Embrace Islam or leave Kashmir Valley, Sikhs threatened
Obama is Christian: White House
Forces kill 11 terrorists in Orakzai, Kurram
Iran to fire up its first nuclear power plant
Dutch Muslim group fined over Holocaust cartoon
Kashmir survey springs surprises
Muslim employee: Disney banned her head scarf
Australian asks Muslim woman to depose without face-veil
Qatif’s poor women see ‘high reward’ in body washing
Aqsa Mosque preacher lauds support
Illegal Taliban-controlled prison discovered in Afghanistan; 27 Afghanis found shackled, tortured
US drones could be harmful for Pakistan’s nuclear programme: seminar
Afghanistan marks independence day
NATO soldier, rebels killed in Afghanistan
UAE growth spurred by education
Muslims pray daily at Pentagon's 9/11 crash site
Sonia moots J&K dialogue
Pak Spurns Indian Aid Offer Despite PM’s Call
We'll not accept terms for resuming dialogue: Pakistan
Kashmir in troubled waters: Toll rises to 60
12 injured in Bannu blast
Shahbaz air base 'controlled' by US: Pak health secretary
Islamic center can lead to more peaceful world
Accept India's aid offer on humanitarian grounds: Ansar Burney
Discourse: ‘Sharia’ rules a manipulation of religious norms: Senior cleric
America's reputation rests on mosque's test of religious freedom
2 cops suspended for cremating Muslim
Ahmadinejad says Iran ready for nuclear talks
Saudi judge considers paralysis punishment
Ground Zero Imam to begin UAE visit on August 29 Martin Croucher
Hundreds mourn slain Islamist in Lebanon
Religious sessions at homes gaining favor
Another Israeli arrested for flotilla looting
Lebanese all-women aid ship to sail for Gaza Sunday
Iranian asylum seekers on hunger strike in Greece
Mosque debate divides Democrats, especially in NY
Poll: Growing number incorrectly call Obama Muslim
Makkah families cash in on demand for homemade dishes
Billions needed for flood-hit Pakistan, says Holbrooke
India accuses Pak of ceasefire breach along LoC
Woman killed, 8 policemen wounded in Yemen attacks
Pakistan sends another dossier to India regarding Headly
US report warns of ecological threats to Pakistan
Italian Ambassador to Pak calls on Minorities Minister
Editor sentenced for contempt in Bangladesh
US Muslim groups call for extra security on Eid day
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama
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Embrace Islam or leave Valley, Sikhs threatened
M Saleem Pandit
20 August 2010
SRINAGAR: Sikhs in the Kashmir Valley have received anonymous letters from Islamic militants asking them to either embrace Islam and join the protests against civilian killings or pack up and leave the Valley. The 60,000-strong Sikh community is the single largest minority group in the Valley.
An organisation of Kashmiri Sikhs said that several community members have received these letters. "Community members have received unsigned letters at various places," said All Party Sikh Coordination Committee (ASCC) coordinator Jagmohan Singh Raina. He said the community has decided to stay put and fight these "evil designs" at a meeting in Srinagar on Thursday.
Raina quoted a letter as saying: "When you are enjoying the joys here, why can't you share the grief and sorrow of Kashmiris as well? We know you are afraid of bullets... Hold protests inside gurdwaras or leave Kashmir." He added, "Some letters have asked Sikhs to embrace Islam."
Raina urged both factions of the Hurriyat, JKLF and PoK-based United Jihad Council to take serious note of the threats to maintain amity and brotherhood in the Valley.
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has reassured the Sikhs saying they shouldn't feel threatened and should ignore the "fake letters". He assured the community that nobody would force them to join the protests.
Earlier, Geelani has made an emotional appeal against forcing minorities to join the protests and said harming them would be like "inflicting a wound on his (Geelani's) body".
The state unit of Akali Dal (Badal) president Ajeet Singh Mastana described the threats as acts by anti-social elements. "The threats can't break us and reduce our love for our motherland," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Embrace-Islam-or-leave-Valley-Sikhs-threatened/articleshow/6346853.cms#ixzz0x7Pb38iO
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Obama is Christian: White House
20 August 2010
The White House today insisted that President Barack Obama is a Christian and his faith is not a topic of conversation, a day after a poll showed that nearly 18 per cent of Americans think he is a Muslim.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said most Americans care more about the economy and the country's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and "they are not reading a lot of news about what religion the president is".
"The President is obviously a Christian. He prays every day. He communicates with his religious adviser every single day. There is a group of pastors that he takes counsel from on a regular basis. And his faith is very important to him, but it's not something that is a topic of conversation every single day," Burton was responding to questions on the Pew Research Center poll which showed one-third of Americans or 18 per cent think Obama is Muslim.
That current rating was up from 11 per cent in March who said Obama was a Muslim. The survey also showed that just 34 per cent said Obama is Christian, down from 48 per cent who said so last year.
