Superiority of Human Rights over Divine rights in Islam discussed in Delhi Symposium
Ready for talks with all in J&K, even Geelani: Home Minister of India
Qaeda’s new operations head is an American
Jews, Arabs march against east Jerusalem evictions
Five flogged in Indonesia despite human rights protests
Erdogan's advisor's polygamy stirs debate in Turkey
Iran Cleric Criticizes Women's Cycling
Halal-only menu for London primary schools sparks row
Six shot dead as target killings continue in Karachi
Tipu Sultan throne finial to be auctioned
Hindutva party chief slams illegal encroachments of Waqf properties
Valley violence slipping out of control: Jaitley
Afghan police: 10 bodies found in N Afghanistan
Suicide cases among expats in Kuwait on the rise
Women and Modern Art in Afghanistan
Reprieve for Haj pilgrims
Zardari claims 'victory' after talks with Cameron
Eight foreign medical workers killed in Afghan
26/11 case: Pak prosecutors seek voice samples of suspects
Four Iraqi Police Die In Baghdad Raid
Lebanon Bent on Building Up Army After Israel Clash
Hunger Strikes in Tehran’s Evin Prison
More rain lashes Pak, deepening flood crisis
Pakistan officials do a Munna Bhai to Gilani
Shades of Sohrab in Rajasthan encounter
CBI gets 2-day custody of Shah
India still at risk of fresh terror attacks: US
Pak should adduce evidence of Headley as approver: Nikam
US TERROR REPORT - `Lashkar is global threat'
Pak now stirring up civil unrest, says PC
Scholar in Saudi translates Holy Quran into Telugu
Woman rebukes son for ‘unmanliness’
Iran’s Mousavi urges prisoners to end hunger strike
3 killed as police opens fire at power protesters in Swabi
War in Afghanistan: What about guarding our values?
Exiled Indian artist's son keeps name alive with solo show
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Home minister of India, P Chidambaram
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Superiority of Human Rights over Divine rights in Islam discussed in Delhi Symposium
New Age Islam News Bureau
August 7, 2010
New Delhi: A galaxy of Islamic scholars and divines discussed the Superiority in Islam of Human Rights (Huqooqul Ibad) over Divine rights (Huqooqulllah).
A symposium on the topic was organised jointly by the Embassy of Iran, India Islamic Cultural Centre and Iran Culture House in which the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iran, Dr Md Ali Fathullahi, MP Md Adib, the Ambassador of Iran, Syed Mehdi Nabizadeh, Vice-President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board Dr Syed Kalb-e-Sadiq, Iranian scholar Mehdi Mehdvipur, Director of Iran Cultural House, Dr Ali Dahgahi, Vice President of India Islamic Cultural Centre Safdar Hussain Khan, the former judge of Gujarat High Court Justice Abdul Sattar Quraishi and Reader, Aligarh Muslim University, Dr Arshi Ali Khan expressed their views on Superiority of Human Rights over Divine rights in Islam. The programme was conducted by Prof. Shah Md Wasim, Aligarh while the programme was started with the recitation of the Quran by Qari Md Usman.
Dr Arshi Khan stressed the rights granted to human beings by Islam and presented a comparative study of the International Declaration of Human Rights (1984), Declaration of Islamic Human Rights (1981) and Cairo Declaration (1990).
Justice Sattar Quraishi said that God had created man free and Islam preaches equality. He further said that there are a number of verses in the Quran which preach equality and eradication of discrimination on the basis of colour and race. Dr Md Ali Fathullahi said that the human rights we talk about today had already been emphasised in no uncertain terms by Islam 14oo years ago.
The Ambassador of Iran, Syed Mehdi Nabizadeh said that today was the Islamic Human Rights Day which the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) had decided to commemorate on August 5 every year so that we could tell the world that Islam had shed light on human rights discussed today 1400 years ago. The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) had showed by his deeds and character that in his eyes, Arabs do not have superiority over non-Arabs and the whites do not have superiority over the blacks. Similarly the blacks do not have superiority over the whites.
Member of Parliament Mohammad Adib said that the programme jointly organised by Iran Culture House and Embassy of Iran was an important step. The Iranian scholar Mehdi Mehdvipur said that termination of foetus was prohibited in Islam because the foetus in the womb had the status of a human being. Dr Syed Kalbe Sadiq said that the UN had formulated the charter on Human Rights to prevent the violation of human rights in the world but it was unfortunate that the UN had become a tool in the hands of the super powers.
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Ready for talks with all in J&K,even Geelani: PC
Aug 07 2010
New Delhi: In a bid to cool down heated tempers in the Kashmir Valley,home minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the Centre was ready to resume dialogue with all sections,including the one led by Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani,to address Jammu & Kashmirs problems.
