Tele-Evangelist in Florida Loses His Show for Upsetting Muslims
With many thanks to Robert Spencer, whose website, JihadWatch, is where I first read this story:

WFTV.COM: ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A Christian televangelist who harshly criticizes Islam and other religions said Friday that his late-night program is being pulled off the air because of pressure from a Muslim group.

Earlier this month, officials from the Council on American Islamic Relations wrote a letter to the TV station's owners asking for an investigation of the show it broadcasts, "Live Prayer with Bill Keller."

In a May 2 broadcast, the televangelist said Islam was a "1,400-year-old lie from the pits of hell" and called the Prophet Mohammed a "murdering pedophile." He also called the Koran a "book of fables and a book of lies."

Council officials asked for equal air time for Florida Muslims to counter Keller's comments, but never got the chance.

The hourlong show, which airs nightly at 1 a.m., is broadcast on WTOG-TV, a CBS-owned station that airs the CW network locally. WTOG station manager Laura Caruso said the decision to end Keller's contract was a programming one, made by station executives and the televangelist.

But after speaking with CBS executives, the Islamic group claimed credit for Keller's demise. His last broadcast will be Aug. 31.

"They really based their decision upon our letter," said Ramzy Kilic, the group's civil rights coordinator. "They really did not know that Bill Keller was involved with this kind of anti-Muslim rhetoric."

Keller said his "Bible-based" message hasn't changed in the five years the program has aired.

"(CAIR) intimidated the folks in New York, and the folks in New York caved in," Keller said.

Keller said he is starting a new morning TV show on another Tampa Bay area station that will debut Sept. 3. [Source: Fla. Televangelist Loses Show After Muslims Complain]

Mark Alexander

Rumours Still Fly that Princess Diana was Pregnant at the Time of Her Death. Could She Really Have Been Carrying a Muslim Baby?
NEWS.COM.AU: A FRENCH investigative journalist has made the claim Princess Diana was nine weeks pregnant when she died, which is set to inflame the inquest into her death expected to begin in October.

The claims by French investigator Chris Laffaille appears to lend gentle support to long-standing claims by Mohamed Al Fayed that Diana was pregnant at the time of her death and murdered by the British establishment because the royal family could not bear to have the mother of the future king married to a Muslim.

His son Dodi was dating Diana, 36, at the time of her death.

But in a dramatic twist, if Laffaille's claim is true then Dodi Fayed could not have been the father - he had not met Diana nine weeks before their death. 

She was dating London doctor Hasnat Khan at the time.

Laffaille said he uncovered evidence of a pregnancy from official archives at the Paris hospital where she was taken on the night of her fatal crash on August 31, 1997.

He claimed the letter has remained hidden for 10 years because of "ethical and privacy" concerns.

He has written a book on his findings, which some dismissed as a blatant attempt to cash in on the 10th anniversary of her death.

"It is a near certainty that Diana was nine to 10 weeks pregnant at the time she died, according to papers from the Paris Public Hospitals archives," he said. [Source: Diana ‘nine weeks pregnant’ says journo]

Mark Alexander

Citizenship Tests for New Australians
BBC: Australia has unveiled details of a new citizenship test for immigrants.

They will be asked questions about history, institutions and culture - as well as committing to Australian social values focusing on "mateship".

The aim of the test was to get "that balance between diversity and integration correct in future", said Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews.

Critics believe the requirement of an English language exam discriminates against non-English speakers.

The new citizenship test is expected to be introduced later this year.

The details were unveiled in a 40-page draft guide that is to be given to all applicants. Australia unveils immigrant tests (more)

Mark Alexander

British Re-Enactment Society Infiltrated by Neo-Nazis, according to BBC Investigation
THE TELEGRAPH: A British re-enactment society that has portrayed the SS in films and on television has been infiltrated by neo-Nazis, according to a BBC investigation.

People associated with the Second Battle Group, which featured in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, claimed they were members of the far-Right Blood and Honour organisation and complained of German blood being tainted by "jigaboos".

The claims were made in footage filmed by the BBC Panorama unit, which followed the SBG during a show in Kent this summer.

The SBG was set up in 1978 and describes itself as "Britain's longest-serving Second World War living history and historical society".

According to its website, the aim of the group is "not to glorify war or the Nazi regime but … to portray the fighting German Waffen SS soldier of WWII as accurately as possible."

At public displays its members, who number 200, portray scenes from throughout the war, while wearing replica uniforms and using authentic weapons and vehicles.

Panorama, due to be broadcast on Monday, used a hidden camera to record one of the senior members of the SBG in the beer tent. The man, identified as Glen Swallow, was heard to say: "If it (the Waffen SS) existed now, I would join. I believe we should be sorting these Muslims out." 'Neo-Nazis infiltrate WWII re-enactment group' (more) By Graham Tibbetts

Neo-Nazi video shows execution By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Right-Wing Extremism in Germany

Mark Alexander

25% of British Babies Born to Foreign Parents
THE GUARDIAN: The row over statistics showing 25% of UK babies are born to foreign parents overlooks a well-established trend

The heir to the throne is one. The environment secretary, Hilary Benn, another. The television presenter Davina McCall a third. They are all among one of the UK's fastest-growing demographic groups - people born in this country whose mother or father was born overseas.

More than a quarter of babies born in Britain have at least one foreign-born parent, it emerged this week, up from just over a fifth in 2000. It is a striking statistic that in some quarters, predictably, provoked alarm. "Many people simply don't understand how this could have happened without anyone being consulted," Sir Andrew Green, chair of the rightwing anti-immigration group Migration Watch, wrote in the Daily Telegraph. "They are deeply concerned about the future." Prince, Davina and a baby revolution (more)

Mark Alexander

Hausfrau Appeal

Photo of Angela Merkel courtesy of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Halfway through her term, Angela Merkel's shrewdness, unpretentious "Hausfrau" image and sheer luck have made her more popular than any of her seven male predecessors were at this stage of the political cycle. She's likely to play it safe during the next two years, avoiding painful reforms.

