Da Vinci Code idea 'in public domain'

Two British-based writers who claim that Dan Brown, the Da Vinci Code author, stole their ideas for his novel have repeatedly made "spurious and bogus" allegations, the High Court was told yesterday.



Michael Baigent, 57, and Richard Leigh, 62, allege that the central premise of the book, which has sold 40 million copies, was cannibalised from their work Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, published more than 20 years earlier.

They say that their "central theme", namely that Jesus had a child whose descendants live on in France, was plagiarised for the Da Vinci Code and are suing Random House, its British publisher.

But yesterday John Baldwin, QC, for the publisher, said that much of their allegations, which he said had changed over the course of the court case, were "spurious and bogus".

"Many of the ideas complained of are not even in both books, some are not even in either, so they cannot possibly have been copied from one to the other.

"In the main, the ideas complained of were not original to HBHG anyway."

Mr Baldwin added that the law of copyright did not protect general ideas and that any similar themes in both books were in the public domain and known to Brown before he read Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. "We say the claim relies on and seeks to monopolise ideas at such a high level of generality they are not protected by copyright.

"The authors are seeking to monopolise information which is already in the public domain."

Mr Baldwin said that Brown had written the synopsis to the Da Vinci Code before he even read Holy Blood and the Holy Grail and that he had based his ideas on a number of different text books.

He said that one theme complained of - namely that the objective of the secret group the Priory of Sion was to restore Christ's descendants to the thrones of Europe - did not even appear in Brown's novel.

"It is our case that this suggestion that the central theme [of the Da Vinci Code] is a synopsis or summary of the full contents of HBHG is demonstrably false," he added.

He said one of the main differences between the themes of the novel and the non-fiction work was the treatment of the crucifixion of Christ, which Holy Blood and Holy Grail said was faked and that Jesus lived on.

"It is an important element in the book but has no part in the Da Vinci Code," he said.

The case was adjourned until Tuesday.

EGYPT'S SILENT MAJORITY

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been touring the Middle East, stepping into Egypt's simmering cauldron of religion and politics. Some have welcomed her visit, while others say that it illustrates that the US is just meddling in the region.


Many in Egypt still feel uneasy about political protest
The demonstration in Cairo the other day was something of a rag-tag affair.

A motley band of writers, thinkers and lawyers gathered in front of the main gates to the university, penned in by hundreds of riot police.

The protesters unfurled bright orange banners and chanted slogans calling for democracy, better education, an end to corruption and to Western interference in Arab affairs.

There was a time when this would have been a newsworthy event.


There were more people watching this demonstration than taking part
For decades, public dissent in Egypt simply was not tolerated.

The only thing it would guarantee was an express ticket to prison.

But in the past 12 months, the orange banners and catchy slogans of the pro-democracy Kifaya movement have become familiar to Cairenes.

Call to action Kifaya means "enough".

It was established to try to change the country's political system.

But this is no Orange revolution - certainly not for now.

What was remarkable about the protest was the lack of, well, protest.

Forty or 50 people can make a lot of noise; they do not really make a difference.

In truth, there were more people watching this demonstration than taking part.

Most of Cairo University's fraternity either stayed at their desks or stood outside the police cordon, listening to - but not joining in - calls for the president to fall.

Silent majority

President Mubarak cancelled local elections scheduled for later this year, many say out of fear that the winners would be the Brotherhood
It is not that Egyptians do not want a better life, or a radical change in their country. Most people want real job opportunities and an end to corruption.

I spoke to a small group of young men in their late teens and early 20s, dressed in jeans, T-shirts and trainers.

One of them was still wearing a thick red, woollen scarf commemorating Egypt's recent victory in the Africa Cup.

They were all dismissive of Kifaya.

They thought the group and its slogans were too extreme, in some way disrespectful.

One used the Arabic word for "outrageous" and he meant it in its fullest sense. Their actions were likely to cause outrage.

But their reticence, like that of many Egyptians, is tinged with fear.

One said: "They're chanting now but by the end of the day they'll be in prison, so what will be the benefit?"

