Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Eradicating Radicalism: UK Anti-terror Campaign Makes Muslims Scapegoats
Fewer Places to Light Up for Russian Smokers
Monday, February 24, 2014
Scottish Independence: Alex Salmond 'Reveals Currency Plan B'
Uganda President Signs Anti-gay Law
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| Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has signed off a bill introducing anti-gay laws. |
Uganda's president has signed a controversial anti-gay bill that has harsh penalties for homosexual sex, saying the bill is necessary because "arrogant and careless western groups" had tried to "recruit" Ugandan children into homosexuality.
President Yoweri Museveni signed the bill at his official residence in an event witnessed by government officials, journalists and a team of Ugandan scientists. The scientists had produced a report saying there was no genetic basis for homosexuality which Museveni has cited as his reason for backing the bill.
"We Africans never seek to impose our view on others. If only they could let us alone," he said, talking of western pressure not to sign.
Government officials applauded after he signed the bill, which was influenced by the preachings of some conservative American evangelicals. In its original form the bill called for the death penalty for some homosexual acts. That was removed from the legislation following an international outcry.
The new law calls for first-time offenders to be sentenced to 14 years in jail. It also sets life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for a category of offences called "aggravated homosexuality," defined as repeated gay sex between consenting adults as well as acts involving a minor, a disabled person or where one partner is infected with HIV. » | AP in Entebbe | Monday, February 24, 2014
A True Inspiration! Alice Herz-Sommer: Pianist and Oldest Known Holocaust Survivor Dies Aged 110
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| Alice Herz-Sommer, who has died at the age of 110. She spent two years in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. |
Tributes have been paid to Alice Herz-Sommer, a renowned concert pianist who was believed to have been the world's oldest known Holocaust survivor, after she died in London at the age of 110.
She was born into a German-speaking Jewish family in Prague at a time when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and endured the city's ghetto following the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia. She then spent two years in Theresienstadt (Terezín) concentration camp, where nearly 35,000 prisoners perished.
In an extraordinary life, which was the subject of film nominated for the best short documentary at next Sunday night's Academy Awards, she counted Franz Kafka as a family friend when she was young and carried a devotion to music that sustained her in the camp.
She died in a hospital on Sunday morning after being admitted on Friday, according to her family. Her grandson, Ariel Sommer, said: "Alice Sommer passed away peacefully this morning with her family by her bedside.
"Much has been written about her, but to those of us who knew her best, she was our dear 'Gigi'. She loved us, laughed with us, and cherished music with us.
"She was an inspiration and our world will be significantly poorer without her by our side. We mourn her loss and ask for privacy in this very difficult moment." » | Ben Quinn | Sunday, February 23, 2014
THE GUARDIAN: 'Life is beautiful': A renowned concert pianist and a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, Alice Herz-Sommer has packed a lot into her 103 years. And despite the tragedy of losing most of her family in the Holocaust, she remains resolutely optimistic, she tells Alan Rusbridger » | Alan Rusbridger | Wednesday, December 13, 2006
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Holocaust survivor dies aged 110: Alice Herz-Sommer, who lived in London and was originally from Prague, was confined in a concentration camp in Germany during the Second World War » | News agencies | Monday, February 24, 2014
DIE WELT: Älteste Holocaust-Überlebende mit 110 gestorben: Während des NS-Regimes wurde Alice Herz-Sommer in Theresienstadt interniert, wo sie für das ganze Lager Klavierkonzerte organisierte. Ihr Talent rettete ihr das Leben. Nun ist die Pianistin gestorben. » | AFP/dpa/KNA/cbo | Montag, 24. Februar 2014
LE FIGARO: La plus vieille survivante de la Shoah est morte » | Par Lefigaro.fr avec l’AFP | lundi 24 février 2014
YNET NEWS: Oldest known Holocaust survivor passes away: Surviving through music and optimism: Alice Herz-Sommer, a pianist forced to play concerts for Nazis and subject of an Oscar nominated short subject documentary, dies at the age 110. » | Michal Margalit | Sunday, February 23, 2014
A few precious moments with Alice… More wonderfulness with Alice Herz-Sommer. We had such an overwhelming response to our 1-min video of Alice, the 109-year old Holocaust survivor, who shared her optimistic philosophy of life, that we looked for more footage to share about this wonderful, amazing, wise, strong women.
