Qaradawi Calls Muslims to Arms against Israel and the Jews

BREITBART: The Muslim Brotherhood's leading global voice, Sheik Yusuf Qaradawi, called on MuslimsThursday to fight "the greatest battle of liberation" against Israel and the Jews.

In an Arabic message posted on his website and translated by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, Qaradawi called on Muslims to rise up and defend Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque – Islam's third holiest shrine – against Israel. His comments come amid heightened tension between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel closed the Temple Mount, where the mosque is located, to all worshippers Oct. 30 following an assassination attempt against an Israeli activist. Jewish radicals have recently demanded the right to pray in the Al-Aqsa mosque, built on the holiest site to Jews, something Israel has forbidden them to do. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the closure, calling it a "declaration of war." Israel reopened the site Oct. 31 amid heavy security. Tensions remain high, and incitement to violence has increased.

Qaradawi's article protests against Israel's planned archaeological tunnels under the Temple Mount and what he calls "attempts to Judaize the city of Jerusalem." He warns of attacks against Muslim and Christian holy sites. » | The Investigative Project on Terrorism(IPT) | Monday, 10. November 2014

This article originally appeared at the Investigative Project on Terrorism. »

Salafistenszene in Deutschland wächst

Der salafistische Prediger Pierre Vogel im Sommer auf einer
Kundgebung mit rund 300 Anhängern.

FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU: Die Zahl der Salafisten in Deutschland wächst rasant. Nach Erkenntnissen des Bundesamtes für Verfassungsschutz gehören derzeit rund 6300 Menschen diesen Gruppen an. Vor allem Jugendliche fühlen sich vom Salafismus angezogen.

BERLIN – Die Islamistenszene in Deutschland wächst nach Erkenntnissen des Bundesverfassungsschutzes rasant. Inzwischen zählten 6300 Menschen zu den radikalislamischen Salafisten, sagte der Präsident des Bundesamtes für Verfassungsschutz, Hans-Georg Maaßen, am Samstag dem RBB. Bis zum Jahresende könnten es schon 7000 sein. "Das ist besorgniserregend", warnte Maaßen. Vor wenigen Jahren habe es lediglich 2300 Salafisten in Deutschland gegeben. Aus der Szene heraus seien inzwischen mehr als 450 Islamisten in den Krieg nach Syrien gezogen. Sieben bis zehn von ihnen hätten dort Selbstmordanschläge verübt. Viele der Islamisten schließen sich der Miliz Islamischer Staat (IS) an, der radikalsten Organisation in der Region.

Der Salafismus ist seit Jahren die am stärksten wachsende islamistische Bewegung in Deutschland. Er ist eine fundamentalistische Strömung des Islam und für junge Muslime häufig eine Zwischenstation auf dem Weg in den Dschihad. Ziel der Salafisten ist die Abschaffung der Demokratie und die Errichtung eines Gottesstaats. Bei der Missionierung bedienen sie sich stark des Internets, setzen aber auch auf öffentliche Hasspredigten und Aktionen zur Koranverteilung. » | rtr | Samstag, 25. Oktober 2014

Dialog: "Islam und Homophobie"

BERLIN ONLINE: Lesben, Schwule, Bisexuelle und Transgender besuchen am 24. November 2014 die Şehitlik-Moschee in Neukölln. Anschließend soll zum Thema "Islam und Homophobie" eine Diskussion stattfinden.

Der Islam hat, ähnlich wie andere Religionen, immer noch ein schwieriges Verhältnis zu Schwulen, Lesben und Bisexuellen. Nun finden sich Menschen mit unterschiedlichen Auffassungen zu dem Thema zusammen, um durch Kontakt und Dialog gegenseitige Toleranz zu generieren. » | MOntag, 10. November 2014

A Londres, la patrouille de la charia voudrait pouvoir trancher la main des voleurs et lapider les femmes adultères

MEDIAS-PRESSE–INFO: Grande-Bretagne – L’islamiste Abou Rumaysah fait partie de la Shariah Patrol et dit à qui veut l’entendre qu’il veut voir toutes les femmes du Royaume-Uni « couvertes de la tête aux pieds. »

Rumaysah et ses amis islamistes patrouillent dans les rues de East London, pour rappeler à l’ordre les citoyens qui ne respectent pas la loi islamique. Dans une série de vidéos, ces islamistes peuvent être vus en train de harceler des femmes pour leur robe jugée inappropriée, de tenter de convaincre des hommes de cesser de boire de l’alcool, etc. » | Par Léo Kersauzie | lundi 10 novembre 2014

Book on Apostasy in Islam Earns Writer the Moniker ‘Somalia’s Salman Rushdie’

RNS: NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) A Somali scholar is stoking Muslim anger after he published a book questioning the concept of the death penalty for apostasy in Islam.

Now, he is being branded as “Somalia’s Salman Rushdie” a reference to the British–Indian novelist whose book, “The Satanic Verses,” provoked worldwide Muslims protests and a fatwa from Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989.

Abdisaid Abdi Ismail’s book, “The Rule of Apostasy In Islam: Is it True?” was published in Kenya in September.

Ismail was following the Meriam Yahya Ibrahim case before starting work on the book. She is the Sudanese woman sentenced to death for converting to Christianity, but later freed. Her case outraged the world and drew attention to the growing abuse of apostasy in Islam. (Ibrahim said she has always been a Christian.)

The book, written in the Somali language, is being read in Western cities such as London, Toronto and Minneapolis, where there are large populations of ethnic Somalis.

