26/11: Kasab guilty; Ansari, Sabauddin Shaikh acquitted
Saudi
liberals see hope as clerics argue over women
Christians protest occupation of church in
Rawalpindi
Saudi woman scripts divorce book
Conspiracy or cure? An Islamic perspective on interfaith
dialogue
Chief Islamic Justice Department to 'reconsider' khuloe law
Iran hosts International Human Rights
Conference
Malaysia's highest court asked to rule on child
conversion
Kasab deserves no mercy, says father of girl who lost her leg in
attack
Taliban leader promises to carry out attacks in the U.S. within a
month
Pak Taliban claims responsibility for NY failed
bombing
Khalifa reiterates UAE support for Palestinians
‘Fashion for All’ from ages 16 to 60 Afshan Ahmed
Third suspect in Ajmer blast arrested
Naushad's house protected monument now
Twenty one militants killed in Orakzai pounding
Flawed U.S. strategy strengthened Taliban: Pakistan
Army
Suicide bomb attack claims six lives in
Swat
US Army captain becomes ‘king’ in Afghanistan
Man with Lashkar links held for terror threats on Delhi
markets
Terrorism Doesn't Go Away When You Ignore It
Explosions Hallmark of Al Qaeda, Says Somali
Official
U.S. apprehensive of Ahmadinejad's role during NPT
deliberations
Slain Cop’s Probe Bares Saffron Role
Be nice to me if you want protection, Musharraf told
Benazir
Terrorists target New York
A loving friend of Kingdom passes away: Prince
Sultan
Four killed in ‘Ponzi’ protest in Darfur
A picture worth more than a thousand words
Jeddah: Wanted militant surrenders
Kenya says bid to resolve diplomatic row with UAE
failed
Somali militants increasing use of child
soldiers
A cloud over Jerusalem
Somali militia group seizes pirate haven
Some profit from wives despite polygamy ban
‘Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has
reinforced
A love affair with Arabia Aijaz Zaka Syed
Compiled by Asit Kumar
Photo: Ajmal Amir Kasab, charged with the deaths of 166 Indians and
foreigners, has been pronounced guilty of all charges by a special court in
Mumbai.
-------
26/11: Kasab guilty; Ansari, Sabauddin Shaikh
acquitted
May 3, 2010
MUMBAI: Pakistani terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab, charged with the
deaths of 166 Indians and foreigners, has been pronounced guilty of all charges
by a special court in Mumbai. The two Indians, who were named as co-accused in
the case-- Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Shaikh, have been acquitted.
The argument on quantum of sentence to Kasab will be held tomorrow.
Kasab has been convicted on all 86 charges against him. He was found
guilty or murder and waging war against the nation, the court said while
delivering the judgment.
"You have been found guilty of waging war against India, and killing
people at CST (train station), killing government officials and abetting the
other nine terrorists," Judge M.L. Tahaliyani said as he announced his verdict.
They were the most serious charges laid against Kasab, a 22-year-old Pakistani
who was arrested after the Mumbai siege.
The conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan, the judge said.
The two Indian co-accused were set free because the evidence against
them was weak, the court ruled. Kasab had said that the duo supplied maps of
Mumbai to LeT bosses. Thus, they gave logistical support to carry out the
attack. But the judge, punching a hole in the prosecution’s argument, said
better maps were available on Google than the crude drawings Kasab claimed had
been supplied by Ansari and Sabauddin.
This verdict is the biggest terror trial the city has witnessed in
recent times. Ten Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai on 26th November 2008
and unleashed 60 hours of mayhem that left 166 people dead and 244 injured. The
terrorists had targeted several sites such as the World Heritage Building of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, Hotel
Oberoi-Trident, Cama Hospital and the Chabad House, a Jewish prayer centre and
Leopold Cafe, a favourite among foreigners.
The witnesses included many survivors of the terror attacks,
eyewitnesses, family members of the victims, police officials, several foreign
nationals, Indian security officials and officials from the US Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI).
There was extremely tight security around the court premises as the
verdict was being delivered. Some reporters were allowed inside court, however,
use of mobile phones or any other devices was strictly prohibited.
The prosecution had gathered a heap of evidence against Kasab and
presented strong arguments that are capable of sending him to the gallows.
Special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam charged Kasab with not just the criminal acts of
killing and injuring scores of innocent people, but termed him guilty of the
entire conspiracy that went into planning and executing the dastardly attack.
Nikam argued that Kasab is a highly trained and motivated member of
the Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who underwent months of
training in weapons and intelligence so he could execute the well-planned attack
on Mumbai. Nikam also relied on scores of witness testimonies in a bid to
establish Kasab's role in the killing of innocents at CST and Cama Hospital, the
gunning down of senior policemen in Badruddin Tyabji Lane and the final
gunbattle at Marine Drive.
