The Pope From Far Away Is An Inspiring Choice
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis I, clearly a a man of humility, compassion and learning, faces challenges that will require vision and willpower

The Catholic Church has a pontiff from the New World: “from far away”, as Pope Francis I told the crowds – and the world – when he appeared last night on the balcony in St Peter’s Square. The choice of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, may have come as a surprise to many, but to anyone who appreciates the shift in Catholic demographics from Europe to the developing world, it looks like a wise decision.

Much about Pope Francis suggests continuity. He is Italian-speaking and a man of advancing years – at 76, he breathes with one lung. Moreover, he is a conservative on moral issues and has publicly defended the Church’s position on euthanasia, abortion, homosexuality and priestly celibacy. Liberals will be disappointed.

Yet in many other ways, this Pope is a bold and thrilling choice. He is the first Jesuit pontiff – from an order that normally eschews ecclesiastical honours. He is said to be a simple and honest man, who often speaks out on behalf of the poor and who chose, when made a cardinal, to live in a modest apartment rather than his luxurious official residence. Indeed, upon his appointment in 2001, he discouraged people from spending money to fly out to Rome to accompany him, urging them to donate the funds to alleviate poverty at home instead. » | Telegraph View | Wednesday, March 13, 2013


Why Pope Francis was chosen as new pontiff: Speaking after cardinals elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new pope, US cardinal Timothy Dolan explained why they chose him and the atmosphere inside the Sistine Chapel. » | Thursday, March 14, 2013

Prince Charles Takes Private Arabic Lessons
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: He has long been fascinated by the culture and art of the Middle East, and now the Prince of Wales is taking his interest to a new level by having lessons in Arabic, it emerged today.


The Prince modestly told guests at a reception in Qatar that the language “goes in one ear and out the other”, but an aide disclosed that he is so keen to learn it that he has been having private tuition for more than six months.

Understanding Arabic would enable the Prince, who is passionate about encouraging dialogue between different religions, to read the Koran in its original form.

It would also mean he could decipher Arabic script during visits to mosques and museums of Islamic art.

The Prince was in Doha attending the launch of the Qatar-UK Alumni Network, for Qataris who have attended British universities, when he told a group of guests: “You all speak such good English.”

Dr Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, chairman of the association and Qatar’s energy minister, asked the Prince if he spoke any Arabic, and the Prince said: “I tried to learn it once but I gave up. It goes in one ear and out the other.”

Dr Al-Sada told him: “It’s never too late to learn.”

Later, one of the Prince’s aides confirmed that he has been having lessons in Arabic recently, adding: “He is enormously interested in the region.”

The Prince speaks good French, some German, and has also had lessons in Welsh. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter, Doha | Thursday, March 14, 2013

Habemus Papam: Pope Francis I
New Pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Aged 76. Home: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Career: Academic. Outlook: Moderate. He Will Be Known As Pope Francis I

The archbishop of Buenos Aires is a Jesuit intellectual who travels by bus and has a practical approach to poverty: when he was appointed a cardinal, Bergoglio persuaded hundreds of Argentinians not to fly to Rome to celebrate with him but instead to give the money they would have spent on plane tickets to the poor. He was a fierce opponent of Argentinas decision to legalise gay marriage in 2010, arguing children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother. He was created a cardinal by John Paul II on 21 February 2001.

He believes in contraception to prevent the spread of disease, is open to dialogue with other faiths, and is not facing questions over any abuse scandals. Nor is he facing questions over the handling of the Vatileaks scandal. He would make reforming the curia a priority. [Source: The Guardian]

Live: White Smoke Rises: Cardinals Have Elected New Pope
Cardinals in the Vatican City have elected a new Pope as white smoke billows from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel and the bells toll from St Peter's basilica.

Eilmeldung! Weißer Rauch - Ein neuer Papst ist gewählt
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINER ZEITUNG: Dieses Konklave gehörte zu den kürzesten in der Kirchengeschichte. Schon nach dem fünften Wahlgang steigt um 19.07 Uhr weißer Rauch aus dem Schornstein der Sixtinischen Kapelle in Rom auf. Der Name des neuen Papstes wird in dieser Stunde bekanntgegeben.

