The only evidence presented in court was reportedly the claim he appeared regularly on Lebanese satellite issuing general advice on life and making predictions about the future.

The case is causing outrage among human rights campaigners but has made little news elsewhere despite the ludicrous nature of the charges and the extraordinary severity of Sibat’s sentence.

“Saudi courts are sanctioning a literal witch hunt by the religious police,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

“The crime of witchcraft is being used against all sorts of behavior, with the cruel threat of state sanctioned executions.”

Ali Sibat’s supporters say he was denied a lawyer at his trial and was tricked into making a confession.

Yahoo News (via TrueSlant).

What is more:

Unfortunately for Sibat, Saudi Arabian authorities have refused to define what they call “witchcraft,” “sorcery” or “charlatanry.” Saudi Arabia lacks a penal code outside of sharia and judges are given wide latitude in defining criminal acts.

Wow… that’s real security, isn’t it? This guy, I just hate him, let’s condemn him for being a witch.

El Periódico:

An Islamist  procedure in full. Like the ones held by the Talibans in Afghanistan or by extremist militias in Somalia. But this time it was held in an isolated masía (sort of cottage typical of Catalonia). There, 9 islamists, all of Maghrebi origin, had kidnapped a woman and retained her.

The woman was judged by her captors, who had decided to held a procedure in which they accused her of adultery. Supporting an extremist version of the Islamic law, the Sharia, the kidnappers decided to condemn her to death, according to investigation’s sources.

Luckily, she escaped and went to a police station (Mossos d’Esquadra). According to the agents, her kidnappers were planning to execute her in a short period of time.

After carrying an investigation on the woman’s statement, the Mossos entered on Nov 14th’s midnight in three apartments, located in Reus (Baix Camp) and Valls (Alt Camp) and arrested 9 men, all of them linked to the Salafist movement, an ultraorthodox Islamic school very spread throughout Tarragona. No violent incident have been previously reported as committed by this movement in these surroundings.

Criminal Judge no. 1 from Tarragona has believed what the woman denounced and has ordered imprisonment without bail of 7 of the 9 arrested Islamists. They are accused of performing an ilegal arrest, attempted murder and illicit association.

The special circumstances of this case -1st time it happens in Spain- made the Information Division of the Mossos d’Esquadra, take charge of the case. This is the unit in charge of the Islamist extremism and terrorism. The whole operation was carried out by the Brigada Mòbil of the Mossos, in absolute secrecy (of course, this measures the high quality of Spanish MSM… how on earth they want a police operation to be carried out?).

Once they were arrested, and in a non-very common practice, each one of the arrested was taken to a different police station to prevent them from speaking with each other.

The circumstances of the operation led to the general belief of this being a terrorist-linked operation, but police has denied it from the first day.

(T&P translation).

NOTE. The press release doesn’t say what type of death she was going to be condemned to. But adulterers are normally condemned to death by stoning. So that’s the reason of the photograph I have chosen for the post.

It’s been nearly 3 months since the last post here. We have been busy so we apologize for the inconveniences caused by our long absence.

Yesterday I talked with John, my boss (He-he) over at Infidels are Cool and I told him how is going everything here. So I have decided to write something about it.

Well, the situation is bad, no need to exaggerate. But it can be even worse.

Firstly, we have the economic situation. The Economist, a magazine not well-known for being a staunch supporter of the right-wingers (they actually adored Zapatero before he was elected… you know, he was the Zapateromessiah  ), considers Spain as the sick man of Europe, an expression which was used on the XIXth century specially about the Russian Czarist economy. It has only one word for the actual situation in Spain: unsustainable. 

Spain’s 19% unemployment rate is second only to Latvia’s in the EU. It reflects a structural hangover in a country that got drunk on bricks and mortar before its property bubble burst in 2007. Because of this, Spain entered recession in an already weakened state. As others recover slowly but predictably, Spain will need more time and extra care. Even optimists expect real recovery to come only in 2011.

Secondly, in view of the situation, any responsible (and sound) person would try to care for economy (really care). But instead of that, Zapatero’s Government is taking several astonishing measures:

1.- regarding abortion, the new Spanish law (not yet approved but in Parliament) will make possible that 16-year-old girls have one without their parents permission. Also till the 22nd week, every pregnant woman will be able to have an abortion with no special cause (now, only in one among three causes: a) rape; b) danger for mental or physical health of the mother or c) genetical malformations of the foetus and only till 12th week) and throughout all pregnancy if they are in danger. There was a demonstration (really big one) but, of course, Zapatero didn’t listen to the demonstrators’ demands (of course, Aznar was a dictator because he didn’t listen to the “streets’ demands” over Iraqi war, but Zapatero is not one even if he never listens to anybody who has a different opinion, much more if they are right-wingers).

