Boys on Trial in Turkey for Singing Kurdish 'Anthem'
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A choir from eastern Turkey sang a provocative song in Kurdish during a music festival in the United States. Now nine of the boys are on trial for supporting the illegal Kurdish rebel group, the PKK.

Three teenaged members of a boys' choir will go on trial today in Turkey for "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" -- namely the Kurdish separatist group, the PKK -- after singing a Kurdish song at a music festival in San Francisco late last year.

In October 2007 the boys sang a Kurdish-language march called "Ey Raqip" ("Hey Enemy") at the San Francisco World Music Festival. They performed a number of other songs, too, but the prosecutor in Turkey argues that "Ey Raqip" is a PKK anthem. Boys on Trial in Turkey for Singing Kurdish 'Anthem' >>> June 19, 2008

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How Germany Is Dismantling Civil Rights amid Terror Fears
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Germany has so far been spared a bloody Islamist terror attack. But it only took two planned attacks in Germany to persuade a majority of the population to support a massive dismantling of civil rights. How Germany Is Dismantling Civil Rights amid Terror Fears >>> By Jochen Bölsche | June 12, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
How Islam Came to Germany >>> By Ursula Spuler-Stegemann | June 16, 2008

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Afghanistan: Prostitution floriert trotz Tabus
STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG ONLINE: Kabul - Die kleine Afghanin war gerade elf Jahre alt, als ein beinamputierter Mann sie sexuell belästigte. Er gab ihr hinterher fünf Dollar, woraufhin sie sich zu weiteren sexuellen Handlungen bereiterklärte. Mit 13 Jahren war sie bereits die Haupternährerin ihrer Familie. Als sie sich Sozialarbeitern anvertraute, schickten ihre Eltern den zehnjährigen Bruder zum Zuhälter des Mädchens. Afghanistan: Prostitution floriert trotz Tabus >>> Von Alisa Tang, AP | 19. 06. 2008

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Pakistan: Man Sentenced to Death for Insulting Islam
AKI: Sialkot - A Pakistani judge has sentenced a man to death and life imprisonment on charges of blasphemy and desecration of the Muslim holy book, the Koran.

Shafiq Latif of Kulluwal in northeastern Pakistan is alleged to have made derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed and desecrated pages of the Koran on 17 March 2006. Pakistan: Man Sentenced to Death for Insulting Islam >>> | June 19, 2008

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Bush Calls for Offshore Drilling
Watch BBC video: President Bush calls on Congress to lift the ban >>>
BBC: President George W Bush has called on Congress to end a 27-year ban on drilling for oil in US coastal waters, to reduce dependence on imports.

Mr Bush said existing restrictions on offshore drilling were "outdated and counter-productive".

His move comes as US consumers are calling for action to tackle high oil prices that have pushed prices at the pump to more than $4 (£2) a gallon.

US energy needs are set to be a key issue in November's presidential poll.

Republican John McCain favours offshore oil drilling, whereas his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, opposes it. Bush Calls for Offshore Drilling >>> | June 18, 2008

Cross-posted at The Shrewd Economist >>>

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The Ayatollah: Proof of God
TAMMY SWOFFORD: He burst onto the world stage to dominate America's television audience in November of 1979. He was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. We did not know who he was, but for Shi'a he was "the sign of god". "Ayat" means sign, and it is the smaller thought expressed within each Surah of the Qur'an. 



Pegged a revolutionary by Western media this man moved forward from the shadows of history onto the stage of the present in Tehran after our embassy staff were taken as prisoners. This event was not merely a revolt against the Shah of Iran, but it was a resurgence of Shi'a political thought regarding what was considered the natural order of things. As a Shi'a jurist of high standing whose life must be imitated and orders obeyed in the absence of the 12th hidden infallible imam, Ayatollah Khomeini retained a position of guardianship over the Shi'a community (wali) and was indeed considered the proof of God. The heady feelings of putting a thumb in the eye of the "Great Satan" were nothing compared to the national re-identification process underway with Ayatollah Khomeini leading the parade. The Ayatollah: Proof of God >>> By Tammy Swofford | June 18, 2008

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Some Muslims In a Tiz-Woz Over Denmark’s Hijab Competition
Photo of Hudah Falah, the winner of Denmark’s hijab competition, courtesy of The National
THE NATIONAL - UAE: Beauty contests for women who wear the hijab are against the “spirit” of the Islamic message, says Shadia Abdullah, a board member of Jumeirah Islamic Learning Centre in Dubai.



Miss Headscarf 2008 took place in Denmark this month, giving a platform to “cool Muslim women who often make up a very fashion-conscious and style-confident part of the Danish street scene”.


The competition’s website has had more than 100,000 hits and the contest’s popularity means it is likely to be repeated.

A total of 46 women entered the competition and submitted photographs of themselves in hijab to the organiser, Danmarks Radio. The state broadcaster offered an iPod to the winner and magazine subscriptions to five finalists.



“The whole idea of the hijab is for a woman to cover herself and conceal her beauty,” Miss Abdullah said. “It is not about being ostentatious and showing off, but about being modest. This contest contradicts all those things.”

