Turkish Army Issues Warning

Photos courtesy of the BBC

BBC: Turkey's powerful armed forces chief has warned that "centres of evil" are trying to undermine the secular state.

Gen Yasar Buyukanit did not name those who were "trying to corrode the secular nature of the Turkish Republic".

His statement comes a day before MPs are expected to elect Abdullah Gul, a former Islamist, as president. His candidacy remains highly controversial.

The army sees itself as the guardian of Turkey's secularism. It has ousted four governments in the past 60 years.

This is the second warning issued by the army in recent months. Turkish army issues new warning (more)

Turkey awaits AKP’s next step By Sarah Rainsford

Mark Alexander

„Euroislam“ in Bayern
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: 27. August 2007

Ein Schleier hat sich über die bayerische Landespolitik in den letzten Amtstagen Stoibers gelegt. Jede Äußerung, jeder Vorschlag eines CSU-Politikers wird auf der Folie des sich neu formierenden Machtgefüges interpretiert. Ein Beispiel ist die Auseinandersetzung über die Errichtung eines „Zentrums für Islam in Europa“ in München. In den Medien wird der Streit auf politische Kabalen reduziert - mit einem übereifrigen Staatssekretär des Innenministeriums in der Schurkenrolle, der in die erste Reihe der Politik dränge.

Die Wirklichkeit ist bunter: Bei dem geplanten „Zentrum für Islam in Europa“ handelt es sich um ein ehrgeiziges Vorhaben; auf einer Fläche von rund achttausend Quadratmetern sollen ein Gemeindehaus, eine Akademie für Imame, ein Museum und ein Gebetsraum entstehen. Nichts weniger als eine zentrale Institution für ein „offenes, transparentes und modernes Islamleben“ in Europa soll in der bayerischen Landeshauptstadt entstehen. Es ist ein Anspruch, der an hochmögende Organisatorenkreise denken ließe, mit breitgefächerten Beratergremien - doch weit gefehlt.

Atemberaubend moderne Formensprache

Als Initiator des Zentrums tritt der Imam einer kleinen islamischen Gemeinde in der oberbayerischen Stadt Penzberg auf. Penzberg, fünfzig Kilometer südlich von München gelegen, hat in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten einen erstaunlichen wirtschaftlichen Strukturwandel bewältigt. Nach der Schließung eines Kohlebergwerks im Jahre 1966, das die Stadt geprägt hatte, ist es gelungen, neue Unternehmen anzusiedeln. Mit dem wirtschaftlichen Wandel hat sich auch die Bevölkerungsstruktur geändert: Wie in vielen deutschen Gemeinden sind aus Menschen, die zunächst als „Gastarbeiter“ gekommen waren, Einwanderer geworden.

Wie andernorts ist auch in Penzberg damit ein konfessioneller Wandel verbunden; mit Türken, Bosniern und Arabern ist der Islam in der Stadt heimisch und in beeindruckender Weise sichtbar geworden: Das 2005 eröffnete islamische Gemeindezentrum, gelegen an einer Ausfallstraße, weist eine architektonische Qualität auf, die sich auch in London oder Paris sehen lassen könnte. Religiöse Traditionen sind hier in eine atemberaubend moderne Formensprache übersetzt worden. Der Imam von Penzberg Von Albert Schäffer, Penzberg

Mark Alexander

Sunnis, Shi'ites and the West
”The policy in the past used to be, ‘Let’s just accept tyranny, for the sake of... cheap oil, or whatever it may be, and just hope everything would be okay.’ Well, that changed on September the 11th for our nation. Everything wasn’t okay. Beneath what appeared to be a placid surface lurked an ideology based upon hatred.”

AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL & JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL (AIJAC): The attacks of 9/11 generated a tide of commentary on the origins and aims of anti-Western jihadism. Lately, however, events have shifted attention to another, more long-standing feature of the Muslim world, raising the question of whether Islamic militancy against the West is now of lesser geopolitical significance than a stark, increasingly salient divide within Islam itself. This is the ancient divide between the numerically dominant Sunnis and a Shi’ite minority that is finally coming into its own.

In this, as in so much else, the prime exhibit is Iraq. Since the country changed hands from a Sunni dictatorship to a Shi’ite-controlled government, the conflict there, at first slowly but then with growing intensity, has at least in part taken on the appearance of a war between two sects. Every week brings gruesome suicide attacks on Shi’ites by Sunni terrorists, attacks answered in kind by Shi’ite militias or death squads. Iraqis have been dragged from their cars and killed merely for being Sunni or Shi’ite. Whole neighbourhoods of Baghdad have been emptied of one sect or the other. Mortar attacks have been launched from cemeteries and shrines, and the holiest of mosques have been bombed and torched by putative co-religionists.

American policymakers have seemed stymied by this outburst of Sunni-Shi’ite hatred, and especially by the assertiveness of the Shi’ites. Not only does it challenge a familiar conception of the order of things in the Middle East - an order ostensibly based on the leadership of longtime “moderate” Sunni allies like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan - but it coincides with the mounting aggressiveness of Shi’ite Iran, which aspires to regional hegemony. From Iraq to Lebanon, from Pakistan to the streets of Amman, the delicate fabric of a centuries-old pattern is being torn. The Great Divide (more) By Gal Luft and Anne Korin

Mark Alexander

Sheikh Hamid al-Ali Issues Iran Warning
YNET NEWS: Leading Kuwaiti sheikh attacks 'Iranian expansionist scheme', warns of 'Shiite exploitation'

Iran and its associated Shiite sects are hijacking Arab causes and exploiting them to serve an "expansionist scheme", a top Sunni Islamist cleric warned in a statement.

Sheikh Hamid al-Ali, based in Kuwait, is a leading Islamist ideologue, whose teachings are often posted on Islamist websites. He has been linked to al-Qaeda activities in the Gulf state, and is described by the US government as a "terrorist facilitator who has provided financial support for al-Qaeda affiliated groups seeking to commit acts of terrorism in Kuwait, Iraq, and elsewhere." Ali is also well known for lashing out against Shiites.

