Ex-Muslim Warns of Radical Islam in Idaho

CBN NEWS: Concerns over radical Islam are emerging in Idaho.

This week, a former Muslim turned Christian pastor warned a crowd at a Republican event about the threat of Muslims moving to the state.

Speaking to the Bonner County Republican Women on Tuesday, Shahram Hadian said Muslims who support Sharia law and aim to kill anyone who doesn't agree with their interpretation of Islam are trying to move to the United States, and to Idaho. » | CBNNews.com | Thursday, April 23, 2015

A Hug from the Executioner... Then Two Gay Men Are Stoned to Death: ISIS Murderers Stage Show of Kindness for the Cameras before Brutal Killing

Strange: The group of executioners made a display
of hugging the blindfolded couple and telling them
they were forgiven for their 'sins', before pummeling
them to death with hundreds of fist-sized rocks

DAILY MAIL: Shocking images show men being savagely executed in Homs province / Executioners embraced the two victims before stoning them to death / Bloodthirsty crowds are seen in the desert clearing to watch the atrocity / Men were executed after ISIS militants accused them of being a gay couple

Depraved militants fighting for the Islamic State in Syria have brutally stoned two gay men to death only seconds after they were photographed embracing and 'forgiving' them.

The shocking images were taken in ISIS-held territory in the province of Homs and show the two accused men being savagely executed by up to four jihadis.

Huge, bloodthirsty crowds are seen in the desert clearing where the group of executioners made a display of hugging the blindfolded couple and telling them they were forgiven of their 'sins', before pummeling them to death with hundreds of fist-sized rocks.

Images of the horrific murder emerged on social media this afternoon and were hurriedly shared online by ISIS sympathisers who claim the photographs reveal the terrorists' compassionate side. Read on and comment » | John Hall for MailOnline | Thursday, April 23, 2015

American Jihadist Killed in Drone Strike Was Former Little Leaguer Who Grew Up to Become Osama Bin Laden's Spokesman

DAILY MAIL: Adam Gadahan [sic] was born in Oregon in 1978 as Adam Pearlman / Was first American to be charged with treason since Second World War / Converted to Islam at the age of 17 while living in Orange County, California / A few years later he moved to Pakistan and became an Al Qaeda propagandist

Adam Gadahn, a former Little Leaguer who grew up to become a spokesman for Osama bin Laden, was born in 1978 in Oregon as Adam Pearlman.

Gadahn, who had treason charges pending against him, was killed in a drone strike in January, the White House acknowledged on Thursday. Another January drone strike killed Ahmed Farouq, the operations leader for Al-Qaida in Pakistan, as well as an American hostage and an Italian hostage.

Gadahn's father, a musician in California, changed his name from Pearlman to Gadahn in the 1970s. Gadahn, who was raised as a Protestant Christian, grew up and was home-schooled on a goat farm in Riverside County, California. Read on and comment » | Wills Robinson for DailyMail.com and Associated Press | Thurday, April 23, 2015

Saudi Prince Criticised for Offering Bentleys to Pilots Bombing Yemen

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal and his wife Princess Amira
of Saudi Arabia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saudi prince offers Bentleys to pilots who bomb Yemen as Saudi-led coalition launch new air strikes

A member of Saudi Arabia's royal family has offered luxury cars to fighter pilots taking part in the country's bombing campaign in Yemen.

"In appreciation of their role in this operation, I'm honoured to offer 100 Bentley cars to the 100 Saudi [fighter] pilots," Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal announced to his three million Twitter followers on Tuesday evening.

The prince, once described by Time magazine as the "Arabian Warren Buffett", later deleted the tweet, but not before it had been re-posted more than 5,000 times.

A Saudi-led campaign of coalition air strikes has pounded rebel positions across Yemen since March 25. » | Louisa Loveluck | Thursday, April 23, 2015

Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman Guilty of Corrupt and Illegal Practices over Election

Lutfur Rahman, the mayor of Tower Hamlets

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Election Commissioner declares east mayoral election result 'void' after Britain's first elected Muslim mayor found guilty of corrupt and illegal practices over 2014 vote

The election of controversial Tower Hamlets mayor has been declared void after he was found guilty of corruption and illegal practices by an Election Court judge.

Lutfur Rahman played "race" and "religious" cards and was guilty of "corrupt practice", Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey, who sat as a judge in the High Court, said.

He described an “alarming state of affairs in Tower Hamlets” driven by the “ruthless ambition of one man”.

Mr Mawrey said Rahman had "driven a coach and horses" through local authority law and had been an “evasive winess [sic]”..

The May 2014 mayoral election will now be re-run and Rahman is barred from standing, the judge said.

Rahman, Britain’s first elected Muslim mayor, was also ordered to pay £250,000 costs. » | Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | Thursday, April 23, 2015

Flüchtlingsproblematik: Australien empfiehlt Europa striktes Aufnahmeverbot

STERN: Laut der australischen Außenministerin hat ein striktes Aufnahmeverbot den örtlichen Markt für Schlepper ausgetrocknet. Doch ob sich solche Maßnahmen auf Europa übertragen lassen, bleibt fraglich.

Ein striktes Aufnahmeverbot für Flüchtlinge aus Schlepperbooten hat nach Ansicht der australischen Außenministerin Julie Bishop zu einem Ende der Bootsdramen vor der australischen Küste geführt. "2013 gab es 300 Boote, die mit 20.000 Menschen an Bord die gefährliche Reise nach Australien unternommen haben. Wir wissen von 1200 Menschen - Männer, Frauen und Kinder - die im Meer gestorben sind", sagte Bishop am Mittwoch in Berlin nach einem Treffen mit Außenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "Seit Januar 2014 gab es kein Boot mehr, keine Toten auf dem Meer." » | amt/Reuters | Mittwoch, 22. April 2015

"Der Westen ist feige"

Unbeugsam: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Islamkritikerin mit somalischen
Wurzeln

DIE WELT: Ayaan Hirsi Ali wurde in Somalia geboren und floh später vor einer Zwangsehe. Heute ist sie eine der bekanntesten Islamkritikerinnen der Welt. Sie fordert weniger Nachsicht mit radikalen Muslimen.

