EDL Leader Robinson Arrested Amid Tribute Bid

Police detain English Defence League leaders who were banned from marching to where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed.

SKY NEWS: Two English Defence League leaders have been arrested in London as they attempted to march to Woolwich, where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in May.

Tommy Robinson shouted, "You are enforcing Sharia law", at officers who held him on suspicion of obstructing police as he tried to enter the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

The EDL had previously announced plans to walk through part of the capital before gathering outside Woolwich Barracks, near where Drummer Rigby was hacked to death in broad daylight.

But the Metropolitan Police put conditions on the march which demanded that it ended at Old Palace Yard, opposite the House of Lords.

As well as planning to lay flowers in memory of Drummer Rigby, Mr Robinson and EDL co-leader Kevin Carroll, who was also arrested, were walking to raise money for a young girl fighting cancer.

Sky Correspondent Tom Parmenter said: "They'd walked six miles when they were arrested outside Aldgate East underground station.

"Police had been tracking the walk across London and had regularly spoken to them about their route.

"The EDL leaders had been warned not to go past a large mosque in east London or enter the borough of Tower Hamlets.

"As they approached the boundary of the borough they were warned again by officers who told them they may be arrested."

Mr Robinson and Mr Carroll repeatedly asked if they would actually be arrested before another man approached the pair and assaulted Mr Carroll.

Parmenter said: "As police officers tried to deal with the situation the EDL leaders continued to walk forward and then a senior policewoman placed the pair under arrest." (+ video) » | SkyNews | Saturday, June 29, 2013

The British Government's Jihad against Free Thought
MELANIE PHILLIPS: By banning from the country as extremists the American anti-jihadis Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller, the Home Secretary Teresa May has not only made herself look ridiculous but has sent the enemies of the United Kingdom the message that they have it on the run.

I do not support the approach taken by either Geller or Spencer to the problem of Islamic extremism. Both have endorsed groups such as the EDL and others which at best do not deal with the thuggish elements in their ranks and at worst are truly racist or xenophobic.

The result has been a serious blow to the credibility of these two writers, with particular damage being done to Spencer whose scholarship in itself is scrupulous. It has also split the defence against Islamic extremism, and handed a potent propaganda weapon to those who seek falsely to portray as bigoted extremists all who are engaged in the defence of the west against the Islamic jihad.

Nevertheless, the decision to ban this duo from Britain is unjustified, oppressive and comes perilously close to lining up the British government alongside those who wish to silence defenders of the west against the jihad, making a total mockery of Britain’s understanding of just who presents a danger to the state.

Neither Geller nor Spencer remotely presents such a danger. They intended to come to Britain to join an EDL rally in Woolwich, in the wake of the barbaric murder there of Drummer Lee Rigby by two Islamists last month. » | Melanie Phillips | Thursday, June 27, 2013

Sharia Comes to Great Britain

HT: Robert @ Jihad Watch »

Woolwich Message: UK Faces Grim Legacy of 'Peacekeeping'
The growing threat of terrorism is appearing at the top of the agenda of the UK government, as the intelligence agencies and armed forces come out as winners in the spending review. It comes just over a month since the brutal machete murder of a British soldier in London, which the killers said was revenge for the UK's military campaigns, but there are mounting doubts over whether the war on terror is actually making Brits safe. The UK intelligence agencies will be getting 100 million pounds annually from 2015. The Treasury Head George Osborne said it's because they are 'on the frontline' and need a boost to their resources. George Galloway joins RT to talk about it.

Horrific Video of Beheading Raises Questions of Arms Supply to Syrian Rebels
Another act of brutal violence reportedly by Syrian rebels has appeared on the web. Unverified video shows the beheading of 3 supposed government supporters. The title of the graphic footage suggests an orthodox Christian bishop was among the victims, although other reports claim he'd been shot dead in an assault on a monastery

Ecuador Cools on Edward Snowden Asylum as Assange Frustration Grows

THE GUARDIAN: President Correa revokes Snowden's temporary travel document amid concerns WikiLeaks founder is 'running the show'

The plan to spirit the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden to sanctuary in Latin America appeared to be unravelling on Friday, amid tension between Ecuador's government and Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.

President Rafael Correa halted an effort to help Snowden leave Russia amid concern Assange was usurping the role of the Ecuadoran government, according to leaked diplomatic correspondence published on Friday.

Amid signs Quito was cooling with Snowden and irritated with Assange, Correa declared invalid a temporary travel document which could have helped extract Snowden from his reported location in Moscow.

Correa declared that the safe conduct pass issued by Ecuador's London consul – in collaboration with Assange – was unauthorised, after other Ecuadorean diplomats privately said the WikiLeaks founder could be perceived as "running the show".

According to the correspondence, which was obtained by the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision and shared with the Wall Street Journal, divisions over Assange have roiled Ecuador's government. » | Rory Carroll in Quito and Amanda Holpuch in New York | Friday, June 28, 2013

Canicule extrême dans l'ouest des États-Unis
LA PRESSE (CA): Un anticyclone puissant générera des conditions de canicule extrême dans l'ouest des États-Unis au cours des prochains jours.

Les météorologues préviennent que le mercure pourrait atteindre 54 degrés Celsius à Death Valley, dans le Nevada, soit quelques degrés de moins que le record de 57 Celsius atteint à ce même endroit il y a 100 ans.

