Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf in European debut

Google – AFP, Charles Onians (AFP), 29 Sep 2013

Gaza's Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf smiles during a meeting with fans

 and journalists before a concert in The Hague, on September 29, 2013 (AFP,

Charles Onians)

The Hague (AFP) - The Gazan winner of the Arab Idol talent competition, a rare symbol of Palestinian unity, is to give his first concert outside the Arab world in The Hague on Sunday.

Mohammed Assaf, 24, became a national hero when he won the pan-Arab contest in June after transfixing millions of television viewers with his soaring renditions of Arab love ballads and patriotic Palestinian songs.

“I am happy, this is an opportunity to be in front of a non-Arab audience, and that's a good thing," Assaf told AFP in an interview. "I’d like to reach out to the world.”

Organisers said they expected the 800 tickets for the young heartthrob's concert in The Hague's town hall on Sunday night, his first outside the Middle East and north Africa, to be sold out.

“Music is a unifying message," Assaf said.

Mohammed Assaf meets with fans and

 journalists before a concert in The Hague,

 on September 29, 2013. (AFP, Charles

Onians)

"Maybe there are different audiences, or the techniques are different in the Middle East and in Europe and America, but what I know is music is something that when people first hear, they love.”

Assaf arrived in The Netherlands from his new home in Dubai and had dinner with Arab ambassadors on Saturday evening, a spokesman for the Palestinian delegation in The Netherlands, Roel Raterink, told AFP.

Organisers said Palestinians from Germany and Belgium are also expected to travel to The Netherlands for the concert, which will also be attended by most Arab ambassadors.

Israel in August took the exceptional step of allowing Assaf to move from the Gaza Strip to the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a "humanitarian gesture".

Israel has maintained a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since 2006 which was tightened further when the Islamist movement Hamas seized control there the following year.

Assaf said he was now living in Dubai "because of the conditions in my country".

"Because of the siege, it is easier for me to go to Dubai, it makes travel easier because I have concerts in some Arab countries and in Europe, and in America over the next months.”

No Israeli diplomats will be attending. Israeli President Shimon Peres is on a visit to Amsterdam at the same time, the Israeli embassy said.

One-time wedding crooner Assaf was also to meet members of The Netherlands' Palestinian community before heading to Italy for another European concert, Raterink said.

Born to Palestinian parents in Misrata, Libya, Assaf grew up in the teeming Khan Yunis refugee camp in southern Gaza before winning the 2013 edition of Arab Idol in Beirut in June.

His victory sparked scenes of jubilation across the Palestinian territories.

The week after he won, Assaf performed in front of some 40,000 fans in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The contest in Beirut transfixed the viewing public with Assaf's story which saw him sneaking out of Gaza, nearly missing his initial audition in Cairo, and then only making it through after a fellow Gazan pulled out.

Palestinians remain divided between the Islamist Hamas movement which rules the Gaza Strip and its Fatah rival which dominates the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

On his return to Gaza in June, Assaf called for an end to the "division" with the West Bank, and urged unity between Palestinians.

While this is his first performance in Europe as Arab Idol winner, he says he went to summer camp in France in 2003 and performed in Marseille in 2006.

“We took first prize for a cultural song. I was singing and there were guys dancing the debke, an Arab dance," he said.

Related Article:

Arab Idol favourite Mohammed Assaf carries hopes of Palestinians into final

Miss Philippines crowned Miss World amid Muslim anger

Google – AFP, Gde Putra Wicaksana (AFP), 28 Sep 2013

The new Miss World, Megan Young (C), from the Philippines stands after

winning the crown during the Miss World 2013 finals in Nusa Dua, on

Indonesia's resort island of Bali on September 28, 2013 (AFP, Romeo Gacad)

Nusa Dua — Miss Philippines was crowned Miss World 2013 in a glittering finale Saturday on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, amid tight security following weeks of hardline Muslim protests.

