Obama Marginalizes Christianity, Mainstreams Islam

INVESTORS.COM: Culture War: Worried the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorists" ads offend Muslims, the Obama administration is taking them down. Yet it has no qualms offending Christians or their faith.

After the Council on American-Islamic Relations complained the terrorist posters feature too many Muslims, including three Muslim Americans, the administration agreed to remove them from buses and other venues across the country.

The "Faces of Global Terrorism" ad campaign includes photos of 16 of the deadliest terrorists in the world, and offers a $25 million reward for information leading to their capture.

CAIR — which has distributed its own posters advising Muslims to slam the door shut on FBI agents looking for terrorists — whined that the campaign could lead to "hate crimes" against Muslims, though the group has cried wolf about such attacks in the past.

Still, the administration backed down, proving once again it's more concerned with appeasing Islamists than protecting U.S. citizens. Some 46 bus ads running in Seattle, where the campaign kicked off, will come down over the next few weeks, reducing the chance the terrorists will be caught.

The move comes just a few weeks after the Justice Department launched a campaign threatening residents outside Nashville, Tenn., and other cities in the South against saying anything blasphemous about Islam. Justice officials warned some anti-Muslim statements could be prosecuted as "hate crimes." » | Monday, July 01, 2013

Edward Snowden Given Possible Lifeline as Bolivia Hints It Would Grant Asylum

THE GUARDIAN: Evo Morales says his country is keen to 'shield the denounced' as Snowden's father Lon compares son to Paul Revere

Bolivia threw a possible lifeline to the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden on Tuesday, telling Russian television it would consider granting him political asylum to escape from what it called the espionage network of the US "empire".

As other options began to fade for Snowden, trapped in the transit zone of a Moscow airport, Bolivian president Evo Morales said his country was keen to "shield the denounced".

Snowden's father, meanwhile, stepped up the rhetoric in favour of his son's actions on Tuesday, publishing an open letter that compared him to colonial independence fighter Paul Revere.

The letter was signed by Lon Snowden and his lawyer, Bruce Fein, who also reported receiving a phone call from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Fein told the Associated Press that Assange, in the phone call on Saturday, delivered what he said was a message from Snowden to his father, asking him to keep quiet.

Speaking in Moscow, Morales said Bolivia had not received a formal application for asylum from Snowden yet, but hinted it would consider any request favourably.

"If there were a request, of course we would be willing to debate and consider the idea," Morales told RT Actualidad, the Spanish-language service of Russian broadcaster RT. » | Dan Roberts in Washington | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

BBC: Bolivia leader's jet diverted 'amid Snowden suspicions': Bolivian President Evo Morales's plane has been diverted to Austria amid suspicion that US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden is on board, the foreign minister has said. » | Wednesday, July 03, 2013

UAE Islamists Convicted for Plotting Government Coup

BBC: Sixty-eight Islamists in the United Arab Emirates have been jailed over allegations of a plot to overthrow the government.

Many of those convicted were imprisoned for at least seven years. Another 26, including 13 women, were acquitted.

The 94 defendants were accused of trying to seize power in the Emirates.

The verdict ended a trial criticised by human rights groups, which said the judge failed to investigate "credible" allegations of torture of defendants.

The defendants included human rights lawyers, university lecturers and students.

A majority of those convicted were given jail sentences between seven and 10 years, reports said. Eight defendants no longer in the country were sentenced to 15 years.

The convictions were condemned by Human Rights Watch. Nick McGeehan, the organisation's Gulf researcher, said they represented "another low point for the UAE's worsening human rights record".

"These verdicts cement the UAE's reputation as a serious abuser of basic human rights," Mr McGeehan added. (+ video) » | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Altered Attitudes: Gay Marriage on a Roll in the West

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Two US Supreme Court rulings last week bolstering same-sex marriage are symptomatic of shifting public opinion in the West in favor of gay rights. Attitudes have changed so fast in recent years that politicians can hardly keep up.

The dividing line between the West and the rest of the world could be seen clearly last Thursday, when it ran more or less precisely between US President Barack Obama and Senegalese President Macky Sall. The two leaders stood together and smiled for the press in the Senegalese capital of Dakar. Then someone asked a question about gay marriage.

