Boston Terror Suspect Reportedly Targeted 'Draw Muhammad' Activist for Beheading

FOX NEWS: The knife-wielding terror suspect who was shot and killed by law enforcement outside Boston early Tuesday originally targeted the activist behind last month's "Draw Muhammad" cartoon competition before turning his sights on local police, according to several published reports.

CNN and NBC, citing law enforcement sources, reported late Wednesday that Usaama Rahim had planned to behead Pamela Geller, an activist and blogger who organized last month's cartoon contest for images of the Muslim prophet Muhammad in Garland, Texas. That event was targeted by two Muslim gunmen who were killed by police.

Geller was not identified in an FBI complaint against David Wright, a relative of Rahim, that was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. However, investigators did say that Rahim had initially told Wright that he planned to behead an unidentified victim outside of Massachusetts. » | FoxNews.com | Thursday, June 04, 2015

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Terror suspect killed by FBI 'planned to behead Pamela Geller': Usaama Rahim allegedly planned to kill anti-Islam activist before his death in Boston on Tuesday » | David Lawler, Washington | Thursday, June 04, 2015

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Knife-wielding Boston terror suspect shot dead planned to behead conservative blogger Pamela Geller: report » | Bev Ford, Nancy Dillon | New York Daily News | Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Sarkozy veut reconquérir la France "centimètre par centimètre"

LE POINT: "Le temps de la primaire n'est pas venu", a lancé le président des Républicains lors d'un meeting de soutien à Manuel Aeschlimann à Asnières-sur-Seine.

Nicolas Sarkozy, président des Républicains, a affirmé mercredi à Asnières-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine) qu'il voulait reconquérir la France "centimètre par centimètre", parce que c'est ce qui va permettre à sa famille politique "non seulement de gagner en 2017 mais de mettre en oeuvre" sa politique. "Sur les divisions, il n'y aura que la défaite, sur l'Union, tout devient possible", a lancé Nicolas Sarkozy devant près de 1 500 personnes, lors d'un meeting de soutien à Manuel Aeschlimann, qui tente les 14 et 21 juin de regagner la mairie d'Asnières, qu'il avait conquise avec seulement 70 voix sur son adversaire socialiste en 2014. Le Conseil d'État avait invalidé cette élection en raison de "pressions" à voter UMP aux abords de plusieurs bureaux de vote, sans toutefois établir l'implication de Manuel Aeschlimann. » | Source AFP | mercredi 03 juin 2015

Obama schickt Netanjahu eine besondere Warnung

Barack Obama und Benjamin Netanjahu: Ein schwieriges
Verhältnis wird noch komplizierter

DIE WELT: Israels wichtigster Verbündeter schickt Warnsignale nach Jerusalem. Obama stellt die bedingungslose Unterstützung Israels im UN-Sicherheitsrat infrage – das könnte schon bald Konsequenzen haben.

Seit Wochen, so berichten israelische Medien, kriselt es zwischen israelischen und französischen Diplomaten. Hintergrund ist Paris' Vorhaben, dem Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen eine Resolution vorzulegen, um dem Friedensprozess mit den Palästinensern neuen Schwung zu geben. Der Vorschlag, dessen Inhalt Ende Mai im "Figaro" bekannt wurde, schreibt die Richtlinien einer Lösung vor, mit so manch einem für Jerusalem problematischen Paragrafen. So sollen Verhandlungen innerhalb von 18 Monaten abgeschlossen, Jerusalem geteilt und alle israelischen Truppen aus dem Westjordanland abgezogen werden.

Bislang verließen die Israelis sich darauf, dass solche Initiativen von ihrem wichtigsten Verbündeten gestoppt würden. Das geschah zuletzt im Dezember, als Washington drohte, notfalls vom Vetorecht Gebrauch zu machen. Doch nun schickte US-Präsident Barack Obama eine unmissverständliche Drohung an Israels Premier Benjamin Netanjahu: Dessen umstrittene Aussagen machten es erheblich schwerer, Israel in der internationalen Arena zu verteidigen. Eine Verurteilung Israels im Sicherheitsrat oder die Verabschiedung von Resolutionen, die Jerusalem unter Druck setzen, wird wahrscheinlicher. » | Von Gil Yaron, Tel Aviv | Mittwoch, 03. Juni 2015

'Soviet-era Snitching' Returns to Russia

NEWSWEEK: "Denunciations, secret informants and squealers" are becoming "rife" in everyday Russian life, experts in Russia have said, with some people saying the trend marks a return to the dark days of the 1930s purges when people would denounce their neighbours and friends to the authorities in order to advance their career, or to secure a better standard of living.

According to an article published in the Moscow Times, denunciations often come from anonymous groups who state authorities rarely name, referring to them instead as "concerned citizens". However, in some cases the denunciations are public and often involve the State Duma or local deputies, with one expert claiming that state authorities sometimes fabricate claims in order to justify their actions.

Alexander Cherkasov, who works for a human rights group pointed out that several state-led campaigns against "loosely defined extremists, gay people and those perceived to be insulting the feelings of religious believers" over the last few years, are used to signal our certain individuals or groups, meaning that these people come under increased, and arguably unfair, scrutiny. » | Felicity Capon | Monday, June 01, 2015

As Turkey Turns from the West, Islanbul's Most Iconic Building Is Claimed for Islam

NEWSWEEK: Empires have risen and fallen, but the dome of the great basilica remains, dominating the skyline of Istanbul for the past 14 centuries. Built by the Roman emperor Justinian in 532 as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia served as the principal church of Eastern Christianity for 916 years. When the Turkish Sultan Mehmet II captured the city in 1453, he stopped at the monumental porch and stooped to scatter dust on his turban as a gesture of humility before Allah the Victory-Giver.

On Mehmet's order, the church became the mosque of Ayasofya (the Turkish spelling), a symbol of the triumph of the Ottoman Turks and of the supremacy of Islam. In 1935, the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Atatürk, ordered Ayasofya opened as a museum, a symbol of the secular, modern republic he was forging from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. "Atatürk made the Hagia Sophia a monument to what Turkey could become," said Anthony Eastmond, AG Leventis Reader in the history of Byzantine art at London's Courtauld Institute of Art. "By turning it from a mosque into a museum, he made it a place for all people."

Now the Hagia Sophia (the usual English spelling) has once again become a symbol – this time of the very contemporary battle for the soul of Turkey between Islamists and secularists. Vocal religious-conservative activists, some with links to the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, are pressuring the government to reconsecrate the site for Islam. … » | Owen Matthews, Sila Alici | Wednesday, June 03, 2015

50% of Italians and Poles View Muslims Negatively, Study Finds

NEWSWEEK: More than 50% of Italians and Poles have a negative view of Muslims, according to new research which reveals worrying levels of xenophobia in several European countries.

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 61% of Italians and 56% of Poles expressed a negative view of Muslims in their country[,].