Hundreds of Islamic radicals held a prayer session in a mosque near the capital to express their anger, while Megan Young wept as she won the coveted title on Hindu-majority Bali at the end of a three-week contest.

The 23-year-old, wearing a pearl white gown, promised to be "the best Miss World ever" in front of a cheering crowd, which included many Filipinos, in a venue guarded by heavily armed police and water cannons.

New Miss World, Megan Young (C), from the
 Philippines is congratulated by outgoing Miss

 World Yu Wenxia (L) after winning the crown
during the Miss World 2013 (AFP, Romeo
Gacad)

The final was moved to Bali, where there is little hardline influence, from its original venue just outside the capital Jakarta after thousands of protesters took to the streets across the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

Denouncing the pageant as a "whore contest" and "pornography", the demonstrators pressured authorities into shifting the venue, the latest sign of the growing influence of country's hardline fringe.

Hundreds of police were deployed across Bali for Saturday's final, which saw 127 contestants clad in stilettos and shimmering gowns take to the stage in the Nusa Dua resort, southern Bali.

The contestants were quickly whittled down to six. Then, they faced a question-and-answer round before the winner was announced in a contest broadcast to more than 180 countries.

Young, the first ever Philippine Miss World, took the crown from last year's winner, China's Yu Wenxia.

Young, who is studying digital media and also presents TV shows in the Philippines, pledged to "just be myself in everything I do, to share what I know and to educate people".

France's Marine Lorphelin was second, while Ghana's Carranzar Naa Okailey Shooter came in third.

Adding to security concerns in the run-up to the final, the American, British and Australian embassies had warned that extremists might attack the pageant.

Bali has suffered extremist attacks before, notably in 2002 when bombings killed more than 200 people, most of them foreign tourists.

But Saturday's finale passed off smoothly, with no new protests or security scares -- despite a pledge by prominent hardline group the Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) to stage demonstrations.

Hundreds of members of the FPI and other hardline groups limited themselves to holding a prayer session in a mosque in Sentul, just outside the capital Jakarta, to express their opposition to the pageant.

Miss Philippines Megan Young (C) is seen on the catwalk with other Miss World

 contestants in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian island of Bali on September 24,

2013 (AFP/File, Sonny Tumbelaka)

Organisers had originally planned to hold the final in a 10,000-seat venue in Sentul, before being forced to move to a 2,000-seat centre in Nusa Dua.

Those at the prayer gathering were addressed by a Muslim preacher who lashed out at the pageant, which radicals claim goes against Islamic teaching, said FPI member Ustad Maman.

"Indonesia has already shown how it feels about Miss World -- we rejected it here, we reject it anywhere," he told AFP.

Maman said that 5,000 FPI members showed up for the prayer session, although police put the figure at 1,000.

Muslim hardliners hold an anti-Miss

World protest in Jakarta on September 6,

2013 (AFP/File, Bay Ismoyo)

Hardliners in Indonesia have succeeded in getting numerous events deemed "un-Islamic" changed or cancelled in recent times.

Last year, Lady Gaga axed a concert after threats to burn down the venue and criticism for wearing only "a bra and panties".

In a bid to reduce hardline anger, organisers also took an early decision this year to axe the famed bikinis from the "beach fashion" round, replacing them with Balinese sarongs.

A total of 129 contestants had been due to compete in the final, but two pulled out at the last minute, according to organisers.

While the popularity of Miss World, first held in 1951, has waned in the West, continued interest in Asian countries ensures that the final rakes in a huge global television audience.

Venezuela has produced the most Miss Worlds, with six winners, while India and Britain claim five titles each.

Indonesia to host Miss World final amid Muslim anger

Google – AFP, Gde Putra Wicaksana (AFP), 26 Sep 2013

Miss World 2013 contestants clap during a fashion show on the catwalk

 in Nusa Dua on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on September 24, 2013

(AFP, Sonny Tumbelaka)

Nusa Dua — The Miss World final takes place on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Saturday after weeks of protests from Muslim hardliners and warnings that extremists could attack the pageant.

