'I Am Told I Will Hang for My Faith in Jesus': American Pastor Faces Death Sentence in Iran

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An American Christian pastor faces a possible death sentence in Iran after prosecutors accused him of harming national security on charges he and his supporters claim amount to religious persecution.

Saeed Abedini, 32, who is Iranian born, is expected to go on trial next week before a revolutionary tribunal in Tehran in a hearing presided over by a judge blacklisted by the European Union for handing down harsh verdicts.

US officials have already voiced concerns over the fate of Mr Abedini, who has been held in custody since July 2011 after being arrested while on a visit to Iran from America.

His wife, Najmeh, says he has suffered beatings during interrogation and has expressed fears for his life in letters to her.

"This is the process in my life today: one day I am told I will be freed and allowed to see my kids on Christmas (which was a lie) and the next day I am told I will hang for my faith in Jesus," Mr Abedini, a father-of-two, wrote in one letter. "One day there are intense pains after beatings in interrogations, the next day they are nice to you and offer you candy."

The origins of the charges against Mr Abdini [sic] are not clear. But the American Centre for Law and Justice, a Christian advocacy group founded by the evangelist preacher, Pat Robertson, said it was connected with starting a home church movement.

"His court file indicated that this national security charge was directly related to his work starting a house church movement in Iran," the organisation said in a statement. » | Robert Tait, Middle East Correspondent | Friday, January 18, 2013

Syrie: un reporter français tué à Alep
LE FIGARO: Yves Debay qui couvrait les combats entre les insurgés et les forces loyales à el-Assad a trouvé la mort jeudi en Syrie. Personnage atypique, il dirigeait la revue Assaut qu'il avait fondée.

Des images vidéo sont venues confirmer la mort du reporter Yves Debay, tué jeudi à Alep par un tireur embusqué, alors qu'il couvrait les combats entre les insurgés de l'Armée syrienne libre et les forces gouvernementales de Bachar el-Assad. Son corps, qui portait sur les images une blessure au front, a été transporté vers la frontière turque.

Yves Debay était un personnage pittoresque, et unique en son genre, que l'on croisait fréquemment sur les champs de bataille. Ce journaliste excentrique était arrivé au reportage de guerre guidé par sa passion pour les armes et pour les soldats. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | vendredi 18 janvier 2013

LE FIGARO: Syrie: un journaliste d'Al-Jazeera tué – Le journaliste Mohammad Hourani de la chaîne Al-Jazeera, du Qatar, a été tué aujourd'hui par un tireur embusqué dans la province de Deraa, dans le sud de la Syrie, a annoncé la chaîne satellitaire. "Mohammad Hourani a été tué par balle par un tireur embusqué du régime à Basr al-Harir dans la province de Deraa, où il couvrait les affrontements", selon Al-Jazeera. » | AFP | vendredi 18 janvier 2013

Mali : Moscou promet une aide militaire à la France
LE FIGARO: La Russie, qui a publiquement soutenu l'opération française «Serval», devrait envoyer un Antonov 124 et des hommes du 224e détachement aérien au Mali.

Rompant avec sa prudence habituelle, la Russie a promis une aide militaire à l'intervention française au Mali. Selon nos informations, Moscou fournira une assistance à Paris en envoyant, dans les jours prochains, un avion au Mali, destiné à transporter des armes légères. Il s'agirait d'un Antonov 124, appartenant à la compagnie Volga Dnepr, un appareil qui a déjà l'habitude de servir en Afrique sous mandat onusien. Des hommes du 224e détachement aérien seraient également mis à contribution sur le sol malien.

Après que le ministère des Affaires étrangères russe a publiquement soutenu l'opération «Serval» et donné son feu vert à l'intervention militaire française dans le cadre du Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU, voici que Moscou prend une part plus active dans le conflit africain. Cette attitude a de quoi surprendre lorsque l'on sait que, depuis plusieurs mois, la Russie, prétextant un sacro-saint principe de non-ingérence, s'oppose à toute intervention militaire occidentale en Syrie. » | Par Pierre Avril | vendredi 18 janvier 2013

Dispatches : Muslims Vs Free Speech ( UK) – HD
Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4.The programme covers issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment, usually featuring a mole in an organisation.

This particular episode deals with Muslims & free speech. With very sophisticated & well articulated debate regarding the topic is presented here.

