Staatskrise: Griechenland braucht eine Revolution
ZEIT ONLINE: Weil Premier Papandreou trotz drastischem Sparkurs beliebt ist, sollte ihn Brüssel erstmal gewähren lassen. Denn die Griechen wissen es: Ihr Leben auf Pump ist vorbei.

Der Minister stritt in Brüssel für sein Land, derweil das Land gegen sich selbst kämpfte. In der EU-Zentrale versuchte Finanzminister Giorgos Papakonstantinou seine Amtskollegen davon zu überzeugen, dass Griechenland beim Sparen gut vorankommt. Zuhause in Athen demonstrierten seine Beamten das Gegenteil. Hier in der griechischen Hauptstadt reichen sich die Staatsangestellten die Streikstaffel weiter. Erst waren es die Zollbeamten, dann die Finanzkontrolleure im Ministerium, dann die Steuereintreiber, am Ende die Taxifahrer. Sie alle warnen ihre Regierung: Kürzen dürft ihr, aber nicht bei mir!

Wie viel Aussicht haben die griechischen Versprechen, dauerhaft zu kürzen und zu sparen? Wann darf die Eurozone mit besseren Nachrichten aus Athen rechnen? >>> Von Michael Thumann | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

NZZ ONLINE: Griechenland-Szenario könnte weiteren Ländern drohen: BIZ warnt vor globaler Schuldenkrise >>> sda/Reuters | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

Frankreichs offenes Gesicht: Die Schleierdebatte vor dem Hintergrund der Ideen von 1789
NZZ ONLINE: Frankreichs Diskussion um die Vollverschleierung muslimischer Frauen muss in der geistigen Tradition von «1789» gesehen werden. Die Nation besteht aus freien Bürgern. Das kommt im Kontakt mit dem Staat in offenen Gesichtern zum Ausdruck.

Die Szene bleibt unvergesslich: Anlässlich der Pariser «Street Parade» rennt eine junge Frau auf die in voller Montur aufmarschierte Bereitschaftspolizei zu, dreht sich um und entblösst in dreister Hocke ihren Hintern. Umgehend umzingeln die Ordnungshüter die Demonstrantin und nehmen sie eingeübt in Gewahrsam. Die Freiheit und die offene Gesellschaft brauchen, das ist wenig bestritten, immer moralische Bindungen, mitunter gar staatliche Regeln.

Keine Zwischenmächte

Undenkbar indessen wäre, dass der französische Staat in ähnlicher Weise in Polizeiformation gegen eine die Burka oder den Niqab tragende Frau vorginge. Und doch wird über ein Verbot dieser Ganzkörperschleier in Frankreich derzeit diskutiert. Dabei steht weniger ein allgemeines Verbot im Vordergrund als eine Einschränkung dort, wo der Bürger mit dem Staat in direkten Kontakt tritt. Es geht nicht einfach darum, ein in der Öffentlichkeit seltenes, unerwünschtes Kleidungsstück zu verbannen, sondern darum, einem emanzipatorischen Freiheitsrecht Ausdruck zu verleihen. >>> Manfred Rist, Paris | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

L'ambassadeur américain convoqué à Pékin
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: VISITE DU DALAÏ LAMA | L'ambassadeur américain en Chine a été convoqué vendredi pour se voir remettre une protestation formelle après la rencontre jeudi entre le président américain Barack Obama et le dalaï lama.

"Le vice-ministre des Affaires étrangères Cui Tiankai a convoqué l'ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en Chine Jon Huntsman et a émis une protestation formelle concernant la rencontre entre le président Barack Obama et le dalaï lama", a affirmé Chine Nouvelle. L'agence officielle rappelle que la rencontre s'est tenue "malgré l'opposition ferme et répétée de la Chine". >>> ATS | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

Les Américains expriment leurs doutes sur Obama
LE FIGARO: Pour la première fois, un sondage indique que le président ne serait pas réélu aujourd'hui.

Cruelle désillusion pour Barack Obama : pour la première fois depuis son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche, un sondage CNN/Opinion Poll Research indique que la majorité des Américains ne le réélirait pas si la présidentielle avait lieu aujourd'hui. Il ne remporterait que 44% des voix, et 52% voteraient pour un autre candidat.

L'euphorie de novembre 2008 est déjà un lointain souvenir. Un an après le plan de relance à 787 milliards de dollars censé sortir l'Amérique de la crise, mais qui n'a pas eu les effets escomptés sur l'emploi, le président peine à convaincre. Un sondage unique portant seulement sur 954 électeurs enregistrés a une portée limitée. Selon les dernières enquêtes d'opinion Washington Post-ABC et Gallup, le taux d'approbation du président était encore à 51-52%. Mais ce capital de confiance ne cesse de se réduire, en particulier en ce qui concerne l'économie, alors que le taux de chômage atteint 9,7%. >>> Adèle Smith | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

Pakistan Fashion Week Pushes Back Boundaries
TIMES ONLINE: A call to prayer echoed over the red carpet. The celebrity guests and socialites of Lahore lifted their diamante stilettos through the scarlet pile, careful not to trip as they showed lipsticked smiles – and bare shoulders – to the flashing camera bulbs.