He said he had earlier referred to J&K as a unique problem needing a unique solution.Acknowledging the need to win hearts and minds of the people of Kashmir,he said we have to find the courage to hold dialogue,pointing out that resolution of the conflict lay only through the political process.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha where he was responding to some sharp criticism from the Opposition over the Centres failure in anticipating and responding to the violence in Kashmir, Chidambaram said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be receiving an all-party delegation from J&K, perhaps as soon as next Monday.
Acknowledging the argument that separatists and their backers from across the border had switched tactics with global tolerance for terrorism plummeting, Chidambaram said Pakistan was relying on civil unrest to pay dividends. The new strategy was aimed to using or working through mobs to attack government property.
Referring to Hurriyat hardliner Geelanis statement against stone-pelting, he said if it marks a shift of his stand it should be welcomed and added that the leader should also join the dialogue.
I will resume the political process... I have impressed upon all interlocutors that I am willing to resume the quiet dialogue. We have to find courage that allows to hold dialogue. We have to get on, Chidambaram said and sincerely hoped that separatist leaders would come forward for talks.
He said it was his intention to do everything possible to resume the quiet dialogue which he undertook with moderate Hurriyat leaders before the process was interrupted on December 4,2009 with an assassination bid on a moderate and pro-talks leader Fazl-ul Haq Qureshi.The minister was careful when referring to the demand for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and troop reduction. He said the government would see how it could address the AFSPA issue and reduce security personnel in the state.
As Opposition slammed the Centre as well as the state government for letting the situation slip completely out of control, Chidambarams view that Pakistan was seeking to further its cause by fomenting civilian trouble put him on the same page as BJP.A BJP memorandum submitted to the PM had made precisely this point.
Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said there was a significant change in the strategy by Pakistans ISI and other agencies across the border.
Chidambarams preparedness to engage in a political process did not see him spell out or even touch on anything like a political package as he was perhaps mindful of BJPs position that any concession made at this stage will further dilute sovereignty and the minister did not want to expose himself to attacks from the saffron quarter.
Opposing demands for autonomy and repeal of AFSPA as knee-jerk and panic reactions,BJP has warned against any pandering to separatists.BJP attacked the Omar Abdullah government for being increasingly alienated from people within the Valley and the CM getting alienated from his own party and allies.
Several MPs like Sitaram Yechury of CPM,D Raja of CPI and Saifuddin Soz of Congress also expressed concern over the situation in Kashmir. We will pick up threads,reactivate the political process so that a solution can be found with equity, justice and honour, Chidambaram said. He said the immediate priority was to restore peace in Kashmir as no government could allow law and order to collapse. At the same time, the Centre would like to reduce the presence of forces in the state if the situation improves as was done last year.If the situation warrants, we may have to send more forces. But if the situation warrants, we may withdraw forces, Chidambaram said.
Times of India
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Qaeda’s new operations head is an American
Aug 07 2010
A SUSPECTED al- Qaeda operative who lived for more than 15 years in the US has become its global operations head, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) says. This is the first time someone so closely familiar with the US society has been placed in charge of planning attacks.
Adnan Shukrijumah, 35, has taken over a position once held by 9/ 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was captured in 2003, Miami- based FBI counterterrorism agent Brian LeBlanc said.
Shukrijumah and two others were part of an “ external operations council” that designed and approved terrorism plots and recruits, but his two counterparts were killed in the US drone attacks, leaving Shukrijumah as the chief.
“ He is looking at attacking the US and other Western countries,” LeBlanc, the FBI’s lead Shukrijumah investigator, said.
The FBI has been searching for Shukrijumah since 2003. He is thought to be the only al- Qaeda leader to have once held a permanent US resident status.
Shukrijumah was named earlier this year in a federal indictment as a conspirator in the case against three men accused of plotting suicide bomb attacks on New York’s subway system in 2009.
The indictment marked the first criminal charges against Shukrijumah, who previously had been sought only as a witness.
He is also suspected of playing a role in plotting potential bomb attacks in Norway, the UK and the Panama Canal.
The US is offering a $ 5- million reward for information leading to his capture.
Shukrijumah’s mother Zurah Adbu Ahmed said at her Florida home that her son frequently talked about what he considered the excesses of the US society — alcohol, drug abuse and women wearing skimpy clothes. She said she has not heard from her son for several years.
“ He would never do evil stuff. He loved this country. He never had a problem with the US,” she said.
Shukrijumah used to live with his mother and five siblings. He came to South Florida in 1995 when his father, a Muslim cleric and missionary, decided to take a post at a Florida mosque.
