Belgian Politician Risks Muslim Backlash after Using Teenage Daughter Dressed in Burka and Bikini for Campaign against Islam

MAIL ONLINE: A Belgian politician has risked causing uproar among Muslims after starting a 'Women Against Islamization' campaign featuring his 19-year-old daughter wearing a burka and a bikini.

Filip Dewinter, leader of the far-right Vlaams Belang party, uses a shot of his daughter An-Sofie Dewinter in the dark blue bikini for the political campaign.

The glamorous teenager dons a burka that covers her head and face, while the rest of the Muslim garment is draped over her back.

The provocative image is likely to inflame tensions among Islamic groups and nationalists in the racially-divided country.

The poster shows the words 'Freedom or Islam?' written on a red bar across Ms Dewinter's breasts.

Further down the poster a black panel with the words 'You choose!' is seen covering the teenager's crotch.

The extremist Vlaams Belang party claims that it wants to convince women to take a stand against Islam. » | Rick Dewsbury | Friday, February 03, 2012

Turkish Army Sets Out to Recruit the Perfect Woman

THE INDEPENDENT: The Turkish military is seeking two "physically perfect" women under the age of 25, both of whom must be "firm", "robust" and "flawless" in every respect, according to the Turkish daily newspaper Vatan. » | Justin Vela | Thursday, February 02, 2012

Bring Back the Death Penalty, Says South Africa Medical Chief
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The head of the South African Medical Association has called for the return of the death penalty after one of the country's senior dermatologists was gunned down by carjackers in the capital Pretoria.

Dr Norman Mabasa told mourners at Dr John Moche's funeral that the country was "under siege".

"The number of people who die at the hands of criminals is higher than in countries embroiled in civil wars or natural disasters," he said.

"Crime has become so bad that soon we are going to have to put burglar bars around our beds."

Dr John Moche, a father to two young children and head of Steve Biko Academic Hospital's dermatology department in Pretoria, was one of just 166 qualified dermatologists in the country because of a skills shortage in specialist medicine.

He was dropping off a nurse at her home last Friday when he was shot through the heart by carjackers who sped off in his Range Rover. The car was later found abandoned in Atteridgeville, a township ten miles to the west. No arrests have been made yet. » | Aislinn Laing in Johannesburg | Friday, February 03, 2012

Kuwait: Hardline Islamists Seize Control of Parliament
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Kuwait's Islamist-led opposition has won a landslide majority in Kuwait's snap polls, with women and liberals the big losers.

The Islamist secured 34 seats in the 50-member parliament, results showed today.

All four of the female MPs who served in the previous parliament lost their seats. Liberals, who had five seats in the previous parliament, now have just two.

Voters punished pro-government MPs during Thursday's parliamentary election, reducing them to a small minority, the results showed.

Only two of 13 former MPs who the public prosecutor questioned over corruption charges were re-elected, and the rest either lost or did not contest the poll.

Following the announcement of the results, hundreds of opposition supporters gathered at the campaign tents of candidates they backed to celebrate the outcome. » | Friday, February 03, 2012

Young, Wired and Angry: A Revised Portrait of Hungary's Right-Wing Extremists

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Though largely ignored by the national media, Hungary's right-wing extremist Jobbik party operates within a surprisingly well-developed and self-sustained online universe. What's more, recent studies have found that the party's supporters aren't the "losers" that many experts thought they were.

The leader of Hungary's right-wing extremists rarely expresses himself so clearly. Speaking before a crowd of a few thousand supporters in Budapest's Sportmax complex on Saturday, Jan. 21, Gábor Vona announced the end of liberal democracy in the world. In the speech traditionally delivered before party members in January, the 33-year-old politician demanded "no compromising" either with or as part of the ruling political system, calling instead for "fighting, fighting and still more fighting." "We are not communists, fascists or National Socialists," Vona said. "But -- and this is important for everyone to understand very clearly -- we are also not democrats!" » | Keno Verseck | Friday, February 03, 2012

The End of Great Britain? Scottish Separatists Have High Hopes for Referendum

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Though their relationship has always been fraught with problems, Scotland and England have been partners for over 300 years. But Scottish nationalists, with their charismatic leader Alex Salmond, believe their chances of gaining independence are closer than ever.