Für eine Frau, die die islamische Welt mit ihren provokanten Thesen herausfordert, ist ihre Stimme erstaunlich sanft. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, 45, hat einen durchdringenden Blick, den sie auf die meisten ihrer Mitmenschen senken muss. Hirsi Ali ist groß, schön, sie fällt auf. Im somalischen Mogadischu geboren, folgte sie ihren gläubigen Eltern nach Saudi-Arabien, Äthiopien und Kenia. International bekannt wurde Hirsi Ali, nachdem sie vor einer Zwangsehe in die Niederlande floh und gemeinsam mit dem Regisseur Theo van Gogh einen Film über die Unterdrückung muslimischer Frauen drehte. Van Gogh wurde später von einem radikalen Islamisten getötet, der auch eine Morddrohung an Hirsi Ali hinterließ. Die Diskrepanz zwischen Moderne und Islam ist zu ihrem Lebensthema geworden. Soeben ist ihr Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. erschienen: "Reformiert Euch! Warum der Islam sich ändern muss" (Knaus Verlag, 20,60 Euro). » | Von Silke Mülherr , Berlin | Mittwoch, 22. April 2015

Auschwitz Survivor: 'We Had No Rights But a Fierce Determination to Survive'

Auschwitz death camp survivor, Eva Mozes Kor, in the
courtroom in Lüneburg, Germany.

THE GUARDIAN: Eva Mozes Kor takes the stand at the trial of former SS guard Oskar Gröning to describe her ordeal at the death camp where he worked

A survivor of Auschwitz who lost 119 members of her family in the Holocaust, has confronted the former SS guard who is on trial for complicity in the murder of 300,000 Jews, appealing to him to take responsibility for his actions.

Ninety-three year old Oskar Gröning sat impassively in the courtroom as Eva Mozes Kor, from Terre Haute, Indiana, greeted him by name before launching into a dramatic account of her internment at Auschwitz extermination camp where the former SS officer worked for two years.

Kor described how within 30 minutes of her family’s arrival from Romania in May 1944 at the selection platform in Auschwitz-Birkenau – where Gröning’s task was to take prisoners’ suitcases – her family was “ripped apart forever” after her parents were sent to their deaths, and she and her 10-year-old twin sister Miriam were picked out by the notorious doctor Josef Mengele to take part in his infamous experimentation programme on twins.

“Of our family, only Miriam and I survived because we were used in Dr Mengele’s experiments,” the 81-year-old told the court. » | Kate Connolly in Lüneburg | Wednesday, April22, 2015

Ex-President: Germans Right to Fear Islam

THE LOCAL (GERMANY): Germany's former President Christian Wulff said on Tuesday that Germans were "right to be afraid of a series of developments among Muslims" - but his comments were immediately shot down by Muslim scholars.

Wulff, who once famously stated that Islam is now also a part of German life, said that the Islamic world was gravely destabilized, with fundamentalism stretching from north Africa across the Middle East, the Frankfurter Rundschau reported on Wednesday.

He claimed that Muslims feared living through a "global military confrontation" between Sunnis and Shiites that could parallel the 30 Years' War between Protestants and Catholics that devastated Europe. » | Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Anjem Choudary Claims All Muslim MPs and Voters Are 'Apostates' Sinning against Islam

THE INDEPENDENT: The radical preacher told followers that Allah is the 'only legislator'

Radical preacher Anjem Choudary has claimed that all Muslim MPs and voters are “apostates” as the general election approaches.

Writing on Twitter that voting is a “sin” against Islam, he argued that Parliament violated religious law because Allah is “the only legislator”.

Mr Choudary wrote: “The only excuse is for a new Muslim or someone totally ignorant about voting and also what's known from Islam by necessity.”

In a stream of messages using the #StayMuslimDontVote hashtag, the cleric called Muslims who vote or run as an MP are “apostates”, meaning they have abandoned their beliefs.

Anyone doing so does not believe that Allah is the “only, exclusive legislator and commander” and is therefore a “kaafir” (disbeliever), he claimed. » | Lizzie Dearden | Wednesday, April 22, 2015


My comment:

Our politicians have ruined England, Great Britain! By allowing into the UK successive waves of immigrants who have absolutely no intention of integrating, no intention of taking part in our democracy, and having every intention of spreading an alien faith and political ideology in our country. By doing so, they have sown the seeds of our own destruction. Fie on the LibLabCon traitors! These immigrants do not belong in the UK any more than I belong in Pakistan. Shame on our legislators! Shame on them! – ©Mark

What Happens When The EU Breaks? – Trailer

The Great European Disaster Movie: Exploring the present crisis facing Europe and a post-EU dystopian future

The Great European Disaster Movie »

Sunnis in Iran (How Sunni Muslims Live in a Shiite Country?)

At the time of the Egyptian crisis, Ahmad Mustafa, an economic and political analyst from Egypt, finds an opportunity to travel to Iran to meet and talk Sunni people; an 11000 kilometer journey; a memorable visit, from the country’s most important decision-making centers to its most outlying border areas, from the green strands of the Caspian Sea forests to the Khorasan and Baluchistan desert areas and the high mountains of Kurdistan. On this journey he hopes he will know the real Iran, a country frequently misrepresented by Western and Arab media. How Sunni Muslims live in a Shiite country? That’s the question that’s brought Ahmad Mustafa to Iran.

Dutch anti-Islam Lawmaker Geert Wilders to Migrants: 'You Will Not Make The Netherlands Home'

FOX NEWS: THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders is copying part of Australia's approach to stopping boat migrants by making a video telling would-be asylum seekers considering making the treacherous boat crossing from North Africa to Europe: "You will not make the Netherlands home." » | Associated Press | Wednesday, April 22, 2015

South Africa's History Of Burning Hatred

Fear and Foreigners in South Africa (2008) - Xenophobia erupts into violence

IS Smuggles Jihadists to Europe Disguised as Desperate Refugees, Warns Nato Chief

DAILY EXPRESS: ISLAMIC State is exploiting the Middle East refugee crisis to smuggle jihadists into Europe, a Nato security chief has warned.

As thousands of men, women and children flee the war-ravaged region, terrorists are being infiltrated into the mass exodus heading to Europe.

Dr Jamie Shea said Britain and other countries must be “on our guard” to combat the threat.

IS chiefs have seized on mass migration from the region as an “attractive” way to get hardened terrorists into the West under the cover of refugees.