Latina Immigrants: The New Ambassadors of Islam

NEW AMERICA MEDIA: Tucked away in a quiet rural neighborhood in Somerset, New Jersey is an old brownstone that houses the New Jersey Chapter of the Islamic Center of North America’s (ICNA) WhyIslam Project. Within its confines, in a second floor office decorated with rose-colored walls, sits the administrative assistant and only female employee of the department, Nahela Morales.


 In a long black garment and gray headscarf, Morales sits in front of a computer entering notes and taking phone calls from the program’s hotline, 1-877-WhyIslam, a resource for individuals hoping to learn more about the religion. A Mexican immigrant and recent convert, Morales is the national Spanish-language outreach coordinator for the program, part of ICNA’s mission to disseminate information about Islam nationwide.


 But Morales’ efforts go beyond U.S. borders: the 37-year-old recently led a trip to bring Islamic literature, food and clothing to her native Mexico.

Morales, who was born in Mexico City but later moved to California and then New York, is part of a growing population of immigrant Muslim converts from Latin America – many of them women -- now helping to bring the religion back to their home countries. 
 » | Wendy Diaz | Friday, January 18, 2013

What Is France Risking in Mali?
We ask if there is French support for the campaign in West Africa amid rebels' warning it could be France's Afghanistan.

Deaths Confirmed in Algeria Hostage Rescue Bid
An Algerian military raid to free hostages at a desert gas plant is over, according to state media. Multiple fatalities have been reported, but it's still unclear exactly how many people were killed. Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan reports.

US Programmer Outsourced Own Job to China, Spent Workdays on Reddit and Facebook

Masked Moscow Attacker Throws Acid at Face of Bolshoi Theater’s Artistic Director

RT.COM: The Bolshoi Theater’s artistic director was attacked by a masked assailant in Moscow who splashed acid onto his face. Sergey Filin is suffering from severe burns, and may lose his sight. Police have linked the attack to his professional work.

The 42-year-old former dancer, now the Bolshoi Theater’s artistic director, was attacked near midnight on Friday as he left his car outside his home in central Moscow. The masked assailant then fled the scene.

The artistic director of the legendary Russian theater suffered severe burns of multiple degrees to his face and eyes, and is being treated at a hospital in Moscow where doctors are working to save his eyesight.

Filin is “in a satisfactory condition, in our burns center, not intensive care,” a hospital spokesperson said. Medics also suggested that Filin will need plastic surgery, and said the acid had affected his hair, which will start falling out soon, forcing him to wear a wig.

“The most threatening thing is that he has third-degree cornea burns which put his eyesight in danger,” medics explained. However, it will not be known for two weeks whether Filin will be able to keep his vision, Moskovsky Komosomolets newspaper reported citing the doctors.

The theater’s supervisory board said it decided to send Filin to a foreign clinic for treatment, indicating Germany and Israel as the two main options, Interfax news agency reported.

It will take Filin at least six months to recover, Bolshoi spokesperson Ekaterina Novikova said. She added that Sergey Filin had received threats from anonymous callers before. “We never imagined that a war for roles – not for real estate or for oil – could reach this level of crime,” Novikova said to Channel One. » | Friday, January 18, 2013

London Muslim Patrol: Vigilantes Attempt To Control Londoners By Enforcing Islamic Law
Muslim vigilantes are approaching Brits and demanding they behave in an Islamic way -- in the middle of London.

Related »

Sahara Hostage Holders Make New Threat

REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - At least 18 foreign hostages were unaccounted for on Friday and their al-Qaeda-linked captors threatened to attack other energy installations after Algerian forces stormed a desert gas complex to free hundreds of captives, resulting in dozens of deaths.

With Western leaders clamoring for details of a raid they said Algeria had launched on Thursday without consulting them, a local source said the sprawling compound was still surrounded by Algerian special forces and some hostages remained inside.

Thirty hostages, including several Westerners, were killed during the assault, the source said, along with at least 18 of their captors, who said they had taken the site as retaliation for French intervention against Islamists in neighboring Mali.

The crisis represents a serious escalation of unrest in northwestern Africa, where French forces have been in Mali since last week fighting an Islamist takeover of Timbuktu and other towns in the north, and could devastate OPEC member Algeria's oil industry, just as it recovers from a civil war in the 1990s.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the Algerian government had told him its operation was still going on at mid-morning on Friday. "The death of several hostages is appalling," he told journalists.

Two Japanese, two Britons and a French national were among at least seven foreigners killed, the Algerian source said.

