The Truth about Polygamy: A Special Investigation into How Muslim Men Can Exploit the Benefits System
Officially, bigamy and polygamy are punishable by up to seven years in prison. It was declared illegal in England and Wales in 1604, when the Parliament of James I took action to restrain ‘evil persons’ marrying more than one wife — on penalty of death. But officialdom now turns a blind eye because of cultural sensitivities. – Source: This article

MAIL ONLINE: Ghulam is a taxi driver who lives in Blackburn, a once-booming textile town in Lancashire. He has a terrace house near his local mosque (one of 53 in the area), a silver Nissan car and a very complex private life.

For he has so many children that he struggles to remember their names, and five wives from various countries, including Yemen, Egypt, Turkey and his own birthplace, Pakistan.

Ghulam’s latest bride is a shy 20-year-old called Hafeza. He brought her to Britain from Morocco, soon after his 45th birthday earlier this year. They married in an Islamic wedding ceremony called ‘the Nikah’ in her village, with Hafeza’s pleased parents among the guests.

Thirty miles across the Pennines in Yorkshire, pizza delivery driver Wasim, 27, has an equally complicated domestic life.

He lives in a part of Dewsbury called Savile Town, a network of 11 terrace streets dominated by one of the biggest mosques in Europe, where most residents are Asian with origins in Pakistan or India.

Wasim has three wives, the first of whom lives with him and their three teenage sons. His other two wives have separate houses in Savile Town, one down the road and another round the corner. He visits each two nights a week.

The women have had several of Wasim’s children and he hopes the youngest bride (aged 19) will soon present him with another baby.

I learned of Ghulam and Wasim this week while investigating a subject that is taboo in politically correct Britain. It is the huge rise of bigamy (having two wives) and polygamy (more than two) in our Muslim communities. » | Sue Reid | Saturday, September 24, 2011

If bigamy and polygamy is wrong and punishable by jail for one group of people, it should be wrong and punishable by jail for the other groups too. Political correctness should have absolutely nothing to do with it. Polygamy is either right and allowable, or wrong and disallowable – for ALL. But this corrosive practice will not be stopped by the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, or the Liberal Democrats. It doesn't matter who is in power, none of the politicians have the courage to stop these alien practices. Our politicians are spineless. Totally spineless! And it is for this very reason that this country is being destroyed before our very eyes. In a few years' time, the country will be unrecognisable. It took six years to destroy National Socialism, but when it comes to Islam destroying us, it seems that our politicians are clueless. It helps little to worry about loss of sovereignty to the EU when the country is being destroyed from within. – Mark

Netanyahu: 'Peace with Palestinians Impossible through UN Resolutions'
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that peace between his nation and the Palestinian Authority could only come about through direct negotiations and only after the Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state.

Regime Unchanged: Under-fire Yemeni President Back in Post

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Schengen Tightens Up

Palestine Bids for Statehood with UN

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Abbas a remis à l'ONU une demande de reconnaissance d'un Etat palestinien

LE MONDE: La Palestine a officiellement demandé, vendredi 23 septembre, à devenir le 194eEtat membre des Nations unies. Il était 11 h 46, à New York, (17 h 46 à Paris) quand le président de l'Autorité palestinienne, Mahmoud Abbas, a remis au secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, la demande d'adhésion à part entière d'un Etat de Palestine.

M. Ban doit maintenant transmettre cette demande pour examen au Conseil de sécurité, comme le prévoit la procédure de l'ONU. Il le fera "vers le milieu de l'après-midi" en remettant le document frappé de l'emblème de la Palestine à la mission libanaise, qui assure la présidence tournante du Conseil. La réponse mettra, elle, plusieurs semaines à arriver. » | LEMONDE.FR | Vendredi 23 Septembre 2011

Matthew Goodwin on the Far Right: A Violent Strain
Europe's emergent right wing is not all violent, and it should be taken seriously, says the author of "New British Fascism"

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Rüstzeug gegen populistischen Extremismus
DIE PRESSE: Der britische Thinktank Chatham House untersucht den Aufstieg ausländerfeindlicher Parteien. Welche Gruppierungen fallen überhaupt in diese Kategorie und wie lässt sich der Siegeszug der Populisten stoppen?

London/La. „Der Aufstieg des populistischen Extremismus ist eine der dringendsten Herausforderungen für Europa.“ Zu diesem Schluss kommt die britische Ideenschmiede Chatham House, die zu diesem Thema eine Studie in Auftrag gegeben hat. Der Bericht, der den Titel „Right Response“ (richtige bzw. rechte Antwort) trägt und gestern in London vorgestellt wurde, soll das politische Establishment in Europa mit dem notwendigen Rüstzeug ausstatten, um der Gefahr Einhalt gebieten zu können.

Welche Gruppierungen fallen überhaupt in diese Kategorie? Die Studienautoren definieren populistischen Extremismus relativ weit: Ihre Liste umfasst 27 Parteien und beinhaltet neben der britischen National Front oder der deutschen NPD auch die FPÖ, das BZÖ, die italienische Lega Nord und die SVP – die immerhin die stimmenstärkste Partei der Schweiz ist. Gemeinsame Nenner sind demnach die fundamentale Ablehnung der Immigration sowie eine Strategie, die sich gegen die etablierten Kräfte richtet und die repräsentative Demokratie implizit infrage stellt. » | Die Presse | Print Ausgabe 23. 09. 2011 | Freitag 23. September 2011

CHATHAM HOUSE: Understanding and Dealing with the Spread of Populist Extremism in Europe »

Mission Clarity: Pope Benedict's Blunt New World

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: It has been billed as Pope Benedict XVI's most difficult trip abroad to date. But so far in Germany, the pope has not sought to shy away from controversy. His bluntness has surprised many -- and could transform the visit into a rousing success.

