57 Pakistani Hindus convert to Islam ‘under pressure’
A new business
frontier: Sex shops in the Gulf
Enough with fatwas that betray the spirit of Islam, Islamic expert
says
Javed Akhtar: No holding him back
Pakistani citizen languishing in Chhindwara
jail
'Pak power cuts help terrorists'
Two lakh Facebook fans urging me to save Pak:
Musharraf
Stringent measures urged to curb rising crime in
Makkah
15 killed as Israel fires at Gaza aid boat
J&K 'encounter': Army orders probe
US rehearses strikes on Pak: Report
Infighting in Taliban as ISI picks Omar's new
deputy
Passage to past: ASI builds pathway to Mughal-era tomb
Bangladesh HC quashes last graft case against
Hasina
Banned groups joining hands with Al-Qaida, says
Malik
‘Indian consulate's attitude
shocking'
‘Thugs gave crash course to Shahzad’
Afghans Seek Peace In Traditional Style
Other war on Afzal: Human rights vs Kashmiri
cause
India tells Pak to rein in ISI, LeT after attack on ITBP convoy in
Jalalabad
Urdu-speaking people demand budgetary allocation for rehab
Jamaat puts forth demands over rally in Paltan Maidan
US seeks to balance India's Afghanistan stake
Al-Qaeda leadership operating from Pak’s tribal region:
Mullen
UN CONFERENCE TRIES TO BRIDGE WEST-MUSLIM
DIVIDE
Islam attacked by a deadly virus
American Muslims need to reflect on their
patriotism
Larijani urges Islamic countries' measures for Palestinians
rights
Afghan officials suspend 2 Christian aid groups for alleged
proselytizing
Iran should seriously address false claims to Persian Gulf islands:
MP
Seven arrested over links to religious minority
attackers
Forces, jet fighters kill 42 Taliban in Orakzai
‘100,000 die annually due to tobacco use in
country’
Jirga critical for peace in Afghanistan: Nato
7 policemen killed in explosion
Pakistan, US agree on Waziristan operation
Aid flotilla off to Gaza
Lack of legislation hinders Islamic finance march in
Russia
Haj minister meets Pakistan delegation
Insecurity could worsen Darfur crisis: UN
Compiled by Asit Kumar
Photo: The Persecution of non Muslims in
Pakistan
--------
57 Pakistani Hindus convert to Islam ‘under
pressure’
May31, 2010
Over 50 Pakistani Hindus have converted to Islam in the Sialkot
district of Punjab within a week (between May 14 and May 19) under pressure from
their Muslim employers in a bid to retain their jobs and survive in the
Muslim-dominated society.
As many as 35 Hindus converted to Islam on May 14, another 14 on May
17 and eight on May 19, 2010.
All the 57 Hindus who have converted belong to the Pasroor town of
Sialkot.
According to some Pakistani electronic media reports, Mangut Ram, a
close relative of some of the new converts, who lives in Sialkot, said that
these Hindus had to embrace Islam because they were under pressure from their
Muslim employers.
He said four Hindu brothers along with their families lived in the
village of Nikki Pindi. Mangut Ram said that Hans Raj, Kans Raj, Meena/Kartar
and Sardari Lal along with his nephews and sons worked at an eatery in
Karachi.
According to Mangut Ram, his co workers often used to speak against
Hindus in Karachi where his family worked. “The owner of the shop where I worked
said that after a few months of his employing me the sales dropped drastically
because people avoided purchasing and eating edibles prepared by Hindus. Many
people opposed the large presence of Hindu employees at his shop and my boss
felt pressured to change the situation,” he added.
Ram said Sardari Lal and his brother Meena/Kartar had worked at the
sweets shops for several years and made a decent living that allowed them to
support their families.
He said other Muslims employees of the nearby shops discriminated
against them and persecuted them. The shop owner was forced to think about their
future at his establishment. “That was when the two brothers and their families
decided to embrace Islam in order to keep their jobs and be secure,” he
added.
Ram confirmed that 13 family members of Sardari Lal, 12 members of
Meena/ Kartar, their nephew Kans Raj’s son Boota Ram along with three adults and
several children of these families embraced Islam on May 14,
2010.
He said that Sardari Lal’s older brothers Hans Raj and Kans Raj
remained Hindus. Hans Raj too has said that he might consider converting to save
his job. He said that life was ‘just easier if one was Muslim’ and he wouldn’t
be discriminated against.
Ram said that 14 Hindus of the Tapiala village had embraced Islam on
May 17 because they were extremely poor and could not get jobs because no one
would employ the large Hindu family.
He said that another relative of his, Parkash, who lived in the
village of Seowal, along with his eight family members had embraced Islam in
order to save their lands.
“After embracing Islam, Parkash Ram told me that Muslim neighbours
had been mistreating him and had forced him to convert,” Mangut Ram
said.
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_57-pakistani-hindus-convert-to-islam-under-pressure_1388695
--------
A new business frontier: Sex shops in the
Gulf
May 31, 2010
When it comes to business in this region, Kipp is often caught by
surprise. In a growing and youthful economy, people are so often inventive,
bold, and creative that it makes us proud to live here. But there can’t be many
as creative and bold as Khadija Ahmed.
She is the owner of what must be the Gulf’s first sex shop, according
to AlArabiya.net. Ahmed believes that nothing in Islam forbids the pleasures of
the bedroom, and she believes it so fervently that she has taken to selling
edible underwear, joy jelly and “vibrating accoutrements,” according to Al
Arabiya.
Though, “It’s not a sex shop in the Western sense,” she explains,
“but a place to help married couples, and only married couples, enjoy sex to the
full.”
And there, of course is the key. The shop, located in Bahrain and
named Dar Khadija, is for married couples only. In fact, the aim of the shop is
“to provide a service to married couples by making their sex lives more exciting
than the lure of an affair,” says Ahmed. She got the idea when she realized how
many men and women were having affairs outside of
marriage.
Having started with a website, she later gained permission for the
shop, and now it seems she has no shortage of customers.
Kipp supposes the old adage holds true: “Sex sells.” Even in the Arab
world.
http://www.kippreport.com/2010/05/a-new-business-frontier-sex-shops-in-the-gulf/
--------
Enough with fatwas that betray the spirit of Islam, Islamic expert
says
2010-05-31
After a fatwa is issued, saying that women must wear a veil in public
places, a debate on Islam and Qur‘anic laws begins in India. Ashgar Ali
Engineer, of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, tells AsiaNews that
Islam needs its own Renaissance.
Being tied to a medieval conception of religion will not help the
Islamic world or the world in general. Rather than looking at Islam through the
lenses of Sharia and hudud rules, we should undertake a cultural and religious
revolution. This way, we can avoid useless fatwas and dangerous
misunderstandings, said Ashgar Ali Engineer, of the Centre for Study of Society
and Secularism, as spoke to AsiaNews about a recent fatwa (non-binding religious
ruling) issued by a religious scholar in Uttar Pradesh.
In one of his latest edicts, Sharif Mohd Ayyub Alem Rizvi, mufti of
Darul Iftah, said that women could work in institutions under “certain
conditions”, one of which is wearing the veil. Furthermore, “Muslims,” the
Islamic legal expert said, “cannot work in banks because interests (a bank’s
profit) are contrary to Qur’anic law.”
This fatwa comes a few days after the Darul Uloom Deoband (Islamic
School in Deoband) announced that the income women earn working in public
offices alongside men is haram (prohibited).
Both fatwas share a literalist approach to Sharia and both appeared
in the Times of India, raising a storm in India.
”Why apply these shar’i hudud only to women?” Ali Engineer said. “Who
will define their limits? For these ulema, any mixing of men and women is an act
of fitna (mischief). For them, a woman’s character and integrity has no meaning
or significance at all. If she lifts the veil from her face in a mixed
gathering, she is transformed into a fitna”.
Yet, “There are several instances in the Holy Prophet’s life when men
and women came together,” he said. “Hazrat A’isha even led the Battle of Jamal
(aka Battle of the Camel) and hundreds of sahaba (companions) were around her.
No one told her not to venture out of home to take part in the battle. Shifa
bint-e-Abdullah, a leading woman, was appointed by Hazrat Umar as market
inspector and no one protested. What was she doing as a market inspector?
Dealing with women alone?”
However, for Engineer, things get more complicated when it comes to
the veil. “The Qur’an, which is the primary source for Sharia, does not refer to
hijab (veil) for ordinary women at all. On the other hand, it advises women not
to display her zeenah (adornments) publicly (Qur’an, 24:31) but refrains from
defining what constitutes zeenah or adornment.” Instead, the latter “has been
defined by various commentators depending on their cultural
environment.”
The fact is, “The Qur’an does not even say whether they should cover
their heads, let alone their faces. It says, on the other hand ‘except what
appears thereof’ leaving space for interpretation. There is near agreement among
commentators that face and hands should remain open.”
What is more, this “verse is preceded by advice to both men and
women,” telling them that they “are responsible for lowering their gaze.
Instead, the entire responsibility is put on women that they should cover
themselves including their faces, lest they should become source of fitna
(mischief).”
Actually, the Qur‘an requires “both men and women to restrain
themselves. It is unfortunate that when it comes to women we totally ignore even
what can be called maqasid al-shari’ah (the intentions of Sharia) and only women
are held responsible for her behaviour.”
For Ashgar Ali Engineer, fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) “has to be
thoroughly revised in keeping with the true spirit of the Qur‘an. One needs to
develop a proper methodology and framework to understand Qur‘anic intentions in
[their] totality, not in pieces, as our commentators have been
doing.”
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idsub=122&id=33896&t=Enough+with+fatwas+that+betray+the+spirit+of+Islam,+Islamic+expert+says
--------
No holding him back
SHASHI BALIGA
2010-05-31
Poet, lyricist and activist Javed Akhtar refuses to back down despite
receiving death threats for his criticism of the recent fatwa that women should
not work with men.