Le National Weather Service prévoit 48 degrés à Phoenix et 47 à Las Vegas dimanche, un niveau atteint à seulement deux reprises dans le passé.

Le mercure devrait s'envoler aussi loin vers le nord qu'à Reno, au Nevada, à travers l'Utah et dans certaines régions du Wyoming et de l'Idaho, où le secteur de Boise doit s'attendre à des températures d'au moins 38 degrés pendant toute la fin de semaine. » | Associated Press | Pheonix | Arizona | vendredi 28 juin 2013

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: American West bakes in 'brutal' heatwave as temperatures approach world record: America's Western states are suffering a blistering heatwave as thermometers creep towards the highest temperatures ever recorded on earth. » | Hannah Strange, agencies | Saturday, June 29, 2013

Snowden Scrap: Ecuador Thumbs Nose at Washington

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In the latest tit for tat in the controversy over Edward Snowden's asylum application, Ecuador has terminated a trade agreement with Washington. President Rafael Correa will score points for standing up to the US, but some worry sanctions could follow.

Tensions continue to simmer between Washington and Quito over the Edward Snowden affair. After the United States threatened to eliminate special trade benefits with Ecuador, the South American country unilaterally moved on Thursday to terminate a trade benefits deal with the country. A short time later, the US said it would also review trade advantages given to Ecuador.

For Washington, the latest developments are a further setback in the diplomatic nightmare surrounding whistleblower Snowden, who has been on the run since leaking documents about collossal American and British Internet spying programs to Britain'sGuardian newspaper. Washington's threatening gestures come at an opportune time for politicians in Quito.

In Ecuador, few believe that a trade deal in place with the US since 1991 will be extended. Numerous conflicts already existed between the two countries even before the Snowden affair. » | Johannes Schneider in Quito, Ecuador | Friday, June 28, 2013

Germany Faced with "Loudspeaker Jihad"
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: "First there was no mention of a muezzin when the mosque was inaugurated; then on Fridays only; then three times a day, now five times a day." — Interview in Die Zeit

A Turkish mosque in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has begun sounding public calls to prayer from an outdoor loudspeaker system mounted on the roof of the edifice.

The mosque is one of a growing number of Islamic institutions in Germany (and other parts of Western Europe) publicly calling the Muslim faithful to prayer -- five times a day, seven days a week -- with cries of Allahu Akbar ("Allah is Greater").

Observers believe a precedent has now been established, and that many of the other 3,000 mosques in Germany will soon begin jumping on the muezzin loudspeaker bandwagon.

The sonorous prayer calls (known as adhan in Arabic) can be heard from great distances when amplified through electric loudspeakers; some German towns and cities are actually beginning to evoke the sounds and images of the Islamic Middle East. » | Soeren Kern | Friday, June 28, 2013


Listen to al adhan here

Senegal Rejects Obama's Push for Gay Rights

VOICE OF AMERICA: DAKAR — During President Obama’s visit to Dakar, he and Senegalese President Macky Sall were asked about Senegal's treatment of homosexuals. The U.S. Supreme Court handed down two rulings this week that expanded the rights of gays in the United States to get married. President Obama said his message for Africa is that everyone should be treated equally by the law, while President Sall said Senegal is "not ready" to de-criminalize homosexuality.

Front-page headlines in Senegal's Friday morning papers said it all.

One read, "Macky Resists Light Pressure from Obama and clashes with the USA," and another: "Obama Makes the Case For Gays, Macky Says No!"

In Dakar, many Senegalese said they agree with their president.

"Homosexuality is not part of our culture and we are not ready to accept it." Mareme Diop said. "Maybe the West accepts it, but we think it is wrong."

Many invoked religion. "As Muslims, we cannot accept homosexuality." Moussa Gueye said, "this is a secular country, but it is also 95 percent Muslim." » | Anne Look | Friday, June 28, 2013

Breaking: Edward Snowden's Father Says Son May Return If Conditions Met

Related »

Snowden's Father Says Former Contractor May Return If Conditions Met
REUTERS.COM: The father of former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden said in an interview that while he has not had recent contact with him, he is reasonably confident his son would return to the United States if certain conditions were met.

Those conditions could include not detaining Snowden before trial, not subjecting him to a gag order and letting him choose the location of his trial, NBC News said on Friday.

The NBC report added that Lonnie Snowden plans to make those points in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to be sent through his lawyer later on Friday. Representatives for the Justice Department could not be reached immediately for comment on the letter.

Lonnie Snowden, in part of the NBC interview that aired on the "Today Show," also said he is concerned that his son, a former contractor for the National Security Agency, was being manipulated by others, including people from the anti-government secrecy group WikiLeaks. » | Susan Heavey | Washington | Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Vicki Allen | Friday, June 28, 2013

Chasing Snowden: Don't Shoot The Messenger
Edward Snowden's story is worthy of a spy novel. He was charged with espionage for blowing the lid off US security operations. He was in Hong Kong at the time, and then reportedly wanted to flee to another country via Russia - but had his passport revoked by the US. Snowden was expected to show on a flight to Cuba after he booked a ticket, but journalists were left staring at an empty seat, instead of the whistleblower - on that Havana-bound plane. RT's Paul Scott, Thabang Motsei and Ivor Crotty, who've all been monitoring the developments as they happened, share their opinions on this story.