Police and Balinese security personnel, wearing traditional sarongs and armed with daggers, will be out in force on the Hindu-majority island as the beauty queens take to the stage.

A total of 129 contestants will parade in the glittering finale of the three-week event, which will be broadcast to more than 180 countries.

But protests by Islamic radicals in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, have overshadowed the contest and prompted authorities to order the whole event be moved to Bali, where hardliners have little influence.

Miss World competitors take part in

 'beauty with a purpose day' in Nusa

 Dua on Indonesia's resort island of Bali

 on September 23, 2013 (AFP, Sonny

Tumbelaka)

Radical anger has not been appeased, however. The hardliners are threatening to stage fresh protests on Saturday and even to try to break through heavy security to get into Bali to demonstrate at the venue.

"We are going to protest against it, because it is unacceptable," said Haidar Al-Hamid, head of the East Java province branch of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).

The province sits just across the water from Bali, and he said that the group planned to head to the island on Saturday, although they will face a tough time as main entry points will be heavily guarded.

Hundreds of FPI members have already made one attempt to cross to Bali from East Java earlier this month -- but the group was stopped from getting onto a ferry by a line of female police backed by hundreds of elite officers.

Adding to concerns, the American, British and Australian embassies have said that radicals could attack the pageant, a chilling warning on an island where bombings in 2002 killed more than 200 people, most of them foreign tourists.

"Extremist groups may be planning to disrupt the Miss World pageant... potentially through violent means," said the US embassy in Jakarta.

Miss China Wei Wei Yu walks on the

 catwalk during the Miss World contest

 final in Nusa Dua on Indonesia's

 resort island of Bali on September 24,

2013 (AFP, Sonny Tumbelaka)

Adjie S. Soeratmadjie, corporate secretary of TV network RCTI, which is broadcasting Miss World and helping to organise it, said security was the "main concern".

"We are confident that the police will do everything necessary to ensure safety," he said.

From Indonesian capital Jakarta to cities on Sumatra island and Borneo, thousands have joined protests across the Indonesian archipelago, denouncing Miss World as "pornography" and a "whore contest" and burning effigies of the organisers.

Despite a pledge by the British-based organisers to axe the famed bikini round even before the pageant began, the protest movement snowballed, pushing the authorities into switching the venue.

Organisers always planned to hold the September 8 opening and early rounds on Bali but later rounds and the final were to take place in and around Jakarta, where radicals wield considerable influence.

The decision to change locations was another victory for Indonesia's hardline fringe, who are only a tiny minority but have succeeded in getting events they deem "un-Islamic" cancelled or changed in the past.

Last year, Lady Gaga axed a concert after threats to burn down the venue and criticism for wearing only "a bra and panties".

Miss World 2013 contestants take part

 in a fashion show in Nusa Dua on

 Indonesia's resort island of Bali on

 September 24, 2013 (AFP, Sonny

Tumbelaka)

Authorities are hoping that hosting the event on Bali will present them with less of a security headache, given the island is a pocket of relaxed Hinduism used to hordes of scantily clad foreign tourists.

But they are not taking any chances -- almost 500 police have been deployed to guard venues linked to Miss World since the pageant began and almost 700 will be on duty on Saturday, according to police.

They will be reinforced by traditional Balinese security personnel, known as "pecalang", who work with police but come under the authority of their local villages, according to Bali police spokesman Hariadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

The late decision for the venue change infuriated MNC media group, the main local organiser and parent company of RCTI, as it meant a new venue on Bali had to be hastily found.

Despite the difficulties, the show has continued as planned, with contestants participating in rounds including a talent show and a "top model" contest.

Saturday's final, in Nusa Dua, southern Bali, will last several hours and will see the contestants parade in Indonesian-designed dresses and feature a series of musical performances.

