By Kevin Myers against Dermot Ahern move

How very thoughtful of Dermot Ahern to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the proclamation of the fatwa on Salman Rushdie for blasphemy by introducing our very own blasphemy laws.
Not merely will this enable any group of nutters to claim their religion has been insulted -- well, by whom? Kevin Myers? Ian O'Doherty? -- but it will also enable our many Muslim immigrants to feel thoroughly at home.
Because that is a defining feature of every Islamic society throughout the world: an intrusive and punitive legal code which destroys the lives of those adjudged guilty of insulting the Prophet or Allah. In Afghanistan, it is the death penalty. Pakistan too. Egypt as well. And so on. Why not the same, sooner or later, in dear old Eirestan?
Christianity as a potent, political and legal force is dead in Europe. Islam is not. Christians do not expect their religion to be protected by law from religious insult. Muslims do. A blasphemy code will, in effect, turn out a new variant of a local shop for local people: but here in secular/Christian Ireland, it will become a Muslim law for non-Muslim people.
The minister's proposed bill declares: "Blasphemous matter ... is (that which) is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred to any religion thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of the religion; and he or she intends, by the publication of the matter concerned, to cause such outrage."
We know what "causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of the religion" means (and the minister's term, "the religion" really does apply here). For we saw it in 1989, when the Ayatollah proclaimed his fatwa on Salman Rushdie for 'Satanic Verses'. Over 40 people were killed in the violence that followed. We saw it with the Danish cartoons, which were so meaningless that they could have been of anybody: but label them "Mohammed", and yet again, more people were killed.
Religious "outrage" is an almost unknown phenomenon in our culture: but it is so common on the Islamic street that one often wonders: do Muslims know any other public mood? And whereas I can ask this question today, might it not be blasphemous under Dermot Ahern's new law? For some Muslims might hold that it is grossly abusive or insulting to things they hold sacred, to dispute their right to endless public anger.
Moreover, who decides whether Muslims get angry? Is it a spontaneous phenomenon, or does it depend on what they are told in morning prayers by the imam? And is that assembly, in effect, then the jury? For it clearly is a self-deciding issue, if the law says the something is an offence because enough members of the public consider it is so. The rule of law then passes from law-maker and lawyer to whatever rabble-rousing cleric is able to make enough people angry, and by their numbers alone they then decide whether an offence has been committed.
Dermot Ahern's justification for his dangerously silly proposals is that successive attorneys general have told their ministers for justice that the Constitution obliges the State to have blasphemy laws. Good. So if so many ministers for justice have been able to ignore that advice in the past, why should he now seek to heed it? And worse still, why should he do so by allowing the interpretation of blasphemy -- which is otherwise a piece of string of unknown length -- to be defined by the mob? This merely reduces the courts to being instruments of Barabbas-type justice.
Yet in one sense, the minister's proposals are irrelevant. For Europe already has an informal blasphemy law, which is enforced by Islamic cut-throats, with or without a fatwa.
We all know it. We just don't say it. So I can call the Virgin Mary, who most Irish people believe to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Mankind, a whore, and no-one will open my carotid. But were I to make any such remark about Mohammed's wives, which is what Rushdie was accused of doing -- and I wouldn't: O believe me, I wouldn't -- then at best, I would be spending the rest of my life under armed guard, or at worst, I would be strumming my harp alongside Theo van Gogh. He was, remember, killed without fatwa, and his murderer, Mohammed Bouyeri, is now an Islamic hero.
That doesn't mean we should corrupt our legal code in order to propitiate Islamicists. Yet all media discussion on this and related topics is dominated by state-subsidised bodies -- the intercultural this, and the multi-ethnic that. The primary function of these quangos is apparently to be gravely insulted whenever their quivering multicultural sensibilities are offended.
And then they can institute legal action to silence -- or even imprison, which was the threat hanging over me last year -- those whose voices they disapprove of. These arms of the State now constitute a cultural Fifth Column, possessing a clear and dangerous agenda. The minister's proposed blasphemy law can thus only pander to the deranged instincts of an absolutist, intolerant immigrant minority, and its politically-correct, pseudo-liberal native allies: Lenin's useful idiots, yet again.

Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Maldives to Receive Prestigious CSID's "Muslim Democrat of the Year" Award on May 5th

Washington, DC - April 27, 2009 - The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) announced today that Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Maldives will receive its prestigious Annual "Muslim Democrat of the Year" award on May 5th. Dr. Shaheed will give a keynote speech during lunchtime at the 10th Annual Conference of CSID, to be held at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, in Arlington, Virginia, and will receive the award during the banquet dinner."Dr. Shaheed is a practionner who has worked tirelessly for the past decade and a half to strengthen and promote democracy and human rights in the Maldives," said Radwan Masmoudi, president of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy. "We look forward to hearing him speak and to learning from his experience about how to achieve peaceful transitions from dictatorship to democracy, in a conservative Muslim society."BiographySince joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed has risen through the Foreign Service ranks; heading a number of departments including the Bilateral Relations Division, the SAARC Division, and the Multilateral Affairs Department. From 1999 to 2004, he held the position of Permanent Secretary. After leaving the Ministry in 2004 to become the Maldives' first Chief Government Spokesperson at the President's Office (at the rank of Deputy Minister), Shaheed returned in July 2005 when he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, a post he held until he resigned in August 2007. In November 2008, Shaheed returned as Foreign Minister in the starting line-up of the first democratically-elected government in the Maldives.Throughout his time at the Ministry and as Chief Government Spokesperson, Shaheed has been a visionary leader who foresaw a new modern country founded upon liberal democratic principles, strong human rights protection, and openness and engagement with the outside world. Shaheed's beliefs led him to become one of the principal architects of the Maldives' Democratic and Human Rights Reform Agenda, which culminated in late 2008 with the country's smooth democratic transition under a new 21st Century Constitution. A strong proponent of robust democratic and human rights safeguards, Minister Shaheed was instrumental in transforming the previous Government's stand on human rights by securing political approval for the creation of a national Human Rights Commission in August 2003 and accession to the UN Convention against Torture in April 2004. In his role as the Chief Government Spokesperson, he also succeeded in reversing the decision of the Government's Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to ban the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in July 2005. A strong advocate of political pluralism, Shaheed was among the few visionary reformists in the government who championed the introduction of political parties in the Maldives in June 2005. Later in the year, Shaheed was co-founder of the New Maldives faction within the Cabinet which worked to promote democracy, good governance and human rights within the Government. During his former tenure as Minister, the Maldives acceded to the vast majority of international human rights conventions, including the two Core Covenants, namely the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with its Optional Protocol, and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and also acceded to the UN Convention against Corruption. During this time, the Maldives became one of the original signatories of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, and the Convention against Enforced Disappearance. Shaheed's work as Minister was premised on the belief that real and lasting change must be undertaken in close cooperation with the international community, including international human rights mechanisms. In April 2006, Shaheed extended standing invitations to all human rights mandates and special procedures to visit the Maldives. In Office, Shaheed often demonstrated a willingness to put his job on the line in order to promote the values he believed in. This saw him expend, for example, considerable political capital to secure the release from detention of a large number of key opposition leaders in August - September 2006. Ultimately, he resigned his post as Foreign Minister in August 2007, in protest over the government's decision to backtrack on the democratic reform agenda, and in protest at the manipulation of the Parliament by the Executive. Prior to his resignation, Shaheed had campaigned to free the parliament of Executive control by championing the doctrine of the separation of powers, a battle he continues to wage