Security police in Kiev stormed the main camp of protesters who have been defying the Ukrainian government by camping out there for weeks. At least eighteen people were killed in the resulting fight, including seven policemen.
In other news, China has overtaken India as the world’s largest purchaser of gold.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Caroline Glick, Fjordman, Insubria, JD, JP, RR, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Another JP Morgan Banker Leaps to His Death
Hong Kong man becomes 7th banker to die under mysterious circumstances
Yet another banker has committed suicide, with a JP Morgan forex trader leaping to his death from the top of the firm’s Chater House headquarters in Hong Kong.
Over the past few weeks at least seven bankers have died under mysterious circumstances, including another JP Morgan senior manager who jumped off the top of a skyscraper in London last month.
Speculation is rife that the series of deaths are connected to some kind of looming financial crisis or a huge legal case targeting bankers for malfeasance, although no definite link has been established.
Eyewitnesses said that the man, who was in his 30s, accessed the roof of the 30 story office tower and jumped, with police on the scene failing to talk him out of committing suicide. Chater House is JP Morgan’s main regional Asian office.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
China Removes $8bn From Money Markets to Control Lending
China’s central bank has removed nearly $8bn (£4.7bn) from the money markets in a bid to control the amount of credit in the country’s financial system.
It is the first time since June the PBOC has used forward repos, and comes after China released unusually strong economic data earlier this year. Chinese stocks fell in Shanghai.
A trader at a Chinese commercial bank in Shanghai told the Reuters news agency that the move “sent a strong signal to the markets that the central bank is not letting liquidity ease”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Expert Warns of Hyperinflation: “The American Way of Life Will be Destroyed”
If there’s one thing that’s certain about what’s happening in the world right now it’s that uncertainty is pervading every aspect of the global economy. — From fabricated employment statistics and consumer spending reports to obscene levels of debt and a failing domestic monetary policy, the writing is on the wall.
According to top Casey Research analyst Marin Katusa, who has met with energy ministers and business leaders in over 100 countries, it’s only a matter of time before the world’s reserve currency goes the way of the German Reichsmark and Zimbabwe Dollar.
What we’re talking about here is nothing short of an outright collapse of our banking system, hyperinflation of the US dollar, and a complete destruction of the world as we have come to know it.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Small-Business Owners Say They Have Had Enough of Crisis
Entrepreneurs call for help at rally in popular Rome square
(ANSA) — Rome, February 18 — Owners of small- and medium-sized businesses rallied Tuesday in a popular piazza in Rome, saying they cannot endure more economic troubles and calling for government help.
“Enough, enough, enough,” chanted the group in Piazza del Popolo, including artisans, owners of small businesses, and the self-employed who say they cannot go on trying to do business in a crisis environment.
“Piazza del Popolo has today become the square of Italian entrepreneurs,” shouted Giacomo Basso, leader of the group Casartigiani.
“Hear our cry, because a square filled with artisans and merchants is worth a hundred speeches”.
The rally comes just days after a report was released showing that approximately 134,000 small businesses have gone bankrupt in Italy since the start of the global crisis in 2008.
Italy has gone through a double-dip recession, the second part of which was the worst economic slowdown in the post-war period.
The study by the Mestre branch of artisan and small business association CGIA said these people are especially vulnerable because in Italy they are not eligible for unemployment benefits or income support when they find themselves out of work.
Luca Squeri, an MP with the centre-right Forza Italia party, called Tuesday’s rally “incredible” and said what business needs is lower taxes, less bureaucracy, free credit and labour market regulations.
Stefano Fassina, an MP with the Democratic Party (PD), said Premier-Designate Matteo Renzi, leader of the PD, is interested and will implement economic policies to help business.
“We are here to listen…the manufacturing base of this country is understandably exasperated, it needs answers and (Renzi’s) transition government must put more energy on answers,” said Fassina in a radio interview with Radio Città Futura.
Fassina said Renzi wants to “negotiate” with the European Union a temporary easing on certain economic rules to give Italian business some help on pulling out of the recession.
EU rules require Italy and other countries to limit their debt-to-GDP ratio at or below 3%. Italian officials have been working to meet that and other requirements so as to obtain permission from the EU to use a clause in its rules that allows for greater investment spending.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Registers 30.4-Bn-Euro Trade Surplus for 2013
Positive balance due to 5.5% drop in imports
(ANSA) — Rome, February 18 — Italian exports exceeded imports by 30.4 billion euros in 2013, the national statistics institute said Tuesday.
This was the biggest trade surplus since 1996, Istat said.
Removing energy imports from the equation would nearly triple the figure to over 85 billion euros, the institute added.
The positive trade balance was due to a 5.5% drop in imports as the country struggled to emerge from the longest recession in over two decades.
Exports showed a drop of 0.1% over 2013, the worst result since 2009, Istat said.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy’s Non-Performing Loans Hit Levels Not Seen in 15 Years
Banking association says 145 bn euros in debt won’t be repaid
(ANSA) — Rome, February 18 — Non-performing loans in Italy have hit their highest levels in almost 15 years, the country’s banking association said Tuesday.
Net non-performing loans in December reached 156 billion euros, or about 8.1% — a level not seen since May 1999 when the ratio was 8.37%, according to a report from ABI.
Those figures were similar to an earlier report last week by Italy’s central bank on non-performing loans, which describes a situation where repayments have stalled and look unlikely to resume.
Meanwhile, ABI also reported that deposits in Italian banks have been falling, likely worsening due to lower interest rates paid by financial institutions.
In January 2014, deposits totaled almost 1.72 trillion euros, a decrease of 1.9% compared with one year earlier.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
4 Charged in Detroit Triple Murder; Police Say Victims Stabbed, Tortured, House Torched
Four people have been charged with murder in the deaths of three people who were found stabbed last week in a burning house on Detroit’s west side.
Detroit Police Sgt. Michael Woody said the men were tortured. “The nature of the wounds were horrific, all three victims were stabbed multiple times … In addition, the fire had been obviously set to cover up what turned out to be a brutal murder in an attempt to destroy potential evidence,” Woody said in a news release.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
A Picture of Detroit Ruin, Street by Forlorn Street
All over Detroit, scores of these workers — on some days as many as 75 three-person teams — have been wending their way through the streets since December, cataloging on computer tablets one of this bankrupt city’s most devastating ailments: its tens of thousands of abandoned and dilapidated buildings.
Everyone here has long known that Detroit is plagued by emptying neighborhoods, but this expedited, top-to-bottom analysis of all 380,217 parcels of land in the city, which is to be finished in a matter of weeks, will quantify the state of blight here with a level of detail rare for an American city.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
A Serial Killer in the Washington Suburbs?
