Interesting lectures by researchers on government and commercial spying/surveillance/hacking.



I think lecture 2 is more important than part 1 to watch... less technical, actually shows hardware etc in there and shows you how badly the internet and electronic communication is compromised.



The basic gist is one of total surveillance. They discuss specific products (I don't like Apple, so the apple bit is interesting)



(oh and btw, if you are reading this on a laptop with a camera, thats easy to hack. security conscious people should tape it over.)



Lecture 1:

Lecture 2:



[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vILAlhwUgIU]

I know this site is a bit slow in terms of content and responses but that's because there aren't many members on here, so you should join and voice your opinion, get the discussions going and the opinions aflying.

It might be a bit complicated to create an account and post on here, but trust me, when you take hte time to create that account, you won't regret it. There's loads of spammers and crazy people out there who would jump at the opportunity to post rubbish and make good people's life a lil difficult if access to the forums was simplified. so you should join, it's worth it. we're a nice lil super-diverse community, and the main thing that crosses each of our lives are a) Islam and b) This site. so join!

There isnt much on here you want to contribute to? you should check out the facebook revival page, lots of new content posted often, I'm sure you'll want to share your opinion on there. Also, you should join the site and just post an interesting article you've stumbled on or a question you've been wondering about.

You don't feel welcome... I'm really sorry to hear that, please create an account and tell us why you don't feel welcome. we're missing out on your new opinions and point of view and it's truly our loss. So you should join and comment down below, tell us what's wrong. is it because we sound like a clique? or too old and grown up? or too immature? well not to worry, all the previously mentionned issues can be addressed and really aren't issues at all. There's a bunch of us on this site and we are very, very, very different all in our own ways. if you stick around long enough you'll get to meet lots of people. so..you should join!

Muslim families in New York City have been requesting official recognition for Islamic holidays in public schools for years now, but they may finally see some changes under new Mayor Bill de Blasio.

On Monday he discussed the issue on the Brian Lehrer Show, declaring that he planned to move forward with closing schools for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, as well as for the Lunar New Year.

“It is complicated in terms of logistics and school calendar and budget. But it’s something I want to get done in a reasonable time frame,” he said, according to the New York Daily News.

Though Muslims appreciate his efforts, another community is feeling stiffed. De Blasio said on Monday that he hadn't yet taken a position on whether Diwali should be officially recognized with a day off for public schools. The festival of lights is celebrated in the Hindu, Jain, and Sikh communities and is an important holiday. Dr. Shashi Shah of the Association of Indians in America told the Daily News, "We are disappointed. We’ve been trying for a long time … It’s very important for the community."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/04/muslim-public-school-holidays-…

Yes, this actually happened. 

A 13-year-old schoolboy raped his eight-year-old sister after watching pornography on an X-Box computer console, a court has heard.

The teenager told police he used the games console to view explicit material before he 'decided to try it out'.

The boy said he targeted his younger sister because she was small and 'couldn't remember stuff'.

At Blackburn Magistrates Court yesterday the boy admitted rape, indecent assault and inciting his sister to perform a sexual act on him.

The youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has been bailed to live with relatives away from his sister while a pre-sentence report is being prepared.

Fiona Elvines, from the Rape Crisis Charity, said that children accessing pornography was a ‘growing concern’.

She said: 'This is going to completely destabilise this little girl’s life.

'It will take her a very long time to try and work through. It will have put her life on a different track and I do not want that to happen to anybody else.'

Ms Elvines told the Lancashire Telegraph 'For a long time, people have been sitting on the fence and saying we do not have the evidence to say porn is harmful, but now we are starting to have some evidence around young people’s exposure.

'How much evidence do you need? It shows that the government’s measures are extremely important and that we need to start acting.

'When children see porn, they have no context for what it is used for. There is pressure on children to be sexualised, particularly on younger boys, to start having sex.

'It is coming from peers and porn.'

