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Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
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BBC: Commemorations of the seventh anniversary of 9/11 >>>
BBC: US Marks Seventh 9/11 Anniversary: US President George W Bush has led commemorations of the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which left nearly 3,000 people dead.
Moments of silence were held at the times four hijacked passenger planes hit the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
In Washington, Mr Bush dedicated a new memorial at the Department of Defense to 184 people killed there.
"The worst day in America's history saw some of the bravest acts," he said. >>> | September 11, 2008
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THE TELEGRAPH: The Dutch government is to extend a ban on the burka to all schools, a measure that includes a prohibition on Muslim mothers from picking their children while wearing face-covering Islamic dress.
Ronald Plasterk, the Dutch education minister, announced that the ban would apply to all schools, including private Muslim religious establishments, and their immediate surroundings.
Not only teachers, but parents and all visitors to schools, including suppliers making deliveries, will be forbidden the burka, even though only 100 women in the Netherlands, out of a population of 16.5 million, are estimated to wear it.
Legislation is expected to be agreed by the Dutch parliament next year.
Mr Plasterk has cited security concerns and the need for teachers and schoolchildren to be able to communicate properly with each other.
"It is important for children to learn that proper communication requires being able to look the other person in the eye," he said to Dutch MPs. Dutch to Ban Burkas When Picking Children Up from School >>> By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | September 9, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>
GLOBE AND MAIL: Controversial Saudi rehab program aims to reform jihadists returning from U.S. prisons
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — He fought with Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora, lived with Abu Zubaydah in Peshawar and trained with Sheikh al-Libi in Afghanistan.
So when Khalid Al Hubayshi returned home to Saudi Arabia in 2006 after three hard years at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, he thought his punishment would continue.
Instead, he was treated to a private audience with the Prince, given a brand new Toyota Corolla and thousands of dollars in cash. The government helped him land a job at a state electrical company, financed his wedding and sponsored psychological counselling sessions aimed at dissolving any lingering jihadist tendencies.
Mr. Al Hubayshi, now 33, is one of the first graduates of a controversial Saudi program designed to rehabilitate hard-core militants who have begun to trickle back home after serving time in U.S. detention.
The soft approach of the jihadist rehabilitation program is remarkable in a country ruled strictly by sharia law, where justice can involve public beheading and amputation.
Prisoners are treated at the Hayar Care Center, a sprawling compound on the outskirts of Riyadh where perks include PlayStations, table tennis and art therapy.
"Locking them up is not the answer," Awad Alyame, a program co-ordinator, says. "We have to address the underlying problems that drove him to jihad in a positive way to lower the risk of reoffending."
The treatment appears to have worked for Mr. Al Hubayshi. Prisoner number 155 at Guantanamo's Camp Delta now lives the middle-class dream in Jeddah. Terrorists ‘Cured’ with Cash, Cars, and Counselling >>> By Sonia Verma | September 11, 2008
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JIHAD WATCH: And offers 60 million for his head. More on Islam's Public Enemy #1. "Exclusive: Al Qaeda targets leading Arab evangelist operating in the U.S. for preaching the Gospel to Muslims," by Joel C. Rosenberg for Flashtraffic, September 9 (thanks to Erick):
You have probably never heard of Father Zakaria Botros. But you need to know his story. He is far and away the most-watched and most-effective Arab-American evangelist focused on reaching the Muslim world, and by far the most controversial. The Rush Limbaugh of the Revivalists, he is funny, feisty, brilliant, opinionated, and provocative. But rather than preaching the gospel of conservatism, he is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And his enemies do not simply want to silence him. They want to assassinate him.Father Zakaria’s Web: Biblical Outreach Ministry >>>
Last week, I had the honor of interviewing Botros by phone from a secure, undisclosed location in the United States, where he now resides. He told me that he had just learned that an al Qaeda website had posted his photograph and named him one of the "most wanted" infidels in the world. The Radicals have even put a bounty on his head. The Christian Broadcasting Network reported the figure was as high as $60 million. Botros does not know for certain. But just to put that in context, the U.S. bounty on Osama bin Laden's head is "only" $25 million. Al Qaeda Declares Coptic Priest Zakaria Botros "One of the Most Wanted Infidels in the World" >>> By Raymond | September 10, 2008
Official Website: Arabic >>>
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THE TELEGRAPH:
Obamania makes way for Palinmania - US Election 2008: We've been through Obamamania. Now a new phenomenon is sweeping America – Palinmania. >>> By Toby Harnden in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | September 11, 2008
MAIL Online:
New Own Goal for Obama as Running Mate Joe Biden Admits: 'Hillary Might Have Been a Better Pick Than Me' >>> | September 11, 2008
NZZ Online:
Obama tut sich schwer mit Sarah Palin: US-Demokraten finden noch keine Antwort auf die neue Herausforderung
Der Wahlkampf in den USA macht derzeit den Eindruck, als würde Obama gegen Palin und nicht gegen McCain antreten. Die überraschende Herausforderung durch die republikanische Vize-Kandidatin hat die Demokraten kalt erwischt. Obamas Versuch, ähnlich effektvoll zurückzuschlagen, ist in kleinliche Streitereien ausgeartet. >>> 11. September 2008
LE FIGARO:
Chahuté par l'effet Palin, Obama sort les griffes >>> Par Philippe Gélie | 10.09.2008
LE FIGARO:
Sarah Palin n'exclut pas une guerre contre la Russie >>> Par Julie Connan | 12. 09. 2008
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: The Netherlands and Dutch interests abroad have become key targets for international terrorist networks. This is mainly down to the film Fitna, made by right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders.
This conclusion emerges from the latest threat assessment by the National Coordinator for Counter-terrorism. It is based on information gleaned from a range of sources over the past few months.
Recent developments have raised the profile of the international threat to the Netherlands. The main reason appears be the film Fitna, which many Muslims see as deeply insulting and provocative, and which extremists see as warranting a violent response. Terrorists See Netherlands as a Prime Target >>> By Michael Blass | September 10, 2008
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10 things you might not have known about the “pitbull in lipstick”! >>>
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THE TELEGRAPH: Andrew Lloyd-Webber has bemoaned the rise of political correctness in the arts, claiming some of his greatest musicals would never be written today for fear of offending minorities.
Together with Tim Rice, Lord Lloyd-Webber began his theatre career with two shows that drew on Christian tradition - Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Now theatreland's most successful composer, who is currently planning a new BBC talent search to find a Dorothy for a West End production of The Wizard of Oz, has spoken of his fears that political correctness is stifling creativity.
