Nigerian Christian Worshippers Targeted by Islamic Terrorists
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Suspected Islamic terrorists killed as many as 20 Christian worshippers in an attack on a makeshift church at a university in northern Nigeria.

Several small bombs, believed to have been fashioned from fizzy drinks cans, were thrown into a lecture hall that was being used for a Sunday morning service in Kano, a city that has been repeatedly attacked by Muslim radicals.

The explosions killed one person and injured many others. But as the crowd fled the lecture hall, gunmen waiting outside opened fire with automatic rifles.

Several dozen people who had been unable to enter the building, at Kano's Bayero University, who were listening to the service outdoors were also targeted.

Within minutes, as many as 19 others were killed, and their bodies littered the campus grounds as the gunfire continued for up to half an hour more, witnesses said.

"I was inside and we were preparing for a prayer when there was the sound of motorbikes driving fast and then the first explosion," one student worshipper, who gave her name only as Grace, said.

"Everything then happened very fast. There were more bombs, I think, and so many gunshots, there was too much noise and people were panicking." » | Mike Pflanz, Nairobi | Sunday, April 29, 2012

France Election: Nicolas Sarkozy Forced to Deny He Received 50 Million Euros from Muammar Gaddafi

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy was forced to deny allegations he had received 50 million euros from the late Muammar Gaddafi as France's presidential rivals accused each other of dirty tricks a week before election day.

With the contest approaching its climax, Mr Sarkozy effectively accused his left wing rivals of orchestrating what he described as a “despicable forgery”.

Amid mutual smear claims, Mr Sarkozy and François Hollande held giant rallies in Paris and Toulouse on Sunday ahead of a crunch two-and-a-half-hour televised debate on Wednesday. More than 20 million French are expected to tune in for the lone duel ahead of the May 6 runoff that Mr Hollande is polled to win by up to 10 percentage points.

On Saturday, the investigative news website Mediapart [E] published what it said was a copy of a Libyan regime document proving that Mr Sarkozy and Col Gaddafi – onetime allies – had an illegal financial arrangement to help propel Mr Sarkozy to power in 2007.

Written in Arabic and signed by Moussa Koussa, Col Gaddafi’s intelligence chief in 2006, it refers to an “agreement in principle to support the campaign for the candidate for the presidential elections, Nicolas Sarkozy, for a sum equivalent to 50 million euros.”

However, the memo’s supposed recipient – Bashir Saleh, Gaddafi’s former chief of staff and head of his sovereign wealth fund – yesterday denied receiving such a document. A lawyer for Mr Saleh, currently in exile in France, said he expressed his “grave reservations” over its authenticity. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Sunday, April 29, 2012

Geert Wilders on BBC’s Hardtalk with Stephen Sackur
Geert Wilders speaking on BBC Hardtalk in August 2008.

Geert Wilders- Ich muss seit 8 Jahren mit schußsicherer Weste debattieren (2010)

Islam in Deutschland: Von Muslima zu Atheistin

The Council That Kept Its Prayers – by Dropping God
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A council has dropped references to God from the prayer with which it opens meetings, under pressure from secularist campaigners.

For as long as anyone can remember, councillors in Gloucestershire have stood up for a brief prayer before their meetings get under way.

But when three agnostic and atheist members staged a protest against the historic practice by remaining seated, the chairman decided something must be done to retain council unity.

So he hit upon an apparently ingenious solution: from now on, the prayer would still be said – but with all references to God removed.

So rather than asking "may He give us wisdom to carry out our duties ...", the chairman now states "may we find the wisdom ..." - and the "prayer" still ends with the chairman leading other members in saying "amen".

The authority is one of dozens across Britain which have recently scrapped or significantly altered their custom of saying prayers at the start of meetings under pressure from secular campaigners, who argue the practice breaches their human rights and excludes non-believers and people from other faiths. » | Jasper Copping | Sunday, April 29, 2012

Rachida Dati, Immigrant's Daughter, Battles to Help Nicolas Sarkozy Win Back Far-Right Supporters

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: As Nicolas Sarkozy courts the far-Right vote in rural France, how can his favourite immigrant's daughter, Rachida Dati, help? She tells Kim Willsher why he must win.

Rachida Dati seems an unlikely figure to be wooing supporters of France's far right Front National party.

Needs must, however, and the daughter of a North African bricklayer who clawed her way to the top of the establishment ladder, before falling out of favour with President Nicolas Sarkozy, is now a key figure in his desperate battle to salvage his political career.

In his hour of need, Mr Sarkozy is rallying the troops to win over the 6.4 million French electors who voted for Marine Le Pen in the first round of the presidential election a week ago.

In response to being returned to the fold as one of the president's cheerleaders, Miss Dati has launched a spirited defence of what critics have called a "moral fault" by the current president, accusing him of veering dangerously into FN territory to save his skin.

"You cannot say that these people, 18 per cent of the electorate, are racists and xenophobic. It's not true," Miss Dati told The Sunday Telegraph in an exclusive interview.

"I have met and talked to FN voters and they are exasperated and afraid that the socialists will come to power. They are worried about Europe being a colander in terms of immigration, they are worried about companies moving elsewhere, they are worried about jobs and the cost of living, and security.

