Hewlett-Packard Boss Mark Hurd Quits After Sexual Harassment Inquiry
THE TELEGRAPH: Mark Hurd resigned last night from his post at the helm of Hewlett-Packard (HP) following a sexual harassment investigation.

Mark Hurd, chief executive of Hewlett-Packard. Photo:
Mr Hurd, chairman and chief executive of the world's largest personal computer manufacturer since April 2005, agreed to step down with immediate effect after he was found to have violated the company's own business conduct standards.

The HP probe was sparked following allegations from a former contractor, with whom Mr Hurd admitted he had a "close personal relationship". The company also said that Mr Hurd submitted false expense reports in an effort to conceal the relationship.

Shares in HP fell as much as 10pc on the news in extended after-hours trading, in spite of the company pre-announcing better-than-expected second quarter sales of $30.7bn (£19.3bn). >>> James Quinn | Saturday, August 07, 2010

Warnings Against Travel to Moscow as Russian Wildfires Blaze
THE TELEGRAPH: The US, Germany and France have asked citizens to avoid travel to Moscow as Russia struggles to battle wildfires which have claimed 52 lives and choked the capital.

Wildfire burning in a forest near the village of Golovanovo, Russia. Photo: The Telegraph
Germany closed its embassy until further notice and advised citizens against "non-essential" travel to the affected regions.

The US State Department asked nationals to seriously review travel plans.

"Forest fires and extreme high temperatures in the Moscow region and surrounding areas of central Russia have produced hazardous levels of air pollution and caused numerous flight delays and cancellations in Moscow," the department said in a warning set to expire on September 5.

"The hazardous air quality means that persons with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low. Everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors," it said.

The French foreign ministry also asked citizens to avoid travel to nine affected regions and announced it was sending experts to determine "the most adequate aid" it could offer.

Moscow's iconic landmarks such as the spires of the Kremlin towers or the onion domes of Orthodox churches were largely invisible from a distance on Friday as a heavy smog hung over the city after the worst heatwave in decades broke out in July. >>> | Saturday, August 07, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Russian heatwave kills 5,000 as fires rage out of control: Russia's devastating summer heatwave has cost almost 5,000 lives, according to officials who conceded yesterday that the state was struggling to gain control over the worst wildfires in decades. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Friday, August 06, 2010

The disaster in pictures >>>

Isn’t there anything that the British government can do in the way of assistance? It seems to me that we British should be doing something to help these poor people? I applaud the French for sending experts to Russia to determine the best way of helping the Russians battle with these dreadful, uncontrollable wildfires. – Mark

Gay Marriage: The Tide is Turning And There's No Going Back
THE HUFFINGTON POST: Major court decisions on controversial social issues are sometimes ahead of their times. That was certainly the case with judicial rulings decades ago that struck down laws banning interracial marriage. But despite conservative claims that U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling Wednesday to overturn California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage is outside the mainstream, the reality is that his decision is in sync with public sentiment. 


The gay rights movement has won Americans' hearts and minds. The tide has turned. Opponents can try, but they can't push it back.



Although nobody believes that homophobia has disappeared, polls show that public support for gay rights - including marriage - has increased dramatically in the past decade, especially in the last few years. Moreover, support for gay marriage is much higher among younger Americans, indicating that the future belongs to the advocates, not the opponents, of same-sex marriage. Soon, conservative politicians and groups will no longer be able to use gay marriage as a "wedge" issue to stir controversy and win elections.

The battle for gay marriage is often compared with the struggle to end the prohibition against marraiges [sic] between blacks and whites. In fact, Americans' attitudes about same-sex marriage changed much more quickly. Read on and comment >>> Peter Dreier, E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics at Occidental College | Friday, August 06, 2010

Pat Condell: Thank God for Andy Choudary

US Job Losses Are Double Expected Figure
THE GUARDIAN: American employers shed 131,000 jobs in July / Data sparks rally in government bonds but stock indices fall

President Barack Obama: the job loss data has fuelled fears that the US economic recovery will not bring about a revival in the job market. Photograph: The Guardian
Employers in the US shed twice as many jobs as expected in July, fanning fears that the recovery in the world's largest economy will not see a revival in employment.

The US government said 131,000 jobs were lost overall, compared with forecasts for a 65,000 fall. The drop was mainly due to work finishing for temporary staff hired by the government to conduct its census. But private hiring was also weaker than expected.

Economists polled by Reuters ahead of the non-farm payrolls data forecast that private sector jobs would rise by 90,000, but in the event only 71,000 were added.

At the same time, June's overall drop was revised to a far steeper 221,000 from 125,000.

The data sparked a rally in government bonds, seen as safer investments when the economic picture darkens. Crude oil futures dropped on the prospect of weaker demand from the US market and stock indices also fell, including the FTSE 100 in the UK.

"This employment report only reinforces a sluggish recovery. Private sector job and income gains are not weak enough to point to a renewed downturn, nor are they strong enough to suggest the recovery is free of such risk," said Stephen Gallagher, economist at Société Générale.

Within July's drop, 143,000 jobs were census staff who were laid off, but there were also a further 59,000 public sector job losses as the US government mirrored its counterparts around the world in tightening budgets. Economists voiced concerns that the private sector outlook was also gloomy, suggesting that Americans will remain wary about their job prospects and do little to power the recovery.