Pakistan’s first Government-endorsed fashion week finishes today. There is hope that with it will disappear decades of the Government repression that had previously forced the scene underground.

“We have seen the fashion world in Pakistan evolve in recent years,” said Aamna Isani, a freelance fashion writer. “Ten years ago we weren’t allowed to say the word 'fashion’. We had to go for a ‘cultural event’ with clothes.”

Today, the Ministry of Commerce supports the festival, the Pakistan Fashion Design Council is Government-recognised, and even Pakistani TV crews happily meet gleaming and unveiled faces.

A triumph for young liberals, the event was also a red rag to those who protect conservative Islamic values with an iron fist. Inter Services Intelligence and the bomb squad were standing by to keep out haute couture’s uninvited guests. >>> Mary Bowers, Lahore | Friday, February 19, 2010

Pope Approves Mary MacKillop as Australia's First Saint
THE TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI has approved Mary MacKillop as Australia's first saint.

A painting of Australian nun Mary MacKillop. MacKillop. Photo: The Telegraph
The rebellious nun who was revered for her work with children is to become Australia's first Roman Catholic saint on October 17, the Pope said on Friday.

In December, Benedict recognised a miracle in which MacKillop apparently cured a woman of cancer, paving the way for the canonisation of a nun who is already a national icon in Australia. >>> | Friday, February 19, 2010

Indian Women Banned from Keeping Husband's Name after Divorce
THE TELEGRAPH: Indian women will not be allowed to use their husband's surnames after divorce to prevent them from bringing shame on their family, an India high court has ruled.

Its ruling was made in a case where a woman who divorced her police inspector husband four years ago but kept his name and brought shame on it through a series of public brawls.

She also used the family's association with the police for personal advantage. >>> Dean Nelson in New Delhi | Friday, February 19, 2010

Swiss Prostitutes Trained to Use Defibrillators in Brothels to Prevent Clients Dying
THE TELEGRAPH: Swiss prostitutes are being trained to use defibrillators to prevent clients with heart problems from dying on them, it has emerged.

Brothel owners in the Lugano area say electric shock treatment to restart customer's hearts is needed because so many elderly customers are using their services.

The most recent victim was a pensioner, thought to be having fun with the help of anti-impotence medication.

His death followed a series of other incidents, some fatal, in which heart attacks have claimed brothel customers in the area.

The owner of one sex club said: "Having customers die on us isn't exactly good publicity". >>> | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Studying History Is Vital - There Are Obvious Lessons for David Cameron
THE TELEGRAPH: Churchill and Thatcher had to win elections to rescue Britain’s economy and values, says Jeff Randall.

As part of its drive towards the lowest common denominator in education, Labour has allowed the teaching of history to vanish from the curriculum at many state schools. Thousands of pupils drop the subject at 13, and only three in 10 fifth-formers take it at GCSE.

The thinking behind this classroom vandalism is that history, along with pure sciences and foreign languages, is a “hard” subject, much more likely to be failed than less academic courses, such as leisure and tourism.

Under a regime that focuses on quotas rather than quality, little Johnny at the bog-standard comprehensive is encouraged to play the soft-option system. He gains a fistful of qualifications, but ends up knowing nothing of the past and can barely write a note to the milkman.

This is a shame. History has much to teach us in today’s financial crisis, not least that we have been here before in one form or another. The economy is in a mess, government spending is out of control, and our currency is being devalued. Desperate ministers, fearing disaster at the polls, seek to denigrate opponents by labelling them “toffs”.

Put another way: “Our finances have been brought into grave disorder. No British Government in peace time has ever had the power or spent the money in the vast extent and reckless manner of our current rulers... no community living in a world of competing nations can possibly afford such frantic extravagances... the evils which we suffer today are the inevitable progeny of that wanton way of living.”

This analysis, crisp and incontrovertible, could have been penned last week by David Cameron to sum up Gordon Brown’s shambles. It comes, however, not from the current Tory leader but Winston Churchill in the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the general election of 1951. Much has changed since then, yet the immediate political challenge facing Mr Cameron is not dissimilar to the task Churchill confronted 59 years ago. >>> Jeff Randall | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Plainte contre le Quick halal
leJDD.fr: Beaucoup de bruit pour un hamburger halal. La ville de Roubaix a décidé de porter de plainte pour "discrimination" contre la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick, qui expérimente, notamment dans la ville du Nord, des restaurants servant uniquement des produits répondant aux rites d'abattage musulmans.

