The Arab Spring Is Not Blossoming

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Telegraph View: The personal cost of tyranny in the Arab world is rising.

The personal cost of tyranny in the Arab world is rising. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali escaped from Tunisia to Saudi Arabia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt is to stand trial for murder and corruption, and now Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen has been evacuated to Riyadh with burns and a shrapnel wound.

In each case, the president, once supported by the West as a stabilising factor, resisted the demands of protesters and became a liability. Mr Saleh, who repeatedly equivocated over a peace plan proposed by the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), had long passed that point. Instead of the “honourable exit” which he said he sought, he has suffered the humiliation of being injured in a rocket attack on his palace in Sana’a and forced to seek medical treatment abroad. Read on and comment » | Telegraph View | Monday, June 06, 2011

Universities 'Complacent' over Islamic Radicals, Theresa May Warns
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Home Secretary has criticised universities for their “complacency” in tackling Muslim extremism as she prepares to publish the Government’s updated strategy for countering Islamic radicalism.

Theresa May told The Daily Telegraph that universities were not taking the issue of radicalisation seriously enough and that it was too easy for Muslim extremists to form groups on campuses “without anyone knowing”.

She also said the Government would cut funding to any Islamic group that espoused extremist views, and set out the “key British values” to which those seeking support must subscribe. It is understood that about 20 groups are already losing their funding.
Mrs May made her comments ahead of the publication this week of the updated version of the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy.

“I think for too long there’s been complacency around universities,” she said. “I don’t think they have been sufficiently willing to recognise what can be happening on their campuses and the radicalisation that can take place. I think there is more that universities can do.”

Mrs May said universities had to “send very clear messages” and “ask themselves some questions about what happens on their campuses”. » | Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Sunday, June 05, 2011

Universities are seats of higher learning. Their purpose is to disseminate learning, erudition, and enlightenment. They are supposed to bring people out of darkness, not let them fall into it. Any university, however grand, however prestigious, is not worthy of its name if it allows its students to become, or remain, benighted. – © Mark

The Koran. Image: Google Images
Meanwhile, at the Hay Festival...
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – EXTRACT: …Simon Schama, 66, the historian, said that the Muslim adherence to the Koran and utter certainty in its tenets is depressing.

Schama joked that a fatwa would be issued against him for speaking out against Islam. While the Koran is “sane and compassionate and merciful” in parts, strict adherence to it can be at odds with modern society, he argued.

He said: “I suppose like bits of the Old Testament it is really immoderate. Islam, as I understand it, means submission. And there is a kind of adamant, utter certainty about the Koran.

“In the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible which I know well, people are constantly arguing with God.

“The Koran isn’t really quite like that. It has a lyrical softness combined with a fierce sword-sharpened intemperance which you can’t help but register.

“In some sense, the notion that anyone holds up a book based on revelation as an absolute law around which the entirety of civil society be constructed is still depressing.” Bob Geldof: I was detestable ... until love saved me » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Monday, June 06, 2011

German Beansprouts 'Likely Cause' of E.coli Outbreak
Test results prompt German state of Lower Saxony to ask people to stop eating the locally grown produce

Christian Practice to Have Its Day in Court

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: LONDON: The British government will be forced to say whether it supports the rights of Christians to wear the cross and opt out of diversity legislation as part of a landmark legal case.

Judges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg have ordered ministers to make a formal statement on whether they believe Christians' rights have been infringed in British courts that have repeatedly dismissed their entitlement to dress and act according to their beliefs.

The court has selected the cases of four applicants it considers to be of such legal significance they should be examined further. Once ministers have responded the court will decide whether to have full hearings.

The cases could lead to a final legal answer on how religious beliefs must be balanced against equality laws designed to prohibit discrimination against minority religions and other groups such as homosexuals. » | David Barrett | Telegraph, London | Monday, June 06, 2011

The Widening Gap between the Muslim World and America

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE: US President Barack Obama seems to be the only person of any significance in Washington who seems to understand that the game has changed for his country in the Muslim world — not just in Arab countries but also in those of Islamic faith but of different ethnic origin. Among the non-Arab parts of the Muslim world, the countries where Americans are fast losing influence are Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was lost decades ago in Iran. These four countries have a total population of 350 million, considerably more than the total for the Arab world. Why has this happened? There are several reasons for this, of these three are particularly important.

The first is the approach adopted by President Obama soon after assuming the American presidency. In a much anticipated speech delivered at Al Azhar University in Cairo on June 4, 2009 the American president said that his country’s approach to the Muslim world will be different while he was in charge of the making of foreign policy in Washington. “We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and the Muslim world — tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate,” he told his Cairo audience. “The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a cold war in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought about by modernity and globalisation led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.”

President Obama promised to change these attitudes. “I’ve come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles — principles of justice and progress; tolerance and dignity of all human beings.” » | Shahid Javed Burki | Sunday, June 05, 2011

Evangelist Christian Embraces Islam

Opinion Journal: What Is Obama Smoking?
Charles Stimson of the Heritage Foundation on reducing sentences for drug offenders

European E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Restaurant
German scientists are focusing on the northern town of Luebeck as they look for clues about an E.Coli outbreak that has killed 19 people. Video courtesy of Reuters

Australie : Jésus aimé des musulmans, des chrétiens s’insurgent

SAPHIR NEWS: Jésus est un prophète de l'islam. Ce message, inscrite sur des panneaux publicitaires à Sydney, en Australie, qui n'a rien de choquant connaissant le grand respect témoigné par les musulmans envers le fils de Marie, aurait du raffermir les relations islamo-chrétiennes dans le pays. Au lieu de cela, une polémique est née.

« Jésus : un prophète de l’islam ». C’est le message diffusé dans plusieurs dizaines de panneaux d’affichage de la ville australienne de Sydney depuis quelques jours à l’initiative de MyPeace, une organisation musulmane œuvrant pour la paix et le dialogue interreligieux.

Jésus (alias Issa) est en effet considéré, au même titre que Muhammad, comme un des nombreux prophètes envoyés de Dieu aux yeux des musulmans à la nette différence qu'il est pas vu comme le fils de Dieu, ce Dernier n'ayant ni ascendant ou descendant.

Toutefois, cette initiative originale - qui rappelle la campagne britannique « Inspiré par Muhammad » en juin 2010 - a provoqué un tollé auprès de plusieurs responsables chrétiens du pays, qui l’ont jugé « provocante ». Certains panneaux ont été vandalisé, rapporte lundi 30 mai The Sydney Morning Herald. » | Rédigé par Hanan Ben Rhouma | Mardi 31 Mai 2011

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: He's not the son of God, just the support act: CHRISTIANS in Sydney will have their core beliefs challenged by provocative advertisements due to appear on billboards and buses in the next month. » | Aaron Cook | Saturday, May 28, 2011

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Bishop calls Islamic billboards offensive: A Catholic bishop has slammed controversial Islamic billboards for being "provocative and offensive" and he's calling for them to be removed from prominent locations across Sydney. » | AAP | Monday, May 30, 2011

Saleh reist aus – Jemens Zukunft auf Messers Schneide

Gossip versus Privacy for the Powerful in France
BBC: Three weeks after the charges of sexual assault in a New York hotel, repercussions from the Strauss-Kahn affair continue to reverberate across France - as a row over new allegations against an unnamed political figure shows.

The opposition Socialist party is still assessing the damage to its presidential prospects following the humiliation of its one-time champion, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, due back in court on Monday.

Commentators agonise over the embarrassment to France's international reputation, or rail against the supposed iniquities of the American justice system.

But by far the biggest impact has been on the debate over the public's right to know.

Outsiders almost unanimously take the view that the Strauss-Kahn affair is proof of a shameful dereliction of duty on the part of French journalism.

Mr Strauss-Kahn's predatory attitude to women was well-known to the Paris media, the argument goes, but went unreported because of a tacit collusion with the political elite.

Here in France, that argument is conceded - but only up to a point.

Most people agree that national newspapers should take a tougher line towards authority - and that the web of interests linking journalists and politicians is harmful to democracy.

