«Reformen sind unnötig, das Libyen-Schlamassel ist selbst verschuldet»
WELTWOCHE: Hätte die Schweiz mit einem starken Bundespräsidenten oder als EU-Mitglied bessere Karten in der Auseinandersetzung mit Libyens Präsident Gaddafi? Keineswegs, meint Chefredaktor Roger Köppel. Es genüge, wenn die Egoisten im Bundesrat ihre Hausaufgaben machen und - statt selbst das Rampenlicht zu suchen - Verhandlungen im Ausland von Chefbeamten vorbereiten lassen. Der Ruf nach Staatsreformen führe hingegen in die Irre.

Video hier anschauen.

'Gay Cure' Yoga Guru to Set Up Centre on Scottish Island
PINK NEWS: An Indian yoga guru who claimed the practice could cure homosexuality is to set up a yoga and meditation centre on a remote Scottish island.

Swami Baba Ramdev, whose teachings are followed by millions of Indian families, challenged a recent Delhi high court that homosexuality should be decriminalised by claiming that homosexuality was a "disease" but could be cured by yoga.

"It can be treated like any other congenital defect. Such tendencies can be treated by yoga, pranayama (breathing exercises) and other meditation techniques," he said in his petition.

He has previously made various claims as to the benefits of yoga, saying it can cure diseases such as AIDS, cancer and leukaemia.

Ramdev is now working with a Scottish millionaire couple to open the centre on Little Cumbrae, off the Ayrshire coast.

Sam and Sunita Poddar, who bought the island for £2 million last month, plan to rename it Peace Island and will host an opening ceremony on September 27th.

The couple own the Patanjali Yog Peeth (UK) Trust, which is a sister organisation to Ramdev's Indian company.

Sunita told the Scottish Daily Record: "Our aim is to promote healthy living through yoga.

"The community has given us a lot, now it's time to pay back. Little Cumbrae is our way of paying back into the community.

"It is a fine thing for Scotland. I feel very proud to own this island. >>> Jessica Green | Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Church Selects Openly Gay Man to Train as a Minister Despite Ban
TIMES ONLINE: The Church of Scotland faces a fresh crisis over its attitude towards homosexuality after an openly gay man was selected by one of the country’s largest and most influential presbyteries to train as a minister.

The decision comes less than six months after the appointment of a gay minister in Aberdeen almost split the Kirk. The selection of Scott Rennie, a divorced father, who now lives with his male partner, horrified traditionalists, some of whom threatened to leave the Church. In an attempt to defuse the increasingly bitter row, the Kirk approved a two-year ban on the induction and ordination of homosexual ministers.

During that time, a special commission will examine the issue before reporting to the Kirk’s General Assembly in 2011 in order to determine the Church’s position, based on the findings of the report.

However, despite the ban, Hamilton Presbytery, the third biggest in Scotland, voted last Tuesday to nominate a man in a civil partnership for training. >>> Charlene Sweeney | Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Vintage Christian Dior

IRA Victims Criticise Brown on Libya

Khamenei warnt Ahmadinejad vor Selbstüberschätzung: Erste offene Kritik der obersten Instanz Irans seit der umstrittenen Wiederwahl
NZZ ONLINE: Im Konflikt innerhalb der iranischen Machtelite hat der Oberste Führer des Landes, Ayatollah Khamenei, Präsident Ahmadinejad vor Selbstüberschätzung gewarnt. Dies war die erste offene Kritik Khameneis an Ahmadinejad seit dessen umstrittener Wiederwahl am 12. Juni.

«Auch wenn das Votum des Volkes Quelle des Stolzes sein kann, sollte jede Selbstüberschätzung vermieden werden, weil sie eine der grössten Fallen des Teufels ist», sagte er laut iranischen Medien am Montag bei einem Treffen mit dem Präsidenten und seinem neuen Kabinett.

Der Oberste Führer des Landes hatte Ahmadinejad bei der Wahl unterstützt und diesen danach gegen massive Kritik verteidigt, die zu blutigen Unruhen geführt hatte. Jetzt erklärte Khamenei, auch wenn ein Teil der Kritik an der Regierung von ausländischen Medien gesteuert werde, so gebe es auch «wohlmeinende Kritik, die beachtet werden sollte».

Gleichzeitig griff er Kritik auf, Ahmadinejad habe einige seiner neuen Minister ausgewählt, weil sie ihm nahestünden und nicht weil sie am geeignetsten seien. «Es sollte nichts überstürzt werden, aber du solltest lieber Expertenmeinungen vor allem im Wirtschaftsbereich nutzen, weil das Ignorieren solcher Meinungen grossen Schaden anrichten kann», sagte Khamenei an Ahmadinejad gewandt. >>> sda/dpa | Dienstag, 08. September 2009

So wohnt der Ex-CS-Chef in New York
TAGES ANZEIGER: John Mack hat sich an der Upper East Side in New York ein neues Haus gekauft – Garagenplatz für 12 Autos inklusive. Kostenpunkt: 13,5 Millionen Dollar. Zur Fotogalerie >>> | Dienstag, September 08, 2009

The Biggest Soaks Around Want to Ban All Alcohol Ads
Yes yet another ban is DEMANDED. And this from a group of people who are notoriously very heavy drinkers. If you’ve ever been to a party at a doctor’s house, you’ll know what I’m talking about!

We all know that there is far too much drinking going on in this country, especially, though not exclusively, among the young. The fact of the matter is, though, that a ban on alcohol ads will not do the trick. Perhaps these ill-advised doctors would like to follow the Americans’ lead instead and ban alcohol altogether à la Prohibition. They would soon come to learn that such a ban would be disastrous. In the US so disastrous was that ban that the law had to be repealed. The Prohibition led to the gangster era of Al Capone. It was also the era of the speakeasy. We all know what that era entailed. Many people drank themselves into oblivion!

The fact of the matter is that the dreadfully high level of alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom is symptomatic of far more deep-seated problems. And no ban on advertising will solve them. I would suggest that in many, many cases the problems could all be traced back to the cradle.

Children having absentee parents, with both parents out in full-time employment, certainly cannot be helping this problem, for indeed it has to be said that good habits are learned during a child’s upbringing.

But this is the government which has encouraged more and more mothers to go out into the workplace to seek their fortune and fulfilment. Damn the needs of the few children that are born to indigenous mothers these days; when they come home from school, they can darn well look after themselves.

But such a way of raising children only encourages a feeling of insecurity in them. Furthermore, there is nobody at home to teach our children good, correct values. The Church no longer does, either. Don’t forget that children in years gone by often had not only a mother at home, but very often a grandmother, too. These days they rarely have either one of them. They were also usually sent to church and Sunday school, especially in the formative years.

So we need not scratch our heads in search of a solution to the drinking problems associated with our young these days; we need look no further than the way we raise them. It is often deplorable! Little wonder they go off the rails. – © Mark

TIMES ONLINE: A total ban on alcohol advertising must be introduced by the Government to halt an epidemic of problem drinking, doctors’ leaders said today.

A report from the British Medical Association (BMA) has called for a sea change in the approach to alcohol regulation to halt promotions including happy hours and sponsorship of music and sports events.

The move is necessary to stem the invidious ways it is promoted, particularly to young people, it said.

The report also highlights the growth of viral advertising on the web and mobile devices, including the use of texts and e-mails, and social networking sites such as Facebook.