Obama praised his country's Supreme Court for its historic ruling the previous day recognizing same-sex marriages at the federal level. The president declared this "a victory for American democracy" and called on the West African nation to allow homosexuals equal rights as well.

Sall promptly disagreed with Obama. Not only are homosexuals denied the right to marry in Senegal, but sex between men is in fact a crime there, as it is in around 30 African countries. "Senegal is a tolerant nation, yet it is not yet ready to legalize homosexuality," Sall said.

The two presidents' meeting was also a clash of cultures, one made all the more intense as Europe and the US find themselves undergoing rapid societal change. One number illustrates just how quickly this change is occurring: As of this August, 585 million people in the world will live in regions where true gay marriage exists, not just legally recognized same-sex partnerships. That's roughly twice as many as in August 2012. And just 12 years before that, at the turn of the millennium, gay marriage didn't exist anywhere in the world. » | Mathieu von Rohr | Translated from the German by Ella Ornstein | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Traudl Junge Interview: Hitlers Selretärin

Interview with Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge.

The Boy Killed for an Off-hand Remark about God - Sharia Spreads in Syria

BBC: The murder of a boy accused of blasphemy has come to symbolise concerns about the power of Islamist radicals in Syria's armed uprising. Paul Wood reports from Aleppo on how Sharia is spreading in rebel-held areas.

Mohammed Qataa's mother wanders the streets of Aleppo looking into strangers' faces as she tries to find her son's killers.

She knows she would recognise them. She was looking right at them when, in front of a dumbstruck and terrified crowd, Mohammed was shot dead, accused of blasphemy.

She remembers Mohammed as a happy, dutiful son, well known and well-liked in the Shaar neighbourhood where the men of the family scrape a living with a coffee cart.

He was 14 years old, but with no schooling possible because of the war he was usually to be found on the busy main thoroughfare through Shaar, selling the thick, sweet coffee they prefer here.

One day last month, someone asked him for a free cup. "Not even if the Prophet himself returns," he had replied, laughing. That remark was a death sentence.

It was overheard by three armed men. They dragged him to a car and took him away. Half-an-hour later, a badly beaten Mohammed was dumped back in the road by his cart.

The men, showing no fear that anyone would question what they were doing, summoned a crowd with shouts of "Oh People of Aleppo. Oh people of Shaar." Their bellows alerted Mohammed's mother.

Recalling what happened next, she buries her face in her hands and weeps.

"One of them shouted: 'Whoever insults the Prophet will be killed according to Sharia'," she told me.

"I ran down barefoot to the streets. I heard the first shot. I fell to the ground when I got there.

"One of them shot him again and kicked him. He shot him for a third time and stamped on him.

"I said: 'Why are you killing him? He's still a child!' The man shouted: 'He is not a Muslim - leave!'" (+ video) » | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Snowden verzichtet auf Asyl in Russland

Der frühere US-Geheimdienstmitarbeiter Edward Snowden habe seinen Antrag zurückgezogen, sagte Kremlsprecher Dmitri Peskow Agenturen zufolge heute in Moskau. Grund seien die von Präsident Wladimir Putin genannten Asyl-Bedingungen.

STERN.DE: Deutschland verweigert Snowden Asyl: Edward Snowden hat mehr als 20 Länder um Asyl gebeten. Auch Deutschland stand auf seiner Liste. Doch schneller als erwartet lehnten die Behörden seinen Antrag ab. » | kng/Reuters/DPA | Dienstag, 02. Juli 2013


TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Les élus sont divisés sur l’octroi de l’asile à Snowden: Des élus politique jugent que l'espion doit être accueilli comme un réfugié en danger de mort. D'autres l'excluent et rappellent que les Etats-Unis sont une démocratie. » | Par Patrick Chuard, Berne | mardi 02 juli 2013

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Edward Snowden aurait peur d'être tué aux USA: Edward Snowden affirme qu'il «risque d'être persécuté» par les Etats-Unis s'il devait y retourner, dans sa lettre justifiant sa demande d'asile politique à la Pologne. » | ats/afp/Newsnet | mardi 02 juli 2013

French Far-right Leader Stripped of Immunity

AL JAZEERA: Marine Le Pen loses legal immunity as EU Parliament deputy, exposing her to possible prosecution over racism charge.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been stripped of her European Parliament immunity and may now face charges of racism over comments she made comparing Muslims praying on streets to Nazi occupation during World War II.