2.- regarding religion, the Government now wants to get rid of every crucifix in the country. They say that Brussels wants them to do it, after a sentence in which European Union says that it’s against freedom of religion that Christian crucifixes are shown in public schools. Anyway, in here the far-left nationalist Catalonian Republican Left also wants that private and “concertados” (schools which receive money from State but are not public) get rid too of the crucifixes. They don’t see that as incompatible with critisizing (not directly, of course) the Swiss referendum about the minarets, even if I don’t recall any Christian politician referring to Crucifixes as “bayonets”, as Erdogan did about minarets.

3.- the last of the imbecilades of the Government is the so-called “Law of the Sustainable Economy”. Among other issues (renuevable energy sources, investment in development and technology -after cutting it dramatically from State Budget-, etc), they have tried to pass an article by which they actually will be able to take down every webpage if they think that it is infringing “intelectual property rights” (hmm, yes, Zapatero has said that no, “no web, no blog is going to be shut down“, but the Culture Minister insists the article will be maintained in the Law Project). Gizmondo writes about it clearly:

There’s a whole bunch of greedy “artists”—represented by the SGAE, the Spanish version of the RIAA, and some cinema associations—who most of the times are used by the Spanish socialist government to support their political agenda. I say greedy because, in Spain, there’s an “artist tax” on everything that can be used to record something. You buy a CD to do data backup at work? Doesn’t matter, the government’s friends assume you are a thief copying stuff, and charge you an extra for it. Maybe you want a new camera to record your newborn baby? Well, that’s more expensive too because of the “artistic” tax. Want an iPod? Pay extra. A DVD-R unit? Give them more money.

But of course, people know that we have to pay that artist tax (to millionaires like Miguel Bosé, Pedro Almodóvar or Alejandro Sanz, for instance, all of them staunch supporters of these measures) so they began buying all those things through the Internet. Greedy artist knew so… they wanted more money:

… they got it as an obvious favor, returned by the socialist government now in power. After passing the law hidden in another law, the artist associations can now close any web site they want, without a court order. They only have to argue that the site may be used to share media, and the Minister of Culture will have to the power to close the site without any judge giving the go ahead, a true “Cultural Police.” Goodbye democracy, hello National Socialism. What’s more, they also want to be able to close the Internet connection of any user who uses the internet for P2P sharing, also without any due process.

Spanish leftist blogger Ignacio Escolar has blamed US Embassy about this. In a post written yesterday, he actually writes that “some phone calls have been made to both the Government and the opposition to ask for this last reform to be maintained and to support them in being tough with Internet piracy”. Now, he must write that the Mossad, Ariel Sharon and Golda Meir are also in it to complete the picture…

Nora had a problem sometime ago when someone ordered wordpress.com to shut down her Spanish Pundit website because she had posted a photo that was copyrighted. No warning was made, just the blog disappeared. 

So, as I said, this is getting too much complicated (also the conflicts between regions are getting tougher by the minute) and it’s somewhat depressing to see these developments. Makes me angry, really. 

But, in the end, there is nothing to be done, just protest and protest and protest. Of course, most of the time we don’t get any result, but at least we have carried on with our duty as citizens. 

Thanks to you all for your kindness and I hope we are back to blogging as soon as we can.

Attempts by government troops to arrest three militant leaders wanted by the Philippines and the United States on kidnapping and murder charges sparked clashes that left up to 17 rebels dead, officials said Monday.

The fighting erupted Sunday when government forces cordoned off a village on Jolo island in the southern Philippines and tried to arrest the three Abu Sayyaf commanders. Some of the estimated 220 militants in the village fired on the soldiers and clashes ensued.

Regional military commander Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said troops recovered the body of one militant, but that intelligence sources indicated at least 17 rebels were killed. Five government soldiers were wounded, Dolorfino said in a brief telephone interview.

The hostilities broke out as residents of the predominantly Muslim island celebrated the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Fitr. Troops were trying to arrest rebel commanders Isnilon Hapilon, Albader Parad and Umbra Jumdail, also known as Dr. Abu.

Related: Philippine troops seize al-Qaida-linked militants’ camp; kill 19 in clashes.

VOA:

Indonesian authorities have confirmed that a man killed in a shootout with police this week is terrorist leader Noordin Top.

National police spokesman Nanan Sukarna said Saturday that DNA tests supported findings of an earlier fingerprint identification.

Noordin was one of four people killed in a raid Thursday on a militant hideout in Central Java. Three others were arrested.

Really. Good. News.

Related: Indonesians welcome death of terrorist leader.

