Tunisia: Free Blogger Jailed for Mocking Islam

Early Test for the New Constitution
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: (Tunis) – Tunisian authorities should mark the celebration of the country’s new constitution on February 7, 2014, by immediately quashing the sentences of anyone convicted under laws that violate human rights, Human Rights Watch said today. One of these is Jaber Mejri, a blogger imprisoned since 2012 for publishing caricatures deemed insulting to Islam. Many foreign heads of state and officials, including the President François Hollande of France, will attend the ceremony.


On March 28, 2012, the First Instance Criminal Court of Mahdia sentenced Mejri and another blogger, Ghazi Beji, to seven-and-half years in prison for harming “public order or good morals” and “insulting others through public communication networks.” Beji fled and became the first Tunisian to gain political asylum in France since the 2011 revolution. Mejri is in Mahdia prison. The courts of appeal and cassation confirmed the lower court ruling. President Moncef Marzouki has the authority to pardon Mejri and should, Human Rights Watch said. » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

HRW: Tunisie : Il faut libérer le blogueur emprisonné pour avoir tourné l'islam en dérision : Un premier test pour la nouvelle constitution tunisienne » | jeudi 06 février 2014
HRW: باللغة العربية »

British Politician Wants UK Muslims to Denounce Parts of Quran

AL ARABIYA: A far-right UK Independence Party (UKIP) politician reiterated on Tuesday his belief that a declaration denouncing specific parts of the Quran must be signed by Muslims living in Britain.

Gerard Batten, an MEP, renewed his suggestion first proposed in 2006 while speaking to the British daily news website the Guardian, adding that Europe made a huge mistake by allowing “an explosion of mosques across their land.”

“If that represents the thinking of modern people, there's something wrong, in which case maybe they need to revise their thinking,” Batten said.

“If they say they can't revise their thinking on those issues, then who's got the problem – us or them?” he added.

During the interview, Batten said: “I would expect the fundamentalists to agree with me that democracy is incompatible with fundamentalist Islam. Moderate Muslims have to decide which side of the argument they are on.”

"Muslims need to sign the charter and accept to “re-examine and address the meaning and application of certain Islamic texts and doctrines,” Batten said in a statement released on Ukip’s official website.

Batten said he stood by the 2006 “charter of Muslim understanding.”

In the charter, Muslims are requested to reject parts of the Quran which promote that “violent physical Jihad” should be regarded as “inapplicable, invalid and non-Islamic,” a move Batten said would not be an issue for “any reasonable, normal person.” » | Eman El-Shenawi | Al Arabiya News – Dubai | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

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Bahraini Activist Speaks Out

CNN: New law: Insult Bahrain's king, get thrown in jail: Bahrain's king has ratified a new law that imposes a prison sentence of up to seven years and fine of up to $26,500 for anyone who publicly insults him, state-run media said. » | Schams Elwazer, CNN | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Locals Help Police Target Homosexuals in Bauchi State, Nigeria

BBC: People in Nigeria who are suspected of being gay could face the death penalty, as parts of the country crack down on practices not consistent with Islamic law.

Homosexuality has long been illegal in the country, with a recent law extending the penalty for those convicted to 14 years in prison.

But in Bauchi State in northern Nigeria, some of those standing trial could face the death penalty.

Will Ross reports. (+ BBC video) » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Female Genital Mutilation: A Family Speaks Out against the Practice

BBC: Doctors and nurses in the UK will be required to log details of the injuries suffered by victims of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The practice has been illegal in Britain since 1985, but no-one has ever been prosecuted for FGM, which is widely carried out by communities originally from the Middle East, Africa or Asia.

At least 66,000 girls and women in the UK are believed to be victims.

Three generations of one Somali family, scarred by the practice, have spoken out.

Reeta Chakrabarti reports. (+ BBC video) » | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Female genital mutilation: Hospitals to log victims » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Female Genital Mutilation: 'I Was Screaming'

BBC: A BBC investigation has revealed concerns that girls are being brought to Scotland from overseas to undergo female genital mutilation.

Specialist agencies have warned that the procedure is conducted here because the country is seen as "a soft touch".

Fatou Baldeh, remembers being cut aged seven: "I remember I was screaming for my mum and my grandmother to help me but no-one did."

Lucy Adams has been investigating the issue for BBC Scotland. (+ BBC video) » | Friday, November 15, 2013

Inside Story: Is 'Brand Israel' Under Threat?

As the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement gains traction, how will the country deal with the pressure?

Turkish MPs Endorse Internet Control Law

Turkey's parliament has adopted a new Internet bill roundly criticised as an assault by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on freedom of expression, access to information and investigative journalism. Al Jazeera spoke to Mehmet Karli, assistant Professor of International Law at Galatasary University, in Istanbul.

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Nick Clegg's Ex-headmaster Jailed for Abusing Boys

Roland Peter Wright was led away from court by prison officers

BBC: The former headmaster of a school attended by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been jailed for eight years for sexually abusing five pupils.

Roland Peter Wright, 83, of Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, abused boys aged between eight and 13 at Caldicott Preparatory School from 1959 to 1970.

His sentencing went ahead despite the death of another former teacher who had been due to appear with him.

Hugh Henry, 82, apparently threw himself under a train on Tuesday.

Judge Joanna Cutts QC told Wright: "These offences were so serious that it is beyond question that only a custodial sentence can be justified.

"I have to sentence you for multiple offending against each of these victims.

"This was prolonged activity, the boys were groomed by a master at a school responsible for their care."

Mr Clegg was a pupil at the school from 1974 until 1980 and was joint head boy in his final year.

When Wright was convicted in December, Mr Clegg said: "I am shocked and appalled by the gross betrayal of trust and violation of childhood innocence that has been shown to have taken place at Caldicott." » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Royal Cousins at War: A House Divided

How the tangled relationships and emerging rivalries between Europe's royal houses at the outbreak of the First World War played a crucial role in the conflict.
Watch the BBC documentary here on BBC iPlayer

Ban Ki-moon Condemns Persecution of Gay People in Russia

THE GUARDIAN: Amid criticism of Russia's anti-gay laws, UN secretary-general urges 'speaking out against prejudice' in keynote speech to IOC

The United Nations secretary-general has used a speech ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi to condemn attacks on the LGBT community, amid growing criticism of Russia's so-called "gay propaganda" laws.

Ban Ki-moon, addressing the IOC before Friday's opening ceremony, highlighted the fact that the theme of the UN's human rights day last December was "sport comes out against homophobia".

"Many professional athletes, gay and straight, are speaking out against prejudice. We must all raise our voices against attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people," he said. "We must oppose the arrests, imprisonments and discriminatory restrictions they face."

"The United Nations stands strongly behind our own 'free and equal' campaign, and I look forward to working with the IOC, governments and other partners around the world to build societies of equality and tolerance. Hatred of any kind must have no place in the 21st century." » | Owen Gibson and Shaun Walker | Thursday, February 06, 2014

THE GUARDIAN: Russian laws choking free speech must be repealed now » | The Guardian | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Turkey Pushes Through New Raft of 'Draconian' Internet Restrictions

THE GUARDIAN: New law requiring ISPs to make web user data available to authorities seen as threat to democracy, says opposition party

The Turkish government has been accused of imposing draconian censorship after pushing harsh new internet curbs through parliament. The new internet law was met with outrage in Turkey on Wednesday night, with opposition parties accusing the government of wanting to introduce ever tighter control by bypassing the courts.

The regulations were adopted after a heated Parliamentary debate yesterday, during which one MP of the main opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) compared Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyıp Erdoğan to Hitler. The law now needs to be signed by Turkish President Abdullah Gül to go into effect.

"When you came into power you talked of increasing democracy in Turkey, but now you are trying to implement fascism," Hasan Ören said. "Remember that Adolf Hitler used the same methods when he rose to power."

The new measures will allow Turkey's telecommunications authority (TIB) to block any website in 24 hours and without first seeking a court ruling. The law also obliges internet providers to store all data on web users' activities for two years and make it available to the authorities upon request.

Deputy prime minister Bülent Arınç rejected all accusations of censorship. "We are freer and have more press freedom than many other countries in the world", he said.

However, critics say that the law violates citizens' rights to freedom of expression and current privacy rights, turning Turkey into an Orwellian surveillance state. » | Constanze Letsch in Istanbul | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Fury as Racist Christian Patrol Drive Armoured Car in Muslim Street Giving Out Booze

DAILY EXPRESS: BRITISH faith leaders have united to condemn a BNP-linked vigilante group called Christian Patrols which drove two armoured vehicles into a Muslim-dominated street and baited residents with alcohol and cigarettes.

The Bishop of Stepney and the chairman of the East London Mosque issued a statement yesterday to call for a halt to the stunt.

They were reacting to a recent incident in which nationalist group Britain First drove two Gulf War armoured Land Rovers down the length of Brick Lane, one of the most famous streets in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets.

The group said they were there to “defend British soil against Muslim extremists”.

They said they were reacting to the so-called “Muslim Patrols” who were convicted in December for threatening non-Muslims in the area.

Britain First’s chairman Paul Golding, a former Sevenoaks councillor for British National Party in Kent, told the East London Advertiser he was deliberately taunting people with beer and cigarettes. (+ video) » | Ted Jeory | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Schröder: "USA haben keinen Respekt vor Deutschen"

KRONE.AT: In der Spionageaffäre um abgehörte Telefonate durch den US- Geheimdienst NSA wird der Ton zwischen Berlin und Washington zunehmend rauher. Nach Berichten, wonach auch Deutschlands Alt- Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder während seiner Amtszeit vom NSA abgehört worden sein soll, erhob der Amtsvorgänger von Kanzlerin Angela Merkel schwere Vorwürfe gegen die US- Regierung. "Die USA haben keinen Respekt vor einem loyalen Bündnispartner und der Souveränität unseres Landes", sagte Schröder der "Bild"- Zeitung.

Da hatte er noch Vertrauen in die USA: Ein Bild aus dem Jahr 2005 zeigt den damaligen deutschen Bundeskanzler lachend bei einem Besuch beim damals amtierenden US- Präsidenten George W. Bush. Doch angesichts neuer Berichte über eine NSA- Abhöraktion gegen ihn in seiner Zeit als Bundeskanzler (siehe Story in der Infobox) dürfte nun auch Schröder die Beziehungen zwischen Berlin und Washington in einem neuen Licht sehen.

Gegenüber der "Bild"- Zeitung bekräftigte Schröder, er habe ein solches Vorgehen der USA "nicht für möglich" gehalten. "Dass sich Staaten gegenseitig ausspionieren, ist zwar keine neue Erfahrung. Aber das Telefon einer Bundeskanzlerin oder eines Bundeskanzlers abzuhören, geht eindeutig zu weit." » | AG/red | Mittwoch, 05. Februar 2014

Wendi Deng's 'Love Note for Tony Blair' Published

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Wendi Deng, former wife of Rupert Murdoch, wrote about loving Tony Blair's "good body" and "piercing blue eyes"

Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch, allegedly developed a passionate obsession with Tony Blair and wrote a note in which she rhapsodised about his “good body and really really good legs [and] Butt”.

Miss Deng is said to have become infatuated with the former Prime Minister while she was still married to the media mogul.

In the note, Chinese-born Miss Deng wrote in broken English: “Oh, s***, oh, s***. Whatever why I’m so so missing Tony. Because he is so so charming and his clothes are so good.

“He has such good body and he has really really good legs Butt… And he is slim tall and good skin. Pierce blue eyes which I love. Love his eyes. Also I love his power on the stage… and what else and what else and what else… [all sic]”

The contents of the sensational note are detailed in Vanity Fair magazine, which described it as “a steamy, lovelorn missive”.

Mr Blair has denied all allegations of an affair with Miss Deng. Friends of Miss Deng say the pair were never more than friends. » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

DAILY EXPRESS: Murdoch spitting blood after 'love' note from ex-wife to Tony Blair surfaces: IT has always been one of the weirdest true stories in modern history. ¶ Time was when Rupert Murdoch and leaders of the Labour Party hated each other with a vengeance but in the mid-Nineties Tony Blair shocked the traditional wing of his own party by jetting off to a shindig hosted by the News Corp tycoon on an Australian island. From then on it was kissy-kissy all the way, with Murdoch a frequent visitor to No 10 once Blair was in power. » | Simon Edge | Thursday, February 06, 2014

World War I in Color & HD: Episode 7: Tactics and Strategy

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World War I in Color & HD: Episode 6: Victory and Despair

For the Allies, 1918 proved to be the costliest year of the war. On the Western Front 2 million British and 3 million French were captured, wounded or killed - over a few miles of French and Belgian mud. On 21 March 1918, General von Ludendorff attacked along a 64-mile front which was to be the greatest attack yet seen in modern industrialized warfare. The Germans advanced 20 miles in 14 days, and von Ludendorff set his sights on Paris and victory. Field Marshall Haig rallied his British troops to fight to the end. Casualties ran at 350 000 for both sides, and the toll taken on von Ludendorff's troops had overstretched his war machine.

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World War I in Color & HD: Episode 5: Mayhem on the Eastern Front

When war broke out in 1914 the Eastern Front campaign moved swiftly. Austrian troops invaded Serbia, and Russia, as Serbia's ally, invaded both Germany and Austria. The Austrians quickly retreated, demoralized by the success of the Russian advance. Yet against the Germans, 50,000 Russians were killed or wounded at the battle of Tannenberg. German Generals Hindenberg and Erich von Ludendorff, spurred on by their easy victories against the Russians, dreamed of an extended German empire to the East.

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World War I in Color & HD: Episode 4: Killers of the Sea

In this episode we discover that there was only one major clash of fleets in World War 1. Instead, the war at sea was one of blockades and sinkings and a small but feared U-boat. By August 1914 Germany and Britain were building massive and expensive warships - the dreadnoughts. The British controlled the North Sea, and built up supplies by commandeering all goods heading for Germany. Britain's survival depended on keeping her trade routes open, and for this reason Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare on merchant shipping.

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World War I in Color & HD: Episode 3: Blood in the Air

In the battles of WWI a new theatre of war was to emerge -- the sky. This new warfare was to prove just as deadly as the trenches, where pilots flew into battle with as little as five hours flying experience, with an average life expectancy of 11 days in 1914. Initially the aircraft replaced hot air balloons as a reconnaissance device; spying and photographing deep behind enemy lines, but in 1915 aviation pioneer Fokker revolutionized the aircraft as a weapon when he synchronized a machine gun with a propeller -- allowing German pilots to annihilate French and British planes.

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