He was speaking as Britain was being urged to take thousands of African migrants following the sinking of a refugee ship from Libya with the loss of almost 1,000 lives.

In a speech to the Counter-Terror Expo in London, Dr Shea also gave a chilling insight into the scale and enormous wealth of IS.

He likened IS to a Mafia-style organisation with a £4billion fortune which was recently raking in £1.3million-a-day from oil revenues alone. » | John Twomey | Tuesday, April 21, 2015

La prestigieuse mosquée Al-Azhar juge le groupe EI «odieux»

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Terrorisme – La prestigieuse mosquée-université sunnite basée en Egypte a qualifié l'exécution de chrétiens en Libye de «crime odieux commis par le groupe terroriste Daesh».

Al-Azhar, l'une des plus prestigieuses institutions de l'islam sunnite basée en Egypte, a condamné lundi 20 avril l'exécution en Libye de 28 Ethiopiens capturés par le groupe Etat islamique (EI).

Située au Caire, Al-Azhar, la mosquée-université la plus prestigieuse de l'islam sunnite, a qualifié cet acte de «crime odieux commis par le groupe terroriste Daesh», utilisant l'aconyme arabe de l'EI, sur sa page Facebook.

Le groupe EI a diffusé dimanche une nouvelle vidéo qui menace les chrétiens, montrant l'exécution d'au moins 28 hommes présentés comme des Ethiopiens par des djihadistes en Libye.

Les agissements de «Daesh et des organisations similaires ne s'accordent en rien avec quelque religion, loi ou tradition humaine que ce soit», a déclaré Al-Azhar. » | afp/Newsnet | lundi 20 avril 2015

Malaysian Church Removes Publicy-layed Cross after Muslims Complain

BREITBART.COM: Residents in Taman Medan, Malaysia protested outside of a church due to the cross on top of the building, claimimg the cross is “challenging Islam.”

The protest took place during a 10am service and remained peaceful. The people believe the cross “could sway the faith of the youth” since the majority of residents are Muslim.

“After meeting with the priest, the church agreed to take down the cross by next Sunday,” announced group leader, Datuk Abdullah Abu Bakar. “If they have the authority to run, we cannot stop it. But we ask out of concern, being a Malay area, that they take down the cross.”

Church leaders removed the cross a few hours later. » | Mary Chastain | Monday, April 20, 2015

The New Face of Sweden! Swedish Convert Yahya Reading Quran in Arabic

Israel, Saudi Arabia Feel Betrayed by US-Iran Lausanne Deal

The Saudi-led bombing is opposed by Iran, which is accused of backing the Yemeni rebels. The US, meanwhile, is helping the Saudi campaign - while also seeking to strike a compromise with Tehran over its nuclear program. Gayane Chichakyan reports on a complex tangle of interests in the region.

British Islamist Anjem Choudary Calls on Muslims to Refrain from Voting in UK General Election

British MP Galloway Slams Anti-Houthi Campaign on Iran TV: The Saudis Are Treacherous Snakes (March 27, 2015)

Michael Bolton – Said I Loved You...But I Lied

Deutschland wach auf! Das wahre Gesicht der Salafisten

Who Is Behind 3rd World Immigration to Sweden?

Every western nation is under intense pressure to accept 3rd world immigrants. Who is behind this push?

Soviet Sweden? Model Nation Sliding to Third World

Sweden is wealthy, beautiful, and modern. But it has been compared to nations like the Soviet Union. One U.N. report says it will soon be a third-world nation.

Warnings: Sweden is Headed Toward "a Cliff"...

...thanks to a crazy, unsustainable immigration policy. These are Interview excerpts with Swedish economic researcher Tino Sanandaji. Sanandaji has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and is a contributor to National Review. He is a research fellow at the Research Institute of Industrial Economics in Stockholm. His family is Kurdish and came to Sweden from Iran. This interview was conducted in November, 2014.

Germany Marks 70 Years Since the Liberation of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Petr Mischtschuk, from Ukraine, was imprisoned as a 14-year-old
by the Nazis at Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen concentration
camps. He lays a flower during ceremnonies marking the 70th
anniversary of the liberation of Sachsenhausen.

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Berlin: Germany's foreign minister has warned against racism and xenophobia at a ceremony marking 70 years since the liberation of the Sachsenhausen Nazi concentration camp near Berlin.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined Holocaust survivors and other guests on Sunday at the site which was built while Hitler celebrated the 1936 Olympic Games, and where tens of thousands of Jews and other prisoners died.

Mr Steinmeier said Germany had an enduring responsibility not to forget its horrific past, which meant it must "stand against injustice, against any form of xenophobia and discrimination".

He pointed to recent anti-foreigner attacks, cases of arson of refugee centres and anti-Islamic street protests as the number of asylum-seekers rises sharply. » | AFP | Monday, April 20, 2015

Armani Tells Gay Men, 'Don't Dress Homosexual'

Giorgio Armani

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani shares his views on gay men, ageing women and spending too much time in the gym

One of the world's most famous fashion designers has appeared to condemn gay men for dressing "homosexual".

Giorgio Armani, who has never denied that he is gay, said "a man has to be a man".

The outspoken 80-year-old also criticised men who work out too much, saying he does not like muscle.

"A homosexual man is a man 100%. He does not need to dress homosexual," Armani said.

"When homosexuality is exhibited to the extreme - to say, 'Ah, you know I'm homosexual,' - that has nothing to do with me. A man has to be a man." » | Lyndsey Telford | Sunday, April 19, 2015

Islamic State Murders 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya

Masked militants are shown in the video released by Al-Furqan
Media, purportedly showing the execution of 30 Ethiopian
Christians captured in Libya

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A video purportedly made by Islamic State appears to show militants shooting and beheading about 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya

A video purportedly made by Islamic State and posted on social media sites on Sunday appeared to show militants shooting and beheading about 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya.

It was not possible to immediately verify the authenticity of the video, but the killings resemble past violence carried out by Islamic State, which has expanded its reach from strongholds in Iraq and Syria to a conflict-ridden Libya.

The video, in which militants call Christians crusaders and say they are out to kill Muslims, showed about 15 men being beheaded on a beach and another group of the same size shot in their heads in scrubland.

