Sufi
Leader, Peacemaker Buried in Jerusalem
Spain bans the
burqa
Chidambaram orders release of four Pak
prisoners
All for honour: Sikh family gave
son away to Partition-hit Muslim pair
Pakistan madrassas ‘do not stoke militancy’:
Report
Christians continue to suffer at hands of local
landlord
Terrorists roaming freely, thanks to courts:
Pakistan minister
Foreign secys set talks table for ministers
Indian PM, Obama to meet in
Toronto
Chidambaram, Rehman Malik to hold talks; terror
tops agenda
Riots
should be seen in context of Hindu-Muslim relations of medieval Gujarat, says
historian
Saudis lament weakening family
bonds
When Saudis hate Saudi tourists
abroad
Rising unemployment among
Saudis
Swift
settlement of divorce cases urged in Saudi Arabi
No immediate withdrawal of troops from
Afghanistan: Obama
Dismay in Kabul at McChrystal sacking
Bangladesh Army strength now
152,224
Two day
seminar held on Jamil Mazhari in
London
Ban on Zakir Naik by Britain is unfortunate:
Milli Council of India
Programme of sufi music ‘Rooh-e-Ishq’ in
Dubai
Muslim World League conference from July 31 in
Makkah
Jamiat-e-Ulema President Arshad
Madani for extension of first phase of census
‘War on terror cannot be won by
firepower alone’
Protection policy for Overseas
Pakistanis soon, says Farooq
Most Pakistanis seen
dissatisfied with govt’s economic direction
12-year-old grudge: Man shot in court to ‘avenge
rape’
Police
arrest 41 separatists in Indian Kashmir
Israeli plan for east Jerusalem is illegal: Ban
A Report on the Network of Spiritual Progressives
Conference, June 11-13, 2010
Muslims look for piety first in
partners
Jamaat links to UK ‘war crimes’
meeting sparks row in Dhaka
Israeli
warplanes launch three raids on Gaza
Children in Pak call for help against
mother
Turkish Tigers press Iran trade
amid sanctions fears
Tajikistan jails four suspected
militants
Pakistan must tighten Afghan border control, says
Holbrooke
Eight
terrorists killed in Orakzai
‘Balochistan law and order bad due to US
presence’
Kyrgyzstan claims Taliban links to
violence
Gillard assures Obama of Australia's support for
military campaign in Afghanistan
Jamaat links to UK ‘war crimes’
meeting sparks row in Dhaka
US committed to stability, democracy in
Pakistan
More
Americans disapprove of Obama's job performance
Kyrgyzstan 'weak link' for religious extremists,
says security chief
Fearing
expulsion, Palestinians stay home
Marriage with stepmom is rape: Deoband
Terror tops list for foreign ministers
meeting,says Rao
Energizer general : Can Petraeus repeat Iraq feat in Afghanistan
India flags terrorism during FS-level talks
Pak raise Kashmir issue at FS
meet
Britain ‘absolutely committed’ to Afghan
mission
Notices issued to Zardari’s parents in graft
case
Israel offers to let Europe diplomats visit Gaza:
Official
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Sufi Leader, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari
-------
PAKISTAN — Sunni Islamists attack females for
studying
By Lee Jay Walker
The nation of Pakistan is currently in crisis
because many parts of this nation are out of control and central forces can do
little to stem the tide of Sunni Islamic hatred. Given this reality, the Taliban
and other radical Sunni Muslim organizations have warned young females from
obtaining an education. This policy is not related to the government of Pakistan
but the government of this nation must be held accountable for not protecting
females and teachers.
Instead this barbaric policy is being introduced
by radical Sunni Islamic forces who desire to rule by fear. Attacks which began
to increase in 2009 have continued in 2010 and schools have been bombed by
pro-Taliban forces. Therefore, how can
Pakistan and other nations stop this madness and mass
cruelty?
Of course the political correct liberals in the
West and the “well meaning” who try to excuse every crime committed by these
fanatics, remain mainly silent when issues like this occur. Therefore, we hear
so much about Guantanamo Bay but what about the dark forces of radical Sunni
Islam, why don’t we get more information about this global
reality?
Yes, Guantanamo Bay can be questioned because of
the violation of international law. Yet what about informing people about the
brutal ideology of radical Sunni Islam? After all, they support the persecution
of women, killing homosexuals, killing converts from Islam, stoning people to
death for adultery, closing female schools, killing teachers who teach females,
and many other barbaric and draconian measures.
Yet the political correct who were aghast by
Guantanamo Bay, say very little about the reality of radical Sunni Islam.
Therefore, today we are seeing a new wave of radical Sunni Islam in parts of
Pakistan and Afghanistan once more. This means a new drive against women in
order to maintain a firm male grip over society. However, the mass media, on the
whole, appears to be asleep on this issue and feminists remain mainly silent and
the same applies to moderate Muslims who only see Islam in a positive
light?
Therefore, in the early part of the 21st century
we are witnessing a militant Sunni Islamic ideology which supports destroying
schools which teach females, killing teachers who teach young girls, and other
brutal methods in order to rule by fear.
This is being done in the name of Islam and this barbaric way of thinking
appears to be gaining ground and minorities also fear persecution, therefore,
Ahmadiyya Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and others, fear an “Islamic year
zero.”
This mindset somehow appears to be growing in
parts of Pakistan and the hands of funding from Saudi Arabia and other draconian
nations is enabling this. Alas, the
liberal mass media wants to say little or excuse every possible crime which is
being done in the name of Sunni Islam.
To the followers of this radical Sunni Islamic
ideology, they deem the killing of innocents and ruling by fear to be Godly. In
their eyes it is right to humiliate and persecute women, Shia Muslims, Ahmadiyya
Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs; kill converts who leave Sunni Islam; to
chop hands and feet off for minor crimes; to stone women to death for adulter;,
and so forth. This ideology is similar to Nazism, it is about the destruction of
all alternative thought patterns and it is based on ruling by
fear.
This radical Sunni Islamic Sharia state which is
desired by Islamists would mean a return to an age of complete barbarity. If a
political movement in any developed nation rose up like this, then all liberals
and democrats would be aghast, however, many parts of the mass media are
ignoring the reality of what radical Sunni Islam means. Therefore, without any
major political desire, this problem will be left unchallenged and females will
be the first victims and after them the rest will
follow.
Given this, the government of Pakistan and
outside nations must work closely together in order to support the most
vulnerable in society. Pakistan also must close down all radical religious
schools because these schools are breeding grounds for radical Islamists who
indoctrinate very young people. Therefore, the “real war” must be the control of
“education and welfare services.”
America and NATO are now bogged down in
Afghanistan because Islamic Sunni militants can freely move between Afghanistan
and Pakistan. Yet while the military is needed to prevent the Taliban from
taking power; this policy must be more dimensional. Secular schools are needed
and all welfare services must be taken over by both central governments. At the
same time, all moderate Sunni religious leaders must work alongside the
government in order to stop the next generation from being
brainwashed.
Education and the welfare sector is the “real
war” and the central governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan must be supported
in these vital areas. The world must act and it must act alongside moderate
forces within Afghanistan and Pakistan. If not, then this radical Sunni Islamic
movement will threaten other societies and nations, for example Bangladesh,
Indonesia, Nigeria, and others.
