Hollande : "Face au terrorisme, il n'y a pas de place pour le renoncement"

LE POINT: Le chef de l'État, en déplacement au Canada, a évoqué l'engagement dans la lutte contre l'État islamique, mais aussi contre le réchauffement climatique.

En visite d'État au Canada, le président François Hollande a estimé lundi devant le Parlement canadien, théâtre d'une fusillade il y a moins de deux semaines, que "face au terrorisme, il n'y a pas de place pour le renoncement, pour la concession ou pour la faiblesse". "Le terrorisme menace les valeurs pour lesquelles nos nations se sont bâties", a ajouté François Hollande devant les députés et sénateurs canadiens réunis en session extraordinaire, salué par des applaudissements. » | Le Point.fr (Source AFP) | lundi 03 novembre 2014

L'Afghanistan ne veut pas de femmes dans la publicité

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L'Afghanistan a lancé une campagne lundi contre l'utilisation de modèles féminins «comme décoration» dans les publicités.

Selon le gouvernement afghan, certaines annonces publicitaires «dégradantes» répandent l'immoralité parmi les jeunes dans ce pays musulman traditionnel.

Affiches et spots publicitaires télévisés faisant la promotion de téléphones mobiles ou encore d'assurances ont prospéré depuis la chute des talibans en 2001. Depuis, le pays s'est davantage ouvert à l'économie de marché.

Beaucoup de publicités montrent des jeunes femmes en vue d'attirer des consommateurs, mais le gouvernement afghan a fait savoir que les modèles féminins ne devraient pas être utilisés à des fins commerciales. » | ats/Newsnet | lundi 03 novembre 2014

Le Canada connaît sa première tempête de neige de la saison

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: La tempête qui a soufflé toute la nuit dernière dans l'est du pays a provoqué des coupures de courant.

Une tempête de neige, la première de la saison, accompagnée de forts vents, a frappé ce lundi 3 novembre plusieurs régions de l'est du Canada. Elle a provoqué de multiples pannes d'électricité et des fermetures d'écoles. » | ats/Newsnet | lundi 03 novembre 2014

Barack Obama Blamed as Democrats Fall Behind in Midterm Polls

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: With only one day of campaigning remaining, Republicans look to close in on their goal of winning back the Senate as voters punish Barack Obama for lacklustre second term

America enters a final, feverish day of campaigning for the midterm elections today, with the majority of polls showing Republicans are now increasingly likely to take control of the US Senate, rendering Barack Obama a lame duck president. » | Peter Foster, Louisville, Kentucky | Monday, November 03, 2014

Islamic State Advances on Homs in Serious Threat to Assad

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As the world focuses on Kobane, jihadists have pressed deep inside Syria – advancing on both Idlib and Homs

Jihadists from the Islamic State have seized two gas fields and attacked a major air force base close to the central city of Homs in Syria – threatening the dominance of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in the critical region.

While US-led air strikes have focused on routing a few hundred fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) from the tiny border town of Kobane in northern Syria, the extremist group has pushed south, expanding its grip on terrain that is strategically vital in the battle for control of the country.

On Monday, Isil posted photographs on social media purporting to show the group's distinctive black flag flying high over Jahar gas field, alongside images of the seized vehicles, weaponry and corpses of Syrian regime soldiers that had controlled the field.

The development follows the group's capture of Sha'ar gas plant last week.

In victorious tones the jihadists declared the conquests part of the "Islamic State", the name the group ascribes to land it controls, which now includes more than a third of Syria and swathes of Iraq. » | Ruth Sherlock, Gaziantep and Magdy Samaan | Monday, November 03, 2014

Army Cadet Suffers Burns in Blowtorch Attack after Selling Poppies

Commemorative poppy wreaths to mark the First World War
are made at The Poppy Factory in Richmond

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Army Cadet, 15, sprayed in the face with makeshift blowtorch in unprovoked attack after selling poppies for Remembrance Sunday

An Army Cadet was blasted in the face with a makeshift blowtorch in an unprovoked attack after selling poppies for Remembrance Sunday.

The 15-year-old boy was waiting at a bus stop at 6pm on Saturday evening in Manchester city centre when a man approached him with an aerosol can and lighter and sprayed him with lit fumes.

The cadet, who was wearing his camouflaged uniform, suffered minor burns to his face and singed hairs in his face and right forearm, Greater Manchester Police said. He and his family are in "total shock".

He had spent the day selling poppies in the city centre to commemorate Armistice Day.

