Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Islamic World News

27 Feb 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com

M F Husain accepts Qatari Nationality

‘I won’t blame my father if he accepts Qatar offer’ Qadhafi’s jihad call unacceptable: UN After 200 years of neutrality, Swiss face ‘holy war’ Al-Barrak’s ‘death fatwa’: not permissible to pronounce “takfeer” Saudi man to be whipped for having too many wives Taliban attacks in central Kabul kill 16 included 9 indian Honour-Killing, and Sexuality In the Arab and Muslim World Alarming rate of divorce among non-Malays in Malaysia Yemeni Students Protest Child Marriages Mystical Form of Islam Suits Sufis in Pakistan Artists from nine countries want to beautify Makkah Danish paper apologises to Muslims in cartoon row Mad Mullahs and Guys in Ties face off in a high-stakes Great Game in Afghanistan Amritsar court sets Pakistani boy free Islamic scholar seen as both heroine and heretic Israel and the game of assassination ‘Mossad regularly faked Australian passports’ Born John Burke. Died Muhammad Omar Iraq to reinstate 20,000 Saddam-era officers Indian PM’s Saudi trip terror-centric Manmohan Singh allays Arab concern about growing Indo-Israeli defence cooperation Strengthen unity, Muslims urged Event that recalls Islamic teachings Nizam-e-Mustafa (SAWW) only way to develop country: ST Celebrating Eid Milad-un-Nabi with religious fervour Indian Muslims want JMI’s status as a minority institution restored Detroit unveils gallery of Islamic art I was Christian, then Muslim and back to Christianity —Stella Busari Amazigh rights issue pits Moroccan Berbers against Islamists NU to set `distorted notion of pluralism' right Larger mosque completed, open in Orono India-Pakistan talks an encouraging step towards full dialogue: Krishna Pakistan media not impressed with talks Furore in J&K over SMS mocking at Abdullahs ‘Courageous for India, Pak to talk’ Chill deep but ice breaks: Talks start, in public and private Qasab complains of food laced with drugs, gets reprimanded Gilani for ‘meaningful’ Indo-Pak talks DUBAI: DNA proof of Mabhuh’s killers found Uzbek fighters remain an ‘unknown quantity’ in Pakistan Fazlullah’s nephew held in Nowshera Compiled by Asit Kumar Photo: Husain with his muse Madhuri URL of this page: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2515 ----- M F Husain accepts Qatari Nationality Atul Aneja 27 Feb, 2010 DUBAI: After living in self-imposed exile for four years following a spate of litigation against him for his paintings of Hindu goddesses, India’s iconic artist M.F. Husain has accepted the offer by Qatar to confer its nationality on him. “He has accepted Qatar’s offer for citizenship and the formalities are under process,” Owais Husain, the legendary artist’s son living in Dubai told The Hindu. In an exclusive write-up on Thursday, the paper had reported that Mr. Husain had been offered Qatari citizenship. Asked whether his father could still change his mind and return to India, Mr. Owais Husain said: “I don’t know. These are all decisions that he takes on his own, which we respectfully accept.” He said that notwithstanding his decision to move out of his homeland, India permeated every part of his father’s consciousness. “My father is too strongly rooted to India. You can take him to any part of the world, but he would still remain an Indian personified.” Mr. Owais Husain said the painter’s early years, when he lost his mother followed by his migration to Mumbai, had significantly shaped his artistic and political consciousness. “For some time my father virtually lived on the steps of the Vithobha temple in Pandharpur, the place of his birth. Later he moved to Mumbai, during a time when the political atmosphere around him was also surcharged on account of the freedom struggle. I think these experiences influenced his mental make-up and impacted his innate sense of secularism.” Asked how exile and the unhappy events surrounding his exit from India had affected Mr. Husain, Mr. Owais Husain said that it generated in his father, an extraordinary torrent of creativity. A man who expressed himself more through brush, paint and canvas, rather than the spoken word, he has painted a riot of images during this phase. Mr. Husain has been prolific in painting images out of the Ramayana, and is involved in painting 100 images on the history of India. “I suppose this happens when trauma of exile blocks some part of your senses, but energetically opens out other creative senses.” http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/27/stories/2010022761901200.htm ------ ‘I won’t blame my father if he accepts Qatar offer’ Vandana Kalra Feb 27, 2010 Firing a salvo and then disappearing into the lanes of Qatar is typical MF Husain. When you call his phone, a polite voice in Arabic tells you this number has been switched off. Meanwhile, the news of the maverick Bombay Progressives painter having accepted the citizenship offered upon him by the Qatar royal family has made its way around the globe. His little sketch of a horse and the cryptic note says it all: “I am an Indian citizen who has been offered Qatar citizenship.” His eldest son, Shamshad, is fighting a brave battle with a serious illness in hospital in Delhi while his youngest son, Owais, is immersed in his new film. In Dubai, Owais awaits the moment his dad will switch on his phone. “My father has always taken his own decisions. There is no ulterior motive in his accepting the citizenship offered to him by Qatar. Of course, giving up citizenship of India saddens him but they say that you can take a man out of the country but you cannot take the country out of a man,” says Owais. His father, he adds, was born in the holy city of Pandharpur, and made posters of anti-British slogans in the late 1930s. “He went mad with joy when India achieved Independence. He remains as Indian as the next man on the street,” adds Owais. Husain’s youngest son confirms that friends and well-wishers have been urging the painter to wait it out since the Supreme Court has intervened, saying he should be allowed back in India. “While a foreign country is bestowing the honour of citizenship on him, we have done nothing to provide him with security,” says Akhil Sibal, MF Husain’s lawyer. “The government has been a silent spectator Mumbai’s Pundole Art Gallery held Husain’s first solo-show way back in the 1960s. “India’s loss is Qatar’s gain,” says Dadiba Pundole, son of Kali, who first discovered the artist when he was living on the pavement and painting film hoardings. The Pundoles last met Husain in November 2009, and, though Dadiba is in Dubai, he is one those waiting for the painter to turn on his cell. Arun Vadehra, Director, Vadehra Art Gallery, says, “I had spoken with Husain earlier this week and we discussed the citizenship offered by Qatar. It is an honour because Qatar does not offer citizenship easily, but it is also sad news. I hope Husain retains his Indian citizenship and comes back.” Kiran Nadar, a Delhi-based collector, has a party planned if the painter returns. “He is the pioneer of post-Independence Indian modern art and he would like to return,” she says. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/i-wont-blame-my-father-if-he-accepts-qatar-offer/585009/2 ------ Qadhafi’s jihad call unacceptable: UN 27 Feb, 2010 GENEVA: The United Nations and European Union rallied behind Switzerland on Friday after Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi’s call for jihad against the country, with a top UN official branding the move unacceptable. Asked by journalists about one state calling for holy war on another, UN Director-General Sergei Ordzhonikidze said: “I believe that such declarations on the part of the head of state are inadmissible in international relations.” “I’m not even talking about actions,” he added. In Brussels, meanwhile, the spokesman for the EU’s foreign affairs chief said Qadhafi’s call was “unfortunate.” “If these reports are correct... (they) come at an unfortunate moment when the European Union is working closely with Switzerland trying to reach a diplomatic solution” to a long-running battle between the two countries, said Lutz Guellner, spokesman for EU high representative Catherine Ashton. France also called Qadhafi’s statement “unacceptable” and urged both countries to settle their differences through diplomacy. Qadhafi turned up the heat in his country’s dispute with Switzerland on Thursday, calling for jihad over a recent Swiss ban on the construction of minarets.