The affluent city of Alexandria, Virginia, is shaken by the daytime murders of three well-known residents
Ruthanne Lodato’s killer announced himself with a knock at the door. He waited on the porch, standing beside the American flag that hangs outside the house, and when the 59-year-old music teacher answered he shot her to death in her own hallway. The man then turned the gun on her elderly mother’s caretaker, wounding her before walking down the garden path and back onto the street…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Admiral: Obama Conspired With America’s Enemies to Kidnap Chris Stevens
It’s even worse than we previously thought. A retired four-star admiral is claiming that Barack Obama intentionally conspired with America’s enemies to stage a bogus attack and the kidnapping of an American ambassador so he could “negotiate” the release of a “hostage” and bolster his mediocre approval ratings just prior to the election?
On Lou Dobbs, retired Four-Star Admiral James Lyons, said: “the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi… was the result of a bungled abduction attempt… the first stage of an international prisoner exchange… that would have ensured the release of Omar Abdel Rahman, the ‘Blind Sheik’…”
But something went horribly wrong with Obama’s “October Surprise.” Although the Obama Administration intentionally gutted security at the consulate prior to the staged kidnapping, former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty disobeyed direct orders to stand down, saved American lives, single-handedly killed scores of attackers…and the attackers, believing that the Obama had betrayed them, tortured Ambassador Chris Stevens and dragged his body through the streets.
It’s clear. Benghazi-Gate is only a small piece of a much larger operation, an attempt to conceal what The New American calls; “the Obama administration’s full role in helping violent Jihadists and self-styled al Qaeda terrorists.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Ai Weiwei Vase Worth $1m Broken in Local Artist Protest
A Florida artist is facing criminal charges after deliberately dropping a vase by dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in an apparent protest. Maximo Caminero, 51, was charged with criminal mischief after breaking the $1m (£600,000) vase on Sunday in Miami. Police say Mr Caminero told them he broke the art work in protest at the Perez Art Museum Miami’s failure to exhibit work by local artists.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Islamist Terror Enclave Discovered in Texas
FBI documents obtained by Clarion confirm the find and show the U.S. government’s concern about its links to terrorism.
A Clarion Project investigation has discovered a jihadist enclave in Texas where a deadly shooting took place in 2002. Declassified FBI documents obtained by Clarion confirm the find and show the U.S. government’s concern about its links to terrorism. The investigation was completed with help from ACT! For America Houston.
The enclave belongs to the network of Muslims of the Americas, a radical group linked to a Pakistani militant group called Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Its members are devoted followers of Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, an extremist cleric in Pakistan…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Johnny Carson’s Head Writer: Late Night Comics Protect Obama
Once again NBC ditched Jay Leno for a trophy comic. This despite Jay’s consistent ratings dominance. NBC hopes Fallon will hold Leno’s audience and not become Conan 2. The current late night landscape is populated by 19 comedy/talk shows. Leno was the Everyman, the flyover fave. He was middle of the road, less ironic than David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel. The Caesar salad to their kale. And the only one willing to launch comedic drones over the current West Wing.
His competitors haven’t exactly hammered President Barack Obama, hardly a smidgen. The paucity of Obama jokes is the dog that didn’t bark. Like their news anchor counterparts, our hosts go gentle into that late night, despite the target-rich environment of this administration. With his pen and phone, our selfie-absorbed president is one whacked uncle away from appointing himself Supreme Leader.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
New Leader Selected for Growing Ohio Muslim Community
CINCINNATI (AP) — Among the tasks ahead for the new leader of a large and growing Islamic Center in southwest Ohio is increasing understanding of Muslims.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Shakila Ahmad becomes the first woman to hold the role of president in the 18-year history of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. She got involved early at the center, offering to arrange tours that have drawn tens of thousands of visitors over the years…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Ohio Sheriff Who Refused to Renew Concealed Carry Permits is Indicted on 25 Counts
It was recently reported by Buckeye Firearms that an Ohio Sheriff has been indicted on 25 counts by a grand jury. Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly is the same guy that refused to renew the license of many concealed carry permit holders for some very suspicious reasons.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Public Schools Are Preparing America’s Children for Life in a Police State
Our children are the future of America, and our public schools are systematically training them to become accustomed to living in a “Big Brother” police state. All across the United States today, public schools have essentially become “prison grids” that are run by control freaks that are absolutely obsessed with micromanaging the lives of their students down to the smallest detail.
As you will read about below, students all over the country are now being monitored by RFID microchips, their lunches are being inspected on a daily basis by school administrators, and the social media accounts of students are being constantly monitored even when they are at home. Of course these sorts of things do not happen everywhere just yet, but on the path that we are on it is just a matter of time. At this point, many of our public schools very closely resemble “totalitarian dictatorships”, and so if the United States ever slips into totalitarianism the students of today will actually feel very comfortable under that political system.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Regulation by “Raised Eyebrow” Returns to FCC
Licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast, radio and television media are readily intimidated by the threat of FCC content regulation. They often comply with FCC editorial “suggestions” that are never formally adopted as regulations. Last week, the FCC announced that it would have its field agents visit broadcast media outlets to investigate story selections in a quest to uncover “perceived station bias.” Once again FCC intrudes into the constitutionally protected editorial prerogatives of broadcast journalists. The FCC is returning to its old game of media coercion, what fifty years ago Jack Gould referred to as “regulation by raised eyebrow.”…
It is precisely because talk radio is now dominated by conservative and libertarian opinion that the FCC now wishes to intimidate those who carry such programming into putting unpopular liberal commentators on the air. Note well that if liberal opinions had currency with American radio and television audiences, they would be aired because that would be in the economic interest of station owners, but they do not. Indeed, stations that have tried to air liberal programming have, by and large, lost market share to those who air conservative and libertarian programming…
Much like the odious IRS inquiries made of Tea Party and conservative non-profits, this FCC foray into the private domain of editorial selection is meant to intimidate and smacks of Big Brother and a sub silent return to the odious Fairness Doctrine.
FCC plans to delve into eight categories of “critical information” at each station and to probe each station’s “news philosophy” to arrive at a determination as to whether programming is biased. That, of course, is regulation by “raised eyebrow.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
There is No Such Thing as a Canola Plant
Wait, did you think there was a canola plant, like corn, soy or sunflower? Did you think making canola is just about pressing seeds? How DOES rapeseed oil magically turn into canola oil? It’s “deodorized” with a chemical component. Do you want to put a “hex” on your health? Insert “hexane” and wait for problems to rear their ugly head. Hexane, a vapor component of gasoline, is used to process oils and has been since World War II. And yes, hexane is flammable. Hexane is a chemical made from crude oil, the mainstream solvent extraction method of the entire Western world. So how is this organic? Good question.
The omega-3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed during the deodorizing process into trans fatty acids. The reason why canola is particularly unsuitable for consumption is that it contains a very-long-chain fatty acid called erucic acid, which under some circumstances is associated with fibrotic heart lesions.
Here’s an interesting fact: In 1985, the Federal Register (official journal of the federal government of the United States) stated that the FDA outlawed canola oil in infant formulas because it retarded growth. So, 25 years ago it was not good for babies, but now it’s suddenly okay for everyone else?
