Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Islamic World News

05 Nov 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

Swami Ramdev promotes yoga at Deoband gathering

Veiled burqa threat from Jamiat faction The Feminist Anti-Niqabis: Freeing Women from their Free Choice Risks writ large in Prophet biopic China launches crackdown in Muslim region Father of 9/11 victim fights to have 'Murdered by Muslim Terrorists' inscribed on Dangerous Spin – Islamists' Irresponsible Response to FBI Shooting Honour Killings To Preserve Religious Culture. Do American Parents Still Teach Morality?  Pakistan: New wave of terrorism as the guerrilla war escalates Somalia: Al-Shabaab close women's organisations in Balad Hawo  The first female Mufti in the Arab world 'U.S. main supporter of Wahhabi terrorism' Incriminating material obtained in probe of CAIR's connection to Islamic terrorism Clinton's push for Arab democracy overshadowed by Israel stance Chidambaram welcomes fatwa against terror  No terrorist camps in South Punjab: Taseer Jihadi Training Compounds, U.S.A.  Jamiat upholds fatwa against Vande Mataram 2 militants killed with bear hands, another mauled in Kashmir cave Lahore police on red alert: Capital City Police Officer Jamiat passes retrograde resolutions Fears of new war in Sudan Yemen rebels 'seize Saudi area' Iran hangs convicted Sunni rebel: Report An American in Iran, 30 Years Later Iran Raises Uranium Output as Photos Show Need for Wider Checks Iran issues new warning for U.S. St. Denys School Fire: Christian sources blame Islamic militants, Pakistani media short circuit Muslim Women’s NGO Submits Goldstone Report to International Criminal Court Jamiat upholds fatwa against Vande Mataram No strain in ties with China over Dalai Lama trip: India Dubai Index Drops Most in World on Economy, Oil; Qatar Falls DETROIT: 2 men tied to Muslim group to face hearing U.S. sets out projects to re-engage with Muslim world Muslim ex-Gitmo detainees face challenges in Palau Shia LaBeouf, Ryan Gosling Join John Hillcoat’s ‘Wettest County’ Dangerous Spin – Islamists' Irresponsible Response to FBI Shooting Democracy vs. Terrorism - Congress, UN Vote On Goldstone Israel Gaza Report Comparing Islamic anti-Semitism to Nazi Germany at its worst War on terror Pakistan’s own, says Shahbaz 18 killed in Karachi train collision Compiled by Aman Quadri Photo: Swami Ramdev with Maulana Mahmood Madani and Neyaz A Farooqui at session of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind in Deoband , India URL of this Page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamWarOnTerror_1.aspx?ArticleID=2055 ------- Swami Ramdev promotes yoga at Deoband gathering November 3, 2009 Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 3 (IANS) Renowned yoga guru Swami Ramdev Tuesday sought to promote his method of keeping fit and dispel misconceptions about it at the gathering of clerics and followers at the historic Islamic seminary here. Ramdev was the first non-Muslim cleric to address the annual convention of Islamic seminaries under the auspices of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind at the seminary, known for its influence over bulk of the Sunni Muslims across the country. Emphasising the need for promoting communal harmony, he contended that the unity between Hindus and Muslims was the strength of the nation. ‘It was high time people realized that ‘Ishwar’ and ‘Allah’ were two names of one and the only god,’ he said. Stressing the need to promote yoga, Ramdev sought to dispel misconceptions about the activity. ‘Yoga is not related to any religion nor is there any underlying idea behind it to promote any religion,’ he said, stressing it was a physical exercise to keep body and mind fit. He also gave a demonstration of his most popular ‘pranayam’ exercises – ‘kapal-bhati’ and ‘anulom-vilom’. Home Minister P.Chidambaram, Minister of State for Communications Sachin Pilot, All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s senior vice president Maulana Kalbe Sadiq and social activist Swami Agnivesh also addressed the gathering. Swami Agnivesh too drew much applause when he talked about banning liquor as well as urging Muslims not to recite Vande Mataram. http://trak.in/news/swami-ramdev-promotes-yoga-at-deoband-gathering/19813/ ------ Veiled burqa threat from Jamiat faction By Sowmya Aji in Deoband Nov 3, 2009 Jamiat asks Muslim men to ensure ‘sisters, wives &mothers wear burqa’ URGING Muslim women to wear the burqa, the Maulana Mahmood Madani faction of the Jamiat Ulema- i- Hind has said women who favour clothes other than the conservative attire bring disrepute to the community. “ Our girls are going out in other kinds of clothes now. All you men here should ensure that our sisters, mothers and wives wear the burqa. We lose honour and modesty because of them and, if this continues, we will never recover from the disrepute,” a mullah said at the Jamiat’s general body meeting on Monday held in this conservative seminary town of Deoband. The Jamiat is endorsed by a body of 5,000- odd men. In line with the Deobandi thinking, which the Taliban claim influenced them, the Jamiat came down heavily on women in several resolutions. Individual mullahs from all parts of the country, speaking on the various resolutions, made it clear what they feel a woman’s status in society should be — “ secondary and subdued”. The Jamiat also disapproved of 33 per cent reservation for women as “ unnecessary and unacceptable” but wanted separate reservation for Muslims. Another resolution suggested the setting up of “ social reform committees” in all villages, whose job among other things includes stopping the youth from watching cinema, TV and “ other moral killing things”. On terrorism, the Jamiat stuck to a “ nationalist” stand. The Jamiat said it was using the holy ground of the Deoband to appeal against terrorism. A resolution was passed stating that jihad was different from terrorism, as jihad was constructive but there was propaganda to make the two synonymous. The Jamiat also wants control over education of the Muslim youth. Expressing disapproval of UPA’s plans for a central madrasa board, it suggested that prominent Muslims should set up “ modern educational institutions” where the syllabus is regular but with a stress on religious atmosphere. Again, girl students will be allowed to study in non- residential schools only, do the regular syllabus for six years but once they turn 10, they have to follow the Shariat rules. There was also a resolution seeking to set up religious institutions in all rural areas and to link these up to the Deeni Talimi Board run by the Jamiat, which will set the syllabus. The Jamiat’s political face, Rajya Sabha MP Maulana Mahmood Madani, said: “ Fingers are pointed at us and we are targeted because of our identity. But if a community loses its identity, then it will be completely finished.” Madani said the dress code prescribed for Muslim women in particular was getting a lot of attention. “ The dress code is Indian, more Indian than the trousers and shirts worn by all today. They ask us to join the mainstream by blending but the beauty of this world lies in its diversity and with our fight for our identity.” Deputy secretary of Deoband’s well- known Darul Uloom seminary, Shah Alam Gorakhpuri, said their ideas were far more relevant than any other “ ism” that the world has seen. “ Our traditions and ideas have lasted 4,000 years. Where are the others? If people think we are regressive, it is they who need their heads examined.” In an effort to broad- base their struggle, the Maulana Mahmood Madani faction asked Naxalites to lay down arms and join them in peaceful agitation for rights. Madani told M AIL T ODAY : “ We will be more effective through non- violent methods, armed struggle is not the answer to oppressions. We want to tell the Naxals — the Muslims are the most oppressed and discriminated against in this country. But we are partners here, not tenants, and all of us should fight together against oppression. We want them, and also our Kashmiri Muslim brethren, to lay down arms and join us.” The Jamiat also passed a resolution for the unity of Dalits, Muslims, tribals and Christians. ------ The Feminist Anti-Niqabis: Freeing Women from their Free Choice 3 November 2009 untitledIn the midst of all the hullabaloo about the niqab we are witnessing the formation of an unlikely alliance. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Egyptian Sheikh al-Azhar Muhammad Tantawi both stirred controversy after expressing anti-niqab sentiments, and many of the reactions have been quite predictable. But certain opinions – the opinions of two groups in particular – strike me as somewhat self-contradictory: the Muslims who are for the niqab-ban because they see the niqab as an imposition on Islam, and the liberals who are for the ban because they see the niqab as oppressive to women. Responding to the former group requires delving into issues of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) which may be appropriate for another post. But in this post I will address the latter group: the self-proclaimed feminist freedom-of-choice-gender-equality-empowerment-of-women-espousing liberals. This opinion is one that I just don’t understand. Personally, I have more respect for a secularist ideologue that hates all religious symbols than I do for a liberal who cries freedom of choice and calls for banning the niqab in the same breath. At least the secularists are consistent. But this particular group has taken on the cause of liberating women from the shackles of backwardness – these shackles being according to their own personal definition, and the women themselves get no say in the matter. Mona el-Tahawy, Egyptian journalist, writes for the New York Times saying: “Soad Saleh, a professor of Islamic law and former dean of the women’s faculty of Islamic studies at Al-Azhar University — hardly a liberal, said the burqa [niqab] had nothing to do with Islam. It was but an old Bedouin tradition. It is sad to see a strange ambivalence toward the burqa [niqab] from many of my fellow Muslims and others who claim to support us. They will take on everything — the right wing, Islamophobia, Mr. Straw, Mr. Sarkozy — rather than come out and plainly state that the burqa [niqab] is an affront to Muslim women.” However, this group of anti-niqab advocates misses one crucial point: whether or not the niqab is mandated by Islam has nothing to do with Sarkozy’s (or anybody else’s) right to ban it. People’s reasons for dressing a certain way are personal, private, and completely irrelevant to the debate, which is a debate about RIGHTS. The point here is: Citizens have the right to wear whatever they want in public. Governments simply should not have the right to interfere in how people dress. Whether or not we agree with, or even understand, their reasons for wearing what they do should be of no significance in any free country. Those women who freely choose to wear the niqab are dismissed as extremists, people who surrendered rather than fought for their rights and thus are unworthy of our support for their rights to dress as they choose, or brainwashed oppressed souls who need to be saved by those who have been enlightened. Egyptian journalist Manar Ammar writes for news website BikyaMasr: “Many people believe that wearing the niqab is forced on women, but they miss out on a very important piece of information: some women wear it because they want to. If people don’t believe me, let us have a public debate where women can list the true reasons behind their clothing choices and then we can talk.” Source:http://bikyamasr.com/?p=5431 -------- Risks writ large in Prophet biopic Ben Hoyle November 04, 2009 IN Hollywood terms it was the greatest story almost never told. With Middle Eastern money an increasingly powerful cog in the global entertainment industry, it was perhaps inevitable that someone would embark on a mega-budget epic about the life of the Prophet Mohammed. That moment has arrived thanks to a wealthy Qatari media company that has put together a big Hollywood producer and a Muslim cleric who is banned from visiting Britain. Plans for the $US150 million ($166m) English-language biopic were announced at the close of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar on Sunday. The narrative will run from the years before the Prophet's birth to his death, but in accordance with Islamic tradition, it will not represent the Prophet himself or direct members of his family. A source