—AFP http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/qadhafis-jihad-call-unacceptable-un-720 ------ After 200 years of neutrality, Swiss face ‘holy war’ Feb 27, 2010 GENEVA: After two centuries of neutrality, Switzerland has found itself in a bizarre and unprecedented situation - facing a would-be “holy war” announced by Libya's Moammar Gadhafi. The Swiss government declined to comment Friday on Gadhafi's latest salvo in a simmering diplomatic saga stemming from the Geneva police's 2008 arrest and brief detainment of his son, Hannibal, and his wife for allegedly beating up their servants. Although Gadhafi's jihad declaration late Thursday was widely viewed as a stunt by a leader given to outlandish behavior, the danger was difficult to dismiss in an era of Islamic-Western foment over issues ranging from headdress bans in Europe to faraway Middle East disputes, Iran's nuclear program and Nordic newspapers' caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Analysts have urged caution. http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article23084.ece ------ Al-Barrak’s ‘death fatwa’: not permissible to pronounce “takfeer” 27 February 2010 RIYADH – Sheikh Qais Aal Al-Sheikh Mubarak, a member of the Board of Senior Ulema, has said that it is not permissible to pronounce “takfeer” – accusing Muslims of unbelief – on those who permit “disputable issues” on which scholars are not unanimous. A judge from the Ministry of Justice has also said that “takfeer rulings” may only be issued by the courts of the judiciary. The scholars have spoken on the issue in response to a fatwa earlier this week from Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Nasser Al-Barrak in which he deemed lawful the killing of anyone permitting “ikhtilat” – mixing of the sexes – in the workplace or in education. Senior scholar Sheikh Mubarak, however, told Al-Watan Friday that the issue of Ikhtilat had become an issue of increasing dispute among scholars in the Kingdom over the last four months and that “takfeer” can only be pronounced on unequivocal matters. “Kufr (unbelief) is the rejection of what the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought, and occurs if someone in action or in word rejects what is unanimously agreed upon,” Sheikh Mubarak said, giving as “examples everyone knows”, “permitting alcohol, or pork or adultery”. Full Reprot at: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010022764731 ------ Saudi man to be whipped for having too many wives 27th February, 2010 A man in Saudi Arabia is to be whipped for having six wives at the one time. A man in Saudia Arabia has been convicted of having six wives at the same time. The 56 year old man has been sentenced to receive 120 lashes, twenty lashes per wife. He has been banned from travelling overseas for five years, and has been ordered to memorise two chapters of the Qur'an. The man ominously works for the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. He told the court in Jeddah he did not know it was against Islamic law to have more than four wives at the same time. The man said he had no education other than primary school. Charges were laid in mid-2008 after it was discovered he had three Saudi wives, and 3 wives from Yemen. The judge, in handing down the sentence this week, said the man would be facing another charge for marrying foreign women. No Saudi citizen, male or female, can marry someone from another country unless they receive the consent of the Ministry of Interior. http://story.argentinastar.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/c08dd24cec417021/id/606319/cs/1/ ------ Taliban attacks in central Kabul kill 16 February 26, 2010 Taliban fighters opened fire, hurled grenades and staged suicide bombings in central Kabul on Friday, killing 16 people in a show of defiance against the Western-backed government and a NATO offensive to wipe them out. Among the dead were eight Afghans, including three police officers, four Indian nationals and an Italian, the Afghan Interior Ministry said. The French Foreign Ministry said one French mational had been killed in the assault. The attack came as NATO-led foreign troops and Afghan forces press ahead with an offensive against the Taliban in their stronghold in southern Helmand province, a key element of Washington's new strategy to put down a growing insurgency. Some 38 people were wounded in the two-hour assault which started after at least one suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a guest house frequented by Indians. "I heard a big blast," witness Quaree Sameh told Reuters. "The glass shattered. The attackers were throwing grenades and shooting." Full Reprot at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanistan/Taliban-attacks-in-central-Kabul-kill-16/Article1-513224.aspx ------ Honor – Killing, and Sexuality In the Arab and Muslim World Hasan Yahya, 27, Feb 2010 Honor-Killing: Islam Like any other religion, condemns the vigilante-style honor killings that still occur more than other religions in the Middle Eastern countries. [including Iran and Afghanistan] The So-called honor killing (or honor-murders, nearly exclusively of women, of persons who are perceived as having brought dishonor to their families) are often identified with Islam. The hadith refer to a case where Mohammed sanctions the stoning of an adulterous women. Honor killings are sanctioned in Iran’s and Afghanistan’s penal codes in which honor killing is legal or lightly punished. Honor killings are more common in Muslim-majority countries, especially in traditional societies with low literacy rate.  though they occur in other countries as well. Other than Muslim countries is found to do the same as Muslims. I believe that the issue of honor killings is cultural practice rather than religious [Islamic] which is neither exclusive to, nor universal within, the Islamic world. Cases were reported in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Turkey, and Afghanistan. The father of the elder brother usually take care of the killing of the girl, and rarely, killing the male offender. In Jordan, for example,  as I experienced, courts, sometimes give less sentence to honor-killing, but human rights and feminist activists call for equality between the sexes. Sexuality under Islamic Law: Having sex between male and female in Islamic way, is legal,  But  Islam enjoins sexual pleasure with marriage contract to be legal.  A high value is placed on virginity and chastity for both men and women.  But not celibacy (as in the Christian faith). To protect women from accusations of unchaste behavior, the scripture lays down severe punishments towards those who make false allegations about a woman’s chastity. Four male eye witnesses have to witness a sexual operation between two or more persons in one site. Full Reprot at: http://www.literacynews.com/2010/02/honor-killing-and-sexuality-in-the-arab-and-muslim-world/ ------ Artists from nine cou 26 February, 2010 The divorce rate among non-Malays increased from two percent to eight percent in the first five years since 2000 and was expected to reach 13 percent this year, said an official of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC)'s women's wing. Wanita MIC chief P. Komala Devi said there was also an increase in the number of teenaged runaway brides, premarital pregnancies and young single mothers. She said that these groups of people needed help, noting that most of them came from poor backgrounds. Malaysia is home to majority Muslim Malays, has significant presence of ethnic Chinese and an estimated two million Indians, a bulk of whom are Tamils who settled here during the British era. MIC is the oldest party that speaks for the ethnic Indians and is a constituent of the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional. Komala Devi said: 'Wanita MIC has initiated programmes to create awareness. From our feedback, we realised that these problems occur due to lack of communication among family members.' 'Some parents don't show enough affection towards their children. http://story.zimbabwestar.