Outrageous! Geert Wilders to Be Deported from Cowardly Britain!
Geert Wilders, the controversial right-wing Dutch MP, is to be deported after being refused entry to Britain at London's Heathrow Aiport.

Photo of Geert Wilders courtesy of The Telegraph
Wilders, who is the leader of the Freedom Party, flew into the UK in the face of a ban from the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith just after 2pm to show an anti-Muslim film at the House of Lords.

He was seized by two border guards who boarded the BMI aircraft as it sat on the tarmac and was marched into a side room in the main Terminal One building.

The politician, who was invited by the UKIP peer Lord Pearson and cross-bencher Baroness Cox, had earlier been warned that Miss Smith viewed his presence in the country as a threat to the “fundamental interests of society”.

The Home Office refused to confirm the flight on which the politician would be placed.

But Mr Wilders’s spokesman in Amsterdam said that he understood that he would sent back to the Dutch capital within two hours.

As he was escorted off the aircraft Mr Wilders said: “Is this how Great Britain welcomes a democrat?” Geert Wilders to Be Deported after Being Refused Entry to Britain >>> | Thursday, February 12, 2009

THE SUN: Far-right MP Is Sent Packing

A CONTROVERSIAL far-right Dutch MP banned from the UK over his anti-Islamic views was stopped from entering Britain today.

Geert Wilders had been due to show his 17-minute film Fitna which refers to the Koran as a “fascist book”, in the House of Lords.

He arrived at Heathrow’s Terminal 1 today on a BMI flight from Amsterdam but was taken into a side room by immigration officials.

The politician then said he was being returned to Holland. >>> Staff Reporter, The Sun, Thursday, February 12, 2009

BBC: Dutch MP Banned from Entering UK

Dutch MP Geert Wilders, who once described the Koran as a "fascist book", has been banned from entering the UK, amid fears over public security. >>>

LIVE LEAK: Fitna


NZZ Online: Islamkritiker Wilders in London in Gewahrsam genommen: Trotz Verbots nach Grossbritannien gereist

Foto von Geert Wilders dank The Independent
Der wegen islamfeindlicher Äusserungen in Grossbritannien mit einem Einreiseverbot belegte niederländische Abgeordnete Geert Wilders ist auf dem Londoner Flughafen Heathrow in Gewahrsam genommen worden. In den Niederlanden wird gegen Wilders wegen Volksverhetzung ermittelt.

Der wegen islamfeindlicher Äusserungen in Grossbritannien mit einem Einreiseverbot belegte niederländische Abgeordnete Geert Wilders ist auf dem Londoner Flughafen Heathrow in Gewahrsam genommen worden. Seine Abschiebung in die Niederlande stehe unmittelbar bevor, sagte Wilders am Donnerstag der Nachrichtenagentur AP. Die britische Regierung hatte Wilders mitgeteilt, er sei nicht willkommen, weil er eine Bedrohung für «die Harmonie der Gemeinschaft und damit die öffentlichen Sicherheit» darstelle. >>> ap | Donnerstag, 12. Februar 2009

POLITIKEN: Denmark: Governing Liberal Party Spokesman Lambasts UK

Denmark’s governing Liberal Party Foreign Policy Spokesman Søren Pind has entered the debate concerning a decision by Britain to ban the entry of the populist Dutch politician Geert Wilders because of his extreme views about Islam.

“Unless you’re a terrorist or something like that, you of course should be able to travel freely within the European Union. That’s the whole idea behind European rights and freedoms,” says Pind.

Geert Wilders, who is the leader of the populist Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, is best-known abroad for his film ‘Fitna’ which compares Islam with terrorism and which has caused indignation across the world. The European Parliament has banned the film being shown in the EP.

Wilders was originally invited to the United Kingdom by a peer of the House of Lords to show his film Fitna and take part in a discussion afterwards.

EU rules

Under EU rules, Britain is entitled to deny Wilders entry into the country if he is considered to be a danger to public order.

But Pind says that while it is acceptable to deny large groups of Nazis, squatters and hooligans entry into a country – banning an elected politician from another EU country endangers basic freedoms.

“This case sounds all the alarm bells. When you subject an unimportant Dutch MP to this sort of treatment it shows just how far the authorities are willing to go to put the brakes on his freedoms. That is not gratifying,” Pind says.

Freedoms

“This is an elected politician who has a certain view about an ideology. Some see him as being drastic, but he doesn’t affect the groups that are a danger to public order. This case infringes on our view of freedom,” Pind says. >>> Edited by Julian Isherwood | Thursday, February 12, 2009

PINK NEWS: Gay Humanists Back Dutch MP's Right to Criticise Islam

A gay humanist group has said the Home Secretary was wrong to ban a Dutch MP who is critical of Islam.

Jaqui [sic] Smith said that Geert Wilders, a leading rightwing politician and a fierce critic of Muslims, has been denied permission to enter Britain on the grounds that his presence would damage community relations and threaten public order.

The Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) had declared its opposition to the ban.

"We maintain that in a free society anyone should have the right to criticise religion without being banned, dubbed racist or, even worse, threatened with death as the humanist author Saman Rushdie was over his book The Satanic Verses," said PTT secretary George Broadhead.

"There can be no doubt from reading its holy books, the Qur'an and the Hadith, that Islam is a homophobic religion, which at worst has lead to the barbaric torture and murder of LGBT people in Islamic theocracies like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

"But it is also deeply mysoginist and hostile to apostates and unbelievers like humanists. >>> Staff Writer, Pink News | Thursday, February 12, 2009

Jackboot Jacqui! >>>

THE TELEGRAPH: Whatever Happened to Free Speech?

Britain was once renowned around the world for defending people's right to speak out. Not any more, says Philip Johnston.

The refusal to admit the oddball Dutch MP Geert Wilders to Britain yesterday marks a further retreat from this country's traditions of free speech. It stands in stark contrast to what happened exactly 20 years ago tomorrow, when Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa calling for the death of Salman Rushdie for insulting the Prophet Mohammed in his book The Satanic Verses.

In retrospect, that was a turning point in the country's history of free speech, an event that appeared to demonstrate indomitability, yet turned out to be a defeat. An unambiguous stand was taken on Rushdie's behalf by the government of the day, which denounced the threat to his life and broke off diplomatic relations with Iran. Sir Geoffrey Howe, then foreign secretary, told the Commons: "This action is taken in plain defence of the right within the law of freedom of speech and the right within the law of freedom of protest."

Despite mass book burnings, protests around the world, including in Bolton and Bradford, and threats of violence, the work continued to be published and sold. How could it be otherwise? This was Britain, after all, the citadel of free speech. We would not be brow beaten into denying the rights of one of our citizens, or anyone else for that matter, from having their say, however controversial or offensive their opinion might be.

Sadly, the past two decades have seen a pusillanimous flight into cowering capitulation. We seem to have forgotten what free speech entails, how hard it was fought for and how important it is to defend. It is the value with which this country is most associated throughout the world. It is why Britain has been home, over the centuries, to so many political dissidents who would have been persecuted elsewhere, and why those who live in autocracies that brook no criticism tune into the BBC World Service.

They see this as a place able to accommodate opinions that are obviously crazy, offensive or even seditious, a country where a view can be held and expressed, provided – and this has always been true – that it does not foment violence.

Geert Wilders is an anti-Islamist who regards the Koran as inherently inflammatory and believes he is justified in saying so. He has made a 17-minute film, Fitna – an Arabic word meaning test of faith – setting out this thesis and was invited to show it at a private screening in the House of Lords. The film can be seen on the internet, so there is no question of stopping its dissemination. It contains some unpleasant images of bomb explosions, of captured hostages facing death and of chanting mobs interlaced with passages from the Koran.