The report, Under The Influence, recommends a tough package of measures to tackle the soaring cost of alcohol-related harm, including a ban on advertising and a minimum price to be set per unit of alcohol.

The BMA also called for alcohol to be taxed at a higher rate than inflation and for a ban on two-for-one offers.

The study said that alcohol consumption in the UK has “increased rapidly” in recent years among all age groups. It blames advertising, heavy discounting, the availability of cheap alcohol and 24-hour licensing laws. Doctors demand ban on all alcohol advertising >>> Sam Lister, Health Editor | Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Tricky Balance as BMA Tackles Alcohol
THE INDEPENDENT: The tobacco war has been won. Now it is the turn of alcohol. The British Medical Association opened a new front in the battle to cut excessive drinking today with a call for a total ban on advertising and marketing of alcohol, including sports and music festival sponsorship, an end to happy hours and the imposition of a minimum price per unit on alcoholic drinks.

"The BMA is not against alcohol," Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics insisted today. Few people will believe that.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association lost no time in pointing out that "the measures proposed by the BMA would hit the pockets of millions of consumers and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of people working in the drinks industry, media, advertising and television."

In other words, the health fascists are on the loose again. First it was cigarettes, now it is drink - what next? Chocolate? >>> Jeremy Laurence, Health Correspondent | Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Soudan : Loubna Hussein a été libérée
LE TEMPS: La jeune journaliste incarcérée hier pour avoir porté une tenue «indécente», en l’occurrence un pantalon, a été libérée ce mardi. Elle risquait initialement 40 coups de fouet mais a su rallier à la cause des femmes soudanaises nombreux gouvernements et médias étrangers, ainsi que l’ONU.

L’activiste soudanaise Loubna Hussein a finalement été libérée ce mardi, selon l’Union des journalistes soudanais, après avoir été jugée et incarcérée hier. Elle a été condamnée pour port de tenue indécente, en l’occurrence un pantalon, infraction pour laquelle elle risquait initialement 40 coups de fouet. Mme Hussein avait été arrêtée début juillet par la police avec une douzaine d’autres jeunes femmes dans un café de la capitale soudanaise. Hier elle a refusé de payer l’amende de 500 dollars à laquelle elle a finalement été condamnée, d’où son incaracération. C’est l’Union des journalistes soudanais qui a finalement payé la somme. >>> Le Temps avec AFP | Mardi 08 Septembre 2009

The Airline Bomb Plot: A Reminder that Britain Is At War with Islamist Militants
THE TELEGRAPH: The conviction of three home-grown al-Qaeda terrorists who conspired to blow up seven transatlantic flights from the UK to the US and Canada underscores the savage and brutal nature of the enemy we are facing. The would-be Muslim suicide bombers planned to carry out the biggest terrorist atrocity since 9/11, which if executed would have claimed the lives of thousands of Britons and Americans. It would have been a mass slaughter of men, women and children by evil and barbaric fundamentalists driven by a belief in militant Islam and an intense hatred of the Judeo-Christian world and the values of liberty and freedom that underpin it.

The attempted airline terror attacks are a stark reminder that the West, and Britain and the United States in particular, is engaged in a global war against an Islamist enemy that seeks its destruction. These al-Qaeda operatives and their terror masters who planned to bring carnage to the skies over the Atlantic, targeted the Anglo-American alliance because it represents the central bulwark in the defence of the free world. It is no coincidence that al-Qaeda did not attempt to bomb flights out of Paris, Brussels or Berlin. They chose targets that symbolized the Special Relationship between their greatest enemies – the US and the UK, the two nations who are bearing the overwhelming burden in both blood and treasure in the battle to defeat Islamist terrorism.

These latest convictions at Woolwich Crown Court followed the successful conviction last year of the Muslim fanatic Mohammed Hamid – dubbed “Osama bin London” - who ran a series of British terror training camps. Unfortunately they represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the scale of the British-based terrorist threat. According to MI5 there are over 2,000 known terrorist suspects in the UK, with up to 200 terror networks in operation. There have been at least 15 major attempted terrorist attacks in Britain since 9/11, with over 1,200 terrorism-related arrests. >>> Nile Gardiner* | Monday, September 07, 2009

*Nile Gardiner is a Washington-based foreign affairs analyst and political commentator. He appears frequently on American and British television and radio, including Fox News Channel, CNN, BBC, Sky News, and NPR.

Jean-Marie Le Pen to Quit 'Next Year'
THE TELEGRAPH: Jean-Marie Le Pen, the veteran French far-right leader, has indicated he will step [down] as leader of the National Front party, probably next year.

The 81-year old firebrand has led the FN party since 1972 and long pledged only to vacate his post "feet first".

But in an interview on Tuesday, Mr Le Pen said he was "not eternal" and that it was "probable" he would not run in the 2012 presidential election.

"It's reasonable to hand over to young people to allow the FN to continue," he said on France 2, the state TV channel. He would probably step down "in 2011 or 2010," he added. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Enya: Caribbean Blue

The BNP
Watch Journeyman Pictures video: British National Embarrassment >>> | Monday, September 07, 2009

Libyen erpresst Grossbritannien: Öl-Verträge haben bei der Entlassung des Lockerbie-Attentäters eine entscheidende Rolle gespielt
NZZ am Sonntag: Auch die Briten sorgen sich um die Manipulierbarkeit ihrer Regierung durch den libyschen Despoten. Welche Rolle spielte London bei der Entlassung des Lockerbie-Attentäters?

Der britische Justizminister, Jack Straw, hat in einem am Samstag veröffentlichten Zeitungsinterview ein erfrischendes Eingeständnis gemacht: Britische Wirtschaftsinteressen und lukrative Öl-Verträge hätten selbstverständlich eine entscheidende Rolle gespielt, als er im Herbst 2007 mit Libyen über einen Vertrag zum Austausch von Häftlingen verhandelte.

Seit der schottische Justizminister am 20. August – einen Tag vor dem Ausflug von Bundesrat Merz nach Tripolis – den 57-jährigen Libyer Abdelbasset al-Megrahi aus humanitären Gründen vorzeitig aus einem schottischen Gefängnis entliess, ist die britische Kontroverse nicht verstummt. Der todkranke Megrahi verbüsste eine lebenslängliche Haftstrafe für das Attentat auf ein US-Passagierflugzeug über dem schottischen Dorf Lockerbie im Dezember 1988. >>> Martin Alioth, Dublin | Sontag, 06. September 2009

NZZ ONLINE: Die britischen Zugeständnisse gegenüber Libyen haften der Regierung in London als moralischer Makel an. Dieser wird durch widersprüchliche Äusserungen in London und Tripolis nicht geringer. Zwiespältige britische Willfährigkeit: Premierminister Brown stützt Begehren von IRA-Opfern gegen Libyen >>> pra., London | Montag, 07. September 2009

Les anti-minarets sont prêts à exploiter la crise avec la Libye
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: CAMPAGNE | Les partisans de l’initiative visant à interdire la construction de minarets envisagent de s’en prendre à Tripoli pour illustrer «les différences entre nous et les pays musulmans». Voilà qui pourrait davantage encore fâcher la Libye.

Les opposants aux minarets ne se plaignent guère de l’enlisement de la situation entre la Suisse et la Libye. Ils envisagent même de récupérer la crise dans la campagne pour leur initiative visant à interdire la construction de minarets, qui sera soumise à votation le 27 novembre. 

