In an Act of Unprecedented Dhimmitude, the BBC Comes Up with This Crap!
BBC: In London's historic "Inns of Court", barristers practise law in the shadow of the distinctive medieval Temple Church. But does English law really owe a debt to Muslim law?

For some scholars, a historical connection to Islam is a "missing link" that explains why English common law is so different from classical Roman legal systems that hold sway across much of the rest of Europe.

It's a controversial idea. Common law has inspired legal systems across the world. What's more, calls for the UK to accommodate Islamic Sharia law have caused public outcry.

The first port of call when looking for an eastern link in the common law is London's Inns of Court.

"You are now leaving London, and entering Jerusalem," says Robin Griffith-Jones, the Master of the Temple Church, as he walks around its spectacular rotunda.

The church stands in the heart of the legal district and was built by the Knights Templar, the fierce order of monks-turned-warriors who fought Muslim armies in the Crusades.

London's historic legal district, with its professional class of independent lawyers, has parallels with the way medieval Islamic law was organised.

In Sunni Islam there were four great schools of legal theory, which were often housed in "madrassas" around mosques. Scholars debated each other on obscure points of law, in much the same way as English barristers do.

There is a theory that the Templars modelled the Inns of Court on Muslim ideas. But Mr Griffith-Jones suggests it is pretty unlikely the Templars imported the madrassa system to England. They were suppressed after 1314 - yet lawyers only started congregating in the Inns of Court after the 1360s.

Perpetual endowment

This doesn't necessarily rule out the Templars' role altogether. Medieval Muslim centres of learning were governed under a special legal device called the "waqf" under which trustees guaranteed their independence.

In an oak-panelled room in Oxford, historian Dr Paul Brand explains the significance of the 1264 statute that Walter De Merton used to establish Merton College. He was a businessman with connections to the Knights Templar. Is English Law Related to Muslim Law? >>> By Mukul Devichand | September 23, 2008

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Radical Islam, a Religion of “Peace in Our Time”
BRUSSELS JOURNAL: “Peace” is apparently the word on the lips of British politicians whenever the omens point, in stiff armed salute, to catastrophe. In 1938, Neville Chamberlain gave his now infamous speech, ‘Peace in our Time,’ in which he announced that Germany would be allowed to annex Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. This, the so-called Munich agreement, was meant of course to placate the Third Reich, but instead it is now seen as the first step to the occupation of Poland and to the onset of the Second World War. With utter lack of foresight Chamberlain had announced, “They [the various governments in the dispute] rejoiced with us that peace was preserved, and with us they look forward to further efforts to consolidate what has been done.” The British people, “were at one with those of Germany, of France and of Italy […] their intense desire for peace.”
 


There was a certain unintended dimension to junior Labour minister David Cairns’ recent statement, that Gordon Brown is the most unpopular British prime minister, “since Neville Chamberlain after Hitler invaded Norway,” as the same sort of language and mentality of appeasement that facilitated the rise of Nazi Germany is routinely employed by Brown and his government in regard to radical Islam. Its most literal outpouring came in July, when Brown spoke to the Knesset, and urged that Israel should share Jerusalem with the Palestinians. Like Chamberlain, Brown spoke of his belief that, “[…] this historic, hard-won and lasting peace is within your [Israel’s] reach, I urge you to take it by the hand.”

Neither Brown, nor Blair, nor the Labour Party, has acted mindful of the lessons that history has furnished us with. Indeed, the Party as a whole – and even British politicians more broadly – seems intent on repeating the most egregious mistakes of some other regimes now disappeared. Though perhaps the best known, the signing of the Munich agreement was far from the last time that government appeasement facilitated the rise of tyrannical organizations and regimes. In Algeria, as Walter Laquer has observed, “[…] the Islamists turned against the authorities who had done so much to support their activities. (Fascism: Past, Present, Future, Oxford University Press, 1996, p. 164), and there is every reason to believe that the same will occur in Britain. Radical Islam, a Religion of “Peace in Our Time” >>> From the desk of A. Millar | September 23, 2008

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At Least There’s Some Courage in Europe
GAYANDRIGHT: Of the parties dedicated to resisting Islamization that I examined in Europe last summer, the most promising range from the sizeable Vlaams Belang in Belgium to the tiny Sweden Democrats, and include the Lega Nord in Italy, the Party for Freedom of Geert Wilders in Holland, the Danish People's Party, the Swiss People's Party and the Austrian Freedom Party. Such parties are unknown here, or ignored. Worse, they are shunned. Why? I believe it's because their respective political opponents the leftist media and governing establishments that are increasingly dependent on Islamic support, by the way have successfully slandered these parties as "extremists," "racists," "fascists" and "Nazis." Is advocating freedom of speech "extreme" or "fascist"? Is opposing Islam's law, which knows no race, "racist"? Is supporting Israel (which these parties do far more than other European parties) "Nazi"? The outrageously empty epithets of the Islamo-socialist left seem calculated to stop thought cold and trigger a massive rejection reflex. In this way, resistance becomes anathema, and Islamic law, unchecked, spreads across Europe. At Least There's Some Courage in Europe.... >>> By GayandRight | September 23, 2008

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60 Prozent mehr illegale Einwanderer in Italien
NZZ Online: Die Zahl der illegalen Immigranten, die seit Beginn 2008 Italien erreicht haben, ist um 60 Prozent gegenüber des Vergleichszeitraums 2007 gewachsen.

(sda/apa) Seit Anfang 2008 haben 23600 Flüchtlinge illegal Italien erreicht, im Vergleichszeitraum 2007 waren es 14200, teilte der italienische Innenminister Roberto Maroni am Dienstag mit. 60 Prozent mehr illegale Einwanderer in Italien: Seit Anfang Jahr rund 24'000 Flüchtlinge ins Land geströmt >>> | 23. September 2008

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Bush kritisiert Syrien und Iran scharf
NZZ Online: er amerikanische Präsident Bush hat Syrien und Iran vor der Vollversammlung der Vereinten Nationen scharf angegriffen. Beide Länder förderten nach wie vor den Terrorismus, sagte Bush am Dienstag.

(sda/reuters/dpa) Die Amerikaner erachten Iran und Syrien noch immer als Schurkenstaaten, die den Terrorismus finanzierten. Dies machte Präsident Bush an der Uno-Vollversammlung deutlich. Allerdings nehme die Zahl solcher Länder ab, zudem isolierten diese sich zusehends. Der amerikanische Präsident forderte die Weltgemeinschaft zugleich auf, die gegen Nordkorea und Iran wegen ihres Atomprogramms verhängten Sanktionen umzusetzen. Iran und Syrien haben in Vergangenheit die amerikanischen Vorwürfe zurückgewiesen. Bush kritisiert Syrien und Iran scharf: Rede des amerikanischen Präsidenten an der Uno-Vollversammlung >>> | 23. September 2008

YNET NEWS:
Bush: Terrorism Has No Place in Modern World: In his eighth and final address to the United Nations, US President Bush says multinational organizations needed now 'more than ever' to combat extremists, accuses Syria and Iran of backing terrorism

US President George W. Bush accused Syria and Iran Tuesday of sponsoring terrorism and said that such violence "has no place in the modern world" in his farewell speech to the UN General Assembly.

