Cyprus

New Europe 19 April 2012
By Robert Ellis

After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, British Foreign Secretary James Callaghan warned: "Today the Republic of Cyprus is the prisoner of the Turkish army. Tomorrow the Turkish army will find itself the prisoner of the Republic of Cyprus.”

A fornight ago the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in its report on UK-Turkey relations agreed. "Turkey’s EU accession process is stuck, effectively hostage to the Cyprus dispute.”

AINA (press release) 17 April 2012
By Bruce Bawer

In 2009, the Danish writer and historian Lars Hedegaard, who is the founder and president of the Danish Free Press Society, made remarks in his home about the treatment of women in Muslim communities. His observations, while expressed in broad generalizations, were based in fact, although when they were made public and resulted in widespread criticism he apologized for the way he had expressed himself. This was not good enough for the Danish courts. He was charged with violating Denmark’s racism law, and went to trial in January 2011. He was acquitted, but was tried again on the same charges three months later. This time he was found guilty. Last Friday Hedegaard initiated an appeal of his conviction before the Danish Supreme Court.

Gatestone Institute 10 April 2012
By Michael Curtis

The United States and the democratic European countries both face a challenge: to respond to terrorism, particularly from home-grown terrorists, without violating individual and group civil rights. Britain faced this as a result of the events of July 7, 2005 when four Islamic suicide bombers, most of whom were born and raised in Britain, denoted bombs in London's transport system, killing 52 and injuring over 700. France has now. in March 2012, experienced the brutality of its home–grown terrorist.

Famagusta Gazette 9 April 2012
By Robert Ellis

Sweden’s Minister for International Cooperation Development, Gunilla Carlsson, has confirmed in a joint article together with Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs, Egemen Bagis, Sweden’s full support for Turkey’s bid for EU membership.

This comes as no surprise, as four years ago Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt, declared that "the AKP government is made up of profound European reformers”.

Hoover Institution 4 April 2012
By Victor Davis Hanson

While it is true that Israeli forces stayed put on neighboring lands after the 1967 war, subsequent governments eventually withdrew from the Sinai, southern Lebanon, and Gaza—areas from which attacks were and are still staged against it. The Economist’s choice of "appealing” is an odd modifying adjective of the noun "enemy,” particularly for Iran, which has both promised to wipe out Israel and is desperately attempting to find the nuclear means to reify that boast.

Gates of Vienna 2 April 2012

The following article and interview with the German scholar and author Udo Ulfkotte was translated by JLH. The translator’s introduction concerns the need for — and lack of — charisma among the leaders of the European Counterjihad: