MFS - The Other News

                          Morning Posting.

• Egypt - Al Jazeera English - Live Streams From Egypt ! Here .

• Egypt's military rulers suspend constitution.Military to rule for six months, or until election; referendum promised on constitutional changes; Tahrir protesters argue over whether to stay or leave.Egypt's new military rulers said on Sunday they had dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and would govern only for six months or until elections took place, following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.In a statement, the Higher Military Council which took over after 18 days of protest ended Mubarak's 30-year rule, promised a referendum on constitutional amendments.Earlier, troops took control of Tahrir Square, the fulcrum of protests that swept Mubarak from power, to let traffic through central Cairo as the army struggled to return life to normal.Protesters argued heatedly in Tahrir Square over whether to stay or comply with army orders to help put Egypt back on its feet. "The people want the square cleared," one group chanted. "We will not leave, we will not leave," replied another.The Arab world's most populous country was taking its first tentative steps towards democracy and protest organisers were forming a Council of Trustees to defend the revolution and urge swift reform from a military intent on restoring law and order.Police officers, emboldened by Mubarak's downfall, gathered outside the Interior Ministry to demand higher pay. Warning shots were fired in the air. No one was hurt.Earlier, troops, some wielding sticks, pushed protesters aside to reopen Tahrir Square to traffic.The cabinet met and for the first time, the portrait of Mubarak, believed to be holed up in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, did not gaze over its proceedings as Egyptians quietly removed images of the 82-year-old former leader.Hmmmm........But the "Spirit" of Mubarak was present? Read the full story here.

• Egypt reportedly losing control of Sinai to Beduin.Israelis urged to return home for fear that peninsula will become launching pad for terror attacks as Egyptian police abandon posts.Concern is mounting in Israel over reports that the Egyptian police force has abandoned the Sinai Peninsula in face of growing Beduin violence, and that the territory will turn into a breeding ground for global jihad.According to information that has arrived in Israel, Egyptian police authorities have abandoned dozens of police stations throughout the peninsula after they were attacked by Beduin armed with missiles and assault rifles.This concern was behind Israel’s decision two weeks ago to allow the deployment of 800 Egyptian soldiers in Sharm e-Sheikh and Rafah.Additional requests since then have been rejected.In recent years, the Sinai hasturned into a launching pad for attacks against Israel, including by Hamas, which several months ago launched Katyusha rockets into Eilat from the Egyptian territory.The Egyptian military has for years encountered difficulty in controlling the Beduin population, which does not hold allegiance to the Egyptian government in Cairo.“The Sinai is already known as a lawless land,” a senior defense official said over the weekend. “There is real concern that if the Egyptians don’t get the Sinai back under their control, it could develop into a major threat to Israel.”Israel, which has urged all its citizens to leave the Sinai immediately, is particularly concerned about the possibility that Hamas will take hold of parts of the peninsula and use it to launch attacks into Israel via the 240-kilometer long Israeli- Egyptian border, with an emphasis on Eilat.There is also concern that without a real Egyptian security presence in the Sinai, Hamas will be able to increase the amount and quality of weaponry and explosives it smuggles into the Gaza Strip via Egypt.Read the full story here.

• Algeria shuts down internet and Facebook as protest mounts. Internet providers were shut down and Facebook accounts deleted across Algeria on Saturday as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators were arrested in violent street demonstrations.Plastic bullets and tear gas were used to try and disperse large crowds in major cities and towns, with 30,000 riot police taking to the streets in Algiers alone. There were also reports of journalists being targeted by state-sponsored thugs to stop reports of the disturbances being broadcast to the outside world. But it was the government attack on the internet which was of particular significance to those calling for an end to President Abdelaziz Boutifleka's repressive regime. Protesters mobilising through the internet were largely credited with bringing about revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia. "The government doesn't want us forming crowds through the internet," said Rachid Salem, of Co-ordination for Democratic Change in Algeria.On Saturday at least 500 had been arrested by early evening in Algiers alone, with hundreds more in Annaba, Constantine and Oran taking part in the so-called February 12 Revolution. "The police station cells are overflowing," said Sofiane Hamidouche, a demonstrator in Annaba. "There are running battles taking place all over the city. It's chaos. As night falls the situation will get worse." Algeria has the eighth largest reserves of natural gas in the world, and is also oil-rich, but its youthful population suffers mass unemployment, a chronic lack of housing, and widespread poverty. Political corruption is also endemic.Hmmmm....And another one takes the lead?Read the full story here.