"It's for us to say to the FN voters, 'We have heard your preoccupations', to say to them that while the FN may have raised some good questions, it has proposed no solutions except rejecting others, creating scapegoats and the politics of hatred." » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Sunday, April 29, 2012

British Aid Worker Khalil Dale Found Dead in Pakistan

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The decapitated body of a British aid worker has been found in Pakistan three months after he was kidnapped.

Khalil Dale, a 60-year-old Muslim convert, was working for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Quetta, capital of Baluchistan, one of the most troubled of Pakistan’s regions, when he was snatched.

Local officials said his bullet-riddled body was found on a road outside the city in a bag addressed to the police chief. A note said he had been killed because a ransom had not been paid.

Yves Daccord, Director-General of the ICRC, condemned the killing.

“All of us at the ICRC and at the British Red Cross share the grief and outrage of Khalil’s family and friends,” he said.

“We are devastated. Khalil was a trusted and very experienced Red Cross staff member who significantly contributed to the humanitarian cause.”

Mr Dale, who is originally from Manchester and converted to Islam 30 years ago, was also known as Ken. » | Rob Crilly, Islamabad | Sunday, April 29, 2012

Barack Obama Cracks Jokes at Republican Rivals Expense at White House Correspondent's Dinner
President Barack Obama takes aim at his political rivals, all in the name of entertainment of course, at the White House Correspondent's Association dinner in Washington, D.C.

Read the short article here | Sunday, April 29, 2012

Cardinal O’Brien Accuses David Cameron of ‘Immoral’ Tax Stance

BBC: The UK's most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, has said he believes the prime minister is acting immorally by putting the needs of the rich ahead of those of ordinary citizens affected by the recession.

Cardinal O'Brien, who is the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, has also branded David Cameron's opposition to a "Robin Hood tax" on financial institutions as "shameful".

In a BBC Scotland interview, the Cardinal said: "My message to David Cameron, as the head of our government, is to seriously think again about this Robin Hood tax, the tax to help the poor by taking a little bit from the rich.

"The poor have suffered tremendously from the financial disasters of recent years and nothing, really, has been done by the very rich people to help them.

"And I am saying to the prime minister, look, don't just protect your very rich colleagues in the financial industry, consider the moral obligation to help the poor of our country."

The UK government has opposed the unilateral introduction of a tax on financial transactions, arguing jobs and investment would be lost overseas. But the Cardinal said he believes that position is immoral because, he maintains it overlooks the needs of the poorest in society and those of the less well-off.

He said: "When I say poor, I don't (only) mean the abject poverty we see sometimes in our streets.

"I mean people who would have considered themselves reasonably well-off.

"People who have saved for their pensions and now realise their pension funds are no more.

"People who are considering giving up their retirement homes that they have been saving for, poverty affecting young couples and so on and so on.

"It is these people who have had to suffer because of the financial disasters of recent years and it is immoral. It is not moral, just to ignore them and to say 'struggle along', while the rich can go sailing along in their own sweet way." » | David Miller | BBC Scotland | Sunday, April 29, 2012

David Cameron's Heartbroken Former Lover Becomes a Nun Called Sister John Mary: 'I Thought of Marriage... Then God Called,' Says PM Ex

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: With her long serge habit, make-up-free face and closely cropped hair hidden by a traditional wimple, she appears indistinguishable from her fellow Benedictine nuns.

Sister John Mary is devoted to a never-ending ritual of worship and work at her convent with the 36 sisters who follow the Rule of St Benedict on an isolated 400-acre farm.

It’s a life she was called to but it is hardly one the 44-year-old glamorous blonde seemed destined for when she worked in London at Conservative Party HQ - with her ambitious young boyfriend David Cameron.

Sister John Mary’s real name is Laura Adshead. She is a former pupil of £24,000-a-year Cheltenham Ladies’ College, from where she went up to Oxford - meeting Mr Cameron when they were young undergraduates.

Laura dated him from the spring of 1990 until summer 1991, and while he worked at Conservative Central Office, she went on to become the then Prime Minister John Major’s correspondence secretary.

Then their lives took different turns. Mr Cameron was selected for political stardom, while Laura left politics to study at the Wharton business school in Philadelphia. » | Caroline Graham and Sharon Churcher | Saturday, April 28, 2012

Politicians Braced for Backlash as Europe Turns Against Austerity

THE OBSERVER: Voters sick of endless belt-tightening are threatening a backlash that could sweep their political leaders from power if they do not listen to the growing chorus for change

At the end of last month, 5,000 people marched through Dublin to protest against the imposition of a €100 (£80) household tax that the Irish government was already struggling to collect from voters sick of austerity measures imposed on a stagnating economy.

It was a small demonstration by the standards of some that have taken place across Europe in recent months – in places such as Syntagma Square in Athens, or in Spanish cities during the general strike that took place just before the Dublin protest – but numbers on the streets are not everything these days.

As polls in Ireland revealed last week, support for the coalition government's policies is collapsing, while backing for Sinn Féin – which is calling for a "no" vote in next month's referendum on the EU fiscal compact that would bind member states other than the UK, which opted out, to budget deficits of 3% or less in perpetuity – has propelled it into the rank of Ireland's second most popular party after Fine Gael. Whether there will still be a fiscal compact to vote on, when the Irish go to the polls, is a moot point. The likely winner of the second round of the French presidential elections next Sunday, the Socialist, François Hollande – who some polls put nine points ahead of the incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy – has said he would revise the deal.