«Parmi les gens qui nous soutiennent, il y en a beaucoup qui font l’amalgame», indique le conseiller national Ulrich Schlüer (UDC/ZH), le chef de file des initiants. Reste à définir si le lien sera explicite lors de la campagne qui démarrera fin septembre. Pour Ulrich Schlüer, «il y a un parallèle clair entre les deux dossiers. La crise libyenne montre les différences culturelles et politiques entre nous et les pays musulmans. Par ailleurs, Kadhafi n’avait-il pas dit qu’un jour, l’Europe serait musulmane?» vitupère le Zurichois. «On peut craindre le pire» >>> Ron Hochuli | Mardi 08 Septembre 2009

Dominic Lawson: Seventy Years On, We Are Still Appeasing Dictators
THE INDEPENDENT: In dealing with Libya the Foreign Office has been guilty of institutional cringe

In this, the week of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, British newspapers have published entire supplements, setting out once again how the policy of appeasing dictators showed a complete failure to understand the gangster psychology of totalitarian regimes.

Yet the unravelling tale of our current government's negotiations with the regime of Col Gaddafi is a more enthrallingly contemporary illustration of the unchanging institutional cringe known as the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office. We have learned – chiefly through the medium of government memos leaked to the Sunday Times – how the Foreign Office saw the release from Scottish custody of the convicted Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, as a way of earning us good favour in the court of Megrahi's patron and distant relative, Muammar Gaddafi.

In some of these memos you can hear the sound of Foreign Office ministers past and present patting themselves on the back for the results of their negotiations. There is much discussion of the alleged trade benefits, notably a deal between BP and Libya. But two days ago the Libyan Europe Minister, Abdulati al-Obeidi, admitted to that outstanding foreign correspondent Hala Jaber that even if the British Government had set its face against the release of Megrahi, it was "highly unlikely" that the deal with BP would have been cancelled: "Libya also looks out for its interests and to cease the BP deal is not in our interests." Indeed so: last week we learned of BP's astonishing discovery of a 3 billion-barrel oilfield 35,000ft below the Gulf of Mexico seabed, far and away the deepest well ever drilled. If you were the Libyan regime you would very much want the company with such technological leadership helping you to find oil on your territory.

There is a more particular sense in which the Foreign Office has played the hand of the appeaser in its negotiations. The Libyans had made dark noises about the likely reaction of their own population should Megrahi die in Scottish custody – something along the lines of "in such an eventuality we cannot guarantee the safety of British citizens in Libya". This unsubtle threat should have been greeted with the observation that it was the responsibility of the Libyan Government to ensure the safety of innocent British citizens on its territory. Instead we seem to have behaved like the weak tradesman confronted by an unscrupulous protection racketeer.

It is, of course, very embarrassing when craven behaviour comes to light via a leaked memo to the Sunday Times. Hence Gordon Brown's overnight conversion to the idea of asking the Foreign Office to assist with the claims for compensation of the victims of IRA bombs constructed from Semtex provided by Libya – having earlier told the victims' lawyers that the Government could have nothing to do with their campaign.

Yet this attempt to regain the high moral ground is even more contemptible than the decision to leave those victims of Libyan Semtex out of the original deal. When Britain and America did their separate deals over the reopening of normal relations with Gaddafi's regime, the Americans insisted that their own victims of Libyan-backed IRA atrocities be financially compensated; the British made no such demands, essentially declaring that bygones are bygones. >>> Dominic Lawson | Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Government Faces New Pressure Over IRA Victims and British Plane Downed in 1971
THE GUARDIAN: Ministers accused of not holding Tripoli to account / Calls for payouts over Ulster terrorism rejected

Britain faced fresh pressure over Libya yesterday when the government was accused of failing to challenge Tripoli over the forcing down of a British aircraft in 1971 and the son of the Libyan leader rejected paying compensation to victims of IRA terrorism.

As No 10 struggled to present a united front on Libya – with the schools secretary, Ed Balls, declaring that "none of us wanted" to see the release of the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing – ministers were criticised for failing to act on pleas to investigate an earlier plane incident.

Ministers have faced calls since 2004, the year the then prime minister, Tony Blair, met the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, outside Tripoli, to challenge Libya over the forcing down of a BOAC VC10 over Benghazi in July 1971.

The plane was flying from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to London carrying 105 people, including Colonel Babakr al-Nur, the leader of a failed coup, and his assistant, Major Farouk Hamadalla. Both men were sent back to Sudan, where they were executed.

Hamadalla's daughter, Amani, has tried to raise the matter with the Foreign Office (FCO), but she has been met with "obfuscation after obfuscation", according to her MP, the Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather.

In an echo of the government's initial refusal to put pressure on Tripoli to pay compensation to victims of IRA terrorism, the Foreign Office brushed off Hamadalla in 2004.

Lady Symons, an FCO minister, told her to contact the Libyans herself. "It is impossible for us to raise every case, but, if a suitable opportunity presents itself, we are sometimes able to discuss individuals," Symons wrote. When Teather protested, the FCO raised the case with the Libyans and issued Tripoli with a formal "note verbale" in 2005 recording this. >>> Nicholas Watt and Henry McDonald | Monday, September 07, 2009

BNP Welcomes Chance to Appear on BBC's Question Time
THE GUARDIAN: Other parties say Nick Griffin appearance will give them opportunity to challenge views of far-right party

The British National party has welcomed the BBC's decision to allow its leader, Nick Griffin, to appear on Question Time following the far-right party's success in the European elections.

Although the BBC has yet to issue a formal invitation, the corporation is preparing to ask Griffin to join the panel show and is already consulting other parties about appearing with him.

The party, which won two seats in the European parliament in June, has not appeared on the programme before. Some parties, including Labour, have previously refused to share a platform with the BNP because of its policies on race. A spokesman for the party said yesterday: "Obviously it's good news. Of late, a large proportion of Question Time has been devoted to assaults on the BNP, so it's rather welcome that we are allowed to defend ourselves."

He attacked the Labour party over its past refusal to share a stage with its members and accused the government of using its equality watchdog to attack the BNP.

Referring to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's decision to take the BNP to court over its constitution – which states that only "'indigenous Caucasian' and defined 'ethnic groups' emanating from that race" are allowed to join – he said: "If anybody has an excuse for not sharing a platform with a political party, it should be us and the Labour party, but we believe in the democratic process."

After years of discussions, the BBC is understood to have decided in February that the BNP would have to be allowed to appear on Question Time if it attracted significant support in the European elections. Other smaller parties elected to the European parliament, such as the Green party and Ukip, have been represented.

A BBC spokeswoman said it was obliged to treat all legal political parties registered with the Electoral Commission with due impartiality. "Our audiences – and the electorate – will make up their own minds about the different policies offered by elected politicians," she said. >>> Sam Jones | Sunday, September 06, 2009

Listen to Guardian audio here

Saif Gaddafi Embarrasses Gordon Brown Over Libyan IRA Compensation
THE TELEGRAPH: Gordon Brown is facing increasing pressure over compensation for IRA victims after an about-turn to offer support for the claims against Libya was undermined by Saif Gaddafi, its leader's son.

Mr Brown's changes of political position have left him in an embarrassing position with little room to manoeuvre.

Initially, he isolated himself by angering the families of victims of the IRA, whose loved ones were killed with Semtex supplied by the African nation, by failing to personally intervene on their behalf for payouts from Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

In a letter to a lawyer representing IRA victims, he argued that it was “inappropriate” for him to lobby Col Gaddafi, partly because trade and Libya’s co-operation in the battle against extremism might be affected.

The reaction was so strong that, by Sunday night, the Prime Minister was forced into an about-turn in which he tried to defuse the row by offering "dedicated Foreign Office support” to the victims' families.

However, the Libyan authorities swiftly poured cold water on the chances the compensation bid.

Speaking in a television interview on Monday morning, Saif Gaddafi said the first response to any claim for a payout would be: "No."

He added that any attempt would be forced through a legal process.
"Anyone can knock on our door. You go to the court. They have their lawyers. We have our lawyers," he said.

Mr Brown's mishandling of the issue now risks jeopardising the relations with Libya, the very thing which the Government has tried so hard to improve. >>> Simon Johnson and Andrew Porter | Monday, September 07, 2009

Silvio Berlusconi: Italians 'Want to Be Like Me'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has declared: "Italians want to be like me."

The controversial 72-year-old premier, who has repeatedly denied allegations of inappropriate relationships with young women, insisted that the majority of Italians would stand by him.

"Most Italians would like to be like me and they support my behaviour," he said during a television interview.

Mr Berlusconi added: "Italian[s] aren't stupid, as the Left thinks, and they prefer my government.

"Just look at the polls, we have an approval rating sailing towards 70 per cent". >>> Nick Pisa in Rome | Monday, September 07, 2009

Alan Duncan Sacked from Shadow Cabinet
THE TELEGRAPH: Alan Duncan has been sacked from the shadow cabinet by David Cameron over his complaint that MPs were made to live “on rations”.

David Cameron stripped Mr Duncan of his role as shadow leader of the Commons. He accepted a job as a shadow junior justice minister with responsibility for prisons.

Mr Duncan had been in charge of agreeing changes to the system of MPs expenses but his private comments, recorded by an activist who met Mr Duncan on the House of Commons terrace, made his position untenable. The demotion appears to have scuppered Mr Duncan’s chances of being in Mr Cameron’s first Cabinet.

Mr Duncan was secretly filmed earlier this year complaining about MPs’ reduced standard of living, arguing that MPs were forced to live on “rations” and had been treated like “----”. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor and Chris Irvine | Monday, September 07, 2009

Seif ul-Islam al Gadhafi on Economic Change

Sudanese Journalist Jailed after Refusing to Pay Fine for Wearing Trousers
TIMES ONLINE: A Sudanese woman put on trial for wearing trousers was spared the lash today but still landed in jail after refusing to pay the £130 fine imposed for indecency.

Lubna Hussein, a 34-year-old widow whose trial exposed Sudan’s draconian Islamic laws, was taken to prison in the same trousers she wore when she was arrested with 12 other women at a Khartoum restaurant in July.

“I will not pay a penny, I’d rather go to prison” she declared after hearing the verdict. She was then taken to a women’s jail in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum, the capital, to serve a one month-sentence for refusing to pay the fine.

Aware of worldwide interest in the case, the judge had tried to be lenient. His punishment fell far short of the maximum penalty under the notorious Article 152 of Sudan’s penal code which prescribes 40 lashes and an unlimited fine for women dressed in an indecent or obscene manner in public.

Ten of the other women arrested with her had already pleaded guilty to the charge of indecency and been flogged.

However, unlike thousands of other women arrested in similar circumstance every year, Ms Hussein, a journalist who worked for the United Nations, refused to accept her summary punishment.

She called a lawyer, and even as the court tried to close this embarrassing chapter today by slapping on a fine, she vowed to fight on.

“Lubna has bravely sacrificed her freedom to free other women from the oppression of the law,” said Ahmed Elzobier, one of Ms Hussein’s supporters.

“She is not guilty, but the police the court and the government are the guilty ones.”

“The campaign will continue,” Mr Elzobier added. “Although Lubna is going to prison, the rest of her supporters will keep challenging these laws.” >>> Tristan McConnell | Monday, September 07, 2009

Mass Murder at 30,000 Feet: Islamic Extremists Guilty of Airline Bomb Plot
TIMES ONLINE: Three British Muslims were found guilty today of conspiracy to murder thousands of passengers and crew in an unprecedented airline bomb plot that could have proved as deadly as the 9/11 attacks.

After a retrial at Woolwich Crown Court, jurors found the ringleader, Abdulla Ahmed, and two other men, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain, guilty of plotting to use liquid bombs to blow up airliners en route from Heathrow to the United States.

Another defendant, Umar Islam, was found guilty of a more general charge of conspiracy to murder because jurors could not decide whether he knew of the specific targets in the plot three years ago.

Three other men, Arafat Khan, Ibrahim Savant and Waheed Zaman, were found not guilty of conspiracy to blow up aircraft but could face a retrial on the more general conspiracy to murder charge because jurors could not reach a verdict.

The eighth defendant, Muslim convert Donald Stewart-Whyte, was found not guilty on the terrorism charges but had pleaded guilty to a firearms offence.

Ali, 28, was the leader of an East London terror cell inspired from Pakistan, the court heard. He had planned to detonate home-made liquid bombs in suicide attacks on transatlantic aircraft bound for major north American cities.

It was the most complex and daring British-based terrorist conspiracy in modern times and, according to the Crown Prosecution Service, could have killed "hundreds of innocent people". >>> Philippe Naughton | Monday, September 07, 2009

Ahmadinejad Declares End to Debate Over Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
TIMES ONLINE: Barack Obama’s hopes of persuading Iran to renounce its nuclear ambitions were dashed today as the United Nations watchdog admitted it had reached a “stalemate” with Tehran and President Ahmadinejad declared the nuclear debate “over”.

Mr Ahmadinejad’s show of defiance came as the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gathered in Vienna to discuss Iran’s continuing failure to answer lingering questions about an alleged military dimension to its nuclear programme.

The Iranian leader vowed to forge ahead with uranium enrichment even as the clock ticked down to an end of September deadline set by Mr Obama for Tehran to resume negotiations with representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, the so-called five-plus-one.

While Iran would be willing to engage with the world on issues of global concern, the nuclear issue was off the table. “From our point of view, Iran’s nuclear issue is over,” Mr Ahmadinejad declared. >>> Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent | Monday, September 07, 2009

Témoignage : Un Helvète chez les flics de banlieue
LE TEMPS: Ancien «Monsieur éthique» de la police genevoise, Yves Patrick Delachaux a passé des semaines, immergé, au commissariat de Saint-Denis. Il livre un témoignage détonnant sur la tension entre jeunes et policiers dans les cités françaises

Le livre s’appellera Grave Panique. En souvenir d’une remarque entendue dans une voiture de la BAC, la Brigade anticriminalité, qui avait frôlé une vieille dame en roulant trop vite, une nuit de patrouille à Saint-Denis: «Je l’ai grave paniquée, la mémé…»

«Là, j’ai su que j’avais mon titre», raconte Yves Patrick Delachaux, ancien policier genevois devenu romancier et scénariste. Juste après les émeutes urbaines de l’automne 2005, alors qu’il était responsable de l’éthique et des Droits humains à la police genevoise, il a passé plusieurs semaines en observation dans un commissariat de Seine-Saint-Denis, le département le plus violent de France.

Son témoignage, qui a inspiré un roman * à paraître l’an prochain, en dit long sur l’état de tension qui règne entre jeunes et policiers dans les banlieues françaises. Et sur l’échec, désormais avoué à demi-mot, de la politique mise en place par Nicolas Sarkozy depuis son arrivée au Ministère de l’intérieur, en 2002.