The largest share of people, 43 per cent, said they don't know his religion.
"I just think people are focused on other issues and not paying all that much attention to exactly what the President does with his spirituality. But as you all know and have covered extensively, he is Christian and his faith is very important to him," Burton said.
The spokesman said Obama has spoken about his faith extensively in the past.
"You can bet that he'll talk about his faith again. You could always play the "would-of, could-of, should-of. But the President's top priority here is not making sure that Americans know what a devout Christian he is, it is making sure that we are getting the economy on track and we are creating jobs in this country," he said.
http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?690967
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Forces kill 11 terrorists in Orakzai, Kurram
20 August 2010
HANGU: Around 11 terrorists were killed on Thursday in different operations of security forces in the Orakzai and Kurram agencies.
At least seven terrorists were killed and seven others injured when security forces retaliated after an attack on a security checkpost in the Tapoo area of Orakzai Agency. According to sources, terrorists attacked a security checkpost and started indiscriminate firing, killing a security official Ejaz and injuring another Asif. The forces retaliated killing seven terrorists and injuring seven others.
Separately, security forces bombed the hideouts of terrorists in Wasti Kurram and Chinarak areas of Kurram Agency killing four terrorists and injuring 10 others.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg7_5
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Dutch Muslim group fined over Holocaust cartoon
20 August 2010
AMSTERDAM: A Dutch appeals court on Thursday ruled that a Dutch Muslim group ought to be fined 2,500 euros ($3,200) for publishing a cartoon suggesting that the Holocaust was made up or exaggerated by Jews..
The court in the western city of Arnhem overruled an acquittal handed down by a Dutch lower court, saying the cartoon, published on the website of the Arab European League's (AEL) in 2006, was "unnecessarily hurtful."
"The court points out that the European Court of Human Rights, which considers freedom of speech of paramount importance and defends it thoroughly, makes no exception for the denial or trivialization of the Holocaust," the court said.
The court also imposed a 2-year probation period on the AEL.
The cartoon shows two men in Auschwitz looking at several dead bodies. "I don't think they are Jews," says one man. The one man replies: "We have to get to the 6,000,000 (figure) somehow'. Six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
The Dutch group says it had no intention of disputing the Holocaust, but wanted instead to highlight what it described as double standards in free speech.
The AEL circulated it in 2006 after a Danish newspaper published a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which triggered an outcry among Muslims in many countries.
http://arabnews.com/world/article106991.ece
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Kashmir survey springs surprises
20 August 2010
NEW DELHI — The first ever opinion poll conducted on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) that has separated Indian and Pakistani administered Kashmir since the UN-brokered ceasefire in 1949, has come out with results that could unsettle both New Delhi and Islamabad.
About 43 per cent of the total adult population in Kashmir want ‘independence (azadi)’ for entire Kashmir, while 28 per cent will go for Kashmir’s future with India.
The preference for ‘independence’ was uniform across the districts in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, but at the same time unevenly distributed in India’s Jammu and Kashmir, said the Chatham House Report titled Kashmir: Paths to Peace, authored by Robert W Bradnock.
The poll was conducted before the recent violence erupted in Jammu and Kashmir, and its results are now receiving serious attention of the policy makers in the Western world, given that it is being dubbed as the first ever poll conducted in the two parts of Kashmir, analysts have pointed out.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/August/international_August1039.xml§ion=international&col=
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Muslim employee: Disney banned her head scarf
20 August 2010
ANAHEIM, Calif.: A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disneyland restaurant alleged Wednesday the theme park would not allow her to appear in front of customers while wearing her head scarf.
Imane Boudlal, 26, appeared outside the resort's Grand Californian Hotel after filing a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
She said when she wore the hijab to work Sunday, her supervisors told her to remove it, work where customers couldn't see her, or go home.
Boudlal, who wore the scarf in observance of Ramadan, chose to go home but reported to work for the next two days and was told the same thing.
"Miss Boudlal has effectively understood that they're not interested in accommodating her request either in timing or good faith," said Ameena Qazi, an attorney from the Council on American-Islamic Relations who is consulting with Boudlal.
Full report at:
"There's absolutely no correlation," said Shelton, who's with Unite Here Local 11.
http://arabnews.com/world/article107101.ece
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Australian asks Muslim woman to depose without face-veil
20 August 2010
MELBOURNE: In a latest ruling, an Australian court has asked a Muslim woman witness in a fraud case to appear before it without a face covering veil in the interest of a fair trial.
Judge Shauna Deane today ruled that the witness must remove her 'niqab', or face covering veil when she gives evidence to the jury, according to media reports from Perth.
Deane said her decision should not set a legal precedent, as it was simply her ruling in these circumstances.
The judge said that in the interest of a fair trial the witness should not be allowed to wear a niqab.
The 36-year-old woman, an Islamic studies teacher, is due to give evidence for the prosecution in the fraud trial of college director, Anwar Sayed.
