Atheists Rally on National Mall in Show of Political Force
THE WASHINGTON POST: WASHINGTON — Atheists and nonbelievers gathered on the National Mall Saturday (March 24) in a bid to show politicians, voters and even themselves that they have grown into a force to be recognized and reckoned with.

“We are here to deliver a message to America,” David Silverman, president of American Atheists, one of the rally’s sponsors, told the crowd. “We are here and we will never be silent again.”

Indeed, thousands came out for what organizers dubbed The Reason Rally and billed as the largest-ever gathering of nonbelievers in one place. They stood in a steady and sometimes heavy rain as speakers, singers, writers, comedians and activists charged them with channeling their common rejection of God into a force for political change.

“We are here to celebrate our belief in reason, science and the power of the human mind,” comedian Paul Provenza said from the podium as raindrops fell. “We are here to say to elected politicians ... that there is a base for them to stand on to stand up to the religious right.” » | Kimberly Winston| Religion News Service | Saturday, March 24, 2012



reason.tv »

Spenden-Affäre um Cameron: Dinner mit David für 200.000 Pfund

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Ein Abendessen mit Briten-Premier David Cameron? Kein Problem, versprach ein Schatzmeister der britischen Tories, solch ein Termin sei schon ab 200.000 Pfund zu haben. Blöd nur, dass sein Gegenüber Journalist war.

"There is no free Lunch", lautet ein englisches Sprichwort, keine Mahlzeit ist umsonst. Auch ein Schatzmeister der britischen Konservativen verfuhr offenbar nach diesem Motto. Er musste jetzt zurücktreten, nachdem er für Spenden in sechsstelliger Höhe ein Essen mit Parteichef und Premierminister David Cameron versprochen hatte. Er bedauere, dass "der Eindruck von Unangebrachtheit" entstanden sei, erklärte Peter Cruddas am Sonntag.

Die "Sunday Times" [£] hatte zuvor ein heimlich aufgenommenes Gespräch mit Cruddas veröffentlicht. In der Konversation mit Reportern, die sich als interessierte Spender ausgaben, verspricht Cruddas für 200.000 bis 250.000 Pfund (etwa 240.000 bis 300.000 Euro) ein Abendessen mit Cameron oder Finanzminister George Osborne. Bei diesen Veranstaltungen könnte den beiden "praktisch jede Frage" gestellt werden. » | ric/afp | Sonntag, 25. März 2012

Watch Sunday Times videos:

Crudders sells Cameron meetings »

THE SUNDAY TIMES: Tory treasurer charges £250,000 to meet PM: Cameron's fundraiser forced to resign » | Insight: Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert | Sunday, March 25, 2012 [£]





THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Labour calls for independent inquiry into 'incredibly serious' Tory donor claims: Labour has written letter to Prime Minister demanding disclosure of donors who have visited Downing Street, Chequers or Dorneywood and the policy representations they made, following Tory co-treasure's claims that access to Cameron can be bought. » | Patrick Hennessy | Sunday, March 25, 2012

My comment:

David Cameron and George Osborne are behaving like prostitutes. One could say that this is the prostitution of the Tory Party.

The Conservative Party was once an honorable party. No longer, it seems.

David Cameron & Co. are behaving like the sleaze-balls they are. The death of democracy is nigh. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Switzerland's Direct Democracy
Together with neutrality and federalism, direct democracy is a part of the Swiss national identity and helps unite the various languages, religions and cultures in the country. This video gives you a short introduction to this unique political system. (Produced by swissinfo.ch on behalf of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad)

US Election: Republican Candidate Rick Santorum Wins Louisiana Primary

Lien en relation avec cette vidéo »

Rick Santorum remporte la primaire de Louisiane

LA PRESSE (CANADA): L'ultraconservateur Rick Santorum a remporté samedi la primaire républicaine de Louisiane (sud), donnant un coup d'accélérateur à sa campagne face à Mitt Romney, qui reste néanmoins favori pour affronter Barack Obama en novembre.

Selon des projections diffusées par les chaînes de télévision américaines après la fermeture des bureaux de vote, l'ancien sénateur de Pennsyvlanie (est), grand défenseur des valeurs chrétiennes et familiales, a remporté 50% des suffrages, contre 26% au multimillionnaire Romney.

Il engrange ainsi un 11e État dans la course à l'investiture républicaine pour la Maison-Blanche, mais compte toujours à son actif deux fois moins de victoires que son rival modéré Mitt Romney.
Dans un courriel adressé à ses partisans dès l'annonce de sa victoire, M. Santorum a qualifié «d'historique» le scrutin de Louisiane.

«Romney a fait une campagne intensive ici en dépensant beaucoup d'argent, mais les Louisianais ne se sont pas laissés impressionner par les mensonges et la campagne négative: ils ont voté pour un authentique conservateur», a estimé M. Santorum, reprenant l'accusation de l'aile droite du parti républicain pour qui M. Romney est par trop modéré. » | Susan Finch | Agence France-Presse | La Nouvelle Orléans | samedi 24 mars 2012

'Pull Her by the Ear, Beat Her by Hand or Stick': How the Islamic Guide to a Happy Marriage Advises Husbands to Treat Their Wives

MAIL ONLINE: An Islamic 'marriage guide' book has sparked outrage - by advising men on the best ways to beat their wives.