The sky above Rome still had a reddish tint to it as the Alitalia Airbus took off from Ciampino airport at 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, carrying Pope Benedict XVI, several bishops and cardinals and close to 70 journalists on board.

It was the beginning of the pope's four-day visit to his homeland, his first state visit to Germany, and one that has already generated enormous interest in the country, particularly his Thursday afternoon address to the German parliament in Berlin. His core message in Germany is clear: Do not turn your backs on religion; do not turn your backs on the Catholic Church.

But the very first message he sought to communicate on his trip was addressed to his host country Italy. The pope sends a telegram to all heads of state over whose territory he flies when travelling abroad. In addition to the Austrian and Czech heads of state, the pope also wrote to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

"The moment in which I leave Italian territory is marked by my wish for an intensive ethical renewal for the good of my beloved Italy," he wrote. The message was difficult to misunderstand, a clear criticism of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the slow erosion of the country's values and financial stability over which he has presided. The message was all the more powerful coming as it did just days after the country's credit rating was downgraded by Standard & Poor's. » | SPIEGEL Staff | Friday, September 23, 2011

Hugo Boss Apologises for Founder's Nazi Past

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: German fashion house Hugo Boss has apologised for its Nazi connections as details of the strength of its support for the Third Reich emerge in a new biography of the company.

Designer Hugo Boss was the favoured tailor of Hitler and won the contract to supply Nazi forces with their uniforms.

After the war he argued that he had supported Hitler "to save the company" rather than because of any National Socialism ideology, but new research shows that he was in fact a loyal Nazi.

A new book publishes records that show that during the second world war [sic] the company used 140 forced workers kidnapped by the Gestapo from Poland.

At its clothes factory based in Metzingen, Baden-Wurttemberg the work force also included 40 French prisoners of war in its production of Wehrmacht uniforms.

"It is clear that Hugo F Boss did not only join the party because it led to contracts for uniform production, but also because he was a follower of National Socialism," wrote Roman Koester, an economic historian at the Bundeswehr University in Munich in his book Hugo Boss, 1924-1945. Read on and comment » | Fiona Govan | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A Third Reich Past: Why I Cannot Answer Questions about My Grandfather » | An Essay by Ferdinand von Schirach | Friday, September 23, 2011

Quand la Stasi surveillait Joseph Ratzinger

LE FIGARO: Il était l'un des dignitaires étrangers les plus étroitement surveillés par la police secrète est-allemande.

La majorité des élus du parti de la gauche radicale, Die Linke, manquait à l'appel, jeudi, pourle discours du Souverain Pontife devant le Bundestag. Pour ces héritiers du Parti communiste de l'ex-RDA, où la liberté religieuse était étroitement encadrée, la visite de Benoît XVI a une résonance particulière. Considéré comme une menace potentielle pour le régime communiste, ¬Joseph Ratzinger était l'un des dignitaires étrangers les plus étroitement surveillés par la Stasi, la police secrète est-allemande.

Le cardinal Ratzinger a éveillé la méfiance de la Stasi en 1974, lorsqu'il est allé à la découverte de la Thuringe, d'Erfurt à Iéna en passant par Weimar. Embarqué dans une Trabant pilotée par l'évêque d'Erfurt, Joachim Wanke, le futur pape a échappé pendant de longues heures à toute surveillance. À tel point que la Stasi n'a eu connaissance ni de son escapade en Trabant, ni d'un incident dans une auberge de Weimar, où le théologien renommé a attendu une table plus d'une demi-heure, rapporte Mgr Wanke. » | Par Patrick Saint-Paul | Vendredi 23 Septembre 2011

Vollmitgliedschaft: Israel vor UN-Antrag der Palästinenser in Alarmbereitschaf

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Tel Aviv/Ramallah/New York - Israels Sicherheitskräfte sind vor dem erwarteten Antrag von Palästinenserpräsident Mahmud Abbas auf UN-Vollmitgliedschaft in erhöhte Alarmbereitschaft versetzt worden. Etwa 22 000 Sicherheitskräfte sind im Einsatz, um auf mögliche Unruhen reagieren zu können, wie der israelische Polizeisprecher Mickey Rosenfeld am Freitag sagte, Schwerpunkt seien dabei das Westjordanland und der arabische Ostteil Jerusalems. "Wir hoffen, dass Demonstrationen friedlich verlaufen", sagte Rosenfeld.