It is not an unreasonable concern.

After all, there are thought to be many thousands of political prisoners in Egypt.

We should go back to religion FOR University student

Although the government has eased up considerably in the past year, the security services are still likely to pull people off the streets at random.

So are these students happy with the way things are?

"Not at all," they said.

"So what should be done?" I asked.

"We should go back to religion."

Power of religion

About 15 minutes before the Kifaya demonstration began, another one ended, on the very same site outside Cairo University.

This one was well attended - and by students - about 300 or so of them -
organised, disciplined and highly motivated.

The US secretary of state's visit got a mixed reaction
This was a Muslim Brotherhood protest.

The demonstrators also unfurled bright banners and chanted slogans calling for democracy, better education, an end to corruption and to Western interference
in Arab affairs.

But they also held up pocket-sized copies of the Koran.

For this officially banned but tolerated group, Islam is the solution.

Their message has been so successful that they are now
the largest opposition group in the Egyptian parliament.

They are also closely linked with Hamas, the militant group in
the process of forming a new government in the Palestinian Authority.

The Brotherhood has more than 80 branches around the world and if you want a vision of what political Islam looks like, just look at the Brothers.

They are not wild-eyed, nor do they all sport beards.

Their leaders talk about democracy and equality, although many think this is simply a front and that the zealots will emerge once power is secured.

A few days ago, President Mubarak cancelled local elections scheduled for later this year, many say out of fear that the winners would be the Brotherhood.

Flag of Islam

Into this bubbling cauldron of religion and politics stepped America's Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.

The US administration still talks about the power of what it calls "transformational democracy".

But it is not the small secular-leaning liberal democratic parties people are turning to. It is the Islamists.

And the beneficiaries of democratic change seem to be groups like the Brotherhood, Hamas in the Palestinian territories, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Shia in Iraq.

People who are unsympathetic, if not hostile, to US interests in the region.

The feeling on the streets of Cairo is that America is not really serious about democracy in the Middle East, where - if they are given the choice - people will opt for the green flag of Islam, not the orange one of Kifaya.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE IRAQ NATION,
Attacks Surge Despite New Security Measures

A car bomb exploded in a Shiite holy city and 13 members of a Shiite family were gunned down Saturday in a surge of attacks killing about 50 people despite heightened security to curb Iraq's sectarian violence following the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine.


President Bush called the head of Iraq's largest Shiite political party Saturday to discuss the bombing of the Askariya shrine in Samarra, the Shiite leader's office said in a statement.

Bush condemned the attack on the Askariya shrine and offered to help rebuild it, according to a statement from Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim's office. During the 15-minute call, he also pressed al-Hakim to work toward the formation of a new government.

Al-Hakim told Bush that Shiite religious leaders, including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, are doing their best to help calm the situation, the statement said.

"Iraq needs to review and study the security situation and prepare detailed plans similar to what happened in the United States of America following 9/11," al-Hakim was quoted as telling Bush.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad also met with al-Hakim on Saturday.

At least one more Sunni mosque was attacked in Baghdad on Saturday after two rockets were fired at a Shiite mosque in Tuz Khormato, north of the capital, the previous night. Shooting also broke out near the home of a prominent Sunni cleric during the funeral procession for an Al-Arabiya TV correspondent slain in sectarian violence. Police believed the procession was the target.

The violence occurred despite an extraordinary daytime curfew in Baghdad and three surrounding provinces. It was lifted at 4 p.m. in most areas, but the government announced a 24-hour ban on vehicular movements in Baghdad and its suburbs starting at 6 a.m. Sunday.

Despite the extra measures, the stretched security forces could not contain attacks that have killed more than 190 people since Wednesday's shrine bombing and pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.

Political and religious leaders were anxious to contain the violence unleashed by extremists on both sides that have frozen efforts to form a new government that Washington considers essential if it is to start withdrawing U.S. troops this year.

The main Sunni Arab political bloc said Saturday it "will not hesitate to reconsider" its decision to pull out of coalition talks if Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shiite, follows through on promises to ease the crisis.

