28 Aug 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
NATO kills Afghan kids; 3 US soldiers die in blasts
Shafqat builds a peace bridge with his music
Pak security forces end hostage drama
Dhaka to grant citizenship to Pakistani refugees
New Yorkers rally in support of Muslim taxi driver
Taiwan trader jailed for forcing Muslim staff to eat pork
Indian held in US for jehadi literature had links with RSS
Islamophobia strikes Madera mosque
Bahrain bans reporting on held Shiite activists
Israeli Military Closes Access To School For Palestinian Children
Hailing heroes’ sweeping success
CIA pays many in Karzai
Pune Blast Was Qaeda’s First Indiaop
Suicide bombers in heaven? Imam Rauf won't say no
Hamza, Jillani present ‘near perfect’ recitation of Holy Quran
Keep Friday sermons short, Imams told Habib Shaikh
Car bomb explodes in Mexico where 72 bodies found
Help for women's sports sought
47 wanted criminals, 1,951 illegals caught in Jeddah
China's Discreet Hold on Pakistan's Northern Borderlands
Battle lines drawn over judiciary reform in Turkey
Bahrain ban on coverage of terror network
Soldiers back from Iraq made ‘America safer’
A beauty’s tip to nab Osama
Ahmadinejad lauds role of women
Nazir wants Hakimullah’s men to leave Wana
Bin Laden’s bodyguard warns of escalation in Yemen
Flood victims to start getting cash from next week: Kaira
Iran proposes to produce nuclear fuel with Russia
Iraqi PM warns of attacks as U.S. withdraws
Yemen officials, rebels reach peace deal in Qatar
Gunmen attack Pak army buildings near US consulate
Iraq official sells $2 mln worth stolen gift for $45,700
UN urges Iran to tackle racism
Pakistan Army unlikely to change assessment of India threat
Indonesia court documents show links between jihadist networks
Terrorists exploiting floods: US
Arrested cleric’s heir vows ‘jihad’ on Indonesian police
US backs civil Govt in Pakistan
CIA: Headley, others gave U.S. reputation of terror exporter
Pak filmmakers up in arms against ban on Indian movies
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali
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NATO kills Afghan kids; 3 US soldiers die in blasts
Aug 28, 2010
ASADABAD: An Afghan police commander said Friday that NATO warplanes targeting Taleban insurgents killed six children in a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan known to be a militant hotbed.
The alliance said it was investigating claims that civilians had died following the airstrike on Thursday against militants who were attacking a military outpost in the restive province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan.
Provincial police chief Khalilullah Ziayee said that children were collecting scrap metal on the mountain when NATO aircraft dropped bombs to disperse Taleban fighters attacking a nearby base.
“In the bombardment six children, aged six to 12, were killed. Another child was injured,” the police commander said.
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), NATO’s US-led mission in Afghanistan, said it was investigating the allegations.
Separately, homemade bombs killed three US troops in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Friday, and a roadside blast tore through a crowded market in the increasingly volatile north, killing three police and two civilians. No other details about the attacks on the US troops were given by NATO and the identities of those killed were not immediately released.
A total of 55 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan this month, including 35 Americans, according to a count by The Associated Press. July was the deadliest month for US forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion, with 66 killed.
CIA agents
A former US official says the CIA has multiple members of the Afghan government on its payroll.
The official on Friday confirmed reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post that the agency has cultivated intelligence sources across the Afghan government, in order to track various factions within the Afghan government.
The New York Times reported that the agency is paying Mohammed Zia Salehi, the chief of administration for Afghanistan’s National Security Council, for information.
NATO kills Afghan kids; 3 US soldiers die in blasts
http://arabnews.com/world/article116254.ece
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Shafqat builds a peace bridge with his music
By Supriya Bhardwaj
Aug 28, 2010
BOUNDARIES between India and Pakistan disappeared on Thursday evening at Siri Fort auditorium, with Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali weaving his magic at a concert organised by NGO Routes- 2- Roots, in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
The concert, which was organised with the aim of promoting harmonious ties between the two nations, more than succeeded in doing so.
Trained in classical music since the age of four, Shafqat regaled the audience not just with his compositions Tere Naina ( My Name is Khan ), Bin Tere ( I Hate Luv Storys ), Mitwa ( Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna ) but also hits like Farida Khanum’s Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo and Hemant Kumar’s Yeh Naiyan Dare Daare ( Kohra ).
The former lead vocalist of the popular Pakistani band — Fuzon — mingled with the crowd while singing Mora Saiyaan, Moh Se Bole Na and Ankhiya from the chart- topping album Fuzon.
