As a part of the exposure of the appalling torture methods used by U.S. intelligence against innocent terrorists, it has just been revealed that an American agent tortured the mastermind of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole by… wait for it… blowing cigar smoke in his face!Can you imagine it? The horror!
In other news, Egypt has banned genetically modified food imports.
Thanks to A Greek Friend, C. Cantoni, CB, Insubria, JD, Steen, Zenster, and all the other tipsters who sent these in. Headlines and articles are below the fold.
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Greece: Sharp Drop in Maritime Transport, Crisis Continues
(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, AUGUST 19 — A sharp drop has been seen in the first six months of year in revenue from mercantile maritime transport, one of the major contributors to Greek GDP, according to the data published by the central bank. In the eyes of the press, the data show a sizeable drop in tourism and export, effect of a lasting crisis which makes for “a plunge in the key sectors of the economy”. According to the Bank of Greece, in the first half of the year revenues from transport, for the most part due to merchant marine, dropped by 28.4%. The crisis of the merchant marine, the first in the world, is added to that of tourism, another key contributor to GDP, the revenues from which dropped in June by 14.7%. However, tourists coming to the country dropped by 8.6%, not as sharp of a drop as expected. “Key sectors of the economy have suffered a steep decline” was the headline this morning on the conservative paper Kathimerini, revealing that it is partially a countertrend to some signs of improvement in the Euro Zone. The paper also stressed that according to the report from the central institute exports dropped by 21.8%. However, dropping even more were imports by almost 30%, making it possible to reduce current accounts to 14.7 billion euros compared with the 19.1 seem in the same period of 2008. At the same time, overdrafts tripled in the first seven months, having exceeded 2 billion euros with a possibility that they may be over 3 billion by the end of the year, according to an independent analysis. The data is worrisome and reflects on negative growth of GDP, after years of strong growth — which saw -0.2 for the first time in the second quarter. According to the International Monetary Fund, the decline might reach -1.7% by the end of the year to then improve to -0.4% in 2010.(ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Retarding Recovery
One would have to go back to the 1930s or perhaps the 1970s to find an Administration as hostile to economic innovation and growth as this one is. Franklin Roosevelt clearly thought that the age of great industrial advancement was over and that it was Washington’s task to increasingly regulate business while bashing the “selfishness” of “economic royalists” who were running American enterprises. After all, they had caused the Great Depression, hadn’t they? The 1970s, especially during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, were also antagonistic to commercial risk-taking. Inflation ran rampant, and the capital gains tax was raised to a maximum of almost 50%.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
White House, Congress Projects Record Deficits
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government faces exploding deficits and mounting debt over the next decade, White House and congressional budget officials projected Tuesday in competing but similar economic forecasts.
Both the White House Office of Management and Budget and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted the budget deficit this year would swell to nearly $1.6 trillion, a record, and far above the then-record 2008 budget deficit of $455 billion.
But while figures released by the White House foresee a cumulative $9 trillion deficit from 2010-2019, $2 trillion more than the administration estimated in May, congressional budget analysts put the 10-year figure at a lower $7.14 trillion.
One reason for the difference: The CBO projection is based on an assumption that all the tax cuts put into place in the administration of former President George W. Bush will expire on schedule by 2011 as dictated by current law. President Barack Obama’s budget baseline, however, hews to his proposal to keep the tax cuts in place for families earning less than $250,000 a year.
[…]
Obama himself may have drowned out the rising deficit news with the announcement Tuesday that he intends to nominate Ben Bernanke to a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
College Kids Recruited to Join Obama’s ‘Army’
Earn credit for pushing ‘change,’ working on president’s ‘agenda’
President Obama’s army of citizen volunteers is now actively recruiting college students in states across the country to “build support for President Obama’s agenda” — and earn college credit while advocating for “change.”
Obama for America, Obama’s 2008 political campaign, merged with the Democratic National Committee in January and is now known as Organizing for America, or OFA. The movement some call “Obama 2.0” is now recruiting students and offering to provide credits toward degree plans in exchange for their advocacy skills.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Did Obama’s Grandmother Say He Was Born in Kenya?
Listen to audio! Witnesses contend interpreter tried to change her answer to ‘Hawaii’
He said that while the people in the room with Sarah Obama “tried as much as they [could] to change the tone of the whole story … to me it seems someone is coaching her from the background and seemingly trying to guide her on what to say.”
The Kenyan government source agreed.
“I have listened to the tape,” he said. “The preacher asked whether Barack Obama was born in Mombasa, and the translator asked the same. When she said Mombasa, it was like a surprise, and those there thought she could not have meant to say Mombasa.”
The source said that at that point “they began insisting Hawaii was where Barack Obama was born.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Files Prove Pentagon is Profiling Reporters
Contrary to the insistence of Pentagon officials this week that they are not rating the work of reporters covering U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Stars and Stripes has obtained documents that prove that reporters’ coverage is being graded as “positive,” “neutral” or “negative.”
Moreover, the documents — recent confidential profiles of the work of individual reporters prepared by a Pentagon contractor — indicate that the ratings are intended to help Pentagon image-makers manipulate the types of stories that reporters produce while they are embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
[…]
The new revelations of the Pentagon’s attempts to shape war coverage come as senior Defense Department officials are acknowledging increasing concern over recent opinion polls showing declining popular American support for the Afghan war.
“The purpose of this memo is to provide an assessment of [a reporter from a major U.S. newspaper] … in order to gauge the expected sentiment of his work while on an embed mission in Afghanistan,” reads the preamble to one of the reporter profiles prepared for the Pentagon by The Rendon Group, a controversial Washington-based public relations firm.
Stars and Stripes reported on Monday that the Pentagon was screening reporters embedding with U.S. forces to determine whether their past coverage had portrayed the military in a positive light. The story included denials by U.S. military officials that they were using the reporters’ profiles to determine whether to approve embed requests.
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Obamacare Sparks Warning to Seniors
‘AARP advocating’ for program that would restrict services
A Christian ministry is raising alarms about the wholehearted support the American Association of Retired Persons is offering Obamacare, the nationalized health care takeover being orchestrated by President Obama, a plan that critics have documented as likely to reduce health care significantly for the members of that very organization.
According to a new alert from the American Family Association, while the AARP claims it does not “officially” endorse Obama’s health industry takeover, it has launched a “huge and costly” television ad campaign in support of the effort.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Second Hand Smoke Torture
Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, according to the 9-11 commission report, was the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the U.S.S. Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors.
Nashiri was also the target of an “unauthorized” CIA interrogation technique (that had not been legally vetted by the Justice Department) that is described in a May 7, 2004, CIA inspector general’s report that was partially declassified by the Obama administration this week.
CIA officers blew smoke in Nashiri’s face, according to the report, and they used cigars.
The IG’s office described this smoke-blowing as one of several “unauthorized or undocumented techniques” it discovered had been used in isolated incidents by CIA employees interrogating high-level al-Qaida terrorists.
“An Agency (redacted phrase) interrogator admitted that, in December 2002, he and another (redacted phrase) smoked cigars and blew cigar smoke in al-Nashiri’s face during the interrogation,” said the IG report.
The IG, however, was unable to clearly establish that the smoke-blowing was intended to force Nashiri to cough up what he knew about al-Qaida’s plans.
“The interrogator claimed they did this to ‘cover the stench’ in the room and to help keep the interrogators alert late at night,” said the IG report. “This interrogator said he would not do this again based on ‘perceived criticism.’ Another agency interrogator admitted that he also smoked cigars during two sessions with al-Nashiri to mask the stench in the room. He claimed he did not deliberately force smoke into al-Nashiri’s face.” The interrogators learned their lesson: Don’t blow smoke at terrorists.
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Specter Says He May Introduce Legislation to Ban Veterans’ Guide on End-of-Life Care
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday he may introduce legislation to “prohibit” the use of a controversial end-of-life care guide used by the Veterans Administration that critics say sends a “hurry-up-and-die” message to injured troops.
The guide, called “Your Life, Your Choices,” was suspended under the Bush administration but has been revived by veterans officials in the Obama administration.
[…]
“This is a slippery slope,” he said Sunday. “When you look at the book it makes people feel like they’re a burden and they should do the decent thing and die.”
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Towey said the questions posed by the guide embed the suggestion that veterans who are suffering may want to choose death.
One section titled, “What Makes Your Life Worth Living?,” offers a checklist of scenarios — the person filling out the form is asked to rate whether life would be worth living under each of them.
“I am a severe financial burden on my family,” reads one of them. “My situation causes severe emotional burden for my family,” reads another.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
State Prepares to Challenge U.S. Gun Laws
‘This is an issue where the federal government has no business’
Supporters of a first-of-a-kind law in Montana that declared weapons or ammunition made and kept in Montana were exempt from federal rules are preparing for a court challenge to the federal government’s insistence it will regulate those items.
The Montana Shooting Sports Association and the Second Amendment Foundation have formed a strategic alliance with plans to litigate over the Montana Firearms Freedom Act.
The bill was passed by the 2009 Montana Legislature and signed into law by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.
WND reported this spring when Montana drew a line in the sand and challenged the federal government to follow the U.S. Constitution with the law that exempts from federal regulations any gun, gun accessory or ammunition made in the state and intended for use there.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
The Opportunity of a Century
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said one correct thing: Health care legislation is our “opportunity, not of a lifetime, but of the century.” Passage of the bill she supports would put us forever on the road to trillions of dollars in debt, bankruptcy and European mistakes; defeat of the bill will safeguard the unique American recipe for liberty and prosperity.
Pelosi and her friends would give more control to patients over their medical care if the liberals really wanted to improve quality and reduce cost. Instead, they are trying to push our nation in the opposite direction, taking away control from patients over access and choices for medical care.
We should eliminate the roadblocks that are built into current law to restrict our use of health savings accounts, or HSAs, and high-deductible insurance (such as $2,500). Pre-tax money put into HSAs by the individual and by the employer can be used for costs not covered and, if not spent, can be saved and grow as a savings account for the individual.
This puts the individual in charge of spending for health-care costs up to the deductible limit when insurance coverage kicks in. This assures that the first $2,500 will be spent more carefully and thereby promote competition and lower costs.
We should give individually purchased health insurance the same tax deduction that has been enjoyed for decades by employer-provided health insurance. This is a matter of fairness; where are the equal-protection litigators when we need them?
The Democrats are toying with going in the opposite direction: eliminating the tax deduction for employer-based plans. That translates into a big tax increase for the middle class.
[…]
The left has started a nasty attack against John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market Inc., because he wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal endorsing these common-sense reforms. He practices what he preaches — his company provides a popular HSA plan for its employees.
The left is incensed that Mackey not only supports practical reforms but also explained the folly of making health care a massive and costly entitlement that would create trillions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and empower government instead of people.
The left is venting its rage on Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere, and even trying to organize a Whole Foods boycott.
I prefer Whole Foods over Nancy Pelosi, so I’m going to double my shopping at Whole Foods and urge liberty-loving and cost-conscious Americans to do likewise. I’m a fan of Whole Foods’ healthy foods and vitamins, anyway.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Top Democrat Fund-Raiser for Obama, Hillary Arrested
‘Bundler’ for candidates including John Kerry charged with bank fraud
Hassan Nemazee, a multimillionaire Iranian-American investment banker and top Democratic Party fundraiser, was arrested today by federal law enforcement authorities in New York City and charged with engaging in criminal fraud for his role in arranging a $74 million dollar loan from Citibank, Bloomberg reported.
U.S. Attorney Prett Bharara in New York City and FBI investigators told Dow Jones Newswires the 59-year-old Namazee applied for the Citibank loans for Nemazee Capital Corp. by giving Citibank “numerous documents that purported to establish the existence of accounts in Nemazee’s name at various financial institutions containing many hundreds of millions of dollars.”
According to the criminal complaint released by Bharara, the accounts Nemazee submitted in the loan documentation were “fraudulent and forged” and “either never existed or had been closed years before Nemazee submitted the documents referencing those accounts.”
[…]
In his 2005 book “Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians,” WND senior staff reporter and columnist Jerome R. Corsi targeted Nemazee for his alleged history of pushing to normalize diplomatic relationships with the theocratic regime ruling Iran, despite Iran’s pursuit of a clandestine nuclear weapons program.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Almost Half of Czechs Supports Ukraine’s EU Entry — Poll
Prague — Almost a half of Czechs want Ukraine to join the European Union, while about one-third of them are against it, according to a poll conducted by the RCA Research agency and released to CTK today.
In Ukraine, 61 percent of people support the country’s EU entry and some 20 percent are against it.
A total of 49.5 percent of Czechs agree with Ukraine’s accession to the EU and less than 33 percent oppose it.
The same share of Czechs and Ukrainians (18 percent) are undecided in this respect.
Ukraine’s entry to NATO enjoys lower support, shows the poll in which some 1000 Czechs and 1000 Ukrainians responded by phone.