Abbas wollte am Freitag trotz einer Vetodrohung der USA die Aufnahme eines unabhängigen Staates Palästina in den Grenzen vor dem Sechstagekrieg von 1967 als UN-Vollmitglied beantragen. Der Antrag gilt als chancenlos, Abbas will damit jedoch ein Zeichen setzen. Die Palästinenser sind nach zwei Jahrzehnten fruchtloser Friedensbemühungen frustriert und wollen mit dem Vorstoß neue Bewegung in Nahost bewirken. » | BLZ / dpa | Freitag 23. September 2011

Staatsbesuch: Papst Benedikt in Thüringen

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Erfurt - Papst Benedikt XVI. verbringt den zweiten Tag seiner Deutschland-Reise in Thüringen, einem Kernland der Reformation. Empfangen wurde er am Freitag in der Landeshauptstadt Erfurt von einer Protestantin: Ministerpräsidentin Christine Lieberknecht (CDU) begrüßte das Oberhaupt der katholischen Kirche auf dem Flughafen in Erfurt auf dem roten Teppich am Flugzeug.

Im Erfurter Augustinerkloster, in das Martin Luther vor 500 Jahren als Mönch eingetreten war, trifft Benedikt am Mittag Vertreter der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) zu Gesprächen und einem ökumenischen Gottesdienst. An die Begegnung werden hohe Erwartungen geknüpft. Am Abend feiert der Papst eine Marienvesper im Eichsfeld. Dorthin strömten schon seit dem frühen Morgen die Pilger. » | BLZ / dpa | Freitag 23. September 2011

Mike Mullen: Pakistan Is 'Exporting' Terror

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America's top military officer Admiral Mike Mullen offered the sternest rebuke yet to Pakistan, claiming it was exporting violence through the Haqqani network.

In an unprecedented public condemnation on Thursday, Admiral Mullen said that the country's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency was actively supporting a network linked to al Qaeda and blamed for an assault on the US embassy in Kabul last week.

Admiral Mullen accused Pakistan of "exporting" violent extremism to Afghanistan by allowing militants to act as an "arm" of the intelligence service.

"In choosing to use violent extremism as an instrument of policy, the government of Pakistan – and most especially the Pakistani Army and ISI – jeopardises not only the prospect of our strategic partnership, but also Pakistan's opportunity to be a respected nation with legitimate regional influence," he told US senators. "By exporting violence, they have eroded their internal security and their position in the region." » | Rob Crilly, Islamabad | Thursday, September 22, 2011

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President Ali Abdullah Saleh Returns to Yemen
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Ali Abdullah Saleh has returned to Yemen after spending three months in Saudi Arabia recovering from a June assassination attempt.

Mr Saleh's return comes amid a surge of violence in the capital Sanaa, which has been rocked by clashes between loyalist troops and forces backing a mass protest movement calling for his overthrow.

Within minutes of the announcement, loud bursts of gunfire and explosions were heard echoing through the capital.

"Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic, returned this morning to the land of the nation safely after a trip for treatment in Riyadh that lasted more than three months," an urgent news break on Yemen Television said. » | Friday, September 23, 2011

Scotland: Is the British Establishment Selling the Union Down the River?

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Civil servants and diplomats are helping Alex Salmond to break up the UK .

We shall probably never know what was said over the Balmoral Castle dinner table by the Queen and Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, this week. Of all this nation’s great secrets, none are more sacred than what passes between the Head of State and the senior politicians who govern in her name.

There is little doubt that Mr Salmond has struck up an extremely amicable working relationship with Her Majesty, which includes regular visits to the royal residence on Deeside. In fact, while David and Samantha Cameron had a rare overnight stay at Balmoral three weeks ago, Mr Salmond and his wife Moira have probably notched up five or six “dinner, bed and breakfasts” at the castle. He also sees her regularly when she visits her Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Although he is hell-bent on holding a referendum within the next three years to break up Elizabeth II’s United Kingdom (she’s only Elizabeth I in Scotland, by the way), he has reassured the House of Windsor that Her Majesty would remain Queen of Scots if his separatist plans come to fruition.

He has abandoned his plans for a referendum on the future of the monarchy north of the Border and said that, while he wants to repeal the 1707 Treaty of Union between Scotland and England, he is determined to honour the 1606 Union of the Crowns, which saw James VI of Scotland become James I of England.

Whether this concession made any difference to the Queen’s attitude towards the leader of the Scottish National Party we shall never know, given her steely determination to stay out of political controversy. » | Alan Cochrane | Thursday, September 22, 2011

Terrorisme: le Pakistan menace de rompre son alliance avec les USA

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le Pakistan a ouvertement menacé les Etats-Unis de mettre fin à l’alliance entre les deux pays si Washington continue de l’accuser de soutenir les talibans en Afghanistan.

Le Pakistan a menacé vendredi les Etats-Unis de mettre fin à l’alliance entre les deux pays si Washington continue de l’accuser de soutenir une faction des talibans en Afghanistan, a menacé vendredi la ministre pakistanaise des Affaires étrangères, Hina Rabbani Khar.

La veille à Washington, le plus haut responsable militaire américain, l’amiral Mike Mullen, avait brutalement accusé Islamabad d’exporter, via ses services secrets, la violence en Afghanistan en y soutenant le réseau Haqqani, l’un des groupes les plus actifs au sein du mouvement taliban.
Jamais les Etats-Unis, auxquels le Pakistan s’est rallié lorsqu’ils sont envahi l’Afghanistan à la fin 2001, n’avaient accusé aussi directement Islamabad d’y être impliqué dans les attaques contre les Occidentaux.

