Ablehnung des Islam steigt weltweit: Annäherung der Religionen wohl gescheitert
SHORT NEWS: Russische Religionswissenschaftler sehen die Annäherung des Islam an die westliche Welt und an das Christentum als gescheitert an. Des Weiteren seien die meisten Länder wegen der aggressiven islamischen Expansionspolitik des Islams überdrüssig.

Die einzige Religion, welche sich noch immer weltweit verbreiten will, sei der Islam, so Juri Tabak, russischer Schriftsteller, Religionsforscher und Experte des Moskauer Büros für Menschenrechte. So sieht er Frankreich bedroht, das erste islamische Land in Westeuropa zu werden. » | Quelle: german.ruvr.ru | Samstag, 18. Mai 2013

Iraq Tribal Leaders Warn of War
Tribal chiefs in Iraq have issued a dire warning about the country's future after the latest wave of sectarian violence.

French Opt For E-cigarettes But Health Risk Remains
Almost half a million people in France have turned to the e-cigarette but studies show it may also be harmful to health.

Italians Lose Interest in Pizza-making Tradition
Despite a long recession and a high unemployment rate, many people in Italy do not want to get their hands dirty - with pizza dough.

Melanie Phillips - Islam in Europe (2011)

Radical Islamic Recruitment Inside US Prisons
Many prisoners become members of various communities to combat loneliness, and to ensure protection from the daily threats associated with life in jail. An unusually high number of convicts are being converted to Islam.

In particular, African Americans in the prison system are converting in large numbers. According to estimates, up to 20 percent of prisoners in the U.S. are Muslims. This figure is approximately 20 times higher than the national Muslim population average.

This excerpt from 'The Third Jihad' documents the high rate of inmate conversions to Islam and their indoctrination with an anti-American, violent ideology.

Have Shock Jocks Gone Too Far after Rush Limbaugh Called Sandra Fluke a Slut?

THE INDEPENDENT: Rush Limbaugh’s incendiary remark about a 30-year-old law graduate may be the beginning of the end for outspoken right-wing US broadcasters

When Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a slut, he probably thought it was just another incendiary remark: the latest in a four-decade career full of – and, arguably, built on – incendiary remarks.

In February 2012, Fluke, a 30-year-old graduate law student at Georgetown, appeared before Washington lawmakers to explain why her university ought to offer free contraception under its student health insurance plan. Limbaugh, 62, the cigar-chomping king of conservative talk-radio, described her on his show as a “slut” and a “prostitute”.

When his comments proved controversial, rather than back down, he doubled down, suggesting: “If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it … We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch.”

But this particular incendiary remark, and the ensuing controversy, were different to the others. A year later, observers believe his “slut” moment may prove to have been the beginning of the end for Limbaugh. Not only has the big beast been wounded, but some say the right-wing shock-jock’s entire species may be facing extinction. Radio industry expert Jerry Del Colliano, the editor of Inside Music Media, says, “When Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke, everybody said, ‘he’s killing himself’ – but he was dying off years before that.” » | Tim Walker | Sunday, May 19, 2013

Tornadoes Wreak Destruction across Oklahoma and the American Midwest
Tornadoes have wreaked havoc across the American midwest, with at least one person killed in Oklahoma.

Read the article here | Monday, May 20, 2013

British Business: We Need to Stay in the EU or Risk Losing Up To £92bn a Year
THE INDEPENDENT: Richard Branson and Martin Sorrell among signatories to a letter to ‘The Independent’ that takes aim at Eurosceptics

Some of Britain’s most successful and eminent business leaders have accused Eurosceptic MPs of putting “politics before economics” and abandoning the national interest in their calls for Britain to leave the European Union.

In a letter to The Independent, the group issues a trenchant riposte to politicians who have argued that Britain’s economic interest would be better served outside the EU. They also call for David Cameron to “strengthen and deepen” the European single market to boost Britain’s economy by £110bn. The letter, which is signed by senior figures including the current and next presidents of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) as well as the chairmen of BT, Deloitte, Lloyds and Centrica, is the first co-ordinated response from the business community to increasing anti-European political rhetoric.

It reflects growing concern in the City that anti-European feeling is not being effectively countered by mainstream political leaders in the wake of last month’s local council elections.

Two cabinet ministers have already publicly stated that they would vote to leave the EU if a referendum were held today, while privately some senior Tories believe Mr Cameron will never be able to negotiate a new deal for Britain’s membership that Eurosceptics could willingly sign up to.

But in their letter the businessmen write that on a purely economic basis, exiting the EU would be deeply damaging to Britain. “The economic case to stay in the EU is overwhelming,” they say. “To Britain, membership is estimated to be worth between £31bn and £92bn per year in income gains, or between £1,200 to £3,500 for every household. » | Oliver Wright | Sunday, May 19, 2013

Iranian Authorities Hang Two 'Spies' Convicted of Working for U.S. and Israel

MAIL ONLINE: Mohammad Heidari and Kourosh Ahmadi were hanged at dawn in Tehran / It is not known when they were arrested or where a trial took place / Iran had the second-highest rate of executions last year, killing 314 people

Iranian authorities have executed two men convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and the American CIA spy agency, according to the country's state radio.

Mohammad Heidari, accused of passing security-related information and secrets to Mossad agents in exchange for money, and Kourosh Ahmadi, accused of gathering information for the CIA, were hanged at dawn, it said.

