Tribal Allegiances
LA TIMES: Mideast's potent force survives alongside the Internet and cellphone.

SHIBAM-KAWKABAN, YEMEN — The slender, somber-faced 18-year-old wears two crucial tokens tucked against his belly, beneath the embroidered belt. The cellphone links him to the modern world. And the short, curved dagger binds him to the ancient system that is the only thing, he says, that he would die for — his tribe.

Fouad Hussein is one of a new generation of young Arabs, the vanguard of a massive baby boom. With synthesized Gulf pop in his ears and the Internet at his fingertips, he enjoys access to technology that his parents could probably never have imagined. But from the moment dawn sears the dusty hills until the last wash of sunlight fades over his mud and brick house, Hussein's life is ruled by the codes hammered out by his ancestors.

"I serve my tribe in everything they ask," Hussein said, blinking seriously in the brilliant morning sunlight. "If I'm alone, it means I'm weak. If I'm with the tribe, it means I have some power, I am strong." Modern Yemen embraces the tribe (more) By Megan K Stack

Mark Alexander

Dramatic Interest Rate Cut in Iran Sends Banks into Shock and People into Panic
Thanks to Roberts Spencer of Jihad Watch, where I became aware of this story…

THE GUARDIAN:

· President's shock order defies expert advice
· Bank shares plummet amid rampant inflation

Iran's financial system suffered a fresh jolt yesterday with panic selling on the stock market after the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, abruptly ordered banks to cut interest rates sharply, despite surging inflation.

The order, which Mr Ahmadinejad issued by telephone during a visit to Belarus and which flew in the face of expert advice - has triggered warnings of a financial crisis and spiralling corruption amid fears of a capital flight from the country's lending institutions. Iran interest rate cutsparkspanic selling (more) By Robert Tait

Mark Alexander

Muttawa Alleged to Have Beaten Saudi to Death
KUWAIT TIMES: RIYADH: Police in the Saudi capital Riyadh are probing the alleged beating to death of a man by religious police, who are in charge of enforcing a strict Islamic moral code, a newspaper reported yesterday. An investigation is under way into the circumstances of the death of Salman Al-Huraisi, 28, in one of the offices of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Riyadh police spokesman Major Sami Al-Shuwairekh told Al-Watan. Huraisi's brother, Ali, said Salman was badly beaten by members of the religious police, commonly known as Mutawwa, when they raided the family's home in Riyadh on Wednesday night. Mutawwa probed for alleged fatal beating (more)

Mark Alexander

Queen Said to Be Left “Exasperated and Frustrated” and “Deeply Concerned” Over 'Meddling' Tony Blair
THE SCOTSMAN: THE Queen has been left "exasperated and frustrated" by Tony Blair's legacy after a decade in office, friends have reportedly told a newspaper.

The Prime Minister's perceived lack of understanding of countryside issues has been a particular grievance, close confidantes disclosed, while many New Labour policies left her "deeply concerned".

Royal sources said that the Queen also believes privately that Blair and his government have meddled unnecessarily in Britain's heritage, including the reform of the House of Lords.

Concerns from military leaders that the armed forces have become "overstretched" by foreign commitments have also said to have worried her.

She suspects that Blair has spent too much time courting the favour of the United States at the expense of her beloved Commonwealth. Queen reveals’ exasperation’ over ‘meddling’ Tony Blair (more) By Nicholas Christian

LA REPUBBLICA:

Londra, la regina "delusa e irritata"
per il bilancio dei dieci anni di Blair

Mark Alexander

’R’ is for Repatriation
EDITORIAL: The West is on a dangerous course. It has embarked on a dichotomous journey. It is on the road to self-destruction.

There are two mutually exclusive forces at play here: On the one hand, there are the liberals who are trying to be more open to other cultures, and who are trying to destroy the very institutions upon which the West has thrived for so long; and on the other, we have a frightfully conservative force at work in the form of Islam, whose adherents are trying to take us back to mediæval times, take us back to a bygone age.