The prosecution's main argument had been that Kasab is a cold-blooded
killer whose guilt has been established both through human accounts of the night
of November 26, 2008, as well as forensic evidence in the form of DNA reports.
The case against Ansari and Shaikh revolved around Kasab's confession
to magistrate R V Sawant Waghule in February 2009. Kasab had said that the duo
supplied maps of Mumbai to LeT bosses. Thus, they gave logistical support to
carry out the attack.
In his defence, Kasab had maintained that he was an innocent
Pakistani who was picked up several days prior to the attack. He has insisted
that the terrorist caught on CCTV is not him but a lookalike. He also rubbished
all witness testimonies as tutored and given at the behest of police officials.
Both Ansari and Shaikh had denied all wrongdoing. Their main argument
is why would the LeT rely upon crude maps allegedly supplied by them when far
more sophisticated versions were easily available on the internet. After the
arrest of American David Coleman Headley, they also argued that recce work for
the attack was done by him and they had been framed needlessly in the case.
In September 2006, after 13 years of arguments, the Tada court had
begun giving its verdicts in the 1993 serial blasts case. It was the last major
trial in recent times.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5885540.cms?prtpage=1
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Christians protest occupation of church in
Rawalpindi
03 May, 2010
RAWALPINDI: People belonging to the Christian community held a
protest demonstration here on Sunday against Member Provincial Assembly (MPA)
Malik Iftikhar belonging to PML-N for occupying a church with the help of armed
hooligans. Robinson Community Development Ministries (RCDM) organised the
demonstration that was led jointly by former federal minister for minorities
Colonel (r) SK Tressler, Pastor Samson Bhatti and Pastor of Chapel Zafar Mall.
On the occasion, Pakistan Ex-Serviceman Association (PESA) Chairman Admiral (r)
Syed Fasih Bukhari, PESA Secretary Brig (r) Mahmood and Uzma Gull, (daughter of
former ISI Chief Hameed Gull) were also present to express solidarity with the
protesting Christians. The participants marched from Gordon College’s Chapel to
the office of Rescue -15, where the demonstration turned into a public meeting.
Holding banners, posters and placards inscribed with statements for protection
of places of worship, the participants were chanting slogans against PML (N),
Punjab chief minister (CM), police high ups and district administration. They
also kept singing religious songs during the march. Addressing the gathering,
Tressler demanded that Chief Justice of Pakistan take suo motu notice of the
matter. He alleged that country’s majority of politicians were criminals, who do
not even observe the sanctity of holy places. Robinson Asghar said that Punjab
CM Mian Shahbaz Sharif should dismiss the MPA and his brother Malik Ibrar, who
is also a MNA from PML-N. He also asked Punjab government to take action against
SP Zarat Kyani and DSP Malik Tanveer as well as high officials of Revenue
Department for making alteration in the official record. “Unless that happens,
protests would be extended to other parts of the country,” he threatened. staff
report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\05\03\story_3-5-2010_pg7_18
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Saudi liberals see hope as clerics argue over
women
By Souhail Karam
May 3, 2010
RIYADH (Reuters) - Divisions among senior Saudi clerics over the
legality of gender segregation could mark a new drive by reformers allied to
King Abdullah to push social reforms in the puritanical Islamic
state.
The divisions came to the open when the kingdom's morals police, or
the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, reversed
a decision to sack Ahmad al-Ghamdi, its regional head for the Mecca
region.
Saudi analysts and diplomats say the reversal was dictated by King
Abdullah's entourage if not the king himself.
After the kingdom opened its first co-ed university in September -- a
project sponsored by King Abdullah -- Ghamdi published a research paper that
questioned the legality in Islam of gender segregation as enforced by the
Commission.
"The commission was forced to cancel the decision to sack Ghamdi.
This will strengthen the state's role," said Khaled al-Dakhil, a prominent Saudi
political writer.
"The state has been gaining influence while that of the religious
establishment has been declining, simply because it has gradually been given a
lesser say over decisions taken by the state," he said.
The kingdom, a major U.S. ally, is ruled by Al Saud family in
alliance with clerics from the austere Wahhabi school of Islam who oversee
mosques, the judiciary and education, as well as run their own coercive
apparatus, the morals police.
Interior ministry police work with the Commission to make sure
unrelated men and women are kept apart, that women are covered from head to toe
and that Sharia law is fully implemented including a ban on alcohol. Women are
also not allowed to drive in the kingdom.