The sentence for their execution was handed down by Tehran's Revolutionary Court and confirmed by the country's Supreme Court.

The report did not say when the pair were arrested nor when their trial took place.

Iran has in the past said it had successfully detected and dismantled spy networks operating inside the country. » | Helen Lawson | Sunday, May 19, 2013

'Neo-Ottomanism Driven Turkey Does NATO's Job, Adds Fuel to Syrian Fire'
Turkish police have fired gas at protesters in a town near the Syrian border - which was the scene of a deadly double car bombing a week ago. The unrest follows similar clashes in Istanbul and Ankara. Demonstrators are angry over Turkey's support for the Syrian rebels, which they say is putting Turks in the firing line. Journalist Manuel Ochsenreiter, who's covered the Syrian crisis extensively, says Ankara's aggravating the conflict.

Next Coronation to Involve Other Faiths Besides Christianity

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The coronation of the next monarch will include a role for people of other faiths besides Christianity, in a break with a thousand years of history, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.

Church of England leaders have accepted the need to be “hospitable” to other faiths within any future service at Westminster Abbey, in order to reflect the spiritual diversity of modern Britain.

The Church has resisted calls for a multi-faith service in recent years, preferring to stress that the Christian nature of the coronation is preserved by law.

Senior church figures told this newspaper [t] that it was now accepted that other faiths should be recognised within the coronation service for the first time.

It will not, however, be a “multi-faith” service in the sense of a ceremony that treats all faiths as equal.

Representatives of other religions are likely to be asked to participate in a neutral symbolic act such as the lighting of candles, or to read from a text expressing shared values, rather than praying out loud or reading their own sacred texts.

The Church considers the coronation to be a royal ordination, setting apart the monarch for a sacred purpose under God, and will resist any compromise of that. » | Cole Moreton | Saturday, May 18, 2013

Glenn Beck – Why Obama Hid the Truth of Benghazi?

Glenn Beck: God Must Destroy Us Because We Are Becoming An Affront To Him In Every Way
Glenn Beck breaks down and tearfully begs God to forgive this nation.

Ex-Islamophobe to Produce Film on Islam, the Prophet
From Darkness to Light
RADIANCE VIEWS WEEKLY – EXTRACT: …[Arnoud van] Doorn repented for his involvement in the blasphemous film. “It was unfortunate that I did not make any efforts to know what really Islam is and who the Prophet is before blindly believing in the misinformation campaign being unleashed by the anti-Islamic forces. When I came to realise that it was not Islam, I decided to study about the religion and that led to my conversion,” he said. “Now, I am really enjoying the beauty of Islam and am extremely delighted in Allah’s great blessing to guide me onto His path. It is an explicable experience for me,” he said adding that his former colleagues in the Freedom Party are angry at his acceptance of Islam, which is still a bête noire for them. “The party stands against Islam and its spreading in Europe. Some of them now consider me as a traitor.”

The 46-year-old has continued on The Hague Council as an independent candidate since splitting from Wilders’s party. Doorn, who now serves as a regional adviser at the City Hall in The Hague, filed a formal application to the mayor of the city to allow him to perform prayers obligatory for Muslims during his working hours.

Doorn has a message to those who oppose his reversion to Islam. “Let me tell them that this is my personal decision and I see a new life in Islam that I don’t want any way to give it up. I happened to see on social networking sites several comments, expressing feelings of antagonism and hatred toward me,” he said adding that all these sprang out of ignorance, contempt and animosity against Islam and the Muslims. He also thanked all those who supported him and commended him for beginning a new life as a Muslim. Referring to his visit to the holy land, Doorn said: “Had anybody mentioned me about visiting the land of the two holy mosques earlier, I would have called him a lunatic.

“But what happened now is realisation of a dream and it is still unbelievable for me that I am now in the holy city that hosted the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).” He continued saying: “I couldn’t control my feelings when I stood in front of the grave of the Prophet as well as in Rawdah Sharif, near the pulpit used by the Prophet. When I prayed at Rawdah Sharaif, my eyes were full of tears as I had the feeling that I am in a part of the Paradise.” … Read on and comment » | Majed Al-Sugairi | Undated

Gene Simmons Calls Muslims 'Vile'
YNET NEWS: After sparking outrage with anti-Islam comments on Melbourne radio station, Israeli-born musician explains he was specifically referring to 'extremists'

Legendary rock legend Gene Simmons sparked outrage in Australia earlier this month when he made anti-Muslim comments on a Melbourne radio station.

"This is a vile culture and if you think for a second that it's willing to just live in the sands of God's armpit, you've got another thing coming," the Israeli-born musician said on Melbourne’s 3AW radio.

"They want to come and live right where you live and they think that you're evil. Extremism believes that it’s okay to strap bombs onto your children and send them to paradise and whatever else and to behead people,” he continued.

The Kiss bassist, who was in Australia on tour, continued on his anti-Muslim rant for over a minute stating that dogs were treated better than Muslim women, and insinuating that the West was under threat.

"Your dog, however, can walk side by side, your dog is allowed to have its own dog house... You can send your dog to school to learn tricks, sit, beg, do all that stuff - none of the women have that advantage," Simmons stated.

Simmons said that the United Nations approach was not effective, suggesting that the West had to “speak softly and carry a big stick.” » | Ashley Baylen | Saturday, May 18, 2013

Greece’s Muslims Cite “Slaughter” Threat
GREEK REPORTER: The Muslim Association of Greece (MAG) said that it has received a threatening note giving all Muslims, Greeks and foreigners, one month’s time to evacuate the country or be “slaughtered like chickens,” according to a statement released by the association on May 18.

The note, published on the association’s webpage, is written in Greek, English and Arabic and the Golden Dawn emblem is printed on the paper, although there is no claim of responsibility from the neo-Nazi group that has 18 seats in Parliament, wants all immigrants out of Greece and has been accused of assaults on them, which the party has denied.

The note is printed over a symbol of Golden Dawn which has an openly anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-gay, anti-Semitic, anti-foreigner, ultra-religious jingoistic platform and says it wants a Greece populated only by Greeks with 100 percent Greek blood from both parents. » | Andy Dabilis | Saturday, May 18, 2013

Below is the content of the note, expurgated.

Muslim Murderers

Until June 30 you shut your bordela in Greece and you will go to hell.

From July 1 onwards those who are still here will [be] slaughtered like chickens on the road.

Islam F*** you, f*** you and the Koran f***ing your mothers.

There will be blood.

The Land without Muslims
THE JEWISH PRESS: The Japanese do not feel the need to apologize to Muslims for the negative way in which they relate to Islam.

There are countries in the world, mainly in Europe, that are presently undergoing significant cultural transformations as a result of Muslim immigration. France, Germany, Belgium and Holland are interesting examples of cases where immigration from Muslim countries, together with the Muslims’ high fertility rate, effects [sic] every area of life.

It is interesting to know that there is a country in the world whose official and public approach to the Muslim matter is totally different. This country is Japan. This country keeps a very low profile on all levels regarding the Muslim matter: On the diplomatic level, senior political figures from Islamic countries almost never visit Japan, and Japanese leaders rarely visit Muslim countries. The relations with Muslim countries are based on concerns such as oil and gas, which Japan imports from some Muslim countries. The official policy of Japan is not to give citizenship to Muslims who come to Japan, and even permits for permanent residency are given sparingly to Muslims.

Japan forbids exhorting people to adopt the religion of Islam (Dawah), and any Muslim who actively encourages conversion to Islam is seen as proselytizing to a foreign and undesirable culture. Few academic institutions teach the Arabic language. It is very difficult to import books of the Qur’an to Japan, and Muslims who come to Japan, are usually employees of foreign companies. In Japan there are very few mosques. The official policy of the Japanese authorities is to make every effort not to allow entry to Muslims, even if they are physicians, engineers and managers sent by foreign companies that are active in the region. Japanese society expects Muslim men to pray at home.

Japanese companies seeking foreign workers specifically note that they are not interested in Muslim workers. And any Muslim who does manage to enter Japan will find it very difficult to rent an apartment. Anywhere a Muslim lives, the neighbors become uneasy. Japan forbids the establishment of Islamic organizations, so setting up Islamic institutions such as mosques and schools is almost impossible. In Tokyo there is only one imam.

In contrast with what is happening in Europe, very few Japanese are drawn to Islam. If a Japanese woman marries a Muslim, she will be considered an outcast by her social and familial environment. There is no application of Shari’a law in Japan. There is some food in Japan that is halal, kosher according to Islamic law, but it is not easy to find it in the supermarket. » | Dr. Mordechai Kedar | Sunday, May 19, 2013

Türkei und EU: Westerwelle wirbt deutlich wie nie für türkischen EU-Beitritt

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Bundes-außenminister Guido Westerwelle (FDP) hat sich so deutlich wie nie zuvor für einen Beitritt der Türkei zur Europäischen Union ausgesprochen. In einem gemeinsam mit dem türkischen Außenminister Davutoglu verfassten Artikel in der F.A.S. werden „weitreichende Reformerfolge“ in Ankara hervorgehoben.

Bundesaußenminister Guido Westerwelle (FDP) hat sich so deutlich wie nie zuvor für einen Beitritt der Türkei zur Europäischen Union ausgesprochen. In einem gemeinsam mit dem türkischen Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu verfassten Artikel, den die „Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung“ veröffentlicht, heißt es, beide Länder wollten „dem türkischen Beitrittsprozess neuen Schwung geben“. Die Türkei habe weitreichende Reformen vorangetrieben, die den gemeinsamen Grundwerten „Demokratie, Menschenrechte und Rechtsstaatlichkeit“ verpflichtet seien. Dabei habe es „große Fortschritte“ gegeben. „Reformerfolge in Ankara sollten sich auch positiv im Verhandlungsprozess über den EU-Beitritt der Türkei niederschlagen“, so Westerwelle und Davutoglu. » | Quelle: F.A.S. | Samstag, 11. Mai 2013

Russisch-amerikanische Initiative: Assad gibt Friedensgesprächen keine Chance
19.05.2013 - Erstmals seit Wochen hat Syriens Diktator Baschar al-Assad eines seiner seltenen Interviews gegeben. Er stellte sich den Fragen argentinischer Journalisten. Dabei wies er den Vorwurf energisch zurück, Chemiewaffen eingesetzt zu haben. Von der jüngsten Friedensinitiative hält er gar nichts.

