Muslim Convert [to Christianity] Turns to Politics in Italy
ASSOCIATED PRESS: ROME — An Egyptian-born writer who renounced Islam and was baptized by Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that he has formed a political party that would enter candidates in next year's EU elections.

Magdi Cristiano Allam said his "Protagonists for Christian Europe" party would work to defend Europe's Christian values, which he sees threatened by secularism and moral relativism. He said his new party would be open to people of all faiths and would be close to the conservative European People's Party.

Allam built his career in Italy as commentator and book author attacking Islamic extremism and supporting Israel.

In March, Allam angered some in the Muslim world with a high-profile conversion during an Easter vigil service led by the pope in St. Peter's Basilica.

Allam, who took the name Cristiano upon converting, has credited Benedict with being instrumental in his decision to become a Catholic and has said the pope had baptized him to support freedom of religion. >>> | November 30, 2008

TIMESONLINE: Political Party Founded to Defend Christian Europe

A newly converted Christian has set up a political party to defend Christianity against secularism and moral relativism

An Egyptian-born writer who was baptised by Pope Benedict XVI last Easter after converting to Christianity from Islam has announced that he has founded a political party to "defend Christian Europe" which would field candidates in next June's European elections.

Magdi Cristiano Allam, 56, said the party, "Protagonists for a Christian Europe", would work to defend Europe's Christian values, which were threatened by secularism and moral relativism to the point where Europe risked "committing suicide". The party would be open to people of all faiths.

Mr Allam, an associate editor of the newspaper Corriere della Sera, was speaking at the Foreign Press Club in Rome, accompanied by a police escort. An outspoken critic of Muslim extremism and a supporter of Israel, Mr Allam is under armed guard because of death threats. >>> Richard Owen in Rome | December 1, 2008

…"root of evil is inherent in an Islam that is physiologically violent and historically conflictual." – Magdi Cristiano Allam
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First Sunday in Advent: Choral Evensong from St John’s College, Cambridge
Listen Live: Choral Evensong from the Chapel of St John’s College, Cambridge* >>>
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Morin: "Les terroristes peuvent frapper le monde entier"
leJDD.fr: Au lendemain du rapatriement des 77 rescapés, dont 29 Français, dans un avion affrété par le gouvernement français, Hervé Morin, ministre de la Défense, revient pour le Journal du Dimanche sur la situation de la France à l'échelle mondiale. Et s'il consent que Paris ne est pas à l'abri d'une attaque terroriste, il réfute l'idée qu'un retrait de Kaboul diminuerait les risques: "c'est simplement faux".

Sommes-nous plus menacés aujourd'hui?
Nous l'étions avant Bombay, nous le sommes après, ni plus, ni moins. Aucun pays n'est à l'abri d'un attentat. Si vous prenez les grands foyers de terrorisme islamiste vous quadrillez la planète. Un de mes collègues, ministre de la Défense d'un pays asiatique -qui n'est pas un pays de la ligne de front- m'a raconté qu'un attentat majeur, dans le métro de sa capitale, a été déjoué récemment. Donc, l'idée qu'on pourrait s'épargner des risques en se faisant oublier est une idée fausse. Quand les talibans disent qu'un retrait français d'Afghanistan nous protégerait, c'est simplement faux. Al-Qaida Maghreb, notre principale menace, parle de la France comme de son "ennemi numéro un". Ce groupe n'arrêterait pas de nous cibler parce que nous nous ferions discrets. Les groupes terroristes islamistes considèrent qu'il y a un djihad contre l'Occident, en général... contre les démocraties. >>> Propos recueillis par Claude ASKOLOVITCH et Antoine MALO, Le Journal du Dimanche | Dimanche 30 Novembre 2008

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Tolerating Intolerance
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: THE involvement of Britons among the terrorists responsible for the murders of more than 150 people in Mumbai last week signals another milestone in the march of multiculturalism and the failure of Western and democratised nations to deal with Islamists.

In the mosques of London, leaders like Anjem Choudary, right-hand man to the hate-filled cleric Omar Bakri, were praising the killers, saying any Britons or Americans among the dead were targeted legitimately because they should not have gone to India.

"Muslims are being killed in Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan every day through acts of atrocity against them.

But the media only report events like Mumbai,'' he told The Daily Mail as Indian police revealed that at least two terrorists they had captured were British-born Pakistanis.

In the UK, as in many European nations and in Australia, governments have permitted Muslim migrants to create their own enclaves and ghettos and preach their own interpretations of their religion, unhindered by the cultures of their host nations and often in contempt of the laws of the society of their host country.

Aided by the powerful civil rights lobbies and squadrons of lawyers, Islamists are waging a successful war to prevent further assimilation of Muslims into Western society, forcing women to wear traditional Islamic garb to emphasise their separateness, urging the introduction of Islamic sharia law into local courts.

From the shores of Somalia to the cells of Guantanamo, the West is in confused retreat, its politicians too concerned about appearing to be in breach of international civil rights covenants than they are about the safety of their citizens.

India, with its 150-million strong Muslim population - the largest outside Indonesia - is no different.

Though the vast majority of its Muslims are peaceable and law abiding, it has not been able to develop a coherent policy to deal with the terrorists, despite continuing attacks in which more than 4000 people have been murdered in the past four years.

Lying between two backward, Islamic-loving nations, Pakistan and Bangladesh, India is a forward-looking country with a vibrant economy that is seeking to take advantage of its assets, its large English-speaking population, its legacy of British laws.

The Indian Islamic community is isolated within the greater population, its members attuned to the cults of victimhood and hate which spew from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, across the Gulf from Mumbai.

Fearful, perhaps, of an Islamic uprising supported by the jihadist groups allowed shelter by Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Indian government has moved to appease, rather than challenge, Islamist supporters. >>> By Piers Akerman | November 30, 2008

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La bataille est finie à Bombay: les derniers islamistes ont été abattus
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: INDE | Les derniers islamistes encore retranchés dans un hôtel de Bombay ont été abattus samedi matin. La police a annoncé la fin des opérations plus de deux jours après les attaques coordonnées sur la capitale économique de l´Inde qui ont fait au moins 195 morts.

"Toutes les opérations sont terminées. Tous les terroristes ont été tués", a déclaré Hassan Gafoor, chef de la police de Bombay, près de 60 heures après le déclenchement des attaques.

Trois militants islamistes encore retranchés dans l´hôtel Taj Mahal ont été abattus samedi matin, a indiqué J.K. Dutt, chef de la Garde nationale indienne.

"Nous avions dit qu´il y avait trois terroristes...et nous avons trois corps", a-t-il déclaré à des journalistes à l´extérieur de l´hôtel. "Nous avançons chambre par chambre pour vérifier que la situation est sûre", a-t-il dit. Le Taj Mahal était le dernier endroit où se trouvaient encore des assaillants. >>> ats/afp/reuters | 29.11.2008

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Sexual Intercourse Spells Trouble, Says Dalai Lama
Photo of the Dalai Lama courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: Sexual intercourse provides but fleeting satisfaction, while chastity offers a better life and "more freedom", the Dalai Lama has said.

Conjugal life causes too many "ups and downs", the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader told reporters in a Lagos hotel.

"Sexual pressure, sexual desire, actually, I think is short-period satisfaction and, often, that leads to more complication," he said.

"Naturally as a human being...some kind of desire for sex comes, but then you use human intelligence to make comprehension that those relationships are always full of trouble."

