Airheads Anonymous! Miss Universe Had a 'Lot of Fun' in Guantanamo
Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza. Photo courtesy of The Independent
THE INDEPENDENT: A "relaxing, calm, beautiful place" may not be everyone's description of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States holds about 240 prisoners in a detention centre that has drawn condemnation from around the world.

But this was the opinion of reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, who visited the US naval facility in eastern Cuba this month on a trip organised by the United Service Organisations (USO) which supports US troops.

The Guantanamo Bay base, whose presence Cuba's government has contested as illegal for years, is used by US authorities as a prison camp for foreign terrorism suspects. Critics have condemned it as a symbol of abuses in Washington's war on terrorism launched after the 11 September, 2001 attacks.

Caracas-born Mendoza, 22, who visited the facility between 20-25 March along with Miss USA Crystle Stewart, 27, enthused about her Guantanamo trip as an "incredible experience" in a blog entry posted on the Miss Universe website dated 27 March 27, 2009 (www.missuniverse.com/missuniverse/blog.php).

"It was a loooot of fun!," Mendoza wrote, describing how she and Stewart met US military personnel and took rides around the camp, which is encircled by a barbed-wire fenced, minefields and watchtowers. She said they also visited a bar on the base and the "unbelievable" beach there. >>> Reuters | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Filthy Rich and Enjoying Every Minute of It
Filthy rich and proud of it. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMESONLINE: Stock markets across the world may have tanked last year but that didn’t stop the top performing hedge fund managers from making themselves a huge pile of cash.

In fact, the top 25 made £8.275 billion or an average of $464 million (£331m) each in 2008, according to research by Alpha Magazine. That is enough money to pay for 30 hospitals, employ more than 300,000 nurses for a year, or vaccinate every child in poverty from five preventable diseases.

Anyway, here is the list of the top 10, and how they made their millions (billions). Filthy Rich: The 10 Highest Paid Hedge Fund Managers of 2008 >>> | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

USA-Iran: Erster diplomatischer Kontakt
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der US-Sondergesandte für Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, ist in Den Haag mit dem iranischen Vize-Aussenminister Mehdi Achundsadeh zusammengekommen.

Sucht Wege für eine Zusammenarbeit mit dem Iran: US-Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton. Bild dank dem Tages Anzeiger
Die Aussichten auf eine Entspannung zwischen den USA und dem Iran sind gestiegen: Der amerikanische Spitzendiplomat Richard Holbrooke und der iranische Vize-Aussenminister Mehdi Achundsadeh kamen am Rande einer Afghanistan-Konferenz in Den Haag zu einem bilateralen Treffen zusammen, wie US-Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton mitteilte. Holbrooke und Achundsadeh hätten nach dem «kurzen und freundlichen Gespräch vereinbart, in Kontakt zu bleiben», sagte Clinton.

Die beiden Länder unterhalten keine diplomatischen Beziehungen mehr, seit während der Islamischen Revolution im Iran 1979 das gesamte Personal der US-Botschaft in Teheran in Geiselhaft genommen wurde. Informelle Kontakte zwischen amerikanischen und iranischen Politikern gab es seither aber mehrfach, so kamen die früheren US-Aussenminister Condoleezza Rice und Colin Powell informell mit ihren iranischen Kollegen zusammen. >>> bru/ap | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

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Nétanyahou prêt à la paix avec les Palestiniens
«Le gouvernement sous ma direction agira pour arriver à la paix sur trois volets : économique, sécuritaire et politique», a déclaré Benyamin Nétanyahou. Photo grâce au Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le nouveau chef du gouvernement israélien qui présente ce soir son équipe à la Knesset s'est en revanche gardé de parler d'un Etat palestinien indépendant. L'Autorité palestinienne se dit déçue.

Benyamin Nétanyahou dit vouloir la paix. Le nouveau premier ministre israélien qui présente mardi son gouvernement à l'investiture du Parlement s'est dit prêt à négocier avec les Palestiniens dans cet objectif. «Je le dis aux dirigeants de l'Autorité palestinienne : si vous voulez vraiment la paix, il est possible d'arriver à la paix. Le gouvernement sous ma direction agira pour arriver à la paix sur trois volets : économique, sécuritaire et politique», a déclaré Nétanyahou. «Nous mènerons des négociations de paix permanentes avec l'Autorité palestinienne en vue de parvenir à un accord final et nous ne voulons pas gouverner un autre peuple. Nous ne voulons pas contrôler le destin des Palestiniens», a-t-il ajouté. Il a affirmé que dans le cadre d'un «accord définitif», les Palestiniens «disposeront de tous les droits pour se gouverner eux-mêmes, sauf ceux susceptibles de constituer un danger pour la sécurité et l'existence de l'Etat d'Israël». >>> J.B. (lefigaro.fr) Avec AFP | Mardi 31 Mars 2009

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A Canadian Converts to Islam – Look What Happens...

New Dark Age Alert! Anjem Choudary, Britain’s Cocky Muslim Big Mouth, Calls British Troops "War Criminals" and Muslim Leaders "Hypocrites"
Part 1:


Part 2
Part 3
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Visions of Sharia: Vengeance Allowed But No Less Barbaric
ORLANDO SENTINEL: Although the principle that "the personal is political" was first popularized by the American Women's Movement of the 1970s, the same wisdom may have much to teach us about relations between the West and Islam. The widely-publicized and ongoing tragedy of Ameneh Bahrami and Majid Movahedi offers a glaring example of precisely how.



At first glance, Bahrami's story seems like a tale of medieval injustice. After the Iranian electronics student resisted the persistent and unwanted advances of Movehedi for more than two years, he blinded and disfigured her in a 2004 acid attack.

Such attacks are still all too common in much of Asia -- most notably in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. They are often orchestrated against women who refuse to don the hajib or who resist unwanted proposals of marriage.

Such attacks are barbaric. However, Iranian law provides for an equally barbaric remedy. Under the Islamic rule of qias -- roughly translated as equivalence -- the victims of such attacks may demand identical treatment for their assailants. Bahrami, now receiving free medical care in Spain, has demanded that Movehedi be blinded too.



At her request, an Iranian court recently ordered that sulfuric acid be dropped into one of his eyes. (Apparently, since Iranian law does not view men's eyes and women's eyes as having equal value, Bahrami must pay 20,000 Euros if her spurned suitor is to lose both eyes.) >>> Jacob M. Appel | Special to the Sentinel | Monday, March 30, 2009

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Is There a War on the Term 'War on Terror'
abcNEWS – Blogs: Is there a war on the term "War on Terror"?

Apparently not.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing to the story.

After days of confusion and denial about whether the Obama administration was officially no longer using the term "War on Terror," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the Obama administration is no longer speaking of a "War on Terror."

"I haven't gotten any directive about using it or not using it. It's just not being used," said Clinton during a briefing with reporters aboard her plane to the Hague to attend an international conference on Afghanistan.