Here's an interview with Anthony Robbins from a year or so ago -- and it's a little treasure: we can hear Alice talk about her ideas, and philosophy of life; there are archival photos of the Holocaust years, and Alice as a younger woman. We can also see Alice playing piano.
Alice survived the concentration camps through her music, her optimism and her gratitude for the small things that came her way - a smile, a kind word, the sun. When asked about the secret of her longevity, Alice says: "I look where it is good."
This film is life-affirming in its deepest meaning.
Life is short. It's a gift. Remember what's of value.
To cherish life, to be loved. And mostly: To have love in your heart.
Join our community where Everyone Matters! here
The Lady in Number 6 is one of the most inspirational stories ever told. 109 year old, Alice Herz-Sommer, the world's oldest pianist and oldest holocaust survivor, shares her views on how to live a long happy life. She discusses the vital importance of music, laughter and having an optimistic outlook on life. This powerfully inspirational video tells her amazing story of survival and how she managed to use her time in a Nazi concentration camp to empower herself and others with music.
NickReedent.com »
Matteo Renzi's Female Ministers Face 'Sexist' Onslaught Over Dress Sense
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| Italy's new Prime Minister, 39-year-old Matteo Renzi, is greeted by a well-wisher as he leaves a church |
Eight women appointed as ministers in Italy's new government have faced an avalanche of criticism over their dress sense, with one stylist urging them to give Giorgio Armani a call.
New prime minister Matteo Renzi aimed at boosting equality in Italy at the weekend by naming the women to his 16-strong cabinet, including 33-year-old Marianna Madia, who is eight months pregnant.
But instead of hailing a breakthrough for gender equality the press has been dominated by catcalls revolving around the clothes they wore to the swearing-in ceremony.
In particular the electric blue trouser suit worn by Maria Elena Boschi, 33, the new minister for reform, was described by Corriere della Sera as a colour "unknown in nature".
La Stampa likened the blue of Ms Boschi's suit to that worn by "a Marvel superhero like Captain America", adding that her trousers were so tight that when she bent over to sign in as minister "many were reminded of Pippa Middleton's silhouette." » | Tom Kington, Rome | Sunday, February 23, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Fireworks Farewell: Sochi Closing Ceremony Ends in Spectacular Show
Desmond Tutu Condemns Uganda's Proposed New Anti-gay Law
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| In condemning Uganda's proposed new law, Desmond Tutu again equated discrimination against gay people with the horrors of Nazi Germany and apartheid-era South Africa. |
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has condemned Uganda's proposed law against homosexuality, saying there is no scientific or moral basis ever for prejudice and discrimination – and accusing the Ugandan president of breaking a promise not to enact the law. The new law would extend the prohibitions and penalties in a country where homosexuality is already a crime, to include acts such as "suggestive touching" in public.
President Yoweri Museveni had first said that he would not sign the legislation, then that he would do so after seeking scientific advice, and at the weekend that he would delay it pending more advice.
The proposed law has drawn harsh criticism from US president Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton. The US warned that such a move could "complicate" approximately £240m in annual aid to Uganda. In a statement Tutu said: "When President Museveni and I spoke last month, he gave his word that he would not let the anti-homosexuality bill become law in Uganda. I was therefore very disheartened to hear last week that President Museveni was reconsidering his position."
Tutu equated discrimination against gay people with the horrors of Nazi Germany and apartheid-era South Africa. » | Maev Kennedy | Sunday, February 23, 2014
Moi, Ibrahim O., globe-trotter du djihad
"Donnez-moi dix ans, je les prendrai avec un grand sourire. La prison, c'est les vacances pour moi." Derrière la vitre blindée du box du tribunal où il est jugé pour "association de malfaiteurs en vue de la préparation d'actes de terrorisme", Ibrahim O. affiche une parfaite sérénité. Une insolente décontraction. "Je ne suis venu que pour faire plaisir à mon avocat", s'amuse le jeune Franco-Malien de 26 ans au faux air de Sammy Davis Jr, fine moustache et regard malicieux.