At some point in the late 1990s, according to the FBI, Shukrijumah became convinced that he must participate in jihad.
Shukrijumah was born in Saudi Arabia.
He is a citizen of Guyana, a small South American country where his father was born. His father died in 2004.
Mail Today
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Jews, Arabs march against east Jerusalem evictions
7 August 2010
JERUSALEM — Jews and Arabs marched shoulder-to-shoulder in occupied east Jerusalem and in towns across Israel on Friday in a joint protest against the eviction of Palestinians to make way for Jewish settlers.
In the Sheikh Jarrah residential neighbourhood, close to the line between mainly Arab east Jerusalem and the Jewish west side, Israeli, Palestinian and foreign protesters rallied to mark one year since the clearances there began.
Avner Inbar of the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement told AFP that about 1,000 people took part and about the same number marched in Tel Aviv.
Eyewitnesses and media put attendance at about 500. Police could not be reached for their estimates on Friday evening, eve of the Jewish Sabbath.
The Sheikh Jarrah protests have become a regular event over the past year, but to mark the anniversary Tel Aviv was added and Inbar said there were smaller gatherings in the mixed Jewish-Arab city of Haifa, in Israeli Arab towns in central Israel and in the middle-class Jewish town of Raanana.
In the southern Israeli city of Beersheba there were about 100 demonstrators, he said.
In Jerusalem, marchers carried banners reading “Together we shall stop house demolitions” in English, Hebrew and Arabic. In Tel Aviv protesters held signs proclaiming “Let justice triumph in Sheikh Jarrah.”
Israeli author david Grossman, a regular at the Jerusalem protests, said he hoped that all opponents of the evictions would continue to fight the policy.
“I hope that this is just the beginning,” he told news website Y-Net.
Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally.
It sees all of Jerusalem as its “eternal, undivided” capital and does not consider construction in east Jerusalem to be settlement activity.
The Palestinians want to make the east of the city — home to some 200,000 Jewish Israelis and 268,000 Palestinians — the capital of their future state.
Several Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah have been forced out of their homes since August 2009, on the grounds that the properties belonged to Jews before the state of Israel was founded in 1948.
The policy has drawn protests from the international community and from local human rights groups.
Construction in east Jerusalem is exempted from a 10-month moratorium on housing starts decreed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on settlements in the occupied West Bank.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August122.xml§ion=middleeast
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Five flogged in Indonesia despite human rights protests
By Karishma Vaswani
7 August 2010
Human rights groups say caning amounts to torture and is not internationally acceptable
Five people - four men and one woman - have been caned in public in the Indonesian province of Aceh.
A couple were punished for adultery, the others for drinking alcohol and gambling.
Aceh implemented Sharia, or Islamic law, in 2002, as part of an autonomy deal offered by the Jakarta government.
Human rights groups have called for an end to flogging in Aceh, Indonesia's most conservative Muslim province, saying it amounts to torture.
Syamsuddin, Aceh's Islamic police spokesman, told the BBC that thousands of people came to watch.
He added that another man was also supposed to be punished, but had escaped from prison.
Adultery, drinking alcohol and gambling are amongt a list of prohibited activities in Aceh, which enforces strict Sharia law.
It was granted the right to enforce these laws as part of an autonomy plan offered by the Indonesian government.
When Sharia was first put into place in Aceh, it wasn't clear how strictly it would be enforced.
But in recent months there have been harsh new punishments announced for adultery and homosexuality.
A Sharia police unit has been set up to ensure everyone abides by the Islamic laws. They patrol the city streets in green uniforms - the colour of Islam.
Human rights groups say Aceh's government must immediately ban caning as a punishment for breaching Islamic law because, they say, it amounts to torture and is not internationally acceptable.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10890137
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Erdogan's advisor's polygamy stirs debate in Turkey
Aug 07 2010
Ali Yuksal has already said he plans on marrying fourth wife, but the cabinet authorized his appointment. Once media clues in to situation, controversial family values espoused by ruling party provoke public debate
The change taking place in the fabric of Turkey' society as it grows closer to Islam under the guiding hand of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, even manifesting itself in the personal lives of the leader's close associates. The Turkish administration has come under fire recently when it came to light that one of Erdogan's advisors has taken family values to an extreme many find unacceptable – he is married to three women.
Full report at:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3931164,00.html
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Iran Cleric Criticizes Women's Cycling
BY RADIO ZAMANEH
Aug 07 2010
Iranian hardliners continue their attack on women with the recent statements of Ahmad Khatami, expressing concern over the comportment of women at the country’s beaches and their cycling in public places.
The Leader of Tehran’s Friday Mass Prayers also protested the presence of women alongside men in orchestras playing at festivals and events.
