Schweizer Islam-Video irritiert

TAGES ANZEIGER: Fünf Jahre nach der Annahme der Minarettinitiative kursiert ein rätselhaftes Video im Internet. Es sei ein Aufruf zu mehr Toleranz, sagen die Macher. Viele sehen das anders.

Eine schwarz vermummte Gestalt trägt eine weisse Fahne mit dem muslimischen Glaubensbekenntnis auf einen Berg. Immer mehr Personen folgen ihr. Nach drei Minuten endet das Video mit der Botschaft: «Erwartet uns! Jederzeit. Überall.» Als Absender erscheint: «Die Muslime der Schweiz».

Das professionelle Video wurde vom Islamischen Zentralrat Schweiz (IZRS) gedreht und hat bereits beim Dreh für Aufmerksamkeit gesorgt. Es wurde in der Zentralschweiz auf öffentlichen Plätzen gedreht. Besorgte Passanten alarmierten die Polizei. Saïda Keller-Messahli, Präsidentin des Forums für einen fortschrittlichen Islam, sagte der «Neuen Luzerner Zeitung»: «Die Aktion ist eine totale Provokation.» Wer an einem öffentlichen Weg solche Aktionen durchführe, wo an einem Sonntag viele Spaziergänger entlanggingen, wolle auffallen, schockieren, Präsenz markieren und reine Propaganda betreiben. » | Claudia Peter | Donnerstag, 04. Dezember 2014

TAGES ANZEIGER: «Muslimfeindlichkeit in der Schweiz ist gestiegen» : Die muslimischen Verbände der Schweiz warnen vor einer zunehmenden Islamophobie. Die Stimmung im Land sei aufgeheizt, und das bekämen die Muslime zu spüren. » | Sunday, 02. November 2014

Polémique : Le Conseil Central Islamique publie une vidéo provocante

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le Conseil Central Islamique Suisse (CCIS) a tourné une vidéo ambiguë que certains jugent menaçante, voire provocante à tout le moins. Même si ses dirigeants s'en défendent.

Le Conseil Central Islamique Suisse (CCIS) refait parler de lui, avec une vidéo qui fait polémique. Le petit film, de plus de trois minutes, en anglais et sous-titré en français, parle du «début d'une révolution islamique» et se termine avec des termes que d'aucuns jugent menaçants. «Attendez-vous à nous, à tout moment, n'importe où. Les musulmans de Suisse». Avec le logo CCIS. La séquence a été tournée par des professionnels dans la région de Lucerne dans des espaces publics où les passants ont alerté la police, comme l'explique le Tages-Anzeiger. » | Par Pascal Schmuck, Zurich | jeudi 04 décembre 2014

Provocation: Five Years after the Minaret Ban: The Muslims of Switzerland Rise Up against Islamophobia

Gay and Lesbian Gambians Live in Fear of ‘Aggravated Homosexuality’ Law

THE GUARDIAN: Few havens available in west Africa for people forced to flee homophobia and harsh new legislation

The tipoff late one night wasn’t unexpected. Since the crime of “aggravated homosexuality” had come into force in the Gambia in October, Theresa had been living in fear. Then a friend who worked for the country’s notorious police force warned her she would be targeted in a raid in a few hours’ time. Theresa’s crime was being a lesbian.

“I wasn’t surprised, I was expecting it anyway because the president has said many times he will kill us all like dogs,” she said. “But I was really, really scared. My friend said, if you don’t go now, it will be too late.” By dawn, Theresa was on a bus out of the country with her best friend, Youngesp, both of whom agreed to speak only if their real names were not used. The two have joined a growing number of people whose lives have been upended by anti-gay laws that trample on an already marginalised minority in west Africa.

That they ended up seeking refuge in neighbouring Senegal, where being gay or lesbian is punishable with five-year jail terms, points to the particularly dismal situation in the Gambia. Its politicians have long and publicly railed against homosexuality, with the tone set by President Yahya Jammeh, who this year labelled gay people vermin. » | Monica Mark, West Africa correspondent | Thursday, December 04, 2014

Vladimir Putin: West Has Tried to Contain Russia for Decades

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, delivers his state of
the nation speech

THE GUARDIAN: President uses state of the nation speech to attack west as rouble slides under pressure of economic sanctions over Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has accused the west of trying to contain and subvert Russia “for decades, if not centuries”, in a fierce and uncompromising attack during his state of the nation speech.

Analysts were curious to see whether the president would take a conciliatory tone in his annual speech to Russia’s political elite, as the rouble slides and relations with the west are at a low point over the unrest in Ukraine.

Instead, Putin opened with a fierce defence of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, calling it a “historic rejoining” of a region as important to Russia as Temple Mount was to Jerusalem.

