John Lewis's New Line, Hijabs to Wear at School: Department Store Signs Contract with Schools in London and Liverpool to Offer Conservative Islamic Clothing

MAIL ONLINE: John Lewis is offering hijab in school uniform department for the first time / Headdress is to be sold in the company's stores in London and Liverpool / Retailer signed contracts with two schools, including Islamia Girls' School / Hijab covers head and chest and is worn by Muslim women after puberty

John Lewis is offering the hijab in its school uniform department for the first time.

The headdress is to be sold in the company’s stores in London and Liverpool after it signed contracts with two schools – one which was set up to educate Muslim girls and a second that welcomes pupils from all religious communities.

The hijab covers the head and chest and is worn by Muslim women after the onset of puberty as a sign of modesty in the presence of men who are outside their immediate family.

It is different from the niqab, which is a full face veil and has proved divisive in schools and public life, for example if wearers are giving evidence in court.

There has been controversy over whether it is right for girls attending state schools to wear religious dress rather than the standard uniform.

But the fact that a mainstream retailer is starting to stock the hijab alongside blazers and blouses is likely to be welcomed as a breakthrough by Muslim parents who have so far had to rely on specialist shops. » | Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Editor | Saturday, August 16, 2014

British 'Jihadist' Describes His Plan to Go to Iraq or Syria to Fight

BBC: The role of a reported 400 British jihadists who have joined fighting in Syria and Iraq has been much highlighted in reports from the region in recent weeks.

But what is the motivation for people, usually revealed to be youngsters with little or no experience of conflict, to leave their homes in British towns and cities to do so?

One British man who is still in the UK has told the BBC in an interview that he feels it is his "obligation" to now go to Iraq or Syria.

We don't know his real name, or where he comes from in the UK, and during our TV interview his face is covered with a bright red scarf.

After he says hello, "Ahmed", as he wants to be known, speaks with purpose. He details why he wants to fight in Iraq or Syria.

"God has commanded for the Muslims to go and fight jihad", he says. (+ video) » | Ed Thomas | North of England Correspondent, BBC News | Friday, August 15, 2014

10,000's of Muslims Convert to Christianity in UK

Thousands convert to christianity - and these are only the ones we know about.

«Die hässliche Fratze des Antisemitismus»

TAGES ANZEIGER: In Europa nimmt der Antisemitismus neue Dimensionen an. Auch Schweizer Juden erhalten deutlich mehr Hassbriefe und werden auf sozialen Medien offen angefeindet.

Französische Juden wandern zu Tausenden nach Israel aus, viele, weil sie die offenen Anfeindungen nicht mehr ertragen. Im letzten Mai sind mit Jobbik (Ungarn) und Goldene Morgenröte (Griechenland) zwei Parteien ins Europaparlament eingezogen, die sich nicht darum bemühen, ihren Judenhass zu kaschieren.

Auch in der Schweiz wird offen gegen Juden gehetzt. Die Stiftung gegen Rassismus und Antisemitismus (GRA) führt seit 22 Jahren eine Chronologie über rassistische und antisemitische Vorfälle, 44 Ereignisse dokumentierte sie seit Jahresbeginn. 9 Anzeigen reichte die GRA in den letzten Monaten ein, unter anderem wegen antisemitischer Äusserungen auf Facebook im Vorfeld einer Kundgebung für Palästina in Zürich. » | Von Felix Schindler | Redaktor Inland | Donnerstag, 14. August 2014

Mark Levin on How ISIS Is a 'Direct Threat' to the US

Aug. 13, 2014 - 7:29 - Radio show host has harsh words for the president

Geert Wilders Warning to Israel

BREITBART.COM: Tom Trento interviews the controversial Mr. Geert Wilders, MP, Netherlands who, who is known as a politicican that stands in support of Israel and against Hamas and Islamic jihad worldwide.

In this interview, Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom, analyzes both the immediate problem that Israel has with the Hamas and the long-term problem that the West has with the global advance of the so-called Islamic Caliphate.

Moreover, Wilders offers his solutions, which he argues are essential for Western countries to defeat “supremacist Islam.” » | Breitbart TV | Monday, August 11, 2014

The Disturbing Rise of the Islamic State

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The Islamic State is conquering cities in Syria and Iraq with disturbing frequency and tens of thousands of Christians and Yazidis are fleeing. The US has begun air strikes, but the Islamists are benefiting from instability in both countries.