"This is not good news for consumer confidence or spending and will intensify concerns about the pace of the recovery at the Federal Reserve," said James Knightley economist at ING Financial Markets. >>> Katie Allen | Friday, August 06, 2010

Le maire de Reykjavik se travestit
20 MINUTES: Le nouveau maire de Reykjavik, le comédien Jon Gnarr, s'est rendu à la Gay Pride de Reykjavik travesti en femme avec rouge à lèvres, perruque blonde et sac à main jaune fluo.

Lorsque le maître de cérémonie a appelé l'anticonformiste élu islandais à venir sur scène jeudi soir, il est apparu vêtu d'une ravissante robe à fleurs recouvrant une poitrine généreuse en expliquant que «le maire n'avait pas pu venir». Père de cinq enfants, Gnarr, 43 ans, était devenu début juin à la surprise générale maire de la capitale islandaise après avoir remporté les élections avec un parti baptisé «Le Meilleur parti». Il avait promis d'être «avant tout un maire amusant». (+ vidéo) >>> | Vendredi 06 Août 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Reykjavik mayor attends gay pride in drag: Reykjavik's comedian-turned-politician mayor, Jon Gnarr, opened the Icelandic capital's gay pride festival this week in drag, in a blond wig and with bright red lipstick. >>> | Friday, August 06, 2010

Pays-Bas : L’islamophobe Geert Wilders, clef du futur gouvernement
Geert Wilders. Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Le leader populiste et xénophobe négociera, à partir de lundi, son soutien à la future coalition de droite entre Libéraux et Chrétiens-Démocrates. Le virage à droite des Pays-Bas ne fait plus de doute

«Ne pas voir» pour parvenir à gouverner. Preuve de la délicate situation politique engendrée aux Pays-Bas par les législatives du 9 juin, le futur gouvernement néerlandais reposera sans doute sur un accord tacite entre les partis conservateurs et l’extrême-onction pour «ignorer volontairement leurs désaccords».

A partir de lundi, le parti Libéral VVD, vainqueur du scrutin avec 31 députés, et le parti chrétien démocrate CDA, grand perdant avec 21 députés contre 41, commenceront à discuter de leur plate-forme de gouvernement avec celui dont leur sort dépendra au États Généraux, le parlement de La Haye: le parti de la liberté (PVV), anti[-]immigration et anti-islam, emmené par Gert Wilders. >>> Richard Werly | Vendredi 06 Août 2010

California Gay Marriage Ban Supporters Lodge Appeal
THE TELEGRAPH: Supporters of California's gay marriage ban have filed an appeal of a federal judge's ruling striking down the voter-approved law.

Cindy McCain, the wife of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., posing for the NOH8 campaign. NOH8 is a gay rights group challenging Proposition 8 passed by California voters in 2008 banning same sex marriage. Photo: The Telegraph
The appeal to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals was expected, as lawyers on both sides of the legal battle repeatedly vowed to carry the fight to a higher court if they lost.

On Wednesday, a federal judge in San Francisco overturned California's Proposition 8, which restricts a marriage to one man and one woman. US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the law violates federal equal protections and due process laws.

The outcome in the appeals court could force the US Supreme Court to confront the question of whether gays have a constitutional right to wed.

"This ruling, if allowed to stand, threatens not only Prop 8 in California but the laws in 45 other states that define marriage as one man and one woman," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, which helped fund the 2008 campaign that led to the ban's passage. >>> | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Streit um Homo-Ehe in Kalifornien geht in nächste Runde: Gegner legen Berufung gegen Gerichtsentscheid ein
NZZ ONLINE: Gegner der «Homo-Ehe» in Kalifornien haben Berufung gegen das Urteil eines US-Bundesrichters eingelegt, der ein Verbot für rechtswidrig erklärt hatte. Damit geht der Streit um die Rechte von Schwulen und Lesben in die nächste Runde.

Der seit Jahren andauernde Streit um die Homo-Ehe im Teilstaat Kalifornien geht in eine nächste Runde. Gegner der Homo-Ehe legten am Donnerstag (Ortszeit) Rechtsmittel gegen die Entscheidung eines Bundesgerichts ein, das erst am Mittwoch ein Verbot von Homo-Ehen als verfassungswidrig erklärt hatte.

Rechtsexperten gehen davon aus, dass der Fall in wenigen Jahren vor dem Obersten Gerichtshof der USA landen dürfte. Hin und Her >>> sda/afp | Freitag, 06. August 2010

Google Accused of Betraying Internet Golden Rule in Net Neutrality Row
THE TELEGRAPH: Google, the internet giant, has been accused of betraying one of the most widely accepted "laws" of the internet called net neutrality; the principle that everyone has equal access.

The firm has admitted that it has been in talks with the US communications provider Verizon and even agreed an outline plan on how internet traffic should be carried over networks.

However, many have already voiced fears that if the plan becomes public, it could serve as a blueprint for how to carve up the internet and sell the best performance to the highest bidder.

Some critics have described it as "doomsday scenario" that "marks the beginning of the end of the internet as you know it".

Google said discrimination is permissible in some circumstances.

The principle of net neutrality was one of the founding ideas of the web.

Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a digital rights campaign group, said: "The deal between Verizon and Google about how to manage internet traffic is deeply regrettable and should be considered meaningless.

"The fate of the internet is too large a matter to be decided by negotiations involving two companies."

Josh Silver, president of Free Press, a media reform group, wrote a piece in the Huffington Post and warned: "Since its beginnings, the Net was a level playing field that allowed all content to move at the same speed, whether it's ABC News or your uncle's video blog.