The finalists will face a question and answer round from a panel of judges before a winner is crowned.

Endangered Orangutan Dies at Surabaya ‘Zoo of Death’

Jakarta Globe, Amir Tejo & Arientha Primanita, September 25, 2013

Nanik, the 12-year old Orangutan from Surabaya zoo was seen shortly before

 she died in the quarantine on Sept. 21, 2013. (JG Photo/Photo courtesy of

Surabaya Zoo’s Temporary Management Team)

An endangered Bornean orangutan has died young at Indonesia’s notorious “zoo of death” in Surabaya after succumbing to a tumor in her large intestine, the zoo confirmed on Wednesday.

“The autopsy result showed that there was a tumor in her large intestine,” Surabaya Zoo spokesman Agus Supangkat said. “Her appetite had dropped drastically.”

Nanik, who was also found to have liver problems, was found dead on Sept. 21 at the age of 12 — Bornean orangutans should live to around 60 in captivity.

Agus said a group of veterinarians at the zoo had become aware of the animal’s health problems around two months ago. Vets described the animal’s declining energy levels and increasingly asthenic appearance before she was moved to the zoo’s quarantine facility on Sept. 19.

Animal doctors administered antibiotics, vitamins and an analgesic in quarantine but Nanik made little progress in the following two days.

At 2:45 p.m on Sept. 21, Nanik exhibited difficulties breathing. She died shortly after.

Indonesia’s largest zoo has proved itself to be a macabre animal dungeon, incarcerating some of the world’s most endangered species in shambolic squalor. A giraffe was found dead with almost 20 kilos of plastic in its stomach. A steady diet of formaldehyde-laced meat corroded a Sumatran tiger’s digestive tract. More than 150 pelicans lived cheek-by-bill in a pen no larger than a basketball court. Komodo dragons went missing, an African lion died in pain.

The Indonesian government was forced to take steps after the extent of the scandal caught the attention of international media, from the Huffington Post to London’s Daily Telegraph.

Agus was keen to emphasize that the zoo had improved its practices over the last year, and stressed that Nanik’s death was not attributable to the kind of willful blindness of the zookeepers’ casual sadism that was imparted to animals in the years before the zoo was brought to account.

“Like many places, we also have issues,” he said. “But we have a standard for the animals’ food and we are now improving the treatment.”

Tony Sumampau, a former member of the team drafted in to manage the crisis at the zoo, was not able to comment on Nanik’s cause of death but warned that conditions at the zoo were still far from acceptable.

“The number of animal deaths could be avoided if the management really paid attention to animal welfare,” he said. “They just conduct minimum renovations, such as repairing cages or repainting… What they need to do right now is to totally revamp the zoo to increase animal welfare.”

Agus admitted progress had been slow.

“If we find that some species suffer from overcrowding, we will improve and enlarge the facilities for that species,” he said. “It is in accordance with the improvement of the zoo. We have also improved water facilities for the animals. We are increasing the clear water capacity from city’s water company — and we have stopped using water from the city’s river.”

The issue of overcrowding is more complicated than authorities would prefer.

“We have offered some of the collection to other conservation institution,” Tony said. “Some were accepted, but there were institutions who refused — seeing how Surabaya zoo was managed. Others were afraid that the animals from Surabaya zoo carried diseases.”

Data acquired by the Jakarta Globe show 43 animal deaths at the zoo from several species between July 15 to Sept . 17.

Agus, however, said the zoo saw around 20 animals die per month.

“It is because the animals are old or they have diseases,” he said. “It is all natural causes.”

Philippe Cousteau’s Journey to Sumatra

Jakarta Globe, September 24, 2013

In ‘Expedition Sumatra,’ Cousteau and his team take viewers to see how
 deforestation has affected the island’s endangers species and indigenous
people. (Photo courtesy of CNN)

Philippe Cousteau hopes people will be “amazed by the beauty” of Sumatra when they watch his new television series which follows his trek across the island’s rainforest on CNN.

The CNN special corespondent and environmental adventurer and his team recently journeyed to see how deforestation has affected the island’s endangered species and indigenous people.

Throughout the eight-part series “Expedition: Sumatra,” which launched on Sept. 13, the team visits an orangutan sanctuary, learns how farmers repel elephants instead of killing them, and witness the changing rainforest.

“I hope people are amazed by the beauty of this special place, I hope they are outraged by its destruction, but most of all, I hope they understand the power each of us has to change its future,” Cousteau said of the new series.

“We are linking the show with online resources and campaigns by terrific organizations who are encouraging the government to establish 30 Hills as a National Park and protect this critical habitat we were filming in.”

The 33-year-old environmental advocate, who is the grandson of French explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau, said the logistics were the biggest challenge they faced while filming in a remote location.

“Traveling with no infrastructure everything takes twice as long. All the details had to be planned out in advance,” Cousteau said .

“One of the things people always seemed fascinated by are some of the basics; for much of the expedition our toilet was a hole in the ground and our shower was a bucket.”

The social entrepreneur shared some of his thoughts with the Jakarta Globe about what he learned from his expedition across the Sumatran rainforest.

What was the most unexpected experience you had during filming?

When we visited the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the staff had me help teach an orphaned baby orangutan how to find food. They gave me a rotting piece of wood colonized by termites and told me I had to suck them out of the wood to demonstrate to the baby what to do.

This is an important source of protein for orangutans in the wild so I had to do it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the intent look on that little face as I did my best to slurp down termite larva.

What relationship were you able to develop with the local people?

One of the experiences that stands out for me was a visit to an indigenous Talang Mamak school. It was inspiring to see how engaged the young students were in learning about the truly unique part of the planet they call home. It was part of a school run by the Frankfurt Zoological Society to engage the local communities in understanding the importance of conservation. I got to test my creative skills with drawing pictures of local animals and participating in a puppet show.

In such extreme environments, what safety precautions do you take?

We couldn’t have made the trip without our friends and partners on the ground including the World Wildlife Fund and the Frankfurt Zoological Society.

From navigating issues like illegal logging and poaching to connecting with local communities and organizations, their assistance was invaluable.

Were you ever in any danger?

There was always the potential for danger. There were definitely groups that did not want us to tell this story including illegal loggers, poachers and representatives from industries and companies engaging in the pillaging of the island’s critical natural resources.

How do you think “Expedition: Sumatra” will contribute to environmental awareness?

Today, people want to experience the behind-the- scenes reality of how these types of expeditions unfold. With ‘Expedition: Sumatra,’ we made every effort to make viewers feel like they are part of the expedition team. The serialized format of the program creates a sense of anticipation of what will happen next that I think will appeal to viewers of all ages.

“Expedition: Sumatra” airs on CNN International each Friday at 10:30 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Monday at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

Pope condemns idolatry of cash in capitalism

Head of Catholic church condemns economic system and calls for society with people, not money, at its heart

The Guardian, Lizzy Davies in Rome, Sunday 22 September 2013

Pope Francis: 'Where there is no work, there is no dignity.' Photograph:
Ciro Fusco/EPA

Pope Francis has called for a global economic system that puts people and not "an idol called money" at its heart, drawing on the hardship of his immigrant family as he sympathised with unemployed workers in a part of Italy that has suffered greatly from the recession.

Addressing about 20,000 people in the Sardinian capital of Cagliari, the Argentinian pontiff said that his parents had "lost everything" after they emigrated from Italy and that he understood the suffering that came from joblessness.

"Where there is no work, there is no dignity," he said, in ad-libbed remarks after listening to three locals, including an unemployed worker who spoke of how joblessness "weakens the spirit". But the problem went far beyond the Italian island, said Francis, who has called for wholesale reform of the financial system.

