Hooker ‘jihad’ launched by imam in Spain

I guess this guy feels perfectly within his rights to harass and intimidate these women considering that Islamists insist upon referring to Spain as, Muslim Spain.

From The Telegraph U.K.

Imam accused of launching ‘jihad’ against prostitutes in Spain

An imam who has launched a “jihad” on prostitutes, encouraging women to harass the women in a city in southern Spain, is facing a restraining order to prevent him from harassing them.

By Fiona Govan in Madrid
Published: 5:30PM BST 02 Jun 2010

Street walkers in Cartagena, on Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast, have complained that the imam of a local mosque has launched a campaign of intimidation to get them off the streets.

Yazid Koudri, president of the Islamic community of Cartagena and the imam of the Ennour mosque, has been accused of sending a team of “Muslim guards” onto the streets to prevent the women from working.

Police confirm that they have received several complaints from prostitutes working in the streets around the mosque, including one woman who claimed the imam had tried to run her over in his car.

Others said the imam sent a team of his faithful onto the streets encouraging them to “insult the sex workers” and “threaten violence”.

Mr Koudri has openly lobbied authorities to crack down on the red light district, which has emerged on several streets around the mosque in what local newspapers have termed a “jihad against prostitution”.

Last month, he presented a petition to the city hall, calling for more policing of the area. The letter had more than 200 signatures, believed to be collected from among the 300 people who regularly worship at the mosque.

“We are not against what these women do,” Mr Koudri stated. “But ask that they don’t do it in the streets where our children walk.”

Members of the mosque have reportedly been placed at the entrance to streets favoured by prostitutes to prevent any Muslim passing through, an act which the women complain has led to a drop in clients.

The local prosecutor has applied for a restraining order to prevent the Imam going within 200 yards of the sex workers.

Prostitution is legal in Spain, although living off earnings derived from prostituting other people is not.

Saudi’s on MTV’s ‘True Life’ sued, face punishment for ‘openly declaring sin’

From The National Post

I want my ‘openly declaring sin’ MTV!

Ali  Jarekji/Reuters file photo

Ali Jarekji/Reuters file photo

By Katherine Laidlaw June 1, 2010 – 7:30 pm

Three Saudi youths (none pictured here) who will appear on an upcoming episode of MTV’s reality show True Life could face punishments including prison and lashing for their on-air discussion of wanting more freedoms in their homeland. One girl, Fatima, tried to open a business selling cloaks in colours other than black.

Three Saudi youth may face punishment for appearing on the MTV reality show True Life to talk about ways they’re resisting the country’s strict morality, after the Saudi religious police filed a lawsuit against them for the crime of “openly declaring sin.”

The police are trying to drag the three into court and, if successful, charge them. The teens starred in an episode of the MTV documentary series, which originally aired in Saudi Arabia on May 24, called “Resist the Power! Saudi Arabia.” The program followed three characters, identified only by their first names: Aziz, who tries to meet his girlfriend for a date; Fatima, who tries to open a business selling cloaks in colours other than black; and Ahmad, who thinks women should be able to run for and hold elected office.

On the show, Aziz says, “We are not free to live as we like,” and describes the difficulty he experiences when trying to go on dates in Jeddah with his girlfriend.

An officer at the Jeddah court said it would take at least a week to decide whether to proceed to trial.

The Saudi judiciary system, based on an austere reading of Islamic sharia law, metes out harsh punishments for morality offences, sometimes including lashes with a whip and years of imprisonment. Last year, a Saudi named Mazen Abdul-Jawad was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and five years in prison for discussing his sexual affairs on a show televised by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.

“It will be very difficult to stop the religious clockwork once this gets to court,” a Saudi lawyer told Reuters yesterday. The True Life subjects “may face harsh sanctions like those dealt to Abdul-Jawad.”

–True Life “Resist the Power! Saudi Arabia” will air in Canada on July 12 at 3 p.m. ET on MTV2. Click here for more details. mtv.ca/tvshows/true-life for more information.

with files from Reuters

Zakir Naik on British speaking tour.

” Every Muslim should be a terrorist”. ” Western women are easy targets for rape.” ” If you eat pigs then you behave like pigs”. So says Peace TV’s cleric Zakir Naik.

