27 May 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
Minorities
targeted in Pakistan: Amnesty
Pakistan lifts ban on YouTube
Muslim leaders in favour of caste count
Russia pursuing independent policy vis-a-vis Iran:
Kremlin
African diplomats underscore expanding ties with
Kingdom
Qatar: Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber Leads Delegation at World Telecommunication
Development Conference in India
Top commander showed bias towards Kargil war officer:
Tribunal
Saudi diplomat urges government to stop hiring
Indonesians
Pak scurries, arrests Faisal associates after US
warning
NY OKs mosque near Ground Zero
Man stripped of Swiss nationality over polygamy
Revive Babri case: AIMPLB to UPA
Mosque near Ground Zero gets go- ahead
Karachi’s Beirut-style civil war
Book on Prophet Muhammad (S) published in
French
Troops kill 40 militants in Orakzai
Ibtikar 2010 winners to be announced today
Pak Taliban leader Maulvi Fazlullah killed: Afghan
police
Maharashtra seeks Facebook ban
Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal demands ban on web sites portrayed
Muhammad’s caricatures
26/11: Pak SC rejects Lakhvi's petition seeking
acquittal
Canada bars Lt-Gen over J&K 'record'
Shopian doctors charged with fudging to defame security
forces
US Congress to vote on military gay ban
India: Anti-Jama’at drive has CPM, foes
competing
Bhatkal Arrest: ATS Confused
Blast in south Russia: at least 7 killed, 39
injured
Haj panel ruled `out'
US a villain for Pakistanis
'Nervy' Pak in denial mode over 'threatening' US
dossier
Homegrown terror threats to be part of US security
strategy
NATO soldier killed in southern Afghanistan
Obama's doctrine to make clear no war on
Islam-aide
Kabul accuses Fazlullah of leading attack in Nuristan
Indian officials should respect Pakistan's courts:
Malik
Last chance to resolve N-crisis: Iran
Challenges facing young Saudis
ICC reports Sudan to UN Security Council
PA slams sanction threat over boycott campaign
Compiled by: Asit Kumar
Photo: Christians
in destroyed home in Gojra, 2 Aug 2009
Sneak into India fast and do something big:
Hizb
May 26 2010
Jammu : With its ultras in Jammu and Kashmir constantly on the run in
the wake of stepped up operations by security agencies, the Hizbul Mujahideen
has asked its POK-based leadership to sneak into India and strike in a big
way.
"Sneak into India fast and do something big," said an HM commander to
one of the outfit's leaders based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir during a
conversation intercepted recently by security agencies, officers of the Indian
Army today said.
The conversation took place between A-category commander of HM code
Alfa 01 in Pir Panchal Ranges with HM commander in POK Abu
Suhaib.
The call for infiltration given by an HM commander on this side of
the border to his POK-based counterpart is being seen by the Indian Army as a
sign of growing frustration among HM cadres after elimination of a large number
of the militant outfit's top rung leaders in encounters in the recent
past.
"As is evident, terrorists especially leaders have been on the run in
both Kashmir valley as well as in Jammu region due to increasing number of
encounters initiated by security forces in past," army officers
said.
"As compared to the past practice of staying in hideouts, militants
have changed their tactics and are now regularly on the move, not staying in one
house for more than three hours due to fear of encounters", they
said.
They do not trust the local population whether Hindus or Muslims any
more and are always on the run trying to revive lost ground, they
said.
53 self-styled commanders from different outfits- 22 of
Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), 23 of HM, five of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), one of
Harkat-ul-jehadi Islami (HUJI) and one of Albadr were killed in 2009, which
included the Hizb's Deputy Chief of Operation Shabir Ahmed, top Divisional
Commanders of JeM, HM and LeT- Abdullah Satar, Saqib and Yousuf
Gujjar.
As many as 37 militants have been killed in 2010 till May 15, they
said, adding, it included 22 commanders of Hizb, LeT and
JeM.
Therefore, the aim of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the
militant leaders in Pakistan is to regain the lost initiative and bring these
areas in J&K back in national and international focus by trying to impose
and infiltrate foreign militants in J&K.
This can be gauged from the fact that there have been 56 infiltration
attempts, five ceasefire violations, 126 militancy-related incidents and 45
encounters since January this year in which a total of 73 people have been
killed, including 18 civilians, 19 security personnel and 37
militants.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sneak-into-india-fast-and-do-something-big-hizb/624045/
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Minorities targeted in Pakistan: Amnesty
May 27th, 2010
Millions of Pakistanis suffered abuses as a result of a sharp
escalation in conflict between the Government and the armed forces, Amnesty
Internatio-nal has said in its latest report, which also alleged that the forces
were carrying out “suspected extra-judicial executions”.
The 2010 report of the rights group said Pakistani Taliban and other
anti-Government groups targeted civilians throughout the country, while security
forces used “indiscriminate and disproportionate force and carried out suspected
extra-judicial executions.” It also noted that members of religious minorities,
including Hindus and Sikhs, suffered increasing abuses, including abduction,
murder and harassment, and alleged that officials failed to protect them and
“adequately prosecute perpetrators.”
The Taliban imposed Jizia, a tax payable by non-Muslims living under
Muslim rule, on Sikhs, Hindus and Christians, or in some cases expelled them
outright, it said.
In areas controlled by the Pakistani Taliban and allied armed groups,
civilians faced severe abuses, including arbitrary arrest and detention, torture
and other ill-treatment, a near total absence of due judicial process, stringent
restrictions on freedom of expression and discrimination against women and
girls.
“Violence against minorities increased, with the government failing
to prevent attacks or punish perpetrators. There were no executions, although
276 people were sentenced to death,” the report said.
Referring to insurgency in FATA, NWFP and Balochistan, the report
said insurgents abducted and unlawfully killed thousands of people, including
tribal elders, teachers, journalists, other professionals and internally
displaced people returning to their homes.
In 87 suicide attacks in the last one year, 1,299 people were killed
and 3,633 injured, many of them civilians. In the past two years, the Taliban
destroyed over 200 schools in Swat, including more than 100 girls’
schools.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/258449/Minorities-targeted-in-Pakistan-Amnesty.html
--------
Pakistan lifts ban on YouTube
May 27, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have lifted a ban on video-sharing
website YouTube though Internet links with objectionable material such as
blasphemous caricatures will continue to be blocked, officials said today.
The Information and Technology Ministry lifted the ban on YouTube,
which was blocked six days ago after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
began cracking down on "blasphemous" and sacrilegious content.
Pakistani Internet service providers restored access to YouTube late
this evening.
Officials said videos deemed offensive to Muslims that are posted on
YouTube will continue to be blocked.
Acting on an order of the Lahore High Court, PTA initially blocked
social networking website Facebook for hosting a page that promoted a contest to
draw blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Mohammed.
Internet service providers have so far blocked about 800 URLs that
link to "sacrilegious" content.
Since last week, religious and hardline groups have organised
protests across the country against the caricatures.
YouTube was briefly banned in Pakistan in 2008 for carrying material
deemed offensive to Muslims.
Facebook continues to be banned and the Lahore High Court's order on
the social networking website is applicable till May 31.
In a message posted on Twitter today, Interior Minister Rehman Malik
said a meeting of the federal cabinet had condemned "blasphemous material" on
websites.
He said the cabinet had also accepted his proposal to block only
objectionable "sections of Facebook and YouTube".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5978581.cms?prtpage=1
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Muslim leaders in favour of caste count
Zia Haq
May 27th, 2010
A caste-based census could have a knock-on effect on demands of
Muslims -- from blanket reservation to their inclusion in the list of sched-
uled castes.
Unable to reach a consensus, the gov- ernment on Wednesday decided to
set up a group of ministers to take a view on whether there should be a caste-
based census.
Most Muslim leaders in India are fighting for some form of quota for
the community of 150 million, many of whom face varying degrees of disad-
vantages. That is why they also sup- port a census based on
caste.
“The population of Muslims among other backward classes and Dalits is
now enumerated on mere assump- tions. A caste-based census will throw up
absolute numbers for the first time,“ said Ejaz Ali, a Rajya Sabha MP fighting
for the inclusion of so-called Dalit Muslims in Full report at: Hindustan
Times
--------
Russia pursuing independent policy vis-a-vis Iran:
Kremlin
May 27 2010
Moscow : Russia is pursuing an independent policy vis-a-vis Iran and
its stance on Tehran's nuclear programme was neither pro-US nor pro-Iranian,
according to a top Kremlin official.
Responding to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahemadinejad's claim that
Russia is siding with Tehran's enemies in the crisis over the Iranian nuclear
drive, Kremlin foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko said, "Russia is unfailingly
guided by its long-term government interests."
Rejecting Ahmadinejad's claims Prikhodko said Russia's position is
"specifically Russian, it reflects the interests of all Russia's people, and
therefore can be neither pro-American nor pro-Iranian."
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/russia-pursuing-independent-policy-visavis-iran-kremlin/624396/
--------
African diplomats underscore expanding ties with
Kingdom
By RODOLFO ESTIMO JR.
