08.11.2010

Israel demolishes illegal mosque in Bedouin city

RAHAT, Israel – Israeli police demolished an illegally built mosque in this impoverished Arab city on Sunday, touching off rock-throwing protests by residents and fueling new grievances for the country's Arab minority against the government.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the two-story mosque in the southern Israeli city of Rahat was knocked down under a court ruling. Before dawn, police armed with clubs and shields surrounded the area as a bulldozer knocked down the mosque.

Arab residents shouted in protest and conducted their prayers close to the site in defiance. Later, some protesters hurled rocks at police, Rosenfeld said. Five people were arrested; there were no injuries.

Hours after the mosque was demolished, residents began pouring cement to build the foundations for a new mosque on a nearby plot.

"They demolished it and we are rebuilding," said Fayiz Abu Sahiban, Rahat's mayor. He said the municipality tried to retroactively obtain a building permit, and noted that most of Rahat's 13 other mosques were built illegally.

The move is likely to further sour relations between Israel's Jews and minority Arab community, which makes up one-fifth of the country's seven million citizens. Although Israeli Arabs have full citizenship rights and participate actively in Israel's democracy, they have suffered pervasive discrimination and tend to identify with their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Rahat is a fairly unique case of a town dominated by Bedouins — once nomadic Arab tribes who have their own dialects and customs. They once served in large numbers in Israel's military, but years of neglect over housing and employment have pushed many of them toward radical Muslim movements.

Relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel have already hit a worrying low as Jews increasingly question the loyalty of their Arab neighbors while jittery Arab residents fear they are being unfairly characterized as a threat from within.

A spokeswoman for the Israel Lands Administration said the destroyed mosque had been built on state-owned land without a permit. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to comment on the matter.

Rahat residents built the mosque illegally because Israeli authorities would take too long to approve it, Abu Sahiban said.

Illegal building is a pervasive problem among Israel's Arab minority, who say officials do not free up enough land for them to build legally.

Authorities rarely demolish mosques, but this particular house of worship was financed by Israel's northern branch of the Islamic Movement, radical Muslim Israeli group that is frequently in conflict with authorities.

Critics note that Israeli authorities have not yet acted on a court ruling to evacuate Jewish settlers from a building in disputed east Jerusalem that was illegally expanded.

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Associated Press writer Diaa Hadid contributed to this report from Jerusalem.

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Winter Blues - a Problem for One in Four

The end of British Summer Time signifies the start of the Winter Blues for one in four of the population, according to research by the UK's biggest free to use cashback website.

(PRWeb UK) November 3, 2010

The survey conducted among more than 600,000 members of Top Cashback, revealed the extent to which the lack of sunshine during the winter months affects people and the diverse activities engaged in to combat the darkness.

Respondents were asked to rate just how much they were affected by the shorter days and longer nights and what changed most about their lives during the winter months.Not surprisingly the vast majority claimed to eat more and gain the most weight in December and then socialise least and feel at their worst in January. While the festive season can be blamed (or thanked) in part for these specific effects, the seasonal change plays an important role in mood, appetite and energy levels.

Of the 25% who claimed to be affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) more than half (58.3%) rated the problem 3 or higher on a scale of 1-5.

When asked what people did to combat the effects of Winter, the most popular response was to watch more television (51%), with 'snuggling up in front of a roaring fire', a close second. Other activities that rated highly were; reading a good book, going shopping and getting out for walk. Only 23% claimed to drink more alcohol to cope with the lack of sunlight.

Several respondents reported using one of the new lamps that mimic the sunrise, in place of the alarm clock, claiming it to be a more gentle way to wake up on cold dark mornings. The option of real sunlight, getting away for a Winter Sun holiday, was selected by only 17% of respondents.

More than a third of those completing the survey went into 'hibernation mode' during the winter, claiming to sleep for more than 9 hours each day, in some cases up to 14 hours. In contrast 26.3% managed less than 6 hours of sleep a day during the summer months.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Duncan Robb of Top Cashback said, “The internet gives people an escape from the dark and cold of Winter and we've been surprised how many use their computer to browse, shop, play games or simply communicate with friends as a way to keep their spirits up.”

Only 144 days until the clocks spring forward.

Date: 2 November 2010Issued by Duncan RobbFor further information call 0207 1939 029 or email duncan(at)topcashback(dot)co(dot)uk

Notes for Editors:Survey results based on 400 respondents completing the survey.

TopCashBack is the UK’s most generous and biggest free to use cashback website.Retailers pay a referral commission for any purchase made on their website via topcashback.co.uk but rather than keep this commission, Top CashBack passes 100% straight back to the customer as ‘cashback’.TopCashBack is funded by sponsored adverts across the site.The basic aim is to help each and every UK resident to save as much money as possible on their online shopping.Established in 2005 TopCashBack has an ethos of ‘fair play’ and has gone from strength-to-strength with a member base now over 600,000.

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Duncan RobbTop CashBack01889 562562Email Information

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Michael Jackson memorabilia fetches $1M in Macau

MACAU – An auction of some 100 items of Michael Jackson memorabilia has fetched more than $1 million, with a basketball autographed by the late singer and Michael Jordan netting $245,000.

Showing the lingering appeal of the "King of Pop," the sale Saturday in the southern Chinese city of Macau drew bidders from around the world.

An unidentified Internet bidder paid $180,000 for a black crystal-studded glove and an arm brace Jackson wore while filming a promotional video for his 1995 album "HIStory." An Internet bidder also bought the basketball.

Of the 435 total items up for sale, other non-Jackson items sold included a costume worn by Bruce Lee during the filming of "Game of Death" and a costume Madonna donned during her Girlie Show world tour.

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