Le hamburger halal est dur à avaler pour la ville de Roubaix qui, après un début de polémique, a décidé de porter plainte. La décision de la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick de vendre exclusivement de la nourriture halal dans huit de ses 350 restaurants français, dans le cadre d'une "expérimentation", est fortement critiquée par la mairie roubaisienne, qui héberge un restaurant uniquement halal. Elle s'estime lésée et a déposé plainte auprès du procureur pour "discrimination", a déclaré à l'agence de presse Reuters, jeudi, son avocat Franck Berton. Ce dernier explique qu'il y a un problème juridique car la société a choisi, à ses yeux, de manière discriminatoire les huit sites pour ses restaurants halal, car ils concernent des lieux où la population musulmane est importante. Le porc y est remplacé par de la dinde et le reste de la viande est conforme aux rites d'abattage musulmans. >>> V.V. (avec Reuters) | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

Britain at Risk of Worse Deficit Crisis Than Greece
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain is at risk of a Govenment deficit crisis worse than that of Greece, sparking serious fears over the economic stability of the country.

In surprise news which sent the pound sliding on Thursday, official figures showed that the Government borrowed £4.3 billion last month.

It was the first time since 1993 that the public finances had gone into the red in January – a month in which tax revenues usually push the Exchequer into the black.

Economists said that the scale of the shortfall in the budget could this year mount to above £180 billion – higher than even the Chancellor’s forecast of a record £178 billion.

Such a deficit would, at 12.8 per cent of British gross domestic product, be even greater than the deficit faced in Greece, which is facing a full-scale fiscal crisis and may need to be bailed out by fellow euro nations or the International Monetary Fund. >>> Edmund Conway and James Kirkup | Thursday, February 18, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: On borrowed time: shock deficit threatens UK recovery >>> Francis Elliott and Gráinne Gilmore | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Yusuf Estes: This Guy Is Somethin’ Else!

Saudi 'Prince' Charged with Murdering His 'Aide' at London Landmark Hotel
THE TELEGRAPH: A member of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family has been charged with murdering his aide at the five-star Landmark hotel in London, Scotland Yard said.

Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Nasir Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 33, is accused of killing Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz earlier this week.

He is also accused of committing grievous bodily harm on him, police said.

A post-mortem examination found Abdullah Abdulaziz was strangled and had also suffered head injuries.

Mr Abdulaziz was found dead at the five-star Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, central London. >>> Andrew Hough | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Gladiator Soundtrack – Enya: Now We Are Free

Vertraulicher Bericht: Atom-Behörde fürchtet, dass Iran die Bombe baut
WELT ONLINE: Erstmals hat es die Internationale Atomenergiebehörde IAEA für möglich erklärt, dass der Iran derzeit an einem atomaren Raketensprengkopf baut. In einem vertraulichen Bericht führt der Generaldirektor „schlüssige und glaubhafte" Hinweisen an. Auch die iranische Urananreicherung läuft demnach auf Hochtouren.

Die Internationale Atomenergiebehörde (IAEA) ist besorgt, dass der Iran bereits an der Entwicklung eines atomaren Raketensprengkopfes arbeitet. Das geht aus einem vertraulichen Bericht der IAEA hervor, der mehreren Nachrichtenagenturen vorliegt. >>> dpa/AFP/Reuters/cn | Donnerstag, 18. Februar 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: UN accuses Iran of working to build nuclear bomb: UN weapons inspectors have officially accused Iran of carrying out work to build a nuclear bomb for the first time. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Internationale Geheimdienste: Saudisches Königshaus soll Terror finanzieren
WELT ONLINE: Saudi-Arabien soll mehr als 100 Islamisten in Deutschland "Stipendien" für einen Aufenthalt in Ägypten bezahlt haben. Während sich das Königshaus als "Kämpfer" gegen den Terrorismus ausgibt, sei das Land Drehscheibe für die Gefolgsleute des Topterroristen Osama Bin Laden, warnen internationale Geheimdienste.

Saudi-Arabien gibt sich nach außen hin als Verbündeter der Westens im Kampf gegen den Terror. Doch Geheimdiensten zufolge soll das Königshaus (hier Außenminister Prinz Saud mit Hillary Clinton) Terroristen finanziell unterstützen. Foto: Welt Online
Westliche Geheimdienste haben verstärkt die Verbindungen des saudischen Königshauses zu islamistischen Terroristen in aller Welt unter Beobachtung genommen. „Diese Saudi-Connections bereiten uns immer größere Sorgen“, berichteten deutsche und amerikanische Geheimdienstler in Berlin und Washington.

