Will It EVER Stop? Now ISIS String Up Hostages and Burn Them ALIVE in Sick Revenge Killing

The four prisoners were burnt alive at a location in the west of Iraq

EXPRESS: DEPRAVED fanatical terror regime Islamic State (ISIS) has murdered four hostages by suspending them over fire and burning them alive.

The group’s sick propaganda machine released perhaps its most disturbing video yet today showing the men enduring a slow and painful death.

In the footage, which is too harrowing to show, the victims are strung up by their hands and feet before a fire is lit beneath each of them.

ISIS claim the men were spies from a rival Shia sect but terror experts believe the atrocity could be a revenge killing following the burning to death of an ISIS fighter this weekend.

In that incident, an Iraqi soldier known as the 'Angel of Death' was filmed carving the flesh from the body of a burnt ISIS fighter who had been strung up over a fire.

Issuing a warning to ISIS militants that “we will cut you like shawarma”, Ayyub al-Rubaie, who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Azrael, reportedly burned the man alive and hung his body from an electricity pylon in Baiji. Read on and comment » | Tom Batchelor | Monday, August 31, 2015

Shocking Koran Discovery: Fragments of Religious Text 'May Be OLDER Than Prophet Muhammad'

Fragments of what is believed to be the oldest Koran in the
world were found last month

EXPRESS: THE roots of Islam could be shaken at the core after scholars suggested that fragments of an old Koran may PREDATE the Prophet Muhammad.

Pages of what is believed to be the oldest Koran in the world were discovered in Birmingham last month, sparking intense interest among academics and believers across the globe.

They were then carbon-dated by experts at the University of Oxford, who predicted that it was more than 1,350 years old.

But now several historians have suggested that the parchment appears to be so old, that it could have even existed BEFORE the Prophet Muhammad.

If the timings are correct, the Koran found in Birmingham was made between 568AD and 645AD, while the dates usually given for the life of Muhammad are between 570AD and 632AD.

Historian Tom Holland, told the Times: "It destabilises, to put it mildly, the idea that we can know anything with certainty about how the Koran emerged - and that in turn has implications for the history of Muhammad and the Companions."

Keith Small, from the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library, added: "This gives more ground to what have been peripheral views of the Koran's genesis, like that Muhammad and his early followers used a text that was already in existence and shaped it to fit their own political and theological agenda, rather than Muhammad receiving a revelation from heaven."

He went to suggest that if the dates are correct, "then the Koran, or at least portions of it, predates Muhammad". » | Levi Winchester | Monday, August 31, 2015

Can Iranian Movie 'Muhammad' Alter Islam's Violent Image?

Filmmaker Majidi: 'I decided to make this film to fight
against the new wave of Islamophobia in the West'

DEUTSCHE WELLE: An Iranian biopic of Prophet Muhammad aims to project a positive image of Islam and provide a counter-narrative to the religion's extremist interpretations. But can the movie succeed in dispelling the dominant discourse?

"The more movies that are made about the prophet's life, the better," said Majid Majidi, the director of the high-budget biopic "Muhammad: Messenger of God" at Montreal's world film festival on Friday, August 28. The first part of the planned trilogy, which opened to packed cinema houses in Iran on August 27, captures the time before the birth of the prophet more than 1,400 years ago, and his childhood.

The acclaimed Iranian director, famous for his film "Children of Heaven," has taken pains to show the "rightful image of Islam." The 171-minute movie, which premiered both in Iran and internationally last week, cost the Oscar-nominated director $40 million (36 million euros) and seven years of hard work. But will he be able to alter the tainted image of Islam and its prophet through his movie? » | Shamil Shams | Monday, August 31, 2015

Isil 'Blows Up Temple of Bel' in Ancient Syrian City of Palmyra

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: It is the second of the city's ancient temples to be destroyed in a week as jihadist groups continues its programme of "cultural cleansing"

Violent jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) have partially destroyed the the most famous landmark in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra.