Wilders claims that these verses from the holy book of Islam are being used today to incite modern Muslims to behave violently and anti-democratically. You may think he is wrong to say this; you may agree with him; you might, like the lords who invited him to Britain, think it is something worthy of discussion, given the obvious problems caused around the world by radical Islamism and the violence perpetrated in the name of the religion. It is hard, in a free country, to understand why it is a view that must be suppressed.

What, then, possessed the Home Office to ban Wilders – an unprecedented action against a democratically-elected politician from a European state, who is entitled to free movement within the EU? By any measure, it was an extraordinary decision; yet it was not even raised in parliament, the supposed guardian of our freedoms, though some MPs have commented on the ban, largely to support it. >>> Philip Johnston | Thursday, February 12, 2009

BBC: Geert Wilders Ban: Your Comments

A Dutch MP who described the Koran as a "fascist book" has been banned by the Home Office from entering the UK amid fears his presence would endanger public security.

Freedom Party MP Geert Wilders was due to show his controversial film - which links the Islamic holy book to terrorism - in the UK's House of Lords.

BBC News website readers have been getting in touch with their views on the decision.

Below is a selection [censored, maybe?] of your comments: >>> | Thursday, February 12, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Anti-Islamist Politician Geert Wilders Refused Entry to Britain

The far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders was turned away from Heathrow today after testing the Home Secretary’s ban on him entering the country.

Immigration officials denied the Dutch MP entry to the country after the Government decided he should not be allowed to attend a screening of his controversial anti-Islamist film tonight.

Mr Wilders said: "I am in a detention centre at Heathrow ... I am detained. They took my passport. I will not be allowed to enter the country. They will send me back within a few hours.”

On his flight to London, he told The Times that the British Government was “the biggest bunch of cowards in Europe”.

”It is easy to invite people you agree with, it is more difficult to invite people you disagree with and this is the proof of the pudding," he said. >>> David Charter, Heathrow, and Nico Hines | Thursday, February 12, 2009

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Diplomatic Support for Geert Wilders on UK Trip
NRC HANDELSBLAD: The Dutch ambassador to Great Britain, Pieter Willem Waldeck, will meet the leader of the populist Party for Freedom (PVV), Geert Wilders, when he arrives in London on Thursday.

Dutch foreign minister Maxime Verhagen said the ambassador will be at the airport to assist the politician who is travelling to Great Britain in spite of a decision by the British government to refuse him entry. The British authorities say Wilders is not welcome because his outspoken views on the Muslim faith could lead to unrest.

Wilders had been invited by a member of the House of Lords to show his short film Fitna. The British refusal to deny entry to a Dutch member of parliament has been condemned by Dutch political parties. Maxime Verhagen appealed to the British government to reconsider its decision. >>> News Staff, NRC Handelsblad | Thursday, February 12, 2009

NRC HANDELSBLAD: Wilders’ Right to Speak

EDITORIAL: The United Kingdom does not want to admit anyone to its territory that would threaten “ Target=_blank>community harmony and therefore public security.” This argument was used to deny member of parliament Geert Wilders of the populist party PVV entry to the country on Tuesday. Too high a barrier to the free movement of people and the freedom of expression has thus been erected. Besides the fact that the law of both the European Union and the Council of Europe seems to be violated by this, the political concept of a free European space has also been damaged.

Ironically, striving for freedom often entails the prospect of confinement. That has now occurred. The fact that the ban affects a member of parliament makes the decision political, in addition to symbolic. The British are concerned about a well-defined political program that is democratically legitimised in the Netherlands. Voltaire is often credited with pointing out that freedom of expression means defending someone’s right to assert that with which one disagrees. That certainly applies to Wilders, who gives plenty of occasion for disagreement. But his freedom to express such disagreeable sentiments should prevail all the more. As should the duty to defend that freedom. Moreover what is at stake here is political freedom, without which other freedoms are all but unthinkable. >>> Editorial | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Read the letter to Geert Wilders from the Home Office here

TIMES ONLINE:
Utter Condescension and Denial from The Times >>> Leader | Thursday, February 12, 2009

FOX NEWS: Despite Ban, Dutch Lawmaker Vows to Visit 'Cowardly' Britain

Dutch politician Geert Wilders says he's flying to Great Britain despite a government order banning him from entering the country, and he's daring the "weak and cowardly" British government to arrest him when he gets there.

"I'll see what happens at the border. Let them put me in handcuffs," Wilders told Radio Netherlands in an interview Wednesday.
The right-wing lawmaker was invited by a member of Parliament to show his anti-Islam movie "Fitna," which calls the Koran a "fascist" book and accuses Islam of being a violent religion. He was told by the British Embassy in a letter Tuesday that he could not set foot in the country.

Britain's Home Office would not comment specifically on the ban, but it said it "opposes extremism in all its forms" and would work to "stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country." >>> Fox News | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>

Prince Harry Sent for Diversity Training
YAHOO! NEWS: Prince Harry is being sent on an equality and diversity course after a series of race gaffes.

Army chiefs agreed the move after revelations that the 24-year-old called fellow officer Ahmed Raza Khan a "Paki".
The decision to send the young prince on the course comes after news that he and the Prince of Wales refer to an Indian polo friend as "Sooty".

Harry aimed the offensive term at his military colleague while waiting at an airport for a flight to Cyprus in 2006.
It was caught on video, as was his use of the jibe "raghead" at another officer cadet wearing a camouflage veil.

And this week black stand-up comic Stephen K Amos told a TV audience the prince said to him: "You don't sound like a black chap." >>> ITN | Thursday, February 12, 2009

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USA: ‘Too Christian’ for Academia?
A four-volume encyclopedia gets pulped in the name of political correctness.

NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: Wiley-Blackwell, a major academic press, was set to release its four-volume Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization this month. According to the encyclopedia’s editor, George Thomas Kurian, the set had been copy-edited, fact-checked, proofread, publisher-approved, printed, bound, and formally launched (to high praise) at the recent American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature conference. But protests from a small group of scholars associated with the project have led the press to postpone publication, recall all copies already distributed, and destroy the existing print run. The scholars’ complaint? The Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization, they have reportedly argued, is “too Christian.” “They also object to historical references to the persecution and massacres of Christians by Muslims,” Kurian says, “but at the same time want references favorable to Islam.”



Political correctness in academic publishing is nothing new, but it would be unusual, to say the least, for ideological pressure to lead a publisher to reverse itself so late in the process, especially given the significant financial losses involved in pulping a print run of a gigantic four-volume encyclopedia. As Kurian puts it, “This is probably the first instance of mass book-burning in the 21st century.” >>> By Edward Feser | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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Primary School Receptionist 'Facing Sack' after Daughter Talks about Jesus to Classmate
Photo of Jennie Cain courtesy of The Telegraph
A primary school receptionist, Jennie Cain, whose five-year-old daughter was told off for talking about Jesus in class is now facing the sack for seeking support from her church.

Mrs Cain sent a private email to close friends to ask for prayers for her daughter after she was called into the school where she worked in Crediton, Devon, to be reprimanded.

Her daughter Jasmine had been overheard by a teacher discussing heaven and God with a friend and had been pulled to one side and told off.

Mrs Cain contacted 10 close friends from her church by email but the message fell into the hands of Gary Read, the headmaster of Landscore Primary School where she works.

The 38-year-old mother of two is now being investigated for professional misconduct for allegedly making claims against the school and its staff.

Mrs Cain has been told she may be disciplined and was warned she could face dismissal.