"That's all about to change, and the result couldn't be more bleak for the future of the Internet, for television, radio and independent voices." >>> Andy Bloxham | Friday, August 06, 2010

Sen. Franken: Stop the Corporate Takeover of the Media


A Note to Google Users on Net Neutrality *:
The Internet as we know it is facing a serious threat. There's a debate heating up in Washington, DC on something called "net neutrality" – and it's a debate that's so important Google is asking you to get involved. We're asking you to take action to protect Internet freedom.

In the next few days, the House of Representatives is going to vote on a bill that would fundamentally alter the Internet. That bill, and one that may come up for a key vote in the Senate in the next few weeks, would give the big phone and cable companies the power to pick and choose what you will be able to see and do on the Internet.

Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody – no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional – has equal access. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all Internet access, want the power to choose who gets access to high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest. They want to build a two-tiered system and block the on-ramps for those who can't pay.

Creativity, innovation and a free and open marketplace are all at stake in this fight. Please call your representative (202-224-3121) and let your voice be heard.

Thanks for your time, your concern and your support.

Eric Schmidt [Source: Google Help Center] | 2006

* My - my! How things change when big money and huge profits are involved! – Mark

Josh Silver >>>

Follow Josh Silver on Twitter >>>

Burqa Trial Man Anwar Sayed 'Brutally Stabbed'
Anwar Sayed (right), with lawyer Andrew Skerritt at a previous trial appearance. Photograph: WA Today
WA TODAY: The man whose trial has led to controversy over the wearing of a Muslim headscarf in court has been "brutally stabbed" after being stopped in his car, his lawyer says.

Anwar Sayed, who a court yesterday heard had received written and verbal death threats for supposedly agitating to abolish the wearing of a niqab, also known as a burqa, was allegedly attacked this morning.

Mr Sayed is alleged to have obtained more than $750,000 from federal and state governments by artificially inflating student numbers at Muslim Ladies College in Kenwick.

But the case has been overshadowed by the niqab issue, which has raised legal questions on whether the witness should be entitled to obscure her face from the judge and jury.

While a date was being set today for Mr Sayed's retrial, his lawyer Mark Trowell said the school director had been "brutally stabbed to the chest and face, his car having been stopped".

Mr Trowell told the court Mr Sayed had taken himself to his office after being stabbed, before being rushed to hospital. (+ videos) >>> Chalpat Sonti with AAP | Friday, August 06, 2010

Related >>>

Margaret Thatcher on Socialism

New Dark Age Alert! Our Dangerous Dalliance with Radical Islam
THE TELEGRAPH: Whitehall's support only puts us at greater risk from the religious revolutionaries, says Andrew Gilligan.

Over the past 10 days, like a submarine just below the surface, the outline has become visible of a massive Whitehall row, the outcome of which could be almost as important to our country as fixing the deficit.

The argument is about the influence that Islamism should have in the British state. Islamism should never, by the way, be confused with Islam. Islam is a religion, practised by millions of British citizens who have never sought to overthrow anything in their lives. Islamism is a revolutionary political doctrine, supported by a small minority of Muslims, whose aim is to overthrow secular democratic government and replace it with Islamic government.

In the words of Syed Mawdudi, its founder: "Wherever you are, in whichever country you live, you must strive to change the wrong basis of government, and seize all powers to rule and make laws from those who do not fear God."

Our new ministers appear to be moving towards a clear and obvious policy, of no official support for Islamism. But they face surprising resistance from the people supposed to carry out their wishes: the Civil Service.

There are, in Whitehall, a number of senior officials and paid ministerial advisers who are sympathisers of Islamism. One of them, Mohammed Abdul Aziz, is an honorary trustee of one of Britain's most important Islamist-controlled institutions, the East London Mosque.

Mr Aziz wrote a paper – leaked to this newspaper – saying that the new administration should build closer ties with the East London Mosque. He recommended that ministers should consider appearing in public with Islamist organisations which promote "a message of divisiveness, expressing intolerance towards other communities in the UK". He said that officials should even deal privately with some organisations which may support "violent extremism in Britain". Continue reading and comment >>> Andrew Gilligan | Friday, August 06, 2010

Mr Gilligan, you have fallen for the pabulum that there is a distinction to be made between Islamism and Islam. And you have made that distinction – erroneously.

There is but one Islam, and that's Islam proper. No self-respecting Muslim would talk of Islamism, for he would know that such a term is a nonsense made up by ill-informed kufaar, or infidels.

To be a Muslim means to submit to the will of Allah (the root verb is 'salama'), and to follow his messenger, Muhammad. All Muslims believe that Muhammad was the perfect man – al insaan al kamil. Good Muslims follow his lead and his example.

What Westerners call good Muslims, Muslims call fallen ones! They are moderate by dint of the fact that they do not follow correctly and closely the teachings of their prophet. Once they do, they become, in the eyes of people like you, Islamists.

We have a huge problem here in the West. First of all, we have to learn about Islam, and understand it; then we have to be determined to take the action it will take to purge the West of this cancer. If we cannot bring ourselves to do this, we will go down.

For your information, Islam has snuffed out each and every culture it has been allowed into. Ours will be no different. – © Mark

Michael Jackson: Black or White

The Latest in Islam-inspired Winter Coats for Men!
Photograph: Google Images

Children Found Starving in Rural Australia
THE INDEPENDENT: Aboriginal disadvantage has not rated a mention during the Australian election campaign – there are few votes in it. But as the party leaders criss-crossed the country this week, shocking evidence emerged at a government inquiry: children in remote indigenous communities are starving.