With the exception of a few birds defying the sweltering midday heat, all is quiet on the front, with Kurdish fighters cowering in the shade of the cliffs. Suddenly, sentence fragments from Friday prayers can be heard on the banks of the Euphrates River. "Gather together ... smash the traitors of the faith!" The words from the preacher, distorted by the amplifiers so loved by the jihadists, sound almost spooky.

Down along the river, the jihadists with the Islamic State (IS) gather together for the next attack. A few hundred meters above on the sparse, sun-drenched hills, the Kurds are sitting, feeling like they've somehow ended up on the set of a horror film.

"What do they want from us," asks one young fighter who only a few weeks ago still worked as a cashier in a supermarket. "These madmen keep on attacking and they continue to come at us even after they've been shot. I hit one of them twice. He only stopped after he was shot in the head. They're insane. They come here to die." » | Katrin Kuntz and Christoph Reuter | Monday, August 11, 2014

Mein Sohn, der Dschihadist

Wenn das Kind Salafist wird
Das Video hier abspielen

'Emir' of Mosul Says Islamic State Has No Fear of US Air Strikes

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Haji Othman tells Italian daily that militant group's advances in Iraq are 'just the beginning' and that the world 'cannot imagine' the strength of its forces

Islamic State’s self-declared “emir” of Mosul says his fighters have no fear of American air strikes and that the world has so far seen just a fraction of the extremist group’s military strength.

Haji Othman, who identifies himself as one of the leaders of the “Islamic caliphate of Mosul”, warned that Christians in northern Iraq must convert to Islam, pay a tax as “non-believers” or face certain death.

Islamic State has made rapid advances in Iraq and is tightening its grip on Syria, where the group now controls around a third of the country.

They have successfully taken on the Syrian army, Kurdish militias and Sunni Muslim tribal forces but bigger military operations are to follow, Haji Othman told Corriere della Sera, one of Italy’s leading dailies.

“This is nothing. We’re just at the beginning. Up until now we’ve used just a small part of the forces that we have at our disposition. You cannot imagine how strong we really are. We have immense power. You’ll be amazed. You won’t be able to defeat us,” he told the newspaper, during a telephone conversation by mobile phone. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Monday, August 11, 2014

Islam Fastest Growing Religion in UK as Churches Decline

While Christian Churches in the UK are struggling to draw people to worship, the Islamic community there is burgeoning. Some Muslim groups are doing all they can to counter fears the rapid growth is a challenge to British traditions.

George Galloway Declares Bradford ‘An Israel-free Zone’ and Warns Away ‘Israeli Tourists’

THE INDEPENDENT: The Respect Party leader and MP for Bradford West said ‘we don’t want Israeli goods, services… or tourists’

George Galloway claims to have “declared Bradford an Israel-free zone”, saying that he wants the city to reject all Israeli goods, services, academics – and even tourists.

Reportedly speaking at a meeting of the Respect Party in Leeds at the weekend, Mr Galloway urged the people of that city “to do the same”.

The MP for Bradford West’s comments were captured on video and posted to YouTube, and have since been met with an angry backlash on Twitter.

According to the footage, which was posted on the Guido Fawkes blog, Mr Galloway told activists: “We have declared Bradford an Israel-free zone.”

He said: “We don’t want any Israeli goods. We don’t want any Israeli services. We don’t want any Israeli academics, coming to the university or the college. » | Adam Withnall | Thursday, August 07, 2014

Iraq Christian Leader: People Are Being Slaughtered

BBC: The UN Security Council has held an emergency meeting on Iraq, after the largest Christian town was seized by Islamic State militants.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians and Yazidis have fled their homes following a warning by the militants to renounce their faiths or face death.

