Der Islamist mit der Metallkralle steht vor Gericht

DIE WELT: Abu Hamsa al-Masri wird vorgeworfen, an einer Geiselnahme im Jemen beteiligt gewesen zu sein und die Taliban zu unterstützen. Der Islamist muss sich jetzt vor einem US-Gericht verantworten.

Mit der Auswahl der Geschworenen hat am Montag der Prozess gegen den Hassprediger Abu Hamsa al-Masri in New York begonnen. Der 55 Jahre alte Islamist soll 1998 an einer Geiselnahme im Jemen beteiligt gewesen sein, bei der vier Menschen getötet wurden. Die Staatsanwaltschaft wirft dem gebürtigen Ägypter mit britischen Pass zudem vor, er habe die Taliban in Afghanistan unterstützt und mitten in den USA, im Bundesstaat Oregon, ein Terrorcamp errichten wollen.

Die Geschworenen wurden befragt, ob sie in irgendeiner Verbindung zu al-Masri, der unter dem Namen Mustafa Kamel Mustafa angeklagt wurde, stehen. Al-Masri hat angegeben, dass er sich selbst verteidigen möchte – im Falle eines Schuldspruchs droht ihm lebenslange Haft. » | Montag, 14. April 2014

Islamisten greifen Nigerias Hauptstadt an

DIE WELT: Drei Attentate der extremistischen Terrorsekte Boko Haram innerhalb von 48 Stunden erschüttern Nigeria. Erstmals seit zwei Jahren sterben wieder Zivilisten in Abuja durch einen Selbstmordanschlag.

Die islamistischen Fanatiker der nigerianischen Gruppe Boko Haram verschärfen ihren Krieg gegen Christen, Zivilisten, gemäßigte Muslime und staatliche Institutionen. Mit einem schweren Bombenanschlag auf den Busbahnhof Nyanya Motor Park in der nigerianischen Hauptstadt Abuja töteten die Extremisten zahlreiche Menschen. Die Zeitung "Premium Times Nigeria" berichtete von mindestens 200 Toten. Viele seien bis zur Unkenntlichkeit zerrissen worden, überall hätten Leichenteile gelegen. Journalisten, die kurz nach der Explosion vor Ort waren, zählten 60 Leichen. » | Von Dietrich Alexander | Montag, 14. April 2014

More Schools to Be Investigated over 'Extremist Muslim' Plot Fears

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: More schools will be investigated by the Department for Education over concerns about extremist plots to take over institutions

The number of schools to be investigated over fears children are being “radicalised” by extremist Muslims attempting to seize control of institutions has increased to 25.

Teams of inspectors are to be sent into schools and will be able to penalise those where religious conservatism is believed to be getting in the way of teaching.

The Department for Education (DfE) launched the investigation after an alleged Islamic takeover plot to force out governors and head teachers was reported in Birmingham.

An anonymous letter claiming responsibility for changes in leadership at four schools in the city says it was part of a campaign called Operation Trojan Horse. The letter set out a blueprint for seizing control of schools and claimed a radical group of Muslims were pursuing their own agenda in classrooms and forcing out head teachers and governors who refused to cooperate. Read on and comment » | Claire Carter, and agencies | Monday, April 14, 2014

My comment:

The politicians/authorities are up their necks in trouble, all caused by mass immigration. Serves them right! Trouble is that we, the people, have to suffer for their foul up. If ever we were in need of a change of narrative, we are today. Change it now! Islam is not a 'religion of peace' but a religion which brings with it only trouble and strife. Can't the fools look around them and observe? In each and every country where Islam is strong, there is trouble and strife. Yet these fools keep on with the narrative of Islam being a 'religion of peace'. – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

Op-Ed: Islam Is As British As the Gray Sky of London

ARUTZ SHEVA: These words were uttered by a London Alderman. Sheer numbers of Muslims weak British backbones and the desire for Arab investments are turning Britain into something unknown.

