Pope Francis Hints at 'Brief' Papacy

Pope Francis praised Pope Benedict's decision to resign in 2013

BBC AMERICA: Pope Francis has suggested he may resign his papacy like his predecessor, rather than remain at the Vatican for life.

The pontiff made the comments during a interview with Mexican television, marking the second anniversary of his election.

"I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief. Four or five years; I do not know, even two or three," he said.

He praised Pope Benedict's decision to step aside in 2013 as "courageous".

"Benedict should not be considered an exception, but an institution. Maybe he will be the only one for a long time, maybe he will not be the only one.

"But an institutional door has been opened," he told the Televisa channel. » | Friday, March 13, 2015

Gerüchte um russischen Präsidenten: Schweizer Medien berichten über angebliches Putin-Baby

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Erst kursierten Gerüchte über den Gesundheitszustand von Wladimir Putin. Jetzt soll der russische Präsident auch noch Vater geworden sein, behaupten Schweizer Medien. Die angebliche Mutter: eine junge Olympiasiegerin.

Tessin/Moskau - Das Rätselraten über Wladimir Putin hält an: Seit Tagen kursieren Gerüchte, der russische Staatschef sei schwer erkrankt - und nun soll er sogar Vater geworden sein: Die russische Spitzensportlerin Alina Kabajewa, Olympiasiegerin im Kunstturnen 2004, soll in einer Schweizer Privatklinik bei Lugano ein Kind geboren haben, meldet das Boulevard-Portal "Blick Online". Der angebliche Vater: Putin.

Putins Privatleben wird streng abgeschirmt, Gerüchte über eine Beziehung zu der 32-jährigen Kabajewa gibt es aber schon seit Jahren. Der italienischsprachige Radiosender RSI aus dem Tessin meldet, Kabajewa habe zwei Zimmer in der Klinik reservieren lassen. Die "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" erhielt auf eine Anfrage an die Direktorin der Klinik jedoch eine ernüchternde Antwort: "Es entspricht nicht unserer Praxis, auf solche Anfragen zu antworten." Dafür äußerte sich ein Sprecher des Kreml, der die Gerüchte als haltlos bezeichnete. » | mxw/heb/Reuters | Freitag, 13. März 2015

Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau Face Off Over Niqab Debate

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau face off over a growing debate about whether wearing a niqab is a choice and when it should be allowed.

Niqabs ‘Rooted in a Culture That Is Anti-women,’ Harper Says

Prime Minister Stephen Harper answers a question
during Question Period in the House of Commons
in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Stephen Harper says the practice of covering one’s face with a niqab is “rooted in a culture that is anti-women” – his bluntest effort to date to explain why the Conservative government is fighting the use of these veils during Canadian citizenship ceremonies.

The Prime Minister was responding in the House of Commons to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who has sharply criticized the Tories for seeking to ban the covering of women’s faces when they are swearing a citizenship oath and has accused Mr. Harper of Islamophobia.

Mr. Trudeau responded outside the Commons Tuesday by declaring that “this government is doubling down on the politics of fear.”

A debate over reasonable accommodation in Canada is playing out again, this time over the niqab. Mr. Harper is arguing, as a Conservative fundraising e-mail recently put it, that is “not the way we do things here,” while Mr. Trudeau is championing religious freedom as protected by the Charter of Rights.

Some Muslim women wear face-covering niqabs in public, and the Liberals defend their right to wear the veil during citizenship ceremonies. Mr. Harper, whose government is appealing a Federal Court ruling that would allow people to cover their face while reciting the oath of citizenship, strongly disagrees. » | Steven Chase | Ottawa | Pub. Tuesday, March 10, 2015 | Updated: Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Young Canadian’s Conversion to Radical Islam Leaves Family Devastated

THE STAR: A father has given up hope of changing his son, who has become a cheerleader for the Islamic State terrorists and has landed himself on the radar of CSIS.