Both groups of men are referred to in a subtitle as "worshippers of the cross belonging to the hostile Ethiopian church".

Libyan officials were not immediately available for comment. » | Reuters | Sunday, April 19, 2015

Muslims Urged to Abstain from Voting Because 'Democracy Violates the Right of Allah'

The garish yellow posters have been plastered around Cardiff

DAILY EXPRESS: CONTROVERSIAL posters urging Muslims to turn their backs on the ballot box because "none have the right to vote but Allah" have been plastered across the city of Cardiff.

The garish yellow flyers which read "democracy is a system whereby man violates the right of Allah" were stuck on lamp-posts and bus stops this week in Grangetown - a predominantly Muslim area of the Welsh capital.

Ahead of next month's general election, the posters also say: "Islam is the only real workable solution for the UK," before carrying the hashtag #Dontboteformanmadelaw [sic].

Cardiff Council workers have begun removing the "chilling" and "threatening" posters.

Parent Greg Pycroft, 36, was with his two-year-old son when he came across 20 posters plastered on his walk to nursery.

The Welsh Government worker said: "It was quite chilling and threatening to see these posters." » | Rebecca Perring | Saturday, April 18, 2015

Read my essay: Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom »

Kate Middleton's Friend Holds Orgies in Sharia Hotel

Kate Middleton with Emma Sayle during training for the
2007 Sisterhood Challenge

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Duchess of Cambridge's friend has been staging sex parties in the country's first sharia hotel

The Duchess of Cambridge's friend has been staging sex parties in the country's first sharia hotel.

Emma Sayle, owner of Killing Kittens, a members-only sex-club, said the Bermondsey Square hotel in London is one of her preferred destinations for the self-styled ‘sexual elite’.

A friend of Kate Middleton's, Miss Sayle, 36, who attended Downe House boarding school with Prince Michael's daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, has used the four loft suites on the seventh floor of the hotel for her parties.

The £220-a-night hotel became the country's first sharia hotel last year, banning the sale of alcohol.

According to Miss Sayle, who is a member of Kate's rowing crew, The Sisterhood, the rules at Killing Kitten events state men can’t approach women at parties unless they know them, everyone wears a mask and single men aren't allowed.

She told Conference News: “A lot of our events are in high-end hotels such as The Wood Norton in Evesham and the Bermondsey Square hotel, London, among others."

A spokeswoman for the Bermondsey Square hotel said the sex parties took place in the four loft suites which meant there was no overlap with other guests. » | Nicola Harley | Saturday, April 18, 2015

Robert Spencer on Hillary Clinton’s War against Free Speech

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

Commentators on Arab TV: Obama Supports Iran Because His Father Was a Shiite

Rand Paul Attacks Clinton and Names the Enemy of the US – 'Radical Islam'

THE GUARDIAN: The Kentucky senator also asks Republicans to help him take party’s message to ‘rich, poor, black, white, brown’ as he campaigns for 2016 presidential nomination

Rand Paul on Saturday attacked Hillary Clinton, the only declared Democratic candidate for president so far, over her record as secretary of state under Barack Obama, her use of a private email server while in that job and the human rights records of some donors to her charitable foundation.

The Kentucky senator also asked Republicans to help him take the party’s message to “new people… rich, poor, black, white, brown” as he campaigns for the presidential nomination in 2016.

Speaking in Nashua, New Hampshire, at the Republican Leadership Summit – where most of the declared and potential GOP candidates for president were scheduled to speak on Friday and Saturday – the libertarian-tinged candidate largely focused on foreign policy, an area in which he has been vulnerable to attack over his supposedly isolationist stance.

He named radical Islam as the enemy of the US and focused again on the Benghazi attacks of 2012 and Clinton’s role in the US response.

“Libya was a mistake,” he said, referring the Obama administration’s military support of rebels who toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. “One thing that is probably true in the Middle East: every time we have toppled a secular dictator, a secular strong man, we’ve gotten chaos and the rise of radical Islam. If we want to defend our country, we have to know the enemy and we have to name the enemy.

“The president won’t name the enemy, but I will: it’s radical Islam. Until we name it we can’t defeat them, and I will tell you this: if I were commander in chief I would do everything it takes to … defend the country against radical Islam.” » | Martin Pengelly in New York | Saturday, April 18, 2015

Islamic State Claim Responsibility for Jalalabad Bomb in First Afghanistan Attack

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A suicide bombing in Jalalabad is the first time that Isil have staged a terrorist attack in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber has killed 33 people queuing outside a bank in Jalalabad in what is thought to be the first terrorist attack in Afghanistan carried out by Islamic State.

Government employees were targeted in Saturday's attack - the worst in Afghanistan since November - which was thought to have been carried out by a suicide bomber on a bicycle or motorbike. Another blast took place near a shrine and municipality buildings, and bomb disposal experts detonated a third explosive device.

Smoke billowed from the building and windows were shattered in the blast, which left people lying in pools of blood and body parts scattered across the ground. Dr Najeebullah Kamawal, head of the provincial hospital, said that over 100 people were injured in the bomb – among them many children.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that his group was not behind the "evil" attack. » | Harriet Alexander | Saturday, April 18, 2015

David and Samantha Cameron Visit Sikh Temple

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prime Minister and his wife join celebrations for spring festival of Vaisakhi

David Cameron has donned an orange "patka" headscarf as he visited a Sikh gurdwara - or temple - while campaigning in Kent.

The Prime Minister took along his wife, Samantha, who was celebrating her 44th birthday, for the visit to the temple in Gravesend, where they joined around 3,000 worship[p]ers on a parade to celebrate Vaisakhi, a spring festival.

The start of the Camerons' visit was delayed slightly after a scuffle appeared to break out among worship[p]ers when a priest objected to speeches being made while prayers were taking place.

Mr and Mrs Cameron were taken to a side room in the temple until the dispute was resolved.

During the visit to the temple, the couple wore brightly[-]coloured clothes, in line with tradition on Vaisakhi.

They removed their shoes to walk into the temple, where they queued up to kneel before an alter, and say prayers as they made an offering of coins.

Mr and Mrs Cameron were separated, with the Prime Minister joining men on the right of the temple and his wife going to the women's side on the left. » | Rosa Prince, Online Political Editor | Saturday, April 18, 2015

Australian Teens Held Over Alleged Terror Attack

BBC AMERICA: Police in Australia say they have foiled an Islamic State-inspired plot to carry out an attack at a World War One centenary event.

