Swiss referendum approves automatic expulsion of foreign criminals

Switzerland endorsed on Sunday a  push to automatically expel foreign residents convicted of certain crimes, to the dismay of critics who described it as a "dark day for human rights."
The approval of the initiative in a referendum was an expression of insecurity, the justice minister said, stressing the government would examine how to implement the new rule without violating its international obligations.


In the vote, 52.9 percent were in favour of automatic expulsions and 47.1 percent were against, with the country's German-speaking majority largely backing the proposal. Only six of the 26 cantons rejected the initiative.
The vote came exactly a year after Switzerland agreed to ban the construction of new minarets, which was another proposal backed by the Swiss People's Party (SVP).

The decision on Sunday "is a first step on the way towards greater security," said the SVP in a statement.
As with their campaign against minarets, the SVP launched an aggressive push for the expulsion of foreign criminals, saying those guilty of certain crimes should be stripped of their right to remain in the country.
Its signature poster illustrates a white sheep kicking a black sheep out of the Swiss flag. Another poster depicts a gangster-like man with the slogan "Ivan S., rapist, and soon a Swiss?".

Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga noted that the "majority of the voters have sent a clear signal that they consider foreign criminality to be a serious problem."
It is "an expression of insecurity. I take this very seriously," she told journalists.

A working group would be set up to examine how the new rule could be implemented in a way that complies with the Swiss constitution and international conventions, she said.
"It is in the interest of all -- Swiss, foreigners and the Swiss economy -- that we have more clarity on this soon," she added.

Judges can already issue expulsion orders for foreign criminals but the SVP's initiative goes further by requiring automatic expulsions for those found guilty of "rape, serious sexual offence, acts of violence such as robbery," drug trafficking and "abuse of social aid."
According to the Federal Office of Migration, about 350 to 400 people are expelled every year but this figure would rise to 1,500 with the adoption of the new initiative.
Critics object that it smacks of discrimination and runs in the same xenophobic vein as the banning of minarets.

Amnesty International said the approval of the plan marked a "dark day for human rights in Switzerland."
"The initiative violates not only various international conventions... it is also contrary to the principle of proportionality and that of the ban on all forms of discrimination written into the federal constitution," said the rights group.
"The initiators have once more abused the right of an initiative to increase their political capital through xenophobic discourse," said the group, noting it could lead to refugees being sent back to countries where they could be tortured or killed.

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The statement made by 'Amnesty international' shows that they have no idea of the issue, a refugee should be showing gratitude to the country that has given them refuge, not commiting serious crime as a way of thanks. If a refugee is sent back to a country where they can be tortured or killed it is not the Swiss peoples problem, the refugee should have thought of this before commiting a crime. Maybe the refugee had to flee their country of origin because of commiting a crime, has Amnesty Internationl thought of that?.

You can read more reports on this breakthrough by clicking HERE

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15-year-old Birmingham schoolgirl arrested for burning a copy of the Qur'an

A 15-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of inciting religious hatred after allegedly burning an English-language version of the Qur'an – and then posting video footage of the act on Facebook.
The teenager, from the Sandwell district of Birmingham, was filmed on her school premises burning the book.
Police have confirmed the incident was reported to the school and the video has since been removed from the social networking site.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of making threats on Facebook. Both teenagers have been released on police bail.

The incident comes just two and a half months after six people were arrested after filming themselves dousing a Qur'an with fuel and setting it ablaze behind a pub in Tyneside.
It is believed the girl was allegedly filmed setting the book alight while other pupils looked on. Two Facebook profiles have also been removed from the site.

It is understood that the group who published the version of the Qur'an that was set alight has visited the school to talk to pupils.
This recent spate of Qur'an burnings follows Florida pastor Terry Jones's incitement of people to burn copies of the holy book to commemorate the victims of 9/11.

He eventually backed down from his threat to burn 200 copies of the Qur'an after he was told US soldiers serving in Afghanistan would be put at greater risk by his actions.
Speaking about the latest incident in Birmingham, a spokesperson for West Midlands police said: "A 15-year-old girl was arrested on Friday 19 November on suspicion of inciting religious hatred. She has been bailed pending further enquiries.

"A second 14-year-old boy was arrested on Tuesday 23 November on suspicion of making threats over Facebook. He has also been bailed pending further enquiries.
"The local neighbourhood team have strong links with the school and have been working closely with key partners from the community and the local authority to resolve the matter locally."

Catherine Heseltine, chief executive officer of the Muslim public affairs committee, said burning the Qur'an was one of the most offensive acts to Muslims she could imagine.
"The Qur'an is the most sacred thing to over a billion Muslims worldwide. You can see that in the way Muslims treat the Qur'an, washing before touching it, and in many Muslim homes you will find it on the top shelf above all other books, and we will never destroy the Qur'anic texts."

"We believe it is the word of God. God's guidance for us in this life," she added.
Bob Badham, Sandwell council's cabinet member for education, said he had visited the school and believed the atmosphere was generally good among pupils, and
he did not believe there was a deeper problem in the area.

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Jews and homosexuals singled out at British Islamic schools

Pupils at Islamic schools across the country are being taught to chop off a criminal's hand and that Jews are conspiring to take over the world, a BBC investigation found Monday. 
Up to 5,000 pupils aged between six and 18 are being taught Sharia law punishments using "weekend-school" text-books which claim those who do not believe in Islam will be subjected to "hellfire" in death.

Young pupils are warned that the punishment for engaging in homosexual acts is death by stoning, burning with fire or throwing off a cliff and that the "main goal" of the Jews is to "have control over the world and its resources."

The schools are part of the "Saudi Students Clubs and Schools in the UK and Ireland" organisation. The BBC investigation claimed that one school in London is owned by the Saudi government.
Education Minister Michael Gove told the BBC programme: "I have no desire or wish to intervene in the decisions that the Saudi government makes in its own education system.
"But I'm clear that we cannot have anti-Semitic material of any kind being used in English schools. Ofsted will be reporting to me shortly."
At the moment, part-time weekend schools are not inspected by Ofsted.

 Tonight’s Panorama on BBC One will claim that the books were discovered at a network of 40 private schools teaching the Saudi Arabian national curriculum.

I wonder why the EHRC are doing nothing about this, you can contact the EHRC to point out this racism and homophobia being taught in English schools here:
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/contact-us/

 You can email 'Michael Gove' here ministers@education.gsi.gov.uk

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Sidney Stringer Academy - Update 2

Well it seems we got it all wrong!. This incident was just an argument over a girl after all.

The BBC reports that:
'Three students at a Coventry school have been excluded over "cyber bullying".'
Wendy Tomes said "The students involved have been identified, and in many cases face fixed term exclusions"
She added that all of the schools investigations lead them to believe the incident had started "over a girl".
Three of the students had been excluded and their families had received a visit from the school, she said.
Three more pupils were facing "internal exclusion" - being kept away from other pupils.

The AFP expands on this:
A headteacher has denied claims that a Facebook row which led to the suspension of three schoolchildren was sparked by a message of support for British troops in Afghanistan.
The students were given fixed-term exclusions from the Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry following an argument "over a girl", the school said.

She said: "On Monday morning we were alerted to a problem on Facebook involving one of our students. The comments had been posted over the weekend.
"Because we are concerned for our students, we immediately investigated and gathered the evidence that we needed so that we could take appropriate action.
"It appears that there was a disagreement over a girl and there were students using inflammatory language and talk of a fight happening."
The school would not comment on the age, sex or religion of the pupils who were suspended.

Yet the threatened child mother ' told the Coventry Telegraph that her son had been threatened by a group of year eight students after he posted images on Facebook in support of British troops ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
She said: "I logged on and it broke my heart. I was reading all sorts about knuckle dusters, knives and death.
"They were planning to attack him at school that day, so I rang the school straight away."'

It seems to me that this story has been 'hushed up' and made into a story about 'cyber bullying' and anargument 'over a girl'

I expect we will never know the truth about this....

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Coventry - Muslims schoolboy death threats update

Here is an update on the previous story.

It appears those suspended from the  Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry formed part of a group within the academy calling themselves the ‘Muslim Defence League’ who celebrate British deaths in Afghanistan
The boy who is being sent death threats because he posted a message on his Facebook page ‘RIP to all the lads who never made it home.’
He also posted two pictures showing British troops on Armistice Day.
The ‘Muslim Defence League’ then branded him a racist and started a campaign of violence and intimidation against him.
A gang of 12-year-old pupils made up of five Muslim boys and one non-Muslim white girl have beensuspended and may be expelled over the threats.

One of the gang’s ringleaders is an Iraqi who posted a chilling picture of himself holding an AK47.
This raises the question of how did this boy come into contact with such weapons, is the weapon kept at his home, or did he receive weapons training in some other country, either way it seems his parents have full knowledge of this and must be in support of his actions.

Wendy Tomes, Sidney Stringer Academy principal has said that “As far as I’m concerned, racism isn’t an issue at this very diverse school."
“Students here learn to work with others of numerous cultures and that is a strength not a weakness.”

It seems that 'Wendy Tomes' doesnt understand the dynamics of her own academy,
Sidney Stringer Academy has a majority of 65% Muslims from around 1250 pupils, if there are 'numerous cultures' then these make up 35% of the rest of the pupils, this means that the total forming 'English' culture must be well in the minority.
And if 'Wendy Tomes' doesnt think that racism is an issue when there are muslim gangs threatening non muslims for being 'non muslims', then she is not capable of running the academy.

The irony is that yesterday Education Secretary Michael Gove said that safeguards are in place to ensure extreme Islamist groups do not infiltrate the state school system.
During a Commons debate on education, Mike Gapes (Lab, Ilford S) asked: "What safeguards are there against extremists, including Islamist or creationist extremists, setting up free schools?"

Mr Gove told him: "I have a consistent record of opposing Islamist extremism in this House.
"One of the things we have been doing is setting up a new due diligence unit within the department in order to ensure that the threat of extremism - not just from anyone who might wish to promote a free school, but anyone who wishes to infiltrate our state school system - is dealt with.
"One of the striking things that you will be aware of is that we had cases in Surrey and in Birmingham where there were genuine dangers because of extremist influence in state schools.
"It is an issue I take very seriously."

