Muslim cleric to take Kumbh dip to wash away religious differences

Islamic World News

02 Oct 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

Muslim cleric to take Kumbh dip to wash away religious differences

US senator finds ISI-Taliban ties 'troubling' by Arun Kumar US imposes tough 'no terror' conditions on aid to Pak by CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA Ron Paul sees breakup of US after strike on Iran Celebrating Islamic heritage Uzbek militant leader thought killed in South Waziristan Bill Roggio Making sense of Iran Terror plotter undone by online activities Naropa to host symposium on Muslim women's issues by Magdalena Wegrzyn Islamic preacher assaulted children for laughing in mosque Pakistan kills 27 militants: military 'Toronto 18' terrorist to be sentenced Friday Anti Terrorist Front felicitates Kashmiri militant killer Rukhsana Poll: 80% of Pakistanis oppose assisting U.S. terror fight by ROBERT KENNEDY Iran Avoids Nuclear Talks at Geneva Meeting by Maayana Miskin War on Crime: Israeli Police Cleaning Up the Underworld Israel's Doubts On Talks Allayed By Howard Schneider and Joby Warrick Compiled by Aman Quadri Photo: Maulana Kalbe Sadiq URL: http://newageislam.net/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1836  ------   Muslim cleric to take Kumbh dip to wash away religious differences 2 October 2009, Indian Muslim, By IANS Lucknow: A dip in the sacred river during the Maha Kumbh Mela is said to wash away all sins. A senior Muslim cleric who will perform the Hindu rite hopes it will also wash away differences between the two religions. Kalbe Sadiq, a noted Shia cleric and senior vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), will take the "holy dip" in the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela to be held in Haridwar in 2010. "For the sake of cementing the bond between Hindus and Muslims, I have decided to perform the ritual (holy dip) in the Ganga River, which is considered sacred and revered, particularly by Hindus," Sadiq told IANS. "In fact, not only the holy dip, I am ready to perform every such act that will help promote amicable atmosphere between the two communities and contribute towards the progress of the nation," he added. Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, will be held in 2010 in the holy city Haridwar in Uttarakhand, from Jan 14 to April 28, and is expected to see an influx of 15 million pilgrims -- many of whom will come from distant lands. "Though I have not planned the exact date for carrying out the holy ritual, very soon I will make it (date) public," Sadiq said. The Muslim cleric has also intimated his plans to the seers in Haridwar. "I have informed them so that they can assist me in performing the holy ritual smoothly. For this purpose, I have already held talks with Yogi Yateendra Nath Giri, who is the national convener of the Akhil Bhartiya Sadhu Parishad," he said. Asked about important issues that cropped up in his talks with the seer, Sadiq said: "Primarily, it remained focussed on chalking out a plan to further cement the bond between Hindus and Muslims." The controversial issue of Babri Masjid/Ram Mandir too cropped up during the discussion. "Yes, we discussed it and both of us agreed that the matter should be left to the court and members of both the communities should respect the court's order," he added. Maha Kumbh Mela occurs four times every 12 years and rotates among four locations: Allahabad (in Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati River; Haridwar (in Uttarakhand) along the Ganga, Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh) along the Kshipra river and Nashik (Maharashtra) along the Godavari river. ----- US senator finds ISI-Taliban ties 'troubling' Arun Kumar, October 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - An influential US senator says it has been difficult for the US to build trust with Pakistan's military and intelligence services because ties between Islamabad's spy agency ISI and Taliban remain troubling. "We need to fix this relationship," Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Democratic Chairman John Kerry said at a Congressional hearing Thursday on "Afghanistan's Impact on Pakistan": The US Congress had taken a "major step" in doing so with the passage of a legislation to triple non-military assistance to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year for the next five years, he said. "This is a landmark achievement, but it is not a panacea," he said suggesting the legislation "signals our determination to put our relationship on a new foundation, with the aspirations of the Pakistani people front and centre." "It's no secret that the relationship between our countries has suffered its share of strains," Kerry said. "Many Pakistanis believe the United States has exploited them for strategic goals," he said noting a recent survey