Over a half of Ukrainians and 35 percent do Czechs disagree with Ukraine’s possible entry to NATO and one-quarter of Ukrainians and 37 percent of Czechs would welcome it.
The poll also asked about people’s view of the corruption level in public administration in their countries.
It shows that 27 percent of Czechs and 52 percent of Ukrainians have personally experienced corruption of civil servants.
The EU does not reckon with Ukraine’s accession in the foreseeable future.
The Czech Republic’s EU presidency (January-June 2009) launched the Eastern Partnership project in May that is to deepen relations between the EU and six post-Soviet countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
After Slovaks, Ukrainians make up the second strongest group of foreign workers in the Czech Republic. At the end of April, over 133,500 Ukrainian workers were registered in the country.
NGOs and media point out that the legal and illegal employment of Ukrainians in the Czech Republic is accompanied by mafia practices. The agencies mediating jobs for Ukrainians often extort their clients and collect a part of their wages.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Corsica: Doctor Thrown Into Sea and Hounded Out of Harbour
Italian doctor’s harbour hell at Calvi in Corsica: “My family and I manhandled by docking staff”. Police advice: Forget about it
MILAN — Following Michele Farina’s article on the bullet-riddled Italian motor yacht found partly under water in the bay of Calvi, Corsica, we received this letter from a reader, which we are happy to publish.
Sir,
I am writing to give you an account of what happened to me and my family on 2 August, while I was cruising in Corsica with my boat.
Let me describe my family for the sole purpose of dispelling any doubts about my credibility. My wife and I (aged 51 and 59 respectively) are doctors. My 26-year-old daughter E. is due to graduate next October in Political Science at Rome, my 24-year-old daughter M. will graduate in Medicine next October, again at Rome, and my son D., 21, is a student at the Polytechnic in Milan, where he is due to graduate in Mechanical Engineering in July 2010.
When we arrived at San Florent, having called at Bastia and Macinaggio, I received the shipping forecast for strong Maestrale gales on 3 August. Since we were to continue along the west coast, I resolved to reach Calvi before the arrival of the bad weather, which would have prevented us from sailing for two or three days.
As one who respects the sea, and out of prudence since I had my whole family on board, I made numerous telephone calls before setting off, speaking directly to the harbour master at Calvi to be certain of securing a mooring.
The harbour master gave me his assurances and told me to dock on arrival at the main quay, the mega-yacht docking facility, until the mooring allocated to my 12-metre vessel was free.
I would point out that I reached the harbour at 1 pm after a voyage of about five hours. At 5 pm, a member of the docking staff arrived in a dinghy to say that we had to leave because the owner of the mooring where I had temporarily docked my boat had arrived. I replied that I would move at once if he told me where I could dock. He then said there was no room anywhere and I would have to leave the harbour. I concluded that he was unaware of the booking I had made and asked to speak to the harbourmaster.
A few minutes later, five individuals from the harbour management company came along in uniform: red shirts bearing the name of the harbour and shorts. One claimed to be the harbour master. Out of politeness, I went onshore to greet him and ask for an explanation of the misunderstanding, confident that everything would be cleared up. All of a sudden, the individual who claimed to be the harbour master, but wasn’t, gave an order to the other four. I was pushed bodily on the gangway with such violence that I lost my balance and fell into the water between the stern of the boat and the quay. Luckily, I “only” suffered a thoracic contusion and a contused and lacerated wound to the abdomen. My son was aghast. On seeing me thrown into the water and injured, he attempted to come to my aid but another one of the five grabbed him by the neck and threw him into the water, too. Meanwhile, the five initiated a coordinated manoeuvre, which must have been well rehearsed and perhaps employed on other occasions, for each had his own task. Two on the quay untied the mooring lines and two more went round to the prow in a dinghy to untie the heavy anchor while the fifth directed operations from the quay.
Their dinghy towed us out of the harbour. My wife was in tears, worried for me because I was bleeding profusely and above all worried because my daughter E. was still on the quay. My wife was shouting at the men at least to let my daughter get back on board. I shouted to my son to call the police while the five laughed at me and told me I could call who I liked, but not in the harbour. My daughter E. kept her head. Even though she was being harassed by the individuals who pushed me into the sea, she managed to get to the police station. She told me later that she was shocked when the gendarmes advised her to get back onto our boat, under their escort, because it was dangerous to make a fuss or complain when this harbour master was on duty. That is what happened. A father’s prudence induced me to leave the multi-buoy mooring at Calvi, where I had moored in the meantime, and return to St Florent, where we arrived at three in the morning.
In the light of your article, and with goose bumps as I reflect on what could have happened to us, I thank the Lord that things went as they did. I invite you, without emphasis, to take account of what I have told you — if your inquiry continues. I personally would rule out the suggestion of the local police that the Elleduevidue was scuttled for insurance reasons, partly because it was leased (as far as I understand). In the present state of affairs, neither you nor I know what happened to the Elleduevidue. However, almost anything might have happened if there was a dispute — as it seems there was, for other, more financially substantial, reasons, given the violence with which they chose to settle our insignificant incident — and the reaction by the crew of the Elleduevidue was less temperate than mine. What is certain is that the police cannot confuse a drill hole with a bullet hole, nor is a scuttling for insurance reasons on behalf of a third party a likely hypothesis.
One last, painful consideration. While all this was unfolding on the crowded quay, practically in the centre of the village, two Italian boats we were in between failed to speak up in our defence. In fact, they busied themselves putting out additional fenders to protect their boats from collision with ours as the dinghy towed it out. You can also verify this if they logged in as they should the boats that were moored at the main quay at 2 pm on 2 August 2009.
Dott. Domenico Scali
English translation by Giles Watson
www.watson.it
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Laid- Off Workers Pick Grapes
Dozens join spumante force to make ends meet
(ANSA) — Brescia, August 26 — Workers laid off by Italian companies are joining the grape harvest to make ends meet.
Dozens have joined the spumante harvest in the northern Italian area of Franciacorta to supplement their redundancy cheques.
“Working in the hot sun for eight hours a day is a lot different from working in an office with air conditioning, but it’s a big help with the family budget,” office worker Marco Fortunato told ANSA Wednesday.
Fortunato, who has been on redundancy pay since January, and his companions are taking advantage of seasonal labor contracts called “vouchers” introduced last year to take the red tape out of hiring hands for the harvest. The vouchers were originally directed at Italian students and pensioners in response to an increasingly foreign workforce. Faced by the economic downturn, this year the government made workers on redundancy pay eligible for the seasonal contracts as well. Wine growers in Franciacorta estimated this summer that 3,000 grape pickers would be needed for the 2009 harvest, expected to yield around 21,300 tonnes of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero grapes used to make the sparkling white wine.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Ramadan: France; Halal Now Big Business, TV Ad
(by Luana De Micco) (ANSAmed) — PARIS, AUGUST 26 — The ad shows a young couple with north African features shopping at the supermarket, putting ‘halal’ certified lasagne and paella in their trolley. “Yes, we eat halal and it is really delicious” he says. In French it even rhymes. The first television ad for Muslim customers made an appearance on French TV in recent days, at the start of Ramadan in France. The potential audience is five million consumers (the country has the largest Muslim community in Europe), who observe the fast in ever greater numbers: 70% of France’s Muslims fast. What could become a new fashion in France was launched by the Ferico group, part of Panzani, which has been selling couscous under the Zakia brand name for more than a century. The campaign became immediately visible after being shown on some of the most popular TV channels in France starting on August 17, including Tf1 and M6, as well as digital terrestrial channels. The timing is not an accident either: there is evidence that Muslims consume more during the four weeks of Ramadan. Spaghetti bolognese, pizza, gratin, ravioli, minestrone, milk and fruit, all strictly halal (allowed), have become the goose that laid the golden egg for food companies suffering from the current crisis. 400 different products have sprung up in French supermarkets. The Solis agency which specialises in ethnic marketing, estimates a market of around 4 billion euros in 2009, with an annual growth of 15%. In France, 93% of north Africans and 55% of citizens from subsaharan Africa buy halal produce. A few weeks ago a hoarding appeared on the Champs-Elysees advertising halal salami and smoked ham from the Isla Delice brand. This is a novelty for one of the temples of shopping in Paris, while Muslim fast-food and butchers are a success in the Arab districts and the suburbs. France’s Muslims like the prime-time TV ad on Tf1 even more, as they finally feel like customers, like other people, explain Solis. “There are a lot of Arabs in this advert, and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a thing in France. Finally we count economically in this country” writes Mounafia on Bladi.net, an internet site for the French Arab community. In shops belonging to the Auchan chain ten times as much space has been given over to selling halal produce in recent days. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Soccer: Lippi Slams Supporters Card
‘Like profiling, ‘ Italy coach says
(ANSA) — Rome, August 26 — Italy coach Marcello Lippi on Wednesday criticised the introduction of special cards for travelling supporters in Italian soccer, saying it was like racial profiling.
“I don’t like the travelling supporters card, it’s something that puts people in a ghetto,” Lippi told the Web TV show Klauscondicio.
“It smacks of profiling,” he said.
“Whenever I think of the term ‘supporters card’ I think of all those fans having dinner Saturday night, dying to go to the game in Milan or Turin, who can’t because they haven’t got the card”.
Despite repeated criticism, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni is determined to make sure the anti-hooligan measure is introduced on schedule on January 1.
Responding to Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini, who called it a “fascist measure”, Maroni said last week: “I’m not going to budge from the December 31 deadline, I won’t be intimidated”.
The minister said he was ready to negotiate with the clubs in a bid to “help them out if they have problems” with the deadline.
“There won’t be any extensions (of the deadline), the card must be ready by December”.
Maroni told a news conference on August 15 that soccer fans who wanted to see their teams play away from home would need a special supporters card starting January 1.
Police hope the initiative will help prevent violence and track down hooligans.
The start of the 2008-2009 Serie A season was marred in September when travelling Napoli fans went on a rampage in Rome.
Italian Soccer Federation President Luigi Abete called for a crackdown on “thugs” after the day of violence left a train wrecked and thousands of euros of damage to stations in Naples and Rome.
Since tougher football violence laws were passed after the death of a policeman in February 2007, hooligans now face criminal charges that can lead to jail terms.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Pro-Independence March Banned at Bilbao Festival
(ANSAmed) — MADRID, AUGUST 13 — The legal offensive against the left-wing pro-independence movement that is believed to be associated with the ETA is intensifying. The Basque government, upon requests from various associations and the prosecutor’s office of the Audiencia Nacional to Judge Baltazar Garzon, has banned a demonstration scheduled for tomorrow at the Aste Nagusia festival in Bilbao called “On the path to independence. Social and political change”. The march, informed sources from the Basque government cited by the press, has been called for every year by the radical pro-independence left-wing in favour of Basque independence with anti-Spain sentiments. Yesterday the demonstration was officially presented by former Batasuna and HB Party advisors in the municipality of Bilbao in a press conference held together with family members of ETA prisoners. According to the prosecutor’s office, the demonstration could have resulted in condoning terrorism. The prosecutor’s office also ordered two bars in Navarra to be closed for the first time because their owners refused to remove pictures of ETA prisoners and members as well as posters and signs suggesting supporting terrorism. The closing of these businesses was ordered as a precautionary measure and was carried out immediately. On August 3 and 4, after a search of the two bars in Pamplona, the Guardia Civil ordered the material to be removed. The refusal of the owners resulted in charges against them of aggravated disobedience. The seizure was ordered due to “the continued offence and humiliation of victims of terrorism and maintaining a clear message of support to terrorist acts”. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
UK: ‘Disturbed Man Tried to Open Qantas Plane Door on Flight From London’
A ‘disturbed man’ on board a Qantas flight from London Heathrow tried to open an emergency exit door as the aircraft approached Sydney, other passengers claimed today.
Terrified travellers watched as the man is said to have lunged for the door in the middle of the economy seating area, before cabin crew were able to restrain him.
The airline, which confirmed there had been an unruly passenger, denied the man had reached the door, but a passenger on board the 747 jet claimed he grabbed the handle and tried to turn it. A passenger aboard a Quantas flight from London was held by Australian police after allegedly trying to open a plane door during descent into Sydney
The passenger, who was travelling on a Quantas flight from London, was held by police after allegedly trying to open a plane door during descent into Sydney
Neither the man’s identity nor his nationality have been revealed, but the QF2 flight from London Heathrow to Sydney, Australia, is usually heavily booked by British and Australian travellers.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Man Collapses With Ruptured Appendix… Three Weeks After NHS Doctors ‘Took it Out’
After weeks of excruciating pain, Mark Wattson was understandably relieved to have his appendix taken out.
Doctors told him the operation was a success and he was sent home.
But only a month later the 35-year-old collapsed in agony and had to be taken back to Great Western Hospital in Swindon by ambulance.