In modern day Afghanistan and Pakistan you have
many people who face persecution. This applies to females who merely want to go
to school, Shia Muslims who face enormous persecution, moderate Sunni Muslims,
different sects within Islam, converts to Christianity or other faiths, and so
forth. The NAZI style methodology of radical Sunni Islam is clearly very potent
and just like in NAZI Germany, all alternative points of views are deemed to be
punishable by death or other forms of coercion by the use of brute
force.
If Afghanistan and Pakistan, alongside outside
nations, can not protect females throughout all of society, then who can be
protected from these dark forces? The battle ground is clear for all to see, it
is about the control of the education sector and welfare sector. At the same
time, internal corruption must be ended via genuine reforms and international
financial support must be aimed at creating “a just society” and not just window
dressing.
Of course this will not be easy, but the military
option by itself is not viable and the same applies to maintaining the current
status quo. Major institutions in both nations need to be changed alongside
greater centralization where central power is very weak. Also, moderate Sunni
Muslim clerics must come forward because radical Sunni Islam desires to destroy
everything, including the diversity of Sunni Islam. The Taliban and other
organizations desire a world where women are stoned to death for adultery and
where women remain in the shadows; this radical ideology needs to be challenged
by all forces which support humanity, if not, this crisis will grow and
spread.
http://www.clpl-india.com/pakistan-sunni-islamists-attack-females-for-studying.html
---------
Sufi Leader, Peacemaker Buried in
Jerusalem
Jason Hamza van Boom
Jun 25th, 2010
A Sufi
leader who had worked for peace and interfaith understanding was able to
continue that work even after his death. Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze
gathered together for the funeral of Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari in Old City
Jerusalem on June 1. His mourning tent received rabbis, priests, imams, and
other visitors for three days.
Sheikh
Bukhari was the head of Naqshbandi Holy Land Sufi Order, and also the head of
the Muslim Uzbek community in Jerusalem. He was a direct descendant of Imam
Muhammad Ismail al-Bukhari, the most prominent compiler of hadith (oral
traditions attributed to Muhammad (saws)) . Sheikh Bukhari’s family had moved
from the Uzbek city of Bukhara to Jerusalem in 1616. The Ottomans placed them in
charge of shrines in the Holy Land and Lebanon.
Sheikh
Bukhari continued his family’s tradition of service, in part, through active
engagement in interfaith activities. He was a co-founder of Jerusalem
Peacemakers, and participated in the Interfaith Coordinating Council in Israel,
Interfaith Encounter Association and the Sulha Peace Project. Nourished by
Islamic traditions and a student of Gandhi, King, and Mandela, Sheikh Bukhari
believed that religious leaders have an important role to play in peacemaking.
He said:
It’s not
religions that want peace…The people who believe in God, the religious people,
the people who really want to implement God’s word, they can make the peace,
they can make the changes, because if a politician stands and speaks, many
people listen to him, but how many people agree with him? Very little. But when
the religious leader who stands and speaks, they listen to him and they agree
with him. The religious leader has a stronger role than a
politician.
In a
city where holy places become props for political purposes, Bukhari
said:
The
place is not relevant to the worshiping, because God says ‘I gave you the whole
earth to worship me on it.’ So any place, if I pray here in my house or anybody
prays anywhere else, if I go to the church or the synagogue and I pray there,
God will not say ‘No, you step out, you don’t belong here.’ …The place, it’s not
relevant to the worshiping. If we are really sincere about God our holy places
are the same…So the holy places, belong to God, not to us. …..If the mosque was
here or there, or the temple was here or there, this is our own issue, but God
says anywhere you pray, I’ll accept it. I accept it, so let’s not pinpoint
issues that make complications…
Sheikh
Bukhari died of heart failure at age 61, said by some to have been aggravated by
the labors of his religious and civic work. He is survived by his wife and six
children, who live in Jerusalem, Gaza and the US.
http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2010/06/21/sufi-leader-peacemaker-buried-in-jerusalem/
---------
Spain bans the
burqa
25 Jun, 2010
In line
with the discriminatory pattern emerging across Europe, the Spanish senate has
approved the banning of the burqa. A move pushed by the conservative Popular
Party to ban the face-covering niqab in all public places, the bill has been
made into law by a narrow vote of 131 to 129. As expected, the ban has drawn
harsh criticism from human rights activists and Muslim groups in not just the
country, but across all of Europe.
Proving
that some sane minds do exist, the Council of Europe has rejected this ban as
MPAs from the 47 member states of this body unanimously say that such a general
ban impinges upon the rights of those women who freely choose to wear the burqa
without any force or coercion. They claim that an all out ban is unnecessary and
women ought to only abandon the niqab in security and professional capacities
where so required.
Hot on
the heels of Belgium and France — where a complete ban is also being considered
— Spain has set a new precedent in disregarding the freedoms and liberties that
the secular European Union stands for. The voices of suppression seem to have
won this time round as the socialist Spanish government of Prime Minister José
Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, instead, favoured education to help enlighten the
Muslim immigrant population regarding Spain’s liberal values.
Mr
Zapatero had it right. Societies have always followed the evolutionary process
when defining their ever-changing cultures. Progress and reform have been rife
when there has been an upsurge in education, knowledge, space and time. To
enforce something as culturally fundamental as a dress code is something liberal
and free societies just do not do. The Taliban enforced the burqa in Afghanistan
and now Europe is bent upon taking it off. In both extremes, it was the women
who were crushed by coercion. Nowhere were their voices heard.
Europe’s
security concerns can be understood but further ghettoising the Muslim psyche by
denying them their religiously motivated cultural traditions will only serve to
push them further into the arms of waiting extremists. It is time the tenets of
enlightenment, humanity, tolerance and understanding be revisited to allow an
incrementally positive and liberal transformation of society.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg3_1
---------
Chidambaram orders release of four Pak
prisoners
Jun 25, 2010
NEW
DELHI: In a goodwill gesture ahead of his visit to Pakistan, home minister P
Chidambaram today ordered the release of four Pakistani prisoners lodged in
various jails in Gujarat.
"Chidambaram has approved the release of four
Pakistani prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. They are currently lodged in
various jails in Gujarat," a statement released by the Home Ministry said.
It said
the prisoners will be repatriated from the Attari border on June 30 and will be
handed over to Pakistan Rangers.
Chidambaram's two-day visit beginning today is
the first ministerial visit from India to Pakistan since the 26/11 Mumbai terror
attacks.
He is
expected to press for a probe against LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and seek voice
samples of handlers of Mumbai attackers.
Chidambaram, who is visiting Pakistan primarily
for the SAARC Interior Minister's Conference on Saturday, is expected to have
bilateral meeting with Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman
Malik.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chidambaram-orders-release-of-four-Pak-prisoners/articleshow/6089321.cms
---------
All for honour: Sikh family gave son away to
Partition-hit Muslim pair
Yudhvir Rana
Jun 25th, 2010
Amritsar: A promise is a promise and for the past
62 years,Charan Singh,also known as Manjur Jugnu,now pushing 80,has smugly kept
a pledge made by his father,Master Maan Singh,to Noor Mohammad and his wife.The
Muslim couple had lost both their sons in the orgy of violence during partition
and Maan Singh had given his only son,whom theyd named Charan,to the Muslim
couple.