• Obama phones Turkish PM to discuss Egypt unrest.Following the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the U.S. president called the Turkish prime minister Saturday night to evaluate developments, marking the two leaders’ third conversation on the subject since the unrest in Egypt began.In their telephone conversation Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed it was positive that the Egyptian people’s demands were met, while Erdoğan particularly emphasized the importance of immediate elections to select a new leader for Egypt, daily Milliyet reported.The website of the Prime Ministry Press Office confirmed the phone call in a statement that said the two leaders “exchanged views on problems within the region, focusing on Egypt.”Following Erdoğan’s call Friday for a swift transfer of power to an elected government, Turkish President Abdullah Gül said Sunday that the Egyptian armed forces should delegate authority to a civilian administration as soon as possible.“We want the Egyptian state and people to come out stronger from this process,” Gül told reporters. “People are leading transformation when leaders cannot do it.”“The armed forces led the process in a way that did not allow any fighting between the brothers and I hope it will exert efforts to hand over the authority to a civilian administration as soon as possible,” Gül said before departing for an official visit to Iran. The trip will make him the first Turkish president to visit the Islamic republic in the past nine years.During his four-day visit to Iran, Gül will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and State Minister Cevdet Yılmaz, who is also the co-president of the Turkey-Iran Joint Economic Commission, as well as members of Parliament, businessmen and journalists.Hmmmmm......Why is Obama contacting so often a Turkish leadership which is so openly supportive of Iran?What's being hidden here by the Obama administration?Read the full story here.

• HT:OpposingViews.Flasback !In Some Islamic Nations, Valentine's Day Means Severe Punishment.This Monday, February 14, marks Valentine’s Day, the sacred day that intimate companions mark to celebrate their love and affection for one another. If you’re thinking about making a study of how couples celebrate this day, the Muslim world and the milieus of the radical Left are not the places where you should be spending most, or any, of your time. Indeed, it’s pretty hard to outdo jihdists and “progressives” when it comes to the hatred of Valentine’s Day. And this hatred of this special day is precisely the territory on which the contemporary romance between the radical Left and Islamic fanaticism is formed. The train is never late: every time Valentine’s comes around, the Muslim world reacts with ferocious rage, doing everything in its power to quash the festivity that comes with the celebration of private romance. Imams around the world thunder against Valentines every year and the celebration of the day itself is literally outlawed in Islamist states. The Saudis, for instance, ruthlessly punish the slightest hint of celebrating Valentine’s. Just a few days ago, the Kingdom and its religious “morality” police officially issued a stern warning that anyone caught even thinking about Valentine’s Day will suffer some of the most painful penalties of Sharia Law.This is typical of the Saudis of course. As Daniel Pipes has reported, the Saudi regime takes a firm stand against Valentine’s every year, and the Saudi religious police monitor stores selling roses and other gifts. They have even arrested women for wearing red on that day. This time around, the narrative is no different: the Saudis have announced that, starting the week of Valentine’s and until February 15, it will be illegal for a merchant to sell any item that is red, or that in any way hints of being connected to Valentine’s Day.As Claude Cartaginese reports at Newsreal Blog, any merchant found selling such items as red roses, red clothing of any kind (especially dresses), toys, heart-shaped products, candy, greeting cards or any items wrapped in red, must destroy them or face the wrath of Saudi justice.The Iranian despots, meanwhile, are trying to make sure the Saudis don’t outdo them in suffocating Valentine’s. Iran’s “morality” police order shops to remove heart-and-flower decorations and images of couples embracing on this day – and anytime around this day. In Pakistan, the student wing of the fundamentalist Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami has called for a complete ban on Valentine’s Day celebrations. Khalid Waqas Chamkani, a leader in the party, calls it a “shameful day.”Typical of this whole pathology in the Islamic world was a development witnessed back on February 10, 2006, when activists of the radical Kashmiri Islamic group Dukhtaran-e-Millat (Daughters of the Community) went on a rampage in Srinagar, the main city of the Indian portion of Kashmir. Some two dozen black-veiled Muslim women stormed gift and stationery shops, burning Valentine’s Day cards and posters showing couples together.Hmmmm.........Forbidden pleasures alone are loved immoderately; when lawful, they do not excite desire.”Marcus Fabius Quintilian.Read the full story here.