A Gift For Muslim Couple tells husbands that they should beat their wives with 'hand or stick or pull her by the ears'.

But the book has faced a backlash from moderate Muslims who claim that it encourages domestic violence.

The 160-page book claims to be a 'presentation for newlyweds' or couples who have been together for some years. It is written by Maulavi Ashraf Ali Thanvi, who is understood to be a prominent Islamic scholar.

According to the book's blurb: 'The book... deals with the subject of marriage and after marriage relationship, as well as the various pitfalls of marriage, causes of breakdown and their causes.'

It also claims to give 'real life incidents' and advises on 'different aspects of family life and how to run the institution of marriage successfully'.

But within the book's opening pages it states that 'it might be necessary to restrain her with strength or even to threaten her.'

It continues: 'The husband should treat the wife with kindness and love, even if she tends to be stupid and slow sometimes.'

The author then gives the 'rights of the husband'. According to the book, these include his wife’s inability to leave 'his house without his permission'.

She must then 'fulfill his desires' and 'not allow herself to be untidy ... but should beautify herself for him'.

Worryingly, the book advises men that they should scold their wives. According to the book, they may also 'beat by hand or stick, withhold money from her or pull (her) by the ears.'

It the adds that men should 'refrain from beating her excessively.' Read on and comment »| Rick Dewsbury | Saturday, March 24, 2012

US Election: Rick Santorum Advert Compares Barack Obama with Iranian President
In a new campaign advert released by Republican candidate Rick Santorum, Barack Obama is compared to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and bleak consequences are depicted for a future with Mr Obama as a re-elected President.

Read the short article here | Saturday, March 24, 2012

Lavish Spending of America's First Family of Televangelism Revealed in Bitter Legal Feud

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America's "first family" of televangelism is being torn apart in a bitter legal feud which includes allegations of lavish spending on private jets, mansions and a $100,000 motor home for their pet dogs.

Paul Crouch, 77, and his wife Jan Crouch, 73, run the Trinity Broadcasting Network which delivers the Christian message to every continent except Antarctica 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It bills itself as "the world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith channel".

The network broadcasts prosperity gospel programming, which promises that believers will be materially rewarded, and raked in $92 million in donations in 2010.

During a recent Praise-A-Thon one preacher asked viewers to shout "Fear not" three times, count down from 10, and then rush to the phone with donations.

The couple's granddaughter Brittany Koper, 26, has now filed court papers claiming she was sacked after discovering "illegal financial schemes" adding up to tens of millions of dollars.

Mrs Koper claims she was made to turn over her house, life insurance policy, car, furniture and jewellery to the organisation as "an act of Christian contrition" when she complained about alleged financial misdeeds. » | Nick Allen | Los Angeles | Friday, March 23, 2012

Doesn’t any American who gives money to this questionable organization need his head read? Making mega-bucks from Jesus must surely be anathema to the teachings of Jesus Christ. And to Jesus Christ Himself! – © Mark

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney Has Heart Transplant

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Dick Cheney, the former US Vice President, is recovering in a Virginia hospital after undergoing a heart transplant.

Cheney, 71, who served as vice president in the George W. Bush administration, has had a long history of heart trouble.

He had his first heart attack in 1978 when he was just 37.

After his fourth heart attack in 2000 he had a defibrillator implanted in his chest. Despite the huge daily pressures on him, he didn't have another heart scare in the eight years he was in the White House, but afterwards, at Christmas 2009, just as he was backing his car out of the garage, "everything went blank" as he suffered his fifth heart attack.

The defibrillator saved his life. Afterwards he also had fitted a battery – operated pump to help his heart. It allowed him to live an active life hunting, fishing, travelling and playing with his grandchildren.

Discussing how he was considering a full – scale heart transplant, he told the Telegraph last September: "I'm very lucky to be alive." » | Adam Lusher | Sunday, March 25, 2012

Toulouse Shootings: The Making of a French Jihadi Killer with a Double Life

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Raised in a tough Toulouse suburb, Mohamed Merah's life was a bitter progression from juvenile delinquent to violent jihadist

His criminal career began with a volley of rocks – a handful of stones hurled at a passing bus by a bored delinquent.

It ended in a hail of 300 bullets, fired by France's most elite police after a 32-hour siege worthy of a Hollywood action movie.

In the space of a few years, Mohamed Merah rose from petty criminal to lethal jihadist – a man who fired at point blank range into the heads of school children, murdering seven people in a nine-day rampage.