Clearly, it takes more than a death threat to unsettle the
redoubtable Javed Akhtar. In his airy, lived-in study in Mumbai, the
poet-lyricist-activist refuses to pull his punches as he talks of the recent
Darul Uloom Deoband fatwa that decreed it is ‘haram' for a family to accept a
woman's earnings and that women should not work in proximity with men. His
outspoken criticism of the fatwa resulted in much castigation by the hardliners
(a situation he's used to) and death threats (a situation that he's getting used
to). Akhtar, never one to hold back his political views, bashes on regardless.
Excerpts from an interview:
Obviously you're not scared of the death threats. But you must be a
disturbed man.
Full report at:
http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/article441037.ece
--------
Pakistani citizen languishing in Chhindwara
jail
Mahim Pratap Singh
May31, 2010
Bhopal: Had Azhar Ali fallen into the hands of some Hindi filmmaker
in his pursuit of betrayed love, his ordeal might have spawned an international
film themed around cross-border romance involving India, Pakistan, Nepal and
Malaysia.
Unfortunately for him, he fell into the hands of Chhindwara district
police officials. For six months now, Ali has been languishing in the Chhindwara
district jail.
Azhar Ali (27), a Pakistani citizen, had come to India in September
last year to find the woman he claimed to have loved and married — Ratna Soni, a
resident of Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. According to Ali, who is a
resident of Cheena village near Lahore in Pakistan, he met Ratna in Malaysia
where she had come with her troupe to perform.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/31/stories/2010053161492200.htm
--------
'Pak power cuts help terrorists'
May 31 2010
Faisalabad : Yet another negative is being turned into a positive by
terrorists for themselves.
Mohammad Rafiq has worked in Pakistan's weaving factories for 35
years, minding the looms that turn thread into cotton fabric. But lengthy power
cuts often leave him and his fellow workers idle and losing
wages.
Outages of up to 18 hours a day are threatening the government's
credibility at a time when the U.S. is pressing it to step up its fight against
the Taliban and al-Qaida. Mindful that a bad economy could mean more recruits to
the militant cause, Washington has pledged $1 billion to improve the power
supply, including upgrading thermal and hydropower plants as well as modernizing
distribution.
Unless things improve, "I'm afraid I'll lose my job and the owner
will close the factory," said Rafiq, 52, with a gesture of helplessness, his
arms covered in white cotton fluff. "I'll have no future."
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-power-cuts-help-terrorists/627128/
--------
Two lakh Facebook fans urging me to save Pak:
Musharraf
May 31 2010
London : Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, who is
vying to stage a comeback on the country’s political stage for quite some time
now, has said that he has a huge fan following on the popular networking
site-Facebook, which is consistently urging him to return to Pakistan to lift it
from the prevalent chaos.
Speaking before an audience of more than 1000 people at a sell-out
event at the Hay Festival of Literature in mid Wales, Musharraf, who is living
in London on an unannounced exile, claimed that his Facebook fan following has
increased considerably in the recent past.
He said 80 percent of his fans are youngsters in the age group of 18
to 34, who are perturbed over Pakistan’s condition.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/two-lakh-facebook-fans-urging-me-to-save-pak-musharraf/627131/
--------
Stringent measures urged to curb rising crime in
Makkah
May 31, 2010
MAKKAH: With a burgeoning community of foreigners who are residing in
Makkah illegally, the holy city has in recent times seen a rise in crime with
police stretched to their limits, Al-Watan newspaper
reported.
It is thought the city’s large community of overstayers, who are of
numerous nationalities, is to blame for the surge. According to reports, most of
the thefts are carried out by semi-organized gangs.
The majority of these people live in the undeveloped areas around
Al-Mansour Street, such as the Hindawiya, Tandabawi, Zogla, Jabal Ghurab, Harat
Al-Zaharain and Rusaifa districts.
The city’s residents are fed up with the rampant crime and call on
the authorities to properly punish criminals. “In most cases, thieves who are
caught are given light punishments; their crimes aren’t even publicized,” said
one resident.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article59361.ece
--------
15 killed as Israel fires at Gaza aid boat
May 31, 2010
JERUSALEM: At least15 people were killed as Israeli forces stormed a
boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists bound for Gaza, Israeli television and
radio stations reported on Monday.
According to Israel's private channel 10 television, Israeli marine
commandos had opened fire after being attacked with axes and knives by a number
of the passengers on board the aid ships, the television said,
without giving the source of its information.
The station did not say whether the dead and injured were passengers
or members of the Israeli navy.
