Hindu Elder Goes to High Court for Right to Open-air Cremation
THE GUARDIAN: Davender Ghai, 70, says he is being discriminated against on grounds of race and religion

Davender Ghai, centre, arriving at court. Photo courtesy of The Guardian
An elderly Hindu man will today ask the high court for the right to have an open-air cremation , claiming that to deny him such a ritual "will enslave his soul in endless earthly entrapment".

Davender Ghai, 70, is challenging Newcastle city council's decision to refuse him an open-air cremation when he dies. He claims that this refusal discriminates against him on the grounds of race and religion, contrary to equality and race relation laws. If successful, say his lawyers, the case could set a precedent for designated natural cremation sites around the country.

They also described today's review as "the most controversial religious freedom case in British legal history".

The local authority argues that open-air funeral pyres are outlawed by the 1902 Cremation Act. In 2006, it blocked his attempt to establish Britain's first approved site for burning bodies outdoors. Ghai, however, claims to have tested the law in July 2006, when he lit the funeral pyre of Rajpal Mehat in Northumberland.

In a witness statement to be read out in court today, Ghai says he is asking for equality not exemption.

"Local authorities routinely ­provide separate Muslim and Jewish burial grounds and out-of-hours registration and immediate or weekend burials. Hindus should cremate before the following sunset, too, and yet we, along with the general public, wait for up to a week.

"No one expects Hindus to marry in a church so why are Hindu funerals shoehorned through chapels of rest designed like Anglican churches?" >>> Riazat Butt, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Watch 60 Minutes: Saudi Arabia – Aramco
Part 1 >>>
Part 2 >>>
Part 3 >>>
Part 4 >>>

Das iranische Volk sucht den Frieden mit den USA
WELT ONLINE: Barack Obama hat den Iranern einen Neubeginn bei den internationalen Beziehungen angeboten. Während die Hardliner in Teheran sich unerbittlich zeigen, ist ein großer Teil der iranischen Bevölkerung längst für einen Versöhnungskurs. Die junge Generation wird sich immer mehr darüber im Klaren, das Amerika mehr Chance denn Bedrohung ist.

Sie kommen jeden Freitag. Zu Tausenden strömen sie durch das Tor der Teheraner Universität. Die Männer hocken in der ehemaligen Sporthalle. Die Frauen lassen sich auf einem gepflasterten Weg daneben nieder, dazwischen hängen grüne Plastikplanen. Sie plaudern, wickeln Proviant aus. Als die Worte "Tod für Amerika!" aus den Lautsprechern dröhnen, gerät die Masse in Bewegung: "Tod für Amerika!", brüllen die Gläubigen unter Anleitung des bärtigen Geistlichen zurück. Es ist ein bekanntes Ritual. Und doch: Es ist nur ein Ausschnitt des Ganzen. >>> Von Gabriele M. Keller | Montag, 23. März 2009

American Jewish Committee: Ayaan Hirsi Ali on the Viability of Hope

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Is Europe too Tolerant of Radical Islam?

Fährt der TGV bald nach Mekka?
BLICK: PARIS – Muslimische Pilger sollen künftig im Eiltempo von Mekka nach Medina brausen können – französischer Bahntechnik sei Dank.

Mekka und Medina in Saudi-Arabien sind die beiden wichtigsten heiligen Städte des Islams. Damit die Pilger künftig bequem hin- und herreisen können, wollen französische Unternehmen die Orte von Mohammeds Wirken mit einer TGV-Hochgeschwindigkeitsstrecke verbinden. >>> SDA/hhs | Montag, 23. Marz 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch und Gebundene Ausgabe) – Versandkostenfrei innerhalb der Schweiz >>>

Muslims Majority in Europe Within 20 Years

L'Iran défiant face à la main tendue d'Obama
Le changement n'est qu'un «slogan» dans la bouche d'Obama, a insisté l'ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Crédits photo : AP
LE FIGARO: Le guide suprême iranien, l'ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a indiqué que Téhéran était prêt à changer de politique si les Etats-Unis modifiaient dans les faits et non seulement en paroles leur attitude à l'égard de la République islamiste.

La main tendue de Barack Obama qui a offert, vendredi, dans un message vidéo inédit de surmonter trente années de relations américano-iraniennes hostiles, a été accueillie avec sceptissisme par Téhéran. Le guide suprême du pays, l'ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a indiqué que l'Iran changera de politique si les Etats-Unis modifient dans les faits et non seulement en paroles leur attitude à l'égard de la République islamiste. « Nous n'avons aucune expérience du nouveau président américain. Nous observerons et jugerons. Changez, et notre attitude changera. Si vous ne changez pas d'attitude, sachez que notre peuple s'est renforcé et continuera de résister», a mis en garde le numéro un iranien.