In recent days, the Dutch coalition government has been brought down by the departure of Geert Wilders's far-right Freedom party, which was unwilling to sign up to a budget in line with the EU's belt-tightening package, even though the Dutch government has been one of the most aggressively in favour of imposing harsh austerity measures on members such as Greece and Portugal. Indeed, opinion polls in the Netherlands suggest that if elections – set for September – took place today, parties opposing the austerity regime might, both to the left and far right, win up to a third of seats. » | Peter Beaumont | Sunday, April 29, 2012

Iran Planning to Cut Internet Access to Rest of World
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran is drawing up plans to cut off its internet users from the rest of the world with a so-called Halal or "clean" internet.

Iranians are already used to censors blocking Facebook, Gmail and foreign news sites, and being spied on with surveillance software purchased from Western companies.

But the ambitious plans would go much further, blocking access to foreign-based social media sites and email. Instead, there will be an Iranian version of Facebook and a new email service, to be called Iran Mail. Users will have to register their home address and social security number with police.

The plans have received the backing of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most powerful man in Iran, who has denounced the internet as sinful and a means for the West to wage "soft war" by invading Iranian culture.

But his real target is anti-regime activists who have relied on the internet since the failure of the "Green Revolution" which followed the disputed 2009 election. Since then security has been so tight on Iran's streets that protests are broken up almost as soon as they start.

When the system, called Halal internet or National Internet by the regime, is introduced this summer only a few approved and carefully monitored businesses and government departments will have access to the World Wide Web. In effect Iran will have a giant, country-wide intranet, with cyber police blocking websites that are not approved. Read on and comment » | Nick Meo | Saturday, April 28, 2012

Saudi Closes Embassy in Egypt Following Protests
ASSOCIATED PRESS: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia closed its Cairo embassy Saturday and recalled its ambassador following protests over a detained Egyptian human rights lawyer in a sharp escalation of tension between two regional powerhouses already on shaky terms due to uprisings in the Arab world.

The unexpected Saudi diplomatic break came following days of protests by hundreds of Egyptians outside the Saudi Embassy in Cairo and consulates in other cities to demand the release of Ahmed el-Gezawi. Relatives and human rights groups say he was detained for allegedly insulting the kingdom's monarch.

Saudi authorities denied that and said he was arrested for trying to smuggle anti-anxiety drugs into the conservative oil-rich kingdom.

The collapse of Hosni Mubarak's regime last year in Egypt stunned Saudi Arabia's monarchy, which saw it as a sign of its own potential vulnerabilities and how Western backing can suddenly shift away from longtime allies.

Saudi officials have increasingly viewed Egypt's post-revolution trajectory — particularly the political gains by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood — as worrisome trends that could encourage greater opposition in the Gulf.

A full break in ties between Cairo and Riyadh appears unlikely as the Arab League deals with the complicated showdown between protesters and the regime in Syria. But the deepening rifts underscore profound changes in the region's hierarchy with Gulf states using their influence and relative stability to exert more leverage over wider Mideast affairs. » | Abdullah Al-Shihri | AP | Saturday, April 28, 2012

Egypt’s Women Urge MPs Not to Pass Early Marriage, Sex-after-death Laws: Report
AL ARABIYA NEWS: Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW) has appealed to the Islamist-dominated parliament not to approve two controversial laws on the minimum age of marriage and allowing a husband to have sex with his dead wife within six hours of her death according to a report in an Egyptian newspaper.

The appeal came in a message sent by Dr. Mervat al-Talawi, head of the NCW, to the Egyptian People’s Assembly Speaker, Dr. Saad al-Katatni, addressing the woes of Egyptian women, especially after the popular uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.

She was referring to two laws: one that would legalize the marriage of girls starting from the age of 14 and the other that permits a husband to have sex with his dead wife within the six hours following her death.

According to Egyptian columnist Amro Abdul Samea in al-Ahram, Talawi’s message included an appeal to parliament to avoid the controversial legislations that rid women of their rights of getting education and employment, under alleged religious interpretations.

“Talawi tried to underline in her message that marginalizing and undermining the status of women in future development plans would undoubtedly negatively affect the country’s human development, simply because women represent half the population,” Abdul Samea said in his article.

The controversy about a husband having sex with his dead wife came about after a Moroccan cleric spoke about the issue in May 2011.

Zamzami Abdul Bari said that marriage remains valid even after death adding that a woman also too had the same right to engage in sex with her dead husband.

Two years ago, Zamzami incited further controversy in Morocco when he said it was permissible for pregnant women to drink alcohol.

But it seems his view on partners having sex with their deceased partners has found its way to Egypt one year on. » | Abeer Tayel | Al Arabiya | Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Bin Laden Widows and Children Prepare for New Life in Saudi Arabia
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The 14 members of Osama bin Laden's family who survived the US Navy Seal raid which killed him in May last year were on Friday preparing to live incognito - but probably in some luxury - in Saudi Arabia after being deported from Pakistan.