To his shock, surgeons from the same team told him that not only was his appendix still inside him, but it had ruptured — a potentially fatal complication.
In a second operation it was finally removed, leaving Mr Wattson fearing another organ might have been taken out during the first procedure.
The blunder has left Mr Wattson jobless, as bosses at the shop where he worked did not believe his story and sacked him.
[…]
Following the second operation his incision became infected and he was admitted to hospital for a third time for treatment.
He said: ‘I had a temporary job at a sports shop but when I took in two medical certificates saying I had my appendix out twice they didn’t believe me.
‘Now I’m helpless. I can’t go out and find a job, I can’t go to interviews, I can barely walk and am in constant pain. Before the first operation they told me I had to have my appendix removed and when I woke up afterwards they said it had been a complete success.
‘But then I keeled over in agony one month later and when they did some tests at the hospital we could see the appendix was still there on the scans.
‘As far as I was aware they took my appendix out and no one told me any different.
‘I have no idea what they did take out, but I want to find out what went wrong.’
[…]
Paul Gearing, deputy general manager for general surgery at Great Western Hospital NHS Trust, said: ‘We are unable to comment on individual cases.
‘However, we would like to apologise if Mr Wattson felt dissatisfied with the care he received at Great Western Hospital.’
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Croatia: Ministry of Defence Spends €53,000 on Zippo Pocket Lighters
The Croatian Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement to purchase more than 2,000 Zippo pocket lighters worth 386,059 kunas or 53,000 Euros.
The daily Jutarnji list has reported the deal was made on 10 July, ten days after Prime Minister Ivo Sanader resigned.
The agreement was signed with Zagreb firm “Satelit tbm,” the authorized Zippo distributor in Croatia. Many Croats find it very difficult to buy expensive Zippo pocket lighters at a time when the country is undergoing a financial crisis.
The Ministry of Defence claims it had planned to buy Zippo lighters for all Croatian soldiers who are participants in peace missions in 2008. The ministry said Zippo pocket lighters were part of soldiers’ equipment for missions in extreme conditions.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Kosovo and Systematic Persecution by KLA
By Lee Jay Walker
The former Yugoslavia was engulfed by many conflicts and ethnic and religious differences tore away at the very fabric of this nation. Like all wars, atrocities took place on all sides but the mass media in general focused on Serbian atrocities, while neglecting brutal crimes committed against the Serbian community. This certainly applies to the glossing over of war crimes done by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
However, more and more evidence is coming to light about brutal KLA death camps and killing people for organs. Therefore, will former KLA members be charged with war crimes and will the “real truth” be told about international collusion? If not, then where does this leave Kosovo?
Before focusing on this important issue I fear a major cover-up. After all, the American version of history is that Kosovo should be independent because Albanians suffered greatly, therefore, Serbia does not have a moral right to keep Kosovo under Serbia.
Yet, if it comes to light that the KLA killed mainly Serbians, and also fellow Albanians, Roma, and other minorities, then where does this leave the American, British, and the Albanian version of events?
Remember, we are not talking about massacres taking place by opposing armies; on the contrary, we are talking about the KLA killing civilians for organs and for other brutal reasons.
Also, since the ending of the conflict it is clear that countless numbers of Christian Orthodox Churches have been destroyed and non-Albanian culture is on the wane. Added to this, thousands of people have been killed by Albanian nationalists and innocent Serbians, Roma, and others, have “been killed in silence” because it doesn’t suit the interests of America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who supported the KLA.
The BBC, a very liberal British network, highlighted the brutal deeds of the KLA during the airing of “Crossing Continents” and “Newsnight” which was broadcasted on April 9, 2009. Paul Mitchell, BBC correspondent, states that this provides “another side to the conflict which the world was not supposed to see.”
If we take this further, it also undermines the claims of America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support the independence of Kosovo. After all, the findings show “a dirty covert war” and it raises further important questions, for example, how did the KLA develop overnight and where did they obtain their military hardware from?
However, I do not want to get bogged down by the justifications of either side in this article. Instead I want to focus on the disturbing findings of the BBC and others who hope to bring to light the past evils of the KLA.
Once more, before delving into this I wish to state that all sides in this conflict committed atrocities be they Albanian or Serbian. Also, the brutal civil wars which took place in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo, witnessed many massacres and like all wars, you have no pure side because war always leads to atrocities and often it is the civilian population which is victimized the most.
Therefore, this article is not intended to be anti any one single ethnic group and of course many Albanians in Kosovo were also victims. Each ethnic and religious group suffered pain, irrespective if Orthodox Christian or Muslim, or if Serbian or Albanian.
However, the mass media mainly gave a one sided point of view, and this point of view was anti-Serbian. Yet the findings by the BBC and others highlight a different story and one which continues to be mainly ignored. This applies to the brutal killings and torture of innocent Serbians by the KLA and others were also murdered by this terrorist organization.
Yes, I stress terrorist organization for one simple reason. Throughout all of the civil wars in the former Yugoslavia it was clear that many Muslims remained in Serbia, after all, the Muslim community in Serbia is part and parcel of this independent nation which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious.
However, did the KLA protect Serbian Orthodox Christians, Roma, and other minorities? The answer is clearly no. Instead the KLA used a reign of terror against all minorities and persecuted fellow Albanians who were deemed to be traitors. Therefore, the KLA was a terrorist organization and clearly this organization was involved in major criminality including the killing of innocents in order to sell organs.
In the article written by Paul Mitchell, a former KLA prisoner states “I’ve seen a lot, people beaten, stabbed, hit with steel pipes, left without eating for 5 or 6 days. People had bullet proof vests on and were shot to see if it was working, thrown into tombs, beaten up and killed.”
The former KLA prisoner continues by saying “What can you feel when you see those things?” he added. “It’s something that is stuck in my mind for the rest of my life. You cannot do those things to people, not even to animals.”
Another Albanian who is suffering the aftershocks of this brutal conflict also bravely speaks the truth. He highlights that he drove trucks with prisoners who were shackled and he stresses that the majority were Serbian civilians and not only this, he drove them from Kosovo to Albania. He continues by stating “I was sick. I was just waiting for it to end. It was hard. I thought we were fighting a war [of liberation] but this was something completely different.”
KLA sites of systematic torture and killings were based throughout Kosovo and also in parts of Albania. For example Kukes and Burrel in Albania were used by the KLA with regards to military training, obtaining weapons, and for other factors. This in itself raises the role of Albania and NATO nations which took part in the bombing of the former Yugoslavia.
However, getting back to Kukes and Burrel and systematic torture and killing of innocents, it becomes apparent that these sites witnessed many barbaric atrocities. The International Centre for the Red Cross obtained information about brutal murders in Burrel in 2000. This applies to being informed by KLA fighters who stated that Serbian civilians were killed in 1999 in Burrel and these killings had an economic motive because organs were removed and then sold abroad.
Of course, this information would be very troubling for both America and the United Kingdom, because both these nations had sold the war in the disguise of “good” versus “evil.” However, if the good side, the KLA, is involved in killing civilians for harvesting organs and then selling these organs on to other nations, then what does this make America and the United Kingdom?
Also, the hard sell by America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support independence, is that independence is justified on the grounds of Serbian atrocities. Yet if the KLA was found to be involved in killing civilians for organs then “the spin machine” collapses and “democracy” rings hollow.
The role of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is also criticized because of deeds which took place. UNMIK’s former head for Missing Persons and Forensics, Jose Pablo Baraybar, comments that “There were people that are certainly alive that were in Kukes, in that camp, as prisoners. Those people saw other people there, both Albanians and non-Albanians. There were members of the KLA leadership going through that camp. Many names were mentioned, and I would say that that is an established fact.”
More alarming, Baraybar openly admits that UNMIK was fully aware that the KLA had many detention centres and this in itself should have warranted a major investigation. Yet, claims Baraybar, “no proper investigation was ever carried out.”
Sian Jones, Amnesty International spokesperson was more scathing because Jones states that UNMIK “chose not to investigate.” Jones also adds that there were “lots of allegations, lots of victims but little true justice.”
Therefore, it is clear that important vested interests have a need to cover-up the real truth behind “this dirty war.” The United Nations, NATO, the role of Albania and major political leaders in nations like America and the United Kingdom, all come out of this in a terrible light. Also, it raises the issue of “war crime tribunals” and fairness and this terrible and tragic conflict questions the morality of major nations and institutions.
The issue of Kosovo remains because the majority of the international community does not recognize Kosovo to be an independent nation. If the truth really “came to light” and a full and major investigation took place, then clearly you would have many disturbing findings. However, world leaders from major nations do not have to worry about war crimes, and this is the problem, you still have a world of “real power” versus nations of “limited power” and we all know that the outcome is dependent on this sad reality.
The real tragedy of Kosovo, like all civil wars, is that innocents died on all sides. Yet it is clear that a major investigation is needed because killing innocents for organs is truly barbaric and you have enough evidence that this did take place. So will this disgraceful chapter come to light or will it be brushed under the carpet because of power politics?
If we judge past history then it would appear that it will be brushed under the carpet. However, when major powers want to ignore issues like this, it is truly sickening and the role of the mass media in general is also a loser because not enough was said or done at the time of this conflict. Once more the propaganda machine of “the rich and powerful won” and the real losers were the innocents on all sides.
However, one story was told, that of the persecution of the Albanians; but the other story, the persecution of Serbians, Roma, and other minorities remains untold. Yet the story of death camps and killing innocents for organs must be told and a true investigation is needed and this applies to everything and not just minor people who took part in this brutal war.
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Kosovo and Ongoing De-Christianization
By Lee Jay Walker
The ongoing de-Christianization of Kosovo continues and unlike the past frenzy of the anti-Serbian mass media in the West, we mainly have a deadly silence about the reality of Kosovo and the continuing Albanianization of this land. However, how is it “just” and “moral” to persecute minorities and to alienate them from mainstream society; and then to illegally recognize this land without the full consensus of the international community?
How ironic it is that the same United States of America and the United Kingdom, two nations who were in the forefront of covertly manipulating the mass media; remain mainly silent about the destruction of Orthodox Christian churches, Serbian architecture, and of course the past killings of Serbians and other minorities in Kosovo.
After all, according to America and the United Kingdom the initial conflict was about human rights, democracy, and liberty. However, what about the liberty and freedom of Orthodox Christian Serbs, Gypsies, and other minorities in Kosovo? Are these minorities free in modern day Kosovo and can they move around without the fear of discrimination, persecution or death?
Obviously, vast parts of Kosovo are out of bounds for the majority of minorities in Kosovo, therefore, the answer is no and many areas which were cleansed of Serbians and other minorities remain cleansed.
According to Minority Rights Group International (MRG) which is based in the United Kingdom, it is apparent that exclusion and discrimination is rife. Therefore, minorities face a bleak future and Serbians, Bosniaks, Roma, Croats, Turks, Gorani and Ashkali Egyptians are either being forced out because of alienation or because of limited economic opportunities.
The MRG is not alone in thinking that minorities have been badly betrayed because it is clear that Kosovo remains in limbo and minorities will continue to leave because of the ongoing situation.
Patriarch Pavle (His Holiness the Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Patriarch of Serbs) is highly respected and a man of reason. He stated the following many years ago (
“This humble publication is our cry and appeal to the Christian and civilized world. It is distressing to learn that in the year of the greatest Christian Jubilee, at the end of two millenniums of Christianity, Christian churches are still being destroyed, not in a war but in the time of peace guaranteed by the international community. We hope that these photos of the destroyed and desecrated Orthodox shrines will awaken the conscience of those who are able to stop the crimes and believe that they who already stood up against one evil will not remain just passive witnesses of another evil happening now in their presence.”
“We also make our appeal to all Kosovo Albanians, who reasonably see their future in their joint life with Serbs, to resist and prevent the acts of insanity.”
“In Kosovo and Metohija there will be no victory of humanity and justice while revenge and disorder prevail. No one has the moral right to celebrate the victory complacently, as long as one evil is being replaced with another and the freedom of one people is becoming the slavery of another.”
Patriarch Pavle stated this many years ago and sadly his words of wisdom have been ignored and instead America and the United Kingdom decided to create a new world order; this new world order was to carve up Serbia and to break international law. This breach of ignoring international law ultimately had greater repercussions because the Russian Federation would support Abkhazia and South Ossetia after conflict erupted in Georgia.
Therefore, a “new can of worms was opened” and the “Kosovo model” could inspire future mayhem because it is clear that international law was rendered to be unimportant.
Like I stressed in my last article about Kosovo (Kosovo and Systematic Persecution by KLA) it is clear that all sides committed atrocities, just like what happens in all wars. Pain can be felt on all sides and sadly many innocents were killed during the various civil wars which engulfed the former Yugoslavia.
However, the Serbian story war largely untold and the same can be said about the persecution of other minorities in Kosovo. Yet what is clear is that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was involved in running brutal death camps and this even applies to the killing of people for organs.