Die katholische Weltkirche hat einen neuen Papst. Bereits am zweiten Konklave-Tag wählten die 115 Kardinäle am Mittwoch in Rom mit der notwendigen Zweidrittel-Mehrheit einen Nachfolger des zurückgetretenen Papstes Benedikt XVI..

Aus dem Schornstein der Sixtinischen Kapelle, dem von der Öffentlichkeit abgeschotteten Wahlort, stieg nach dem fünften Wahlgang um 19.07 Uhr weißer Rauch auf - das Zeichen der erfolgten Wahl. Auf dem Petersplatz brandete unter tausenden versammelten Menschen großer Jubel auf. Die Glocken des Petersdoms begannen zu läuten. » | Quelle: FAZ.NET | Mittwoch, 13. März 2013

New York : les musulmans espionnés par la police, un impact « dévastateur »
SAPHIR NEWS: Les musulmans de New York s'organisent contre leur profilage par la police.

La Coalition des libertés civiques des musulmans américains (Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition), avec deux autres organisations de défense des droits civiques, ont remis au Département de police de la ville de New-York (NYPD), lundi 11 mars, un rapport de 51 pages dénonçant l'espionnage des musulmans de la ville.

Le rapport, intitulé « L'espionnage du NYPD et son impact sur les musulmans américains » (Mapping Muslims: NYPD Spying and its Impact on American Muslims), réclame une protection législative et judiciaire contre l'espionnage dont les musulmans ont été victimes. Il repose sur les témoignages de 57 Américains de confession musulmane recueillis par les organisations CLEAR (Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility) et AALDEF (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund).

Depuis le 11 septembre 2001, le NYPD a établi dans le plus grand secret un programme de surveillance des musulmans, rappellent les organisations, le jugeant anticonstitutionnel. Mais ce n'est qu'en août 2011, par le biais de l'Associated Press que ce fichage religieux est révélé, choquant alors toute une communauté. L'agence de presse démontre que le NYPD dressait une liste de mosquées, d'associations musulmanes et d'entreprises gérées par des musulmans.

Au nom de la lutte antiterroriste, le NYPD n'a pas hésité à procéder à des infiltrations. Les agents du NYPD ont littéralement scruté la vie des musulmans. Ils ont ainsi décompté combien de fois par jour les étudiants priaient lorsqu'ils étaient en voyage universitaire, le nombre d'entreprises égyptiennes ayant fermé leur portes pour les prières ou encore les restaurants diffusant la chaîne Al-Jazeera, fait remarquer le rapport.

« Leurs pratiques religieuses et leur comportement en dehors de l'islam ont été l'objet d'un examen minutieux », déplorent les auteurs du rapport, où le terme « dévastateur » est employé à de nombreuses reprises. » | Rédigé par La Rédaction | mardi 12 mars 2013

Taqiy[y]a, or the Terrorist ‘Art of Deception'

FRANCE 24: A year after the Toulouse attacks by Mohamed Merah (pictured), French counterterrorism experts are monitoring the practice of "taqiy[y]a" - or deceiving society by concealing one’s faith – and its uses in jihadist circles.

Nearly a year ago, as one of France’s longest-ever police sieges was about to end on the morning of March 22, 2012, Mohamed Merah – also known as “the Toulouse gunman” – uttered a cry that seemed enigmatic to the uninformed, but was weighted with meaning for counterterrorism experts.

“It’s not the money, it’s the deception that’s critical,” said the 23-year-old French-Algerian shortly before he jumped off his Toulouse apartment window and was gunned down by an elite French anti-terror unit.

The somewhat cryptic cry was a likely reference to “taqiy[y]a” – a form of religious dissimulation or legal dispensation in which believers deny their faith or even commit blasphemous acts as a deception if they are seriously threatened or at risk of persecution.

"Concealment is a technique as old as the world," explained French anti-terrorism judge Marc Trévidic in an interview with FRANCE 24. “It’s also an essential component of any war strategy, regardless of the people involved.”

In Islam, taqiy[y]a dates back to the time when Shiite Muslims were hounded and persecuted by the Sunni caliphs following the 7th century schism between the followers of the Prophet’s son-in-law, Ali, and the Sunni caliphate.

For the traditionally persecuted Shiite minority, deception – or taqiy[y]a – was considered a matter of survival. Although the term does not exist in Sunni jurisprudence, there have been rare cases of Sunnis practicing taqiy[y]a in extraordinary circumstances. » | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Mayor Bloomberg on Soda Ban: Judge Couldn't Be More Wrong

Related »

Extreme Anti-Islam Ads Are Now Running On San Francisco's Buses

BUSINESS INSIDER: Anti-Islam ads appeared on 10 public buses in San Francisco on Monday, showing "inflammatory quotes by Islamic fundamentalists" accompanied by "an anonymous terrorist," according to Transportation Nation.

The ads are paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, whose executive director, Pamela Geller, told the New York Observer in December, "I refuse to abridge my free speech so as to appease savages." » | Alex Davies | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sells Off Collection Of Official Gifts
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sold off his collection of official gifts in a charity auction on Wednesday, including a platinum Monc Blanc pen commemorating Charlie Chaplin's life.

The auction of dozens of luxury brand watches and gem-encrusted jewelry appeared to be designed to cement the populist Iranian leader's reputation as a man of the people before he stands down as leader after June's elections.

Proceeds from the sales, held in a palace of the former Shahs of Iran, would be used to build homes for the country's war veterans and single mothers.

Collectors at the event at Sadabad Palace in north Tehran bid for a series of items given to Mr Ahmadinejad by states including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Andrew Bostom and Robert Spencer Discuss Bernard Lewis and Academic Study of Islam

Far Right 'Stokes Radicalisation'
WALES ONLINE: Far-right movements like the English Defence League (EDL) have the potential to inspire individuals to break off and join more extreme groups, a minister warned.

Delivering a speech at a conference on far-right extremism, security minister James Brokenshire said that the rise of movements such as the EDL was a "worrying phenomenon".

He warned that the EDL and others have the potential to "stoke radicalisation" and could ultimately cross the line into an area that concerns counter-terrorism strategy.

The minister also revealed that more than 2,000 websites had been shut down since 2010 for breaching UK terror laws by the Counter-terrorism Internet Referral Unit.

Mr Brokenshire hit out at groups such as the EDL for "inflaming tensions and spreading hate-filled prejudice within communities".

He said: "The narratives groups such as the EDL use as their capital - engendering fear and distrust about large sections of our communities - have the potential to stoke radicalisation. » | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Arnoud van Doorn: From Wilders to Muhammad
Out of curiosity, Aroud van Doorn started studying the Koran. The more he read of the Koran, the Sunnah (the customs of the Prophet), and the Ahadith (the sayings of the Prophet), the more convinced he became that Islam is a “wise and beautiful” religion.

Because he has a lot to learn, he feels he has returned to school. He says he is humble, because he is just staring his study of Islam and Arabic. But the more you learn. He says, the better it is.

Having been brought up as a Christian, he says that there are many shared values with Islam. It was easier for him to convert to Islam as an ex-Christian, because he already knew about the prophets and the angels. That discipline is necessary for any religion, he says.

He says that the biggest mistake of non-Muslims concerning Islam is their lack of knowledge and their prejudices. He says: “People should learn more before judging.”

He has full confidence that Allah will help and guide him in the difficulties that will lie ahead for him after his conversion. Read the article in Spanish » | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Lien en relation avec la conversion d’Arnoud van Doorn »

Paul Weston Launches New Political Party: Liberty GB

Liberty GB »

Germany Bans Three Salafist Groups as Anti-democratic
THE STAR ONLINE: BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany on Wednesday banned three ultra-conservative Salafist Muslim groups which the Interior Ministry said wanted to overturn democracy and install a system based on sharia, or Islamic law.

The ban, which took effect in the western states of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia in the early morning, is the latest step taken by German authorities who have increased surveillance of Salafists who espouse a radical version of Islam.

The ministry said it has banned the organisations "DawaFFM" and "Islamische Audios", as well as "An-Nussrah", which is part of the "Millatu Ibrahim" group that was outlawed in June.

Some 20 people were searched and assets belonging to the organisations were seized, said the ministry.

"Salafism, as represented in the associations that were banned today, is incompatible with our free democratic order," Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said in a statement. » | Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Kevin Liffey | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

DIE WELT: Großrazzia gegen Salafisten-Vereine: Hunderte Polizisten sind in Nordrhein-Westfalen und Hessen zu Razzien gegen Salafisten ausgerückt. Sie sollen das Vermögen zweier Vereine beschlagnahmen, die Innenminister Friedrich verboten hatte. » | AFP/dpa/jw/ff | Mittwoch, 13. März 2013

Saudi Arabia Executes Seven Men Despite UN Appeal for Clemency
THE GUARDIAN: Human rights activists say men were executed by firing squad, but country's official news agency says they were beheaded

Saudi Arabia has executed seven men for an armed robbery, the interior ministry said, despite an appeal for clemency by United Nations human rights investigators.