The Temple of Bel was damaged on Sunday, according to messages posted on the Twitter account of a local activist group, the Palmyra Co-ordination Council.

Although the extent of the destruction was unclear, a Palmyra resident, Nasser al Thaer, said that a huge blast had echoed through the area on Sunday afternoon.

"The bricks and the columns are on the ground," he told the Associated Press. » | Louisa Loveluck | Sunday, August 30, 2015

Palin on Trump: You've Got Guts for 'Necessary Confrontation'

Sarah Palin, US politician and political commentator, interviews the Republican presidential candidate frontrunner, Donald Trump, on Friday. Palin conducted the interview as a guest host on the One America News Network, speaking to Trump via video feed from New York. Palin asks Trump where he gets his guts for ‘necessary confrontation?’, in reference to an incident in which Univision reporter Jorge Ramos was thrown out of a Trump press conference

Germany: 'We Are Importing Religious Conflict,' Says Prominent Sociologist

Hans-Georg Soeffner is a German sociologist

DEUTSCHE WELLE: German sociologist H.G. Soeffner makes the case for a quick integration of immigrants in Germany. If the opportunity is missed, serious cultural conflicts may arise. Social cohesion does not occur on a cultural level.

Hans Georg Soeffner: Yes, on one hand, it does worry me because we did actually have a chance of handling the number. But the German states and the German federal government are lagging far behind when it comes to addressing this matter. We've known that the large influx of refugees would come and that the numbers would increase. I am exasperated over the slow pace of the German government's activities.

People should be aware of the fact that the Federal Republic of Germany was the country that had the greatest number of immigrants in 1945 - more than former colonial states, like France and Great Britain. Germany was the most diverse country at the time and it had to deal with a large influx of refugees, mass exodus, masses of immigrants and to add to it all, the first wave of so-called guest workers. Until 2000, 23 million people came to Germany from other countries. At the same time, 17 million emigrated. We're constantly reshuffling and things had been going relatively well until now. But at the moment, I am under the impression that no one really knows how much planning is involved. » | Kersten Knip / gro | Sunday, 30. August 2015

University of California Television (UCTV): The Complete Skinny on Obesity

Millions have watched Dr. Robert Lustig's YouTube videos on the role sugar plays in obesity. In this compilation of the popular YouTube series "The Skinny on Obesity," Dr. Lustig and his UCSF colleagues dig deeper into the root causes of the obesity epidemic. Discover why what we eat is as important as how much we eat. Understand the effects of stress on obesity rates, and why some predict that the next generation will die younger than the current one due to obesity and the many health problems it causes.

University of California Television (UCTV) »

Al-Jazeera Journalists Sentenced to Three Years in Prison by Egyptian Court

THE GUARDIAN: Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohammed and Peter Greste found guilty of operating without press licence and broadcasting material harmful to Egypt

An Egyptian judge sentenced three journalists to three years in prison on Saturday in connection with their work for al-Jazeera English.

At the end of their retrial, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were taken into custody from a metal and glass cage inside the courtroom at Cairo’s Tora prison. Peter Greste was deported to his home country of Australia in early February and was convicted in absentia.

The case has been an illustration of the erosion of press freedom in Egypt in the two years since the military removed the country’s elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, from power. » | Jared Malsin in Cairo | Saturday, August 29, 2015

Ouverture d'une agence spécialisée en finance islamique

Ce type de finance interdit la spéculation, le recours aux taux
d'intérêts, les produits ayant une incertitude excessive ou les
investissements considérés comme «nuisibles à la societé »
(tabac, alcool, armement, pornographie ou jeux d'argent).

LE MATIN: FRANCE — Une start-up spécialisée dans la finance islamique, proposait déjà ses services en ligne, a ouvert une agence en région parisienne.

