Syrie : Paris menace Damas

LE POINT: Laurent Fabius a averti le régime syrien de "conséquences sérieuses" s'il ne respectait pas ses promesses sur les armes chimiques.

La Syrie devra faire face à des "conséquences sérieuses" si le régime ne respecte pas ses promesses sur les armes chimiques, a déclaré lundi le ministre français des Affaires étrangères, Laurent Fabius, qui a aussi annoncé un renforcement du soutien à l'opposition syrienne. "Les États-Unis, la Grande-Bretagne, la France, nous voulons obtenir du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies dans les jours prochains une résolution forte", a dit le ministre lors d'une conférence de presse au côté de ses homologues américain, John Kerry, et britannique, William Hague. » | Source AFP | lundi 16 septembre 2013

Fully Veiled Women Hinder Progressive Islam

THE INDEPENDENT: Toleration is good but not when it prevents fair interrogation and robust argument

First a British judge, then dedicated educationalists running a British college have been defeated by the aggressive guerrilla army of Muslim Salafists and their misguided allies. At Blackfriars Crown Court, Judge Peter Murphy ordered a 21-year-old, veiled defendant to show her face. The accused had been charged with witness intimidation and pleaded not guilty. Whatever the results of that case, she and her supporters certainly intimidated the judge, who backed down so the trial could proceed.

Birmingham Metropolitan College was similarly cowed and had to reverse a directive forbidding students from covering their faces. One hooded lady crowdsourced a protest against the college. Some overexcited student union members, Muslim objectors and online petitioners have forced a U-turn. Shabana Mahmood, MP for Ladywood, Birmingham, welcomed the capitulation. Happy days. Muslim women can now to go to courts and college in shrouds.

That all-covering gown, that headscarf, that face mask – all affirm and reinforce the belief that women are a hazard to men and society. These are unacceptable, iniquitous values, enforced violently by Taliban, Saudi and Iranian oppressors. They have no place in our country. So why are so many British females sending out those messages about themselves? » | Yasmin Alibhai Brown | Sunday, September 15, 2013

My comment:

'Progressive Islam'? That's an oxymoron if ever there was one. – © Mark

Grace of Monaco: Watch Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly in World Exclusive Trailer for New Biopic

Nicole Kidman stars as former Hollywood star Grace Kelly in this new biopic about her time married to Prince Rainier III (Tim Roth). The film focuses on a crisis in the couple's marriage in the early 1960s, during the political dispute between Monaco and France. Parker Posey, Paz Vega, Frank Langella and Derek Jacobi feature in the supporting cast, with Robert Lindsay as Aristotle Onassis and Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Alfred Hitchcock

• Grace of Monaco is released in the UK on 29 November
Watch the excerpt here | Monday, September 16, 2013

John McCain invité par une chaîne russe

LA PRESSE: Un présentateur d'une chaîne publique russe, réputé pro-Kremlin, a annoncé dimanche avoir invité le sénateur républicain américain John McCain sur le plateau de son émission pour qu'il exprime en direct son point de vue sur la Syrie.

Vladimir Soloviov a indiqué sur Twitter qu'il avait invité sur le plateau de son émission Dimanche Soir le sénateur républicain, connu pour ses positions très critiques à l'égard de la Russie concernant le dossier syrien et ses déclarations répétées en faveur de frappes contre la Syrie.

«Au nom de VTRK (la télévision) et en mon nom propre, j'invite le sénateur John McCain à apparaître en direct à Dimanche Soir», a écrit M. Soloviov.

«J'ai décidé de donner au sénateur McCain la possibilité de dire tout ce qu'il pense sur les relations entre la Russie et les États-Unis et les chances d'éviter la guerre en Syrie», a déclaré M. Soloviov à la chaîne Rossiya 24.

La chaîne garantit que M. McCain «aura la possibilité de s'adresser aux Russes en direct», a-t-il ajouté. » | Agence France-Presse | dimanche 15 septembre 2013

No-one Has a Human Right to Hide from Justice behind a Veil

MAIL ON SUNDAY: Looking back through my cuttings files, I see that my second column after I started writing on this page in December 2001 was on the subject of multiculturalism.

The then Labour Home Secretary, David Blunkett, had declared that British Muslims needed to realise that some of their cultural practices were incompatible with British values.

For his pains, he was accused of helping to promote racism. Plus ca change! Twelve years on, we are having the same argument.

Last week, Birmingham Metropolitan College dropped its ban on female students wearing the Islamic veil that covers the whole face except for the eyes, or even covers the eyes as well with a mesh.

This ban had been in place for eight years, along with a similar edict against hoodies and hats to ensure students were always ‘easily identifiable’.