“Islam is British like grey sky”
In 1215, Britain enacted the “Magna Charta Libertatum”. It is the basis of the UK legal system which protects individual rights.

800 years later, for the first time, that glorious legal system is changing face. It is now an experiment unique in the world, the hybridation of the Magna Charta and Islam. This is not Londonstan or Islamisation, the multicultural ghettos or threats, but Islam injected into the most important sectors of the country’s government: law, education and finance.

Given the high rate of Islamic presence in England, sharia, or Islamic law, will now be used by notaries and lawyers. The initiative comes from the Law Society. Baroness Cox, a member of the House of Lords who has always been engaged in campaigns for the protection of women against discrimination, asserts emphatically that these latest developments “would turn suffragettes in their graves”.

Sharia in the UK has become so powerful that 85 Islamic courts in the country operate daily in familial disputes. The advent of this parallel system has been made possible thanks to the British Arbitration Act and the Alternative Dispute Resolution. These courts, it must be stressed, are based on the rejection of the principle of the inviolability of human rights. » | Giulio Meotti | Friday, April 11, 2014

Moscow Accuses Kiev of Issuing 'Criminal Orders' and Warns of Civil War

THE GUARDIAN: Russia orchestrating latest violence in east Ukraine and is staging another Crimea-syle intervention, claims US and Nato

The crisis in Ukraine escalated dramatically on Sunday night as Russia accused Kiev of issuing a "criminal order" against protesters and warned of a civil war in the country, which has been hit by a wave of unrest that America believes has been orchestrated from Moscow.

The Russian statement came after unknown armed men attacked a convoy of Ukrainian troops in Slaviansk, about 100 miles from the border, launching the first gun battle in Ukraine since the standoff began, in which at least one person was killed. Both the US and Nato accused Russia of staging another Crimea-style intervention, with Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, saying events were following the same pattern as in Crimea, where unidentified military forces took over government installations before the peninsula was in effect annexed last month.

"[The unrest] is professional, it's co-ordinated, there is nothing grassroots-seeming about it," Power said. "The forces are doing, in each of the six or seven cities they've been active in, exactly the same thing. Certainly it bears the telltale signs of Moscow's involvement," she told ABC's This Week.

The Nato secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, described the protests as "a concerted campaign of violence by pro-Russian separatists, aiming to destabilise Ukraine as a sovereign state". » | Paul Lewis in Washington and Alec Luhn in Slaviansk | Sunday, April 13, 2014

Israeli Teenagers Risk Being Sent to Prison by Refusing to Join the Army

Draft-age pupils in Israel have defied the law and Benjamin Netanyahu by telling him they will not join the army after leaving school

Read the Telegraph article here | Robert Tait, Tel Aviv, with video by Quique Kierszenbaum | Sunday, April 13, 2014

Turquie : le Premier ministre accuse Twitter d'évasion fiscale

LE POINT: Recep Tayyip Erdogan soupçonne le réseau, utilisé pour diffuser des enregistrements et des écoutes téléphoniques mettant en cause son entourage, d'évasion fiscale.

Le Premier ministre turc a accusé Twitter d'évasion fiscale après que le réseau a été utilisé pour diffuser des enregistrements et des écoutes téléphoniques mettant en cause son proche entourage dans un scandale de corruption. "Twitter, YouTube et Facebook sont des sociétés internationales créées pour faire du profit", a déclaré Recep Tayyip Erdogan dans des propos retransmis à la télévision. "Twitter est parallèlement aussi un évadé fiscal." "Nous allons nous occuper de cela", a ajouté le Premier ministre. » | Source AFP | samedi 12 avril 2014

Ukraine : Obama crie au loup mais manque d'options et de vision

LE FIGARO: Les Russes se sont gaussés des sanctions économiques décidées à Washington et à Bruxelles contre des personnalités de l'équipe Poutine