In a statement posted on an al-Qaeda affiliated internet forum on Sunday, Ali cited western reports tracking Iran's nuclear program, and military expansion, before turning his attention to Iran's role in the region.

"Lebanon is a vivid example the Iranian expansionist scheme at the expense of real Arab causes, which are exploited by Shiite sects," Ali said. "Iran has also established strong relations with the Palestinian Islamic resistance, enabling it to use this relationship to organize events (in the Palestinian territories). Iran was very devoted to a Hamas victory in the elections," he added.

"The jihadi movement has to be aware of the reality of the size of Iran's influence, and must not allow Iran to exploit legitimate causes, as seen in Lebanon," he declared.

"In the coming stage we will see more isolation, friction, and escalation... and an inevitable confrontation," Ali predicted, adding that "it is certain that Islam and Muslims will be victorious," describing his vision of Sunni Muslims overcoming Shiites. Islamist cleric issues Iran warning (more) By Yaakov Lappin

Mark Alexander

Sarkozy a évoqué lundi la possibilité de relancer les négociations d'adhésion de la Turquie!
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le président Nicolas Sarkozy, adversaire déclaré de l'entrée de la Turquie dans l'UE, a évoqué lundi la possibilité de relancer les négociations d'adhésion de ce pays.

M. Sarkozy, dans un discours-programme de politique étrangère, a pris soin de réaffirmer qu'il n'était toujours pas favorable à une adhésion, mais sans fermer la porte catégoriquement comme autrefois.

Il a lié cette évolution au lancement d'ici la fin de l'année par les 27 d'un comité de dix ou douze "sages de très haut niveau" qui serait chargé de réfléchir à l'avenir du projet européen à l'horizon 2020-2030.

"Si cette réflexion essentielle sur l'avenir de notre Union est lancée par les 27, la France ne s'opposera pas à ce que de nouveaux chapitres de la négociation entre l'Union et la Turquie soient ouverts dans les mois et les années qui viennent", a-t-il dit.

M. Sarkozy a posé pour condition que "ces chapitres soient compatibles avec les deux visions possibles de l'avenir de leurs relations: soit l'adhésion, soit une association aussi étroite que possible sans aller jusqu'à l'adhésion".

Le président a toutefois souligné qu'il n'était toujours pas partisan d'une adhésion. "Je ne vais pas faire d'hypocrisie: chacun sait que je ne suis favorable qu'à l'association (...) Je pense que cette idée d'association sera un jour reconnue par tous comme étant la plus raisonnable", a-t-il dit.

Mais M. Sarkozy s'est abstenu de reprendre les formules-choc qu'il avait employées par le passé pour rejeter toute perspective d'adhésion, comme "la Turquie n'a pas sa place" dans l'UE. Sarkozy met un bémol à son opposition à l'entrée d'Ankara dans l'UE (suivant)

LE FIGARO:
L’Europe, "priorité absolue" de Nicolas Sarkozy Par Samuel Laurent

Mark Alexander

Saudis Get Jittery over Security of Oil Installations
FINANCIAL TIMES: Saudi Arabia has begun setting up a 35,000-strong security force to protect its oil infrastructure from potential attacks.

The move underlines the kingdom’s growing concern about its oil installations after threats from al-Qaeda to attack facilities in the Gulf, as well as rising tensions between Iran and the US.

The force already numbers about 5,000 personnel, a Saudi adviser said on Sunday. They are being trained in the use of new surveillance equipment, countermeasures and crisis management under a programme managed by US defence group Lockheed Martin, according to the Middle East Economic Survey in Nicosia.

The recruits are learning about laser security and satellite imaging from Lockheed on behalf of the Sandia National Laboratories’ Defense Systems and Assessments Unit – a US government run unit in New Mexico, said MEES.

Lockheed said it did not have information on the initiative.

The kingdom, which is the world’s biggest oil exporter and has 25 per cent of the world’s proven oil reserves, is investing an estimated $4bn-$5bn in the new equipment and the force.

The force is expected to reach 35,000 within two or three years.

Saudi Arabia has a 75,000-strong army, an air force of 18,000, a navy of 15,500 and an air defence force of 16,000. Its oil installations are protected from within by 5,000 agents employed by Aramco, the state oil company. It has more than 80 oil and gas fields and an estimated 11,000 miles of pipeline. Saudis set up force to guard oil plants (more) By Andrew England in Cairo

Mark Alexander

The Opium Markets of Afghanistan

Photo of Shaddle Bazaar courtesy of the BBC

BBC: Travelling on Afghanistan's main Jalalabad to Torkham road, you eventually arrive at Shaddle Bazaar, a market of around 30 shops in the eastern province of Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan.

At first glance, it looks like any other normal market offering everyday goods.

But in reality, this is one of Afghanistan's biggest opium markets.

Farmers from Nangarhar and other adjacent provinces bring opium to Shaddle to sell. Much of it comes from Nangarhar and Helmand - two of Afghanistan's biggest opium-producing provinces.

Mud hut shop

Thousands of kilos of opium are bought and sold every day. Inside an Afghan opium market (more) By Bilal Sarwary, Shaddle Bazaar, eastern Afghanistan

Mark Alexander

On a Wing and a Prayer
BBC: The chartered flight service being launched by a Vatican-linked travel organisation along with an Italian airline has both lofty and more mundane goals. It aims to provide a journey of faith for pilgrims as well as turning a profit.

You can forget the complimentary bag of salted peanuts and plastic pot of orange juice because each plane ticket will come with unlimited spiritual refreshment, Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (ORP) suggests.

Flights are planned from Rome to many of the sites which draw hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims seeking solace and or doing penance each year.

Monday's inaugural passengers are due to travel from the Italian capital to an airport just 10 minutes from the shrine of Lourdes in France.

But from December, planes emblazoned inside and out with the logo "Seeking your face, Lord" will be dropping off energetic faithful near Spain's Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, as well as at Poland's Czestochowa sanctuary and at the shrine to Fatima, in Portugal.