In an interview looking back on his triumphs, Lord Lloyd-Webber said: "I'm lucky to have had such a successful career. I'm actually lucky enough to have always done as I want.
"I look back at when I was younger and ask myself would I have written an opera with Tim Rice? So many people nowadays are obsessed with things offending people. Today people say you can't do this because it will offend that community, and then you can't say this because the Muslims will be offended by it and we'll end up being talked out of it. Talked out of ideas. Whereas when I was 20 I didn't think about those things - you could just do it."
Rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar was controversial in its day. Its 1971 Broadway debut was met with protests by Christian groups who believed it was blasphemous and Jewish organisations who alleged it was anti-Semitic. Andrew Lloyd-Webber Says Political Correctness Is Stifling Creativity >>> By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | September 9, 2008
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STAR TRIBUNE: Nine men who own or drive cabs at the airport and who refused to carry passengers with alcohol had appealed the license suspension.
Muslim cabbies who risk losing their taxi licenses if they refuse to carry passengers with alcohol from the airport won't get any help from the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission adopted an ordinance in March 2007 that suspends a driver's taxi license for 30 days for refusing to pick up a passenger for any reason at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The penalty for a second refusal is a two-year license suspension. Cabbies have a right to appeal a suspension, with the penalty stayed until an administrative hearing officer issues a decision.
Nine men who own or operate taxis at the airport had appealed a district judge's refusal to issue a temporary injunction blocking the commission from imposing the penalties. The men said their religious beliefs prohibit them from carrying alcohol. Appeals Court Backs MAC on Muslim Taxi Drivers >>> AP | September 10, 2008
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EVENING STANDARD: The most senior Muslim woman in the Met police is set to lodge a claim of race discrimination against her employers.
Yasmin Rehman, a director of diversity with the force, intends to file a claim with a London employment tribunal within days claiming she has been subjected to racist bullying and victimisation.
It is another blow to Scotland Yard, which has been rocked by a race row involving Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and his third in command Tarique Ghaffur.
Ms Rehman's post of Director of Partnerships and Diversity for Territorial Policing puts her at the equivalent level to a chief superintendent in terms of civilian staff at the Met.
She has sought advice from the Metropolitan Black Police Association, the same organisation which is backing Mr Ghaffur in his multi-million-pound claim. Met Is Facing Race Bias Claim by Its Top Asian Woman >>> By Amar Singh | September 10, 2008
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BBC: Iran has protested to the UN after an Israeli minister suggested his country could kidnap Iran's president over threats he has made against Israel.
Iran's UN ambassador called the remark "outrageous and vicious" and called on the UN Security Council to take action.
Israeli minister Rafi Eitan suggested President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be kidnapped and brought to trial.
Mr Eitan, an ex-intelligence chief, was involved in the kidnap of leading Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960.
In an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Mr Eitan suggested that such an operation could be staged to bring Mr Ahmadinejad before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The Iranian leader has made a number of threats against Israel, repeatedly predicting the state will soon disappear.
Mr Ahmadinejad also drew international rebuke by quoting the view of the late Iranian spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomenei, that Israel was a tumour that needed to be erased from history. Iran Raps Israel ‘Kidnap Threat’ >>> | September 10, 2008
IRNA:
Iran Protests to UN Security Council Over Israeli Abduction Threat >>> | September 10, 2008
YNET NEWS:
Iran Demands UN Response to Israeli ‘Threats’ >>> Reuters | September 9, 2008
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: There are strange happenings in the world of international jurisprudence that do not bode well for the future of free speech. In an unprecedented case, a Jordanian court is prosecuting 12 Europeans in an extraterritorial attempt to silence the debate on radical Islam.
The prosecutor general in Amman charged the 12 with blasphemy, demeaning Islam and Muslim feelings, and slandering and insulting the prophet Muhammad in violation of the Jordanian Penal Code. The charges are especially unusual because the alleged violations were not committed on Jordanian soil.
Among the defendants is the Danish cartoonist whose alleged crime was to draw in 2005 one of the Muhammad illustrations that instigators then used to spark Muslim riots around the world. His co-defendants include 10 editors of Danish newspapers that published the images. The 12th accused man is Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, who supposedly broke Jordanian law by releasing on the Web his recent film, "Fitna," which tries to examine how the Quran inspires Islamic terrorism.
Jordan's attempt at criminalizing free speech beyond its own borders wouldn't be so serious if it were an isolated case. Unfortunately, it is part of a larger campaign to use the law and international forums to intimidate critics of militant Islam. For instance, in December the United Nations General Assembly passed the Resolution on Combating Defamation of Religions; the only religion mentioned by name was Islam. While such resolutions aren't legally binding, national governments sometimes cite them as justification for legislation or other actions.
More worrying, the U.N. Human Rights Council in June said it would refrain from condemning human-rights abuses related to "a particular religion." The ban applies to all religions, but it was prompted by Muslim countries that complained about linking Islamic law, Shariah, to such outrages as female genital mutilation and death by stoning for adulterers. This kind of self-censorship could prove dangerous for people suffering abuse, and it follows the council's March decision to have its expert on free speech investigate individuals and the media for negative comments about Islam.
Given this trend, it's worth taking a closer look at the Jordanian case. Opinion: Criminalizing Criticism of Islam >>> By Elizabeth Samson* | September 10, 2008
*Ms. Samson, an attorney specializing in international and constitutional law, will join the Hudson Institute this fall.
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NZZ Online: Russland hat seine Drohungen wegen des geplanten Raketenabwehrschildes in Polen und Tschechien wiederholt. Es könne nicht ausgeschlossen werden, dass diese Einrichtungen als Ziel für russische Raketen dienten, hiess es von einem Kommandanten der Streitkräfte. Russland wiederholt seine Drohungen: Raketenabwehr der USA soll ins Visier genommen werden >>> | 10. September 2008
NZZ Online:
EU stellt sich schützend vor die Ukraine: Assoziierungsabkommen soll Russlands Machtgelüste zügeln: Frankreichs Präsident Sarkozy hat nach seiner Mission in Moskau ein weiteres heikles Treffen im Zusammenhang mit der Kaukasus-Krise. Der EU-Ratspräsident empfing den ukrainischen Staatschef Juschtschenko. Ein Assoziierungsabkommen soll Russland signalisieren, dass die «Integrität der Ukraine nicht verhandelbar» sei, wie Sarkozy sagte. >>> | 9. September 2008
NZZ Online:
Schweden überprüft seine Verteidigung erneut: Berücksichtigung des Kaukasus-Konflikts im neuen Strategiepapier >>> I. M. Stockholm | 9. September
NZZ Online:
Wenn Putins Panzer auf die Krim rollen würden: Die grosse Furcht der Ukrainer vor einem inszenierten Zwischenfall, den Russland als Vorwand nutzen könnte >>> Von Paul Flückiger, Sewastopol | 31. August 2008
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THE TELEGRAPH: For a man who prides himself on his encyclopaedic knowledge of American politics, Gordon Brown has made an incomprehensible schoolboy error with his article apparently endorsing Barack Obama’s candidacy.