Tandis que Poutine poursuit «son plan» de déstabilisation rampante de l'Ukraine, l'Amérique en est réduite à crier au loup et à appeler vainement à la «désescalade». Le contraste entre la résolution du dirigeant du Kremlin et le désarroi qui plane dans les capitales occidentales, comme tétanisées par l'enchaînement des événements, est flagrant. Après avoir annexé la Crimée, le patron du Kremlin est passé à la phase «provocations» dans l'est du pays, tandis que des dizaines de milliers de soldats russes sont massés aux frontières, prêts à entrer. … » | Par Laure Mandeville | dimanche 13 avril 2014

Konflikt in der Ostukraine: „Russland führt Krieg gegen die Ukraine“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG:: Angesichts blutiger Gewalt im Osten der Ukraine haben sich die Führungen in Kiew und Moskau gegenseitig das Anzetteln eines Kriegs vorgeworfen. Bei Feuergefechten zwischen ukrainischen Truppen und prorussischen Milizen wurden mehrere Menschen getötet und verletzt.

Nach blutigen Zusammenstößen in der Ostukraine hat Übergangspräsident Alexander Turtschinow die prorussischen Separatisten ultimativ zur Aufgabe aufgefordert. Nur wer bis Montagmorgen die Waffen niederlege und die besetzten Verwaltungsgebäude verlasse, werde strafrechtlich nicht belangt, sagte Turtschinow am Sonntag in Kiew. Zugleich drohte er mit einem „groß angelegten Anti-Terror-Einsatz“ unter Beteiligung der Streitkräfte, um die Unruhen im Osten des Landes zu beenden. Nach Angaben des Präsidialamtsleiters Sergej Paschinski gilt das Ultimatum bis 9 Uhr Ortszeit (8 Uhr MESZ).

Russland warnte die prowestliche Regierung in Kiew nachdrücklich vor einem Militäreinsatz gegen die Separatisten. Moskau sei „empört über den verbrecherischen Befehl“ von Turtschinow, der die Proteste von der Armee niederschlagen lassen wolle, teilte das Außenamt in Moskau am Sonntag mit. Russland trete dafür ein, die Krise von der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) und dem Weltsicherheitsrat untersuchen zu lassen. „Gerade vom Westen hängt es jetzt ab, einen Bürgerkrieg in der Ukraine zu vermeiden.“ » | Quelle: AFP | Sonntag, 13. April 2014

Russische Propaganda: Der gute und der böse Hitler

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In Deutschland verbieten sich Vergleiche mit der Nazizeit. Hitlers Verbrechen sind einzigartig, der Relativierung will sich niemand bezichtigen lassen. Jüngst bekam dies Finanzminister Schäuble zu spüren, der vor einer Schulklasse angeblich eine Parallele von Putins Krim-Politik zu Hitlers Vorgehen im Sudetenland zog. Die Nation war empört.

Auf dem Gebiet der ehemaligen Sowjetunion hat man diesbezüglich weniger Berührungsängste. Hier gilt Hitler in erster Linie als imperialistischer Feldherr, dessen grösstes Vergehen der Angriff auf die UdSSR war, der Holocaust kommt im Bewusstsein erst an zweiter Stelle. Die Reduktion der Rolle Nazideutschlands auf diejenige einer unterlegenen Kriegspartei führt mitunter zu sonderbaren Situationen. So hat schon mancher deutsche Besucher anerkennende Worte über Wehrmacht und Hitler zurückweisen müssen, die als wohlwollende Schmeicheleien gedacht waren. » | Volker Pabst | Freitag, 11. April 2014

Erneut Giftgas in Syrien

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Acht Monate nach dem verheerenden und international geächteten Chemiewaffenangriff nahe der Hauptstadt Damaskus hat die syrische Regierung den Rebellen vorgeworfen, erneut Giftgas eingesetzt und dabei mehr als 100 Menschen verletzt zu haben.