Before:
The reasons of Noordin’s success.
Noordin uses a burqa to avoid police?
Noordin is alive.
Govt will tackle Islamic schools – and track down Noordin.
Noordin Mohammed Top, believed killed.
The JI’s “Jihad on Westerners” using social ties.
Thailand: Southern terrorists could have received training from JI.
Singapore: JI’s terrorist attack on Changi airport foiled.
Jakarta bombings: Malaysia questions 3 JI simpathizers.
Raids on JI terrorists prove existence of Islamist social nets.
3rd bomb in Jakarta bombings malfunctioned.
Malaysia: Noordin Mat Top not in the country.
Jakarta: suicide attacks most likely carried by JI offshoot.

Well, it looks like so. From Realite-UE free newsletter:

As Iran moves ahead with its nuclear ambitions other countries in the Gulf are pushing forward with their own plans to go nuclear. [1] Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have all indicated interest in developing nuclear programs. [2]

Nowhere is the concern over Iran’s nuclear ambition felt more strongly than among Iran’s Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf region. While they watch uneasily for signs of Iranian nuclear progress, Saudis and Emiratis will continue to spend billions of dollars on ballistic missile defense systems. [3]

The Gulf States have ambivalent relations with Iran. While Iran is seen a strategic threat it is also a trading partner and possible Mideast regional leader. Statements and actions by Gulf leaders reflect this ambiguity.

Bahrain

• In September 2009, Commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defense Force, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, said Iran is an important country that greatly influences regional security and stability. Sheikh Al-Khalifa and Iranian ambassador to Bahrain Hossein Amir Abdollahian discussed Tehran-Manama relations and called for an expansion in cooperation especially in military spheres. [4]
• In June 2009, Bahrain closed the newspaper Akhbar al-Khaleej after it published an article heavily critical of the Iranian government. [5]
• Bahrain has supported using diplomacy to resolve the conflict over Iran’s nuclear program though Iran’s uranium enrichment has complicated relations between Iran and Bahrain. Bahrain is an ally of the United States. [6]
• In 2007, Manama and Tehran discussed increasing annual trade to $1 billion per year and bolstering their joint health and tourism cooperation. Both countries proposed a large purchase of Iranian oil to help fuel Bahraini development in May 2008. ["Bahrain-Iran Cooperation Hailed," Bahrain News Agency, December 26, 2007; "Bahrain Eyes Gas Imports From Iran," Press TV, May 27, 2008]
• In March 2008, the United States Treasury Department announced sanctions against Future Bank B.S.C, a Bahraini Bank accusing of helping Iran’s alleged nuclear proliferation activities. Future Bank B.S.C. is controlled by Iran’s Bank Melli, which is sanctioned “for facilitating Iran’s proliferation activities.” [8]
• Bahrain turned down financial and technical support that Iran offered in October 2007 to help Bahrain establish its own civilian nuclear energy program. [Tourmi, Habib: "Bahrain Rejects Nuclear Assistance by Iran," Gulf News, October 24, 2007]

Kuwait

• Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah congratulated Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009, after his re-election. Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah described Iran as Kuwait’s friend and expressed hope that Kuwait and Iran and would continue to expand their relationship in all fields. [10] This, despite the fact that Kuwait has been a major allay of Washington since the 1991 Gulf War.
• Kuwait’s government has declared it will not allow its territories to be used for military action against Iran. [11]
• Kuwait and Iran held their first Economic Commission in January 2008 in order to create a platform for more financial connections between the countries. [12]
• Renowned Kuwaiti author Abdullah Al-Hadlaq has urged the Gulf States to suspend their diplomatic relations with Iran and deal with its real agenda. He insisted that the country’s nuclear program was not adopted for peaceful purposes despite Iran’s pretence that it was, in reality being a military program. [13]

Oman

• Oman has accelerated its cooperation with Tehran, nurturing an alliance that helps empower Iran while highlighting the deep divisions among Arab capitals. Oman has refused overtures of its larger neighbors to pull away from Iran. [14]
• Oman sees Iran as an important political and economic ally that is “too powerful and too potentially dangerous to ignore, let alone antagonize.” Oman has for years helped Iranian smugglers circumvent international trade sanctions. [Ibid]
• In August 2009, Oman and Iran signed an agreement for security cooperation. The deal covers exchange of information and combating infiltration, smuggling and other crimes. [16]
• The Oman Oil Company (OOC) and Hirbodan EPC of Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a power plant at the Queshm Free Zone in Iran. Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said said the agreement reflected the “depth of relations between the two countries.” [Ibid]