Le changement n'est qu'un «slogan» dans la bouche d'Obama, a insisté le dirigeant religieux, devant des dizaines de milliers de personnes rassemblées dans la ville sainte de Mashhad. Khamenei a reproché aux dirigeants américains de continuer à accuser son pays de soutenir le terrorisme. Le président américain a en effet affirmé dans son adresse que l'Iran ne pouvait obtenir la place qui lui revient dans le concert des nations en utilisant «la terreur et les armes» et avait demandé à Téhéran d'opter pour «des agissements pacifiques». Ali Khamenei estime donc que la rhétorique de Barack Obama ne varie en rien de celle de son prédécesseur George W. Bush. «Obama a insulté la République islamique d'Iran dès le premier jour», a-t-il déploré. «Les responsables américains et les autres doivent savoir qu'on ne peut pas tromper le peuple iranien et lui faire peur». >>> lefigaro.fr avec AP et AFP | Dimanche 22 Mars 2009

Papst hält Messe vor einer Million Menschen
TAGES ANZEIGER: Benedikt XVI. hat am Sonntag bei einer Messe vor Gläubigen in Luanda Kriege und Stammesfehden auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent beklagt und zur Versöhnung aufgerufen.

Die Messe unter freiem Himmel in der angolanischen Hauptstadt war zugleich Höhepunkt und Abschluss seiner siebentägigen Afrikareise. Überschattet wurde der Besuch in Angola von einem schweren Zwischenfall vor einem Auftritt des Papstes am Samstag in einem Stadion, bei dem zwei Frauen in dichtem Gedränge zu Tode getrampelt und 40 Menschen verletzt wurden.

Benedikt äusserte am Sonntag zu Beginn der Messe sein Bedauern über den Tod der Frauen und übermittelte ihren Angehörigen sein Beileid. Den Verletzten wünschte er rasche Genesung. In seiner Predigt beklagte der Papst «Wolken des Bösen» über Afrika, die zu Krieg, Stammesfehden und ethnischen Konflikten geführt und Menschen zu Sklaven gemacht hätten. Der Krieg könne jegliche menschlichen Werte zerstören, erklärte der Papst. Versöhnung sei nur durch Veränderung im Herzen und einer neuen Art des Denkens möglich, sagte das katholische Kirchenoberhaupt.

Am Samstag hatte der Papst in einer Messe in der Peterskirche in Luanda die Christen in Angola zu weiterer Missionierung aufgerufen. Als «neue Missionare» sollten sie Anhänger von Hexerei und Zauberglauben zu Christus bringen. Christen sollten denen, die sich von bösen Mächten, Geistern und Zauberei bedroht fühlten, die frohe Botschaft entgegensetzen, erklärte der Papst. >>> cpm/ap | Sonntag, 22. März 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch und Gebundene Ausgabe) – Versandkostenfrei innerhalb der Schweiz >>>

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s Wife Has Died
ASSOCIATED PRESS: TEHRAN, Iran — The wife of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, has died after a long illness, state media reported Sunday. She was 93.

Khadijeh Saqafi, who was known as the "mother of the Islamic revolution," died Saturday in Tehran, state TV said. Thousands of people, including Iran's president and supreme leader, attended her funeral at Tehran University on Sunday.

"After a lifetime of patience and perseverance, and months of sick health, the dear and respected wife of Imam Khomeini has finally passed way, leaving friends of the late imam in grief," her grandson Hasan Khomeini said in a statement posted on the Web site of Iran's English-language state television station, Press TV. Wife of Founder of Iran's Islamic Republic Dies >>> Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Failure to Understand Political Islam Is 'Dangerous'
THE DAILY STAR: BEIRUT: The West has fundamentally misunderstood the meaning and significance of political Islam and the world is "a more dangerous place" as a result, a former broker of unofficial talks between Western powers and groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah said on Friday. Alistair Crooke directs Conflicts Forum, an NGO committed to creating dialogue between Islamist movements and the West. He was speaking to promote his new book, entitled "Resistance: The Essence of the Islamist Revolution."

He said that the West's failure to consider political Islam, particularly Iran's Islamic revolution, as anything more than an attempt to fill a void left by poor economic decisions and the failure of Arab nationalism has led to ineffectual policy toward the Muslim world.

"The rise of Islamism was not just about filling a void. They did not simply rise out of the decline of nationalism and pan-Arabism," he said. Instead, he argued that the phenomenon is a "huge transformative change that is exciting and energizing millions of people." >>> By Andrew Wander, Daily Star staff | Monday, March 23, 2009

Listen to the article >>>

Hardline Saudi Clerics Urge TV Ban on Women, Music
ASSOCIATED PRESS: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A group of Saudi clerics urged the kingdom's new information minister on Sunday to ban women from appearing on TV or in newspapers and magazines, making clear that the country's hardline religious establishment is skeptical of a new push toward moderation.

In a statement, the 35 hardline clergymen also called on Abdel Aziz Khoja, who was appointed by King Abdullah on Feb. 14, to prohibit the playing of music and music shows on television.

"We have great hope that this media reform will be accomplished by you," said the statement. "We have noticed how well-rooted perversity is in the Ministry of Information and Culture, in television, radio, press, culture clubs and the book fair." >>> By Donna Abu-Nasr | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Time to Speak Up about Britain's Islamists
THE TELEGRAPH: We should not be funding groups who are hostile to our way of life, argues Philip Johnston.

The Government will tomorrow launch a new counter-terrorism strategy, called Contest 2. For those who missed Contest 1, a brief explanation is in order. It has four strands: to protect, to pursue, to prepare and to prevent.

Which of these would you consider the most important? I would hazard a guess that most of us would suggest preventing a terrorist attack happening at all is the most crucial aspect of such a strategy. We should be ready, of course, to resist them; and we should track down those who perpetrate them. We should also protect people with straightforward security measures and with good intelligence. But, if we can stop them happening, that would be best.

So it was somewhat odd that when Gordon Brown outlined this updated approach in a newspaper article yesterday, the "prevent" bit seemed less prominent than one imagined it might be. There was talk about "murderous agents of hate" and of "core al-Qaeda" – spook-speak for the central command that is based in the lawless borderlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"Terrorists remain intent on inflicting mass casualties without warning, including through suicide bombings," Mr Brown said. Tens of thousands of security guards and store managers have now apparently been "trained and equipped to deal with an incident and know what to watch for" (though this was news to my local shop manager when I went to get the papers yesterday). The strategy will also "address the longer-term causes – understanding what leads people to become radicalised, so we can stop the process". And that was about it for prevent.

There was not a single mention of the undeniable truth that the extremists who will actually carry out atrocities live among us and need to be confronted here and now. According to Mr Brown, "we are developing a strategy to tackle the terrorist threat by tackling the underlying causes, the extremist madrassas and the lawless spaces in which terrorists recruit or train". Not here, mind you, but in Pakistan. His only mention that this may have anything to do with British-based radical Islamism was a reference to "a violent extremist ideology based on a false reading of religion". >>> Philip Johnston | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Bludgeoned to Death at Sydney Airport!
BBC: A man has been bludgeoned to death by a group of Australian motorcycle gang members in full view of dozens of people at Sydney airport.

Witnesses described bikers swinging poles "like swords" at each other's heads as the brawl spilled over two floors of Sydney's domestic terminal.

Four suspects have been arrested and the others are said to have fled.

Police believe the fight broke out when one group of bikers coming off a plane was ambushed by a rival gang.

Police did not name any gangs thought to be involved, but Australian media reported that the brawl, on Sunday afternoon, was between the Hell's Angels and Comancheros gangs.

A 28-year-old man died in hospital from severe head injuries.

Police said about 15 gang members were involved in the fight, which was witnessed by about 50 people. Deadly Brawl at Sydney Airport >>> | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Crise : Obama défend son «pote» Geithner
lePARISIEN.fr: Le président américain Barack Obama réitère son soutien à son secrétaire au Trésor Timothy Geithner, affirmant qu'il n'accepterait pas sa démission si elle lui était proposée, dans une interview à CBS qui doit être diffusée dimanche soir. Ces déclarations interviennent alors que le gouvernement américain devrait présenter, lundi, le plan Geithner destiné à débarrasser les banques de leurs actifs toxiques. L'annonce de ce plan pourrait être l'épreuve du feu pour Tim Geithner.L'opposition républicaine réclame régulièrement sa démission.



Dans cette interview à CBS, Barack Obama assure que ni lui, ni M. Geithner n'ont jamais parlé de la démission du secrétaire au Trésor, mais que «la critique est naturelle» dans ce contexte de crise économique, indique un communiqué de la chaîne de télévision américaine, citant des propos du président américain dont une longue interview doit être diffusée dimanche dans l'émission «60 minutes». Et si jamais Tim Geithner proposait sa démission ? «Je répondrais : Désolé, mon pote, tu gardes ton boulot», rétorque le président des Etats-Unis.



Son secrétaire au Trésor est sous le feu des critiques pour sa gestion de la crise économique actuelle et en raison du scandale politique né du versement d'importants bonus par le géant américain de l'assurance AIG, récemment sauvé de la faillite par l'injection de fonds publics. >>> leparisien.fr | Dimanche 22 Mars 2009

YOU TUBE: Obama Defends Geithner


THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama Will Refuse to Let Tim Geithner Quit

President Barack Obama has insisted he would refuse to accept the resignation of Tim Geithner, the embattled Treasury Secretary, and instead tell him: "Sorry buddy, you've still got the job".

In an interview with the CBS "60 Minutes" programme, Mr Obama pleaded for more patience over dealing with the economic crisis.

He said: "It's going to take a little bit more time than we would like to make sure that we get this plan just right. Of course, then we'd still be subject to criticism.

"What's taken so long? You've been in office a whole 40 days and you haven't solved the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression."

Seeking to channel public outrage over lavish bonuses for financiers from the failed insurance giant AIG, he urged corporate executives to visit Middle America.

"If you go to North Dakota, or you go to Iowa, or you go to Arkansas, where folks would be thrilled to be making $75,000 a year – without a bonus – then I think they'd get a sense of why people are frustrated," he said.

His unstinting support for Mr Geithner came as he prepared to unveil a plan for a long-term overhaul of the crisis-hit American financial system.