The Truthseeker: Obama's Arrest, Bush's Trial
"We'll get Bush in the US" the world's top war crimes prosecutor tells The Truthseeker after Dubya's deputies warn him against travel, lawyers file for Obama's arrest tomorrow when he hits South Africa, huge secret wars in America's name being masked from the folks funding them.

Seek truth from facts with Yousha Tayob of the Muslim Lawyers Association, leading war crimes prosecutor Francis Boyle, Senior Staff Attorney Katherine Gallagher of New York's Center for Constitutional Rights which stopped Bush's first trip after his waterboarding admission, Marjorie Cohn, author of Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law, and former NSA intelligence officer Scott Rickard.

Drugs Inferno: Iran Burns Tons of Narcotics
Iran has burned at least 100 tons of drugs as part of its efforts to fight drug smuggling. June 26 is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. To mark this day Iran, which lies on a major trafficking route between Afghanistan and Europe, has burned tons of drugs. Iranian authorities and foreign guests watched at the burning ceremony in Tehran.

'Fig Leaf Democracy Not Enough, Expect Egyptian Boil-over'
Egypt's main opposition has rejected President Morsi's offer of dialogue on reconciliation and insists on holding early elections. The country's seen clashes between supporters and opponents of the Islamic leader, with a major protest expected on Sunday. Two people were killed and hundreds injured in street fighting, as Morsi was preparing for a national address marking his first year in power.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Egypt 'could slide into civil war': Egypt's leading religious authority has warned of "civil war" calling for calm after a member of the Muslim Brotherhood was killed ahead of mass rallies against the rule of President Mohamed Morsi. » | Reuters | Friday, June 28, 2013

Men Can Be 'Wives' and Women 'Husbands' as Government Overrules the Dictionary

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The word “husband” will in future be applied to women and the word “wife” will refer to men, the Government has decided.

Civil servants have overruled the Oxford English Dictionary and hundreds years of common usage effectively abolishing the traditional meaning of the words for spouses.

The landmark change is contained in the fine print of new official legal guidance drawn up for MPs and peers as the Government’s same-sex marriage bill is debated.

It comes as part of a Government initiative to “clarify” what words will mean when gay marriage becomes law.

But critics described it as the vocabulary of “cloud cuckoo land”.

It follows claims by opponents of the redefinition of marriage that universally understood terms such as father and mother might be simply deleted by bureaucrats on official forms. » | John Bingham, Social Affair Editor | Thursday, June 27, 2013

UK Muslim Immigration Time Bomb Ticking (2013)

Exposed: UK Cops Unit SOCMINT Sucks Up Data from Your Online Networks
It appears the UK's sweeping surveillance is going beyond the GCHQ phone and online eavesdropping. A special police unit has reportedly been scanning what British citizens are posting online in social networks.

North Korea: Behind the Scenes
RT's Aleksey Yaroshevsky travels to North Korea, the world's most secretive state.

Michele Bachmann Reacts to Gay Marriage Supreme Court Decision

Obama Urges Gay Rights in Africa during Trip to Senegal
BBC: US President Barack Obama has called on African governments to give gay people equal rights by decriminalising homosexual acts.

Mr Obama made the comments in Senegal after meeting President Macky Sall on the first leg of his African tour.

Mr Sall said Senegal was a "very tolerant" country but it was "not ready to decriminalise homosexuality".

Homosexual acts are still a crime in 38 African countries, where most people hold conservative religious views.

In 2011, the US and UK hinted that they could withdraw aid from countries which did not respect gay rights. (+ video) » | Thursday, June 27, 2013

Ecuador Turns Away US Trade Benefits, Makes Defiant Offer amid Snowden Asylum Request

Read the article here | FoxNews.com | Thursday, June 27, 2013

Antisemitism in Al-Azhar University's Friday Sermon: The Jews Are The Muslims' Worst Enemies | Channel 1 (Egypt) | May 10, 2013

Ecuador Can't Grant Snowden Asylum As He's Not On Its Soil
Ecuador says there are obstacles in granting asylum to whistleblower Edward Snowden. The development was revealed in a press conference by the country's government in the Ecuadorian capital. Snowden himself remains somewhere in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. RT's Lucy Kafanov outside the airport brings the latest.

The Islamic Super-state, the Caliphate, Is Coming (2009)
Islamists have always dreamed of the Islamic super-state, the Caliphate-state/Ummah/Kaliphah.

Snowden Asylum Request 'Could Take Months'
Ecuadorian authorities say US whistleblower's asylum request could take two months, as he remains in Moscow airport

Robert Spencer and Michael Coren Discuss Being Banned in Britain

HT: Robert @ Jihad Watch »

'UK Beefs Up Security As If Preparing For Civil Unrest'
UK's government has announced budget cuts affecting welfare claimants, teachers, nurses and policemen. But one show of generosity was an increase in funding for the intelligence services. RT contributor Afshin Rattansi gives his analysis on this.

The Terminal: Snowden Indefinitely Stuck in Moscow Airport
Russia won't hand over America's most wanted man, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. He remains holed up in transit at a Moscow airport for a fourth day. President Putin said that means Snowden's never actually crossed into Russia and so is beyond the government's reach.