• Pupils must not be forced to eat halal Church tells schools.The Church of England has told its schools to ensure they are serving non-halal food after concerns that a number are only providing meat slaughtered according to Islamic law.The official guidance was issued after Church members complained that the use of halal meat was effectively ‘spreading sharia law’ across Britain.The Church’s financial arm has also come under pressure to withdraw its investments – worth millions of pounds – in supermarkets that do not clearly label halal food.The moves follow disclosures by The Mail on Sunday last year that halal products were widespread in schools, hospitals, pubs and sporting venues but members of the public were not informed.More than 10,000 Christians, many of whom have reservations about eating meat from animals that are bled to death while an Islamic prayer is recited, have signed a petition calling for proper labelling.Animal rights campaigners have also expressed anger because animals are often not stunned before their throats are cut with a sharp knife.Alison Ruoff, a long-standing member of the Church’s ‘parliament’, the General Synod, said: ‘The Church is only just waking up to this. We have been pathetic and mealy-mouthed but we should be really concerned about this.‘There is a lot of fear about upsetting Muslims but as a Christian you have to stand up for Christian values. Because we are unwittingly eating halal meat, we are spreading the practice of sharia law.’An influential official body representing both Muslim and Christian leaders also said non-Muslims should not be compelled to eat halal meat.The Christian Muslim Forum, set up by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams four years ago, said there were concerns about ‘some public authorities which provide only halal products in schools and other institutions’.It said in a statement: ‘We urge all food outlets, catering organisations and public authorities to label halal food properly, for the benefit of both non-Muslim and Muslim consumers.’The Rev Patrick Sookhdeo, an Anglican cleric who runs the international Barnabas Fund charity for Christians facing persecution, said some extremist Muslims viewed the growing use of halal food as part of their efforts to ‘impose’ sharia law on the West.Hmmmm......Finally!Read the full story here.

• HT:AmnonAndJonathan.From Zahi Hawass's blog : Sad News.The staff of the database department at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo have given me their report on the inventory of objects at the museum following the break in. Sadly, they have discovered objects are missing from the museum.The objects missing are as follows.Read the full story here.