Ismail said the book furthers the growing voice of Muslim scholars, intellectuals and prominent clerics worldwide who are increasingly rejecting the abuse of Islam by extremist groups such as the Islamic State, Nigeria’s Boko Haram and Somalia’s Al-Shabab.

“What we need are secular states where there is democracy, justice and equality for all,” he said. “Not theocratic ones where leaders rule by the name of God.”

Ismail’s concern is that Somali Islamic militants, clerics and other extremist groups in Muslim-majority countries are applying apostasy as a political tool, branding those with contrary opinions as apostates who need to be killed. He has watched Al-Shabab justify the deaths of those who oppose their hard-line interpretation of the Quran by branding them apostates. Somali civil servants, national army officers, local or international nongovernmental organization officials, are considered devil’s spies who deserve death, he added.

“I wanted to explain to my people the true meaning of apostasy in Islam,” he said. » | Frederick Nzwili | Friday, November 07, 2014

SOMALIA ONLINE: Abdisaid Abdi Ismail, a professor at East Africa University in Bosaso, recieves death threats after writing a controversial book on Islam »

Rick Santorum: Obama and Bush Have 'Given All Muslims A Pass'

ABC NEWS: Former Republican senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum sharply criticized President Obama’s management of conflict in the Middle East today, saying both Obama and President George W. Bush have “given all Muslims a pass” by refusing to connect radical militant activity to the faith itself.

Speaking at Liberty University’s convocation, Santorum, a possible 2016 presidential candidate who now runs a Christian film studio, said Presidents Bush and Obama have “identified the enemy by what they do, not who they are and what they want to accomplish.”

“I’m not saying all Muslims are terrorists, but we have an obligation to face the truth about who the enemy is and what they want to accomplish,” Santorum said. » | Benjamin Siegel | Monday, November 10, 2014

Arctic Snap Will Ice Northern States, Whipped Down by 'Bomb Cyclone'

Read the CNN article here | Ben Brumfield, CNN | Sunday, November 09, 2014

Let Muslim Primary School Teachers Wear Full-face Veil in Class – Rowan Williams

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Former Archbishop of Canterbury says ‘panic’ about the niqab is 'largely misplaced' even if young children cannot see their teacher’s face

There is no need to “panic” about Muslim primary school teachers wearing the full-face veil in class, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams, has insisted.

He said concerns that young children would struggle to learn from a woman whose face was covered were “largely misplaced” and that there are other ways to "read” what people are saying.

The former Archbishop’s remarks, in an interview for the Christian think-tank Theos, reopen the debate about the place of the niqab in British public life.

It follows a political storm last year after the then Home Office minster Jeremy Browne called for a national discussion about restrictions in some settings such as schools to prevent young women from having the veil “imposed” on them.

David Cameron rejected the idea of a ban but said he would “back up” schools and courts that ask women to remove veils. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Monday, November 10, 2014

Missverstandene Scharia

PRO: Burka-Zwang, Steinigung oder das Abhacken der Diebeshand geschehen im Namen der Scharia. Doch nicht jede Praxis sei aus dem Regelwerk tatsächlich abzuleiten, meint der katholische Theologe Klaus von Stosch im Interview mit der Deutschen Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Die Scharia kann unterschiedlich ausgelegt werden: „Die Bandbreite der Interpretationen reicht von den Terroristen der Miliz Islamischer Staat (IS) auf der einen Seite bis zu einer Auslegung, die die liberalen Grundsätze unserer Verfassung, die Menschenrechte in einer noch liberaleren Form vertritt, als wir sie jetzt umsetzen“, sagt von Stosch. Der 43 Jahre alte katholische Theologieprofessor leitet das Zentrum für Komparative Theologie der Universität Paderborn und arbeitet bei seinen Projekten eng mit muslimischen Theologen zusammen. Der Frage, welche Auslegung der Scharia zutrifft, widmet sich eine wissenschaftliche Tagung am Wochenende in Paderborn. Von Stosch ist einer ihrer Initiatoren. Im dpa-Interview erklärt er, woher das düstere Bild der Scharia rührt und warum es immer wieder zu Missverständnissen in der Auslegung kommt[.] » | dpa/pro | Montag, 10. November 2014

Les Québécois face à l’Islam

DREUZ.INFO: Depuis l’attaque contre des militaires à Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu et l’attentat à Ottawa par deux Québécois islamisés et fanatisés, les musulmans au Québec sont mal dans leur peau.

J’ai constaté au fil des commentaires sur Dreuz-info que mes amis français ont tendance à voir le Québec à travers le prisme de leurs banlieues islamisées.

Un sondage réalisé par la firme de sondage CROP au début du mois de mars 2014, indiquait que déjà plus de la moitié des Québécois disaient croire qu’il existait une menace intégriste musulmane dans la province. À la question : « Dans quelle mesure êtes-vous en accord ou en désaccord avec l’affirmation voulant qu’il existe une menace intégriste musulmane au Québec », 53 % répondaient être d’accord, 36 % en désaccord et 11 % ne savaient pas. Le sondage indiquait que la crainte était plus forte en région (48% de Montréalais contre 60% en région) et plus forte chez les Francophones (61%) que chez les non-Francophones (18%).

”Le point de vue lénifiant de certains médias et politiques gauchistes pacifistes vis-à-vis de l’Islam est donc loin de faire l’unanimité au Québec !

Il ne faut pas confondre vitesse et précipitation, élite médiatique et population en général…

Contrairement à ce qu’on pourrait penser, ce n’est pas la proximité des musulmans qui les fait craindre puisque dans les régions du Québec où ils se font rare, ils sont le moins appréciés.