"This is not just a problem of Sardinia; it is not just a problem of Italy or of some countries in Europe," he said. "It is the consequence of a global choice, an economic system which leads to this tragedy; an economic system which has at its centre an idol called money."

The 76-year-old said that God had wanted men and women to be at the heart of the world. "But now, in this ethics-less system, there is an idol at the centre and the world has become the idolater of this 'money-god'," he added.

Sardinia, one of Italy's autonomous regions with a population of 1.6 million, has suffered particularly badly during the economic crisis, with an unemployment rate of 20%, eight points higher than the national average, and youth unemployment of 51%.

Last summer the island's hardship became national news when Stefano Meletti, a 49-year-old miner, slashed his wrists on television during a protest aimed at keeping the Carbosulcis coal mine open.

Urging people not to give up hope even in the harsh economic climate, Francis also called on them to fight back against the "throwaway culture" he said was a by-product of a global economic system that cared only about profit. It was, he said, a culture that saw the most vulnerable society become marginalised.

"Grandparents are thrown away and young people are thrown away," he said. "And we must say no to this throwaway culture. We must say: 'We want a fair system; a system that allows everyone to move forward.' We must say: 'We do not want this globalised economic system that does so much harm.' At the centre has to be man and woman, as God wants – not money."

His own father, he recalled, had suffered great hardship after moving from northern Italy to Argentina in the 1920s. He went "a young man … full of illusions" of making it in the new world, but soon found there was no work to be had. "I didn't see it; I had not yet been born. But I heard of this hardship at home … I know it well," said Francis.

Related Articles:

"The Time Capsule of Gaia" – Feb 9, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“…  Tesla the Man

There was a point in time when humanity almost stumbled, by the way. You were having a hard time with electricity. So a man came along who was way ahead of his time and was available and his name was Nikola Tesla. He gave you a principle that today you call alternating current. Dear ones, I challenge you to understand this principle. Most of you can't, because it is not in 3D. The attributes are still considered "genius-level thinking" to this day. The whole idea of the kind of electricity you use today comes from this man's quantum mind.

That was all he was allowed to do. Tesla himself was a kind of time capsule, delivered at the right time. He had more, but alternating current was all that was allowed to be given to the planet at that time. Oh, he tried to give you more. He knew there were other things, but nothing was able to be developed. If I told you what else he had discovered, you might not be aware of it at all, since it was never allowed to get out of the box. Earth was not ready for it.

Tesla discovered massless objects. He could alter the mass of atomic structure using designer magnetics, but he never could control it. He had objects fly off his workbench and hit the ceiling, but he couldn't duplicate or control it. It just wasn't time yet. Do you know what else he was known for? It was seemingly the failure of the transmission of electricity. However, he didn't fail at all.

There are pictures of his tower, but every time a Human Being sees a tower, there is a biased assumption that something is going to be broadcast through the air. But in the case of Tesla, he had figured out how to broadcast electricity through the ground. You need towers for that because they have to pick up the magnetics within the ground in a certain way to broadcast them and then collect them again from the nodes of the planet's magnetic grid system. We talked about this before. He was utilizing the grid of the planet that is in the earth itself! He was on the edge of showing that you could use the whole grid of the planet magnetically to broadcast electricity and pick it up where you need it, safely, with no wires. But the earth was not ready for it.

Tesla died a broken man, filled with ideas that would have brought peace to planet Earth, but he was simply not allowed to give any of them to you.

Now I'll tell you why he was stopped, dear ones, and it's the first time we have ever told you – because these inventions were too easy to weaponize. Humanity just isn't ready for it. You're not ready for massless objects, either, for the principles are too easy to weaponize.