Hysterical fans thronged him for an autograph even as he crooned among them. Shafqat played to the gallery — seeking the blessings of the elderly, hugging children and shaking hands with the youngsters.
“ Please don’t pull my shirt. I have packed only a few shirts,” joked the singer, who seemed to be loving the time he spent bonding with the audience. Expressing confidence that peace would triumph between the two neighbours, the singer said, “ Efforts are being made to bridge the gap between the two nations but because of vested interests, the peace process has been derailed. I have faith that one day, peace will win.” With these words, he launched into the song Yeh Hausla from the movie Dor. Known as ‘ Rockstar Ustad’, a name given to him by Bollywood music director Salim Merchant, Shafqat is the son of legendary Pakistani singer Ustad Amanat Ali Khan of the old Patiala Gharana. Joining Shafqat on stage was Delhi- based dancer and friend Anamika Singh for an impromptu Sufi dance number.
“ For me, dance is a way to find God and celebrate life. Shafqat sings so melodiously that I couldn’t resist dancing,” she said. The duo had performed together at the Red Fort in 2006.
Also present was the the Dil Le Gayi Kudi Gujrat Ki fame singer Jasbir Jassi, who sang Dama Dum Mast Kalandar with Shafqat. But the Pakistani singer’s favourite moment of the evening, he said, was when a 14- year- old and an 80- year- old lady asked for an encore after Dama Dum Mast Kalandar. Clearly, age — and borders — are no bar when it comes to celebrating life with music.
Mail Today
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Pak security forces end hostage drama
Aug 28, 2010
PESHAWAR: Security forces stormed an army intelligence office in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday and freed two people who had been taken hostage by escaped militant prisoners, officials said.
There were no fatalities in the operation and the militants surrendered, said Liaqat Ali Khan, a top police official.
He said the trouble began as about three or four militants were being moved inside the offices.
``When they were being shifted from one compound to another, all of a sudden they grabbed guns from one of the guards and opened fire'' and took two people hostage, he said.
One guard was injured in the shooting. That was followed by a 10-hour gunbattle and the operation to free the hostages. Khan would give no details on the operation.
Police officials initially said militants had attacked the army intelligence office from outside.
Peshawar is the capital of troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where militants often target police and security forces.
The shooting began hours after suspected US missiles struck two vehicles carrying militants in northwestern Pakistan, killing four of them.
The overnight missile attack occurred in the troubled Kurram tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The slain men were from the Haqqani Network, which is blamed for launching attacks across the border on American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, two intelligence officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
The CIA has repeatedly targeted militant positions in Pakistan's tribal regions, but such strikes in Kurram are rare.
Times of India
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Dhaka to grant citizenship to Pakistani refugees
Aug 28, 2010
Dhaka(Agencies): Bangladesh has agreed to grant citizenship to the thousands of Urdu speaking refugees living in refugee camps since independence. Official news agency BSS has qouted the Home Minister Dipu Moni as saying that a number of Pakistanis have accepted Bangladeshi citizenship after 1971. "The doors of Bangladesh are still open for them and we will grant them citizenship of Bangladesh", he said. It is to be noted that after Bangladesh's independence, only those were living with their 'Pakistani' and 'Bihari' identities who had no interest in accepting Bangladeshi citizenship. The one million people who migrated to the East Pakistan after the partition had become alienated after the Bangladesh's independence movement. Later they supported Pakistan in the war for independence of Bangaldesh.
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New Yorkers rally in support of Muslim taxi driver
Aug 28, 2010
WASHINGTON: "Are you Muslim?" The answer: "Yes," led to the stabbing of a New York City taxi driver
Ahmed Sharif, a 43-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, who was wounded in a stabbing said Thursday he believed he was attacked because of his religion but did not blame the public furor over a proposed Islamic center and mosque near the World Trade Center site.
The mayor of New York City acted quickly, inviting him and his family to meet with him on Thursday.
"No matter how wonderful this country is, no matter how wonderful this city is, there's always somebody who acts disgracefully," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. After Sharif, his wife and their four children met with the mayor, he told reporters: "Now I feel a little better than before."
"Our mayor is continuing to help and to make sure I'm safe, that my family is safe," he said. "This is the city of all color, races, all religions. Everyone, we live here side-by-side peacefully."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article116162.ece
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Taiwan trader jailed for forcing Muslim staff to eat pork
Aug 28, 2010
TAIPEI: A Taiwanese garment factory owner was sentenced to six months in jail for forcing three Muslim women on her staff to eat pork, but she could escape prison by paying a fine, a court official said today.