Take a quick look at the short-term and long-term damage you could be doing to your body by consuming canola regularly:
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
White House Shooter Opposes Terrorism Enhancement
Lawyers for an Idaho man who has pleaded guilty to firing an assault rifle at the White House in 2011 don’t want a “terrorism enhancement” to apply to his case. Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez’ lawyers wrote in court filings Monday that the application of a “terrorism enhancement” is unconstitutional, though he accepted it as part of his guilty plea in September. An enhancement increases the penalty for a charge in terrorism cases…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Ethnic, Religious Peace of Utmost Importance, Says Bulgarian President
Bulgaria’s President Rosen Plevneliev stressed that it is crucial to ensure the civil, ethnic and religious peace in the country. “We have been witnessing an escalation of ethnic tension over the past days. I cannot remain calm while religious temples are being desecrated”, the head of state noted…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
EU Warns of ‘Repercussions’ of India Marines Case
Use of anti-terrorism law to impact anti-piracy efforts
(ANSA) — Brussels, February 18 — The European Union (EU) on Tuesday warned of major repercussions for its anti-piracy efforts should India go ahead with plans to press terror charges against two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen two years ago.
“We have stated clearly that we are very concerned, because if charges are brought under the anti-terrorism law as is currently expected there will be important consequences for our fight against piracy,” a spokesperson for the High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said after the Indian Supreme Court postponed until Monday a ruling on the use of the so-called SUA Act against the Italian servicemen in what was the latest in a long string of delays.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
France: Breakthrough Arrest in Alps Murder Case
French police have made an arrest in Chevaline in the murder of a British family in the Alps
A 48-year-old man living in the Chevaline area was arrested and taken into custody by police in connection with the investigation into the murder of four in 2012, Eric Maillaud, the local prosecutor said…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
France: Muslims Sue Satirical Paper for Blasphemy, MP for Hate Speech
French Muslims are taking satirical paper Charlie Hebdo to court for blasphemy over a front page insulting the Koran. In a separate case, a right-wing MP is being sued for accusing young Muslims of anti-Semitism…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
French President Visits Grand Mosque of Paris
French media covered Tuesday the French President’s visit to the Grand Mosque of Paris to commemorate the 100 thousand Muslim soldiers who died during World War I. Francois Hollande’s visit drew the public’s attention as both the Muslim population and anti-Muslim attacks are on the rise in France. Muslim representatives expressed their concern during the meeting with Hollande and requested that necessary precautions be taken, according to the Union of Islamic Organizations of France…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
French Senator Introduces Draft Law to Ban All GM Maize Cultivation
(NaturalNews) Following a high court ruling back in August that overturned a ban on the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) corn in France, a French senator has now introduced new legislation to effectively reinstate and extend this ban. Reuters reports that a member of the ruling Socialist party has submitted a draft law calling for the outlaw of not only Monsanto’s MON 810 GM maize, but also all other existing and future iterations of transgenic corn that might be introduced.
The bill comes as the European Commission is right now considering the approval of Pioneer 1507, a new insect-resistant variety of GM corn developed jointly by DuPont and Dow Chemical. Advocates say that, if approved, Pioneer 1507 would break up the current monopoly on GM corn held by Monsanto, which is the sole provider of GM corn in Europe’s limited market for GM crops.
But intense pressure to block the approval of Pioneer 1507, coupled with France’s longstanding rejection of GMOs, is obstructing the plans of these major biotech players. If enacted, the Socialist party’s bill would prohibit all future plantings of GM maize within the borders of France, which is currently the European Union’s largest grain producer. It would also require that all existing GM maize crops be destroyed.
“GMO is a useless waste of effort,” wrote one commenter on RT.com about the issue. “Nature already started to adapt to GMO genes by introducing new pests and new weeds which are resistant to it. Never will GMO be more ‘effective’ than natural agriculture simply because it introduces imbalances which will require compensation.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: You Wouldn’t Believe What I Saw in the Dachau Gift Shop
by Jeffrey Goldberg
This is a piece about a photograph I took in the gift shop at the Dachau concentration camp a couple of weeks ago.
Before I go any further, a confession: This photograph would get me fired by the Associated Press, which has strict rules about manipulating imagery. I manipulated this image by moving the Philip Roth biography to the spot just below the Woody Allen biography in order to intensify the deep ridiculousness of a concentration camp gift shop selling biographies of Philip Roth and Woody Allen…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Scrapping Nuclear Plants to Cost Billions
Shutting down Germany’s nuclear power plants is going to be atrociously expensive. Experts also doubt the funds set aside will be enough to cover the costs of scrapping the plants and their radioactive waste.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Bonino Says EU, NATO and UN Must Help With Marines
Growing international pressure on India to deal with Italians
(see related) (ANSA) — Rome, February 18 — Pressures from important international institutions is growing on India as it continues to delay the case of two Italian marines accused of killing two fishermen while on anti-piracy duty two years ago, Foreign Affairs Minister Emma Bonino said Tuesday.
The case is “not bilateral” but has international importance and thus, requires a coordinated response, Bonino said in an interview with Rai News.
Shortly after India’s Supreme Court again adjourned the marines case, Bonino said she had spoken with European Union officials earlier in the day and now wanted to “strengthen” support on the case from the NATO military alliance and the United Nations.
She said she was even considering asking the Commonwealth group of countries to take an interest.
Formerly known as the British Commonwealth, the body includes more than 50 nations, most of which were former colonies of the British empire, including India.
Marines Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre “cannot be victims of delays and complexities” amid continued uncertainty whether India will press terrorism charges. Italy has already said it will try to resort to international arbitration and Bonino said other options “are up to the new government” of Matteo Renzi, expected to be sworn in as Italian premier at the end of this week.
These may include freezing bilateral accords and pulling soldiers from anti-piracy missions, observers said.
Senior EU officials have said that the case has important implications for the fight against piracy.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: EU Parliament Speaker ‘Hopes Renzi Govt Will be Stable’
For the sake of both Italy and Europe, Schulz tells ANSA
(By Claudio Accogli) (ANSA) — Rome, February 18 — European Parliament Speaker Martin Schulz on Tuesday expressed the hope that the Renzi government would bring stability to Italy. In an interview with ANSA, he said that “I hope this for Europe, as well, since in the second half of 2014 Italy will take on the EU presidency. All of us hope that the country will have a stable and strong government”.
Q. The new government will presumably focus on growth and not on austerity. How does the EU see the formation of a new government? A. We are not worried about the ministries of the new government. We hope that it will be strong, with broad parliamentary consensus: these are the preconditions for a government that solves problems. Italy is a G8 nation and the fourth largest European economy, so growth means stability for Europe. We clearly support any measure to ensure growth in Italy, and at the EU level we have to think about how to support the country’s recovery. Q. In late February the Party of European Socialists (PES) congress will be held. What approach do you think should be used towards ‘radical’ and/or Eurosceptic voters? A. The aim of all parties is to convince the most voters possible through their programs. As concerns votes going to ‘radical’ parties, we especially as socialists should keep in mind that people often vote for them because they’ve lost hope; because they are angry and feel abandoned by public institutions, even European ones. If you speak to these people you find out that they are very reasonable. As soon as they understand that the institutions are looking after their needs, their specific problems, we can regain the support of those believing that the political system is wrapped up in itself, that it doesn’t care about their problems, their children or their wages. Q. The EU is often criticized for a lack of influence at the international level in dealing with the Syrian conflict.