En ce début février, pendant les dix jours de son procès, Ibrahim O., sourire aux lèvres, avoue tout. Et plus, s'il le pouvait. Oui, il suit "les lois d'Allah, pas celles de la République". Oui, il est bien ce "globe-trotter du djihad" décrit dans le dossier d'instruction, toujours prêt à partir en terre d'islam et, s'il le faut, à combattre la France, "cette terre de mécréance". Oui, il a longtemps tenté de recruter d'autres "frères" pour combattre les infidèles. » | Par Le Nouvel Observateur | dimanche 23 février 2014
Scientology Couple Who Won Supreme Court Challenge Get Married in London
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| Louisa Hodkin and Alessandro Calcioli got married at the Scientology chapel in London |
Louisa Hodkin started the legal action after officials refused to register the Church of Scientology chapel as a place for marriage for her and fiance Alessandro Calcioli.
In December, five Supreme Court judges ruled the church was a "place of meeting for religious worship".
After the wedding, Mr Calcioli said he was "ecstatic" about the occasion.
He added he was "a little bit speechless but just so, so happy that this day has finally come". » | Sunday, February 23, 2014
Hague: "There Are Still Many Dangers" Facing Ukraine
Speaking on the programme, Mr Hague said it was urgent that the Ukrainian government agree a constitution and improve their economic situation.
The foreign secretary said he was in constant discussion with Russia and warned Russia not to do "anything to undermine" the Ukrainian economic programme. » | Sunday, February 23, 2014
Pope Francis Urges New Cardinals to Avoid Vatican Intrigue and Gossip
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| Pope Francis holds the book of the gospels aloft. |
Pope Francis has instructed his new "princes of the church" - among them Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster - to avoid "intrigue, gossip, cliques, favouritism and partiality" as they don the Roman Catholic church's prized red biretta.
Speaking in St Peter's basilica a day after he created 19 new cardinals, the Argentinean pontiff strictly exhorted the men to reject the habits of a royal court that have in recent years come to be associated with parts of the Roman curia, or Vatican bureaucracy.
Looking up from his notes to address the massed ranks of cardinals, he told them: "A cardinal – I say this especially to you – enters the church of Rome, my brothers, not a [royal] court. May all of us avoid, and help others to avoid, habits and ways of acting typical of a court: intrigue, gossip, cliques, favouritism and partiality." » | Lizzy Davies in Rome | Sunday, February 23, 2014
Daily Mail Hateful Article Angers UK Muslims
“We write to express our condemnation of a recent article published by Richard Littlejohn in your newspaper. Entitled “Jolly Jihadi’s Outing to Legoland”, Mr Littlejohn deploys the most hateful stereotypes of Muslims to attack an individual,” the letter, signed by some 25 Islamic and interfaith organizations and published by Muslim Council of Britain website, reads.
“Our condemnation is not about the attacks on Mr Haitham al-Haddad: he is perfectly capable of responding to the accusations put to him if minded to do so.
“Many of us may well disagree with the views attributed to him. Rather, we are speaking out at the insidious and hateful tropes Mr Littlejohn uses for his argument,” it added.
Muslims’ anger followed the publication of an article by columnist Richard Littlejohn.
The column, headlined Jolly jihadi boys' outing to Legoland, "deployed hateful Muslim stereotypes" and "used slurs commonly found in racist and far-right websites."
Entitled “Jolly Jihadi’s Outing to Legoland”, the article satirizes a community event that is to be held at the theme park, organized through a private group booking. » | OnIslam Staff | Sunday, February 23, 2014
ON ISLAM: Far-Rightists Threaten UK Muslims Fun Day » | OnIslam & Newspapers | Sunday, February 16, 2014
Electric Chair Haunts US Former Executions Chief
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| Dr. Allen Ault tells HARDtalk why he is still haunted by the executions |
His account of supervising executions in the US state of Georgia was one of the most painful, searingly honest and courageous testimonies I have ever heard.