From The Daily Mail U.K.

Muslim hate preacher is let into Britain despite Tories’ pledge to keep out radicals


By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:00 PM on 30th May 2010

Home Secretary Theresa May faces outrage after her officials allowed an Islamic hate-preacher to enter Britain.

Zakir Naik, who has said ‘every Muslim should be a terrorist’ and claimed Western women are easy rape targets because of their revealing clothes, is to speak in a tour of the country.

But his arrival appears to fly in the face of earlier Tory pledges to oppose radical Islam and attempts to keep extremists out of the UK.

Extremist: Zakir Naik is to tour Britain
Theresa May

Test: Extremist Zakir Naik was allowed into the UK by Theresa May’s  officials

When the Indian last came to Britain in 2006, David Davies – the Conservative MP for Monmouth – described him as a ‘hate-monger’.

But the Home Office, however, indicated that they are not planning to ban Naik, a doctor who preaches on the satellite channel Peace TV.

So the Prime Minister David Cameron and Mrs May now face a political test over how tough their stance will remain now they are in government.

Naik, who will appear at London’s Wembley Arena and in Sheffield,  has been described by some moderate Muslims as a ‘truth-twister’.

In a recent lecture, he said he was ‘with’ Osama Bin Laden over the attacks on ‘terrorist America’, adding that the 9/11 hijackings were an inside job by President George W Bush, the Sunday Times reports.

‘I don’t know what he’s doing’ he said about Bin Laden. I’m not in touch with him. I don’t know him personally. If he is terrorising the terrorists, if he is terrorising America the terrorist … I am with him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist,’ said Naik about the US President.

The rancorous Naik is a doctor by profession and can recite long passages from the Quran by rote, his distinguished educational background and knowledge set him apart from the usual ‘mad mullah’ category.

However, he has called for all Muslims who change their faith to be executed.

The resident of Mumbai reserves the harshest criticism for Americans.

‘In America, most people consume pork. Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives. Many say, ‘You sleep with my wife and I will sleep with your wife’. If you eat pigs then you behave like pigs,’ he said describing the American way of life.

The uproar over his visit follows on the heels of a similar incident involving controversial preacher, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian radical.

The Tories were then in the Opposition and had vehemently campaigned for a ban on entry into Britain for al-Qaradawi.

One well-placed insider told the paper: ‘Zakir Naik is a nasty man who makes al-Qaradawi look like a participant at a teddy bears’ picnic. He shouldn’t be allowed into the country to stir up hatred.’

The UK Border Agency, a Home Office department, said: ‘Each case is considered on its own merits.

‘When assessing a visa application, we will consider the previous conduct of the individual and we will ensure the UK does not provide a platform for the promotion of violent extremism.’

British family gunned down in honour murder massacre

From The Daily Mail U.K.

Secret love-child ‘sparked honour killing massacre’ of British family in Pakistan

Last updated at 12:42 PM on 30th May 2010

Natalie SnowdenNatalie Snowden is believed to have had a child with Kamar Mahmood

An Asian man whose marriage breakdown allegedly led to the murders of his parents and sister may have split up with his wife because he had a love-child with a secret girlfriend.

Kamar Mahmood separated from his wife Nabeela after being married for nine years.

It is understood that the shame of the couple’s split – and the news that Mr Mahmood had allegedly cheated on his wife with a white, blonde girl – outraged Nabeela’s family so much that they decided to take revenge.

Nabeela’s three brothers and two other men are accused of shooting dead Mr Mahmood’s father Moham-mad Yusaf, 51, his mother Pervaze, 49, and sister Tania, 22, who were in Pakistan for the marriage of their youngest son, Asad, 24.

The victims were sprayed with bullets as they prayed at a relative’s graveside in a village in Gujrat province. Continue Reading →

More Muslims killing more Muslims.

From The Daily Mail U.K.

Pakistan sect demands protection after at least 93 members killed in militant assault on Lahore mosques

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 1:47 PM on 29th May 2010

Leaders of Pakistan’s minority Ahmadi sect demanded better government protection this morning as they buried many of the 93 sect members killed by Islamist militants at two of the group’s mosques.

The request could test the government’s willingness to take on hard-line Islamists whose influence is behind decades of state-sanctioned discrimination against the Ahmadis in the Sunni Muslim-majority country.