Police arrested five suspects, including two 18-year-olds being held for alleged terrorism-related offences.

They said the men were planning to target police at an Anzac memorial event in Melbourne next week.

Some 200 police officers took part in the counter-terrorism operation in the city early on Saturday.

Acting deputy police commissioner Neil Gaughan told reporters that evidence gathered by police led them to believe the suspects had been influenced by Islamic State. » | Saturday, April 18, 2015

Egypt Strikes Islamic Texts from Schools, Angering Salafists

AL MONITOR: CAIRO — The decision of Egypt’s Ministry of Education to remove some content from primary and secondary school curricula has sparked wide controversy in the country.

While the state views the decision — which will omit some religious texts and passages on historical Islamic figures — as a way to counter radical ideologies and fight extremism, the Salafist movements have deemed it a war on Islam.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab announced the decision in a press statement following a meeting he headed with the Curriculum Development Committee on April 11. He said, “We will not allow any academic textbooks that would instill myths and superstition in the minds of students.”

The Curriculum Development Committee was formed March 4 to review curricula and remove any outdated texts that incite violence. » | Ayah Aman | Undated

Stupid Is as Stupid Does! Muslim Women Should Be Allowed to Wear the Veil in Court, Top Judge Suggests

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lord Neuberger, the President of the Supreme Court, says that judges should show respect toward different cultures

Judges should allow Muslim women to appear in court wearing a full-face veil, Britain’s most senior judge has suggested.

Lord Neuberger, the President of the Supreme Court, said it was crucial that courts and judges “show, and be seen to show” respect towards different customs.

He said this included having an understanding of the “different cultural and social habits” of those appearing as witnesses, defendants or jurors in cases.

His comments, in a lecture about the need for courts to be less intimidating, come at a time of uncertainty over the place of the Muslim niqab, or full face-veil, in the legal system. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, April 16, 2015

Italians Revolt Against Migrant 'Invasion'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Italians are resisting the huge influx of immigrants arriving on their shores, with some politicians calling on supporters to say "no, with every means, to every new arrival"

Italians are in growing revolt against the number of migrants arriving on their shores, with more than 10,000 people rescued from the Mediterranean in the past week alone.

The huge influx of asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa is putting an intolerable strain on a country that has been in recession for the past five years.

Conservative politicians called this week for boatloads of refugees to be sent back to Libya, while the system of migrant reception centres is on the verge of collapse.

The government in Rome has asked regional authorities to provide 6,500 new beds for migrants who are arriving on a daily basis in Sicily and the tiny island of Lampedusa.

But many regions responded grudgingly - some with downright hostility - saying they had no space to offer.

Val d’Aosta, a small, mountainous region on the French border, offered to take just one refugee.

There was also a frosty reception from the wealthy northern region of Lombardy.

“Here, as in Veneto (a neighbouring region that includes Venice) there is zero space,” said Roberto Maroni, the governor of Lombardy and a member of the staunchly anti-immigration Northern League. "We cannot be subjected to this invasion.” » | Nick Squires, Rome | Thursday, April 16, 2015

Migrants Killed in 'Religious Clash' on Mediterranean Boat

About 1,000 people a day are being rescued at the moment
trying to reach the Italian coast

BBC AMERICA: Italian police say they have arrested 15 Muslim migrants after they allegedly threw 12 Christians overboard following a row on a boat heading to Italy.

The Christian migrants, said to be from Ghana and Nigeria, are all feared dead.

In a separate incident, more than 40 people drowned after another migrant boat sank between Libya and Italy.

Almost 10,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean have been rescued in recent days. Italy has called for more help from the EU to handle the crisis.

More than 500 people from Africa and the Middle East have died making the perilous crossing since the start of the year. Earlier this week, 400 people were believed to have drowned when their boat capsized. » | Thursday, April 16, 2015

Danish Queen: “It Is Vital That We Give Islam Opposition”

In a book written by journalist Annelise Bistruphave, published in April 2005, the Danish Queen Margrethe II said:
JIHAD WATCH: ”We are challenged in these years by Islam, both globally and locally, and it is a challenge we have to take seriously. … There is something impressive about people for whom religion permeates life from morning to night, from cradle to grave. There are also Christians who feel that way. …

But it [Islam] is a challenge we have to take seriously. We simply let it flutter in too long because we are tolerant, and it’s not so nice. … We should oppose it, and one must sometimes take the risk of being called less flattering things, since there are certain things one should not tolerate. … It is vital that we give Islam opposition. The lax response that has prevailed for many years in Denmark is not enough.”

In a recent interview given in connection with the Queen’s 75th birthday, our beloved Margrethe says (translated by Nicolai Sennels, via 10news.dk):

Seen with the Queen’s eyes, an important part of the reaction to the terror must be that we stand firmly by the key freedoms that Denmark is founded upon – including freedom of expression – which makes it possible to speak, write and express one’s opinion freely.

“I know there are some who say that we must be careful, and of course we need to think before speaking, but we must certainly also say things the way we think they are. We should not hold back. If you do not speak out about problems they become worse,” said the Queen.

Fear should never be allowed to dominate, although the terrorists are prepared to use violence. » | Nicolai Sennels | Wednesday, April 15, 2015

CLIFFORD MAY: Ayaan Hirsi Ali Risks Life with Call for Islam's Reform

By now, you should be familiar with the name Ayaan Hirsi Ali. You should know at least this much about her: She is brilliant, beautiful, black and she has been banned near Boston. You might also have learned that she was born in Somali and raised as a devout Muslim in Africa and Saudi Arabia. While…

Muslim Men Branded 'Disgrace' for Praying at Anfield

Stephen Dodd posted this photo, but later deleted it, saying
the men were a 'disgrace'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Stephen Dodd causes storm after allegedly tweeting picture of two solicitors worshipping during half-time break as Liverpool take on Blackburn Rovers

Liverpool FC has said it will take action against a fan who allegedly called two Muslim men "a disgrace" for praying at Anfield.

Stephen Dodd was at the centre of a Twitter storm over a picture of solicitors Asif Bodi and Abubakar Bhula worshipping during the half-time break as the Reds took on Blackburn Rovers on March 8.