Well is looks like those safeguards have failed

You can vist the Sidney Stringer Academy website HERE
You can email 'Mrs W Tomes' here  wtomes.staff@sidneystringer.coventry.sch.uk
You can read more on this story HERE
You can email 'Michael Gove' here ministers@education.gsi.gov.uk
or visit his website HERE
You can read more about Gove's statement HERE

The question now is when will there be a public enquiry into how this muslim extremist gang was allowed to form in the first place, and will 'Wendy Tomes' be resigning.
The academy has only been open since November 2010, read more HERE

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Coventry - Muslim schoolboys threaten non muslim because he supports UK troops

This is the story reported on the coventrytelegraph.net website:
Coventry teenager abused on Facebook for writing war heroes tribute
A MUM has taken her son out of a secondary school in Coventry after he was abused on Facebook.
Clare Allington removed her son 13-year-old Darius Gill from Sidney Stringer Academy after he became the victim of cyberbullying on the social networking site.
Two year eight pupils at the school, believed to be 12-years-old, had threatened to attack him.

Messages posted online said a fight was being planned after school on Monday and pupils from other city schools even promised to join in.
The trouble arose after Darius, also in year eight, posted tribute images of British soldiers on Facebook in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday.
The bullies criticised him for siding with Britain and the USA against countries in the Middle
Darius was even too scared to wear a poppy to the Cox Street school for fear of more insults.
One of the messages reads: “Fight on monday gonna be heavy nuckle dusters nd knifes hopefully i dont die......” [sic]
Another says: “ill bang him ma slef am a terrorist.” [sic]
Darius’s mum, Clare, has pulled Darius out of the school, and two boys said to be responsible for the threats have been excluded.
Others who added to the comments will also be punished.
Darius claims the Facebook insults were the culmination of ongoing face-to-face bullying.
He is mixed-race, his father is Asian and his mother is white. He claims he was picked on for not being a muslim.

Clare, a mature student, of Hillfields, said: “I usually keep an eye on what Darius posts on Facebook.
"I have his password and usually check it every day but didn’t last weekend until I was at the Warwick University campus on Monday.
“I logged on and it broke my heart. I was reading all sorts about knuckle dusters, knives and death.
"They were planning to attack him at school that day so I rang the school straight away.”
One of the students even has photos on his Facebook page in which he is seen carrying a rifle.

Clare read some of the disturbing comments over the phone to a school official and was told to visit the school urgently.
Clare said: “It was all news to them....I took him out of school ... I don’t know when or if I will let Darius go back.
Wendy Tomes, Sidney Stringer Academy principal, says the school has taken appropriate action.
She said: “Two boys are going to be excluded until we are able to meet with the parents and resolve the issue.
“We will also be in contact with each and every pupil who also posted offensive comments to say they will not be allowed to return to school until they remove the comments from Facebook.
“What the children have done is out of order and unacceptable and we have taken the matter very seriously, taking prompt action as soon as we were made aware of it.

“We will be urging parents to monitor their children’s use of networking sites such as Facebook.”
She added: “As far as I’m concerned, racism isn’t an issue at this very diverse school.
“Students here learn to work with others of numerous cultures and that is a strength not a weakness.”

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Notice how the report fails to mention these violent threats came from muslim children, and how the 'academy pricipal' (is that the same as a school headmistress?) still sticks to Labours policy of insisting racism doesnt exist and there is a wonderful multicultural environment that results in peace and joy, totally denying the reality of the situation, I wonder what her reaction would have been if it was non muslims threatening to kill the muslim children.

---

Now compare that report to this report from the Australian website news.com.au

Schoolboys threaten to kill classmate for supporting troops

TWO British Muslim boys have been excluded from school for posting Facebook death threats to a fellow pupil who praised UK and US soldiers.
The 12-year-old boys targeted 13-year-old Darius Gill, from Coventry, central England, because he posted a tribute to British and US soldiers, to coincide with the UK's annual day of memorial for members of the armed forces who died in conflict.
The boys threatened Darius with knives and knuckle dusters and one had posted a picture of himself holding a rifle. Other pupils from the school also added comments condemning Darius.
Darius, who has an Asian father and white mother, claimed the threats were the culmination of ongoing face-to-face bullying he has endured from the boys for not being Muslim.
Clare Allington, Darius’ mother, has taken her son out of the school, the Coventry Telegraph reported.
Allington, a mature student, said: “I usually keep an eye on what Darius posts on Facebook ... I logged on and it broke my heart.

"I was reading all sorts about knuckle dusters, knives and death. They were planning to attack him at school that day so I rang the school straight away.”
The school principal said: “Two boys are going to be excluded until we are able to meet with the parents and resolve the issue.

"We will also be in contact with each and every pupil who also posted offensive comments to say they will not be allowed to return to school until they remove the comments from Facebook."

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Blackburn father urges fatal crash driver's deportation after a string of offences

The father of a girl left dying under the wheels of a car has urged judges for "justice" by deporting the driver.

Paul Houston, from Darwen, Lancashire, told judges they had the power to bring his "seven years of hell to an end" by sending Aso Mohammed Ibrahim to Iraq.

The Iraqi Kurd fled after knocking down 12-year-old Amy Houston in Blackburn in 2003. He was jailed for four months.
On Monday the UK Border Agency (UKBA) began a tribunal appeal against the decision to grant Ibrahim residency.

Ibrahim, 32, was jailed by Blackburn magistrates for driving while disqualified and failing to stop after an accident.
The father-of-two was due to be deported but won the right to stay in the UK after a series of appeals at the Manchester Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.