Officials said that the plan would include using $100 billion in taxpayer money to ease the credit crisis by leveraging as much as $1 trillion in so-called toxic assets so they could be taken off the books of struggling banks. >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Ausverkauf! Sonderangebot! Daimler holt sich Abu Dhabi als neuen Großaktionär
WELT ONLINE: Der angeschlagene Autobauer Daimler hat sich das Emirat Abu Dhabi als Großaktionär ins Haus geholt. Über eine Kapitalerhöhung steigt die staatlich kontrollierte Investmentgesellschaft Aabar mit 9,1 Prozent bei Daimler ein. Damit wird Abu Dhabi zum wichtigsten Anteilseigner des Autoherstellers.

Unterstützung für Daimler: Das Emirat Abu Dhabi steigt als Großaktionär bei dem angeschlagenen deutschen Autohersteller ein. Bild dank der Welt
Der von der Absatzkrise gebeutelte Autobauer Daimler hat sich ein zweites Emirat als Großaktionär ins Haus geholt. Mit 9,1 Prozent steigt Abu Dhabi zum wichtigsten Anteilseigner auf und verweist Kuwait auf den zweiten Platz. Der Einstieg geschieht durch die Ausgabe neuer Aktien, durch deren Kauf 1,95 Milliarden Euro in Daimlers Kasse fließen, wie der Konzern am Sonntag in Stuttgart mitteilte. Der Anteil Kuwaits wird dadurch verwässert und fällt von 7,6 auf 6,9 Prozent. >>> dpa/lha | Sonntag, 22. Marz 2009

Resistance Grows to Obama's Bigger Government
Photo of Obama courtesy of Reuters
REUTERS: WASHINGTON - A public furor over big bonuses paid by firms bailed out with U.S. taxpayer money is fueling resistance to President Barack Obama's ambitious plans to extend government intervention in the U.S. private sector.

Republican opponents say his commitment of huge sums to try to revive the ailing economy is driven by a philosophical belief in greater government intrusion in many areas, from healthcare to education, dubbing it socialism.

Obama is pursuing these policies just 13 years after President Bill Clinton, a fellow Democrat, disarmed Republican opponents by declaring: "The era of big government is over."

As the enormous cost of the Obama's effort to stimulate the economy grows, many are weighing just how far government should be extending its powers.

"We're in the midst of a huge political battle, which is being obscured behind a financial crisis," said Bruce Kogut, professor of ethics and corporate governance at Columbia University. "If the financial crisis wasn't here we'd be having this battle anyway."

"The question I think we need to figure out as a country is what is the proper role of government?" said David Moss, professor of economic history at Harvard Business School. >>> By Tabassum Zakaria – Analysis, Editing by David Store | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Saudi Police Arrest Shi'ites, Search for Preacher
REUTERS: RIYADH - Saudi police have arrested at least 11 Shi'ites in eastern Saudi Arabia after a firebrand preacher attacked the Sunni authorities over recent sectarian clashes, police and Shi'ite sources said on Sunday.

Tewfik al-Saif, an intellectual from the Eastern Province, said a total of 14 Shi'ites were arrested in Awwamiyya during several days of sit-ins in protest against police raids in search of preacher Nimr al-Nimr, who has gone missing.

Shi'ite website Rasid.com also reported the arrests.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki confirmed that 11 men were detained on Saturday on suspicion of "disturbing public order" and an act of vandalism that caused an electricity black-out in the Shi'ite town of Awwamiyya.

He said police wanted Nimr for questioning but did not know for what reason.

Saif and a member of Nimr's family said that in a sermon in Awwamiyya this month Nimr had suggested Shi'ites could one day seek to secede from Saudi Arabia, a country that sees itself as the bastion of mainstream Sunni Islam.

Most Saudi Shi'ites live in the eastern, oil-producing part of the country. They are thought to form 10 to 15 percent of the population of 17 million Saudis, and often complain of second-class status in the kingdom. >>> © Thomson Reuters 2009 | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Koran im Kopf
Teil 1:


Teil 2
Teil 3

Sam Harris vs Bill O'Reilly on Islam
Bill O’Reilly just doesn’t get it, does he? For God’s sake, Bill, get with the story!

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: "Calling Things by Their Name"

Hirsi Ali: Is Islam Compatible with Liberal Democracy?
Part 1:


Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Credit: Aspen Ideas Festival (June 29 – July 5, 2009) >>>

My essay on Islam and democracy:
Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom

JUI-S for Enforcement of Sharia across Country
GEO.tv: SARGODHA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-S chief Maulana Sami-ul-Haq said on Sunday that he was ready to fight a war for the enforcement of Sharia across the country after Swat.

Addressing a news conference here, he said that alliance of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ammal (MMA) had fell apart because its leadership went after the power politics.

JUI-S chief said that the future of democracy and present government looks bleak and disappointing, while crime rate in Swat went down to one percent following after promulgation of Sharia Law.

He lamented that the stable of horse-trading had been opened after imposing governor rule in Punjab. [Source: Geo.tv] Sunday, March 22, 2009

Turkey Could Block Rasmussen at NATO, Official Says
REUTERS: BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Turkey could block Denmark's prime minister from becoming the next NATO chief given concerns over his past stance on Turkey and a row over Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, a Turkish official said on Sunday.

Current secretary general Dutchman Jaap de Hoop Scheffer steps down on July 31. His successor is expected to be named at an April 3-4 NATO summit.

NATO diplomats and a U.S. source said on Saturday Washington had told NATO allies it would back Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next secretary general but getting Turkey to agree would be key.

A Turkish official said the Turkish position could be set in coming days, but Rasmussen was "tainted" in Turkey's eyes.

"It may come to the veto," he told Reuters. "We will have to see." NATO leadership positions are filled by consensus among the 26-nation military pact. >>> Reporting by Paul Taylor and David Brunnstrom | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sarkozy contre Tariq Ramadan
Partie 1:


Partie 2

Ayaa Hirsi Ali: War on Terror or War on Islam?

Wilders Appeals against UK Ban
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders has launched an official appeal against the British government's decision to ban him from entering the United Kingdom. Last month, Britain's Home Office refused the MP entry on the grounds that his opinions about Islam made him a threat to public security.

Mr Wilders had been invited to screen his film Fitna at the House of Lords by Lord Pearson of Britain's Independence Party. Upon arrival at London's Heathrow airport, the far-right MP was denied entry to the UK and sent back to the Netherlands. Mr Wilders has appealed to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal to reverse the decision. He will be notified of the date for the hearing in 28 days time. [Source: RNW] | Saturday, March 21, 2009

Turkey's State Radio to Begin Armenian-language Broadcast
HÜRRIYET: Turkey's state radio will launch an Armenian-language channel, reports said on Friday in the latest in a series of planned foreign language broadcasting mediums being launched by the state.

The move comes as Ankara and Yerevan have been engaged in a normalization process between the neighboring countries that for decades have had no diplomatic relations.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan also said Wednesday that state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corp (TRT) would launch a radio station broadcasting in Kurdish.

The radio channels broadcasting in Armenian and Kurdish will go on air in "two to three months", Reuters and CNNTurk reported citing Anatolian Agency.

"At this stage, we will refrain from any comments," an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman told Reuters when asked about the report of the planned radio station on Friday.

TRT also plans to launch a Persian TV channel and a news channel broadcasting in English next year, Friday's reports added.

Turkey recently took steps to boost the cultural and democratic rights of Kurds with the Jan. 1 launch of TRT-6, a TV channel that airs in Kurdish 24 hours a day. [Source: Hürriyet] Sunday, March 22, 2009

Canada Bans Outspoken British MP
THE CANADIAN PRESS: OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will not intervene in a decision to ban British anti-war MP George Galloway from Canada despite opposition claims of censorship.

Galloway termed the decision "idiotic" after Citizenship and Immigration Canada deemed the outspoken politician inadmissible on security grounds. He was exploring his legal options Friday, vowing to fight the ruling with "all means at my disposal."

Kenney's office noted Galloway has expressed sympathy for the Taliban cause in Afghanistan and provided financial support to the Palestinian group Hamas, listed in Canada as a terrorist organization.

Speaking in Calgary on Friday, Kenney said that while he has authority to overrule his officials, he will not provide special treatment to the 54-year-old Scottish MP.

Galloway "last week publicly called for a coup d'etat in Egypt and the overthrow of the government there while at the same time delivering aid and resources to Hamas, which is a banned illegal terrorist organization," Kenney said.

"In this case, I believe folks that are supporting and promoting and helping terrorist organizations are not needed to visit Canada." >>> Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press | Saturday, March 21, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback/Broché – Canada) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback/Relié – Canada) >>>

Bailout Fallout: Uncle Sam's Sharia Board
EUROPE NEWS: At your service, American Taxpayer! AIG's Shariah Advisory Board. Meet Moe, Larry and Curly. I mean, Mohamed, Muhammad, and Mohammed.* As members of the AIG Takaful Shariah Advisory Board, they really work for you and me, the American taxpayer, ever since we the people bought an 80 percent stake in the bankrupt insurance company.

How's that for bait and switch? While we agonize over chump-change AIG bonuses, we ignore the fact we're paying for the subversion of liberty and justice for all by funding AIG's promotion and entrenchment of sharia--Jew-, Christian-, and humanist-hostile supremacist Islamic law. As of December 2008, by the way, AIG Takaful insurance products went on sale in the USA under the ironically named Lexington Takaful Solutions.

Lexington, Lexington--wasn't that where our experiment in liberty began with the shot heard round the world? Must have been a dream. At this rate, Lexington will go down in history as the beachhead of US taxpayer-funded sharia. From "taxation without representation" to taxation to support sharia: How the free have enslaved themselves. >>> Diana West (DianaWest.net) | Friday, March 20, 2009

Religulous: Borat-style Satire on Faith Causes Outrage
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: British release for controversial US movie will increase friction between atheists and believers

The Pope caused global outrage last week when he suggested on a trip to Africa not only that Aids 'cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms' but that they 'even aggravate the problems'. Photo (AP) courtesy of The Independent on Sunday
A Borat-style documentary lampooning the world's religions through interviews with their leaders is to open in Britain next week – and, if the US experience is anything to go, it is certain to spark controversy.

