Video - Tunisian Scholar Mohamed Talbi: The Quran Does Not Prohibit Alcohol, Prostitution, or Homosexuality

Tunisian Islamic scholar Mohamed Talbi recently expounded upon his views of Islam in an interview on Tunisia's TV Channel 1. Talbi said that there are no Quranic verses prohibiting alcohol consumption, prostitution, or homosexuality, noting that "prevention is not prohibition." Talbi, who called himself a "Quranic Muslim," said that the claim that the Prophet Muhammad was illiterate was "the greatest farce of all." The interview aired on April 15, 2015.

Obama to Skip Sochi Games in Apparent Snub Over Anti-Gay Law.

Obama to Skip Sochi Games in Apparent Snub Over Anti-Gay Law.(RN).

US President Barack Obama dealt a sharp reprimand to Russia over its anti-gay laws on Tuesday by including two openly homosexual athletes in the official delegation to the Winter Olympics in Sochi and declining to attend the Games himself.

The White House announced that Billie Jean King, a gay former tennis champion, and Caitlin Cahow, a gay Olympic medalist in ice hockey, would be included in the US delegations to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games in February.

For the first time since the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, the US president, vice president and first lady are to be absent from both delegations.

White House officials said in a statement that Obama would be too busy to attend the Games, but that the delegation “represents the diversity that is the United States.”

“All our delegation members are distinguished by their accomplishments in government service, civic activism, and sports,” White House spokesman Shin Inouye said in the statement.

The US joins France and Germany in excluding senior government leaders from attending the Games.
Though Obama has not commented directly on the grounds for the snub, the inclusion of openly homosexual athletes suggests that Russia’s so-called gay propaganda ban is at least part of the reason.

Russia’s parliament passed a law in June forbidding the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations to minors, sparking an international backlash and fears for the safety of gay athletes and spectators at the Olympics in the Russian resort city of Sochi.

The International Olympic Committee has stated that it is confident the law will not affect the safety of attendees to the Games.

The full US delegation to the opening ceremony includes Janet Napolitano, the president of the University of California system and former US Secretary of Homeland Security, US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy Robert Nabors, tennis hall-of-famer Billie Jean King, and Olympic figure skating gold medalist Brian Boitano.

The closing ceremony delegation includes US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, Ambassador McFaul, Olympic speed-skating medalist Bonnie Blair, ice hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow and speed skating medalist Eric Heiden.

Russian Duma Moves to Enact Anti-Gay Law Nationwide.

Russian Duma Moves to Enact Anti-Gay Law Nationwide.(MT).Kissing his boyfriend during a protest in front of the State Duma earned Pavel Samburov 30 hours of detention and the equivalent of a $16 fine on a charge of "hooliganism."
But if a bill that comes up for a first vote later this month becomes law, such a public kiss could be defined as illegal "homosexual propaganda" and bring a fine of up to $16,000.
The legislation, being pushed by the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church, would make it illegal nationwide to provide minors with information that is defined as "propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism."
It includes a ban on holding public events that promote gay rights. St. Petersburg and a number of other cities already have similar laws on their books.
Samburov describes the bill as part of a Kremlin crackdown on minorities of any kind — political and religious as well as sexual — designed to divert public attention from growing discontent with Putin's rule. The lanky and long-haired Samburov is the founder of the Rainbow Association, which unites gay activists throughout Russia. The gay-rights group has joined anti-Putin marches in Moscow over the past year, its rainbow flag waving along with those of other opposition groups.
Denis Volkov, a sociologist for the Levada Center, an independent pollster, said the anti-homosexuality bill fits the "general logic" of a government intent on limiting various rights.
But in this case, the move has been met mostly with either indifference or open enthusiasm by average Russians. Levada polls conducted last year show that almost 67 percent of Russians find homosexuality "morally unacceptable and worth condemning." About half are against gay rallies and same-sex marriage. Almost a third think homosexuality is the result of "a sickness or a psychological trauma," the Levada surveys show.
Russia's widespread hostility to homosexuality is shared by the political and religious elite. Lawmakers have accused gays of decreasing Russia's already low birth rates and said they should be barred from government jobs, undergo forced medical treatment or be exiled. Orthodox activists criticized PepsiCo for using a "gay" rainbow on cartons of its dairy products.
The federal bill's expected adoption comes 20 years after a Stalinist-era law punishing homosexuality with up to five years in prison was removed from the Criminal Code as part of the democratic reforms that followed the Soviet Union's collapse.
Gays have been whipsawed by official pressure and persistent homophobia. There are no reliable estimates of how many gays and lesbians live in Russia, and only a few big cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg have gay nightclubs and gyms.
In other parts of Russia, gays feel even less secure. Bagaudin Abduljalilov moved to Moscow from Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region, where he says some gays have been beaten and had their hands cut off, sometimes by their own relatives, for bringing shame on their families.
"You don't have any human rights down there," he said. "Anything can be done to you with impunity."
Shortly before moving to Moscow, Abduljalilov left Islam to become a Christian, but he was expelled from a seminary after telling the dean he is gay. He also has had trouble finding a job as a television journalist because of discrimination against people from Dagestan. Read the full story here.

Topless feminists Protest group 'Femen' stage Vatican gay protest

Topless feminists Protest group 'Femen' stage Vatican gay protest.(AO). VATICAN CITY: Four activists from Ukrainian feminist groupFemen stripped off in St Peter's Square on Sunday in a protest for gay rights just as Pope Benedict XVI was reciting his traditional weekly Angelus prayer. The four topless women, who had "In Gay We Trust" scrawled on their bodies, staged their protest by the giant Christmas tree in the centre of the square and were briefly detained by Vatican police. Tens of thousands are set to march in France later on Sunday to denounce government plans to legalise gay marriage and adoption which have angered many Catholics and Muslims, France's two main faiths. A small protest against the plans is also due to be held in Rome outside the French embassy. The Femen women's power group has been making headlines since 2010 for topless feminist, pro-democracy and anti-corruption protests in Russia, Ukraine and London. In September, they set up their first ever "training centre" in Paris.Read the full story here.More here.

Video - Pakistani Model and Actress Veena Malik in Support of Gay Rights.

Pakistani Model and Actress Veena Malik in Support of Gay Rights.Following are excerpts from a TV show, in which Pakistani model and actress Veena Malik participated. The show aired on Geo News via the Internet on October 14, 2012.

Veena Malik: I worked in Pakistan for seven years, and approximately 99.9% of the people who worked with me were gay. They would tell me how painful their lives were because of the many problems they faced.
Today, science has proven that it is one’s genes that determines whether one will be gay or lesbian.
I believe that all – whether animal, plant, or human being – should have the full right to lead their lives [as they see fit].
I would like to say today that every gay or lesbian – every living being – should have the right to lead their lives [as they see fit].

TV host: I did not ask whether gays or lesbians have the right to lead their lives. My question was directed to [you], a woman who has read a translation of the Koran. I asked whether you had consulted the Koran before giving a statement in support of gays and lesbians. Did you consult the Koran after that?
I am asking this because the Koran is explicit about the nation of Lot and what happened to them.

Applause from the audience.

Veena Malik: But that nation of Lot makes up a large part of our society today, and they should have the right to lead their lives the way they see fit. Source: Memri.

OnIslam.net says homosexuality is a choice and parents can attempt to “change” their children.