"The administration has stopped using the phrase and I think that speaks for itself," she said at a different point during her trip. "Obviously."

The discontinuation of the term "War on Terror" marks a departure from the practice of the Bush administration which began using the phrase in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. >>> Jake Tapper, Teddy Davis, and Kirit Radia | Monday, March 30, 2009

Canada's Tolerance Misplaced
CALGARY HERALD: Canada's Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is getting flak from the usual suspects, but he deserves praise instead.

Recently, Kenney pointed out that while at a meeting in Toronto, members of Canada's Pakistani community called on him to make Punjabi one of Canada's official languages. It makes me angry that such an idea would enter the minds of my fellow and former countrymen, let alone express them to a Minister of the Crown.

A few months ago, I was dismayed to learn that Erik Millett, the principal of Belleisle School in Springfield, N. B., limited playing our national anthem because the families of a couple of his students objected to it.

As a social scientist, I oppose this kind of political correctness, lack of assimilation of new immigrants to mainstream Canada, hyphenated-Canadian identity, and the lack of patriotism in our great nation.

Increasingly, Canadians feel restricted in doing things the Canadian way lest we offend minorities. We cannot even say Merry Christmas without fear of causing offence. It is amazing that 77 per cent of the Canadian majority are scared of offending 23 per cent of minorities. We have become so timid that the majority cannot assert its own freedom of expression. We cannot publicly question certain foreign social customs, traditions and values that do not fit into the Canadian ethos of equality. Rather than encouraging new immigrants to adjust to Canada, we tolerate peculiar ways of doing things. We do not remind them that they are in Canada, not in their original homelands.

In a multicultural society, it is the responsibility of minorities to adjust to the majority. It does not mean that minorities have to totally amalgamate with the majority. They can practise some of their cultural traditions within their homes -- their backstage behaviour. However, when outside of their homes, their front stage behaviour should resemble mainstream Canadian behaviour. Whoever comes to Canada must learn the limits of our system. We do not kill our daughters or other female members of our families who refuse to wear hijab, niqab or burka which are not mandated by the Qur'an anyway. We do not kill our daughters if they date the "wrong" men. A 17-year-old Sikh girl should not have been killed in British Columbia by her father because she was caught dating a Caucasian man. >>> By Mahfooz Kanwar*, for the Calgary Herald, © Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald | Monday, March 30, 3009

* Mahfooz Kanwar, PHD, Is A Sociologist And An Instructor Emeritus At Mount Royal College.

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Obama's Aunt Becomes Symbol in Immigration Debate
ASSOCIATED PRESS: BOSTON — Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt lost her bid for asylum more than four years ago, and a judge ordered her deported. Instead, Zeituni Onyango stayed, living for years in public housing.

Now, in a case that puts the president in a tough position both personally and politically, Onyango's request is being reconsidered under a little-used provision in U.S. immigration rules that allows denied asylum claims to be reheard if applicants can show that something has changed to make them eligible.

Such as the ascension of her nephew to the presidency of the world's most powerful country.

"If she goes back to Kenya, she is going to be much more in the limelight, and that, in and of itself, could put her at a greater risk. The chances of her going back and keeping a low profile are gone at this point," said Boston immigration attorney Ilana Greenstein.

Onyango, 56, the half-sister of Obama's late father, moved to the United States in 2000. Her first bid for asylum was rejected, and an immigration judge ordered her deported in 2004; she continues to live in public housing in Boston.

In December, a judge agreed to suspend the deportation order and reopen her case. An initial hearing is scheduled Wednesday in U.S. Immigration Court in Boston.

Obama has said repeatedly that he didn't know his aunt was living in the United States illegally and believes that laws covering the situation should be followed. If she wins asylum, he could look soft on immigration enforcement. If she loses, he could face criticism from immigrant advocacy groups.

The White House says Obama is staying out of it. >>> By Denise Lavoie | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Is Financial Crisis Fueling Europe’s Far Right?
BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES: In early March, a captain of the far-right Magyar Garda, or Hungarian Guard, addressed his followers about the worsening worldwide financial crisis that had brought Hungary to the brink of bankruptcy.

“Jews run the world,” Draskovics Andras said in remarks that were recorded by a camera crew from Hungarian state TV. Jews “need only 2 billion people for their tricks, and the rest of the mankind will be executed,” he said, according to a Hungarian news Web site, Hvg.hu.

Soon after, on a national holiday in mid-March, the Hungarian Guard inducted 600 new members, who marched with insignias resembling those of its Nazi-era predecessors in Budapest’s largest square.

As the global financial crisis deepens, hitting some Eastern European countries particularly hard, Jews in Europe are watching closely to see whether far-right movements will rekindle old stereotypes about Jews and money, and fuel antipathy toward Jews.

The concern comes as Jews in Europe continue to reel from a sharp spike in anti-Semitic attacks during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, including several arson attempts on synagogues.

“The German neo-Nazis never fail to mention that Jews are to blame for the economic downturn at demonstrations when they think the authorities are not monitoring them,” said Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. “Over the last six months their supporters have used slanders like ‘greedy Jews.’

“There is constant talk of Bernard Madoff and how he is Jewish,” he said. “We are worried about this trend of connecting Jews to the crisis within the whole society.” >>> Dinah Spritzer, JTA Wire Service, Prague | Monday, March 30, 2009

Témoignage du Docteur Minoo Mohraz sur l’épidémie de sida en Iran. Cette femme a créé centre de recherche iranien de lutte contre le Sida (IRCHA) en 1985
Après:

2. Portrait d’un famille au bazar de Téhéran.
3. Souvenirs d’un infirmier.

New Dark Age Alert! 'Worse than the Taliban' - New Law Rolls Back Rights for Afghan Women
A burqa-clad Afghan woman walks in an old bazaar in Kabul. Photograph courtesy of The Guardian.
THE GUARDIAN: Hamid Karzai has been accused of trying to win votes in Afghanistan's presidential election by backing a law the UN says legalises rape within marriage and bans wives from stepping outside their homes without their husbands' permission.

The Afghan president signed the law earlier this month, despite condemnation by human rights activists and some MPs that it flouts the constitution's equal rights provisions.

The final document has not been published, but the law is believed to contain articles that rule women cannot leave the house without their husbands' permission, that they can only seek work, education or visit the doctor with their husbands' permission, and that they cannot refuse their husband sex.

A briefing document prepared by the United Nations Development Fund for Women also warns that the law grants custody of children to fathers and grandfathers only.

