The EU should be stronger and more united. Great Britain should belong to the Union.
Die EU sollte stärker und geeinter sein. Großbritannien sollte der Union angehören.
L'UE devrait être plus forte et plus unie. La Grande-Bretagne devrait appartenir à l'Union.
Monday, October 13, 2008
As Europe Slumps, Is the Far Right Rising?
TIMESONLINE: The death of Jörg Haider has cast a light on the resurgence of facsist politics in Austria and Italy
The death of the Austrian far-right politician Jörg Haider has again focused world attention on his country's ambivalent attitude to its Nazi past. The son of an SS officer, Haider won notoriety by praising Hitler's welfare policies and describing concentration camps as work camps. None of this seemed to bother Austrian voters, who gave him and his fellow-travellers a third of the vote in the last elections.
In Italy, too, right-wing politicians have recently showed signs of a positive attitude to the fascist regime run by Mussolini from 1922 to 1945. The election of Gianni Alemanno as Mayor of Rome was greeted by supporters shouting “Duce! Duce!” - the name taken by Mussolini and Hitler, while the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has declared that his movement is “the new Falange”, in a reference to the Spanish fascists of Franco's day.
What drives the radical politicians of the new Right is, in the first place, hostility to immigrants, a feeling that is likely to get worse as the European economy slides into recession. Added to this are fears of the collapse of law and order. The rhetoric of fascism provides a handy symbol for the far Right's determination to deal firmly with immigrants and criminals. It contrasts with the complacency of conventional politicians in Italy and Austria who for decades after the Second World War cosily arranged everything for their own benefit in coalition governments built on political compromise.
This collapsed in Italy a few years ago, and seems to be collapsing in Austria today. In both countries, support for the far Right offers voters the most obvious means of giving voice to their protest and disillusion.
Such rhetoric arouses little public hostility because Austrians and Italians have never felt guilty about their fascist past, as the Germans have. In Germany today you will see former concentration camps turned into sombre monuments to the murderous cruelty of Nazism; small brass plates in the pavement outside houses and shops whose Jewish owners were driven out in the 1930s, with the names of those owners inscribed on them; a monument to Jewish victims of Nazism installed at the centre of the capital city, Berlin. The Nazi past is everywhere, and people's rejection of it is universal and comprehensive.
True, in parts of the former East Germany, the far Right has made some headway, building on popular resentment, especially among the young and unemployed, of the economic shock therapy administered after its absorption into the West in 1990. But it has always remained on the fringes of politics, completely ostracised by the mainstream.
Not so in Italy and Austria, where the far Right is an acceptable coalition partner for leading parties, and few seem troubled by its positive references to the national past. As Europe Slumps, Is the Far Right Rising? >>> Richard J. Evans | October 14, 2008
L'islam radical se cherche une voie dans la république laïque d'Azerbaïdjan
LE FIGARO: Des centaines de jeunes Azerbaïdjanais sont partis étudier en Arabie saoudite ou chez le grand voisin iranien. Des dizaines de mosquées se sont construites, financées par l'Iran ou les pays arabes du Golfe.
Gamet Souleymanov souffre encore des éclats de grenade incrustés dans son flanc droit. Il y a deux mois, le jeune imam de la mosquée Abou Bakr conduisait la prière quand une grenade jetée par une fenêtre a atterri au milieu des fidèles. «J'ai voulu la couvrir de mon corps, mais je n'en ai pas eu le temps. Mon heure n'était pas venue. Deux personnes ont été tuées.» Barbe courte, souriant et élégant en polo et pantalon noirs, Gamet Souleymanov est le leader d'un mouvement salafiste sunnite. Parti dès l'indépendance étudier au Soudan puis en Arabie saoudite, il cherche à inculquer aux Azerbaïdjanais la vision intégriste de l'islam saoudien. Selon lui, «la moitié des Azerbaïdjanais sont sunnites», contrairement aux estimations qui donnent habituellement 30 % de sunnites, héritage de l'empire ottoman, et 70 % de chiites, à cause de la proximité de l'Iran.
Gamet Souleymanov se dit apolitique, sauf quand il s'agit de dénoncer «les visées de l'Iran, qui veut faire de l'Azerbaïdjan un État chiite». La plupart des Azerbaïdjanais, citoyens d'une république laïque, réservent la religion aux enterrements. Mais depuis la chute de l'empire soviétique, des mouvements s'intéressent à ce réservoir de croyants et à leur potentiel d'influence. Des centaines de jeunes sont partis étudier en Arabie saoudite ou chez le grand voisin iranien. Des dizaines de mosquées se sont construites, financées par l'Iran ou les pays arabes du Golfe.
Le pouvoir, après avoir laissé faire, a expulsé la plupart des religieux saoudiens ou iraniens, et favorise les imams turcs, proches des Azerbaïdjanais par la langue et la culture et jugés plus modérés. Gamet Souleymanov et sa mosquée, financée, selon lui, par un milliardaire koweïtien, avaient survécu aux purges. Mais voilà : depuis l'attentat, elle reste fermée par les autorités, officiellement pour les besoins de l'enquête. En outre, «plus de deux cents fidèles ont été agressés par les policiers, et leur barbe rasée de force», affirme le religieux. L'islam radical se cherche une voie dans la république laïque d'Azerbaïdjan >>> P.P., Bakou | 13.10.2008
Peres tente de calmer des violences entre Juifs et Arabes
LE FIGARO: Dans la petite ville de Saint Jean d'Acre, en Israël, communautés juives et arabes s'affrontent depuis jeudi dernier. 700 policiers sont toujours en état d'alerte.
«On a toujours vécu en bonne entente, mais je crois que cette fois c'est terminé», lâche une habitante de Saint-Jean d'Acre. Cette petite ville d'Israël est le théâtre d'affrontements entre Juifs et Arabes depuis bientôt cinq jours. Le président israélien Shimon Peres s'est rendu lundi dans la ville pour s'entretenir avec les différentes parties afin d'appeler à la tolérance.«Nous sommes appelés à vivre côte à côte, et un avenir brillant attend Saint-Jean d'Acre» a-t-il martelé.
Et d'ajouter : «J'ai été surpris de l'ampleur des appels à la coexistence pacifique émis par les dirigeants des deux bords». Il a aussi rendu hommage à la police «qui a dû empêcher l'extension des violences, tout en évitant de faire de victimes». 700 policiers sont toujours déployés sur place, alors que la tension est toujours palpable, malgré un retour au calme dimanche soir. Depuis le début des émeutes, 54 personnes des deux bords ont été arrêtées pour atteinte à l'ordre public et douze sont encore détenues.
