Iran Condemned for 'Unspeakably Cruel' Blinding of Prisoner

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran punishment of man for acid attack by gouging out his eye condemned as "unspeakably cruel" by Amnesty

Iran has been condemned for "unspeakable cruelty" after a man was forcibly blinded in his left eye this week on the grounds of legal retribution for an acid attack he had carried out in 2009.

International rights group Amnesty International today condemned the "grotesque" punishment overseen by Iranian authorities on Tuesday under the principle of "qisas" – an eye for an eye – at a prison in Karaj, west of Tehran.

The man had been convicted of throwing acid in another man's face in 2009, leading to a 10-year prison sentence, an order to pay blood money to the victim and the act of retribution.

Medics gouged out his left eye after he was rendered unconscious in Rajai-Shahr prison, the Guardian reported.

"Punishing someone by deliberately blinding them is an unspeakably cruel and shocking act," said Raha Bahreini, Amnesty's Iran researcher, in a statement.

"This punishment exposes the utter barbarity of Iran's justice system and underlines the Iranian authorities' shocking disregard for basic humanity." » | Andrew Marszal, and agencies | Friday, March 06, 2015

Related »

The Know-nothing Cardinal Dolan! Cardinal Compares Islamic State to IRA: 'They Are Not Real Muslims, Just as IRA Claimed to Be Catholic'

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York

BELFAST TELEGRAPH: A Cardinal in the US has compared Islamic State to the IRA - saying militants terrorising the Middle East are a distortion of “genuine” Islam, just as the Irish Republican Army was a “perversion” of Catholicism.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, drew the parallel in an interview with CNN.

"Remember 30, 35, 40 years ago with the IRA in Ireland? The IRA claimed to be Catholic. And they were baptized; they had a Catholic identity. What they were doing was a perversion of everything the church stood for," he said.

"And to their immense credit the bishops of Ireland, every time the IRA blew up a car or a house or a barracks to the British Army, the Irish bishops would say 'they are not Catholic'.

"The analogy I think is somewhat accurate. These are not pure, these are not real Muslims." » | Claire Cromie | Thursday, March 05, 2015

France To Counter Extremism By Doubling Islamic Varsity Courses

NEWS EVERYDAY: The number of Islamic university courses in France are going to double from 6 to 12, said Manuel Valls, the French Prime Minister, according to rt. The courses will be paid for by the French state, in order to blunt the impact of French Imams, who are receiving funds from abroad.

Valls pointed out that the measure to improve home-grown French Islamic education is important so that it can improve a situation in which "Islamist extremism and the far right feed off each other."

The speech was delivered in the eastern city of Strasbourg. The anxiety levels follow the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in January as well as a rise in right-wing support for the anti-immigration National Front Party, led by Marine Le Pen. » | Revathi Siva Kumar | Friday, March 06, 2015

HT: Always on Watch »

Cage Director Asim Qureshi Refuses to Condemn Stoning of Adulterous Women

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: This Week presenter Andrew Neil appears shocked at failure to refute Sharia law

The director of the Muslim rights group Cage has repeatedly refused to condemn the stoning of adulterous women by Islamic extremists.

Appearing on the BBC’s This Week programme, Asim Qureshi was asked about a series of positions advocated by a Muslim scholar he has described as a mentor, including female genital mutilation, domestic violence and the stoning to death of women found guilty of cheating on their husbands.

Last month, Mr Qureshi was criticised for describing Mohammed Emwazi, the Islamic State executioner known as Jihadi John, as a “beautiful young man”.

Pressed by Andrew Neil, the show’s presenter, to condemn a series of extreme positions, including claims

that Jews are descended from pigs and homosexuality is evil. He repeatedly refused to engage, saying: “I’m not a theologian.” (+ video) » | Rosa Prince, Online Political Editor, Video source: BBC / This Week | Friday, March 06, 2015

Nimrud: Outcry as IS Bulldozers Attack Ancient Iraq Site

BBC AMERICA: Archaeologists and officials have expressed outrage about the bulldozing of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud by Islamic State militants in Iraq.

IS began demolishing the site, which was founded in the 13th Century BC, on Thursday, according to Iraqi officials.

The head of the UN's cultural agency condemned the "systematic" destruction in Iraq as a "war crime".

IS, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, says shrines and statues are "false idols" that have to be smashed.

"They are erasing our history," said Iraqi archaeologist Lamia al-Gailani. (+ BBC video) » | Friday, March 06, 2015

Islamic State Extremists Bulldoze Ancient Nimrud Site Near Mosul

Nimrud is a 13th century BC Assyrian archaeological site close
to Mosul, which is controlled by ISIS militants.

THE GUARDIAN: Statement from Iraq’s ministry of tourism and antiquities says militants ‘defy will of world and feelings of humanity’ but does not state extent of damage

Islamic State (Isis) militants bulldozed the ancient Nimrud archaeological site near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday using heavy military vehicles, the government said.

A statement from Iraq’s ministry of tourism and antiquities did not elaborate on the extent of the damage, saying only that the group continued to “defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity” with this latest act.

Nimrud is a 13th century BC Assyrian archaeological site located on the Tigris River just south of Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, which was captured by Isis in June. The extremists, who control a third of Iraq and Syria, have attacked other archaeological and religious sites, claiming that they promote apostasy. » | Associated Press in Baghdad | Thursday, March 05, 2015

Winston Churchill – Sinews of Peace (Iron Curtain Speech)

Winston Churchill's address of 5 March 1946, at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri.

In one of the most famous orations of the Cold War period, former British Prime Minister condemns the Soviet Union's policies in Europe and declares,that "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an "Iron Curtain" has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow."

Churchill, who had been defeated for re-election as prime minister in 1945, was invited to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri where he gave this speech. President Harry S. Truman joined Churchill on the platform and listened intently to his speech. Churchill spoke of expansionistic policies of the Soviet Union and warned against "communist fifth columns" that were operating throughout western and southern Europe. Drawing parallels with the disastrous appeasement of Hitler prior to World War II, Churchill advised that in dealing with the Soviets there was "nothing which they admire so much as strength, and there is nothing for which they have less respect than for military weakness."

Eye for an Eye: Iran Blinds Acid Attacker

In 2011, Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman who was blinded
in an acid attack, pardoned her assailant.

THE GUARDIAN: Medics gouge out man’s eye in first known case where retribution ruling has been carried out, amid condemnation from human rights groups

In a literal application of the sharia law of an eye for an eye, an Iranian man convicted of blinding another man in an acid attack has been blinded in one eye, marking the first time Iran has carried out such a punishment.

The convicted acid attacker, who has not been identified, was rendered unconscious in Rajai-Shahr prison in the city of Karaj on Tuesday as medics gouged out his left eye, according to the state-owned Hamshahri newspaper.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, from Iran Human Rights (IHR), an independent NGO based in Norway, condemned the blinding as barbaric. “Medical staff who cooperate with the Iranian authorities in this act have broken the Hippocratic oath and cannot call themselves doctors,” he said.