Bush, who once expressed disdain for the United Nations, says multinational organizations are now “needed more than ever” to combat terrorists and extremists who are threatening world order.

"A few nations -- regimes like Syria and Iran -- continue to sponsor terror, yet their numbers are growing fewer and they're growing more isolated from the world," he said.

"Like slavery and piracy, terrorism has no place in the modern world. Around the world nations are changing these words into action," Bush said.

"Terrorist acts are never legitimate" and as the threat of terrorism grows "joint actions have spared citizens from many devastating blows," he said.

In his eighth and final speech to the UN, Bush said the international community must stand firm against the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran. He scolded Russia for invading neighboring Georgia. And he said that despite past disagreements over the US-led war in Iraq, members of the UN must unite to help the struggling democracy succeed. >>> News agencies | September 23, 2008

BBC:
Bush Chides Russia in UN Speech: George W Bush has accused Russia of violating the UN's charter by invading Georgia, in his final speech to the world body as US president.

Mr Bush urged world leaders gathered at UN in New York to "stand united in our support of the people of Georgia".

In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Bush also urged the international community to continue the fight against terrorism.

He also gave an assurance that the US was taking decisive action over the current global economic crisis.

Mr Bush's speech touched on the themes of his presidency.
He accused Iran and Syria of continuing to sponsor terrorism, saying they were growing more isolated.

He also urged the UN to enforce sanctions on North Korea and Iran over their nuclear programmes. >>> | September 23, 2008

Watch BBC vido: George Bush calls for more unity in the United Nations >>>

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The New York Times: "Ein Pro-Obama-Kampfblatt" so McCain
WELT ONLINE: "Ein Pro-Obama-Kampfblatt" sei die New York Times: Mit diesem Vorwurf hat John McCain der linksliberalen Zeitung den Krieg erklärt. Anlass war ein Bericht, der McCains Wahlkampfmanager schwere Vorwürfe machte. Und die New York Times ist nicht das einzige Medium, dass McCains Team Parteilichkeit vorwirft.

Mit der Klage, die „New York Times“ sei „zu 150 Prozent ein Pro-Obama-Kampfblatt“ und betreibe keinen Journalismus mehr, hat John McCain der angesehensten Zeitung der US-Ostküste den Krieg erklären lassen. Steve Schmidt, der Chefstratege des republikanischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten, vollzog in einer Konferenzschaltung mit Reportern den Bruch mit der „Times“. Anlass war ein Bericht der Zeitung, der Rick Davis, Wahlkampfmanager McCains, vorhielt, als Lobbyist Millionen Dollar von den halbstaatlichen Kreditanstalten Fannie Mae und Freddie Mac kassiert zu haben, bevor sie von der US-Regierung vor der Pleite bewahrt wurden. McCain bläst zum Angriff auf die "New York Times" >>> Von Uwe Schmitt | 23. September 2008

THE NEW YORK TIMES:
McCain Camp Takes Issue With Times Coverage: The McCain campaign lashed out at The New York Times on Monday, accusing it of dropping its journalistic standards and being “150 percent in the tank” for Senator Barack Obama.

In a conference call with reporters, Steve Schmidt, Senator John McCain’s senior campaign adviser, was asked about an article in The Times on Monday reporting that Mr. McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, had been paid nearly $2 million by Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac to head a group devoted to defend the mortgage giants against the imposition of stricter regulations.

Asked about the article, Mr. Davis, who was on the call, said the group’s sole function was to promote home ownership. But Mr. Schmidt criticized The Times for its coverage.

“Whatever the New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization,” Mr. Schmidt said. He added, “This is an organization that is completely, totally, 150 percent in the tank for the Democratic candidate, which is their prerogative to be.”

He added, “Everything that is read in The New York Times that attacks this campaign should be evaluated by the American people from that perspective.” >>> NYT | September 22, 2008

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Why Are Muslims Leaving Islam?

Ergun Caner, the dean of Liberty Baptist Seminary, and his brother openly discuss why the left Islam in this rarely seen video.

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Religious Freedom in Egypt ‘Declining’, Says Report
DAILY NEWS (EGYPT): CAIRO: Freedom of religious belief in Egypt “declined” between July 2007 and June 2008, according to the US State Department’s annual assessment of religious freedom throughout the world, the International Religious Freedom Report.

The report is compiled on the basis of information obtained “from a variety of sources, including government and religious officials, NGOs, journalists, human rights monitors, religious groups and academics” according to its preface.

The report describes legislation and governmental practices which discriminate against Egypt’s religious minorities and adherents of Islamic teachings viewed as heretical by the state.

Acts of discrimination against Egypt’s largest religious minority, Christian Copts, take up the bulk of the report.

“The government again failed to redress laws and governmental practices discriminative against Christians, effectively allowing their discriminatory effects and their modelling effect on society to become further entrenched,” the report states.

Despite making up between 8–12 percent of the population, Christians continue to be underrepresented in public office the report says, in violation of the Egyptian Constitution’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of religion.

“There are no Christians serving as presidents or deans of public universities, and they are rarely nominated by the Government to run in elections as National Democratic Party (NDP) candidates. Christians, who represent between 8 and 12 percent of the population, hold less than 2 percent of the seats in the People’s Assembly and Shoura Council,” the report says.

Christians continued to experience problems in obtaining the official permission necessary to construct and repair churches, with security forces blocking the use of permits that had already been issued or denying permits altogether. These delays can last for years. Religious Freedom in Egypt ‘Declining’, Says Report >>> By Sarah Carr | September 21, 2008

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John le Carré: Britons Have Been 'Stripped' of Civil Liberties
THE TELEGRAPH: Britons have been "stripped" of their civil liberties amid an "atmosphere of panic" over the threat from terrorism, according to the novelist John le Carré.

In a rare public intervention, the spy author criticised ministers for voting to extend the time limit that terror suspects can be held without charge to 42 days.

His comments come only weeks ahead of a key vote in the House of Lords that could see peers throw out the Government's controversial 42-day proposals.

The writer, who admitted he has a reputation as "an angry old man", said he was furious that the Government had been allowed to get away with a sustained attack on civil liberties.

"Partly, I'm angry that there is so little anger around me at what is being done to our society, supposedly in order to protect it," said the 76-year-old in an interview in Waterstone's magazine.

"We have been taken to war under false pretences, and stripped of our civil rights in an atmosphere of panic. Our lawyers don't take to the streets as they have done in Pakistan.

"Our MPs allow themselves to be deluded by their own spin doctors, and end up believing their own propaganda." John le Carré: Britons Have Been 'Stripped' of Civil Liberties >>> By Nicole Martin and Christopher Hope | September 23, 2008

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The ‘Milky Bar Kid’ as You’ve Never Seen Him Before!
Photo courtesy of the Times Online
TELEGRAPH BLOGS:
Gordon Brown slaps down a diminished David Miliband >>> By Iain Martin | September 23, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Gordon Brown Dismisses 'Novice' Challengers in Labour Conference Speech: Gordon Brown dismissed rivals David Cameron and David Miliband as he warned that this is “no time for a novice” to be running the country. >>> By Andrew Porter, Political Editor | September 24, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Labour Conference Analysis: Gordon Brown Shuts Door on Diminished David Miliband: David Miliband and Gordon Brown both had straightforward aims ahead of this week’s Labour conference in Manchester.