Saint-Jean d'Acre, ville de 52.000 habitants de Galilée, qui fut la capitale des Croisés, est composée à un tiers d'Arabes. Les deux communautés cohabitent depuis toujours dans le calme dans des quartiers distincts. Mais dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi dernier, cette cohabitation a volé en éclat. Peres tente de calmer des violences entre Juifs et Arabes >>> L.D. (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP | 13.10.2008
Israel: „Der Haiderismus lebt auch ohne Haider weiter“
DIE PRESSE: Für Historiker Segev war Haider das „ekelhafte Österreich“.
JERUSALEM. Der Unfalltod des Kärntner Landeshauptmanns Jörg Haider erregt die israelischen Gemüter deutlich weniger als der jüngste Wahlerfolg der österreichischen Rechtsaußenparteien. Während sich die meisten Medien auf die schlichte Nachricht über den Autounfall beschränkten, wagte die Tageszeitung „Haaretz“ die These, dass der Tod Haiders möglicherweise „den Weg zu einem vereinten extremen rechten Lager in Österreich ebnen könnte“. Die auflagenstärkste Tageszeitung „Yediot Achronot“ widmete sich als einzige ausführlich der Person Haiders, den sie als „geistigen Enkel Hitlers“ bezeichnete.
Lebhaft und zahlreich reagierten die Leser der Online-Ausgaben beider Blätter, wobei von gelangweilt bis boshaft alles vertreten ist. Von einer „gerechten Strafe“ ist dort die Rede, und „Ooops, Haider ist tot, aber wen interessiert das schon?“ „Möllemann, Haider, wer ist der nächste?“, fragt ein Blogger, während ein anderer direkt den Mossad, Israels Geheimdienst, hinter dem Unfall vermutet.
Doch Israel habe weder einen Nutzen von Haiders Tod noch Grund zur Freude darüber, meint der Jerusalemer Historiker und Autor Tom Segev. „Ich habe schon immer gedacht, dass Haider nicht uns, sondern Österreich den größten Schaden antut.“ Der könne auch durch sein Ableben nicht repariert werden. „Der Haiderismus lebt auch ohne ihn weiter.“ Dass fast ein Drittel der österreichischen Wahlberechtigten Nazi-Parteien gewählt hätten, „ist für Österreich schrecklich, nicht für mich.“ Israel: „Der Haiderismus lebt auch ohne Haider weiter“ >>> Susanne Knaul | 12. Oktober 2008
Australia: Dissatisfaction with Immigration Intake Rising
ABC NEWS (AU): As the Rudd Government continues to accept record numbers of migrants, dissatisfaction with Australia's immigration intake is rising for the first time since the early 1990s.
This financial year the Federal Government plans to accept close to 204,000 migrants.
However a paper by Dr Katherine Betts, an associate professor of sociology at Swinburne University, reveals growing voter disquiet about Australia's intake.
"In 2004, 34 per cent of voters thought that the intake should be reduced," Dr Betts said.
"In 2007, after the last election, 46 per cent thought it should be reduced. That was an increase of 12 percentage points.
"It is quite unusual that opposition to the immigration intake should rise during a period that was economically rosy, because you have to remember the people responded to this in late November and early December last year.
"What we do find is that concerns about affordability of housing really jumped over that period between '05 and '07.
"What we are looking at here is a period when immigration numbers have been really very high and population growth been quite sharp. Like in 2002 the population grew by 237,000. In 2007 it grew by 332,000.
"So it has really grown quite fast and that is fast enough for people to actually see the effects of it. Especially in pressure points like Sydney and Melbourne, where most of the migrants go." Dissatisfaction with Immigration Intake Rising >>> | October 13, 2008
First it was Austria; now Jersey is following suit. One has to question the judgement of people who wish to lower the voting age to sixteen. Further, one needs to ask oneself some pretty fundamental questions, too.
Are sixteen-year-olds really mature enough, and politically savvy enough to make sound judgements at the poles? Some will be, of course; but the law shouldn’t be changed to accommodate the few exceptions. My guess is that the majority of sixteen-year-olds today are far from mature enough to make shrewd political decisions.
In years gone by, sixteen-year-olds, because many of them went out to work at a far younger age, were arguably much more politically-savvy than our mommy-coddled youngsters of today.
THE GUARDIAN: New voting age shows increasing support for lowering the voting age across the continent, Electoral Reform Society says
Young people aged 16 and 17 will be able to vote for the first time in forthcoming elections on the island of Jersey this week.
The island voted to lower the minimum voting age from 18 to 16 in July 2007 but the change in the law hasn't been exercised until now. The age group makes up 2% of a population of around 90,000 people, with over half of the island registered to vote in the elections on Wednesday.
Derek Gray, the chair of the privileges and procedures committee, which was charged with reform in the States, the name by which the government of Jersey is known, said: "Guernsey and the Isle of Man have already lowered the voting limit but we're not following the leader, we actually want to engage with our young people. Sixteen and 17-year-olds already have a lot of responsibilities like getting married, so it seems logical they should be able to vote. Jersey 16-Year-Olds to Vote in Island Elections >>> Jo Adetunji | October 13, 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: Eighteen years ago, Rashin Soodmand's father was hanged in Iran for converting to Christianity. Now her brother is in a Mashad jail, and expects to be executed under new religious laws brought in this summer. Alasdair Palmer reports.
A month ago, the Iranian parliament voted in favour of a draft bill, entitled "Islamic Penal Code", which would codify the death penalty for any male Iranian who leaves his Islamic faith. Women would get life imprisonment. The majority in favour of the new law was overwhelming: 196 votes for, with just seven against.
Imposing the death penalty for changing religion blatantly violates one of the most fundamental of all human rights. The right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in the European Convention of Human Rights. It is even enshrined as Article 23 of Iran's own constitution, which states that no one may be molested simply for his beliefs.
And yet few politicians or clerics in Iran see any contradiction between a law mandating the death penalty for changing religion and Iran's constitution. There has been no public protest in Iran against it.
David Miliband, Britain's Foreign Secretary, stands out as one of the few politicians from any Western country who has put on record his opposition to making apostasy a crime punishable by death. The protest from the EU has been distinctly muted; meanwhile, Germany, Iran's largest foreign trading partner, has just increased its business deals with Iran by more than half. Characteristically, the United Nations has said nothing.
It is a sign of how little interest there is in Iran's intention to launch a campaign of religious persecution that its parliamentary vote has still not been reported in the mainstream media.