Senator Humaira Namati, a member of the upper house of the Afghan parliament, said the law was "worse than during the Taliban". "Anyone who spoke out was accused of being against Islam," she said. >>> Jon Boone in Kabul | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

"Men and women have equal rights under Islam but there are differences in the way men and women are created. Men are stronger and women are a little bit weaker; even in the west you do not see women working as firefighters." – Ustad Mohammad Akbari, MP and leader of a Hazara political party, Afghanistan

Guardian audio: Afghan women: 'A wife will not be allowed to refuse sex': Jon Boone reveals Afghanistan's new law denying women's rights >>> | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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The Dhimmi British Do It Again! Hijabs for Muslims in the Fire Service
The new, ‘practical’, uniform for Muslim women for the fire service! It is redolent of the Victorian era. What did Emmeline (aka Emily) Pankhurst fight for? Of course, as you would expect, another act of dhimmitude from the craven British authorities.
MAIL Online: Pop into the firestation and the chances are there'd be a group of reassuringly burly men in there waiting for the call out, with uniforms and firefighting suits tailored for their use alone.

The one or two women among them would have to make do with ill-fitting adaptations of the men's outfits while the handful of Muslim women in the service would be wearing their own head scarfs.

But, with the fire service anxious to attract recruits of all sexes and backgrounds, it was decided that something had to be done.

So yesterday the results were uneveiled, including full-length skirts, hijab headscarfs and long- sleeved shirts for Muslim women recruits.

The hope is that the uniforms, designed for wearing round the station and for outings such as school trips, will be smarter and better fitting for every firefighter - even the men.

For the first time also, women will get their own mustard yellow fire-fighting suit designed to protect their breasts and upper body.

This outfit was tried on yesterday by Lincolnshire firefighter Julie Smith.

'It is right that male firefighters and female firefighters to need protection in different areas,' she said. 'It is very comfortable, very new and very yellow.'

Her boss Mike Thomas, Chief Fire Officer for Lincolnshire, declared the uniforms would help 'bust' the ' traditional image of the hunky, British, white, male, firefighter' - even though a great many of his staff probably fit this description. Now Fire Service Introduces Hijab Headscarves for Muslim Workers >>> By Jaya Narain | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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Die EU spricht jetzt geschlechtsgerecht
NAME: Putzkraft statt Putzfrau, fahrendes Personal statt Fahrer: Die Parlamentsverwaltung der Europäischen Union hat eine Broschüre für "geschlechtsgerechten Sprachgebrauch" herausgegeben. Ziel der Maßnahme ist es, sexistische Wörter und Formulierungen in offiziellen Papieren zu vermeiden.

In Europa tobt die Krise, aber das EU-Parlament hat andere Sorgen: "Sexistische Formulierungen" in den Veröffentlichungen des Hohen Hauses sollen verschwinden. Dazu hat die Parlamentsverwaltung jetzt eine 16-seitige Broschüre vorgelegt: "Geschlechtergerechter Sprachgebrauch beim Europäischen Parlament". Sie soll Dolmetschern und Politikern als Leitfaden dienen für eine "geschlechtergerechte Ausdrucksweise". Der CDU-Europaabgeordnete Markus Pieper ist empört: "Wir brauchen diese Bevormundung nicht. Hört auf mit dem Schwachsinn!" >>> Von Christoph B. Schilz | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

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Germany Bans Far-right Youth Group
THE INDEPENDENT: German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble banned right-wing organisation "Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend" today, saying the group was spreading Nazi propaganda to young people.

The organisation, Patriotic German Youth in English, has several hundred members, the ministry said. It called it a cornerstone of the far-right movement with ties to the National Democratic Party (NPD).

"With today's ban we're putting an end to the nauseating activities of the HDJ," Schaeuble said in a statement. "We're going to do everything possible to protect our children and our youths from these rat catchers." >>> Reuters | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Obama, Europa und der Weg in die Hölle
DIE PRESSE: Der Europa-Besuch Barack Obamas steht im Zeichen der Ernüchterung. Die Beziehungen haben sich spürbar abgekühlt. Über die Krisenbewältigung bestehen krasse Auffassungs-Unterschiede.

Vor der Siegessäule in Berlin hatte er noch leicht reden. Umjubelt und umschwärmt, war der Kandidat im Sommer 2008 der Liebling der Massen, der Wunschpräsident der Europäer – kurzum: Barack Obama war der Anti-Bush, auf den alle so lange gewartet hatten. Seine Stippvisite in Europas Metropolen glich einem Triumphzug. Daheim verhöhnte ihn das McCain-Lager zwar als zweifelhafte Berühmtheit vom Rang einer Paris Hilton. Doch die Häme machte nur deutlich, wie sehr die Republikaner in die Defensive geraten waren.

Ein Dreivierteljahr später hat sich die Botschaft Barack Obamas nicht verändert. Doch steht sein erster Europa-Besuch als US-Präsident in dieser Woche unter völlig anderen Vorzeichen. Die globale Wirtschaftskrise hat die grundsätzlichen Differenzen zwischen den USA und dem Rest der Welt stärker akzentuiert. „Das ist geradezu eine Einladung zur Desillusionierung“, sagte John Kerry, als Vorsitzender des Auswärtigen Ausschusses im Senat einer der einflussreichsten Außenpolitiker.

War George W. Bush mit Demonstrationen gegen den Irak-Krieg konfrontiert, so steht beim G20-Gipfel in London der ungezügelte Wall-Street-Kapitalismus im Visier, der das Finanzsystem beinahe zum Einsturz gebracht hätte. Die Proteste am Wochenende zeugen von tief sitzenden Ressentiments.

Über die Krisenbewältigung bestehen krasse Auffassungsunterschiede. Während die Notenbank in Washington die Geldpresse angeworfen hat, halten viele Europäer das „Big Government“, das staatliche Konjunkturprogramm Washingtons, für einen „Weg in die Hölle“, wie Tschechiens Noch-Premier und Hardrock-Fan Mirek Topolánek formulierte. Sie fürchten einen Anstieg der Inflation. >>> Von Thomas Vieregge, Washington | Montag, 30. März 2009

Extremisten setzen in Athen Banken und Autos in Flammen: Brandanschläge auf Büros griechischer Politiker in Saloniki
NZZ Online: Griechische Anarchisten haben in den zwei grössten Städten des Landes Brandanschläge auf Banken und Büros von Politikern verübt. In Athen wurden in der Nacht zum Dienstag innerhalb einer Viertelstunde fünf Banken, das Geschäft eines Mercedes-Händlers und mehrere Autos in Brand gesetzt.

Nach einer Attacke mit Gaskanistern brannte dieses Postbüro in Athen aus. Bild (Reuters) dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
Die Feuerwehr brachte die Brände in Athen rasch unter Kontrolle. Verletzt wurde niemand. Auch Festnahmen gab es keine, wie die Polizei mitteilte. Die Höhe des Sachschadens war zunächst unbekannt. Bereits am Montagabend wurden in Saloniki Brandsätze auf Büros von sechs Politikern geworfen. >>> ap | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

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Nicolas Sarkozy’s Threat to Walk Out of Global Summit
TIMESONLINE: Anglo-Saxon gibe strains relations with Obama


President Sarkozy yesterday threatened to wreck the London summit if France’s demands for tougher financial regulation are not met.