At the same time the KLA supported the ethnic cleansing of Serbians and other minorities, and the same applies to the destruction of Christian churches, monasteries, and other historical architecture which was a clear reminder of the roots of Kosovo.
Also, the hard sell by America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support independence, is that independence was justified on the grounds of Serbian atrocities. Yet if the KLA was found to be involved in killing civilians for organs then “the spin machine” collapses and “democracy” rings hollow.
Therefore, in one part of Europe we are a seeing the silent destruction of Serbian Orthodox Christianity and the ongoing persecution and alienation of minorities in Kosovo.
It would appear that the violation of international law is deemed to be a viable policy for both America and the United Kingdom. Therefore, important questions, for example the role of the KLA in killing innocents for organs, the rise of the KLA in such a short space of time and a host of other vital questions remain unanswered.
However, it is vital to counter this cover-up and blatant violation of international law because it is clear that murky covert acts have been implemented by higher powers. Also, the world is still divided about the future of Kosovo but why did some nations behave so hastily without the full facts, and without taking into consideration the ongoing persecution and alienation of minorities in Kosovo?
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=8691
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Algeria: Imports Plunge After New Regulations Kick Off
(ANSAmed) — ALGIERS, AUGUST 25 — Imports of food, vehicles and other consumer goods to Algeria plunged after the new regulations in the complementary financial law took effect. Last month the volume of food imports fell by 54.24% to 297 million dollars, against 679 million in July 2008. Imports of milk and dairy products, cereals, semolina and sugar decreased most: milk imports decreased from 130 million USD in July 2008 to 50 million in July 2009; imports of cereals and semolina decreased from 408 to 173 million and sugar from 46 to 20 million dollars. The decline is caused by the abolition of bank loans for the acquisition of cars and of consumer credit in general, and the introduction of document credit as only instrument for the import of any product. Few companies can afford to buy vehicles without a loan and car dealers are preparing for a collapse of car sales in the second half of 2009. The Algerian authorities want to make the country more self-sufficient and boost domestic production. Meanwhile consumers fear shortages in the coming months. (ANSAmed).
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Algeria: New Berber Edition of Koran Published
(ANSAmed) — ALGIERS, AUGUST 20 — A complete version of the Koran in the Tamazigh (Berber) language has been published in Algeria on the initiative of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Algiers, said Algeria’s Ministry for Religious Affairs to ANSAmed, adding that this is “a re-issue of the first version in the Berber language produced by Algerian Hadj Mohamed in 2007 with the supervision of the Ministry” and previously published by the Zyriab publishing house. The first translation of the Koran into Berber was written in Arabic script by Ibn Toumert in the 12th century. A partial version by Kamel Nait Zerad was published in Europe in 1988, and a translation was made in Morocco in 2003 by Hocine Djouhadi. 13 chapters of the Koran in Berber were published in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Tamazigh is a Berber variation spoken by around 20% of the Algerian population, mainly in CAbilia. After a long and sometimes violent battle, Berber was recognised as a national language in Algeria in 2002, but not as an official one like Arabic. (ANSAmed).
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Egypt Bans Genetically Modified Food Imports
(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 12 — Egyptian Agriculture Minister, Amin Abaza, stated that all food imported into Egypt will have to carry a label certifying that it is not a genetically modified product. The minister told the press that “it is necessary that any cultivation imported into Egypt is accompanied by a certification by the country of origin that it is not genetically modified”, and then confirmed that no agricultural product (wheat and soy in particular) will be allowed into the country unless it has been accurately inspected and certified. The measures adopted in Egypt are the result of recent events, precisely since the moment when a massive load of genetically modified wheat coming from Russia was seized because deemed unfit for human consumption. Egypt is one of the greatest importers of wheat, corn and soy oil, especially from Brazil, Argentina and the USA. A European exporter who requested anonymity commented to the press that “a policy which outlaws genetically modified products is economically dangerous for Egypt because it is very difficult to achieve guarantees that products coming from Brazil are not genetically modified, without mentioning those from the USA. There is also the risk that Egypt will have to cut imports dramatically”. MENA stated that international exporters were taken by surprise by the Egyptian measure, since most imported products are genetically modified. (ANSAmed).
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Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi ‘May Live for Many More Months’
The Lockerbie bomber could live far longer than predicted by Scottish ministers when they decided to release him, a cancer expert has said.
Dr Richard Simpson said that medical reports show there is “significant doubt” that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi will die within the next three months.
The Labour MSP accused Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister, of failing to conduct sufficient checks before deciding to release the terminally-ill bomber last week.
This attack was echoed by the Tories, who said that the most recent medical consensus was Megrahi would live eight months, too long to be eligible for compassionate release.
The row broke out as Gordon Brown finally ended his silence on the controversy, but refused to say whether he agreed with Mr MacAskill’s decision.
The Prime Minister stressed he had “no role” in the release and he was “angry and repulsed” at the hero’s welcome that greeted Megrahi on his return to Libya.
A storm of international condemnation has met Mr MacAskill’s ruling last week to release Megrahi, who is suffering from prostate cancer, on compassionate grounds.
Scottish Prison Service (SPS) guidelines suggest that inmates are only freed if they have less than three months to live.
However, Dr Simpson, who specialised in prostate disease research, said: “It is clear to me from the medical reports and the opinion of the specialists that Megrahi could live for many more months.
“Kenny MacAskill released him apparently on the advice of just one doctor whose status is not clear and who is not named.”
Dr Simpson, a former member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons’ prostate cancer working group, said the minister should have sought a second opinion from a specialist in palliative care.
A health assessment compiled by a SPS medical officer for Mr MacAskill, states that last autumn Megrahi was given between 18 months and two years to live.
However, a range of specialists concluded in June and July this year that his condition had deteriorated over the intervening 10 months and the lower end of this scale was more likely.
Megrahi’s life expectancy was no longer deemed to be “many months” but the report concluded: “Whether or not prognosis is more or less than three months, no specialist would be ‘willing to say’.”
However, his personal physician said his condition “declined significantly” between July 26 and August 3 and a life expectancy of three months was deemed a “reasonable estimate”.
Bill Aitken, Scottish Tory justice spokesman, said: “In June and July, there was a consensus on prognosis of eight months. Where is that consensus now?
“We only have the opinion of one anonymous individual — not the range of medical experts promised.”
The Scottish Executive admitted that Megrahi could live longer than three months, but insisted this prognosis was supported by a wide range of medical experts.
A spokesman said Mr MacAskill had based his decision on a report by the SPS director of health and care, who had access to all Megrahi’s medical records.
He said this contained a “clear” clinical assessment that the bomber’s life expectancy was three months or less.
Gordon Brown argued that, because Scottish judicial issues are devolved, his Government “could not interfere and had no control over the final outcome”.
But he added: “I was both angry and I was repulsed by the reception that a convicted bomber guilty of a huge terrorist crime received on his return to Libya.”
The Prime Minister had pleaded in a personal letter to Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, for restraint.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, he said he did not think the affair would harm relations with other countries in the fight against terrorism.
But William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “He still hasn’t said whether or not he was happy with the decision, a decision of huge public concern in this country, of immense international importance, which President Obama and so many other people in other countries have commented on.
“I think it is part of a continuing failure of leadership that he is unable to say that he will defend the decision or that he was not happy with it. And that is not what we expect from the Prime Minister of Britain.”
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Tourism: Tunisia Not Low Cost Destination, Minister
(ANSAmed) — TUNISIA, AUGUST 13 — Tunisia, contrary to what some tour operators propose, is not a ‘low cost’ destination, stressed the Minister of Tourism, Khelil Laajimi, during the presentation of the new tourism portal which will be on the internet from next year. Laajimi emphasised that his ministry, in addition to the numerous tour operators in the sector in Tunisia, have been busy improving the efficiency of hotels, adjusting quality and price for the services offered with increasing attention. This is also important for internal tourism, with the Tunisian Hotelier Federation committed to attracting arrivals in periods not limited to low season, as commonly occurs now. (ANSAmed).
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Tunisia: Survey,78% of Women Have Mobiles, 45% Use Computers
(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 14 — Owning a mobile phone are 78% of Tunisian women, compared with 82% of their male counterparts, as reported in a study on “female interaction and information/communication technologies” conducted by the Communications Technologies Ministry. As concerns computers, the survey says that 45% of women use one (at home, at work or for their studies), while 39% of them use the internet. The study was carried out on 1,200 women of various ages, social classes and regional backgrounds. (ANSAmed).
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Tunisia: Ancient Kairouan Inspires New Female Status
(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, AUGUST 12 — The marriage agreement that was used in the Tunisian city of Kairouan after the Islamic conquest lies at the basis of the principle of the Personal Status Code that is currently applied in Tunisia. Sarra Kanoun Jarraya, minister of Female, Family, Infancy, and Old People Affairs, pointed it out during a conference that took place in Kairouan on occasion of manifestations for Women’s Day on August 13. The minister stated that respect of female rights in conjugal relations, according to the marriage agreement drawn up centuries ago in Kairouan, was the proof of the attachment of Tunisian women, after the arrival of Islam, to their right to choose their marriage and their fate in a familiar context. The rights were recognised and repeated in the Personal Status Code following decisions taken by president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 1992. As was repeatedly pointed out, reforms introduced by the Code were also based on the ancient Kairouanese model, starting from the notion of the family as a socioeconomic cell which embodies the right of reciprocal assistance, solidarity and partnership between husband and wife. In effects the peculiarity and originality of the marriage agreement enforced in Kairouan (the fourth holy city of Islam) after the Islamic conquest resided in the fact that the bride could prohibit bigamy (today a crime in Tunisia) to her husband. The agreement also provided that the husband had the duty to supply his wife with all the comforts needed to keep the house in good order, starting from the hiring of a housemaid. Speaking of the current Code,, the minister emphasised its current validity and added that Tunisian women have now gone beyond the stage of reclaiming fundamental rights and are now hard at work to build the country’s future. She also said the first lady Leila Ben Ali, who presides the Arab Women’s Organisation, is committed to ensuring that the experience of Tunisian women is reflected across the entire Arab world, and to set up a common front where women can defend their rights and protect their roles. (ANSAmed).
