Michigan
Muslim leader: Pix of slain Imam troubling
Sadr
supporters reject leading candidates for Iraqi PM
US 'reviewing' Iraq
killing video posted on WikiLeaks
Jerusalem
patriarch: Hamas protecting Christians
US,
Russia to sign nuclear arms treaty
US
says no to civil nuclear deal with Pakistan
China
to back Pak demand for N-deal with US: Report
Study
finds massive job discrimination against French Muslims
Behind
France's Islamic veil
Indonesian
couple face caning for adultery: Police
Sharjah
launches crackdown on 'humble lungi'
Mumbai
gunmen denied Muslim burial secretly interred in
January
Iraqi
teen would-be suicide bomber held
Prof.
Akhtarul Wassey is the new Vice-Chairman of Delhi Urdu
Academy
Jamiat-e-Ulema's
march for Muslim reservation
Conferece
on the life of Sahaba(R.A.)
Pennsylvania:
Silent Plea in Terrorism Case
Malaysian
Indian sentenced to death for killing 3 kids
US-Israeli
dispute still unresolved: Netanyahu
2
more Palestinian families get eviction warrant in East
Jerusalem
Israel
PM doubts sanctions have 'teeth' to dissuade Iran
Brithish
Army criticised for 'mosques' on firing range
Kidnapped
Greek curator is freed by Taliban
Qatari
diplomat detained after incident on US plane
At
Last Allowed, Muslim Scholar Visits
Pakistan
wants Afghan, Saudi, US input on Bhutto report
Iran
ridicules Obama's ‘cowboy’ nuke stance
Taliban
release new video of captured US soldier
Bangladesh
convicts, jails 29 paramilitary mutineers
Bangladesh
calls in army to distribute water
Kyrgyzstan
government ousted in violent revolt
Israel
main threat to Middle East peace: Erdogan
CROSS
BORDER LOVE STORY GRIPS INDIA AND PAKISTAN
I
have done what was most amicable: Shoaib Malik
Muslims
vow to unseat Zionists
Palestinian
prisoners on hunger strike to protest deteriorating living
conditions
Key
conspirator of Pune blast identified, says ATS
Lajpat
Nagar blast: Six convicted
Compiled
by Akshay
Kumar Ojha
Photo:
This undated file photo provided by Muslim Alliance of North America shows Imam
Luqman Ameen Abdullah, imam of the Masjid Al-Haqq mosque in
Detroit
------
Obama
to snap terror-Muslim link
Apr
8, 2010
WASHINGTON:
President Barack Obama's advisers plan to remove terms such as "Islamic
radicalism" from a document outlining national security strategy and will use
the new version to emphasize that the US does not view Muslim nations through
the lens of terrorism, counterterrorism officials say.
The
change would be a significant shift in the National Security Strategy, a
document that previously outlined the Bush Doctrine of preventive war. It
currently states, "The struggle against militant Islamic radicalism is the great
ideological conflict of the early years of the 21st century."
The
officials described the changes on condition of anonymity because the document
is still being written and is unlikely to be released for weeks, and the White
House would not discuss it. But rewriting the strategy document is the latest
example of Obama putting his stamp on US foreign policy, as with his promises to
dismantle nuclear weapons and limit the situations in which they can be used.
The
revisions are part of a larger effort about which the White House talks openly,
one that seeks to change not just how the US talks to Muslim nations, but also
what it talks to them about, from health care and science to business startups
and education.
That
shift away from terrorism has been building for a year, since Obama went to
Cairo and promised a "new beginning" in the relationship between the US and the
Muslim world. The White House believes the previous administration based that
relationship entirely on fighting terrorism and winning the war of ideas. "You
take a country where the overwhelming majority are not going to become
terrorists, and you go in and say, 'We're building you a hospital so you don't
become terrorists.' That doesn't make much sense," National Security Council
staffer Pradeep Ramamurthy said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Obama-to-snap-terror-Muslim-link/articleshow/5772094.cms
------
Michigan
Muslim leader: Pix of slain Imam troubling
By
JEFF KAROUB
DETROIT
— A Muslim civil rights group released crime scene photos Wednesday of the body
of a mosque leader shot 20 times during an FBI raid — images the group's
director says suggest the imam likely had to defend himself against a vicious
dog attack before he was killed.
FBI
agents were trying to arrest Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah on a variety of federal
charges during a raid in October on a warehouse in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb.
The FBI said Abdullah resisted arrest and fired a gun, prompting agents to fire
on him. An FBI dog was killed during the raid.
Dawud
Walid, who heads the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter,
said three of the five photos his group released Wednesday show Abdullah
sustained facial wounds he believes were from the dog. He said the large wounds
were located on various parts of Abdullah's head, indicating they were inflicted
while he was struggling.
"It
appears to be obvious that the dog wasn't scraping on him or chewing on him when
he was dead," said Walid, whose group is conducting its own investigation and
sent the autopsy report and all 75 crime scene photos to an outside expert for
review.
"We
don't know if he had a weapon or not, but most people, if they're being mauled
by a dog and they have a (gun), they're not going to think about whether they're
going to be shot," Walid said. "Their imminent threat would be the
dog."
The
Associated Press has chosen not to distribute the photos due to their graphic
nature.
Local
and federal authorities are still investigating and have said little about what
transpired the night of the raid.
