Friday, February 12, 2010
Al-JAZEERAH.info: The Swiss politician Daniel Streich, who rose to fame as a result of his opposition to mosques in his homeland, has now embraced the faith he reviled.
Daniel Streich was a member of then Swiss People's Party (SVP) in Switzerland. A well-known politician, Streich led the calls for a ban on minarets across Switzerland. He was active in building anti-Muslim sentiments throughout Switzerland. This sustained campaign led to him being given a high ranking position in the Swiss Army.
SVP Witch Hunt
Streich left the SVP in November 2009 calling his party's campaign against Islam as a 'witch hunt.' The date coincided with the second anniversary of Streich's conversion which he had kept secret from the party.
With the party's campaign to ban minarets leading to a referendum, Streich said the situation had become unbearable for him. >>> Faisal Hanif | Tuesday, February 2, 2010
20 MINUTEN ONLINE: Daniel Streich, Militärinstruktor und bis vor Kurzem SVP-Politiker in Bulle, ist aus der Partei ausgetreten. Grund: Er ist zum Islam konvertiert. Zwei Jahre lang verheimlichte er dies seiner Ex-Partei. Jetzt - mit der «Hetzjagd gegen den Islam» - wurde die Situation für ihn untragbar.
Er war ein treuer SVPler und Christ, las die Bibel und besuchte regelmässig die Kirche. Nun liest der Militärinstruktor und Gemeinderat von Bulle, Daniel Streich, den Koran, betet fünfmal täglich und geht in die Moschee. «Der Islam bietet mir logische Anworten auf wichtige Lebensfragen, die ich im Christentum nicht abschliessend fand», sagt Streich. >>> dp/20 Minuten | Montag, 23. November 2010
BLICK.ch: ZÜRICH – Daniel Streich ist Militärinstruktor. Und: Er ist Muslim. Das ist kein Einzelfall. Ein Problem für die Schweizer Armee?
Lange hat er sein Doppelleben geheimgehalten. Einerseits strammer SVP-Rechtsaussen und Militärinstruktor. Anderseits streng praktizierender Muslim. Er bete fünfmal jeden Tag und gehe in die Moschee. Jetzt habe Streich die Flucht an die Öffentlichkeit angetreten, berichtet «20 Minuten». Hat sich öffentlich zum Islam bekannt – und den Austritt aus der SVP bekanntgegeben. Jetzt will Streich der BDP von Bundesrätin Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf beitreten.
Wieviele Muslime in der Armee?
Offiziell gibt es keine Infos zur Anzahl der Muslime in der Armee. «Die ist wahrscheinlich viel höher, als uns bewusst ist», sagt Strategieexperte Albert A. Stahel von der Uni Zürich gegenüber Blick.ch. Es gebe zahlreiche eingewanderte Kosovaren, Bosnier, Türken, die heute als Eingebürgerte Militärdienst leisteten.
Sind Muslime in der Armee ein Sicherheitsrisiko? Diese Frage wird in westlichen Demokratien zunehmend diskutiert, seit der muslimische Militärpsychiater im texanischen Fort Hood wegen seinem Hass auf die USA 13 Kameraden tötete.
In der Schweiz gibt es einen Bericht über die politische Einstellung der Imame in der Schweiz, den das VBS erstellt hat, aber nicht veröffentlichen will. Ob auch etwas über Muslime in der Armee und mögliche Auswirkungen steht, ist ebenfalls nicht bekannt. Islam und Armee: «Gleiche Macho-Kultur» >>> Von Michael Scharenberg | Dienstag, 24. November 2009
MAIL ONLINE: A vicar has come under fire after instructing his female parishioners to 'be silent' and 'submit to your husbands'.
Angus MacLeay, the rector of St Nicholas Church in Sevenoaks, Kent, issued a leaflet to his congregation saying that women should 'not speak' if questions could be answered by their husbands.
The pamphlet, entitled The Role Of Women In The Local Church, has enraged female members of the congregation, in particular a section called Family Life And Church Family Life.
It reads: 'Wives are to submit to their husbands in everything in recognition of the fact that husbands are head of the family as Christ is head of the church.
'This is the way God has ordered their relationships with each other and Christian marriage cannot function well without it.'
The leaflet - under a section called More Difficult Passages To Consider - continues: 'It would seem that women should remain silent... if their questions could legitimately be answered by their husbands at home.'
Reverend MacLeay, whose wife teaches at fee-paying Sevenoaks School, sits on the General Synod and is chairman of the board of trustess of Reform, a hardline organisation committed to 'reforming the church from within according to the holy scriptures'. >>> Graham Smith | Friday, February 12, 2010
TIMES ONLINE: David Code warns parents how spoilt children turn into monsters >>> Penny Wark | Saturday, February 13, 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Das portugiesische Parlament hat in zweiter Lesung einem Gesetz zur Einführung der Homo-Ehe zugestimmt. Für das Vorhaben stimmten wie schon bei der ersten Lesung die Abgeordneten der linksgerichteten Parteien.
Der Gesetzestext schliesst ein Adoptionsrecht für gleichgeschlechtliche Ehepaare allerdings ausdrücklich aus. Über das Inkraftsetzen der Reform entscheidet nun Portugals Staatschef Cavaco Silva, der sein Veto gegen das Gesetz einlegen könnte. >>> sda/afp | Freitag, 12. Februar 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Die iranische Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Shirin Ebadi hat wegen der angespannten Lage in ihrem Land ein Hilfegesuch an die Uno gerichtet. «Bitte helft uns», sagte sie am Freitag bei einer Veranstaltung am Uno-Sitz in Genf.
«Helft uns, den Frieden im Iran wieder herzustellen und das Feuer in unseren Häusern zu löschen», bat Ebadi. Es sei Zeit, dass die iranische Regierung «dem Volk zuhört, sonst gibt es schon morgen eine Katastrophe». Die Lage im Iran soll am Montag vor dem Uno-Menschenrechtsrat diskutiert werden. >>> sda/afp | Freitag, 12. Februar 2010
TIMES ONLINE: A Christian has lost her appeal against a ruling that British Airways did not discriminate her by banning her from wearing a visible cross at work.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, immediately condemned the decision by three Court of Appeal judges against Nadia Eweida and warned that it would lead to more cases of religious discrimination.
Ms Eweida, 58, from Twickenham, southwest London, went to the Court of Appeal to try to overturn a decision by the Employment Appeal Tribunal that she was not a victim of indirect religion or belief discrimination.
But today Lord Justice Sedley said that her case of indirect discrimination was defeated by BA’s case that its actions were justified. >>> Frances Gibb, Legal Editor | Friday, February 12, 2010
DAILY EXPRESS: ICONIC fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead at home yesterday after committing suicide days after his beloved mother died.
He is thought to have hanged himself on the eve of her funeral, which was reported to be today.