But there remains an extremely resilient strand of thought, which resists any move towards an information free-for-all a la Anglo-Saxon [sic].

In the view of the overwhelming majority, the right to privacy is sacrosanct.

And even if the Strauss-Kahn fiasco shows the risks of taking this principle too far, this is preferable to the opposite: a moralising, tabloid culture which (for the French) is the ghastly reality in the UK and the US. » | Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris | Sunday, June 05, 2011

Inside Story - FIA: Putting Money before Morality?
The motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, has unanimously voted to return the Bahrain Grand Prix to the 2011 Formula One race calendar. The race, which is due to be held on October 30, was originally called off in February because of pro-democracy protests. The FIA, says its decision "reflects the spirit of reconciliation in Bahrain". But it has angered human rights bodies and campaigners. Amnesty international says that despite the lifting of emergency laws that have been in place since March, serious human rights violations continue to be committed in the kingdom with security measures still in place to stop large gatherings. So, will the event bring unity to the kingdom, as the organisers claim? Or are they simply putting money before morality?


FIA: Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile »

USA muß Sparen
In den USA geht die Angst vor einer neuen Rezession um. Grund dafür sind die schlechten Wirtschaftsnachrichten. In Washington ist deshalb Sparen angesagt. Präsident Obama versucht dem Land Mut zuzureden

Salehs Gegner greifen Präsidentenpalast an

TAGES ANZEIGER: Kurz nach der Ausreise von Jemens Präsidenten nach Saudiarabien haben dutzende Bewaffnete den Präsidentenpalast in Tais gestürmt. Dabei sollen vier Soldaten sowie einer der Angreifer ums Leben gekommen sein.

In der jemenitischen Stadt Tais haben heute Sonntag mehrere bewaffnete Männer den Präsidentenpalast angegriffen. Wie aus Militärkreisen verlautete, töteten sie vier Soldaten bei der versuchten Erstürmung des Geländes. Einer der Angreifer sei ums Leben gekommen.

Die Angreifer sollen einer Gruppe angehören, die sich jüngst zusammengetan hat, um Rache für getötete Regierungsgegner zu nehmen. Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh hatte die Protestbewegung von seinen Sicherheitskräften gewaltsam niederschlagen lassen. » | wid/sda | Sonntag 05. Juni 2011

Al-Qaida ruft zu neuen Anschlägen auf

DIE PRESSE: In dem 100 Minuten langen Video wird zu Terroranschlägen gegen westliche und jüdische Ziele aufgerufen.

Einen Monat nach der Tötung von Terroristenchef Osama bin Laden hat das Terrornetzwerk al-Qaida zu neuen Anschlägen aufgerufen. In einem Video sagte nach US-Medienangaben vom Freitag der in den USA geborene al-Qaida-Sprecher Adam Gadahn auf Englisch, Muslime sollten Terroranschläge gegen westliche und jüdische Ziele verüben. » | APA | Samstag 04. Juni 2011

Arabie saoudite : le président yéménite opéré
leJDD.fr: Le président yéménite Ali Abdallah Saleh, atteint par un éclat de shrapnel au thorax lors de l'attaque de son palais vendredi à Sanaa, a été opéré samedi en Arabie saoudite, a-t-on appris de source médicale. Selon la BBC, il aurait un éclat de shrapnel long de 7,6 cm sous la région du coeur et serait brûlé au second degré au thorax et au visage. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 05 Juin 2011

Maroc : manifestation pacifique à Rabat
leJDD.fr: Les autorités marocaines avaient décidé de ne pas recourir à la force dimanche pour empêcher la manifestation à Rabat. Plusieurs centaines de jeunes du Mouvement du 20 février ont pu défiler sans heurts pour réclamer des réformes politiques et dénoncer le décès d'un jeune islamiste du Mouvement décédé jeudi dernier à Safi, à 350 km de Casablanca. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 05 Juin 2011

Celebrations and Gunfire Ring Out in Yemen
There has been renewed deadly fighting in Yemen on Sunday, with heavy gunfire in Taiz as well as a rocket attack in the capital Sanaa.

Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, is seeking medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, after being injured in a rocket attack a day earlier.