Angela Merkel is more popular now than any German chancellor since the end of World War II, according to a new opinion poll which puts her mid-term approval rating at a record 76 percent. The figure is impressive because after a couple of years in office, leaders often see their popularity hit by by broken campaign promises and dashed hopes.

The poll by the Emnid institute for Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed that only 21 percent of respondents want a change of government. "Such positive ratings for a German government leader half-way through the term have never been recorded before," Emnid director Klaus-Peter Schöppner told the paper. "People admire how Merkel stands her ground in the world of Bush, Putin and Sarkozy."

After two years leading Germany, Merkel is as uncharismatic as she ever was, and her low-key style of government couldn't be more different from that of her media-savvy and vain predecessor Gerhard Schröder. Germans have evidently warmed to the sober, understated approach that almost lost her the 2005 general election.

There's nothing showy about her. One of the most enduring images of Schröder, taken by star photographer Peter Lindbergh, shows him posing in a "Brioni" cashmere coat for a fashion magazine. Merkel Sitting Pretty Two Years Into Term (more)

Mark Alexander

O Ye Men of Faith! For the Love of Allah, Don’t Pluck Those Eyebrows!
BBC: Iranian police have closed more than 20 barbers' shops in the capital Tehran.

The authorities say the barbers were encouraging un-Islamic behaviour by offering Western hairstyles, tattooing and also eyebrow-plucking for men.

Police say they have inspected more than 700 shops during a two-week crackdown in the city.

The move is part of an annual campaign against what is known locally as bad hijab, or un-Islamic clothing, that this year is also targeting men.

Hundreds of women and men have already been cautioned.

Police say that as well as avoiding Western hairstyles and make up, barbers should not pluck customers' eyebrows.

The closure of the shops comes several months after barbers were warned that they could lose their licences if they did not comply.

However, police have denied a report that they have ordered barbers not to serve customers wearing ties.

Some young boys in Iran sport very wild hair styles, using gel to make their long hair stand on end in a fashion not seen in other countries, correspondents say. [Source: Iran shuts 'Western' barber shops]

Mark Alexander

250 Islamisten in Pakistan innerhalb eines Monats getötet
NZZ: Die pakistanische Armee hat nach eigenen Angaben innerhalb eines Monats rund 250 militante Islamisten getötet. Bei den schweren Kämpfen im Grenzgebiet zu Afghanistan kamen im gleichen Zeitraum 60 Soldaten um ihr Leben. Allein am Freitag starben fünf Soldaten bei einem Selbstmordanschlag.

(ap) Bei heftigen Gefechten an der Grenze zu Afghanistan sind in einem Monat in Pakistan rund 250 militante Islamisten und 60 Soldaten getötet worden. Dies teilte am Freitag Generalmajor Maheed Arshad mit. Pakistan meldet Tod von 250 militanten Islamisten: Anhaltende Kämpfe an der afghanischen Grenze (mehr)

Musharraf zunehmend in Bedrängnis: Druck aus Washington gegen eine Ausrufung des Notstands?

Gestürzter Ex-Premier kann nach Pakistan zurückkehren: Druck auf Musharraf vor den Wahlen erhöht

Mark Alexander

Princess Diana and the Continuing Conspiracy Theories

Photos courtesy of the Daily Mail

REUTERS: LONDON (Reuters) - Two major investigations by French and British police concluded that Princess Diana's death in a Paris car crash was a tragic accident, but 10 years on many remain convinced she was murdered in a sinister plot.

The usual suspects cited by conspiracy theorists include the royal family -- because they were unhappy Diana was to marry her lover, Muslim Dodi al-Fayed -- or arms dealers, because they were angry at her support for a ban on landmines.

"They were killed as a result of a wicked conspiracy by people who did not want the princess to marry my son and were fearful of what she could say and do," Dodi's father Mohamed, the leading murder theory protagonist, told Reuters.

And there are some truly bizarre hypotheses.

These suggest leaders of a "new world order" assassinated her because she wouldn't marry former U.S. President Bill Clinton, or that she was killed as part of a Satanic ritual, or even that she is still alive having faked her own death.

Alasdair Spark, at the Centre for Conspiracy Culture at the University of Winchester, said doubts about the official version of Diana's death reflected a common belief that the public were always deliberately misled by the authorities.

"At the heart of it is this very strong belief we are always lied to, that any government never tells you the truth," Spark told Reuters. Diana conspiracy theories flourish a decade on (more)

DAILY EXPRESS:
Diana ‘Was Nine Weeks Pregnant When She Died’

DAILY MAIL:

'Diana was pregnant when she died - but Dodi was not the father' claims French journalist

Mark Alexander

In der Türkei darf ab sofort Hitlers “Mein Kampf” nicht mehr gedruckt oder verkauft werden

Mein Kampf wurde von Hitler während seiner Festhaftung im Jahre 1924 geschrieben

DIE PRESSE: Offenbar hat der Freistaat Bayern das Verbot als Inhaber der Urheberrechte vor türkischen Gerichten durchgesetzt. Nachdrucke hatten türkische Bestsellerlisten gestürmt.

Hitlers "Mein Kampf", das wegen einer Vielzahl preiswerter Nachdrucke die türkischen Bestsellerlisten gestürmt hatte, darf in der Türkei ab sofort nicht mehr gedruckt oder verkauft werden.
Der Freistaat Bayern als Inhaber der Urheberrechte an dem Buch des "Führers" hat das Verbot vor türkischen Gerichten durchgesetzt, wie der TV-Sender CNN-Türk am Donnerstag berichtet. Eine Bestätigung seitens der Behörden lag zunächst nicht vor.