The claims were made by child protection workers, who said the situation was so dire that an international aid-style programme was needed – an extraordinary state of affairs in one of the world's most affluent nations. The workers called for essential food to be delivered by an organisation such as Oxfam or the Red Cross to ensure that children got enough to eat.

The inquiry was established by the Northern Territory government, with the aim of strengthening the child protection system. It has already heard a series of disturbing allegations, including that children in remote communities are left to wander unsupervised at night, or are abandoned when their parents go on drinking sessions. >>> Kathy Marks in Sydney | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Barbra's Statement on Prop 8
BARBRASTREISAND.COM: This is in response to Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's decision to deem California's Proposition 8, banning gay marriage, unconstitutional.

"With this judge's decision, we are closer to the day that all people will have access to the same fundamental rights. Hopefully, this remaining civil rights violation will soon be a part of our past and we can look to a future where all people will be treated equally under the law."

--Barbra Streisand [Source: The Official Barbra Streisand Site] | Thursday, August 05, 2010

David Cameron ‘Misspeaks’ by Claiming Iran Has Bomb
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has been accused of being a "foreign policy klutz" after he mistakenly claimed that Iran possessed a nuclear weapon.

David Cameron had a torrid time at his latest PM Direct. Photo: The Telegraph
Downing Street admitted that the Prime Minister had "misspoken" during a question and answer session with voters when he suggested that the Islamic Republic, which is seeking to develop a nuclear capacity, was already in possession of the bomb.

His slip-up came during a torrid “PM Direct” in Brighton, when he was also accused by a pensioner of “denigrating” his country by suggesting that Britain was the junior partner of the United States against the Nazis in 1940s. America did not enter the War until 1941.

It is the latest in a series of off-the-cuff foreign policy remarks, after he last week accused Pakistan of “exporting terror” and claimed that the Israelis were forcing Palestinians in Gaza to live in a “prison camp”.

Mr Cameron made his Iran blunder when he was asked why he was backing Turkey to join the European Union, telling the audience that he hoped that this could help solve global problems: "like the Middle East peace process, like the fact that Iran has got a nuclear weapon". >>> Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Thursday, August 05, 2010

This PM is beginning to appear inept. He has absolutely NO UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM OR THE THREAT IT POSES. His support of Turkey’s accession to the EU is nothing short of CONTEMPTIBLE; and his desire to close down discussion about the banning of the burqah is NAÏVE and STUPID and GUTLESS and SHORT-SIGHTED. Now this display of IGNORANCE! His education at Eton and Oxford is certainly NOT SERVING HIM WELL! – © Mark

Shisha-Kneipen in Bayern: Richter am Zug
SUEDDEUTSCHE: Sie sehen das rigorose Rauchverbot als gravierenden Eingriff in ihre Berufsfreiheit: Wirte von Shisha-Kneipen wollen nun in Karlsruhe für ihre Wasserpfeifen eine Ausnahme erstreiten.

Zigaretten mögen die meisten von ihnen nicht. Und sie betrachten sich auch nicht als Raucher. Und doch zieht es viele Menschen in Shisha-Cafés, wo sie gemütlich um eine Wasserpfeife herumsitzen und rauchen. Weil sie da nicht mehr dürfen, gehen die Freunde dieser orientalischen Kultur jetzt rechtlich gegen das Rauchverbot vor. Für betroffene Shisha-Wirte und -Raucher erhob die Münchner Anwaltskanzlei Consilia am Mittwoch Popularklage beim Bayerischen Verfassungsgerichtshof. "Und eine entsprechende Verfassungsbeschwerde wird dazu in der kommenden Woche beim Bundesverfassungsgericht in Karlsruhe eingereicht", sagt der Verwaltungsrechtsexperte Professor Michael Hauth.

Man streite hier nicht gegen den Nichtraucherschutz in Gaststätten und Diskotheken, den das Bundesverfassungsgericht vor zwei Jahren über die Interessen der Gastwirte und der Raucher gestellt habe, erklärt der Jurist. "Denn für Shisha-Cafés ist dieses Gesetz gar nicht anwendbar." Es wolle die Bevölkerung nämlich vor gesundheitlichen Gefahren durch Passivrauchen schützen. Doch in Shisha-Cafés könne schon rein technisch gar nicht passiv geraucht werden, sagt der Anwalt: "Anders als bei Zigaretten verglimmen dort keine schädlichen Stoffe, es entstehen also keine gesundheitlichen Gefahren durch Passivrauchen." >>> Von Ekkehard Müller-Jentsch | Donnerstag, 05. August 2010

Newt Gingrich: Freedom Will Prevail

Newt Gingrich: Obamas Willfull Blindness - "The Left Always Preferred Our Opponents to Us"

Newt Gingrich: No Ground Zero Mosque

Newt Gingrich: Ban Sharia - It Is "Totally Abhorrent to the Western World"

Newt Gingrich at the American Enterprise Institute: "America Is at Risk."

Un projet de mosquée à Ground Zero divise l'Amérique
Le complexe islamique devrait se situer au 45 Park Place, à côté de Ground Zero. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Neuf ans après les attentats contre le World Trade Center, un complexe islamique pourrait être édifié.