Related »

Bashar al-Assad Issues Defiant Message: 'I'm Here to Stay'
Bashar al-Assad speaks to Argentinian newspaper Clarin about the on[-]going civil war in Syria. The president says the country's crisis has become so deadly because of international interference. Assad claims Barack Obama's reluctance to intervene further is not down to principles but less finance and a lack of opportunity for America to benefit from Syrian peace. When asked if he would stand down in pursuit of peace, he replies he must 'face his duty' and remain in his elected position

Read the Observer article here | Martin Chulov, Beirut | Saturday, May 18, 2013

This Is a New, Farcical Low and David Cameron Is Losing Control

THE OBSERVER: The Tory backbenchers' desire to quit Europe would leave Britain dangerously isolated

Unfortunately, last week's events in the House of Commons have brought the debate on Europe within the Conservative party to a new, almost farcical, low. Having previously opposed the introduction of legislation in this parliament to hold a referendum in the next one, the prime minister suddenly allowed a free vote among backbenchers, with the government abstaining, on the extraordinary basis that the party had no policy on the issue.

Then, once more than 100 backbenchers had voted for such a referendum, he insisted that all Tory MPs, whatever their view, should from now on support the proposal, on a three-line whip, whereas only the day before they could take any position they chose. This saga looks more like the politics of the French Fourth Republic than the serious practice of government and it is especially disappointing and damaging on such an important issue – the place of Britain in Europe and the world.

Sadly, by making it clear in January that he opposes the current terms of UK membership of the EU, the prime minister has opened a Pandora's box politically and seems to be losing control of his party in the process. The ratchet-effect of Euroscepticism has now gone so far that the Conservative leadership is in effect running scared of its own backbenchers, let alone Ukip, having allowed deep anti-Europeanism to infect the very soul of the party. The risk now is that, if it loses the next general election – a far from negligible possibility – the Conservative party will move to a position of simply opposing Britain's continued membership, with or without a referendum.

Archimedes said: "Give me a place on which to stand and lever long enough, and I will move the world." British foreign policy should be about maximising and exploiting the levers we possess – whether through Europe, the transatlantic relationship or the Commonwealth – not breaking them or throwing them away.

In this context, I have yet to meet any significant western political figure from beyond our shores who can understand why Britain would even contemplate leaving the European Union, which is now a key point of leverage for this country in the modern world.

In Washington, Tokyo, Beijing, New Delhi or Moscow, let alone in all other EU national capitals, it seems obvious that the UK needs the union as the platform and vehicle by which to influence events and policy in many spheres. Nowadays, with the possible exception of Germany, a country such as Britain, boasting about 1% of the world's population and 3% of the world's GDP, is unlikely to be able to hold anything like the position of power to which we continue to aspire, unless this is firmly anchored in a strong alliances and, ideally, a credible regional framework. With the decline of Nato, the only such framework available, unless we seek to join the United States, is basically the European Union. » | Geoffrey Howe | Saturday, May 18, 2013

Related »

Tory Party Out of Control over Europe, Says Lord Howe

THE OBSERVER: Former chancellor launches scathing attack on David Cameron and says Euroscepticism is 'infecting party soul'

Lord Howe, the former Conservative chancellor who triggered the downfall of Margaret Thatcher, has launched a scathing attack on the prime minister, accusing him of running scared of his backbenchers and endangering Britain's future in Europe.

The Tory grandee says David Cameron has opened a Pandora's box by opposing the current terms of the UK's membership of the European Union and now appears to be losing control of his party. The prime minister's actions, Howe writes in the Observer, have turned an internal Tory problem into a national one.

In a highly significant intervention over Britain's future, Howe laments the "new, almost farcical" level of debate over Europe in the Tory party, and says that Labour and the Liberal Democrats may need to bear the burden of retrieving the situation. Howe, Thatcher's longest-serving cabinet minister, whose resignation speech in 1990 is widely considered to have precipitated the then prime minister's downfall, writes: "Sadly, by making it clear in January that he opposes the current terms of UK membership of the EU, the prime minister has opened a Pandora's box politically and seems to be losing control of his party in the process.

"The ratchet-effect of Euroscepticism has now gone so far that the Conservative leadership is in effect running scared of its own backbenchers, let alone Ukip, having allowed deep anti-Europeanism to infect the very soul of the party."

Howe, who was also a former foreign secretary and deputy prime minister under the late Baroness Thatcher, adds that the events of recent days, in which the prime minister has been forced to offer more and more to satisfy his Eurosceptic MPs, were "more like the politics of the French Fourth Republic than the serious practice of government". » | Daniel Boffey, policy editor | Saturday, May 18, 2013

Griechenland: Eklat um "Heil Hitler"-Ruf im Parlament

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Wüste Szenen im griechischen Parlament: Nach einem heftigen Streit erschallte der Ruf "Heil Hitler", als rechtsextremistische Abgeordnete den Saal verließen. Nun will es keiner gewesen sein.