by the Pew Research Centre found that two out of three Pakistanis regard the United States as an enemy. Only one in 10 describe the US as a partner. "From our side, it has been difficult to build trust with Pakistan's military and intelligence services over the years because our interests have not always been aligned and because ties between the ISI and Taliban remain troubling," Kerry said. President Barack Obama and his team are working to develop the right strategy for Afghanistan, Kerry said. "But let me be clear: No matter what strategy we adopt, it must recognize that the actions we take in Afghanistan will have direct repercussions in Pakistan." Source: http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-senator-finds-isi-taliban-ties-troubling-184700/ ------- US imposes tough 'no terror' conditions on aid to Pak CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA, TNN 30 September 2009 WASHINGTON: Pakistan has been put on a US legislative terror Effectively implicating Pakistan in acts of terrorism in the region and across the world, including against India, US lawmakers have imposed stringent conditions on Pakistan (requiring monitoring of compliance by Washington) while okaying a five-year, $ 7.5 billion dole for Islamabad till 2014. The conditions, which should settle some unease in New Delhi that the US is blind to terrorism affecting India, include six-monthly evaluations by Washington of efforts by Pakistan to A) disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaida, the Taliban, and other extremist and terrorist groups in the FATA and settled areas; B) eliminate the safe havens of such forces in Pakistan; C) close terrorist camps, including those of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed; D) cease all support for extremist and terrorist groups; and (E) prevent attacks into neighbouring countries. Although there is no specific reference to India in keeping with Pakistan's plea that any India-specific conditions would be humiliating, the so-called Kerry-Lugar bill leaves no doubt that Islamabad risks losing US aid if it keeps up its terror campaign against India. Underscoring the language in the entire bill is the premise that Pakistan has been using terrorism as state policy against India, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said recently. Section 203 of the Senate Bill S. 1707 enjoins the Secretary of State to certify that Pakistan has made progress on matters such as "ceasing support, including by any elements within the Pakistan military or its intelligence agency, to extremist and terrorist groups, particularly to any group that has conducted attacks against the United States or coalition forces in Afghanistan, or against the territory or people of neighboring countries." The Secretary of State also has to certify that Pakistan is stopping terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed from operating in the territory of Pakistan, including carrying out cross-border attacks into neighbouring countries, dismantling terrorist bases of operations, including in Quetta and Muridke, and taking action when provided with intelligence about high-level terrorist targets. Muridke is widely known to be a terrorist pilgrim centre with jihadis of all hues and vintage gathering there for congregations patronized by the Pakistani intelligence establishment. Quetta is where western agencies suspect Pakistan is harbouring the Taliban shura headed by the one-eyed Mullah Omar. Full Article at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/us/US-imposes-tough-no-terror-conditions-on-aid-to-Pak/articleshow/5069952.cms ---- Ron Paul sees breakup of US after strike on Iran By Jeff Poor, 10/1/2009 Ron Paul Warns of Violence from Pending Dollar Crisis; Says Israel Strike on Iran the Trigger Host Beck says left, media would blame right for 'any kind of violence.'  Scary times ahead? Perhaps, if you take credence in what Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, says.  Paul, who had a strong grassroots following during the 2008 presidential election, explained on Glenn Beck's Sept. 30 radio program that perilous times lie ahead due to the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy. Host Glenn Beck asked how an Israeli strike against Iran might trigger problems with the American financial system.  "What happens when Israel strikes Iran or Iran has the earth rays and we know that they now have a nuclear weapon, what happens to our financial system at that point?" Beck asked.  The libertarian Paul maintained China would become the world's financial heavyweight and they were already making preparations to be the world's top dog.  "I think the Chinese take over," Paul said. "If there's a real panic and oil shoots up to a couple of hundred bucks, the Chinese will dump their dollars. Chinese are maneuvering for this. The more we threaten Iran, the stronger the Chinese influence gets because they're using the dollars that they have earned from us and saved, they have a trillion, and they are starting to buy up assets in Iran and build plants and get involved in their energy. So the whole thing is backfiring on us. We're getting ready to put tougher sanctions on the Iranians and that will make things that much worse. It won't help the dissidents in Iran. It's going to cost us a lot of money, and there will be a bombing and that will be a big, big event. I think it will crash the dollar is what I think it would do."  And what does the country look like after the dollar crashes?  Not good the Texascongressman said.  "We think it was bad with the financial crisis," Paul said. "When you have a dollar crisis, the whole thing quits functioning. The checks bounce and literally the federal government's checks bounce if you have – if inflation goes up."  But the situation deteriorates even more Paul – with states leaving the union.   "I think we're going to have a de facto 10th Amendment, secession," Paul said "People are just going to ignore the federal government because they won't – and there's, you know, a total loss of credibility."  Beck alluded to media charges and warnings from others that there would be violence and contended the right is being set up to take the fall for it.  "Congressman Paul, the media and even [Rep.] Patrick Kennedy said this, we heard this from two people, Muammar Gaddafi and I believe the other one was Ahmadinejad that both spoke last week and they – we're hearing it all the time that there's going to be violence here in America, that people are targeting," Beck said. "Basically everyone is going to blame this on the right, any kind of violence."  There would be violence, but not before a dollar crisis happens as some Democratic politicians and media personalities have warned, but afterward Paul said.  "I think that there will be violence," he explained. "I hope we don't have to go through, you know, a very violent period of time, but that's what happens too often when the government runs out of money and runs out of wealth, the people argue over, you know, a shrinking pie and, of course, the people who have to produce are sick and tired of producing." ------ Celebrating Islamic heritage October 01, 2009 Two years ago, October was recognized by the Canadian Parliament as Islamic History Month Canada, a time to inspire Canadian Muslims to share and rejoice in their history, heritage and culture with their fellow Canadians. During October, Muslims celebrate their civilization, their various contributions to the arts, sciences, medicine, architecture, humanities, music, spirituality and their links with other cultures. "Islamic history is human history," notes Wahida Valiante, national president, Canadian Islamic Congress, and chair, Islamic History Month Canada. "Islamic contributions are universal and deserve to be shared and appreciated. We truly believe that Islamic History Month Canada will enable all Canadians to identify the many contributions of past Islamic civilizations that benefit the world every day. Every year, a new theme is chosen to celebrate the month. The inaugural year presented the topic of Islamic art and architecture, while in 2008 the chosen subject was Islamic science and medicine. This year's theme is that of Islamic finance and banking. As in previous years, speakers and presenters will be making multi-city tours across Canada. Source: http://canadianimmigrant.ca/ArticlePrint/5321 ----- Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader thought killed in August strike in South Waziristan By Bill Roggio October 2, 2009 Unconfirmed reports from Pakistan indicate that the leader of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was killed during a US airstrike in South Waziristan in late August. Tahir Yuldashev, emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, is said to have been killed in a strike by an unmanned US aircraft in the town of Kanigoram on Aug. 27, 2009. The strike took place in a known stronghold of the Taliban forces under the command of Mullah Nazir. Eight Taliban fighters and Uzbek fighters were reported killed in the attack, but no senior leader was initially reported killed. The first report of Yuldashev's death emerged on Sept. 28, when a man called Radio Ozodlik, the Uzbek service for Radio Liberty, identified himself as a bodyguard for Yuldashev, and said the leader died from wounds one day after the strike. According to the caller, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was trying to hide Yuldashev's death. The caller also claimed that Yuldashev was replaced by "an ethnic Tatar by name of Abdurakhman." An Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader known as Zubair ibn Abdurakhman is said to serve as the group's spokesman as well as a leader of a faction of the group. Anonymous Pakistani