Clinton "Tearing" Up!! Ha, ha
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/09/clinton-tearing-up-coul_n_80643.html

Women who wear head scarves say that they adopt this dress as a sincere expression of their religious beliefs. The decision to wear (or not to wear39) dress such as head-covering in public is a form of personal and religious expression protected by various instruments, including Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and can only be limited where interests of the individual are outweighed by the state's legitimate concerns regarding, for example, public order, health or morality. In Turkey the wearing of the head scarf by students or elected representatives has not presented a threat to public order, health or morality, and it is difficult to imagine circumstances in which it might.

The head scarf issue has not been tested in the European Court of Human Rights either with respect to educational institutions or the workplace. However, the Turkish educational establishment is using the considerable prestige and authority of the Council of Europe to justify the ban. An evaluation of legal issues relating to the ban, believed to have been prepared by the Council for Higher Education (YÖK) and circulated to university rectors, as well as a statement by the Turkish Prime Minister's Office's High Coordinating Council for Human Rights, refer to and summarize an admissibility decision in the case of Lamiye Bulut.40
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/turkey2/Turk009-05.htm

new subject: Why do most Turks were moustaches? National tradition?

Sarkozy Considers Israel His Real Home
http://judicial-inc.biz/s.,.Sarkozy_considers_israel_his_rea.htm

Sarkozy's Jewish roots

France's new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, lost 57 members of his family to the Nazis and comes from a long line of Jewish and Zionist leaders and heroes, writes RAANAN ELIAZ.

IN an interview Nicolas Sarkozy gave in 2004, he expressed an extraordinary understanding of the plight of the Jewish people for a home: “Should I remind you the visceral attachment of every Jew to Israel, as a second mother homeland? There is nothing outrageous about it. Every Jew carries within him a fear passed down through generations, and he knows that if one day he will not feel safe in his country, there will always be a place that would welcome him. And this is Israel.”

Sarkozy’s sympathy and understanding is most probably a product of his upbringing it is well known that Sarkozy’s mother was born to the Mallah family, one of the oldest Jewish families of Salonika, Greece.

Additionally, many may be surprised to learn that his yet-to-be-revealed family history involves a true and fascinating story of leadership, heroism and survival.

It remains to be seen whether his personal history will affect his foreign policy and France’s role in the Middle East conflict.

In the 15th century, the Mallah family (in Hebrew: messenger or angel) escaped the Spanish Inquisition to Provence, France and moved about one hundred years later to Salonika.

In Greece, several family members became prominent Zionist leaders, active in the local and national political, economic, social and cultural life.

To this day many Mallahs are still active Zionists around the world.

Sarkozy’s grandfather, Aron Mallah, nicknamed Benkio, was born in 1890.

Beniko’s uncle Moshe was a well-known Rabbi and a devoted Zionist who, in 1898 published and edited “El Avenir”, the leading paper of the Zionist national movement in Greece at the time.

His cousin, Asher, was a Senator in the Greek Senate and in 1912 he helped guarantee the establishment of the Technion – the elite technological university in Haifa, Israel.

In 1919 he was elected as the first President of the Zionist Federation of Greece and he headed the Zionist Council for several years. In the 1930’s he helped Jews flee to Israel, to which he himself immigrated in 1934.

Another of Beniko’s cousins, Peppo Mallah, was a philanthropist for Jewish causes who served in the Greek Parliament, and in 1920 he was offered, but declined, the position of Greece’s Minister of Finance. After the establishment of the State of Israel he became the country’s first diplomatic envoy to Greece.

In 1917 a great fire destroyed parts of Salonika and damaged the family estate.

Many Jewish-owned properties, including the Mallah’s, were expropriated by the Greek government. Jewish population emigrated from Greece and much of the Mallah family left Salonika to France, America and Israel.

Sarkozy’s grandfather, Beniko, immigrated to France with his mother. When in France Beniko converted to Catholicism and changed his name to Benedict in order to marry a French Christian girl named Adèle Bouvier.