McQueen, 40 – known to friends by his first name, Lee – was “devastated” when Joyce died on February 2. He was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene in his flat in exclusive Mayfair, central London. >>> Elisa Roche, Showbusiness Editor | Friday, February 12, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: German chancellor refuses to rescue Greece's ailing economy amid Berlin's domestic austerity
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, mounted stiff resistance tonight to any swift bailout of Greece, as a rift opened up between European capitals over how best to tackle the risks posed to the euro.
Despite a show of Franco-German unity on the crisis and the first statement from EU leaders pledging to safeguard the currency's stability, hopes on the markets of a German-led rescue plan to shore up Greece's critical public finances were dashed by Merkel, who repeatedly emphasised that Athens would need to put its own house in order and brushed aside all questions of financial support.
"Germany is stepping totally on the brakes on financial assistance," said a senior EU diplomat. "On legal grounds, on constitutional grounds and on principle." Another senior diplomat said of the Germans: "They're not waving their chequebooks." >>> Ian Traynor | Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
WELT ONLINE: Der griechische Staat hat nicht nur unverantwortlich gewirtschaftet, er hat auch über Jahre hinweg systematisch seine Bilanz gefälscht. Deswegen ist es ein Fehler, dass sich die EU-Staaten auf eine Rettung Griechenlands verständigt haben, ohne die Bedingungen konkret festzuzurren, zu denen das geschehen soll. >>> Von Clemens Wergin | Donnerstag, 11. Februar 2010
WELT ONLINE: Ankara hebt die Visumpflicht für mehrere Länder des Nahen Ostens auf, darunter Syrien und Libyen. Für die Harmonisierung mit der EU ist das ein Rückschlag. Denn über die Türkei reisen schon jetzt zahlreiche illegale Migranten in EU-Länder ein. Die Entscheidung ist nur ein Beispiel für einen neuen Konfrontationskurs.
Der türkische Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan wurde kürzlich in Saudi-Arabien gefragt, ob sich mit einer EU-Mitgliedschaft der Türkei seine Politik gegenüber muslimischen Ländern ändern würde. Er antwortete mit einem Koran-Zitat: „Strebe nach dem, was richtig ist, wie es (von Gott) befohlen ist.“ Zugleich wetterte er, noch nie habe man einen EU-Beitrittskandidaten so lange vor der Tür stehen lassen. Parierte Ankara Unsicherheit in Brüssel nach Bemerkungen dieser Art bislang mit Beteuerungen, man sei immer noch an einem EU-Beitritt interessiert, kommen diesmal andere Signale.
Normalerweise gehört zu einem Beitritt eine Harmonisierung der eigenen Politik mit der der EU. Von 2004 bis 2006 gab sich die Türkei diesbezüglich viel Mühe. Neuerdings ist davon nicht mehr viel zu spüren, es gibt in manchen Bereichen sogar eine „Ent-Harmonisierung“. Das deutlichste Beispiel ist die Visumpolitik. In Saudi-Arabien war es Erdogans Wunsch, die gegenseitige Visumpflicht aufzuheben. Das wünschen auch viele fromme Türken, um millionenfach nach Mekka pilgern zu können.
Die Saudis sind nicht angetan. Begeistert sind hingegen Länder wie Syrien und Libyen. Mit ihnen sowie mit Jordanien und dem Libanon hat die Türkei die Visumpflicht aufgehoben – zum Entsetzen Brüssels. Denn die Türkei ist ein Durchreiseland für illegale Migranten auf dem Weg in die EU. >>> Von Boris Kalnoky | Donnerstag, 11. Februar 2010
LE TEMPS: Le premier ministre grec a déjeuné mercredi avec Nicolas Sarkozy et a répété sa détermination à réformer son pays. Son style politique tranche avec celui de ses prédécesseurs
Il incarne une nouvelle génération d’hommes politiques. Elu avec une très confortable majorité, il promet, dès le début de son mandat, de changer son pays en lançant des réformes ambitieuses. Aujourd’hui, bien qu’il soit toujours très populaire, des milliers de citoyens descendent dans la rue pour contester déjà sa politique. Son nom: Barack Obama? Non, Georges Papandréou.
Le premier ministre grec est soumis ces jours à une pression extrême de l’Union européenne et des marchés en raison de la grave crise financière que connaît la Grèce et qui secoue la zone euro. Le pays a une dette de 300 milliards d’euros et un déficit public de 12,7% du PIB. Mercredi, pour desserrer l’étau dans lequel son pays est pris, le chef du gouvernement grec a répété au président français Nicolas Sarkozy, lors d’un déjeuner de travail à l’Elysée, sa détermination à «prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires» pour sortir la Grèce de ses lancinants problèmes structurels.
A 57 ans, Georges Papandréou dont le père Andreas et le grand-père Georges furent aussi des premiers ministres, n’est pas de nature à se décourager par les premiers mouvements sociaux dans les rues des villes grecques. Féru de fitness et de vélo, mais aussi soucieux d’une alimentation saine, il a l’énergie de celui qu’une vision titille, pousse à l’action. Il ne craint pas l’adversité. Son frère Nicholas se souvient: «Quand il était ministre des Affaires étrangères, Georges était déjà prêt à dialoguer, mais aussi à durcir le ton quand il le fallait. Un jour, il avait insisté pour continuer à négocier des droits de pêche avec l’Espagne et la Scandinavie jusqu’à ce qu’une solution soit trouvée. Le calvaire des négociateurs espagnols et suédois dura quarante heures.» >>> Stéphane Bussard | Jeudi 11 Février 2010
LE TEMPS: L’Allemagne est le maître d’œuvre de la mobilisation européenne en faveur de la Grèce. Elle pourrait apparaître comme une nouvelle avancée de l’intégration européenne. C’est du moins l’analyse d’Antonio Missiroli, directeur de recherche du European Policy Center (EPC) à Bruxelles
Le sommet informel des chefs d’Etat européen s’est transformé en sommet de crise pour aider la Grèce et sauver la zone euro attaquée par les marchés financiers. Ce jeudi, le président de l’Union européenne a annoncé que les pays de la zone euro prendront si nécessaire, des mesures «déterminées et coordonnées» pour préserver leur stabilité financière ébranlée par la crise grecque. Directeur de recherche du European Policy Center (EPC) à Bruxelles, Antonio Missiroli revient sur cette concertation au sommet. >>> Frédéric Koller | Jeudi 11 Février 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Elisabeth Badinter, a leading French feminist, has warned the green movement is threatening decades of improvements in gender equality by forcing women to give up their jobs and become earth mothers.
Mrs Badinter claims a "holy reactionary alliance" of green politicians, breast-feeding militants, "back to nature" feminists and child psychologists is turning Frenchwomen into slaves to green "fads" like re-usable nappies and organic food.
In her new book, Conflit, la Femme et la Mere (Conflict, the Woman and the Mother), Mrs Badinter contends that this politically correct cabal is burdening mothers with intolerable guilt unless they stay at home and breast-feed for as long as possible.
Their perfect French mother, she writes, "breastfeeds for six months and doesn't put her baby in a crèche or not too early, because baby needs to be with mum and not in a nest of germs; she is wary of all things artificial and is ecologically-minded. The jar of baby food has become a sign of selfishness; we're back to the purée mashed by mum."
Women in childbirth are even made to feel that epidurals are wrong, she goes on, adding: "We don't need to bow down to nature."
Those who choose to stay at work or to not have children are ostracised.
"It's as if we were all female chimpanzees," says Mrs Badinter, 65, who is widely admired in France for her outspoken views. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Thursday, February 11, 2010
leJDD.fr: "J'accuse un certain féminisme réactionnaire" : Elisabeth Badinter dénonce, dans un livre à paraître cette semaine, la tyrannie de la maternité et les nouvelles contraintes qui pèsent sur les femmes d'aujourd'hui. >>> Marie-Christine Tabet | Dimanche 07 Février 2010
TIMES ONLINE: Iran’s regime sought to thwart another massive opposition protest today by turning out its own supporters in huge numbers, imposing draconian restrictions on the media and making the headline-grabbing announcement that the Islamic Republic was now a “nuclear state”.
Determined to prevent the so-called Green Movement from hijacking the biggest day in Iran’s calendar, the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, the regime also flooded Tehran with security forces who moved swiftly and violently to break up opposition demonstrations.
The opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammed Khatami - a former president - were attacked. Zahra Eshraghi, the granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 revolution, was briefly arrested. She is married to Mr Khatami's brother and her own brother, Hassan, has made clear his hostility to the regime. >>> Martin Fletcher | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Iranian opposition leaders and protesters attacked on anniversary of revolution: Iranian opposition leaders and anti-government protesters were attacked as crowds gathered to mark the anniversary of the 1979 revolution today, according to reports from inside the country. >>> Heidi Blake | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: It is just like old times in downtown Iran today, with government forces battling to prevent anti-government protesters from voicing their opposition to the hardline clerics that control the country.
It was the same 31 years ago, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini established the Islamic revolution after his triumphant return from exile in Paris. Thirty-one years ago the street protests quickly led to summary executions, with Khomeini’s supporters setting up special courts to try those accused of trying to prevent Khomeini from establishing his Islamic dictatorship.
My fear now is that Khomeini’s heirs – people like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader – will resort to similar tactics as they try to suppress the pro-reform movement that has grown in strength since last summer’s hotly disputed election contest. Read on and comment >>> Con Coughlin | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Iranian opposition leaders attacked during anniversary rallies: Opposition leaders were attacked and security forces flooded the streets of Iran's major cities on Thursday as the authorities put down protests they feared would mar rallies to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Republic. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Google has refused to bow to a request by the Australian government to censor videos on YouTube, saying the move would stifle public debate on important issues such as euthanasia and drug use.
Stephen Conroy, the communications minister, asked the search engine to "voluntarily" censor videos that fall within the government's broad new "refused classification" category.
However, Google said blocking access to videos in the category would lead to the removal of many politically controversial, but essentially harmless, clips.
The Australian government is preparing to introduce new legislation that will force internet service providers to block a blacklist of "refused classification" websites, in an attempt to clamp down on pornography and websites used by criminals.
YouTube's own guidelines already block videos featuring sex, violence, bestiality and child pornography. But under the "refused classification" rules, videos featuring subjects as diverse as euthanasia, drug use and graffiti, would also be banned.
Google said it would not voluntarily censor videos on these subjects because exposing the topics to public debate was vital for democracy.
Iarla Flynn, Google Australia's head of policy, said the company had a bias in favour of freedom of expression. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The number of people getting married has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1862.
For the first time ever fewer than 2 in 100 women, over the age of 16, got married in a single year. In 2008 the marriage rate for women fell from 2 per cent to 1.96 per cent, less than half the rate 25 years ago.
The rate for men has shown a similar decline, according to the annual figures published by the Office for National Statistics.
The figures highlight how marriage has substantially fallen out of favour. From a peak in 1940, when 426,1000 young couples – spurred on by the urgency of World War II – married for the first time, just 147,130 marriages in 2008 were where both partners were getting wed for the first time.
In total, just 228,204 marriages took place during 2008 in England and Wales. >>> Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Germany and France have agreed a deal to “safeguard financial stability” for Greece and the wider eurozone following crisis talks at a European Union summit.
Political agreement on general principles was thrashed out during tense negotiations between Germany, France, Greece and the European Central Bank on Thursday morning.
”There is an agreement on the Greek situation. We will communicate now the agreement to the other leaders,” Mr Van Rompuy said.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, said that Greece would receive support in return for and aligned to progress on sweeping austerity cuts.
”Greece needs to do whatever is necessary, including additional measures, to ensure that the deficit reduction targets for this year are met,” said an official. ”Secondly, in that case the euro zone members should be ready to safeguard financial stability in the euro zone area as a whole.”
The EU summit was delayed to buy time as Germany and France brokered frantic negotiations with the ECB and Commission to save the eurozone by putting together a rescue package for Greece. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Thursday, February 11, 2010
TIMES ONLINE: The leaders of France and Germany agreed today to work together to tackle the Greek debt crisis but failed to reassure jittery European financial markets.
Both the euro and Greek government bonds enjoyed a moment of respite after reports that the new EU President, Herman Van Rompuy, had brokered a bailout deal in a meeting this morning with President Sarkozy, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Trichet, head of the European Central Bank.
“Euro area member states will take determined and co-ordinated action if needed to safeguard stability in the euro area as a whole," Mr Van Rompuy told reporters in Brussels, reading from a statement agreed by all 16 eurozone states. "The Greek government has not requested any financial support."
But as the EU's 27 leaders went into summit talks this afternoon, the lack of detail began to weigh with market traders looking for action - and hard cash - not words. The euro, which has lost some 10 per cent in value against the dollar since late 2009, initially rose slightly on Mr Van Rompuy's statement to $1.3755 before falling back $1.3688.
"It just looks like a pledge of solidarity, but no actual details of a program which is why the euro is still in the doldrums,” said Neil Mackinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital. “Unless, there’s further news out later this afternoon, the markets will consider the EU summit response as a disappointment." >>> Philippe Naughton and David Charter in Brussels | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE NEW YORK TIMES: BERLIN — As Europe edges toward emergency guarantees to stem market panic over one of the most profligate members of the euro bloc, the country that the region turns to for leadership, Germany, is suffering from growing doubts about the European experiment it long championed.
Reluctant German leaders now find themselves forced to help Greece remain solvent, or risk watching markets attack one weak member after the next, from Portugal to Spain to Italy, threatening the stability of the euro, the European currency Germany fought so hard to create.
On Thursday, European leaders meeting in Belgium announced they had agreed to a political statement to try to reassure bond markets and head off the crisis, and said that finance ministers would work through the details next week.
Earlier, in a conference call with the finance ministers from the 16 countries that use the euro and the president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, officials said that some action had to be taken to calm markets and take pressure off Greece. It appeared clear that Germany, with an assist from France, would have to take the lead. “The Germans are the only ones with deep pockets,” said Daniel Gros, director of the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels. “If it was just Greece, they could consider letting them go down the drain, but it threatens the entire euro zone.”
Berlin has been mostly silent on the matter. That is partly to put pressure on Greece, as civil servants struck there Wednesday to oppose cutbacks that the government has promised in order to rein in its enormous budget deficit.
But a bailout will be politically awkward for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government. It is precisely the financial millstone that opponents warned about when Germany gave up its treasured mark, a move that a majority of people here, in contrast to their political leaders, opposed at the time.
“If the German government would just transfer money to Greece, people in Germany would feel their worst fears had come true,” said Thomas Mayer, chief economist at Deutsche Bank. >>> Nicholas Kulish | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Watch New York Times video 1: Financial Crisis Deepens in Greece >>>
Watch New York Times video 2: Greeks Strike Amid Financial Crisis >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced that Iran is producing its first uranium enriched to 20 per cent, defying the world to stop him.
"I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first package of 20 per cent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists," he told a crowd of hundreds of thousands celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Republic in Tehran.
He said the uranium enrichment plant in the city of Natanz was capable of enriching to the much higher levels necessary to build a nuclear weapon and could triple its production of low-enriched uranium.
But he insisted that the country did not intend to construct a device.
"When we say we do not manufacture the bomb, we mean it, and we do not believe in manufacturing a bomb," he said. "If we wanted to manufacture a bomb, we would announce it. Our nation has the courage to explicitly say it and build it and not fear you."
He went to attack the West's attempts to curtail Iran's nuclear programme.
"We told them the Iranian nation will never give in to bullying and illogical remarks," he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad's decision to press ahead with enrichment would appear to put an end to a negotiated settlement put forward by the International Atomic Energy Agency to swap Iran's low-enriched uranium for prepared fuel rods for a medical research reactor in Tehran. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE INDEPENDENT: Huge rallies as Iran proclaims 'nuclear state': Hundreds of thousands of government supporters today massed in central Tehran to mark the anniversary of the revolution that created Iran's Islamic republic - while president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chose the day to proclaim his nation is now a "nuclear state". >>> Associated Press | Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Quilted, embossed, ultra soft aloe vera – the humble loo roll has gone steadily more upmarket in recent years. But surely it has now hit the apogee of indulgence: a cashmere version has gone on sale.
Cashmere, one of the softest and most prized materials, has been used to add an extra layer of extravagance to the sheets of paper, ensuring consumers enjoy the bottom line in comfort.
The loo rolls have gone on sale in Waitrose, the supermarket with a legion of loyal and discerning middle-class customers. >>> Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
TIMES ONLINE: An unassuming former cinema opposite a giant steelworks on the banks of the Saar river is at the centre of a stand-off over plans for a minaret to mark its new role as a mosque. The row highlights concerns about the spread of Islam in Germany’s traditionally conservative rust belt.
In a confrontation reminiscent of the debate in Switzerland, which led to a national referendum verdict banning new minarets, the 40,000-strong town of Völklingen has become divided over plans by the Selimiye mosque for three domes and an 8m (26ft) spire.
It would be the first minaret in Saarland, which has fallen on hard times since the heyday of steel production in the 1960s and 1970s, leaving many of the Turks who arrived to work in the smelters unemployed.
Although Germany has about 170 mosques, a further 200 are said to be under construction and tensions are beginning to show in communities such as Völklingen, where about 5 per cent of the population are Muslim.
“We are being quietly infiltrated by the Turks,” said one resident at a meeting called last month, according to Die Tageszeitung. The audience of 250 was asked to fill in forms, with one stating: “Minarets have nothing to do with Gemany.” >>> David Charter in Völklingen | Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Ein republikanisches Vorzeigeleben kann hart sein: Erst schwängerte Levi Johnston die Tochter der Politikerin Palin, dann nahm er Reißaus und stritt ums Geld. Jetzt lässt der 19-Jährige auch noch Aktfotos veröffentlichen - kurz vor dem Geburtstag der Ex-Gouverneurin.
New York - Levi Johnston, der Vater von Sarah Palins Enkelsohn, hat sich hüllenlos für "Playgirl" ablichten lassen. Der 19-Jährige sei nackt in dem aktuellen Magazin zu sehen, melden US-Sender am Mittwoch - einen Tag vor Palins Geburtstag.Dabei kennt der Jäger aus Alaska allerdings eine Grenze: Einige wichtige Körperteile bedeckt er auf den Fotos mit seinen Händen. Er hatte schon vor Wochen angekündigt, er wolle stilvoll in dem Blatt erscheinen. >>> jdl/dpa | Mittwoch, 10. Februar 2010
Related / Verwandt:
Levi Johnston's Mother Sentenced to Three Years in Prison >>> Philip Sherwell in New York | Sunday, November 22, 2009
THE GUARDIAN: Feminists and politicians protest after anti-capitalist Olivier Besancenot fields Muslim woman who covers her hair
Olivier Besancenot, the postman-turned-revolutionary at the helm of France's anti-capitalist movement, has been fiercely criticised from all sides of the political spectrum for fielding a headscarf-wearing candidate in forthcoming elections.
Ilham Moussaid, a 21-year-old Muslim woman who describes herself as "feminist, secular and veiled", is running for the far-left New Anti-Capitalist party (NPA) in the south-eastern region of Avignon.But, despite her insistence that there is no contradiction between her clothing and her political role, Moussaid's candidacy in the regional vote due in March has angered other feminists and politicians.
In an echo of the controversy raised by recent moves to ban the full, face-covering veil in public places such as schools, hospitals and buses, critics have said that the young activist's headscarf, which conceals only her hair, goes against values of laïcité – secularism – and women's rights.
Today, in a sign of how deep concerns are running, a leading feminist group announced it would file an official complaint against the NPA's list of candidates in the Vaucluse département to protest against what it called an "anti-secular, anti-feminist and anti-republican" stunt.
"In choosing to endorse 'open' laïcité, the NPA is perverting the values of the Republic and suggesting we reread them in a manner which conforms with regressive visions of women," said the Ni Putes Ni Soumises (Neither Whores Nor Submissives) association in a statement.
Others have expressed their shock at Besancenot's attempt to field a candidate who sees no problem with making an overt statement about her religion in the public sphere, a practice considered taboo. >>> Lizzy Davies in Paris | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran has announced plans to permanently ban Google's email service from being used within its borders.
In a move ahead of Thursday's 31st anniversary of the creation of Iran's Islamic Republic, the national telecoms agency in Tehran said that it will ban Gmail and will instead facilitate its own national email service.
The decision, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes just a month after Google threatened to leave China amid concerns that its systems had been attacked by Chinese hackers.
The Iranian announcement is understood to be part of a wider crackdown on opposition protests ahead of today's anniversary, which is likely to bring significant protests from both dissenters and supporters of the Islamic revolution. >>> James Quinn in New York | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
ZEIT ONLINE: Limo- und Cola-Trinker erkranken häufiger an Bauchspeicheldrüsenkrebs als andere. Experten sind sich darin einig – auch wenn die Studie dazu Schwachstellen hat.
Dass Cola und Limonade keine harmlosen Durstlöscher sind, haben schon einige Studien gezeigt. Eine aktuelle Untersuchung stellt die Softdrinks nun auch unter den Verdacht, das Risiko für eine besonders bösartige Form von Krebs zu erhöhen. Mark Pereira, Gesundheitsforscher an der Uni in Minnesota, hat dafür die Essens- und Getränkevorlieben von 60.524 Männern und Frauen aus Singapur erhoben und 14 Jahre lang ihr gesundheitliches Geschick verfolgt. 140 von ihnen erkrankten in dieser Zeit an Krebs der Bauchspeicheldrüse. >>> Von Adelheid Müller-Lissner | Mittwoch 10. Februar 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Die chinesische Justiz will die Anwendung der Todesstrafe einschränken. Ein Todesurteil soll nur noch im Falle «äusserst schwerwiegender» Verbrechen gefällt werden, und nur aufgrund solider Beweise gegen die Angeklagten.
Das Oberste Volksgericht habe entsprechende Leitlinien für alle chinesischen Gerichte herausgegeben, berichtete die amtliche Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua am Dienstagabend. Ausserdem müsse es «gültige und weitreichende Beweise» für die Tat geben. >>> sda/afp | Mittwoch, 10. Februar 2010
LE FIGARO: Le président du CFCM (Conseil français du culte musulman) Mohammed Moussaoui demande pour le culte musulman "le droit à l'indifférence" en regrettant une tendance actuelle à la stigmatisation et à l'islamophobie, dans une tribune publiée dans Le Monde daté de demain.
"L'Islam a pu pendant longtemps être pratiqué paisiblement en France par des milliers de croyants sans que cela constitue un quelconque problème", écrit-il, regrettant que "dans l'imaginaire collectif, la présence musulmane sur le sol français est assimilée à une présence étrangère qui vient perturber le paysage français".
Rappelant la contribution de la civilisation arabo-musulmane à l'essor de l'Europe, le sacrifice des musulmans au cours des Première et Seconde Guerres mondiales, et le respect des valeurs républicaines par la grande majorité des musulmans de France, il déplore "une instrumentalisation politique de la religion musulmane, présentée par certains comme une menace pour la cohésion nationale et le vivre ensemble". "Le débat sur le voile intégral et l'identité nationale en sont les parfaites illustrations", insiste-t-il. >>> AFP | Mercredi 10 Février 2010
LE FIGARO: Rencontre exclusive avec la fille préférée du roi Abdallah, et son atout pour faire bouger la société.
Elle avait précisé : pas de photo. Pour sa première interview à un journal occidental, Son Altesse royale la princesse Adelah bint Abdallah sait jusqu'où elle peut s'aventurer. Si des présentatrices au visage découvert apparaissent quotidiennement sur les chaînes saoudiennes, la fille préférée du roi Abdallah ne peut se permettre de transgresser les «traditions familiales» même si elle n'y verrait personnellement aucun inconvénient. Elle a pourtant accepté, pour la première fois, de recevoir un journaliste en tête à tête, et chez elle. C'est déjà un grand pas, dans un pays où l'on peut condamner une femme au fouet pour s'être simplement trouvée en compagnie d'un homme étranger à sa famille.
La princesse accueille simplement le visiteur dans sa maison de Riyad, une vaste villa que l'on ne saurait qualifier de palais. Pas de protocole. Adelah bint Abdallah, une grande et jolie femme, tend la main en souriant au seuil d'un salon aux meubles modernes, métal et cuir. Elle porte une jupe longue en cuir noir, une veste courte en velours vert sur un chemisier de soie grège, un foulard en fine mousseline posé sur les cheveux. «Je le mets quand je suis en représentation officielle», explique-t-elle. On est loin du niqab, la tenue noire couvrant entièrement le visage, courante dans les rues saoudiennes.
En plein accord avec son père, Adelah bint Abdallah s'est créé une mission bien à elle dans la famille royale, faire avancer la cause des femmes dans un pays encore très traditionnel. L'establishment religieux ne voit pas cela d'un très bon œil. Mais avec la légitimité de son rang et l'appui personnel de son père, la princesse se sent libre d'exprimer des convictions qui pourront sans doute choquer plus d'un religieux, sans parler des islamistes locaux.
Le voile complet ? En Arabie saoudite comme en France, il devrait s'agir d'un choix personnel. La mixité, déjà en vigueur dans les hôpitaux, où des femmes médecins traitent des patients masculins, et vice-versa ? Elle devrait être étendue à toute la société. L'âge du mariage ? Il faut fixer un minimum, dit la princesse, qui prend spontanément la défense de la «fillette de Boureïda», une histoire qui divise les Saoudiens, celle d'une gamine de 12 ans qui a épousé un homme de 80 ans (lire encadré). 50 % des diplômés sont des filles >>> D’envoyé spécial du Figaro à Riyad, Pierre Prier | Mercredi 10 Février 2010
LE FIGARO: «Nombre de lois doivent être changées» : INTERVIEW - Dans son premier entrerien avec un journal occidental, la fille du roi Abdallah évoque ses «combats» pour faire bouger la société saoudienne. >>> Propos recueillis à Riyad par Pierre Prier | Mardi 09 Février 2010
GULF NEWS: An Arab ambassador said he decided to call off his wedding immediately after he discovered that his wife-to-be, who wears a niqab, was bearded and cross-eyed.
Dubai: An Arab ambassador said he decided to call off his wedding immediately after he discovered that his wife-to-be, who wears a niqab, was bearded and cross-eyed.
The ambassador claimed that the bride's mother deceived his mother, when she went to see his Gulf national wife-to-be, by showing her pictures of the bride's sister.
The Arab man, who also holds the title of minister plenipotentiary, claimed to a Sharia court judge in Dubai that the bride's family showed his mother photos of the bride's sister and not the woman he was going to marry.
Sources close to the case told Gulf News that the groom only saw the woman a few times. He did not realise that she had a beard because she wore the niqab the few times he met her, added the source.
"Every time the couple met, the bride would do her best not to reveal her entire face. After the ambassador and the woman, who is a physician, signed the marriage contract, the groom was sitting with the bride… he claimed to the Sharia court officials that when he wanted to kiss his wife-to-be, he discovered that she was bearded and cross-eyed as well," claimed the source.