Canon Andrew White, who is the vicar of the only Anglican church in Iraq, says the international community must do more to help Christians and other minorities. He says people are being "slaughtered". (+ BBC video) » | Friday, August 08, 2014

Antisemitism On Rise across Europe 'In Worst Times since the Nazis'

THE GUARDIAN: Experts say attacks go beyond Israel-Palestinian conflict as hate crimes strike fear into Jewish communities

In the space of just one week last month, according to Crif, the umbrella group for France's Jewish organisations, eight synagogues were attacked. One, in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, was firebombed by a 400-strong mob. A kosher supermarket and pharmacy were smashed and looted; the crowd's chants and banners included "Death to Jews" and "Slit Jews' throats". That same weekend, in the Barbes neighbourhood of the capital, stone-throwing protesters burned Israeli flags: "Israhell", read one banner.

In Germany last month, molotov cocktails were lobbed into the Bergische synagogue in Wuppertal – previously destroyed on Kristallnacht – and a Berlin imam, Abu Bilal Ismail, called on Allah to "destroy the Zionist Jews … Count them and kill them, to the very last one." Bottles were thrown through the window of an antisemitism campaigner in Frankfurt; an elderly Jewish man was beaten up at a pro-Israel rally in Hamburg; an Orthodox Jewish teenager punched in the face in Berlin. In several cities, chants at pro-Palestinian protests compared Israel's actions to the Holocaust; other notable slogans included: "Jew, coward pig, come out and fight alone," and "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas."

Across Europe, the conflict in Gaza is breathing new life into some very old, and very ugly, demons. This is not unusual; police and Jewish civil rights organisations have long observed a noticeable spike in antisemitic incidents each time the Israeli-Palestinian conflict flares. During the three weeks of Israel's Operation Cast Lead in late 2008 and early 2009, France recorded 66 antisemitic incidents, including attacks on Jewish-owned restaurants and synagogues and a sharp increase in anti-Jewish graffiti.But according to academics and Jewish leaders, this time it is different. More than simply a reaction to the conflict, they say, the threats, hate speech and violent attacks feel like the expression of a much deeper and more widespread antisemitism, fuelled by a wide range of factors, that has been growing now for more than a decade.

"These are the worst times since the Nazi era," Dieter Graumann, president of Germany's Central Council of Jews, told the Guardian. "On the streets, you hear things like 'the Jews should be gassed', 'the Jews should be burned' – we haven't had that in Germany for decades. Anyone saying those slogans isn't criticising Israeli politics, it's just pure hatred against Jews: nothing else. And it's not just a German phenomenon. It's an outbreak of hatred against Jews so intense that it's very clear indeed." » | Jon Henley | Thursday, August 07, 2014

'Jihadist' Flag Flown in East London

THE GUARDIAN: Flag flown outside housing estate on Poplar High Street

A black flag with white Arabic writing, similar to those flown by jihadist groups, was flying at the entrance of an east London housing state near Canary Wharf.

In a highly provocative gesture, the emblem was planted on top of the gates of the Will Crooks estate on Poplar High Street, and is surrounded by flags of Palestine and slogans.

The flag bears similar writing to the jihadi flags that have been flown by the extremist group in Iraq and other jihadi groups since the 1990s. When the estate was approached last night, a group of about 20 Asian youths swore at Guardian journalists and told them to leave the area immediately. One youth threatened to smash a camera. » | Rajeev Syal | Thursday, August 07, 2014

Baroness Warsi Was Over-promoted, Incapable and Incompetent

THE SPECTATOR: Farewell then Sayeeda, Baroness Warsi. The most over-promoted, incapable and incompetent minister of recent times has finally done the nation one service and resigned. This morning she announced on Twitter that she can ‘no longer support government policy on Gaza.’ That would be government policy that now includes reviewing all arms export licenses to Israel? Not strong enough for Sayeeda, it would seem.

It was not hard to see this coming. Not just because Warsi’s Twitter activity in recent weeks has mainly consisted of pumping out support for Hamas-run Gaza and berating supporters of Israel for saying things she disagrees with, but also because she has shown a career-long sympathy for Hamas and other Islamic radicals. » | Douglas Murray | Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Polls Show Rising Disapproval of Obama's Job Performance

Aug. 01, 2014 - 5:52 - President's numbers take a dive on foreign policy, immigration

America's Weakness, Part 2

Aug. 05, 2014 - 3:18 - Talking Points 8/5

Part 1 »

Warsi Resignation: An Astonishing Charge Sheet against No 10 over Gaza

THE GUARDIAN: Sayeeda Warsi's sudden departure and biting challenge to David Cameron's policy on Israel may have long-term repercussions for the Conservatives

Sayeeda Warsi's resignation may yet prove to be a passing summer storm. But the vitriolic tone of her attack on David Cameron's policy towards Gaza, and her status as the first Muslim cabinet member, suggests her departure has the potential to inflict both political and moral damage on the Conservatives months before the general election.