While pro-democracy protesters have been celebrating the president's departure as a victory against the government, the foreign ministry in Saudi Arabia has told Al Jazeera that Yemen's political future is an internal matter and Yemen has said he will be back in the capital in a few days.

Al Jazeera's Hazem Sika reports.

Watch Al Jazeera English Live

Shocking Evidence of Syria Crackdown Emerges
More shocking evidence of the crackdown on protesters in Syria has appeared in video posted on YouTube.

It is claimed that the film shows Syria's Security Forces fabricating evidence after shooting a group of men on a rooftop.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford has the details.

PM Wins Row with Nick Clegg over Crackdown on Muslim Extremists

THE GUARDIAN: Counter-terrorism review insists groups must reflect British mainstream values to get funds

David Cameron will emerge as the victor from a bitter cabinet battle over multiculturalism this week as the government unveils a hardline approach to tackling Islamist extremism.

Home Office sources say that Cameron has quashed Nick Clegg's argument for a more tolerant attitude to Muslim groups by insisting on a strategy centred upon the notion that violent extremism is incubated within the ideology of non-violent extremism.

The shift in approach will be outlined when the government's counter-terrorism strategy is unveiled by the home secretary, Theresa May, on Tuesday. Central to the Prevent strategy is a broader definition of extremism that will be extended beyond groups condoning violence to those considered non-violent but whose views, such as the advocacy of sharia law, fail to "reflect British mainstream values".

A Home Office source said: "There will be a direct challenge to these [non-violent] groups." » | Mark Townsend and Hannah Olivennes | Saturday, June 04, 2011

Food Chain At Risk of Being Poisoned by Terrorist Groups

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Food and drink sold in Britain is under a growing threat from terrorist groups which might try to poison supplies, the Government’s security advisers have warned.

Manufacturers and retailers have been told that their sector is vulnerable to attacks by ideologically and politically motivated groups that may seek to cause widespread casualties and disruption by poisoning food supplies.

The warning from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure [CPNI], which operates as part of the Security Service, comes as experts warned the deadly E.coli outbreak in Germany has highlighted the vulnerability of the food chain and how quickly bacteria can spread.

The highly virulent strain has claimed 18 lives and left more than 1,800 seriously ill, with the true number of cases expected to be far higher.

A senior German doctor last night called for an investigation into the possibility that the bacteria had been spread deliberately.

Klaus-Dieter Zastrow, chief doctor for hygiene at Berlin’s Vivantes hospital, said: “It’s quite possible that there’s a crazy person out there who thinks 'I’ll kill a few people or give 10,000 people diarrhoea’. It’s a negligent mistake not to investigate in that direction.” » | Richard Gray, Science Correspondent | Saturday, June 04, 2011

Benoît XVI demande à l’Europe de respecter les valeurs chrétiennes

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le pape Benoît XVI est arrivé samedi matin à Zagreb pour une visite de deux jours en Croatie. Il a défendu l’identité chrétienne de l’Europe dans ce pays qui se prépare à adhérer à l’Union européenne.

Benoît XVI a invité samedi au premier jour de sa visite pastorale à Zagreb les Croates à adhérer avec "joie" à l’Union européenne en aidant l’Europe, menacée de "régression", à valoriser sa "richesse spirituelle" négligée par une culture favorisant l’individualisme.

Benoît XVI fait son premier voyage en Croatie où son prédécesseur Jean Paul II, très populaire, s’était rendu trois fois, soutenant l’indépendance croate pendant la guerre de 1991-95.

"Je pense que la majorité des Croates envisagent avec une grande joie" le moment de la prochaine adhésion à l’UE, a déclaré le pape dans l’avion qui le conduisait vers Zagreb.

"Depuis ses origines, votre nation appartient à l’Europe", a-t-il lancé ensuite sur le tarmac de l’aéroport, en s’adressant au président croate Ivo Josipovic. Il a vanté "treize siècles de liens forts et spéciaux" avec le Saint-Siège.