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Gaza: War of Words Between HRW and Israel
(ANSAmed) — TEL AVIV, AUGUST 14 — A war of words is being waged between Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Israeli government after the report released yesterday by the human rights organisation headquartered in New York, which has accused the Israeli army (Tzahal) of having killed citizens waving white flags during the military operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The report was rejected by a Tzahal spokesman, who called the Palestinian witness statements “unreliable”, while the press office of Israeli premier Benyamin Netanyahu said it was the product of an untrustworthy organisation which receives public financing — denied by HRW — from a country like Saudi Arabia, which has been harshly criticised as concerns human rights. In response, HRW official Iain Levine has today issued a statement in which he accused the Israeli government of waging “a war of propaganda” against human rights associations “instead of seriously investigating” the abuses reported. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Gaza: Abbas: Salaphites Sons of Hamas. Hamas Accuse Al-Qaeda
(ANSAmed) — RAMALLAH (WEST BANK) — Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), the moderate President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has described Saturday’s attack by Hamas radical militants on a group of even more hard-line separatists (Jund Ansar Allah), linked to Al Qaeda as “atrocious and inhuman”. The group, he said, was initially affiliated to Hamas. “The method used (an attack on a mosque in Rafah which led to the deaths of more than 20 people) was atrocious and inhuman” said Mahmoud Abbas outside a meeting of the PNA government in Ramallah. “I don’t know that group (Jund Ansar Allah), but I believe they came out of Hamas”, he added. Hamas rose to power in 2007 after a show of force against institutions loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, since when it has created a de facto entity in Gaza, separate from the West Bank, which is currently run by the PNA and the President’s Fatah party. Reconciliation talks mediated by Egypt have so far failed to heal this split. In recent days Mahmoud Abbas — despite the recent election of a Fatah administration which is more hard-line towards Hamas — announced his intention to proceed with talks in Cairo, but a Hamas spokesman today retorted that there would be no possibility of agreement as long as PNA security forces continue to strike at Islamic militants in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Khalid Amayreh, a Palestinian journalist and spokesman for Hamas, published today on the website Islamonline.net a harsh attack on Al Qaida’s “nihilism” and “fanaticism”, followed by an appeal against the Gaza Strip becoming “another Iraq”. He describes last Friday’s fighting in Rafah between Hamas militants and supporters of Jund Ansar Allah as “a distressing bloodbath”. But he credits Hamas with doing “the right thing” by quashing the rebellion. “It is vital to understand that stopping the Gaza Strip from turning into another Iraq or another Swat (the anarchic tribal area in northern Pakistan) is a task of utmost importance” writes Amayreh, who describes Al Qaeda and its supporters as “forces for fanaticism and nihilism” who condemn anyone who disagrees with their ideology as “kafir” (infidel) or “murtad” (apostate), and intent on spreading a cause in Gaza “which the (Palestinian) people do not want to embrace”, that of transforming the Strip into “a base for Osama bin Laden”. Amayreh admits that the “authorities” in Gaza (Hamas since 2007) have tolerated the nonbelligerent presence of “groups and splinter groups which orbit the Al Qaeda galaxy” for too long. And he says that they are responsible for the recent attacks on internet cafes and other ‘western symbols’ in Gaza, as well as violence on the local Christian community. But the iron fist was truly required when the head of Jund Ansar Allah (Abdel Latif Mussa, who died during the fighting on Friday) “declared war” on the “democratically-elected government” in Gaza in the name of Al Qaeda’s “fanciful political objectives”. (ANSAmed)
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Hamas Against Al Qaeda ‘Nihilism’, Gaza Not Iraq
(ANSAmed) — GAZA, AUGUST 17 — A harsh attack on Al Qaida’s “nihilism” and “fanaticism”, followed by an appeal against the Gaza Strip becoming “another Iraq”, written by Khalid Amayreh, a Palestinian journalist and spokesman for Hamas, the Islamic movement in power in Gaza, and published today on the website Islamonline.net. He describes last Friday’s fighting in Rafah between Hamas militants and supporters of Jund Ansar Allah, a small but even more radical Salafite faction, as “a distressing bloodbath” (over 20 people died). But he credits Hamas with doing “the right thing” by quashing the rebellion. “It is vital to understand that stopping the Gaza Strip from turning into another Iraq or another Swat (the anarchic tribal area in northern Pakistan) is a task of utmost importance” writes Amayreh, who describes Al Qaeda and its supporters as “forces for fanaticism and nihilism” who condemn anyone who disagrees with their ideology as “kafir” (infidel) or “murtad” (apostate), and intent on spreading a cause in Gaza “which the (Palestinian) people do not want to embrace”, that of transforming the Strip into “a base for Osama bin Laden”. Amayreh admits that the “authorities” in Gaza (Hamas since 2007) have tolerated the nonbelligerent presence of “groups and splinter groups which orbit the Al Qaeda galaxy” for too long. And he says that they are responsible for the recent attacks on internet cafes and other ‘western symbols’ in Gaza, as well as violence on the local Christian community. But the iron fist was truly required when the head of Jund Ansar Allah (Abdel Latif Mussa, who died during the fighting on Friday) “declared war” on the “democratically-elected government” in Gaza in the name of Al Qaeda’s “fanciful political objectives”. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Israel to Install Solar Energy System at Ben Gurion Airport
(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 25 — The Israel Airports Authority plans to install a 50-kilowatt solar energy system on a 500 square meters area at Ben Gurion airport of Tel Aviv, according to Globes online. The size of the project is limited to the amount of electricity that can be sold by private power producer to Israel Electric Corporation, that manages the electricity forniture of the airport. According to airports authority chairman, Eli Ovadia, the plan aims to turn Ben Gurion airport into an environmental leader.(ANSAmed).
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Netanyahu, Mitchell Fail to Reach Deal on Settlements
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell failed to reach an agreement on the issue of West Bank settlements during a meeting Wednesday in London, according to spokespeople for the two men.
However, Netanyahu and Mitchell did make progress in their meeting, the spokespeople said in a joint message afterward, adding that the two agreed on the need to begin meaningful diplomatic negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with the aim of reaching a regional peace agreement.
The next round of talks was scheduled for the beginning of next week in Washington. Israel will be represented at those talks by the PM’s special envoy Yitzhak Molcho and Defense Ministry chief of staff Mike Herzog, who both participated in Wednesday’s meeting.
The two will meet with Mitchell to discuss again the U.S. demand that Israel implement a settlement freeze.
Prior to the meeting, Netanyahu said his government was making progress toward reopening talks with the Palestinians and hoped to be able to do so shortly.
“We are making headway. My government has taken steps both in words and deeds to move forward,” he said.
Netanyahu has pledged not to build any new settlements but wanted to enable what he called “natural growth” of existing enclaves.
The prime minister, whose comments during a photo opportunity were relayed to reporters by his spokesman, expressed hope the two sides would “shortly be able to resume normal talks.”
“The goal is a wider peace, which is our common goal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian officials said Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas is open to a meeting with Netanyahu at the United Nations next month.
The meeting would be the first between the two leaders since Netanyahu took office in March.
Abbas has refused to reopen peace talks until Netanyahu halts all construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Israeli leader rejects this demand.
The Palestinian officials said Abbas is not dropping his conditions. They say the meeting would be a chance to talk, but would not amount to negotiations.
The Palestinian officials spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal meeting hasn’t been set.
Earlier, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gabriela Shalev told reporters that a meeting between Netanyahu, Abbas and U.S. President Obama at the UN was being planned, but declined to elaborate.
Meanwhile, the British Guardian reported that President Barack Obama is close to breaking the stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians by getting Israel to agree to a partial settlement freeze in exchange for a tougher U.S. stand against Iran’s nuclear program.
The report, which cites U.S., European, Israeli and Palestinian officials, said that Obama will be ready to announce the resumption of long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians by the end of September.
“The message is: Iran is an existential threat to Israel; settlements are not,” the Guardian quoted one official close to the negotiations as saying.
In exchange for Israel agreeing to a partial and temporary settlement freeze, the U.S., Britain and France would push the United Nations Security Council to expand sanctions on Iran to include its oil and gas industry, the report said.
Israel is also seeking normalization with Arab states, which would include the right for El Al to fly within Arab states’ airspace, the establishment of trade offices and embassies and an end to the ban on travelers with Israeli stamps in their passports.
A poll released Wednesday in Israel showed freezing settlements would be an unpopular move. Almost two-thirds of those questioned told pollsters they opposed a freeze, even in return for moves by Arab countries toward
normalization of ties with Israel. Thirty-nine percent said they would support a freeze in return for Arab gestures.
Conducted by the Maagar Mohot polling company, the survey questioned 506
Jewish Israelis and had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
Details of the negotiations are expected to be outlined Wednesday during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting in London with George Mitchell, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East.
“It has been pretty hard going but we are getting there,” the Guardian quoted another official as saying. “We are closer to a deal with the Israelis than many think. The Arabs are more difficult to pin down.”
The report said Obama plans to announce the breakthrough either at the meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York in the week of September 23 or at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh on September 24-25.
Obama plans to make his announcement together with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and sources said he hopes a final peace deal can be negotiated within two years.
Israel and the United States on Tuesday said they are closing the gaps over the contentious issue of West Bank settlement construction, senior American officials told Haaretz.
The Obama administration has demanded that Israel halt all construction in settlements in the West Bank, which the Palestinians claim for a future state.
Netanyahu has resisted calls for a total freeze on construction, arguing that the Bush administration had acquiesced to continued Israeli settlement activity in large blocs that are likely to be annexed by Israel in any future agreement with the Palestinians.
He reiterated during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street in London, that Israel will not limit construction in East Jerusalem.
“What we’re seeking to achieve with the United States in the talks we’ve
conducted, and will conduct tomorrow and will conduct after tomorrow, is to find a bridging formula that will enable us to at once launch a process but enable those residents to continue living normal lives,” Netanyahu said.
After his talks with Mitchell, Netanyahu is scheduled to fly to Berlin for talks on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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Outposts Dismantled Within Weeks, Barak
(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 25 — Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak said today that the dismantling of unauthorised Jewish settlements in the West Bank would be carried out within weeks, not months. Israel had already committed to dismantling 23 of these outposts with the previous administration led by President George W. Bush. During a visit to settlements in the northern West Bank, Labour MP Daniel Ben Simon said that his party would raise the issue of the dismantling of the outposts if it is not completed by the beginning of winter. The Israeli police force has created a special unit, according to daily paper Haaretz, to manage preparations for the large-scale dismantling, as they are expecting violent resistance on the part of the Jewish settlers. (ANSAmed).
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Palestinian Economy: US Press Divided on Israeli Role
(ANSAmed) — ROME — What kind of role does Israel play in the Palestinian economy, does it block or encourage development? This is the issue at the centre of a debate in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, with the two arguments being put forward in recent days. The latest interview today was with Sam Bahour, an American businessman of Palestinian origins who lives on the West Bank: the Wall Street Journal’s website carries an article by him called “Israel still strangles the Palestinian Economy”. It is his response to the Israeli ambassador in the USA Michael Oren, who described in the same newspaper the “West Bank, a success story”, and the New York Times editorial by Thomas Friedman, in which he speaks of “signs of recovery in Palestine”. “The selective economic data they provide ignore the reality: Occupied Palestinian territory is not a sovereign country where traditional economic measures apply” writes Bahour. Michael Oren cites the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who say that “The West Bank economy is flourishing” with a growth “of 18% in the Stock Exchange, and 94% in tourism to Bethlehem — which has created 6,000 new jobs — and growth in trade with Israel of 82%. The ambassador announced “splendid forecasts”: “an economic growth rate of 7%, falling unemployment, a flourishing tourism industry, a surge in daily incomes of 24%”. And this situation is possible, according to Oren, thanks to the initiatives and tax policies of the Palestinian leaders, but also thanks to Israel, who have lifted the blockade at the checkpoints, allowing Arab-Israelis to travel for business to Palestine, and thanks to the steps forward taken in security matters. A few days earlier, Thomas Friedman addressed these last two points in the pages of the New York Times. According to the leader writer the key action in this development was the conscription of four new battalions from the Palestinian national security forces. Sam Bahour, who recalls in his article that he took part in the opening of the first shopping centre in the West Bank and in the creation of the first Palestinian telecommunications operator, chooses data from the World Bank which suggest that “Israel’s repressive practices will not permit the Palestinian economy to develop meaningfully. “In many ways, writes Bahour, the World Bank’s figures show the Israeli “stranglehold”: restrictions on the supply of water, the free movement of people, security and commerce. Jordan, he writes, is the commercial alternative, although it is “severely limited.” “The Palestinian economy has the potential for dramatic growth, even in the midst of the current global recession. This can only be achieved by the private sector through export oriented growth. The new [Israeli] restrictions undermine this goal,” says David Craig, the World Bank representative cited by Bahour. “I do not want to discredit the progress that has been made” concludes Bahour, “but seen in context, they are nothing but window-dressing”. As for the other Palestinian territory, Ambassador Oren criticises the difficult situation, highlighting for example that, rather than “putting political initiatives into action that could reduce unemployment, which is close to 40%, the radical Hamas government has imposed strict controls based on sharia law”. On the same theme, Friedman concluded that “Hamas and Gaza can join us later. Let’s not wait for them. When it is built (one Palestinian State around the West Bank), they will join us”.(ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Palestinian Family: We Didn’t Say Organs Taken
The family and relatives of Bilal Ahmed Ghanem, the Palestinian at the center of the organ-theft story in the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet, said on Monday that they didn’t know if the accusations were true or not.
The family lives in the tiny village of Imatin in the northern West Bank. Ghanem, 19, was killed by IDF soldiers during the first intifada on May 13, 1992.
He was a Fatah activist who was wanted by the IDF for his involvement in violence.
His mother, Sadeeka, said he was shot by an IDF sniper as he walked out of his home. “The bullets hit him directly in the heart,” she said.
Ghanem’s younger brother, Jalal, said he could not confirm the allegations made by the Swedish newspaper that his brother’s organs had been stolen.
“I don’t know if this is true,” he said. “We don’t have any evidence to support this.”
Jalal said his brother was evacuated by the IDF in a helicopter and delivered to the family only a few days later.
The mother denied that she had told any foreign journalist that her son’s organs had been stolen.
However, she said that now she does not rule out the possibility that Israel was harvesting organs of Palestinians.
Jalal and two cousins who claimed that they saw the body said the young man’s teeth were missing. They also said they saw stitches that ran from the chest down to the bottom of the stomach.
“Obviously, they performed some kind of an autopsy on the body,” the brother said. “When the army handed us the body, we were ordered to bury him quickly and in the middle of the night.”
Jalal said that he and other villagers recall that a Swedish photographer was in the village during the funeral and that he managed to take a number of pictures of the body before the funeral. “That was the only time we saw this photographer,” he recounted.
Ibrahim Ghanem, a relative of Bilal, said that the family never told the Swedish photographer that Israel had stolen organs from the dead man’s body.
“Maybe the journalist reached that conclusion on the basis of the stitches he saw on the body,” he said. “But as far as the family is concerned, we don’t know if organs were removed from the body because we never performed our own autopsy. All we know is that Bilal’s teeth were missing.”
Jalal and other members of the family said that “rumors” about Israel killing Palestinians to steal their organs have been circulating for a long time.
“I can’t tell you if these rumors are true or not,” the brother said.