Anti-Semitism is also high in both countries, with one in five Italians and one in four Poles viewing Jews unfavourably. In contrast, less than one in 10 French and British people expressed similar views.

Xenophobia has seen a revival in Europe of late, with the rise of far-right and nationalist parties such as the Front National in France and the Pegida movement in Germany.

The study, which also surveyed four other EU nations, was conducted after the Charlie Hebdo shootings and kosher supermarket attack in Paris earlier this year. » | Conor Gaffey | Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Dutch Anti-Islam Lawmaker Geert Wilders Vows to Show Muhammad Cartoons on National Television

680 NEWS: THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders said Wednesday he plans to show cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad on Dutch television after Parliament refused to display them.

Wilders said he would show the cartoons during television airtime reserved for political parties, in a move likely to offend Muslims since Islamic tradition holds that any physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad is blasphemous.

Political parties in the Netherlands get a small amount of airtime each year and broadcasting authorities have no say in what the parties show. Wilders said the broadcast would likely take place in the next few weeks, but an exact date has yet to be determined.

The announcement came a month after Wilders gave a speech at a contest in Garland, Texas, for cartoon depictions of Muhammad. Shortly after Wilders left the event, it was targeted by two men with pistols and assault rifles. Security guards shot and killed the attackers. » | Mike Corder, The Associated Press | Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Boston Man Slain by Police Was Planning Terrorist Attack, FBI Says

LOS ANGELES TIMES: A Boston man who was shot and killed by members of a counter-terrorism task force had been planning an attack in the United States by beheading someone, possibly randomly chosen police officers, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Wednesday.

Usaamah Rahim, 26, a private security officer who lived in Boston, had been planning the attack since at least May 26 and had bought knives online from Amazon, according to court documents. Rahim, who was under law enforcement surveillance, was fatally shot Tuesday by members of a Joint Terrorism Task Force in the Boston neighborhood of Roslindale after he reportedly approached the officers with a large knife. (+ video) » | Matt Pearce | Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Selling Islam in America

CHRISTIAN POST – OPINION: When Tulsa, Okla., police captain Paul Fields refused an order to attend a mosque, he was slapped with a two-week suspension and permanent demotion. Captain Fields resisted the order based on his religious freedom—he is a Christian. But his objections were not good enough for his superiors or the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against him.

The chief of police had ordered officers to attend the mosque to hear a discussion on Islamic beliefs, Muhammad and Mecca; learn why and how Muslims pray; and consider buying Islamic books and pamphlets. In December 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. The Fields case is but another in a bewildering campaign to sell Islam to Americans while denigrating Christianity and, as in the Tulsa decision, rejecting the rights of individuals or groups holding other religious convictions.

Such capricious actions, though motivated by a professed desire to be sensitive to followers of Islam, actually have the opposite effect. Even Muslims should reject them based on their own self-interests. No one has benefited from the radical polarization of Americans over the past few years. Religious intolerance and deteriorating race relations threaten to alter or destroy this society. » | Elwood McQuaid, CP Guest Contributor | Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Tired Of Islam, Iranians Ask ' Who Is This Jesus?' - CBN

The harsh treatment of Christians in Iran is fueling church growth. Despite the threats, one television channel is beaming the Christian message directly into the Islamic country.

Ex-Muslims Lighting the Way for Islam's Collapse?

If Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, why are so many Muslims leaving their faith? Some believe the collapse of Islam is on the horizon.

Migration Threatens European Civilisation, Says Hungary PM

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: 'There is no way back from a multicultural Europe' says Viktor Orban, who warns decisions Europe makes on migration now will affect it forever

Mass migration threatens European civilisation, Hungary's controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Tuesday.

"Today mass migration is taking place around the globe that could change the face of Europe's civilisation. If that happens, that is irreversible," Mr Orban said at a conference in honour of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who recently turned 85.

"There is no way back from a multicultural Europe. Neither to a Christian Europe, nor to the world of national cultures," Mr Orban added.

He insisted that migration needs to be addressed seriously. "If we make a mistake now, it will be forever," Mr Orban, 52, said. » | Agencies | Tuesday, June 02, 2015

«Man kann uns nicht mehr aufhalten»

TAGES ANZEIGER: Erdrutschsiege in zwei Bundesländern geben der Rechten Österreichs Aufschwung. Sie sieht sich auf dem Weg zur «sozialen Volkspartei».

Mit dem Rückenwind eines spektakulären Wahl-Triumphs in zwei Bundesländern sieht sich die rechte FPÖ in Österreich auf dem besten Weg in die Regierung. «Man kann uns nicht mehr aufhalten und schon gar nicht stoppen», sagte FPÖ-Chef Heinz-Christian Strache am Montag in Wien. Seine Partei sei auf dem Weg zur «sozialen Volkspartei».

Die «Erdrutschgewinne» in der Steiermark und im Burgenland seien ein deutliches Signal an die rot-schwarzen Koalitionen in Bund und Ländern, die «undemokratische Ausgrenzung gegenüber der FPÖ» zu beenden. » | sda | Montag, 01. Juni 2015

FPÖ berauscht sich an Wahlerfolgen »

Interview with Brigitte Gabriel

Brigitte Gabriel is a Lebanese American journalist, author and activist. She is the founder of the American Congress For Truth, an organization dedicated to educating the public about Islam. This is her interview at Duke University in 2004.


ACT for America »

Brigitte Gabriel on Obama

Brigitte Gabriel: Western Leaders Afraid of the Truth about Islam

With So Many Muslims Finding Christ, Could Islam Fall?

CHARISMA NEWS: The headlines say Islam is going to be the largest religion in the world. But Islam is facing a crisis.

The terrible deeds of ISIS, done in the name of Allah and following the violent example of Muhammad, have horrified Muslims who are now questioning their faith.

Missionaries to the Islamic world say more Muslims have converted to Christianity in the last 14 years (since 9/11) than during the entire 14 centuries of Islamic history.

Secret Lives

Many keep their conversion a secret, afraid for their lives. In London, CBN News talked to Imran (no last name given to protect his identity), a British college student from a Pakistani immigrant family. Imran left Islam after a lengthy study convinced him the Quran could not be true. Leaving Islam can be a tough road.

"If someone leaves Islam and becomes an apostate, he is thrown out of his family; his family will be the first ones to abandon him," Imran explained. "His friends will reject him and he will be killed or he will be persecuted. A lot of my friends said, 'This is the last time I'm talking to you because you disrespected the prophet Muhammed, you disrespected Islam.'"

Imran has not yet become a Christian, but has studied the Bible and says Christianity is superior to Islam. » | Dale Hurd | CBN | Monday, June 01, 2015

Schweiz: Der Imam von Bern

«Die Kernbotschaft des Islam ist das friedliche Zusammenleben der Menschen», sagt Mustafa Memeti. Er ist Imam des «Muslimischen Vereins Bern» und Präsident des «Albanisch Islamischen Verbandes Schweiz». Memeti kämpft gegen Extremismus und für den Dialog zwischen den Religionen.

