Iran: Italian Fashion Store Attacked by Protesters
ADNKRONOS INTERNATIONAL: Tehran - A branch of the Italian clothing retailer Benetton was set on fire in Iran amid angry protests against the Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip, media reports said on Wednesday.

According to the conservative Iranian daily, Jomhuri Eslami, the shop in Dowlat Street, in the north of the capital Tehran, had been attacked by protesters on Tuesday.

Benetton is said to be "linked with the Zionist network," a government newspaper said.

Several Benetton stores have opened in the past two years in Iran, where global brands have largely been absent since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Last year a group of prominent MPs protested against Benetton's presence in Iran, alleging that it was owned by a "Zionist millionaire" and that its fashions were a bad influence on female consumers. [Source: AKI] | Wednesday, December 31, 2008

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Happy New Year! Bonne année! Glückliches Neues Jahr! Felice anno nuovo! Feliz año nuevo!
Image courtesy of Google Images. Please click me for great music.
I would like to wish you ALL a VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY & PROSPEROUS 2009.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued and loyal support.

Saudi Minister Warns against Racism
DAILY TIMES: RIYADH: Saudi Labour Minister Ghazi Al Gosaibi has warned against growing racism among Saudis towards the millions of foreign workers in the kingdom, media reports said on Monday. Gosaibi told senior Labour Ministry officials that the country should treat foreign workers better, protect their rights and not succumb to racism, local newspapers reported. “Regrettably, we have become overwhelmed by arrogance and even racism, and we have begun to imagine that we are better than those who have come to share in shouldering the burden of development,” he said. Foreign workers have a huge presence throughout the kingdom, estimated at more than eight million altogether. [Source: Daily Times] afp | Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

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How Utterly Stupid, Servile and Dhimmi of Fred Nile! Now Australia Prepares for a Ban on Topless Bathing Just to Suit the Narrow-minded, but Exceedingly Prurient Muslims!
Photo of topless bather on a Sydney beach courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Conservative MP Fred Nile says he wants topless bathing banned in NSW to protect Sydney's Muslim and Asian communities.

The Reverend Nile has rejected allegations that prudishness is behind a bill he has prepared to ban nudity, including topless sunbathing, on the state's most popular beaches.

Australia's reputation as a conservative but culturally inclusive sociery [ssic] was at risk of erosion by more liberal overseas visitors, he said.

"Our beaches should be a place where no one is offended, whether it's their religious or cultural views," he said.

"If they've come from a Middle Eastern or Asian country where women never go topless - in fact they usually wear a lot of clothing - I think it's important to respect all the different cultures that make up Australia."

The practice was at risk of raising the ire of Muslim men in particular, Mr Nile said.

"I don't want to have any provocations or disturbances on our public beaches," he said. Topless Ban to Protect Muslims and Asians: Nile >>> Georgina Robinson | Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

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Religione, Islam: Arabia Saudita, giustiziato per omicidio madre e fratello
ICN: Medio Oriente – Un cittadino saudita e' stato decapitato con la sciabola a Taif, nell'ovest dell'Arabia Saudita. Era stato condannato a morte per aver ucciso sua madre e suo fratello, rende noto il Ministero dell'Interno.


Il giustiziato, Mohammed al-Sehimi, in seguito ad una lite familiare avrebbe bruciato la casa uccidendo sua madre e suo fratello e ferendo sua sorella.


Lo stupro, l'omicidio, l'abbandono della fede islamica, la rapina a mano armata e il traffico di droga sono crimini condannabili in Arabia Saudita con la pena di morte.


Lo scorso 14 ottobre Amnesty International ha protestato contro il governo di Riad, responsabile di 'giustiziare persone a un ritmo di piu' di due alla settimana'. [Origine: ICN] Mercoledì 31. dicembre 2008

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Vatikan: Geistig verwirrte Frau wollte Benedikt XVI. beißen
WELT ONLINE: Bissattacke kurz nach Mitternacht: Eine psychisch labile Frau hat an Weihnachten versucht, den Papst in den Hals zu beißen. Das meldete eine Schweizer Zeitung unter Berufung auf einen Sprecher der Schweizer Garde. Die Frau wollte sich demnach mit dem Biss für die Äußerungen Benedikts über Homosexuelle rächen.

Papst Benedikt XVI. ist an Weihnachten laut Medienberichten knapp einer Bissattacke entgangen. Wie die Schweizer Gratiszeitung „20 Minuten“ am Montag auf ihrer Internetseite berichtete, wollte eine Frau das Kirchenoberhaupt nach der Mitternachtsmesse im Petersdom in den Hals beißen. Das Blatt beruft sich auf Erwin Niederberger, der in der Schweiz Medienarbeit für die Schweizer Garde betreibt.

Die psychisch labile Italienerin, die in der Schweiz lebe und psychiatrisch betreut werde, habe gegen Äußerungen des Papstes zum Thema Homosexualität protestieren wollen. Sie stürmte nach der Messe auf Benedikt XVI. zu, wurde aber rechtzeitig von Leibwächtern des Kirchenoberhaupts abgefangen. Sie war laut dem Bericht unbewaffnet. Die Frau befinde sich in polizeilichem Gewahrsam. >>> KNA/ks | Montag, 29. Dezember 2008

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The ROP Does It Again! British Missionaries in Gambia Jailed for One Year with Hard Labour for Sedition
THE TELEGRAPH: A British couple working as Christian missionaries in Gambia have been jailed for one year with hard labour for sending emails that were critical of the Muslim state.

David Fulton, 60, a former Army major, and his wife, Fiona, 46, pleaded guilty to making seditious comments "with intent to bring hatred or contempt against the president or the government".

Their sentence, in a country which has one of west Africa's worst human rights records, sparked concern after reports that other prisoners on similar charges have been poisoned while in jail.

The couple, originally from Torquay in Devon, have spent 12 years in Gambia. They were arrested on 29 November at their home at Kerr Sering, an hour's drive from the capital through tropical bush, and accused of spreading "hatred against the government" via a series of round-robin emails believed to relate to their missionary work.

Friends said that they were not given details of what exactly they were accused of until appearing in court.

They were sentenced in the capital, Banjul, and will be held at one of Africa's toughest jails, the former colonial penal institute of Mile Two Prison. They were also fined 250,000 Dalasis (£6,500). >>> By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent | Tuesday, December 30, 2008

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From the Left, a Call to End the Current Dutch Notion of Tolerance
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: AMSTERDAM: Two years ago, the Dutch could quietly congratulate themselves on having brought what seemed to be a fair measure of consensus and reason to the meanest intersection in their national political life: the one where integration of Muslim immigrants crossed Dutch identity.

In the run-up to choosing a new government in 2006, just 24 percent of the voters considered the issue important, and only 4 percent regarded it as the election's central theme.

What a turnabout, it seemed - and whatever the reason (spent passions, optimism, resignation?), it was a soothing respite for a country whose history of tolerance was the first in 21st-century Europe to clash with the on-street realities of its growing Muslim population.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the Netherlands had lived through something akin to a populist revolt against accommodating Islamic immigrants led by Pim Fortuyn, who was later murdered; the assassination of the filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, accused of blasphemy by a homegrown Muslim killer; and the bitter departure from the Netherlands of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali woman who became a member of Parliament before being marked for death for her criticism of radical Islam.