Dr Ault is a soft-spoken Midwesterner with steel-grey hair and a steady gaze.
As he spoke about his years as corrections commissioner for the US state of Georgia, he appeared to forget the artifice of the TV studio and relive his experiences in the execution chamber.
"I still have nightmares," he told me.
"It's the most premeditated form of murder you can possibly imagine and it stays in your psyche for ever." » | Stephen Sackur | HARDtalk | Sunday, February 23, 2014
Homophobie in Afrika
Doctor Dilemma: Physicians Switching to Higher-paying Jobs
Women of Iran Defy Mullahs by Embracing Western Fashions
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| Women who flaunt fashion run the risk of being publicly reprimanded by the so-called "morality police." |
It’s a vibrant and growing fashion scene, one that enables Iranians to defy the strict religious leaders who have ruled the nation with an iron fist since the 1979 revolution.
Many young Iranians have become emboldened in how they walk the streets, showing an affinity for Western clothing, jewelry, makeup and hairstyles. But it is more than just a fashion statement, say Iranians. It's a political statement.
“Violating the dress code is another way young Iranians can express political dissent,” said journalist and political activist Mansoureh Nasserchian.
Since the 2009 uprisings, when Iranians flooded the streets of Iran protesting the corruption of their government in the aftermath of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s contested re-election, the world was introduced to a new brand of Iranians influenced by social media and Western styles and ideologies, according to Nasserchian, who fled the country for Canada shortly after the uprisings.
“When the young people filled the streets, not caring how they dressed or if they had hair covering, things really changed in Iran,” Nasserchian said. “Social media gave the courage to the new generation to break taboos and be open about political and social issues.” » | Lisa Daftari | Fox News contributor specializing in Middle Eastern affairs | Sunday, February 23, 2014
HSBC to Announce Bonuses Totalling £2.4 Billion
Europe's biggest bank is expected on Monday to announce the size of its bonus pool, a sensitive issue as many Britons still blame banks for the 2008 financial crisis after which the state was forced to bail out RBS and Lloyds.
Earlier this month Barclays prompted an angry reaction from politicians and labour unions after it increased its bonuses by 13 per cent to £2.4 billion even as it announced plans to axe 12,000 jobs. » | Agency | Saturday, February 22, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Umfrage: Gehört der Islam zu Deutschland?
Sensation! Pope Tawadros and Saudi Ambassador Agree to Open Saudi Arabia’s First Church
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| Pope Tawadros II |
Saudis erlaubten Gottesdienst für Christen
Riad/Wien. Der Bau von Kirchen ist genauso verboten wie das Tragen von Kreuzen: In Saudiarabien kann jede öffentliche Glaubensbekundung von Nichtmuslimen bestraft werden. Es ist daher eine kleine Sensation, dass nun erstmals ein christlich-orthodoxer Gottesdienst in der ultrakonservativen Golfmonarchie stattfinden durfte. Der koptisch-orthodoxe Papst-Patriach Tawadros II. bestätigte dem evangelischen Berliner Bischof Markus Dröge während dessen Ägypten-Besuch, dass die christliche Feier auf saudischem Boden tatsächlich durchgeführt wurde. „Das ist ein erfreuliches Ereignis und ein erstes Zeichen wachsender religiöser Toleranz“, erklärte Dröge gegenüber der „Presse“. » | Doe Presse | Freitag, 21. Februar 2014
USA ändern Medienregeln für Jagd auf Whistleblower
Das US-Justizministerium will sich bei Ermittlungen gegen Whistleblower strengere Regeln im Umgang mit Medien auferlegen. In den meisten Fällen werde der Staat betroffene Presseunternehmen künftig vorab informieren, bevor Daten aus investigativen Recherchen angefordert würden, teilte die Behörde am Freitag mit. » | AP/cbo | Samstag, 22. Februar 2014
Focus on Religious Right Hides Dwindling Number of US Churchgoers
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| This image released by 20th Century Fox shows Diogo Morgado in a scene from 'Son of God' |
This week millions of the religious faithful in America are to be shepherded into the nation's cinemas in order to watch 'Son of God', a conventional Hollywood biopic of Jesus Christ that premieres on Thursday.