As the UKBA appeal against the decision got under way, Mr Houston, 41, requested the two judges read a letter, an impassioned plea, before making their decision.

The tribunal heard details of Ibrahim's criminal convictions, including driving while disqualified and without insurance, possession of cannabis and cautions for criminal damage and burglary and theft.
In 2006 - three years after the fatal crash - he was again convicted of driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.

In 2009 he was also convicted of harassment, damage to property and theft, the tribunal heard.
Matthew Barnes, for the UKBA, said Ibrahim had shown "contempt to the laws of the UK".
He added: "The appellant [Ibrahim] has spent his time here repeatedly committing a variety of criminal offences, some of which has led to imprisonment."

Mavelyn Vidal, counsel for Ibrahim, said his client's partner - who also has two children - had spoken of him in "glowing terms" as a father.
Senior Immigration Judge Deborah Taylor refused permission for Mr Houston to address the hearing, but accepted his letter.

Outside the tribunal, Mr Houston said: "All I have asked for is justice for Amy. You have seen his catalogue of crimes, what possible benefit does this man have being in this country?
"I have never asked for any type of revenge, all I ask for is for him to return to his own country.
"I don't think that's an unreasonable request, not the way he left my daughter to die like a dog."

Aso Mohammed Ibrahim, 31, of Blackburn, hit Amy Houston, 12, in 2003. He was later jailed for four months.
He faced deportation but successfully invoked human rights legislation granting him the right to a "family life" in the UK.

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Cameron breaks yet another election pledge

David Cameron will bow to business and relax immigration cap

David Cameron is expected to increase significantly the number of immigrants from beyond Europe permitted to enter Britain each year

The Prime Minister is understood to have been influenced by business concerns that the cap introduced after the election is preventing highly-skilled people from coming to this country.

The current limit of about 2,600 non-EU migrants a month is expected to be increased to allow more than 4,000 workers a month to enter Britain next year. The final cap is still being discussed but is expected to be unveiled later this month.

This week, the Migration Advisory Committee will publish its recommendations to ministers on the level at which the cap should be set. The committee is expected to offer a range of scenarios and the Coalition is expected to reject the more hardline approach.

Over the past few months, Mr Cameron is understood to have been personally lobbied by senior business leaders warning of the economic damage caused by applying too stringent a cap. These warnings have been reiterated during his recent trade visits to China and India.

One well-placed source said: “We have listened to the concerns of business and realised that although we need to bring immigration under control, we don’t want to damage the economy. We want the best skilled people from around the world to still come here.”

The increase in the cap marks a success for Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, who had been an outspoken critic of the Government’s previous plan and called for more flexibility to reflect wider economic conditions. Boris Johnson, the London mayor, has also warned of the dangers of the cap.

Mr Cameron is said to have become increasingly supportive of Mr Cable’s position and Downing Street aides reportedly asked Theresa May, the Home Secretary, to “tone down” a recent speech on immigration.
Last week, it emerged that the number of overseas-born workers in Britain this year had increased by about 126,000 people to a record 3.8million, while the number of working Britons fell by 179,000. More than half of the rise in migrants was accounted for by Eastern Europeans, who are not covered by the cap.
In the last year of the Labour government, net migration – the number of people coming to live in Britain compared with those emigrating – stood at almost 200,000. The Coalition has pledged to at least halve this by 2015 – largely by restricting the number of skilled workers from beyond the EU.

In June, the Home Office introduced a temporary limit of 24,100 workers to enter the country before April 2011, when this cap will be replaced by permanent measures.
In an interview in September, Mr Cable said that he was being warned by senior business leaders that companies were relocating abroad because of the constraints.

He said: “I was talking to people in the City and there were two investment banks that recruit hundreds of people from the non-EU area, Indians and Americans.
“They were allowed only 30 to 40. They have moved some operations to Hong Kong.”
He also claimed to have a file detailing examples of companies considering relocating jobs overseas because they were being prevented from moving key staff to London.

David Frost, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, has urged the Government to reassess the cap as it “must not undermine the ability of UK businesses to recruit the best and the brightest”. Several Nobel Prize winners have also warned that it is harming the scientific and research community.
Nicola Dandridge, the chief executive of Universities UK, said the restrictions would “cause major problems for UK businesses and universities”. She added: “World-class research requires world-class people, and we simply can’t adopt a 'Fortress Britain’ attitude.”

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Woolas election ban threatens election debate, MPs say

MPs have expressed concerns about a court decision to ban former minister Phil Woolas from politics, saying it raises "massive constitutional issues".

The ex-Labour MP is making a second bid for a judicial review of the verdict, which stripped him of his seat over his conduct in the election campaign.

But Tory MP Edward Leigh said it was for "people to evict MPs not judges".
And Labour's David Winnick said it could lead to any defeated candidate challenging election results.
Although the High Court rejected an initial request by Mr Woolas for a judicial review of the election court's ruling, he is seeking a renewed ruling - which is expected to be the subject of an oral hearing.

Mr Woolas was barred from standing for elected office for three years after a specially convened election court ruled he was guilty of breaching the Representation of the People Act 1983 for making false statements during the 2010 election.
The court heard that Mr Woolas stirred up racial tensions during a fiercely-fought campaign which saw him retain his Oldham East and Saddleworth seat by 103 votes - beating Lib Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins.

Commons Speaker John Bercow said MPs would not be able to debate the case until legal proceedings have finished.