Je crois que nos amis français ont peut-être aussi mal interprété le peu d’appui qu’a recueilli la Charte de la Laïcité du Parti Québécois, devenue au fil du temps Charte «des valeurs».

En fait la moitié des répondants appuyaient la Charte et là encore l’appui venait surtout des régions où les gens sont très rarement en contact avec des immigrants arabo-musulmans.

Les Montréalais sont ceux qui n’ont pas apprécié l’attitude du Parti Québécois qui était au pouvoir en 2013 mais minoritaire, et qui a donné l’impression de vouloir aller chercher des votes avec une Charte racoleuse à saveur nationaliste.

Mais les Québécois étaient bel et bien méfiants vis-à-vis des fanatiques islamistes et souhaitaient qu’une Charte de la laïcité donne l’heure juste sur le port des signes religieux ostentatoires, sans aller toutefois jusqu’au congédiement de ceux qui ne se conformeraient pas à la Charte. Continuez à lire et ajouter un commentaire » | © Magali Marc | dimanche 09 novembre 2014

Austria's Radical Islam Problem

THE LONG WAR JOURNAL: Berlin –– The small Central European country of Austria has recently made headlines because of its jihadi teenagers who have gone to fight in Syria. But Austria's radical Islam problem stretches beyond the Islamic State's recruitment of young Austrian men and women. The Alpine state has become a hub of extremism that includes not only Islamic State terrorism but also Iranian nuclear proliferation activities as well as active support for Hamas.

Islamic State activity in Austria

"ISIS: Austria is terror hotspot," ran the headline of an interview published in September by the Österreich newspaper's online news outlet.

In April, Samra Kesinovic, 17, and Sabina Selimovic, 15, two Austrian girls who had been radicalized by a local mosque, departed to join the Islamic State in Syria. The girls left notes in their bedrooms that said "Don't look for us. We will serve Allah--and we will die for him," according to Austrian police.

Regretting their decision, the girls sought in October to return to Vienna. The girls, of Bosnian background, are now believed to be in Raqqah, the Islamic State's so-called capital, in Syria. "Jihadi brides" is the term some reports have used to describe the girls' alleged status as wives of Islamic State combatants.

Then in late October, Sabina denied that she wanted to return to Austria, telling the French magazine Paris Match that she wished to stay in Syria because she feels "free" there. "[Here] I can practice my religion," and, "in Vienna I couldn't," she said.

Austrian security experts believe she was strong-armed into denying that she is being held against her will. » | Benjamin Weinthal | Monday, November 10, 2014

Islamic State Claims a New Ally in Egypt

CTV NEWS: CAIRO, Egypt -- Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, a jihadi organization based in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula that has carried out several attacks targeting Egyptian security forces, has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The announcement reflects the growing regional appeal of the Islamic State, a radical al Qaeda breakaway group that has carved out a self-styled caliphate in Syria and Iraq and demanded the loyalty of the world's Muslims.

The announcement pledging loyalty to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi came in an audio speech posted late Sunday on the Egyptian militant group's official Twitter account and a militant website. Last week the group had denied on its Twitter account reports saying it had pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi. » | Maamoun Youssef | The Associated Press | Monday, November 10, 2014

Verwandt »

Germany: Hooligans Declare War on Islamic Radicals

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Hooligans from rival football clubs have temporarily set aside their mutual hatred for each other in order to unite against a common enemy: radical Salafists who are bringing Islamic Sharia law to Germany.

After police predicted that more than 10,000 hooligans would show up at an anti-Salafist rally in Berlin, authorities cancelled the event. Similar rallies planned for Frankfurt, Hamburg and Hannover have also been banned.

Vogel, a former professional boxer who often depicts himself as the embodiment invincible Islam, is now portraying himself as a helpless and fearful victim of the football hooligans

A group of nearly 5,000 football hooligans from across Germany gathered in the western city of Cologne on October 26 to protest the spread of radical Islam in the country.

The watershed march was organized by a new initiative called "Hooligans against Salafists," better known by its German abbreviation, HoGeSa, short for Hooligans gegen Salafisten.

HoGeSa is a burgeoning alliance between hooligans from rival football clubs who have temporarily set aside their mutual hatred for each other in order to unite against a common enemy: radical Salafists who want to replace Germany's democratic order with Islamic Sharia law. » | Soeren Kern | Monday, November 10, 2014

Terrorallianz: Ägyptische Dschihadisten schließen sich dem IS an

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Ägyptens größte Terrorgruppe hat sich offiziell dem "Islamischen Staat" angeschlossen. Die Ansar Beit al-Maqdis sind für zahlreiche Anschläge verantwortlich, bei denen Hunderte Menschen getötet wurden.

Kairo - Die Terrororganisation "Islamischer Staat" (IS) hat jetzt einen offiziellen Ableger im bevölkerungsreichsten arabischen Land. Die ägyptische Dschihadistengruppe Ansar Beit al-Maqdis haben in einer im Internet verbreiteten Audiobotschaft dem IS-Anführer Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi die Treue geschworen.

Die Gruppe habe entschieden, sich dem IS anzuschließen, weil die Ausrufung des Kalifats ein neues Erwachen darstelle, sagt ein Sprecher in der mehr als neun Minuten langen Aufzeichnung. » | syd/AFP/AP/Reuters | Montag, 10. November 2014

Palastrevolution in der britischen Labour-Partei

Sechs Monate vor den britischen Parlamentswahlen müsste die Opposition eigentlich alles daran setzen, den politischen Gegner in die Enge zu treiben. Nach viereinhalb Jahren konservativ geprägter Sparpolitik stünden die Chancen gut. Statt dessen bläst die Labour-Partei zu einer Hetzjagd auf ihren Vorsitzenden Ed Miliband.