Chang Wen-lin was sentenced for coercion after she confessed to pushing the three women, all from Indonesia, to eat the meat, which is considered strictly taboo in Islam, according to the Panchiao district court in Taipei.
However, in light of her confession and her decision to compensate the women, she will be allowed to pay a fine of 60,000 Taiwan dollars (USD 1,875) in exchange for a two-year suspended sentence, said a court spokesman.
Chang initially defended herself by saying she thought that eating pork would provide the women with energy, but later agreed to give each worker 150,000 Taiwan dollars.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Taiwan-trader-jailed-for-forcing-Muslim-staff-to-eat-pork-/articleshow/6446473.cms#ixzz0xoXQZvPu
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Indian held in US for jehadi literature had links with RSS
Aug 28, 2010
MUMBAI: An Indian recently arrested at Houston airport in the US for allegedly carrying extremist literature reportedly had links with the Hindu fanatic organization Rashtriya Sevak Sangh (RSS).
Vijay Kumar, from Mumbai, was also charged with possessing brass knuckles.
According to the former director of the federal Indian Intelligence Bureau D.C. Nath, who is also a close friend of the arrested man and a member of Patriots' Forum, Kumar was committed to the cause of protecting Indian civilization.
He told the Indian Express that Kumar was originally a resident of New Delhi who moved to Mumbai three years ago to make documentaries on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and the change in demographics.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article116171.ece
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Islamophobia strikes Madera mosque
Aug 28, 2010
A local house of worship found threatening signs outside their building Tuesday, as part of a series of incidents. The vandalism and threatening signs at the Madera Islamic Center are being investigated as a hate crime, as the signs make it apparent the location is being targeted for religious reasons.
Recent polls and incidents have shown that Islamophobia, the irrational fear of Islam and Muslims, is a national problem. Much of the issue has been brought to the forefront by the so-called "Ground-Zero Mosque", a Muslim community center proposed to be built two blocks from the World Trade Center Plaza in New York. Time Magazine recently looked at the problem in a piece published last week, and found in a poll that only slightly over half of respondents would approve of a similar project two blocks from their own homes.
Full report at:
http://www.examiner.com/coffee-party-in-fresno/islamophobia-strikes-madera-mosque
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Bahrain bans reporting on held Shiite activists
Aug 28, 2010
Bahrain's public prosecutor has banned media from reporting on a prominent Shiite activist and scores of other opposition members detained in an ongoing crackdown ahead of October parliament elections.
The crackdown follows a series of violent Shiite-led protests accusing the government of discrimination.
Prosecutor Ali al-Buainain's statement says all print, radio, TV, Internet and other media may not "publish or broadcast anything related to" detained activists Abdul Jalil al-Sengace and others held since mid-August.
Friday's announcement was published in all Bahraini newspapers.
It says the investigations "require secrecy in order to uncover the truth and preserve public order" and warns offenders could face a year's imprisonment under the law.
http://sify.com/finance/bahrain-bans-reporting-on-held-shiite-activists-news-international-ki1wkiebddj.html?scategory=international'
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Israeli Military Closes Access To School For Palestinian Children
By Maria Chiara Rioli
Aug 28, 2010
On the same day that Israeli human rights associations Ir Amim and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) released a report denouncing the lack of classrooms in East Jerusalem, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem announces that children of the kindergarten of Bethany (Shayyah) "can no more reach their school through the small opening in the Separation Wall, adjacent to the school."
The news came after a meeting between between Apostolic Nunzio, Msgr Antonio Franco, the sisters and the Israeli military authorities of the area.
After construction of the Separation Wall in the East Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Ras al-Amoud and Shayyah, the Israeli army prevented children from the nearby West Bank Azaryah area from reaching their school. During the last academic year, after pressure by the Combonian sisters who run the school, Israeli military authorities allowed the fifty children attending the school to pass through a small door built in the Wall twice a day, to enter in and go out from their classrooms.
Full report at:
http://www.countercurrents.org/rioli260810.htm
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Hailing heroes’ sweeping success
Aug 28, 2010
HAIL: A simple act of appreciation by the Al-Khuttah townspeople in Hail province elevated the Ramadan spirit.
The silent army of street cleaners, who generally are given only a fleeting glance as they toil away in light and dark, were given their moment in the sun on Thursday.