France will not accept a G20 that produces a “false success with language that sounds good but contains no commitments”, his advisers said.

Asked if this meant a possible walk-out, Xavier Musca, Mr Sarkozy’s deputy chief of staff for economic affairs, said: “A basic rule with nuclear deterrence is that you do not say at what point you will use the weapon.”

The French threat dramatically raised the temperature hours before President Obama arrives in London today. If carried through, it would ruin a summit for which Mr Brown and Mr Obama have high ambitions, believing it vital to international recovery.

Mr Sarkozy, who blames the “Anglo-Saxons” for causing the economic crisis, told his ministers last week that he would leave Mr Brown’s summit “if it does not work out”. >>> Charles Bremner in Paris and Philip Webster | Tuesday, March 31, 2009


THE GUARDIAN:
Those key G20 questions answered: The big issue is: can they agree a plan to rebuild the world economy? But there are other pressing questions: Who should we be watching? What's in the Downing St goodie bag? And who's the new Carla Bruni? >>> Words by Jon Henley, Aditya Chakrabortty, Oliver Burkeman, Stuart Jeffries, Jonathan Glancey, Amy Fleming, John Vidal, John Crace, Paula Cocozza | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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Winston Churchill Had Whisky and a Cigar with Breakfast
THE TELEGRAPH: Winston Churchill wrote his own breakfast menu which included whisky and a cigar while on his last flight to the USA as Prime Minister.

Photo of Winston Churchill being Winston courtesy of The Telegraph
While on the BOAC flight in June 1954 the plane's menu was not good enough for the Prime Minister so he wrote one out himself.

He requested his meal be brought on two trays.

He lists in his own hand: "1st Tray. Poached egg, Toast, Jam, Butter, Coffee and milk, Jug of cold milk, Cold Chicken or Meat.

"2nd Tray. Grapefruit, Sugar Bowl, Glass orange squash (ice), Whisky soda." He then adds: "Wash hands, cigar."

At first he had tried to amend the printed menu, but in the end wrote out his own on the other side.

With his Foreign Secretary Sir Anthony Eden at his side, the visit to the US was made at the height of the Cold War and his last to the US as Prime Minister.

The menu was kept by the air steward and the item is being sold along with press cuttings from the trip.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, who is selling it, said: "This is one of the most remarkable pieces of Churchill memorabilia we have seen.

"It shows what a hearty breakfast he ate and it was all washed down with a whisky, after which he smoked a cigar. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009

The Latest Idiotic Governmental Move: Cash for Mosques and Direct Access to Government Ministers! This Government Is Just Disgusting!
TIMESONLINE: Mosques and local Muslim community groups are to be given money and direct access to government ministers under a radical plan to isolate Britain’s largest Islamic organisation, which the Government accuses of endorsing violent extremism.

The move follows criticism of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which claims to represent half of the country’s Muslims, by Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary. Ms Blears attacked the group for refusing to sack its deputy leader, Daud Abdullah, after he endorsed a pro-Hamas declaration that appeared to call for violence against Jews and Israel and condone attacks on British troops.

The Government is planning to deny the organisation’s representatives ministerial briefings across all departments in a move designed to undermine its standing among British Muslims.

Sadiq Khan, the Minister for Community Cohesion, told The Times: “The days of lazy politicians just speaking to one or two powerful community groups or leaders are gone. You need to speak to individuals and local community groups, even though there will still be a role for umbrella groups to play.”

It is understood that even some of the MCB’s supporters within Government, including David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, and Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, have now turned their backs on the organisation, which has had a difficult relationship with Labour ever since it refused to attend Holocaust Memorial Day in 2006.

A Government source told The Times: “The Government is already talking about different ways to engage with the Muslim community instead of just through large organisations. It will deal with regions or trusted individuals. Why do you need to deal with national umbrella bodies?” Government Moves to Isolate Muslim Council of Britain with Cash for Mosques >>> Richard Kerbaj | Monday, March 30, 2009

Jacqui Smith [Jackboot Jacky] Expenses Claims Total £157,631
This is the woman who denied entry to the United Kingdom to our friend Geert Wilders! Since that ridiculous, undemocratic decision, she’s got herself into a fine kettle of fish! Porn films paid for by the taxpayer, all manner of sleaze, and denying parliamentarians the right to speak freely – how can she sleep at night? – ©Mark


THE TELEGRAPH: Home Secretary Jacqui Smith claimed £22,948 in 2007/08 in taxpayer-funded allowances for her second home, official figures have shown.

Miss Smith, whose claims are already under investigation by a sleaze watchdog, was battling fresh embarrassment today after it emerged that public money paid for two adult films watched by her husband.

Figures released by the House of Commons showed she was paid the sum in additional costs allowance (ACA), which is designed to cover the cost of working in both London and a constituency.

Miss Smith is being investigated because of complaints about her decision to designate her sister's house in south London, where she stays, as her "main" home, allowing her to claim back the costs of running her family house in her Redditch constituency.

Her overall expenses claim, including travel, office and staffing costs, was £157,631.

That sum included 25 journeys for her husband, Richard Timney, who is employed as her Parliamentary assistant, at a cost to the public purse of £2,531.

The figures released by the House of Commons authorities showed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed £124,454 in expenses and allowances in 2007/08, while Conservative leader David Cameron claimed £148,829.

The details are published annually and were initially due for release last October but were delayed amid a legal row over whether full receipts and invoices should be disclosed.

MPs are permitted to claim a range of expenses, including a maximum of £23,083 for the additional costs allowance (ACA), which covers the cost of staying away from their main residence to carry out their parliamentary duties.

ACA is used to cover the cost of running and furnishing a property, as well as rent or mortgage interest payments. Most MPs use it to pay for a base in central London to use while they are working in Westminster, though some – like Miss Smith – treat their London address as their main home and claim allowances on their constituency property. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009

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Schon wieder ist eine Frau irregeführt! Diesmal eine Ärztin!

Another Reason to Visit Switzerland: Hiking in the Nude
This would be a great pastime for Anjem Choudary, and other narrow-minded, fundamentalist Muslims! Photo of nude hiker in Switzerland courtesy of Time
TIME: Baby, it's cold outside. But the early-spring chill doesn't deter Thomas B. from taking a brisk walk along Appenzell's hilly trails to enjoy the green landscape of this rural canton in northeast Switzerland.

There's a good reason why Thomas, 24, doesn't give out his last name: he is concerned that his bosses at a nearby bank may not like his unconventional hiking attire, consisting of shoes, socks, a backpack — and nothing else. Thomas isn't just some nature nut in a birthday suit — he's one of a growing number of hikers who make the pilgrimage to Appenzell specifically so they can trek in the nude. (See pictures of skiing.)