But, in a point of order in Parliament, Mr Leigh said a debate was urgently needed on the "enormous" implications of the verdict.
"This is first time in 99 years that an MP has been evicted," he told MPs. "It is for people to evict MPs not the judges.
"What worries me about this is that, if this is allowed to stand, it will be virtually impossible for there to be really robust debate during elections.
"People will be terrified of attacking their opponents."

Labour MP David Winnick echoed these concerns, saying he was worried about a precedent being set for decisions to be "taken out of the hands of the electorate".
"In future circumstances can a position arise where an unsuccessful candidate will use any means to say, in effect, what happened during the election was unfair and take the issue to the judges accordingly?," he said.
Mr Bercow told MPs that the court had ruled the election result "void" and found Mr Woolas "personally guilty" of an "illegal practice" during the campaign.

He noted that Mr Woolas had renewed his application for a judicial review and this hearing would be "expedited" as the judge wanted constituents to "know who is their MP as soon as possible".
"I attach a premium to a speedy resolution to these matters in the interests of Parliament, the interests of Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency electorate and in the interests of the country," he said.

This effectively means a by-election will be delayed to avoid the possibility that, if Mr Woolas won his appeal, it could result in the embarrassing situation of the constituency having two MPs.
For the Lib Dems, Alistair Carmichael asked the Speaker for assurances that the constituency's voters would "not be denied indefinitely, by untested legal proceedings, the representation to which they are entitled".

Mr Woolas will have to fund any further appeals himself, after he was suspended by the Labour Party following Friday's judgement.
Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman has suggested he does not have a future in the party, saying "it is not part of Labour's politics for somebody to be telling lies to get themselves elected".

But former Labour Party general secretary Peter Watt said Mr Woolas had been treated "disgracefully".
"In the last few days we have seen a complete lack of humanity in our approach to Phil Woolas," Mr Watt - who resigned in 2007 over a political donations row - wrote in his blog.
"Phil may not have been everyone's cup of tea politically," he added.

"He was definitely found guilty of breaching electoral law by telling untruths about one of his opponents. But does that overwrite his history and contribution to the party of so many years?"
The case against Mr Woolas - who served as immigration minister for nearly two years after becoming an MP in 1997 - was brought under Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act.

This makes it an offence to publish "any false statement of fact in relation to the candidate's personal character or conduct" to prevent them being elected - unless they believed it was true and had "reasonable grounds" to do so.

BBC 

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Taliban call on US to send fact-finding team to Afghanistan

The Taliban called on the US Congress on Sunday to send a "fact-finding mission" to Afghanistan to investigate what they called the lies and propaganda spread by American military chiefs to prolong the war.

The Islamist militant group has been fighting for more than nine years to topple the Kabul government, which is backed by 150,000 US and NATO troops.
In the past year, Taliban influence has spread across the country from their bastion in the south where the war is concentrated, and momentum has been widely seen to have turned in their favour.

The statement, addressed to "Messers American Congressmen," was emailed to AFP and signed by Qari Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi, "spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".
It suggested the Congressional team travel throughout Afghanistan to uncover "ground realities" it said are being concealed by military leaders eager to give the impression of victory.

The resistance to the US-led war against the Taliban was indigenous, the group said, contrary to claims by Washington it was influenced from outside the country.
The Taliban leadership is believed to be based in the Pakistani city of Quetta, from where it is thought to fund, plan and man operations in Afghanistan.

According to media reports, studies and top NATO figures, it does so with the support of Pakistan's intelligence service, though Islamabad has denied the allegations.
The Taliban occasionally issue such statements, which are generally dismissed by Washington and its partners backing the Kabul government.

On September 11 they called for an unconditional withdrawal of foreign troops -- a condition for opening peace talks with the government -- and an end to the "illegal occupation" of Afghanistan.
In August the group suggested the establishment of a multilateral committee to investigate civilian casualties, which the United Nations says are overwhelmingly caused by the Taliban.

"Can a few militants stand up to armed forces of 40 countries including the strongest countries of the world," Sunday's statement said, referring to the US-NATO alliance.
"In fact the current armed jihad (holy war) is a country-wide resistance against you. Men and women, old and young from every tribe, ethnicity, caste and area have arisen to oppose you.
"Thus by your intending to wipe out the resistance, you have chosen the way of committing genocide of the whole nation," it said.

The Taliban said that if the US government would not provide proof of its claims, "then how about another experiment? Send a team to Afghanistan on a fact-finding mission".
"The team should have freedom of movement and should be allowed to remain far from the clutches of your intelligence agencies," it said, adding that US military leaders were unlikely to allow the team to do so.

The statement accused US defence secretary Robert Gates, commander of foreign troops in Afghanistan US General David Petraeus, and other "military brass" of exaggerating battlefield successes to appear victorious and for financial gain.
For nine years "Afghans have been festering in the vortex of an imposed war... The apparition of mass murder, imprisonment, night house raids and plundering which has become the order of the day constantly haunts them," the statement said in English and Pashto.

High foreign military casualties -- more than 2,000 since the war began -- had "sparked off hot discussions" among ordinary Americans "and now it has become one of the most critical issues pending before you".
"In the last two years, your military high-ups implemented different strategies including troop surge, construction of new military bases, forming militias.