Fars news agency published a number of photos of a musical orchestra at an Iranian state gathering abroad with men and women playing music side by side.
Ahmad Khatami maintained that his statements are not in opposition to the government’s recent stance but a reminder to the "religious public" that the government, like themselves, is concerned with the issue of “bad veiling.”
Full report at:
http://www.eurasiareview.com/201008066595/iran-cleric-criticizes-womens-cycling.html
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Halal-only menu for London primary schools sparks row
Fri, 7 Aug 2010
Harrow Council in London has provoked a storm of protest after announcing plans to prefer Islamic halal-only menus in the borough’s state primary schools.
Parents are outraged that meat prepared according to Islamic Sharia law is being pushed on non-Muslim children.
Contracts signed with the council’s preferred catering company, Harrison’s, stipulate that only halal meat is served.
Shelved
The council claims the plan is needed to overcome difficulties in keeping halal meat separate from non-halal meat.
It has since said it will postpone the move because of, in part, “the level of interest from parents” and revisit the issue in the autumn.
Nine Harrow secondary schools already provide pupils with meat prepared according to Islamic law.
Full report at:
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/halal-only-menu-for-london-primary-schools-sparks-row/
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Six shot dead as target killings continue in Karachi
By Atif Raza
August 07, 2010
KARACHI: At least six more people including two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists were gunned down in different incidents of targeted killings, as violence continued while Interior Minister Rehman Malik was on a visit to the city.
In the first incident, Shaukat Ali, son of Ata Muhammad, was shot dead by three unidentified motorcyclists in the Saeedabad police precincts. He was an activist of MQM Baldia sector. Separately, the body of Qazi Aftab, 38, was recovered from Sarya Gali, Mohammad Shah Road near the Old Haji Camp. The police said Aftab, an active member of MQM Lyari Agra Taj Unit, was abducted two days ago. His body was thrown after he was shot dead. In another incident, a security guard was killed by unidentified motorcyclists near Pasban Chowk in Korangi. The Zaman Town police officials said Sultan Ahmad, 60, belonged to the Bengali community. In a separate incident in Zaman Town police precincts, unidentified gunmen entered Haji Khan’s house and opened indiscriminate fire, killing his son, Muhammad Saeed, 28. Muhammad Rafiq, son of Ghulam Haider, was shot dead in Machhar Colony in Docks police station precincts, by unidentified gunmen. In another incident, Aftab Khan was shot dead near Qasba Colony, Orangi Town in Pirabad police precincts. Meanwhile, a Pakistan People’s Party worker, who was injured in Orangi Town violence, died of his injuries.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\07\story_7-8-2010_pg1_5
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Tipu Sultan throne finial to be auctioned
Aug 07 2010
London : A gem-encrusted gold finial from the decorated throne of Tipu Sultan and an eyewitness account of the battle that led to his defeat at the hands of the British are being put up for auction here on October seven.
The gem-encrusted figure, shaped like a tiger has emerged after more than 200 years in the home of a Scots family, auctioneer Bonhams said.
The previous throne finial sold at Bonhams went for 389,600 pounds.
The British - through the East India Company – defeated the ruler and his throne was broken up in 1799.
The British Governor-General, Lord Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, disapproved of breaking it up, but it was done so the spoils could be shared around.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tipu-sultan-throne-finial-to-be-auctioned/657350/
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BJP chief slams illegal encroachments of Waqf properties
By SHAHID RAZA BURNEY
Aug 7, 2010
MUMBAI: In an apparent attempt to woo the Muslim community, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked illegal encroachment of Waqf properties.
In a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Jul. 30, BJP President Nitin Gadkari highlighted the hundreds of acres of Waqf land that has allegedly been grabbed illegally.
He claimed there were nearly half a million registered Waqf properties throughout India.
"The Waqf properties are estimated to cover around six lakh acres, which according to government values 50 years ago was worth Rs. 6,000 crore. A large majority of the Waqf properties are situated in heart of the cities, and are worth many times more today.”
Gadkari suggested annual returns from the Wafq properties would be beneficial for the economic and social development of the Muslim community.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article96618.ece
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Valley violence slipping out of control: Jaitley
Aug 07 2010
Claiming that the situation in the Kashmir was “slipping out of control,” the BJP on Friday said that the Omar Abdullah Government “has increasingly got alienated from people within the Valley, his own party and allies.”
Speaking on Kashmir situation in Rajya Sabha, leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said there was a “significant change in the strategy” by the ISI and separatists forces.