The 23-year-old's violent life story finally came to an end on Thursday morning, when police in Toulouse shot him in the head after an intense six-minute gunfight. » | Harriet Alexander, and Fiona Govan, in Toulouse | Saturday, March 24, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Brother of Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah 'dined with him' before Jewish school shooting: The brother of Mohamed Merah, the Toulouse gunman who killed seven people in nine days of terrorist attacks, dined with his sibling hours before he murdered four people at a Jewish school. » | Harriet Alexander | Toulouse | Saturday, March 24, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: » | Harriet Alexander | Toulouse | Saturday, March 24, 2012

Mohamed Merah “dined with” his brother before the Jewish shooting. Dined indeed! Isn’t the verb ‘dine’ rather a grand verb to use for two young men who probably ate in the Islamic way – off a communal platter on the floor? Would it not be more accurate to say that ‘they ate’ together? – © Mark

Baroness Thatcher: 'If I Had My Time Again, I Wouldn’t Go Into Politics'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Baroness Thatcher confided to a leading Conservative MP that she would not have gone into politics if she had “had her time over again” because of what it had done to her family, a new book reveals.

The startling admission from the former prime minister is contained in a set of diaries by Lord Spicer, the Tory grandee, which is being serialised in tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph.

The book gives a well-placed insider’s view of the Thatcher years, including the Falklands War, the Brighton Bomb and her departure in 1990 when she was hounded out of office by her own party.

Lord Spicer, a former minister and party official who left Parliament at the 2010 election, also provides a vivid portrayal of the bitter struggle over the Maastricht Treaty which split the Conservatives and brought John Major’s government to its knees in the 1990s, as well as the fall of Iain Duncan Smith as Tory leader and the rise of David Cameron.

Lady Thatcher’s admission came in April 1995, shortly before Sir John’s resignation as Conservative leader – which followed years of warfare with the Right wing of his party which sought to use his predecessor, according to The Spicer Diaries, as a “rallying point.”

The former prime minister, Lord Spicer writes, had become disillusioned after stepping down in November 1990, telling him in the Commons in February 1991: “I hate coming to this place now.” » | Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor | Saturday, March 24, 2012

Pak: '100 Non-Muslims Forcibly Converted to Islam'
ZEE NEWS: Islamabad: The Pakistani minister responsible for the welfare of religious minorities has called for stronger legislation to protect them from forced conversions, alleging that 100 non-Muslim women, mostly Hindus, were forced to convert to Islam in recent months.

Minister for National Harmony Akram Masih Gill, himself a Christian, said such practices by Muslims went against the injunctions of Islam as the religion's laws prohibited forced conversion.

"We will seek a religious decree from the Council of Islamic Ideology and a ruling by the Federal Shariah Court on the issue before introducing the required law," Gill told The Express Tribune newspaper. » | PTI | Saturday, March 24, 2012

Gänswein: Verzerrtes Papstbild in Medien
KATHWEB: Papstsekretär präsentierte im Münchner Presseclub sein Buch zum 85. Geburtstag Joseph Ratzingers

München, (KAP) Der Privatsekretär des Papstes, Prälat Georg Gänswein, hat Teile der Medienberichterstattung über Benedikt XVI. kritisiert. Das Bild, das in einigen Medien früher von Kardinal Joseph Ratzinger und heute von Benedikt XVI. entworfen werde, sei in großem Maße eine "Verzeichnung", sagte Gänswein am Donnerstagabend im Münchner Presseclub bei der Präsentation seines Buches "Benedikt XVI. - Prominente über den Papst", das zum bevorstehenden 85. Geburtstag Joseph Ratzingers erschienen ist.

Gänswein erinnerte an den Skandal um den Holocaustleugner und Traditionalistenbischof Richard Williamson, dessen Exkommunikation der Papst im Jänner [Januar] 2009 aufgehoben hatte, ohne seine politischen Äußerungen zu kennen. Damals sei der Grad der Verzeichnung deutlich geworden. Neben der deutschsprachigen Presse habe seither vor allem die englischsprachige Presse im massiver Weise ein negatives Papstbild gepflegt. Er richte deshalb an die Medien die Bitte, diese Verzeichnung nach Möglichkeit zu korrigieren, so der aus Baden-Württemberg stammende Papstsekretär.

Wer die Worte des Papstes kenne und dann später lese, was veröffentlicht werde, frage sich bisweilen, ob er "im falschen Film sitze", erklärte Gänswein und widersprach Berichten, dass dem Papst negative Nachrichten vorenthalten würden. Benedikt XVI. werde informiert über Erfreuliches und weniger Erfreuliches, unter anderem über einen täglichen Pressespiegel. Er habe gelernt, mit Kritik umzugehen, wisse diese einzuordnen und nehme berechtigte Kritik auch an. » | Katholische Presseagentur Österreich | Freitag, 16. März 2012

Verwandt »

Who's on the Plane with the Pope?

Related »

Pope Benedict XVI: Marxist Ideology No Longer Corresponds to Reality
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Pope has warned that communism no longer works in Cuba and said the Church stands ready to aid a peaceful transition without "trauma".


Speaking days before the first papal visit to the Caribbean dictatorship of Cuba in 14 years, Pope Benedict XVI said: "Today it is evident that Marxist ideology in the way it was conceived no longer corresponds to reality."

On the plane taking him from Rome for a five-day trip to Mexico and Cuba, he said that the 53-year-old communist system in Havana "can no longer respond and build a society", and called for "new models" to replace it.

Pope Benedict offered the help of the Church in achieving a peaceful transition on the island, saying the process required patience but also "much decisiveness."