Neuf ans après les attentats contre les tours jumelles du World Trade Center, le projet de construction d'une mosquée et d'un complexe culturel islamique tout près de Ground Zero devait aider le processus de réconciliation. Il est au contraire en train de susciter un débat d'une extrême virulence aux États-Unis sur la nature de l'islam et la signification de l'attaque du 11 Septembre. Si les marques de soutien à ce projet se multiplient à New York -plusieurs feux verts ont été accordés à la construction du complexe, le plus récent venant de la commission chargée de la préservation du patrimoine new-yorkais- l'opinion américaine, elle, exprime plus souvent son opposition. >>> Par Adèle Smith | Mercredi 04 Août 2010

Heiliger Zorn im Vatikan
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: «Kriminalfälle - die 7 Todsünden»: Heiliger Zorn im Vatikan (4/7). Ein Film von Roland Huber. Im Mittelalter eine Todsünde. Doch noch heute fordert er Opfer. Wie den Kommandanten der Schweizergarde Alois Estermann und dessen Ehefrau, die im Mai 1998 im Vatikan ermordet wurden. Der mutmassliche Mörder, ein junger Schweizergardist, brachte sich am Tatort selbst um. Ein Drama mit biblischen Dimensionen.



Achtung: Zum Teil in Schwyzertüütsch

Group Sues to Stop Mosque Near NY's Ground Zero


Related >>>

Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Arrested for Shoplifting
THE TELEGRAPH: The daughter of Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York famously tough on crime, has been arrested for shoplifting.

Rudy Giuliani and daughter Caroline Giuliani. Photos: The Telegraph
Caroline Giuliani, a 20-year-old Harvard University student, was seen on security cameras pocketing five items worth more than $100 at a make-up shop in Manhattan, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said.

Store managers, after calling police, said they did not want to press charges against her, he said. However, prosecutors decided she would be charged with petty larceny.

She was to be released later Wednesday from a police station. >>> | Thursday, August 05, 2010

New York Mosque Plans Face Lawsuit
THE TELEGRAPH: A planned mosque and Muslim cultural centre near the site of the September 11 attacks faces a new hurdle as a lawsuit has been filed aiming to block the controversial project.

The former Burlington Coat Factory building that will make way for the Cordoba House which some are calling the 'Ground Zero Mosque' in lower Manhattan. Photo: The Telegraph
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday by the American Center for Law & Justice in Washington whose mission is defending religious freedom, challenged Tuesday's decision by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission not to grant landmark status to the 1857 Italianate building currently on the site.

"This issue has nothing to do with religious freedom," said Brett Joshpe, a lawyer for ACLJ. "Given what the (planned new) building represents, the placement of the project at that location is inappropriate and inflammatory."

Opponents of the center say it would betray the memory of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. >>> | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Related >>>

Dhimmitude! Parents’ Fury at Town Hall Plans for Halal-only Menus in Schools
MAIL ONLINE: Parents have expressed fury at plans to serve pupils halal-only menus for school dinners.

In a move which has also enraged animal welfare groups, only meat from animals killed and prepared using Islamic teaching will be allowed at 52 primaries in Harrow.

Critics say the plan puts the needs of Muslim children before those of other faiths, while parents say they have not been consulted over the scheme.

Schools are free to opt in to the programme or look elsewhere for their meals from the start of next month, according to Harrow Council.

The local authority is thought to be the first in England to insist on a halal-only menu apparently after recommendations of dietitians.

According to the 2001 Census, Harrow is one of the most religiously diverse areas in Britain with fewer than 50 per cent of the population Christian, a fifth Hindu and 7 per cent Jewish.

Using the halal method, animals are slaughtered by being slashed across the neck and being left so that the blood drains from the carcass.

The religious ritual, which does not allow the animals to be stunned beforehand, is considered cruel by campaigners and is exempt from animal welfare laws.

Harrow resident Sheila Murphy said: 'I am appalled at Harrow Council’s decision to serve only Halal meat in the borough’s schools. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, August 05, 2010

The rise of fundamentalism: An increasing number of children go to madrassas. Photograph: Mail Online
”Eye-watering amounts of Saudi money goes into promoting Wahhabism. They fund mosques, religious-schools, imams, conferences and trips to Saudi Arabia. They are our wealthy allies and so are never questioned or stopped.” – Yasmin Alibhai Brown

The Talibanisation of British Childhood by Hardline Parents
MAIL ONLINE: Last November, on the steps of Tate Britain, I witnessed a scene that troubles me still.

A furious Asian father was shaking his young son and tearing up the picture his child had drawn.

The boy kicked and cried. Recognising my face from TV appearances I had made as a commentator on current affairs, the father came across to say 'hello'.

So I asked him what his child had done that had made him so angry. He explained that according to his Islamic mentors, drawing pictures of people was forbidden.

I was flabbergasted. After all, this was in the middle of Britain's multi-cultural capital - a modern metropolis, not some dusty backstreet in Kabul.

What harm can there be in a picture?

So I asked the man if he owned a camera. 'Yes,' he replied. 'And a video camera.'

So why, I asked, was it acceptable for him to take pictures, but not for his child to draw a stick figure?

'The madrasa teacher told me children are not allowed to,' he said, referring to the places of religious instruction for Muslim children, which are the equivalent of Sunday schools for Christians.

'I am not an educated man, so I must listen to them.'

You might think this encounter was a case of an ill-educated parent misinterpreting the teachings of his elders.

Alas, in the past year I have come to realise his attitude towards his child is far from unique.

Such fundamentalist beliefs about parenthood are not uncommon. In private, teachers, lecturers, community, youth and social workers have told me many more such stories of the suppression of simple childhood pleasures in the name of Islam.

An investigation by the BBC revealed one London school where more than 20 Muslim pupils had been removed from music lessons because their parents felt such teaching to be anti-Islamic.