More importantly, she may have opened the possibility that longstanding, unequivocal British political support for any Israeli government is now under question.

After all, it is not often a minister leaves government warning that its actions, or silence, are morally indefensible, not in the national interest, liable to foster terrorism in the UK and likely to undermine British influence in the Middle East by failing to be seen to be fair-minded. There was a raw emotional power to her resignation as she set out her anguished reaction to the collapse of hospitals, the death of young children on beaches and the realisation that children the same age as those in her own family were being killed in the Israeli raids.

Few ministers have quit accusing George Osborne of failing to speak out against the flattening of schools and hospitals, or recounting tales of backbenchers in tears at the refusal of David Cameron to condemn Israel. » | Patrick Wintour | Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Baroness Warsi Sparks Tory Rebellion Over Gaza

THE INDEPENDENT: First Muslim cabinet minister slams PM for “morally indefensible” policy

David Cameron was facing mutiny among senior Tory MPs last night as they lined up to condemn his handling of the Gaza crisis and to warn his stance was alienating millions of British Muslims.

The rebellion was triggered by the resignation of Baroness Warsi, the first Muslim cabinet minister, over his refusal to take a tougher stance on the Israeli bombardment during which 1,800 Palestinians have died. Her dramatic departure, in which she warned the Prime Minister’s approach was “detrimental” to the national interest and risked radicalising young Muslims, won plaudits from several former Tory ministers. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, also appeared to back her.

She called for an immediate arms embargo against Israel and said that the Government’s “approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible”. In a swipe at Mr Cameron, she lamented the sacking of moderate ministers such as Kenneth Clarke in last month’s reshuffle. » | Nigel Morris, Oliver Wright | Tuesday. August 05, 2014

Iran's Supreme Leader Calls for the Destruction of Israel

Jul. 30, 2014 - 2:05 - Iranian opposition groups demand stronger sanctions against Tehran

America’s Weakness

Aug. 04, 2014 - 6:50 - Talking Points 8/4

The History of the Middle East Conflict in 11 Minutes

Obamas 53. Geburtstag: Der lustlose Präsident

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Barack Obama wird 53, doch Grund zum Feiern hat er kaum. Der US-Präsident wirkt amtsmüde, verweigert die politische Führung. Viel Zeit bleibt ihm nicht, um seine Präsidentschaft zu retten.

Am Samstag konnte Barack Obama endlich wieder einen Erfolg feiern. Auf dem Landsitz Camp David gewann seine Herrenrunde ein privates Golf-Turnier gegen eine andere Herrenrunde. Das White House Press Corps meldete, Obama habe "bestes Golfwetter" genossen: "24 Grad und überwiegend sonnig"

Nichts gegen Golf oder gegen Herrenrunden, aber Obama erweckt den Eindruck, als flüchte er vor den Herausforderungen seiner Präsidentschaft. So wie sich die Fotos häufen, die ihn auf Polo- oder Golfplätzen zeigen, häufen sich die ungelösten Probleme seines Landes.

Obama, der an diesem Montag seinen 53. Geburtstag feiert, ist ein müder Präsident geworden. Er wirkt erschöpft, genervt vom Kleinkrieg mit dem politischen Gegner. Zugleich erweckt er den Eindruck, als sei er sich zu fein für das schmutzige Geschäft der Politik. Vieles deute darauf hin, "dass Obama bereits das Handtuch geworfen hat", schrieb der Publizist Joe Klein. » | Ein Kommentar von Markus Feldenkirchen, Washington | Montag, 04. August 2014

Inside Story: Who Can Stop the Islamic State's Advance?

Concern as the Islamic State continues expanding its territories under its control in Iraq.

Islamic State Terrorists Claim First Stake in Lebanon

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The rebel group, which has carved out a vast swathe of territory across Syria and Iraq, launched attack on border town after follower was seized

The jihadists of the Islamic State have seized their first territory inside Lebanon, a long-feared strike that hits at the heart of the country’s uneasy sectarian balance.