The one side, the liberal side, for example, is trying to give gays rights, and destroy the institution of marriage; the other, the conservative, Islamic side, a growing force in our society, will try and undo all the liberal policies ever passed. Normal conservatives in the Western sense of the world will look like the screaming liberals of today in years to come, for their brand of conservatism is as nothing in comparison with the ultra conservative, ‘orthodox’ Islamic values that will be foisted upon our unsuspecting people when Islam grows ever more in strength here in the West.

We are on a road that leads to no good place. This journey is one which will end in tears.

It should be increasingly obvious to all thinking people that we have allowed a people to immigrate to the West who, by and large, have no intention of integrating into Western societies, and who wish to change the nature of Western societies into their own, pre-conceived notion of how a society should be – a society which conforms to the extremely strict codes of behaviour as set out in the Shari’ah.

Ask yourself how these two forces can be reconciled! Of course, they cannot be. The one is modern and forward-thinking; the other is 1400 years old, and belongs to the Dark Ages. Nobody, however intelligent, however resourceful, is going to be able to bring about such a reconciliation of such competing forces. And the longer this problem is allowed to fester, the more difficult it will become to solve.

Already we have seen demonstrators out in the streets in their droves demanding that anyone who insults Islam be beheaded! Already we have seen calls for the introduction of Shari’ah law here in the UK and in Europe. Already we know that the ultimate goal of Muslims in the United States is to introduce it there, too; and to replace the Constitution with an Islamic one. Omar M Ahmad, the then Chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), stated the following as far back as 1988:

”Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Qur’an … should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth.”

That says it all!

The French author, Michelle Houellebecq, in an interview given to the French literary magazine Lire, said the following: ”The dumbest religion, after all, is Islam. When you read the Koran, you’re shattered. The Bible at least is beautifully written because the Jews have a heck of a literary talent.”

Michelle Houellebecq might well have had it right about Islam; but aren’t we Westerners the dumbest people of all to allow these Muslim immigrants to come here to the West and live off the fat of the land and tell us that they are going to take us over, tell us that their religion is going to become dominant, tell us that Shari’ah law is going to be introduced at the earliest convenience?

I mean: How stupid and tolerant can we be?

Look, it’s really quite simple. Islam brooks no compromise: It is their way or no way. This is quite, quite clear now to all sensible, aware people. Clearly, these people have no appetite for assimilation, and they are not going to change.

What they want to do is to bring Islam to every corner of the world, and they are on a mission to achieve this. We have to decide whether we want to live their backward way, or whether we want to fight for our liberty and democracy, concepts anathema to Muslims all over the globe. We cannot have it all ways, we cannot, as they say, have our cake and eat it too.

Tough decisions are never easy to take. It takes a person of determination and resolve to take them. But when faced with this dilemma, it is only tough decisions that will do. Or are we going to slip and slide, through inaction, down the road to dhimmitude, or ultimate surrender to Islam. Are we going to submit to Allah, are we going to pay the jizyah, or the tax on infidels, or are we going to allow our fellow citizens to be killed. For those are so clearly the only three options once Islam takes hold.

Moreover, imagine what sort of society we shall be forced to live in. Adulteresses will be stoned to death, beheadings will take place in the public square, thieves will have their hands and feet cut off alternately, and homosexuals will be hanged in the street, or thrown off the local minaret! If you don’t believe me, take a trip to Saudi Arabia or Iran. In those countries, you will see just what happens to such people.

We have gone badly wrong. We have allowed into our societies people quite unwilling to assimilate. Interestingly, these backward people are convinced of their own superiority! Isn’t that an interesting phenomenon?

If we value our Judeo-Christian culture, if we value our freedoms, if we value our democracies, if we value our civilized way of life, if indeed we value our civilization, then we have but one option, for there truly is only one way to solve this intractable problem. We have to start thinking about the repatriation of these difficult people.

We start by repatriating the illegal, Muslim immigrants, and those who preach hatred and the destruction of our civilization. That will be a good start. We really do not have to put up with this nonsense any longer. Enough is enough!

The repatriation can take place in a humane manner; we don’t need to be cruel. We can even give these people money to resettle somewhere else. But believe me, repatriation is the only sensible option at this stage. We cannot afford to play fast and loose with our children’s future. We have a duty to our children to leave them our Western civilization as free and whole as we inherited it. To do anything else would be a dereliction of our duty.