May 27, 2010
RIYADH: The ambassadors of African states recently stressed the
excellent and historic relations binding African countries and Saudi Arabia at a
function held to celebrate Africa Day 2010.
“Such historic and excellent ties have grown through the continuous
and direct meetings between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and
African leaders,” they said in a joint statement issued on the
occasion.
A reception was hosted by the Embassy of Sudan on Tuesday and by
Egyptian Ambassador Mahmoud Mohamad Ouf at his residence inside Riyadh’s
Diplomatic Quarter on Monday afternoon.
They said that on a regional level relations between Africa and Saudi
Arabia as well as other Arab countries have been exceptional and that they all
have the same stance on the Middle East issue.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article58044.ece
--------
Qatar: Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber Leads Delegation at World Telecommunication
Development Conference in India
May 27, 2010
Representatives from over 130 countries have convened in Hyderabad,
India for the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2010 (WTDC).
ictQATAR’s Secretary General Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber is leading Qatar’s delegation to
the conference with the goal of sharing Qatar’s experiences in developing a
vibrant ICT sector, helping shape the global ICT agenda and learning from other
leading international experts.
The conference, which opened yesterday and runs through June 4, 2010,
is hosted by the International Telecommunication Union. Held every four years,
WTDC 2010 is building on the progress of the 2006 conference held in Doha. At
the conclusion of the conference, delegates will ratify the Hyderabad Action
Plan, a shared vision and action plan for the next four years for the global
development of ICT.
Full report at: Global Arab Network
--------
Top commander showed bias towards Kargil war officer:
Tribunal
May 27, 2010
The Armed Forces Tribunal has held that a former Army commander
showed bias towards a brigadier under whose command some of the major victories
were achieved in the 1999 Kargil conflict and directed that the affected officer
be considered for a notional promotion.
The Tribunal has asked the Army to consider former 70 Infantry
Brigade Commander Brigadier Devinder Singh for promotion to the notional rank of
major general and to put the relevant records and documents pertaining to
operations by his formation in Batalik sector written by Lt. Gen. Kishan Pal,
then General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, be corrected and put in the
right perspective.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Top-commander-showed-bias-towards-Kargil-war-officer-Tribunal/H1-Article1-549160.aspx
--------
Saudi diplomat urges government to stop hiring
Indonesians
May 27, 2010
RIYADH: A senior Saudi diplomat has backed the demand to halt the
recruitment of Indonesian labor. The demand has been made by the National
Committee for Recruitment as well as the recruitment offices in Saudi
Arabia.
Abdul Aziz Al-Roqabi, consul at the Saudi Embassy in Jakarta,
recently urged the Saudi authorities to stop issuing labor visas for Indonesia
until the country's recruitment offices comply with agreements signed with their
Saudi counterparts.
The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week organized a
meeting which was attended by more than 40 Saudi investors and recruitment
office owners. The meeting called for halting recruitment of Indonesian
labor.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article58068.ece
--------
Pak scurries, arrests Faisal associates after US
warning
Chidanand Rajghatta
May 27, 2010
WASHINGTON: Following up on secretary of state Hillary Clinton's
warning that there would be "severe consequences" for Pakistan should another
terrorist attack in the US be traced to that country, two senior Obama
administration officials have notified Islamabad there will be "inevitable
pressure" on Washington to act against the country in that case, perhaps even
militarily, spurring the government to quickly round up terror proxies and
planners.
In contrast to the dodgy manner in which Islamabad has shielded
culprits associated with Mumbai's 26/11 massacre, authorities in Pakistan have
now arrested 11 suspects, including an army major, for their links with failed
Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad. The action came after two top US officials
visited Islamabad last week and presented a dossier on Shahzad, including
evidence of his contacts with the Pakistani Taliban and military connections,
backed with understated threats.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Pak-scurries-arrests-Faisal-associates-after-US-warning/articleshow/5978863.cms
--------
NY OKs mosque near Ground Zero
May 27, 2010
NEW YORK: After hours of contentious public comment, a New York City
community board voted to support a plan to build a mosque and cultural center
near ground zero.
"It's a seed of peace," board member Rob Townley said late on
Tuesday. "We believe that this is a significant step in the Muslim community to
counteract the hate and fanaticism in the minority of the community."