“Earlier, they used to indulge in infiltration and acts of sabotage and individual acts of terrorism. But they have realised that “global acceptability to these acts does not exist and changed their strategy to instigate people for mob violence,” Jaitley said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/274480/Valley-violence-slipping-out-of-control-Jaitley.html
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Afghan police: 10 bodies found in N Afghanistan
By AMIR SHAH
Aug 7, 2010
KABUL: The bodies of 10 people, including eight foreigners, were recovered Friday in a remote area of Badakhshan province in northern Afghanistan, police said.
Provincial police chief Gen. Agha Noor Kemtuz said the victims, who had been shot, were found next to three bullet-riddled four-wheeled drive vehicles in Kuran Wa Munjan district. He said two Afghan men were found dead along with eight others — three women and five men — whose nationalities were not known.
It was unclear what the group was doing in the forested area away from main routes through the province.
Kemtuz speculated that robbery could have been a motive in the killings.
"We couldn't find any passports or anything," he said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article96815.ece
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Suicide cases among expats in Kuwait on the rise
By BENJAMIN JOFFE-WALT
Aug 7, 2010
Every third day a worker from East and South Asia kills or attempts to kill himself, say human rights group
KUWAIT: One migrant worker commits or attempts suicide every 2.5 days in Kuwait, a local rights group has claimed.
Migrant Rights, a Middle East advocacy organization for migrant workers, insists that reports of 23 cases of migrant workers in Kuwait committing or attempting suicide in June and July "an alarming trend."
The most recent numbers follow 17 cases of suicide or attempted suicide by domestic workers in Kuwait during May alone, and 25 more in February and March of this year.
Female Asian domestic workers make up the vast majority of the suicides, most of which are committed by swallowing chemicals or jumping out of a window.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article96654.ece
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Women and Modern Art in Afghanistan
By MUJIB MASHAL
Aug 7, 2010
KABUL, Afghanistan — Under the watchful eye of a male instructor, a teenage boy is deep in focus, trying to trace and copy from a postcard as accurately as possible. For years, this has been the art scene in Afghanistan: stale, and dominated by men. Realism has long ruled as the only accepted style.
The degree of accuracy in copying from a picture — and occasionally a live model — has been the only yardstick by which artists have been judged.
The tide, however, seems to be turning, even if gradually. For one week in June two spacious auditoriums at Kabul University hosted a large exhibition on the themes of pollution and the environment.
The exhibition had two remarkable qualities: All 18 participating artists were women, and the genre was modern art, a rarity in Afghanistan. Even today Kabul and Herat are the only Afghan provinces — out of 34 — to have a faculty of fine arts in their universities.
Full report at:
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/women-and-modern-art-in-afghanistan/?ref=world
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Reprieve for Haj pilgrims
Tushar Srivastava
Aug 07 2010
Haj pilgrims would be entitled to free accommodation, food and other facilities if their flights are delayed by more than six hours, according to a penal clause the civil aviation ministry wants included in an MoU to be signed with carriersI: Indians going for Haj this year will no longer be at the mercy of carriers that leave them stranded at airports with no information about their return flight.
The ministry of civil aviation wants a penal clause included in an MoU to be signed with Haj carriers that will entitle Indian pilgrims to compensation on a par with commercial norms.
The pilgrims will also be entitled to free accommodation, food and other facilities if their departure is delayed by more than six hours.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
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Zardari claims 'victory' after talks with Cameron
Aug 07 2010
London : Did Prime Minister David Cameron blink first during talks with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari at Chequers on Friday?
According to British media he did.
In their face-to-face at Chequers after Cameroon sparked off a storm with his comment that Pakistan was looking both ways on the issue of terrorism, a triumphant Zardari dubbed the 'artful dodger' in the British media claimed that he won the latest war of attrition.
According to Zardari, 'we had some straight talk and we became friends'.
He claimed to have convinced Cameron that Pakistan was doing all it could to stop militant jihadi groups "exporting terror" to Afghanistan and Britain.
At the same time, he appeared to rule out a new crackdown or any specific additional security measures to satisfy Cameron's demand that Pakistan do more to close down terror groups on Pakistan soil.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/zardari-claims-victory-after-talks-with-cameron/657338/
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Eight foreign medical workers killed in Afghan
Aug 07 2010
Kabul : Eight foreign medical workers, including several Americans, were killed by gunmen in Afghanistan's remote northeast, police and officials said on Saturday, with the attack claimed by the Taliban.
A Christian aid group said it appeared those killed were members of one of its mobile eye clinics which had been travelling in northeastern Nuristan province and was headed back for Kabul after providing eye care for local Afghans.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killings and accused the medical workers of proselytising Christianity.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, told Reuters from an undisclosed location that bibles translated into Dari had been found with the foreigners.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/eight-foreign-medical-workers-killed-in-afghan/657363/
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26/11 case: Pak prosecutors seek voice samples of suspects
Aug 07 2010
Islamabad : Pakistani prosecutors on Saturday filed an application before an anti-terrorism court seeking voice samples of LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects in the Mumbai attack case, the proceedings of which were adjourned for three weeks.