OnIslam.net says homosexuality is a choice and parents can attempt to “change” their children.(BM).CAIRO: The leading Islamic website in English, OnIslam.net, saw one of its scholars tell the mother of a South African lesbian woman that she must try to cope with her daughter’s “choice” to be gay.
It is the latest in an ongoing string of advice given by the website on homosexuality, labeling the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community as making the choice to be gay.
Modern scientific evidence has debunked the myth that gay and lesbian people across the planet choose to be gay and are rather born that way.
“The problem you have to face is that your daughter is an adult with the free will to make her choices in life,” said counselors Razia Aamaarah and Bhatti `Ali in responding to the 52-year-old mother from South Africa.
“As a parent the only thing you can try to do is point out why you believe her choice is wrong and what theological basis there is and some of the consequences she may face. Ultimately it sounds like she is decided on her future,” they added.
They continued to say that if the mother shuns her daughter, it could push her further into her lifestyle and the daughter “may feel compelled to continue living a life which deep down may not be what she wants.”
The counselors then continue to say that the mother can explain to her the Islamic principles toward homosexuality so as to potentially convince her daughter to no longer be a lesbian.
“Explain to her the spiritual rewards of fighting against her desires and give her practical support if she wants to fight her impulses,” they wrote.
“If you decide to keep ties with your daughter as opposed to disowning her it does not mean you approve or embrace your daughter’s lifestyle, as you can tell her emphatically that you cannot condone her choice but it does not mean you cannot love her and pray for her.”
Many LGBT activists in Egypt and across the world have repeatedly told Bikyamasr.com that this is a common theme among Islamic scholars, who continue to view homosexuality as an abomination of Islam and human practice.
Websites like OnIslam.net are part of the problem, they argue and without a concerted effort to educate the educated, myths and misinformation will continue to be delivered to Muslims across the globe.Read the full story here.


Ahmadinejad : "with a little bit of education reform, the LGBT community can be exterminated."
"The proper education must be given; the education system must be revamped; the political system must be revamped," he said. "But if you, if a group recognizes an ugly behavior or ugly deed as legitimate, you must not expect other countries or other groups to give it the same recognition."

"Weird Or What?" - Russia's War on Gays and Lesbians Intensifies, spreads to Milk Cartons.

Gay Milk proof : Exhibit One 'The Rainbow'

"Weird Or What?" - Russia's War on Gays and Lesbians Intensifies, spreads to Milk Cartons.(Spiegel).Russia's self-proclaimed morality police have discovered a new danger to the people's health and values, and it is to be found in the country's supermarkets -- in the form of dairy products from the American company PepsiCo. Activists from the Orthodox group called the People's Council have even gotten Russia prosecutors involved.
"The packaging of these dairy products with the label 'Vesyoly Molochnik' have long been a thorn in my side," says Anatoly Artyuch, of the People's Council. The brand means "happy milkman" in English.

Pepsi uses the brand to sell all manner of dairy products, including milk, yoghurt and kefir. Packages portray a smiling, slightly rotund milkman wearing a chef's hat. Behind him is a green meadow with a rainbow stretching across the sky. Artyuch believes that the rainbow isn't quite as innocent as it might seem. He thinks it is "the global symbol of the sodomite movement." 
Russia's judiciary is currently looking into the claims.The grotesque offensive against the dairy brand is part of a conservative campaign in Russia aimed at gays and lesbians in the country. In their view, homosexuality isn't merely a sin, but also a symbol of damaging "Westernization."
The happy milkman isn't the only target. A court in the metropolis of St. Petersburg, once called the "window to the West" by Czar Peter the Great, has subpoenaed US pop icon Madonna for allegedly disseminating "homosexual propaganda" during her concert in the city at the beginning of August.
Recently, when an outdoor clothing chain advertised in the Internet for applicants to a business academy, one of the five criteria listed was "traditional orientation," Russian code for heterosexuals. A columnist for the English language paper Moscow Times commented in response that "gays are the new Jews."The radical Moscow priest Sergei Rybko even used the brutal attack on the club 7freedays as an excuse to call for the final battle between the East and the West. Russia, he warned, is threatening to become "a tolerant, Western country in which anything goes." He called for a "cleansing of the Fatherland."
That was too much even for some within the Orthodox Church. "Of course we denounce such phenomena," said conservative priest Roman Bratshik. "I would like to point out, however, that God sent angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah."Hmmmm.......In the old days there was a pot of gold at the end of a rain bow now its a homo or lesbi?Read the full story here.

Video - Ahmadinejad In Heated Battle With Piers Morgan Over Homosexuality.

HT: Mediate.

Egyptian diplomat suggests gays are ‘not real people’.

Egyptian diplomat suggests gays are ‘not real people’.(PN).By Benjamin Weinthal.Egypt’s chief diplomatic representative to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva declared last week at a meeting about the universal right to association that gays do not warrant protections and are considered not to be “real people” in the Middle East. The liberal Egyptian web news outlet Bikya Masr first reported on Omar Shalaby’s homophobic remarks. According to a transcription of Mr Shalaby’s presentation, he said: “Finally, concerning the highly controversial notion of sexual orientation, we can only reiterate that it is not part of the universally recognized human rights.” Last year, US Sectary of State Hilary Clinton, however, told the UN body in Geneva that “It should never be a crime to be gay.” Mrs Clinton told the diplomats in Geneva in December that: “Gay rights are human rights.” Mr Shalaby further stated: “We call on Mr Kiai [UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association] not to undermine the credibility and legitimacy of his important work in the eyes of real people who actually need it, especially in regions where such concepts are rejected by both its Christian and Muslim inhabitants like the Middle East.”The UN webcast of Mr Shalaby’s anti-gay comments can be viewed here.
In an email statement to PinkNews.co.uk on Wednesday, Klaus Jetz, the executive director of Germany’s Lesbian and Gay Association, wrote: “LGBT rights are human rights, they are universal and indivisible. They apply to LGBT people all over the world and to LGBT people in Egypt as well, they are not negotiable. Denying human rights to LGBT people means attacking human rights.”
PinkNews.co.uk emails seeking a comment from Egypt’s embassy and consulate in Germany were not immediately returned. Egypt’s government has over the years severely cracked down on gay life in the country, including mass show trials of men to ratchet up a climate of fear against sexual minorities. According to Human Rights Watch, twenty-three men were convicted in 2001 in a “politically motivated trial” for their alleged sexual orientation.
Though homosexuality is ostensibly not legally codified as a crime, there are widespread anti-gay barriers in Egypt that prevent the free expression of the LGBT community.The UN Human Rights Council told PinkNews.co.uk: “The Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body which provides a space for a wide range of views from States, NGOs, civil society and other participants. The comments made by the Egyptian delegate on 21 June during a discussion on a report of the Special Rapporteur on peaceful assembly, Maina Kiai, expressed the views of the Egyptian delegation, and should certainly not be interpreted as an endorsement by the Council as a whole.Hmmmm......."CHANGE" Egyptian style.Read the full story here.

Video - Ezra Levant on Calgary's upcoming Hate-Fest.

Video - London-Based Shiite Cleric Yasser Al-Habib in Anti-Sunni Rhetoric: The Caliph Omar Had an Anal Disease that Made Him Addicted to Homosexuality.

Video Transcript - London-Based Shiite Cleric Yasser Al-Habib in Anti-Sunni Rhetoric: The Caliph Omar Had an Anal Disease that Made Him Addicted to Homosexuality.(Memri).


Following are excerpts from an address by London-based Kuwaiti Shiite cleric Yasser Habib, which aired on Fadak TV on May 24, 2012. Fadak TV is dominated by Sheik Habib, who fled Kuwait in 2004 following a one-year prison term for cursing the Caliphs Omar and Abu Bakr and Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha. He was then sentenced in absentia for 10 years in prison. In September 2010, Kuwait revoked his citizenship.

Yasser Habib: Anyone who consents to being called “Emir of the Believers” is a passive homosexual. Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, for example, who willingly assumed this title, was, without a doubt, a passive homosexual. The same goes for the caliphs Othman Ibn Affan, Muawiyya, Yazid, and the rulers and sultans of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, as well as some of the rulers and sultans of our day and age. For example, the king of Morocco bears this title, and he is referred to as “the Emir of the Believers” by the [Moroccan] media. This is how you know that he is a passive homosexual.

This is in addition to the evidence revealed by Western media, which showed that the current king of Morocco is indeed a passive homosexual who belongs to the homosexual community. This was leaked from his palace by his assistants, his servants, and his “boys,” whom he would penetrate and who would penetrate him. They fled to Europe, sought asylum, and exposed all this.

Another such example is the person who ruled Afghanistan for a short time – the so-called Mullah Omar.

It is told [in the hadith] that Omar Ibn Al-Khattab had an anal disease, which could be cured only by semen. One should know that this is a well-known medical condition, which is also mentioned in sacred texts. Someone who, God forbid, has been penetrated in the anus – a worm grows within him, due to the semen discharged in him... A disease develops in his anus, and as a result, he cannot calm down, unless... That’s right, it becomes like an addiction, and he cannot calm down unless he is penetrated again and again.