Israel's army radio said between 10 and 14 people had been killed in
clashes which broke out after the passengers allegedly tried to grab weapons off
the naval commandos who tried to storm one of the boats.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/2-killed-as-Israel-fires-at-Gaza-aid-ship/articleshow/5993254.cms
--------
J&K 'encounter': Army orders probe
May 31, 2010
NEW DELHI: With the name of at least one Army officer figuring in the
alleged fake encounter in which three persons were killed in the Machil sector
of Jammu and Kashmir on April 30, defence minister A K Antony on Saturday said
strict action will be taken against anybody found guilty in the case.
"The J&K government has already ordered an inquiry into the case.
We will fully cooperate in the probe. There is no question of cover up. Whoever
is guilty will be punished...nobody will be spared,'' said Antony, speaking on
the sidelines of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Mazagon Dock Limited
(MDL) here.
The Army, on its part, said it "was already fully cooperating'' with
the police in the investigation. "We have a zero-tolerance for human rights
violations, as the Army chief General V K Singh himself has declared,'' said a
senior officer.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-encounter-Army-orders-probe/articleshow/5992074.cms
--------
US rehearses strikes on Pak: Report
May 31, 2010
NEW DELHI: Even before the heat generated by reports that US was
contemplating unilateral strikes against Pakistan could subside, Pakistani media
has reported that Washington has already "rehearsed" strikes on Pakistani
territory.
Pakistani daily Dawn quoted diplomatic sources to say that the US has
completed "dry exercises" to attack targets in Pakistan in the event of any
terrorist attack in America.
While Indian officials refrained from commenting, sources said US
officials had been alarmed by the recent failed Times Square bomb plot. The
paper said this trial exercise was a rehearsal of "a military's combat skills
without the use of live ammunition".
The exercise, however, did not involve US troops. "Instead, it
projected computer simulations of such an attack with an assessment of a
possible counterattack and of the potential resistance US troops might face if
they entered Pakistani soil," the report said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-rehearses-strikes-on-Pak-Report/articleshow/5992647.cms
--------
Infighting in Taliban as ISI picks Omar's new
deputy
May 31, 2010
NEW YORK: As they await a major onslaught from the US and Nato forces
in Afghanistan, the Taliban are reported to be in turmoil with dissensions
breaking out among the top ranks.
As Mullah Omar, the group's spiritual leader, stays hidden from
Americans, infighting has riven the top ranks on who will emerge as the working
head in place of apprehended Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. The man at the centre
of the storm, Newsweek reported, was Mullah Gul Agha Akhund, an in-law and long
time confidante of Mullah Omar.
Akhund is brandishing a handwritten letter from Mullah Omar to claim
he's the new second-in-command of the Taliban.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Infighting-in-Taliban-as-ISI-picks-Omars-new-deputy/articleshow/5992645.cms
--------
Passage to past: ASI builds pathway to Mughal-era
tomb
Richi Verma
May31, 2010
New Delhi: The 17th century tomb of Azim Khan that has remained
inaccessible for years will finally see some visitors.The Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) is completing work on a pedestrian passage to reach the
monument,which is situated on top of a hill on Mehrauli-Gurgaon
road.
A Mughal-era structure,the tomb can also be spotted from the Qutub
complex.The monument with its extremely prominent location has often made
passers-by curious.There is also an ornamental stone gateway,believed to have
been built by Sir Cheries Theophilus Metcalfen,near the tomb.In the absence of a
clear approach road,however,it had been quite a challenge to get a closer look
at the tomb.
Full report at: The Times of India
--------
Bangladesh HC quashes last graft case against
Hasina
Anisur Rahman
May31, 2010
The last of the 15 graft cases, slapped against Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, was quashed on Sunday, with a Bangladeshi court relieving her of a
charge relating to the appointment of a government adviser of a state-run
regulatory authority.
“She is now relieved of all the 15 graft charges brought against her
from 2001 to 2008 with the quashing of this case,” Hasina’s counsel and nephew
Fazle-Noor Tapas told reporters.
A two-judge High Court bench comprising M Shamsul Huda and Abu Bakar
Siddiqui ordered the case to be quashed, nine years after the Khaleda Zia-led
Bangladesh Nationalist Party government slapped the charges against
her.
According to the complaint, during the 1996-2001 tenure of Hasina’s
Government, she had appointed an adviser to Bangladesh Export Processing Zones
Authority (BEPZA) defying a standing policy that caused the misuse of over Taka
2.10 crore of the public exchequer.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/259324/Bangladesh-HC-quashes-last-graft-case-against-Hasina.html
--------
Banned groups joining hands with Al-Qaida, says
Malik
May31, 2010
Banned militant groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and
Sipah-e-Sahaba have joined hands with the Taliban and Al-Qaida to destabilise
Pakistan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday.
The Taliban and its allied groups had adopted a new strategy after
the successful military operations in the Swat valley and the tribal areas and
were now trying to “spread anarchy” and trigger infighting among different
sects, Malik told reporters after visiting one of two Ahmedi mosques that were
attacked by heavily armed terrorists in Lahore on Friday.
Members of banned groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammed
who fled Punjab had gone to the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and received
training there, he said.They then came back to Punjab and became part of sleeper
cells, he added.