The offender, described as black or Asian, 5ft 8in tall and wearing a dark hooded top, walked off from the bus stop by the Manchester Gallery opposite George Street without saying a word. » | Victoria Ward and agencies | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Saudi’s Secret Uprising

Secret Uprising: The growing Saudi protest movement that's been hidden from the world.

FARS NEWS AGENCY: Saudi King Suspends Death Sentence for Sheikh Al-Nimr after Rafsanjani's Letter » | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Kaspi : "Obama a manqué d'esprit de compromis"

leJDD: INTERVIEW – Barack Obama passera probablement les deux dernières années de sa présidence sans majorité au Congrès américain. Le Sénat, à majorité démocrate, risque en effet de tomber aux mains des républicains, mardi à l’occasion des élections de mi-mandat. Pour l’historien André Kaspi, spécialiste des Etats-Unis, c’est une "situation de blocage" qui s’annonce. » | Arnaud Focraud - leJDD.fr | vendredi 31 octobre 2014

British-Iranian Woman Jailed for a Year for Trying to Watch Volleyball Game

Ghoncheh Ghavami has already been detained for four months
after being arrested at Azadi stadium in Tehran.

THE GUARDIAN: Law graduate from London found guilty of spreading ‘propaganda against regime’ following secret hearing in Iran

A British-Iranian woman detained in Iran for trying to watch a volleyball game has been sentenced to one year in a notorious prison, according to her family and lawyer.

Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, a law graduate from London, was found guilty of spreading “propaganda against the regime” following a secret hearing at Tehran’s Revolutionary Court.

Ghavami has been detained for 127 days in prison since being arrested on 20 June at Azadi (“Freedom” in Farsi) stadium in Tehran where Iran’s national volleyball team was to play Italy. Although she had been released within a few hours after the initial arrest she was re-arrested days later.

Speaking to the Guardian, Ghavami’s brother Iman, 28, said the family was “shattered” by the court verdict.

“We are really disappointed because we felt she would get out on bail immediately. She’s been through a lot and now it’s a full year sentence and she’s already served four months,” he said.

No reason was given for the conviction though Ghavami had been accused of spreading propaganda against the regime, a broad charge often used by Iran’s judiciary. » | Josh Halliday | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Sign the petition: #FreeGoncheh » | Petition by Imam Ghavami, Ghoncheh’s brother, London

Blair's Mistaken View of Islam Could Start New Religious War, Says His Former Aide

Former diplomat Mr Powell was at Mr Blair's side throughout
his time in Downing Street and played a key tole in the
Northern Ireland peace process

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Former chief of staff Jonathan Powell says Tony Blair's view is wrong / He suggests Blair's mistaken analysis could lead to a religious war / Mr Blair has urged people to realise there is a ‘problem within Islam’

Tony Blair's view that religious extremism lies at the heart of the Middle East crisis was dismissed last night by his former chief of staff.

Jonathan Powell said Mr Blair was wrong to blame the region’s problems on tensions within Islam. He even suggested that his old boss’s mistaken analysis could lead to a ‘21st Century version’ of a religious war.

Mr Blair has highlighted the dangers of religious extremism provoking conflicts in regions such as the Middle East and has urged people to realise there is a ‘problem within Islam’.

But Mr Powell, one of the former premier’s most loyal lieutenants during his time in No 10, said: ‘I see it from a different angle. He [Blair] argues that this is a new phenomenon we are facing. I don’t accept that.’

In an interview with Total Politics magazine, Mr Powell said: ‘What Tony Blair is trying to do is to look at it from the inter-faith point of view, which is something beyond me.

‘The danger is that you can end up framing these conflicts in ideological terms and return to the religious wars of the 16th Century in Europe. You don’t want to let this Sunni / Shia divide turn into a 21st Century version of the Thirty Years’ War. Read on and comment » Brendan Carlin for the Mail On Sunday | Saturday, November 01, 2014

The West Is Silent as Libya Falls into the Abyss

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: World View: In 2011, there was jubilation at Gaddafi's demise. Not any more: the aftermath of foreign intervention is calamitous and bloody

Remember the time when Libya was being held up by the American, British, French and Qatari governments as a striking example of benign and successful foreign intervention? It is worth looking again at film of David Cameron grandstanding as liberator in Benghazi in September 2011 as he applauds the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and tells the crowd that "your city was an example to the world as you threw off a dictator and chose freedom".