It is hard to know where to start in assessing the ineptitude of its content and timing or the effect it will have on Anglo-American relations when the new president is sworn in on January 20th.
The first law of diplomacy is that you do not stick your fat foot into other country’s elections, least of all the US presidential contest, where the chap who wins can turn round and squash you, like Monty Python’s giant descending foot, if you get it wrong.
John McCain will, of course, be furious by the diplomatic slight. The Republican candidate has twice met with Mr Brown in the last year and always hits the Prime Minister’s talking points on the need for allies to have more say in the war on terror and the general excellence of the British armed forces. He deserved better than this.
Nor is the endorsement, particularly so ineptly delivered, of Gordon Brown something that will warm the increasingly cold feet of Barack Obama. The Democratic candidate has been panned at home for his grandstanding European tour. He won’t win over Appalachia with the news that Britain’s lame duck prime minister is rooting for him.
There is also a factual point. Despite Mr Brown’s words, it is far from clear that it is the “Democrats who are generating the ideas to help people through more difficult times.” If they have, the voters haven’t noticed. In fact, Mr Obama has proved quite unable to convince the electorate that he has the answers on the failing US economy. Otherwise he would have states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, the keys to the White House, in the bag. He does not.
And this is what makes the statement potentially so ruinous. It is a classic testament to Mr Brown’s tin ear and ham-fisted political touch that he has chosen to do this at a time when Obama’s standing has never been weaker in his battle with Mr McCain. The Republican leads for the first time in national polls. There is a good chance that Mr Obama will not be president. Gordon Brown's Endorsement Won't Win Barack Obama Votes >>> By Tim Shipman in Washington | September 10, 2008
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ASSOCIATED PRESS: CHICAGO — Imam W.D. Mohammed, who succeeded his father as leader of the Nation of Islam but abandoned its teachings of black supremacy and moved thousands of its followers into mainstream Islam, died Tuesday. He was 74.
Sultan Muhammad confirmed his uncle's death, but did not immediately offer details. He said the family planned to issue a statement later in the day.
The Cook County Medical Examiner said 74-year-old Wallace Mohammed was pronounced dead Tuesday. Mohammed went by both Warith Deen Mohammed and Wallace Muhammad. An autopsy was planned for Wednesday. Former Nation of Islam Leader W. D. Mohammed Dies >>> By Sophia Tareen | September 10, 2008
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THE TELEGRAPH: Gordon Brown has triggered a potential row with John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, after apparently backing Barack Obama - breaking convention not to get involved in foreign elections.
The Prime Minister heaped praise on Mr Obama and the Democrats in a magazine article, saying they were "generating the ideas to help people through more difficult times."
Dealing with economic problems is the crucial battleground in the US elections and Mr Brown's comments were interpreted as backing the Democrat candidate. It sparked a flurry of activity among [?]
The Prime Minister's office and the British Embassy in Washington were last night involved in an embarrassing behind-the-scenes operation to try and limit the fallout from the incident. They were alerted after the highly influential Drudge Report website picked up the story, sparking a flurry of comment and analysis from election watchers in the US. Gordon Brown Triggers Row with John McCain by 'Backing' Barack Obama >>> By Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor and Tom Leonard | September 9. 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: I have been told of an astonishing telephone conversation between David Miliband and his Russian counterpart, Sergi Lavrov in which the Foreign Secretary had to endure a four-letter word tirade.THE TELEGRAPH:
Mr Miliband spoke to the Russian foreign minister - a veteran not known for diplomatic niceties - to express British unease at events in Georgia. It seems Mr Lavrov didn't like being lectured by young Miliband.
Such was the repeated use of the "F word" according to one insider who has seen the transcript, it was difficult to draft a readable note of the conversation.
One unconfirmed report suggested that Mr Lavrov said: "Who are you to f------ lecture me?"
He also asked Mr Miliband in equally blunt terms whether he knew anything of Russia's history?
One Whitehall insider told me: "It was effing this and effing that. It was not what you would call diplomatic language. It was rather shocking." David Miliband four-letter abuse from Russian foreign minister >>> By Andrew Porter | September 9, 2008
John McCain's Team Mocks Gordon Brown over Barack Obama Backing >>> By Jon Swaine | September 10, 2008
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Separate schools for Muslims not only ‘may’ breed terrorism, but WILL breed terrorism. Islam is a supremacist ‘religion’. To give Muslims the chance to indoctrinate their children is a sure road to Hell! (The road to Hell is paved with good intentions!) This is one of Tony Blair’s stupidest policies. With this policy, he showed us that he understood absolutely nothing about the nature of Islam. We should never forget that school is a starting point for cohesion in society. - ©Mark
EVENING STANDARD: Faith schools that encourage religious segregation are sowing the seeds of terrorism, a leading expert claimed.
Professor David Canter came to the conclusion after leading a pioneering study which involved speaking to convicted Islamic terrorists about their lives and beliefs.
His findings indicate that the common Western view of terrorism emerging from deprivation and conflict is wrong.
Spiritual belief and attachment to a particular social group provided the two most important pathways into the world of terror, said Prof Canter.
The research also showed that far from being ignorant "pawns" or mentally disturbed, most terrorists were educated and intelligent.
Strict faith schools steered students towards terrorism by instilling in them a sense of exclusive spiritual and social identity, Prof Canter argued.
The professor, director of the Centre for Investigative Psychology at the University of Liverpool, said: "I have to say, and this is a personal point of view, that issues like faith schools are terribly dangerous.