The town set a unique example of respecting service by honoring the local street cleaners on the final day of its five-day Ramadan festival. The Bangladeshi laborers were guests of honor at the event, where they were given VIP treatment, Al-Eqtisadiah reported Friday.
In a symbolic exchange, a number of local youths respectfully received brooms and other cleaning equipment from the guests of honor, who were in turn given bouquets and gifts. The large number of guests at the event welcomed them with thundering applause.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article116243.ece
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CIA pays many in Karzai
Aug 28, 2010
The CIA is making payments to a significant number of officials in Afghan president Hamid Karzai’s administration, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
Citing current and former US officials, the paper said the payments were long-standing in many cases and intended to help the agency maintain a source of information within the Afghan government.
Some Karzai aides were CIA informants and others received payments to ensure their accessibility, the Post said, citing a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The CIA payments have continued despite concerns that the agency is backing corrupt officials, the report said.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/aug/28/inat.html
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PUNE BLAST WAS QAEDA’S FIRST INDIAOP
By Ashish Khetan
Aug 28, 2010
Secret video shows al- Qaeda No. 3claiming hand in bakery blast
A NEW al- Qaeda video shows how the world’s most dreaded terror organisation could have been behind the German Bakery blast in Pune in February this year. Seventeen people had died in the incident and 60 were injured.
The undated video, which is now in the hands of India’s external spy agency Research and Analysis Wing ( RAW), shows Mustafa Abu al- Yazid claiming that al- Qaeda’s Ilyas Kashmiri masterminded the German Bakery attack. al- Yazid, who is better known as al- Misri because of his Egyptian roots, was a top al- Qaeda leader and was reportedly killed in a US- led drone attack in Pakistan on May 21 this year.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Suicide bombers in heaven? Imam Rauf won't say no
By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
Aug 28, 2010
When you detonate explosives attached to your torso, simultaneously decapitating people on a bus or disemboweling little children at a kindergarten, do you go to heaven or to hell? Are you a martyr or a murderer? Heroic or heinous?
While the answer might seem straightforward to some, it clearly flummoxed Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, he of the Ground Zero mosque controversy, when it was asked of him by Barbara Walters in her 2006 TV special on heaven.
In response to the question as to whether suicide bombers go to heaven, Imam Rauf said, "One of the things that we are taught is never to say somebody will go to hell or somebody will go to heaven. It is up to God to decide."
Hmmm. Then allow me to play G-d for a moment.
Full report at:
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/08/suicide_bombers_in_heaven_imam_rauf_wont_say_no.html
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Hamza, Jillani touch new heights by ‘near perfect’ recitation of Holy Quran Ahmed Shaaban
28 August 2010
DUBAI — India’s Jabir Hamza and Pakistani entrant Zeeshan Jillani left the field well behind with near perfect recitations and answers on the ninth day of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Thursday night.
The jury bell did not ring the bell even once for any major or minor mistake when these two memorisers took the stage.
The packed audience were mesmerised by their performances on a night when some of the followers had to watch on a screen the recitations.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/August/theuae_August752.xml§ion=theuae&col=
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Keep Friday sermons short, Imams told Habib Shaikh
28 August 2010
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Saudi Arabia has ordered Imams not to deliver lengthy Friday sermons, stressing that those who do not keep their sermons short and meaningful will be punished.
Dr Azam Al Shewair, Chief of the Committee for the Assessment of Imams and Khateebs at the ministry’s branch in Riyadh, said the Imams who ignore the ministry’s instructions will be forced to undergo training. If they repeat the offence, they will get a final warning and their salaries will be cut.
He said Imams should take into consideration that there are old and sick people among worshippers for whom it is difficult to sit and listen to sermons for long periods.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/August/theuae_August756.xml§ion=theuae
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Car bomb explodes in Mexico where 72 bodies found
Aug 28, 2010
SAN FERNANDO, Mexico: A car exploded early Friday in front of the offices of a major Mexican television station in a northern state where officials are investigating the massacre of 72 Central and South American migrants.
The Televisa network reported that the explosion damaged its building and knocked out its signal for several hours in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of the drug gang-plagued state of Tamaulipas. It said none of its employees was hurt in the explosion, which was felt for several blocks.
Soldiers were blocking access to the building, Televisa said.
The network described the explosion as a car bomb, but city, state and federal officials could not immediately be reached to confirm that. The press office at the Defense Department said it had no information.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article116157.ece
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Help for women's sports sought
Aug 28, 2010
According to recent media reports, there are about 20 women’s basketball and volleyball teams in the Kingdom and they organize friendly tournaments and championships. However, they do not get any cooperation or encouragement from the government.