Problems arising from conjugal life could even lead to suicide or murder, the Dalai Lama warned.

Moreover, he added, the "consolation" in choosing a life of celibacy is that, although "something" is missing, one can have a life with "more independence, more freedom". >>> | November 29, 2008

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Claus Christian Malzahn: India Is Pointing in the Right Direction
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Mumbai a terror zone, and India bitterly points its finger at Pakistan. The unloved neighbor needs all the help the West can offer. Pakistan is nearly a failed state -- and a US invasion under President Obama can't be ruled out.

It is still not clear who exactly carried out the terror attacks in Mumbai this week. But the actions speak for themselves. The murderers expressly went after Britons, Americans and Jews. In the world's largest democracy, attacks were carried out by a determined minority against the will of an overwhelming majority. The crimes bear the clear and bloody fingerprints of militant, political Islamism.

The uncomfortable resonance left behind by the series of attacks is that the criminals were almost omnipotent: They could strike where, when and -- almost -- whomever they wanted. The terror didn't just claim its victims in one awful moment; it spread out and lasted for days. There was a similar feeling during the terror attacks on the living quarters of Westerners in Saudi Arabia in 2004 as well as the battle at Pakistan's Red Mosque, in the center of Islamabad. But this time the terror overtook an entire city.

The attacks struck the heart of an Indian civil society that has always functioned fairly well, despite recurring conflicts between the country's Hindu majority and Muslim minority. The terror struck a country that is closely allied, politically and economically, with the West. The terrorists' mission can be neatly summarized: political, economic and cultural destabilization of the whole subcontinent. >>> By Claus Christian Malzahn | November 29, 2008

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Go Home Early and Multiply, Japanese Told
THE GUARDIAN: Japan's workers are being urged to switch off their laptops, go home early and use what little energy they have left on procreation, in an attempt to avert demographic disaster.

The drive to persuade employers that their staff would be better off at home than staying late at the office comes amid warnings from health experts that many couples are simply too tired to have sex.

A survey of married couples under 50 found that more than a third had not had sex in the previous month. Many couples said they didn't have the energy. A study by Durex found that the average couple has sex 45 times a year, less than half the global average of 103 times. >>> Justin McCurry in Tokyo | November 29, 2008

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The West Goes to Hell in a Handbasket! And Switzerland Leads the Way!
Photo courtesy of the Mail Online
MAIL Online: A pioneering Swiss programme aimed to curb drug abuse by providing addicts with a clean, safe place to take heroin is expected to be made permanent by voters in a referendum on Sunday.

The programme has been criticized by the United States and the U.N. narcotics board, which said it would fuel drug abuse.

But governments as far away as Australia are beginning or considering their own systems modeled on the Swiss one, which is credited with reducing crime and improving the health and daily lives of addicts.

It has won wide support within Switzerland since it began 14 years ago to eliminate scenes of large groups of drug users shooting up openly in parks that marred Swiss cities in the 1980s and 1990s.

Dr. Daniele Zullino's office, part of the Geneva University Hospitals, is one of 23 such centres in Switzerland. Switzerland Set to Approve Prescription Heroin as 'Safe Alternative' for Addicts >>> | November 29. 2008

TIMESONLINE: Swiss Voters Back £14m-a-year Health Scheme to Give Addicts Free Heroin

The free provision of heroin to addicts won the overwhelming support of Swiss voters yesterday.

Projections based on early results indicated that 69 per cent of voters approved the programme, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, in a poll called under the country's system of direct democracy.

Crime by heroin addicts has fallen 60 per cent since the initiative to allow health clinics to administer controlled doses of the drug began 14 years ago, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

The support for the plan came in a referendum called by opponents of a government policy that treats hardened drug users as patients rather than criminals. Critics, including conservatives who called for the referendum, object to the annual cost of 26 million Swiss francs (£14 million), covered by the health insurance that all citizens pay and the Government covers for those who cannot afford it.

While the Swiss have a more tolerant attitute towards drugs than most European countries, a parallel referendum to legalise small-scale cannabis growing and use was soundly rejected by a margin of about two to one.

The heroin scheme was introduced in response to a public outcry over the sight of addicts openly injecting the drug in public parks, as well as a rise in HIV and hepatitis infection. About 1,300 addicts are currently on the programme of carefully supervised doses, measured to satisfy their cravings yet avoid the risks of overdose and catching infections from dirty needles.

The addicts attend one of the country's 23 heroin centres and, in groups of four, inject themselves under the watchful eye of a nurse. They leave after a few minutes — those with jobs going back to work. >>> David Charter, Europe Correspondent | December 1, 2008

BBC: Swiss Approve Prescription Heroin

Swiss voters have approved a change in health policy to offer prescription heroin to addicts on a permanent basis.

Final results from the national referendum showed 68% of voters supported the plan.

The scheme, allowing addicts to inject the drug under medical supervision at a clinic, began in Zurich 14 years ago before spreading across the country.

But in another referendum vote, 63% of voters rejected the decriminalisation of cannabis.

The heroin vote was one of a series of referendums held to decide policy on illegal drugs.

Under the scheme, addicts visit clinics up to twice a day, where they inject the drug under medical supervision. They can also be treated for other medical issues or mental health problems, out correspondent says.

The policy is described as one of last resort - prescribing addicts with the very drug that caused their problems in the first place - but supporters say it works, and Swiss voters appear to have agreed, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Berne says.

Switzerland will be the first country to include it in government policy. >>> | November 30, 2008

Watch BBC video: Inside a Swiss heroin clinic >>>
TAGES ANZEIGER: BBC berichtet über Heroinabgabe

Das Ja der Schweizer Stimmbürger zur Revision des Betäubungsmittelgesetzes ist weltweit Thema.

So hat etwa das News-Portal des lokalen News-Senders Central Florida News eine entsprechende Meldung der Nachrichtenagentur Associated Press (AP) aufgeschaltet. Auch die BBC berichtet über das klare Votum für die gesetzlich legitimierte Weiterführung der Heroinabgabe («Prescription Heroin»). Die Schweizer Drogenpolitik habe zum Verschwinden der offenen Drogenszenen und zu einer Reduktion der Beschaffungskriminalität geführt. Dies habe das Stimmvolk nun anerkannt und sei somit den Argumenten der Befürworter gefolgt.

Einer der Befürworter ist Ueli Spörri, Geschäftsleiter der Zürcher Heroinabgabestelle Arud. «Der Entscheid ist hoffentlich wegweisend auch für andere Länder. Dass unsere Drogenpolitik funktioniert, zeigt das klare Abstimmungsresultat. Wir sind selber ein bisschen überrascht, dass kein einziger Kanton Nein gestimmt hat», sagt Spörri. Mit dem positiven Entscheid können 23 Heroinabgabestellen ihre Arbeit weiterführen. [Quelle: Tages Anzeiger] 1. Dezember 2008

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'Taiwan Spy' Executed by Beijing
Photo of the executed Wo Weihan courtesy of the BBC
Barbarism seems to know no bounds! Unfortunately, it seems to be increasing not by the month, not even by the week, but by the day! How sad it is to be alive in this age – an age which is so clearly growing darker so rapidly. - ©Mark

BBC: China has executed a scientist accused of spying for Taiwan.

Wo Weihan's family had appealed for clemency, saying that the scientist was tortured into admitting that he was a spy. He was sentenced last year.

The 59-year-old man, who ran his own medical research company in Beijing, was arrested in early 2005.

