Saturday, March 28, 2009
leJDD.fr: Le G20 se réunit le 2 avril à Londres. A l'ordre du jour: la réforme du système financier international. La police est déjà sur le pied de guerre, craignant des débordements venus des altermondialistes. Samedi à Paris, une manifestation est organisée. David Eloy, rédacteur en chef de la revue Altermondes*, décrypte pour leJDD.fr la nébuleuse altermondialiste.
Comment définir la mouvance altermondialiste?
Il n'y a pas de définition très claire, c'est même devenu un sujet d'étude pour les chercheurs. Disons que c'est un ensemble de mouvements citoyens qui, à travers le monde, se mobilisent pour prôner la construction d'une société planétaire qui soit plus juste, plus durable et plus solidaire. A l'intérieur de ce mouvement, on retrouve des acteurs très différents, dans leur histoire et dans leurs pratiques. Certains vont être plus radicaux que d'autres. Ce sont ceux que l'on a le plus vu ces dernières années. Mais au sein de la famille altermondialiste, on retrouve des organisations confessionnelles, des syndicats, des organisations laïques, des associations... tout un ensemble d'acteurs pour qui l'objectif commun est de construire un monde meilleur.
Comment construire ce "monde meilleur"?
C'est très compliqué en effet. Il y a cinquante ans on était communiste ou capitaliste. Il suffisait de choisir son camp. Aujourd'hui, on voit bien que la réalité est plus complexe. Du point de vue de la solidarité internationale, il faut avant tout revoir la façon dont est géré le monde. Or, ce qui prime aujourd'hui, ce sont les questions économiques et financières. Elles priment sur les questions sociales, sur l'emploi ou sur l'environnement. Ce qui nous manque, ce sont des règles claires, équitables, transparentes et justes au service des populations et non des acteurs économiques et financiers pour permettre à ce monde meilleur d'émerger.
"Un déficit de réflexion à long terme"
Nicolas Sarkozy multiplie les déclarations d'intention pour réformer le capitalisme: il parle de morale, d'honnêteté... Cela correspond-t-il aux attentes du mouvement? Sur les intentions c'est effectivement quelque chose de très important. Le mouvement altermondialiste souhaite mettre de l'éthique dans le fonctionnement du monde. Ce n'est pas juste une conception morale, c'est aussi et surtout une conception de justice et de droit international. Mais on sait comment cela fonctionne : il y a les intentions, certes louables, mais quelles mesures vont être prises? Le G20 de Londres va déboucher sur des grands principes. Mais il n'y aura pas de mesures concrètes, pas de réforme drastique du système financier. Or, le système tel qu'il fonctionne ne marche plus. La crise nous le montre. Alors, soit on continue à se voiler la face avec des ajustements cosmétiques, soit on remet à plat l'ensemble des circuits de discussion. C'est fondamental. Il y a un déficit de réflexion à long terme. >>> Propos recueillis par Jérôme GUILLAS, leJDD.fr | Vendredi 27 Mars 2009
*Altermondes, revue trimestrielle de solidarité internationale.
WELT ONLINE: Der Streit um die Berufung des Dänen Anders Fogh Rasmussen zum neuen Nato-Generalsekretär findet kein Ende. Nachdem der türkische Präsident Abdullah Gül am Freitag Zustimmung für die Nominierung signalisierte, steuert Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan gegen. Islamische Länder hätten ihn zum Widerstand aufgerufen.
Die Türkei hat offenbar doch weiter massive Bedenken gegen den dänischen Regierungschef Anders Fogh Rasmussen als künftigem Nato-Generalsekretär. Nach Angaben eines Kopenhagener Rundfunksenders am Samstagmorgen hat der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan Rasmussen diese Bedenken in einem Telefonat persönlich mitgeteilt.
Erdogan widersprach damit indirekt Staatspräsident Abdullah Gül, der den Dänen am Vortag in Brüssel uneingeschränkt gelobt hatte. Ankara habe keine Einwände gegen den Dänen als Nachfolger des amtierenden Nato-Chefs Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, so Gül am Freitag, Fogh Rasmussen sei „einer der erfolgreichsten Ministerpräsidenten“ Europas.