“These forces are working to destabilise Pakistan... Those militants
who were hiding in southern Punjab are now surfacing,” he
said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/259296/Banned-groups-joining-hands-with-Al-Qaida-says-Malik.html
--------
‘Indian consulate's attitude shocking'
Vrinda Sharma
May31, 2010
CHANDIGARH: A group of human rights activists, which visited the 17
Indian nationals on death row in Sharjah, UAE, for the murder of a Pakistani
national, has criticised the role and attitude of the Indian consulate and
demanded a proper investigation.
Navkiran Singh, lawyer and human rights activist, said the trial of
the 17 Indian nationals “is a gross violation of international standards of due
process in capital punishment cases, as the accused do not follow the language
of the trial and have not been given the proper chance to defend
themselves.”
‘No legal aid'
On March 29, a Sharjah court of the First Instance found the 17
Indians — 16 from Punjab and one from Haryana — guilty of beating a Pakistani
man to death and wounding three others when a fight involving dozens of
bootleggers broke out in the Al Sajaa industrial area in January
2009.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/31/stories/2010053161661200.htm
--------
‘Thugs gave crash course to Shahzad’
May 31, 2010
New York : Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad, arrested for the failed
Times Square bombing, got a “crash course” in killing from thugs in Pakistan’s
two top terror towns — Miran Shah and Mir Ali, according to a media report
here.
Shahzad, the 30-year-old son of a retired Pakistani vice-marshal, had
recently spent time in the towns most associated with Al Qaeda and its Taliban
allies, a senior military officer in Islamabad told the New York Daily
News.
The US has accused the Pakistani Taliban, which enjoys a near
impunity in the lawless Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, of
masterminding the May 1 Times Square failed bombing.
http://www.asianage.com/international/taliban-turmoil-over-leadership-564
--------
Afghans Seek Peace In Traditional Style
Sayed Salahuddin
May31, 2010
At the bottom of a hill on the outskirts of the Afghan capital,
billboards display pictures of past Afghan rulers with captions extolling how
they resolved critical national issues at various times by holding “jirgas”,
traditional gatherings of elders and notables.
Flyers addressing Taliban insurgents and their sympathisers, bear an
ancient Afghan maxim: “If you insist on your might and I do the same, neither of
us will exist. But if you listen to me and I do to you, both of us will
survive.”
The homespun, softly-softly message is part of an effort by President
Hamid Karzai to reach out to the Taliban at a time when the insurgency is at its
strongest and before US President Barack Obama’s pledge to start withdrawing
troops in mid-2011. Mr Karzai, ruler of Afghanistan since the fall of the
Taliban in 2001, has called a jirga from June 2-5 to present proposals for how
to start peace talks.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/afghans-seek-peace-traditional-style-560
--------
Other war on Afzal: Human rights vs Kashmiri cause
Seema Chishti
May 30 2010
New Delhi : The debate over the mercy petition of Parliament attack
convict Afzal Guru, who has been sentenced to death, is already a raging
political match between the Opposition BJP and the Congress. But even within the
prison walls, Afzal is finding himself drawn into a tussle on how to allow his
case to pan out — is it just about ‘human rights’ or should it be made into a
larger political question around the Kashmir ‘cause’.
His lawyer N D Pancholi, a well-known rights activist and
founder-member of the PUCL in 1973, finds himself in a confrontation with former
co-accused (now acquitted) of the Parliament case, S A R Geelani, over the
matter of representing Afzal.
Pancholi met Afzal in Tihar on Friday and emerged with a hand-written
letter by Afzal, authorising him to follow his appeal for shifting him to
Srinagar Prison.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/other-war-on-afzal-human-rights-vs-kashmiri-cause/626927/
--------
India tells Pak to rein in ISI, LeT after attack on ITBP convoy in
Jalalabad
Shishir Gupta
May31, 2010
New Delhi : India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan after
militants twice targeted an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) security convoy
carrying three India-bound officials en route from Jalalabad consulate to the
airport. The militants are believed to have been from Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT),
supported by the local Taliban in the restive Nangarhar border province in
Afghanistan.
Government sources told The Sunday Express that Foreign Secretary
Nirupama Rao summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik last Monday and
served him a single-page demarche conveying New Delhi’s concern about Pakistani
intelligence agencies and terrorist groups targeting Indian personnel in a third
country. New Delhi has asked Islamabad to rein in its intelligence agencies and
Pakistan-based LeT and restrain them from attacking Indian
targets.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-tells-pak-to-rein-in-isi-let-after-attack-on-itbp-convoy-in-jalalabad/626928/
--------
Urdu-speaking people demand budgetary allocation for
rehab
May31, 2010
Bangladesh Bihari Rehabilitation Assembly, an organisation of
Urdu-speaking people living in Bangladesh, on Sunday demanded specific budgetary
allocations for their rehabilitation with shelter and
livelihoods.
The leaders of the assembly submitted a memorandum with a seven-point
charter of demands to the finance ministry after forming a human chain in front
of the National Press Club.