Qatar

• Qatar, an ally of the United States, has been outspoken against Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. [18] However, Qatar has rejected the Security Council’s resolutions against Iran, calling them counterproductive. ["First Target For Iran: Qatar?," Middle East Times, November 26, 2007]
• In January 2009, Qatar, Iran and Russia met in Tehran, where they agreed to establish a “gas troika” to cooperate on the exploration and production of their gas reserves. [20]
• In a meeting in April 2009 with the Qatari minister of information, Sheikh Hamad Bin Thamar At-Thani, Iranian Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani expressed Iran’s desire to create unity among regional and Muslim countries. Sheikh Hamad Bin Thamar At-Thani said that Qatar appreciates Iran’s position on regional and international issues. ["Iran Pursues Unity Strategy In The Region: Larijani," Iranian Students News Agency, April 8, 2009]
• In a meeting in July 2009 with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Ahamad Bin Khalifa al-Thanii, Larijani described Qatar as a strategic partner and indicated that Iran is determined to expand its bilateral ties with Qatar. The Emir of Qatar said: “Iran is always standing behind Arab sand people of Palestine, but some want to make minds turn against the country while we have no problem with it. Iran is always our friend and we won’t allow any ill-will person to create problems between us.” [22]

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

• In August 2009, the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) and a UAE company signed an agreement for transferring Iranian natural gas to the UAE. [23]
• On August 14, 2009, the UAE seized a cargo of North Korean weapons being shipped to Iran, which would have violated a UN embargo on arms exports from North Korea. [24]
• UAE sees Iran as both a threat and a valued trading partner – it spends billions to defend itself against a perceived Iranian threat while it also enjoys a robust trading relationship with Iran. The UAE is one of Iran’s largest trading partners. [25]

So, Iran’s Ayatollahs want the Gulf for themselves, and don’t want to end like Saddam Hussein if they invade them. Peaceful nuclear technology? Yeah, what a joke!

From ICC:

A Muslim family enraged by the fact that Falish had fallen in love with their daughter, concocted the blasphemy allegations. Of course, their daughter could not decide for herself.

Falish had severe wounds on his face, arms and the rest of his body, but the Police in Pakistan still insists he committed suicide. Well, a real strange suicide, isn’t it?

Missao Portas Abertas reports that the arrested are both Muslims and non-Muslims:

Egyptian authorities have arrested more than 150 people for eating during Ramdan.

They were imprisoned in Assua, South of Egypt and in the city of Hurghada, in Red Sea. According to the Al-Arabia net, authorities are taking severe measures against Muslims and non-Muslims who are found drinking, eating or smoking during the jejum time.

This is the first time that Egyptian authorities have acted in this manner. This is another sign of the Islamization process that will happen in the future. Nowadays, Egypt looks like it’s following the Gulf’s practices, where drinking, eating or smoking during Ramadan is punished with a month in prison or US$ 350 fine.

“This goes against the basic human rights of citizens. We, as Christians, aren’t Muslims and don’t believe there is an Islamic Jejum. And for Muslims this should be a personal question”, says Magdhi Kalil, director of Fórum de Liberdade do Oriente Médio.

Jonathan Racho, director of ICC for Africa and Middle East, says: “Punish Muslims for eating and drinking during Ramadan is a shame and a clear violation of religious freedom. We condemn this measure taken in Egypt to force Muslims and non Muslims to fast during Ramadan”.

Some days ago, a similar thing happened in Morocco.

Related: Church firebombed in Egypt after Opposition from Muslim neighbours.

"The police decided before any forensics were carried out that the cause of the fire was caused by a short-circuit," said an unofficial Church source. "This cannot be true, as the electricity was shut off as usual before locking the Church and the panel boards are intact as the photos show." Sherif Ramzy of Free Copts said that Coptic witnesses told him that while the fire was burning, Muslim neighbors were elated. To portray their happiness, Muslim women were letting out the traditional celebration sound "zaghroota."

The MSM remains silent on the Coptic persecution in Egypt. The more silence on their situation, the more “Islamized” the country will become.

(Translation: T&P)

Zineb el Rhazaoui began the group “Alternative movement for the defense of civil liberties” which is fighting against Islam’s abuses. Among other petitions, they are asking for the abrogation of Article 222 of the Moroccan Criminal Code which punishes Muslims who don’t respect the Ramadan’s fast. They can be sentenced to a jail term of between 6 months and a year.

Using Facebook, they scheduled a protest to eat a sandwich before dawn, something which is forbidden by the Ramadan’s fast, but they weren’t able even to begin their protest. Zineb, her friend and other 4 friends were arrested under charges of “trying to incite the public to break the fast”, according to official press agency Magrehb Arabe Presse.

Authorities consider they were trying to stage a protest and “break” the fast publicly, reason why they were arrested in the train station, although they consider the organization is “peaceful”. This is the first time some people show publicly in Morocco asking not to fulfill Ramadan’s fast.

The Moroccan Council of Ulemas has considered the action as a “hedious action which defies the teachings of God and his Prophet”.

During Ramadan, Islam believers must abstain themselves from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex, from dawn till nightfall.