Will steps be taken for European joint military forces? A. I believe that the idea of a European army is still far off. I think we have other problems in the EU right now. We should first of all deal with youth employment, as there are countries in which an entire generation is paying the price in terms of a lack of life opportunities due to a crisis created by others. This is unacceptable. Struggling against youth unemployment should be a priority, at the national and European levels. We have billions and billions of euros to bail out banks…let’s say, ok, credit institutes are important for our system, but our young people do not have jobs. This is unacceptable. Most employment flourishes in start-ups and in small- and medium-sized enterprises. We must foster this part of the economy. If we do so, we will see growth and higher employment. This is what the EU must do, and we, I support governments in applying this policy line. If the Renzi government takes this direction, we will support it. Enrico Letta, in my opinion, made very important progress by getting Italy out of the European procedure for excessive deficit. This paved the way for creating possibilities for public investment, and is something that Renzi can benefit from.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Rocky Road to Independence for Scottish Nationalists
With seven months to go before a referendum on independence, Scottish nationalists are finding that leaving the United Kingdom and creating a new state might not be plain sailing.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Striking Back: Germany Considers Counterespionage Against US
Unsatisfied with the lack of answers provided by Washington in the NSA spying scandal, officials in Berlin are considering a new approach. Germany might begin counterespionage measures aimed at allies.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Brand Islam is Fast Becoming the New Black in Marketing Terms
We should be paying more attention to the ‘third one billion’ and the Islamic economic paradigm, argues Jonathan Wilson
The ancient Muslim tradition of commerce along the silk roads and spice trade routes has been rebranded into a phenomenon I have termed “Brand Islam”.
Islamic marketing is a term that is only about five years old. This facelift has seen it flourish into a new marketing sub-discipline, of growing global interest in industry and among scholars. Previously, relevant issues would have been addressed under a banner of multicultural or ethnic marketing; but it’s becoming clear that this approach doesn’t reflect enough of the nuances associated with Muslim consumers and markets. Now, Islamic marketing seems ready to become another must-have in a growing portfolio of marketing degree and professional courses on your CV.
The 2011 Census in the United Kingdom has the Muslim population at 2.7 million, which is 4.8% of the total population. Of those, around 100,000 are converts to Islam, about two thirds of whom are female. There were an estimated 5,200 conversions to Islam in 2011, making it the fastest growing religion in the UK…
We’ve moved beyond Theodore Levitt’s 1983 Harvard Business Review classic on globalisation. Globalisation has not made us all the same — we are seeing evidence of duality rather than singularity. On one level there is a convergence, but we are also becoming more cultural as a mechanism of coping and maintaining a unique identity. This is more about having a cultural compass than a moral compass. An Islamic identity has risen as something that homogenises diverse audiences and governs key behavioural traits. Furthermore, as with other niche segments, there is evidence to show that there are patterns of higher consumption and greater loyalty, when aligned with Islam.
Just as the Chinese have brought us new terms and concepts such as guanxi (social relations) and mianzi (maintaining one’s face); and likewise the Japanese with kaizen (improvement and change for the best) and kanban (just-in-time production); the modern Muslim world has specific characteristics.
While Sharia finance has been in pole position and halal has been the powerhouse driving the concept of an Islamic economic paradigm, this is about more than meat and money. Brand Islam is joining sectors together, including fashion, cosmetics, entertainment, tourism, education, pharma, professional services and others under one narrative.
We are seeing Muslims searching for a way to reach out and harness spirituality in a post 9/11 era. This is perhaps analogous to a post African-American civil rights movement, where ‘black’ music, comedy, fashion, cosmetics, and sports now transcend race and ethnicity — minority is a mainstream cultural phenomenon.
Author John Grant draws parallels with the Muslim world (which he calls the Interland) and the rise of Japanese brands, like Sony — which manifested a desire to change negative world perceptions towards Japan post occupation in 1945…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Court of Appeal Upholds Principle of Whole-Life Prison Terms
The Court of Appeal has upheld judges’ right to jail the most serious offenders in England and Wales for the rest of their lives…
Tuesday’s Court of Appeal ruling was welcomed by the attorney general, the justice secretary and the shadow justice secretary. Sentencing in a number of high-profile criminal cases — including the terms to be handed out to soldier Lee Rigby’s murderers — had been put on hold pending the judgement…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Riley Pearson, six, was expelled earlier this month following the fall-out over his lunchbox at Colnbrook Church of England Primary School in Berkshire.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Mosque Imam Presented British Community Honours Award
The Imam of Makkah Mosque Qari Asim MBE, has been awarded British Community Honours award for his outstanding contribution to the welfare and integration of minority communities into mainstream British society. The award was presented by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Rowan Williams, at an Awards Dinner held at the prestigious House of Lords…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Scotland Yard made history today after it charged three youths with murder even though their alleged victim was still alive in hospital.
Two 14-year-olds and a 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear in court later accused of stabbing to death Rashid Naeem, the Met Police said.
Detectives say that the market stall holder had suffered fatal injuries, but was still being cared for when the teenagers were charged.
Mr Naeem, 29, of East Ham, east London, was stabbed two days ago at a street market in Upton Park, also in east London.
‘The victim remains at an east London hospital, however his injuries will prove fatal and consequently the three youths have been accused of murder,’ a spokesman said.
The force later issued a statement saying: ‘Mr Naeem was pronounced dead this morning at Royal London Hospital. A post-mortem examination will be conducted in due course.’
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK: What Does One Say to Returning Jihadists? Welcome Home
by Alexander Boot
But wonderful things like the rule of law, democracy and human rights aren’t a suicide pact. At a time when the realm and its subjects’ lives are threatened, even countries perceiving themselves as civilised have been known to suspend some liberties for a while, the better to protect them in perpetuity. In wartime even the most legally minded nations tend to put their legal minds on the back burner.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Sinai-Based Islamist Group Warns Tourists to Leave Egypt
A militant Islamist group has told tourists to leave Egypt and threatened to attack those who remain in the country after February 20, warning that a deadly weekend attack on a tourist bus was part of a new “economic war”.
The Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group, which claimed responsibility for a Sunday suicide bombing near the resort of Taba that killed two South Korean tourists and an Egyptian, made the statement on an affiliated Twitter account. “We recommend tourists to get out safely before the expiry of the deadline,” read the tweet, written in English.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Statement by Ambassador Deborah K. Jones on the Third Anniversary of Libya’s February 17 Revolution
On behalf of the American people, I join Secretary of State John Kerry in congratulating Libyans on the third anniversary of the “February 17 Revolution.”