"Setting up these divisions based on faith and religion is the starting point for people thinking of themselves as separate and distinct and part of some out-group." Faith Schools ‘May Breed Terrorism’ >>> | September 9, 2008
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EVENING STANDARD: Police chief Tarique Ghaffur was personally stripped of his duties in a face to face meeting with Sir Ian Blair today.
Britain's most senior Asian officer was "temporarily relieved" of being in charge of the Olympics security and Central Operations at Scotland Yard. It came after Mr Ghaffur publicly accused Met boss Sir Ian of racism and of plotting to oust him during a televised press conference.
His accusations plunged the Met into the worst race row since the Macpherson report into the Stephen Lawrence case and led to further criticism of Sir Ian's leadership. In another development this afternoon, the Metropolitan Police Authority announced it had launched an investigation into 53-year-old Mr Ghaffur for "potential grounds for misconduct".
The MPA, which oversees the Met, said it would appoint a chief constable from another force to carry out the inquiry. Blair Axes Race Accuser in Showdown >>> By Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent | September 9, 2008
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EVENING STANDARD: Ministers should review plans to build a "mega-mosque" in the East End in the wake of the airline bomb plot trial, the Tories urged today.
Shadow security minister Dame Pauline Neville-Jones said the case had shown that the group behind the mosque may have given cover to extremist activity.
Tablighi Jamaat, which describes itself an Islamic missionary organisation, is pushing for the mosque to be built next to the 2012 Olympics site in Stratford.
But the group was revealed in court as having links to some of the terror suspects, with several having passed through other mosques run by the group.
The organisation, which has 80 million followers worldwide, insists it is a peaceful, apolitical revivalist movement that promotes Islamic consciousness among individual Muslims.
But intelligence agencies have cautioned that its ability to radicalise young men could lead to jihadist terrorism. ’Review Mega=Mosque in Wake of Bomb Trial >>> By Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor | September 9, 2008
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LE MONDE: Les visites papales en France donnent traditionnellement lieu à des manifestations d'associations attachées à une stricte séparation des Eglises et de l'Etat. La venue de Benoît XVI, du 12 au 16 septembre, à Paris et à Lourdes, suscite les inquiétudes de divers mouvements laïques, d'associations de défense des droits des femmes et de syndicats.
La Fédération nationale de la libre pensée, présidée par l'ancien secrétaire général de Force ouvrière, Marc Blondel, s'insurge contre le financement public du séjour du pape en France. Chef spirituel des catholiques, le pape a aussi un statut de chef d'Etat (le Vatican), qui bénéficie, lors de ses déplacements à l'étranger, du protocole réservé aux responsables politiques par le ministère des affaires étrangères. Le séjour du pape en France suscite inquiétude et critiques des laïcs >>> LE MONDE | 09.09.08
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FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS: As children return to schools, we are reminded that they are our hope for the future, but they are also the target of Islamic supremacists around the world. We need to defend the future, hopes, and lives of these children, and assume the "grown-up" duty as responsible adults for defending them from the ideology of Islamic supremacism and Jihadist terrorism.
On September 1, 2004, 770 children were kidnapped by Jihadists in Russia in a small town of Beslan. It was a return to school for these children at Beslan School Number One; the event was celebrated as a "Day of Knowledge," and parents accompanied their children in the joyous return to school. After lining up for photographs to remember the day, children entered the school. So did Jihadists who rushed into Beslan School Number One, while the children were filing into classes. Many of the older children who saw the Jihadists were able to flee. Most of those left behind were the smallest, youngest children, including parents with their babies. Jihadists sought to lure back confused children, uncertain if they should flee, with candy.
Jihadists then forced 1,124 hostages into a small school gymnasium which was wired with explosives in the school's basketball hoop and a dozen other bombs in the Beslan school; they mined the school with grenades, home-made explosives, and landmines, keeping the most powerful bombs in the gym where the children were kidnapped. Some Jihadists also wore explosive suicide vests. They told the children that were going to die. In the small confined space, children suffered from heat and some were forced to strip naked from the heat. Without food and water for three days, some were forced to drink their own urine. The few male adults (including children's fathers) also captured by the Jihadists were forced to build fortifications in the school for the Jihadists; then they shot them and dumped their bodies out a school window. The Jihadists recorded a video of their atrocities (shown in the film "Three Days in September"), laughing and proud of what they had done. Our Hope, Our Children, Our Responsibility in Fighting Jihad >>> By Jeffrey Imm | September 9, 2008
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SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: IT IS the tale of two schools. The Camden residents' group that fought a Muslim society's proposal for a school in rural Camden has welcomed a Catholic organisation's plans to build a school nearby because "Catholics are part of our community".
The president of the Camden/Macarthur Residents' Group, Emil Sremchevich, said the Catholic school plan "ticked all the right boxes", even though he is yet to see its development application.
"Catholics are part of our community so we should be supporting it on this basis alone. We have to welcome them," Mr Sremchevich told the Herald. "To become part of a community, you need to live in the community. You can't just turn up."
The Quranic Society said Mr Sremchevich's comments were racist but he rejected that tag. "Why is that racist? Why is it discriminatory? It's very simple: people like some things but don't like other things. Some of us like blondes, some of us like brunettes. Some of us like Fords, some of us like Holdens. Why is it xenophobic just because I want to make a choice? If I want to like some people and not like other people, that's the nature of the beast." Mr Sremchevich was among those who applauded a Camden Council decision in May to reject the Quranic Society's application to build a 1200-student school at Burragorang Road, Cawdor. The council said it was refused "on planning grounds" but one resident, Kate McCulloch, said Muslims would not fit into the Camden community. Catholics Welcome, Muslims Not >>> By Sunanda Creagh, Urban Affairs Reporter | September 9, 2008
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INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: TEHRAN, Iran: An Iranian parliamentary committee rejected on Monday government amendments to a bill that would have allowed men to take additional wives without permission from their first wife — a proposal that angered women and the country's top judicial official.