Mr Cameron has not been back to Benghazi, nor is he likely to do so as warring militias reduce Libya to primal anarchy in which nobody is safe. The majority of Libyans are demonstrably worse off today than they were under Gaddafi, notwithstanding his personality cult and authoritarian rule. The slaughter is getting worse by the month and is engulfing the entire country.

"Your friends in Britain and France will stand with you as you build your democracy," pledged Mr Cameron to the people of Benghazi. Three years later, they are words he evidently wants to forget, since there was almost no reference to Libya, the one military intervention he had previously ordered, when he spoke in the House of Commons justifying British airstrikes against Islamic State (Isis) in Iraq. Read on and comment » | Patrick Cockburn | Sunday, November 02, 2014

Far Right Groups Clash with Anti-fascists in Rochester ahead of By-election

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Leaders of BNP splinter group Britain First say they have "almost everything" in common with Ukip and are backing Mark Reckless "one hundred per cent"

Far-right extremists clashed with anti-fascists on the streets of Rochester, bringing a bitter note to the by-election campaign.

Members of Britain First, the BNP splinter group, marched in uniform to the town’s war memorial shouting incendiary anti-Muslim slogans.

They were blocked by a crowd of more than 100 people, including Labour supporters, teenage Tory activists and anti-fascist groups, hurling chants of “scum” back at them as a wall of police officers kept the two groups apart.

Former Tory MP Mark Reckless, who defected to Ukip last month, will be standing in the by-election for Ukip later this month.

Britain First’s deputy leader Jayda Fransen, also a candidate in the by-election, praised Mr Reckless's defection saying her party and Ukip had “almost everything” in common and were “almost identical in policies”. » | Laurence Dodds, video by Alice Wagstaffe | Saturday, November 01, 2014

Sam Harris Debates Reza Aslan

Sam Harris’ Response to Reza Aslan Calling Him a Fundamentalist Atheist

Reza: "The most literal literalist in the world doesn't read the Bible more literally than Sam Harris does."

Islamic State Executes Scores of Fellow Sunni Muslims

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Islamic State forces have carried out another mass killing of civilians in western Iraq, officials said Saturday – the systematic executions of at least 50 fellow Sunni Muslim men and women belonging to a tribe that has defied the extremist militants.

Amid a months-long onslaught by the Islamic State, Iraq is growing ever more violent. The United Nations mission in Baghdad reported Saturday that at least 1,273 Iraqis had been killed in October, about two-thirds of them civilians.

n the latest grisly episode, members of the Albu Nimr tribe were lined up by the militants and shot dead late Friday in the village of Ras al-Maaa, in Anbar province, according to Naim Al-Kaood, an Albu Nimr tribal leader. He spoke to the Iraqi broadcaster Al-Sumariyah.

Social media websites were flooded with pictures of the dead, their blood seeping out onto the pavement from apparent close-range shots to the head. » | Nabih Bulos, Laura King | Reporting from Amman, Jordan | Saturday, November 01, 2014

Why Don’t More Muslims Denounce Their Co-Religionists’ Barbarism?

NEW YORK OBSERVER: Talking to you, Reza Aslan.

To paraphrase Raymond Carver, it’s time to talk about What We Talk About When We Talk About Islam.

Sometimes it feels like we are living in a giant self-esteem seminar.

When ISIL started beheading men, crucifying Iraqi Christians and sexually enslaving teen girls, a Facebook page and Tumblr sprang up called #Muslimapologies. Now, you might think the people behind this movement were motivated to bring together the good, peace-loving Muslims to renounce the barbarism being done in the name of their common god and holy book.

But no. The hashtag is a forum in which to assuage their sense of group victimization.

Huffpo culled “The Top Ten” such tweets, which ooze condescension and superciliousness, that would be, needless to say, politically incorrect coming from members of any other of the three dominant religions.

“I’m sorry for inventing surgery, coffee, universities, algebra, hospitals, toothbrushes, vaccinations … “

“I’m sorry if my beard scares you, it’s hormonal, I swear.”

And the most offensive of all: “I’m sorry Muslim women had rights 1,400 years ago while you were still discussing if women had souls.”

Barrel of laughs!

Imagine the outrage if Jews had set up a religiously self-congratulatory hashtag and Tumblr during the bombing of Gaza, or if Christians started patting themselves on the back about their compassion after W. rained Shock and Awe on Baghdad.