Hiking in the buff might shock Thomas' bosses, as well as some of Appenzell's 15,000 inhabitants, but it's no skin off his back. "Hiking in clothes is too constrictive," he says, adding that he has never had any negative reactions from the fully clothed hikers he meets on the trails. "I like to feel comfortable. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" >>> By Helena Bachman, Geneva | Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Gaddafi Storms Out of Arab League
Gaddafi has angered leaders with sharp words at previous summits. Photo courtesy of Tribune de Genève.
BBC: Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi has stormed out of the Arab League summit in Qatar having denounced the Saudi king for his ties with the West.

He disrupted the opening session by criticising King Abdullah, calling him a British product and an American ally.

Col Gaddafi has angered Arab leaders in the past with sharp remarks at summits.

Meanwhile, leaders have been urged to reject an international arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur.

Arrest first "those who have committed massacres and atrocities in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon", Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said.

The summit is also expected to discuss Iran's influence in the Middle East.

A number of countries are particularly concerned about Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009

World Bank Warns of Social Discontent in Russia
THE TELEGRAPH: The World Bank has given warning of serious social discontent in Russia after delivering a bleak assessment of the country's economy.

World Bank warns of social discontent in Russia. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Scotching optimism that the world's largest country may already be in recovery, the bank predicted that Russia's economy is contracting far more sharply than the Kremlin has acknowledged.

According to revised government forecasts, the Russian economy will shrink by 2.2pc this year. But it its latest economic report on Russia, the World Bank predicts that Gross Domestic Product will actually contract by 4.5pc.

The assessment comes as foreign investors focussed on emerging markets again start to flirt with Russia after months of record capital flight in the wake of last August's war with Georgia and a collapse in the price of oil.

The Russian stock exchange's benchmark RTS index has gained over 30pc this year alone, outpacing most emerging markets, after a modest recovery in oil and metal prices.

But Zeljko Bogetic, the World Bank's lead Russia economist, cautioned against such optimism.

"As the crisis continues to spread to the real economy around the world, initial expectations that Russia and other countries will recover fast are no longer likely," he said. >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow | Monday, March 30, 2009

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Berlusconi will mehr Macht: Abschluss des Gründungskongresses der Partei Popolo della Libertà
NZZ Online: Italiens Ministerpräsident Berlusconi ist am Sonntag per Akklamation zum Chef der neuen Sammelpartei Popolo della Libertà ernannt worden. Zum Abschluss des Gründungskongresses der neuen Formation forderte Berlusconi mehr Machtbefugnisse für den Regierungschef.

Am Sonntag ist der italienische Ministerpräsident Berlusconi per Akklamation zum Chef der weitgehend von ihm selber geschaffenen konservativen Sammelpartei Popolo della Libertà (Volk der Freiheit) ernannt worden. Die «Krönung» wurde von den 6000 Parteidelegierten mit tosendem Beifall und mit dem Ruf «Zum Glück gibt es Silvio» begleitet. Darauf hielt Berlusconi zum Abschluss des dreitägigen Gründungskongresses seiner Partei eine weitere Rede, in der er mehr Macht für den Ministerpräsidenten forderte und Italien ein «neues Wunder, einen dritten Wiederaufbau» in Aussicht stellte. Und in unbescheidener Anlehnung an den grossen Humanisten Erasmus von Rotterdam erklärte Berlusconi, dass er schon bisher von «visionärer Verrücktheit» angetrieben worden sei. >>> Tz. Rom | Sonntag, 29. März 2009

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Mayotte, le 101e département
leJDD.fr: A Mayotte, 95,2% des électeurs ont dit "oui" dimanche à la départementalisation. A l'horizon 2011, la France comptera donc un cinquième DOM. Mais plusieurs associations ont dénoncé cette semaine le caractère illégal de la présence française sur l'île au regard du droit international et les "fausses promesses" faites aux Mahorais, notamment sur le transfert des minima sociaux.

La France s'est enrichie dimanche d'un nouveau département. A la question "Approuvez-vous la transformation de Mayotte en collectivité unique, appelée département, régie par l'article 73 de la Constitution, exerçant les compétences dévolues aux départements et régions?", 95,2% des électeurs ont répondu par l'affirmative, d'après les résultats définitif diffusés par le ministère de l'Intérieur dimanche soir. Quelque 72 000 électeurs étaient appelés aux urnes à l'occasion de ce scrutin qui fera de Mayotte le 101e département français et le cinquième département d'outre-mer (DOM) à l'horizon 2011. La participation s'est établie à 61, 02% et le "non" a recueilli 4,8% des voix.

"Les Mahorais ont confirmé à une très forte majorité leur volonté, exprimée depuis cinquante ans, de voir leur île se doter du statut de département", s'est félicité Nicolas Sarkozy, avant d'évoquer un "moment historique pour Mayotte et pour les Mahorais". "C'est un rêve porté par plusieurs générations qui se réalise ce 29 mars 2009", peut-on encore lire dans un communiqué envoyé par l'Elysée. La large victoire du "oui" n'a surpris personne. Depuis près de dix ans, le processus de départementalisation est en cours. Plusieurs accords ont été signés en ce sens entre Paris et les élus locaux. >>> Par Marianne ENAULT, leJDD.fr | Dimanche 29 Mars 2009

NZZ Online: Afrikanische Insel kommt in die EU: Bürger von Mayotte stimmen für Zugehörigkeit zu Frankreich

In der Hoffnung auf bessere Lebensbedingungen haben die Bürger der Insel Mayotte vor der Ostküste Afrikas bei einer Volksabstimmung für eine Zugehörigkeit zu Frankreich gestimmt. 95,2 Prozent der Wahlberechtigten stimmten beim Urnengang am Sonntag dafür. >>> sda/afp | Montag, 30. März 2009

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Les hantises et les défis 
du roi Abdallah
Souverain depuis 2005, le roi Abdallah, réputé pour sa piété et sa passion pour la poésie, s'efforce de réformer en douceur la très conservatrice Arabie saoudite. Crédits photo: Google Images
LE FIGARO: Pour le souverain saoudien, le sommet de la Ligue arabe qui s'ouvre lundi au Qatar est un peu celui de la dernière chance dans la recherche d'une solution dans le conflit israélo-palestinien. Avec la modernisation du régime, ce sont les deux obsessions du roi Abdallah.

