Free Republic

SUN EXCLUSIVE: MICHAEL JACKSON has become a Muslim - and changed his name to Mikaeel. The skint superstar, 50, donned Islamic garb to pledge allegiance to the Koran in a ceremony at a pal's mansion in Los Angeles, The Sun can reveal.

MICHAEL Jackson has converted to Islam and changed his name to Mikaeel, according to reports. The singer wore traditional Islamic dress as he pledged his allegiance to the Koran at a friend's home in Los Angeles, The Sun reports. Jackson, who was raised a Jehovah's Witness, reportedly decided to convert after discussing religion with a music producer and songwriter on his new album - both of whom were converts to Islam. The Sun reported singer Yousef Islam - formerly knowns as Cat Stevens - turned up to help Jackson celebrate.

From Hitler to Pinochet and beyond, history shows there are certain steps that any would-be dictator must take to destroy constitutional freedoms. And, argues Naomi Wolf, George Bush and his administration seem to be taking them all Tuesday April 24, 2007 The Guardian Last autumn, there was a military coup in Thailand. The leaders of the coup took a number of steps, rather systematically, as if they had a shopping list. In a sense, they did. Within a matter of days, democracy had been closed down: the coup leaders declared martial law, sent armed soldiers into residential areas, took over...

(snip) The Cohort In its latest report, called The Axis of Ideology, the NCRP has identified at least 350 tax-exempt, ostensibly non-partisan organizations within the right-wing's activist front, many operating at regional, state, and local levels. They have penetrated the three branches of the federal government, and dominate the political debate. They guide and oversee the agenda that directs White House action (or inaction). Two of these organizations housed the planners who invented the Iraq war. Rob Stein, an independent Washington researcher, follows the money flow to the radical activist establishment. He estimates that since the early 1970s at least...

If you want to understand the Middle East conflict, Iran has just provided all you need to know.   A massive earthquake kills between 20,000 and 40,000 Iranians, and the government of Iran announces that help is welcome from every country in the world … except Israel.  This little-reported news item is of great significance. It begs commentary.  Israel not only has the world's most experienced crews in quickly finding survivors in bombed out buildings, it is also a mere two-hour flight from Iran. In other words, no country in the world would come close to Israel in its ability...

A chubby Queens woman hacked her mother-in-law to death with a meat cleaver after the older woman refused to serve her rice with dinner because it's too fattening, authorities said yesterday. The unwanted diet advice sparked a gruesome end for Farida Begum, a 74-year-old grandmother who died yesterday morning, hours after the vicious dinnertime attack in an apartment across the street from Elmhurst Hospital Center. Ayesha Akter, 32, was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation yesterday. Her neighbors in Elmhurst said she had long behaved oddly - but had never been violent. Police said she had been treated for mental problems and...