The ambassador then decided to call off the wedding party and lodged a divorce claim alleging that he was tricked by his parents-in-law and incurred emotional and moral damage.
In his lawsuit, the groom also asked the bride to repay him his Dh500,000, the amount which he claimed he spent on jewellery, clothes and gifts. >>> Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
MAIL ONLINE: France's hardline immigration minister Eric Besson is threatening to sue over hotly denied claims he is about to convert to Islam to marry his young Muslim girlfriend.
The rumours, reported on French news website Bakchich Info, come as the 51-year-old spearheads a campaign against alien religions and cultures swamping his country.
He has already called for the Muslim burkha to be banned, and wants potential immigrants to take French tests and swear allegiance to the Republic.
This particularly applies to those arriving from Muslim countries who do not share the same values as France’s predominantly Roman Catholic population.
Divorced Mr Besson has admitted that he currently lives with a Paris art school student who is the great-granddaughter of Wassila Bourguiba, the wife of the former Tunisian president, Habib Bourguiba.
The father-of-three's younger lover was named as Yasmine Tordjman, who is in her 20s.
Before Christmas he travelled to the north African country to meet Ms Tordjman's mother, prompting speculation that he would re-marry in June.
Islam does not allow mixed marriages, meaning the minister would have to convert from Catholicism to Islam.
But Besson has now released an official statement stating that he ‘deplores having to deny a conversion to a religion which I otherwise respect, I am very attached to the secular character of our Republic.’ >>> Peter Allen | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Tehran sentences another activist to death and several others are arrested ahead of national day demonstrations
Iranian security forces are deploying in strength in Tehran and across the country to head off what opposition supporters hope will be massive protests to mark tomorrow's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
New arrests were announced today after another death sentence was handed down for a convicted "rioter" and large numbers of Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia arrived in the capital from outlying areas, opposition sources reported.
Official preparations to deal with the latest bout of internal unrest coincide with mounting international tensions after Barack Obama accused Iran on Tuesday of trying to build a nuclear weapon and warned it would face new sanctions within weeks.
The regime has repeatedly accused opposition supporters of serving foreign interests. >>> Ian Black, Middle East editor | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
THE INDEPENDENT: The Church of England today voted to express "deep concern" about a reduction in religious broadcasting across British television - but drew back from singling out the BBC for criticism.
Members of the Church of England's national assembly, the General Synod, overwhelmingly backed a motion criticising a decline in religious programming.
But they rejected an attempt to narrow the focus of criticism to the BBC after a series of speakers urged the Church to do more to communicate its message.
One member of the General Synod said putting the BBC "on the naughty step" would not help encourage better coverage of religious affairs.
Nigel Holmes, a former BBC radio producer from Great Corby, near Carlisle, told the meeting in London that over the past 20 years the total output of general programme channels on BBC television had doubled.
But the hours of religious broadcasting on television were fewer and generally scheduled at less accessible times, he told the Synod.
"A fortnight ago the BBC announced that it was commissioning research with a view to improving the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people," he said.
"Perhaps it could do the same for those who proclaim a faith and particularly for younger people for whom nothing spiritual is to be found either on television or on the radio." >>> Martha Linden, Press Association | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
AFP: JAIPUR, India — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born former Dutch lawmaker threatened with death for her outspoken criticism of Islam, on Sunday accused the world's liberal democracies of appeasing radical Muslims.
Hirsi Ali, who since 2004 has lived under constant guard against death threats from Islamic extremists, made her accusation during an unannounced appearance at the Jaipur Literary Festival in India.
Speaking to a packed audience, Hirsi Ali said fear of offending Muslims and the wider Islamic world meant Islam had been largely exempted in Europe and the United States from the critical scrutiny applied to other religions.
"In the West, people are frigidly stuck in an attitude of self-doubt," fearful of Muslim radicals but also worried of being seen as anti-Muslim and thus betraying their own liberal traditions, Hirsi Ali said.
"This appeasement has made the public space in these countries a lot less safe," she added. >>> AFP | Sunday, January 24, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Michelle Obama has unveiled her campaign against childhood obesity in the US, saying that it is a problem that concerns her both as first lady and as a mother.
Mrs Obama said that the campaign was designed to encourage people to live healthier lives, but admitted that she herself was not immune to the temptations of junk food.
"I love burgers and fries. And I love ice cream and cake. And so do most kids," she said.
But, she added: "We're not talking about a lifestyle that excludes all that.
"The question is how do we help people balance that out so that they're not facing life-threatening, preventable illnesses, but they're enjoying their food, they're eating their vegetables, they're doing their running and walking and playing and still have time to get a good, fun meal in every once in a while."
One in three American children is overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other illnesses.
Billions of dollars are spent every year treating obesity-related conditions.
"None of us wants this future for our kids," Mrs Obama said at the White House.
"We have to act, so let's move." Michelle Obama launches obesity campaign and admits weakness for junk food >>> | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: France President Nicolas Sarkozy had sought to use a national identity debate to heal social rifts and propel himself to victory in the polls. But three months on, the debate has been dropped and Sarkozy's standing harmed.
Paris – The French Elysee is quietly dropping one of its more cherished and controversial projects – a "national identity" debate that went haywire almost immediately and threatens to harm President Nicolas Sarkozy in crucial elections this March.
According to a French ruling party script set last November, the nation would discuss on the Internet, then in town halls and cities, enduring French values like liberty, equality, and fraternity, and the Gallic genius behind the works of Hugo and Camus.
The conversation would lead to agreement on what it means to be French, at a time when immigration anxieties are high and just a few years after rioting in poor, immigrant-dominated neighborhoods around Paris shook the nation.
By early February, the plan went, President Sarkozy would give a triumphal speech bringing it all together in time for the French to vote.
Instead, the debate became a lightning rod for fears of immigration and Islam, a format for extreme-right ranting, and was ridiculed by media – at a time when conservative French lawmakers were also pushing a law to ban the burqa, or full-length Muslim veil, in France, which may happen this spring.
Now Sarkozy’s speech is no longer scheduled, and Prime Minister Francoise Fillon yesterday ended the public debate by announcing small new patriotic rules: French flags will fly on schools, the 1789 declaration of the rights of man will be posted in every classroom – and a commission that will study it all further. >>> Robert Marquand. Staff writer | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The Government has been accused of pursuing a secret policy of encouraging mass immigration for its own political ends.
The release of a previously unseen document suggested that Labour’s migration policy over the past decade had been aimed not just at meeting the country’s economic needs, but also the Government’s “social objectives”.
The paper said migration would “enhance economic growth” and made clear that trying to halt or reverse it could be “economically damaging”. But it also stated that immigration had general “benefits” and that a new policy framework was needed to “maximise” the contribution of migration to the Government’s wider social aims.
The Government has always denied that social engineering played a part in its migration policy.