"Nous avons fait passer aux Etats-Unis le message suivant: vous allez perdre un allié. Vous ne pouvez pas vous permettre de vous aliéner le Pakistan. Vous ne pouvez pas vous permettre de vous aliéner le peuple pakistanais", a déclaré Mme Khar à la télévision privée pakistanaise Geo TV.
"S’ils choisissent de le faire, ce sera à leurs propres dépens", a-t-elle ajouté, interrogée depuis New York où elle participe à l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies. » | AFP | Vendredi 23 Septembre 2011

Papst trifft Islam-Vertreter: „Muslime sind Merkmal Deutschlands geworden“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Papst Benedikt XVI. hat am Morgen Vertreter des Islam getroffen. Er rief dazu auf, „beständig daran zu arbeiten, sich gegenseitig besser kennenzulernen und zu verstehen“. Muslime gehören für den Papst längst zur deutschen Realität.

Papst Benedikt XVI. hat Muslime als ein Merkmal Deutschlands bezeichnet. Bei einem Treffen sagte der Papst am Freitagmorgen in Berlin: „Die Anwesenheit zahlreicher muslimischer Familien ist seit den 70er Jahren des vergangenen Jahrhunderts zunehmend ein Merkmal dieses Landes geworden.“ Zu Beginn seines zweiten Besuchstags traf Benedikt Mitglieder von Verbänden, Mitarbeiter von Hilfsorganisationen und Islam-Lehrer in der Botschaft des Vatikans in Berlin. Das Gespräch fand nach Aussage eines Sprechers der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz in herzlicher Atmosphäre statt.

Er rief dazu auf, „beständig daran zu arbeiten, sich gegenseitig besser kennenzulernen und zu verstehen“. Nötig seien Dialog und gegenseitigen Wertschätzung. Als „Menschen des Glaubens“ könnten Katholiken und Muslime, ausgehend von ihren jeweiligen Überzeugungen, „ein wichtiges Zeugnis in vielen entscheidenden Bereichen des gesellschaftlichen Lebens geben“ - beispielsweise zum Schutz der Familie, der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben „in jeder Phase seines natürlichen Verlaufs“ sowie der Förderung einer größeren sozialen Gerechtigkeit. » | FAZ.NET | Freitag 23. September 2011

Related »

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Benoît XVI: Chrétienté et Islam doivent vivre dans «l’estime réciproque» : «Le dialogue et l’estime réciproque» sont les maîtres mot pour que musulmans et chrétiens vivent dans la paix, a jugé vendredi le pape Benoît XVI. Il reçoit à Berlin des représentants de l’islam en Allemagne. » | AFP | Vendredi 23 Septembre 2011

Pope Benedict Meets Germany's Muslim Leaders
VATICAN RADIO: Pope Benedict met with members of Germany's Muslim community at the Apostolic Nunziature in Berlin on Friday. Below we publish the provisional text of his discourse:

Dear Muslim Friends,
I am glad to be able to welcome you here, as the representatives of different Muslim communities in Germany. From my heart I thank Professor Mouhanad Khorchide for his kind greeting. His words show me what a climate of respect and trust has grown up between the Catholic Church and the Muslim communities in Germany.

Berlin is a good place for a meeting like this, not only because the oldest mosque on German territory is located here, but also because Berlin has the largest Muslim population of all the cities in Germany.

From the 1970s onwards, the presence of numerous Muslim families has increasingly become a distinguishing mark of this country. Constant effort is needed in order to foster better mutual acquaintance and understanding. Not only is this important for peaceful coexistence, but also for the contribution that each can make towards building up the common good in this society.

Many Muslims attribute great importance to the religious dimension of life. At times this is thought provocative in a society that tends to marginalize religion or at most to assign it a place among the individual’s personal choices.

The Catholic Church firmly advocates that due recognition be given to the public dimension of religious adherence. In an overwhelmingly pluralist society, this demand is not unimportant. Care must be taken to guarantee that others are always treated with respect. Mutual respect grows only on the basis of agreement on certain inalienable values that are proper to human nature, in particular the inviolable dignity of every single person. Such agreement does not limit the expression of individual religions; on the contrary, it allows each person to bear witness explicitly to what he believes, not avoiding comparison with others.

In Germany – as in many other countries, not only Western ones – this common frame of reference is articulated by the Constitution, whose juridical content is binding on every citizen, whether he belong to a faith community or not. » | Friday, September 23, 2011

Arab Fury at Obama UN Speech

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama's standing in the Arab world plumbed new depths as protesters in the West Bank denounced his vehement denunciation of the Palestinian statehood bid.

More than 1,000 people gathered outside the Palestinian government headquarters in Ramallah for the first officially sanctioned anti-US protest in the West Bank for years after Mr Obama's unexpected words to the UN.

Posing a fresh challenge to the US administration as it struggles to adapt to the shifting political landscape of the region in the wake of the Arab Spring, activists harnessed the Internet to call for mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the Middle East in the coming days.

The growing backlash came as many Arabs reacted with disbelief after Mr Obama addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to deliver the most pro-Israeli speech to a non-Jewish audience of his presidential career.

Given that the United States has announced it will use its Security Council veto to prevent the Palestinians joining the UN as a full member state, many in the West Bank had expected Mr Obama's speech to be robust.

