Viviane's Corner

edited by Aimee Kligman

Does Islam Justify Honor Killings?: Sandela Kanwal wanted a divorce for unknown reasons. Maybe her husband in Chicago was a wife-beater. Maybe she just didn't like him. We don't know. For months, she had been trying to get her father to end her unhappy marriage and in July 2008 Sandela tried again. This time, Chaudhry Rashad strangled his daughter to death. When the police arrived, he stated that he did nothing wrong and later demanded that he be provided halal food while in jail.

What kind of an ideology causes a man to show no remorse for murdering his own daughter, but rants and raves at being served ham sandwiches while in prison? The media picked up the story quickly and asked, "Is Islam to blame?"

On CNN, Zuhdi Jasser, of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, tried to paint Rashad as a backward cultural aberration, stating:

It [the honor killing of Sandela] has nothing to do with Islam. This is a tribal, medieval mentality that is seen in tribes in Pakistan and India, and often is not even seen in Islamic communities. It's basically part of the ignorance of the tribal community.

On Fox News, Irshad Manji, on the other hand, stated that these killings are often done in the name of Allah and compared them to honor killings in the last century in Italy, which were carried out by Catholics. She notes that these killings are often done with the name of "Allah dripping from their lips." more>>

Zimbabwe Jews holding out: APE TOWN (JTA) -- With Zimbabwe in the throes of an economic and political crisis, the country’s tiny Jewish community is holding steady.

The president of a synagogue in the city of Bulawayo says Zimbabwe’s approximately 320 Jews have been left largely unharmed by the violence surrounding last week's presidential election that drove opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai from the race.

 Picture shows an African Jewish Congress delegation pays a solidarity visit to Zimbabwe at the end of May 2008.

Observers outside the country have called the vote, in which President Robert Mugabe was re-elected, a sham. Hylton Solomon, the 52-year-old president of the Bulawayo Hebrew Congregation, says the Jews of Zimbabwe have become accustomed to the grim situation in their country.

“Over the years, everybody has been so disappointed,” he told JTA. “It’s just another day. They just accept” it. “The Jews, certainly in Bulawayo, I don’t believe feel threatened, and I don’t think they ever have.”

Though they have been spared the violence, Zimbabwe's Jews have been hit hard by the economic crisis. The country has been beset by electricity, food, water and fuel shortages.continued >>

Hamad ben Khalifa : Dans son émirat il construit des tours interminables et des îles artificielles pour bains de mer de milliardaires. Sur la scène diplomatique il est devenu un expert en pacification, jamais avare d'une mission bons offices - auprès de Kadhafi pour qu'il libère les infirmières bulgares, des Israéliens pour qu'ils maintiennent un filet de dialogue avec le Hamas ou des factions yéménites pour qu'elles cessent de s'entretuer. Encore jeune, l'émir du Qatar soigne son image de réformiste avec le même sens du marketing que celui déployé par son pays pour devenir, grâce à l'argent de ses gisements gaziers et de ses réserves pétrolières, « le Singapour du Moyen-Orient ».

Ce grand amateur d'athlétisme, qui échangerait sans doute pas mal de barils de pétrole pour conquérir quelques médailles d'or aux JO, aurait pu se voir affubler d'une image de Brutus en djellaba, ayant conquis le pouvoir en le prenant sans le demander à son père, en train de respirer l'air des cimes en Suisse. Mais il a su intelligemment s'adapter aux temps nouveaux. Sponsor généreux du prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, qui se déroulera dimanche à Longchamp, ce riche passionné d'équitation ne risque guère d'entendre à son propos la formule en vogue dans le milieu des courses : « Une selle dorée ne fait pas d'un âne un cheval. »

Réussite de la Mission Israël 2008, la plus importante délégation québécoise de la décennie en Israël: Le ministre québécois du Développement Economique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation et ministre du Tourisme, Mr Raymond Bachand, s’est félicité des résultats de la mission économique et scientifique qui a été organisée fin septembre en Israël.