Parliamentarians voted on Tuesday to ratify the decision, as recommended by a judicial committee, so that Le Pen, who leads the French National Front party, could defend herself against a charge of inciting racial hatred brought by French prosecutors in 2011.

Le Pen, who was present for the vote, said she stood behind her comments and looked forward to defending them in front of a judge.

"I'm going to defend myself ... and I'm absolutely convinced that the court will rule in my favour and protect my right to say to the French the truth about the situation, notably prayers in the streets but not only that," Le Pen said in an interview on French television.

If found guilty of inciting racial hatred, she would face a maximum penalty of one year in prison and $60,000 in fines. » | Source: Agencies | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Edward Snowden's Options Dwindle After Political Asylum Rejections

List of the countries approached and their responses

THE GUARDIAN: Several countries have denied whistleblower's request to seek asylum and others say he must be on their territory to apply

Edward Snowden's hopes of finding refuge from prosecution appeared to be dwindling on Tuesday as country after country denied the US whistleblower's requests to seek political asylum.

Snowden sought political asylum from 21 countries, according toWikiLeaks, passing his requests to Russian officials from his hideaway in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

Several countries replied with a flat out "no", including Brazil, India, Norway and Poland. "I will not give a positive recommendation," the Polish foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, wrote on his Twitter account.

A spokesman for the Indian foreign ministry tweeted: "Following careful examination, we have concluded that we see no reason to accede to the Snowden request." To add insult to injury, Brazil said it did not feel Snowden's request deserved a response.

An enraged US has warned countries against accepting Snowden, who they are seeking on charges that he violated the espionage act when gathering and leaking classified documents outlining the National Security Agency's surveillance programmes.

Officials from many countries said Snowden would have to be on their territory to properly apply for asylum, a major stumbling block as Snowden has been stripped of his US passport and remains confined inside Sheremetyevo without travel documents. » | Miriam Elder in Moscow | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Marine Le Pen: France Plagued by Bankruptcy & Mass Immigration

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen believes her National Front party is going to come to power later in the decade and vows to overcome the burden of EU unity. Immigration, economic problems, the military, and gay rights all shape her agenda - FOR MORE of Sophie Shevardnadze Interview on SophieCo

Australian Muslim Frontbencher Suffers Online Abuse After Koran Oath

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Australia’s first Muslim frontbencher, Ed Husic, has been subjected to “extreme” abuse after he chose to swore his oath of office on the Koran.

Mr Husic, a parliamentary secretary, suffered torrents of anti-Islamic attacks on social media but said he “will not jump because of harsh words in dark corners”. On his Facebook page, a series of congratulatory messages was rebuked by critics who said they were “disappointed” and feared he had abandoned the constitution in favour of Sharia law.

“Shame, Shame, Shame," wrote Ross Peace. "I am so disappointed in this government that they don't have the spine to stand up for the Australian way of life."

Another user, Steve Kerr, wrote: “You are the shame of our great nation. Australian politics has gone to the dogs, and committing the treasonous act of swearing in on the quran, you are the biggest mutt in the yard!”

Mr Husic, 43, the child of Bosnian Muslim migrants, said it was “right” for people to express their concerns but defended his decision to use the Koran for his oath. » | Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney | Tuesday, June 02, 2013

Hitler in Colour

Ahmadinejad: West Wants Syrian Crisis to Spread, Aims to Re-shape Mideast (RT Exclusive)

Western nations are stirring up a hornet's nest in Syria because peace is not playing into their hands. That's one of the things Iran's outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told RT during an exclusive interview in Moscow. (July 2, 2013)

Snowden Drops Russia's Asylum Bid as Whistleblower Saga Continues

Edward Snowden has withdrawn his application for asylum in Russia. The whistleblower was apparently unwlling to stop leaking damaging revelations about Washington's surveillance habits, which was one of Moscow's conditions. He still has requests for refuge being considered by almost 20 other nations

Channel 4 to 'Provoke' Viewers Who Associate Islam with Terrorism with Live Call to Prayer during Ramadan

THE INDEPENDENT: The broadcaster will provide extensive coverage of the Muslim period of prayer to challenge those who associate the religion with extremism and terror

Channel 4 has said it will broadcast the Muslim call to prayer live every morning during Ramadan as a deliberate act of “provocation” aimed at viewers who associate Islam with terrorism and extremism.

The broadcaster, which was launched with a mission to appeal to minority audiences, will return to its controversial roots by screening a season of programmes around the Muslim period of prayer and fasting, which begins next Tuesday.

A senior Channel 4 executive defended the broadcaster’s decision to provide extensive coverage of the most significant event in the Islamic calendar by suggesting that Ramadan was of greater interest to its viewers than the “blanket coverage” given to the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation by its rivals.

Ralph Lee, head of factual programming, said that Channel 4 would become the first mainstream British television channel to broadcast the call to prayer (adhan) on a daily basis.

Writing in the Radio Times, Lee claimed: “Observing the adhan on Channel 4 will act as a nationwide tannoy system, a deliberate ‘provocation’ to all our viewers in the very real sense of the word.”

Lee said that the “vast majority of people in Britain” would not be aware of the “mass act of personal sacrifice and worship” about to commence.

“Not surprising when you consider its (Ramadan) near invisibility on mainstream TV. Contrast this with the way most Muslims are represented on television – nearly always appearing in contexts related to extremism or terrorism,” he wrote. » | Adam Sherwin | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

RADIO TIMES: Channel 4 exec: broadcasting Muslim call to prayer reflects how Islam is “flourishing” in UK » | Jack Seale | Monday, July 01, 2013

My comment on The Guardian:

First we had David Cameron telling us that the beheading of Lee Rigby was a betrayal of Islam. Then we had the banning of Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller from these shores. Now this: the broadcasting of al-adhan each morning on Channel 4 during Ramadhan. What are we to make of this except capitulation? These are sad times for a once strong, proud nation. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Snowden Drops Asylum Bid for Russia: Official

VOICE OF AMERICA: A Russian official says fugitive American spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has dropped his bid for asylum, after President Vladimir Putin said he could only stay if he stopped leaking sensitive U.S. intelligence.

The spokesperson for Putin also confirmed Tuesday that Snowden remains in the transit zone of a Moscow airport, where he fled eight days ago from Hong Kong after revealing top-secret U.S. surveillance operations.

Wikileaks, the anti-secrecy group that has supported Snowden, said Tuesday it has submitted asylum requests to 19 more countries on behalf of the ex-CIA employee.

The countries include China, India, Brazil, and several other European nations, including several U.S. allies. Wikileaks said this is in addition to earlier asylum requests to Ecuador and Iceland. » | VOA News | Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Television Under The Swastika - The History Of Nazi Television (1999)

What Was Life Like for Young People in Nazi Germany?

Hitler Youth »
Hitlerjugend »

'No Longer in the Cold War': Merkel Infuriated by US Spying

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has compared US spying to Cold War tactics and Brussels wants EU facilities checked for American eavesdropping equipment. Concern is growing the scandal could seriously damage trans-Atlantic relations.

The German government reacted strongly on Monday to media reports that the United States has spent years spying on the European Union and on specific European countries. Meanwhile, European Union leaders have both reviled the US for allegedly bugging EU diplomatic missions in Washington, DC, and New York and ordered that bloc facilities be searched for American eavesdropping equipment.

"The monitoring of friends -- this is unacceptable. It can't be tolerated," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday through her spokesman Steffen Seibert. "We are no longer in the Cold War." Seibert said that Merkel had already communicated her displeasure to the US. "Trust has to be the basis of our cooperation," Seibert said. "When it comes to this affair, trust has to be re-established."

In addition, Germany's Foreign Ministry is performing a check on the security of its communications with embassies abroad while the Interior Ministry in Berlin is undertaking an examination of the safety of communication channels used by the German government. » | cgh -- with wire reports | With reporting by Veit Medick, Annett Meiritz and Philipp Wittrock | Monday, 01. July 2013

Putin: Snowden Can Stay in Russia If He Stops Damaging US

President Vladimir Putin says NSA leaker Edward Snowden may stay in Russia, if he wants to, but only if he stops activities aimed against the United States.

Verwandt »