Muslim Brotherhood had strong presence in Turkish aid ships headed for Gaza
By GMBDR
The coalition behind the “Freedom Flotilla”, involved today in a military confrontation with Israeli naval forces, is primarily composed of organizations and individuals tied to the global Muslim Brotherhood. At the end of April, a web site representing the Union of Good, discussed later, identified the elements of the coalition behind the flotilla:
Gaza Free Movement had announced few days ago its intention to lead a sea convoy under the name of “ Liberty Flotilla “ to the Gaza Strip with the participation of many Turkish and European humanitarian institutions…The Popular Committee for Confronting the Siege announced its intention to organize a media campaign and a series of accompanying events to welcome the arrival of the convoy and to exert pressures on the Israeli side in case of obstructing the seaway of the convoy. In a statement received by Humanitvoice from the chairman of the popular committee, Jamal Al-Khudary reaffirmed that preparations are continued to organize the biggest celebration in the Gaza sea through the sailing of around 100 boats to welcome the arrival of the “ Liberty Flotilla”. He added that the number of coming supporters so far, has reached 500 persons including prominent European and American figures , besides a number of journalists, physicians, academics , and political figures. Mr.Arafat Madi, chairman of the European campaign to lift the siege of Gaza, has recently announced that the coalition that was formed and launched in Istanbul includes several organizations and institutions which will participate in breaking the Gaza siege. He explained that the coalition includes the European campaign, the Turkish Humanitarian Relief (IHH), the Greek vessel campaign, the Swedish vessel, and the Gaza Free Movement as they will all participate in launching the Liberty Flotilla .
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http://globalmbreport.org/?p=3080
Police quell protests as EU summit begins
By Aydar Buribayev and Denis Pinchuk/Reuters
MOSCOW/ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) – Police violently dispersed anti-Kremlin rallies in Russia’s largest cities and detained dozens of protesters on Monday, as President Dmitry Medvedev was set to welcome European Union leaders at a summit.
The crackdown on protesters came two days after Russia’s widely popular and powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that he did not oppose peaceful protests.
Clashes between riot police and protesters occurred shortly after at least 1,000 opposition activists — several times more than usual — gathered in Triumfalnaya Square in central Moscow, chanting “Freedom” and “Russia without Putin.”
The crowd shouted “fascists” at police and booed as they grabbed protesters — often knocking then down and dragging them along the pavement to nearby buses.
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http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/7323513/police-crush-protests-as-russia-eu-summit-opens/
58-percent in Japanese poll say PM Hatoyama should resign over Futenma relocation
By Mainichi Daily News
Fifty-eight percent of respondents in a Mainichi poll conducted over the weekend agree that Hatoyama should resign to take responsibility for mishandling of the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
The figure is a symbol of public distrust in the prime minister, who was unable to keep his promises to move the base “at least” out of Okinawa Prefecture and obtain local consent on the relocation by the end of May.
The approval rating of his Cabinet, recently rocked by the dismissal of Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Mizuho Fukushima, has also plummeted, from 77 percent soon after its inauguration last year to 20 percent now. The disapproval rating, meanwhile, has risen to 67 percent, the third worst figure after the 75 percent disapproval rating of former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s Cabinet in February 2001 and the 73 percent disapproval rating of former Prime Minister Taro Aso’s Cabinet in February 2009. Both of those administrations lasted only a year.
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http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100531p2a00m0na007000c.html
Forced-marriage Pakistani Christian woman escapes
By CDN
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, May 31 (CDN) — A Christian woman who was kidnapped, forced to marry a Muslim farmer and told to convert to Islam amid a dispute over a loan said today she has returned home after weeks of “captivity and torture.”
Sania James, 33, was kidnapped April 5 by armed men who stormed her parent’s house in the small town of Rawat, just outside Rawalpindi, neighbors confirmed to Compass. The gunmen allegedly told her father that he would see his daughter again only if he paid off a loan of 250,000 rupees (US$2,930) plus 30 percent interest – a rate much higher than previously agreed upon.
James said the armed men took her to farmer Mohammad Shahbaz Ali and forced her to marry him.
“I have been tortured, forced to convert and forcefully married,” said James, who escaped earlier this month.
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http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/pakistan/20963/
Netanyahu says shipboard Israelis acted in self-defence
By CBC
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending Israeli commandos who launched a deadly raid on a flotilla of humanitarian ships destined for Gaza, saying they acted in self-defence.
Nine people were killed and dozens were wounded in Monday’s pre-dawn raid, which happened in international waters more than 60 kilometres from shore.