They included three of his widowed wives, ten children and one grandchild. One of his wives, Amal Ahmed al-Sadah, was deported to Saudi Arabia despite being a Yemeni, at the insistence of Yemen officials and members of her family who feared she might become a focal point for bin Laden's followers or alternatively targeted by al-Qaeda militants.

In Saudi Arabia, the family members are expected to reside with bin Laden's extended family, led by Osama's half-brother, Bakr bin Mohammed Binladin, the chairman of Saudi Binladin. The kingdom's biggest construction company, it is the foundation of the family's fortune.

They were deported on the orders of a Pakistan court after being convicted of entering the country illegally, but it is understood officials wanted them removed from the country before next week's first anniversary of the raid in which the al-Qaead leader was killed. » | Tom Hussain in Islamabad and Adam Baron in Sanaa | Friday, April 27, 2012

Muslim, Zionist and Proud
YNET NEWS: Op-ed: His father praised Hitler, but Kasim Hafeez writes about love for Israel, Jewish people

I am a Zionist, a proud Muslim Zionist, and I love Israel, but this was not always the case. In fact, for many years I was quite the extreme opposite. I experienced the high levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activity taking place on British university campuses, because I was the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel activist.

Growing up in the Muslim community in the UK I was exposed to materials and opinions at best condemning Israel, painting Jews as usurpers and murderers, and at worse calling for the wholesale destruction of the "Zionist Entity" and all Jews. In short, there was no accommodating a Jewish State in the Middle East.

To grow up around this constant barrage of hatred directed at Israel has a massive effect on an individual’s own opinions. More disturbingly, many of these people weren’t radical or extreme, but when it was about Israel the most vicious of rhetoric poured out, coupled with the casual anti-Semitism that seemed too prevalent, when the phrase "stop being a Jew" used as an insult.

My father, however, was much more brazen in his hatred, boasting of how Adolf Hitler was a hero, his only failing being that he didn't kill enough Jews.

By the time I had reached 18 I was completely indoctrinated to the fold of radical Islamism. My hate for Israel and for the Jews was fuelled by images of death and destruction, set to the backdrop of Arabic melodies about Jihad and speeches of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah or Osama Bin Laden.

These views were reinforced when I attended Nakba Day rallies, where speakers predicted Israel's demise as Hezbollah flags were waved proudly in the centre of London. The Case for Israel » | Kasim Hafeez | Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Kasim Hafeez is a British Muslim and former Islamist who is now a proud Zionist and stands with Israel. He runs www.theisraelcampaign.org and has a blog on this site. He is also on the advisory board of StandWithUs in the UK and recently completed a university speaking tour

For Hebrew version of article click here

Pro-Israel bloggers are welcome to send emails to opinions@y-i.co.il .

Islamic Community Planning National Interfaith Dialogue
CALGARY HERALD: The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada is planning to hold a national interfaith dialogue with Christian and Jewish leaders in Canada.

Calgary Imam Syed Soharwardy said the council wants to hold a series of interfaith dialogues in all major cities, including Montreal, Toronto, Mississauga, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Surrey and Vancouver.

He said the purpose is to discuss: religious and secular fundamentalism and extremism in Canada; the role of religion in Canadian society; the impact of international events on faith communities and their relationships in Canada; the perceived threat of sharia law; Canadian values versus religious values; Jewish-Christian values versus Islamic values; freedom of speech and the freedom of religion in Canada and around the world; and improvements in interfaith relationships in Canada. » | Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald | Friday, April 27, 2012

Interview with Bahrain's Prime Minster: The Opposition 'Are Terrorizing the Rest of This Country'
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In one of the first interviews he has given to the Western media in years, Bahraini Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa defends his government's course of action against the country's opposition. He tells SPIEGEL ONLINE that he will not tolerate Western interference and accuses protesters of seeking to turn Bahrain into a "second Iran." » | Interview conducted by Souad Mekhennet in Bahrain | Friday, April 27, 2012

France Election 2012: François Hollande Promises to Curb Foreign Workers

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: François Hollande, the Socialist front-runner in France's presidential elections on Friday promised to curb the number of foreigners allowed to work in the country in a time of economic crisis, in a measured overture to the far-Right electorate.

Under pressure to respond to the 18 per cent of voters who backed National Front candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday's first round, Mr Hollande also stipulated that he would uphold and enforce a ban on the full Islamic veil, despite the fact he abstained in a Right-wing-led parliamentary vote in 2010.

"In a period of crisis in which we find ourselves, limiting economic immigration is necessary and essential," said the centre-Left candidate who two polls released yesterday suggest will beat his conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy in the May 6 run-off by between eight and nine percentage points.

The figures suggest Mr Sarkozy's lurch to the hard Right on immigration and security has so far done little to boost his uphill re-election bid with eight days to go. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Friday, April 27, 2012

Gay Marriage: Pope Representatives Calls [sic] for Catholic Alliance with Muslim and Jewish Groups

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Pope’s representative in Britain has urged Roman Catholic leaders to form a united front with their Muslim and Jewish counterparts to oppose gay marriage.

Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the Apostolic Nuncio, called for closer co-operation with other faiths as well as Christian denominations to put pressure on the Government over its plans to allow same-sex couples to marry.

In an address to Catholic bishops from England and Wales, he echoed the recent comments of Pope Benedict who said the Church faced “powerful political and cultural currents” in favour of redefining marriage.