His father thinks he’s lost. His brother holds out hope. But no one in Harun Abdurahman’s family knows how to turn around the young Canadian man who has become an unapologetic supporter of the Islamic State terrorist group.

Born in Ontario to a Christian family steeped in military tradition, the Manitoba resident told the Star in an earlier interview that he believed last fall’s terror attacks on Parliament Hill and in Quebec were “justified” retribution for Canadian military aggression against ISIS.

“I think a lot of Canadians need to wake up and understand that we’re doing this and worse to other people in other countries,” said Abdurahman, who agreed to be identified only by an online pseudonym that he has adopted.

He spoke about his convictions, his belief that all Muslims should emigrate to Syria and Iraq, where the Islamic State has declared a caliphate governed by Sharia law and of learning that he was under investigation by Canadian spies who saw him as a potential threat to national security.

But this turn of events has also had a devastating impact on Abdurahman’s family. Beginning last December, Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents interviewed his ex-girlfriend and older brother in Ontario as well as his father, who is a serving member of the Royal Canadian Air Force in Alberta. The agents carried with them a thick file on the young man.

This week, however, the spy agency told family members they had intensified their investigation. » | Allan Woods | Quebec Bureau | Sunday, March 08, 2015

Leading Politician Says Canada Could End Up Treating Muslims As It Did Jews in the ’30s and ’40s

THE WASHINGTON POST: In a dramatic speech Tuesday evening, the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau, criticized the Canadian government for its rhetoric over the threat of Islamist-related terrorism – and compared the country's treatment of its Muslim minorities with restrictive policies against Jews prior to and during World War II.

Speaking in Toronto to alumni of McGill University, Trudeau, who will compete with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in an election later this year, discussed Canada's idea of liberty. At one point, he listed a number of historical moments when his country had failed in that ideal, including the Chinese head tax (a fixed fee charged to every Chinese immigrant) and the internment of Ukrainian, Japanese and Italian Canadians during the world wars. » | Adam Taylor | Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Harper Says Majority of ‘Moderate Muslims’ Support View on Niqab Ban

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Stephen Harper’s Conservatives find themselves on the defensive regarding their relationship with Muslim Canadians, a rare position for the governing party that has made courting ethnic communities a staple of its election strategy.

The Prime Minister, who upset some Muslim Canadians this week by saying the face-covering niqab is “rooted in a culture that is anti-woman,” stood up in the Commons Wednesday to enumerate support for his government’s campaign to ban the use of the veil when taking the oath of Canadian citizenship. A small minority of Muslim women wear the niqab in Canada.

He listed groups such as the Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations, which, Mr. Harper told the Commons, have declared: “Most Canadians believe that it is offensive that someone would hide their identity at the very moment where they are committing to join the Canadian family.” » | Steven Chase | Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Heresy! Muslim Prayers in Church of England Parish

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Clergy accuse vicar of holding ‘illegal’ Islamic prayer service in landmark London church


A Church of England vicar is facing a storm of protest from traditionalist Christians after allowing a Muslim prayer service to be held in his church.

Dozens of Muslims took part in the “Inclusive Mosque” event at St John’s church, Waterloo in central London, in what is thought to have been the first time a full Islamic prayer service has been held within the Church of England.

The vicar, the Rev Canon Giles Goddard, a prominent liberal cleric, joined in the event, reading a passage from the Bible and inviting the congregation to give thanks to “the God that we love, Allah”.

Canon Goddard, described the service, on Saturday, as “very moving” and said it was simply an expression of the church’s desire to offer people a “place to pray”.

But evangelical clerics were angered by the service which they said marked a breach with canon law which forbids any variation from the official liturgy if it contains “any departure from, the doctrine of the Church of England in any essential matter”.

It was also “offensive” to Christians being persecuted for their faith around the world, they said. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor, video source YouTube | Friday, March 13, 2015

Judge: Philly Public Buses Must Run Ads Linking Muslims to Hitler

CBS NEWS: PHILADELPHIA -- Anti-Islamic ads could soon be coming to Philadelphia public buses.