Athen - Beide Seiten schenkten sich nichts an diesem Freitag imgriechischen Parlament. Abgeordnete der rechtsextremistischen Partei "Goldene Morgenröte" und Vertreter der radikalen Linken (Syriza) beschimpften sich gegenseitig, als ein neues Gesetz zur Bekämpfung des Rassismus zur Debatte stand. » | ler/dpa/AFP | Freitag, 17. Mai 2013

High-pitched Squeaky Voice Syndrome
Has anyone else noticed that young ‘ladies’ these days so often have high-pitched squeaky voices? This used not to be the case. It is a phenomenon that has made its appearance in the last decade or so. It seems that today’s young ‘ladies’ do not aspire to be ladies at all; rather, they aspire to be overgrown children. Talking to young women of a certain age is like to talking to a schoolgirl waiting to develop. It is most annoying. – © Mark

The Bible's Buried Secrets

The Bipartisan Folly of Our Islam Delusion
FOX NEWS: In our deeply partisan politics of today there is one area where it is hard to find the truth spoken by either Republicans or Democrats. It is the idea that Muslim people yearn for democracy. This is a glaring shortsightedness that both sides hold in common.

To be clear, many of my Muslim friends long for Western-style democracy and freedom. But they are always thwarted (and always will be) by the majority view that prevails in their countries. That is why even those friends of mine would admit that democracy is incompatible with Islamic ideology.

Knowledgeable people will agree that our modern form of democracy is a delicate rose that bloomed in the soil of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation turned the people of the Dark Ages back to the Bible, with its deeply rooted respect for the individual.

The Bible unequivocally declares that God values “the individual.” God not only created a man and a woman to be compatible in every way, but God gave man the management responsibility for His creation—thus God placed “the individual” at the helm of importance. (+ video) » | Michael Youssef | Friday, May 17, 2013

France Least Tolerant Country in Western Europe of Homosexuals
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: World Values Survey: France is the least tolerant country in Western Europe, survey finds, despite the signing into law of a gay marriage bill.

The information which has been monitoring the political and moral attitudes of various countries for more than two decades, shows that countries with more economic freedom have higher degrees of tolerance.

France was the least tolerant country in Western Europe, with 28.8 per cent of the population responding that they would not want a homosexual neighbour. This contrasts with 3.6 per cent of Swedish people, 7.4 per cent of Spaniards and 11.1 per cent of Swiss. 16.8 per cent of British people would not want a homosexual neighbour.

There is a clear divide across the iron curtain, with homophobia much more common in Russia and Ukraine, while Serbia and Moldova were even less tolerant than majority Muslim Indonesia. Georgia, was the third most homophobic country surveyed, with 92.6 per cent of the population unhappy with the idea of a homosexual neighbour.

Muslim countries were among the most homophobic, with 19 out of 20 Jordanians unwilling to live near to homosexuals. Iran was close behind, with 93.2 per cent of the population intolerant. Despite their Catholic heritage, liberal attitudes predominate in Latin America, with Uruguay, Argentina and Guatemala more tolerant than some Western countries. Colombia was an outlier, with 45.9 per cent of the population unwilling to have a homosexual neighbour. » | William Clarke | Friday, May 17, 2013

Opinion: Nigel Farage's Scottish Hounding Was an Antidote to Fawning Media Treatment
THE GUARDIAN: Had the media focused more on Ukip's policies, Farage might not have believed his hype and made such a blunder in Scotland

Thursday's confrontation between Nigel Farage and Scottish protesters has led people to question just why Ukip is so unpopular in Scotland. However, it is the wrong question to ask. Instead we should be asking just what has happened to English culture that a party with a loathsome agenda of homophobia, barely masked racism and a litany of other far-right notions has made such headway in the 21st century. One answer is the media's obsessive treatment of personalities and not politics. The other is the extraordinary gulf that's developing between Scotland and England about the twin referendum campaigns and the political cultures they reflect. » | Mike Small | Friday, May 17, 2013

French Same-sex Marriage Law Signed by François Hollande

THE GUARDIAN: After intense protests, law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children is approved, but key issues still unresolved

The French president, François Hollande, has signed a law authorising same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, after months of street protests, political slanging matches and a rise in homophobic attacks.

The move makes France the ninth country in Europe and the 14th globally to legalise same-sex marriage.

France's official journal announced on Saturday that the bill had become law after the Constitutional Council rejected a challenge by the right[-]wing opposition on Friday.

The first same-sex marriage is due to be held in Montpellier in the south of France on 29 May, Reuters reported.

Hollande and his ruling Socialist party have made the legislation their flagship social change, but the right to marriage and adoption for everyone regardless of sexual orientation has triggered the biggest conservative and right[-]wing street protests in 30 years, with more than 200 arrests. Opponents have called for another protest on 26 May. » | Staff and agencies | Saturday, May 18, 2013

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Israël : le "Bedgate", ce scandale qui embarrasse Netanyahou

LE POINT: Pour assister aux obsèques de Margaret Thatcher, Netanyahou et sa femme ont affrété un avion avec un lit ! Coût : 127 000 dollars aux frais du contribuable.

C'est devenu le "Bedgate". Soit les 127 000 dollars dépensés par la présidence du Conseil israélien pour mettre en place une chambre avec lit double destinée à Sarah et Benyamin Netanyahou dans l'avion qui les emmenait à Londres assister aux obsèques de Margaret Thatcher.

L'affaire remonte à quelques semaines. Lorsqu'il apprend le décès de la Dame de fer, qu'il admirait tant, Netanyahou donne l'ordre de publier un appel d'offres auprès des trois compagnies aériennes israéliennes pour la location d'un avion avec chambre. C'est finalement EL AL qui l'emporte. Le Premier ministre s'envole alors avec son épouse pour la capitale britannique, où le couple séjournera un peu moins de 48 heures.

