| Islamic World News | |
| 10 Dec 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com |
Contours of political solution to Kashmir likely soon: Chidambaram
Pakistan papers apologise for publishing anti-India FakeLeaks
Well-educated terror suspects from Azamgarh
Kerala man arrested for maintaining ‘harem’
Communist China on mosque-building spree
Saudi Arabia receives $1.2bn for damage during Gulf War
Israel used banned teargas
VARANASI: LOST IN THE BLAST MELEE
Cops dust ‘old suspects’ in Varanasi blast case
‘Terror’ hamlet Bhatkal back in police focus
Afghan women suffer due to traditional practices
Jamiat faction warns against changes to blasphemy law
Iran to air new footage of woman in stoning case
German police arrest two suspected Sikh militants
Is Islam compatible with libertarianism
Activist judge rules in favour of Islam
Despite Law, Islamists Continue Abuse of Women in Afghanistan
Moscow Considers Kabardino-Balkaria Jamaat as Threat to the North Caucasus
UK: Anti-Semitism Rampant in Muslim Schools
Berlin Islamic cultural centre hit by firebomb
‘Obama family is a symbol of religious tolerance’
Imam behind NYC mosque plan sees hope after fury
High-profile blasphemy cases in the last 63 years
Pakistani deaths exceed Afghan in terror war: report
Abrogation and Dualism in Islam
ISI admits taking away 11 inmates from jail
Jews, Arabs in uproar over rabbis’ controversial ruling
Promote Islam Through Mosque Tours, Awareness Programmes
‘1,000 killed in a decade along Bangladesh border'
South Waziristan clash kills four militants
NATO Disinclined to Debate Mistral Affair
Iran establishes museum for national scientific achievements
Iran's Envoy, OIC Official Discuss Latest Developments in Muslim World
Its time Pak made up its mind on talks
First World War in cyberspace over WikiLeaks
French sale of N-reactors to India will create ‘mistrust’: Pak
Dutch police arrest 16-year-old in Wiki attacks
First World War in cyberspace over WikiLeaks
Online sting nets man in Maryland car bomb case
Iranian-Canadian blogger released on bail: human rights group
French sale of nuclear reactors to India will create 'mistrust': Pak
Sharif 'most trusted man' of Saudi royal family in Pak: PML-N
Compulsory voting not feasible, says Quraishi
S Africa’s Zuma controversial but smart: WikiLeaks
Gunmen kidnap 18 Afghan sappers
Jordan has first woman chief district attorney
Palestinian woman prisoner on hunger strike to protest separation from sister
US soldier, 2 Iraqi policemen killed in Iraq
Pakistan, India must talk to resolve Kashmir issue: Syed Salahuddin
Police constable injured in attack on Balochistan CM dies
Terrorism, intolerance undermining rights: HRCP
Compiled by New Age Isalm News Bureau
Photo: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram
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Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) claim killing 45 Pak troops and abducting three
Dec 10 2010
South Waziristan– The Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) have claimed killing 45 troops and abducting three in in an attack on a military convoy in Wana, Spinkay Raghzani area on Thursday. TTP spokesman, Azam Tariq claimed that five vehicles were also destroyed in the ambush on the military convoy.
The latest attack by the TTP on a military convoy has once again exposed the inadequate security and search methods at the military check posts in the troubled and volatile region. The alleged attack, killing of the country’s troops plus abduction of three soldiers and destruction of five army vehicles is the latest in the string of violence broiling in the Waziristan area and one which threatens to spread far and wide into the adjoining territories.
There has been no official confirmation of the TTP attack by the government nor has there been any visible reaction from any concerned with the movement of military vehicles carrying troops in and around the militancy-strewn territory which is so closely linked to neighbouring Afghanistan.
Pakistan Army has gained full control in the South Waziristan Agency as result of a major military operation against the militants that had displaced a large number of population from the area. However, the Pakistan Army and local administration are now making arrangements to facilitate the repatriation of tribesmen back to their homes. Taliban militants have issued warnings and threats to the returning tribesmen.
Two dozen tribesmen are staging a silent protest in Pakistan’s capital against US missile strikes along the Afghan border.
The protesters in Islamabad identified themselves as relatives of civilians killed or wounded in the drone-fired strikes. They have threatened to sue the United States unless it agrees to hundreds of millions in compensation for victims.
The men hail from the North Waziristan tribal region near Afghanistan. They displayed banners criticizing the CIA-sponsored attacks while sitting silently near the parliament building on Thursday.– Agencies
Army to meet all
challenges, says COAS
MULTAN – Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Thursday met Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif at the Headquarters.
According to the sources, CM Shahbaz Sharif and COAS exchanged views regarding the steps being taken for rehabilitation of flood affected areas security situation in South Punjab. Shahbaz Sharif thanked Army Chief for his overwhelming efforts for relief and rehabilitation of flood affectees. Sources say that both the high ups discussed measures for maintaining law and order during the holy month of Muhurram.
Later Corps Commander Multan Lt General Shafqat Ahmed gave a detailed and methodical briefing to CM Punjab and COAS on the efforts of rehabilitation in flood hit areas in South Punjab stressing undoubtedly Army is playing a pivotal role in this regard.