CBS Philadelphia reports that a federal court judge on Wednesday sided with a New Hampshire based non-profit on its claim that it has a first amendment right to run bus ads linking Muslims to Hitler.

The ads include images of Adolf Hitler and read "Islamic Jew Hatred: It's in the Quran." While they may be incendiary to some, a federal court judge wrote they're perfectly acceptable under the first amendment.

"He agreed with us on all the issues," said attorney Robert Muise.

Muise represents plaintiff American Freedom Defense Initiative. The group has filed more than a half dozen lawsuits against transit authorities across the country over anti-Islamic ads. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority refused to run their ad saying it disparaged Muslims, but the court held the buses are public forums -- so SEPTA cannot censor AFDI's political speech. » | Thursday, March 12, 2015

Americans Are 'Back-stabbers' and 'Tricksters' Says Iran's Leader after Senate Letter

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Republic-ans are unrepentant over the letter warning that a future president might revoke a nuclear deal with Iran. But Ayatollah Khamenei did not condemn the talks and experts say agreement remains possible

Iran’s Supreme Leader accused “back-stabbing” America of “tricks and deceptions” on Thursday as the clock ticked towards a deadline for a final agreement on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a caustic response to an open letter from 47 Republican senators, warning that a future US president might revoke any nuclear deal with Iran.

This message – furiously denounced by President Barack Obama – raised the possibility of Iran walking away from an agreement while deflecting the blame on to America.

"Of course I am worried, because the other side is known for opacity, deceit and back-stabbing,” said Ayatollah Khamenei in a speech to the Assembly of Experts, Iran’s most senior body.

"Every time we reach a stage where the end of the negotiations is in sight, the tone of the other side, specifically the Americans, becomes harsher, coarser and tougher. This is the nature of their tricks and deceptions.” » | David Blair, and Peter Foster in Washington | Thursday, March 12, 2015

IS lässt eigenen Scharia-Richter köpfen

WELT ONLINE: Richter Abu Jaafar al-Hattab vertrat die strengste Ausrichtung der Scharia. Etliche Muslime ließ er zu Ungläubigen erklären. Nun wurde es offenbar selbst der IS-Führung zu viel: Er wurde geköpft.

Die Nachricht verbreitete sich in den sozialen Medien rasant. Unterstützer des IS twitterten, dass die Organisation ihren Scharia-Richter hingerichtet habe. Grund: die exzessive Auslegung des Takfir-Konzepts. Das berichtet der "Middle East Monitor".

Richter Abu Jaafar al-Hattab war als Mitglied der Scharia-Kommission dafür zuständig, die Rechtsgrundlage für ein Kalifat zu erarbeiten. Dafür wandte er das Konzept von Takfir an – es gilt auch im Islam als umstritten. Takfir erlaubt einem islamischen Gelehrten, andere Muslime zu Ungläubigen oder Abtrünnigen zu erklären. Ein Vergehen, auf das die Todesstrafe steht. Al-Hattab sei für seine Härte bekannt gewesen, so der "Middle East Monitor". » | dol | Donnerstag, 12. März 2015

Kuwaiti Preacher, ISIS Call for Demolition of Egypt’s Sphinx, Pyramids

RT: An Islamist preacher from Kuwait has called to destroy Egypt's Sphinx and pyramids, stating it is time for Muslims to erase the pharaohs' heritage. The alleged call comes as Islamic State jihadists ramp up their attacks against historic sites.

Although the ancient monuments are not religious – but rather cultural and historic sites – they should still be "destroyed" by Muslims, putting an end to the worship of images, preacher Ibrahim Al Kandari said, according to Al-Watan daily.

"The fact that early Muslims who were among prophet Mohammed’s followers did not destroy the pharaohs' monuments upon entering the Egyptian soil, does not mean that we shouldn't do it now," Al Kandari said.

Another call for the destruction of Egypt's main symbols comes from Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who suggested the demolition of the historic monuments is a "religious duty," Al Alam news reported on Sunday. In the extreme interpretations of Islam, no material objects should be idolized or worshiped.

It comes amid growing concerns over the safety of many other historic and architectural monuments in the region, where militants continue to destroy ancient cities and artifacts. » |Pub. Monday, March 09, 2015 | Ed. Wednesday, March 11, 2015

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

Swiss Citizen Arrested for Fighting Islamic State

Johan Cosar was arrested by Swiss authorities

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Switzerland prosecutes man for forming Christian militia in Syria under law that citizens must have permission to fight in foreign armies

A Swiss man is facing up to three years in prison after he travelled to Syria to fight the Islamic State group.

Johan Cosar, born in Switzerland to parents of Syrian Christian origin, was arrested in Basel in February after his return from the Middle East. Details of his arrest emerged this week.

He had joined a Christian militia fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

Those who travel to Syria to join Isil or other jihadist groups face arrest if they return amid fears they may launch terror attacks in Europe.

But so far most European countries have taken no action against the increasing numbers who are travelling to the region to join local militia fighting against the jihadists.

Mr Cosar helped train the Syriac Military Council, a 500-strong militia which defending the ancient Assyrian Christian minority from Isil, after travelling to Syria as a journalist. » | Justin Huggler in Berlin | Thursday, March 12, 2015

LE TEMPS: «Je ne suis pas djihadiste: je combats les terroristes» » | Valérie de Graffenried | mercredi 11 mars 2015

Hillary Clinton Could Face Jail Time As Email Scandal Sparks Legal Challenges

The Obama administration will soon find itself in court having to explain to federal judges why it never told anyone former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton used a secret email address, potentially spoiling dozens of open records requests, experts said Wednesday. And Mrs. Clinton could face up to three years in prison per message if…

Margaret Thatcher Speech to Congress

MARGARET THATCHER FOUNDATION: Speech to Joint Houses of Congress »

L'Iran durcit sa législation pour freiner la baisse de la natalité

L’EXPRESS.fr: Amnesty international dénonce la loi "sur la population et l'exaltation de la famille" destinée à restreindre les moyens de contraception, afin de faire obstacle à la chute de la natalité.

La République islamique ne sait plus comment redonner aux Iraniens l'envie de faire des enfants. Pour tenter de stopper la chute de la fécondité, deux projets de loi sont en cours d'examen au Parlement. Des mesures qui risquent de réduire les femmes à des "machines à faire des enfants", dénonce, ce mercredi, Amnesty International. » | Par LEXPRESS.fr avec AFP | mercredi 11 mars 2015

The Whole World Is Trying to 'Topple' Me, Says Netanyahu

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Israeli prime minister claims to be the target of a "worldwide effort" to ensure his defeat in next Tuesday's election

Benjamin Netanyahu claimed to detect a “worldwide effort” to remove him from power on Tuesday as polls suggested that he faces defeat in Israel’s election.

After three terms totalling nine years in office, Mr Netanyahu has become the longest-serving Israeli prime minister since David Ben Gurion. But a poll for Channel 2 News suggested that his Likud party would win 21 seats in the Knesset, or parliament, in next Tuesday's election, compared with 25 for the Zionist Union, an opposition alliance. » | David Blair | Wednesday, March 11, 2015

British Muslims Condemn Terror Laws for Creating 'Witch-hunt' against Islam

Moazzam Begg of Cage is one of the signatories to the public statement.

THE GUARDIAN: Strongly worded public statement, which includes signatories from Cage and Hizb ut-Tahrir, condemns ‘crude and divisive’ government election tactics

Anti-Muslim rhetoric and “endless ‘anti-terror’ laws” are in danger of creating a McCarthyite witch-hunt against Muslims, according to the signatories of a strongly worded public statement, who include several controversial figures.

The statement accuses the government of “criminalising” Islam and trying to silence “legitimate critique and dissent”, and decries what it describes as “the ongoing demonisation of Muslims in Britain [and] their values, as well as prominent scholars, speakers and organisations.”