Another one-off? No, the Muslim Council of Britain confirmed that music lessons are likely to be 'unacceptable' to 10 per cent of Muslims.

What should be a simple pleasure is instead seen by thousands of families as a symbol of moral decadence. >>> Yasmin Alibhai-Brown | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Briton Arrested for Wearing Bikini in Dubai Mall
THE INDEPENDENT: A British woman was arrested and charged with indecency after walking through a Dubai shopping mall wearing a bikini, it was reported today.

The Foreign Office confirmed the woman was arrested and charged, but the charges have since been dropped.

The holidaymaker is believed to have been arrested after a complaint that she was dressed indecently in the Dubai Mall.

The mall is the world's largest shopping centre, with more than 1,200 stores, and is part of the 20 billion US dollar (£12.5 billion) Burj Khalifa complex.

It is believed the woman walked through the mall wearing a revealing top, attracting the complaint from a local woman. She then apparently stripped down to a bikini, prompting her arrest, the Daily Mail reported. >>> Ellen Branagh, Press Association | Thursday, August 05, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: British woman arrested for walking through Dubai shopping mall in a bikini: A British woman has been arrested and charged with indecency after walking through a Dubai shopping mall wearing a bikini, according to reports. >>> Laura Roberts | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Pakistan President Snubs Cameron’s Invitation to Chequers
MAIL ONLINE: Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari has turned down an offer of hospitality at David Cameron’s coun­try retreat Chequers.

Mr Zardari rejected an invitation to spend a night at the Buckinghamshire mansion, saying he was too busy as the diplo­matic row continued over his coun­try’s approach to tackling terrorism.

But he will visit Chequers for dinner this evening for informal talks with the Prime Minister, which are set to be dominated by Mr Cameron’s assertion last week that Pakistan is ‘exporting terror’.

He will then travel back to his hotel in London before returning to Chequers tomorrow for for­mal talks with the Prime Minister, who also accused Pakistan of ‘looking both ways’ on terror.

Mr Zardari will on Saturday address a rally in Birmingham at which he is expected to launch his son with Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal, onto the political stage.

Bilawal, 21, is the young heir to the most important political dynasty in Pakistan and has been at his father's side in France and the UK this week.

He became chairman of the Pakistan People's Party after his mother's assassination and has just graduated from Oxford and will now take to politics full-time.

Mr Cameron’s comments, made during a visit to India last week, have unleashed fury in Pakistan and angered some members of Britain’s million-strong British Pakistani community.

Pakistani sources have said Mr Zardari will use this week’s talks to ‘educate’ Mr Cameron on the suffering that terrorism has caused to his country. >>> Jason Groves | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Iranian Teenager Faces Execution for 'False' Gay Assault Charges
PINK NEWS: An 18-year-old Iranian man is facing execution over a false sodomy charge, campaigners say.

Ebrahim Hamidi was sentenced to death two years ago at the age of 16 for an unspecified assault on another man.

Although the allegation was withdrawn and the Iranian Supreme Court has rejected the guilty verdict and execution order, a lower provincial court is insisting on Mr Hamidi's execution.

Now, his fate lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, which must decided whether to uphold the execution order.

Previously, he was represented by the human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei but Mr Mostafaei has gone into hiding after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The lawyer is also representing Sakineh Ashtiani, the Iranian woman who has been sentenced to death by stoning on charges of adultery.

Supporters of Mr Hamidi say that while Ms Ashtiani is unlikely to face death because she has international support, he could be executed at any time.

They are asking for people to contact their MPs to raise awareness of Mr Hamidi's plight. >>> Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Liberals Quick to Back Burqa Ban
WA TODAY: Liberal leader Tony Abbott and WA Premier Colin Barnett have attacked a Muslim woman's request to testify in a court case wearing a full head covering.

A Perth judge is set to decide this week whether the woman who wears the burqa can testify before a jury in a fraud trial. She is a strict Muslim who does not want to show her face to men.

The traditional headscarf, also known as a niqab, covers virtually the whole body, allowing only a small slit for the eyes through which the woman can see.

The Opposition Leader today weighed into the debate, labelling the burqa a "particularly confronting" piece of clothing.

"I find the burqa a particularly confronting form of attire and I would very much wish that fewer Australians would choose it," Mr Abbott told reporters when asked about the case.

Mr Barnett today said he believed Muslim witnesses giving evidence in court should remove their burqa so the "true nature" of their evidence can be seen.

He said although he defended the right of people to dress according to their faith and religion, in this case it would be appropriate for the woman to remove her burqa.

"I would think, normally, witnesses should have their faces exposed," he said.

"I think it's important for the judge and jury to see the true nature of any evidence given, the expressions and the like. But that is a matter for the judge." >>> AAP | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Australian court to rule on whether Muslim woman can give evidence in burka: An intense debate over the burka has been sparked in Australia after a Muslim woman asked a judge to allow her to give evidence while wearing the full veil. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Cross-dressing Men Flogged in Sudan for Being 'Womanly'
BBC: A group of young Muslim men have been publicly flogged in Sudan after they were convicted of wearing women's clothes and make-up.

The court said the 19 men had broken Sudan's strict public morality codes.

Police arrested them at a party where they were found dancing "in a womanly fashion", the judge said.

The men were not represented in court and said nothing in their defence, some hid their faces from the hundreds of people who watched as they were lashed.

'Scared'

The sentence of 30 lashes was carried out as soon as the court in Omdurman, near Khartoum, gave its ruling.

They must also pay fines of as much as 1,000 Sudanese pounds ($400, £252).