Saudi-Arabien, das sich stets als „Kämpfer“ gegen den islamistischen Terror ausgibt, diene als „Drehscheibe“ für die Gefolgsleute des Topterroristen Osama Bin Laden. Einflussreiche Teile der saudischen Regierung stünden im „dringenden Verdacht“, fundamentalistische Gruppierungen weltweit finanziell und logistisch zu unterstützen, erklärte ein CIA-Mann. >>> Von Friederich Kuhn | Donnerstag, 18. Februar 2010

France : Vague de profanation contre les mosquées
L’entrée de la mosquée de Castres profanée le 13 décembre dernier. Crédits photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Oreilles de porc agrafées sur la porte, croix gammées, insultes... Sept lieux de culte ont été dégradés depuis décembre. Les organisations musulmanes réclament de nouvelles mesures contre «l’islamophobie»

Oreilles de porc agrafées sur la porte, croix gammées, insultes et slogans réclamant «la France aux Français»: depuis le début de l’année, les mosquées de l’Hexagone subissent une campagne de dégradation d’une intensité inconnue depuis septembre 2001. «Il se peut que les débats sur l’islam et la présence musulmane en France aient suscité chez certains une volonté de passer à l’acte», estime Mohammed Moussaoui, le président du Conseil français du culte musulman.

La dernière cible des profanateurs est la mosquée de Sorgues près d’Avignon, recouverte de graffitis injurieux dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche derniers. Avant elle, des inconnus avaient visé la mosquée d’Obernai (12 au 13 février), celle de Saint-Etienne (8 février), de Crépy-en-Valois (1er février), de Béziers (17 janvier), de Strasbourg (12 janvier) et de Castres (13 décembre).

A part à Obernai, où le vol du croissant métallique coiffant la coupole a été attribué à des jeunes «immatures», les édifices ont tous été recouverts de graffitis néonazis. Un «non au minaret» a aussi été peint sur la maison du maire de Strasbourg, où une grande mosquée est en voie d’achèvement. >>> Sylvain Besson | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

Gay Activists Attack Ugandan Preacher's Porn Slideshow
THE GUARDIAN: Pastor's explicit stunt condemned as 'twisted homophobic propaganda'

A Ugandan pastor who screened same-sex pornography in a church to try to bolster support for proposed anti-homosexuality legislation has been condemned by gay rights groups.

Martin Ssempa, one of the main backers of a bill that would impose the death penalty for some offenders, aired the explicit slideshow to several hundred people during a church service in Kampala yesterday. Explaining his decision to display the images, the evangelical preacher said it was necessary to educate people "about what homosexuals do".

He told the BBC's Network Africa programme: "In Africa, what you do in your bedroom affects our clan, it affects our tribe, it affects our nation."

While Ssempa represents the extreme end of widely held homophobic views in Uganda, he does carry strong influence. On his website he describes himself as "consultant to the government of Uganda", and his congregants yesterday included David Bahati, the MP who submitted the private member's bill to parliament last year.

The porn stunt caused anger among gay activists. South African-based gay rights group Behind the Mask described it as "twisted homophobic propaganda". >>> Xan Rice in Nairobi | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Yusha (Joshua) Evans: The Story of a Former Christian Youth Minister


James White Responds to Yusha Evans and Refutes Yusha’s Arguments: Ten Reasons Jesus Can’t Be God
Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Answering Muslims >>>

Pilot Leaves Suicide Note Railing Against US Federal Tax Agency Before Flying into Building
THE TELEGRAPH: A pilot set fire to his house and then committed suicide by flying his small plane into a tax office in Texas.

Joseph Stack left a six-page suicide note in which he railed against the Internal Revenue Service, the US federal tax agency.

He wrote: "I am finally ready to end this insanity. Well, Mr Big Brother IRS man let's try something different. Take my pound of flesh and sleep well.

"There was a storm raging inside me. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We are brainwashed to believe there is freedom in this land."

In his suicide "manifesto," which he posted on his own website, Stack also railed against Wall Street bankers, the Catholic Church, President George W Bush and the health care system. >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Texas Plane Crash: Joseph Stack's Rambling Note Against America
THE TELEGRAPH: In his long, rambling suicide note Joseph Stack painted himself as a hard working American who was being exploited by a corrupt establishment and forced to hand over his retirement money in taxes.

Joseph Stack, the pilot of a small plane that crashed into an Austin office building. Photograph: The Telegraph
Stack complained that anyone who stood up for the principal of "no taxation without representation" was now labelled a "crackpot." He accused corporate leaders of being "thugs and plunderers" guilty of "gluttony and overwhelming stupidity" and politicians were "thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags."

He said the US health system was a "joke" and accused drug companies of "murdering tens of thousands of people a year" but his strongest words were reserved for the tax system.

Stack said: "Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand.

"The law requires a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing. If that's not duress then what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is." >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Royal Navy Warships on Standby Over Falklands Oil Dispute
THE TELEGRAPH: Royal Navy warships were on standby on Thursday to protect commercial shipping to the Falkland Islands as Gordon Brown said Britain would take a robust stand against Argentine encroachment on the resource rich South Atlantic territory.

HMS York, a type 42-destroyer, was on a "tight leash" patrolling the seas around the islands in response to rising tensions over British firms oil explorations activities near the Falklands. Argentina has demanded a halt to "illegal" oil drilling around the Falkands and on Wednesday imposed a permit system on ships passed from its ports to the island.