Eminently sensible and overwhelmingly obvious, you might think. And apparently there had been no protest until recently, when a Left-wing student activist, Aaron Kiely, organised a 9,000-name petition after an anonymous student complained to a local paper that the ban discriminated against her right to wear the full-face veil.

A threatening demonstration was also on the cards. In the face of this pressure, the college shamefully backed down and modified its ruling to allow students to wear ‘specific items of personal clothing to reflect their cultural values’.

Amen to that last sentiment. A liberal society should, indeed, permit cultural or religious minorities to wear distinctive clothing — but only if that doesn’t get in the way of an institution’s ability to enforce basic standards of security, which the full veil most definitely does, since it obscures the identity of the person beneath the covering.

But it does more even than that. It destroys nothing less than the presumption of equality on which human communication is based.

For the full veil radically alters the balance of power between the woman it conceals and those attempting to communicate with her. This is because while they cannot see her face, she can see theirs. » | Melanie Phillips | Sunday, September 15, 2013

Syria: Nearly Half Rebel Fighters Are Jihadists or Hardline Islamists, Says IHS Jane's Report

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Nearly half the rebel fighters in Syria are now aligned to jihadist or hardline Islamist groups according to a new analysis of factions in the country's civil war.

Opposition forces battling Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria now number around 100,000 fighters, but after more than two years of fighting they are fragmented into as many as 1,000 bands.

The new study by IHS Jane's, a defence consultancy, estimates there are around 10,000 jihadists - who would include foreign fighters - fighting for powerful factions linked to al-Qaeda.

Another 30,000 to 35,000 are hardline Islamists who share much of the outlook of the jihadists, but are focused purely on the Syrian war rather than a wider international struggle.

There are also at least a further 30,000 moderates belonging to groups that have an Islamic character, meaning only a small minority of the rebels are linked to secular or purely nationalist groups. » | Ben Farmer, Defence Correspondent, and Ruth Sherlock in Beirut | Sunday, September 15, 2013

Jeremy Browne: Ban Muslim Women from Wearing Veils in Schools and Public Places

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain should consider banning Muslim girls and young women from wearing veils in schools and public places, a Home Office minister has said.

Jeremy Browne, a Liberal Democrat, said there needs to be a national debate about whether the state should step in to protect young women from having the veil “imposed” on them.

Mr Browne said he is “instinctively uneasy” about banning behaviour, but suggested the measure may still be necessary to ensure freedom of choice for girls in Muslim communities.

The Home Office minister is the first senior Liberal Democrat to raise such deep concerns about Islamic dress in public places. A growing number of Conservative MPs also want the Government to consider a ban.

The debate was given momentum last week when David Cameron’s spokesman said the Prime Minister would have no problem with the veil being banned in his children’s schools.

Tory MPs, including a vice-chairman of the party, have now voiced support for Mr Browne. » | Christopher Hope, and Steven Swinford | Sunday, September 15, 2013

'Too Few Criticise Islam': ABBA Star Bjorn [sic] Ulvaeus Says

HERALD SUN: FORMER ABBA star Bjorn [sic] Ulvaeus says people have become to scared to criticise Islam and that "less religion in the world would be better."

"Look at all the misery in the Middle East for example. All these countries have Islam in common, and far too few dare to criticize Islam as an ideology, and what it's doing to these countries," the 68-year-old told The Wall Street Journal.

"I know I might get punched in the face for saying these things, but my conviction is that less religion in the world would be better."

Ulvaeus said he did not mean to single out any specific religion but rather believes that countries, like his native Sweden, should be "open, liberal, secular and democratic."

"Religion is the root of so much misery in the world and I've always thought there is lack of criticism against it," he said. » | News Limited Network | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Call Off Christmas? Berlin Rebrands Religious Holidays On Equality Grounds

In one corner of Berlin, Christmas has been cancelled, with centuries of public celebrations put aside for a more neutral "winter festival". But it's not only Christmas though - local Muslims have lost the right to publicly mark Ramadan, instead getting a summer festival.

New Dark Age Alert! Will Judge Lift Muslim’s Veil of Secrecy?

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A senior judge will come under pressure on Monday not to set a “dangerous” legal precedent by allowing a Muslim defendant to wear a full veil in a criminal trial.

The case comes amid a growing row over the wearing of niqabs and burkas in schools and colleges as well as in the court room.

An alliance of Islamic groups and Left-wing activists have been accused of conspiring to put pressure on institutions to overturn existing bans on the wearing of full-face coverings.

In a London courtroom tomorrow, lawyers acting for a 22-year-old Muslim woman will argue her right to religious freedom will be breached if Judge Peter Murphy orders her to remove her veil.

Chris Grayling, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, is understood to be monitoring the case closely, while senior figures in his ministry firmly believe “it is in the interests of justice for a jury to see the face of the accused”.

