Bangladesh: Widow whipped 202 times, man whipped 101 following cleric's fatwa against them for "anti-social activity"

Sharia Alert. And yet another cleric "misunderstands" the vaunted compassion and mercy of Islamic law. "Fatwa: Bangladeshi woman brutally whipped," from Indo-Asian News Service, June 29 (thanks to Twostellas):

DHAKA: A widow was whipped 202 times and a man 101 times following a fatwa by a religious leader for their alleged involvement in "anti-social activity" in a village in southeastern Bangladesh, prompting local protests and action by the police.

Piara Begum, a widow of 40, and Mamun Miah, 25, were whipped before hundreds of people at Khaiyar in Comilla district Saturday night.

The woman fell unconscious and was rushed to hospital. Doctors said she was critically injured and needed to be given intensive treatment.

Miah was whipped 101 times, The Daily Star newspaper said Monday.

Punishment under a fatwa is held illegal as per a high court ruling of 2001 in Bangladesh that has a predominant Sunni Muslim population.

The police arrested six people, including Moulana Mohammed Manirul Islam, a religious leader working in the local madrassa.

Piara Begum filed a case with the Debidwar police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

I wonder if she passed out before they were done with the 202 lashings? If she did, when she gets better, they will be finishing the punishment.

UN rights mission hears of Gaza children's suffering

GAZA CITY : A UN human rights mission listened to testimony about the suffering of children in the Gaza Strip on Monday before wrapping up two days of public hearings into alleged Israeli war crimes.

Around 20 percent of children in Gaza suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome brought on by witnessing violent acts, child psychologist Dr Iyad Sarraj told the panel.

"The amount of killing and blood that they have seen or that their relatives have suffered from... it's a huge amount, and this leads to negative psychological feelings, to radicalism and a cycle of violence," he said.

More than half of Gaza's population of 1.5 million is under 18 years of age.

The public hearings are part of the UN Human Rights Council's investigation of the 22-day Israeli offensive launched in late December that killed about 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

The Red Cross meanwhile said in a new report that six months after the devastating offensive Palestinians in the impoverished coastal territory are "unable to rebuild their lives and are sliding ever deeper into despair."

Israeli and Egyptian sanctions imposed on Gaza after Hamas seized power in June 2007 have crippled reconstruction efforts and caused widespread misery, according to the study by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"The poorest residents in particular have exhausted their coping mechanisms and often have to sell off their belongings to be able to buy enough to eat," said Antoine Grand, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Gaza.

"Worst affected are the children, who make up more than half of Gaza's population," he added.

The UN mission in Gaza is headed by Richard Goldstone, a South African judge who previously served as chief prosecutor for international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

On Sunday, the mission heard a wheelchair-bound man describe how an Israeli shell slammed into his home, killing 11 of his relatives and cutting off his legs. Another man described a strike on a mosque that killed 17 people.

The group was expected to look into several allegations of human rights violations that emerged in the aftermath of the assault, which Israel said was aimed at stemming Palestinian rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled enclave.

Israeli authorities have so far refused to allow the investigators into the country and have accused the mission of bias against the Jewish state.

"The mandate is so one-sided, no fair, thinking person could see it as objective," government spokesman Mark Regev said on Sunday.

"The UN Human Rights Council has over the last months and years totally discredited itself as a serious vehicle for advancing human rights."

The 47-member council voted by a large majority in January to probe accusations of "grave" human rights violations by Israel, but the team was later given a broader mandate to deal with "all violations" during the war.

Israel has insisted it made every effort to spare civilians, including dropping thousands of fliers warning residents to flee ahead of strikes.

It has also said that Palestinian fighters and rocket launchers operated in crowded residential areas, a charge also lodged by human rights groups against the Islamist Hamas movement ruling Gaza.

The group plans to hold similar hearings in Geneva in which they will interview witnesses and experts on alleged violations in Israel and the occupied West Bank, and to issue a final report by September 12.

The international community has pledged billions of dollars in aid to rebuild the territory, but reconstruction efforts remain paralysed by the closures, which prevent the import of virtually all building materials.

You have to admit that the muslims are masters of propoganda. Does anyone not see a staged picture? I do.