No, there are no Englishmen hanging from the trees in the Scottish Highlands. There are no Scottish terrorists setting off bombs, and someone who speaks with an English accent here isn't likely to be targeted for a beating. Likewise, it's only rarely that you'll see the "Free Scotland" slogan along the highway from Glasgow to Edinburgh. So where exactly are all these separatists supposedly intent on splitting Britain apart?

Though they might be hard to spot, they do exist, they're active and they might even reach their goal in less than four years -- and all in a way that is perfectly democratic.

On Jan. 25, the Scots were commemorating Robert Burns, their national poet. Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Alex Salmond, the charismatic leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), announced how he intends to dissolve Great Britain. In a referendum to be held in the fall of 2014, the Scots will be asked to answer the following question: "Do you agree Scotland should be an independent country?" If a majority votes that it should be, the partition could already be completed by 2016.

The move would put an end to what will have been a 309-year partnership -- and be a serious blow. Although it boasts its own nuclear arsenal, Britain is now only a mid-sized power that sometimes still suffers from the loss of its empire. Likewise, it is increasingly isolating itself within Europe. Were Scotland to go its own way, Britain would suddenly see its population drop by 5.2 million, and its economic output could shrink by about £120 billion (€145 billion/$190 billion). However, as one of the few positive consequences for the government in London, the move would also lead to a reduction of nearly the same sum in its mountain of debt. » | Marco Evers | Thursday, February 02, 2012

L'Algérie frappée par une vague de suicides par le feu
LE FIGARO: De violentes émeutes ont éclaté dans l'ouest du pays après l'immolation d'un jeune vendeur à la sauvette.

S'immoler par le feu. Plus d'un an après le geste de désespoir de Mohammed Bouazizi, le jeune Tunisien de Sidi Bouzid, ce mode de contestation continue à se propager au Maghreb en général et en Algérie en particulier. Les immolés protestent sur fond d'émeutes contre le chômage, l'injustice ou comme on dit en dialecte algérien la hogra, le mépris.

Le 18 janvier, quatre jeunes chômeurs diplômés marocains se sont aspergés d'essence lors d'un rassemblement à Rabat. L'un d'eux a succombé à ses blessures.

Quelques jours plus tard, environ 70 demandeurs d'emploi menaçaient de commettre un «suicide collectif» s'ils n'étaient pas embauchés par la société d'État de phosphate OCP. Ils ont tenté de s'introduire dans une carrière de phosphate avec des explosifs, à proximité de la ville de Benguerir, dans le sud du pays où les forces de sécurité sont parvenues à les neutraliser.

En Algérie, c'est un incident avec un policier qui a poussé à bout Hichem Gassem, un vendeur à la sauvette de Tiaret, dans l'Ouest algérien. Le 26 janvier, un agent aurait renversé l'étal du marchand de lunettes d'un coup de pied. Selon le site d'information DNA, un policier présent sur les lieux lui aurait lancé: «Brûle-toi si t'es un homme». La victime s'est exécutée. » | Par Thierry Oberlé | jeudi 02 février 2012

Die Angst vor der muslimischen "Paralleljustiz"
WELT ONLINE: Der Justizminister von Rheinland-Pfalz hat mit seiner Äußerung zu islamischen Gerichten eine heftige Debatte ausgelöst. Doch die Scharia wird in Deutschland bereits angewandt.

Es waren nur wenige Sätze, mit denen sich der rheinland-pfälzische Justizminister Jochen Hartloff in den Mittelpunkt der deutschen Islam-Debatte katapultierte.

Im Gespräch mit dem Evangelischen Pressedienst hatte der SPD-Politiker verlauten lassen, er halte islamische Schiedsgerichte in Deutschland grundsätzlich für zulässig, solange sie sich rechtsstaatlichen Prinzipien unterwürfen und ausschließlich in zivilrechtlichen Angelegenheiten wie Erb- und Familienstreitigkeiten tätig würden.