Under Islam, a man can have up to four wives, and countries around the Mideast allow polygamy. However, Iran is one of the few — along with Syria and Tunisia — that require the consent of the first wife before a husband can take another. Still polygamy is rare in Iran, where most people frown on the practice. Iran Lawmakers Reject Proposal to Ease Polygamy >>> AP | September 9, 2008
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COME4NEWS: Jose Maria Aznar l'ex-président du gouvernement espagnol repousse être le futur père biologique du futur bébé de Rachida Dati actuelle ministre française de la justice. Ces doutes ont commencé dès qu'un site web Marocain (lobservateur.ma) a publié un article d'où il écrit que selon des références sûres (sans les noter), Aznar est le père du l'embryon de Dati. De son côté, Aznar a annoncé lors d'une foire, qu'il n'a absolument rien avoir avec cela, et que ce que diffuse les médias n'a pas de preuves, et il indique aussi qu'il s'est fait un avocat et il est prêt pour déclarer contre n'importe quel média qui republie encore une fois ce genre de rumeurs sur lui. Dati de son côté, a refusé de donner le nom du vrai père biologique de son futur bébé, en disant qu'elle vit une vie personnelle très compliquée et qu'elle ne peut pas ajouter plus d'informations que cela à la presse. Elle ajoute aussi que sa situation de santé n'est pas stable vu qu'elle a 42 ans, et que donc elle doit se comporter avec beaucoup de douceur et de précautions envers son bébé et envers soi même. Elle confirmait aussi qu'elle attend avec impatience son accouchement, puisque c'est son premier bébé, en sachant comme elle dit qu'elle avait était enceinte plusieurs fois auparavant mais l'embryon meurt toujours avant d'arriver à l'étape de l'accouchement. [Source: COME4NEWS] | 09.09.2008
WELT ONLINE:
Frankreichs Justizministerin: Rachida Dati – Geheimnis um den Vater des Kindes: Frankreichs Justizministerin Rachida Dati ist schwanger. Von wem, verrät sie nicht. Die Grande Nation genießt das öffentliche Raten. Ist es ein ehemaliger Ministerpräsident? Oder gar ein Freund von Nicolas Sarkozy? Berichtet wird auch von einer Begegnung zwischen Carla Bruni und Dati – vor Sarkozys Bett.
Es ist keine Krankheit und schon gar kein Verbrechen. Rachida Dati, Frankreichs Justizministerin, hat recht. Seit sie auf dem ersten Ministerratstreffen nach den Ferien ihren Babybauch unter einem engen Oberteil zeigte, ist die Sache nun offiziell: Die Justizministerin ist schwanger. Prompt jubelte die People-Presse: „Rachida Dati verwirklicht ihren Traum: bald Mama!“ Das geht bekanntlich auch, ohne verheiratet zu sein oder einen festen Partner zu haben.
Sie, die demnächst 43 wird, formuliert seltsam verkorkst, sie habe „in ihrer Laufbahn als Frau so viele schmerzliche Erfahrungen hinsichtlich der Mutterschaft gemacht“, dass sie jetzt zwar noch „sehr vorsichtig, aber überglücklich“ sei. Sie will ein Kind, dringend. Im vergangenen Herbst hatte sie es in einem Buch gestanden: Nichts wünsche sie sich sehnlicher – und sie braucht dazu offensichtlich keinen Vater. >>> Von Martina Meister | 10. September 2008
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IRNA: Leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said Monday night that all signs of US defeat are clear in the region given the firm intention of regional states to resist US plans.
"Experience of the past three decades, Iran's Islamic Revolution in particular, proved that US was not able to reach all its goals in the region," the prominent cleric said speaking in a teleconference with Iran's state television's channel 2 news program.
He added that emergence of regional resistance movements and uprising in the past three decades have proved that "US expansionist plans were damaged and Washington has failed to fulfill its dreams in the region."
Asked how he had successfully gathered different Lebanese parties and religious minorities together in the name of Hezbollah movement, Nasrallah said "It is a common point among all who live in Lebanon that Israel is an occupier and criminal enemy."
"Everyone in Lebanon believes that Israel is a common enemy of all Lebanese and it is easy to gather people together to confront a common enemy," he said.
He added that Hezbollah has special place for almost all Lebanese people and that minor disagreements, if any, could not damage its dignity and status. [Source: IRNA] | September 9, 2008
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HÜRRIYET: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan should not threaten the media who write negative stories about him, Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk said Tuesday, assessing the statements of the prime minister who targeted the Dogan Media Group.
The style adopted by the leaders in such problems should not reach the level of threats, Lagendijk told Turkey's Milliyet on Tuesday.
Erdogan's fierce criticism of the Dogan Media organs that have been publishing reports about an ongoing government-linked fraud case has heightened tension in Turkey recently.
A prime minister should not opt for blackmail or suppression of the media, Lagendijk was quoted by Milliyet as saying.
"Media criticism over politicians is a part of political life. Especially if you are a prime minister, you must become accustomed to this," he said.
"If you think that media published false news about you, the way to solve this is clear. You go to the court," he added.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Turkish Journalists Association (TGC) and the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DISK), also backed the Dogan Media Group on Monday, saying Erdogan's remarks brought to the agenda the risks to democracy in the country. [Source: HÜRRIYET] | September 9, 2008
HÜRRIYET:
Turkey’s Largest Media Group Refuses to Bow to Government Pressure: The owner of Turkey's largest media group, Dogan Group, said the government is attempting to blackmail the company, adding if they want the group to submit, that is not going to happen. Erdogan's remarks brought the risks to freedom of expression to the agenda again, said the Turkish Journalists Association (TGC).
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan furiously slammed the Dogan Group for publishing news stories on an ongoing fraud case in Germany, with alleged links to the government and the premier, instead of opening investigation into the claims. >>> | September 9, 2008
HÜRRIYET:
Ertugrul Ozkok: I am offering a deal to the Turkish Prime Minister >>> | September 9, 2008
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG:
Betrugsprozess: Spendenskandal in Frankfurt strahlt auf Erdogan aus : Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan gerät im Zusammenhang mit einem Frankfurter Prozess um einen Spendenskandal politisch unter Druck. Die oppositionelle Republikanische Volkspartei (CHP) fordere Aufklärung von Vorwürfen, in Deutschland veruntreute Gelder in Höhe von mehr als 18 Millionen Euro seien im Umfeld von Erdogans islamisch-konservativer Regierungspartei AKP gelandet, berichteten türkische Medien am Dienstag. Vor dem Frankfurter Landgericht läuft derzeit ein Prozess gegen drei ehemalige Funktionäre des islamischen Wohltätigkeitsvereins „Deniz Feneri“ (Leuchtturm). Sie haben die Veruntreuung von Geldern vor Gericht bereits zugegeben.