How and Why Hitler, the Nazis and the Third Reich Came to Power – Full Documentary

Hitler in Colour: Nazi Rise to Power

A documentary about Adolf Hitler rise to power in 1933. This video is meant for educational purposes only.

RENSE.COM: David Lloyd George's Impression After A Meeting With Adolf Hitler, September 4, 1936 » | By The Right Honourable DAVID LLOYD GEORGE, The Daily Express - London | November 17, 1936

Wahlkampf in der Türkei: Erdogan droht kritischem Journalisten

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Ein türkischer Journalist hat über angebliche Waffenlieferungen an Extremisten in Syrien berichtet - trotz Nachrichtensperre. Dafür hat Präsident Erdogan dem Autor nun gedroht, er werde "einen hohen Preis dafür bezahlen".

Vor der Parlamentswahl am kommenden Sonntag ist der türkische Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan im Wahlkampfmodus. Dabei herrscht in der Türkei ein rauer Ton - auch gegen unliebsame Medien. Journalist Can Dündar hatte über angebliche Waffenlieferungen an Extremisten in Syrien berichtet - nun hat ihm Erdogan offen gedroht. Der Chefredakteur der regierungskritischen Zeitung "Cumhuriyet" werde "einen hohen Preis dafür bezahlen", sagte Erdogan im Staatssender TRT. » | vek/dpa/AFP | Montag, 01. Juni 2015

Österreich: FPÖ berauscht sich an Wahlerfolgen

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Von 10 auf 27 Prozent: Die rechtspopulistische FPÖ hat bei zwei Landtagswahlen unerwartet viele Stimmen hinzugewonnen - mit einer ausländerfeindlichen Kampagne. Parteichef Strache tönt, man sei auf dem Weg zur stärksten Partei des Landes.

Nach großen Stimmenzuwächsen bei zwei Landtagswahlen sieht sich die rechtspopulistische FPÖ auf dem Weg nach oben. "Die FPÖ ist am Weg zur stärksten und bestimmenden Kraft in Österreich", sagte der Parteivorsitzende Heinz-Christian Strache. Er sieht die beiden Abstimmungen als "Vorspiel" für die Wahlen in Oberösterreich und Wien im Herbst.

Bei den Wahlen vom Sonntag hat die Partei mit einer ausländerfeindlichen Kampagne teils spektakuläre Gewinne eingefahren. In der Steiermark kann sie laut vorläufigem amtlichen Endergebnis ihren Stimmenanteil um 16,5 Prozentpunkte auf 27,1 Prozent steigern.

Sie liegt damit nur knapp hinter sozialdemokratischer SPÖ (29,2 Prozent) und konservativer ÖVP (28,5 Prozent). Auch im Burgenland gelang fast eine Verdoppelung auf 15 Prozent. » | fab/dpa | Montag, 01. Juni 2015

US Muslim in Abercrombie Hijab Court Win

BBC AMERICA: The US Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a Muslim woman who was denied a job because of her headscarf.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co refused to hire Samantha Elauf because her dress violated the clothing retailer's "Look Policy" for sales staff.

Ms Elauf wore a hijab at interview but did not say she was Muslim.

But Justice Antonin Scalia said the retailer "at least suspected" that she wore a headscarf for religious reasons and she did not need to make a request.

US law requires that employers must "reasonably accommodate" an employee's religious beliefs, as long as it does not provide an undue hardship to the business. » | Monday, June 01, 2015

Islamic State Militants 'Filmed Torturing Syrian Boy'

BBC AMERICA: A graphic mobile phone video obtained by the BBC appears to show militants from Islamic State (IS) torturing a 14-year-old Syrian boy.

The footage, filmed by a defector from the jihadist group, shows the boy being beaten while he hangs by his wrists.

The UN has accused IS and other armed groups in Syria and Iraq of torturing and killing children.

Children have also been recruited, trained and used on the battlefield.

Another teenager told the BBC how he fought and killed for the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front at the age of just 15, and that when he switched to IS he found 13-year-olds being indoctrinated. (+ BBC videos) » | Quentin Sommerville, BBC News, Turkey-Syria border | Monday, June 01, 2015

Calls to Refer to God as a Woman as Female Bishops Take Up Posts

Bishop Libby Lane at Chester Cathedral

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Support is growing within the Church of England to rewrite its official liturgy to refer to God as female following the selection of the first women bishops

Support is growing within the Church of England to rewrite its official liturgy to refer to God as female following the selection of the first women bishops.

Growing numbers of priests already insert words such as “she” and “mother” informally into traditional service texts as part of a move to make the language of worship more inclusive, it has been claimed.

But calls for a full overhaul of liturgy to recognise the equal status of women have already been discussed informally at a senior level.

It comes after the “Transformations Steering Group”, a body which meets in Lambeth Palace to examine the impact of women in ministry on the Church of England, issued a public call to the bishops to encourage more “expansive language and imagery about God”.

Hilary Cotton, chair of Women And The Church (Watch), the group which led the campaign for female bishops, said the shift away from the traditional patriarchal language of the Book of Common Prayer in already at an “advanced” stage in some quarters.

“The reality is that in many churches up and down the country something more than the almost default male language about God is already being used,” she said. “Quietly clergy are just talking about God as ‘she’ every now and then.

“The response you often get at one end is ‘why does it matter because God is beyond all this?’

“At the other end the reaction is ‘you mustn’t because Jesus calls God father.” » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Sunday, May 31, 2015

Bacha Bazi - The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan (2009)

It was an ancient tradition banned by the Taliban but now it's back: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reports from northern Afghanistan on the hiring out of young male dancers by older men.

Our Leaders Keep Telling Us That Islam is Loving and Peaceful, But This Film Will Show You What the Cowardly Politicians––the Creeps––Won’t Tell You

Why I Left Islam & Goodbye

Sharia4Australia: Muslim Cleric Says "Democracy is the Devil's Law"

Islam Center Stage as Turkish Election Campaign Enters Final Week

REUTERS.COM: Evoking the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople and vowing the Muslim call to prayer would forever ring out, President Tayyip Erdogan put religion center stage on Saturday as campaigning for Turkey's parliamentary election entered its final week.

Persuading religious conservatives, including pious Kurds and nationalists, to back the Islamist-rooted AK Party will be key in an election Erdogan hopes will bring him stronger presidential powers that opponents see as a threat to democracy.

Turkey's most dominant politician for more than a decade and founder of the AK Party, Erdogan draws much of his support from the pious masses. His rhetoric often plays on a tension reaching back to the 1920s when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk forged a secular republic from the ruins of an Ottoman theocracy.