However, the paper, which was written in 2000 at a time when immigration began to increase dramatically, said controls were contrary to its policy objectives and could lead to “social exclusion”.
Last night, the Conservatives demanded an independent inquiry into the issue. It was alleged that the document showed that Labour had overseen a deliberate open-door policy on immigration to boost multi-culturalism.
Voting trends indicate that migrants and their descendants are much more likely to vote Labour. Labour's 'secret plan' to lure migrants >>> Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
MAIL ONLINE: Labour threw open the doors to mass migration in a deliberate policy to change the social make-up of the UK, secret papers suggest.
A draft report from the Cabinet Office shows that ministers wanted to ‘maximise the contribution’ of migrants to their ‘social objectives’.
The number of foreigners allowed in the UK increased by as much as 50 per cent in the wake of the report, written in 2000.
Labour has always justified immigration on economic grounds and denied it was using it to foster multiculturalism.
But suspicions of a secret agenda rose when Andrew Neather, a former government adviser and speech writer for Tony Blair, Jack Straw and David Blunkett, said the aim of Labour’s immigration strategy was to ‘rub the Right’s nose in diversity and render their arguments out of date’. >>> James Slack | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
BBC: US President Barack Obama has said the US and its allies are developing a "significant regime of sanctions" against Iran for its nuclear programme.
He said the international community was unified over Iran's "misbehaviour".
Speaking in Washington, he said despite Tehran's denials, it was clear Iran was working to build nuclear weapons. Obama vows 'significant' sanctions against Iran >>> | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
THE JERUSALEM POST: Teheran summons Italian envoy; protests also held outside French, Dutch embassies.
About 100 Iranians protested Tuesday in front of the Italian embassy in Teheran, shouting "Death to Italy, Death to Berlusconi, " Italy's foreign minister said. Protests were also held outside the French and Dutch embassies.
The protests came a week after Premier Silvio Berlusconi announced — in Israel — that Italy was scaling back its economic dealings with Iran and wanted tighter sanctions against the Teheran leadership. Italy has long been Teheran's biggest trading partner in the EU.
Television footage of the protests shown on Sky TG 24 showed protesters throwing stones and eggs at the Italian embassy. Foreign Ministry officials said none of the protesters managed to get inside and that police intervened.
Frattini told the Senate that the protest was "hostile" and that the group tried to assault the building. >>> Associated Press | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
LA PRESSE CANADIENNE: ROME/TEHERAN — Aux cris de "Mort à l'Italie, mort à Berlusconi", une centaine d'Iraniens ont manifesté mardi devant l'ambassade d'Italie à Téhéran, selon le ministre italien des Affaires étrangères. Des actions de protestation ont également eu lieu devant les missions diplomatiques de France et des Pays-Bas.
Les rassemblements ont été organisés une semaine après l'annonce par le président du Conseil Silvio Berlusconi d'une révision à la baisse des relations commerciales entre son pays et l'Iran.
A l'occasion d'un déplacement en Israël, le chef du gouvernement italien a également souhaité un durcissement des sanctions contre le régime de Téhéran. L'Italie est depuis longtemps le plus important partenaire commercial de l'Iran au sein de l'Union européenne.
La chaîne Sky TV 24 a diffusé des images montrant des protestataires qui jetaient des pierres et des oeufs sur l'ambassade d'Italie. Des responsables du ministère des Affaires étrangères ont déclaré qu'aucun des manifestants n'avait réussi à s'introduire dans le bâtiment et que la police était intervenue.
Le chef de la diplomatie italienne Franco Frattini a déclaré au Sénat que cette manifestation était "hostile" et que le groupe avait tenté d'attaquer le bâtiment. >>> | Mardi 09 Février 2010
DIE PRESSE: Hunderte Mitglieder der regierungsnahen Bassiji-Miliz haben vor der italienische Botschaft in Teheran protestiert. Sie riefen "Tod Italien" und "Tod Berlusconi".
In Teheran haben am Dienstag vor den Botschaften Italiens, Deutschlands, Frankreichs und der Niederlande Dmonstrationen stattgefunden. Dutzende Milizionäre versuchten, die italienische Botschaft des Landes anzugreifen. Rund Hundert Mitglieder der regierungsnahen Bassiji hätten das Gebäude mit Steinen beworfen sowie "Tod Italien" und "Tod Berlusconi" gerufen, sagte Italiens Außenminister Franco Frattini. Die iranische Polizei sei eingeschritten, um Schlimmeres zu verhindern.
Italien ist traditionell einer der wichtigsten europäischen Handelspartner der Islamischen Republik. Doch die engen Beziehungen Ministerpräsident Silvio Berlusconis zu Israel und der wachsende Druck im Atomstreit haben zu einem Einbruch der italienischen Investitionen im Iran geführt. Vergangene Woche hatte Berlusconi bei einem Besuch in Jerusalem die Unterstützung für Israel betont und "wirksame Sanktionen" gegen den Iran wegen dessen Atomprogramm verlangt. Zudem kündigte er an, die Wirtschaftsbeziehungen mit dem Iran einzuschränken. >>> Ag. | Dienstag, 09. Februar 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Saudi Arabia says it will not give up a controversial rehabilitation programme for Islamist radicals heavily criticised in the US after former inmates set up an al-Qaeda cell in neighbouring Yemen.
One former Guantanamo Bay inmate who went through the programme, which features "positive thinking" classes, art therapy and video games, is now deputy leader of Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, the cell behind the Christmas Day "underwear bombing" in an airliner over Detroit.
Four others from the same group of Guantanamo inmates handed over to the Saudis in November 2007 are among more than a dozen inmates who have returned to terrorism, including one who was shot dead while wearing a suicide vest under a burka last year.
But senior officials including an Interior Ministry general and the cleric and psychologists responsible for overseeing the programme's "religious re-indoctrination" courses told The Daily Telegraph it had been an overall success.
"We are confident in our system," said General Mansur al-Turki. "Part of that is the rehabilitation programme, and when we say that we are considering one thing - the results we are getting. We are not giving up because a few people decided to go back and share al-Qaeda activities." >>> Richard Spencer in Riyadh | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Conservative clergy have warned of a mass exodus from the Church of England and a sharp drop in its income unless divisive plans for the introduction of women bishops are changed.
On the first day of the gathering of the Church’s governing body, the General Synod, Anglo-Catholics claimed that “large numbers” would leave for Rome if their demands for concessions are not met.
Meanwhile 50 serving priests belonging to Reform, the evangelical group, signed an open letter saying that the situation could force them to cut off funding for dioceses and spend their money on training new vicars outside the Church instead.
The established church, which introduced women to the priesthood in 1994, is committed to ordaining female bishops as well but the process has been held up by the entrenched positions of both supporters and opponents of the historic move.
Liberals argue that women should be introduced to the episcopate on the same basis and with the same powers as men, otherwise an unfair two-tier system will develop.