Coming after last year's HBO mini-series 'The Bible', which garnered 95 million viewers, it would seem a fair bet that this film is pretty much guaranteed to be another hit.
One Texas congregation alone has bought 9,000 tickets. But such displays of mega-church muscle only serve to conceal how far and how fast the ground has shifted under America's Religious Right over the last decade or so.
It's not that America has suddenly abandoned its faith, but more that a large chunk of previously nominal Christians - the Christmas and wedding-only types - have become much happier to declare themselves in the religious camp marked 'don't really care'. » | Peter Foster in Washington | Saturday, February 22, 2014
Related »
Auch ohne Volksabstimmung: Island will nicht mehr in die EU
Islands Regierung will auf den ursprünglich geplanten EU-Beitritt des Inselstaats verzichten, ohne das Volk zuvor nach seiner Meinung zu fragen. Die regierende Fortschrittspartei und ihre ebenfalls euroskeptischen Koalitionspartner der Unabhängigkeitspartei einigten sich am Freitag auf ein Gesetzesvorhaben, mit dem die 2010 eingereichte Kandidatur auf einen Beitritt zur Europäischen Union wieder zurückgezogen werden soll. Außenminister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson erklärte im öffentlichen Rundfunk, er werde die Umsetzung des Kurswechsels persönlich vorantreiben. » | Quelle: AFP | Freitag, 21. Februar 2014
Ukraine : Ioulia Timochenko libérée
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| Ioulia Timochenko |
Le symbole est de taille. Ioulia Timochenko a été libérée samedi après-midi, quelques heures à peine après un vote du Parlement ukrainien. Ce vote intervient alors que plusieurs proches de l'opposante occupent désormais des postes-clés.
Ioulia Timochenko est en route vers le Maïdan, haut lieu de la contestation dans le centre de Kiev. Dans une voiture, Mme Timochenko, coiffée de sa tresse emblématique, a fait un signe de la main aux journalistes et à ses partisans qui l'attendaient devant l'hôpital carcéral où elle était soignée pour hernies discales à Kharkiv (est). Elle va prendre un avion et se rendre à Kiev sur le Maïdan, a indiqué son allié Arseni Iatseniouk. » | Source AFP | samedi 22 février 2014
Plan to Split California into Six States Gains Ground
A plan to divide California into six separate US states is closer to making it on to a November ballot, with organisers gaining approval to collect signatures.
The seemingly far-fetched initiative, sponsored by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, claims "political representation of California's diverse population and economies has rendered the state nearly ungovernable."
And on Tuesday, the California Secretary of State's office gave the movement a boost, saying that proponents "may begin collecting petition signatures."
At least 807,615 voters will need to sign the petition by July 18 to make it onto the ballot. » | AFP | Friday, February 21, 2014
Mehdi Hasan – Non-Muslims Live Like Animals
"Ayatollah Khameinei has issued a fatwa saying the stockpiling, the production, the use of nuclear weapons us forbidden under Islam. Spot on. Islamic Republic of Iran. The fatwa of the Supreme Leader."
HT: Roger Murray Clark »
Head to Head: Do Arab Men Hate Women?
Men Banned from Becoming Queen as 700 Years of Law Redrafted ahead of Gay Marriage
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| Men banned from becoming Queen as 700 years of law redrafted ahead of gay marriage |
Men are to be banned from becoming Queen or Princess of Wales as part of an unprecedented effort to rewrite more than 700 years of law to prevent unintended consequences of gay marriage.
Even a 14th Century act declaring it high treason to have an affair with the monarch’s husband or wife is included in the sweeping redrafting exercise.
