Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Islamic World News

08 Mar 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com Terror hotline may increase finger of suspicion on whole community Iraqis Defy Blasts in Strong Turnout for Pivotal Election Pakistan delivers but doubts remain Al-Qaeda's 'treasonous' American spokesman arrested in Pakistan Iranian president: 9/11 was 'big lie' US arms supply to Pakistan a concern: India LeT hand in Kabul attack, Afghanistan tells India IM’s Salman, accused in Delhi blasts, held at Nepal border in UP Death Toll in Nigeria Sectarian Attack Near 500 Lahore bomb unleashes school 'hell' ‘No demand by India for Saeed arrest’ Tunisian official stresses contribution of Arab world to global civilization Suicide Bomber Rams a Pakistan Building Coming to Israel, Biden flags U.S. support vs Iran Afghan president visits city at center of anti-Taliban push Gates Visits Afghanistan to Meet With Karzai Threat to judge who upheld death for Aftab Ansari Indian medical mission's operations suspended in Kabul Taliban lose their `Hilton' after border battle Ending the Bush-Obama War on the Afghani People Armed forces still calling the shots in Balochistan: HRCP Modern Day Implications of Shari’a Law Mosque proposal evokes terrorism fears in Town of Wilson Al-Qaida still targets U.S. Pakistani intelligence sources say Californian Al Qaeda member arrested Afghanistan to top India-Iran talks US aiding Somalia in its battle to retake capital Clean-up act? New Marjah chief has a criminal past European encounters with Turkish Islam Islamic Myths & Realities Pakistan seeks identity of American suspect Aligarh Muslim University to open centre in Kerala Indonesia arrests two in Java over Aceh militants Serbs had to battle an Islamist threat, too 3 top Pak Taliban men killed in single day Thailand and Indonesia at 60: Democratic partners in Asean Kadhafi's call for Jihad not linked to violence, terrorism Ahmadiyya conventions highlight importance of Islamic ethics Compiled by Aman Quadre Photo: Iraqi women waited for poll workers to check their documents in the city of Falluja, where at least 20 explosions struck Sunday URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2550 ----- Terror hotline may increase finger of suspicion on whole community 8th March 2010 Any initiative that aims to increase national security must be welcomed. But exactly how will the anti-terror hotline unveiled by the North West Counter-terrorism unit be perceived by Muslims. Many will feel a little apprehensive with a specific hotline that encourages people to report on them. To put it simply this hotline is about getting Muslims to report on other Muslims they feel might be a threat to national security. It is also there to make non-Muslims report on Muslims they think might are acting ‘suspiciously’. It is not about encouraging Christians or Jews to report on each other. It wants the Muslim community to share information they might have with the police about their neighbours. When that comes to drugs or anti-social behaviour that might not set alarm bells ringing. But when it comes to terrorism there will be many Muslims who might not welcome such intrusions. The major issue many Muslims will have is what is done with that information once it is found to be false? Or what happens when they are being reported on by people for motives other than that of national security? And what exactly is ‘acting suspiciously’? If you are acting more and more religious does that mean you should be reported to the Police? And what will the police do with that information? You would think people are intelligent enough to judge such matters themselves. But if the authorities themselves have found it a struggle to do so how will the average man on the street find it? Now, it is true if you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear. But when it comes to terrorism related issues that is not always the case. Past experience has shown that it has become all too easy to arrest people under anti-terrorism laws and later release them without so much as an apology. The Muslim community has been charged for not doing enough to fight extremism in their community. Will this hotline help in any way? Or will it only assist in increasing the finger of suspicion on a whole community? http://www.asianimage.co.uk/northofengland/5046340.Terror_hotline_may_increase_finger_of_suspicion_on_whole_community/ ------ Iraqis Defy Blasts in Strong Turnout for Pivotal Election By Steven Lee Myers March 6, 2010 BAGHDAD — Defying a sustained barrage of mortars and rockets in Baghdad and other cities, Iraqis went to the polls in strength on Sunday to choose a new Parliament meant to outlast the American military presence here. “Iraqis are not afraid of bombs anymore,” said Maliq Bedawi, 45, defiantly waving his finger, stained with purple ink, to indicate he had voted, as he stood near the rubble of an apartment building in Baghdad hit by a huge rocket in the deadliest attack of the day. Insurgents here vowed to disrupt the election, and the concerted wave of attacks — as many as 100 thunderous blasts in the capital alone starting just before the polls opened — did frighten voters away, but only initially. The shrugging response of voters could signal a fundamental weakening of the insurgency’s potency. At least 38 people were killed in Baghdad. But by day’s end, turnout was higher than expected, and certainly higher than in the last parliamentary election in 2005, marred by a similar level of violence. Official results are not expected for at least a few days. Sunnis who largely boycotted previous elections voted in force, and an intense competition for Shiite votes drove up participation in Baghdad and the south, election observers said. After seven years of a war whose rationale is deeply disputed in the United States, the Obama administration viewed the vote as a test of Iraq’s stability, a last milestone before the final withdrawal of American troops. The short and fierce political campaign could end up either solidifying Iraq’s nascent democracy or leaving the country fractured along ethnic and sectarian lines. But it was arguably the most open, most competitive election in the nation’s long history of colonial rule, dictatorship and war. Despite a long delay, disputes over candidates’ qualifications, arrests, assassinations and finally an all-out assault by insurgents on Sunday morning, the election took place with only a few reports of irregularities. And by Sunday night, a rarity was emerging in a region dominated by authoritarian governments: an election cliffhanger. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/world/middleeast/08iraq.html?hp ------ Pakistan delivers but doubts remain By Syed Saleem Shahzad Mar 9, 2010 Pakistan has once again come up with a big fish for the United States with the arrest in the southern port city of a senior al-Qaeda operative. Although there is some confusion as to the identity of the man, the arrest again underscores the importance of Pakistan in the US's struggle in Afghanistan. On Sunday evening, Pakistan's security agencies leaked a report of the arrest of al-Qaeda operative Abu Yahya Azzam, but later information began circulating that the man was in fact another al-Qaeda operative, Adam Gadahn, an American-born convert to Islam whose Muslim name is Adam Yahiya Azzam. By Monday morning, security agencies clarified that the arrested person is indeed Abu Yahya Azzam, who is of Arab origin. The claims could not be independently verified. The regime of former president Pervez Musharraf was adept at producing key al-Qaeda figures at critical junctures with the US. Islamabad, that is, the military, is doing the same now. On the one hand it wants to win US backing for an extension to the term of army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kiani, who is set to retire this year. Kiani is very popular with the US military establishment. Full report at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LC09Df01.html ------ Al-Qaeda's 'treasonous' American spokesman arrested in Pakistan By Victoria Murphy 8/03/2010 Al-Qaeda's American-born spokesman was arrested in Pakistan yesterday - hours after he posted a video urging Muslim attacks on the West. Adam Gadahn was detained in the city of Karachi by Pakistani intelligence officers. He had been wanted by the FBI since 2004, with a $1million reward on offer. In the video posted on militant websites yesterday Gadahn called on Muslims serving in US armed forces to emulate Army Major Nidal Hasan, who is charged with the killing of 13 people in Fort Hood last November. He called Maj Hasan an "ideal role model". Gadahn, also known as Azzam al-Amriki, wore white robes and a turban and stood next to an assault rifle as he called for attacks on "high-value targets". He said: "You shouldn't make the mistake of thinking military bases are the only high-value targets." Urging fighters to strike transport systems and to kill or capture people in "government, industry and media", Gadahn said: "As the blessed operations of 9/11 show, imagination and planning can turn almost anything into a deadly weapon." The video was the latest in a series of his militant messages. Full report at: www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/03/08/al-qaeda-s-treasonous-american-spokesman-arrested-in-pakistan-115875-22093877/ ------ Iranian president: 9/11 was 'big lie' March 7, 2010 Two days before his official trip to Afghanistan, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a "big lie" intended to pave the way for the invasion of a war-torn nation, according to Iranian state media. Ahmadinejad, known for his harsh rhetoric toward the West and Israel, said the attack on U.S. soil was a "scenario and a sophisticated intelligence measure," Iran's state-run Press TV reported Saturday. The assault was a "big lie intended to serve as a pretext for fighting terrorism and setting the grounds for sending troops to Afghanistan," Press TV reported Ahmadinejad as saying. It's not the first time Ahmadinejad has denied a historical tragedy. In the past, he has denied the existence of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of some 6 million Jews during World War II, and suggested Israel should be "wiped off the map." "Today," he said Saturday, "with blessings from the Almighty, the capitalist system, founded by the Zionists, has also reached an end," Press TV quoted Ahmadinejad. Full report at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/03/07/ahmadinejad.afghanistan/index.html?hpt=Sbin ------ US arms supply to Pakistan a concern: India THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India was not convinced with the US explanation that it was supplying sophisticated arms to Pakistan army to take on the Taliban and al-Qaida, Union defence minister A K Antony said on Saturday. "The US decision to supply sophisticated arms to Pakistan is a matter of serious concern to us as the experience has been that these are used against India. I took it up with the US defence secretary when he was here. According to them, the fight against Taliban and al-Qaida is more important. But we are not convinced with this explanation as our experience has been bitter. We request the US government to ensure that these weapons are not used against India, but only deployed on the Af-Pak border," Antony said after inaugurating the new office complex of the Coast Guard station at Vizhinjam. Asked how the government planned to ensure that its proposed surrender policy for militants from across the border would not be misused, Antony said he was confident that there will be elaborate arrangements to ensure security of the country. On the Indo-Pak talks, he said the decision to engage Pakistan was a "conscious one, and that it will continue. He, however, regretted that Pakistan had made no serious effort to disband the 42 terror training camps that continue to function across the border. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-arms-supply-to-Pakistan-a-concern/articleshow/5652966.cms ------ LeT hand in Kabul attack, Afghanistan tells India Manu Pubby In a series of high-level meetings with National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon over the past two days, Afghanistan has shared details of investigations that point to the role of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in last week’s suicide attack that left seven Indians, including a doctor of the medical mission, dead. Menon declined to share details as the investigation is ongoing. But sources said the Afghans had shared information that was increasingly pointing to the Lashkar’s involvement in the attack. “The Afghan ministry has shared what their information is telling them. They are following several leads. We had a conversation... but I would desist to comment till the investigation gets completed,” the NSA said after meeting top Afghan officials, including President Hamid Karzai. Menon reiterated that India would continue its developmental works in the country. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/LeT-hand-in-Kabul-attack--Afghanistan-tells-India/587843 ------ IM’s Salman, accused in Delhi blasts, held at Nepal border in UP The UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Salman alias Chhotu from near the Nepal border in the Badhni area of Siddhartha Nagar district Friday evening. Salman, who hails from Sanjarpur in Azamgarh, is wanted for the 2008 serial bombings in Delhi, and for blasts in Gorakhpur and Varanasi in UP, Ahmedabad and Jaipur. Delhi Police had put a prize of Rs 1 lakh on him. The ATS has recovered a Nepalese passport carrying Salman’s picture with a forged name and address — Mohd Fahad Ansari, of Narsingh locality, Sunsari district, Nepal. It was issued on June 23, 2009, and used to travel to Pakistan from Kathmandu on December 12, 2009. According to the stamp on the passport, Salman left Pakistan on January 20, 2010. The ATS produced Salman before a special court in Lucknow district jail at noon on Saturday. The court allowed a two-day transit remand to the Special Cell of Delhi Police to take Salman to Delhi. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ims-salman-accused-in-delhi-blasts-held-at-nepal-border-in-up/587707/ ------ Death Toll in Nigeria Sectarian Attack Near 500 By Dulue Mbachu March 8 2010 At least 492 people were killed in an attack on a predominantly Christian village by Muslim Fulani herders near the central Nigerian city of Jos, a local rights group said. The pre-dawn attack yesterday on the Dogo na Hauwa village, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Jos, was in reprisal for losses the herders suffered in clashes around the city in January, said Shehu Sani, president of the Civil Rights Congress, whose members are helping in rescue efforts. “For now it’s 492 dead, though there may be more,” Sani said today by phone from Jos. “The attackers came when everyone was sleeping, set traps on all escape routes, fired in the air and then cut people down as they tried to escape.” Nigeria’s acting President Goodluck Jonathan placed security forces on “red alert” after the latest attack. Africa’s most populous country of more than 140 million people is roughly split between a mainly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south. At least 14,000 people have died in ethnic and religious violence since 1999 in Nigeria, according to the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. Full report at: www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-08/death-toll-in-nigeria-sectarian-attack-near-500-update1-.html ------ Lahore bomb unleashes school 'hell' Monday, 08 Mar, 2010 LAHORE: Noor Mohammad had just sat down with his classmates in Lahore when a huge car bomb pulverised part of his school and turned his religious studies into a living hell. “We had just assembled in our classroom when it looked as if hell had broken with a huge blast that rocked our school,” he told AFP at the lunar-scape bomb site strewn with collapsed masonry, twisted metal and broken tree branches. A thick ball of smoke coiled into the sky from outside the window of his classroom at a privately run Muslim seminary teaching young boys the Quran. Wood panels shattered into shards, hitting and injuring students. “There was panic as students, many of them carrying their injured friends, rushed to the exit in a bid to find a safe place,” Mohammad said. As he emerged from the severely damaged building, he remembers people crying and running in different directions. Lightly wounded, he was now nursing a wide bandage wrapped around his head. The bomb attack during the Monday rush hour in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore caused major destruction, reducing a police building used to interrogate suspected militants and nearby houses into thick piles of rubble. Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/metropolitan/03-lahore-bomb-unleashes-school-hell-ss-06 ------ ‘No demand by India for Saeed arrest’ Press Trust of India India has not demanded the arrest of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and the issue did not even figure in the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan last month, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday. “You will be surprised that they made no demand (for the arrest of Saeed). They did not even mention Hafiz Saeed in the entire talks,” Qureshi told reporters in his hometown of Multan. Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit had told a briefing on Thursday that India had not asked for the handing over of Saeed, also the founder of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. India believes Saeed is the man behind the Mumbai attacks of November 26, 2008. Following talks with her Pakistani counterpart last month, India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao had said that Pakistan should take action against persons like Saeed and control their activities. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/no-demand-by-india-for-saeed-arrest/587811/ ------ Tunisian official stresses contribution of Arab world to global civilization Tripoli - Pana 08/03/2010 The Arab-Muslim world has contributed to the enrichment of global civilization by providing it with great values, the chairman of the Tunisian Association for Communication and Space Sciences (ATUCOM), Mustapha Masmoudi, said here Sunday. He said the Arab world cannot withdraw or isolate itself but has to remain present to contribute to the evolution of the world. Speaking in an interview with PANA on the sidelines of the conference on "Solidarity with the Arab family in the era of globalization," Masmoudi said the challenges facing the Arab family include information and communication technologies (ICT), which have both positi ve and negative impacts on the family. He said while the impact of ICTs is generally positive, the family must take its responsibilities in this regard. Masmoudi stressed the need for the family to look after their children, arguing that parents should be present and committed to supervising and advising their offspring to save them from the negative effects of television, computer and the Internet. Full report at: www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/tunisian-official-stresses-contribution-of-arab-world-to-global-civilization-2010030845405.html ------ Suicide Bomber Rams a Pakistan Building By WAQAR GILLANI March 8, 2010 A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden truck into the main gate of a safe house used by one of Pakistan’s security agencies for the interrogation of suspects in Lahore early on Monday. The explosion killed at least 12 people, including guards, the police said, and flattened the building. At least 68 people were wounded in the explosion, according to early reports from a nearby hospital where the victims were taken. The blast, which left a crater 12 feet deep, was heard across the city, witnesses said. Rescue workers dug through the rubble of the destroyed building looking for people trapped in the debris. The police said Monday afternoon they had found the head of the bomber. A number of prominent politicians, including a former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, live in the neighborhood known as Model Town. Several schools and religious institutions, including the Quran Academy, also are located in Model Town. Muhammad Mateen, a local resident, said a number of parents were injured after they had dropped off their children at the neighborhood schools. A man and his son were killed when a wall of the building collapsed and crushed their car. Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/world/asia/09pstan.html?hp ------ Coming to Israel, Biden flags U.S. support vs Iran 08.03.2010 The Obama administration has boosted U.S. defence ties to Israel and will close ranks with its ally against any threat from a nuclear-armed Iran, Vice President Joe Biden said on Monday ahead of a trip to Israel, Reuters reported. Biden, the most senior U.S. official to visit since Israel President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, is widely expected to caution his hosts not to attack Iran pre-emptively while world powers pursue fresh sanctions against Tehran. In an interview with the biggest-selling Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Biden emphasised Washington's efforts to drum up greater international diplomatic pressure on the Iranians, as well as unilateral measures imposed by the U.S. Treasury. Asked about the prospect of an Israeli attack, he said: "Though I cannot answer the hypothetical questions you raised about Iran, I can promise the Israeli people that we will confront, as allies, any security challenge it will face. A nuclear-armed Iran would constitute a threat not only to Israel -- it would also constitute a threat to the United States." Full report at: http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/1650675.html ------ Afghan president visits city at center of anti-Taliban push March 7, 2010 Afghan President Hamid Karzai made an unannounced visit to Marjah on Sunday to see the gains made after a massive military offensive by Afghan and international troops to wrest control of the southern city from the Taliban. Karzai toured the city in Helmand province with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Marjah residents remain skeptical of U.S. troops and the newly installed local government that has moved in and taken over, said U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, who was in charge of the Marjah offensive. They want to know what Karzai's government is going to be able to do for them, he said. "We are in competition every day for the confidence and support of the population -- we're in competition with the Taliban," Nicholson told reporters last week. "We have a very narrow window of opportunity here in Marjah to make that first impression and you get one shot at it," he said. Full report at: www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/07/afghanistan.main/index.html?hpt=Sbin ------ Gates Visits Afghanistan to Meet With Karzai By ELISABETH BUMILLER March 8, 2010 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Monday morning to meet with President Hamid Karzai and NATO  commanders, and to review plans for a major American-led offensive into the Taliban heartland of Kandahar. Mr. Gates gave no date for the anticipated push into the city of Kandahar, which has a population of 900,000 and is the capital of Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan, but he said that “there is some very hard fighting, very hard days ahead.” Administration officials have only said that the campaign, a central mission for the 30,000 extra forces that President Obama has ordered to Afghanistan, will occur sometime this year. Mr. Gates spoke to reporters on his plane en route to Kabul. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top NATO and American commander in Afghanistan, later told reporters in Kabul that the offensive in Kandahar would be different from the recent American-led campaign to largely rout the Taliban from Marja, a much smaller town in Helmand Province. While the Marja offensive began with a burst of forces into the area in the middle of the night, General McChrystal said the Kandahar offensive would unfold more slowly. “Militarily it will not look much like Marja,” he said at NATO headquarters in Kabul. “We already have Afghan and coalition forces partnered with them inside Kandahar.” General McChrystal said the problem was not the city itself but the districts around Kandahar that had what he called a “menacing Taliban presence.” Full report at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/world/asia/09military.html?hp ------ Threat to judge who upheld death for Aftab Ansari PTI KOLKATA: Justice Kalidas Mukherjee, one of the two Calcutta High Court judges who upheld the death sentence awarded to Aftab Ansari in the 2002 Amercian Center case here, has received a threat letter. His security has been enhanced. The judge filed a complaint in this regard on Friday , Damayanti Sen, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Detective Department, said. — PTI http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/07/stories/2010030763500100.htm ------ Indian medical mission's operations suspended in Kabul PTI KABUL: Operations of the Indian medical mission in Kabul have been suspended as much of its staff were either injured or killed in last week's terror attack in the Afghan capital. Sources said there was no adequate staff to run the mission as one of them was killed and some others of the 11-member team were injured in the February 26 attack. They, however, asserted that the mission would not be wound up and operations would resume as soon as adequate staff is available again. There was also no downsizing of the embassy staff either, the sources said. The Indian medical mission of six doctors and five paramedics was functioning from the Indira Gandhi Child Care Hospital set up here under India's assistance programme. However, tele-medicine will continue to be available to Afghans from Chandigarh's PGI and a Lucknow hospital, the sources said. Seven Indians, including three Major-rank officers of the Army, were among 18 people killed in the attack that targeted guest houses frequented by Indians. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said the February 26 "cowardly" act of terrorists to target Indians on goodwill mission in Kabul would not "bend the will" of India to help people of Afghanistan. The entire nation was outraged by the incident, he said in Parliament in New Delhi. timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-medical-missions-operations-suspended-in-Kabul-/articleshow/5650331.cms ------ Taliban lose their `Hilton' after border battle IANS, March 4 (DPA) Taliban guerrillas tired from weeks of fighting NATO forces in Afghanistan were once happy to check into a complex known as their 'Hilton' for rest and recuperation. Those days are over, however, because the installation was seized by the Pakistani military Feb 6. The complex, located close to the Afghan border in Damadola in Pakistan's Bajaur region, consisted of a large cave attached to about a dozen tunnels. There were no lifts or piped music, but it was a relatively luxurious home away from home for fighting units operating in the pine-clad mountains. 