"All these steps have been taken without considering the ground realities. It is why they all failed," it said.
"Moreover the fear that Afghanistan may turn out to be a threat to world peace must be put out of your minds as it is a mere baseless propaganda."

 opyright © 2010 AFP

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5 Asian pedophiles jailed for preying on white girls in Sheffield

The article title says it all, but lets see how the story is reported depending on country.

First the U.K:

mirror.co.uk
Sex predator gang is jailed
Five men convicted of grooming teenage girls for sex wept as they were jailed for a total of 32 years.
Brothers Umar, 24, and Razwan Razaq, 30, their cousin Zafran Ramzan, 21, Adil Hussain 20, and Mohsin Khan, 21, were yesterday condemned as "sexual predators" by Sheffield judge Peter Kelson.
He said: "Your weeping cuts no ice. You had what you regarded as your fun, now you will take your punishment."
The men preyed on girls as young as 12 in Rotherham, South Yorks.

yorkshirepost.co.uk
Gang jailed for 32 years over sex offences against care girls

FIVE men will spend a total of 32-and-a-half years behind bars after being found guilty of a raft of sex abuse offences against girls as young as 13.

The abuse took place over several months in 2008 and involved two girls aged 13 and one aged 16 having sex with the men in a park, in alleyways and in cars around Rotherham.

All of the teenagers were in the care of social services at the time and were removed from their homes and taken out of South Yorkshire after social workers discovered they were being "groomed" by the older men, who led them to believe they were in normal relationships. One of the younger girls had sex with all five defendants.

Alan Hazell, chairman of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board, said: "The biggest credit in this case must go to the girls themselves who have made huge strides forward in their lives since these incidents happened. To give very personal evidence in court is a very difficult experience, particularly for these young people when you consider what they have been through over the past few years.

"Without their evidence this case would never have come to court."

During an eight-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court, eight men were accused of rape and sexual abuse and all denied the charges. Five, all from Rotherham, were found guilty by a jury on Thursday.

Razwan Razaq, 30, of Oxford Street, Clifton, will serve 11 years behind bars for having sex with two 13-year-old girls in cars. His brother Umar Razaq, 24, of the same address, was given a four-and-a-half year sentence for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in an alleyway in Rotherham town centre. He was cleared of raping the 16-year-old.

Their cousin Zafran Ramzan, 21, of Broom Grove, will serve nine years in prison for two counts of sexual activity with a 13-year-old and one charge of raping the 16-year-old at her own home. He was cleared of two other charges of rape.

Both Adil Hussain, 20, of Nelson Street, and Mohsin Khan, 22, of Harworth Crescent, were given a four-year sentence for having sex with one of the younger girls. They were cleared of other charges against them. Saeed Hussain, 29, of Hatherley Road, Eastwood; Shalzaad Hussain, 22, of Clough Road and Shazad, Akhbar, 23, of Shirecliffe Lane, Sheffield, wept in the dock as they were cleared of all charges against them.

Sentencing the five, some of whom also wept, yesterday, Judge Peter Kelson QC said: "I've listened to the backdrop of some of you sobbing – I have to say your weeping cuts no ice with me.

"All five of you were convicted of offences of sexual activity with a child. The clue is in the title, a child. This legislation concerns itself with child protection, perhaps to some extent from themselves, but particularly protection from sexual predators, like I find all five of you to be."

Razwan Razaq was described by the judge as the "most serious offender", having had a previous conviction for indecently assaulting a young girl in his car and having breached a previous sexual offences prevention order.

He told him: "You are a danger to children as you appear not to care what the true ages are."

The court was read three impact statement from the victims and one, who was aged 13 at the time, described how she was taken away from her family after the abuse emerged which "ripped my heart out" and how the abuse had "ruined my one and only body".

The group were caught as a result of "Operation Central", a child sexual exploitation investigation involving South Yorkshire Police, Rotherham Council and other agencies.

Now how India reported it:
Times of India

5 Asian 'sexual predators' jailed for 32 yrs for abusing girls as young as 12

LONDON: Five British-born Pakistanis have been jailed for abusing white girls as young as 12.

The 'sexual predators' preyed on their victims over several months and threatened them with violence if they refused their advances.

One of the men branded his victim a "white bitch" when she resisted, while a second smirked, "I've used you and abused you."

The men attacked the four girls in play areas, parks and in the back of their cars, Sheffield Crown Court heard. They gave them gifts and introduced them to their friends. The girls were abused so frequently that after many months it "became a way of life".

The girls, who were being monitored by social services, were eventually rescued by police and removed from their homes amid growing concerns for their safety.

Two of the men wept in the dock as they were jailed.

"I've listened to the backdrop of some of you sobbing - I have to say your weeping cuts no ice with me at all," the Daily Mail quoted Judge Peter Kelson QC as saying.

"You had what you regarded as your fun, now you will take your punishment," the Judge added.

The five, Umar Razaq, 24, Razwan Razaq, 30, Zafran Ramzan, 21, Adil Hussain, 20, and Mohsin Khan, 21, were found guilty of a string of sexually related offences against the girls, one aged 12, two aged 13 and one aged 16.

Ramzan was found guilty of raping the 16-year-old girl in her own home, and the other four were found guilty of sexual activity with a child.

Umar Razaq was jailed for four and a half years, while the judge gave Razwan Razaq 11 years.