Increasing demand

There will also be flights to Jerusalem in Israel and Sinai in Egypt, and special plans are even under way to jet thousands of young people to Sydney for the World Youth Congress next year. Budget flights of faith (more) By Stephanie Holmes

See a map of the pilgrimage flight routes

Mark Alexander

”Greece Has the Feel of a Country on a War Footing”
BBC: Firefighting aircraft from several countries are helping Greece tackle devastating forest fires that have killed at least 60 people.

Large swathes of Greece - from the island of Evia north of Athens to the Peloponnese in the south - have been ravaged by the inferno since Friday.

Greek police have arrested 32 arson suspects, as investigations continue into the origins of the blazes.

A 1m euro (£678,000) reward has been offered to help catch fire-starters.

Dozens of new fires continue to break out, fanned by hot, dry winds.

'War footing'

The BBC's Malcolm Brabant, in Athens, says the police and intelligence services will be keen to discover if there is any link between the suspected arsonist, and whether they are part of an organised scorched earth campaign.

Greece has the feel of a country on a war footing, our correspondent says. Foreigners help fight Greek fires (more)

Map of affected areas

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Reward to find Greek arsonists

Mark Alexander

Proof that Diana was Pregnant?

Photo of Princess Diana courtesy of Google Images

DAILY EXPRESS: A hospital document at the centre of explosive claims that Princess Diana was pregnant when she died has been made public.

The “official” letter, obtained by the Daily Express, was written by the French surgeon who carried out the post-mortem on the Princess hours after she was killed in a Paris car crash 10 years ago.

It forms the focus of a new book by top French investigative journalist Chris Lafaille and is certain to provoke renewed debate on the royal pregnancy mystery.

Lafaille, a former editor-in-chief of respected weekly magazine Paris Match, said he uncovered the document after scouring archives of the Pitie-Saltpetriere Hospital where the dying Princess was taken on the night of August 31.

The document – saying she was nine to 10 weeks preganant – was sent to three senior French figures, the then minister of the interior Jean-Pierre Chevenement, with copies to health minister Bernard Kouchner, foreign affairs minister Hubert Vedrine and Paris police chief Martine Monteil. Lafaille makes the astonishing claims in a new book called Diana, The Inquiry They Never Published. The revelations could strengthen widespread fears of an official cover-up over Diana’s death, helping to explain why the Princess was illegally embalmed so quickly after the crash. Document that Proves Diana Was Pregnant (more) By Padraic Flanagan and Ian Sparks in Paris

Mark Alexander

Sleaze: Muslims Funding NuLabour
What sort of democracy do they call this?

DAILY MAIL: Labour is involved in a new "sleaze" probe it has emerged.

It followed allegations that a Muslim businessman used a "front" organisation for secret donations.

The Electoral Commission confirmed it is investigating a group called the Muslim Friends of Labour, which gave the party £100,000 a month between April and June.

It is the first such inquiry since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in June.

Glasgow-based Imran Khand is alleged to have injected large sums into the organisation. But as his cash did not go direct to Labour, his identity remained secret.

Until recently the organisation donated only small amounts, but it is now the party's second biggest non-union donor. Sleaze investigation over Muslim funds for Labour (more) By Ian Drury

Mark Alexander

Repressionen in Iran
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: 27. August 2007

Neben China und einigen afrikanischen Ländern gehören die Vormächte der islamischen Welt zu den schlimmsten Menschenrechtsverletzern. Dass in Saudi-Arabien öffentliche Hinrichtungen in beträchtlicher Zahl vorgenommen werden, meistens Enthauptungen, ist bekannt.

Doch auch der ideologische und machtpolitische Widerpart des sunnitischen Königreichs, das schiitische Iran, genießt einen düsteren Ruf. Der hatte sich zu Zeiten des Präsidenten Chatami, zwischen 1997 und 2005, zwar ein wenig „aufgehellt“, aber diese Zeit scheint vorbei zu sein.

Versprechungen nicht eingelöst

In den vergangenen Monaten hat die Teheraner Führung anscheinend beschlossen, wieder härter durchzugreifen, nicht allein im Fall „gewöhnlicher“ Krimineller, sondern auch in Bezug auf die politischen Delikte. Dabei verschwimmt allerdings die Grenze. Ganz offenkundig hat die Unzufriedenheit von Teilen der Bevölkerung in diesem Sommer drastisch zugenommen; sie war zuletzt zu verspüren, als der Preis für das - bei dem Erdölproduzenten Iran traditionell sehr billige - Benzin heraufgesetzt wurde.

Dies war freilich nur die Spitze eines Eisbergs, denn der seit zwei Jahren im Amt befindliche Staatspräsident Mahmud Ahmadineschad konnte bis jetzt jene Versprechungen noch nicht einlösen, die er in seiner Wahlkampagne gemacht hatte: Er wolle insbesondere an die „mostazafin“ denken, das heißt an jene „Armen und Entrechteten“, die seinerzeit besonders treue Anhänger und Verbündete des Ajatollah Ruhollah Chomeini und seiner Islamischen Revolution gewesen waren. Aus ihrem Umkreis stammt auch der Präsident.

41 Hinrichtungen in einem Monat

Es ist nicht gelungen, die Wirtschaft auf jenes Niveau anzuheben, das geeignet wäre, diese Klientel - von anderen Schichten, die sich allerdings selbst besser helfen und behelfen können, ganz zu schweigen - zufriedenzustellen. Die Unzufriedenheit wächst. Die jüngste Entlassung zweier prominenter Minister, die Schlüsselressorts zu verwalten hatten, bestätigt diese Fakten. Öffentliche Hinrichtungen (mehr) Von Wolfgang Günter Lerch

Mark Alexander

What We Could Learn from a Bygone Age
BBC: Nazi-era board games are being auctioned this week, one with points given for bombing UK cities. But what were British children playing during WWII? It wasn't all hopscotch and conkers, the Brits had their own propaganda games.