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/2411cd3571b4f088/id/605532/cs/1/ ------ Yemeni Students Protest Child Marriages February 27, 2010 Yemen (TML) - Hundreds of Yemeni students demonstrated outside the Yemeni parliament this week to protest against child marriages. Students demanded parliament pass legislation to raise the minimum marriage age of girls to 18 in a country where child brides are a common occurrence. Protestors delivered their one-million-signature petition to a parliament representative. "There has been no legislation to prevent young girls from getting married and this is a big and dangerous problem that affects many young girls in Yemen," Ahmad Al-Qurashi, director of the Sana'a-based Seyaj Organization for Childhood Protection in Yemen told The Media Line. Full Reprot at: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017928620 ------ Mystical Form of Islam Suits Sufis in Pakistan SABRINA TAVERNISE February 27, 2010 LAHORE, Pakistan — For those who think Pakistan is all hard-liners, all the time, three activities at an annual festival here may come as a surprise. Thousands of Muslim worshipers paid tribute to the patron saint of this eastern Pakistani city this month by dancing, drumming and smoking pot. It is not an image one ordinarily associates with Pakistan, a country whose tormented western border region dominates the news. But it is an important part of how Islam is practiced here, a tradition that goes back a thousand years to Islam’s roots in South Asia. It is Sufism, a mystical form of Islam brought into South Asia by wandering thinkers who spread the religion east from the Arabian Peninsula. They carried a message of equality that was deeply appealing to indigenous societies riven by caste and poverty. To this day, Sufi shrines stand out in Islam for allowing women free access. In modern times, Pakistan’s Sufis have been challenged by a stricter form of Islam that dominates in Saudi Arabia. That orthodox, often political Islam was encouraged in Pakistan in the 1980s by the American-supported dictator, Muhammad Zia ul-Haq. Since then, the fundamentalists’ aggressive stance has tended to eclipse that of their moderate kin, whose shrines and processions have become targets in the war here. But if last week’s stomping, twirling, singing, drumming kaleidoscope of a crowd is any indication, Sufism still has a powerful appeal. Full Reprot at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/world/worldspecial/26lahore.html ------ Artists from nine countries want to beautify Makkah MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN Feb 27, 2010 JEDDAH: Artists from nine Muslim countries are bidding to help cement Makkah’s reputation as a capital for Islamic culture. They have applied to participate in the first Islamic competition for the beautification of the city. Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal is sponsoring the event, called “In the Love of Makkah We Meet.” Competition Supervisor Osama Al-Bar, who is also the Makkah mayor, said applications have been received from artists and painters based in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Algeria, Oman and Iraq. He expressed delight at the number of applications received. “The main objective of the competition is to spread a culture of art that highlights the Islamic heritage of Makkah, the capital of Islamic culture,” Al-Bar said. He added that the competition is open to Muslim painters and sculptors from all over the world who are able to share expertise and make the holy city more beautiful by transforming it into an open Islamic art museum. The mayor said the competition represents an opportunity for talented artists to present their fine work. “The competition will open a window for the painting world to deliver international works of art that demonstrate Islamic concepts. The winning pieces will give residents and visitors of Makkah an opportunity to see refined art in the holy city,” he said. The themes of the artwork should focus on the environment of Makkah, its architecture, handicraft, Islamic legacies and calligraphy among others. http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article23010.ece ------ Danish paper apologises to Muslims in cartoon row February 26, 2010 Danish daily Politiken on Friday apologised to Muslims for possibly offending them by reproducing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in 2008, but said it did not regret publishing the drawings. "We apologize to anyone who was offended by our decision to reprint the cartoon drawing," the newspaper said in a statement. Politiken is the first Danish newspaper to formally apologise to those who may have resented the publication of the cartoons. It published on Friday an agreement reached with eight organisations from Australia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian territories representing 94,923 descendants of the Muslim prophet. in the agreement Politiken said it regretted if it had insulted Muslims' faith, but that it did not regret publishing the drawings and that it did not renounce the right to publish the controversial drawings again. Full Reprot at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/Danish-paper-apologises-to-Muslims-in-cartoon-row/Article1-513248.aspx ------ Mad Mullahs and Guys in Ties face off in a high-stakes Great Game in Afghanistan Christine Parrish 2/27/2010 When President George W. Bush launched the Afghanistan war two months after the World Trade Center had been bombed, taking on Afghanistan seemed like taking up a game of checkers. We had might and right on our side, and all we had to do was jump. The objectives seemed pretty clear: go after Al Qaeda and get bin Laden, and squash this new terrorist threat like a big crunchy bug. Since the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan wouldn't turn bin Laden over, muscle them out of the way, too, and spread some democracy around while we were at it. We started piling up our game pieces: Jump, take the Taliban down in Kabul; jump, take them down in Jalalabad. We could see bin Laden on the other side, over in the Tora Bora caves right up against the Pakistan border, and we were headed straight towards the end-game when we took our eyes off the board and turned them towards Iraq. By the time our attention refocused on the game-board of South Asia eight years later, President Obama was in the White House and it was clear that we hadn't been playing checkers there after all. This was high-stakes chess and the Americans, the Pakistanis, and the Afghans had been playing it for 30 years or more. There were some Mad Mullahs with itchy trigger fingers at the table, and there were some Guys in Ties, our Guys in Ties, who had flung big wads of CIA cash and high-grade weapons at those same mad mullahs back in the 1980s when the Afghans were fighting the Soviets in the largest CIA covert war in history. Full Reprot at: http://freepressonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=52&SubSectionID=78&ArticleID=5318 ------ Amritsar court sets Pakistani boy free Intikhab Hanif 27 Feb, 2010 LAHORE: A Juvenile Court judge in Amritsar acquitted on Friday a Pakistani boy who had strayed into India by Samjhota Express, according to HRCP chairperson Asma Jehangir. Jehangir had gone to Amritsar to secure the boy’s release. She said the judge acquitted Atiq Ahmad saying he had inadvertently made the mistake. The 13-year-old boy, a kite enthusiast, had gone to the Lahore railway station on Jan 11 to avoid punishment from his father who had admonished him for flying kites. He later boarded the Samjhota Express without knowing it was going to India and was detained across the border. Jehangir, accompanied by HRCP secretary general I.A. Rehman, went to Amritsar to help Atiq and returned to Lahore in the evening after the judge had ordered his unconditional release. From Amritsar, she had conveyed the news to the boy’s father, Iftikhar Ahmad. According to Jehangir, the judge left the matter of repatriating Atiq to the administration. After hearing Indian officials and lawyer Virmani, who appeared on behalf of Atiq, the judge said that the boy could have been jailed for up to four years, but he was releasing him because of his innocence. Virmani was engaged by the HRCP with the help of a poet known to rights activist Saleema Hashmi. Jehangir said that soon after the verdict she called the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi and he said that Atiq would be sent home after procedural formalities were completed. She said two activists of South Asia Human Rights were deputed to look after the boy and arrange for fulfilling the requirements. “Our members will bring him back soon,” she said. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/06-amritsar-court-sets-pakistani-boy-free-720-rs-03 ------ Islamic scholar seen as both heroine and heretic SARAH MALIK February 27, 2010 Islamic scholar Amina Wadud has been branded both a heroine and a heretic. Heroine for her academic framework for Muslims in legal and policy reform around the world; heretic for leading a mixed gender prayer in New York in 2005 which made worldwide headlines. The prayer session propelled the 58-year-old African American into celebrity Muslim reformer status, a position the theologian does not seem entirely comfortable with. “I try to keep my sense of humour about it," she said, speaking in Sydney after engagements in Melbourne and Canberra. "I didn't play into it. I didn't stoke the sensationalism of it. “The time was a little bit comical but I could not live along those lines. I like the basic parts of my life where you have anonymity.” Asked if the controversy had obscured her long-time activism and scholarship on Islam and gender issues, she said: “I regret things being obscured for any reason. But I do not regret the prayer if that is reason why people obscure things. People have not been pleased with my work for a long time. So the prayer is just a ruse ... and ... excuse for not listening to what you have to say.” Full Reprot at: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/islamic-scholar-seen-as-both-heroine-and-heretic-20100227-p9w8.html ------ Israel and the game of assassination 27 Feb, 2010 For the record, Israel has been in the game of assassination for a very long time. There was the assassination of Walter Guiness, 1st Baron Moyne in Cairo, on Nov. 6, 1944 by Jewish terrorists, Eliyahu Bet-Zun and Eliyahu Hakim of the Zionist group LEHI. Then came the July 22 bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by Menachem Begin and his team of terrorists killing 92 people in all, of Arab, British and other nationals. After this we come to the naqba (catastrophe) of April 9, 1948 in which Jewish terrorists raped and murdered the entire Palestinian town of Deir Yassin, including animals, all led by Menachem Begin. From here we advance to the cold-blooded assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte, UN mediator in Palestine by the Zionists members of the LEHI team in Jerusalem on Sept. 17, 1948. Israel sent 16 Mossad commandos to Argentina to kidnap a person wanted by their government. Hundreds of Jewish criminals get asylum in Israel and cannot be prosecuted as they are protected by Israeli law. In other words, Israel considers itself above international law. Dubai police chief Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan wants the head of Mossad arrested for the killing of the Hamas leader in Dubai, if, as he points out, the Mossad head Meir Dagan is the killer. He wants Interpol to issue a red notice for Dagan's arrest. Does anyone in their right mind expect Interpol, which is headquartered in Lyon, France to take any action against Mossad? http://arabnews.com/opinion/letters/article22949.ece ------ ‘Mossad regularly faked Australian passports’ 27 Feb, 2010 SYDNEY—Israel’s Mossad has regularly faked Australian passports for its spies, an ex-agent said, as anger grew over the use of foreign travel documents for an alleged assassination. Former case officer Victor Ostrovsky told ABC public radio that the spy agency had used Australian passports for previous operations before last month’s hit on a top Hamas commander. He said agents had little trouble passing themselves off as Australians as few people in the Middle East have much knowledge about the country. “Consider the fact that Australians speak English and it’s an easy cover to take, very few people know very much about Australia,” he said. “You can tell whatever stories you want. It doesn’t take much of an accent to be an Australian or New Zealander, or an Englishman for that matter. “And I know people had been under Australian cover not once (but) quite a few times. So why not use it (again)?” Australian officials summoned the Israeli ambassador and warned the countries’ friendly ties were at risk after Dubai police named three Australian passport-holders in a list of new suspects in murder of Mahmud al-Mabhuh. Britain, Ireland, France and Germany expressed similar outrage after people holding documents from their countries were also linked to the January 20 killing in a luxury Dubai hotel. Israel has previously dismissed claims from Ostrovsky, who is now an author and has detailed various accusations against the country in his books. He said Mossad prefers to use “false flag” passports as Israeli papers frequently invoke suspicion in the Middle East. “They need passports because you can’t go around with an Israeli passport, not even a forged one, and get away or get involved with people from the Arab world,” he said. “So most of these (Mossad) operations are carried out on what’s called false flag, which means you pretend to be of another country which is less belligerent to those countries that you’re trying to recruit from.” The Australian newspaper said Ali Kazak, a former Palestinian representative to Australia, had warned in 2004 that a Mossad agent in Sydney had obtained 25 false Australian passports.—Agencies http://dailymailnews.com/0210/27/FrontPage/FrontPage11.php ------ Born John Burke. Died Muhammad Omar. 27 Feb, 2010 For The Irish Times , this story began with a note in a book, about an Irishman who had died fighting in 1980s Afghanistan. Foreign Correspondent MARY FITZGERALD traced his origins to a terraced house in Clonmel, where a father still grieves for John Burke, Tipperary man and Ireland’s only known jihadi ‘martyr’ ON A SUN-BLEACHED plain some 30km from the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan lies what is believed to be the final resting place of the only Irish person known to have died in the cause of jihad. As is the custom in that part of the world, his is a simple grave, its boundaries marked by a circle of stones. It is also anonymous; there is no headstone or plaque to tell what few travellers may pass by this remote spot that here lies Muhammad Omar, born John Gerard Burke in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, in October 1962; died April 1989. There are several accounts of the circumstances surrounding his death. Afghanistan in the early months of 1989 was a dangerous place. After a decade of bitter conflict, the Soviet Union, bloodied and cowed after what some refer to as “the Soviet Vietnam”, completed the withdrawal of its troops that February. Those who had helped drive the Soviets out, the ragtag army of Afghans and other Muslims drawn from more than a dozen countries who called themselves the mujahideen, continued to fight the forces of Afghanistan’s Russian-backed government. A letter received by John Burke’s father, a former corporal in the Irish Defence Forces also named John, some months later recounts his passing in heroic terms. “They say that [he] was fighting with confidence and determination against the enemy,” the letter, written on behalf of a Muslim cleric in Pakistan who knew the deceased, reads. “He held the gun in his right hand. Full Reprot at: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0227/1224265260630.html ------ Iraq to reinstate 20,000 Saddam-era officers February 27, 2010 BAGHDAD: The Iraqi military will reinstate 20,000 Saddam Hussein-era army officers who were dismissed from their posts after the 2003 US-led invasion for serving under the former dictator, an Iraqi defence spokesman said Friday. The announcement, a little over a week before the March 7 parliamentary elections, immediately raised questions about whether the move was timed to pump up votes for Prime Minister Nourial-Maliki. Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the move was not related to the balloting, but was simply a matter of timing because funding for the jobs became available. “This measure has nothing to do with elections, rather it is related to budget allocations,’’ he said. But that explanation held little sway with Sunni lawmakers who called it a blatant ploy by al-Maliki to win more votes. Full Reprot at: http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=226420 ------ PM’s Saudi trip terror-centric Syed Akbar 27 February 2010 New Delhi, Feb. 26: Terrorism, peace on earth and in outer space, exchange of convicted prisoners, business and diplomatic expansion, a mega common investment fund, regional and global issues, and information technology will dominate the Indo-Saudi talks during the three-day tour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia. Dr Manmohan Singh will leave for Saudi Arabian capital city of Riyadh on Saturday with a high level official and business delegation to boost bilateral ties and commerce between the two countries. New Delhi and Riyadh will sign as many as nine agreements, which include an extradition treaty and creation of a $680 million joint investment fund. The extradition treaty has been pending for long. labour issues will also be discussed, since Indians make a large chunk of workforce in the oil-rich Arab nation. Full Reprot at: http://www.asianage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3884:pms-saudi-trip-terror-centric&catid=35:india&Itemid=60 ------ Manmohan Singh allays Arab concern about growing Indo-Israeli defence cooperation Feb 27, 2010 JEDDAH: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that Arab concern about growing Indo-Israeli defence cooperation is "misplaced". Last year it was reported that Israel had replaced Russia as India's top supplier of defence equipment. The Indian premier was speaking in a special interview prior to his visit to the Kingdom. He arrives Saturday at the head of one of the most important Indian delegations to visit the Kingdom in years. "Our relationship with no single country is at the expense of our relations with any other country," he said. As to India's support for Palestine, it was "an article of faith for us," he added. "Our solidarity with the people of Palestine predates our independence," he said. "India supports a peaceful solution that would result in a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, side by side at peace with Israel." The Arab Peace Plan, the Quartet road map and the various UN Security Council resolutions on the issue were firmly supported by India. He recently confirmed this to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the latter's visit to Delhi a fortnight ago. The relationship with Saudi Arabia was of prime importance for India, the premier said. Trade was of particular importance. Following the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in January 2006 — a visit the Indian premier called a "landmark event" — the two countries have made "considerable" progress in strengthening their relationship, he said. "There have been regular high-level ministerial exchanges as well as intensified interaction among the business community, academia and other sections of society," he explained. Full Reprot at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article23074.ece ------ Strengthen unity, Muslims urged By B. Suresh Ram 2010/02/26 PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah yesterday called on Muslims in the country to strengthen their brotherhood and enhance their achievements to continue being a community of distinction. He said they would not be able to become a model community if they did not follow Islamic teachings. "History has shown that the supremacy of the Islamic civilisation in the past ended because there were followers who did not fully practise Islamic teachings," he said in his address at the national-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at Masjid Putra here. Tuanku Abdul Halim said Muslims must learn from past incidents and return to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad in their daily lives to become truly good Muslims. He said the theme of this year's Maulidur Rasul -- Strengthening the Brotherhood, Empowering the Community -- required Muslims to emulate the brotherhood displayed by Prophet Muhammad and use Islamic teachings to develop the community. "In moving forward, Muslims must always be prepared and must equip themselves with necessary skills and information to keep up with the times. Complacency and fear to compete must also be discarded and replaced with positive values which can build the inner strength of a true Muslim," he added. Tuanku Abdul Halim said the Quran and the Sunnah must also be used as a guide to build inner strength towards developing a sustainable and successful Muslim community. He said Muslims should strive to be the best, value achievement and be able to bring about change for the good, and not just follow the direction and culture of others. "In fact, Muslims should constantly strive for success and development. "This is the spirit that every Muslim must have." He said Islam called on its followers to strive for excellence in every aspect of their lives and they in turn should equip themselves with strong faith, knowledge, noble character and help one another to achieve good. Present were the Sultanah of Kedah Tuanku Haminah Hamidun, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman. Also present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek. http://www.nst.com.my/articles/4srmaulud/Article/index_html ------ Event that recalls Islamic teachings Tayyaba Kanwal February 26, 2010 LAHORE - As Eid Milad-un-Nabi comes, the faces of children brighten with joy. They celebrate it with great enthusiasm. It shows their love and devotion towards religion. But today we are exaggerating everything including those things, which are not allowed in respect to Islam. After adopting such things we are going far from our religion and making ourselves confused. Such as music is not allowed in Islam but now we have started reciting Naats with melodious tunes. We do not have time for our prayers. We are including such points in our religion which are not part of the Islam. Eid Milad-un-Nabi is to remember the day of birth of our beloved Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Not only children but also adults decorate their houses, streets, roads and markets with colourful flags and make beautiful hills and houses on the occasion. Talking to The Nation, Mubeen 10-year-old child said that he felt happy when he decorated his house and streets with his elders. He further said that his father informed him that it was a respectful day; we should offer special prayers and attend Milad processions. Mrs Safdar said that we should follow the true motive of Eid Milad-un-Nabi and only after adopting the teachings of Islam we would be successful in our lives. Samia, 11-year-old girl said that she liked to celebrate this day as it reminds us about our religion Islam. She said that she wore new clothes and celebrated this day with her elders. http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Lahore/26-Feb-2010/Event-that-recalls-us-Islamic-teachings ------ Muslims Must Strengthen Unity To Maintain Distinction February 26, 2010  Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Syah on Saturday said Muslims must strengthen their brotherhood and enhance their achievements to continue being a community of distinction. He said that they would not be able to become a model community and would instead be despised and belittled if they did not follow the Islamic teachings. "History has shown that the supremacy of the Islamic civilisation in the past was finally ended because there were followers who did not fully practise the Islamic teachings. "What's more saddening is the disunity, friction and disputes that have occurred among the Muslims themselves," he said at the national-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at Masjid Putra here. Present were the Sultanah of Kedah, Tuanku Hajah Haminah Hamidun, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife, Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman. Tuanku Abdul Halim said Muslims must learn from past incidents and return to the