The rulers of the world's top oil exporting country have wrestled
with the issue of whether to moderate Wahhabism since the Sept. 11 attacks in
2001 on U.S. landmarks, carried out by mostly Saudi nationals, and the emergence
of al Qaeda militancy against the Saudi government in
2003.
King Abdullah is seen as favouring reforms that water down some of
Wahhabism's more controversial tenets. Analysts and diplomats say he is opposed
by other senior princes who are closely allied to the powerful religious
establishment.
STATE VS RELIGION
The octogenarian monarch, pressed by time to push reforms, dismissed
a cleric from a top council of religious scholars in October after he demanded
that religious scholars vet the curriculum at the new
university.
A senior Saudi government official said Ghamdi's views could get
"something big rolling". "I won't be surprised if the king asks the Shura
Council for advice on gender segregation and women driving issues. I think
that's the best way for the monarchy to avoid collision with the religious
establishment".
The Shura Council is a quasi-parliament that advises the government
and examines draft legislation. Its members are appointed by the king and
although its decisions are not binding, it has become a forum for
debate.
Ghamdi defended his views with sayings of the Prophet Mohammad, but
his critics argue he is not qualified to speak about religious matters. Ghamdi
is an accounting graduate who climbed up the bureaucratic ladder within the
commission.
Hardliners among the kingdom's clerics are treating the issue of
gender segregation -- which also requires a woman to be accompanied by a male
"guardian" in public -- as a red line they will fight
over.
In February, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak -- a leading independent
cleric -- called for opponents of the segregation to be put to death if they
refuse to abandon their ideas.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al al-Sheikh -- the state's chief
adviser and spokesman on religious affairs -- is seen as an ally of King
Abdullah who has not been prepared to diverge from Wahhabi orthodoxy on
segregation and guardianship.
"What is happening is a healthy debate within the commission," said
Jamal Khashoggi, editor of al-Watan newspaper. "This is an evolution. It's a
very positive thing for the whole kingdom."
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-48183220100503
-------
Saudi woman scripts divorce book
May 03, 2010
DubaiHissa Hilal, a Saudi housewife who had attracted attention with
her poetry -- fiercely critical of Islamist radicals, is courting controversy
again with a book of poems about divorce.
Hissa Hilal insists that "Divorce and Kholu' Poetry: A Reading of the
Status of Women in Tribal Society", which is a compilation of pre-1950 poems
written by Bedouin women living in the Gulf, represents the common view that
women had more freedom and divorce was easier 50 years ago, the National
said.
Hilal received death threats after reciting defiant poetry aimed at
religious clerics on the television show Million's Poet last
month.
Full report at:
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Saudi-woman-scripts-divorce-book/614446/#
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Conspiracy or cure? An Islamic perspective on interfaith
dialogue
Qazi Abdul Qadeer Khamosh
03 May 2010
LAHORE, Pakistan: Interfaith dialogue is criticized by some religious
leaders as a conspiracy designed to merge all religions into one. Certain
individuals and communities fear the loss or weakening of their religious
identities as a result of engaging in dialogue and interacting with followers of
other faiths.
These fears, however, are largely unfounded. All religions, including
Islam, emphasize common values such as interfaith harmony and cooperation. For
example, the Prophet Muhammad advocated reconciliation with other religions, as
evidenced by his peace treaty with Jewish tribes in Medina. He also believed in
mutual trust between different faith communities, evidenced by the fact that in
615 CE he sent Muslims fleeing persecution from the Meccans to find refuge with
the Christian king of Abyssinia, current-day Ethiopia.
Full report at:
http://bikyamasr.com/?p=12335
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Chief Islamic Justice Department to 'reconsider' khuloe
law
By Rana Husseini
03 May 2010
AMMAN - Officials at the Chief Islamic Justice Department (CIJD) on
Sunday said they will examine a request by women's activists to retain khuloe in
the 2010 draft personal status law.
CIJD Judge Wasef Bakri said the department will reconsider its
decision to scrap khuloe, women's right to divorce in return for financial
compensation, in the proposed legislation. He warned, however, that many women
"abused" the previous law for frivolous divorces, declining to elaborate
further.
"We believe that the khuloe law only serves the rich, as only women
who are financially able can pay back their husbands' dowry or wedding
expenses," Bakri said at a meeting with activists and lawyers yesterday to
discuss the 2010 personal status law.
Full report at:
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100503041401/Chief%20Islamic%20Justice%20Department%20to%20'reconsider'%20khuloe%20law
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Iran hosts International Human Rights
Conference
May 3, 2010
A conference on International Human Rights in Islamic View was held
on Saturday at the presence of thinkers, lawyers, some Islamic countries'
ambassadors to Tehran as well as head and members of the Islamic association of
international law.
Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), Deputy Foreign Minister,
Mohammad-Reza Sheibani said Islamic law is one of greatest law system in the
world which highlights preserving human dignity in war and
peace.
Also Sayyed Masoud Khatami, Head of Iran's Red Crescent Society said
occupation of Palestine and the wars in Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq have
brought many human and material losses to the world adding better understanding
of Islamic sources helps us to reach human goals.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=186531
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Malaysia's highest court asked to rule on child
conversion
03 May 2010
Malaysia's highest court was asked Monday to decide whether a Muslim
convert can change his children's religion without the consent of his spouse, in
a test case for the multi-ethnic nation.
The case is being closely watched by Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and
Indian minorities who say their rights are being eroded by rising "Islamisation"
in a country where 60 percent of the population is Muslim
Malay.
Secret conversions of children, which can deprive the non-Muslim
parent of custody, and "body-snatching" cases where Islamic authorities tussle
with families over the remains of people whose religion is disputed, have raised
racial tensions.
Full report at:
http://news.ph.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4065388
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Kasab deserves no mercy, says father of girl who lost her leg in
attack
May 03, 2010
Mumbai: The father of the 11-year-old girl disabled by the bullets of
Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab is still an angry man.
On the fateful night of November 26, 2008, Natwarlal Rotawan was
waiting at the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) with his daughter Devika and
son Akash for a train when two terrorists opened fire. Devika was hit by a
bullet and lost her right leg.
Natwarlal, who runs a dry fruit shop at Kalbadevi in South Mumbai,
says Kasab must be hanged in public. “He has killed innocent people and deserves
no mercy. The court must give him the death penalty,” Mr. Rotawan
said.
“Kasab ruined my daughter's life. Now who will marry her? Her future
is dark,” he said.
Wants to join police
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/03/stories/2010050360491100.htm
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Pakistan Taliban leader Mehsud promises to carry out attacks in the
U.S. within a month
May 3rd, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pakistani
Taliban leader Mehsud on late Sunday released two audio tapes and one video
tape, promises to carry out terrorist attacks on U.S. soil within a month. It
also claimed responsibility for a failed car bombing in Times Square on
Saturday.
A full transcript of the video statement can be found below. NOTE:
Translation is based on the text provided by the Taliban.
“My respected brothers of the Muslim Ummah, may peace and blessings
of Allah be upon you. The non-believers (kuffar) have always been doing
propaganda that Hakeem ullah Mehsood has been martyred. Sometimes they say in a
drone attack, mostly giving references of Shaktui or Orukzai, and sometimes they
say we martyred him on his way to Multan. This is an open lie and propaganda
made by Kuffar and its funded media.
Full report at:
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world/pakistan-taliban-leader-mehsud-promises-to-carry-out-attacks-in-the-us-within-a-month_100357556.html
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Pak Taliban claims responsibility for NY failed
bombing
May 03, 2010
A video purportedly released by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
has claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing in Times Square in New York
City, a Washington-based intelligence group said.
SITE, the intelligence group that monitors websites of Islamic
terrorist outfit, said: "The video, posted to YouTube, contains an audio message
attributed to Qari Hussein Mehsud, an official in TTP and organizer of its
suicide bombing squad, played over anti-American images."
English subtitles were also provided, SITE said in a
statement.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pak-Taliban-claims-responsibility-for-NY-failed-bombing/H1-Article1-538618.aspx
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Khalifa reiterates UAE support for Palestinians
3 May 2010,
The President, His Highness
Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reiterated the support of the UAE to the
efforts that could achieve permanent and just peace in the
region.
And culminate with the Palestinian people setting up their legitimate
sovereign State with Jerusalem as capital.
This came during the reception of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
by Shaikh Khalifa at Al Bateen Palace on Sunday in the presence of General
Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy
Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Representative of President in Western Region and other Shaikhs and top
officials.
The UAE President called on
the international community to shoulder its responsonsibilities regarding
resumption of the peace process in the region. He was briefed by Abbas about
non-direct contacts between the Palestinians and Israelis, as well as on the
Palestinian’s stance on the resumption of talks.
Abbas underscored that the sustained support of the UAE has great
effect in easing suffering on Palestinians in the occupied territories.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/May/theuae_May69.xml§ion=theuae
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‘Fashion for All’ from ages 16 to 60 Afshan
Ahmed
3 May 2010
If fashion shows conjures up images of young, six-foot, stick thin
models that bare it all, then women in the emirate are set to change
perceptions.