• Shame of Britain's Muslim schools: Secret filming shows pupils being beaten and 'taught Hindus drink cow p***'.Undercover footage shows pupils being taught religious apartheid Muslims who adopt Western ways will be 'tortured in afterlife'. Unprovoked beatings captured on camera in Yorkshire madrassa . It is an assembly hall of the sort found in any ordinary school. Boys aged 11 and upwards sit cross-legged on the floor in straight rows. They face the front of the room and listen carefully. But this is no ordinary assembly. Holding the children’s attention is a man in Islamic dress wearing a skullcap and stroking his long dark beard as he talks.‘You’re not like the non-Muslims out there,’ the teacher says, gesturing towards the window. ‘All that evil you see in the streets, people not wearing the hijab properly, people smoking . . . you should hate it, you should hate walking down that street.’ He refers to the ‘non-Muslims’ as the ‘Kuffar’, an often derogatory term that means disbeliever or infidel.Welcome to one of Britain’s most influential Islamic faith schools, one of at least 2,000 such schools in Britain, some full-time, others part-time. They represent a growing, parallel education system. The school is the Darul Uloom Islamic High School in Birmingham, an oversubscribed independent secondary school. Darul Ulooms are world-renowned Islamic institutions and their aim is to produce the next generation of Muslim leaders. In fact, these schools have been described as the ‘Etons of Islam’.This school is required by its inspectors to teach tolerance and respect for other faiths. But the Channel 4 current affairs programme Dispatches filmed secretly inside it – and instead discovered that Muslim children are being taught religious apartheid and social segregation. We recorded a number of speakers giving deeply disturbing talks about Jews, Christians and atheists. We found children as young as 11 learning that Hindus have ‘no intellect’ and that they ‘drink cow p***’. And we came across pupils being told that the ‘disbelievers’ are ‘the worst creatures’ and that Muslims who adopt supposedly non-Muslim ways, such as shaving, dancing, listening to music and – in the case of women – removing their headscarves, would be tortured with a forked iron rod in the afterlife.In 2009 this school was praised by Government-approved inspection teams for its interfaith teachings. The report said that ‘pupils learn about the beliefs and practices of other faiths and are taught to show respect to other world religions’. It seems that the inspectors were unaware of the teaching methods revealed by our undercover reporter, Osman. He was taken on as a volunteer at the Darul Uloom school in Birmingham in April 2009 and was allowed to sit in on some lessons – but not their Islamic classes.Madrassas in the UK are part-time after-school or weekend classes, often held in mosques, where children are taught to read the Koran. In Keighley it is not what they are being taught that is the problem, but how.Again, Osman went into the mosque and left the camera in the room where classes took place. The film shows children as young as six sitting on the floor of a large room in the mosque, one of the biggest in the country. The boys are hunched over wooden benches, rocking backwards and forwards as they rote-learn the Koran in Arabic. A man with a long white beard dressed in a traditional shalwar kameez – tunic and trousers – sits at the head of the class. Periodically he gets up and walks behind the boys. As he passes, the children appear to cower and watch him nervously. It soon becomes clear why.He unexpectedly raises his hand and slaps a young boy hard on the head. Moments later he strikes another. And then he kicks a third child.In just two days of filming in December 2010, the camera recorded the teacher hitting children as young as six or seven at least ten times, in less than three hours of lessons.From what we could see, every ¬single blow was pretty much unprovoked. We soon realised that the beatings were routine. The behaviour of the boys, the way they flinched and backed away when he approached, indicated that they were long-accustomed to being hit and kicked as they studied.In another incident an older boy, left in charge of a class while a teacher is out at prayer, picks up a bench and threatens to hit a younger boy with it.Osman was subjected to beatings at four separate madrassas in the East Midlands as a child. He says that for the nine years he spent going to after-school Koran classes, he was hit regularly, at least a couple of timesa week. ‘It destroyed my confidence,’ he says, ‘and the worst bit was never knowing when it was going to happen. I had a horrible teacher who would use his fists, a stick, a shoe, anything he could find. He’d just get angry and lash out.’Regarding the Keighley madrassa, we were told that the Jamia Mosque committee was firm in its resolve to take whatever action was necessary to protect children being taught at the mosque and that it would give its full co-operation to any enquiries resulting from our film.If the law on physical punishment does change, that would be one way to protect the very young that attend these classes. But these part-time and full-time Muslim schools also need closer scrutiny – the regulatory system needs to be tightened up. However, we have a Government that, on the one hand, gives grand speeches about tackling the causes of extremism, as David Cameron did last week, while, on the other, encouraging local communities to set up their own schools – including faith schools. It’s time to stop these mixed messages. And Muslims can no longer sweep this under the carpet – they need to face up to what is happening behind closed doors. Many warn that if we don’t all tackle this toxic mix of hatred and violence head on, we will reap the whirlwind in years to come.Hmmmm....... "Praised for it's Interfaith teachings"Welcome to Eton A.D. 620?Read the full story here.

• Teenager’s hand cut off over affair.Eight men armed with axes attacked a teen age boy in Kuwait and cut his hand off to punish him for his relationship with a girlfriend of one of them, newspapers reported on Sunday.Police said they arrested six and are searching for the other two after the attack that also seriously wounded the 17-year-old boy.Newspapers quoted a police spokesman as saying the assailants would be tried on charges of attempted murder.Source.