Adèle and Benedict had two daughters, Susanne and Andrée. Although Benedict integrated fully into French society, he remained close to his Jewish family, origin and culture.

Knowing he was still considered Jewish by blood, during World War II he and his family hid in Marcillac la Croisille in the Corrèze region, western France.

During the Holocaust, many of the Mallahs who stayed in Salonika or moved to France were deported to concentration and extermination camps.

In total, fifty-seven family members were murdered by the Nazis. Testimonies reveal that several revolted against the Nazis and one, Buena Mallah, was the subject of Nazis medical experiments in the Birkenau concentration camp.

In 1950 Benedict’s daughter, Andrée Mallah, married Pal Nagy Bosca y Sarkozy, a descendent of a Hungarian aristocratic family. The couple had three sons – Guillaume, Nicolas and François.

The marriage failed and they divorced in 1960, so Andrée raised her three boys close to their grandfather, Benedict.

Nicolas was especially close to Benedict, who was like a father to him. In his biography Sarkozy tells he admired his grandfather, and through hours spent of listening to his stories of the Nazi occupation, the “Maquis” (French resistance), De Gaulle and the D-day, Benedict bequeathed to Nicolas his political convictions.

Sarkozy’s family lived in Paris until Benedict’s death in 1972, at which point they moved to Neuilly-sur-Seine to be closer to the boys’ father, Pal (who changed his name to Paul) Sarkozy. Various memoirs accounted Paul as a father who did not spend much time with the kids or help the family monetarily.

Nicolas had to sell flowers and ice cream in order to pay for his studies. However, his fascination with politics led him to become the city’s youngest mayor and to rise to the top of French and world politics. The rest is history.

It may be a far leap to consider that Sarkozy’s Jewish ancestry may have any bearing on his policies vis-à-vis Israel.

However, many expect Sarkozy’s presidency to bring a dramatic change not only in France’s domestic affairs, but also in the country’s foreign policy in the Middle-East.

One cannot overestimate the magnitude of the election of the first French President born after World War II, whose politics seem to represent a new dynamic after decades of old-guard Chirac and Mitterrand.

There is even a reason to believe that Sarkozy, often mocked as “the American friend” and blamed for ‘ultra-liberal’ worldviews, will lean towards a more Atlanticist policy.

Nevertheless, there are several reasons that any expectations for a drastic change in the country’s Middle East policy, or foreign policy in general, should be downplayed.

First, one must bear in mind that France’s new president will spend the lion’s share of his time dealing with domestic issues such as the country’s stagnated economy, its social cohesiveness and the rising integration-related crime rate. When he finds time to deal with foreign affairs, Sarkozy will have to devote most of his energy to protecting France’s standing in an ever-involved European Union.

In his dealings with the US, Sarkozy will most likely prefer to engage on less explosive agenda-items than the Middle-East.

Second, France’s foreign policy stems from the nation’s interests, rooted in reality and influenced by a range of historic, political, strategic and economic considerations.

Since Sarkozy’s landing at the Elysée on May 16 will not change those, France’s foreign policy ship will not tilt so quickly under a new captain.

Third reason why expectations for a drastic change in France’s position in the Middle-East may be naïve is the significant weight the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs exerts over the country’s policies and agenda.

There, non-elected bureaucrats tend to retain an image of Israel as a destabilizing element in the Middle-East rather then the first line of defence of democracy.

Few civil servants in Quai d’Orsay would consider risking France’s interests or increasing chances for “a clash of civilizations” in order to help troubled Israel or Palestine to reach peace.

It is a fair to predict that France will stay consistent with its support in establishing a viable Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, existing side by side with a peaceful Israel.

How to get there, if at all, will not be set by Sarkozy’s flagship but rather he will follow the leadership of the US and the EU. Not much new policy is expected regarding Iran, on which Sarkozy has already voiced willingness to allow development of civilian nuclear capabilities, alongside tighter sanctions on any developments with military potency.