One lawyer, who did not want to be named, told Reuters news agency the men had not received a fair trial.

"These people did not get a chance for justice, public opinion and the media prejudged them and lawyers were too scared to come and defend them," he said.

Newspapers had called the party a "same sex wedding". >>> | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

The Never-ending Problems We Have with Islam!
THE TELEGRAPH: The leader of the Conservative party on Slough Borough Council has been charged with bigamy.

Councillor Pervez Choudhry, 52, was arrested on Monday and later released on bail.

Choudhry, who was originally elected as a Labour candidate for the Central Ward but later defected to the Tories, is due to appear at Maidenhead Magistrates' Court next Monday.

Peter Dale-Gough, the acting leader of the Conservative group on Slough Borough Council, said Choudhry had told him that he took part in a religious ceremony to his first wife but never went through with the civil ceremony and was therefore not married by law.

His second wife, a GP who was said to be about 10 years his junior, lives and works in Birmingham. He was said to have met her while using an online dating site and married her in Pakistan.

She was thought to have left Choudhury on learning that his previous marriage may not have legally ended.

Choudhry, of Slough, has vowed to clear his name, after agreeing to stand down as the Conservatives' leader. Tory councillor charged with bigamy >>> Nick Collins | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

California's Proposition 8 Gay Marriage Ban Overturned by Court
THE GUARDIAN – BLOGS – RICHARD ADAMS: Judge rules that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marriage, overturning California's controversial Proposition 8

A judge has overturned California's ban on homosexual marriage as unconstitutional in a sweeping victory for gay and lesbian civil rights – setting off a round of appeals that will see the issue ultimately decided by the US Supreme Court[.]

US district judge Vaughn Walker declared that the ban on gay and lesbian marriage enforced by the Proposition 8 referendum in 2008 – when it was backed by 52% of California's voters – violated the US Constitution's due-process and equal-protection clauses. Continue reading and comment >>> Richard Adams | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

California's Same-sex Marriage Ban Overturned
THE TELEGRAPH: A federal judge has overturned California's same-sex marriage ban in a landmark case that could eventually reach the US Supreme Court.



US District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco defied the state's supreme court and a narrow majority of its voters by ruling that homosexuals and lesbians have a right in the federal constitution to marry on an equal basis with heterosexuals.

The California Supreme Court last year upheld the ban, imposed after a public ballot in November 2008, and argued that people were entitled to change their constitution.

The ban runs counter to a growing trend of accepting such marriages in other states and Judge Walker's ruling had been awaited keenly by gay rights advocates.

His ruling is expected to be appealed and is almost certain to reach the US Supreme Court, via the appeals court. As a result, gay marriage will not yet be allowed to resume. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – TOBY YOUNG: Proposition 8: Hollywood is the capital of gay hypocrisy >>> Toby Young | Thursday, August 05, 2010

Moschee neben Ground Zero
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: In New York soll in der unmittelbaren Nähe von Ground Zero, dem Schauplatz der Terrorangriffe 2001 auf das World Trade Center, eine Moschee entstehen. Dies sorgt für eine heftige Debatte.



Verbunden / Related >>>

Massachusetts Governor Declares His Support of the Ground Zero Mosque and Displays His Ignorance about Islam >>>

Ahmadinedschad entgeht Anschlag
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Auf den iranischen Präsidenten Mahmud Ahmadinedschad ist offenbar ein Anschlag verübt worden. Ahmadinedschad kam dabei nicht zu Schaden.



Related / Verbunden >>>

Netanyahu: Hamas Responsible for Rockets on Eilat; We Will Retaliate
HAARETZ: PM also blames Lebanese government for violence at border, days after Grad rocket salvo killed Jordanian man in attack from Sinai.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking on Israeli television on August 4, 2010. Photo: Haaretz.com
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Israeli television Wednesday that Hamas was responsible for the deadly rocket fire on Israel's and Jordan's Red Sea ports on Monday, and that Israel would retaliate.

Earlier Wednesday, Egyptian officials also confirmed that the rocket attacks, which had killed a Jordanian taxi driver in Aqaba, had been carried out by the militant Palestinian group operating from Egypt, after days of denials.

"Over recent days we've witnessed three attacks against Israel," Netanyahu said in a special announcement on Israeli television. "An attack from Gaza on Ashkelon, an attack by the Lebanese army on Israel Defense Forces troops carrying out a routine operation, and another attack from the Sinai peninsula at Eilat. I want to make very clear to Hamas and to the Lebanese government that we view them as responsible for the violent provocation against us."

"Don't test our determination to protect our citizens," the prime minister went on to say. >>> News Agencies and Haaretz Service | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

L'Argentine face au douloureux débat de l'avortement
Cristina Kirchner, présidente de l'Argentine. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Elle n'a que 11 ans et vit dans un quartier pauvre de Córdoba, dans le Centre argentin. Alertée par son comportement bizarre, sa mère a découvert qu'elle était tombée enceinte après avoir été violée par un voisin. Mais lorsque la famille de la fillette demande un avortement, un fonctionnaire public avertit qu'il lui est "impossible d'avorter sans l'intervention de la justice".