Ten Japanese were among those still unaccounted for on Friday, their Japanese employer said, while Norwegian energy company Statoil, which runs the Tigantourine gas field with Britain's BP and Algeria's national oil company, said eight Norwegian employees were still missing.

Some British workers also appeared to be unaccounted for, though Prime Minister David Cameron said only that fewer than 30 Britons were still at risk as the operation continued.

Washington has said a number of Americans were among the hostages, without giving details, and the local source said a U.S. aircraft landed nearby on Friday to evacuate Americans. » | Lamine Chikhi, ALGIERS | Additional reporting by Ali Abdelatti in Cairo, Eamonn Mallie in Belfast, Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, Mohammed Abbas in London and Padraic Halpin and Conor Humprhies in Dublin; Writing by Philippa Fletcher; Editing by Alastair Macdonald | Friday, January 18, 2013

Augenzeugenberichte aus Algerien: "Sie wollten die Ungläubigen töten"
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die ersten Zeugen berichten über das Geiseldrama in Algerien. Ein Ire musste Sprengstoff um den Hals tragen, ein Franzose überstand das Martyrium in einem Versteck.

Hamburg - Bisher weiß niemand genau, was sich in den vergangenen 48 Stunden in der algerischen Wüste abgespielt hat. Die Zahl der Toten, der exakte Ablauf des islamistischen Angriffs auf die BP-Anlage und der blutigen Erstürmung durch algerische Spezialeinheiten - alles noch offen. Was durchsickert, sind erste Berichte von Menschen, die die Attacke nahe der libyschen Grenze miterlebt haben. Viele von ihnen stehen unter Schock, haben Schreckliches mit ansehen müssen.

Einer von wenigen Ausländern, denen unversehrt die Flucht aus der Anlage gelang, ist Stephen McFaul, irischer Ingenieur aus Belfast. Kurz nach seiner Flucht telefonierte er mit seiner Familie, sein Bruder schildert das Gespräch: "Er bekam einen Sprengsatz um den Hals gehängt, wurde gefesselt und geknebelt. Als die Entführer fünf Geländewagen mit Geiseln beladen wollten, begann der Angriff der Algerier. Die Geschosse zerstörten die Autos, mein Bruder konnte in dem Chaos entkommen."

Auf spektakuläre Weise überstand der Franzose Alexandre Berceaux den Angriff auf die Anlage: "Ich habe mich fast 40 Stunden lang in meinem Zimmer versteckt", sagte er am Freitag dem Sender Europe 1. "Ich war unter dem Bett, ich habe für den Fall des Falles überall Bretter festgemacht. Ich hatte ein bisschen Essen, ein bisschen was zu trinken, ich wusste nicht, wie lange es dauern würde", sagte der Mann, der sich noch in Algerien aufhält. "Ich denke, es gibt noch Menschen, die sich versteckt haben. Man ist dabei, sie zu zählen", fügte er hinzu. Nach Angaben von Berceaux, der für die französische Cateringfirma CIS arbeitete, wurde während der Geiselnahme "in Abständen viel geschossen. Es gibt tote Terroristen, Ausländer, Einheimische." » | jok/hen/mit Material von AFP | Freitag, 18. Januar 2013


EXCLU - "J'ai entendu énormément de coups de feu" by Europe1fr

Muslims, Christians Clash in Southern Egypt
THE GUARDIAN: Associated Press, LUXOR, Egypt (AP) — Police have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim protesters outside a church in southern Egypt. They were demanding an investigation into allegations a Christian man sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl.

Residents in the city of Qena say four stores owned by Coptic Christians were torched overnight after villagers accused one of the store owners of molesting the young girl.

The clashes took place in the village of Marashda in Qena. » | Haggag Salama | AP foreign | Friday, January 18, 2013

UCI Muslim Students Host Islam Awareness Week
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: A group of Muslims at UC Irvine isn't looking for fellow students to walk a mile in their shoes, but rather to try a hijab – a traditional headscarf – for a day.

The invitation to campus co[-]eds is among the events the Muslim Student Union has scheduled for Islam Awareness Week.

Tuesday through Friday, the group and several invited speakers will offer discussions on freedom of speech relative to Islam, women's rights and a look at the Quran titled "Beyond Blind Faith." » | Kimberly Pierceall | Orange County Register | Thursday, January 17, 2013

What’s the point of ‘Islam Awareness Week’? I think we are all aware of what Islam is all about by now. – © Mark

Egyptian Court Sentences Christian Family to 15 Years for Converting from Islam
FOX NEWS: The 15-year prison sentence given to a woman and her seven children by an Egyptian court for converting to Christianity is a sign of things to come, according to alarmed human rights advocates who say the nation's Islamist government is bad news for Christians in the North African country.