Nearly 60 Pakistani Air Force personnel arrested for jihadist connections in past two years

ISLAMABAD: An alarming trend of Pakistan air force personnel being discovered and even prosecuted for links with terrorists has come to light after a news channel exposé said that nearly 60 PAF personnel had been arrested on charges of having terror connections in the last two years. Interestingly, this time period coincides with a spurt in attacks on security targets and the rise of Pakistani Taliban.

Of these, six were sentenced to death and 26 sentenced to three-and-a-half to 17 years imprisonment for anti-state activities. A top PAF officer, who is also wanted, is still at large, the report said. Action against some of the officers began during former president Pervez Musharraf’s regime.

More arrests were undertaken after a PAF officer, identified by the TV channel as Mushtaq, was apprehended. As many as 57 officials have been arrested from Kamra, Lahore, Sargodha, Mianwali and Karachi.

The Pakistani military are neck deep in supporting the the terrorists. We all know this.

At sentencing hearing for Canadian jihadist, attorney claims client was "'kept in the dark' about what the bombs would be used for"

For most people, the intent to set off bombs in the first place is kind of a red flag. An update on this story. "Terror suspect's fate could hinge on how much he knew about bombing plot," from the Canadian Press, June 26:

BRAMPTON, Ont. — The fate of the only man to have pleaded guilty to conspiring to set off bombs in downtown Toronto could hinge upon how much he knew about the terror plot.

Lawyers at the sentencing hearing for Saad Khalid offered competing theories today about the 22-year-old's state of mind concerning the plan to bomb the Toronto Stock Exchange, CSIS headquarters and an unspecified military base in the fall of 2006.

In a courtroom in Brampton, Ont., Crown attorney Croft Michaelson called Khalid "an active and enthusiastic" participant of the terror cell who was well aware the plot would harm or kill innocent civilians.

But Khalid's lawyer Russell Silverstein painted his client as knowing very little about the goals of the alleged ringleaders, suggesting they kept him "in the dark" about what the bombs would be used for.

Khalid, a member of the so-called Toronto 18, pleaded guilty in May to taking part in the plot....

He was involved in a bomb plot. He should be killed or put in jail forever.

UN rights mission hears testimony on Gaza war

GAZA CITY : A UN human rights mission on Sunday listened as witnesses described in gruesome detail the Israeli shelling of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip during a three-week offensive at the turn of the year.

The delegation planned to hold two days of public hearings as part of its investigation into alleged war crimes during the 22-day offensive launched in late December that killed about 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

The group is headed by Richard Goldstone, a South African judge who previously served as chief prosecutor for international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

They listened as a young wheelchair-bound man named Ziad al-Deeb described how he had been sitting at home with his family, savouring a brief pause in the fighting, when Israeli forces began shelling his neighbourhood.

"We were shocked when we heard the loud noise coming from the Israeli shelling, then one of the missiles landed on top of us. There were 11 people killed," he said.

"My legs were cut off, and then I looked and saw my father and my family. Most of them had been killed. The children were screaming."

One of the investigators asked if there had been any warning before the strike.

"There was no warning," Deeb said. "If there had been, we would have left."

Later, they heard from the Samuni family, who draped a banner over a table bearing the pictures of 29 relatives, including several children, killed in one of the deadliest single incidents of the war.

In early January, an Israeli missile struck a house where dozens of family members had been ordered to take shelter by Israeli soldiers, killing nearly 30 people and leaving several others wounded and trapped in the rubble.

Rescue services were unable to reach the area for three days.

"All I want to know is why," Salah al-Samuni said as he choked back tears and held up pictures of some of the children, posing and smiling before the war and then as maimed corpses laid out on stretchers.

"Were they wanted by Israel, were they in the resistance? I really want to know," he said.

The mission was expected to look into several allegations of human rights violations that emerged in the aftermath of the assault, which Israel said was aimed at stemming Palestinian rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled enclave.

Israeli authorities have so far refused to allow the investigators into the country and have accused the mission, which was sent by the UN Human Rights Council, of bias against the Jewish state.

"The mandate is so one-sided, no fair, thinking person could see it as objective," government spokesman Mark Regev said.

"The UN Human Rights Council has over the last months and years totally discredited itself as a serious vehicle for advancing human rights."

The 47-member council voted by a large majority in January to probe accusations of "grave" human rights violations by Israel, but the team was later given a broader mandate to deal with "all violations" during the war.