Her case is being supported by the Christian Institute who said Mrs Cain was the latest example of a Christian being persecuted by society. >>> By Caroline Gammell | February 11, 2009

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Geert Wilders Banned from UK

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

The Scum of the Earth!
Eight Wall Street bankers were force fed large slices of humble pie on Capitol Hill as congressmen lined up to vent populist outrage over high living, lavish bonuses and gross incompetence on Wall Street.

Photo of US bankers courtesy of The Telegraph
The heads of Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of New York Mellon and State Street all wisely took the train or drove to Washington rather than boarding private jets.

But that did not quell the demands for them to show the contrition expressed publicly by their British counterparts.

Barney Frank, chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, addressed them and said: "I urge you strongly to cooperate," and respond to questions "not with mumbo jumbo but with reality".

The eight men behind the witness table did their best to placate him.

"It is abundantly clear that we are here amidst broad public anger at our industry," said Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs. "In my 26 years at Goldman Sachs, I have never seen a wider gulf between the financial services industry and the public." >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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Michelle Obama Makes Vogue Cover: The First Lady the World’s Been Waiting for
Photo of Michelle Obama on Vogue Magazine courtesy of the BBC
President Barack Obama's wife Michelle is the cover girl for the March edition of fashion magazine Vogue.

t is only the second time an American First Lady has taken the place of a model on a Vogue cover - the other was Hillary Clinton in 1998.

Mrs Obama, who was photographed wearing outfits she chose herself, says she is aware her wardrobe is under scrutiny.

"I'm not going to pretend that I don't care about it. But I also have to be practical," she told Vogue magazine.

Annie Leibovitz photographed Mrs Obama wearing a magenta silk dress designed by Jason Wu for the cover portrait.

It is the second time she has chosen to wear one of his creations for a high-profile public appearance. She wore a long white gown by Wu for the inauguration balls on 20 January.

Mrs Obama's sense of style has proved influential. >>> | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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Diplomatic Row After Jacqui Smith Bans from Britain Dutch MP Who Planned to Show Anti-Islam Film at House of Lords
Photo of Geert Wilders courtesy of Radio Netherlands Worldwide
MAIL Online: A bitter diplomatic row erupted today after Britain banned a controversial Right-wing Dutch politician from the UK.

Geert Wilders had been invited by the Ukip peer Lord Pearson to show his anti-Islam film 'Fitna' and hold a Q&A session in Parliament tomorrow.

The 17-minute documentary features verses from the Koran - which it brands a 'fascist book' - alongside images of the 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist attacks.

It equates Islam's holy text with violence and ends with a call to Muslims to remove its 'hate-preaching' verses.

After being alerted to the private screening, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith barred Mr Wilders on the grounds that his visit was a threat to 'community harmony and therefore public security'.

But the move brought a furious response from the Dutch foreign minister Maxime Verhagen - a political opponent of Mr Wilders - who complained directly to the Foreign Secretary David Miliband in a 'curt' telephone call.

'The fact that a Dutch parliamentarian is refused entry to another EU country is highly regrettable,' he said.

However, Britain is refusing to give way, even though Mr Wilders is a democratically-elected politician and the leader of a legitimate political party.

A defiant Mr Wilders, who claims to have visited the House of Lords in December, called the decision 'cowardly' and vowed last night to go ahead with his visit.

'Let them try to detain me,' he said. 'I'll see what happens at the border. Let them put me in handcuffs. We are talking here about a European Union country, one of the oldest democracies in the Western world.'

While Mr Verhagen said the Dutch government would press Britain to reverse the ban, Lord Pearson said he was 'very surprised' to hear the news.

Under UK and EU immigration rules, a person can be refused entry to Britain, 'if his exclusion is justified on grounds of public policy, public security or public health.'

The Home Office refused to comment on the individual case of Mr Wilders.

But a spokesman said: 'The Government opposes extremism in all its forms. It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.

'We endorse the original condemnation of the film 'Fitna' by the Dutch Government, and feel that it serves no constructive purpose. >>> By Michael Lea | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Wilders to Travel to Great Britain Despite Ban

The leader of the populist Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, says he will travel to Great Britain on Thursday in spite of a decision by the British government to refuse him entry. The British authorities say he is not welcome because his visit could pose a threat to public order. Mr Wilders had been invited by a member of the House of Lords to show his film Fitna. Members of the British Muslim community have protested against plans to show the film.

The British refusal to deny entry to a Dutch MP has been condemned by politicians from across the Dutch political spectrum. Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has contacted his British counterpart David Milibrand and protested against the decision. [Source: RNW] Wednesday, February 11, 2009

AFP: Far-right Dutch MP Ignores Britain on Entry Refusal

THE HAGUE — A far-right Dutch politician facing trial after likening Islam to Nazism vowed Wednesday to press ahead with a planned trip to London despite Britain's refusal to grant him entry.

"I am going tomorrow. We will see what will happen," Geert Wilders, best known for his anti-Islam short film "Fitna", told AFP.

He said his plane was scheduled to land at Heathrow airport on Thursday at 1305 GMT.

Wilders, 45, is the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), which has nine seats in parliament.

British authorities informed Wilders on Tuesday that his presence in the United Kingdom would pose a "genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society".

"Your statements about Muslims and their beliefs, as expressed in your film 'Fitna' and elsewhere, would threaten community harmony and therefore public security," said a letter addressed to Wilders and made available to AFP. >>> | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Listen BBC video: Geert Wilders will come to the UK regardless >>>

BBC:
Geert Wilders Banned from Entering UK >>>

THE GUARDIAN:
Twaddle, Twaddle, Twaddle from the Left-leaning Guardian >>>

THE SPECTATOR: Britain Capitulates to Terror

If anyone had doubted the extent to which Britain has capitulated to Islamic terror, the banning of Geert Wilders a few hours ago should surely open their eyes. Wilders, the Dutch member of parliament who had made an uncompromising stand against the Koranic sources of Islamist extremism and violence, was due to give a screening of Fitna, his film on this subject, at the House of Lords on Thursday. This meeting had been postponed after Lord Ahmed had previously threatened the House of Lords authorities that he would bring a force of 10,000 Muslims to lay siege to the Lords if Wilders was allowed to speak. To their credit, the Lords authorities had stood firm and said extra police would be drafted in to meet this threat and the Wilders meeting should go ahead.

But now the government has announced that it is banning Wilders from the country. A letter from the Home Secretary’s office to Wilders, delivered via the British embassy in the Hague, said:

...the Secretary of State is of the view that your presence in the UK would pose a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society. The Secretary of State is satisfied that your statements about Muslims and their beliefs, as expressed in your film Fitna and elsewhere would threaten community harmony and therefore public security in the UK.

So let’s get this straight. The British government allows people to march through British streets screaming support for Hamas, it allows Hizb ut Tahrir to recruit on campus for the jihad against Britain and the west, it takes no action against a Muslim peer who threatens mass intimidation of Parliament, but it bans from the country a member of parliament of a European democracy who wishes to address the British Parliament on the threat to life and liberty in the west from religious fascism.

It is he, not them, who is considered a ‘serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society’. Why? Because the result of this stand for life and liberty against those who would destroy them might be an attack by violent thugs. The response is not to face down such a threat of violence but to capitulate to it instead. >>> Melanie Phillips | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

LIVE LEAK: Fitna


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Prince Harry in New Race Row after Telling Comedian Stephen K Amos 'You Don't Sound Black'
Photo of Stephen K. Amos courtesy of Google Images
Prince Harry has become embroiled in a new race row after allegedly telling a comedian, Stephen K Amos, that he did not "sound like a black chap".

Mr Amos has claimed that the Prince made the remark when they met after the stand-up show We Are Not Amused for the Prince of Wales' 60th birthday celebrations in November 2008.