The man had been found guilty of throwing acid in the face of his unnamed victim five years ago in the city of Qom, blinding and disfiguring him for life. He was subsequently sentenced to be blinded in both eyes, paying a fine and 10 years imprisonment.

Although the convict was sentenced to lose sight in both eyes on Tuesday, the victim – who, under Iranian law, has the final say in the punishment – decided at the last minute to postpone the blinding of his right eye for six months. The attacker will be able to plead with the plaintiff to spare him from being blinded fully. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, March 05, 2015

MARGARET THATCHER - 50th Anniversary of Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech | 1996, Fulton, MO

Fifty years after Sir Winston Churchill heralded from the podium at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, the descent of an "Iron Curtain" across Europe, another former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, paid tribute to his legacy on 9 March 1996.

Niall Ferguson: Europe a Mess, Thatcher Was Right

Margaret Thatcher about the Weakness of European Countries

Iran Is 'Taking Over Iraq' and Obama Must Put Boots on the Ground against Isil, Warns Saudi Arabia

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addresses reporters during
a news conference with Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister
Saud al-Faisal, in Riyadh

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands flee Isil-held Tikrit ahead of Iraqi assault as Saudi foreign minister calls for US coalition presence 'on the ground' to prevent Iran overrunning country

Saudi Arabia became the second key American ally in the Middle East to demand President Barack Obama change tack towards Iran on Thursday, as it called for US-led coalition "boots on the ground" to fight Isil.

Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, told John Kerry, the US secretary of state, that he risked allowing Iran to "take over Iraq", echoing Israel's recent concerns over the White House's policy toward Tehran.

The United States and its coalition allies are attacking Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) positions from the air in both Syria and Iraq, but refusing to send troops. As a result, outside Kurdish areas the offensive in both countries is heavily influenced by Iran and its proxy Shia militias such as Hizbollah.

This has raised serious concerns in Saudi Arabia, Iran's Sunni rival for Middle East dominance.

The Iraqi government is currently attacking Isil positions in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown north of Baghdad. But most of its forces are under the command of government-aligned Shia militias, whose leaders are close to the Iranian regime, even though the population of Tikrit is largely Sunni.

Around 28,000 people have fled their homes in the face of the military operation, according to the UN.

"Tikrit is a prime example of what we are worried about," Prince Saud said. "Iran is taking over the country." » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor | Thursday, March 05, 2015

Un article lié à cette histoire »

Obama

The Definitive Film On Putin's Rise To Power - Trailer

EI : l'Arabie saoudite appelle la coalition à mener des opérations au sol

LE POINT: Lors d'une conférence de presse tenue en présence de John Kerry, le prince Saoud Al-Fayçal a déploré l'implication en Irak de l'Iran.

Le ministre saoudien des Affaires étrangères a estimé jeudi que la coalition internationale contre les djihadistes du groupe État islamique (EI) devrait "relever le défi au sol", lors d'une conférence de presse commune avec le secrétaire d'État américain John Kerry. Évoquant les actions de cette coalition, conduite par les États-Unis, en Syrie et en Irak, le prince Saoud Al-Fayçal a déclaré : "Le royaume saoudien souligne l'importance de favoriser les moyens militaires nécessaires pour relever ce défi au sol." Le ministre saoudien, dont le pays participe aux opérations de la coalition en Syrie, a déploré l'implication en Irak de l'Iran, son rival régional aux ambitions hégémoniques, selon Riyad. » | Source AFP | jeudi 05 mars 2015

SUZANNE FIELDS: Netanyahu's Bible Lesson from Queen Esther

Benjamin Netanyahu leavened his powerful account of what's really at stake in the nuclear negotiations with Iran with a little history and a little wisdom from the Bible. And why not? The war against the terrorists in the Middle East is a war against evil men peddling a violent perversion of a religion. Everything about this…

MONICA CROWLEY: Obama World Order Favors Middle East Adversaries Over Allies

Of his many disgraceful blow-offs of our key allies - returning the bust of Winston Churchill to Great Britain, refusing to march in Paris after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, vetoing the Keystone XL pipeline coming from Canada - President Obama's epic dis of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week takes the cake. One of our…

ANDREW NAPOLITANO: Obama Ignores Constitutional Limits of Presidential Power

Can the president rewrite federal laws? Can he alter their meaning? Can he change their effect? These are legitimate questions in an era in which we have an unpopular progressive Democratic president who has boasted that he can govern without Congress by using his phone and his pen, and a mostly newly elected, largely conservative Republican…

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Obama's Weakness on the Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Congress on Tuesday to warn Americans of the anti-Western threats from theocratic - and likely to soon be nuclear - Iran. Mr. Netanyahu came to the United States to outline the Iranian plan to remake the Middle East with a new nuclear arsenal. His warning was delivered over the…

New York City Public Schools to Have Muslim Holidays Off

JIHAD WATCH: Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, etc. should consider flying planes into a couple of New York skyscrapers; then they’ll get their holidays off, too. Because one thing is certain: if Islamic jihadists hadn’t perpetrated the 9/11 attacks, Muslims wouldn’t be getting their holidays onto the school calendar now. Ever since 9/11, Islamic supremacist advocacy groups have labored to deflect attention away from the fact that 3,000 were murdered by people acting in accord with Islamic texts and teachings, and to prevent scrutiny of those teachings and of their communities, by claiming victimhood, claiming that they have been unfairly targeted by law enforcement, claiming that they’re victims of racism and bigotry. Leftist politicians have rushed to accommodate their demands and redress their claimed grievances. This is just another example of that. Read on and comment » | Robert Spencer | Thursday, March 05, 2015

Libya Chaos Deepens as Isil Strikes Threaten to Halt Oil Production and Government Bombs Tripoli Airport

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Isil militants attack al-Dhahra oil field shortly after capturing facilities in Bahi and Mabruk, while national army bombs airport Tripoli, as peace talks begin in Morocco

Libya’s state run oil company says it may be forced to cease all production if security deteriorates further across the country, after suspected Islamic State militants attacked three oil fields, and the national army bombed an airport in the capital.

Four years after mass protests hastened the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, oil-rich Libya is divided between rival governments, each affiliated with a coalition of militias.

Oil facilities across the country have been targeted by a panoply of armed groups as they compete for territory and resources. Production currently stands at around 400,000 barrels per day, less than half the rate of 1.6 million it produced before Gaddafi’s overthrow.

In a statement on Wednesday night, the National Oil Corporation declared 11 of its oil fields non-operational, opting for a force majeure clause that exempts the state from contractual obligations.

It blamed the Islamist-dominated authorities in Tripoli for failing to protect the oil fields, and warned that it could be forced to shut down production nationwide. » | Louisa Loveluck, Cairo | Thursday, March 05, 2015

US Ambassador to South Korea Attacked with Razor During Lecture

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mark Lippert seen bleeding from the head and wrist after he was slashed in the face by an armed man

The US ambassador to South Korea has been attacked by a man wielding a razor blade as he attended a lecture in Seoul.