As I look around this magnificent square, so filled with the remnants of Libya’s historic past — and signs of its transitional present, I am reminded that our shared history is long; our interactions date back to the late 18th century when the newly independent, revolutionary United States of America sent trading vessels to these shores. Indeed, Libyan place names, such as “Tripoli,” figure prominently in our own national narrative…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Tunisia: ‘Fight Against Terrorism Will Not Stop’ — Jomaa
Carthage — The aim of the terrorists was to wipe out the state and its institutions and the fight against terrorism does not stop, said on Monday Interim Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa at the end of a national security council meeting…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Why Does Ancient Art Contain Depictions of Flying Aircraft, Helicopters and Dinosaurs?
Decorating an Egyptian temple wall at Abydos are strange hieroglyphics which depict what appears to be modern day aircraft. This finding has caused much controversy among Egyptologists and archaeologists who are not sure what to think. How could people 2-3,000 years ago possibly have known about modern-day aircraft?
When Dr. Ruth Hover and her husband took a trip to the pyramids and temples of Egypt, they were shocked when they discovered, in the temple at Abydos, hieroglyphics depicting modern-day aircraft. She photographed a wall panel in a section where an overlaying panel with Egyptian hieroglyphics crumbled and fell, revealing an older panel beneath it. This older panel, shown above, contains images of what appear to be modern-day technology — a helicopter, a submarine, a glider, and another unknown type of aircraft (some believe resemble the Hindenburg)…
Deep in the jungles of Cambodia are ornate temples and palaces from the Khmer civilization. One such temple, Ta Prohm, abounds with stone statues and reliefs. Almost every square inch of the gray sandstone is covered with ornate, detailed carvings. These depict familiar animals like monkeys, deer, water buffalo, parrots, and lizards. However, one column contains an intricate carving of a stegosaur-like creature. But how could artisans decorating an 800 year old Buddhist temple know what a dinosaur looked like? Western science only began assembling dinosaurs skeletons in the past two centuries.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: The Anti-Zionist Challenge to the Jewish Establishment
There is a difference between speech and war. Both are forms of expression, to be sure. But the essence of the former is engagement, and the essence of the latter is destruction.
This distinction is apparently too subtle for many of Israel’s Supreme Court justices. On Sunday, the Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of the 2011 Anti-Boycotts law. The law allows targets of boycotts to sue boycotters for damages in civil courts, and empowers the finance minister to revoke the non-profit status of NGOs that engage in boycotts.. It is being challenged by a consortium of foreign-funded, radical, anti-Zionist NGOs.
The essence of boycotts is destruction, not engagement.
True, boycotters express an opinion when they boycott their targets. But just so, armies express an opinion when they bomb enemy targets.
The question is not whether in levying boycotts, the boycotters are expressing a position. It is whether the primary purpose of a boycott is to express an opinion or to annihilate its target…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
‘J Street Challenge’: Truth Trumps Lies
by Phyllis Chesler
In 2014, in his new film, “The Last of the Unjust,” Claude Lanzmann shares his 1975 interview with Viennese Rabbi, Benjamin Murmelstein, the last and only surviving “Elder of the Jews” at Theresienstadt. Both Lanzmann (and I) are impressed with Murmelstein’s wit, wisdom, learning, and tough survival skills. While Murmelstein submitted documents to Prosecutor Gideon Hauser, Murmelstein does not understand why the Israeli prosecution did not allow him to testify against Eichmann—a man Murmelstein characterizes as evil and monstrous—a man whom he personally witnessed shooting and hanging Jews and ordering others to do likewise. In Murmelsteins’ view, Arendt’s adjective “banal” in no way applies to the man who systematically deceived, terrorized, and murdered Jews.
Although the Nazis gave him no choice—it was do their bidding or die—many have viewed Murmelstein as a collaborator and traitor. He could have escaped, but actually chose not to do so. Ultimately, Lanzmann is not persuaded that Murmelstein is a traitor, and that others really cannot judge men who are placed in such unbearable positions, but Lanzmann leaves this decision up to each and every viewer.
In my opinion, based on the new film, “J Street Challenge”, which was premiered last night in Miami, Jeremy Ben-Ami may be a far more dangerous and morally problematic traitor to his people than were any of the Judenrat leaders during the Shoah. I say this because no one is threatening Ben-Ami with imminent death (each kapo and judenrat leader was death threatened while in captivity). Ben Ami lives in the United States and is a free man…
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Brutality of Syrian Opposition Group ISIS Revealed in Undercover Video
[WARNING: Disturbing Content.]
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. The video shows the blindfolded men — some of whom appear to be just teenagers — kneeling in front of a pit at night.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Iraq: 14 Killed, 83 Wounded in Iraq’s Violence
BAGHDAD, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) — At least 14 people were killed and 83 others wounded on Tuesday in violent attacks across Iraq, including a wave of car bombs in central the country, police said.
The deadliest attacks occurred in the central province of Babil when seven people were killed and 43 others wounded in four car bomb explosions in the provincial capital city of Hilla and the towns of Mussayab, Iskandiyah and Mahawil to its north, a local police source told Xinhua…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Syrian Girl Stoned to Death for Using Facebook Account
Rakka, Syria: A young girl was stoned to death by sunni-militant groups in Syria for operating Facebook account.
Fatoum Al-Jassem was taken to a Sharia court after she was caught using the social networking website, in Rakka, Syria. The Sharia court declared that using a Facebook account amounts to adultery and the girl should be punished by stoning, according to a news report published in Iran’s FARS news agency which quoted a report published in Arabic-language Al-Rai Al-Youm.
The members of the Al-Qaeda group in Iraq, also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were behind the incident.
| — Hat tip: RR | [Return to headlines] |
UAE Fatwa: One-Way Trip to Mars is un-Islamic; If You Go You’re Risking Hellfire
Fatwa committee under the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the UAE says such a journey poses a real risk to life. Promoting or being involved in a one-way trip to the Red Planet is prohibited in Islam, a fatwa committee under the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the UAE has ruled.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Riot Police in Ukraine Move in Against Protest Camp
With stun grenades and water cannons, Ukrainian riot police moved in against a protest camp in Kiev’s center Tuesday night after nine people were killed in violent street protests. A large section of the camp has been engulfed in flames as police advance on the demonstrators.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Government Gives Protesters Ultimatum During Deadly Day in Kyiv
An ultimatum ordering protesters to clear out has expired in Kyiv. As demonstrators await repercussions amid heightened tensions, the international community has begun imploring Kyiv to restore political stability.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Police Storm Main Kiev ‘Maidan’ Protest Camp
Ukrainian police are storming the main anti-government protest camp in the capital, Kiev, after months of occupation. Explosions are taking place, fireworks are being thrown and large fires have broken out in Independence Square, known locally as the Maidan. Police have deployed water cannon.