The Shiites are undoubtedly protected from this disease, and from committing this abominable and hideous act.

As for the Nasibis [who hate the Prophet Muhammad’s family], they are definitely afflicted with this homosexuality.

One of the devils is present at the birth of every human being. If Allah knows that the newborn is one of our Shiites, He fends off that devil, who cannot harm the newborn. But if the newborn is not one of our Shiites, the devil inserts his index finger into the anus of the newborn, who thus becomes a passive homosexual. If the newborn is not a Shiite, the devil inserts his index finger into this newborn’s anus, and when he grows up, he becomes a passive homosexual. If the newborn is a female, the devil inserts his index finger into her vagina, and she becomes a whore.

At that moment, the newborn cries loudly, as he comes out of his mother’s womb. Note that some children cry normally at birth, while others cry loudly and incessantly. You should know that this is the work of that devil, according to this narration.Source : Memri.

Moscow Wants to Make anti-gay law Law Federal.

Moscow Wants to Make anti-gay law Law Federal.(MN).Deputies of the Moscow City Duma discussing the creation of an anti-gay law similar to the one in St. Petersburg have decided to broaden its scope to ban all kinds of "sexual propaganda," and they said they plan to push the initiative on the federal level. City Duma Speaker Vladimir Platonov proposed the idea and stressed its importance during a round table meeting attended by representatives of regions where laws restricting homosexual propaganda among minors have already been enacted. But the legislation would also ban the spread of materials of a heterosexual nature. Representatives of parental organizations said the law was not aimed at people of non-traditional sexual orientation, but a necessary step to protect children from information that would produce psychological harm, a news release about the discussion on the City Duma website said. Platonov was adamant about the need to protect children's rights. "If we talk about the simple writing of the law, it would be possible to limit distribution of the material and harvest already-existing experience," he said, adding that it would be possible to just "take up a pen and write the same law accepted by four subjects of the Federation," the news release said. Platonov also said it was necessary to "address to the Federation Council in order to prepare a good federal legislative initiative that would protect minors from all the negative information." One demonstrator stood outside the City Duma in a one-man picket to protest the discussion, holding a sign reading "Stop homophobic crooks! Moscow is behind us," Moskovksy Komsomolets reported. Gay rights activists said Tuesday they are planning a parade for May 27 to protest the advance of anti-homosexual legislation in Russia. "Notification of the event will be filed and submitted to the capital's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, in mid-May,” founder of the Moscow Gay Pride movement Nikolai Alekseyev told Interfax. “The main theme will be the legislative bans on gay propaganda in Russia," he said. The parade is also timed to coincide with the 19th anniversary of the abolition of criminal prosecution for engaging in homosexual relations, Alekseev said.Hmmm......In 2007 Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II called homosexuality an “illness” and attacked what he called “homosexual propaganda” influencing young people during an address to the council’s parliamentary assembly.He said homosexuality was “an illness and a distortion of the human personality” comparable to kleptomania.Read the full story here.

Iranian Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli: "Homosexuals are inferior to dogs and pigs".

Iranian Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli: "Homosexuals are inferior to dogs and pigs".(Guardian).An influential Iranian cleric who is entitled to issue juristic rulings according to the Sharia law, has condemned western lawmakers involved in the decriminalisation of homosexuality, saying those politicians are lower than animals. Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli, an Islamic scholar based in Iran's holy city of Qom, said in a speech among his followers that homosexuals are inferior to dogs and pigs, according to the news website Khabaronline. "If a society commits a new sin, it will face a new punishment," he said while interpreting Qur'anic verses about prophet Lot whose tribe Isalmic scholars say was punished by God for sodomy. "Problems like Aids did not exist before." Citing the Qur'an, Javadi-Amoli said politicians who pass laws in favour of homosexuals are lower than animals. "Even animals ... dogs and pigs don't engage in this disgusting act [homosexuality] but yet they [western politicians] pass laws in favour of them in their parliaments." Homosexuality is punishable by death according to fatwas issued by almost all Iranian clerics. Until recently, Lavat (sodomy for men) was punishable by death for all individuals involved in consensual sexual intercourse.But under new amendments approved recently in the Iranian parliament the person who played an active role will be flogged 100 times if the sex was consensual and he was not married, but the one who played a passive role will still be put to death regardless of his marriage status.
Despite the horrific punishment for homosexuals in Iran, the gay community in the country is alive underground and has won some recognition by coming out in defiance of the regime.
In September 2011, a group of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Iranians launched a campaign on Facebook, highlighting the discrimination against sexual minorities in Iran where homosexuals are put to death.Read the full story here.

Homosexual Discrimination in Russia - First Arrests for Violation of St. Petersburg Anti-Gay Law.

Homosexual Discrimination in Russia - First Arrests for Violation of St. Petersburg Anti-Gay Law.(Spiegel).For the first time, police in St. Petersburg, Russia, have made arrests on the strength of a new law banning the dissemination of information on homo-, bi- and transsexuality. Two men were arrested in the city center on Thursday after holding up a sign reading "Homosexuality Is Normal," according to the newswire Interfax. Russia's second-largest city passed the controversial law on Feb. 29. The two men now face a possible maximum fine of 500,000 rubles (€12,800/$17,000). The maximum penalty is more than the average annual income in Russia. The law bans films, music videos, books and newspapers that contain homosexual content as well as the rainbow flag, which is a common symbol of gay pride. And the ban may soon no longer be limited to just St. Petersburg and other cities in Russia. 
At the end of March, Vladimir Putin's United Russia party introduced a bill in the country's parliament, the Duma, which would impose the ban at the national level. "We are trying to protect our society from homosexual propaganda," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Russian radio three weeks ago.German Green Party parliamentarian Volker Beck -- who, like German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, is openly gay -- said the bill is a "hate law" and that Russia is on the "path to the Dark Ages." In the past, Beck has attended anti-homophobia rallies in Russia. Homophobia remains widespread in Russia, and it is an open secret in the country that many public figures have sought to hide their sexual preferences by entering into marriages of convenience. The Russian Orthodox Church views homosexuality as a sin, and it was only in 1999 that homosexuality was stricken from the list of mental illnesses in the country. Vitaly Milonov, the United Russia politician who is one of the initiators of the proposal for a nationwide ban in the Duma, accused the German band Rammstein of "gay propaganda" earlier this spring. He also warned the American singer Madonna against transgressing the law at a planned summer concert. Madonna, for her part, has said she plans on defying it.Hmmmm.......Putin's new Russia looks more and more like the Old Soviet Russia it seems.Read the full story here.

Voluntary 'De-Baptism' Rising in Europe.Do you go to court or will a simple hairdryer do?

Wielding a blow-dryer, leading atheist Edwin Kagin conducted a mass "de-baptism" of fellow non-believers and symbolically dried up the offending waters that were sprinkled on their foreheads as young children. Hmmmm......"Please Lord have mercy, for they themselves do not know what they are seeking".