À 85 ans, le roi Abdallah est hanté par l'impasse du conflit israélo-palestinien, le risque de désintégration du monde arabe et la montée en puissance de l'Iran. Le monarque saoudien voit avec tristesse Téhéran étendre son influence dans le monde arabe grâce à ses relais en Irak, en Syrie, en Palestine avec le Hamas, au Liban avec le Hezbollah. L'ambition du roi de faire taire les divisions de la famille arabe pour relancer la proposition de paix avec Israël dont il est l'auteur risque de se heurter une fois de plus aux réalités. Malgré tous ses efforts, le président égyptien Hosni Moubarak, l'autre pilier régional, devrait bouder le sommet. L'Égypte entend ainsi protester contre le soutien total du Qatar au Hamas palestinien, que Moubarak essaie en vain de persuader de participer à un gouvernement d'union nationale avec le Fatah de Mahmoud Abbas. Un crève-cœur pour le roi d'Arabie. >>> Pierre Prier | Lundi 30 Mars 2009

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L'Afghanistan salue la nouvelle stratégie américaine
Le président afghan Hamid Karzai, ce samedi à Kaboul. Crédits photo: REUTERS/Ahmad Masood
L’EXPRESS: Le président afghan Hamid Karzaï a applaudi ce samedi que la nouvelle stratégie américaine vis-à-vis de son pays. Il salue en particulier la volonté de Washington "de renforcer les institutions civiles et militaires afghanes" et la dimension régionale du plan d'Obama.

Le président afghan Hamid Karzaï a affirmé samedi que la nouvelle stratégie américaine dans la région correspondait exactement aux demandes de son peuple, au cours d'une conférence de presse.

"La révision de la stratégie correspond exactement à ce que le peuple afghan souhaitait et à ce que nous avions demandé. Nous lui apportons donc notre soutien entier", a déclaré le président afghan.

"Nous apprécions tout particulièrement la volonté de renforcer les institutions civiles et militaires afghanes. Nous confirmons sans réserves notre volonté de lutter contre la corruption", a-t-il ajouté.

"C'est encore mieux que ce que nous espérions. Nous allons travailler en très étroite coopération avec le gouvernement américain pour mettre en application tous les points énumérés dans cette nouvelle stratégie", a souligné Hamid Karzaï.

D'après lui, la nouvelle stratégie a parfaitement identifié les problèmes de l'Afghanistan, en particulier le danger des sanctuaires d'insurgés opérant au Pakistan voisin, ainsi que le besoin d'une coopération régionale et l'amélioration de l'efficacité de l'aide. Une stratégie qui inclut le Pakistan >>> Par LEXPRESS.fr | Samedi 28 Mars 2009

Melanie Phillips: When a Bishop Has to Leave the Church of England to Stand Up for Christians, What Hope Is Left for Britain?
NAME: The resignation of Michael Nazir-Ali as Bishop of Rochester is a terrible blow, not just for the Church of England but for Britain.

The bishop says he is resigning so that he can work for endangered or beleaguered Christian minorities both abroad and in the UK.

What a shocking rebuke to the church, that he has to leave his post of influence and authority as a bishop in order to carry out the church's core duty to defend its own against attack.

Shocking - but hardly surprising. Across the world, in countries such as Nigeria and Sudan, millions of Christians are being persecuted at the hands of militant Islam, with forced conversions, the burning of churches and widespread violence.

Yet in the face of this global onslaught, the Church of England makes scarcely a peep of protest.

Worse still, when Dr Nazir-Ali warned last year that Islamic extremists had created 'no-go areas' across Britain where non-Muslims faced intimidation, he was disowned by his fellow churchmen who all but declared that he was a liar - even though he was telling the truth.

Courage

For this act of moral courage, he and his family had to be put under police protection, while his own church left him to swing in the wind of bigotry and intimidation.

Dr Nazir-Ali is one of the very few inside the church to make explicit the link between Christian and British values, and to warn publicly that they are being destroyed through the prevailing doctrine of multiculturalism.

That strong voice of protest has never been needed more than it is now. For Christianity in Britain is under attack from all sides.

Last month, the bishop protested that the arrival in Britain of so many from other faiths had led to the closure of chapels, the retrenchment of Christian chaplaincy and the advent of a 'doctrinaire multi-faithism' - not through pressure from the incoming minorities, but from British secularists who wanted to destroy Christianity.

That agenda is becoming ever more oppressive. Yesterday, it was revealed that a Christian council worker was suspended for encouraging a terminally ill woman to turn to God. He says he was also told it was inappropriate to 'talk about God' with a client and that he should not even say 'God bless'. >>> By Melanie Phillips | Sunday, March 29, 2009

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Disgusting, Greedy SOBs!
Ugliness, it seems, is no bar to making pots of money. Photos courtesy of the Mail Online
MAIL Online: Dozens of BBC personalities face investigation after it emerged that they are earning thousands of pounds a time through public speaking engagements.

This is in spite of the corporation's attempts to restrict such activity.

Newsreaders Fiona Bruce and Huw Edwards, Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis and Today programme hosts John Humphreys, Evan Davis and Edward Stourton are among the stars on the books of JLA, Britain's largest after-dinner speaking agency.

Business editor Robert Peston, royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, and newsreaders George Alagiah and Kate Silverton are also available for hire.

The agency classes Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman, who costs 'over £25,000 to hire', as 'double A'.

Mr Edwards, Andrew Marr and BBC world affair's editor John Simpson all cost between £10,000 and £25,000 and are in category A.

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster told the Sunday Telegraph that he would refer the matter to the BBC Trust, and said it should be viewed 'as a matter of urgency'.

Editorial guidelines for BBC staff state: 'It is unlikely to be acceptable for any BBC staff member or BBC correspondent to be included on an agency list of those for hire for public speeches.

'Under no circumstances should they sign up with an external agency for public speaking without the written permission of the relevant Head of Department.'

Under the guidelines, BBC reporters and presenters, including freelance staff, are forbidden from appearing in public to promote external commercial organisations. BBC Stars 'in Breach of Rules by Earning Thousands of Pounds on the Public-speaking Circuit' >>> By Daily Mail Reporter | Sunday, March 29, 2009

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A Troublesome Priest in a Timid Church
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Whatever your views about Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, he is hard to ignore. After his announcement this weekend that he is to retire early, the Church of England will be the poorer for it. The inference is that he felt stifled and decided that he could do more worthwhile work elsewhere, mostly outside Britain. Sadly, he is probably right.

Born in Karachi to parents who converted to Christianity from Islam, the first non-white diocesan bishop in Britain emerged as an outspoken critic of multiculturalism. Nobody, given his background and race, was better placed to do so. More than his Anglican colleagues, he knew about fighting for your faith. His criticisms were well made. Immigrants, he said, needed to do more to integrate into British life. He warned last year that Islamic extremism had turned “already separate communities into ‘no-go’ areas”. For this he received death threats and required police protection.