Gordon Brown, the prime minister, issued an explicit warning to the Argentinian government that the South Atlantic show of force – which also included a survey vessel backed up by a 1,000-strong military detachment on land – would respond to any disruption of the Falklands links to the outside world.

"We maintain the security of the Falklands and there are routine patrols continuing," Mr Brown said. "I think you will find that we have made all the preparations that are necessary to make sure the Falkland Islanders are properly protected." >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Thursday, February 18, 2010

President Obama Gives 'Strong Support' to Dalai Lama During Meeting
TIMES ONLINE: President Obama told the Dalai Lama of his “strong support" for preservation of Tibet’s identity today and encouraged talks between the exiled leader and China.

After private White House talks between the pair, spokesman Robert Gibbs said the President had stated support for “the preservation of Tibet’s unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans" in China.

“The President commended the Dalai Lama’s ’Middle Way’ approach, his commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government,” Mr Gibbs added.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, the Dalai Lama declared himself “very happy" and said Mr Obama was “very much supportive.” >>> | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Arrest the Head of Mossad, Says Dubai Police Chief
TIMES ONLINE: Interpol must issue an arrest warrant to help locate the head of Mossad, the chief of Dubai's police force said today.

The International Policing Organisation has issued "red notices" for the hit squad who used false identities when they targeted the Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

But Dahi Khalfan Tamin, the emirate's police chief, called for such a warrant to be used against the head of Mossad as well because he belives it is likely that the Israeli spy agency was behind the killing.

In pre-recorded comments to Dubai TV he called on the organisation to issue “a red notice against the head of Mossad ... as a killer in case Mossad is proved to be behind the crime, which is likely now”. >>> Jenny Booth, Hugh Tomlinson, Sheera Frenkel and David Sharrock | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Saudi Prince Quizzed Over Murder of Servant 'Who Slept at Foot of Master's Bed'
MAIL ONLINE: Detectives are continuing to question a Saudi prince over his servant's murder as new details about their relationship become known.

Sources have compared it to a master and servant relationship and it has emerged that the aide may have slept on the floor at the foot of his master's bed.

The prince has been held on suspicion of killing the man at the Landmark Hotel in Central London.

Scotland Yard detectives have also seized CCTV footage of an alleged assault by the 33-year-old multi-millionaire on his aide in a hotel lift last month.

Officers are examining the possibility that the servant was the subject of regular abuse from his master. >>> | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Saudi Religious Policeman Lashed for Having Six Wives
BBC: A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man to 120 lashes for having six wives at the same time.

Muslim men can keep up to four wives at a time under sharia, or Islamic law, which is applied in Saudi Arabia.

Reports say the unnamed man worked for the country's religious police. At his trial, the defendant claimed he did not know he was breaking the law.

The man was also banned from leading prayers and ordered to read two chapters of the Koran.

Islam permits polygamy for men on condition that wives are treated equally.

The case was tried in a court in the southern province of Jizan. >>> | Thursday, February 18, 2010

New Dark Age Alert! The Final Decline of the West
EUROPEAN VOICE: The West's long period of global dominance is ending, encouraged and accelerated by its own mistakes and irresponsible behaviour.

Demography is not an exact science. Countless dire predictions, from that of Malthus to that of the Club of Rome, have been proven wrong. But, according to a recent and very convincing essay published in the magazine Foreign Affairs, a dual demographic and economic trend is taking place that will result in spectacular shifts by the middle of this century. The Western world will represent only 12% of the world's population, with Europeans reduced to 6%. (In 1913, a year before the outbreak of the First World War, Europe was slightly more populated than China.) Economically, the West will account for around 30% of global output – a level that corresponds to Europe's share in the 18th century and down from 68% in 1950.

What we are witnessing can be seen as a return to the past, with the West returning to its old place in the world before the start of China's long process of historical decline at the beginning of the 19th century. The West's long period of global dominance is ending, encouraged and accelerated by its own mistakes and irresponsible behaviour. We are entering a new historical cycle, in which there will be proportionally fewer Westerners, more Africans and Middle Easterners, and – with greater relevance economically and strategically – many more Asians.

It is with these figures in mind that one must consider Barack Obama's decision not to attend the next EU-US summit that was due to take place in Madrid in May. It would be tempting to use a formula coined during the Cold War to describe the comparative evolution of the United States and the Soviet Union and to apply the notion of ‘competitive decline' to the relationship between the US and Europe. A United States that may be undergoing a process of relative, if not absolute, decline chooses to ignore a Europe that in US eyes is no longer a problem compared with Asia or the Middle East, and that offers little help in finding solutions to the problems that most vex Americans. >>> Dominique Moïsi* | Monday, February 15, 2010

*Dominique Moisi is a visiting professor at Harvard University and the author of “The Geopolitics of Emotion”. © Project Syndicate, 2010.