Voluntary 'De-Baptism' Rising in Europe.(Voanews).Sunday evening youth mass in Saint-Germain-des-Pres is overflowing with parishioners. People stand in aisles or sit cross-legged in corners of the cavernous, sixth century Paris church.Father Benoist de Sinety, parish priest at Saint Germain for the past three years, says he has always had the good fortune of seeing crowds of young people seeking their bearings or rediscovering faith. But he knows it is not the same everywhere.
Churches in France and elsewhere in Europe have been battling falling numbers, a trend evident not only in the empty pews, but in the sharp fall in baptisms. But "de-baptisms", a church's deletion of one's name from the official baptismal registry at a parishioner's request, are a recent phenomenon, and they are taking place in both Protestant and Catholic communities.
There are no official statistics, but experts and activists count the numbers of those seeking de-baptism in the tens of thousands, and websites offering informal "de-baptism" certificates have mushroomed.
Anne Morelli, who heads a center for religion and secularity studies at the Free University of Brussels, says de-baptisms, both official and unofficial, increased in 2011, particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Austria. The numbers, she said, reflect public anger at the church pedophilia scandals.
Terry Sanderson, head of the National Secular Society in Britain, agrees. "I think what sparked the real desire of people to leave the church, particularly the Catholic church, were the huge child-abuse scandals that revolted so many people [that] they no longer wanted to be associated with it," he said. "That's when people started to leave in large numbers."
A decade ago, Sanderson's society posted an unofficial "de-baptism certificate" on its website, which has been downloaded more than 100,000 times to date."It was a joke to begin with, but now it has taken on a new significance because there are so many people who are anxious to leave the church that they are actually taking it seriously now, and they want some way to make their break with the church formal," he says. "Often the church won't acknowledge their desire to leave."
But Christian Weisner, a spokesman for the international grassroots We Are Church movement, points not only to a range of issues that have resulted in de-baptism, but a range methods by which people choose to sever ties to the church.In Germany, where a record 181,000 Catholics formally split from the church in 2011, some terminated their relations by legally opting out of paying state church taxes. For the first time, he says, more German Catholics cut ties to their church last year than Protestants.
"They are thinking about leaving the church and there might be one special event, like the pedophilia crisis, like a [conservative] announcement by the pope, and then they decide now is the time to go," says Weisner, referring to the fact that some Catholics oppose Pope Benedict's stances on issues like abortion, homosexuality and married priests.In France, 71-year-old Rene Lebouvier decided it was time to go a decade ago. After requesting to have his name crossed off his church's baptismal registry, he ultimately filed a lawsuit to have it legally deleted. In October, a lower court in Normandy ruled in his favor, but a local bishop is appealing the verdict. According to religion professor Philippe Portier of the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, Lebouvier's case could set a legal precedent in a country where few seek to be de-baptized."It will be the first time in Europe, and especially in France, that the church will be obliged to delete from its registers the name of churchgoers who do not want to be considered as church goers," he says.
While Portier doubts the appeals court will rule in Lebouvier's favor, France's Catholic Church will not comment on the court case.Read the full story here.

Homosexuality is a “disease,” says top Iran human rights official

• CAIRO: The head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights says gay marriage is “immoral” and that homosexuality in general is a “disease.” Mohamed Javad Larijani’s comments have sparked outrage among local and international rights groups, who demand a retraction.“The West says that the marriage of homosexuals should be allowed under the human rights charter, however, we think it is sexual immorality and a disease,” Larijani was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.“Why should we see a disease as a way of life, instead of maintaining our views on homosexuality and act accordingly?,” Larijani said during a meeting with German lawmaker Tom Koenigs, who chairs the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs in the parliament in Berlin.The statements are not new for Iran. The country’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that there “are no homosexuals” in the country, despite films that look into the topic.In Iran, homosexuality is punishable by death, which has strict Islamic laws.“These kind of statements are absolutely ridiculous and do nothing but make Iran the laughing stock of the world,” gay Iranian Hassan Kamal, who lives in the UK, told Bikyamasr.com.Kamal, who has campaigned for greater rights for the LGBT community inside Iran, argued that these statements are made to shock.“The leaders in Iran, know very well that gay people exist in their country, but they want to give the impression of fear to its citizens and reassuring them that gay people are not there and if they are, they will kill them,” he added.International human rights organizations have long called on Tehran to open society to enhancing rights for its population, but Iranian officials have largely remained obstinate to outsider demands.Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                        Morning Posting.

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in the US 4.8 ! More info here.

• Japan : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog.Here.

• Please meet "attackwatch.NET" the complete opposite of attack watch........... the Dr Jekyll and Hyde of attackwatch.org. Here.

 

• Obama's buddy sends Turkish warships towards Cyprus in oil exploration dispute.(TodaysZaman).Turkish warships have set out for the Mediterranean at a time when Turkey and Greek Cyprus are deadlocked over possible deposits of oil and natural gas off the coast of the island.Three warships set sail from İstanbul through the Dardanelles, heading for the Aegean, the Cihan news agency reported on Wednesday. The warships’ activity was interpreted as a sign that Turkey is ready to live up to its pledge and prepare for its own drilling in the company of warships in the debated waters around Cyprus.According to Greek Cypriot presidential advisor Ertan Ersan, Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel and Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu said that Turkey would start drilling within a week, Turkish media reported on Wednesday. Özel reportedly indicated that “the Greek Cypriots would not dare to escalate the tension,” as he proposed that Turkey would start drilling since it is the country’s right to do so. Kıvrıkoğlu expressed the belief that Greek Cypriots would not make “a crazy move that would escalate the crisis.” Ersan had talks with the generals earlier this week.The countries have been exchanging warnings since the Greek Cypriots announced during the summer that they were planning to conduct oil and gas exploration in the seabed Turkey considers disputed territory, but the actual kickoff for the Greek Cypriot drilling that came on Monday proved the debate could turn into a crisis that might even involve a military showdown.The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) announced on Tuesday that it was setting up a monitoring committee that would observe developments on a Greek Cypriot oil platform that was set up recently and is expected to yield results within a few weeks. The committee is expected to issue daily reports on exploration activities while Turkish warships and aircraft keep the zone under surveillance with respect to Greek Cypriot territorial rights.“The drilling process has been started by Noble Energy on the basis of the agreement with the Republic of [Greek] Cyprus,” Greek Cypriot deputy government spokesman Christos Christofides was quoted as saying by Reuters on Tuesday, confirming that the Greek Cypriot administration feels justified in carrying out the drills unilaterally.“By ignoring the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots they are sabotaging the search for a solution based on the principles and framework accepted by the United Nations,” İrsen Küçük, the Turkish Cypriot prime minister, was quoted as saying in the same report.The platform of US-based Noble Energy was set up over the weekend, deepening the crisis between the Turkish and Greek sides, as Turkey vowed to cooperate with the KKTC to sign its own continental shelf delineation agreement in the event the other side of the island went ahead with its drilling project. Turkey considers seabed deposits oil and natural gas a common wealth for the entire island, both communities of which have been engaged in UN-led reunification talks that are expected to be finalized by October.However, the hydrocarbon debate seems to have undermined both parties’ readiness for a just solution to the separation that goes back almost four decades.Cyprus has been divided between Turkish and Greek sides since 1974, when the Turkish military intervened in an Athens-backed coup to reunite the island with Greece. Although the KKTC is recognized as a state only by Turkey, Greek Cyprus has enjoyed the benefits of EU membership since 2004 and is readying for its term in the EU rotating presidency in the summer of 2012.Intergovernmental bodies headed by the UN expect the two communities to come to an agreement on reunification before the Greek Cypriot presidency of the EU begins in July 2012. Turkish officials consider the presidency ample reason to freeze negotiations with the European bloc if a solution is not devised by then.Hmmmm.....No wonder Obama and Erdogan had such smiling faces at the UN,lets start a war with Israel?Read the full story here.

• Saudi Columnist: Hitler Was Right about the Jews.(Memri).In an article titled "Liberalism – A Jewish Deception," Saudi columnist Khaled Al-Ghanami justified Hitler's views on the Jews as expressed in his book Mein Kampf, and claimed that the Jews today were exploiting economic liberalism as a means to topple the Arab states and control the world. The article was received positively by many readers, who defended Al-Ghanami's claims and even asked him to expand on them.Following is a translation of the article:

"Regardless of our views on Adolf Hitler, his book Mein Kampf contains many stories and much philosophical commentary worth reading. Hitler's position vis-à-vis the Jews was not capricious. It was a position he formulated over dozens of years of observing them, zealously [defending] them, and arguing with those who denied they were German citizens. Eventually he discovered that the Jew was only a Jew [and not a German].

"In his book [Mein Kampf], he castigates the Jews first and foremost for Germany's defeat in World War I. While the [German] army fought on the front, the Jews organized demonstrations to overthrow the monarchy in Bavaria and several [other] regions in Germany, and even called for munitions manufacturers to strike. This shocked the German soldier, for how [could he] sacrifice his life on the battlefield while the workers who were supposed to send bullets to the front were striking? Hitler, himself a young soldier, returned to his country after [Germany's] defeat, [only] to discover that the revolution had already broken out and that in its course, [Kaiser] Wilhelm II had been overthrown in a cunning Jewish plot.