Erdogan hingegen erklärte in einem Interview mit dem TV-Sender NTV, es gebe „erhebliche Irritation in islamischen Ländern“ wegen Rasmussens Rolle nach Veröffentlichung der umstrittenen dänischen Mohammed- Karikaturen. Aus diesen Ländern erhalte die Türkei die Aufforderung, ihr Veto gegen die Ernennung Rasmussens zum zivilen Nato-Chef einzulegen. Da die Nato vor immer größeren Herausforderungen in Afghanistan stehe, halte die Türkei es nicht für sinnvoll, einen Generalsekretär zu berufen, der die Einstellung Muslimischer Länder zu dem Staatenbund verschlechtern könne. >>> dpa/AP/Reuters/ks | Samstag, 28. März 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>
THE INDEPENDENT: The great-grandson of India's first prime minister was arrested today as police investigated charges against him of making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims ahead of national elections, a court official said.
A political furor erupted after Varun Gandhi, 29, was filmed comparing a rival Muslim politician to Osama bin Laden and threatening to cut the throats of Muslims at two political rallies earlier this month.
Gandhi belongs to the powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has produced three prime ministers over six decades and has long promoted a secular government and tolerance for religious minorities. However, he is a member of the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Gandhi drove through the streets of Pilibhit, a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh where he is seeking a parliamentary seat, accompanied by thousands of supporters waving saffron Hindu flags. Pilibhit is about 135 miles east of New Delhi.
He then turned himself in at the court, said Chief Judicial Magistrate Nitin Kumar. He will be jailed until Monday, when he can seek release on bail, Kumar said.
If convicted, Gandhi could be disqualified from running for office and imprisoned for up to three years. >>> By Biswajeet Banergee, Associated Press | Saturday, March 28, 2009
With the resignation of the Bishop of Rochester, the Church of England is about to lose one of its most able bishops. Dr Nazir-Ali has courted controversy because he has not been afraid of telling the people of Britian some home truths. As a result of this propensity to warn of the decreasing influence of Christianity in the United Kingdom and the increasing influence of Islam, he has made himself unpopular with the liberal élite which now dominates the increasingly left-leaning, almost Marxist Church. Clearly there in no room for such an able cleric in the enfeabled Church of England, now under the clumsy leadership of the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.
The Archbishop is a man who spends more time appeasing Muslims than he does trying to fill the emptying churches. (When did he last preach the Gospel?) He is also busy preparing the docile people of this ‘Sceptered Isle’ for what’s ahead of them: The “inevitable” introduction of Shari’ah law, he believes! You know the law he was talking about – that barbaric set of laws which Muslims mistakenly believe come from Allah (not God). The set of laws which determine that women be stoned to death for adultery, that homosexuals be put to death, that thieves be relieved of their limbs, and that people who drink alcohol be punished severely, usually by being whipped.
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, a man whio truly understands Islam – his father was a convert to Christianity from that faith – would actually be the best man for the position of Archbishop of Canterbury. His retirement from the Anglican Church is therefore a sad and great loss at a time when the Church can ill afford such losses. – ©Mark
THE TELEGRAPH: The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali has announced his decision to step down as the Bishop of Rochester, one of the most senior positions in the Church of England.
Although Dr Nazir-Ali has been in charge of the Rochester diocese for nearly 15 years, the decision to quit - which will see him leave his post later this year - has come as a surprise.
The bishop is aged only 59 and potentially could have stayed in post for another decade.
He was a leading contender to succeed George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury, but has become increasingly outspoken at the direction of the Church since Dr Rowan Williams’s appointment.
A spokesman for the bishop said that he wants to turn his attention to working with the persecuted church.
"Bishop Michael is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation," he said.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who became the Church’s first Asian bishop when he was appointed to Rochester in 1994, has taken a strong stand against the rise of Islam in Britian.