Model Spitfires and Hurricanes were commonplace in the toy boxes of the 1940s. The war touched every aspect of life and had a profound effect on childhood.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded that all the country's energies were dedicated to the war effort. Board games, it seems, were no exception. Dice against the Nazis (more)

Mark Alexander

Russia: Bones Could Be Those of the Czar’s Children
WATCH BBC VIDEO
Mark Alexander

Blasphemous Balls Anger Afghans!
BBC: A demonstration has been held in south- east Afghanistan accusing US troops of insulting Islam after they distributed footballs bearing the name of Allah.

The balls showed the Saudi Arabian flag which features the Koranic declaration of faith.

The US military said the idea had been to give something for Afghan children to enjoy and they did not realise it would cause offence.

The footballs were dropped from a helicopter in Khost province.

Some displayed flags from countries all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, which features the shahada, one of the five pillars of Islam - the declaration of faith.

The words, which include the name of Allah, are revered, and Muslims are very sensitive about where and how they can be used.

Saudi Arabia has complained to the World Cup's ruling body in the past about the use of its flag on footballs. 'Blasphemous' balls anger Afghans (more) By Alastair Leithead

Mark Alexander

Grèce: le feu menace Olympie
LE FIGARO: Alors que les incendies de forêt ont fait au moins 51 morts depuis vendredi dans le Péloponnèse, Athènes a demandé une assistance aux Etats-Unis et à la Russie.

Le feu continue à gagner du terrain, en Grèce. Le bilan des victimes est lourd. En trois jours, ces incendies auraient déjà fait au moins 51 morts dans le Péloponnèse, au sud du pays. Le ministère de la Santé a informé dans la matinée de la découverte de deux nouveaux corps, près de Mégalopolis.

Dimanche, sans s’être calmé ailleurs, le feu a commencé à menacer le site archéologique d’Olympie. Selon les pompiers, il était en milieu d’après-midi à 1,5 km du site, berceau des Jeux olympiques, dans l’Antiquité, et classé sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco. Les autorités ont demandé l'évacuation de plusieurs localités aux alentours du site, dans l'ouest du Péloponnèse.

40 villages evacuees

Dans le Péloponnèse et en Eubée, quarante villages ont été évacués. L'ensemble du pays a été placé en état d'urgence samedi par le premier ministre Costas Karamanlis, tandis qu'un deuil national de trois jours a été décrété.

Quelque 1.010 pompiers, assistés de 425 soldats et de 16 avions et hélicoptères luttent sur place contre les flammes. De nombreux habitants de la région ont passé la nuit sur les plages.

Les incendies continuent aussi de faire rage dans le sud-ouest de l'île d'Eubée, au nord-est d'Athènes. Un autre, dans la région de Kératéa, dans la grande banlieue balnéaire d'Athènes, était, lui, en passe d'être contrôlé, ont dit les pompiers. Grèce: le feu menace Olympie (suivant)

NZZ:
Feuerwalze erreicht Olympia: Unzählige Wald- und Buschbrände in Griechenland fordern über 50 Todesopfer (mehr)

BBC:
Greek fires threaten ancient city

TIMESONLINE:
51 dead as Greek forest fires rage on

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Fires reach heritage site

Mark Alexander

Tele-Evangelist in Florida Loses His Show for Upsetting Muslims
With many thanks to Robert Spencer, whose website, JihadWatch, is where I first read this story:

WFTV.COM: ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A Christian televangelist who harshly criticizes Islam and other religions said Friday that his late-night program is being pulled off the air because of pressure from a Muslim group.

Earlier this month, officials from the Council on American Islamic Relations wrote a letter to the TV station's owners asking for an investigation of the show it broadcasts, "Live Prayer with Bill Keller."

In a May 2 broadcast, the televangelist said Islam was a "1,400-year-old lie from the pits of hell" and called the Prophet Mohammed a "murdering pedophile." He also called the Koran a "book of fables and a book of lies."

Council officials asked for equal air time for Florida Muslims to counter Keller's comments, but never got the chance.

The hourlong show, which airs nightly at 1 a.m., is broadcast on WTOG-TV, a CBS-owned station that airs the CW network locally. WTOG station manager Laura Caruso said the decision to end Keller's contract was a programming one, made by station executives and the televangelist.

But after speaking with CBS executives, the Islamic group claimed credit for Keller's demise. His last broadcast will be Aug. 31.

"They really based their decision upon our letter," said Ramzy Kilic, the group's civil rights coordinator. "They really did not know that Bill Keller was involved with this kind of anti-Muslim rhetoric."

Keller said his "Bible-based" message hasn't changed in the five years the program has aired.

"(CAIR) intimidated the folks in New York, and the folks in New York caved in," Keller said.

Keller said he is starting a new morning TV show on another Tampa Bay area station that will debut Sept. 3. [Source: Fla. Televangelist Loses Show After Muslims Complain]

Mark Alexander

Rumours Still Fly that Princess Diana was Pregnant at the Time of Her Death. Could She Really Have Been Carrying a Muslim Baby?
NEWS.COM.AU: A FRENCH investigative journalist has made the claim Princess Diana was nine weeks pregnant when she died, which is set to inflame the inquest into her death expected to begin in October.

The claims by French investigator Chris Laffaille appears to lend gentle support to long-standing claims by Mohamed Al Fayed that Diana was pregnant at the time of her death and murdered by the British establishment because the royal family could not bear to have the mother of the future king married to a Muslim.

His son Dodi was dating Diana, 36, at the time of her death.

But in a dramatic twist, if Laffaille's claim is true then Dodi Fayed could not have been the father - he had not met Diana nine weeks before their death. 

She was dating London doctor Hasnat Khan at the time.

Laffaille said he uncovered evidence of a pregnancy from official archives at the Paris hospital where she was taken on the night of her fatal crash on August 31, 1997.

He claimed the letter has remained hidden for 10 years because of "ethical and privacy" concerns.

He has written a book on his findings, which some dismissed as a blatant attempt to cash in on the 10th anniversary of her death.