A criminal court in the central Egyptian city of Beni Suef meted out the shocking sentence last week, according to the Arabic-language Egyptian paper Al-Masry Al-Youm. Nadia Mohamed Ali, who was raised a Christian, converted to Islam when she married Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab Mustafa, a Muslim, 23 years ago. He later died, and his widow planned to convert her family back to Christianity in order to obtain an inheritance from her family. She sought the help of others in the registration office to process new identity cards between 2004 and 2006. When the conversion came to light under the new regime, Nadia, her children and even the clerks who processed the identity cards were all sentenced to prison.

Samuel Tadros, a research fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, said conversions like Nadia's have been common in the past, but said Egypt's new Sharia-based constitution "is a real disaster in terms of religion freedom.” » | Benjamin Weinthal | FoxNews.com | Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Hooded 'Muslim Patrol' Vigilantes Remove Alcohol from Drinkers and Tell Women to Cover Up as They Stalk London Suburb
MAIL ONLINE: Group has released a video filmed in London called: 'The Truth About Saturday Night' / The gang confronts people and accuse them of living an unclean life / They film a hurt cyclist in the road, blaming alcohol for their injuries and call it an invitation to Islam / Films show them burning posters they believe are 'vile and disgusting' - including one for a bra / Muslim groups condemn them for their hard-line views and approach

Police are investigating reports a gang claiming to be Islamic vigilantes have been confronting members of the public and demanding they give up alcohol and women cover their flesh in their 'Muslim area'.

The hooded men, who call themselves Muslim Patrol, have been filmed walking London's streets and calling white women 'naked animals with no self respect.'

The group is also shown taking 'evil' booze from revellers and film a cyclist being treated after a road accident, claiming they were injured because they were unclean.

In one exchange a member of the group says: 'We don't care if you are appalled at all', before calling themselves 'vigilantes implementing Islam upon your own necks'.

They have uploaded videos to their YouTube channel with the most recent three-minute clip causing a stir online.

'The Truth About Saturday Night', which was uploaded on Sunday, has already been viewed more than 42,000 times. Scotland Yard says it is investigating.

It was shot on a mobile phone at night in what the Met say is Waltham Forest, London, with a number of men seen shouting 'this is a Muslim area' towards white Britons they've confronted. » | Martin Robinson | Thursday, January 17, 2013

Algerian Siege: Cameron Warns UK to 'Prepare for Bad News'
BBC: Britain should "prepare for bad news ahead" on the Algerian hostage crisis, the prime minister has said.

David Cameron was speaking after it was revealed that Downing Street was not informed in advance of an operation by Algerian forces to free hostages and end the siege by Islamist militants at a gas facility in Algeria.

A British citizen and an Algerian were killed on Wednesday. Two unnamed people from Scotland and an Irishman, 36-year-old Stephen McFaul, have reportedly been released. Watch BBC video » | Thursday, January 17, 2013

US Gun Debate: Obama Unveils Gun Control Proposals

BBC: US President Obama has unveiled the most sweeping gun control proposals in two decades, setting up a showdown with firearms rights advocates.

He called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and wider background checks on gun buyers.

The Democratic president also signed 23 executive actions, which do not require congressional approval.

A month after last month's school massacre in Connecticut, he said gun-control reforms could wait no longer.

Mr Obama unveiled the proposals at the White House on Wednesday, flanked by children who wrote him letters after December's Newtown shooting, which left 20 children and six teachers dead.

Mr Obama said: "if there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there is even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try."

The top US gun lobbying group, the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), said the proposals were "not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation".

"Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy," the group said in a statement. (+ video) » | Wednesday, January 16, 2013

New York Passes Tough New Gun Control Law
US president Barack Obama is expected to reveal a new gun control initiative on Wednesday. His announcement will come just hours after the state of New York passed some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Cath Turner has more.

'Briton Killed' and '40 BP Workers Held Hostage' in Algeria Attack
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Al Qaeda-linked hostage takers claiming to hold 41 foreigners hostage at a gas field partly operated by British Petroleum in Algeria have reportedly threatened to blow themselves up after killing a Briton.

Algeria's official APS news agency cited provincial officials for news of the death, which came after an early morning attack by Islamists.