A l’issue de cette mission, Mr Bachand a déclaré : “Ce furent trois journées d’activités, bien remplies et très fructueuses. Au total, la délégation de plus d’une quarantaine de Québécois a participé à une centaine de rendez-vous privés et a rencontré près de 200 personnes. Je suis très heureux d’avoir dirigé cette mission en Israël et j’entrevois déjà de nombreuses retombées positives pour les entreprises et les chercheurs du Québec”.

Lors de cette mission, une entente de coopération a été signée avec le ministre israélien de l’Industrie, du Commerce et du Travail, Mr Eliyahu Yishai. Avec Mr Eli Opper, scientifique en chef de ce ministère, les discussions ont porté sur l’accroissement des collaborations sur des projets en recherche et innovation. Un appel à projet devrait être lancé prochainement pour encourager la R&D conjointe entre le Québec et Israël.

Le président du conseil d’administration de l’Institut national d’optique québécois, M. Jean-Guy Paquet, a tenu à souligner : “J’ai été impressionné par la grande productivité des organisations israéliennes, qui ont pour souci de produire rapidement des résultats en termes de transferts de technologie. Cela confirme le fait que nous devons accroître nos relations avec cet acteur majeur en R&D qu’est Israël.” en savoir plus>>

Anti Muslim Islamophobia Expel Islam from Europe : The controversial Danish People's Party member of the European Parliament Mogens Camre spoke at the DPP's annual meeting Sunday, calling to expel Islam from Europe.

"Islam cannot be integrated. Islam will dominate Europe. And Islam is incompatible with our values. Therefore Islam will be thrown out of Europe. This little land is ours, we forged it ourselves. And we will govern it ourselves and decide ourselves who will live in it and how they will behave. And we will fight until Denmark is again free," said Camre, to loud applause.

Last year a similar statement by DPP member Merethe Egeberg Holm caused a commotion, when she said "Out with all Muslims in Europe and in with Jews instead!" That was her last speech as after last year's meeting, she was expelled from the party.

Camre met with harsh criticism for his statement. Kamal Qureshi (Socialist People's Party) compared the DPP politicians to Danish Nazi head Jonni Hansen. He also hit out at his colleagues in parliament, whom he thinks are keeping too quiet. Both the reigning party and the opposition should distance themselves from the statements. (ed: the man [Camre] is absolutely right)

Iranian president Ahmadinejad Wants Peace says Jewish Rabbi Weiss : Fringe ultra-Orthodox anti-Zionist group meets with Iranian president following his controversial UN speech. Delegation's Rabbi Weiss: "We know he is not an enemy to the Jews, he has a Jewish community in his country that he honors, defends and supports."

After his virulently an anti-Zionist speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday drew reactions the world over, a group of Neturei Karta rabbis met in Manhattan on Wednesday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad with Rabbi Weiss

Neturei Karta is a fringe ultra-Orthodox group formally created in 1935, that opposes Zionism and calls for the dismantling of the State of Israel on the grounds that they believe Jews are forbidden to have their own state until the coming of the Messiah. Rabbi Yisroel David Weiss, who took part in the meeting, told Ynet the encounter was "very successful" and was conducted in a warm and friendly environment.

Not against Jews, against Zionists. more>>

Stolen Czech Jewish art to be returned: The Jewish Museum in Prague is ready to return a valuable art collection stolen during the Nazi occupation to the American relatives of its former owner, but the Americans will not be able to take some of the art out of the country, officials said Wednesday.

The collection of 32 paintings and drawings belonged to Emil Freund, a Jewish lawyer who was deported in 1941 from Prague to the Jewish ghetto in Lodz, Poland. He died there the following year.