The treatment of women’s sports and physical education for girls in the Kingdom is disappointing. The Ministry of Education has reservations about permitting sports and physical education in girls’ schools. It says that the matter is under study. In my opinion, the ministry is afraid of the hard-liners who oppose women’s sports and games.
The hard-liners have been resisting the idea of introducing sports in girls’ schools with the argument that it could lead to moral depravity.
A dangerous consequence of physical exercise will be, as claimed by preacher Abdullah Al-Shemali in a television program, that girls would be attracted to one another by their physical appearance. I wonder if girls would not feel any attraction for other girls if they do not practice sports.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article116204.ece
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47 wanted criminals, 1,951 illegals caught in Jeddah
Aug 28, 2010
JEDDAH: Police in Jeddah say they have arrested 47 people wanted for various offenses as well as 1,951 illegal foreigners as part of a massive crackdown during the holy month of Ramadan.
According to a police spokesman on Friday, the campaign covered the districts of Al-Safa, Al-Sabeel, Al-Kurantinyah, Al-Nuzlah, Ghulail and residential quarters east of the Haramain Expressway.
Bawadi, Nuzha, Ruwais, Sharafiyah and Baghdadiyah were the other districts officers covered.
The spokesman said the criminals were wanted for alcohol brewing, robberies, impersonating policemen, ethical crimes and others.
He said the illegal overstayers were handed over to the passport police for deportation while the criminals were kept in police custody pending further investigations.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article116287.ece
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China's Discreet Hold on Pakistan's Northern Borderlands
By SELIG S. HARRISON
Aug 28, 2010
While the world focuses on the flood-ravaged Indus River valley, a quiet geopolitical crisis is unfolding in the Himalayan borderlands of northern Pakistan, where Islamabad is handing over de facto control of the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region in the northwest corner of disputed Kashmir to China.
The entire Pakistan-occupied western portion of Kashmir stretching from Gilgit in the north to Azad (Free) Kashmir in the south is closed to the world, in contrast to the media access that India permits in the eastern part, where it is combating a Pakistan-backed insurgency. But reports from a variety of foreign intelligence sources, Pakistani journalists and Pakistani human rights workers reveal two important new developments in Gilgit-Baltistan: a simmering rebellion against Pakistani rule and the influx of an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/opinion/27iht-edharrison.html?_r=1
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Battle lines drawn over judiciary reform in Turkey
Aug 28, 2010
ANKARA: Turks have witnessed the ruling AK Party bring a powerful army to heel and humble political rivals.
The spectacle now of one prosecutor arresting another, emblazoned across the Internet, illustrates dramatically where the EU-candidate's Muslim democracy is facing its ultimate test.
AK and many liberals see the judiciary and the courts as the redoubt of an ossified and autocratic secularist establishment.
AK's critics, however, view a government-backed Sept. 12 referendum on judicial reform as part of a creeping Islamist 'coup'. Attempts by the army, which has toppled 4 governments, to cow the reforming AK have failed and the civil service, police and universities have come increasingly under its sway.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article114908.ece
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Bahrain ban on coverage of terror network Suad Hamada
28 August 2010
MANAMA — Bahrain has imposed a ban on press from publishing anything about a terror network discovered here early this month. Those violating the law could be fined or jailed for up to one year.
The ban imposed by Attorney-General Dr Ali Al Buaneen is effective from August 26. A statement by the Public Prosecution said the ban was necessary to maintain the confidentiality and smoothness of investigations.
The ban was imposed the same day when one of the suspected members of the terror network was referred to the Public Prosecution for interrogation by the National Security Agency.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August549.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Soldiers back from Iraq made ‘America safer’
Aug 28, 2010
* US President Barack Obama says military successful in ousting combat troops from Iraq
VINEYARD HAVEN, Massachusetts: US President Barack Obama in a YouTube message on Friday, thanked US troops back from Iraq for their “dedication” and “courage” that “has made America safer.”
The US military has pulled tens of thousands of combat troops out of Iraq in recent months, with numbers now below 50,000, less than a third in 2007, ahead of a complete pullout in December 2011.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank all the men and women who have served in Iraq and who are currently serving,” Obama said in the short video posted on the White House website.
“Your dedication, your bravery, your courage, has made America safer and has helped democracy stand up in Iraq.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\28\story_28-8-2010_pg7_34
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A beauty’s tip to nab Osama
Aug 28, 2010
And ways to make world better place
BEAUTY pageant contestants have always had a penchant for ushering in ‘ world peace’ using their good offices. The newest Miss Universe Mexican Jimena Navarrette is no different.