An
FBI spokeswoman, Sandra Berchtold, said Wednesday that the bureau would not be
commenting until those investigations are completed. And Dearborn police Chief
Ronald Haddad said in February that his department's investigation would take
several more weeks. City spokeswoman Mary Laundroche said Wednesday that Haddad
was on vacation and that she would try to reach someone else who could comment
for the department.
Walid
said CAIR was denied its request for any warehouse video surveillance footage of
the clash and the results of the examination of the dog's body. He said CAIR has
sent the crime scene photos and autopsy report to noted Pennsylvania pathologist
Dr. Cyril Wecht for review. The former Allegheny County medical examiner has
conducted high-profile autopsies of Elvis Presley and slain child beauty queen
JonBenet Ramsey.
In
February, Wayne County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Carl Schmidt, released the
autopsy report and said there was no distinct pattern to the facial wounds. He
said he didn't know if they were dog bites.
Abdullah,
who was also known as Christopher Thomas, was the imam of a small mosque in
Detroit that served mostly black Muslims. The raid stemmed from an FBI
investigation of Abdullah and 11 associates for various crimes, chief among them
conspiracy to sell stolen goods. Abdullah's associates were arrested without
incident.
The
bureau accused Abdullah of spreading a radical anti-government ideology that
called for an Islamic state within the U.S. His family and supporters deny those
allegations and say the shooting of Abdullah was an act of brutality aimed at a
black Muslim. The government was not considering terrorism-related charges
against any of those tied to the case.
In
addition to the police investigation, the shooting is being examined by the
FBI's Inspection Division, which will send its findings to the Justice
Department's Civil Rights Division.
Walid
said members of Michigan's various Muslim communities have raised concerns about
what they regard as preferential treatment for the dog, which was airlifted for
medical care and given a memorial service. Wherever he speaks, Walid said,
"there's at least one person who said they treated a man like a dog and a dog
like a man."
"Technically,
that dog may have been a law enforcement officer, but that dog wasn't a human
being who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States," Walid
said. "It really has offended a lot of people's
sensibilities."
Copyright
© 2010 The Associated Press.
------
Sadr
supporters reject leading candidates for Iraqi PM
8
April 2010
The
Iraqi political group of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has rejected both of
the front-running candidates for prime minister.
The
members of the Sadrist bloc voted for former Interim Prime Minister Ibrahim
al-Jaafari in a referendum.
The
Sadrist bloc of 40 parliamentary seats could have swung the decision for either
Iyad Allawi or Nouri Maliki who lead the two biggest political
blocs.
The
decision means government-forming negotiations have become more
complex.
It
may take months, and not weeks, for the parties to form the coalitions necessary
to get enough seats to form a governing majority.
The
referendum offered a choice of five candidates, all of them Shias - Mr Maliki,
Mr Allawi, Mr Jaafari, Vice-President Adel Abdel Mahdi, and Jaafar Mohammed
Baqir Sadr, a second cousin of Moqtada Sadr and son of the revered Grand
Ayatollah Mohammad Sadiq Sadr, who was assassinated during the rule of Saddam
Hussein.
Crushed
In
the informal poll of grass-roots supporters, Mr Maliki came only fourth, with
10% of the votes.
The
man who heads the coalition which narrowly won the election, Iyad Allawi, came
behind Mr Maliki with 9% of the vote.
Mr
Jaafari, a former doctor, headed the American-appointed interim government in
2005.
He
was seen at the time as a popular leader who wanted to unify Sunni and Shia
interests.
He
was replaced by Mr Maliki as head of the largest Shia coalition in
2006.
As
prime minister, Mr Maliki crushed the military wing of the Sadr organisation,
the Mehdi Army, in an offensive during 2008.
If
the Sadrist movement had backed one of the two top contenders their role as
kingmakers would have been clear the BBC's Jim Muir reports from
Baghdad.
The
bloc's choice of Mr Jaafari is not likely to be viewed with enthusiasm by other
political blocs, our correspondent says.
It
is a month since the general election was concluded.
None
of the political groups won a big enough majority to form a
government.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8608841.stm
------
US
'reviewing' Iraq killing video posted on WikiLeaks
Apr
8, 2010
The
US military is reviewing a video of a controversial helicopter attack on a group
of people in Iraq in 2007, officials say.
The
review comes after footage of the attack was published online by the website
WikiLeaks, gaining 4.1 million YouTube viewings.
There
are, however, no plans to reopen an investigation into the case, a US Central
Command spokesman says.
An
earlier probe into the case cleared the helicopter crew of any war
crimes.
"Military
attorneys are looking at it," a US official, who spoke under condition of
anonymity, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
Reuters
photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen, 22, and his driver and assistant Saeed Chmagh,
40, were both killed in the attack when their cameras were mistaken for weapons,
US officials say.
"I
would welcome a thorough new investigation. Reuters from the start has called
for transparency and an objective inquiry so that all can learn lessons from
this tragedy," Reuters editor-in-chief David Schlesinger said in a
statement.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8608972.stm
------
Jerusalem
patriarch: Hamas protecting Christians
By
Laurent Grzybowski
[Interview
with Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem]
What
is the situation for Christians in Palestine?
It
is the same as for all Arabs in Palestine. Christians or Muslims, we are the
same people, with the same culture and the same history. A nation that is in
conflict with another nation. A nation that is living under military occupation
has no need of compassion but of justice. In a very tense political context we
are trying to cope with the same challenge. What does it mean to be a Christian?