NoorAssur, start-up spécialisée dans la finance islamique, indique vendredi avoir ouvert sa première agence en région parisienne et vise l'ouverture d'une vingtaine d'agences en France courant 2016.

Selon la jeune pousse, c'est la première agence dédiée à la finance islamique ouverte en France.

Ce type de finance, qui respecte la loi islamique (charia), interdit la spéculation, le recours aux taux d'intérêts, qui sont assimilés à l'usure, les produits ayant une incertitude excessive ou les investissements considérés comme nuisibles à la société (tabac, alcool, armement, pornographie ou jeux d'argent).

Créée en 2012, Noorassur qui proposait jusqu'ici ses services uniquement sur internet, revendique 7 millions d'euros d'épargne collectée. » | afp/Newsnet | vendredi 28 août 2015

Two French Journalists Arrested in Blackmail of Moroccan King

THE TELEGRAPH: Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet are accused of demanding £2.2 million to keep a book about Morocco's King Mohammed VI unpublished

Two French journalists have been arrested in France for allegedly trying to blackmail Morocco's King Mohammed VI, the Paris prosecutor's office and a lawyer for the monarch have said.

The prosecutor's office said the two, Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet, remained in detention on Friday. » | AP | Friday, August 28, 2015

Push to Make Australia a Republic Is 'Doomed,' Says Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

THE TELEGRAPH: The Australian leader has dismissed calls to remove the Queen as head of state

Australia's Prime Minister has dismissed calls for the country to become a republic, in spite of his own treasurer leading the cross-party campaign.

Conservative leader Tony Abbott insisted that efforts to resurrect a push for Australia to become a republic were "doomed" and said he doubted the Australian people would support the campaign.

Its torchbearer, Treasurer Joe Hockey, is leading a bipartisan lobbying group which has called for a plebiscite to be held by 2020 on having an Australian head of state. » | James Rothwell | Thursday, August 27, 2015

North Korea's Shiny New Airport Falls Short of Expectations

THE GUARDIAN: After Air Koyro is declared the world’s worst airline, a visit to Pyongyang International suggests tourist facilities offer little improvement

Pyongyang’s shiny new airport building has all the features international travellers have come to expect.

On arrival passengers see coffee and well-stocked souvenir shops, a DVD stand, information desk and a slickly produced billboard showing a crew of the nation’s flag-carrier, Air Koryo, looking sharp in their blue and red uniforms. There are even two chocolate fountains. One for white chocolate and the other one for dark.

But some of the amenities lose their luster upon closer examination. Case in point: the internet room appears to be missing the internet. » | Eric Talmadge in Pyongyang, Associated Press | Thursday, August 27, 2015

Op-Ed: Only Israel, Not the West, Grants Civilization Hope of Survival

ARUTZ SHEVA: The West is in retreat from the world, has lost all the spiritual and cultural values on which Europe was founded.

St. Elian was a young doctor originally from Homs, in Syria, who was killed in 284 C.E. by his father, a Roman legionnaire, for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. His bones were preserved in a monastery in Qaryatayn. The Islamist bulldozers of IS razed it to the ground and scattered the bones of the Christian saint.

The image is reminiscent of another digger who in 1931, under the orders of Stalin, razed the Church of the Saviour. On the ruins of this beautiful church the largest pool of the Soviet Union was then built.

"All forms of collective violence have a religious dimension" Roger Scruton, the most influential English philosopher, professor at St. Andrews University, a fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Society of Literature tells me in our conversation. "Christians are vulnerable and ISIS will go on with their decimation and will not stop until the West militarily attacks the Islamic State. The West is in retreat from the world, has lost all the spiritual and cultural values on which Europe was founded. Otherwise, facing these reports of Christians killed and churches destroyed, the West would immediately intervene against ISIS. But it will be punished, even by its own European multiculturalism". Read on and comment » | Giulio Meotti | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Israeli Doctor Fired for 'Anti-Gay' Remarks: No Regrets

Dr. Sudi Namir, who was fired from the Israel Medical Association Ethics Committee for controversial comments he made about homosexuals on an internet forum, has defended his comments in an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva.