But few supposed he would speak as he did. » | Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem and Alex Spillius in New York | Thursday, September 22, 2011

First Footage of Hana Gaddafi Found
The first film footage of the adopted daughter of Col Gaddafi of Libya, who he claimed had been killed in an American bombing raid in 1986, is published today by ‘The Daily Telegraph’.

Read the article here

Sarah Palin's Husband 'Files for Divorce'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sarah Palin has been hit by more negative reports about her private life, this time suggesting that she is heading for divorce.

The rumours, which have surfaced before and been furiously denied, were reported in the National Enquirer, which did not name its source.

The magazine claimed Todd Palin was "fed up" following the publication last week of Joe McGinniss's book The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin.

A friend reportedly told the magazine: "The final straw was McGinniss quoting Sarah's brother Chuckie telling a friend they don't have a marriage." » | Los Angeles | Thursday, September 22, 2011

David Cameron Attacks Mahmoud Ahmadinejad After UN Walkout

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron launched a scathing attack on Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just minutes after the Iranian leader sparked a mass walkout.

Mr Cameron derided Mr Ahmadinejad from the United Nations podium minutes after the Iranian leader's ferocious attack on Western powers and Israel.

All 27 European delegations left the chamber midway through his speech, a few minutes after the Americans had vacated their seats. The protest was planned in the expectation that Mr Ahmadinejad would prove controversial.

David Cameron, who addressed the assembly shortly after Mr Ahmadinejad, said: "He didn't remind us that he runs a country where they may have elections of a sort but they also repress freedom of speech, do everything they can to avoid the accountability of a free media, violently prevent demonstrations and detain and torture those who argue for a better future."

Mark Kornblau, a spokesman for the US mission to the UN, said: "Mr Ahmadinejad had a chance to address his own people's aspirations for freedom and dignity, but instead he again turned to abhorrent anti-Semitic slurs and despicable conspiracy theories."

The Iranian leader surpassed even his own outspoken standards as he accused the US of using the "mysterious" September 11 attacks as a pretext to launch wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. » | Alex Spillius in New York | Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ahmadinejad Drives UN Delegates Out of Assembly

RUSSIA TODAY: Delegations from the US, UK, France and other nations walked out of the UN General Assembly during a fierce speech by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in which he accused certain countries of attempting to dominate the world.

While delivering his speech, President Ahmadinejad again questioned the 9/11 tragedy, which ten years ago claimed almost 3,000 lives in the US. Dubbing the terror attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon “mysterious,” Ahmadinejad reminded delegates that his calls for a proper investigation into the tragedy resulted in his country being threatened with sanctions.

Ahmadinejad also wondered why the main suspected perpetrator, Osama Bin Laden, was never delivered to the US to give evidence.

“Instead of assigning a fact-finding team they killed Osama Bin Laden and threw his body into the sea. Would not it have been more reasonable to bring him to justice?” the Iranian leader told the gathering.

Ahmadinejad attacked the US for causing two world wars and imposing totalitarian regimes on Asian, African and Latin American nations. » | Thursday, September 22, 2011

US Gets Ahmadinejitters Again

Palestinians Condemn Obama Hypocrisy

US Extreme Capitalism a Problem for the World - Ahmadinejad

Defiant Mahmoud Abbas Ignores Barack Obama's Plea

THE AUSTRALIAN: PALESTINIAN Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will defy international pressure and push for UN membership tonight despite a warning from Barack Obama that "there are no short cuts" to peace.

Top Palestinian officials conceded after Mr Abbas met the US President yesterday that the membership bid was likely to be delayed for months but they brushed off Mr Obama's claim that "one-sided declarations in the UN" would not achieve statehood.

Mr Obama and Mr Abbas discussed the issue for more than 45 minutes.

The US President had a similar meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hours earlier.

The White House refused to confirm whether Mr Obama directly asked the Palestinian leader to abandon his plans to pursue full UN membership, saying only that he reiterated his opposition to the statehood bid and the US intention to issue a veto. » | The Australian | Additional reporting: AP, AFP | Friday, September 23, 2011

Verwandt »

Christian GP 'Suggested Suicidal Patient Embrace Jesus'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A GP told a troubled patient that he could beneft [sic] more from Christianity than his own faith, a hearing was told.

Dr Richard Scott spoke about the matter of religion to the 24-year-old, who has been described as "suicidal" and "vulnerable", at the end of a consultation at his surgery, the General Medical Council (GMC) heard.

After allegedly being told ''Go for it'' by the patient, the GP is said to have told him faith in Christianity may help him overcome personal problems.

But the 51-year-old doctor ''crossed the line'' in discussing his own personal religious beliefs with a vulnerable patient and even went on to suggest he might benefit from a Christian faith - above his own religion. » | Thursday, September 22, 2011

Labour Apologises After Peer Insults 'Bloody Denmark'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Labour was forced to apologise after its former security minister Lord West branded Denmark and Belgium second-rate countries.

Lord West, formerly First Sea Lord, said the UK was still a first-rate military power, "not like bloody Denmark or Belgium".

His comments came as Labour delivered the findings of a 10-month review into defence procurement, aimed at getting better value for money from buying equipment for the UK's armed forces.

Speaking in a question and answer session with 100 journalists and guests from the defence industry at Labour headquarters in central London, Lord West said: "This business of a second-tier power - we are probably, depending on what figures you use, the fifth or sixth wealthiest nation in the world.