One significant policy modification that could actually come through under Sarkozy is on the Syrian and Lebanese fronts. The new French president is not as friendly to Lebanon as was his predecessor, furthermore, as the Minister of the Interior, Sarkozy even advocated closer ties between France and Syria.

Especially if the later plays the cards of talking-peace correctly, Sarkozy may increase pressure on Israel to evacuate the Golan Heights in return for a peace deal with Assad.

Despite the above, although Sarkozy’s family roots will not bring France closer to Israel, the presidents’ personal Israeli friends may. As a Minister of Interior, Sarkozy shared much common policy ground with former Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The two started to develop a close friendship not long ago and it is easy to observe similarities not only in their ideology and politics, but also in their public image. If Netanyahu returns to Israel’s chief position it will be interesting to see whether their personal dynamic will lead to a fresh start for Israel and France, and a more constructive European role in the region.

When leaders fall in love...
Sarkozy gets cozy with his fellow tribe members:

An Israeli diplomat who sat in on the recent meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he could not remember a more jovial and affable conversation between an Israeli head of state and his French counterpart. The suspicions and tensions that loomed large over many similar meetings in the past had vanished. The diplomat added that the two related to each other as though they were representing sister states.

"Sarkozy did not hide his great support for Israel and openly expressed how impressed he was by the young country's achievements," the diplomat said.

Throughout his presidential campaign, Sarkozy unabashedly declared he was an admirer of Israel. To his inner circle he spoke of a real affinity and on the occasion of his acceptance speech of his party's candidacy for president he described his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial as one of the two most important events in his life.

...

"I don't remember such a demonstrably friendly statement by a president toward Israel in the history of modern France," said French lawmaker Jean-Francois Cope as I met him on the steps of the National Assembly. Cope, 43, was elected half a year ago as the leader of the parliament's ruling party.

...

A French diplomat talking on condition of anonymity said the French were rediscovering Israel, and Israel was rediscovering France. "The music sounded by France is very pleasing to Israel, particularly on the Iranian issue. We see eye-to-eye on the issue of Iran nuclear armament," he said.

Israel's ambassador to France, Daniel Shek, also sounded upbeat about the warming of relations.

"I wouldn't say there was a fundamental shift on the basic policies of France toward Israel, but the tone has certainly changed," the ambassador said. "Sarkozy is stating clearly and openly that he is pro-Israel, pro-America and against Iran. What more can you ask for?"

He is no friend of mine, never was!
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/01/news/web.0131sarkotext.php?page=4

Hungarian-Jewish


Relations between Paris and Tel Aviv have improved significantly under the new French president

French-Israeli bilateral relations have seen several ups and downs. The "golden era" was during the 1950s, when France was a strong ally of Israel, and the main supplier of arms to the Jewish state.

But, under the late president Charles de Gaulle, and in the aftermath of 1967 war, relations between the two countries deteriorated, as De Gaulle imposed an almost complete arms embargo on Israel. So the Jewish state turned to the Unites States.

However, with Nicolas Sarkozy becoming the president of France, French-Israeli ties have seen a phenomenal improvement. Sarkozy has projected himself as Israel's "friend". And the Zionist state promptly branded his election to the presidency as a "turning point" in its troubled relations with Paris.

Both Israel and the US hailed Sarkozy's presidential election victory, especially as he succeeded Jacques Chirac, under whom France was perceived as "a friend of the Arabs".

Sarkozy, who is of Hungarian-Jewish origins, has frequently asserted his deep friendship towards the US. His views are similar to those of the US President George W. Bush, who is totally pro-Israel.

In September 2006, Sarkozy openly said that he is "Israel's friend", and that Israel's security is of paramount importance. "Israel is a democracy that was born in circumstances which we all know [referring to the holocaust]".

He further said that "it is a prime responsibility of all free nations to ensure Israel's survival". But despite his professed friendship with Lebanon, Sarkozy never even alluded to Israel's crimes against the Lebanese people during its war in the summer of 2006.