Civil servants have drawn up a list of scores of statutes and regulations dating back as far 1285 to be amended or specifically excluded when the Government’s Same-Sex Marriage Act comes into force next month.
Under proposals to be debated by MPs and Peers as early as next week, terms such as “widow” will be deleted or reworded in legislation covering topics as diverse as seamen’s pensions and London cab licences to take account of the new definition of marriage.
References to mothers, fathers, husbands and wives are also to be amended to avoid future confusion. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Friday, February 21, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Familientreffen: Nordkoreaner wollten Süd-Verwandte indoktrinieren
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| Für viele der 82 südkoreanischen Teilnehmer ist das Treffen in Nordkorea die wohl letzte Möglichkeit, ihre Verwandten zu sehen |
Beim ersten Familientreffen zwischen Nord- und Südkoreanern nach mehr als drei Jahren haben sich die Teilnehmer am Freitag privat sehen können; am Tag zuvor hatte es bereits ein solches Treffen unter Anwesenheit von Fernsehteams gegeben. Nach den Privattreffen im nordkoreanischen Feriengebiet Kumgang beklagten sich allerdings mehrere Südkoreaner. Grund: Ihre nordkoreanischen Angehörigen hätten versucht, sie zu "indoktrinieren".
So erzählte der 81-jährige Kim Dong-bin aus Südkorea, seine beiden im Norden lebenden Schwestern hätten viel Zeit darauf verwendet, die andauernde Präsenz von US-Truppen im Süden zu verurteilen. Sie hätten ausgeführt, dass es eine Wiedervereinigung der beiden koreanischen Staaten nur bei einem Abzug der amerikanischen Soldaten geben könne. » | AFP/dpa/jw | Freitag, 21. Februar 2014
Dalaï-lama aux USA: Obama exprime son soutien aux Tibétains
Le président américain Barack Obama a reçu vendredi le dalaï lama et dit soutenir les droits de l'homme au Tibet, ignorant la colère de la Chine qui avait exigé l'annulation de cette rencontre à la Maison Blanche.
«Le président a réitéré son soutien appuyé à la préservation des traditions religieuses, culturelles et linguistiques du Tibet et à la protection des droits de l'homme pour les Tibétains au sein de la République populaire de Chine», a indiqué l'exécutif américain dans un compte-rendu de la réunion.
Pas considéré comme un dirigeant politique
Plus tôt, la Maison Blanche avait souligné que le dalaï lama avait été reçu «en tant que leader religieux et culturel respecté internationalement», sous-entendant qu'il n'était pas convié en qualité de dirigeant politique.
En outre, dans le but apparent d'atténuer la colère de Pékin, la présidence avait organisé la réception du dalaï lama dans la salle des cartes de la Maison Blanche et non le prestigieux Bureau ovale, réservé aux chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement étrangers. Continuez à lire et ajouter un commentaire » | afp/Newsnet | vendredi 21 février 2014
L'homophobie devrait être poursuivie comme le racisme
L'homophobie devrait être combattue en Suisse au même titre que le racisme. C'est en tout cas l'avis de la commission des affaires juridiques du National.
Selon Mathias Reynard (PS/VS), l'auteur de cette initiative parlementaire, un vide juridique existe dans la répression des incitations à la haine basées sur l'orientation sexuelle des individus. La législation ne permet pas de s'attaquer aux propos homophobes exprimés en termes généraux. » | ats/Newsnet | vendredi 21 février 2014
Chess in a Minefield: The Global Implications of the Ukraine Conflict
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| Smoke rising on Independence Square in Kiev on Thursday. |
The quote printed in SPIEGEL 33 years ago was a noteworthy one, and still sounds remarkably topical: "We have to ensure that this Soviet empire, when it breaks apart due to its internal contradictions, does so with a whimper rather than a bang." The sentence was spoken by US Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger during an interview conducted in September of 1981.