No God But God: Malaysia's "Allah" Controversy
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Summary: The political trends behind Malaysia's recent "Allah" controversy could undermine the delicate sociocultural balance in one of the Muslim world's most developed nations.

Last December, the Malaysian High Court ruled that the Herald, a weekly Catholic magazine, was allowed to use the Arabic word "Allah" to refer to God in its Malay-language section. The decision overturned a government ban on non-Muslim use of the term and was met with protests in Kuala Lumpur's central mosque and decried online in numerous Malay Muslim chat rooms. In the days following the announcement, arsonists set fire to as many as eight churches around the country. Subsequently, several Muslim prayer halls were also attacked.

The arson attacks have caused a round of soul-searching among Malaysians, who are fond of celebrating their country's rich religious and racial diversity but who have seen its politics become increasingly sectarian in recent decades. Left unaddressed, these trends could undermine the delicate sociocultural balance in one of the Muslim world's most developed nations and deal a fatal blow to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's goal of national unity.

For many Muslims in the region, Christian use of the word "Allah" is relatively unproblematic. Jesus, who lived six centuries before Islam was founded, would most likely have used a similar Aramaic word, "Alah," in reference to God. In fact, the Arabic word "Allah" shares the same root as the Aramaic "Alah" as well as the Hebrew "Elohim." It is derived from two words, namely "Al," meaning "the" and "Elah" meaning God. In this sense, it can be argued that "Allah," "Elohim," and "Alah" or "Elah" are closely linked.

Today, the word "Allah" is used by Muslims and many Christians alike. When the Coptic Christians in Egypt celebrate their Christmas Mass, for example, their pope begins his sermon with the phrase "Bismillah" (in the name of God) and uses the word "Allah" throughout. In Southeast Asia, Catholics and Protestants use the term "Allah"; Indonesian Christians have sung prayers to Allah at every Easter and Christmas celebration since the arrival of Christianity on those islands a millennium ago.

The term is as important to Arab and Southeast Asian Christians as it is to Muslims because it stands for the notion of a singular, universal God. "Allah" literally means "the God," denoting a singular deity. This is particularly significant for Christians in Malaysia, who have been reluctant use the Malay "Tuhan," because the word does not have a monotheistic connotation. It even has a plural form, "Tuhan-tuhan," which is understood as "gods." >>> Joseph Chinyong Liow* | Wednesday, February 10, 2010

*JOSEPH CHINYONG LIOW is Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is author of Piety and Politics: Islamism in Contemporary Malaysia.

Diplomatie : Ashton promet l'aide européenne pour que la Bosnie rejoigne l'UE
LE POINT: La chef de la diplomatie de l'UE, Catherine Ashton, a promis jeudi à Sarajevo l'aide européenne pour que la Bosnie-Herzégovine, confrontée à une crise institutionnelle persistante, puisse rejoindre un jour l'Union européenne. "Nous sommes prêts à aider sur le plan pratique ce pays à réaliser ses ambitions européennes", a déclaré devant la presse la Haute représentante de l'UE pour les Affaires étrangères, sans toutefois développer sa pensée. "L'avenir de ce pays réside dans l'Union européenne", a souligné Ashton, arrivée mercredi soir à Sarajevo pour une tournée dans les Balkans. >>> AFP | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

The Hidden Army Of Radical Islam in Bosnia


Islam In Bosnia And Herzegovina

Dangerous Zeal! Ibrahim Zidan: Why Muslims Love Prophet Muhammad

StanChart to Launch Islamic Commodity Derivative
REUTERS: DUBAI - Standard Chartered Bank Saadiq (STAN.L) expects to launch an Islamic commodity derivative in the first quarter, the bank's chief executive said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit, Afaq Khan said the bank was in advanced discussions with counterparties in the Middle East, including trading companies and government entities, to launch the product.

"Basically if you want to hedge oil rice, wheat, sugar or steel, we will be in a position to offer that in a sharia complaint manner," he said.

Khan said the bank had spent about 15 months creating the product, which will be endorsed by the bank's sharia board. >>> Reporting by John Irish, Tamara Walid, Shaheen Pasha and Rachna Uppal; Editing by Louise Heavens | Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Der Euro lebt
NZZ ONLINE: Langfristiger Aufwärtstrend der Währung bis jetzt ungebrochen

Steht der Euro kurz vor dem Exitus? Wer die Schlagzeilen der vergangenen Tage verfolgte, könnte beinahe diesen Eindruck bekommen. Aufgrund der Verschuldungssituation von Ländern wie Griechenland sprechen einige Pessimisten bereits vom möglichen Auseinanderbrechen der Euro-Zone. Zwar steht die europäische Gemeinschaftswährung in der Tat derzeit wohl vor der grössten Bewährungsprobe seit ihrer Einführung. Doch von einem Einbruch oder gar einer Währungskrise ist der Euro noch weit entfernt. Dies zeigt schon ein einfacher Blick auf den Wechselkursverlauf von Euro und Dollar. >>> ra. | Donnerstag, 18. Februar 2010

Tripoli accuse la Suisse de «bassesse politique»
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE KADHAFI | La Libye a qualifié jeudi de "bassesse politique" la "liste noire" de personnalités libyennes interdites d'entrée en Suisse.