• Pope: All Christians must help vocations in this time when God's voice seems stifled.Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Particularly in these times, when the voice of the Lord seems to be drowned out by "other voices" and his invitation to follow him by the gift of one’s own life may seem too difficult, every Christian community, every member of the Church, needs consciously to feel responsibility for promoting vocations" and “especially missionary vocations”. The call to the responsibility for the whole Christian community to foster and support vocations to characterizes the message of Benedict XVI for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated May 15, released today. “People will always have need of God, - writes the Pope - even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalization:” but “the workers are few." Reflecting on the theme of the Day, "Proposing vocations in the local Church," Benedict XVI noted that " The work of carefully encouraging and supporting vocations finds a radiant source of inspiration in those places in the Gospel where Jesus calls his disciples to follow him and trains them with love and care. We should pay close attention to the way that Jesus called his closest associates to proclaim the Kingdom of God (cf. Lk 10:9). In the first place, it is clear that the first thing he did was to pray for them: before calling them, Jesus spent the night alone in prayer, listening to the will of the Father (cf. Lk 6:12) in a spirit of interior detachment from mundane concerns”.Read the full story here.

• Pakistani Priest warns Christians are at risk. A young man tortured and killed.Lahore (AsiaNews) - The situation of Christians in Punjab is becoming more critical, Fr Joseph Xavier, from Lahore tells AsiaNews. "The incidents against Christians are increasing at an alarming rate. Central Punjab is the area most affected. Over the past three years there have been over 35 incidents, and most of them have not been reported because of the influence that local landlords have in the areas, and the influence of local MPs. They hold police and judges in the palm of their hands; the roam freely after having killed or robbed. This issue requires special attention; otherwise this problem will become even more frequent. Christians are not safe, many are forced to convert to Islam to save themselves. Also, if the Ministry of minority groups is abolished, what will happen to minorities in Pakistan?". The most recent episode involves a young man killed by his Muslim employers, who were reported to police, after public outcry, after the police dallied, reluctant to take up the case. Imran Masih, 24, a resident of Ghakkar Mandi Gujranwala, was killed by employers, who say he committed suicide. Imran Masih, married for eight months, worked as a driver for two Muslims, Bashir Ahmed Cheema and Munir Ahmed Cheema. Imran’s father, Lal, had held the job before but because of age he passed to his son.On February 5, Imran was unable to go to work because he felt sick. The next day he went to work. It seems there was a verbal confrontation with Munir Ahmed Cheema. And immediately after Imran was attacked and killed. Munir Cheema sought the help of some friends, and Imran's body was hung from the ceiling, and his father, Lal, was told his son had killed himself. Lal Masih received her son's body, covered in blood, and with clear signs of torture. Lal Masih told AsiaNews: "My son was killed by these animals. Cheema and his son used to insult me every day, they said that we Christians were their slaves. They have abused my son, he responded and then they killed him. There are signs of torture on the body. " Lal Masih went to the police to complain, but the assistant sub-inspector (ASI), Zubair Cheema, refused to accept the "Fir" (First Information Report) due to Bashir Ahmed Cheema’s influence in the area. The neighbours, however, hadheard noises and voices of people who insulted Imran, and then attacked him.Hmmmmm......"Islam the religion of peace". Read the full story here.

• Turkey keeps close watch on new US Congress.Turkey is keeping a close watch on the new members of the US Congress, with one eye trained on followers of the tea party movement. While Turkish officials aim to tell congressmen about Turkey’s foreign policy perceptions, Turkish-American citizens frequently visit new congressmen to discuss the needs of Turkish voters in their districts.Turkey has started establishing close contacts with new members of the U.S. Congress, including those affiliated with the conservative and libartarian tea party movement, according to a senior diplomat.“We want to have intense dialogue with new members of the Congress, including members of the tea party movement. We try to tell [congressmen] about Turkey in order to make them more familiar with our policies,” a senior Turkish diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News.Turkish associations in the U.S., along with the Turkish Embassy in Washington, are increasing efforts to include more congressmen in the Turkish-American Friendship Group. “Their numbers decreased from 125 to 96 when Democrats left the Congress. However, that figure will soon exceed 125, since we have good relations with Republicans,” Kaya Boztepe, president of the Federation of Turkish-American Associations, or FTAA, told the Daily News on Wednesday.“We try to reach as many congressmen as we can,” he said. “We have a study of newly elected congressmen. The first parties to reach those congressmen always win. Therefore, we have started an intense campaign to have meetings with new congressmen, and we do it as U.S. citizens,” Boztepe said.“The Turkish ambassador can do this to a certain extent, but we, as the voters, aim to convince them,” he said, adding that they notify congress members who have Turks living in their electoral districts. “We, as the Turkish society, were always in the defensive position. From now on, we make our own agenda.”The FTAA and the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations will hold a “National Leadership Conference” in March. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu are expected to participate. Turkish-American relations and Israeli-Turkish relations are to be discussed at the conference.“We want to bring our youngsters together and organize them. We want to show them options to study and ways to work in the White House and Congress,” Boztepe said. Twelve young Turks already have had internships in the U.S. Congress and three are working in Congress.Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s manner of address to Ahmedinejad as “his friend” drew reaction from political circles in Washington. Especially during his visit to Iran, Erdoğan’s declaration of his support for Iran’s “peaceful” nuclear program created anxiety in the U.S. over the course of relations between Turkey and Iran, he said. “However, we tried to tell them Prime Minister Erdoğan gave that statement in order to commit Iranians to the promise they gave us at meeting,” he said.President Abdullah Gül will pay an official visit to Iran on Feb. 13. Although Washington reads the intention of Turkey on its relations with Iran better, some diplomatic circles in Ankara say, “It would be better if the visit had not come up now.”Hmmmm.......Erdogan....Ahmadinajad.....study and ways to work in the White House and Congress,Turkish-American relations and Israeli-Turkish relations are to be discussed at the conference,off course without the presence of Armenians or Israelis i presume?Read the full story here.

• Iran hinders web searches leading up to planned rally, sources say.Iranian authorities have blocked the word "Bahman" -- the 11th month of the Persian calendar -- from Internet searches within the country, according to an opposition website.The measure appears to be an effort by Iranian authorities to obstruct access to several websites that are promoting a rally on Monday -- the 25th day of Bahman -- proposed by Iranian opposition leaders in support of the uprising in Egypt, Saham News reported Saturday.Two Tehran residents also confirmed the block via e-mail to CNN.Iranian authorities on Wednesday warned against any attempt by the opposition movement to hold the rally, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency."We definitely see them as enemies of the revolution and spies, and we will confront them with force," Revolutionary Guard Cmdr. Hossein Hamedani told IRNA.The White House issued a statement Saturday condemning the Iranian government for attempting to block the protests."By announcing that they will not allow opposition protests, the Iranian government has declared illegal for Iranians what it claimed was noble for Egyptians," National Security Advisor Tom Donilon said in the statement. "We call on the government of Iran to allow the Iranian people the universal right to peacefully assemble, demonstrate and communicate that's being exercised in Cairo."Opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi asked that the rally take place in Tehran's Azadi Square, the site of mass protests by Iran's opposition movement after the disputed 2009 presidential elections.The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, based in the United States, called Friday for an end to restrictions on the movements of Karroubi and Moussavi."The (Iranian) government is doing all it can to intimidate Iranians and deny their right to peaceful assembly," the U.S.-based group said in a statement. "With recent events in Egypt, we see another round of repression in Iran aimed at silencing a people frustrated and dissatisfied by the denial of their human rights."Hmmmmm......Only the great peacemaker is silent ,it's easyer to bully and stab allies?Read the full story here.