He has lamented “the long withdrawing roar of the sea of faith . . . nurses cannot pray, the creed cannot be recited at Christian services for fear of offending non-believers”. He warned of “the advent of a doctrinaire multi-faithism”, in which the established church was in retreat and in which radical Islam had filled the void. His views on Muslims were said to have ruled him out of succeeding George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop Nazir-Ali spoke out against the soggy “anything goes” political correctness that characterises the modern Church of England. Sometimes his conservative views got him into trouble. Nine years ago he caused a flurry by saying that having children was “not an optional extra” for married couples. >>> | Sunday, March 29, 2009

Muslim Scholar Says Islam Will Conquer Europe and the World

One Mad Muslim! Obama Must Convert To Islam, Or Else...

Geert Wilders' Freedom Party Rises to 32 seats
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: The Freedom Party of populist right-wing leader Geert Wilders has climbed again in the polls, this time to a record of 32 seats in the 150-seat parliament. The Freedom Party is in first place and is now four seats ahead of the Christian Democrats, the largest of the three parties in the governing coalition. Pollster Maurice de Hond attributes the rise in popularity to his departure from a parliamentary debate on Thursday. He walked out of the debate in a huff, describing the debate on the economic crisis as "a sham".

His ratings began to soar in February, when the British government refused to allow him to enter the country. Sixty percent of voters who describe themselves as right-wing say they will vote for Wilders' Freedom Party. [Source: RNW] | Sunday, March 29, 2009

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Freedom for Shia Moslems and Homosexuals Suffers Setback in Morocco
LA MIDDLE EASTERN POLICY EXAMINER: Unlike the positive news from Morocco in connection with International Women’s Day, the North African country recently narrowed the scope of personal freedom for two minorities, Shia Moslems and gays.

First, Morocco ended diplomatic ties with Iran, stating that Iran was spreading Shia Islam within Morocco. Since Iran is a prominent state sponsor of terrorism and Islamism, this might have been a mere pretext. However, the authorities went on to arrest several Moroccans for converting to Shia Islam. An Iraqi school in Rabat was closed following parents’ complaints that the school promoted Shia Islam.

Foreign Minister Taeib Fassi Fihri criticized Moroccan associations seeking to develop Shia Islam in the country, allegedly with Iranian support: “Morocco cannot accept that activities of this type be conducted, directly or indirectly, or via a so-called nongovernmental organization.” He called it an “attack on the foundations” of the country and on the “cement” of Malekite Islam, the form of Sunni Islam prevalent in Morocco.

Second, on March 21 the Interior Ministry issued a statement: “Certain media are taking a stand for certain ignominious behaviors, which is a provocation for the national public opinion. Any act contrary to moral or religious values will be repressed.” An anonymous ministry official said on March 24 that this was a reference to newspapers that had advocated greater tolerance for homosexuality. >>> Paul Kujawsky | Friday, March 27, 2009

'Germany Soft on Iran Due to Financial Considerations'
HAARETZ: A former minister in the Iranian regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini accused Germany on Saturday of failing to apply the necessary pressure on Tehran to halt its controversial nuclear program due to financial reasons.

"Germany prefers to safeguard its financial interests in Iran, and prefers its billion-dollar business deals rather than applying the necessary pressure to bring an end to the Iranian nuclear program," said Ayatollah Dr. Mehdi Haeri Khorshidi, who fled to Germany in 1986 and remained there until 2003, speaking at a conference on Iran at Haifa University.

Khorshidi served as the justice minister in Ayatollah Khomeini's first administration, as well as serving as the advisor on religious affairs.

The Iranian minister was arrested in 1981 after voicing criticism against the Ayatollah's regime, and remained in prison for five years until he fled to Germany. In 2003, he left Germany for the U.S., where he lives today.

According to Khorshidi, Germany has stepped up its commerce with Iran, in blatant disregard of its nuclear program, which the West believes aims to manufacture a nuclear bomb, and its history of human rights violations. >>> By Fadi Eyadat, Haaretz Correspondent | Saturday, March 28, 2009

Banned Brit Hurls Insults at Canada's Immigration Minister
CANADA.COM: OTTAWA - George Galloway, the British MP who's been declared persona non grata by the Harper government, once demanded that Britain's Labour government block a visit by far-right French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Galloway, an outspoken opponent of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, was informed Friday he won't be allowed into Canada for a scheduled four-city speaking tour because he led a convoy that delivered humanitarian aid to Hamas officials in Gaza earlier this month.

Canada considers Hamas a terrorist organization. In a letter, Robert Orr, the immigration program manager at the Canadian High Commission, told Galloway his "material support'' for Hamas makes him inadmissible under Section 34 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Galloway has vowed to fight the ban in court. “That's the way the right-wing, last-ditch dead-enders of Bushism in Ottawa conduct their business,'' he sneered in an article he wrote in Saturday's Guardian.

In it, he described Jason Kenney, the minister of citizenship and immigration, as a “gay-baiter, gung-ho armchair warrior, with an odd habit of exceeding his immigration brief.''

Kenney could overturn the ban imposed by border security officials, but has stated he has no intention of doing so.

Being banned by Kenney, wrote Galloway, “is like being told to sit up straight by the hunchback of Notre Dame or being lectured on due diligence by Conrad Black.''

But in 2004, the shoe was on the other foot. Then it was Galloway who argued, unsuccessfully, that David Plunkett, then Britain's home secretary, should prevent Le Pen, the aging leader of the French National Front party, from entering Britain.

“Le Pen should not be allowed to set foot on to British soil at any time,'' he said then. "If the Home Secretary allows into this country someone who denies the Holocaust and who is on record as hating all Muslims, he will be siding with the neo-Nazi far-right against multicultural Britain.''

As well, there's no sign Galloway objected last month when Britain denied entry to Geert Wilders, a Dutch member of Parliament who has compared the Koran to Mein Kampf and blamed Islamic texts for inciting the 9/11 terrorist attacks. >>> By Don Butler, Canwest News Service | Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback/Broché – Canada) >>>
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Indian Ocean Island Votes on Becoming Fully French
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: Voters on Mayotte, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, decide by referendum Sunday whether to become a full-fledged part of France, a change of status that would end local traditions like polygamy and Islamic courts.

Mayotte, 400 km (250 miles) east of Mozambique and 300 km west of Madagascar, is a former French colony that voted against independence in referenda in 1974 and 1976. It stayed French, with a status allowing legal differences from the mainland.

It has a population of about 186,000 people, of whom 95 percent are Sunni Muslims.

Keen to strengthen ties with mainland France that have kept Mayotte richer and more stable than the coup-prone neighbouring archipelago of Comoros, many islanders have long demanded to upgrade their status to a "departement," or full part of France.

"We may be black, poor and Muslim, but we have been French longer than Nice," Abdoulatifou Aly, a legislator from Mayotte, was quoted as saying in French weekly L'Express.

President Nicolas Sarkozy promised during his 2007 campaign a referendum to allow the people of Mayotte to decide.

