Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Islamic World News

03 Mar 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com

Indian PM asks Saudi king to help stop Pak terror

Iraq suicide bombers target city of Baquba, 31 killed 'Scared Pakistani Hindus fleeing to India' Malaysia's opposition MP quits in "Allah" row Iran arrests award-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi Muslim world waiting for concrete steps from Switzerland: OIC Shaking off Islamabad Pakistan seizes Taliban, Al-Qaeda mountain redoubt Indian team to question Jaish man in Dhaka net Bangladesh arrest underlines continued jihadist threat Richard Holbrooke's comments on Kabul attack surprises India Afghanistan blames LeT for Kabul suicide attacks Proof Lashkar hit Kabul: Afghan spy agency 2 newspaper offices attacked in Karnataka 'Shocked' Taslima denies writing article in K'taka daily Don’t blame me for Karnataka riots: Taslima Muslims are their own worst enemy Women Work toward Equality in Muslim Societies Quebec integration debate reignited over student's use of niqab Jihadists turning to economic terrorism US drone attack kills al-Qaida-linked top Chinese militant in Pak Hegemonic powers seeking to sully the image of Islam: Leader Global jihad's evolving strategy: Focus Al Qaeda Husain’s works to feature in Dubai art extravaganza Husain: India is my motherland but it rejected me Srebrenica massacre is myth, claims Karadzic Nothing 'contentious' expected at religious summit Bowing to Radical Islam: A Zionist view Obama faces moment of truth with Iraq election Sena can put up Afzal Khan poster only AT Kalyan chowk  ‘Pak has failed to probe Hafiz role’ HuJI man spells out Gujarat terror plan Pak cleric's 600-page fatwa against terror attacks Dubai police chief plans to seek Benjamin Netanyahu arrest Israeli PM's arrest sought over murder Iraq wants to improve relations with Syria Veteran journalist Sultan Ahmad dies at 87 Jibriel denies involvement in terrorism Apartheid is Alive and Well in Araby US Senator Kerry backs sanctions against Iran Compiled by Asit Kumar Photo: Manmohan Singh is the first India Prime Minister to visit Saudi Arabia in 28 years URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2528 ------ Indian PM asks Saudi king to help stop Pak terror Diwakar, Mar 2, 2010,  NEW DELHI: India has asked Saudi Arabia to persuade Pakistan to stop using terrorism as an instrument to promote its objectives, in a significant move seen as aimed at leveraging the uneasiness of the crucial Islamic country over the growing collaboration between Pakistan-backed terror groups working against India and Al Qaida that has vowed to dislodge the rulers in the oil-rich kingdom. This was disclosed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday when he said he had asked Saudi Arabia, a staunch backer of Pakistan on a whole range of issues including J&K, to use its clout with the rulers in Islamabad to get them to stop using terrorism to extract concessions from India. Referring to his conversation with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Sunday, Singh said, "I explained to him (the Saudi ruler) the role that terrorism -- aided, abetted and inspired by Pakistan -- is playing in our country. And I did not ask him to do anything other than to use his good offices to persuade Pakistan to desist from this path." Singh's remarks do not mark a break from the country's opposition to third party mediation. Yet, they take on significance because it is the first time that India has asked the Saudis, who have consistently championed Pakistan's cause in the Organisation of Islamic Countries and other international fora, to use their "good offices" with Islamabad. It was only on Sunday that the government scrambled to launch a damage control exercise after minister of state Shashi Tharoor's remark that Saudi Arabia could be a "valuable interlocutor" on Pakistan was interpreted in certain quarters to mean that government was open to the idea of Saudis playing the mediator. Interestingly, what the PM said during a media interaction on his way home from Riyadh, after a very successful visit to Saudi Arabia during which bilateral ties were elevated to strategic partnership, was not radically different from Tharoor's statement. The government's bid for Saudi support has been encouraged by the assessment that the irrefutable evidence of collaboration between Pakistan-backed terror groups working against India, the Taliban and Al Qaida, who want to overthrow the Saudi regime, may have helped Riyadh better appreciate India's stand against terrorism. The estimate was reinforced during the PM's interactions with the Saudi king and his foreign minister Prince Saud al Faisal, with both appearing to share the "worry and concern" against the backdrop of continuing threat from Al Qaida elements based in Yemen as well as within the kingdom itself. Talking to reporters on his special aircraft, Singh indicated so much. "My feeling is that the Saudi Arabian leadership has a better understanding of the predicament we face both in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. There is great deal of sympathy and support for India's point of view, and a feeling that what we are asking for is very reasonable," he said. Singh is the second head of government to seek to nudge Riyadh, which holds a pivotal position in Sunni Islam, to move away from its traditional alignment with Pakistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited the kingdom in February to seek its support against Pakistan's gameplan to re-install a Taliban regime in Kabul. The Riyadh Declaration signed by Singh and the Saudi king showed the success of the efforts of India and Afghanistan with Saudi Arabia coming out with an endorsement of the Afghan constitution that Pakistan-backed Taliban has refused to recognise as well as continued Indian presence in Afghanistan -- a sore point with Pakistan. The Declaration called for the preservation of Afghanistan's sovereignty and independence, saying the two leaders expressed "full support for the efforts aimed at helping Afghanistan to develop its infrastructure and achieve social and economic development". It was significant that the backing for India's engagement with social sector and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan came just a couple of days after another Pakistan-sponsored terror attack aimed at Indians in Kabul. The Declaration said the two leaders "supported the efforts of the people of Afghanistan to achieve stability and security, strengthening traditional integrity and consolidating its national unity on the principle of equality of rights and supported the efforts of the people of Afghanistan to achieve stability and security, protected from exploitation by terrorist organisations, while upholding the values and principles of the Constitution of Afghanistan". http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PM-asks-Saudi-king-to-help-stop-Pak-terror/articleshow/5634524.cms --------- Iraq suicide bombers target city of Baquba, 31 killed 3 March 2010 Suicide attacks in the central Iraqi city of Baquba have killed at least 31 people and injured dozens more. Two car bombs exploded within minutes of each other near government buildings in the capital of Diyala province, 60km (40 miles) north of Baghdad. A later third blast targeted the city's main hospital, where victims of the first attacks were being treated. The attacks come just days before parliamentary elections, the third since the US-led invasion in 2003. Nearly a million military and police personnel have been placed on the highest alert ahead of Sunday's polls, defence officials have told the BBC, amid