For one woman living in London, however, the Iranian parliamentary vote cannot be brushed aside. Rashin Soodmand is a 29-year-old Iranian Christian. Her father, Hossein Soodmand, was the last man to be executed in Iran for apostasy, the "crime" of abandoning one's religion. He had converted from Islam to Christianity in 1960, when he was 13 years old. Thirty years later, he was hanged by the Iranian authorities for that decision.
Today, Rashin's brother, Ramtin, is also held in a prison cell in Mashad, Iran's holiest city. He was arrested on August 21. He has not been charged but he is a Christian. And Rashin fears that, just as her father was the last man to be executed for apostasy in Iran, her brother may become one of the first to be killed under Iran's new law. Hanged for Being a Chrsitian in Iran >>> Alasdair Palmer | October 11, 2008
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE: Praise for British Foreign Secretary’s Condemnation of Iran Apostasy Bill
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, Rt Hon David Miliband, MP, has condemned a draft bill currently making its way through the Iranian Parliament, which would codify the death penalty for apostasy. His views have been welcomed by the CSW human rights group.
David Miliband commented yesterday that he “deplore[d] the way in which the Iranian Parliament is… now discussing a draft penal code that would set out a mandatory death sentence for the crime, quote unquote, of apostasy.” He went on to say that “If adopted, [the legislation] would violate the right to freedom of religion, which is also an important basis of any civilised society.” >>> Staff Reporter | October 9, 2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS: EU Worried about Freedom of Religion in Iran
PARIS — The European Union said Friday it is "very worried" about what it sees as a deterioration of religious freedom in Iran.
A statement from the French Foreign Ministry on behalf of the EU says pressure has increased on religious minorities in the Islamic Republic in recent months, with arrests in the Christian and Baha'i communities. France currently holds the EU presidency.
The statement Friday also said that religious minorities, including Sufi and Sunni Muslims, undergo "regular persecution" such as the confiscation of their property, profanation of their prayer spaces and violence.
The EU says it also is concerned about the possibility the Iranian parliament could pass a bill to make apostasy a crime punishable by death.>>> AP | September 26, 2008
MAIL Online: A Labour Muslim minister has warned that Islamic law is too unsophisticated for Britain.
Sadiq Khan said women could be ' abused' by sharia courts, which may give unequal bargaining power to the sexes. He said: 'The burden is on those who want to open up these courts to persuade us why they should.'
Mr Khan, who was made a community cohesion minister in this month's Government reshuffle, rejected the argument that the courts could operate in the same way as the Jewish Beth Din courts.
He said Muslim life in Britain was not advanced enough to run a similar religious legal system.
The MP for Tooting in South London added: 'I would be very concerned about sharia courts applying in the UK.
'I don't think there is that level of sophistication that there is in Jewish law.'
He also said that sharia courts would discourage Muslims from developing links with other cultural and ethnic groups.
In February Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, gave his support for the courts in Britain, saying that the legal recognition of them 'seems unavoidable'.
Mr Khan, who is a human rights lawyer and one of only a handful of Muslim MPs, said: 'The requirement to learn English is not colonial. English is a passport to participation in mainstream society - jobs, education and even being able to use health services.
Photo of Imran Khan at Brisbane's Eidfest courtesy of Courier Mail
COURIERMAIL.COM.AU: IN a speech in Brisbane Imran Khan has attacked Western leaders for linking Islam and terrorism to create hatred - and Muslim leaders for allowing them to do so.
The Pakistani cricketer-turned-political leader made an impassioned plea for Queensland's Muslim community to spread the true message of their religion to the broader society.
In a speech at Brisbane's Eidfest – celebrating the end of Ramadan – Mr Khan said: "After 9/11, suddenly Islam and terrorism have become synonymous. It's partly the fault of Muslim leadership and partly it's the fault of a well-planned conspiracy through which a new imperialist agenda has been pushed under the smokescreen of fighting Islamic terrorism.
"Everyone must understand terrorism is never caused by religion. The roots of all terrorism lie in politics and so do the solutions.
"When (US President) George Bush and (former British prime minister) Tony Blair talk about radical Islam . . . the man in the street in the West is suspicious of all Muslims." Imran Khan Says Islam Is Not the Enemey >>> Daryl Passmore | October 11, 2008
Papa: Con l’islam dialogo nel rispetto dignità persone
LAREPUBBLICA.IT: Il Papa auspica "un sincero impegno nel favorire un reciproco dialogo" fra cristiani e musulmani "nel rispetto della dignita di ogni persona umana". Lo afferma in un messaggio inviato in occasione dell'incontro a Castel Gandolfo tra cristiani e musulmani promosso dal Movimento dei Focolari sul tema "Amore e Misericordia nella Bibbia e nel Corano". Nel telegramma inviato tramite il cardinale Tarcisio Bertone, il Papa "invoca Dio altissimo e misericordioso perche' continui a guidare sempre cammino umanita' su via giustizia e pace". [Fonte: La Repubblica] 11.10.2008
TIMESONLINE: A woman leading Muslim prayers? Why not, says the head of an education centre in Oxford. Much that is 'forbidden' is not outlawed by the Koran
British Muslim history will be made in an Oxford hall next Friday. For the first time in Britain, a woman Muslim scholar will publicly lead men and women in prayers, and deliver the khutba, or sermon.
Taj Hargey, the chairman of the group sponsoring the event at the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford (Meco), fully expects controversy. “This is going to be a major step forward in women’s rights,” he said in an interview at Wolfson College, Oxford, of which he is a member. “But it will provoke discontent from conservatives — from the Wahhabis and their fellow travellers.
The literalists interpret certain Hadith, sayings of the Prophet, as meaning that women can’t lead a community. But for us, the golden rule of Islam is that whatever is not specifically prohibited is permitted.”
He is right to expect a storm: three years ago, when Amina Wadud, the American Muslim professor due to speak on Friday, led a mixed prayer service in New York, she faced criticism and death threats. Next week, the topic of Wadud’s sermon will be justice, and it is justice that Meco seeks in promoting the event.
“Since the criterion for leading prayers is knowledge of the Koran, there’s no reason \ [sic] Amina Wadud shouldn’t do it,” Hargey said. “Her Koranic knowledge is superior to that of most men.”
From Inayat Bunglawalla, of the Muslim Council of Britain, the response to the forthcoming prayer service is a terse “No comment”. And he questions how representative Hargey is. “We have no dealings with Taj Hargey,” Bunglawalla said. “His organisation has no affiliation with mainstream groups in this country.” Liberal Taj Hargey Dares to Challenge Prohibitionist Islam >>> Carla Power | October 11, 2008
The Archdhimmi of Canterbury to Join Christian and Muslim Scholars in Cambridge for the Promotion of Peace!