Mehrere Auflagen ohne Druckgenehmigung

"Mein Kampf", das politische Grundlagenwerk Adolf Hitlers, in dem er vor dem Hintergrund seiner Autobiographie die Grundzüge seiner weltanschaulichen Überzeugung und seines Programms entwarf, war in den vergangenen Jahren in der Türkei zum Bestseller geworden; gleich mehrere Verlage gaben das Buch heraus. Allerdings hatten die Herausgeber keine Druckgenehmigung. Auch habe Bayern als Inhaber der Rechte kein Geld von den Verlagen erhalten, meldete CNN-Türk. Das deutsche Bundesland sei daraufhin vor Gericht gegangen.
Hitler schrieb "Mein Kampf" 1924 während seiner Festungshaft in Landsberg zusammen mit seinem späteren Stellvertreter Rudolf Heß, welcher aber nicht als Ko-Autor aufgeführt wird. [Quelle: Türkei verbietet Hitlers “Mein Kampf”]

THE GUARDIAN:
Mein Kampf sales soar in Turkey

ISRAELINSIDER:
Why is Mein Kampf a bestseller in Turkey?

BBC:
Hitler book bestseller in Turkey

LIVE LEAK:
Hitler’s book to be republished in German?

REUTERS:
Historian wants “Mein Kampf” republished

LIVE LEAK:

Mein Kampf: Original-Ausgabe

Mark Alexander

Immigration Fuels Population Growth in Italy
CORRIERA DELLA SERA: In one year, the country’s population has grown by 380,000 thanks almost entirely to the rising inflow of migrants

ROME – In one year, the resident population of Italy has grown by 379,576, an increase largely due to the inflow of migrants. ISTAT, Italy’s national statistics institute, calculated the figure by comparing registry office records on 31 December 2006 with data for the preceding year. Immigrants Nudge Population Past Fifty-Nine Million Mark (more)

Mark Alexander

Muslim in Italy Annoyed by Statue of Walled Virgin Mary
CORRIERA DELLA SERA: Moroccan’s neighbours say statue annoyed him. Northern League happy at immigrant’s change of heart. Mayor calls episode “unspeakable”. Case to be discussed by local council

CASATENOVO – “I’m pleased that the statue of the Virgin is back where it should be”, said a relieved Antonio Colombo yesterday evening. The mayor of Casatenovo was commenting on the removal of bricks sealing a niche at Cascina Rimoldo from which the Virgin has blessed passers-by for a hundred years. But in this corner of Brianza, in the province of Lecco, there is still a mood of shock and distress at the incident at Valaperta. It was two pensioners, Agnese and Angela, who saved the plaster Virgin from being walled up in its niche over the door of a Muslim immigrant’s home. “The Moroccan was irritated by the Virgin’s presence”, they explained as they returned the statue to its shrine. Mr Colombo, the Centre-left mayor, says he has reported the incident to the police and prefecture at Lecco so that any legal repercussions can be verified. After a visit by carabinieri to Valaperta yesterday, the other immigrant families who live in at Cascina Rimoldo removed the bricks to “avoid problems”. Nevertheless, the incident will be discussed by the municipal administration in the next few days after angry protests from the Northern League. Saving the Walled Virgin (more)

Mark Alexander

UK Benefits Claims Treble in a Year!
DAILY EXPRESS: THE toll of Eastern Europeans claiming benefits has almost trebled in a year – costing the taxpayer more than £125million-a-year.

Around 112,000 migrants who came to Britain to work are now claiming state handouts – the equivalent of one in six of those who have headed here since the EU expanded.

The ever-increasing drain on public funds comes as the number of workers and their families heading from Poland and its neighbours continues to soar.

Critics warned that the pressure on handouts is only set to increase with more and more staying longer and growing older and less healthy.

The Home Office admitted some of the burden is because migrants are now forming families over here. In a separate blow, Ministers were accused of letting asylum run out of control as figures showed that the backlog of failed applicants is growing, not reducing. Ministers were also criticised for not having up-to-date figures on overall net migration.

Blair Gibbs, campaign director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Migrants who come here should work and pay taxes, but mass immigration is having a direct financial cost on British taxpayers because there are not tight enough rules on claiming benefits.

“Taxpayers don’t want new migrants arriving here and being able to depend on benefits, instead of working.”

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: “The increase in benefit claims is a sign that real life is breaking through. Eastern Europeans will not forever be young, healthy and single and so the social costs can only increase.” Benefits Bill for EU Migrants Trebles (more) By Tom Whitehead

Mark Alexander

Bush’s Warning: Iraq Could Turn into America’s New Vietnam
BBC: President George W Bush has warned a US withdrawal from Iraq could trigger the kind of upheaval seen in South East Asia after US forces quit Vietnam.

"The price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens," he told war veterans in Missouri.

Mr Bush said the Vietnam War had taught the need for US patience over Iraq.

His speech comes amid an apparent rift with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, but Mr Bush said Mr Maliki was a "good man with a difficult job". Bush warns of new Vietnam in Iraq (more)

Mark Alexander

Kölner Moscheebau: Die Höhe der Minarette bleibt. Islam breitet sich in Deutschland schnell aus
FAZ: 22. August 2007
Der türkisch-islamische Verband Ditib hält an seinen umstrittenen Plänen zum Bau einer repräsentativen Moschee im Kölner Stadtteil Ehrenfeld fest. Die beiden Minarette sollten auch nach dem überarbeiteten Entwurf – wie geplant – 55 Meter hoch werden, teilte Ditib-Geschäftsführer Mehmet Yildirim am Mittwoch in Köln mit. Die Ditib, die der deutsche Ableger des türkischen Religionsamtes ist, folge mit dieser Entscheidung den Empfehlungen des Architekten Paul Böhm und des für den Moscheebau eingesetzten unabhängigen Beirats.