Mr Brown’s was simple: to still be leader and see off any rebel insurgency.

Mr Miliband, privately at least, must have wanted to end the week having established himself as the main credible alternative to the Prime Minister.

While Mr Brown succeeded, Mr Miliband failed, and failed badly.

The low point in a lacklustre speech on Monday came when he appeared to try a Barack Obama trick to fire up the Labour audience by employing a technique known as “call and response.”

He said: “You know, the truth is these Tories are beatable.” He attempted to try and energise the delegates and in the style of an evangelical preacher added: “Let’s say it with conviction; they are beatable. Beatable.”

The response to his rallying call was silence.

When the Foreign Secretary finished his 22 minute address, one supporter of the Prime Minister was heard to mutter: “Only two people will think that is a good speech, his spin doctor and Gordon Brown.”

That caustic wit was all the more devastating because the observation was spot on. Mr Brown must have been delighted when he saw yesterday morning’s newspapers panning the Foreign Secretary’s efforts accompanied by photographs of Mr Miliband looking anything but a Prime Minister-in-waiting. >>> By Andrew Porter, Political Editor | September 24, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Gordon Brown's Conference Speech Won Labour Over, Yet They're Doomed if He Stays >>> By Simon Heffer

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Muslim Militants Claim Marriott Attack
BBC: A little known Pakistani militant group, Fidayeen-e-Islam, says it carried out Saturday's devastating attack on the Islamabad Marriott hotel.

The group told the BBC the aim of the attack was to stop American interference in Pakistan.

The group is based in Pakistan's tribal areas and connected to leading militant Baitullah Mehsud.

The suicide bomb devastated the hotel, killing at least 53 people and injuring more than 266. Militants Claim Marriott Attack >>> | September 22, 2008

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Religious Intolerance in Pakistan Widespread: US
DAILY TIMES: * International Religious Freedom report says discrimination against minorities prevalent 
* Says promotions for minorities limited

WASHINGTON: While Pakistan was credited with have taken ‘some steps’ to improve the treatment of religious minorities, the International Religious Freedom Report, released at the weekend, described the general situation on this front in pretty negative terms.



The report, covering 2007, said, “The government took some steps to improve its treatment of religious minorities during the period covered by this report, but serious problems remained. Law enforcement personnel abused religious minorities in custody. Security forces and other government agencies did not adequately prevent or address societal abuse against minorities. Discriminatory legislation and the government’s failure to take action against societal forces hostile to those who practice a different religious belief fostered religious intolerance, acts of violence, and intimidation against religious minorities.” 



It said, “Specific laws that discriminate against religious minorities include anti-Ahmadi and blasphemy laws. The Ahmadiyya community continued to face governmental and societal discrimination and legal bars to the practice of its religious beliefs. Members of other Islamic sects also claimed governmental discrimination.” 



The report said relations between religious communities remained tense and social discrimination against minorities was widespread, accompanied by violence. Terrorist and extremist groups and individuals continued to target religious congregations. The report pointed out that freedom of speech in Pakistan was subject to ‘reasonable’ restrictions in the interests of the ‘glory of Islam’. The consequences for contravening the country’s blasphemy laws are death. 



There is life imprisonment for defiling, damaging, or desecrating the holy Quran and 10 years in jail for insulting another’s religious feelings. “These laws are often used to settle personal scores as well as to intimidate vulnerable Muslims, sectarian opponents, and religious minorities,” said the annual review of religious freedom around the world. Religious Intolerance in Pakistan Widespread: US >>> By Khalid Hasan | September 22, 2008

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Work for the Cause of Islam, Prince Naif Urges Scholars
ARAB NEWS: MADINAH: Interior Minister Prince Naif attributed the backwardness, moral decay and extremism among Muslims to their nonadherence to true Islamic principles.

Addressing a prize-distribution function held to honor the winners of Prince Naif International Prize for Sunnah and Contemporary Islamic Studies, here on Saturday night, Prince Naif, said: “The aim of honoring the best researchers in Sunnah and contemporary Islamic studies is to encourage research in the studies of Sunnah, the second source of Islamic law, and highlight its values such as tolerance and humanitarian character.”

In a statement issued after the function, Prince Naif, who is also chairman of the Higher Commission for Prince Naif International Prize for Sunnah and Contemporary Islamic Studies, warned scholars against making incorrect interpretations of the verses of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah, which are the sources of Islamic law.

The Muslims of the early years could lead the world because they were sincere in their faith and keen to follow the true religion, the prince said. He congratulated the winners of the prizes and urged them to work unwaveringly for the service of Islam. Work for the Cause of Islam, Prince Naif Urges Scholars >>> By Yousuf Muhammad | September 22, 2008

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Australian Stranded in Saudi Arabia
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: An Australian woman trapped in Saudi Arabia because of the fallout from a divorce case is being given "all possible consular assistance", Australia's ambassador to Saudi Arabia says.

The Adelaide mother of four has complained the Australian government is not helping her and has told News Ltd that she has been threatened with arrest for exposing her face to a male neighbour in front of her children.

The Australian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Kevin Magee, has told a Middle East newspaper that embassy officials planned to meet the woman to provide her "full support".

"I can't confirm or deny the report of her possible detention by the local police, but our consular staff are committed and are extending all necessary support to the woman," Mr Magee told the Arab News daily newspaper.

News Ltd's The Advertiser newspaper in Adelaide reported the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had previously said it could not ensure the Australian citizen got out of the country with her four children.

Her ex-husband, also an Australian citizen, has filed for custody of the four children in a Saudi court, the report said.

The woman, who was not named by the newspapers after saying she fears for her safety, told The Advertiser on Friday that she had been refused sanctuary in the Australian consulate and she expected to be arrested over the weekend, after exposing her face in front of a male neighbour. Australian Stranded in Saudi Arabia >>> | September 21, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

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Gay Wedding Held in Australian Synagogue
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY: A same-sex commitment ceremony was held in a synagogue in Sydney, an Australian first. 


Scott Whitmont, 47, and Christopher Whitmont-Stein, 38, stood under a chupah at the Emanuel Synagogue Sunday in front of about 75 guests. 



The pair, who had a secular commitment ceremony six years ago, exchanged rings, smashed a glass and walked around each other 3 1/2 times. 


The celebration follows a decision in May 2007 by the Council of Progressive Rabbis of Asia, Australia and New Zealand to allow its rabbis to officiate at same-sex commitment ceremonies. 



Whitmont-Stein, a registered nurse, converted at Emanuel Synagogue in 2002 under the guidance of Rabbi Jeffery Kamins, who also officiated at Sunday’s ceremony. 



“We wanted to be recognized by our community and officiated by our rabbi -- that was important to us,” he told the Sydney Star Observer, a gay newspaper. “We didn’t set out to be poster boys for gay Jewish marriage.” 