The attacks occurred minutes apart on Friday in two neighbourhoods in the eastern city of Lahore.

Two teams of gunmen, including some in suicide vests, stormed the mosques and sprayed bullets at worshippers while holding off police.

massacreA Pakistani policeman carries the bloodied body of a worshiper at one of two mosques stormed by gunmen in Lahore yesterday

Thirteen people died overnight at hospitals, raising the death toll to 93, said Raja Ghalab Ahmad, a local sect leader.

Dozens were hurt.

Waseem Sayed, a U.S.-based Ahmadi spokesman, said it was the worst attack in the group’s 121-year history.

Local TV channels reported that the Pakistani Taliban, or their Punjab province branch, had claimed responsibility. Continue Reading →

Times Square Bomber denied bail, wants halal meals in the clink

From The Ottawa Citizen

Accused N.Y. Times Square bomber denied bail

By Basil Katz, Reuters May 18, 2010 7:45 PM

NEW YORK – Suspected Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was ordered held without bail on Tuesday in his first court appearance since his arrest two weeks ago.

Magistrate Judge James Francis remanded Shahzad in custody after his court-appointed defense lawyer, Julia Gatto, opted not to challenge the prosecutors’ request that he remain jailed pending trial in Manhattan federal court.

Shahzad, 30, remained expressionless and silent as the judge read the charges. He spoke only once to say a statement about his finances was correct. Shahzad entered the courtroom unshackled, wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey sweat pants with white gym shoes, and was handcuffed before being led to jail.

Shahzad did not enter a plea and the next court date was scheduled for June 1.

The Pakistani-born man, who became a U.S. citizen last year, is accused of parking a crude car bomb in New York’s crowded Times Square on May 1. He was arrested aboard a Dubai-bound jetliner two days later.

He has been charged with 5 felonies, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying to kill and maim people. He faces life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors said Shahzad has admitted to the failed Times Square bomb attack and has been co-operating with investigators since his arrest on May 3.

Prosecutors said Shahzad, who has a wife and two children in Pakistan, had traveled to a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold in Pakistan to receive bomb-making training.

The Pakistani Taliban, called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing.

Prosecutors say Shahzad has waived his right to remain silent and has provided valuable intelligence since his arrest, but a prominent defense lawyer on Tuesday raised questions about the unusually long time between Shahzad’s arrest and his first appearance in court.

Defense lawyer Ron Kuby, who does not represent Shahzad, called the elapsed time “unprecedented” and suggested Shazhad might have been “buried in the bowels of a Manhattan version of Guantanamo.”

Asked by Judge Francis if Shahzad had willingly given up his right to be presented in court sooner, Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Jackson, one of the prosecutors in the case, said “yes.”

It remained unclear when Shahzad met with a defense lawyer for the first time. Gatto, the court-appointed lawyer who sat by Shahzad’s side at Tuesday’s 9-minute hearing, declined to speak with reporters.

At the hearing, U.S. Marshals emptied the court room ahead of the proceeding for a security sweep. Law enforcement officials formed a tight cordon inside the room, where about 20 journalists were allowed in.

Gatto asked the judge that specific instructions be sent to the Bureau of Prisons for Shahzad to receive halal meals.

Shahzad has been charged with five felonies in the May 1 incident: attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, using a destructive device in an attempted violent crime, transporting and receiving explosives, and trying to damage and destroy property with fire and explosives.

Shahzad lived in the neighboring state of Connecticut and had recently returned to the United States after spending several months in Pakistan.

Several people have been arrested in Pakistan in the case and U.S. authorities carried out raids last week in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maine, detaining three people.

A U.S. official said White House National Security Adviser James Jones and CIA Director Leon Panetta were in Pakistan to discuss the Times Square case and other matters, noting that the Pakistanis were “doing more” in the way of co-operation.

“The Pakistanis have done some good work on the Shahzad case,” the official said. “It’s important for them to have as fresh a picture as possible of how the United States views the threat from the tribal areas.”

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Burqas are all the rage in France.

Burka rage as female lawyer rips veil off Muslim woman in French clothes shop

By Peter Allen
Last updated at 1:19 AM on 19th May 2010

From The DailyMail U.K.