Religulous – the title is a provocative combination of "religion" and "ridiculous" – caused outrage across the Atlantic, with Catholics complaining they were the main target of the film, directed by Larry Charles. He also directed Borat, the satire on US mores starring Sacha Baron Cohen as the Kazakhstan reporter. The American comedian and satirist Bill Maher takes the Cohen role.

Maher has said that while the film was meant to be funny, it wasn't just meant to poke fun at religion, but demolish it. "I was raised a Catholic," he said, "but by the time I became an adult, scientific thought and rational evidence led me to believe otherwise. You know, when I was a kid and got a cavity, I had mercury drilled into my teeth. Then, when I got older, they drilled it out – and you can do the same with religion."

The film opens shortly after the Pope was condemned for suggesting condoms "aggravate the problem" of Aids, causing a frantic Vatican damage-limitation exercise.

Emboldened atheists have run slogans on the side of buses proclaiming "There is probably no God" – and a campaign by Christians to undermine that attracted record numbers of complaints last week to the Advertising Standards Authority. >>> By Andrew Johnson and Emily Dugan | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Bill Maher's 'Religulous'


YOUTUBE: Religulous: A Trailer

Boris Cocks-a-snook at the PC Brigade
Waving the flag: The Mayor will raise the Cross of St George over his London headquarters. Photo courtesy of MailOnline
MAIL Online: London Mayor Boris Johnson is to defy the politically correct brigade by staging a week-long festival in the capital to celebrate St George’s Day, with the red and white cross of England’s patron saint flying proudly from his City Hall offices.

The move follows a series of incidents in recent years in which people have been banned from displaying the English flag on the grounds that it is racist and could offend Muslims because of St George’s association with the Crusades.

But Mr Johnson believes such arguments are unjustified and plans a series of events around St George’s Day on April 23 to honour the historical achievements of England and the English. Cripes! Boris's Plan to Celebrate St George (and to Blazes with What the PC Brigade Think) >>> By Simon Walters and Brendan Carlin | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Irakische Flüchtlinge: Neues Leben in Sicherheit
SUEDDEUTSCHE: Ende einer langen Flucht: In Deutschland sind 122 irakische Flüchtlinge eingetroffen, die Schreckliches erlebt haben. Sie sind die ersten von 2500 Menschen, die hier eine neue Heimat finden sollen.

Es soll für sie das Ende einer langen Flucht sein. Einer Flucht aus ihrer irakischen Heimat, in der sie Schreckliches erlebt haben.

Zunächst 122 Flüchtlinge aus dem Irak sind am Donnerstagnachmittag, aus der syrischen Hauptstadt Damaskus kommend, mit einer Sondermaschine auf dem Flughafen Hannover-Langenhagen angekommen. Bei ihnen handelt es sich um die ersten von insgesamt 2500 besonders schutzbedürftigen Flüchtlingen aus dem Irak, die Deutschland im Rahmen eines Programms der Vereinten Nationen aufnimmt.

Unter ihnen sind Schwerstkranke, alleinstehende Frauen mit Kindern sowie Opfer von Gewalt und Folter. Die Iraker erhalten in Deutschland sofort eine dreijährige Aufenthaltserlaubnis mit Option auf Verlängerung sowie die Erlaubnis zu arbeiten. Einige wurden sofort nach der Ankunft zur medizinischen Versorgung gebracht. >>> Von Jens Schneider | Donnerstag, 19. März 2009

Le pape invite les Africains à renoncer à la sorcellerie
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ANGOLA | Benoît XVI a exhorté samedi les catholiques angolais à renoncer à la sorcellerie et aux sectes évangéliques.

Cette journée a également été marquée par une mise au point du Vatican sur l'avortement après des propos du souverain pontife vendredi.

Le pape bavarois, qui à 82 ans a montré des signes de fatigue dans la chaleur moite de Luanda, a célébré une messe pour des milliers de fidèles rassemblés dans une église, des milliers d'autres attendant dehors.

Dans son homélie, il a invité son auditoire à tendre la main à ceux qui continuent de croire à la sorcellerie et aux esprits. "Tant d'entre eux vivent dans la crainte des esprits, de pouvoirs pernicieux et menaçants. Dans leur confusion, ils arrivent même à condamner les enfants des rues et les anciens en les traitant de sorciers", a expliqué le pape.

L'an dernier, la police angolaise avait secouru une quarantaine d'enfants enfermés dans une maison par deux sectes religieuses après avoir été accusés par leurs propres familles de se livrer à la sorcellerie. Les gourous des sectes incriminées avaient été par la suite interpellés. >>> ATS | Dimanche 22 Mars 2009

Pauline Hanson Loses Re-election Bid as Paper Apologies [sic] over Nude Photos
Photo of Pauline Hanson on the dance floor courtesy of The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
TIMESONLINE: The far-right Australian politician Pauline Hanson has received an apology over the publication of 30-year-old raunchy photographs of a near naked woman that local newspapers incorrectly claimed were her, a day after she lost a bid for re-election.

The apology - in which a Sunday newspaper admitted they were “conned” by Jack Johnson, who took the photos and claimed he was a former boyfriend of Ms Hanson - came as the political firebrand lost her bid for a seat in the Queensland parliament, ending her controversial 13-year political career.