In a recent letter to congregants, Kamins defended his decision.

“Contemporary knowledge from biology, psychology and other fields has led to a far deeper understanding of human sexuality," he wrote. "Gay or lesbian relationships are not ‘deviant,’ but part of human behavior.” 



Kamins noted that Orthodox Judaism would not endorse the violation of Shabbat, “but neither would it shun a person who drove on Shabbat."



Dayenu, a gay and lesbian Jewish group, held a Shabbat dinner Friday night in honor of the couple. 



It is still illegal for homosexual couples to marry under Australian law. [Source: JTA] | September 21, 2008

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ABU HAMZA Muslim Hate Preacher in Rum Dessert Row
If Abu Hamza was served rum ice cream (presumably rum and raisin ice cream) in Belmarsh prison, then he should count his lucky stars. I thought that Belmarsh was a high security prison, not a holiday camp. We are treating these people with kid gloves. We should take them off!

Bread and water with an occasional bowl of porridge would be more suitable food for such an inmate. Then he would have no cause for concern about it being haram. Even Muslims can consume bread and porridge, and they can also drink water. - ©Mark

BILD.DE: Hate preacher Abu Hamza has claimed his human rights were breached because he was served rum ice cream in prison. Hamza said the alcoholic dessert broke hala [sic] rules, and other notorious terrorists in the Belmarsh jail in Woolwich, South East London have joined in the protest. But a prison source for The Sun said: "Hamza has spent his life urging fanatics to kill Jews and Christians yet has the gall to claim his rights are being abused over ice cream.” A prison spokesman said yesterday that non-halal food was mistakenly offered and it was quickly substituted with appropriate alternatives. [Source: BILD] | September 22, 2008

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America Must Never Succumb to Islam’s Sharia Law
FROSTY WOOLDRIDGE: With approximately 2.5 million Muslims in the United States, Americans find themselves gasping as to why their leaders imported such an antagonistic and anachronistic religious group into their country.

Islam’s prime directive found in the Koran orders followers to: “Seek out, find and kill all non-believers.”

A quick look at Muslims overtaking and destroying their host countries can be found in France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

In the past few weeks, parliamentary law in London sucked up to and now allows certain vestiges of Sharia Law to manifest in UK.

Unfortunately, Sharia Law dictates beheadings, female genital mutilation, stoning of women for adultery, honor killings, forced and arranged marriages, women cannot leave their house without a family male escort, separated swim times at pools for males and females and complete subjugation of women by men. A more chauvinistic religion cannot be found on the planet—yet, it’s growing like wildfire. America Must Never Succumb to Islam’s Sharia Law >>> By Frosty Wooldridge, NewsWithViews.com | September 22, 2008-09-22

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Why Muslims Hate You and Me

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Republic Trumps Queen
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: A SLENDER majority of Australians wants the nation to become a republic, with a Herald/Nielsen poll finding little change in public sentiment on the issue in recent years.

A national survey of 1400 voters conducted late last week found that 52 per cent agreed Australia should become a republic. By comparison 40 per cent said it should not, while the remainder were undecided. Republic Trumps Queen >>> By Mark Davis | September 23, 2008

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Kuwait Plans to Block YouTube over Islam Content
REUTERS: KUWAIT - Kuwait has ordered local Internet service providers to block online video-sharing website YouTube over clips that could offend Muslims.

"Since the website displays the Koran in the form of songs sung with the oud (stringed instrument) ... and displays disrespectful pictures of the Prophet Mohammad ... please proceed with immediate effect in blocking the website www.youtube.com," read a copy of a memo obtained by Reuters. Kuwait Plans to Block YouTube over Islam Content >>> | September 22, 2008

YAHOO! ITALIA:
Kuwait vuole bloccare YouTube per contenuti offensivi su Islam >>> Reuters | Lun 22 Set 2008

REUTERS AMÉRICA LATINA:
Kuwait ordena bloquear YouTube por contenidos contra el Islam >>> | lunes 22 de septiembre de 2008

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Anjem Choudary: The Killing of Non-Muslims Is Legitimate

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Mehrere Ausländer in Ägypten verschleppt
NZZ Online: In Ägypten ist eine Gruppe von Touristen verschleppt worden. Die Aussenministerien Deutschlands und Italiens bestätigten die Entführung von jeweils fünf ihrer Staatsangehörigen. In Berlin und Rom wurden Krisenstäbe eingerichtet.

(sda/dpa/afp/Reuters) Seit dem vergangenen Freitag ist im Südwesten Ägyptens eine Touristengruppe vermisst worden, die sich auf einer Wüstenfahrt befand. Laut Medienberichten gehören fünf Italiener, fünf Deutsche, vier Ägypter und ein Rumäne zur Gruppe.

«Wir müssen von einer Verschleppung der Deutschen ausgehen», sagte eine Sprecherin des Ministeriums am Montag in Berlin. Der Krisenstab sei bereits zusammengetreten. Mehrere Ausländer in Ägypten verschleppt: Offenbar 5 Italiener und 5 Deutsche unter den Entführten >>> | 22. September 2008

LE FIGARO:
14 personnes enlevées en Egypte >>> | 22.09.2008

BBC:
'Eleven Tourists Seized' in Egypt: At least 15 people, including 11 foreign tourists, are reported to have been kidnapped in southern Egypt.

The tourists were said to be five Italians, five Germans and a Romanian, while four Egyptians were also said to have been seized.

Local reports said the abduction, which took place near Aswan, was carried out by tribesmen or bandits. >>> | September 22, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Fate of 19 Kidnapped Europeans Unknown: Despite reports on Monday that they had been freed, the kidnapping drama of German, Italian and Romanian tourists in Egypt continues. The tourists are still believed to be in the hands of their tribal kidnappers, who are reportedly demanding a ransom payment reaching into the millions. >>> | September 23, 2008

NZZ Online:
Entführte Touristen im Sudan geortet: Deutschland verhandelt angeblich mit den Entführern

Die Touristen, die in der ägyptischen Wüste verschleppt wurden, befinden sich angeblich im Sudan. Laut den sudanesischen Behörden verhandelt Deutschland mit den Entführern. >>> | 24. September 2008

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Islamabad Suicide Bombing: Westerners Fear for Their Future in Pakistan
THE TELEGRAPH: Westerners and foreign companies were considering their future in Pakistan yesterday after the country suffered its most devastating terrorist strike since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

Expatriates said they saw the attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad as a watershed moment with its deliberate targeting of a local landmark where diplomats, politicians and the middle classes gather for business meetings, or to exercise at its gymnasium and dine out.

It came after a string of suicide bombings across the country had already forced the cancellation of an international cricket tournament.

Many who had dismissed these smaller attacks are now considering leaving. "I'll be speaking to my boss tomorrow," said a Briton who has worked in Islamabad for a Pakistani firm for several years and did not want to be named.

There are currently 150 British staff working for the High Commission in the Pakistan capital, making it one of the largest in the world.