"[Mein Kampf] contains many stories about the Jew who lurks in the shadows (according to Hitler), and whose calls for freedom and equality are nothing but diabolical plots aimed at weakening the state, causing anarchy, undermining security, and controlling the fate of the nations. This is because the Jew believes he is superior to others, and he dislikes manual labor, preferring to make the people his slaves by [giving them] interest-bearing loans."Economic liberalism is the Jews' latest plot, which reflects the greed of the Jews and of the capitalist regime that has emptied the peoples' pockets, leaving the world impoverished and on the brink of collapse. Most of the money ended up in the pockets of a small group of people, and we all know that most of the world's capital is in the hands of the Jews."There are those who wonder what liberalism has to do with the Jews... We are not ashamed to say that we have been swindled by the calls for the freedom, which every freedom [lover] yearns for, and [by the call] for opportunities to succeed in the wide world, on all fronts. After long years of observing this liberal procession marching across all the Arab countries, [we wonder] – which way is it headed? At the end of the day, it seems to serve only the Zionist-American program [aimed at] crumbling our states, cleaving our unity, and taking control of the good of our lands..."Will we wake up? That is the question."'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), September 12, 2011.Hmmm.....Anti semitism alive and kicking in Saudi Arabia.Read the full story here.

• “Brother to brother: I got a fantastic idea…… Wait a year, then go for it.”(ISU).By Kenny Solomon.

No, I don’t have any ulterior motives like seizing the reigns as president for life my re-election to a second term.
I never have any other thoughts than the complete Marxist-Jihad takeover of America and helping to wipe Israel off the map doing the right thing for America and Israel.US presents plan for PA to defer UN bid for one year.Timing is everything.Read and see the full story here.

• IDF's Scream disperses Palestinian Riot.(TheMuqata).Heard about "The Scream"?Its the IDF's new, non-lethal, crowd dispersal device...and it was used today to disperse a Palestinian Independence Riot in Kalandia, Jerusalem. The device projects non-lethal sound waves -- resulting in a deafening sound people cannot stand. "The Scream" is so effective that not even earplugs are effective as a deterrent.The Scream has been used before, yet today marked its first appearance in Jerusalem, when the IDF used it to stop dozens of rioting Palestinians who were throwing rocks and molotov cocktails at the IDF checkpoint in Kalandia.(JPost).More about the scream from a posting a few years ago: (from Wakeupfromyourslumber):

JERUSALEM—The knees buckle, the brain aches, the stomach turns. And suddenly, nobody feels like protesting anymore. Such is the impact of the Scream, the latest weapon in the Israeli army's high-technology toolkit.Launched Friday afternoon near the West Bank village of Bil'in, after another in the almost daily demonstrations against Israel's controversial security barrier turned violent, Israel's secret weapon lived up to its billing, by most accounts.Witnesses describe a minute-long blast of sound emanating from a white Israeli military vehicle. Within seconds, protestors began falling to their knees, unable to maintain their balance.An Israeli military source, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity, confirmed the existence of the Scream, or Tze'aka in Hebrew, in an interview yesterday."The intention is to disperse crowds with sound pulses that create nausea and dizziness," the Israel Defence Force spokesperson told the Toronto Star."It is probably the cleanest device we have ever had, when you compare it to rubber bullets or tear gas. It is completely non-lethal. It has no adverse effects, unless someone is exposed to the sound for hours and hours."IDF officials said the technology was researched and developed over a span of five years as a result of "lessons learned" during the Israeli army's withdrawal from Lebanon.Read the full story here.

• Donald Rumsfeld Stripped Of Immunity In Torture Case.(NeonTommy).Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was stripped of immunity in a case involving the torture of two United States citizens.Two FBI informants, Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, were detained and tortured by United States military personnel in Iraq in 2006. They filed suit against Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for violations of their constitutional rights. The Judicial View states:

“Plaintiffs seek damages from Secretary Rumsfeld and others for their roles in creating and carrying out policies that caused plaintiffs’ alleged torture. Plaintiffs also bring a claim against the United States under the Administrative Procedure Act to recover personal property that was seized when they were detained.”

Rumsfeld and the United States government moved to dismiss the charges, and were denied. The plaintiffs relayed “in sufficient detail facts supporting Secretary Rumsfeld’s personal responsibility for the alleged torture.”

Alternet reports:

“Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has been stripped of legal immunity for acts of torture against US citizens authorized while he was in office.”

Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel can continue their suit against Donald Rumsfeld.The torture of these two United States citizens took place among the wider context of the inhumane torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, which Rumsfeld authorized.Removing Rumsfeld’s status of immunity sends a larger message that crimes against humanity committed against United States citizens will not be tolerated, no matter who the perpetrators. It is a step toward proclaiming that no such crimes will ever be tolerated, whether the victims are United States citizens or Iraqi citizens or anyone around the world. And it is a step toward proclaiming that no matter who authorized such inhumane, illegal actions, they will be held responsible.Read the full story here.

• Canada becomes first country to sign the Ottawa Protocol.(CIJA).Ottawa, September 19, 2011 — Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today signed the Ottawa Protocol on Combating Antisemitism.The Protocol is an action plan developed during the second annual conference of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA) which took place in Ottawa in November, 2010. Signing it demonstrates the Government of Canada’s support for it and a commitment to its goals.“The Government of Canada is a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism,” said Minister Kenney. “The Ottawa Protocol complements what Canada is already doing to combat hatred and discrimination, including anti-Semitism. We are a member of the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research. Here at home, we have launched programs to promote integration and social cohesion of Canadians from all backgrounds.”The Protocol will help nations to measure and articulate their progress in combating anti-Semitism. It calls for leaders of faith groups to combat hatred and discrimination, including anti-Semitism; governments to reaffirm and implement the United Nations’ 1948 Genocide Convention; the establishment of an international task force to identify and monitor hate on the Internet and the development of a comprehensive system to record all hate crimes, including anti-Semitic ones.“Signing the Ottawa Protocol signals our continued commitment to leading a coordinated global effort to fight anti-Semitism,” said Minister Baird. “Just as Canada is moving ahead to develop and build a National Holocaust Monument in the National Capital Region, we also plan to take our commitment to parliamentarians around the world and suggest that they join us in signing the Protocol.”The Ministers added that the Government of Canada’s commitment to combating anti-Semitism is why Canada will not participate in the events later this month to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, sometimes called Durban III.“Our government has lost faith in the Durban process and will not take part in this event, which commemorates events that have promoted racism rather than combat it,” noted Minister Kenney.Hmmmm......OoooooH Canada Another reason to be proud Canadians !Read the full story here.

• Issa Says He Wants a Special Prosecutor to Probe 'Fast and Furious'.(CNS).Skeptical that Attorney General Eric Holder and other Obama administration officials did not know about the botched gun-walking operation carried out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives along the Southwest border, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) wants to see a special prosecutor appointed to investigate the matter.“We’d like to have a true special prosecutor, particularly when it’s obvious if Eric Holder didn’t know, it’s because he didn’t want to know or because he wasn’t doing his job,” Issa said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “That creates a clear pattern of we’d like to know who did know and why they didn’t brief the attorney general.”During May testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, Holder was asked when he first became aware of Operation Fast and Furious. He responded, “I’m not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.”“People are picking their words very carefully. Certainly there are FBI individuals that knew what the director did not know,” Issa told CNSNews.com. “Certainly there are Homeland Security briefings in which there should have been more.“One of the problems was this is what was called an OCDETF operation, which means the FBI was an active part of it. Joint funding was used. So, if one were to say, did DEA know, did the FBI know, the answer is yes. Did the director know? I take him at his word – the answer is no,” Issa added.Still, Issa told CNSNews.com that the committee might want to ask Napolitano, Holder and others why they were not aware sooner.“So, one of our questions is, why wouldn’t you have known,” Issa said. “When was it appropriate for you to be briefed on this and who was keeping it from you? And that becomes the next opportunity with Secretary Napolitano or Eric Holder. One of our questions is: Where do you spend your days and why aren’t you briefed on something like this?”Issa said the Justice Department is unlikely to be aggressive in prosecuting the Justice Department.Read the full story here.