It is to be in a society, in a world that we have not chosen but has been given
to us. Our vocation therefore is to be Christian in an Arab society which has a
Muslim majority. This is a familiar experience to us, we have several centuries
of history behind us.
However,
today one speaks of anti-Christian persecution
Individual
incidents between Muslims and Christians can take on a community dimension. In
these cases there are mediators, families known for their wisdom and their
authority, capable of resolving conflicts. I can bear witness to the fact that
in Palestine, it never goes further than this. There have never been massacres
or terrorist attacks against churches, never have I known an openly
antichristian persecution. Even in Gaza, Christians are protected by Hamas, so
often presented as a terrorist organization.
Full
report at: © Malesherbes Publications
------
US,
Russia to sign nuclear arms treaty
Apr
8, 2010
PRAGUE:
US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev will sign
a treaty on Thursday that slashes their two nations' atomic arsenals, boosting
Obama's vision of a nuclear-free world.
The
signing will take place in Prague, where Obama gave a keynote speech last year
committing the United States to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama
had pushed hard for the new treaty in a bid to improve strained ties with Moscow
and set an example for the rest of the world as he seeks to strengthen global
non-proliferation efforts.
If
ratified by the US Senate and Russia's parliament, the new treaty will replace
the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expired last December.
The
so-called "new START" will limit the two former Cold War foes to a maximum of
1,550 deployed warheads, about 30 percent lower than a previous upper limit on
warheads set in 2002.
Full
report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/US-Russia-to-sign-nuclear-arms-treaty/articleshow/5773392.cms
------
US
says no to civil nuclear deal with Pakistan
Apr
8, 2010
WASHINGTON:
Hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that his country
"qualifies" for a civilian nuclear deal with the US, like that of India, the
Obama administration in a blunt message told it that such a deal is not on
platter of its talks with Islamabad.
"We
are focused on Pakistan's energy needs, but, as we said last week, right now
that does not include civilian nuclear energy," assistant secretary of state for
public affairs P J Crowley told reporters.
Full
report at:
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-says-no-to-civil-nuclear-deal-with-Pakistan-/articleshow/5772397.cms
------
China
to back Pak demand for N-deal with US: Report
Apr
8, 2010
ISLAMABAD:
China will back Pakistan at a key nuclear summit in Washington next week on
several issues, including its demand for a civil nuclear deal similar to the one
India inked with the US and its efforts to improve atomic capabilities for
peaceful purposes, a media report said here.
The
issue of China's support for Pakistan on these issues was discussed in
yesterday's meeting of the parliamentary committee on national security chaired
by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the 'Daily Times' newspaper quoted sources
privy to the meeting as saying.
Significantly,
Pakistan's Ambassador to China Masood Khan also participated in the meeting that
discussed the country's preparations for the April 12-13 nuclear summit.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/China-to-back-Pak-demand-for-N-deal-with-US-Report-/articleshow/5774233.cms
------
Study
finds massive job discrimination against French Muslims
Apr
8, 2010, 12:46 GMT
Paris
- A recent study has found that a French Muslim job applicant has 2.5 times
fewer chances of being hired than a Christian, the online daily Mediapart
reported Thursday.
The
authors of the study, which was carried out by the Science-Po university and the
Franco-American Foundation, concluded that 'all things being equal, immigrant
Muslim citizens face obstacles to integration via job access much higher than
their Christian counterparts.'
In
the study, job applications were sent to hundreds of firms under the names Marie
Diouf and Khadija Diouf. The personal data given on their applications,
including age and marital status, were identical except for religious
background.
'Marie'
worked for a Catholic organization, while 'Khadija' was a former employee of
Islamic Aid. The surname 'Diouf' was used because there are thousands of
Senegalese refugees living in France who come from Christian or Islamic
communities.
The
researchers found that 'Marie Diouf' received an invitation for a job interview
from 21 per cent of the firms to which she applied, while 'Khadija Diouf' was
invited for an interview by only 8 per cent.
'This
demonstrates mass discrimination,' sociologist Daniel Sabbagh
concluded.
©
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
------
Behind
France's Islamic veil
Apr
08, 2010
France
is one of several European countries considering a ban on the Islamic veil, and
some restrictions on the niqab could become law within weeks. Claire Bolderson
reports on how the debate plays into a broader struggle over French
identity.
In
a small park at the back of a housing estate in Avignon, Kenza Drider, 31, races
around a scruffy tennis court giggling and shouting encouragement to her
opponent as she swings her racket at the ball.
It
is just a knock-about game and would be unremarkable, except that Kenza Drider
is a very unusual sight.
Her
plain blue dress reaches to the ground. On top of it, covering her hair and
shoulders, is a voluminous, long grey shawl.
And,
most striking of all, over her face she wears a piece of black cloth - a niqab -
that conceals everything except her deep brown eyes.
Mrs
Drider, born in France to Moroccan immigrant parents, is one of the few Muslim
women in France who wear the niqab. The official count puts the number at no
more than 2,000 in a Muslim population of well over five
million.
But
over the past year, they have become the focus of an intense debate about Muslim
integration and what it means to be French.
Full
report at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8607802.stm
------
Indonesian
couple face caning for adultery: Police
April 08, 2010
Banda Aceh: A couple caught having extramarital sex in Indonesia
were paraded naked through their village, beaten by an angry mob and now face a
public caning, an official said on Thursday.