In court, defence lawyer Mark Trowell, QC, said the woman's wish to wear the burqa was a "preference she has".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Australian-asks-Muslim-woman-to-depose-without-face-veil/articleshow/6335843.cms#ixzz0x7PXDyw4
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Qatif’s poor women see ‘high reward’ in body washing
20 August 2010
QATIF: Poor women in Qatif are turning to corpse washing as a way to make ends meet at a time many are quitting the profession, which involves preparing the bodies for burial, because of social stigma attached to it.
Washing bodies before burial is a compulsory funeral rite for Muslims and it is a social obligation. Close relatives of a dead person are expected to fulfill this obligation. In the absence of such relatives, other members of society are obliged to perform the task, which is considered a pious act that brings high rewards.
Despite the fact that body washing as a profession is looked down on as undignified in society, some women, out of utter poverty, are willing to take it up for a living, according to a report in Shams newspaper.
“In fact, a dead body ought to be washed and processed for burial without expecting any material reward because it is a religious duty. But I don’t have any other income,” said a widow in Qatif.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article107153.ece
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Aqsa Mosque preacher lauds support
20 August 2010
ABU DHABI — Dr Yousuf Salama, the preacher of Al Aqsa Mosque, commended the important role the UAE is playing in caring for both Islamic and Christian shrines in Palestine.
“Solidarity of the UAE under the leadership of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the Palestinian people has enforced the resistance of our people in the confronting Israel’s attempts of expulsion, dispersion and uprooting,” Salama, a former minister of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf, told a lecture organised by the UAE General Women’s Union (GWU) yesterday in coordination with Dubai International Holy Quran Award. In his lecture “Mother making a nation”, Salama praised Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the GWU, for her care and support for the Palestinian family by establishing hospitals and schools in towns and villages in Palestine.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/August/theuae_August558.xml§ion=theuae&col=
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Illegal Taliban-controlled prison discovered in Afghanistan; 27 Afghanis found shackled, tortured
August 20th 2010
NATO-led troops discovered the ramshackle jail near Musa Qaleh in Helmand province, in the southern region of the country, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said on Wednesday.
"Multiple intelligence sources and tips from Afghan citizens led to a combined Afghan and coalition force operation," the ISAF said in a statement.
Soldiers discovered 27 Afghan men in the prison, who were found shackled and showed signs of having been tortured. Five additional prisoners were killed during the firefight.
"The men were taken to an International Security Assistance Force base where they underwent medical screening and debriefing," ISAF said.
According to Reuters, the prisoners worked for an Afghan aid agency.
Thirteen insurgents were killed during the operation. Numerous weapons were also uncovered at the makeshift facility.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/08/18/2010-08-18_illegal_taliban_prison_discovered_in_afghanistan_27_afghanis_found_shackled_tort.html
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US drones could be harmful for Pakistan’s nuclear programme: seminar
20 August 2010
LAHORE: Nuclear issues expert and the director of the Ali Institute of Education, Dr AH Nayyar has expressed fear that US drone attacks could prove harmful for Pakistan’s nuclear programme and its nuclear installations placed at undisclosed locations.
Addressing a seminar titiled “What is so unclear about nuclear; a brief history of Pakistan’s nuclear programme” organised by the Ali Institute of Education in its Mustafa Hall on Thursday, when the director was asked if the CIA could take away Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and whether the country’s nuclear weapons were safe against thefts and proliferations, Dr Nayyar told the audience that the country’s nuclear weapons were fully safe, as the state of Pakistan had taken strict measures according to modern standards that were similar to international countries to avoid any mishap. “But, due to US drone attacks, Pakistani nuclear weapons could be targeted if these weapons were kept in the same areas of the country where US forces were chasing terrorists and bombing their hideouts,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg13_9
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Afghanistan marks independence day
By Sardar Ahmad
20 August 2010
The Taliban, who were ousted in a 2001 US-led invasion and are the main militant group behind a growing insurgency, also marked the day, vowing to defeat the NATO force and calling them ‘invaders’
KABUL: Afghanistan marked independence day Thursday as the Taliban-led insurgency drags on, with foreign troop deaths at record highs and the government under pressure to honour pledges on corruption and security.
August 19 commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Rawalpindi in 1919, which granted Afghanistan full independence from Britain—though the country was never part of the British empire—after three bloody wars. The day was traditionally marked by a military parade and other public events, but these were scaled down after a Taliban attack in 2008 that was seen as an assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg20_9
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NATO soldier, rebels killed in Afghanistan
20 August 2010
KABUL—NATO warplanes pounded insurgent strongholds near the Afghan capital, killing two dozen rebels, the alliance said Thursday, as a foreign soldier lost his life in violence elsewhere in the country. The soldier, whose nationality was not revealed, died in a Taliban-style improvised bomb attack on Wednesday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.