He warned last year that parts of the country have been turned into "no-go" areas for non-Muslims and challenged Dr Williams’s claim that the introduction of sharia law is unavoidable.
As a result of his warning, the bishop received death threats saying he would not "live long" and would be "sorted out" if he continued to criticise Islam. >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, March 28, 2009
KENT ONLINE: Offensive Word Insult to Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester has been branded an "arsehole" by an aide to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The slur against the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali appeared in an official document sent to 43 diocesan bishops and 10 Downing Street.
The insult, which referred to the "arsehole Bishop of Rochester", appeared in a confidential list of job vacancies and prospective candidates.
The offensive word had been inserted in front of the Bishop's name. It is thought the person who added insult has been dismissed. >>> Luke Hollands | Saturday, March 28, 2009
TELEGRAPH BLOGS – Jonathan Wynne-Jones: Bishop of Rochester Is Stepping Down
An email has just dropped in my inbox revealing that Michael Nazir-Ali is stepping down as the Bishop of Rochester.
Still only 59, his decision to resign so early begs many questions.
The offical explanation is as follows: "he is hoping to work with a number of church leaders from areas where the church is under pressure, particularly in minority situations, who have asked him to assist them with education and training for their particular situation."
That he has a passion for supporting and defending the persecuted church is not in doubt.
But his decision has almost certainly been influenced by the dismay he feels at the direction that the Church of England has taken under Rowan Williams. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones | Saturday, March 28, 2009
TIMESONLINE: Bishop of Rochester to Resign a Decade Early
One of the Church of England's most outspoken bishops has announced that he is to resign a decade early to devote the rest of his life to work with Christians in Islamic areas.
The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the Church's only Asian bishop, who is just 59 and could have stayed at Rochester until his 70th birthday, intends to use his expertise as an Islamic scholar to work in Pakistan where he was born and in the Middle East to build bridges between Christians and Muslims.
A conservative evangelical, he will step down in September after nearly 15 years in the diocese.
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali was one of the favourites to succeed Dr George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury. Opposition from some in Britain's Muslim community is thought to have been one factor that cost him the job.
In February last year he was placed under police protection after he and his family received death threats over his claim that parts of Britain had become “no-go areas” for non-Muslims. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Saturday, March 28, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH:
Bishop Warns of No-go Zones for Non-Muslims >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones | Friday, April 18, 2008
THE TELEGRAPH: Extremism Flourished as UK Lost Christianity
In fewer than 50 years, Britain has changed from being a society with an acknowledged Christian basis to one which is increasingly described by politicians and the media as "multifaith".
One reason for this is the arrival of large numbers of people of other faiths to these shores. Their arrival has coincided with the end of the Empire which brought about a widespread questioning of Britain's role.
On the one hand, the British were losing confidence in the Christian vision which underlay most of the achievements and values of the culture and, on the other, they sought to accommodate the newer arrivals on the basis of a novel philosophy of "multiculturalism".
This required that people should be facilitated in living as separate communities, continuing to communicate in their own languages and having minimum need for building healthy relationships with the majority.
Alongside these developments, there has been a worldwide resurgence of the ideology of Islamic extremism. One of the results of this has been to further alienate the young from the nation in which they were growing up and also to turn already separate communities into "no-go" areas where adherence to this ideology has become a mark of acceptability.
Those of a different faith or race may find it difficult to live or work there because of hostility to them and even the risk of violence. In many ways, this is but the other side of the coin to far-Right intimidation.
Attempts have been made to impose an "Islamic" character on certain areas, for example, by insisting on artificial amplification for the Adhan, the call to prayer.
Such amplification was, of course, unknown throughout most of history and its use raises all sorts of questions about noise levels and whether non-Muslims wish to be told the creed of a particular faith five times a day on the loudspeaker.
This is happening here even though some Muslim-majority communities are trying to reduce noise levels from multiple mosques announcing this call, one after the other, over quite a small geographical area.