Now something fairly remarkable is happening again.

Two weeks ago, the country's biggest left-wing political grouping, the Labor Party, which has responsibility for integration as a member of the coalition government led by the Christian Democrats, issued a position paper calling for the end of the failed model of Dutch "tolerance."

It came at the same time Nicolas Sarkozy was making a case in France for greater opportunities for minorities that also contained an admission that the French notion of equality "doesn't work anymore."

But there was a difference. If judged on the standard scale of caution in dealing with cultural clashes and Muslims' obligations to their new homes in Europe, the language of the Dutch position paper and Lilianne Ploumen, Labor's chairperson, was exceptional.

The paper said: "The mistake we can never repeat is stifling criticism of cultures and religions for reasons of tolerance."

Government and politicians had too long failed to acknowledge the feelings of "loss and estrangement" felt by Dutch society facing parallel communities that disregard its language, laws and customs.

Newcomers, according to Ploumen, must avoid "self-designated victimization." >>> By John Vinocur | Monday, December 29, 2008

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Republicans Shamed by Chip Saltsman's Barack Obama CD Parody
TIMESONLINE: A leading contender to become chairman of the Republican Party has left senior officials horrified after he distributed a CD featuring a parody song called Barack the Magic Negro.

At a time when the party seeks to recover from heavy electoral defeats in November - and amid calls that it should reach out to younger and ethnically diverse voters - the emergence of the parody, sung to the tune of Puff the Magic Dragon, has left many Republicans cringing.

Chip Saltsman, a former leader of Tennessee Republicans, who is seeking to take over the party's national committee, sent the CD to party members as a Christmas gift. But unlike him, few found it funny.

The ditty, written by Paul Shanklin, a conservative parodist, alludes to an opinion piece penned by the black writer David Ehrenstein in the Los Angeles Times last year headlined “Obama the Magic Negro”. In the article the author argued that voting for the “warm and unthreatening” Mr Obama helped whites to alleviate guilt over the country's past racial injustices. The song has been played by Rush Limbaugh on his conservative talk radio show. “Barack the Magic Negro,” it begins, “made guilty whites feel good/They'll vote for him and not for me/Cos he's not from the hood.” >>> Tim Reid, Washington | Monday, December 29, 2008

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Israël livre une «guerre sans merci» contre le Hamas, affirme Ehud Barak
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: JERUSALEM | Israël est engagé dans une "guerre sans merci" contre le mouvement islamiste Hamas dans la bande de Gaza, a affirmé lundi le ministre israélien de la Défense Ehud Barak à la Knesset (parlement).

"Nous n'avons rien contre les habitants de Gaza mais nous sommes engagés dans une guerre sans merci contre le Hamas et ses alliés", a déclaré Ehud Barak. >>> afp | Lundi 29 Décembre 2008

DIE PRESSE: "Krieg bis zum bitteren Ende": Israel setzt Angriffe fort

Die Luftangriffe auf den Gazastreifen gehen weiter. Unter anderem wurden eine Universität und das Innenministerium in Gaza bombadiert. Militante Palästinenser feuern indes weiterhin Raketen auf israelisches Grenzgebiet.

Israel setzt seine Luftangriffe auf den Gazastreifen fort. Die Operation "Gegossenes Blei" gehe weiter, sagte ein Armeesprecher am Montagmorgen. Der israelische Verteidigungsminister Ehud Barak erklärte, Israel führe gegen die Hamas einen "Krieg bis zum bitteren Ende". Eine Verhandlungslösung mit der radikalen palästinensischen Organisation im Gazastreifen schloss er aus. Die Hamas hatte sich nach Angaben islamischer Staaten zuvor zu einer Waffenruhe bereit erklärt. >>> Ag/Red | Montag, 29. Dezember 2008

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Muslims Boycott Bank Over Closed Accounts
SUNDAY EXPRESS: BRITISH Muslims are organising a boycott of Barclays Bank after it closed the accounts of an Islamic charity that operates in some of the world’s terror hot spots.

Barclays has given the Bradford and Bolton-based Ummah Welfare Trust just 30 days to move millions of pounds, but the bank has refused to explain why.



The charity says it raises funds for orphanages and other humanitarian aid projects in war torn countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Kashmir, Kosovo, Chechnya, Sudan, Iran and Iraq.



However, the Sunday Express has discovered that as part of its work, it also channels funds to controversial Palestinian charity Interpal, which is the subject of a current Charity Commission investigation over alleged improper links to Palestinian “terror” organisation Hamas, and whose own accounts were closed last month by Lloyds TSB.

In a further finding, the charity also openly advertises its close associations to the Al-Salah Society—also known as the Al-Salah Islamic Association—an organisation blacklisted last year by the US Treasury for being a charitable “front” for Hamas’s “terrorist agenda”. >>> By Ted Jeory | Sunday, December 28, 2008

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Kärnten: Gedenkstätte für Haider am Unfallort
DIE PRESSE: Ein geplantes ''Marterl'' soll 30.000 Euro kosten. Es wird an der Stelle errichtet werden, an der Haider alkoholisiert und mit stark überhöhter Geschwindigkeit verunglückt ist.

Geht es nach den Plänen des Kärntner Landeshauptmanns Gerhard Dörfler (B), soll an der Unfallstelle des im Oktober tödlich verunglückten Jörg Haider eine Gedenkstätte entstehen. Laut Medienberichten soll das geplante Marterl 30.000 Euro kosten. Mit der Gestaltung wurde der Kärntner Künstler Giselbert Hoke beauftragt. >>> | Sonntag, 28. Dezember 2008

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Religious Department to Act against Any Blogger Who Insults Islam
THE NEW STRAITS TIMES ONLINE (NST): PUTRAJAYA: The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will take stern action against bloggers who insult Islam, including non-Muslims.

Its director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz said the department could act against irresponsible bloggers, regardless of their religious background.

"Right now, the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission are still trying to trace the blogger said to have insulted Prophet Muhammad.

"We will come in once the culprit is found," he said.

Wan Mohamad also said there were bound to be "extremists" among religious followers or leaders in view of the country's multi-ethnicity.

He also said Jakim would not lodge any police report against the blogger as the matter was still being investigated by the police. [Source: NST] Hamidah Atan | Sunday, December 28, 2008

RELATED on NST:
Tracking Down Irresponsible Blog Posters Who Insult Islam >>> Hamidah Atan | Sunday, December 28, 2008

Woman Denies Owning Blog Containing Insults against Prophet >>> Hamidah Atan | Sunday, December 27, 2008

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This Government Is a Pack of ...
THE TELEGRAPH: Leading bishops in the Church of England have launched a withering attack on the Government questioning the morality of its policies.

Five of the Church’s most senior figures said the Government now presided over a country suffering from family breakdown, an unhealthy reliance on debt and a growing divide between rich and poor.

The Bishop of Manchester accused Labour of being “beguiled by money” and “morally corrupt”.

The Bishop of Hulme said they were “morally suspect” and the Bishop of Durham said they had reneged on their promises.

They were joined by the bishops of Winchester and Carlisle who claimed ministers had squandered their opportunity to transform society and run out of steam.