Ce que le public israélien ne sait pas encore - jusqu'au scoop de la chaîne 10 -, c'est que ce voyage aura coûté la bagatelle de 127 000 dollars, le montant exigé par EL AL pour la location de l'un de ses appareils. En effet, le chef du gouvernement a exigé l'installation à bord de l'appareil, en plus de 22 sièges de classe business, d'une vraie pièce de repos, avec quatre murs, une porte et un lit double. Le tout afin que le couple puisse dormir durant les cinq heures de vol. Or, seuls les avions de EL AL sont suffisamment larges pour pouvoir satisfaire à cette demande. » | De correspondante du Point à Jérusalem, Danièle Kriegel | vendredi 17 mai 2013

Les sages valident le mariage pour tous

LE POINT: Le Conseil constitutionnel valide également le droit d'adopter pour les couples de même sexe, mais souligne que le texte ne leur reconnaît pas un "droit à l'enfant".

Le Conseil constitutionnel a validé totalement vendredi la loi ouvrant le mariage et l'adoption à deux personnes de même sexe, a annoncé la haute juridiction dans un communiqué. Mais le Conseil, tout en validant le droit d'adopter pour les couples de même sexe, a tenu à souligner que le texte ne leur reconnaissait pas un "droit à l'enfant", le principe à respecter pour tout agrément d'adoption devant être "l'intérêt de l'enfant". François Hollande devrait promulguer cette loi dès samedi.

La haute juridiction a jugé que le mariage homosexuel était "un choix du législateur" et "n'était contraire à aucun principe constitutionnel". Même si "la législation républicaine antérieure à 1946 et les lois postérieures ont" jusqu'à présent "regardé le mariage comme l'union d'un homme et d'une femme, cette règle n'intéresse ni les droits et libertés fondamentaux, ni la souveraineté nationale, ni l'organisation des pouvoirs publics" et "ne peut donc constituer un principe fondamental", a ajouté le Conseil dans sa décision. » | Source AFP | vendredi 17 mai 2013

EU to Ban Olive Oil Jugs from Restaurants
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The European Union is to ban olive oil jugs and dipping bowls from restaurant tables in a move described by one of Britain's top cooks as authoritarian and damaging to artisanal food makers.

The small glass jugs filled with green or gold coloured extra virgin olive oil are familiar and traditional for restaurant goers across Europe but they will be banned from 1 January 2014 after a decision taken in an obscure Brussels committee earlier this week.

From next year olive oil "presented at a restaurant table" must be in pre-packaged, factory bottles with a tamper-proof dispensing nozzle and labelling in line with EU industrial standards.

The use of classic, refillable glass jugs or glazed terracotta dipping bowls and the choice of a restaurateur to buy olive oil from a small artisan producer or family business will be outlawed. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Friday, May 17, 2013

Pope Francis Urges Global Leaders to End 'Tyranny' of Money

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis has attacked the “dictatorship” of the global financial system and warned that the “cult of money” was making life a misery for millions.

He said free-market capitalism had created a “tyranny” and that human beings were being judged purely by their ability to consume goods.

Money should be made to “serve” people, not to “rule” them, he said, calling for a more ethical financial system and curbs on financial speculation.

Countries should impose more control over their economies and not allow “absolute autonomy”, in order to provide “for the common good”.

The gap between rich and poor was growing and the “joy of life” was diminishing in many developed countries, the Argentinian Pope said, two months after he was elected as the successor to Benedict XVI.

“While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling,” said Francis, who as archbishop of Buenos Aires visited slums, opted to live in a modest flat rather than an opulent Church residence and went to work by bus.

In poorer countries, people’s lives were becoming “undignified” and marked by violence and desperation, he said. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Thursday, May 16, 2013

Islamic Forced Conversions–Past and Present
THE BLAZE: The lost history of Christians forced to convert to Islam—or die—is reemerging, figuratively and literally. According to the BBC: “Pope Francis has proclaimed the first saints of his pontificate in a ceremony [last Sunday] at the Vatican—a list which includes 800 victims of an atrocity carried out by Ottoman soldiers in 1480.They were beheaded in the southern Italian town of Otranto after refusing to convert to Islam.”

The BBC adds in a sidebar: “The ‘Martyrs of Otranto’ were 813 Italians beheaded for defying demands by Turkish invaders to renounce Christianity. The Turks had been sent by Mohammed II, who had already captured the ‘second Rome’ of Constantinople.”

Historical texts throughout the centuries are filled with similar anecdotes, including the “60 Martyrs of Gaza,” Christian soldiers who were executed for refusing Islam during the 7th century Islamic invasion of Jerusalem. Seven centuries later, during the Islamic invasion of Georgia, Christians refusing to convert were forced into their church and set on fire. Witnesses for Christ lists 200 anecdotes of Christians killed—including some burned at the stake, thrown on iron spikes, dismembered, stoned, stabbed, shot at, drowned, pummeled to death, impaled and crucified—for refusing to embrace Islam.

If history is shocking, the fact is, today, Christians—men, women, and children—are still being forced to convert to Islam. Pope Francis alluded to their sufferings during the same ceremony: “As we venerate the martyrs of Otranto, let us ask God to sustain those many Christians who, in these times and in many parts of the world, right now, still suffer violence, and give them the courage and fidelity to respond to evil with good.”