The militants say they are holding an [sic] seven Americans and an unspecified number of British, Japanese and French amongst other nationalities, a spokesman is cited as saying by two Mauritanian news agencies - Agence Nouakchott information et Sahara Medias. A security source quoted by Algeria's El Watan newspaper quoted the same figure.

"A second person, a British national, died in the terrorist attack carried out early on Wednesday morning in Tigantourine," the APS news agency said, citing local officials. Six other people have been wounded.

Prime Minister David Cameron will chair a meeting of the Government's crisis committee Cobra on the incident later on Wednesday.

The natural gas complex, the third largest in the country, is a joint venture of British Petroleum, Norway's Statoil and the Algerian Sonatrach company located some 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) south of the capital near the Libyan border.

The Algerian Interior Ministry said heavily armed gunman in three vehicles attacked the complex early on Wednesday morning. » | Barney Henderson, and Henry Samuel in Paris | Wednesday, January 16, 2013

US Condemns Mohammed Morsi Anti-Semitic Remarks

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The White House has condemned anti-Semitic remarks by Mohammed Morsi, the Egyptian president, who once described Israelis as the “descendants of apes and pigs”.

Mr Morsi’s slurs, which emerged in recordings from 2010, were termed “deeply offensive” by Jay Carney, Mr Obama’s press secretary, who said concerns had been raised with Egyptian officials.

Mr Carney urged Mr Morsi, who has promised to respect Egypt's decades-old peace treaty with Israel, to promptly state publicly that he respects people of all faiths.

“This type of rhetoric is unacceptable in a democratic Egypt," he said during a briefing at The White House, adding: “It is counter to peace."

The intervention from Washington came amid growing controversy over the three-year-old comments, in a speech and subsequent television interview, which were unearthed by researchers.

Mr Morsi, then a Muslim Brotherhood opposition politician, urged Egyptians to “nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred” for Jews and Zionists.

He also described Zionists as “these bloodsuckers who attack the Palestinians, these warmongers, the descendants of apes and pigs.” » | Jon Swaine, Washington | Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Barack Obama 'Says Benjamin Netanyahu Doesn't Know What Is Good for Israel'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama sees Benjamin Netanyahu as a "political coward" whose policies pose a greater threat to Israel's existence than Iran's nuclear programme because he does not know what is in the country's best interests, it has been claimed.

The damning assessment of the Israeli prime minister, relayed by senior White House officials to an American journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, is the most graphic sign yet of the toxic relationship between the two men, who have clashed continually over the stalled Middle East peace process.

Writing on the Bloomberg website, Goldberg quoted Mr Obama as repeatedly saying, "Israel doesn't know what its own best interests are" in response to a spate of recent announcements for thousands of new Jewish settler homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank on land the Palestinians want for a future state.

Mr Obama did not even bother getting angry after hearing of Israel's decision to build in a highly-sensitive West Bank area called E1 – previously considered off-limits in deference to American pressure.

Instead, he told aides it was the kind of self-defeating behaviour he had come to expect from Mr Netanyahu, according to Goldberg, who is renowned for having close ties to both leaders.

The president believes each new settlement announcement is driving Israel towards a "near total" international isolation that presents a greater long-term threat to its survival than Iran's nuclear programme, which American and Israeli officials believe is aimed at producing a bomb.

"If Israel, a small state in an inhospitable region, becomes more of a pariah – one that alienates even the affections of the US, its last steadfast friend – it won't survive," Goldberg writes, paraphrasing Mr Obama's words. "Iran poses a short-term threat to Israel's survival; Israel's own behaviour poses a long-term one." Mr Obama also believes the Israeli prime minister is a "political coward" who is incapable of making concessions to the Palestinians because he has "become captive of Jewish settler lobby". » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Christian BA Worker: Cross Victory 'A Tough and Lonely Battle'
After winning the right to wear a cross at work at the European Court of Human Rights, British Airways employee Nadia Eweida says she is "jubilant" after what has been a "tough and lonely" journey.

Read the short article here | Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Inside Story - The Plight of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia

Mali Campaign Alters Image of François Hollande
Crisis talks are continuing in France over the decision to intervene in Mali, and President Francois Hollande has been meeting members of his Cabinet. The decision to intervene in the West African nation came swiftly, and French leaders have said they are satisfied with how the mission is going. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from Paris.

Al Jazeera Speaks to Family of Executed Sri Lankan Maid
Al Jazeera has spoken to the family of the Sri Lankan maid beheaded last week in Saudi Arabia for killing an infant. Her family continues to say that she was only 17 and not capable of hurting anyone. The Saudi government has condemned world reaction to the beheading, saying the maid had plotted and killed the infant by suffocation. Minelle Fernandez reports.