Das staatliche Fernsehen meldete am Wochenende, Aufständische der radikalislamischen Nusra-Front hätten in der Ortschaft Kfar Seita auf diese Weise zwei Menschen getötet sowie mehr als 100 verletzt. » | ap | Sonntag, 13. April 2014

Ukraine-Krise: Politisches Powerplay des Kremls

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Russland bestreitet, in der Ostukraine aktiv zu intervenieren. Gleichzeitig erhält es seine politische und wirtschaftliche Drohkulisse aufrecht. Moskau ist zunehmend unberechenbarer.

Auf breiter Front ist Moskau am Wochenende der internationalen Kritik an seiner Ukraine-Politik entgegengetreten und hat jegliche Verantwortung für die angespannte Lage von sich gewiesen. Es sei nicht im Interesse Russlands, südöstliche Regionen der Ukraine abzuspalten und sich einzuverleiben, sagte Aussenminister Sergei Lawrow. Ob allfällige Referenden über den Beitritt zur Russischen Föderation von Moskau genauso anerkannt würden, wie dies auf der ukrainischen Halbinsel Krim der Fall war, ist jedoch unklar. » | Daniel Wechlin, Moskau | Sonntag, 13. April 2014

Debate: Anjem Choudary vs. David Wood: Would Sharia Help the West?

Muslims claim that the West is immoral, and that Islam can improve Western society. But can the teachings of Muhammad really help the United States, Great Britain, and other Western nations? Anjem Choudary and David Wood debate the evidence.

Anjem Choudary: Khilafah (Caliphate) Is Our Objective

Adultery Is Good For Your Marriage – If You Don’t Get Caught, Says Infidelity Website Boss

Noel Biderman is the Canadian founder of Ashley Madison, a
controversial but globally[-]popular adultery website that connects
married men and women and discretely enables them to have affairs

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As global membership to the world’s biggest infidelity site soars to over 24 million, its founder explains the international appeal of adultery

He receives regular death threats, websites are devoted to his demise, the Vatican has sent letters of complaint and the Queen of Spain has sued him.

The man in question is not a criminal, a terrorist or a dictator. Instead, he is the businessman behind the world’s biggest website for extramarital affairs.

Noel Biderman is the Canadian founder of Ashley Madison, a controversial but globally popular adultery website that connects married men and women and discretely enables them to have affairs.

Famed for its catchy motto – “Life is short. Have an affair” – the dating service is free for women but paying for men. Its array of features include virtual “winks”, instant messaging and “travelling” services for members seeking an affair during business trips.

Its mobile app uses GPS technology to track down the nearest available potential lover. » | Danielle Demetriou, Tokyo | Saturday, April 12, 2014

Church of England Faces 'Crisis’ As Gay Priest Weds

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Church of England faces "crisis" as Canon Jeremy Pemberton, a priest from Lincoln, becomes the first to defy its ban on gay clergy marrying

A priest has become the first in Britain to defy the Church of England’s ban on gay clergy marrying.

Canon Jeremy Pemberton, 58, a divorced hospital chaplain, wed his long-term partner Laurence Cunnington, 51, on Saturday afternoon.

Campaigners expressed delight that the couple had taken advantage of Britain’s newly-introduced gay marriage laws and urged bishops to “bless” their partnership. They predict he will be the first of many gay clergy to marry. » | Edward Malnick | Saturday, April 12, 2014

Margaret Thatcher: Life, Love & Letters

Documentary: Geert Wilders: Europe's Most Dangerous Man?

Geert Wilders in America (2009)

Geert Wilders (IPA: ['xe:rt 'ʋɪldərs], ['ʝe:ʁt 'ʋɪldəʁs]; born September 6, 1963) is a Dutch politician and leader of the Party for Freedom. Born of a German father on the border town of Venlo and raised a Roman Catholic, the young Geert Wilders formed many of his political views in his travels to Israel and the neighboring Arab countries. His early job at the Dutch social insurance agency moved him to politics, where he worked as a speechwriter for the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. In 1996, he moved to the city of Utrecht, and represented his pluralistic neighborhood in the city council, and later the House of Representatives of the Netherlands. There he was noted for his witty one-liners and outlandish blond hairstyle.