The government has said that by the end of 2014 all devices with access to the internet will be blocked from accessing pornography, with users forced to opt in.

The X-Box customer support website says explicit content and internet access can be restricted using parental controls.

Microsoft, the company which makes the console, said: 'We have the greatest sympathy for all involved in this case. 

'At Microsoft we have some of the most robust systems that allow parents to control what their children play and watch online. 

'For example, access to the internet is switched off automatically for all child accounts on X-box, and we urge parents to review the settings on their children’s consoles.'

In November last year a 12-year-old boy admitted three charges of rape against his sister, aged under 10, after he watched pornography at school and went home to copy what he had seen.

The abuse took place over the course of a year and was only discovered after the girl confided in a family member.

The boy was given a three-year youth rehabilitation order and will continue to live at the family home.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender for two-and-a-half years.

Taken from: Daily Mail

The prayer was performed on Saturday 1 February.



On Sunday Florida gets its largest rainfall of the year.

Full story here http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/ex-harrow-mayor-sides-pr…

I think it's wrong that they didn't take the child's background into consideration. But on a related on is a  Muslim child being fostered/adopted by a homosexual couple ok? Is it better than not having the right care? Or would it be wrong because Islamically the child will just be led astray which is perhaps the biggest wrong you can do to a child? I dunno. *confused*

Amal Farah, a 32-year-old banking executive, is laughing about a contestant singing off-key in the last series of The X Factor. For a woman who was not allowed to listen to music when she was growing up, this is a delight. After years of turmoil, she is in control of her own life.

On the face of it, she is a product of modern Britain. Born in Somalia to Muslim parents, she grew up in Yemen and came to the UK in her late teens. After questioning her faith, she became an atheist and married a Jewish lawyer. But this has come at a cost. When she turned her back on her religion, she was disowned by her family and received death threats. She has not seen her mother or her siblings for eight years. None of them have met her husband or daughter.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done – telling my observant family that I was having doubts. My mum was shocked; she began to cry. It was very painful for her. When she realised I actually meant it, she cut communication with me,” said Ms Farah. “She was suspicious of me being in contact with my brothers and sisters. She didn’t want me to poison their heads in any way. I felt like a leper and I lived in fear. As long as they knew where I was, I wasn’t safe.”

This is the first time Ms Farah has spoken publicly about her experience of leaving her faith, after realising that she did not want to keep a low profile for ever. She is an extreme case – her mother, now back in Somalia, has become increasingly radical in her religious views. But Ms Farah is not alone in wanting to speak out.

It can be difficult to leave any religion, and those that do can face stigma and even threats of violence. But there is a growing movement, led by former Muslims, to recognise their existence. Last week, an Afghan man is believed to have become the first atheist to have received asylum in Britain on religious grounds. He was brought up as a Muslim but became an atheist, according to his lawyers, who said he would face persecution and possibly death if he returned to Afghanistan.

In more than a dozen countries people who espouse atheism or reject the official state religion of Islam can be executed under the law, according to a recent report by the International Humanist and Ethical Union. But there is an ongoing debate about the “Islamic” way to deal with apostates. Broadcaster Mohammed Ansar says the idea that apostates should be put to death is “not applicable” in Islam today because the act was traditionally conflated with state treason.

Some scholars point out that it is against the teachings of Islam to force anyone to stay within the faith. “The position of many a scholar I have discussed the issue with is if people want to leave, they can leave,” said Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, the assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain. “I don’t believe they should be discriminated against or harmed in any way whatsoever. There is no compulsion in religion.”

Baroness Warsi, the Minister of State for Faith and Communities, agreed. “One of the things I’ve done is put freedom of religion and belief as top priority at the Foreign Office,” she said. “I’ve been vocal that it’s about the freedom to manifest your faith, practise your faith and change your faith. We couldn’t be any clearer. Mutual respect and tolerance are what is required for people to live alongside each other.”

Read more on: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/allah-vs-atheism-leaving…