Germans United in Regret over Britain's EU Stance
BBC: HANOVER, GERMANY: At a campaign gathering held by Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) a garrulous man slapped me on the shoulder and asked, "How does this compare with your Conservative Party?" It was a knowing question, delivered with wink.

The CDU drive to get their man, David McAllister, re-elected to run the state government of Lower Saxony, is well funded, confident (despite the closeness of opinion polls) and united on the question of Europe.

There is no real dissent across the German political spectrum on the issues of integrating the European Union (EU) more closely, apart from on the extreme right.

Indeed talking to people across northern Germany during three days of filming, it is apparent that there is a broad degree of consensus both on the EU and on Britain's position within it - from the CDU election event we attended, to the floor of the Sennheiser microphone factory or from the Hamburg students' union.

Firstly, people express regret that, faced with the faltering of Germany's traditional EU partnership with France (socialist President Francois Hollande is too much the tax and spend type for Chancellor Angela Merkel and her CDU), that it is not possible to make common cause with the UK in the council chambers of Brussels.

From Ralph Brinkhaus, a local member of the German parliament, the Bundestag, to Christine Lemster, a chemistry student at Hamburg University, we heard a similar refrain - the UK and Germany ought to be natural allies, and it is too bad that they cannot unite around EU issues. » | Mark Urban, Diplomatic and defence editor, Newsnight | Monday, January 14, 2013

Muslim Brotherhood Taking Root in America
THE JERUSALEM POST – BLOG: The big question these days in Washington DC among political leaders in certain Republican circles is ‘are Muslims infiltrating the US government?’ US Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, a member of the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is so convinced that the Muslim Brotherhood is placing its members in key spots in the American government that she called for an investigation on June 13, 2012. Her concern is based on the way that the Obama administration has focused so much attention on the Middle East and why the administration is empowering the Muslim Brotherhood and its front groups. It is no secret that Muslims serve in the White House and other governmental offices.

The mission of Islam is “to impose its law on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planet” according to Andrew McCarthy’s book, “The Grand Jihad.” This is to be accomplished by infiltration, education, appointments and elections. They plan to supplant the American Constitutional Democracy by Islamic Law. Their plan is sabotage, to gradually eat away from within, abrading both the system and the will to preserve it.

Although America is the great melting pot of people from all around the world, there is a vast difference between people who come to America seeking the American way of life versus those who want to infiltrate in order to change the American way of life and this is exactly what the Muslim Brotherhood has been doing since the 60’s or even earlier.

The Muslim Brotherhood started the Muslim Student Association (MSA) in the 60s. Now there are hundreds of chapters at colleges and universities across the U. S. Many of the Muslims are members simply for social reasons, but without them the organization could not serve as a “front." The MSA is a stronghold of the Brotherhood’s brand of Islamic supremacism and has an alarming record of its alumni going on to Islamic activism and even to violent jihad. Read on and comment » | Earl Cox | Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Christian Wins Right to Wear Cross at Work
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Christian airline check-in clerk has won the right to wear a cross at work in a landmark case set to define religious freedom in Britain and across Europe.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the UK had failed to protect Nadia Eweida's freedom to manifest her faith in the workplace.

But it rejected a similar legal challenge from Shirley Chaplin, a nurse, ruling that the hospital where she worked should be able to refuse permission to wear a cross on “health and safety” grounds.

Both women lost employment tribunal cases in Britain after being refused the right to wear a cross as a symbol of their faith under their employers' uniform policy.

And in a hearing in Strasbourg last year the UK Government argued that this was not a breach of their human rights and wearing a cross is not an essential tenet of Christianity. But in its judgment the court said that manifesting religion is a "fundamental right".

It added: "[This is because] a healthy democratic society needs to tolerate and sustain pluralism and diversity; but also because of the value to an individual who has made religion a central tenet of his or her life to be able to communicate that belief to others."

The ruling in favour of Mrs Eweida represents a humiliation for David Cameron who promised to change the law to enshrine workers' right to wear the cross – even as lawyers for his Government were actively fighting the women in court.

It led to accusations of hypocrisy.

But, in a decision which could have even wider long-term implications, the court also rejected parallel challenges brought by two other Christians who lost their jobs for taking a stand on what they saw as a matter of conscience. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to Work as UK Trade Ambassadors

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are to follow in their father’s footsteps by working as trade ambassadors for Britain.

On Thursday the Princesses will drive a Mini from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the British Embassy in the city to kick off a year-long promotion of British Industry.

They will continue their first joint overseas engagement on Friday with a visit to Hanover, the home of their royal ancestors, to promote British brands. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Monday, January 14, 2013

What a joke! What do these two know about trade or promoting it? Talk about ‘jobs for the boys’, this is it! Couldn’t the UK find someone – anyone/people – more qualified for this/these position(s) than these two young, inexperienced lasses? They are going to Germany to promote trade first. Do they even speak German? What a pathetic country the UK has become!

PS: I hope they choose better hats to promote British trade. Especially if that trade is related to the fashion industry. Their taste in hats is, by now, notorious. – © Mark

The Hidden Origin of Islam

The Fall of "Great" Britain to Islam Is Imminent!

Kauf von Current TV: Al-Jazira in Amerika
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der arabische Nachrichtensender al-Jazira hat den erfolglosen amerikanischen Fernsehkanal Current TV gekauft. Damit versucht al-Jazira, sich stärker in den USA zu positionieren.

Mit dem Kauf der amerikanischen Fernsehstation Current TV versucht der katarische Nachrichtensender al-Jazira, ein Standbein in den USA aufzubauen und auf dem amerikanischen Markt mit den grossen Sendern CNN und BBC World zu konkurrieren. Laut Reuters kostete der Kauf 500 Millionen Dollar. Ungefähr 60 Prozent der Programme sollen in den USA produziert werden, den Rest übernimmt al-Jazira in Katar.

Der künftige Sender mit dem Namen al-Jazira America wird voraussichtlich seine Sichtweise der internationalen Politik der amerikanischen Öffentlichkeit zu vermitteln versuchen. Der Generaldirektor von al-Jazira, Ahmed at-Tani, wird in der Presse mit den Worten zitiert, man wolle einen zusätzlichen Beitrag an die amerikanischen Nachrichten leisten und die Geschichten erzählen, die andere vernachlässigten. » | Nina Fargahi | Montag, 14. Januar 2013

David Cameron's Europe Speech Brought Forward
David Cameron’s speech on Europe has been brought forward after officials inadvertently planned it to coincide with an anniversary marking 50 years of Franco-German friendship.

Read the article here | Peter Dominiczak, Political Correspondent | Monday, January 14, 2013

Somalie : les islamistes publient des photos du cadavre d'un soldat français
lePARISIEN.fr: Les insurgés islamistes somaliens shebab ont publié lundi sur leur compte Twitter une photo ducadavre d'un homme, présenté comme le chef du commando français ayant échoué à libérer samedi l'otage Denis Allex.

La rédaction du Parisien a décidé de ne pas diffuser ces photos.

«Le commandant français tué durant l'opération de secours bâclée à Bulo-marer», indique la légende de l'image, sur laquelle apparaît un jeune homme aux cheveux courts, du sang séché sur le visage, vêtu d'un pantalon clair et d'une chemise sombre, dont dépasse une chaîne et une croix chrétienne en argent. Le message du tweet est explicite : «François Hollande, est ce que cela en valait la peine?»

Sur un autre cliché publié sur le même compte, le visage du commando présumé apparait en gros plan, sa croix mise en avant, avec la macabre légende : « Un retour aux croisades mais la croix n'a pas pu le sauver de l'épée». Enfin, une autre photo montre l'équipement du soldat comme un trésor de guerre pour les terroristes. » | LeParisien.fr avec l’AFP | lundi 14 janvier 2013

Mali: Frankreich greift in Kampf gegen Islamisten ein
Frankreich schickt Soldaten, um Malis Regierungstruppen gegen die Islamisten zu unterstützen. Schon kann ein erster Erfolg vermeldet werden: Konna ist wieder in der Hand der Regierung.

Saudi Arabia Shreds Bibles

Colin Powell Accuses GOP Of Racism: They 'Still Look Down On Minorities

New Law Eases Travel Restrictions on Cubans
For decades, Cuba has been derided by human rights advocates as a "prison island" because of its tough travel restrictions. But a new set of reforms will make it easier for Cubans to leave the country. Al Jazeera's Adam Raney reports from Havana.

Indigenous Canadians Demand Government Action
Hundreds of Indigenous Canadians have continued their protests in the capital and other major cities. They're calling for more rights and better living conditions on reserves, and one protest leader has been on hunger strike for weeks. Al Jazeera's Daniel Lak reports from Ottawa.