openly even today. Following his resignation as Minister in 2007, Shaheed continued to promote human rights, a vibrant civil society, freedom of opinion and expression, and democratic change through the establishment of the Open Society Association and the Maldives Election Watch. After leaving Office in August 2007, Minister Shaheed teamed up with his former Cabinet colleagues and fellow members of the New Maldives faction, Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and Dr. Hassan Saeed, and launched the New Maldives Movement and the Maldives Reform Movement. An ardent advocate of democratic change, From November 2007 to June 2008, Shaheed was active as the Spokesperson for the pro-democracy alliance of parties agitating for a democratic Constitution. In September 2008, Minister Shaheed became the running mate of presidential candidate Dr. Hassan Saeed in the country's first multiparty Presidential Election. Although campaigning on an independent ticket, Saeed and Shaheed secured nearly 17% of the popular vote, finishing third and thus failing to qualify for the second round. However, immediately, Minister Shaheed and Dr. Saeed pledged their unconditional support to the presidential challenger, Mr. Mohamed Nasheed, and actively supported the Grand Patriotic Coalition. Their support was crucial in enabling the challenger to more than double his support in the second round, and to defeat the 30 year old regime.Shaheed, Saeed and Jameel are also promoters of a new political party called Dhivehi Qawmee Party, and are actively campaigning for pro-democracy forces in the parliamentary elections slated for 9 May 2009, calling for a parliament that will effectively embody the doctrine of the separation of powers.As the Maldives is a conservative Islamic society, the liberal democratic stance of DQP, whose chief ideologue is Dr Shaheed, has raised the ire of Islamist groups. Shaheed and his colleagues are noted for their cogent opposition to a number of Salafist positions, such as on the appointment of women as judges, and on the freedom of conscience and expression. They are also opposed to clerical rule. Coming into the new coalition government that is in place today, Shaheed and his colleagues successfully blocked the creation of a sovereign council of clerics at the apex of government, and continue to campaign for tolerance and moderation.Minister Shaheed has also been extremely active at international-level, outspoken in his support for the Human Rights Council, and advocacy of the responsibility to protect, such as in issues that arose out of the breakdown of the former SFR of Yugoslavia, particularly in the case of Kosovo. He was a Member of the SAARC Eminent Persons Group from 1997-1998, and proposed the adoption of a SAARC Social Charter. He also served as the Maldives Governor to the Common Fund for Commodities between the years 1999-2008. He also campaigned strongly at the United Nations to oppose the Maldives' graduation from the category of Least Develop Countries, which would result in the loss of economic, commercial and financial benefits; and successfully led the negotiations with the EU and other donors on the extension of aid and market access to the Maldives beyond graduation in 2011. Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, Shaheed worked tirelessly to mobilize international assistance for the recovery and reconstruction of the Maldives which suffered losses amounting to over 60% of the GDP. In July 2007, he launched an international initiative to identify the link between human rights and climate change. On 9 April 2009, Shaheed announced the intention of the Maldives to get elected to the Human Rights Council in 2010. A strong supporter of accountability for human rights violations, Shaheed has criticized human rights abuses in a number of instances, such as in Burma, North Korea, the Balkans, the Middle East and the Darfur region of Sudan, and has pledged that the Maldives will join the International Criminal Court. Minister Shaheed has also served as a Parliamentarian, as a Presidential Appointee to the People's Special Majlis (constitutional assembly) from 2004-2007, and was active in the founding of the former governing Dhivehi Raiyithunge Party (DRP), but left after accusing it of obstructing the democratic process.H.E. Dr. Ahmed Shaheed graduated from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth with a Bachelor's degree in International Politics and Strategic Studies, and obtained his PhD in 1995 from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, in the field of International Relations. He is an avid writer and academic, and has presented numerous papers at various international conferences covering topics as diverse as economic development, terrorism, diplomacy and democracy. Minister Shaheed is married with three children.