"Puisse cette chère nation contribuer à ce que l’Union européenne valorise pleinement sa richesse culturelle et spirituelle", a-t-il encore insisté. » | AFP | Samedi 04 Juin 2011

Iran Marks Death of Ayatollah Khomenei
Iran marks the 22nd anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Khomenei. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei used the occasion to remind the country of the late Imam's vision, while struggle for power continues

Yemen Teeters on Brink as President Is Wounded by Shellfire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Yemen's veteran president, Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded by shellfire, as his presidential palace came under attack amid the country's brewing civil war.


Mr Saleh, who has held office for nearly 33 years, was praying in a mosque inside the fortified palace compound when it was struck by at least two shells, killing seven guards.

The president escaped with light injuries, according to western diplomats and government officials, but the prime minister and speaker of parliament were more seriously hurt. Rashad al-Alami, the deputy prime minister and a leading pro-Western voice in the cabinet, was said to [be] in a critical condition.

In a brief speech after the attack Mr Saleh said it had been carried out by an "outlaw gang" of his tribal foes.

Speaking only via audio in a televised speech, he blamed the attack on the powerful Hashed tribe led by Sadeq al-Ahmar who has been battling Saleh loyalists in Sana'a.

"I salute our armed forces and the security forces for standing up firmly to confront this challenge by an outlaw gang that has nothing to do with the so-called youth revolution," he said. » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Friday, June 03, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: 4 top Yemeni officials in Saudi for treatment » | AP foreign | Saturday, June 04, 2011

DSK : le calme avant la tempête

FRANCE SOIR: Dernier week-end pour l'ex-patron du FMI avant de comparaître, lundi, devant la Cour suprême de New-York. Et l'ouverture – officielle - des hostilités.

A TriBeCa comme sur le reste de l'île de Manhattan, le week-end s'annonce orageux. Depuis plusieurs jours déjà, une lourde chaleur étouffe les avenues encombrées et assourdissantes de New-York, et liquéfie les valeureux touristes en short. A deux « blocks » du tumulte de Broadway et de Canal Street, le quartier de TriBeCa, avec ses squares, ses terrasses de restaurants et ses petits immeubles, est un havre de paix. Loin de l'effervescence de Wall Street et des grattes-ciel époustouflants de Central Park.

Au 153 Franklin Street, quatre parasols rouges et blancs ont été dressés sur la petite terrasse, totalement invisible depuis la rue, calme et pavée. Impossible, cependant, de savoir si Dominique Strauss-Kahn, bracelet électronique à la cheville, et son épouse Anne Sinclair viennent goûter là l'ombre et la brise de la rivière Hudson : les rares photographes qui se sont risqués à escalader l'échafaudage d'un immeuble voisin ont été délogés avant d'immortaliser une scène très hypothétique en cette fin de semaine. Car, en perspective de sa comparution, lundi, devant la Cour suprême de New-York, DSK a mieux à faire que de paresser sur son toit. Ce week-end sera en effet le dernier avant l'ouverture – officielle – des hostilités judiciaires avec le procureur de Manhattan Cyrus Vance Jr. Une lutte sans merci que Strauss-Kahn a bien l'intention d'emporter après avoir plaidé « non coupable » de la tentative de viol dont l'accuse Nafissatou Diallo, femme de chambre à l'hôtel Sofitel de New-York. » | Par envoyée spéciale dee France Soir à New-York, Sandrine Briclot | Vendredi 03 Juin 2011

Tunisia: Ex-President Ben Ali's Sister Arrested
ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL: Tunis - A sister of toppled Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been arrested as authorities go after individuals linked to the former North African leader who are suspected of wrong[-]doing during his 23-year rule.

Najet Ben Ali was arrested late Thursday in the Sousse region, around 150 kilometres south of capital Tunis, the official TAP news agency said. No reason was immediately given for her arrest. » | AKI | Friday, June 03, 2011

King of Spain Undergoes Knee Surgery

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Spain's King Juan Carlos on Friday underwent his second major surgical procedure in a little over a year, just days after he accused Spanish media of wanting to see him dead.

The 73-year old monarch was said to be recovering well at a Madrid hospital after undergoing an operation to replace his right knee joint.