Muslims might actually want to, if not apologize for, at least renounce, loudly and frequently, what’s being done in the name of their religion. Yet, in the current climate, to say that is to risk being accused of Islamophobia and much, much worse. Read on and comment » | Nina Burleigh | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

New UK Law Would Ban Critics of Sharia from Broadcasting, Protesting or Even Posting Messages on Facebook

JIHAD WATCH: The last free person in Britain, if there is one, might as well turn out the lights. If this becomes law, Britain is finished as a free society. As the law would also forbid opposition to gay marriage, it would be interesting to see what would happen if a proponent of Sharia protested against gay marriage — but Muslim groups are largely for it, since it opens the door to the legalization of polygamy.

In any case, future free historians, if there are any, will look back at David Cameron and Theresa May as essentially saboteurs and traitors who administered the coup de grace to their own nation as a free society. If Britain were still a sane society, as soon as this law was suggested there would have been a no-confidence vote and the Conservative government would have fallen — followed by the arrest of Cameron and May and criminal proceedings against them. Instead, Britain appears prepared to go quietly, although civil war still very likely looms in its future. Read on and comment » | Roberts Spencer | Friday, October 31, 2014

Related: Sharia Law or Gay Marriage Critics Would Be Branded ‘Extremists’ under Tory Plans, Atheists and Christians Warn »

Pat Condell: Laughing at the New Inquisition

The stench of hypocrisy from the “progressive” high moral ground. “Anything but the truth” could be a “progressive” motto.

Pat Condell: The Real Enemy Within

1400 cases of “appalling” sexual exploitation revealed in UK report

Pat Condell: Boo Hoo Palestine

The biggest political con trick in history, and we fall for it again and again.

Egypt Jails 'Gay Wedding Video' Men

BBC: A court in Egypt has sentenced eight men to three years in prison for appearing in a video alleged to show a gay marriage.


All eight had denied charges of inciting debauchery and offending public morality.

The video, which was posted to YouTube in September, shows two men exchanging rings on a boat in the Nile. » | Saturday, November 01, 2014

Are Young Western Women the New Face of Terror?

Oct. 31, 2014 - 2:51 - Amy Kellogg reports from London, England

Sharia Law or Gay Marriage Critics Would Be Branded ‘Extremists’ under Tory Plans, Atheists and Christians Warn

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New Extremism Disruption Orders would class secularists or evangelical Christians alongside Islamic state or Boko Haram, campaigners claim

Anyone who criticises Sharia law or gay marriage could be branded an “extremist” under sweeping new powers planned by the Conservatives to combat terrorism, an alliance of leading atheists and Christians fear.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, unveiled plans last month for so-called Extremism Disruption Orders, which would allow judges to ban people deemed extremists from broadcasting, protesting in certain places or even posting messages on Facebook or Twitter without permission.

Mrs May outlined the proposal in a speech at the Tory party conference in which she spoke about the threat from the so-called Islamic State – also known as Isis and Isil – and the Nigerian Islamist movement Boko Haram.

But George Osborne, the Chancellor, has made clear in a letter to constituents that the aim of the orders would be to “eliminate extremism in all its forms” and that they would be used to curtail the activities of those who “spread hate but do not break laws”.

He explained that that the new orders, which will be in the Conservative election manifesto, would extend to any activities that “justify hatred” against people on the grounds of religion, sexual orientation, gender or disability.

He also disclosed that anyone seeking to challenge such an order would have to go the High Court, appealing on a point of law rather than fact.

The National Secular Society and the Christian institute – two organisations with often diametrically opposing interests – said they shared fears that the broad scope of extremism could represent a major threat to free speech. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Friday, October 31, 2014

Why It Still Matters That Apple CEO Tim Cook Announced He’s Gay

SFGATE: Apple CEO Tim Cook’s decision to tell the world he is gay feels a lot like his company’s much-anticipated product launches: The public already knows the news before the event, but the event is momentous nonetheless.

As Cook noted in an essay for Bloomberg Businessweek, he has been quite open about his sexuality with many people. But there’s a difference between friends and colleagues knowing you’re gay and telling the planet.