Jugnus
life story is stuff of the celluloid: a youth whose love story began in Punjabs
hinterland but couldnt blossom;then,amid bloodthirsty mobs of Hindus and
Muslims,that unbelievable gesture by his father towards the Muslim couple,which
took him across the Radcliffe Line into Pakistan.
A
strapping young lad of 17 in 1947,Jugnu was in love with a girl in Indian
Punjab.But when his father asked him to move to Pakistan with an unknown Muslim
couple,he didnt ask why his fathers promise was a matter of honour.Jugnu left
for Pakistan,where he settled with his new parents at
Faislabad.
His
heart pined for his motherland,his love and his family.The pain of parting made
a poet out of him,and thats how he acquired Jugnu as a nom de plume.With
time,the only son of Master Maan Singh saw both his fathers one biological and
the other foster dying.But now he has a family to look after in Pakistan,his
country.Talking to TOI over phone from Faislabad on Thursday,Jugnu said that he
along with his parents lived at Ghuman village in Batala tehsil near Amritsar.In
1947,when partition riots broke out,the Ghuman elders decided not to harm
Muslims or their properties.Rather,the villagers helped them reach Pakistan. The
village elders also announced compensation for any loss to Muslims, Jugnu
said.
Noor
Mohammad and his wife came to our village for help after losing their two young
sons, he said.Since his father had said the loss to Muslim families would be
compensated,Noor Mohammed wept and reminded him about his dead sons.Maan Singh
had to honour the pledge of village elders.
The
Muslim couple stayed for 16 days at their home,disconsolate.By then,my father
had decided to give me away to Noor Mohammad, said Jugnu.He vividly remembers
when his father said, Mere muh to bhavaen galat gal nikal gayee hovey,par hun tu
meri gal puri karni hai (I might have said something wrong but now you have to
keep my words).
Noor got
Jugnu married to Safia,the daughter of a relative.They lived for a while in
Lahore,and later moved to Faislabad.But Noors poverty forced Jugnu to stop his
studies and do odd jobs for a living.He visited India in 1952 and also saw his
village.But he has never returned since then.Noor died in 1963,while Maan Singh
passed away in 1970.
He said
he used to miss his parents and his country and started writing poems and became
famous in Faisalabad as Manjur Jugnu.He now runs a small shop selling grocery
while his 24-year-old son Imran runs a separate shop in the same city.He has
four daughters but is reluctant to tell their names.As also about his adolescent
lady love: Please dont ask about her,its too personal, he
said.
Times of
India
---------
Pakistan madrassas ‘do not stoke
militancy’: Report
25 Jun, 2010
*
Brookings Institution report says fewer than 10% students attend madrassas
* Number
of militant seminaries not increasing
WASHINGTON: Pakistan desperately needs more
schools to curb extremism, but madrassas are not the main problem, a US study
said on Wednesday.
The
Brookings Institution, a think-tank, estimated that fewer than 10 percent of
Pakistani students attended madrassas and the number of such militant seminaries
was not increasing.
Rebecca
Winthrop, a Brookings fellow and co-author of the report, said more Pakistani
parents preferred not sending children to school at all to enrolling them in
madrassas.
“We do
need to take the militant madrassa issue very, very seriously — in all
likelihood they should probably be shut down,” she said at the launch of the
report.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg7_12
---------
Christians continue to suffer at
hands of local landlord
By Afnan Khan
25 Jun, 2010
LAHORE:
The lives of 44 Christian residents of the village of Renala Khurd remained
threatened on Thursday, as a local feudal lord continued to detain them
illegally despite court orders, due to the slow response of the
police.
Daily
Times broke the story of the local feudal lord, who was keeping the Christians
imprisoned in their own homes and threatened to burn them all alive if his
daughter, who had allegedly eloped with a Christian boy, was not handed over to
him along with the boy. Irshad Masih, uncle of Basharat Masih, the Christian boy
who allegedly eloped with the daughter, Nadia of the village chaudhry, Muhammad
Ashraf, told Daily Times that the police never arrived to rescue the people
imprisoned by Ashraf and his armed guards, despite the orders of Renala Khurd
District and Sessions Judge Shafiqur Rehman Khan.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg13_7
---------
Terrorists roaming freely,
thanks to courts: Mirza
June 25, 2010
KARACHI:
Coming down hard on the judiciary, Sindh Minister for Home Dr Zulfiqar Mirza
said on Thursday the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was prepared to fight against
“judicial martial law and dictatorship”. The minister was speaking in the Sindh
Assembly.
He
claimed that 380 alleged terrorists were “roaming freely—thanks to the
judiciary”. He said these alleged terrorists had been arrested since 2002, but
all of them were released by the courts. These terrorists were arrested
red-handed with explosive materials, suicide jackets etc. “But they are now
roaming freely-thanks to [the] judiciary.”
Terming
“judicial activism” the biggest discouragement for law-enforcement agencies,
Mirza said a few “patriotic police officers” were still pursuing terrorism cases
“despite such a huge disappointment”. He warned that it would be difficult for
the LEAs to eliminate terrorism if this practice
continued.
http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=29644
---------
Foreign secys set talks table
for ministers
Omer Farooq Khan
Jun 25th, 2010
Exchange
Proposals On Deliverables
Islamabad: India and Pakistan worked hard on
Thursday to bring back cordiality and lightness into their interactions and
succeeded to a great extent.Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and her counterpart
Salman Bashir,who met here,promised to work together to bridge a trust deficit
and resolve outstanding issues.
Their
last meeting on February 25 had ended in rancour;Thursdays one-on-one
successfully overcame that unfortunate event.
Indias
attempt is to secure small tangible gains in noncontentious areas as a
confidence-building prelude to the effort to wrestle with contentious
matters.Pakistan,however,would like to discuss big issues like
Kashmir.
Full
report at: Times of India
---------
PM,Obama to meet in
Toronto
Jun 25th, 2010
Washington: US President Barack Obama would meet
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in
Toronto,during which the two leaders would discuss a range of issues,a senior
Obama administration official said on Thursday.
I think
this will be an important opportunity for the (US) President to continue to
foster the close relationship that he has with PM Singh, a senior administration
official told reporters.
I think
the President has coordinated very closely with India through the G20 and
also,on a bilateral basis,recently had an excellent strategic dialogue here in
the United States with the Indians, the official
said.
Full
report at: Times of India
---------
Chidambaram, Rehman Malik to
hold talks; terror tops agenda
Jun 25, 2010
NEW
DELHI: In the first ministerial visit from India to Pakistan since 26/11, P
Chidambaram is expected to have bilateral meeting with Pakistan interior
minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad.
During
his two-day trip, he is expected to press for probe against LeT founder Hafiz
Saeed and seek voice samples of handlers of Mumbai attackers.
Chidambaram is visiting Pakistan primarily for
SAARC Interior Minister's Conference on Saturday.
The home
minister's talks with his Pakistani counterpart are expected to be centred on
terrorism emanating from Pakistan and the steps India would like the country to
take to end it.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chidambaram-Rehman-Malik-to-hold-talks-terror-tops-agenda/articleshow/6089034.cms
---------
Riots should be seen in context of Hindu-Muslim
relations of medieval Gujarat, says historian
Jun 25 2010
Vadodara : An understanding of the Hindu-Muslim
relations dating back to medieval Gujarat, along with the formation of the
state’s identity, could help gauge the reasons behind the several incidents of
communal riots in the state, a US-based Gujarati historian has
said.