Cette crise est en train de dégénérer, Tripoli ayant a répliqué en suspendant l'octroi de visas d'entrée à "tous les citoyens de l'espace Schengen" et une réunion des chefs de la diplomatie suisse et libyenne se déroule ce jeudi matin à Madrid sous l'égide de l'Union européenne.

"L'établissement de cette liste (par Berne) est une bassesse politique visant à détourner l'attention de l'accord" signé en août 2009 pour régler la crise née de l'arrestation à Genève de l'un des fils de Mouammar Kadhafi, a dit le porte-parole du gouvernement libyen Mohamed Baayou.

Selon la presse libyenne, 188 personnalités libyennes, parmi lesquelles figure le colonel Kadhafi et sa famille, figurent sur la "liste noire" suisse. Le porte-parole libyen a dénoncé cette liste "où figure le nom d'un enfant de moins de trois ans (fils de Hannibal Kadhafi)", en parlant de "crime". >>> ATS | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

Amoklauf in Ludwigshafen: Ehemaliger Schüler ersticht 58-jährigen Lehrer
DIE RHEINPFALZ: Wegen schlechter Noten soll am Donnerstagmorgen gegen 10 Uhr an der Berufsbildenden Schule Technik II ein 23-jähriger Ludwigshafener mit einem Messer seinen früheren Lehrer erstochen haben. Das teilte Leitender Staatsanwalt Lothar Liebig am Nachmittag auf einer Pressekonferenz mit.

Die Polizei war wegen eines Feueralarms alarmiert worden. Vor Ort bekamen die vier Beamten gesagt, dass sich ein Mann mit einer Schusswaffe auf dem Gelände befände. Der 23-Jährige wurde dann im Hauptgebäude von den Polizisten gestellt und überwältigt. Zuvor hatte er mit einer Schreckschusspistole auf den Gängen mehrere Schüsse abgegeben und im dritten Stock ein bengalisches Feuer gezündet. >>> | Donnerstag, 18. Februar 2010

Three Malaysian Women Caned for Having Extramarital Sex
TIMES ONLINE: Malaysia has caned three women for having extramarital sex, in a move at odds with the moderate Islamic nation that the Government wants to project to the world.

Announcing the sentence, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein declined to say who was caned, where the whipping took place and on what part of the body.

One woman was released from prison last week after spending a month behind bars.

Malaysia has increasingly applied Sharia, or Islamic law, to its Muslim citizens, who make up 60 percent of the country's 28 million people, raising concerns that a more militant brand of Islam is taking hold in a country that prides itself on its multiracial, multireligious image. >>> Luke Hunt in Kuala Lumpur | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Encourage Gay Couples to Adopt, Says Top Tory
MAIL ONLINE: Gay couples should be encouraged to adopt children, a Tory frontbencher suggested yesterday.

In a provocative speech that risked offending some Christians, Nick Herbert also said homosexuality may be 'given by God'.

He hinted that the Church was wrong to oppose gay marriage and should support gay adoption.

He also said a future Tory government would legislate to promote 'gay equality'.

This could involve bringing in beefed-up laws on homophobic bullying and hate crimes.

Environment spokesman Mr Herbert, one of a handful of openly gay Tory MPs, told an American think-tank in Washington: 'Whether it is given by God or set by nature, homosexuality isn't nurtured by doting mothers or weak fathers.

'It isn't a condition to be cured and it can't be willed away through prayer.'

Mr Herbert insisted there was no contradiction between David Cameron's outspoken support for marriage and his conversion to the gay equality agenda. >>> | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Women Want Their Husbands to Be the Breadwinners
MAIL ONLINE: Young mothers are turning their backs on high-powered careers to raise their children, a study has found.

Their mothers, or even grandmothers, lived through a time when women fought for full-time work and better pay.

But today's generation is returning to the traditional values of home and family - and looking to men to be the breadwinners. What women want in 2010: A husband who'll be the main breadwinner >>> Beth Hale | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Differences Between the Christian and the Muslim Jesus
Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:

Islam in Deutschland


Warum sind Sie zum Islam konvertiert?

Bill O'Reilly Scared by Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins Interviews Muslim (Former Jew)

Father Zakaria Boutros: Muslim Clerics Convert to Christianity

Abdur-Raheem Green: Suspicions about Islam

Lammert fordert mehr Religionsfreiheit von Türkei
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Berlin - Bundestagspräsident Norbert Lammert (CDU) hat an die Türkei appelliert, die freie Religionsausübung der Christen im Lande zu schützen. Er setze dabei auf wachsenden Ehrgeiz der türkischen Behörden.