The woman’s lawyers are likely to bring an action against the court for breach of Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights if the judge rules her trial - for intimidating a witness - should go ahead in November with her face visible to the court.

Article 9, enshrined in British law through the Human Rights Act, guarantees “freedom of conscience, thought and religion”.

The woman’s case has received backing from Liberty, the civil rights campaign group, which has supported the defendant through earlier hearings. » | Robert Mendick, Chief reporter | Sunday, September 15, 2013

My comment:

Wearing the full-face veil is not an article of the Islamic faith. Islam teaches that women should be dressed modestly at all times. Covering one’s face is not necessary in order to be modest. The full Islamic veil is culture-bound, not religion-bound. So the judge need not bellyache over this one. – © Mark

John McCain publiera une tribune dans la Pravda

LA PRESSE: Le sénateur américain John McCain, très critique du pouvoir russe, publiera bientôt une tribune dans l'ex-journal officiel soviétique, la Pravda, a confirmé son porte-parole vendredi.

Le républicain John McCain avait plaisanté lors d'une interview sur la tribune publiée par le président russe, Vladimir Poutine, dans le New York Times jeudi. «J'adorerais avoir une tribune dans la Pravda», a-t-il lancé sur CNN.

La Pravda («vérité», en russe), fondée par les bolchéviques en 1912, a pendant des décennies été synonyme de propagande, en tant que journal officiel du Kremlin, avant de tomber en désuétude dans les années 1990 avec l'écroulement de l'Union soviétique. Il est aujourd'hui l'organe du parti communiste russe, à ne pas confondre avec le grand quotidien populaire Komsomolskaïa Pravda. » | Agence France-Presse | Washington | vendredi 13 septembre 2013

Manifestation contre la Charte des valeurs québécoises

LA PRESSE: (MONTRÉAL) Des milliers de personnes - dont beaucoup de familles musulmanes - ont manifesté cet après-midi contre l'interdiction des signes religieux dans la fonction publique.

«Valeurs péquistes, valeurs racistes», ont-ils scandé au parc Émilie-Gamelin avant de se mettre en branle dans les rues du centre-ville. » | Philippe Teisceira-Lessard | La Presse | samedi 14 septembre 2013

Syria: Assad Cannot Be Trusted On Any Chemical Weapons Promises, Says His Former Diplomat

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bashar al-Assad cannot be trusted on any promises over chemical weapons and it will be a decade before the world can be confident they are out of his reach, one of his former senior diplomats has warned.

Khaled al-Ayoubi said he had no faith in Russia leading the international efforts to make the Syrian dictator's lethal stockpile safe.

Mr al-Ayoubi, who defected in the UK last year when he was the most senior Syrian diplomat in the London embassy, said his former masters in Damascus will appear to be agreeing to changes but will delay and stall.

He warned it could be ten years before there will be any confidence that the weapons are safe, allowing Assad crucial time to hide some.

Mr al-Ayoubi said: "Assad will say he is signing an agreement but how do we know he will comply?

"I know how the regime works and they will drown us in process and procedure. They will say they want to decide which observers are appointed and use other delaying tactics.

"It will be 10 years before they are dealt with."

He said the Russians could not be trusted either and accused President Vladimir Putin of being willing himself of using chemical weapons in the past. "They are manipulating the political language to waste time," he said. » | Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | Saturday, September 14, 2013

Leicester Fire Deaths: Father Pays Tribute As Arrests Made

BBC: The man who lost four members of his family in a Leicester house fire has said he "deeply misses" them, as police arrested five people over the deaths.

Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar said: "I deeply miss my beautiful wife and three beautiful children.

"What has happened has happened, and nothing can be reversed, but I hope justice prevails and in future this should not happen to any family."

Three woman, aged 27, 20 and 19, and men aged 49 and 19 have been arrested.

The arrests were made on Saturday afternoon.

The fire took hold shortly after midnight on Friday in Wood Hill with neighbours rushing to try to alert the family, named by the local mosque as Shehnila Taufiq, her teenage sons Jamal and Bilal and daughter Zainab, 19. (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, September 14, 2013

Maaloula's Cathedral and Churches Empty of Christians as Syria's Latest Front-line Fight Takes Its Toll

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Its churches are empty, its monasteries deserted, many pitted and holed by the battles raging around them.
On Sunday thousands of Christians should have filled its streets for the festival of the Holy Cross. But instead the streets of Maaloula are filled with soldiers and tanks, spent bullet casings and the noise of Syria's latest front-line fight.

Maaloula is a special place. It has been a safe haven for Christians for 2,000 years - until now. It was a place of refuge so secure in its rugged mountain isolation that a dialect of the language of Christ, Aramaic, is still spoken here. But not today.

Its Christian community of 2,000 has fled. In the tight alleyways and streets that wind up the Maaloula's mountainside their language has been replaced by the Arabic of two bitter enemies: rebels from three Islamist groups and the soldiers of President Bashar al-Assad.

