Year: 2010

Somalia rebels intensify tomb raiding

Posted on by

 TIMES LIVE… Somalia’s hardline rebels destroyed  more tombs of Sufi clerics as they intensified a drive to stop what they term “grave worshipping” by moderate Islamists.

On Tuesday, heavily-armed Shebab militia exhumed and took away the remains of a Sufi cleric buried in Mogadishu 30 years ago.

“The raids are continuing for the third day and we have excavated around seven graves so far,” said Sheik Said Karatay, the Shebab official in charge of the tomb raids.

“We take their remains and re-bury them in unidentified places in order to avoid them being recognised by people who continue worshiping them,” he told reporters in Mogadishu.

“The operations will go on until we eradicate the culture of worshiping graves.”

Witnesses said the Shebab militia chanted “God is great” as they dug up the and destroyed the graves using hammers and hoes.

Sufism, which is dominant in Somalia, emphasises the mystical dimension of Islam and includes practices considered as idolatry and innovations in the conservative Wahhabi current of Islam adopted by the Shebab.

The Shebab, who control much of the lawless Horn of Africa country, have set up a unit to destroy all tombs respected by Sufi Muslims.

Shop claims soap made from Holocaust victims

Posted on by

Montreal vendor’s offering sparks outrage

Two merchants at a trinket shop in Montreal that claims to have a bar of soap made from Second World War victims ordered a reporter and photographer out of the shop on Friday.

Two merchants at a trinket shop in Montreal that claims to have a bar of soap made from Second World War victims ordered a reporter and photographer out of the shop on Friday.

Photograph by: Marcos Townsend, canwest news service, Canwest News Service

A vendor’s claim that soap for sale in his Montreal trinket shop is made from the corpses of Second World War victims is under investigation by Montreal police after the B’nai Brith League for Human Rights lodged a complaint under a Criminal Code ban on violating human remains.

A CBC radio reporter first disclosed that a shop on St. Laurent Boulevard was selling a bar of soap allegedly made from the fat of Holocaust victims. The light brown bar had a swastika and was on display with a card that said it was from Poland, from approximately 1940, according to CBC.

In spite of rumours to the contrary, there is no evidence the Germans ever made soap out of human flesh, most Holocaust experts agree.

But Marvin Kurz, B’nai Brith’s national legal counsel, said just the offer to sell such an item is outrageous.

“It is despicable to claim you’re selling the remains of a dead person, when it would be the product of the greatest crime in history,” he said. “Nobody would go around selling the fingers of a murder victim.”

Frank Chalk, director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University, doubted the soap is authentic as the vendor claims.

“The consensus among historians of the Holocaust is that the Germans never made fat out of human remains.”

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Islamophobia is a threat to democracy

Posted on by

Muslims and thier allies respond

Those poor misunderstood Muslims

 GAURDIAN NEWS… We are concerned by the rise of Islamophobia, the negative coverage of Muslims in the media, the violent street mobilisations of extreme rightwing organisations like the English Defence League, and the rising electoral support for the British National party (The battle for Barking, Weekend, 13 March). Following Channel 4’s recent inflammatory documentary, Britain’s Islamic Republic, which saw concentrated attacks on the East London Mosque, the English Defence League marched through central London with placards including the demand “Close the East London Mosque now”.

The East End of London is not new to having its communities attacked by fascists and the media. The 1930s saw the Battle of Cable Street when Oswald Mosley’s blackshirts attempted to march into the Jewish community in the area. We cannot allow this terrible history to repeat itself. Further, the documentary, and articles since, have attacked the participation in politics by the Muslim community. We cannot stand by and watch this continue without remark or action.

In the runup to the general election, all parts of the population should be actively encouraged to exercise their votes. That is democracy. We welcome the work of organisations who work to this end. We call for solidarity and support for those organisations that work to encourage political participation from all sections of society, including Muslims, and condemn those who seek to undermine it. Continue Reading →

Israeli tanks ‘enter Gaza’ after deadly clashes

Posted on by

BBCNEWS… Israeli tanks are reported to have advanced into the Gaza Strip following clashes with Palestinians in which two Israeli soldiers died.

Witnesses in Gaza said tanks and bulldozers were moving towards the southern town of Khan Younis.

They also said there had been firing from the Israeli navy along the Gaza coastline.

It is the first time Israeli soldiers have died in Gaza since Israel’s 22-day offensive there more than a year ago.

Reports say at least two Palestinians have also been killed.

Israel says the fighting started when its troops crossed into Gaza after spotting militants planting explosives along the border.

Reports from inside Gaza say the militants then tried to capture an Israeli soldier.

Retaliation Continue Reading →

Britain’s Islamic Republic. Dispatches report in 5 parts

Posted on by

UN rights body narrowly passes Islamophobia resolution

Posted on by

GLOBALNEWS… GENEVA – The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution condemning Islamophobic behaviour, including Switzerland’s minaret building ban, despite some states’ major reservations.

The resolution, which was criticized by the United States as “an instrument of division”, “strongly condemns . . . the ban on the construction of minarets of mosques and other recent discriminatory measures.”

In a November referendum Swiss citizens voted to ban the construction of new minarets, a move that drew criticisms worldwide.

Such measures “are manifestations of Islamophobia that stand in sharp contradiction to international human rights obligations concerning freedoms of religions,” said the resolution.