The bishops said Labour sacrificed principled politics and long-term solutions for policies designed to win votes. One described the Government as “tired” and another said its policies were “scandalous”.

Meanwhile, in an article for The Sunday Telegraph, David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of leading Britain to the “brink of bankruptcy”. Bishops Deliver Damning Verdict on Britain under Labour Rule >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, December 28, 2008

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Samuel P Huntingdon of Harvard Dies at 81
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Samuel P. Huntington, an influential political scientist and longtime Harvard University professor, died at the age of 81 on Wednesday, according to an obituary on Harvard’s Web site. Mr. Huntington’s most famous thesis – that world conflicts stem from the competing cultural identities of seven or eight “civilizations” – became a fundamental, if controversial, premise of post-Cold War foreign policy theory. His emphasis on ancient religious empires, as opposed to states or ethnicities, gained even more cache after the Sept. 11 attacks. >>> Sarah Wheaton | Saturday, December 27, 2008

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New Dark Age Alert! Weak, Cowardly Politicians in the Process of Giving the Once Great Britain Away to the Adherents of a Seventh-century Cult
THE TELEGRAPH: Channel 4's decision to invite President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to deliver its "alternative" Christmas message may have been offensive to many people, but no one can say the station is neglecting its obligation to cater for minorities. Muslim fundamentalists were thrilled by the broadcast.

Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Britain: the number of Muslims has grown from 1.6 million to two million since 2000. Moreover, every major public institution has changed its policies to accommodate the demands of Islamic "community leaders". The Government, the Opposition, the police, schools, the Church of England, the BBC and now Channel 4 are all helping Muslims construct a parallel Islamic state.

Early next year, the think tank Civitas will publish a survey of 100 British Muslim schools. Entitled When Worlds Collide, it will argue that some of them are pushing pupils into ghettos. Young women, in particular, are forbidden to pursue career opportunities. "Every year, an incalculable number of Muslim young women are lost to the wider world," says the report. One school website links to al-Qaeda; another directs pupils to a scholar who advocates the murder of Jews.

Until recently, these radical mullahs were blamed for turning disaffected youths into bombers. But, in August, a leaked MI5 report revealed that Islamist terrorists tend not to be obvious religious extremists. The Muslim community usually knows nothing about them.

For years, the Government has offered Muslim leaders self-governance in return for information about "dangerous" elements. But if terrorists cannot be accurately identified, this is a waste of time. Unelected community leaders extend control over Muslims, yet society is no safer.

Self-censorship is crucial to this growing separatism. The BBC's director-general, Mark Thompson, says that Muslims should be treated more sensitively than Christians. Indulgence of Islam Is Harming Society >>> By Damian Thompson | Saturday, Dcember 27, 2008

CHANNEL 4: Ahmadinejad’s Alternative Christmas Message


NZZ Online:
Entrüstung über Ahmadinejads Weihnachtsansprache: Britischer Sender strahlt «Alternative» zur Rede der Queen aus >>> | Freitag, 26. Dezember 2008

DIE PRESSE:
Ahmadinejad: "Jesus würde gegen vorherrschende Systeme kämpfen" >>> | Donnerstag, 25. Dezember 2008

LE FIGARO:
Elizabeth II et Ahmadinejad offrent leurs vœux aux Anglais >>> | Vendredi 26 Décembre 2008

WELT ONLINE: Auch Deutschland kapituliert!

Foto dank Google Images
WELT ONLINE: Gläubige Muslimas durften im Schwimmbad bislag nur zusehen. Schließlich sind knappe Bikinis und gemeinsames Plantschen mit Männern nach strenger Koran-Auslegung tabu. Jetzt hat der Berliner Innensenator das Tragen spezieller Bademode erlaubt. Was viele Frauen als Befreiung empfinden, sehen andere dagegen kritisch.

Gläubige muslimische Frauen dürfen sich in Berlin auf die kommende Badesaison freuen: Der Berliner Innensenator Ehrhart Körting (SPD) hat ihnen jetzt das Tragen eines "Burkini", einer islamisch korrekten Badebekleidung aus Burka und Bikini, in städtischen Bädern erlaubt. Gläubige muslimische Frauen können mit dem Burkini (in der Türkei vielfach auch "die Hasema" genannt) ab sofort auch die Hallenbäder nutzen.

Der weit geschnittene Islam-Badeanzug besteht aus einer langen Hose und einem langärmligen Oberteil mit separat erhältlicher Kapuze – sie ersetzt das Kopftuch. In Schwimmbädern die korrekte Kleidung für gläubige Muslimas, denn nach strenger Auslegung des Korans dürfen sie sich fremden Männern nicht unbedeckt zeigen. Und dazu zählt im Zweifel auch der Bademeister. Vereinzelt bieten öffentliche Hallenbäder deshalb zu bestimmten Zeiten "muslimisches Frauenschwimmen" an; vorhandene Fensterfronten der Bäder werden dazu mit Vorhängen verdeckt. Betreut werden die Schwimmerinnen dabei von ausschließlich weiblichem Personal. >>> lha | Mittwoch, 24. Dezember 2008

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Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! Fröhliche Weihnachten! Buon Natale! Felix Nativitas!
I wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Christmas.
’We Three Kings’, an original painting by James C. Christensen
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. – The Gospel According to John, 1, 14

Et la Parole a été faite chair, et elle a habité parmi nous, pleine de grâce et de verité; et nous avons contemplé sa gloire, une gloire du Fils unique venu du Père. – Evangile selon Jean, 1, 14

Und das Wort ward Fleisch und wohnte unter uns, und wir schauten seine Herrlichkeit, eine Herrlichkeit, wie sie der eingige [Sohn] von seinem Vater hat, voll Gnade und Wahrheit. – Das Evangelium nach Johannes, 1, 14

E la Parola è stata fatta carne ed ha abitato per un tempo fra noi, plena di grazia e di verità; e noi abbiam contemplata la sua gloria, gloria come quella dell’Unigenito venuto da presso al Padre. – Evangelo secondo Giovanni, 1, 14

Et Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobus, et vidimus gloriam eius, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Padre, plenum gratiae et veritatis. – Evangelium secundum Ioannem, 1, 14

Queen Stresses Importance of Family in Christmas Message
THE TELEGRAPH: The Queen will stress the importance of the family during the economic downturn in her Christmas Message which will include rare film footage of Prince Charles as a baby.

In the broadcast, filmed in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, the Queen highlights the support she and the Duke of Edinburgh receive from their own children and grandchildren.

The point is underlined by photographs on a grand piano behind the Queen of Prince William and Prince Harry in their Army uniform, next to one of the Prince of Wales in his flying gear when he was in the Royal Navy. There is also a photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh and a black and white one of the Queen and Duke with their children.

The broadcast, set against the backdrop of one of the severest recessions of the Queen's reign, comes after she privately urged the Royal Family to respect the difficult times the country faces by avoiding overt displays of extravagance. In her address the Queen acknowledges that many of her subjects have been hit hard by the economic slump. >>> By Andrew Pierce | Wednesday, December 24, 2008

WATCH BBC VIDEO: The Queen’s Christmas Message >>> | December 25, 2008
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Carla Bruni: "I'm No Longer a Man-eater"

Photo: Google Images
THE TELEGRAPH: France's first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy upstaged her husband on an official trip to Brazil when she announced that she is 'no longer a man-eater'.