The seven, some of whom were under 18 when the crime was committed in 2006, had been due to be put to death last week but were granted a stay of execution while authorities reviewed their case.

Human rights activists in Saudi Arabia said they had been executed by firing squad, but the country's official news agency said they had been beheaded. The original sentences called for death by firing squad and crucifixion.

The men, from Asir province in the south of the country, were convicted of robbery and theft. » | Agencies in Riyadh | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Frankreichs Präsident Hollande: Monsieur Unpopulär

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Noch nie hat sich ein französischer Präsident so schnell so unbeliebt gemacht wie François Hollande. Nur zehn Monate nach Amtsantritt nähert sich sein Ansehen gefährlich dem Negativrekord von Vorgänger Sarkozy. Eine Reise zum Volk, das ihm seine Berater verordnet hatten, geriet nun zum Desaster.

Es ging fast alles schief, was schief gehen konnte während dieser Reise, die François Hollande in die ostfranzösische Stadt Dijon unternahm. Eigentlich war der Ausflug Anfang der Woche dazu gedacht, die miserablen Beliebtheitswerte des Präsidenten zu verbessern und "den direkten Kontakt mit den Franzosen zu erneuern". Stattdessen sah sich Hollande so deutlich wie nie mit dem Zorn des Volkes konfrontiert - und war damit sichtlich überfordert.

"Monsieur Hollande, wo sind Ihre Versprechungen geblieben?", brüllte ein junger Mann dem Präsidenten entgegen, als der im ärmlichen Quartier Grésilles eintraf. Sofort trugen zwei Personenschützer den Mann gewaltsam aus der Menge. Es war ein verheerendes Bild für die Fernsehkameras. Nicolas Sarkozy hatte einem Zwischenrufer einmal entgegengerufen: "Verpiss dich, du Arsch." Er wurde den Satz nie mehr los.

Die Polizei hatte schon vor der Ankunft des Präsidenten eine Gruppe von Gewerkschaftern vertrieben: Sie hatten auf Hollande mit einem Plakat des sozialistischen Gründungsvaters Jean Jaurès gewartet, um ihn "daran zu erinnern, dass er Sozialist ist". Zum Schweigen gebracht wurde - so "Le Monde" - auch ein Anwohner, der dem Präsidenten entgegenrief: "Wir warten immer noch auf deinen Wandel, François." » | Von Mathieu von Rohr, Paris | Dienstag, 12. März 2013

Just How Ill Is The Queen? Concern Grows As She Fights Off Illness

THE DAILY EXPRESS: THE Queen was forced to pull out of a public engagement yesterday as she struggled to shake off an 11-day illness.

Public concern about her health was heightened after she cancelled her appearance at the annual Commonwealth Day Observance ceremony at the last minute.

Doctors advised the 86-year-old monarch that she might not be up to sitting through the hour-long service in Westminster Abbey, London.

It was the first time in 20 years she had missed the ceremony, which is particularly close to her heart.

Buckingham Palace officials had said on Friday that she would be well enough to attend – and it was back to business as usual after the Queen suffered a bout of gastroenteritis. Last night she did brave the icy weather to attend a Commonwealth reception in London in her first public appearance since she left hospital last week.

Looking pale, she signed the Commonwealth’s new charter at Marlborough House in her role as head of the family of nations.

However, courtiers said she might well have to cancel other engagements this week. » | Richard Palmer | Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Bloomberg Has Hard Time Swallowing Judge’s Decision to Nix Large Soda Ban
The ban on sugary drinks over 16 ounces at city-regulated eateries was supposed to take effect Tuesday. Bloomberg: ‘It wasn’t a setback for me. It’s a setback for the people who are dying.’

Read the New York Daily News article here | Edgar Sandoval | New York Daily News | Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Related »

Prince Charles and Camilla Welcomed to Royal Palace in Jordan
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall met King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan at the Royal Palace in Amman on Tuesday on the second day of their Middle East tour.