The attack was carried out by a small group of men who gained access to the usually heavily protected shrine, set demolition explosives, and then fled.

In a statement Friday, al-Jaafari pledged to rebuild the Shiite shrine wrecked in Samarra as well as Sunni mosques damaged in reprisal attacks. He also launched an investigation to establish responsibility for the Samarra bombing "and what followed."

In its statement, the Sunni front said the prime minister's statement included "positive signs."

"Although we appreciate the stance of the government, it is important that such decisions be put into force despite the deterioration of the security situation," the Sunni statement said.

U.S. officials remain hopeful the Sunnis will return to the discussions, but the crisis may delay forming the government, which had been expected by mid-May.

In Karbala, a city 50 miles south of Baghdad not covered by the daytime curfew, a car bomb killed at least five people and injured more than 30, police and hospital officials said.

A suspect arrested after the blast told police the intended targets were the city's holy shrines of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and his half brother, Imam Abbas, Karbala Gov. Aqeel al-Khazali told The Associated Press.

But the suspect could not penetrate the network of checkpoints set up before this month's massive Ashoura religious festival, according to the governor.

The assailant instead parked the vehicle on a street in the north of the city, drawing the attention of local residents. When a policeman opened the trunk to investigate, the car exploded, a local officer said. Al-Khazali said the suspect was captured with the detonator still on him. In Buhriz, a Sunni-insurgent stronghold covered by the curfew, gunmen burst into a Shiite house and killed 13 people, provincial police said. The victims - three generations of one family - were all men, police said.

Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said his militiamen were ready to defend Diyala province - an ominous sign of the possible Shiite reaction to come. Many Shiites fear Iraq's official security forces are incapable of protecting them and instead look to private militias for security.

The shooting around the home of Harith al-Dhari, head of the Association of Muslim Scholars, broke out as the funeral procession for Al-Arabiya journalist Atwar Bahjat was passing by. She and two colleagues were killed Wednesday while covering the bombing of the Askariya mosque in Samarra.

When the mourners were returning later from the cemetery, a car bomb ripped through an Iraqi military patrol escorting the mourners. At least two soldiers and one police commando were killed in the mayhem, police and army officials said. Six people, including civilians, were injured.

At least two rockets slammed into homes in Baghdad's Shiite slum, Sadr City, killing three people, including a child, and injuring seven.

Late Friday, two rockets exploded in the British Embassy compound in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, slightly injuring two British workers, the U.S. military reported.

The Iraqi army hit back in the Baqouba area, killing four gunmen and arresting 28 others suspected attacking Iraqi and coalition forces in the previous 24 hours, army Brig. Gen. Saman Talabani said Saturday.

Police have found dozens of bodies - many of them cuffed and shot - in Baghdad and other areas since Wednesday's shrine bombing. The bodies of 14 Iraqi police commandos were found with their burned vehicles midday Saturday near a Sunni mosque in southwestern Baghdad, police Maj. Falah al-Mohammedawi said.

The prime minister announced additional security measures Friday, including a ban on vehicles entering or leaving Baghdad, more patrols in tense neighborhoods, and a ban on carrying unauthorized weapons.

The government also extended the daytime curfew for a second day in Baghdad and the flashpoint provinces of Babil, Diyala and Salaheddin, where the shrine bombing took place. And the U.S. military said it would carry out additional security patrols for another 48 hours.

The curfew prevented many from reaching mosques Friday, but people were allowed to walk to neighborhood services, many of which were guarded by Iraqi police and soldiers. Preachers at several leading mosques urged their followers to maintain calm for the sake of the nation, and a number of demonstrations called for Shiite-Sunni unity.

Scores die amid Iraqi shrine fury
More than 100 people have been killed in Iraq in apparent revenge attacks after the bombing of a key Shia shrine.
Scores of bullet-riddled bodies have been found in Baghdad, while in the bloodiest attack 47 factory workers were killed near the capital.