Le 31 août, son bras droit et successeur à ce poste, Brice Hortefeux, a organisé une table ronde destinée à favoriser le «respect mutuel» entre policiers et jeunes des quartiers difficiles. Cette initiative fait suite à une nouvelle série d’émeutes, cet été, dues à la mort de deux jeunes lors d’interventions policières à Bagnolet, près de Paris, et à Firminy, près de Lyon. Avec, en toile de fond, des forces de l’ordre enfermées dans une paranoïa permanente, ignorantes du terrain où elles évoluent et totalement coupées des populations qu’elles sont censées protéger.

En arrivant à Saint-Denis, Yves Patrick Delachaux a vite compris que quelque chose clochait: «Le commissariat est un blockhaus carré, tout est barricadé, grillagé. C’est une armée d’occupation.»

A l’intérieur, des locaux «saccagés», avec «chiottes arrachées» et bureaux lépreux, antédiluviens. Dans la cuisine, minuscule, des frigos cadenassés, de vieilles affiches syndicales, des posters de films policiers. «Une ambiance de caserne, de labeur, de souffrance, raconte le policier suisse. On sent que ça leur pèse sur les épaules.» >>> Sylvain Besson | Lundi 07 Septembre 2009

China Alarmed by US Money Printing
THE TELEGRAPH: The US Federal Reserve's policy of printing money to buy Treasury debt threatens to set off a serious decline of the dollar and compel China to redesign its foreign reserve policy, according to a top member of the Communist hierarchy.

Cheng Siwei, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee and now head of China's green energy drive, said Beijing was dismayed by the Fed's recourse to "credit easing".

"We hope there will be a change in monetary policy as soon as they have positive growth again," he said at the Ambrosetti Workshop, a policy gathering on Lake Como.

"If they keep printing money to buy bonds it will lead to inflation, and after a year or two the dollar will fall hard. Most of our foreign reserves are in US bonds and this is very difficult to change, so we will diversify incremental reserves into euros, yen, and other currencies," he said.

China's reserves are more than – $2 trillion, the world's largest.

"Gold is definitely an alternative, but when we buy, the price goes up. We have to do it carefully so as not to stimulate the markets," he added.

The comments suggest that China has become the driving force in the gold market and can be counted on to buy whenever there is a price dip, putting a floor under any correction.

Mr Cheng said the Fed's loose monetary policy was stoking an unstable asset boom in China. "If we raise interest rates, we will be flooded with hot money. We have to wait for them. If they raise, we raise. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, in Cernobbio, Italy | Sunday, September 06, 2009

Rioters Invade Budapest's Jewish Ghetto
THE JERUSALEM POST: A crowd of 500 demonstrators, including neo-Nazis and skinheads, rampaged in Budapest's Jewish district.

Hungarian riot police deployed tear gas and baton charges Saturday against the vociferously xenophobic crowd as it tried to disrupt Hungary's annual Gay Pride parade.

More than 30 arrests were made on charges including possession of offensive weapons and riotous behavior. Heightened surveillance was enforced throughout the day to prevent a recurrence of the mayhem that ended last year's parade, in which there were more than a dozen serious injuries, according to Éva Tafferner, press officer at Budapest police headquarters.

The rioters invaded the heart of the traditional Jewish Ghetto District, started a small fire, tore down signs and shouted threatening anti-Semitic vitriol. The attacks were witnessed by families of foreign Jews visiting the district for the current Budapest Jewish Cultural Festival. >>> JTA | Sunday, September 06, 2009

U.S. Sources: Many Arab States 'Pledging' Normal Israel Ties
HAARETZ: U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell has managed to obtain "pledges" from many Arab states for various steps toward normalization with Israel, some more significant and some less so, senior U.S. government officials told Haaretz on Sunday.

That is one of the main questions to which Israel is hoping to receive an answer when Mitchell arrives later this week or early next: what steps toward normalization the Arab states have agreed to take in exchange for a partial freeze in West Bank settlements.

Sources in the Prime Minister's Office, the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry all said that Israel still does not have a clear picture of what quid pro quos Mitchell has managed to obtain in his talks with these states.

The U.S. officials also declined to specify which states had made these pledges. Saudi Arabia, which Washington had hoped would be one of them, has thus far refused to offer anything to Israel, though it has agreed to provide the Palestinian Authority with hundreds of millions of dollars to shore up its shaky financial situation.

"We've done our part," an associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's said on Sunday. "We decided to make an effort to facilitate the diplomatic process, but now we want to see that we will also get something in exchange."

According to the U.S. officials, some Arab states have agreed to let Israel open offices in their territory, others have agreed to grant visas to Israeli businessmen and tourists, and still others have offered to allow direct telephone connections between Israel and their countries. >>> Barak Ravid | Monday, September 09, 2009

Netanyahu’s Foolish Plan
YNET NEWS: Rona Kuperboim slams PM’s plan to limit alcohol consumption in bid to fight violence

It’s foolish and pointless. I’m talking about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to ban alcohol sales after 9 pm. In response to the latest Israeli trend – that is, killing – the PM announced that he intends to advance legislation that will prevent kiosks and gas stations from selling alcohol at all, while limiting selling times at stores.

This is how Bibi will be fighting violence! Because he’s unwilling to tolerate domestic terror! Oh no! So he found an idea that looks good and sounds authoritative, conveys a sense of determination, but contributes nothing. Welcome to the “how to make a headline” class.

Let’s start with an allegory. The residents of a small village live by the river. Once in a while, one of them becomes fed up with life, jumps into the river, and dies. What do you think the village chief should do: Block any access to the river with some kind of netting, or train people that can identify despaired individuals on time and encourage them?

Ok, I think we got the message. No netting can stop a man from getting drunk. Bibi would do well to find other ways to fight violence in our society aside from messing with our drinks. The issue here is not what goes into one’s blood stream, but rather, into one’s consciousness. Education, public discourse, and the increasingly extinct values of respect, tolerance, and fear of the law are difficult to change. It’s much easier to lock the doors of the convenience store. Israelis are light drinkers >>> Rona Kuperboim | Sunday, September 06, 2009

Enya: Gladiator Soundtrack

Private Militär Firmen: Orgien im Namen der USA
STERN: Die Sex-Party von Wachleuten in Kabul entsetzt die US-Regierung. Dabei ist sie mitschuldig an solchen Ereignissen. Die USA sollten ihre Abhängigkeit von privaten Söldnern schleunigst überdenken. Ein Kommentar von Sebastian Huld

Wachleute feiern in der US-Botschaft in Kabul Sex-Partys. Vorgesetzte zwingen ihre Untergebenen zu erniedrigenden Sex-Spielchen und fotografieren sich dabei. Peinlicher geht es kaum. Der Vorfall ist aber viel mehr als nur ein ärgerlicher und unangenehmer Ausfall von ein paar Sicherheitskräften, die zu viel Alkohol getrunken haben.

Es handelt sich nämlich nicht um reguläre US-Soldaten, sondern Söldner des britischen Militär-Unternehmens Armour Group, das mit der Botschafts-Bewachung beauftragt wurde. Mit ihren Ausfällen haben die Männer im muslimischen Afghanistan eine ganze Armee diskreditiert und so das Leben tausender Nato-Soldaten gefährdet.