"Steinzeit werden wir nicht tolerieren"

Dass dabei die Scharia – das Gesetz, das nach muslimischem Glauben alle Bereiche des religiösen, staatlichen und zwischenmenschlichen Lebens regelt – eine wichtige Rolle spielen würde, muss Hartloff wohl klar gewesen sein, schob er in der „B.Z.“ doch plakativ hinterher: „Steinzeit werden wir nicht tolerieren.“

Der „Steinzeit“-Begriff war treffend gewählt: Wer in Deutschland das WortScharia hört, denkt wohl unweigerlich an drakonische Strafen wie das Steinigen von Ehebrechern.

Flugs brach über Hartloff ein politischer und medialer Sturm los, in dem seine Äußerungen schnell als Forderung nach Scharia-Gerichten auf deutschem Boden interpretiert wurden. Hartloffs Sprecher teilte „Welt Online" mit: „Wir haben keinerlei Pläne, solche Gerichte in Rheinland-Pfalz einzuführen.“ Die Behauptung, Hartloff setze sich für die Einführung der Scharia ein, sei eine Entstellung, ebenso wie die Formulierung, er habe einen politischen „Vorstoß“ gemacht.

Die Klarstellung kommt zu spät: In Deutschland ist eine Scharia-Debatte hochgekocht. »

The Harassment of BBC Persian Journalists
BBC NEWS – THE EDITORS – MARK THOMPSON: For those working for the BBC Persian service, interference and harassment from the Iranian authorities has become a challenging fact of life.
I am hugely proud of how they deal with that relentless pressure, and their unswerving commitment to delivering high quality, impartial journalism.

They arguably have the most difficult jobs in the BBC. They carry them out with unstinting dedication and in the knowledge that their work makes a critical difference to the lives of millions who crave access to free and accurate information, in a part of the world where it is scarce and extremely precious.

In recent months, we have witnessed increased levels of intimidation alongside disturbing new tactics. This includes an attempt to put pressure on those who work for BBC Persian outside Iran, by targeting family members who still live inside the country.

We remain extremely concerned about these actions by the Iranian authorities and the latest case only serves to underline this.

Last week the sister of a BBC Persian member of staff was arrested. She was detained and held in solitary confinement on unspecified charges at Evin Prison in Tehran. Although she has now been released on bail, her treatment was utterly deplorable and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Read on and comment » | Mark Thompson * | Friday, February 03, 2012

* Mark Thompson is the Director-General of the BBC

Egyptian MP Mustafa Bakri: America and Israel Are Responsible for Port Said Soccer Bloodbath

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Egyptians: Look to the Constitutions of South Africa or Canada, Not to the US Constitution

Egyptian Cleric Sheik Abdallah Kamal Defends the Prophet Muhammad's Marriage to Aisha: In Warm Climates, Girls Generally Reach Puberty at the Age of Eight

Bilingual Ballots: Voters Can Pick English or Spanish

Romney: Obama's Presidency Has Been a Failure
GOP frontrunner on president's record, economic policies

Why Is Obama Wading in Religious Waters?
Critics take issue with president's Bible talk on taxes

Islam Critic Backs Out of West Point Cadet Event
FOX NEWS: WEST POINT, N.Y. – A retired U.S. lieutenant general who made comments denigrating Islam withdrew Monday from speaking at a West Point prayer breakfast after a veterans' advocacy group asked the Army chief of staff to rescind the invitation.

VoteVets.org told Gen. Raymond Odierno in a letter that allowing retired Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin to speak at the U.S. Military Academy next week would be contrary to Army values and disrespectful to Muslim cadets.

Late Monday afternoon, West Point issued a brief statement saying Boykin had decided to withdraw speaking at the Feb. 8 event and that another speaker would be lined up in his place.

Boykin, a former senior military intelligence officer, had been criticized for speeches he made at evangelical Christian churches beginning in January 2002. He said that America's enemy was Satan, that God had put President George W. Bush in the White House and that one Muslim Somali warlord was an idol-worshipper.

Boykin later issued a written statement apologizing and said he didn't mean to insult Islam. But VoteVets.org said Monday that Boykin has continued to make denigrating comments about Islam since his 2007 retirement.

"These remarks are incompatible with the Army values, and a person who is incompatible with Army values should not address the cadets of the United States Military Academy," VoteVets chairman Jon Soltz said in a letter written with the group's vice chairman. » | Associated Press | Monday, January 30, 2012

New Fears Over Iran's Missile Capability
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: IRAN is developing a missile capable of hitting the east coast of the US, according to an Israeli government minister, intensifying western anxiety over the regime's nuclear ambitions.