fears the country could slide back into sectarian conflict. Baquba, a predominantly Sunni Arab city, has been the scene of frequent fighting between insurgents and US-led troops since Saddam Hussein was ousted. In the first attack, a driver detonated the explosives inside his car at a checkpoint near a government housing office and a police station at about 0930 (0630 GMT) on Wednesday, police said. Within minutes, another car bomb exploded outside the headquarters of the provincial council in the city, they added. A third suicide bomber, this time on foot, later blew himself up at the gate of the main hospital as the casualties from the earlier blasts arrived, and during a visit by the provincial police chief, Maj Gen Abdul Hussein al-Shimmari. Full report at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8546744.stm ----- 'Scared Pak Hindus fleeing to India' Vimal Bhatia, Mar 3, 2010, JAISLAMER: Hindus in Pakistan are scared after the recent atrocities against minorities perpetrated by religious fanatics. Many are now making a beeline for the Indian High Commission for visas to flee the disturbed Islamic state. However, most have to return disappointed as the Indian mission in Islamabad is very strict in issuing visas as relations between the two countries are now at nadir. Fear has spread among the few Hindus and Sikhs in that country over the beheading of the Sikhs by the Taliban for refusing to convert to Islam. The state machinery has failed to protect religious minorities in Pakistan. Bhavru Ram Bheel, a resident of Pakistan's Rahmiyar Khan area, who came to India by Thar Express on February 20, said about 10 families (50 to 60 members) had permanently left Pakistan by train never to be return to that country and many more are in the queue. He said, Taliban has unleashed a reign of terror among the Hindus by kidnapping the young women of Hindus. He said, "They tried to kidnap my daughters three four times. However we managed to save our honour. We have left behind everything and came to India." Another passenger Nenuram Gomad Ram said, "The Taliban had launched a campaign to convert the Hindus into Islam. The Hindus who resist were subject to torture and even killing. That is the reason the visa application for India has increased manifold in recent times." Many Hindu families applying for visa to India to leave that country at least for this hard times. Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Scared-Pak-Hindus-fleeing-to-India/articleshow/5634979.cms --------- Malaysia's opposition MP quits in "Allah" row Royce Cheah Mar 3, 2010 KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's opposition on Wednesday lost its third lawmaker in two weeks when an MP quit in protest over whether Christians can use the word "Allah" for god, saying the opposition had insulted Islam by allowing the move. The defection of Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri from opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's Peoples Justice Party leaves the opposition with 79 seats in the 222-seat parliament that has six independents and 137 MPs from the governing coalition. Malaysia, a traditionally moderate Muslim nation, saw a spate of attacks on churches after a court ruling last year that allowed a Catholic newspaper to use the word "Allah" in its Malay-language editions to describe the Christian God. "The insulting of the institution of Islam ... including the endorsement of the use of the word Allah (by non-Muslims) made me reach a point where I could no longer compromise and keep quiet," Mohsin told a news conference after he said he would become an independent MP. The government has appealed the court ruling. The defections bolster the government at a time when opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is on trial on sodomy charges and raise doubts over Anwar's leadership in holding the three-party opposition alliance together. "This was a legacy issue from the election in 2008 as basically anyone was allowed to be a candidate. I would expect more turbulence and defections from his party," said James Chin, political science professor at Monash University in Kuala Lumpur. Despite this, Chin does not expect the government to regain its two-thirds majority.   Full report at: in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-46617320100303?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0 --------- Iran arrests award-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi Mar 03, 2010 An internationally acclaimed Iranian filmmaker who backed the country’s opposition has been detained, the Tehran prosecutor said Tuesday. Jafar Panahi was arrested along with his family and guests during a raid on his Tehran home, his son said on Tuesday. “About 10 yesterday evening, several plainclothes agents broke into the house,” Panah Panahi told Rahesabz opposition website. Panahi, his wife and daughter as well as 15 guests were arrested and taken to an unknown location, the son said, adding that the agents had searched the house and confiscated personal belongings and computers. The raid was carried out by security agents, the report said. Panahi is known for his gritting socially-critical movies such as the Circle, Crimson Gold and Offside. He was briefly detained in summer with his family after attending a memorial at Tehran cemetery for slain protester Neda Agha Soltan and banned from leaving the country in February to attend the Berlin film festival. Many Iranian artists, facing tough censorship under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, backed his rival Mir Hussein Moussavi in the June election, which the opposition charged was rigged to keep the hardliner in power. Full report at: www.indianexpress.com/news/iran-arrests-awardwinning-filmmaker-jafar-panahi/586013/2 --------- Muslim world waiting for concrete steps from Switzerland: OIC 03.03.2010 The Muslim world is waiting for concrete steps from the Swiss government to protect the fundamental rights of the country's Muslim community, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said at the meeting with Foreign Minister of Swiss Confederation Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey. During the meting that took place in Geneva, as part of the 13th session of the Human Rights Council, Ihsanoglu expressed OIC's- the largest Muslim organization's concern and disappointment over the ban on the construction of minarets in Switzerland, taken in a general referendum in December 2009. The ban on the construction of minarets in Switzerland has caused surprise and showed that the problem of Islamophobia in Europe took on the character of institutionalization and constitutionalization, which could have further negative consequences. In December, the Swiss population supported a ban on building minarets on the territory of the confederacy in a general referendum. The majority of the votes of the 59 percent of the population that participated in the referendum supported the Swiss People's Party (SVP), known for its nationalist slogans and hope to prohibit the construction of minarets in the country. Full report at: http://en.trend.az/news/politics/foreign/1648472.html --------- Shaking off Islamabad Editorial in Hindustan Times, New Delhi, March 03, 2010 Bombers in Kabul blow a hole in India’s largest overseas aid programme. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits the country that provides most of India’s imported petroleum. Pakistan is the proverbial ghost at the banquet in both cases. It seems likely that Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani was behind the Kabul attack that led to nine Indian deaths. Haqqani carried out both the July 2008 and October 2009 attacks on the Indian embassy in Kabul at the direct behest of the Pakistani military. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer, has large reserves of natural gas, is geographically next door, and manages its energy sector far more professionally than rivals like Iran. Yet it has taken an Indian prime minister nearly three decades to visit the Saudi kingdom. The Saudis are suspected to have a military — even a nuclear — and strategic relationship with Pakistan. Islamic charities in the Gulf country help fund militant causes in Pakistan, including the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT). Mr Singh’s visit came to be dominated by Indian hopes that Riyadh would act as a curb on Pakistan’s continued support for terrorism. This reflects how restrictive Pakistan’s violent obsession with India has become to the foreign policy goals of Delhi. Among larger nations, Afghanistan’s populace is probably alone in giving India the highest approval ratings of any country in the world. Yet India’s relations with that country are dominated by the quasi-war Pakistan is waging against the present regime in Kabul. Islamabad tells the world it cannot give up on the Taliban and the LeT because of India. Between terrorism and political blackmail, Pakistan has ensured that Af-Pak remains tenuously hyphenated with Pak-Ind. Full report at: www.hindustantimes.com/editorial-views-on/edits/Shaking-off-Islamabad/Article1-514544.aspx --------- Pakistan seizes Taliban, Al-Qaeda mountain redoubt Khurram Shahzad Khurram Shahzad Mar 2, 2010 DAMADOLA, Pakistan (AFP) – Pakistan's army revealed on Tuesday a vast Taliban and Al-Qaeda hideout dug into mountains near the Afghan border and captured in an offensive that killed 75 local and foreign militants. Commanders gave journalists a guided tour of the bastion, carved into sheer rock within clear view of the snow-capped mountains of eastern Afghanistan and said by one general to comprise 156 caves developed over five to seven years. Pakistan seized the complex in its latest offensive against militants in its semi-autonomous tribal belt, following US pressure on the country to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked groups who attack Western troops in Afghanistan. Major General Tariq Khan told journalists on the visit that the warren of caves in the Damadola area had served as a militant headquarters until it was overrun by troops in an offensive launched in January. "There were Egyptians, Uzbeks, Chechens and Afghans killed in the operation," he said. "The first Pakistan army uniformed soldiers have arrived in Damadola after a recent operation and the Pakistan flag has been raised for the first time since (independence in) 1947." Journalists saw bedding such as pillows and mattresses that suggested the inhabitants had camped out for significant periods. Full report at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100302/ts_afp/pakistanafghanistanunrestbajaur --------- Indian team to question Jaish man in Dhaka net Mar 03, 2010 Even as Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday termed as “exaggerated” the reports calling Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant Belal Mandol, who was arrested in Bangladesh, the mastermind of IC-814 hijacking, the Indian government is reasonably sure of Mandol’s involvement in several bomb blasts in India, including the ones in Surat and Bangalore. It is now rushing a team of officials drawn from various intelligence and security agencies to question Mandol. “Belal is a Bangladeshi married to an Indian. His wife is from West Bengal,” sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. “He is wanted in India for many incidents, including the 2008 Surat blasts. If there are no cases against him in Bangladesh, he will be handed over to India,” sources said adding that it was not yet fully ascertained whether Mandol had any role in the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in 1999. The team from India will primarily seek access to Mandol, who was arrested on February 28 along with four operatives of the Pakistan-based JeM. These included its Pakistani coordinator in Bangladesh who was also a recruiter for operations in India. Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Assistant Director of the Rapid Action Battalion of Bangladesh, said of the five JeM activists, one was a Pakistani national while the rest were Bangladeshi citizens. The JeM, founded by Maulana Masood Azhar, was responsible for the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament. The terror group was launched in January, 2000 after the Kandahar hijack. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Indian-team-to-question-Jaish-man-in-Dhaka-net/586059 --------- Bangladesh arrest underlines continued jihadist threat Praveen Swami 3/3/2010 Little evidence exists that Belal Hosain was involved in the IC814 hijacking, but group was planning new attacks on India NEW DELHI: Little evidence exists to support claims that a Bangladeshi jihadist held in Dhaka on Monday was involved in the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight to Kandhahar, highly placed police sources told The Hindu. But the sources said Jamaat ul-Mujahideen-linked Belal Hosain’s arrest underlined concerns over the regrouping of jihadist groups, despite suffering losses due to a determined joint offensive by India and Bangladesh. Hosain was held, along with Bangladesh nationals Mohammad Imazuddin, Sadek Hossain and Abu Naser Munshi, on the charge of plotting terror attacks under the leadership of Karachi-based Jaish-e-Mohammad operative Rizwan Ahmad. Few details were made available on the plot, but intelligence sources told The Hindu the five men were at an advanced stage of planning strikes in India. Bangladesh’s crack counter-terrorist Rapid Action Battalion says Hosain claimed, during interrogation that he had inside knowledge of the plot to hijack Indian Airlines flight IC814 — an operation carried out to secure the freedom of jailed jihadist leader Maulana Masood Azhar Alvi, then held in a Jammu prison. Documents filed by the Central Bureau of Investigations in a New Delhi court in 2000, however, show that while Dhaka was used as a staging post by the hijackers, no Bangladeshi was involved in the hijacking. Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/03/stories/2010030361571200.htm --------- Richard Holbrooke's comments on Kabul attack surprises India 3 Mar 10 (PTI) New Delhi,The contention by US Special Envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke that Indians were not the target of the latest Kabul attack has come as a surprise to the government here. Sources said the comments were surprising considering the fact that the Afghan government has clearly stated that attack was against Indians and carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), whose sworn agenda is to target Indian interests. Holbrooke had told reporters in Washington yesterday that he did not "accept the fact that this was an attack on an Indian facility like the (Indian) embassy. They were foreigners, non-Indian foreigners hurt. It was a soft target. Let's not jump to conclusions." The sources here wondered on what basis Holbrooke made the statement. http://www.ptinews.com/news/546283_Holbrooke-s-comments-on-Kabul-attack-surprises-India --------- Afghanistan blames LeT for Kabul suicide attacks 03 Mar, 2010 KABUL: An Afghan intelligence official on Tuesday blamed the banned Lashkar-e-Tayyaba for last week’s car bomb and suicide attacks that killed 16 people in Kabul. The same organisation has been blamed by India for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed 166 people. Friday’s