"We have the largest percentage of our GDP on exports, apart from the tiny countries around the world, we run world shipping from the UK, we are the largest European investor in south Asia, south east Asia (and) the Pacific Rim, so our money and our wealth depends on this global scene.

"We are a permanent member of the (United Nations) Security Council and I think that gives us certain clout and certain ability.

"These mean we are not a second-tier power. We are not bloody Denmark or Belgium, and if we try to become that, I think we would be worse-off as a result. » | Thursday, September 22, 2011

Carla Bruni: accouchement prévu la 3 Octobre

PARIS MATCH: A quelques semaines de l’accouchement de la Première dame, c’est le père de Nicolas Sarkozy, Pal, qui a une nouvelle fois joué les indiscrets et révélé la date supposée de la naissance du bébé, le 3 octobre prochain.

Un heureux événement qui fait parler. Pal Sarkozy, le père du président de la République, a confié au journal allemand «Bild» la date prévue pour la naissance du «Premier bébé», comme le surnomme le quotidien: il s’agirait du 3 octobre. Une affirmation à la journaliste Dora Varro qui confirme les confessions que Carla Bruni-Sarkozy a faites à des lycéens la semaine dernière. D’après des informations du «Parisien», elle aurait déclaré: «A partir du 1er octobre, cela peut intervenir n’importe quand. D’ailleurs, mon premier enfant, Aurélien, est arrivé avant terme.» Même si la Première dame trouve le temps «long», elle a expliqué aux élèves: «J’en avais tellement envie».

Cette seconde grossesse, à 43 ans, est considérée comme une grossesse à risque, demandant le plus de repos possible. Une proche de la chanteuse explique qu’elle «continue de jouer de la musique, de composer. Elle lit, regarde des films, téléphone longuement à ses amis.» La vie de l’ex-mannequin a donc dû subir quelques ajustements pour éviter tout problème: limiter les déplacements –elle n’accompagne pas Nicolas Sarkozy actuellement en visite officielle à New York- mais elle a également arrêté de fumer. «Cela lui manque», a d’ailleurs expliqué Pal Sarkozy à «Bild». La quadragénaire a tout de même fait une apparition dans les jardins de l’Elysée à l’occasion des journées du patrimoine, le week-end dernier. Continuez à lire et laisser un commentaire » | Kahina Sekkai | Parismatch.com | Jeudi 22 Septembre 2011

Papst spricht Politikern ins Gewissen

TAGES ANZEIGER: In seiner mit Spannung erwarteten Rede rief Papst Benedikt XVI. zum Einsatz für Gerechtigkeit und Frieden auf. Zudem sprach der Papst ein überraschendes Lob aus.

Im Bundestag hat Papst Benedikt XVI. die Politik zum Einsatz für Gerechtigkeit und Frieden aufgerufen. Letzter Massstab eines Politikers für seine Arbeit dürfe «nicht der Erfolg und schon gar nicht materieller Gewinn sein», mahnte Benedikt XVI. heute in seiner philosophisch angelegten Ansprache über die Grundlagen des freiheitlichen Rechtsstaats. «Der Erfolg ist dem Massstab der Gerechtigkeit, dem Willen zum Recht und dem Verstehen für das Recht untergeordnet.»

Erfolg könne auch Verführung sein und «so den Weg auftun für die Verfälschung des Rechts, für die Zerstörung der Gerechtigkeit», warnte Benedikt XVI. Er erinnerte an die Zeit des Nationalsozialismus, der den Staat zum Instrument der Rechtszerstörung gemacht habe. Grundlegend Aufgabe des Politikers bleibe, dem Recht zu dienen und «der Herrschaft des Unrechts zu wehren». In Grundfragen des Rechts, in denen es um die Würde des Menschen gehe, reiche das Mehrheitsprinzip nicht aus. Jeder Verantwortliche müsse sich Kriterien seiner Orientierung suchen. » | dapd/pje/fgr / (mrs/dapd) | Donnerstag 22. September 2011

Putin Ally Becomes Most Powerful Russian Woman Since Catherine the Great
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vladimir Putin ally Valentina Matviyenko has become the first woman speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, making her the most powerful woman in the country.

Valentina Matviyenko, the governor of St. Petersburg from 2003 until earlier this year, got the job after 140 Russian senators in the 166-member Federation Council gave her their vote on Wednesday.

One senator abstained and nobody voted against her nomination.

The job is nominally the third most powerful in the Russian political system after that of president and prime minister. In reality, it has been more of a symbolic post in the past.

The 62-year old ally of Mr Putin, the prime minister, is known for her no-nonsense management style, her power dressing, and her loyalty to the Kremlin.

Though the married mother of one said she wanted to reform the upper house of parliament to rid it of its image as "a (legislative) rubber stamp", she made it clear she would not be rocking the boat. Continue reading and comment » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Schwuler US-Soldat outet sich per Youtube

Boy, 14, Found Dead Over Gay Bullying
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A 14-year-old boy from New York, who warned in internet postings that he felt suicidal because of homophobic bullying, has been found dead outside his home.


Jamey Rodemeyer became the latest in a string of suicides by young Americans who had been abused or ridiculed because of their sexuality, in several cases over the internet.

Jamey, from Williamsville, complained that he was being viciously abused after talking online about his confusion over whether he was gay.