officials are now saying Yuldashev did indeed die in the Aug. 27 strike. "The man has kicked the bucket," a senior Pakistani government official told Dawn. "He is dead beyond doubt," another Pakistani official said. US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not confirm that Yuldashev was killed. "We are aware of the reports and investigating, but do not have evidence he was killed at this time," one senior military intelligence official said. Pakistani intelligence has claimed Yuldashev has been killed in the past. Most recently, Yuldashev and 'pro-government' Taliban leader Mullah Nazir were reported killed in a strike on Oct. 31, 2008. Both later resurfaced. Yuldashev's death, if confirmed, would mean the US has killed five senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders since the Aug. 5 strike that killed Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan leader Baitullah Mehsud. Also thought killed are: Ilyas Kashmiri, the operations commander of the Harakat-ul-Jihad-Islami and the operations chief of Brigade 313; Najmuddin Jalolov, the leader of the Islamic Jihad Group, a breakaway faction of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan; and Mustafa al Jaziri a senior military commander for al Qaeda who sits on al Qaeda's military shura. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in Pakistan and Afghanistan Yuldashev took command of the radical Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan after Juma Namangani was killed by anti-Taliban fighters from the Northern Alliance during the US invasion of Afghanistan in November 2001. Namangani and Yuldashev co-founded the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in 1998. Yuldashev is said to have been one of the senior commanders against US forces during Operation Anaconda in the Shahi-Kot Valley in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktia in March 2002. The IMU is closely allied with al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban. Yuldashev's fighters shelter in North and South Waziristan; there are an estimated 2,500 to 4,000 IMU fighters based in the region. The IMU is strong in northern Afghanistan, where, over the past two years, the insurgency has been revitalized. The Taliban and the IMU have carried out attacks against NATO's new supply corridor from Tajikistan through the northern provinces of Kunduz and Baghlan. The Taliban, with the help of the IMU, control several districts in Kunduz and Baghlan. As many as 80 al Qaeda-linked militants, including Uzbeks and Chechens, are operating in areas southwest of Kunduz City. The IMU has also expanded the violence into Afghansitan's neighboring countries to the north. Under the command of Mullah Abdullah, a force of 300 IMU and Taliban fighters attacked a police station in the town of Tavil-Dara in Tajikistan on July 9. Abdullah is thought to have crossed from Kunduz into Tajikistan several weeks before the attack. Eleven days later, the IMU attacked a remote military checkpoint in Tajikistan near the Afghan border. Five IMU fighters were killed during the assault. Source: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/10/islamic_movement_of.php ----- Making sense of Iran Aijaz Zaka Syed This Eid, one was treated to this rather engaging movie on Iran's late Shah and his glamorous wife Soraya on Dubai One TV. The movie is supposed to be a tribute to the Sad Princess, as Soraya was known. However, the French-German-Italian production actually chronicles a whole age, capturing an enchantingly intriguing country and one of the most eventful periods in the Middle East's recent history. In fact, titled Soraya, the movie is less about the queen who failed to provide a male heir to the Pahlavi throne, and more about Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and ordinary people of Iran and their struggle to survive in a fast-changing world after the Great War. Soraya is played rather convincingly by gorgeous Italian actress Anna Valle. And German actor Erol Sander comes incredibly close to his subject in his portrayal of the Shah. Everyone who wants to understand why Iran at times behaves the way it does in its engagement with the West must watch this movie. The biopic offers a rare insight into the transition of the Shah from a benevolent monarch to a corrupt tyrant and puppet in the hands of big powers. The way Iran and its leaders are manipulated and exploited by greedy colonial powers, and this amazing country with a 5,000-year-old past is literally looted is all too familiar yet hard to believe. Those claiming to champion democracy, freedom and human rights today joined hands then to topple the Middle East's first democratically elected Prime Minister, Dr. Mosaddeq, when he tried to stop the rape and pillage of his country's precious resources. A visionary born ahead of his times, Mosaddeq refused to accept the peanuts offered by