Speaking on her 41st birthday, Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy said that now she was married to President Nicolas Sarkozy she had given up her man-eating ways of old following a string of boyfriends from Sir Mick Jagger to Donald Trump.

"I can no longer seduce because I love my husband," she told the Brazilian edition of Marie-Claire magazine.

"I don't want to hurt him. I am no longer a man-eater," she said.
The ex-model and singer added: "We are newly weds. We don't say much, we kiss." >>> By Henry Samuel in Paris | Tuesday, December 23, 2008

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Dubai Sex-on-beach Man Re-arrested
THE TELEGRAPH: A man convicted of having sex on a Dubai beach has been re-arrested as he prepared to board a flight back to Britain, his lawyer said.

Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, south-east London, was due arrive at Heathrow tomorrow morning following his deportation from the Gulf state.

But he was detained at Dubai Airport and returned to jail as his flight confirmation was allegedly "not in order".

Acors and Michelle Palmer, 36, of Oakham, Rutland, were initially given three-month jail terms for unmarried sex and public indecency, but these were suspended on appeal.

He had been due to return last Friday but a hold up in the deportation process meant he was unable to board a Heathrow-bound plane and spent the weekend in jail.

His lawyer Andrew Crossley said tonight: "The return of Vince Acors has been delayed yet again and he will not be returning to the UK tomorrow.

"The situation is close to becoming farcical and Vince is severely disappointed." >>> | Tuesday, December 23, 2008

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Der Tenno feiert Geburtstag: Eingeschränktes Zeremoniell wegen Krankheit und Stress
Foto vom Kaiser und von der Kaiserin Japans dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
NZZ Online: Tausende von Menschen haben in Tokio den japanischen Kaiser Akihito zu seinem 75. Geburtstag gratuliert. Der Kaiser zeigte sich an der Seite von Kaiserin Michiko auf dem verglasten Balkon des Palastes.

(dpa) Auch seine Schwiegertochter, Kronprinzessin Masako, die sich von einer langen stressbedingten Erkrankung erholt, zeigte sich gemeinsam mit ihrem Mann, Kronprinz Naruhito, sowie Prinz Akishino und dessen Frau Prinzessin Kiko.

Er habe seinem Volk in jüngster Zeit Sorgen wegen seiner Gesundheit bereitet, doch glaube er, dass er sich allmählich erhole, rief der Kaiser der fähnchenschwenkenden Besuchermenge zu. Der Monarch musste wegen Anzeichen einer Erkältung einige der Feierlichkeiten zu seinem 75. Geburtstag absagen. >>> | Dienstag, 23. Dezember 2008

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Exclusive: Altruism Comes with Penalty – When Good Turns Into Evil
FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS: There is such an increase of interfaith dialogue in our community lately, that it raises some concerns. While it is important to keep the doors open for dialogue, it is imperative to know who you are dialoguing with.

Freedom of religion in the United States allows Islamists to encourage interfaith dialogue but in their countries there is no such freedom. Many Muslim leaders project peace and love, but beneath that is an agenda of ingratiating themselves to the American community to obtain acceptance and support for their mission.

The enormous positive response to and subsequent discussions after my recent article, “Interfaith Dialogue – Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism,” made me realize how tragically uninformed or misinformed our community leaders are. The mere fact of equating Islamophobia with Anti-Semitism is dangerous and comparing Islam with Judeo-Christian beliefs is ignorant. There are many fundamental differences. The most important one is that Judaism and Christianity do not want to kill those who believe differently than they do. Sadly, facts and consequences seem to elude our religious and political leaders.

I have always held rabbis, priests, pastors, etc. in high esteem and to a higher standard. I have come to realize that we cannot just blindly listen to them – we must hold them accountable and responsible, particularly because they are teaching our impressionable children. We need to become more knowledgeable, be prepared to debate matters and not follow blindly like a herd of sheep. >>> Susan M Reyto | Tuesday, December 23, 2008

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Aide to Archbishop of Canterbury Sacked for Slur on Gay Row Bishop
MAIL Online: An aide to the Archbishop of Canterbury has been sacked after writing an insult to a senior bishop into an official document.

The Lambeth Palace staff member made an offensive reference to the Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali, who has been at odds with the Archbishop over the issue of homosexuality.

The document in the affair, a list of candidates for job vacancies, included a reference to 'the a***hole Bishop of Rochester'.

It was copied to all 43 of the Church of England's diocesan bishops and to Downing Street.

The rogue word was noticed only after the paper had been circulated.

A Church of England spokesman yesterday confirmed the Lambeth Palace aide responsible had been sacked.

He said: 'When this came to light there was an immediate investigation. The person responsible admitted to it and was summarily dismissed.'

The culprit is widely assumed to have been someone who sympathises with the Church of England's gay lobby. The Church has declined to name him or her. >>> By Steve Doughty | Monday, December 22, 2008

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Polly Toynbee: My Christmas Message? There's Probably No God
THE GUARDIAN: It is neither emotionally nor spiritually deficient to reject religions that seek to infantilise us with impossible beliefs

Antidisestablishmentarianism is on the march. Which is odd, considering there is only the faintest whiff of disestablishmentarianism to fight. The Archbishop of Canterbury set this hare running with his usual confused mumbling into his beard. To disestablish the church would be "by no means the end of the world", he said bravely. He hastened to add that he did not want the church sundered from the state right now. And he would oppose "secularists [boo, hiss] trying to push religion into the private sphere". This sent the Telegraph and Mail into a spin, claiming a devilish distestablishment plot on the Labour backbenches - though they could find only three usual suspects. These MPs say the likely move to end the 1701 Act of Settlement that bars Catholics from the throne will make an established church impossible.

How likely is this? Look at how Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have promoted faith and religiosity as "community", and ask yourself if there is the faintest chance that Labour spends untold parliamentary time unpicking the cat's cradle of a relationship between church, Lords and crown? Frankly, if Labour had the inclination for constitutional reform, first priority should be ending our disastrous first-past-the-post voting system.

True, it is embarrassing to be the only western democracy that has theocracy built into its legislature. The 26 bishops in the Lords interfere regularly: they are a threat on abortion, and their campaign sank the Joffe bill, giving the terminally ill the right to die in dignity. Of course they should not be there, when only 16% of people will grace the pews on Christmas Day, and Christian Research forecasts church attendance falling by 90%. But a dying faith clings hard to its inexplicable influence on public life.

Labour has encouraged the power of the religions to a remarkable degree, consulting them on endless committees. To be an atheist is now unacceptable in a political leader: when Nick Clegg confessed his non-belief, he had to recant and re-define himself as an "agnostic". The BBC is increasing religious broadcasting; Radio 4 already does 200 hours. Is this by popular demand? No. An Ofcom survey put religion last in the public's interests. Expect a worsening clash in the new Equality Commission between religious rights and gay and women's rights. The Islington registrar who refused to conduct civil partnerships for religious reasons was an ominous landmark case.