He said that Rangers have constructed various houses for affectees who have lost their homes in one of the devastating floods in the history of Pakistan.
Army along with sheer cooperation of civil administration is performing its duties in an amicable manner, he said.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Punjab said that floods was a big and massive challenge and in view to cope with the tragedy, entire Nation, Government and Army jointly worked for the noble cause especially he said Armed Forces of Pakistan role was invaluable.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Parvez Ashfaq Kayani has said that army is well aware of internal and external challenges facing the country, adding that the army has full capability to overcome these challenges.
Army Chief stated this during his address to army officers at Multan Garrison on Thursday.
According to military sources, Gen. Kayani expressed his detailed views about security challenges facing the country and region. He resolved that the army has potential to face internal and external challenges.
General Kayani vowed that with support of masses, army’s campaign would continue till elimination of the menace of terrorism and extremism. He said that army’s operational and professional skill would be further effective and improve, suggested that army officers should set up personal leading example for the soldiers.
He said that country’s defense is in strong hands and the entire nation is proud of army’s role as the army saved thousands of lives during flood, adding that the army is completing reconstruction process in flood-hit areas on priority basses.
Corp Commander Let.Gen.Shafaqaat Ahmad welcomed Gen. Kayani arrival at Multan Garrison and beefed him about the Garrison. Agencies
http://dailymailnews.com/1210/10/FrontPage/index.php?id=1
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Contours of political solution to Kashmir likely soon: Chidambaram
Vinay Kumar
Dec 10 2010
The three interlocutors are making good progress, he says
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday said the contours of a political solution to the Kashmir problem are likely to emerge in the next few months.
Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry here, he said the first and second reports of the group of interlocutors for Jammu and Kashmir dealt with confidence-building measures. He had asked the group to focus on finding the contours of a political solution.
Mr. Chidambaram noted that the three interlocutors were making good progress and asserted that the Kashmir issue was a “political issue for which a political solution must be found.” Peace and good governance were prerequisites for reaching a political solution.
Violence in Jammu and Kashmir was of two types and a different approach was needed to deal with each one of them. “The violence perpetrated by militants and infiltrators must be dealt with in a strong and resolute manner. On the other hand, the violence witnessed during protests by residents of the State requires deft and sensitive handling,” he said.
After the Centre unveiled the eight-point Plan for Jammu and Kashmir, the situation there had improved considerably and the process must be strengthened. “Space must be allowed for peaceful protests. Governance and delivery on the ground must improve. Visible presence of security forces must be reduced,” he said.
Job opportunities
Members of the committee welcomed the steps taken by the government to improve the situation in the State. Some felt efforts must be made to evolve a political consensus on the issue at the national level. Members also emphasised need to create employment opportunities, especially for the educated youth. They also suggested amending the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and speedy rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants.
Responding to the suggestions, the Home Minister pointed out that two special task forces — one for Jammu and the other for Ladakh — were constituted to examine the developmental needs of these regions. The Prime Minister's Office has constituted an expert group under the chairmanship of C. Rangarajan to formulate a job plan for the State. It was expected that the reports of all these groups would be received by next month. Their recommendations could be considered by the government and factored in the next year budget.
AFSPA amendment
The Centre released a Special Plan Assistance of Rs.100 crore to the State for improving the infrastructure in schools and colleges.
On the AFSPA, Mr. Chidambaram said a proposal to amend the Act was being studied.
Pointing to the recent positive developments in the State, the Minister pointed out that 5,56,370 tourists visited the State this year up to December 6, showing an increase of about 25 per cent over the number in the corresponding period last year.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/10/stories/2010121055481100.htm
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Pakistan papers apologise for publishing anti-India FakeLeaks
Dec 10 2010
Islamabad : Leading Pakistani newspapers today acknowledged that they were hoaxed into publishing reports based on fake WikiLeaks cables that contained stories of factionalism in the Indian Army and accused New Delhi of sponsoring militant groups.
The reports splashed prominently in several papers including 'The Express Tribune' and 'The News', a partner of the 'International Herald Tribune', quoting alleged US diplomatic cables to confirm bias Pakistani views and conspiracy theories about India particularly about Jammu and Kashmir.
The two papers today carried prominent apologies on their front pages regarding the report they had published yesterday on alleged disclosures in purported diplomatic cables from the US embassy in Delhi about Indian Army generals and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, 'The Nation', a daily known for its anti-India views, showed no regret for carrying fake reports and instead printed an editorial titled "India's true face" that criticised India on the basis of the fake report.
Both 'The Express Tribune' and 'The News' blamed the fake cables on 'Online' news agency, an Islamabad-based wire service that has often carried pro-Army reports.
However, inquiries by PTI have shown that the report on the fake cables first appeared on the website of 'Daily Mail', a little-known newspaper, on December 8.
Several Pakistani bloggers have noted that the 'Daily Mail' is noted for printing wild conspiracy theories.
In a recent report, it claimed that India's external intelligence agency was involved in framing Pakistani cricketers in a spot-fixing scam.
In its apology, 'The Express Tribune' said the report it had published with the headline "WikiLeaks: What US officials think about the Indian Army" was "not authentic".
