President Bush has tapped Defense Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to take over as head of the World Bank. Bush told a news conference March 15 that Wolfowitz, now Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s top deputy, is “a compassionate, decent man who… Read moreBush nominates Wolfowitz to World Bank, keeps straight face
Newsday reports March 15 that militant settlers gathered at the Hebron tomb of Baruch Goldstein to mark the 11th anniversary of his massacre of 29 Palestinians as they prayed at the Tomb of Patriarchs, where Abraham is believed to be… Read moreSicko settlers schmooze at Baruch Goldstein’s tomb
The planned March 18 woman-led traditional Friday prayers—hailed as an historic first for Islam—have been moved from a Soho art gallery to an undisclosed location where they will be open to an invitation-only list following a slate of death threats…. Read moreNYC: pro-woman Muslims face death threats
An apparent lone nut, Bart Ross, left a suicide note claiming responsibility for the murder of two family members of Chicago federal Judge Joan Lefkow before blowing his own brains out, throwing suspicion off the white supremacist World Church of… Read moreLone nut named in Lefkow case
The administration of California’s Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has followed the Bush White House in producing "video press releases" neatly disguised as actual news items for distribution to TV news stations—Bush to promote the Iraq war, Arnold to promote his anti-union… Read more“Covert propaganda” in California
In another gesture of perverse irony, the Bush administration has appointed John Bolton, a longtime anti-UN ideologue, as ambassador to the UN (replacing John Danforth, who is stepping down). Currently State Department undersecretary for arms control (where he has exhibited… Read moreAnti-UN ideologue appointed UN ambassador
Following days of protests by predominantly Christians and Druze for Syria to pull out of Lebanon (their demands backed by the US and Israel), thousands of mostly Shi’ite demonstrators led by Hezbollah rallied in Beirut March 8 in support of… Read moreLebanon crisis could mean civil war for Syria: Uri Avnery
In an event organized by the progressive Islamic organization Muslim Wake Up!, the traditional Friday prayers will be led March 18 by a woman, Amina Wadud, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Hailed as an historic first for Islam, the… Read moreManhattan’s Soho stages historic breakthrough for Islam
Ramush Haradunaj, the ethnic Albanian prime minister of Kosovo (known to the Albanians as Kosova) stepped down from his post and boarded a flight for the The Netherlands March 9, turning himself over to international authorities at The Hague, where… Read moreKosovo prime minister to The Hague
Italians are demanding answers in the case of US troops opening fire at a checkpoint on a car containing an Italian secret serviceman and an Italian journalist recently freed from Iraqi abductors. The secret serviceman, Nicola Caripari, was killed, and… Read moreDid U.S. target Italian journalist?
A friend writes, translating from the Feb. 27 edition of the Turkish journal Aksam: At the moment Turkey wishes to enter into Europe, the ideological book of AdolfHitler entitled "Mein Kampf," forbidden in Germany, is a success in Turkey. One… Read moreMein Kampf best-seller in Turkey
Thomas Friedman in his March 3 New York Times column, "Brave, Young and Muslim," hails restive and modern-minded reformers in the Islamic world, and especially singles out Irshad Manji, Canadian Muslim feminist author of The Trouble with Islam Today. Friedman… Read more“Muslim Refuseniks” make op-ed page