And own the ramp in an attempt to inspire women to feel beautiful in
the skin they are in.
‘Fashion for All’ organised by Woman2Woman’ (W2W), a networking group
in Dubai, is a show that will place the spotlight on the real woman who could be
your neighbour or someone you bump into at the
supermarket.
On May 8 more than 25 women of all ages, sizes and cultures will shed
their inhibitions and sashay down the ramp in local and internationally designed
outfits at the Emirates Theatre at the Emirates International School in
Jumeirah.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/May/theuae_May73.xml§ion=theuae
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Third suspect in Ajmer blast arrested
May 03, 2010
JAIPUR: The Hindu terror imprint in the October 2007 Ajmer dargah
blast case became stronger with the arrest of the third suspect having links
with Abhinav Bharat from Khardonkala village in Shajapur district of Madhya
Pradesh. The accused, Vishnu Prasad Patidar, is stated to be a close aide of
Chandrashekar arrested on Friday.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Rajasthan police, which has brought
Vishnu Prasad to Ajmer for further investigation, suspects that he procured
mobile phones and SIM cards used in the terror strike at the historic Sufi
shrine during Ramzan.
The attack claimed three lives.
‘Directly involved'
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/03/stories/2010050360581200.htm
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Naushad's house protected monument now
May 3, 2010
LUCKNOW: The tourism department declared Naushad Ki Haveli a
protected monument and an indispensable part of the 36-point Heritage Walk of
Lucknow.
On Saturday, the place was covered by a group officers from the
Lucknow administration, municipal corporation and state tourism department who
have now decided to sell lucknow.
Other places covered in the walk were Hardinge Bridge, Maqbara of
Shah Peer Mohammad, Tiley Wali Masjid, Imambara, etc.
Talk about an instant expression of defiant love and ‘pyar kia toh
darna kya’ comes to mind. But younger lucknow may not be aware that the music
lover who composed the song was a ‘ham-watan’ (of one’s own land). Fond memories
of the composer of repute reverberate in his haveli even now.
And the house was able to strike the cord of tourism department
higher-ups as well. Probably.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Lucknow/Naushads-house-protected-monument-now/articleshow/5884779.cms
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Twenty one militants killed in Orakzai pounding
3 May 2010
ORAKZAI: Twenty one SUSPECTED militants have been killed as gunship
helicopters pounded two hideouts in different areas of Orakzai
Agency.
Security forces have cleared most parts of lower Orakzai and have
consolidated their positions in Hasan-Khel, Kalya, Feroz-Khel, Anjani,
Stori-khel and Hasmat-khel.
The military has started targeted militant hideouts in the Orakzai
Agency over the last one month.
So far more than 600 militants and 18 security personnel including a
Colonel have died during the operation in the agency.
Three hundred internally displaced families have been repatriated
from Orakzai Agency under the army protection.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/19-four-militants-killed-in-orakzai-pounding-hh-03
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Flawed U.S. strategy strengthened Taliban: Pakistan
Army
Sandeep Dikshit
May 03, 2010
KHAAR (FRONTIER AREAS):A flawed military doctrine pursued by the West
in Afghanistan led to the Taliban nearly taking over Pakistan's tribal regions,
claims the Pakistan Army.
“Either they [the U.S. Army] lack the capability or the
willingness…but this is making my job harder. It is like gas in a balloon. The
moment you squeeze the militants on one side, they go to the other. Either we
cross the border [into Afghanistan] or they clear it up. Whatever the West says,
we are the victims and not the source, Col. Nauman, commanding the Bajour
Scouts, told a team of Indian journalists.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/03/stories/2010050360671200.htm
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Suicide bomb attack claims six lives in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
3 May 2010
MINGORA: Three militants and three passers-by were killed in a
suicide attack and shootout in Swat on Saturday. Thirteen others were
injured.
According to officials and locals, forces had beefed up security upon
getting intelligence that a group of militants was plotting a strike on the main
market in Mingora. A suspected suicide bomber, identified as Hazrat Ali, was
arrested when the forces intercepted a car on the New Road in Mingora. Security
personnel shot him dead when he tried to flee.
Acting on information provided by Hazrat Ali, security forces
cordoned off the area and raided Surab Plaza, situated between Surab Chowk and
Green Square, on the New Road.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-swat-blast-wounded-qs-05
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US Army captain becomes ‘king’ in Afghanistan
3 May 2010
Hutal (Afghanistan), May 2: In the US Army, Casey Thoreen is just a
30-year-old captain. Around here, he’s known as the “King of Maiwand” district —
testimony to the fact that without the young captain and a fat international
wallet, local government here as in much of the insurgency-ravaged south could
not function at all.