This week’s Tales from the ‘Freedom’ Files

This week’s stories remind us once again of how ‘old fashioned’, rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony Left in its mission to create a better, more thoughtful world continues to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser, dictatorial approach. Initially we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as we felt they may provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Quickly concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1. From The U.K.  Man Banned from Buying Flowers. Co-op Supermarket customer David Houlgate wanted to buy some flowers for his daughters but was denied the purchase after store staff told him they had ‘passed their due date’. Despite the fact that the flowers had been reduced for sale and had some life left, the grocery had slated them for destruction.

‘I can understand not selling food which has gone past its sell-by date – but flowers? I did tell the manager that I wasn’t planning on eating them, but she insisted I could not have them”, Mr. Houlgate said adding, ‘It’s frankly ridiculous that flowers cannot be sold to someone willing to buy them simply because they are past their sell-by date.’ Co-op’s customer relations officer reiterated store policy stating, ‘In the case of plants and flowers, we are unable to guarantee the quality of these products after their expiry date, therefore instruct the store not to sell them.’

A man was told he could not buy a bunch of tulips because they had  reached their 'use by' date

Britain: Catholic schoolgirls told to dress like Muslims for mosque visit or face truancy

From The Daily Mail U.K.

Parents’ outrage as children told ‘dress as a Muslim for mosque trip – or you will be branded a truant’

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:19 AM on 12th May 2010

A Catholic schoolgirl has been branded a ‘truant’ by her teachers after she refused to dress as a Muslim for a school field trip to a mosque.

Staff had ordered 14-year-old Amy Owen and her classmates to dress in headscarf, wear trousers or leggings and keep her arms covered for the compulsory visit to the mosque after it was arranged to promote ‘community cohesion.’

Parents at the 1,100 pupil Ellesmere Port Catholic High School in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire were also told they were each required to make a £3 contribution towards the trip for all Year Nine students.

Michelle Davies' daughter Amy Owen was ordered to wear a headscarf  and trousers or leggings for a school trip to a mosqueMichelle Davies’ daughter Amy Owen was ordered to wear a headscarf and trousers or leggings for a school trip to a mosque

But when Amy refused to dress in Muslim attire for the visit to Al Rahma Mosque in Toxteth, Liverpool, staff warned her about rules and said refusal would mean non attendance which would then be marked down as an ‘unauthorised absence.’

In a stern letter to her family with words in block capitals and underlined, the school’s headmaster Peter Lee said the visit was ‘as compulsory as a geography field trip.’ Continue Reading →

This week’s “Tales from the ‘Freedom’ Files”

This week’s stories remind us once again of how ‘old fashioned’, rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony Left in its mission to create a better, more thoughtful world continues to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser, dictatorial approach. Initially we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as we felt they may provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Quickly concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1. From Egypt.  Arabian Nights Obscene say Lawyers. A group of Islamist lawyers have called for a ban on ‘Arabian Nights’. Known in the original Arabic as ” One Thousand and One Nights”, the collection of folk tales and short stories has raised the ire of the lawyers who claim it is a call to ” vice and sin”. They were shocked to find offensive language and depictions of sexuality, arguing that the references to sex were calls to sin. Writers Union spokesman Ahmed Megahed said the lawyers were behaving like the Taliban and any call to ban the literary classic was an assault on the freedom of expression. ” We will not be influenced by a bunch of people who use Islam in order to suppress freedom” he said.

#2 From Britain.  Election Protest Poster Branded Racist. Fed up with being inundated with canvassing politicians leading up to the U.K. election, pensioner and former Tory councilor Roy Newman 74, put up a red, white and blue election poster in a window of his home. The sign read ” Get the Lot Out”. Ninety minutes later the police arrived informing Newman they were responding to a complaint by which an individual had interpreted the poster to be racist as the colours represented the Union Jack. In response to the complaint, Mr. Newman added yellow, but refused to take his sign down from the window despite being threatened with arrest. The police later explained the sign to the complainant and no charges were laid.