In pictures broadcast by the country’s Yonhap news agency, Mark Lippert was seen holding his face as blood gushed from wounds to his head and left wrist.

Mr Lippert, 42, who was about to deliver a speech at a breakfast being held at Sejong Hall, was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. » | Telegraph reporter | Wednesday, March 04, 2015

MARGARET THATCHER - Death of a Revolutionary - CH4

A documentary about the late former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which could be criticised for being an uncritical hommage rather than a balanced view of her premiership. Most of the negative impacts caused by the fundamental changes she brought to Britain have been "elegantly" omitted, but her motives, her basic believes, her encouraging message and everything positive she stood for are beautifully summarised and one understands why despite her errors and some misjudgement she could be praised as a great and visionary politician who not only changed Britain for the better (on balance) but had an influence on the world like few other politicians can claim.

A Channel 4 documentary by Martin Durkin with contributions by Kenneth Baker, Cecil Parkinson, Neil Kinnock, Kelvin MacKenzie, Norman Tebbit, Bernard Ingham, Charles Powell, Nigel Lawson and David Cameron.

New York City Adds 2 Muslim Holy Days to Public School Calendar

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that New York public schools will observe two of the most sacred Muslim holy days — Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The changes to the school calendar, which already recognizes several Jewish and Christian holidays, fulfills a pledge Mr. de Blasio made during his campaign and represents the increasing influence of the city’s diverse Muslim community. The change will take effect in the 2015-16 academic year. » | Marc Santora and Sharon Otterman | Wednesday, March 04, 2015

"Britain Is the Enemy of Islam"

One Month of Islam in Britain: January 2015
GATESTONE INTITUTE: "Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace, but rather submission to the commands of Allah alone. Therefore Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression, as their speech and actions are determined by divine revelation and not based on people's desires." — Anjem Choudary, British Islamist.

"Britain is the enemy of Islam." — Mizanur Rahman, Muslim cleric at Palmers Green, north London.

"Brothers and sisters, we would not be here had it not been for the fact that the kafir [non-Muslims] had gone to our lands and killed our people and raped and pillaged our resources... Stop putting freedom on this pedestal." — Aysh Chaudhry, Muslim trainee lawyer at London-based law firm, Clifford Chance.

"The firm is committed to establishing an inclusive culture where people with diverse backgrounds and views work effectively together and feel confident to develop their potential." — Spokesperson for Clifford Chance law firm.

Oxford University Press warned its authors not to mention pigs or sausages in their books, to avoid causing offense to Muslims.

Tarek Kafala, the head of BBC Arabic, said that the term "terrorist" was too "loaded" to describe the actions of the men who killed 12 people in the attack on the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.

"We know that acts of extremism are not representative of Islam; but we need to show what is." — Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, in a letter to 1,000 imams across Britain, asking for their help in fighting extremism.

Following is a brief summary of some of the main stories involving Islam and Islam-related issues in Britain during January 2015, categorized into three broad themes: 1) Islamic extremism; 2) British multiculturalism; and 3) Muslim integration into British society. Read on and comment » | Soeren Kern | Wednesday, March 04, 2015

The Republican Who Wants to Be President: Ben Carson: Prison Proves Being Gay Is A Choice

Franklin Graham Says Obama's 'Sympathy to Islam' Will Lead to Christian and Jewish Persecution in America

THE CHRISTIAN POST: The Rev. Franklin Graham has warned in an interview that President Barack Obama is "very sympathetic to Islam" and that America's foreign policy is influenced by Muslims. He added that this influence could lead to Christians and Jewish people being persecuted in the United States.

"There are Muslims that have access to him in the White House. Our foreign policy has a lot of influence now, from Muslims. We see the prime minister of Israel being snubbed by the president and by the White House and by the Democrats and it's because of the influence of Islam. They hate Israel and they hate Christians, and so the storm is coming, I believe," Graham told Gordon Robertson, host of CBN's "The 700 Club" interactive program.

Graham further pointed out that Obama had a Muslim father, and that as a child the president went to school in Indonesia, which has the largest Islamic population in the world.

"So, growing up his frame of reference and his influence as a young man was Islam. It wasn't Christianity, it was Islam," the evangelist said.

Graham has criticized Obama's foreign policy on a number of occasions, including the president's refusal to call terror group ISIS "Islamic."

"The truth is — their barbaric murderers openly said they killed them because they were 'people of the cross.' Why is the president seemingly continuing to protect Islam and refusing to open his eyes to the truth?" Graham asked when an initial statement by the White House in February failed to identify the 21 Copts beheaded by ISIS as Christians. » | Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post | Tuesday, March 03, 2015

Islamic State Is About Revenge Says Former Al-Qaeda Member Turned Spy

A former member of al-Qaeda who began working as a spy for Britain's security and intelligence services has told BBC HARDtalk the antidote to extremism can only come from the Islamic world itself.

Asked what the differences are in the attraction by al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS), Aimen Dean explained that al-Qaeda was about defending the honour of Islam and expelling the US from the Middle East, but with IS it was about revenge.

"It is no longer about going to fight for a noble cause, it is about going to fight for revenge," he said.

Eight years ago Aimen Dean’s life as a spy ended when his cover was blown.

Iran Blasts Obama for Trying to 'Manage' Islamic State

Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs said Monday that the Obama administration is trying to "manage" the Islamic State group instead of seeking its destruction. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Iran's Tasnim News Agency that "what we are seeing and what regional intelligence services are saying indicate that America has formed a coalition to fight…

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's Full Speech To Congress (March 3, 2015)

Nach Löschung von Accounts: Islamischer Staat bedroht Twitter-Gründer

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Terrorgruppe Islamischer Staat bedroht Twitter-Gründer Jack Dorsey. Der Kurznachrichtendienst will den Fall nun selbst untersuchen.

Der Onlinedienst Twitter hat nach eigenen Angaben Drohungen erhalten, weil er Nutzerkonten mit Verbindungen zur Dschihadistenmiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) blockiert hat. "Unser Sicherheitsteam untersucht gemeinsam mit den Strafverfolgungsbehörden den Wahrheitsgehalt dieser Drohungen", teilte ein Sprecher des Unternehmens mit, ohne weitere Einzelheiten zu nennen. Im Internet war zuvor ein Bild aufgetaucht, das Twitter-Gründer Jack Dorsey im Visier eines Fadenkreuzes zeigt. In einer Botschaft auf Arabisch wird Dorsey mit Rache für die Sperrung von Nutzerkonten gedroht. » | kbl/AFP | Montag, 02. März 2015

Franklin Graham: New Obama Danger for Christians

WND: 'The storm is coming, I believe'

Globally known evangelist Franklin Graham says President Obama is so sympathetic to those of the Muslim faith, he’s actually endangering Jews and Christians, opening the doors for them to be persecuted in the United States.