Le sardinier et la vieille ville, 1891 Paul Signac

Thirteen of the most valuable pieces were declared cultural treasures by the Czech Culture Ministry in 2002. That status prevents the artworks from being taken out of the country, so the new owners will have to leave them in the Czech Republic. And if the new owners want to sell the pieces, they must offer them first to the Czech state. more>>

Italy: Women rising through Mafia ranks: Women are filling a power vacuum in the Naples' Mafia left by jailed male bosses and assuming leadership roles, public prosecutor Simona Dimonte told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Wednesday.

"Just as women are playing important roles in politics and in companies, the Camorra's women have broken free from the hearth and are playing executive roles in the organisation," said Dimonte. "This is happening especially when the women's husbands or brothers end up behind bars in a high security prison. The Camorra women become the bosses' sole contact and transmit their orders to the outside world," she said.

"Camorra members recognise the women's authority because they are the bosses' wives or sisters. In general the women don't kill but delegate the dirty work," Dimonte said. more>>>

Apaiser l'Iran ?: "Aussi inadapté soit-il aujourd'hui, l'apaisement ne cesse de séduire les esprits modernes, et refait inéluctablement surface lorsque les Etats démocratiques font face à des ennemis, fussent-ils idéologiques et agressifs. Pour ce qui concerne l'Iran, par exemple, George W. Bush a beau avoir courageusement dénoncé « le faux confort de l'apaisement, qui a été discrédité de manière répétée par l'histoire », le directeur du Middle East Quarterly, Michael Rubin, n'en discerne pas moins dans les réalités de la politique américaine que « Bush présentement apaise l'Iran ».

Pour résumer, la politique d'apaisement existe depuis un siècle et demi. Elle a connu quelques succès et n'a pas disparu. Mais lorsqu'on a affaire à des ennemis idéologiques il faut lui résister lucidement, à moins d'ignorer les leçons tragiques des années 1930, 1970 et 1990, et de prendre le risque de voir les erreurs se répéter." Lire tout l'article de Daniel Pipes>>

Marathon biblique à la télé italienne: Le pape lancera dimanche un marathon de lecture biblique de sept jours à la télévision publique italienne auquel participeront trois anciens présidents, de nombreux de ministres, des artistes comme l'acteur Roberto Benigni, des musulmans et des juifs mais pas de rabbin.

Le grand rabbin de Rome a décliné l'offre de participer à cette lecture publique ininterrompue du livre sacré car, a-t-il expliqué aux médias, l'initiative qui coïncide avec un synode des évêques au Vatican consacré justement à la Bible lui semble "trop catholique". Le synode s'ouvre dimanche au Vatican.

Le grand rabbin, Riccardo Di Segni, a cependant réfuté toute "intention polémique" et a exprimé son plus grand respect pour l'initiative de Benoît XVI.

Kol Nidrei - The Moroccan Version: Eyal Bitton sings the beautiful & ancient Moroccan version of KOL NIDREI in a modern style. This haunting oath is sung on Yom Kippur by Jewish communities worldwide - Sephardi & Ashkenazi. / Kol Nidré - version marocaine. Prière chantée la veille de Kippour. Harmonisation pour hazzan et chorale par soliste Eyal Bitton.

Shayna Goldstein: From Hebrew School to Hollywood : Shayna Goldstein, a 17-year-old from Denver, Colo., was - until recently - one of six remaining contestants on ABC’s hit reality TV show High School Musical: Get in the Picture. We got personal with Shayna about her experience as the only Jew on the show, and what she plans to do when it’s all over.

You’re the only Jew on the show. What has that been like?
I am. I’m really secure with my Judaism. I love who I am, and Judaism is a really big part of me. It’s one of the first things I tell people. It’s a huge part of who I am, so it makes me stand out. There’s such a huge Jewish community, and I have all of that support while I’m here.

Are your Jewish values helping you get through the competition?
My values have no doubt helped me through this competition. I’ve grown up in such a loving community. After every show we get emails and calls from everyone, saying how proud they are. When you meet another Jew, it’s an instant connection. It doesn’t matter; you just are connected. That’s what I’ve learned—how to interact and how to be humble and kind. read the entire interview