The vote was 29-to-1 in favor of the plan, with 10 abstentions. The
move by the Manhattan Community Board 1, while not necessary for the building's
owners to move forward with the project, is seen as key to obtaining residents'
support.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/NY-OKs-mosque-near-Ground-Zero/articleshow/5978850.cms
--------
Man stripped of Swiss nationality over polygamy
May 27, 2010
GENEVA: A Turkish man who was granted Swiss nationality after
marrying a Swiss woman must now return his passport as he has a second family in
his country of origin, a Swiss court has ruled.
The man, who was married for 26 years to the Swiss national, was
found to have a partner in Turkey with whom he had two daughters, Swiss newswire
ATS reported.
In 2003, he had obtained Swiss citizenship thanks to this marriage to
the Swiss citizen.
His wife, who is 20 years older, was aware of his second life in
Turkey, but did not report it to authorities until five years after the man
became a Swiss citizen.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Man-stripped-of-Swiss-nationality-over-polygamy/articleshow/5978844.cms
--------
Revive Babri case: AIMPLB to UPA
May 27, 2010
Lucknow, May 26 -- Orthodox Muslim opinion will pressure the Union
government to revitalise the judicial process to see if Sangh leaders such as
L.K. Advani had a role in the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. The demolition
issue is likely to figure prominently in the All India Muslim Personal Law
Board's (AIMPLB's) executive committee meeting in Aurangabad, 390 km west of
Mumbai, on June 6.
The issue has assumed significance in view of the May 20 decision of
the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court giving relief to senior saffron
leaders such as Advani, Kalyan Singh, Bal Thackeray and 18 others. The Bench
upheld the Lucknow CBI court order dropping charges of complicity against them
in the Babri demolition.
Full report at:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20100527/1053/tnl-revive-babri-case-aimplb-to-upa_1.html
--------
Mosque near Ground Zero gets go- ahead
May 27, 2010
A NEW York City community board on Tuesday voted for a plan to build
a mosque and cultural centre near Ground Zero.
The vote, 29- 1 in favour with 10 abstentions, came after hours of
contentious public comment from angered conservative activists and families of
the victims of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
On Tuesday night, a top Manhattan politician backed the plans, saying
while the wishes of 9/ 11 families must be respected, the board must also try to
“ balance diversity”. Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer has been the
target of disparaging remarks by Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams for
supporting the plans.
Full report at: Mail Today
--------
Karachi’s Beirut-style civil war
Jan Assakzai
27 May, 2010
The MQM knows that the threat to its monopoly over street power stems
from only one community — the Pakhtuns — so it has taken upon itself the task of
browbeating them into submission
The recent violence in Karachi has left scores of people dead. Many
of them belonged to the Pakhtun community. This is not the first time that the
Pakhtuns were targeted in various parts of the city. Karachi hosts the largest
concentration of an urban Pakhtun population, surpassing Peshawar, Quetta or any
other city in the country. Some estimates put the number of Pakhtuns in Karachi
at nearly seven million out of a 17 million population.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\05\27\story_27-5-2010_pg3_4
--------
Book on Prophet Muhammad (S) published in
French
May 27, 2010
TEHRAN -- Seyyed Ali Mirsharifi’s book on the life of Prophet
Muhammad (S), “The Messenger of Blessing” was translated from Persian into
French.
The book, which was released by the Samt Publications, was translated
into French by Farideh Mahdavi Damqani.
The book has three sections, which are on Be’that, the appointment of
Hazrat Muhammad (S) to prophethood, before Be’that and afterwards.
The French translation of book will be beneficial for Islamologists
and scholars as well as university students.
The book contains historical facts about the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad (S) and the Arab’s traditions and beliefs in that time.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=220270
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Troops kill 40 militants in Orakzai
27 May, 2010
KALAYA: Pakistani warplanes bombed militant hideouts in the Orakzai
region on Thursday, killing 15 fighters and bringing the insurgents' death toll
from attacks to 40 in the past 24 hours, officials said.
“Fighter jets bombed and destroyed five of their hideouts early in
the day, killing 15 militants and wounding 25,” said government official Nauman
Khan.
Pakistani troops also used artillery to target militants' positions
overnight in the same region. Security officials said 25 militants were killed
in the barrage.
In recent weeks, the army has turned its attention to the Orakzai and
Khyber regions, where many fighters are believed to have taken refuge from the
earlier offensives. — Reuters
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/16-troops+kill+40+militants+in+orakzai-hs-02
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Ibtikar 2010 winners to be announced today
May 27, 2010
JEDDAH: The winners of three outstanding works presented at the
Ibtikar 2010 exhibition at Jeddah Hilton Hotel will be announced on Thursday at
the conclusion of the five-day event, which has been held to encourage Saudi
students and academics to create inventions.