More than 200 Urdu-speaking
people from camps in the city’s Mirpur and Mohammadpur areas, and also from
Adamjee Nagar in Narayanganj, joined the human chain to raise their
demand.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/may/31/nat.html
---------
Jamaat puts forth demands over rally in Paltan Maidan
May 31, 2010
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday called on the Awami
League-led government to take steps so that Jamaat’s city unit could hold its
rally, as scheduled earlier, in Paltan Maidan today.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Saturday imposed restrictions on
gathering in Paltan Maidan and its surroundings as Jamaat and the Awami Juba
League announced to hold rallies at the place at the same
time.
Jamaat’s secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid at a briefing
in its central office also put forth a three-point demands — cancelling the Juba
League’s rally in Paltan Maidan at the time, withdrawing the restrictions on
gathering at the place and allowing Jamaat to use PA systems for the
rally.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/may/31/nat.html
--------
US seeks to balance India's Afghanistan stake
May 31 2010
Washington : The Obama administration is grappling with how to
balance India's role in Afghanistan as arch-rival Pakistan also jostles for
influence there ahead of Washington's planned troop withdrawal to start in
mid-2011.
US strategy in Afghanistan is set to be included on the agenda in
US-India talks this week in Washington -- with Delhi seeking clarity over rival
Pakistan's role, particularly in reconciliation plans with the
Taliban.
The Obama administration has so far sent mixed signals over the kind
of role it wants India to play in Afghanistan, leaving an impression at times,
say experts, that Pakistan's strategic interests could have more
weight.
I don't think this (US) administration or the previous one knows how
to balance our legitimate interests in both Pakistan and India effectively, said
Christine Fair, assistant professor at Georgetown University and a South Asia
expert.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-seeks-to-balance-indias-afghanistan-stake/627113/
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Al-Qaeda leadership operating from Pak’s tribal region:
Mullen
May 31 2010
Washington : The United States believes that the Al-Qaeda leadership
is based in Pakistan’s volatile tribal region along the Afghanistan border, and
is working with both Islamabad and Kabul to reign in the terror network
flourishing in that safe haven, a top American military official has
said.
During a Fox News programme, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Admiral Mike Mullen said Washington is aware that top Al-Qaeda commanders were
operating from Pakistan.
“Clearly, I mean, we’re very concerned about that part of the world.
We’re very concerned about — that’s where Al-Qaeda leadership lives. We know
that. And we’re working with Pakistan and, quite frankly, with Afghanistan to
continue to put pressure on that leadership. And I wouldn’t speak to any kind of
details in terms of either plans or operations,” Admiral Mullen
said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/alqaeda-leadership-operating-from-paks-tribal-region-mullen/627119/
--------
UN CONFERENCE TRIES TO BRIDGE WEST-MUSLIM
DIVIDE
May 31, 2010
But diplomats organizing the
third Alliance of Civilizations forum said the focus would be on softer issues,
rather than the military confrontations taking place in Afghanistan, Iraq and
the Palestinian Territories, or the societal ones seen in France and other parts
of Europe.
“It’s difficult to say which issues are more important than others,
but migration and education are of special interest”, said one of the organizers
of the three-day event, Brazilian diplomat Jose Augusto Lindgren, speaking ahead
of the event..
But one topic on the agenda, that of the Internet and its influence
on shaping opinions, would be especially timely, given Pakistan’s blocking of
Facebook in outrage at a page promoting cartoons of Islam’s Prophet
Mohammad.
Full report at:
http://www.mmorning.com/ArticleC.asp?Article=8011&CategoryID=7
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Islam attacked by a deadly virus
Maswood Alam Khan
May 31, 2010
It seems a new virus has been let loose to attack Islam. Groups of
killers wearing Muslim names are roaming around as agents of a deadly virus to
kill people at the behest of some quarters, mostly untouchable and invisible, in
order to defame and wipe out Islam, a great religion that ushered in peace about
2000 years back at a time when crimes against humanity were
rampant.
Islam, a modern religion that had liberated slaves, bestowed rights
to women, obliterated the caste system, inspired humans to keep their heads
high, trained the warriors not to punish the unarmed enemies, advised the
victors not to vanish the vanquished and given lessons on how to ensure justice,
is now mocked by some quarters as a faith of terrorism and as a religion that
inspires killing of innocent people.
Full report at:
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=101675&date=2010-05-31
--------
American Muslims need to reflect on their
patriotism
Qasim Rashid
May 31, 2010
As an American Muslim myself, I laud Imran Hayee for his excellent
opinion piece on the importance of patriotism (Local View: “American Muslims
need to reflect on their patriotism,” May 26). Hayee expressed clearly the
struggle some American Muslims face, and he offered a practical and realistic
solution to resolve those issues.