close to the project said Mel Gibson's hugely successful crucifixion film, The Passion of the Christ, had revealed a demand for religious entertainment. Barrie Osborne, a producer on The Lord of the Rings films and The Matrix, envisages the film as a device that can help bridge cultures. However, the press conference to announce the project showed the risks in any attempt to package the Prophet's life for a global audience today. Alnoor Holdings, a media company that has created a $US200m film production fund to invest in Hollywood and international projects, has hired the Muslim cleric Sheik Yusef al-Qaradawi as their lead theological consultant for the film. Sheik al-Qaradawi is one of Sunni Islam's best-known theologians and hosts a show on al-Jazeera. He is admired by many moderate Muslims and was recently described by the British government's senior counter-terrorism official as "one of the most articulate critics of al-Qa'ida in the Islamic world". He was refused entry to Britain last year because of his views. He has reportedly condoned the Holocaust, supported the stoning of homosexuals, praised suicide bombers in Israel and has said he considered Shia Islam as a heretical branch of the faith. According to the Gulf Times, he told journalists in Doha that the film was a response to "the crusader-styled distortion of Islam (that) continues to influence (the) world population today. I will say we Muslims have not exerted sufficient efforts to correct the fake tales as Christians have used (in) the media." The Qatar Tribune, also present, said he described the world in milder language, as a small village where people must know each other better and learn about other religions. "We think that our religion is universal. Unfortunately, many people do not know about Islam and have misconceptions about it." Source:http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26300991-15084,00.html -------- China launches crackdown in Muslim region November 04, 2009 BEIJING — Police in China's far west have stepped up a hunt for people who took part in deadly ethnic riots there four months ago and other so-called terrorists, the regional public security ministry said Tuesday. The "Strike Hard" campaign is to run from November through the end of the year and will cover all of the remote Xinjiang region, with police on high alert for alleged terror plots, the ministry said in a statement. Hundreds have already been arrested and nine people sentenced to death following the July 5 riots, in which Uighurs (WEE'-gurs) attacked Han Chinese in the regional capital of Urumqi. Nearly 200 people were killed in those attacks and in revenge killings of Uighurs by Han Chinese in the days that followed. Uighurs are a Turkic Muslim ethnic group linguistically and culturally distinct from China's majority Han. The Uighurs see Xinjiang as their homeland and resent the millions of Han Chinese who have poured into the region in recent decades. A simmering separatist campaign has occasionally boiled over into violence in the past 20 years. China says overseas Uighur separatists orchestrated the riots to worsen ethnic divisions and bolster their campaign for independence but the government has provided little evidence to back up its claim. "We must step up efforts to collect and analyze information and clues regarding terror and explosives in order to strictly prevent occurrences of violent cases of this sort," the statement said, without referring to any particular threats. It also ordered security forces to continue the search for riot suspects. The remote oil-rich region has been blanketed in tight security since the violence erupted, with Internet access and long distance phone service cut for even ordinary people. Overseas Uighur rights activists and human rights groups have accused Xinjiang security officials of illegally detaining dozens of alleged rioters for months without informing families of their whereabouts, with some suspects said to be as young as 14 years old. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. -------- Father of 9/11 victim fights to have 'Murdered by Muslim Terrorists' inscribed on son's memorial November 3, 2009 Peter Gadiel lives in Kent, CT, a bedroom community outside New York City. Peter lost his son James on 9/11. His son worked for the investment house Cantor Fitzgerald. His office was on the 103rd floor of the North Tower. It was his first job out of college. He was 23. Now it's eight years later and the acting mayor of Kent, CT (known as First Selectman) tells the father of a planned memorial. They felt it right to honor a hometown boy who died that day and planned to hang a plaque in the town hall. They asked the father to compose a text for the plaque. Therein lies the controversy. Mister Gadiel wrote: James Gadiel (1978-2001), a gentleman and a gentle man, murdered by Muslim terrorists.   You can guess what happened next.    The mayor said that language was too harsh and not in keeping with the town's image. The council voted against erecting the plaque if the father insisted on the language. The father went public and the New York metropolitan area is buzzing.    The father has taken a stand because he believes there has been a determined effort to "suppress" the identity of the terrorists who were, in fact, Muslim terrorists. Conservative talk show hosts have taken up his cause and accuse the town fathers of being politically correct namby pambies.    Does the term belong on the plaque?    We're at two odds here: The father's understandable desire for an inscription of his choice, and the town's understandable argument that since it's town money for a plaque in a public building that represents the town, they should have some editorial controls.    A blogger at the American Spectator puts the conflict this way:     It is not possible under any balanced system of social order and expression to immortalize the phrase "Muslim terrorists" as an identifier of guilt. If the terrorists cited a religious motivation, or if we suspect one, it is absurd to label the act as intrinsically Muslim in some way. This is true even if a sociological argument could be made blaming the religion for an insufficient revulsion toward violence.    By the same token, whitewashing the guilty parties in the name of ethnic tolerance is both unjust and dangerous. We do not need to cover up for those who destroy in the name of some species of virtue.    His solution: Write that James was murdered by the terrorists of al-Qaeda. He concedes that this compromise is one in which neither side will be happy. Is he right, or is this a reasonable compromise? Thinking clearly A story like this brings back lots of raw emotions, which makes it difficult for us to grapple with rationally. Empathy for aggrieved family members whose loved ones were murdered is unavoidable. Others simply hate Muslims, period. They draw no distinction between moderate and radical Islam and don't want Muslims here in the United States. Source:http://www.examiner.com/ ------- Dangerous Spin – Islamists' Irresponsible Response to FBI Shooting Steve Emerson November 3, 2009 Last week's shooting death of a radical Detroit imam as FBI agents tried to arrest him is unfortunate. Responsible parties should study what happened to identify any lessons in how to avoid a repeat occurrence. Sadly, those lessons are not the ones being emphasized by Islamic advocacy groups that present themselves as moderate. While many details remain undisclosed, basic facts about the incident are public and show that Luqman Abdullah's actions triggered the events that led to his death. Thus, he is a poor example for alleging FBI malfeasance. Abdullah was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiring to sell stolen goods, violating weapon laws and other crimes rooted in his leadership of a Detroit area mosque. Given his record of encouraging his followers to keep armed and to resist law enforcement, he was considered armed and dangerous by arresting agents. Abdullah was shot and killed when he fired first, killing an FBI dog. Four other defendants who were with Abdullah in a warehouse when agents stormed in last week were arrested unharmed after surrendering. The bottom line is one guy fired his weapon. One guy got shot. Nothing happened to the others. That's not a sign of recklessness by the authorities. Critics have disparagingly focused on the dog's death, as if the fire returned was based on a moral judgment equating a human life with an animal's. The dog, a Belgian Malinois named Freddy, will be honored on the FBI's memorial wall. Where he aimed is less an issue than the fact that Abdullah fired his weapon during that tense moment in which agents were ordering suspects considered armed and dangerous to surrender. Abdullah was a protégé of Jamil Al-Amin, the former Black Panther born H. Rapp Brown. Al-Amin is serving a life prison sentence for the 2000 killing of a Fulton County Sheriff's deputy who came to serve him with an arrest warrant. Al-Amin maintains his innocence but his appeals since his 2002 conviction have gone nowhere. Abdullah helped raise money for Al-Amin's legal expenses and, according to the criminal complaint, adhered to Al-Amin's ambition of creating a state within the U.S. governed by Islamic law. Abdullah preached offensive jihad and used his mosque for training in martial arts and with firearms. He was recorded in a 2004 sermon yelling, "Police, so what? Police die too! Feds die too!" and "Do not carry a pistol if you're going to give it p to police. You give them a bullet." Source: http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.4680/pub_detail.asp ------- Honour Killings To Preserve Religious Culture. Do American Parents Still Teach Morality? November 3, 2009 There was a story just reported on Headline News' program called Prime News, http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/02/arizona.iraqi.dad/index.html, about an Iraqi father who came all the way to America to uphold his families honour by killing his daughter. The reason he killed his daughter was because she became "too westernized" and fell away from her Islamic upbringing.  Through her westernization, she refused an arranged marriage, disobeyed her father’s rules and was living with her boyfriend. To uphold his families honour, Faleh Hassan Almaleki, took extreme action and ran over his daughter with a car, sending her to the hospital for two weeks of pain and suffering before she succumbed to her injuries.  A friend of Noor Faleh Almaleki was also seriously injured in the attack.  He is now facing several charges. Many Islamic countries suffer these honour killings, as well as non-Islamic countries.  It usually is based on immoral actions on the part of a child or wife, and is vastly perpetuated against women. This is a very sad case and murder should never be allowed.  It does raise a question.  Do American parents still teach morality, whether based on religion or basic decency? One wonders, is our society too soft on the actions of our children and of ourselves?  Do Christian, Jewish or other religious parents talk to their children about honouring their religion, themselves and their family? It is amazing what many parents today allow their children to do.  Killing a child for their poor choices is not an option, but do parents today, especially those who claim to be religious, talk to their kids and try to dissuade them from some of the poor choices they make?  It seems like living together is the norm with many parents today. Most Christians are taught to be against co-habitation, but do they uphold that value in their homes? Co-habituating isn't the only problem.  School violence and many other immoral activity plagues our children and the schools they attend.  Parents aren't doing enough, nor are the schools.  Is Western culture heading down a dark path?  The line between right and wrong is very blurred with today's children and young adults.  