Böhm sagte, die Gestaltung der Minarette, die „in Anlehnung an die Form der Kuppel“ nach dem neuen Entwurf weniger traditionell, sondern „filigraner, offener und abstrakter“ wirkten, sei noch nicht abgeschlossen. Zuvor hatten der Beirat und die Ditib noch Entwürfe erwogen, nach denen die Minaretthöhe um fünf oder zehn Meter verringert werden sollte. Ditib: Die Höhe der Minarette bleibt (mehr)

Mark Alexander

Le Canada ouvre un débat sur la polygamie
LE FIGARO: Un village mormon de Colombie-Britannique la pratique ouvertement et des études suggèrent de légaliser ce type d'union.

AU CANADA, la polygamie, interdite depuis plus d'un siècle, fait l'objet de débats houleux. Des mormons fondamentalistes, installés dans l'ouest du pays, sont toujours polygames. Impuissant, le gouvernement de Colombie-Britannique veut saisir la Cour suprême.

Bountiful est une bourgade reculée du sud de la Colombie-Britannique, à plusieurs centaines de kilomètres de Vancouver et de Calgary. Depuis la fondation de ce hameau en 1946, une secte dissidente de l'Église mormone y pratique ouvertement la polygamie. Aujourd'hui, un millier de personnes y vivent, pour la plupart des descendants des fondateurs de Bountiful. Le chef de la communauté, Winston Blackmore, a épousé vingt-six femmes et a quatre-vingts enfants. En vertu de leurs croyances, les hommes de Bountiful doivent épouser un maximum de femmes pour gagner leur place au paradis. Les villageois travaillent dans des conditions misérables pour les dirigeants de la collectivité et vivent à l'écart de la société britano-colombienne. Le Canada ouvre un débat sur la polygamie (suivant) De Ludovic Hirtzmann, Montréal

Mark Alexander

L’Union européenne a appelé de gouverneur de Texas pour un moratoire sur la peine capitale

Photo grâce au Figaro

LE FIGARO: Rompant avec ses habitudes, l'Union européenne a officiellement appelé le gouverneur de l'Etat Rick Perry à imposer un moratoire sur la peine capitale.

Un homme reconnu coupable du meurtre d'une immigrée vietnamienne au cours d'un hold-up dans une épicerie de Houston sera exécuté mercredi soir. Johnny Ray Conner, 32 ans, sera le 21e détenu à être tué cette année au Texas, le 400e depuis 1982. A lui tout seul, le Texas a assuré près de 40 % des exécutions aux Etats-Unis depuis le rétablissement de la peine capitale en 1976 (1.089 exécutions au total).

Il avait fallu moins d'une heure au jury pour le reconnaître coupable de l’assassinat, le 17 mai 1998, de Kathyanna Nguyen. Et en moins de cinq heures, la condamnation était tombée : peine de mort.

Fait exceptionnel, l'Union européenne a officiellement appelé le gouverneur de l'Etat Rick Perry à imposer un moratoire sur la peine capitale. « La sanction étant irréversible, les erreurs judiciaires, inévitables dans tout système judiciaire, ne peuvent être réparées », a observé l'UE, faisant part de ses « profonds regrets » avant l'exécution programmée du détenu. Le Texas va exécuter son 400e condamné (suivant)

Mark Alexander

Hugo Chávez Digs In His Socialist Heels in Venezuela
BBC: Venezuelas [sic] parliament has given initial approval to reforms proposed by President Hugo Chavez, including an end to presidential term limits.

The proposals still require a final endorsement by parliament, which is dominated by Mr Chavez's supporters, and must then be put to a referendum.

The constitutional reforms would also increase presidential control over the central bank. Venezuela lawmakers back reforms (more)

Mark Alexander

Racism Alive and Well in Eastern Germany
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Three days after eight Indian men were attacked, injured and chased through an Eastern German town by a mob while the townsfolk looked on, Germany is worried that this latest incident will hurt its image abroad and scare off foreign investors.

The Indian government has demanded a rigorous investigation into the attack on eight Indian men (more...) by a mob of at least 50 Germans shouting "Foreigners out" in the eastern German town of Mügeln, near the city of Leipzig, on Saturday night.

"We expect the culprits to be caught quickly," India's ambassador to Germany, Meera Shankar, told Berliner Zeitung newspaper. Earlier she asked the German government "to take measures to tackle this issue and prevent such events from occurring in the future," a spokesman for the Indian foreign ministry said.

The attack has triggered fresh public debate about far-right extremism in the formerly communist east of Germany, which has seen a string of racist assaults since unification in 1990. Politicians and business leaders have expressed concern that the country's reputation abroad may have been hurt and that foreign investors be deterred from coming to Germany. After Attack on Indians, Germany Fears For its Reputation (more)

Mark Alexander

Muslim-Mocking Carnival in Cornwall

Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail

DAILY MAIL: A row has broken out over a carnival parade after a group's act has been deemed "disgusting and offensive" to Muslims.

The procession included a 17-strong group of men and women called "The Page Three Beauties from the Ramalama Ding Dong Times".

They dressed in Muslim style burkas and carried a banner saying "Join the Kernow Mosk Dreckly, become a Muslim".

And individual members also held up placards which read names like Miss Poppadomistan, Miss Sleptwithjudgeistan, Miss Hairyarmpitsrbad, Miss Slackistan, Miss Leatherselfgoabad and Miss Reallyamanistan.

As they walked the parade route through St Columb Minor, north Cornwall, they knelt down in mock prayer, using fake compasses to try to find the correct direction to pray to Mecca.