Just a few years ago, states were writing into constitutions that marriage was strictly between a man and a woman. Now the CEO of the world’s most valuable company can proclaim that he considers “being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”

“The world has advanced to the point that (sexuality) is a total nonissue,” said Gerald Storch, a former CEO of Toys R Us. “Ten years ago, CEOs might have kept it closer to the vest because of consumer backlash.” » | Thomas Lee | Friday, October 31, 2014

Here’s a Picture of All of the Openly Gay CEOs in Top US Companies

Read the Pink News article here | Nick Duffy | Friday, October 31, 2014

Le FN lève la suspension pour "prosélytisme" de l'un de ses élus

LE POINT: Conseiller municipal à Noisy-le-Grand, Maxence Buttey, récemment converti à l'islam, avait été "suspendu provisoirement" pour avoir "dépassé une limite".

Le Front national a annoncé vendredi avoir "levé la suspension temporaire" d'un de ses élus récemment converti à l'islam qu'il avait suspendu samedi, le parti lui reprochant d'avoir fait du "prosélytisme" en son sein. Devant le "bureau exécutif du parti réuni en commission des conflits", Maxence Buttey "a pu confirmer son engagement comme élu municipal du Front national à défendre les idées de son mouvement, notamment la lutte contre le communautarisme et la promotion de la laïcité", écrit le parti dans un communiqué. "Il lui a été signifié ainsi qu'à l'ensemble des protagonistes de ce dossier que l'envoi de vidéos à caractère religieux dans le cadre de fonctions militantes n'était pas acceptable", poursuit le document, qui conclut qu'"en conséquence, après ce rappel des devoirs qui incombent à un élu du Front national", la suspension est levée. » | Source AFP | vendredi 31 octobre 2014

First Muslim to Be Awarded Victoria Cross Needs Recognition, Say Former Army Chiefs

Sepoy Khudadad Khan was awarded the Victoria Cross
during World War One

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross, should be more widely recognised, say two former heads of the Army

Two former heads of the Army have called for greater recognition of the first Muslim soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross, in a move intended as a “riposte” to the “sickening extremism” of Isil militants.

General Lord Dannatt and General Lord Richards lead a group of peers, MPs, historians and religious leaders who say children should be told about the role played by Muslim troops in the First World War.

In a letter to The Telegraph they say that the actions of Sepoy Khudadad Khan in a battle at Ypres 100 years ago on Friday “exemplified the courage” of many who served in the war.

The knowledge of his role, together with that of the other 400,000 Muslims who fought alongside British troops, is vital to “fully understand the multi-ethnic Britain that we are today”, they add. » | Edward Malnick | Friday, October 31, 2014

Baroness Tonge Faces Heavy Criticism after Blaming Israel for Middle East Conflicts

Lady Tonge, who resigned the Lib Dem whip in 2012
over anti-Israel remarks

DAILY EXPRESS: A FORMER Liberal Democrat peer faced a barrage of criticism today after she blamed Israel for the ongoing troubles of the Middle East.

Baroness Tonge suggested Western support for Israel has triggered the growth of extreme Islamic groups “determined to get their own back” through terrorism.

Nor was it a surprise that there had been attacks in Canada and a terrorist plot exposed in Australia since both countries had “unhesitatingly supported Israel” with the UK and US.

“Both of these countries have unhesitatingly supported Israel with the USA and the United Kingdom,” she said. » | Martyn Brown | Friday, October 31, 2014

Report Says Child Sexual Exploitation ‘Normal in Parts of Greater Manchester’

THE GUARDIAN: Study by Ann Coffey MP calls for recognition of ‘real and ongoing problem’ of abuse as a priority public health issue

Sexual exploitation of vulnerable children has become the social norm in some parts of Greater Manchester, fuelled by explicit music videos and quasi-pornographic selfies, an MP has warned.

The systematic grooming of boys and girls remains a “real and ongoing problem”, a year after Greater Manchester police (GMP) was forced to admit it had failed abuse victims in Rochdale, said Ann Coffey, a former social worker who is now the Labour MP for Stockport. “My observations will make painful reading for those who hoped that Rochdale was an isolated case,” she writes in a significant report.

She said Britain needed a big change in attitudes towards child sexual exploitation similar to how perceptions of gay rights have changed over recent decades. She believes such exploitation should be declared a priority public health issue, like smoking, obesity, alcohol and drug use, so that a more strategic approach can be developed. » | Helen Pidd, northern editor | Thursday, October 30, 2014

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

Gov. Huckabee on Why Obama Is Struggling to Lead

Oct. 25, 2014 - 5:32 - President tackles world crises

Persecution, Torture, Murder: Iran Blasted on Human Rights ahead of UN Hearing

FOX NEWS: On the eve of Iran's defense of its human rights record Friday before a key United Nations panel, a lawyer for the woman executed in the Islamic Republic over the weekend for allegedly killing her attempted rapist accused the regime of widespread torture and murder.