Pat Condell: A Society of Cowards

We're getting what we deserve.

Here's What I Would Have Said at Brandeis

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: We need to make our universities temples not of dogmatic orthodoxy, but of truly critical thinking.

On Tuesday, after protests by students, faculty and outside groups, Brandeis University revoked its invitation to Ayaan Hirsi Ali to receive an honorary degree at its commencement ceremonies in May. The protesters accused Ms. Hirsi Ali, an advocate for the rights of women and girls, of being "Islamophobic." Here is an abridged version of the remarks she planned to deliver.

One year ago, the city and suburbs of Boston were still in mourning. Families who only weeks earlier had children and siblings to hug were left with only photographs and memories. Still others were hovering over bedsides, watching as young men, women, and children endured painful surgeries and permanent disfiguration. All because two brothers, radicalized by jihadist websites, decided to place homemade bombs in backpacks near the finish line of one of the most prominent events in American sports, the Boston Marathon.

All of you in the Class of 2014 will never forget that day and the days that followed. You will never forget when you heard the news, where you were, or what you were doing. And when you return here, 10, 15 or 25 years from now, you will be reminded of it. The bombs exploded just 10 miles from this campus. » | Ayaan Hirsi Ali | Thursday, April 10, 2014


Related »

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Publishes Remarks She Planned for Brandeis

Apr. 11, 2014 - 12:15 - Islam critic defends herself

Brandeis Withdraws Honorary Degree for Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali »

Hillary Clinton Dodges a Shoe Thrown by Audience Member

A woman throws a shoe at Hillary Clinton as the former US secretary of state delivers a speech at a hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Clinton dodges the shoe and jokes about the incident with the audience. The shoe-thrower did not explain her actions and has been taken into custody

Margaret Thatcher – The Iron Lady (Documentary 2012)

From her humble beginnings as a Grocers daughter from Grantham, Margaret Thatcher fought her way through the murky world of politics, the sexist prejudices of the Conservative Party elite and the scepticism of the British electorate to become the greatest British Prime Minister since Winston Churchill. Margaret Thatcher - The Iron Lady is the first major documentary to look back on the development and impact of this remarkable woman, whom commentators of both the political left and right agree changed the face of 20th Century politics forever. Featuring many excerpts from her powerful speeches and insightful contributions from her political supporters and detractors, a portrait emerges of a woman whose strength of conviction eventually became her weakness. This programme includes intimate footage of the Thatchers at home in Number 10, and unseen footage from her emotional and first major interview after her resignation as Prime Minister with Michael Brunson in 1992. Contributors include: Lord Heseltine, Lord Howe, ex-Conservative MP Gyles Brandreth, ITN political editor Michael Brunson, biographer Hugo Vickers, political correspondent Nicholas Owen, biographer Robert Lacey.

Margaret Thatcher's Anti-Gay Speech

"Children are being taught they have an inalienable right to be gay. All of those children are being cheated of a sound start in life." -- Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, October 9, 1987. Conservative Party Conference. Blackpool, United Kingdom.

David Cameron On Gay Marriage

David Cameron: 'Jesus Invented the Big Society – I'm Just Continuing God's Work'

THE INDEPENDENT: Prime Minister spoke to Christian leaders assembled in Downing Street – after listening to an unfortunately-timed rendition of ‘Ave Maria’

David Cameron has claimed divine inspiration was at work when it came to drafting a key concept for Conservative Party policy.

Speaking last night at his Easter reception in Downing Street, the Prime Minister reportedly said he was simply doing God’s work when he launched the “Big Society” initiative of volunteering and civic responsibility.

“Jesus invented the Big Society 2,000 years ago,” Mr Cameron said. “I just want to see more of it.”