SUNDAY EXPRESS: The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is to join Christian and Muslim scholars for the start of a conference aimed at promoting understanding between the two faiths.
Dr Williams and the Grand Mufti of Egypt Sheikh Ali Gomaa will be among those addressing A Common Word, a conference at Cambridge University involving academics from around the world.
The event coincides with the first anniversary of the publication of A Common Word Between Us and You, a letter from 138 Islamic scholars, clerics and intellectuals.
Addressed to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders, the letter warned that the survival of the world could be at stake if Muslims and Christians could not make peace with each other.
"If Muslims and Christians are not at peace, the world cannot be at peace. With the terrible weaponry of the modern world - with Muslims and Christians intertwined everywhere as never before - no side can unilaterally win a conflict between more than half of the world's inhabitants.
"Our common future is at stake," the letter said. "The very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake."
The scholars also used quotations from the Bible and the Koran to illustrate similarities between the two faiths, such as the requirement to worship one God and to love one's neighbour.
In a letter of response published earlier this year, Dr Williams welcomed the document as a "significant development" in relations between Christians and Muslims. Faith Leaders Promote Peace >>> | Sunday October 12, 2008
US: Muslim Candidate for Irvine City Council Gets Death Threat
LA TIMES: Attorney Todd Gallinger says the threat was sparked by his opponent, Councilman Steven Choi, who has tried to link an Islamic civil rights group to terrorism. Gallinger has worked for the group.
A Muslim candidate for the Irvine City Council said Thursday that a councilman's comment linking an Islamic civil rights group to terrorism has led to a death threat against him. Police said they are investigating.
Attorney Todd Gallinger, a Muslim convert, said a man called his office Tuesday, about three weeks after Councilman Steven Choi spoke at a forum and urged voters not to support a candidate who worked for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The council, which has 35 offices in the United States and Canada, is "a dangerous Islamic organization," Choi told 150 business leaders. Although he did not name Gallinger, the comment was clearly aimed at the 29-year-old lawyer, who has done legal work for the council's Southern California chapter in Anaheim.
Gallinger said the caller thought he was talking to him but told an employee, "I want to cut off your head just like all the other Muslims deserve."
"It's clear that the person was motivated by the political attacks against me by my opponent," Gallinger said.
Police spokesman Rick Handfield confirmed Thursday that the department is investigating the alleged threat.
On Thursday, Choi said he was surprised that someone would threaten Gallinger but did not believe it was inspired by his remarks at the Sept. 19 forum. Gallinger earlier that month had been interviewed about his association with the council on a KUCI-FM radio show.
"It's a ridiculous question," Choi said when asked if the caller was acting because of his comments. "Am I responsible for someone else making a threat to him? No. This is not my intent at all."
He said the media had "escalated the problem" by publishing his remarks, which he said were directed at the council and not individual Muslims. Muslim Candidate for Irvine City Council Gets Death Threat >>> By H.G. Reza and Tony Barboza, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer | October 10, 2008
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Gordon Brown's new minister for race relations has attacked sharia courts, insisting that the Muslim community in Britain is not “advanced” enough to have its own legal system.
Sadiq Khan, whose comments will have added impact because he is a Muslim himself, has also warned that the growing number of tribunals based on Islamic codes could entrench discrimination against women.
Khan, who became minister for community cohesion in the government reshuffle this month, said: “The burden is on those who want to open up these courts to persuade us why they should do it.”
His comments contrast with those of figures such as Lord Phillips, the lord chief justice, who said in July that Islamic law could be used to settle marital and financial disputes.
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the establishment of sharia courts in the future “seems unavoidable” in Britain.
In a wide-ranging interview on race and immigration, Khan, 38, the Labour MP for Tooting, south London, also: Warned that an economic downturn could fuel ethnic tensions. Demanded an increase in benefits for immigrants with larger families.
Admitted that government antiterror laws had caused “problems” in race relations. Called on public bodies to cut translation services to encourage immigrants to learn English.
Khan’s outspoken remarks on sharia courts are likely to cause the most controversy.
The Sunday Times last month revealed that the government had quietly sanctioned a network of sharia judges, empowering them to issue legally binding rulings on disputes including finance, divorce, inheritance and domestic violence. Muslims Rebuffed over Sharia Courts >>> Jonathan Oliver, Political Editor | October 12, 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: Joerg Haider, the veteran leader of Austria's far right, was killed in a car crash today, police said.
Mr Haider, 58, who earned worldwide notoriety for making statements sympathetic to Hitler's Nazi regime, suffered fatal head and chest injuries after the car he was driving plunged down an embankment near his home town of Klagenfurt.
Detectives are still investigating the cause of the crash, but said he was driving alone at the time in a government-owned vehicle.
The death of Mr Haider, who was governor of Carinthia province in southern Austria, comes less than a fortnight after a major resurgence in the far right's political support in the country, riding on a wave of anti-immigrant and anti-European Union sentiment.
At parliamentary elections last month, Mr Haider's Alliance for the Future of Austria polled 11 per cent of the vote, while the similarly-aligned Freedom Party, which Mr Haider founded but then split from, polled 18 per cent. The results meant nearly in three Austrians had voiced support for far-right movements, dismaying the country's liberal politicians.
Mr Haider's death may prompt concerns that political support will pass from him to the current Freedom Party leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, who is seen as a much more hardline figure. Mr Haider was originally Mr Strache's political mentor, but the two fell out as Mr Haider chose to pursue more moderate policies in recent years.
Mr Haider's spokesman, Stefan Petzner, said that he had been heading to a town near Klagenfurt for a gathering of his family to mark his mother's 90th birthday.
To his supporters Joerg Haider was a patriot who dared to speak uncomfortable truths.
His critics saw him as an ambitious, racist opportunist who used anti-immigrant and pro-Nazi rhetoric to stir up populist sentiment.
What is doubtless is that Haider - whose death in a car crash at the age of 58 leaves a widow and two daughters - had charisma.
Commentators said he worked a room like former US President Bill Clinton, embracing supporters and using the familiar "du" form of address.
Born in the Upper Austrian town of Bad Goisern in 1950, Joerg Haider's parents were very early members of the Nazi party, who moved to Germany where they became party officials.
After the war, they were punished for their affiliations and forced to take up menial work.
Critics say Haider's views were shaped by this background, although he said his family seldom discussed the past. >>> | October 11. 2008
Der Kärntner Landeshauptmann und BZÖ-Chef hat sich am Samstag in den frühen Morgenstunden mit seinem Dienstwagen überschlagen und erlag wenig später seinen Verletzungen.
Jörg Haider ist tot. Der Kärntner Landeshauptmann kam in der Nacht mit seinem Wagen von der Loiblpass-Bundesstraße in der Ortschaft Lambichl ab und erlitt bei dem Unfall tödliche Kopf- und Brustverletzungen. Nach Angaben der Ärzte hatte er keine Überlebenschance. Haider wurde 58 Jahre alt, er hinterlässt eine Frau und zwei Töchter. >>> | 11.10.2008
Der Tod Jörg Haiders hinterlässt ein politisches Vakuum in Österreich
Jörg Haider war ohne Zweifel jene Figur auf der politischen Bühne Österreichs, die im In- und Ausland am meisten polarisiert hat: Charismatisch, intelligent, aggressiv – aber zugleich unberechenbar, unstet und rasch beleidigt. Ein «political animal» mit ausgeprägten Instinkten für die Medien: Für ihn war es völlig egal, ob die News schlecht oder gut waren, Hauptsache man war auf der Titelseite. Für Schlagzeilen war ihm alles recht – auch enge Kontakte zu zwiespältigen nahöstlichen Potentaten. Jörg Haider war ebenso brillant wie hochgefährlich. Virtuos spielte er auf dem Klavier der österreichischen Seele: Das mehr als zwiespältige Verhältnis zu den Jahren 1938 bis 1945, die Verdrängung der NS-Verbrechen, an denen sich Österreicher überproportional beteiligt hatten, das jahrelang gepflegte Selbstverständnis Österreichs als «erstes Opfer Hitlerdeutschlands», das schäbige Verhalten gegenüber den Opfern in der Nachkriegszeit – Haider machte sich diese zwiespältigen Gefühle zunutze, mit Auftritten vor Kameradschaftsverbänden alter Kämpfer der Waffen-SS («anständige Menschen, die Charakter haben und ihren Überzeugungen bis heute treu geblieben sind») und gezielt verharmlosenden Äusserungen zur NS-Zeit oder antisemitischen Witzeleien, wie sie an manchen Stammtischen goutiert werden.
Haider profitierte gleichermassen von ganz anderern Regungen: Dem Neid und Hass der Zukurzgekommenen, dem Argwohn des Kleinbürgers gegen «die da oben» und dem Misstrauen des Provinzbewohners gegen das weit entfernte, als überheblich und elitär empfundene «Wien». Seinen grössten Erfolg verzeichnete Haider bezeichnenderweise in den 90er Jahre, als seine Freiheitliche Partei (FPÖ) vom allgemeinen Überdruss gegen die Erstarrung und Verkrustung in der grossen Koalition profitierte. Meinungsforscher sprechen von einem «Dejà vu» – aus den Nationalratswahlen vor zwei Wochen sind die beiden Rechtsparteien nach dem Scheitern der letzten grossen Koalition siegreich hervorgegangen. >>> Von Charles E. Ritterband, Wien | 11. Oktober 2008
NZZ Online: Österreichischer Bundeskanzler über Tod Haiders bestürzt
Gusenbauer kondoliert den Hinterbliebenen des Politikers
Der österreichische Bundeskanzler Alfred Gusenbauer ist nach eigenen Worten «sehr betroffen» über den Unfalltod des Kärntner Landeshauptmannes Jörg Haider. Haider habe die gesamte innenpolitische Landschaft Österreichs über Jahrzehnte hinweg geprägt, erklärte Gusenbauer in einer ersten Stellungnahme. >>> (ap) | 11. Oktober 2008
TAGES ANZEIGER: Haider war unterwegs zum Geburtstag der Mutter
Der Rechtspopulist Jörg Haider ist tot. Der Kärntner Landeshauptmann kam in der Nacht auf heute mit seinem Auto von der Strasse ab und überschlug sich mehrmals. Österreichs Politiker sind bestürzt.
Der 58-jährige Haider wollte ins Bärental, um den 90. Geburtstag seiner Mutter zu feiern. Am Samstag, kurz nach Mitternacht, verlor er am Ortsausgang von Klagenfurt die Kontrolle über den Wagen und verunglückte tödlich. Politiker aller Couleur trauerten in Österreich um Haider und sprachen der Familie ihr Beileid aus.
Haider war nach dem Unfall eingeklemmt und erlitt schwerste Kopf- und Brustverletzungen – wahrscheinlich war auch die Halswirbelsäule gebrochen; der linke Arm war fast vollständig abgetrennt. Weil noch ein Funken Überlebenschance bestand, ordnete die Notärztin die Einlieferung ins Spital Klagenfurt an. Noch auf dem Weg gegen 1.30 Uhr verstarb Haider im Alter von 58 Jahren.
Der Kärntner Landeshauptmann hatte dieses Wochenende ganz für seine Familie reserviert. Alle zusammen wollten den 90. Geburtstag von Haiders Mutter feiern, wie der «Kurier» in seiner Onlineausgabe schreibt. Seinen letzten Termin absolvierte Jörg Haider am Abend in Velden, wo ein neues Gesellschaftsmagazin vorgestellt wurde. Etwa eine halbe Stunde nach Mitternacht verabschiedete sich der Landeshauptmann: «Fahr nach Hause, du hast frei», sagte er noch zu seinem Chauffeur Friedl Schager. >>> | 11. Oktober 2008
leJDD.fr: Jörg Haider est mort
Le leader de l'extrême droite autrichienne s'est tué dans un accident de voiture dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi, près de sa ville natale de Klagenfurt. Jörg Haider, qui avait conduit l'extrême droite au gouvernement dans la cadre d'une coalition avec les conservateurs, avait effectué un retour spectaculaire sur la scène nationale lors des élections législatives du 28 septembre.
"C'est pour nous comme la fin du monde". L'extrême droite autrichienne est endeuillée, comme en témoignent ces propos tenus par l'un de ses dirigeants, Stefan Petzner. Son leader charismatique, Jörg Haider, s'est tué dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi dans un accident de voiture, près de sa ville natale de Klagenfurt. Agé de 58 ans, le dirigeant populiste a perdu le contrôle de son véhicule. Haider, qui était seul dans la voiture, a été mortellement touché à la tête et au torse. Il se rendait à une fête de famille à l'occasion des 90 ans de sa mère. Selon les premiers éléments de l'enquête, il roulait "nettement plus vite" que les 70km/h autorisés à cet endroit. Le président autrichien, Heinz Fischer a salué "un homme politique de grand talent", qui a, à la fois, ravi et ulcéré ses contemporains. >>> Par Marianne ENAULT (avec Reuters) | Samedi 11 Octobre 2008
Al-Jazeera: On Jörg Haider’s Death
WASHINGTON POST: Obituaries: Jörg Haider Made Far-Right Party A Force in Austria
Jörg Haider, a divisive Austrian political figure who rose to prominence as the leader of a far-right movement that was often seen as sympathetic to the country's shadowy Nazi past, died Oct. 11 in a car accident near the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt. He was 58.