This has been the year of religion's fightback against secularism - a word made almost synonymous with the spiritual and moral decadence of materialism. Angered by the runaway success of anti-God books by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, AC Grayling and others, the different faiths - though each believes it has the one and only divinely revealed truth and often fights to the death to prove it - combine in curious harmony against secularists. >>> Polly Toynbee | Tuesday, December 23, 2008

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Pope: Saving World from Homosexuality Like Saving Rainforests
THE TELEGRAPH: The Pope said that 'saving' humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforests.

In comments at the Vatican that are likely to provoke a furious reaction from homosexual groups, Benedict also warned that blurring the distinction between male and female could lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.

In his address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration, he described behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations as "a destruction of God's work" and said that the Roman Catholic Church had a duty to "protect man from the destruction of himself".

It is not "outmoded metaphysics" to urge respect for the "nature of the human being as man and woman," he added. >>> By The Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Monday, December 22, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Update: Pope Says Humanity Needs 'Saving' from Homosexuality

The Pope has said that "saving" humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforests.

Pope Benedict XVI sparked a furious reaction from other Christian groups as he also suggested that a blurring of the distinction between male and female could lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.

The pontiff was delivering his end-of-year address to senior Vatican staff and his words were later released to the media.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that, while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are.

It opposes gay marriage and, in October, one leading Vatican official described homosexuality as "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound".

In his address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration, the Pope himself described behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations as "a destruction of God's work".

He said the Roman Catholic Church had a duty to "protect man from the destruction of himself" and urged respect for the "nature of the human being as man and woman."

The pontiff added: "The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less."

His remarks were immediately denounced as "totally irresponsible and unacceptable in any shape or form" by the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. >>> By Nick Allen | Tuesday, December 23, 2008

THE TIMES: Pope Accused of Stoking Homophobia after He Equates Homosexuality to Climate Change

Pope Benedict was accused of stoking homophobia today after a speech in which he declared that saving humanity from homosexuality was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

The Pontiff made the remarks yesterday in an end-of-year address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration. He said that humanity needed to listen to the “language of creation” to understand the intended roles of man and woman and behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations was a “destruction of God’s work”.

“The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less," Benedict told scores of prelates gathered in the Vatican's Clementine Hall.

"What’s needed is something like a ‘human ecology,’ understood in the right sense. It’s not simply an outdated metaphysics if the Church speaks of the nature of the human person as man and woman, and asks that this order of creation be respected.”

It is not the first time that Benedict has used the Curia speech to throw out a controversial idea – two years ago he complained that Islam had yet to learn the lessons of the Enlightenment – but the comments were quickly denounced by gay and lesbian groups, both inside and outside the Church. >>> Philippe Naughton | Tuesday, December 23, 2008

WELT ONLINE: Papst nennt Homosexualität Gefahr für Menschheit

Papst Benedikt XVI. hat gleichgeschlechtliche Beziehungen mit der Zerstörung der Umwelt verglichen. In seinem traditionellen Jahresrückblick vor der Kurie forderte das Oberhaupt der katholischen Kirche eine "Ökologie des Menschen" und bezeichnete Homosexualität als "Zerstörung von Gottes Werk".

In seinem Jahresrückblick vor der Kurie, dem Verwaltungsapparat des Vatikans, hat Papst Benedikt XVI. Beziehungen jenseits der traditionellen heterosexuellen Ehe scharf verurteilt. "Die Kirche soll die Menschen auch vor der Selbstzerstörung schützen", habe der Papst gesagt und eine "Ökologie des Menschen" gefordert.

Der Angriff auf gleichgeschlechtliche Partnerschaften schloss sich an eine Passage an, in der Benedikt XVI. die Notwendigkeit des Umweltschutzes hervorgehoben hatte. Die Kirche habe eine Verantwortung für die Schöpfung und müsse diese auch öffentlich wahrnehmen.

"Die Regenwälder haben ein Recht auf unseren Schutz", zitiert die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters das Oberhaupt der katholischen Kirche weiter, " Aber der Mensch als Kreatur hat nicht weniger verdient.“ >>> reuters/ks | Dienstag, 23. Dezember 2008

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Christmas Tree
To the tree >>>
BBC: Canada Braces for More Heavy Snow

Canada has been blanketed in snow from coast to coast after severe winter storms hit transport and left tens of thousands of homes without electricity.

Strong winds and snowfall have hampered relief efforts, with meteorologists forecasting more bad weather to come.

Coastal areas of Nova Scotia have been issued with storm warnings and Vancouver, Quebec and Ontario were also braced for more wintry weather.

Analysts say Canada may have its first countrywide white Christmas since 1971.

Several areas in the US were also bracing for an extended cold snap, with storm warnings in place across a number of states after a weekend of hurricane-force winds and heavy snowfall. >>> | Monday, December 22, 2008

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Saudi Beheaded for Murder
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have beheaded a Saudi citizen convicted of killing a fellow national after a dispute.

An Interior Ministry statement says Jassim al-Bahrani was executed Sunday in the eastern region of Ihsaa. He was convicted for killing his Abdul-Aziz al-Fozan in an argument over money.

Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery can be executed. The executions take place usually with a sword.

According to an Associated Press count, the execution brings to 91 the number of people beheaded this year in the kingdom. Last year, 137 people were beheaded — an increase from 38 in 2006. [Source: IHT] AP | December 21, 2008

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Turkey Breaks Company with EU in Gay Vote
HÜRRIYET: ANKARA - In an atmosphere where Turkey is being criticized for the slow pace of its EU reforms, the country refuses to sign a declaration calling all states to take steps to stop the criminalization of homosexuality, contradicting its commitments to the EU in promoting human rights

Turkey refused to sign a European Union-led declaration presented last week at the United Nations calling all states to take steps to stop the criminalization of homosexuality. The move contradicted Turkey’s commitments to the EU to promote human rights for all without any discrimination.

"It’s very frustrating for Turks who wish the state to become a member of the EU. Turkey’s position with regard to this issue is more important than Cyprus to us," an EU ambassador told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review after it became clear that Ankara declined to join the 27 EU countries who endorsed the groundbreaking initiative.

Co-sponsored by France and the Netherlands, the declaration urged all states "to take all the necessary measures, in particular legislative or administrative, to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests or detention."

The appeal is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article One: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Out of 192, 66 countries signed the document, saying they "are disturbed that violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization and prejudice are directed against persons in all countries in the world because of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The signatories "condemn the human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity wherever they occur," especially "the use of the death penalty on this ground," as well as their "arbitrary arrest or detention and deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health." >>> By Serkan Demirtaş | Monday, December 22, 2008

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: EU Enlargement Commissioner Urges Turkey to Take Steps toward Admission

BRUSSELS: Turkey must overcome internal divisions and get back to long-delayed reforms early next year to show it is serious about wanting to join the European Union, the bloc's enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in an interview.

Rehn also said he expected more Balkan countries to apply for EU membership following Montenegro's move earlier this month, but he urged them not to rush in because they must first show a track record of reform.

He warned EU hopefuls in Southern and Eastern Europe not to take the financial crisis as a pretext to give up on reform, adding that these countries must be helped to avoid going into free fall because of the crisis.

Next year should also be the year of a settlement in Cyprus, Rehn said.