On the day that saw Culture Secretary Maria Miller resign over a furore about her expenses – despite repeatedly being back by the Prime Minister – Mr Cameron was said to have no comment on a singer’s choice of hymn: “Ave Maria”.

He went further than any recent prime minister in speaking publicly about his faith, according to the Daily Mail, and took the opportunity to offer his support to Britain’s Christian community. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, April 10, 2014

Scientists Trying to Create Human Heart with 3D Printer

Apr. 10, 2014 - 4:44 - Practicing cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell weighs in

Russia’s 'Preparations for War on Sweden' Lead to Security Service Concerns

THE INDEPENDENT: Fears spread from eastern Europe as Ukraine crisis continues

Swedish security services have expressed serious concerns that Russia is heightening its spying efforts in Scandinavia and “preparing for war”, according to local media reports.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the chief counter-intelligence analyst for the Säkerhetspolisen (Säpo) agency said that the escalating crisis in eastern Europe was the greatest security threat identified in a recent briefing.

Wilhelm Unge said communications from Russian intelligence agencies had increased, more attempts were being made to recruit spies and that Moscow had purchased a significant number of maps.

The spy chief said the developments were in keeping with recent trends, most notably the military flight exercises undertaken by Russia last year against simulated Swedish targets.

“You don't carry out these kinds of things unless you can actually conceive carrying out an attack in the future,” Mr Unge said. Read on and comment » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Angela Merkel Denied Access to Her NSA File

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor.

THE GUARDIAN: Frustration with US government rises over failure to clear up questions about surveillance of German chancellor's phone

The US government is refusing to grant Angela Merkel access to her NSA file or answer formal questions from Germany about its surveillance activities, raising the stakes before a crucial visit by the German chancellor to Washington.

Merkel will meet Barack Obama in three weeks, on her first visit to the US capital since documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA had been monitoring her phone.

The face-to-face meeting between the two world leaders had been intended as an effort to publicly heal wounds after the controversy, but Germany remains frustrated by the White House's refusal to come clean about its surveillance activities in the country.

In October, Obama personally assured Merkel that the US is no longer monitoring her calls, and promised it will not do so in the future. However, Washington has not answered a list of questions submitted by Berlin immediately after Snowden's first tranche of revelations appeared in the Guardian and Washington Post in June last year, months before the revelations over Merkel's phone.

The Obama's administration has also refused to enter into a mutual "no-spy" agreement with Germany, in part because Berlin is unwilling or unable to share the kinds of surveillance material the Americans say would be required for such a deal.

Merkel is intensely aware of the importance of the surveillance controversy for her domestic audience, and is planning to voice Germany's concerns privately with White House officials and leading senators. She will also be "forthright" in confronting the issue if she is asked by reporters during a press conference with Obama, according to a well-placed source with knowledge of the trip. Read on and comment » | Paul Lewis in Washington and Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Thursday, April 10, 2014

Inside Story: Pakistani Justice: A Dysfunctional System?

Controversy over nine-month-old baby charged with attempted murder brings criminal justice system into question.

Thousands Celebrate Kim Jong-un's Re-election as N. Korea Defense Chair

Tens of thousands of Pyongyang citizens gathered in central Kim Il-sung Square on Thursday, in a show of support for Kim Jong-un's re-election as first chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission. Supreme leader Kim Jong-un did not make an appearance, but he does not usually attend this kind of mass rally.

Car Bomb Explodes in Athens ahead of Merkel Visit

A car explosive has detonated outside a Bank of Greece building in central Athens. The blast smashed windows in shops, but left no injuries.

Ron Paul: Anytime US Gives International Aid It Takes Money from Poor at Home and Gives It to Rich Abroad

A former US Congressman, presidential candidate, and a man with nationwide support for his views on what government should be. A legend of American politics, Ron Paul is on SophieCo show.