The death brings to 437 the number of international troops who have died in the Afghan war so far this year, according to a foreign news agency tally based on that kept by the independent website icasualties.org. Many of those deaths have been caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which are the main weapon in the Taliban's arsenal, along with suicide bomb attacks and targeted assassinations.
http://dailymailnews.com/0810/20/FrontPage/index.php?id=12
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UAE growth spurred by education
20 August 2010
ABU DHABI — A well-planned education programme has helped Abu Dhabi’s vibrant economy, Louis V. Gerstner Jr said during his lecture on education in the Capital.
Gerstner Jr, Retired Chairman and CEO, International Business Machines (IBM) and Chairman of Broad Institute, University of Harvard and MIT, delivered a speech titled ‘Education: from Nursery to G12 : The Path to Global Competitiveness’, which was attended by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, at his Ramadan majlis, on Thursday.
The talk was also attended by Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah; Shaikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman; Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region; Shaikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan; Shaikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court; Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Shaikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority; Shaikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Ajman Department of Municipality and Planning.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/August/theuae_August557.xml§ion=theuae
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Muslims pray daily at Pentagon's 9/11 crash site
20 August 2010
WASHINGTON: While Americans are bitterly debating the proposed building of a mosque near New York's ground zero, Muslims have been praying for years less than 80 feet from where another hijacked jetliner struck.
The Pentagon chapel is part of a memorial to the 184 people killed in 2001 when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the west side of the Pentagon and plowed through three of the building's five office rings.
As part of its massive renovation, the Pentagon opened the nondenominational chapel in November 2002. The chapel hosts a daily prayer group and weekly worship service for Muslims and provides similar services for Jews, Hindus, Mormons, Protestants, Catholics and Episcopalians.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article107104.ece
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Sonia moots J&K dialogue
20 August 2010
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has expressed anguish over violence in Kashmir and favoured “dialogue and mutual understanding” to break the cycle of death and protests.
Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on Thursday, Gandhi also spoke on corruption charges in the Commonwealth Games, Bhopal gas tragedy, illegal mining and price rise.
Gandhi said, “Reaching out to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, most particularly to the youth, is the need of the hour. The anger and pain that is manifesting itself, especially among the young, needs to be addressed…Our security forces have a difficult task to discharge.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/277178/Sonia-moots-JK-dialogue.html
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Pak Spurns Indian Aid Offer Despite PM’s Call
Aug 20th, 2010
Pakistan on Thursday declined India’s offer to send $5 million in aid to Pakistani flood victims, saying it “appreciated India’s gesture, but can’t take aid now”.
This was hours after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani to reiterate the offer of $5 million made last week and offer more assistance to tackle Pakistan’s worst floods in 80 years.
Dr Singh said at the time of such natural disasters, all of South Asia should rise to the occasion and extend every possible help to the affected people. Dr Singh called Mr Gilani “to express his sense of sorrow and to condole the deaths resulting from the huge floods that have devastated parts of Pakistan. The Government of India ... is ready to do more to assist in the relief effort.”
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/india/pak-spurns-indian-aid-offer-despite-pm%E2%80%99s-call-814
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We'll not accept terms for resuming dialogue: Pakistan
Anita Joshua
20 August 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said it would not accept any pre-conditions for resuming dialogue with India and said New Delhi would have to show some flexibility and readiness to discuss all issues, including Jammu & Kashmir, to move forward.
This was stated by Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit in response to questions relating to Pakistan and Kashmir references in Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Independence Day address to the nation. Dr. Singh had said no progress could be made in India-Pakistan dialogue unless Pakistan stopped allowing its territory to be used for acts of terrorism against India.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/20/stories/2010082055541400.htm
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Kashmir in troubled waters: Toll rises to 60
20 August 2010
An eight-year-old boy, hit by a stray bullet during clashes between security forces and protesters, died here Thursday, taking the toll in the Kashmir Valley unrest since June 11 to 60.
Milat Ahmad Dar was injured Saturday in Harnagh village of Anantnag district. He was playing with his friends when a bullet fired some distance away hit him.
"The boy was not part of any mob. He had come to his mother's ancestral village from Wanpora village in Kulgam district when destiny cut short his life," said a sobbing villager who did not wanted to be named.
"The bullet was fired somewhere else and it claimed an innocent life somewhere else. This is the tragedy of the Kashmiri people," the man said.
Reports said a car and a van belonging to the security forces were attacked by a mob in Harnagh village Saturday when security forces fired in the air to disperse protesting against the firing.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/277156/Kashmir-in-troubled-waters-Toll-rises-to-60.html
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12 injured in Bannu blast
20 August 2010
BANNU: A powerful blast ripped through Preety Gate area in Bannu on Thursday injuring 12 people, four of them critically.