“We’re going to see persecution in this country because our president is very sympathetic to Islam, and the reason I say that … is because his father was a Muslim, gave him a Muslim name, Barack Hussein Obama,” Graham said in an interview on “The 700 Club” on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

“His mother married another Muslim man. They moved to Indonesia. He went to Indonesian schools. So, growing up, his frame of reference and his influence as a young man was Islam. It wasn’t Christianity; it was Islam.”

Graham’s remarks aren’t much of a surprise to those who listen to him frequently. He’s been an outspoken critic of Obama’s presidential policies and has decried what he’s characterized as a curious White House reach-out to Muslim groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood. » | Cheryl Chumley | Monday, March 02, 2015

Saudi Arabia Awards Preacher Who Says Muslims Can Have Sex with Slaves Top Prize and £130,000 for Services to Islam

DAILY MAIL: Dr Zakir Naik has also said George Bush was behind the 9/11 terror attacks / In 2010 he was banned from entering the UK for his inflammatory remarks / His edict on slaves echoes the doctrines of Iraq's Islamic State insurgency

The king of Saudi Arabia has handed his country's most-prestigious prize to a preacher who has previously said the Koran allows Muslims to have sex with female slaves.

Indian cleric Zakir Naik, who has also said 9/11 was an inside job, was handed the King Faisal International Prize for Services to Islam at a glittering ceremony in Riyadh.

A physician by training, the Mumbai-based 49-year-old has carved out a career as a charismatic television preacher, but his controversial views have led to him being banned from entering the UK.

Dr Naik was one of five winners presented a gold medal, a certificate hand written in Arabic calligraphy and an endowment of more than £130,000 by Saudi King Salman during a ceremony at a luxury hotel yesterday.

The president of the Islamic Research Foundation in India, Dr Naik was honoured for being one of the most renowned non-Arabic speaking promoters of Islam.

He founded the Peace TV channel, billed as the world's only channel specialising in comparative religion, which now reaches an estimated English-language audience exceeding 100million, according to his award citation.

'Islam is the only religion that can bring peace to the whole of humanity,' he said in a video biography aired at the ceremony. It was on a broadcast on Peace TV that Dr Naik suggested that Muslims men may rape their slaves. » | AFP and Damien Gayle for MailOnline | Monday, March 02, 2015

Netanyahu Arrives in US for Contested Congress Iran Speech

BBC AMERICA: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in the US to argue against a possible nuclear deal with Iran.

Mr Netanyahu says the deal would be inadequate to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

He is due to give a speech in Congress on Tuesday which was not agreed in advance with the Obama administration, angering the White House.

The speech comes two weeks before Israeli elections, with his Likud party under pressure in domestic polls.

The US and other powers - the so-called P5+1 - are negotiating with Iran on its nuclear programme.

They want a framework agreement by the end of the month which addresses concerns that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology, something Tehran denies. (+ BBC video) » | Sunday, March 01, 2015

La femme sans voile qui dérange les hommes de pouvoir en Iran

La journaliste iranienne Masih Alinejad.

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Libertés individuelles – Masih Alinejad a été primée à Genève pour son combat pour les libertés féminines. A Téhéran, les autorités fulminent.

Le sommet de Genève pour les droits de l’homme et la démocratie a décerné, mardi dernier, le Prix des droits des femmes à la journaliste iranienne Masih Alinejad. Son combat? Elle a créé une page Facebook invitant les femmes qui vivent en Iran à poster des photos d’elles sans leur hijab, le voile islamique obligatoire.

Composée de vingt organisations non gouvernementales, l’assemblée a récompensé la journaliste indépendante de 38 ans pour «avoir donné une voix à celles qui n’en avaient pas et éveillé la conscience de l’humanité pour soutenir la lutte des femmes iraniennes, les droits fondamentaux, la liberté et l’égalité». » De Lina Ziadi | De Tehran | dimanche 01 mars 2015

Family Fear Saudi Blogger Could Face Execution By Beheading

Raif Badawi received the first 50 of his lashes in January

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: They say Raif Badawi, already sentenced to public flogging and ten years in prison, could also be tried for apostasy, which carries the death penalty

Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes after being convicted of insulting Islam, could face death by beheading, according to his family.

The case attracted worldwide condemnation when he was publicly flogged in January.

Now his family say they have been told he is to be tried for apostasy.

"Apostasy charge is punishable under Saudi law with the death penalty by beheading," they said in a message posted on Facebook.

"We also received confirmed information that the Supreme Court has referred Raif case to the same judge, who sentenced Raif with flogging and 10 years imprisonment. » | Rob Crilly, New York | Sunday, March 01, 2015

Britain Is Becoming A Friend Who Can't Be Trusted, Says Top US General

Gen Odierno said that British defence cuts are already
jeopardising US-UK joint operations

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH In an exclusive interview, Gen Raymond Odierno, US army Chief of Staff, says UK defence cuts are eroding his country's confidence in our commitment to global security

Ever since the Cold War ended more than two decades ago, America has never entertained any serious doubts about Britain’s ability to fulfil its commitment as a vital military ally when tackling threats to the Western alliance.

Until now. For the dramatic cuts to Britain’s defence budget implemented since the Coalition took power in 2010 have led to a number of senior US military officers and politicians openly questioning whether, when it comes to fighting the wars of the future, Britain has the capability to be an effective ally on the battlefield.

The Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have all suffered cutbacks to the extent that they are no longer able to undertake the kind of missions that Britain has historically supported.

Now, General Raymond Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the US army, who has fought alongside British forces in several conflicts, including the recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, has become the latest senior officer to express his concerns in public, telling The Daily Telegraph when I met him in Washington last week that he is “very concerned” about the impact the cuts are having. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Sunday, March 01, 2015

UK’s First Anti-Islamization Rally Dwarfed by Counter-demo

JIHAD WATCH: Britain is finished. When defenders of free society against Islamization are dismissed as “right-wing nutters” and “fascists,” and the counter-demo is over five times larger, and when the government routinely allows foreign jihadis to enter the country but bans counter-jihadis solely for the crime of speaking the truth about Islam and jihad, Britain as a free nation is in its last days. Will there be a mass exodus of non-Muslim refugees from Britain when Sharia supremacists really start to flex their muscles? And where will they go? » | Robert Spencer | Saturday, February 28, 2015

Italy Anti-immigration Rally Draws Thousands in Rome

Mr Salvini described the government's immigration
policies as "a disaster"

BBC AMERICA: Thousands of supporters of Italy's Northern League have poured into one of Rome's biggest squares for a rally against immigration, the EU and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government.

League leader Matteo Salvini accused Mr Renzi of substituting the country's interests to those of the EU.

He also criticised the government's record in dealing with Romanian truck drivers, tax, banks and big business. » | Saturday, February 28, 2015

ISIS Preparing to Declare Islamic Emirate in Lebanon: Sources

THE DAILY STAR: ISIS is preparing military plans to declare an Islamic emirate in Lebanon very soon to serve as a geographical extension of the so-called “Islamic State” announced by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Iraq last year, security sources said.

ISIS fighters have demanded support from the militant group in northern Syria to achieve this goal, the sources said.

