Free Republic

Things look promising in Kosovo, despite the tender ministrations of the United Nations. -------------------------------------------------- Prishtina, Kosovo SOME OF THE FRESHEST and most distinctive voices of "new Europe"--Donald Rumsfeld's term for the former-Communist states that have joined the reunited continent as ardent supporters of capitalism, democracy, and other conservative values--are sounding off in a place so new, in its own way, that less than a decade ago most Americans had never heard of it: Kosovo. Isolated by the Albanian language, an ancient Indo-European tongue with no obvious relatives, as well as by the long-standing hostility of their rapacious neighbors, the Kosovars...

IT'S OFFICIAL: 2005 WILL BE the newspaper industry's worst year since the last ad industry recession. And things aren't looking much better for next year either, according to a top Wall Street firm's report on newspaper publishing. "Sadly, 2005 is shaping up as the industry's worst year from a revenue growth perspective since the recession impacted 2001-2002 period," says the report from Goldman Sachs, adding a warning that meaningful growth in 2006 is "very unlikely."

An Islamic scholar said at an African Regional Conference, entitled “Islam and the Family Well-Being”, that Islam doesn’t support the practice of female circumcision and genital mutilation. "All practices of female circumcision and mutilation are crimes and have no relationship with Islam. Whether it involves the removal of the skin or the cutting of the flesh of the female genital organs...it is not an obligation in Islam," said Dr. Ahmed Talib, Dean of the Faculty of Sharia, Al Azhar University, Cairo. Dr. Talib was speaking on the topic of "Female Genital Cutting and Harmful Practices Against Mother and Child" at...

Q. I know very little about Islam. Could you please let me know whether Islam approves of slavery? Does Islam consider women inferior to men? Why cannot a woman go on pilgrimage without having a man relative? Doesn’t this indicate discrimination? SayemA. We can say for certain that Islam does not approve of slavery. When Islam was revealed, slavery was a very common practice in all human societies. Islamic legislation includes a variety of ways to ensure the reduction and eventual eradication of slavery. But this was to come gradually as Muslim society developed. There was an important reason for...

Put this in the category of the unbelievable. The Council on American Islamic Relations - CAIR - which some believe to be a front and apologist for terror groups, conducted a diversity training seminar at NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center Wedneday in suburban Washington. Subjects at the diversity and sensitivity workshop included "myths and stereotypes about Islam and Muslims," "the Islamic faith," "Islamic values," "Muslims in America" and "workplace sensitivity." Except for an occasional pro-forma statement denouncing terrorism, CAIR has never met a terrorist it condemned by name. What is it about our own government agencies that cave under pressure from...

CAIRO, 6 July 2004 — Islamophobia is alive and well in the US, starting with the authorities down to individuals such as radio talk show host Jay Severin who, according to the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) claimed that Muslims want to take over America even if it takes centuries, adding “I’ve got an idea. Let’s all kill Muslims”. Amazingly Severin is still in his job, although he has been forced to apologize on air. CAIR has also filed complaints over an offensive skit on the March 10 Bill Handel show on KFI AM 640 entitled “the New Iraqi...