In May, he recorded a video message for the "It Gets Better" campaign, through which young gay people, along with celebrities and national figures such as Barack Obama, try to encourage each other to remain hopeful through difficult experiences.

"People would just keep sending me hate, telling me that gay people go to hell," he said in the recording, which was posted to YouTube.

Jamey, who had just began high school, received support from his parents, Tracy and Tim Rodemeyer, and went through counselling. Recently "he was saying how great school was going, how happy he was, his grades were great," his father told local television reporters.

But in retrospect, Mr Rodemeyer said, "he fooled everybody. He put on a brave face and I wish he wouldn't have." » | Jon Swaine, New York | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Record Numbers of Students Awarded First-class Degrees
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The number of students awarded first-class degrees has soared by more than a third in just five years, figures show, prompting claims that the traditional university grading system is becoming “meaningless”.

A record 47,000 students – one in seven – graduated from university with a top degree last year compared with less than 35,000 in 2006, it was revealed.

At the same time, students were less likely to finish courses with a third-class or unclassified degree.

The disclosure – in data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency – will add to growing concerns over “grade inflation” and fuel demands for a major overhaul of the system. » | Graeme Paton, Education Editor | Thursday, September 22, 2011

The businessmen who hire others complain that school-leavers can do nothing, know nothing. But their grades in ‘O’ levels, ‘A’ levels, and now degrees keep getting better and better. Go figure!

This is the result of introducing competition between schools, colleges, and universities. League tables were a stupid idea. Trying to introduce the market place into the classroom/lecture theatre was a very dumb idea indeed. Making everyone into a first-class student is also dumb. Very dumb! We all know that most of these graduates are not deserving of these highly-inflated degrees.

If everyone gets a first, then what does a first-class degree tell us? That they’re worthless, of course. Worthless and meaningless! If everyone could afford to drive around in a Bentley, driving one would mean nothing too.

This country can’t manage its economy; it has long been unable to manage its school education; now it can’t manage its university education either. What’s next? – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Wulff begrüßt Papst Benedikt XVI.

Verwandt »

Burka Ban: French Women Fined for Wearing Full-face Veil
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Two French women who continue to wear the full-face veil in defiance of a new law banning it in France this morning became the first to receive fines since its enactment.

Hind Ahmas and Najate Nait Ali were caught wearing the niqab in public outside Meaux town hall, eastern Paris, in May.

The women immediately vowed to appeal their case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights if the fines are confirmed by a higher court.

Miss Ahmas, 32, was ordered to pay a 120-euro (£104) fine, while Miss Nait Ali, 36, was fined 80 euros (£70). The court chose not to order them to take a citizenship course, as had been requested by the prosecutor.

The two women arrived too late to attend the ruling. One had been refused entry into court in May because she would not take off her niqab to show her face.

"This law forbids women in niqab from leaving their homes and going out in public. It's a kind of life-sentence to prison," he said Yann Gre from the Don't Touch My Constitution association defending the two women.

The women were arrested when they brought a birthday cake for mayor and MP Jean-Francois Copé, who pushed Europe's first anti-burqa law through parliament. Mr Copé is head of President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, September 22, 2011

Pope Admits Church Contains 'Bad Fish' on Germany Visit
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI appealed to believers not to leave the Catholic Church as he arrived for a four-day visit to his native Germany.

The Pope said on the flight from Rome that he understood why some people – especially sex abuse victims and their loved ones – might say "this is no longer my Church".

But he urged Catholics to see the Church was made of both good and bad, and was struggling to right the wrongs committed in its ranks.

Germany has been rocked by the clerical sex scandals that have swept across Europe in the past two years.

"The Church is a net of the Lord that pulls in good fish and bad fish," he said. "We have to learn to live with the scandals and work against the scandals from inside the great net of the Church."

A record 181,000 German Catholics officially quit the Church last year.

The Church in Germany has received almost 600 requests for compensation for victims of sexual and physical abuse, while a victims' association estimates that more than 2,000 people were mistreated by Catholic priests in recent decades.

The Pope was met at the airport by Christian Wulff, the German president – a Catholic who has divorced and remarried in defiance of Church rules – and Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In an interview published on Thursday, Mr Wulff said he hoped Benedict would loosen some of those rules. » | Thursday, September 22, 2011

Related links here, here, here, here, and here

Papst Benedikt XVI. Rede vor dem Schloß Bellevue [E] (22. September 2011)

Le pape au Bundestag et la « laïcité » à l’allemande

LE MONDE – BLOGS: Avant lui, seul Jean Paul II l’avait fait. A deux reprises, à Rome et à Varsovie, lieux hautement symboliques pour le pape polonais. En prenant la parole devant le Bundestag, le parlement allemand, jeudi 22 septembre, Benoît XVI, natif de Bavière, pose donc un acte rare dans la pratique vaticane et les relations entre pouvoir spirituel et pouvoir temporel.

Le Vatican a tenu à préciser que le pape, qui est à la fois chef d’Etat et chef religieux, répondait à l’invitation du président du Bundestag, dans le cadre d'un voyage qui le mènera aussi à Erfurt et Fribourg, jusqu'au 25 septembre. Généralement, lors de ses voyages officiels à l’étranger, le pape rencontre les responsables politiques et leur délivre un discours plus ou moins significatif sur la situation des croyants, de l’Eglise catholique ou de la justice sociale dans le pays.

Ce qui en France pourrait être considéré comme une entorse au principe de laïcité a suscité en Allemagne la réprobation des seuls partis les plus à gauche de l’échiquier politique. Une centaine de députés ont annoncé qu’ils boycotteraient le discours papal et se joindraient aux manifestants opposés à la venue du pape. Continuez à lire et laisser un commentaire » | Mercredi 21 Septembre 2011

Liens en relation avec ce blog ice, ici et ici

THE TIMES: Pope ‘understands why Catholics are leaving Church’ » | David Charter, Berlin | Thursday, September 22, 2011 [£]

Keine Annäherung: Treffen von Obama mit Abbas gescheitert

DIE PRESSE: Keine Annäherung: Der US-Präsident bekräftigte, dass er den Antrag der Palästinenser auf Vollmitgliedschaft bei der UNO ablehnt. Die USA werden deshalb ihr Veto einlegen.

Ein Treffen zwischen US-Präsident Barack Obama und dem palästinensischen Präsidenten Mahmoud Abbas hat keine Annäherung gebracht. Obama teilte Abbas mit, dass er das palästinensische Vorhaben eines Antrags auf UN-Vollmitgliedschaft im UN-Sicherheitsrat weiter ablehnt. Die USA wollen weiter das palästinensische Anliegen mit ihrem Veto-Recht blockieren. Das teilte Abbas' Sprecher Nabil Abu Rudeina mit.

Das mehr als einstündige Treffen fand am Rande der UN-Vollversammlung in New York statt. Am Vormittag hatte Obama den israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Benjamin Netanjahu getroffen. Auch US-Außenministerin Hillary Clinton will Abbas und Netanjahu treffen. » | APA | Donnerstag 22. September 2011

David Cameron: World Should Be Quicker to Take Military Action to Stop Slaughter
David Cameron will today urge the world to be quicker to take military action to stop states from slaughtering their own people.

Read article here

Tony Blair’s Sister [-in-law] Converts to Islam, Calls for the Destruction of Israel
BELIEFNET NEWS: Laura Booth, sister-in-law of former British prime minister Tony Blair, has called on Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt to invade Israel.

No stranger to Middle Eastern politics, she sailed to Gaza in the flotilla protest.

At a rally in London Trafalgar’s Square, she proclaimed “We say here today to you, Israel, we see your crimes and we loathe your crimes. And to us your nation does not exist, because it is a criminal injustice against humanity. We want to see Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt go to the borders and stop this now.”

She recently has converted to Islam. She now covers her head with a hijab or scarf when she leaves home, has given up alcohol and visits a mosque when she can.

The 43-year-old mother of two says she had a religious awakening during a visit to a shrine in the Iranian holy city of Qom. » | Rob Kerby, Senior Editor | Friday, September 2, 2011

Georgia Puts Convict to Death Despite Protest
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Supporters of Troy Davis maintain his innocence in off-duty officer's '89 killing.

Reporting from Jackson, Ga.— Despite his claims of innocence and a roster of high-powered supporters, Troy Davis was executed late Wednesday night for the 1989 murder of an off-duty Savannah, Ga., police officer.

Strapped to a gurney in the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison about four hours after his scheduled 7 p.m. execution, Davis, 42, lifted his head and used some of his last words to deny his guilt to the family of the victim, Mark MacPhail.

The incident that night 22 years ago was not his fault, he said, according to media witnesses. He said he did not even have a gun.

"I personally did not kill your son, father and brother," he said. "I am innocent."

He was pronounced dead at 11:08 p.m., and a coroner's van hauled away his body. » | Richard Fausset, Los Angeles Times | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Typhoon Roke Further Ravages Japan, Still Reeling from Tsunami

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Six months after a deadly earthquake and tsunami, Japan has weathered yet another natural disaster in the form of Typhoon Roke, which pummelled the country with heavy rains and driving winds.

When the worst of it was over, the country seemed to utter a collective sigh of relief, a curious reaction given the typhoon’s devastating toll: Evacuation advisories were sent to more than a million people on the main island of Honshu; 200,000 households were without electricity in central Japan; at least 13 people were missing or dead.

After a ruthless year that has shaken Japan to its core, its people seemed intent on counting small blessings. The only damage wrought to the battered Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant, for instance, was a broken security camera.

Still, the stoic dignity and resilience of Japanese society that has won admiration from around the world is being tested once again by the latest typhoon, the second to strike Japan in the past month. » | Sonia Verma | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Koweït: des milliers de manifestants demandent le départ du Premier ministre
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Plus de 5000 Koweïtiens ont manifesté hier en criant «Va-t’en» à leur Premier ministre, Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, un neveu de l’émir. Il serait impliqué dans une affaire de corruption.

Plus de 5000 Koweïtiens ont manifesté mercredi dans leur capitale, à l’appel de l’opposition. Les protestataires ont exigé la démission du premier ministre après une affaire de corruption impliquant de nombreux parlementaires.

En présence de centaines de policiers et de membres des forces spéciales, les manifestants ont défilé dans l’une des plus fortes mobilisations depuis des années pour crier à nouveau «Va-t’en» au premier ministre Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, un neveu de l’émir. » | AFP | Jeudi 22 Septembre 2011