But if innovation is the key to the famous crown, then this beautiful woman seems to have been the perfect choice.
After all, her mantra to world peace is to strike at the root of all that’s anti- peace — Osama bin Laden.
On the Late Show with David Letterman, the 22- year- old was asked to list out ten things she would like to do to make the world a better place.
Nestled somewhere between her desires to become an American Idol judge and sorting out actress Jennifer Aniston’s love life, the beauty queen said she wanted to capture Osama.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Ahmadinejad lauds role of women
Aug 28, 2010
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said taboos about women attending the Cabinet have broken and his government has helped women play active roles in various arenas.
Today, with their active presence in various venues, the faithful, joyful and dynamic Muslim Iranian women have proved this fact, noted the Iranian president in a meeting with the officials and counselors from the Woman and Family Affairs Organization.
He referred to women as the core of the social structure of the Muslim society and said that in the Islamic society, women and men complement each other and their joint participation in their respective communities results in the prosperity and development of the nation.
President Ahmadinejad also called for more efforts aimed at paving the way for further contribution of Iranian women in the nation’s growth and progress.
http://www.islamidavet.com/english/2010/08/27/ahmadinejad-lauds-role-of-women/
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Nazir wants Hakimullah’s men to leave Wana
Aug 28, 2010
WANA, Aug 27: Militant ‘commander’ Maulvi Mohammad Nazir has given a two-day deadline to the supporters of Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud to leave Wana subdivision of South Waziristan or be ready to face ‘stern action’.
The warning comes in the wake of a suicide attack in a Wana mosque in which 33 people, including JUI’s former parliamentarian Maulana Noor Mohammad, were killed.
Sources said the Maulvi Nazir group suspected the Hakimullah group was behind the Aug 23 suicide bombing.
Local newspapers published advertisements on Friday, on behalf of the residents of South Waziristan, paying homage to Maulana Noor.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/nazir-wants-hakimullahs-men-to-leave-wana-880
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Bin Laden’s bodyguard warns of escalation in Yemen
Aug 28, 2010
SAN’A, Yemen - A former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden warned of an escalation in fighting between al-Qaida and Yemeni authorities and predicted the government would need outside intervention to stay in power.
Nasser Ahmed al-Bahri told the Associated Press late Wednesday that recent attacks by al-Qaida in southern Yemen were an indication of its increasing strength.
U.S. officials have said that the CIA now sees al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen as a greater threat to the United States than its parent organization hiding out in Pakistan.
“I expect that the confrontations will escalate and will reach an open war between the government and al-Qaida fighters,” he said, adding that U.S. forces may have to intervene to keep the terror network from triumphing.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August546.xml§ion=middleeast
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Flood victims to start getting cash from next week: Kaira
Aug 28, 2010
ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday announced that it would start distributing the first installment of cash assistance to flood-affected people from next week.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters that provinces had been given a deadline (Saturday) to provide the lists of districts, towns and villages that had been declared calamity-hit. “Satellite imagery of affected areas will then be matched with the union council-wise data available with the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), to compile a final list of the affected people,” he said, adding that people on the list would then get Rs 20,000 through a one-window operation.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\28\story_28-8-2010_pg1_4
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Iran proposes to produce nuclear fuel with Russia
Aug 28, 2010
Iran has submitted a proposal to Russia to jointly assemble the nuclear fuel for the country's new power reactor and any future facilities, state media reported Thursday.
The move appeared to be an attempt by Tehran to gain some control over the nuclear fuel process at its Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant. With Moscow's help, Iran began loading uranium fuel into the facility on Saturday.
The United States and allies lifted their opposition to the Bushehr plant after Russia pledged to handle all the nuclear fuel to make sure no material is shifted to a possible Iranian weapons program in the future. The latest proposal by Iran to have even a sideline role in the nuclear fuel process could stir backlash in the West.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/aug/28/inat.html
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Iraqi PM warns of attacks as U.S. withdraws
28 August 2010
Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki said on Friday his government had information al Qaeda-linked groups were planning a series of attacks across the country, state television reported.
Maliki made his comments as the U.S. military prepared to formally end its combat mission in Iraq on Aug. 31. Iraq has been hit by a string of attacks over the past few weeks that have killed dozens and underscored the country’s fragility as politicians squabble over forming a new government almost six months after a March poll produced no clear winner.