Mr Amos, from south-west London, made the disclosure on Five's The Wright Stuff on Tuesday.

He told presenter Matthew Wright that Prince Harry, 24, congratulated him on his performance before saying: "You don't sound like a black chap."

As Mr Wright looked on in disbelief, Mr Amos added: "I wanted to say, 'How is [sic] I supposed to sound?'"

Asked if the remark had been made in jest, he replied: "I hope it was."

The comedian, who has appeared on many television shows including the BBC's Have I Got News For You, put the comment down to a poor attempt at making banter.

However, fellow panellist Lowri Turner, the television presenter, then said: "That's not the point."

The new row comes just a month after Prince Harry was accused of racism when it emerged he had referred to a Sandhurst colleague as "our little Paki friend". >>> By Lucy Cockcroft | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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

Israel Elections: Both Sides Claim Victory
TIMES ONLINE: Israel faced what could be weeks of political uncertainty today after an election that ended with clashing claims of victory by the Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her rival Benjamin Netanyahu.

Nearly final results gave Ms Livni's Kadima party 28 seats to 27 for Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party in the 120-member parliament. The Foreign Minister said she would become Prime Minister and invited him to join a "unity government".

Mr Netanyahu, pointing to what he called a large "nationalist camp" in parliament, said he would head a coalition government, comprised of rightist parties.

"With God's help I will lead the next government," Mr Netanyahu, 59, told Likud supporters.

Addressing cheering Kadima activists, Ms Livni, 50, said: "The Israeli public can smile again when we form the government."

She would become Israel's first woman prime minister since Golda Meir governed in the 1970s.

Summing up the stalemate was the front page of Israel's biggest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, with "I won," next to photos of both candidates. >>> Times Online | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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Vatican Buries the Hatchet with Charles Darwin
TIMES ONLINE: The Vatican has admitted that Charles Darwin was on the right track when he claimed that Man descended from apes.

A leading official declared yesterday that Darwin’s theory of evolution was compatible with Christian faith, and could even be traced to St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. “In fact, what we mean by evolution is the world as created by God,” said Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The Vatican also dealt the final blow to speculation that Pope Benedict XVI might be prepared to endorse the theory of Intelligent Design, whose advocates credit a “higher power” for the complexities of life.

Organisers of a papal-backed conference next month marking the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species said that at first it had even been proposed to ban Intelligent Design from the event, as “poor theology and poor science”.

Intelligent Design would be discussed at the fringes of the conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University, but merely as a “cultural phenomenon”, rather than a scientific or theological issue, organisers said.

The conference is seen as a landmark in relations between faith and science. Three years ago advocates of Intelligent Design seized on the Pope’s reference to an “intelligent project” as proof that he favoured their views. >>> Richard Owen in Rome | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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«La tactique du régime iranien est de gagner du temps»
LE FIGARO: VIDEO - Pour Reza Pahlavi, le fils du Shah d'Iran, l'attitude de l'administration Obama envers l'Iran ne doit pas se limiter à l'ouverture d'un dialogue, au risque de faire le jeu du régime actuel.


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

Spending Money Like There’s No Tomorrow! Obama, the Two Trillion Dollar Man!
US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has admitted America’s original bank bail-out was “inadequate”, as he set out a revamped plan to provide more than $2 trillion to stabilise ailing financial institutions and revive lending.

Mr Geithner, who as the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York was instrumental in devising the previous $700bn bail-out, admitted that the “force of government support” in the Autumn failed to prevent the “deepening pressure brought on by the financial crisis.”

Admitting public distrust in the first bail-out, led by his predecessor as Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, Mr Geithner admitted that today's “comprehensive strategy will cost money, involve risk, and take time.”

Today's plan comes a day after President Barack Obama used his first White House press conference to tell Americans that passing his massive economic stimulus bill would mean the difference between "catastrophe" and saving or creating "up to four million jobs."

US stock markets markets responded badly to the plan, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average extending losses to more than 3pc in early trading.

In place of October's plan, which simply injected capital into major US banks and hoped for the best, Mr Geithner unveiled a three-prong programme which he hopes will “use taxpayers’ money in ways that will benefit them.”

The programme will be known as the “Financial Stability Plan” – ditching the TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Programme) moniker – and Mr Geithner said that it would be monitored closely and reviewed regularly to ensure it is working. Tim Geithner Unveils New Plan to Rescue US Banking System >>> By James Quinn, Wall Street Correspondent | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Let’s Not Penny-pinch, for God’s Sake. What’s a Trillion between Friends?

The Obama Administration laid out plans yesterday to marshal an extraordinary $3 trillion to stabilise America's stricken banking sector and revive its collapsing economy. US shares dropped sharply despite an unprecedented few hours of emergency government action.

First, President Obama's Treasury Secretary unveiled a sweeping new rescue plan for the US banking system that could amount to at least $2 trillion. It involves a combination of taxpayers' and private money to help to free up the country's frozen credit markets and to save the financial sector from collapse.

Timothy Geithner's appearance unsettled Wall Street mainly because business leaders were concerned about the lack of detail in his plan. Two hours later an entirely separate plan - Mr Obama's $838 billion economic stimulus package aimed at creating jobs and reviving the economy - was narrowly passed by the US Senate, but in the face of almost unanimous Republican opposition. Needing 60 votes to avoid blocking tactics, the Bill attracted 61, with only three moderate Republicans backing it.

When Mr Obama was told of the Bill's passage during a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, he said: “That's good news. It's a good start.” Yet Mr Obama set himself tough benchmarks - as he did at a prime-time news conference on Monday night, part of a campaign to sell the stimulus package to the US public - in essence conceding that his presidency would succeed or fail on his ability to turn the economy around. He pledged that his stimulus plan would create or save three to four million jobs within two years. “If people don't think I've led the country in the right direction, you'll have a new president.” Barack Obama Team Rolls Out $3 trillion Plan to Save Economy >>> Tim Reid in Washington | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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Is the Church of England Really Worth Listening to Anymore? Isn't It Just a Church Made Up of Leftist Loons?
PRESS ASSOCIATION: The Church of England has voted in favour of banning clergy and some lay staff from joining the far-right British National Party.

Members of the General Synod voted to back a motion brought by Metropolitan Police civilian worker Vasantha Gnanadoss calling on bishops to formulate a comparable policy to the Association of Chief Police Officers' ban on police membership of the BNP.

Miss Gnanadoss, who received support at the General Synod from former Met Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair, said passing the motion would make it "much more difficult" for the BNP or other similar organisations to exploit the claim that they had support within the Church of England.

She said: "If supporting organisations like the BNP is inconsistent with Christian discipleship, it seems obvious that clergy and others who speak for the Church should not be members."

Acpo policy states that that no member of the police service may be a member of an organisation whose constitution, aims, objectives or pronouncements contradict the "general duty" to promote race equality.

This specifically includes the BNP, the policy states.

The motion backed by the General Synod called for the Church of England bishops to draw up a similar policy to apply to all clergy, ordinands and employed lay persons who speak on behalf of the Church of England. Church of England Votes for BNP Clergy Ban >>> | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

THE TELEGRAH: Church of England Votes to Ban Clergy from Joining BNP

Clergy will be banned from joining the British National Party after the Archbishop of Canterbury called on the Church of England to "name names" in the fight against racism.

The governing body of the Church of England, the General Synod, voted overwhelmingly to follow the lead of the police and bar ordained priests, trainees and lay staff from becoming members of racist political parties, specifically including the BNP.

It will require discplinary rules for vicars to be rewritten, and some critics claimed the move could still breach human rights and trigger employment tribunal cases because the BNP is a legal organisation.

Others warned that far-right parties could get around the rules by changing their names, or by claiming their members are merely supporters rather than official members.