Erdogan hat unterdessen jede Verwicklung seiner Partei in den Fall bestritten. Er kritisierte die türkische Mediengruppe „Dogan“ für Berichte über den Spendenskandal und mögliche Verbindungen zur AKP. Die Berichte seien Reaktion auf Entscheidung der Regierung, die wirtschaftliche Interessen der „Dogan“-Gruppe störten. >>> FAZ.NET mit dpa | 09.September 2008
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THE TELEGRAPH: Two of Italy's most senior politicians have sparked a debate about the country's dark past and uncertain future after voicing sympathy for the fascist era of Benito Mussolini.
The combative right-wing mayor of Rome refused to condemn fascism as evil, while the country's defence minister paid homage to fascist troops who fought with the Nazis in resisting the Anglo-American landings of World War II.
The minister, Ignazio La Russa, was speaking at an event marking the 65th anniversary of Rome's resistance to Nazi occupation in 1943 and the role played by anti-fascist partisans.
But he also recalled the "Nembo" parachute division from Mussolini's fascist "Salo Republic" who fought alongside the Germans against the Allies.
"I would betray my conscience if I did not recall that other men in uniform, such as the Nembo from the Italian Social Republic army, also, from their point of view, fought in the belief they were defending their country," the minister said.
Hundreds of Italian soldiers and civilians died in September 1943, shortly after an armistice was signed between the Allies and Italy, attempting to stop the Germans from occupying Rome.
The inflammatory remarks, which were condemned by left-wing politicians, intensified a row over comments by Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, who said that while racial laws passed by Mussolini in 1938 were wrong, it would be too simplistic to condemn fascism as a whole, as an "absolute evil".
"I don't think so and I never thought so: fascism was a more complex phenomenon," Mr Alemanno, 50, once the youth leader of a neo-fascist party, told the Corriere della Sera newspaper during a trip to Israel that included a stop at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.
"Many people joined it in good faith, and I don't feel like labelling them with that definition."
Opposition MPs and Jewish community leaders accused the mayor of attempting to rewrite one of the darkest chapters of Italian history. Italian Politicians ‘Praise’ Fascist Era of Benito Mussolini >>> By Nick Squires in Rome | September 8, 2008
DIE PRESSE:
Italien: Bürgermeister Roms provoziert auf Israel-Reise: Gianni Alemanno empört mit Faschismus-Aussagen. Wie eng Antisemitismus und Italo-Faschismus tatsächlich verflochten waren, daran erinnerte erst vor wenigen Wochen eine andere Diskussion >>> | 8. September 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Italy)
THE TELEGRAPH: Three Islamic extremists are facing lengthy prison sentences after being found guilty of conspiring to kill hundreds of people in a terrorist bombing campaign.
The trio were members of an east London al Qaida-inspired terror cell that planned to detonate home-made bombs in attacks on British targets including Heathrow Airport, a jury at Woolwich Crown Court found.
But following a five-month trial the jurors failed to reach verdicts on prosecution claims that they were plotting an unprecedented wave of suicide bombings on transatlantic airliners.
The three - Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 28, and Tanvir Hussain, 27 - had already admitted planning a series of small-scale headline-grabbing bomb attacks.
But, by a majority of 10 to two, the jurors rejected their claims that they did not plan to kill or hurt anyone in the blasts.
The eight men and four women on the jury deliberated for 56 hours and nine minutes.
But they could not agree verdicts on whether another four Muslim men - Ibrahim Savant, 27, Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, Waheed Zaman, 24, and Umar Islam, 30 - were also involved in the conspiracy to murder.
All seven defendants earlier admitted conspiring to cause a public nuisance by distributing al Qaida-style videos threatening suicide attacks in Britain.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has until the end of this month to decide whether the men should face retrials on the counts on which the jurors could not reach verdicts.
An eighth man, Mohammed Gulzar, 27, was cleared on all charges.
The trial judge, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith, adjourned the case for sentencing at a later date. Airliner Bomb Trial: Three Muslim extremists Face Lengthy Jail Terms over Plot >>> | September 9, 2008
THE INEPENDENT:
'You Will Be Destroyed': Bombers Convicted of Heathrow Plot: The chilling threat from Abdulla Ali, a British graduate convicted yesterday of masterminding a plot to bomb Heathrow
Three young British Muslims who were turned into bombers while doing charity work in Pakistan are facing life behind bars after being convicted of plotting mass murder.
Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain were accused of conspiring to bring down at least seven transatlantic airliners in mid-air, using bombs hidden in soft drinks bottles. >>> By Cahal Milmo, Chief Reporter | September 9, 2008
BBC:
'Astonishment' at Terror Verdicts: Counter-terrorism officials are said to be "dismayed" by the outcome of a trial in which eight men were accused of a plot to blow up transatlantic planes.
Three men were convicted of conspiracy to murder but the jury did not convict any defendant of targeting aircraft. One man was cleared of all charges.
The BBC's Frank Gardner said there had been "astonishment" in Whitehall as the evidence was considered to be strong.
Prosecutors have until the end of the month to consider a retrial of the men. >>> | September 9, 2008
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NZZ Online: Frankreichs Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy hat Russland mit Konsequenzen gedroht, sollte es sein jüngstes Versprechen zum Truppenabzug aus Georgien nicht einhalten. In der georgischen Hauptstadt Tbilissi versicherte Sarkozy Georgien die Solidarität der EU.
(sda) Am 15. Oktober dürfe sich «kein russischer Soldat» mehr in Stellungen im georgischen Kernland aufhalten, sagte der amtierende EU-Ratspräsident nach einem Treffen mit dem georgischen Staatschef Michail Saakaschwili am frühen Dienstagmorgen in Tiblissi. Andernfalls werde die Europäische Union «Konsequenzen ziehen». Sarkozy droht Russland mit Konsequenzen: Termin des Rückzugs aus Georgien ist verpflichtend >>> | 9. September 2008
REUTERS:
Russia Says Troops to Stay in Georgia for Long Time >>> By Conor Sweeney | September 9, 2008
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TIMESONLINE: Gordon Brown is expected to invite two controversial world leaders, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, to an international oil summit in London.
The invitation could bring the Libyan leader to Britain on his first official visit after years of isolation. An invitation could also bring Mr Chavez, the champion of socialist revolution in South America, to London and an unlikely photo-opportunity with Mr Brown.
Drawing up the guest list for the Prime Minister’s promised summit in December, a follow-up to the international meeting of oil producers and consumers in Saudi Arabia over the summer, was always likely to be an awkward business.
Mr Brown is keen to be seen to be addressing the issue of rising fuel prices, and to be acting to coordinate an international response to rising demand.