He said that if the recent events in Crimea had not happened, the west would have simply found another excuse to contain Russia with sanctions, recalling that in the 1990s the west had tried to break up Russia “along the Yugoslavian scenario”. He warned that the sanctions and angry rhetoric from the west would only have the opposite effect to that intended.

“For some European countries, national pride is seen as a luxury, but for Russia it is a necessity,” said Putin, adding that it was pointless to use threats when speaking to Russia. Read on and comment » | Shaun Walker in Moscow | Thursday, December 04, 2014

Washington Refuses to Blacklist Muslim Brotherhood

MIDDLE EAST MONITOR: The US has refused to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation, stressing that there is insufficient credible proof that it has given up its decades-long commitment to refusing violence, Al-Jazeera.net reported yesterday.

The American decision came in response to a petition filed 16 months ago calling for the US administration to announce the worldwide Islamist group a terrorist organisation. » | Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Bashar al-Assad: Airstrikes against Islamic State Are Failing

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Speaking in his first interview since the start of the offensive, Syrian leader says there has been 'no change' noticed on the ground in Syria

Coalition air strikes targeting Isil jihadists in Syria have made no difference, President Bashar al-Assad has said in his first interview with western media since the start of the campaign in which he described himself as a captain “saving his ship”.

Mr Assad said his troops had noticed “no change” in the balance of power on the ground since the start of the US-led bombing campaign in September.

“You can’t end terrorism with aerial strikes,” he told Paris Match in an interview published on Thursday. “Troops on the ground that know the land and can react are essential. That is why there haven’t been any tangible results in the two months of strikes led by the coalition.

“It isn’t true that the strikes are helpful. They would of course have helped had they been serious and efficient. We are running the ground battles, and we have noticed no change.”< br />
Mr Assad’s views on the war in Syria contrasted with an assessment of the situation given by John Kerry, the US secretary of state, yesterday. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Wednesday, December 03, 2014

China Bans Religion in Islam-heavy Xinjiang Region

BREITBART: Chinese authorities in the Xinjiang region of the country’s West have banned citizens from practicing religion in any state-owned entities. Because China is a Communist country, the law, which will take effect on January 1, 2015, likely pertains to all property.

Additionally, the Communist Party will dole out heavy fines for religiously-motivated Internet posts that have been determined to "undermine national unity." The penalty for violating the newly established Internet and mobile communications laws could result in a fine as high as $5,000 dollars. “An increasing number of problems involving religious affairs have emerged in Xinjiang,” an official in the Xinjiang People’s Congress was quoted saying in state media. The law specifically mentions that videos showing jihad or holy war may not be viewed or distributed in any manner. Read on and comment » | Jordan Schachtel | Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Arizona Pastor: We Could Cure AIDS by Christmas If We Stone Homos to Death

Pastor Steven Anderson says the world
could be cured of AIDS by Christmas

PINK NEWS: A Christian pastor has claimed that the world could be cured of AIDS “by Christmas” if “homos” were stoned to death.

Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona made the disturbing claim last week, in a sermon ahead of World AIDS Day.

He said: “Approximately 1.6 percent of the US populations, and 0.7 percent are bi… it’s all the same category, Sodomite.

“Turn to Leviticus 20:13, because I actually discovered the cure for AIDS. We could have an AIDS free world by Christmas if we follow this. » | Nick Duffy | Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Latvian Politician 'Praised Nazi Shooting of Gays'

Ms Priede represents the Kandava district in western Latvia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Inga Priede, member of Latvia's ruling Unity party, resigns after tweeting "Thank God! The Germans shot them in their time" about homosexuals in same-sex marriage debate

Latvia's ruling party has been forced to distance itself from comments by one of its members which appeared to praise the Nazi extermination of homosexuals.

Inga Priede, a member of the Unity party, has resigned after making the comments in a Twitter discussion on Monday night about same-sex marriage legislation.

“Thank God! The Germans shot them in their time. Birth rate was going up," wrote Ms Priede.

She wrote that Latvian citizens in rural areas were "in shock" about the possibility of same-sex marriage legislation being introduced, and that homosexuals living in these regions were "not proud" of their sexuality because "there are basic values". » | Andrew Marszal | Wednesday, Decembrer 03, 2014

Pope Sacks the Head of His Swiss Guard for Being 'Too Strict'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Daniel Anrig will no longer serve as commandant of Pontiff's private army after Pope Francis is rumoured to prefer a "less military" approach to security

He has dismissed and demoted cardinals, bishops and the Vatican secretary of state, and now Pope Francis’s reformist zeal has claimed a new scalp – the head of his own private army, the Swiss Guard.

In a dispassionate one-sentence notice, the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, announced on Wednesday that Daniel Anrig will no longer serve as the commandant of the 500-year-old corps after the end of next month.