European powers in return for Iran's most precious asset, oil. He outraged Western powers by nationalizing oil companies and ending British-Western monopoly over the oil industry but won the eternal gratitude of his people. How CIA and other Western agencies brought hired thugs out on the streets of Tehran (sounds familiar?) to drive Mosaddeq from power and how the disgraced Shah was reinstated by Western diplomats is part of the region's tragic history. Not surprisingly, these historical facts are seldom reported in Western narratives about Iran's "expansionist ambitions" and the "clear and present danger" its mythical nukes pose. As the Western media once again go into an overdrive on Iran, I can't help imagining Iran's ayatollahs chuckle in helpless glee as they fire off more missiles in the general direction of Israel. But for all their rhetoric and stop-and-go nuclear shenanigans, I don't think Iranians are after nuclear weapons. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if they were indeed seeking a couple of nukes of their own. Given the long history of Western interventions in the region — especially after Iraq and Afghanistan — and Israeli machinations, would you be surprised if Iran indeed goes after those elusive nukes? Don't forget there are nearly 200,000 US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, two countries that share borders with Iran. So if Iran fires off those rudimentary missiles from time to time and Ahmadinejad launches into those rambling soliloquies about Israel's existence, there's a simple explanation for it: It just demands and deserves attention and respect from the West. Frankly, Tehran has got the West in a nice fix. The US is damned if it moves against Iran — or allows Israel to — and damned if it does not. Having spread itself perilously thin in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, it is not in a position to punish Iran. Nor can the US allow Israel to go it alone for fear of wreaking havoc across the strategic Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Full Article At: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=126960&d=2&m=10&y=2009 ---- Terror plotter undone by online activities Trois-Rivieres Graeme Hamilton, October 02, 2009 Said Namouh thought his apartment in Trois-Rivieres was an ideal location to plot jihad, far from the prying eyes of anti-terrorism investigators. But the Internet that allowed him to spread hatred from the boondocks also proved his undoing, and yesterday -- largely on the strength of his online activity -- the 36-year-old Moroccan was convicted of four terrorism charges. Quebec Court Judge Claude Leblond ruled that far from simply exercising free speech, as the defence had argued, Namouh participated with "zeal and enthusiasm" in the planning of terrorist acts and the distribution of jihadist propaganda. The man described in court as a "spokesman for al-Qaeda" was found guilty of conspiring to commit a bomb attack in Europe, attempting to extort the governments of Austria and Germany with video threats, participating in a terrorist group and aiding a terrorist activity. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The court heard that Namouh, who moved to Canada in 2003 after marrying a Quebec woman, was on the verge of leaving Canada when he was arrested. Online conversations showed he was headed for Egypt to meet with co-conspirators in a plot to carry out a terrorist bombing at an unknown location in Europe. "This is a demonstration that the system works, that if the police work with their counterparts in other countries, they can stop people before they get on the plane and before it's too late," federal Crown attorney Dominique Dudemaine said outside the court. Full Report at: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=2056968 ---- Naropa to host symposium on Muslim women's issues By Magdalena Wegrzyn BOULDER — Iranian human rights activist and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Shirin Ebadi will be in Boulder next week to speak about issues facing worldwide Muslim communities. Ebadi will deliver a keynote address Friday night to kick off "Women's Leadership and Activism in the Muslim World," a daylong symposium Oct. 10 at Naropa University. Panelists will address the changing roles of Muslim women, interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution, human rights issues and media studies in the Muslim world. "The people in America and the West need to understand that President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad is not the only voice in Iran. Hear the voice of the Iranian people, for they are the true representatives of Iran," Ebadi wrote in an e-mail to the Times-Call, which was translated into English by Pantea Beigi, Ebadi's laureate liaison. Ebadi was the first woman to serve as a judge in Iran. After the 1979 revolution, clerics demoted her and all