"So," you might say, "when will we be ready for it?" I think you already know the answer, don't you? At the time when Human consciousness reaches a point where that which is most important is unification and not separation, it will happen. A point where conquering and power are not desirable ideas or assets. A point where humanity will measure the strength of its population by how healthy they are and not by economic growth. A point where coming together with your neighbor is the main objective to social consciousness, and not conquering them or eliminating them. That's coming, dear ones. It's a ways away, but it's coming. Look around the planet at the moment. The old energy leaders are obvious, are they not? It's like they are relics in a world of thinking that is passing them by.  ….”

Pope Francis: Church too focused on gays and abortion

BBC News, 19 September 2013

Pope Francis says the Catholic Church must strive to heal wounds

Pope Francis

• Vast crowd for Brazil Mass
• Pope's daily routine
• Church's road ahead
• New priorities

Pope Francis has said the Catholic Church is too focused on preaching about abortion, gay people and contraception and needs to become more merciful.

He warned that the Church's moral structure could "fall like a house of cards" unless it changed.

The Pope used the first major interview of his papacy to explain comments he made in July about homosexuality.

He told a Jesuit magazine the Church must show balance and "heal wounds".

The pontiff used the 12,000-word interview with La Civilta Cattolicato to set out his priorities as Pope, acknowledge his own shortcomings and open up about his cultural interests.

'Freshness and fragrance'

His vision for relegating the Catholic Church's reliance on rules marks a contrast to the priorities of his predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who saw doctrine as the paramount guide for clergy

"The church's pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently," Francis said.

"We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel."

Instead, he said, the Catholic Church must work to heal the wounds of its faithful and seek out those who have been excluded or have fallen away.

"It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars," he said. "You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else."

He said the Church had become tied up in "small-minded rules" and risked losing its true purpose.

"The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the Church must be ministers of mercy above all.''

His remarks are could generate dismay among clergy in the United States who have already expressed disappointment that Francis has not pressed Church teaching on abortion, contraception and homosexuality.

Last week, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, wrote in his diocesan newspaper that he was "disappointed" Francis hadn't addressed abortion since his papacy began six months ago, according to AP.

Francis said it was not necessary to speak out on such issues.

'Home of all'

"We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible,'' he said.

"The teaching of the Church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the Church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.''

Francis created headlines two months ago when he spoke about gay priests during an impromptu news conference on a return flight from Brazil. He said it was not up to him to judge about the sexual orientation of clergy as long as they were searching for God and had goodwill.

In his latest interview, Francis said his remarks were in line with Catholic teaching.

"This Church with which we should be thinking is the home of all, not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people. We must not reduce the bosom of the universal Church to a nest protecting our mediocrity,'' he said.

Francis also used the interview to detail his favourite composers, artists, authors and films, which include Mozart, Caravaggio, Dostoevsky and Fellini's La Strada.

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Pope Francis: Who am I to judge gay people?

Pope Francis' No. 2: Clerical celibacy is open to discussion

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… I gave you a channelling years ago when Pope John Paul was alive. John Paul loved Mary, the mother. Had John Paul survived another 10 years, he would have done what the next Pope [The one after the current one, Benedict XVI] will do, and that is to bring women into the Church. This Pope you have now [Benedict XVI] won't be here long.* The next Pope will be the one who has to change the rules, should he survive. If he doesn't, it will be the one after that.

There it a large struggle within the Church, even right now, and great dissention, for it knows that it is not giving what humanity wants. The doctrine is not current to the puzzles of life. The answer will be to create a better balance between the feminine and masculine, and the new Pope, or the one after that, will try to allow women to be in the higher echelon of the Church structure to assist the priests.