As for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Sarkozy has often reiterated his full support to "Israel's security", though he - like many other world leaders - also waxes eloquent about "the creation of a Palestinian state in the 1967 border".

A recent example was his surprisingly positive speech during the Paris Donors Conference on December 17.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited France on October 21, to discuss one of the most important issues for the two states at the moment: Iran's nuclear programme.

Indeed, their stance on this issue is almost identical. France is, in fact, the only EU member state which has called for sanctions against Iran to force it to abandon uranium enrichment, though some of France's European partners, like Italy and Germany (which have major trade interests in Iran) have expressed their reservations about any new possible sanctions against Tehran.

In that sense, Olmert's visit to Paris opened a fresh chapter, with France replacing Britain as Israel's closer ally in Europe. This, given the fact that Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, seeks to distance himself a bit from US policies in the Middle East.

France's change of attitude towards Israel's policies has made its outlook on Arab issues similar to that of the US. Importantly, Olmert's visit to France was covered widely in the French media. The active Jewish lobby in France played its part in highlighting the visit, too.

In Paris, the dominant feeling today is that France has entered a new era, and Sarkozy won't be a Washington lackey, but rather an ally.

At the same time, and rather deceptively, Sarkozy has tried to show that French ties with Arab states too remain important. There have been some token measures, like exchange of visits and France's effort to solve the Lebanese dispute.

However, Sarkozy seems to have discerned that in this American era, Tel Aviv is the gateway to the Middle East.

He seems to have come to the conclusion that any political role in the region is bound only to US positions, and that Europe's role is now limited to providing humanitarian support. For Olmert, his visit to Paris has boosted his sagging political profile.

During this visit, Sarkozy presented Olmert (and Israel) with a precious gift: he declared the annulment of the 60-year-old UN resolution on the Palestinian refugees' right to return home. By so doing, France has basically said that Israel can disregard international resolutions.

Sarkozy said: "I don't back Israel out of personal reasons associated with my Jewish grandfather, but because it has introduced diversity and democracy to the Middle East. The creation of such a state by Jewish refugees was a miracle."

Later, Sarkozy's spokesman said: "Once Israel's security is ensured, a positive response to the Palestinians could be possible." This explicitly means that France supports Israel's policy of making no concessions to the Palestinian National Authority unless its security is guaranteed.

Tell Turkish Pop Prince Tarkan to Stop Wearing Fur

PETA blasts Turkish singer Tarkan for wearing fur

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia-Pacific division has sent a letter to Turkish pop singer Tarkan, criticizing him for disregarding animal rights by wearing fur.

In the letter PETA underlines that by wearing fur, Tarkan, whose song "Kiss Kiss" had hit the charts in more than a dozen countries, is supporting the torture of animals. It was also stressed that the image of Turkey would be harmed by allowing one of its prominent artists to be associated with cruelty to animals.

Senior officials from PETA stated that Tarkan should be called "Tarzan" since he seems to like wearing animal products.

PETA noted in the letter that it is opposed to fur products due to the methods used to obtain the furs. The letter stated that animals are trapped, tortured and cruelly killed by drowning or having their heads smashed. Moreover, some animals are kept in small cages at fur farms, and then they are either electrified or poisoned.

PETA notes that an undercover investigation revealed that millions of cats and dogs are brutally killed in China, which is the leading exporter of fur, and they are falsely labeled as fur from other species in global markets.

A statement from PETA campaign coordinator Cem Akın noted: "Each time Tarkan wears fur, he is contributing to the fur industry. Thus he is being a bad role model. Fur is the cruelest product of a bygone era. Tarkan has no excuse for wearing fur in today's world, which offers a vast array of fashion alternatives."

PETA has initiated a campaign called "Tell Turkish Pop Prince Tarkan to Stop Wearing Fur," advising the people visiting its Web site to take action against Tarkan by contacting him and asking him to stop wearing his furs.

Istanbul Tango Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUVHNC5t8h0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WryDq_s57nQ&feature=related