Signatories of the statement include Moazzam Begg, director of outreach for Cage, the organisation that came under fire last week after it sought to explain the radicalisation of Isis killer Mohammed Emwazi. Members of Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in several countries including Germany, have also signed the statement.

It comes after it was revealed earlier this week that the Home Office is planning a “more assertive” stance against extremism, with a series of measures including imposing penalties on benefit claimants who do not learn English and making visa applicants commit themselves to “British values”.

The statement, seen by the Guardian, reads: “We reject the portrayal of Muslims and the Muslim community as a security threat. The latest act of parliament, the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, threatens to create a ‘McCarthyite’ witch-hunt against Muslims, with nursery workers, schoolteachers and universities expected to look out for signs of increased Islamic practice as signs of ‘radicalisation’.”

The signatories state that the “Muslim issue” is being exploited for political capital in the run[-]up to the general election. » | Alexandra Topping, Nishaat Ismail, Shiv Malik | Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Saudi Playboy Caught Drug Driving McLaren Supercar through Hyde Park

Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, confessed to smoking the drug

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Court hears Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech when questioned by officers after taking cannabis

A rich Saudi playboy was caught by police driving his father's £168,500 McLaren supercar while high on cannabis through Hyde Park.

Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, confessed to smoking the drug at 7.30am that morning and was unsteady on his feet with slurred speech when questioned by officers.

He pleaded guilty to driving a McLaren MP4-12c 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 Velocita Wind Edition in West Carriage Drive on December 11 last year while unfit to drive through drugs.

Student Al-Sharif, who lives off a family allowance, was fined £400, with £85 costs and was ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge. He was disqualified for twelve months.

The supercar, which goes from 0mph to 60mph in 2.8 seconds, has a makeover by German specialists DMC, which increases its brake horsepower to 650bhp and makes the car more powerful and luxurious. » | Agency | Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Spain: "The Mediterranean Corridor of Jihadism"

Samira Yerou was arrested March 7 at Barcelona's airport, on
suspicion of running a jihadist recruiting network.

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: The arrests have, once again, cast a spotlight on the problem of radical Islam in Catalonia, which has the largest Muslim population in Spain. The region is home to an estimated 465,000 Muslims, who account for more than 6% of the total Catalan population of 7.5 million.

Catalonia is home to approximately 465,000 Muslims. At least 10% of them are estimated to be "radicals" who are hardcore believers in the "doctrine of jihadism." — Jofre Montoto, Catalan terrorism analyst.

In February, the lower house of the Spanish Congress approved far-reaching changes to the country's penal code, as a way to combat Islamic extremism and support for the Islamic State.

Under the new law, anyone convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack will be subject to a life sentence (35 years) without the possibility of parole. The law also calls for 20-year sentences for anyone convicted of supplying weapons to terrorists, or ten-year sentences for funding terror networks.

Spanish police have arrested a Moroccan woman on suspicion of running a jihadist recruiting network for the Islamic State.

Samira Yerou, 32, was arrested at Barcelona's El Prat airport on March 7 upon her arrival on a flight from Turkey, where authorities had detained her for trying illegally to enter Syria with her three-year-old son, a Spanish citizen.

Police say Yerou, who lives in Rubí, a Catalan town situated 15 kilometers north of Barcelona, disappeared in December 2014, while her son's father, a Moroccan-Spaniard, was away on a trip to Morocco. Spanish authorities issued an international warrant for Yerou's arrest.

In a statement, the Spanish Interior Ministry said Yerou had specialized in recruiting women from Europe and North Africa to join the Islamic State. She allegedly became interested in militant Islam after visiting Morocco during the summer of 2013, and later became radicalized through the Internet by "spending many hours consulting" jihadist websites. The boy, who was unharmed, has been returned to his father.

Yerou is one of at least 50 jihadists who have been arrested in Spain during the past twelve months alone. Most of the arrests have taken place in Catalonia and in Spain's North African exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. » | Soeren Kern | Wednesday, March 11, 2015