Samira Sheikh, a professor at Vanderbilt
University in the US and author of Forging a Region – Sultans, traders and
Pilgrims in Gujarat (1200-1500), was speaking at a talk hosted by the Department
of History, M S University. She discussed the period and the versions of various
Indian and foreign historians, which had built an image for the
state.
She said: “There has to be a reason behind the
communal riots and the prevailing tussle between the Hindus and Muslims in the
state. In many ways, the period between 1200 and 1500, and the relationship
between the Hindus and the Muslims then, is still relevant today. Full report
at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/638318/
---------
Saudis lament weakening family
bonds
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA
Jun 25, 2010
MAKKAH:
Many Saudis are lamenting the way family ties in the Kingdom have become weak,
something that seems to have become one of the hallmarks of modern life and is
in stark contrast to how people in the region used to live not so long
ago.
“Families are no longer what they used to be. The
entire family system has disintegrated. You can nowadays find fathers and sons
at loggerheads and cousins hostile to each other,” said one Saudi old man in
Makkah who asked for his name not to be published.
Saudi
woman Latifa Ali said she has not been on speaking terms with her sister for
over 10 years and has tried to make up on numerous occasions. “My sister is
adamant in boycotting me. She wanted her son to marry my daughter but I refused
for several reasons. My daughter is a university graduate while her son has only
studied until secondary school. He was also unemployed at the time. My daughter
refused to marry him and there was no way I could force her,” she
said.
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article72853.ece
---------
When Saudis hate Saudi tourists
abroad
By DIANA AL-JASSEM
Jun 25, 2010
JEDDAH:
Saudis deliberately avoid destinations popular with tourists from the Kingdom,
travel agents say.
With the
summer vacation approaching, many Saudi families are choosing locations where
the number of Saudi and Gulf tourists is very low.
Once
popular locations, like Cairo and Kuala Lumpur, are not favored anymore by those
from the Kingdom because of the increasing number of Saudi tourists visiting
every year. Travel agencies confirmed that most Saudi tourists now look for
alternative destinations.
Mohammed
Al-Mazmoumi, an employee at a private environmental company, prefers not to
interact with Saudis in countries he visits. “Whenever I decide to travel, I ask
the travel agency to recommend locations with low numbers of Saudi and Gulf
tourists,” he said.
“Some of
the behavior of Saudi tourists abroad reflects the bad image people have about
my country. Most of them do not respect the laws of the counties they visit, not
to mention their shameful behavior.”
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article72858.ece
---------
Rising unemployment among
Saudis
By YUSUF AL-KUWAILIT
Jun 25, 2010
A recent
newspaper report about the unemployment of Saudis in the private sector was
deeply upsetting. The report said 147,000 Saudis were fired from their jobs and
821 foreign workers were employed in the year 2009.
Instead
of finding jobs for Saudi youths, the private sector is driving them out of
their establishments. The employers have their own justifications and the
present regulations allow them to dismiss Saudis with impunity. The social
ramifications of the growing unemployment rate are extremely grave. The
government should intervene by enacting laws. Employment of foreigners should
not be more attractive to employers than the employment of Saudis. For instance,
a regulation that a foreign worker should not be paid less than a Saudi would be
an effective deterrent. The private companies should stop filing false reports
that they have trained and appointed hundreds of Saudis in order to comply with
Saudization.
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article72821.ece
---------
Swift settlement of divorce
cases urged
Jun 25, 2010
ALKHOBAR: Under the Kingdom’s current judicial
system, women who wish to end their marriages need to file three separate court
cases to resolve matters relating to the actual divorce, child custody and
alimony.
Although
all of these issues are interlinked, the Saudi judicial system considers each of
them individually. As a result the process of getting a divorce for women can be
long and strenuous, especially when ex-husbands create hurdles along the
way.
The
issue of whether courts should consider these three issues together in a single
lawsuit has been a recent hot topic with divorced women, legal professionals and
social scientists all having strong opinions on the matter, Al-Riyadh newspaper
reported.
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article72822.ece
---------
No immediate withdrawal of
troops from Afghanistan: Obama
Jun 25, 2010
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Thursday
categorically ruled out immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan from
July 2011, the date he had earlier set for drawdown of troops from the war torn
country.
"We
didn't say we'd be switching off the lights and closing the door behind us. We
said we'd begin a transition phase that would allow the Afghan government to
take more and more responsibility," Obama said at a White House joint press
briefing with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev.
"Here's
what we did not say last year. We did not say that, starting July 2011, suddenly
there would be no troops from the US or allied countries in Afghanistan," Obama
said in response to a question.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/No-immediate-withdrawal-of-troops-from-Afghanistan-Obama/articleshow/6088533.cms
---------
Dismay in Kabul at McChrystal
sacking
Jun 25, 2010
The
dismissal of NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal met with dismay in Kabul,
where Afghans and foreign diplomats praised his bold efforts to change the
course of the war.
But the
Taliban vowed the change in command would not halt their fight against foreign
troops, as NATO passed a grim milestone with June becoming the deadliest month
for its soldiers since the war began almost nine years
ago.
McChrystal’s counter-insurgency strategy, which
brought sweeping changes aimed at cutting civilian casualties and winning over
the population, had been credited with bringing some order to a chaotic and
spiralling conflict.
Afghan
president Hamid Karzai’s government had publicly urged the White House not to
remove McChrystal for making disparaging remarks about officials in US president
Barack Obama’s administration in a Rolling Stone
profile.
Full
report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/25/front.html
---------
Bangladesh Army strength now
152,224
Jun 25, 2010
The
planning minister, AK Khandaker, told parliament Thursday that Bangladesh Army
had in all 152, 224 personnel against the approved strength of 166, 809 of
different ranks.
Khandker, in charge of defence ministry in
parliament said that over 25 per cent positions of officers and more than 68 per
cent posts of cadets in Bangladesh Army remained
vacant.
Replying
to a question of ruling party lawmaker Meher Afroz, he said that as of April 30,
the army had 8.78 per cent positions vacant.
He said
the army had now 5,916 officers against 8013 sanctioned positions, nursing
officers 293 against 303 sanctioned positions, 4,234 junior commissioned
officers against 4,965 sanctioned posts, 111,500 soldiers of different ranks
against the sanctioned strength of 116,191.
Full
report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/25/nat.html
---------
Two day seminar held on Jamil
Mazhari in
London
June 25, 2010
London:
The Urdu Academy of London with collaboration with the monthly magazine Sada
organised a two day seminar on the art and life of Jameel Mazhari which was
attended by the renowned poets, Shahid Mahli and progressive writer Prof. Ali
Ahmad Fatmi from India, and Iqbal Haider and Shaista Rizvi from Canada among
along with local Urdu writers. The seminar was held in two parts. Prof. Fatmi
presided over the programme while Rashid Hussain Manzar conducted it. On this
occasion, one minute’s silence was observed to mark the death of Ashwar Kazmi
who passed away recently. Naima Musi, Rashid Manzar, Iqbal Mirza, Shahid Mahli
and Prof Ali Ahmad Fatmi read critiques on Jamil
Mazhari.