"Next year will be an important litmus test of whether Turkey is serious about its EU accession perspective," Rehn said in the interview. "After one or two years of domestic difficulties, we would expect Turkey now to put up a new gear and seriously start to pursue the reforms again."

Turkey began accession negotiations in 2005 and has made slow progress in satisfying the EU. Analysts say political distractions at home and a lack of appetite for further enlargement among EU states have pushed accession to the back burner in Turkey.

Turkish society has long been divided over the role of religion in an officially secular but predominantly Muslim country.

Turkey narrowly avoided a crisis this year over a public prosecutor's attempt to have the Constitutional Court ban the governing Justice and Development Party because of its Islamist bent.

"I am aware of the dilemmas of the Turkish society in relation with the more secular and more religious lifestyles," Rehn said.

"It is essential that Turkish society find a modus vivendi.

"There is too much energy used on internal tensions which could be used for pursuing legal and economic reforms that are required for EU membership."

He said it was essential for Turkey to reform its Constitution and increase freedom of expression, and religious and linguistic rights, to be in line with EU standards. He said trade unions and business federations were blocking a trade union law essential to Turkey's EU accession process. >>> By Ingrid Melander, Reuters | Sunday, December 21, 2008

LE MONDE: La Turquie négocie avec Bruxelles mais bute toujours sur Chypre

La Turquie a fait un pas supplémentaire dans sa marche vers l'intégration à l'Union européenne avec l'ouverture, vendredi 19 décembre, de deux nouveaux chapitres des négociations d'adhésion. L'un est consacré à la liberté de circulation des capitaux et l'autre à la société de l'information et aux médias. Cela porte à dix, sur trente-cinq, le nombre de volets des négociations ouverts depuis octobre 2005.

"La présidence tchèque, puis suédoise, pourra ouvrir de nouveaux chapitres comme l'éducation et la culture, ou la taxation, mais après, c'est terminé", prédit cependant Cengiz Aktar, directeur du département européen de l'université Bahçesehir d'Istanbul. Huit chapitres restent en effet gelés depuis décembre 2006 en raison du blocage sur la question chypriote : la Turquie refuse toujours d'ouvrir ses ports et ses aéroports aux navires et aux avions de la République de Chypre, qu'elle ne reconnaît pas. Les Vingt-Sept doivent réexaminer ce problème en 2009. >>> Istanbul Corresponance | Samedi 20 Décembre 2008

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Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) Rallies for ‘Khilafah’
THE JAKARTA POST: Thousands of Muslim women from the hardline Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) organization staged a rally Sunday calling for the country to enforce sharia law and establish an Islamic state led by a caliphate.

They marched through downtown Jakarta from outside the U.S. Embassy to the nearby State Palace, with some carrying their children.

The protesters reject the current system of democracy because it is a Western product and said it failed to bring prosperity to this predominantly Muslim nation. The rally was peaceful amid tight security.

Protest leader Febrianti Abassuni said the women's wing of HTI would intensify its campaign for an Islamic state this month to coincide with the commemorations of Mother's Day on Dec. 22, the Islamic New Year on Dec. 29, and in the lead up to the 2009 elections.

"This movement offers guidance for the people to contribute to the country's transformation in the upcoming elections," she added.

The protesters claimed khilafah, an administrative system based on Islamic ideology and led by caliphate, would be best for Indonesia and should replace Pancasila as the national ideology. >>> Desy Nurhayati | Monday, December 22, 2008

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America on the Brink: Predictions
NEWS WITH VIEWS: Political Correctness and Freedom of Speech

The first thing that Socialists do when they gain power is try to silence free speech. Conservative Talk radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glen Beck, Laura Ingram, Lou Dobbs, etc. are already being criticized by “Progressives” in Congress. There is a serious effort underway right now to bring back a failed law, the oxymoronic "Fairness Doctrine," in a bold, open attempt to silence opposing political views. Internet news sites such as WorldNetDaily.com, NewsWithViews.com, DrudgeReport.com, InfoWars.com and many others will be silenced along with talk radio. In order for darkness (lies) to prevail, light (truth) has to be snuffed out.

Public scrutiny and criticism of elected officials will be forbidden. Any person exposing political corruption will be labeled anti-government. If they persist in attempting to correct that political corruption, they will be called a terrorist! All police departments around the country will be required to have terrorist units.

[In a communist country of my birth I remember that one could criticize any capitalist country one wishes as long as it wasn't yours or another communist country. Criticism of any official brought police in black uniform to your door usually at night when everyone was asleep.]

Religious Persecution and Sharia Law

Traditional churches will be attacked by Socialists, Feminists and Homosexuals. Christians will increasingly be ridiculed and called bigots because of their religious beliefs. Church services will be regularly disrupted. Under pressure, many church leaders will give-in, capitulating for the sake of peace. They will give up their moral principles, or face the anti-discrimination laws that will be passed to force churches, organizations and people to comply with the immoral doctrines of the socialist, secular humanists.

Since Christians are extremely apathetic today anyway, Islam will begin to become “acceptable” as an alternative to Christianity in America. It’s already spreading like wildfire in America’s prisons. Islamic (religious) Sharia law has gained a foothold in Great Britain and other European countries, with little or no opposition from Christian leadership. Sharia Law is not compatible with the U.S. Constitution or America's concept of religious freedom. >>> By Paul Walter | Monday, December 22, 2008

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The Greedy Bastards at ‘Goldmine’ Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Dresdner Kleinwort Just Can’t Steal Enough of Your Money!
BANKERS at four City firms have collected bonuses of more than £6.4billion this year, despite the worst financial crisis since 1929, it emerged yesterday.

While the rest of the country struggles under the ravages of the recession, London-based traders at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Dresdner Kleinwort have been notified of their bumper payouts.


They come despite the banks having reported a dramatic fall in profits and the Government bail-out of the banking sector.



Goldman Sachs has taken billions of taxpayer funds, as has Morgan Stanley.



And the huge payouts will hand further ammunition to those critics who blame the greed of bankers for the global economic crisis.



They believe such large bonuses have created a culture of short-termism and recklessness which fuelled the excesses in the run-up to the credit crunch and led to millions of jobs being lost. What Recession? £6.4bn Bonuses for City Bankers >>> By Mark Reynolds and Michael Pickard | Monday, December 22, 2008

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Archbishop of Canterbury Warns Recession Britain Must Learn Lessons from Nazi Germany
THE TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury warns today that Britain must learn the lessons of Nazi Germany in dealing with the effects of the recession.

Dr Rowan Williams risks causing a new controversy by inviting a comparison between Gordon Brown's response to the economic downturn and the Third Reich.

In an article for The Daily Telegraph, he claims Germany in the 1930s pursued a "principle" that worked consistently but only on the basis that "quite a lot of people that you might have thought mattered as human beings actually didn't".

Dr Williams, the most senior cleric in the Church of England, then appears to draw a parallel between the Nazis and the UK Government's policies for tackling the downturn, which he says fails to take account of the "particular human costs" to the most vulnerable in society.

"What about the unique concerns and crises of the pensioner whose savings have disappeared, the Woolworth's employee, the hopeful young executive, let alone the helpless producer of goods in some Third-world environment where prices are determined thousands of miles away?" he asks.