"We want to help in a spirit of dialogue to avoid traumas and to help move forward a society which is fraternal and just, which is what we desire for the whole world," he added. » | Saturday, March 24, 2012

Related »

Egyptian Cleric Muhammad Hussein Yaaqub Calls for the Implementation of Islamic Punishments in Egypt: Execution, Crucifixion, and the Amputation of Opposite Hands and Feet – Al-Nas TV (Egypt) - March 16, 2012

Egyptian Cleric Wagdi Ghoneim Praises Allah for the Death of Pope Shenouda III: "May Allah Exact Revenge from Him in the Hellfire"

Turkish TV Commercial Uses Hitler to Advertise Shampoo

Gingrich: It's Obama's Fault People Think He's Muslim
CBS NEWS: PORT FOURCHON, La. - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich suggested Friday that President Obama is to blame for perceptions among his detractors that he is Muslim.

"I have said publicly several times that I believe Obama is a Christian. He went to a Christian church for over 20 years. He was listening to the sermons. The fact is I take him at his word," Gingrich said told reporters in Louisiana the day before the GOP primary here.

"But I think it is very bizarre that he is desperately concerned to apologize to Muslim religious fanatics while they are killing young Americans, while at the same time going to war against the Catholic Church and against every right-to-life Protestant organization in the country. I just think it's a very strange value system," Gingrich added.

Then, asked whether it concerned him that many people continue to believe Obama is Muslim, Gingrich replied, "It should bother the president. Why does the president behave the way that people would think that? You have to ask, why would they believe that? It's not because they're stupid. It's because they watch the kind of things I just described to you. When you have every bishop in the Catholic Church say this administration's at war with their religion, you don't think that has an impact?" » | Sarah Huisenga | Friday, March 23, 2012

Pope Says Communism Does Not Work in Cuba

REUTERS.COM: Pope Benedict said on Friday communism no longer works in Cuba and that the Roman Catholic Church was ready to help the island find new ways of moving forward without "trauma."

Speaking on the plane taking him from Rome for a five-day trip to Mexico and Cuba, the pope told reporters: "Today it is evident that Marxist ideology in the way it was conceived no longer corresponds to reality.

Responding to a question about his visit to the island, a communist bastion off the coast of the United States for more than 50 years, Benedict added: "In this way we can no longer respond and build a society. New models must be found with patience and in a constructive way."

Benedict offered the help of the Church in achieving a peaceful transition on the island, saying the process required patience but also "much decisiveness."

"We want to help in a spirit of dialogue to avoid traumas and to help move forward a society which is fraternal and just, which is what we desire for the whole world," the pope added.

His comments drew a cautious response from Cuba's government. » | Philip Pullella | ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE | Friday, March 23, 2012

Related »

Pope Begins Mexican Journey
March 23 - Pope Benedict uses a walking stick for the first time as he departs for Mexico where residents are eagerly awaiting his arrival. Sunita Rappai reports.

Related »

Muslim Muscovites Pray in Snow
ON ISLAM: MOSCOW – Lacking enough mosques to perform their prayers, Muslim worshippers in the Russian capital, Moscow, find no other option but to pray outside in the snow.

"We are asking the authorities to let us build new mosques, but they are ignoring our demands," Hasan Fakhritdinov, imam of Moscow’s Historical Mosque, told the BBC News Online on Thursday, March 22.

“Now people have to pray outside in the rain or the snow."

Moscow is home to a Muslim minority of more than two million, one of Europe’s biggest cities with Muslim concentration.

But the city has only four mosques, which cannot cope with the flow of worshippers on Fridays.

This forces many worshippers to pray outside the mosque in the freezing weather. » | OnIslam & News Agencies | Thursday, March 22, 2012

Amtsantritt von Joachim Gauck
Der neue Bundespräsident Deutschlands hält an seiner Vereidigung eine Antrittsrede. Der Nachfolger von Christian Wulff spricht darin über Deutschland und die Notwendigkeit von Freiheit, Mut und Selbstvertrauen. Einschätzungen von SF-Korrespondent Stefan Reinhart aus Berlin.

Verwandt »

Toulouse: Neue Gesetze nach Anschlägen
Nachdem eine Spezialeinheit der Polizei in Toulouse den mutmasslichen Serienmörder getötet hat, wird diskutiert, welche Konsequenzen aus der Tat zu ziehen sind. Die französische Regierung will Gesetze einführen, um eine solche Tat künftig zu verhindern.

O'Reilly: The Far Left Demanding Censorship

Inside Story: Is Latin America Losing Its faith?
As Pope Benedict XVI makes his first-ever visit to the region we ask what are the challenges facing the Catholic church.

UN Condemns Mali Coup, World Bank Stops Aid
The UN Security Council has condemned the coup in Mali while top officials said fallout from the Libya civil war had increased the frustration of soldiers who ousted the president. Security Council members "strongly condemn the forcible seizure of power from the democratically-elected government of Mali by some elements of the Malian armed forces," said a council statement. The 15-nation body called on the soldiers "to ensure the safety and security of President Amadou Toumani Toure and to return to their barracks." The council demanded "the release of all detained Malian officials" and the "immediate restoration of constitutional rule and the democratically elected government," said the statement read to reporters by Britain's UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, the council president, for March. Al Jazeera's Azhar Sukri reports.