There is pressure already to relate aspects of the sharia to civil law in Britain. To some extent this is already true of arrangements for sharia-compliant banking but have the far-reaching implications of this been fully considered?
It is now less possible for Christianity to be the public faith in Britain.
The existence of chapels and chaplaincies in places such as hospitals, prisons and institutions of further and higher education is in jeopardy either because of financial cuts or because the authorities want "multifaith" provision, without regard to the distinctively Christian character of the nation's laws, values, customs and culture. >>> By Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester | Friday, January 11, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: President Obama is losing friends - and the G20 will be a further test, writes Toby Harnden in Washington.
When he visited Europe last July, Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate, stood before 200,000 in Berlin's Tiergarten park to declare his "global citizenship" and call on the "people of the world" to "come together to save this planet". It was heady stuff, and the rapturous reception was one befitting a new political messiah after eight wilderness years. Back in the United States, the young senator ended his stump speeches with a vow to "change the world". Americans craved affection from abroad. Europeans were eager to fall in love.
But that was eight months ago, and the innocence of that summer has started to evaporate. Mr Obama has become the first black man to occupy the White House, but the world is in the grip of the worst economic depression since the Thirties, with no path back to prosperity in sight.
While the troop surge in Iraq that Mr Obama so vehemently opposed has succeeded beyond his imaginings, the "good war" he championed in Afghanistan is spiralling downwards and there are dark mutterings on the Left about it becoming his Vietnam.
For all the mutual goodwill, the transatlantic policy battle-lines are drawn. The Americans want additional economic stimulus measures to be taken across the globe. The Europeans are preoccupied with a supra-national financial regulation structure.
Mr Obama's demands for more European boots on the ground in Afghanistan have already been rejected by the French and Germans.
As the new American commander-in-chief embarks on his first extended foreign trip in Air Force One, stopping in London for the G20 summit, Strasbourg for a gathering of Nato, and going on to Prague, Ankara and Istanbul, the sheen is already wearing off his shiny new presidency at home.
The leak-proof, supremely well-organised campaign and the post-election transition that was hailed as being one of the smoothest in history are over. They have given way to an at times stumbling administration that struggles to fill the cabinet, botches its message and has all but abandoned the bipartisanship candidate Mr Obama promised.
Far from changing the world, Mr Obama has barely looked over his shoulder at it. The person he has entrusted his foreign policy to is Hillary Clinton, a bitter campaign rival whose diplomatic credentials he once mocked. To appoint her Secretary of State was perhaps an ominous sign, a move designed to keep her from challenging him domestically.
During his first, chaotic weeks in power, Mr Obama's focus has been almost entirely domestic. Key diplomatic posts remain empty. No ambassador is in place in London or Paris. Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, has grumbled that it has been almost impossible to organise next week's G20 summit in Docklands because White House officials are missing in action. "There is nobody there," he says. "You cannot believe how difficult it is." Can Obama Win Us Back? >>> Toby Harnden, Washington | Friday, March 27, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama set out a bold new strategy to "disrupt, defeat and dismantle" al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday by raising the US military force in Afghanistan to more than 60,000 personnel.
In his first major announcement as America's new commander-in-chief, Mr Obama said the situation in Afghanistan was "increasingly perilous" and required an extra 4,000 soldiers to join the additional 17,000 combat troops the United States had already committed to tackle the most dangerous provinces in eastern Afghanistan, and Helmand and Kandahar in the south.
The US President sent a mesasge to extremists as he promised to rout out the "cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within" by increasing aid to the country to $1.5 billion (£1 billion) a year over five years.
Britain was likely to be pressed to send up to 2,000 more combat troops, bringing its force levels to 10,000 in southern Afghanistan. Mr Obama was expected to appeal directly to Gordon Brown when they meet at the G20 summit in London next week.
Mr Obama resisted sending in the 30,000 reinforcements initially recommended by military commanders and said he would reassess troop levels over the next year.
