03 Sep 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com
Suicide Attack on Shia Rally In Pak: 50 Dead, 100 Injured
1 Killed In Suicide Attack On Ahmedi Mosque In Pak
Pak effect: Mosque shooting in Riyadh injures three
2 killed in Turbat bus attack
India: Hindu-Muslim couple gets cover
Muslims hold mass prayers at flashpoint Jerusalem mosque
Chinese troops in PoK: India conveys concern to China
No troops deployed in Gilgit-Baltistan, says China
China Gilgit gambit is strategic says expert
LeT boss had stayed at PFI facility: Police
God did not create the universe, says Hawking
Ahmadinejad: Israel too weak to attack our nuclear facilities
Syria holds Lebanon Shia cleric as Israeli spy
Suicide blast kills at least one in Tajikistan
Pak's N-Arsenal Prevented War With India: A.Q. Khan
Malik urges restrain on religious rallies
Jordan uncovers 3,000-year-old Moabite temple
Pak Minister wants Obama to be ‘leader of all Muslims’
'Taliban facing financial crisis'
“Kashmir situation needs a human touch”
Iran's first lady of skiing trains on grass
Iftar gatherings in Eastern Province highlight Ramadan spirit
World Islamic body asks Muslims to tithe for Pakistan
Muslim cleric calls for beheading of Dutch politician
Forcing Islamic women to not wear veils is still oppression
Mubarak the Peacemaker?
OIC asks Muslims to tithe for Pakistan
Flood-hit Pakistanis, Afghans may cross to Iran: UNHCR
US ‘apologises’ over Dulles Airport incident
Islamabad hails US ban on TTP
Corruption probe ruffles US-Afghan relations
A shut Lahore buries its martyrs
Ramadan in the 1960s
Fatah official: Negotiations' fate is failure
Over 13,000 have embraced Islam in Dubai since 1996
Mother of young Syrian blogger appeals for her release
Abbas, Netanyahu vow to meet every two weeks for peace
Top Hizb commander arrested in Srinagar
India replies to Pakistan's queries on Headley visits
Pakistan cricket trio dropped
U.S. sanctions on Pakistani Taliban
Kerala to serve ultimatum on Dubai firm
2 Israelis injured in West Bank attack
In mosque controversies, some Christians undermine their own faith
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Blast site in Quetta, Pakistan
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3382
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Suicide Attack on Shia Rally In Pak: 50 Dead, 100 Injured
REZAUL H LASKAR/ISLAMABAD
SEP 03, 2010
A suicide attack on a procession organised by Shia students and subsequent firing by protesters at Quetta in southwest Pakistan today killed over 50 people and injured more than 100 others, hours after two terrorist attacks left as many persons dead in the northwest.
The bomber detonated his explosive vest when the rally reached Meezan Chowk, a busy square in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, shortly before 3 pm.
Dramatic footage aired on Geo News captured the blast, which occurred as the marchers were shouting slogans.
Over fifty people were killed, police and civil officials were quoted as saying by TV channels. Officials at hospitals said they had received about 100 injured people.
The driver of a TV channel was killed while several reporters and cameramen of Geo News, ARY News and Dawn News channels were among the injured.
People screamed in panic and ran helter-skelter after the blast. Several men cowered in fear and tried to hide behind cars and motorcycles. Armed youths who were part of the procession started firing after the blast.
Many persons sustained bullet injuries, officials said.
The procession was organised by the Imamia Students' Organisation to mark al-Quds Day and express solidarity with the people of Palestine. No group claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.
Balochistan police chief Malik Iqbal confirmed the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. He said police had asked the organisers of the rally to change the route due to fears of a terrorist attack.
Witnesses said the powerful blast was heard from several kilometres away. They said they had seen blood and body parts at the site of the explosion. A mob set on fire several shops, buildings and cars near the site of the blast.
Thick black smoke rose over the area as people rushed the injured to hospitals in private vehicles. The explosion caused widespread tension across Quetta, which has been affected by ethnic and sectarian tensions over the past few months.
People rushed home as markets across the city closed down.
Shia Muslims organise rallies across Pakistan on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Earlier in the day, militants targeted a police van with a roadside bomb on the outskirts of Peshawar in northwest Pakistan, killing a constable and injuring three others.
One person was killed and two more were injured when a suicide bomber targeted an Ahmedi mosque at Mardan, also in northwest Pakistan, in the afternoon. No group claimed responsibility for both attacks.
Today's attacks were the latest in a wave of assaults targeting religious minorities. Nearly 40 people were killed when two suicide bombers targeted a Shia procession in Lahore on Wednesday.
Taliban commander Qari Hussain, considered the trainer of suicide bombers, claimed responsibility for that attack.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik had yesterday asked the Shia community not to organise processions in open places to avoid suicide attacks. "How can police provide security to a gathering of 15,000 people?" he told reporters.
He said Shia leaders had been asked to organise processions at selected places and not to come out in markets and streets.
Jaffaria Alliance President Allama Abbas Kumaili, a leading Shia cleric, said it would not be possible for the community to abide by such restrictions. He said the community had been "expecting" an attack like the one in Quetta.
"They are trying to stop our rallies and gatherings, but we are not afraid of dying. We will fulfil our religious obligations. We can take care of security for our processions if the government cannot do so," Kumaili said.
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US drone strikes kill 10 in Pakistan
04 Sep, 2010
MIRAMSHAH: Two US drone strikes on Friday killed at least ten militants, including some foreign fighters, in Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt near the Afghan border, security officials said.
Both strikes hit North Waziristan district, a renowned hub for Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants.
The first struck a militant compound on the outskirts of North Waziristan's main town of Miramshah.
It was followed within an hour by a second strike that targeted a car travelling in Datta Khel, a small town 30 kilometres from Miramshah, officials said.
“A US drone fired two missiles on a house used by militants as a compound. Six militants have been killed and three wounded in this attack,” a security official in Peshawar told AFP by telephone of the first strike.
Intelligence officials in Miramshah said all those killed in that strike were local militants. One official said the house was completely destroyed.
“All those killed were local militants. We have no report about the presence of any 'high-value' target,” the intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Soon after the attack, militants surrounded the house and began rescue work, residents in Miramshah said.