The 90 minute procedure to insert an artificial knee was carried out to alleviate pain from old sporting injuries suffered during his younger years as a keen sailor and skier.

There has been frenzied speculation over the state of the monarch's health since he was admitted to hospital in May last year to have a tumour removed from his lung.

After unfavourable headlines when appeared recently at an official function walking with the aid of the cane, the King admonished the usually respectful media for their obsession with his health.

Asked during a press call how he was feeling he snapped: "Terrible, terrible, terrible, can't you see that?"

Then added: "What you like to do is kill me and have me in a coffin every day. This is what you do in the press." » | Fiona Govan, Madrid | Friday, June 03, 2011

US Economy on Verge of ‘Great Great Depression’?

Where on earth did this woman (being interviewed), Erica Paine, learn economics? She's talking nonsense! – © Mark

Celebration! One Million Visitors!

Today we have received the millionth visit. This is all thanks to YOU, of course. For me, it has been hard work, but well worth it. This is a good reason to celebrate tonight. A drop of Champaigne sounds like a good idea, don’t you think?

My heartfelt thanks and my very best wishes to you all!

Mark

Trial of Geert Wilders Nears Verdict
NEW AMERICAN: As the spectacle of a man being tried for speaking the truth about Islam comes to its end in the Netherlands, the accused continues to assert that the accusations of “hate speech” that have been made against him are baseless — the problem is that Islam is an ideology of hatred.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), has been on trial in Amsterdam on the accusation that he was “inciting hatred and discrimination” against Muslims. It appears, however, that not even prosecutors believe Wilders to be guilty of the charges against him. As CNSNews explained in an article on the Wilders case earlier this week:

The Dutch legal establishment has proceeded with the landmark trial even though public prosecutors have requested that it be abandoned, leading to the peculiar spectacle of the officials whose job is to secure a conviction instead urging the Amsterdam district court to acquit the accused man.

The lengthy trial also saw the judges replaced last fall on the instructions of a review panel, because of an appearance of bias against Wilders. Prosecution and defense alike have argued that Wilders’ statements about Islam constituted protected speech, and that Wilders was not speaking out against Muslims per se, but against what he saw as a growing threat to Dutch society posed by Islamism.

As reported previously for The New American, the trial of Wilders is a test of the willingness of the West to resist the latest onslaught of an Islamic Jihad, which has been waged for over 1,300 years. As Wilders and other courageous individuals have pointed out, the threat to the civilized world is not limited to al-Qaeda or the Muslim Brotherhood; the threat of Islam is based in Islam being a religion of hate. Rev. Elijah Abraham of Living Oasis Ministries spoke with The New American in an interview last year, and among the topics he addressed was his childhood growing up as a Muslim in Iraq: » | James Heisner | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Saudi Arabia Looks to Ban Child Brides
THE JERUSALEM POST: In a country where no laws protect children from marriage, efforts to make wedlock more female-friendly raises conservatives’ ire.

The case of a nine-year-old girl given away in marriage by her father to a 58-year-old man because of argument with his wife shocked many Saudis. Widespread media coverage brought the plight of child brides to the fore in the oil-rich Gulf kingdom where no law currently protects children like "the Unayzah girl," as she was called after her home town, from the misery of early marriage.

That was two years ago. Finally, the Shoura Council, Saudi Arabia's 150-member consultative body, voted this week by a large margin in favor of setting a minimum marriage age for women. The council is only an advisory body, so the matter has been sent to the Justice Ministry for enactment. Government sources told the on-line daily Ilaf that the ministry would set the minimum marriage age at 17.

"The only way to stop this legal rape is to pass a law," Wajeha Al-Huwaider, a Saudi woman activist, told The Media Line. "They can start with age 15, like most Gulf countries, and then they gradually increase it."

The practice of families marrying off their underage girls to elderly, usually wealthy, men has long been criticized by local and international human rights organizations. But the most conservative Saudis, including many in the religious establishment, are loath to disrupt age-old customs that are often assumed to have a basis in Islam as well. » | David E. Miller | The Media Line | Friday, June 03, 2011

Drunk Driving: 243 Licenses Seized This Year
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: Since the beginning of the current Hijri year, 243 drivers in Jeddah have had their driving licenses withdrawn after they were caught drunk-driving or operating vehicles when under the influence of drugs, traffic police announced on Thursday. They were each sentenced to 80 lashes and fined SR500.