The case was put off till August 28 as Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan was on leave for personal reasons.
Sources said the judge of the Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court had taken leave as his sister was unwell and had been hospitalised.
The prosecution filed an application seeking voice samples of Lakhvi and the other accused in view of a request made by Indian authorities, sources said.
The application is expected to be taken up at the next hearing.
Full report at:
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Four Iraqi Police Die In Baghdad Raid
Aug 07 2010
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi gunmen killed four policemen, wounded six others and four bystanders in gunfights on Saturday after police raided a suspected car bomb factory and weapons cache in Baghdad, police said.
The three gunmen opened fire after police surrounded a house in the southern Saidiya district of the capital, police said. After an exchange of fire, the gunmen escaped but fought another gunbattle with police at a checkpoint in Taji, north of Baghdad.
In total, four policemen were killed in the two shootings and 10 people were wounded, six of them policemen, police said. The gunmen managed to escape to rural areas.
Inside the garage of the house, police said they found two stolen cars, one of which contained three barrels of ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound used to make large car bombs, as well as other explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and guns with silencers.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/08/07/world/international-uk-iraq-violence.html?_r=1
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Lebanon Bent on Building Up Army After Israel Clash
Aug 07 2010
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon said Saturday it was committed to building up its armed forces after complaints by Israel about Western assistance to the military following a deadly border clash between the two countries.
Two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and a senior Israeli officer were killed in a rare cross-border skirmish on Tuesday, the worst such violence since a 2006 war between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas.
The clash -- in which Lebanon and Israel gave different accounts of what happened -- raised fears of wider conflict. Both countries have since worked to calm tension at the border.
Speaking in the southern Lebanese village of Adaisseh where the clash occurred, President Michel Suleiman said the cabinet would meet to ratify a three- or five-year plan to arm the military "so that it can protect the nation's dignity."
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/08/07/world/international-uk-lebanon-army.html
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Hunger Strikes in Tehran’s Evin Prison
By ROGENE FISHER JACQUETTE
Aug 07 2010
The Iranian blogger Mojtaba Saminejad, who is now working from Turkey, drew our attention to a series of hunger strikes under way in Tehran’s Evin prison.
Seventeen prisoners in Evin prison began their hunger strike 12 days ago to protest conditions there, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. In response, prison officials transferred the prisoners to solitary confinement on July 26 and denied them contact with their families, Human Rights House in Iran reported Thursday. Security forces with batons attacked the prisoners’ family members, who had gathered in front of the main entrance to the Tehran prosecutor’s office on Thursday, and threatened them with arrest, Human Rights House in Iran reported.
Full report at:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/hunger-strikes-in-tehrans-evin-prison/?ref=world
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More rain lashes Pak, deepening flood crisis
Aug 7, 2010
SUKKUR, Pakistan: More rain soaked flood-ravaged Pakistan on Saturday and even heavier downpours were forecast for coming days, deepening a crisis in which hard-line Islamists have rushed to fill gaps in the government's patchy response.
Pakistani officials estimate as many as 13 million people throughout the South Asian nation have been affected by the rising waters. About 1,500 people have died, most of them in the northwest, the hardest-hit region. Mass evacuations are under way in the southern province of Sindh after the Indus River rose there.
The intense flooding that began about two weeks ago has washed away roads, bridges and many communications lines, hampering rescue efforts. Incessant monsoon rains have grounded many helicopters trying to rescue people and ferry aid, including six choppers manned by US troops on loan from Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/More-rain-lashes-Pak-deepening-flood-crisis/articleshow/6271211.cms
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Pakistan officials do a Munna Bhai to Gilani
By Badar Alam
Aug 07 2010
A FAKE medical relief camp set up during Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s visit to a floodhit district in western Punjab has left the government red- faced.
Though senior government officials are in denial, Gilani has ordered an inquiry.
The visit to the fake camp has invited comparisons with a situation in Bollywood blockbuster Munna Bhai MBBS where Munna Bhai, played by Sanjay Dutt, hurriedly converts his place into a hospital before the visit of his father, who believes his son is a doctor.
The latest controversy has earned more censure for the government which is already facing flak over President Asif Ali Zardari’s foreign tour at a time when Pakistan is facing its worst floods in decades.
Zardari is being criticised for exchanging small talk with the high and mighty in the West and visiting his father’s medieval chateau in the French countryside while the government authorities are doing little to help the flood victims.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Shades of Sohrab in Rajasthan encounter
By Sudhanshu Mishra
Aug 07 2010
THE BHARATIYA Janata Party ( BJP) is having a tough time dealing with fake encounter charges.