"We will not give way to those who speak out against our call to prayer," he said in a speech in Istanbul to mark the anniversary of the 1453 Islamic conquest that turned the capital of the Byzantine Empire into the seat of Ottoman power.

"We will not give space to those who want to extinguish the fire of conquest burning in the heart of Istanbul for 562 years," he told a sea of supporters waving the red Turkish flag, most of the women covered in the Islamic headscarf and some of the men wearing headbands bearing Erdogan's name.

An AK Party video released to commemorate the conquest culminated with the Muslim call to prayer being recited from a minaret of the Hagia Sophia, Christendom's greatest cathedral for 900 years until the Ottomans turned it into a mosque.

Ataturk, who banished Islam from state affairs and promoted Western dress and women's rights, decreed it a museum in 1934. But a burgeoning sense of Islamic identity that Erdogan has encouraged has revived interest in praying there. » | Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk | Istanbul | Saturday, May 30, 2015

C of E Crisis as It Loses 1.7m Followers - and Islam Gains 900,000: Former Archbishop Lord Carey warns: 'Church Is a Generation from Extinction'

MAIL ON SUNDAY: Lord Carey called for urgent action to reverse slump in followers / Britons identifying themselves as C of E or Anglican dropped to 17 per cent / Current Archbishop Justin Welby has also said decline needs tackling / Government statistician says figures are 'very serious' for Church

The Church of England has suffered a dramatic slump in its followers, shocking new figures show.

Between 2012 and 2014, the proportion of Britons identifying themselves as C of E or Anglican dropped from 21 per cent to 17 per cent – a fall of about 1.7 million people.

Over the same period, the number of Muslims in Britain grew by nearly one million, according to a survey by the respected NatCen Social Research Institute.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey warned last night that unless urgent action was taken, the Church was just ‘one generation away from extinction’.

The number of Anglicans in Britain has dropped from about 10.3 million to 8.6 million, and will raise fresh fears over the future of the Church of England, which has been in decline since the 1960s.

Lord Carey, who has warned before about dwindling congregations, said: ‘These figures are a call to urgent mission. I have no doubt at all that the Archbishops, together with the whole leadership of the Church of England, are doing all they can to reverse this trend.’

The current Archbishop, Justin Welby, has also called for the decline to be tackled and is introducing measures to streamline the Church and strengthen its leadership. Read on and comment » | Sanchez Manning and Jonathan Petre for ‘Mail On Sunday’ | Sunday, May 31, 2015

Sydney Same-sex Marriage Rally: Tony Abbott's Sister Christine Forster among Speakers at Demonstration

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: A bill on the issue in being introduced on Monday in Australia

More than a thousand people took to the streets of Sydney on Sunday to rally in favour of equal marriage in Australia.

Christine Forster, Liberal Party politician and the gay sister of the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, was among the speakers at the demonstration.

It came days after Mr Abbott seemingly bowed to pressure by hinting that he would allow his MPs a free vote on a same-sex marriage bill which will be introduced in federal parliament on Monday.

Although Ms Forster is engaged to a woman, the Prime Minister has been a long standing opponent of gay marriage, and rejected calls for a referendum after Ireland's public vote earlier this month reignited debate on the issue in Australia. » | David Hughes | Sunday, May 31, 2015

USA: Anti-Islam Rally Targets Arizona Mosque

Tony Blair 'in £330,000 Demand for Hunger Talk'

SUNDAY EXPRESS: A SPEECH by Tony Blair at a world hunger conference was dropped after the former Prime Minister allegedly demanded a massive £330,000 fee, it has emerged.

Mr Blair was asked to speak at the Eat food forum in Stockholm, Sweden, which starts tomorrow.

The event, which last year featured a talk by former American president Bill Clinton, claims to be a forum where 'science politics and business can share insight and ideas to achieve our common goal of sustainably feeding a healthy world population.

Kruger Cowne talent agency, which represents Mr Blair, asked for a £250,000 fee plus £80,000 expenses for a twenty minute speech, according to the Sunday Times.

Mr Clinton got a total of £327,000 for his half-hour talk last year. Eat offered Mr Blair, who stepped down from his role as Middle East peace envoy last week, £215,000, but after months of talks, an agreement was not reached.

A source said: "Blair is just not Clinton, and even his star peer is fast diminishing.

"So for his talent reps to think Eat was going to pay massive bucks for him shows they overestimated his worth." » | Peter Henn | Sunday, May 31, 2015

'We're Coming to Get YOU' UK Special Forces Launch Cyber WAR against ISIS Networks

SUNDAY EXPRESS: BRITISH Special Forces are mounting cyber attacks on Islamic State communications networks, warning its commanders: “We’re coming to get you”.

The news emerges as Whitehall prepares to send 50 additional SAS and SBS troops to join the fight against the terror group in Iraq.

Another 120 Special Forces support troops are also being considered.

They are to help Peshmerga, the military forces of Iraqi Kurdistan, advance further into Syria. Kurdish forces have already established coalition enclaves just hours from Raqqa, the headquarters of IS.

The idea of expanding Britain’s training mission outside of Kurdistan was discussed at a National Security Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday.

General Mike Jackson yesterday echoed calls from General Richard Dannatt, his successor as Chief of the General Staff, that Britain should go further and consider putting regular troops into Syria.

Speaking to the Sunday Express, General Jackson said: “How long is Britain and the West prepared to stand back and allow IS to carry on? » | Marco Giannangeli | Sunday, May 31, 2015

Austrians Fear Smoking Ban Threat to Café Culture

BBC AMERICA: After years of debate, Austria's government has announced plans to introduce a total smoking ban in cafes and restaurants by 2018.

Anti-smoking groups say that is too long to wait, but there have been protests by some restaurant owners, who say their business will suffer.

Austrians like order, or "Ordnung" as they say in German. It is hugely frowned upon for a pedestrian to cross the road on a red light. And the streets and underground network of Vienna are kept remarkably clean.

But smoky air in cafes and restaurants has been widely tolerated for years.

Cafe culture

"Smoking is a sort of culture, especially in Austria," Margit Schwed told me as she sat in Cafe Ritter in Vienna, with its gilt chandeliers and marble table tops.

"In the typical Vienna Kaffeehaus you take your coffee and your cigarette. I think people like the flair in the coffee houses."

Austria has one of the highest rates of smoking in Europe, particularly among young people: 33% of Austrians smoke regularly, according to a 2012 Eurobarometer study. Only Greeks, Bulgarians and Latvians smoke more. (+ BBC video) » | Bethany Bell, BBC News, Vienna | Sunday, May 31, 2015

Contre Daech, l'Iran lance un concours de caricatures

leJDD: La Maison iranienne de la bande dessinée de Téhéran a appelé les dessinateurs du monde entier à caricaturer Daech. Un concours qui n'épargne pas non plus les Etats-Unis et Israël.

