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Focus on Islamism
Friday 19th March 2010
The Blackburn Resistance

ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS

Two British Muslims from Blackburn were convicted this afternoon on terrorism offences, including preparation for acts of terrorism. Part of the evidence used against them was videos they made of themselves rolling around in rotten leaves in Blackburn's Corporation Park.

 
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About Focus on Islamism

Focus on Islamism is a blog dedicated to analysing and exposing the modern ideological phenomenon known as Islamism.

Shiraz Maher is a writer and broadcaster.

Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens is a research fellow for Westminster based think tank, the Centre for Social Cohesion.  He has contributed to various online and printed publications including, The Daily Telegraph, Lebanon's Daily Star, Standpoint and NOWLebanon. 

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Focus on Islamism
Friday 19th March 2010
The FCO finally speaks up

SHIRAZ MAHER

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, along with the Security Service and Secret Intelligence Service, has come under intense scrutiny in recent months over allegations that they colluded in the torture of terrorist suspects.

 
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About Focus on Islamism

Focus on Islamism is a blog dedicated to analysing and exposing the modern ideological phenomenon known as Islamism.

Shiraz Maher is a writer and broadcaster.

Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens is a research fellow for Westminster based think tank, the Centre for Social Cohesion.  He has contributed to various online and printed publications including, The Daily Telegraph, Lebanon's Daily Star, Standpoint and NOWLebanon. 

To contact the authors, click here

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Jessica Duchen
Tuesday 16th March 2010
More Chopin...

Yes, more Chopin...

If you missed Tom Service's terrific Music Matters programme on R3 devoted to Chopin, you can download it as a podcast. In-depth interviews with "Maurizio and Krystian" take centre stage, but there's also fascinating material about the exhibition at the British Library 'Chopin, the Romantic Refugee' (free, til May) and much more... I'm not sure if the download works outside the UK, but for those who can get it, here's the link: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio3/musicmat/musicmat_20100313-1300b.mp3

 
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Jessica Duchen
March 18th, 2010
11:03 AM
@ Anon - alas, I can promise you that my remark is an honest response to the last live performance of hers I attended and therefore is by no means bizarre. I had a similar reaction to her recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Previn. You will find that responses to that on Amazon.com are similarly mixed: some are ecstatic, others raise the word 'tasteless' (speaking of 'out of taste'). This is normal. It would be truly bizarre if people's opinions were always identical.

Anonymous
March 18th, 2010
2:03 AM
I must say that your comment on Anne-Sophie Mutter is both bizarre and out of taste. Wild horses could not keep me away from a live performance, she is a world phenomenon, brillian, soulful and true.

Anonymous
March 17th, 2010
11:03 AM
I made it to Yundi's concert last night. I foresee that it will probably receive bad reviews from the critics; unjustly so. It was clearly always going to be different from the Zimerman and Pollini recitals, but to compare is surely to miss the point. Z and P have had years of experience and thought into Chopin's music. What Yundi brings is more raw; so although the pieces don't sound "there" yet, it's tremendously exciting to hear a pianist making such fantastic sounds and with good taste. The music can't be compared with Zimerman - there were issues here and there with pedalling and a bit of smudging, for example, which I would expect from Zimerman. The structure of the sonata was a bit wayward in the first movement particularly. I didn't get much feeling from the Mazurkas. I also found it a little strange that one would dive into the heroic polonaise directly after the haunting sonata. But all of this doesn't matter yet. This young man is not even 30 - he has time. What should be taken from this concerts were the moments of real depth and beauty, the moments of phenomenal clarity in playing and the clear thought and interpretation given to certain passages that makes the listening audience smile. These are the signs that the critics should pick up on; I don't think they will, but let's see. No, he's not there yet; but how far he's travelled since the last concert I saw him play. And there's much excitement that can be gained from considering his potential. Apart from the skill, he clearly has good taste (which is more than I can say for his certain other Chinese rival). I think this concert will be broadcast on Radio 3, so you'll have another opportunity to listen to it.

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About Jessica Duchen

Jessica Duchen is a music journalist and the author of four novels, two biographies and several stage works. She writes regularly for The Independent and BBC Music Magazine. Her latest novel, Songs of Triumphant Love, is published by Hodder.

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Joshua Rozenberg
Monday 15th March 2010
Moulin Bruges?

One for the tabloids, this: on Thursday, the European Court of Justice will rule on a VAT appeal by the owner of a sex shop in Bruges.

 
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About Joshua Rozenberg

Joshua Rozenberg was the BBC's legal correspondent for 15 years. He moved to The Daily Telegraph in 2000, editing the paper's legal coverage for eight years. Now a freelance writer, commentator and broadcaster on legal affairs, he blogs exclusively for Standpoint.

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Jessica Duchen
Friday 12th March 2010
The Voice of Schoenberg

Arnold Schoenberg has not had the greatest press in recent months, thanks to noisy explosions from the anti-modernist backlash department, so it's time to fight his corner by hearing from him in person. For Friday Historical, here is a three-part exploration: first of all, a fascinating interview with him about art, music and more, recorded at the University of California in July 1949 (thanks to Brendan Carroll for alerting me to it).

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Howard Fredrics
March 17th, 2010
1:03 AM
I would describe the current response towards Schoenberg, even in the academy, as reactionary. Thus, I would agree with your statement about an anti-Modernist backlash. The influence of commercialism, the mass dissemination of popular culture, and the combination of escapism and actual distance in time from the period when Schoenberg was writing, a time of great social angst, of tremendous violence and brutality, has led us away from the function as well as the language of Schoenberg and his contemporaries and followers.

Henry Holland
March 16th, 2010
6:03 AM
1. Agree. I think works like Verklarte Nacht, Pelleas und Melisande, the Gurrelieder, 5 Orchestral Pieces, Busch den Hangenden Garten, the Op. 31 Variations, the piano pieces, Erwartung and especially "Moses und Aron" are incredible, just wonderful pieces of music. Sure, some of his post-tonal music simply doesn't work because, as Boulez pointed out, he was still using the old forms and formats, only the pitches were subjected to a new way of thinking. 2. Agree. Tonality was disintegrating, it was being taken as far as it could go with hyper-chromaticism/bitonality/a bunch of other -isms, if Schoenberg hadn't invented Composing With 12 Tones, *something* would have come along that organized pitches post-tonality. 3. Obviously.

Jack Gibbons
March 14th, 2010
2:03 PM
Interesting collection of videos. There's no question that Schoenberg's pupils thought very highly of him (personally and professionally) and the mutual friendship shared with Gershwin and the interest each took in the other's work speaks volumes. Of course I agree with your second point (about those who came after Schoenberg) but I'm afraid I could never in a million years accept the bold opening statement in your first point (pre or post dodecaphony)! But more importantly I want to take issue with your choice of phrase 'anti-modernist backlash' in the opening paragraph. I think it would better described as 'anti-establishment backlash' because in the classical music establishment (colleges, universities, critical circles, etc) Schoenberg and his approach has been main stream for many many decades (even if the general public aren't aware of it) and there's certainly nothing particularly 'modern' (or 'avant-garde' to use another often misused phrase) about any one following in Schoenberg's well trodden path. But anyway, I hope this blog produces plenty of lively debate! You can see a video I provided for YouTube of Schoenberg filmed by Gershwin here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q24rHU8MVY4

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About Jessica Duchen

Jessica Duchen is a music journalist and the author of four novels, two biographies and several stage works. She writes regularly for The Independent and BBC Music Magazine. Her latest novel, Songs of Triumphant Love, is published by Hodder.

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Focus on Islamism
Thursday 11th March 2010
Female Jihadis

ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS 

The newspapers are reporting today on the case of Colleen LaRose (aka 'Jihad Jane'), who was arrested in October last year in connection with a plot to murder Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks for drawing a picture of Mohammed with a dog's body.  Reports suggest that the seven arrests in Ireland on Tuesday were also in connection with this plot.

 
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About Focus on Islamism

Focus on Islamism is a blog dedicated to analysing and exposing the modern ideological phenomenon known as Islamism.

Shiraz Maher is a writer and broadcaster.

Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens is a research fellow for Westminster based think tank, the Centre for Social Cohesion.  He has contributed to various online and printed publications including, The Daily Telegraph, Lebanon's Daily Star, Standpoint and NOWLebanon. 

To contact the authors, click here

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Joshua Rozenberg
Thursday 11th March 2010
Free Speech and Mr Justice Eady
Mr Justice Eady delivered a thoughtful and wide-ranging speech last night on the developing laws of defamation and free speech. I have no time to write about it now but you can read it in full here.
 
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About Joshua Rozenberg

Joshua Rozenberg was the BBC's legal correspondent for 15 years. He moved to The Daily Telegraph in 2000, editing the paper's legal coverage for eight years. Now a freelance writer, commentator and broadcaster on legal affairs, he blogs exclusively for Standpoint.

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Jessica Duchen
Thursday 11th March 2010
Meet Alice Sommer Herz, 106
I have a piece in this week's JC about Alice Sommer Herz, aged 106 - pianist, Terezin survivor, eternal optimist and the subject of a very beautiful portrait film by Christopher Nupen that's just out on DVD. She is absolutely remarkable. It was a privilege to meet her.
 
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About Jessica Duchen

Jessica Duchen is a music journalist and the author of four novels, two biographies and several stage works. She writes regularly for The Independent and BBC Music Magazine. Her latest novel, Songs of Triumphant Love, is published by Hodder.

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Focus on Islamism
Tuesday 9th March 2010
Adam Gadahn and al-Qaeda's Rhetorical Strategy

ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS

Yesterday, there were conflicting reports about the arrest of American al-Qaeda (AQ) spokesman, Adam Gadahn, in Karachi.  Although Pakistani officials claim he was arrested on Sunday, US intelligence sources claimed that they had yet to see any evidence of his capture. The Pakistanis confirmed today that the suspect is not Gadahn, but another AQ-linked US citizen.  Nonetheless, due to the recent media interest, it is worth taking a closer look at him.

 
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Anonymous
March 11th, 2010
8:03 PM
This man needs to be put into an asylum and the key thrown away. He is a vile speciman of humanity.

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About Focus on Islamism

Focus on Islamism is a blog dedicated to analysing and exposing the modern ideological phenomenon known as Islamism.

Shiraz Maher is a writer and broadcaster.

Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens is a research fellow for Westminster based think tank, the Centre for Social Cohesion.  He has contributed to various online and printed publications including, The Daily Telegraph, Lebanon's Daily Star, Standpoint and NOWLebanon. 

To contact the authors, click here

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Joshua Rozenberg
Monday 8th March 2010
Britain Still in Contempt of Court

Britain was "strongly urged" today to allow prisoners to vote at the general election. Officials at the Council of Europe "reiterated their serious concern" that the government's failure to implement a judgment by the European Court of Human Rights would lead to large numbers of claims by disenfranchised prisoners.

 
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David Radlett
March 9th, 2010
6:03 PM
The government's error is stringing out the alleged consultation process rather than informing the Council of Europe that they cannot agree to the implementation of this decision. Frankly, the Court of Human Rights got it wrong: a prisoner forfeits more than his/her physical liberty when s/he contrives to get sent to prison. According to the information available to the Court, some eighteen countries out of the forty-five Contracting States have no restrictions on prisoners’ right to vote, so 27 countries DO impose restrictions. In thirteen States prisoners are not able to vote either because of a ban in their legislation or de facto because appropriate arrangements have not been made, and in at least four of those States disenfranchisement has its basis in a recently adopted Constitution (Russia, Armenia, Hungary and Georgia). In at least thirteen other countries more or less far-reaching restrictions on prisoners’ right to vote are prescribed in domestic legislation, and in four of those States the restrictions have a constitutional basis (Luxembourg, Austria, Turkey and Malta). The dissenting judges (who provided the statistical information used here) got it right.

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About Joshua Rozenberg

Joshua Rozenberg was the BBC's legal correspondent for 15 years. He moved to The Daily Telegraph in 2000, editing the paper's legal coverage for eight years. Now a freelance writer, commentator and broadcaster on legal affairs, he blogs exclusively for Standpoint.

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