Repatriation is not an option of the far right only. This is not a question of left and right politics anyway. This is a fight for the survival of the West. We must step up to the plate. We must behave with strength, resolve, and determination. Only when we do so will we silence these people. For make no mistake about it, Muslims understand one thing, and one thing only: Strength!

©Mark Alexander

All rights reserved

”Stop and Question”: Thanks to Islam?
BBC: The government is considering giving police officers across the UK "stop and question" powers under new anti-terror laws, says the Home Office.

The proposal, allowing police to ask people about their identity and movement, is among measures being considered by Home Secretary John Reid.

The measure is so far used only in Northern Ireland.

Police elsewhere have to have "reasonable suspicion" a crime has been committed before they can stop people.

Anyone who refuses to co-operate could be charged with obstructing the police and fined up to £5,000, according to the Sunday Times. Stop and quiz powers considered (more)

THE SUNDAY TIMES:
Police to get tough new terror powers

Mark Alexander

The 1950’s: Britain of ‘Olde’

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: The 1950s marked the last decade of "olde Britain" - when women were housewives, men smoked pipes and schoolboys sported caps and shorts, says Andrew Marr (right), whose TV history of post-war UK starts on Tuesday.

Between the fall of Attlee's Labour government and the return of Labour under cocky Harold Wilson, Britain went through a time which some believe to be a golden-tinted era of lost content.

To millions of others these were the grey, conformist, "13 wasted years" of Tory misrule.

It seems that today's British, when they think about the 50s, cannot decide whether to idealise or to mock.

This is for a good reason. Before the arrival of the 60s and rebel consumerism, this was for the last time truly a different country. A swansong to ‘olde Britain’(more) By Andrew Marr

Mark Alexander

Saudi Living
WATCH VIDEO: SAUDI WIFE SHOWS US INTO HER HOME
Mark Alexander

One of Our So-Called ”Friends” in the War on Terror, Pakistan, to Introduce a Bill to Terrorize Apostates

Photo courtesy of LIVE LEAK

LIVE LEAK: Pakistan’s government sends draft bill tabled by six-party Islamic alliance to standing committee for review. Under the bill’s terms, apostates would be sentenced to death or life in prison. Testimony by two adults is the only independent evidence needed to determine or demonstrate apostasy. Lahore archbishop is praying the bill is never adopted.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – A draft bill adopted in first reading by Pakistan’s National Assembly is now before a standing committee. Tabled by a six-party politico-religious alliance, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal or MMA, the Apostasy Act 2006 which the government sent to the committee would impose the death penalty on Muslim men and life in prison on Muslim women in case they leave Islam. It would also force them to forfeit their property and lose legal custody of children. Pakistan: New apostasy bill to impose death on anyone who leaves Islam (more)

Mark Alexander

"The Trouble with Islam"
With many thanks to Roberts Spencer of Jihad Watch for drawing my attention to this wonderful video via his excellent website:

WATCH VIDEO: "THE TROUBLE WITH ISLAM"
Mark Alexander

Großbritannien: Der Überwachungsstaat
SPIEGELONLINE: In Großbritannien wird es bald flächendeckend Überwachungskameras geben, die nicht nur spitzeln, sondern auch sprechen - mit Kinderstimmen. Kritiker fürchten den Siegeszug der elektronischen Wächter: "Wir leben in einem Überwachungsstaat."

4,2 Millionen Überwachungskameras behalten in Großbritannien die Bevölkerung immer im Auge. Jetzt werden sie gesprächig: Sie sollen flächendeckend - wie George Orwells spitzelnde und sprechende Teleschirme in "1984" - durch Lautsprecher zu redenden Kameras aufgerüstet werden. Kameras sprechen mit Kinderstimmen (mehr)

Mark Alexander

A Must Read: Melanie Phillips’ Extremely Insightful Article - Liberalism v Islamism
MELANIE PHILLIPS: First of all, let me define my terms and say what I mean by Islamism and liberalism. Islamism is the politicised version of Islam which mandates jihad, or holy war against the infidel and conquest of the non-Islamic world for Islam. I’m well aware of the argument that there’s no difference between Islamism and Islam: that’s a theological argument for others to have.