The carnival judging panel - including the mayor of Restormel council Pat Harvey and three other local councillors - shortlisted the group to win the cup for the best entry. Miss Sleptwithjudgeistan: row as village stages mock Muslim parade with burkha-clad 'page three girls' (more)

Mark Alexander

Storm in New York City over Arab School
YNET NEWS: New York City residents, Jewish community divided over opening of public Arab school in city

New York City’s first ever public Arab school is set to open its doors in two weeks, amidst much debate and controversy.

The Khalil Gibran International Academy will receive funding from the NYC municipality and will be temporarily run by a Jewish woman, Danielle Salzberg, an educator and senior program officer with the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools.

Earlier this month the school's original principal, Debbie Almontaser, resigned after she failed to condemn the use of the highly charged word "intifada," an Arabic term for the Palestinian uprising against Israel.

State Assemblyman, and prominent Jewish community leader, Dov Hikind called on chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, Joe Klein, to cancel the opening of the school, and said Almontaser’s attitude was one of the reasons people should be concerned.

“She was supposed to be the responsible one, but the first time she had to deal with the use of one small word, she failed,” he said in an interview to Yedioth Ahronoth.

“Instead of condemning the use of the word intifada and the idea that stands behind it, of the killing of innocents, she hid behind lexical definitions. She reminds me of Arafat (Yasser Arafat, former Palestinian Authority Chairman) and his lexical interpretations of the word ‘jihad’.”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on his radio show that Almontaser was "certainly not a terrorist," but he called her resignation the "right thing to do". Arab school stirs storm in NYC (more)

Mark Alexander

White Flight! Mass Exodus from the United Kingdom!
DAILY MAIL: A record number of Brits are packing their bags and escaping soaring house prices, wet weather and the perception of rising crime for a new life abroad, according to new figures.

The Office of National Statistics showed 385,000 people migrated from the country in the year to July 2006.

This is the highest figure since official counting methods were introduced in 1991

The most popular destination for migrants is Australia, with South Africa proving to be another favourite.

The number of long-term migrants who arrived in the UK in the same period was 574,000, slightly down on the previous year.

Overall, the population of the country rose 0.6 per cent in the year to 60,587,000. Record number of Brits leaving the UK for a life abroad (more)

Mark Alexander

Is Darkness
About to Fall on Malaysia?

Photos courtesy of the TimesOnline

With many thanks to the Anti-Jihadist from Pedestrian Infidel, where I first saw this article:

TIMESONLINE: Over a drink of green coconut at what used to be called the Passionate Love Beach until his Islamist party came to power and scrapped the name, state minister Takiyuddin Hassan outlines the victories in the war on sin.

To the south, in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, celebrations are starting for Malaysia’s 50th year as an independent state. Its proud achievements are modern universities, a buoyant economy and a respected place in the world as a moderate Islamic nation.

Mr Hassan’s party boasts a different set of achievements: banning mini-skirts, chastising unmarried couples and renaming Kota Bharu’s favourite beauty spot. They also closed down nightclubs, banned nearly all bars except a few Chinese restaurants, where no Muslims are allowed, and refused to let a proposed cinema open unless there were separate sections for men and women.

In a sign of their clout, the American pop diva Gwen Stefani has agreed to wear traditional costumes in her Malaysian concert next week after conservative Muslim youths protested at the “indecent dressing and obscenity” of her skin-baring act. An Islamic opposition party demanded that her show next Tuesday should be cancelled.

The platinum blonde star has agreed to cover up in the hope of heading off further protests.

As it celebrates 50 years of independence on August 31, Malaysia is once again debating just how Islamic it should be. Older Malays bemoan a younger generation that has become puritanical, self-righteously declining to attend social functions where alcohol is served. Headscarves, rare 20 years ago, are worn by almost all Malay women now, although often in combination with tight jeans. Islam’s war on sin dims bright lights in a nation torn between cultures (more) By Nick Meo in Kota Bharu

Mark Alexander

Sarkozy Not Afraid to Talk of ”Chemical Castration” for Pædophiles

Photo of M Sarkozy courtesy of the BBC

BBC: French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost no time since returning from holiday in demonstrating that his political touch has not deserted him.

His response to a shocking news story - the alleged abduction and rape of a young boy by a serial sex offender who had just been freed from jail - was vintage Sarko.

Flanked by senior ministers on the steps of the Elysee Palace, the president announced a handful of simple, direct measures on an emotive topic - protecting children from paedophiles - that he knows will go down well with the public.

No more reduced sentences for sex offenders; secure hospitals for those still considered dangerous at the end of their sentences; tougher controls for those who are freed.

'Chemical castration'

The populist language was familiar.

He was not afraid, Mr Sarkozy said, to call hormonal treatment for paedophiles "chemical castration".

On the convicted paedophile who allegedly attacked the five-year-old boy, he said: "I don't understand how someone is sentenced to 27 years and only serves 18."

In a matter of minutes, President Sarkozy cut through a mountain of law and regulation in a highly complicated area to get to the heart of what concerns people: punishment for criminals, and protection for their potential victims. Sarkozy's anti-paedophile action-plan (more) By Alistair Sandford

Mark Alexander

Sayf al-Islam Gaddafi Announces Reform Plans

Photo of Sayf al-Gaddafi courtesy of the BBC

BBC: The son of the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, has announced reform plans, including an independent central bank and free media.

Sayf al-Islam Gaddafi also called for a national dialogue on a new constitution to strengthen Libya's political system.

But he said Islamic Sharia law, security issues, Libya's territorial unity and his father's leadership would be kept out of any political debate.

Sayf al-Islam holds no government post, but is his father's most trusted envoy.

He has denied reports that he is being groomed to succeed his father.

'People's contract'

In a speech broadcast live on state media, Mr Gaddafi said the current political system, which mixes Islamic ideas with some socialist principles, was flawed.