US to Resume Military Aid to Egypt
The US will give $1.3bn in military aid to Egypt despite concerns that Cairo has not met conditions imposed last year that it should take concrete steps towards a more democratic form of government.

The Egyptian military's continued crackdown on non-violent protesters and Cairo's harassment of NGOs that promote civic engagement had led to calls for the aid to be withheld.

And critics say that in deciding to give Egypt the money, the US is putting its strategic interests ahead of human rights.

Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan reports.

AIPAC Conference: Is Obama a True Friend to Israel?
PJ Media's Roger L. Simon reports on the recent AIPAC conference and gets reactions from AIPAC attendees on the speeches delivered by President Obama and Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. Does Obama really have Israel's best interests in mind? Hear what the AIPAC crowd thinks.

Related »

Anti-Semitism and Murder in France: Some Deeper Problems within French Society Explored
Roger L. Simon interviews French PJ Media Correspondent Michel Gurfinkiel about the latest from France. The perpetrator is now dead, but some important questions remain for France. Is mass immigration turning into a problem? How can we overcome the paralysis of political correctness? And lastly, what can we do about the threat of radical Islam? Find out in this exclusive interview.

Toulouse Shooting Exposes Rift between French Jews and Muslims
HAARETZ: The unease between communities is one of the reasons CRIF dropped out of Sunday's planned march against intolerance.

Several Muslim and Jewish leaders appeared united on French television after the attack in Toulouse, but officials within the Jewish community have no illusions: French Jews and Muslims are deeply divided.

"Don't tell me French Muslims appreciate Jews - 50 percent of them hate Jews," Rabbi Michel Sarfati told Haaretz on Thursday. The rabbi created the Jewish-Muslim friendship group and has traveled across France for several years preaching moderation.

"Many hate Jews because extremist imams denigrate Jews in their sermons. They say we're Israel's puppets. Moderate Muslims try to fight this hatred, but they're being threatened, and they get no support from the state."

The killing in Toulouse has not improved relations between the communities.

One of the Muslim moderates is Dalil Boubakeur, mufti of the Great Mosque of Paris, who was received together with Richard Prasquier, president of CRIF, the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, and France's chief rabbi at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday.

Boubaker promised Muslims would pray for all the killer's victims, like the Jews did after the school massacre. Many Muslims, in the same spirit, showed solidarity with the Jewish community. But on the whole, there is a feeling the killings only worsened the gap between the communities.

"Look at the Internet forums - some extremist leaders criticize the Jews for getting sympathy after the killing," said Sarfati.

Another member of the Jewish-Muslim friendship association was alarmed by Muslims who admire the killer. "To them Mohamed Merah is a hero. Unfortunately, that view isn't as rare as you'd think," he said. » | Shirli Sitbon | Friday, March 23, 2012

Syria: Asma al-Assad to Be Hit with EU Sanctions

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of Syrian President Bashar, will be hit with a travel ban and have her assets in the EU frozen today.

The four women closest to President Assad are to be added to the European Union's sanctions list at a meeting of Europe's foreign ministers today.

The Syrian leader's wife, mother, sister and sister-in-law will be added to the travel ban and asset freeze blacklist as the EU steps pressure on Assad's inner circle and family.
The inclusion of Asma al-Assad follows the leak of emails detailing her shopping sprees earlier this week.

William Hague, the Foreign Secretary said: "Their behaviour continues to be murdering and totally unacceptable in the eyes of the world."

The 36-year-old former investment banker and the female relatives of regime members will join another eight government officials and two oil firms added to 114 Syrians and 38 organisations subject to freezes on their assets and bank accounts in EU member states. » | Bruno Waterfield | Brussels | Friday, March 23, 2012

Imam Sarkozy on Toulouse Jihadist: "The Muslim Faith Has Nothing to Do with the Insane Acts of This Man"
JIHAD WATCH: Muhammad Merah's murders had everything to do with Islam: he claimed affiliation with al-Qaeda and may have trained with the Taliban, both of which are explicitly and ostentatiously Muslim groups that justify all their actions by reference to the Qur'an and Sunnah. He claimed to be a mujahid, which is a warrior of jihad, which is an Islamic theological and legal concept. He killed Muslim soldiers who fought in the infidel military -- something that only someone who considered one's loyalty to the umma to trump all other loyalties would have done. So grounded is Merah's massacre in Islam that it is virtually inconceivable that he would have carried it out had he not been a Muslim. And so Sarkozy is, like every other leader in the West, whistling in the dark, trying to pretend that there is no problem when there is a huge problem, and basing the future of his nation on the fantasy that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in France do not believe the same things Muhammad Merah believed. Read on and comment » | Robert Spencer | Thursday, March 22, 2012

Europe's Muslim Nightmare
YNET NEWS: Op-ed: Europeans horrified to discover that they must contend with homegrown terrorists

As long as we were dealing with Islamic terrorists arriving in Western Europe from the Middle East and not part of local society, it was possible to monitor them and thwart their terror intentions. They were foreigners. Yet what happens when the terrorists are French or European locals of Muslim descent who were born in Europe? To what extent can their actions be monitored and their terror activities curbed? It’s much more difficult, and this is the European nightmare, which keeps growing, as illustrated by the brutal murder in Toulouse.