Israel has insisted it made every effort to spare civilians, including dropping thousands of fliers warning residents to flee ahead of strikes.

It has also said that Palestinian fighters and rocket launchers operated in crowded residential areas, using civilians as human shields, a charge also made against Hamas by rights groups.

On their first visit at the start of June, the investigators visited 14 sites in and around Gaza City and conducted interviews with several individuals and organisations.

On both visits they had to enter the territory from the Rafah crossing point on the border with Egypt after Israel denied them access through its territory.

The group plans to hold similar hearings in Geneva in which they will interview witnesses and experts on alleged violations in Israel and the occupied West Bank, and to issue a final report by September 12. - AFP /ls

Who cares that they muslims are killed? They are all considered maytyrs to the animalstinians and all other muslims. Yet they tell the West, who believes this shit, that the Jews are purposely targeting women and children. They are prepared to die as martyrs. Again, who cares?

British High Court Worries More About Safety of Muslim Criminal than the British People

Chalk up another ludicrous ruling by Britain's High Court into the "you couldn't make this up" category.

Just yesterday The Royal Courts of Justice ruled that :

"A judge ruled that the 'undesirable' immigrant, who 'embarked on a criminal career' in the UK and still poses a threat of further offending, must be freed from detention.........Daq, an alcoholic and drug addict, committed 18 offences between 1998 and 2004, using 13 aliases. They included robbery, assault and burglary. The High Court was told Ahmed Daq, 32, must be released on bail because the Home Office has already held him for three years to facilitate his removal from the UK but there is still no prospect of deportation. "

Now it's not like this thug has been a model prisoner:

"Over the past three years, he has been repeatedly in trouble for violent outbursts against other inmates, and detectives fear he will be a menace on the streets."

Yet once again the simpering, politically correct, British Courts are worried more about crooks then the British men, women and children.

"His [Daq] latest appeal hearing has been delayed as the legal debate continues over whether it is safe to return criminals and failed asylum seekers to the violent and war-torn east African state."

You know what? - WHO CARES?!?! Who gives a rat's arse whether or not a lying/bogus muslim asylum seeker -who should have been deported back in 2004 - and who looks to the British people to provide him a home and $welfare$ and "free" legal aid - then goes on to rob, assault & burglarize these same generous and innocent people - is deported back to his muslim HOMELAND = SOMALIA?

Would seem to me that Daq made that choice himself when he decided to victimise the British people.

Unfortunately for all - the asinine British courts also appear to choose to victimise the British people - people who have spoken loudly and clearly about their immigration/asylum seeker concerns and feel that rampant immigration and multiculturalism are causing "cultural suicide":

"A 2008 YouGov poll, commissioned by Channel 4, indicated that 83 per cent of people felt there was an immigration crisis at present. Eighty-four per cent were in favour of stopping immigration completely and a further 66 per cent felt their livelihoods were being 'undercut' by migrants. LINK and inflict yet (another) known violent criminal into their midst.

You couldn't make this up...............Unquestionably - Reality is far more disturbing.

Balloch woman stabbed in violent attempted murder

A BALLOCH woman was knifed repeatedly by a man she met through an arranged marriage website.
The woman’s family were also threatened by crazed Yasir Afsar as he burst into their home.
The High Court in Edinburgh last week heard how Afsar went berserk in the Balloch house after the relationship with his intended bride broke down.
He turned up on the woman’s doorstep at 6.30am, forcing his way into the family home by claiming he was a business colleague of their daughter.
Asfar, 32, from the Midlands, had felt that the mum and dad would never approve of him as he was of a ‘lower caste’.
But he couldn’t accept the affair was over, according to defence advocate Shahid Latif.
Mr Latif explained: “The relationship developed to such an extent that a love marriage as opposed to an arranged marriage was in contemplation.”
Advocate depute Keith Stewart, prosecuting, said, that when Afsar turned up at the family home, they said she was not in and he pointed to her car, saying ‘I’m going to see her’, pushing his way into the house.
The terrified victim locked herself in the bathroom as Afsar tried to force it open with a kitchen knife.
The court was told how he also threatened to kill her parents if she didn’t come out.
After a struggle, the woman’s father went downstairs to telephone police and her mum persuaded Afsar to come downstairs to talk.
The daughter left the bathroom, heading for her bedroom to telephone police but Afsar heard her, followed her into the room and pinned her down on her bed.
Mr Stewart continued: “He began to strike her repeatedly on the chest with the knife. He then placed his hands round her neck.”
The court was told how the mum bit Afsar on the arm then, fearing her daughter was dead, ran outside to shout for help from neighbours.
Afsar drove away – leaving his DNA on the handle of the broken and blood-stained knife. He was arrested three days later in Dover.
The terrified victim was rushed to Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital where doctors found that two stab wounds to her chest had caused both lungs to collapse.
Mr Stewart said: “The medical view is that both chest wounds were serious and potentially life-threatening.”
In court, Afsar admitted attempted murder, and apologised for what he had done.
Sentencing Afsar to seven and half years, judge Lord Brodie told him: “What you have pleaded guilty to is the attempted murder of a young woman who – according to Mr Latif – at one stage you loved.”