However the vote was carried by 322 votes to 13, with 20 abstentions, amid claims that the BNP is trying to promote itself as a Christian group, and fears that there are "racist undertones" in the Church that leave ethnic minorities "scandalously under-represented" among clergy.

In 2004, the Synod affirmed that voting for a racist party is "incompatible with Christian discipleship" while since 2006 candidates for positions in the priesthood have been screened for racist attitudes. >>> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: No More Mosques, Says Senior Synod Member

A senior lay member of the Church of England's "Parliament" has called for a ban on the building of more mosques in Britain.

Alison Ruoff, a long-standing member of the General Synod, said that new mosques should not be built in this country while Islamic states continued to persecute Christians.

The former magistrate, who was one of the strongest critics of the Archbishop of Canterbury's speech on Islamic law earlier this year, added that sharia would be introduced into Britain "if we don't watch out".

Apart from being a Synod member, Mrs Ruoff, a conservative evangelical, also sits on the Bishop's Council, which advises the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres.

Although her views are representative of a small minority on the Synod, and Church spokesmen moved quickly to isolate her yesterday, they may exacerbate tensions over the place of Muslims in society.

A spokesman for the Diocese of London said: "Mrs Ruoff's comments are her own and do not reflect the views of the Diocese of London, which enjoys excellent inter-faith relations across the capital."

A Church of England spokesman added: "These are her personal comments, speaking as an individual." But senior Muslims had already reacted angrily to her comments, saying they were more typical of a member of the British National Party than the Anglican Church. >>> By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent | April 3, 2008

BNP: As Churches Are Turned into Mosques, the Church of England Worries about the BNP

“It is ridiculous that the Church of England is concerned with persecuting Christian BNP members while church buildings are being turned into mosques as Britain is colonised by Islam,” said BNP leader Nick Griffin in his reaction to the CoE decision to bar clergy from joining the party.

“Up and down the country, CoE churches are being turned into mosques,” he said. “Instead of concerning themselves with their empty pews, the leftist clergymen worry about a party which is dedicated to preventing the displacement of Christianity by Islam in this country.

“These political priests need to be reminded that the church and state were separated at the time of the Reformation. It is best for them to keep their noses out of politics, and rather concentrate on trying to explain why their churches are so empty.”

Mr Griffin said the church leaders - being led by the nose by clerical Marxists and Ugandan or Pakistan-born bishops - should not bother trying to interfere with the democratic rights of British people.

“If they think that an Islamic-dominated Britain will look kindly upon Christianity, they are seriously deluded and should consider the experience of Christianity in other Islamic countries before being so foolish as to rant against anti-immigration parties, as their motion does,” he said.

Mr Griffin confirmed that the BNP has been flooded with messages of support from angry CoE members following the decision today. “The church leaders are clearly out of touch with the rank and file of their flock. It is no coincidence that the BNP is this country’s fastest growing political party at the same time that the CoE’s pews are emptying.” [Source: BNP] Tuesday, February 10, 2009

TELEGRAPH BLOG: Church's BNP Ban Is Silly and Pointless

A silly and embarrassing little vote at the General Synod yesterday, banning clergy from joining the British National Party because it's a racist organisation.

Silly because the BNP is a legitimate political party and the Church of England could be challenged in law for being discriminatory itself - a rich irony. Silly because it specifically names the BNP, so a new motion will presumably have to be passed if a fresh brand of racism emerges, such as Combat 18 or a new National Front.

Silly because it suggests that clergy need to be told not to support racism. Silly because it hands the BNP the propaganda coup of looking significant and victimised. >>> George Pitcher | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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God Is Not Enough!

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Breaking News! Dutch MP Wilders Refused Entry to UK: 'A Threat to Public Order'
Photo of Geert Wilders courtesy of Radio Netherlands Worldwide
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Dutch Right-wing politician and controversial anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders has been refused entry to the United Kingdom despite being invited to visit by a member of the House of Lords, the British parliament's upper chamber.

Mr Wilders (pictured), who was due to go to London this Thursday, received a letter today, 10 February, from the British ambassador to the Netherlands telling him that he was not welcome, reportedly because his visit would constitute a threat to public order.

Handcuffs


Mr Wilders responded to the decision in fighting mood, telling Dutch media that he still intended to travel to London:

"I'll see what happens at the border. Let them put me in handcuffs."

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen's response was also firm. He contacted his UK counterpart, David Miliband, by telephone and voiced his dissatisfaction that a member of the Dutch parliament - Geert Wilders is in fact also the leader of a political grouping, the Freedom Party - has been prohibited from entering a fellow European Union member state. >>> By RNW Internet, (Sources: ANP/Elsevier) | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Send your PROTESTS to the Foreign Secretary:

private.office@fco.gov.uk OR milibandd@parliament.uk

TELEGRAPH BLOGS: Geert Wilders, Anti-Islamic Politician, Banned from Britain

Can this really be true? An elected representative, the leader of a legitimate political party, banned from entering the United Kingdom? On what possible grounds?

It's true that Geert Wilders is a controversialist, who takes pleasure in causing offence. He needs 24-hour protection, so serious are the death-threats he has attracted from jihadis. He revels in offending liberals as well as Muslims: his call for the Koran to be banned struck me as rather inconsistent with his stated commitment to civic freedoms. I wouldn't vote for him if I were Dutch.

But what I think of him is neither here nor there. Freedom means the freedom to express any opinion, however eccentric, however offensive. The Dutch foreign minister, a political opponent of Mr Wilders, has complained to David Miliband. Good for him. Whether our government is actuated by cowardice or authoritarianism, it's equally ugly. We are a meaner country than we were this morning. Comment here >>> Daniel Hannan | Tuesday, February 10, 2009


Hat tip: Dale Hurd >>>

LIVE LEAK: Anti-Islamic Film, Fitna


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New Dark Age Alert! Head 'Forced Out' Over Ban on Muslim Assemblies
TIMES ONLINE: A head teacher who was accused of racism after she tried to scrap separate assemblies for Muslim children at her school has resigned.

Julia Robinson's departure follows an 18-month dispute over her attempt to hold a single weekly assembly for all pupils at Meersbrook Bank primary school, in Sheffield, regardless of their faith. Although the plan was backed by staff and many parents, some Muslim parents objected and accused Mrs Robinson of being racist.

Sheffield council refused to discuss why Mrs Robinson had resigned but a teacher at the school said that she had been under a lot of pressure, while a parent claimed that she had her hands tied and was forced out. The school's chairman of governors has also quit.

More than 20 per cent of the school's 240 pupils are Muslims. Parents from the local mosque said that the Islamic services started ten years ago after they withdraw their children from the daily service. One said that the split came after a teacher tried to force a Muslim pupil to sing a Christian hymn. >>> Andrew Norfolk, Alexandra Frean | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

TELEGRAPH BLOGS: Another Muslim Ghetto Takes Shape as Head Teacher Is 'Forced Out' for Opposing Islamic Assemblies

The resignation of a Sheffield head teacher after she tried to scrap all-Muslim assemblies is a sign of things to come. I find it far, far more worrying than the "secularism" that Christians are always complaining about.

Julia Robinson, head teacher of Meersbrook Primary School, wanted to end the divisive Islamic assembles for Muslim pupils, who make up about a quarter of her 240 pupils. Staff and many parents backed her; Muslim parents accused her of being - you've guessed it - "racist".

Those Christians who think that it's better to have separate Christian and Muslim assemblies rather than the "inclusive" services Mrs Robinson planned are missing the point. They think "faith" is good, irrespective of what faith it is. Myopic idiots.