Bus, a 36-year-old teacher, and Yus, a 28-year-old housewife, were
caught having sex yesterday in deeply Islamic Aceh province, where religious
police enforce sharia or Islamic regulations.
"The villagers raided the woman's house and found the couple
together," West Aceh district sharia police official Teuku Abdurrazak said.
"They dragged them out, paraded them naked through the village,
tied them to a post and then beat them with sticks and their bare hands till
they were black and blue.
"The villagers were so angry... if the police had come any later
the couple could have died."
The pair could receive up to nine lashes each in public if they
are found guilty of adultery, Abdurrazak said.
Aceh adopted partial sharia law in 2001 as part of an autonomy
package from Jakarta aimed at quelling separatist sentiment.
Nearly 90 per cent of Indonesia's 234 million people are Muslims,
but the vast majority practise a moderate form of the religion.
http://www.zeenews.com/news617483.html
------
Sharjah
launches crackdown on 'humble lungi'
Apr 7, 2010
DUBAI: It may be the traditional drape of millions of Indians but
the 'humble lungi' has attracted the wrath of authorities in Sharjah as the
police is reportedly cracking down on men wearing the dress in public places.
There has, however, been no official communication to this effect.
Local reports said an Asian man was arrested and interrogated by
police patrols in Sharjah a few days ago for wearing lungi in public.
He was told not to wear the dress in public. The news has had
mixed reactions from Indians in the UAE even from those who rarely venture out
in the traditional wear.
"I never wear it outside my home and never would," Srikumar, a
Keralite in Dubai said. "But I still don't understand what’s the problem as long
as a lungi properly covers the body. Probably this person was wearing a lungi
that did not have its two ends stitched together," he said.
It is largely believed that indecent and revealing clothes are
generally discouraged and this is an extension of the same.
'The decency law was implemented in Sharjah ten years ago," an
officer told Gulf News.
He said people were expected to wear decent clothes in public, but
did not explain if there was a ban on wearing the lungi in public.
Besides Indians, people from Pakistan, Myanmar and other South
Asian countries also wear the lungi .
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Sharjah-launches-crackdown-on-humble-lungi/articleshow/5771144.cms
------
Mumbai
gunmen denied Muslim burial secretly interred in January
APR 7, 2010
Remember the issue of what to do with the corpses of the nine
attackers killed during the November 2008 siege of the Taj Mahal Hotel and other
targets in Mumbai that killed 166 people? The dead attackers were all presumed
to be Pakistani Muslims, like the sole survivor, but local Indian Muslim leaders
refused to let them be buried in their cemeteries. Islamabad ignored calls to
take the bodies back. So they were left in morgue refrigerators in Mumbai,
presumably until the issue was finally settled.
Sole surviving attacker, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, in police custody
in this undated video grab shown by CNN IBN Television channel on February 3,
2009/CNN IBN
Full
report at: http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2010/04/07/mumbai-gunmen-denied-muslim-burial-secretly-interred-in-january/
------
Iraqi
teen would-be suicide bomber held
Apr
8, 2010
FALLUJA:
Iraqi police arrested a teenage boy wearing a vest packed with explosives near
the western city of Falluja, foiling an attempt to attack security forces, a
police officer said on Wednesday.
The
15-year-old was arrested on Monday at his home in the town of Amiriya, about 5
km south of Falluja, said an officer who participated in the
arrest.
The
arrest came a day before bombs ripped through apartment buildings and a market
in mostly Shiite areas of Baghdad, killing some 50 people.
A
preliminary investigation found that a neighbor had encouraged the boy to blow
himself up near police, telling him he would "go to paradise,” to avenge the
death of his father who was killed by security forces two years ago, the officer
said.
Full
report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article40352.ece
------
Prof.
Akhtarul Wassey is the new Vice-Chairman of Delhi Urdu
Academy
April
7,2010
New
Age Islam News Bureau
New
Delhi: The head of the Department of Islamic Studies of Jamia Millia Islamia,
Prof. Akhtarul Wassey has been appointed as the new Vice-Chairman of the Delhi
Urdu Academy, according to a notification of the Academy.
Mr
Wassey who will take charge on Friday, thanked the Chief Minister of Delhi, Ms
Shiela Dixit and vowed to work for the
development of Urdu. The editor of NewAgeIslam.com, Mr Sultan
Shahin congratulated him over the phone and hoped that under him the
Academy will achieve new milestones in the field of development and promotion of
Urdu language and literature.
Prof.
Akhtarul Wassey said that he would try his best to make the Academy a bridge
between the government and the Urdu speaking community. He further added that
the Delhi Urdu Academy had a glorious history and tradition and he would try to
take forward the achievements of his predecessors.
Speaking
on the tasks ahead, he said the ongoing projects of the Academy will be extended
and new projects will be launched.
Prof.
Wassey is associated with various educational and social institutions such as
the Dr Zakir Hussain Institute of Islamic Studies, The National Council for the
Promotion of Urdu Language(NCPUL) and the Maulana Md Ali Jauhar Academy.He has
authored 20 books and is the editor of an English periodical 'Islam and the
Modern Age'.
------
Jamiat-e-Ulema's
march for Muslim reservation
April
7,2010
New Age Islam News
Bureau
Rampur:Jamiat-e-Ulema's
leaders and general Muslims participated
in a march demanding reservations for Muslims here on
Wednesday.