Gefährliche Abhängigkeit

Die Beteiligten werden voraussichtlich nicht bestraft, denn als Söldner unterliegen sie nicht der US-Militärgerichtsbarkeit. Dass sie vor einem zivilen US-Gericht oder im Ausland verurteilt werden, ist ebenso unwahrscheinlich. Wahrscheinlich hingegen ist, dass sie bald schon wieder woanders im Einsatz sind. Vielleicht in einem anderen Land, in einem anderen Krisengebiet, aber noch immer im Auftrag der USA. Die Abhängigkeit der Vereinigten Staaten von privaten Militär- und Sicherheitsfirmen ist mittlerweile gravierend.

Zwar kann die US-Regierung als Auftraggeber bestimmen, mit wem sie zusammenarbeitet, doch sie hat praktisch keine Kontrolle darüber, wie und von wem die oft heiklen Aufgaben erfüllt werden. Vom Bau von US-Basen, über die Versorgung der Soldaten bis hin zum Kampfeinsatz wurden weite Teile militärischer Aufgaben in die Hand privater Firmen übergeben - ohne solche Kriegs-Dienstleister könnte das mächtigste Land der Welt vermutlich nicht einmal mehr Island erobern. Gefährliche Abhängigkeit >>> Ein Kommentar von Sebastian Huld | Freitag, 04. September 2009

Sex-Party in Kabul: Diese Bilder schockieren Amerika >>>

Russie: Le visage banal du crime raciste
LE TEMPS: A Saint-Pétersbourg, les meurtres racistes sont monnaie courante et la justice parfois indulgente

Ils préfèrent Hitler à Staline. Parce que le premier a assassiné moins de Russes que le second? Vous n’y êtes pas. «Hitler a fait du bon boulot chez lui!» clame Maxime, qui déplore toutefois que le chef nazi «ait attaqué la Russie». «Lui, il savait défendre son peuple, ce qu’il a fait est normal.» Agé de 22 ans, il parle posément et ne ressemble en rien à l’image d’Epinal du skinhead. Crânes rasés, rangers, bombers et jeans avec ourlet sont passés de mode. Et surtout, pas d’insignes. «Nous évitons de porter en public notre brassard [un swastika blanc sur fond rouge] afin de passer inaperçus», explique Ilia, 25 ans, leader de l’Union slave, organisation d’extrême droite russe dont certains membres ont commis des crimes racistes, selon la police de Saint-Pétersbourg. «Nous en avons marre d’être pistés et harcelés par les flics», explique Maxime, ex-skinhead sympathisant de l’Union slave depuis deux ans. Très bien organisées et entraînées, les jeunes recrues de l’Union slave cultivent une apparence tout à fait ordinaire.

Inquiétude constante

La tactique fonctionne. L’inquiétude est constante parmi les cibles principales: des ressortissants des ex-républiques soviétiques d’Ouzbékistan, du Tadjikistan, de Géorgie, d’Arménie et d’Azerbaïdjan. «Avant, on les reconnaissait de loin à leur apparence de skinheads, explique Moukhammadnazar Mirzoda, président d’une association d’amitié russo-tadjique. Aujourd’hui, ils ressemblent à n’importe qui. A des supporters du Zenit (club de foot local), à des ro­ckers… il y a même des gamins parmi eux. N’importe quel groupe de jeunes est potentiellement dangereux. La peur monte.»
«Les attaques sont minutieusement organisées, comme pour une opération militaire», ajoute Dmitri Doubrovski, un collègue de l’universitaire, sociologue à l’Université Smolni de Saint-Pétersbourg, spécialisé dans l’étude de la xénophobie. «Habituellement, les attaquants forment plusieurs groupes, l’un chargé de la surveillance, l’autre de repousser d’éventuelles réactions des passagers, le troisième enfin qui se charge de la victime.» >>> Emmanuel Grynszpan, Moscou | Lundi 07 Septembre 2009

Ahmadinejad se dit prêt à discuter publiquement avec Obama
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: IRAN | L'Iran est prêt à un dialogue sur le nucléaire dans un cadre "juste et logique" avec les grandes puissances du groupe 5+1, a déclaré lundi le président iranien.

Le président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a déclaré lundi qu'il était prêt à "discuter" avec le président américain Barack Obama devant les médias internationaux, lors d'une conférence de presse.

"Nous avons proposé un dialogue dans un cadre logique et juste avec tous les pays (...) qui peuvent permettre de changer les choses" dans les affaires mondiales, a déclaré M. Ahmadinejad.

Le groupe groupe 5+1 comprend les membres permanents du Conseil de sécurité Etats-Unis, Russie, Chine, France, Grande-Bretagne ainsi que l'Allemagne. >>> AFP | Lundi, 07. September 2009

Terrorgefahr in Deutschland: «Wir müssen aufmerksam sein»
BERNER ZEITUNG: Angesichts des deutschen Afghanistan-Einsatzes sieht das Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) vor der Bundestagswahl einem Medienbericht zufolge eine erhöhte Gefahr von Anschlägen in Deutschland.

Das gehe aus einem aktuellen, als Verschlusssache deklarierten Lagebericht hervor, aus dem das ARD-Magazin «Report Mainz» zitiert. In dem nur für den Dienstgebrauch vorgesehenen Bericht heisse es, «dass vor allem das unverändert hohe Engagement Deutschlands in Afghanistan als Rechtfertigungsgrund für Anschläge gegen deutsche Interessen im In- und Ausland durch islamistische Organisationen genutzt wird». Das BKA kommentiert eine entsprechende Vorabmeldung am Montag auf AP-Anfrage nicht.

Wie «Report Mainz» weiter berichtet, beziehen sich die Autoren unter anderem auf Videobotschaften und schriftliche Verlautbarungen unterschiedlicher Terror-Organisationen. Seit Jahresbeginn habe es zudem einen deutlichen Anstieg von Propaganda mit unmittelbarem Bezug zu Deutschland gegeben. Diese direkte Ansprache sei neu. Die Gruppierungen versuchten seit Jahresbeginn, «mit zuvor nicht bekannter Intensität» in Deutschland aufgewachsene Muslime zu rekrutieren. >>> bru/ap | Montag, 07. September 2009

Turquie-Adhésion: L'UE critiquée
leJDD.fr: Un rapport d'experts dirigé par l'ancien président finlandais Martti Ahtisaari publié lundi estime que l'Union européenne doit donner un nouvel élan aux négociations d'adhésion entamées avec la Turquie. "Ces attitudes et ces politiques négatives de la part de dirigeants européens sont en contradiction flagrante avec toutes les décisions et tous les engagements de l'UE", écrivent les auteurs de ce rapport. "Elles remettent en question la crédibilité de l'UE, sa fiabilité et le principe qui veut que les engagements soient honorés." Ankara est également invitée à "accélérer la mise en oeuvre de ces réformes économiques et politiques pour convaincre les européens du bien fondé de sa candidature". [Source: leJDD.fr] | Lundi 07 Septembre 2009

California Arsonist May Face Death Penalty for Los Angeles Widlfire [sic], Prosecutors Say
THE TELEGRAPH: The suspected arsonist who started the Station wildfire that swept through the hills above Los Angeles last week could face the death penalty, prosecutors say.

Two firefighters died when their vehicle crashed off the road as they worked with a group of inmates battling the blaze during some of the most intense hours of the operation.

Sheriff Lee Baca has said police have launched a murder investigation following the deaths during the biggest fire in the history of Los Angeles County.

A law enforcement source told The Los Angeles Times on Saturday that "material that didn't belong there" has been found at the site suspected to be where the fire started, a twice-scorched slope near Mile Marker 29 along Angeles Crest Highway.