"The Express Tribune deeply regrets publishing this story without due verification and apologises profusely for any inconvenience caused to our valued readers," it said.
'The News', in its apology, said it had run 'Online' news agency's report "with the confidence that it was a genuine report and must have been vetted before release".
It added: "However, several inquiries suggest that this was not the case." 'The News' said 'Online's' owner Mohsin Baig and some editorial staff "were themselves unclear about the source of the story and said they would investigate the matter at their end".
It added: "On further inquiries, we learnt from our sources that the story was dubious and may have been planted."
The daily too acknowledged that the fake report had "originated from some local websites such as 'The Daily Mail' and Rupee News known for their close connections with certain intelligence agencies".
Britain's 'Guardian' newspaper, which has been provided the entire database of the leaked US diplomatic cables, reported that an extensive search by "date, name and keyword failed to locate any of the incendiary allegations" about India.
"It suggests this is the first case of WikiLeaks being exploited for propaganda purposes," the paper reported.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-papers-apologise-for-publishing-antiindia-
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Well-educated terror suspects from Azamgarh
Pervez Iqbal Siddiqu
Dec 10 2010
LUCKNOW: With reports of the involvement of Dr Shahnawaz Khan and his associate Asadullah Khan in the December 7 blast at Varanasi, focus has turned to Sanjarpur village of Azamgarh. Both suspects are natives of this otherwise sleepy rural patch of UP that shot to infamy after the 2008 Batla House encounter in Delhi. But the difference this time is that Sanjarpuris aren't surprised.
Asadullah Akhtar alias Asadullah Khan is the 25-year-old son of established orthepedic Dr Javed Akhtar. Well-known for his medical expertise, the doctor made headlines in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections as the candidate of the Ulema Council (UC) that owes not only its birth to Azamgarh but its existance as well.
The UC came into being in the backdrop of Batla House encounter but shot to preminence only after its founder-convenor Maulana Amir Rashadi Madni accused security agencies of implicating his son in a terror strike. His son Talha Amir was arrested by the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from the Nagpur railway station in 2009.
However, the UC has been lying low since none of its candidates won in the LS election.
While Asadullah is a pharmacist by training and resident of Gulami Ka Purwa locality of Azamgarh district Shahnawaz Khan is a Unani doctor who has been on the radar of security agencies since a day after the Batla House encounter. His name figured for the first time during the interrogation of Batla House accused Saif.
Shahnawaz is Saif's elder brother and linked to serial blasts in Delhi in 2008. He was nearly nabbed in 2008 but UP cops didn't allow Mumbai cops to raid Saraimeer area where he was suspected to be hiding.
Asadullah is also linked to the Delhi serial blasts along with eight other men from Azamgarh. Sources in UP ATS said Asadullah had played a key role in assembling the timer devices used in Delhi serial blasts of September 13, 2008, which ended up in the Batla house encounter in October the same year. He holds a bachelors degree in Pharmacy from Lucknow's Integral University - a private entity and is believed to have stayed in different parts of the state capital and worked with Shahnawaz before their names caught the attention of security agencies.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Well-educated-terror-suspects-from-
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Kerala man arrested for maintaining ‘harem’
December 10, 2010
VR Jayaraj
A 52-year-old man from Kerala’s Thrissur district has landed in the police net for marrying 11 women. Erinchery Thomson of Ollur, Thrissur, who married 11 women but never deserted any of them, says he did it due to his desire to live with as many women as possible.
According to the police, Thomson, who used to work in the Gulf till recently, had adopted the modus operandi of giving matrimonial advertisements in newspapers inviting proposals from girls of poor families, saying he was a 39-year-old widower working in the Gulf. He would take particular care to add in the ad the caste-no bar clause.
Once he came to direct contact with the families of the women, he would win their hearts with his charming behaviour, promises to help them with money, home, etc, which he never failed to provide. After each marriage, he would live with the woman for some days and leave her saying it was time to return to Gulf.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/302563/Kerala-man-arrested-for-maintaining
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Communist China on mosque-building spree
Dec 10, 2010
BEIJING: In an apparent move to appease its 20-millionstrong Muslim minority, Communist China plans to build mosques across the country to meet their religious requirement.
Authorities are addressing a lack of religious facilities for millions of Muslims who have moved to coastal cities in search of jobs and livelihood, a senior official at the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) said.
A large number of Muslims have migrated to cities from inland regions since 1978 leading to a growing demand for religious facilities, primarily more mosques, greater availability of Islamic food and special graveyards, deputy director of the Islamic Department of the SARA Ma Jin was quoted as saying by the state-run China Daily.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Communist-China-on-mosque-building-
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Saudi Arabia receives $1.2bn for damage during Gulf War
Dec 10, 2010
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has received USD 1.2 billion from the United Nations in compensation for the damage caused by the 1991 Gulf War to the environment in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom, the country's head of the Presidency of Metrology and Environment Protection has said.
Following his meeting with a United Nations delegation Prince Turki Bin Nasser Bin Abdul Aziz said compensation was taken from the Iraqi government by the United Nations and given to the kingdom, according to a media report.