In an apparent reference to the Prime Minister, who has claimed to be guided by a moral compass, the Archbishop also observes "without these anxieties about the specific costs, we've lost the essential moral compass". >>> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | December 21, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Put Aside Your Principles and Remember: All You Need Is Love

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, says the first Christmas changed how everyone thinks about universal human dignity

Forty years ago this month, one of the greatest religious thinkers of the 20th century died. In his long career in Switzerland and Germany, he had published millions of words, played a crucial role in inter-church discussions across Europe, denounced nuclear weaponry – and, before the war, done most of the work in drafting for the German churches a statement of open defiance against the Third Reich. Some of his most powerful lectures were delivered in the bombed-out ruins of the theological department in Bonn when the war had ended and he was able to return to Germany after being driven out by Hitler.

Karl Barth was, by any standards, one of the most deeply principled intellectuals of the age, someone who was quite ready to pay the price of conscience in an insane and tyrannical state. It was probably only his Swiss citizenship that saved his life. So it's all the more surprising to read some of his words in a Christmas sermon preached in 1931, where he says that the real good news of Christmas is that we are given permission to be free from our principles. We need, he says, "to be able to live with principles, but we must also be able to live without them".

Why is this good news – and what has it got to do with Christmas, with this Christmas in particular and our current anxieties and hopes?

What Barth saw beginning to take its grip on Germany in 1931 was a system of "principle" that worked quite consistently once you accepted that quite a lot of people that you might have thought mattered as human beings actually didn't. As the nightmare decade unfolded, the implications of this became clearer and clearer. And what he was warning against was the temptation of unconditional loyalty to a system, a programme, a "cause" which was essentially about "me and people like me". It's about the danger of my agenda, our needs, the programme of this particular group, its safety and prosperity. >>> Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury | December 21, 2008

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Sarko Leaps to the Left
It is a well-known fact that Sarko’s new wife, Carla, is left-leaning. Since coming to power, determined to take France in a rightward direction, it is very noticeable that Sarko’s policies keep lurching to the left. One is therefore left asking the question: Are Sarko’s policies now being forged in the boudoir? In other words, is he allowing his head to be ruled by his nether regions? – ©Mark

THE SUNDAY TIMES: FEARS of an explosion of violence on New Year’s Eve have forced President Nicolas Sarkozy to abandon an education reform that was considered one of the cornerstones of his government’s programme after it prompted angry protests from students.

Sarkozy, 53, has often mocked his predecessors for backtracking on reforms after street protests. His volte-face last week after noisy demonstrations by schoolchildren exposed him to ridicule as well as baffling his supporters.

It emerged that Sarkozy feared the protests would spill over into Christmas and the new year, spiralling into a dangerous Europe-wide student uprising inspired by the scenes of mayhem in Greece, where protests continued last week.

“We don’t want a European May ’68 in the middle of Christmas,” Sarkozy told his ministers in a reference to protests four decades ago that led to the collapse of General Charles de Gaulle’s government in 1969.

Sarkozy also worries that celebrations on New Year’s Eve could erupt into rioting similar to the disturbances that set immigrant suburbs ablaze in France three years ago.

“Things are heating up everywhere in Europe, in Greece, but also in Spain, Italy and even in France. The slogan of the Greek students about ‘the €600 generation’ could easily catch on here,” he said, referring to complaints by Greek students about being unable to find jobs paying more than €600 (£557) a month.

The backsliding on reforms is part of a wider shift by “Sarko” since the global financial crisis resurrected lingering French doubts about capitalism. Having come to power on a platform of “work more to earn more”, the hyperactive French leader has lurched leftwards now that even America has lost some of its appetite for the free market. Sarkozy Drops Reform amid Fears of Riots >>> Matthew Campbell | Sunday, December 21, 2008

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Iran: Raid Closes Shirin Ebadi’s Offices
CNN: TEHRAN, Iran -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights campaigner Shirin Ebadi was briefly taken into custody Sunday as Iranian authorities raided and indefinitely shut down two of her offices in Tehran, she told CNN.

The Iranian authorities never gave her an explanation for the crackdown, and she was later released, she said, adding that there were no arrests in the raid, but the offices remain closed.

Speaking from her home, Ebadi said the closed offices belong to two non-governmental organizations funded by her Nobel Peace Prize earnings: the Center for Participation in Clearing Mine Areas, which helps victims of landmines in Iran; and Defenders of Human Rights Center, founded five years ago to report human rights violations in Iran, defend political prisoners, and support families of those prisoners.

Ebadi said Iranian authorities had no written justification for Sunday's raid, which she described as illegal. >>> From Shirzad Bozorgmehr | Sunday, December 21, 2008

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Labour MPs Back Separation of State and Church of England
THE TELEGRAPH: Ministers are coming under growing pressure from Labour MPs to disestablish the Church of England.

A growing chorus of voices is calling for the centuries-old link between Church and state to be broken after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, ignited the issue last week by saying that it was “by no means the end of the world if the Establishment disappears”.

Three former ministers openly backed the idea of a separation, with one claiming that the majority of backbenchers would vote to end the special position the Church has enjoyed since the Reformation.

The calls prompted the Conservatives to accuse Labour of trying to dismantle the Church’s position by stealth. They demanded that the Government “comes clean” about a report being drawn up in Downing Street on ways to reform a key element of the established Church, the 1701 Act of Settlement, which bars a Catholic from ascending to the throne. >>> By Melissa Kite, Deputy Political Editor | Saturday, December 20, 2008

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First Peek at Caroline Kennedy's Policy Positions
NEWSDAY: ALBANY - In a first peek at her positions on policy matters, Caroline Kennedy supports gay marriage rights, restoring a ban on assault weapons and keeping the Bush administration's tax cuts in place for now.



She backs President-elect Barack Obama's drawdown plan for U.S. troops in Iraq and also supports abortion rights.



Kennedy aides offered the positions yesterday, after The Buffalo News last week sent her inquiries involving several policy areas she would have to consider if she were selected by Gov. David A. Paterson to succeed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.



In a trip to Buffalo and other upstate cities last week, Kennedy publicly announced her interest in succeeding Clinton, who has been nominated to become U.S. secretary of state in the new Obama administration.

In response to the questions about where she stands on the issues, Kennedy responded through an e-mail statement from her spokesman, Stefan Friedman.



Gun control: She supports gun control efforts and specifically wants restored the ban on assault weapons that was lifted during the Bush administration.



Gay marriage: She supports "full equality and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples."



Death penalty: She opposes the death penalty.



Iraq: Kennedy "supports President-elect Obama's plan to work with our military leaders to begin a responsible withdrawal." >>> McClatschy Newspapers | Sunday, December 21, 2008

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Lehman-Chef Richard Fuld: Der Mann, der die Welt in die Knie zwang
WELT ONLINE: Richard Fuld führte Lehman Brothers, als befinde er sich im Krieg. Jahrelang ging das gut. Dann legte er die größte Firmenpleite der Geschichte hin – jenes Ereignis, das die Weltwirtschaft in die schwere Krise stürzte. Wie es dabei zuging, schildert Lehmans letzter Kommunikationschef und Ex-"Financial Times"-Chefredakteur Gowers.