The
Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, Anwar Ali Ansari and the Presidernt of the All India
Deeni Madaris Board Maulvi Yaqub Bulandshahri were among the participants. Later
they sent a memorandum to the President of India. Speaking on the occasion Mr
Ansari said that on the issue of reservation the Muslims were united and had hit
the streets. He complained that despite the publication of the Sachar Committee
Report and the Ranganathan Commission recommendations the government had not
taken practical steps and said that the Muslims were now asserting their
constitutional rights.
He
also observed that the number of Muslim candidates in the Assembly and the
Parliament was on a downslide which was a cause for
concern.
The
memorandum sent to the President has the following
demands:
1)
The Liberhan Commission Report should be made public
2)
Muslims should be provided with quota in government jobs according to the
recommendations of Sachar Committee and Ranganathan Mishra Commission
recommendations
3)
The Women's Reservation Bill should be revised
4)
The Batla House encounter inquiry should be handed over to the CBI
and
5)
The minority status of the Aligarh Muslim University and the Jamia Millia
Islamia should be reinstated.
------
Conference
on the life of Sahaba(R.A.)
April
7,2010
New Age Islam News
Bureau
New
Delhi:The 30th conference on the greatness of Sahaba(R.A.),the holy companions
of Prophet Mohammad(PBUH) was held here
on Wednesday. Speaking to the media,Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salehi said
that the lives of the sahaba were an example for us and if we followed in their
footsteps, all our problems could be solved. He said that the conference had
been organised by the Jamiat-e-Ulema with the purpose to present the luminous
lives of the sahaba to the world so that the world could follow the path which
once led to peace and progress, doing away with terrorism, tyranny and
injustice.
He
further said that the world had admitted to the greatness of the sahaba(R.A.).
He referred to the Christian author Michael's world famous book "The Hundred"
which included Prophet Mohammad(PBUH) and Hadhrat Umar Farooque(R.A.). On the
other hand, he added, the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi had said that if
India got freedom, I would like the country to have a government like the one
under Hadhrat Umar(R.A.)
------
Pennsylvania:
Silent Plea in Terrorism Case
April
7, 2010
A
pregnant Colorado woman charged in a global terrorism plot pleaded not guilty
with a nod of the head to avoid giving investigators a voice sample. A lawyer
for the woman, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, 31, said the government had seized computer
evidence that might contain voice recordings and had his client remain silent at
Wednesday’s arraignment in Philadelphia so prosecutors would not have a voice
sample. Prosecutors say Ms. Paulin-Ramirez aided a group that was plotting to
kill a Swedish artist whose drawing offended many Muslims.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/us/08brfs-SILENTPLEAIN_BRF.html?src=mv
------
Malaysian
Indian sentenced to death for killing 3 kids
Apr
8, 2010
JOHOR
BARU (Malaysia): A Malaysian Indian, who murdered his three children and tried
to kill himself along with his daughter in a suicide pact, was sentenced to
death by a High Court.
The
convict P Vellertore, 52, however, denied to have committed the crime and said
he will file an appeal against the Wednesday's judgment of the High Court, New
Straits Times reported.
The
court found Vellertore guilty of killing his three children- Rudraa Kumar, 6,
Keseprata, 5, and Harini, 3, -- by strangling them at their home on November 20,
2004.
Later,
when he tried to hang himself along with his 14-year-old daughter Revathi, the
eldest child changed her mind and screamed for help. She was saved by a
neighbour.
"I
understand you were under a lot of pressure at that time, but you should have
sought another path. The court has no choice but to sentence you to death by
hanging," said the High Court judge Jeffrey Tan while pronouncing the judgement.
Vellertore's
wife had reportedly left the family home a month before the murders, claiming
that her husband had been abusive.
Indians,
mostly Tamils, constitute 7% of the 28 million population of
Malaysia.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/indians-abroad/Malaysian-Indian-sentenced-to-death-for-killing-3-kids/articleshow/5772883.cms
------
US-Israeli
dispute still unresolved: Netanyahu
By
JEFFREY HELLER
Apr
8, 2010
JERUSALEM:
Israel and the United States remain divided on Jewish settlement construction
although the gap has narrowed in some areas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said on Wednesday after consulting senior Cabinet members.
Netanyahu
and Cabinet ministers have been weighing a response to US opposition to housing
construction for Jews in occupied areas in and near Jerusalem and Washington's
call for steps to persuade Palestinians to return to peace
talks.
At
a news conference to sum up a year in office, Netanyahu gave no sign that an end
to the settlement dispute, which has strained relations between Israel and its
main ally, was near.
"We
are in continuing discussions," Netanyahu said, referring to a dialogue with US
President Barack Obama's administration.
Full
report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article40351.ece
------
2
more Palestinian families get eviction warrant in East
Jerusalem
By
MOHAMMED MAR'I
Apr
7, 2010
RAMALLAH:
A rightist Israeli group on Tuesday handed an eviction warrant to two
Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem's neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, a
Palestinian official said.
Hatim
Abdulqader, who is charge of the Jerusalem portfolio in the Fatah movement, told
Arab News that activists from the Nahalat Shimon settler group handed the
warrants to the Al-Dajani and Al-Dahoudi families.
Abdulqader
added that the warrant "gave the family a 30-day ultimatum before the
evacuation."
Full
report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article39981.ece
------
Israel
PM doubts sanctions have 'teeth' to dissuade Iran
Apr
8, 2010
JERUSALEM:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he doubts the
sanctions being mulled against Iran would be tough enough to rein in the Islamic
republic's nuclear ambitions.