During the day, at least nine people were killed, including two policemen, as protesters and security forces clashed in the worst violence in weeks.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine Police Charge Protesters After Nation’s Bloodiest Day
(Reuters) — Ukrainian riot police charged protesters occupying a central Kiev square early on Wednesday after the bloodiest day since the former Soviet republic, caught in a geopolitical struggle between Russia and the West, won its independence more than 22 years ago.
At least 18 people, including seven policemen, died on Tuesday during hours of violence between security forces and civilians who have staged protests against President Viktor Yanukovich since last November.
Many were killed by gunshot and hundreds more were injured, with dozens of them in a serious condition, police and opposition representatives said.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
US and EU Are Paying Ukrainian Rioters and Protesters
A number of confirmations have come in from readers that Washington is fueling the violent protests in Ukraine with our taxpayer dollars. Washington has no money for food stamps or to prevent home foreclosures, but it has plenty of money with which to subvert Ukraine.
One reader wrote: “My wife, who is of Ukrainian nationality, has weekly contact to her parents and friends in Zhytomyr [NW Ukraine]. According to them, most protesters get an average payment of 200-300 grivna, corresponding to about 15-25 euro. As I additionally heard, one of the most active agencies and ‘payment outlets’ on EU side is the German ‘Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’, being closely connected to the CDU, i.e. Mrs. Merkel’s party.”
Johannes Loew of the Internet site elynitthria.net/ writes: “I am just back from Ukraine (I live in Munich/Germany) and I was a lot at the Maidan. Most of those people get only 100 grivna. 300 is for Students.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Children Dying From Pentavalent Vaccine
(NaturalNews) Opposition is mounting in many developing countries against the use of pentavalent, or five-in-one, vaccines, which are being aggressively pushed by health authorities as a public health requirement. Reports indicate that an increasing number of mostly infants are dying not long after receiving the controversial jab, which is said to trigger an immune response to five different diseases in a single vaccine.
For instance, V.S. Achuthanandan, the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, India, recently stated publicly that pentavalent vaccines should no longer be included as part of the government’s immunization program. Joining a chorus of opposition that recently erupted into a wave of protests, Achuthanandan referenced the many babies who have died following the vaccine as evidence that it should no longer be administered as part of the standard vaccination schedule.
These statements come as India’s central government gears up to expand the pentavalent vaccine program to another 11 Indian states, according to Health.India.com. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, admitting that there has been a noticeable increase in adverse events following administration of the vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Hib, claims this damage is not a result of the vaccine.
But many others disagree, including Dr. Jacob Puliyel, a pediatrician and member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization. He told reporters that, contrary to what the Indian government is claiming, many of the deaths that have occurred following the administration of pentavalent vaccines show clear signs of a causal relationship.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Deaths in Thailand as Police Try to Retake Government Offices
At least four people, including a police officer, have been killed as Thai police attempted to reclaim occupied government sites. This comes as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra faces charges of “neglect of duty.”
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Malaysia Tops Survey of ‘Halal Holidays’ For Muslims
Malaysia is the world’s friendliest destination for Muslim travellers, according to a survey released Tuesday, but Japan has shown most improvement as it ramps up efforts to cash in on a growing market.
Malaysia was followed by the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in this year’s rankings for “halal” friendly holiday destinations released by Singapore-based Muslim travel specialist Crescentrating.
The survey evaluates countries in terms of their attentiveness to the needs of Muslim travellers, including the presence and accessibility of halal restaurants with meat slaughtered to Islamic standards, and the provision of prayer rooms at airports, shopping malls and hotels.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Maldives: President Yameen’s New Goals: Islamization and Partnership With Beijing
Elected leader three months ago, he has imposed an increasingly conservative vision of Sunni Muslim. On the international level he strengthens ties with China, a strategic commercial partner. In schools the study of Arabic and the Koran introduced.
Malé ( AsiaNews / Agencies) — The return of an increasingly conservative and fundamentalist vision of Islam in terms of domestic policy, hand in hand with a strengthening of diplomatic and trade relations with China on the international stage. This is how analysts and experts describe as the first three months of government of President Abdulla Yameen , elected on 17 November to lead the Maldives archipelago of over 1,110 Indian Ocean islands. The priorities set by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs for 2014 include a block of all religions except Sunni Islam; adherence to the principles of Islam; and the legitimization of the fatwa or legally binding judgments issued by the Islamic Fiqh Academy. The ministry has also signed a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia, which provides for the allocation of a fund of more than 100 thousand dollars, for the “common goal” to develop and improve the study of the Koran and the Muslim religion.
The Ministry of Education has introduced the study of the Arabic language in schools and the obligation to study the Koran in school until the seventh grade. The goal of the president and his conservative government is to “protect” the Islamic religion by “ internal forces “, ie the progressive parties and pro-democracy , and the “ foreign powers “ associated with the “Christian” West.
Yameen came to power introducing himself as a savior of Islam: His election manifesto promoted the application of the death penalty according to the dictates of sharia, Islamic law, and the strengthening of relations with the Arab Muslim nations. He also described his challenger Mohamed Nasheed — leader of the liberal faction, first elected president (in 2008) in a democratic manner and kicked out in 2012 with a coup — several times as an “enemy” of Islamic internal unity.
In terms of foreign policy, the new course desired by the president emerged immediately after the elections when Beijing announced a loan of $ 8.2 million for “the realization of development projects and the advancement of public services”. On January 28, China , through its ambassador Wang Fukang , also announced the intention to build at least 1,500 housing units in the Maldives. It is a major shift in foreign policy, which his predecessor had focused more on alliances with India and the countries of the Western bloc.
A choice that had earned him a strong internal opposition with accusations that he was a friend of Israel and the “Christian West” and aimed to undermine the Muslim religion. The political battle turned into a riot, which ended with the coup and the ouster of Nasheed , a former human rights activist, in February 2012.
The Republic of Maldives is a series of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south- west of India, inhabited by little more than 350 thousand people. Considered a “tourist’s paradise”, there is no freedom of worship and Sunni Islam is the state religion. In 2008, a constitutional amendment denied non-Muslims the opportunity to have citizenship. Alcohol and pork can only be served at the airport and the resorts where local staff do not work. In addition, “idols” of other religions may not be introduced into the country.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Thailand: A Country Without a Government
Since the February 2 elections, Thailand’s interim premier has lacked the authority to rule the Southeast Asian country. Four people have recently died in riots. The government is running out of options.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Twenty-Five Years After Soviet Exit, Taliban Says U.S. Will Meet Same Fate
KABUL (Reuters) — The Taliban called on Afghans to expel the United States from Afghanistan on Saturday just as they said Afghan mujahideen fighters had done to Soviet forces 25 years ago to the day.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
China Overtakes India as World’s Largest Gold Consumer
According to a study by the World Gold Council, China has become the biggest consumer market for the precious metal. It toppled India, which had led the table ever since official data were first made available.
The survey found that Chinese customers had bought a total of 1,066 tons of gold products in 2013, up 32 percent from 2012, while their Indian counterparts had purchased 975 tons, up 13 percent from 2012 levels.
