The annual report of US State Department on human rights has warned of increasing concern that discrimination against Muslims was on the rise in Europe. The human rights report for 2009 cited Switzerland's ban on the construction of minarets on mosques enacted in November, as well as continued bans or restrictions on head scarves and burqa worn by Muslims in France, Germany and the Netherlands. The report said: "Discrimination against Muslims in Europe has been an increasing concern." Germany and the Netherlands have prohibitions against teachers wearing head scarves or burqa while on the job, and France bans the wearing of the religious garb in public, the report said. Western culture The report particularly focused on problems in the Netherlands, where Muslims number about 850,000, saying that Muslims face societal resentment based on the belief that Islam is not compatible with Western values. The report blamed right-wing politicians for playing a role in fuelling the resentment. It said: "Major incidents of violence against Muslims were rare, but minor incidents, including intimidation, brawls, vandalism, and graffiti with abusive language, were common." It added that the department's annual human rights report is mandated by Congress to allow MPs to factor the issue into decisions on allocated aid to foreign countries. Among other countries, the report most critically faulted human rights practises in Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Syria and Russia. China and Iran The report criticised China for crackdowns on Uighurs and in Tibet, as well as increased restrictions to the internet and other forms of information and news. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner said: "The Chinese government's human rights records remain poor and worsening in some areas, including increased cultural and religious repression of ethnic minorities ... and increased detention and harassment of activists and public-interest lawyers." The State Department also focused on Iran and the repression of demonstrators who took to the streets following June's presidential election. Dozens of people were killed and thousands were detained, some facing prosecution. Posner said: "An already poor human rights situation (in Iran) rapidly deteriorated after the June elections. It is a place where we are continuing to see severe repression of dissent and are continuing to pay great attention." Civilian casualties The report also cited the increased toll conflicts in some countries inflicted on the civilian population in 2009, including in Afghanistan, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. There remain "significant human rights challenges" in Pakistan, the report said of the important US ally in the war on terrorism. The report said there were extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances. The State Department cited reports the military carried out up to 400 killings during counterinsurgency operations against the Taliban in North West Frontier Province and the Swat Valley. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/03/2010311185514211830.html

Originally posted by Khayr: Forget that, she is even closer to NYC now. Maybe she should immigrate there? Why not? I would give her a personal tour

One has to admit that countries like the US and Canada do accommodate immigrants, halal shops, halal food, the right to build mosques... etc etc. But some immigrants don't realize that they have to take a middle ground in their host country, they're not in their home country. When one is in a language class as in any other class it is important to interact with the fellow students, perhaps she should have applied to an all-girls institution? Egypt is so close to Saudi, why didn't she immigrate there?

Originally posted by chocolate & honey: LOL@ the God of the Quran." Tolow buug ma qoraa detailing how oppressed I was(beaten, tortured, was told about women being subhuman, was forced to marry a sheikh thrice my age,terrorized, paralyzed by fear I defended the religioun that caused me so much pain) and how one day a christian friend? No, scratch that a Jewish friend planned my scape(ocourse mentally), freed me and showed me the path of true peace. There I met my Jewish husband, AHH... A saint, a man of passion. No, a white knight! The title would read something like; THE OPPRESSIVE RILIGION AND THE TALE OF THE WOMAN WHO LIVED AND SCAPED IT? I will then book air time with major media outlets; CNN, FOX, The TODAY'S SHOW, The VIEW, GASP!! Oprah!! stupidh is as stupidh does. waxaan waa publicity stunt at its best. LOL... you just outlined a recipe for instant fame and wealth...

GAROWE - Residents in Somalia's Puntland State are frequently reporting of foreign helicopters hunting wildlife in rural and coastal areas, Radio Garowe reports. The reports began in Nov. 2008 and have impacted towns and villages in Puntland's Nugal, Karkar and Mudug regions. On Tuesday, a Somali livestock herder named Osman "Zoppe" Hassan Abdirahman who lives in Nugal region's Godobjiran district reported that foreign helicopters are "terrorizing" local populations. "I saw with my own eyes a military helicopter flying overhead with a net full of deer hanging below," Mr. Zoppe said via a telephone interview on Radio Garowe's Good Morning program. He described the military helicopters as "spraying the wildlife" before collecting them in big nets and flying away. "Some of my livestock were killed by the spray," he added, while describing the spray as "a type of poison." Mr. Zoppe said the helicopters mostly "collect deer and pigs in the wild" and said local nomad families are "terrorized" by the helicopter's actions. He said helicopters from foreign naval warships patrolling Somalia's long coast, especially the waters around Puntland State, as responsible for hunting the wildlife. NATO warships are patrolling the Puntland coast in a campaign against pirates, who pose a serious threat to international maritime trade. Puntland is a self-governing region in northeast Somalia. Since 2007, the region has seen a spike in pirate attacks and attracted NATO warships to its shores. http://www.garoweonline.com