The suspicious substance was reportedly found in the brush off the highway and has been sent for laboratory testing.

The fire, which was 42 per cent contained by Saturday morning, has destroyed more than 154,000 acres and 76 homes. It has cost more than $37 million to fight but the much greater damage to property, wildlife is still being assessed.

There is a recent precedent for an arsonist receiving the death penalty.

In June, Raymond Lee Oyler, a mechanic, was sentenced to die for setting the 2006 Esperanza blaze that claimed the lives of five firefighters.

Even if the fire was accidental, the newspaper reported that the starter could face jail time if charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from a tossed cigarette, fuel spill or other careless act that caused the fire. >>> Philip Sherwell in San Francisco and agencies | Saturday, September 05, 2009

Lubna Hussein Returns to Court over Sundanese ‘Indecency’ Laws
TIMES ONLINE: Sudan is facing international condemnation as the trial resumes today of Lubna Hussein, a Muslim woman who faces a flogging for breaking indecency laws by wearing trousers.

Speaking to The Times before her court appearance, Ms Hussein, 34, a widow, said that she was overwhelmed by the public support she has received in her fight to change a law that she says discriminates against women.

“I am so happy when I see all of the support from around the world,” she said by telephone from the Sudanese capital Khartoum. “It is not support for Lubna Hussein but for human rights and women’s rights in Sudan and elsewhere in the world.”

Ms Hussein wants to force the repeal of Article 152 of Sudan’s penal code, which orders a fine and flogging for women dressed in an “indecent” manner. >>> Tristan McConnell | Monday, September 07, 2009

Michael Moore Film Calls Capitalism Evil
THE TELEGRAPH: The latest film by Michael Moore, the US documentary maker, says that capitalism is "evil". Capitalism: A Love Story, targets the big banks and speculators who have been blamed for contributing to the global financial crisis.

Capitalism: A Love Story, targets the big banks and speculators who have been blamed for contributing to the global financial crisis.

The film premiered at the Venice film festival on Sunday.

Blending his trademark humour with tragic individual stories, archive footage and publicity stunts, the 55-year-old launches an all-out attack on the capitalist system, arguing that it benefits the rich and condemns millions to poverty.

"Capitalism is an evil, and you cannot regulate evil," the two-hour movie concludes.

"You have to eliminate it and replace it with something that is good for all people and that something is democracy."

The bad guys in Moore's mind are big banks and hedge funds which "gambled" investors' money in complex derivatives that few, if any, really understood and which belonged in the casino. >>> | Sunday, September 06, 2009

Trailer: Michael Moore’s New Film Capitalism: A Love Story

The Long and the Short of It!
THE TELEGRAPH: Twenty short people were ordered to stand behind Nicolas Sarkozy so as to make him look taller while delivering a keynote televised speech, it has emerged.

They were bused in after being 'vetted' by aides of the French President who made sure none were taller than his own height of 5ft 5ins.

The extraordinary scenes unfolded at the Faurecia motor technology plant in Caligny, south of Caen, Normandy, last Thursday.

Mr Sarkozy looked far more statuesque than usual as he posed in front of the large group of white coated technicians on a specially erected stage.

In scenes being broadcast across France today, a woman researcher admits on camera that she was chosen because of her small size.

Asked by a TV journalist if it was necessary for her to be no taller than the President's 5ft 5ins - a height which rises to around 5ft 7ins thanks to his trademark stacked heels - she clearly replies: 'There you have it.'

Pictures are then shown of the 20 workers on board a coach which brought them in from other parts of the three mile square Faurecia site.

All admitted that they were among the smallest members of the 1400-strong Faurecia workforce, and had been selected to replace the usual workers in the unit where Mr Sarkozy made his speech about the car industry.

Mr Sarkozy, who is notoriously sensitive about his height, did not want a repeat of the fiasco in June when he was caught using a footstool when delivering a speech alongside Gordon Brown and Barak Obama on one of Normandy's nearby D-Day beaches.

Both the 5ft 11ins British Prime Minister and 6ft 2 ins American towered above Mr Sarkozy when they used the same podium, humiliating him in front of a worldwide audience.

But while the incident in June was considered funny, this time round Mr Sarkozy was accused of scandalously manipulating his media image for political ends. Nicolas Sarkozy 'surrounded by short people for TV speech' >>> Peter Allen in Paris | Monday, September 07, 2009

Sarkozy : le Bidonnage de la visite d'Usine.
by RichardTrois

Fall of the Roman Empire (Prelude to Documentary)

Roman Empire Falling into Dark Ages

Halal Ads Hit French TV
Halal butchery and poultry shelves in a supermarket in Illzach, France, on the eve of the beginning of Ramadan. Photo: TIME
TIME: A pack of shoppers swarm supermarket shelves, cheerfully snapping up packages of prepared lasagna, ravioli and paella as they sing the products' praises. Sounds just like a normal evening TV ad. And it is, only this one features ethnic-Arab actors in a commercial for halal food in France. A first in its own right, the ad is already a remarkable sight on French TV. But even more surprising is the reaction it's gotten — or, rather, hasn't gotten. In a country that's usually quick to burst into outrage over the spread of Islam into secular society, these halal-food ads have been playing without a peep from the public.

The ad campaign by Panzani-owned, Lyon-based food brand Zakia Halal is the first ever mass-market promotion of halal food to France's estimated 5 million Muslims. The TV spots kicked off on Aug. 17 to coincide with the start of the holy month of Ramadan and have been running on most of France's largest television channels since. The $430,000 campaign will be put on pause Sept. 2, then resumed as Ramadan comes to an end later this month and the feast of Eid el-Fitr approaches. Thus far, the spots have gotten a mostly supportive reaction from Muslim shoppers and the French media, with the daily Le Parisien trumpeting "Halal Takes a Spot on TV."

What's astounding is how long it took for any of France's numerous makers of halal food products to embrace this kind of mass marketing. Studies done by ethnic-marketing consultancy Solis Conseil in Paris estimate that French Muslims currently purchase about $5.7 billion worth of specialized foodstuffs and related products — a market that's been increasing nearly 15% annually for almost a decade. Solis has also found that nearly 94% of all Muslims in France with North African roots — by far the largest group of Muslims in the country — buy exclusively halal food. A recent poll by the Ifop agency found that 70% of Muslims in France are observing Ramadan this year — leaving little doubt as to the thinking behind the timing of Zakia Halal's groundbreaking ad campaign.

"Even though people have to fast during the day, Muslims tend to eat more — and better — when they can eat during Ramadan, which is why it is traditionally a period of peak consumer activity," explains Abbas Bendali, director of Solis Conseil. "Zakia's timing makes good sense because people tend to be short on time during Ramadan and will use prepared dishes along with fresh food for meals. And when you consider the size and value of this demographic, using mass-market methods to promote halal products becomes logical too." But it's also potentially inflammatory, given the tendency of the French to view overt manifestations of Islamic faith as a threat to the nation's tradition of secularity. >>> Bruce Crumley, Paris | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Geschichte einer Einwanderung: "Die Bratwurst ist die Trennlinie zwischen West und Ost"
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Wie kommt man als Muslim dazu, doch mal Schweinefleisch zu kosten? Und wie erhält man als Pakistaner den Vornamen Niels? Hasnain Kazim berichtet von der Einwanderung seiner Familie nach Deutschland. SPIEGEL ONLINE veröffentlicht Auszüge aus seinem Buch "Grünkohl und Curry".