Among other things, he was convicted of passing Chinese military secrets to Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.

Court documents said he spied for an organisation called The Grand Alliance for the Reunification of China under the Three Principles of the People between 1989 and 2003.

This group is under the auspices of Taiwan's new ruling party, the Kuomintang, according to China.

His daughter, Ran Chen, who holds an Austrian passport, said her father's death had been confirmed by the Austrian embassy in Beijing.

Mr Wo's family alleged that he had been denied access to a lawyer for a year.

A spokeswoman for the United States' embassy in Beijing condemned the execution. >>> | November 28, 2008

DIE PRESSE: Hinrichtung eines „Austro-Chinesen“

Wo Weihan lebte sieben Jahre in Innsbruck. Seine Töchter sind Österreicherinnen. Jetzt wurde er in Peking exekutiert, weil er für Taiwan spioniert haben soll.

WIEN. Die chinesische Justiz kannte keine Gnade. Sie ließ sich von niemandem erweichen. Es half nichts, dass die österreichische und die amerikanische Regierung intervenierten. Und auch die emotionalen Appelle der beiden Töchter des Todeskandidaten verhallten ungehört: Am Freitagmorgen wurde der 59-jährige Biomediziner Wo Weihan in einem Gefängnis in Peking durch Erschießen hingerichtet.

Seit 2005 saß der Biomediziner, der von 1988 bis 1997 in München und Innsbruck tätig war, hinter Gittern. Mehr als ein Jahr verbrachte er in der Todeszelle. Die chinesischen Behörden warfen ihm vor, für Taiwan spioniert und geheime Informationen über den Gesundheitszustand von hochrangigen Politikern weitergegeben zu haben. Jahrelang kämpften Ran Chen und Di Chen, die Töchter des Angeklagten, um das Leben ihres Vaters. Anfang der Woche erst erhielten sie überraschend eine Besuchserlaubnis, um die sie sich so lange vergeblich bemüht hatten. „Ihr könnt euren Vater ein letztes Mal sehen“, sagte man ihnen in Peking. Da vermuteten sie schon Schlimmstes. Der Vater wusste noch nichts von der bevorstehenden Hinrichtung. „Deshalb hinterließ er nicht einmal letzte Worte für seine Familie“, meinte Ran Chen am Freitag bei einer Pressekonferenz in Peking. >>> Irene Zöch | 28. November 2008

DIE PRESSE: Hinrichtung von Wo Weihan: Diplomatische Krise Wien-Peking

Der chinesische Geschäftsträger wurde ins Außenministerium zitiert. Staatssekretär Winkler spricht von "schwerem Vertrauensbruch" der chinesischen Justiz. Das Ansehen Chinas sei "schwer beschädigt".

Die Hinrichtung des chinesischen Geschäftsmannes Wo Weihan ungeachtet zahlreicher Gnadenappelle aus Österreich und der Europäischen Union hat eine schwere diplomatische Krise im Verhältnis zwischen Wien und Peking verursacht. Im Auftrag von Außenministerin Ursula Plassnik ist der Geschäftsträger der chinesischen Botschaft, Wang Shunqing, in das Außenministerium zitiert worden. Staatssekretär Hans Winkler bezeichnete dabei die Vorgangsweise der chinesischen Justiz als "schweren Vertrauensbruch, der durch nichts zu rechtfertigen ist", und nannte das Verhalten der Behörden gegenüber der Familie des Hingerichteten "unmenschlich". Der 60-jährige Wo Weihan, dem von der chinesischen Justiz angelastet wurde, dem taiwanesischen Geheimdienst "Staatsgeheimnisse" verkauft zu haben, hatte mehrere Jahre in Österreich gelebt, seine Töchter sind Österreicherinnen. >>> | 30. November 2008

LE FIGARO: L'UE indignée par l'exécution d'un «espion» chinois

Après l'annulation du sommet UE-Chine, les diplomates occidentaux sont consternés par ce nouveau signal négatif envoyé par Pékin.

Les diplomates européens n'en reviennent pas. Après l'étonnant report du sommet Europe-Chine, qui devait s'ouvrir ce matin à Lyon, voilà que Pékin leur envoie un nouveau signal qui confine à la provocation. À l'heure où s'ouvrait la 26e session du dialogue euro-chinois sur les droits de l'homme, vendredi, les autorités chinoises fusillaient un «espion» pour lequel l'UE et Washington appelaient depuis des mois à la clémence. Alors que l'homme était condamné à mort depuis longtemps, la concomitance des deux événements ne peut tout devoir au hasard. La ministre autrichienne des Affaires étrangères, Ursula Plassnik, a ainsi dénoncé un «affront prémédité» de Pékin envers l'Union européenne.

L'UE a condamné «avec la plus grande fermeté» l'exécution de Wo Weihan, 59 ans, qui avait vécu à Vienne et avait deux filles de nationalité autrichienne. Un communiqué «marque son indignation devant cette exécution», le jour même du dialogue UE-Chine. Vienne a fustigé la «conduite inhumaine de la Chine». Et l'Europe n'est pas isolée sur le dossier puisque les États-Unis se sont dits «consternés» par l'application de la sentence. Washington considère que l'arrestation et le procès de M. Wo n'ont pas répondu aux normes internationales. >>> Arnaud de La Grange | 1.12.2008

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Vatican Thanks Muslims for Bringing God Back into the Public Eye in Europe
Photo of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran courtesy of the Mail Online
MAIL Online: The Vatican has thanked Muslims for bringing God back into the public sphere in Europe.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Catholic Church's department for interfaith contacts, said religion was now talked and written about more than ever before in today's Europe.

'It's thanks to the Muslims,' he said in a speech printed in Friday's L'Osservatore Romano, the official daily of the Vatican.
'Muslims, having become a significant minority in Europe, were the ones who demanded space for God in society.'

Vatican officials have long bemoaned the secularisation of Europe, where church attendance has dwindled dramatically in recent decades, and urged a return to its historically Christian roots.

But Tauran said no society had only one faith.

'We live in multicultural and multi-religious societies, that's obvious,' he told a meeting of Catholic theologians in Naples.

'There is no civilisation that is religiously pure.'

Tauran's positive speech on interfaith dialogue came after a remark by Pope Benedict prompted media speculation that the Vatican was losing interest in it.

Some Jewish leaders reacted with expressions of concern and the Vatican denied any change. >>> | November 28, 2008

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Der Terror-Krieg von Mumbai

STERN:
Das neue Gesicht des globalen Terrors >>> Von Swantje Strieder, Mumbai | 28. November 2008

WELT ONLINE: Indien gilt bei Islamisten als Handlanger des Satans

Nach den Terroranschlägen in Indien steigt die Zahl der Toten auf über 135, vier Deutsche kamen ums Leben, Hunderte Menschen wurden verletzt. Die Bilder des brennenden Luxushotels Taj Mahal gingen, wie damals die zerstörten WTC-Türme, um die Welt. Für die Islamisten ist Indien der Handlanger Satans.

Das mit allgemeiner Erleichterung aufgenommene Ende der Ära George W. Bushs mag im Westen für einen Augenblick die Illusion genährt haben, damit sei auch die martialische Phase des weltweiten „Kriegs gegen den Terror“ überwunden. Wer freilich daran glauben wollte, die terroristische Gefahr sei von Finsterlingen in Washington zu militaristischen Zwecken nur aufgebauscht worden, ist durch den Anschlag von Bombay, der eher einer generalstabsmäßig geplanten Kriegsoperation glich, jäh eines besseren belehrt worden.