They added that the ISIS command has begun preparations to set up a military organizational committee tasked with running Lebanese affairs and considering Lebanon as part of its state. » | Antoine Ghattas Saab | The Daily Star | Monday, February 23, 2015

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

New Dark Age Alert! The Hon Tony Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia: National Security Statement 2015

Please note the Prime Minister of Australia’s reference to a “New Dark Age”! People are slowly coming round to the reality that the “New Dark Age” of which I wrote many years ago has indeed already DAWNED.

Eat your heart out, Mr. Obama! In your refusal to refer to ‘radical Islam’, you are fast becoming an IRRELEVANCE! – Mark

I refer you to my book, The Dawning of a New Dark Age, which was first published in 2003!

JIHAD WATCH: Australia: Muslims outraged at PM’s “aggressive rhetoric against Muslims” » | Robert Spencer | Thursday, February 26, 2015

Hollande dénonce "la barbarie" des destructions d'oeuvres au musée de Mossoul

LE POINT: Le chef de l'État a estimé, en marge d'un déplacement aux Philippines, que "ce que veulent les terroristes, c'est détruire tout ce qui est humanité".

Le président français François Hollande a dénoncé vendredi la "barbarie" des destructions d'oeuvres pré-islamiques par les djihadistes du groupe État islamique (EI) à Mossoul, dans le nord de l'Irak, en marge d'un déplacement aux Philippines. "La barbarie touche les personnes, l'histoire, les mémoires, la culture", a déclaré le chef de l'État français devant des journalistes, estimant que "ce que veulent faire les terroristes, c'est détruire tout ce qui est humanité". "Quand on veut anéantir le patrimoine, on veut anéantir tous ceux et toutes celles qui portent un message de culture", a encore observé François Hollande. » | Source AFP | vendredi 27 février 2015

"Gestion de la barbarie", le "Mein Kampf" des djihadistes

LE POINT: Publié sur Internet en 2004, l'ouvrage explique en 248 pages comment soumettre l'Occident et faire du monde arabe un immense califat islamique.

Gestion de la barbarie se veut être le parfait manuel du djihadiste. Ce livre, passé inaperçu ou presque en France, a déjà gagné le surnom de "Mein Kampf des islamistes". Écrit en arabe et publié sur Internet en 2004, il est aujourd'hui traduit en plusieurs langues. Son auteur, Abu Bakr Naji, est l'un des théoriciens les plus lus parmi les chefs djihadistes, aussi bien au sein de l'organisation État islamique que d'Al-Qaïda. Selon Valeurs actuelles, Abubakar Shekau, le chef de Boko Haram au Nigeria, en aurait fait son livre de chevet. » | Par Nicolas Guégan | vendredi 27 février 2015

Sarah Palin Slams President Obama on ‘Radical Islam,’ ISIL

POLITICO: Sarah Palin is asking President Barack Obama to “wake up” to the threat of “radical Islam.”

“Wake up, Mr. President,” Palin said on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. “While Christians bow our heads and pray for you, radical Islamists want to cut off your head.”

The former governor of Alaska accused the president of ignoring the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant during her address, which focused heavily on veterans’ issues. » | Kendall Breitman | Thursday, February 26, 2015

Nicht Armut macht Terroristen, sondern Gewaltlust

DIE WELT: "Jihadi John" hatte im Leben alle Chancen, aber er entschied sich aus freiem Willen für den Terror. Genauso wie die Universitäts-Absolventen bei al-Qaida oder die Pfarrerstöchter bei der RAF.

Wieder ein guter Schüler. Wieder jemand mit Manieren, der gern Markenkleidung trug und sensibel wirkte, so nachdenklich. Und wieder keiner, der einem linken Armutskult und Armutskitsch entsprochen hätte. Auch "Jihadi John", der Messermann des IS, ist ein Spross aus gut situiertem Hause.

Die Litanei von der Gewalt, die durch fehlendes Geld gesät werde und bei fehlenden Bildungschancen aufgehe, trifft auf ihn nicht zu – so wenig wie auf die Universitätsabsolventen al-Qaidas oder auf die RAF-Mitglieder, in deren Reihen man Arme zwischen all den musisch begabten Pfarrers- und Anwaltskindern mit der Lupe suchen musste. Wen überrascht das noch? Allenfalls diejenigen, die sich eine Welt der gesellschaftlichen Ausgrenzungsfolklore zurechtsingen, glauben noch, Gewalt gedeihe in Staub und Schmutz. » | Von Torsten Krauel, Chefkommentator | Donnerstag, 26. Februar 2015

Atheist US Blogger Hacked to Death in Bangladesh

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hardline Islamist groups have long demanded the public execution of atheist bloggers and sought new laws to combat writing critical of Islam

A prominent American blogger of Bangladeshi origin was hacked to death with machetes by unidentified assailants in Dhaka on Thursday, police said, with the atheist writer's family claiming he had received numerous threats from Islamists.

The body of Avijit Roy, founder of Mukto-Mona (Free-mind) blog site which champions liberal secular writing in the Muslim-majority nation, was found covered in blood after the attack which also left his wife critically wounded.

"He died as he was brought to the hospital. His wife was also seriously wounded. She has lost a finger," local police chief Sirajul Islam said.

The couple were on a bicycle rickshaw, returning from a bookfair, when two assailants stopped then and dragged them onto a sidewalk before striking them with machetes, local media reported citing witnesses. » | AFP | Friday, February 27, 2015

Syrie : la terrible fuite des chrétiens face aux djihadistes de l'EI

LE POINT: Décrivant l'échappée avec sa famille, Jano assure que "tous ont eu la peur de leur vie" mais qu'ils n'ont "pas réfléchi à deux fois".

En apprenant que les djihadistes du groupe État islamique (EI) approchaient de son village dans le nord-est de la Syrie, Danny Jano a pris la fuite en pyjama, avec sa femme et ses deux filles. Terrorisée, la famille Jano n'avait qu'une idée en tête : gagner un endroit sûr, au plus vite et sans se faire prendre, comme de nombreux autres chrétiens assyriens. Joint par téléphone dans la ville de Hassaké (nord-est), l'homme de 35 ans a expliqué à l'AFP que les combats avaient commencé lundi à 4 heures du matin. "Nous avons entendu le bruit des armes automatiques et des bombardements pendant sept heures, effrayés, avant de nous décider à abandonner notre maison." » | Source AFP | jeudi 26 février 2015

A Mossoul, l'État islamique brûle les trésors impies de l'Irak

LE POINT: VIDÉO. Les biens culturels détruits appartiennent à un Musée irakien à Mossoul, une ville occupée depuis juin par les djihadistes.