'The Taliban used to call it their Hilton because this was the place where they would rest after they returned from fighting in Afghanistan's Kunar province or other parts of Bajaur,' said Tariq Khan, the head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps, which leads the fight against the insurgents in the border region. Facilities in Damadola were crude but included dormitories with mattresses and blankets and a canteen providing warm food for fighters, a welcome change from surviving in the field on a couple of naan breads and a large bottle of water a day. Full report at: sify.com/news/taliban-lose-their-hilton-after-border-battle-news-international-kdekkdahahf.html ------ Ending the Bush-Obama War on the Afghani People March 6, 2010 The Bush-Obama War on Afghanistan is now the second longest war in American history. We accomplished our goals against the Spanish Empire in six-months, against the German, Austrian & Ottoman Empires in just over a year and the combined forces of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy & Imperial Japan in 3 1/2 years. We’ve been fighting about 40,000 Afghani tribesmen for almost nine years. They have no planes, no artillery, no missiles, and no armour. Frequently, warriors take turns sharing Enfield rifles manufactured in 1910. What are our goals? It was originally to fight Al Quaeda but now there are fewer than 100 Al Qaeda in all of Afghanistan (according to the CIA). It was to get Osama Bin Laden but now we’re told that he is in Pakistan. It was to punish the Afghanis for 9-11 yet no Afghan participated in the attack. According to intel, the whole 9-11 project was paid for and planned by Saudis and Arabs from the United Arab Emirates. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has introduced a resolution in the House calling for U.S. withdrawal from this catastrophe. If you think that it is about time, give him a shout-out or let your own member of Congress know that you support Kucinich. http://dissentingdemocrat.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/ending-the-bush-obama-war-on-the-afghani-people/ ------ Armed forces still calling the shots in Balochistan: HRCP Thursday, March 04, 2010 Decision-making in Balochistan lies firmly in the hands of those who were in command before the February 2008 elections, and it is the military that still calls the shots, claimed a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report on Balochistan titled ‘Pushed to the Wall.’ The report contains observations of an HRCP fact-finding mission led by Chairperson Asma Jahangir, which spent over a week in the province. The fact-finding mission began its work on October 5, 2009 and tried to meet with as many people as it could from different schools of thoughts and political and ethnic groups. “Balochistan , the largest federating unit of the state, can only be likened to an active volcano that may erupt anytime with dire consequences. The situation is alarming and worsening by the day,” the report said. Full report at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=227043 ------ Modern Day Implications of Shari’a Law By Rev. Canon Julian Dobbs March 08, 2010 Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the global community has been saturated with carefully nuanced descriptions that explain the Muslim faith to a world that had previously given little attention to this 7th century religion. Unfamiliar words such as jihad and shari’a have become familiar concepts that are presented by world leaders and others to describe, and in many cases, defend Islam’s restlessness with western culture and civilization. Many Muslim leaders have become skilled operators at negating adverse information about Islam by presenting the Islamic faith as a peace-loving, peace-promoting way of living with nothing the western world needs to fear. Furthermore, in an attempt to appease Islam, which exerts an over-proportionate influence on foreign policy, global financial markets and the media, western governments have shaped their agendas to ensure, in some cases through legislation, that Islam and the Prophet Mohammed are protected from any critique that might dishonor the Islamic faith. Thus, societies that were founded on a Judeo-Christian heritage have capitulated to Islam, giving the Muslim faith a platform to strategically influence the global community through the introduction of shari’a law. Full report at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62381 ------ Mosque proposal evokes terrorism fears in Town of Wilson By dan benson March 8, 2010 Town of Wilson residents raise terrorism fears A Manitowoc doctor is proposing to convert the former Tom's of Wisconsin health store into a Muslim mosque, riling some nearby residents. The Town of Wilson town hall was packed for a public hearing last month when Mansoor Mirza presented plans to invest up to $20,000 to convert the 5,000-square-foot building at 9110 Sauk Trail Road into Sheboygan County's first mosque. "It did not go as I expected," said Mirza, an internist at Woodland Clinic in Manitowoc. What he said he heard from the audience, many of them from Oostburg, was that the mosque might attract terrorist elements to the area. Oostburg resident Melvina Gall, who attended the hearing, said a mosque "would be detrimental to the health and welfare of our community. Look at the track record in the past of what the Muslims have done and are doing," referring to terrorist attacks in recent years. "He's going to have people coming from all over the area. I surely don't know these people," Gall said. "There might be a couple who might have on their mind to harm Christians." Rev. Walter Hackney, interim pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Oostburg, said he does not oppose the proposed mosque "from a freedom of religion point of view," but from a safety standpoint. Full report at: www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20100308/SHE0101/3080379/1062/SHE01/Mosque-idea-meets-with-opposition ------ Al-Qaida still targets U.S. Lee Hamilton March 8, 2010 As several newspapers recently reported, the chances of an American citizen dying in a terrorist attack in a given year are slim: one in 3 million. Nonetheless, preventing terrorism has been the fundamental objective of American national security policy since Sept. 11, 2001. We have fought, and continue to fight, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at enormous human and financial cost. We have created agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security, to improve our defenses and overhauled parts of the intelligence community. We have had some successes and made some mistakes, but my feeling is that we have not gotten the security we have paid for. The threat of terrorism, especially from al-Qaida, is evolving. The threat is curtailed and elusive but immensely significant. Al-Qaida is wounded but dangerous, still seeking ways to attack us. There is no reason to relax. Our preventive measures must keep pace, and we must continuously ask ourselves fundamental questions about our enemy, our objectives and our tactics. Our goal is to protect our citizenry within our constitutional system at a justifiable cost. We will never attain perfect intelligence, and we cannot reduce the risk of a terrorist attack to zero. Full report at: www.indystar.com/article/20100308/OPINION12/3080308/1002/OPINION/Lee-Hamilton-Al-Qaida-still-targets-U.S ------ Pakistani intelligence sources say Californian Al Qaeda member arrested By Alex Rodriguez March 8, 2010 A U.S. counter-terrorism official says the CIA is looking into reports of Adam Gadahn's capture, but could not immediately confirm his arrest. Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistani intelligence sources in Karachi said Sunday that security forces in the southern port city have arrested Adam Gadahn, a Southern California native who became a top propagandist for Al Qaeda and is wanted by the U.S. on treason charges. A U.S. counter-terrorism official said later that the CIA and other agencies "are looking into reports" of Gadahn's capture, but could not immediately confirm his arrest. Some reports said the man arrested may have been another American-born Al Qaeda operative. If the capture of Gadahn was confirmed, it would appear the strongest signal yet that Pakistan has decided to ratchet up its cooperation with the U.S. in hunting down Islamic militants. In the last two months, Pakistani security forces have seized several top Afghan Taliban commanders, including the insurgency's second in command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Full report at: www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-tc-nw-al-qaeda-arrest8new-2010mar08,0,1213045.story ------ Afghanistan to top India-Iran talks NEW DELHI: While PM Manmohan Singh's much anticipated visit to Iran may still take some time coming, government sources disclosed that foreign minister S M Krishna will visit Tehran later this month to shore up ties and ensure that Iran remains an ally despite the spate of setbacks in relations in the recent past. Krishna's visit to Iran, his first as foreign minister, will come shortly after foreign secretary Nirupama Rao visited Tehran in February. While officials are still in the process of chalking out the agenda for the visit, sources said that Afghanistan will be one of the key issues to be discussed between the two sides. "Iran is a an important ally when it comes to dealing with Afghanistan and its help is crucial to ensure that elements hostile to India don't have a free run in Afghanistan, allowing Pakistan the strategic depth which it so dearly seeks over India after the NATO forces leave the region," said a senior government official. Despite Krishna spelling out conditions which could facilitate Indian engagement with Taliban, the fact is that New Delhi remains deeply apprehensive about the Taliban-al Qaida combine having a say in the Afghan administration once the US-led forces pull out. Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Afghanistan-to-top-India-Iran-talks/articleshow/5652257.cms ------ US aiding Somalia in its battle to retake capital MOGADISHU: The Somali government is preparing a major offensive to take back this capital block by crumbling block, and it takes just a listen to the low growl of a small surveillance plane circling in the night sky overhead to know who is surreptitiously backing that effort. "It's the Americans," said Gen Mohamed Gelle Kahiye, the new chief of Somalia's military, who said he recently shared plans about coming military operations with American advisers. "They're helping us." For the Americans, it is part of a counterterrorism strategy to deny a haven to al-Qaida, which has found sanctuary for years in Somalia's chaos and has helped turn this country into a magnet for jihadists from around the world. Most of the US military assistance to the government has been focused on training. But now, an American official predicted that American covert forces would get involved if the offensive, which could begin in a few weeks. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/US-aiding-Somalia-in-its-battle-to-retake-capital/articleshow/5652815.cms ------ Clean-up act? New Marjah chief has a criminal past KABUL: The man chosen to be the fresh face of good Afghan governance in a town just seized from the Taliban has a violent criminal record in Germany, but Western officials said on Saturday they are not pushing to oust him. Court records and news reports in Germany show that Abdul Zahir, the man appointed as the new civilian chief in Marjah, served part of a more than four-year prison sentence for stabbing his son in 1998. A US official confirmed he did serve time in Germany, though Zahir denies he committed any crime. "I was not a killer. I was not a smuggler. ... I didn't commit any crime," Zahir said in a telephone interview on Friday evening. He said allegations of a criminal record were "all a lie". Zahir's integrity is an issue because his job is to convince residents of the town in Helmand province that the Afghan government can provide them with a better life than the Taliban, which were routed during a three-week offensive by thousands of US, Nato and Afghan troops. Adm Gregory Smith, director of communications for Nato, said the international alliance strongly supports Helmand governor Gulab Mangal, who picked Zahir for the job. "Zahir, from our reporting, is doing good work down there," Smith said on Saturday, adding that Nato is not pushing Afghan officials to oust him. http://iplextra.indiatimes.com/article/0elSacJ1vf3tN?q=Taliban ------ European encounters with Turkish Islam Dr. Talip KÜÇÜKCAN Sunday, March 7, 2010 The migration and settlement of Turks and Muslims in Europe since the 1960s has irrevocably changed the social, cultural, religious and demographic landscape of European societies by transforming them into more ethnically heterogeneous and diverse political communities. It is estimated that Muslims currently constitute approximately 5.2 per cent of Europe’s total inhabitants, or 38 million people. Of these, 13 million live within the European Union. There are about 4.5 million Muslims in France, Germany hosts almost 4 million Muslims, and the United Kingdom is home to 1.6 million Muslims. Italy, the Netherlands and Spain each have just over half a million Muslims, while smaller countries such as Austria, Sweden and Belgium have less than half a million. Turks constitute the largest Muslim immigrant community in Europe at an estimated number of 4.6 million. The presence of large numbers of Turks and Muslims in Europe poses numerous challenges to European societies, such as immigration, citizenship, integration, political participation and representation, access to equal opportunities, the acceptance of diversity, peaceful co-existence and rising Islamophobia. Full report at: www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=european-encounters-with-turkish-islam-2010-03-07 ------ Islamic Myths & Realities March 6, 2010 Among the continuing myths held by Americans about the Middle East are the following: Islam is the prevailing religion among the Arab nations but significant minorities are Christian, Bahai, Yansani and Mandaean as well as other faiths. A significant Arab Christian community exists in Israel and in Palestine. About 40% of Lebanon is Christian. One of every ten Egyptians is a Coptic Christian. When I was born, one-fifth of Iraqis were Christians. Substantial Arab populations in Syria, Iraq and Iran are Yansani or devotees of the Cult of the Angels. Bahais are scatterred throughout the Middle East. And despite terrible persecution, Mandaeans, heirs of the Gnostic sect of John the Baptist, still live in southern Iraq. Jihadism or Islamic Extremism is certainly on the rise throughout the world particularly in Saudi Arabia and among the Arab diaspora in Europe but it is not representative of all Muslims. Sufism, an age-old variant, accepts other paths to God as valid and promotes tolerance. Sufism is influential in Albania, Bosnia, Turkey, Lebanon, Libya and North Africa. Needless to say the Jihadists hate the Sufis. Jihadism is a threat to the West, and it is a threat to traditional and modernist variants of Islam. For all of the emphasis on Iraq and Afghanistan, these two countries have, until recently, lacked the Jihadist-Islamic influences which pose a threat to the rest of the world. Full report at: http://dissentingdemocrat.