The police said the Jeddah summary court, which the violators were sent to, issued the verdicts. They added that under the law, the drivers would also be sentenced to various jail terms.

“The DUI drivers are a real threat to other road users and sober car drivers. They are a main cause of traffic congestion as they are not focused,” said Brig. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, director of traffic in Jeddah. » | Muhammad Humaidan | ARAB NEWS | Friday, June 03, 2011

Saudi Arabia: Shoura Ready to Discuss Women Driving If Requested

ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: Speaker of the Shoura Council Abdullah Al-Asheikh said on Thursday the council was ready to discuss the issue of women driving if it was asked to.

“The issue has not so far been tabled with the council for discussion,” he said, adding that not every issue in the public domain was discussed by the council.

Explaining the mechanism of tabling issues for discussion at the council, Al-Asheikh said a motion must either come from the government, at least one member of the council or when the council itself expressed a desire to deliberate a certain issue, reported local Arabic daily Al-Jazirah.

Saudi writer and columnist Abdullah Abdul Sattar Al-Alami said he and a group of other people formally asked the council to discuss the issue of women driving.

“We sent our request in a letter sent by express mail on Feb. 8, 2011,” he said in a statement to Arab News Thursday.

Al-Alami said the request was signed by a large number of academics, literary figures, media professionals, businessmen and women, housewives, students, government employees, a former ambassador, a former undersecretary to the UN secretary-general, a deputy CEO of a big company in the Eastern Province and a prominent member of the National Society for Human Rights. » | ARAB NEWS | Friday, June 03, 2011

Inside Story: Drug War Failed?
A report by the Global Commission on drug policy has concluded that the global war on drugs has failed. The commission, which includes a group of politicians and former world leaders, says the current anti-drug policy has been fuelling organised crime, costing taxpayers millions of dollars, and causing thousands of deaths.

How essential is the need for frank dialogue on the issue? Can the calls for legalising or decriminalising drugs help deal with the problem or make it worse?

Inside Story, with presenter Jane Dutton, discusses with Neil McKeganey, professor of Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow; Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst at Transform; and Guxd De Wit, an addiction therapist.

This episode of Inside Story aired from [sic] Thursday, June 2, 2011.



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Malaysian Polygamy Club Draws Criticism

THE NEW YORK TIMES: KUALA LUMPUR — Rohaya Mohamad, 44, is an articulate, bespectacled medical doctor who studied at a university in Wales. Juhaidah Yusof, 41, is a shy Islamic studies teacher and mother of eight. Kartini Maarof, 41, is a divorce lawyer and Rubaizah Rejab, a youthful-looking 30-year-old woman, teaches Arabic at a private college.

The lives of these four women are closely entwined — they take care of each others’ children, cook for each other and share a home on weekends.

They also share a husband.

The man at the center of this matrimonial arrangement is Mohamad Ikram Ashaari, the 43-year-old stepson of Hatijah Aam, 54, a Malaysian woman who in August established a club to promote polygamy.

“Men are by nature polygamous,” said Dr. Rohaya, Mr. Ikram’s third wife, flanked by the other three women and Mr. Ikram for an interview on a recent morning. The women were dressed in ankle-length skirts, their hair covered by tudungs, the Malaysian term for headscarf. “We hear of many men having the ‘other woman,’ affairs and prostitution because for men, one woman is not enough. Polygamy is a way to overcome social ills such as this.”

The Ikhwan Polygamy Club is managed by Global Ikhwan, a company whose businesses include bread and noodle factories, a chicken-processing plant, pharmacies, cafes and supermarkets. Mr. Ikram is a director of the company. » | Liz Gooch | Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Related »

'Obedient Wife Club' Set Up to Curb Divorce

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A group of Malaysian Muslim women is to launch a new platform called The Obedient Wife Club that aims to curb social ills like divorce, domestic violence and prostitution.

Wives who sign up will be given instruction in how to "obey, serve and entertain" their husbands to promote marital harmony and cut the risk their spouses will stray or misbehave.

The club's inaugural meeting on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur will get the proceedings rolling with speeches and a show to illustrate how women can keep their husband's happy and contented.

One of the club's founders Maznah Taufik – who also set up the Polygamy Club two years ago – said much marital discord was the result of disobedient wives failing to bring joy to their husbands.

"Domestic abuse happens because wives don't obey their husband's orders," said Mrs Maznah. "A man must be responsible for his wife's wellbeing, but she must listen to her husband." She also said the group would stress that wives had to provide husbands with a fulfilling sex life to prevent them straying to prostitutes.

"To entertain their husbands is compulsory," she said. "If she doesn't do this the husband will look for another woman ... and the house will break down. » | Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok | Friday, June 03, 2011

Hillary Clinton: World Must Unite Against Assad's Government
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has said that the death of the 13-year-old Syrian boy, Hamza al-Khatib was symbolic for many of the "total collapse of any effort by the Assad government to work with their own people."

A video purporting to show the mutilated body of the boy who activists say was killed during a government crackdown on protests has stoked even more fury against a regime the opposition says has lost all legitimacy.

Clinton commented on al-Khatib's death during a joint news conference with visiting Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, adding that if Assad could not put an end to the violence against his own people, and take "meaningful steps" to start a process of reform, then he should resign. (+ video) » | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Hispanic Population Spreads across US

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The boom in the Hispanic population of the United States is spreading beyond traditional strongholds such as California and Texas to reach every corner of the country including the Deep South and the Midwest, official figures show.

A new report from the US Census Bureau shows that the biggest jumps in the Hispanic population over the past decade were seen in places such as South Carolina, Alabama and South Dakota.

Figures released earlier this year showed that Latinos are the largest minority group in the US, accounting for 16.3 per cent of the population in 2010 – 50.5m people – up from 12.5 per cent in 2000. The overall population of the United States is 308.7m, according to the 2010 US Census. This includes 196.8m whites (64 per cent), 38.9m blacks (13 per cent) and 14.7m Asians (5 per cent).

Now, further analysis from the Census Bureau shows that while California, Texas and Florida still account for more than half of all US Hispanics, many other states are seeing far more rapid increases in their Latino population.

The Hispanic population more than doubled in nine states during the first decade of the 21st century and increased by at least a fifth in every state bar New York.

"This shows that the Hispanic population is now in every corner of the country," said Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C. » | Robin Yapp | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Mitt Romney Officially Enters 2012 Presidential Race

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mitt Romney, the early front-runner in the Republican race to beat Barack Obama in 2012, has officially entered the reckoning, declaring that the US president has "failed America" with his handling of the economy.

The former Massachusetts governor said that by choosing Mr Obama in 2008 voters "gave someone new a chance to lead, someone we hadn't known for very long, who didn't have much of a record but promised to lead us to a better place".

"Now, in the third year of his four-year term, we have more than promises and slogans to go by. Barack Obama has failed America," he said, in prepared remarks.

Given the high profile he developed as a Republican contender in the 2008 primary, Mr Romney has polled poorly compared to lesser known figures, rarely leading by more than a few percentage points and often coming second.

But he has raised prodigious amounts of money, including $10 million in a single day last month, and has spent the past two years quietly building a campaign network that is unrivalled by any of his competitors.

He chose to officially launch his campaign on a farm in New Hampshire, a key early voting state in the primary schedule, which begins in February next year and will last several months. The presidential vote will be held on Nov 6, 2012. » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Thursday, June 02, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Why Mitt Romney could be president » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Atheist Demographics III - "The Great Shrinking" and Replacement of the Unfit

Geert Wilders' Final Remarks at The Amsterdam Trial - English Subtitles

HT: Faith Freedom »

Coptic Bishop Warns Native Germans about Islam: "You're Up Next!"

HT: Faith Freedom »

Inside Hamas: An In-depth Look at What Drives the Palestinian Militants
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