"I
doubt that such a programme will have teeth and the real ability to stop" Iran's
nuclear drive, he said at a news conference in Jerusalem, referring to US-led
efforts to slap new UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear defiance.
Netanyahu
stressed that the only "real effective sanctions would those which hit Iran's
energy market, either the imports of refined fuel or the production of
petroleum."
Israel
shares the US conviction that Iran, its arch-foe, is seeking to obtain nuclear
weapons, a claim Tehran denies.
The
sole, if undeclared, nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, the Jewish state
has repeatedly said it would not rule out a military option in dealing with
Iran.
Netanyahu
made the comments ahead of next week's international summit on nuclear security
summit in Washington, which he will attend.
Full
report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-PM-doubts-sanctions-have-teeth-to-dissuade-Iran-/articleshow/5772230.cms
------
Brithish
Army criticised for 'mosques' on firing range
08
Apr 2010
Bradford
Council for Mosques said the features on Bellerby firing range at Catterick
Garrison in North Yorkshire should be taken down
immediately.
The
Army has apologised but said it was vital soldiers trained in an environment
which replicated where they were deployed.
A
spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the structures were ''generic Eastern
buildings'' and were not used as target practice.
Mohammed
Saleem Khan, chief executive of the Bradford Council for Mosques, said the shape
and colour of the structures - a green dome - symbolised an Islamic place of
worship.
''It
is so obvious. Even a non-Muslim recognised the significance. The first person
who raised the issue with us was a non-Muslim,'' he said.
Full
report at: © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited
2010
------
Kidnapped
Greek curator is freed by Taliban
By
Dilawar Khan Wazir
A
Greek national kidnapped by the Taliban eight months ago in Pakistan has been
released, officials say.
Athanassios
Lerounis was abducted while based in the northern district of Chitral, where he
worked as the curator of a heritage museum for several
years.
He
was taken across the border to the Afghan province of
Nuristan.
His
captors demanded the release of militants held by Pakistan in exchange for his
freedom but officials say no militant exchange was made.
"He
has been released by the successful efforts of Pakistani security agencies,"
Rahmatullah Wazir, the top administrative official in Chitral, told the
BBC.
Full
report at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8609214.stm
------
Qatari
diplomat detained after incident on US plane
8
April 2010
A
Qatari diplomat has been detained after an incident on a flight from
Washington's Reagan airport to Denver.
Two
F-16 jets were scrambled to intercept the United Airlines plane and escort it to
land safely at Denver airport, US officials said.
Initial
reports said the man, who has not been named, had tried to set fire to his
shoes.
But
officials later said no explosives were found and he had apparently been trying
to smoke in a plane toilet.
Investigators
were told the man was asked about the smell of smoke in the toilet and he made a
joke that he had been trying to light his shoes - an apparent reference to the
2001 "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, AP news agency reported.
Reid,
a British citizen, tried to blow up a transatlantic jet with explosives hidden
in his footwear.
'Mistake'
Full
report at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8608611.stm
------
At
Last Allowed, Muslim Scholar Visits
By
KIRK SEMPLE
April
7, 2010
A
federal appeals court had ruled in his favor. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton had issued an order that paved the way for a visa. And so, on Wednesday
afternoon, Tariq Ramadan stepped off a plane at Newark Liberty International
Airport for his first visit to the United States since 2004, when the Bush
administration barred him from entering, asserting he had contributed money to
terrorist enterprises.
But
for Mr. Ramadan, one of the foremost European scholars of the Islamic world,
there was still one last hurdle: a closed-door session with three immigration
agents, one after the other, who asked him where he planned to go, whom he
planned to meet and what he planned to discuss.
Two
hours after his plane from Paris landed, Mr. Ramadan, wearing a dark suit and a
smile of relief, cleared customs and shook hands with two representatives of the
American Civil Liberties Union, which had litigated his case, and Muna Ali, an
assistant of his who lives in the United States.
“How
are you, Muna?” he asked.
“You
kept us waiting,” she said, with good humor. “What’s new?”
The
group split up into two cabs, and Mr. Ramadan, 47, boarded one with Jameel
Jaffer, a representative of the civil liberties union.
Full
report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/nyregion/08muslim.html?src=mv
------
Pakistan
wants Afghan, Saudi, US input on Bhutto report
Apr
7, 2010
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan said Wednesday it had asked the United Nations to delay a report into
the killing of Benazir Bhutto so that input from Afghanistan, the United States
and Saudi Arabia could be included.
Bowing
to Islamabad's request, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on March 30 delayed
until mid-April the release of the sensitive report by the three-member panel
into the assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister.
Interior
minister Rehman Malik told reporters Wednesday that the Pakistani people "want a
proper report substantiated by facts."
"I
have requested that the commission should seek input from former US secretary of
state Condoleezza Rice, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Saudi Arabia, and
include it in its report," Malik added.
Full
report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-wants-Afghan-Saudi-US-input-on-Bhutto-report/articleshow/5771877.cms
------
Iran
ridicules Obama's ‘cowboy’ nuke stance
By
ALI AKBAR DAREINI
Apr
8, 2010
TEHRAN:
Iran's president on Wednesday ridiculed President Barack Obama's new nuclear
strategy, which turns the US focus away from the Cold War threats and instead
aims to stop the spread of atomic weapons to rogue states or
terrorists.