• Attorney General in Mexico: 200 Murders Result of Operation Fast and Furious.(TownHall).By Kathie Pavlich. At least. In a conference call this morning with Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa, reporters were told the Attorney General in Mexico has confirmed at least 200 murders south of the border happened as a result of Operation Fast and Furious.“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention, as the Attorney General in Mexico is so concerned, she’s made the point that at least 200 Mexicans have been killed with these weapons and probably countless more,” Issa said.Eleven crimes in the United States have been linked to Operation Fast and Furious up to this point. Issa said he expects as the investigation in the operation continues, more crimes connected to Fast and Furious will come to light and be exposed. This is not surprising, considering out of 2500 weapons the Obama Justice Department allowed to “walk,” and that only 600 have been recovered, the rest are lost until they show up at violent crime scenes. The damage from Operation Fast and Furious has only started to be seen. Remember, the Mexican Government and ATF agents working in Mexico were left completely in the dark about the operation.July 26, 2011. A new report released by Issa’s office shows ATF agents working in Mexico were left in the dark about the details of Operation Fast and Furious. The report shows that in late 2009, ATF officials in Mexico began to see increasing amounts of guns traced to the Phoenix ATF Field Division office showing up at violent crime scenes. Former ATF Attaché to Mexico Darren Gil and ATF Acting Attaché to Mexico Carlos Canino expressed their concerns to officials in the Phoenix Field Office and in Washington D.C. but were ignored. The report shows ATF and DOJ “failed to share crucial details of the of Operation Fast and Furious with either their own employees stationed in Mexico or representatives of the Government of Mexico.” Specifically, personnel in Arizona denied ATF agents working in Mexico information directly related to their jobs and everyday operations.Issa submitted a request to the White House for information surrounding the operation nearly two weeks ago and that request has not yet been filled. White House Officials have until the end of this week to submit documents requested before Issa takes the next step.When asked what the consequences would be for DOJ or ATF officials involved in the operation, Issa said prosecutions may come at the end of this scandal to those who knowingly trafficked weapons across the border and could be held accountable for the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.“This was dumb, it was useless and it was lethal,” Issa said.Hmmmm.......I could think of a few other names for it.Read the full story here.

• Obama’s Jobs Bill Ends State Sovereignty – Wake Up Governors!!(NewZeal).By: AJ for NoisyRoom.

Section 376 of Obama’s tax and spend “jobs” bill ends state sovereignty, turns our Republic into a dictatorship and destroys the foundation upon which our country was built. The fundamental transformation of America is almost complete.

          Read the bill. (Emphasis added)

          “SEC. 376. FEDERAL AND STATE IMMUNITY.

(a) Abrogation of State Immunity- A State shall not be immune under the 11th Amendment to the Constitution from a suit brought in a Federal court of competent jurisdiction for a violation of this Act.
(b) Waiver of State Immunity-
(1) IN GENERAL-
(A) WAIVER- A State’s receipt or use of Federal financial assistance for any program or activity of a State shall constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity, under the 11th Amendment to the Constitution or otherwise, to a suit brought by an employee or applicant for employment of that program or activity under this Act for a remedy authorized under Section 375(c) of this Act.
(B) DEFINITION- In this paragraph, the term `program or activity’ has the meaning given the term in section 606 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d-4a).”

Here is the link to 42 USC 2000d-4a which defines “program or activity”:

“For the purposes of this subchapter, the term “program or activity” and the term “program” mean all of the operations of—

(1)
(A) a department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of a State or of a local government; or
(B) the entity of such State or local government that distributes such assistance and each such department or agency (and each other State or local government entity) to which the assistance is extended, in the case of assistance to a State or local government;”

Also…“any part of which is extended Federal financial assistance.”

The above is stated as an extension of the actual citation of the general section itself.More from Section 376 (emphasis added):

“(2) EFFECTIVE DATE- With respect to a particular program or activity, paragraph (1) applies to conduct occurring on or after the day, after the date of enactment of this Act, on which a State first receives or uses Federal financial assistance for that program or activity.”

Wake up Governors!! Wake up America!! Tell Congress about Section 376 and why they must not pass this bill.
Obama’s tax and spend “jobs” bill is a stealth move to end state sovereignty and transform what made our nation the greatest country the world has ever known. If Obama’s bill passes, kiss freedom goodbye and say hello to tyranny.


The American Form of Government - Reference:

42 USC 2000d-4a which defines “program or activity”
Read the full story here.

EU Manual on Hate Speech: Hate Speech May Seem Rational or Normal.(KitmanTV).

 "The identification of statements that could be classified as “hate speech” seems all the more difficult because this kind of speech does not necessarily manifest itself through expressions of “hatred” or emotions. “Hate speech” can be concealed in statements which at a first glance may seem to be rational or normal." p.5.

 Hmmmm......Read the full story here, EU Manual Here.

Abu mazen and Erdogan --classic Muslim diplomacy updated to the 21st Century.(ZionTruth).Everyone has heard of how Abu Mazen, head of the sinister Fatah party/terrorist group and now of the Palestinian Authority, an outgrowth of the illegitimate Oslo Accords, is appealing to the UN to recognize another Arab state to be called "palestine," whereas there are already too many Arab states cluttering the map as it is. In appealing for recognition of a state without Israel's agreement, having refused to negotiate with Israel for three years, Abu Mazen is violating the Oslo Accords signed by the PLO and Israel, as well as UN SC resolution, 242. The OsloII Accords had stipulated that neither side was to change the status of the territories in dispute by unilateral action. Yet that is what Abu Mazen [= Mahmoud Abbas] is trying to do.Likewise, Erdogan, Islamist prime minister of Turkey, is showing contempt for international law and even the UN. Erdogan has demanded an Israeli apology for killing nine Turkish jihadist thugs on the Mavi Marmara who had murderously attacked Israeli naval commandos boarding the ship while enforcing the rightful blockade of the Gaza Strip. Indeed, the UN Palmer Commission found that the blockade was right and proper and that the Turkish IHH jihadist terrorist group --to which the thugs belonged-- had received help and encouragement from its own govt. Erdogan disregards all that, demanding an Israeli apology for killing the thugs plus an end to the rightful blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza, plus pecuniary compensation for the victims' [the jihadists'] families. After release of the Palmer Report, Erdogan threatened to send Turkish warships to escort "humanitarian aid" ships on the way to Gaza, this time threatening to break the blockade by direct military force.But Erdogan does not stop with Israel. He threatened Cyprus not to carry out explorations for oil and natural gas in its own exclusive maritime economic zone, justifying these threats by self-invented international law. Supposedly if Cyprus drilled for oil and gas, that would violate the rights [Note that term "rights" again used to justify threats of war!] of Turkish Cypriots in the Turkish occupation zone of northern Cyprus. So Turkey's dubiously legal occupation zone in northern Cyprus [covering about 35-40% of the island] becomes a pretext used to justify threats made on Cypriot drilling off the southern coast of the island!!But the best comes last!! Turkey is now threatening the EU --those wonderful, world-scale peacemongers-- that if they allow fellow EU member, Cyprus, to assume the rotating EU presidency for three months in its turn, then Turkey will freeze relations [or maybe break relations --it's not clear] with the EU. This was reported by Anatolian News, the Turkish state news agency. He also issued another condition: that peace negotiations over Cyprus must be concluded by July 2012, when Cyprus is supposed to rise to the presidency. Otherwise Erdogan will freeze relations [see Il Giornale qui]. What this implies is that negotiations must be concluded to Erdogan's satisfaction. He must be satisfied with the resulting agreement --or else!! We don't know whether or not the corrupt EU, caught up in its own Judeophobia, as well as in the cobweb of a Eurabia of its own making, will withstand this ultimatum.What we do see is how Erdogan's methods parallel Abu Mazen's. Abbas is the one who stopped negotiating with Israel. That occurred three years ago when the corrupt and pliable Olmert was prime minister. Yet Abu Mazen now blames Israel for the lack of negotiations, while he demands Israeli capitulation to his terms and conditions before negotiations even begin, whereas settlements, for instance, were supposed to be a final status issue left for final status negotiations, not for unilateral declaration of a state [which is indeed tantamount to a declaration of war]. Likewise, Erdogan basically demands that the EU force capitulation to his demands on the part of Cyprus, otherwise. . .Abu Mazen now has Britain, France, and the EU's foreign affairs commissioner, the veddy Bwitish Catherine Ashton [Baroness Ashton no less!!] urging Israel to accept a "compromise" not contained in previous agreements, and promising the PLO/PA other goodies if he plays the good boy at the UN and doesn't ask for more than they are ready to give him at this time [maybe in six months. . . ]. Just this morning, 20 September 2011, the international media announced that Abu Mazen was ready to negotiate at any time with Netanyahu, thus responding to Netanyahu's previous proposal to meet with Abu Mazen in New York around the UN session and start negotiating there. However, Saeb Erikat, Abbas' spokesman and designated chief of negotiations for the PLO/PA, made it clear that Israel would have to accept at least two pre-conditions before Mahmud Abbas would meet him, 1) immediately freeze all settlement activity; 2) accept the so-called "67 borders" [= 1949-1967 armistice lines] as borders. Of course, it was agreed by the PLO/PA on several occasions that these two issues would be left for negotiations.Note that the arbitrary, bullying style of Erdogan matches that of Mahmud Abbas who also violates signed agreements at will, makes extravagant demands for /observance of/adhesion to/ already concluded accords and/or chisels away at existing agreements in order to improve his position, and threatens war on suitable occasions, backs down if the prey/enemy becomes aroused, etc. [Erdogan backed down slightly on some of his threats]. This kind of behavior thus is not restricted to Turkey's Erdogan or to the PLO/PA's Abu Mazen. Rather it seems like a widespread pattern of Muslim diplomatic behavior. This is because many recent Arab and Muslim non-Arab leaders, like saddam hussein, Nasser, hafiz assad, arafat, erdogan, A-jad, Qadafi, Ibn Saud, share the notable traits of Rodomonte, an Arab character in the Italian epic poem, Orlando Furioso, and later in the opera Orlando Paladino [Haydn]. He is full of braggadoccio [often called after him, rodomontade], he makes threats [think of Saddam hussein's "the sea will run red with American blood," --the "mother of all battles,"], he obeys no law --so it seems--, is totally arrogant, lawless, unrestrained, contemptuous of others, etc. He is described as a hyperbolic character, his deeds and actions and undertakings are hyperbolic. Erdogan fits or wants to fit into that mold.