He said it criminalised political dissent and banned the creation of political parties and a freely-elected parliament. Gaddafi son unveils reform plan (more)

Mark Alexander

Iran Frees Haleh Esfandiari
BBC: An Iranian-American academic jailed during a visit to Tehran in May has been freed, the official state news agency Isna has reported.

Detained on security-related charges, Haleh Esfandiari, 67, was released for a bail of 3 billion rial ($320,000; £160,000), according to Isna.

Ms Esfandiari, who works for a research institute in Washington, was jailed while visiting her 93-year-old mother.
Her release comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.

US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe told AFP news agency: "This is encouraging news and the United States welcomes this." Iran frees detained US academic (more)

Mark Alexander

Vatican Plans Budget Flights for Christian Pilgrims
BBC: The Vatican is to launch a low-cost charter flight service to transport pilgrims to holy sites worldwide.

The inaugural flight on 27 August will go from Rome to Lourdes in France.

A small Italian airline, Mistral, will provide the planes, with the interiors decorated with sacred inscriptions such as: "I search for your face, Lord."

Other destinations could include Fatima in Portugal and Santiago di Compostela in Spain, the Holy Land, Poland and a Catholic shrine in Mexico. Vatican plans flights to shrines (more)

Mark Alexander

Nazi Files of the Holocaust Are Being Transferred to the US and Israel
BBC: The keepers of a vast archive of Nazi documents on the Holocaust have transferred copies of millions of files to museums in Israel and the US.

The electronic transfer is part of an agreement to open up the Bad Arolsen archive, overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The files, kept in Germany, were found in concentration camps and other Nazi prisons at the end of World War II.

Several countries have not yet ratified the agreement, delaying full access.

The archive will only be fully opened to the public when the 2006 protocol is ratified by Italy, France and Greece. That is expected later this year.

The ICRC says the archive has now transferred many documents from the archive to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in the US and to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Centre in Israel.

Chilling details
The 47 million files stored in the spa town of Bad Arolsen hold meticulously recorded information on forced labourers, concentration camp victims and political prisoners. They take up 26km (16 miles) of shelving. Copies of Nazi files transferred (more)

Vatican opens secret Nazi files

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Yad Vashem

The secret history of the Nazi mascot

Mark Alexander

Global Incident Map
With thanks to Nanc for drawing this Global Incident Map to our attention on AlwaysOnWatch’s great blogspot. It’s well worth checking out.

Mark Alexander

A Flight to Safety on Wall Street
THE TELEGRAPH: A flight to safety on Wall Street caused yields on 3-month US treasury notes to plummet at the steepest pace since modern records began, eclipsing moves at the height of the 1987 stock market crash.

The big freeze?

Investors fled the $2,500bn (£1,260bn) money market that usually serves as a safe-haven in times of turbulence, responding to reports that funds may be exposed to sub-prime mortgage debt and asset-backed commercial paper. "This is a sign of significant fear in the financial system," said one banker.

However, the Dow, after sinking nearly 100 points in early trading, staged a late rally and ended up 42 points at 13,121, as the pile into treasury notes eased later in the day.

Traders were initially unsettled by news that Deutsche Bank had tapped the credit window of the US Federal Reserve after the emergency half-point cut in the discount rate last Friday. Banks are typically reluctant to use the facility, fearing that it could send off a distress signal. US bond yields plunge at record rate (more) By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard and David Litterick

Mark Alexander

Saudi Family Killed Domestic Workers Says Human Rights Watch
MIDDLE EAST TIMES: DUBAI -- A Saudi family beat to death two Indonesian women workers in an attack that Human Rights Watch said Friday highlighted the government's failure to deal with employers who seriously abuse domestic staff.

"The brutal killings of these Indonesian domestic workers occurred in an atmosphere of impunity, fostered by government inaction," said Nisha Varia, senior researcher in the Women's Rights Division of the New York-based rights group.

"Not only do the authorities typically fail to investigate or prosecute abusive employers, the criminal justice system also obstructs abused workers from seeking redress."

The group said seven members of the Saudi family carried out the beatings, earlier this month, which also resulted in two other women being critically injured. They are now in intensive care in Riyadh.

The family accused the four of practising "black magic" on a teenage son.

Although the authorities have detained these employers, the rights group said many of the 2 million domestic workers in the kingdom are routinely underpaid, overworked, confined to the workplace, or subject to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse.

And those who complain often face countercharges, such as theft, adultery, or fornication in cases of rape or witchcraft.

It cited interviews it had with Sri Lankan women who had been sentenced to prison and whipping after their employers had raped and made them pregnant.

In another case, Nour Miyati, an Indonesian domestic worker, was seriously injuried and lost her fingers through gangrene, after her employer locked her up, physically and verbally abused her, and deprived her of food.

She then faced a countercharge of making false accusations against him and was sentenced to 79 lashes. A court subsequently overturned that conviction and sentence, but she still awaits a final monetary settlement from her employer, and the ability to return home to Indonesia after her ordeal.

Human Rights Watch said the Saudi government often took months or years to tell foreign missions if their nationals had been arrested, preventing them from giving badly-needed help, such as interpreters.

Despite this, it said the Indonesian embassy alone currently has 300 women in its shelter, mainly domestic workers complaining of abuse by employers and recruitment agents. In July, the shelter housed 500 women. [Source; Saudi family killed domestic workers says rights group]

Mark Alexander

Prophet Mohammed war ein “Verbrecher”, so Ehsan Jami. Einer, der mit Usama Bin Laden zu vergleichen ist!