By liberalism I mean the commitment to a free society, founded above all on the separation of secular government from religious worship — from which follow the concepts of equal respect for all people, freedom of conscience, tolerance and the rule of law.

These two concepts, Islamism and liberalism, are currently engaged in a fight to the death. My argument is that liberalism is in danger of losing this fight because it has so badly undermined itself and departed from its own core concepts that it is now paralysed by moral and intellectual muddle.

Liberalism is the creed of modernity. The driving force behind the Islamic jihad is the fight against liberalism and modernity. All the iconic conflicts — Iraq, Israel, Kashmir, Chechnya, Sudan —are secondary to the fundamental aim of the jihad to prevent liberalism and modernity from destroying Islam.

The founding ideologue of modern Islamism, Syed Qutb, made clear in his writings that at the core of the salafi interpretation of Islam was opposition to the separation of religion and temporal power that resulted in liberalism and democracy. His governing impulse was the fear that the instinct for liberty was so powerful it would spread to and infiltrate the Muslim mind unless it was checked by the most repressive possible form of Islam. Liberalism v Islamism (more)

Mark Alexander

Is Islam a Peaceful Religion? A Viewpoint


Mark Alexander

Sir John Major Gives Blair Some Advice
THE GUARDIAN: Sir John Major today calls on his successor to quit Downing Street and hand over power to Gordon Brown as soon as possible. In an interview with the Guardian, the former Tory prime minister criticises Tony Blair's drawn-out departure from office, mocking him for being "in the middle of the longest farewell since Dame Nellie Melba quit the stage". Major to Blair: stop acting like Nellie Melba and go now (more)

Mark Alexander

Islamophobia: An Arab View
”If you want to fight Islamophobia, the first step is to start clearing your own closet of racial prejudice.” - Iman Kurdi
ARAB NEWS: The European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published its annual report this week. The report deplores the growing rise of Islamophobia across Europe and highlights ECRI’s concern over the climate of hostility toward Muslims.

This will come as no surprise to Muslims living in Europe. Hostility, whether real, projected or imagined, has become part of every day life.

Islamophobia is a difficult term. Whereas anti-Semitism clearly denotes hostility, prejudice and discrimination aimed at people of a specific race, Islamophobia confuses hostility toward Islam as a religion and hostility toward Muslims as individuals. It is an all-encompassing term that describes not only a hatred toward Islam but a view of Islam that — to my mind — is directly derived from the deranged teachings of Al-Qaeda et al. It draws a direct line between Muslim, Islam and extremist fanatic: We all get tarred by the same brush. But that is the essence of much — though not all — of the hostility toward Muslims today. Islamophobia Worryingly on the Rise in Europe (more) By Iman Kurdi

Mark Alexander

Thinking About Reform of US Healthcare
BBC: "If a politician declares that the United States has the best health care system in the world today, he or she looks clueless rather than patriotic or authoritative."

So says Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, an ethicist at the US National Institutes of Health.

The US health system is in a state of crisis and serious politicians, including several presidential candidates, say the time has come to reform it along the lines of the European or Canadian model. US mulls over healthcare reform (more) By Justin Webb

Mark Alexander

US in “Fundamental Opposition” to Germany on Climate Change
BBC: The US appears to have rejected draft proposals by Germany for G8 members to agree tough measures in greenhouse gas emissions, leaked documents have shown.

Wide-ranging US amendments to a draft communique prepared ahead of June's G8 in Germany summit cite a "fundamental opposition" to the proposals.

Germany wants all G8 members to agree timetables and targets for major cuts. US ’opposes’ G8 climate proposals (more)

Mark Alexander

Muqtada Al-Sadr Demands US Quit Iraq
KUWAIT TIMES: BAGHDAD: Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr resurfaced yesterday after nearly four months in hiding and demanded US troops leave Iraq, a development likely to complicate US efforts to crack down on violence and broker political compromise in the country. Hours later, the notorious leader of Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in the city of Basra was killed in a shootout as British and Iraq troops tried to arrest him, police and the British military said, further enflaming tensions in the Shiite areas of southern Iraq. Radical cleric demands US quit Iraq (more)