And yet they keep letting these muslims come to their country.

Here's your chance to bag some pirates -- while enjoying all the amenities of a luxury cruise!

No, this is not a joke. It reminds me of the Civil War-era sophisticates who packed picnic lunches and went out to watch the Battle of Bull Run -- that is, if those fun-loving folks had grabbed a rifle and joined in the battle.

Jihad Tourism Alert: "Luxury yachts offer pirate hunting cruises," from Ananova, June 26 (thanks to Twostellas):

Luxury ocean liners in Russia are offering pirate hunting cruises aboard armed private yachts off the Somali coast.

Wealthy punters pay £3,500 per day to patrol the most dangerous waters in the world hoping to be attacked by raiders....

Passengers, who can pay an extra £5 a day for an AK-47 machine gun and £7 for 100 rounds of ammo, are also protected by a squad of ex special forces troops....

"They are worse than the pirates," said Russian yachtsman Vladimir Mironov. "At least the pirates have the decency to take hostages, these people are just paying to commit murder," he continued.

I would love to go on one of these cruises. I will even bring my own AK and lots of ammo.

Somali Islamists Cut Off Hands and Feet of 4 Thieves

MOGADISHU, Somalia — An Islamic court in Somalia on Thursday cut off a hand and foot from each of four men convicted of stealing phones and guns, drawing hundreds of onlookers as the weeping men were punished at a military camp.

The Shariah court that carried out the sentences is run by the powerful insurgent group al-Shabab, which is trying to topple Somalia's U.N.-backed government and install a strict form of Islam.

"The men were bleeding and crying when the man cut their hands and feet off with a long knife," said one witness, Liban Ali. Journalists were not allowed to cover the sentencing. The four were convicted earlier this week in the capital, Mogadishu.

The U.S. considers al-Shabab a terrorist group with links to al-Qaida, which al-Shabab denies. The group, which controls much of Somalia, is joined by hundreds of foreign fighters.

Somalis traditionally observe Sufi Islam, a relatively moderate form of worship. But in recent years, insurgents have begun to follow austere Wahabi Islam — rooted in Saudi Arabia and practiced by Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991 when the overthrow of a dictatorship plunged the country into chaos. A surge in violence in recent weeks, which diplomats said is a major push by the insurgents to force the government out of its Mogadishu strongholds, has killed about 225 people.

Last week, the national security minister and Mogadishu's police chief were among those killed.

The country's lawlessness has spread security fears round the region and raised concerns that al-Qaida is trying to gain a foothold in the Horn of Africa.

Somali lawmakers pleaded this weekend for immediate international military intervention from countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti to help quash the insurgency. But there was no indication reinforcements would be forthcoming.

Some 159,000 people have fled their homes since May 7, according to the U.N. refugee agency. The United Nations says an estimated 3.2 million Somalis — almost half the country's population — need food and other humanitarian aid.

Two years ago, Ethiopia deployed troops to support Somalia's fragile, Western-backed government, but they were widely unpopular and finally withdrawn in January.

This is right out of the terrorist training manual, the koran.

South African Media: Egypt Players Were Robbed By Prostitutes, Not Burglars

The South African media is claiming that an alleged robbery from the hotel rooms of some Egypt players on Thursday evening was nothing to do with burglars but with prostitutes.