The blast occurred at 9:30am when an unidentified man left a shopping bag at Preety Gate, which blew up and injured 12 people while the suspect managed to flee. The injured were rushed to the nearby District Headquarters Hospital where an emergency was declared.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg7_3
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Shahbaz air base 'controlled' by US: Pak health secretary
20 August 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Shahbaz air force base in southern Sindh province, which is home to the country's newest F-16 jets, is "controlled by the US", a senior official has said, triggering a denial from America which described the remarks as "completely false."
Health secretary Khushnood Lashari made the stunning claim about the Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad area during an appearance before the Standing Committee on Health of the Senate or upper house of Parliament yesterday.
Lashari said the relief operations in flood-hit areas of Jacobabad could not be conducted from the airbase because of this reason.
"Health relief operations are not possible in the flood-affected areas of Jacobabad because the airbase is with the United States," he said answering a question from a member of the committee.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Shahbaz-air-base-controlled-by-US-Pak-health-secretary/articleshow/6338113.cms#ixzz0x7PRBwRO
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Islamic center can lead to more peaceful world
20 August 2010
I support the proposed Cordoba Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero in Manhattan. Its detractors fail to note that many Muslims lost their lives also, on Sept. 11, 2001, and that the 11-story building that will house it will have a mosque on one floor, with the other floors devoted to classrooms, physical fitness apparatus and to many programs that will promote dialogue between Muslims and other faiths. In short, it will provide opportunities for healing the wounds and misunderstandings that resulted from 9/11.
One frequently hears, "Where are moderate Muslims? Why don't they speak out against radicalism and violence?" The Cordoba Center is exactly that - a group of moderate Muslims who want to generate mutuality and peace by having a mainstream place from which to work.
The Cordoba Center deserves the support of every American who believes in our Bill of Rights. It could become a powerful symbol of hope and healing as it stands side-by-side with neighboring churches and synagogues in bustling, downtown New York City. Its location near Ground Zero is perfect. It will point to the possibility of a better world. I think those who died on 9/11 would agree.
http://www.theday.com/article/20100820/OP02/308209906
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Accept India's aid offer on humanitarian grounds: Ansar Burney
20 August 2010
As Pakistan reels under the impact of the worst floods in its history, leading rights activist Ansar Burney has exhorted the government to accept India's offer of $ five million in aid for the affected people, saying it is not the time "to scratch old wounds". "This is the first time Indian
government has shown a very positive attitude towards Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks and government of Pakistan should respond positively to the kind gesture of love of the Indian Government for the sake of flood victims and also for the sake of peace in the region," Burney said in a statement.
Burney said the "hypocrite government," President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, on one hand beg with the world for help and accept all donations and on the other hand they are not accepting a donation of "Love and Peace from India".
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/Accept-India-s-aid-offer-on-humanitarian-grounds-Ansar-Burney/Article1-588803.aspx
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Discourse: ‘Sharia’ rules a manipulation of religious norms: Senior cleric
20 August 2010
Indonesia seems far removed from Afghanistan, where the Taliban recently stoned to death a couple that had eloped after a long hiatus in applying the sharia punishment. Aceh province gained the right in 2006 to apply Islamic law and practise as part of its special autonomy; while several regencies and provinces have also passed sharia-inspired bylaws and rules. Masdar Farid Mas’udi, a deputy chairman of the law-making body of the country’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), recently talked to The Jakarta Post’s Ridwan Max Sijabat regarding the issue.
Question: What is your comment on the growth of the sharia-related bylaws and regulations in the regions?
Answer: Such bylaws, instructions and circulars violate the 2004 Regional Administration Law and the amended Constitution [which gives equal rights to all citizens]. The phenomenon has to be viewed in light of the emergence of sectarianism and of formalism [of that sectarianism] among local elites, mainly politicians and religious leaders.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/20/discourse-%E2%80%98sharia%E2%80%99-rules-a-manipulation-religious-norms-senior-cleric.html
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America's reputation rests on mosque's test of religious freedom
20 August 2010
A mosque near Ground Zero? Who's going to pay for it? Where are they getting the money?
This is the cry of the conspiracy theorists who claim that the mosque will be built with suspicious money, including charities possibly connected to terrorism. Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich are intensely opposed to the mosque. They want it to be moved. I have a great idea. Why don't they find a new property and personally raise the money themselves to fund the $100 million community center? They could call the project The Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich Foundation for Religious Freedom. It has a nice ring to it. I think they should put their money where their mouths are. Nothing could be more patriotic or American; it's what this country is all about. It would take, especially with Palin's popular following, probably 20 minutes to collect the amount needed.
Full report at:
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/sally_quinn/2010/08/americas_reputation_rest_of_mosques_test_of_religious_freedom.html
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2 cops suspended for cremating Muslim
Aug 20, 2010
PATNA: Two police officers have been suspended here after a Muslim banker found dead near a park was mistakenly identified as a beggar and cremated according to Hindu rites.