Meine Mutter machte kurz nach ihrer Ankunft in Deutschland das erste Mal in ihrem Leben Bekanntschaft mit Schweinen. Die Tiere standen in einiger Entfernung auf einer Wiese im niedersächsischen Rastede, sie entdeckte sie, als sie mit Omi und Opi unterwegs war. Omi und Opi, das waren Mariechen und Erich Koch, Verwandte eines deutschen Kollegen meines zur See fahrenden Vaters, die meine Eltern bei sich aufgenommen hatten. "Ich wunderte mich: Was sind das für riesige Viecher? Schafe? Aber sie hatten kein Fell. Schweine kannte ich nur aus pakistanischen Bilderbüchern: kleine, rosafarbene Tiere. Diese Wesen hier waren schwarzbraun und riesengroß, fast so groß wie Kühe."

Sie starrte die Schweine an, sie begriff, dann entfuhr ihr: "Pigs! There [sic] are pigs!" Omi fiel diese Szene regelmäßig ein, wenn sie Geschichten von früher erzählte. "Deine Mutter sagte nur 'Pigs!' Und ich: Ja, das sind 'pigs'. Die hatte sie wohl noch nie zuvor gesehen."

Omis schnatterndes Gelächter.

Es war nur eine Frage der Zeit, bis das Fleisch dieser Tiere auch auf dem Teller meiner Mutter landete. Ich weiß nicht, inwiefern Omi meine Eltern gefragt hat, ob sie Schweinefleisch essen, oder ob sie es ihnen überhaupt angeboten hat. Meine Mutter hatte es bis dahin trotz des Bratengeruchs auf dem Schiff, auf dem mein Vater arbeitete, und bei Kochs zu Hause nicht probiert, weil sie innerlich nicht dazu bereit war - noch nicht. Jahrelang hatte sie gehört, wie eklig Schweinefleisch ist. Sie sah, dass mein Vater an Bord angefangen hatte, Schweinefleisch zu essen, und fand es nicht weiter schlimm. Sie selbst rührte es nicht an. Aber dann briet Omi eines Abends Schweinekoteletts, kochte Kartoffeln und Rotkohl dazu und dünstete im Bratfett Ananasstücke an. Meine Mutter, hochschwanger, hatte großen Appetit.

"Was gibt es zum Abendessen?"

"Koteletts mit Ananas."

"Ah, Koteletts mit Ananas!"

Kotelett hatte sie gelernt und Ananas heißt auch auf Urdu Ananas.
Es schmeckte ihr so gut, dass sie noch heute davon schwärmt. "Aus Pakistan kannte ich Lammkoteletts vom Grill, die sehen fast genauso aus." Allerdings sind die viel schärfer, aber das war wohl zweitrangig. Fortan war Schweinefleisch für meine Mutter kein Problem mehr. Kein Schwein gehabt >>> Hasnain Kazim | Montag, 07. September 2009

Du burkini au voile, l'Europe cherche la réponse
Un mannequin présente un modèle de burkini en Turquie. Ces tenues de bain islamiques ont fait leur apparition un peu partout en Europe. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Les gouvernements des pays de l'UE hésitent sur la conduite à tenir face au port du voile intégral dans les lieux publics.

C'est une première en Europe : une femme portant le niqab, ce voile couvrant tout le visage, a pu témoigner début août dans un tribunal de Copenhague, alors même que la justice danoise proscrit chapeaux et lunettes de soleil à la barre ! Comme en France, le port de la burqa fait l'objet d'intenses débats au Danemark, à la suite d'une proposition du parti conservateur, au pouvoir, visant à l'interdire dans les lieux publics.

Les Pays-Bas ont été les premiers, dès 2005, à envisager une interdiction totale de la burqa, pour des raisons de sécurité. Un texte avait été déposé par le député populiste Geert Wilders, adversaire résolu de l'islam radical. Mais, depuis, le gouvernement tergiverse : aucune loi n'a encore été adoptée. Et, dans la pratique, les municipalités ont du mal à imposer une interdiction : une commune qui avait refusé de verser ses allocations sociales à une femme n'ayant pas trouvé d'emploi à cause de sa burqa a été condamnée en juin 2007. Interdit «saufpendant le carnaval» >>> Stéphane Kovacs | Lundi 07 Septembre 2009

Venezuela will Iran 20.000 Barrel Benzin pro Tag liefern
DIE PRESSE: Trotz reicher Erdölvorkommen mangelt es dem Iran an Raffinerien. Ab Oktober will Venezuela mit Benzin aushelfen. Damit könnte das Ajatollah-Regime drohende Sanktionen wegen seines Atomprogramms umgehen.

Venezuela will dem Iran künftig 20.000 Barrel Benzin täglich liefern. Das kündigte der venezolanische Staatschef Hugo Chavez am Sonntag bei einem Besuch im Iran an. Die Lieferungen im Wert von insgesamt 800 Millionen Dollar (560 Millionen Euro) würden im Oktober beginnen, sagte Chavez in der Stadt Mashhad im Nordosten des Landes lokalen Medien zufolge. Die Erlöse werde Venezuela nutzen, um im Gegenzug vom Iran Ausrüstung und Technologie zu kaufen. Über welche Dauer die Lieferungen erfolgen sollten, sagte Chavez nicht. Zu wenige Raffinerien im Iran >>> Ag. | Montag, 07. September 2009

Race Riot Flared after Muslims Were Urged to Confront Right-wing Protests
TIMES ONLINE: Birmingham’s top Muslim leader urged his followers to “vent their feelings” against anti-Islamic protesters during a weekend rally that ended in violence and dozens of arrests, The Times can reveal.

Muslims were encouraged by the Birmingham Central Mosque to counter-demonstrate during Saturday’s protest in the city, which was organised by the right-wing English Defence League (EDL). It is understood that Muslims were encouraged to confront the protest against the advice given by the West Midlands Police to community leaders to stop their followers from attending.

Mohammad Naseem, Birmingham Central Mosque’s chairman, considered to be the most senior community leader in the West Midlands region, told The Times yesterday that he encouraged members of his congregation to attend the rally, at which about 80 people were arrested, to express the Islamic community’s solidarity.

Dr Naseem’s advice came less than a month after Muslims of predominantly Asian heritage clashed with the EDL in Birmingham at another antiIslamic rally that led to 35 arrests.

He said the presence of Muslims at the weekend protest was an important stand against anti-Islamic fascists. “I think it shows that the community has got a sense of cohesion,” he added.

The police used their batons to subdue the violent crowd of more than 200 people, predominantly aged between 16 and 36, who threw bottles at each other and exchanged punches.

They could not stop the clash between the two groups despite initially containing them to two separate locations in the city. It is believed that half of those arrested were counter-protesters.

The Times understands that the West Midlands police received assurances from Muslim leaders during numerous meetings in the past two weeks that their community members would be discouraged from attending the protest, which the EDL had announced at the August 8 demonstration in Birmingham.

“The police had a lot of engagement with mosques, youth workers and social workers, and a lot of work went on to encourage people to stay away and not attend,” police sources said. “But it is obviously difficult to stop kids going and their presence alone would be deemed provocative.”

Asked if it would have been a better idea to encourage Muslims not to attend the rally at all, Dr Naseem said: “The thing is, that is their right, I cannot say, ‘You don’t have this right’.” >>> Richard Kerbaj | Monday, September 07, 2009