Les djihadistes de l'EI détruisent des... by 6MEDIAS
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SPIEGEL ONLINE: IS-Fanatiker verwüsten Mossuls Museen: Der Hass der IS-Dschihadisten macht auch vor unschätzbaren Kunstschätzen keinen Halt. In der irakischen Stadt Mossul haben die Terroristen erst die Bibliothek und nun das Museum gestürmt. Sie hinterließen eine Spur der Verwüstung. » | Von Christoph Sydow | Donnerstag, 26. Februar 2015

Related »

Watch: ISIS Destroys Artifacts in Iraq Museum

ARUTZ SHEVA: ISIS destroyed artifacts dating back thousands of years in Mosul, claiming it was 'idol worship.'

The Islamic State group released a video Thursday in which terrorists in Iraq are seen destroying ancient artifacts that included idols, which are prohibited by the Muslim faith, AFP reports.

The five-minute video shows terrorists at the museum in Mosul knocking statues off their plinths and smashing them to pieces with sledgehammers.

In another scene, a jackhammer is used to deface a large Assyrian winged bull at an archeological site in the city, which the Sunni extremist group captured last summer.

"Muslims, these artifacts behind me are idols for people from ancient times who worshipped them instead of God," said a bearded terrorist speaking to the camera. » | Arutz Sheva Staff | Thursday, February 26, 2015

Director of Human Rights Group CAGE Says 'Jihadi John' Is a 'Kind, Gentle and Beautiful Young Man'

A Top Shariah Lawyer’s Stunning Response to the Question: ‘Is There Such a Thing as Moderate Islam?’

Read the Blaze article here | Benjamin Weingarten | Thursday, February 26, 2015

Paradise Jihadis: Maldives Sees Surge in Young Muslims Leaving for Syria

Kuda Bandos in the Maldives.

THE GUARDIAN: In a country better known for tourism than militancy, radical preaching and social problems are prompting a rise in Islamism

They left in small groups, through the narrow lanes of the city, on to the ferry across the glassy blue sea and then, past the tourists waiting for connections to luxury resorts, to the airport. Their ultimate destination: Syria, and the “caliphate” of Islamic State.

The Maldives is better known for luxury tourism than Islamic militancy. But in recent weeks there has been a surge in departures of young men for Syria, raising fears of a growing threat both to the million-plus tourists who visit its 1,200 atolls each year and to countries such as the UK that do not require visas from citizens of the island.

“There are serious concerns,” said one western diplomat in the region. “The risk is either of an attack locally or someone coming to Europe or even going on to the US.”

Four people have been stopped by authorities. But between 50 and 100 from the country of 300,000 have joined “the jihad”. Analysts say the emergence of al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra Front and Isis in Syria has catalysed an existing problem, giving it new dimensions and urgency. » | Jason Burke in Malé | Thursday, February 26, 2015

DANIEL PIPES: Like-to-like Ethnic Migration in the Middle East

Population shifts resulting from Syria's four-year-long civil war have profoundly changed Syria and its three Arabic-speaking neighbors: Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. (Turkey and Israel have changed too, but less so.) Ironically, amid tragedy and horror, as populations adapt to the brutal imperatives of modern nationalism, all four countries are becoming a bit more stable. That's because…

Britain to Lead the World in Islamic Finance

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH : London is bidding to become a leading centre for sharia-compliant finance, according to the UK's foreign minister for the Middle East

London has set its sights on becoming the world centre for the Islamic finance industry according to the UK's foreign office minister for Middle East.

Speaking at The Telegraph's Middle East Congress on Wednesday, Tobias Ellwood, under secretary of state at the Foreign Office, said the capital had ambitions to stand alongside Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as a global hub for Islamic finance.

Britain became the first country outside the Muslim world to issue an Islamic bond, known as Sukuk, last year.

The £200m bond attracted healthy investor interest and was the first step in encouraging wider investment from the region to the City of London.

Britain was also committed to promoting a "peaceful and prosperous" Middle East and expanding trade ties with the region, which topped £35bn last year, said Mr Ellwood. Read on and comment » | Manu Mair, and Mehreen Khan | Thursday, February 28, 2015

Archival - British Islamist Abu Waleed Fantasizes about the Virgins of Paradise

ISIS Militants Enjoy a Day of R&R at an Iraqi Lake

Egyptian TV Host Ibrahim Issa: Nobody Dares to Admit That ISIS Crimes Are Based on Islamic Sources

Wafa Sultan: " Le problème est l'islam ! (The Problem Is Islam!)" / France Nation et Patriote !

My comment:

Of course Islam is the problem. Anybody with a brain knows this. All praise to Dr Wafa Sultan for having the courage to point out this FACT. – © Mark

20% of Germans Advocate Revolution - 'Globalisation Is Fueling Dissent'

D'Ormesson : "Les chrétiens d'Orient sont en train d'être exterminés"

LE POINT: L'écrivain appelle la communauté internationale à intervenir pour sauver les chrétiens victime d'"une sorte de génocide" perpétré par l'EI.

Jean d'Ormesson a dénoncé un "génocide" des chrétiens d'Orient. L'écrivain a appelé la communauté internationale à agir après l'annonce de l'enlèvement de 90 chrétiens par le groupe État islamique (EI) en Syrie. "Il n'y a pas de privilège pour les chrétiens", a expliqué Jean d'Ormesson, rappelant que les violences touchent toutes les populations des pays ou le groupe État islamique (EI) est présent. Cependant "pour les chrétiens je me demande s'il n'y a pas une sorte de génocide dans cette région du monde", a-t-il déclaré à l'AFP mercredi. » | Source AFP | mercredi 25 février 2015

L'exode des chrétiens assyriens de Syrie

LE POINT: Des membres de cette communauté chrétienne ont pris le chemin de l'exode après le rapt de dizaines des leurs par le groupe djihadiste État islamique (EI).

Ils sont environ 5 000 sur 30 000 Assyriens à avoir fait leurs bagages. Cette communauté, parmi les plus anciennes converties au christianisme, vivait en Syrie avant le début du conflit en Syrie le 15 mars 2011, la majorité à Hassaké. Dans la province de Hassaké, à l'extrémité nord-est de la Syrie, près de 1 000 familles ont fui depuis lundi leurs foyers pour trouver refuge dans les villes de Hassaké et de Qamichli, "soit près de 5 000 personnes", a affirmé à Oussama Edward, directeur du Réseau assyrien des droits de l'homme basé en Suède. » | Source AFP | mercredi 25 février 2015

Israel: PM: World Powers 'Have Given Up' in Iran Nuke Talks

YNET NEWS: Netanyahu slams US-led nuclear negotiations with Tehran, a week before a scheduled address to Congress in Washington.

In his sharpest criticism yet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that world powers "have given up" on stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons in ongoing negotiations.

Netanyahu's comments, at a meeting of his Likud Party outside of Jerusalem, come as he plans to address the US Congress on the nuclear negotiations.

The West fears Iran could build an atomic bomb with its nuclear program. Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes. The Islamic Republic is now negotiating a final deal with the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, with hopes of on a preliminary deal in March and a follow-up pact in June.