“But in light of the investigative report in the Swedish newspaper, we are demanding an international commission of inquiry into the case.”
| — Hat tip: Steen | [Return to headlines] |
PNA: ‘Palestinian State by 2011’, Fayad Says
(ANSAmed) — RAMALLAH, AUGUST 25 — An action plan for the creation of an independent Palestinian state by 2011 was outlined today in Ramallah by Palestinian National Authority Salam Fayad. “The creation of a state within the next two years is a duty, as well as a feasible objective,” said Fayad. In an interview with the British daily Times, Fayad said that the 16 years after the Oslo Accords have proved fruitless, and that is why Palestinians have now decided to take their future into their own hands without waiting any longer. “We decided to be active, to speed up the end of the Israeli occupation by working hard to build, and bring into being our state as a reality which cannot be ignored,” said Fayad. “This is our agenda, which we will follow with determination.” His government’s objective, he added, is to step up security forces, public services and the economy. “However, we are running out of time,” he warned. “(Israeli) settlement activities continue, as well as the construction of the wall which confiscates Palestinian territory, and Arab houses are being demolished in East Jerusalem.” The Palestinian Authority’s plan to move towards a Palestinian state, presented by Fayad today, is outlined in a 65-page document. The Palestinian premier — who is an economist — said that to re-launch the economy of the West Bank an airport needs to be built in the Jordan Valley. Fayad also holds it necessary to connect the West Bank with neighbouring Arab countries by way of new railway lines. To impede Israeli settlements not only foreign diplomatic pressure will be necessary but also activity by “anti-settlement committees” and “anti-wall” ones, which in his opinion should involve wide-ranging segments of Palestinian society. In an initial comment, Israeli state-owned radio said that to carry out his plans Fayad would have to find a modus vivendi with Hamas leaders in Gaza, the Fatah leadership in the West Bank and Israeli authorities. (ANSAmed).
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Schools Open: Girls to Wear Islamic Clothing
(ANSAmed) — GAZA, AUGUST 24 — Schools are opening again, after the summer holidays, and many girls in Gaza are surprised to discover that they will not be admitted to class if wearing “western” clothing. Female students wearing jeans will be asked to return home and wear a light blue ‘jilbab’ (tunic) and a white or light blue ‘hijab’ (headscarf). According to what ANSA was told by a source within the Ministry of Education, this measure was not set up by the Hamas executive but was implemented following the initiative of some high-school headmasters. According to the source, female students that wish to keep on wearing western clothes will be able to do so. In particular, the source said, the rights of the Christian minority in Gaza will be guaranteed. Yesterday, a Christian girl not wearing the ‘hijab’ was not allowed to enter her school. But, according to the ANSA source, she will be able to file a complaint against the headmaster of her high-school. Over the last few months, there have been numerous complaints in Gaza according to which Hamas is slowly forcing residents in the Strip to adopt an Islamic code of conduct, particularly in public areas. Furthermore, it has been reported that a ‘vice squad’ has been established to patrol beaches and defend “public morality”. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Tourism Up Post War, Pilgrims Back
(ANSAmed) — JERUSALEM, AUGUST 18 — According to the Israeli Ministry for Tourism, Israel is seeing signs of recovery in its tourism industry, which had suffered particularly badly from the collapse in the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Land due to the combined effects of the war in the Gaza Strip (December 2008 — January 2009) and the global financial crisis. The ministry reveals that in July, 252 000 tourists visited Israel, only 4% less than in 2008, and an the increase (+17%) on the same time in 2007. In total, from the start of 2009, there have been 1.4 million visitors, with an 18% drop on last year which has gradually been cancelled out in the last few months. Stas Misezhnikov, Minister for Tourism, spoke of a change in the overall trend, while admitting that reaching the ambitious objective fixed by his office (of 5 million tourists by 2015, in a country of less than 7.5 million inhabitants) will mean that huge increases in hotel facilities are necessary, as is facilitating investment. The recovery of tourism in recent months is based largely on a renewed increase in pilgrimages, partly brought on by Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Holy Land in May. Amongst the visitors travelling from Christian countries, there has also been an increase in the number of Italian tourists, who are some of the most frequent visitors to Israel and the surrounding areas in the whole of Western Europe. Tourists from the East of Europe are visiting the area in the greatest numbers however, particularly Russians. Misezhnikov has not been a stranger to controversy in recent days, arguing with Eli Yishai, a representative of the orthodox Jewish right-wing and member of the Ministry of the Interior, about restrictions imposed on foreign visitors’ access to Palestinian territory, such as the West Bank, where Bethlehem is located. The Minister for Tourism claims that these restrictions, as well as bands of hostile political activists, risk discouraging huge numbers of pilgrims. (ANSAmed).
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Agriculture: Saudi Arabia Remains Mideast’s Largest Market
(ANSAmed) — DUBAI, AUGUST 12 — Saudi Arabia remains the Middle East’s largest market for agricultural products and technologies, posting a steady eight per cent average annual growth, Gulf news online reports. Saudi Arabia imported more than 25.5 billion riyals (Dh24.8 billion) worth of agricultural products in 2008, an impressive increase of 42 per cent over the previous year. This year, agricultural projects are expected to account for 23 per cent of the country’s expected 181 billion-riyal (Dh177 billion) private sector investments. “The Saudi Government has been investing heavily in irrigation projects to develop its arable land, with the aim of addressing both a rapidly growing population and burgeoning demand for food and food-related products. There is an urgent need for advanced irrigation equipment, water management technologies and services, and related products such as high-yield seeds in order to satisfy the country’s increasing agricultural requirements. These are thus very advantageous times for local and international firms to boost their presence and investments within Saudi Arabia’s agricultural sector,” said Khalid Daou, Project Manager of Saudi Agriculture at Riyadh Exhibitions Company. (ANSAmed).
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Child Bride Turned Over to 80-Year-Old Husband
AL-LAITH: A 10-year-old bride was returned last Sunday to her 80-year-old husband by her father who discovered her at the home of her aunt with whom she has been hiding for around 10 days.
A local newspaper said the husband, who denies he is 80 in spite of claims by the girl’s family, accused the aunt of meddling in his affairs. “My marriage is not against Shariah. It included the elements of acceptance and response by the father of the bride,” he said.
He added that he had been engaged to his wife’s elder sister and that this broke off as she wanted to continue with her education. “In light of this, her father offered his younger daughter. I was allowed to have a look at her according to Shariah and found her acceptable,” he said.
Maatouq Al-Abdullah, a member of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), said there is no system in place regulating the marriage of young girls, something that he said results in adverse psychological, health and social effects.
“Such marriages are considered a gross violation of charters on the rights of children, which the Kingdom has signed and which set the age of adulthood at 18,” he added.
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Saudi Arabia: Mecca Development Plan
(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 18 — The Saudi Arabian government has announced a development plan for the city of Mecca, according to reports today by Arab News newspaper. “The development of Mecca must be exceptional and must make the city one of the most beautiful in the world,” said Saudi Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the governor of the city, during a meeting yesterday with UN representatives involved in the development of the cities sacred to Islam like Mecca, Medina, and Mina. The Prince demonstrated the city development plan to UN officials, which was realised thanks to the aid of a Canadian consulting firm, which involved transport, roads, and services for pilgrims. “The development plan aims to protect our cultural identity,” underlined Al-Faisal. According to the press, the strategy of the governor is to give priority to citizens through education, work, developing assistance for pilgrims, and increasing the water supply. (ANSAmed).
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Tehran: Fourth “Mass Trial” Against Opponents of the Regime
On trial several members of Iran’s main reformist party and associates of former President Khatami, charged with having organized and fomented anti-government riots. Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, suspected of murder and torture, appointed Attorney General of the Republic.
Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) — Activists and reformers were in the dock today in Tehran, in the fourth mass trial brought by the Iranian regime against the protagonists of anti-government riots. The accusation is of having orchestrated the protests that bloodied the country’s presidential elections on 12 June, won by the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The non-violent demonstrations, protesting election fraud, were violently suppressed by hooligans from the bassij and Pasdaran at the service of Ahmadinejad.
Several defendants are members of Mosharekat, the main reformist party in the country. On its website, the movement accuses the Tribunal of the Iranian revolution of staging yet another “show trial” and denounces an increasingly “threatening” national leadership. They are charged with having “organized and fomented the protests and riots” in recent weeks, during which dozens of people died.
On trial are, among others, Mostafa Tajzadeh, former deputy interior minister, Mohsen Aminzadeh, a former deputy foreign minister, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, a former government spokesman. Saaed Hajjarian, former deputy minister of intelligence, who became the main architect of the reform movement in Iran, also appeared before the court.
Many senior officials charged with crimes held office between 1997 and 2005, under President Khatami. In the last election he supported the moderate leader Mir Hossein Moussavi. Recently, a high official of the Revolutionary Guards accused him of having orchestrated, with Moussavi and Khatami — almost the entire “reformist” leadership — a “velvet revolution” to overthrow the regime.
International analysts have labelled the trial an attempt to eradicate domestic moderate opposition. In recent weeks more than 140 people have appeared before the judges, at the other three “mass trials” that so far have not led to any sentence.
Human rights activists have condemned the arrests of hundreds of people including journalists, activists and lawyers, many of whom remain in detention and are victims of abuse, torture and sexual violence. The regime is also charged with having killed opponents locked up in jail.
Yesterday, in conclusion, Sadeq Larijani, brother of the parliament speaker and head of the neo-Iranian judiciary appointed Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, former minister of intelligence of the Ahmadinejad administration, Attorney General of the Republic. Sources of internal resistance accuse him of mass executions, assassinations and torture of opponents.
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Turkey: Mosque Next to Brothel Vexes Antalya Residents
The construction of a mosque next to a brothel in the southern city of Antalya has raised concerns among some residents about provocative actions being taken against the brothel, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
The brothel was built almost 40 years ago in the Kepez district, which was on the outskirts of Antalya at that time. The growth of the city has brought the district, and the brothel, into its center.
Neighborhood residents disturbed by the situation have raised objections, none of which have had any impact thus far. Yasar Karahan, the owner of an adjacent plot of land, donated the property on the condition that a mosque would be built there, stirring up ongoing debate.
District headman Binali Güney expressed his concerns about a brothel being located in the middle of a busy part of the city that is home to 130,000 people, including many families with children. He has requested that the brothel be moved outside the city.
Güney also noted that the brothel is located in the direction of Mecca, so that people have to face that way while praying. “What a shame!” he said.
The headman added that since the mosque opened, tension in the area has been escalating. He has asked for extra police forces to protect the neighborhood.
The brothel management has taken some precautions of its own by covering the building’s exterior with two-meter-high iron folding screens.
A mufti, or Islamic official, has recently been appointed to the newly built three-story mosque.
‘Any provocation may lead to serious events’
Hasan Hüseyin Tanriöver, the chairman of the Mosque Construction and Support Foundation, said in a written statement that the organization has serious concerns about a potential attack directed at the brothel, particularly during Ramadan.
“The problem is not between our foundation and the brothel, but between the residents and the neighborhood unit,” Tanriöver said. “However, the headman of the district does not have the authority to move the brothel away from here, so we expect the authorities to take the necessary precautions before any negative behavior occurs in the district.”
Noting that social pressure is growing rapidly in the area, Tanriöver said there had been some cases in which people threw stones at the brothel.
“These were simple events, but no one can guarantee that more serious ones will not occur in the near future in the case of any provocation,” he added, noting that the foundation had applied to the Antalya Governorship and the police forces for help in preventing more such events and saying that the organization cannot be held responsible if any do occur.
Neighborhood residents also have strong opinions about having a brothel in close proximity to their homes.
Ali Beyhan, a 42-year-old craftsman, said he was uncomfortable with it because he has children who have to walk near the brothel to go to school.
“Can you imagine the effect of anything they may see there on the psychological state of my children?” he asked.
A shop owner who did not want to reveal his name had a different view. “The brothel has been standing in this district for almost 40 years. It is not so easy to move it to some other part of the city,” he said. “The authorities should also consider the rights of people who want to visit the brothel.”
The women who work in the brothel also spend money at the nearby shops, he added.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Russia-Medvedev-Peres Statement on Holocaust
(ANSAmed) — MOSCOW, AUGUST 18 — Kremlin leader Dmitri Medvedev and Israeli president Shimon Peres have issued a joint statement at the end of their meeting in Soci which firmly condemns any attempts to deny the Holocaust and underlines the decisive role of the USSR in the defeat of Nazism. The story is reported by the agency Itar-Tass. In marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, the two leaders expressed their “profound indignation at any attempts to negate the great contribution made by the Russian people and other peoples of the Soviet Union to the victory over Nazi Germany as well as in the face of any attempt to deny the Holocaust of European Jewery’. The declaration comes at a time at which Moscow is launching a campaign, with a bill in parliament, against any attempts to rewrite the history of the Second World War by former Soviet states. But such declarations are also aimed at the Israeli public, following the Holocaust denial on the part of Iran’s president, a close economic and political partner of Moscow. (ANSAmed).