"It is a near certainty that Diana was nine to 10 weeks pregnant at the time she died, according to papers from the Paris Public Hospitals archives," he said. [Source: Diana ‘nine weeks pregnant’ says journo]

Mark Alexander

Citizenship Tests for New Australians
BBC: Australia has unveiled details of a new citizenship test for immigrants.

They will be asked questions about history, institutions and culture - as well as committing to Australian social values focusing on "mateship".

The aim of the test was to get "that balance between diversity and integration correct in future", said Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews.

Critics believe the requirement of an English language exam discriminates against non-English speakers.

The new citizenship test is expected to be introduced later this year.

The details were unveiled in a 40-page draft guide that is to be given to all applicants. Australia unveils immigrant tests (more)

Mark Alexander

British Re-Enactment Society Infiltrated by Neo-Nazis, according to BBC Investigation
THE TELEGRAPH: A British re-enactment society that has portrayed the SS in films and on television has been infiltrated by neo-Nazis, according to a BBC investigation.

People associated with the Second Battle Group, which featured in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, claimed they were members of the far-Right Blood and Honour organisation and complained of German blood being tainted by "jigaboos".

The claims were made in footage filmed by the BBC Panorama unit, which followed the SBG during a show in Kent this summer.

The SBG was set up in 1978 and describes itself as "Britain's longest-serving Second World War living history and historical society".

According to its website, the aim of the group is "not to glorify war or the Nazi regime but … to portray the fighting German Waffen SS soldier of WWII as accurately as possible."

At public displays its members, who number 200, portray scenes from throughout the war, while wearing replica uniforms and using authentic weapons and vehicles.

Panorama, due to be broadcast on Monday, used a hidden camera to record one of the senior members of the SBG in the beer tent. The man, identified as Glen Swallow, was heard to say: "If it (the Waffen SS) existed now, I would join. I believe we should be sorting these Muslims out." 'Neo-Nazis infiltrate WWII re-enactment group' (more) By Graham Tibbetts

Neo-Nazi video shows execution By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Right-Wing Extremism in Germany

Mark Alexander

25% of British Babies Born to Foreign Parents
THE GUARDIAN: The row over statistics showing 25% of UK babies are born to foreign parents overlooks a well-established trend

The heir to the throne is one. The environment secretary, Hilary Benn, another. The television presenter Davina McCall a third. They are all among one of the UK's fastest-growing demographic groups - people born in this country whose mother or father was born overseas.

More than a quarter of babies born in Britain have at least one foreign-born parent, it emerged this week, up from just over a fifth in 2000. It is a striking statistic that in some quarters, predictably, provoked alarm. "Many people simply don't understand how this could have happened without anyone being consulted," Sir Andrew Green, chair of the rightwing anti-immigration group Migration Watch, wrote in the Daily Telegraph. "They are deeply concerned about the future." Prince, Davina and a baby revolution (more)

Mark Alexander

Hausfrau Appeal

Photo of Angela Merkel courtesy of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Halfway through her term, Angela Merkel's shrewdness, unpretentious "Hausfrau" image and sheer luck have made her more popular than any of her seven male predecessors were at this stage of the political cycle. She's likely to play it safe during the next two years, avoiding painful reforms.

Angela Merkel is more popular now than any German chancellor since the end of World War II, according to a new opinion poll which puts her mid-term approval rating at a record 76 percent. The figure is impressive because after a couple of years in office, leaders often see their popularity hit by by broken campaign promises and dashed hopes.

The poll by the Emnid institute for Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed that only 21 percent of respondents want a change of government. "Such positive ratings for a German government leader half-way through the term have never been recorded before," Emnid director Klaus-Peter Schöppner told the paper. "People admire how Merkel stands her ground in the world of Bush, Putin and Sarkozy."

After two years leading Germany, Merkel is as uncharismatic as she ever was, and her low-key style of government couldn't be more different from that of her media-savvy and vain predecessor Gerhard Schröder. Germans have evidently warmed to the sober, understated approach that almost lost her the 2005 general election.

There's nothing showy about her. One of the most enduring images of Schröder, taken by star photographer Peter Lindbergh, shows him posing in a "Brioni" cashmere coat for a fashion magazine. Merkel Sitting Pretty Two Years Into Term (more)

Mark Alexander

O Ye Men of Faith! For the Love of Allah, Don’t Pluck Those Eyebrows!
BBC: Iranian police have closed more than 20 barbers' shops in the capital Tehran.

The authorities say the barbers were encouraging un-Islamic behaviour by offering Western hairstyles, tattooing and also eyebrow-plucking for men.

Police say they have inspected more than 700 shops during a two-week crackdown in the city.

The move is part of an annual campaign against what is known locally as bad hijab, or un-Islamic clothing, that this year is also targeting men.

Hundreds of women and men have already been cautioned.

Police say that as well as avoiding Western hairstyles and make up, barbers should not pluck customers' eyebrows.

The closure of the shops comes several months after barbers were warned that they could lose their licences if they did not comply.

However, police have denied a report that they have ordered barbers not to serve customers wearing ties.

Some young boys in Iran sport very wild hair styles, using gel to make their long hair stand on end in a fashion not seen in other countries, correspondents say. [Source: Iran shuts 'Western' barber shops]

Mark Alexander

250 Islamisten in Pakistan innerhalb eines Monats getötet
NZZ: Die pakistanische Armee hat nach eigenen Angaben innerhalb eines Monats rund 250 militante Islamisten getötet. Bei den schweren Kämpfen im Grenzgebiet zu Afghanistan kamen im gleichen Zeitraum 60 Soldaten um ihr Leben. Allein am Freitag starben fünf Soldaten bei einem Selbstmordanschlag.

(ap) Bei heftigen Gefechten an der Grenze zu Afghanistan sind in einem Monat in Pakistan rund 250 militante Islamisten und 60 Soldaten getötet worden. Dies teilte am Freitag Generalmajor Maheed Arshad mit. Pakistan meldet Tod von 250 militanten Islamisten: Anhaltende Kämpfe an der afghanischen Grenze (mehr)

Musharraf zunehmend in Bedrängnis: Druck aus Washington gegen eine Ausrufung des Notstands?