assaults in the Afghan capital targeted residential hotels popular with foreigners, where six Indians were killed. The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility within hours of the attacks, but the assertion that the LT were involved could jeopardize tentative peace talks between Pakistan and India that resumed only last week. Saeed Ansari, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s intelligence service claimed that his agency had “evidence that Pakistanis, specifically the banned group are involved in the attacks”. He alleged that one of the attackers was heard speaking Urdu. Ansari said the Taliban “had no knowledge” of the Kabul attacks up to five hours after they began. However, an Afghan Taliban spokesman called in an AP reporter two and a half hours after the attack to claim responsibility. ap http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\03\story_3-3-2010_pg1_3 --------- Proof Lashkar hit Kabul: Afghan spy agency Mar 03, 2010 An Afghan intelligence official on Tuesday blamed the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba for the car bomb and suicide attacks that killed 16 people in the heart of Kabul last week. Six Indians were among the dead. Lashkar-e-Toiba is the same group that India blames for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed 166 people. Saeed Ansari, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his agency had evidence that Pakistanis were involved in the attacks. He said one of the attackers was heard speaking Urdu. (The Sunday Express had reported that the Indian government had the Lashkar-e-Toiba on its radar of prime suspects given that the October 2009 attempt on its Kabul embassy was traced to this outfit. US counter-terrorism officials had also conveyed to Indian authorities a few weeks ago that they had credible information about the Lashkar spreading its network rapidly in Afghanistan with the intention to target Indian assets. Their assessment was that this network was willing to work closely with al-Qaeda elements.) Full report at: www.indianexpress.com/news/proof-lashkar-hit-kabul-afghan-spy-agency/586149/2 --------- 2 newspaper offices attacked in Karnataka Mar 3, 2010 Mangalore: The offices of two newspapers here were attacked by masked men on Tuesday night. At 9 p.m., four masked men forced their way into the office of Kannada Prabha and set fire to the furniture in the lobby. They also damaged five computers, printers, and glass panels. About 30 minutes later, the office of eveninger Jaykirana in an apartment complex was attacked by four men. Computers and furniture were damaged and an employee sustained minor injuries. Apartment residents said a large number of men on motorcycles waited outside during the attack. Offices of some newspapers claimed they received threat calls. Superintendent of Police A.S. Rao told reporters the attacks appeared to have been carried out by the same gang. Shimoga and Hassan, which witnessed widespread violence on Monday, remained calm but tense on Tuesday. Monday’s violence followed protests by Muslim organisations against the publication of an article in a Kannada daily. The article is a translation of an essay by Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen on wearing of “burka” by Muslim women, and contains remarks that could be considered religiously insensitive and provocative. Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/03/stories/2010030359050100.htm --------- 'Shocked' Taslima denies writing article in K'taka daily Mar 02, 2010 Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen on Tuesday said the appearance of an article in a Karnataka newspaper purportedly written by her, which triggered violent protests in Shimoga and Hassan towns, is a "deliberate attempt to malign" her and "misuse" her writings to create disturbance in the society. Nasreen said in a statement made available said that she never penned any article for a newspaper in Karnataka. "The incident that occurred in Karnataka on Monday shocked me. I learned that it was provoked by an article written by me that appeared in a Karnataka newspaper. But I have never written any article for any Karnataka newspaper in my life," she said. Nasreen said, "The appearance of the article is atrocious. In any of my writings I have never mentioned that Prophet Muhammad was against burkha. Therefore this is a distorted story." The author said, "I suspect that it is a deliberate attempt to malign me and to misuse my writings to create disturbance in the society. I wish peace will prevail." The violence in Shimoga, the home town of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, left two persons dead, one of them in police firing on Sunday. Full report at: www.indianexpress.com/news/shocked-taslima-denies-writing-article-in-ktaka-daily/585767/2 --------- Don’t blame me for Karnataka riots: Taslima Arindam Sarkar and Salil Mekaad, March 03, 2010 Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, whose views on the burqa, published in a Kannada daily, purportedly led to riots in Karnataka, said on Tuesday that the article in question was originally written in English and published three years ago. It had been distorted in translation and reused by the Kannada daily, Kannada Prabha, without her permission. “I suspect this is a deliberate attempt to malign me,” the author, currently in Delhi, told HT. “How can people reproduce my article without my permission? How can they distort the text and create tension?” The piece, published on Sunday, infuriated Muslims, leading to riots in the towns of Shimoga and Hasan in south Karnataka, in which two people were killed. Both towns are still under curfew. In Delhi, Home Minister P. Chidambaram too exonerated the author. “This is an article she wrote in 2007. That article was translated into Kannada and published on Milad-ud-Nabi day,” he said. “It is unfortunate.” Full report at: www.hindustantimes.com/Don-t-blame-me-for-Karnataka-riots-Taslima/H1-Article1-514570.aspx --------- Muslims are their own worst enemy Paul Craig Roberts 03 Mar, 2010 Muslims are numerous but powerless. Divisions among Muslims, especially between Sunnis and Shi’ites, have consigned the Muslim Middle East to almost a century of Western control. Muslims cannot even play together. The Islamic Solidarity Games, a regional version of the Olympics, which were to be held in April in Iran, have been cancelled because the Iranians and the Arabs cannot agree on whether to call the body of water that separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula the Persian Gulf or the Arabian Gulf. Muslim disunity has made it possible for Israel to dispossess the Palestinians, for the U.S. to invade Iraq, and for the U.S. to rule much of the region through puppets. For example, in exchange for faithful service, Egypt receives $1.5 billion a year from Washington, which enables President Mubarak to buy off opposition. The opposition rather have the money than support the Palestinians. Therefore, Egypt cooperates with Israel and the U.S. in the blockade of Gaza. Another factor is the willingness of some Muslims to betray their own kind for U.S. dollars. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to neoconservative Kenneth Timmerman, head of the Foundation for Democracy, which describes itself as “a private, non-profit organization established in 1995 with grants from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to promote democracy and internationally-recognized standards of human rights in Iran.” By now we all know what that means. Full report at: onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_5642.shtml --------- Women Work toward Equality in Muslim Societies Mehnaz M. Afridi March 3, 2010 A network of social justice movements is helping women combat inequality, violence and repression all over the globe, especially in Muslim countries. International Women's Day on March 8 provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the work women are doing to combat gender inequality. Violence and inequality affect women around the world, including women in Muslim societies who, like their non-Muslim counterparts, are engaged on a day-to-day basis to improve their environments for the better. Traveling back and forth to Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan, I witness the amazing work that women are doing both for human rights and economic growth firsthand. Women are running companies, shelters and businesses, and countering the images of disenfranchised, illiterate and socially deprived Muslim women so pervasive in Western media. Bushra Aslam, for example, opened an orphanage in Islamabad for young girls after the 2005 Pakistani earthquake. She provides educators, mentors, counselors and interfaith activities for the 45 girls living there. Another inspiring figure is Rukhsana Asghar, the president of Fulcrum, a Pakistan-based human resources consulting company that offers scholarships to train girls from poor families in preparation for jobs. http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/3508.cfm --------- Quebec integration debate reignited over student's use of niqab By Marian Scott, Montreal Gazette March 2, 2010 MONTREAL — Should a woman wearing a face-covering niqab be allowed to attend French classes for new immigrants? A case before the Quebec Human Rights Commission has re-ignited the never-far-from-the-surface debate over reasonable accommodation of minorities in Quebec. In November, the government ordered an Egyptian immigrant to uncover her face if she wanted to continue taking a government-sponsored French class at a Montreal college, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Yolande James confirmed Tuesday. The woman, a permanent resident of Canada, refused and lodged a complaint with the rights commission. The case has stirred up passions on both sides of the issue. "I think this is an illustration of when an accommodation becomes unreasonable," civil-rights lawyer Julius Grey said. While members of minorities should be allowed to wear religious garments such as a hijab (Muslim head scarf), a niqab — a square of fabric worn over the face with a slit for the eyes — interferes with language teaching, Grey said. Full report at: www.montrealgazette.com/life/Quebec+integration+debate+reignited+over+student+niqab/2633970/story.html --------- Jihadists turning to economic terrorism March. 2, 2010 HAIFA, Israel, March 2 (UPI) -- Terrorists are increasingly looking to inflict economic damage on Western economies, a study says. "Islamic terrorism's future devices will focus on targets that will yield the most economic damage," said the study's author, Gabriel Weimann, a professor at the University of Haifa in Israel. "For the jihadists, the present economic crisis signifies an ideal opportunity and platform to leverage an economic terrorist campaign," said Weimann, who scrutinized 7,000 radical Islamic Web sites and forums over 11 years. The research reveals Islamist terrorist organizations have grown more interested in operations that will cause the most economic damage such as attacks on Western multinational corporations, Muslim boycotts of their projects and assassinations of Western economic leaders, Weimann said. Full report at: www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/03/02/Jihadists-turning-to-economic-terrorism/UPI-97581267548984/ --------- US drone attack kills al-Qaida-linked top Chinese militant in Pak Mar 2, 2010, ISLAMABAD: The leader of an al-Qaida-linked Chinese militant group has been killed in a US drone attack in Pakistan's restive tribal region, an official said on Monday. Abdul Haq al-Turkistani, the leader of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party, and two comrades died when a missile fired from a CIA-operated pilotless aircraft struck a vehicle in North Waziristan district Feb 15. "It has been confirmed now, through our local sources, that Abdul Haq al-Turkistani has been killed," claimed an intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Al-Turkistani hails from Uighur in China's eastern province of Xianjiang. He became the leader of the al-Qaida-linked Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party in October 2003 after the Pakistani army killed the group's former leader, Hassan Mahsum, in a security action in a tribal district of South Waziristan. The US treasury department designated al-Turkistani as a global terrorist in April 2009, saying that he was involved in the planning and execution of terror attacks, recruiting and propaganda efforts in China. Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-drone-attack-kills-al-Qaida-linked-top-Chinese-militant-in-Pak/articleshow/5631876.cms --------- Hegemonic powers seeking to sully the image of Islam: Leader 03 Mar, 2010 TEHRAN - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said that the hegemonistic powers are making efforts to sully the image of Islam. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in Tehran on Tuesday during a meeting with the culture and Islamic guidance minister, the director of Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, and Iranian cultural attachés based in foreign countries. The arrogant powers are trying to give people the impression that Islam is either a dogmatic religion or a liberal useless faith, Ayatollah Khamenei stated. However, the real Islam has great and deep conceptions of man, God, the afterlife, and the physical and spiritual needs of human beings, he added. He went on to say that Iran’s cultural attachés are responsible for presenting a true and clear picture of the Islamic Republic, introducing Iran’s great civilization and culture, and promoting the Persian language and literature. This is the only way to prevent the arrogant powers from attaining their inhumane goals, namely, sullying the image of the Islamic Republic and culturally isolating Iran, he observed http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=215236 --------- Global jihad's evolving strategy: Focus Al Qaeda Brigadier S K Chatterji March 02, 2010 The terror attack on the German Bakery in Pune on February 13 and the failed Christmas days attack by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in America shows that the global jihadi network is under pressure. Meanwhile, US Marines and the Afghan National Army have launched Operation Moshtarak and advanced into Marjah in Helmand, Afghanistan pushing the Taliban-Qaeda combine further. Global jihad's prime protagonist Al Qaeda [ Images ] has definitely experienced capability degradation with sustained targeting. Under the circumstances what strategy is the group evolving or strengthening? After all, it has been able to package itself as a beacon for jihadists globally and has wrested the ideological leadership of the jihadi world, largely. It would like to definitely want to retain that status. Jihad's Strategy: Future Dimensions Osama bin Laden's [ Images ] strategic intent of consolidation of Jihadi groups globally found expression way back in 1990s when he floated the International Islamic Front for Jihad against Jews and Christians while in Afghanistan. The strategy has witnessed piecemeal implementation so far. Coalescing of operational capabilities of outfits is easily witnessed today in the Af-Pak region with the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [Images] and