However conservatives claim they were assured back when women priests were introduced that provisions would be made for them, similar to the “flying bishops” that currently cater for parishes that cannot accept the oversight of female vicars, when the next step was taken.
They want either an entirely new “men-only” province that could cover the whole of England, or extra junior bishops in dioceses who had not ordained women bishops and who would be answerable only to an Archbishop. >>> Martin Beckford | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
TIMES ONLINE: The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a “profound apology” to the lesbian and gay Christian community today.
In a powerful address to the General Synod, Dr Rowan Williams warned that any schism within the Church would represent a betrayal of God’s mission.
But he made clear that he regretted recent rhetoric in which he has sought to mollify the fears of the traditionalist wing of the church.
The Archbishop is from the Church’s liberal wing and a man who once espoused equal rights for gays within the Church. More recently he has adopted a conservative line for the sake of Church unity.
Today he said: “There are ways of speaking about the question that seem to ignore these human realities or to undervalue them.
“I have been criticised for doing just this and I am profoundly sorry for the carelessness that could give such an impression.”
Addressing the even more contentious debate over gay ordinations — something which threatens to split the Church farther [sic] with the expected consecration in May of Canon Mary Glasspool, a lesbian, as a bishop in Los Angeles — Dr Williams said it had not been helped by those who ignored the fact that many worshippers were gay, as well as many “sacrificial and exemplary priests”.
He made it clear that there was blame on all sides of the argument that has brought the Church to the brink of splitting. He pleaded for Anglicans angry over gays and women bishops to cease fighting, admitting that he and other bishops might have to settle for a two-tier communion. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Prize Comment of the Day:
Why is 'God' so concerned with what men do with their willies? There must be hundreds of issues more deserving of attention in the world today than this. Too many men in dresses getting hot under the collar.
Surely a religion where you are encouraged to worship a naked man (and his dad) should be a haven for the gay community. I can't believe the church doesn't need the bodies on a Sunday either.
I think I might get burnt at the stake now. – Gaberdine Dog, [Source: TimesOnline/Page 3 of comments]
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Extract – Also meaning "path" in Arabic, sharia guides all aspects of Muslim life including daily routines, familial and religious obligations, and financial dealings. It is derived primarily from the Quran and the Sunna--the sayings, practices, and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Precedents and analogy applied by Muslim scholars are used to address new issues. The consensus of the Muslim community also plays a role in defining this theological manual.
Sharia developed several hundred years after the Prophet Mohammed's death in 632 CE as the Islamic empire expanded to the edge of North Africa in the West and to China in the East. Since the Prophet Mohammed was considered the most pious of all believers, his life and ways became a model for all other Muslims and were collected by scholars into what is known as the hadith. As each locality tried to reconcile local customs and Islam, hadith literature grew and developed into distinct schools of Islamic thought: the Sunni schools, Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanafi; and the Shiite school, Ja'fari. Named after the scholars that inspired them, they differ in the weight each applies to the sources from which sharia is derived, the Quran, hadith, Islamic scholars, and consensus of the community. The Hanbali school, known for following the most Orthodox form of Islam, is embraced in Saudi Arabia and by the Taliban. The Hanafi school, known for being the most liberal and the most focused on reason and analogy, is dominant among Sunnis in Central Asia, Egypt, Pakistan, India, China, Turkey, the Balkans, and the Caucasus. The Maliki school is dominant in North Africa and the Shafi'i school in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Yemen. Shia Muslims follow the Ja'fari school, most notably in Shia-dominant Iran. The distinctions have more impact on the legal systems in each country, however, than on individual Muslims, as many do not adhere to one school in their personal lives.
Controversy: Punishment and Equality under Sharia
Marriage and divorce are the most significant aspects of sharia, but criminal law is the most controversial. In sharia, there are categories of offenses: those that are prescribed a specific punishment in the Quran, known as hadd punishments, those that fall under a judge's discretion, and those resolved through a tit-for-tat measure (ie., blood money paid to the family of a murder victim). There are five hadd crimes: unlawful sexual intercourse (sex outside of marriage and adultery), false accusation of unlawful sexual intercourse, wine drinking (sometimes extended to include all alcohol drinking), theft, and highway robbery. Punishments for hadd offenses--flogging, stoning, amputation, exile, or execution--get a significant amount of media attention when they occur. >>> Lauren Vriens | Monday, March 23, 2009
LE POINT: La Russie a sensiblement durci le ton mardi face à son allié iranien, condamnant sa décision d'enrichir de l'uranium sur son propre territoire et évoquant désormais ouvertement la possibilité de sanctions économiques contre Téhéran.
Traditionnellement alliée à l'Iran, pour qui elle construit la centrale nucléaire de Bouchehr et fournit le combustible nécessaire à son fonctionnement, la Russie a longtemps traîné les pieds pour de nouvelles sanctions, et cela bien que le conflit n'ait cessé de s'envenimer ces derniers mois. Mais l'annonce par le président Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dimanche du démarrage de la production d'uranium hautement enrichi (20 %) par l'Iran, au nez et à la barbe des puissances occidentales, a visiblement été mal accueillie en Russie, où plusieurs hauts responsables ont vivement réagi. >>> AFP | Mardi 09 Février 2010
LE POINT: Le Premier ministre israélien Benyamin Netanyahou a appelé mardi la communauté internationale à prendre des "sanctions paralysantes" et immédiates contre l'Iran en raison de son programme nucléaire controversé.
"Je crois que ce qu'il faut à présent, c'est une action dure de la part de la communauté internationale", a déclaré Benyamin Netanyahou lors d'une rencontre à Jérusalem avec les ambassadeurs des pays de l'Union européenne. "Cela signifie non pas des sanctions modérées ou amoindries. Cela veut dire des sanctions paralysantes et ces sanctions doivent être appliquées immédiatement", a-t-il plaidé. "L'Iran est dans une course en avant pour produire des armes nucléaires avec un mépris impudent pour la communauté internationale. Celle-ci doit décider si elle veut sérieusement neutraliser cette menace pour Israël, pour la région et le monde entier", a ajouté le chef du gouvernement. "Il faut bien plus que des mots", a-t-il souligné. >>> AFP | Mardi 09 Février 2010
SAUDI GAZETTE: TEHRAN - Iran said it will start making higher-grade reactor fuel on Tuesday and will add 10 uranium enrichment plants over the next year in a nuclear expansion sure to stoke tensions with the West.
Iranian defense minister also announced launch of two production lines to build unmanned aircraft with surveillance and attack capabilities.
It was also announced that Tehran would soon deploy a missile air defense system more powerful than the advanced Russian S-300 system it has ordered from Moscow in 2007 but has yet to receive. The state television quoted Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as saying the unmanned aircraft would be able to carry out surveillance as well as offensive tasks with high precision and a long range.
The two types of aircraft, or drones, are named Ra’d (thunder) and Nazir (herald), with the former possessing offensive capabilities. >>> Agencies | Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)