Prince Turki said that USD 100 million was spent on coasts and water cleaning operations while another USD 100 million was paid to local and foreign companies working on the cleaning project.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Saudi-Arabia-receives-12bn-for-
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Israel used banned teargas
Dec 10 2010
JERUSALEM: Israel's Army said on Thursday it had used potentially lethal teargas grenades of a type banned by its rules, but promised it would never happen again.
Their use was brought to light originally by a rights group which said in its findings that some units in the West Bank had fired the grenades during pro-Palestinian demonstration. The group, B'Tselem, said it had documented three incidents in November in which dozens of extended-range teargas grenades were fired at demonstrators in the West Bank.
The Army said it was aware of the situation, adding that regulations had now been clarified to ensure there would be no further illicit use of the ammunition.
Heavier than an ordinary teargas canister, the extended range round has a strong propellant jet and is almost impossible to detect in flight, making it extremely dangerous.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/10/stories/2010121057061700.htm
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LOST IN THE BLAST MELEE
Dec 10 2010
THE TUESDAY terror saw a one and half- year- old girl die on her birthday and on the same day another girl of the same age was found abandoned near the spot.
She was noticed by some sadhus at Dasashwamedh Ghat and handed over to Kishori Raman Dubey aka Babu Maharaj, convener of the Ganga Aarti programme.
The girl was found in a state of shock and unable to speak.
She was taken home by Dubey and now she has been adopted by an NGO Child Line.
“ She is either a south Indian or a Bengali. May be her parents are injured and admitted somewhere. I kept her with my family for two days.
But later on the Child Line adopted her,” Dubey said.
“ We are waiting for her parents.
But she is not a burden on us. We have decided she will live in Child Line’s care but the Ganga Aarti committee will bear the cost of her upbringing in case her parents didn’t turn up,” he said.
Piyush Srivastava in Varanasi
Mail Today
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Cops dust ‘ old suspects’ in Varanasi blast case
By Piyush Srivastava & Aman Sharma
Dec 10 2010
GROPING for clues in the Tuesday’s blast at Shitla Ghat in Varanasi, the intelligence agencies have chosen to return to suspects in similar cases who are absconding.
Within hours of the blast, the intelligence agencies of UP had jumped to the conclusion that there was an Azamgarh connection to the blast.
Police sources said a confidential report prepared within three hours of the blast mentioned Mohammad Shahnawaz ( 29) and Assadullah Akhtar ( 26). It said the choice of blast site and the modus operandi suggested the involvement of the Azamgarh duo.
The UP Anti- Terrorist Squad ( ATS) had reportedly forwarded an Interpol alert request to the Centre for Shahnawaz, who is believed to be in hiding in Sharjah.
Shahnawaz is the elder brother of Mohammad Saif, who was arrested by the Delhi crime branch during the Batla House encounter on September 19, 2008. Asadullah has a bachelor degree in pharmacy from a private university in Lucknow. His father Dr Javed Akhtar is a well- known orthopedic surgeon in Azamgarh.
Full report at: Mail Today
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‘ Terror’ hamlet Bhatkal back in police focus
By Aravind Gowda
Dec 10 2010
THE Karnataka Police have been specifically asked by the Union home ministry to monitor activities in communally sensitive districts as Indian Mujahideen ( IM) is allegedly keen on recruiting fresh talent.
“ The Union home ministry has received information that the Varanasi blast was carried out by fresh recruits who never had any terror background. The IM is targeting gullible youths,” police sources said.
The directive from the home ministry has brought the focus of the state police on the coastal town of Bhatkal, home of the co- founders of the IM. According to the police, Yasin Bhatkal, also known as Ahmed, who is absconding for the past five years, is one of the founders of the IM. His family members, settled in Bhatkal, claimed Yasin went to meet his father in Dubai but never returned.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Afghan women suffer due to traditional practices
Dec 10 2010
KABUL: Millions of Afghan women and girls suffer from traditional practices such as child marriage and “honor” killings, and authorities fail to enforce laws protecting them, the United Nations said on Thursday.
A report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) found that women’s rights were being violated throughout Afghanistan, almost a decade after the Taleban regime was ousted.
The Taleban barred women from education and most work and restricted their movement. Foreign and Afghan forces have been fighting an insurgency since 2001.
In August 2009, Afghanistan enacted the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women, which criminalizes many harmful practices, but some authorities were unaware of the law and many were unwilling or unable to apply it, the report said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article211987.ece
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Jamiat faction warns against changes to blasphemy law
December 10, 2010
A hardline faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam on Thursday warned the Pakistan Government against making changes to a controversial blasphemy law and convened a meeting of political parties to frame a strategy to oppose any amendment in the statute.
Maulana Samiul Haq, the chief of the JUI faction, said the Government should not make any changes in the blasphemy law. “The question does not arise about any change in the blasphemy law. If the ruling Pakistan People’s Party makes any move to this effect, it would be the last nail in its political coffin,” he told a news conference.
Pakistani civil rights and minority groups have been demanding the amendment of the blasphemy law since a Christian woman was sentenced to death after being convicted for blasphemy last month.
Former Federal Minister and senior PPP leader Sherry Rehman has submitted a bill seeking the amendment of the blasphemy law in Parliament.