American Counter-Jihadists Barred from Britain
LIBERTY GB: : Liberty GB supporter Walter Tyler has written to Home Secretary Theresa May condemning her decision to bar American counter-jihad activists Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller

Ref: Refusal to admit Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller

26th June 2013

CC Bill Cash

Dear Home Secretary,

I write in response to your refusal to admit Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller to the UK. I have noted with increasing despondency the way in which Muslims in this country allied with various nefarious leftist elements are able to subvert 'free speech' by protesting the action of law abiding citizens.

I am a former sociologist and have studied Islam in great detail. I would suggest that you delineate between what is religious within Islam and what is political. Clearly killing people in the name of Jihad is not religious and is entirely political. Therefore countering political Islam by protest is entirely legal and should be permitted in a free and democratic society.

Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller, two people whose writing and interviews I am familiar with, have never to the best of my knowledge criticised the five pillars of Islam which are its spiritual tenets and its religious aspects. They have therefore not transgressed any law other than the self-appointed Islamic Sharia as applied in this country through you because you are scared of the threats of force made against the government by Islamic groups.

Slander and defamation in Islam is constituted by speaking the truth about someone/ something that the other person does not want uncovered or not advancing Islam. The social situation in this country is declining to such a state where there is an apartheid application of laws against the majority in favour of a politically supremacist minority. The propagation of Islam under British law is illegal since Islam calls for the annihilation of the Jews and the second class dhimmi status for other religious groups and the subsequent payment of protection money or 'jizya'.

Could you advise me what is being done to protect the majority in terms of the law from Islamic attacks including rape which is permitted in the Quran against non-believers? I understand that the law has never been applied against racist or religious attacks against white people or Christians in this country – please advise how the present laws protect both groups?

I also note that your Government is supporting Jihadi groups in Syria who are annihilating minority Shia and Alawite Muslims and Christians. Why are you supporting these groups when Assad is by far the lesser of the two evils?

I have come to the conclusion that Islam and Western Civilization are entirely incompatible. I remind you of the words of Sir Winston Churchill to Neville Chamberlain when he returned from Munich in 1938: "You had the choice between war and dishonour, you chose dishonour but you will get war".

Furthermore, you will be aware of Karl Popper's dictum that if you tolerate the intolerant then your tolerant society will be destroyed.

It appears that the government of this country cares more for the wellbeing of its enemies than it does for its own people. Such a civilization will not survive and indeed does not deserve to survive. The people will not forget and at some stage the belief in the social contract will falter if decisive action is not taken. The people will not have to follow any law of a morally corrupt government that protects a politically supremacist ideology over the interests over its own citizens.

Wat (Walter) Tyler | Leave a comment » | Wednesday, June 26, 2013

"My Name Is Paul Weston, and I Am a Racist"
View the video here | June 2013

US Bloggers Banned from Entering UK

BBC: Two prominent US bloggers have been banned from entering the UK, the Home Office has said.

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer co-founded anti-Muslim group Stop Islamization of America.

They were due to speak at an English Defence League march in Woolwich, where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed.

A government spokesman said individuals whose presence "is not conducive to the public good" could be excluded by the home secretary.

He added: "We condemn all those whose behaviours and views run counter to our shared values and will not stand for extremism in any form."

'Right decision'

Ms Geller, of the Atlas Shrugs blog, and Mr Spencer, of Jihad Watch, are also co-founders of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, best known for a pro-Israel "Defeat Jihad" poster campaign on the New York subway.

On both of their blogs the pair called their bans from entering the UK "a striking blow against freedom" and said the "the nation that gave the world the Magna Carta is dead".

They were due to attend a march planned by the far-right EDL to mark Armed Forces Day on 29 June, ending in Woolwich, south east London, where soldier Drummer Rigby was murdered last month.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, who had called for the bloggers to be banned from the UK, said: "I welcome the home secretary's ban on Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer from entering the country. This is the right decision. The UK should never become a stage for inflammatory speakers who promote hate."

EDL leader Tommy Robinson, meanwhile, criticised the decision and said Ms Geller and Mr Spencer were coming to the UK to lay flowers at the place where Drummer Rigby died.

"It's embarrassing for this so-called land of democracy and freedom of speech," he said.

"How many hate preachers are living in this country? It just shows what sort of a two-tier system we have here." » | Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Related »

Paul Weston on the Woolwich Killing, Islam and the State of Modern Britain
Paul Weston, Chairman of new political party Liberty GB, speaks out about the Woolwich murder, Islam and the state of Britain today.

Liberty GB is here to protect the traditional British way of life, which has been ignored by the so-called 'Conservative' Party. We are a culturist, traditionalist and patriotic party that will talk truthfully about immigration and Islam. We are not career politicians, and we don't respond to whips - we'll always stand up for facts, and we'll always stand against hatred and intolerance.


HT: gerard »

Is Britain Heading towards Civil War with Islam?