These Muslim European youngsters, some of whom view jihad as a model for imitation, are deeply familiar with European society and its constitutional, security and moral vulnerabilities. Studies show that Muslim youths born in Europe are much more radical than the generation of their immigrant parents, who were preoccupied with making a living.

A fascinating and important study by British think tank Policy Exchange found that Muslim youngsters in Britain are quickly moving towards radicalization, Islamization, and a desire to change Britain’s identity to conform to Islam. These are loud warning signs, yet nobody can do anything about it in Europe for fear of being accused of primitivism. » | Guy Bechor | Friday, March 23, 2012

Fears of Anti-Semitism: More and More French Jews Emigrating to Israel

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: More and more French Jews are buying homes in Israel amid fears of rising anti-Semitism in France. Many complain of being harrassed in public and feel the country is no longer a safe place to raise their children. In the wake of the Toulouse attacks, the wave of emigration is only likely to increase.

Many must have been reminded of the treatment of Jews under the Third Reich. Shortly after the attack on a Jewish school in the southern French city of Toulouse on Monday, school principals in the city walked into classrooms and asked the Jewish pupils to come forward. "We ask you to leave the class and join the other Jewish children, who are in a locked and safe location."

It was intended as a precaution in response to a request from the Jewish community. But it also highlights the degree to which many Jews in France feel that they are a threatened and increasingly excluded minority. Every year, these feelings prompt thousands to take a dramatic decision, namely, to pack their belongings and move to a crisis zone: Israel. They feel safer there.

Five years ago, Linda moved from Paris to Canada and then to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. Only a week ago, she, her husband and their two sons faced a hail of rockets from the Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, Linda, who doesn't want to be identified by her last name, is delighted to be living in France no longer. "It's much safer here than in France," she says.

"Anti-Semitism has become unbearable there," she says. "Children are harassed on their way to school just because they're Jews." She adds that she was also the victim of such harassment in the middle of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. "I was wearing a necklace with a Star of David attached to it," she recalls. "Someone barged into me. I said to him: 'You ought to excuse yourself!' All he said was that he didn't apologize to Jews." » | Gil Yaron in Tel Aviv | Thursday, March 22, 2012

Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan

Der Original-Artikel:

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Jüdische Fluchtwelle: Lieber Raketenhagel als Leben in Frankreich – Immer mehr französische Juden kaufen sich Wohnungen in Israel - schon lange vor den Mordattacken fühlten sie sich mit ihren Familien in der alten Heimat nicht mehr sicher. Der Anschlag von Toulouse könnte die Auswanderungswelle noch verstärken. » | Von Gil Yaron, Tel Aviv | Mittwoch, 21. März 2012

YNET NEWS: A Jew-free Europe: Op-ed: The ongoing process of Jews leaving European continent is tragic but unavoidable » | Giulio Meotti | Thursday, March 22, 2012

Neues Staatsoberhaupt: Joachim Gauck als Bundespräsident vereidigt

SPIEGEL ONLINE: "So wahr mir Gott helfe": In einer feierlichen Zeremonie ist Joachim Gauck vor Bundestag und Bundesrat als neues Staatsoberhaupt vereidigt worden. In seiner Grundsatzrede sagt er: "Ich empfinde mein Land vor allem als ein Land des Demokratiewunders."

Berlin - Der neue Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck ist vor Bundestag und Bundesrat vereidigt worden. Er sprach die von der Verfassung vorgegebene Eidesformel mit dem Zusatz: "So wahr mir Gott helfe". Er schwor seinen Eid auf die Originalausgabe des Grundgesetzes.

In seiner ersten Grundsatzrede im Amt sprach Gauck zuerst über sein Lebensthema, die Freiheit. "Ich empfinde mein Land vor allem als ein Land des Demokratiewunders", sagte er, mit Blick auf die Nachkriegsgeschichte. "Erst wenn die Menschen aufstehen und sagen: 'Wir sind das Volk', werden die Menschen sagen können: 'Wir sind ein Volk'", sagte Gauck. Er appellierte an die Zuversicht aller. "Ängste vermindern unseren Mut wie unser Selbstvertrauen. Und manchmal so entscheidend, dass wir beides ganz und gar verlieren können."

Gauck kam auch auf soziale Unterschiede und soziale Gerechtigkeit zu sprechen. "Wir dürfen es nicht zulassen, dass Menschen glauben, sie könnten nicht Teil unserer Gesellschaft sein", sagte das Staatsoberhaupt. "In unserem Land sollen auch alle Zuhause sein können, die hier leben", sagte er, es gebe "andere Sprachen, andere Religionen, andere Kulturen". Das Anliegen seines Amtsvorgängers Wulff, für mehr Verständigung einzutreten, werde auch ihm am Herzen liegen. » | ffr/dpa/dapd | Freitag, 23. März 2012

Islamistischer Terror: Potentielle Zeitbomben
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Vom islamistischen Terrorismus geht mitten unter uns noch immer eine Gefahr aus. Wer mordet, entführt, Enthauptungen bejubelt, verdient keine Nachsicht. Nur die kühle Härte rechtsstaatlicher Gesetze.

