Chechnya starts demanding women wear headscarves

Reuters AlertNet

GROZNY, Russia, March 10 (Reuters) – The pro-Moscow Chechen government has started to demand that female state workers wear headscarves, women in the turbulent Muslim region said on Friday.
“I received a verbal warning that if I did not wear a headscarf, I would lose my job. I had to wear it the next day so as not to bring trouble on my head,” said one woman who works in the regional administration and asked not to be named.
A spokesman for the region’s new prime minister, Ramzan Kadyrov, who has pushed through a series of Islamic decrees, denied the headscarves were compulsory and said women were merely encouraged to cover their hair. But women used to the rough tactics of Kadyrov’s government, which is accused of mass abduction and torture in its hunt for separatist rebels, took the suggestion as law.
Kadyrov was appointed prime minister last week, but has effectively ruled the region since late 2005. He has cracked down on alcohol sales, banned gambling machines and barred Danish aid workers after the global uproar over Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
At a meeting with students earlier this month, he unexpectedly gave nine young women who arrived with their hair covered $1,000 each — a vast sum in an impoverished region. “We want to return to the culture and beautiful traditions of the Chechen people. The headscarf is just part of this,” said a spokesman for Kadyrov. Analysts say Kadyrov may be pushing through Islamic decrees to try to steal support from the rebels, although his officials say he is simply doing his duty as a Muslim.

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Finnish FM Endorses Turkish Call For Changes In Laws

From Tundra Tabloids

In today’s Helsingin Sanomat (12.3.2006), a small but ‘note worthy’ article was published, concerning the Turkish Foreign Minister’s (Abdullah Gül) demand for a change to existing EU laws that would protect ‘all’ religions from disrespect. How one would define this ‘disrespect’ would be enough to trouble anyone who believes in the freedom of expression, but even more troubling is the response of Finland’s own Foreign Minister, Erkki Tuomioja. His being in agreement with the Turkish official’s demand, is extremely disturbing as it is foolish, and shows just how far Europe has fallen from its democratic liberalism. That a European FM would even willingly entertain such a thought, let alone indorse it, is chilling.

KGS Helsingin Sanomat:
Turkey wants a change in law due to cartoon controversy Salzburg.Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül expressed hope on Saturday, that EU member states would change existing laws to protect all religions. “I ask all member states to clarify if existing restrictive laws and regulations apply equally (the respect of religions) to all religions, including Islam“, Said Gül in a speech to foreign ministers of EU member states in Salzburg Austria. He was referring to the publication of the cartoons in the European media, which has caused feelings of anger in Muslim countries. “I don’t know in how many countries this type of law modification is needed, but (Gül’s) the principle is quite correct”, commented Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomija about the demand. HS

Another Dhimmi then

Great Britain: Sue Osama Bin Laden (Gov’t advice given to injured terror victims)

From Free Republic

BRITISH tourists maimed in terrorist attacks abroad have been refused Government compensation — and advised to sue OSAMA BIN LADEN. Scores of victims left penniless and unable to work have had their claims turned down by ministers because they were injured overseas. Trevor Lakin, 56, whose son died in an Egyptian suicide blast, was officially told to seek damages from “the perpetrator”. He said last night: “It beggars belief. How do you sue a suicide bomber?” The grieving dad was appalled by ministers’ response when he begged for help to bury tragic Jeremy.
An official Government letter advised him to “look for compensation to the perpetrator”.

 

 But Trevor, 56, said it was impossible to sue dead bombers — or even FIND terror chiefs like Osama Bin Laden, holed out in mountain caves.
He is demanding a rule change so victims of violence abroad can claim criminal injuries compensation — like that paid to London’s 7/7 victims. Trevor, who ran up massive bills flying out to identify and bring home Jeremy’s body, said: “It’s just stupid. You can’t just go off and sue suicide bombers can you? “I certainly wouldn’t want to approach the terrorists — and I think they’re dead anyway.”
Company director Trevor’s son, 28, was on holiday with girlfriend Annalie Vickers when three bombs hit the Egyptian resort. Annalie was also among 11 Britons killed last July.

Moratinos: Qatar is an example of “tolerance and dialogue”

From Libertad Digital (in Spanish):

The Spanish Foreign Minister, MIguel Ángel Moratinos, held a meeting with tha Qatari Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jabor Al Thani and greeted him because of his country being an example of promotion of “the dialogue and tolerance”. According with the Civilizations Alliance of Zapatero, Moratinos praised the work of the Absolutist Monarchy in favour of the women’s rights. The state religion of Qatar is the wahabbism, fundamentalistic version of the Sunni islamism, where the Shari’a Law is applied.

Mark Steyn and the Barclays Brothers

Yesterday we spoke about Mark Steyn and his outing from two British newspapers.
There are people, however, that consider that this outing is only related to a change in the ownership of both newspapers, The Telegraph and the Spectator:

Apropos this newspaper, the Barclay brothers have agreed to buy Conrad Black’s controlling stake in Hollinger Inc. I don’t see why buying the Canadian parent company of the American parent company of the Telegraph should fall within the remit of a British government agency. But as it stands, it could be months before I find out whether it’s worth me kissing up to these Barclay guys.
The Telegraph and Spectator were both owned by Conrad Black via Hollinger. Mark Steyn has long been associated with, almost a protege of, Conrad Black. Yes, indeed he is all of the things attributed to him, a lively writer, fun to read, both informative and outrageous in equal measures. An excellent freelance columnist in fact. And very much a star of the Hollinger empire, his pieces in appearing in a number of Hollinger owned papers around the world.
But he was also very closely connected with the ancien regime at Hollinger. The non-appearance of his column is nothing to do with him being banned, nor to do with his attitude to or reporting of Islam.
It’s about the change of ownership of the specific outlets he used to write for. Or, perhaps, if you prefer, that since January 2004 when he wrote the above quote, he didn’t in fact suck up to the Barclay brothers enough.