If, as expected, they vote yes, a government road map says that Mayotte will become France's 101st department in 2011. >>> By Estelle Shirbon, Reuters | Sunday, March 29, 2009

L’EXPRESS: Mayotte bientôt 101e département français

Le référendum sur la départementalisation de l'île a débuté ce dimanche matin: un scrutin à l'issue duquel la victoire du "oui" semble assurée.

Une femme vote à Mayotte le 29 mars 2009. Crédits photo: AFP/Richard Bouhet et L’Express
Les 70.000 électeurs de Mayotte votaient dimanche pour faire de leur petite île de l'Océan indien le 101e département français et le 5è DOM, dernière étape d'un long processus entamé en 1974, dont ils espèrent qu'il leur garantira la stabilité et une amélioration de leur niveau de vie. L'issue du référendum ne fait guère de doute dans cette île où l'ensemble de la classe politique et les syndicats ont fait campagne pour le "oui", et où les seules voix discordantes sont venues de dignitaires religieux musulmans, qui dénoncent la disparition progressive de certaines de leurs prérogatives.

Sous un ciel bleu et une chaleur accablante, les Mahorais se rendaient à la mi-journée dans les 130 bureaux de vote répartis dans l'île, les femmes drapées dans leur "salouva", grand tissu aux couleurs lumineuses, assorti au "kichali", voile porté sur la tête, et les hommes chapeautés du "kofia", couvre-chef traditionnel que l'on retrouve dans tout l'archipel des Comores. >>> | Dimanche 29 Mars 2009

A Muslim Argues with Richard Dawkins – Funny

Dawkins Destroys Harun Yahya
Part 1:


Part 2
Richard Dawkins >>>

Harun Yahya on Al-Jazeera TV

Richard Dawkins: Apostasy in Islam Carries the Death Penalty

Obama Will Face a Defiant World on Foreign Visit
LONDON A protest of the Group of 20 meeting on Saturday. Trade unions and foes of globalization and war have planned marches. Photo courtesy of The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — President Obama is facing challenges to American power on multiple fronts as he prepares for his first trip overseas since taking office, with the nation’s economic woes emboldening allies and adversaries alike.

Despite his immense popularity around the world, Mr. Obama will confront resentment over American-style capitalism and resistance to his economic prescriptions when he lands in London on Tuesday for the Group of 20 summit meeting of industrial and emerging market nations plus the European Union.

The president will not even try to overcome NATO’s unwillingness to provide more troops in Afghanistan when he goes on later in the week to meet with the military alliance.

He seems unlikely to return home with any more to show for his attempts to open a dialogue with Iran’s leaders, who have, so far, responded with tough words, albeit not tough enough to persuade Russia to support the United States in tougher sanctions against Tehran. And he will be tested in face-to-face meetings by the leaders of China and Russia, who have been pondering the degree to which the power of the United States to dominate global affairs may be ebbing. >>> Helene Cooper | Saturday, March 28, 2009

Keys to the Kingdom: Inside Saudi Arabia's Royal Family
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: The crown prince is seriously ill, and Saudi Arabia's normally secretive royal family is openly clashing over who will take the throne, reports Hugh Miles

Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who was Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington for 22 years, is at the centre of speculation over the royal succession. He has not been seen in public for weeks. Photo courtesy of The Independent on Sunday
A dispute over Saudi Arabia's royal succession burst into the open yesterday, revealing a power struggle in which one of the most senior princes in the oil-rich kingdom is reported to have disappeared. The prospect of instability in a country that is not only the world's largest oil exporter but also a key Western ally at the heart of the Middle East will cause serious concern in Washington, London and beyond.

Rumours are rife over the position of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, 60, son of the heir to the Saudi throne, who has not been seen in public for weeks. Prince Bandar is better known abroad than almost any other member of the Saudi royal family, not only for his extravagant lifestyle, but because of his daring foreign policy initiatives during 22 years as the Saudi ambassador in Washington, where he played an important role after 9/11 and during two Gulf wars. His absence from public life comes at a sensitive time in Saudi Arabia: his father, Crown Prince Sultan, is gravely ill with cancer, throwing the succession to King Abdullah into question.

One theory in political circles in Riyadh is that Prince Bandar was seeking to oust King Abdullah before Prince Sultan dies, thus placing his father on the throne. Other rumours claim that Prince Bandar is ill, or that he angered King Abdullah by dabbling in Syrian politics without authorisation. The Saudi embassy in London could not be contacted for comment last week, but this weekend political tensions in the kingdom came dramatically to the surface.

On Friday night King Abdullah unexpectedly announced the appointment of one of his half-brothers, Prince Nayef, the 76-year-old interior minister, to the post of second deputy prime minister, which had been left vacant. This was immediately taken as an indication that he would become crown prince when Prince Sultan dies or becomes king. But yesterday Prince Talal, another senior figure, publicly demanded that the king confirm that the appointment did not mean Prince Nayef would automatically become the next crown prince. Such public disagreement among senior Saudi royals is highly unusual. Another indication of friction among the many descendants of the founder of Saudi Arabia, … >>> Hugh Miles | Sunday, March 29, 2009

Bishop of Rochester to Become Defender of Persecuted Christians
THE TELEGRAPH: The Bishop of Rochester has surprised the Church of England by announcing that he will stand down this year to become a defender of persecuted Christians.

Dr Michael Nazir-Ali is only 59 and could have stayed for another decade in his post, one of the most senior in the Church, but has chosen instead to devote the rest of his career to working in communities where Christians are in a minority.

While this is likely to see him involved in the Middle East and Pakistan, the bishop revealed that he also plans to work with Muslim converts to Christianity in Britain.

He said he has been inspired by the story of Hannah Shah, an Imam's daughter who faced being killed by her family for refusing an arranged marriage before becoming a Christian.

"Bishop Michael is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation," said a spokesman. >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Sunday, March 29, 2009

MAIL Online: Bishop Nazir-Ali, Scourge of Church Liberals, Steps Down

One of the Church of England’s most outspoken bishops is to resign a decade early after years of disenchantment with the liberal drift of Anglicanism.

The Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali – the Church’s only Asian diocesan bishop – is planning to devote much of his time to helping persecuted Christians in Muslim countries such as Pakistan and Iran.

But Dr Nazir-Ali, who boycotted the Lambeth Conference last summer in protest over gay clerics, is also certain to remain a powerful spokesman for Anglican conservatives.

The 59-year-old bishop – who has been in the post for 15 years and could have stayed there until he was 70 – has never been afraid of controversy.

Multi-culturalism, secularism and liberal theology have all been among his targets.

Last year he faced death threats for writing in a Sunday newspaper that Islamic extremists were creating ‘no-go’ areas for non-Muslims in parts of Britain.

The Bishop, his wife Valerie and their two sons were placed under police protection.

Earlier this year, he told The Mail on Sunday that the Church of England was not doing enough to convert Muslims. >>> | Sunday, March 29, 2009