Ohne die beiden Ereignisse schlicht in eins zu setzen: Wie am Anfang der Amtszeit Bushs der tödliche Schock des 11. September stand, so beginnt die Epoche Obamas mit einer spektakulären Herausforderung durch den Terrorismus, deren Dimension außerhalb der Vorstellungskraft der Weltöffentlichkeit lag. >>> Von Richard Herzinger | 28. November 2008

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Medvedev in Cuba to Improve Ties
BBC: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is in Cuba for the final stop in a tour of Latin America intended to strengthen Russian influence in the region.

Mr Medvedev and Cuban President Raul Castro are expected to sign deals on nickel mining and oil exploration.

The Russian leader arrived in Havana from Venezuela, where he and President Hugo Chavez signed a deal on promoting nuclear energy for civilian use.

Military co-operation also featured in Mr Medvedev's talks with Mr Chavez.

After meeting his Cuban counterpart, Mr Medvedev told reporters: "We have a systematic dialogue. Our relations have been generally good, but in the past six months they have become especially intense."

Russian and Venezuelan warships are scheduled to hold joint military exercises later this week.

Russia is already a major arms supplier to Venezuela, with contracts worth some $4.4bn (£2.39bn). >>> | November 28, 2008

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Miliband Nuclear Speech Irks Iran
BBC: Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the British ambassador over comments made by David Miliband on its nuclear ambitions, state media said.

The Foreign Secretary said Iran's nuclear programme was a threat to Middle East and world security.

Iran's state radio reported ambassador Geoffrey Adams was called in after the speech to Arab leaders. >>> | November 27, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
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L'élection d'Obama attise 
les agressions racistes
LE FIGARO: L'arrivée à la Maison-Blanche du premier président noir a provoqué une vague de réactions racistes à travers tout le pays.

Trois semaines après avoir été sauvagement battu par des jeunes, Ali Kamara, vit dans la peur d'une nouvelle attaque. Le soir de l'élection, le jeune, originaire du Liberia, revenait de chez un ami, lorsque quatre hommes d'à peine 20 ans, l'ont tabassé à coups de batte de baseball sur la tête, le corps et les jambes, en criant «Obama». Deux d'entre eux ont été déferrés devant un tribunal et accusés de crime à connotation raciale, mais les deux autres courent toujours et Ali craint qu'ils ne cherchent à venger leurs copains. «Je sais qu'ils sont dans le coin et cela ne me rassure pas», confie l'adolescent de 17 ans, en montrant les blessures sur son crâne.

Ali, qui estime avoir échappé à la mort par miracle, préfère désormais rester dans son quartier à écouter du rap avec ses copains au pied de son immeuble plutôt que de s'aventurer trop loin. Pour lui, il ne fait aucun doute qu'il a été attaqué à cause de la couleur de sa peau. >>> Adèle Smith, New York | 28.11.2008

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Mumbai Attack: British Men 'among the Terrorists'
THE TELEGRAPH: British men were among the terrorists who killed 140 in the attacks in Mumbai, Indian authorities have claimed.

Two British-born Pakistanis were among eight gunmen seized by Indian commandos who stormed buildings to free hostages, Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Mumbai, reportedly said.

The Foreign Office earlier said it was investigating reports on NDTV, a local television news channel, that the terrorists - who swarmed luxury hotels and other tourist sites in the city - included "British citizens of Pakistani origin". >>> By Jon Swaine | November 28, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Mumbai Atacks: British Muslims and Terrorist Attacks: A number of young British Muslims with roots in Pakistan have been responsible for terrorist attacks, both in Britain and abroad. >>> | November 28, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: British Student Admits Trying to Join Mujahideen Terrorists

A university student from London has admitted trying to get to Afghanistan to join mujahideen terrorists fighting coalition forces.

Mohammed Abushamma, 20, from Islington, north London, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to preparing acts of terrorism between March 17 and April 18, this year.

He was remanded on conditional bail and will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.

Abushamma and co-accused Qasim Abukar, 20, from Tufnell Park, north London, were arrested at Heathrow airport in April as they arrived back in England.

They had taken a plane to Turkey but had voluntarily left after being spoken to by officials from the British and Turkish authorities in Ankara.

They are believed to have applied for visas to go to Afghanistan. >>> | November 28, 2008

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EU will 10'000 Flüchtlinge aus dem Irak aufnehmen: Beschluss der Innenminister der Union in Brüssel
NZZ Online: Bis zu 10'000 Flüchtlinge aus dem Irak können auf Aufnahme in die Europäische Union hoffen. Darauf einigten sich die EU-Innenminister in Brüssel nach Angaben des deutschen Innenministers Wolfgang Schäuble einstimmig.

(sda/afp/Reuters) Deutschland ist nach seinen Worten bereit, 2500 Menschen aufzunehmen. Nach Zahlen des Uno-Hochkommissars für Flüchtlingsfragen kann von den etwa zwei Millionen irakischen Flüchtlingen, die in Lagern in Syrien und Jordanien Zuflucht suchten, rund 60'000 die Rückkehr in ihre Heimat nicht zugemutet werden. >>> | 27. November 2008

BBC: EU Ready to Accept 10,000 Iraqis

The European Union says it is ready to accept up to 10,000 Iraqi refugees, many of whom are living in extreme hardship in Jordan and Syria.

The agreement came at an EU meeting in Brussels on Thursday, where interior ministers received a new report on conditions at refugee camps.

Germany said it would take in about 2,500 of the refugees.

Priority will be given to those with medical needs, torture victims, single mothers and religious minorities.

The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, welcomed the EU pledge as a "positive step", saying it had been pressing the EU for 18 months to offer more protection to vulnerable Iraqi refugees. >>> | November 28, 2008

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«Es ist Krieg»: Indische Stimmen zu den Anschlägen von Mumbai
NZZ Online: Nach dem Terrorangriff von Mumbai fordern die indischen Medien einen nationalen Schulterschluss. Die Parteien müssten ihren Hickhack beenden, Regierung und Opposition gemeinsam für Sicherheit sorgen, lautet der Tenor.

awy. «Wie antwortet eine Demokratie mit gut einer Milliarde Bevölkerung, wenn ein paar Verrückte ihr das Herz aus ihrer Finanzhauptstadt reissen und ihre Seele zerstören?» Diese Frage stellt der «Indian Express» in seinem Kommentar zu den Terroranschlägen von Mumbai/Bombay. Angesichts der terroristischen Drohung sei es Zeit, die Reihen zu schliessen, Einigkeit herzustellen, fordert die Zeitung etwas hilflos.

Die «Times of India» stellt fest: «Indien befindet sich im Krieg, und es hat tödliche Feinde in seiner Mitte.» Auch diese Zeitung ruft zur Einigkeit auf. Es brauche eine neue Sicherheitskultur und wahrscheinlich strengere Gesetze; dafür müssten Regierung und Opposition jetzt gemeinsam sorgen.