On Friday, the Pharaohs’ team manager Inas Mazhar reported that $2,400 US had been stolen from the rooms of some players on the night the African champions defeated Italy 1-0 in the 2009 Confederations Cup.

City Press said on Sunday morning that police sources confirmed that there were no signs of forced entry and added that CCTV footage showed scantily-clad women moving around a number of hotel rooms during what seemed to be a party.

“The players must explain why their rooms were not broken into and why their room safes were not tempered with but they still lost money,“ an unnamed police source told City press.

Sunday World, another Johannesburg publication, quoted a police officer as saying, “we have confirmed that some of the players brought prostitutes whom they picked up on Oxford Road to their hotel rooms and we have strong suspicions that they were cleaned by ladies of the night.”

Security guards who guard the hotel told the same newspaper that: “when they (the players) ere robbed, they pointed their dirty fingers at hotel staff – that’s nonsense.”

The Egyptian team spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

I thought muslims respected women?

Organization of the Islamic Conference to open office in Brussels to fight "Islamophobia" in Europe

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will open a representative office and appoint an ambassador to Brussels to fight more effectively against Islamophobia in Europe.

“This office will provide the West and Islam the opportunity to work coherently,” said Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, the Turkish secretary-general of the organization, to Today's Zaman.

The office will cooperate with the European Parliament and the European Council to develop the initiatives for interfaith and intercultural dialogue and institute contacts with nongovernmental organizations. The office will also be effective in efforts aimed at preventing discrimination against Muslims and fighting anti-Islam propaganda. “Of course fighting anti-Islam propaganda is one of the main aims of the office. Intercultural and interfaith dialogue constitute the priorities of the office in Brussels,” İhsanoğlu said.

İhsanoğlu, who had talks in Washington this week, will meet with the Belgian minister of foreign affairs in Brussels in the coming days. An agreement regarding the establishment of the OIC office in Brussels will be signed at the meeting.

Then they can work to erode free speech and expression from within Europe: You know, wage jihad smarter, not harder!

OIC officials are concerned that most of the actions considered by the public as Islamophobic took place in European countries; thus, the OIC believes better contact with official European institutions and the public is vital.

Operating on a principle similar to "The beatings will continue until morale improves."

A cartoon crisis that stemmed from the publishing of cartoons in Denmark insulting the Prophet Muhammad in September 2005 strained relations between Islam and the West. The idea of opening an office in Brussels was explained by İhsanoğlu to European politicians with whom İhsanoğlu negotiated during the cartoon crisis.

Again, priorities.

The OIC already has offices in New York and Geneva. The new office in Brussels will advance relations between Europe and the Muslim world. “With this office, we can create close institutional cooperation with the member countries of the European Union,” İhsanoğlu said.

Muslims are openly taking over parts of the EU, and these places have become no go zones for any non-muslim including police and emergency responders. They march in the streets shouting Death to UK, Death to America and Death to Israel and they are worried about islamophobia? You can bet that Bussels will bend over and say "yes oh mighty muslims."

Israel agrees to limit IDF activity in Palestinian cities

Israel has agreed to largely keep its forces out of four West Bank cities to try to boost a Palestinian security campaign supported by Washington, Israeli and Palestinian security sources told Ynet on Thursday.

The sources said Israel agreed to refrain from entering Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho and Qalqilya, except in cases where the army believes terrorists are poised to attack Israelis.

The agreement was reached following a meeting between Israeli officials from the Civil Adminsitration [sic] and top Palestinian security officials held in Bethlehem Wednesday evening.

According to the agreement, Palestinian forces will be allowed to operate in the aforementioned cities 24 hours a day; up until now they were authorized to operate from midnight to 5 am.

It was further decided that Israel would inform the Palestinian Authority of any security-related developments that may demand IDF intervention in territories controlled by the Authority.

The Palestinians hope that the increased cooperation will eventually result in the easing of restrictions on the Palestinian population....

Bethlehem should not be a muslim city. Judea and Sumarea belong to the Jews not the muslims. They need to expel every arab from all of Israel.

Hamas says has no knowledge of Shalit's life

The Islamic Hamas movement on Thursday said it cannot confirm or deny if the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is still alive.