Rodomonte: figlio di Alieno e re di Sargel nell’Algeria. . . . Rodomonte possiede doti fisiche sovrumane, è un personaggio iperbolico, e iperbolici sono i suoi gesti, le sue azioni, le sue imprese.

Again, these tactics are not Erdogan's or Abu Mazen's. They are Standard Operating Procedure for Muslim strong men. They demand concessions before negotiations. They demand what they had agreed not to demand. They cry "injustice", "aggression" and threaten, they set loose a shower of lies of all sorts, lies about history --current, medieval & modern-- lies affirming atrocities, including the most bizarre [that Israel gave aphrodisiac substances to Arab young women & teen age girls, etc]. They have to be bribed to get them to do what they had already agreed to do. Abu Mazen uses these same tactics with his approach to the UN and the associated demands. He violates the Oslo accords, refuses to negotiate and accuses Israel of refusing to negotiate. And many MSM organs, such as CNN [by its kevin flowers] and France24 go along with this crap [by allowing Mustafa Barghouti offer his smorgasbord of lies]. But this is SOP. Negotiating with Muslims/especially Arabs is always an exasperating exercise.As the blogger J E Dyer points out, Erdogan's "objective is to make what Cyprus was going to do anyway -- and what is none of his business -- the subject of negotiation, because that gives Turkey an officially acknowledged veto. Think of it as leveraging himself into an imperial situation, by acquiring an ever-larger region over which he holds an acknowledged veto on one thing or another."This is a pattern of diplomacy that I've noticed on the part not only of Erdogan and Abu Mazen, but of Iran and Pakistan and Indonesia, all Muslim states, although Hitler used some of these methods in the 1930s, before WW2 began. He too threatened war but promised peace if only -- if only he were given suitable bribes in the form of territory -- The Saarland, Sudetenland, Danzig, Memel, etc.Hmmm....Hear,Hear.Read the full story here.

• Obama, Erdogan agree to increase pressure on Syria, seek Mideast common ground.(AlArabia).President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan sought common ground on counterterrorism and Middle East policy late Tuesday even as Washington pressed Ankara to ease tensions with close U.S. ally Israel. Both leaders stressed the need to “increase pressure” on the Syrian regime. Their talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly came as a showdown loomed this week over Palestinian statehood at the world body, another source of rising tensions in a region in political upheaval. Washington has watched with concern as NATO ally Turkey’s once-friendly ties with Israel have deteriorated rapidly over Israel’s 2010 killing of Turkish activists in a Gaza-bound aid convoy. The crisis has underscored Israel’s growing isolation and the new limits of U.S. influence in the Middle East. “The president underscored his interest in seeing a resolution of that issue between those two countries and encouraged continuing work toward that end,” White House adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall told reporters after the meeting, saying Obama also emphasized the need to calm tensions throughout the region. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Obama would make the same points to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he meets him on Wednesday.Obama and Erdogan, in their public comments to reporters, focused on deadly attacks in Turkey on Tuesday that they agreed underscored the need for cooperation on counterterrorism. “This reminds us that terrorism exists in many parts of the world, and Turkey and the United States are going to be strong partners in preventing terrorism,” Obama said. An explosion from a suspected car bomb ripped through a street in the Turkish capital, Ankara, near a neighborhood housing government buildings, killing three people. Also on Tuesday, Kurdish guerrillas attacked a police college in southeastern Turkey, killing four people in a passing vehicle, broadcaster CNN Turk reported on its website. Erdogan said the United States and Turkey needed to “work together in planning, use technology so that we can continue to take more steps in trying to fight against terrorism.” Turkey is in talks with the United States to provide a base for a fleet of U.S. Predator drones now stationed in Iraq. It is reported to want surveillance drones to carry out operations against Kurdish separatist rebels based in northern Iraq.Obama praised Erdogan for “great leadership” in promoting democracy in the region. But problems remain.Hmmmm...Treathening Israel , Cyprus and the European community......yup great leadership.Also a ''convenient" bomb explosion the moment you ask for predator drones?Obama and Erdogan the two predator executioners?Judge - Jury and Executioner.Read the full story here.

• HPG(People's Defense Forces): We have nothing to do with Ankara bomb.(Firat).HPG (People's Defense Forces) has released a statement today denying any involvement with the bomb planted yesterday in Ankara. The Kurdish guerrillas pointed out that those who tried to link the bomb with the PKK is doing so deliberately to discredit the organization. The HPG said in its statement that it has "nothing to do with the bomb in Ankara" and added that “Attempts to hold the PKK responsible for the attack aims to boost enmity against Kurds and to target Kurdish civilians.”Hmmmm.....Convenient an exploding bomb just when you ask the US for predator drones....isn't it?Read the full story here.

• It's A Bird (A Turkey Actually), It's A Plane, It's A Totally Wimpy Foreign Policy!(Docstalk)By Barry Ruben.Turkey’s Islamist regime subverted and then opposed sanctions against Iran. That regime also declared Iran and Syria, Hamas and Hizballah to be its friends. It also sponsored a terrorist group (the IHH) to provoke Israel into an international incident that would generate Islamist martyrs and dead Israeli soldiers. Now, rejecting Israeli conciliation attempts (regrets; donations to families of jihadists who got killed trying to kill Israelis), the Turkish regime escalated to the verge of war.Now the Turkish prime minister goes to Egypt, proposes an alliance with the Egyptian revolution, then advocates a united bloc of Arabs, Iranians, and Turks as well as war on Israel to the assembled Arab foreign ministers. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tells the Islamist Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, according to a U.S. diplomat,

“She encouraged Turkey to keep the door open” regarding Turkey’s relationship with Israel. “We want to see them repair their relationship, so she encouraged them to avoid any steps that would close that door and, on the contrary, to actively seek ways that they can repair (their) important relationship with Israel.”