The mission – two of whose staff were injured in the attack – is still expected to function as normal. However, employees are being relocated within a safe diplomatic enclave as part of long-term plan initiated since Pakistan's security began to deteriorate significantly last year. Islamabad Suicide Bombing: Westerners Fear for Their Future in Pakistan >>> By Isambard Wilkinson | September 22, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Pakistan Leaders Escaped Marriott Bomb at Last Minute: Pakistan's president and prime minister were scheduled to eat at the Islamabad Marriott the night it was bombed, but changed plans at the last minute, a top official has said. >>> By Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad | September 22, 2008

NZZ Online:
Attentat auf Marriott-Hotel galt dem Präsidenten: Pakistan Staatsspitze beinahe getroffen >>> | 22. September 2008

LE FIGARO:
Al-Qaida défie l'Occident
en frappant au Pakistan >>> Marie-France Calle à New Delhi | 22.09.2008

DIE PRESSE:
Anschlag in Pakistan – ein Land am Abgrund: Mit ihrem Anschlag auf das Marriott-Hotel in Islamabad wollten Fanatiker Pakistan ins Herz treffen. Sie sehen die Zeit gekommen, den Atomstaat zu kippen. Doch die Stimmung könnte sich nun gegen sie wenden.

DELHI/ISLAMABAD. Es sind Bilder wie aus einem Kriegsgebiet: Am Tag nach dem verheerenden Selbstmordattentat auf das Marriott-Hotel in Islamabad stießen Rettungskräfte in den verkohlten Trümmern immer noch auf Leichen. Ein zehn Meter tiefer Bombenkrater klaffte vor den rauchenden Ruinen des US-Luxus-Hotels.

Die Terroristen wollten den pakistanischen Staat mitten ins Herz treffen. Das Inferno spielte sich nahe dem Machtzentrum des Landes ab, wo sich der Sitz des Präsidenten, das Parlament und das Oberste Gericht befinden. Nun erwägen mehrere Botschaften, die Familien ihrer Mitarbeiter aus Pakistan abzuziehen. Das Land würde damit als genauso gefährlich eingestuft wie Afghanistan und der Irak. >>> Von Sascha Zastiral | 21. September 2008

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Islamabad Hotel Blast ‘Was Pakistan’s 9/11’
THE TELEGRAPH: Security guards at the hotel shattered by a suicide blast in Pakistan launched a frantic attempt to prevent the truck bomb detonating in the minutes before it exploded, killing at least 53 people.


CCTV footage released yesterday showed the truck carrying the biggest ever bomb used by terrorists in Pakistan being driven into the gates of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad on Saturday evening.

The driver detonated the bomb, causing a fire in the truck, but the explosion failed to set off an estimated 660kg bomb in the rear of his vehicle.

Guards rushed to extinguish the flames but four minutes later the main bomb went off, blowing apart the hotel and leaving a crater 24ft deep [7m] and 59ft [18m] wide in what was described by local commentators as “Pakistan’s 9/11”.

Among the dead were the Czech Republic’s ambassador, Ivo Zdarek, his Vietnamese fiancée and two American soldiers. A Danish diplomat is still missing.

Six Britons were among almost 300 people injured and two of them – both staff at the British High Commission – remained in hospital last night. Pakistani officials, who accused Taliban leaders allied to al-Qaeda of being responsible for the plot, praised the courage of the guards as the attack unfolded. Islamabard Hotel Blast ‘Was Pakistan’s 9/11’ >>> By Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad | September 22, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Marriott Bombing in Islamabad Must Wake Pakistan Up >>> | September 22, 2008

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Sharia Courts Are Extending Their Reach
TIMESONLINE: The longer we acquiesce in the spread of Islamic law in Britain, the more it will happen

There are only seven basic plots in literature. One of them, surely, must be “cry wolf”. Last week, a variation on the “cry wolf” story emerged which, in its long-term impact, threatens to be far more dangerous to Western civilisation than any banking collapse.
Reports emerged that Sharia had been enshrined in English law. According to one newspaper: “Five Sharia courts have been set up in London, Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester and Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The Government has quietly sanctioned that their rulings are enforceable with the full power of the judicial system, through the county courts or High Court.”

Cue outrage and condemnation. But Muslim organisations dismissed the story as nonsense. And they were backed by the Government. As the Ministry of Justice and Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform put it in a joint statement: “Sharia law is not part of the law of England and Wales and the Government has no intention of making any change that would conflict with British laws and values.”

So can we all breathe easily again? If only. Sharia may not be enshrined in English law, but the real impact of Sharia is just as worrying. Sharia Courts Are Extending Their Reach >>> By Stephen Pollard | Septemebr 22, 2008

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Iran Summons French Envoy over Anti-Islam Feelings
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: TEHRAN, Iran: Iran has summoned the French ambassador over what Tehran says is an increase of anti-Islam sentiment in Europe.

Sunday's report on state TV and the official news agency IRNA says an official in Iran's foreign ministry expressed deep concern over anti-Islamic sentiment during the meeting with the ambassador, Bernard Poletti.
France currently holds the presidency in the European Union.

The report did not elaborate. But an "anti-Islamification" conference was held over the weekend by a right-wing Germany nationalist group that opposes the building of a large new mosque in the city of Cologne. [Source: IHT] AP | September 21, 2008

LA PRESSE CANADIENNE:
Iran: l'ambassadeur de France à Téhéran convoqué au ministère des Affaires étrangères >>> | 21.09.2008

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What the Turkish Papers Are Saying about the ‘Pro-Köln’ Demo: ‘500 Detained in Anti-Islam Congress Protest in Germany’
HÜRRIYET: Violent protests by leftists forced the cancellation of a far-right rally against the influence of Islam in Europe and prompted the detention of 500 people, German authorities said Sunday.

The street battles came on the sidelines of a two-day congress organized by right-wing extremists on the purportedly growing dominance of Europe’s Muslim minority and the construction of one of Europe’s largest mosques here.

The clashes that ran into the night Saturday overshadowed a peaceful protest by tens of thousands of people against the "anti-Islamification" congress, police chief Klaus Steffenhagen told reporters.

Carrying banners reading "We are Cologne -- Get rid of the Nazis!" protesters gathered outside the citys [sic] landmark cathedral to oppose the congress organized by the local far-right group Pro-Koeln (For Cologne).

Organizers said about 40,000 people turned out for the demonstration for peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe, an event backed by the German government and authorities in this western city.

Meanwhile, around 150 bars in Cologne stopped selling Pro-Koeln members the local Koelsch beer with some taxi and bus drivers also refusing to transport delegates to the congress.

One hotel even cancelled bookings made by "undesirables".

A leading figure in the Greens party, Volker Beck, welcomed the "victory of civil society against the far-right".

Pro-Koeln had begun two days of seminars Friday during which about 300 participants from across Europe denounced a Muslim "immigrant invasion" on the continent.

Earlier Saturday, police banned an outdoor rally organized by far-right adherents in Cologne just as it was about to begin, following the clashes with a violent fringe of counter-protesters.

Steffenhagen said the left-wing extremists hurled Molotov cocktails, stones and fireworks and tore down security barricades.

"This was not a protest but was unbridled violence against our police force and those who wanted to demonstrate peacefully in Cologne," he said.