Ramzan was jailed for nine years, and Hussain and Khan both received four years. All five were placed on the sex offenders' register. Three further men were cleared.

The attacks took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, during 2008, the court was told. Khan, a mortgage adviser who owned a BMW, described his victim as a 'little stick' who looked as if she had not reached puberty.

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Muslim challenge to tuition fee interest charges

Muslim student leaders say changes to tuition fees in England could breach Islamic rules on finance, which do not permit interest charges.

The coalition government's plans to raise tuition fees to up to £9,000 also include higher interest rates for repayments of loans.

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies says this will make loans unusable for many Muslim students.
A government spokesman said these were "not commercial loans".
As well as raising tuition fees, the proposals for university funding include changes to loan repayments - with some students set to pay more than at present.

Repayments will be structured so that higher-earning graduates are paying higher levels of interest rates, up to 3% above inflation.
Only those who earn below £21,000 will remain paying an effective zero rate of interest.
There are concerns that such interest charges are against Muslim teaching on finance and will prevent young Muslims from getting the finance needed to go to university.

"Many Muslim students are averse to interest due to teachings in the Islamic faith - such interest derails accessibility to higher education," says Nabil Ahmed, president of the FOSIS student group.

According to FOSIS, changes to interest rates on loans "ignore the sensitivities of many Muslim students and greatly restrict their accessibility to higher education".
There are different opinions within the Muslim community about whether such loans are acceptable under their faith - but Mr Ahmed says a "significant number" would be opposed.

A spokesman for the Business, Innovation and Skills department said student loans were not a form of commercial lending.
"The government heavily subsidises the student support system and will continue to do so - it does not, and will not in the future, make a profit from student support," said the spokesman.
Mr Ahmed says there is a wider principle about the raising of interest rates and increasing debt for students, which he describes as "unethical".
"People are already drowning in debt," he says. "We don't want people to be priced out of university."
Under the government's proposals, the loans to pay for the increased cost of university will be paid off over 30 years.

Mr Ahmed highlighted how this debt would stretch across generations.
Many students will be in their fifties when they finish paying for their degree courses - at which point they might then be expected to support their own children at university.
The government's plans for university finance, presented to the House of Commons on Wednesday, prompted an occupation by students at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Student union leaders have warned of further protests, particularly against Liberal Democrat MPs accused of failing to keep promises that they would oppose any increase in fees.
But the government has defended the plans as "progressive" - arguing that it will make universities more affordable to poorer students.
Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, said: "Our reforms will give our universities financial stability and the resources to provide a world-class education in an increasingly global market.
"Graduates will pay less each month than they do now. Part-time students will no longer be faced with unfair, upfront fees. And the poorest graduates will pay considerably less than they do today."

Editors Note:
I think this shows how Islamic and Muslim culture is not compatible with the laws and culture of the UK.
Lets hope this doesnt lead to one rule for the Muslims and another rule for everybody else.

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Iran arrests 4 Kurds 'working for UK-based leader'

Iran has arrested four Kurdish rebels of a banned group who worked for a militant based in Britain, the English-language Press TV reported on Thursday, quoting the intelligence ministry.

Majid Bakhtiar, Hajeer Ebrahimi, Loqman Moradi and Zanyar Moradi who are members of the banned Komala group were arrested in Iran's western city of Marivan, the channel said on its website.

The five are accused of carrying out five assassinations in Iran in the past two years, the report said.
"They have confessed to getting orders in the Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah from their commander Jalil Fattahi," who is residing in Britain, it said, adding that documents and weapons were confiscated from them.

The report described Fattahi as "one of the commanders of the Komala terrorist group which has been perpetuating several assassinations in the western cities of Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979."
The four men claimed "they were originally promised 20,000 US dollars for each murder, but they only received 8,000 dollars after accomplishing the mission," the report said.

In early September, Iranian security forces killed four members of Komala in the Iranian province of Kordestan.
Western Iran, which has a sizeable Kurdish population, has seen deadly clashes in recent years between security forces and Kurdish rebel groups operating from bases in neighbouring Iraq.

In May, Iran hanged four Kurds, including a woman, after convicting them of belonging to another outlawed Kurdish group, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK).

Copyright © 2010 AFP

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Iraq's Al-Qaida says Christians "legitimate targets"

Al-Qaida militant group in Iraq Wednesday said that Christians and their organizations have become "legitimate targets" after a two-day deadline expired for Egypt's Coptic church to free some women allegedly held due to converting to Islam.

The self-styled Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), the al-Qaida front in Iraq, said in a statement posted on an Islamic website that it "declares all Christian centers, organizations and institutions, leaders and followers, are legitimate targets for Mujahdeen (holy Muslim warriors) wherever they can reach them."
"The killing sword will not be lifted from the necks of the ( Vatican leaders) and their followers until they declare their innocence from what the Egyptian Church is doing," the ISI said in its statement.

The statement said that Qaida's threat came after the church of Egypt failed to release or clarify the status of women said to be converted to Islam and have been held captive in monasteries.

On Sunday, gunmen wearing explosive vests and armed with grenades and assault rifles detonated a car bomb near the Iraqi security forces and attacked the church in Karrada, holding some 100 hostages inside.
About three hours later, Iraqi security forces stormed the church and freed the hostages after fierce fighting with the gunmen, killing 58 people, most of them hostages, including two priests, and wounding 75 others.