I’m thrilled to see more American Muslims standing up and speaking
out against the atrocious behaviors of those like Faisal Shahzad, the American
Muslim man accused of attempting to blow up Times Square in New York City. It’s
about time Muslims made clear that Islam stands for peace and pluralism. My hope
is Hayee’s commentary reaches the ears of our fellow Americans — and the hearts
of our fellow American Muslims. Both deserve to know where Muslims in America
stand. Hayee’s column was a great start to showing them that a true American
Muslim stands with this great nation.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/170142/group/Opinion/
--------
Larijani urges Islamic countries' measures for Palestinians
rights
May 31, 2010
TEHARN (ISNA)-Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani called for the
Islamic countries to take joint measures for obtaining oppressed Palestinians'
rights.
Larijani met the Speaker of Indonesian House of Representatives
Marzuki Alie on Sunday where the two officials stressed the necessity of
activating bilateral cooperation on various fields including economy, industry
and trade.
Iranian official also referred to the current crisis in Palestine and
the Zionist regime's crimes in occupied lands and said, "what Palestine needs
today, is the Islamic countries' cooperation to gain oppressed Palestinians'
rights."
Full report at:
http://www.isna.ir/ISNA/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1548772&Lang=E
--------
Afghan officials suspend 2 Christian aid groups for alleged
proselytizing
May 31, 2010
KABUL — Afghan authorities suspended two Christian foreign aid groups
Monday on suspicion of proselytizing in the strictly Islamic nation and said a
follow-up investigation would include whether other groups were trying to
convert Muslims.
U.S.-based Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid will not be
allowed to operate while the allegations, aired Sunday on Afghan television, are
investigated, said Mohammad Hashim Mayar, the deputy director of the Afghan
government office that oversees nongovernment organizations, known as
NGOs.
Mayar said officials did not have any evidence of proselytizing
beyond the television report.
An investigation commission including officers from the National
Security and Interior Ministries had been appointed, he
said.
Full report at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hVx659zX3mqTOkDiqDfGpG_th5ng
--------
Iran should seriously address false claims to Persian Gulf islands:
MP
May 31, 2010
TERHAN - MP Kazem Jalali has asked the Iranian Foreign Ministry to
adopt a harder line toward the United Arab Emirates over its unjustified claims
to three Iranian Persian Gulf islands.
“The adoption of such stances and the presentation of such false
claims (by the UAE) warrants speedier and stricter measures by the Foreign
Ministry,” Jalali, who is the rapporteur of the Majlis National Security and
Foreign Policy Committee, said in Tehran on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, the Foreign Ministry’s response to these acts by the
United Arab Emirates is to simply laugh them off,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=220433
--------
Seven arrested over links to religious minority
attackers
31 May, 2010
LAHORE: Seven men have been arrested over alleged links to the
militants, who attacked a religious minority in Lahore, killing 95 people,
reports AP.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited one of the two places for
worship which were attacked on Friday in Lahore and promised to work with local
officials to tackle the growing problem of militancy in Pakistan's heartland of
Punjab province.
“The terrorists, who have been hiding in southern Punjab, have now
surfaced,” said Malik. “Our action will be stronger now because we cannot
tolerate these killings.”
The government has been criticized for lacking the will to crack down
on militants in Punjab, many of whom are part of now-banned groups started with
government support in the 1980s and '90s to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan and
pressure archenemy India.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/16-seven-arrested-over-links-to-religious-minority-attackers-02-sa
--------
Forces, jet fighters kill 42 Taliban in Orakzai
May 31, 2010
HANGU: Security forces backed by fighter jets killed 42 terrorists
and injured another 13 in various parts of Orakzai Agency on
Sunday.
Fighter jets bombed terrorist hideouts in Ghuz Garh, Ghalju, Tali,
Tore Kandi and Kasha areas, killing 20 and injuring 13
Taliban.
Sources said five hideouts were also destroyed in the
attacks.
Also, Swat Scouts killed 22 Taliban in a six-hour battle in Mulla
Khel, Rangi Kandu, Mir Garh, Drai Choti and Sumpag and consolidated their
position in the areas.
The security forces also destroyed 12 terrorist hideouts in these
areas.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\05\31\story_31-5-2010_pg1_5
--------
‘100,000 die annually due to tobacco use in
country’
May 31, 2010
KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed has said that almost
100,000 people die in Pakistan while 5.4 million deaths occur worldwide because
of tobacco consumption.
He said the health department was taking steps to create awareness
about the hazards of cigarettes, biris and cigars as well as chewable tobacco
like gutka, mainpuri and pan. Dr Sagheer said that the theme for this year’s
World No Tobacco Day was gender and tobacco, and it would draw particular
attention to the harmful effects of tobacco on women and girls. It would also
highlight the need for nearly 170 parties to the WHO frameworks convention on
tobacco control to ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in
accordance with the constitutional principle, he added.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\05\31\story_31-5-2010_pg12_5
--------
Jirga critical for peace in Afghanistan: Nato
31 May, 2010
KABUL, May 30: A huge “peace jirga” set to take place in Kabul this
week marks a critical moment in bringing to an end decades of conflict that
blighted Afghanistan, according to Nato leaders.