Mark Steyn in his own page, only says about this issue: “As I said last week, the Telegraph Group owes us money which it’s being remarkably uncooperative in ponying up. But one day I’ll be back in print in the United Kingdom again. After I left The National Post, the general view among rival papers was that they didn’t need a right-wing madman like me in Canada. But a year or two went by and they all came creeping back with their woefully inadequate offers. I wouldn’t be surprised to get the odd tinkle from Fleet Street before too long.”(from Samizdata).

HT: La Benevolencia del Cervecero. (In Spanish).

Technorati Tags: Mark Steyn, The Telegraph, The Spectator, Dhimmitude, censorship

Two very brave women

We have known about Wafa Sultan, the brave Arab-American woman who defied all Islamofascists and said in a TV debate:

it is a clash between a mentality that belongs to the Middle Ages and another mentality that belongs to the 21st century. It is a clash between civilization and backwardness, between the civilized and the primitive, between barbarity and rationality. It is a clash between freedom and oppression, between democracy and dictatorship. It is a clash between human rights, on the one hand, and the violation of these rights, on other hand. It is a clash between those who treat women like beasts, and those who treat them like human beings. What we see today is not a clash of civilizations. Civilizations do not clash, but compete.”
And she continues: “Brother, you can believe in stones, as long as you don’t throw them at me. You are free to worship whoever you want, but other people’s beliefs are not your concern, whether they believe that the Messiah is God, son of Mary, or that Satan is God, son of Mary. Let people have their beliefs.”

Well, now we learn that she is menaced and in hiding:

Wafa Sultan in hiding here;

Dr. Wafa Sultan is in hiding, fearful for her life and the safety of her  family, after she lambasted the roots of radical Islam during a debate televised  on Al-Jazeera last month.
Dr. Sultan is leading a struggle to create a new reality in the Islamic world, which she believes should be led by none other than the women it has oppressed for so long. Born in Syria and now a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist, Dr. Sultan has taken upon herself the mission of trying to change the way the Islamic world operates. 

HT: Atlas Shrugs.

Looks like Dr. Sanity is of the same opinion as Wafa Sultan. Relapsed Catholic also has the story.

The second brave woman is Hirsi Ali, that has been presenting in Madrid her new book “I accuse”, as Manning, one of my colleagues at Eurabian News has posted. Among other interesting things, she has said:

We must struggle against Islamic totalitarianism as against Communist totalitarianism,” and [Ayaan Hirsi Ali] said, “We need an Islamic Voltaire, enlightened criticism from inside…But Westerners are reluctant to touch the religious question.” She added, “We must admit that, with all his wisdom, there  are many things which the Prophet was wrong about.” Ali left Islam after the September 11 bombings. “As a Muslim woman, educated in the practice of the Islamic religion, I realized that Islam and terrorism cannot be separated, because they are intimately united,” she said.

(via Enough).

Manning refers in his post to an article by Alicia Delibes, who finishes it this way:

Ayaan comes to Madid to ask the madrileños the same thing she says in her book: just listen to her, let her and the other Islamic dissidents speak  that are nearly the only ones who are in a suitable disposition to critizise Islam. And she also comes to ask us to defend with conviction the individual freedom and the right to decide over his7her life and to express publicly his/her convictions, whatever man or woman, principal reason why Islamists hate the West.
Ayaan, who lives surrounded by bodyguards, and who is decided to devote the rest of her life to fight for the emancipation of Muslim women, thinks that it’s not to ask a lot, but sincerely I figure that, viewing the general passivity of our society and the very few people that feel real enthusiasm about freedom, what Ayaan asks is, sadly, too much.

NYC Major suspends Imam for making Anti-American and Anti-Jewish statements (UPDATED)

The New York Post reported some days ago:

Mr. Abdul-Jalil declared in a speech that the White House is run by terrorists and that Muslims were tortured in Manhattan prisons after the World Trade Center attacks.
He also reportedly urged Muslims in America to stop letting “the Zionists of the media to dictate what Islam is to us.” The Investigative Project on Terrorism obtained a recording of his speech, a senior researcher with the organization, Tamar Tesler, confirmed yesterday.
The imam, who has been with the department since 1993 and has been overseeing all clergy members at the agency since 2004.
[…] The director of Simon Wiesenthal’s New York Tolerance Center, Mark Weitzman, said, if true, the statements are cause for worry about possible recruitment of Islamic fundamentalists in city jails.

Jihad Watch: NYC mayor suspends imam

New York City’s mayor suspended the head imam of the city’s jail system.

The move by Michael Bloomberg regarding Umar Abdul-Jalil came after the New York Post reported that the imam made several anti-American and anti-Israel comments in an April 2005 speech, including saying that Muslims in America should stop letting “the Zionists of the media to dictate what Islam is to us.” Abdul-Jalil has said the remarks were taken out of context. He also reportedly said that his mother converted to Judaism in 1959.

Yeah?
So what??
UPDATE: He is suspended, yes. But Bloomberg will not fire him. (Thanks to The Growler.)

UPDATE: The American Thinker has posted about it.