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Bollywood Doing Well Despite Crisis With Spielberg on His Way From Hollywood
India’s movie industry is still growing. This year the trend should remain positive and projections see 11.5 per cent growth over the next five years. Steven Spielberg signs a deal with India’s Reliance ADA Group for US$ 825 million. The first made-in-Bollywood movie should hit the big screen next year.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) — India’s film and entertainment industry is doing well this year despite the worldwide economic crisis. In fact, it expects to increase its revenues over last year. Market trends indicate constant growth, this according to data reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
India’s movie industry, which is largely based in Mumbai, hit 107 billion rupees last year (about US$ 2 billion) and should reach 118 billion (more than US$ 2.3 billion) this year. It is expected to grow a further 11.5 per cent over the next five years. In 2013 Bollywood and India’s regional movie production centres should generate 185 billion rupees (US$ 3.7 billion) in revenues.
Indian TV production should follow the same trend, growing by 11.45 per cent in the next five years, from 244 billion rupees last year (US$ 4.8 billion) to 420 billion rupees in 2013 (over US$ 8.3 billion).
Bollywood, a portmanteau word created by blending Bombay (Mumbai) and Hollywood, exports a thousand movies and 40,000 TV hours, primarily to developing countries but also in Europe and more broadly the West.
The success of India’s entertainment industry is not limited to major hits like Slumdog millionaire, paradoxically a British movie by Danny Boyle which won eight Academy Awards, and which put India back on the movie map. Bollywood’s success has deeper roots and the industry is an economic force to be reckoned with. The numbers tell in fact a different story, especially if we look at India’s movie stars. According to estimates that appeared in the Indian press, top actors like Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan.can earn up to 12 and 4 million dollars respectively in movies alone.
Mumbai’s movie industry goes further back than Hollywood and is giving Los Angeles studios a run for their money. Increasingly the latter are joining forces with Bollywood to produce and distribute movies. In fact California landed on India’s shores long ago.
Recently Steven Spielberg signed a deal with the Reliance ADA Group, a major Indian company with interests in entertainment, worth US$ 825 million, to produce six movies a year in new studies in Mumbai with Walt Disney distributing them outside of India.
The first production is expected next year.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Kyrgyz Police Prevents Faithful From Meeting in Private Home to Pray
Many Protestant groups but also others are denied on technicalities the necessary permit to engage in activities. Protestant groups complain about systematic discrimination.
Bishkek (AsiaNews/F18) — Kyrgyz authorities are preventing believers from unauthorised groups to meet, even if only to pray. The Forum 18 news agency has reported that many Protestant groups are being denied the right to register on legal technicalities. Kyrgyzstan’s new Religion Law, which came into effect in January 2009, imposes in effect great hurdles for groups that seek official recognition without which the faithful cannot even meet to pray and celebrate Mass.
Application for recognition requires at least a membership of 200 people willing to sign up. But religious groups complain that it is very difficult to get that many signatures if they are not allowed to organise any activities or advertise their faith to recruit new members. Intimidations against the faithful are not helpful, either.
The Protestant Church of Jesus Christ was able for instance to register in Bishkek, but for the authorities that does not apply to Talas. For this reason they banned the group from meeting in a rented cinema in that city. When the members of the congregation began meeting in a private apartment, the owner was summoned and interrogated repeatedly.
In Talas the Church failed to get 200 members to sign up because many faithful are reticent to do so, afraid that they might be subject to controls and retaliation.
In Kochkor district (Naryn) Prosecutor T. Kasymbekov issued a warning against Bakhyt Mukashev, the pastor at El-Shaddai Protestant Church, to stop meeting for worship in his private home.
The clergyman, who has been repeatedly summoned and interrogated with his wife, has argued that his church is a branch of the El-Shaddai Church registered in Bishkek. But he too was told that such a registration does not apply to other places.
All religious groups are affected by the repression. In Bishkek Hare Krishna are systematically persecuted. Their demand for registration has been rejected and they cannot advertise, and so they have bee prevented from getting the 200 members necessary for registration.
Islamic groups are also affected by persecution. In Bishkek the Ahmadiya community has been registered as a “foreign mission” even though most members are Kyrgyz.
This means that anything the Ahmadiya do requires special permits, as if they were foreign missionaries. Without authorisation they cannot be involved in any religious activity.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
French Agent Kidnapped in Somalia Escapes
A French security agent kidnapped by insurgents in Somalia last month said Wednesday that he escaped while his captors slept. He said he then walked five hours through one of the most dangerous cities in the world to safety at the country’s presidential palace.
Marc Aubriere was seized along with another agent on July 14. He denies reports that he killed any of his captors during his escape.
Aubriere told The Associated Press before boarding a plane to leave Mogadishu that “the militants who were holding me treated me well, they were giving me nice food.”
He says, “I was not harmed. There is no one I have killed or injured while I was escaping.”
| — Hat tip: A Greek Friend | [Return to headlines] |
Dinghy Rescued Off the Coast of Lampedusa
(ANSAmed) — LAMPEDUSA (AGRIGENTO) — A rubber dinghy carrying about 50 migrants was brought in at dawn today by an Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza, GDF) patrol boat about 10 miles south of Lampedusa. The sea craft was reportedly “escorted” to Italian territorial waters by a Maltese military unit. All 57 migrants, including four women, have already been transferred to the “Lippi” motor patrol vessel of the Italian Financial Police (GDF) and the patrol boat CP40 of the Italian Coastguard. One of them has been taken to Lampedusa on doctor’s advice, the health condition of the rest is reasonable. The two ships are now headed for Porto Empedocle, where the non-EU citizens will be put ashore. Today’s operation is similar to the rescue five days ago of five Eritreans off the coast of Lampedusa. In that case the Maltese authorities also spotted the rubber dinghy, which was then ‘escorted’ outside Italian waters by the Italian Navy patrol boat P51. The Italian rescue operations have been filmed by the Maltese, and the Italian Finance Police has made images of the Maltese unit. Those survivors, including a woman in very bad condition, said that had left on July 28 from Libya with 73 other immigrants who had died during the crossing. The five Eritreans also said that a Maltese patrol boat had given them fuel but refused to help them reach land. The latter has been denied by Maltese authorities, who say that the migrants, in good health conditions, had instead asked to continue towards Lampedusa. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Intercepted Dinghy Received Maltese Assistance
(ANSAmed) — LAMPEDUSA (AGRIGENTO), AUGUST 25 — Some lifejackets used by the Maltese Navy have been found in the rubber dinghy that was intercepted this morning by an Italian patrol boat. The dinghy had 57 migrants on board, most of them Eritreans. The Maltese Navy has confirmed that it has given the lifejackets to the migrants together with some supplies, and that the migrants wanted to continue on their way to Lampedusa. Maltese life jackets were also found last Thursday when the Italian Financial Police intercepted a dinghy with five Eritreans on board. The Maltese patrol boat from which the jackets were supplied also gave fuel to the migrants. The public prosecutor’s office of Agrigento, which is investigating the most recent tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea in which 73 reportedly died, confirmed the news. Regarding the dinghy intercepted today, the Maltese Navy has confirmed helping the 57 migrants on board, giving them supplies and lifejackets. The Maltese Armed Forces said that the immigrants “insisted that they wanted to continue on their way to Lampedusa”. “The rescue coordination centre of Malta” the reconstruction by the Navy reads “was informed about the presence of the dinghy by a fishing boat yesterday at 6.40 pm. A patrol boat reached the dinghy at 8.40 pm. At 3.50 am today the rescue coordination centre of Malta informed the command centre in Rome through a fax. Around 6.35 a patrol boat of the Italian Finance Police intercepted the dinghy around 14 miles off Lampedusa; the Maltese patrol boat has followed the operation.” (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Boniver: 85% Enter Via North-West Border
(ANSAmed) — ROME, AUGUST 25 — “There is misinformation on immigration.It is a sterile political debate. 85% of immigrants enter through the north-western border. Only 15% of migrants arrive by sea”, said President of the Parliamentary Commission on Schengen Control, Margherita Boniver, on Cnr-Media. “Unfortunately, that part of the Mediterranean has become a real cemetery in the last few years. But most illegal immigrants arrive on foot or are already in our country with tourist visas. That is the real emergency. All the other considerations are pointless political arguments”. Boniver says that the European Union is moving “too slowly, but Carl Bildt, current EU president, has already said yes to Frattini’s requests for a widespread distribution of the burden of accepting requests for political asylum”. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy ‘Won’t Veto Migrant Deal’
Frattini optimistic on burden- sharing accord
(ANSA) — Rome, August 26 — Italy won’t use its veto powers if any European partners shrink from a burden-sharing package on immigration, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Wednesday.
Saying that he expected a plan to respond to Italy’s calls to be put to EU leaders “in September or October,” Frattini stressed that Italy would seek “mediation rather than clashes”.
“The veto bomb will not be dropped unless it is necessary,” Frattini told a Web TV show.
The foreign minister said all 27 EU members must take up the burden today largely shouldered by Italy, Malta and Spain.
He said a “problem of public opinion” and not financial issues were behind the EU members’ hitherto reluctance to do so.
The money involved to spread the impact was “peanuts,” Frattini told KlausCondicio show.
Frattini voiced appreciation that the EU’s duty president, Swedish Premier Carl Bildt, had promised that spreading the load would come up for discussion by EU ministers at the end of October.
“The EU is starting to realise that the problem is not just Italy’s, Malta’s or Spain’s but concerns all the 27,” Frattini told Klauscondicio.
Bildt’s pledge was “encouraging,” he said, adding that “between September and October I think we will take decisions in a direction that Italy has called for”. In reply to strictures from Frattini, the European Commission said Monday it was already doing a lot on the issue.
European Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot has recently visited Italy, Greece and the Canary Islands and is set to travel to Turkey and Libya, it said.
Barrot, who recently discussed the topic with Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, has stressed that ways must be found to “better share the burden at a European level”.
It is a question of setting up political, financial and diplomatic instruments to “stop tragedies such as the one we saw last week,” the EC said, referring to the deaths of 73 Eritrean refugees whose five surviving companions arrived in Sicily Thursday.
Italy has long been pushing for greater EU help with immigration and Frattini on Sunday accused the EU of not backing up talk with action.
At an EU summit in June leaders agreed to consider an emergency plan on immigration in the southern Mediterranean.
At the time, Frattini said he expected the plan to be drafted “in a matter of months”, reiterating that Italy expects cost-sharing as well as joint EU patrols.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has said other EU countries should take on a share of Mediterranean immigrants while EU border agency Frontex should be given a larger role to carry out repatriation flights and “deal with the holding and identification of illegal immigrants via a European structure”.
Last month Commissioner Barrot voiced the hope that a system could eventually be put in place whereby asylum requests are made from the country of origin.
Bildt, in Italy Sunday for a meeting of a Catholic political movement, said the end-of-October meeting would discuss a plan being put together by the EC.
Earlier on Sunday, Frattini said he expected a “proportional criterion” from the EU to share the burden of the thousands of migrants who cross the Mediterranean each year.
ERITREAN TRAGEDY SPURS DEBATE.
Italy has seen a sharp drop in arrivals since introducing a new ‘push-back’ policy in May in which migrants rescued in international waters are taken to Libya, their main stepping-off point for Europe.
The policy has come in for fresh criticism since the deaths of the 73 Eritreans who were at sea for three weeks after taking on fuel from a Maltese vessel.
On Wednesday Frattini stressed that the question of burden-sharing “is not about repatriation but about the asylum-seekers we must necessarily take in because they are fleeing wars or similar problems”.
“Migratory impact is strongly felt in all EU countries, so there is a reluctance and governments are resisting, understandably. But one cannot resist beyond the spirit of European solidarity”.
“I hope that the new climate of greater understanding may help the traditionally more reluctant countries to change their position”. Frattini on Sunday said Sicily was “paying too high a price just for being the gateway to Europe”.
The situation might be helped, he said, if Malta agreed to reduce its search-and-rescue area which currently spans 250 square kilometres or about the surface area of Italy.
“That is perhaps a little big for a small nation,” he said, adding that the result of ten-year-long negotiations on the issue would be “indispensable for the whole international community”.
In the past, Italy and Malta have sometimes disagreed over migrant rescues but the push-back policy to Libya appears to have largely defused the issue.
Maroni has noted that the EU has had nothing to object about the policy and he has stressed that any asylum requests are being dealt with in Libya.
The UN’s refugee body UNHCR has complained that Libya has not signed an international refugee treaty, does not recognise the UNHCR and it does not allow its representatives to visit all the migrant holding centres in the country.
The five Eritreans who survived the three-week ordeal have been formally charged with illegal immigration, but Frattini has expressed confidence that they will be granted asylum.
