| Islamic World News | |
| 01 Nov 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com |
52 hostages killed in Baghdad church drama
Obama better than Bush, so no protests: Indian Muslims
17 Taliban killed in Helmand
Saudi scholars endorse ban on female cashiers
40 years in jail for Al-Qaida 'child soldier'
Militants attack Nato trucks near Pabbi; three hurt
Afghan Taliban hold secret talks with Karzai
Suicide bomber strikes at heart of Istanbul,32 injured
109,243 Afghans return home
Bangladesh expects Pakistan apology on 1971 war
Anti-Islam Mullah Omar aid killed in Afghanistan
Baitullah’s brother murdered in North Waziristan
Afghanistan’s Khogyani district captured from Taliban
Woman makes history, wins municipal seat Suad Hamada
ISLAMIC STATES: Boosting higher education cooperation
End of Iraq's Quran Competition Marked by Selecting Best Contestants
Islamic Jihad Leader Calls for Immediate End to Israel-PA Talks
Young European man explains why he converted to Islam
UNESCO asserts Ibrahimi and Bilal Mosques Islamic holy sites
Zionist plan to distort features of Buraq plaza exposed
Chinese Muslims begin pilgrimage to holy Mecca
Foreign policy still primary cause of Muslim extremism
Yemen to continue unabated war on terror despite hype over explosive packages – Minister
Don’t ignore our ways, Afghan tribal elders say
US drone strike kills five militants in Pakistan: Officials
Air strikes kill 18 Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan
PETN: 'Underwear bomb' too had same explosive
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to fly to US for talks on peace process
Saudi Qaida bombmaker behind US parcel bombs?
Ajmer bomb made at fugitive’s house
Separatists’ thumbs down to interlocutors
Barack will be asked to read out riot act to Pak
Bombmaker al-asiri who made Christmas day bomb is prime suspect again
Headley Withheld Details Of Wives, Kin
Three Taliban commanders killed in Swat
Faiza and Masooma’s ‘Real Faith Fiction’ at Canvas Gallery
No preconditions for Riyadh talks: Saud
100,000 Turks to perform Haj this year
Somali-American becomes new prime minister of war-ravaged country
Two militants killed in encounter with security forces
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Maulana Mahmood Madani
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J&K Is Integral Part Of India, Claims Jamiat
Nov 01st, 2010
Sending out a strong message to the world, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, one of the largest Muslim organisations in the country, affirmed that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.
“The social, political and geographical unity of the country cannot be compromised at any cost,” said a resolution adopted at the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind conference on Kashmir here on Sunday.
In an obvious hint to the separatists in the Valley, the resolution said protesters and their leaders must realise that democratic rights and institutions cannot be restored in a disturbed environment. “Peace is prerequisite for proper functioning of democratic institutions,” the resolution said.
However, expressing concern over the volatile situation in Kashmir, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, considered to have a centrist approach, demanded withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act from the Valley.
Charging that both the Jammu&Kashmir and the Central governments failed to maintain peace in the troubled border state, the resolution said, “It is a matter of anguish that innocent civilians including children have been killed in the unrestrained firing by the police and CRPF.” “Long imprisonment of innocent people without recourse to legal process, continued spiral of fake encounters and misuse Public Safety Act reinforced the deep-rooted angst of the people,” said the Jamiat.
The resolution observed that the situation in Kashmir Valley is getting from bad to worse and use of power to repress the anguish of citizens would not help. Instead, it will complicate the problem further and fuel separatist mindset, said the resolution.
The conference further demanded that the government should accept the long pending legitimate demands of Kashmiri people within framework of the Constitution of India.
Pushing for a special economic package, the resolution demanded establishment of an independent commission of enquiry into allegations of serious violations of human rights and ensure fair compensation to victims in Kashmir.
The resolution appealed to the protesters and agitators to apply peaceful and democratic methods for their constitutional rights, abjure violence and actively demonstrate Islamic, moral and human values.
“We would like to assure the people of Kashmir of that we share their grief and anguish and support their rightful demands. We do not consider the interests of the Kashmiri people are separate from the interests of Indian Muslims,” said the resolution.
The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind appealed to all like-minded organisations and people to begin effective campaign for establishing peace in Kashmir, securing justice for victims and thwarting the attempts of anti-national forces bent upon disintegrating the border state.
http://www.asianage.com/india/jk-integral-part-india-claims-jamiat-850
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52 hostages killed in Baghdad church drama
Nov 01 2010
Baghdad : Fifty-two hostages and police officers were killed on Sunday when security forces raided a Baghdad church to free more than 100 Iraqi Catholics held by al Qaeda-linked gunmen, a deputy interior minister said.
Lieutenant General Hussein Kamal said on Monday that 67 people were also wounded.