Die Temperatur in dem Raum schien um mehrere Grad zu fallen, als die Stimme des Chefs durch die Telefonanlage drang. „Ich glaube nicht, dass wir heute Nachmittag pleitegehen“, sagte er, „aber ich bin mir nicht 100-prozentig sicher. Viele seltsame Dinge passieren gerade?“

Wir vier, die in der Niederlassung von Lehman Brothers in London zusammengekommen waren, schauten uns mit großen Augen an. Wir hatten gerade Stunden damit zugebracht, Journalisten zu beschwichtigen und Investoren. Jeden, der zuhören wollte. Das war unsere Aufgabe als Öffentlichkeitsarbeiter der amerikanischen Investmentbank.

Der Bank gehe es ausgezeichnet, sagten wir immer wieder, sie sprudele über vor Liquidität. Sicher, der Aktienkurs war in New York um 48 Prozent gefallen. Aber das war eine Panikreaktion nach dem Kollaps einer anderen Investmentbank und hatte mit uns nichts zu tun.

Doch nun gab ein Spitzenmanager im kleinen Kreis zu, dass ein jäher und ansteckender Vertrauensverlust diese Firma mit 26000 Mitarbeitern und einem 158 Jahren alten Namen hinwegfegen könnte. Erst da ist mir wirklich aufgegangen, wie furchterregend unberechenbar meine Welt geworden war. >>> Von Andrew Gowers | Samstag, 20. Dezember 2008

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Nouvelle nuit de violences à Athènes
LE FIGARO: Des centaines d'émeutiers ont affronté les forces anti-émeutes samedi soir dans le centre de la capitale grecque, jetant des bombes incendiaires, deux semaines après que la police a tué un adolescent.

À chaque jour ses manifestations et ses heurts en Grèce. Dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche, de nouveaux affrontements ont opposé des jeunes à des policiers, aux alentours de l'Ecole Polytechnique à Athènes, après une veillée organisée en mémoire d'Alexandros Grigoropoulos, 15 ans, tué par un policier dans le faubourg d'Exarchia, il y a exactement deux semaines. >>> J.C. (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP et AP | Dimanche 21 Décembre 2008

NZZ Online: Erneut schwere Ausschreitungen in Griechenland: Demonstranten attackieren Polizei

Im Zentrum Athens ist es in der Nacht zum Sonntag erneut zu schweren Ausschreitungen gekommen. Rund 150 Vermummte bewarfen die Polizei mit Molotow-Cocktails und zündeten Mülltonnen an. Zudem attackierten Unbekannte zwei Banken, den Parkplatz der Polizeischule der griechischen Hauptstadt und zwei weitere staatliche Gebäude.

(sda/dpa/afd/ap) Kurz vor Weihnachten sind die gewaltsamen Ausschreitungen in Athen wieder aufgeflammt. Nach einer Gedenkveranstaltung für einen 15-Jährigen, der vor zwei Wochen von einem Polizisten erschossen wurde, griffen Demonstranten am Samstagabend Sicherheitskräfte mit Brandsätzen und Steinen an. Die Vermummten bewarfen ausserdem den grossen Weihnachtsbaum in der Innenstadt mit Müll. Bei den Ausschreitungen wurden drei Pressefotografen verletzt. >>> | 21. Dezember 2008

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McKellen Criticises Faith Schools for Religious Teaching
THE GUARDIAN: Gay actor fears children are being taught homosexuality is a sin

The actor Sir Ian McKellen has said he fears that a growing number of faith schools are preaching religious doctrines — such as teaching that homosexuality is a sin — inside the classroom, giving children a "second-class" education.

The stage and screen actor has been touring UK schools this month to discuss homosexuality with pupils in the hope that it will reduce homophobia.

McKellen came out as gay on BBC radio 20 years ago, aged 49.

Speaking during a visit to Welling school in Kent, he said: "It worries me that there is an increasing number of faith schools in this country where it might be thought appropriate for religious views to invade the classroom.

"If that's happening, those kids are getting a second-class education."

He praised Welling, which is not a faith school, for being "one of the best in confronting homophobia". >>> Jessica Shepherd | Saturday, December 20, 2008

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Religionsfreiheit: Viele Länder unterdrücken christliche Minderheiten
Christen werden in vielen Ländern verfolgt. Bild dank der Welt
WELT ONLINE: Während in Deutschland Advent gefeiert wird, werden Christen fast überall dort, wo sie Minderheit sind, verfolgt. Sie werden an der freien Religionsausübung gehindert, ihnen werden Berufe verwehrt. Streng islamische Staaten drohen praktizierenden Christen mit der Todesstrafe.

Sie werden in Schule und Beruf diskriminiert, enteignet, gefoltert, vertrieben und ermordet. Das katholische Hilfswerk "Kirche in Not" legte in diesem Herbst eine sechshundert Seiten umfassende Dokumentation vor, in der die Verfolgung von Christen weltweit auf erschreckende Weise belegt ist. >>> Von Heimo Schwilk | Samstag, 20. Dezember 2008

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'Australian Taleban' Fully Free
Photo of David Hicks courtesy of the BBC
BBC: An Australian former inmate of the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay is now a free man after Australian police lifted strict controls on his actions.

David Hicks spent more than five years at Guantanamo Bay without a trial before admitting to charges of providing material support to al-Qaeda.

In return, he was allowed in May 2007 to serve out the last nine months of his sentence in an Australian prison.

Hicks, a convert to Islam, was captured by US troops in Afghanistan in 2001.

The former kangaroo wrangler was the first "enemy combatant" held at Guantanamo to be convicted by a US military commission. >>> | Sunday, December 21, 2008

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Saudi Court Rejects Divorcing Eight-year-old Girl
AFP: RIYADH — A Saudi court has rejected a plea to divorce an eight-year-old girl married off by her father to a man who is 58, saying the case should wait until the girl reaches puberty, a lawyer involved told AFP.

"The judge has dismissed the plea (filed by the mother) because she does not have the right to file such a case, and ordered that the plea should be filed by the girl herself when she reaches puberty," lawyer Abdullah Jtili told AFP in a telephone interview after Saturday's court decision.

The divorce plea was filed in August by the girl's divorced mother with a court at Unayzah, 220 kilometres (135 miles) north of Riyadh just after the marriage contract was signed by the father and the groom.

"She doesn't know yet that she has been married," Jtili said then of the girl who was about to begin her fourth year at primary school.

Relatives who did not wish to be named told AFP that the marriage had not yet been consummated, and that the girl continued to live with her mother. They said that the father had set a verbal condition by which the marriage is not consummated for another 10 years, when the girl turns 18. >>> | Sunday, December 21, 2008

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Somali Group Seeks Sharia Expansion
AL JAZEERA: Fighters with Al-Shabab, an armed group that has taken control of the southern city of Kismayu, have told Al Jazeera they plan to impose Islamic law across Somalia.

Kismayu, Somalia's third biggest city, was once one of the most dangerous places in the south of the country.

However, relative calm has been restored to Kismayu after the Al-Shabab Mujahideen Movement and one of its key allies, the Raaskambooni Camp Mujahideen, seized control of the city from local clans three months ago.

Abu Ayman, the leader of the Raaskambooni Camp Mujahideen, told Al Jazeera: "We want to use Kismayu as an example and a model of our rule to the rest of Somalia. >>> | Sunday, December 21, 2008

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