Free Republic

November 8 , 2007 Embassy of the United States of America Belgrade Ambassador Munter Honors Serbian Families in Pranjani U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter will visit Pranjani on November 9, 2007 to honor Serbian families who saved the lives of hundreds of U.S. airmen shot down by Nazi forces during World War II. The Ambassador will present an official proclamation from the Governor of the State of Ohio, thanking the people of Pranjani on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Halyard rescue mission. The State of Ohio is proud to be an active partner with Serbia in...

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Reform Minister Roberto Calderoli has had T-shirts made emblazoned with cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a move that could embarrass Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government.

In a move which is both courageous and stupid, Dutch blogger 'Reet' (a Dutch colloquialism for 'ass') of the blog 'Retecool' (a Dutch colloquialism for, er, "really" cool) has started a Photoshop contest in which participants create parodies of Mohammed. The contest can be viewed here (a mirror can be found here). It's a brave move which I applaud, especially considering the cowardly attitude of the European Commission, which, according to Elsevier, seeks to curtail the press rather than deal with the real issue at hand: the lack of respect amongst some Muslims for freedom of speech (if not sheer...

The Philadelphia Inquirer, one of the few U.S. newspapers to publish a caricature of the Prophet Mohammad from a series that sparked a wave of protests by Muslims, defended the action on Sunday by saying it was just doing its job. "This is the kind of work that newspapers are in business to do," said Amanda Bennett, the newspaper's editor. The Inquirer on Saturday published the most controversial image, which depicted the Prophet with a turban resembling a lit bomb, and it posted on its Web site an Internet link to the rest of the cartoons. For many Muslims, Islam...

ANGRY crowds have singled out and bashed people of Middle Eastern appearance at Sydney's Cronulla beach as racial tension erupted into violence. And an ambulance called to the scene to treat five people injured in today's violence has been attacked by a mob who shattered its windows. Meanwhile, police have been pelted with beer bottles, and their patrol cars stomped on, as the outnumbered officers struggled to maintain control. Witnesses saw officers using capsicum spray in a bid to quell those perpetrating the violence. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Goodwin said police were forcing their way through the crowd, trying...

Muslim wins right to reject the hijab By Anthony Browne, Brussels Correspondent ISLAMIC groups across Europe have campaigned for years for the right of Muslim women to wear the religious headscarf, or hijab. Now a Muslim woman in the Netherlands has won the right not to wear it. Samira Haddad, 32, won her case against the Islamic College of Amsterdam, which insists that all Muslim women wear the hijab. The secondary school rejected her for a job after she said in an interview that she did not wear it. The country’s Equality Commission ruled in Ms Haddad’s favour, saying that...

Italy bans Islamic burqas Natasha Bita, Florence August 01, 2005 ITALY has banned Islamic burqas under tough terrorism laws that provide two-year jail terms and E2000 ($3200) fines for anyone caught covering their face in a public place. The counter-terrorism package, passed by Italy's parliament yesterday, doubles the existing penalty for wearing a burqa or chador -- traditional robes worn by Muslim women to cover their faces -- or full-faced helmets or balaclavas in public. Police can extract DNA samples without a suspect's consent, detain them for 24 hours without a lawyer present, and deport foreigners suspected of terrorism under...

A Muslim cleric in Århus demands that daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten apologises for publishing cartoons featuring the prophet Mohammed Daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten is facing accusations that it deliberately provoked and insulted Muslims by publishing twelve cartoons featuring the prophet Mohammed. The newspaper urged cartoonists to send in drawings of the prophet, after an author complained that nobody dared to illustrate his book on Mohammed. The author claimed that illustrators feared that extremist Muslims would find it sacrilegious to break the Islamic ban on depicting Mohammed. Twelve illustrators heeded the newspaper's call, and sent in cartoons of the prophet, which were published...

In a new biography, Denmark's Queen Margrethe II says Islam should be challenged Islam poses a challenge both globally and locally, and the challenge should be taken seriously, says Queen Margarethe II in a new, openhearted biography. The book, based on interviews between the queen and the book's author, journalist Annelise Bistrup, is to be released on Saturday, the queen's 65th birthday. 'There is something impressive about people, whose existence is immersed in religion from dawn to dusk, from the cradle to the grave. There are also Christians who live like that,' the Queen said in the book. 'But it...