That’s it? Let me put this into a fictionalized reenactment:

Davutoglu: “The evil Zionist aggressive and lawless forces must be taught a lesson by the Muslims even if it means going to war.”

Clinton: “Well, I hope you keep the door open to improving relations. And hope you like our making you co-chair of the counterterrorist group we set up that didn’t even include Israel!

And then we are told that President Obama is Israel’s best friend? But this isn’t serious foreign policy on any issue. Clinton should tell the Turkish regime that its policy toward Israel ald subversion of U.S. interests are unacceptable. Boy, would he be mad! But that’s the way you have to conduct a foreign policy. This is a concept the Obama Administration has never understood and never will.And that means more enemies, bolder enemies, frightened friends, and bigger crises. Let’s be perfectly clear here, it’s true that the handling of Turkey has been still one more example of how the Obama Administration’s campaign claiming that critiques of its policy toward Israel is based on lies and distortions. It isn’t. The administration did nothing over many months as Turkey turned with increasing openness and hostility against Israel. Nothing except to reward Turkey.Moreover, one of the most amazing things is that the administration doesn’t understand that if a crisis builds over many months and it does nothing to prevent or counter it, this does not prove the Obama Administration is guiltless. Egypt’s revolution, Syria’s upheaval, the rebellion in Iran, the Palestinian drive for unilateral independence, and the growing power of Islamists in Libya–an incomplete list–didn’t just happen, they were events for the United States to shape in a favorable manner to some extent. It failed in each case to do even the tiniest amount.And finally, this is not a case of any U.S. favor to Israel. Trying to rein in an increasingly anti-American, reckless, pro-Islamit government as it turns one of America’s most important allies into one of its most dangerous adversaries is a fundamental U.S. interest.Hmmmm....It's not 'foreignPolicy it's 'destroy Israel' policy.Read the full story here.

• Access to gay organizations’ sites barred in 'Islamic' Turkish Parliament.(HurriyetDaily).The Turkish Parliament’s administration has barred access to the official websites of gay organizations Kaos GL and LambdaIstanbul, requiring a written application from deputies who wish to enter the sites.“There are two sides to this scandal: First, it points to the lack of recognition in Turkey regarding the reality of homosexuality. Second, the inability to access the official website of a legal association established in the Turkish Republic from an institution that represents the national will,” said Ali Erol, coordinator for Kaos GL.When deputies in Parliament attempt to log in to the official websites of Kaos GL and LambdaIstanbul, they come across a number of warnings such as “limited access” and “homosexuality,” according to daily Akşam’s report, which was also verified by Hürriyet Daily News’ Ankara correspondents.Another statement on the same page read, “Fill out the appropriate form if you need [to enter the site] for your work,” when deputies tried to enter the websites www.kaosgl.com and www.lambdaIstanbul.com. The form requires applicants to fill in such information as their name, last name, registration numbers, position in Parliament, phone number and why they are requesting access to the sites.“The official website of our association is not on the black list of the Turkish Telecommunications Directorate [TİB]. The blocking of access in Parliament amounts to a discriminatory practice and censuring,” Erol said.“Our program for Internet security automatically filters sites that contain such banned words as ‘pornography,’ ‘gambling’ and ‘homosexuality.’ There are no bans or censuring. Any willing deputy can enter these sites by filling out the form,” an official from the Parliament’s Office of the Secretary-General said.Hmmmmm......"Creeping Sharia".Or ....What is Islam's position on homosexuality?Read the full story here.

• Turkey wants Predator-type drones as a gift and not just the reconnaissance ones but also those that can fire missiles.(HurriyetDaily).By the time you read these lines, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Barack Obama will have met. Because of the time difference, I was not able to get to hear more about the content. But I was able to learn the inside story of the talks through Turkish and American diplomats walking the corridors with thick files in their hands.Turkey wants Predator-type drones, and not just the reconnaissance ones but also those that can fire missiles, to fight the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.Another wish is that these be donated by the United States.The U.S., though, is abstaining from giving an answer.For such a transaction, a congressional decision is needed. But in these “circumstances,” that is, the tension with Israel, many are pointing to the impossibility that Congress would allow such a sale or grant. Also, they cannot talk in definite terms for the non-missile types either. They don’t want to commit themselves. Moreover, if they are not in the form of sales but as grants, they are even more indecisive.One of the most important items in the Erdoğan-Obama meeting was going to be this.For those issues that Obama was going to bring up, it was going to be the dispute with Israel and Syria.What happened as a result? How were the results?Hmmmm.....perhaps the 'Fast and furious' can come up with a few?Read the full story here.

• Take your secret Saudi threats and shove ’em.(TorontoSun).By Ezra Levant.Saudi Arabia has hired lawyers to threaten Canadian broadcasters who dare to run a TV ad critical of Saudi conflict oil..Alykhan Velshi is an Ismaili Muslim, in the noble modernist tradition of A.A. Fyzee, who graduated with a law degree from The London School of Economics. In July, 2005 he wrote these frank words published at NRO: The war on terror is not simply against terror-sponsoring states, but against the institutions of civil society that give terrorists quiet support, that inflame local Muslim populations, and that prevent the emergence of a moderate, peaceful form of Islam. The war on terror can never be won unless Muslims who have the privilege of living in the West stand up for civilization against the forces of barbarism and nihilism. I wish I could say otherwise, but I won’t be holding my breath.
  The intrepid Velshi is now challenging Saudi Arabia’s oil revenue funded Islamic religious bigotry—with an emphasis on the Kingdom’s particularly oppressive misogyny—via an advertising campaign (and website) promoting the idea’s put forth in Ezra Levant’s 2010 book Ethical Oil: The Case for Canada’s Oil Sands.
  
  Now the incensed Saudi oil ticks are counter-attacking with a legal jihad aimed at quashing this advertising campaign. Velshi, as reported by the Toronto Sun, condemned this legal and ethical challenge by the Saudis and their minions:
  We caught this foreign dictatorship trying to undermine freedom of the press here in Canada and trying to export its own contempt for democracy, its own contempt for freedom of the press here in Canada.Watch the “Ethical Oil” advertisement to which the Saudi oil ticks took such umbrage here.
  The advertisement is an invaluable, Western freedom-based tool that must be part of our broader armamentarium—i.e., continued development of Canadian tar sands, and US shale oil and gas—for therapeutic Saudi oil tick removal!Source: here.More here.

• OnStar Begins Spying On Customers’ GPS Location for Profit.(Cryptogon).Via: Jonathan Zdziarski:  I canceled the OnStar subscription on my new GMC vehicle today after receiving an email from the company about their new terms and conditions. While most people, I imagine, would hit the delete button when receiving something as exciting as new terms and conditions, being the nerd sort, I decided to have a personal drooling session and read it instead. I’m glad I did. OnStar’s latest T and C has some very unsettling updates to it, which include the ability to sell your personal GPS location information, speed, safety belt usage, and other information to third parties, including law enforcement. To add insult to a slap in the face, the company insists they will continue collecting and selling this personal information even after you cancel your service, unless you specifically shut down the data connection to the vehicle after canceling.

......Anonymized GPS data? There’s no such thing! We’ve all seen this before – anonymized searches, for example, that were not-so-quite anonymized. But in this case, it’s impossible to anonymize GPS data! If your vehicle is consistently parked at your home, driving down your driveway, or taking a left or right turn onto your street, its pretty obvious that this is where you live! It’s like trying to say that someone’s Google Map lookup from their home is “anonymized” because it doesn’t have their name on it. It still shows where they live! What’s unique even more-so to OnStar is that the data they claim they sell as part of their business model is useless unless it’s specific; that is, not diluted to the nearest 10 mile radius, etc. This combination of analytics, and their prospective customers (law enforcement, marketers, etc) requires the data be disturbingly precise. Anyone armed with Google can easily do a phone book or public records search to find the name and address that resides at any given GPS coordinate.Hmmm......"Fasten your seatbelts ....Big Brother incoming?"Read the full story here.