Consider some recent anecdotes: » | Raymond Ibrahim | Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Gospels of Islam
PATHEOS: I have been tracking the ancient “lost gospels” through the Middle Ages, when these alternative scriptures continued to exercise a remarkably wide influence. This was especially true in the cultures of Islam, which emerged in a largely Christian world fascinated by apocryphal writings. Even in the fifth century, Arabia was proverbially haeresium ferax: the breeding ground of heresies.

A century ago, Jesuit scholar Louis Cheikho stressed that the pre-Islamic Christian East was “literally inundated” with apocryphal works of both the Old and New Testaments (Quelques légendes islamiques apocryphes, 1910). He listed some of the influences that he could trace in the Qur’an itself: the Apocalypse of Adam, Book of Enoch, the Cave of Treasures, the Protevangelium, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the Arabic Infancy Gospel, and the Gospel of Barnabas.

Cheikho also warned that we should be very careful when reading Qur’anic citations to such seemingly familiar works as the Torah, the Gospel or the Psalms. In each case, he argued, we are not necessarily dealing with the canonical versions of these texts, but rather apocryphal versions or adaptations.

Not surprisingly, then, early Islam knew a great deal about Christianity and its writings, but not in forms accepted by the mainstream churches of either East or West. Both Jesus and Mary make frequent appearances in the Qur’an, but they are portrayed very differently from what we find in the canonical gospels. Some of these changes can be easily understood in terms of the establishment of a new faith – or, as Muslims, would say, the purification of an age-old faith. It is not surprising, then, to find the Qur’an’s Jesus affirming clearly that he is not God and shares nothing of divinity. Read on and comment » | Philip Jenkins | Friday, May 17, 2013

Muslim Converts: Changing My Religion

THE ECONOMIST: A British strand of Islam is emerging as more people become converts

MUSLIM converts have an image problem. A handful, like Richard Dart, a Dorset native jailed last month, have been implicated in terrorism. Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to Germaine Lindsay, one of the 7/7 bombers and himself a convert, is wanted by Kenyan police in connection with an alleged bomb plot.

Even without the taint of extremism, women are sometimes pitied for joining a religion accused of oppressing them. Despite these concerns, converts, for the most part peaceable, propel Islam’s transition from an immigrant religion to a home-grown one.

Calculating convert numbers is tricky. The census in England and Wales only asks about people’s current religion. Mosques do not record conversions centrally, and some new believers keep their conversions quiet. But using census data on race and religion, and questionnaires issued to mosques, Kevin Brice, a researcher at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, reckons around 5,200 Britons turn to Islam every year, bringing the total number of converts to about 100,000.

Proselytising has little do with it. A handful of Muslim groups hand out tracts in the street. But most are more concerned with issuing press releases condemning extremism than wooing converts, says Leon Moosavi, an expert on Islamic conversions at Liverpool University.

Those who embrace Islam tend to do so after years of contact with Muslims. Reasons vary. Some, mostly women (who make up around two-thirds of new believers), want to marry a Muslim. Others are fed up with the bawdiness of British society. Many speak of seeking a sense of community. Batool al-Toma, an Irish-Catholic convert who runs the New Muslim Project in Leeds, was attracted, she says, by the spirituality of Islam and the warmth of relationships she saw among Muslims. Read on and comment » | Norwich | Saturday, May 18, 2013

Islam Could Be Dominant UK Religion in 10 Years – Census Analysis

RT.COM: One in 10 people under 25 are Muslim, while Christianity is in decline, the 2011 UK census reveals. An explosion in the Muslim population and an aging Christian demographic could mean Islam will be the dominant religion in the UK in 10 years.

A new analysis of the 2011 census by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the number of Christians was falling 50 per cent faster than had previously been thought. Earlier analysis of the statistics showed only a 15 per cent decline, but the ONS found that this figure had been beefed up by 1.2 million foreign-born Christians.

Furthermore, the re-analysis showed that the majority of Christians were over the age of 60 and for the first time less than half of young people describe themselves as Christian. As a result the ONS has calculated that in a decade only a minority will classify themselves as Christians in England. Christianity is still the dominant religion in the UK with over 50 per cent of the population regarding themselves as believers.

However, this may be set to change as the British Muslim population has surged dramatically over the past 15 years, increasing by 75 per cent in England and Wales. The 2011 census puts the Muslim population of the UK at around 5 per cent, a total that has been boosted by around 600,000 Muslim immigrants who have arrived in the UK over the past decade. » | Friday, May 17, 2013

RT.COM: ‘White flight’ in UK as mass immigration leads to segregation: New census figures reveal that white Britons are leaving areas where they are in a minority as a leading think-tank warns Britain is “sleepwalking into segregation.” ¶ White Britons are leaving areas where they are in a minority and are being replaced by immigrants and other ethnic minorities, a study by the Demos think-tank has found. ¶ As a result of ‘white flight’, nearly half of ethnic minorities in the UK – about 4 million people – live in communities where whites make up less than half of the population. » | Sunday, May 06, 2013

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UKIP's Nigel Farage Explains Why He Hung Up On BBC Scotland
BBC: Nigel Farage has said he hung up on an interview with BBC Scotland because the line of questioning "was insulting and unpleasant".