LE FIGARO:
Irak : Moqtada Sadr apparaît en public

Mark Alexander

Changing the Islamic Weekend in Kuwait Proves to Be a Sensitive Issue
KUWAIT TIMES: KUWAIT: Several Islamist MPs issued statements yesterday opposing the government's plans to shift the weekend from Thursday-Friday to Friday-Saturday following such a move by a number of Gulf states. The MPs said their opposition is based on the fact that such a move will mean imitating the West and could undermine some religious obligations, especially that many Muslims fast on Thursday. The Thawabet Al-Ummah convention also slammed the Civil Services Commission's moves to grant Saturdays off in place of Thursdays without reviewing religious or social issues. "The issue can never be considered a mere weekend one," said members of the convention, reminding authorities that Muslim scholars considered it a religious violation and called for further studies on the sensitive issue. Islamists oppose Fri-Sat weekend (more) By B Izzak and A Saleh

Mark Alexander

Are We About to Witness a Scramble for Atomic Weapons in the Middle East?
LA TIMES: Iran's program appears to be stirring interest that some fear will lead to a scramble for atomic weapons in the volatile region.

VIENNA — As Iran races ahead with an illicit uranium enrichment effort, nearly a dozen other Middle East nations are moving forward on their own civilian nuclear programs. In the latest development, a team of eight U.N. experts on Friday ended a weeklong trip to Saudi Arabia to provide nuclear guidance to officials from six Persian Gulf countries.

Diplomats and analysts view the Saudi trip as the latest sign that Iran's suspected weapons program has helped spark a chain reaction of nuclear interest among its Arab rivals, which some fear will lead to a scramble for atomic weapons in the world's most volatile region. Arabs make plans for nuclear power(more) By Bob Drogin and Borzou Daragahi

LE FIGARO:
Larijani : "La France de Sarkozy pourrait jouer le rôle d’intermédiaire sincère"

Mark Alexander

Bush: Twice Warned
LA TIMES: Prewar reports alerted the president to the difficulty of establishing democracy, among other assessments that proved accurate.

WASHINGTON — Two months before the invasion of Iraq, U.S. intelligence agencies twice warned the Bush administration that establishing a democracy there would prove difficult and that Al Qaeda would use political instability to increase its operations, according to a Senate report released Friday.

The report, issued by the Senate Intelligence Committee, brought to light once-classified warnings that accurately forecasted many of the military and political problems the Bush administration and Iraqi officials have faced since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. Bush was twice warned of Iraq challenges (more) By James Gerstenzang

Mark Alexander

Deportation
BBC: Race hate preacher Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, who influenced one of the 7 July bombers, has been deported from Britain, the home secretary said.

He left Gatwick for Jamaica at 1200 BST, accompanied by two police escorts and an immigration officer.

Al-Faisal, who is of Jamaican origin, lost his appeal against deportation. Race hate cleric Faisal deported (more)

Mark Alexander

Fears Grow Over Military in China

Photo courtesy of Google Images

BBC: The US has expressed concern over China's growing military might.

A Pentagon report given to Congress says Beijing is spending far more on its military budget than admitted and calls for greater transparency.

The report highlights China's greater ability to mount pre-emptive strikes, citing new submarines, unmanned combat aircraft and sophisticated missiles. US fears grow over China military (more)

FINANCIAL TIMES:
Beijing upgrades nuclear arsenal

Mark Alexander

The Shameful State of Women’s Rights in Iran
WFAFI: Limitations on the lives of women are legalized in laws prohibiting women from the presidency, leadership, judgeship and certain educational fields, as well as by inheritance laws. Firmly rooted in the principle of vali-e-faqih, Iran’s constitution controls both the public and private lives and role of women. The concept of male surrogate and guardianship of females is one of the main pillars of Islamic Fundamentalism in Iran. Iranian women are not free to choose or control various aspects of their lives. Evidence of such state-sponsor of violence against women is seen in Iran’s constitution. Official Laws against Women in Iran (more)