Gestürzter Ex-Premier kann nach Pakistan zurückkehren: Druck auf Musharraf vor den Wahlen erhöht

Mark Alexander

Princess Diana and the Continuing Conspiracy Theories

Photos courtesy of the Daily Mail

REUTERS: LONDON (Reuters) - Two major investigations by French and British police concluded that Princess Diana's death in a Paris car crash was a tragic accident, but 10 years on many remain convinced she was murdered in a sinister plot.

The usual suspects cited by conspiracy theorists include the royal family -- because they were unhappy Diana was to marry her lover, Muslim Dodi al-Fayed -- or arms dealers, because they were angry at her support for a ban on landmines.

"They were killed as a result of a wicked conspiracy by people who did not want the princess to marry my son and were fearful of what she could say and do," Dodi's father Mohamed, the leading murder theory protagonist, told Reuters.

And there are some truly bizarre hypotheses.

These suggest leaders of a "new world order" assassinated her because she wouldn't marry former U.S. President Bill Clinton, or that she was killed as part of a Satanic ritual, or even that she is still alive having faked her own death.

Alasdair Spark, at the Centre for Conspiracy Culture at the University of Winchester, said doubts about the official version of Diana's death reflected a common belief that the public were always deliberately misled by the authorities.

"At the heart of it is this very strong belief we are always lied to, that any government never tells you the truth," Spark told Reuters. Diana conspiracy theories flourish a decade on (more)

DAILY EXPRESS:
Diana ‘Was Nine Weeks Pregnant When She Died’

DAILY MAIL:

'Diana was pregnant when she died - but Dodi was not the father' claims French journalist

Mark Alexander

In der Türkei darf ab sofort Hitlers “Mein Kampf” nicht mehr gedruckt oder verkauft werden

Mein Kampf wurde von Hitler während seiner Festhaftung im Jahre 1924 geschrieben

DIE PRESSE: Offenbar hat der Freistaat Bayern das Verbot als Inhaber der Urheberrechte vor türkischen Gerichten durchgesetzt. Nachdrucke hatten türkische Bestsellerlisten gestürmt.

Hitlers "Mein Kampf", das wegen einer Vielzahl preiswerter Nachdrucke die türkischen Bestsellerlisten gestürmt hatte, darf in der Türkei ab sofort nicht mehr gedruckt oder verkauft werden.
Der Freistaat Bayern als Inhaber der Urheberrechte an dem Buch des "Führers" hat das Verbot vor türkischen Gerichten durchgesetzt, wie der TV-Sender CNN-Türk am Donnerstag berichtet. Eine Bestätigung seitens der Behörden lag zunächst nicht vor.

Mehrere Auflagen ohne Druckgenehmigung

"Mein Kampf", das politische Grundlagenwerk Adolf Hitlers, in dem er vor dem Hintergrund seiner Autobiographie die Grundzüge seiner weltanschaulichen Überzeugung und seines Programms entwarf, war in den vergangenen Jahren in der Türkei zum Bestseller geworden; gleich mehrere Verlage gaben das Buch heraus. Allerdings hatten die Herausgeber keine Druckgenehmigung. Auch habe Bayern als Inhaber der Rechte kein Geld von den Verlagen erhalten, meldete CNN-Türk. Das deutsche Bundesland sei daraufhin vor Gericht gegangen.
Hitler schrieb "Mein Kampf" 1924 während seiner Festungshaft in Landsberg zusammen mit seinem späteren Stellvertreter Rudolf Heß, welcher aber nicht als Ko-Autor aufgeführt wird. [Quelle: Türkei verbietet Hitlers “Mein Kampf”]

THE GUARDIAN:
Mein Kampf sales soar in Turkey

ISRAELINSIDER:
Why is Mein Kampf a bestseller in Turkey?

BBC:
Hitler book bestseller in Turkey

LIVE LEAK:
Hitler’s book to be republished in German?

REUTERS:
Historian wants “Mein Kampf” republished

LIVE LEAK:

Mein Kampf: Original-Ausgabe

Mark Alexander

Immigration Fuels Population Growth in Italy
CORRIERA DELLA SERA: In one year, the country’s population has grown by 380,000 thanks almost entirely to the rising inflow of migrants

ROME – In one year, the resident population of Italy has grown by 379,576, an increase largely due to the inflow of migrants. ISTAT, Italy’s national statistics institute, calculated the figure by comparing registry office records on 31 December 2006 with data for the preceding year. Immigrants Nudge Population Past Fifty-Nine Million Mark (more)

Mark Alexander

Muslim in Italy Annoyed by Statue of Walled Virgin Mary
CORRIERA DELLA SERA: Moroccan’s neighbours say statue annoyed him. Northern League happy at immigrant’s change of heart. Mayor calls episode “unspeakable”. Case to be discussed by local council

CASATENOVO – “I’m pleased that the statue of the Virgin is back where it should be”, said a relieved Antonio Colombo yesterday evening. The mayor of Casatenovo was commenting on the removal of bricks sealing a niche at Cascina Rimoldo from which the Virgin has blessed passers-by for a hundred years. But in this corner of Brianza, in the province of Lecco, there is still a mood of shock and distress at the incident at Valaperta. It was two pensioners, Agnese and Angela, who saved the plaster Virgin from being walled up in its niche over the door of a Muslim immigrant’s home. “The Moroccan was irritated by the Virgin’s presence”, they explained as they returned the statue to its shrine. Mr Colombo, the Centre-left mayor, says he has reported the incident to the police and prefecture at Lecco so that any legal repercussions can be verified. After a visit by carabinieri to Valaperta yesterday, the other immigrant families who live in at Cascina Rimoldo removed the bricks to “avoid problems”. Nevertheless, the incident will be discussed by the municipal administration in the next few days after angry protests from the Northern League. Saving the Walled Virgin (more)

Mark Alexander

UK Benefits Claims Treble in a Year!
DAILY EXPRESS: THE toll of Eastern Europeans claiming benefits has almost trebled in a year – costing the taxpayer more than £125million-a-year.