The body of Mohd Ishrafil, a 46-year-old State Bank of India official, was recovered near Gandhi Maidan last week. He was cremated within three hours.
According to police, Ishrafil's body was cremated after officials assumed he was a beggar. "It was a big mistake on the part of the police," an officer admitted Friday.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police B.S. Meena said two guilty police officials have been suspended.
Ishrafil's family had lodged a complaint with the police Aug 12 that he was missing. This was a day before his body was found.
Ishrafil's family wants a criminal case registered against the guilty officers.
Ishrafil's son Mohd Sohrab Alam said the police cremated his father at Banshghat near the Ganges.
He pointed out that police usually preserve unidentified bodies for 72 hours. But in his father's case, they disposed his body within hours.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/2-cops-suspended-for-cremating-Muslim/articleshow/6377110.cms#ixzz0x8H9D1Cc
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Ahmadinejad says Iran ready for nuclear talks
20 August 2010
Iran is ready for immediate talks with world powers over a nuclear fuel swap deal, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview published in Japan on Friday.
Iran is “ready to resume in late August or in early September” talks with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany over an exchange of enriched uranium, Ahmadinejad told the Yomiuri Shimbun.
Ahmadinejad hinted Iran could stop its controversial programme of uranium enrichment if a deal were struck to ensure the supply of nuclear fuel to Tehran.
“We promise to stop enriching uranium to 20 percent if fuel supply is ensured,” he said in the exclusive interview in Tehran, published in Japanese.
“We have the right to enrich uranium. Iran has never provoked a war nor craved for nuclear bombs,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August361.xml§ion=middleeast
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Saudi judge considers paralysis punishment
20 August 2010
CAIRO — A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals in the country whether they could damage a man’s spinal cord as punishment after he was convicted of attacking another man with a cleaver and paralyzing him, the brother of the victim said Thursday.
Abdul-Aziz al-Mutairi, 22, was left paralyzed and subsequently lost a foot after a fight more than two years ago. He asked a judge in northwestern Tabuk province to impose an equivalent punishment on his attacker under Islamic law, his brother Khaled al-Mutairi told The Associated Press by telephone from there.
He said one of the hospitals, located in Tabuk, responded that it is possible to damage the spinal cord, but it added that the operation would have to be done at another more specie public in the kingdom, highlights the delicate attempt in Saudi Arabia to balance a push to modernize the country with interpretations of religious traditions that critics say are out of sync with a modern society.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August359.xml§ion=middleeast
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Ground Zero Imam to begin UAE visit on August 29 Martin Croucher
20 August 2010
DUBAI — An Imam at the centre of a controversial plan to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York, is to visit the UAE later this month.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf will have a list of speaking engagements in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates between August 29 and Sept. 1.
The visit, which is arranged and funded by the US State Department, has been timed to fall within the holy month of Ramadan and is part of a wider strategy of fostering closer ties between the US and the Muslim world.
The imam will visit the UAE as part of a Middle East tour, along with Daisy Khan — another prominent US Muslim.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/August/theuae_August548.xml§ion=theuae
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Hundreds mourn slain Islamist in Lebanon
20 August 2010
AIN AL-HILWEH, Lebanon — Hundreds of mourners gathered in a southern Lebanese refugee camp on Thursday for the funeral of Abdel Rahman Awad, the head of a Qaeda-inspired group killed by the army at the weekend.
Awad, a Palestinian, was the presumed chief of the shadowy Fatah al-Islam, an Islamist group which fought a deadly battle in 2007 against the Lebanese army at Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in the country’s north.
The conflict raged for more than three months and cost 400 lives, with 168 soldiers among the dead. Awad was said to have fled to the notorious southern camp of Ain al-Hilweh.
The open-casket funeral of Awad, dubbed the “prince” of Fatah al-Islam and formerly one of Lebanon’s most wanted Islamists, was held at Ain al-Hilweh and only attended by family members.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August348.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Religious sessions at homes gaining favor
20 August 2010
JEDDAH: It is becoming increasingly commonplace for women preachers to give Islamic lectures at homes.
For many years, they were invited to preach in tents in front of a female audience, but for unknown reasons this practice has stopped.
This has encouraged many women to invite these scholars to give talks at mosques or at their homes.
“During the whole year, we use to hold weekly sessions for women including friends, relatives and neighbors,” said Hayat Al-Malki, a Saudi housewife.
“We used to arrange these sessions at our homes, but during Ramadan we meet at mosques. We hold the talks one hour before Taraweeh prayer, shortly after iftar. It is not important what degree the preacher has as long as she has a good knowledge of Islam and excellent preaching skills.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article107160.ece
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Another Israeli arrested for flotilla looting
20 August 2010
RAMALLAH: The Israeli military police on Thursday arrested another soldier on suspicion of involvement in the looting of Gaza-bound Turkish ships.