France Hit by Anti-gay Marriage Protests
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Paris in protest against a proposed law that would legalise gay marriage in France. People travelled from all over France for the demonstration supported by leaders of the centre-right opposition, the Catholic church and the Muslim community. Al Jazeera's Rory Challands reports from Paris.

LE POINT: Di Rupo : "Je suis fier de la modernité de notre pays, où tous les couples ont le droit de se marier" : Le Premier ministre belge a rappelé lundi que le mariage entre couples de même sexe était autorisé depuis dix ans en Belgique. » | Source; AFP | lundi 14 janvier 2013

Egyptian Court Orders Re-trial for Mubarak
Egypt's top appeals court has ordered former President Hosni Mubarak and his security chief be retried. They were sentenced to life in prison last June for failing to prevent the killing of protesters during the revolution in 2011. Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh reports from Cairo.

Saudi Arabia Rejects Maid Beheading Criticism
AL JAZEERA: Saudi Arabia 'deplores' international condemnation over beheading of a Sri Lankan maid convicted of killing baby.

Saudi Arabia criticised world reaction to its beheading a Sri Lankan maid convicted of killing her employer's baby, the official Saudi news agency SPA reported.

Riyadh "deplores the statements made... over the execution of a Sri Lankan maid who had plotted and killed an infant by suffocating him to death, one week after she arrived in the kingdom," the government spokesman said.

Rizana Nafeek was beheaded on Wednesday in a case that sparked widespread international condemnation, including from rights groups which said she was just 17 when she was charged with murdering the baby in 2005.

Nafeek was found guilty of smothering the infant after an argument with the child's mother.

The case soured diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka which on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia in protest.

The government spokesman condemned what he called "wrong information on the case," and denied that the maid was a minor when she committed the crime. » | Source: Agencies | Monday, January 14, 2013

Mosque Buster Gavin Boby’s Mission Statement

MAIL ON SUNDAY: 'Mosque buster' claims he can stop 'tide of Islam' by giving free advice on how to block building plans for new places of worship » | Larisa Brown | Sunday, January 13, 2013

Egypt's Coptic Christians Fleeing Country After Islamist Takeover

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tens of thousands of Egyptian Christians are leaving the country in the wake of the Egyptian revolution and subsequent Islamist takeover of politics, priests and community leaders say.

Coptic Christian churches in the United States say they are having to expand to cope with new arrivals, as priests in cities like Cairo and Alexandria talk of a new climate of fear and uncertainty.

"Most of our people are afraid," Father Mina Adel, a priest at the Church of Two Saints in Alexandria said. "Not a few are leaving - for America, Canada and Australia. Dozens of families from this church alone are trying to go too."

Father Mina's church has an important place in the history of the Arab Spring. It was struck by a car bomb on New Year's Eve 2010, Egypt's worst sectarian attack in recent decades, in which 23 people were killed.

After the bombing, liberal Muslim groups staged protests in support of Christians, printing posters showing the cross and the crescent interlinked which then went on to be symbols of inter-faith unity during the Tahrir Square protests three weeks later.

But the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in parliamentary and presidential elections has changed the mood - particularly as the biggest opposition party is the even more hardline Salafist movement which wants strict Sharia law implemented.

"Salafis meet Christian girls in the street and order them to cover their hair," Father Mina said. "Sometimes they hit them when they refuse." » | Richard Spencer, Alexandria | Sunday, January 13, 2013

Michael Hauri: Und dann wurde ich Muslim
Then I became a Muslim »

Ben Alis Güter an den Meistbietenden
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In Tunesien findet zurzeit eine Versteigerung der besonderen Art statt. Der Staat verkauft die Besitztümer des früheren Machthabers Ben Ali und von dessen Frau Leila Trabelsi.

Am 14. Januar begeht Tunesien den zweiten Jahrestag der «Revolution für Würde und Freiheit, 17. Dezember 2010 – 14. Januar 2011», wie seit Mitte Dezember der offizielle Name für den Sturz des Diktators Ben Ali lautet. Am 14. Januar vor zwei Jahren verliessen Ben Ali und seine Frau Leila Trabelsi nach Massenprotesten fluchtartig das Land. Sie leben seitdem im Exil in Saudiarabien. Inzwischen sind Ben Ali und seine Frau zu je 35 Jahren Haft wegen illegaler Bereicherung verurteilt worden. » | Annette Steinich, Tunis | Donnerstag, 10. Januar 2013