The National Consultative Peace Jirga, or assembly, aims to bring
together leaders from across Afghanistan, representing the country’s complicated
mix of ethnic, tribal, geographic and gender interests.
It is due to take place over three days from Wednesday in a tent on
the outskirts of Kabul, providing a forum for discussing what steps President
Hamid Karzai should take towards brokering a peace deal with the Taliban.
“The peace jirga is a critical element, it is a critical moment for
this country,” Mark Sedwill, Nato’s civilian representative in Afghanistan said
on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/jirga-critical-for-peace-in-afghanistan-nato-150
--------
7 policemen killed in explosion
31 May, 2010
KUNDUZ (Afghanistan), May 30: A roadside bomb struck a police patrol
on Sunday in the remote north-eastern Afghan province of Badakhshan, killing
seven officers, officials said, in the latest violence blamed on the Taliban.
A police commander said that he was investigating claims by local
villagers that Nato forces had killed and injured civilians in an air raid
originally aimed at Taliban.
And military officials said up to a dozen Taliban-linked militants,
including their commander, were killed when Nato and Afghan troops backed by air
support struck their sanctuaries in the northern Baghlan mountains.
In a separate incident, a foreign soldier was killed on Sunday
fighting Taliban in southern Afghanistan, Nato said. The soldier, whose
nationality was not revealed, died following a small arms attack, Nato’s
International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/7-policemen-killed-in-explosion-150
--------
Pakistan, US agree on Waziristan operation
31 May, 2010
WASHINGTON: The US military chief said on Sunday that he could not
discuss his plans for combating Fata-based militants with the media but would
like to do so with Pakistan’s cooperation.
Diplomatic sources in Washington, while talking to Dawn, also
confirmed this, saying that Pakistan had agreed in principle to extend its
military operation to North Waziristan and other areas identified by the
Americans as militant hideouts.
“I wouldn’t speak to any kind of details in terms of either plans or
operations,” said US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen when
asked if the Pentagon had planned a unilateral military strike in
Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/pakistan,-us-agree-in-principle-on-waziristan-operation-150
--------
Aid flotilla off to Gaza
May 31, 2010
GAZA CITY: A flotilla of ships carrying activists and aid for the
blockaded Gaza Strip on Sunday finally steamed south from Cyprus, heading for a
confrontation with a fleet of Israeli naval vessels determined to stop
them.
The ships, carrying more than 700 passengers, are on the last leg of
a high-profile mission to deliver tons of aid to Gaza, which has been under a
crippling Israeli blockade since 2007.
"We have just left in the last few minutes," Huwaida Arraf, chairman
of the Free Gaza Movement, said by telephone from the boat Challenger 1. "Israel
is blocking an area about 20 nautical miles out from the Gaza coast and we
expect to hit that area in the late morning or early afternoon" on Monday, she
said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article59398.ece
--------
Lack of legislation hinders Islamic finance march in
Russia
By MUSHTAK PARKER
May 31, 2010
MOSCOW: There is no doubt of the potential for Islamic finance in
Russia and the CIS countries, but the major stumbling block is the absence of
enabling legislation and a regulatory framework to facilitate Islamic financial
products such as Murabaha, Ijara and sukuk.
These sentiments could not have been articulated better at the Moscow
Forum on Islamic Finance & Investments which was held in the Russian capital
last Thursday and attended by a host of local and international participants
including Ali Hassan Jaafar, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to
Russia.
While the Central Bank of Russia largely remains disinterested in
taking the initiative in facilitating Islamic finance in the country, behind the
scenes there are some encouraging developments which could speed up the
introduction of Shariah-compliant products there.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/economy/islamicfinance/article59407.ece
--------
Haj minister meets Pakistan delegation
May 31, 2010
JEDDAH: Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsi met Pakistan’s Minister of
Tourism Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman at his office on Monday and discussed
arrangements for this year’s Haj.
Al-Farsi said all arrangements are in place and maximum facilities
and comfort would be extended to pilgrims.
Pakistan's Consul General Abdul Salik Khan and Director General of Haj
Rao Shakeel Ahmed also accompanied the minister.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article59396.ece
--------
Insecurity could worsen Darfur crisis: UN
By OPHEERA MCDOOM
May 31, 2010
NYALA: Darfur's humanitarian crisis could spiral if the fighting and
kidnappings of foreigners that are restricting the world's largest aid operation
are not halted, the UN aid chief John Holmes said on
Sunday.
Holmes told Reuters during a visit to Sudan that insecurity caused by
ongoing fighting between rebels and government, tribal clashes and abductions
targeting foreign workers had forced some aid agencies to scale down operations
and others to withdraw.
"Unless we can somehow get a grip on the insecurity and the
kidnapping, we may see a steady erosion of the number of people prepared to work
here," Holmes said in Nyala, South Darfur.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article59287.ece
9:39 PM
Sultan Shahin
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