Des dessins contre l'Etat islamique. L'Iran a lancé un concours de caricatures ayant pour sujet l'organisation terroriste. La République chiite appelle ainsi les dessinateurs du monde entier à apporter leur contribution à l'"International Daesh Cartoon & Caricature Contest 2015", pour moquer les djihadistes sunnites. Cité par la chaîne de télévision iranienne Press TV, l'organisateur, membre de la Maison iranienne de la bande dessinée de Téhéran, a ainsi déclaré vouloir "révéler la vraie nature de Daech", qui veut "essayer de s'approprier l'islam mais n'a aucune idée de ce qu'est l'islam". » | A.F. - leJDD.fr, samedi 30 mai 2015

Beau Biden, Son of Vice President and Former Delaware AG, Dies at 46

Vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden walks with his son,
Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, at the Democratic
National Convention at the Pepsi Center in Denver,
Colorado on August 27, 2008. 

CNN: Washington (CNN) – Joseph "Beau" Biden III, an Iraq war veteran who served as the attorney general of Delaware and was a son of Vice President Joe Biden, has died at the age 46, the White House said in a statement Saturday night.

He had battled brain cancer.

Beau Biden had been receiving treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, according to a statement released Tuesday by the vice president's office. He had suffered known health problems dating back to 2010, when he experienced a stroke that did not affect his motor skills or speech.

In 2013, Beau Biden was treated at a hospital in Houston that specializes in cancer care after he became disoriented and weak while on vacation. He later underwent surgery to have a brain lesion removed. » | Kevin Liptak, CNN White House Producer | Saturday, May 30, 2015

BBC AMERICA: Joe Biden's son Beau dies of brain cancer, aged 46: Former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, the son of US Vice-President Joe Biden, has died of brain cancer. » | Sunday, May 31, 2015

Minnesota Muslims Brutally Honest: ‘We Want Shariah’

WND: Street interviews capture on video anti-American, anti-1st Amendment views


The Cedar Riverside section of Minneapolis is home to the University of Minnesota, some tasty ethnic foods and brutally cold winters. It’s also a known hotbed of Islamic terror recruitment.

Al-Shabab, the Islamist group based in Somalia, has had a field day there over the past six or seven years.

Dozens of young Muslims have left the streets of Cedar Riverside, referred to by some Minnesotans as “Little Mogadishu” for its high concentration of Somali refugees, to travel abroad and fight for terrorist groups. Some have joined Somalia’s notorious al-Shabab, which slaughtered 147 Christians at a university in Kenya last month, while others have opted for ISIS in Syria. Their goal is the same – to join their brothers in the fight to establish a Shariah-compliant utopia known as a caliphate.

But one would expect those who walk the streets of this quiet neighborhood to be a bit less fanatical in their views, right? » | Leo Hohmann | Friday, May 29, 2015

Syrian Christian Fighter 'Beheads ISIS Militant to Avenge Those Killed by Terror Group'

DAILY EXPRESS: A SYRIAN Christian fighter has reportedly beheaded an Islamic State (ISIS) militant "in revenge" for the atrocities and murders committed by the terror group.

The jihadist was executed in the north-east Hasakeh province after being taken prisoner in a local village on Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

He was reportedly killed to avenge the attacks perpetrated by bloodthirsty ISIS members in recent months, including beatings, beheadings and burning their captives alive.

The Christian who beheaded the militant was allegedly fighting for Kurdish forces who have been battling against ISIS in recent months.

Observatory Chief Rami Abdel Rahman said: "He took him prisoner and when he found out he was a member of ISIS, the Assyrian fighter beheaded him in revenge for abuses committed by the group in the region." » | Levi Winchester | Saturday, May 30, 2015

European Union Anger at Russian Travel Blacklist

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the ban was "not based
on international law"

BBC AMERICA: The European Union has responded angrily to Russia's entry ban against 89 European politicians, officials and military leaders.

Those banned are believed to include general secretary of the EU council Uwe Corsepius, and former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.

Russia shared the list after several requests by diplomats, the EU said.

The EU called the ban "totally arbitrary and unjustified" and said no explanation had been provided.

Many of those on the list are outspoken critics of the Kremlin, and some have been turned away from Russia in recent months.

The EU said that it had asked repeatedly for the list of those banned, but nothing had been provided until now.

"The list with 89 names has now been shared by the Russian authorities. We don't have any other information on legal basis, criteria and process of this decision," an EU spokesman said on Saturday.

"We consider this measure as totally arbitrary and unjustified, especially in the absence of any further clarification and transparency," he added.

A Russian foreign ministry official said that the ban was a result of EU sanctions against Russia. » | Saturday, May 30, 2015

Islamic State Sets Up 'Ministry of Antiquities' to Reap the Profits of Pillaging

A flag of the Islamic State group fluttering on top of the
Roman theatre of the ancient city of Palmyra

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Looting priceless artefacts has raised tens of millions of dollars for Isil – a sum comparable to the profit the terrorists have made by the kidnap and ransom of Western hostages

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has established a "ministry of antiquities" to maximise the profits from looting priceless artefacts across the territory it controls.

The trade has raised tens of millions of dollars for Isil – a sum comparable to the profit the terrorists have made by the kidnap and ransom of Western hostages.

Since its lightning sweep through Iraq and Syria last year, Isil has sought to transform itself into an organisation capable of ruling its own state, setting up an elaborate hierarchy of leadership and ministries.

But while elsewhere in the Middle East, ministries of this kind try to protect antiquities; Isil's version was established to pillage and smuggle these treasures in a territory replete with classical ruins. » | Louisa Loveluck, Cairo | Saturday, May 30, 2015

Sam Harris 2015 Debate With Rabbi David Wolpe – Cenk Uygur – On Islam

Pamela Geller Debates Chris Cuomo on CNN: "Snap Out of It"

Er machte Obama zur Ikone – nun rechnet er ab

DIE WELT: Der Künstler Shepard Fairey schuf im Jahr 2008 das berühmte Hope-Plakat, das Barack Obama zum Popstar machte. Nun erklärt er, warum der US-Präsident für ihn eine einzige Enttäuschung ist.

Sein berühmtes Hope-Poster mit einem Porträt von Barack Obama in Blau, Rot und hellen Ockertönen hat inzwischen Ikonencharakter erlangt. Es zierte die Wände von Studentenbuden und Wahlkampfbuttons. Es wurde auf T-Shirts gedruckt genauso wie auf Kaffeetassen. Das Original wurde sogar von der ehrwürdigen National Portrait Gallery in Washington erworben, noch bevor der siegreiche Kandidat überhaupt sein Amt angetreten hatte.