Some 3,000 police officers were deployed and used truncheons and water hoses to fend off violent "anti-fascist" leftist activists.

Pro-Koeln has five elected local councilors and is chasing other official positions in the region.

Cologne, on the River Rhine, is famous for its Gothic twin-spired Roman Catholic cathedral -- a UNESCO world heritage site that survived Allied air raids during World War Two. [Source: HÜRRIYET] | September 21, 2008

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Integration: Angela Merkel hält Multikulti für Auslaufmodell
WELT ONLINE: Bundeskanzlerin Merkel fordert von ausländischen Kindern ausreichende Sprachkenntnisse vor der Einschulung. "Multikulti hat ausgedient, wir müssen zusammenwachsen", sagte Merkel. Nur wenn Schüler die Lehrer verstehen können, könne man gemeinsam die Gesellschaft gestalten.

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel dringt darauf, dass ausländische Kinder vor der Einschulung ausreichende Deutschkenntnisse erwerben. 


„Multikulti hat ausgedient, wir müssen zusammenwachsen“, sagte Merkel am Samstag auf einem Kongress der Österreichischen Volkspartei in Linz. „Dazu muss man erstmal die Sprache lernen des Landes, in dem man lebt.“

Jeder der in die Schule komme müsse deshalb Deutsch können, „und zwar so, dass er seinen Lehrer versteht“, sagte die Kanzlerin. „Und dann können wir auch gemeinsam die Gesellschaft gestalten“, fügte sie hinzu. Integration: Angela Merkel hält Multikulti für Auslaufmodell >>> | 21. September 2008

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’Moroccan Secret Service Recruits Dutch MPs’
NIS NEWS BULLETIN: AMSTERDAM - MPs and local council members of Moroccan origin are routinely approached by the Moroccan secret service to defend the interests of Morocco. So says Fouad el Haji, a Labour (PvdA) council member in Rotterdam. The Lower House is shocked and has demanded an explanation from the cabinet.

El Haji said on n [sic] TV programme Pauw&Witteman that Moroccan-Dutch MPs, local politicians, entrepreneurs and police officers are enticed by the Moroccan secret service to serve the interests of Morocco. Rabat wants to bind them to it financially, culturally and politically, he stated.

El Haji suggested that within the PvdA, Socialist Party (SP) and leftwing Greens (GroenLinks), there are polticians who have taken up the offer and thus work for the secret service. He suggested one or several MPs or ex-MPs are among them. But he declined to name any names.

El Haji said he himself was also approached. "It is a pattern," he explained. "You are invited to gala parties and treated with all attentions. Before you know it, you are on a plane to Morocco. When you visit Morocco, you are even more cosseted."

'Ordinary' Moroccans are also targeted, El Haji continued. For example, they are urged to use their savings to buy a second house in Morocco. The integration process is thereby deliberately frustrated, according to El Haji.

This week, TV programme NOVA revealed that a Rotterdam policeman, Re Lemhaouli, was a spy for the Moroccan secret service. This was discovered last spring, but hushed up by the Dutch authorities, according to NOVA. Now that the case has come out in the open, the criminal investigation service has launched an investigation after all.

At the request of the Christian democrats (CDA), the House will hold an emergency debate on the question next week. The cabinet will send a letter ahead of this. If El Haji's allegations are true, this is "extremely serious," said CDA MP Sybrand van Haersma Buma yesterday.

Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders wants the cabinet to go into El Haij's suggestion that one or more MPs have or have had contacts with the secret service. GroenLinks leader Femke Halsema said any pressure on Moroccan Dutch is "unacceptable."

Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said he had spoken with the Moroccan authorities about the Lemhaouli question. As a result of that conversation, the Moroccan embassy recalled two diplomats to Rabat, he revealed yesterday. ’Moroccan Secret Service Recruits Dutch MPs’ >>> | September 19, 2008

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Moroccan Espionage Affair Escalates
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Rabat recalled two of its diplomats after the Dutch Foreign Ministry protested against reported attempts by the Moroccan secret service to recruit spies in the Netherlands. The ministry described the alleged espionage as "a dirty business". The diplomats were recalled several months ago, but the incident was not made known until this week when reports of the incident surfaced in the media.

Earlier this week, the Dutch current affairs programme NOVA reported that former police sergeant Ré Lemhaouli passed on confidential police information to the Moroccan secret service. A number of Dutch citizens of Moroccan origin later told the media that the Moroccan secret service had attempted to recruit them. The Dutch parliament will hold an emergency debate on the issue next week.



The sergeant was dismissed from the police force this summer for serious dereliction of duty following an internal investigation. After the news of the alleged spying appeared in the media, the Justice Ministry announced that it would not prosecute the police officer because there was insufficient evidence. 



Political pressure

Two days later the Justice Ministry said it had changed its mind because of the publicity in the media and political pressure from The Hague. The Dutch National Department of Criminal Investigation will investigate reports that Mr Lemhaouli passed on confidential police information. And today the cabinet said Mr Lemhaouli could lose his Dutch citizenship. Moroccan Espionage Affair Escalates >>> By Frank Scimone | September 18, 2008

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Extra-marital Sex and Homosexuality: The Archbishop of Wales Questions Sex Rules
“One of the glories of Anglicanism has been about being held together by our beliefs as contained in historic creeds and formulas but not by agreement to particular statements about that faith in each generation. That is the difference between belonging to a Communion rather than a confession.” - Dr Morgan
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE: The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has warned that Anglicans had clamped down on homosexuality but not on heterosexual sex outside marriage.

Dr Barry Morgan said in his report on the global gathering of bishops for the summer’s Lambeth Conference that “most people who come to be married in Anglican churches in Britain live together beforehand,” and added: “The fundamental question in all of this is whether homosexuality is a matter of choice or not because that should make a difference to the way it is regarded.” Archbishop of Wales Questions Sex Rules >>> By Roberto Sanchez Guevara | September 21, 2008

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UK Government Says No Change on Sharia Law
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE: Five Islamic courts have taken advantage of a clause in British legislation to officially apply Sharia law to British citizens, but despite sensationalist reports last week, they have been doing so since August 2007.

Under the headline “Revealed: UK’s first official Sharia courts” the Sunday Times published an article sparking a storm of controversy similar to that for which the newspaper carried condemnation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in February.



The article by Abul Taher read: “Islamic law has been officially adopted in Britain, with Sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases. The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for Sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.”



In a joint statement the Ministry of Justice and Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform said: “Sharia law is not part of the law of England and Wales and the Government has no intention of making any change that would conflict with British laws and values.”



The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal is one of many organizations running Islamic courts, and operate under a clause in the Arbitration Act 1996 which allows the rulings of the courts to be legally binding for people who have agreed to submit to its power. This is true for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.



A Government spokesperson said the situation had been misrepresented in the press. “The arbitration law goes back to the 1850s. This is nothing new. Anyone can use it.”



Raried Chedei, a clerk with the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, also expressed surprise at the furore: “Nothing’s changed. I don’t understand why people think we are using the law any differently.” UK Government Says No Change on Sharia Law >>> By Toby Cohen | September 21, 2008

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Religious Freedom Worsens in Jordan, Algeria: US
AFP: WASHINGTON — Religious freedom took a turn for the worse in the last year in China, Egypt and Iran, but also in normally more tolerant countries like Jordan and Algeria, the State Department said Friday.