Haq said his group would organise a meeting of political parties in Islamabad on December 13 to chalk out a “joint strategy against the bill floated by Sherry Rehman”.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/302665/Jamiat-faction-warns-against-changes-to-blasphemy-law.html
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Iran to air new footage of woman in stoning case
Dec 10 2010
Tehran (Iran) : Iran’s state TV says it will air new footage of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, the latest in state-orchestrated broadcasts on the case that has raised an international outcry.
Press TV says the footage will be aired late Friday and that it will show Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani at her home in northwestern Iran, recounting her alleged crimes and details of her husband’s murder.
The TV says the 43-year-old mother, who remains in prison in the city of Tabriz, was accompanied by her son for the filming. Her son and lawyer were arrested in October, along with two German journalists.
Iran put Ashtiani’s stoning sentence on hold amid pressure from rights groups, but says she has also been convicted of involvement in her husband’s death.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iran-to-air-new-footage-of-woman-in-stoning-case/722978/
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German police arrest two suspected Sikh militants
Dec 10 2010
BERLIN: German police have arrested two men suspected of being Sikh militants belonging to a group that is fighting to create a Sikh homeland, prosecutors said on Thursday.
They say the men, arrested in the western states of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, were part of the militant Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) that wants to create a Sikh homeland out of parts of India and Pakistan.
“They are accused of having joined the KZF by 2009 at the latest and been in contact with its leadership abroad to help procure weapons,” Germany’s Public Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe said in a statement.
The two, described as 35-year old Sukhpreet S. and 41-year old Jagtar S. M., are Indian nationals and have been charged with violations of firearms laws and “membership in a foreign terrorist organisation”.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/09/german-police-arrest-two-suspected-sikh-militants.html
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Is Islam compatible with libertarianism
Dec 10 2010
In another thread, I asked if Christianity is compatible with libertarianism. Now, I ask the same of Islam. Unfortunately, I am out of my element on this one. I hope those who are more knowledgeable can shed some light. I know that some call Islam the "Religion of Peace." But then we have counter-examples. Where does the truth lie?
http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/libertarians-938/topics/islam-compatible-libertarianism?commentid=1850676
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Activist judge rules in favor of Islam
Robert McDowell
Dec 10 2010
Once again, we have an activist federal judge on the Oklahoma City District using her power of judicial position to unilaterally override the demonstrated will of more than 70 percent of the people of Oklahoma. This time it is to issue a restraining order, and now an injunction, against the State of Oklahoma to prevent the implementation of State Question 755, passed to amend the Constitution with the requirement that state judges may not use any foreign (including Islamic Sharia) law in arriving at decisions. It is believed that this judge, Vicki Miles-LaGrange was appointed during the administration of President William Jefferson Blithe Clinton. If so, her conduct is not surprising, but is no less offensive.
Even more offensive was the immediate, before the question could even be implemented to take effect, rush to her court by Muneer O. Awad, executive director of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations to seek to prevent it being placed in effect.
Full report at:
http://www.tulsabeacon.com/?p=4821
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Despite Law, Islamists Continue Abuse of Women in Afghanistan
Dec 10 2010
VOA News: The United Nations says women's rights are being violated across Afghanistan and has called for an end to practices such as child marriage, honor killings and giving away girls to settle disputes.
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released a report Thursday saying that women are being discriminated against because of local beliefs about the role and position of women in Afghan society.
During a press conference in Kabul, a U.N. official said such discrimination has caused millions of Afghan women to be marginalized and endure pain, suffering, and humiliation.
The report said religious leaders sometimes reinforce the discrimination by their interpretation of Islam. But the U.N. called the practices “inconsistent with Sharia law” and the laws of Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2010/12/despite-law-islamists-continue-abuse-
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Moscow Considers Kabardino-Balkaria Jamaat as Threat to the North Caucasus
Dec 10 2010
Speaking in the regional capital of Pyatigorsk on November 18, Russian Interior Minister, Rashid Nurgaliev, put Kabardino-Balkaria next to Dagestan and Ingushetia as the most dangerous places in the North Caucasus in terms of the terrorist threat (http://www.caucasustimes.com/article.asp?id=20543). Up until last year, the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria did not cause any particular concern for the Russian leadership. Rather, they saw the sporadic insurgency-related incidents taking place there as being completely under control and easy to eliminate.
But in less than a year, the number of terrorist acts in Kabardino-Balkaria has increased fivefold –from 21 in 2009 to 117 in the first nine months of 2010. It was for this reason that Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, fired the republic’s Interior Minister, Yuri Tomchak, who had been promoted to that post by his longtime friend, Arsen Kanokov, the head of Kabardino-Balkaria. Kanokov’s protégé was replaced by Sergei Vasiliev, a colonel who before this appointment served in the interior ministry of the Siberian city of Kemerovo –thousands of miles away from the North Caucasus.
Full report at:
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UK: Anti-Semitism Rampant in Muslim Schools
Soeren Kern
Dec 10 2010
Muslim religious schools operating in Britain are using poisonously anti-Semitic textbooks from Saudi Arabia to teach children as young as six that Jews are descended from "monkeys" and "pigs," and that Zionists are plotting to take over the world. The schools are also instructing children on how to chop off the hands and feet of a thief as per Islamic Sharia law. These are just a few of the findings of a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) exposé of Saudi-run Muslim schools in Britain that aired on the prestigious Panorama documentary television program on November 22.