In Toulouse erschießen Scharfschützen der Polizei den mutmaßlichen islamistischen Serienmörder Mohammed Merah. In Koblenz wird ein Mann wegen Verbreitung dschihadistischer Propaganda zu fünf Jahren Haft verurteilt. Und in einer Videobotschaft will der Al-Qaida-Ableger in Nordafrika eine in Schwäbisch Gmünd einsitzende Terrorhelferin freipressen, im Austausch gegen einen im Januar in Nigeria entführten deutschen Ingenieur.

Diese zeitliche Übereinstimmung sie mag zufällig sein, ist ebenso frappierend wie makaber. Auch reichen die beiden Deutschland betreffenden Fälle zweifellos nicht an die Kaltblütigkeit und Schwere der Verbrechen in Frankreich heran, die ein ganzes Land hatten treffen sollen und deren Schockwellen Israel erreicht haben. » | Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger | Dienstag, 22. März 2012

Toulouse: Serienmörder Merah stand auf Terrorliste der USA
WELT ONLINE: Den US-Sicherheitsbehörden war der Attentäter, der sieben Menschen getötet hat, schon früh aufgefallen. Er stand auf der "no-fly"-Liste für Terrorverdächtige.

Nach der Erschießung des islamistischen Serienattentäters von Toulouse beim Zugriff ist Kritik an den Spezialkräften laut geworden. Es müsse gefragt werden, warum es der Polizei-Eliteeinheit Raid als „bester Einheit“ der französischen Polizei nicht gelungen sei, einen einzelnen Mann lebend zu fassen, sagte der Gründer einer anderen französischen Spezialeinheit, Christian Prouteau, der Zeitung „Ouest France“. Die Operation sei „ohne klares taktisches Schema“ ausgeführt worden. » | AFP/Reuters/ks | Freitag, 23. März 2012

Verwandt »

Les Soldats du Califat voulaient punir la France
LE FIGARO: L'organisation terroriste qui a revendiqué la tuerie de Toulouse est un groupe pakistano-afghan lié à al-Qaida.

Les «Soldats du Califat» (Jound al-Khalifah) ont revendiqué jeudi dans un communiqué la tuerie de Toulouse et appelé la France à revoir sa politique à l'égard des «musulmans».

Le 25 octobre, ce groupe, basé le long de la frontière afghano-pakistanaise, avait menacé le gouvernement du Khazakstan, qui venait - après la France - d'imposer une loi interdisant le port du voile intégral dans les établissements publics. Cette initiative a été citée par Mohamed Merah comme l'une des raisons ayant justifié ses gestes fous de Toulouse et de Montauban. » | Par Georges Malbrunot | jeudi 22 mars 2012

Lien en relation avec l’article »

US Soldier to Be Charged with 17 Counts of Murder over Afghan Killings
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A US soldier will be charged with 17 counts of murder over the killings of civilians in a rampage in southern Afghanistan, a US official said on Thursday.

The official, confirming the murder charges on condition of anonymity, also said Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales would be charged with six counts of assault and attempted murder.

Bales, 38, is alleged to have walked out of his base in the southern province of Kandahar under cover of darkness March 11 and killed 17 people in two nearby villages, including women and children, and burning some of their bodies. He later returned to his base and gave himself up.

The charges raise by one the number of deaths reported immediately after the atrocity, which plunged relations between the United States and Afghanistan to their lowest point in a decade of war. » | Friday, March 23, 2012

Whitney Houston 'Had Taken Cocaine before Accidentally Drowning in Her Bath'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Whitney Houston had taken cocaine shortly before accidentally drowning in her bath, according to a coroner's officer.

The 48-year-old singer was found submerged in a tub in her room at the Beverly Hilton on Feb 12, the night before the Grammy Awards. The release of autopsy findings ends weeks of speculation about what killed her.

Los Angeles County Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said the cause of death was accidental drowning due to the effects of heart disease and cocaine use.

Cocaine and its by[-]products were found in her system, and it was listed as a contributing factor in her death. He said the results indicated Houston was a chronic cocaine user. » | Nick Allen | Los Angeles | Thursday, March 22, 2012


Related »

Inside Story: Is Harmful Rhetoric On the Rise in Europe?
As France tries to ascertain the links in the recent shootings we ask how far politics instigate such attacks.