However, for all the possibilities that oil diplomacy might yield, it was likely that news of who was coming would overshadow the agenda.
The head of at least one key oil-producing nation, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, was unlikely to be considered a suitable guest, following anger over his perceived nuclear ambitions.
Meanwhile the arrival of Colonel Gadaffi in the capital would be certain to draw headlines. It is over two decades since British diplomatic relations with the country were severed, after shots fired from the Libyan embassy killed WPC Yvonne Fletcher, who was policing demonstrators outside.
Relations froze further after the bombing of an American airliner over Scotland in 1988. Since then the Libyan Government has accepted responsibility for the bombing, and ‘general responsibility’ for the killing of WPC Fletcher, and Tony Blair visited the country to meet the Libyan leader last year.
Colonel Gadaffi travels with female bodyguards and in recent trips to Europe, he has kept to his preference of staying in a black Bedouin tent, pitching it in government owned gardens in Paris and Brussels. Gordon Brown to Invite Gaddafi to London >>> By Will Pavia | September 9, 2008
THE INDEPENDENT:
The Big Question: Is the West Right to Resume Friendly Relations with Gaddafi's Libya? >>> By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor | September 9, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
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WELT ONLINE: Zwischen dem russischen Präsidenten Dmitri Medwedjew und seinem französischen Kollegen Nicolas Sarkozy soll es heftig gekracht haben: Sarkozy wollte eigentlich in seiner Funktion als EU-Ratsvorsitzender in Moskau im Kaukasuskonflikt vermitteln. Doch plötzlich erklärte er: „Wir gehen."
Die Verhandlungen zwischen dem russischen Staatschef Dmitri Medwedjew und dem französischen Präsidenten Nicolas Sarkozy über eine Umsetzung des Friedensplans für Georgien sind nach übereinstimmenden Berichten „zeitweise äußerst spannungsgeladen“ verlaufen. An einem Punkt seien die Auseinandersetzungen zwischen der russischen Seite und der EU-Delegation um Sarkozy so heftig gewesen, dass der französische Präsident damit gedroht habe, die Gespräche sofort zu beenden, berichteten Vertreter der Europäischen Union und Frankreichs am Montag. Kaukasuskrise: Sarkozy wollte Treffen mit Moskau platzen lassen >>> | 9. September 2008
LE FIGARO:
Russie : Sarkozy a failli quitter la table des discussions : «On s'en va. Ce n'est pas négociable», aurait lancé le président français aux négociateurs russes, selon plusieurs sources, qui révèlent les dessous d'une discussion houleuse.
Voilà quatre heures que les délégations russes et européennes discutent à Moscou, lundi, de l'application de l'accord de paix en Géorgie signé en août, quand l'incident survient. Le président Medvedev s'est absenté, mais les négociateurs russes annoncent qu'ils souhaitent supprimer une partie de l'accord qui stipule que leurs forces doivent se retirer sur «leurs positions antérieures au début des hostilités». >>> 09.09.2008
ARAB NEWS:
Editorial: Sarkozy Mission over Georgia: THE visit to Moscow and the Georgian capital Tblisi by French President Nicolas Sarkozy accompanied by the EU’s Secretary-General Manuel Barroso and its “foreign minister” Javier Solana demonstrates how worried the Europeans are about Russia’s incursion in Georgia. This is the second time that Sarkozy, current president of the European Council, has been to Moscow and Tblisi in a month and comes just a week after the 27 members of the union, in an emergency summit, pulled off the rare feat of a united stand on the issue, condemning Russia’s recognition of South Ossetian and Abkhazian independence, suspending a planned EU-Russia partnership agreement and firmly supporting Georgia’s sovereignty. >>> | September 9, 2008
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Moska
WELT ONLINE: Eine Broschüre der Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Integration für mehr Toleranz gegenüber Musliminnen mit Kopftuch stößt auf Kritik. Die Anwältin Seyran Ates kritisiert, dass in der Senatspublikation ausschließlich Kopftuch tragende Frauen als Opfer dargestellt würden. In der Broschüre mit dem Titel "Mit Kopftuch außen vor?" werde nicht erwähnt, dass vor allem Frauen, die kein Kopftuch tragen und sich an westeuropäischen Maßstäben orientierten, oftmals von Musliminnen diskriminiert werden.
Das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen diesen beiden Gruppen werde in der Publikation nicht thematisiert. "Ich will nicht, dass Kinder Kopftücher tragen müssen", sagt Seyran Ates. Nicht einmal eine strenge Auslegung des Islam rechtfertige das Tragen eines Kopftuches bei Kindern. Die Broschüre sei ein "Pamphlet für das Kopftuch" und daher nicht akzeptabel. Broschüre des Senats löst neuen Kopftuchstreit aus >>> | 8. September 2008
WELT ONLINE:
In Berlin wird über das Kopftuch gestritten >>> | 8. September 2008
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TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ÉTATS-UNIS | Le candidat républicain fait une remontée spectaculaire dans un sondage publié hier. Le choix de sa remuante colistière Sarah Palin n’y est sans doute pas pour rien.
On croyait John McCain à la traîne, loin derrière son rival Barack Obama. Or, le candidat républicain à la Maison-Blanche vient de passer devant son adversaire démocrate dans un sondage Gallup publié hier dans USA Today. Le premier a obtenu 50% des intentions de vote contre 46% pour le second. Un résultat inattendu pour le camp républicain qui imaginait son héros en plus mauvaise position. Surprise! McCain dépasse Obama >>> AA avec afp | 09.09.2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié) >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: More than 2m Muslims in Britain will now be able to arrange motor insurance without compromising their religious beliefs, according to Salaam Halal Insurance. Bradley Brandon-Cross, the chief executive of Salaam Insurance, says: "Conventional United Kingdom insurance options conflict with the core beliefs of the Muslim faith and, as a result, give Muslims living in the UK who wish to drive a car no choice but to go against their beliefs in order to follow the law, which requires motorists to have cover.
"The face of Britain is changing and it is the responsibility of British institutions to cater for such changes and welcome diversity."
In conventional insurance, the risk is entirely transferred from the policyholder to the insurance company upon payment of a premium, explained Brandon-Cross. He says: "In return for paying the premium, the policyholder gets peace of mind and in the event of a valid claim, the claim settled. This brings elements of uncertainty and, in the view of Muslims, gambling, into the contract as one of the two parties will make a loss, especially the policyholder if no claim occurs."
n Sudan in the 1970s, a concept called Takaful insurance was created to circumvent these problems. Takaful is an alternative form of cover which a Muslim can obtain against the risk of loss due to misfortunes and is a structure in which risk is shared between all policyholders.