The State Department's annual report on religious freedoms around the world for the period between July 2007 and July 2008 also singled out North Korea again as among the worst violators of religious freedom.

But there were new concerns about Jordan and Algeria, "which traditionally have been more respectful of minority faiths," according to John Hanford III, the ambassador at large for religious freedom.

"The government's de factor and de jure policies have precipitated a decline in the status of religious freedom during this reporting period," the report said.

In February, the government began enforcing an ordinance which "makes proselytizing a criminal offense," it said.

It said that the ordinance mandates "that anyone who makes, stores or distributes printed documents, or audiovisual materials with the intent of 'shaking the faith' of a Muslim may also face a maximum of five years' imprisonment" and a fine equivalent to 7,100 dollars.

"In Jordan, a Sharia Court found a convert from Islam to Christianity guilty of apostasy, annulled his marriage, and declared him to be without any religious identity," said Hanford, who oversaw the report.

"The Jordanian government also harassed individuals and organizations based on religious affiliation," he said. Religious Freedom Worsens in Jordan, Algeria: US >>> | September 20, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

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Sharia Law Challenges British Justice
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Earlier this year I had to warn people about the various siren voices advocating the recognition of Islamic Sharia in the public law of this country.

It seems now that this was no theoretical advocacy, and that Sharia courts are not only operating here but claim to have the sanction of the County and High Courts in the enforcement of their decisions.

As no one, to my knowledge, has denied this claim, we must assume it is true.

The basis on which these courts operate seems to be a clause in the Arbitration Act 1996 which makes binding the decision of an arbitration tribunal if both parties agree to submit their dispute to it.

It is worth asking immediately whether there is any supervision of any such tribunals, any training for those who sit on them, and any limits to their powers. If not, why is there not and will there be?

In the case of Sharia courts, we must ask whether each party is, indeed, submitting the dispute for resolution voluntarily.
This is particularly the case where women are concerned.

Both in terms of submission to a tribunal and in accepting its decisions, are women genuinely free, or is it possible that there are elements of coercion?

As to the relationship of these tribunals to public law, it should be clear, surely, that no matter what we may have agreed to do in the past, every citizen has the right to have recourse to the courts to secure their fundamental freedoms and rights. It is then for these courts to decide how such freedoms and rights are to be upheld.

It is most important for personal liberty and social order that this duty is not negotiated away in the cause of misplaced concern for community relations or communal harmony.

We must also be clear that the courts, in this country, cannot uphold what is contrary to public law. That is to say, decisions of any quasi-legal bodies must accord with the law of the land and remedy for any decisions not in such accordance must lie in the courts.

It is of some concern, therefore, that decisions are being made in the so-called Sharia courts which appear to be contrary to public law. Sharia Law Challenges British Justice >>> By Michael Nazir-Ali | September 21, 2008

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Blair at His Banal Best!
Excuse me, Herr Professor! How many millions are you being paid for these banalities? If you didn’t already know it, you are teaching us nothing we didn’t already know! - ©Mark

Photo of Tony Blair courtesy of The Sunday Express
THE SUNDAY EXPRESS: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said religious faith could be a double-edged sword, inspiring some people to do harm, but also having the potential to ease conflicts.

Mr Blair, speaking to students and staff at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, also said the US financial crisis affecting worldwide markets showed "the interconnectedness of the world" which underscored the need to work together on other economic problems. 



Mr Blair visited New Haven to address Yale students in a lecture that kicked off the three-year Faith and Globalisation Initiative, a collaboration of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and Yale's Divinity School and School of Management. Religion Can Harm or heal – Blair >>> | September 21, 2008

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Freedom, Rights, and Liberation Found!
Image courtesy of Google Images
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Muslimah Experimenting with Freedom & Seeking Her Rights and Liberation
Photo courtesy of Google Images
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Islam & Women’s Rights
It’s the equality Islam gives women, didn’t you know?
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Pakistani President: The “Cancer” of Terrorism
Watch BBC video: Eyewitness Dirome Antony describes the moment the bomb struck >>>
BBC: Pakistan's president has pledged to fight the "cancer" of terrorism after a suicide bomb killed at least 40 people in the capital, Islamabad.

In a televised speech, Asif Ali Zardari appealed to "all democratic forces" to help to save Pakistan.

The bomb, at the Marriott Hotel, left a 20ft (6m) crater. The hotel owner said a lorry blew up as it was being checked by security at the entrance.

US President George W Bush condemned the attack and pledged assistance.

He said it was a "reminder of the ongoing threat faced by Pakistan, the United States, and all those who stand against violent extremism".

He said the US would "assist Pakistan in confronting this threat and bringing the perpetrators to justice".

'Tonne of explosives'

The blast destroyed the entire front section of the hotel and brought down the ceiling of the banqueting hall.

Witnesses described a scene of horror as blood-covered bodies were pulled from the wreckage and guests and staff ran for cover from shattered glass. Terror Pledge after Pakistan Bomb >>> | September 20, 2008

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German Citizens Protest against Anti-Islam Congress in Cologne
AFP: COLOGNE, Germany — German police said tens of thousands of Cologne residents took to the streets Saturday in protest at an "anti-Islamisation" conference of European far-right leaders.

Carrying banners saying: "We are Cologne -- Get rid of the Nazis!," protesters gathered outside the city's cathedral to demonstrate against the congress organised by the local far-right group Pro-Koeln (For Cologne).

Pro-Koeln began two days of seminars Friday during which speakers denounced an influx of Muslims to Germany and the construction of one of Europe's largest mosques in the city.

Earlier Saturday, police banned a rally organised by far-right adherents in Cologne just as it was about to begin, following clashes with thousands of opponents.

Some 3,000 police, drafted in to control the protests and seal off part of the old city, used truncheons and water hoses to fend off violent "anti-fascist" leftist activists.

"It is a dictatorship!" said a Pro-Koeln member of the decision to ban the far-right rally.

Andreas Molzer, a member of the European Parliament and an Austrian far-right group who attended the congress, called the ban an "anti-democratic scandal." German Citizens Protest against Anti-Islam Congress in Cologne >>> | September 20, 2008

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Nicht die Moschee, der Islam ist das Problem!
Foto von Ralph Giordano dank der Welt
WELT ONLINE: Mit aller Kraft gegen Rassismus – fordert Ralph Giordano. Denn Organisationen wie Pro Köln wollen die islamkritische Haltungen der Bevölkerung für einen rassistisch-völkischen Rechtspopulismus ausbeuten. Trotzdem müsse der Kampf gegen islamische Demokratiefeindlichkeit weitergehen.

Das hat es in Köln seit 1992 nicht mehr gegeben, als sich Zehn-, ja Hunderttausende unter dem Motto „Arsch hu“ (Arsch hoch) und „Zäng useinand“ (Zähne auseinander) in endlosen Kolonnen und langen Märschen auf den Clodwigplatz zubewegten, um dort in eine furiose Kundgebung gegen Ausländer- und Fremdenfeindlichkeit zu münden. Eine dröhnende Antwort auf den rassistischen Flächenbrand, der damals über das gerade vereinigte Deutschland hinwegraste.