A Syrian rebel group which has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State’s leader has set up check-points in the town of Arsal on the two countries’ border, though it has stopped short of declaring it part of the organisation’s “Caliphate”.

Lebanese army troops have moved up to attack the town, firing shells and putting at risk not only the 40,000 local inhabitants but the estimated 120,000 Syrian refugees who have taken shelter there.

The crisis brought a rare show of unity from Lebanon’s competing political factions, with the Sunni prime minister Tammam Salam standing alongside the rest of the cabinet to give a statement. “The attack on Lebanese national dignity will not go unpunished,” he said, calling Islamic State’s behaviour “sick”. » | Carol Malouf in Arsal and Richard Spencer, Middle East correspondent | Monday, August 04, 2014

US Muslim Civil Rights Group Showing Sympathy to Terrorists?

Jul. 24, 2014 - 5:38 - Group's massive letter-writing campaign

Hamas Founder's Son Speaks Out against Terrorist Group

Jul. 30, 2014 - 6:46 - Mosab Hassan Yousef on why it's time to stop the organization

'Jihadist' Books On Sale in French Supermarkets

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands of people complain at works that reportedly call on Muslims to open bomb factories and advertise methods to kill 'sodomists'

Books preaching violent jihad and urging Muslims to set up arms factories are reportedly on sale openly in French supermarkets and bookshops, sparking thousands of complaints and fresh debate over the limits of free speech.

Publishers have defended the works, claiming only a few pages are contentious, while authorities say it would be difficult to ban them.

They can be found on the shelves of supermarkets including Carrefour, one of the world’s biggest retail chains, and Fnac, France’s largest retailer of books, music, DVDs and electronic goods. Some of the works are also available from the website of the online retailer Amazon.

According to Le Figaro newspaper, two petitions demanding they be withdrawn from sale, signed by more than 18,000 people, have been ignored by Carrefour.

“It is not up to the distributor to take a view on the shocking nature of publications,” a representative of the group’s press department said, adding the books “have never been banned”. » | David Chazan in Paris | Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Gutfeld: Obama Fans Writhe as the Dream Dies

Jul. 28, 2014 - 6:26 - It's like a 10-year-old realizing Santa is really his drunk uncle

The Great Marijuana Ruse

Jul. 28, 2014 - 8:29 - Talking Points 7/28

Latino Converts to Islam

Saudi King: Don’t Misuse Islam for Terrorism

AL ARABIYA: Some vested interests are tarnishing the noble image of Islam and using it to perpetuate terrorism across the world, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has warned.

In his Eid Al-Fitr address to the citizens, expatriates and the Muslims worldwide, King Abdullah said the Kingdom has taken several measures to root out the scourge of terrorism and to protect the country’s security and stability.

The Eid, he said, is an occasion to rejoice at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The King extended his best wishes for the Eid to world Muslims.

“The Muslim Ummah should steadfastly strive to defeat the forces who are maligning the noble and kind image of Islam and harming the believers and their sons,” the King said. » | Saudi Gazette, Jeddah | Monday, July 28, 2014

Anti-Semitism On the March: Europe Braces for Violence

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Fears of violence and anti-Semitism at major protest marches planned in Berlin and other German cities this weekend against Israeli operations in Gaza

European cities are braced for violent clashes this weekend as people take to the streets to protest against Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Thousands of police are being deployed in cities across Europe with Berlin alone deploying 1,500 police officers in a response and authorities in Paris have sought to ban outright marches planned for this weekend.

The protests have triggered warnings that the spectre of anti-Semitism has returned to haunt Europe.

Protesters have attacked synagogues, smashed the windows of Jewish-owned business and torched others, in scenes disturbingly reminiscent of the 1938 Kristallnacht in France. The marchers have chanted “Jews to the gas chambers”, and Jewish people have been attacked on the streets of Berlin.
An 18-year-old Jewish man claimed on Friday he had been punched in the face in an unprovoked attack while wearing a skull cap in the centre of Berlin, in what would be the second such incident in less than a week. » | Justin Huggler, Berlin, and Josie Ensor | Saturday, July 26, 2014

New Dark Age Alert! Gay Saudi Arabian Man Sentenced to Three Years and 450 Lashes for Meeting Men via Twitter

THE INDEPENDENT: The man was arrested after he arranged to meet a man who was in fact an undercover agent for the Saudi Arabian police

A Saudi Arabian man has been sentenced to three years in jail and 450 lashes after he was caught using Twitter to arrange dates with other men.