There were, she said, “a lot of criteria attached to wearing the hijab. For example, it should not be too flashy, expensive, show class or race differences, or draw too much attention to the wearer.

“It is as much about your behaviour when you are wearing it and covering what is inside while asking not to be judged on your looks,” Miss Abdullah said. “Islam does not say we should not be interested in fashion, but that industry is all about consumerism and our faith says you should not let fashion dictate to you.”

Some of the entrants sent in head-and-shoulders photographs, while others stood with hands on hips or struck provocative poses. The winner was Iraqi-born Huda Falah, 18, chosen for her “hidden beauty”. Danish Hijab Contest ‘Contradicts’ Modesty >>> By Tahira Yaqoob | June 16, 2008

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Democracy in Decline
REAL CLEAR POLITICS: The broad, sneering European-elite response to the plucky Irish vote to oppose the further centralization of governmental power in the European Union and the emerging opinion in China suggest that from Brussels to Shanghai, democracy may be losing its appeal. Democracy in Decline >>> By Tony Blankley | June 18, 2008

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Iraqi Christians Are Targets of Cleansing, Committee Told
OTTAWA CITIZEN: One in three a refugee, but Chaldo-Assyrians want to remain in country

Muslim militants are crucifying children to terrorize their Christian parents into fleeing Iraq, a parliamentary committee studying the persecution of religious minorities heard yesterday.

Since the war began in 2003, about 12 children, many as young as 10, have been kidnapped and killed, then nailed to makeshift crosses near their homes to terrify and torment their parents.

One infant was snatched, decapitated, burned and left on his mother's doorstep, the committee was told.

Filham Isaac, speaking for the Nineveh Advocacy Committee, told the human rights committee that Iraqi Christian churches were bombed, clergy murdered and unveiled Iraqi women raped or scarred with acid.

It's part of a systemic -- and very effective -- campaign to ethnically cleanse the area of any non-Muslims, he said. Chaldean and Assyrian Christians, known as Chaldo-Assyrians, were once the largest Christian minority in Iraq. They are also the oldest, descendants of ancient Mesopotamians who adopted Christianity in the first century. Iraqi Christians Are Targets of Cleansing, Committee Told >>> By Jennifer Green | June 18, 2008

Hat tip: Pierre of Québec for drawing my attention to this article.

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Turkey: Diva Tried Over Dissent
” She was already one of the country's most popular male singers, when in 1981 she underwent a sex-change operation.”
BBC: One of Turkey's best known singers, Bulent Ersoy, has gone on trial charged with attempting to turn the public against military service.

The charges were brought after she suggested it was not worth sacrificing soldiers' lives in Turkey's conflict with the Kurdish separatist PKK group.

The transsexual singer made her comments on television last February.

The army was conducting a major operation against the PKK in northern Iraq at the time.

Some 40,000 people have died since the conflict with the PKK began in 1984.

Ms Ersoy did not show up in court, saying she had to attend a concert, so the trial has been postponed until September, when she will be obliged to attend.

Ms Ersoy has already said she will stand by her comments.

But she faces up to four-and-a-half years in prison if she is convicted. Turkish Singer Tried Over Dissent >>> | June 18, 2008

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One Couldn’t Make These Things Up!
THE GUARDIAN: A school in north-east Thailand has introduced toilets for transvestites after a survey showed that more than 200 students saw themselves as transgender, a director said today.

Sitisak Sumontha said he believed the 2,600-student Kampang school, in north-eatern [sic] Thailand, was the first secondary to introduce unisex toilets.

"These students want to be able to go to the restroom in peace without fear of being watched, laughed at or groped," he added.

The toilets are designated by a sign depicting a human figure split in half - part man in blue and part woman in red. Thai School Introduces Toilets for Transvestite Students >>> By Haroon Siddique and agencies | June 18, 2008

THE GUARDIAN:
Carabinieri Ordered Not to Have Affairs >>> By Haroon Siddique | June 18, 2008

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Tariq Ramadan in Debate: Part 1
You are all invited to draw your own conclusions about Tariq Ramadan’s ‘reasoning’ on Islam. He sees no incompatibility between Islam and democracy, for instance. I fundamentally disagree with him on this: Islam is by its very nature incompatible with democracy. Islam was conceived for a theocratic state. Theocracy and democracy are diametrically opposed to each other; they are immiscible. Tariq Ramadan should start studying the meaning of democracy; it would appear that he has no understanding of its true nature. - ©Mark


Part 2
Part 3
Watch another YouTube video: Tariq Ramadan Talking More Tosh >>>

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President Barack Obama Would Be Bad for Britain
THE TELEGRAPH: If this country's voters could vote in America, John McCain could take the summer off. So thorough would be his drubbing that no campaigning on his part could save him from an enforced return to the Senate.

As British and most other foreign observers see it, Barack Obama is the second coming. Perhaps not of you-know-who, although in his victory speech Obama did describe his triumph in the primaries as "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal".