Ms Hanson, the former leader of the One Nation political party, had vowed to quit politics for good if she failed to win a seat as an independent in the Queensland parliament during Saturday’s elections.

However on Sunday she declined to rule out running again. “Look, I don’t know,” Ms Hanson said. “I really need to think about this.” >>> Sophie Tedmanson in Sydney | Sunday, March 22, 2009

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:
Pauline Hanson Nude Photos Were a Con: JACK Johnson, the person at the centre of the controversial Pauline Hanson photographs affair, has emerged as a conman. >>> By Nick Leys Jennifer Sexton | Sunday, March 22, 2009

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

Democrat Anger at Obama Overkill
The AIG saga has prompted some senior Democrats to distance themselves from Obama. Photo courtesy of TimesONline
TIMESONLINE: Concern is mounting at the president’s tactics

WHEN the White House announced last week that President Barack Obama will be returning to the nation’s television screens on Tuesday for a prime-time press conference that will postpone the latest episode of American Idol - the talent show watched by 25m viewers - fans of the programme were quick to respond.

“Stop, please stop, Mr O, we can’t take much more,” one angry viewer wrote on an Idol-related website. “Not again!” complained another. “It’s the same speech he’s been giving for the past year.” When the People Have had Enough of Their Saviour >>> Tony Allen-Mills | Sunday, March 22, 2009

Romanian Doctor Suspended for Calling Asian Colleagues 'Orang-utans'
Suspended: Dr Silvia Baciu at the General Medical Council. Photo courtesy of MailOnline
MAIL Online: A doctor who described her Asian colleagues as ‘orang-utans’ has been suspended by the General Medical Council.

Dr Silvia Baciu, 43, made the comments after claiming she had been subjected to insulting and threatening treatment because she was a white European.

But the NHS Trust she worked for accused her of racism and the GMC yesterday criticised her ‘unacceptable racial behaviour’.

Dr Baciu, who is originally from Romania, worked as a Senior House Officer in anaesthetics at Basildon Hospital, Essex, from June 2004 to November 2005.

After she left the department, she reuested a meeting with the Trust to discuss alleged discrimination at the hands of her colleagues. She prepared a 12-page document to support her claims.

The GMC heard that she had written: ‘It’s not my fault that in the heads of senior Asian colleagues, there’s no difference between an educated white woman and a donkey. It’s not my fault that I was born in Europe and not in South-East Asia, like other trainees. It’s not my fault that I’m white.

‘I dare to suggest to you, mon cher, that ( some doctors) are exempt from known immigration laws.

‘The brainy Asian males of this department can’t place themselves before the law.’

Dr Baciu, who lives in Northampton, added in the document that she feared that European science would ‘disappear’ because there were so many Asian doctors.

She added: ‘The orang-utan section of the department is ready for action and I assure you of their effectiveness.’

Later in the document, Dr Baciu claimed she had been threatened and harassed and found attitudes towards her ‘very hard to endure’.

The GMC was told that Dr Baciu had problems adjusting to working in the UK. Craig Ferguson, for the GMC, also said there were concerns over her communication skills and her ability to complete written assessments.

Dr Baciu said that the word ‘orang-utan’ did not refer to the doctors’ appearance, but their aggressive and threatening behaviour, both in public and private. >>> By Daily Mail Reporter | Friday, March 20, 2009

Rien de neuf dans l'attitude des USA, estime l'ayatollah Khameneï
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: DIPLOMATIE | Le guide suprême de la Révolution iranienne s'exprimait au lendemain de la diffusion du message du président Obama, proposant «un nouveau départ» à l'Iran.

Khameneï, le guide suprême de la Révolution iranienne. Photo (©Keystone) grâce à la Tribune de Genève
L'ayatollah Ali Khameneï, guide suprême de la Révolution iranienne, ne voit aucun changement dans la diplomatie américaine. Il s'exprimait au lendemain de la diffusion du message du président Barack Obama proposant "un nouveau départ" à Téhéran.

"Ils scandent le slogan du changement, mais rien ne change dans les faits", a déclaré samedi le numéro un iranien devant plusieurs milliers de personnes rassemblées dans la ville sainte de Machhad (nord-est).

"Changez et notre attitude changera. Si vous ne changez pas d'attitude, sachez que notre peuple s'est renforcé, est devenu plus fort au cours de ces 30 dernières années" et continuera de résister, a-t-il déclaré à l'attention du nouveau gouvernement et président américains. >>> ATS | Samedi 21 Mars 2009

leJDD.fr: L'Iran aux EU: Paroles, paroles...

La réponse du berger à la bergère ne s'est pas fait attendre. Alors que Barack Obama lançait vendredi un appel à la "décrispation" des relations irano-américaines, c'est l'ayatollah Khamenei qui s'est chargé de lui répondre samedi. Le "nouveau départ" des Etats-Unis? Le guide suprême de la révolution iranienne attend de juger sur pièces. Et pour l'instant, il estime qu'on ne lui en a présenté aucune.