Foto von Ehsam Jami dank der FAZ

FAZ: 21. August 2007
„Ehsan Jami könnte einflussreicher werden als Ayaan Hirsi Ali“, sagt Afshin Ellian. Die Prophezeiung des Rechtsphilosophen und Publizisten, der sich 1989 vor der iranischen Chomeini-Revolution in die Niederlande rettete und als populärer Islam-Kritiker vielen muslimischen Extremisten so verhasst ist, dass er dort bei seinen Universitätsvorlesungen stets von zwei Polizisten flankiert ist, gilt einem 22 Jahre alten sozialdemokratischen Lokalpolitiker. Der war als Neunjähriger mit seinen Eltern ebenfalls aus Iran gekommen, nennt sich seit dem 11. September 2001 nicht mehr Muslim und wurde im vorigen Jahr in den Rat der südholländischen Gemeinde Voorburg gewählt. Seit Anfang August lebt er unter Polizeischutz an einem geheimen Ort. Denn er hat angekündigt, ein niederländisches „Komitee für Ex-Muslime“ zu gründen - und wurde deshalb vor seiner Wohnung zusammengeschlagen.

Vereine von und für Menschen, die sich vom Islam abgewandt haben, sind unlängst auch in Deutschland und Großbritannien gegründet worden. Doch erregt das Vorhaben in den Niederlanden im beginnenden Jahr Zwei nach Ayaan Hirsi Ali einiges mehr an Aufsehen. Ein gutes Jahr ist es her, dass die im ganzen Land berühmte Kämpferin gegen den traditionellen Islam und die Unterdrückung muslimischer Frauen die Niederlande verlassen hat. Die gebürtige Somalierin, die in Europa dem Islam abschwor und auch als Abgeordnete der Rechtsliberalen ihren Kampf mehr außerhalb als innerhalb des Haager Parlaments focht, verließ vorigen Sommer geradezu fluchtartig Europa. Hirsi Alis Freunde (mehr) Von Andreas Ross

Mark Alexander

Unsichere Zeiten in der deutschen Wirtschaft
FAZ: 21. August 2007
Die Turbulenzen an den Finanzmärkten haben den Konjunkturoptimismus von Anlegern und Analysten stark getrübt. Der Index der ZEW-Konjunkturerwartungen sank im August überraschend deutlich: von 10,4 im Juli auf minus 6,9 Punkte. Dies teilte das Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW) am Dienstag mit. Analysten hatten mit einem Rückgang auf minus 1,0 Punkte gerechnet. Der Index für die aktuelle Lage gab von 88,2 Punkten im Juli auf 80,2 Punkte nach.

Die 300 befragten Experten befürchten dem ZEW zufolge, dass die Krise am amerikanischen Immobilienmarkt auf die deutsche Wirtschaft durchschlägt. ZEW-Präsident Wolfgang Franz sieht dagegen nur begrenzte Folgen. „Mögliche Rückwirkungen auf die deutsche Konjunktur werden sich nach derzeitigen Kenntnissen in engen Grenzen halten“, sagte Franz. „Die Krise ist in erster Linie ein Problem der Vereinigten Staaten.“ Eventuelle Kreditengpässe fielen in ein Umfeld sehr guter Unternehmensbilanzen. Allerdings die Konjunkturerwartungen nun deutlich unter ihrem historischen Mittelwert von 32,6 Punkten. Die Konjunkturerwartungen für die Eurozone verminderten sich im August ebenfalls. Der Euro-Indikator sank um 13,3 Punkte gegenüber dem Vormonat auf minus 6,1 Punkten. Amerikanische Krise erreicht Deutschland (mehr)

Mark Alexander

Sarkozy: Staatschef, der sich aufführt wie ein Filmstar von Paparazzi gejagt! Alles muß schön, teuer, und luxuriös sein!
FAZ: 21. August 2007
Die „rupture“, den Bruch mit der Vergangenheit, hat Nicolas Sarkozy den Franzosen vor seiner Wahl zum Staatspräsidenten versprochen. Das sollte auch für den Stil seiner Politik gelten. Anders als sein Vorgänger Chirac wolle er nicht zurückgezogen hinter den Mauern des Elysée-Palastes die Geschicke des Staates lenken, eingepresst in steife Protokolle und Rituale, sondern er wolle bürgernah, offen und pragmatisch regieren, versprach Sarkozy. Dabei solle er für seine Handlungen immer zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden können.

Die Ferien von Sarkozy, so sehen es viele Kommentatoren, wollen nicht recht dazu passen. Schon zum zweiten Mal in seiner noch nicht einmal hundert Tage währenden Amtszeit sorgen sie für Aufsehen, weil sie teuer waren und von reichen Managern bezahlt wurden. Dem aufgrund von politischem Druck verkürzten Yachturlaub vor Malta zwischen Wahl und Amtseinführung im Mai, den der Unternehmer Vincent Bolloré bezahlte, folgten die gerade beendeten Ferien im amerikanischen Bundesstaat New Hampshire. Sarkozy lässt sich gern verwöhnen (mehr) Von Christian Schubert, Paris

Mark Alexander

Stock Market Crisis: The Tip of the Iceberg
THE TELEGRAPH: Switzerland's top banker has warned of massive losses from the unfolding credit crisis, describing the collapse in US lending standards as "unbelievable".

Jean-Pierre Roth, president of the Swiss National Bank, said market turmoil was far from over as tremors from the sub-prime debacle continued to rock the world.

"We're certainly not at the end of the story. There are question marks surrounding the development of the American economy," he said. "Something unbelievable happened. People who had neither income nor capital got credit with very attractive conditions. Now reality is striking back," he said.

In Germany, the state bank SachsenLB admitted that it had received a €17.3bn bail-out after its investment arm Ormond Quai racked up huge losses on US sub-prime debt. It had previously denied holding direct exposure to sub-prime.