While the party is grappling with the fallout of the Sohrabuddin fake encounter in Gujarat, a similar case has landed Rajendra Rathore, a senior minister of the previous Vasundhara Raje government, in trouble.
As many as 14 police officers of the state are also under the CBI scanner in connection with the killing of Dara Singh, alias Daria, in Jaipur on October 23, 2006.
Singh, a native of Munditaal village in Churu district, had 18 police cases, including murder, pending against him and carried a reward of ` 25,000 on his head.
The Supreme Court had on April 9 directed the CBI to investigate the Dara Singh case. A bench comprising justices Markandeya Katju and A. K. Patnaik passed the direction on a plea moved by Dara’s widow Sushila Devi. She accused the Special Operations Group ( SOG) of Rajasthan Police of abducting her husband, killing him and passing it off as an encounter.
Full report at: Mail Today
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CBI gets 2-day custody of Shah
Aug 07 2010
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court sent former junior home minister Amit Shah on a two-day remand for custodial interrogation by the CBI,to begin on Saturday,in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.Besides Shah,15 cops including IPS officers,are behind bars in this case.
Acting on CBIs plea,Justice Akil Kureshi set aside the magisterial courts order rejecting Shahs remand,by terming it erroneous.The judge also observed that it was not proper on part of the magistrate not to peruse the case diary submitted by CBI along with its first remand plea.
Full report at: Times of India
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India still at risk of fresh terror attacks: US
Aug 07 2010
Washington : India remains at risk of fresh terror attacks, a US State Department report has warned, saying that New Delhi was receiving volumes of such credible intelligence.
Labelling India as one of the most terrorism afflicted nations because of "persistent and significant" threats from Pakistan-based groups like LeT and JeM, the report cautioned that New Delhi's moves to counter them were floundering due to its "outdated" legal system and law enforcement.
Though there was no major terrorist attack like 26/11, India remained at risk on the basis of volumes of credible threats, the government continued to receive, the report said.
"India continued to face persistent and significant external threats from groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Harakat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami-Bangladesh," said the State Department's annual Congressionally mandated Country Reports on Terrorism for the year 2009, released yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/656981/
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Pak should adduce evidence of Headley as approver: Nikam
Aug 07 2010
Mumbai : Pakistan should adduce evidence of terror convict David Headley by making him an approver in the 26/11 attacks case instead of asking India to send Mumbai magistrate R V Sawant Waghule to testify in a court there, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.
"If Pakistan is really interested in punishing the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks, why have they not considered adducing evidence of Headley as an approver through video conference," asked Nikam, who conducted the 26/11 trial in a special court here.
Asked about his reaction to Pakistan's request to India on examining evidence of magistrate Sawant Waghule, who had recorded the confession of lone captured terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Nikam said it was prerogative of the government to consider this.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/it-is-great-shame-that-india-dont-have-p.m.-or-f.m.-of-shri-nikam-standing/657011/
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US TERROR REPORT - `Lashkar is global threat'
Anirudh Bhattacharyya
Aug 07 2010
The Indian government's counterterrorism efforts remained hampered by its outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems.
US TERROR REPORT
The US State Department, in its latest Country Reports on Terrorism 2009, has underscored how the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, the group behind the Mumbai terror attacks of 26/11, has become a major international threat within the past few months.
In the previous year's report, in the section devoted to strategic assessment, the LeT did not merit a mention. But it gets plenty of attention in the assessment this time around.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
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Pak now stirring up civil unrest, says PC
Aug 07 2010
In an effort to cool down tempers in embattled Kashmir Valley, the Government on Friday announced a slew of measures, including reactivating political process and holding talks for which it invited even hawks like Syed Shah Geelani.
Stating this in the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister P Chidambaram agreed with the BJP that Pakistan appeared to have changed its strategy by fomenting more civilian unrest rather than the militant activities.
“Pakistan appears to have altered its strategy. It is possible they believe in relying on civilian unrest that would pay dividends,” he said while clarifying his statement on Wednesday.
He was referring to the spate of stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir that are being witnessed for the last two months. Chidambaram’s statement came after Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said there was a “significant change in the strategy” by Pakistan’s ISI and various agencies across the border.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/274559/Pak-now-stirring-up-civil-unrest-says-PC.html
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Scholar in Saudi translates Holy Quran into Telugu
7 August 2010
HYDERABAD — He is a nephrologist by profession but his aim is to propagate Islam. Meet Dr Abdul Raheem Mohammed Moulana, a Saudi scholar heading the Department of Nephrology in the King Abdul Aziz Hospital in the holy city of Makkah.