Moses made the waters recede, but he had help. So Obama must be the second coming of JFK. Never mind that Kennedy sent troops to Vietnam, backed an abortive invasion of Cuba, and conveyed such a sense of inexperience and weakness at his summit with Kruschev that we almost stumbled into a nuclear war when the Russian leader decided he could get away with putting some missiles in Cuba. President Barack Obama Would Be Bad for Britain >>> By Irwin Stelzer | june 18, 2008

MEMRI:
Libyan Leader Qaddafi: People in Arab And Islamic World, Africa... May Have Been Involved In Legitimate Contribution Campaigns [To Obama]… >>> | June 16, 2008

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Britain Soft on Radical Islam Yet Again: Radical Preacher, Abu Qatada, Is Released from Prison
Watch video here
THE TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada, the radical Islamic cleric described as Osama bin Laden’s “right-hand man in Europe”, has been released from jail after a judge ruled that there were no grounds to keep him in prison.

The decision to allow him to return to his home in London – where he will receive around £1,000 per month in state benefits – made a mockery of the government’s promise to crack down on terror suspects, and embarrassed the Home Office, which had pledged to deport Qatada to Jordan to face terror charges.

The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said she was “extremely disappointed” at the court’s decision to bail Qatada, while the Conservatives branded the decision “offensive”.

Mr Justice Mitting signed an order to release Qatada on bail, with strict conditions, following an earlier Court of Appeal decision to refuse his deportation on the grounds that it would breach human rights law. Abu Qatada: Islamic Cleric Is Released from Jail >>> By Duncan Gardham and Gordon Rayner | June 18, 2008

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In the Face of Evil

’In the Face of Evil’: Reagan’s War in Word and Deed >>>

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On Obama

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”Two Stupid Muslims”
Warning! This video contains objectionable content:


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Tehran Police Intensifies Crackdown on Women, Men over Dress Code
MONSTERS AND CRITICS: Tehran - Tehran's police has intensified [the] crackdown on women and men over the Islamic dress code, Fars news agency reported Monday.

A police spokesman told Fars news agency that more than twenty cars whose passengers were not observing dress codes were confiscated until further notice.

The police has also interrogated young men with 'Western style hair-styles' about their barber shops. At least one of the barber shops in the high-society shopping centre Tandis in northern Tehran was closed down, the spokesman said.

Also more than 30 textile shops selling Western-style clothing were closed down by the police for contributing to social immorality, the spokesman added.

The Iranian police and vice units usually start their crackdowns in the summer season when, due to temperatures reaching almost 40 degrees, women wear lighter clothing. Also absolutely taboo for women are Bermuda-style pants, tight coats, loose scarves and no socks.

The hair-style and clothing of young Iranian men have also been added to the crackdown operations. Tehran Police Intensifies Crackdown on Women, Men over Dress Code >>> | June 16, 2008

BBC:
New Iranian Dress Code Crackdown >>> | June 16, 2008

MONSTERS AND CRITICS:
Iran Plans to Make Special Bicycles for Women >>> | May 17, 2008

MONSTERS AND CRITICS:
Iranian President Criticized for Embracing Female School Teacher >>> | May 2, 2008

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Lecturers 'Pressed to Boost Degree Results'
THE INDEPENDENT: Degree standards in many British universities are in danger of collapsing because lecturers are under pressure to "mark positively" and turn a blind eye to plagiarism, the man who was in charge of safeguarding standards at Britain's largest university will say today. Professor Geoffrey Alderman, former chairman of the academic council at the University of London, warns that "league table culture" has led to an explosion in the number of firsts awarded.

Latest figures show they have gone up by more than 100 per cent over the past decade from 16,708 to 36,645 – at a time when the undergraduate population has risen by just over 40 per cent. In a lecture at the University of Buckingham, Professor Alderman will also argue that universities have been particularly lenient with overseas students because they rely on them so heavily for fee income – so much so that they turn a blind eye to plagiarism and cheating. Lecturers 'Pressed to Boost Degree Results' >>> By Richard Garner, Education Editor | June 17, 2008

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Schweden: Regierung will E-Mail und Telefone überwachen
DIE PRESSE: Die Mitte-Rechts-Regierung von Premier Reinfeldt will Kontakte zum Ausland überwachen lassen. Damit will man sich vor "Bedrohung von außen" schützen.

Am Mittwoch stimmt das schwedische Parlament über einen Gesetzesvorschlag der Mitte-Rechts-Regierung von Ministerpräsident Fredrik Reinfeldt, der dem militärischen Abhördienst (FRA) die Überwachung des E-Mail-, Telefon- und SMS-Verkehrs mit dem Ausland erlaubt. Die Gegner des Gesetzes sehen Schweden bereits auf dem Weg in den Überwachungsstaat Orwellscher Prägung. Schweden: Regierung will E-Mail und Telefone überwachen >>> | 17. 06. 2008

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French Defence to Counter Terror
BBC: The main threat facing France is that of terrorism and the country's defence system needs to reflect that, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said.

He was presenting a major overhaul of the military which includes cutting more than 50,000 defence jobs and boosting intelligence resources.

Mr Sarkozy confirmed France would soon rejoin the military command of Nato that it left in 1966.

He was outlining his new strategy to some 3,000 senior officers in Paris.

There is no doubt that France's new defence policy bears the stamp of President Nicolas Sarkozy himself, says BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus.

He is the most Atlanticist president to occupy the Elysee Palace since the late 1950s, our correspondent adds.