The development came hours after the military police arrested an Israeli forces officer also suspected of stealing laptop computers from activists aboard the Gaza-bound aid ship Mavi Marmara raided by Israeli commandos on May 31 and selling them to other officers.
The officer, who holds the rank of first lieutenant, allegedly sold the computers to a friend, who in turn sold them to friends of his. Three officers who are suspected of having bought the computers have also been detained for questioning.
The story was first revealed on Israeli Ynet news service. Ynet quoted a high-ranking officer who said, “The investigation has just begun, but as it appears now it will prove embarrassing and shameful. These are soldiers who don’t understand what their uniform represents.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article107085.ece
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Lebanese all-women aid ship to sail for Gaza Sunday
20 August 2010
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: A Lebanese ship carrying aid and women activists who want to break Israel’s Gaza blockade will set sail Sunday from Lebanon despite warnings that they will not be allowed to make it past Cyprus, organizers said Thursday.
The ship cannot travel directly to Gaza from Lebanon because Beirut is still technically at war with Israel, forcing the vessel to pass through a third country — in this case, Cyprus — before heading for the blockaded Palestinian territory.
But on Thursday, the Cypriot ambassador to Lebanon told The Associated Press that the boat, the Miriam, will be turned back when it reaches Cyprus.
“We decided that such a ship will not be allowed to enter Cyprus and if such a Gaza-bound ship docks in a Cypriot port the crew and the passengers will be deported to their country of origin,” Kyriacos Kouros said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article107090.ece
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Iranian asylum seekers on hunger strike in Greece
20 August 2010
ATHENS, Greece: Iranian refugees in Athens have launched a hunger strike to demand that Greek authorities process their asylum applications, following what they say has been nine years of delay.
Rights activists say the protest highlights deficiencies in Greece's system of granting asylum to refugees — with only about 0.04 percent of all applications being accepted every year.
Two of the five hunger strikers outside the United Nations refugee agency's offices have refused to eat for a month.
They said Thursday they have been waiting for up to nine years for an answer to their applications.
Semko Mohammadi, a member of the Union of Migrant Workers in Greece, says "they have lost the best years of their life in Greece," adding that the men faced persecution if they returned home.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article106893.ece
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Mosque debate divides Democrats, especially in NY
20 August 2010
NEW YORK: As vulnerable congressional Democrats weigh how to respond to President Barack Obama's statements on Muslims' right to build a mosque near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks, those in New York and closest to the controversy are staying silent or scrambling away.
Democrats control both of the state's US Senate seats and 27 of its 29 Congressional districts, but analysts believe as many as eight House Democrats in the state may be headed to defeat this year. Republicans, hoping to ease Democrats' grip on the state, insist the economy remains the major campaign issue but say the mosque flap could also help move voters their way.
From eastern Long Island to more rural areas of northern New York state, House Democrats have been opposing the construction of a $100 million Islamic center two blocks from the World Trade Center site, referred to by many as "ground zero." More than 2,700 people died there on Sept.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article106857.ece
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Poll: Growing number incorrectly call Obama Muslim
20 August 2010
WASHINGTON: Americans increasingly are convinced — incorrectly — that President Barack Obama is a Muslim, and a growing number are thoroughly confused about his religion.
Nearly one in five people, or 18 percent, said they think Obama is Muslim, up from the 11 percent who said so in March 2009, according to a poll released Thursday. The proportion who correctly say he is a Christian is down to just 34 percent.
The largest share of people, 43 percent, said they don't know his religion, an increase from the 34 percent who said that in early 2009.
The survey, conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center and its affiliated Pew Forum on Religion and amp; Public Life, is based on interviews conducted before the controversy over whether Muslims should be permitted to construct a mosque near the World Trade Center site. Obama has said he believes Muslims have the right to build an Islamic center there, though he's also said he won't take a position on whether they should actually build it.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article106899.ece
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Makkah families cash in on demand for homemade dishes
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA
20 August 2010
MAKKAH: The holy fasting month of Ramadan has proved in the past to be a fruitful period for traders and owners of restaurants across the Kingdom.
Shops and restaurants in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah witness a huge flow of pilgrims during Ramadan, marking the peak Umrah season.
Ramadan also provides a great opportunity for Saudi families struggling to meet ends. They cash in on the huge demand for homemade dishes during the fasting month. Many people prefer such delicious and tasty food to those bought from restaurants and eateries.