teaching of Prophet Muhammad in their daily lives to become truly good Muslims. He said this year's Maulidur Rasul theme, "Memantap Ukhuwah Meperkasa Ummah" (Strengthening the Brotherhood, Empowering the Community), required Muslims to follow the brotherhood displayed by Prophet Muhammad and use Islamic teachings to develop the community. "In moving forward, Muslims must always be prepared and equip themselves with various skills and information to keep up with the times. "Complacency and fear to compete must be discarded and replaced with positive values that can build the inner strength of the true Muslim," he added. He said the Quran and the Sunnah must be used as a guide to build inner strength towards developing a sustainable and successful Muslim community. He said Muslims should strive to be the best, value achievement and be able to bring about change for the good and not just follow the direction and culture of others. "In fact, Muslims should constantly strive for success and craft development. This is the spirit that every Muslim, who accepts and is confident of the teaching of Prophet Muhhamad, must have." Full Reprot at: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=478171 ------ Nizam-e-Mustafa (SAWW) only way to develop country: ST February 27, 2010 KARACHI: The chief of Sunni Tehreek (ST) Sarwat Ejaz Qadri Saturday said the implementation of the Nizam-e-Mustafa (Teachings of Holy Prophet Mohammed SAWW) is the only solution for the development and survival of Pakistan, Geo news reported. This he said addressing the participants of religious congregation organized in connection with the celebrations of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAWW) by ST here in Liaquatabad locality. The congregation comprised of hundreds of faithful gathered on trucks, mini buses, coasters, coaches, motorcycles, cars and etc. The rally appeared from Liaquatabad post office led by Sarwat Ejaz Qadri himself, which went through Teen Hatti, Noorani Chowrangi, M.A Jinnah Road, Jameh Cloth Market and ended at mausoleum of saint Chattan Shah (R.A). Provision of security was assured by presence of hundreds of police and rangers’ soldiers deployed at the various places on the route of the rally. Meanwhile, the rally participants staged sit-in on M.A Jinnah Road, calling on government for taking notice of target killing incidents in Karachi and arrest of culprits who plotted and carried out Nishtar Park incident in 2006. Addressing the rally, Sarwat Ejaz said faithful are celebrating Eid Milad-un-Nabi as the day of protection of respect of Hazrat Mohammed Mustafa (SAWW). The rallies, processions and congregations, on the day of 12th Rabi-ul-Awal, will weigh as political referendum against the blasphemy acts by European nations, he urged. On the occasion, many other ST leaders also addressed the rally. http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=99577 ------ Celebrating Eid Milad-un-Nabi with religious fervour February 27, 2010 ISLAMABAD: The nation on Saturday is celebrating Jashan-e-Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him) on 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal of lunar year with religious reverence and fervor, renewing the pledge to follow true teachings of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him). A large number of processions, comprising faithful on foot, motorcycles, cars, big trucks, vans and other vehicles, holding banners, green flags and placards, are being taken out in various cities of country including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Islamabad, Hyderabad and others. The day will begin with special prayers for development, safety, peace, unity and brotherhood amongst the followers of Holy Prophet (PBUH). Special security arrangements have been made to maintain law and order situation all across the country on the occasion of 12th Rabi-ul-Awal. Full Reprot at: http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=99572 ------ Indian Muslims want JMI’s status as a minority institution restored SHAHEEN NAZAR Feb 26, 2010 RIYADH: Restoring the status of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) as a Muslim minority institution appears to be the biggest concern of Indian Muslims. Speakers at the university’s annual alumni function in Riyadh this Friday called on the Indian government not to play with the sentiments of Muslims by trying to change the character of an institution so close to the hearts of its biggest religious minority. They expressed concern over the government’s pressure on the Delhi-based historic university to give up its constitutional right and provide 27 percent of its places to OBCs (other backward classes), the same as any other university in the country. The speakers were of the view that this would be a violation of Article 30 (1) of the Indian constitution. An 11-judge bench at the Supreme Court of India has also established the university’s minority status, which allows it to reserve half its seats for the Muslim community, they said. Full Reprot at: http://arabnews.com/world/article22316.ece ----- Detroit unveils gallery of Islamic art February 26, 2010 Heather Ecker, the Detroit Institute of Arts' curator of Islamic art, is seen in the museum's new Islamic art gallery, which opens on Sunday. Heather Ecker, the Detroit Institute of Arts' curator of Islamic art, is seen in the museum's new Islamic art gallery, which opens on Sunday. (Carlos Osorio/Associated Press) On Sunday, the Detroit Institute of Arts will open its new permanent gallery of Islamic art. Five years in the making and costing $750,000 US, the 3,350-square-foot gallery on the institute's first floor includes pieces from the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Central Asia and India that go all the way back to the seventh century AD. Many of the pieces were already in the museum or its archives. Full Reprot at: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2010/02/26/detroit-islamic-art.html l ------ Gafoor reappointed Maharashtra ACB chief TN Raghunatha 27 Feb, 2010 The Maharashtra Government on Friday appointed the controversial IPS officer Hasan Gafoor as the new State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) chief, less than a year after it had removed him from the Mumbai Police Commissioner's post in the wake of his indictment by the RD Pradhan Committee that probed the 26/11 attacks. The Ashok Chavan dispensation rehabilitated Gafoor by shifting him from his current position as the Managing Director of Maharashtra State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation (MSPHWC) — a relatively insignificant post also referred to as Director General Police (Housing) — and making him the State ACB chief. The ACB chief's post had been lying vacant ever since the State Government appointed senior-most IPS officer AN Roy a month ago. Full Reprot at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/238853/Gafoor-reappointed-Maharashtra-ACB-chief.html ------ Mad Mullahs and Guys in Ties face off in a high-stakes Great Game in Afghanistan Christine Parrish 2/27/2010 When President George W. Bush launched the Afghanistan war two months after the World Trade Center had been bombed, taking on Afghanistan seemed like taking up a game of checkers. We had might and right on our side, and all we had to do was jump. The objectives seemed pretty clear: go after Al Qaeda and get bin Laden, and squash this new terrorist threat like a big crunchy bug. Since the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan wouldn't turn bin Laden over, muscle them out of the way, too, and spread some democracy around while we were at it. We started piling up our game pieces: Jump, take the Taliban down in Kabul; jump, take them down in Jalalabad. We could see bin Laden on the other side, over in the Tora Bora caves right up against the Pakistan border, and we were headed straight towards the end-game when we took our eyes off the board and turned them towards Iraq. By the time our attention refocused on the game-board of South Asia eight years later, President Obama was in the White House and it was clear that we hadn't been playing checkers there after all. This was high-stakes chess and the Americans, the Pakistanis, and the Afghans had been playing it for 30 years or