This week in Ukraine, one of the core regions of that former empire, it is looking very much like a "bang." Thursday in Kiev has seen bloody violence that has cost the lives of dozens amid gunfire and brutal clashes on Independence Square. Hundreds have been wounded, many seriously. The violence comes on the heels of similar battles on Tuesday -- and mark the beginning of what could become an extended and dramatic conflict over the country's future. » | Uwe Klussmann | Thursday, February 20, 2014
Faith Change: Islam Rapidly Grows as Christianity Declines in UK
Muslims Demand "Right of Return" to Spain
"Is Spain aware of what might be assumed when it makes peace with some but not with others? Is Spain aware of what this decision [not to include Muslims in the return] could cost?... Does Spain have alternatives to the foreign investment from Muslims?" — Ahmed Bensalh, Morisco-Moroccan journalist.
"Persecution of Jews was just that, while what happened with the Arabs was part of a conflict. There is no basis for comparison." — Jose Ribeiro e Castro, Portuguese lawmaker who drafted Portuguese law of return.
Muslim groups are demanding Spanish citizenship for potentially millions of descendants of Muslims who were expelled from Spain during the Middle Ages.
The growing clamor for "historical justice" comes after the recent approval of a law that would grant Spanish citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492.
Muslim supporters say they are entitled to the same rights and privileges as Jews because both groups were expelled from Spain under similar historical circumstances.
But historians point out that the Jewish presence in Spain predates the arrival of Christianity in the country and that their expulsion was a matter of bigotry. By contrast, the Muslims in Spain were colonial occupiers who called the territory Al-Andalus and imposed Arabic as the official language. Historians say their expulsion was a matter of decolonization.
In any event, the descendants of Muslims expelled from Spain are believed to number in the millions—possibly tens of millions—and most of them now live in North Africa. Observers say that by granting citizenship to all of them, Spain, virtually overnight, would end up with the largest Muslim population in the European Union.
Much of the Iberian Peninsula was occupied by Muslim conquerors known as the Moors from 711 until 1492, when the Moorish Kingdom of Granada surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs of Spain (Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon), in what is known as the Christian Reconquest.
But the final Muslim expulsion from Granada did not take place until over a century later, beginning in 1609, when King Philip III decreed the expulsion of the Moriscos.
The Moriscos—Moors who decided to convert to Catholicism after the Reconquest rather than leave Spain—were suspected of being nominal Catholics who continued to practice Islam in secret. From 1609 through 1614, the Spanish monarchy forced an estimated 350,000 Moriscos to leave Spain for Muslim North Africa.
Today, up to five million descendants of the Moriscos are living in Morocco alone; there are millions more living in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Tunisia and Turkey. Read on and comment » | Soeren Kern | Friday, February 21, 2014
UK Journalists Call for Free Press in Egypt
Arizona Legislature Sends ‘Anti-gay’ Bill to Republican Governor Jan Brewer
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| It is unclear if Arizona governor Jan Brewer will sign into law a bill allowing businesses and others to deny service to gays. |
The Arizona legislature gave final approval to legislation that allows business owners asserting their religious beliefs to refuse service to gays, drawing backlash from Democrats who called the proposal “state-sanctioned discrimination” and an embarrassment.
The 33-27 vote by the House Thursday evening sends the legislation to Republican Governor Jan Brewer and puts Arizona back at the forefront of a polarizing piece of legislation four years after the state enacted an immigration crackdown that caused a national furor.
Similar religious protection legislation has been introduced in Ohio, Mississippi, Idaho, South Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma, but Arizona’s plan is the only one that has passed. The efforts are stalled in Idaho, Ohio and Kansas.
Republicans stressed that the bill is about protecting religious freedom and not discrimination. They frequently cited the case of a New Mexico photographer who was sued after refusing to take wedding pictures of a gay couple and said Arizona needs a law to protect people in the state from heavy-handed actions by courts and law enforcement. » | Associated Press in Phoenix | Friday, February 21, 2014
THE GUARDIAN: Kansas Republican leaders get cold feet over 'anti-gay' bill: Bill approved by Kansas house would give religious individuals and groups the right to deny services to same-sex couples » | Ed Pilkington in New York | Friday, February 14, 2014
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