Gunmen took hostages at the Our Lady of Salvation Church, one of Baghdad's largest, during Sunday mass and demanded the release of al Qaeda prisoners in Iraq and Egypt.
This death toll is for civilians and security force members. We don't differentiate between police and civilians. They are all Iraqis, Kamal said, adding the number did not include dead attackers.
Sporadic gunfire rang out for several hours over the Karrada neighbourhood near the heavily fortified Green Zone district where many embassies and government offices are located. U.S. and Iraqi military helicopters thundered overhead as security forces cordoned off the area.
Witnesses told local television armed men, possibly wearing suicide vests, stormed the church on Sunday and shot at least one priest dead. Officials said they threatened to kill the 120 hostages held inside unless al Qaeda prisoners in Iraq and Egypt were released.
Al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attack on the dirty den of idolatry.
It said in a statement posted on radical Islamic websites that it was an action against the Coptic church in Egypt.
The attack and the bombing of a cafe in Diyala province on Friday in which 22 people died interrupted a relatively long period without a major assault by suspected Sunni Islamist insurgents.
A federal police source who declined to be identified said the rescue operation was extremely difficult.
The attackers were among children, armed with weapons, the source said. Most of the casualties were killed or wounded when the security forces raided the place.
Officials say some of the attackers blew up their explosives vests or threw grenades during the raid.
The last high-profile suicide bombing took place on Sept. 5 when insurgents stormed an army base in Baghdad.
Violence has fallen sharply in Iraq since the height of sectarian bloodshed in 2006-07 but attacks by Sunni insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Shi'ite militia continue daily.
The failure of Iraqi leaders to agree on a new government almost eight months after an inconclusive election has stoked tensions just as U.S. forces cut back their presence and end combat operations ahead of a full withdrawal next year.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/52-hostages-killed-in-baghdad-church-drama/705414/
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Obama better than Bush, so no protests: Indian Muslims
Nov 1, 2010
New Delhi: Barack Obama is 'better' than George Bush, say Indian Muslims though they don't consider the US as Muslim-friendly yet, adding when the American president arrives he can expect a warm welcome from the community members.
There would be no demonstrations by the community to protest the high-level visit from Nov 6, say Muslim leaders who had organised rallies against George Bush's visit in 2006 to protest his Iraq and Afghanistan war policy.
Obama visit: India, US to partner in Africa anti-poverty drive
For Indian Muslims, Obama, who has advocated a partnership with Muslim communities across the globe on the basis of 'mutual interest and respect', is better than his predecessor, although they are not too happy with the US' policy towards the Islamic world. Muslims constitute 14 percent of India's 1.2 billion population, the third largest number in the world after Indonesia and Pakistan.
Obama, the first African-American president whose Kenyan family has Islamic roots, has three American Muslims on coveted positions in the White House - and all are of Indian origin.
In his historic speech at Cairo University last year, Obama called for a 'new beginning' with the Muslim world that constitutes one-fourth of the world population.
Muslims leaders in India say though there has been no drastic change in the US policy, yet they have developed a soft corner for Obama.
'There would be no demonstration. There is no programme as such,' Syed Ahmed Bukhari, head priest of Delhi's biggest mosque Jama Masjid, said.
Bukhari feels 'George Bush and Obama are different'.
'There has been less anti-Muslim rhetoric from the White House since Obama took over. Obama doesn't sound as fiery as Bush was,' said the priest who leads thousands of Muslims in their prayers at the mosque.
Muslims are 'less angry at Obama though they don't consider the US as Muslim-friendly yet', he added.
'The Muslim world still awaits justice in Afghanistan, in Iraq... Muslims want dignity. Peace and justice for Palestinians is the biggest test for Obama to pass before he wins the love of the Muslim world.'
Moulana Niyaz Ahmed Farooqi of the Jamiat-e Ulema-e-Hind, one of the oldest Muslim outfits in the sub-continent, said the 'change seeker president had advocated changes in perception towards Muslims'.
'But mere words won't help. Muslims in America or those who visit America face racial discrimination. They are racially profiled. Obama's verbal promises have not taken a practical shape as yet,' Farooqi said.
'He had generated hopes, but the Palestine issue still exists. But I still believe that we, the Muslims, have no other way than to keep our hopes alive. We still believe Obama is better than Bush.'
Zafarul-Islam Khan, editor of fortnightly Milli Gazette published from Delhi, said Bush was 'starkly anti-Muslim and was majorly propagating hate-Muslim propaganda unlike Obama'.
'We know practically there has been no change in America's policy' even as the White House has three high-profile Muslim officers to engage with the Islamic world.
'But there is a change in their tone now,' Khan told said.
US Special Representative for Muslims Farah Pandith, and US representative to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference Rashad Hussain visited India this year and met Indian Muslim leaders in the run up to Obama's trip.
Eboo Patel, an Indian-American Muslim from Chicago, is also in the White House on Obama's advisory council for faith.