In 1966, Gen Charles de Gaulle pulled French troops out of Nato's integrated command structure as a gesture of independence from Washington. French Defence to Counter Terror >>> | June 17, 2008

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Church Leaders Fear Summer of Strife over Women and Gay Clergy
Stained glass window at the Fraumünster, Zürich, by Marc Chagall, courtesy of Google Images
THE GUARDIAN: The Church of England faces a tense summer as it wrestles with the divisive issues of women bishops and gay clergy, a senior official said yesterday.

William Fittall, the secretary general of the general synod, the church's legislative body and national assembly, said a combination of public debates, a breakaway Anglican conference and the clash between conservatives and liberals was giving Christians cause for concern.

"There is no doubt that we are at an unsettled moment in the Church of England," said Fittall. "This was always going to be a big summer. [The] Lambeth [conference of bishops] is a big event in the wider communion and the fact that it is considering women bishops goes to the heart of what kind of church we want to be. The weekend's story has caused further anxiety on the part of many."

He was responding to the Bishop of London's decision to order an investigation into the "marriage" last month between two gay priests, the Rev Peter Cowell and the Rev David Lord, who exchanged rings and vows at St Bartholomew the Great church in the City of London.

A statement issued by the bishop of London, the Right Rev Richard Chartres, said services of public blessings for civil partnerships were not authorised. Church Leaders Fear Summer of Strife over Women and Gay Clergy: Conservatives threaten to split from communion as decisive conference looms >>> By Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent | June 17, 2008

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UK Midsummer Madness Alert! Muslimah Wins £4,000 Compensation for Hurt Feelings
MAILONLINE: A Muslim woman has been awarded £4,000 for "injury to feelings" after a hair salon owner refused to employ her because she wears a headscarf.

Bushra Noah accused Sarah Desrosiers, owner of a trendy central London hair salon, of religious discrimination after she failed to offer her a job in May last year.

A panel sitting at the central London employment tribunal dismissed her claim of direct discrimination but upheld her complaint of indirect discrimination.

Mrs Noah, of Acton, west London, applied for a job as a junior assistant at the Wedge salon in King's Cross.

Giving its judgment, the tribunal said it accepted that Ms Desrosiers said that Mrs Noah lived too far away but was persuaded to give her an interview.

But when the 19-year-old applicant arrived at the salon she claimed that the Canadian salon owner was clearly shocked by the fact she wore a headscarf.

Ms Desrosiers told the tribunal she was surprised that the younger woman had not mentioned it earlier.

She said she needed stylists to reflect the "funky, urban" image of her salon and showcase alternative hairstyles. Muslim Woman Refused Job as a Hairdresser Because She Wears a Headscarf Wins £4,000 Payout >>> | June 17, 2008

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When “Tolerance” Trumps Freedom
DENVER POST: Canada has a lot to answer for: Rush, Celine Dion, Barenaked Ladies, Tom Green and Howie Mandel, to name a few. But its latest transgression is serious.

In certain parts of Europe, "hate speech" already is a criminal act. When the late journalist and author Oriana Fallaci wrote books critical of Islam in 2002, she was sued in France. Later, Swiss and Italian judges ordered her to stand trial for "defaming Islam."

In France, Brigitte Bardot — the former film starlet turned animal rights activist — has been convicted five times of "inciting racial hatred." In one instance, her crime was writing a letter to French officials, objecting to the ritual slaughter of sheep by Muslims.

Sheep to the slaughter, sadly, is a perfect analogy for European states that allow Muslim activist groups — which rarely object to the near-complete lack of freedom of expression in the Islamic world — to dictate what is and isn't tolerable speech.

But Canada? When “Tolerance” Trumps Freedom >>> By David Harsanyl | June 17, 2008

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Islam Stuck in the Middle Ages, Says Hans Küng
With all due respect Professor Hans Küng, to say that “Islam’s problems with the modern world are because it has never undergone ‘a serious religious reformation’” is to state the glaringly obvious. - ©Mark

TIMESONLINE: Islam's problems with the modern world are because it has never undergone "a serious religious reformation" claims German theologian

Islam is stuck in its own version of the “Middle Ages” which is contributing to a global crisis, one of the leading experts on Islam, Judaism and Christianity argues today.

Professor Hans Kung [sic], a leading Roman Catholic and theologian from Germany, warns in a lecture of a “deadly threat” to all humankind unless new efforts are made to build bridges with Islam. He says in London that Islam has “special problems” with modernity because, unike [sic] Christianity and Judaism, it has never undergone a “serious religious reformation”. He questions whether Islam is even capable of adapting to a post-modern world in the way that Christianity and Judaism have done. But he also outlines why he is hopeful that the present problems around radicalisation within Islam can be resolved, and how the other two Abrahamic faiths are subject to some of the same problems on their extremist edges. Violence has been practicised in the sign of the crescent, but also in the sign of the cross, he warns. In his lecture, seen by The Times, Professor Kung [sic] says: “The options have become clear: either rivalry of the religions, clash of civilizations, war of the nations - or dialogue of civilizations and peace between the nations as a presupposition for peace between the nations. Islam Is Stuck in the Middle Ages, Says Leading Interfaith Expert >>> By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | June 16, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

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Vatican Bans Dan Brown Film Angels & Demons from Rome Churches
TIMESONLINE: The Vatican has banned the makers of a prequel to The Da Vinci Code from filming in its grounds or any church in Rome, describing the work as “an offence against God”.