It marked the moment when Mr Obama took "ownership" of the war in Afghanistan and responsibility for its end, but he did not repeat an earlier reference to finding an "exit strategy". Some on the Left feared that it could doom his presidency in the way that Vietnam affected President Lyndon Johnson's. Mr Obama said the 4,000 extra troops would be deployed in a training role with the Afghan police and the national army, which the US wanted to double in size to 134,000 men in the next two years. >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Friday, March 27, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH:
Pakistan Intelligence Agency Elements Must Stop Support for Taliban, al-Qaeda: US: Pakistan's intelligence agency has been giving support to the Taliban and al-Qaeda and must stop doing so, senior American officers have warned.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General David Petraeus, head of US Central Command, said that elements within the Inter-Services Intelligence agency must end their support for Islamic militants.
American commanders have rarely spoken in public about assistance which the ISI still gives to Taliban fighters for fear of damaging co-operation with Pakistan. But it is an open secret in Pakistan where many believe the agency plays a devious game by supporting both sides in the Afghanistan conflict. >>> Telegraph reporter and agencies | Saturday, March 28, 2009
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RISQUE | Alors que la Commission des institutions politiques du Conseil des Etats appelle au rejet en plénum, economiesuisse dénonce un texte dangereux qui peut causer d’importants dommages aux entreprises nationales.
Economiesuisse prévient: l’initiative populaire de l’UDC et de l’UDF (Union démocratique fédérale) visant à proscrire la construction de minarets en Suisse constitue un danger pour l’économie. Le texte, déjà refusé par le National, devrait être soumis au peuple cette année encore. Jan Atteslander, responsable des relations extérieures à la direction d’economiesuisse, dit tout le mal qu’il en pense.
Pourquoi vous manifester pour une initiative qui n’a rien d’économique? La Suisse a une image de pays ouvert et tolérant. Si on attaque une minorité religieuse, comme cette initiative veut le faire, c’est contraire à notre image. Cela peut poser un sérieux problème pour notre réputation internationale et mettre en péril nos intérêts économiques.
Faites-vous allusion à nos relations économiques avec les pays musulmans? Exactement. En 2007, les exportations se montaient à 2,5 milliards de francs vers la Turquie, 1,9 milliard vers les Emirats arabes unis et 1,5 milliard vers l’Arabie saoudite. Au total, les pays musulmans représentent 5% des relations commerciales extérieures de la Suisse.
Seulement? C’est peu. Non, ce sont de très gros marchés pour certaines entreprises suisses, pourvoyeuses d’emplois. Et ils sont en progression constante. On parle de 300 milliards de dollars à investir ces dix prochaines années dans les infrastructures en Arabie saoudite, un secteur où nos entreprises ont du savoir-faire. Imaginez ce que représente un potentiel de marché comme l’Indonésie, en pleine croissance, avec 200 millions d’habitants. Nous avons des cartes à jouer avec les chemins de fer en Afrique du Nord. Nous avons des accords commerciaux avec l’Egypte ou le Maroc. Et puis les musulmans sont 1,5 milliard dans le monde, présents dans tous les pays, y compris en Chine. C’est aussi un marché. >>> Patrick Chuard Berne | Samedi 28 Mars 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché et Relié) - Livraison gratuite dans toute la Suisse >>>
Friday, March 27, 2009
BBC: Fatima contacted the BBC World Service citizen journalism project, Your Story, because she wanted to share her experiences of sexual abuse growing up within a strict Muslim family in Abu Dhabi.
She suffered many years of abuse before she finally told her mother what had been going on.
Fatima is now 26. She lives in the United States of America where she has just been given asylum and citizenship after establishing that she would be in danger if she returned to her home country.
YNETNEWS: Ahmadinejad tells Syrian president that 'regional conditions are working against Israel and the US'
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, on Friday that Israel and the US were "weakening with God's help".
During the phone conversation quoted by Iranian news agencies Ahmadinejad said, "The strong camp of friendly countries such as Iran and Syria are on their way to victory."