Confirmed: Russia's 'Most Wanted' Terrorist Doku Umarov Killed

Chechen terrorist leader Doku Umarov has been on the wanted list of Russia, the US and UN Security Council for organizing multiple terror acts, kidnapping, contract murder and other grievous crimes in the Russian Federation

Brandeis Withdraws Honorary Degree for Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

THE GUARDIAN: Liberal arts college in Massachusetts says 'we cannot overlook certain statements that are inconsistent with our core values'

A university has reversed a decision to grant an honorary degree to an advocate for Muslim women who has made comments critical of Islam.

Brandeis University said in a statement that Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali would no longer receive the honorary degree, which it had planned to award her at the May 18 commencement.

Ali, a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006, has been quoted as making comments critical of Islam. That includes a 2007 interview with Reason Magazine [sic] in which she said of the religion: "Once it's defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It's very difficult to even talk about peace now. They're not interested in peace. I think that we are at war with Islam. And there's no middle ground in wars."

Brandeis, outside Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, said it was not aware of Ali's statements earlier.

"She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women's rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world," said the university's statement. "That said, we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University's core values." Read on and comment » | Associated Press | Wednesday, April 09, 2014

REASON.COM: Did Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Reason Interview Sink Her at Brandeis? » | Nick Gillespie | Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Sajid Javid: The Millionaire Bus Conductor's Son with a Portrait of Margaret Thatcher on His Wall

Sajid Javid: 'This is the root of my conservative beliefs. My mother
and father had nothing and, like many people in their adopted country,
worked their way up.'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New Culture Secretary becomes the first Asian man to be given a full-time job in the Cabinet

Sajid Javid, the millionaire son of a bus driver, has become the first Asian man to be given a full time job in the Cabinet.

The promotion to Culture Secretary crowns a remarkable ascent to the top of the Government by Mr Javid, who only entered Parliament in 2010.

Mr Javid sacrificed a huge amount to become an MP. He became an MP after running Deutsche Bank’s trading operations in Asia, where he is reported by Bloomberg to have earned around £3 million a year.

Mr Javid was picked out as a high flier from early on, almost immediately joining the work and pensions committee.

He was made economic secretary to the Treasury in 2012, rising up the departmental ranks the following year to the more senior role of financial secretary. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 09, 2014

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sajid Javid and Nicky Morgan join Cabinet after Maria Miller quits: Prime Minister makes ex-banker educated at state school new Culture Secretary after Maria Miller quits over expenses » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Inside Story: Is Russia Planning to Destabilise Ukraine?

Pro-Moscow activists in Donetsk have declared a sovereign republic.

Iraq Ready to Legalise Childhood Marriage

An Iraqi woman walks with her fully-veiled daughter in Baghdad

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Children under nine years old could be legally married and wives forced to comply with sexual demands under newly tabled legislation described by critics as a setback for women's rights

Children in Iraq could be legally married before the age of nine under sweeping legislation tabled on Tuesday that introduces new religious restrictions on women's rights.

As almost its last act before elections at the end of the month, the Iraqi parliament looks likely to pass new marital rules for its majority Shia community with a draft law criticised by human rights activists as "legalised inquality"[.]

The legislation has been approved by the governing coalition in an effort to attract support from Shia Muslims in the April 30 vote.

Current Iraqi law sets the legal age for marriage at 18 without parental approval and states girls as young as 15 can be married only with a guardian's approval. It does not allow for special provisions according to sect.

But the legislation, known as the Jaafari law, introduces rules almost identical to those of neighbouring Iran, a Shia-dominated Islamic theocracy. » | Damien McElroy | Tuesday, April 08, 2014

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Iraq: Don’t Legalize Marriage for 9-Year-Olds: Draft Law Huge Step Back for Women, Girls » | Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Venezuela Protests Are Sign That US Wants Our Oil, Says Nicolás Maduro

THE GUARDIAN: In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Venezuela's president claims the Obama administration is fomenting unrest with the aim of provoking a Ukraine-style 'slow-motion' coup


Read the Guardian article and comment here | Seumas Milne and Jonathan Watts in Caracas | Tuesday, April 08, 2014

The Bush-Nazi Connection (June 2013)

Muslim Parents Object to Easter Egg Hunt

Apr. 06, 2014 - 3:36 - Flyers spark controversy in Michigan

Ukraine Crisis: Donetsk Officials ‘Proclaim Independence from Kiev’ and Set Date for Referendum on Joining Russia

THE INDEPENDENT: Russian media reports suggest industrial hub Donetsk could be set to follow in footsteps of Crimea

The eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk has reportedly declared itself independent from the central government in Kiev and set a date for a referendum on joining Russia, according to local media reports.