Obama
on Tuesday announced the new strategy, including a vow not to use nuclear
weapons against countries that do not have them. Iran, however, was pointedly
excepted from that pledge, along with North Korea, because Washington accuses
them of not cooperating with the international community on nonproliferation
standards.
US
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the focus would now be on terror groups such
as Al-Qaeda as well as North Korea's nuclear buildup and Iran's nuclear
ambitions.
Pressuring
Iran in its standoff with the West is a particular focus of the new strategy.
The exception from the non-use pledge represents a warning to Tehran. But also,
the new guidelines aim to show Washington is serious about reducing its own
arsenal and about gathering world support for stricter safeguards against
nuclear proliferation - a move aimed at further isolating Iran
diplomatically.
Full
report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article40350.ece
------
Taliban
release new video of captured US soldier
Apr
8, 2010
The
Taliban have released a new video which appears to show an American soldier who
was captured in Afghanistan in June last year.
On
the video, a man in combat uniform asks the US government to intervene and win
his release.
The
soldier, Private Bowe Bergdahl, looks fit and is heard listing the names of his
family and friends.
A
Taliban spokesman says in the video they are demanding the release of prisoners
in exchange for the soldier.
Nato
said in a statement that using Pte Bergdahl "as a means of propaganda is a
deplorable act and only fuels our efforts to find him and bring him
home".
Pte
Bergdahl was serving with an Alaska-based infantry regiment in Paktika
province.
He
vanished from his base, near the border with Pakistan, just five months after
arriving in Afghanistan.
The
military has been trying to locate him ever since, and a reward has been offered
for his safe return.
He
is believed to be the first soldier seized in either Iraq or Afghanistan for at
least two years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8608623.stm
------
Bangladesh
convicts, jails 29 paramilitary mutineers
By
ANIS AHMED
Apr
8, 2010
DHAKA:
A special tribunal in Bangladesh on Wednesday convicted 29 paramilitary troops
of mutinying last year against their army commanders and sentenced them to up to
seven years in jail.
The
minimum punishment handed out was four months in prison, legal officials
said.
Those
convicted were among soldiers who killed more than 70 people, including 57 army
officers, during the two-day revolt at the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR)
headquarters in Dhaka in February 2009.
The
sentences issued in northern Panchagarh district were the first by the tribunal,
which sits at various locations and is headed by BDR chief Maj. Gen. Mainul
Islam.
Around
3,500 soldiers or border guards have been accused of involvement in the mutiny.
Many face punishment on charges of participating in the revolt and for the
killings and the concealment of bodies.
Full
report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article40324.ece
------
Bangladesh
calls in army to distribute water
Apr
8, 2010
DHAKA:
Bangladesh deployed troops to distribute drinking water on Wednesday among the
capital's more than 12 million people, after lawmakers had warned that growing
public discontent over a water crisis could lead to
unrest.
A
falling water table and lack of power to run water pumps have caused a serious
shortage of drinking water in Dhaka, with hundreds of residents marching in the
streets daily with empty pitchers and demanding government
action.
"How
can we pump enough water while there is no electricity to run the pumps," said
an official of the Dhaka water and sewage authority
(WASA).
"Many
pumps remain shut or cannot operate up to their capacities because of a shortage
of power," said the official, who asked not to be
identified.
The
WASA says it is now able to supply only 1.8 billion liters of water in the
capital a day, against a demand of 2.4 billion liters, due to frequent power
cuts and a fall in groundwater levels.
A
power official said the daily shortage of electricity in the city had soared to
1,500 megawatts because of lack natural gas to run power
plants
http://arabnews.com/world/article40298.ece
------
Kyrgyzstan
government ousted in violent revolt
Apr
8, 2010
BISHKEK:
Opponents of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev took control on Wednesday of Kyrgyzstan
after a day of spectacular violence that ended with Bakiyev fleeing the capital
of the strategic Central Asian state.
Opposition
protesters seized the presidential administration on Wednesday night and
announced on state radio that they had formed a provisional government with
former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva at its head.
A
worker at Bishkek's international airport said that the 60-year-old Bakiyev had
fled the capital aboard a small plane as his opponents consolidated their grip
on key national institutions.
Opposition
leader Temir Sariyev said on Kyrgyz radio that Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov had
signed a letter of resignation and Otunbayeva vowed that the new leadership in
the country would move quickly to normalize the situation.
"Power
is now in the hands of the people's government," Otunbayeva said in an address
on state radio.
Full
report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Kyrgyzstan-government-ousted-in-violent-revolt/articleshow/5772115.cms
------
Israel
main threat to Middle East peace: Erdogan
Apr
8, 2010
PARIS:
The prime minister of Turkey on Wednesday branded the Jewish state the
“principal threat to peace” in the Middle East.
Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks at a breakfast meeting in Paris marked a
new low in deteriorating relations between Israel and Turkey, which once had
close military and political ties.
“If
a country uses disproportionate force in Palestine, in Gaza — uses phosphorous
shells — we’re not going to say ‘bravo’,” he said, referring to Israel’s January
2009 offensive against people in Gaza.
Full
report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article40383.ece
------
CROSS
BORDER LOVE STORY GRIPS INDIA AND PAKISTAN
By
Carol Grisanti
April
08, 2010
ISLAMABAD,
Pakistan – Bollywood couldn’t have done better – a cross-border love story that
is gripping an entire continent. A dashing Pakistani cricket star, Shoaib Malik,
falls in love with Sania Mirza, India’s top tennis champion, sets a wedding date
and will travel to India to fetch his bride-to-be.