It will be suggested to let women participate in services, doing things women did not do before. This graduates them within church law to an equality with priests, but doesn't actually let them become priests just yet. However, don't be surprised if this begins in another way, and instead gives priests the ability to marry. This will bring the feminine into the church in other ways. It will eventually happen and has to happen. If it does not, it will be the end of the Catholic Church, for humanity will not sustain a spiritual belief system that is out of balance with the love of God and also out of balance with intuitive Human awareness.  …”

"THE RECALIBRATION OF BELIEF"– Aug 18, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

Nigerian wins Muslim beauty pageant rival to Miss World

Google – AFP, Angela Dewan (AFP), 18 Sep 2013

The newly crowned Muslimah World 2013 Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola (C)

of Nigeria speaks on September 18, 2013 (AFP, Adek Berry)

Snowballing protest movement

JAKARTA — A Nigerian woman tearfully prayed and recited Koranic verses as she won a beauty pageant exclusively for Muslim women in the Indonesian capital Wednesday, a riposte to the Miss World contest that has sparked hardline anger.

The 20 finalists, who were all required to wear headscarves, put on a glittering show for the final of Muslimah World, strolling up and down a catwalk in elaborately embroidered dresses and stilettos.

But the contestants from six countries were covered from head to foot, and as well as beauty they were judged on how well they recited Koranic verses and their views on Islam in the modern world.

After a show in front of an audience of mainly religious scholars and devout Muslims, a panel of judges picked Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola from Nigeria as the winner.

Muslimah World pageant contestants

 prepare backstage for the grand final of 

the contest in Jakarta on September 18,

2013 (AFP, Adek Berry)

While the event in a Jakarta shopping mall paled in comparison to Miss World on the resort island of Bali, in which scores of contestants are competing, Ajibola was nevertheless overwhelmed.

Upon hearing her name, the 21-year-old knelt down and prayed, then wept as she recited a Koranic verse.

She said it was "thanks to almighty Allah" that she had won the contest. She received 25 million rupiah ($2,200) and trips to Mecca and India as prizes.

Ajibola told AFP before the final that the event "was not really about competition".

"We're just trying to show the world that Islam is beautiful," she said.

Organisers said the pageant challenged the idea of beauty put forward by the British-run Miss World pageant, and also showed that opposition to the event could be expressed non-violently.

Eka Shanti, who founded the pageant three years ago after losing her job as a TV news anchor for refusing to remove her headscarf, bills the contest as "Islam's answer to Miss World".

"This year we deliberately held our event just before the Miss World final to show that there are alternative role models for Muslim women," she told AFP.

"But it's about more than Miss World. Muslim women are increasingly working in the entertainment industry in a sexually explicit way, and they become role models, which is a concern."

Hosted by Dewi Sandra, an Indonesian actress and pop star who recently hung up her racy dresses for a headscarf, the pageant featured both Muslim and pop music performances, including one about modesty, a trait the judges sought in the winner.

The pageant, which also featured bright Indonesian Islamic designer wear, is a starkly different way of protesting Miss World than the approach taken by Islamic radicals.

Thousands have taken to the streets in Indonesia in recent weeks to protest Miss World, denouncing the contest as "pornography" and burning effigies of the organisers.

Despite a pledge by Miss World organisers to drop the famous bikini round, radical anger was not appeased and the protest movement snowballed.

The government eventually bowed to pressure and ordered the whole pageant be moved to the Hindu-majority island of Bali, where it opened on September 8.

Contestants of the Muslimah World pageant rehearse for the grand

final of the contest in Jakarta on September 18, 2013 (AFP, Adek Berry)

Later rounds and the September 28 final were to be held in and around Jakarta, where there is considerable hardline influence.

But there are still fears that extremists may target the event -- the US, British and Australian embassies in Jakarta have warned their nationals in recent days of the potential for radical attacks.

More than 500 contestants competed in online rounds to get to the Muslimah World final in Indonesia, one of which involved the contenders comparing stories of how they came to wear the headscarf.

The contest was first held in 2011 under a different name and was only open to Indonesians, Shanti said, but after the media began comparing it to Miss World, it was rebranded as a Muslim alternative to the world-famous pageant.

Because of its popularity, organisers accepted foreign contestants this year for the first time, with Iran, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Nigeria and Indonesia represented.

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