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/islamic-myths-realities/ ------ Pakistan seeks identity of American suspect By CHRIS BRUMMITT March 8, 2010 ISLAMABAD — An American member of al-Qaida was picked up in a raid in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi, Pakistani officials said Monday, but reversed earlier assertions that the detained man was the terror network's U.S.-born spokesman. They identified the suspect as Abu Yahya Majadin Adam, but gave no details on his background or role within al-Qaida. A name very close to that is listed on the FBI's Web site as an alias for Adam Gadahn, the 31-year-old spokesman who has appeared in several videos threatening the West since 2001. The resemblance created confusion among officials Sunday, leading them to believe that the suspect was Gadahn, an army officer and a senior intelligence officer said. "The resemblance of the name initially caused confusion but now they have concluded he is not Gadahn," said an intelligence officer, who like all Pakistani intelligence agents does not allow his name to be used. "He feels proud to be a member of al-Qaida." U.S. Embassy spokesman Rick Snelsire said the embassy had not been informed of any American being arrested. On Sunday, two intelligence officers and a senior government official identified the detained man as Gadahn and said he was arrested in recent days. They too spoke on condition of anonymity. The government official said his name could not be used because of the sensitivity of the information. None of those officials were available for comment Monday. Full report at: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6902386.html ------ Aligarh Muslim University to open centre in Kerala by Sarthak Gupta Mon, 03/08/2010 The Aligarh Muslim University moved one more step closer to set up a special centre at Malappuram. The Kerala Government has transferred 122 acres of land at a public meeting held at Mini-Civil Station, Perinthalmanna. Addressing the gathering, Kerala minister for local self government and rural development affairs, Mr Paloli Mohamed Kutty made a firm commitment to hand over the remaining 270 acres of the land to AMU by the end of May 2010. AMU Centre will enable Malappuram district will move forward in the sphere of education, he said. Kerala education and cultural affairs minister MA Baby handed over the land documents along with the map of the site to the AMU Vice Chancellor Prof. PK Abdul Azis. The minister said the arrival of AMU would expand education opportunities further with studies ranging from nursery to university levels. Prof. PK Abdul Azis thanked the government and people of Kerala and said the special centre will carry forward the great legacy and standards in education. The Union Minister of State for Railways Mr E Ahmad said the centre was one of the examples of the efforts of the government to spread education among the Muslims. The government has taken serious note of the educational deficiency among the minorities and was taking steps to expand facilities, he said. AMU would be setting up five centres in different parts of the country, including Malappuram district. http://www.topnews.in/aligarh-muslim-university-open-centre-kerala-2255606 ------ Indonesia arrests two in Java over Aceh militants Monday, March 8, 2010 Indonesian police have arrested two men on the island of Java who are suspected of supplying weapons to an Islamist group authorities have been hunting in Aceh province, the national police chief said on Monday. Police have been searching for about 30 members of the group in the heavily forested Lamkebeu area of Aceh on Sumatra island since raiding a suspected militant training camp last month, when books on Jihad, rifles and military uniforms were found. National Police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri said 16 members of the group, including the two alleged weapons suppliers, had been arrested, while three had been killed. Three police officers had also been killed during the raids. "We continue to track down their networks outside Aceh. For example, the weapons supplier network, we have detained two men in West Java and Jakarta," Danuri said without elaborating. The police official said the group had no ties to the former separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh. The staunchly Muslim province suffered a separatist conflict for 29 years before a peace deal was struck with Jakarta in 2005. Full report at: www.dnaindia.com/world/report_indonesia-arrests-two-in-java-over-aceh-militants_1356700 ------ Serbs had to battle an Islamist threat, too STELLA L. JATRAS Monday, March 8, 2010 I am notdefending Radovan Karadzic ("Karadzic blames Islamic militants for war," Web, Monday, and "Karadzic blames Muslims for killing," Geopolitics, Tuesday). However, there is a basis for his claim that Osama bin Laden's Muslim militants were active in the Balkan war. Instead of being honest brokers in what was a civil war, the Clinton administration, along with a willing media, successfully portrayedSerbian forces, including the Serbian people collectively, as the only villains. In 1993, the government of Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic issued a passport to bin Laden at the Bosnian Embassy in Vienna, thereby enabling themaster terrorist to visitboth Bosnia and Kosovo on several occasions. In his book "Unholy Terror: Bosnia, Al-Qa'ida, and the Rise of Global Jihad," professor John R. Schindler, formerly with the National Security Agency, made the following points: The Bosnian conflict has been misrepresented by the mainstream media, which has covered up the large role played by radical Islam and al Qaeda; bin Laden used Bosnia as a base for terrorist operations worldwide; and the Clinton administration, in collaboration with Iran, secretly supplied Bosnia's mujahideen, including al Qaeda, with weapons and supplies. Full report at: washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/08/serbs-had-to-battle-an-islamist-threat-too/ ------ Don't make Muslims a poll issue: leader Barney Zwartz March 8, 2010 A senior Muslim leader has written to federal political leaders urging them not to use Muslims in political manoeuvring as the federal election approaches, but to consult Muslims and build trade. The president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ikebal Patel, wrote this week to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Greens leader Bob Brown, saying it was well recognised that previous elections ''have been run on the back of Muslims and Islam-phobic scare-mongering''. Also asking the leaders to instruct their candidates not to make Muslims an election issue, Mr Patel said Muslims had contributed to Australian culture and values. ''Also, their presence adds some $7 billion in annual trade, and we urge you to consult with us and to engage with us where we can turn that into a lot more,'' he said. Meanwhile, radical Islamic group Hizb ut Tahrir yesterday began distributing to mosques and Muslim prayer rooms a leaflet saying the Australian government's white paper on counter-terrorism was part of brutal, vicious and inhumane campaign against Muslims. The group says the white paper - released on February 23, and arguing that Australia faces an increased threat from home-grown terrorists - is deeply concerning, given its ''severity and the audacity with which the government is now victimising Muslims''.  Full report at: www.theage.com.au/national/dont-make-muslims-a-poll-issue-leader-20100307-pqo0.html ------ 3 top Pak Taliban men killed in single day ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military dealt a crippling blow to Tehreek-e-Taliban by killing its three top commanders, including the group's deputy-chief Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, in Mohmand tribal region in the country's northwest, interior minister Rehman Malik said on Saturday. Two more prominent commanders Qari Ziaur Rehman, an Afghan national and Fateh Muhammad, a close aide of Taliban chief in Swat Fazlullah, were also killed in air strikes carried out in the region on Saturday which resulted in deaths of 30 militants, Malik confirmed. Maulvi Faqir had named himself chief of Pakistani Taliban following the killing of Baitullah Mehsud. He has publicly stated his close ties to al-Qaida No 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Taliban leaders were killed when helicopters gunship of the Pakistan military targeted their hideouts in Pandiali area of Mohmand Agency. Security forces retrieve the body of Fateh Muhammad while the bodies of the others are yet to be recovered, Malik said. Faqir Muhammad, who was originally based in Bajaur tribal region, moved to Mohmand Agency after security forces cleared most parts of the area. Ziaur Rehman was believed to be the head of the Taliban in Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan and the US had offered a reward of $350,000 for him. Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/3-top-Pak-Taliban-men-killed-in-single-day/articleshow/5652765.cms ------ Thailand and Indonesia at 60: Democratic partners in Asean By Kavi Chongkittavorn March 8, 2010 WHERE ON EARTH does the mere mention of the name "Bangkok" bring a breath of fresh air or a smiling face? Again, which country has a common history with Thailand that dates back thousands of years? Can you name a country that can be a democratic force for Asean along with Thailand? The answers are simple. It is Indonesia - a country under the global microscope at every turn. This is a country where the Thai energiser drink, Krathing Daeng (Red Gaurs), has made hundreds of millions of dollars since its introduction in 1980's. Thai flagrant rice, tom yam, durian and varieties of Thai fruits delight Indonesian palates everyday. To average folks there, "Bangkok" conjures up good quality, good food and freedom. Within Asean, Indonesian people are the friendliest towards Thailand. They look up to the Thais as resourceful and fun-loving people. Our democratic experiences, both in the 1970's and then the 1990's, inspired the Indonesian young for generations when the country was under the Suharto dictatorship. Prior to 2001, Thailand was the textbook for political experiment and freedom of expression for Indonesian intellectuals, lawmakers, politicians and media. Now the tide has turned. They have learned the Thai lessons well, avoiding the pitfalls of Thailand's 78-year political wilderness. Full report at: www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/03/08/opinion/Thailand-and-Indonesia-at-60-Democratic-partners-i-30124162.html ------ Kadhafi's call for Jihad not linked to violence, terrorism 08/03/2010 The call by Libyan leader Mouammar Kadhafi for a civil Jihad against Switzerland should not be interpreted as a call for violence and terrorism against the European nation, a senior Libyan official told PANA Sunday. In a telephone interview with PANA from Tripoli, Mr. Abdulmajeed El Dursi, chairman of Foreign Media Corporation of Libya, explained that the Libyan leader's call for civil Jihad was basically asking Islamic and Arab countries to boycott Switzerland economically, socially, commercially and diplomatically. Such boycott, Mr. El Dursi said, will reflect in the Islamic and Arab nations withdrawing all their investments in Swiss banks, closing down their accounts in such banks, refraining from importing Swiss commodities, stopping all forms of trips, including tourism, to Switzerland, avoiding flights on Swiss airlines and barring Swiss nationals from entering their respective countries. Full report at: /www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/kadhafi%27s-call-for-jihad-not-linked-to-violence,-terrorism-2010030845396.html ------ Ahmadiyya conventions highlight importance of Islamic ethics Gbola Adiamoh 08 March, 2010 The head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in The Gambia, Amir Baba F. Trawally has said underscored the need for Muslims to embrace the basic ethics outlined in the teaching of Islam. He said this in his address at the conventions of the women group of the Muslim community which held at the Baitus Salaam on February 13, 2010 and the male convention between February 20 and February 21, 2010. Speaking at the convention of the women group, called the Lajna Imaillah, the Amir Baba F. Trawally said that women should be conscious that they are maidservants of Allah and all their actions, words and movement should highlight this fact. According to him, they should become noble servants of God by being steadfast, truthful, and humble. He also asked them to spend in the way of Allah and seek forgiveness in the latter part of the night. The Amir said all this should be part of their characters if they truly wish to be the God’s chosen persons. “You should maintain good will and unity among yourselves by avoiding all causes of disunity," he said. Full report at: http://today.gm/hi/news/1667.html URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2550