For Dr Abdul Raheem, who migrated to Saudi Arabia from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh about 35 years ago, his dream came true at a function in the capital late on Thursday evening when the state Chief Minister K. Rosaiah released the Telugu translation of the Holy Quran.
It took 12 years to translate the Holy Quran into Telugu language. The translation is available both in book and CD forms which are supplied free of cost to Haj pilgrims. He has also designed a video CD to ensure that even illiterates can understand it.
Rosaiah, while releasing the translation of the holy book titled ‘Divya Quran Sandesham’, lauded the efforts of the scholar.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/August/international_August307.xml§ion=international&col=
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Woman rebukes son for ‘unmanliness’
By Syed Rashid Husain
07 Aug, 2010
RIYADH: A groom in the north-western Saudi city of Tabuk was slapped by his mother at his wedding reception after he tried to enact a scene straight out of Cinderella by putting a shoe on the bride’s foot.
But the mother saw the gesture as unmanly.
“The groom and the bride had an understanding that she will walk into the reception hall wearing only one shoe while her sister would carry the other one. The plan was that he would later take the shoe and put it on the bride’s foot in front of guests. But his family was not told about the gesture,” the Okaz newspaper said.
However, the groom’s mother flew into a rage when he put the shoe on the bride’s foot, slapping and insulting him for an “unmanly, undignified behaviour”.
Her son eventually left the hall and accompanied the bride to the airport to fly to Malaysia.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/woman-rebukes-son-for-unmanliness-780
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Iran’s Mousavi urges prisoners to end hunger strike
August 07, 2010
TEHRAN: Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi urged 17 political prisoners to end a hunger strike which reportedly started 12 days ago over their treatment by the jailors, his website said on Friday.
The group jailed in Tehran’s Evin prison after last year’s disputed presidential election include reformist journalists and leading student activists, opposition websites said. Mousavi, who has led an anti-government campaign since the June 2009 poll, praised the hunger strikers for their “resistance” and “standing up for humane and legitimate demands.”
“Your message has been heard inside the country and abroad. People are worried about your health and we want you all to end your hunger strike,” Mousavi said in a statement carried by his Kaleme.com website.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\07\story_7-8-2010_pg20_9
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3 killed as police opens fire at power protesters in Swabi
By M Khan
August 07, 2010
SWABI: Three protesters were killed and 10 injured when police opened indiscriminate fire on them at Safdar Chowk here on Friday.
Protesters from several regions of Topi tehsil turned valiant and set ablaze the entire record of main Topi subdivision of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) but the police did not take action against them at that time.
Earlier, people from Kotha, Zarobi and Topi gathered at Safdar Chowk on Swabi-Mardan road and blocked it for all kinds of traffic at the Safdar junction-point. From there they marched to the Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate Chowk and blocked that road too.
The mob then marched to the PESCO office and raided it, burning the entire record of the sub-division.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\07\story_7-8-2010_pg1_6
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War in Afghanistan: What about guarding our values?
By Diana West
August 7, 2010
"Live our values," Gen. David Petraeus wrote recently to troops in Afghanistan. "This is what distinguishes us from our enemies."
Unfortunately, this also is what distinguishes us from many of our "friends." This culture-chasm is what makes the infidel struggle for hearts and minds across Islamic lands so recklessly, wastefully futile, something I was once again reminded of on reading Time magazine's cover story featuring 18-year-old Aisha. Aisha is a lovely Afghan girl whose husband and brother-in-law, on instructions from a local judge and Taliban commander, sliced off her ears and nose and left her dying to set an example for other wives thinking of running away from abusive in-laws. Only her discovery by U.S. troops saved Aisha's life.
Full report at:
http://newsok.com/war-in-afghanistan-what-about-guarding-our-values/article/3482972#ixzz0vukQPCoS
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Exiled Indian artist's son keeps name alive with solo show
By Phil Hazlewood
August 7, 2010
MUMBAI — Owais Husain has the most recognisable surname in Indian art -- his father, M.F. Husain, is the country's leading modern painter now living in exile after death threats from religious hardliners.
While Husain senior remains in Qatar, destined never to return to his homeland for fear of protests by Hindu conservatives, his youngest son is keeping the family name alive on the Indian art scene.
The 43-year-old is currently showcasing a diverse body of work in his first solo exhibition in Mumbai for 10 years, attracting plaudits as an artist in his own right.
"I don't think he carries that baggage of being his father's son," said Dadiba Pundole, director of Mumbai's Pundole Art Gallery, where M.F. Husain had exhibited many of his works.
Full report at:
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
5:35 AM
Sultan Shahin
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