There will be no scheduled protests for this around the world, I’m sure. But it’s deeply conforting there are people fighting against this kind of laws. These are basically against separation of State and Mosque, a concept which is so difficult to find along the Islamic world. Of course, I don’t believe Mohammed VIth to be very interested in having his power diminished and he knows that Islamism is a danger. He has not done a lot of reforms and the country is basically as it was 10 years ago when he began his reign. Specially the state of press freedom is worrying.

An NY federal court has condemned a Swedish-Lebanese to life in prison accused of having planned the construction of training camps for AQ terrorists in US. 43-year-old Oussama Abullah Kassir, was found guilty of 11 terrorism charges.

The accused had planned to build in Oregon a training camp for terrorists. They were to be sent afterwards to Afghanistan.

I wonder why so little news about this sentence.

This article writes about why Bin Laden must be caught and tells us about his life-style. Interestingly, AQ educates terrorists to live with no “luxuries” such as electricity, for example.

What do you think? Must or mustn’t he be caught?

(Sorry for the lack of posting…).

Each time I see these images, I feel the same: a shock to realise the extremely madness and badness (is that correct?) human beings can do if moved by  devilish ideas. Progress and evolution have made our lives different: we can fly in airplanes, go under the sea a lot of miles down, have gone to the moon, can see stars which disappeared several light-years ago, etc. They have really improved our life style. But human beings can still feel hate, be cruel and get satisfaction when harming others. They can sing and dance when someone is killed, raped or maimed.

Luckily, not ALL human beings are equal: there are others who want to make this world a better place, think that being merciful is just to follow a Godly path and get inner satisfaction in helping others, whatever their religion, political ideas, intelligence, etc.

That is, Cain and Abel continue to live with us. But you know: that’s what free will means. And freedom is a very important thing: if there would be no freedom, there would be no good nor bad either.

In this day, I want to remember those who have been killed by Islamic terrorism. It’s truly important to consider that before this unlucky people, there were already people assasinated, killed, maimed… and that afterwards, in this 8 years, nearly 14,000 people have already been killed. Yes, I know, perhaps there are more people dead in car crashes or by lung and heart cancer. But that’s not caused by another human being’s will. It’s just that really awful thought of wanting to kill even killing oneself what makes this more terrible, more powerful. Such extreme hate has been worrying so much people over these 8 years, although I fear that it has not worried enough.

To begin to understand 9/11, you should read Mohammed Atta’s last will. Mysogynist, obsessed with details and with his body… For the most part, it’s just a recollection of what to do in his funeral and burial. He wrote it on 1996, when he didn’t know he was going to be a suicide bomber.

I remember the first time I read that will, it stroke me as cold-hearted. He was a very young man then, and he seemed so absolutely deprived of any inner happiness. Nothing about having sons or having lived a good life. Nothing about his family. Just “don’t touch my genitals without gloves, don’t let women approach by body, wash my body this way”. If there is somebody which can be considered as an example of “There is no fun in Islam”, it’s without doubt this guy. Yes, I understand someone who kills 3000 people must be cold-hearted, but reading what he wrote is very chilling for me: it’s to know what he considered important. He revered his own death, more than his life.

But the photo that impress me the most is this one:

Sept. 11 hijackers Ziad Jarrah, left, and Mohammed Atta laugh in what is apparently their last will and testament in a videotape apparently made in Afghanistan on Jan. 18, 2000.

These guys were at a terror camp…. laughing. I have seen lots of photos of Jarrah having good time. he was a playboy, impacient, deeply in love with his German Muslim girlfriend. He did really doubt about what he was going to do, and Atta was worried about him deserting. Anyway, I have seen very few photos of Atta laughing. Or just smiling. Now compare it with the above photo. His eyes are practically looking the same (his left eye is smaller than the other…). Cruel eyes, hein? I believe he only considered himself a happy man while kidnapping and killing those people. And committing suicide.

Maybe this is just a stupid rant and I should just have blogged the first photo. Maybe. But those photos really make me think. How many other Attas are there? What leads them personally to commit such atrocities? Yes, I understand the ideological reasons for them to kill, but I feel we are just forgetting to look at the guys who kill. Why instead they don’t like to spend their free time baking bread, watching TV or writing poems? Are they bad or are truly mad? What would have happened if they haven’t been born and educated where they were? Are they just brainwashed or are just cruel assassins who use those teachings to kill in Allah’s name, fulfilling at once their own deepest and bloodiest desires and Allah’s hate for infidels?

And the most important one: will this end someday? Or not?