The picture appeared to be sent from his account, with the caption: "Muslims praying at half time at the match yesterday #DISGRACE." » | Agency | Wednesday, April 15, 2015

German School Teacher 'Made Children Sing Nazi Propaganda Song’

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: School teacher accused of making pupils sing the Horst Wessel Song – the anthem of the Nazi Party from 1930 to 1945 – which is illegal in Germany

A schoolteacher in Berlin has been questioned by police on suspicion of making her pupils sing a Nazi propaganda song.

The teacher, who has not been named under German privacy laws, is accused of making her sixth form class sing the Horst Wessel Song, the anthem of the Nazi Party from 1930 to 1945.

The song includes the words “Millions are looking upon the swastika full of hope” and “Soon Hitler’s banners will fly over all the streets”.

It is illegal to sing the song in Germany, and if prosecuted, the teacher could face up to three years in prison.

“She handed out the lines, turned on the music and made us sing and march together,” one of her pupils told Bild newspaper. » | Justin Huggler in Berlin | Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Grave of Hillary Clinton's Father 'Vandalised' Day after She Declared for President

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hugh Rodham's headstone was toppled shortly after Hillary Clinton announced she would be running for president

The grave of Hillary Clinton’s father appears to have been vandalised the day after she launched her presidential campaign.

Police in Scranton, Pennsylvania said that the headstone of Hugh Rodham had been toppled, possibly by vandals. » | David Lawler, Washington | Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Erdogan dénonce les «délires» du pape sur le génocide

Il s'agit de la première réaction du président après les
déclarations du pape.

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Turquie – Pour le président turc, il appartient aux historiens de déterminer si le génocide arménien a bien eu lieu. Et pas au Vatican.

Le président islamo-conservateur turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a fermement dénoncé mardi les propos du pape François qui a parlé dimanche de «génocide» à propos des massacres d'Arméniens commis en 1915 par l'Empire ottoman, évoquant des «délires».

«Si les politiques ou les religieux font le travail des historiens, alors on n'aboutira pas aux réalités, ce ne seront que délires», a lancé M. Erdogan dans un discours devant des hommes d'affaires à Ankara.

Il s'agit de la première réaction du président turc aux remarques du souverain pontife qui ont provoqué une crise entre Ankara et le Vatican. » | afp/Newsnet | mardi 14 avril 2015

Die Gotteskrieger vom Islam (Doku 2015)

Warum zieht es so viele junge Menschen in den islamischen Extremismus? Und weshalb radikalisieren sich auch in Deutschland immer mehr von ihnen? In der Dokum. Jihad ▻ Die deutschen.

Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen im Namen des Islam. Mordende Glaubenskrieger des Islamischen Staates (IS), die aus Sicht der Bundesregierung nur mit Waffen . Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen.

Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen im Namen des Islam. Mordende Glaubenskrieger des Islamischen Staates (IS), die aus Sicht der Bundesregierung nur mit Waffen . Terror, Folter und Hinrichtungen.

Kurz vor dem Tod sprach Grass vom dritten großen Krieg

DIE WELT: Keine drei Wochen vor seinem Tod warnte der Literatur-Nobelpreisträger Günter Grass vor dem Dritten Weltkrieg. "Wir laufen Gefahr, dieselben Fehler wie früher zu machen", sagte er.

Günter Grass hat sich bis kurz vor seinem Tod große Sorgen um die Zukunft der Menschheit gemacht. Am 21. März, knapp drei Wochen vor seinem Tod, gab der Literatur-Nobelpreisträger in Lübeck der spanischen Zeitung "El País" noch ein Interview.

"Wir steuern auf den dritten großen Krieg zu", sagte Grass in dem Interview, das am Dienstag erstmals veröffentlicht wurde. "Es gibt überall Krieg. Wir laufen Gefahr, dieselben Fehler wie früher zu machen. Ohne es zu merken, als wären wir Schlafwandler, können wir in einen neuen Weltkrieg gehen", warnte er.

Grass analysierte in dem Gespräch die aktuelle Situation kritisch: "Heute haben wir auf der einen Seite die Ukraine, deren Situation einfach nicht besser wird. In Israel und Palästina wird es immer schlimmer. Im Irak haben uns die Amerikaner ein Desaster hinterlassen. Es gibt die Gräueltaten des Islamischen Staates und das Problem in Syrien, das fast aus den Nachrichten verschwunden ist, obwohl sich die Menschen dort weiter gegenseitig umbringen." » | dpa/dol | Dienstag, 14. April 2015

Related »

Günter Grass: We Are 'Sleepwalking' into World War

Gu[e]nter Grass

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: In the final interview before his death, The Tin Drum author and German Gu[e]nter Grass warned of 'sleepwalking' into global conflict

Germany's Nobel-winning author Günter Grass said he feared humanity was "sleepwalking" into a world war in the last interview he gave before his death on April 13 2015.

"We have on the one side Ukraine, whose situation is not improving; in Israel and Palestine things are getting worse; the disaster the Americans left in Iraq, the atrocities of Islamic state and the problem of Syria," he told the Spanish newspaper El Pais [sic] in the interview published a day after his death.

"There is war everywhere; we run the risk of committing the same mistakes as before; so without realising it we can get into a world war as if we were sleepwalking," he added. » | Martin Chilton, Culture Editor online | Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Ex-British Diplomat Accuses Hillary Clinton of Role in Meltdown of Iraq

Emma Sky, a former British diplomat

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New book by former adviser to the US in Iraq Emma Sky says Clinton appointed ambassador to Baghdad who had no Middle East experience

A former British diplomat has accused Hillary Clinton of contributing to Iraq’s disastrous meltdown during her four years as Barack Obama’s foreign policy chief.

Emma Sky, who served as an adviser to one of the top US commanders in Iraq, claims in a new book that Mrs Clinton operated a “dysfunctional” diplomatic mission to Baghdad that allowed a lapse back into sectarian warfare after elections in 2010.

At that time Mrs Clinton was mid-way through her four-year stint as Mr Obama’s Secretary of State, the equivalent position to Foreign Secretary in Britain.

The criticisms, which come as Mrs Clinton announces her presidential bid, are contained in a book that Ms Sky, an Oxford-educated Middle East expert, is to publish next month about the seven years she spent in Iraq.

