Archive for June 29th, 2008
Antisemitism in Europe
Video via Krishna, who has an extensive post on the subject of antisemitism rising in Europe, the last episode of this worrying ideology, having taken place in Paris:
Five youths detained after a Jewish teenager was beaten into a coma by a gang in Paris have been released without charge, AFP reported Wednesday quoting judicial officials.
(…) The Paris prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin said Tuesday the 17-year-old victim, Rudy Haddad, was beaten by a gang after street brawls between Jewish teenagers and youths of north African and sub-Saharan descent.
(…) The prosecutor has confirmed the anti-Semitic character of the aggression and said anti-Semitic insults – like “dirty Jew” – were shouted during the aggression.
Though at first it wasn’t recognised as “antisemitic”.
As Krishna says in th above link:
Anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide, but its especially noticeable in Europe. There is a definite connection between hatred of Israel and hatred of Jews in general. Both are inflammed by media coverage that is strongly biased against Israel.
Tags Technorati: Antisemitism, Europe, Antisemitism in Europe, France
In India, the unrest continues
In a season of discontent, many protests sweep India – International Herald Tribune
Some speculate that India’s weak central government, which is run by an uneasy coalition between the Congress Party and the Left Front, could be contributing to the unrest. Others attribute the upheaval to rapid changes in Indian society.
Whether they are Muslims protesting the plan to build a Hindu temple on forest land (three people killed more than two dozen injured) or Nepali-speaking separatists, they are just trying to desestabilize Indian Government. Today 50 members of an elite anti-insurgency force were sank by “Maoist rebels” and also today Indian Kasmir Government has reversed its decision to hand over some forest land to build a place for Hindu pilgrims, after a week of protests by Muslim followers.
Tags Technorati: Hindu, India, Muslim, Indian Maoist rebels, Nepali-speaking in India,
Russia and the Alliance of Civilizations
I wrote the other day about how Russian growing Muslim population could influence its foreign policy. Well, it’s also influencing its interior policy:
The agreement (value: $1.5 million) provides for grants and stipends to students of Russian Islamic institutes for research, the translation and publication of books on Islam in Russian, and for material support to Islamic institutes.
In addition, the agreement provides for international seminars on “The Role of Russia and the Islamic World in Strengthening the Alliance of Civilizations.”
Meanwhile, three people have been killed, and four hurt in clashes with Caucusus jihadists.
Tags Technorati: Russia, Islam, Islamism, Alliance of Civillizations
Taliban are no longer at the Peshawar’s gates
Noblesse Oblige writes about how Baitullah Mehsud is working to achieve victory:
Baitullah’s marshaling of Pashtun tribal nationalism is a troubling development with potential to create great harm to Pakistan, and to drive a wedge between the current government and Nato. They are continuing to work through student groups, political and religious groups in the moderate urban areas of Pakistan in an effort to Talibanize the nation and replicate the Iranian Revolution. It’s bound to fail as the Sindh and Punjab will not allow rule by tribals over the long run, no matter how fractional the factions within the government become. In their latest move it appears that they are attempting to move on Peshawar, one of Pakistan’s major cities, and a favorite haunt of Osama Bin Laden.
Of course, not all news are bad: for example, Germany has voted overwhelmingly in favor of sending more troops to Afghanistan. Sarkozy has also promised to continue “shoulder to shoulder” with the US-led coalition. Canada has also announced to increase Canadian commitment through to 2011. Australian Labour has also stated they will be sending more troops to Afghanistan. New Zealand has already sent more troops.
But is there any good news coming from inside Pakistan-Afghanistan? Well, there is a Facebook group praising Baitullah Mehsud. 
Some days ago, Brig Mark Caleton-Smith considered the good news inside Afghanistan, who were, according him in hte brink of defeat as in the past two years an estimated 7,000 Taliban have been killed, the majority in southern and eastern Afghanistan. But it is the “very effective targeted decapitation operations” that have removed “several echelons of commanders”.
Looks like Pakistani Govt has begun to do something finally. But NATO has already warned that nothing will change in Afghanistan if Al-Qaeda continues having a sanctuary in Pakistani frontier.
Related posts:
The Afghan-Pakistani problem.
Pakistani forces attack Taliban stronghold.
Spanish Minister Aído “clarifies” her statements on the Islamic veil
I must say I wasn’t very optimistic about her maintaining a so clear position, when she stated that “not all forms of cultural practices should be protected, if they are against Human Rights or discriminate the women”, specially as the Spanish Islamic Council asked to vote for the Socialists in the past elections. And of course, she has actually backtracked, remarking the right of women to be wrong sometimes, after the Spanish VP, De La Vega, contradicted her, stating “Spanish Government respects Islamic veil“.
Related: Death linked to Muslim veil sparks debate in Canada. It’s a pity the debate always happens after someone’s killed, not before. And it’s a pity Spanish VP does not take into account this result before making any comments.
Tags Technorati: hijab, Islamic veil, Bibiana Aído, De La Vega, Human Rights, women’s rights, Zapatero, Spain, leftists
UK: I am not surprised…
by BNP winning over Labour (1, 2):
To the dismay of Labour backbenchers, even the extremist British National Party beat their candidate in the contest to fill a parliamentary seat vacated by Boris Johnson, the new mayor of London. The Conservatives held on to the seat in Oxfordshire, defeating (in
order of finish) candidates for the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the BNP and Labour.
even if it’s worrying, because it means that, as happened in France with PS and Front National, the Labour people are probably more and more voting for BNP. It was also significant because it was Gordon’s first anniversary as PM. Bad way to celebrate it.
Related: From the BNP to radical Islam. Even if you couldn’t say that’s possible… 
Tags Technorati: BNP, Conservatives, Labour, New Labour, Gordon Brown, UK
