BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

TRULY FRIGHTENING Time Out's London Edition this time is really scary. Take a look - do you think this a GOOD THING? Well, its certainly being presented as such. From TIME OUT: THE ISLAMIC ISSUE Is London's future Islamic? Islam is the fastest growing religion in London. Despite benefiting from a mutually nourishing relationship for centuries, a misunderstanding of the Muslim community still lingers in London. In this issue Time Out asks what is the root of this suspicion? What can we learn from Islam? And if the capital becomes a predominately Muslim city in years to come, what would this actually mean? Would you be enriched or enraged? LINK TO THE MAGAZINE HERE PLEASE CLICK HERE TO JBLOG ME

"We Do Call Jews Apes", Islamic School Head Admits The principal of an Islamic school has admitted that it uses textbooks which describe Jews as “apes” and Christians as “pigs” and has refused to withdraw them. Dr Sumaya Alyusuf confirmed that the offending books exist after former teacher Colin Cook, 57, alleged that children as young as five are taught from racist materials at the King Fahd Academy in Acton. In an interview on BBC2’s Newsnight, Dr Alyusuf was asked by Jeremy Paxman whether she recognised the books. She said: “Yes, I do recognise these books, of course. We have these books in our school. These books have good chapters that can be used by the teachers. It depends on the objectives the teacher wants to achieve.” In another exchange, Dr Alyusuf insisted the books should not be scrapped, saying that allegedly racist sections had been “misinterpreted”. The school is owned, funded and run by the government of Saudi Arabia. Mr Paxman asked: “Will you now remove thi...

LOOK OUT ENGLAND! INCOMING! PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER COMING TO LONDON Britain's Foreign Office has invited Palestinian foreign minister Ziad Abu Amr to meet British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett in London, officials on both sides said Thursday. "The precise arrangements and timing require discussion between the two foreign ministries," a spokesman for the British Consulate General in Beit-ul-Moqaddas told AFP by telephone. "He will meet the Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett and is likely to speak at a public event at a policy centre," the spokesman added. Abu Amr is an independent member of a Palestinian national unity government formed two months ago in which Hamas -- blacklisted as a terrorist organization in the West -- is the senior coalition partner. The new government was created with the aims of ending a crippling Western boycott on direct aid slapped on Hamas's first cabinet after the group won a 2006 election and of drawing a line under de...