Málaga – Promueven un Centro de Estudios Andaluces e Islámicos de la Junta en Ronda – ADN.es

The creation of a Center of Andalusian and Islamic Studies of the Andalusian Autonomous Government in the city of Ronda (Málaga) is promoted by the Major. The latter, Antonio María Marín, asked Socialists this when he negotiated with them his affiliation in their party after abandoning the Andalucist Party.
Marín has assured EFE that he has the socialist regional direction’s license and underlines that Ronda is “the place where Andalucism was born”, after remembering that it was in this city where symbols like the Andalucian flag and coat of arms were drawn in 1918.
He also explains that the Major’s office has two palaces where this center can be placed. One of them is the house-palace from the Ahumanda Dukes (located in the historical center of the city) and the other is placed in Armiñán st.
The resposible of this center should have level of Director General or similar considering Ronda’s special situation, according to the Major, who also adds that this could be configured as an Andalusian Public Foundation.
He assures that the provincial secretary of Socialist party in Málaga, Miguel Ángel Heredia, is representing this affair before the Andalucian Autonomous region and the party’s representatives; he believes the Andalusian Government should be “sensitive and delicate” and underlines that they have yet to decide if this would be part of Culture or Tourism departments.
Antonio María Marín defends for Ronda “that meaning because historically it fulfills all the requirements” considering its caracter and “andalucist roots” and maintains that “the andalucism is represented nowadays by the Socialists best”.
Ronda’s Major and the 8 councilmen the Andalucist Party had in the city, entered last June 11th the Socialist group in the city in a movement which was hoped for months, considering the situation of the main Andalucist city in the province and one of the most important within Andalucia.

A magnificent time to promote this, isn’t it? Unemployment rate: 18.5%. Public expenditure: boosting.

If the Duke of Ahumada would come from the afterlife…

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España acogerá a dos presos de Guantánamo antes de noviembre en CADENASER.com

Both are Yemeni nationals who were arrested in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2002. There is no evidence of links to Al-Qaeda and that’s why they have been accepted. But noth had links with the Taliban. They will arrive in Spain between october and november. They can’t be given political asylum because of national security reasons, but they will be under the foreigners’ regulation while they live in Spanish territory.

They are going to be under surveillance permanently, they will be given a residence which will be compulsory for them, as they won’t have freedom of movement throughout Spain nor Europe. There’s no knowledge about the exact place where they are going to live. But a place where they can be reinserted in society will be seeked out for them (Are Talibans in Western society? Answer: No… so they can’t be reinserted…). The decision has been taken by Foreign Ministry (Moratinos) and Interior (Rubalcaba). It only remains to reach a final agreement with other European members.

Portugal has already received another 2 ex-GITMOs.

• Global Voices Online » Egypt: Two Coptic Orthodox Church Channels
  t's been a long time in the making, but the first Coptic television network, Aghapy TV, broadcast its first program Tuesday to audiences in the United States. Under the auspice of Pope Shenouda III, the Heliopolis-based network aims to bring the teachings of the Coptic Church, through liturgies, Bible studies, children's programming and more, into the homes of Copts worldwide
  (tags: Coptic_Christians Egypt)

According to Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia, the father burned himself and his 10 daughters in a fire he lighted. The 10 daughters died in the fire, while the father died some time afterwards in a hospital where his wife is being treated of cancer. According to the local MSM, the man worked for the city’s harbour administration and earned 20,000 rials a month ($100). The wife told a reporter that before dying, his husband has told her that: “I burned myself and all the girls because I didn’t want life to treat them badly“.
A girls’ uncle stated that the father “could not prevent himself from having only sons and that no male would have helped him to earn money for the family”.
Consequences of male chauvinism: women can’t work, they can’t earn their own salary, so if they don’t die of hunger, they are killed by so good a father who is so concerned about them being “treated badly by life“. As the veil in all its forms, this is another sign of the situation of women in Islamic countries, whatever some Western illuminati think of them. I’m sure they are not going to reflect on this, of course: they are sufficiently worried with chewing khat. Because after all, equality between men and women is a Western value, which “is not on the Quram“…

This is un update on this story:

Yahya Yildiz (49) is alleged to have shot his son Ahmet (26) as he couldn’t bear the fact that he had a gay partner, Ibrahim Can (44).
Ahmet, from South Anatolia, told his family in October 2007 that he was gay after he fell in love with his German-Turk boyfriend.
The family were shocked and bombarded Ahmet with death threats. The gay couple went to the authorities but nothing was done.
And as Yildiz was walking through the streets of Istanbul on July 15 2008, he was hit by shots fired from a black car.
The student died on the street.
Witnesses identified the gunman as Yahya Yildiz, who then fled to Iraq.

No, last year, there was NO outrage about this murder.

I had forgotten this one:

on Friday Mr Rasmussen was all smiles at a joint press conference with Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister. He said he would make every effort to improve relations with Muslim countries, adding that attending a dinner to break the Ramadan fast with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish premier, on Thursday had been “an extraordinary personal experience”.

He added: “Please also see my presence here tonight as a clear manifestation of my respect for Islam as one of the world’s great religions.”

The next guy coming to Europe who doesn’t say that “Christianity is one of the greatest religions and I hereby show my great respect for it“, should be declared “persona non grata“, for not showing enough respect for it.