Such acts would “fuel discrimination, extremism and misperception leading to polarization and fragmentation with dangerous unintended and unforeseen consequences,” it charged.

Some 20 countries voted in favour of the resolution entitled “combating defamation of religions”, 17 voted against and eight abstained.

The resolution also “expresses deep concern . . . that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism.” Continue Reading →

Hamas gunmen in deadly clash with Israeli troops entering Gaza

Posted on by

TELEGRAPH…Hamas gunmen opened fire on Israeli troops who crossed into Gaza on Friday, killing two as tensions escalated following the most violent week since Israel’s invasion of the coast enclave 14 months ago.

The clashes came as Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, signalled for the first time since receiving a dressing down from US President Barack Obama on Tuesday that he would reject American demands to halt Jewish construction in East Jerusalem.

The Israeli army said two soldiers were killed and two were wounded in an exchange of fire near the Palestinian town of Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. There were unconfirmed reports that two Hamas fighters were also killed.

After months of relative tranquillity following the end of Israel’s military offensive in January last year, there has been an upsurge in rocket attacks from Gaza over recent days, one of which killed a Thai immigrant working in a greenhouse north of the enclave last week.

In a development that will disturb Israel, Hamas admitted its forces were involved in yesterday’s clash. Responsibility for the rocket attacks of the past week has been claimed by Islamist groups largely opposed to Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007.

Shortly before Mr Netanyahu convened a secret session of his inner cabinet, a statement was released from the prime minister’s office indicating that Israel would give no ground on the settlement issue, which has caused the greatest chasm in its relations with the United States for many years.

“The prime minister’s position is that there is no change in Israel’s policy on Jerusalem that has been pursued by all governments of Israel for the past 42 years,” the statement read.

Enraged by an Israeli decision to build 1,600 Jewish homes in East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War but seen by Palestinians as their future capital, Mr Obama called on Mr Netanyahu to reverse the move and make a series of confidence building gestures to restart peace talks.

While defying Mr Obama’s key demand, a spokesman for the prime minister said that he was prepared to take “additional steps to advance peace talks”.

But a powerful pro-settlement lobby group within the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, urged Mr Netanyahu not to go even that far.

South Korean Naval vessel sunk, possible torpedo attack by North

Posted on by

From STRATFOR:

According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, a 1,500-ton naval vessel with a crew of 104 sank off of the island of Baengnyeong in the Yellow Sea on March 26. Based on size and crew displacement it is likely either an Ulsan-class guided missile frigate or a Po Hang-class corvette. The incident took place between 9 and 10 a.m. local time. The cause is unknown, but the BBC has reported that a torpedo was involved. Seoul has said there was an explosion at the stern, and it is investigating whether a torpedo attack from North Korea was the cause, according to YTN TV. The contested waters between North and South Korea do see the occasional naval clashes, but the loss of a surface combatant on this scale would be extremely significant.

UPDATE 1:

March 26, 2010
A South Korean military source said March 26 that the naval vessel that sank near North Korea was probably attacked, KBS reported.

UPDATE 2:

March 26, 2010
MBC television reported about half the crew of a sunken South Korean Navy vessel has been saved so far, Channel News Asia reported March 26.

A little Koranic game. ‘What if we said that about them?’

Posted on by

The author of this video emailed me as it had been taken down from various sites, and send me the file and asked if I could re-upload it, so I did.

This is a now common but still important rhetorical device. Why is it that if we say the exact same things about Islam, we are guilty of a crime, but under the guise or, better said, disguise, of religion it is protected speech.

All political and religious speech laws must go at the very least. The Music I added was not Count Basie but was Duke Ellington. I often get members of the Jazz Royal Family confused, apologies, and also the music cannot be heard in Germany.

Islam TV in Britain: hatred, intolerance & misogyny regularly broadcast.

Posted on by

From The Daily Mail U.K.

Islamic TV show ‘backed marital rape’ and promotes extremist groups, claims Muslim think tank

By Steve Doughty
Last updated at 10:27 PM on 25th March 2010

Globovision TV Venezuela arrested for remarks critical of Hugo Chavez

Posted on by

From STRATFOR

March 25, 2010
Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega said Guillermo Zuloaga, owner and president of the television channel Globovision, has been arrested for making remarks “offensive” to President Hugo Chavez, Fox News reported March 25. Zuloaga said he had been detained at an airport in Falcon state.

Quebec: “gender equality is paramount”, plans to ban niqab.

Posted on by

From The National Post

Quebec bill would ban niqabs to all receiving government services

Graeme Hamilton, National Post Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

A proposed Quebec bill would deny accommodations of religious differences in cases where safety, communications or identification so require. Phil Noble/Reuters A proposed Quebec bill would deny accommodations of religious differences in cases where safety, communications or identification so require.

MONTREAL — Quebec will refuse all government services, including education and non-emergency health care, to fully veiled Muslim women under legislation tabled on Wednesday in the National Assembly.

Jean Charest, the Liberal Premier, said the bill establishing guidelines for the accommodation of religious minorities is aimed at “drawing a line” to demonstrate that gender equality is a paramount Quebec value.

“If you are someone employed by the state and you deliver a service, you will deliver it with your face uncovered,” he told reporters in Quebec City. “If you are a citizen who receives services, you will receive them with your face uncovered.”

The bill applies to not only government departments and Crown corporations but hospitals, schools, universities and daycare centres that receive funding from the province. Continue Reading →