"The crazy war on the Gaza Strip wiped out everything so we don't know if Shalit is still alive or if he has died," Osama al-Muzini, a Hamas official authorized to speak on this issue, told Xinhua, referring to a 22-day Israeli offensive against the Hamas-controlled territory in January.

Al-Muzini, however, said Israel has to go ahead with talks to exchange Shalit for a number of Arab prisoners "whether the soldier was dead or alive."

"The Zionist enemy has to pursue negotiations without any signal confirming or denying this argument," al-Muzini added.

Thursday marks the third anniversary of Shalit's capture by Hamas-led Gaza militants in a cross-border raid at his military base near the Gaza Strip.

The Islamic Hamas movement wants Israel to free hundreds of Palestinian and Arab prisoners, including all youngsters, women and the elder, in return for the captive.

Moreover, al-Muzini denied reports that Egypt, which mediates between Hamas and Israel, has made some progress in bridging the gaps between Hamas and Israel.

"The issue is still marking time and the contacts are weak, there are no new proposals," he said, adding that the reports were "trial balloons the Zionist enemy releases."

He reiterated that Israel has to accept the captors' demands as the only possible solution to Shalit's case.

The Jews got their two soldiers back from hezbullah in pieces. They were tortured and killed. They traded 100s of terrorists for two dead bodies. The Jews should no full well that Shalit is dead. Trade no one.

Muslim leaders condemn Sarkozy over burqa ban

Muslim leaders in Britain have warned that President Nicolas Sarkozy's calls for the burqa to be banned in France risk fuelling hostility towards Islam.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said Mr Sarkozy's claim that the head-to-toe garments worn by Islamic women signify subservience were "patronising and offensive".
Its criticism comes after Mr Sarkozy used a policy speech on Monday to declare the burqa was "not welcome" in France.

In a move which threatens to reignite the debate over religious clothing in the country, Mr Sarkozy said: "The burqa is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience.
"We cannot accept to have in our country women who are prisoners behind netting, cut off from all social life, deprived of identity."
The MCB reacted by calling on Mr Sarkozy to "desist from engaging in and promoting divisive politics" towards France's Muslim population.
Dr Reefat Drabu, assistant secretary general of the MCB, said in a statement: "It is patronising and offensive to suggest that those Muslim women who wear the burqa do so because of pressure or oppression by their male partners or guardians."
Speaking for the umbrella group of more than 500 Muslim organisations including mosques, charities and community groups, she added: "Such suggestions can legitimately be perceived as antagonistic towards Islam.
"Instead of taking a lead in promoting harmony and social cohesion amongst its people, the French President appears to be initiating a policy which is set to create fear and misunderstanding and may lead to Islamophobic reaction not just in France but in the rest of Europe too."
Mr Sarkozy's presidential address to a joint session of France's two houses of parliament stood in stark contrast to comments made by US President Barack Obama earlier this month.
In a speech in Cairo, Mr Obama said it is "important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practising religion as they see fit, for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear".
The MCB said its attack on Mr Sarkozy echoed Mr Obama's plea.
There are no official figures, but around 100,000 women are thought to wear the burqa in France.
France, home to an estimated five million Muslims, passed a law in 2004 banning headscarves or any other "conspicuous" religious symbol in state schools in a controversial bid to defend secularism.
A group of 58 MPs from the Left and Right has called on Parliament to take action against women adopting what they called oppressive Islamic dress that "breaches individual freedoms".
Last year a Moroccan woman was refused French citizenship after social services said she wore a burqa and was living in "submission" to her husband.
In Britain, Jack Straw caused controversy in 2006 when he suggested that Muslim women should abandon wearing the burqa because it was a "visible statement of separation and difference".
Mr Straw, then the Leader of the House of Commons, faced criticism from Muslim groups after disclosing that he asked women to remove their veils at meetings in his constituency office in Blackburn, Lancs.
The MCB said its stance reflected its long established position that individuals must have the freedom to choose their attire on the basis of their religious beliefs.
Shahid Malik, the Communities Minister, said on Tuesday: "It is not the job of government to dictate what people should or should not wear in our society – that is a matter of personal choice.
"There are no laws stating what clothes or attire are acceptable and so whether one chooses to wear a veil or burqa, a miniskirt or goth outfit is entirely at the individual's discretion.
"It is true that many Muslims feel the veil and its rationale are misunderstood and so sensible discussion provides an opportunity to create a better understanding and ultimately ensures we are more at ease with the diverse society within which we live."
Muslim and non-Muslim groups in Britain have supported Mr Sarkozy’s claims and called for the burka to be banned here.
Douglas Murray, director of the think-tank the Centre for Social Cohesion, said: “There is nothing in the Koran that justifies the covering of women in what amounts to a black sack.”
Diana Nammi, of the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation in London, added: “I fully support President Sarkozy. The burka isolates women.”