---------
Ban on Zakir Naik by Britain is
unfortunate: Milli Council of India
June 25, 2010
The
President of All India Milli Council Dr Manzoor Alam said that Britain’s ban on
the visit of Zakir Naik in the country was a violation of the principles of
justice, and added that the allegation against him that he is a supporter of
terrorism was baseless. None of the speeches, writings or the programmes
telecast on satellite TV channels gave the impression that he was trying to
spread anarchy or chaos.
The
President of the Milli Council said that Mr Naik was trying to convey the true
messages of Islam to the common men. He therefore appealed to the government of
India, especially the Ministry of External Affairs to present the country’s stand clearly against the current stance of
the British government and help withdraw
the ban on Zakir Naik so that he could give persons of terrorist mentality the
message that Islam was Islam was the religion of peace and humanity and there is
no scope of any kind of terrorism in it.
---------
Programme of sufi music
‘Rooh-e-Ishq’ in Dubai
June 25, 2010
Dubai:Malhar, the first musical band of Indian
music maestros will hold a colourful
musical programme to explore the mysteries of Sufism this week. The
programme, titled ‘Rooh-e-Ishq’ will be
based on the lives, poetry and music of the great Sufis. The sufi dances of the
Persian dervishes and the popular qawwalis of Punjab will be special features of
the programme. Presentations on the life and feats of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi,
Kabir, Bullhe Shah and Amir Khusrau will also be made during the
event.
Malhar
which comprises a group of Indian
artistes from the age of 7 to 40 will present a programme with a fusion of
eastern and western music.
---------
Muslim World League conference
from July 31 in Makkah
June 25, 2010
Makkah:
The Muslim World League conference will be held from July 31 in Makkah which
will be presided by Shah Abdullah, the custodian of the Holy Mosques, according
to the Secretary General of the League, Dr Abdul Hasan al Turki. The conference
was being held on the 50th Foundation Day of the League. Dr Al Turki said
appreciated the role and cooperation of Shah Abdullah in furthering its cause.
He further said that during the Presidentship of Shah Abdullah, the League had
developed and has won a pride of place in the
world.
---------
Jamiat-e-Ulema President Arshad
Madani for extension of first phase of census
June 25, 2010
New
Delhi: To correct the inconsistencies in the first phase of census work, the
President of Jamiat-e-Ulema, Maulana Arshad Madani has appealed to the
government to extend its tenure and asked Muslims to restrain themselves from
opposing the inclusion of caste in the next phase.
‘War on terror cannot be won by firepower
alone’
By Zeeshan
Javaid
25 Jun,
2010
ISLAMABAD: Firepower alone cannot win the war on
terror without addressing core issues like extremism and militancy in the
region, including poverty, injustice, economic backwardness, deprivation,
disease and hunger.
This was observed in a meeting between the Senate
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Italian National Assembly Standing
Committee on Foreign Relations, headed by its president Stefano Stefani, held at
the Parliament House on Thursday.
Senate Standing Committee Chairman Senator Salim
Saifullah Khan said the international community must realize that it was the
Afghan War of the 80, which drove Pakistan to the path of extremism as it
injected militancy, unmitigated aversion to reason and lack of tolerance into
our body politic. 'The country continues to reap a bitter harvest of the old
legacy based on the gospel of hatred', he added.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg7_14
-----
Protection policy for Overseas Pakistanis soon,
says Farooq
By Bushra
Makhdoom
25 Jun,
2010
ISLAMABAD—Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Dr.
Farooq Sattar said on Thursday that country's first policy aiming to protect the
interests and welfare of overseas Pakistanis will be announced in August this
year.
He was addressing a news conference after
presiding over a meeting of Board of Governors of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation
here.
He said the board has passed the OPF's surplus
budget for next financial year amounting to two point two billion rupees out of
which about one point one billion rupees have been allcoated for developmental
projects which is fifty percent of total budget.
He said that during the current fiscal year the
volume of foreign remmittances has been increased upto nine billion dollars as
compared to seven point eight billion dollars in the last year which shows their
faith upon the policies adopted by the government.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0610/25/CityPage/index.php?id=2
------
Most Pakistanis seen dissatisfied with govt’s
economic direction
25 Jun,
2010
LAHORE: A survey conducted by United States Pew
Research Centre reveals that an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis remain
dissatisfied with the economic direction of the country with 89 per cent blaming
the government for the current economic mess.
The survey was conducted on various issues under
the title of Global Attitude Project in 22 countries including Pakistan, India,
China, Turkey, European Union and the United States in April-May this
year.
A special survey on economic issues states that
in nearly all nations surveyed, people are unhappy with the direction of their
country, dissatisfied about the state of their nation’s economy and divided
about the economic future.
Most people blame their governments for the bad
economic times and say they had done a poor job coping with current troubles. In
Pakistan, 84 per cent people are dissatisfied with the economic direction of the
country, which is up from 57 per cent in 2007 and 73 per cent in
2008.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0610/25/Business/index.php?id=2
-----
12-year-old grudge: Man shot in court to ‘avenge
rape’
25 Jun,
2010
RAHIM YAR KHAN, June 24: A man who was accused in
a murder-cum-dacoity case was shot dead in police custody on Thursday on the
district courts premises by the brother of a girl he had allegedly raped some 12
years ago.
Accused Muhammad Yaqoob alias Yaar Jan was
brought to the court for hearing of a murder-cum-dacoity case in which a boy was
killed in Mud Darbari locality.
As police were escorting the accused to the
courtroom, a man, later identified as Muhammad Zahir, opened fire on him,
killing him on the spot.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/12yearold-grudge-man-shot-in-court-to-avenge-rape-560
---------
Police arrest 41 separatists in
Indian Kashmir
Jun 25, 2010
SRINAGAR, India: Indian authorities arrested a
key separatist leader and 40 other activists Thursday in a bid to quell
spiraling protests in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, an official
said.
Syed Ali
Shah Geelani was arrested for making "provocative statements" and instigating
young people to stage violent protests, said Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo, a top official
in Indian Kashmir's main city, Srinagar.
Police
have also arrested at least 40 other separatist leaders and activists during the
past two days, a police officer said on condition of anonymity in keeping with
department policy. Another separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was placed
under house arrest, he said.
Indian
Kashmir has witnessed regular protests and shutdowns over the past two weeks
after three people were allegedly killed by government
forces.
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article72846.ece
---------
Israeli plan for east Jerusalem
is illegal: Ban
Jun 25, 2010
The UN
chief, Ban Ki-moon, on Wednesday voiced concern that an Israeli plan to raze 22
Arab homes to make way for an archaeological park in annexed east Jerusalem is
‘unhelpful’ and against international law.
Ban ‘is
deeply concerned about the decision by the Jerusalem Municipality to advance
planning for house demolitions and further settlement activity in the area of
Silwan in East Jerusalem,’ the secretary general’s spokesman Martin Nesirky said
in a statement.
‘The
planned moves are contrary to international law, and to the wishes of
Palestinian residents,’ the statement said.