Junaid Bhatti, director of independent Islamic finance consultancy Ballencrieff House, says: "So far, the only successful Takaful product in the UK has been Amanah’s home insurance offering, which is normally cross-promoted with the HSBC Islamic Mortgage product. It is great to see that the Government’s support for the industry has continued, and a fully sharia-compliant Takaful company has received authorisation."
Takaful provides its members with the same level of protection offered by conventional insurance, but it operates in a different way. This type of insurance allows participants to pay their contribution into a pool which is invested strictly in sharia-compliant investments and any investment profits are distributed back to the Takaful fund.
Takaful is an Arabic word meaning "guaranteeing each other" or joint guarantee. Theoretically, Takaful is perceived as co-operative insurance, where members contribute a certain sum of money to a common pool. The purpose of this system is not profits but to uphold the principle of "bear one another’s burden". The Car Insurance that Obeys Sharia Rules >>> By Kara Gammell | September 8, 2008
Cross-posted at: The Shrewd Economist >>>
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THE TELEGRAPH: Islamist terrorists have stepped up their efforts to develop a "dirty" bomb for use against Western targets, senior Western security sources have told The Daily Telegraph.
They are exploiting the political chaos in Pakistan in a bid to acquire nuclear material for a 'spectacular' attack.
At least one plot has been uncovered involving Pakistani-based terrorists planning to use nuclear material against a major European target.
Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda terror group, whose terrorist infrastructure is based in the province of Waziristan in northwest Pakistan, is known to be trying to acquire nuclear technology to use in terror attacks against the West.
Other militant Islamist groups in Pakistan, such as the newly formed Pakistani Taliban, have also shown an interest in developing weapons with a nuclear capability, according to Western security officials.
Security chiefs fear the mounting political instability in Pakistan will make it easier for militant Islamist groups to develop a primitive nuclear device.
Pakistan is the world's only Muslim country with a nuclear weapons arsenal, which was developed during the 1990s by the rogue Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadir (AQ) Khan.
Dr Khan was placed under house arrest after he was accused of selling the blueprint for Pakistan's atom bomb to rogue states such as Libya, North Korea and Iran. But the restrictions on Dr Khan's detention have been eased since President Pervez Musharraf was forced from power.
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is subject to stringent security safeguards put in place with the help of the American military when Mr Musharraf was in office. But there is mounting concern within Western security circles that Islamic terror groups will gain access to Pakistan's expertise in developing terrorist weapons containing nuclear material.
"Islamist militant groups want to carry out terror attacks on a massive scale, and there is no better way for them to achieve that objective than to develop some form of primitive nuclear device," said a senior U.S. security official.
The most likely terror device using nuclear material is a "dirty bomb", where conventional explosives are fitted with radioactive material. Terror Groups Developing 'Dirty Bomb', Say Security Chiefs >>> | September 9, 2008
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Monday, September 08, 2008
ISRAEL TODAY: Jewish worshippers returning to Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs after Muslims were given exclusive access to the holy site at the weekend reported that the cabinet containing their Torah scrolls had been urinated on.
One Jewish resident of Hebron told Israel National News that he and several other men had to move the cabinet to another part of the room because of the strong smell of urine in the area where it is usually positioned.
Additionally, green Hamas flags were found placed in the windows that mark the burial sites of Abraham, Isaac, Sara, Rebecca and Leah.
The Cave of the Patriarchs is split into Jewish and Muslim sections, as both groups revere Abraham.
Several times a year, the holy site is given over to one or the other group exclusively to mark special holy days. Muslims were given exclusive access to the Cave of the Patriarchs on Friday to mark their holy month of Ramadan.
Another Jewish resident of Hebron said that some damage to Jewish religious articles or the Jewish side of the site is found every time the Muslims take over. [Source: Israel Today] | September 7, 2008
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Would it, perhaps, be a good idea for Edvige to spy on the private life of Nicolas himself? Now wouldn’t that be interesting! - ©Mark
TIMESONLINE: President Nicolas Sarkozy faced an embarrassing split in his Cabinet today over a computer system that a new French internal intelligence service will use to spy on the private lives of millions of law-abiding citizens.
Hervé Morin, the Defence Minister, broke government ranks to side with a growing revolt against Edvige, an acronym for a police database that will store personal details including opinions, the social circle and even sexual preferences of more or less anyone who interests the State.
Edvige, which is also a woman's name, was created by decree in July to store data on anyone aged 13 or above who is "likely to breach public order".
"Sarkozy's Big Sister", as it has been dubbed, will also track anyone active in politics or trade unions and in a significant role in business, the media, entertainment or social or religious institutions. Listed people will have limited rights to consult their files. French Revolt over Edvige: Nicolas Sarkozy's Big Brother Spy Computer >>> By Charles Bremner in Paris | September 8, 2008
LE MONDE:
Edvige : le PS conteste avoir ouvert la boîte de Pandore >>> | 09.09.2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié) >>>
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REUTERS: DUBAI - Al Qaeda has issued a video marking the Sept. 11 attacks, in which deputy group leader Ayman al-Zawahri accuses Iran of taking part in a Western "Crusader" war against Islam, Al Jazeera television said on Monday.
The video also shows apparently recent footage of senior al Qaeda figure Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, casting doubt on a report that he was killed on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan last month.
In a segment on the video aired by al Jazeera, Zawahri attacked Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, questioning the Islamic Republic's anti-Western stand.
"The (leader of Iran) collaborates with the Americans in occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and recognises the puppet regimes in both countries, while he warns of death and destruction to anyone who touches an inch of Iranian soil," Zawahri said.
Al Qaeda, a militant Sunni Islamist group, often criticises predominantly Shi'ite Iran, which has good relations with Afghanistan's anti-Taliban leaders and Iraq's Shi'ite-led government.
"Not even one Shi'ite authority -- whether in Iraq or elsewhere -- has issued a fatwa (religious edict) obligating jihad and taking up of arms against the American Crusader invaders in Iraq and Afghanistan," Zawahri said. Al Qaeda Video Slams Iran, “Crusader” War >>> | September 8, 2008
AL JAZEERA:
Al-Qaeda Video Rounds on Iran >>> | September 8, 2008
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