Das Poster hat einen sofortigen Wiedererkennungswert, der in der selben Liga spielt wie Jim Fitzpatricks Che-Guevara-Poster, wie der "Guardian" einmal schrieb. Doch neun Jahre nachdem er das berühmte Poster für Barack Obamas Wahlkampf entwarf, ist seinem Schöpfer Shepard Fairey nun der Kragen geplatzt. In einem Interview mit dem Magazin "Esquire" hat er sich sehr enttäuscht gezeigt über den Präsidenten. » | Von Clemens Wergin, Washington, US-Korrespondent | Freitag, 29. Mai 2015

Thousands of Holocaust Survivors Are Living in Poverty, Says US Adviser

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: There are more than half a million Holocaust survivors worldwide and some need urgent help to live a dignified life, says an adviser to the US secretary of state

A substantial number of the 500,000 Holocaust survivors worldwide are suffering from poverty and need urgent help to live a dignified life in their last years, an adviser to the US secretary of state said on Wednesday.

"It's really unacceptable that those people who in their youth suffered so grievously should have to live out their declining years in deprivation, isolation and poverty," Stuart Eizenstat, special adviser on Holocaust issues to John Kerry told AFP.

"In New York City alone, of the 60,000 survivors, 50 per cent are in that state. In Israel about a third are, and in the former Soviet Union countries upwards of 85-90 per cent are in poverty," he said on the sidelines of a conference in Prague.

"All the surveys indicate that substantial percentages of those (survivors) are living in poverty or near poverty," Mr Eizenstat added. » | AFP | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

On Leaving Islam

Unveiling Islam
THE DAILY CALIFORNIAN – THE SOAPBOX: If someone had told me six years ago that I would leave Islam and end up an atheist, I would never have believed him.

I was born and raised as a Muslim. I grew up in a Muslim country — Pakistan — surrounded by other Muslims who were convinced that their religion was the one true religion. My family, in particular, followed moderate Sunni Islam, which is a more liberal approach based on the “Sunnah,” or Prophet’s teachings. That was the path I set out on. But now, as a Muslim apostate and atheist, my journey couldn’t have led me any further from what I once knew to be true.

Until I was 14, I simply accepted everything I’d been told about Islam. I was taught that being born into a Muslim family is a blessing and is the greatest gift that Allah can bestow upon someone. I initially thought the Sunni path I followed was the one true path, just like my Shia, Bori and Ismaili friends adhered to the teachings of the sects their families followed. I noticed how everyone around me claimed to have a monopoly on the truth, which made me question who was actually right. I started to view Islam — and religion in general — as something dogmatic, irrational, unscientific and, most of all, completely sexist.

A feminist since age 10, it’s always been hard for me to reconcile my feminism with my faith. Even though the Pakistani society in which I grew up was sexist, my family has always been very progressive. As a result, I never accepted the male superiority and traditional gender roles that were part of my society. For most of my teen years, I felt torn apart by my contradictory beliefs. On one hand, I was a radical feminist who supported gay rights. But on the other hand, I was a practicing Muslim whose religion was clearly homophobic and placed men above women. » | Shanzeh Khurram | Staff | Friday, May 29, 2015

Marine Le Pen Told by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Her Opinions about Islam 'Need Correcting'

Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb
met with Marine Le Pen in Cairo

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The French Front National leader met Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Cairo to discuss the need to fight extremism

Egypt’s top imam has warned Marine Le Pen, the French far-Right leader, that her Front National party’s “hostile opinions” towards Islam must be “reviewed and corrected”.

During a meeting in Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, told Ms Le Pen that the Sunni Muslim body had “serious concerns” over her party’s stance on Islam.

The Front National, which had a strong showing in local elections in March, has campaigned on politically explosive issues of immigration and the integration of Islam into French society after the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Ms Le Pen, who did not wear a veil during the meeting, “recognised the need to not confuse Islam with the violent acts committed” in its name, Al-Azhar said in a statement. » | AFP | Friday, May 29, 2015

Washington DC Officials Block Muhammad Subway Cartoon

Ms Geller is an outspoken critic of Islam

BBC AMERICA: Transport officials in Washington DC have blocked plans by an American free speech pressure group to have a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad displayed on the subway.

The American Freedom Defense Initiative wanted to display the cartoon, which won first prize at an event in Texas.

Two gunmen were shot dead by police outside the event earlier this month.

Washington transport authorities on Thursday banned political, religious and advocacy adverts on the subway.

The transport authority in the US capital voted unanimously to suspend advertisements it describes as "issue-oriented".

AFDI founder Pamela Geller strongly criticised the decision to ban the advert, describing it as an attack on free[dom] of speech.

Ms Geller commented on her website that "rewarding terror with submission is defeat, absolute and complete defeat. "These cowards may claim that they are making people safer, but I submit to you the opposite. They are making it far more dangerous for Americans everywhere."

The advert calls for Americans to support free speech and features a bearded, turban-wearing Muhammad waving a sword and shouting: "You can't draw me!"

In reply, a cartoon bubble portrays an artist grasping a pencil and saying: "That's why I draw you." » | Friday, May 29, 2015

JIHAD WATCH: Assassin’s veto: Washington Transit Authority shuts down free speech, suspends all issue-related ads » | Robert Spencer | Thursday, May 28, 2015

Obama Won’t Acknowledge Dangers of Radical Islam

State Opening of Parliament 2015

TAGES ANZEIGER: «Meine Regierung wird die Beziehung zur EU neu verhandeln» : Werden die Briten bald aus der EU austreten? Queen Elizabeth hat in ihrer Thronrede das Referendum angekündigt – und das Jahresprogramm der Regierung vorgestellt. » | Mittwoch, 27. Mai 2015

LE POINT: Grande-Bretagne : un long chemin vers le Brexit: Lors du discours du Trône, la reine Elizabeth II a officiellement annoncé la tenue d'un référendum sur une sortie de l'UE. Mais l'heure reste à la prudence. » | mercredi 27 mai 2015

Beunruhigend! Der Islam wird Europa erretten

Beunruhigend ist es sehr. Vor allem, weil unsere Politiker sitzen herum und schauen zu, anscheinend hilfslos, während dem unsere Zivilisation in den Mülleimer der Geschichte geworfen wird. – © Mark

Woman Accused of Witchcraft Axed to Death in Papua New Guinea

Local tribes men from Enga, Papua New Guinea

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Woman accused of being a sorceress has been hacked to death by a mob

Police in Papua New Guinea vowed to find the men who axed to death a woman accused of using witchcraft to spark a measles outbreak in the country's remote jungle highlands, a missionary said on Wednesday after meeting authorities.

The woman, Mifila, was one of four women accused with 13 of their family members of using sorcery to cause measles deaths last November in the village of Fiyawena, in Enga province, said Lutheran missionary Anton Lutz.

Women are often accused and killed in witch hunts even though laws passed in 2013 make revenge killings over black magic punishable by death. Human Rights Watch earlier this year named Papua New Guinea as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman due to gender based violence. » | Agencies | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Türkei: Ein Privat-Jet für Chef der Religionsbehörde

DIE WELT: Recep Tayyip Erdogan will dem Leiter der Religionsbehörde private Flugzeuge der Regierung zur Verfügung stellen. Der türkische Präsident begründet seinen Vorschlag mit einem Verweis auf den Vatikan.