Who's to blame? Source:http://www.examiner.com/ ----- Pakistan:  New wave of terrorism as the guerrilla war escalates 3 November 2009 In recent weeks attacks carried out by Taliban fighters and a new ground offensive by the Pakistani government in the Waziristan region on the Afghan border, have deepened Pakistan's social, political and ethnic fault lines. Khalid Bhatti (Socialist Movement Pakistan - CWI) analyses recent events and possible future developments. RECENT TERRORIST attacks, killing more than 300 people, have opened the floodgates of a widening guerrilla war in Pakistan. Taliban and al-Qa'ida-linked groups are striking deeper than ever inside the country, exacerbating US security fears as the war deteriorates across the border in Afghanistan. Responding to the offensive against their stronghold (South Waziristan) on the Afghan border, Taliban forces have unleashed a string of devastating attacks in the last three weeks, in an attempt to shake the nation. Coordinated assaults against police in Lahore and Kohat came five days after a siege at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Now suicide attacks and assassinations are taking place on a daily basis. Peshawar, Lahore, Kohat and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been targeted. These attacks have shown the limited impact of the military offensive in the Swat valley and the killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban chief, Baitullah Mehsud, in a US drone attack in August. In response to these continued attacks, the government has beefed up security. Police and paramilitary forces have established checkpoints on the main roads in the cities. Schools, colleges and universities have been closed down across the country due to security concerns. Hundreds of people have been arrested. There is a growing sense of fear and insecurity in society. Business confidence is at its lowest ever level. Uncertainty and fear have begun to dominate the everyday lives of the working masses. The security situation has disrupted the lives of the people. All major events, including sports, entertainment, music and exhibitions have been cancelled. The government has failed to provide security to the ordinary citizens and they have been left at the mercy of Taliban groups. The government seems only interested in protecting the ruling class and high level state functionaries. Yet no one seems safe, including top military officials. Now Taliban militants are threatening the TV channels, newspapers and other media organisations with attacks if they do not stop their anti-Taliban propaganda. Threats are also issued to educational institutions which allow for the co-education of male and female students. [A female canteen at the International Islamic University in Islamabad was bombed on 20 October, killing six students]. Attack on GHQ Taliban militants attacked the army's general headquarters (GHQ) on 10 October. The attack was carefully planned and the boldest yet against the military. Ten Taliban fighters shot their way into Pakistan's army headquarters to seize senior military officers as hostages in order to demand the release of more than 100 high profile prisoners held by the security forces. The militants failed to achieve their primary objectives, as army commandos stormed into the building, killing nine and capturing the injured leader of the group. This daring siege of one of the most heavily guarded military compounds in nuclear-armed Pakistan revealed the government's vulnerability. The message was loud and clear; 'if GHQ is not safe, then who else is? The attack on GHQ also revealed the increasingly close collaboration between Pashtun fighters from the largely tribal areas along the Afghan border and militants from Punjab province, the country's heartland. Jihadist and sectarian elements in Punjab are linked with the Taliban and al-Qa'ida. Religious extremist organisations, like Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-jhanghvi base themselves in Punjab. Waziristan offensive The military has launched an offensive into South Waziristan. The main question is whether this military offensive will be able to stop the violence and crush the Taliban movement. Source:http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/8324 ----- Somalia: Al-Shabaab close women's organisations in Balad Hawo 3 Nov 3, 2009 Somalia's hardline al Shabaab insurgents have closed down five humanitarian organisations in Somali southern border town of Balad Hawa, a rebel leader said. The organisations, most of them women groups were ordered to shut down their offices to allow women to stay home and take care of children. “We have taken this step in accordance with Islamic law. Islam does not allow women to go to offices. We recognised the fact that Muslim women need to stay in their homes and take care of their children,” said Maalim Daaud Mohmed, the Al-Shabaab chairman of Balad Hawa. He announced the organisations closed as Halgan Businesswomen's Organisation, the Sed Huro Human Rights Organisation and Farhan Woman for Peace and two other groups that support rural and urban women in Balad Hawa.  Several humanitarian organisations both local and international, which used to operate from Balad Hawo town near the border between Somalia and Kenya have been forced to stop their operations due to intimidation from Islamic militant group, which accuse them of spying for western countries. This is the first move by Al-Shabaab to close down five humanitarian organisations that are involved in community work in the town at once. The group, which want to impose its own version of Islamic law across the Horn of African nation, have previously banned international aid agencies such as CARE, MSF and MercyCorps from operating in areas under its controls over espionage charges. GAROWE ONLINE http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Al-Shabaab_close_women_s_organisations_in_Balad_Hawo.shtml ----- The first female Mufti in the Arab world Appointment of women caused controversy among Muslims, including in Cairo’s Al-Azhar University that rejects the idea. November 03, 2009 United Arab Emirates will appoint the first female muftis in the world next year, local media reported on Tuesday. Grand Mufti from the United Arab Emirates, Ahmed al-Hadad, said that the candidacy of six women from the Gulf States is currently considered for the training program. The program lasts for several months and it is expected to begin in the first months of the next year, the "National" newspaper reports. Al-Hadad invited all women from the United Arab Emirates in May and encouraged them to apply for the program. Mufti is the Islamic scholar and expert, legal interpreter of the sharia law (God’s law), who also has a right to proclaim religious guidelines.  Appointment of women caused controversy among Muslims, including Cairo’s Al-Azhar University that rejected this idea. “Controversy about women mufti does not necessarily rise at this level, but on the question of whether women should be appointed to a position of state Mufti, which we are not trying to do.” said Al-Hadad. “The Emirates women already work as legal advisors to mufti, but only for women's issues.” In February of last year Egyptian woman was allowed to issue birth certificates, which was unprecedented in the Islamic world.  United Arab Emirates followed this policy in November of the same year. http://www.javno.com/en-world/the-first-female-mufti-in-the-arab-world_280260 ----- 'U.S. main supporter of Wahhabi terrorism' November 4, 2009  Major General Hassan Firouzabadi says the West is using 'Wahhabi terrorism' to sow the seeds of discord among world Muslims. Chief-of-Staff of Iran's Joint Armed Forces, Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, has advised Washington to discontinue its indirect support of Wahhabi terrorism in the region. ""Instead of deploying troops in Afghanistan and murdering innocents in the region, the United States should call on its allies in the region to end their financial and military aid to Wahhabi terrorists,"" Firouzabadi said on Tuesday. Addressing a gathering of officials on the occasion of Nov. 4, which marks the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran, Firouzabadi said Wahhabi terrorism has been created by the imperialist countries who seek to ""spread Islamophobia and anti-Islam sentiments (throughout the world)."" Wahhabism is an extremely intolerant interpretation of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia. The sect is especially prejudiced toward certain religious festivals, including celebrations held to mark the birth anniversary of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH), and Shia mourning ceremonies. Wahhabism gained momentum after the discovery of oil in the Kingdom in 1938, helping the spread of Wahhabism throughout the Middle East. Their ""oil money"" helped finance a large-scale program of assistance to the Afghan mujahedeen, some of whom have now joined the Taliban, during the Soviet invasion of the country in coordination with Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence agency (ISI) and the CIA. http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=207104 ----- Incriminating material obtained in probe of CAIR's connection to Islamic terrorism November 03, 2009 By Art Moore Judge orders: Return 'Muslim Mafia' docs CAIR's national headquarters, three blocks from the U.S. Capitol A federal judge in Washington today ordered a co-author of the book "Muslim Mafia" and his son to return internal documents, recordings and records obtained in a six-month undercover operation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that presented further evidence of the D.C.-based group's ties to terrorism. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted CAIR's request for a temporary restraining order barring P. David Gaubatz and his son, Chris Gaubatz, from further use or publication of the material and demanding that they return it to the Muslim group's lawyers by midnight Nov 18. Kollar-Kotelly – who as head of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court made several controversial decisions against the Bush administration's counter-terrorism policies – was criticized recently by many security experts for ruling against the military's designation of a Guantanamo detainee as an enemy combatant, allowing the Obama administration to send him home. But Daniel Horowitz, one of the attorneys representing the Gaubatzes, said it's important to look at both sides of the judge. "She is extremely intelligent and a strong supporter of the First Amendment," he said. Get "Muslim Mafia,"  autographed, from WND's Superstore CAIR's restraining order accompanied a lawsuit in which the Islamic group alleged Chris Gaubatz, who served as an unpaid volunteer for CAIR, obtained access to the group's property under false pretenses and removed the internal documents and made recordings of officials and employees "without any consent or authorization and in violation of his contractual, fiduciary and other legal obligations to CAIR." David Gaubatz told WND that CAIR's legal moves have been anticipated, and some of the court's order already has been fulfilled as material has been turned over to law enforcement officials. "I do look forward to bringing all the evidence to court," he said. "Courts are a two way system." Gaubatz contended the research described in his book "was conducted professionally and legally." "CAIR executives know this, and I can tell the American people that since I have worked with CAIR executives personally – in law enforcement training in Texas – executives such as Nihad Awad, Ibrahim Hooper and (North Carolina state) Senator Larry Shaw are fighting amongst themselves, because they know everything mentioned in 'Muslim Mafia' is true. The last thing they want is more evidence of their ties to terrorists before our courts," Gaubatz said. Gaubatz told WND yesterday the research was "funded by a high profile U.S. organization with very close ties to senior law enforcement and U.S. government officials." Source:http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=114961 ----- Clinton's push for Arab democracy overshadowed by Israel stance Hillary Clinton announced new aid programs at a two-day forum with Arab leaders in Morocco, which she held up as a model for democratic reform in the region. By Hannah Armstrong | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor from the November 3, 2009 edition Marrakesh, Morocco - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with more than 20 Arab foreign ministers Monday at a forum intended to promote democracy in the region, but her initiatives were overshadowed by a new road block in Middle East peace efforts. Grilled by reporters at a Monday night press conference with Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi-Fihri, Secretary Clinton held fast to her support this weekend for an Israeli proposal to restrain settlement growth in the West Bank, which she called "unprecedented." But Palestinians, whose President Mahmoud Abbas Clinton met in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, are