Mr. Haider was passing another car when his Volkswagen Phaeton left the road, struck a pillar and overturned. He died on the way to a hospital. There was no immediate suspicion of foul play.
The charismatic Mr. Haider single-handedly made the ultra-conservative Austrian Freedom Party a force in national politics with his fiery rhetoric against immigrants, the European Union and the euro, the EU's continent-wide currency. He led the most successful far-right party in Europe, far outpacing the political success of France's National Front.
Handsome, photogenic and perpetually tanned, Mr. Haider was known to his supporters as the "Alpine Rambo," partly for his prowess as a mountain climber and skier and partly for his confrontational style.
Mr. Haider's parents had been members of the Nazi party, and he sometimes praised aging Third Reich soldiers at their reunions. But he also mixed easily with a younger generation in nightly visits to discos to recruit new party members.
His rallies attracted throngs of young people who responded to Mr. Haider's pleas to banish immigrants and to challenge Austria's two long-reigning parties, the Social Democrats and the more conservative People's Party.
"People are fed up with the old parties that never live up to their promises," he said in his campaigns. "They want action on everyday problems, whether it is job security, housing or uncontrolled immigration."
At times, Mr. Haider's followers would start singing "Tomorrow Belongs to Me," an anthem from the musical "Cabaret" that symbolized the Nazi takeover of Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. >>> By Matt Schudel, Washington Post Staff Writer | Sunday October 12, 2008
THE HUFFINGTON POST: Jörg Haider Was Speeding at Twice the Limit
VIENNA, Austria — Far-right politician Joerg Haider was speeding at more than twice the posted limit before the car crash that killed him, investigators said Sunday as his grief-stricken party appointed a successor.
Flowers, notes and other tributes piled up at the scene of the crash that killed the former leader of the Freedom Party, whose anti-immigration stance and provocative praise of the Nazi era once led the European Union to slap Austria with diplomatic sanctions.
Police reconstructing Saturday's accident in the southern province of Carinthia, where Haider was governor, said the speedometer in the wreckage of Haider's high-powered Volkswagen Phaeton limousine was stuck at 142 kph (88 mph).
The speed limit at the crash site is just 70 kph (43 mph), and it drops to 50 kph (31 mph) just 100 meters (yards) further down the road in the direction Haider was heading.
Prosecutor Gottfried Kranz said the high speed appeared to be the main factor in the crash that killed the 58-year-old politician.
"Any speculation about other causes of the accident is weak," Kranz said, adding that the car was technically sound and police had no reason to suspect foul play. >>> William J Kole, AP | October 12, 2008
THE EARTH TIMES: Stefan Petzner Named as Successor to Jörg Haider
Vienna - Austria's right-wing populist Alliance for the Future of Austria party on Sunday named Stefan Petzner as it new leader following the death of Joerg Haider on Saturday, the Austrian news agency (APA) reported. Petzner, 27, had been Haider's spokesman since 2004.
…
"They are big shoes to fill, but I will keep moving, not stumble," Petzner was quoted as saying. On Saturday he had reacted to the news of Haider's death, saying, "For us, this is like the end of the world." >>> DPA | October 12, 2008
DEUTSCHE WELLE: Haider's Death Unlikely to Reunite Austrian Right
Austria's right-wing populist Alliance for the Future of Austria party named a new head. But experts say the change in leadership probably won't lead to a political shake-up in the Austrian right in the near future. >>> | 12.10. 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: Obituary: Jörg Haider
Austrian politician whose populism exploited his nation’s latent passions and earned him international notoriety
Jörg Haider , who died in a car accident on Saturday aged 58, was a Right-wing Austrian politician whose notoriety far exceeded his influence on national events.
Despite the fact that he never held office in an Austrian government, Haider’s gift for self-publicity, and his willingness to venture into territory that others saw as taboo, ensured that he became better known outside his own country than any Austrian politician of his generation.
Precisely what he stood for, however, never became entirely clear. In essence Haider was a populist, appearing to exploit whatever latent passions, fears and insecurities he could detect in his fellow countrymen at any given time. But he did so without much regard for that vital ingredient, judgment.
Thus he was able to describe the Nazi concentration camps as “penal camps” and SS officers as “upstanding men of character”. Although he later recanted, it was no wonder that he was vilified as a “fascist”, a “racist” and a “neo-Nazi”. He was often accused of anti-Semitism, and he formed a friendship with Saddam Hussein.
That he survived as a political figure was due to his boundless ambition allied to a considerable personal charm. Haider had been a talented actor in his youth, and he developed into a master showman who constantly reinvented himself: the clean-cut young man; the Porsche-driving playboy dressed by Armani; the honest son of the soil. >>> | October 13, 2008
Even the Politically Correct Swiss Fall Foul of Libyan Authories
Photo of Hannibal Gaddafi, Colonel Gaddafi’s son, courtesy of the BBC
BBC: Libya is to withdraw assets from Swiss banks, estimated at $7bn, as a diplomatic row over the arrest of the Libyan leader's youngest son escalates.
Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife were detained in Geneva for assault in July, but the charges were later dropped.
The state-run news agency Jana also said that Libya was halting oil shipments to Switzerland.
An unnamed foreign ministry official said it was for the "poor treatment of Libyan diplomats and businessmen".
All kinds of economic co-operation with Switzerland are to be stopped until Geneva clarifies its motives, Jana quotes him as saying.
Compensation
The BBC's Rana Jawad in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, says Libya had previously demanded an apology from Swiss authorities for the arrest of Muammar Gaddafi's son. Libya ‘to Pull Swiss Bank Assets’ >>> | October 10, 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: The world's first Islamic helpline has opened in Abu Dhabi, to help Muslims solve their religious dilemmas.
A team of 48 muftis man the telephones from 8am until 8pm delivering fatwas, or formal rulings based on Islamic law.
The service is used by Muslims all over the world, and organisers say it takes about 3,700 calls a day, including queries from Britain.
Mufti Abdulrahman Ammoura, 48, is more accustomed to dispensing advice at a mosque, but he joined the helpline staff to reach a wider audience.
He said: "The hardest questions I am asked involve sex. I feel shame, but I have to answer the questions because it is my duty."
One recent dilemma came from a married woman whose alcoholic husband had turned violent, hitting her and forcing her to have sex. She wanted to know if she should seek a divorce.
Mr Ammoura told the Times: "I said, 'No - it is better for him to find help'. A woman living alone with children could face too many problems."