Full
report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/25/inat.html
---------
A Report on the Network of
Spiritual Progressives Conference, June 11-13, 2010
Dave Belden
Jun 25th, 2010
Here’s
our official Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP) report, followed by ideas
for attendees and those who wished they could have been there about how to do
pursue the ideas and work. If you would like to buy recordings of the conference
or parts of it, please go to this page at
ConferenceRecording.com.
500
people gathered at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, D.C.
and heard some of the most amazing speakers address the question of what is the
nature of the political and spiritual crisis that we are facing in the world
today, and what to do about it.
Full
report at:
http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2010/06/18/a-report-on-the-network-of-spiritual-progressives-conference-june-11-13-2010/
---------
Muslims look for piety first in
partners
June 25, 2010
LONDON:
Muslims consider piety and religious compatibility the most important criteria
when looking for a partner, according to a new survey from an online Muslim
matrimonial service.
Over
one-third (33.1 per cent) of those polled said their main focus when judging
potential matches was religiousness, with appearance the next most important
criteria at 21.1per cent.
“Marriage is an important part of our faith and
is integral to the establishment of a loving, close-knit family, it is no
surprise that religious compatibility is so important to our members,” said
Adeem Younis, managing director of the site.
Other
important factors were age, chosen as their priority by 10 per cent of those
polled, and education with 7.3 per cent. Income and language spoken by potential
partners were considered the least important criteria, at 1.1 and 1.4 per cent
respectively. The survey was carried out by SingleMuslim.com which polled 3,602
of its worldwide membership.
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=247054
---------
Jamaat links to UK ‘war crimes’
meeting sparks row in Dhaka
Jun 25th, 2010
A human
rights seminar linked to Bangladesh’s 1971 ‘war crimes’ trial has sparked a row
amid a report that the meet hosted at the House of Lords was closely associated
with the Islamist party Jamaat which is under the scanner for its key role in
the ‘genocide’ carried out by the Pakistani
military.
The
British human rights parliamentary committee has admitted that the high-profile
seminar it is hosting at the House of Lords on Bangladesh’s 1971 war crimes
trials has been organised with the assistance of a group accused of having links
to the Jamaat-e-Islami, the bdnews online reported.
The
seminar discussing the compatibility of the International War Crime (Tribunals)
Act 1973 with international legal standards is hosted by Lord Avebury and
includes speakers from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the
International Bar Association, it said.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/264790/Jamaat-links-to-UK-%E2%80%98war-crimes%E2%80%99-meeting-sparks-row-in-Dhaka.html
---------
Israeli warplanes launch three
raids on Gaza
25 Jun, 2010
GAZA
CITY: Israeli warplanes flew three raids against the Gaza Strip overnight
wounding one person, witnesses and Palestinian medical officials said
Friday.
A
Palestinian man was hurt when the planes attacked the town of Rafah, in the
southern part of the territory close to the border with
Egypt.
Nobody
was wounded in the two other raids on the former airport, also in the south, and
the town of Beit Hanun in the north.
An
Israeli military spokesman confirmed the raids to
AFP.
“Our
planes attacked an armoury in the north of the Gaza Strip and two tunnels used
for gun running in the south” from Egypt, she said.
“The
raids are a reaction to the shelling Thursday from the Gaza Strip of the western
sector of the Negev desert” in southern Israel, she
added.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/21-israeli-warplanes-launch-three-raids-on-gaza-sk-02
---------
Children call for help against
mother
By Abdul Aziz
25 Jun, 2010
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, June 24: Three girls and four
minor children sent an application on Thursday to the chief justice of the Sindh
High Court, the provincial police officer, the district and sessions judge and
other officers concerned complaining against their mother.
Twenty-three-year-old Ms Nazia, Fozia,
18-year-old Farhana, fifteen-year-old Fayaz, ten-year-old Faraz, six-year-old
Faisal and three-year-old Baby Dua told reporters that their mother Ms Zamiran
Pirzado had become greedy and ruined their lives.
Ms Nazia
said her parents had married her off to a man of Unnar tribe and they had a
two-year-old son.
She
alleged that at the time of marriage, her mother had received Rs50,000 for her
marriage in the name of dowry.
Ms Nazia
said her mother would come to her house and instigate her against her husband.
Finally, she got divorce through a court about three years ago.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/children-call-for-help-against-mother-560
---------
Turkish Tigers press Iran trade
amid sanctions fears
By Thomas Grove
25 Jun, 2010
ISTANBUL: Money changers in the shadow of
Istanbul’s historic Grand Bazaar hand Turkish exporters cash sent from Iran.
Trucks and vans ferry textiles and small machinery across the frontier into the
Islamic Republic.While the West cracks down on commerce with Iran, Turkey’s
burgeoning breed of small businessmen, the ‘Anatolian Tigers’, is quietly
building a new trade bridge to the Middle East. In these bustling Istanbul
side-streets Turkish and Iranian traders carry on the age-old hawala system of
money transfer, relying more on trust rather than written records.
“With
the hawala, trust is very important for business, and it’s there in our
relationship with the Iranians,” said Ozan Ziylan, who oversees exports of
several companies within Turkey’s private MLS Holding from his Istanbul office.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/turkish-tigers-press-iran-trade-amid-sanctions-fears-560
---------
Tajikistan jails four suspected
militants
25 Jun, 2010
DUSHANBE: Tajikistan has jailed four followers of
a banned Islamic party for up to 18 years on charges of inciting anti-government
activities, the Supreme Court said on Thursday.
Central
Asian governments are clamping down on what they see as growing religious
extremism in the predominantly Muslim but secular former Soviet region following
a rise in clashes between security forces and armed
gangs.
The
Supreme Court in Tajikistan, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, said
that four members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir party were jailed for crimes including
incitement of religious hatred and calling forcibly to change the constitution.
The four
were all arrested in the north of Tajikistan, in the Ferghana valley region
where the country borders Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg20_8
---------
Pakistan must tighten Afghan
border control, says Holbrooke
25 Jun, 2010
ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative for
Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke called on Chief of the Army Staff
General Ashfaq Kayani on Thursday, and expressed his concerns over Pak-Afghan
border security, seeking a tighter grip from Pakistan’s border security forces,
diplomatic sources told Daily Times.
According to an ISPR press release, the US envoy
remained with the army chief for some time and discussed matters of mutual
interest, including the imposition of stricter security measures on the border
between Afghanistan and Pakistan to speed up the operation against the local
Taliban.
He told
him of the reasons behind the Obama’s decision to remove General Stanley
McChrystal and the appointment of General David Petraeus as the new US commander
in Afghanistan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg1_3
---------
Eight terrorists killed in
Orakzai
25 Jun, 2010
HANGU:
At least eight militants were killed and four injured on Thursday when fighter
jets bombed their hideouts in Orakzai Agency, security sources said. According
to the sources, two militants’ hideouts were destroyed by aerial bombing in the
Sheikhan, Mullah Khel and Sadda Khel areas of Ghandaki in upper Orakzai Agency.
Meanwhile, the death of a key Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Zaman, who hailed from
Dabori, and who was injured on Tuesday, could not be confirmed. Sources,
however, confirmed that he had been badly injured.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg7_9
---------
‘Balochistan law and order bad
due to US presence’
By Mohammad Zafar
25 Jun, 2010
QUETTA:
The law and order situation in Balochistan is bad due to the presence of the US
and NATO forces in the region, Balochistan Senior Minister and Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Abdul Wasay said on Thursday.