President Jalal Talabani called an emergency summit of Iraq's political leaders to discuss the violence.

Sunni Arab politicians boycotted the meeting and pulled out of coalition talks in protest at reprisal attacks.

"We are suspending our participation in negotiations on the government with the Shia Alliance," said Tareq al-Hashimi, a top official from the Iraqi Accord Front, Iraq's main Sunni Arab alliance.

Dozens of Sunni mosques have been targeted and several burnt to the ground since bombers blew up the golden dome of the revered al-Askari shrine in Samarra on Wednesday morning, reports say.

In a rare public rebuke, the main Sunni religious authority - the Association of Muslim Scholars - accused Iraq's top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, of fomenting the violence.


I think Iraq is falling apart and there is nothing we can do about it
Fred Mondini, Seattle
Ayatollah Sistani has urged Shias not to attack Sunni mosques, but a spokesman for the cleric said anger might be hard to contain.


"You wouldn't expect an abrupt or sudden calm, because there are some people whose reaction you can't control," London-based Fadel Bahar al-Eloum told the BBC.

In other developments:
US President George W Bush calls the bombing of the shrine an "evil act" and appeals for an end to reprisal attacks

Tens of thousands of Lebanese Shia Muslims rally in Beirut in protest at the shrine attack

An angry crowd prevents Iraqi Housing Minister Jassem Mohammed's convoy from reaching the bombed shrine in Samarra

The Iraqi government cancels all police and army leave and extends the curfew in Baghdad.

'No-one safe'

As violence showed no sign of abating, Iraq's leaders have increasingly warned of the dangers of a civil war.

After meeting Shias, Kurds and leaders of a smaller Sunni group, President Talabani said in a televised broadcast if all-out war came "no-one would be safe", Reuters news agency reported.

The attack on the al-Askari shrine - which will be seen as a direct assault on the identity and rights of an entire community - takes the danger of a civil conflict to a new level,

A civil war would destroy the chances of the elected Shia-led government which is still being formed following December's election, and could lead to the break-up of the country, he says.

Mounting toll

In the heaviest single loss of life, the 47 factory workers were killed after being dragged out of their vehicles in Nahrawan, on the outskirts of Baghdad.

The victims, aged between 20 and 50, had been travelling home from work in a convoy of buses when they were ambushed and shot dead.

It is not clear whether the murders are linked to the attack on the shrine or whether they are part of the general insurgency.

Elsewhere, the bodies of a prominent al-Arabiya TV reporter and two of her crew, who had gone to cover the attack on the shrine, were discovered on Thursday morning.

Correspondent Atwar Bahjat's body was among the three found about 15km (10 miles) north of Samarra.

At least 12 people died in a bomb attack on an Iraqi army patrol in the town of Baquba, while one person died in a gun attack on a Sunni mosque in the city.

In other attacks, four US soldiers were killed near Hawijah, while three died near Balad, when their vehicles were hit by roadside bombs, the US army said on Thursday.

Egypt finds deadly bird flu virus

Many Egyptians raise their own chickens for food
Egypt has detected its first cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in three areas
in the country, including the capital, Cairo.

The government confirmed that the virus was found in four chickens in Cairo,
two in nearby Giza and one in Minya, 220km (135 miles) south of the capital.

The health ministry said tests were carried out on people living nearby,
but no human cases had been detected.

Ministers have held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

"The central operations room for following bird flu received... the first positive result of analysis of samples afflicted with the virus H5N1," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

The cases were confirmed earlier by officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The FAO's Dr Talib Elham was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the disease appeared to have moved north after an infected bird was taken to market
in the capital, Cairo.

Heavily dependent on poultry for food
Millions of Egyptians raise their own chickens

The first cases of H5N1 on the African continent were confirmed last week when the virus was found in Nigeria.

The disease has spread west from its original hotspot in South-East Asia. Cases have also been confirmed in Europe.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed at least 90 people since early 2003, mostly in South-East Asia.

The virus can infect humans in close contact with birds. There is still no evidence that it can be passed from human to human.