Netanyahu, as well as many in Israel, view a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its very existence, citing Tehran's repeated calls for Israel's destruction and its support for groups like Hezbollah. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Deutschland 1937 aus USA Sicht (Doku deutsch)

1937 reiste ein amerikanischer Journalist durch das Dritte Reich und machte Filmaufnahmen. Michael Kloft hat daraus den eindrucksvollen Film "Innenansichten" gemacht.

The Quran: Heavenly or Earthly? (Dr. Tony Costa)

Biography: The Saudi Royal Family

ZDF-History: Countdown zur Katastrophe - Der Kriegsbeginn 1939 (Doku)

Depressing! The Number of Britons Choosing Islam Doubled in the Past Decade

WORLD BULLETIN: Inter-faith think report survey shows approximately 5,200 converts to Islam across Britain

The number of Britons choosing to become Muslims has nearly doubled in the past decade, with one of the most comprehensive attempts to estimate how many people have embraced Islam, according to news source the Independent.

While previous estimates placed the number of Muslim converts between 14,000 and 25,000 an inter-faith think tank estimates the real figures could be as high as 100,000 with nearly 5,000 converts each year nationally. » | World Bulletin | News Desk | Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Dumb Is as Dumb Does! Converts to Islam Increase after French Attack

WORLD BULLETIN: Imams in France have reported an increase in conversions to Islam with a growing number of people coming to take their testimony of faith in comparison to same time last year.

According to a news article in 5pillarsuk.com, the number of people accepting Islam in France has increased significantly after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, with imams reporting a growing number of people coming to take the Shahada at mosques.

“It makes me want to go to Islam and to show everyone that this is not what Islam is about,” a young Muslim convert to Islam was quoted by RTL Radio a week ago.

According to the radio station, the Great Mosque of Paris issued 40 reversion certificates to Islam.

At the same period last year, the mosque gave certificates to 22 only, almost 50 percent of this year’s conversion rate.

Percentage of converts to Islam in Strasbourg and Aubervilliers was also high, scoring around 30% increase.

Lyon also followed the same trend with an increase of 20%. » | World Bulletin | News Desk | Tuesday, February 24, 2015

A Threat to Europe: The Islamic State's Dangerous Gains in Libya

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Rival militias in Libya have thrown the country into civil war and made it easy prey for the Islamic State. The recent execution of 21 Egyptian Christians is only one sign of the terrorist group's growing footprint in North Africa.

The men sitting in Café L'Aurora in Tripoli stare silently into the smartphone Najib Ali is holding in his hand. They're watching a horrific video depicting the decapitation of 21 Egyptian Christians, probably on the beach at Sirte. The victims are wearing orange overalls while their Islamic State (IS) killers are clad in black. The men in the café have already seen the video numerous times and yet they continue to watch it, looking for any details that might indicate the horrific acts didn't really happen.

"Have you ever seen a Libyan that tall?" one asks. And what about the professional camera work? "A major power has to be behind it." And how could Sirte, the hometown of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi, suddenly come under Islamic State rule? The release of the video on Sunday, Feb. 15, shortly before the fourth anniversary of the insurgency against Gadhafi, has led many Libyans to react reflexively with desperate denials of reality.

The truth is that Libya is well on its way to becoming a failed state -- making it the perfect prey for IS. Furthermore, Libya is close to Italy, has plenty of oil and offers a possible corridor to Boko Haram in Nigeria as well as to Islamists in Mali and in the Sahara. Indeed, if IS succeeds in solidifying its presence here, the terrorists could pose a threat to Southern Europe in addition to destabilizing all of North Africa. » | Mirco Keilberth and Christoph Reuter | Monday, February 23, 2015

Talk to Al Jazeera - Marine Le Pen: The Threat of Radical Islam (2012)

Le Pen: ‘I Admire 'Cool Head' Putin's Resistance to West's New Cold War’

ARD-Doku: Russland ist ein Land, das sich vor keinem fürchtet

Oertel: Warum ich mich von Pegida distanzierte

Mitorganisatorin und ehemalige Sprecherin der Pegida-Initiative Kathrin Oertel hat aufgrund zunehmend rechtsextremistischer Tendenzen eine eigene Organisation "Direkte Demokratie für Europa" gegründet. Exklusiv im Gespräch mit RT erläutert Oertel, wie sich die zunächst "hoffnungsvoll" gestartete Pegida-Bewegung um Hardliner Lutz Bachmann in Zukunft entwickeln werde.

Ausschreitungen bei Pegida-Marsch

TAGES ANZEIGER: In Frankfurt am Main standen 60 Pegida-Anhänger rund 1000 Gegendemonstranten gegenüber. Polizeibeamte wurden mit Flaschen, Eiern und Farbbeuteln beworfen. Es kam zu sechs Verhaftungen.

In mehreren deutschen Städten sind am Montagabend erneut Anhänger islamkritischer Bündnisse und ihre Gegner auf die Strasse gegangen. Zu Ausschreitungen kam es dabei in Frankfurt am Main, wo rund 1000 Gegendemonstranten etwa 60 Pegida-Anhängern gegenüberstanden.

In aufgeheizter Atmosphäre seien die Beamten mit Flaschen, Eiern und Farbbeuteln beworfen worden, berichtete die Polizei. Sechs Gegendemonstranten seien vorläufig festgenommen, zwei Polizisten durch Gegenstände und Faustschläge leicht verletzt worden. » | chk/sda | Dienstag, 24. Februar 2015

Opinion: Manifesto for a Modern Islam

DEUTSCHE WELLE: Muslim intellectuals have called for their fellow believers to indentify societal failures and develop an Islam for the 21st century. Loay Mudhoon believes that Europe should unreservedly support this effort.

In a clearly formulated manifesto last week, four well-known Muslim intellectuals appealed to all Muslim political and religious leaders to stand up and support a democratic Islam. In their letter, they also laid out some concrete steps, among them a conference in France early next year that would "define the contours of a progressive interpretation of Islam firmly grounded in the 21st century."

The four men behind this letter are Tariq Ramadan, professor of contemporary Islamic studies at the University of Oxford; Anwar Ibrahim, the head of Malaysia's national opposition and chairman of the World Forum for Muslim Democrats; Ghaleb Bencheikh, the president of the World Conference for Religions for Peace; and Felix Marquardt, founder of the Abd al-Raḥman al-Kawakibi Foundation. They're hard on their fellow Muslims and ask tough questions. In their letter, they call for a clear-eyed diagnosis of Islam's current plight and want to develop a fundamental critique of Islamic culture and religion. » | Loay Mudhoon / cmk | Tuesday, February 22, 2015

My comment:

Muslims consider the words in the Koran to be Allah’s actual words. So anyone who tries to change any of them would be considered a heretic. (How can a mortal being know better than Allah what is meant by Allah’s words?) Further, Islam is totally and utterly immiscible with democracy for many reasons, chief among them being that Islam understands no separation of mosque and state. In Islam politics and religion are considered to be one integrated whole. Democracy requires a separation. Without this separation, there can be no democracy. So how exactly can Islam change to fit the modern world? How can Islam become democratic? It seems to me that this is an exercise in futility. Aren’t these people who are trying to bring this change about doing so in bad faith, to detract from the central issues? They must surely know that this reformation/modernization is simply not possible. Pie in the sky! - © Mark

Saudi Arabia Spokesman Comments on ISIS Beheadings

Saudi Court Gives Death Penalty to Man Who Renounced His Muslim Faith

REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - An Islamic court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man to death for renouncing his Muslim faith, the English-language daily Saudi Gazette reported on Tuesday.