female judges to clerks and later to "legal experts" in the Justice Department. Ebadi retired early and wrote books about social injustice. In 1992, she was granted a lawyer's license and set up her own practice, which defended many human rights cases. Globalization has forced local disputes to become international issues, she wrote. "An example of that is during the early '90s when the Taliban was taking over Kabul and progressing with their activities," Ebadi wrote. "Did anyone ever see that 10 years later what was happening in Kabul, Afghani-stan, was going to affect citizens in NYC? This is why we need to care and realize that what happened in one part of the world is destined to affect all of us in other parts." Candace Walworth, chair of Naropa University's Peace Studies Department, said the symposium will imbue students and community members with an appreciation for the pluralism within Islam. "One of our goals is to amplify the voices of Muslim women leaders — to create a space for informed conversation," she said. The program is funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Cordoba Initiative, a multifaith nonprofit that works to improve Muslim-West relations. Full Report at: http://www.timescall.com/faith/Faith-Story.asp?ID=18409 ----- Islamic preacher assaulted children for laughing in mosque 02 Oct 2009 A preacher at a mosque in Greater Manchester has been convicted of slapping three boys because they were laughing when they were supposed to be reading the Koran. The boys giggled when they found a leaf in the supposed 'holy book'. Ghulam Sarwar hit two of them so hard they temporarily lost their hearing. When once child told his mother about the incident, she reported it to the police. In a victim impact statement read out at Manchester Crown Court, she said she was disgusted by Sarwar's conduct. "They are just children," she said. "Things like this can go on but the law in this country says you cannot hit and injure a child. They did not deserve this treatment." The court heard that the three boys were sitting together at a Greater Manchester mosque in March this year. One of them found a leaf in his copy of the religious text. Another boy said he tried to smell it and it stuck to his nose, causing the three to laugh. Sarwar struck one boy on the back of the head with a flat hand, knocking his hat off. He slapped the other two on their right ears. One boy alleged that Sarwar had hit children in the mosque before. Sarwar, described as a preacher in court, denied assaulting the three boys and said in evidence that his faith prevented him from striking anyone. Five young character witnesses described Sarwar as a kind, calm and patient man during the trial. Magistrates found him guilty of three counts of common assault by beating. He will appeal against the conviction. Source: http://www.secularism.org.uk/114244.html --- Pakistan kills 27 militants: military October 02, 2009 Pakistani forces on Friday killed 27 alleged militants in the lawless northwest Khyber district, the paramilitary Frontier Corps said. "Attack helicopters shelled militant training centres on Friday in the Tirrah valley of Khyber, killing 27 rebels," Frontier Corps spokesman Major Fazal-ur-Rehman told AFP. He said artillery pieces were also used to pound rebel positions. Nineteen vehicles and four hideouts belonging to militants had been detroyed, he said. In September the military launched a fresh offensive against Islamist insurgents in the border region, home to the fabled Khyber Pass into neighbouring Afghanistan. The target of the current campaign is Lashkar-e-Islam (Army of Islam), a militant group battling the government in Khyber that has some ties to the Pakistan Taliban. Khyber is on the main land and supply route through Pakistan into Afghanistan, where international forces are battling a Taliban insurgency. Pakistan's military has claimed a number of successes against the Islamist hardliners this year in and around Swat valley, but attacks continue across the country, mostly in the northwest. The semi-autonomous northwest tribal belt has become a stronghold for hundreds of extremists who fled Afghanistan after the US-led invasion toppled the hard-line Taliban regime in the neighbouring country in late 2001. Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pakistan-kills-27-militants-military/H1-Article1-460602.aspx ---- 'Toronto 18' terrorist to be sentenced Friday October 2, 2009 TORONTO — A Somali-born Toronto man who pleaded guilty to terror-related charges in connection with a plot to attack targets in southern Ontario is expected to face sentencing Friday. Ali Mohamed Dirie pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of a terrorist group last month when he admitted to obtaining handguns and ammunition knowing they were for the terrorist group's ringleader. The Crown and defence have agreed on a seven-year sentence for the 26 year old but disagree over how much credit he deserves for the time he has already spent behind bars. Crown prosecutor Clyde Bond wants Dirie to serve two more years while the defence wants him to be released. Dirie was one of the 18 Toronto men charged in 2006 in connection with a plot to attack targets in southern Ontario in order to terrorize Canadians into withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. Dirie was caught on police wiretaps saying he hated non-Muslims and called white people the "No. 1 filthiest people on the face of the planet. They don't have Islam. They're the most filthiest people." He added that: "In Islam there is no racism, we only hate kufar (non- Muslims)." The arrests of the "Toronto 18" followed lengthy investigations by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, RCMP and other police forces into home-grown Canadian extremists inspired by al-Qaida. Full Report at: http://www.canada.com/news/national/Toronto+terrorist+sentenced+Friday/2058975/story.html ----- Anti Terrorist Front felicitates Kashmiri militant killer Rukhsana ANI: The All India Anti Terrorist Front (AIATF) on Friday felicitated Raukhsana Kausar who showed exemplary courage by shooting a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant dead. On Sunday, Twenty-two-year old Rukhsana, hailing from a remote village in Rajouri District of Jammu and Kashmir, snatched his rifle and fired at him, killing him. Speaking to reporters Rukhsana said: "I fought the militant with my will power and courage. I had put in all my might to kill the militant and I request all the people to join us in our fight against the militants and root them out from our country. Speaking on the occasion AIATF president Maninderjeet Singh Bitta said: "If the new generation, the politicians follow the foot print of one Rukhsana then I can say for sure that there would be no widow, no orphans and no casualties by the militant attacks. Bitta also handed over a cheque of one lakh rupees to Rukhsana and her brother. Rukhsana's parents who received bullet injuries in the attack are being treated in a hospital. - ANI Full Report at: http://www.littleabout.com/news/37563,anti-terrorist-front-felicitates-kashmiri-militant-killer-rukhsana.html ----- Poll: 80% of Pakistanis oppose assisting U.S. terror fight October 2, 2009 The survey suggests opposition has jumped 19% since March. BY ROBERT KENNEDY ISLAMABAD -- An overwhelming number of Pakistanis believe their leaders should not cooperate with the U.S. fight against terrorism, according to a poll released Thursday, amid a spate of American missile strikes aimed at Islamist militants that have inadvertently killed civilians. Eighty percent of people surveyed said "no" when asked if Pakistan should assist the U.S. in the "war on terror," according to the poll by the International Republican Institute, a U.S.-based nonprofit group. That response surged 19 percentage points from 61 percent when Pakistanis were asked the same question in March. The U.S. believes much of the Afghanistan insurgency is directed by militants who have sought safe haven in Pakistan's lawless border regions. The poll said 76 percent of respondents also opposed Pakistan's helping the U.S. with its missile attacks against extremists. Washington rarely acknowledges that it is behind the strikes, carried out by unmanned drones, and Islamabad publicly protests them. But it is believed that the Pakistani government quietly cooperates with the campaign. More than 70 missile strikes have been carried out in north-western Pakistan over the last year, killing top militant commanders and fighters -- along with civilians. The former leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, died in an Aug. 5 drone attack. The drone strikes have generated protests that have become so routine that they attract little media attention or public protest in Pakistan. The poll also found only 13 percent cited terrorism as the most important issue facing Pakistan. Instead, inflation, unemployment and poverty topped the list, with 72 percent saying their personal economic situation the past year had worsened. The survey was conducted with 4,900 people in face-to-face interviews between July 15 to Aug. 7. It had a sampling error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points. The International Republican Institute receives U.S. government funding for its democracy-promotion activities and ties to prominent Republicans, though it's not affiliated with the party. Source: http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=258575 ------ Iran Avoids Nuclear Talks at Geneva Meeting October 2, 2009 by Maayana Miskin (IsraelNN.com) Iranian delegates to nuclear talks in Geneva have announced that they are willing to discuss the Iranian nuclear program – if the discussion is part of a larger discussion on the subject of global nuclear