Some 70,000 tourists a year used to come here from all over the Middle East, Europe and America to marvel at the Christianity carved into its rock. But the "Welcome to Maaloula" sign as I drove in seemed almost laughable.

There was hardly time to notice the white statue of Christ the Redeemer on the hillside before we were fired on, bullets aimed at our van, blowing our tyre and holing the chassis. We screeched to a halt and scrambled clear. » | Bill Neely, International Editor, ITV News, in Damascus and Maaloula | Saturday, September 14, 2013

New Iran President on First Foreign Trip

BBC: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has made his first foreign trip since taking office.

He joined leaders from Russia, China and Central Asian states in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek. Watch BBC video » | Friday, September 13, 2013

Alabama Jihadi 'Killed in Cold Blood', Says Somali Islamic Centre

THE GUARDIAN: Al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab claims to have killed one of the FBI's 'most wanted' in an ambush

The American jihadi Omar Hammami was murdered "in cold blood", according to a Somalia-based Islamic center, backing up reports that the rapping militant from Alabama was killed on Thursday by his rivals within al-Shabab, the Somali Islamic extremist group.

The Islamic World Issues Study Center published a tribute online in which it described the killings of Hammami, 29, and two other militants as a "tragedy", saying al-Shabab should be "directing their arrows at the enemies of the group", according a report issued Saturday by the SITE Intel Group, an American private company that analyzes terror threats.

"Here they are today being killed in cold blood at the hands of those who belong to jihad ... and the world is watching," the tribute said, according SITE Intel. "One wonders who will be next," the eulogy said. "And more importantly, who will be responsible for the blood of those brothers?"

Hammami, whose nom de guerre was Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki, or "the American", was reported killed in southern Somalia after a dispute with al-Shabab's top leader, and following months on the run. The extremist from Alabama has been reported dead before only for him to resurface alive later. Al-Shabab rebels said on Thursday that Hammami was killed in an ambush, but they presented no proof of his death. » | Associated Press | Saturday, September 14, 2013

Julia Gillard: Losing Power 'Hits You Like a Fist' - Exclusive

THE GUARDIAN: Former prime minister reveals grief, pain and regret over losing power, and issues fierce defence of her time in office in article for Guardian Australia

Julia Gillard has talked for the first time about the deep pain and grief she felt about losing power, and how she chose to spend the night of the federal election alone.

In an exclusive 5000-word article written for Guardian Australia, the former Labor prime minister of Australia says that “losing power is felt physically, emotionally, in waves of sensation” and that the pain “hits you like a fist, pain so strong you feel it in your guts, your nerve endings.”

Gillard also says that Labor lost the election because Kevin Rudd returned without “one truly original new idea” and because he was unable to explain her enduring policy achievements. She believes that the party could muster no reason for his comeback other than that its polling might improve.

The wide-ranging article is the first time Gillard has made any comment about her removal as prime minister of Australia in June.

In an unusually frank description of the emotional impact of losing power, Gillard writes: "I sat alone on election night as the results came in. I wanted it that way. I wanted to just let myself be swept up in it."

She continues: "Losing power is felt physically, emotionally, in waves of sensation, in moments of acute distress. I know now that there are the odd moments of relief as the stress ekes away and the hard weight that felt like it was sitting uncomfortably between your shoulder blades slips off. It actually takes you some time to work out what your neck and shoulders are supposed to feel like.

“I know too that you can feel you are fine but then suddenly someone’s words of comfort, or finding a memento at the back of the cupboard as you pack up, or even cracking jokes about old times, can bring forth a pain that hits you like a fist, pain so strong you feel it in your guts, your nerve endings.

“I know that late at night or at quiet moments in the day feelings of regret, memories that make you shine with pride, a sense of being unfulfilled can overwhelm you. Hours slip by." » | Lenore Taylor | Saturday, September 14, 2013

Turquie: Un gay se présente au poste de maire, une première

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Pour la première fois en Turquie, un homosexuel est candidat aux élections municipales dans la ville de Bulancak. Il s'agit d'une homme de 43 ans qui se décrit comme un «activiste».

Un homosexuel turc de 43 ans sera candidat aux prochaines élections municipales en mars, selon la presse turque. Il espère devenir la première personne ouvertement gay à occuper des fonctions publiques en Turquie. » | ats/Newsnet | samedi 14 septembre 2013

Sister Teresa Forcades: Europe's Most Radical Nun

BBC: A Spanish nun has become one of Europe's most influential left-wing public intellectuals. This year, thousands have joined her anti-capitalist movement, which campaigns for Catalan independence, the reversal of public spending cuts and nationalisation of banks and energy companies.