"Après vous". Telle est, en résumé, la réponse de l'ayatollah iranien à l'appel au changement lancé vendredi par le président américain. "Si vous changez", déclarait samedi Khamenei à l'adresse des Etats-Unis, "nous changerons". Sous-entendu: si vous n'en faites rien, ne comptez pas sur nous. Alors que les autorités iraniennes semblaient avoir plutôt bien accueilli le message diplomatique de Barack Obama, vendredi, les déclarations d'Ali Khamenei jettent donc un nouveau froid sur les relations entre Téhéran et Washington. Certes, elles n'étaient pas au beau fixe ces trente dernières années. Après avoir rompu toute relation avec Téhéran en 1979, à la suite de la prise d'otage de 52 diplomates américains dans leur ambassade, les Etats-Unis avaient fini par inscrire l'Iran, sous la plume de George W. Bush, sur la liste des pays de l'Axe du mal... Autant dire que Barack Obama partait de loin lorsqu'il annonçait vendredi un "nouveau départ". >>> Par Marie-Lys LUBRANO (avec Reuters), LeJDD.fr | Samedi 21 Mars 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché et Relié) - Livraison gratuite dans toute la Suisse >>>

Ein Moslem tritt vom Islam zum Christentum über

Ex-Muslim Barino bei RTL

Koran im Kopf II - Barinos Ausstieg [aus dem Islam]
Teil 1:


Teil 2
Teil 3
Teil 4
Teil 5

Islamists at Dublin's Trinity College

Taking off the Mask of Islam

Labour MP Shahid Malik Predicts the Total Islamization of the United Kingdom

US Overture to Iran

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Somali Islamic Militia Behead Rival Clerics
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: MOGADISHU, Somalia: Extremist Islamic militiamen beheaded two clerics from a rival group after stopping the vehicle taking them to be treated for wounds suffered in a gun battle, a spokesman for the clerics' group said.

The clerics were members of Ahlu Sunna Waljama which had been fighting against extremist al-Shabab militiamen in the town of Balad, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the capital Mogadishu, said spokesman Sheik Abdullahi Sheik Abu Yusuf.

Abu Yusuf blamed al-Shabab for the beheadings on Thursday but said the clerics were not involved in the earlier fighting. Al-Shabab controls large chunks of the country where it imposes a harsh brand of Islam, while battling government troops and African Union peacekeepers.

Abu Yusuf said the clerics were unarmed when they were wounded. "They did not take part in the recent clashes," Abu Yusuf told The Associated Press late Friday. >>> The Associated Press | Saturday, March 21, 2009

Mandy Would Be Stoned to Death under Sharia Law
THE SUN: THE vile Muslim extremists behind the sick protests against Our Boys at a homecoming parade want Lord Mandelson stoned to death — for being GAY.

Anjem Choudary says that Lord Mandelson should be re-educated about the evils of homosexuality; but if he then confesses to a liaison with another man, he should be executed. Photo: The Sun
Hate preacher Anjem Choudary yesterday set out how he would deal with the Business Secretary if Britain was ruled under Sharia law.

At a bizarre press conference he called in London, he said Lord Mandelson would be RE-EDUCATED about the “evils” of homosexuality.

But the minister would be EXECUTED if he confessed to a male liaison.

Choudary, 41, who chillingly struck a pose like a video still of terror chief Osama bin Laden, said of Mandy: “He would not be allowed to speak openly about homosexuality.”

He added: “If a man likes another man, it can happen. But if you go on to fulfil your desire, there is a punishment to follow.

"Some people are attracted to donkeys but that does not mean it is right.” >>> By Gary O’Shea | Saturday, March 21, 2009

NAME: All Homosexuals Should Be Stoned to Death, Says Muslim Preacher of Hate

Hate, hate and more hate: Anjem Choudary (centre), flanked by two cohorts, prepares to give a press conference on Friday in which he says homosexuals should be stoned to death. Photo: MailOnline
All homosexuals should face stoning to death, a Muslim preacher of hate declared yesterday.

Anjem Choudary, the firebrand cleric who wants to see Britain ruled by Sharia law, said such a regime was the only way to fix the country's ills.

Under it, adulterers and homosexuals would be killed by stoning. Asked if that would include anybody - even a Cabinet minister such as Business Secretary Lord Mandelson - Choudary responded with an astonishing diatribe.

He said: 'If a man likes another man, it can happen, but if you go on to fulfil your desire, if it is proved, then there is a punishment to follow. You don't stone to death unless there are four eyewitnesses. It is a very stringent procedure.

'There are some people who are attracted to donkeys but that does not mean it is right.'

Choudary was speaking at a press conference in London arranged by Muslim extremists to justify their protest in Luton last week against soldiers returning home from Iraq.

His incendiary remarks immediately prompted calls for him to be investigated by police. Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: 'These statements show the depravity of this man's beliefs. They must incite hatred and encourage terrorism, and I would encourage the Metropolitan Police to investigate them as rigorously as possible.'

The Rev Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said: 'This is appalling. The police should look very closely at what has been said to see if there is any action they should be taking.' >>> By Sam Greenhill | Saturday, March 21, 2009