He made
these remarks while addressing a press conference. Wasay told the media that the
Balochistan Planning and Development (P&D) Department would complete 349 new
projects and 393 development projects at the end of this fiscal
year.
The
JUI-F leader said that the provincial government would spend Rs 26 billion on
812 development projects during the next fiscal year. The Balochistan senior
minister said that the federal government had promised to provide Rs 120 billion
as gas royalty arrears and the funds would be provided in two annual instalments
of Rs 10 billion each. He informed the media that the Balochistan government had
succeeded in securing additional resources from the federal government in the
recently announced National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\25\story_25-6-2010_pg7_16
---------
Kyrgyzstan claims Taliban links
to violence
25 Jun, 2010
BISHKEK
(Kyrgyzstan)—Kyrgyzstan’s security agency claimed Thursday that relatives of the
toppled president colluded with the Taliban and other Islamic militant movements
to provoke the ethnic violence that has destabilized the Central Asian
nation.
The
agency provided no evidence and there was no way of independently confirming the
claim. Former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, now in exile in Belarus, has denied
any role in the violence, which killed about 2,000 people and left 400,000
ethnic Uzbeks homeless.
The
security agency said two of Bakiyev’s relatives met last month in Afghanistan
with representatives of the Taliban, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and
Tajik militants to discuss plans to trigger unrest in
Kyrgyzstan.
Full
report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0610/25/FrontPage/index.php?id=5
---------
Gillard assures Obama of
Australia's support for military campaign in
Afghanistan
Jun 25, 2010
SYDNEY:
On the first day as the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard telephoned US
President Barack Obama to assure him that Australia will continue to support the
military campaign in Afghanistan.
She
assured Obama that Australia's approach to the NATO-led coalition's campaign
would be the same as it was under former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
"We
spoke about of course the cost that this course is costing our nations; we have
seen the loss of life to Australian soldiers," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted
Gillard, as saying.
The new
prime minister held her first Cabinet meeting this morning, with ministers still
in the roles they held under Rudd.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest-of-World/Gillard-assures-Obama-of-Australias-support-for-military-campaign-in-Afghanistan/articleshow/6090266.cms
---------
Jamaat links to UK ‘war crimes’
meeting sparks row in Dhaka
Jun 25th, 2010
A human
rights seminar linked to Bangladesh’s 1971 ‘war crimes’ trial has sparked a row
amid a report that the meet hosted at the House of Lords was closely associated
with the Islamist party Jamaat which is under the scanner for its key role in
the ‘genocide’ carried out by the Pakistani
military.
The
British human rights parliamentary committee has admitted that the high-profile
seminar it is hosting at the House of Lords on Bangladesh’s 1971 war crimes
trials has been organised with the assistance of a group accused of having links
to the Jamaat-e-Islami, the bdnews online reported.
The
seminar discussing the compatibility of the International War Crime (Tribunals)
Act 1973 with international legal standards is hosted by Lord Avebury and
includes speakers from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the
International Bar Association, it said.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/264790/Jamaat-links-to-UK-%E2%80%98war-crimes%E2%80%99-meeting-sparks-row-in-Dhaka.html
---------
US committed to stability,
democracy in Pakistan
Jun 25 2010
Islamabad : Vice-President Joe Biden reaffirmed
the US administration's commitment to stability and democracy in
Pakistan.
During a
telephone conversation with Asif Ali Zardari, Biden, who called the Pakistani
President discussed matters related to Pak-US relations, Pakistan's fight
against militancy and the regional situation during the
conversation.
An
official statement quoted Biden as reiterating the "commitment of his government
for stability and democracy in Pakistan."
Zardari
said the Pakistan government is "committed to fight and defeat extremists and
terrorists of all hue" and the campaign against them will continue "till the
complete eradication of this menace."
"A
handful of militants and extremists would never be allowed to impose their
vicious agenda on the people of Pakistan," Zardari
said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-committed-to-stability-democracy-in-pakistan/638372/
---------
More Americans disapprove of
Obama's job performance
By BARBARA FERGUSON
Jun 25, 2010
WASHINGTON: As President Barack Obama's prepares
to leave for the G8 and the G20 economic forum in Canada at the end of this
week, conflicting polls published here Wednesday shave come up with completely
different conclusions about his job performance.
According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll
Obama's rating is down 5 points from early last month. For the first time in the
survey, more people - 48 percent - say they disapprove of Obama's job
performance.
But
according to a Pew Research poll, the president has tackled many difficult
issues and been darn unlucky with Lady Luck since taking office. Obama has
signed a controversial health care measure, coped with a stubbornly high jobless
rate, and struggled to manage the largest environmental disaster in the nation's
history.
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article72856.ece
---------
Kyrgyzstan 'weak link' for
religious extremists, says security chief
By MARIA GOLOVNINA
Jun 25, 2010
BISHKEK:
Kyrgyzstan is a weak link in Central Asia that could be exploited by religious
extremists determined to create a caliphate in the region bordering Afghanistan,
the head of the country's security service said on Thursday. Keneshbek
Dushebayev, head of the Kyrgyz National Security Service — successor to the
Soviet KGB — said militants have played a role in the wave of ethnic bloodshed
that killed more than 250 people in Kyrgyzstan this
month.
"Over
the last 20 years, Kyrgyzstan has been in a state of permanent social and
economic crisis," Dushebayev said.
"Because
of this, Kyrgyzstan has been the weakest link for international terrorist
organizations to carry out attacks."
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article72864.ece
---------
Fearing expulsion, Palestinians
stay home
By DIAA HADID
Jun 24, 2010
JENIN,
West Bank: The Helou family is so worried about getting expelled to Gaza by
Israeli authorities that they’re all but trapped in this West Bank town. They
couldn’t even leave to get their disabled son the best possible surgery to let
him walk.
Some
20,000 Palestinians in the West Bank live under the same fear, because they hold
residency papers from the Gaza Strip and Israeli authorities refuse to allow
their papers to be updated — though they have lived in the West Bank for
years.
Israel
eased its blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip this month by allowing more goods
into the territory. But the embargo is just one of the many restrictions imposed
on Palestinians and their movement — including rules effectively locking them
into whichever of the two, widely separated territories they were born in, the
West Bank or Gaza.
Full
report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article72802.ece
---------
Marriage with stepmom is rape:
Deoband
Jun 25th, 2010
Lucknow: With an eight-year older step-mother,Husna Beghum,as his
love interest,things had never been smooth for Ronak Ali,25,an unskilled
labourer.Eldest among five,Ronak stunned his family and the little hamlet of
Gunnor in Baghpat last Tuesday when he surfaced with Beghum both had been
missing since June 13 by his side,this time,as his one-day-old
bride.
Hounded by family,friends and relatives,the couple has gone into
hiding again after the Islamic seminary of Darul Uloom,Deoband,has denounced the
union as null and void.The terse edict delivered by the fatwa department on
Wednesday,maintains that relationship with a mother,even if she is a
step-mother,is sacrosanct.Therefore,the union will be deemed to be rape and the
violators of the sharia will evoke the stringent punishment as per the tenets of
Islam.