large number of citizens lend a supporting hand to their wives by helping them prepare special Ramadan dishes and deliver them to customers. Their children also take part in this lucrative business.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article107177.ece
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Billions needed for flood-hit Pakistan, says Holbrooke
20 August 2010
UNITED NATIONS: US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said on Thursday that “many billions” of dollars will be needed to rebuild Pakistan after massive flooding. Holbrooke told the Asia Society that the US was the first and largest contributor, and he challenged other countries, especially Pakistan’s close ally China, to “step up to the plate”. He spoke ahead of a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on Thursday to spotlight the South Asian country’s immediate need for $460 million for food, shelter and clean water. The floods have submerged tens of thousands of villages, killed around 1,500 people and affected more than 20 million others, authorities said.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg7_7
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India accuses Pak of ceasefire breach along LoC
20 August 2010
JAMMU: The Indian Army on Thursday accused Pakistan of violating a ceasefire along the Line of Control, charging it with trying to push militants into the Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) under the cover of fire. A defence spokesman said Indian military posts in southern Kashmir came under small arms and mortar fire from across the border in a pre-dawn skirmish with Pakistani troops that lasted around two hours. “Pakistani troops opened unprovoked fire at Indian posts and targeted several positions in Poonch district,” said Lieutenant Colonel Biplab Nath in Jammu. “Our soldiers retuned fire,” Nath said, adding there were no casualties on the Indian side in Poonch.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg7_8
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Woman killed, 8 policemen wounded in Yemen attacks
20 August 2010
ADEN: A Yemeni woman was killed and eight policemen wounded in two separate attacks in south Yemen, security officials said on Thursday.
Five policemen were wounded in an explosion on Wednesday when a masked biker hurled a hand grenade through the window of a police station in Zinjibar, the main city of Abyan province, a police officer told AFP, adding that the assailant managed to escape. A medical official at Al-Razi hospital in neighbouring Jaar town said two of the policemen were critically wounded and had been transferred to a hospital in Aden.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg4_9
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Pakistan sends another dossier to India regarding Headly
20 August 2010
ISLAMABAD—Pakistan has sent a fresh set of 47 questions relating to former CIA operative David Headley and his activities during his multiple visits to India.
Sources at the Ministry said that the fresh dossier has been sent to ascertain maximum information from New Delhi to judge the level of truth in the claims of Indians pertaining to David Headley Interior Ministry had earlier sent a note to its Indian counterpart posing 51 questions relating to Headley’s 9 trips to India and sought details about the people whom he met there.
However India is yet to send answers to that questionnaire and it is to be seen when will the2nd questionnaire be answered
http://dailymailnews.com/0810/20/FrontPage/index.php?id=4
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US report warns of ecological threats to Pakistan
20 August 2010
WASHINGTON—Environmental woes as witnessed in Pakistan’s devastating floods threaten the unity of the nation, exacerbating the threat of Islamic extremists, a US government report said. The study prepared for US lawmakers warned that Pakistan’s ecological problems would likely get worse due to climate change, potentially inflaming tensions with nuclear-armed adversary India.
The report said that Pakistan faced critical risks to food security in the coming decades due to a number of reasons including water scarcity, population growth and mismanagement. “The combination of these factors could contribute to Pakistan’s decline as a fully functioning state, creating new, or expanding existing, largely ungoverned areas,” the Congressional Research Service said.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0810/20/FrontPage/index.php?id=14
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Italian Ambassador to Pak calls on Minorities Minister
20 August 2010
ISLAMABAD—Vincenjo Prati, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Pakistan called on Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti here in Islamabad and shared grief and sadness to the people badly affected by recent floods in Pakistan, says press release here on Thursday.
During meeting Minister apprised the Ambassador about various steps undertaken by the Government of Pakistan on war footing for rescue and relief of people affected by the recent natural calamity. Minister stressed the need that the International Community should support Pakistan generously in this trying time
Minister shared that it was a worst disaster in the history of Pakistan which has affected large number of people, properties and inundated a major part of land.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0810/20/CityPage/index.php?id=7
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Editor sentenced for contempt in Bangladesh
20 August 2010
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced an opposition-affiliated newspaper’s editor to six months in jail for contempt, in a case that has been condemned by an international press freedom group.
Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the daily Amar Desh, was detained in June when the Awami League government, which swept to power in December 2008 elections, shut down the paper, saying it was being printed illegally.
Rahman, who has been held in police custody since his detention, still faces a string of criminal charges, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Rahman was one of the government’s most vocal critics and a leading figure in the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/editor-sentenced-for-contempt-in-bangladesh-080
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US Muslim groups call for extra security on Eid day
20 August 2010
WASHINGTON, Aug 19: US Muslim groups have urged law enforcement agencies to provide them extra security on Eidul-Fitr, which this year coincides with the anniversary of the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks.
A “heightened climate of Islamophobia” in recent months, stirred partly by protests against plans to build an Islamic centre and mosque near Ground Zero, has further increased the sense of insecurity among Muslims, says Edina Lekovic of the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council.
Another group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, says that demonstrations against the mosque project have occurred not just in New York but at mosques in other parts of the United States.
One church in Florida, known in the past for campaigning against other religions and non-religious groups, has announced that it will hold a public burning of Muslim religious books on Sept 11.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/us-muslim-groups-call-for-extra-security-on-eid-day-080
10:11 PM
Sultan Shahin
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