No official explanation was given for the decision, but it was widely rumoured that the Argentinean Pope, who has established a warmer, more inclusive style of governance since being appointed pontiff in March last year, found the commander’s manner overly strict and “Teutonic”.

The 77-year-old pope is said to have been appalled recently to have emerged one morning from his private suite of rooms to find that a Swiss Guard had been standing guard all night.

“Sit down,” he told the young guardsman, to which the soldier said: “I can’t, it’s against orders.” » | Nick Squires, Rome | Wednesday, November 03, 2014

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le commandant de la Garde suisse partira à la fin janvier : L'actuel commandant quittera son poste au début 2015, après plus de cinq ans à son poste, contrairement aux usages. Le Lucernois Christophe Graf, actuel vice-commandant de la Garde, pourrait lui succéder. » | smk/ats/Newsnet | mercredi 03 décembre 2014

Richard III DNA Shows British Royal Family May Not Have Royal Bloodline

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The University of Leicester has studied the DNA of Richard III and found that there could be a break in the royal bloodline


When the body of Richard III was discovered in a car park in Leicester in 2012 archaeologists knew it was a momentous find.

But little did they realise that it might expose the skeletons in the cupboard of the British aristocracy, and even call into question the bloodline of the Royal family. » | Sarah Knapton, Science Editor | Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Wife and Child of Islamic State Leader Baghdadi Held in Lebanon

THE GUARDIAN: Arrest is described as ‘high-value catch’ and reportedly follows information provided by western intelligence agencies

The Lebanese army says it has detained the second wife of the Islamic State (Isis) leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and their eight-year-old son near the Syrian border.

The arrest reportedly took place in the past week and followed information provided by western intelligence agencies in the past fortnight.

Lebanese security officials described the woman as a “high-value catch” and said the identity of the boy was confirmed through DNA testing. If so, the revelation would support the claim of international involvement. The US and other states have samples of Baghdadi’s DNA from the nine months he spent in US custody in Iraq in 2004.

The British Foreign Office said it had nothing to add to the reports. » | Martin Chulov and agencies | Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Switzerland Says “No” to Immigration Limit

Read the short Euronews article here

Pope Francis to Visit Turkey in Most Challenging Mission of Papacy So Far

THE GUARDIAN: Pontiff to try to tackle relations with Islam, Christian persecution in the Muslim world and the Catholic-Orthodox schism

Pope Francis embarks on one of the most delicate missions of his 18-month-old papacy on Friday, when he is expected to wrestle with the problems of Christian persecution in the Muslim world and tackle relations with Islam in a time of spreading jihadism during his visit to Turkey.

As if that were not enough, he is also expected to deal with the millenium-old schism between Catholicism and Orthodoxy that centred on the city that is now Istanbul.

The fourth pope to visit Turkey, Francis will seek to emphasise his commitment to dialogue with Muslims and other Christians at a time of increased violence against Christian minorities in the region.

He is to make what his spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, described as a very important speech on Muslim-Christian relations on Friday. » | Constanze Letsch in Istanbul, John Hooper in Rome and agencies | Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all my visitors, followers, and Twitter followers a VERY HAPPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING

EU Chief: We’ll Survive without Britain

Prime Minister David Cameron with president of the European
Council, Herman Van Rompuy outside 10 Downing Street

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Herman Van Rompuy hits out at David Cameron’s demands for change as it is disclosed UK faces £34bn bill for ‘black hole’ in budget

The European Union “will survive” if Britain leaves after an in-out referendum but would be “dead” if France voted for exit, Herman Van Rompuy has said.

The outgoing president of the European Council criticised the UK and indicated that David Cameron will not be able to secure changes to freedom of movement rules.

He made his comments as it was disclosed that a black hole in the EU budget could leave British taxpayers paying an extra £34 billion over six years.

Mr Cameron will now be legally obliged to make up a share of a shortfall of £259 billion by 2020, with liabilities for the Treasury estimated at £33.7  billion.

The hole in EU spending has been identified by the European Court of Auditors and will come as a major blow to the Prime Minister just days before he is expected to make a major speech about Britain’s relationship with the EU.

Mr van Rompuy said in Paris that Brussels would not negotiate on the “fundamental principles” of the EU simply to convince Britain to remain a part of the bloc.

He said that a British exit would leave Europe “wounded” and that “everything should be done to avoid it”.

“Without the United Kingdom, Europe would be wounded, even amputated – therefore everything should be done to avoid it,” he said.

“But it will survive. Without France, Europe — the European idea – would be dead.” » | Peter Dominiczak and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Scandinavian Islamist Junes Kock Calls on Syrian Mujahideen to Unite against International Coalition

Jordanian MP Rudaina Ati: "The PA Must Not Defend the Interests of the Filthy Jews"

Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei: America and Europe Failed to Bring Iran to Its Knees on the Nuclear Issue