Indian
tennis star Sania Mirza, left and Pakistan's former cricket captain Shoaib
Malik, right, share a moment as they address the media in Hyderabad, India, on
April 5.
The
classic – boy meets girl and lives happily ever after?
Not
so fast.
This
is Pakistan and India – rival nuclear-armed nations that have already fought two
wars against each other and often seem on the brink of a third.
When
Malik, 28, went on national television to proclaim his love for Mirza, 23, the
pair – both Muslim – made headlines all over South Asia. Pakistanis celebrated,
while the Indians cried foul.
Full
report at:
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/04/08/2260377.aspx
------
I
have done what was most amicable: Shoaib Malik
Apr
8, 2010
KARACHI:
Shoaib Malik's sudden decision to divorce the woman he disowned all along left
everyone stunned but the Pakistani cricketer, now set to marry Sania Mirza, on
Thursday said it was the most "amicable" thing to do in a situation that was
"beyond reasoning".
Shoaib
divorced Ayesha Siddiqui on Wednesday despite insisting previously that he was
never married to the Hyderabadi girl, who claimed that he dumped her because of
her weight problems.
The
divorce followed days of mudslinging in which Ayesha even filed an FIR against
Shoaib accusing him of fraud and criminal intimidation.
Relieved
that the controversy was finally over, Shoaib said, "I would like to firstly
thank Allah almighty and all of you as media and the entire nation of Pakistan
in supporting me and giving me the strength to face all what has been
witnessed."
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/sania-shoaib-wedding/I-have-done-what-was-most-amicable-Shoaib-Malik/articleshow/5773915.cms
------
Muslims
vow to unseat Zionists
By
Martin Bright
April
8, 2010
The
Muslim organisation that claimed responsibility for unseating "pro-war,
pro-Israel" Labour MP Lorna Fitzsimons from her Rochdale constituency at the
last election has launched its campaign for the 2010
election.
The
Muslim Public Affairs Committee, which has an openly anti-Zionist agenda, has
said it will target MPs and candidates known to support Israel and those they
have identified as "Islamophobic". It claims that 82 constituencies now have a
Muslim population larger than the incumbent's majority.
MPAC
will concentrate its resources on the Oldham seat of Immigration Minister Phil
Woolas, who recently raised concerns about the prevalence of marriage between
cousins in the Muslim community.
Full
report at:
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/30217/muslims-vow-unseat-zionists
------
Palestinian
prisoners on hunger strike to protest deteriorating living
conditions
By
MOHAMMED MAR'I
Apr
8, 2010
RAMALLAH:
The Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and detention camps on Wednesday
launched a full hunger strike to protest against the "deteriorating living
conditions in Israeli jails."
The
Palestinian Prisoners Club (Nadi Al-Asir) said in a press statement that "more
than 7,000 Palestinian male and female prisoners in ten central Israeli prisons
and three detention camps refused to receive their meals offered by the prison
on Wednesday."
The
club added that the prisoners "will also strike on April 17 and 27 if Israeli
prisons' authorities ignore their demands to improve their living conditions."
It added that Palestinian prisoners are living the worst ever living conditions
in Israeli jails, adding that the Israeli prisons' authorities keep ignoring
their demands.
The
hunger strikers want more access to university education, entry of books into
prisons, telephones, Arab satellite channels, a cessation of strip searches, end
of solitary confinement, imposing financial fines on prisoners, improving food
quality and ease restrictions on family visitations.
Full
report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article40359.ece
------
Key
conspirator of Pune blast identified, says ATS
Apr
8, 2010
MUMBAI:
Yasin Bhatkal, believed to be a relative of Indian Mujahideen founder Riyaz
Bhatkal, has been identified by Maharashtra ATS as one of the main conspirators
of the Pune bomb blast in which 17 people were killed.
Indian
Mujahideen is suspected to be behind the February 13 blast in Pune's upscale
Koregaon Park area, an ATS source said.
The
ATS, which has submitted a preliminary report on investigations into the terror
attack - the first after 26/11 - has claimed that the suspects have been
identified and they would be arrested soon.
"One
of the prime suspects has been identified as Yasin, who hails from Bhatkal
village in Karnataka. We believe he is related to Riyaz, who is absconding," the
source said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Key-conspirator-of-Pune-blast-identified-says-ATS/articleshow/5773673.cms
------
Lajpat
Nagar blast: Six convicted
Apr
8, 2010
NEW
DELHI: Fourteen years after a blast rocked Lajpat Nagar market in New Delhi
killing 13 people, the trial court on Thursday convicted six people in the case.
Ten
people, including a woman, all from Jammu and Kashmir, had faced trial in the
case. The accused were arrested soon after the incident after police allegedly
tracked the calls made by them to various media houses, claiming responsibility
for the terror attack.
Those
facing trial on various charges, including criminal conspiracy and murder, were
Farooq Ahmed Khan, Mohd Naushad, Mirza Iftikhar, Mohd Ali Bhatt, Mirza Nissar
Hussain, Latif Ahmed Waza, Syed Maqbool Shah, Javed Ahmed Khan and Abdul Gani
and their woman associate Farida Dar. All accused, except the woman, are in
judicial custody.
Full
report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Lajpat-Nagar-blast-Six-convicted/articleshow/5774126.cms
9:30 PM
Sultan Shahin
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