Egypt’s peaceful Muslims are being denied religious freedoms as the influence of conservative Salafism grows Baher Ibrahim guardian.co.uk Whenever religious freedom is discussed in Egypt, the topic inevitably turns to the status of the Christian Copts. Thousands of articles have been written about Egypt’s Copts and how they are denied their religious freedoms, but it almost never occurs to anyone that even Sunni Muslims are being deprived of their basic rights to religious freedom and worship. That is exactly what happened at the end of last month when the ministry of awqaf (religious endowments) decided to ban Egypt’s Sufi orders … Continue reading Salafi intolerance threatens Sufis?

Prevent: a dangerous policy failure This counter-terrorism scheme has ended up stigmatising Muslims, undermining security rather than bolstering it Oliver McTernan guardian.co.uk We have been warned that regardless of who forms the new government we should brace ourselves for savage cuts in public spending. Presumably all government programmes will be scrutinised for value to the community and cost-effectiveness. Hopefully high on the list will be the Preventing Violent Extremism programme (Prevent), which has not only proved to be highly contentious but has also cost the UK taxpayer a staggering £140m in 2008-09 alone. Prevent is part of the Contest strategy, … Continue reading Prevent: New Labours dangerous policy failure that ended up stigmatising Muslims

Two votes of no confidence The political class in Britain and Germany have finally woken up to the fact that the public no longer trusts them Denis MacShane guardian.co.uk The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, saw her party lose votes in a recent regional election. Photograph: Tobias Schwarz/REUTERS German politics faces a new nightmare as voters in Germany’s biggest land, North Rhine Westphalia, punished the ruling chancellor, Angela Merkel, but refused to give confidence to the opposition Social Democrats. With its 13 million inhabitants North Rhine Westphalia is as big as a middling EU member state. Now Merkel’s Christian Democratic party … Continue reading The political class has finally woken?

Hamid Karzai is failing Afghan women Afghanistan’s president doesn’t seem to understand that without the inclusion of women there will be no lasting peace Anber Raz guardian.co.uk Women in Afghanistan are still politically excluded. Photograph: S. Sabawoon/EPA The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, is hosting a “peace jirga” in Kabul at the end of this month. Its purpose, he told a news conference, will be to “get guidance from the Afghan people on how to move forward reintegration and reconciliation, where reconciliation may be possible” with the Taliban. The decision to reintegrate the Taliban by offering so-called “moderate” members government … Continue reading Is the US and UK fighting against Afghan women?

What not to wear boarding a flight… a pair of electronic massage shoes (complete with batteries and an on/off switch) Enlarge   Arrested: Faiz Mohammad behind bars A passenger was detained by airport authorities in Pakistan after electrical circuits and batteries were found in the soles of his tennis shoes, an airport security official said today. Officials were investigating what the components could be used for and why they were concealed. Similar materials can be used in the construction of bombs. Faiz Mohammad was arrested at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport last night, said Munir Ahmed, a spokesman for the airport … Continue reading Do not wear electronic massage shoes to the airport!

Where’s the dignity in this? A notorious suicide clinic is dumping human remains at  bottom of Swiss lake… but were 50 Britons among them? The tiny bay is in one the world’s most idyllic spots. On the horizon is the vista of snowcapped mountains. Crystal-clear water laps at a wooden jetty and sleek sailing boats bob on their moorings a few feet away. On Sunday, at Trotte Bay on the shores of Lake Zurich, the silence was broken only by the splashes of a passing swimmer and the hourly bells of St Georg’s Catholic Church, up the hill in the … Continue reading Human remains at bottom of Swiss lake… but were 50 Britons among them?

Polar bears dancing on ice: Mother and baby captured skidding across frozen Arctic seas As frost was forecast to hit the UK this week, ice was no problem for this polar bear cub and his mother as they larked about on the frozen water, skidding about, then jumping in the icy waters. The youngster had been taken to the coast by his mother just as the sea began to freeze. Fascinated by the holes in the newly forming ice he leapt in and out of the water. Slip-sliding away: The polar bears appear to be making the most of the … Continue reading Mother and baby captured skidding across frozen Arctic seas

Pimp my tank: The £323,000 bulletproof ‘limo’ measuring 20ft that dwarfs a Hummer It can withstand a barrage of bullets, features its own entertainment system and bar and is so big it dwarfs a Hummer. The Knight XV – dubbed the world’s most luxurious armoured vehicle – is the new mode of transport for people wanting to combine security and comfort. At 20ft in length, the imposing car stands at more than three feet longer than a Hummer and is a whole foot wider. Heavy duty: The Knight XV, which has been described as the world’s most luxurious armoured vehicle, … Continue reading £323,000 bulletproof ‘limo’ that dwarfs a Hummer

Ambulance service bosses spend £10,000 on survey that asks ‘How cool was Hitler?’ Ambulance service chiefs spent £10,000 on a questionnaire for staff which asked them to rate how ‘cool’ Hitler was. The survey, which appeared in a newsletter for West Midlands Ambulance Service staff, is part of a project to find out what makes a good boss. It bizarrely asked staff to rate how ‘cool’ different leaders were including Sir Richard Branson, Gordon Brown, Adolf Hitler, Fabio Cappello and their own chief executive Ian Cummings. Titled ‘Making Leadership Cool; How Do Emerging Leaders Want to be Supported and Managed’, … Continue reading Ambulance service – ‘How cool was Hitler?’

To Shave or Not to Shave, that is the Question Posted by Doctor ‘T’ & Raza Qureshi An event was to be held on the 30th of March 2010 at Hall 6 of Expo Center Karachi, to break India’s world record of most people shaving at the same time. The event was being sponsored by Gillette, a reputed shaving company, the event was advertised well & over 2000 people showed up at the venue on their own free will, voluntarily, to be part of the smooth shavng spree. The Organizing committee started receiving threats a couple of days leading to … Continue reading To Shave or Not to Shave mullahs in Pakistan?