The winner of the first prize in the student category will get
SR150,000, the second prize will get SR100,000 and the third prize will get
SR50,000. Four outstanding works by academics and researchers will get SR50,000
each, said Fouad Al-Awad, the exhibition’s general
supervisor.
An award distribution ceremony will be held at Al-Qasr Palace of
Jeddah Hilton at 9 p.m. on Thursday, when prizes and certificates will be
distributed to all of the 92 participants at the show.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article58096.ece
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Pak Taliban leader Maulvi Fazlullah killed: Afghan
police
May 27, 2010
ASADABAD, Afghanistan: A top leader of Pakistan's Taliban may have
been killed in a clash with Afghan forces near the border, a senior Afghan
police officer said on Thursday, possibly improving security in the Swat Valley.
Maulvi Fazlullah, the head of a Taliban faction in Pakistan's Swat
Valley, was reportedly killed along with six of his comrades in the Barg Matal
district of Afghanistan's Nuristan province, which lies close to the border with
Pakistan, said Mohammad Zaman Mamozai, chief of the Afghan border force for the
eastern region.
"Maulvi Fazlullah was killed in a direct clash with Afghan border
police ... last night," he said.
He did not have further details. The Afghan Taliban have confirmed
the fighting, but said no foreign militants were involved.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/South-Asia/Pak-Taliban-leader-Maulvi-Fazlullah-killed-Afghan-police/articleshow/5980825.cms
--------
Maharashtra seeks Facebook ban
CITHARA PAUL
May 27 2010
New Delhi, May 25: The Maharashtra government has asked the Centre
about the possibility of blocking social networking site Facebook following such
a demand from Muslim and Christian organisations.
Muslim and Christian leaders have themselves jointly written to the
Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and the Union home ministry demanding immediate
action against Facebook for displaying “blasphemous”
pages.
The Pakistan government, following a Lahore High Court order, has
blocked Facebook for inviting its members to post caricatures deemed
blasphemous.
Christian groups such as the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) are upset
over various Facebook pages on Jesus Christ and
Christianity.
Full report at:
http://telegraphindia.com/1100526/jsp/nation/story_12488838.jsp
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Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal demands ban on web sites portrayed
Muhammad’s caricatures
M. Burhanuddin Qasmi
May 27 2010
Gauhati, 25 May: Lok Sabha member from Assam’s Dhubri Maulana
Badruddin Ajmal has sent a letter to the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan
Singh today demanding an immediate ban on social networking web sites Facebook,
Youtube, Twitter, Google, Wikipedia and Flickr which carried offensive
caricatures of Prophet of Islam Muhammad (saws). Maulana Ajmal is president of a
regional political party ‘All India United Democratic Front’ (AIUDF) with one
Member of Parliament and 9 MLAs in the Assam Assembly. He is also a member of
governing body of famous Darul Uloom Deoband and president of Assam State Jamiat
Ulama-e Hind.
A copy of his letter to the Prime Minister was also sent to the
President of India, the UPA Chairperson Ms. Sonia Gandhi, the Home Minister,
Minister for External Affairs, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the
Minister for Minority Affairs. In his letter Maulana Ajmal
stated:
Full report at:
http://qasmi.instablogs.com/entry/dhubri-mp-badruddin-ajmal-demands-ban-on-web-sites-portrayed-muhammad-s-caricatures/
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26/11: Pak SC rejects Lakhvi's petition seeking acquittal
May 27 2010
Islamabad : Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a petition
filed by LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi seeking acquittal in the Mumbai
attacks case after his counsel withdrew the plea.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said
Lakhvi, one of the seven suspects being tried for their involvement in Mumbai
attacks, could approach the higher courts after the anti-terrorism court decided
the case.
Malik Rab Nawaz Noon, the senior advocate who represented the
government, said that the Supreme Court bench did not agree with the contention
of Lakhvi's lawyer that Ajmal Kasab's confessional statement to Indian
authorities had no value in Pakistan courts.
Ajmal Kasab is the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attacks and
has been sentenced to death by a Mumbai court.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/26-11-pak-sc-rejects-lakhvis-petition-seeking-acquittal/624455/
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Canada bars Lt-Gen over J&K 'record'
May 27, 2010
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: The Canadian government's moralistic bug
resurfaced on Wednesday with authorities refusing a visa to a retired
lieutenant-general on the ground that the officer served in Kashmir and there
were human rights violations by the Army in the Valley.
A highly decorated officer, Lt-Gen Amrik Bahia also held the post of
director general of military operations (DGMO) before his retirement. He was
appointed member of the Chandigarh bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal in June
2009.