His advice now counts as an official fatwa in the United Arab Emirates, under new rules issued by the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments.
The UAE Government established the call centre three months ago in an attempt to root out extreme interpretations of Islam.
Morocco's King Launches Offensive against Radical Islam
THE EARTH TIMES: Rabat, Morocco - Islamic law allows men to wed girls as young as nine years, because marriages to younger women often work out better - or so claims Moroccan theologist Mohammed Maghraoui. The fatwa (opinion on religious law) issued by Maghraoui in Marrakesh in early September confirmed what King Mohammed VI already knew: that Islamist fundamentalism was on the rise in the traditionally relatively liberal north African country.
The Superior Council of Ulemas (Islamic scholars) condemned the fatwa, and Maghraoui's website as well as dozens of Koranic schools linked to him were closed.
Some weeks later, just as Moroccans were marking the revelation of the Koran to Prophet Mohammed at the close of the holy month of Ramadan, King Mohammed launched his second religious reform.
The faith of Moroccans needed to be preserved from "extremist impulses," the monarch said in the northern city of Tetouan, announcing a string of measures towards that end.
As the Amir al-Mu'amin or Commander of the Faithful, the 45-year-old king, who is believed to descend from Prophet Mohammed, is the official leader of Moroccan Muslims.
The new reform followed an initial one carried out after Islamist militants killed 45 people, including 12 suicide bombers, in Casablanca in 2003.
That reform restructured the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in an attempt to place preachers at the country's 40,000 mosques under tighter control.
SCOTSMAN: THE Church of Scotland last night welcomed the possibility of introducing sharia law courts in Scotland.
Rev Ian Galloway, convener of the Church and Society Council, said sharia courts had been unfairly portrayed following the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments in February that it "seems unavoidable" that parts of Islamic sharia law would be adopted in the UK. Church of Scotland Backs Islamic Sharia Law Courts >>> | October 10, 2008
Nicolas Sarkozy Affair Revealed in Notes of Ex-spy Chief Yves Bertrand
Photo of Nicolas Sarkozy courtesy of the Times Online
TIMESONLINE: President Sarkozy had an affair with the wife of one of his present Cabinet members about four years ago, when he was serving as Interior Minister, according to the former head of French police intelligence.
The alleged episode was one of a multitude of damaging secrets reported yesterday from the private notebooks of Yves Bertrand, who was central director of the powerful Renseignements Généraux (RG) spy agency for 12 years until 2004.
The police chief, whose shadowy service had long been a political tool for French rulers, also recorded in 2003: “Chirac has been for a facelift in Canada.”
The diaries, packed with potentially explosive accounts of drug-taking, illicit sex, blackmail and corruption among French leaders, were seized by judges recently as part of an investigation into dirty tricks. They were leaked to Le Point, a news magazine.
Mr Bertrand, 63, also recorded intimate details of the private life and family of Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister and candidate against President Chirac in the election in 2002.
His regular informants included journalists who were paid, said Le Point. “These notebooks are a terrifying journey under the skirts of the Republic,” said the magazine, which quoted only edited excerpts.
“One could laugh if this exercise in underhand police work had not sometimes broken careers, thwarted democracy and sometimes destroyed lives,” it said.
Key names were omitted by Le Point, but its summary of the notebooks appeared to confirm an assumption that after 2002 the RG was working for President Chirac to undermine Mr Sarkozy when he took over the Gaullist movement and made a bid for the presidency.
MAIL Online: The BBC has been flooded with 145 complaints after screening a gay kiss on EastEnders before the 9pm watershed.
The 'offensive' scenes were screened on Tuesday's episode of the soap and showed Christian Clarke (John Partridge, 36) and Lee Thompson (Carl Ferguson, 27) engage in a passionate kiss.
In a statement the BBC defended itself by saying it was down to parents to decide whether the content of the show was suitable for children to watch.
But some viewers were left deeply unimpressed.
One viewer wrote on the BBC’s Points Of View internet messageboard: 'I am appalled by the display of homosexual kissing before the watershed shown on EastEnders.
NZZ Online: In der nordisraelischen Stadt Akko, in der sowohl jüdische als auch arabische Bürger leben, ist es am Jom Kippur, dem jüdischen Buss- und Bettag, an dem Gläubige weder essen noch trinken, zu massiven Ausschreitungen zwischen den beiden Bevölkerungsgruppen gekommen. Ausschreitungen in Nordisrael: Zusammenstösse zwischen jüdischen und arabischen Jugendlichen>>> gsz. Jerusalem | 9. Oktober 2008
From the Religion of Infinite Pleasure and Fun: Salsa Dancing Violates Shari’ah
AL ARABIYA NEWS CHANNEL: RABAT - Marrakesh will host its first international salsa festival amid controversy as officials and religious leaders expressed dismay over the city’s hosting of a festival devoted to the sexy Latin dance.
The festival, which runs Oct. 8-12, features 100 dancers from Cuba, Mexico, Los Angeles, New York, Oslo, Milan, including Francisco Vasquez and Alex da Silva, choreographers for Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. The contestants will also give salsa classes to students of Moroccan universities.
But some locals voiced objections that the dance is un-Islamic and violates local social norms.
One Islamic scholar said the salsa festival violates sharia Islamic law. Mohamed Al-Taweel, pprofessor of jurisprudence at the University of al-Karaouine said that the festival is sinful for a number if reasons, no the least of which is the mingling between men and women.
Parents Outraged Over Baby Doll They Say Mumbles Pro-Islam Words
FOX NEWS: A doll some are claiming utters pro-Islam and even satanic words has outraged some parents in Oklahoma.
People insist they can hear Fisher-Price's "Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo" mumbling "Islam is the light" and "Satan is king," according to KJRH.com.
"There's no markings on the box to indicate there's anything Islamic about this doll," said Gary Rofkahr of Owasso, Okla., who was at work when another man brought the toy in to show his colleagues.
Rofkahr said he found various versions of the doll at local Target and Wal-Mart stores, which have since pulled the toys from their shelves, reported KJRH.com.
Fisher-Price and parent company Mattel didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. A Target representative said the company has no plans to recall the doll completely. [Source: Fox News] | October 9, 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: Talking Fisher-Price ‘Little Mommy Cuddle 'n Coo’ Dolls Accused of Promoting Islam
Image of the ‘Little Mommy Cuddle ‘n Coo Doll’ courtesy of The Telegraph
The Fisher-Price Little Mommy Cuddle 'n Coo is meant to make realistic baby sounds and occasionally cry out for its "mama".
But some parents claim that one of its noises sounds just like "Islam is the Light", and have complained to Mattel, which owns Fisher-Price.