In-your-face Racism Has Returned and Few Are Fighting against It

THE INDEPENDENT: Those at the top say nothing, while ethnic-minority politicians are the biggest cowards of the lot

Last week on the No 9 bus, a middle-aged white woman shouted “bloody Paki” and spat at me. The sputum landed on the back of my seat, grey and revolting as she was.

No one said a thing, not even the black and Asian people around me. They all lowered or averted their eyes. I was spat at in 1972, too, after exiled Ugandan Asians with British passports arrived here. That time I was sitting quietly in a park in Oxford, reading Middlemarch. So you think it’s much better than the really bad old days? The truth is that, since 2001, in-your-face racism has returned. But those who suffer it just have to swallow the insults and degradation.

The difference is that, back then, we had politicians of all parties, including Tories, who felt keenly that racial prejudice and discrimination were unjust and reprehensible. They passed laws, used government purchasing power to get companies to operate fairly and, bit by bit, made racism unacceptable in the public space. Now those at the top – with the exception of Diane Abbott – say nothing and do even less about this stain on our society. Ethnic-minority politicians are the biggest cowards of the lot. » | Yasmin Alibhai Brown | Sunday, November 09, 2014

Islamic Extremists Infiltrating Schools, University Campuses and Scout Groups across the UK in 'Unprecedented Scale', Report Warns

Among those addressing the lectures was chairman
and founder Abdur Raheem Green, a British Muslim
convert who is reported to believe the beating women
will 'bring them to goodness'

MAIL ONLINE: Hardline groups, blamed for radicalising young British Muslims, have posted invitations on social media sites to public talks / They include the Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA) / Members have been accused of anti-Semitic and homophobic views

Islamic extremists are infiltrating schools, university campuses and scout groups across the UK, a new report has claimed.

Hardline groups, blamed for radicalising young British Muslims, have posted invitations on social media sites and at university campuses to public talks in an 'unprecedented scale', according to Sharia Watch UK.

The group, which monitors Islamic extremists, will publish its report highlighting the operations of 15 people it claims hold 'extremist views' who were allowed to give public talks or lectures at 20 institutions.

They include the Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA), whose speakers have been accused of advocating anti-Semitic and homophobic views, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

The iERA is currently under investigation by the Charity Commission over regulatory issues in its 'policies for organising events and inviting external speakers'. But leading members of the group have given talks at universities, a school and a south London scout group, according to the Sharia Watch UK report.

Among those addressing the lectures was chairman and founder Abdur Raheem Green, a British Muslim convert who is reported to believe that beating women will ‘bring them to goodness’.

It is also claimed that he has said that adultery is punishable by a 'slow and painful death', and has been seen on a YouTube video demanding that a Jewish man is removed form his sight while giving a talk at Hyde Park Corner.

According to the report he was booked to address an Islamic event at Acklam Grange Secondary School in Middlesbrough. Students from across the North East were also invited to attend. Read on and comment » | Amanda Williams for MailOnline | Sunday, November 09, 2014

The Lost Children: France Takes Stock of Growing Jihadist Problem

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: More than 1,000 young people from France have joined extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, more than from any other European country. The recruits are no longer just coming from the margins of society.

Sometimes Séverine Mehault climbs the stairs to the second floor for no reason at all. She walks along the hallway, past her son's room and into her daughter's bedroom. Then the 40-year-old lies down on the bed, next to a white stuffed bunny, and closes her eyes for a moment, trying to understand why only one of her two daughters, 15-year-old Kenza, is still there -- and why Sahra has abandoned her.

Not much of Sahra is left in the room: her stuffed rabbit, a Koran in translation, a prayer book and a guide to the correct methods of bathing for Islamic women. The guide is a worn, pink brochure with small illustrations. Chapter 3 is titled: Instructions for Cleaning Your Ears.

There's a dish containing red nail polish, mascara and lip gloss, but Sahra hasn't worn makeup in almost two years. After turning 15 at the time, she converted to Islam.

She left France on March 11, 2014 to joint [sic] the jihadists in Syria. The family doesn't know where she is exactly, or which terrorist group she has joined. » | Julia Amalia Heyer | Thursday, November 06, 2014

Berlin Wall: Thousands of Balloons Released to Mark Fall

BBC: Some 8,000 helium balloons have been released into the night sky over Germany's capital at the culmination of events to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Earlier, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the fall of the wall had shown the world that dreams could come true.

Tens of thousands of people attended events, including a "citizen's party" at the Brandenburg Gate.

The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 to stop people fleeing the communist East.

Its fall in 1989 became a powerful symbol of the end of the Cold War.

The white balloons - perched on 3.6m poles to match the height of the wall and stretching for 15km (nine miles) - were released one by one to symbolise its disappearance.

The Berlin State Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim played Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

The release came amid a massive open-air party at the Brandenburg Gate. Earlier at the party, UK performer Peter Gabriel sang a version of David Bowie's Heroes. (+ videos) » | Sunday, November 09, 2014

Islamic State Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi's Close Aide Killed in US Air Strike

Abu Suja, left, and Baghdadi were rarely separate,
according to an Iraqi security strategist

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: As speculation mounts over fate of Islamic State leader, it can be revealed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's aide from whom he was 'rarely separate' killed in US air strike

A close aide of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in United States-led coalition air strike on a convoy of militants in Iraq, it can be revealed, amid mounting speculation that the leader of the Islamic State in the Levant was himself killed or injured in the attack.