Der türkische Staatspräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan will dem Leiter der Religionsbehörde Flugzeuge für Reisen zur Verfügung stellen. "Unser Präsident der Religionsbehörde soll für seine Auslandsreisen unsere Flugzeuge aus dem aktuellen Bestand nutzen. Wieso sollte er mit einem Linienflugzeug reisen?", sagte Erdogan am Dienstagabend dem Sender NTV in Ankara. » | dpa/dkl | Mittwoch, 27. Mai 2015

SEX and WOMEN: The Reason Islamic State Extremists Want to Kill ALL Westerners

Diarmaid MacCulloch is a Church
of England deacon

DAILY EXPRESS: THE WESTERN world's obsession with sex and the role of women are the reasons Islamic extremists want to kill people, a leading professor has warned.

The "pressing of sexual imagery on to the world" means western culture is hated in the rest of the world and leads to jihadists wanting to "kill people in the name of purifying the world", Diarmaid MacCulloch said.

The gay Oxford theological historian and presenter of the BBC's Sex and the Church said the hatred of western culture reaches far and wide and can be seen in Boko Haram in Africa, in the Middle East and in Vladimir Putin's Russia.

He said: "It seems to me that it is about sex.

"A unique feature of western culture is that it loves talking about sex, it obsesses about sex, it presses sexual imagery on to the world.

"Other cultures think about sex a lot but they do not talk about it and they find it intensely embarrassing and frustrating that the West talks about it."

The enhanced role of women in society is another reason Islamic State comrades hate western culture, the professor added.

He said: "The anger that other cultures feel towards western sexual openness, it is so much of the murderous anger which we are seeing in Boko Haram, Islamic State and other revivalist movements of the 20th century.

"Islam, in particular, is the religion of angry young men who are terrified by the way in which women's roles have changed in the last 50 years." » | Alix Culbertson | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Magic Merkel: Why German Chancellor Is World's Most Powerful Woman for Fifth Year in a Row

Angela Merkel topped the list for the fifth time in a row.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Angela Merkel has been named as the world’s most powerful woman by Forbes magazine for the fifth year running. Here are five reasons Germany’s Chancellor seems unstoppable

1. She’s the one Western leader who knows how to stand up to Putin

In 2007, Vladimir Putin famously ordered his black labrador brought into the room during talks to unsettle Angela Merkel, because she’s known to have a fear of dogs. Her response? “I understand why he has to do this, to prove he’s a man,” she told reporters. “He’s afraid of his own weakness. Russia has nothing, no successful politics or economy. All they have is this.” » | Justin Huggler, Berlin | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Tony Blair Resigns as Middle East Peace Envoy

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair resigns from his position as Middle East peace envoy

Tony Blair has resigned from his position as the Quartet's peace envoy to the Middle East after seven years.

The former Prime Minister has been criticised for his dual role as diplomat and businessman.

He will quit the role - which he took up immediately after leaving Downing Street in 2007 - next month.

Sources said that although Mr Blair will no longer represent the Quartet he plans to remain "active on the issues". » | David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Rouhani Clashes with Iranian Clergy over Women Arrested for 'Bad Hijab'

In a pre-summer ritual, an Iranian policewoman warns a young
woman about her clothing and hair during a crackdown to
enforce the Islamic dress code. 

THE GUARDIAN: With summer approaching, president has provoked a row with senior clerics after criticising police for enforcing a strict interpretation of dress codes

President Hassan Rouhani, who came to office in 2013 partly on the votes of young, middle-class women, knows that in the summer, hundreds or even thousands will be arrested by the morality police for “bad hijab”, a slack interpretation of the official dress code requiring women to cover their hair and figure even as temperatures push 40 degrees.

In his remark last year that “you can’t send people to heaven by the whip”, the president expressed a belief that citizens should not be forced into “good” behaviour, and in two recent speeches he skirted the issue of hijab, provoking a critical response from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, and from senior members of the clergy.

In late April, the president told an assembly of Iranian police officers the duty of the police was solely to enforce the law. “The police’s job is not to enforce Islam, and furthermore, none among them can claim that their actions are sanctioned by God or the prophet [Mohammad].” » | Tehran Bureau correspondent | Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Qatar Emir's Mother Speaks Out over Treatment of Muslims by the West

Zaha Hadid 9left) and Sheikha Moza.

THE GUARDIAN: Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned, one of most influential women in the Arab world, attacks ‘double standards’, comparing Charlie Hebdo with Chapel Hill

Muslims face dehumanisation when western countries apply double standards, the wife of the former emir of Qatar has warned in an unusual and critical public intervention from a senior royal in a wealthy Gulf state.

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned, one of the most influential and high-profile women in the Arab world, also questioned distinctions between “moderate” or “liberal” and “conservative” Muslims and insisted that it was wrong to say that Islam was “stuck in medieval times”.

“Why is it that world leaders gathered to march in defence of Charlie Hebdo, while the Chapel Hill murders were shrugged off as a parking dispute?” she asked, in a reference to the killing of three Muslim students in North Carolina in February. She was speaking at St Antony’s College, Oxford, on Tuesday.

“At the same time we are confronted with double standards. Why is it that apologies are offered when Europeans are mistakenly killed by drones but only silence follows when innocent Yemeni and Pakistani children and civilians are killed by the same drones? Why do Muslim lives seem to matter less than the lives of others? If they matter at all. I believe this dehumanisation is cultivated through a process of Muslim-phobia.” » | Ian Black Middle East editor | Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Vatican Says Ireland Gay Marriage Vote Is 'Defeat for Humanity'

THE GUARDIAN: Vatican diplomat seen as second only to the Pope insists Saturday’s referendum result shows ‘the church must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation’

A senior Vatican official has attacked the legalisation of gay marriage in Ireland. The referendum that overwhelmingly backed marriage equality last weekend was a “defeat for humanity”, he claimed.

“I was deeply saddened by the result,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said at a conference in Rome on Tuesday night. “The church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation. I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.”

The remarks by the Vatican’s top diplomat, who is seen as second only to the pope in the church’s hierarchy, represent the most damning assessment of the Irish vote by a senior church official to date. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome | Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Saudi Religious Police Make Gloveless Woman Leave Shopping Mall

Darum bin ich kein Salafist mehr | Aussteiger spricht Klartext

Woman, 20, Burned Alive by Sadistic ISIS after She Refuses to Perform 'Extreme Sex Act'

DAILY EXPRESS: A YOUNG woman was burned alive by Islamic State (ISIS) militants after she refused to perform an ‘extreme sex act’, a senior diplomat has revealed.