Special: Obama in India
Khan, who also met the two US officials, said the visits by Pandith and Hussain were exercises to build 'goodwill and faith'.
'But Obama would earn lots of goodwill if he stops Israel from building Jewish settlements in the occupied territory of Palestine, if the US stops from discrimination against Iran's peaceful nuclear programme'.
http://sify.com/news/obama-better-than-bush-so-no-protests-indian-muslims-news-national-kk5ruibhbia.html
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17 Taliban killed in Helmand
Nov 1, 2010
KABUL: An Afghan official said on Sunday NATO and Afghan troops killed 17 insurgents in an hours-long gunbattle in Helmand province. Provincial government spokesman Daud Ahmadi said that the fight lasted 12 hours and took place in the Dishu district. NATO said that an airstrike killed a Taliban leader in Zabul province In a separate incident, the British defence ministry said a British soldier was shot dead while on bomb-clearing duty. The soldier was killed in the northern section of the volatile Helmand province, the ministry said on Sunday. He was working with a task force charged with removing improvised explosive devices. Officials say he was killed by small arms fire while dealing with a suspected bomb. The soldier’s family has been informed of his death. His identity is expected to be revealed today (Monday).
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\01\story_1-11-2010_pg7_9
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Saudi scholars endorse ban on female cashiers
Nov 1, 2010
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s top government-sanctioned board of senior Islamic scholars has endorsed a fatwa that calls for a ban on female vendors because it violates the kingdom’s strict segregation of the sexes.
The powerful committee said in its ruling Sunday that the mixing of sexes is forbidden and women should not seek jobs where they could encounter men.
The decision comes after a conservative preacher had called for a boycott of supermarkets employing female cashiers.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article176992.ece
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40 years in jail for Al-Qaida 'child soldier'
Nov 1, 2010
Toronto: Afghan Canadian Omar Khadr, the only child soldier and last western prisoner held at Guantanamo, has been sentenced to 40 years in jail for killing a US medic in Afghanistan in 2002.
Twenty-four-year-old Khadr, whose father was a close aide of Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, was 15 when he was arrested in a gunbattle with the US forces in Afghanistan in 2002.
The Afghan Canadian, whose detention by the Americans as the first child soldier since World War II was strongly criticised by left-wing Canadian media and opposition parties, had pleaded guilty to killing the US medic and all terror charges last Monday before a military tribunal at Guantanamo.
Full report at:
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/40-years-in-jail-for-al-qaida-child-soldier-63723?cp
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Militants attack Nato trucks near Pabbi; three hurt
Nov 1, 2010
PESHAWAR: Taliban fighters armed with assault rifles fired at two Nato tankers in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, wounding three people, police said.
“Around eight militants in two cars intercepted two oil tankers near the town of Pabbi on the Grand Trunk road and fired at them with Kalashnikovs,” local police official Hayat Khan told AFP.
“Two drivers and a helper were wounded and taken to hospital in Peshawar. Their condition is stable now,” Khan said, adding that oil leaked from the tankers but did not catch fire.
Intelligence officials in Peshawar also confirmed the attack and said the attackers fled the scene.
Full report at:
http://public.dawn.com/2010/11/01/militants-attack-nato-trucks-near-pabbi-three-hurt.html
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Afghan Taliban hold secret talks with Karzai
Nov 1, 2010
KABUL: Three Taliban figures met secretly with Afghanistan’s president two weeks ago.
A former Afghan official said the meeting in Kabul included an ex-Taliban governor, Maulvi Abdul Kabir. He comes from the same Zadran tribe as the leaders of the Haqqani network, an autonomous wing of the Taliban responsible for many attacks against US forces, the former official said over the weekend.
US and Afghan officials hope that if Kabir agrees to quit the insurgency, it could split the Zadran tribe and undercut the pool of recruits from which the Haqqanis currently draw fighters. But it was unclear whether any progress toward that end was made during the talks.
Full report at:
http://public.dawn.com/2010/11/01/afghan-taliban-hold-secret-talks-with-karzai.html
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Suicide bomber strikes at heart of Istanbul,32 injured
Nov 1, 2010
Asuicide bomb ripped through crowds of shoppers and cafe-goers in the heart of Istanbul on Sunday,injuring 32 people as an extended unilateral ceasefire by the separatist PKK came to an end.The blast targetted riot police patrolling the busy Taksim Square in the centre of Turkeys economic capital,police chief Huseyin Capkin said.We think it was a suicide attack, he said.Istanbul governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu told reporters 32 people had been injured in the blast,17 civilians and 15 police officers.Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned what he called a terrorist attack during a tour of majority-Kurd southeastern Turkey.Capkin,the police chief,said none of the injured were in danger and the only fatality was the bomber,who blew himself up before reaching his intended target
Times of India
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109,243 Afghans return home
Nov 1, 2010
PESHAWAR, Oct 31: Out of total 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, 109,243 returned to their country this year under the United Nations Commissioner for Refugee facilitated voluntary repatriation program.