The fresh alert was further heightened by reports that the US Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta, believes a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities by Israel looms likely and could come as soon as April.

The increasingly murky issue of Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities is a prime focus of US foreign policy deliberations. President Barack Obama insisted in last month's State of the Union address that he would "take no options off the table" in preventing Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal.

But contrary to assertions that the chief threat was to Iran's near-neighbour, Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs, Moshe Yaalon, said the missile project was "aimed at America, not us". » | Simon Mann | Saturday, February 04, 2012

Homegrown Jihad
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The campsite on the 50,000-hectare cattle station in the red dirt country at Louth was booked by phone in the name of Adam George.

Expecting a group of feral fox and pig hunters on safari to the back of Bourke, the property owner left directions in a mailbox and saw just one man, who simply called himself "Joe".

The company Joe kept alarmed the locals. The seven men - led by Aimen Joud from Melbourne and Mohamed Ali Elomar from Sydney - got lost and had to ask for directions.

"They stood out to the local community when they were driving through … Some of them were wearing camouflage fatigues … Some of them are large gentlemen, so just their physical presence stands out," NSW Police terrorism investigations squad head Detective Inspector David Gawel, says.

Of course, Adam George was a fake name that had been previously used to try to buy laboratory gear to manufacture chemicals to build a bomb.

The men were on a training and bonding exercise, armed with .308 and .22 rifles and components of an explosive device. (+ video) » | Debra Jopson | Saturday, February 04, 2012

Mitt Romney Endorsed by Donald Trump
The frontrunner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney, officially receives the backing of Donald Trump at his hotel in Las Vegas on Thursday. Some commentators had expected the multi-millionaire and celebrity host of The Apprentice, who had himself considered joining the presidential race, to endorse rival candidate Newt Gingrich

Iran: We Will Help 'Cut Out the Cancer of Israel'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran will help anyone willing to "cut out the cancer" of Israel, its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today.

The religious leader also told worshippers at Friday prayers that the country will continue its controversial nuclear programme.

He warned that any military strike by the West would only make Iran stronger.

"From now on, in any place, if any nation or any group confronts the Zionist regime, we will endorse and we will help. We have no fear expressing this," said Khamenei.

He said Israel is a "cancerous tumor that should be cut and will be cut".

Iran has been repeatedly defiant to hints that the US and Israel may at some point launch military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

But any statement by Iran's Supreme Leader, who has final say on all matters of state, makes it all the more unlikely that Tehran will switch tack. Read on and comment » | Friday, February 03, 2012

My comment:

Khamenei is supposed to be the supreme spiritual leader. Not much spiritual in these pronouncements. He sounds more like a warmonger than an ayatollah! – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Wilders Angry at German ‘Right-wing Populist’ Label
DUTCH NEWS.nl: PVV leader Geert Wilders has demanded the German ambassador explain why he and the anti-islam party are mentioned in a 32-page leaflet warning of the dangers posed by far-right political groupings.

The brochure, paid for by the German justice ministry, states that right-wing populist and radical parties could be a breeding ground for terrorism. Wilders is mentioned twice by name and one section includes his photograph. The folder also explains how neo-nazi strategists use social networks. » | © DutchNews.nl | Thursday, February 02, 2012

Log Off! As Facebook Plans a $5bn Stock Market Float, One Trenchant Sceptic Describes How the Social Network Is Ruthlessly Selling Your Soul
MAIL ONLINE: Log off! As Facebook plans a $5bn stock market float, one trenchant sceptic describes how the social network is ruthlessly selling your soul

The announcement that Facebook, the social media giant, is planning a $5bn float on the stock market – valuing the company at $100bn – has led to a frenzy of speculation about the fortunes its young founders will rake in. There will be hundreds of new millionaires, we hear, and several new billionaires, too.

But in all this hysteria about the vast sums involved, has anyone thought to question what exactly Facebook is selling? The answer is both obvious and sinister: You.

Terrifyingly, the social networking site turns you into a product. It makes your friendships, marriages and children into a product.

Facebook tells its users: ‘It’s free and always will be.’ Now consider this bit of wisdom: ‘If you’re not paying, you’re not the customer; you’re the product.’

The site — founded by famously low-key American Mark Zuckerberg — has always presented itself as a sort of altruistic social service. Its tagline reads: ‘Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.’

Now that sounds fairly harmless. What sort of curmudgeon could object to connecting and sharing?
In actual fact, though, Facebook is a gigantic, and really quite frightening, advertising scam. Its business model is to collect information about individual consumers (you) and sell that information back to advertisers. » | Tom Hodgkinson | Friday, February 03, 2012

Thirty Degrees Below – And At Least a Hundred Dead: Europe's Big Freeze

THE INDEPENDENT: With record snowfalls, icy winds, and thousands of people trapped in remote villages, much of Central and Eastern Europe is in the grip of a cold snap that has caused more than 100 deaths. Temperatures in parts of Ukraine and other Eastern European countries are hovering around -30C (-22F).

The Adriatic islands of Croatia have had a rare dusting of snow, while in Romania, parts of the Black Sea have frozen over. Several towns in Bulgaria have recorded their lowest temperatures since records began more than a century ago, [sic]

At least 11,000 people were trapped in mountain villages in Serbia yesterday as ice and snow made roads impassable. Emergency crews were working to gain access to deliver supplies as the country tackled its coldest winter for decades.

"The situation is dramatic. The snow is up to 5m high in some areas. You can only see rooftops," said Milorad Dramacanin, a member of a helicopter evacuation team. Among those airlifted to safety were mourners who had travelled to a funeral but were unable to get back. » | Shaun Walker | Friday, February 03, 2012

Related here, here, here, and here.

Kältehoch «Cooper» in Europa

Critics Take On on Romney's 'Poor' Line

Israel Could Attack Iran This Spring

Egyptian Comedian Sentenced for Offending Islam
THE GUARDIAN: One of the Arab world's best known Egyptian comedians has been sentenced to three months in jail for offending Islam, a judge said Thursday, in the latest such case against a high-profile figure, underlining concerns about freedom of expression in Egypt.

The judge confirmed that Adel Imam, a veteran actor who first starred in a play in 1964, was convicted in absentia of insulting the religion.

The judge said Imam can appeal. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

Tarek el-Shinnawi, an entertainment reporter in Egypt, said that Imam was in Egypt recently filming a television series. Egypt's Actors' Syndicate said Imam's whereabouts are unknown. Imam could not be reached for comment. » | Aya Badrawy | Associated Press | CAIRO | Thursday, February 02, 2012

Inside Story: US – Theocracy versus Democracy [December 24, 2011]
How important a role does religion play in next year's US election? Guests on the show: Frank Schaeffer, Michelle Goldberg, and Melissa Rogers.

Inside Story: Is the American Dream Fading?
With more people living on the breadline in the United states, we ask how can prosperity be restored for the Americans. Inside Story US2012 discusses with guests: Tavis Smiley, Barbara Ehrenreich and Cornel West.

Google Joins Twitter in Censorship Storm: Site May Now Block Blog Posts in Line with Requests from Oppressive Regimes
MAIL ONLINE: Blog posts will be blocked at national government request / Campaigners fear 'the end of the global internet community' / But Google claims move will allow MORE free speech

Google's informal motto is 'don't be evil', but a huge change to its Blogger service could see the search giant help oppressive governments stamp out voices of protest.

Bloggers who have relied on the popular service to organise dissent as seen during the Arab Spring could find their posts being blocked by Google itself.

The company will now block posts or blogs from being seen in a country if they their local laws, handing a victory to regimes that crack down on free speech to keep a lid on dissent.

The move has caused widespread concern - and echoes Twitter's recent decision to block Tweets on a similar 'per country' basis to comply with local laws.

Internet freedom group Open Net Initiative said of Twitter's recent policy change, 'The change marks a new trend in American Internet companies bowing to the demands of authoritarian regimes.'

Amnesty International said, 'As with other sectors, business decisions in the digital world have human rights implications. Human rights monitors and advocates have a lot more work to do since the digital revolution.'

'Our collective vigilance is needed more than ever.'

Thailand heartily backed Twitter's recent decision to block Tweets at the request of governments, as did China's state-run newspaper.