Easter Rising 1916 Commemoration

This Sunday (April 26th) sees the annual Fianna Fáil Easter Rising 1916 Commemoration taking place at Arbour Hill. I invite you to come along as I give my first address at the Commemoration as Taoiseach and Uachtarán Fhianna Fáil, on this very important day in the Party's diary.
The Éamon de Valera mass for all deceased members of our organisation will be celebrated at 12.00 noon, with the Easter 1916 Commemoration ceremonies taking place at 12.30pm.
I will lay a wreath at the graveside of the 1916 Leaders on behalf of Fianna Fáil and the 1916 Proclamation will also be read.
Immediately after our Easter Commemoration in Arbour Hill, refreshments will be provided.
Also, you are invited to post your own thoughts and messages as we commemorate this important event in Irish history. You can post your message here:
http://www.fiannafail.ie/page/m2/1363c03/33741a9e/244c909f/585bcce5/2359523403/VEsH/
A selection of the posts will be published on the Party's website (http://www.fiannafail.ie/page/m2/1363c03/33741a9e/244c909f/585bcce4/2359523403/VEsE/) next week.
I look forward to seeing you there. An Taoiseach Brian Cowen TDUachtarán Fhianna Fáil

IFI AGM meeting and the extension of the Mosque اجتماع المجلس العمومي لمسجد الساوط والبناء الخلفي

Sisters in the women section used to complain about the back mosque being cold. New measures are in place to eradicate cold from the new extension using solar panels, heat pumps and good insulation.

دأبت الاخوات المصليات على الشكوى من البرد في المسجد القديم والان استمع لخطة البناء الجديدة من المساح ورئيس العمال والشيخ يحي

IFI AGM

Very popular game with Bush falling use mouse to play



Plz click link

http://www.planetda%20n.net/pics/%20misc/georgerag.%20swf


شاشة التَوَقّف الأكثر شعبيةً في الولايات المتّحدةِ والعالمِ الآن! إستعملْ الماوس لسَحْبه وتَركَه يَسْقطُ. . .
رائعة جداً.
فقط اَنْقرُ الرابط التالي
http://www.planetdan.net/pics/misc/georgerag.swf

Please Sign this petition

As salam wa alaikum, Please take a few moments of your time and sign this petition. The first step on the road to equality begins with your signature. Make equality a reality. Please forward this on to your contacts.