A UN-appointed human rights advocate had already prepared a voluminous account of Tehran's egregious transgressions, including persecution and imprisonment of religious minorities, alarming numbers of executions and systematic disregard of due process by Saturday, when Reyhaneh Jabbari, a 27-year-old woman who had spent the last seven years in prison, was hanged. Jabbari became an international symbol of the regime's brutality, with the UN and rights groups such as Amnesty International decrying her death sentence. Jabbari's execution served to punctuate this week's hearings, including the independent forum in Geneva on Thursday and a procedure today before a UN Human Rights Council panel. » | Jonathan Wachtel | Friday, October 31, 2014

Tim Cook’s Coming Out: ‘This Will Resonate’

Read the New York Times article here | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Israël à la Suède : "Le Moyen-Orient est plus compliqué que les meubles Ikea"

LE POINT: Pour l'État hébreu, la décision de Stockholm de reconnaître l'État de Palestine "provoque de gros dommages et n'a aucune utilité".

Une décision "malheureuse", qui "renforce les éléments extrémistes et la politique de refus des Palestiniens", a jugé Israël jeudi après la reconnaissance par la Suède de l'État de Palestine. "Le gouvernement suédois doit comprendre que les relations au Moyen-Orient sont plus compliquées que le montage des meubles Ikea, et qu'il faut agir en ce domaine avec responsabilité et sensibilité", a déclaré le ministre israélien des Affaires étrangères, Avigdor Lieberman, dans un communiqué. » | Source AFP | jeudi 30 octobre 2014

Coming-out des Apple-Chefs: Tim Cook bricht das letzte Tabu

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Apple-CEO hat sich als schwul geoutet. Auch wenn seine Orientierung kein Geheimnis war, geht Tim Cook damit einen Schritt, den noch kein Top-Manager gewagt hat. Schwule werden in der US-Wirtschaft toleriert - aber nicht akzeptiert.

Tim Cook wuchs in Alabama auf, einem der konservativsten, lange rückständigsten US-Südstaaten. Trotzdem blieb er seiner Heimat verbunden, selbst nachdem er als Apple-Chef zu einem der mächtigsten Wirtschaftslenker aufstieg. Als ihm Alabama jetzt seine höchste Ehre antrug, die Einführung in die Alabama Academy of Honor, nahm er das gerne an.

Seine Dankesrede jedoch nutzte Cook für eine Abrechnung: Im Kapitol der Landeshauptstadt Montgomery rügte er Alabama am Montag für seine Unterdrückung von Minderheiten. Es sei empörend, dass Homosexualität dort immer noch als Kündigungsgrund gelte: "Wir können die Vergangenheit nicht ändern, aber wir können eine andere Zukunft erschaffen."

Der 53-Jährige sprach sich dabei selbst aus der Seele. Dass Cook schwul ist, war ein offenes Geheimnis, seit er 2011 das Erbe des Apple-Gründers Steve Jobs antrat: Cook marschierte in San Franciscos LGBT-Parade mit und rangierte seit Jahren ganz oben in der "Power 50"-Liste der US-Schwulenzeitschrift "Out". » | Von Marc Pitzke, New York | Freitag, Oktober 31. 2014

Questioning the Faith in the Cradle of Islam

FOREIGN POLICY: In Saudi Arabia, a new generation is pushing back against the government’s embrace of fundamentalism. But is the kingdom ready for nonbelievers?

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Ahmed al-Ghamdi's long, bushy beard and red-checked headscarf are emblems of his conservative approach to Islam, which is no surprise for a man who once supervised the Saudi religious police in the holy city of Mecca.

But it was something surprising about Ghamdi that brought me to his apartment in a scruffy, low-income section of Jeddah in the sweltering summer of 2011. I wanted to know why he had announced that, after extensive research, he could find no Islamic basis for Saudi society's most distinctive feature: its strict gender segregation.

As his wife, sister, and mother listened in with obvious pride, Ghamdi explained that he could no longer take "at face value" religious rulings that gender mixing is haram -- that is, religiously prohibited. "I wanted to go to their underpinnings, so I began collecting all the texts relating to this matter from the Quran and the Sunna [examples from the life and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed]," he said. "My conclusion was that not a single text or verse in the Quran and Sunna specifically says that mixing is haram. The word 'mixing' is not even in the Quran."