The council noted that another 300 tons of gold bought by Chinese clients last year were most likely not registered statistically.
The mounting Chinese hunger for gold was mainly attributed to a fast-growing wealthier middle class in the country and a lack of other sound investment opportunities and instruments to protect against inflation.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Family of Missing Hitchhiker Believe He and Eleven Others Were Murdered by Outback Thrill Killer
Police have reopened a 32-year-old murder mystery involving hitchhiker Tony Jones, who vanished without a trace on the night of November 3, 1982 while walking along the ‘highway of death’.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
11 Arrested for Serving Human Meat at Nigerian Hotel Restaurant: Report
Two human heads were found at an unnamed hotel restaurant and wrapped in cellophane, according to a report out of Anambra, Nigeria, in which police were tipped off to the restaurant allegedly serving human meat in burgers.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ashton Condemns Killing of Civilians in Izghe, Nigeria
At least 90 people were killed during a raid of suspected Islamic militants in Izghe village
EU High Representative Catherine Ashton has today condemned the attack against innocent civilians in the Nigerian village Izghe on Saturday. At least 90 people were killed during a raid of suspected Islamic militants in Izghe village, which is situated in the border with Cameroon, according to local officials and witnesses…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Boko Haram — Nigeria is in a State of War — Governor Shettima
The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima has said that Nigeria is in a state of war as the military tries to defeat the Boko Haram. Mr. Shettima also said the fight against Boko Haram is far from being won, as the insurgents seem to be more motivated than the Nigerian military. He said though the troops were doing their best, the insurgents were better armed…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
British Suspect Planned Attacks on U.S., UK, France Targets, Kenyan Court Hears
(Reuters) — British national Jermaine Grant, on trial in Kenya accused of planning an attack there, was targeting British, French and U.S. interests, a London detective told the court on Tuesday.
Kenyan police suspect Grant, from east London, has ties to the Somali al Shabaab rebel group blamed by the authorities for a string of attacks in the port city of Mombasa, the capital Nairobi and in the remote hinterlands bordering Somalia.
“There were documents recovered from the disk which called for Muslim faithful to attack Egyptian, British, French and American interests, and their partners,” Ball said in a report he read out to the court as evidence.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Cameroon Blames Pentecostals for Backpedaling Anti-Polio Crusade
Doulala, Cameroon — The government of Cameroon has conducted another crackdown on Pentecostal churches. The second attack came after the Ministry of Health charged earlier this year that leaders of some Pentecostal churches are partly responsible for the country’s faltering efforts to exterminate poliomyelitis.
The closures follow the government shut-down of more than 100 Pentecostal churches that lacked government authorization to operate. In that earlier move, authorities blamed Pentecostals for what they called anti-social practices — deadly exorcisms, separation and divorces, nighttime uproars and the extortion of naïve worshippers…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Death Toll Tops 100 From Militant Attack in Nigeria
The death toll has risen to 106 from an attack on a Nigerian village by suspected Islamist militants. Witnesses say gunmen dressed as soldiers attacked the village of Izge late Saturday in Borno state, setting fire to residents’ homes and shooting people who tried to flee.
Borno Senator Ali Ndume provided the latest death toll to VOA Hausa Service on Monday. Initial reports said most of the victims were Christian, but local residents say the village is predominantly Muslim and most casualties are believed to be Muslim as well…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Nigeria: Katsina to Name Mosque After Dan Fodio
Katsina — A multi-million naira mosque built by Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State will be named after Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, the first Sultan and founder of the Sokoto Caliphate. A source, who does not want his name in print, said Dan Fodio is being honoured for the role he played as leader of the caliphate. The mosque is billed to be commissioned on Friday by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Somalia: Al Shabaab Defector Kills Jubaland Security Forces Commander
Kismayo — The commander of Somalia’s Jubaland security forces Isse Mohamed Allaki (Isse Kamboni) was gunned down by Al Shabaab defector in the southern port city of Kismayo on Monday evening, Garowe Online reports.
According to witnesses, the attacker fired live ammunitions at late Isse Kamboni and his security escorts. Jubaland officials said via telephone from Kismayo that two of his body guards were also killed in the pre-planned attack…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Former UN Ambassador Says Venezuelan President is Deflecting Blame by Booting US Diplomats
Former ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly Monday he believes the expulsion of American diplomats from Venezuela is a way for President Nicolas Maduro to shift some of the blame for anti-government protests rocking the country.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Luis Fleischman: Sanction the Venezuelan Government Now
The students’ revolt that began last week in Venezuela will continue with a big demonstration on February 18th led by Leopoldo Lopez, the leader of the “Popular Will” Party. Mr. Lopez leads the demonstrations at a big risk to himself as he is now under an order of arrest by the Venezuelan government.
The protests are not just about inflation, scarcity and poverty that now characterize the Venezuelan economy but also about repression and lack of freedom.
In addition, it is about the soul of the Venezuelan nation. Demonstrators have become totally convinced that there is no electoral exit to a regime that turns more and more oppressive as time goes by. Maduro, like Hugo Chavez before him, aims at perpetuating his power and exercising total control over the Venezuelan state and society. The Venezuelan Government secured the loyalty of the military to its despotic rule and has repressed trade unions, the media, business and professional associations. It politicized every corner of Venezuela rewarding loyalist and sycophants and destroying, exiling and blocking opponents.
The military has no problem in watching how Venezuelans are being killed by the paramilitary. As Venezuelan journalist Nelson Bocaranda revealed more than a year ago, Venezuelan and Cuban generals agreed that they would protect the Bolivarian government even by carrying out a self-coup…
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Venezuela Opposition Leader Lopez Surrenders to Police Amid Protests
The leader of Venezuela’s opposition, Leopoldo Lopez, has handed himself over to police on charges of fomenting violence. The main critic of President Maduro has been at the forefront of recent anti-government protests.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
One asylum seeker is dead, another is in a critical condition and 13 are being treated for serious injuries after a second night of violence at the Manus Island detention centre. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said it was his “great regret” to report the extent of the injuries sustained by asylum seekers in the riot.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Australia: Desperate Call for Help as Manus Rioters Go on Rampage With Bedposts
Tensions on Manus Island had been building for days. On Sunday night, asylum seekers at the detention centre were told that if they were not found to be a refugee, neither the Australian nor Papua New Guinea governments would help them resettle in Papua New Guinea. So far, not one of the 1340 asylum seekers has had their refugee application processed…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Back to Square One for Switzerland and the EU
In a referendum last week, Swiss voters chose to limit immigration from EU countries. Now, the EU has begun issuing its response — and some in Switzerland fear it could take on dramatic proportions.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Stop Blaming EU for Your Migrant Problems: Top Eurocrat Accuses PM of ‘Distorting Facts’
European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding said politicians need to ‘work on the quality of education and welfare’ in the UK rather than blaming EU rules for letting migrants come to Britain to seek work.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Top British Catholic Pushes Back Against UK Politicians’ Fear-Mongering on Immigration
Britain’s top Roman Catholic cleric has criticized U.K. politicians for fear-mongering on immigration issues, saying it is wrong to argue that newcomers are a drain on the economy.
The Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, said Britons should acknowledge immigrants’ positive contribution “to our well-being and economy. “
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Two Corpses on Migrant Boat Rescued Near Lampedusa
Over 1,000 lives saved since Saturday
(updates previous) (ANSA) — Rome, February 18 — Two corpses were aboard a migrant boat that was rescued by a merchant ship some 145 miles southwest of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa on Monday, Italian authorities said Tuesday.
The merchant ship was told to move to the area of the boat in trouble by Italian coast guards after they received telephone calls for help from migrants aboard.
In addition to the two dead male migrants, 107 men and 16 women were aboard the boat.
They are now being taken to the Sicilian port of Augusta aboard the merchant ship.
Italian authorities rescued over 1,000 people at sea between Saturday and Monday after the end of a period of bad weather led to a resumption of migrant crossings.
Tens of thousands of migrants arrive in Italy from North Africa every year and many others die attempting the crossing in often rickety vessels.
In October around 400 people died in two separate migrant-boat disasters near the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, which is often the migrants’ first port of call. Following the incident and the public outcry, later that month the Italian government launched Operation Mare Nostrum, which makes use of amphibious ships, unmanned drones and helicopters with infrared equipment in its search and rescue missions.
Every year for the past 15, an average of 40,000 illegal immigrants have disembarked on European shores and the mortality rate has increased, a report by the Florence-based European University Institute said in December.
Most recently, more than 30 out of every 1,000 of those who tried to cross the Mediterranean have died along the way.
Italy’s southern migrant centers are often overcrowded and underfunded, drawing criticism from European authorities, while the Italian government begs its neighbors for support to deal with the waves of migrants washing up on its shores
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Record Number of Foreign Criminals Cannot be Deported
A record number of foreign criminals won appeals against deportation on human rights grounds last year in a major blow to the Government’s tough stance on immigration, The Telegraph can disclose. Home Office data, disclosed for the first time, shows that 602 appeals were allowed by the immigration courts in 2012-13.
They included 324 criminals who won the right to stay in Britain under the controversial “right to private and family life” set out in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
There are many arguments given by leftists, civil libertarians and others for the harm minimisation policies and the liberalisation of drug laws. They are heard over and over again, and these mantras tend to be taken as gospel truth simply by virtue of their mass repetition.
But are these arguments as solid and irrefutable as their proponents claim? I don’t think so. Here I examine in some detail eight of the more common arguments proffered. I find them all wanting.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Girl Scouts USA Threatens LifeNews After Reporting Its Link to Planned Parenthood
During the last two weeks, LifeNews has brought international attention to the link between the Girl Scouts and the Planned Parenthood abortion business and the national boycott of Girl Scouts cookies sponsored by pro-life groups.
The pro-life movement has been concerned for a number of years about the ties between the Girl Scouts and the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Although the Girl Scout organization maintains that it takes “no position” on the issue of abortion, parents, churches, and pro-life activists have long complained of the pro-abortion slant of the Girl Scouts’ resources, role models, and affiliations…
The ties between the two groups have been questioned ever since former Girl Scouts CEO Kathy Cloninger admitted on NBC’s The Today Show: “We partner with many organizations. We have relationships with…Planned Parenthood organizations across the country.” See the video here…
For fourteen years, the Girls Scouts in Waco, TX co-sponsored a sex ed conference with Planned Parenthood. “It’s Perfectly Normal” a book written by a Planned Parenthood executive was given to all children in attendance says abortion can be “a positive experience.” And in January 2012, Girl Scouts employee Renise Rodriguez wore a “Pray to End Abortion” t-shirt during off-duty visit to her Tucson Girl Scout office and was ordered to her to turn the shirt inside out or leave.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Google Accuses WND of ‘Hate Speech’
Cites use of ‘black mobs’ in coverage of racial attacks
The world’s most powerful Internet search engine has accused WND of using “hate speech” and has threatened to block ads on the news site over its use of the term “black mobs” in news stories and columns reporting on a two-year epidemic of racial attacks in the U.S.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ideally, (from an inter-faith global perspective) pluralism implies that all religions can co-exist in a tolerant, harmonious way. But practically, it means that all religions must conform to a planned universal standard, so that any one set of doctrines or values no longer offend those who follow other gods.
The 20th century has seen an explosion of publicly available information concerning the wider religious life of humanity, as a result of which the older Western assumption of the manifest superiority of Christianity has lost plausibility in many minds. Early 20th-century thinkers such as Rudolf Otto, who saw religion throughout the world as a response to the Holy, and Ernst Troeltsch, who showed that socioculturally Christianity is one of a number of comparable traditions, opened up new ways of regarding the other major religions.
Given that the central concern of both Christianity and the other great world faiths is salvation salvation, Christians today adopt one of three main points of view.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Radio Station Faked Viral ‘Homophobic’ Birthday Invite
A Long Island radio station has suspended the hosts of its “Morning Show with Steve and Leeana” because of a faked news story about a “homophobic” RSVP to a child’s birthday party.
The story, and the photos of the invitation, went viral all over social media starting Wednesday. The invitation was for a “Tie Dye Party” for seven-year-old “Sophia.” The “parent” of “Tommy” responded in writing:
Tommy will NOT attend. I do not believe in what you do and will not subject my innocent son to your ‘lifestyle.’ I’m sorry Sophia has to grow up this way. If you have an issue or need to speak to me [phone number]
The morning hosts admitted to the fabrication and said they were trying to “spur a healthy discourse on a highly passionate topic.” The station management issued a post to its Facebook page saying this was done “independently” and that the hosts were suspended.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
The Evolutionary Puzzle of Homosexuality
In the last two decades, dozens of scientific papers have been published on the biological origins of homosexuality — another announcement was made last week. It’s becoming scientific orthodoxy. But how does it fit with Darwin’s theory of evolution?
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
@What Does One Say to Returning Jihadists? Welcome Home
Fairweather Jihad, you can’t have it both ways, Cameron and Hague afforded the Darren Ali-Jabbars and Wayne Abu-Akbars not only material support but moral support against Assad, not to mention their failed attempts to sacrifice British lives in alignment with the jihadist cause. A jihadist cause with which Cameron and Hague politicked as being allied to British national interest.
Culpability for the hypothetical acts of Darren Ali-Jabbars and Wayne Abu-Akbars in this case does not lie with the usual suspects of the bleeding heart liberals or the EU but firmly at the door of Messrs Cameron and Hague.
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On ‘Asylum Seekers’ on Manus Island, Papua, New Guinea. These are illegal immigrants who have been recognized as such by the Abbott Government since being elected in September, 2013. The collectivist SSM just cannot bring themselves to call them out for what they are – illegals!
Such is the indoctrination of the collective on those who fall into their sphere of political influence and propaganda.