A press release issued here on Sunday said that the UN agency concluded the return programme due to winter. The voluntary return programme of Afghans, started in 2002, is the largest operation of the refugee agency around the world. A total 3.7 million refugees have since returned home. Some 1.6 million registered Afghans were still in Pakistan, the release said.
Full report at:
http://public.dawn.com/2010/11/01/109-243-afghans-return-home.html
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Bangladesh expects Pakistan apology on 1971 war
Nov 1, 2010
Dhaka : Bangladesh expects an apology from Pakistan for the atrocities of the 1971 Liberation War as foreign secretaries of the two nations prepare to meet for their annual talks after a gap of three years.
The meeting to be held in Islamabad on Monday will also be the first such meeting since the government of Sheikh Hasina assumed office.
"We expect the consultation to be an ice-melting meeting for the bilateral ties as the foreign secretaries are meeting for the first time since the incumbent government assumed office in January 2009," said a foreign ministry official.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bangladesh-expects-pakistan-apology-on-1971-war/705136/
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Anti-Islam Mullah Omar aid killed in Afghanistan
Nov 1, 2010
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A militant believed to be a close aid to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been killed along with seven others in Afghanistan, local officials report.
Jamal-ulddin lost his life in an overnight operation in the Miansheen district of southern province Kandahar, AFP reported Wednesday, quoting provincial authorities.
"He was a friend of Mullah Mohammad Omar and also (the) Taliban commander in Miansheen district," a statement from the provincial press office said.
Miansheen is one of the districts in Kandahar not under the full control of the Afghan government. Security forces carry out raids based on intelligence tips, but do not have a permanent base there.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=210892
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Baitullah’s brother murdered in North Waziristan
1 November 2010
KARACHI: Former Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud’s brother Yaqoob Khan was reportedly shot dead by unidentified assailants in North Waziristan tribal region’s Mir Ali area, television reports said Monday.
Baitullah was the former chief of the TTP and was killed in a US drone strike in 2009.
http://public.dawn.com/2010/11/01/baitullahs-brother-murdered-in-north-waziristan.html
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Afghanistan’s Khogyani district captured from Taliban
1 November 2010
Militants stormed Khogyani district in the troubled province of Ghazni late Sunday, seizing the local administration, provincial governor Musa Khan Akbarzada told reporters.
“This morning our national security forces — police, army and intelligence — mobilised and took back the control of the district,” he said in Ghazni, the provincial capital.
“Our security forces are stationed in the district. They are in control now,” he said, declining to give further details.
He said Afghan officials were investigating possible casualties among the local administrators and a small police contingent based in the district.
The Taliban are waging a war against the more than 150,000 foreign, mostly US, troops that are deployed in the country to end the insurgency that began with Afghanistan’s invasion in 2001.
http://public.dawn.com/2010/11/01/afghanistan%E2%80%99s-khogyani-district-captured-from-taliban.html
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Woman makes history, wins municipal seat Suad Hamada
1 November 2010
MANAMA — A Bahraini woman made history on Saturday by becoming the first female elected as municipal councillor.
Fatima Salman, who could not make it in the 2006 municipal election, outnumbered her opponent this time with 134 votes in the run-off.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Fatima said she would not let down her voters and try to prove that females have the ability to excel in all sectors. She said her success was unbelievable and she would dedicate her efforts to work for projects helpful to all Bahrainis.
Another female candidate for municipal councillor, Sabah Al Dossary, lost to her male opponent. Despite her failure, Al Dossary was proud of her experience, which she said, would be a good lesson and motivation for many young women in Bahrain.
None of nine females could make it to the Lower House except Latifa Al Qoud who returned unopposed.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/November/middleeast_November3.xml§ion=middleeast
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ISLAMIC STATES: Boosting higher education cooperation
Wagdy Sawahel
Nov 1, 2010
The 57 member states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, or OIC, have adopted resolutions for promoting a culture of knowledge, scientific research and innovation, according to a declaration made in Kuala Lumpur in October.
The declaration was approved at the Fifth Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research under the theme "Enculturation of quality in academia, research and innovation towards prosperity of ummah", held in Malaysia from 19-21 October.
In a bid to upgrade universities in OIC member states to world-class level, the declaration called on the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or ISESCO, to prepare a draft document on key performance indicators for universities in the Islamic world, and present it to an extraordinary session scheduled for 2011 in Saudi Arabia.
Full report at:
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2010103023193229
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End of Iraq's Quran Competition Marked by Selecting Best Contestants
Nov 1, 2010
Iraq’s Ministry of Education announced the names of selected contestants who participated in the country’s Quran reciting and memorizing contest for school students
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iraq’s Ministry of Education announced the names of selected contestants who participated in the country’s Quran reciting and memorizing contest for school students.
“The participants from the holy city of Karbala won 11 titles out of the total 16: Karar Baghir, Mohammed Abdollah, Ahmad Sabri, Ahmad Kadim, Javad Kadim, Mohammed Sabri, Qasim Shahid, Zahid Habib, Majid Amin, Badri Abbass, Ali Javad” said Amar Khazaei, an offical with Karbala Dar-ol-Quran affiliated to Imam Hossein (AS) holy shrine.
He added that the contest was held at three levels covering all school age groups.
The event, which was organized by Iraqi Ministry of Education, took place in Babyl province from 25 to 28 October in two categories of reciting and memorizing.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=211297
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Islamic Jihad Leader Calls for Immediate End to Israel-PA Talks
Nov 1, 2010
An Islamic Jihad leader underlined his group's strong resolve to continue resistance against the Zionist regime, and called on the Palestinian Authority to immediately end the so-called peace talks with Israel
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - An Islamic Jihad leader underlined his group's strong resolve to continue resistance against the Zionist regime, and called on the Palestinian Authority to immediately end the so-called peace talks with Israel.
"As we know, it is high time that the option of compromise and negotiation with the Zionist regime reached a deadlock," Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement Ramazan Shallah said in a ceremony in Gaza on Friday.
"Hence, it is highly questionable why the PA leaders still insist on this option," Shallah asked.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=211281
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Young European man explains why he converted to Islam
Nov 1, 2010
Why would a left-leaning young man from one of the world's most secular and liberal countries choose to become a pious Muslim?
The 34-year old Swedish music teacher from Stockholm, who asked that his last name not be published, attempted to explain his decision, describing it as the culmination of a long journey searching for faith and him solidifying his religious beliefs that he couldn’t always place.
“I have never doubted my faith," he told Babylon & Beyond while on a recent visit to Beirut. "It feels like I've had the same faith all the time but it feels so cleanly formulated in Islam."
For Malcolm, becoming a Muslim gave him a connection to others in a country where identity is not always clean-cut.
Full report at:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/10/muslim-world-convert-jihad-christianity-islam-politics-europe-islamophobia-koran-prophet.html
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UNESCO asserts Ibrahimi and Bilal Mosques Islamic holy sites
Nov 1, 2010
The UNESCO executive board issued a decision affirming that the mosques of Bilal Ibn Rabah in Bethlehem and Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi in Al-Khalil are Islamic holy sites and belong to Muslim Palestinians and they are not Rachel's tomb and the cave of the patriarchs or part of Israel's list of heritage sites.
PARIS (AhlulBayt News Agency) - The UNESCO executive board issued a decision affirming that the mosques of Bilal Ibn Rabah in Bethlehem and Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi in Al-Khalil are Islamic holy sites and belong to Muslim Palestinians and they are not Rachel's tomb and the cave of the patriarchs or part of Israel's list of heritage sites.
The decision stated that the two sites are an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories and that any unilateral action by the Israeli occupation authorities is to be considered a violation of international law.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=211239
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Zionist plan to distort features of Buraq plaza exposed
Nov 1, 2010
Palestinian and Hebrew sources revealed that the Israeli occupation government approved a plan to excavate the Buraq plaza to search for "Jewish antiquities", and to build a Jewish temple in the place.
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AhlulBayt News Agency) - Palestinian and Hebrew sources revealed that the Israeli occupation government approved a plan to excavate the Buraq plaza to search for "Jewish antiquities", and to build a Jewish temple in the place.
The Jewish administration of Jerusalem municipality approved the plan and put the preparations to implement it, but Palestinian sources warned that the scheme would significantly change the features of the Buraq plaza and the entire area.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=211084
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Chinese Muslims begin pilgrimage to holy Mecca
Nov 1, 2010
LANZHOU (AhlulBayt News Agency) - About 13,000 Chinese Muslim pilgrims will leave China starting Monday on chartered flights for the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
The first plane, with 332 pilgrims aboard, took off from Zhongchuan Airport in Lanzhou, the capital of Northwest China's Gansu province, at 12:15 am.
Pilgrims will also board flights at airports in Beijing, Urumqi, Yinchuan, and Kunming from Monday, according to Yang Shuli, assistant president of China Islamic Institute.
To better prepare the worshippers for the month-long pilgrimage, the Chinese government organized health check and training courses for them.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=209443
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Foreign policy still primary cause of Muslim extremism
Nov 1, 2010
Muslims in the Muslim world generally don't listen to imams. Most of these imams are employees of states which are seen as being hostile to Islam at best. The rampant corruption in these states end up tainting anything these state-employed imams would say that would be potentially instrumental in drawing people away from extremist positions.
It is not imams or the teachings of Islam which is fueling extremism in the Muslim world. You will have to look elsewhere to find the root causes of this problem. The primary cause of Muslim extremism and radicalization is the foreign policy of western states, especially America towards the Muslim world.
Full report at:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Foreign+policy+still+primary+cause+Muslim+extremism/3755898/story.html
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Yemen to continue unabated war on terror despite hype over explosive packages – Minister
Nov 1, 2010
SANA'A, Oct. 31 (Saba) – Yemen is determined to continue the unabated war against terrorism based on its realization that the battle on terrorists is an inevitable necessity to protect the national security and other interests and to limit huge damages and effects this global phenomenon leaves, Information Minister has said.
In his remarks aired by Radio London on Saturday, Hassan al Lawzi said Yemen's anti-terror efforts primarily stem from the official and popular determination and then from regional and international cooperation because terrorism is a pandemic threatening the whole globe that requires working together to root it out.
Regarding the media hype over the suspicious packages which were seized on their way to the U.S. onboard flights through Yemen, he said:" I want to affirm that there are unfortunately different and exaggerating reports on the issue serving al Qaeda and at the same time harming counterterrorism efforts."
Full report at:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news227703.htm
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Don’t ignore our ways, Afghan tribal elders say
Nov 1, 2010
KABUL: Foreign forces in Afghanistan are still ignoring Afghan culture and traditions, such as informal local justice systems, leading to friction between the two sides, leaders at a gathering of tribal elders have said.
Dozens of tribal chiefs from Afghanistan’s southern provinces, kingmakers in the heartland of the growing Taliban-led insurgency, gathered in Kabul from Monday for the US-sponsored meeting meant to better coordinate formal Afghan judicial procedures and the strongly independent southern tribes.
But many at the three-day Southern Regional Tribal Elders’ Network meeting took the opportunity to air grievances over governance and the way foreign troops operate.
Mohammad Aman from Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, accused US forces of arresting innocent villagers while hunting for Taliban insurgents and disrupting the privacy of villagers while conducting raids, especially at night.
Full report at:
http://public.dawn.com/2010/10/26/don%E2%80%99t-ignore-our-ways-afghan-tribal-elders-say.html
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US drone strike kills five militants in Pakistan: Officials
Nov 1, 2010
MIRANSHAH, Pakistan: A US missile strike by a drone killed at least five militants in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district on Monday, Pakistani security officials said.
The attack targeted militants sleeping at a compound in Haider Khel village of Mir Ali district in North Waziristan, 25 kilometre (15 miles) east of the region's main town of Miranshah.
"Five militants were killed," said a senior Pakistani security official on condition of anonymity.
"The drone fired two missiles," he added.
"The compound belonged to local tribesman Ahmad Ali and had become a hub of militants' movement," a local security official said.
The identities of those killed were not immediately clear, he added.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-drone-strike-kills-five-militants-in-Pakistan-Officials/articleshow/6850382.cms#ixzz1402efz6p
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Air strikes kill 18 Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan
Nov 1, 2010
PESHAWAR: Eighteen Taliban militants and two women were killed on Sunday in air strikes and clashes in the Orakzai and Bajaur tribal regions and the Swat valley in Pakistan's restive northwest, security officials said.
A vehicle and four militant hideouts were destroyed in air strikes by helicopter gunships at Saifal Darra in Orakzai Agency.
At least 12 militants were killed and eight injured in the bombardment, officials said.
In the Bajaur Agency, three militants and two women were killed when the gunships targeted Tob Mandal, Markhundai and other suburban areas of Salarzai sub-division.
In the Swat valley, three militants were killed in a gun battle with security forces.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Air-strikes-kill-18-Taliban-militants-in-northwest-Pakistan/articleshow/6847542.cms#ixzz14030JH8n
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PETN: 'Underwear bomb' too had same explosive
KENNETH CHANG
Nov 1, 2010
Pentaerythritol tetranitrate, or PETN, the explosive found in two bombs hidden in printer cartridges that were being shipped via jets from Yemen to the United States, is a hallmark of earlier Qaida-linked terrorism attempts on airplanes.
In 2001, PETN was found hidden in the shoes of Richard Reid during an American Airlines flight. Last Christmas, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had 85g of PETN hidden in his underwear on a Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
An assassination attempt in August 2009 on Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief, prince Mohammed bin Nayef, also used PETN. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, an arm of the terrorist network, claimed responsibility for the attack, which took the life of only one person, the suicide bomber's.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/PETN-Underwear-bomb-too-had-same-explosive/articleshow/6849409.cms#ixzz14033bnid
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Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to fly to US for talks on peace process
Nov 1, 2010
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will fly to the United States on November 7 to meet top US officials including Vice President Joe Biden on reviving peace talks.
"Next Sunday, I shall leave for the annual assembly of Jewish communities in the United States," Netanyahu told reporters at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, referring to a November 7-9 summit in New Orleans.
"I shall meet there with Vice President Biden and other senior administration officials and I shall discuss with them a range of issues, including, of course, a renewal of the peace process with the aim of reaching an agreement on peace with security for the state of Israel," he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-PM-Benjamin-Netanyahu-to-fly-to-US-for-talks-on-peace-process/articleshow/6846425.cms#ixzz1403KYPtM
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Saudi Qaida bombmaker behind US parcel bombs?
Nov 1, 2010
WASHINGTON: A Saudi bombmaker believed to be working with al-Qaida's Yemen-based wing is a key suspect in the parcel bomb plot against the US, an official said.
Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, who tops a Saudi Arabian terrorism list, is the brother of a suicide bomber killed in an attempt to kill Saudi counter-terrorism chief Prince Mohammed bin Nayef last year.
That attack, as well as the Christmas Day incident in 2009, in which a Nigerian booked on a US-bound airliner sneaked in a bomb in his underwear, involved the use of pentaerythritol trinitrate (PETN) — a highly potent explosive that appears to be the weapon of choice of al-Qaida's Yemeni branch, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Saudi-Qaida-bombmaker-behind-US-parcel-bombs/articleshow/6849347.cms#ixzz14036sKEq
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Ajmer bombmade at fugitive’s house
By Dalip Singh
Nov 1, 2010
THE FOUR mobile phone- triggered pipe bombs used in Ajmer Sharif and Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid blasts were assembled at fugitive accused Ramji Kalsangra’s house in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
The chargesheet filed by Rajasthan’s anti- terrorism squad ( ATS) in a Jaipur court on Friday says the four bombs were assembled by Kalsangra, another absconding accused Sandeep Dange and Sunil Joshi, the suspected mastermind of the blasts who was killed.
All the three men have served the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh ( RSS) in various capacities.
Two bombs each were used in the blasts at Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid on May 18, 2007, and in Ajmer on October 11 the same year.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Separatists’ thumbs down to interlocutors
Nov 1, 2010
THE Centre’s interlocutors tried to soothe frayed nerves in the Valley, but all that they could achieve was rake up needless controversies in the process. Not a single separatist leader met the three interlocutors during their four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Even the jailed separatist leaders refused to meet them, describing their exercise as futile. Incarcerated senior Hurriyat leader Muhammad Ashraf Sehari did not meet the interlocutors when they approached him. Sources said the intention behind approaching Sehari was to break the ice with the hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Barack will be asked to read out riot act to Pak
By Aman Sharma in New Delhi
Nov 1, 2010
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has chosen to stay at Mumbai’s Taj Hotel — one of the prime targets of the 26/ 11 attack — and he will kick off his visit by commemorating its victims. Amid the atmospherics, India proposes to impress upon him the need to pressure Pakistan to arrest all the perpetrators of the terrorist act.
The argument will be bolstered by highlighting the fact that 25 foreigners, including six Americans, were also killed in the attack.
A top government source said the confession of David Coleman Headley had proved that stillat- large LeT terrorists such as Sajid Majid, Abu Alqama and Abu Qahafa had instructed the 26/ 11 gunmen over phone from Karachi. They had goaded the terrorists to carry out attacks at Nariman House as well as the Taj and Oberoi hotels, where the maximum number of foreigners were killed.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Bombmaker al-asiri who made christmas day bomb is prime suspect again
Nov 01 2010
The suspected bombmaker behind last year’s Christmas Day attack, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, is also the prime suspect in the mail bomb plot, several US officials said. Al-Asiri is a key operative in al-Qaeda’s offshoot in Yemen, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He also helped make another PETN device for a failed suicide attempt against a Saudi Arabia’s counterterrorism chief last year.
Hanan al-Samawi, the 22-year-old arrested on Saturday along with her mother for mailing the bombs, is a student at the University of San’a, said Yemeni rights activist Abdel-Rahman Barman. According to her university colleagues, al-Samawi is not known to be involved in any political activity or to have ties to any Islamic groups, Barman said. He said she had not been allowed access to a lawyer.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bombmaker-alasiri-who-made-christmas-day-bomb-is-prime-suspect-again/705288/
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Headley Withheld Details Of Wives, Kin
Nov 01st, 2010
Pakistani-American LeT terrorist David Headley withheld certain details of his wives and kin living in the US and Pakistan during questioning by Indian investigators. Headley, who had entered into a plea bargain agreement with the US government, categorically asked Indian investigators not to ask questions relating to his immediate family members. Notably, Headley’s wives had informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as early as three years before the 26/11 attack that he was undergoing terrorist training in Pakistan.