“They have recovered six dead bodies and three injured from the debris,” a local resident told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Four militants were killed in a car by the second strike, officials said. “US drones fired three missiles at the car, killing at least four militants inside the car,” a security official in Peshawar told AFP.
Officials said those killed in that strike were foreign militants whose nationalities were not yet known.
Two intelligence officials in Miramshah confirmed both the attacks and the death toll.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-us+missiles+kill+five+in+north+waziristan--bi-02
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Radical Islam is world's greatest threat - Tony Blair
04 Sep, 2010
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has described radical Islam as the greatest threat facing the world today.
He made the remark in a BBC interview marking the publication of his memoirs.
Mr Blair said radical Islamists believed that whatever was done in the name of their cause was justified - including the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Mr Blair, who led Britain into war in Afghanistan and Iraq, denied that his own policies had fuelled radicalism.
Asked about the argument that Chechens, Kashmiris, Palestinians, Iraqis and Afghans were resisting foreign occupation, he said Western polices were designed to confront radical Islamists because they were "regressive, wicked and backward-looking".
The aim of al-Qaeda in Iraq was "not to get American troops out of Baghdad [but] to destabilise a government the people of Iraq have voted for", he told the BBC's Owen Bennett Jones in a World Service interview.
'Stronger will'
The former British leader - who now acts as the Middle East envoy for the international Quartet - said that Iran was one of the biggest state sponsors of radical Islam, and it was necessary to prevent it by any means from developing a nuclear weapon.
"We need to give a message to Iran that is very clear - that they cannot have nuclear weapons capability, and we will stop them," he said.
Mr Blair said he was not advocating military action, but simply saying no option could be taken off the table.
Iran denies pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, and insists its atomic work is for civilian purposes.
Mr Blair told the BBC his view of foreign policy had changed as a result of the 9/11 attacks: "After 11 September, rightly or wrongly, I felt the calculus of risk had changed.
"There is the most enormous threat from the combination of this radical extreme movement and the fact that, if they could, they would use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
"You can't take a risk with that happening."
Mr Blair said he agonised over how to respond to radical Islam and still had doubts that he was right.
These are really difficult issues, he said, but added: "This extremism is so deep that in the end they have to know that they're facing a stronger will than theirs."
Mr Blair has also expressed optimism about the prospect of peace in the Middle East. Direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians began in Washington on Thursday.
Speaking in Dublin, on the prime-time entertainment programme The Late Late Show, Mr Blair said he believed the Middle East peace process was similar to Northern Ireland - and would be successful.
He said: "I feel it can be settled. You just have to carry on."
There was a small anti-war protest outside the Dublin studio where the interview took place.
Mr Blair also told the Late Late Show that his successor as prime minister, Gordon Brown, remained a friend.
In his autobiography, Mr Blair said Mr Brown was "maddening", had "zero" emotional intelligence and sought to frustrate key reforms.
However, Mr Blair said there were many things he admired about Mr Brown and would "probably" still go for a drink with him.
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Tennessee mosque fire 'was arson', investigators say
04 Sep, 2010
A fire that damaged construction equipment at the site of a Tennessee Islamic centre has been ruled arson.
Officials in Murfreesboro have offered a $20,000 (£13,000) reward for help finding the person they say doused a lorry in diesel and then ignited it.
The FBI said it had yet to determine whether the fire was a hate crime and would not say if it has any suspects.
Saturday's incident came amid growing anti-Muslim animosity and opposition to new mosque building across the US.
The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has outgrown its current space and is constructing a new campus.
Mosque leaders note Muslims have lived and worshipped in Murfreesboro without any problems.
But anti-Muslim protests have risen in recent months, provoked in part by opposition to a developer's plans to build an Islamic community centre near the site of the World Trade Center in New York City.
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UPS plane crashes near Dubai, kills 2 pilots, report says
04 Sep, 2010
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A United Parcel Service cargo plane crashed in an unpopulated area near the Dubai airport, killing the two crew members on board, UPS officials said Friday.
The 747-400, a UPS-operated cargo plane, crashed with two pilots about 8 p.m. as it took off for Cologne, Germany, UPS officials reported Friday.
"Safety is a key priority for UPS," the company's airline and international operations manager, Bob Lekites, said in a statement.
"Our thoughts go out to the crewmembers involved in the incident and their families," he said.
Full report at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/09/03/uae.plane.crash/index.html#fbid=lat-07YT6wN&wom=false
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A plea to free American hikers in Iran
04 Sep, 2010
Editor's note: Akbar Ahmed is professor and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington and the former high commissioner from Pakistan to the United Kingdom. He is author of "Journey Into America: The Challenge of Islam" (Brookings Press). The following is based on a letter he delivered to the senior most Iranian diplomat in Washington to be sent to Iran's supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Washington (CNN) -- When the month of Ramadan began, I received a letter from Laura Fattal, the mother of one of the three young American hikers detained in Iran. In it, Fattal appealed to me, the first Muslim scholar she had contacted, to intervene on behalf of her son and his two friends.
The Iranian government has stated that Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd crossed the Iranian border while on a hiking trip in Iraqi Kurdistan on the last day of July 2009, and they may have.
Full report at:
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Iranian mob attacks opposition leader's apartment
04 Sep, 2010
(CNN) -- A mob ransacked the entrance to the Tehran apartment complex of Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi late Thursday, an assault that resulted in an attack on the head of his security detail, his son said.
"Our situation is not good at the moment," Mohammad Taghi Karrubi, Karrubi's son, told CNN.
People have demonstrated in front of his house for four straight days, the son said. Demonstrators gathered outside and chanted for the first two days, but late Thursday a mob broke into the building.
About 40 to 50 demonstrators returned on Friday. Many, armed with guns and paintball guns, surrounded the house Friday and shouted chants against Karrubi and the opposition movement.
Full report at:
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Hamas, 10 other groups pledge to continue targeting Israelis
04 Sep, 2010
CNN -- Members of the militant wing of Hamas and representatives of 10 other militant groups met Thursday and said they were joining forces and that attacks on Israelis would continue.
During the meeting, Hamas representative Abu Obeida spoke in general about resistance, jihad, and responding to Israel with iron and fire.
The meeting came shortly after a Hamas official said "resistance operations" against Israelis would continue, despite the arrests of Hamas activists in the West Bank.
The Hamas pledge to continue attacks came after the Islamist group claimed responsibility for two shooting attacks on Israeli settlers in the past two days that left four people dead and two others wounded.
Full report at:
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Human rights lawyer who fled Iran is reunited with family
04 Sep, 2010
West Tisbury, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A human rights lawyer who defended a woman sentenced to death in Iran for adultery enjoyed a tearful reunion with his wife and daughter Thursday after they flew from Tehran to Oslo, Norway.
It was the first time Mohammad Mostafaei had seen his family since he went into hiding and fled Iran in late July.
"I had a lot of stress, but when I saw my daughter and my wife, I was very happy. I cried," Mostafaei said from Oslo, where he has been granted asylum. "Today was very good for me. I could see them [for the first time] in 40 days."
Mostafaei gained international attention for defending Shakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two who was sentenced to death after being found guilty of committing adultery. He also has worked extensively in Iran defending juveniles sentenced to death.
On the day Mostafaei went into hiding, Iranian authorities detained Mostafaei's wife, Fereshteh Halimi, as well as his brother- and father-in-law.
Full report at:
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1 Killed In Suicide Attack On Ahmedi Mosque In Pak
Sep 03rd, 2010
One person was killed and two others were injured when a suicide bomber targeted an Ahmedi mosque at Mardan in northwest Pakistan on Friday, hours after a policeman was killed by a roadside bomb on the outskirts of this restive city. The suicide attacker tried to storm the mosque of the minority sect at Muslimabad on Canal Road, a posh area of Mardan city, but was stopped by volunteers, witnesses told TV news channels. The bomber then detonated his explosive vest. "The bomber targeted the worship place of the Ahmedis at Muslimabad on Canal Road. We have found the head of the bomber," Mardan Commissioner Akbar Khan told PTI. The Muslimabad area has a sizable Ahmedi population. Earlier in the day, militants targeted a police van with a roadside bomb on the outskirts of Peshawar, killing a constable and injuring three others. The van was on a routine patrol near the Khyber tribal region when the remote controlled explosive device planted along the Ring Road went off this morning. Four policemen were wounded and one of them later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Officials described the condition of one of the injured policemen as serious. Police sealed off the site of the blast and launched a search for the attackers. No group claimed responsibility for both attacks. The attack on the Ahmedi mosque came two days after a Shia procession in Lahore was targeted by two suicide bombers. Thirty-nine people were killed and nearly 300 injured in that attack. In May, 95 people were killed when suicide attackers stormed two Ahmedi mosques in Lahore. While Ahmedis consider themselves Muslim, they were declared non-Muslims through a constitutional amendment in 1974. A decade later, they were legally barred from proselytising or identifying themselves as Muslims in Pakistan. Some 1.5 million Ahmedis live across the country.
http://www.asianage.com/international/1-killed-suicide-attack-ahmedi-mosque-pak-155
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Mosque shooting in Riyadh injures three
Sep 3, 2010
RIYADH: At least three people were reported injured when gunmen opened fire outside a mosque in Riyadh on Wednesday night. However, senior police officials told Arab News that only one person was hit.
The shootout, that sent shock waves throughout the local community, took place outside the Prince Sultan Mosque. The mosque shooting — the first criminal act of its kind to take place during the holy month of Ramadan in the capital — happened after taraweeh prayers.
According to reports, the imam and the muezzin of the mosque were also injured. It was claimed that both were released after they received medical treatment at a clinic, while the third person was hospitalized.
A spokesman from Riyadh Police said two people waiting outside the mosque fired on another person coming out after prayers. “According to preliminary investigations, it seems to be the case of a personal dispute between the man and the shooters,” said the spokesman. He reiterated that only one man was injured in the shooting.
“The case is in under investigation,” said the spokesman, confirming that the incident took place outside Prince Sultan Mosque in Riyadh. He also clarified that it was not a terrorist act.
The spokesman said the shooters fled the scene in a Camry, leaving worshippers terrified. It is not clear whether any arrests have been made.
Riyadh is home to about five million people and has been relatively crime-free for the last several years.
There have been regular reports of thefts, snatchings and fraud, but no major acts of organized crime or terrorism have been reported in the capital city over the past five years.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article124486.ece
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2 killed in Turbat bus attack
Sep 3, 2010
QUETTA: Two people were killed, while eight others injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus carrying pilgrims in Pidrak area near Turbat on Thursday. According to reports, a passenger bus coming from Sindh was attacked near Pidrak area, a town close to Turbat city. Gunmen opened fire on the bus as a result of which two pilgrims died on the spot, while eight others sustained multiple injuries.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\09\03\story_3-9-2010_pg7_11
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Hindu-Muslim couple gets cover
Ajay Sura
Sep 3, 2010
CHANDIGARH: In a first, inter-religion live-in partners have got security from the Punjab and Haryana High Court after religious heads refused to solemnize their marriage unless they converted to one religion.
That left them with the only option of marrying under the Special Marriage Act, which requires their parents to be informed.
This has posed danger to their lives as their families are opposed to their marriage. Jagroop Ali and Kulwant Kaur of Moga district in Punjab sought protection from the high court.
The couple, who decided to settle into a live-in relationship after refusing to convert, was granted legal protection from the girl's enraged parents.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Sikh-Muslim-couple-gets-cover/articleshow/6482615.cms#ixzz0yRsvxmBg
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Muslims hold mass prayers at flashpoint Jerusalem mosque
September 3, 2010-09-03
JERUSALEM: Tens of thousands of Muslims poured into the heavily guarded Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem for the last Friday prayers of Ramadan as Palestinians protested over newly relaunched peace talks.
Israeli police put the number of worshippers at 160,000 to 170,000, while Muslim authorities said it exceeded 200,000.
In his Friday sermon Sheikh Yusef Abu Sneineh criticised the relaunch on Thursday of Middle East peace talks in Washington, saying "these negotiations are a joke."
He went on to accuse Israel of seeking normalisation with the Arab and Muslim world while "continuing its colonisation" of the occupied West Bank through the building of Jewish settlements.
In the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, hundreds of people attended a rally in honour of the Iranian-declared Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day.
Full report at: Times of India
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Chinese troops in PoK: India conveys concern to China
Sep 3, 2010
BEIJING/NEW DELHI: India on Friday conveyed its concerns to China over its presence in Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and its activities in that region.
The Indian move came in the wake of reports of presence of about 11,000 Chinese troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan region held by Pakistan.
The Indian concerns over Chinese "activity and presence" were conveyed by ambassador to China S Jaishankar during a meeting with their vice minister for foreign affairs Zhang Zhijun in Beijing on Friday, according to officials at the Indian embassy.
Jaishankar also conveyed India's concerns over the presence of Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) troops in the region. However, China had on Thursday rejected reports that its troops were in Gilgit region in northern Kashmir.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chinese-troops-in-PoK-India-conveys-concern-to-China/articleshow/6484095.cms#ixzz0yRszDxJN
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No troops deployed in Gilgit-Baltistan, says China
Ananth Krishnan
Sep 3, 2010
Beijing describes Gilgit-Baltistan as “a northern part of Pakistan”
“Visa policy towards people from Kashmir is consistent, unchanged”
BEIJING: China on Thursday denied the presence of its troops in Gilgit-Baltistan, but voiced support to Islamabad's claims on the disputed region by describing it in a statement as “a northern part of Pakistan.”
India views the region as an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir that is under illegal occupation. China has, in the past, refrained from voicing its support to either Indian or Pakistani claims to the disputed region.
“The story that China has deployed its military in a northern part of Pakistan is totally groundless and out of ulterior motive,” the Foreign Ministry here said. “We believe the attempts of some people to fabricate stories to provoke China-Pakistan or China-India relations are doomed to fail.”
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/03/stories/2010090364451600.htm
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China Gilgit gambit is strategic says expert
Sep 3, 2010
China has massive presence in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said a US-based activist from Gilgit who added that massive investments were made by Beijing in that frontier region to expand the Karakoram Corridor as a strategic pathway. Washingon-based political activist Senge H. Sering, a former
visiting fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), warned the Indian government about the Chinese presence over the years in Pakistani Kashmir.
Sering has spoken about massive investments made by China in the frontier region to expand the Karakoram Corridor as a strategic pathway to the sea lanes linking to West Asia.
Highlighting the multifaceted character of Chinese presence in the Gilgit-Baltistan province, Sering said China-Pakistan cooperation in the corridor includes expansion of the Karakoram Highway (KH), construction of a parallel railway line as well as oil and gas pipelines, which will give China rapid connectivity to Pakistani ports lying in the gateway to the Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/China-Gilgit-gambit-is-strategic-says-expert/Article1-595349.aspx
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LeT boss had stayed at PFI facility: Police
VR Jayaraj
Sep 3, 2010
Kerala Police on Thursday claimed in the High Court that LeT’s South India commander Thadiyantavide Nazeer had stayed at Periyar Valley, an office facility of Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), near Aluva, off Kochi. Through these revelations, the police were suggesting that there could be links between the LeT and the PFI, said security experts.
In their affidavit opposing bail petitions of the five accused in the case of attack on the professor, the police said that they had obtained evidence suggesting that Nazeer had stayed at Periyar Valley. The police had held extensive searches at Periyar Valley after the attack on the professor.
The Popular Front (when it was NDF) had maintained that none of its workers had anything to do with the terror activities in the State or elsewhere. This was after allegations were raised against the outfit after the arrest of Abdul Jaleel, a PFI former activist, on October 19, 2008 in the context of the killing of four Malayalee militants in Kupwara, Kashmir.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/280472/LeT-boss-had-stayed-at-PFI-facility-Police.html
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God did not create the universe, says Hawking
By Michael Holden
Sep 3, 2010
LONDON (Reuters) – God did not create the universe and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book.
In "The Grand Design," co-authored with U.S. physicist LeonardMlodinow, Hawking says a new series of theories made a creator of the universe redundant, according to the Times newspaper which published extracts on Thursday.
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," Hawking writes.
Full report at:
http://www.readersupportednews.org/off-site-news-section/188-188/3189-stephen-hawking-qgod-did-not-create-the-universeq
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Ahmadinejad tells Iran protesters: Israel too weak to attack our nuclear facilities
Fri Sep 3, 2010
Late supreme leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, grand ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had declared the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan as Quds (Jerusalem) Day and called for mass rallies against Israel and in support of the Palestinians.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told supporters across Iran on Friday that "all were in danger" as a result of Israel, as protesters gathered nationwide for anti-Israel rallies as part of the the 31st annual Al-Quds Day.
Ahmadinejad was quoted by the local IRNA news agency as saying that while Israel and its supporters were too weak to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, it nevertheless was endangering the dignity and culture of the world in its quest for survival and dignity.
Full report at:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/ahmadinejad-tells-protesters-across-iran-israel-puts-world-in-danger-1.311926
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Syria holds Lebanon Shia cleric as Israeli spy
3 September 2010
BEIRUT — A Lebanese Shia cleric known as a critic of Syrian-backed Hezbollah has been arrested in Syria on suspicion of spying for Israel, a high-ranking Lebanese security official said on Thursday.
“Sheikh Hassan Msheymish was arrested in July in Syria based on data Lebanese police intelligence had sent to Syrian authorities indicating that he was implicated in collaborating with Israel,” the official told AFP.
Msheymish was still being interrogated by Syrian authorities as preliminary information gathered by Lebanese intelligence indicated he may have spied on targets in Syria, the official said.
The cleric’s son, Ali Msheymish, told AFP there was no proof to the allegations against his father.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/September/middleeast_September87.xml§ion=middleeast
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Suicide blast kills at least one in Tajikistan
03 Sep, 2010
DUSHANBE: A suicide bomber blew himself up at a police station in northern Tajikistan on Friday, killing at least one person and wounding 20, a police source said.
“There were people in the building and it's now burning,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.
He said the death toll was likely to rise but that it was not immediately clear if the dead included the suicide bomber.
The attack occurred in Khujand, about 340 km north of the capital Dushanbe and near the border with Uzbekistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/04-tajikistan-suicide-blast-qs-02
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Pak's N-Arsenal Prevented War With India: A.Q. Khan
Sep 03rd, 2010
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal has prevented a conventional war with India, ensuring "our survival, our security, and our sovereignty", besides making the "nation walk with head held high", boasts Mr A.Q. Khan, the disgraced scientist considered the father of Islamabad's clandestine nuclear programme.
"Our nuclear programme has ensured our survival, our security, and our sovereignty... I am proud to have contributed to it together with my patriotic and able colleagues," the man accused of running a nuclear blackmarket said in an interview.
Mr Khan, who in 2004 accepted sole responsibility for providing nuclear know-how to Iran, Libya, and North Korea, was pardoned by then president, Mr Pervez Musharraf, but was placed under house arrest at the behest of the US. However, Islamabad has refused to make him available for questioning by the US.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/paks-n-arsenal-prevented-war-india-aq-khan-132
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Malik urges restrain on religious rallies
Sep 3, 2010
ISLAMABAD—Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that triple suicide bombings in Lahore were meant to trigger sectarian violence in the country.
Talking to media persons outside the parliament house here on Thursday, Rehman Malik said that some handful hidden elements were wanted to destabilize the country and they were working against sovereignty of the country. He reiterated that government has taken action against militants wherever the write of the government were challenged and would take action in the future as same.
He said that military action against militants would continue until militancy is rooted out form the country.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0910/03/FrontPage/index.php?id=12
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Jordan uncovers 3,000-year-old Moabite temple
Sep 3, 2010
AMMAN: Jordan's Department of Antiquities on Thursday unveiled what it labeled as one of the most important Iron Age discoveries in the region, including a 3,000-year-old Moabite temple.
The three-story temple, which dates back to between 1200 and 600 BC, yielded over 300 Moabite artifacts, leading experts to believe it was once a political and religious base for the Moabite kingdom, the department's Director General, Ziad Saad, said in a statement.
The bulk of the historic findings were uncovered last month by a joint team of the Department of Antiquities and the La Sierra University in the United States.
Among the newly discovered artifacts are a statue of the bull-faced Moabite deity Hadad and nearly 300 vessels, lamps and altars for performing religious rituals, Saad said.
The discoveries at Khirbet Ataruz, near Dhiban, some 50 km south of Amman, told the story of Iron-Age Jordan, he added.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article124211.ece
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Pak Minister wants Obama to be ‘leader of all Muslims’
Sep 3, 2010
A Pakistani Minister wants US President Barack Obama to offer Eid prayers at Ground Zero in New York and become the “Amir-ul-Momineen” or Caliph of Muslims.
Minister of State for Industries Ayatullah Durrani, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, said the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival, expected to be observed on September 11, would be a “golden opportunity” for Obama to offer Eid prayers and declare himself the leader of all Muslims.
“In this way, all the problems of the Muslim world would be solved,” Durrani told The Nation newspaper.
Durrani, a former member of the Pakistan Ideological Council, contended that the Muslim world is in “dire need” of a Caliph and occupying this distinguished slot would provide Obama “exemplary titles” like “Mullah Barack Hussain Obama” or “Allama Obama”.
He said, “The time is approaching fast. Barack Hussain Obama must act now. This is a golden opportunity, Muslims badly need it.”
http://www.dailypioneer.com/280450/Pak-Minister-wants-Obama-to-be-%E2%80%98leader-of-all-Muslims%E2%80%99.html
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'Taliban facing financial crisis'
Sep 3, 2010
Noting that the Taliban has been driven to desperation around Marjah in southern Afghanistan, a top US general stationed there has said that the terrorist outfit is facing an acute financial crisis. "We have intelligence that indicates to us that he (Taliban) has got a financial crisis on his
hands," US Marine Corps Major General Richard Mills said in a video-briefing from the province to the Pentagon press room.
The targeting of the Taliban's opium "treasury" and various steps to undermine the terrorist organisation's opium profits has led to shortage of funds, he said.
As a result, Mills said, based in sensitive intelligence, he believes that local insurgency in the Helmand province has less than one-half of what they had last year in operating funds.
"He (the Taliban) has a cash-flow problem," Mills said, adding that the Taliban does not have the money needed to buy the weapons needed in order to continue conflicts.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Taliban-facing-financial-crisis/H1-Article1-595439.aspx
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“Kashmir situation needs a human touch”
Shujaat Bukhari
Sep 3, 2010
SRINAGAR: Peace activist Swami Agnivesh on Thursday appealed to the Union government to reach out to youth in Kashmir.
Protests in the Valley were not orchestrated from across the border. They were spontaneous as the alienation of people had touched new heights. People were not for Pakistan, but they surely talk about “Azadi,” he told The Hindu , before winding up his three-day visit to Kashmir. There were strong feelings of disillusionment on the ground. “But the heartening part is that people here do not talk about Kashmir's merger with Pakistan but surely about Azadi.”
A big message
“It is a big message for the whole India that Kashmir people neither identify themselves with Pakistan nor hobnob with them. The impression that the ongoing protests were engineered or provoked by Pakistan is not true,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/03/stories/2010090364431600.htm
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Iran's first lady of skiing trains on grass
Sep 3, 2010
DIZIN, Iran: Skiing down a grassy mountain in the middle of summer is not the only unusual thing about Marjan Kalhor. She is also an Olympic competitor -- a rare thing for a woman in a male-dominated sport in Iran.
Two hours' drive from Tehran, Dizin's hotel and many flashy chalets cater for skiers and the many winter visitors who want to escape the bustle and pollution of the capital.
But in summer, when temperatures in the city are often well above 40 C, it remains a training ground for people, like Kalhor, who have devoted much of their lives to the sport.
It is also the hometown of the 22-year-old who this year became the first woman skier to represent Iran in a Winter Olympics.
Warming up to whiz down the grassy slope, Kalhor told Reuters she loves her career as a skier despite the fact that, like many Iranian athletes, she receives no financial backing.