«Dieser Krieg kann gewonnen werden. Gefordert sind die politische Klasse, die Sicherheitskräfte und die gewöhnliche Bevölkerung.» Und die Zeitung warnt vor religiöser Parteinahme: «Terroristen haben keine Religion*.» >>> | 28. November 2008

*So etwas Dummes zu sagen! Wie kann man so etwas behaupten, wenn es sogar einem blinden Mann ganz klar ist, daß die Terroristen den Dschihad führen, und dies natürlich im Namen Islam? - ©Mark

L’EXPRESS:
Attaques de Bombay: "L'Inde est sous le choc" >>> | 27.11.2008

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Zawahiri Blames Global Financial Crisis on 9/11 in Latest Al-Qaeda Video
THE TELEGRAPH: Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has said in a new internet video that the international financial crisis is the result of a US war on Muslims and the Sept 11 attacks.

Zawahiri also claimed the recent security gains made by US forces in Iraq were only temporary and Afghan President Hamid Karzai's offers to negotiate with Taliban elements were a sign of his regime's weakness.

The comments in a new internet video come a week after Zawahiri compared US President-Elect Barack Obama to a "house negro" implying he did the bidding of whites.

The video, "Al-Azhar – The Lions' Den", was posted on jihadist websites earlier this week according to the SITE intelligence group, which monitors online Islamist militant propaganda.

Zawahiri said: "This crisis is one of ... the series of American economic haemorrhages after the strikes of September 11... And these ... will continue as long as the foolish American policy of wading in Muslim blood continues."

"The ones shouldering the burden are taxpayers, whose money was spent to rescue senior capitalists and to protect the fraudulent interest-based system from collapse." >>> By Ben Farmer in Kabul | November 28, 2008

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Al-Qaida No. 2 to US: Overcome Meltdown with Islam

CAIRO, Egypt — Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader appeared in a new video posted Friday calling on Americans to embrace Islam to overcome the financial meltdown, which he said was a consequence of the Sept. 11 attacks and militant strikes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ayman al-Zawahri, whose 80-minute recording touched on a number of subjects, also lashed out at Afghanistan's government and said any U.S. gains in Iraq will be temporary.

Zawahri's new recording came in the form of a question-and-answer session with an off-camera interviewer.

Appearing in a white turban and robe, Zawahri discussed the roots of the U.S. economic crisis. He said it was a repercussion of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, and that the crisis would continue "as long as the foolish American policy of wading in Muslim blood continues."

"The American economy was afflicted by a downturn and loss of investor confidence in the market following the events of Sept. 11," he said.

"The modern economy has been destroyed by the strikes of the mujahedeen (in Iraq and Afghanistan) and usury," he said, using the Arabic term for holy warriors.

Under Islamic Sharia law, usury, like drinking alcohol, is among the grand sins.

Zawahri then called on the American people to "embrace Islam to live a life free of greed, exploitation and forbidden wealth." >>> | November 28, 2008

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Sikh Man Loses Right to Wear Turban in Driving Licence Photo after EU Court Ruling
Photo of Sikhs in turbans courtesy of the Mail Online
MAIL Online: A Sikh man who wanted the right to wear a turban while being photographed for his French drivers' licence has lost his case in the European Court of Human Rights.

Shingara Mann Singh, a French national, lost a series of appeals in France against the authorities who refused to issue a new licence with a photograph of him wearing a turban.

Under French regulations, motorists must appear 'bareheaded and facing forward' in their licence photographs but the Sikh religion requires men to wear a turban at all times.

Mr Singh, 52, took his case to the ECHR but the Strasbourg-based court dismissed the case. >>> | November 28, 2008

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Police State UK: Outcry as Anti-terror Police Arrest Top Tory MP over 'Immigration Leaks to Media'
MAIL Online: David Cameron today led a furious outcry at the arrest and detention for nine hours of the Conservative Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green.

The Tory leader called the police operation 'extraordinary and frankly rather worrying', while former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis compared it with the arrest of opposition in Zimbabwe.

Mr Green had his home, his Commons and constituency offices searched over claims that he leaked confidential Government documents.

The arrest, in an operation described by Mr Green's colleagues as 'Stalinesque', plunged the Tories into an unprecedented row with the police and the Government.

Furious party officials said the move was of such a sensitive nature that Downing Street and the Home Office must have been notified.

Extraordinarily, it emerged that Mr Cameron, Boris Johnson and Commons Speaker Michael Martin were all informed about the raids. Yet No 10 insisted the Prime minister and Home Secretary had no advance knowledge.

But one senior backbencher said the arrest 'smacks of a police state'. >>> By James Chapman and Ian Drury | November 28, 2008

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New Dark Age Alert! Sklaverei gehört nicht der Vergangenheit an: Nach Uno-Angaben weltweit 27 Millionen Menschen betroffen
NZZ Online: Auch mehr als 200 Jahre nach der Abschaffung der Sklaverei sind nach Uno-Angaben weltweit mehr als 27 Millionen Menschen Opfer von Menschenhandel.

(sda/afp) «Die Sklaverei gehört nicht der Vergangenheit an, sie ist auch heute noch Realität», sagte die Uno-Sonderberichterstatterin für moderne Formen der Sklaverei, Gulnara Shahinian, am Donnerstag in Genf. Weltweit seien Menschen in armen und reichen Ländern betroffen. Sklaverei gehe dabei oft mit Armut, sozialer Ausgrenzung, Mangel an Bildung und Korruption einher. >>> | 28. November 2008

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Studie: Rechtsextremismus ist kein Randphänomen
WELT ONLINE: Ein Fünftel aller Deutschen hat eine ausländerfeindliche Einstellung, 15 Prozent sind chauvinistisch eingestellt und der Antisemitismus in der Bevölkerung wächst: Das sind einige Ergebnisse einer neuen Studie. Besonders schlechte Werte hat Bayern. Ein anderes Bundesland überrascht mit vielen Befürwortern einer Diktatur.

Rechtsextremismus bleibt ein Problem in Deutschland. Einer aktuellen Umfrage zufolge treffen rechtsextreme Einstellungen in breiten Bevölkerungsgruppen weiter auf Zustimmung. So seien bundesweit 15 Prozent der Deutschen chauvinistisch eingestellt und gut ein Fünftel habe eine ausländerfeindliche Einstellung, heißt es in einer Studie der Universität Leipzig im Auftrag der SPD-nahen Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

Auch einzelne antisemitische Einstellungen träfen auf eine breite Zustimmung. Für die von den Leipziger Medizin-Soziologen Elmar Brähler und Oliver Decker geleitete Folgestudie wurden im Mai und Juni insgesamt 2.426 Menschen im Alter zwischen 14 und 91 Jahren befragt, davon 1.921 in West- und 505 in Ostdeutschland.

„Eine rechtsextreme Einstellung ist kein Randphänomen, sondern findet sich in der Mitte der Gesellschaft wieder“, sagte Brähler bei der Präsentation. Unterschiede gebe es allerdings in der Art und Weise, wie diese offenbart werde. So würden die meisten ihre rechtsextreme Einstellung nicht offen zeigen. Vielmehr wählten sie eine der beiden großen Volksparteien und seien Mitglieder in Gewerkschaften und Kirchen. >>> | 27. November 2008

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Don't Defend Religion by Ending Free Speech
THE WISCONSIN JEWISH CHRONICLE: New York (JTA) — A draft resolution that was passed Nov. 24 by a committee of the United Nations General Assembly threatens to silence criticism of religion.

The resolution, circulated by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, representing more than 50 Muslim nations, is perversely being advanced under the guise of protecting human rights.

In its current form, the resolution would declare defamation of religion to be a violation of international law. The resolution’s drafters hope to circumvent national constitutional protections for freedom of speech, including the United States’ First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, by superseding international law.