Admittedly, I wouldn't be surprised if the "inclusive" services were annoyingly PC, like 99 per cent of all school assemblies in Britain. And I don't know what went on in the weekly Islamic assemblies led by a [sic] parents at Meersbrook School. But I do know this: Muslim ghettos are being constructed across the North of England, and among their building blocks are school-sanctioned meetings for children from ethnic minorities designed to turn them into strictly observant Muslims – whether they like it or not.

The Muslim indoctrination of primary school children is designed to produce young adults who reject and despise the tolerant, liberal society in which they live. No wonder staff and most parents backed Julia Robinson; we should, too. Comment here >>> Damian Thompson, Holy Smoke | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

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”Sweden Safe Haven for War Criminals”
STOCKHOLM NEWS: Amnesty International criticises Sweden for a wide range of obstacles to prosecutions and extraditions of such crimes as genocide, crime against humanity, war crime and torture.

In a report with special focus on Sweden Amnesty finds a number of gaps in the national legal framework. Several international crimes are not defined as crimes under Swedish law; principles of criminal responsibility are not defined in accordance with the strictest requirements of international law and criminals who have committed these serious crime [sic] are covered by statutes of limitation.

Around 1500 war criminals is [sic] believed to live in Sweden. If the laws are not changed, they could go free from any persecution, Amnesty writes. 



Sweden consistently takes a strong stance against impunity for the most serious crimes in international fora. But the same commitment is not shown at home. >>> David Jonasson | Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – Sweden) >>>

Western Companies Seen Eyeing Islamic Bonds

REUTERS: LONDON/MANAMA - Cash-strapped Western companies are considering issuing Islamic bonds to tap Middle Eastern investors but face a challenge in choosing the right instrument, bankers and asset managers said.

Companies, especially in the UK and France, are looking to Islamic compliant investors as alternative sources of finance as the global crisis restricts their usual funding routes.

"There is a lot of interest from corporates to issue sukuk. My feeling is that as liquidity in the West gets scarce, they will look into the Middle East," said London-based Adnan Aziz, head of sharia advisory and structuring at asset manager BMB Group.

British retailer Tesco (TSCO.L) issued its first sukuk -- or Islamic-compliant debt --in 2007 for its Malaysian unit as well as raising conventional debt.

Islamic bonds do not pay interest, which is banned under Islamic law or Sharia, and are structured as profit-sharing or rental agreements, underpinned by physical assets such as real estate or commodities.

"We have discussions with clients, conventional issuers in Europe and we pitch both solutions, (bonds and sukuk) that is going to be a trend going forward," said Vikrant Bhansalim, who works for French bank Societe Generale (SOGN.PA) in London.

"In today's world the corporate sector is interested in the right price, the format is not as important," he said. >>> Reuters | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

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REUTERS:
Indonesia Reports Strong Demand for First Retail Sukuk >>> Reuters | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

SMART BRIEF: Report Details Growth of U.K.'s Islamic Finance Sector

A report by International Financial Services London found that the Islamic finance sector in Britain, with $18 billion in assets, is much larger than that of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Bangladesh, countries where Islam is the primary religion. The report also states that the U.K. leads Western countries in the number of financial institutions focused on Muslims and sharia-compliant products. >>> The Telegraph | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

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Ed Balls: Minister Fears Rise of Fascism Amid Economic Gloom
Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
The economic crisis could spark a resurgence in the Far Right, a close ally of Gordon Brown has suggested.

Ed Balls, the Children's and Schools Secretary, said the downturn was likely to be the most serious for 100 years, and his comments appeared to raise the prospect of a return to the Far Right politics of the 1930s and the rise of Facism.

His warning, in a speech to activists at the weekend, came after a trade union baron warned that far right parties were trying to hijack the campaign for "British jobs for British workers".

The row over foreign workers has gathered momentum in recent weeks and Mr Balls seemed to suggest the recession could trigger a return to the Far Right politics that prospered in the Great Depression of the 1930s.

He told Labour's Yorkshire conference: "The economy is going to define our politics in this region and in Britain in the next year, the next five years, the next 10 and even the next 15 years.

"I think that this is a financial crisis more extreme and more serious than that of the 1930s and we all remember how the politics of that era were shaped by the economy."

The remarks are significant because Mr Balls was a key adviser to Mr Brown during his decade at the Treasury as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr Balls said that he believed this to be "the most serious global recession for over 100 years".

He said: "We now are seeing the realities of globalisation, though at a speed, pace and ferocity which none of us have seen before. The reality is that this is becoming the most serious global recession for, I'm sure, over 100 years as it will turn out."

Last week Derek Simpson, the general secretary of Unite, gave warning that far right elements were hijacking a campaign against foreign firms bringing in non-British workers.

He said: "We are deeply concerned that other organisations like the BNP are latching onto the movement for their own racist agenda." >>> By Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

THE INDEPENDENT: 'This Is the Worst Recession for Over 100 Years'

Ed Balls, the PM's closest ally, warns that downturn is ferocious and says impact will last 15 years

Britain is facing its worst financial crisis for more than a century, surpassing even the Great Depression of the 1930s, one of Gordon Brown's most senior ministers and confidants has admitted.

In an extraordinary admission about the severity of the economic downturn, Ed Balls even predicted that its effects would still be felt 15 years from now. The Schools Secretary's comments carry added weight because he is a former chief economic adviser to the Treasury and regarded as one of the Prime Ministers's closest allies.

Mr Balls said yesterday: "The reality is that this is becoming the most serious global recession for, I'm sure, over 100 years, as it will turn out."

He warned that events worldwide were moving at a "speed, pace and ferocity which none of us have seen before" and banks were losing cash on a "scale that nobody believed possible".

The minister stunned his audience at a Labour conference in Yorkshire by forecasting that times could be tougher than in the depression of the 1930s, when male unemployment in some cities reached 70 per cent. He also appeared to hint that the recession could play into the hands of the far right. >>> By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor, and Sean O'Grady, Economics Editor | Tuesday, February 10, 2009

BNP: And What Does the ‘Far-right’ Have to Say about the Financial Crisis?


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L'Iran se dit prêt au dialogue
 avec Washington
Le président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a affirmé que l'Iran est prêt au dialogue avec les Etats-Unis mais dans «l'égalité» et «le respect mutuel».

«Le peuple iranien est prêt au dialogue mais dans un climat d'égalité et de respect mutuel.» Après la Russie ce week-end, c'est au tour de l'Iran de faire un geste d'apaisement dans les relations diplomatiques avec les Etats-Unis. Devant des dizaines de milliers de personnes rassemblées mardi pour le 30e anniversaire de la révolution islamique, le président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad s'est dit favorable à une détente diplomatique entre les deux pays.

«Le nouveau gouvernement américain a déclaré qu'il voulait le changement et entamer le chemin du dialogue mais le changement réel doit être fondamental et non tactique», a-t-il prévenu. Le monde ne désire pas la répétition de la période noire de Bush (...) Si certains cherchent à répéter son expérience même avec des méthodes nouvelles, ils doivent savoir que leur destin sera encore pire que celui de Bush.»

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad répond ainsi au président américain Barack Obama, lequel avait émis l'espoir lundi de créer «dans les prochains mois» des «ouvertures» entre les Etats-Unis et l'Iran qui permettront «de s'asseoir à une table, face à face». «Je pense qu'il y a la possibilité, au moins, d'une relation de respect mutuel», avait-il estimé, même si «cela ne va pas se faire du jour au lendemain». « L'Iran est devenu une grande puissance», clame Ahmadinejad >>> | Mardi 10 Février 2009

WELT ONLINE:
Ahmadinedschad ist bereit für Dialog mit den USA: Irans Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad hat sich zu Gesprächen mit der neuen US-Regierung bereit erklärt. Dafür müsse es allerdings grundsätzliche Veränderungen geben, sagte der Präsident bei den Feiern zum 30-jährigen Bestehen der Islamischen Republik. Bush gehöre vor Gericht gestellt. >>>

TIMES ONLINE: Bullying Era of George W. Bush Is Over, Let the Age of Dialogue Begin, Says Iran

Thirty years after the Islamic Revolution that brought an end to its cosy relationship with the West and began an era of ideological confrontation, Iran's hardline President unclenched his nation's fist yesterday and opened the door for dialogue.