Die Verantwortlichen in der Türkei müssten sich für das Recht der Kirchen einsetzen, über die vorhandenen Gotteshäuser als eigenen Besitz zu verfügen und ihre Religion frei zu praktizieren, schrieb Lammert laut einer Mitteilung des Bundestags vom Mittwoch an seinen türkischen Amtskollegen Mehmet Ali Sahin. >>> dpa | Mittwoch, 17. Februar 2010

11,5 Millionen Arme in Deutschland
BERLINER ZEITUNG: DIW: Anstieg seit 1998 um ein Drittel / Besonders Kinder und Jugendliche betroffen Westerwelle verlangt Umbau des Sozialstaats / Debatte bestimmt politischen Aschermittwoch

Berlin - Jeder siebte Bürger in Deutschland lebte 2008 an der Grenze zur Armut oder war arm. Das waren 11,5 Millionen Menschen und damit rund ein Drittel mehr als noch vor zehn Jahren. Das belegt eine gestern vom Deutschen Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung vorgelegte Studie, die zugleich dem Streit über Harz IV und die Ausgestaltung des Sozialstaates neue Brisanz gab. Die Debatte prägte auch die Veranstaltungen zum politischen Aschermittwoch. >>> | Donnerstag, 18. Februar 2010

France : Les hamburgers halal de Quick font grincer des dents
20MINUTES.ch: La décision de la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick de ne proposer que des hamburgers halal dans huit de ses établissements en France fait grincer des dents dans la classe politique, notamment au sein du parti de droite du président Nicolas Sarkozy.

Le halal désigne tout ce qui est autorisé par le Coran aux musulmans pratiquants, notamment le rituel pour abattre la viande. Le secrétaire général de l'UMP, Xavier Bertrand, a déclaré mercredi ne «pas apprécier» «tout ce qui peut s'apparenter à du communautarisme», lors d'une interview aux médias LCP, France Info et AFP.

«La société française, son histoire, sa culture, ça n'est pas le communautarisme», a abondé le porte-parole du gouvernement, Luc Chatel, sur la radio RTL. Richard Mallié, député UMP des Bouches-du-Rhône (sud) où plusieurs établissements Quick ne proposent plus que de la viande halal, a jugé «scandaleuse» l'attitude de la chaîne qui «ne laisse pas de choix aux clients non musulmans». >>> afp | Mercredi 17 Février 2010

Quick : Chaine de restauration rapide >>>

Quick en France >>>

Michelle Obama à l'assaut de l'Amérique XXL
leJDD.fr: La First Lady lance une croisade contre l'obésité. Mission impossible au pays de McDonalds?

N’allez pas lui parler de ces temps bénis où les écoliers avaient deux heures de gym par semaine, où l’on passait à table chaque soir à heure fixe pour manger ce que mum avait préparé, où le dessert était une récompense qui rimait avec dimanche. De l’Amérique fit (en forme) à la fat (grosse) Amérique, Michelle Obama sait qu’il n’y a pas de marche arrière. Il s’agit juste d’enrayer une épidémie: en présentant mardi sa campagne nationale Let’s Move (Bougeons), la First Lady entend avant tout donner aux familles américaines les outils nécessaires pour éviter qu’un tiers des enfants nés après l’an 2000 ne finissent diabétiques.

A grande cause, grands moyens. Michelle Obama a d’abord obtenu de son mari l’engagement de faire voter au Congrès une enveloppe de 10 milliards de dollars pour améliorer la restauration dans les cantines scolaires. De la Sodexo et de bien d’autres fournisseurs, elle a reçu l’assurance que les quantités de sucre, de graisse et de sel dans les menus seraient réduites pour correspondre à de nouvelles normes fixées par le ministère de la Santé.

Le deuxième objectif cible, les "déserts alimentaires", ces zones semi-rurales où supermarchés et épiceries sont trop loin et trop chers, et les fast-foods si proches et tentants aux yeux des 6,5 millions d’enfants qui y vivent. Quatre cents millions de dollars sont provisionnés dans le prochain budget pour inciter le secteur privé à s’implanter dans ces régions et y offrir une alimentation plus saine. Résistance de l’opinion publique >>> François Clemenceau, à Washington | Dimanche 14 Février 2010

Church of England Bishop Converts to Rome
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: The former assistant Bishop of Newcastle, Paul Richardson, has been received into full communion with the Holy See, I am pleased to reveal. Richardson – also a former Anglican bishop in Papua New Guinea and diocesan bishop of Wangaratta in Australia – was received into the Church at the chaplaincy at Durham University last month.

He tells me that his conversion is not the product of recent controversies. “I would have become a Catholic even if the Church of England wasn’t ordaining women bishops,” he says. “In a sense I feel it’s what I’ve always been, so this is like coming home.” Read on and comment >>> Damian Thompson | Wednesday, February 17, 2010