Abdul Rahman al-Athaeri who went by the code name Abu Suja died when planes struck a convoy of Isil vehicles close to the northern city of Mosul on Friday night, killing him and several other members of the jihadist group.

There were contrasting reports about the fate of Baghdadi, with Isil members writing on Twitter that he was not in the convoy, and other sources claiming that he had been either killed or "critically injured". "I can't absolutely confirm that Baghdadi has been killed," said General Nicholas Houghton, Chief of the Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces. "Probably it will take some days to have absolute confirmation."

Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi security strategist, confirmed to The Telegraph that Abu Suja, "Baghdadi's very close companion", was killed in the air strike that destroyed at least 10 vehicles. » | Ruth Sherlock, Gaziantep and Magdy Samaan in Cairo | Sunday, November 09, 2014

Did Jesus Have a Wife and Kids? Long-lost Ancient Manuscript Discovered in the British Library Claims Christ Married Prostitute Mary Magdalene and They Had Children

MAIL ON SUNDAY: New book 'The Lost Gospel' claims Mary Magdalene was original Virgin Mary / It is based on manuscript found in British Library dating back 1,450 years / Professor Barrie Wilson and writer Simcha Jacobovici translated text / They claim there was an assassination attempt on Mary's two children / Church of England has dismissed claims comparing it to Dan Brown's work

Jesus married his 'soul-mate' Mary Magdalene and they had two children together, a new book has claimed.

'The Lost Gospel' also alleges there was an unknown plot on Jesus' life 13 years before his crucifixion and an assassination attempt on Mary Magdalene and their children.

Professor of religious studies Barrie Wilson and historical writer Simcha Jacobovici based these claims on a manuscript dating back 1,450 years which they discovered in the British Library.

They spent months translating the ancient text and have controversially said that the original Virgin Mary was Jesus's wife, not his mother.

Further claims from 'The Lost Gospel: Decoding the Sacred Text that Reveals Jesus' Marriage to Mary Magdalene' will be released on Wednesday, including the names of the two children.

The book also elaborates on Jesus's alleged connections to top political figures in the Roman Empire such as Emperor Tiberius and his best friend, the soldier Sejanus.

But the Church of England said the work shares more in common 'with Dan Brown (author of the Da Vinci Code) than Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.' » | Jenny Awford for MailOnline | Sunday, November 09, 2014

Time-lapse: Poppy Memorial from Dawn to Dusk

Queen Leads Remembrance Day Tributes at the Cenotaph

Watch ceremony at the Cenotaph in London where the Queen led tributes to members of the armed forces who have lost their lives fighting for the nation

Read the Sunday Telegraph article here

24 djihadistes neutralisés par les forces françaises au Mali

LE POINT: Des véhicules ont été détruits, des armes et du matériel explosif saisi lors d'une opération anti-islamiste de l'armée française.

Vingt-quatre jihadistes ont été "neutralisés" par les forces françaises dans le nord du Mali, a annoncé samedi l'armée française, dans un bilan d'une opération anti-islamiste, a indiqué le commandement de Barkhane. Barkhane est la force regroupant 3.000 militaires français, en partenariat avec cinq pays du Sahel, dont la mission est de lutter contre les groupes armés dans la bande sahélo-saharienne. » | Source AFP | Samedi 08 novembre 2014

Fate of IS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Unknown after Airstrikes Target Him

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The US-led coalition unleashed airstrikes near the Iraqi city of Mosul targeting top jihadist militants but the fate of the Islamic State group's enigmatic leader remained unclear.

Claims swirled that hardline IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed in the attacks late Friday, but US officials could not confirm if he had even been present.

The news came after US President Barack Obama unveiled plans to send up to 1500 more US troops to Iraq to help battle the militants who have seized a large swathe of territory.

In fresh violence, some 33 people were killed in a wave of car bombings against Shiite areas in the capital Baghdad, highlighting again the security challenge facing Iraqis even within government-controlled zones.

US Central Command confirmed that coalition aircraft conducted a "series of airstrikes" against "a gathering of ISIL leaders near Mosul".

A convoy of 10 armoured vehicles from the group also known as ISIL was destroyed.

"We cannot confirm if ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was among those present," CENTCOM spokesman Patrick Ryder said in his statement. » | AFP | Sunday, November 09, 2014

New U.S. Airstrikes Target ISIS Leaders Near Mosul, Iraq

UK Condemned over Arms Sales to Repressive States

THE OBSERVER: Former Tory defence secretary Sir John Stanley says government quietly relaxed controls on arms licences to ‘countries of concern’

The government has been accused of dishonesty over arms sales as new figures reveal that the value of British weapons sales to “countries of concern” has already hit £60m this year. Former Tory defence minister Sir John Stanley, who chairs the Commons committees on arms export controls, says ministers failed to come clean on a “significant change in policy” that makes it easier to export arms to countries with a poor human rights record.

He said in a recent parliamentary debate that the government has not acknowledged that such a change has taken place, and it “should consider most carefully whether they should now offer an apology to the committees”.

The government used to reject arms export licences where there was concern they might be used for “internal repression”, but now a licence will be refused only if there is a “clear risk” that military equipment might be used in violation of international law. » | Mark Townsend and Daniel Boffey | Saturday, November 08, 2014

Austrian Far-right Politician Calls Asylum Seekers "Cave Men"

Christian Hoebart

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Member of parliament from Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) calls asylum seekers cave men on Facebook, triggering calls from other parties for his resignation

A member of parliament from Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) called asylum seekers cave men on Facebook, triggering calls from other parties for his resignation.

