning inspector Tim Belcher overturned that initial ruling, judging that the sign was not so obtrusive that it damaged the interests of other locals. » | Higo Gye and Simon Tomlinson | Wednesday, February 20, 2013

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UK: Islam Channel TV Presenter Said Homosexuality Was An ‘Evil Action’
PINK NEWS: Evidence has emerged of a presenter on the Islam Channel previously describing homosexuality as an “evil action” – with Ofcom subsequently warning the TV station of the need to take “great care” when “discussing sensitive issues such as sexual orientation”.

Last week, the Islam Channel denied that any of its presenters had ever aired offensive views about gay people.

However, PinkNews.co.uk has learnt that in 2009 the channel was investigated by the broadcast regulator Ofcom following a complaint over the advice given by an Islamic scholar to a gay Muslim.

The complaint concerned the ‘IslamiQa’ phone-in programme hosted by Dr Khalid Khan, a scholar, who had been presenting on the channel for over three years. » | Scott Roberts | Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Bernardi Tests Abbott's Patience by Backing Dutch MP Geert Wilders

THE AUSTRALIAN: COALITION Senator Cory Bernardi tested the patience of his parliamentary leader Tony Abbott by affirming his support for Dutch MP Geert Wilders, who has been forced to cancel a speaking engagement in Perth because no venue was willing to provide him a stage.

Senator Bernardi, whom Wilders this week described as an old friend, had distanced himself from the anti-Islam campaigner since late last year, when he was given a visa to visit Australia. However, the cancellation of Wilders' tour date today prompted the Senator to lament the "double standard" of free speech in Australia.

"Dutch politician Geert Wilders' public speaking tour has run into constant problems as venues continue to pull out or refuse to host his events," Senator Bernardi wrote to subscribers of his weekly "common sense" newsletter. "In such a tolerant and open society like Australia, why is it so difficult to accommodate a speaking tour by a member of the Dutch parliament who has a different perspective?" » | Chip Le Grand | The Australian | Wednesday, February 20, 2013

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