more. There were some Mad Mullahs with itchy trigger fingers at the table, and there were some Guys in Ties, our Guys in Ties, who had flung big wads of CIA cash and high-grade weapons at those same mad mullahs back in the 1980s when the Afghans were fighting the Soviets in the largest CIA covert war in history. Full Reprot at: http://freepressonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=52&SubSectionID=78&ArticleID=5318 ------ Amazigh rights issue pits Moroccan Berbers against Islamists By Anouar Hamama 2010-02-26 Many Moroccans want greater respect for the country's Amazigh heritage, but not everyone agrees there is a problem. Lahoucine Amouzay, like many Berbers, wants greater rights and respect for Morocco's Amazigh citizens. His activism puts him at odds with those who want an exclusively Arab and Islamic identity for Morocco. "We live in the margins," Amouzay told Magharebia. "All we get are promises. If we don't fight, we'll always be seen as a backward people." The Amazigh, commonly known as Berbers, were Morocco's first inhabitants and still account for about 60 percent of the country's nearly 32 million citizens. But Amazigh activists say they are treated like a minority by members of the dominant Arab culture. Even in Agadir, where Berbers are comparatively affluent and powerful, every day is a struggle, according to Amouzay. Like much of Morocco, Agadir has a huge gap between the poor and the wealthy. Islamists usually blame this inequality on Western influences and capitalism, while Amazigh activists often blame the Arab community and Islamist sway. Amouzay studies Amazigh culture at Ibn Zohr University of Agadir, one of only three schools in the country with such a programme. Even the lush university courtyard is starkly divided. Posters about Amazigh political prisoners and protests line one side, while fliers about Islamist prayer groups dot the other. Most Amazigh activists wear T-shirts and Western clothing, in contrast to the Islamists' more traditional dress. "We fight all the time ... [t]hey tear our posters down", Amouzay said. "They say we should be good Muslims, speak Arabic, and join the Arab world. They say we invent our problems, create our heritage." Full Reprot at: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/26/feature-01 ------ NU to set `distorted notion of pluralism' right Sat, 02/27/2010 Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in the country, will hold a national meeting next month to discuss pluralism, a no-tion it believes has been misunderstood and distorted at the same time, Antara news agency reported Thursday. The meeting will be held in Jakarta from March 12-13. The chairman of the organization's propagation body, AN Nuril Huda, was quoted as saying by Antara that he took the issue seriously. "We are deeply concerned about the widespread misconception of pluralism, which many think considers all religions as equally right. This is wrong," he said. Islam, he said, appreciated diversity, recognizing racial, cultural, social and economic differences in society. But, he stressed, this did not mean that the faith tolerated heresy and anything against religious principles. "Pluralism does not mean we also respect people whose thoughts defame religions." Full Reprot at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/27/nu-set-distorted-notion-pluralism039-right.html ------ Larger mosque completed, open in Orono By Judy Harrison 2/27/10 ORONO — The original Islamic Center of Maine looks so much like a house that trick-or-treaters have knocked on the door, interrupting prayer services. That’s unlikely to happen at the new mosque, located at 151 Park St. behind the first building on U.S. Route 2 near the former Thriftway grocery store. The 5,600-square-foot new building may not have a dome or minaret as larger mosques do, but it looks more like a house of worship than a residence. The center will hold an open house at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 6. The event, called “Meet Your Muslim Neighbors,” is designed to introduce people unfamiliar with Islam to the tenets and practices of the faith. The new building was completed in mid-January at a cost of about $750,000, Dr. Mohammad Tabbah, chairman of the center’s board of trustees, said Friday after prayers at 12:30 p.m. called jumma. He said it was only through “the generosity of the [Muslim] community” that the large new facility was able to be completed just eight years after the first mosque was opened. Full Reprot at: http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/137861.html ------ India-Pakistan talks an encouraging step towards full dialogue: Krishna 27 Feb, 2010 NEW DELHI: The government on Friday said the Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan held a day earlier were an “encouraging step” towards restoring dialogue and better communication between the two countries. The two Foreign Secretaries had agreed to remain in touch and continue this endeavour, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said while making a suo motu statement in both Houses of Parliament. Visiting Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir called on Mr. Krishna before leaving for Amritsar from where he will travel to Pakistan by road. Official sources described the meeting as “excellent” with both sides stressing the need to ensure peace in the region. Full Reprot at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/27/stories/2010022756221200.htm ------ Pakistan media not impressed with talks 27 Feb, 2010 Meaningless talks end in meaningless way, screamed a headline in a Pakistani newspaper on the first officials talks with India in 14 months, with the media saying that dialogue had failed to end the freeze and counselled Islamabad to refuse further such overtures. But a section of the newspapers saw the talks as a good start, saying a meeting between the two Foreign Secretaries should bring cheer to those seeking the normalisation of ties. Leading this line was the influential paper The Dawn which said the key to the way forward was to devise a workable framework for the two sides to resolve their disputes as the present climate is no where close to achieving that goal. Proclaiming that the Kashmir issue remains a core dispute, it said small beginnings should be embraced whole-heartedly. http://www.dailypioneer.com/238854/Pakistan-media-not-impressed-with-talks.htm ------ Furore in J&K over SMS mocking at Abdullahs Mohit Kandhar 27 Feb, 2010 A sequel to this season’s biggest Bollywood blockbuster — 3 Idiots — hit the mobile screens in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday morning after majority of legislators belonging to the ruling alliance and media persons woke up to read a crisp ‘SMS’ informing them about the recent production of Government of India. The SMS “someone posted 3 Idiots on Facebook. Three Abdullahs! Such hatred and anger that could consume everyone” was circulated by mischief mongers belonging to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) informing them about the recent post on the famous social networking site. In the recent post, the original poster of the Bollywood flick was tampered with and in its place someone had pasted images of top leaders of the National Conference. In the centre of the poster the image of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah was pasted in place of Aamir Khan who had portrayed the lead character in the satirical comedy. And on his left and right the pictures of the Abdullah duo — Dr Farooq Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, were pasted. Full Reprot at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/238849/Furore-in-JK-over-SMS-mocking-at-Abdullahs.html ------ ‘Courageous for India, Pak to talk’ S Rajagopalan 27 Feb, 2010 Hours after the Indo-Pak ‘flop show’, the United States, which has been ‘encouraging’ the two countries to resume dialogue process, termed the Thursday meeting “an important step”, even noting it was “a courageous step to open the door to dialogue again”.  “As we have long encouraged the restoration of dialogue, it is an important step for Pakistan and India, and we commend the political leadership in both the countries,” State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said, adding: “And we certainly hope that both countries will build on this dialogue in the weeks and months ahead.” Separately, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a Congressional hearing that the US, as one having encouraged resumption of the dialogue process, obviously hoped that it would be productive. Full Reprot at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/238891/%E2%80%98Courageous-for-India-Pak-to-talk%E2%80%99.html ------ Chill deep but ice breaks: Talks start, in public & private Pranab Dhal Samanta Feb 26, 2010 Breaking the 26/11 ice, as Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan resumed a long-halted conversation here today, decks were also cleared for the start of quiet back-channel engagement between former Pak Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammed Khan and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Special Envoy Satinder Lambah. Lambah and Khan are said to have had a meeting and both have been “fully involved” in steps leading to the resumption of FS-level talks today. Sources said Islamabad’s choice of Khan was communicated to New Delhi before today’s talks. India moved cautiously but is now believed to have given the go-ahead given how productive this process was during the Musharraf regime. During that time, Lambah and then Pakistan NSA Tariq Aziz held several meetings in other countries — away from the public glare — on contentious issues, including Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek. Full Reprot at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/chill-deep-but-ice-breaks-talks-start-in-public-&-private/584709/3 ------ Kasab complains of food laced with drugs, gets reprimanded Feb 26, 2010 Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab has complained to the special court that jail authorities are giving him food laced with drugs as a result of which he feels ‘giddy.’ The lone surviving 26/11 terrorist, however, was reprimanded by Judge M L Tahaliyani who asked him not to make such baseless allegations repeatedly. Kasab had made this grievance a few days back also after media left the court after proceedings got over. Kasab's lawyer K P Pawar confirmed that the accused had made this complaint but the court rejected his charge. Earlier also, Kasab had alleged that the authorities were giving him food laced with drugs following which the judge sent a sample of food served to him to a forensic laboratory for tests which negated his claims. Kasab also complained that the jail guards asked him to sing to pass their time, but claimed he did not oblige. The accused also alleged that the guards inquired from him whether he had a girlfriend to which he replied that he studied in a boys school. In another development, an RTI inquiry has revealed that the Maharashtra Government has spent Rs 5.24 crore for constructing a high-security cell for Kasab at Arthur Road Central Jail to protect him from any attack. The cell is reinforced with steel on the outer side to make it bullet and bomb proof. A tunnel has been constructed to allow him direct passage from his cell to the court. This is the first instance of government spending such a huge sum to protect an accused. Kasab is guarded round-the-clock by about 200 Indo-Tibet Border Police personnel. The trial is conducted amidst tight security with a strong posse of guards surrounding the Pakistani terrorist during the proceedings. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kasab-complains-of-food-laced-with-drugs-gets-reprimanded/584844/ ------ Gilani for ‘meaningful’ Indo-Pak talks Shafqat Ali 26 February 2010 Islamabad ,Feb. 26: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Friday that there should be “meaningful” talks between Pakistan and India to bring the two nuclear armed neighbours closer. “We want to have talks with India but these should be meaningful and the core issues should be addressed,” Mr Gilani said. Talking to reporters in Karachi, he said that Pakistan desires good, friendly ties with all the neighbouring countries including India and Afghanistan. Referring to the foreign secretary-level talks with India, he said that “we want good relations with India on bilateral level. These talks were part of efforts for friendship”. Mr Gilani said that there should be composite dialogue and that the dialogue is the only answer and that wars are not the solution. The Prime Minister said that Pakistan wants to develop friendship and trust with India. “Efforts are on to achieve this goal,” he added. Full Reprot at: http://www.asianage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3859:gilani-for-meaningful-indo-pak-talks&catid=36:international&Itemid=61 ------ Dubai: DNA proof of Mabhuh’s killers found February 27, 2010 DUBAI: Dubai police said on Friday they have DNA proof of the identity at least one of top Hamas man Mahmud Mabhuh’s killers and will set up a multi-national unit to hunt the alleged Israeli hit squad. “We have DNA evidence ... from the crime scene. The DNA of the criminals is there,” the Gulf emirate’s police chief Dhahi Khalfan said on the Arab satellite television Al-Arabiya. “We have the fingerprints, traces of DNA, and we know what they look like because of the (surveillance) cameras which have revealed the whole operation,” the police chief said. The murder of Mabhuh, whose body was found in a Dubai hotel room on January 20, has mounted international pressure on Israel after police said Israeli agents, most using stolen Western identities, had carried out the hit. But Israel has argued there is no evidence that its spy agency, the Mossad, was behind the hit. Dubai police have published details of 26 suspects together with passport photographs. The international police organisation, Interpol, has circulated warrants for the arrest of first 11 suspects, after Dubai released their names and passport details. Dubai later said it had 15 more suspects, and Khalfan said warrants for their arrest would be circulated through Interpol next week. Full Reprot at: http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=226419 ------ Uzbek fighters remain an ‘unknown quantity’ in Pakistan By Rahimullah Yusufzai 2010-02-26 PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Over the years, Uzbek militants have earned a reputation for ferocity and fanaticism. Those kidnapped by them tell harrowing tales of brutality. Unable to return to Uzbekistan and desperate to survive in an alien place, they have aligned with the most radical Pakistani militant commanders to stay in the tribal areas. But even that is in jeopardy. Information about Uzbek militants hiding in Pakistan’s tribal areas is so sketchy that authorities still have not confirmed whether Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) leader Tahir Yuldashev was killed several months ago in an airstrike in South Waziristan. The attack that may have killed Yuldashev, 43, took place August 27, exactly 22 days after a similar strike killed Baitullah Mehsud, founder of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in South Waziristan. Pakistani security officials said in October that Yuldashev, commonly referred to as Qari Farooq by militants, died in the August attack. However, tribal sources in South Waziristan said at the time that Yuldashev and Pakistani Taliban commander Noor Islam were injured. The sources said Noor recovered from his injuries, but no precise information was available about Yuldashev. Full Reprot at: http://www.centralasiaonline.com/cocoon/caii/xhtml/en_GB/features/caii/features/main/2010/02/26/feature-02 --------- Fazlullah’s nephew held in Nowshera Mushtaq Paracha February 27, 2010 NOWSHERA: In a joint action, the security forces and intelligence agencies arrested a nephew of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Swat chapter head Maulana Fazlullah from Pirsabak village here early Friday. The sources said the personnel of security forces and sleuths of intelligence agencies raided the house of 23-year-old Qari Dost Muhammad, Fazlullah’s nephew, in Kuzkhel Mohallah of Pirsabak and arrested him. He was blindfolded and shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation. Full Reprot at: http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=226448 URL of this page: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslami