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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Interview
30 Sep 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
Maulvis and Madrasas, Terrorism and the Taliban in Pakistan – Part 2

Maulana Zahid ur-Rashidi is a leading Pakistani Deobandi scholar. He teaches at the Madrasa Anwar ul-Uloom and the Madrasa Nusrat ul-Ulum in Gujranwala, and the edits the influential Urdu Al-Shariah magazine, one of the few journals brought out by Pakistani ulema groups that seriously discusses issues of vital contemporary concern. He is a senior leader of the Jamiat-i Ulama-i Islam Pakistan, a leading Pakistani Deobandi political party. For several years he served as assistant to Mufti Mahmud, top leader of this party. He is a prolific writer, and has regular columns in leading Pakistani Urdu newspapers. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, exclusive to New Age Islam, the Maulana talks on a range of issues: the Taliban in Afghanistan, militancy and terrorism in Pakistan, the demand for the enforcement of the shariah, the treatment of non-Muslim minorities in his country and more

Maulvis and Madrasas, Terrorism and the Taliban in Pakistan – Part 2

Maulana Zahid ur-Rashidi is a leading Pakistani Deobandi scholar. He teaches at the Madrasa Anwar ul-Uloom and the Madrasa Nusrat ul-Ulum in Gujranwala, and the edits the influential Urdu Al-Shariah magazine, one of the few journals brought out by Pakistani ulema groups that seriously discusses issues of vital contemporary concern. He is a senior leader of the Jamiat-i Ulama-i Islam Pakistan, a leading Pakistani Deobandi political party. For several years he served as assistant to Mufti Mahmud, top leader of this party. He is a prolific writer, and has regular columns in leading Pakistani Urdu newspapers. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, exclusive to New Age Islam, the Maulana talks on a range of issues: the Taliban in Afghanistan, militancy and terrorism in Pakistan, the demand for the enforcement of the shariah, the treatment of non-Muslim minorities in his country and more

Q: Many madrasas have been accused of emerging as training grounds for violent extremists in Pakistan. Do you agree with this charge?

A: Madrasas have no role in the formation and training of extremist groups. Madrasas focus on providing Islamic education, protecting Islamic identity, helping mould society on Islamic lines, and encouraging the enforcement of Islamic laws and rules. Because various armed extremist groups claim to have precisely the same agenda, it is commonly, though erroneously, believed that they are a product of the madrasas. The fact of the matter is that there are scores of organisations across Pakistan working peacefully for the same goals through political and democratic struggles and efforts, and most of these are led by people who have been educated in madrasas. So, too, are the tens of thousands of ulema, madrasa teachers and imams of mosques across Pakistan who are serving the cause of religion and working entirely peacefully. Many such people, trained in Pakistani madrasas, are also working abroad, engaged in teaching and preaching work. Compared to all these people, those elements who have taken to the violent path are extremely small in number. That is why it is incorrect to say that the madrasas are complicit in the emergence of militant groups, especially in the case of the various mujahidin groups that were formed during the Afghan jihad with the protection of the Pakistani intelligence wing, the ISI, which is a phenomenon that still continues even today. The military training of these mujahidin groups was not imparted by or in madrasas. Rather, the organisations that launched them provided entirely for this training. In this regard, it must be kept in mind that the vast majority of activists of Al-Qaeda consist of college- and university-educated people. Yet, despite this, no one has branded colleges and universities as the epicentre of terrorism. Likewise, if a few men who have studied in madrasas are engaged in violent extremism, it is not proper to place the blame for this on the madrasas themselves.

The roots of the present system of independent madrasas in South Asia go back to the immediate aftermath of the Revolt of 1857, and so they have a long history of over 150 years. On the other hand, the phenomenon of extremist groups of the sort we face today is not more than 25 years old. It is thus wholly improper to ignore the peaceful history of around 150 years of the madrasas and to blame them for forming and promoting extremist and violent outfits.

Q: It is said that madrasas, especially but not only in Pakistan, foment hatred towards other religions and even other Muslim sects. What do you feel about this? What impact does this sort of hatred have on the minds of madrasa students? Does it not promote conflict and, in certain circumstances, even terrorism? What suggestions would you make to address this problem?

A: All madrasas are based on one or the other maslak or Islamic sectarian affiliation, and are geared to defending that particular tradition. That is why intolerance undoubtedly does exist in the madrasas for other Muslim maslaks and other religions. This is not at all appropriate. It is also an immense hurdle in promoting unity among Islamic forces and factions. But has this phenomenon given rise to terrorism? This is a question that needs to be properly investigated. It is a fact that hatred is actively promoted against the Qadianis in the madrasas, but, yet, the teachers and students of madrasas, by and large, have not engaged in any violence against them. Rather, they have generally expressed their hatred for the Qadianis in a peaceful way, and have also appealed to the Government, using peaceful means of protest, to acknowledge their demands vis-a-vis the Qadianis. Likewise, conflicts between Deobandis and Barelvis, Hanafis and the Ahl-e Hadith, and Shias and Sunnis are rife within the madrasas, but these, till recently, have rarely taken violent forms. The causes for violence in the name of sectarianism must also be located outside the madrasas themselves. To consider the madrasas as entirely responsible for this is wrong.

In this regard, it must be conceded that there is now increasing co-ordination and interaction between the federations of madrasas belonging to the different sects, as well as several joint efforts and policies. This has had the effect of lessening, somewhat, the intolerance for each other that characterises them. As a result of this, students from different sects can be sometimes found working together for common causes. But, still, I feel that the federations of madrasas of the different sects can be more pro-active in promoting inter-sectarian dialogue and joint programmes, particularly at the local level and involving madrasa teachers and students.

Q: In the discourse of the maulvis of the madrasas—and this is something that is not restricted just to them—one discerns a marked tendency to blame all the ills that Muslims face on alleged conspiracies hatched by non-Muslims, who are collectively branded as ‘enemies of Islam’. Does this tendency not discourage introspection and acknowledgement of Muslims’ own weaknesses and also hamper the urgent task of internal reform in Muslim societies? In other words, is this tendency not counter-productive from the Muslim point of view?

A: I don’t agree with your proposition that most madrasa teachers and students and other Muslims think this way. On the contrary, every day across the world, in thousands of mosques and madrasas, the claim is made that our problems are a result of Muslims’ straying away from religion, for not acting in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnat, the practice of the Prophet. That is why madrasas and graduates of madrasas see as their principal mission the spread of religious teachings in society, appealing to Muslims to lead their lives in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnat. It is, however, an undeniable fact that one of the factors for the distancing of ‘ordinary’ Muslims from Islamic teachings is the role of some inimical non-Muslim forces and what can definitely be said to be their conspiracies. Such policies were actively adopted by imperial powers when they ruled Muslim colonies. They wanted Muslims to distance themselves from Islamic teachings. With the departure of the European colonialists from Muslim lands, their place has been taken by ‘Muslim’ governments, who are, in different ways, carrying on with their policies in this regard.

Besides this, it is also undeniable that the resources of Muslim lands are still largely held or controlled by foreign powers, and that the economies of Muslim countries are controlled by international organisations and agencies. Global powers continue to interfere in the internal politics of Muslim countries, and some of them are known to be inimical to the Muslims’ culture and identity, which they seek to replace with Western models. This is what is called ‘cultural imperialism’. Muslim groups and countries that seek to resist this hegemony are cruelly crushed. In such an environment, if many Muslims come to believe that one of the factors behind the multiple problems of the Muslim world are imperialist conspiracies, it is hardly surprising and is not untrue. However, it is also a fact that Muslim leaders are doing nothing effective at all to save Muslims from these conspiracies and from neo-imperialism that holds Muslim countries in its vice-like grip. This is very unfortunate indeed. What we urgently need in the face of all this today is an intellectual awakening among the people, the spread of knowledge, and the use of knowledge to come out present state of stagnation and subordination. We need to use our resources in the best possible manner, and learn to solve our own problems effectively.

Q: But to come back to my earlier question, do you not discern a tendency in the discourse of those associated with the madrasas (as well as many other Muslims) to consider and brand all non-Muslims as, by definition, ‘enemies’—of Islam and Muslims?

A: It is absolutely wrong to consider all non-Muslims as enemies of Islam. I don’t think mature, serious Islamic scholars think that way. In actual fact, only a relatively small number of non-Muslims are enemies of Islam and Muslims. Unfortunately, influential sections of the global media and political lobbies are controlled by precisely such elements, which have a vested interest in perpetuating negative images of Islam and Muslims among others. Otherwise, across the world many non-Muslims are eager to learn the truth about Islam and want that the many doubts that they entertain about certain Islamic laws and rules be addressed. It is the duty of Muslims to reach out to such people with understanding and kindness, and to the many others who know nothing at all about Islam.

Q: How, in your view, has terror in the name of Islam and the promotion of hatred against other religions by certain ‘Islamic’ groups and ideologues impacted on what practising Muslims believe is the most important responsibility that they must shoulder—that of da‘wah or inviting others to Islam?

A: Terror in the name of Islam and spreading hatred against other religions and their adherents have undoubtedly greatly undermined the task of da‘wah, which is a basic task and duty of Muslims. But this is not the only aspect of this problem. Other aspects must also be considered. For instance, while da‘wah is a basic Islamic duty, protecting and promoting Islamic beliefs and commandments, and saving Muslims from Western cultural invasion, too, are fundamental religious duties incumbent on Muslims. These duties, too, cannot be ignored. Da‘wah and communicating the message of Islam have their own demands, and so do the tasks of protecting and defending Muslims and Islamic teachings. Neither of these can be ignored or sacrificed for the other. The issue here is one of division of tasks. Both spheres need different sets of experts, just as a country needs a separate Internal Affairs Ministry and an External Affairs Ministry, or just as a country’s military headquarters and its foreign affairs department speak in different idioms and languages. Or, to give another analogy, it is just as a country’s military general and its ambassador speak in different styles. Similarly, here, too, such differences must be observed, between those engaged in da‘wah and others engaged in defending Muslims and Islamic teachings, although there should be mutual exchanges and co-ordination between them, and they should keep in mind the needs of the other while working for an overall common purpose.

By ‘defence’ I do not mean violent actions, but, rather, indentifying and keeping a watch on actions taken by certain forces against Islam and Muslims and taking appropriate steps to respond to them. Obviously, this task cannot be ignored simply if by engaging in this necessary defence problems are created in the path of da‘wah. In my view, the major hurdle in the path of da‘wah is the fact that Muslims themselves are weak in terms of practically embodying and living Islam, as a result of which few non-Muslims are impressed by Islam on seeing the behaviour of Muslims. This is quite in contrast to the early Muslim period, when Islam practically expressed by Muslims in their own lives was the single biggest factor for the spread of Islam.

Q: To what extent do you see ‘Islamic’ organisations, including madrasas, in Pakistan and elsewhere, as expressing not Islam per se, but, rather, sectarianism that is predicated on opposition to other Muslim sects and their adherents?

A: I think we need to understand properly what we mean by ‘sectarianism’. Lamentably, all sorts of differences are considered to be the basis of or the cause for sectarianism. It is a fact that, from the very beginning, there have been among Muslims considerable differences in understanding fiqh or juridical rules that are sought to be derived from the sources of the shariah. Likewise, from the earliest period on there has been diversity among Muslims as regard certain beliefs. It is natural for such differences and diversity to exist. One cannot deny that such differences are important and can, in some cases, even be beneficial as well. To deny these differences, to my mind, is tantamount to denying that Islam is a ‘natural religion’, since nature revels in diversity. That said, I feel differences have their limits, and they should not be deployed to create conflicts between the different Muslim sects. The different Muslim sects and schools of thought must accept the existence of each other, and, on that basis, respect their right to think differently. Yet, at the same time, they should work together for common aims and goals. In Pakistan we have had several instances of this, in the form of Islamic groups, representing divergent schools of thought, joining together for a common cause. Yet, I would admit that much more needs to be done to strengthen this tendency as well as to remain alert to those elements who seek to use the differences between the different sects and schools of thought to promote conflict in order to serve their own vested interests.

Q: In your view, what reforms do Pakistani madrasas need to consider in order to promote a more positive attitude towards other religions and their adherents?

A: The basic objectives of madrasas are to spread religious teachings and consciousness in society, protect the Muslims’ beliefs and culture, promote an environment conducive to the observance of Islamic laws and duties, and train a class of experts in the Islamic tradition. That is why there exists no scope in the present madrasa system and syllabus for any move or effort that would negatively impact on these basic objectives. At the same time, in order to make the madrasas more effective and to improve their performance I support several urgently-needed changes and reforms. I have been writing and speaking in public forums about this for several years now. For instance, along with the teaching of Islam, madrasas must also teach the basics of other faiths, their history, the culture and present conditions of their adherents. Our ulema need such understanding. Also, madrasas should make arrangements for their students to learn various important foreign languages and the use modern means of communications and new methods of, and idioms and styles for, conveying their views. Their students must be made aware of contemporary cultural and economic issues and problems. Arrangements should be made for the ulema and students of madrasas to interact with leaders and activists from other religions and schools of thought and to exchange views on contemporary problems and issues. It is crucial for our ulema and madrasa teachers to abandon the tradition of heated polemical debates with others, and, instead, to engage in dialogue, discussions, lobbying and reasoned debate. Finally, even with regard to the teaching of Islamic subjects, madrasas must turn their attention to improving their standards.

Q: How do you look at the ways in which Islamic groups, including madrasas and organisations associated with madrasas, in Pakistan relate to the issue of ‘enforcing’ the shariah, which is one of their major demands and preoccupations? Do you share the view that enforcing the shariah through state decree or forcibly is pointless because many Muslims themselves would find a state ruled by medieval conceptions of the shariah unacceptable? How can the ‘enforcement’ of the shariah happen in the face of continued opposition to medieval notions of the shariah on the part of many Pakistanis, particularly a large section of the country’s elite?

A: As a matter of principle, it is true that for enforcing the shariah as positive law in Pakistan, the best way is through creating and promoting mass awareness and support, including through the ballot box and other peaceful political means. But, given Pakistan’s particular context and conditions, these means are not adequate. This is because Pakistan’s ruling class has never been willing to respect the demands of a large section of the country’s inhabitants that the shariah be the law of the land, which was regarded as the very rationale of a separate Pakistan by many. The ruling class in this country will never surrender to this demand in the future. This class only understands the language of agitation and public pressure, and is willing to make concessions, if at all, only if forced or pressurised to do so. Whatever concessions have been made to shariah laws in Pakistan so far have been a result of street power and people’s demonstrations and agitations. And this is why even today demands for the enforcement of the shariah are forced to take the form of demonstrations and the exhibition of street power. There is simply no other way to make the Pakistani ruling class hear. At the same time, it is crucial for groups and movements voicing this demand to remain peaceful, to operate within the ambit of the law and the country’s Constitution, and to abstain from any form of violence. I believe it is impermissible and illegitimate to take up arms for any demand, to terrorise people and to spread lawlessness within Pakistan. I have always condemned this tendency.

As for the question of enforcing the shariah through state fiat, it should be noted that, right from the time of the Prophet Muhammad down to the Ottoman Caliphate, the state apparatus, through government orders, was an effective means of enforcing the shariah. This has been a long tradition among Muslims, and is also something mandated by the Quran and the Prophet’s practice. No order is considered a law unless it has state approval and backing in order to enforce it. The idea that shariah laws can be followed in society without state enforcement might sound appealing in theory, this is not practically possible. Marx also envisioned the withering away of the state in his communist utopia, but this was just a dream and was wholly impractical in the real world. His followers, stepping down from their commitment to communism and talking of socialism instead, used the state as the principal instrument to enforce their ideology.

Islam is not just a bundle of beliefs, moral teachings and methods of prayer. Rather, the Quran and the Sunnat contain numerous laws and injunctions relating to the family, society, and collective life that can be enforced only with the backing and power of the state or political authority. From this, the fuqaha or Muslim jurisprudents have argued that a political authority to enforce the shariah in the form of a Caliph is a necessity, and that working for the establishment of a Caliphate a duty binding on Muslims.

The ruling class in every society has its own interests, which it desperately seeks to protect. It constantly strives to ward off every challenge to these interests. This is linked to your question as to why some Muslims may not be enthusiastic about the possibility of a polity based on the shariah. Such a state would challenge what they regard as their interests. Two additional points need to be noted here. Firstly, if some people do not wish to live under a Constitution and legal system that they do not like, must that Constitution and system be necessarily done away with? Is it really true that the majority of today’s Muslims would prefer a secular polity, where religion and the state are clearly divided, to a state ruled in accordance with the shariah? The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of Muslims world-wide do not subscribe to the theory of a secular state.

Secondly, in order to interpret and elaborate a Constitution and its associated legal system one needs certain basic and well-defined principles. This is the case with the interpretation and elaboration of the Quran and Sunnat as well, for which Muslims have a long established tradition based on consensus. It is simply impermissible to ignore this tradition and arrogate the task of interpreting and elaborating the Quran and Sunnat to some stray individuals who will do so according to their own whims and desires.

There are two levels of laws and rules in the Quran and Sunnat. Firstly, those laws and rules that are clearly explained in the Quran and the Sunnat. As regards these, to engage in any sort of interpretation that deviates from their literal import is tantamount to negating the Quran and Sunnat. Secondly, rules related to matters that are derived through ijtihad and deduction. With regard to these, ijtihad and deduction can be engaged in constantly, but the product of that ijtihad or deduction can be accepted as positive law only if and when the generality of Muslims, or at least the particular Muslim society in whose context such ijtihad or deduction has been made, generally accepts it as valid. If it fails to meet with such acceptance, its status remains that of a mere opinion, one which can be freely adopted and propagated by individuals but which cannot be imposed on the whole society. In this regard, I would like to cite the case of an ijtihadic opinion of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, wherein he recommended that the Qadianis be treated like other non-Muslim minorities instead of being subject to the lopping off their heads for their deviant beliefs as recommended in the fiqh tradition. This was his personal ijtihadic view, which others had the right to disagree with and dissent from, but when this view was unanimously accepted by the ulema of the different Muslim schools of thought and the Pakistani Parliament as well, it was given the status of a shariah ruling and was made part of positive law in Pakistan.

In my view a certain very negative trend has emerged, which our ruling classes have actively promoted, and that is to seek to impose, through the force of the state, the particular interpretations of the Quran and Sunnat of some individuals and to bestow on these the status of state law. In the process, the crucial intermediate stage of examining whether these interpretations have the approval of Islamic scholars and of the general populace is left out completely, being wholly ignored. Because of this, such laws exist on paper that are not accepted and respected by the people at large. This creates a very troubling sort of confusion. For instance, take the case of the Family Laws devised when Ayub Khan was the President of Pakistan. These laws continue to exist in theory, but most Pakistani Muslims ignore these laws when it comes to such matters as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, for which they prefer to consult a mufti for a fatwa. That is to say, generally speaking, Pakistani Muslims who want to decide such matters in accordance with Islamic teachings prefer to ignore the laws of the land and, instead, follow the fatwa of a mufti. This case illustrates my broader argument that instead of enforcing any new interpretation, based on ijithad or deduction, of the Quran and Sunnat that it favours as positive law, the state, or, more precisely, the rulers of the state, must wait for such an interpretation to gain acceptance in Islamic intellectual circles and in the society at large, if at all, as happened in the case with Muhammad Iqbal’s ijtihad with regard to the Qadianis.

Q: Speaking of contested notions of the shariah, what do you feel about the tendency, so marked even in madrasa circles, to equate or confuse the shariah with fiqh, which is a human and historical product? How has this confusion legitimised and further reinforced negative views about other religions and their adherents and further bolstered Muslim communalism and supremacist notions, such as in the case of some traditional fiqh rules related to jihad? How can the distinction between shariah and fiqh be further underscored in order to facilitate less regressive or socially more relevant understandings in today’s context?

A: If the shariah be taken to refer to Islamic commandments and laws, then fiqh, based on ijtihad, cannot be seen as separate from it. This is because a large portion of what are considered as Islamic laws is, in fact, based on ijtihad. It is thus inappropriate to see fiqh and shariah as mutually opposed to each other.

The clear commandments of the Quran and Sunnat are valid for all times and cannot be altered, while those that are not explicit are subject to interpretation and elaboration through deduction and ijtihad. As for rules that are not explicitly contained in these sources, they are devised in the light of these sources through ijtihad. This is why shariah and ijtihad are inextricably linked to each other. Just as the explicit commandments in the Quran and Sunnat are part of the shariah, so, too, are rules derived through deduction and ijtihad, the difference being that in the case of the latter change is always possible in accordance with changes in their underlying causes and in popular custom. This is a source of dynamism in Islamic law. In this context, I think it imperative for madrasa teachers and students to be familiar with exercises in ijtihad that are taking place in Islamic circles in different parts of the world today. For this, they must also have a proper understanding of the contemporary social, cultural and economic context—local, national and global. They must be aware of contemporary social issues, problems and demands, and other religions, ideologies, systems of law and governance, and in the light of all these develop their perspectives and engage in their intellectual work. Only then can they properly fulfil their intellectual and religious responsibilities. For this purpose, madrasas and other Islamic religious circles must develop appropriate courses and arrange for lectures and other such programmes. Imams of mosques and activists of religious organisations should also be involved in these activities.

As for your question about issues such as inter-faith relations and jihad, these have been discussed in immense detail in the books of fiqh. On their basis new rules can be developed to suit today’s conditions and context.

Q: I want to come back to my earlier question of Muslim supremacist understandings of fiqh that negatively impact on relations with people of other faiths. What do you have to say about the Taliban’s recent imposition of the jizyah tax on Sikhs living in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or North-West Frontier Province? Do you agree with the Taliban’s understanding of the status of non-Muslims in an Islamic state?

A: If the Taliban have imposed jizyah on the Sikhs in the North-West Frontier, it is wrong. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, all non-Muslim minorities in the country have the status of ma‘ahid, that is to say people who, in accordance with a treaty or agreement (muahida), are part of the Pakistani people, and this agreement is the Constitution of the country. They will, or should, be treated exactly on the lines that the Pakistani Constitution says they should, and to deviate from this is not appropriate according to the shariah.

Yoginder Sikand works with the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion at the National Law School, Bangalore

Copyright 2010: New Age Islam

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamInterview_1.aspx?ArticleID=3485

Islam and Politics
30 Sep 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
Qura’n fountain- head of democracy

Terming democracy against the Qura’n and calling it ‘kufr’ (paganism) is oversimplification of Islam as some misguided extremists do. There’s no reason to justify everything that comes out of the mouth of any self-appointed custodian of religion, who plays with the emotions of the common people in backward areas. One has to differentiate the Islamic concept of democracy from the Western type of democracy being practised by the so-called politicians in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan since Independence.

The noble Qura’n is a book of wisdom and guidance to mankind in all spheres of life—-social, economic and political—-and, above all, a source of principals of democracy and justice to the deprived, the needy and the poor in an undemocratic state and society. Who has held aloft the banner of Islam and democracy, and come forward with masses united behind him in the face of odds and difficulties which arose from the vast floodwaters affecting the lives of around 20 million people? And who are the people still rescuing and providing relief to men, women and children hit by the natural calamity? That has to be pondered over today for the future. -- Zafar Alam Sarwar

Qura’n fountain- head of democracy

By Zafar Alam Sarwar

MARCH is the third month of Western calendar associated with cold winds. But the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, like their brethren across the country before as well as after the December 16, 1971 truncation of Pakistan on December 16, 1971, have often regarded it as the seed-sowing period of revolutionary change eventually affecting the social, economic and cultural life of the common man.

The month is known for many promising events during the struggle for a democratic welfare state. Prior to Viceroy Mountbatten’s arrival in India in March 1947, the demand for a Muslim homeland in the sub-continent was made in March 1940 through the Lahore Resolution at the 27th annual session of the All-India Muslim League. Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s attitude in preliminary talks with the viceroy reflected the clarity and inflexible determination about his vision of the future. He insisted that Muslims must have a sovereign nation-state with armed forces of its own.

A year later, on March 2, the Quaid addressed the Punjab Muslim Students Federation with intent to prepare the youth for the future goals (which still lie ahead). The Muslim Leaguers, claiming patriotism and loyalty to the state, need to recall the points he emphasised. There are at least three pillars which go to make a nation worthy of possessing a territory and running the government, according to the founder of Pakistan. “One is education, without which we are in the same position as we were in a Pandal last night in darkness.” (God forbid! darkness doesn’t prevail in the wake of load-shedding).

“Next, no people can ever do anything very much without making themselves economically powerful in commerce, trade and industry. And, lastly, when we’ve got that light of knowledge by means of education and when we’re strong economically and industrially, then we’ve got to prepare ourselves for our defence—-defence against external aggression and to maintain internal security.”

The Quaid, on March 2 of the same year, appealed to the MSF to work for the ideals they cherished for there’s a great deal more to be done and, therefore, young and old, men and women must work. The appeal lives on today as does his advice to the Aligarh Muslim University Union of the same month. The message is not time-barred. Only true lovers of Pakistan, military and civil, would realise that time has again come for them to shelve politics and devote themselves more and more to the constructive work like the spread of education among the masses, their social uplift and economic betterment.

He declared in March 1947 in Bombay “if there’s anything good (in the world), that’s just Islam.” The architect of Pakistan and the millions he led had an unending urge for an independent homeland. And that desire emanated from the Qura’n and the belief that the spirit of democracy and socio-economic justice is enshrined in Islam.

Terming democracy against the Qura’n and calling it ‘kufr’ (paganism) is oversimplification of Islam as some misguided extremists do. There’s no reason to justify everything that comes out of the mouth of any self-appointed custodian of religion, who plays with the emotions of the common people in backward areas. One has to differentiate the Islamic concept of democracy from the Western type of democracy being practised by the so-called politicians in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan since Independence.

Every so-called ‘maulana’ can’t be relied upon in such matters. The right to rule the state doesn’t belong to an individual, or to a family, or to a tribe, or to a special group of individuals, but to any such person whom the masses themselves choose for serving their cause and who can govern according the constitution in the light of the Qura’n.

The truth is that all lands belong to Almighty God who has delegated the proprietary rights to those who cultivate the land themselves. There’s no room for absentee landlords, feudalism and capitalism in Islam, which teaches fraternity, equality and liberty and guarantees socio-economic justice, irrespective of caste, creed or colour. And that is called democracy practised by Prophet Muhammad (peace upon him) in the people’s welfare state of Madina, and later followed in letter and spirit by the caliphs according to the Qura’n.

The noble Qura’n is a book of wisdom and guidance to mankind in all spheres of life—-social, economic and political—-and, above all, a source of principals of democracy and justice to the deprived, the needy and the poor in an undemocratic state and society. Who has held aloft the banner of Islam and democracy, and come forward with masses united behind him in the face of odds and difficulties which arose from the vast floodwaters affecting the lives of around 20 million people? And who are the people still rescuing and providing relief to men, women and children hit by the natural calamity? That has to be pondered over today for the future.

Source: http://dailymailnews.com/0910/28/Editorial_Column/DMColumn.php#1

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamAndPolitics_1.aspx?ArticleID=3484

Debate
30 Sep 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
Change of government-for what ?

In a country with a bleak future, the black coat’s ‘revolution’ — or should we call it ‘coup’? — might throw away President Zardari’s immunity and push the government to write to the Swiss courts.

The impatient establishment of Pakistan is once again pushing the country towards a change of government. Various configurations and plans are being debated in power circles. A broad consensus among the political parties, that no change should be brought in through extra-constitutional means, makes the job of removing the government by the establishment more difficult and complicated. The basic questions from the people’s point of view that need to be asked are: for what will there be a change of government? How will it solve the problems of the country? And how will this change help the poor people of Pakistan? -- Babar Ayaz

Change of government-for what ?

By Babar Ayaz

The impatient establishment of Pakistan is once again pushing the country towards a change of government. Various configurations and plans are being debated in power circles. A broad consensus among the political parties, that no change should be brought in through extra-constitutional means, makes the job of removing the government by the establishment more difficult and complicated. The basic questions from the people’s point of view that need to be asked are: for what will there be a change of government? How will it solve the problems of the country? And how will this change help the poor people of Pakistan?

Before we venture to answer these puzzling questions, let us look at various scenarios that can bring about the change of the government.

Scenario 1: The simplest way political pundits say would be if the MQM and FATA members of the National Assembly were nudged by the establishment to leave the ruling coalition. That would mean that the prime minister would have to prove his majority in the house. For a few days the situation will become dirtier than even the floodwaters. There will be a scramble to buy support from the PML-Q, which has now joined hands with Pir Pagara. This self-proclaimed GHQ man is not expected to save the Zardari-led government. Next, the second biggest party, the PML-N, could be asked to form the government. The numbers game may start but the chances of Mian Nawaz Sharif falling into this trap are slim. So, the only constitutional option will be to go for mid-term elections and appoint a technocrats’ interim government, something our khakis love. Again, under the constitution, this interim government will be required to hold mid-term elections within 90 days. This does not suit the movers and shakers of the government because their dream technocrat team will not be able to fix the multiple problems of the country in 90 days. What could be the next step? My friend Nusrat Javeed says the interim government will have ample ammunition to go to the judiciary and seek more time, pleading that because of the floods, the precarious economic situation — which they are already flagging with vigour — and the prevailing terrorism, they should be given another two to three years. My hunch is that the judiciary, which has always entertained such applications from the establishment and has been harsh only with elected governments, will oblige in the ‘national interest.’

So far, so good. But there are many hitches in bringing about this change. First, this scenario does not provide any mechanism to get rid of President Zardari, the man who the establishment hates and people consider as one of the most corrupt politicians ever. Second, the real power on ground is with the provincial governments; they cannot be removed because the prime minister has lost his majority in the National Assembly. In Sindh, the PPP does not need any other party to form the government, so even if the MQM parts ways, the government cannot be brought down. The PPP will once again regain its popularity if it is thrown out of power before the completion of its term. In Balochistan, the establishment can manipulate a change as no party has a sizeable presence. In Punjab, Nawaz Sharif will not let his government fall and is likely to continue with the support of the independents and probably with the PPP also. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ANP will need the support of the PPP. Not much is going to change particularly after the 18th Amendment, which strengthened the age-old provincial autonomy issue.

And lastly, I agree with Nusrat’s analysis that the PML-N will lead the movement whereby elections should be held within 90 days. The PPP will also be asking for the same. So the public pressure on the judiciary will be in favour of elections within 90 days and not giving a long lease of life to the interim government.

Now quickly assess whether going through all this will be any good for the people in whose name the impatient establishment plays games with the political evolutionary process of the country. The answer is obvious: more turmoil in the country and misery for the people.

Scenario 2: In a country with a bleak future, the black coat’s ‘revolution’ — or should we call it ‘coup’? — might throw away President Zardari’s immunity and push the government to write to the Swiss courts. Even Zardari’s opponents like Justice (retd) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui think that the Swiss court, which has closed the case on its own, will not reopen it. “The government should have written the letter to them when the Supreme Court ruled in this regard and got over it,” he observed the other day while talking to me. But can a government and a political party write to a foreign court claiming that our leader, who laid down her life by raising her voice against terrorism, and her husband are corrupt people? Legally, they can, but the PPP knows that politically it would be suicide. This will create a political impasse and clash between the two institutions of the state. Then enters the dragon — the ‘Kakar’ option. Remember how he made Nawaz Sharif resign even though he had won the case from the Supreme Court? That, indeed, is not the constitutional option because it means interference in politics by an institution that is theoretically supposed to work under the civilian government and not as a supra-constitutional force.

Again, what will change for the common man? All we do is run around in circles. Nothing in this formula helps in bringing inflation down, fiscal deficit cut, relief for the flood affected people and bringing terrorism and sectarianism under control. People may argue that the change will bring in an efficient and less corrupt government. But past experience shows that no revolutionary change is possible at present; genuine change should come but through the natural process of democratic evolution. As a matter of fact, the right course should be to keep pressing for better governance and exposing corruption as it is being done at present and wait for the next elections that are not that far away. This would help in focusing on the real problems instead of politicking for quick gains.

The writer can be reached at ayazbabar@gmail.com

Source: Daily Times, Pakistan

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamDebate_1.aspx?ArticleID=3483



Islamic World News
30 Sep 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
HC partitions disputed Ayodhya site; 2 parts to Hindus, 1 part to Muslims

Both sides to appeal in Supreme Court

Verdict has paved way for grand Ram temple: Bhagwat

Lord Ram owes his fame to Wahid in Sangam city

Aamir dons role of ambassador

Ahmadinejad aide calls for more women’s rights

Forget Kashmir, worry about your own survival: Krishna to Pak

Ayodhya verdict: call to maintain calm

Students flock to schools in Kashmir

125 years after first Babri verdict, it's judgment time again

'Kashmir doesn't belong to India or Pak'

Dubai to open the world's highest restaurant in January

Adequate security in place, says Chidambaram

Israel deports Jewish boat activists

Indonesian lawmaker proposes virginity tests

Two powerful earthquakes hit Indonesia

Pak: Qureshi Was Close To Replacing PM Gilani

Jamiat defers Kashmir conference

Omar not in Balochistan, says Raisani

Saudis announce free Hajj for Pak family

Japan to withdraw from Iran oil project

Kuwait Finance House: Islamic banking accounts 17 % of GCC banking assets

3 top al-Qaida commanders killed in US drone attacks

Chinese firm bags deal to link Pak, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan by rail

CIA chief in Pakistan, to hold talks with top leadership

Stop your state-sponsored terrorism, Krishna tells Pakistan

India concerned at U.S. military aid to Pakistan

J-K To Release 52 Stone-Pelters

Generals In Pak Push For Shake-Up Of Government

High court rejects Kasab plea to meet lawyers in isolation

Pakistan seeks UN intervention to resolve Kashmir issue

War of words but no talks with Pak at UN

Zardari calls for flood tax

Four killed in Quetta and Wadh

US sanctions eight Iranian officials over HR abuses

Taliban vow to expand fight

Iran assures financial support for flood victims

Learn from fight with intruders, Prince Khaled tells troops

Yemen escalating crackdown on press, says rights group

Turkey seizes Ataturk yacht in wake of sex scandal

Iran delays Bushehr plant launch to 2011

Geneva celebrates UAE’s selection to Media Day (Wam)

Times Square bomber plotted 2nd attack: Govt

Pakistan flood victims struggle to rebuild alone

Oman hits out at Israel for blatant violation of rights

Bangladesh: 6 killed, 20 injured in Savar road accident

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

Photo: Disputed land of Ayodhya

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HC partitions disputed Ayodhya site; 2 parts to Hindus, 1 part to Muslims

Manoj Mitta

Oct 1, 2010

Security personnel outside the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court during the pronouncement of the Ayodhya verdict, in Lucknow on Thursday. (PTI Photo)

Sixty years after Ram's idols were forcibly installed under the central dome of the Babri Masjid, the Allahabad high court, in a judgement running into about 12,000 pages, paved the way on Thursday for the construction of a temple at that very spot which is believed by many Hindus to be his birthplace.

While disposing of four title suits, the majority of the three-judge bench directed that the disputed site of 2.77 acres in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among three parties: Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara (a Hindu group). (Read judgement)

In deference to the widely-held belief about Ram's birthplace, the court stipulated that the crucial area under the central dome of the mosque demolished by kar sevaks in 1992 be allotted to Hindus. This means the idols will remain where they are.

In the course of the partition due to take place after three months, the court directed that Nirmohi Akhara be allotted parts of the outer courtyard covered earlier by Ram Chabutra, Sita Rasoi and Bhandar, which had long been used for worship by Hindus despite their proximity to the mosque.

Thus, the separate judgments delivered by Justice S U Khan and Justice Sudhir Agarwal, constituting the majority opinion of the bench, have in effect allotted two-thirds of the disputed site to Hindus even as they opened up the possibility of the mosque being rebuilt on the remaining part.

The dissenting verdict given by Justice D V Sharma, however, rejected the claims of Muslims on the ground that Babri Masjid had been built against the tenets of Islam and therefore could not be treated as a mosque.

Declaring that the entire premises belonged to Hindus, Sharma's dissent held that the mosque had been built by Mughal emperor Babar after demolishing what was found by the Archaeological Survey of India to be a "massive Hindu religious structure".

Given the difficulty involved in carving out a one-third share for Muslims from the remaining parts of the disputed site, the majority verdict of Khan and Agarwal clarified that a part of the outer courtyard which was in the possession of Hindus could be given to Muslims.

If that did not make up for the shortfall in the one-third share allotted to Muslims in the disputed site of 2.77 acres, the court envisaged the possibility of their being compensated with a portion of the adjoining 67.7 acres of land which had been acquired by the Centre in 1993 with the intention of providing access and facilities for both communities.

The court gave liberty to all the parties concerned to file suggestions within three months on the actual partition of the disputed site and directed that status quo be maintained during that period.

Though the operative parts of their judgments are similar, Khan and Agarwal differed in the manner in which they arrived at their conclusions. While Khan declared that both Muslims and Hindus were "joint title holders in possession of the entire premises in dispute", Agarwal held that only "the area within the inner courtyard" belonged to both communities as it had been used by them for centuries.

Khan and Agarwal also differed over whether a temple had been demolished to build the mosque. In Khan's opinion, the mosque was built on the ruins of temples which had been lying in that condition for a long time. Agarwal, on the other hand, agreed with Sharma that a temple had been demolished to build the mosque.

Khan held that it was only after the mosque had come into existence did Hindus start identifying the disputed structure as the exact birthplace of Lord Ram. Before that, their belief about the birthplace "did not relate to any specified small area" in or around the disputed premises.

Since Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi came into existence long before the first legal dispute arose in 1855, Khan said Ayodhya for long displayed a "very, very unique and absolutely unprecedented situation" in which Hindu religious places were being worshipped inside the compound of a mosque.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/HC-partitions-disputed-Ayodhya-site-2-parts-to-Hindus-1-part-to-Muslims/articleshow/6661333.cms#ixzz114o9FMpI

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Both sides to appeal in Supreme Court

Oct 1, 2010

NEW DELHI: Though the Hindu side claimed to have won, it declared its intention to go in appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that since Ram Janmasthan had been accepted, the entire disputed site at Ayodhya should be handed over for the construction of a temple.

The Muslim side, whose title suits were set aside, is appealing the verdict even as its leading light, Zafaryab Jilani, said he accepted the ruling of the court while exercising the right to seek a revision. He said the Muslim side would abide by what the Supreme Court rules.

Despite suggestions that the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court had opened the doors to a compromise by proposing a three-way division of the disputed land, both parties are keen to secure their legal rights. Only after doing so will either give any thought to other options.

The litigants have contested the case for too long to settle for a negotiated resolution before knocking the doors of the SC. Now, leaders on both sides are saying that it will be for the SC to take a speedy view of the verdict announced by the HC. The Muslim argument is that Islamic law does not permit "surrendering" a mosque.

With some estimates suggesting that SC could deal with the case within 15-16 months if it wants to, the Hindu side represented by the petitioners representing Ram Lalla and Hindu Mahasabha are sure to look for a confirmation of the HC verdict even as they articulate a maximalist point of view. There is a sense that more than half the battle has been won.

The Sunni Waqf Boards of UP have taken the view that the ulema have ruled that an SC verdict will be viewed as final in the matter even as its leaders skirt the issue of whether this means abandoning the argument that a mosque cannot be given up. The Muslim side continues to challenge the conclusion of the HC that the Babri masjid came up after the destruction of a temple.

Muslim leaders make it clear that they do not see "bartering of land" as a means to resolving the mandir-masjid tangle. The Hindu litigants have said they would want to claim the entire 2.77 acres that houses the idols of Ram Lalla under a makeshift temple. The immediate aftermath of a long fought battle is not the best time for a compromise.

The battle in the SC will, however, provide some time for efforts for an out of court settlement once implications of the HC judgment sinks in. Sharing land for a mosque and temple has been considered earlier in back channel negotiations. In 2002, before the Gujarat riots torpedoed the Kanchi Shankaracharya's initiative, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and VHP were close to agreeing on a formula for negotiations. Whether India can really move on will now be seen.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Both-sides-to-appeal-in-Supreme-Court/articleshow/6661404.cms#ixzz114pZzJ4G

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Verdict has paved way for grand Ram temple: Bhagwat

Sep 30, 2010

NEW DELHI: Welcoming the Allaghabad High Court verdict, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat Thursday said it has almost cleared the way for building a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya and asked both Hindus and Muslims to come forward to help in constructing it.

Bhagwat, thanking the judges of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court for the verdict, said the verdict was a "victory of rashtriya pehchan (national identity)".

Bhagwat also said the verdict should not be viewed as a victory or defeat. "We should not take it as a victory or defeat," he said, and asked Hindus to be reserved in portraying their happiness over it so as not to upset the other side.

"This has almost cleared the way for a building a grand Ram temple," he said.

He also asked people to "forget the bitterness of the past years" and urged both Hindus and Muslims to come forward for constructing a Ram temple.

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court Thursday ruled that the mosque in Ayodhya was built on the site of a temple after demolishing it.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Verdict-has-paved-way-for-grand-Ram-temple-Bhagwat/articleshow/6659224.cms#ixzz111D85WjS

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Lord Ram owes his fame to Wahid in Sangam city

Rajiv Mani

Sep 30, 2010

ALLAHABAD: Even as the country anxiously awaits the verdict on the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, Abdul Wahid stands out as a symbol of communal harmony in the Sangam city. This humble `dresswala' sends across a strong message that religion is meant for bonding people, not dividing them.

While the security agencies were busy making preparations to thwart any communal tension in wake of the Ayodhya verdict, to be pronounced on Thursday, Abdul Wahid alias Anwar alias Ram Singh, remained focus on his annual activity -- making dresses for the characters of Ram Leela, which will be staged in the city during Dussehra.

Be it Lord Rama, Laxman, Sita, Ravana, or Hanuman, all these characters wear the dresses made by Wahid and his family. Such is the popularity of Wahid among the aristes that they have given him a new name -- Ram Singh. Today, he is more famous as Ram Singh dresswala. Carrying the family profession in the fourth generation, the old man is now supported by his sons Saud, Abdulla, Saeed and other family members in the business.

"Mandir aur masjid ki baten karna sirf faltu logo ka kaam hai, jab unke pas koi aur kaam nahi hai karne ko to kya karen, (the issues of temple and mosque are being talked by people who do not have any other work to do)," said Wahid's younger son Abdulla. "For me, Ram and his life is as important as that of Allah. And why only me, I believe youngsters, be they of any any religion, have grown watching the epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata on TV," he added.

"Why only Ram Leela, even Muslim youths play various characters of the Ramayana in the tableaux displayed during Dussehra," said Abbas, a Muslim youth sitting next to Abdulla.

Abdul Wahid and his family were more interested in the Ram Leela rehearsals underway on at the grounds of Pattharchati, than the Ayodhya verdict.

"Ours is the fourth generation in this business even though the earnings have dwindled over the years," said Saeed. Red coloured jackets with dominant golden embroidery, pearl necklaces, silken dhoti, thick black menacing moustaches and beard, the deft hands of Wahid and his family members infuse life in the Ram Leela characters.

Throughout the year we collect materials like human hair, artificial jewellery, latest costumes and eye-catching embroidery as these things make our business successful," said Wahid's son Saud, who joined the family business from an early age.

We feel the hurt when innocents get killed in the cowardly acts by terrorists," said Abdulla. And we feel proud when the audience cheers and seeks blessings from Lord Ram, for it also means appreciation for our hard work, he added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Lord-Ram-owes-his-fame-to-Wahid-in-Sangam-city/articleshow/6654728.cms

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Aamir dons role of ambassador

Sep 30, 2010

CHANDIGARH: Bollywood star Aamir Khan has become the global ambassador of 'Live to Love' foundation that is running Druk Padma School, popularly known as Rancho's school in Leh, which was destroyed in the recent cloudburst. Aamir has pledged his support for the Live to Love initiative of the Drukpa lineage by becoming the official ambassador.

Expressing his views on his new role, the actor stated, "I am delighted to accept this role to help support such a major global project. Live to Love has already made a huge impact and helped hundreds of people around the world. I am looking forward to making a difference." Aamir's new role was announced recently at the Royal Society, London.

The Drukpa lineage has been working at imparting education in the most challenging situations like at Druk Padma School, which is located in the remote Himalayan region between Pakistan and China in northern India.

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Aamir-dons-role-of-ambassador/articleshow/6655644.cms#ixzz10ypE5kZf

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Ahmadinejad aide calls for more women’s rights

29 September 2010

TEHRAN - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s closest aide has called for more rights for Iran’s “oppressed” women, the latest controversial comments from a man who has become the lightning rod for divisions in the ruling elite.

“Women have been oppressed and treated unjustly in our society in the past and this oppression still exists,” Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaie, the president’s chief of staff, was quoted as saying by Iranian newspapers on Wednesday.

Iranian women’s rights have long been lamented by activists abroad, most recently over the case of a woman sentenced to be stoned for adultery, an incident Ahmadinejad told Western reporters had never happened and had been hyped by the media.

But Mashaie’s comments are likely to have more impact within Iran where he has often been the focus of ideological and personal rifts among the hardliners who rule the Islamic Republic and dislike what they see as his liberal leanings.

Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/September/middleeast_September564.xml&section=middleeast&col=

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Forget Kashmir, worry about your own survival: Krishna to Pak

Chidanand Rajghatta,

Sep 29, 2010

WASHINGTON: Forget Kashmir, worry about your own survival. This was the blunt message India's external affairs minister SM Krishna gave Pakistan after Islamabad's familiar rhetoric on Kashmir at the United Nations through its foreign minister SM Qureshi scuttled an expected meeting between the two.

In some of the sharpest language emanating from India, the normally affable Krishna taunted Pakistan and its representative for using the Kashmir issue as a "ploy" to deflect attention from its parlous internal situation arising from governance issues related to home-grown terrorism and the recent floods.

Pakistan, Krishna suggested, ratcheted up the Kashmir issue whenever things were going well for India or going badly for Pakistan in a "pattern" that had been going on for sixty-plus years.

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Forget-Kashmir-worry-about-your-own-survival-Krishna-to-Pak/articleshow/6652822.cms#ixzz10yoo6fNy

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Ayodhya verdict: call to maintain calm

Unlawful assembly of more than three persons, public display of emotions etc. banned

Community leaders promise cooperation to the district administration

Instilling confidence:A girl watches the police stage a flag march at Lalapet in Guntur on the eve of Ayodhya verdict on Wednesday.

Guntur: A day before the verdict on title suits on the disputed structure at Ayodhya is set to be delivered by the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court, the district administration has appealed to people to maintain calm.

District Collector B Ramanjaneyulu along with Superintendents of Police, D.S. Chauhan (Urban) and A Ravichandra (Rural), announced at a media conference held on Wednesday that prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr.P.C would be in force throughout the district for a week starting from the midnight of Wednesday.

Emergency numbers

Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/30/stories/2010093063230800.htm

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Students flock to schools in Kashmir

Sep 29, 2010,

SRINAGAR: Attendance in schools in Kashmir, which reopened on Monday after 100 days of unrest, rose on a day when separatists suspended their stir even as the education department said it is mulling action against institutions which follow the strike calendar.

Anantnag district of south Kashmir recorded the highest 90 per cent turnout of students on Wednesday, while the lowest 50 per cent was registered in nearby Kulgam district, official sources said, adding that there was 26 per cent higher attendance in schools in the Valley.

On Tuesday, the figure was 63 per cent and 40 per cent in Anantnag and Kulgam districts respectively.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Srinagar which witnessed a dismal 16 per cent of turnout of the students on Tuesday, registered manifold increase as the turnout jumped to 62 per cent.

Pulwama, also in South Kashmir, recorded healthy student attendance of 85 per cent followed by Shopian (80 per cent), Bandipora (66 per cent), Kupwara (65 per cent), Budgam (60 per cent) and Ganderbal (55 per cent), the sources said.

They said the highway town of Awantipora, 32 kms from here in Pulwama district, registered 100 per cent attendance of the students as well as the teaching staff. Only 11 per cent students attended schools on Tuesday in this district.

The student attendance showed remarkable improvement as almost all the private educational institutions across the Valley reopened this morning, the sources said.

Life returned to normal in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley as the hardline Hurriyat faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, which had asked the people not to send their children to schools, had exempted the day from its protest calendar.

Expressing happiness over the functioning of the educational institutions which remained shut for almost over three months, education minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed on Wednesday said "there is a need to keep the education above politics to save the future of the children.

"The strike call or the curfew should not affect the functioning of the schools or colleges," he said adding "we have requested the private schools to resume functioning, irrespective of curfew or strike call.

"If they (the private schools) keep schools open only according to the strike calendar of separatists in future, we can take action against them as per the rules," the minister warned.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6652458.cms#ixzz10youZ2ha

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125 years after first Babri verdict, it's judgment time again

J. Venkatesan

The court will perhaps answer several questions framed by itself in the course of the suit

Final hearing on suits began on July 23, 1996; verdict reserved on July 26 this year

The present legal battle over title has gone on for nearly six decades

New Delhi: A special Full Bench of Justices S.U. Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D.V. Sharma of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court will pronounce its verdict on the Ayodhya title suits on Thursday. The final hearing began on July 23, 1996, and verdict was reserved on July 26 this year.

On one side are a number of Hindu plaintiffs, who claim that the disputed site belongs to them and is the spot where a Ram temple once existed. On the other is the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Wakf Board, which maintains that the site, where the Babri Masjid stood for five centuries before being demolished by mobs on December 6, 1992, is a Muslim place of worship.

Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/30/stories/2010093064191600.htm

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'Kashmir doesn't belong to India or Pak'

ARATI R JERATH

Sep 30, 2010

SRINAGAR: The stone-pelters movement, or the Sangbaaz Tehreek as it is popularly called, is altering equations in Kashmir and forcing separatist leaders to abandon their pro- Pakistan tilt. In a decisive rejection of the UN resolution that offered Kashmiris only two options — to stay with India or go with Pakistan — present-day protesters have made it clear to the separatists that nothing less than "azadi", or an independent state of Kashmir, will do.

"We don't want accession to Pakistan,'' declared Tehreek supporter Syed Ali Aga (name changed on request). "Let me tell you, the Pakistan element is out. And we don't want to remain with India either."

The message went out in a barrage of protests against hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani's call last month to "celebrate Pakistan's independence day" on August 14. Geelani, who has consistently fought to make Kashmir part of Pakistan, was forced to withdraw his call after protesters visited his house and flooded stone-pelter sites on Facebook with posts warning him not to go down a road that has no relevance in Kashmir circa 2010.

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kashmir-doesnt-belong-to-India-or-Pak/articleshow/6655263.cms#ixzz10ypXcviY

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Dubai to open the world's highest restaurant in January

Sep 29, 2010

DUBAI: After the world's tallest Burj Khalifa, Dubai is now set to open the highest restaurant in the world at the same tower in January next year, the project's developer has said.

The restaurant will be called Atmosphere and will be located on the 122nd floor of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world and also home to the first ever Armani Hotel, an Emaar Hospitality Group (EHG) official told local media.

EHG chief executive officer Marc Dardenne told Dubai-based website HotelierMiddleEast.com that the outlet had the "bragging rights of being the highest restaurant in the world".

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Dubai-to-open-the-worlds-highest-restaurant-in-January/articleshow/6653090.cms#ixzz10yqql2ei

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Adequate security in place, says Chidambaram

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: On the eve of the Allahabad High Court verdict in the 60-year-old Ayodhya dispute, the Centre said it had deployed adequate security forces all over the country to maintain law, order and peace.

In Uttar Pradesh, about 1.9 lakh Central paramilitary forces had been deployed to deal with any situation that might develop after the pronouncement of the verdict by the Special Bench, Home Minister P. Chidambaram told journalists here on Wednesday.

“Unintended benefit”

In his view, the judgment delay of six days has had an “unintended benefit,” giving a number of parties, groups and individuals an opportunity to reiterate that they would respect the verdict.

Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/30/stories/2010093061120100.htm

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Israel deports Jewish boat activists

30 Sep. 10

ASHDOD (Israel): Three Jewish activists who tried to bust Israel's blockade on Gaza were on their way out of Israel on Tuesday night and a fourth was awaiting deportation, said their lawyer.

Israeli warships on Tuesday intercepted the boat named “Irene” 20 nautical miles off the coast of the Gaza Strip, and took it to the port of Ashdod in southern Israel.

Attorney Smadar Ben-Natan said “two English and an American” were at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport awaiting flights and the other, a woman, was being kept in custody overnight.

She said five Israeli nationals who sailed with the four foreigners on the Irene had been released without being charged pending further inquiries.

Organisers Jews for Justice for Palestinians listed on their website Briton Glyn Secker as the vessel's captain and a member of its executive committee and named U.S. peace activist Lillian Rosengarten as one of the passengers.

Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/30/stories/2010093054220900.htm

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Indonesian lawmaker proposes virginity tests

Sep 29, 2010

JAKARTA, Indonesia: An Indonesian legislator wants girls in his province to pass virginity tests before being admitted into state-funded high schools, a widely ridiculed proposal with little chance of passing.

Bambang Bayu Suseno, a lawmaker in Jambi's provincial parliament, cited concerns about a rise in premarital sex among teens in pushing for the proposal.

But critics argued Wednesday that mandatory testing would be discriminatory and a violation of human rights.

"The way to address this problem is through sex education," said Seto Mulyadi, who heads the National Commission for Child Protection, adding that not all girls engaging in sex do so willingly.

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Indonesian-lawmaker-proposes-virginity-tests/articleshow/6650864.cms#ixzz10yqwEHvN

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Two powerful earthquakes hit Indonesia

30 September 2010

Two powerful earthquakes hit waters off eastern Indonesia in rapid succession on Thursday, prompting officials to briefly trigger a tsunami warning.

The US Geological Survey said a 7.2 magnitude quake off Papua province, centered just 7 miles (12 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor, struck less than a minute after a 6.6 temblor in the same location.

Several strong aftershocks followed.

The quakes rocked the nearby islands of Tual and Dodo at around 2 a.m. local time as people were sleeping, police said, adding there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The region on Indonesia’s easternmost edge is remote and sparsely populated.

Located 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) from the capital, Jakarta, the epicenter was closer to the northern Australian city of Darwin, which sits some 560 miles (900 kilometers) to the south.

Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/September/international_September1332.xml&section=international&col=

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Pak: Qureshi Was Close To Replacing PM Gilani

Sep 30th, 2010

Shafqat Ali

Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was inches away from replacing incumbent Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the heat of the recent judiciary-executive standoff that shook the fragile coalition here.

“Prime Minister Gilani acted like a tactician to avert being sent home. He was just down and out before he rebounded”, a close aide of President Asif Ai Zardari, co-chairman of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, told this newspaper. This is not the first time that Mr Qureshi came close to clinching the top executive post: he was runner-up when the PPP nominated Mr Gilani for the job after the 2008 election.

The source said President Zardari had virtually agreed to the change, which would have made Mr Qureshi “the new face” of the Pakistan government.

Full report at: http://www.asianage.com/international/pak-qureshi-was-close-replacing-pm-gilani-195

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Jamiat defers Kashmir conference

September 30, 2010

In view of the Allahabad High Court verdict on Ayodhya title suits to be delivered on Thursday, the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has deferred its first Kashmir Conference from October 4 to October 10. Meanwhile, the Jamiat has also decided to broad-base the list of the invitees and will include leaders from non-Muslim communities to bring out a common resolution to the crisis in the Valley. The outfit also appealed to the Government to maintain law and order after the verdict on Ayodhya is delivered.

“Due to the changed scenario arising out of the Supreme Court rejection of the deferment plea and the Allahabad High Court all set to give its verdict on the Ayodhya title suits, the Jamiat has decided to reschedule the Kashmir Conference,” said Rajya Sabha MP and Jamiat leader Maulana Mahmood Madani.

Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/286564/Jamiat-defers-Kashmir-conference.html

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Omar not in Balochistan, says Raisani

Thursday, 30 Sep, 2010

QUETTA, Sept 29: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani has said that Mullah Omar and other top Taliban figures are not in Balochistan.

At a meeting on Wednesday with Masaharu Sato, the Karachi-based Consul-General of Japan, he said the Taliban leadership was very much in Afghanistan.

Mr Raisani, however, acknowledged that there were some Taliban in Balochistan but said “these Taliban are quite different from the Afghan Taliban”.

“The Taliban in Balochistan are quit different from the Afghan Taliban. They never carry weapons. They are peaceful students obtaining religious and modern education in seminaries,” Mr Raisani said.

The chief minister said the Taliban fighting Pakistani security forces were extremists who were getting support from international powers playing “the big game” in Balochistan.

He termed the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan “a war of interests”. “This is not an ideological war,” he said.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/omar-not-in-balochistan,-says-raisani-090

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Saudis announce free Hajj for Pak family

30 Sep. 10

ISLAMABAD—The Saudi government had announced to bear Hajj expanses of ten family members of Farman Ali, 32, a Pakistani national hailing from Swat valley, who died while saving lives of Saudi’s during flood in Jeddah last year.

Farman Ali saved lives of 14 Saudi’s during massive flood in Jeddah last year but died himself while attempting to save another 15 marooned in floodwater.

Saudi government admitting the services of Farman Ali directed the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad to make arrangements for 10 family members of the deceased to perform Hajj this year, said a statement issued here on Wednesday.

Muhammad Aziz, elder brother of the deceased told newsmen that Saudi Embassy has invited him and informed about the Saudi government’s decision.

“We have submitted passports of 10 family members in the embassy.

Those who have finalized for performing Hajj on Saudi government expanses include parents of Farman Ali, his widow, three daughters, two brothers and two sisters.

It should be mentioned that these ten persons would be given protocol as royal family guests during their stay in Saudi Arabia.—INP

http://dailymailnews.com/0910/30/Islamabad/index.php?id=3

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Japan to withdraw from Iran oil project

30 September 2010

TOKYO — The Japanese government and oil developer Inpex Corp. plan to completely withdraw from Iran’s largest onshore oil field project to avoid possible US sanctions, reports said on Thursday.

The move, which may be announced this week, is to prevent government-backed Inpex being included in a list of companies subject to US sanctions against Iran, the Yomiuri Shimbun and the Nikkei reported, citing government sources.

Iran’s Azadegan oilfield, which has some 42 billion barrels of oil, was initially to have been developed with Inpex.

The Japanese company in 2006 significantly lowered its stake from 75 percent to 10 percent over fears of possible sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme.

“There are various risks, as we were asked by Iran to invest more in the project,” an anonymous government official told the Yomiuri.

Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/September/middleeast_September573.xml&section=middleeast

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Kuwait Finance House: Islamic banking accounts 17 % of GCC banking assets

- Asif Khalifa

Kuwiat - The Islamic banking sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states grows by 20 percent a year representing 17 % of the total assets of the banking industry in the region, reports Global Arab Network according KFH Research Ltd - the Islamic investment research arm of Kuwait Finance House (KFH).

Kuwait ranked first among the GCC countries in terms of total assets while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have risen among the countries that promote Islamic finance products and services, according to the report issued by KFH.

The Islamic banking industry accounted for 35 percent of the total banking assets of Kuwait and about 17 percent of the GCC banking system total assets as a whole. It is expected that this industry will to continue to grow at an annual average rate of 15 - 20 percent, should four main factors, including the regulatory framework, increase in the GDP and government development plans, continue to drive growth rates forward and add momentum represented in increased demand and further expansion of related areas of business.

The report pointed out that there are many opportunities still available for Islamic finance solutions in the region where real estate finance tops other areas of interest prevalent in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Full report at: http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201009267403/Finance/kuwait-finance-house-islamic-banking-accounts-17-of-gcc-banking-assets.html

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3 top al-Qaida commanders killed in US drone attacks

Sep 29, 2010

PESHAWAR: Al-Qaida suffered severe reverses losing three key commanders in Afghanistan and tribal havens in northwestern Pakistan as US and NATO forces carried out a record number of air strikes and drone attacks.

Those felled by missile strikes included al-Qaida's new number 3. Sheikh Fateh al-Misri, who had replaced Mustafa Abu al-Yazid who was killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in May.

Al-Misri was believed to be in a vehicle in Pakistan's north Waziristan tribal region when a US drone fired Hellfire missile struck him. The al-Qaida commander was on his way to Afghanistan.

Sources said that Pakistan intelligence and military authorities were investigating reports of his death.

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/3-top-al-Qaida-commanders-killed-in-US-drone-attacks/articleshow/6652101.cms#ixzz10yqWQCgn

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Chinese firm bags deal to link Pak, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan by rail

Saibal Dasgupta,

Sep 29, 2010

BEIJING: China is brokering a massive political and business deal that will result in rail links between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. A Chinese company has bagged a contract from the Afghan government to carry out feasibility studies for the proposal line.

The proposed 700 kilometers line will run right through the hotly contested Taliban areas while connecting the Aynak copper mines in northern Afghanistan with Kabul and the two neighboring countries.

India has been eager to help Afghanistan build its railway system as part of the reconstruction efforts. But it has apparently been checkmated by China because of its influence as an investor in the local copper mines and Pakistan's aggressive support for the Chinese firm, sources said.

Full report at:timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Chinese-firm-bags-deal-to-link-Pak-Afghanistan-and-Uzbekistan-by-rail/articleshow/6652927.cms#ixzz10yoiEcSr

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CIA chief in Pakistan, to hold talks with top leadership

Sep 29, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Amid a dramatic increase in drone attacks on militants in the Waziristan tribal region, CIA chief Leon Panetta arrived here on Wednesday for talks with Pakistan's civil and military leadership.

Panetta's visit to Islamabad also coincides with reports in the media that Western intelligence agencies had uncovered a plot by Pakistani militants to carry out an attack in London and key cities in France and Germany. However, Pakistani officials have dismissed the reports.

Panetta is scheduled to meet Inter-Services Intelligence agency chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari, officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels.

Panetta's talks with the Pakistani leadership will focus on counter-terrorism cooperation, the situation in Afghanistan and other regional issues.

Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/CIA-chief-in-Pakistan-to-hold-talks-with-top-leadership/articleshow/6654071.cms#ixzz10yqRRnOa

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Stop your state-sponsored terrorism, Krishna tells Pakistan

United Nations: India on Wednesday slammed Pakistan for sponsoring militancy and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and said Islamabad should not impart lessons to New Delhi on democracy and human rights.

Hitting back at Pakistan a day after its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi harped on giving the Kashmiri people the right to “self-determination through a plebiscite,” External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said Islamabad must stop its state-sponsored militancy and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, is the target of Pakistan-sponsored militancy and terrorism. Pakistan must fulfil its solemn commitment of not allowing territory under its control to be used for terrorism directed against India,” Mr. Krishna said in his firmly worded speech at the 65th U.N. General Assembly session here.

“Credible and firm action by Pakistan against terrorist groups operating from its soil is in the interest of the region as it is in Pakistan's own interest.”

Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/30/stories/2010093064131600.htm

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India concerned at U.S. military aid to Pakistan

WASHINGTON: Voicing its concern over supply of U.S. arms to Pakistan, India on Wednesday said some American weapons given to Islamabad to fight the war against terror along the Afghanistan border was being diverted against it.

Raising the issue with U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates during an official meeting here, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said: “While the U.S. is giving these arms to fight terrorists, Pakistan is diverting some portions to use against India.”

Mr. Antony, who is in the U.S. on a two-day visit on the invitation of Mr. Gates, was formally welcomed by Gates outside the River Entrance at the Pentagon. Mr. Gates expressed satisfaction at the increasing range and depth of defence cooperation and conveyed India's commitment to add even greater substance to the defence partnership in the years ahead,” the statement said.

Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/30/stories/2010093056241500.htm

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J-K To Release 52 Stone-Pelters

Sep 30th, 2010

In the first major reconciliatory steps, the J&K government on Wednesday decided to immediately release 52 youth, including 31 students, who were arrested on charges of stone-pelting during the ongoing unrest, and formed two provincial committees to review areas declared as disturbed under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

These were among the decisions announced by state home commissioner B.R. Sharma after the meeting of Unified Headquarters (UHQ), which was chaired by CM Omar Abdullah.

“The state government will immediately release youth who have been arrested for stone-pelting. They will be handed over to their parents on the assurance of good conduct in future,” Mr Sharma said.

Full report at: http://www.asianage.com/india/j-k-release-52-stone-pelters-193

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Generals In Pak Push For Shake-Up Of Government

Sep 29th, 2010

Sept. 29: The Pakistani military, angered by the inept handling of the country’s devastating floods and alarmed by a collapse of the economy, is pushing for a shake-up of the elected government, and in the longer term, even the removal of President Asif Ali Zardari and his top lieutenants. The military, preoccupied by a war against militants and reluctant to assume direct responsibility for the economic crisis, has made clear it is not eager to take over the government, as it has many times before, military officials and politicians said.

But the government’s performance since the floods, which have left 20 million people homeless and the nation dependent on handouts from sceptical foreign donors, has laid bare the deep underlying tensions between military and civilian leaders. American officials, too, say it has left them increasingly disillusioned with Mr Zardari, a deeply unpopular President who was elected two-and-a-half years ago on a wave of sympathy after the assassination of his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Full report at: http://www.asianage.com/international/generals-pak-push-shake-government-164

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High court rejects Kasab plea to meet lawyers in isolation

September 30, 2010

The Bombay High Court Wednesday rejected a plea of Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab for permission to consult his lawyers in isolation in the Arthur Road Central Jail premises.

A division bench of the court comprising Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice V.K. Tahilramani cited grounds of security and safety of the lawyers and security personnel while declining permission, Kasab's lawyer Farhana Shah said.

"We have all options open before us. We plan to challenge this ruling in the Supreme Court soon," Shah told IANS emerging from the courtroom Wednesday afternoon.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, opposing the application, Tuesday submitted to the high court a CD of an attack on a jail security personnel by Kasab in the high-security prison Sep 1.

Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/286512/High-court-rejects-Kasab-plea-to-meet-lawyers-in-isolation.html

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Pakistan seeks UN intervention to resolve Kashmir issue

September 30, 2010

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has told the UN General Assembly that the Kashmir issue could be resolved through UN resolutions and stressed that it was necessary for "durable peace and stability" in the South Asian region, it was reported here on Wednesday.

"A peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions taking into account the aspirations of the Kashmiri people would create conducive atmosphere for durable peace and stability in the South Asian region," Qureshi told the 192-member UN General Assembly Tuesday during the general debate.

Dawn News quoted Qureshi as saying: "The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is about the exercise of the right to self-determination by the Kashmiri people through a free, fair and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices."

Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/286507/Pakistan-seeks-UN-intervention-to-resolve-Kashmir-issue.html

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War of words but no talks with Pak at UN

By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury in New Delhi

A DAY after Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi raised the pitch on Kashmir at the UN, India hit back at Islamabad for sponsoring militancy and terrorism in the restive state.

Addressing the 65th session of the UN General Assembly ( UNGA) in New York on Wednesday, external affairs minister S. M. Krishna said: “ Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, is the target of Pakistan- sponsored militancy and terrorism.” Upset over Qureshi’s remarks on the human rights situation in Kashmir, he advised Pakistan not to “ impart lessons to us on democracy and human rights”. The sharp exchanges over Kashmir have derailed the possibility of the Krishna- Qureshi talks on the sidelines of UNGA. Reiterating that Islamabad must fulfil its obligation to act against terror groups operating against India, Krishna said: “ Credible and firm action by Pakistan against terrorist groups operating from its soil is in the interest of the region as it is in Pakistan’s own interest.” He, however, stressed that India was interested in continuing the dialogue with Pakistan: “ If Pakistan were to live up to its commitment not to allow the use of its soil by terrorists acting against India, this would significantly help reduce the trust deficit that impedes the development of better bilateral relations between our two countries.” Despite the war of words in New York, both foreign ministers expressed optimism about Qureshi’s visit to New Delhi in November- December for the next round of bilateral talks.

Full report at: Mail Today

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Zardari calls for flood tax

By Syed Irfan Raza

Thursday, 30 Sep, 2010

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari asked the government on Wednesday to levy a one-time flood tax on wealthy people.

“A one-time flood tax will have to be imposed on the well-off and people of means to help shore up relief and rehabilitation efforts,” he said at a meeting of women ministers, parliamentarians and representatives of non-governmental organisations.

“Unless we are prepared to share bread with our grief- and disaster-stricken brethren, we should not expect others to help us.

“I have already advised the government to tap into indigenous resources wherever there is room,” he said.

The president said that funds would be disbursed transparently and every citizen would have access to information relating to the aid received and distributed.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/president-calls-for-flood-tax-090

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Four killed in Quetta and Wadh

30 Sep, 2010

QUETTA, Sept 29: Two bullet-riddled bodies were found in or near the provincial capital and two men were gunned down in Wadh area of Khuzdar district on Wednesday.

Sources said that Malik Atta Mohammad was kidnapped by armed men from Qambrani road area of Quetta in the morning. His body was found from the Sariab area in the evening.

Police also found the bullet-riddled body of Ghulam Nabi Hazara in a locality on the outskirts of Quetta.

Two men identified as Madad Ali and Haider Ali, who were in a car, were shot dead near Wadh area of Khuzdar district. The motive for the double murder could not be determined.

Meanwhile, according to sources, four persons were kidnapped on gunpoint from Khuzdar and Hub towns. They were identified as Khair Jan, Shakir Baloch, Sobat Khan Marri and Uraz Khan Marri.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/four-killed-in-quetta-and-wadh-090

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US sanctions eight Iranian officials over HR abuses

Thursday, 30 Sep, 2010

WASHINGTON, Sept 29: The United States on Wednesday named eight senior Iranian officials — including the commander of the Revolutionary Guards and several ministers — as participants in human rights abuses, including killings after disputed presidential elections in June last year.

“On these officials’ watch, or under their command, Iranian citizens have been arbitrarily arrested, beaten, tortured, raped, blackmailed and killed,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a news conference.

“Yet the Iranian government has ignored repeated calls from the international community to end these abuses.”

Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/us-sanctions-eight-iranian-officials-over-hr-abuses-090

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Taliban vow to expand fight

ISLAMABAD: A top Pakistan Taliban commander has reaffirmed his group’s ties to al Qaeda, vowing to fight for imposition of Islamic law across the world, according to a video interview.

The purported remarks by Waliur Rehman, the commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in South Waziristan, underlined the persistent efforts of the group to raise its profile beyond Pakistan. “Al Qaeda is a global organisation with branches spread all over the world, whether it is Arab countries, Europe, America or the subcontinent,” Rehman said, sitting on the floor flanked by two bodyguards. A Kalashnikov lay at his feet.

Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\09\30\story_30-9-2010_pg1_6

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Iran assures financial support for flood victims

By Nadeem Ahmed Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD—Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mashallah Shakeri has said that Iran will continue to dispatch relief aid to flood-ravaged Pakistan. Another 200 truckloads of aid to arrive in Pakistan within a couple of days. He said that the government and people of Iran respond overwhelmingly after the devastating floods in Pakistan.

While addressing a press conference at National Press Club on Wednesday he said that Iran immediately declared its preparedness for giving assistance to the flood-stricken people of Pakistan, 30 aircrafts landed in Pakistan with 1500 tons of commodities including other relief assistance, he added.

President Imam Khamenei Relief Committee Hussain Anvari along with the delegation said that following leader of the Islamic revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s call for redoubling efforts to reach out to Pakistani flood victims and all the efforts were being made to facilitate relief efforts in Pakistan.

Full report at: http://dailymailnews.com/0910/30/Islamabad/index.php?id=4

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Learn from fight with intruders, Prince Khaled tells troops

Sep 30, 2010

JEDDAH: Prince Khaled bin Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation for military affairs, urged Saudi armed forces Wednesday to learn lessons from last year’s military encounter with Yemeni intruders in order to avoid mistakes in the future.

Addressing senior military officers and commanders, the minister also emphasized the importance of training to improve the combating capabilities of Saudi forces as well as their physical fitness.

He reassured the officers that Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, is in good health and is spending his vacation outside the Kingdom. He emphasized the Saudi leadership’s desire to strengthen armed forces by acquiring advanced weapons.

Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article150031.ece

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Yemen escalating crackdown on press, says rights group

Sep 30, 2010

DUBAI: Yemen has stepped up a crackdown on the media that has created the worst climate for press freedom in decades, a rights group said on Wednesday.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) pointed to a series of steps by the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to rein in the media, including the creation of a special court last year to prosecute press offences.

"Taken together, the government's long-standing practice of violent repression and its new legalistic tactics are creating the worst climate for press freedom since the country's unification in 1990," CPJ said in a report.

Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article150027.ece

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Turkey seizes Ataturk yacht in wake of sex scandal

Sep 30, 2010

ANKARA: Turkey's government has seized the one-time state yacht of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, following media reports that a vice ring had used the vessel to throw sex parties with prostitutes.

Eight women and two underage girls, all of whom were believed to be prostitutes, were taken for health checks after authorities in the Mediterranean city of Antalya confiscated the 136-meter Savarona, state-run Anatolian news agency reported.

Eight people, including two women, remain in custody, it said.

The Savarona had been leased to a businessman by the Finance Ministry.

"I gave the necessary instructions for the cancellation of the ship's lease," Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek told Anatolian, adding the Culture Ministry should now take ownership of the vessel.

Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article150026.ece

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Iran delays Bushehr plant launch to 2011

Sep 30, 2010

TEHRAN: Iran's first nuclear power plant will begin supplying energy in early 2011, a senior official said, signaling a delay of several months after the spread of a global computer virus believed to have affected mainly Iran.

Iranian officials said on Sunday the Stuxnet virus had hit staff computers at the Bushehr plant, a symbol of Iran's growing geopolitical sway and rejection of international efforts to curb its nuclear activity, but not affected major systems there.

When Iran began loading fuel into Bushehr in August, officials said it would take two to three months for the plant to start producing electricity and that it would generate 1,000 megawatts, about 2.5 percent of the country's power usage.

Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article149988.ece

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Geneva celebrates UAE’s selection to Media Day (Wam)

30 September 2010

GENEVA — The city of Geneva, Switzerland, and the United Nations (UN) celebrated the selection of the UAE as ‘Guest of Honour’ at this year’s Media Day at the Swiss Press Club, on ?Tuesday.

The function was graced by the UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Za’abi; Executive Director of the Swiss Press Club Guy Mettan; Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva, Sergey Ordzhonikidze; Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva, Dante Martinelli, Mayor of Geneva City Sandrine Salerno; top Swiss government officials and a number representatives of regional and international human rights bodies, the media and civil society organisations.GCC and Arab ambassadors in Geneva and the Arab League representative were also present. The UAE Minister of Labour and Chairman of the UAE National Media Council, Saqr Gobash, expressed his gratitude for this selection by saying during his speech that this honouring of the UAE reflects the important advances that the UAE has made on several fronts, including in the fields of media and communication.

Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/September/theuae_September661.xml&section=theuae

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Times Square bomber plotted 2nd attack: Govt (AP)

30 September 2010

NEW YORK — The Pakistani man who planted a car bomb in Times Square boasted that he thought it would kill at least 40 people and that he planned to detonate a second bomb two weeks after the first, prosecutors said on Wednesday, quoting the former financial analyst in a video where he said he’d hoped “to join my brothers in jihad” ever since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Faisal Shahzad should get life in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 5, prosecutors said in a filing, arguing that he “had every intention of delivering a powerful and terrorizing strike to the heart of New York City.”

The government noted that Shahzad showed no remorse when he pleaded guilty on June 21 after confessing to investigators.

In fact, prosecutors wrote, “he spoke with pride about what he and his co-conspirators had done.”

Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/September/international_September1341.xml&section=international&col=

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Pakistan flood victims struggle to rebuild alone

30 September 2010

HASSAN ABAD — As a donkeycart owner who lost everything in Pakistan’s devastating floods, Jan Pervez is broke but says he has borrowed heavily to rebuild his home.

Fed up waiting for government cash, the 44-year-old is sourcing bricks and cement to knock up a one-room shelter to protect the seven members of his family from the onset of winter and diseased refugee camps.

Barefoot and in rags, the family last saw their home on July 29, when they fled heavy monsoon rain and rising floodwaters with only the clothes on their backs, swapping their independence for a life of misery.

When they returned a month later, practically nothing was left in the village of Hassan Abad. On the outskirts of the northwestern city of Nowshehra, the area is one of the worst affected in Pakistan’s worst natural disaster.

The United Nations has issued a record two-billion-dollar appeal for funds to deal with the aftermath of the disaster, which UN agencies say affected 21 million people and left 12 million in need of emergency food aid.

Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/September/international_September1335.xml&section=international&col=

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Oman hits out at Israel for blatant violation of rights (Our Correspondent)

30 September 2010

MUSCAT — Oman has lamented the lack of real progress in human rights conditions in the Palestinian and occupied Arab territories.

“While these conditions were discussed in all the Human Rights Council sessions and many resolutions passed on this, no tangible progress has been made,” Yahya bin Salim Al Wuhaibi, the sultanate’s permanent representative to the UN, said addressing the 15th session of the council in Geneva on Tuesday. “On the contrary, these regions are witnessing noticeable growth in the frequent and organised aggressions by occupation authorities,” he added.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/September/middleeast_September567.xml&section=middleeast&col=

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Bangladesh: 6 killed, 20 injured in Savar road accident

Six persons were killed and 20 others injured in a road accident at Salehpur at Hemayetput under Savar upazila in Dhaka Wednesday morning.

The deceased were identified as Eden Girls’ College management department student Shahina Sheikh, 25, Nurul Islam, 25, son of Ishaque Ali of village Kamarchala at Ashulia, Kauser Ahamed, 42, son of Selim Chowdhury of Nimertek at Ashulia, Md Shahin, 24, son of Soleman Hossen of village Balarhat at Mithapukur in Rangpur and Jasim Uddin.

One of the deceased could not be identified immediately.

Full report at: New Age Daily Bangladesh

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3482