Related »

Jeremy Corbyn talks BS! We do indeed need to re-think our strategy! We need to limit immigration. Islam and Western values are totally and utterly immiscible. It is high time that we start to come to terms with this FACT. Islam is anti-Semitic at its core. Argue with that fact, Mr. Corbyn. – © Mark

Ancient Hatred: Understanding Iran's War on Jews

This Pampered Private School Elite Can Only Lead to US Decline
THE GUARDIAN: Insulated from any real-world experience, these 'cotton-wool kids' are ill-equipped to cope with global competition

I recently attended an event to welcome new parents to a private school in Manhattan. The options presented to the wealthy parents were jaw-dropping: kayaking and skiing for field trips; yoga among dozens of electives; the school gives each kid a new iPad. Parents asked one question after another about the offerings, sounding more as though they were evaluating a luxury vacation than preparing themselves to support their kids to exert themselves in a challenging environment. It was when one student presenter began to enthuse about the availability of the teachers – "You can email them anytime, you can call them anytime, they will always meet with you and help you: they are always there for you!" – that I became really uneasy.

Was that, I wondered, what teachers should be for students?

This school is not at all unusual in Manhattan's elite private school environment. If anything, it is restrained. A trend in Manhattan's wealthy private schools, as in major cities across the United States, reproduces this set of delights and more, as each competes to offer affluent parents, who can afford the $40,000 annually that such schools cost, the most fabulous experience for the child. Part of this trend is the excision of any part of the school experience for kids that is, in any way, unpleasant, taxing, scary or boring. I believe that these kids are being put at serious risk by this trend to smooth away any of life's rough spots, once kids are within private school doors; and that US competitiveness and innovation even are being put at risk by it. » | Naomi Wolf | Thursday, March 22, 2012

Toulouse Shooting: Nicolas Sarkozy Says Gunman Was a 'Monster'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday that the young man who carried out a string of gun attacks that claimed seven lives in southwest France was a "monster".

"These crimes were not the work of a madman. A madman is irresponsible. These crimes were the work of a fanatic and a monster," he told a rally in Strasbourg as he got back on his re-election campaign trail.

"To look for an explanation ... would be a moral fault," Sarkozy said.

In a dramatic end to a 32-hour standoff, a masked French SWAT team slipped into the apartment of Mohamed Merah, an Islamist extremist on Thursday, sparking a firefight that ended with the suspect jumping out the window and being shot in the head. » | Thursday, March 22, 2012

LE MONDE: Mohamed Merah, l'homme aux cent visages » | Par Emeline Cazi et Ariane Chemin | jeudi 22 mars 2012

Related »

Michael Bloomberg Commits $220 Million in Fight against Smoking
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Michael Bloomberg has committed $220 million over the next four years to fighting tobacco use across the world.

The billionaire mayor of New York, who previously introduced a ban on outdoor smoking in his own city, will provide the money for causes including legal challenges against the tobacco industry in other countries.

Announcing the move Mr Bloomberg called tobacco "a scourge all over the world" and accused cigarette makers of "nefarious activities."

He said his charitable foundation will focus on low and moderate income countries where nearly 80 per cent of smokers live, including Russia, China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Mr Bloomberg, who is attending the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore, said his charity will monitor the tobacco industry's strategies and offer legal support to counter its pushback against antismoking campaigns. Read on and comment » | Nick Allen | Los Angeles | Thursday, March 22, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Budget 2012: Tobacco tax 'boosts smugglers' – Tobacco companies said criminals were last night handed a giant windfall after the Government hoisted duty on cigarettes by 5pc above inflation. » | Nathalie Thomas | Thursday, March 22, 2012

My comment:

The meddlesome mayor of New York is at it again!

Bloomberg is an ex-chain-smoker. There are none worse that the converted. He gave up, so he wants the rest of the world to give up too. One thing is for sure: he doesn't believe in consumer choice.

Having said all that, I should like to make it clear that I certainly do not condone children smoking (as shown in the photo). In fact, I find it repulsive.

But these countries listed above have governments of their own to deal with this problem. And one can't but ask oneself one simple but important question: Isn't there a cause closer to home for Bloomberg to meddle in? Why doesn't he try and tackle the poverty in the States, caused by the serious economic downturn? Many people are going to bed hungry in America. Do something about that, Mr. Bloomberg!

Further, this article does not make clear whether Bloomberg is spending his own money, or taxpayers'.

Regarding Bloomberg being an ex-chain-smoker, it is interesting to note that Google has been cleansed of any reference to this fact. Who paid whom here, I wonder? – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Children Who Speak English at Home in Minority
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Children with English as their home language are now the minority of pupils in more than 1,600 schools across England.

The number of these schools is rising by about one every week as the effects of migration into the UK are showing in the nation's classrooms.

Data now shows that close to one million pupils who attend schools in England do not have English as their first language at home.

There are 97 schools where children with English as their first language are in such a minority that they make up less than one in twenty pupils.

The statistics released by the Department of Education shows that in 1997, when Tony Blair first came to power, there were 866 schools in England where more than 50% of the pupils had English as a second language.

Last year that figure had ballooned to 1,638 schools, almost double the 1997 level. » | Thursday, March 22, 2012

My comment:

That we have allowed so many immigrants into our country that we now have an English language problem in our schools is nothing short of a national disgrace. Language is the buckle that binds a nation. The United Kingdom without English as its first and main language will be a disunited kingdom indeed. Shouldn’t the powers-that-be that have allowed this dire situation to come about be pilloried in the public square? My word, how this country has changed in my lifetime! So much for multiculturalism! – © Mark