Angels and Demons, the latest Dan Brown thriller to be turned into a film, includes key episodes that take place in the Vatican and Rome’s churches. Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, the head of the Vatican’s Prefecture for Economic Affairs, said that Brown had “turned the gospels upside down to poison the faith”.

“It would be unacceptable to transform churches into film sets so that his blasphemous novels can be made into films in the name of business,” he said, adding that Brown’s work “wounds common religious feelings”.

Father Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the Diocese of Rome, said: “Normally we read the script but this time it was not necessary. The name Dan Brown was enough.” Vatican Bans Dan Brown Film Angels & Demons from Rome Churches >>> By Richard Owen in Rome | June 17, 2008

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Blogger Arrests Hit Record High
Image courtesy of the BBC
BBC: More bloggers than ever face arrest for exposing human rights abuses or criticising governments, says a report.

Since 2003, 64 people have been arrested for publishing their views on a blog, says the University of Washington annual report.

In 2007 three times as many people were arrested for blogging about political issues than in 2006, it revealed.

More than half of all the arrests since 2003 have been made in China, Egypt and Iran, said the report.

Jail sentence

Citizens have faced arrest and jail for blogging about many different topics, said the World Information Access (WIA) report.

Arrested bloggers exposed corruption in government, abuse of human rights or suppression of protests. They criticised public policies and took political figures to task.

The report said the rising number of arrests was testament to the "growing" political importance of blogging. It noted that arrests tended to increase during times of "political uncertainty", such as around general elections or during large scale protests.

Jail time followed arrest for many bloggers, said the report, which found that the average prison sentence for blogging was 15 months. The longest sentence found by the WIA was eight years. Blogger Arrests Hit Record High >>> | June 16, 2008

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Warum Irland die EU verlassen sollte
WELTONLINE: Irland sollte dem restlichen Europa einen Gefallen tun und sich aus der Europäischen Union zurückziehen. Dies scheint die einzig vertretbare Lösung für die durch das irische Nein zum Vertrag von Lissabon hervorgerufene Lage zu sein. Das meint der frühere dänische Außenminister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.

Die Iren haben sich selbst ein Problem bereitet. Sie sollten nicht zulassen, dass es für andere ein Problem wird.

Es wäre schade, wenn der EU-Familie die fröhlichen Bewohner der grünen Insel verloren gingen. Noch trauriger aber wäre es, wenn aufgrund des irischen Neins all jene, die denselben Nutzen aus der europäischen Integration ziehen möchte, der den Iren ein Leben in Wohlstand ermöglichte, nun außen vorgelassen werden.

Die EU-Erweiterung kann ohne die vielen im Vertrag von Lissabon enthaltenen praktischen und pragmatischen Elemente nicht weitergehen. Und der Erweiterungsprozess ist das bisher wichtigste Unterfangen, dass die EU bisher in Angriff genommen hat, einschließlich der Schaffung des Euro.

Die EU hat bereits Länder aufgenommen, die eine Menge Aufmerksamkeit benötigen – und andere klopfen an ihre Tür. Sie suchen Anschluss an all jene, die während des Kalten Krieges in Freiheit zu Wohlstand gelangten, und es ist eine Frage der Fairness, ihnen die Chance dazu zu geben. Mehr noch: Man muss die Erweiterung als einen wichtigen Bestandteil der europäischen Sicherheitspolitik betrachten, der gerade erst demokratisch gewordenen Ländern hilft, zu Hause für Stabilität zu sorgen, und ihnen die Stärke verleiht, mit externem Druck fertig zu werden.

Es ist schade, dass die Iren – und ihre Partner – die Lektion aus der irischen Ablehnung des Vertrags von Nizza vor sieben Jahren nicht gelernt haben. Damals wie heute machte sich nur eine Minderheit der Wähler die Mühe, zu wählen, und damals wie heute votierten bloße 54 Prozent davon mit Nein. Ein Jahr später wurde der Vertrag von Nizza durch ein neues Referendum angenommen, nachdem klar geworden war, dass Irlands EU-Mitgliedschaft auf dem Spiel stand. Warum Irland die EU verlassen sollte >>> | 16. Juni 2008

BBC:
'No Quick Fix' to Irish No Vote >>> | June 16, 2008

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Israeli Ministers Mull Plans for Military Strike against Iran
"We no longer believe in the effectiveness of sanctions," says Yatom. "A military operation is needed if the world wants to stop Iran."
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The Israeli government no longer believes that sanctions can prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. A broad consensus in favor of a military strike against Tehran's nuclear facilities -- without the Americans, if necessary -- is beginning to take shape.

Dani Yatom, a member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, was invited to attend a NATO conference in Brussels last year. While reviewing the agenda, Yatom, a retired major general, was surprised to see that the meeting was titled "The Iranian Challenge" and not "The Iranian Threat."

