The Real World News - Breaking Texas Insurance news, US news and more

The Region: Revolutions, walk-outs and fatwas

There have been major developments in Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt, each of which is of tremendous importance.

In Tunisia, a popular uprising fueled by unemployment, economic suffering and long-term discontent has overthrown the dictator, but not necessarily the dictatorship. In 55 years of independence, the country has been governed by two dictators, the current one being Zine al-Abedin Ben Ali, who has been president for 23 years and was a key power in the regime even before that.

Is this going to spread? Does it mark some new phase in Arab politics? Probably not. Tunisia is a very distinctive country. It has been the most Europeanized state in the Arab world, due in part to the secular-oriented policies of the regimes. There has been an Islamist movement, but the regime has kept it weak, perhaps making Tunisia the Arabic-speaking state with the lowest proportional support for Islamism among its population.

Islamists raise fears of violent 'clash of cultures' in Europe

It is a Sunday night in London's East End and the self-styled "most hated man in Britain" is holding court, reveling in his vision of a Taliban victory over America and a world under Islamic Shariah law.

The crowd of about 250 listens intently as Anjem Choudary issues a call to arms in the pristine surroundings of the newly refurbished art deco conference center, built to host weddings and business meetings.

Mosque building owners nixed $18M offer before taking $4.8M

The original owners of the Ground Zero mosque site mysteriously spurned dozens of higher bids before selling the prime downtown real estate at a bargain-basement price.

The Pomerantz family, which had owned the building since the late 1960s and fielded offers after the patriarch died in 2006, rejected at least one bid that was nearly four times what prospective mosque builder Sharif El-Gamal eventually paid, The Post has learned

Muslim-born Miss USA says she opposes Ground Zero Islamic center

This comes as the imam spearheading controversial plans for the mosque and Islamic center near the site of the 9/11 attacks said today that extremism poses a security threat in both the West and the Muslim world -- and is even working on a plan to "Americanize" Islam.

The comments by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf come during the first leg of a 15-day Middle East tour — funded by the US State Department — to discuss Muslim life in America and religious tolerance.

Pelosi's poison

Hang an "I don't get it" sign on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The San Francisco Democrat (actually, San Francisco roots explain a lot) wants to form up a posse and set off after the evildoers fomenting opposition to the Ground Zero mosque.

"There is no question there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some," she told a hometown radio interview Tuesday.

"And I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded . . . How is this being ginned up . . .?".