According to the Iranian leader, "The regional conditions are working in favor of the Muslim countries and against the Zionist regime and its allies."
Assad said that Syria and Iran were "in the same fortress", and Ahmadinejad said the two countries should "take advantage of abilities and opportunities in a wise manner". >>> Dudi Cohen | Friday, March 27, 2009
ZEIT ONLINE: Haben Islamfunktionäre eine kriminelle Vereinigung gebildet? Das wäre verheerend, auch für Schäubles Islamkonferenz
Mit seinen tadellosen Anzügen, dem akkurat gestutzten Vollbart und den grauen Schläfen strahlt Ibrahim el-Zayat die selbstbewusste Seriosität eines Managers aus. In der Öffentlichkeit tritt der in Marburg geborene Deutsche wie ein wandelndes Dementi integrations- oder gar staatsfeindlicher Umtriebe auf. Ein Image, das viele, gerade in den Sicherheitsbehörden, für Fassade hielten. Sie werden sich jetzt bestätigt fühlen: Die Staatsanwaltschaft München I sieht den Islamfunktionär als zentrale Figur einer kriminellen Vereinigung. Sie wirft ihm und fünf anderen Beschuldigten vor, seit mehr als sechs Jahren ein verwirrendes Geflecht von Vereinen und Hilfswerken arrangiert zu haben, um etwa Fördergelder unrechtmäßig zu kassieren. Die Gruppe wollte damit, so der Verdacht, den internationalen Kampf der Muslime gegen »Ungläubige« stärken, indem sie extremistische und gewaltbereite Organisationen finanziell unterstützte.
Das Verfahren birgt politische Brisanz. Dahinter steht erneut die Frage nach der Glaubwürdigkeit des in Verbänden organisierten Islams: Wen hat sich Bundesinnenminister Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) in die Islamkonferenz eingeladen? So gehört zu den Verdächtigen auch Oğuz Üçüncü, Generalsekretär der Milli Görüș, der zumindest mittelbar an dem Forum teilnimmt. Stellt sich am Ende heraus, dass die Gesprächspartner unter anderem Kriminelle waren, die an einem Tag im Ministerium blumige Reden hielten, und am nächsten Staatsgelder beiseitegeschafft haben, ist nicht nur der Ansatz der Islamkonferenz in Frage gestellt, mit »den Vernünftigen« in einen Dialog zu treten, sondern ebenso der Minister blamiert.
Fällt das Verfahren in sich zusammen, ist dagegen die bayerische Staatsanwaltschaft bloßgestellt. Denn die Münchner Ermittler fahren schweres Geschütz auf: Es geht um Betrug, Urkundenfälschung und Geldwäsche, um den Verdacht, dass sowohl fundamentalistische wie terroristische Aktivitäten gefördert wurden – aber um wie viele Fälle, welche Gesamtsummen, dazu will sich die Staatsanwaltschaft derzeit noch nicht äußern. >>> Von Christian Denso und Martin Spiewak | © DIE ZEIT | Donnerstag, 26. März 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: MOSCOU | Un haut responsable américain à Moscou l'a affirmé, sous couvert de l’anonymat.
Les Etats-Unis et l'Iran pourraient coopérer sur l'Afghanistan, a déclaré vendredi un haut responsable américain en marge d'une conférence internationale sur l'Afghanistan à Moscou.
"L'Iran est un acteur important en ce qui concerne l'Afghanistan. C'est à nos yeux une aire très productive pour un engagement futur avec l'Iran", a noté ce haut responsable sous couvert de l'anonymat.