It was for the second time in a week that a member of the security
forces was denied a visa by Canada on such grounds. Last week, Fateh Singh
Pandher, a retired BSF constable from Ludhiana, said he was denied a visa by the
Canadian government for his association with what Toronto considers a
"notoriously violent" force. Canada also refused to grant a visa to a senior IB
officer but later relented after the Indian government protested. The
Intelligence Bureau officer was assigned to travel to Toronto in connection with
the Prime Minister's trip there next month.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Canada-bars-Lt-Gen-over-JK-record/articleshow/5978905.cms
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Shopian doctors charged with fudging to defame security
forces
May 27, 2010
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has charged the team of
doctors who carried out autopsies on two women in south Kashmir's Shopian town
last May with fudging evidence to defame the police and the security forces.
"It had been found that the accused doctors fabricated and fudged the
slides with an objective of defaming the police and security forces thereby
violating Rule 3 of J&K Employees Act 1971," says a state government
chargesheet against the doctors.
"The conduct and behaviour of the doctors had been prima facie found
to have become cause of general strikes in the state and also resulted in the
deaths of civilians," the charge sheet adds.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Shopian-doctors-charged-with-fudging-to-defame-security-forces/articleshow/5979908.cms
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US Congress to vote on military gay ban
May 27, 2010
WASHINGTON: Congress is headed toward landmark votes on whether to
allow gays to serve openly in the military.
The House of Representatives was expected to vote as early as
Thursday on a proposal by Rep. Patrick Murphy, a Democrat who served in the Iraq
war, that would repeal the 1993 law known as "don't ask, don't tell."
The legislation, a compromise struck with the White House and agreed
to by the Defense Department, would give the military as much time as it wants
before lifting the ban.
Under the bill, the president, defense secretary and chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff must first certify that the new policy won't hurt the
military's ability to fight.
``We need to get this done, and we need to get it done now,'' said
Murphy.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/US/Congress-to-vote-on-military-gay-ban-/articleshow/5979713.cms
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India: Anti-Jama’at drive has CPM, foes
competing
May 27th, 2010
The Kerala CPI(M) had received electoral help from the
Jama’at-e-Islami for 10 long years and in at least five major polls. The
Congress and its ally Indian Union Muslim League had tried to win its support in
the past 14 months. Surprisingly, the two sides are now competing against each
other in the campaign against the Jama’at.
Observers point out that the CPI(M) and (Congress-led Opposition)
UDF, which are now certain that the Jama’at-e-Islami is a fundamentalist
organisation whose objective is the establishment of Islam-based State, have not
been critical of it just days ago.
“There are several reports suggesting that the Jama’at could be
having pro-Islamist characteristics but the two political fronts are being
hypocrites here,” said Alappuzha-based sociologist Soman
Achari.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/258422/Anti-Jama%E2%80%99at-drive-has-CPM-foes-competing.html
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Bhatkal Arrest: ATS Confused
-May
27th, 2010
Confusion prevailed among the ministers and the police even two days
after arresting Abdul Samad Bhatkal, the prime suspect of the Pune blast. On
Monday, the day he was arrested, state home minister R.R. Patil denied his
involvement in the blast. Contradicting that on Tuesday, Union home minister P.
Chidambaram congratulated the
police for arresting the prime suspect in the Pune blast case. The
ATS, meanwhile, remained tight-lipped over his role. Sources pointed out that
this was a deliberate move as the ATS did not want to exhaust his custody by
charging him with the blast. Instead, they have chosen to book him in an arms
case to get more time with him. This will in turn give the police more time to
file the chargesheet against him.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/india/bhatkal-arrest-ats-confused-008
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Blast in south Russia: at least 7 killed, 39
injured
May 27 2010
Moscow : An explosion near a concert hall killed four people and
injured 39 others in the southern Russian city of Stavropol today, with
authorities saying they were probing the possibility of a terror angle into the
blast.
The explosive device went off outside the House of Culture and Sports
in the city, the capital of the region bordering the volatile North
Caucasus.
According to the local authorities four women were killed in the
blast, which took place near the hall where Caucasian dances were taught, a
agency said.
The state-run Rossiya TV said that a terror angle was being probed,
although the authorities have not ruled out that blast could have been triggered
by business rivals as one of the cafe's was badly damaged.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/blast-in-south-russia-at-least-4-killed-39-injured/624391/
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Haj panel ruled `out'
Zia Haq
May 27th, 2010
In a first, none of the Committee of India, including its
chairperson, will organise this year's Haj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage,
following a Delhi High Court order.