The Panorama investigation identified a network of over 40 such after-school and weekend programs catering to about 5,000 children, from ages six to eighteen. The schools offer the official Saudi national curriculum and run under the umbrella of "Saudi Students Clubs and Schools in the UK and Ireland." Panorama says the schools are overseen by the cultural bureau of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London, and that a building used for one of the schools (in Ealing, West London) is owned by the Saudi government.
Full report at:
http://www.hudson-ny.org/1703/uk-anti-semitism-muslim-schools
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Berlin Islamic cultural centre hit by firebomb
Dec 10, 2010
An Islamic cultural center in Berlin was attacked early Thursday with a Molotov cocktail, the sixth arson attack on Muslim institutions in the German capital this year. The missile set the facade of the building alight, but the fire was out before authorities arrived. Nobody was injured, but state police were investigating.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Berlin-Islamic-cultural-centre-hit-by-firebomb/articleshow/7074572.cms#ixzz17gTpQkYA
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‘Obama family is a symbol of religious tolerance’
NAEEM AL-HAKIM
Dec 10 2010
JEDDAH: Abdul Malik Obama, the brother of US President Barack Obama, has described their family as a symbol of religious coexistence and tolerance.
Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Abdul Malik Obama said the family is a perfect example of this mindset because the US president has embraced Christianity while the rest of the family are Muslims and are leading Da’wa work, the religious call, in Africa.
Abdul Malik Obama said that coexistence between religions, preventing sedition, conflicts and wars, is important for the well-being of humanity. He confirmed that he has observed up close that President Obama loves and respects Islam and Muslims.
He said his brother has always remained in contact with the family and his roots in Africa, especially after his 2006 visit to Kenya and the birthplace of his father, Hussein Obama, in Kogelo village.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010120988
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Imam behind NYC mosque plan sees hope after fury
Dec 10 2010
NEW YORK (AP) - Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf saw his plans for an Islamic center near ground zero derided as a victory mosque for terrorists, exploited as campaign fodder and used as a bargaining chip by a Florida pastor who vowed to burn the Quran.
After that summer of mistrust and raw feeling, he's looking on the bright side.
Rauf says he hopes to use the platform he gained through the angry debate to turn his small nonprofit group into a global movement celebrating pluralism.
In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Rauf said he hopes to see interfaith centers like the one he plans to include inside the downtown Manhattan Islamic center built all over the world. Each would be dedicated to fighting extremism and promoting better relations between people of different faiths and cultures.
Already, he said, he is exploring opening facilities in other American cities, as well as in Indonesia and Kosovo.
Full report at:
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=29&sid=2194252
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High-profile blasphemy cases in the last 63 years
Dec 10 2010
Pakistan’s Penal Code Section 295, better known as the Blasphemy Law, was first introduced to a pre-partition India in 1860. Back then, the law was applicable to every religion and any person with a maximum punishment up to two years with bail. And any disturbance of any religious gathering was also in violation of the law. There have been an estimated 1,274 people charged under the blasphemy laws between 1986 till 2010 according to reports.
1927:
• There was an amendment made after the loss of a controversial case defended by India’s leading lawyer M.A. Jinnah. The Indian legislature cautioned against using the words “intentional outrage” or “attempted outrage” for their vagueness and instead chose to use words such as “deliberate” or “malicious intent.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/08/high-profile-blasphemy-cases-in-the-last-63-years.html
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Pakistani deaths exceed Afghan in terror war: report
Dec 10 2010
A report by a US pressure group released in Islamabad on Thursday (December 9) says Pakistan’s government is overlooking the scale of civilian casualties in its war against militants and it will lose credibility unless actions are taken to ease the suffering.
The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC) says there were probably more civilian casualties in Pakistan in 2009 than in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Christopher Rogers, author of the study, said the number of civilian casualties – deaths and injuries – is significant in Pakistan, though exact figures are unknown due to insecurity and government restrictions on information.
“One of the more surprising findings was that civilian casualties in Pakistan are even greater than those in Afghanistan. There have been over 2,100 civilian deaths in 2009 from terrorism alone in Pakistan and a comparable number thus far in 2010. In Afghanistan there are about the same number of civilians killed but from all forms of conflict-related violence including NATO airstrikes, artillery crossfire between militants and ISAF armed forces,” Rogers said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/10/pakistani-civilian-deaths-exceed-afghan-in-terror-war-
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Abrogation and Dualism in Islam
Dec 10 2010
Not only are there two Korans, Meccan and Medinan, that are different in tone and subject matter, but also the Koran has many verses that contradict each other.
Koran 2:219 says that Muslims should be tolerant and forgiving to People of the Book.
Koran 9:29 says to attack the People of the Book until they pay the jizyah, the dhimmi tax, submit to Sharia law and be humbled.
Which verse shows the true nature of Islam?
The Koran recognizes its contradictions and even gives a rule to resolve the contradictions. The later verse abrogates (supercedes) the earlier verse. This does not mean, however, that the earlier verse is wrong or in error. This would be impossible since the fundamental hypothesis is that Allah created the Koran and, hence, the earlier verse must be true or Allah would be wrong.