Christian Hoebart's comments highlighted a febrile debate on immigration in the country, where recent polls have shown FPO neck and neck with traditional centrist parties, attracting about a quarter of votes.

His message, posted late on Friday, criticised a rally of mostly African asylum seekers held in the town of Traiskirchen near Vienna.

"I (could not) show understanding for yesterday's brouhaha of asylum seekers from Africa, so I called (them) emotionally ... 'soil and cave men', who cannot appreciate how good they've got it with us – their host country Austria," he wrote.

Other opposition politicians called for Hoebart, an FPO leader in the province of Lower Austria, to quit his political posts. » | Reuters | Saturday, November 08, 2014

Pakistan Christian Community Living in Fear after Mob Killings

Shama (L) was pregnant with her fifth child when the couple
were attacked and killed

BBC: The fertile landscape in Chak 59 of Kasur district in the Punjab province is dotted with hundreds of brick kilns.

The factories, owned by powerful landlords, are notorious for thriving on "bonded labour". Hundreds of thousands of people have remained locked in a cycle of debt and poverty for decades.

Rights groups call it a form of modern-day slavery.

Until last week, Sajjad Mesih and his wife Shama, a married Christian couple in their 30s, worked at one such brick kiln.

For years, they got up at dawn, laboured in harsh conditions through the day and finished up at dusk. That was their routine - every day, seven days a week. It was a life of debt and poverty that they hated.

On Tuesday, they were lynched and burnt to death there by a mob on allegations of blasphemy.

Blasphemy is an explosive issue in Pakistan. Reporting of violence in the name of blasphemy is often self-censored, twisted and confused by misreporting.

Piecing together the sequence of events and what led to vicious crimes on the pretext of blasphemy is not always straightforward.

But having visited the remote rural area and after speaking to up to a dozen or so people - including police, family, neighbours and eyewitnesses - here is an account of what the BBC has been able to put together. (+ BBC video) » | Shahzeb Jillani | BBC News | Kasur District | Pakistan | Saturday, November 08, 2014

Yearning for Freedom Brought Down Berlin Wall, Says Merkel

REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday an irrepressible yearning for freedom brought the Berlin Wall tumbling down 25 years ago and called it a "miracle" that the Cold War barrier was breached without a shot being fired.

Speaking on the eve of Sunday's celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's collapse, Merkel said Germany would always be grateful for the courage of East Germans who took to the streets to protest the Communist dictatorship.

"It was a day that showed us the yearning for freedom cannot be forever suppressed," Merkel said in a speech in Berlin. "During the course of 1989 more and more East Germans lost their fears of the state's repression and chicanery, and went out on the streets. There was no turning back then. It is thanks to their courage the Wall was opened."In a country with few cheerful anniversaries to celebrate after its belligerent 20th century history, Germans have latched onto memories of the peaceful East German revolution that brought down the Berlin Wall on a joyful Nov. 9, 1989. » | Erik Kirschbaum | Saturday, November 08, 2014

Inside Story: Is Libya Heading for Chaos?

Libyans struggle to avoid more violence after elected parliament is declared invalid by country's supreme court.

Mauerfall-Jubiläum in Berlin: Gorbatschow erinnert sich

Er habe die Entschlossenheit im Drängen nach Veränderung gesehen, sagte der Ex-Präsident der Sowjetunion, Michail Gorbatschow, zum 25-jährigen Mauerfalljubiläum - und warnte vor einem Kalten Krieg.

Islamisten greifen kurdisches Flüchtlingslager an

TAGES ANZEIGER: Berichten zufolge nehmen die Extremisten der Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat in Syrien nun auch Flüchtlingscamps unter Beschuss. Mindestens zwei Menschen wurden getötet.

Bei den Kämpfen um die nordsyrische Kurdenstadt Kobane hat die sunnitische Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) offenbar ein kurdisches Flüchtlingslager beschossen. Dabei wurden mindestens zwei Menschen getötet und vier weitere verletzt. Dies teilte die Syrische Beobachtungsstelle für Menschenrechte mit. Die Organisation mit Sitz in Grossbritannien, die den Regierungsgegnern in Syrien nahesteht, bezieht ihre Informationen von einem Netz von Aktivisten und Ärzten vor Ort. » | thu/sda | Samstag, 08. November 2014

Obama Names Loretta Lynch the New Attorney General

François Hollande Has Renewed His 'Love Affair' with Actress, According to French Magazine

EXPRESS: FRENCH president Francois Hollande has renewed his "love affair" with the actress he allegedly cheated on the First Lady with, according to a French magazine.

VSD magazine claimed in their latest edition that Mr Hollande's relationship with blonde beauty Julie Gayet, 41, was very much back on track and that the pair see each other "almost every day".

Accompanied with the headline, "It's started again", the magazine supported their suggestions with published pictures apparently showing Ms Gayet arriving and leaving Elysee [sic] Palace in a blue Ford Galaxy with tinted windows on October 30.

It is believed the TV actress had just returned to Paris after taking part in the Tokyo Film Festival.

"There is no longer any possible doubt: François Hollande and Julie Gayet are still in love," VSD wrote. » | Levi Winchester | Friday, November 07, 2014

Priest Saves Ancient Christian Manuscripts from IS Flames

EXPRESS: A COURAGEOUS priest has saved hundreds of ancient Christian manuscripts from falling into the hands of Islamic State fighters in Iraq.

Father Nageeb Michaeel had the 750 priceless texts, dating back more than 700 years, boxed up and packed off to a secret location on the back of two pick-up trucks.

The 1,300 fragile documents were spirited away from Mar Behnam Syriac Catholic monastery in Qaraqosh.

The same night, and helped by his small team of Dominican priests, he then led an exodus of 30,000 refugees from the ancient Christian town in northern Iraq hours before it was overrun by Muslim fundamentalists.

The Sunni extremists are wiping out entire towns and villages and destroying religious artefacts in their haste to create an Islamic caliphate in the Middle East. » | Stuardt Winter | Saturday, November 08, 2014

Mikhail Gorbachev: World On Brink of New Cold War over Ukraine

THE GUARDIAN: Former Soviet Union leader says tensions between US and Russia should be kept under control

Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine have put the world on the brink of a new cold war.

The former leader of the Soviet Union said: “We must make sure that we get the tensions that have arisen recently under control.”

The call comes amid a warning from the Dutch foreign minister that the last victims of the Malaysia Airlines plane shot down over Ukraine might never be recovered.

Gorbachev was speaking on Saturday at an event marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, close to the Brandenburg Gate.

His perestroika and glasnost reforms helped spell the end of communism in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He kept Soviet troops stationed in East Germany in their barracks the night of 9 November 1989, as the border was opened.

The 83-year-old former leader has accused the west – particularly the US – of “triumphalism” after the collapse of the communist bloc. » | Chris Johnston and agencies | Saturday, November 08, 2014

Uganda Drafts New Anti-gay Laws

THE GUARDIAN: Politicians want seven-year prison term for ‘promotion’ of homosexuality, according to leaked copy

The Ugandan government could introduce new wide-reaching anti-gay laws before the end of the year, which could see people jailed for up to seven years for “promoting homosexuality”, activists warned on Saturday.

The move comes nearly a year after Ugandan politicians passed legislation that could have imposed life sentences on gays. The bill was struck down by the constitutional court on a technicality.

According to a leaked copy of the new draft law, MPs have instead focused on outlawing the “promotion” of homosexuality – a potentially far more repressive and wide-reaching measure.

Frank Mugisha, a gay-rights activist, said: “People don’t realise that the ‘promotion’ part of it will affect everybody. If newspapers report about homosexuality it could be seen as promotion. My Twitter account could be seen as promotion. All human rights groups that include LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender] rights defence in their activities could be accused of promotion.”

According to the draft, anyone convicted of “promoting” homosexuality would be liable to seven years in prison. “We have confirmed that the draft comes from the cabinet. Their plan is to present it to parliament as soon as possible, before the end of the year,” Mugisha said. » | Chris Johnston and agencies | Saturday, November 08, 2014

Saudi Arabia Considers Lifting Ban on Women Drivers

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saudi Arabia king's advisory council recommends women over 30, wearing no make-up, should be allowed to drive between 7am and 8pm most days

Saudi Arabia is considering proposals to allow women to drive, a member of the king's advisory council has said.

The recommendations from the Shura Council to change the law would apply only to women over 30, who must be off the road by 8pm and cannot wear make-up while driving.

Nevertheless, such a move would represent a major victory for activists after years of the absolute monarchy rejecting any review of the ban – and punishing women caught driving.

Earlier this year, a woman reportedly received 150 lashes for being caught driving.

The kingdom is the only country in the world that forbids women from driving, with Muslim clerics claiming "licentiousness" will spread if women drive. » | Barney Henderson and AP | Saturday, November 08, 2014

La liberté religieuse en recul presque partout dans le monde

ALETEIA: Accablant : le dernier rapport de l'Aide à l'Église en détresse (AED) dénonce une nette détérioration de la liberté religieuse dans le monde.

La liberté religieuse est globalement en déclin dans le monde. L’Aide à l’Église en détresse a présenté cette semaine son rapport bisannuel sur la liberté religieuse. Ce dernier, élaboré par un comité d’experts internationaux, décrit le degré de liberté religieuse régnant dans 196 pays. Il s’attache à tous les groupes religieux, sans se limiter aux chrétiens. » | Team Aleteia | mercredi 05 novembre 2014

What A Feast That Was!

Helsinki: Reindeer was on the menu »

Berlin Wall: Thomas Kielinger and Gisela Stuart's Memories

Des djihadistes menacent de mort l'homme qui a tué Ben Laden

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Des messages appelant à tuer Robert O'Neill circulent abondamment sur Twitter. Jeudi, cet ancien soldat des Navy Seals a admis avoir tué d'une balle en pleine tête Ben Laden.

Un ancien soldat des Navy Seals, ces troupes d'élite de la marine américaine traditionnellement soumises au secret le plus strict, a affirmé publiquement qu'il était celui qui avait tué Oussama Ben Laden, s'attirant immédiatement des menaces de mort de djihadistes.

Robert O'Neill, 38 ans, a affirmé jeudi 7 novembre au Washington Post qu'il avait tué, d'une balle en pleine tête, le chef d'Al-Qaïda le 2 mai 2011 lors d'un raid héliporté à Abbottabad, au Pakistan.

Des djihadistes ont aussitôt lancé des menaces de mort contre lui, a révélé SITE qui surveille les sites web et médias utilisés par les djihadistes. » | afp/Newsnet | vendredi 07 novembre 2014

Vladimir Putin Claims Britain Was to Blame for Nazi March across Europe

DAILY EXPRESS: VLADIMIR Putin has suggested that Britain and France were to blame for the Nazi march across Europe.

Speaking during a meeting with young historians in Moscow, Mr Putin urged the group to examine the lead-up to the war and claimed that Western historians today try to to "hush up" the Munich Agreement.