Si la fillette a finalement fait une fausse couche, cette situation sordide a ouvert une forte polémique en Argentine sur le thème ultrasensible de l'avortement. Dans ce pays où 90 % de la population se dit catholique, l'avortement est illégal, sauf cas exceptionnel. L'article 86 du Code pénal argentin stipule que "l'avortement n'est pas punissable seulement s'il a été pratiqué afin d'éviter un danger pour la vie ou la santé de la mère" ou "s'il provient d'un viol ou d'un attentat à la pudeur commis sur une femme démente". >>> De correspondant du Point à Buenos Aires, Olivier Ubertalli | Mercredi 04 Août 2010

Pamela Geller: 'Hitler Inspired by Islam'

Shame on you !!! Landmarks Preservation Commission & Mayor Bloomberg

Republicans Wage War on Immigrants in Constitution Citizenship Challenge
THE TELEGRAPH: Leading Republicans have joined a push for a repeal of the constitutional amendment that confers citizenship upon anyone born in the United States as immigration takes centre stage ahead of the mid term elections.

They argue that the 14th amendment, which was enacted in 1868, is being exploited by illegal immigrants as well as wealthy people who want to use their children to "anchor" themselves to the US.

The suggestion of a review or repeal of the amendment is a highly controversial move as most American view the constitution as sacrosanct. The 14th amendment was designed to prevent individual states refusing to grant citizenship to slaves freed in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Among the leading Republicans in the Senate supporting the move is John McCain, the 2008 presidential candidate, who is currently facing a Right-wing challenge from within his own party in his re-election bid in Arizona, the border state where immigration is a dominant issue. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Umarow will nun doch «Emir vom Kaukasus» bleiben: Erklärung über Videobotschaft auf Internetportal Youtube
NZZ ONLINE: Der tschetschenische Rebellenführer und selbsternannte «Emir vom Kaukasus», Doku Umarow, will entgegen eigener Ankündigungen seinen Posten nun doch behalten.

«Angesichts der Situation im Kaukasus erachte ich es als unmöglich, mein Amt abzugeben», sagte Umarow in einem Video, das am Mittwoch auf mehreren den Rebellen nahestehenden Webseiten sowie dem Internetportal Youtube zu sehen war. >>> sda/afp | Mittwoch, 04. August 2010

Sodomie: Malaise en Malaisie
leJDD.fr: Lundi, le procès de l'ancien vice-Premier ministre malaisien, Anwar Ibrahim, qui risque 20 ans de prison pour sodomie, a été ajourné au 9 août. Son assistant, qui l'accuse, entretiendrait une liaison avec un membre de l'équipe du procureur. Le leader de l'opposition clame son innocence et dénonce une mascarade pour briser sa carrière politique.

Accusé de sodomie, Anwar Ibrahim, leader de l'opposition malaisienne -ici accompagné de son épouse Wan Azizah Wan Ismail- dénonce une mascarade pour briser sa carrière politique. Photo : leJDD.fr
Pour Anwar Ibrahim, l'histoire semble singulièrement se répéter. A 63 ans, le leader de l'opposition malaisienne et ancien vice-Premier ministre n'en est pas à son premier procès pour sodomie. Condamné en 1998, cet homme marié à une autre femme politique a passé six ans derrière les barreaux, avant d'être finalement acquitté en 2004. En Malaisie, où l'homosexualité est interdite, l'acte est passible de 20 ans de prison et qualifié de "relation charnelle contre l'ordre de la nature" dans le code pénal. En juillet 2008, nouvelle accusation d'un ancien de ses assistants, de 40 ans son cadet, pour le même motif. Depuis, Anwar Ibrahim n'a cessé de clamer son innocence. "C'est la répétition du même scénario " avait-il déclaré, joint par le New York Times en janvier 2010, un mois avant le début du procès. Une carrière politique brisée >>> Charlotte Lazimi, leJDD.fr | Mercredi 04 Août 2010

Malaysia Opposition Leader Accused of Sodomizing Aide
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Malaysia’s resurgent political opposition, took refuge on Sunday in the Turkish Embassy in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, saying he feared for his security after an aide accused him of participating in homosexual acts.

The police in Malaysia said they would investigate allegations by the aide, Saiful Bahari, a 23-year-old campaign worker, that he had been sodomized by Mr. Anwar. Sodomy is described under Malaysian law as “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” and is punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

The accusation, similar to one that led to Mr. Anwar’s dismissal as deputy prime minister and jailing a decade ago, comes at a time of turbulence in Malaysian politics, with Mr. Anwar threatening to woo enough defectors from the ruling coalition to form his own government.

Mr. Anwar spent six years in prison for the 1998 sodomy case but was ultimately acquitted and released.

“Not again,” said Mr. Anwar, reached by telephone inside the embassy. “It’s a repeat of the same script.” >>> Thomas Fuller | Wednesday, June 30, 2010

US Heads for Civil War Over Health Insurance
Tea Party Patriots demonstrate against healthcare reform. Photo: The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – JANET DALEY: The Battle of Obama’s Healthcare is looking to go down in history as a major confrontation between the power of federal government and the self-determination of individual states. And that eternal tension between what used to be called state’s rights and the coercive inclinations of federal authority has been at the heart of the most momentous struggles in national history – not least the civil war which tested the strength of the Union to breaking point.

Barack Obama’s health reforms have been challenged by a startlingly successful rebellion in Missouri. A state ballot referendum on Proposition C which prohibited federal government from requiring people to buy health insurance or from penalising them if they did not, was carried by a majority of 71 per cent. (Making health insurance compulsory is one of the fundamental tenets of Obamacare.) The actual constitutional basis for this challenge may seem technical in British terms: it centres on the point that there should be no federal compulsion forcing people to engage in inter-state commerce (ie buying things across state lines). Read on and comment >>> Janet Daley | Wednesday, August 04, 2010