Around 112,000 migrants who came to Britain to work are now claiming state handouts – the equivalent of one in six of those who have headed here since the EU expanded.

The ever-increasing drain on public funds comes as the number of workers and their families heading from Poland and its neighbours continues to soar.

Critics warned that the pressure on handouts is only set to increase with more and more staying longer and growing older and less healthy.

The Home Office admitted some of the burden is because migrants are now forming families over here. In a separate blow, Ministers were accused of letting asylum run out of control as figures showed that the backlog of failed applicants is growing, not reducing. Ministers were also criticised for not having up-to-date figures on overall net migration.

Blair Gibbs, campaign director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Migrants who come here should work and pay taxes, but mass immigration is having a direct financial cost on British taxpayers because there are not tight enough rules on claiming benefits.

“Taxpayers don’t want new migrants arriving here and being able to depend on benefits, instead of working.”

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: “The increase in benefit claims is a sign that real life is breaking through. Eastern Europeans will not forever be young, healthy and single and so the social costs can only increase.” Benefits Bill for EU Migrants Trebles (more) By Tom Whitehead

Mark Alexander

Bush’s Warning: Iraq Could Turn into America’s New Vietnam
BBC: President George W Bush has warned a US withdrawal from Iraq could trigger the kind of upheaval seen in South East Asia after US forces quit Vietnam.

"The price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens," he told war veterans in Missouri.

Mr Bush said the Vietnam War had taught the need for US patience over Iraq.

His speech comes amid an apparent rift with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, but Mr Bush said Mr Maliki was a "good man with a difficult job". Bush warns of new Vietnam in Iraq (more)

Mark Alexander

Kölner Moscheebau: Die Höhe der Minarette bleibt. Islam breitet sich in Deutschland schnell aus
FAZ: 22. August 2007
Der türkisch-islamische Verband Ditib hält an seinen umstrittenen Plänen zum Bau einer repräsentativen Moschee im Kölner Stadtteil Ehrenfeld fest. Die beiden Minarette sollten auch nach dem überarbeiteten Entwurf – wie geplant – 55 Meter hoch werden, teilte Ditib-Geschäftsführer Mehmet Yildirim am Mittwoch in Köln mit. Die Ditib, die der deutsche Ableger des türkischen Religionsamtes ist, folge mit dieser Entscheidung den Empfehlungen des Architekten Paul Böhm und des für den Moscheebau eingesetzten unabhängigen Beirats.

Böhm sagte, die Gestaltung der Minarette, die „in Anlehnung an die Form der Kuppel“ nach dem neuen Entwurf weniger traditionell, sondern „filigraner, offener und abstrakter“ wirkten, sei noch nicht abgeschlossen. Zuvor hatten der Beirat und die Ditib noch Entwürfe erwogen, nach denen die Minaretthöhe um fünf oder zehn Meter verringert werden sollte. Ditib: Die Höhe der Minarette bleibt (mehr)

Mark Alexander

Le Canada ouvre un débat sur la polygamie
LE FIGARO: Un village mormon de Colombie-Britannique la pratique ouvertement et des études suggèrent de légaliser ce type d'union.

AU CANADA, la polygamie, interdite depuis plus d'un siècle, fait l'objet de débats houleux. Des mormons fondamentalistes, installés dans l'ouest du pays, sont toujours polygames. Impuissant, le gouvernement de Colombie-Britannique veut saisir la Cour suprême.

Bountiful est une bourgade reculée du sud de la Colombie-Britannique, à plusieurs centaines de kilomètres de Vancouver et de Calgary. Depuis la fondation de ce hameau en 1946, une secte dissidente de l'Église mormone y pratique ouvertement la polygamie. Aujourd'hui, un millier de personnes y vivent, pour la plupart des descendants des fondateurs de Bountiful. Le chef de la communauté, Winston Blackmore, a épousé vingt-six femmes et a quatre-vingts enfants. En vertu de leurs croyances, les hommes de Bountiful doivent épouser un maximum de femmes pour gagner leur place au paradis. Les villageois travaillent dans des conditions misérables pour les dirigeants de la collectivité et vivent à l'écart de la société britano-colombienne. Le Canada ouvre un débat sur la polygamie (suivant) De Ludovic Hirtzmann, Montréal

Mark Alexander

L’Union européenne a appelé de gouverneur de Texas pour un moratoire sur la peine capitale

Photo grâce au Figaro

LE FIGARO: Rompant avec ses habitudes, l'Union européenne a officiellement appelé le gouverneur de l'Etat Rick Perry à imposer un moratoire sur la peine capitale.

Un homme reconnu coupable du meurtre d'une immigrée vietnamienne au cours d'un hold-up dans une épicerie de Houston sera exécuté mercredi soir. Johnny Ray Conner, 32 ans, sera le 21e détenu à être tué cette année au Texas, le 400e depuis 1982. A lui tout seul, le Texas a assuré près de 40 % des exécutions aux Etats-Unis depuis le rétablissement de la peine capitale en 1976 (1.089 exécutions au total).

Il avait fallu moins d'une heure au jury pour le reconnaître coupable de l’assassinat, le 17 mai 1998, de Kathyanna Nguyen. Et en moins de cinq heures, la condamnation était tombée : peine de mort.

Fait exceptionnel, l'Union européenne a officiellement appelé le gouverneur de l'Etat Rick Perry à imposer un moratoire sur la peine capitale. « La sanction étant irréversible, les erreurs judiciaires, inévitables dans tout système judiciaire, ne peuvent être réparées », a observé l'UE, faisant part de ses « profonds regrets » avant l'exécution programmée du détenu. Le Texas va exécuter son 400e condamné (suivant)

Mark Alexander

Hugo Chávez Digs In His Socialist Heels in Venezuela
BBC: Venezuelas [sic] parliament has given initial approval to reforms proposed by President Hugo Chavez, including an end to presidential term limits.

The proposals still require a final endorsement by parliament, which is dominated by Mr Chavez's supporters, and must then be put to a referendum.

The constitutional reforms would also increase presidential control over the central bank. Venezuela lawmakers back reforms (more)

Mark Alexander

Racism Alive and Well in Eastern Germany
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Three days after eight Indian men were attacked, injured and chased through an Eastern German town by a mob while the townsfolk looked on, Germany is worried that this latest incident will hurt its image abroad and scare off foreign investors.

The Indian government has demanded a rigorous investigation into the attack on eight Indian men (more...) by a mob of at least 50 Germans shouting "Foreigners out" in the eastern German town of Mügeln, near the city of Leipzig, on Saturday night.

"We expect the culprits to be caught quickly," India's ambassador to Germany, Meera Shankar, told Berliner Zeitung newspaper. Earlier she asked the German government "to take measures to tackle this issue and prevent such events from occurring in the future," a spokesman for the Indian foreign ministry said.

The attack has triggered fresh public debate about far-right extremism in the formerly communist east of Germany, which has seen a string of racist assaults since unification in 1990. Politicians and business leaders have expressed concern that the country's reputation abroad may have been hurt and that foreign investors be deterred from coming to Germany. After Attack on Indians, Germany Fears For its Reputation (more)

Mark Alexander

Muslim-Mocking Carnival in Cornwall

Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail

DAILY MAIL: A row has broken out over a carnival parade after a group's act has been deemed "disgusting and offensive" to Muslims.

The procession included a 17-strong group of men and women called "The Page Three Beauties from the Ramalama Ding Dong Times".

They dressed in Muslim style burkas and carried a banner saying "Join the Kernow Mosk Dreckly, become a Muslim".

And individual members also held up placards which read names like Miss Poppadomistan, Miss Sleptwithjudgeistan, Miss Hairyarmpitsrbad, Miss Slackistan, Miss Leatherselfgoabad and Miss Reallyamanistan.

As they walked the parade route through St Columb Minor, north Cornwall, they knelt down in mock prayer, using fake compasses to try to find the correct direction to pray to Mecca.

The carnival judging panel - including the mayor of Restormel council Pat Harvey and three other local councillors - shortlisted the group to win the cup for the best entry. Miss Sleptwithjudgeistan: row as village stages mock Muslim parade with burkha-clad 'page three girls' (more)

Mark Alexander

Storm in New York City over Arab School
YNET NEWS: New York City residents, Jewish community divided over opening of public Arab school in city

New York City’s first ever public Arab school is set to open its doors in two weeks, amidst much debate and controversy.

The Khalil Gibran International Academy will receive funding from the NYC municipality and will be temporarily run by a Jewish woman, Danielle Salzberg, an educator and senior program officer with the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools.

Earlier this month the school's original principal, Debbie Almontaser, resigned after she failed to condemn the use of the highly charged word "intifada," an Arabic term for the Palestinian uprising against Israel.

State Assemblyman, and prominent Jewish community leader, Dov Hikind called on chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, Joe Klein, to cancel the opening of the school, and said Almontaser’s attitude was one of the reasons people should be concerned.

“She was supposed to be the responsible one, but the first time she had to deal with the use of one small word, she failed,” he said in an interview to Yedioth Ahronoth.

“Instead of condemning the use of the word intifada and the idea that stands behind it, of the killing of innocents, she hid behind lexical definitions. She reminds me of Arafat (Yasser Arafat, former Palestinian Authority Chairman) and his lexical interpretations of the word ‘jihad’.”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on his radio show that Almontaser was "certainly not a terrorist," but he called her resignation the "right thing to do". Arab school stirs storm in NYC (more)

Mark Alexander

White Flight! Mass Exodus from the United Kingdom!
DAILY MAIL: A record number of Brits are packing their bags and escaping soaring house prices, wet weather and the perception of rising crime for a new life abroad, according to new figures.

The Office of National Statistics showed 385,000 people migrated from the country in the year to July 2006.

This is the highest figure since official counting methods were introduced in 1991

The most popular destination for migrants is Australia, with South Africa proving to be another favourite.

The number of long-term migrants who arrived in the UK in the same period was 574,000, slightly down on the previous year.

Overall, the population of the country rose 0.6 per cent in the year to 60,587,000. Record number of Brits leaving the UK for a life abroad (more)

Mark Alexander

Is Darkness
About to Fall on Malaysia?

Photos courtesy of the TimesOnline

With many thanks to the Anti-Jihadist from Pedestrian Infidel, where I first saw this article:

TIMESONLINE: Over a drink of green coconut at what used to be called the Passionate Love Beach until his Islamist party came to power and scrapped the name, state minister Takiyuddin Hassan outlines the victories in the war on sin.

To the south, in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, celebrations are starting for Malaysia’s 50th year as an independent state. Its proud achievements are modern universities, a buoyant economy and a respected place in the world as a moderate Islamic nation.

Mr Hassan’s party boasts a different set of achievements: banning mini-skirts, chastising unmarried couples and renaming Kota Bharu’s favourite beauty spot. They also closed down nightclubs, banned nearly all bars except a few Chinese restaurants, where no Muslims are allowed, and refused to let a proposed cinema open unless there were separate sections for men and women.

In a sign of their clout, the American pop diva Gwen Stefani has agreed to wear traditional costumes in her Malaysian concert next week after conservative Muslim youths protested at the “indecent dressing and obscenity” of her skin-baring act. An Islamic opposition party demanded that her show next Tuesday should be cancelled.

The platinum blonde star has agreed to cover up in the hope of heading off further protests.

As it celebrates 50 years of independence on August 31, Malaysia is once again debating just how Islamic it should be. Older Malays bemoan a younger generation that has become puritanical, self-righteously declining to attend social functions where alcohol is served. Headscarves, rare 20 years ago, are worn by almost all Malay women now, although often in combination with tight jeans. Islam’s war on sin dims bright lights in a nation torn between cultures (more) By Nick Meo in Kota Bharu

Mark Alexander