Entitled The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq, it paints an unflattering picture of the Obama administration as it tried to extricate itself from the country as hastily as possible. » | Colin Freeman, Chief foreign correspondent | Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Islamic State Threatens to Repeat 9/11 in New Video Warning to America

The video is a reminder of the power if Isil and Al-Qaeda
to inspire followers around the world to 'lone wolf'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Isil supporters launch social media blitz with hashtag #WeWillBurnUSAgain

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's social media have launched a new campaign threatening to repeat 9/11 and bring war to America.

The campaign, given the hashtag #WeWillBurnUSAgain, is accompanied by a video compilation showing some of Isil’s “greatest hits”, including the beheadings of the American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

“America thinks it’s safe because of the geographical location,” its voiceover says. “Thus you see it invades Muslim lands, and thinks that the army of jihad won’t reach in their lands.

“But the dream of Americans to have safety became a mirage.”

The hashtag campaign was announced on April 8, last Wednesday, and launched on Saturday, when pro-Isil accounts posted thousands of tweets with the hashtag with variations on the same theme, of America’s vulnerability to lone wolf and other attacks. » | Richard Spencer | Monday, April 13, 2015

UK: Sharia Courts Abusing Muslim Women

BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS: The report shows how the increasing influence of Sharia law in Britain today is undermining the fundamental principle that there must be equality for all British citizens under a single law of the land.

“I feel betrayed by Britain. I came here to get away from this and the situation is worse here than in the country I escaped from.” — Muslim woman interviewed for the report.

The report concludes by calling on the British government to launch a judge-led inquiry to “determine the extent to which discriminatory Sharia law principles are being applied within the UK.”

“The government’s response will be a litmus test of the extent to which it genuinely upholds the principle of equality before the law or is so dominated by the fear of ‘giving offense’ that it will continue to allow these women to suffer in ways which would make our suffragettes turn in their graves.” — Baroness Caroline Cox.

Muslim women across Britain are being systematically oppressed, abused and discriminated against by Sharia law courts that treat women as second-class citizens, according to a new report, which warns against the spiraling proliferation of Islamic tribunals in the United Kingdom.

The 40-page report, “A Parallel World: Confronting the Abuse of Many Muslim Women in Britain Today,” was authored by Baroness Caroline Cox, a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords and one of the leading defenders of women’s rights in the UK.

The report shows how the increasing influence of Sharia law in Britain today is undermining the fundamental principle that there must be equality for all British citizens under a single law of the land. » | Soeren Kern | Sunday, April 12, 2015

Turkey Anger at Pope Francis Armenian 'Genocide' Claim

BBC AMERICA: Turkey has criticised Pope Francis for using the word "genocide" to describe the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in World War 1.

Ankara immediately summoned the Vatican's envoy after the Pope made the comments at a service in Rome.

Turkey's Foreign Minister described it as "far from the historical reality".

Armenia and many historians say up to 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman forces in 1915. Turkey has always disputed the number of dead.

The dispute has continued to sour relations between Armenia and Turkey. (+ BBC video) » | Sunday, April 12, 2015

Pope Francis Calls Armenian Slaughter 'Genocide'

THE GUARDIAN: Pontiff’s comments are likely to anger Turkey, which denies that the killings 100 years ago during the fall of the Ottoman empire constituted genocide


Pope Francis has described the mass killing of Armenians 100 years ago as a genocide, a politically explosive pronouncement that could damage diplomatic relations with Turkey.

During a special mass to mark the centenary of the mass killing, the pontiff referred to “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the past century. “The first, which is widely considered the first genocide of the twentieth century, struck your own Armenian people,” he said, quoting a declaration signed in 2001 by Pope John Paul II and Kerekin II, leader of the Armenian church.

“Bishops and priests, religious women and men, the elderly and even defenceless children and the infirm were murdered,” the pope said. » | Rosie Scammell in Rome | Sunday, April 12, 2015

'Britain in Danger of Being Outflanked by Growing Islamic Population' Says Church Leader

Reverend David Robertson

DAILY EXPRESS: “SPINELESS” politicians are ignoring the rise of Islam in the UK, according to a prominent church minister.

And the Reverend David Robertson, who will soon take over as Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, also says there is no such thing as “secular Islam”.

His comments come as debate rages throughout Britain as to how to tackle the issue of radical proponents of the religion without alienating minority communities.

But the minister stressed that although he opposes “racist, jingoistic Islamophobia, the fear of Islamophobia is blinding many of our politicians to the threat we face from Islam”.

Mr Robertson has accused politicians of leading the country down a “path of destruction away from the Christian foundations of our nation” by appeasing Muslims.

Writing on the Christian Today website, he said that politicians are either ignorant of the nature of Islam, or frightened of being labelled racist for speaking out about it. He said: “Christianity is the bedrock and foundation of our secular society. Islam is different. Islam has no doctrine of separation of the spiritual from the political. Islam is, and has always been, a political movement.

“There can be no such thing as secular Islam.

“The narrative is that Islam is the same as Christianity, that ISIS and others are just fundamentalists who are not really part of the ‘religion of peace’ and that Christians have their own ISIS equivalents. All untrue. » | Dean Herbert | Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Top Saudi Cleric Denies Issuing Fatwa 'Allowing Husbands to EAT Wives If They Are Hungry'

Grand mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Shaeikh issued the fatwa

DAILY EXPRESS: A SAUDI religious leader has denied reports he issued a fatwa telling husbands they can eat their wives if they are hungry enough.

Saudi Arabian grand mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah was claimed to have said the ruling showed the "sacrifice of women and obedience to her husband".

The reports said the fatwa allowed a man to eat his wife's body parts if he is suffering from "severe hunger".

However, in a statement released via the Saudi Press Agency on behalf of the Grand Mufti the cleric said: "The fatwa attributed to us is wrong.

"It is nothing but lies ... It has been circulated to distort the image of Islam, which has elevated and granted a dignified status to men and women without exceptions."