Paul Weston - Liberty Great Britain Party On Woolwich & Lee Rigby

Britain Capitulates to Jihad
JIHAD WATCH: In a striking blow against freedom, the British government has banned us from entering the country. Muhammad al-Arifi, who has advocated Jew-hatred, wife-beating, and jihad violence, entered the U.K. recently with no difficulty. In not allowing us into the country solely because of our true and accurate statements about Islam, the British government is behaving like a de facto Islamic state. The nation that gave the world the Magna Carta is dead. Leave a comment » | Robert | Wednesday, June 26, 2013

My comment:

I'm sorry to learn that my country has banned your entry into my country. I cannot imagine what the government is thinking about. This is further proof, if indeed further proof is needed, that the United Kingdom is a spent force. It's finished! The Islamisation of the UK from here on in is nothing but a foregone conclusion. The politicians that are elected and paid to lead us are spineless wimps who are incapable of anything other than capitulation. The 'Great' has just been taken out of Great Britain. – © Mark

THE INDEPENDENT: Anti-Ground Zero Mosque campaigners Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer barred from entering Britain to speak at an EDL rally: Theresa May said activists' presence in the UK would 'not be conducive to the public good' ¶ Two of the people behind a campaign against the building of the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York have been barred from entering Britain to speak at an English Defence League rally in London this weekend, it has been announced. ¶ The Home Secretary Theresa May has told Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, both of the anti-Islamic group Stop Islamization of America, that their presence in the UK would “not be conducive to the public good”. The decision, which they cannot appeal, will stand for between three and five years. » | Kevin Rawlinson | Wednesday June 26, 2013

Son of Hamas: 'Time to Expose Muhammad'
Mosab Yousef in a candid interview about the prophet's role in perpetuating terror.

DOMA Unconstitutional; California Ban on Marriage Dead
ADVOCATE.COM: The Supreme Court made history today by deciding two landmark cases on LGBT equality today with far-reaching implications.

With the Supreme Court's rulings today, the part of the Defense of Marriage Act that prevented federal recognition of same-sex marriages is no more. And the Proposition 8 law that banned same-sex couples from marrying in California is once again overturned, clearing the way for marriage equality to resume in California.

The Supreme Court today ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, meaning that legally married same-sex couples can begin claiming a litany of federal benefits immediately, according to the New York Times.

In a 5-4 decision written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the nation's highest court ruled that DOMA denies equal protection to a group of people protected by the Fifth Amendment for no other reason than the group's political unpopularity. » | Advocate.com Editors | Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Sheikh Tamim Takes Over as Emir of Qatar
Outgoing emir has been transferring responsibilities for almost a decade, insiders say.

UK Warns Africans Against Genital Mutilation
Some 20 thousand African immigrant girls are thought to be at risk of female genital mutilation practice.

EU Rebukes Turkey on Crackdown by Delaying Entry Talks
EU has rebuked Turkey for its crackdown on anti-government protesters, postponing a new round of membership talks for at least four months, but said the path to the EU remained open.

Inside Story: Qatar's Message to the World
As Qatar's emir has handed over power to his son in a peaceful transition, what lies ahead for the ambitious nation?

Edward Snowden: Shooting the Messenger?
Mainstream media in the US seems to be more interested in the character of the leaker than in the content of the leak.

Australian PM Loses Party Leadership Vote
Intra-party rival Kevin Rudd unseats Julia Gillard as Labor Party leader in snap ballot.

Mosque Daubed with Swastikas and 'EDL' Graffiti in Latest Racist Attack

EXPRESS: A MOSQUE in Worcestershire has been broken into and sprayed with graffiti, including swastikas and 'EDL', in the latest in a string of racist attacks.

Intruders broke into the mosque, which is still under construction, early this morning and used paint taken from builders' cabins on the site.

Amid fears of a backlash against the Muslim community following the Woolwich terror attack on Drummer Lee Rigby, racist graffiti was daubed over walls and at least six of the mosque's windows.

Offensive words and symbols with the initials EDL, NF, KKK and racist language were daubed across the new mosque in blue paint.

Due to an increase in "incidents happening nationally," an increased police presence has been implemented in the area.

Police have informed mosque representatives and are guarding the site, in Jinnah Road, Redditch, West Midlands. » | Charlotte Meredith | Wednesday, June 26, 2013

World from Berlin: 'Do Costs of Hunting Terrorists Exceed Benefits?'
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Revelations that Britain has been expansively spying on German and European data has deepened a public debate over mass privacy violations. German editorialists argue that London and Washington have some explaining to do.

In Germany, a country with a long, troubled history of state surveillance, the revelation that British and American intelligence agencies have been spying en masse on European data communications has not gone over easily.

Last Friday, London's Guardian newspaper published the contents of leaked documents confirming that Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the American National Security Agency (NSA) have been tapping directly into fiber-optic cables to collect vast stores of information that they can then access as needed. Among these cables was the TAT-14, which carries a large share of data communication in and out of Germany, the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and public radio station NDR reported on Tuesday after viewing documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

According to media reports, neither the German government nor the country's foreign intelligence service, the BND, was apparently aware of the British surveillance operation, dubbed "Tempora," which was reportedly made possible with the cooperation of two telecommunications companies: Vodafone and British telecoms giant BT. Vodafone released a statement saying it abides by the laws of the countries in which it operates, but it declined to give further information, citing "national security." BT has refused to comment.