Setting up effective governments at the district level is key to US
strategy. US officials hope that providing basic services will draw support away
from the Taliban, especially here in the Islamist group’s heartland of Kandahar
province.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11088:us-army-captain-becomes-king-in-afghanistan&catid=36:international&Itemid=61
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Man with Lashkar links held for terror threats on Delhi
markets
May 3, 2010
SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir police has arrested a man with
Lashkar links for the call warning of imminent attacks on crowded markets in
Delhi, which had prompted even the US to issue a travel warning.
Police sources said the man, Shabir Ahmad Zargar alias Omar, was
detained after a massive manhunt was launched. "Yes, we arrested Shabir Zargar
from downtown Srinagar after we found him involved in sending e-mails to Furqan
radio station of Lashkar-e-Taiba in PoK," a senior police officer told TOI.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/Man-with-Lashkar-links-held-for-terror-threats-on-Delhi-markets/articleshow/5884629.cms
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Terrorism Doesn't Go Away When You Ignore It
by Daniel Greenfield
03 MAY 2010
Terrorism doesn't go away when you ignore it. Much like a massive oil
spill, it doesn't go away just because you want to play golf or bask in the
attention of a worshipful press at a Correspondents Dinner that seems to have
more celebrities, both Hollywood and Big Media, than honest hardworking
reporters. Terrorism doesn't take a day off or take holidays off. Not even
Muslim holidays. Not even for Ramadan. Terrorism doesn't go away until you
defeat it. It's that simple.
Islamic terrorism is one of those things that isn't supposed to exist
anymore in the realm of human affairs. The zero sum game. The struggle to which
there can only be two outcomes. Full report at:
http://www.rightsidenews.com/201005039859/global-terrorism/terrorism-doesnt-go-away-when-you-ignore-it.html
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Explosions Hallmark of Al Qaeda, Says Somali
Official
Peter Clottey
03 May 2010
A cabinet minister in Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government says
bomb blasts that killed scores of people at a mosque in the capital, Mogadishu,
over the weekend are hallmarks of the Al Qaeda terrorist
organization.
Abdirahman Omar Osman sharply condemned the attacks saying President
Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed’s government is committed to defeating the various
insurgent groups, including al-Shabab.
“The attacks that happened in the mosque (were) very tragic and it
was a historic time in Mogadishu and in Somalia. It has all the hallmarks of Al Qaeda
activities that happened in Afghanistan, Iraq or Pakistan. Therefore, as a
government, we give our sympathy and blessings to people who died and people
(who were) injured,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Explosions-Hallmark-of-Al-Qaeda-Says-Somali-Official--92638284.html
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U.S. apprehensive of Ahmadinejad's role during NPT
deliberations
Atul Aneja
May 03, 2010
DUBAI: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left for New York on
Sunday to participate in a major nuclear conference amid apprehensions in the
United States about his possible role during
deliberations.
Mr. Ahmadinejad is set to hold talks on Monday with Secretary-General
of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the conference, held every
five years to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT has
faced strong criticism, especially from the developing countries for its
inability to fulfil satisfactorily its mandate regarding non-proliferation,
disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/03/stories/2010050360861400.htm
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Slain Cop’s Probe Bares Saffron Role
By Krishna Kumar in Mumbai
May 03, 2010
THE true extent of the Hindutva terror network, whose trail was being
followed by slain Maharashtra top cop Hemant Karkare, is getting unravelled only
now.
The then ATS chief, Karkare, while investigating the 2008 Malegaon
blasts case, had reportedly developed certain leads on the involvement of
Hindutva organisations in the attacks across the country. Had these inputs been
followed in other blast cases, including those of Ajmer dargah and Hyderabad’s
Mecca Masjid, much breakthrough could have been achieved, sources
say.
The probe team led by Karkare, who was killed in the 26/ 11 terror
attack in Mumbai, knew that members from radical Hindutva organisations were
planning to carry out bomb blasts in Muslim- dominated areas in retaliation
against Islamist terror attacks.
Full report at:
Mail Today
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Be nice to me if you want protection, Mush told
Benazir
May 3, 2010
LONDON: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had warned Benazair
Bhutto that if she wanted protection in Pakistan she should be "nice" to him, a
top ex-aide of the assassinated leader has claimed.