“We had to rely on whatever Headley shared with us. For example, we could not ask him detailed questions about his family and wives,” a government official said. “My request would be not to ask questions relating to my immediate family members,” Headley had told Indian sleuths who visited Chicago in June to question him. Government sources said that Headley was a smart operator since he gave an assurance to Indian interrogators that he would make ‘’relevant mention’’ of his family members during his “questioning for clarifications and understanding of the context of the (26/11) conspiracy.”
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/india/headley-withheld-details-wives-kin-853
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Three Taliban commanders killed in Swat
Nov 1, 2010
PESHAWAR: Three key Swat Taliban commanders were killed in clashes with security forces on Sunday, security sources said.
The sources, on Sunday, told Daily Times that three Taliban commanders, including Umar Said, Miftahuddin and Said Rahim were killed in a clash with security forces in the Bakrosar area of Swat’s Matta tehsil. The forces also recovered a large quantity of arms. The sources said the forces had started operations and a door-to-door search in the district, after terrorist activities.
The shootout started when the Taliban allegedly started firing at a patrolling party of security forces. The forces, in self-defence, also started firing, and killed the militants. staff report/app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\01\story_1-11-2010_pg1_6
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Faiza and Masooma’s ‘Real Faith Fiction’ at Canvas Gallery
Nov 1, 2010
KARACHI: Faiza Butt and Masooma Syed’s exhibition of paintings titled ‘Real Faith Fiction’ is running at the Canvas Gallery until Friday.
According to Butt, the inspiration for her work stems directly from her sense of identity - gender and cultural - and the times we live in.
“I create work by chancing upon potent journalistic images, text, encounters and experiences, as I conduct my affairs as an artist, a mother and a woman,” she said.
Her work reflects her varied cross-cultural experiences and is a reflection on the instability and uncertainty of our time, she added.
According to Syed, she has tried to capture certain moments of her experiences through this body of work.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\01\story_1-11-2010_pg7_7
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No preconditions for Riyadh talks: Saud
By MAHER ABBAS
Nov 1, 2010
RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s invitation to Iraq's political parties for reconciliation talks in Riyadh aims to protect the war-torn country’s unity and identity, said Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal on Sunday.
“There will be no preconditions for this initiative either from Saudi Arabia or other countries,” he told reporters. “We don’t have any reservation on any person heading Iraq’s government."
In his appeal on Saturday, King Abdullah said: “I invite his Excellency President Jalal Talabani ... and all parties that took part in the elections and the political process to your second country Saudi Arabia, to Riyadh, after the blessed Haj season (for a meeting).”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article176960.ece
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100,000 Turks to perform Haj this year
By K.S. RAMKUMAR
Nov 1, 2010
JEDDAH: Turkey, which had a record turnout of 250,000 people for Umrah this year, is sending 100,000 pilgrims for the annual Haj. “Over 50 percent of the pilgrims have already arrived,” Turkish Consul General Salih Mutlu Sen told Arab News on the sidelines of his country's national day celebration held at his residence on Saturday night.
“We have been allotted a quota of 73,000 Haj pilgrims. We are grateful to the Saudi authorities for granting our requests for additional numbers this year as was the case in the past few years,” the consul general said. “The country had a record number of Umrah pilgrims this time because there were 700,000 Turkish people wait-listed for this year's Haj. Since they were not sure of being selected in the Haj draw, they chose to perform Umrah.”
Mutlu Sen said the consulate premises were being expanded and upgraded in a phased manner and the project was in its final phase.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article176864.ece
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Somali-American becomes new prime minister of war-ravaged country
By SALAD DUHUL
Nov 1, 2010
MOGADISHU: Somalia’s Parliament on Sunday approved a Somali-American as the country’s prime minister, but some are already questioning whether he will be able to make a difference in the war-ravaged country under attack from Al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who has taught at a community college in western New York, is now expected to name a Cabinet in the coming weeks.
The Somali government currently controls only a small part of the capital, Mogadishu. It has accomplished little since its inception in 2004 and the country hasn’t had a fully functioning government in nearly two decades.
“Somalia is not America,” said Amina Nur, a mother of seven children, referring to Mohamed’s time spent in the US “Like many overseas Somalis that came from Western countries after the collapse of the government in 1991 and are now parliamentarians and government officials, he doesn’t know the difficult situation of the country and cannot lead an effective Cabinet in the terms of the setting a comprehensive security plan to combat Al-Shabab and terrorists,” Nur said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article176838.ece
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Two militants killed in encounter with security forces
Nov 1, 2010
SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of north Kashmir in the wee hours of Monday morning, a police spokesman said.
The encounter broke out when security forces confronted a group of militants at Bhawan forests in Zachaldara area of Handwara, 95 kms from here, late last night, the spokesman said.
"Two militants were killed in the encounter which continued till wee hours today", he said.
The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants could not be ascertained as the search operation in the area was continuing when reports last came in, he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Two-militants-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces/articleshow/6852259.cms#ixzz141ZpYcXN
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3609
10:41 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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