disarmament. Chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili wrote a proposal calling for worldwide disarmament and sent it to several foreign leaders. The proposal does not touch on Iran's nuclear program. The Iranian delegates did not agree to discuss Iran's nuclear program during Thursday's Geneva meeting, except to repeat that Iran sees its uranium enrichment program as a national right. The delegates agreed to hold a second meeting within a month, according to Iranian state media. Delegates from Europe, the United State, Russia and China hope to convince Iran to suspend enrichment in exchange for political and economic benefits. U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns held a bilateral meeting with Jalili on Thursday. An unnamed official told journalists that the meeting was "significant." 'Process will Take Time' Western leaders expressed willingness to continue talks without immediate results. "That process will take some time. We're not going to make a snap judgment on Thursday," U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters. European and Russian officials also explained that they did not expect an immediate resolution to concerns over Iran's nuclear program, but rather were hoping for a starting point to future talks. Full Report at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133659 --- War on Crime: Israeli Police Cleaning Up the Underworld October 2, 2009 by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu  (IsraelNN.com) Police have arrested major crime bosses of a drug smuggling cell on top of recent arrests that are part of a massive effort to sweep out organized crime. Law enforcement officials announced that the two-year "Operation North Star," coordinated with international law authorities, culminated with the arrests of bosses of three major crime families. The investigation spread to Panama, where authorities swooped down on a warehouse use to store cocaine destined for Israel. Major underground organizations bought smuggled cocaine for nearly $3,000 a pound and sold it for a profit of 900 percent at nearly $50,000 a pound. The drugs were hidden in speakers of stereo systems imported by the crime family's import business. One of those arrested was Amir Mulner, head of an alleged crime family, and his deputy Adul Karajeh. "The long arm of the Israel police will land heavy on crime organizations wherever they are, in Israel or abroad," said Police Commissioner David Cohen. Israeli police created a new anti-crime unit two years ago following an escalation in underworld wars that resulted in the deaths of innocent bystanders as well as crime figures. The big catch was the extradition three years ago of Zev Rosenstein, who is serving an American sentence of 12 years in an Israeli prison. Police revealed that a criminal who turned state's witness in this week's arrests revealed that Rosenstein ordered a triple murder in Tiberias in 2001. Full Report at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133657 ---- Israel's Doubts On Talks Allayed New Resolve Is Seen From West By Howard Schneider and Joby Warrick Friday, October 2, 2009 JERUSALEM, Oct. 1 -- When President Obama announced efforts to curb Iran's nuclear program through diplomatic engagement, the concern in Israel was that open-ended talks would allow the Islamic republic time to continue toward its suspected goal of developing a nuclear weapon. But as that engagement took its first major step Thursday in meetings in Geneva, the Israelis were tempering their doubts. The recent disclosure of a second Iranian uranium-enrichment plant appears to have stiffened the resolve of the United States and other Western powers, Israeli officials and analysts said. While many here see the plant's existence as proof that the Iranians were moving beyond an energy program to produce bomb-grade uranium, the United States' apparent new determination has alleviated some fears that the talks would lead nowhere. "Most people in Israel were a little surprised by the new tactics Obama was proposing. He wanted to engage Iran, seemingly hopeful that by offering carrots and not wielding a stick he could do business with them," said former Israeli defence minister Moshe Arens. "I think now that the president and the people around him have been disabused of this view." The Geneva session concluded with an agreement between Iran and six other nations, including the United States, to resume talks by the end of the month. Israeli Foreign Ministry and other officials declined to comment on the Geneva meetings -- a message in itself in a country that considers Iran a chief security concern and has pointedly refused to rule out military action against its nuclear facilities.  Full Report at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/01/AR2009100104906.html ---- URL: http://newageislam.net/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1836