L'Iran et les Etats-Unis ont envoyé des représentants à la conférence de Moscou, organisée sous l'égide de l'Organisation de coopération de Shanghai (OCS - Russie, Chine et quatre pays d'Asie centrale). Aucune rencontre bilatérale n'était toutefois prévue entre les deux délégations. >>> AFP | Vendredi 27 Mars 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché et Relié) - Livraison gratuite dans toute la Suisse >>>
NAME: After carrying the dictator's torch for 60 years, the far-right National Alliance is to merge with Silvio Berlusconi's party. So is this the end of fascism in Italy? Quite the reverse. Peter Popham reports
The flames are going out all over Italy. Tomorrow, the flame which for more than 60 years has been the symbol of neo-Fascist continuity with Mussolini, will disappear from mainstream politics. The National Alliance, the last important home of that inheritance, is "fusing" with Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party to give the governing bloc a single identity and a single unchallenged leader.
The change has been a long time coming – 15 years and more. Mr Berlusconi broke the great taboo of Italian post-war politics after he won his first general election victory in 1994 and incorporating four members of the National Alliance into his coalition.
Embracing the Fascists and neo-Fascists was taboo for good reason. For one thing, their return after they had led the nation to ruin in the war was banned by the new Constitution, whose Article 139 states, "the re-organisation, under whatever form, of the dissolved Fascist party, is forbidden."
That veto had been honoured in the breach rather than the observance since 1946, when Giorgio Almirante, the leader of the Italian Social Movement, picked up the baton of Mussolini where he had left it at his death and led the new party into parliament. But the neo-Fascists remained in parliamentary limbo, far from power. Berlusconi blew that inhibition away.
Under the wily leadership of Gianfranco Fini the "post-Fascists" have been gaining ground since. Tall, bespectacled, buttoned up, the opposite of Berlusconi in every way, the Alliance's leader impressed the Eurocrats with his democratic credentials when he was brought in to lend a hand at drafting the EU's new Constitution.
He leaned over backwards to break his party's connection to anti-Semitism, paying repeated official visits to Israel where he was photographed in a skull cap at the Wailing Wall. On one visit, in 2003, he went so far as to condemn Mussolini and the race laws passed in 1938 which barred Jews from school and resulted in thousands being deported to the death camps.
"I've certainly changed my ideas about Mussolini," he said at the time. "And to condemn [the race laws] means to take responsibility for them." Statesmanlike: the word stuck to him like lint. Party hardliners such as Alessandra Mussolini, the glamorous granddaughter of Il Duce, were furious and split away to form fascist micro-parties of their own. But Mr Fini's strategy prevailed. Under Mr Berlusconi's patronage, he became foreign minister then deputy prime minister and now speaker of the lower house, a more prestigious job than its British equivalent. As Berlusconi's unquestioned number two in the new "fused" party, he is also his heir-apparent. >>> Peter Popham | Friday, March 20, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Italy) >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: The Wiltshire town of Trowbridge has become the first in Britain to be twinned with a Muslim Arab town.
Trowbridge has officially been twinned with the Moroccan city of Oujda in reflection of its large Moroccan community.
Trowbridge's Moroccan Partnership Steering Group Chairman Cllr Bob Brice, said: "Hopefully we can show the rest of the country how Muslim and Christian communities can get on together."
Abdel Boutarfas, chairman of the Trowbridge Moroccan Community Association, said: "Having a twinning between a west country town and a Muslim town is significantly important. It can only help to break down barriers and have benefits for the local people in Trowbridge as well as those of Moroccan origin.
"I think it really puts Trowbrige on the map." Trowbridge in Wiltshire First in Britain to Be Twinned with Muslim Arab Town >>> | Friday, March 27, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>
BBC: As Iran celebrates their New Year festival, Nowrouz, some Iranians turn increasingly to drugs and liquor to get them in the party mood.
Nowrouz lasts for two weeks and many people travel to the lush jungles and seaside villas of northern Iran to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
But where ever they go imported and home produced alcohol, from vodka to Saki, are imbibed along with kebabs.
During the month building up to Nowrouz police statistics show that on average more than 25,000 cans of alcoholic drinks and some 135,000 litres of home-made liquor are hauled across Iran. This is despite the country-wide ban on alcohol imposed under Sharia law.