But Google claims that the move will actually allow more freedom of speech. Read on and comment » | Rob Waugh | Thursday, February 02, 2012

Fears that Western Sanctions on Iran Could Cripple Local Economy
THE GUARDIAN: Iran's dependency on oil means an embargo, if fully implemented, has potential to bring the economy to its knees

Western sanctions on Iran are compounding the country's economic woes, sending the national currency tailspinning, making dollars hard to come by and forcing ordinary citizens to rush to stockpile staples.

Iranian officials have in the past been quick to play down the impact of the raft of sanctions imposed on Tehran because of its nuclear programme, arguing they have in fact made the regime "self-sufficient" in many areas.

But the latest US and EU embargo on the imports of oil from Iran introduced in the past five weeks has left the leadership little choice but to admit the severity of the problem. In a recent speech at the Iranian parliament, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the embargo "the heaviest economic onslaught on a nation in history".

Iran relies on crude sales for 80% of its exports revenue and also providing most of the foreign currency in the country. The full impact of the embargo is likely to be felt in summer when the new sanctions kick in properly, but evidence of knock-on effects through the Iranian economy are multiplying. The initial impact was felt on the local currency market where a shortage of foreign exchange caused a looming crisis. As a result, the value of Iran's rial against the dollar has fallen to a record low, even experiencing devaluation of more than 50%. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Islamists Favourites as Kuwait Goes to the Polls
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Kuwaitis were casting ballots on Thursday in a snap vote to elect the fourth parliament in less than six years, with unofficial polls showing the Islamist-led opposition in the lead.

The vote in the wealthy Gulf state, which follows a campaign marred by violence, seeks to end political disputes that have hurt the country for years.

Female voters, dressed in clothes ranging from black traditional abayas to casual Western-style jeans, lined up in short queues in voting stations set up for women, as lines of men formed at separate polling booths.

Women voters make up 54 per cent of the electorate and 23 women are among 286 candidates running for the 50-seat legislative body.

Pollsters and analysts expect the 400,000 electorate to deliver a resounding victory for the Islamist-led opposition which has campaigned vehemently for fundamental reforms and against corruption. » | Thursday, February 02, 2012

Mitt Romney 'Glitter-bombed' by Gay Rights Ac[t]ivists in Minnesota
Mitt Romney was subject to the latest in a series of 'glitter bombings' by gay rights activists from the Glitterati group at a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday in protest at the former Massachusetts governor's anti-gay marriage stance. Previous targets have included Romney's rival candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Rick Santorum

Ellen DeGeneres: Michelle Obama Talks About Her Husband

Libyans Try to Reclaim Lost Property
Libyans try to take back millions of dollars worth in property that they say was taken from them under Muammar Gaddafi's law number four. The law, originating in the deposed leader's Green Book, allowed for property to be seized by Gaddafi supporters in a moment's notice. Now, the victims of the law are seeking justice for land that they say is rightfully theirs. Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reports from Tripoli.

European Cold Snap
Extreme cold and heavy snow fall have paralysed much of southeastern Europe and Russia. Several countries have called in the army to help distribute food and set up heating shelters. Al Jazeera's Catherine Stancl reports.

Related »

Egyptian Violence Amongst Worst in Football History
Wednesday's violence following a match between al-Masry and al-Ahly in Port Said, is among the worst in football history. Al Jazeera sports journalist, Khalid Abdel Kareem explains tension leading up to Wednesday's match between the long-time rivals.

Men Who Stabbed and Stoned Lesbian to Death Are Sentenced to 18 Years' Jail
THE GUARDIAN: Cape Town court sentences four over the murder of Zoliswa Nkonyana, 19, in what activists say was a homophobic attack

A court in Cape Town has sentenced four men to 18 years in jail for a murder that rights activists say was carried out because the victim was a lesbian. » | Associated Press, Johannesburg | Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Belhassen Trabelsi ira devant une commission au Canada

LA PRESSE: Le statut de résident permanent au Canada du beau-frère de l'ancien dictateur tunisien Zine El Abidine Ben Ali a été révoqué par Ottawa peu après son arrivée au pays l'an dernier, mais Belhassen Trabelsi a fait appel de cette décision et il peut rester ici en attendant.

Il comparaîtra en avril devant la Commission de l'immigration et du statut de réfugié pour contester cette décision.