If the resolution is adopted, the effort to ban speech defamatory of religion will be a centerpiece of a coming U.N. conference against racism, the so-called Durban II meeting, to be held in Geneva next spring.

The resolution is the culmination of many years of quiet work by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which has set as a goal the criminalization of any “defamation of religion, especially Islam.”

By making “defamation of religion” a crime under international law, nations would be able to seek extradition and trial abroad of persons who make statements critical or offensive to one or all faiths anywhere.

This is not merely a hypothetical. A private group in Jordan (where private parties may initiate criminal prosecutions) is seeking extradition of the Danish cartoonist and publishers of the “Mohammad” cartoons to stand trial in Jordan for defaming Islam.

As a result, Denmark’s foreign minister has begun telling OIC members that if a ban on “defamation of religion” is part of the anti-racism agenda in Geneva, it and other European nations will not participate. >>> By Marc D. Stern | November 27, 2008
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George Winston: Thanksgiving

Iranian Court Sentences Man to Be Blinded by Acid
YNETNEWS: Ruling against man who blinded woman with acid based on law system of eye for eye retribution

Iranian newspapers say a court has sentenced a man who blinded a woman with acid also to be blinded with acid under the country's Islamic law.

Thursday's reports in several newspapers, including the Kargozaran, say 27-year-old Majid confessed to attacking Ameneh Bahrami in 2004 to dissuade anyone from marrying the woman he loved.

Wednesday's ruling was issued based on the Islamic law system of "qisas," or eye for an eye retribution.

The reports say Ameneh asked the court to sentence Majid, who was only identified by his first name, to be blinded by acid to prevent similar attacks on other women.

Majid is allowed to appeal the verdict. [Source: YnetNews] Associated Press | November 27, 2008

THE GUARDIAN: Eye for an Eye: Iranian Man Sentenced to Be Blinded for Acid Attack

Female victim was left sightless and disfigured / She requests punishment, allowable under sharia law

A man who blinded a woman in an acid attack after she spurned his marriage proposals has been sentenced to the same punishment, in a literal application of Iran's sharia eye-for-an-eye laws.

In a highly unusual judgment, Tehran province criminal court ordered Majid Movahedi, 27, to be blinded in both eyes from drops of acid in response to a plea from his victim, Ameneh Bahrami.

The punishment is legal under the sharia code of qisas, which allows retribution for violent crimes. The court also ordered Movahedi to pay compensation to the victim.

Bahrami was left horrifically disfigured after Movahedi threw a jar of acid in her face as she walked home from work in a busy Tehran neighbourhood in October 2004. She had previously complained to police about being threatened and harassed by Movahedi, who she had known while they were both university students, but had been told no action could be taken.

Since the attack, Bahrami has undergone 17 operations, some by surgeons in Spain, in an unsuccessful attempt to reconstruct her face. Her injuries led to the loss of one eye and left her blind in the other. The Iranian government has paid £22,500 towards her treatment. >>> Robert Tait in Istanbul | November 28, 2008

MAIL Online: Jealous Lover Who Blinded Woman with Acid Will Be Blinded with Acid, Iranian Court Rules amid Outcry over Hangings

This horrendous photo is brought to you courtesy of the Mail Online. Is this the sort of barbarism we have to look forward to when Islam gets stronger in the West?
A jealous lover who blinded a woman with acid is also to be blinded with acid under the country's Islamic law.

A 27-year-old named only as Majid confessed to attacking Amenah Bahrami in 2004 to dissuade anyone from marrying the woman he loved.

Wednesday's ruling was issued based on the Islamic law system of 'qisas,' or eye for an eye retribution.

The reports say Ameneh asked the court to sentence Majid, who was only identified by his first name, to be blinded by acid to prevent similar attacks on other women.

Majid is allowed to appeal the verdict.

Elsewhere, Iran hanged 10 people in a Tehran jail, all of them convicted of murder. The executions are the latest in a series that have drawn criticism from rights groups.

It said one of those executed at Tehran's Evin prison was a woman who killed her husband in 2001 and cut him into pieces.

'They were hanged after their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court,' Fars News Agency said, quoting judiciary sources.

Murder, adultery, rape, armed robbery, apostasy and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Iran's sharia law, practised since the 1979 Islamic revolution. >>> | November 28, 2008

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Elite Troops Storm Blazing Hotels
Photo courtesy of Reuters, where you can comment on this story. Just click on the photo.
THE INDEPENDENT: Elite Indian commandos fought room-to-room battles with gunmen inside two luxury hotels to save scores of people trapped or taken hostage.

Meanwhile India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, blamed the Mumbai attacks on militant groups based in the country's neighbours - usually meaning Pakistan, raising fears of renewed tension between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Helicopters buzzed overhead and crowds cheered as the commandos, their faces blackened, moved into the Trident-Oberoi, where 20 to 30 people were thought to have been taken hostage and more than 100 others were trapped in their rooms. Huge flames billowed from an upper floor. >>> By Charlotte Cooper, Reuters | November 27, 2008

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The Bible, But Not as You Know It
Image courtesy of the BBC
BBC: Most people think of the Bible as a densely printed book with no pictures, but a version of the scripture that resembles a glossy coffee table magazine aims to change that. It's part of a wave of radical presentations of the Bible, including a manga version and a Lego gospel. But how do Christians feel about these attempts to spread the word?

It's the kind of magazine you might find in a doctor's waiting room next to Cosmopolitan or Reader's Digest. On the front is a pale face heavy with mascara. A flick through throws up striking images: urban flooding, a Nigerian abattoir, a girl eating noodles, a pooch in a limo.

It's only when and if you get round to reading the text that the incongruity strikes you: "Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven." What kind of problem page is this?

Bible Illuminated is the latest attempt to bring the Bible into the modern world. In the format of a 300-page glossy magazine, it contains the whole text of the New Testament in a popular translation, with no chapter or verse numbers.

The images are by turns beautiful, violent, oblique and provocative - much like the book itself. >>> By Stephen Tomkins | November 27, 2008

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Mumbai Attacks: Blasts Heard across Indian City as Hostages Freed
THE TELEGRAPH: Blasts were heard across southern Mumbai on Thursday as Indian commandos prepared to storm the Trident-Oberoi hotel to rescue the last foreign hostages seized by Islamist militants in a series of attacks the night before.

Standoffs continued between the Indian police in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) and heavily armed militants who a day earlier carried out seven coordinated attacks across the city that killed more than 100 people.

Witnesses in the Indian financial capital said a fresh round of firing was heard as commandos prepared to storm the Trident-Oberoi, a luxury hotel where as many as 200 people are believed to be trapped.

Police earlier said all of the foreign hostages had been freed from another five-star hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, but AN Roy, the police chief of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, said as many as 100 guests remained trapped inside their rooms.

Witnesses also reported continuing explosions and gunfire at the landmark hotel as a trickle of bodies and hostages were seen emerging from the building.

Eighteen hours after the attacks began, commandos had also gathered outside the Mumbai headquarters of the ultra-orthodox Jewish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch, where a rabbi is thought to have been taken hostage. >>> By Damien McElroy and Rahul Bedi in Bombay | November 27, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Mumbai Attacks: Six Foreigners Including British National Killed, Hundreds Injured

Six foreign nationals, including a Briton, have been confirmed among more than 100 dead following terrorist attacks in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) in India.