Instead, he said he found plenty of texts "that proved that mixing happened at the time of Prophet Mohammed" and that "it is just another part of normal life."

Ghamdi's declaration sparked weeks of impassioned national debate. It also got him fired from the religious police, which enforces the ban on mixing.

His story is but one example of how the religious landscape of Saudi Arabia -- often regarded as fixed and monochromatic -- is increasingly a landscape in flux.

We are not witnessing a Reformation in the birthplace of Islam. Mosque and state remain closely bound in Saudi Arabia, basic law is derived from sharia, and the king is known as the "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," a reference to the holy places of Mecca and Medina.

But the religious attitudes of ordinary people are changing, as is the relationship between the House of Saud and its clerical establishment. This evolving religious scene is marked by less clerical control of social behavior, increasing diversity of religious thought, and more polarization between progressive and extreme right-wing versions of Islam. These changes have already diminished the monarchy's ability to use religion to enforce social conformity and political obedience. And as the kingdom struggles with questions over succession and the Middle East's escalating mayhem, these changes will bring added challenges to the House of Saud's grip on power. » | Caryle Murphy | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Former Marine Banned from Daughter’s School after Dispute over Islam Lesson

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com
Read the FoxNews article here | Thursday, October 30, 2014
Related »

Isil Jihadists 'Offered Teenager $25,000 to Carry Out Bombings in Vienna'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A 14-year-old boy suspected of planning a series of bombings in Vienna reportedly offered $25,000 (£16,000) by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to carry out attacks

A 14-year-old boy suspected of planning a series of bombings in Vienna was reported on Thursday to have been offered $25,000 (£16,000) by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) to carry out the attacks amid claims that two other youths recruited in the same way remain at large.

The arrested youth has not been named by authorities, but has been identified by the Austrian media as Mertkan G, the son of Turkish immigrants, who has lived in the country for eight years. He was arrested on Tuesday but details are only now emerging about his case.

Among the sites in which he has admitted planning to plant explosives is Vienna's Westbahnhof station, one of the busiest in the country, used by 40,000 travellers each day. » | Justin Huggler, Berlin | Thursday, October 30, 2014

William Hague: The Situation for LGBT People ‘Is Worsening’ in Many Countries

PINK NEWS: PinkNews Exclusive [–] In his first major speech on LGBT rights, the former Foreign Secretary William Hague, has warned that the situation for gay people abroad “is worsening” in many countries.

Speaking at the annual PinkNews Awards in Speaker’s House, Mr Hague, the First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons spoke of his time in the Foreign Office, and the importance of the “abolition of draconian laws that restrict the lives of LGBT people in other countries”.

He said such laws “subject innocent people to imprisonment, violence and stigmatisation.”

“While we’re making progress in Britain and elsewhere because the situation in other countries is not only difficult it is worsening as you know. It is completely incompatible with international human rights laws to make illegal consenting same-sex relations and to deny rights to people on the basis of their sexuality. (+ video) » | Joseph Patrick McCormick | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Politician: Ban Apple CEO Tim Cook from Russia because He Could Have ‘AIDS’ or ‘Ebola’

Vitaly Milonov

PINK NEWS: A homophobic lawmaker is now calling for a lifetime travel ban on Apple CEO Tim Cook, who came out publicly as gay on Thursday morning.

Vitaly Milonov, the politician behind St Petersburg’s anti-gay ‘propaganda’ law that has since been adopted federally by the Russian Parliament, suggested Mr Cook could bring “the Ebola virus, AIDS [and] gonorrhea” to Russia.

“What could he bring us? The Ebola virus, AIDS, gonorrhea? They all have unseemly ties over there,” Mr Milonov told the FlashNord website. “Ban him for life.” » | Scott Roberts | Thursday, October 30, 2014

PM Cameron Appeals to Qatar Emir for More Investment

REUTERS UK: (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday urged Qatar to plough more of its vast oil and gas wealth into infrastructure projects across Britain during an official visit from the Gulf state's emir.

Cameron asked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to consider further funding to help Britain's push to develop cities in the north of the country and connect them to London using a high speed rail line, a statement released by his office said.

Qatar is one of the world's richest countries and is already heavily invested in British firms and property.

Among its highest profile investments are London's tallest building, the Shard, which was funded by the Qatari royal family, and the upmarket Harrods department store owned by sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority.