Le ministère de l'Immigration avait décidé l'an dernier de révoquer son statut parce que M. Trabelsi n'a pas respecté ses obligations de résidence au Canada. Pour que son statut de résident permanent soit valide, la personne doit avoir résidé au pays pendant au moins deux ans pendant chaque période de cinq ans.

On croit que Belhassen Trabelsi s'est discrètement réfugié à Montréal avec sa famille, en janvier 2011, suite à l'effondrement de la dictature de Zine El Abidine Ben Ali en Tunisie. Le milliardaire a alors fait usage de son statut de résident permanent au Canada pour se réfugier au pays. » | La Presse Canadienne, Montréal | mercredi 01 février 2012

Canada Looks for Ways to Prevent Honour Killings in Wake of Shafia Trial
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: British Crown lawyers are trained in bringing perpetrators of “honour crimes” to justice. Immigrant boys in Sweden perform in plays against domestic violence. Muslim interest groups who challenge such violence have formed in the United States.

This is all taking place because young, immigrant women were so gruesomely sent to their graves by male relatives that people in these countries banded together to say “never again.”

And now, observers are asking which long-term lessons Canada will learn from the Shafia trial. How will police, teachers, social workers, and immigrants join forces to prevent any more women from meeting horrific fates?

“The lesson for me in this very sad story is, if we want to keep the legacy of Sahar, Zainab, Rona, and Geeti alive, we have to look at the issue as a national issue – a national project,” said Shahrzad Mojab, a University of Toronto expert who served as a prosecution witness.

Sunday’s first-degree murder convictions in the quadruple-homicide case have been eye-opening for Canadians – not least because the three perpetrators and four victims all came from the same nuclear family. The trial not only aired the facts of the crime, but also glaring deficits in Canada’s ability to safeguard vulnerable women and children.

Missed signals and squandered opportunities are, tragically, recurring themes in “honour” killings. When family patriarch Mohammad Shafia began threatening the lives of his daughters and first wife, the victims did not know where to turn. Some eventually sought help, only to encounter skeptical officials who failed to grasp the gravity of their peril. » | Colin Freeze | Published: Tuesday, January 31, 2012; updated: Wednesday, February 01, 2012

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: No culture experts required for ‘honour’ crimes: Male authoritarianism and control are deeply embedded in many cultures. A close study of Canada’s South Asian communities will reveal that male authoritarian inclinations are hidden deep beneath the displays of higher education and affluence. The greatest facilitators of this control are women themselves, who are coerced into silent acceptance. The convictions in the Shafia trial present an opportunity to lead the examination to the correct place. ¶ As Sunday’s conviction spread around the country, it released a gamut of emotional responses. Vilification, affirmation of human rights, grief for three beautiful teenagers and a spurned first wife. Justice had to be meted out and so it was. Meanwhile, the ready acceptance that this murder came from the mind of an Afghan patriarch gave air to a fabricated concept that the act was linked to a light-filled term called “honour.” » | Nazneen Sheikh * | Wednesday, February 01, 2012

* Nazneen Sheikh’s latest book is Moon Over Marrakech, a memoir.

Related »

Extreme Cold Weather Claims More Than 40 Lives in Ukraine
High pressure across the Eurasian continent is causing freezing temperatures from central Europe to Siberia. In Ukraine more than 40 people have died, as temperatures have fallen below -33C (-27F). Several hundred heated tents have been set up around the country to provide makeshift accommodation and dispense food and drinks to homeless people

Related »

Saudi Journalist and TV Host Nadin Al-Badir Calls the Saudi Religious Police the "Enemy of Society" and Says: Most of Them Are Ex-Cons Who are "Violently Extreme"

Saudi Cleric Sa'd Bin Al-Shathari: It Is Forbidden to Pray to Allah to Place Steve Jobs in Paradise

Iranian MP Hossein Ebrahimi, Deputy Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee: "The Persian Gulf Will Be Turned into a Graveyard" for International Forces

Sunni Scholar Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: Islamic Law Should Be Implemented Gradually in Egypt; There Should Be No Chopping Off of Hands in the First Five Years

Saudi Cleric Praises Islamic Limb Amputation of Criminals

Islam in the Philippines