According to the Sunday Times report, former premier Benazir had
called Musharraf, then the President of Pakistan, seeking additional security
for her. "He told her, 'I warned you not to come back until after the
elections,' and threatened her, 'I'll only protect you if you're nice to me,'"
said Husain Haqqani, a former Bhutto aide who was living in the US and is now
Pakistan's ambassador in Washington. "Instead of stepping up her security, it
was reduced," he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Pakistan/Be-nice-to-me-if-you-want-protection-Mush-told-Benazir/articleshow/5884482.cms
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Terrorists target New York
May 3, 2010
NEW YORK: The Pakistani Taleban on Sunday claimed responsibility for
the attempted car bomb attack in New York's Times Square. A statement on a
website said it was to avenge the killing of two "Muslim
martyrs".
Police found an "amateurish" but potentially powerful bomb that
apparently began to detonate but did not explode in a smoking sport utility
vehicle in Times Square on Saturday.
Thousands of tourists were cleared from the streets for 10 hours
after two vendors alerted police to the suspicious vehicle, which contained
three propane tanks, fireworks, two filled 19-liter gasoline containers, and two
clocks with batteries, electrical wire and other components, Police Commissioner
Raymond Kelly said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article49481.ece
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A loving friend of Kingdom passes away: Prince
Sultan
May 3, 2010
JEDDAH: Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Commission for
Tourism and Antiquities and Saudi Aviation Club, expressed his deep sorrow over
the death of Capt. Joseph Joe Grant, who died in New York City April 27, 2010 at
the age of 102.
Grant, the pilot of King Abdul Aziz, flew the Douglas DC-3, which was
gifted to King Abdul Aziz by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in February
1945.
Prince Sultan said he was "a loving friend of Saudi Arabia and its
citizens."
In his obituary, the prince said: "Whenever we met he would speak a
lot about His Majesty King Abdul Aziz, digging deep into his reservoir of
memories, and about people with whom he spent sweet times, and expressing his
eagerness to meet them again."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article49519.ece
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Four killed ‘Ponzi’ protest in Darfur
By ANDREW HEAVENS
May 3, 2010
KHARTOUM: At least four people died on Sunday in clashes between
Sudanese security forces and protesters angry over a failed investment scheme in
Darfur, an aid source and witnesses said.
Automatic gunfire erupted after about 1,000 people moved toward the
center of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, UN officials and aid
workers said.
Local residents said protesters were angry after losing money in a
Ponzi scheme, a pyramid model where money is paid from one investor to the other
and presented as profit.
Two members of the crowd told Reuters that security forces opened
fire on protesters. One humanitarian aid source said some protesters were also
armed and there were exchanges of fire.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article49502.ece
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A picture worth more than a thousand words
By SIRAJ WAHAB
May 3, 2010
ALKHOBAR: The old saying goes “one picture is worth a thousand
words.” Most of Saudi Arabia’s Arabic newspapers carried a photograph on last
Friday’s front-page that has become a talking point on blogs, Internet forums,
shisha cafes, newsrooms and the corridors of power.
The photo shows Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and
Crown Prince Sultan proudly standing among more than 35 Saudi women from across
the nation who voiced their views during the April 8-10 National Dialogue Forum
in Najran.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article49472.ece
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Wanted militant surrenders
May 3, 2010
JEDDAH: A militant on the list of 85 wanted terrorists published by
the Interior Ministry surrendered to security authorities on Wednesday, said
Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the ministry.
Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency, Al-Turki identified the militant
as Oqail Omaish Oqail Al-Mutairy, adding that he would be dealt with in
accordance with the system followed in such cases.
"Al-Mutairy expressed his desire to help him return to the Kingdom
and surrender to authorities and we made arrangements for his return and reunion
with his family on April 28," the spokesman said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article49470.ece
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Kenya says bid to resolve diplomatic row with UAE
failed
By K.T. ABDURABB
May 3, 2010
DUBAI: Kenya’s bid to settle a diplomatic row that began after the
deportation from Mombasa of four Emiratis suspected of being terrorists has
flopped.
According to sources, Kenyan immigration officials who support the US
policies in the war on terrorism interrogated the four UAE nationals for hours
and expelled them without a valid reason.
Some top Kenyan officials had admitted that “it was a stupid mistake
of some officials.”
Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula visited the UAE on Monday
heading a high-level delegation. Sources told Arab News that the talks were “not
very fruitful.”
A statement posted on the UAE government website said the visa issue
was not part of the agenda of the talks with the team of visiting Kenyan
diplomats.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article49499.ece
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Somali militants increasing use of child
soldiers
By KATHARINE HOURELD
3 May 2010
MOGADISHU: Sharif says he was 10 when his religious teacher led his
class into a poor neighborhood of Somalia's capital to pray for a sick relative.
Suddenly Islamist fighters jumped from the shadows and ordered the children onto
buses, the beginning of a terrifying two years as a child
soldier.