Mark Alexander

Schwierigkeiten beim Finden einer geeigneten Vene
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Hinrichtung eines übergewichtigen Straftäters im amerikanischen Bundesstaat Ohio hat fast zwei Stunden gedauert, weil die Injektionsnadel mit dem tödlichen Gift mindestens zehn Mal neu angesetzt werden musste. Üblicherweise dauert die Vollstreckung der Todesstrafe in den Vereinigten Staaten etwa 20 Minuten. Die Amerikanische Bürgerrechtsunion rief die Justizbehörden von Ohio auf, wegen der Probleme bei der Tötung von Christopher Newton alle Hinrichtungen bis auf weiteres zu stoppen. Hinrichtung in Ohio dauert fast zwei Stunden (mehr)

Mark Alexander

The Wonders of Childhood
GLOBE AND MAIL: Study adds to research on ability of infants to recognize dialects long before they can speak themselves

Even with the sound turned off, babies can tell whether a person speaking on video has switched between English and French, a new study suggests.

The findings are the latest contribution to a growing body of research on the remarkable ability of very young infants to process languages.

The paper also shows that babies growing up in bilingual households are better able to retain that ability to visually perceive a switch to another language, whereas such a skill declines among those raised in unilingual settings. French and English look different to babies (more) By Tu Thanh Ha

Mark Alexander

Capitalists keen to capitalize on profits from the sukuk should read the following about Islamic economics, al iqtisad al islamy. Open thine eyes O profit-maximizer, before it’s too late!

Image courtesy of the University of Southern California

"O you who believe! do not devour your property among yourselves falsely, except that it be trading by your mutual consent, and do not kill yourselves. Surely Allah is Merciful to you." Qur'an [4:29] - [Source: University of Southern California]
ISLAMIC-WORLD.NET: Islam uniquely considers distribution as the economic problem, and Muslims do not share the obsession of capitalists and communists with production. Because Islam differentiates between the basic needs and luxuries, there exists no concept of relative scarcity of resources in Islam. The resources available on earth are sufficient to secure the basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) of fifty billion human beings. Such a misunderstanding has concealed the reality that starvation, poverty, and economic backwardness, result from maldistribution exasperated by man-made laws and systems. Under the Islamic system, Nigeria alone could support the whole of Africa, as occurred in the past when, under the system of Islam, Africa sent food to relieve the famine in Medinah during the rule of Omar bin al-Khattab.
By using labels like "Third World" and "First World," this economic conspiracy has worked behind a deceived populace who fail to realize that the "Third World" countries are actually First World in terms of resources. While organizations like Mercy International and UNICEF keep the masses content under the circus act of "humanitarian aid," the capitalist machine works behind the stage to gobble up the resources of the world. Iqtisad al Islamy (Islamic economics): Introduction (more)

Mark Alexander

Scientologen versuchen Ethik und Religionsunterricht in deutschen Schulen einzuprägen

Photo courtesy of Google Images

WELT ONLINE: Scientologen versuchen Einfluss auf den Ethik- und Religionsunterricht an deutschen Schulen zu nehmen. Im gesamten Bundesgebiet verschicken Mitglieder zweifelhafte Informationsmaterialien an Schulleitungen. Davor warnt jetzt der Deutsche Philologenverband. Scientologen drängen in die Schulen (mehr)

Mark Alexander

La Corée du Norde à procédé vendredi à plusieurs tirs de missiles en direction de la mer du Japon
LE FIGARO: Dix mois après la crise des missiles, Pyongyang provoque une nouvelle fois ses voisins régionaux. Tokyo et Washington minimisent.

Dix mois après la crise des missiles entre Pyongyang et Tokyo, la Corée du Nord a procédé vendredi à plusieurs tirs de missiles à courte portée en direction de la mer du Japon. Cette information, révélée par l'agence de presse japonaise Kyodo, a rapidement été confirmée par les services de renseignements sud-coréens. «Il semble que les tirs de missiles par la Corée du Nord fassent partie des exercices militaires de routine qui se tiennent chaque année», a expliqué un porte-parole de renseignement sud-coréens (NIS).

Le premier ministre japonais Shinzo Abe a quant à lui déclaré que ces tirs ne constituaient "pas un grave problème pour la sécurité du Japon". La Corée du Nord tire des missiles en mer du Japon(encore)

Mark Alexander

Is the US Changing Its Nature?
BBC: The BBC Persian Service's Kambiz Fattahi recounts his own experience of being singled out on the basis of his appearance and asks whether fears of terrorism are undermining America's traditional values. Does US insecurity put liberty at risk (more) By Kambiz Fattahi

Mark Alexander

Whither Turkish Democracy?
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: After the bomb attack on Tuesday, tensions are mounting in Turkey. The government blames the Kurds and the military has not ruled out hunting down Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. German commentators fear that Turkey could be sliding deeper into chaos.

The attack was the worst in Ankara in 10 years. On Tuesday, a suicide bomb in the Turkish capital killed six people and injured 100. The government immediately fingered the Kurdish separatist group Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) of carrying out the attack, but the group denies any involvement. ’Turkish Democracy Is in Danger’ (more)

BBC:
Turkey president vetoes vote plan

Mark Alexander

The Sukuk Goes From Strength to Strength
MIDDLE EAST BANKER: Sukuk is the hot topic in Islamic finance, and we will soon see the industry reach a value of some tens of billions, as Michael Saleh Gassner from IslamicFinance.de writes.

Islamic finance has for some time missed investment opportunities for Muslims that offer a predictable return with low risk. The majority of investment opportunities are based either on stock markets with high volatility or on real estate transactions. The investment galaxy for the Islamic investor is lacking the variety of instruments to create an efficient portfolio in line with portfolio theory and financial planning. Sukuk certificates meet the pressing need for a medium term investment and reached, in 2004, a market volume of nearly US $7 billion. This volume will multiply in coming years to tens of billions of dollars annual volume. Already a number of world-class borrowers have used the new Islamic Sukuk market: Germany; the IMF Group; and Sovereign states like Qatar and Malaysia. Reasons to issue Sukuk and the structures behind them (more)

Mark Alexander

The Pay Gap Widens; Top Executives Paid More Than Ever
NEW YORK TIMES: Like most companies, Office Depot has long made sure that its chief executive was the highest-paid employee. Ten years ago, the $2.2 million pay package of its chief was more than double that of his No. 2. The fifth-ranked executive received less than one-third.

But the incentive for reaching the very top of the company is now far greater. Steve Odland, who runs Office Depot today, made almost $12 million last year, more than four times the compensation of the second-highest-paid executive and over six times that of the fifth-ranking executive in the current hierarchy.

As executive pay has surged in most American companies, attention has focused on the growing gap between the earnings of top executives and the average wage of workers in cubicles or on the shop floor. Little noticed, though, is how much the gap has also widened between the summit and the next few echelons down. More Than Ever, It Pays to Be the Top Executive (more)

FINACIAL TIMES:
Tycoon to 'fight on' after £48m ruling

Mark Alexander

The Jihad Must Be Stopped, But Time Is Tight
FINANCIAL TIMES: Editorial - It was perfectly forseeable, and indeed predicted, that the US-led invasion of Iraq, far from striking a decisive blow against terrorism, would proliferate militant Islamism all over the Arab and Muslim worlds, from where a new generation of jihadis would strike into Europe and the west. The roll-call of atrocities, from Casablanca to Istanbul, Bali to Mumbai, Riyadh to Amman, London to Madrid, is bloody indeed. Now, however, jihadi extremism is sprouting like poisonous mushrooms in the darkness enveloping the Middle East.

It is not just that all America’s enemies – al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Iran, Hizbollah and Hamas – have been strengthened by the policies of the US and its allies. The totalitarian jihadism peddled by Osama bin Laden and his growing following is emerging in new chapters all over the Middle East, including in places it has never before been seen. Time is short to halt spread of Jihadism (more)

Mark Alexander

”We have to stay on the offence”, says Bush
BBC: US President George W Bush has warned that the coming weeks and months will be critical for the success of the new security strategy for Iraq.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Bush said the last of the US troop reinforcements would arrive in Baghdad by the middle of June.