Some shops in the US have removed the doll from shelves after complaints from customers, according to reports. It is available in Britain for £19.99.
A spokesman for Fisher-Price insisted that the doll was not pushing pro-Islamic messages, adding that the sound some parents were hearing was caused by an accidental distortion of the doll's soundtrack. >>> By Matthew Moore | October 13, 2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS: VIENNA, Austria — Human rights experts on Tuesday expressed concern about a special facility holding suspected criminal asylum seekers in the mountains of southern Austria.
Joerg Haider, right-wing governor of Carinthia province, said Monday that the facility in a former childrens' home was a security measure to protect the people of Carinthia.
The building houses five men, but has a capacity of 50 and has been in use for about a week, his office said.
Conviction was not a "mandatory prerequisite" for being sent to the facility, Haider's spokesman Stefan Petzner said. The inmates would be "under constant observation so that no criminal acts can be committed," he added.
But he said no one's rights were being violated.
He would not provide specific details on the five in the facility, but confirmed a media report that the men are asylum seekers from Georgia, Kazakhstan and Gambia. He did say some in the group had been convicted, but did not say of what.
"With this security precaution, we are protecting the Carinthian population," Haider said at a news conference Monday. He added that the number of criminal asylum seekers was on the rise. Carinthia currently has about 900 asylum seekers.
The building is in a secluded pasture at an altitude of about 3,900 feet (1,200 meters).
"It's a perfectly normal establishment far away from civilization in a secluded area so they can't get up to anything," said Petzner. "You shouldn't think of this as a prison surrounded by barbed wire."
AFTENBLADET.NO: The police department is considering whether the head-wear, hijab [,] should be allowed to be [sic] work with the police uniform. The Police Joint Union says the hijab doesn’t belong with the uniform.
“We have very stringent regulations. It is not allowed to wear personal items that signify political or value-related standpoints. Use of the hijab would be in conflict with this principle,” says Arne Johannessen, leader of the Police Joint Union to NRK.
The question of use of the hijab in the police was raised a week ago. A 23-year old woman from Sandnes in Rogaland wrote a letter to the Police department, asking how this would be viewed, were she to wear a hijab with the police uniform.
The armed forces allow use of the hijab. It is also used in conjunction with the police uniform in Great Britain and USA.
Johannessen admits that use of the hijab might make it easier for the police in their contact with muslim women, but thinks this argument doesn’t hold its ground against the principle of the matter. [Source: Aftenbladet] | October 8, 2008
Muslim Inmates Offered Fresh Bedding and Clothing after Sniffer Dog Searches
MIRROR: Muslim inmates are being offered fresh bedding and clothing after sniffer dog searches - because the animals are considered unclean in Islam.
They are allowed to request replacements if the animals' saliva touches garments and linen.
Ministry of Justice spokeswoman Rosemary Hanna explained: "We are aware that if dog saliva comes into contact with the clothing or religious artefacts of a Muslim, it renders these items defiled. As such a prisoner must be allowed to change clothing if this occurs.
"Also, bedding should be changed where the prisoner feels that it has been defiled."
The practice follows a complaint from an illegal immigrant awaiting deportation at Dover prison in Kent but is now in place nationwide.
Dhimmi Alert! Pupils and Parents to Gather for Assembly to Celebrate Muslim Festival
WALES ONLINE: PARENTS and pupils will gather together for a special school assembly to celebrate the religious festival of Eid.
Mount Stuart Primary School in Butetown, Cardiff organises the assembly every year.
Eid is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Yvonne Scott, acting headteacher of the school, said: “It is always a lovely event. We are a multi-faith school. We celebrated harvest recently and now we are all coming together to celebrate Eid. Many of our pupils had days off to celebrate the religious festival so this is our first opportunity. Many parents come to the school for the special assembly and it is very social event.” [Source: Wales Online] By Moira Sharkey | October 8, 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: Two NHS doctors planned a campaign of "indiscriminate" murder involving at least four car bombs but turned their mission into a suicide attack when their plans went awry, a court has heard.
Bilal Abdulla from Iraq and Moahmmed Asha [sic] from Jordan were part of a terrorist cell of Islamic extremists who tried to launch attacks on busy urban areas including a night club in central London, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
But the men allegedly turned their plans into a suicide attack after the first mission failed and a third member of the cell died after driving a burning Jeep into Glasgow airport.
"These men were intent on committing murder on an indiscriminate and a wholescale" level, said Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting.
"Attacks such as these: the terrorist would call them 'spectaculars'" he added.
But he said the most shocking aspect of the case was that the plot was carried out by two doctors, who had dedicated themselves to saving lives.
"Apart from the shocking nature of the activity these two defendants were engaged in, the extraordinary thing about this case is that both men are doctors," Mr Laidlaw said.
"Having studied at universities in their homelands they sought and obtained work in British hospitals to complete their medical training.
Queen's Composer Attacks 'Dumbing Down' of British Society
Photo of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: The Queen's composer has launched a stinging attack on the "dumbing down" of British society, singling out the commercialisation of art and Damien Hirst for particular criticism.
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, whose official title is the Queen's Master of Music, described Hirst's work - which recently raised £111 million at auction - as "manufactured artefacts without content."
In a speech to the conference of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, he also criticised politicians and educationalists and warned that the country was in an "age of commercial depravity and irresponsibility".
He expressed concern over the perception that classical music was elitist, which he described as inverted snobbery, and said politicians had dumbed down so much they were "almost below the horizon". Queen's Composer Attacks 'Dumbing Down' of British Society >>> By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent | October 9, 2008
Austrian President: No Need for Concerns about Muslim Community
UAE DAILY NEWS: Austrian President Heinz Fischer said he strongly believed Austria will always be home for multicultural, multi-faith and multi-ethnic co-existence and a model for tolerance, love and harmony among all citizens who follow Islam, Christianity and other faiths of the world.
"Austria will however remain a European country leading openness and dialogue among representatives of the three major faiths Islam, Christianity and Judaism and other cultures and ethnicities based on common aspects", remarked Fischer in a statement to WAM at a reception he held last night for the third year on the occasion of Eid el Fitr.
He said that the message he wanted to get across to Austrians and members of the Muslim community on the occasion is that the new Austrian cabinet will soon be formed and that he hopes it will be a national unity cabinet representing all parties and trends.
Austria, he added will always be prepared to continue dialogue and rapprochement among representatives of followers of faiths and cultures with a focus on commonalities and historical and close relationships and cooperation between Austria and Islamic world. Austrian President: No Need for Concerns about Muslim Community >>> Yusuf | October 2, 2008