His comments come after a series of high-level interventions by some Muslim and Jewish leaders last month after the Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, launched a national consultation on how same-sex marriage might be introduced.

Last month the Muslim Council of Britain voiced opposition to the plans, describing it as “unnecessary and unhelpful”. But, as the Islamic faith in Britain does not have the same hierarchical structures as Christian Churches, much of the Muslim opposition has been voiced through local alliances.

In Scotland, the Council of Glasgow Imams recently agreed a joint resolution describing same-sex marriage as an "attack" on their faith and fundamental beliefs. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, April 27, 2012

Austerity Anger Boosts European Extreme Parties
In the Netherlands and across Europe, the growing anger towards austerity measures is leading to a boost in support for the far-left and far-right parties. Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports from The Hague.

Related here, here, here, here, here, and here.

George Galloway Calls In Lawyer over Jemima Khan’s Claim That He Converted to Islam in a Secret Ceremony More Than a Decade Ago

MAIL ONLINE: George Galloway denies taking part in the ceremony - but doesn't deny being a Muslim / He says article written by Jemima Khan is littered with 'schoolgirl howlers' / Politician has always been referred to as Catholic / Interview carried out as Mr Galloway ate a halal meal

George Galloway has called in his lawyers over Jemima Khan's claim that he converted to Islam in a 'phantom' ceremony more than a decade ago.

The socialite had said the maverick MP took part in a 'shahadah' conversion, attended by members of the Muslim Association of Great Britain.

Mrs Khan, who herself became a Muslim ahead of her failed marriage to cricketer Imran Khan, claimed she knows someone who attended the event in north-west London in an article in the New Statesman magazine.

But Mr Galloway, who was elected to Parliament as MP for Bradford West in a by-election last month, angrily denied that any ceremony had taken place.

Last night, he issued a statement saying: 'The further allegations from the New Statesman in response to my rebuttal moves the issue into the area of defamation.

'Jemima Khan asked me on tape about this phantom ceremony in Kilburn and I told her it was a lie and whoever told her it was a liar.

'No trace of this exchange appears in the New Statesman piece, which is predicated upon it. Now that they are denying my denial it places the matter in the hands of my solicitor.'

The four times married 57-year-old had refused to deny claims that he is a Muslim. Read on and comment » | Rob Cooper and Leon Watson | Friday, April 27, 2012

Related »

Experts: Norway Mass Killer Anders Behring Breivik Likely Not Insane Despite Committing Deadly Bomb-and-shooting Rampage

CBS NEWS: (AP) LONDON - Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is insisting in court that attempts to label him as insane are misplaced — and some psychiatrists agree that simply committing such monstrous crimes does not mean a person is mentally ill.

The far-right, anti-Islam Breivik has already confessed to committing Norway's worst mass murder in a bomb-and-shooting rampage that killed 77 people last July. Whether or not Breivik is sane is at the crux of his ongoing trial and will determine how he is sentenced.

"Everyone's first assumption is that Breivik must be insane because he's done such terrible things," said Dr. Simon Wessely, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. "But it doesn't automatically follow that he must be mad just because what he has done is inexplicable."

In a commentary published Friday in the British medical journal Lancet, Wessely writes that explanation is too simplistic.

For the 33-year-old Norwegian to be schizophrenic — as some psychiatrists have suggested — his actions would have to be the result of delusions, or based on beliefs not shared by others.

"As ghastly as his views are, there are other people in society who believe countries are being destroyed by multiculturalism and Islam," Wessely said.

Breivik's extraordinarily well-organized and methodical massacre also undermines the idea that he was suffering from a serious mental illness.

"It doesn't tally with the kinds of disorganized crimes usually committed by people with mental health problems," Wessely said. » | AP | Friday, April 27, 2012

Related »

Breivik Case Shows Insanity 'Misconceptions'

Read the article here | Friday, April 27, 2012
Related »

Breivik’s Sanity: Norway Psychiatrists at Odds
BBC: A new report by forensic psychiatrists Agnar Aspaas and Terje Toerrissen has concluded that mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is sane: that neither at the time of crime nor during their assessment was he psychotic.

In their opinion, he does not suffer from any serious psychiatric conditions.

Many Norwegians will feel relieved at their conclusion because of a widespread belief that Breivik should be held to account for his crimes by being sent to prison, and not to a psychiatric institution.

The latter would almost certainly have been the outcome had this second report agreed with the previous one, which deemed Breivik insane.

"Looking at his actions it is difficult to understand how he can be sane," one Norwegian told the BBC News website. "But at least he can now be sent to prison where he is highly unlikely to be released any time soon."

However, the verdict of the case is far from given. With two conflicting reports, psychiatric issues are sure to become a dominant issue during the proceedings. » | Liss Goril Anda | Norway | Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Related »

Bin Laden Wives and Children ‘Set to Leave Pakistan’
BBC: The widows and children of Osama Bin Laden have left their villa in Islamabad, as they reportedly begin a journey to Saudi Arabia.

The three widows, who are believed to have 11 children, left the house in a minibus amid tight security.