As political headquarters go, the monastery of St Benet has got to be among the most beautiful and peaceful anywhere. To get there you must take a breath-taking drive up the sacred mountain of Montserrat.

Sister Teresa Forcades, the unlikely star of local television chat shows, Twitter and Facebook, had been worryingly hard to nail down. So great is the demand for her time and blessing, that her secretary's email here at the monastery, always returns an automatic reply that the inbox is full.

Sister Teresa seems always to be in at least two places at once. She is bright-eyed, confident, almost breezy. Her disarmingly perfect English - mastered during a few years at Harvard University - feels somehow out of place in the humble cloisters of this serene spot.

There's no politician quite like her. She's never without her nun's headdress, and says that everything she does is born of deep Christian faith and devotion. Yet, she has been strongly critical of the church and the men who run it.

Followers of her movement, Proces Constituent, which has signed up around 50,000 Catalans this year, are mainly non-believing leftists. She won't run for office, and says she won't create a political party, but she's undeniably a political figure on a mission - to tear down international capitalism, and change the map of Spain. » | Matt Wells, BBC World Service, Montserrat, Catalonia | Saturday, September 14, 2013

US and Russia Agree Syria Arms Deal in Geneva

BBC: Syria's chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014, under an agreement between the US and Russia.

US Secretary of State John Kerry outlined a six-point framework under which Syria must hand over a full list of its stockpile within a week.

If Syria fails to comply, the deal could be enforced by a UN resolution backed by the threat of sanctions or military force.

The US says the Syrian regime killed hundreds in a gas attack last month.

The government of Bashar al-Assad denies the allegations and has accused the rebels of carrying out the attack. (+ video) » | Saturday, September 14, 2013

Sir David Frost at Al Jazeera

A look at some of the finest moments of Sir David's interviews, featuring highlights with some of his best known guests.

'In God We Trust' to Be Removed from US Currency?

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit demanding the "In God We Trust" phrase to be removed from US currency. According to the plaintiffs involved in the case, the saying is "discriminatory and a per se establishment of monotheism." The lead council in the case, Michael Newdow, explains how this isn't a separation between church and state.

Russian Missile Destroyer Heads Towards Mediterranean

French Ex-PM: Law, Not Force, Only Solution for Syria

Syria has made a key step towards implementing Russia's plan to remove its chemical weapons. The UN confirmed it has received documents which will see Damascus join the Chemical Weapons Convention. This comes amid crucial talks between top Russian and US diplomats who are in Geneva discussing the plan to put Syria's chemical arsenal under international control. Dominique de Villepin, who has served as France's Foreign, Interior, and Prime Minister, joins RT to discuss the Syrian crisis and the current diplomatic efforts surrounding it.

Trump: 'Embarrassing' How Putin Has 'Played' Obama

'The Donald' believes the Russian leader addressed some hard truths about the president and American exceptionalism in 'tough, well-crafted' New York Times op-ed

McCain: 'Things Are Going to Hell in a Hand Basket Here'

Sen. John McCain: White House still lacks clear Syria plan, 'old KGB agent' Putin has outsmarted Obama and attained long-coveted clout in the Middle East

Is Putin Outsmarting President Obama?

How Putin's foreign policy is impacting Syria and the world

Uno-Resolution zu Syrien: Obama beugt sich russischem Druck

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Russland setzt sich durch: Im Ringen um eine Syrien-Resolution im Uno-Sicherheitsrat wollen die USA offenbar nicht auf einem möglichen Militärschlag beharren. Ein Lapsus unterlief Uno-Chef Ban, der sich aus Versehen öffentlich über Verbrechen von Syriens Machthaber Assad äußerte.

Genf/New York - Im Tauziehen um eine friedliche Beilegung des Syrien-Konflikts kommt US-Präsident Barack Obama offenbar den russischen Verhandlungspartnern entgegen. Obama werde nicht auf einer Uno-Resolution beharren, die Syrien mit einem Militärschlag droht, berichtet die "New York Times" ("NYT").

Eine solche Resolution wäre ohnehin nicht durchsetzbar, da Russland sie im Sicherheitsrat blockieren könnte. Obamas Verzicht auf die Forderung ist aber nach dem jüngsten Disput über eine öffentliche Kritik von Russland Präsident Putin in der "NYT" ein Zeichen der Entspannung. Obama wird dem Bericht zufolge stattdessen verlangen, dass ein möglicher Sicherheitsratsbeschluss andere Instrumente zur Durchsetzung der Forderungen vorsieht - etwa Sanktionen.