demanding a more comprehensive freeze in settlement activity as a precondition for reentering peace talks. Arab League President Amr Moussa expressed Arab leaders' deep disappointment over what they perceive as US backpedaling on earlier demands for a complete settlement freeze. "The problem is the immunity given to Israel, a country outside the scope of international law. This kind of immunity is unprecedented," Mr. Moussa told the Monitor on Monday. "We have to stop treating Israel as a superstate over international treaties." A Moroccan diplomat called this new road block in the Middle East peace process a "handicap" for talks on democratic reform at the two-day Forum for the Future, as it's known. The annual meeting, established by the Group of 8 (G-8) industrialized countries in 2004 to support inclusive dialogue between the West and the Islamic world, brings together foreign ministers from the G-8 and from the broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA). Clinton lauds Morocco's example Tuesday's talks in Marrakesh are expected to spotlight democratization initiatives in the BMENA region, with a focus on facilitating dialogue between governments and civil society. According to American officials, a lack of democracy in the Middle Eas and North Africa poses a major threat to global security and stability. Clinton kicked off the day with opening remarks that held up Morocco as an example for positive reform in the region. She recalled a visit to the country 10 years earlier, when she met an illiterate father who had supported his daughter's aspirations of becoming a doctor. She also spoke of "devout women" who had gone on to become human rights advocates. "Examples like these remind us there (is) much in Morocco's experience that we can look to to guide our efforts today," she said. Michael Posner, assistant US secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, said on Monday that the Obama administration would use "principled engagement" to encourage regional governments to adopt democratic reforms – "both to provide security and at the same time to build democratic institutions that protect their own people." Posner said that change "occurs from within society" and is "very hard to impose from outside." Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1103/p06s09-wome.html ------ Chidambaram welcomes fatwa against terror Atiq Khan DEOBAND (U.P.): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday deplored violence in the name of religion and made a fervent appeal that more voices be raised against terrorism and all forms of violence, mainly communal strife. He said the Babri Masjid demolition at Ayodhya in 1992 was a manifestation of religious fanaticism. Communalism negated pluralism and opposed political freedom to people. Civil society was based on a contract whose core was tolerance. The sharper the differences, the greater should be the tolerance level. “Spread the message of tolerance and strengthen the thread that binds the society,” Mr. Chidambaram said addressing the 30th general session of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) at Shaikhul Hind Nagar here. While welcoming the fatwa (decree) against terrorism issued by the Darululoom, Deoband, in February 2008, he called upon all right-minded people to condemn terror acts. The nation could not ignore its minorities and it was a self-evident rule that it was the duty of the majority to protect the minorities. It was this rule that led the Government of India to lodge a protest against the discrimination and denial of rights to the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka and the attacks on Indian students in Australia. However, the roles were reversed in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, where the minorities constituted the majority. In Jammu and Kashmir, Muslims were bound by this rule and by the tenets of Islam to protect the minority community. Islam was not an alien faith and Muslims were the honoured citizens of the country, he said. http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/04/stories/2009110460471000.htm ------ No terrorist camps in South Punjab: Taseer November 04, 2009 Governor Salman Taseer has said that there are no terrorists training camps in Punjab and the people of the province are very peaceful. He was talking to a delegation of 140 participants of the National Defence Course 2009/10 from the National Defence University Islamabad, led by Commandant National Security College Rear Admiral Khan Hashim Bin Siddique here on Tuesday. Taseer said Islam was a religion of peace a7nd love which gave priority to human rights and there was no concept of suicide in Islam. He said most of our Madressahs were preaching true message of Islam and they did not encourage terrorism. He said his father also got his early education from a Madressah and he was really proud of this. To a question from the participants regarding, the governor said we were in war against terrorism. He said the nation stood united against the enemies of human beings and was fully supporting the army. He said the armed forces knocked out the extremists from Swat and would get rid of them from Waziristan. The governor said we were united and no one could challenge our sovereignty, adding that we had a strong youth force of professionals. He said the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) had introduced tolerance and reconciliation in politics. He said in election 2008 nation gave mix mandate to all the political parties in provinces and the PPP emerged as the party with largest mandate in the National Assembly. He said the whole world was supporting a democratic Pakistan like grants from the US Kerry-Lugar Law and such financial assistance would help promote the country. http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=206703 ------ Jihadi Training Compounds, U.S.A. Written by Ryan Mauro 03 November 2009 A battle in the war against radical Islam in Detroit was briefly waged on October 28 when the FBI engaged in a deadly shootout with an extremist imam refusing to be arrested. The imam was a leader in "Ummah," meaning "the brotherhood," a group said to consist of mostly African-Americans, many of whom converted in prison. This group isn't the only one trying to create an Islamic state within the borders of the U.S., and this shoot-out should be expected, unfortunately, to be a sign of more violent conflict coming down the line in this country with Islamic militant groups. The gunfire began when the FBI tried to arrest Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, whose original name was Christopher Thomas, for his involvement in a crime ring along with followers of his. Abdullah violently resisted, and managed to shoot and kill one of the FBI's dogs before falling to gunfire. The spiritual leader of Ummah is Jamil Abdullah al-Amin, a former Black Panther who is in jail for killing two police officers in Georgia that tried to arrest him. To Abdullah, he was just following in his leader's footsteps and carrying out the "offensive jihad" against the U.S. government he had long preached about. The government also indicted 11 of Abdullah's followers on charges including illegal possession and sale of firearms, conspiracy and theft of interstate shipments, mail fraud to obtain the proceeds of arson, and tampering with vehicle identification numbers. Some fled to Canada, including Abdullah's oldest son, who was arrested in Ontario. His son trained about 60 youth in martial arts at the mosque and was part of what was called the "Sura team," a group that carried guns to protect the mosque. Martial arts instruction isn't the only form of paramilitary training that Ummah gave its members. The FBI affidavit said that "many" of the followers were armed and were encouraged to have guns. Some of the members were provided with firearms training. The group is very similar to Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a group led by Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, a radical cleric based in Pakistan. The group has a branch in North America called "Muslims of the Americas" with dozens of sites and several closed-off communities in rural areas used as paramilitary training sites, some as large as 70 acres. Like Ummah, the group is almost entirely African-American, has many prison converts, many of its members engage in criminal activity, and is actively trying to create miniature Islamic states inside the U.S. Jamaat ul-Fuqra seems to share everything in common with Ummah, although no reports have come out to show that Muslims of America-affiliated mosques and communities are explicitly calling for war against the U.S. government. However, few, if any reports came out before the Detroit shootout about the Ummah's preaching of jihad, either. The close parallels warrant an investigation by the FBI into whether Ummah has ties to Jamaat ul-Fuqra, given their common objective, type of recruits, and desire for their followers to receive guerilla warfare training. "Muslims of America" compounds would seem to be the natural destination of Ummah members seeking such instruction and camaraderie. There is no evidence out of a link yet, but at this early stage in the investigation into Ummah it should be noticed that Jamaat ul-Fuqra has an isolated community in Combermere in Ontario, Canada, the same province where Abdullah's oldest son was arrested. And according to a federally-funded 2004 report by the National White Collar Crime Center, Jamaat ul-Fuqra had a training compound in Coldwater, M.I., about two hours from Detroit at the time of the report's publication. The report also described Jamaat ul-Fuqra as having had "activity" in Detroit including murders and bombings, and having had operations elsewhere in the state. The Ummah has also had friends in the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the prominent Muslim advocacy group that claims to be moderate but was formed originally as part of Muslim Brotherhood's networks. The organization was also listed as an un-indicted co-conspirator in the trial of the Holy Land Foundation, a charity found to have acted as a covert fundraiser for Hamas. The American-Muslim Taskforce, an umbrella organization counts CAIR among its members, is demanding an investigation into the killing of Abdullah. One thousand people attended his funeral. The head of CAIR's branch in Michigan, Dawud Walid, has also gone to bat for Abdullah, saying he was "chartiable." "He would open up the mosque to homeless people. He used to run a soup kitchen and feed indigent people...I knew nothing of him that as related to any nefarious or criminal behavior," he said. Internal CAIR documents show that CAIR helped fundraise for the legal appeal of Jamil Abdullah al-Amin. Imam Abdullah's rage against the U.S. government was also triggered in part by CAIR's campaign to paint the War on Terror as a War on Islam. The complaint against him quotes him as saying, "CAIR and everybody send me all of this stuff. I get sick...I got some soldiers with me. ... Brothers that I know would, you know, if I say 'Let's go, we going to go and do something.'" Source:http://www.rightsidenews.com/200911037130/homeland-security/jihadi-training-compounds-usa.html ------ Jamiat upholds fatwa against Vande Mataram 4 November 2009 NEW DELHI: In a move likely to spark a political controversy, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind on Tuesday endorsed a fatwa issued by the influential Darul Uloom seminary at Deoband that calls on Muslims not to sing Vande Mataram as doing so was violative of Islam's faith in monotheism. The resolution said Muslims were being targeted over the issue and asserted, "We love our country, but cannot elevate it to the status of Allah, the only one worshipped by Muslims... The fatwa of Darul Uloom is correct." The reference to nation as mother and an ode to motherland was unIslamic and "should not be deliberately raised for causing communal discord and law and order," the Jamiat said. The endorsement from a Jamiat "general session" at Deoband came on a day when the assembly was addressed by home minister P Chidambaram and saw BJP swiftly wading in, claiming the minister's presence had "legitimised" the "anti-Vande Mataram" view. "We oppose the Jamiat's resolution," said BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. The Jamiat move comes in the backdrop of some states like BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh introducing singing of Vande Mataram