The 24-year-old man who has not been named, was given his sentence after the court in Medina, Saudi Arabia, found him guilty of “promoting the vice and practice of homosexuality.”

According to a report in the daily Arabic newspaper Al-Watan, the man was arrested following an entrapment ploy by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV).

Posing as a potential suitor online, members of the CPVPV arranged to meet the now convicted man for a date.

When the man arrived at the designated meeting place, he was greeted by an undercover agent and a number of other officers from the CPVPV.

He was then arrested and his phone was confiscated.

According to authorities, a search of the phone revealed “indecent images” and other incriminating evidence that apparently proved his “homosexuality”. » | Jack Simpson | Friday, July 25, 2014

Iraq: Isis Warns Women to Wear Full Veil or Face Punishment

'Anyone who is not committed to this duty and is motivated by
glamour will be subject to accountability.'

THE GUARDIAN: Sunni insurgents issue guidelines in mosques on how clothes should be worn to prevent women 'from falling into vulgarity'

Islamic State (Isis), the al-Qaida offshoot that seized large swathes of northern Iraq last month, has warned women in the city of Mosul to wear full-face veils or risk severe punishment.

The Sunni insurgents, who have declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria and have threatened to march on Baghdad, also listed guidelines on how veils and clothes should be worn, part of a campaign to violently impose their radical brand of Islam.

"The conditions imposed on her clothes and grooming was only to end the pretext of debauchery resulting from grooming and overdressing," the group said in a statement.

"This is not a restriction on her freedom but to prevent her from falling into humiliation and vulgarity or to be a theatre for the eyes of those who are looking."

A cleric in Mosul told Reuters that Isis gunmen had shown up at his mosque and ordered him to read their warning on loudspeakers when worshipers gather.

"Anyone who is not committed to this duty and is motivated by glamour will be subject to accountability and severe punishment to protect society from harm and to maintain the necessities of religion and protect it from debauchery," Isis said. » | Reuters in Baghdad | Friday, July 25, 2014

Krauthammer: Obama Has Defended Muslims, Where Is He On Christian Persecution?

Read the short article on Real Clear Politics here | Posted by Ian Schwartz | Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Gaza Conflict: France Criticises 'Anti-Semitic' Riot

BBC: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has condemned "anti-Semitic" violence that broke out during a protest against Israel's action in Gaza.

Jewish-owned businesses and a synagogue were targeted in the suburb of Sarcelles, just outside Paris.

Shops were looted and 18 people were arrested as youths went on the rampage during Sunday's protest, which had been banned by authorities.

The mayor of Sarcelles said the Jewish community was in fear.

Such an outpouring of violence had never been seen in the suburb before, he said.

Roger Cukierman, head of the umbrella group Crif that represents French Jewish organisations, said Jews were not just afraid, they were anguished.

"What's happened in the past few days is terrible. They're shouting 'Death to the Jews' and attacking synagogues. It's completely out of control", he said. » | Monday, July 21, 2014

George Galloway Is a Muslim Now

Comment with George Galloway: How Should the ISIS Threat Be Confronted?

George Galloway Discussing ISIS

La persécution des chrétiens d'Irak est un "crime contre l'humanité"

LE POINT: Le secrétaire général de l'ONU Ban Ki-moon s'alarme des persécutions des chrétiens de Mossoul par les djihadistes de l'État islamique.

Ban Ki-moon, secrétaire général de l'ONU, a affirmé dimanche que la persécution des chrétiens de Mossoul (Irak) par les djihadistes de l'État islamique (EI) pouvait être considérée comme un crime contre l'humanité. Au moment où des centaines de familles chrétiennes fuient Mossoul après un ultimatum de l'EI, Ban Ki-moon a "condamné de la manière le plus ferme possible la persécution systématique des minorités en Irak par l'État islamique et les groupes armés qui lui sont liés". Dans un communiqué de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon se déclare "particulièrement troublé par les informations sur des menaces contre les chrétiens à Mossoul". Ban Ki-moon "réaffirme que les attaques systématiques contre des civils en raison de leur origine ethnique ou de leur appartenance religieuse peuvent constituer un crime contre l'humanité dont les auteurs doivent rendre des comptes", ajoute le communiqué de l'ONU. » | Source AFP | lundi 21 juillet 2014

George Galloway Replies to Tony Blair on ISIS and Iraq – In The Now – Russia Today – June 16, 2014

George Galloway replies to Tony Blair on ISIS

Inside Story: Cyprus Divided - 40 Years On

Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the division of Cyprus, hopes of reunification remain dim.

Jihadists Seize Ancient Iraqi Monastery and Expel Monks

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Islamic State fighters order monks to leave fourth-century monastery after issuing ultimatum to Christians to leave, convert, die or pay protection money, local residents say

Jihadist militants have taken over a monastery in northern Iraq, one of the country's best-known Christian landmarks, and expelled its resident monks, a cleric and residents said Monday.

Islamic State (IS) fighters stormed Mar (Saint) Behnam, a fourth-century monastery run by the Syriac Catholic church near the predominantly Christian town of Qaraqosh, on Sunday, the sources said.

"You have no place here anymore, you have to leave immediately," a member of the Syriac clergy quoted the Sunni militants as telling the monastery's residents.

He said the monks pleaded to be allowed to save some of the monastery's relics but the fighters refused and ordered them to leave on foot with nothing but their clothes.

Christian residents from the area told AFP the monks walked several miles along a deserted road and were eventually picked up by Kurdish peshmerga fighters who drove them to Qaraqosh. » | AFP | Monday, July 21, 2014

Christians Lie and Wives Must Have Sex or Go to Hell, Trojan Horse Pupils Told

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Inquiry commissioned by Birmingham City Council reveals details of religious extremism in 13 schools

Children were taught that all Christians are liars and attempts were made to introduce Sharia law in classrooms as part of an alleged 'Trojan Horse' takeover plot of Birmingham schools, an inquiry has found.

The inquiry commissioned by Birmingham City Council found evidence of religious extremism in 13 schools as school governors and teachers tried to promote and enforce radical Islamic values.

Schools put up posters warning children that if they didn't pray they would "go to hell", Christmas was cancelled and girls were taught that women who refused to have sex with their husbands would be "punished" by angels "from dusk to dawn".

The report found that the extremism went unchecked because the council "disastrously" prioritised community cohesion over "doing what is right".

It concluded that there was a "determined effort" by "manipulative" governors to introduce "unacceptable" practices, "undermine" head teachers and deny students a broad and balanced education. » | Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent | Friday, July 18, 2014

Bolivia Becomes First Nation to Legalise Child Labour from Age 10

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bolivia says law reflects reality in country where 1 million children regularly work, but activists complain it will increase poverty and contravenes United Nations conventions

Alicia weaves through El Alto's stalled traffic under a blazing sun, hawking colourful woven flowers to grumpy drivers and lovers. With luck, the 12-year-old and her mother will together muster £10 by day's end, all the while keeping watch over her younger brother and sister, ages 8 and 6.

"It is difficult for my mother to sell alone because she has to look after my siblings," said Alicia, who normally goes to school in the afternoon but is using her vacation to help her mother by working the entire day. As her siblings sleep, her mother knits the flowers that Alicia sells.

While most of the world is trying to diminish child labour, Bolivia has become the first nation to legalise it from age 10. Congress approved the legislation early this month, and Vice President Alvaro Garcia signed it into law on Thursday in the absence of President Evo Morales, who was travelling.

The bill's sponsors say lowering the minimum work age from 14 simply acknowledges a reality: many poor families in Bolivia have no other choice than for their kids to work. The bill offers working children safeguards, they say. » | Agencies | Saturday, July 19, 2014

'Radical Muslims On The March' - Hannity Investigation - Fox News

Epic Sean Hannity studio audience Special featuring Brigitte Gabriel, Pamela Geller, Jamie Glazov, KT McFarland, and Todd Starnes as they address the extremely controversial issue of the affect radical Muslims are having upon the rest of the world.