Full report at: Times of India
---------
Terror tops list for foreign ministers meeting,says
Rao
Jun 25th, 2010
Islamabad: Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and her counterpart Salman
Bashir,who met here,promised to work together to bridge a trust deficit and
resolve outstanding issues.The two foreign secretaries met for a quiet dinner
with their aides on Wednesday night,to set the tone.Rao and Bashir had been
colleagues as fellow envoys in Beijing.On Thursday morning they met for a
one-on-one,before being joined by their delegations.
While there was no joint statement,the fact that the two top
officials appeared together for a joint press conference showed that there was a
definite attempt to speak in the same language,and present a united front.At the
joint press conferences,the two diplomats reiterated that all main issues were
taken up for discussion they spent the day crafting an agenda for the July
foreign ministers meeting.
Full report at: Times of India
---------
Jaswant rejoins BJP,thanks LK for
return
Mohua Chatterjee
Jun 25th, 2010
New Delhi: Even as the party is faced with the Bihar upset,there was
some rejoicing at the BJP headquarters on Thursday.The homecoming of expelled
party veteran Jaswant Singh and TV actor Smriti Irani taking charge as BJP
Mahila Morcha chief saw some colour and outpouring of emotion in the
party.
Its good be back in these familiar surrounding, said an emotional
Jaswant Singh,visibly enjoying the limelight after a years oblivion,soon after
BJP chief Nitin Gadkari welcomed him back into the party,flanked by senior
leaders LK Advani,Sushma Swaraj,Ravi Shankar Prasad and SS Ahluwalia,at the
crowded briefing room overflowing with party leaders and
media.
Full report at: Times of India
---------
Energizer general : Can Petraeus repeat Iraq feat in
Afghanistan
Jun 25th, 2010
Washington: Army general David Petraeus has already turned around a
struggling US war once.President Barack Obama is betting he can do it
again.
The professorial four-star general with an outsized reputation hasnt
been chosen as Afghanistan war commander to bring a bold new strategy to the
effort.Instead,he is seen as the officer best able to make the current strategy
work and to end the squabbling between diplomats and military leaders that broke
into the open and consumed general Stanley McChrystals
career.
Full report at: Times of India
---------
India flags terrorism during FS-level
talks
Jun 25th, 2010
Making the first effort to bridge the trust deficit between the two
countries, Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan on Thursday discussed all
issues of mutual concern with New Delhi flagging its core concern of terrorism
emanating from that country.
Meeting for the second time in four months, Foreign Secretaries
Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir described their parleys as "cordial" and
"constructive" during which they tried to "understand each other's position" and
concern.
Rao, the first senior Indian official to travel to Pakistan after the
2008 Mumbai terror attacks, asserted that the orientation of the re-engagement
between the two countries was to look at the reasons why there was a trust
deficit and how it can be bridged.
Full report at: Times of India
---------
Pak raise Kashmir issue at FS
meet
Jun 25th, 2010
Pak has yet again raised the Kashmir issue as the first round of
Indo-Pak foreign secretary bilateral talks began on Thursday between Nirupama
Rao and her Pakistan counterpart Salman Bashir. India is waiting to see whether
Pakistan will walk the talk and bridge the trust deficit between the two
neighbours since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
Foreign Secretaries of both India and Pakistan met in Islamabad
today; the meeting is aimed at setting the tone for the next round of talks
between foreign ministers in July. Efforts to rebuild trust and work out
measures to counter terrorism are on agenda.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/264769/India-flags-terrorism-during-FS-level-talks.html
---------
Controversial Taslimuddin to join JD(U)
fold
Amarnath Tewary
Jun 25th, 2010
The controversial leader of Semmanchal, Bihar, Mohd Taslimuddin is
finally all set to join JD(U) in the first week of July. His entry into the
JD(U) fold had been deferred at the last moment in September last
year.
“I along with thousands of my supporters would be joining the JD(U)
in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his Vishwas Yatra in
the first week of July,” the controversial leader, whose name once spelt terror
in the bordering Semmanchal region of the State, said
The former Union Minister also vowed to ensure the defeat of RJD-LJP
alliance and the Congress in the upcoming Assembly poll.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/264806/Controversial-Taslimuddin-to-join-JD(U)-fold.html
---------
Britain ‘absolutely committed’ to Afghan
mission
Nandini Jawli
Jun 25th, 2010
Britain remains ‘absolutely committed’ to the mission in Afghanistan,
despite the sacking of the US commander heading operations there. Downing Street
said the Government’s determination to make progress in Afghanistan was
‘undiminished’ and it is vital for Britain’s national security that ‘Afghanistan
should never again be a safe haven for Al Qaeda’.
US President Barack Obama spoke to Prime Minister David Cameron after
his decision to sack General Stanley McChrystal, who made critical comments
about his administration in a magazine interview.
In the meantime, Lt Gen Nick Parker, the British officer who is
currently second-in-command of Nato forces in Afghanistan, will take charge of
operations.
A statement from No. 10 said PM David Cameron had impressed upon
President Obama Gen Parker’s determination that the mission in Afghanistan would
‘not miss a beat’ during this period.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/264794/Britain-%E2%80%98absolutely-committed%E2%80%99-to-Afghan-mission.html
---------
Notices issued to Zardari’s parents in graft
case
M Zulqernain
Jun 25th, 2010
A Pakistani court has issued notices to President Asif Ali Zardari’s
parents in connection with a case registered by anti-corruption agency the
National Accountability Bureau.
A division bench of the Lahore High Court issued the notices while
disposing off an application by NAB for restoring its appeal against the
acquittal of Hashim Babar, former director of the Military Lands and Cantonment
Board and Zardari’s parents Hakim Ali Zardari and Zareen Ara
Zardari.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/264791/Notices-issued-to-Zardari%E2%80%99s-parents-in-graft-case.html
---------
US Congress OKs sanctions on Iran's energy,
banks
Jun 25 2010
Washington : The US Congress on Thursday approved tough new
unilateral sanctions aimed at squeezing Iran's energy and banking sectors, which
could also hurt companies from other countries doing business with
Tehran.
The House of Representatives passed the bill 408-8 and sent it to
President Barack Obama for signing into law. The Senate had approved it 99-0
earlier in the day.
Congress wants to pressure Tehran into curbing its nuclear program,
which Washington suspects is aimed at making a bomb.
US lawmakers from both parties have been pushing for months to
tighten US sanctions on Iran. At the Obama administration's request, they held
off until the UN Security Council and the European Union agreed on new
multilateral sanctions. But the lawmakers then declared that still tougher
measures were needed.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-congress-oks-sanctions-on-irans-energy-banks/638368/
---------
Israel offers to let Europe diplomats visit Gaza:
Official
Jun 25 2010
Israel : Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has invited his
Italian counterpart to lead a delegation of European foreign ministers to the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, an Israeli official said on
Thursday.
Israel has largely refused to let foreign diplomats pass through its
checkpoints into Gaza since it tightened its blockade on the territory after
Hamas Islamists seized it in 2007.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lieberman
extended the invitation to Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini during a
visit to Italy so that top European diplomats could see there was no
humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/israel-offers-to-let-europe-diplomats-visit-gaza-official/638369/
9:17 PM
Sultan Shahin
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