I normally don’t do “Spanish MSM Watch” because I would not sleep at all: there are so many innacuracies that CNN could be considered “balanced”. Till you read it critically, of course.

El Mundo is an important newspaper, whose editor-in-chief, Pedro J. Ramírez, can be considered as one of the leading Spanish journalists. His problem is that he defends what he perceives it’s the majority’s ideology at every step of the way. It would be much more correct if he always stood by the same principles, but principles only don’t sell newspapers. Or so it’s the general perception about him.

Anyway, there are three subjects in which El Mundo (at least in its web: the latter is much more leftist that the newspaper sold in shops…) seems to maintain its ideas: Fidel Castro is not bad (its online special on the subject is vomitive), Palestine is really enslaved (or something) by those evil warmongers of the Jews and Iraqi war was an illegal piece of shit (so Aznar was nearly a bad dictator who was commanded by George “Mr Danger” Bush to enter Iraqi war while Zapatero is not the “socialdemocrat” Pedro J was hoping he will become). Of course, not always they are so clear in those beliefs but that’s the core of their political phylosophy. By those standards, I am, of course, some kind of evil-warmonger conservative, who must learn tact and Talante, that is, good disposition to… whatever political correctness considers it’s good. While the Talibans and Bin Laden are insurgents, etc.

So to the facts.
El Mundo produced an special on the 70th anniversary of the beginning of WWII. Among other things, it added an interview with known Holocaust denier David Irving. Israeli Ambassador in Spain sent a private letter to Pedro J which was published, with its last paragraph censored. I am translating that letter:

Esteemed Mr. Pedro J. Ramírez,

In El Mundo’s edition published on Aug 30th, it was announced the publication this week of a number of interviews with several known specialists to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War II. Sadly, your newspaper has found appropriate to include among the interviews one with Holocaust denier David Irving. It’s true that it was announced that these specials were going to offend a lot of people, but the problem is not the offense or the polemic, but the absence of any moral, historical or ethical values concerning the person who took the decision to interview Irving with some other important experts on the matter. That decision is just the consequence of considering morally equivalent the words of well-known historians or intellectuals and those of a charlatan criminal who was sent to prison in Austria because of denying the Holocaust really happened.

One of the most perverse phenomenons related to post-modernism is the lack of will, which causes the loss of all the capacity to make differences between truth and lies, important and superfluous things, high and low. There is no truth, only stories. There is no hierarchy, everything is at the same moral level. Everything is at the same ethic level: the murdered and the victim, the wise and the ignorant, Mozart’s operas and the last pop music freak. Therefore, it’s not surprising, from that perspective that the fundamental ethical values waver and it’s difficult as a result to identify the authentic values in the ocean of rubbish we are surrounded of.

A very good friend of this poisonous climate is the stereo-typed multiculturalism; because if there is no hierarchy, we are obliged to accept what’s different, “the other” (a cliché in this context). We already know of air comapnies who make their air hostesses cover the face in some airports, and it doesn’t look far away (or perhaps it’s already here) the day when someone compels us to accept polygamy, cliteridectomy or adulterers’ stoning. Who are we to make differences between what’s wrong and what’s right?

No. This is not a case about freedom of expression. The only right that’s not limited it’s the right to live. For freedom of expression there are and there should be limits. I am convinced that for you there are some limits too and that you would not publish some things.

So the unfortunate decision to interview criminal Irving can’t be justified in the name of freedom of expression; it’s only the reflection of the lack of ethics shown by the responsible of your newspaper, of its scorn towards readers, the other people interviewed on the same occassion and, obviously, to the newspaper-. It’s just a cheap provocation in the line of worst sensationalism.

I would be grateful if you would annul the decision to publish it.

Attentively

Raphael Schutz
Israeli Ambassador.

Well, the only thing I do not agree with, is with “freedom of expression has limits”. No, the Holocaust is a fact, so anyone denying it, firstly, is not speaking about reality. That is he/she is lying. If someone would be defending the earth is plain, I am sure Pedro J would not publish an interview with him. But being that a huge error, no one has been killed by saying the “earth is plain”, so there are no lives depending on that. But denying the Holocaust after 6 million people were killed because of the aim to kill anyone who would be Jewish, gipsies, political opponents, homosexuals, disabled, etc. is not only a lie, it is denying one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in History of mankind, and maybe with Communist persecution of opponents, the worst of planned and desired serial killing of humans.

Of course, there have been some protests. Hermann Tersch has published a letter for Pedro J:

Only a few lines to express my indignation and repugnance to David Irving’s infamous words and to the fact that you have turned yourself into his speaker. Don’t try to make us consider as freedom of expression what’s only an ongoing insult to Holocaust victims, “innocent Jews” as Irving says as if there weren’t any responsibility in the millions of human beings who were killed. And a banalization of this crime as I have never read in any publication which was not openly Neo-Nazi. Just read that “Holocaust is like a Kleenex“.