"The Prime Minister ... encouraged the Emir to consider more opportunities across the country, particularly the government’s plan to establish a Northern Powerhouse by connecting our great Northern cities and the development of high speed rail," the statement said. » | William James | London | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Clashes Erupt as Israeli Police Kill Palestinian Suspected of Shooting Jewish Far-rightist

REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - Israeli police on Thursday shot dead a 32-year-old Palestinian man suspected of having tried hours earlier to kill a far-right Jewish activist, leading to fierce clashes in East Jerusalem and fears of a new Palestinian uprising.

The Al-Aqsa compound, or Temple Mount, which is a central cause of the latest violence, was shut down to all visitors as a security precaution. It was the first full closure of the site, venerated by both Jews and Muslims, in 14 years.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Israel's actions as "tantamount to a declaration of war" and his Fatah party called for a "day of rage" on Friday. It was not clear if Al Aqsa would be opened to Muslims on their holy day. » | Luke Baker | Jerusalem | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Marine Veteran Complains About Pro-Islam Bias In Daughter’s Schoolwork, Gets BANNED From School

THE DAILY CALLER: A Maryland father who asked that his daughter be excused from learning about Islam in her world history class now finds himself under a no-trespass order that prevents him from setting foot on the girl’s public school campus.

The events leading to the no-trespass order occurred at La Plata High School in La Plata, Md., a small town about 30 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., SoMDNews reports, a website for three local newspapers.

The dad is Kevin Wood, a former corporal and eight-year veteran in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Wood was initially upset because he did not want his daughter, a high school junior, to participate in instruction about Islam. » | Eric Owens, Education Editor | Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Greta: Obama Owes Netanyahu an Apology

Oct. 29, 2014 - 1:32 - 'Off the Record,' 10/29/14: Senior administration officials were arrogant and disgraceful in their insult to the Israeli prime minister and our president needs to get rid of them. A true leader sets the tone

Report: Gitmo Prisoners Join Forces with ISIS

Oct. 30, 2014 - 2:11 - Jennifer Griffin reports from the Pentagon

Church Condemns Government as Un-Christian over Stance on Drowning Migrants

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bishop says refusal to support rescue operations in Mediterranean by Europe’s leading naval power is an abdication of moral responsibility

The Roman Catholic Church has condemned the British Government as un-Christian over its rejection of rescue missions for refugees drowning in the Mediterranean.

Bishop Patrick Lynch, who speaks for the Church in England and Wales on migration, said the decision not to support a rescue missions was “a misguided abdication of responsibility” to thousands of desperate people feeling war and persecution in the Middle East and Africa.

He said that as Europe’s “leading naval power” the UK has a moral responsibility to step in to save those risking death attempting to reach Europe.

His remarks came as the Home Office reiterated its stance that search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, where around 3,000 migrants are estimated to have drowned this year alone, were simply acting as a “pull factor for illegal migration”.

It claims that rescuing migrants has led to more deaths. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Sweden Officially Recognises State of Palestine

THE GUARDIAN: Sweden becomes first EU member in western Europe to make move, saying ‘we hope this will show the way for others’

Sweden has officially recognised the state of Palestine, the Swedish foreign minister said, less than a month after Stockholm announced its intention to make the controversial move.

“Today the government takes the decision to recognise the state of Palestine,” Margot Wallström said in a statement published in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper on Thursday.

“It is an important step that confirms the Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” the foreign minister said. “We hope that this will show the way for others.” » | Agence France-Presse in Stockholm | Thursday, October 30, 2014

Netanyahu Fumes at ‘Chickenshit’ Slur

JEWISH JOURNAL: An anonymous U.S. official's reported description of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "chickenshit" drew a sharp response on Wednesday from the Israeli leader – no stranger to acrimony with the Obama administration.

The American broadside, in an interview in The Atlantic magazine, followed a month of heated exchanges between the Netanyahu government and Washington over settlement-building in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, which Palestinians seek as the capital of a future state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

"The thing about Bibi is, he’s a chickenshit,” the unidentified official was quoted as saying, using Netanyahu's nickname and a slang insult certain to redden the ears of the U.S.-educated former commando.

"The good thing about Netanyahu is that he’s scared to launch wars," the official said, alluding to past hints of possible Israeli military action against Iran's nuclear program. "The bad thing about him is that he won’t do anything to reach an accommodation with the Palestinians or with the Sunni Arab states."

Netanyahu, the official was reported to have said, is interested only in "protecting himself from political defeat ... He's got no guts." » | Jeffrey Heller, Reuters | Wednesday, October 29, 2014