Speaking in front of crowds baying “Death to America” and banners denouncing “The Great Satan”, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told America that Iran was “ready for a dialogue in a climate of equality and mutual respect”.

“The Iranian nation will welcome true changes,” he told crowds of more than a million at Azadi Square in Tehran. “It is clear that the change must be fundamental and not tactical. The era of bullying is over and the era of dialogue has started.”

The remarks were the most positive yet from the Iranian President since Barack Obama stated after his inauguration that “if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us”. >>> Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent | Wednesday, February 11, 2009

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Irak: Visite surprise de Sarkozy
Attendu dans le Golfe, Nicolas Sarkozy a fait un détour surprise par Bagdad mardi. Le chef de l'Etat a été accueilli par son homologue irakien, Jalal Talabani. Il a rappelé que la France était aux côtés de l'Irak et salué les efforts de démocratisation, après les élections provinciales du 31 janvier. Il s'agit de la première visite d'un président français depuis la chute du régime de Saddam Hussein, en 2003.

En Jordanie pour une visite dans la région qui devait également le mener à Oman, Barheïn et Koweit, Nicolas Sarkozy a fait un détour surprise par Bagdad. Le chef de l'Etat français, accompagné de Bernard Kouchner, Hervé Morin et Anne-Marie Idrac, secrétaire d'Etat chargé du commerce extérieur, est arrivé à bord d'un Hercules C-130 sécurisé des services français. Pour d'évidentes raisons de sécurité, sa venue n'a pas été annoncée. A son arrivée, il a été accueilli par son homologue irakien Djalal Talabani, avec qui il s'est entretenu. Un peu plus tard, il doit rencontrer le Premier ministre, Nouri al Maliki, le grand gagnant des dernières élections locales. >>> Par la redaction, leJDD.fr | Mardi 10 Février 2009

WELT ONLINE:
Irak-Besuch: Sarkozy verspricht Bagdad Waffenlieferungen >>> AP/dpa/fsl | Dienstag, 10. Februar 2009

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Iran: Verlorene Kinder der Revolution
Drei in Österreich lebende Exil-Iraner erinnern sich an den Umsturz in ihrer Heimat vor 30 Jahren und erzählen, wie dieses Ereignis ihr Leben einschneidend veränderte.

Langsam rasselt der Panzer die Damavand-Avenue in Teheran hinunter. Hussam Taheri steht an einer Barrikade aus Eisenstangen, Holz – was eben zu finden war. Jemand hat die Idee, die Eisenteile unter Strom zu setzen. Es klappt. Der Panzer bleibt liegen. Hussam Taheri ist damals 18 und mitten drin in der Islamischen Revolution im Iran. Noch heute erinnert er sich genau daran, wie am 11. Februar 1979 um 14.00 Uhr die Radionachricht über den Äther kommt: „Der oberste Armeerat hat in der gegenwärtigen politischen Krise neutral zu bleiben.“ Damit hatte die Revolution gesiegt.

Wir treffen Taheri, einen der früheren Revolutionäre, spätabends im Café Eiles in Wien-Josefstadt. Er sitzt an einem der hinteren Tische, will sein Foto nicht in der „Presse“ sehen und heißt in Wirklichkeit auch nicht Taheri. Er beginnt zu erzählen, wie er Revolutionär wurde: Alles hat ganz harmlos mit einem Mensa-Streik an der Uni begonnen, doch er wurde mit 150 weiteren Aktivisten von der Hochschule verwiesen. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt gab es kaum mehr eine Demonstration, an der er nicht teilnahm. Die anschwellenden Proteste erzeugten bald eine Stimmung des Aufruhrs. >>> Thomas Seifert und Jasamin Baghi, Die Presse | Montag, 9. Februar 2009

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Barack Obama Is a Novice - and It Shows
President Barack Hussein “I Won” Obama. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
After a rocky start, the new President knows he has to seize back the political agenda, says Toby Harnden.

During last year's epic election campaign, Hillary Clinton said that in the White House "there is no time for on-the-job training". Joe Biden, too, remarked that the presidency was "not something that lends itself to on-the-job training". Both were aiming barbs at their then primary opponent. Mrs Clinton has since brought what she would refer to as her "lifetime of experience" to the role of Secretary of State, while Mr Biden has traded 36 years in the Senate for the vice-presidency. And the rookie they derided is President.

Now, the words of his former rivals are returning to haunt President Obama. After a distinctly rocky start to his presidency, he has admitted he "screwed up" and is returning to one thing in his political career that he has perfected – campaigning. In Elkhart, Indiana, today and Fort Myers, Florida, tomorrow, Mr Obama will try to seize back control of the political agenda with question-and-answer sessions with voters in two of the swing states that gave him victory.

Already, however, he is struggling, and the product he is now selling is not himself but a near-trillion-dollar economic "stimulus" package loaded with pet Democratic spending projects that has awakened slumbering Republicans in Congress and is now supported by barely a third of Americans. In between the Indiana and Florida stops, he will return to the White House for a prime-time press conference in which he will appeal directly to citizens and seek to rekindle the magic of his campaign. >>> By Toby Harnden | Sunday, February 8, 2009

CANADA FREE PRESS: Obama’s State of the Union: He Won, America Lost!

Would someone please explain to President Obama that being president and commander-in-chief of the greatest nation on earth is NOT quite the same as midnight basketball or a game of HORSE?

In basketball, one can push, shove and elbow the opposition out of the way in order to achieve one’s objective. A dominant center needs to get along with just four teammates, but has no need to compromise or work with opponents.

By way of contrast, running the United States of America involves shared responsibility and authority with two co-equal branches of government. At stake are the lives and well being of 300 million Americans and billions of non-Americans all across the globe.

President Obama has put in nearly three weeks of harrowing incompetence, aggravated by insufferable arrogance. On at least two occasions, the novice president has reminded those who do not agree with him that “I won.” >>> By John Lillpop | Monday, February 9, 2009

Watch BBC video: Barack Obama: 'The situation we face could not be more serious' >>>
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TV Report On ZDF: Successful German Lawyer Embraced Islam / Erfolgreicher Rechtsanwalt in Deutschland bekehrte sich zum Islam

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Iran, 30 Years On: Was It Worth It?
Photo of the Ayatollah Khomeini courtesy of The Telegraph
Three decades after Iran's Islamic Revolution, activists who took part in the events that saw the Shah toppled – and which ushered in an era of unrelenting hostility to the West – despair at how their dreams have been so little realised

When Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran, Hamid Reza Jalaiepour knew exactly what to do. A student activist, he had spent spells in the Shah's prisons for handing out revolutionary pamphlets and organising his classmates to protest against the authorities. Alongside 1,500 comrades, he now headed to the airport determined to join a guard of honour to protect the returning cleric from counter-revolutionaries.

"It was so exciting," he remembers. "So many people came to the airport that we lost each other in the crowd. It was like a sea of people, and I was only able to glimpse the Imam through a car window."

Close to three million people were believed to have thronged the streets on that winter day, bringing to an end the rule of Mohammed Reza Shah, who had ignominiously fled a fortnight earlier.