The pact involving France and Britain - instigated by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain – appeased Adolf Hitler by permitted his annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudentenland.

According to a Kremlin transcript of the event, Mr Putin said: "Chamberlain came, waved a piece of paper and said, 'I've brought you peace' when he returned to London after the talks.

"To which Churchill, I think, said somewhere to a small group of people, 'That's it, now war is inevitable'.

"Because compromise with an aggressor in the form of Hitlerite Germany was clearly leading to a large-scale future military conflict, and some people understood that."

However, the Russian president claimed there was nothing wrong with the Nazi-Soviet pact. » | Friday, November 07, 2014

Britain Has Sold Its Soul with the Qatari Deal

David Cameron has signed a security agreement with the
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al[-]Thani

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Our latest defence accord is with a country that plays host to terrorists at home and funds them abroad

Cars bearing the logos of Islamic State (Isil) drive around the streets. Within sight of the city centre lies the only official overseas mission of the Taliban. Jihadis sowing instability in perhaps 15 countries, from Algeria to Pakistan, direct their operations from pleasant villas in the suburbs – or, in the case of the terror group Hamas, from suites in the best hotels, where they can sometimes be seen relaxing by the pool.

The mosques host some of the world’s most influential extremist ideologues, their words pinged round the globe via their personal television channels. Hundreds of millions of pounds flow to organisations defined by Britain as terrorist, much of it from the government itself.

An official of that government, Salim Hasan Khalifa Rashid al‑Kuwari, channelled many such dollars to al-Qaeda while working for the interior ministry, according to the US Treasury department. The foreign minister’s cousin was detained in Lebanon, also for financing al-Qaeda; he was then convicted in his absence, after his government reportedly applied intense pressure on Lebanon to free him before trial.

This is Qatar, the country with which David Cameron has just signed a defence and security agreement. Did the deal, perhaps, include a promise by the Qataris to stop this sort of behaviour? Did it commit Qatar to end its support for the Islamist militias who have helped reduce Libya to anarchy, or to kick out the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood? It did not.

In fact, it was Britain that made the concessions, committing to share its classified intelligence and expertise with the Qatari state, and agreeing to work more closely with its security forces. We were told that Mr Cameron would talk tough at his meeting with the Emir of Qatar last week. Instead, he seems to have spent much of his time asking for money. Read on and comment » | Andrew Gilligan | Friday, November 07, 2014

My comment:

When I look at Cameron's visage in the newspapers, I see nothing but a weak, ineffectual fool of a man. By the time this man finishes, he's going to make Neville Chamberlain look like Genghis Khan!

Our country is certainly not safe in Cameron's hands.

I speak as a died-in-the-wool Conservative: The sooner we get rid of this clown, the better it will be for all of us. He's a menace to British society. – © Mark Alexander

This comment also appears here

Anjem Choudary Claims He Would Renounce British Citizenship and Live under Isis Rule

THE INDEPENDENT: But only if British government grants London-born lawyer safe passage - and the return of his passport

Radical cleric Anjem Choudray [sic] has claimed he would renounce his British citizenship and live under the rule of Isis, if the government would grant him safe passage.

In an interview with the [sic] Times the radical preacher claims that if he had his passport he would have already travelled to areas in Syria or Iraq presently controlled by the militant Islamic organisation Isis, also known as the Islamic State.

In response Keith Vaz, chairman of the Common home affairs select committee, said: “If he wants to go, he should be allowed to go. I think that would be a much better scenario than having him stay.

“Why should the Home Office or anyone else give him safe passage? He must take the consequences if he is propagating the views of Isis,” Mr Vaz said. “I think people would like to see the back of him.”

However, the London-born preacher, who trained as a lawyer, cannot leave the country because the Home Office has confiscated his passport.

“I believe the world belongs to God and that one day, hopefully, the UK will be part of an Islamic State. Why shouldn’t I be free to travel to the Khalifah [caliphate] and see what life is like under the Sharia?” Mr Choudary asked. » | Rose Troup Buchanan | Friday, November 07, 2014

North Koreans Working as ‘State-sponsored Slaves’ in Qatar

THE GUARDIAN: Defectors claim Pyongyang regime pockets 90% or more of earnings made by migrants working on construction sites in Qatar, where preparations are under way for 2022 World Cup

Thousands of migrant labourers from North Korea are toiling for years on construction sites in Qatar for virtually no pay – including on the vast new metropolis that is the centrepiece of the World Cup – in what may amount to “state-sponsored slavery”.

According to testimonies from workers and defectors, labourers from the reclusive state said they receive almost no salaries in person while in the Gulf emirate during the three years they typically spend there.

They work in the expectation they will collect their earnings when they return to North Korea, but according to a series of testimonies from defectors and experts, workers receive as little as 10% of their salaries when they go home, and some may receive nothing. One North Korean worker at a construction site in central Doha told the Guardian: “We are here to earn foreign currency for our nation.”

The North Korean regime, led by Kim Jong-un, is currently subject to international sanctions as it continues to defy calls to end its nuclear programme and address severe human rights abuses. A recent UN report accused the regime of crimes against humanity. The foreign currency earned by its overseas workforce is a crucial tool for propping up the isolated country’s fragile economy. Read on and comment » | Pete Pattisson in Doha | Friday, November 07, 2014

THE GUARDIAN: Qatar’s ambitious future driven on by North Korean ‘forced labour’: Army of workers toil for long hours and receive only a fraction of their salaries as they work on Qatar’s flagship development » | Pete Pattisson in Doha | Friday, November 07, 2014