The court on Wednesday struck down solicitor-general Gopal
Subramanium's appeal that the top brass be allowed to function so that Haj
arrange- ments don't suffer. The court said the joint secretary in- charge of
Haj in the external affairs ministry could tem- porarily oversee Haj arrange-
ments instead.
Annual Haj operations, a Rs 800-crore exercise, have been dogged by
allegations of irreg- ularities. Subramanium appea- red on behalf of Haj
Committee chairperson Mohsina Kidwai a Congress leader, and two of her deputies,
all of who have been barred from functioning due to alleged irregularities in
the Haj Committee's elections “They will not function til disposal of the writ
petition (filed by al-Haram Khudamu Hujjaj, a Delhi-based Haj serv- ices
society),“ the Delhi High Court bench of Justices S.K Kaul and Valmiki Mehta
said.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
--------
US a villain for Pakistanis
May 27th, 2010
Americans may think that the failed Times Square bomb was planted by
a man named Faisal Shahzad. But the view in the Supreme Court Bar Association
here in Pakistan's capital is that the culprit was an American “think
tank.“
No one seems to know its name, but everyone has an opin- ion about
it. It is powerful and shadowy, and seems to control just about everything in
the American government, includ- ing President Barack
Obama.
“They have planted this char- acter Faisal Shahzad to imple- ment
their script,“ said Hashmat Ali Habib, a lawyer and a mem- ber of the bar
association.
Who are they? “You must know, you are from America,“ he said smiling.
“My advice for the American nation is, get free of these think
tanks.“
Full report at: Hindustan Times
--------
'Nervy' Pak in denial mode over 'threatening' US
dossier
May 27 2010
Islamabad : Pakistan has denied receiving any dossier from the United
States, which purportedly described the failed Times Square bomber Faisal
Shahzad’s links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), that was accompanied
with the veiled US threat of action against terrorists on its
soil.
“You better put this question to officials of the Interior Ministry,
however, I confirm it to you that Foreign Office has not been consulted so for
in this regard,” The Nation quoted a Foreign Office spokesman, as responding to
a question whether Islamabad has received any dossier in connection with botched
May 1 terror plot.
Earlier, a report in the Los Angeles Times said that the US has given
a blunt message to Pakistan that it would be under “inevitable pressure” to take
immediate and stern action if a successful terror attack is traced back to that
country.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nervy-pak-in-denial-mode-over-threatening-us-dossier/624441/
--------
Homegrown terror threats to be part of US security
strategy
May 27 2010
Washington : With Al-Qaeda and its affiliates recruiting American
citizens to carry out attacks in the country, the US will for the first time
include the threat posed by radicalised, homegrown terrorism into its national
security strategy.
John Brennan, deputy national security adviser for counter-terrorism
and homeland security, said the Obama administration would add combating
homegrown terrorism to its new strategy, which will be unveiled
tomorrow.
"We've seen an increasing number of individuals here in the United
States become captivated by extremist activities or causes," Brennan said at the
Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"The president's national security strategy explicitly recognises the
threat to the United States posed by individuals radicalised here at home," he
said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/homegrown-terror-threats-to-be-part-of-us-security-strategy/624404/
--------
NATO soldier killed in southern Afghanistan
27 May, 2010
KABUL: A bomb favoured by the Taliban has killed a foreign soldier in
southern Afghanistan, NATO said Thursday, bringing the number of international
troops killed in the country this year to 219, reports
AFP.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the
soldier, whose nationality was not revealed, “died following an improvised
explosive device (IED) attack” on Wednesday.
IEDs, the Taliban's weapon of choice, are crude bombs that are
detonated by remote control or by pressure-plate mines, which explode when the
device is stepped on or driven over.
An AFP tally based on that kept by the icasualties.org website puts
the number of foreign troops to die in the Afghan war so far in 2010 at 219, the
overwhelming majority of them American.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/16-nato-soldier-killed-in-southern-afghanistan-02-sa
--------
Obama's doctrine to make clear no war on
Islam-aide
27 May, 2010
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's new national security doctrine
will make clear that the United States does not consider itself to be at war
with Islam, a top adviser said on Wednesday, reports
Reuters.
The White House on Thursday plans to roll out Obama's first formal
declaration of national security goals, which are expected to deviate sharply
from the go-at-it-alone approach of the Bush era that included justification for
pre-emptive war and alienated many in the Muslim world.