The man, in his 20s, posted an online video ripping up a copy of Islam's holy book, the Koran, and hitting it with a shoe, the newspaper reported.

Saudi Arabia, the United States' top Arab ally and birthplace of Islam, follows the strict Wahhabi Sunni Muslim school and gives the clergy control over its justice system.

Under the Wahhabi interpretation of Sharia Islamic law, apostasy demands the death penalty, as do some other religious offences like sorcery, while blasphemy and criticism of senior Muslim clerics have incurred jail terms and corporal punishment.

Executions in Saudi Arabia are usually carried out by public beheading. » | Reuters | Riyadh | Tuesday, February 24, 2015

French Muslim Leaders Boycott Jewish Dinner Over 'Violence' Remark

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Row breaks out between heads of France’s Jewish and Muslim communities after the leader of the country’s main Jewish group blames Muslims for “all violence today”

A row erupted on Monday between French Jewish and Muslim community leaders after the head of France’s Jewish community blamed young Muslims for “all violence today” in a radio interview.

The comment drew an angry response from Muslim leaders, who boycotted the annual dinner of the main French Jewish organisation on Monday night.

They normally attend the event along with representatives of other religions.

The dispute reflects heightened tension and sensitivities in France, which is home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim minorities, following the series of attacks by Islamist extremists in Paris that left 17 dead last month. » | David Chazan, Paris | Tuesday, February 23, 2015

France Seizes Passports of Six 'Syria-bound' Citizens

BBC AMERICA: French authorities have for the first time confiscated the passports of six nationals who were allegedly planning to travel to Syria to join jihadists.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the intelligence services believed the men wanted to join the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The measure is part of new counter-terrorism laws adopted last November.

Meanwhile, France has deployed an aircraft carrier off Bahrain to be used against Islamic State (IS) militants. » | Monday, February 23, 2015

Jetzt fordert der Großimam die Modernisierung des Islam

DIE WELT: Im Islam herrscht "Chaos", findet der Großimam der Kairoer Azhar-Universität. Deshalb macht sich Scheich al-Tajib für eine Modernisierung seiner Religion stark – auch, um dem IS das Handwerk zu legen.

Der Vorsteher der anerkannten ägyptischen Azhar-Universität hat sich auf einer Anti-Terrorismus-Konferenz in Saudi-Arabien für eine Modernisierung des Islam ausgesprochen. Es habe eine "historische Ansammlung" falscher Interpretation islamischer Quellen gegeben, die zu Extremismus und Gewalt unter Muslimen geführt hätten, sagte Großimam Scheich Ahmed al-Tajib in seiner Rede zur Eröffnung der Konferenz. Es sei notwendig, dieses "Chaos" unter "Kontrolle zu bringen". Geschehe dies nicht, gebe es "keine Hoffnung" für die islamische Gemeinschaft, ihre Einheit zurückzuerlangen. » | dpa/KNA/rct | Montag, 23. Februar 2015

THOMAS DIBACCO: Obama's Naivete Over Iran Trumps Reality

It's ironic that President Obama's hope for a political framework agreement on nuclear issues with Iran by March 31 coincides with the diplomatic hope of President Franklin D. Roosevelt 70 years ago in a March 1 speech before Congress. That hope was to trust the Soviet Union at the recently concluded Yalta Conference - trust that…

It’s Cringe Time!

Keep working on those acting skills, Mr President! Obama and Michelle goofing around »

My Friend the Suicide Bomber: Meet the Men Recruited to Kill

Al-Shabaab targets young vulnerable men across Scandinavia, inviting them to embrace jihad and become suicide bombers in Somalia. Seeking a sense of belonging, and encouraged by preachers on online videos, a group of Danish Muslims gathers in a small Copenhagen apartment and makes plans. When one man doubts the cause and sees his friends planning carnage, can he escape the call of al-Shabaab? If so, what next?

It’s Absurd to Deny Jihadis Act in the Name of Islam

THE AUSTRALIAN – OPINION: WITH jihadist violence continuing to escalate, the acid test of today’s national security statement will be the actions it proposes.

But no policy can be effective without an honest diagnosis of the problem it is intended to address.

That is why Barack Obama’s statement to last week’s global summit on extremism was so disappointing. Coming from a man who ridicules the proposition that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”, Obama’s claim that “No religion is responsible for terrorism, people are responsible for terrorism”, combined mendacity with hypocrisy.

The jihadis may indeed be “madmen”, as Obama said; but to deny they act in the name of Islam is as absurd as denying the crusades were fought under the banner of Christianity.

Nor was Obama on more solid ground in blaming Islamic extremism on poverty and disadvantage. Few claims have been as decisively rejected by social scientific research; and so has the claim that the radicalisation of Muslim youth in western countries is caused by social exclusion. (+ video) » | Henry Ergas | Columnist | Sydney | Monday, February 23, 2015

Oman: Heikler Thronwechsel

ZEIT ONLINE: Oman galt lange als Hort der Stabilität und geschätzter Vermittler. Doch nun ist der Sultan schwer krank. Der Thronwechsel könnte der Region weitere Konflikte bescheren.

Jahrzehntelang galt Oman als ein von allen Seiten geschätzter Vermittler. Unterhändler aus Teheran und Washington bahnten 2003 in Maskat die jetzigen Atomverhandlungen an. Bei heiklen Geiselbefreiungen laufen oft die Fäden in der omanischen Hauptstadt zusammen. Überdies müht sich Oman als Mitglied des Golfkooperationsrates stets um politischen Ausgleich zwischen Iran und den übrigen Monarchien am Golf.

Vielleicht war es ein Segen für das Land im Osten der Arabischen Halbinsel, dass seine Ölvorkommen nicht so üppig sind wie bei den ganz Großen nebenan. Und so nutzte Sultan Qaboos, der sich 1970 an die Macht putschte, seine absolute Autorität und die 5,5 Milliarden Barrel Bodenschätze, um aus seiner ramponierten Heimat mit damals zehn Kilometern geteerter Straße und einem tobenden Bürgerkrieg einen modernen Staat zu formen, dessen Einwohner noch nie zuvor so lange in Frieden gelebt haben. » | Quelle: ZeitOnline | Freitag, 20. Februar 2015

PETER MORICI: Obama and Moderate Muslims Both Fail to Fight Islamic Extremism

Fighting racism, prejudice and the violence those can beget is everyone's job. Muslims would do well to respond to President Obama's invitation to combat extremist ideas in their communities, but too often Washington's broader policies toward minorities encourage just the opposite. Ideologies of love and hate have a lot in common. Those appeal to youth seeking…