A plane was reported to be waiting for them at Islamabad's international airport to take them to Saudi Arabia. » | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Fillon juge les valeurs de l'UMP et du FN incompatibles

REUTERS FRANCE: PARIS (Reuters) - Les valeurs du Front national sont incompatibles avec celles de l'UMP, parti de Nicolas Sarkozy, et il ne saurait y avoir un accord entre les deux formations pour les législatives de juin, déclare le Premier ministre dans une interview publiée dans l'édition de vendredi des Echos.

Selon un sondage Opinionway, les deux tiers des électeurs de Nicolas Sarkozy souhaitent un accord avec le parti de Marine Le Pen avant ces élections, qui risque de se solder par une déroute de la droite en cas de défaite du président sortant au second tour de la présidentielle le 6 mai.

François Fillon explique le résultat de ce sondage par la "frustration" des électeurs de l'UMP de "voir que la gauche est minoritaire en France et qu'elle pourrait remporter l'élection présidentielle". » | Emmanuel Jarry, édité par Gérard Bon | jeudi 26 avril 2012

Lien en relation avec l’article »

Die Niederlande einigen sich auf ein Sparbudget

TAGES ANZEIGER: Drei Tage nach ihrem Rücktritt hat die niederländische Regierung doch noch eine Mehrheit für ihr umstrittenes Sparbudget erreicht. Als nächstes wird es nun von der EU unter die Lupe genommen.

Drei kleinere Oppositionsparteien sagten dem amtierenden Ministerpräsidenten Mark Rutte heute ihre Unterstützung für das Sparbudget zu.

Die Koalition aus Liberalen und Christdemokraten sicherte sich die Unterstützung der kleinen sozialliberalen Partei D66 sowie der ChristenUnie und der Grünen. Zusammen verfügen die Parteien im Parlament über 77 der 150 Sitze. » | fko/sda | Donnerstag, 26. April 2012

Far Right Voters to Play Key Role [in] Final Stage of French Election Campaign

THE GUARDIAN: The 6.4m voters who backed Marine Le Pen in the first round are likely to play a decisive role in the final run-off

Are there really 6.4 million fascists, racists or xenophobes in France? Not at all, says the French political class. Yet this question continues to dominate the final stages of the French presidential election campaign.

The Socialist François Hollande topped the first round vote on 22 April ahead of the rightwing president, Nicolas Sarkozy, creating a dynamic for the left. But Hollande and Sarkozy now face each other in a final run-off on 6 May that is far from clear cut.

The far right dominates headlines after the Front National's Marine Le Pen came third, with the party's highest ever score of 17.9%. Her 6.4 million voters now hold the result in the balance.

Sarkozy has little chance of being re-elected unless he wins over a majority of Le Pen's voters. For the unpopular president, things are extremely difficult but, political experts say, not totally impossible.

Analysts say he needs the support of around 80% of Le Pen voters to win. Polls – which vary wildly – show on average around half Le Pen voters voting Sarkozy, 20% choosing Hollande and 30% abstaining or spoiling their ballot. Sarkozy's camp says all is to play for, despite recent polls showing Hollande winning.

Meanwhile, the political class is soul-searching about what the strong Le Pen vote says about France. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Related »

Marine Sergeant Discharged for Criticizing Obama: Was That Fair?

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Troops may express political opinions and are encouraged 'to carry out the obligations of citizenship,' but Marine Sgt. Gary Stein was warned that his Facebook posts crossed a line.

WASHINGTON – The other-than-honorable discharge given to Marine Sgt. Gary Stein for writing “Screw Obama” and other criticisms of the president on Facebook means he will lose all of his military privileges, including access to military health care and education benefits, as well as the right to shop in the tax-free grocery and department stores on base.

Is this a fair punishment for a Marine who has served in the military for nine years – a tenure which also included a tour in Iraq during the particularly violent years of 2005 to 2006? Some service members who have been found to have deserted have received “general” discharges, after all.

The problem, analysts say, is that Sgt. Stein was warned repeatedly about his Facebook posts. Troops are encouraged “to carry out the obligations of citizenship,” and are allowed to express “a personal opinion on political candidates and issues.” They can also put political bumper stickers on their cars, sign petitions, donate to political parties, and attend rallies, debates, and conventions.

They cannot, however, take part in any political activities as official representatives of the US military.

For his actions, Stein, who also wrote that he would refuse to follow President Obama’s orders, was not court-martialed. He could have been given a “general” discharge. Though this may sound fine to many civilian ears, it also carries with it negative intimations and is quite different from the “honorable” discharge that the majority of troops get. » | Anna Mulrine, Staff writer | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Verwandt »

Prayer Rooms to Be Set Up at Aussie Rules Stadiums
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prayer rooms will be set up at all Aussie Rules stadiums following a request by a devout Muslim player to ensure fans do not have to pray in the car park.

The move prompted claims of "political correctness gone mad" but was largely met with amusement by fans who began issuing prayers for their teams on websites and a newly-created prayer room app for mobile phones.

The sporting code decided last week to introduce the multi-faith rooms as a "demonstration of our inclusiveness" following a request by Bachar Houli, believed to be the first observant Muslim player, who said it would lure more Muslims to the game.

"I speak for the Muslim community, I get complaints [that] there is nowhere to pray other than the car park," said Mr Houli, who plays for the Richmond club. "It can be quite disturbing [to pray] with people walking through to the game."

Some Christian and Jewish leaders also backed the rooms, saying they were already common in airports and hospitals.