The 20-year-old victim is one of thousands of girls subjected to a campaign of sexual violence waged by the fanatical group.

Zainab Bangura, the United Nation’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said ISIS was responsible for “rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution and other acts of extreme brutality”.

She described how the jihadi group would rampage through a village, executing the men and boys aged 14 or over.

The women and mothers would be separated from the younger girls, who are then stripped naked and tested to check if they are a virgin.

The vulnerable youngsters would then be examined to check their breast size and ranked on how pretty they are.

The unlucky ones would then be sent to Raqqa, the ISIS stronghold in the north of Syria.

The sickening brutalisation of Iraq and Syria's women – many from the persecuted Yazidi community – is "central" to the group's ideology, Ms Bangura argued.

The youngest, and those considered the ‘prettiest virgins’, fetch the highest prices, she said. » | Tom Batchelor | Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Syrie : Bachar el-Assad bombarde Palmyre

LE POINT: L'aviation syrienne a mené lundi d'intenses raids sur la ville antique. L'EI a exécuté au moins 217 personnes depuis qu'il s'est emparé de la ville.

L'aviation syrienne a mené lundi d'intenses raids sur la ville antique de Palmyre et sa banlieue, prise jeudi par les djihadistes du groupe État islamique (EI), faisant au moins 4 tués civils, selon une ONG. "Depuis ce matin, l'aviation du régime a mené 15 raids sur Palmyre et sa banlieue.

Il s'agit des raids les plus intenses depuis la prise de la ville", a affirmé Rami Abdel Rahmane, directeur de l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'homme (OSDH). "Il y a au moins quatre morts parmi les civils et des dizaines de blessés et c'est sûr qu'il y a aussi des morts parmi les djihadistes de Daesh (acronyme arabe de l'EI) lors du bombardement du bâtiment de la sécurité militaire, a-t-il ajouté. Les raids ont visé plusieurs endroits de la ville, connue en arabe sous le nom de Tadmor, notamment les secteurs de l'hôpital national et dans celui près du périmètre où se trouvent les antiquités gréco-romaines." » | Source AFP | dimanche 25 mai 2015

Nun wollen auch Deutsche die Homo-Ehe

Die Grünen wollen die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe auch in
Deutschland. Zwei irische Männer küssen sich nach dem
positiven Abstimmungsergebnis (23. Mai 2015)

TAGES ANZEIGER: Die Grünen wollen dem Beispiel Irlands folgen – und fordern Merkels CDU zum Handeln auf.

Nach dem klaren Ja der Iren zur Homo-Ehe haben die Grünen die schnelle Zulassung gleichgeschlecht-licher Ehen auch in Deutschland gefordert. Die CDU werde die Debatte um die Ehe für alle «nicht einfach aussitzen können», sagte die Fraktionsvorsitzende der Grünen im Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, der «Welt». «Es wird Zeit, Frau Merkel», appellierte sie an die Bundeskanzlerin.

Deutschland sei mit dem Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz von 2001 einst Vorreiter der Gleichstellung, erinnerte Göring-Eckardt. Das Votum der Iren sei «ein grossartiges Signal. Gleiche Liebe verdient gleichen Respekt». Sie sei zuversichtlich, dass das Votum in Irland die Gleichstellung in Deutschland beschleunige, sagte sie. » | Sonntag, 24. Mai 2015

US-Geheimdienst: In Europa tobt ein Krieg zwischen Islam und Christentum

DEUTSCH TÜRKISCHE NACHRICHTEN: Europa befindet sich im Krieg mit dem Islam und diese Auseinandersetzung wird auf dem europäischen Kontinent ausgetragen, so der Chef des US-amerikanischen Privatgeheimdiensts Stratfor, George Friedman. Der Krieg werde sich verschärfen und es werde zu „Deportationen“ kommen. Das Attentat auf Charlie Hebdo sei ein Hinweis auf diesen uralten Konflikt, meint Friedman.

Der Chef des US-amerikanischen Privatgeheimdiensts Stratfor, George Friedman, ist der Ansicht, dass in Europa ein Krieg zwischen dem Islam und dem Christentum tobt. Das schreibt er zumindest in einem Artikel. Der Anschlag auf das Satire-Magazin Charlie Hebdo und Anschläge auf Muslime in Europa seien zwei Seiten derselben Medaille. Über Jahrhunderte habe es diesen Konflikt gegeben und dieser sei nicht zu leugnen. Es finde ein Krieg „zwischen zwei Welten statt“. Dafür gebe es viele Anzeichen.

Friedman führt an, dass die Europäer die Muslime niemals als gleichwertige Bürger akzeptieren werden, weil diese Wahrnehmung historisch gewachsen sei. Das sei ein gut verstecktes Geheimnis der Europäer, der mittlerweile offen artikuliert wird. Europa befinde sich in einer Situation des Selbstbetrugs. Die Muslime hingegen befänden sich in einer Zwickmühle. Das Attentat auf Charlie Hebdo wurde im Namen des Islams durchgeführt. „Nicht alle Muslime – noch nicht einmal die meisten Muslime – sind dafür verantwortlich“, so Friedman. Muslime wüssten, dass die Dschihadisten Terroristen sind, doch ein 25-jähriger Bürger oder ein Polizeibeamter könne dieser Unterscheidung nicht treffen. Für sie seien Muslime alle gleich. » | Deutsch Türkische Nachrichten | Montag, 11. Mai 2015

Dans Palmyre contrôlée par l’EI, « l’épuration a commencé »

LE MONDE: Ce n’est pas aux ruines de Palmyre, mais à ses habitants que l’organisation Etat islamique (EI), le nouveau maître de la ville, a entrepris de s’attaquer en premier. Les djihadistes, qui se sont emparés des lieux mercredi 20 mai, ont épargné pour l’instant les vestiges gréco-romains, qui font de cette oasis du centre de la Syrie l’un des sites archéologiques les plus grandioses du Proche-Orient. En revanche, les soldats du « califat » n’ont pas tardé à se lancer dans une purge de grande ampleur, destinée à cimenter leur emprise sur le terrain. » | Par Benjamin Barthe (Beyrouth correspondant) | lundi 25 mai 2015

Iran Blames US for Ramadi's Fall to Isil

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Islamic republic accuses America of having 'no will to fight' militants

Iran has accused the US of having "no will" to stop the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), underscoring tensions in the alliance of international powers that has mobilised against the group in Iraq.

General Qassem Soleimani, the head of an elite unit in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said the US did not do “a damn thing” to stop Isil seizing the Iraqi city of Ramadi earlier this month.

Published in an Iranian newspaper on Monday, his comments came just a day after US Defence Secretary Ash Carter accused Iraqi forces of lacking the "will to fight", saying they had withdrawn from Ramadi even though they "vastly outnumbered" Isil. » | Louisa Loveluck, Cairo | Monday, May 25, 2015