“We’ll look at each case on its merits,” he said Sunday, “but the overwhelming majority of those who come from Eritrea have obtained asylum”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
‘War’ Of Filming Between Italy and Malta
(ANSAmed) — LAMPEDUSA (AGRIGENTO), AUGUST 25 — The diplomatic arm-wrestling between Italy and Malta over the responsibility for rescuing boats carrying immigrants has turned into a “war”, being waged through film recordings and photographic evidence. The intervention this morning by a Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) patrol boat, which rescued a dinghy carrying 57 migrants off the coast of Lampedusa was filmed by a Maltese motorboat which had “escorted” the dinghy up to the limits of its territorial waters. When the Italian forces realised that the whole operation was being filmed, they decided to “document” the presence of their Maltese counterparts by capturing the boat with the Maltese flag on film as well. The row between Italy and Malta has been reignited in recent days by the accounts of five Eritrean refugees who were saved last Thursday by another Guardia di Finanza patrolboat, after 73 of their companions died during the crossing. The immigrants reported that a Maltese motorboat failed to help them, supplying them only with a few lifejackets and enough fuel to continue their journey to Lampedusa. Their story is denied by the Valletta authorities, who said that the five Eritreans, who arrived on Lampedusa in pitiful condition “were fine, they were clean shaven and had their hair combed”. The public prosecutor for Agrigento, who is investigating the tragedy, announced an international rogatory against Malta for failure to rescue. (ANSAmed).
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
ACLU Fails in Demand to Jail Child’s Mother
Mom refused to deliver 6-year-old for unsupervised visit with lesbian
An effort by the American Civil Liberties Union to have a judge jail the mother of a 6-year-old child for not delivering her daughter to another state for unsupervised visitation with a lesbian has been foiled.
Officials with Liberty Counsel today appeared in court in Winchester, Va., to defend Lisa Miller from a complaint from the ACLU on behalf of Janet Jenkins.
The ACLU had wanted Miller jailed after she refused to deliver her daughter, Isabella, to Vermont for an unsupervised visit with Jenkins, a lesbian who has stated she believes it is not good for a child to be raised in a Christian atmosphere.
The ACLU also asked for a court order for Miller to pay for its attorneys.
But no jail time was ordered and the court rejected the ACLU’s request for money, Liberty Counsel confirmed. Further, the court decided that future issues in the case would be handled in Bedford County, Va., where Miller and her daughter live, not Vermont.
[…]
Miller previously had refused to comply with Vermont’s orders for visitations, claiming Isabella reported being compelled to bathe naked with Jenkins while visiting and came home speaking of suicide.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
‘Gay’ Protections Expanded to Ex-’Gays’
Court rules former homosexuals part of ‘protected’ class
A court decision that is being described as precedent-setting because it applies standard non-discrimination protections now provided to homosexuals to those individuals who have left the lifestyle is being publicized by an activist group involved in the dispute.
According to officials with Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays, the ruling from Judge Maurice Ross in Superior Court of the District of Columbia decided the protections available to homosexuals under the D.C. Office of Human Rights and the laws it oversees also apply to former homosexuals.
The decision was released in June, but not publicly publicized until now in order to let the open door for an appeal on the part of homosexual interests to pass, according to Regine Griggs, executive director of PFOX.
[…]
“All sexual orientation laws and programs nationwide should now provide true diversity and equality by including former homosexuals,” Greg Quinlan, a director of PFOX, added. “I have experienced more personal assaults as a former homosexual than I ever did as a gay man.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
‘Islam is of the Devil’ Shirt Appears at Elementary School
A student at Talbot Elementary School wore a shirt bearing the message “Islam is of the devil” on the first day of school and was sent home for violation of the school district’s dress code.
Asked about a report of the dress code violation, School District spokeswoman Jackie Johnson confirmed that a student did wear a shirt with the anti-Islam message and was sent to the school office until a parent could come. Johnson said the student’s parent had the option of bringing another shirt for the child to change into or taking the child home and opted to take the child home.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic Ramadan Begins Blood Keeps Flowing
By Lee Jay Walker
The period of Ramadan is meant to be a holy period for Muslims and this applies to fasting and other things. However, in reality Ramadan is just another month for Islamists and daily killings take place. Therefore, why do Islamists keep on terrorizing during the so-called holy period of Ramadan?
After all, shortly before the run-up to Ramadan in 2009 you have the usual Islamic carnage of terrorism, sectarian violence, and so forth. This applies to many people being killed in Sunni-Shia related issues in Yemen; inter Sunni Muslim fighting in Somalia; inter Sunni Muslim deaths in Pakistan; and the daily carnage in Afghanistan and Iraq continues.
Yet after only a few days of the new Ramadan period in 2009 it is abundantly clear that Islamists are bent on killing both fellow Muslims and non-Muslims.
In my article titled “USA appeases Islam under President Obama” I rebuke Obama openly for manipulating reality. The current ongoing violence is yet another example of the bloodthirsty nature of radical Islam and I would argue, of Islam itself, but I will come back to this later.
I stated in my article about Obama that “In the world of Obama he states that the rituals of Ramadan “remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” Therefore, what “justice” and “tolerance” is Obama talking about?”
If we look at events before Ramadan and during Ramadan, then it is abundantly clear that even during the holy month of Islam that the blood keeps on flowing.
Therefore, why so much violence during Ramadan? Or is the question pointless given the nature of Islam itself when we focus on the Hadiths and the Koran?
Before focusing on both these two questions, it is important to state that I am talking about the tenets of Islam and not ordinary Muslims. After all, much of the current Sunni Islamic violence is aimed at fellow Muslims and I would argue that Muslims are the first victims of Islam because they are regulated by laws which infringe on their civil liberty.
Remember, if a Zoroastrian converts to Christianity in Iran or the other way around, then the individual is free to do so or at the very least they will not suffer for leaving their past religion. However, if a Muslim converts to Christianity or Buddhism in Iran then they face either death or prison.
Therefore, complete mind control is being used against Muslims in order to maintain their allegiance to the Islamic faith. After all, apostates in Saudi Arabia and Somalia face death, and honour killings, persecution or alienation of former Muslims is taking place throughout the world.
Of course, in all other areas of Islam it is clear that non-Muslims are at a major disadvantage or they face complete annihilation, just like Buddhists and Hindus who were annihilated in Afghanistan in past history.
This applies to the very nature of Islam itself because Islamic Sharia law discriminates against all non-Muslims. For can any Muslim person state where Islamic Sharia law allows Muslims to freely leave Islam or where non-Muslims have equality in Islamic Sharia law?
Even today, in 2009, you have 7 Islamic nations which support the death penalty for leaving the Islamic faith and of course these nations are based on Islamic Sharia law and enforcing dhimmitude on all non-Muslims. Therefore, is this hatred a natural dimension to the worldview of Islamic radicalism or should I say radical Islamic fascism?
Remember, in nations like Saudi Arabia, the sizeable non-Muslim migrant population isn’t allowed to build one single Buddhist temple, Christian church or Hindu temple. Therefore, we are not seeing mutual respect or justice, like Obama states, in the land of Mecca and Medina. On the contrary, we are seeing regulated hatred towards non-Muslims via Islamic Sharia law and complete mind control of Muslims because they face death if they desire to leave Islam in Saudi Arabia.
Therefore, where does all this hatred come from? Alas, it is clear to many where this inspired hatred comes from but of course this does not mean that the majority of Muslims are violent, of course not; Muslims are mere individuals just like atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and so forth.
However, Muslims have strict guidelines to follow and if a Muslim is to follow the guidelines of the Hadiths, the Koran, and Islamic Sharia law completely; then the outcome is obvious to Islamists because this means the implementation of laws which infringe on the rights of non-Muslims and limits the freedom of moderate Muslims.
If we return to Ramadan and why Islamists continue to kill during this so-called holy period then I would state that it is because of the nature of Islam itself.
Mohammed stated to (Koran 9:29) “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.”
Of course apologists or liberals will gloss over this statement and countless others; however, for Islamists or normal Muslim religious leaders in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and many other nations, they firmly believe that it is their duty to Islamize the nation state and then to spread Islamization and to install a new Islamic caliphate where the nation state is unimportant.
Despite this, in history it is clear that Islam was never united because divisions soon engulfed Islam and early Muslim rulers were often killed by Muslims. However, from the very outset of Islam it was clear that violence was part and parcel of the Muslim faith because Mohammed ordered attacks against Jews and Pagans.
It is clear that Mohammed did not support the concepts of either the Buddha or Jesus. After all, the Buddha and Jesus were not interested about military power or state sanctioned control and they never ordered the killings of others or inflicted violence towards others.
Mohammed, however, states the following:
“O Prophet! Make war against the unbelievers [all non-Muslims] and the hypocrites and be merciless against them. Their home is hell, an evil refuge indeed.” (Koran, 9:73)
“When you meet the unbelievers in jihad [holy war], chop off their heads. And when you have brought them low, bind your prisoners rigorously. Then set them free or take ransom from them until the war is ended.” (Koran, 47:4)
“The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be to be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet and genitals cut off, or to be expelled out of the land. Such will be their humiliation in the world, and in the next world they will face an awful horror.” (Koran, 5:33-34)
“When we decide to destroy a population, we send a definite order to them who have the good things in life and yet sin. So that Allah’s word is proven true against them, then we destroy them utterly.” (Koran, 17:16-17)
“In order that Allah may separate the pure from the impure, put all the impure ones [all non-Muslims] one on top of another in a heap and cast them into hell. They will have been the ones to have lost.” (Koran, 8:37)
“How many were the populations we utterly destroyed because of their sins, setting up in their place other peoples.” (Koran, 21:11)
“Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them.” (Koran, 8:12)
Qur’an-(5:51): “O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. “
Qur’an-(9:5): “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, And seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent (accept Islam) and establish regular prayers and practices regular charity then open the way for them; for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”
These statements by Mohammed also show how he changed because when he was weak he spoke about compassion, however, once he obtained power his true message changed and in many ways, this is the danger of the stealth jihad which is implemented via propaganda.
However, it is vital to remember that Islamists, be they clerics in Saudi Arabia who are inciting violence towards all apostates and non-Muslims; or if an Islamist like Osama Bin Laden; they are abiding by the Koran, the Hadiths, and Islamic Sharia law.
Apologists and liberals will point out that other holy books have negative passages or passages which incite hatred; and this is partly true, however, it is clear that all religions reform themselves and in the 21st century the message of hatred is still strong in Islam.
More worrying, is that Islam is not a mere religion, it is a way of life and which supports the supremacy of Muslims over non-Muslims. Islam is a fusion of faith, indoctrination, a legal system based on discrimination towards non-Muslims, authoritarianism, and the theory of dhimmitude; and Islam is a religion which rewards Muslims for fighting against non-Muslims.
Even during Ramadan it is clear that war is sanctioned and Mohammed himself prepared Muslims for war during this so-called holy month; therefore, the current massacres and killings are an ongoing tradition in Islam with roots in Mohammed and his teachings and deeds.
Maulana Noor Muhammad, a spokesman for the Islamic organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam which is based in Pakistan, stated Muhammad often undertook battles during Ramadan.
He continued that “In such pious times, participate in jihad and continue the support to the mujahideen.” “Nowadays, infidel forces want to destroy Islam and the Koranic orders. The fight [against the infidels] is not the responsibility of Taliban and Arab mujahedeen alone; rather it is the responsibility of the entire Ummah [Muslim world].’’
Given this, the ongoing persecution of all non-Muslims is still being implemented in the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia, and this hatred is also being enforced in many other mainly Islamic nations.
Today, just like the 7th century, Islam is still killing apostates or persecuting them. Today, just like in the 7th century, Muslims are still waging wars against non-Muslims in countless numbers of nations. Today, just like the 7th century, Muslim fanatics are still killing fellow Muslims who are deemed to be not Muslim enough.
The apologists will keep on making excuses; however, it is clear that in many parts of the Islamic dominated world, that hatred still dictates. Therefore, in 2009, just like in the 7th century, non-Muslims still suffer enormous persecution and some Islamists are still dreaming of spreading Islam by the sword or by propaganda.
Anyone who doubts this threat should focus on Saudi Arabia because in the land of Mecca and Medina they still support killing apostates, persecuting all non-Muslims, persecuting Shia Muslims, and exporting this hatred to many nations.
| — Hat tip: CB | [Return to headlines] |
2 comments:
As a part of the exposure of the appalling torture methods used by U.S. intelligence against innocent terrorists, it has just been revealed that an American agent tortured the mastermind of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole by… wait for it… blowing cigar smoke in his face!
I could understand if it was one of those fake Montecristo panatellas with a cheap, oily oscuro wrapper. Gadfrey! Inhale at your own risk, if you dare.
Nice tongue-in-cheek, Zenster, but on a more serious tack: it is actually to America's credit that it is exercised over the use of torture etc by its intelligence agencies, whereas in all the counties that hate, criticise and abuse America, infinitely worse treatments OF THEIR OWN CITIZENS, let alone their enemies, is standard-issue day-to-day stuff.
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