He said he expected heavy fighting to continue in Iraq during this time. Critical time for Iraq says Bush (more)

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Bush: Critical time for Iraq

Mark Alexander

„Es gibt im Koran nichts, was mit den Werten Amerikas unvereinbar ware”, so eine CAIR Sprecherin!
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die New Jersey Avenue läuft schnurgerade aufs Kapitol zu. Wo sie die E Street kreuzt, drei Blocks südlich des Parlaments, nimmt ein Backsteingebäude die Nordwestecke ein. Mit seinen drei Stockwerken ist es weiter nicht auffällig, nur das Gerippe eines Türmchens, das sich unverkleidet über dem Flachdach erhebt, setzt einen sehr eigenen Akzent. Ganz gewiss sieht es aber nicht wie ein Minarett aus. CAIR, der Council on American-Islamic Relations, der hier seinen Hauptsitz hat, vertritt zwar die Sache der amerikanischen Muslime, begreift sich jedoch nicht vorrangig als ihre religiöse Lobby. Unser Land, unsere Truppen, unsere Unterschiede (mehr) Von Jordan Mejias

Mark Alexander

Bald wird in Großbritannien die Internet-Scheidung möglich: schnell, leicht und presigünstig!
DIE PRESSE: In Großbritannien können sich Paare bald online scheiden lassen. Damit will der Anbieter allerdings keine Trennungen fördern. Scheidung: Schnell, preisgünstig und via Internet (mehr)

Mark Alexander

France Exasperated by “Uncontrolled Immigration”: Incentives to Be Given for Immigrants to Return Home
BBC: France has said it plans to offer incentives to more immigrants - especially those from Africa - to return home voluntarily. Paris to pay immigrants to return (more)

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: New French President Nicolas Sarkozy made immigration a central issue of his campaign. Now, his new minister for immigration and national identity says its time to start paying immigrants to leave the country. France to Pay Immigrants to Return Home (more)

Mark Alexander

A Case of Anti-Semitism? Geneva Synagogue, Hekhal Hanes, Set Ablaze
BBC: A fire has gutted a synagogue in the city of Geneva, in what Swiss police suspect was an arson attack. Blaze destroys Geneva synagogue (more)

NZZ:
Synagoge in Genf ausgebrannt

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE:
La synagogue de Malagnou incendiée: la communauté juive est sous le choc

LE FIGARO:
Une synagogue de Genève part en fumée

Mark Alexander

Israel Detains Hamas Officials
BBC: More than 30 senior officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been detained by Israeli forces in overnight raids in the West Bank.

Those taken, mainly in Nablus, include the Palestinian education minister, three lawmakers and three mayors. Israel detains thirty Hamas officials (more)

BBC:
A young Briton’s fight for Israel

Mark Alexander

L’homophobie en France
LE FIGARO: Près de la moitié des homosexuels déclarés seraient victimes de discriminations dans leur entreprise.

INSULTES, brimades, discriminations, carrière au point mort, renvois ou démissions forcées : l'en­treprise serait aujourd'hui l'un des derniers lieux où vivre son homosexualité reste difficile. « L'homophobie au travail est le premier motif de saisie de notre association », rappelle Jacques Lizé, président de SOS Homophobie. L'association vient de sortir son rapport annuel à l'occasion de la troisième journée de lutte mondiale contre l'homophobie. L'homophobie toujours présente en enterprise (encore)

Mark Alexander

Shark has ‘Virgin Birth’

Photo of hammerhead shark courtesy of Google Images

BBC: Female hammerhead sharks can reproduce without having sex, scientists confirm.

The evidence comes from a shark at Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska which gave birth to a pup in 2001 despite having had no contact with a male.

Genetic tests by a team from Belfast, Nebraska and Florida prove conclusively the young animal possessed no paternal DNA, Biology Letters journal reports. Captive shark had virgin birth (more)

BBC AUDIO:
Captive shark's virgin birth

Mark Alexander

The Unintended Consequences of the Smoking Ban

Photo of the ’Marlboro Man’ courtesy of Google Images (US)

BBC: Like most things in life, when the smoking ban comes in force in England on 1 July, it will have unintended consequences. So who and what are the unexpected winners and losers?

The law of unintended consequences is always at work, in every area of daily life. The results can be good, bad and just plain odd. Oops, look what happened… (more)

FOREST:
Scots reject further restrictions on smoking

Mark Alexander