Konstruktiv verlaufen die Verhandlungen zwischen US-Chefdiplomat John Kerry und seinem russischen Kollegen Sergej Lawrow in Genf. Die Gespräche seien "offensichtlich an einem Wendepunkt angelangt" und hätten "Fortschritte im Hinblick auf eine gemeinsame Vereinbarung" erbracht, hieß es in der Nacht zum Samstag aus US-Delegationskreisen. Nach einem mehrstündigen Verhandlungsmarathon unterbrachen die Unterhändler aus Washington und Moskau am Samstagmorgen gegen zwei Uhr ihre Beratungen, um sie später wieder fortzusetzen. (+ Video) » | dab/dpa/AFP/Reuters | Samstag, 14. September 2013

Assad Guilty of Crimes against Humanity, Says UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon

Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations secretary-general, has accused Bashar al-Assad of committing crimes against humanity as he said a UN report next week would provide “overwhelming” confirmation that chemical weapons had been used in Syria.

Read the article here | Damien McElroy in Geneva and Alex Spillius | Friday, September 13, 2013

Survivors of the Utoya [sic] Massacre Fear the Rise of Norway’s Right and the End of the Multicultural Society They Treasure

THE INDEPENDENT: The next generation of the Labour Party worry that the immigration debate may turn nasty

They survived Anders Breivik’s deadly attack against the party he blamed for the “Islamisation” of Norway, but the three young Labour politicians elected this month worry that the multicultural society they treasure could now be under threat from the incoming right-wing government.

Elections last week ousted the Labour Party after eight years in power, with the victorious Conservative Party now crafting a coalition government which will for the first time include the anti-immigration Progress Party, which won 16 per cent of the vote.

Progress Party politicians insist they are not xenophobic, but during election campaigning the deputy party leader presented a paper which proposed halving the immigrant population and dramatically slashing the number of asylum seekers in Norway.

“The Progress Party has been very clear that they want to challenge international law and human rights regarding immigration,” said Stine Renate Håheim, 29, who survived Breivik’s slaughter on Utoya [sic] Island two years ago by leaping into the cold fjord. “If the Progress Party is included in the government it will be the most right-wing government in Europe and that frightens at least me.” » | Charlotte McDonald-Gibson | Friday, September 13, 2013

Inside Story: Sinai on the Brink

Can stability be brought to the volatile region that is home to one of the world's most important waterways?

Bürgerkrieg in Syrien: Menschenrechtler machen Assad für weitere Massaker verantwortlich

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Welt diskutiert über Assads Chemiewaffen, doch die größte Gefahr für Syriens Zivilisten lauert woanders. Regimetruppen gehen rücksichtslos gegen das Volk vor. Bei zwei Massakern in syrischen Städten sollen die Schergen des Diktators Männer, Frauen und Kinder kaltblütig getötet haben.

Am Morgen des 2. Mai fängt es an. Um 7 Uhr kommt ein kleiner Trupp Sicherheitskräfte des Assad-Regimes, um in Baida nahe der Mittelmeerküste ein paar Männer festzunehmen, die von der syrischen Armee desertiert waren. Es wird geschossen, die Deserteure können entwischen.

Gegen Mittag treffen weitere Soldaten der Assad-Spezialkräfte und regimetreue Milizen ein. Sie ziehen von Haus zu Haus. Meist trennen sie die Männer und Jungen von den Frauen und Mädchen, und ziehen sie auf die Straße. Schüsse in den Kopf, Schüsse in die Augen. In wenigen Stunden exekutieren die Sicherheitskräfte im von Sunniten bewohnten Teil von Baida mindestens 167 Menschen, darunter 14 Kinder und 23 Frauen.

So beschreiben es ein am Freitag veröffentlichter Bericht der Menschenrechtsorganisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) und ein am Mittwoch erschienener Bericht der Uno-Menschenrechtskommission. Die "New York Times" kam zum selben Ergebnis. » | Von Raniah Salloum, Beirut | Freitag, 13. September 2013

Al-Qaeda Chief Calls for Attacks on US in 9/11 Speech to Followers

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Al-Qaeda leader, has called on followers to commit attacks inside the US to "bleed America economically", in a speech marking the anniversary of the 9/11 strikes.

In an audio message released yesterday, Zawahiri laid out a plan of attack, saying he wanted a "few of the brothers" to commit small-scale strikes to trigger big spending by Washington on security, while awaiting the opportunity for a major onsalught later.

"We should bleed America economically by provoking it to continue in its massive expenditure on its security, for the weak point of America is its economy, which has already begun to stagger due to the military and security expenditure," he said.

Keeping America in such a state of tension and anticipation only required a few disparate attacks "here and there", he said. » | Josie Ensor | Friday, September 13, 2013

Syrian War a Contest between Saudi Arabia & Iran - Ex UN Chief Arms Inspector

US military strikes are being held back and may not take place at all, in no small part thanks to Russia. But, is it a progress in a war that has already cost so many lives? Or are we back to square 1? About this and more we ask our guest Hans Blix, who worked as the UN's Chief Weapons Inspector at the time Iraq was accused of having weapons of mass destruction and and invaded as a result.

Mark Alexander: What’s Really Going On at the Top Concerning Syria? » | Sunday, September 08, 2013

THE GUARDIAN: Permission given for plea wearing face-covering on condition female police officer attested to woman's identity in private

A Muslim woman has been allowed to make a plea in court while wearing a face-covering niqab after a judge agreed a compromise in which she was identified in private by a female police officer who then attested to her identity.

The judge in the case at Blackfriars crown court in London then heard arguments as to whether the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, should be allowed to wear the niqab, which leaves only her eyes showing, during her full trial. Judge Peter Murphy will give that decision on Monday.

The compromise follows a standoff when the woman, who is charged with witness intimidation, first appeared before Murphy in August. Then, he ordered her to remove the face covering, saying the requirement for her to be properly identified as the defendant overrode her religious beliefs. She refused, saying she did not want to uncover her face when there were men in the room, and the case was adjourned.

On Thursday he allowed her to plead not guilty in the dock wearing the niqab after a female police officer who saw the defendant's face when her custody photograph was taken witnessed her with the veil removed in a private room. The officer then swore on oath that the correct person was in court. » | Peter Walker and agency | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Birmingham College U-turns over Ban on Muslim Veils

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Birmingham college has made a u-turn on its controversial ban on Muslim face veils, just hours before a mass demonstration by hundreds of students.

Birmingham Metropolitan College was accused of discrimination when they ordered all students, staff and visitors to remove any face coverings so individuals are "easily identifiable at all times".

However, they backtracked after a protest petition attracted 8,000 signatures in 48 hours and their policy brought criticism from politicians.

Hundreds of students had planned to gather outside the Matthew Boulton city-centre campus at 2.30pm today to voice their opposition to the policy.

Last night the college said: "We are concerned that recent media attention is detracting from our core mission of providing high quality learning. As a consequence, we will modify our policies to allow individuals to wear specific items of personal clothing to reflect their cultural values. » | Hayley Dixon | Friday, September 13, 2013

Rick Santorum on Obama's Handling of Syria Crisis

Former presidential candidate sounds off

Assad Sets Out His Terms for Chemical Weapons Convention

BBC: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has spoken about placing its chemical weapons under international control and said that the US must "stop threatening us and supplying terrorists with weapons".

Speaking on Russian TV's Rossiya 24, he said that only Russia could make the agreement happen as "Syria has neither contacts with, nor trust in, America".

US and Russian foreign ministers are preparing to meet in Geneva to discuss the plan, proposed by Moscow this week.

The US accuses the Syrian regime of killing hundreds in a chemical attack. Watch BBC video » | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Les rebelles syriens rejettent l'initiative russe

LA PRESSE: L'Armée syrienne libre (rebelles) a rejeté avec force jeudi la proposition russe prévoyant de placer les armes chimiques de la Syrie sous contrôle international, et demandé de juger les responsables du régime ayant «reconnu posséder» de telles armes.

«L'Armée syrienne libre annonce son rejet catégorique de l'initiative russe prévoyant de placer les armes chimiques sous contrôle international», a proclamé le chef militaire des rebelles, le général Sélim Idriss, dans une déclaration filmée et diffusée sur YouTube.


Après avoir menacé le régime syrien de frappes punitives pour une attaque chimique présumée, et cherché à s'assurer le soutien du Congrès pour les mener, le président américain Barack Obama a écarté pour le moment l'option militaire pour examiner l'initiative russe.

Cependant, le général Idriss a demandé à la communauté internationale de «ne pas se contenter de retirer (au régime syrien) l'arme chimique, l'outil du crime, mais de juger devant la Cour pénale internationale l'auteur du crime qui a reconnu clairement posséder cet outil et accepté de s'en défaire». » | Agence France-Presse, Beyrouth, Liban | jeudi 12 septembre 2013

Pastor Terry Jones Arrested in Florida in Another Plan to Burn Korans

THE INDEPENDENT: Jones caused uproar with similar plans in 2010

A US cleric who caused global consternation three years ago with plans to burn copies of the Koran has been arrested in Florida towing a large grill and 3,000 copies of the holy books soaked in paraffin.

Terry Jones has pulled similar stunts around the time of previous 9/11 anniversaries. The 61-year-old had announced he planned to burn the books at a park in Tampa Bay, on Florida's west coast.

It was Pastor Jones, of Dove Outreach Centre in Gainesville, Florida, who planned an "International Burn-a-Koran Day" for 11 September 2010, but called it of after wide condemnation[.] » | James Legge | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Syria Will Hand Over Its Chemical Weapons, Says Bashar al-Assad

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bashar al-Assad has said he will place Syria's chemical weapons under international control in line with a proposal from Russia.

The Syrian president, speaking to Russia's Rossiya 24 state news channel, denied however that US pressure had anything to do with the decision to surrender the arsenal.

“Syria is transferring its chemical weapons to international control because of Russia,” he said in an interview the Rossia 24 television channel. “The threats of the United States had no influence on the decision to put the weapons under [international] control.”

In excerpts released by the channel on Thursday afternoon, he added that Syria is sending the United Nations documents for preparing the agreement on the weapons.

The full interview is expected to be broadcast later this evening. » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow, Damien McElroy in Geneva and Ruth Sherlock in Beirut | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Listening Post: Déjà vu in Syria

As the media talks of WMDs and calls for intervention, have journalists already forgotten the lessons from Iraq?

Geneva Set for Syria Disarmament Talks

US Secretary of State to meet Russian counterpart to discuss how UN can secure and destroy Assad's chemical weapons.

Wladimir Putin kämpft um Augenhöhe mit Amerika

DIE WELT: Mit seinem Beitrag in der "New York Times" verblüfft der russische Präsident die Welt. Er bietet den Amerikanern in Sachen Syrien ein strategisches Bündnis an. Doch wie ernst meint er es wirklich?

Was bedeutet Wladimir Putins Offener Brief an die Amerikaner? Handelt es sich bloß um ein taktisches Manöver? Vielleicht sogar nur um eine Retourkutsche nach Barack Obamas Charakterisierung des Kremlchefs als Lümmel von der letzten Bank bei einer Pressekonferenz vor einigen Wochen?

Vieles spricht dafür, dass hinter diesem Vorstoß sehr viel mehr steckt. Russland will wieder auf Augenhöhe mit Amerika verhandeln und bietet eine strategische Partnerschaft an.

Putin beschwört das Kriegsbündnis der USA und der Sowjetunion gegen Nazideutschland. Aus den "Vereinten Nationen", wie sich die Alliierten nannten, wurde eine Weltorganisation, deren Sicherheitsrat nach dem Willen des damaligen US-Präsidenten Franklin D. Roosevelt gemeinsam als "Weltpolizisten" gegen Schurkenstaaten agieren sollte. » | Von Alan Posener | Donnerstag, 12. September 2013

Syrie : la Russie avance la carte iranienne

LE FIGARO: Vladimir Poutine pourrait proposer à son homologue iranien, Hassan Rohani, vendredi, lors d'un sommet eurasiatique au Kirghizistan, de livrer des missiles et de construire un réacteur nucléaire.

Dans la partie de bras de fer et de bluff qui se joue autour la Syrie, Moscou est tenté de faire entrer un nouveau joueur: l'Iran. Vendredi, le nouveau président iranien, Hassan Rohani, sera propulsé sur le devant de la scène, lors du sommet régional de l'Organisation de Shanghaï - sorte d'Otan eurasiatique - qui se déroulera à Bichkek (Kirghizistan). Il y rencontrera Vladimir Poutine, qui cherche à pousser son avantage diplomatique face aux États-Unis. En plus d'un appel commun à renoncer aux frappes militaires, le ­tête-à-tête permettrait au chef du Kremlin, selon le quotidien Kommersant, de proposer à son homologue iranien la livraison de cinq batteries de missiles S-300. Des armes quasiment identiques à celles que la Russie est soupçonnée de livrer à Damas, malgré ses dénégations. Selon la même source, Moscou proposerait également à Téhéran de construire un deuxième réacteur dans la centrale nucléaire de Buchehr. » | Par Pierre Avril | mercredi 11 septembre 2013

Islam in Germany: The Burqini Ruling Was the Right Call

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A German court ruled Wednesday that schools can require Muslim girls to participate in co-ed swimming classes. They were right to do so -- but not for the reasons many conservatives suggest.

In 2008, the German Islam Conference published an insightful study: Some 3.5 percent of Muslim schoolgirls in Germany don't participate in co-ed swimming classes on religious grounds, provided it is offered at their school. The absolute numbers are tiny.

Nevertheless, the nationwide significance attached to the question of whether Muslims should be allowed to opt out of school swimming is large. Germany's federal administrative court in Leipzig was tasked with clarifying this on Wednesday. The Helene-Lange-Gymnasium, a high school in Frankfurt, required a Muslim girl to take part in swimming class. She had the option, according to the logic of the Culture Ministry, to wear a full-body bathing suit known as a "burqini." Her parents filed a complaint. It was a case in which the educational mission of the state had come into conflict with religious freedom.

The court in Leipzig has now passed judgement: It is reasonable to require Muslim schoolgirls to swim together with boys, assuming she has the option of wearing a burqini.

They were right to do so. » | A Commentary by Dietmar Hipp and Maximilian Popp | Thursday, September 12, 2013