Something isn't right about this: but his faith was shaken during one of his arrests in his late teens by the Israeli security forces, in which he was tortured and later thrown in prison, and this: He credits the Israeli forces for having high morals and following the rule of law when it comes to treatment of prisoners in war Did they acquire their high morals before or after they tortured him? All in all, Yousef wants his family, especially his father to embrace his new religion, 'the real peaceful religion', Christianity and to not hate" thy enemy", instead, he wants to see the day his family will denounce violence in all its forms and convert to Christianity. I wonder if he ever read history books about Christianity? and the role of the Christian missions to Latin America and Africa? Anyway, this guy can't tell his right from his left and it's definitely another one of those Islam-bashing publicity stunts... which has surfaced as a new get-rich-quick scheme.

I'm getting hungry...

^ I agree Baadiyow, and thank you for the insight... the comparison was not scientific at all and I'm not an economist by any means... it just roused my curiosity Yes, I lived in Germany, Austria and France for a couple of years (six month assignments) and I worked in the UAE, which is why I found this interesting...

^ makes one wonder what will happen after the oil runs out...

^ get used to it Lychee, there are a lot of bitter people on this forum Welcome

^^ I see the IDF have reappeared again Stop being a paranoiac awoowe, no one attacking Islam here... PS: The 'brainwashing' statement is overused and quite lame

Austria's got 8 million and the UAE's got 6 million (projected 7 million for 2010), they're not exactly the same but comparable +/- 2 million...

Everyone's knowledge is limited one way or another and no one on this planet is all-knowing.

by the way... just to show you how the media twisted our minds (or mine at least)... I first thought the article was titled "The Suicide Terrorist" ... LOL...

There's no point in life if one is unable to live it.

Originally posted by Cara.: ^That should be the SOL motto. Word.

hmmmmm... that's the one of the biggest perks of being a neutral country... hehe

I'm sorry for your loss walaal...

It's an interesting observation, of course if you go into temporals then none of the countries of the world would be comparable because they all were founded at different times. Anyway, I just thought it's rather interesting that a country that has no petroleum has a higher GDP than one with that resource and with similar population and geographical size. It's not a scientific comparison by any means I don't think it has a main industry, but rather a collection of them that contribute to the economy.

I'm not sure what would be the way around this predicament that has engulfed the Somali immigrant community in the UK. This is similar to the situation of the Turkish in Germany/Austria, the North Africans in France, the West African migrants in Spain and Italy and the African Americans/Arabs in the United States. But the question here is "what can our community do to shed this negative image?" I understand that injustice and discrimination leads one to shun society altogether and stay in the seclusion of one's people/community and perhaps to commit violent acts (against that society) that is not inherent in him/her, but that is seldom the solution. I think the way out is through education and outreach, the solution lies in the fostering of the 'good citizen' mentality in the minds of the young generation as well as in the hard-headed and stubborn older generation. I've noticed that the Indian community doesn't have as bad of a reputation as the Pakistani or Somali communities do, why do you think is that? Are they harder working? Are they more integrated? What are the Indians doing differently?

Originally posted by *ANWAR*: NEXT TIME I will not ask people in SOL for help I think this forum has a wealth knowledge present in its members, so please don't dismiss it just yet... as a Somali you know very well our people's habits to bicker and fight besides you did get sound advice as to your available choices so next time you have a question please do feel free to ask from your fellow Somalis you will indeed get good advice but that will be followed by some bickering as an added baggage... hahaha

Originally posted by Curly: Here a few from the times, notice the theme. Somali Britons with jihad training pose terrorist risk Wretched, jobless, inivible: are Britain's Somalis the enemy within? UK studen recruited for Somali jihad An eye for an eye, as Somali boy executes father's killer Somali student on trial for ‘failing to tell police of bomb plot Somali radicals 'importing terror to UK' say intelligence analysts I see your point. If these were white people the headlines would not have been the same. Instead of pointing the nationality out or the place of origin of the perpetrator, the headlines would read as follows: Jihad training pose terrorist risk Wretched, jobless, inivible: are the poor Britain's enemy within? UK student recruited for Jihad An eye for an eye, as boy executes father's killer Student on trial for ‘failing to tell police of bomb plot Radicals 'importing terror to UK' say intelligence analysts The media is wretched.

Originally posted by Adam.: maybe the West like Saudi Arabia would have only outlawed it 40 years ago? They outlawed it only 40 years ago? really? I hadn't known that... this further adds to my dislike of everything Saudi.

mutashakir ya Haatu

^ That's a good link Peacenow, thanks... The GDP of Austria still surpasses that of the UAE for 2009. It's unfortunate that they only have information for one African country.