Hundreds more have been injured, including seven British nationals, after teams of terrorists stormed hotels, cafes and tourist attractions in a series of coordinated attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai.

Hundreds of tourists were held hostage in two luxury hotels in the city. Local reports said among the dead foreigners were a British national, a 41-year-old Japanese man and a 49-year-old Australian.

Among the wounded are travellers from Australia, the United States, Spain, Norway, Canada and Singapore. Seven British citizens have been injured.

Sir Richard Stagg, the British High Commissioner in India, told the BBC: "We have visited most of the central hospitals where those injured have been taken and have met seven British victims who are in hospital at the moment and we understand there is likely to be some other injured of British nationality."

The death toll from the attacks stands at 101.

Indian troops have surrounded the Trident Oberoi Hotel and the Taj Mahal Hotel where tourists are being held by militants. >>> By Damien McElroy and Rahul Bedi in New Delhi | November 27, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Mumbai Attacks: The World Can't Ignore India's Islamist Terrorists Any Longer

India has suffered a gathering wave of Islamist terror attacks over the last five years, but it wasn't until yesterday afternoon that the terrorists really made the outside world sit up and take notice.

By targeting one of India's most iconic hotels, The Taj Mahal Palace on Mumbai's waterfront and holding hundreds of its wealthy foreign guests hostage, the Islamists have touched an international nerve at a delicate moment in the story of India's resurgence.

Despite the spate of attacks in recent years, including the 2006 train bombings in Mumbai that killed 180 people and bomb attacks this year in commercially sensitive locations of Bangalore and New Delhi, India has managed to retain its international image as a 'safe' place to visit and invest.

That all changed yesterday as the international news networks were filled with the voices of terrified Americans and Europeans, some of them on their mobile phones direct from the Taj Mahal Hotel, even as the bombs exploded nearby.

Such images will cause damage to India's status as an international investment destination at time when the economy is already suffering serious fallout from the global credit crunch.

Foreign capital, highly instrumental in India's economic resurgence, is fleeing India's economy at an alarming rate (more than £10bn this year), driving up the cost of borrowing and curbing the investment on which India's 'economic miracle' depends. >>> By Peter Foster | November 27, 2008

NZZ Online: Verheerende Terroranschläge in Mumbai: Viele Einrichtungen gleichzeitig angegriffen - Beträchtliche Opferbilanz

Bei mehreren gezielten Angriffe in der indischen Finanzmetropole Mumbai sind nach jüngsten Angaben über 100 Personen getötet worden. Gegen 250 Personen haben ernsthafte Verletzungen erlitten, wie die Behörden am Donnerstag mitteilten. Die Terroristen haben zwei Hotels, einen Bahhof sowie Spitäler und auch einen Flughafen unter Beschuss genommen.

hoh. Die Urheber der brutalen Anschläge hatten offenbar westliche Bürger im Visier. In den beiden Hotels, dem über den Subkontinent hinaus berühmten «Taj Mahal» sowie das Nobelhaus «Trident Oberoi», nahmen die Attentäter britische und amerikanische Bürger als Geiseln. Wie viele Personen die fundamentalistischen Angreifer in ihrer Gewahrsam haben, konnte bisher aber nicht ermittelt werden. >>> | 27. November 2008

NZZ Online: Landmarken des Fortschritts und des Wohlstands: Die Terroranschläge von Mumbai treffen wichtige Symbole

Die Schauplätze sind gezielt gewählt: Die terroristischen Anschläge in Mumbai treffen Landmarken von grosser symbolischer und historischer Bedeutung. Sie stehen für den Fortschritt und die Weltoffenheit der grössten indischen Metropole. >>> Von Isabelle Imhof | 27. November 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Mumbai Attacks: Who Are the Deccan Mujahedeen Terrorists?: The Deccan Mujahedeen, which has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks across Mumbai in India (formerly known as Bombay), appears to be the latest in a string of home-grown Indian Islamic militant splinter groups. >>> | November 27, 2008

LE FIGARO: Bombay : la police poursuit l'évacuation des otages

Les forces indiennes affrontent toujours des islamistes armés qui retiennent des otages, dont des étrangers, dans deux hôtels de luxe et un centre juif de Bombay, après avoir lancé une série d'attaques coordonnées. Plus de cent Indiens et au moins neuf étrangers ont été tués. >>> C.M., S.L. et L.S. (lefigaro.fr) avec agences | 27.11.2008

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Happy Thanksgiving to You All!
Wishing all my visitors a very BLESSED and HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Photo courtesy of Google Images

Barack Obama Forced to Deny Abandoning 'Change' Amid Insider Appointments
Photo of Barack Hussein Obama courtesy of the Times Online
TIMESONLINE: Barack Obama today defended himself against his decision to pack his new cabinet with veteran Washington insiders and former Clinton officials, after a campaign in which he had promised “change”.

Mr Obama responded after announcing the former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker – a veteran of the Carter and Reagan administrations – to head a new economic panel to stop “groupthink” infecting his inner circle of White House financial advisers.

There have been mounting concerns, particularly from the liberal wing of his own Democratic party, that Mr Obama has pivoted sharply since his election to the centre-right with his choice of top cabinet posts.

His main economic advisers have close ties to the Clinton White House, and Mr Obama has even chosen Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State. His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, also served Bill Clinton, and more appointments to be announced week will include [a] slew of officials who served in the last Democratic administration.

“What we are going to do is combine experience with fresh thinking,” Mr Obama said at his third press conference in as many days. He said he would be foolish, at such a “critical time in our history”, to pick people who “had no experience in Washington whatsoever.” He added: “What I don’t want to do is somehow suggest that because you somehow served in the last administration you are barred from serving again.” >>> Tim Reid in Chicago | November 26, 2008

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Lest We Should Ever Forget the Cruelty of Which Man Is So Capable

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Queen Elizabeth II Reflects on Her Life, Rare Footage

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Muslim Student's Fury after 118 118 Joke Service Sends Him 'Bernard Manning-style' Racist Gags
MAIL Online: A stunned Muslim was shocked after receiving two racist 'jokes' after texting a service run by directory inquiries service 118 118.

Kameron Abbas, 21, used the company's new joke text service with a friend 'for a laugh' after seeing it advertised on TV.

But he was horrified when he was sent a message saying: 'What's the difference between ET and an Asian? ET got the message and went home.'

Stunned Kameron then requested another, again using his friend Imran Shah's telephone, and received: 'How do you save a drowning Pakistani? Take your foot off his head.' >>> | November 26, 2008

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Christian Police Officer Sacked for Misconduct after Offering Officers 'Cure for Homosexuality'
MAIL Online: A Christian policeman who objected to being 'bombarded' at work by emails and posters promoting gay rights and events has been sacked for misconduct.

PC Graham Cogman, 50, responded to the 'politically correct' campaign by sending emails to colleagues which quoted religious texts and suggested homosexual sex was sinful.

The regular churchgoer was hauled before a disciplinary committee where he was advised by lawyers to admit a breach of the police code of conduct to save his job.

But he was ordered before another hearing following further allegations, including breaching a ban on using internal communication system to circulate a link to an American Christian helpline, and has now been fired by Norfolk police.

Speaking yesterday at the home in Sea Palling, north Norfolk, he shares with his wife Elaine, 46, and their two children, he said: 'The news that I have lost my job is only just sinking in and I am very upset.'