"During the Olympics I hurt my knees, but no one even bothered to call and ask how I was doing? I myself paid the whole costs." A male colleague, Mahdi Solghani, agreed that life is tough for Iranian athletes, men or women.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article124228.ece
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Iftar gatherings in Eastern Province highlight Ramadan spirit
Sep 3, 2010
ALKHOBAR: Saudis in the Eastern Province are getting into the spirit of Ramadan by hosting massive iftar meals and feeding thousands of needy people in hospitality tents erected in Alkhobar.
“In these tents nearly 5,000 people break their fasts every evening. We call it the Ramadan Multicultural Gathering,” said Tariq Al-Sugair, one of the volunteer organizers at the Alkhobar Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance.
“This philosophy is truly reflected when, at the call for Maghreb prayer, all 5,000 people break their fasts in these tents, enjoying dates, laban, rice and chicken.”
The program is supervised by the local offices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, but the whole program is run with the help of sponsors and donations from the local business community.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article124498.ece
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World Islamic body asks Muslims to tithe for Pakistan
Fri Sep 3, 2010
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — The Organisation of the Islamic Conference on Thursday appealed to Muslims everywhere to direct their zakat tithes to relief for flood-wracked Pakistan.
The Jeddah-based pan-Islamic organisation, together with the OIC-sponsored International Islamic Fiqh Academy, said in a statement that Muslims everywhere "should not restrain from helping their Pakistani brothers ... and should not leave them alone to their fate."
The Fiqh academy, a centre of research on Islamic jurisprudence, said that Islamic scholars had ruled that it is acceptable to direct one's tithes to other communities and countries than one's own.
Full report at:
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
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Muslim cleric calls for beheading of Dutch politician
Fri Sep 3, 2010
A well-known Australian Muslim cleric has called for the beheading of Dutch anti-Islamic politician Geert Wilders, a newspaper said on Friday.
Wilders' Freedom Party scored the biggest gains in June 9 polls and is currently negotiating to form a new minority government with the Liberals and Christian Democrats. Polls show Wilders would win a new election if one were called now.
Wilders demanded to know why he had learnt about the threat from the newspaper and not from Dutch authorities who are guarding him after a film and remarks he made angered Muslims around the world.
De Telegraaf, the Netherlands' largest newspaper, led its front page on Friday with a story on the speech by Feiz Muhammad.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68217920100903
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Forcing Islamic women to not wear veils is still oppression
Sep 3, 2010
Freedom is the opportunity to decide for you. Choice is the basic building block of capitalism and a democratic system. Americans have the freedom to choose our political representatives and products we consume.
In our Constitution, it is written that we have the right to choose religion, political figures and pursuit of happiness. However, these ideals sometimes are not upheld to the high standards we set for ourselves as Americans.
As an American, I listened to the stories flooding the news about a law that recently passed through the French senate. The law states that Islamic veils cannot be worn in public. On one hand, lawmakers state the law is in place for safety reasons. The covering of the face makes it easy to escape the law.
Full report at:
http://dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2010/08/forcing_islamic_women_to_not_wear_veils_is_still_oppression#print
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Mubarak the Peacemaker?
Ashraf Ramelah
03 Sep, 2010
Today September 2, Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator, will arrive in Washington, DC for the purpose of participating in the Middle East Peace Summit planned by U.S. president, Barack Obama and discuss the Palestinian-Israeli issue along with Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority leader Abbas.
According to the Egyptian media Mubarak will be giving a speech aiming to explain Egypt’s interest, along with all other Arab countries from the area, in promoting serious peace talks between the Arabs and Israelis to end hostilities. The prospect of Mr. Mubarak sitting down to broker or somehow facilitate peace between the Arabs living in Gaza and the state of Israel is laughable. Despite the signed peace treaty of 1979 between Egypt and Israel, during his twenty-nine years ruling Egypt Mr. Mubarak has never once paid a visit to his neighbor, Israel, because he does not recognize Jerusalem as the capitol of their country.
Full report at:
http://www.islamisofthedevil.com/blog/2010/09/mubarak-peacemaker-ashraf-ramelah?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+iiotd+(Islam+is+of+the+Devil)
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OIC asks Muslims to tithe for Pakistan
03 Sep, 2010
JEDDAH: The Organisation of the Islamic Conference on Thursday appealed to Muslims everywhere to direct their zakat tithes to relief for flood-wracked Pakistan.
The Jeddah-based pan-Islamic organisation, together with the OIC-sponsored International Islamic Fiqh Academy, said in a statement that Muslims everywhere “should not restrain from helping their Pakistani brothers ... and should not leave them alone to their fate.”
The Fiqh academy, a centre of research on Islamic jurisprudence, said that Islamic scholars had ruled that it is acceptable to direct one's tithes to other communities and countries than one's own.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/06-oic-asks-muslims-to-tithe-for-pakistan-rs-02
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Flood-hit Pakistanis, Afghans may cross to Iran: UNHCR
Sep 3, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Dismal conditions in the flood-hit areas in Balochistan could force thousands of Pakistanis and Afghan refugees to cross the border into Iran, the UN refugee agency warned on Thursday.
The number of displaced people in Balochistan is 1.7 million now, and lack of assistance could make them head to neighbouring Iran, said Mengesha Kebede, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Pakistan. “This has not happened yet... but definitely everybody is aware of significant movement that is taking place,” Kebede said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\09\03\story_3-9-2010_pg7_5
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US ‘apologises’ over Dulles Airport incident
Sep 3, 2010
LAHORE/WASHINGTON: US Undersecretary for Defence Michele Flournoy on Thursday telephoned Defence Secretary Lieutenant General (r) Syed Athar Ali Khan to apologise over the misbehaviour of Washington’s Dulles Airport officials with a Pakistani military delegation, which led to the cancellation of the Pakistani side’s US visit, a private TV channel reported.
Athar protested against the misbehaviour of the US officials with the Pakistani military delegation. He asked Flournoy to take steps to avoid such incidents in the future. The US undersecretary for defence assured that positive steps would be taken after proper talks had been held between the military officials of both the countries, the private TV channel reported. Separately, White House spokesman Philip J Crowley expressed regrets over the incident and termed it a misunderstanding between the airport officials and the Pakistani delegation.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\09\03\story_3-9-2010_pg7_6
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Islamabad hails US ban on TTP
Sep 3, 2010
Islamabad—Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said Pakistan welcomed US withdrawal from Iraq, adding his country wanted stability in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Foreign Office spokesman affirmed this while addressing a news briefing here at Foreign Office. Abdul Basit said that Chinese workers are helping and repairing the Karakoram Highway on request by Pakistan that has been damaged by the torrent. He said British response is being awaited regarding sending a Pak team to investigate into the cricket scandal. Responding a question, Abdul Basit said the government is still waiting for Indian reply on investigations of Samjhota Express Tragedy.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0910/03/FrontPage/index.php?id=4
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Corruption probe ruffles US-Afghan relations
Sep 3, 2010
Petraeus said Karzai has stated publicly that corruption undermines the legitimacy of his government in the eyes of the Afghan people
A bribery probe involving a top adviser to President Hamid Karzai has angered the Afghan leader and threatens to damage US relations with Kabul just three months after a White House visit that seemed to smooth ties at a critical stage in the war.
Instead, tensions have risen over the aide’s arrest by a US-advised team, and the US says it is watching the next anti-corruption steps closely. In the days that followed, Karzai bluntly criticized US war strategy and ordered private security companies in the nation to disband in four months. He also signed off on the forced retirement of a veteran corruption-fighter amid allegations by the ousted prosecutor and others that cases against high-ranking government officials were being blocked.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\09\03\story_3-9-2010_pg20_9
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A shut Lahore buries its martyrs
Bashir Tariq
Sep 3, 2010
LAHORE – A very tense city of Lahore on Thursday observed a complete shutter-down to mourn the deaths of the 29 innocent people killed in the triple terror blasts that ripped through a Yaum-e-Ali procession near Karbala Gamay Shah on Wednesday. A congregational funeral was also observed at Nasir Bagh for those killed in the blasts. The death toll from the attacks rose to 37 on Thursday as more people succumbed to their injuries, officials said. “The fresh toll is now 37, with at least 200 people still being treated for burns and other injuries in local hospitals,” Lahore DCO Sajjad Bhutta said. “Thirty-seven people have died and a total of 281 were injured,” Fahim Jehanzeb, a spokesman for Lahore's rescue agency told media, adding that he feared more would die from their injuries.With police on high alert, hundreds of people attended funeral prayers.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0910/03/CityPage/index.php?id=6
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Ramadan in the 1960s
Sep 3, 2010
"Mom! How did you cook during Ramadan before, without such a great invention like the food processor?" I asked as I pressed the off button of the said appliance and started to take out the chopped onions during a mom-daughter moment in the kitchen.
"I mean cooking a huge quantity of food for a large family without help must definitely have been quite tough, yeah?"
"Let me tell you how life was in Ramadan back in the 1960s," answered Mom, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"At around 11.30 p.m., all the shops of our small village start to close minutes before the Dhuhr call for prayer. Women, after prayer, start going to their kitchens. Usually the grandmother of the house would go to the kitchen to both guide and supervise her daughters-in-law while they cook."
"Cook what, Mom?" I asked.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article124469.ece
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Fatah official: Negotiations' fate is failure
Sep 3, 2010
RAMALLAH: A senior Fatah official on Thursday said that the Palestinian leadership has gone to Washington for direct peace talks with Israelis without a "safety net" or promises it can rely on.
Mohammed Dahlan, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, said in a press statement that the spoken promises the US administration could not be trusted.
"I am convinced that America's mission is to satisfy (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu, and not to continue the peace process," Dahlan said.
He added that the US policy "will not bring peace, because on the core issues, one side will not change the stances it presented in the past."
The Fatah official accused US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell of leaving "his primary job as a negotiator and becoming Netanyahu's public relations person."
Dahlan said that the US pressured the Palestinians to go from indirect to direct talks because of "internal conflicts and Mitchell's failure to convince Netanyahu to make progress on any subject." "(Palestinian President) Mahmoud Abbas went to negotiations because of the Arab League not because of his personal opinion."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article124214.ece
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Over 13,000 have embraced Islam in Dubai since 1996
Sep 3, 2010
DUBAI: Dubai has witnessed over 13,000 conversions to Islam over the last 14 years particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, a senior official has said.
Huda Al Kaabi, head of the New Muslims Section at the Islamic Affairs Department, said as many as 13,946 people from 72 nationalities have embraced Islam in Dubai since 1996.
"These include 10,450 new Muslims from 2005 to 2009," Al Kaabi was quoted by Khaleej Times as saying.
"When people come to Dubai, they know better about the bright image of Islam, and how it tolerantly meets man's needs in all places and times," she said.
While 3,043 people converted to Islam in 2009, the first half of 2010 saw 1,373 new Muslims -- most of them were from the Philippines, Russia, China and India.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Over-13000-have-embraced-Islam-in-Dubai-since-1996/articleshow/6483783.cms#ixzz0yRsqIt5n
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Mother of young Syrian blogger appeals for her release
Sep 3, 2010
DAMASCUS: The mother of a 19-year-old female Syrian blogger who was arrested last year has appealed to President Bashar Assad for her release, saying her daughter does not understand anything about politics.
Security agents arrested Tal Al-Molouhi, a high school student, in December, and confiscated her computer. Her mother said she has not heard from her since then.
Molouhi's blogs included poems and articles supporting the Palestinian cause and criticizing the Partnership for the Mediterranean, a French diplomatic initiative bringing together Arab and European countries, as well as Israel.
Her arrest stirred a storm in the Arab blogosphere, with numerous postings lambasting what was seen as indiscriminate repression in Syria.
There was no comment from the Syrian government, which does not usually comment on political arrests.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article124213.ece
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Abbas, Netanyahu vow to meet every two weeks for peace
Sep 3, 2010
WASHINGTON: Israeli and Palestinian leaders launched their first direct negotiations in 20 months on Thursday, agreeing to meet every two weeks in a bid to reach a lasting peace settlement within a year.
"Thank you for your courage and commitment," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas as she opened what turned into four hours of talks.
"I know the decision to sit at this table was not easy," the chief US diplomat said at a rectangular table in a chandeliered room at the State Department, referring to the "suspicion and skepticism" surrounding the talks.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Abbas-Netanyahu-vow-to-meet-every-two-weeks-for-peace/articleshow/6482635.cms#ixzz0yRtAklSL
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Top Hizb commander arrested in Srinagar
Sep 3, 2010
RINAGAR: In a major breakthrough, police on Thursday night arrested a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander from the city, official sources said here.
Firdous Ahmad Mattoo alias Tariqul Islam, a self-styled district commander of Hizb, was arrested by police from his hideout in a locality under Shergarhi police station, they said.
Mattoo, a resident of Drabshalla in Kishtwar district, had gone across the Line of Control (LoC) to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 1998 to receive training in handling of arms and explosives, they said
He had returned in 2007 and was mostly operating in south Kashmir range before moving his base to the capital city recently, the sources said.
Police considers Mattoo's arrest a major success as they expect to extract important information from him about other militants and their sympathizers active in the Valley.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Top-Hizb-commander-arrested-in-Srinagar/articleshow/6482126.cms#ixzz0yRtF7Jab
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India replies to Pakistan's queries on Headley visits
Sep 3, 2010
NEW DELHI: India handed over yet another dossier to Pakistan on the results of investigations into David Headley's India visits. The dossier was handed over to Pakistani high commissioner Shahid Malik on Wednesday evening by Yash Sinha, in-charge of Pakistan policy at the ministry of external affairs.
The dossier was an answer to almost 50 questions that were raised by Pakistan in its last dossier. These questions related to Headley's numerous visits to India and details of his meetings with people in various cities, including film personality Rahul Bhatt.
Pakistan's interior ministry asked for "credible evidence" from India on the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks. The Pakistani dossier asking for answers came after home minister P Chidambaram had given dossiers to the Pakistani side asking for action against LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and his accomplices for their involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
On Wednesday, Chidambaram said, "They gave a dossier on David Headley. We have furnished answers."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-replies-to-Pakistans-queries-on-Headley-visits/articleshow/6481593.cms#ixzz0yRtIaQwk
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Pakistan cricket trio dropped
Sep 3, 2010
TOUGH TIMES: Pakistani pacemen Mohammed Amir (centre) and Mohammed Asif (second from right) arrive at the Pakistan High Commission in London on Thursday. These two, as well as Test captain Salman Butt, will not figure in the side's twenty20 and ODI series against England.
LONDON: Three Pakistan players at the centre of the corruption storm in England will take no further part in the tour.
Salman Butt, captain during the Test series which England won 3-1, and quick bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir are still being questioned by police about allegations in a British newspaper that they deliberately bowled no-balls.
On Thursday, all three were at the Pakistan High Commission in London, where they were being questioned about all the allegations of match-fixing. They were recalled to the team's headquarters in London on Tuesday when the first hint that they might not rejoin the tour party came because they took all their kit.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/03/stories/2010090358280100.htm
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U.S. sanctions on Pakistani Taliban
Narayan Lakshman
Sep 3, 2010
Washington: In a major legislative crackdown on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the United States Department of Treasury has slapped sanctions on the terrorist group.
In addition to “designating” the militant outfit — following which the Treasury may freeze any assets of the organisation and effectively ban all U.S. entities from trading with it — the Treasury has also applied sanctions on Hakimullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban's commander, and Wali Ur Rehman. While Mehsud was thought to have been killed in a U.S. drone strike in January, a video released by the Pakistani Taliban in May has led to claims he might have survived.
Mr. Benjamin said the sanctions were part of the U.S.' multipronged approach to disrupt and dismantle TTP in Pakistan and provide the Department of Justice with a “critical tool” to prosecute those who provide it with material support.
In addition, he said, the Department of Justice had announced a $5-million reward for any information leading to the arrest of Mehsud or Rehman.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/03/stories/2010090363461100.htm
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Kerala to serve ultimatum on Dubai firm
VR Jayaraj
Sep 3, 2010
The CPI(M)-led LDF Government in Kerala has begun legal proceedings to cancel the agreement with the Dubai-based promoters of the proposed `15-billion Smart City IT Kochi park, after pursuing the project for over two years and nine months.
It is now clear that the Smart City project, envisaged as panacea for all development ills of the State, would not materialise during the LDF Government term, which would end in May. It has also become clear that the project, which was to create 90,000 direct IT jobs, would be one of the main issues in the upcoming local bodies and Assembly elections.
The Government will send a “final notice” to Dubai-based Tecom (Technology and Media Free Zone), chief promoter, asking it to end the uncertainty over the project. Failure on the part of Tecom to provide a convincing answer within 15 days of the receipt of the letter will be considered as indication of its withdrawal from the project.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/280395/Kerala-to-serve-ultimatum-on-Dubai-firm.html
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2 Israelis injured in West Bank attack
Sep 3, 2010
Two Israelis were wounded on Wednesday night in a shooting attack in the West Bank, media reports said.
The victims, a man and a woman, were travelling in a car when they were shot at 11 pm local time (2000 GMT). The man was in critical condition and the woman sustained light injury, Xinhua said, citing a report of Israel's Channel 10 TV.
The incident, which happened at Rimonim Junction near Ramallah, is the second similar attack against Israelis in two days. Gunmen on Tuesday evening killed four Israeli civilians travelling in a vehicle near Hebron.
The two attacks occurred just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are about to relaunch direct peace talks in Washington Sep 2.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/280453/2-Israelis-injured-in-West-Bank-attack.html
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In mosque controversies, some Christians undermine their own faith
By Michael Gerson
September 3, 2010
Achurch in Florida is poised to commemorate an act of violence committed in the name of Islam, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with an act of stupidity committed in the name of Christianity, the public burning of the Koran.
This threatened libricide proves little more than the existence of a few attention-seeking crackpots in a continental country -- the natural resource that makes cable news possible. But the Manhattan mosque controversy has exposed a broader, conservative Christian suspicion of mosques and Muslims. Protests against the construction of mosques in California, Tennessee and Wisconsin have often included Christian pastors. Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association, a conservative Christian group, recently wrote: "Permits should not be granted to build even one more mosque in the United States of America, let alone the monstrosity planned for Ground Zero. This is for one simple reason: Each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government."
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090203990.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3382
12:14 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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