The ongoing surveillance controversy, which began last month following the disclosure of the NSA's Prism program, has been a heated topic in Germany, where the massive state surveillance of Communist East Germany is still present in the memories of many citizens. » | SPIEGEL ONLINE Staff | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Search for Scapegoat: US Tries to Demonize Snowden to Smother His Revelations
While a media war breaks out over supporting or hating Edward Snowden, as little airtime as possible is actually dedicated to the spying on unsuspected citizens itself.

Putin: Snowden Is a Free Man, Can Go Anywhere He Wants
Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden remains in the transit zone of a Moscow airport. President Putin said that Snowden never crossed the Russian border and doesn't fall under any extradition treaty.

Muslims Support ‘IED’ Mob

THE SUN: A MUSLIM group accused of vigilantism and backed by hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been flooded with calls of support.

Islamic Emergency Defence — which pledges to defend Muslims in a “swift and Islamic manner” — has seen splinter groups rise up in Blackburn, Luton and East London.

Its website gives an “emergency hotline” number for Muslims to report attacks rather than call police.

One IED member said he would not be afraid to stand up to people who were anti-Muslim. » | Jonathan Reilly | Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Turkish Power Struggle: Brotherly Love Begins to Fray in Ankara

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and President Gül have long been political allies. But ongoing protests in the country have caused their relationship to fray and the ensuing power struggle could spell the end of the AKP.

The two men came from different backgrounds, but shared a belief in Allah and a common goal: power. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abdullah Gül, now respectively prime minister and president of Turkey, have worked together since the 1990s and their alliance has helped political Islam attain more power than ever before.

The current protests in Turkey, though, are threatening to break that alliance apart. Elements of Turkish society have risen up against their government and called on Prime Minister Erdogan to resign. Yet even as protesters and police clash in the streets, another power struggle is taking place in Ankara. President Gül is increasingly seeking to distance himself from his former political ally.

Erdogan and Gül are different in both background and character. Erdogan worked hard to get where he is today. As a child, he sold sesame rings in Istanbul's port neighborhood of Kasmpasa. He was also an avid soccer player, earning himself the nickname "Imam Beckenbauer." Although he managed to attend university and later became Istanbul's mayor, Erdogan was never able to conceal his simpler origins -- nor did he want to. He is moody, temperamental and unrestrained, qualities that may well be his undoing in the current crisis.

Gül, on the other hand, comes across as being diplomatic and moderate. Unlike Erdogan, he speaks English. Gül's parents were relatively well-to-do, sending their son to study economics in Istanbul and London. Gül worked as a manager for an Islamic bank in Saudi Arabia before being elected to Turkish parliament in the 1990s as part of the Islamist Refah movement. » | Maximilian Popp in Istanbul | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

EU Delays Turkey Membership Talks After German Pressure
BBC: EU foreign ministers have backed a German proposal to postpone further EU membership talks with Turkey for about four months.

The EU-Turkey talks had been scheduled to resume this Wednesday.

But Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have criticised Turkey's crackdown on anti-government protests.

Turkish police arrested at least 20 people in the capital Ankara on Tuesday, suspected of attacking police during the recent unrest in Istanbul.

Turkish media say the suspects are also accused of belonging to a "terror organisation".

Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle played down tensions with Turkey on Tuesday, saying he had had a "really good, constructive" discussion with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday evening.

Mr Davutoglu was upbeat, saying he saw "no obstacle" to reopening Turkey's talks with the EU eventually.

Turkey began accession negotiations with the EU in 2005, at the same time as Croatia, which will join the 27-nation bloc next week.

But Turkey's talks have been stalled for three years, and an EU Commission report on Ankara's progress last October highlighted numerous concerns about democracy and human rights.

Like all would-be member states, Turkey has to satisfy a detailed set of EU requirements, called the acquis. Last year Turkey received 856m euros (£727m; $1.1bn) in EU aid to help it make the necessary institutional reforms.>br />
Diplomatic tussle

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel wants Turkey to have a privileged partnership with the EU, rather than full EU membership. She hopes to win re-election in September - before the talks with Turkey resume.

Last week Germany summoned the Turkish ambassador in a row over Turkey's membership bid.

The two countries had earlier exchanged angry words in connection with the Turkish police action against demonstrators. Turkish police have used water cannon and tear gas against protesters - a crackdown widely seen to have fuelled anger against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. » | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Germany Seeks UK Surveillance Assurances
BBC: Germany's justice minister has written to British ministers seeking information about allegations of mass surveillance by British intelligence.

Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger asked if the surveillance by GCHQ was legal and if Germans were targeted.

Previously she had said the gathering of vast amounts of global data sounded like a "Hollywood nightmare".

Meanwhile, civil rights group Liberty demanded an inquiry into whether its communications were accessed illegally.

The Foreign Office said it does not comment on intelligence matters. Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament two weeks ago, though, that British security agencies uphold the law at all times.

Evidence leaked by Edward Snowden to the Guardian suggests that GCHQ is able to tap into and store internet data from fibre optic cables for 30 days in an operation called Tempora.

And GCHQ is also said to have accessed information about UK citizens from the US National Security Agency's monitoring programme, Prism.

'Germans fear spying'

GCHQ has insisted it is "scrupulous" in complying with the law.

Ms Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger's request for more information from the British government came after German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced unease at the allegations in the Guardian.

The letters Ms Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger sent to Home Secretary Theresa May and Justice Secretary Chris Grayling urged them not to lose the principles of civil rights.

She wrote: "In our modern world, the new media provide the framework for a free exchange of opinions and information. Transparent governance is one of the most important prerequisites that a democratic state and the rule of law requires."

The BBC's Berlin correspondent Stephen Evans said the letters asked four main questions: On what legal basis the spying program was executed; whether general information is collected and does it need a specific reason or is a more general trawl; whether judges had approved the measures; what data was kept and was it on German citizens.

Our correspondent said it is a real and potent issue in Germany because under the Nazi and Communist regimes spying on citizens was widespread and feared. » | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Documentary: The Ottoman Empire

Nicholas II: Russia's Last Emperor
To this day, Russians have differing opinions on the country's last tsar, Nicholas II, who was executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Some call him a model statesman and even a martyr - while others dismiss him as a faceless politician who ruined his country.

He's referred to as both Nicholas the Slaughterer and the Tsar-Martyr. So what was the real story behind the last emperor?

Putin Rules Out Snowden Expulsion, Hits Back at U.S.
REUTERS UK: President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Tuesday a former U.S. spy agency contractor sought by the United States was in the transit area of a Moscow airport but ruled out handing him over to Washington, dismissing U.S. criticisms as "ravings and rubbish".

His refusal to hand back Edward Snowden risked deepening a rift with the United States that has also sucked in China and threatens relations between countries that may be essential in settling global conflicts including the Syrian war. » | Reuters | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Edward Snowden No Show for Another Cuba Flight, Russia Fires Back at U.S.

US News | Weird News | More ABC News Videos

Read the article here | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

BBC Documentary – Behind the Rhetoric: The Real Iran
Documentary presented by Rageh Omaar which reveals the lives, hopes and fears of the young generation of Tehran, the most intriguing, talked about but least understood city in the world today.

Omaar and director Paul Sapin spent a year arranging the permissions and contacts for the film, who include a renowned female photojournalist, a woman who is the CEO of an international transport company, the editor of a youth magazine, the staff at a drug rehab centre and a pop star.

What do we really know about the Islamic Republic of Iran, aside from a Cold War rhetoric of politicians on both sides each accusing the other of evil? Rageh Omaar embarks on a unique journey inside what he describes as one of the most misunderstood countries in the world, looking at the country through the eyes of people rarely heard -- ordinary Iranians. It took a year of wrangling to get permission to film inside Iran but the result is an amazing portrayal of an energetic and vibrant country that is completely different to the usual images seen in the media.

Assange: Snowden, Manning Victims of Obama's War on Whistleblowers

WikiLeaks on Snowden: Whereabouts Secret, More Leaks to Come
RT talks to WikiLeaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson about what awaits Snowden, and how the whistleblowing website is involved in his fate.

Inside Story Americas: Snowden's Great Escape
As the US tries to detain the whistleblower, we look at the diplomatic repercussions of tracking down Edward Snowden.

Qatar's Emir Transfers Power to Son
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani says he is handing over power to son and calls on countrymen to lend their support.

AL JAZEERA: Transcript: Emir's speech » | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

AL JAZEERA: A new ruler for a transformed country: Qatar's emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, turns over control of a transformed country 18 years after taking power. » | Monday, June 24, 2013

Razzien in drei Bundesländern: Islamisten sollen Anschläge mit Modellflugzeugen geplant haben
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINER ZEITUNG: In Bayern, Baden-Württemberg und Sachsen hat die Polizei mehrere Wohnungen duchsucht. Zwei Männer stehen unter Verdacht, einen Anschlag mit ferngesteuerten Modellflugzeugen geplant zu haben.

Zwei Männer stehen im Verdacht, einen Terroranschlag mit ferngesteuerten Modellflugzeugen geplant zu haben. Gegen die beiden Verdächtigen tunesischer Herkunft werde ermittelt, teilte die Bundesanwaltschaft am Dienstag in Karlsruhe mit. Eine offizielle Festnahme habe es aber nicht gegeben. Die Beamten stellten seit den frühen Morgenstunden unter anderem technisches Gerät sowie Unterlagen sicher. » | Dienstag, 25. Juni 2013

Des Emirs Liebling übernimmt

TAGES ANZEIGER: Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ist eines von 27 Kindern der katarischen Herrscherfamilie. Nun übernimmt der 33-Jährige die Macht im reichen Golfstaat. Auf ihm lastet ein schweres Erbe.

Heute morgen verkündete Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani auf seinem Haussender al-Jazeera Historisches: «Ich will die Verantwortung an eine neue Generation übergeben», sagte der Emir von Katar. Es ist das erste Mal ist, dass in der arabischen Welt ein Herrscher frühzeitig und freiwillig die Macht abgibt. Von nun an soll sein Sohn und Kronprinz Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani über die kleine arabische Halbinsel am Persischen Golf herrschen.