Full report at:
http://cicentre.net/wordpress/index.php/2010/12/03/abrogation-and-dualism-in-islam/
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ISI admits taking away 11 inmates from jail
Dec 10 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) admitted before the Supreme Court on Thursday that it had lifted 11 high profile accused from Adiala Jail.
"They are all terrorists and involved in assassination of a general from Army Medical Corps," said defense lawyer Raja Irshad.
While submitting his arguments he said, "In India no one criticizes the role the (Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). But here a section of the media had made the ISI foot ball."
Raja Irshad told the court that the 11 terrorists were being held by the ISI under the Army Act.
Raja Irshad, the counsel of the agencies, during hearing of the missing prisoners case confirmed before a three-member bench of the court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry that the missing prisoners were alive and in custody of the Military Intelligence (MI) and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article211906.ece
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Jews, Arabs in uproar over rabbis’ controversial ruling
Dec 10 2010
RAMALLAH: The Israeli and Arab uproar against a ruling by some 300 Jewish rabbis prohibiting the rental of homes to non-Jews, usually Arabs living inside Israel, rose on Thursday.
Noah Flug, chairman of the International Association of Holocaust Survivors, said “these rabbis need to retract their statement.”
Fifty influential Jewish rabbinic leaders on Tuesday released a controversial Halachic (traditional compendium of Jewish Law) ruling forbidding Jews from selling or renting homes to gentiles in predominantly Jewish areas in Israel.
The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot said that an additional 220 rabbis serving almost all Israeli cities also signed the ruling. The 50 rabbis receive a state salary and are responsible for religious and ritual affairs in several cities, towns and rural regional councils across the country.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article212042.ece
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Promote Islam Through Mosque Tours, Awareness Programmes
Jamil Khir
Dec 10 2010
BANGI, (Bernama) -- The convention on Islamic Dakwah (Propagation) Awareness Through Mosque Tours held at the Malaysia Islamic Training Institute (ILIM) is envisaged to promote understanding of Islam to the world more effectively.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the convention was to guide the participating tour guides and mosque volunteers from 12 countries to be more active and innovative in playing their role.
"There must be sharing of methodology on propagating Islam during this course. As we are all aware, the mosque is regarded as the pillar in spreading Islam.
"We must therefore make the best use of this opportunity to learn how to spread Islamic teachings effectively," he told the participants in his speech, the text of which was read out by his political secretary Shahbudin Yahaya, at the officiating of the convention, here Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=548609
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‘1,000 killed in a decade along Bangladesh border'
Dec 10 2010
KOLKATA: Stating that more than 1,000 people had been killed in the last decade in firing by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Bangladesh border, a report by Human Rights Watch released here on Thursday has recommended that the government ensure that security forces do not use indiscriminate force when checking cross-border crimes.
The report titled “Trigger Happy — Excessive use of Force by Indian Troops at the Bangladesh Border,” documents the experiences of families whose members were killed in these firings as well as instances of torture, arbitrary detention and indiscriminate use of force on people living in areas around the border. The research was conducted with the help of two local NGOs — MASUM in Kolkata and ODHIKAR in Dhaka.
After an official visit to Dhaka in September, where the issue was raised by officials of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), Raman Srivastava, Director-General of the BSF, had said that his troops were only firing at criminals who were entering Indian territory.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/10/stories/2010121055491100.htm
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South Waziristan clash kills four militants
Dec 10 2010
PESHAWAR: At least four militants, including an important commander, were killed during a clash with security forces in the South Waziristan tribal region, DawnNews reported.
Sources said the clash occurred in the tribal area’s Jantah area.
Four militants, including the commander, were killed in the skirmish, whereas other militants managed to escape the scene.
http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/10/south-waziristan-clash-kills-four-militants.html
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NATO Disinclined to Debate Mistral Affair
Dec 10 2010
Debate on the implications of military sales to Russia is stifled in NATO. The proposed sale of French Mistral-class warships to Russia is by far the largest among possible Russian procurements under discussion. Non-member country Georgia has taken the lead in airing concerns over the Mistral affair. This tends to be misperceived as a Georgia related concern, instead of being recognized as an Alliance issue. It poses a political-institutional challenge to NATO, and will add a defense-planning challenge in the Black Sea and Baltic theaters, if the sale to Russia goes ahead.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is explicitly tasked to support Russian ground-force operations in that theater, as it did in August 2008. Procurement of the Mistral, a power-projection capability by definition, would significantly increase Russia’s offensive options and Georgia’s vulnerability to attack or blockade of its defenseless seaboard.
Full report at:
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Iran establishes museum for national scientific achievements
Dec 10 2010
TEHRAN -- Iran has established a museum for scientific achievements of the national and Islamic civilization at the Iran National Library and Archives (INLA).
Cosponsored by the director of the Iranian and Islamic Civilizations and Culture Committee and the INLA, the museum was opened during a ceremony on November 21 attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The museum showcases four scientific works by renowned Iranian scientists including Abu Bakr al-Karaji (c.953-c.1029), Avicenna (980-1037) and 12th century Iranian physicist Abol-fath al-Khazeni.