Al Iraqiya television quoted Maliki as saying that Sunni Islamist al Qaeda and members of former dictator Saddam Hussein’s banned Baath party planned to stage more attacks.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August553.xml§ion=middleeast
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Yemen officials, rebels reach peace deal in Qatar
Aug 28, 2010
Yemen’s government and northern rebels have agreed to bolster a fragile truce and start political dialogue to end a civil war that has raged on and off since 2004.
The deal was signed in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, where Yemeni officials and rebels have been in talks since Tuesday, members of both delegations said on Friday.
Successful implementation of the deal would be a huge relief to the government, which is struggling to curb a rising southern separatist movement and a resurgent al Qaeda wing that has increasingly targeted the state in recent months.
The Qatar-mediated deal, signed late on Thursday, calls for “a final close to the war and the start of political dialogue”.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August547.xml§ion=middleeast
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Gunmen attack Pak army buildings near US consulate
28 August 2010
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Suspected militants attacked army buildings near the US consulate in Pakistan’s northwestern capital Peshawar on Saturday, police said.
Police said a number of armed fighters tried to get into a secure area close to the consulate and army buildings early in the morning and that exchanges of fire between the attackers and security forces were continuing.
“There target is not clear but they were trying to reach a very sensitive area. There is the US consulate and army offices and buildings in that area,” Karim Kha, a senior police official in Peshawar, told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/August/international_August1533.xml§ion=international
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Iraq official sells $2 mln worth stolen gift for $45,700
28 August 2010
BAGHDAD — An Iraqi official stole US-purchased computers worth almost two million dollars destined for schoolchildren and sold them off for less than 50,000 dollars, the US army said on Friday.
In a highly unusual press statement, the American military said an unnamed senior official at Umm Qasr port had misappropriated the 1.9-million-dollar gift and auctioned the computers for only 45,700 dollars.
Documents provided by senior Iraqi customs officials proved that the auction took place on August 16 and the theft was discovered eight days later, the statement said.
It also said the US army commander in southern Iraq, Major General Vincent Brooks, wanted “an immediate investigation into the actions of the Umm Qasr official” to discover how computers meant for children had been auctioned.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/August/middleeast_August550.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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UN urges Iran to tackle racism
Aug 28, 2010
GENEVA: Iran should do more to protect its ethnic minorities such as Arabs, Kurds and Baluch, a United Nations human rights body said on Friday.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), a group of 18 independent rights experts, said Iran lacked data on the numbers of ethnic minorities despite a census in 2007, but the participation of such people in public life appeared to be lower than could be expected.
Several armed groups opposed to the government are active in Iran, mostly made up of ethnic Kurds in the northwest, Baluch in the southeast and Arabs in the southwest.
"The Committee expresses concern at the limited enjoyment of political, economic, social and cultural rights by... Arab, Azeri, Balochi, Kurdish communities and some communities of non-citizens," it said in a report on a regular review of Iran's compliance with a 1969 international treaty banning racism.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article116249.ece
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Pakistan Army unlikely to change assessment of India threat
Aug 28, 2010
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army is unlikely to change its assessment of the threat from India despite heavy demands on its troops to provide flood relief while also fighting Islamist militants, a senior security official said.
The Wall Street Journal said this month Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had decided — for the first time in the country's history — that militants had overtaken India as the greatest threat to national security.
But the security official suggested this was a misinterpretation of the stance of the Pakistan army, which views the threat from militants and India in very different ways, rather than comparing them against each other.
"These are two mutually exclusive threats. The magnitude, the type, is quite different. One is an internal threat which is insidious, difficult to quantify. It is a clear and present danger. Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article116203.ece
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Indonesia court documents show links between jihadist networks
Aug 28, 2010
JAKARTA: Islamic militants based in Indonesia's Aceh province worked with a fugitive suspected of planning the Bali bombings in an effort to unite various militant networks, court documents tabled on Thursday showed.
While Indonesia's anti-terror squad has killed or detained scores of militants since the bomb attacks on the resort island of Bali in 2002, police and other security experts have warned about the potential security threats to foreign and government targets in Indonesia from newly formed groups.
Prosecutors told a West Jakarta district court on Thursday that several men with links to various Muslim militant groups had operated a secret training camp in Aceh.
The camp was discovered by police earlier this year, and at least 50 people have been arrested and several others killed in police raids since then.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article115698.ece
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Terrorists exploiting floods: US
Aug 28, 2010
WASHINGTON: The US has seen evidence that Pakistani terrorists and the charities affiliated with them are deepening their involvement in flood-relief effort in a bid to win popular support, a senior US official said.