Auch wenn es keine gesicherten Angaben gibt, besteht das Gerücht, dass gesundheitliche Gründe Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani zu diesem Schritt bewogen. Von einem Nierenproblem ist die Rede. Dem 61-Jährigen liegt offenbar viel daran, dass die Machtübergabe innerhalb der Familie in geordneten Bahnen verläuft. Seit Monaten wurde der Wechsel vorbereitet: «Es ist Zeit, ein neues Kapital aufzuschlagen», sagte Hamad heute Morgen. Bei der Bestimmung seines Nachfolgers hatte er die Qual der Wahl: Der Emir hat 27 Kinder mit drei verschiedenen Ehefrauen gezeugt. » | Tagesanzeiger.ch/Newsnet | Dienstag, 25. Juni 2013

Belgique : un islamiste français condamné à 17 ans de prison
LE POINT: Brahim Bahrir, un Parisien de 35 ans, avait poignardé deux policiers à Bruxelles en 2012 pour se venger de l'interdiction du port du niqab en Belgique.

La justice belge a condamné mardi à 17 ans de prison un Français proche de la mouvance islamiste qui avait poignardé deux policiers à Bruxelles l'an dernier, une semaine après des échauffourées avec les forces de l'ordre sur fond d'islamisme radical. Brahim Bahrir, un Parisien de 35 ans de confession musulmane, était arrivé à Bruxelles à bord d'un Thalys le 8 juin 2012. Quelques heures plus tard, alors que trois policiers effectuaient un contrôle de routine dans une station de métro de Molenbeek, un quartier populaire de Bruxelles, il s'était précipité sur eux, avait sorti un couteau et porté des coups à deux d'entre eux, un homme et une femme, les blessant légèrement. » | Source AFP | mardi 25 juin 2013

China's State Newspaper Praises Edward Snowden for 'Tearing Off Washington's Sanctimonious Mask'
THE GUARDIAN: State-run People's Daily says whistleblower has exposed US hypocrisy after Washington blamed Beijing for his escape


China's top state newspaper has praised the fugitive US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden for "tearing off Washington's sanctimonious mask" and rejected accusations Beijing had facilitated his departure from Hong Kong.

The strongly worded front-page commentary in the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist party, responded to harsh criticism of China from the US for allowing Snowden to flee.

The Chinese government has said it was gravely concerned by Snowden's allegations that the US had hacked into many networks in Hong Kong and China, including Tsinghua University, which hosts one of the country's internet hubs, and Chinese mobile network companies. It said it had taken the issue up with Washington.

"Not only did the US authorities not give us an explanation and apology, it instead expressed dissatisfaction at the Hong Kong special administrative region for handling things in accordance with law," wrote Wang Xinjun, a researcher at the Academy of Military Science in the People's Daily commentary.

"In a sense, the United States has gone from a 'model of human rights' to 'an eavesdropper on personal privacy', the 'manipulator' of the centralised power over the international internet, and the mad 'invader' of other countries' networks," the People's Daily said. » | Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing and agencies | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Should Muslims Be Allowed to Pray in Public Schools? Michigan Says 'Yes'
THE CHRISTIAN POST: It's illegal for Christians to pray in public school, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. But in Michigan, Muslims are being given special prayer privileges by school administrators, raising questions as about due process, equal protection, and freedom of speech for followers of the faith of America's Founding Fathers.

Stirring up the Constitutional storm, once again, is the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Michigan chapter, which has reached a "negotiated" settlement with the school board in Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit, which will give Muslim kids so-called "prayer accommodations" in Dearborn Public Schools. » | Gene J. Koprowski | Christian Post Contributor | Monday, June 24, 2013

Mosab Hassan Yousef: Powerful Speech During a Religious Extremism Debate @ The Museum of Tolerance
Mosab Hassan Yousef gives the keynote speech about growing up in the Palestinian Territory as the son of a Hamas founder and eventually becoming an Israeli spy.

U.S. Urges Russia to Hand Over Snowden
THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — An increasingly frustrated Obama administration escalated its criticism on Monday of Russia, China and Ecuador, the countries that appeared to be protecting Edward J. Snowden, the fugitive former government contractor wanted for leaking classified documents, who has eluded what has become a global American manhunt.

The White House spokesman, Jay Carney, told reporters that relations with China had suffered a setback over its apparent role in approving a decision on Sunday by Hong Kong to let Mr. Snowden board a flight to Moscow and avoid arrest — even though his passport had been revoked. Mr. Carney also warned the Russian authorities that they should expel Mr. Snowden into American custody. » | Peter Baker and Rick Gladstone | Monday, June 24, 2013

From Open Values to Burqa Bans: Have Europeans Lost the Habit of Tolerance (2011)
Speakers: Nazneen Khan-Østrem; Brendan O'Neill; Hans Rustad; Merryl Wyn Davies | Chair: Martyn Perks

WALES ONLINE: Muslim convert Merryl Wyn Davies calls for better understanding on 9/11 anniversary: On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 Merryl Wyn Davies, Muslim convert and author of Why Do People Hate America?, tells Abbie Wightwick that we haven’t learned enough from the massacre ¶ On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 Merryl Wyn Davies, Muslim convert and author of Why Do People Hate America?, tells Abbie Wightwick that we haven’t learned enough from the massacre ¶ AS a Muslim convert for 30 years Merryl Wyn Davies is sick of having conversations about headscarves. » | Friday, September 09, 2013

WIKI: Merryl Wyn Davies »

WIKI: Nazneen Khan-Østrem »

WIKI: Hans Rustad »

WIKI: Brendan O'Neill »