other militant outfits providing the manpower to the Taliban-Qaeda combine in its fight in Afghanistan. The Afghan battlefield has also inspired western Islamist radical converts to join the terrorists there and train their weapons on troops from their own adopted country. Full report at: news.rediff.com/report/2010/mar/02/global-jihads-evolving-strategy-focus-al-qaeda.htm -------- Husain’s works to feature in Dubai art extravaganza 3/3/2010 Works of legendary painter MF Husain will feature in a special section later this month at the Art Dubai 2010, billed as Middle East’s biggest art event. “Of the galleries participating in Art Dubai 2010, upto a quarter are innovating by creating Artist Focus Stands’ which feature the work of one or two artists. Among the artists being showcased in the Artist Focus Stands is Husain,” said organisers of the four-day fair that begins on March 17. “Represented by London’s Grosvenor Vadhera Gallery, Husain’s paintings have played a key role in bringing artwork from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region to the international spotlight. Displayed items will show the progression of Husain’s work throughout his over six decades as an artist,” they said. http://www.dailypioneer.com/239469/Husain%E2%80%99s-works-to-feature-in-Dubai-art-extravaganza.html --------- Husain: India is my motherland but it rejected me M.F. Husain 3/3/2010 New Delhi: Political leaders, intellectuals and artists in India kept silent when right-wing outfits targeted him, legendary painter M.F. Husain says “with deep pain” in his heart. “I still love India. But India doesn’t need me. I am saying this with deep pain in heart,” Mr. Husain told Gulf Madhyamam, the Kerala-based Malayalam daily Madhyamam’s Doha edition, in an interview. “India is my motherland. I can’t hate my motherland. But India rejected me. Then why should I stay in India?” the 95-year-old painter said in his first interview after accepting Qatar citizenship. “When Sangh Parivar outfits targeted me, all kept silent. No one, including political leadership, artists or intellectuals came forward to speak for me. But I know the fact that 90 percent of the people of India love me. They are with me,” he said. “Only 10 percent of people, including some politicians, are against me,” Mr. Husain said. Mr. Husain has dozens of lawsuits against him across the country for his paintings of Goddesses that some Hindus find sacrilegious. The artist has been living abroad as a fugitive since 2006. Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/03/stories/2010030361601200.htm --------- Srebrenica massacre is myth, claims Karadzic Mar 2, 2010 THE HAGUE: Radovan Karadzic on Tuesday dismissed as a "myth" the alleged massacre by Serb forces of thousands of civilians in Bosnia's Muslim enclave of Srebrenica at the height of the 1990s Bosnian conflict. Making his opening statements at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Karadzic denied ordering the widely documented deportation, torture and murder of Muslims and called for a proper investigation into the prosecutions' charges. The former Bosnian Serb leader also claimed a judicial victory by obtaining a fresh delay in his genocide and war crimes trial with a request to be granted more time to work on his defense. An appeal court will now have to be convened to consider the motion. The prosecution had planned to call on witnesses to start testifying on Wednesday. But, while regretting the "inconvenience" caused to witnesses already on their way to the Hague, presiding judge O-Gon Kwon said it was in "the interest of justice" to adjourn the trial indefinitely so as to allow Karadzic's request to be considered. Despite the court's call for a speedy decision, it will take at least a week before a decision can be reached. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article25166.ece --------- Nothing 'contentious' expected at religious summit Chad Groening 3/3/2010 Protestant renewal organization is calling on those attending a Christian-Islamic Summit in Washington to speak out for those under oppression by Islam. The summit, which is being hosted by the Episcopal Church's Washington National Cathedral, is being dubbed as "a candid discussion of matters affecting Christian-Muslim relations and peacemaking efforts worldwide." The summit features four "principals" -- a Catholic priest, an Episcopal bishop, and two Muslims: one Sunni and one Shi'a. Faith McDonnell, director of religious liberty at the Institute on Religion & Democracy (IRD), says they have had experience with these kinds of summits before. "We're concerned that the summit will just be an exercise in appeasement to Islamists," she staes. "[The non-Muslim principals will] apologize for all the perceived sins of the Christians against the Islamic world, but they won't confront the Muslims on what's going on." According to McDonnell, the two countries represented by the Muslim principals -- Egypt and Iran -- "commit egregious human rights violations" against Christians, converts from Islam, advocates of democracy and free speech, women, and homosexuals. She suggests that the Christian attendees should be speaking out against such oppression. Full report at: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=920312 --------- Bowing to Radical Islam: A Zionist view 03 Mar, 2010 On February 9, 2010, the Pompano Beach, Florida city commission granted the imam of the Islamic Center of South Florida (ICOSB), Hasan Sabri, the honor of giving the invocation at one of its bi-weekly commission meetings. Given the extremist history of the imam and his mosque, one can only look upon this as a tremendous embarrassment for the city and an ominous sign for the future of its citizens. “I ask you now to stand for the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Invocation tonight is given by Imam Hassan Sabri from our Islamic center.” These were the words of Pompano Mayor Lamar Fisher, just prior to him rising out of his seat, clasping his hands, and bowing his head in prayer, as Sabri stood directly in front of him and commenced in the honor that was bestowed upon him. All but one of the city’s commissioners mimicked the Mayor with their clasped hands and bowed heads, as did much of the audience. If many of the onlookers knew of this imam and the institution he was representing, they might have walked out instead. Sabri began his prayer, otherwise known as Salaat, with the words, “A’uudhu billaahi minash shaitaan ar-Rajeem,” which means “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.” After he completed the Arabic, he attempted to translate for the audience his recitation. However, nothing close to the first statement would be found in the translation. Was this deliberate or merely an oversight? Full report at: http://frontpagemag.com/2010/03/03/bowing-to-radical-islam/ -------- Obama faces moment of truth with Iraq election Mar 02, 2010 President Barack Obama's vow to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of August will be tested this weekend as millions of Iraqis head to the polls to elect a new government. While the United States has faced many critical junctures during the seven-year-old Iraq war, arguably the stakes have never been higher than they are now. If the election goes well, U.S. soldiers can go home on schedule. But, if it triggers a repeat of the sectarian bloodletting that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis in 2006-2007, Obama may be forced to rethink his timetable. An eruption of violence that threatens Iraq's stability would also be an unwelcome distraction for Obama, who has declared that bringing down the United States' stubbornly high unemployment rate