On Monday, al-Qaida group in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement and warned that Sunday's assault was just the beginning for more attacks against Iraqi Christians.
The holding of dozens of Christians in the Baghdad church was aiming at exchanging the women allegedly detained in Egypt's churches, according to Qaida statement.

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Christians mourn over Iraq massacre

Iraq's dwindling Christian community is in mourning after terrorists seized a Baghdad church during evening Mass leading to a gun battle which left at least 52 people dead.
 
The attack, claimed by an al Qaida-linked organisation, was the latest assault against Iraq's Christians, whose numbers have plummeted since the 2003 invasion as the community has fled to other countries.

The Pope denounced the assault at Our Lady of Deliverance church as "ferocious" and called for renewed international efforts to broker peace in the region.

Catholics made up 2.89% of Iraq's population in 1980; by 2008 they were merely 0.89%.
Islamic militants have systematically attacked Christians in Iraq since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.

The bloodbath began at dusk, when militants wearing suicide vests and armed with grenades attacked the Iraqi stock exchange.

Only two guards were injured in the assault, which may have been an attempt by the militants to divert attention from their real target - the nearby church in an upmarket Baghdad neighbourhood.
Gunmen went inside the Syrian Catholic church and took about 120 Christians hostage.

Major General Hussein Ali Kamal, the deputy interior minister, said 52 people were killed and 67 wounded. The dead included at least 10 policemen, two priests and five to eight attackers.
It was unclear whether most hostages died at the hands of the attackers or during the rescue.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association.

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UK 'will not send troops to Yemen' (Yet)

Yemen must not become another Afghanistan but Britain's role is to "stay close" and offer it assistance rather than send in troops at this stage, the new head of the UK's Armed Forces said.

Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir David Richards said the military's concentration needed to remain on Afghanistan - to prevent that country becoming a "second Yemen".

Global attention has once again been focused on Yemen, the country which spawned al Qaida, after it emerged as the source of ink cartridge bombs found on aircraft last week.

Asked if an Afghan-style military intervention was the right approach, Gen Richards told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Monday: "It might be but right now it is not considered to be the case and clearly the Yemeni government does not believe it needs our help and they are extremely on-side, like most Islamic nations are actually."

He said: "Clearly, the primary agency dealing with this are our intelligence and security agencies. But the military are already helping with their training.

"I don't think we want to open up another front there and nor do the Yemenis want us to do that. So we have to find other ways of doing these things and in the meantime making sure Afghanistan doesn't revert to becoming, if you like, a 'second Yemen' - that is the Army's primary duty at the moment.

"Our role is to remain very close to them, to help them where they most need it and in the meanwhile focus our efforts on Afghanistan and assisting Pakistan to ensure they don't become the threat Yemen is beginning to be.

"When people say Yemen is worse than Afghanistan or Pakistan, one reason is that many of al Qaida's leaders and operatives spend most of their time thinking about their own security rather than planning how to attack us."

Gen Richards, who succeeded Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup on Friday, said there were "reasons to be cautiously optimistic" about progress in Afghanistan where the allied effort was "just beginning to" turn the tide.

He said he was "pretty relaxed" about Prime Minister David Cameron's 2015 target for withdrawing combat troops, saying the timescale "sharpens our attention" and helps ensure resources are put in.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

(Editors note) I expect the real reason is that there is no gas pipeline that needs securing and protecting in the Yemen:

The much-vaunted Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline which runs through much of Afghanistan has been given the green light for December this year.

Although virtually unreported in the West it has recently been announced in the Asian media that the governments of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) are putting the final touches to agreements for the construction of the strategically important gas pipeline.

The TAPI pipe will transport vast quantities of natural gas from Turkmenistan to India and Pakistan, through Afghanistan — yet the big issue remains as to how it will be protected from “insurgent” attacks and the implications for British service personnel.

According to Afghanistan's deputy foreign minister, the pipeline deal will come into force in December.
The multi-billion dollar, one thousand mile pipeline will transport natural gas from the Dauletabad field in Turkmenistan, whose resources are credited as containing more than 40 trillion cubic feet of gas.

The pipeline, which was first proposed in the early 1990s, has suffered continuing delays arising from political, economic and security issues.The principal concern presently is that of security as the proposed pipeline's route will takes it through both Helmand Province in Afghanistan and Balochistan in Pakistan.Both these regions are considered “unstable” areas “requiring” Western military intervention to combat “terrorism.”

Curiously, Afghanistan's inept puppet-government has promised to “guarantee” the pipeline's security.One bizarre proposal is to bury long stretches of the pipeline underground, supposedly to take it out of reach of the “insurgents.”Another proposal involves bribing warlords through whose fiefdoms the pipeline will pass, to guard it against attackHowever, few doubt that the only effective, acceptable and reliable long term security will be that provided by the presence of British and other Allied troops.

This in turn suggests British military involvement in that country for the decade-plus economic lifetime of the project.A secondary issue of interest relates to the as yet undisclosed composition of the international consortium of multinationals that will “win” the contracts to build and maintain the pipelineIt is thought likely that US giants such as Haliburton, which has done very nicely out of “reconstructing” Iraq, will be awarded the lion's share of the work.

In view of the geopolitical and economic importance of the pipeline and the rather obvious requirement for British forces to participate in its protection, the failure of the British media to report on this important and politically sensitive development does appear more than a little remiss.

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