in government-run schools. Endorsing Darul Uloom's "edict", the resolution said, "We love our country and have proved it many times, but Vande Mataram violates our faith in monotheism that is the foundation of our faith." BJP vice-president Mukhtar Naqvi said singing Vande Mataram was not compulsory but the manner in which the Jamiat opposed the verses immortalised in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's classic was unacceptable. He also targeted Chidambaram for addressing a gathering where the singing of Vande Mataram was opposed saying this would be read as support for the Jamiat's "retrograde" viewpoint. Former Union minister Arif Mohammad Khan wondered about the "provocation" for Deoband's fatwa, stressing that the objectionable stanzas in the classic, which had idolatrous references to Bharat Mata, do not form part of the national song. BSP's Shahid Siddiqi, however, defended the religious seminary. On the issue of timing, he suggested that it was prompted by a campaign in western UP demanding that Deoband issue a fatwa recommending the national song to Muslims. In his address, Chidambaram steered well clear of any controversy, praising the Jamiat for its anti-terrorism resolution adopted at Deoband last year. He said it was a call for all citizens, not just Muslims, to oppose violence and terrorism. He also criticised the demolition of Babri Masjid and said it was the duty of the majority to look after the minorities. In other resolutions the Jamiat adopted, it opposed the proposed Central Madrasa Board as an intrusion in the running of madrasas while also saying that education of girls after 10 years of age should be in accordance to "complete Sharia norms." While what Sharia norms would mean is not spelt out by the resolution, it is understood to refer to segregated classrooms and use of veil and hijab. Darul Uloom has repeatedly ruled co-education as unlawful and also did not support a recent ruling of a senior cleric at Cairo's highly respected Al Azhar that face veils were not required in all-women classrooms. Declaring Islam as a religion of peace, the Jamiat said it was opposed to killing of innocents as "unpardonable sin." It said the effort to make jihad synonymous with terrorism as incorrect. "Jihad is basically a constructive phenomenon... misrepresentation of jihad should be avoided. We condemn suicide bombings and murderous attacks targeted at innocent persons, women, children and elderly," the resolution said. Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jamiat-upholds-fatwa-against-Vande-Mataram/articleshow/5194439.cms ------ 2 militants killed with bear hands, another mauled in Kashmir cave Khursheed Wani November 4, 2009 Were preparing edibles that probably attracted the wild animal back to its hibernation spot In the first such reported incident in Kashmir’s 20-year history of insurgency, a bear killed two senior terrorists who had occupied his hibernation den and were using it as a hideout. Their two accomplaices, however, escaped the wild attack, police and Army said. The mauled militants, belonging to Reasi pocket of Jammu province, were operating in the Pir Panchal range of forests. Two automatic AK-56 rifles were recovered from near their bodies. Police also found some crumbs of food and pudding the militants had made in the den, which is located within the forest area on the periphery of Kulgam district. Locals say that Dandloo Nar Hakwara is a dense forest inhabited by black bears in large numbers. Sources among the Defence personnel say that it may be the first such incident of its kind in the Valley. Terrorists dying due to extreme weather conditions or being swept away by blizzards and snow storms have been reported in the past, but killing by any type of wild animal has not occurred so far. The dead terrorists have been identified as Mohammad Amin Malik alias Qaiser and Bashir Ahmed Jaral alias Saifullah, both belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. The Superintendent of Police in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, Kesav Ram Chaurasia, said that the terrorists had been quite active in the Pir Panchal range of mountains. He said that Qaisar had especially been active since the start of terror operations in the State in 1990. Sources said that one of the injured militants ran away to a nearby village for treatment and the news spread immediately. Later, a joint party of the police and Army personnel went into the forest area and collected the bodies of the two slain terrorists. Bears generally go into hibernation for several months after the onset of the winter season. But during the past several years, the lifestyle of bears has changed and they occasionally show up in populated areas even during the chilly winter months now. The incidents of man-animal conflict have increased exponentially in Kashmir Valley during the past several years. Wildlife experts say that apart from encroachment in the wild habitat, the conflict situation in Kashmir has also resulted in an increase in the population of bears and leopards. Source:http://www.dailypioneer.com/213423/2-militants-killed-with-bear-hands-another-mauled-in-Kashmir-cave.html ------ Lahore police on red alert: Capital City Police Officer November 04, 2009 Pervez Rathore pays tribute to officers injured in Babu Sabu bombing LAHORE: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Pervez Rathore, on Tuesday, announced that security in the city would remain on “red alert” until the threat of terror attacks in major cities subsides. In his message to police officers a day after the suicide bombing at the Babu Sabu interchange, he said brave and fearless personnel such as constable Muhammad Latif – who was critically wounded while trying to flag down the bombers’ car – had proved their determination to wage a relentless struggle against the scourge of terrorism. Police officers are ready to lay down their lives in the line of duty for as long as it takes to eliminate the menace of terrorism from our country, he said The CCPO pointed out that if the ten million-odd citizens of Lahore kept an eye out for suspicious individuals or activities, it was impossible for potential terrorists to escape. He appealed to the citizens of Lahore to inform police about any suspicious goings on in their areas, and assured them that the names of all informants would be kept confidential. The numbers to call in tips are: Emergency Control 15; Qurban Control 99200269 and Traffic Control 99201910. staff report http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\04\story_4-11-2009_pg13_1 ------ Jamiat passes retrograde resolutions 4 Nov 2009, ET Bureau NEW DELHI: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind , the country’s leading Islamic body, on Tuesday unveiled a back-tobasics agenda asking Muslim youth to don their Jamiat-e-Ulema Ship built with WTC steel sails into New York Islamic identity, reject western culture and practise salam. In a set of 25 resolutions passed at its 30th general session at Deoband, the top Muslim body not only endorsed a 2006 Darul Uloom edict against singing ‘Vande Mataram’ but also called upon the community to avoid cinema and television; reject anti-AIDS campaign of the government; and observe Shariat norms while continuing education of Muslim girls above 10 years of age. The Jamiat also noted that the women’s reservation bill seeking 33% reservation for women in legislatures was “uncalled for” as “bringing women into the mainstream will create social problems and issues including their security.” The ulemas used the forum to seek reservation for Muslims so as to bring their representation in educational institutions and legislative bodies on par with their proportion in India’s population, besides asking the government to implement Sachar Committee’s recommendations without further delay. The Jamiat demanded that Muslims be declared the most backward community; separate quota be earmarked for Muslim OBCs recognised by Mandal Commission; and labourer castes of Muslims and backward classes be treated on par with other Dalits. Separate resolutions were also passed calling upon the government to enact the proposed law against communal violence and to table the Liberhan Commission report. Of course, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind meet made it a point to pass a resolution condemning all acts of terror and clarify that “jihad and terrorism are poles apart.” “Jihad is basically a constructive phenomenon whereas terrorism is a destructive one... therefore, misrepresentation of jihad must be avoided,” said its resolution on terrorism. It further asked the country to show the “right path” to misguided youth, while also cautioning the official agencies against practising any prejudices. Coming back to the “resolution to protect Islamic identity and social reform movement” passed on Tuesday, the religious body sought the setting up of a social reform committee in every village and town, besides asking Muslims to regularly offer namaz and fast during Ramzan. Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Jamiat-passes-retrograde-resolutions/articleshow/5194642.cms ------ Fears of new war in Sudan 04 November 2009 Air raids may no longer target the highlands of central Sudan, but heads still turn sharply to scan the skies at the sound of an aeroplane engine overhead. The Nuba Mountains once a key enclave of rebels battling the government in Khartoum saw some of the heaviest fighting of Sudan's 22-year civil war between north and south. However many people living in the green hills and wooded valleys at the geographical heart of Africa's largest nation fear fresh conflict is looming. "The government bombed the school here in 2000, blowing 18 children and their teacher into nothing," said Younan Albaroud, a guerilla fighter turned politician, standing at the foot of a simple memorial at the rebuilt school. "Peace was signed five years ago, but we worry of trouble ahead," Albaroud added quietly, speaking in Kauda, the former rebel headquarters for the Nuba region. A 2005 peace deal ended Africa's longest-running civil war, fought by southern rebels against the Arab-dominated north over resources, religion and ethnicity. Some two million people were killed and four million fled their homes in a war separate from the conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region. The peace deal saw the largely Christian and black African south win regional autonomy under the former rebel leadership - the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) - with a referendum on its potential full independence slated for January 2011. But that vote will exclude the Nuba. The mountains some 48 000 square kilometres (19 000 square miles) of scattered green peaks and rain-fed farmland rising from the arid plains of South Kordofan state  are isolated pockets of southern support within the Muslim north. "We are not part of the referendum under the peace deal," said Albaroud, the SPLM chairman for Kauda, one of several zones still controlled by the former fighters. "But the SPLM still runs this region. The Sharia (Islamic) law of the north is not imposed here." Instead, the future of the Nuba and the other contested area of Blue Nile state - will be decided by "popular consultations". But that process is ill-defined, and without set steps for either autonomy or potential secession from the north that many say they want. They prefer the country remain united "We are frightened we will be abandoned," said Bashir Kuku, a farmer drinking a bowl of home-brewed sorghum beer beneath a tree at Kauda's weekly market. "If the south splits in the referendum, we will be left alone to face the north. "In the war, we in the Nuba fought for equality in a unified Sudan we call it the New Sudan' but the south now wants independence alone." Historically the highlands provided refuge for those fleeing slave raids, and the Nuba peoples some 50 mainly black African ethnic groups have much in common with those of the south. Source:http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5060&Itemid=426 ----- Yemen rebels 'seize Saudi area' 4 November 2009 Rebels from Yemen have fought their way across the border into Saudi Arabia, where they are now holding out against the military. The rebels have killed a Saudi officer and injured 11 others, the Saudi authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The rebels said they had taken "full control" of a mountainous section of the border region of Jabal al-Dukhan. The Yemen government has been waging a campaign against the Zaidi Shia rebels, also known as Houthis, since 2004. The Houthis have long accused Riyadh of supporting the Yemeni government in attacks against them. In October there were clashes between Houthis and Saudi security forces near the border. Yemen is one of the world's poorest countries and analysts question the ability of the government to assert control over the country. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8341875.stm ----- Iran hangs convicted Sunni rebel: Report November 04, 2009 Iran hanged a member of a Sunni rebel group blamed for deadly attacks in the predominantly Shia Muslim state, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday. "Abdol-Hamid Rigi was hanged inside the main prison of Zahedan on Monday," the agency quoted top police official Gholam-Ali Nekouie as saying, referring to the capital city of Sistan-Baluchestan province. Iranian media had reported that the group, Jundallah or Soldiers of God, claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing in October in Sistan-Baluchestan which killed more than 40 people, including 15 top members of the Revolutionary Guards. Nekouie said Rigi was convicted of various charges including "kidnapping, cooperating with Jundallah and 'staging war against God'," an offence punishable by death under Iran's Islamic law. In July, 13 other members of Jundallah were executed in Zahedan on the same charges. Earlier reports said Rigi was the brother of Jundallah leader Abdolmalik Rigi, but Nekouie said this was not the case. Iranian authorities accuse Jundallah of sowing discord between the Shia majority and the Sunni minority in Iran. The group says it is fighting against discrimination and for the rights of the Sunnis. Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, is a major transit route for narcotics. It has been hit by a string of attacks and kidnappings that authorities blame on Jundallah. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Iran-hangs-convicted-Sunni-rebel-Report/H1-Article1-472567.aspx ------ An American in Iran, 30 Years Later November 4, 2009 by: Amy Kellogg I had been trying to get into Iran for months. Finally, I got the visa. Ordinarily, we travel in teams to cover stories. Reporter, producer and cameraman. For this maiden voyage to Iran, I was told by my man in Tehran, I would have to go alone. They wanted to establish a level of comfort with my work, so the story went. Or wanted to exercise more robust control over me, maybe. In any event, I signed up for the mission, and arranged to pick up a local crew upon my arrival in Tehran. The day I arrived was a warmish day in November, 2005, it was Ramadan, or Ramazan, as Iranians call it, the fasting month, as well as the anniversary of the hostage taking at the old U.S. Embassy. I arrived at six in the morning, having taken an overnight flight from London. Bleary eyed, I donned the obligatory coat women must always have in Iran. The minimum body cover. Other option is the all-enveloping chador which is what the more conservative women wear. Oh, yes, and the headscarf. I got whisked to the bowels of the airport to get finger printed, a practice Iran calls a reciprocal deal, as Iranians entering America get the same treatment. The uniformed man, whom I took to be a Revolutionary Guard, but who may have been just a sort of police man, had a hard time finding the ink jar. Apparently, it had been a while since he’d had to use it. When he finally dug it out, we made a real mess together. All 10 fingers fully smeared with black ink. My man in Iran, the one who helped me organize that trip and subsequent ones, Mahmood, had forewarned me. I was carrying baby wipes. But the ink was stubborn. As I made my way back upstairs to meet Mahmood, the man who had taken my prints started to bark that my headscarf had slipped. So with inky hands, I tried to slide it back up, from the back of my head, an akward move, which always ends up displacing more offending hair. Mahmood met me in the Commercially Important Persons lounge or CIP section. A CIP I am not. But it was Tehran’s version of a fast track service through customs, which, several usages later, I have determined is actually the slow way to go, but nevermind. Desperately thirsty now, this was Ramazan, so water would have to wait. Theoretically, being non-Muslim, I could have had something. But this being a sensitive trip, I figured best not to risk antagonizing anyone. A small army of cameramen and soundmen and soundmen’s assistants joined us. Off we went to the old U.S. Embassy, otherwise known as the Nest of Spies, for the demonstration held each year on the anniversary of the hostage taking. Because the event was segregated, my camera crew deposited me on the women’s side. They went off to the male-only side. American flags were on fire, but the crowd hardly was. It was not overwhelming in size. And did not look like it could explode into a riot or anything more than a chant-in. The women in my section were all in chadors, with green headbands. They were mostly students. They just stared at me. “Death to America!” the crowds, which I estimate were in the hundreds, shouted. It's a well-rehearsed refrain for this crowd, most of whom, it is said, were bused in for the event. You get brownie points at University for supporting such state-sponsored events. The girls kept staring at me. Finally, one approached. “Where are you from?” she asked, in halting English. I just pointed to a U.S. flag in flames. She smiled, her face lighting up. Source:http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/11/04/an-american-in-iran-30-years-later/ -------- Iran Raises Uranium Output as Photos Show Need for Wider Checks Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Satellite photos indicate that Iran has increased production at a uranium mine, underscoring the need for wider UN inspections to determine whether the country is trying to build a nuclear weapon. Evidence of stepped-up activity at the Gchine mine, near the Persian Gulf coast city of Bandar Abbas, is seen in pictures obtained by Bloomberg News and the Washington-based New America Foundation, according to four nuclear analysts who examined the images. The mine could produce enough uranium to craft at least two atomic bombs a year, experts said. The photographs, taken on April 26 and Oct. 3 by DigitalGlobe Inc. and GeoEye Inc., two U.S. commercial satellite companies, show Iran increased the rate at which it pumps waste from the mine during the intervening months. Iran has filled one waste pool since November 2008, when a previous photograph was taken, and built a second pond with pipes connecting it to processing tanks that separate the metal from rock. “Iran’s decision to expand mining and milling at Bandar Abbas seems to validate the suspicions of those who think it was the main uranium site for a covert program,” Jeffrey G. Lewis, nuclear strategy and non-proliferation director at the New America Foundation, a public policy institute, said in an Oct. 20 interview. The increased uranium production indicates that United Nations inspectors need to widen their field of vision beyond facilities such as Iran’s uranium-enrichment plant in Natanz and its Esfahan conversion facility, Lewis and other analysts said. The UN’s nuclear agency should renew demands to inspect research labs, machine shops and mines including Gchine, they added. Top Priority The international community’s top priority should be to gain “considerably more access into the Iranian program as a whole so that there is a verifiable distance between Iran’s option to build a bomb and the exercise of that option,” said Lewis, who formerly ran the nuclear non-proliferation research program at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The U.S. and several allies say Iran’s atomic work is cover for the development of a weapon, while the government in Tehran insists that the program is peaceful and intended for civilian purposes such as electricity generation. Iran has been under investigation by the UN since 2003 because it concealed nuclear work from the world body’s International Atomic Energy Agency for two decades. It is subject to three sets of UN economic sanctions for ignoring Security Council demands that it suspend uranium enrichment and related work and allow wider inspections. Weapon Fears The IAEA said Oct. 29 that it would consult with world powers and Iran after the country failed to fully accept a UN- brokered plan for Russia to process nuclear fuel for a medical- research reactor in Tehran. Iran said its “technical and economic concerns” had to be addressed. Source:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aMtzNb9WS83I&pos=9 ------ Iran issues new warning for U.S. November 3, 2009 TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's supreme leader today warned against the U.S. imposing its will on negotiations with Tehran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's statements come as Iran is asking to modify a U.N. proposal for Russia and France to turn its uranium stockpile into nuclear fuel and allay Western fears over a possible weapons program. "Whenever the U.S offers a smile, it hides a dagger in his back," said Khamenei according to the state news agency. He rejected "talks in which the U.S. decides about its results in advance." Coup plotter Simon Mann pardoned JOHANNESBURG - British coup-plotter Simon Mann and four South African mercenaries have been pardoned for attempting the overthrow of Equatorial Guinea's government and will be freed from prison in the tiny oil-rich African nation, the country's chief judge said today. They were convicted in a trial that aired a plot in which well-connected Britons and others sought to install an exiled opposition figure in Africa's No. 3 oil producing nation. The coup unraveled before it even began. New video on Madeleine McCann LONDON - British police today released a new video imagining what missing girl Madeleine McCann would look like now, at age 6, and urged Internet users to spread the pictures as widely as they can. The appeal was launched by the U.K. Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center. Detectives hope the video will "prick the conscience" of someone who may be close to the girl's abductor. The short film includes new images of how Madeleine might have changed more than two years after she disappeared. http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/11/03-04/World-Digest.html ------ St. Denys School Fire: Christian sources blame Islamic militants, Pakistani media short circuit November 4, 2009 Muree, Pakistan: November 3, 2009. (PCP) The news of fire in St. Denys High School Muree and Girls Hostel spread among Pakistani Christians throughout country in minutes on afternoon of November 3, 2009. Hundreds of mobile messages were circulated by Christians in Muree to different organizations that Islamic outfits in Pakistan have burnt down St. Denys School and same was forwarded to PCP by one very reliable source. Muree is famous hill station and summer home of government officials and wealthy Muslims situated some 30 miles from capital city of Pakistan Islamabad. The Church of Pakistan and Catholic Church have famous educational centers, health centers and retreat places in Muree over a century. The St. Denys High School and Girls Hostel were running under supervision of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon from years. Sources close to PCP in Islamabad informed that Christians in Muree are under fear and no one is ready to talk on issue of burning of St. Denys School.. Meanwhile, SLMP confirmed from Lahore that St. Denys School is destroyed by fire and fact finding team is heading to Muree. The Pakistani electronic and print media was silent on fire incident till 5;00 PM but later one news outlet said that fire was due to short circuit on second floor of School which have been spreading in nearby homes and fire brigade is trying to control fire. http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=1477 ------ Muslim Women’s NGO Submits Goldstone Report to International Criminal Court Nov 3, 2009 Muslim Women’s NGO Submits Goldstone Report to International Criminal Court as part of Communication on situation in Gaza Washington DC: Today, the National Association of Muslim American Women (NAMAW) submitted the “Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict” better known as the Goldstone Report to the International Criminal Court at the Hague in the Netherlands. The report was