He confirmed he was considering an appeal against the dismissal and was continuing with plans to have his case heard by an employment tribunal on the grounds that he had been harassed over his Christian beliefs. >>> Andrew Levy | November 26, 2008

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Al-Qaeda Threat to New York Subway, Says FBI
TIMESONLINE: The FBI has received a “plausible but unsubstantiated” report that al-Qaeda terrorists may have discussed attacking the New York City subway system during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, US authorities said today.

Russ Knocke, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said that the FBI warning to New York law enforcement agencies meant that there may be an increased police presence in New York and other large metropolitan areas this weekend.

The report indicated that al-Qaeda terrorists “in late September may have discussed targeting transit systems in and around New York City”.

“These discussions reportedly involved the use of suicide bombers or explosives placed on subway/passenger rail systems,” the leaked memo, dated yesterday, said. “We have no specific details to confirm that this plot has developed beyond aspirational planning, but we are issuing this warning out of concern that such an attack could possibly be conducted during the forthcoming holiday season.” >>> | November 26, 2008

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Aussies Warned against Thailand Travel
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Australians travelling to Thailand have been warned that terrorists may be planning attacks against tourists and other places frequented by foreigners.

Authorities have advised tourists not to travel to the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla or overland to and from the Malaysian border.

Danger exists from ongoing violence in those regions, including terrorist attacks and bombings resulting in deaths and injuries on an almost daily basis, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in an updated travel advisory.

Australian travellers have also been warned to exercise a high degree of caution in the rest of Thailand, including in the capital, Bangkok.

"We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution because of the uncertain political situation and high threat of terrorist attack," the advice says.

Tourists should pay close attention to their personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks. >>> | November 26, 2008

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Heil Hitler! Heil Obama!

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'Brown Is Like a Drunk Who Lost Family Silver Playing Roulette': Boris Johnson's Extraordinary Attack on PM
MAIL Online: The Mayor of London launched an extraordinary personal attack on Gordon Brown's handling of the financial crisis today.

Boris Johnson accused the Prime Minister of behaving like a drunk taking a "frantic and unprecedented gamble" with the economy.

"He is like some sherry-crazed old dowager who has lost the family silver at roulette, and who now decides to double up by betting the house as well," the Mayor said.

His attack came as City figures warned that the measures unveiled in the mini-budget posed a grave threat to the future prosperity of London.

One said the new 45 per cent tax rate on earnings above £150,000 would trigger a disastrous "brain drain" of the talent drawn to London during the boom years.

In an article in the London Evening Standard today, Mr Johnson's director of strategy, Anthony Browne, writes: "Alistair Darling has done far more to redistribute wealth here than anywhere else... It is almost as though the budget is the revenge of England on the affluent of Kensington and Chelsea.

"Even at first glance, London has little to cheer from this budget. Whatever the macro-economic arguments about a need for a fiscal stimulus to stave off recession, for the capital this is not really a spend now, pay later budget."

The Mayor described the Prime Minister as a "manic meddler" who was desperately trying to boost the economy to improve his own electoral fortunes.

He accused Mr Brown of treating Londoners like "a bunch of overweight and exhausted laboratory rats" who he hoped would do his bidding. >>> By Jonathan Prynn and Pipa Crerar | November 25, 2008

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Sex-on-the-beach Couple to Be Deported from Dubai after Jail Sentences Are Quashed
MAIL Online: A British couple convicted of having sex on a beach in Dubai had their three-month jail sentences suspended today, their lawyer said.

Michelle Palmer, 36 and Vince Acors, 34, were freed at Dubai's Court of Appeal.

The pair will now be deported and ordered to pay a fine of £170, Acors' solicitor in London said.

Palmer said today's ruling 'proves our innocence'.

Speaking afterwards on her mobile telephone, she said: 'I'm not saying anything. It just proves our innocence after all the bad stuff that was written. That's it.'

Hassan Matter, who represented the couple in court today, said: 'The judge has cancelled the jail. He refused the prosecution appeal (for the sentences to be increased).

'They are free. It's wonderful. >>> | November 25, 2008

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Fatwa Issued Against Italian Politician
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A far right Italian politician -- nicknamed "The Sheriff" -- has reportedly been slapped with a fatwa in response to his anti-Islam, and anti-immigrant, rhetoric. But it may only encourage him.

He likes to express controversial opinions, like the notion that police should "ethnically cleanse" homosexuals or that immigrants in public parks should be "dressed up like rabbits" and used for target practice. But now Giancarlo Gentilini, the deputy mayor of the northeastern Italian city of Treviso, has reportedly had a fatwa declared against him.

"I defend my culture, my religion and civilization without any fear, and so it is natural that I will make some enemies," Gentilini, who belongs to the anti-immigrant, far-right Northern League party, told the Italian news agency ANSA Friday.

Gentilini's name can be found on a list of men to be killed on an Islamic Web site based in Lebanon, according to ilpadano.com, a news site with ties to the Northern League. The site's name is related to the term "Padania," which the party uses to denote northern Italy.

According to ilpadano.com, the fatwa was issued in response to Gentilini's "blaspheming" Islam. Police consider the reports credible, according to ANSA, which adds that the fatwa was issued several months ago.

Gentilini -- who served as mayor of Treviso for two terms before taking his current job -- has been no stranger to controversy. "I want to see a revolution against those that want to open mosques and Islamic centers," he told a Northern League gathering in Venice in September 2008. "This also includes the members of the church hierarchy here who say that we should leave them alone to pray. No, let them go pray in the desert. I'll open a factory to give them the carpets they need to pray on in the desert." >>> jtw | November 24, 2008

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Studie: Hunderttausende Türkinnen heiraten minderjährig
WELT ONLINE: Eine Studie bringt schockierende Details über die Ehepraxis in der Türkei ans Licht. Demnach werden mindestens sieben Prozent der jungen Türkinnen aus der Schule genommen und verheiratet. Zwei Drittel aller Frauen können sich nicht aussuchen, wen sie heiraten. Auch nach der Eheschließung gehen die Zwänge weiter.

In der Türkei gibt es rund eine Million „Kinderbräute“. Das geht aus einer neuen repräsentativen Untersuchung hervor, die die Zeitung „Hürriyet“ in Auftrag gab und aus der sie vorab berichtete. Mindestens sieben Prozent der türkischen Mädchen werden demnach von ihren Eltern vorzeitig aus der Schule genommen, um sie zu verheiraten.



Zwei von drei Frauen könnten sich ihre Ehemänner nicht selbst aussuchen, 60 Prozent der Türkinnen müssten ihre Ehemänner fragen, wenn sie aus dem Haus gehen wollten. >>> AFP/cn | November 25, 2008

BBC: New Laws against Forced Marriages

Image courtesy of the BBC
Laws to prevent forced marriages and protect those who have already fallen victim have been introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The laws mean anyone convicted of trying to force someone into marriage could be jailed for up to two years.

A victim, friend or police can apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order.

These court injunctions will forbid families from actions such as taking people abroad for marriage, seizing passports or intimidating victims.

Penalties for breaching an order include up to two years' imprisonment.

The legislation is the first to specifically target the problem of forced marriages.

Previously the issue had been dealt with through existing measures, such as those contained in the Children's Act, and immigration laws.

Clear message

Justice minister Bridget Prentice said: "This new law is a powerful tool that will help ensure that no-one is forced into marriage against their will and those already in such marriages will receive protection." >>> | November 25, 2008

Listen to BBC audio: Forced marriage reaction: ‘Its not going to work’ >>>
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