Now, as Iran prepares to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its revolution on Tuesday [already celebrated], many of those who ran through the streets of Tehran in 1979 are disappointed with the results.

As students, their behaviour shook the world, bringing down the American president, Jimmy Carter, and unleashing a wave of revolutionary fervour that utterly changed the Middle East – inspiring militants in Lebanon, the Occupied Territories and Iraq.

Almost overnight, the West's most steadfast ally in the Muslim world had become a violent and volatile enemy, where mass crowds raised their fists to chant "death to America". The students, mullahs and intellectuals who packed the streets were convinced that they had struck a blow for freedom against the imperialist might of the world's strongest powers.

"The revolution was very genuine and popular," believes Ebrahim Yazdi, who served the revolutionary state as foreign minister and deputy prime minister before falling out of favour. "It was unavoidable because of the policies of the Shah and the foreign countries who supported him."

Yet the Islamic Republic created by Mr Yazdi and his comrades failed to live up to the dreams of a Muslim democracy, in which sagacious ayatollahs would stand as guardians of the democratic wishes of the people.

"What is happening now is a disaster," says Mahmood Delkhasteh, one of the first young soldiers to heed Khomeini's call to desert the Shah's army and join the revolution. "Many people regret participating."

Within months of the revolution, the euphoria had evaporated as the rival factions began a brutal battle for control of the country, which ended with a repressive state that imprisoned and executed thousands of political prisoners – including many of the revolutionaries themselves. >>> By Angus McDowall, former Tehran correspondent | Saturday, February 7, 2009

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Christian Foster Mother Struck Off After Muslim Girl Converts
A foster mother with 10 years' experience was struck off after a Muslim girl in her care converted to Christianity, it has emerged.

The woman has been banned by her local council for failing to prevent the teenager from getting baptised, even though the girl was 16 and made up her own mind to change religion.

The carer, a churchgoer in her 50s who has fostered more than 80 children, has now been forced to move out of her home.

She has lost the farmhouse she rented to look after vulnerable teenagers, due to the loss of income.

Another girl she was looking after has been taken back into care.

The woman, who has launched a legal challenge to the council's challenge, told the Daily Telegraph: "I just want to get my life back.

"I still hope to resolve this so that I can possibly foster again in the future as I simply enjoy helping young people."

Religious groups and fostering charities condemned the council's decision, which comes amid a nationwide shortage of foster parents.
Last year the Fostering Network launched an urgent appeal for more than 5,000 families to come forward.

The ruling has increased concerns that Christians are becoming victims of discrimination in Britain, following the case of Caroline Pstrie, the nurse suspended for offering to pray for a patient.

She was subsequently reinstated. >>> By Matthew Moore | Sunday, February 8, 2009

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Rachida Dati’s Unusual Paternity Suspect
The vivacious and glamorous Rachida Dati. Speculation of the paternity of her child, Zohra, continues. The latest suspect is the attorney-general of Qatar, Ali bin Fetais al-Marri. Photo of Rachida Dati courtesy of The Sunday Times
THE SUNDAY TIMES: A Gulf dignitary is the latest to be named as the possible father of the French minister's child

THE guessing game over the paternity of the baby girl that Rachida Dati, the French justice minister, gave birth to last month has taken an unlikely twist with a book’s claim that the father is the attorney-general of Qatar.

Ali Bin Fetais al-Marri, one of the most senior dignitaries in the Gulf state, has made no comment but joins a distinguished list of suspects. Among those who have denied being the father are Jose Maria Aznar, the conservative former prime minister of Spain, and François Sarkozy, brother of the French president.

In their book, the journalists Michaël Darmon and Yves Derai reveal that Dati, 43, the first Arab to have occupied such a senior ministerial post in France, has regularly visited Qatar – sometimes as much as three times a month – and that Marri, 44, often spends weekends in Paris.

He studied at the Sorbonne and, according to his curriculum vitae, has received the Légion d’honneur, France’s highest civilian honour, and is married. He and Dati have been seen dining together in Paris.

“He is a great Francophile who does not hesitate to use his charms to achieve his goals,” a French diplomat is quoted as saying in the book.

At a conference in Doha in April last year, Dati lavishly praised Marri, referring to “our frequent exchanges” which had helped to fight scourges such as terrorism and organised crime.

The unmarried Dati was reported to have said that “the daddy travels quite a lot” and that Zohra, born on January 2 in Paris, has his eyes.

Even so, the identity has been as closely guarded a secret as the French nuclear codes. >>> Matthew Campbell in Paris | Sunday, February 8, 2009

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Saudi Sheikh: Women Must Submit to Husband's Sexual Desires

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Rush Limbaugh on Hannity: Does Rush Want Obama to Succeed?
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Saudi Princess Says She Is 'Ready to Drive'
One of the most prominent women in Saudi Arabia has said she is "ready to drive", adding momentum to efforts to reform the country's religious ban on women motorists.

Princess Amira al-Taweel, the wife of the conservative Islamic kingdom's most renowned businessman, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, said she already drives when she travels abroad.

"Certainly I'm ready to drive a car," she said in an interview with al-Watan, a Saudi Arabian daily newspaper. "I have an international driver's licence, and I drive a car in all the countries I travel to."

Her seemingly innocuous comments carry a high political charge in a country where educated women have been pressing quietly for more rights.

Two years ago Princess Lolwah al-Faisal, the daughter of the late King Faisal, spoke in support of women driving at the World Economic Forum in Davos. >>> | Monday, February 8, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Saudi Arabia 'May Allow' Cinemas After Three-decade Ban

The chief of Saudi Arabia's powerful religious police has said some movies may be acceptable in the kingdom, despite a three-decade ban on cinemas, local press reported on Sunday.

Sheikh Ibrahim al-Gaith, head of the feared Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, made the concession after last week's breakthrough public showings in Jeddah of the comedy feature "Manahi".

"A movie could possibly be acceptable if it serves good and is suitable under Islam," Sheikh Gaith said.

Gaith pulled back from comments he made two days earlier branding movies "an absolute evil" in the wake of screenings in the Red Sea port city.

"I did not say that we reject all cinema, but I said that we were not consulted during the organisation of these movie showings," he explained.

For more than a week from Dec 9, the Rotana entertainment group, controlled by Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, showed "Manahi" to rapturous audiences in Jeddah and nearby Taif.

The screenings, approved by the provincial governor, Prince Khalid al-Faisal, sparked hopes that Saudi Arabia would soon allow public cinemas. >>> | Monday, December 22, 2008

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Islam Group Urges Forest Fire Jihad
THEAGE.COM.AU: AUSTRALIA has been singled out as a target for "forest jihad" by a group of Islamic extremists urging Muslims to deliberately light bushfires as a weapon of terror.

US intelligence channels earlier this year identified a website calling on Muslims in Australia, the US, Europe and Russia to "start forest fires", claiming "scholars have justified chopping down and burning the infidels' forests when they do the same to our lands".

The website, posted by a group called the Al-Ikhlas Islamic Network, argues in Arabic that lighting fires is an effective form of terrorism justified in Islamic law under the "eye for an eye" doctrine.

The posting — which instructs jihadis to remember "forest jihad" in summer months — says fires cause economic damage and pollution, tie up security agencies and can take months to extinguish so that "this terror will haunt them for an extended period of time".

"Imagine if, after all the losses caused by such an event, a jihadist organisation were to claim responsibility for the forest fires," the website says. "You can hardly begin to imagine the level of fear that would take hold of people in the United States, in Europe, in Russia and in Australia."

With the nation heading into another hot, dry summer, Australian intelligence agencies are treating the possibility that bushfires could be used as a weapon of terrorism as a serious concern. >>> Josh Gordon | Sunday, September 7, 2008

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