submitted via e-mail, and also priority mail as documentation and evidence in support of a communication submitted by the group entitled, “Communication on the situation in Gaza and the Goldstone Report.” Under the rules of the International Criminal Court, non state parties can submit Communications to the court that are taken up for analysis and assessment the same as referrals from the UNSC or UN member nation/states. According to article 53 of the Rome Statute, the only difference is that the Court is not automatically complelled to initiate an investigation into the situation brought to its attention as it must when the referral comes from the UN Security Council. The International Court must now review the Communication and the supporting documentaion and evidence, and decide if there is enough probable cause, and supporting documentation to compel an investigation. Considering that the UNHRC recently endorsed the report, which alleges that Israel committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in its December 2008 military assault on Gaza, the group is hoping that the court will find Goldstone’s report sufficient evidence to compel an investigation, along with reports by the World Health Organization and international human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Whereas the Goldstone report only called for action by the court if Israel refused to conduct an investigation of its own into the allegations made in the report, and failed to bring suspected persons to trial, the International Court is now seemingly involved as a result of the appeal made by NAMAW, a UN accredited NGO with the Division on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinians, for a Court assessment of the alleged facts and an investigation. Source:http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/ ------ Jamiat upholds fatwa against Vande Mataram 4 November 2009  NEW DELHI: In a move likely to spark a political controversy, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind on Tuesday endorsed a fatwa issued by the influential Darul Uloom seminary at Deoband that calls on Muslims not to sing Vande Mataram as doing so was violative of Islam's faith in monotheism. The resolution said Muslims were being targeted over the issue and asserted, "We love our country, but cannot elevate it to the status of Allah, the only one worshipped by Muslims... The fatwa of Darul Uloom is correct." The reference to nation as mother and an ode to motherland was unIslamic and "should not be deliberately raised for causing communal discord and law and order," the Jamiat said. The endorsement from a Jamiat "general session" at Deoband came on a day when the assembly was addressed by home minister P Chidambaram and saw BJP swiftly wading in, claiming the minister's presence had "legitimised" the "anti-Vande Mataram" view. "We oppose the Jamiat's resolution," said BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. The Jamiat move comes in the backdrop of some states like BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh introducing singing of Vande Mataram in government-run schools. Endorsing Darul Uloom's "edict", the resolution said, "We love our country and have proved it many times, but Vande Mataram violates our faith in monotheism that is the foundation of our faith." BJP vice-president Mukhtar Naqvi said singing Vande Mataram was not compulsory but the manner in which the Jamiat opposed the verses immortalised in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's classic was unacceptable. He also targeted Chidambaram for addressing a gathering where the singing of Vande Mataram was opposed saying this would be read as support for the Jamiat's "retrograde" viewpoint. Former Union minister Arif Mohammad Khan wondered about the "provocation" for Deoband's fatwa, stressing that the objectionable stanzas in the classic, which had idolatrous references to Bharat Mata, do not form part of the national song. BSP's Shahid Siddiqi, however, defended the religious seminary. On the issue of timing, he suggested that it was prompted by a campaign in western UP demanding that Deoband issue a fatwa recommending the national song to Muslims. Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jamiat-upholds-fatwa-against-Vande-Mataram/articleshow/5194439.cms ------ No strain in ties with China over Dalai Lama trip: India 4 November 2009 NEW DELHI: Denying any strain in bilateral ties due to the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India on Wednesday said Sino-Indian ties were set to acquire "more substance and relevance" in days to come. "There is no strain in bilateral ties," foreign secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here when asked whether the Dalai Lama's scheduled visit to Arunachal Pradesh Nov 8 had strained ties between the two countries. "Our position is very clear," Rao said while alluding to New Delhi's stance that the Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile in the hill resort of Dharamsala for the last five decades, can go anywhere in India provided he does not indulge in political activities. Describing the relationship with China as "complex", Rao said the rise of India and China was "a source of dynamism" in the region and the world. Speaking at a seminar on South Asia organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Rao stressed that despite "outstanding issues", India-China ties were set to acquire "greater dynamism and relevance" in days to come. Rao pointed out that the resolution of outstanding issues like the border dispute would take some time and entail greater political will on part of both countries. Rejecting Beijing's objections to the Tibetan leader's visit to India's northeastern state, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said last week after meeting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that the Dalai Lama was "an honoured guest" of India. "(But) we do not allow Tibetan refugees to indulge in political activities. As a proof of that, last year we took resolute action at the time of Olympics when there were reports that some Tibetan refugees might disrupt (the Olympic torch relay)," he had said. In a subtle shift of stance, China on Tuesday accused the Dalai Lama of trying to "wreck" Sino-Indian ties by his proposed trip to Arunachal Pradesh, over which Beijing claims sovereignty, but refrained from condemning New Delhi for allowing the visit. Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-strain-in-ties-with-China-over-Dalai-Lama-trip-India/articleshow/5195792.cms ------ Dubai Index Drops Most in World on Economy, Oil; Qatar Falls By Henry Meyer November 3, 2009 Dubai stocks fell for a second time this week, leading a decline in global markets, on concern the world economy is struggling to emerge from recession, hurting a recovery in the oil-rich Gulf region. Emaar Properties PJSC, the United Arab Emirates’ biggest property developer, tumbled 7.3 percent. A “bounce” in Dubai house prices in the third quarter may not indicate a continuing recovery, Colliers International said today. Dubai Islamic Bank erased yesterday’s 6.1 percent gain. The DFM General Index lost 5 percent, the biggest fluctuation of 89 benchmark indexes tracked globally by Bloomberg, to 2,075.46. The measure has dropped 5.6 percent this week. “There is still concern about the general health of the global economy and this is weighing on the markets,” said Mark Friedenthal, a fund manager at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. “We are waiting to see if there will be a double-dip recession in the U.S.” Stocks in Europe and Asia dropped as UBS AG reported a wider-than-estimated loss amid investor concern the withdrawal of stimulus measures will cause the global recovery to falter. Australia raised interest rates for the second time in four weeks. Crude oil fell 1 percent to $77.37 a barrel at 5:31 p.m. in Dubai, before a report forecast to show that inventories rose for a fourth week. The six Arab Gulf states in the Gulf Cooperation Council supply about 20 percent of world’s oil. House Prices Dubai house prices advanced 7 percent in the third quarter, from the previous three months, Colliers said. That’s still 47 percent lower than a year earlier, when the market reached its peak. The emirate, the second-biggest sheikhdom in the U.A.E., built thousands of houses just before the credit crisis wiped out demand. Emaar declined to 4.05 dirhams. Dubai Islamic Bank, the country’s biggest Islamic lender, lost 6.4 percent to 2.78 dirhams. Source:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHep5wL.TYbk&pos=6 ------ DETROIT: 2 men tied to Muslim group to face hearing November 4, 2009 Two Canadian men arrested during the weekend in Windsor and accused of helping finance a group of fundamentalist Muslims face a bond hearing Friday, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit said Tuesday. The hearing in Windsor is to determine whether the men will be released or remain in custody pending their extradition to the United States. Mohammad Alsahi, also known as Mohammad Palestine, 33, and Yassir Ali Khan, 30, were arrested Saturday by Windsor police and an immigration task force led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Federal authorities say the two are among 11 men charged last week with conducting a criminal enterprise dealing in stolen goods. Federal officials say the group was led by Luqman Ameen Abdullah, also known as Christopher Thomas, who was killed in an Oct. 28 shootout with FBI agents in Dearborn during raids there and in Detroit. http://www.freep.com/article/20091104/NEWS05/911040338/1001/News/Metro-Detroit-news-2-men-tied-to-Muslim-group-to-face-hearing ------ U.S. sets out projects to re-engage with Muslim world Tue Nov 3, 2009 MARRAKESH, Morocco (Reuters) - The United States will step up support for businesses, vulnerable young people, local governments and associations under President Barack Obama's plan for a "new beginning" with the Islamic world. Following are details of schemes, including two projects in Yemen and Jordan worth more than $100 million, unveiled by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday during a visit to Morocco. * The projects focus on civil society, entrepreneurship and economic development, education, science, technology, empowering women and cooperation between religions. They include: * A plan to hold an Entrepreneurship Summit in Washington in early 2010 bringing together innovators and leaders in Muslim communities and America's business leaders. * A global network to connect entrepreneurs and bring together investors, business support services, schools and colleges. * Civil Society 2.0, a plan to help grassroots organizations around the world use digital technology to communicate * A $30 million project for vulnerable youth in Jordan * $76 million scheme to help increase economic opportunities, social services and local governance in Yemen http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5A21MF20091103 ------ Muslim ex-Gitmo detainees face challenges in Palau November 4, 2009 KOROR, Palau — Six former Guantanamo Bay detainees brought to Palau for resettlement have received a warm official welcome, but a plan to deport Bangladeshi workers could halve this Pacific Island nation’s already-tiny Muslim community, making integration harder. The ex-detainees, who are Muslim ethnic Uighurs from a region in China’s far west, already face tough challenges to adapt to their new lives in Palau after eight years in the U.S. military camp in Cuba, although they will be provided housing, job training and a full-time interpreter. President Johnson Toribiong himself welcomed the group when they arrived before dawn Sunday on a secret flight, and he will treat them to a personal tour of the Rock Islands, a diving attraction that is country’s top tourist destination, later this week as part of their orientation. But Toribiong has also announced plans to send home between 200 and 300 Bangladeshi Muslim migrants whose work visas have expired, and last month he banned anyone else from the South Asian country from entering Palau. No timetable has been set for deporting the Bangladeshis. Palau’s Muslim community of about 500 is made up almost completely of Bangladeshi migrant workers. Reducing their number by half could make the Uighurs’ transition to island life that much more difficult. "They need a community of Muslims," Mujahid Hussain, the only Pakistani in Palau, said of the Uighurs. "They need to sit together and pray