The local government building was taken over last night by pro-Russian activists, and today members of the regional legislature moved to declare the city and its surrounds the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian news agency Itar Tass reported.

The Ukrainian prime minister denounced the creation of a separatist state, describing it as part of a Russian plan to invade the east of the country. » | Adam Withnall | Monday, April 07, 2014

Trois femmes émiraties attaquées au marteau

LE MATIN: LONDRES — Trois femmes émiraties d'une trentaine d'années ont été attaquées à coup de marteau dimanche vers deux heures du matin, dans un luxueux hôtel londonien, par un homme qui les a surprises dans leur sommeil.

A Londres, trois femmes émiraties ont été victimes d'une agression dans un hôtel de luxe. Un homme les a frappées à coups de marteau alors qu'elles dormaient.

Selon les enquêteurs, le suspect se serait introduit dans la chambre située au septième étage du Cumberland, un hôtel quatre étoiles situé près de Marble Arch, où les trois femmes, originaires des Emirats arabes unis, dormaient.

«L'homme aurait ensuite été dérangé par l'une des occupantes de la chambre. Il aurait alors frappé les femmes avec un marteau qui a été retrouvé sur les lieux», ont déclaré les enquêteurs. » | afp/Newsnet | lundi 07 avril 2014

The Stream: Marriage in Kenya: A Man's World?

Kenyan parliament passes a bill that legalises polygamy without a wife’s consent.

'Extremist’ Working as Psychiatrist for NHS

Dr Imran Waheed

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Doctor treating vulnerable patients is a senior leader of radical Islamic party that seeks to ban same-sex relationships and oppress women

A British doctor responsible for the care of some of the country’s most vulnerable people can today be exposed as a senior leader of a radical Islamist party banned in several countries.

Dr Imran Waheed is a consultant psychiatrist at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust, one of the largest of its kind in the country.

He specialises in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and obsessive compulsive disorders, and also provides advice to courts in criminal cases on potentially dangerous individuals.

But Dr Waheed is also the spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir, which campaigns for a caliphate ruled by Sharia.

Dr Waheed is the group’s chief media adviser and is listed by the organisation as one of its six leading members in Britain.

Under a caliphate, men and women would be segregated in public places and women and non-Muslims would be banned from holding positions of power. Alcohol would also be banned, along with same-sex relationships. Critics have said his professional role conflicts with his extreme views on women’s rights, alcohol, and same-sex relationships. » | Patrick Sawer and Ben Lazarus | Sunday, April 06, 2014

How CIA Used Copies of Doctor Zhivago in Battle to Win Cold War

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: After nearly six decades of secrecy, newly declassified documents reveal the CIA's clandestine programme to bring the great Russian novel to readers behind the Iron Curtain

t had all the hallmarks of a classic Cold War spy caper, and it began in January 1958 when British intelligence’s Moscow station delivered two rolls of microfilm into the hands of the CIA’s Langley headquarters.

However the films showed not the blueprints for a new Soviet warplane or ballistic missile, but something potentially even more powerful in the ideological war between East and West: the complete Russian text of Boris Pasternak’s masterpiece, Doctor Zhivago.

In a nine-point memo, marked Secret but recently declassified, British intelligence said it was “in favour of exploiting the book”, warning that Soviet censors were already putting pressure on Pasternak to put out a “revised” version of the novel. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Sunday, April 06, 2014


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