• Genies blamed for girl’s disappearance.After a visit to Koran reciters, she had to be carried out as she appeared to be in a trance.A Yemeni girl has been missing for nearly a month in Saudi Arabia and her family believe she could have been snatched by jinn (genies), a newspaper reported on Thursday.The 23-year-old girl stepped out of her house in a mountainous village near the western town of Taif and never returned, prompting a massive police search campaign, Sabq Arabic language daily said.“Some people told police they saw her walking on a hill not far from her house then vanished again,” the paper said.“Her brothers and some residents in the village said she sometimes appears at night and then suddenly disappears…they told police that they believe she has been haunted and taken by jinn.”Hmmmm.......I'm pretty sure the Disney lawyers are preparing their defence by now.Read the full story here.

• Saudi Arabia: Islamic Morality Police Order Shops to Remove all Red Items Until Valentine’s Day Is Over…Flower shops and gift shops have been asked to remove all red items and heart-shaped gifts until after Valentine’s Day by the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia).Celebration of the so-called day of love is frowned upon by authorities in the Kingdom.Every year, Haia officials visit the shops a few days before Valentine’s Day, giving them instructions to remove all goods that have even the slightest hint of red, including roses, chocolate, wrapping paper and stuffed animals.“We’re used to seeing Haia members a couple of days before Valentine’s Day asking us to put away all red items until after that day,” said Alan, a salesman at a gift shop.“They also threaten that if we sell even one red rose or gift they will shut the shop down and get all the staff fired.”Chocolate shops usually manage to make big sales the day before Valentine’s.“Many young men come in a day before Valentine’s Day and ask for red chocolate boxes for the day of love,” said Hassan, a salesman at a chocolate shop in Rawda Street.Hmmm......Khomeini "There's no fun in Islam"?Read the full story here.

• HT:SteynOnline.The Superpower as Spectator. If you missed my TV and radio appearances this week, here's a recap of my thoughts on Egypt: This is not a happy ending but the beginning of something potentially very dark. The end of the Mubarak regime is the biggest shift in the region in 60 years, since Nasser overthrew King Farouk's dissolute monarchy and diminished London's influence in Cairo. We are witnessing the unraveling of the American Middle East - that's to say, of the regimes supported by Washington in the waning of British and French imperial power after the Second World War. The American Middle East was an unlovely place, and perhaps the most obviously repellent illustration of the limitations of "He may be an SOB but he's our SOB" thinking. It's "our" SOBs who are in trouble: After the fall of Mubarak, what remains to hold up the Hashemites in Amman? Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood is more radical than Egypt's, the regime is less ruthless, King Abdullah's Arabic is worse than his English, and pretty westernized Queen Rania, who seems so cute when CNN interviewers are fawning all over her, is openly despised outside the palace gates. Iran is nuclearizing, Turkey is Islamizing, Egypt is ...what exactly? Well, we'll find out. But, given that only the army and/or the Muslim Brotherhood are sufficiently organized to govern the nation, the notion that we're witnessing the youthful buds of any meaningful democracy is deluded.Read the full story here.

• HT:TheAmericanDream.Could An Eruption Of The Yellowstone Supervolcano Destroy The United States As We Know It?When most Americans think of Yellowstone, they tend to conjure up images of Yogi Bear and "Old Faithful". But the truth about Yellowstone is much more frightening than that. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is actually sitting right on top of a massive supervolcano. This supervolcano has erupted before, and scientists tell us that when it fully erupts again it will destroy the United States as we know it. So could such an eruption happen any time soon? Well, scientists tell us that Yellowstone is actually overdue for a major eruption and there are thousands of earthquakes in the Yellowstone area every single year. In addition, scientists that monitor Yellowstone have been quite alarmed that some areas of Yellowstone have risen by as much as ten inches over the past few years. So yes, there are some good reasons to be really, really concerned about what is going on at Yellowstone.The truth is that the Yellowstone supervolcano is the biggest volcano in North America by far. A major eruption at Yellowstone would permanently change all of our lives in just a single day.In fact, a major eruption at Yellowstone would permanently end America's status as a superpower in just a single day.So exactly what would an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano look like?What exactly would a full eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano mean for the United States and for the rest of the world?Well, the following are 11 facts about the Yellowstone supervolcano that are more than a little bit frightening....Read the full story here.