The class was taken to a training base in the south of the anarchic
country, Sharif says, where Somali and foreign instructors showed them how to
use weapons and set ambushes. The boy says before battle he was sometimes given
drugs that made him feel like he could “pick up a tank and throw it aside like a
telephone.” The recruitment of child fighters in Somalia is on the rise, both by
the government and particularly by the country's most powerful Islamist militia,
Al-Shabab, whose name means “the youth.” Al-Shabab's recruitment of children may
partly stem from a lack of willing adults, who have been alienated by Islamist
attacks on traditional Sufi saints and bans on everything from chewing qat, a
mildly narcotic leaf, to school bells and music.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article49378.ece
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A cloud over Jerusalem
May 3, 2010
Everyone has the right to change his or her mind. Even Danny
Tirzeh.
Col. Tirzeh was responsible for planning the wall that “envelopes”
Jerusalem — the one that cuts the city off from the West Bank in order to turn
it into the United Capital of Israel for All Eternity.
And now, suddenly, Tirzeh pops up as the main opponent of the wall he
himself planned. He wants to move it, so as to leave the lands of Al-Walaja
village on the “Israeli” side.
The colonel has ceased acting on behalf of the Israeli army and now
represents private entrepreneurs who want to build 14,000 housing units for
45,000 Jewish souls. All this, of course, for the greater good of Zionism, the
Jewish people, Israel’s Eternal Capital, and many tens of millions of
shekels.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article49558.ece
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Somali militia group seizes pirate haven
Ibrahim Mohamed and Abdi Guled
3 May 2010
MOGADISHU , May 2: Somali insurgent group Hizbul Islam seized the
pirate haven of Haradheere on Sunday without a fight and pledged to take control
of more towns in the region, the rebel group said.
Haradheere, and Hobyo further up the coast, are two of the main bases
for pirates operating out of Somalia. The gunmen have made tens of millions of
dollars by hijacking merchant vessels, bringing them to the coast and demanding
ransoms.
So far, neither Hizbul Islam nor Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels
have been directly involved in piracy, a business that has flourished in the
absence of strong government and any rule of law in the Horn of Africa nation.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11097:somali-militia-group-seizes-pirate-haven&catid=36:international&Itemid=61
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Some profit from wives despite polygamy ban
ELAINE GANLEY
3 May 2010
PARIS , May 2: The burqa, or face-covering veil, is getting all the
attention in the debate over Muslim immigrants in France. But another
controversial tradition among some immigrants is less noticed and far more
widespread: Polygamy.
The issue resurfaced last week after a woman received a traffic
citation in the western city of Nantes for driving with a veil over her face.
Officials then accused her husband of having at least three other
wives, and said he may be profiting from them financially while the state pays
the bill. Polygamy is one of several issues, like forced marriage or genital
mutilation, that France and other European nations face, as immigrants arrive
with customs that conflict with the law of the land.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11095:some-profit-from-wives-despite-polygamy-ban&catid=36:international&Itemid=61
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‘Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has reinforced
3 May 2010
Pakhtun nation’s identity’; Hazarewal misguided, being ‘used’ to
create differences over NWFP renaming: Shahi Syed
May 03, 2010
Renaming the NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has reinforced the identity
of the people of that province, Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh President Shahi
Syed said on Sunday during the Jashan-e-Kyber Pukhtoonkuwa at Sea View.
Syed further said that the Hazarewal should realise that some
elements were misguiding them to create differences over the renaming of the
province. He also paid tribute to President Asif Ali Zardai, the parliament and
the constitutional committee for approving the 18th
Amendment.
Full report at:
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=237193
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A love affair with Arabia Aijaz Zaka Syed
3 May 2010
Allama Iqbal, one of the
tallest poets and philosophers Asia has produced, had been endlessly fascinated
by the rise and fall of the Muslims. He had been preoccupied with the issue in
both his Urdu and Persian poetry collections, both incredibly rich in their
range and language.
When it comes to the breadth of vision, foresight and grandeur of
ideas and thought, no one comes close to the man claimed by both India and
Pakistan. The much exploited Saare jahan se achcha Hindustan hamara is just one
gem from his repertoire.
I have been constantly reminded of the poet philosopher and what he
once said about the Arabs while singing my way through Sir Wilfred Thesiger’s
Arabian Sands. Iqbal passionately
believed in the Islamic renaissance and argued that the rejuvenation of the
civilization that ruled the world for nearly a thousand years would start in its
birthplace at the hands of desert Arabs.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=/data/opinion/2010/April/opinion_April178.xml§ion=opinion
8:22 AM
Sultan Shahin
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