The disclosure follows State Department warnings that terrorists may also target foreign aid workers responding to the floods, and raises the stakes in relief efforts that critics say are moving too slowly. One major risk is Islamic charities and terrorists successfully exploiting anger over the government response, even as the US and international allies rush to deliver additional aid.
Food and cash: The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said terrorists were even dispensing money to the victims. “There are certainly clear indications that the terrorists and affiliated groups are trying to use the flood and the relief... to try to gain support for their broader effort of being able to control large parts of Pakistan,” the official said on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\28\story_28-8-2010_pg1_5
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Arrested cleric’s heir vows ‘jihad’ on Indonesian police
Aug 28, 2010
JAKARTA: A convicted terrorist who took over the leadership of an Indonesian militant group after the arrest of patriarch Abu Bakar Bashir vowed on Friday to wage violent jihad against the police. Mochammad Achwan has been named leader of Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), a radical militant group, to replace Bashir after the cleric was arrested this month for allegedly financing a terrorist organisation. A shoemaker turned militant, Achwan was convicted for the bombing of the iconic Borobudur Buddhist temple in Java in 1985 and an attempted bombing of Bali’s famous Kuta tourist beach in 1986. He spent 15 years in jail before being pardoned in 1999 and released in 2000, but says he has no intention of giving up his Muslim “obligation” to wage violent jihad (“holy war”) for the introduction of sharia law. “Why would I give up the fight after all these years. It’s an obligation for all Muslims to fully apply the sharia. I’m here to make sure that happens,” Achwan said in an interview with The Jakarta Post. He said violence was permissible for all Muslims who had the right training, and rejected democracy in Indonesia, the biggest Muslim-majority country in the world. “We have actually been under physical attack from the police’s anti-terror squad Detachment 88. Those who can fight back are permitted to use violence as long as they have the necessary resources and capabilities,” he said. He praised slain terrorists Dulmatin and Imam Samudra as people who had “such capabilities.”
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\28\story_28-8-2010_pg4_6
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US backs civil Govt in Pakistan
Aug 28, 2010
WASHINGTON—The United States, in a reaffirmation of its support for democratic process following MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s controversial proposal on martial law, has said civilian set up is the best form of government for Pakistan.“Pakistan has a civilian government and we think it is the best form of government to take,” Philip J Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, said.The spokesman was asked at the daily briefing to comment on Altaf Hussain’s statement that he would favor martial law if it could help resolve some of the problems facing the country currently. The United States has been supportive of democratic progress in Pakistan since 2008 elections, which saw the return of democratically elected government and parliament in the country.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0810/28/FrontPage/index.php?id=2
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CIA: Headley, others gave U.S. reputation of terror exporter
Narayan Lakshman
Aug 28, 2010
WASHINGTON: The Central Intelligence Agency harboured deep concerns at the possibility that America might be viewed as an exporter of terrorism, and the case of David Headley, prime accused in the Mumbai terror attacks, only substantiated such fears, according to a confidential memo released by the Wikileaks whistleblower website.
The latest in a string of controversial government documents revealed on the website was a paper titled, “What If Foreigners See the United States as an ‘Exporter of Terrorism'?,” reportedly authored by the CIA's Red Cell, a think tank set up after the 9/11 attacks to provide “out-of-the-box” analyses on “a full range of analytic issues.”
In the report, the CIA argued that the actions of Pakistani-American Headley, among others, might indeed have led to the view that the U.S. was a “terrorism exporter.” Headley, who was linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, pleaded guilty to undertaking surveillance prior to the 2008 attacks, is now in U.S. custody.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/28/stories/2010082856111100.htm
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Pak filmmakers up in arms against ban on Indian movies
Aug 28, 2010
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Pakistani film distributors and some filmmakers are up in arms over the government's decision to bar the screening of Indian movies during the upcoming Eid festival, saying such protectionist measures cannot foster the development of indigenous cinema.
Culture minister Aftab Shah Jillani recently announced that no Indian film will be screened across Pakistan during Eid to boost the flagging local industry.
The two annual Eid festivals are usually the most profitable periods of the year for film distributors and cinema hall owners as families throng theatres.
Nadeem Mandviwala, a senior official of the Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association, said such protectionist measures alone will not foster the development of the local film industry.
Besides, he pointed out, the move will affect cinema hall owners who invested Rs 40 crore over the past three years to build new multiplexes and refurbish existing theatres.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-filmmakers-up-in-arms-against-ban-on-Indian-movies/articleshow/6447436.cms#ixzz0xpLYwAwK
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3352
5:35 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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