Walking single becomes difficult as women abducted, raped at will

KUWAIT CITY : A 23-year-old Asian woman is reported to have fallen victim to the lust of four unidentified persons who kidnapped her to an apartment in Hawally, raped her successively and released her after satisfying their lust.
Reportedly, the victim rushed to the police station and filed a case moments after her ordeal was over. She provided detailed description of the suspects, including their car registration number to the police to facilitate investigations. A case was registered.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, a Filipino woman in her 30s filed a complaint at the Farwaniya police station she escaped a kidnap attempt on Sunday.
Security sources quoting the woman said she was walking along the street at night when two persons dressed in national attire alighted from a car and approached her.
She stressed one of the men made an effort to bind her as the other endeavored to push her inside the car. The woman added she resisted and began to scream, compelling the kidnappers to flee.
Meanwhile, the case has been registered, and the suspects are being trailed by police.

This is amazing how muslims say that women are respected in the muslim world. There are almost no non-muslims in Kuwait.

Toronto 18: Details of alleged bomb plot revealed

Details unfolded yesterday at a sentencing hearing about a meticulous plan to bomb three buildings in the so-called Toronto 18 bomb plot of 2006.

In a statement of facts released yesterday in a Brampton courtroom, Saad Khalid, 22, admitted to playing a role in planning the foiled attacks, which co-conspirators allegedly said would be greater than the planned London subway bombings of 2005.

Khalid is the first accused to plead guilty in the case. The attack was allegedly set for a morning in mid-November 2006.

The statement alleges Khalid’s co-conspirators planned to target the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS headquarters on Front Street in Toronto, and an unidentified military base, off Highway 401 between Toronto and Ottawa.

Three U-Haul vans were to be rented with fake identification, packed with explosives and detonated remotely, the statement says. One of the co-accused made the detonators and tested them himself, the 37-page document reads. The bombings were to occur on three consecutive days, rather than simultaneously.

The group communicated using pagers and USB memory sticks to pass around instructions, the statement says, so they did not have to use emails or cellphones.

An undercover police agent was enlisted by the group to procure nitric acid and ammonium nitrate for the bombs, the statement says.

The statement also says one of Khalid’s co-accused told the undercover agent that he wanted the attacks to occur on Sept. 11 2006, so the date would be remembered forever.

The co-accused allegedly said the attack’s purpose was to affect the economy, and that he hoped the bombing would encourage Canada to pull troops from Afghanistan.

Four youths and 14 men were charged in a police bust under the Anti-Terrorism Act in the summer of 2006. Charges against seven of the suspects have since been stayed.

By pleading guilty, Khalid, of Mississauga, Ont., is the first member of the group to admit a bomb plot existed.

He was charged with knowingly participating in a terrorist group, receiving training for the purpose of enhancing the ability of a terrorist group and intending “to cause an explosion of an explosive substance that was likely to cause serious bodily harm or death.” He pleaded guilty to the last count.

The identities of Khalid’s co-accused are under a publication ban. The trials for the other accused adults are expected to begin next year.

David Kolinsky, who represents another of the accused, said the statement does not change anything for his client.

Khalid’s lawyer did not return the Post’s request for comment. The sentencing hearing is expected to continue all week.

Take a good look at the attitude on the terrorist. I would love to be able to put a bullet in the head of people like this.

'Terror commander' loses appeal

An Afghan asylum seeker in Glasgow who fought against Nato-led forces in his homeland has lost his appeal against deportation from the UK.

Dawalat Khan Nasir, 34, was a former commander with the banned Islamist group Herzb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (Hig).

He entered the UK illegally in 2006 and claimed asylum on the grounds he was at risk of persecution in Afghanistan.

Judges at the Court of Session said his past meant he could not be shielded by human rights legislation.

The court heard that Nasir took part in attacks against the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan.

He took over his father's role as commander in Hig - a mujahideen group founded by former Afghan prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar - when he was killed as the Americans moved in to overthrow the Taliban.

Nasir used Hig money to fund his departure from Afghanistan and fled by plane and lorry before entering Britain illegally in July 2006.

He made an application for asylum claiming that since childhood he had been involved with Hig - a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.

In October last year, Nasir, who has been living at a flat in Glasgow, was told by the Home Office that his asylum application had been rejected.

He challenged the decision but his case was rejected by a senior immigration judge.

His case came before the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Tuesday, which upheld the decision to deport him.

Afghan attacks

Nasir had claimed there was insufficient evidence of his participation in Hig acts which were contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations and that he should be afforded protection under human rights legislation and the Geneva Convention.

But Lord Hardie, who heard the case with Lord Reed and Lord Carloway, concluded that he was aware of Hig activities and aims and was excluded from the convention's protection.

Lord Hardie said: "At the time of his father's death the applicant was actively participating in the acts of Hig, including attacks against the International Security Assistance Force.

"He must have been aware at that time of the aims, methods and activities of Hig.

"Thereafter he became a commander in Hig and was involved in the planning of acts, including issuing orders to obtain guns.

"As a result of his involvement with Hig the applicant is excluded from the protection of the Geneva Convention."

He is excluded from the Geneva Convention? So following that logic, all of the guests at Club GITMO are exempt from the Convention as well.

Kamikaze drone loiters above, waits for target

new kamikaze drone out of Israel is designed to hang about overhead until it spots a target, then crash into it with "pinpoint accuracy" destroying the target, and itself, with 50 pounds of on-board explosives.

While classified as a Loitering Munition, the HAROP comes equipped with many of the usual UAV capabilities: high-performance FLIR and color CCD camera with 360-degree hemispherical coverage, allowing it to transmit video back to its operators just like a surveillance drone.

Like its predecessor the Harpy, the HAROP will be used to take out high-value targets such as air defense radars that transmit a strong tractable pulse. But there's nothing to indicate it can't home-in on a cell phone call from a moving car. Fortunately, the developer, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has thoughtfully included a Man in the Loop feature that enables the missile to be controlled in real time in case an attack needs aborting to avoid collateral damage.

The HAROP can be launched from a variety of platforms, including a ground vehicle. Launched out the box on a booster rocket, it unfold its wings, starts up an internal-combustion driven pusher propeller, and begins the hunt. Once a target is identified, it can crash "from any direction and at any attack angle, from flat to vertical which is highly essential in urban areas."

IAI has reportedly already signed a $100 million-plus contract to supply the lethal loiterers to an unidentified customer. Throwaway UAVs may do for IAI what disposable razors have done for Gillette.

A suicide UAV. Now that must really bother the muslims. That is their method of killing.

Mich. judges given say in court dress

LANSING, MI - The Michigan Supreme Court has voted to give judges authority over how witnesses dress in court after a Muslim woman refused to remove her veil in a small claims case.

A statewide court rule letting judges regulate the appearance of witnesses, such as asking them to remove face coverings, was approved by a 5-2 vote. The dissenters said there should be an exception for people whose clothing is dictated by their religion.

Justices heard last month from a Muslim woman who sued because her small claims case was dismissed when she refused to remove her veil.

Judges argued that they should be able to exercise reasonable control over the appearance of parties and witnesses to observe their demeanor and ensure they're accurately identified.

How does the judge know who he is talking to if a muslim is wearing a bag over her head?

UK: Women forced to marry under sharia are "really messed up"

NEW legislation has failed to stop forced marriages taking place, according to an Enfield support group.

Ila Bel, from Enfield Saheli, in Fore Street, Edmonton, said her charity was seeing an increasing number of women who were "really messed up” after being forced to marry under Sharia law.

In September, the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act came into effect making forced marriages unlawful, following a campaign by MP Ann Cryer.

At a conference in Westminster organised by Enfield's South Asian Forum, Mrs Cryer said she had been prompted to take action to prevent forced marriages when she realised fathers were asking her for help with visas for new husbands to be brought to Britain, against the will of their daughters...

Finally someone has caught on. Now they need to prevent this type of immigration.