From Reuters: KARACHI – A Pakistani court sentenced an Islamic militant to death on Saturday for masterminding two suicide attacks on minority Shi’ite Muslims that killed at least 45 people, lawyers said. The convict, Gul Hasan, belonged to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an underground banned militant group that has ties with the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan and […]
Al Jazeera denies Rumsfeld’s charge it airs killings
From Reuters: DUBAI – The Arab TV channel Al Jazeera rejected on Saturday as unfounded Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s accusations that it was encouraging Islamic militant groups by airing beheadings of foreign hostages in Iraq. “Al Jazeera … has never at any time transmitted pictures of killings or beheadings and … any talk about this […]
Iraq: Suicide Bomber kills 10 at Sufi Muslim gathering
Apostasy alert from Reuters: BAGHDAD – A suicide bomber blew himself up at a gathering of Sufi Muslims north of Baghdad, killing 10 people in the latest attack by Iraqi insurgents on religious sects they disapprove of, officials said on Friday. The bomber detonated his explosives on Thursday evening in a house near the town […]
Abbas delays Palestinian election, angers Hamas
From Reuters: RAMALLAH, West Bank – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday announced a delay in parliamentary elections, angering the militant group Hamas which is putting up parliamentary candidates for the first time. In a public decree, Abbas said he had decided to postpone the July 17 poll to allow time to resolve a dispute […]
UNCHR: Protecting Religion”“ Specifically Islam
Elizabeth Kendal of World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission writes in AssistNews, with thanks to LH. AUSTRALIA — In an astonishing move on 12 April 2005, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) moved from promoting respect for human rights (the rights of humans) to promoting “respect for all religions and their value systems”. […]
U.S. criticizes Gulf allies on trafficking
From Reuters via CNN with thanks to Two Stellas. WASHINGTON — The United States criticized four Gulf Arab allies as some of the world’s worst offenders in permitting human trafficking Friday in a rebuke Washington hopes will promote improved human rights in the Middle East. The State Department downgraded Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the […]
Dutch Withdraw Salvation Army Subsidy Over Hiring Practices
In unofficially translated news from the Netherlands Trouw: Amsterdam – Secretary de Geus of Social Affairs withdraws 200.000 euros subsidiaries from the Salvation Army. The Army refuses to hire two muslimas who are currently employed as volunteers for one of their projects. The Army only hires Christians. De Geus has, so he says, insisted in […]
Turkey: Prez Vetoes Bill to Relax Gov’t Control Over Religious Schools
From Islamonline, “Sezer Vetoes Penal Code Over Religious Schools,” with thanks to KAOSKTRL. ANKARA – Turkey’s President Ahmet Necdet Sezer Friday, June 3, vetoed a government-sponsored law reducing penalties for unauthorized religious schools teaching the Noble Qur’an, arguing that it infringed on the secularist principles of the Muslim-majority country. The provision was part of a […]
UK: ‘Offensive’ hospital bibles may be banned
Political correctness run amok in the UK, from the Telegraph, with thanks to MJ. The century-old tradition of bibles in hospital bedside lockers could be ended in one health trust today after officials decided they might offend ethnic minorities. Senior executives at the University of Leicester NHS Trust said it was also concerned that the […]
Denmark: Politicians reject Imam’s proposal of blood money
An update on this story, from Denmark’s DR Nyheder, with thanks to Fjordman: Integration Minister, Rikke Hvilshøj, has rejected a proposal from Imam Abu Laban that blood money be paid to the family of a man who was killed in Nørrebro last weekend and whose funeral takes place today. Since the shooting of the 24 […]