Previewing parts of the document, John Brennan, Obama's leading
counterterrorism adviser, said: “We have never been and will never be at war
with Islam.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/16-obama-s-doctrine-to-make-clear-no-war-on-islam-aide-02-sa
--------
Kabul accuses Fazlullah of leading attack in
Nuristan
27 May, 2010
KABUL, May 26: Afghan police have been battling hundreds of militants
for four days in eastern Nuristan province and at least seven militants and a
policeman have been killed so far in the fighting, the Interior Ministry said on
Wednesday.
Nuristan Governor Jamaludin Badar claimed that attackers were Taliban
militants, including Pakistani Taliban under the leadership of Maulana Fazlullah
nicknamed ‘Radio Mullah’ and ‘Maulana Radio’ for his hardline anti-West
broadcasts in northwestern Pakistan.
Maulana Fazlullah led the Taliban in their takeover of Swat Valley
until the Pakistani military routed them from the area last year.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/kabul-accuses-fazlullah-of-leading-attack-in-nuristan-750
--------
Indian officials should respect Pakistan's courts:
Malik
May 27 2010
Islamabad : The Pakistan government honours the Supreme Court's
decision upholding the release from house arrest of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and
Indian authorities should accord "similar respect to the verdicts of Pakistani
courts," Interior Minister Rehman Malik said today.
Malik made the remarks while talking to reporters a day after the
apex court upheld the Lahore High Court's decision to free Saeed from house
arrest and dismissed appeals filed by the federal and Punjab governments
challenging his release.
The Interior Minister said Indian authorities should show the same
respect for verdicts of Pakistani courts as that shown by the Pakistan
government.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indian-officials-should-respect-pakistans-courts-malik/624395/
--------
Last chance to resolve N-crisis: Iran
May 27, 2010
KERMAN, Iran: Iran’s president urged the United States and Russia
Wednesday to back a nuclear fuel deal, warning it would be the last
“opportunity” to resolve the atomic standoff.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the US leader will miss a historic
opportunity for improved cooperation from Tehran if the offer is
rejected.
The remarks came just a day after US Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton said Tehran’s offer — submitted Monday to the UN nuclear watchdog
— was inadequate and did not address international concerns about Iran’s atomic
ambitions. Washington has denounced the Iranian proposal, brokered last week by
Brazil and Turkey, as an attempt by Tehran to avoid a new round of UN sanctions
over its controversial nuclear program, which the West fears is geared toward
nuclear weapons.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article58141.ece
--------
Challenges facing young Saudis
May 27, 2010
There is no doubt that the situation of young men in Saudi Arabia is
very critical, almost as difficult as the situation of Saudi
women.
Given the fact that the future of the country is wholly dependent
upon our youth, who comprise the largest demographic segment of Saudi society,
it should be our top priority to address and solve the problems facing them. It
is clear that the country's unemployment rate is rising and that the Saudization
program has been ineffective and impractical. An unfortunate consequence is the
growing number of expatriates who work at jobs that either do not appeal to
young Saudis or require more skills than they possess.
We seem to be preoccupied with the rising price of oil instead of
addressing this insidious problem that threatens to cripple Saudi Arabia’s
future economic development. It is time we realized that our young men are the
future of the country.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article58003.ece
--------
ICC reports Sudan to UN Security Council
May 26, 2010
May 27, 2010
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The International Criminal Court said
Wednesday it has reported Sudan to the UN Security Council for refusing to
arrest a government minister and a militia leader suspected of war crimes in
Darfur.
Judges at the court said in a report that Sudan has refused to hand
over Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmed Harun and Janjaweed militia leader Ali
Kushayb.
"After taking all possible measures to ensure the cooperation of the
Republic of the Sudan, the Chamber concludes that the Republic of the Sudan is
failing to comply with its cooperation obligations," the report
said.
The court ordered the men arrested in 2007 on a total of 51 charges
of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article58061.ece
--------
PA slams sanction threat over boycott campaign
By MOHAMMED MAR'I
May 26, 2010
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Minister of National Economy Hassan Abu
Libdeh on Wednesday harshly slammed Israel for its threats to impose sanctions
on the Palestinian Authority (PA) over the campaign to boycott products from
Jewish settlements. The campaign is backed by a law recently signed by
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas entailing prison sentences and fines for
anyone who deals with such products.
Abu Libdeh told Voice of Palestine radio that Israeli threats are "a
hostile act.” He added that "Israel is declaring war by such
threats."
On Tuesday, Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom threatened to
impose sanctions on the PA over its campaign to clear the Palestinian markets of
settlement products, stressing "if the boycott continues, the government will
have to make the right decision."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article58062.ece
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2906
9:39 PM
Sultan Shahin
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