When a speaker with a French accent mentioned that a US military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities would be the most dangerous scenario of all, Yatom said, politely but firmly: "Sir, you are wrong. The worst scenario would be if Iran acquired an atom bomb." Israeli Ministers Mull Plans for Military Strike against Iran >>> By Ralf Beste, Cordula Meyer and Christoph Schult | June 16, 2008

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Time to Get Tough but US and UK Still Pussyfooting on Iran Problem: Warning Still Toothless
President Bush warns Iran that "all options" are on the table >>>
BBC: Gordon Brown and President George Bush have warned Iran to accept their "offers of partnership" or face tough sanctions and international isolation.

The UK prime minister said he wanted to maintain a dialogue with Tehran, but if Iran ignores UN resolutions then sanctions would be intensified.

Europe would freeze overseas assets of Iran's biggest bank and impose new oil and gas sanctions, he said.

But the EU foreign policy chief said no new sanctions had so far been agreed.

Javier Solana was speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. Bush and Brown's warning to Iran >>> | June 16, 2008

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Le multiculturalisme et sa haine de toute identité nationale détruit la Grande-Bretagne, par Theodore Dalrymple
POINT DE BASCULE: Dans 20 ans, entre un quart et un tiers de la population britannique sera née à l’étranger, et au moins un cinquième de la population de souche aura émigré. La population est en cours de remplacement accéléré. L’anxiété liée à ces changements démographiques sans précédent ne peut être exprimée ouvertement (c’est du « lepénisme »). Les intellectuels multiculturalistes de l’école « haine de soi » se félicitent de la destruction de l’identité nationale. Les immigrants n’ont aucun sentiment d’allégeance à leur pays d’adoption. - Theodore Dalrymple

L’analyse de Theodore Dalrymple rejoint à maints égards celle du torontois Salim Mansur pour qui « le multiculturalisme est devenu une voie à sens unique où l’Occident fait des concessions et les non-Occidentaux, des demandes. C’est intenable. L’Occident est maintenant exposé au paradoxe de la perte d’identité culturelle autogénérée qui est un affaiblissement politique dans un village planétaire. La tâche qui nous attend est de guérir de l’illusion multiculturelle en réaffirmant une fois de plus les valeurs qui ont rendu l’Occident fort et attrayant pour le reste du monde ».

L’analyse de Dalrymple est particulièrement pertinente dans le contexte des discussions autour du rapport de la commission Bouchard-Taylor. Comme le souligne le jeune doctorant en sociologie Mathieu Bock-Côté, « le rapport de la commission Bouchard-Taylor repose ainsi sur le postulat que l’affirmation de la culture nationale majoritaire, celle du Québec historique, serait une affirmation illégitime et antidémocratique. Mais doit-on vraiment le rappeler, il n’y a pourtant rien d’antidémocratique à placer au centre d’une société sa culture fondatrice. La culture nationale ne doit pas consentir à sa liquidation. La société québécoise est traversée par une histoire qu’elle devrait tout simplement assumer sans complexe. Ce rapport, loin de résoudre les problèmes actuels du Québec sur le plan identitaire, ne contribue qu’à les amplifier en disqualifiant les préoccupations populaires et en s’acharnant dans la sacralisation d’une idéologie multiculturelle basculant silencieusement vers une forme faussement vertueuse d’autoritarisme ». (Source : Un texte très inquiétant, par Mathieu Bock-Côté, La Presse, le 29 mai 2008) Le multiculturalisme et sa haine de toute identité national detruit la Grande-Bretagne, par Theodore Dalrymple >>> Par Annie Lessard, Marc Lebuis | samedi 31 mai 2008

Hat tip: Pierre de Québec

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché)
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié)

Malaysia Islamist Party Pushes for Sharia Penalties
REUTERS: KAMPUNG PULAU MELAKA, Malaysia - A leader of Malaysia's Islamist party, which made surprising gains in March elections, wants its secular allies to apply strict sharia law, which include amputations and stonings for Muslims.

The hardline Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) has enacted such laws in its Kelantan stronghold to punish rapists and adulterers with stoning to death, while thieves would lose their limbs. Malaysia Islamist Party Pushes for Sharia Penalties >>> | June 15, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

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La belle France sous l’Islam

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché)
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié)

On Brigitte Bardot

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Barack Obama’s Half-Brother, Malik, Insists Barack Obama Has Muslim Background
Photo courtesy of Jihad Watch
Obama says he does not have a Muslim background; his half-brother, Malik, says he does. Barack Obama Throws a Billion Muslims Under the Bus >>> Posted on Jihad Watch by Robert Spencer | June 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
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Foreign Office Raises United Arab Emirates Threat Level
THE TELEGRAPH: British expatriates and tourists in the United Arab Emirates have been warned to exercise caution after the Foreign Office raised the risk of terrorism to its highest level.

It said attacks on the UAE - which encompasses the popular shopping destination of Dubai and the wealthy capital of Abu Dhabi - could happen at any time and would be "indiscriminate" in their target.

The terror threat - of which there are four levels - has been increased to high, which means a "high level of known terrorist activity". The other categories are general, underlying and low.

A statement on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website said: "There is a high threat from terrorism. We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE.

"Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests.

"You should maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places." Foreign Office Raises United Arab Emirates Threat Level >>> By Caroline Gammell | June 16, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Bush Dancing
BBC: Watch BBC video: US President George Bush has put his dancing skills to use on a number of occasions >>>
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Saudi Oil Output to Rise in July
Photo of the Saudi Oil Minister, Ali al-Naimi, courtesy of the BBC
BBC: Saudi Arabia will increase its oil production by 200,000 barrels a day next month, its oil minister has told the United Nations.

The news was announced after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon met Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi in Jeddah during a one-day visit on Sunday.

Last month, the Kingdom increased its production by 300,000 barrels a day in an attempt to bring down high prices.

It argues soaring prices are caused by speculators rather than oil shortages.

Oil prices fell by almost $2 on Friday after reports that Saudi Arabia might boost oil production. US light, sweet crude was trading at $134.86 in New York.

Speculative factors

After an earlier meeting with the Kingdom's King Abdullah, Mr Ban said Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil producer, viewed current prices as "abnormally high". Saudi Oil Output to Rise in July >>> | June 15, 2008

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Vicar: 'No Regrets' on Gay Vows
Watch BBC video: Two gay clergymen have had their partnership blessed in a church
BBC: Two gay clergymen have had their partnership blessed in a church.

The Reverend Martin Dudley gave the rites at St Bartholomew the Great Church in the City of London for the Reverend Peter Cowell and the Reverend Dr David Lord.

He told the BBC that there is a 'very large number' of gay people and gay clergy in the Church of England. [Source: Vicar: 'No Regrets' on Gay Vows] | June 15, 2008

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: An Anglican church has held a homosexual "wedding" for the first time in a move that will deepen the rift between liberals and traditionalists, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.

Two male priests exchanged vows and rings in a ceremony that was conducted using one of the church's most traditional wedding rites – a decision seen as blasphemous by conservatives.

The ceremony broke Church of England guidelines and was carried out last month in defiance of the Bishop of London, in whose diocese it took place. News of the "wedding" emerged days before a crucial summit of the Anglican Church's conservative bishops and archbishops, who are threatening to split the worldwide Church over the issue of homosexual clergy.

Although some liberal clergy have carried out "blessing ceremonies" for homosexual couples in the past, this is the first time a vicar has performed a "wedding ceremony", using a traditional marriage liturgy, with readings, hymns and a ­Eucharist.

Both the conservative and liberal wings of the Anglican communion expressed shock last night. Male Priests Marry in Anglican Church's First Gay 'Wedding' >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | June 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Karzai Issues Warning to Pakistan
Watch BBC video: President Hamid Karzai says his country has a right to defend itself >>>
BBC: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has threatened to send troops over the border into Pakistan to confront militants based there.

He said that when militants crossed over from Pakistan to kill Afghans and coalition troops, his nation had the right to retaliate in "self-defence".

Mr Karzai's remarks came two days after Taleban fighters attacked an Afghan jail, freeing hundreds of prisoners.

Pakistan warned it would not tolerate outside interference in its affairs.

Yusuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan's prime minister, said the border between their two countries was too long to police.

Destabilise

"Neither do we interfere in anyone else's matters, nor will we allow anyone to interfere in our territorial limits and our affairs," he told the Associated Press news agency.

"We want a stable Afghanistan. It is in our interest. How can we go to destabilise our brotherly country?" Karzai Issues Warning to Pakistan >>> | June 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Ian Huntley 'to Convert to Islam'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Ian Huntley, the killer of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, is considering converting to Islam, it has been claimed.

Huntley, 34, serving life at the maximum security Frankland Prison in County Durham, has started reading the Koran on a daily basis after befriending two Muslim inmates, according to The People.

The Soham killer is thought to have turned to the small group of Muslim inmates in Frankland after being threatened by other prisoners.

He has even asked them to take him to a prayer meeting after finding the passages of the Islamic holy book the Koran are helping his state of mind following three failed suicide attempts.

Only 20 of the 734 inmates in Frankland prison are Muslim. Hussain Osman, jailed for life for his part in the failed July 21 bombings, is one of Huntley’s more high-profile inmates.

A prison source said the former school caretaker lives in constant fear and feels he has something in common with the small Muslim population at Frankland, who also feel they face persistent harrassment.

Huntley’s flirtation with Islam comes just a month after a leaked Home Office report raised concerns that young male prisoners are being brainwashed by Muslim gangs and that the prison system is becoming a recruiting ground for Islamic extremists. Ian Huntley 'to Convert to Islam' >>> By Sam Wilson | June 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
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Less Violent Islamists Are Still Islamists
ISRAELeNEWS: A fierce debate is brewing among jihadists, it seems. To hear pundits and the CIA boss describe it, the rupture is growing over interpretations by radical theologians about whom to kill and how to do it in the name of God.

It is progress of sorts flushing out mea culpas from repentant Islamists and widening divisions within Terror Inc., but far from advancement toward a triumph in a war of terror.

A more serious shortcoming is an accompanying refrain promoting “moderate Islam” to fill the void. That is tantamount to saying: “Okay, we take bin Laden heavy off the table and give you Sharia light.”

A month ago I was on a panel discussion on “Confronting Radicalism in the Arab World” that included Tawfik Hamid, whose pedigree includes serving in al-Gamaa al-Islamiyya, the bloodiest of Egypt’s terror groups that assassinated Egypt’s Anwar Sadat in 1981 and carried out assaults on hundreds of intellectuals, writers (including Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz), Christians, and government officials in the eighties.

Hamid has developed a good gig as speaker and op-ed writer (mostly at the Wall Street Journal). He passionately expounds on “conditional” interpretations of Koranic verses urging killing of apostates, non-Muslims, infidels, and renegades, explaining that his former colleagues misinterpret them. His subtext is trickier, pleading for a second chance for “moderate Islam” to accomplish what radical Islam clearly is failing at.

Why are we debating on such uneven playing fields? If Muslims want to reeducate radicals in their midst, the argument should not be about laying out more space for moderate Islamists.

Both never differed on their rejection of secular civil society. Indeed, scholarship accumulated since 9/11 demonstrates that Islamist groups — the Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and so on, as well as the declared leadership of Muslim communities in Europe and America — are all spawned from the umbrella Muslim Brotherhood school of thought. Like it, moderate Islam’s single-minded pursuit has never been about blending.

The most prominent such group in America, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, was first to leap to the defense of 700 Somali Muslim cab drivers who at the Minneapolis airport in 2007 launched a boycott of passengers with seeing-eye dogs (animals are dirty) or those carrying liquor (that’s sinful). CAIR again latched onto the seven imams taken off a commercial flight in 2006 after staging a flamboyant public prayer at an airport boarding area and requesting special seating arrangements on the flight in an obvious provocation of fear. Less Violent Islamists Are Still Islamists >>> By Youssef Ibrahim | June 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Schäuble will EU-Präsidenten direkt wählen lassen
SPIEGELONLINE: Wie kommt Europa aus der Krise? Nach dem Nein der Iren zum Reformvertrag fordert Bundesinnenminister Schäuble eine Transparenz-Offensive - die EU müsse für jedermann verständlich werden. Sein konkreter Vorschlag: Die Bürger sollen den künftigen EU-Präsidenten direkt wählen.

Berlin - Die EU soll sich um mehr Bürgernähe bemühen. Das fordert Bundesinnenminister Wolfgang Schäuble nach dem Nein der Iren zum EU-Reformvertrag. Schäuble rief die europäische Gemeinschaft zu mehr Transparenz bei ihren Entscheidungen auf. "Die Menschen mögen einzelne Aspekte der Politik in Brüssel nicht, etwa weil sie nicht hinreichend transparent ist", sagte der CDU-Politiker der "Welt am Sonntag".

Als Weg für mehr Bürgernähe nannte Schäuble die Direktwahl des künftigen Ratspräsidenten: "Ich wäre dafür, dass wir eines Tages den Präsidenten des Europäischen Rats, diese künftige europäische Führungspersönlichkeit, in einer europäischen Wahl wählen." Schäuble will EU-Präsidenten direkt wählen lassen >>> | 15. 06. 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe)

Malik Obama Says His Brother Will Be Good President for the Jews
THE JERUSALEM POST: Barack Obama's half brother Malik said Thursday that if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background.

In an interview with Army Radio he expressed a special salutation from the Obamas of Kenya. [Source: Malik Obama Says His Brother Will Be Good President for the Jews]

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Egypt Bans 92-Year-Old Man’s Marriage
BBC: The Egyptian authorities have banned a 92-year-old man from marrying a 17-year-old girl, the Egyptian al-Akhbar newspaper has reported.

The ministry of justice invoked a law which says the age gap between spouses should not exceed 25 years.

Egypt brought in the law prohibiting the marriage of elderly men to very young girls during the Gulf oil boom.

It was an effort to prevent wealthy men from the Gulf states seeking young poor brides from the Egyptian countryside.

Not much is known about the 92-year-old man who tried to marry an Egyptian girl of 17 except that he is an Arab from the Gulf. Egypt Bans 92-Year-Old's Marriage >>> By Frances Harrison | June 13, 2008

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Miliband: You’re Full of It!
Watch video: The British government is to continue ratifying the EU Treaty despite its rejection by Irish voters >>>
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Yes! The Irish Said NO!
DUTCH CONCERNS: The Irish have voted NO to the Lisbon Treaty, aka the Lisbon Treason. The pro-EU camp is devastated, certain as they were that their Goebbels-like propaganda would have ensured a yes majority. Dutch television reported disappointedly that 'this is a black day for Europe. The treaty that intended to make the EU more democratic has been rejected by the Irish'.

How's that: more democratic? The treaty was aimed at shifting more power from the nation states to the unelected leaders of Eurabia. The EU was already preparing the abolishion of the WOB, the law that forces politicians to provide insight in their governemental procedures and decisions, whenever requested.

Balkenende, the Dutch PM that boasted that he had made the Treaty acceptable to the Dutch by removing the flag and the song, and ensuring there would be no EU President, already announced that he will ignore the Irish NO and go ahead as planned. Interestingly, Dutch television also reported that preparations for selecting (mind you, not electing) the EU president (say what?) would now be delayed. It also claimed that the EU should not be stopped by only one country being against it. Yes! The Irish Said No! >>> By R Hartman

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