Mosque reform
British Muslim leaders are to tell mosques to reform and modernise in a government-backed attempt to prevent extremism. Four major Muslim organisations say they want mosques to sign up to a community watchdog with powers to launch spot checks on standards.
The standards include counter-extremism programmes, community relations schemes, support and proper conditions for imams and greater condemnation of “un-Islamic” activity.
Are these measures needed or is this the British government wanting to takeover the mosques?
Climate change – a breakthrough?
More than one-hundred-and-fifty leading global companies have today called on governments to agree international binding targets for cutting greenhouse gases. On the eve of the Bali climate summit a two page advertisement in the London Financial Times newspaper the firms (among them Coca-Cola, Shell, Philips and Volkswagen) say they believe failure to tackle climate change will ultimately undermine economic growth.
The Prince of Wales, who is backing the innitiative, said: ” It is my fervent hope that the communiqué will strengthen the resolve of those gathered in Bali to make the tough decisions the world so urgently needs.”
Is the idea that companies now think it’ll be BAD for business the breakthrough needed to address climate change?
Winfrey vs Streisand
Senator Barak Obama announced last weekend that he will be campaigning in December with Oprah Winfrey, the queen of the TV talk-show circuit, creator of an entire media empire. Not to be outshone, Senator Hillary Clinton quickly announced she has the backing of Barbara Streisand.
But do these celebrity endorsements have any effect..? Will you be voting for Winfrey or Streisand?
Who runs Pakistan?
So General Pervez Musharraf is plain old President Musharraf, now that he’s given up the military.. But who really runs Pakistan? Is it Musharraf, is it the militants or is it America?
Whale curry..
Whilst the Japanese whaling fleet steam towards Antartica, where it has permission to kill protected humpbacks for the first time since the 1960s, a street vendor based in Tokyo has begun selling whale curry lunches. Asian Lunch developed the minke whale curry lunches jointly in conjunction with Geishoku Rabo, a whale meat product development company. Sales of the curry will take place in 14 areas throughout Tokyo, with 600 meals prepared. Would you want to eat it?
As for the whale hunt itself.. The focus of this year’s hunt is the humpback, which was in serious danger of extinction until a worldwide ban just a few decades ago. Since then, only Greenland and the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been allowed to catch humpbacks under an IWC aboriginal subsistence program. Each caught one humpback last year, according to the commission.Japanese fisheries officials insist that the population has returned to a sustainable level and the hunt will have no impact. Are they right?
Or is the argument about something more.. Japan says they have support from several developing countries now finding a voice to rebel against what they see as interference by Western activists eager to protect creatures such as elephants and seals, which are no longer universally endangered.
“When we hear that the rest of the world is against Japan, we say: ‘Wait, wait. What is the rest of the world?’ ” says Joji Morishita, from the Japanese government’s Fisheries Agency. ” For many developing countries, whaling has become a symbol of who will dictate resource management. We all support some controls. But as a government, we cannot say to our communities: ‘Give up your way of life because the Western powers and some activists say this is an intelligent animal.’
“We are prepared to protect the way of life for small communities,” Morishita said.
RSS feed