The UKIP leader was speaking on Good Morning Scotland following angry protests in Edinburgh on Thursday during a campaign to win over the Scottish electorate.

He told the BBC he did not regret the interview's abrupt ending, adding: "I wasn't very impressed with it." (+ BBC audio) » | Friday, May 17, 2013

EXPRESS: 'Nigel Farage has lost the plot': UKIP leader hangs up during explosive Scottish interview: NIGEL FARAGE sensationally hung up during a tense telephone interview this morning, after being accused of being "politically irrelevant" in Scotland. » | Charlotte Meredith | Friday, May 17, 2013

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Nigel Farage Attacks 'Fascist Scum' Protesters
THE GUARDIAN: Ukip leader calls on Scottish first minister Alex Salmond to condemn demonstrators who forced him to flee media briefing


Nigel Farage has described protesters who forced him to flee a press conference as "fascist scum" who were filled with "total and utter hatred" of the English.

The UK Independence party leader challenged the Scottish first minister, Alex Salmond, to condemn the "pretty ugly" face of nationalist protesters who forced him to abandon a press conference (video) at the Canon's Gait pub on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

Farage had to be whisked away in a police van after a crowd of about 50 young demonstrators, including activists in the radical left pro-Scottish independence movement, forced him to retreat four times.

The Ukip leader told BBC Good Morning Scotland: "The fact that 50 yobbo, fascist scum turn up and aren't prepared to listen to debate I absolutely refuse to believe is representative of Scottish public opinion. It is not.

"If this is the face of Scottish nationalism, it's a pretty ugly nation. The anger, the hatred, the shouting, the snarling, the swearing was all linked in to a desire for the union jack to be burnt."

Farage defended his decision to call the protesters "fascist scum", saying they had been "filled with total and utter hatred of the English and not prepared to engage in debate at all".

He criticised the media for failing to report "the excesses of Scottish nationalism and how deeply unpleasant they can be". » | Nicholas Watt and Severin Carrell | Friday, May 17, 2013

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nigel Farage condemns 'fascist scum' who forced him to take refuge in Edinburgh pub: The Ukip leader Nigel Farage has condemned the "fascist scum" who forced him to take refuge in an Edinburgh pub and hung up on a BBC Scotland interview over outrage at the "hatred" in its questioning. » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Friday, May 17, 2013

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Europe Can Survive Without Britain, Says François Hollande

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: François Hollande launched a three-pronged attack on Britain saying that Europe would survive without the UK, while claiming David Cameron risked splintering the EU and that his austerity policies were failing.

In a marathon press conference just shy of three hours, the embattled Socialist President promised to "go on the offensive" in year two of his five-year mandate with France sinking into recession and enduring record unemployment levels.

When asked about Mr Cameron's plan for a law guaranteeing a vote on Britain's EU membership, Mr Hollande told 400 journalists gathered at the Elysée Palace: "Europe existed before Britain joined it."

France, Germany and four other nations were long part of the European Economic Community before Britain joined fully in 1973. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, May 16, 2013

Nigel Farage Barricaded in Scottish Pub and Rescued by Police Riot Van

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nigel Farage has been barricaded by police in a pub before being whisked away in a riot van after his visit to Scotland was hijacked by hard-Left independence supporters.

The Ukip leader was left stranded in the middle of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, surrounded by around 50 nationalists and socialists calling him a racist, but demanding that he: “Go home to England”.

Police officers attempted to persuade two taxi drivers to take Mr Farage away from the trouble but both refused as the protesters continued to barrack the MEP with chants of “racist Nazi scum”.

A shaken Mr Farage told reporters: “We have never had a reception like this anywhere in Britain before. Clearly, it’s anti-British and anti-English. They hate the Union Jack.”

Police officers then insisted for his own safety that he enter the Canon’s Gait pub, the wooden doors of which were then locked.

The protesters continued to jeer and shout abuse, with some unveiling a 20ft banner that, referring to next year’s referendum, stated: “Vote Yes for Scotland”.

Others among the mostly young crowd serenaded Mr Farage by telling him where he should “stick your Union Jack”. » | Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor | Thursday, May 16, 2013

Christianity Declining 50pc Faster Than Thought – As One In 10 Under-25s Is A Muslim

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Christianity could be facing a catastrophic collapse in Britain according to official figures suggesting it is declining 50 per cent faster than previously thought.

A new analysis of the 2011 census shows that a decade of mass immigration helped mask the scale of decline in Christian affiliation among the British-born population – while driving a dramatic increase in Islam, particularly among the young.

It suggests that only a minority of people will describe themselves as Christians within the next decade, for first time.

Meanwhile almost one in 10 under 25s in Britain is now a Muslim.

The proportion of young people who describe themselves as even nominal Christian has dropped below half for the first time.

Initial results from the 2011 census published last year showed that the total number of people in England and Wales who described themselves as Christian fell by 4.1 million – a decline of 10 per cent. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, May 16, 2013

Graphic Footage: Rebels Execute Régime Officers in the Street in Syria

Read the article here | Jill Reilly | Thursday, May 16, 2013

When Faith Turns Violent | Religious Violence | Raheel Raza | Nader Fawzy | 2012

Canadian School Board Submits to Sharia Law – Special Guest Speaker: Raheel Raza (August 2011)