Reports of the alleged fatwa circulated the world’s news sites before the religious authorities issued the denial. » | Scott Campbell | Friday, April 10, 2015

Tweeting Causes Me Trouble

I shall not be tweeting anything again for the time being. Each time I tweet something, MALWARE and ADWARE seems to attach to my browser, causing me untold problems and wasting so much of my time. In short, Twitter is infecting my computer. I have tried getting help from Twitter itself, but that appears to be a fruitless exercise. I shall therefore STOP tweeting for now, or at least until I can get some advice on, and resolution of, the matter. – Mark

Marine Le Pen Tells Father to Step Down from French Politics

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Leader of France's far-right says her father will be summoned before a disciplinary committee for his anti-Semitic remarks and says she no longer sees a future for him in Front National

France's National Front leader Marine Le Pen urged her father Jean-Marie to withdraw from political life and said she would begin disciplinary proceedings against him over repeated comments that had harmed efforts to broaden her party's appeal.

The 86-year-old founder of the far-right party, who last week defended a past comment that Nazi gas chambers were a "detail of history", was quoted on Tuesday as calling France's Spanish-born Prime Minister Manuel Valls "the immigrant" and defending Philippe Petain, leader of the war-time government that cooperated with Nazi Germany.

In what has become an increasingly bitter family feud, Marine Le Pen and her aides believe her father is undermining her efforts to rid the anti-immigrant party of its anti-Semitic image and widen its voter appeal as she readies a bid for the presidency in 2017. » | Reuters | Thursday, April 09, 2015

French Media Groups to Hold Emergency Meeting after Isis Cyber-attack

THE GUARDIAN: Culture minister calls talks after television network TV5Monde is taken over by individuals claiming to belong to Islamic State

France’s culture minister is to call an urgent meeting of French media groups to assess their vulnerability to hacking after the public service television network TV5Monde was taken over by individuals claiming to belong to Islamic State, blacking out broadcasts as well as hacking its websites and Facebook page.

All TV5Monde broadcasts were brought down in a blackout between 10pm and 1am local time on Wednesday to Thursday by hackers claiming allegiance to Isis. They were able to seize control of the television network founded by the French government in 1984, simultaneously hacking 11 channels as well as its website and social media accounts.

Experts say the cyber-attack represented a new level of sophistication for the Islamist group, which has claimed complex hacking before, but nothing as big as this. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a terrorism investigation into the attack.

The culture minister, Fleur Pellerin, said she would bring together all heads of big French TV companies as well as newspaper groups and the news agency Agence France-Presse within 24 hours “to assure myself of their vulnerable points, any risks that exist and the best way to deal with it”. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Samuel Gibbs | Thursday, April 09, 2015

Isil Hackers Seize Control of France's TV5Monde Network in 'Unprecedented' Attack

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: TV5Monde still unable to broadcast anything but pre-recorded programmes on its 11 channels after "unprecedented" cyber attack as French government denounces "act of terrorism"

Hackers claiming allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) on Thursday seized control of TV5Monde, France's international TV network, knocking out its 11 channels, website and social media accounts in an attack the government dubbed an "act of terrorism".

TV5Monde was still struggling to regain control of its channels on Thursday morning, forced to broadcast only pre-recorded programmes after what its director called an "unprecedented attack in the history of television" in which its systems were "severely damaged".

Yves Bigot, the network's chief, said he was shaken when a black screen appeared across the entire network at around 10pm local time on Wednesday night.

"When we discovered the sense of the message appearing on our social media and our websites, it both allowed us to understand what was happening and obviously worried us," he told RTL radio. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, April 09, 2015

Americans Are the Real Terrorists, Says Boston Bomber's Mother

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Zubeidat Tsaernaeva posts message after guilty verdict thanking supporters for standing by her son, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Minutes after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been found guilty of killing three people in a bomb attack on the 2013 Boston Marathon, his mother defended him in a message to a supporter's group.

“I will never forget it. May god bless those who helped my son," wrote Zubeidat Tsaernaeva. "The terrorists are the Americans and everyone knows it. My son is the best of the best.”

The message was passed to the Vocativ website by a friend. It was also posted to the “Help for Dzhokhar” site hosted on a Russian social networking site, VKontakte.

In it she thanked supporters. » | Foreign staff | Thursday, April 09, 2015

Obama Blasts 'Less-than-loving Christians' at Easter Prayer Breakfast

President Obama appeared to break from his script for a moment at Tuesday morning's Easter Prayer Breakfast to opine on Christians who espouse "less-than-loving" views. "On Easter, I do reflect on the fact that as a Christian, I am supposed to love," Mr. Obama said toward the end of his speech. "And I have to say…

Obama Takes Jab at Critics in Prayer Breakfast

During the annual Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House, President Barack Obama reflected on what it means to be a Christian at Easter and all year long. (April 7)

Islamic State Launches English-language Radio News Bulletins

The al-Bayan radio network's logo

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The jihadist group already airs bulletins in Arabic and Russian and the English-language bulletin will offer updates on Iraq, Syria and Libya

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has launched English-language radio news bulletins on its al-Bayan radio network.

The militant group’s English bulletin, launched on Tuesday and promoted via Twitter, accompanies Arabic and Russian bulletins already airing on the network. » | AP | Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Cameron’s Unthinking Policy on Syria Has Fuelled the Rise of British Jihadism

THE GUARDIAN: The current focus on domestic politics and the election shouldn’t blind voters to the fact that this prime minister has been a foreign policy disaster

Foreign policy is virtually absent from the election campaign. But if David Cameron had had his way, we could have been embroiled by now – more than we already are – in yet another Middle East war. As it is, his Syria policy has still backfired, contributing to the rise of jihadism in our own back yard.

Cameron should not be let off the hook for supporting the armed opposition in Syria and being ready to start bombing Syrian government forces in 2013 after the Syrians had apparently used chemical weapons. The planes were ready to take off from Cyprus. It was only parliament, in a historic and too-soon-forgotten vote, that stopped this recklessness in its tracks. True, Syria subsequently disarmed itself of chemical weapons, but this was after the climbdown on bombing had shown western public opinion had no appetite for another war of choice. So it was no thanks to Cameron’s warmongering; it was, rather, a result of Russian pressure.

True also, Britain has gone on to join bombing operations against Isis. But it is one thing to bomb a rabble collection of fighters, another to bomb a regular army with an anti-aircraft capability. And what was Cameron thinking – that decimating the Syrian army would make life harder for the Islamists, who are palpably the bigger and more atrocious threat? » | Peter Ford | Tuesday, April 07, 2015