Pakistan's Hidden Shame

Inside Story: Why Is ISIL Targeting Cultural Heritage?

The armed group's destruction of ancient sites in Syria and Iraq is drawing condemnation worldwide.

Captured, Sold, Raped: ISIS Turns Thousands of Christian Women and Children into Sex Slaves

Since the Iraqi city of Mosul was captured by ISIS many women and children have been kidnapped by ISIS fighters.

An organisation to help save those victims has been founded recently by Steve Maman. It uses crowd funded donations to pay for the captives' release, but does not have any contact with - and does not pay ransoms to - ISIS fighters.

Millionen junge Europäer ohne Job bedrohen den sozialen Frieden

TAGES ANZEIGER: In Europa sind 7,5 Millionen Menschen unter 25 Jahren seit Jahren ohne Job. Die Aussichten, dass sie jemals den Einstieg in die Arbeitswelt schaffen, sind schlecht. Trotzdem halten sie still.

Europas hohe Jugendarbeitslosigkeit ist eines der grossen Übel unserer Zeit. Vor allem im Süden des Kontinents droht es einer ganzen Generation das Leben zu vermiesen. Seine toxische Wirkung wird noch jahrzehntelang anhalten, selbst wenn sich die Lage irgendwann wieder bessern sollte. Aber das ist keineswegs sicher. 7,5 Millionen Europäer unter 25 Jahren haben keine Arbeit und keinen Ausbildungsplatz; europaweit beträgt die Jugendarbeitslosigkeit mehr als 21 Prozent, in Griechenland überschreitet sie die Marke von 50 Prozent, in Spanien liegt sie knapp darunter. Aber auch in einigen mitteleuropäischen und nördlichen Ländern, etwa in Belgien, Polen, Irland oder Schweden, ist mindestens jeder fünfte junge Erwachsene betroffen. Und in Wirklichkeit ist die Situation noch schlimmer, als es die Statistiken ausweisen. Denn es genügt, dass ein Jugendlicher eine einzige Stunde pro Woche arbeitet, ob bezahlt oder umsonst, um nicht mehr als erwerbslos zu gelten. » | Von Sandro Benini, Co-Leiter International | Mittwoch, 26. August 2015

Merkel Booed by Nationalists for Pro-refugee Policies, Trolled on Internet for Previous Silence

Chancellor Merkel has been booed by a crowd of nationalists - angry about her pro-migrant policies. The incident happened during a visit to a town near Dresden, where violent anti-refugee protests took place over the weekend. While the government has been slammed for inaction, many Germans have been making sure their views are heard... Some analysts believe the German government's policies have divided the public.

Angela Merkel Warns against Intolerance towards Refugees

The German chancellor's visit to the Heidenau refugee centre,
greeted above, by a placard reading "traitor of the people" came
a day after Berlin said it had eased some asylum rules.

THE GUARDIAN: Chancellor dismisses ‘traitor’ jibes from far-right hecklers at Saxony refugee shelter and thanks Germans trying to help asylum seekers

Angela Merkel was met by a barrage of whistles, boos and calls of traitor when she visited an emergency asylum seeker and refugee centre near Dresden. She insisted that hatred towards refugees would not be tolerated.

About 50 protesters had gathered outside the disused DIY store turned reception centre in Heidenau, Saxony, as the German chancellor, on Wednesday, made her first visit to a refugee shelter. Her visit reportedly followed criticism that she had failed to openly condemn recent violence against the large numbers of refugees arriving in Germany.

In a protest organised on social media by far-right groups car horns were blown to try to block out her words. Merkel insisted on the importance of “human and dignified treatment” of asylum seekers. “There will be no tolerance towards those who are not prepared to help,” she said. “The more people that make that clear, the stronger we will be.” » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, August 26, 2015