Defiance: Mr Newman put up the sign after being bombarded by   canvassers

#3. From The U.S.  American Flag Logo Tees Offensive to Mexican-Americans. Five California high school students were sent home for wearing ‘American flag’ t-shirts to school on ” Cinco De Mayo” day. They were told they could wear them on any other day, but not on Cinco De Mayo as Mexican-American students may take offense. The students were told to either take off the shirts or risk being suspended at which point they chose to go home. Their parents are outraged. Insulted, some Mexican-American students have demanded an apology, but none has been forthcoming. The school district is not in agreement with the local high school’s decision.

#4 From The U.K.  “Unhealthy” Cheese Sandwich Confiscated from Toddler. A two-year old boy has been pulled out of a nursery after staff claimed a cheese sandwich his mother had made for him broke their ‘healthy eating’ rules. The youngster was left in tears after nursery workers took away the sandwich from his packed lunch box and offered him their own fruit and vegetables instead. Jack Ormisher’s parents were told that had the sandwich included tomato or lettuce, he would have been permitted to eat it. The Westfield Children’s Centre in Pemberton, has drawn up a list of ‘healthy eating options’ for youngsters which include fruit, vegetables, rice, pasta and potatoes. A spokesman for Wigin council said ” a cheese sandwich would not be featured on the list”. Jack’ parents have since moved their son to another nursery.

#5 From The U.K.  Christian Foster Mother Struck Off Care Register. A Christian foster mother has been struck off the care resister and banned by her local council for failing to prevent a Muslim teenager from converting to Christianity even though the 16 year old changed religions of her own volition. The foster mother who has 10 years experience and has successfully fostered over 80 children, has since had to move from her home due to loss of income. The girl now 17, had been taken into care after suffering assault and abuse by a family member and saw baptism as a symbol of a ‘fresh start’. Despite the foster Mum’s attempts to offer the teenager alternatives and a place to practice Islam, the young woman insisted she wanted to convert. As a result, officials struck the carer off their registry, claiming she breached her duty of care as a foster parent. ” They consider that she should have taken steps to prevent the conversion” her solicitor said. A member of the Christian Institute also remarked ” I cannot imagine that an atheist foster carer would be struck off if a Christian child in her care stopped believing in God”. Apostacy is strongly condemned in the Quran and within Muslim communities. The teenager is back in the care of her family and remains supportive of her former carer. The legal case is ongoing.

NYC: Mosque to open next to Freedom Tower

From Manhattan Local News, courtesy TROP

Mosque to Open Two Blocks From World Trade Center

May 5, 2010 2:55pm   Updated May 6, 2010 7:03am

The downtown community has mixed feelings about plans for an Islamic center near Ground Zero, but Community Board 1 approved the plan Wednesday night.

Somali Canadian praised by Islamists in eulogy

From The National Post Canada

Related: Militant Group Trains Children to Kill Infidels.

Extremists praise Somali Canadian in online eulogy

Stewart Bell, National Post Published: Tuesday, May 04, 2010

TORONTO — A Canadian who was being investigated for allegedly joining a Somali militant group died in a “fierce battle,” according to a eulogy posted on an extremist website.

“During the fight, he received a fatal wound to the point that he was unable to participate,” it says. “The mujahedin that were with him carried him and placed him in a safe area.”

It says he gave the others his weapon “to continue to defend the religion of Allah” and they left him and went back to fight. When they returned he was dead, it says.

Mohamed Elmi Ibrahim, 22, was one of a half-dozen radicalized young Somali-Canadians who allegedly left Toronto last year to join the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab.

The Al-Qimmah Somali Internet forum said in March he was dead. It provided few details but this week a eulogy appeared on the same extremist website. Continue Reading →

Choosing the burqa.

Seems the burqa is the garment of choice among thieves.

From The Telegraph U.K.

Robber wore burka to carry out jewellery raid

A robber wore a burka as a disguise to carry out a raid on a jewellery shop, police said.

Published: 3:10PM BST 06 May 2010

The criminal used the black head-to-toe garment, favoured by some Muslim women, along with a hijab or face veil, showing only his eyes, to hide his identity.

Owners of the jewellers in Bury, Greater Manchester thought the six foot tall robber was a woman and allowed him entry.

But as soon as he was buzzed in three men barged in behind him – one brandishing a shotgun.

They raided the shop stealing a large amount of bangles, rings and lockets, before escaping in a waiting car, thought to be a silver Toyota Yaris.