will be his top priority this year. He left himself little wiggle room in his State of the Union address to the American people in January. "We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August," he said. "Make no mistake: this war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home." Obama campaigned on a promise to bring a swift end to a war that has claimed the lives of more than 4,300 U.S. soldiers and drained the U.S. Treasury of hundreds of billions of dollars. Full report at: www.indianexpress.com/news/obama-faces-moment-of-truth-with-iraq-election/585795/4 --------- Sena can put up Afzal Khan poster only AT Kalyan chowk March 03, 2010 The Bombay High Court on Tuesday allowed the Kalyan unit of Shiv Sena to display posters depicting Chhatrapati Shivaji killing Moghal attacker Afzal Khan during Shivjayanti celebrations on Wednesday. The order has, however, come with a rider — the party can display the poster only at Rambaug Chowk in Kalyan. A division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice Mridula Bhatkar restrained the Sena from displaying the poster at any other place and in closed pandals after considering the fact that it had caused communal riots at Miraj in Sangli district last year. The party had sought permission from Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) Thane to display the poster at the procession on Wednesday. The Sena unit had cited the completion of 350 years of the historical incident as a reason behind seeking permission for displaying the poster. The DCP had declined permission apprehending communal tension. Vijay Salvi, the Kalyan unit chief of Shiv Sena, had challenged the DCP’s order before the HC saying it violated their fundamental right to freedom of expression. His lawyer, Rajesh Datar, argued that the police denied permission for factual depiction of history only because parts of history were not acceptable to a certain portion of the society. The judges said no permission could be granted to any body at the cost of law and order and harmony. “You express your feelings in a specified area,” said Justice Desai adding, “Nobody can be allowed to take out a procession passing throughout a town.” http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mumbai/Sena-can-put-up-Afzal-Khan-poster-only-AT-Kalyan-chowk/Article1-514653.aspx ----- ‘Pak has failed to probe Hafiz role’ 03 March 2010 02:47 NEW DELHI, March 2: India on Tuesday said that it regretted the inaction by Pakistan against LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, who is being allowed to make “provocative and insidious” speeches even as the Pakistani government has failed to investigate his role in the 26/11 terror attack. “Based on the information that we have furnished, any responsible government will investigate the role of Hafiz Saeed. Far from investigating his role, the Pakistani government is allowing him to make provocative and insidious speeches. That is deeply regretted,” home minister P. Chidambaram at a press conference. “Three dossiers prepared by the home ministry were handed over by our foreign secretary to the foreign secretary of Pakistan. We expect Pakistan to take action against the persons mentioned in the three dossiers,” he said. The dossiers, handed over by foreign secretary Nirupama Rao to her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on February 25 contain names of 34 terrorists wanted by India, including Saeed. Commenting on the Pune blast, he warned against “complacency” and urged people to remain vigilant. He said the Pune police had made security arrangements in Koregaon park, especially for the Osho Ashram and the Chabad House. Full report at: www.asianage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4195:pak-has-failed-to-probe-hafiz-role&catid=35:india&Itemid=60 --------- HuJI man spells out Gujarat terror plan Prashant Dayal, Mar 3, 2010, AHMEDABAD: The imposing Gaekwad haveli which houses the Ahmedabad crime branch, has always had a ring quite like the celluloid terror of Gabbar Singh in Sholay to it, because of the stories of illegal detentions, custodial torture and such stuff that abounded in the times of encounter specialist DG Vanzara. Today, its incumbents shudder, because the fortress seems to have been compromised. Amjad Khwaja, a HuJI commander now in the custody of RAW, has said that he had done a recce of this haveli in 2005, looking for a target. A team of crime branch officials, who returned after interrogating Khwaja with other agencies, said he had revealed a lot about the ISI’s terror plans for Gujarat. This explains the heightened security in the state for the past few days. Sources told TOI that Khwaja referred to a meeting of the ISI of January 12 where Vadodara Refinery, a power station and trains were named as specific targets. Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/HuJI-man-spells-out-Gujarat-terror-plan/articleshow/5635378.cms --------- Pak cleric's 600-page fatwa against terror attacks ASHIS RAY, Mar 3, 2010, LONDON: Influential Pakistani Islamic scholar, Tahir ul-Qadri, on Tuesday issued a 600-page fatwa condemning terrorists and suicide bombers. The fatwa is a point by point theological rebuttal to fanaticism of al-Qaida and its offshoots. "The reality is that whatever these terrorists are doing isn't martyrdom. All these activities are taking them to hellfire,'' Qadri said in a statement on Tuesday. He said Islam forbids massacre of innocent citizens and described al-Qaida as "an old evil with a new name''. Policy-makers and security chiefs will follow the impact of the ruling with keen interest. "I'll say that 50% (of those prone to violence) will change their way, they will be influenced. Of the remaining 50% at least some of them, half of them, will become doubtful about their life, their terrorist activity,'' said Cambridge University Islamic Studies lecturer, Tim Winter, in his assessment to Sky News. He said there have been similar fatwas in the past, but Qadri's edict had gone further than most. The influential scholar has been at the forefront of promoting peace and interfaith dialogue and heads an international religious and educational organisation Minhaj ul-Quran. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Pak-clerics-600-page-fatwa-against-terror-attacks/articleshow/5634982.cms --------- Dubai police chief plans to seek Benjamin Netanyahu arrest: March 3, 2010 Dubai: Dubai's police chief plans to seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of Israel's spy agency over the killing of a Hamas leader in the emirate, Al Jazeera television reported. Dahi Khalfan Tamim "said he would ask the Dubai prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for ... Netanyahu and the head of Mossad", the television said. It did not give details. Tamim has said he is "almost certain" Israeli agents were involved in the killing of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh at a Dubai hotel in January, calling for Mossad's boss, Meir Dagan, to be arrested if it is proved responsible. Tamim said on Monday Mossad had "insulted" Dubai andWestern countries whose fraudulent passports were used by suspects in the assassination. Dubai has asked the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to look into prepaid cards issued by the Meta Financial Group's MetaBank which the suspects used, a United Arab Emirates newspaper said. Citing an FBI source, The National newspaper said the investigation would look into any Israeli involvement in the killing. "Thirteen of the 27 suspects used prepaid MasterCards issued by MetaBank, a regional American bank, to purchase plane tickets and book hotel rooms," the newspaper said, quoting Dubai police. Full report at: /www.dnaindia.com/world/report_dubai-police-chief-plans-to-seek-benjamin-netanyahu-arrest-al-jazeera-tv_1354570 --------- Israeli PM's arrest sought over murder March 03, 2010 DUBAI: Dubai police say they are seeking the arrest of Israel's prime minister and the head of its spy agency over the murder of a top Hamas militant in a hotel room of the Gulf city-state. Police chief Dahi Khalfan said today he had issued the demand for the arrest warrants as he was now certain they ordered the Cold War-style hit on Mahmud al-Mabhuh. "I have presented the (Dubai) prosecutor with a request for the arrest of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the head of Mossad," Meir Dagan, said Khalfan. "I am now completely sure that it was Mossad." Mabhuh, a founder of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas organisation's military wing, was found dead in a room of the luxurious Al Bustan Rotana hotel near Dubai's airport on January 20. Dubai police have identified 26 suspects from the hit squad murder they say bore the hallmarks of the Mossad. The Hamas man had been drugged and then suffocated. Full report at: http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=99872 --------- Iraq wants to improve relations with Syria Tariq Sted Tarek Mar 2, 2010 DAMASCUS: Visiting Syria, Iraq's vice president said Tuesday his country wants to improve relations, months after Iraq charged Damascus with harboring suspects from huge Baghdad bombings last summer that killed about 100 people. Tariq Al-Hashemi is the first senior Iraqi official to visit Damascus since massive truck bombs devastated the Iraqi foreign and finance ministries Aug. 19. Altogether, 101 people died in blasts that day, all but eight in or near the government buildings. The attacks seriously damaged Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's efforts to assure Iraqis that the US-trained Iraqi security forces would be able to maintain stability in the country after a US troop pullout. After Iraq blamed Syria, Damascus countered that the allegations were politically motivated, demanding proof. The two countries recalled their ambassadors, and the dispute escalated into a serious setback to efforts at repairing relationships strained for decades during Saddam Hussein's rule in Iraq. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article25094.ece --------- Veteran journalist Sultan Ahmad dies at 87 03 Mar, 2010 KARACHI: Sultan Ahmad, one of the country’s senior-most journalists, died here on Tuesday after a protracted illness, ending a journalistic career that spanned six decades. He was 87. Sultan, who had been editor of three English dailies, was awarded the President’s Pride of Performance medal and was due to receive it at the ceremony at the President House in Islamabad on March 23. His health deteriorated after a pneumonia attack on Aug 14 last year. Even though he came out of it, his health continued to decline. He died early this morning at Ziauddin Hospital, Clifton. His wife had died in 2001, and he leaves behind three children. A prolific writer, Sultan Ahmad wrote on economics and politics for a number of foreign and Pakistani newspapers, including Dawn. With a wide circle of friends and admirers, Mr Sultan was comfortable as much with politicians and businessmen as with diplomats and artists. Born in Madras (now Chennai) in 1922, Sultan was educated at Trivandrum University, Madras, and came to Pakistan in 1947. He began his career as political correspondent of the now closed Times of Karachi and had the honour of covering the press conference addressed by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten. Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/19-veteran-journalist-sultan-ahmad-dies-at-87-330-hh-04 --------- Jibriel denies involvement in terrorism Wed, 03/03/2010 Terror suspect Muhammad Jibriel Abdul Rahman denied involvement Tuesday over the July 17 bombings of JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, dismissing the prosecutors' indictment as "imaginary". "I have been accused by prosecutors of breaching laws just because I acknowledged that I met and knew someone involved in terrorism practice," Jibriel told a hearing at the South Jakarta District Court. He further explained that prosecutors had failed to prove their accusation that he had provided assistance to terrorists. His lawyer, Achmad Michdan from the Team of Muslim Lawyers (TPM), said the prosecutors "went too far" by using regular electronic mail as evidence of a terror plot. "The prosecutors are forming a conclusion that suits their agenda," he said. As an example, Michdan cited when prosecutors presented an email about his client meeting Noordin M. Top, the successor of the late Dr. Azahari. Michdan said that the original email mentioned nothing about Noordin, who succeeded Dr. Azahari as the alleged leader of the terror network. Full report at: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/03/jibriel-denies-involvement-terrorism.htm --------- Apartheid is Alive and Well in Araby Victor Sharpe 03 Mar, 2010 We stand in the midst of a new round of Israel-bashing called by the organizers of "Israel Apartheid Week." Those doing the bashing are busy turning logic on its head. For them, up is down, day is night, and right is wrong. The collected hatemongers of the radical Left allied with the terminally hate-filled Muslim world, their ranks filled with empty-headed and gullible drones, are combining to shriek misplaced support for an Arab people calling themselves Palestinians, who, they allege, are suffering from apartheid. They make this false charge by slandering the Jewish state, equating it with what was once the South African apartheid regime. According to the upside-down world of the "hate Israel" crowd, Arabs are separated from Jews within Israel just as the black Africans were segregated from the whites within South Africa. This is where facts retreat into the fantasy world one finds within the Thousand and One Arabian Nights. The real apartheid that exists in the Middle East can be found not in Israel, but within the territories currently occupied by the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority and the Hamas-occupied Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Arabs ban all Jews from living amongst them. Any Jews found are summarily murdered in cold blood. This is sanctioned by Fatah and Hamas, who both delight in describing the Arab terrorist thugs as heroes -- even naming streets and town squares in their honor. Any Arabs found to have sold property to Jewish purchasers are summarily executed - often in the public squares and streets of Palestinian Arab settlements. Full report at: http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/apartheid_is_alive_and_well_in.html --------- US Senator Kerry backs sanctions against Iran 3/3/2010 US senator John Kerry voiced support for sanctions against Iran’s energy industry after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in Jerusalem. Kerry said he was “absolutely” in favour of sanctions against Iran, noting that “the most biting and important sanctions would be those on the energy side”, the Jerusalem Post reported online. Israeli President Shimon Peres had previously asked Kerry, chairman of the United States Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, to tighten economic sanctions against Iran. Kerry said that the US and Israel have intensified contacts to be “on the same page” about options available to stop the advance of Teheran’s nuclear programme. http://www.dailypioneer.com/239466/US-Senator-Kerry-backs-sanctions-against-Iran.html URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2528