However the move caused a backlash led by former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, now president of the Hawthorn club, who said the rooms were "absolute rubbish". » | Jonathan Pearlman in Sydney | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Norwegians Heckle Mass Killer Anders Breivik with Pete Seeger Children's Song

CBS NEWS: OSLO, Norway - Facing terror with music, tens of thousands gathered in squares across Norway to sing a children's song that gunman Anders Behring Breivik claimed is being used to brainwash young Norwegians.

The defiant Facebook protest against the right-wing fanatic took place as survivors gave tearful testimony Thursday in his trial for the July 22 bombing-and-shooting rampage that killed 77 people, mostly teenagers.

Some 40,000 people converged at a central square in Oslo in the pouring rain to sing the 1970's song "Children of the Rainbow" -- a Norwegian version of American folk music singer Pete Seeger's "Rainbow Race."

Singer Lillebjorn Nilsen, who popularized the song in Norway, led the protesters in singing through both the Norwegian and English versions, according to the English-language website Views and News from Norway (Watch video).

Later they were to lay roses on the steps of the courthouse in memory of those killed in the massacre.

In testimony last week, Breivik mentioned the song as an example of how he believes "cultural Marxists" have infiltrated Norwegian schools, triggering a Facebook intiative for Thursday's protests.

Shocked by Breivik's lack of remorse for his massacre, Norwegians by and large have decided the best way to confront him is by demonstrating their commitment to everything he loathes. » | CBS/AP | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Related »

George Galloway Denies Jemima Khan's Claims of Muslim Conversion Ceremony

THE GUARDIAN: Khan's claim in New Statesman article that Galloway converted in north London 10 years ago is 'categorically untrue', he says

George Galloway has denied claims made by Jemima Khan in the New Statesman that he converted to Islam in a ceremony in London more than 10 years ago.

The newly elected MP for Bradford West does not deny being a Muslim, but says Khan's claim of a conversion in a hotel in Kilburn, north-west London, is "simply and categorically untrue".

Galloway is often asked about his faith but refuses to answer, saying hisreligion is a "personal matter" of no import to his political activities. He recently married his fourth wife in what has been reported was a Muslim ceremony in Amsterdam.

In a statement entitled "The Staggers has fallen on its face", Galloway responded to the New Statesman piece by saying: "The opening paragraph of Jemima Khan's piece in the New Statesman [referring to an alleged conversion ceremony] is totally untrue. Moreover, I told her it was fallacious when she put it to me. I have never attended any such ceremony in Kilburn, Karachi or Kathmandu. It is simply and categorically untrue."

Khan's piece starts with the claim that Galloway converted at a ceremony attended by members of the Muslim Association of Britain. "Those close to him know this. The rest of the world, including his Muslim constituents, does not," writes Khan. She goes on to describe Galloway's reaction when she told him someone she knew also attended the "shahadah" conversion ceremony, claiming he did not respond, instead staring at her across the table and then getting up to leave the interview. » | Helen Pidd | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Related »

France Elections 2012: Marine Le Pen Leaves Door Open for Nicolas Sarkozy

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who stunned France by seizing almost a fifth of presidential first round votes, said she was waiting for answers from President Nicolas Sarkozy before telling her supporters how to vote in a run-off.

After Le Pen took third place in Sunday's ballot with the National Front's top score in a national election, centre-right Sarkozy and Socialist front-runner Francois Hollande have courted her voters, who may decide the May 6 second round result.

Sarkozy's overtures have been more direct, saying that he respects National Front voters and would not criticise a vote for a party which has long been stigmatised. Hollande has said he understood voters who wanted to express their frustration at a stagnant economy and unemployment running at a 12-year high.

The president on Wednesday ruled out any deal with Le Pen which would give the far-right positions in the cabinet or help them win parliamentary seats in June's legislative elections.

But Sarkozy has yet to say whether he would advise supporters of his UMP party to vote Socialist rather than for the National Front in the second round of the June legislative elections to keep the far-right out of parliament.

"In case of a run-off between the National Front and a Socialist, will the UMP party and the president prefer to have one of my deputies or a Socialist deputy elected?" Le Pen said on RTL radio. » | Thursday, April 26, 2012


Sur RTL, Marine Le Pen interpelle Sarkozy et sa... by rtl-fr

Christopher Hitchens Talks about George Galloway

Related »

George Galloway Supports Racist Terrorists

Related »

George Galloway Supports Hezbollah and Hamas

Related »

Al Qaeda Spokesman Praises George Galloway in 2006

Related »

George Galloway's Muslim Conversion: Why the Big Secret?
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – TOM CHIVERS: Why did George Galloway feel the urge to keep his conversion to Islam secret?

The New Statesman reveals today, in an interview by Jemima Khan with the fiery new MP for Bradford West, that Galloway converted 10 years ago at a ceremony in Kilburn, north-west London. On one level, it's not surprising: he peppers his speeches with "inshallahs", during his campaign, pamphlets were distributed (although he says he was not responsible for them) saying that "God knows who is a Muslim", pointing out that his Labour opponent in the Bradford by-election, Imran Hussain, drank alcohol and that he, Galloway, did not and "never has"; he has had no fewer than three Muslim wives (though not, I must quickly add, at the same time). » | Tom Chivers | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Related »

Exclusive: George Galloway's Conversion to Islam

NEW STATESMAN: Jemima Khan, in an interview with the Bradford MP, reveals the background to his Muslim conversion.