together. So if they send home a lot of the Bangladeshis, that’s going to be a problem," Hussain, 36, told The Associated Press on Monday. Announcing the decision to repatriate the Bangladeshis whose visas have expired, Toribiong said last week it has nothing to do with the Uighurs but is a reflection of his administration’s commitment to the rule of law. "We follow the principles of justice and fairness," he said, adding that Bangladeshis with valid work permits have nothing to fear. The Uighurs (pronounced WEE’-gurs) have been kept out of the public eye and away from media since they arrived. Source:http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/asia_pacific/view/20091104muslim_ex-gitmo_detainees_face_challenges_in_palau/srvc=home&position=recent ---- Shia LaBeouf, Ryan Gosling Join John Hillcoat’s ‘Wettest County’ by Neil Miller November 3, 2009 It must be hard for director John Hillcoat, whose film The Road has been pushed back and forth by The Weinstein Company more times than any other film since, well, The Weinsteins did it to Kyle Newman’s Fanboys. And for shame, I say, as The Road is a great film and a wonderfully true adaptation of one of Cormac McCarthy’s most iconic works. But even with the film’s quality and almost certain critical praise, it still must be hard for a guy like Hillcoat to move forward on another project without a bit of doubt in his mind. That said, the folks at Atomic Popcorn are reporting some casting for one future project that I’d like to see Hillcoat take on. Titled The Wettest County in the World and based on a novel by Matt Bondurant, this family saga follows the Bondurants, bootlegging brothers runnin’ stills, runnin’ loads, and runnin’ from the law in Depression-era Virginia.The book is mainly narrated through the experience of the youngest Bondurant, Jack (in truth, a grandfather of the author), and his family’s moonshine enterprise supplies the action in a plot that evokes the culture of distilling and distributing white lightning. What’s even more interesting is that Hillcoat spilled the beans on casting for two of the brothers Bondurant: Ryan Gosling and Shia LaBeouf. It is a project that sounds like it could be a lot of fun — as Hillcoat describes, it’s all about “west virgin, moonshine, backwoods, and Prohibition.” All of these things make for a good time, if you ask me. And with Hillcoat’s knack for creating a compelling visual environment in his films, I’d say that it is the right kind of project for him. Of course, nothing is official just yet — but we’ll keep an eye on it. http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/shia-labeouf-ryan-gosling-join-john-hillcoats-wettest-county-neilm.php ---- Democracy vs. Terrorism - Congress, UN Vote On Goldstone Israel Gaza Report Joel Leyden November 3, 2009 There was never an easier vote to decide upon. Today the US House of Representatives is expected to vote on a resolution requesting US President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton “to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the ‘Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict’.” What has become known as the UN Goldstone Report, a biased, one sided investigation that refers to the internationally recognized terror group Hamas as "militants in occupied Gaza who have a right to resist", is moving through Washington today and expected to make its next stop at the UN in New York tomorrow. "Militants" - not terrorists. Militants who have committed a double human rights crime as they launched more than 8,000 terror rockets from Gaza at civilians in Israel while hiding behind civilians in Gaza. "Occupied" - Israel left Gaza four years ago. In a unilateral peace move, the IDF moved out of the Gaza strip and evacuated her settlements there. Gaza is under the totalitarian rule of Hamas, a puppet Islamic terror organization created and funded - not by Palestinians - but by Iran. "Resist" - against what? Israel left Gaza. But that was not enough for Hamas which has declared that their goal is the same as Iran, total destruction, to wipe Israel off the map. And Hamas, in their Islamic Jihad are waging a holy war. This is not about land. It is about not being a Muslim. For if you are Jewish or Christian you then qualify for the title of "infidel" and you should be murdered. What is Judge Richard Goldstone smoking? The man has an impressive past but many are now saying that he took an opportunistic UN role as a stepping stone to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations. http://www.israelnewsagency.com ------           Comparing Islamic anti-Semitism to Nazi Germany at its worst By Robert S. Wistrich On November 9, 1938, a massive nation-wide anti-Jewish pogrom took place during peacetime across the entire territory of the Third Reich. The pretext for this orgy of violence against German Jews was the shooting in Paris two days earlier of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year-old Polish-Jewish refugee. The state-organized pogrom, instigated by Hitler and Joseph Goebbels, resulted in the burning or damaging of more than a thousand synagogues; the ransacking of about 7,500 businesses, the murder of at least 91 Jews, and the deportation of another 30,000 Jewish males to concentration camps in Dachau, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen. This murderous onslaught against German Jewry, cynically described by the Nazis as the "Night of Broken Glass" (Kristallnacht), was a major turning point on the road to the Final Solution of the so-called Jewish Question. It signified that the Nazi regime had crossed a Rubicon and would no longer be deterred by Western public opinion in its "war against the Jews." The economic expropriation of German Jewry, its complete social ostracism and public humiliation swiftly followed. Jews were banned from public transport, from frequenting concerts, theaters, cinemas, commercial centers, beaches, or using public benches. Only a fortnight after "Crystal Night," the SS journal, Das Schwarze Korps, chillingly prophesied the final end of German Jewry through "fire and sword" and its imminent complete annihilation. Today, shocking to relate, the specter of such apocalyptic anti-Semitism has returned to haunt Europe and other continents, while often assuming radically new forms. In the Middle East, it has taken on a particularly dangerous, toxic and potentially genocidal aura of hatred, closely linked to the "mission" of holy war or jihad against the West and the Jews. Islamist anti-Semitism is thoroughly soaked in many of the most inflammatory themes that initially made possible the atrocities of Crystal Night and its horrific aftermath during the Holocaust. Source:http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1125584.html ------ War on terror Pakistan’s own, says Shahbaz Published: November 04, 2009 LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that fight against terrorism is Pakistan’s own war and its victory is certain. He said solidarity of the nation at this juncture was the outcome of mental harmony of the political leadership, which also made the whole nation stand shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces on the military operation in Waziristan. He was addressing the participants of National Defence Course 2009-10 at Chief Minister’s Secretariat, here Tuesday. The chief minister said it was a fact that had the dictator who toppled the democratic system, not been removed, the existing solidarity and cohesion in the Pakistani nation against terrorism would not have been possible. He said officers and Jawans of Pakistan Army were making supreme sacrifices for the future of the country and the political leadership needed to display an extraordinary sense of responsibility so that these sacrifices did not go waste. He said poverty, ignorance, unemployment, injustice, class disparity, plundering of privileged classes and corrupt elite were the main causes of terrorism and the time had come to divert all resources to the prosperity and provision of education and health facilities as well as job opportunities to the deprived masses. He said notwithstanding a serious situation, he was quite optimistic about future of the country in case every citizen showed a spirit to sacrifice, honesty, hard work and patriotism as was demonstrated by the nations devastated by Second World War. Referring to the NRO, the CM said had the Parliament approved the bill providing legal cover to the loot and plunder, it would have destroyed the entire moral fabric of the society. He said on NRO one could not ignore its creator whose sole aim was to prolong his dictatorial rule. Otherwise, he said, Pakistan received unprecedented funds during the period of Pervez Musharraf. He said though there could have been some political hurdles in the way of construction of Kala Bagh Dam but one can ask why Bhasha Dam project which could have been executed in six years at a cost of only six billion dollars was not implemented during this period. Similarly, why criminal negligence was shown in utilising the coal reserves and other resources of the country for energy production? He said despite availability of resources no one had the time to solve energy crisis as those who were at the helm of affairs, were busy in electing the dictator in uniform for another 10 years. Referring to the Kerry-Lugar Act, the chief minister said harmonious relations with a superpower like America should be a priority but it did not mean that one should start begging from it. He said there was need for standing on our own feet as $53 billion received in the form of loans and assistance in the past did not help ameliorate the lot of the poor and the common man, so what use would such aid serve in the future. http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/04-Nov-2009/War-on-terror-Pakistans-own-says-Shahbaz ----- 18 killed in Karachi train collision November 04, 2009 By M Waqar Bhatti KARACHI: Eighteen people on-board the Karachi-bound Allama Iqbal Express died and over 40 others sustained injuries when it collided with a goods train near Jumma Goth, Landhi, on Tuesday afternoon, rescuers and Railways officials said. “I can confirm after the completion of the rescue operation that a total of 18 passengers of the Allama Iqbal Express, including women and children, have died while 42 others sustained injuries,” SP Railways Muzaffar Shaikh told The News. Teams of the Railways, police, Rangers, Army, Edhi and Chippa rushed to the site to carry out rescue and relief operations. The dead and injured were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), some 30-35 kilometres away from the site of the accident. Some of the seriously injured died on their way, rescuers said. “When I reached the site, I saw bogies of the Allama Iqbal Express mangled and there were people trapped inside them, crying for help,” Rasheed, who reached the place immediately after the accident, said. Railways officials blamed the driver of the passenger train, Jam Rasool Bukhsh, for the tragic accident, saying he ignored a red signal while the Super parcel goods train had already been signalled to adopt the main track for upcountry. The Pakistan Railways has ordered an inquiry into the accident. A four-member inquiry committee has been constituted to look into the causes of the accident and fix responsibility. A passenger, Muhammad Akram, who survived the accident, told The News that the train remained stationary for some 25-30 minutes prior to the collision, which took place within a few minutes after the train resumed its journey. A female passenger, who identified herself as Roshan Jahan, said she was going to toilet when she heard a bang. “I fainted and when I regained consciousness, I was in hospital,” she added. Noor Muhammad, a retired military man and a resident of Orangi Town, who was coming from Lahore, said: “I feel fortunate that I’m still alive despite such a massive accident. So many deaths were caused due to the delay in rescue operation,” he claimed, adding that no rescue teams had reached the site even one hour after the accident. Divisional Superintendent (DS) Karachi Railways Division Aftab Memon told newsmen at the site of the accident that the driver of the train had fled. “It was his fault as he was signalled to stop while the goods train was directed to take the main track.” Source:http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=25364 URL of this Page: http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamWarOnTerror_1.aspx?ArticleID=2055