Muslim French eggheads pick on Obama
By MEMRI
In his June 4, 2009 Cairo speech, U.S. President Barack Obama emphasized that Muslim women in the U.S. are free to don the hijab. He said: “…Freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one’s religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state of our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That is why the U.S. government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it.”[1]
Obama’s statements triggered strong criticism among Arab intellectuals in France, where for the past few years there has been an ongoing debate about the permissibility of wearing the veil in public.
Following are excerpts from some of their reactions:
Reformist writer Dr. Abdelwahab Meddeb, a professor of comparative literature at the University of Paris X in Nanterre and author of the books The Malady of Islam (New York: Basic Books, 2003) and Counter-Preaching (Contre-Prêches, Seuil, Paris, 2006)[2] wrote: “Obama’s pertinent speech in Cairo was wrong in at least one respect. Let us say [for the sake of the argument] – though I find it difficult to do so – that women should be free to wear the veil. [Still, Obama] should have added that they must [also] be free to remove it.”[3]
Leila Barbès, a professor of religion and sociology at the Catholic University of Lille, also referred to the hijab issue, though not in direct response to Obama’s speech. She explained that, in the context of the veil, “free choice” was an illusion: “The moment [wearing] the veil is presented as a divine duty, the issue of free choice is no longer valid, [and] all Muslim women are exposed to [this religious] propaganda…
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http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4248.htm
Japan’s PM’s party at risk before upper house election
By Reuters
TOKYO (Reuters) – Support for Japan’s government fell further ahead of a looming election, polls showed on Monday, as calls emerge within his party for struggling Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to quit over broken campaign promises.
Hatoyama reiterated he would do his best in his current post, but chances are fading for his ruling coalition to win a majority in an upper house election expected in July, which it needs to win to avoid policy deadlock.
The political furore is distracting the government as it thrashes out plans to cut Japan’s huge public debt and a strategy to engineer growth despite a fast-ageing population.
Japanese newspaper polls showed fresh declines in voter support for Hatoyama’s eight-month-old government, with an Asahi newspaper survey showing its rating slid to 17 percent, down from 21 percent a few weeks ago.
Equally if not more troubling for the government, a survey by the Yomiuri newspaper showed that 19 percent of voters now plan to cast their ballots for the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) compared to just 14 percent for Hatoyama’s Democratic Party of Japan.
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Admiral Mullen asks for delay on gay vote
By Fox News
WASHINGTON– The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday he supports a repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy but he would like Congress to wait on a vote until after the Pentagon completes its review about the impact of allowing gay troops to serve openly.
Adm. Mike Mullen told “Fox NewsSunday” that the military brass is working hard to “understand what’s going on with our troops,” and so he would like the legislation to wait until the review is complete. But he acknowledged he has no control over Congress’ actions.
“I don’t manage the legislative calendar,” he said, adding that it could “be many more months before this legislation is passed.”
A House voted Friday to repeal the ban. But the vote also gives the Pentagon until year’s end to study how to make that happen. A Senate committee approved the change Thursday, but the full Senate isn’t expected to act for months.
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/30/adm-mullen-congress-waited-dont-ask-dont-tell-vote/
Pakistan sees more bloodshed; Ahmadi sect is target
By Animesh Roul
If we scan past terror events in Pakistan, we will find most of the sectarian religious attacks targeting worshippers in and around mosques or their processions, occurred on Fridays.
On May 28, twin fidayeen style attacks in Lahore left nearly 80 people dead, all worshippers from minority Ahmadi sect (also known as Quadianis or Lahoris). Sunni terrorists (suspected Talban and the affiliated Lashkar-e-Jhangvi) stormed two mosques in Garhi Shahu and Model Town taking hundreds of worshippers hostage who congregated for prayer. The terrorists have unleashed coordinated attacks: opening fire indiscriminately at the crowd, simultaneously lobbing hand grenades around, taking hostage and blowing themselves up. Initial reports suggested that at last five terrorists, two at the Model Town mosque and three in Garhi Shahu have perpetrated mayhem for more than three hours.
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http://counterterrorismblog.org/
Iraqi Christians face blood-shed and persecution
By John Pontifex
It was a day that started like any other. But what happened that spring morning will never be forgotten by those who experienced it.
On Sunday, May 2, 18 buses packed with 1,300 mostly Christian students made their way from Qaraqosh, in Iraq’s Nineveh plain, to their university in the major city of Mosul.
As the buses passed through the various security checkpoints on their way into Mosul, there were two explosions. Improvised car bombs charged with deadly explosives were detonated causing serious damage to several of the buses. Inside, many of the students lay injured.
Initial reports stated that one person had died and 80 were injured but in the coming days the total number of wounded rose to nearly 200. Of those, at least 25 students were very seriously injured and had to be airlifted to hospital in Turkey.
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