Mujaahid

Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign Press Release

16 Apr 2009 Write to Galway City Councillors urging support for anti-Veolia motion
The IPSC calls on all members and supporters to please support this initiative to encourage Galway City manager not to sign or renew any further contracts with Veolia by emailing the City Councillors asking them to support the motion put forward by Cllr. Cameron.
Dear Councillor.
As French multinational company, Veolia, is directly implicated in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and is facilitating through its construction of a light railway Israel's attempt to make its annexation of the Palestinian territory of East Jerusalem irreversible and permanent, I request that you support Cllr. Billy Cameron's forthcoming motion calling on the City Manager not to sign or renew any further contracts with Veolia.
Sligo County Council unanimously adopted a similar motion at its February 2009 meeting.
The Irish Government and the U.N. do not recognise Israel’s annexation and occupation of East Jerusalem and have repeatedly stated their views that the Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank contravene international law - numerous UN resolutions and the 2004 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Israel's Apartheid Wall have confirmed this. The settlements violate Article 49 of the 4th Geneva Convention, which provides that:: “...The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies” as well as Article 53, which forbids destruction of property. These violations in some cases in East Jerusalem amount to war crimes, i.e. “grave breaches” of the Convention, (Articles 146 and 147), as they involve appropriation of Palestinian property not justified by military necessity. These grave breaches are being facilitated by Veolia’s participation in the construction and future of the tramway serving the settlements.
Recently, the Swedish non-governmental organization, Diakonia, organized protests calling on the Stockholm Community Council to exclude Veolia from bidding for the subway contract. The council received thousands of signatories from people demanding that the council choose an operator that was not associated with violations of international humanitarian law. On 20 January, 2009, the council announced that Veolia, after operating the subway for the past 10 years, had lost the $4.5 billion contract to Hong Kong-based rail operator MTR.
Public Citizen, a non-profit organisation based in the U.S. founded by Ralph Nader, has criticised Veolia for its 'track record of corruption, broken promises, environmental degradation, price-gouging, obfuscation, misdirection and secrecy'
In November 2006, ASN, a Dutch bank based in the Hague, broke off financial relations with Veolia on account of the light rail contract. In its correspondence with Veolia, ASN Bank explained the reasons for ending the relationship with Veolia: "This combined information convinced ASN Bank that Veolia's involvement does pose a problem for ASN Bank in applying the banks' social criteria on Human Rights. We believe that Veolia's involvement in the light rail project is not in line with the UN's demand to stop all support for Israel's settlement activities, and is therefore not in line with ASN Banks' social criteria. Due to the direct nature of Veolia's involvement (through a 5% stake in the consortium and as future operator), we are of the opinion that Veolia's activities in Jerusalem are in conflict with UN Resolutions. Therefore, on this current information Veolia will be removed from our investment universe."
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (2000) state that enterprises should “Respect the human rights of those affected by their activities consistent with the host government’s international obligations and commitments”. The Palestinians’ land is illegally taken to build the tramway and they have to endure illegal settlements planted in their midst.
The UN Global Compact (2000), of which Veolia is a member, states that businesses should support and respect the protection of international human rights within their spheres of influence, and make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Veolia which runs Luas, Dublin's light rail system, has been forced by Trade Union pressure to cancel a proposed deal to train drivers and engineers for the Jerusalem light rail.
In March 2007, the Association France Palestine Solidarite (AFPS) took a legal action in France against Veolia and Alstom because both companies are involved in the Israeli light rail or tramway project that will run on occupied East Jerusalem and the contracts are contrary to French Law: Articles 6, 1131 and 1133 of the French Civil Code state that any agreement can be discharged of its powers when its aim is in contradiction with the public order or good morals. The contracts of Veolia Transport and Alstom and are therefore also illegal under French law. The legal action undertaken by AFPS is based on this rule in French law and is seeking the cancellation of the contracts for the construction and running of the tramway in Palestine between Veolia, Alstom, and the Israeli government. At the same time the legal action is aimed to prohibit the companies to execute the contract. … this case is still ongoing.
In November 2006, a delegation of the Palestinian Authority met Ministers and Members of Parliament in France to call for actions against Veolia to stop its involvement in the illegal tramway project.
Under the UK Public Contract Regulations 2006, a contracting authority may exclude an economic operator from bidding for a contract or may reject any such bid where it is found that the individual or organization has committed an act of grave misconduct in the course of his business of profession. The regulation follows European Law, Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts.
The tramway also constitutes a significant alteration of the infrastructure of the Occupied Palestinian Territories contrary to the Hague Regulations of 1907, Section 3, which Israel accepts as binding international law. Through its involvement in the building and future operation of the tramway linking Israel's illegal settlements with West Jerusalem, Veolia is facilitating Israel's grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and is complicit in its perpetuation of those actions. In other words, Veolia is involved in aiding and abetting ongoing war crimes. It is also facilitating, exacerbating, aiding and abetting Israel's breach of the Hague Regulations.
Yours sincerelyGalway City EastCllr. Daniel Callanan (Ind) djcallanan@eircom.netCllr. Tom Costello (LP) tcostello@cllr.galwaycity.ieCllr. Michael J Crowe (FF) mjcrowe@cllr.galwaycity.ieCllr. Declan McDonnel (PD) declanpmcdonnell@eircom.netCllr. Terry O'Flaherty (PD) toflaherty@cllr.galwaycity.ieCllr. Brian Walsh (FG) brianwalsh100@eircom.netCllr. Mary Leahy (FF) mleahy@cllr.galwaycity.ieGalway City CentralCllr. Billy Cameron (LP) bcameron@eircom.netCllr. Pلdraig Conneely (FG) No email address 087 2593886 (home / fax) 091 589925 Cllr. Colette Connolly (LP) colconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ieCllr. John Connolly (FF) jconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ieGalway City WestCllr. Catherine Connolly (Ind) cconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ieCllr. Donal Lyons (PD) donallyons@eircom.netCllr. John Mullholland (FG) jmulholland@cllr.galwaycity.ieCllr. Niall س Brolchلin (GP) niallob@esatclear.ie