An diesem Wochenende nun war es wieder so weit, kam es zu einer Manifestation, die an jede Sternstunde vor sechzehn Jahren erinnert und einen Menschen mit meiner Biografie das Herz höher schlagen lassen könnte. Könnte?

Wieder der Aufmarsch vieler Tausender, wieder eine weit überlokale Bürgerbewegung, die dem Aufruf von Gewerkschaften, Parteien, Kirchen und anderen Organisationen gefolgt ist: „Wie stellen uns quer!“ Gegen wen? Gegen einen „Anti-Islamisierungskongress“, unter dessen Dach sich so etwas wie die Creme des Euro-Faschismus mit dem Schlagwort „Islamisierung und Türkisierung in Deutschland stoppen“ ein Stelldichein in der Domstadt geben wollte. Schirmherr und Organisator war die vom Verfassungsschutz beobachtete, tief angebräunte Geschichtsnachhut „Pro Köln“ (mit der ich, siehe Postskriptum, eine persönliche Fehde habe).

Das Großspektakel ist eine Mogelpackung. Gibt es doch in Wahrheit zwischen der Rechts-außen-Camorra des alten Kontinents und islamischer Orthodoxie zahlreiche Parallelen und Wesensverwandtschaften – in der reaktionär-patriarchalischen Familienmoral, der Verachtung von Frauen, der Ablehnung des aufgeklärten und emanzipierten Individuums, dem spezifischen Hass auf Juden und dem gemeinsamen Ziel – der Zerstörung des demokratischen Verfassungsstaates. „Pro Köln“ und ihr Euro-Import von bekennenden Antidemokraten wollen keine andere, sie wollen gar keine Republik.

Die Anprangerung menschenrechtswidriger und antidemokratischer Lehren und Praktiken des Islam ist denn auch das Letzte, worum es den Veranstaltern des „Anti-Islamisierungskongresses“ geht. Was sie wirklich wollen, ist der groß angelegte Versuch, begründete islamkritische Haltungen der Bevölkerung im Sinne eines rassistisch-völkischen Rechtspopulismus auszubeuten.

Deshalb klar und unmissverständlich: Im Kampf gegen den Terrorismus unter der Fahne des Propheten wie auch gegen eine schleichende Islamisierung, wie ich ihn an der Seite kritischer Muslime führe, ist der Euro-Faschismus kein Bundesgenosse, sondern der eingeborene Feind der historisch und politisch berechtigten Islamkritik. Eine Kritik, die Muslime nicht unter Generalverdacht stellt, aber auch schmerzende Wahrheiten nicht scheut. Mit aller Kraft gegen Rassismus und Fremdenfeindlichkeit – ja! Aber ebenso gegen Ausgrenzung und Abschottung von Frauen in den Parallelgesellschaften, gegen die Inflation von Zwangsehen, die unsägliche Perversität der „Ehrenmorde“ und manch andere Praktiken, die mit unserer Rechtsordnung unvereinbar sind. Nicht die Moschee, der Islam ist das Problem! >>> Von Ralph Giordano | 20. September 2008

My Essay:
Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom >>>

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Teacher Faces Ban for Rapping Islam
THE PRESS ASSOCIATION: A secondary school teacher who contributed on an extreme right-wing website during a lesson could be struck off, it has emerged.

Adam Walker, 39, a British National Party member, may become the first person to be banned by the General Teaching Council (GTC) for religious intolerance.

While children worked on a project during a lesson at Houghton Kepier Sports College in Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, Mr Walker posted critical comments about asylum seekers, Islam, immigrants and "the promotion of homosexuality" on a chat forum.

His brother Mark Walker, a fellow BNP member and also a technology teacher, was suspended by Sunnydale Community College, Shildon, Co Durham, for accessing the BNP website during school hours. Teacher Faces Ban for Rapping Islam >>> | September 20, 2008

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Teacher, ban, |"rapping Islam

From Benightedness into Benightedness?
ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN: KHANEWAL: A Hindu couple, belonging to Umar Kot, Sindh, embraced Islam at the hands of a local religious scholar here Saturday. Mahu Jee son of Surwa Jogi and his would-be wife Seeta daughter of Mithu Jogi embraced Islam at the hands of Maulana Azizur Rahman.

They were renamed Muhammad Ramzan and Aisha Bibi, after which their nikah was solemnised in the chamber of Ghulam Jilani and Anjum Joya advocates at the district courts.

The couple told newsmen that they had been desiring to embrace Islam since long but their respective families were resisting this move.

“Islam is the religion of truth and brotherhood, in which there is no class difference, while in Hinduism there is a caste and class system, which looks down upon the lower castes, the untouchables and the poor,” explained the convert Muhammad Ramazan. Hindu Couple Embraces Islam >>> | September 20, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Tancredo’s “Jihad Prevention Act”
BORDERFIRE REPORT: “Jihad Prevention Act” would deny U.S. visas to advocates of ‘Sharia’ law, expel Islamists already here

WASHINGTON, DC – Amid disturbing revelations that the verdicts of Islamic Sharia courts are now legally binding in civil cases in the United Kingdom, U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) moved quickly today to introduce legislation designed to protect the United States from a similar fate.

According to recent news reports, a new network of Sharia courts in a half-dozen major cities in the U.K. have been empowered under British law to adjudicate a wide variety of legal cases ranging from divorces and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.

“This is a case where truth is truly stranger than fiction,” said Tancredo. “Today the British people are learning a hard lesson about the consequences of massive, unrestricted immigration."

Sharia law, favored by Muslim extremists around the world, often calls for brutal punishment – such as the stoning of women who are accused of adultery or have children out of wedlock, cutting off the hands of petty thieves and lashings for the casual consumption of alcohol. Under Sharia law, a woman is often required to provide numerous witnesses to prove rape allegations against an assailant – a near impossible task. 



“When you have an immigration policy that allows for the importation of millions of radical Muslims, you are also importing their radical ideology – an ideology that is fundamentally hostile to the foundations of western democracy – such as gender equality, pluralism, and individual liberty,” said Tancredo. “The best way to safeguard America against the importation of the destructive effects of this poisonous ideology is to prevent its purveyors from coming here in the first place.” Tancredo Proposes Anti-Sharia Measure in Wake of U.K. Certification of Islamic Courts >>> | September 19, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Hot News from Down Under!
PERTH NOW: ORAL sex is the “new black'' in Aussie bedrooms, according to sexual health experts who believe improved hygiene and feminism are pushing its popularity.

The Australasian sexual health congress in Perth has been told oral sex, once the exclusive domain of sex workers, has now become a leading part in the sexual repertoire for straight and gay Australians.

"For young people it's an almost universal practice now, with 90 per cent trying it before the age of 30,'' said Basil Donovan, a professor of sexual health at the University of NSW. Oral Sex the New Abstinence: Experts >>> Tamara McLean, Medical Writer | September 16, 2008