Police are now hunting five men, all Asian, thought to be involved in the raid, which took place at about 4.15pm on Wednesday at Capri Jewellers on Benson Street in Bury.

The offender dressed as a woman is described as Asian, over 6ft tall and of thin build.

The getaway driver is described as Asian, in his early 20s, of chubby build. He was bald and wearing glasses.

The other three offenders are described as Asian and were wearing balaclavas.

The gang left behind two holdalls that were branded Wei Bao.

Det Sgt Chris Jameson, of Greater Manchester Police, said: ”The store has very tight security so the ruse used to gain entry shows a level of detailed planning and I want to hear from anyone who may have overheard the gang preparing for this robbery.”I would also urge anyone who knows the whereabouts of the getaway car or who may have been approached with a view to buying the stolen items to call police. All information will be treated in strict confidence.”

In western Europe wearing of the burka or face-coverings in public has stirred controversy with some countries considering or imposing a ban on the dress.

Muslims say the burka is a part of their religious culture and such state interference is evidence of prejudice against their faith.

“Four Lions”; a suicide bomber comedy

Who wants to bet this gets lots of laughs?

From The Telegraph U.K.

Families of 7/7 victims condemn suicide bomber comedy Four Lions

Families of victims killed in the July 7 London terror attacks have condemned a new comedy about would-be suicide bombers.

By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor
Published: 2:38PM BST 06 May 2010

Families of 7/7 victims condemn suicide bomber comedy Four Lions

A scene from Four Lions, the new film from Brass Eye creator Chris Morris

Four Lions was written and directed by Chris Morris, the satirist behind Channel 4’s controversial Brass Eye show. It follows four British Muslims and their incompetent attempts to wage jihad.

The film is released nationwide this week. Graham Foulkes, who lost his 22-year-old son, David, in the 2005 bombings, said the parallels with the real-life attacks on London’s transport system were too great.

“I didn’t see the humour in four people buying ingredients to make a bomb to come to London and kill innocent members of the public travelling on the Underground. I didn’t think that was funny at all,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He has taken a specific attack – four lads from the North all with strong Yorkshire accents, and the bombers were from Yorkshire – travelling down to London. So it’s very specific, very aligned to what happened in 2005. That’s not parodying or being satirical about terrorists, it’s making money out of a specific attack.”

Morris said his film was inspired by real-life tales of incompetent terrorists. “The unfathomable world of extremism seemed to contain elements of farce,” he said.

Arsher Ali, an actor who plays one of the main characters, said: “Terrorism is in the news almost every day, but there are little stories within those things that are inherently comic and inherently human.”

Canada deplores Iran’s election to the UN Commission on the Status of Women

From PressTV

Iran seat on UN panel irks Canada
Sun, 02 May 2010 02:39:11 GMT
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon
Iran’s election to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), an influential panel that promotes women’s rights, has irked Canada.

In a Saturday statement, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said there were “serious concerns” with Iran’s election to the UNCSWat the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

On Thursday, the UN announced that Iran, along with 10 other countries, had been elected to the high-profile UNCSW for the term beginning in 2011.

The UNCSW seeks to ensure women’s rights by investigating nations that violate women’s rights, monitoring their efforts in improving women’s equality and detailing their shortcomings.

“It is the Government of Canada’s understanding that Iran was acclaimed as a member of the UN Commission on the Status of Women as part of an uncontested slate endorsed by the Asian regional group, of which Canada is not a member,” he said.

“We deplore this development but will use Iran’s membership on this body to take the Iranian authorities to task for their systemic human rights violations,” he added.

Rejecting allegations of human rights violations, Iran blames Western countries for most of the abuses and rights violations that happen around the world.

“Those who claim to be the top advocates of human rights start wars and kill millions of people,” President Ahmadinejad has said.

Canada’s government is currently struggling with the parliament over documents that could implicate Canada in torture of Afghan detainees while in American custody.

Ahmadinejad has also said that freedom of expression and freedom of religion were integral parts of Iranian culture.

Iran’s civilization and culture dates back to 2500 years ago, when “Cyrus the Great put an end to slavery,” he has said, drawing a comparison with the US, where slavery has only been abolished for 180 years.

MJ/MMN