And, of course, strong homemade alcohol can be particularly dangerous. The AFP news agency recently reported police saying that 10 people had died from drinking poisonous homemade alcohol in a northern Iranian province.
Smuggling
But most of the domestic thirst for spirits is quenched with booze smuggled from Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey.
It is transferred to Kurdish towns such as Erbil in northern Iraq and then carried over the border into Iran.
Once over the border, the final price varies according to how easy it was to negotiate the treacherous terrain of western Iran while avoiding police patrols.
In total, some 14 million litres of liquor are distributed in Iran each year, according to the special anti-smuggling task force which is supervised by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
This is despite the severe punishment for those caught committing offences related to alcohol.
An Iranian convicted of drinking on three separate occasions could face death by hanging. There is little chance of a pardon. Turning to drugs >>> By Faraj Balafkan, BBC Persian Service | Friday, March 27, 2009
Watch YouTube video (Journeyman Pictures): Alcohol smuggling – Iran: June 2007 Fine wines. French cognacs. Scottish whiskies. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, all alcoholic tastes are catered for. We join the Kurdish smugglers keeping Iran's drinkers well lubricated. >>> | June 2007
YOUTUBE: Drug Use in Iran
YOUTUBE: Islamic Heroin Republic!
JTA: WASHINGTON -- A U.N. body has passed a resolution condemning "defamation of religion" as a human rights violation.
The resolution, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of a group of Muslim nations in the U.N. Human Rights Council, passed Thursday by a vote of 23-11, with 13 absentions.
Opposition primarily came from Western nations, who say such a resolution would restrict freedom of speech. Proponents said they wanted to prevent such things as the defamation of Islam, as in the case of the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, which sparked angry Muslims protests in Europe three years ago.
"Defamation of religion is a serious affront to human dignity leading to a restriction on the freedom of their adherents and incitement to religious violence," the adopted text said. "Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism."
The World Jewish Congress condemned Thursday's vote. "We see it as weakening the rights of individuals to express their views and criticize other religions, and, in the case of this specific resolution, particularly Islam,” WJC President Ronald Lauder said.
"This resolution is an attempt to bring to the international body the blasphemy laws prevalent in some Muslim countries."
Language condemning defamation of religion recently was removed from a draft declaration for the Durban II conference on racism in an attempt to get the United States and other Western countries to attend the parley. [Source: JTA] | Thursday, March 26, 2009
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THE DAILY HERALD: THE HAGUE--Faction leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom PVV Geert Wilders has advised Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to gift-wrap and sell off the Netherlands Antilles to Venezuela.
“Just dial this number. Write along. You have a pen? 00-58-212-806-3111. Again: 00-58-212-806-3111. You got it? That is the number of the palace of President Chavez in Venezuela. He would love to have the Netherlands Antilles and we [would] love to get rid of [it]. I would make a good deal with him. Tie a nice bow around the islands and goodbye,” stated Wilders on Wednesday.
Wilders put this piece of advice for Balkenende on the Website of the opposition party after the PVV leader and the rest of his faction walked out of the session of the Second Chamber with the Prime Minister. >>> Copyright ©2008 The Daily Herald St. Maarten | Friday, March 27, 2009
BLOOMBERG: Support for Norway’s Progress Party rose this month, with one pollster ranking it the country’s biggest political group, as voters backed its anti-immigration stance less than six months before parliamentary elections.
While governments in other parts of Europe lose support as voters condemn their handling of the financial crisis, Norway’s Labor government is struggling in polls after it tried to push through laws banning blasphemy and allowing police women to wear the hijab. The laws were withdrawn after a public outcry. Justice Minister Knut Storberget, whose ministry issued the proposals, has since gone on sick leave.
“People are losing their jobs, the economy seems to be going into recession but people are focusing on these issues instead,” said Torkel Brekke, professor of culture studies and oriental languages at the University of Oslo. “It tells you how important issues of identity are to small European countries and how people feel insecure about immigration.” >>> By Marianne Stigset and Meera Bhatia | Friday, March 27, 2009
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