The revelation came as traders braced themselves for another turbulent week, with mounting expectations that central banks may soon cut rates to prevent market mayhem leading to an economic downturn. Traders braced for another torrid week (more) By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard and Yvette Essen

THE TELEGRAPH:
Business comment: Sub-prime crisis is the edge of a financial hurricane (more) By Bernard Connolly

Mark Alexander

In Iran, Muslims Are Becoming Christians


Mark Alexander

In the Ultimate Act of Political-Correctness, British TV to Air the Islamic View of Jesus Christ
THE GUARDIAN: There was no manger, Christ is not the Messiah, and the crucifixion never happened. A forthcoming ITV documentary will portray Jesus as Muslims see him.

With the Koran as a main source and drawing on interviews with scholars and historians, the Muslim Jesus explores how Islam honours Christ as a prophet but not as the son of God. According to the Koran the crucifixion was a divine illusion. Instead of dying on the cross, Jesus was rescued by angels and raised to heaven.

The one-hour special, commissioned and narrated by Melvyn Bragg, is thought to be the first time the subject has been dealt with on British television. Lord Bragg said: "I was fascinated by the idea ... Jesus was such a prominent figure in Islam but most people don't know that."

He denies the programme will divide communities. Raised as an Anglican, he describes the documentary as thoughtful and well researched. "I hope it will provoke among Muslims the feeling they are included in television."

The director and producer, Irshad Ashraf, said the film was an attempt to shift the focus away from extremism to the spiritual side of Islam. "Jesus is loved and respected by Muslims and he's one of the most important prophets in our religion."

Representatives from mainstream Anglican and Catholic organisations were invited to take part in the film, to be broadcast on Sunday, but nobody was available, Mr Ashraf said.
Philip Lewis, the Bishop of Bradford's aide on inter-faith matters, urged believers on both sides to take advantage of a "worthwhile contribution to understanding a complex issue".

However, Patrick Sookhdeo, an Anglican canon and spokesman for the Barnabas Fund, which works with persecuted Christians, accused broadcasters of double standards. Mr Sookhdeo, who was born a Muslim and converted to Christianity in 1969, said: "How would the Muslim community respond if ITV made a programme challenging Muhammad as the last prophet?"

The Koran's denial of Jesus's divinity was "unacceptable". "On the last day the Koran says Jesus will destroy all the crosses. How can we praise that?" TV airing for Islam’s story of Christ [Source]

Mark Alexander

« Bibi » à la tête du Likoud
LEFIGARO: Il a été reconduit hier soir à la tête du Likoud et se prépare pour les prochaines élections.

POUR Benyamin Nétanyahou, ce devrait être la fin de huit années de traversée du désert. Il a été confirmé comme chef du Likoud hier, à l'issue des élections internes organisées dans le grand parti de la droite israélienne. Tous les sondages le donnaient élu dans un fauteuil. Selon les résultats définitifs rendus publics mercredi matin par les responsables de la formation politique, il a raflé 73% des suffrages .

Derrière lui, le candidat d'extrême droite Moshé Feiglin, qu'on attendait dans le rôle du trouble-fête, a obtenu 23% des voix.

Pour « Bibi », comme les Israéliens l'appellent, il ne suffisait pas de gagner. Encore faut-il qu'il y ait la manière. Sur le papier, son OPA pour le pouvoir avait toutes les chances de réussir. Les sondages le plaçaient depuis quelques mois en tête des successeurs possibles d'Ehoud Olmert, le chef de gouvernement qui bat des records d'impopularité. Mais Benyamin Nétanyahou a besoin d'un parti en ordre de marche pour l'emporter, surtout après la déroute lors des législatives de l'an dernier. Les défections d'Ariel Sharon et d'Ehoud Olmert, partis pour fonder Kadima, un parti centriste, avaient laissé le Likoud au tapis avec un groupe parlementaire réduit à la portion congrue - 12 députés sur 120. Benyamin Nétanyahou se relance sur la scène politique israélienne (suivant)

Mark Alexander

Left, Right, Left, Right! Is America About to March in a Different Political Direction?
THE ECONOMIST: For George Bush, the presidency is becoming a tragic tale of unintended consequences. In foreign policy, the man who sought to transform Iraq, the Middle East and America's reputation has indeed had revolutionary effects, though not the ones he was aiming for. Now something similar seems to be happening in domestic politics. The most conservative president in recent history, a man who sought to turn his victories of 2000 and 2004 into a Republican hegemony, may well end up driving the Western world's most impressive political machine off a cliff.

That machine has put Republicans in the White House in seven of the past ten contests. At times it has seemed as if the Democrats (oddly, given their status as the less Godly party) have had to rely on divine intervention to get elected. Watergate helped Jimmy Carter in 1976, just as the end of the cold war and Ross Perot's disruptive third-party campaign helped Bill Clinton in 1992. Better organised and more intellectually inventive than their “liberal” rivals, American conservatives have controlled the agenda even when they have lost: Mr Clinton is best remembered for balancing the budget and passing welfare reform, both conservative achievements. In a country where one in three people see themselves as conservatives (against one in five as liberals) and where the South and West have grown far more quickly than the liberal north-east, it is easy to see why Mr Bush and his strategist, Karl Rove, dreamed of banishing Democrats from power for a generation.

Now they would settle for a lot less. Having recaptured Congress last year, the Democrats are on course to retake the presidency in 2008. Only one Republican, Rudy Giuliani, looks competitive in the polls, and his campaign is less slick than those of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Voters now favour generic Democratic candidates over Republican ones by wide margins. Democrats are more trusted even on traditional conservative issues, such as national security, and they have opened up a wide gap among the young, among independents and among Latinos (see article). Is America turning left? (more)

Mark Alexander

Islam: What the West Needs to Know
Hat tip to Always On Watch for sending me the links to these videos. They really are ‘must views’ for everyone interested in the maintenance of Western civilization!

Part 1:


Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

Mark Alexander