Or that your interviewer just cooperates with him in that last question when he asks Irving if he thinks the Holocaust, the only act of the history of industrial genocide, which broke the understanding in themselves of the human beings, is a fact which should only “merit a footnote” in the history books. Or the announcement of the streets and squares which would again be named “Adolf Hitler” once he is again rehabilitated by History. I’m sure that in several countries with more democratic tradition, the rubbish you have published would have been removed from shops on General Attorney’s order.

And both Irving and the responsible of this publication, that is, you, would have been called to declare before a court. But here nothing of that would take place because we continue to be a rare country. It’s very difficult for me to accept that, in cases which have no comparison at all with this, you would have published an interview with someone who would make differences between innocent and “non-innocent” victims of ETA’s murders.

But the Holocaust and the Jewish are always good to fill a Sunday’s page. They must have done something. Or you could have given two pages for a pedophile to tell you about the satisfaction of raping babies or the logic that deed hides. I just conclude here, hoping that both Irving and you pay in some way the infamous interview and its publication.

Hermann Tersch, one of the most respected Spanish journalists, was expelled from El País, when he began critisizing Zapatero.

But if all of this is worrying, the infamy reaches its peak when El Mundo published Schutz’s letter, censoring its last paragraph, with a note:

Precisely, our newspaper will publish next Saturday an interview with David Irving. Our opinion has always being coherent with the condemnation to nazi savagery and of the Holocaust caused by Hitler. We do not agree with theories who deny Holocaust’s existence. Serious historians have always shown with uncontested evidence and data the extermination of the Jewish people by the Third Reich. Our newspaper published articles and interviews which are interesting for the public, if they don’t incite to commit crimes. That’s what we have done with Irving. We understand Ambassador Schultz is not happy with it, but his assesments about the decision to publish it only reflects a Manichean and intransigent vision of reality that helps very little to the cause of defending his people and country’s interests“.

In the end they published the entire letter with a new “footnote”:

To prevent misunderstandings, we are publishing in full Ambassador’s Shutz’s letter. Censorship, what he is proposing us, is not a sign of our identity“

Not only they published a private letter: they also censored its content when critizising their absolutely infamous decision to publish it, but they couldn’t leave unpublished this kind of rubbish in which someone tells them openly that the Shoah is like a “Kleenex”. But instead, they didn’t publish another letter about Obama’s role in the Middle East written by the same Ambasador to be published, because it was “too long“. The unpublished letter corrected some historical innacuracies about Israel’s history.

Anyway, my opinion is that it’s better for them to have behaved freely in this one: that’s the only way to know who are really good guys and who are not. I have very seldomly bought newspapers. Internet is avalaible all the time, it doesn’t waste paper (yes, I am very conservationist) and it’s free.

Even Spanish FM Moratinos, who I don’t have in high regards, has lamented the publication. Of course, as El Mundo has accused them so often of corruption, they are just “lamenting” this now, but really, although some other MSM do not interview Irving, they can be considered judeophobe too. Perhaps they don’t deny the Shoah but they consider the Jews as “Zionists” and you know, those evil Zionists want to take over the world. The Zion Protocoles told than and I have read them…

Related:
Spain FM ‘regrets’ interview with Holocaust denier.
Israel slams Spanish publication of Holocaust denier interview. Following public criticism of the decision to print the article, El Mundo has announced that alongside Irving’s article, they will print an article saying they refute all Holocaust denial. So, why publishing “Irving’s article” in the first place?
Tertsch le lee la cartilla a Pedro J. y sus censuradores muchachos. I have found some of my post’s links in that post.

I have not found this in English so I translate what I have found: Un padre encierra a su hija un año y la tortura hasta la muerte en Egipto – Antena 3 Noticias

A father shut his 23-year-old daughter down in an obscure room during one and a half year, offering her little food and drink, and tortured her to death in a clear case of honor crime, according to Egyptian daily ‘Al Ahram’.
The 55-year-old man had heard rumours about his daughter’s behaviour: she had a relationship with a boy who she was supposedly to marry with.
Her father’s relatives, from Egyptian city of Miniya, south Egypt, were offended by the bad fame she had and menaced the father not to let him enter the city if he didn’t kill her daughter.The man, who worked as a porter in a building of Old Cairo, told the police that he chained and tortured his daughter to kill her and send her corpse to his family in Miniya to beg for their forgiveness. The murderer’s neighbours told the police about the crime before he could flee with the corpse.

The family is as responsible for this murder as the murderer himself.

Waiting for the Islamic rage on this family’s crime… as happened with the “Hijab Martyr”.