In a wide-ranging interview in this week's issue of the New Statesman, George Galloway MP talks about his spectacular by-election victory, Ed Miliband's fortunes, Middle East dictators and mass unemployment. Interviewer Jemima Khan also exclusively reveals the background to Galloway’s conversion to Islam:

George Galloway, MP for Bradford West, is a Muslim. He converted more than ten years ago in a ceremony at a hotel in Kilburn, north-west London, attended by members of the Muslim Association of Great Britain. Those close to him know this. The rest of the world, including his Muslim constituents, does not.

Over a halal, alcohol-free lunch at a cafe on Bradford’s main high street, Khan tells Galloway: “I know someone who attended your shahadah [the Muslim conversion ceremony].” Read on and comment » | Alice Gribbin | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Facebook-Kritik: US-Soldat entlassen, weil er Obama "Feigling" nannte
WELT ONLINE: Präsidentenbeleidigung wird bestraft: Ein Soldat muss die Armee verlassen, weil er seine kritische Meinung über Barack Obama auf Facebook kundgetan hat.

Ein Marineinfanterist muss die US-Streitkräfte verlassen, weil er Präsident Barack Obama im Internet unter anderem einen "Feigling" genannt hatte. Gary Stein sei eines "ernsthaften Verstoßes" für schuldig befunden worden, teilte das Marineinfanterie-Korps am Mittwoch (Ortszeit) mit. » | AFP/sab | Donnerstag, 26. April 2012

L'islamiste présumé de Montpellier en détention provisoire
REUTERS FRANCE: PARIS - L'islamiste présumé interpellé le week-end dernier à Montpellier (Hérault) a été placé en détention provisoire, a-t-on appris jeudi auprès du parquet de Paris.

Il avait été présenté à un juge d'instruction parisien mercredi et mis en examen pour association de malfaiteurs en vue d'une entreprise terroriste et financement du terrorisme.

Cet homme de 31 ans, dont la mère connaissait celle de Mohamed Merah, l'auteur des meurtres de Toulouse et Montauban, est soupçonné d'avoir préparé un départ pour un entraînement militaire chez des islamistes radicaux indonésiens. » | Thierry Lévêque, édité par Yves Clarisse | jeudi 26 avril 2012

Thousands of Norwegians to Sing Song Breivik Hates
AFP: OSLO — Thousands of Norwegians were to gather in Oslo on Thursday to protest against mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik by singing a folk song he hates and which he considers a Marxist indoctrination method.

After an Internet campaign, more than 5,000 people have said they plan to meet at a square near the Oslo courthouse where Breivik is currently on trial for his July 22 attacks that killed 77 people, to sing "Children of the Rainbow" by Norwegian folk singer Lillebjoern Nilsen.

Nilsen and the culture ministers of all five Nordic countries -- Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland -- have also said they would be at the square to participate in the sing-a-long. Other similar events were to take place across Norway.

Breivik, a 33-year-old right-wing extremist, last Friday told the court that Nilsen was "a very good example of a Marxist" who had infiltrated the cultural scene and that his song was typical of the "brainwashing of Norwegian pupils." » | AFP | Thursday, April 26, 2012

Related »

Saudi Arabian Girls' School Defies Sports Ban with Basketball Court
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A girls' school in Saudi Arabia has defied a religious ban on female sports by erecting basketball hoops and letting pupils play at break-time, the daily al-Watan reported on Wednesday.

Powerful clerics in the conservative Islamic kingdom have long spoken against allowing girls to play sports.

Saudi Arabia's austere interpretation of Islamic law prevents women from working, opening bank accounts or having some elective surgery without the permission of a male relative. They are not allowed to drive.

King Abdullah has pushed for women to have better opportunities in education and employment and last year said they could vote and run for office in future municipal elections, the only official polls in the monarchy. » | Source: Reuters | Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Breivik's Publicity at Trial Just What He Wanted

HOUSTON CHRONICLE: WARSAW, Poland (AP) — As Anders Behring Breivik has given shocking and remorseless accounts to a Norwegian court of how he massacred 77 people, his testimony has revived a debate about how much of a public platform mass-murderers should be given in trials.

Such atrocities, after all, are often waged for attention and carried out in the name of political or religious goals, and a trial gives perpetrators more of what they crave: a huge audience.

In the worst case, there is a risk that Breivik's trial, during which he has raised a right-wing salute and gloated over his killing rampage, could spawn copycat crimes by others who share his hatred of Muslims.

"There is a contagion effect that one has to take into consideration," said Brigitte Nacos, a Columbia University professor who studies terrorism and the mass media. » | Vanessa Gera, Associated Press | Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Related »

Pentagon Halts Class with Controversial Material on Islam
FOX NEWS: WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has suspended a course for military officers that officials say contained inflammatory material about Islam.

Defense Department spokesman Capt. John Kirby said Wednesday that among problems with the course taught at Norfolk, Va., was a presentation that asserted the United States is at war with Islam. Kirby noted that officials across two American administrations have stressed that the U.S. is at war with terrorists who have a distorted view of the religion. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, April 25, 2012