The museum aims to introduce the Iranian younger generation to scientific achievements of Persian scholars, the head of Iranian and Islamic Civilizations and Culture Committee Ali Akbar Velayati mentioned in a press conference on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=231905
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Iran's Envoy, OIC Official Discuss Latest Developments in Muslim World
Dec 10 2010
TEHRAN (FNA)- Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Abdullah Alam and Iran's Envoy to the Organization Hamid Reza Dehqani in a meeting reviewed the latest developments in the Muslim world and problems facing the Islamic countries.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Alam called on the Islamic countries to take "a unified stance" against Islamophobia in the world, and stressed on the necessity to develop cooperation among Muslim countries.
Alam also warned of what he referred to as "the Zionist conspiracies" and called on Muslim nations to unify against the enemies of Islam.
Alam and Dehqani discussed latest developments in the Muslim world and problems facing the Islamic countries.
The OIC is an international organization with a permanent delegation to the United Nations, with 57 member Muslim states.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8909180570
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Its time Pak made up its mind on talks
Sachin Parashar
Dec 10 2010
Brussels: The government on Thursday sought to put the ball back in Pakistans court by saying that Islamabad had to make up its mind over carrying forward dialogue process.
Government sources in Brussels,where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is attending India-EU summit,said New Delhi was ready to hold next round of talks but Pakistani establishment seemed caught in two minds over foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshis proposed visit to India.
We are ready for a dialogue.The problem is that there seems to be two lines of thinking in Islamabad.One says that Qureshi will come only if there is likelihood of any good outcome.The other says Pakistan must first concentrate on issues which are more important to it.Frankly,they have to make up their mind, the source said.
The source further said India was waiting for Qureshi to come.He said hell come in January but then we heard he would come late in 2011.Weve made it quite clear that he is most welcome.Foreign minister S M Krishna had invited him and invitation has been discussed with them at various stages, said the source.
Full report at:
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First world war in cyberspace over WikiLeaks
Dec 10 2010
The arrest of Julian Assange and loss of WikiLeaks major sources of revenue after various online payment services cut off their payment gateways have spawned avengers in the form of the group of Anonymous and what the world is witnessing is arguably the first cyber war on this scale.
The group came into notice after launching Operation Payback on PayPal in response to the e-commerce websites decision to prevent money transfers to WikiLeaks accounts.Anonymous Tweeter feed of December 6 declared that Operation Avenge Assange would start at 7 pm GMT.
The first attack by the group brought down PayPal for several hours.Other websites facilitating online money transfers met a similar fate when they obstructed money transfers to WikiLeaks.The group brought down the websites of Visa,Mastercard and the Swiss Post Office bank for many hours.
Full report at:
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French sale of N-reactors to India will create ‘mistrust’: Pak
December 10, 2010
Pakistan on Thursday criticised a multi-billion-dollar agreement finalised by France to sell two nuclear reactors to India, saying the deal would create “mistrust” and have “serious security implications” in South Asia.
Responding to a question on the France-India deal at a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit renewed Pakistan’s demand to be treated at par with India in the field of civil nuclear cooperation.
“We strongly believe that creating exceptions for any country is not only a step backwards in terms of promoting peaceful nuclear cooperation, but it also has serious security implications at the regional and global levels,” he said.
“In our considered view, country-specific exceptions are inherently counter-productive for these inevitably result in mistrust and non-cooperation,” he added. Basit contended there was “no tenable alternative to criteria-based approaches towards promoting international cooperation” in issues like civilian use of nuclear energy.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/302671/French-sale-of-N-reactors-to-India-will-create
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Dutch police arrest 16-year-old in Wiki attacks
Dec 10, 2010
AMSTERDAM: Dutch prosecutors say they have arrested a 16-year-old boy suspected of involvement in digital attacks that made it difficult to access several prominent financial payment websites earlier this week.
In a statement, the national prosecutors' office says the youth is believed to have participated in attacks by WikiLeaks supporters on websites "including MasterCard and Paypal, among others."
The statement today said the youth was arrested in The Hague, Netherlands. His name was not released.
It was not clear whether he was believed to have played an important role in the attacks, which flooded the websites with traffic.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Dutch-police-arrest-16-year-old-in-Wiki-attacks/articleshow/7075241.cms#ixzz17gTMerdo
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First world war in cyberspace over WikiLeaks
Atul Thakur
Dec 10 2010
The arrest of Julian Assange and loss of WikiLeaks ' major sources of revenue after various online payment services cut off their payment gateways have spawned avengers in the form of the group of 'Anonymous' and what the world is witnessing is arguably the first cyber war on this scale.
The group came into notice after launching Operation Payback on PayPal in response to the e-commerce websites' decision to prevent money transfers to WikiLeaks ' accounts. Anonymous Tweeter feed of December 6 declared that 'Operation Avenge Assange' would start at 7 pm GMT.
The first attack by the group brought down PayPal for several hours. Other websites facilitating online money transfers met a similar fate when they obstructed money transfers to WikiLeaks. The group brought down the websites of Visa, Mastercard and the Swiss Post Office bank for many hours.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/First-world-war-in-cyberspace-over-
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Online sting nets man in Maryland car bomb case
Charlie Savage & Gary Gately
Dec 10 2010
WASHINGTON: A 21-year-old recent convert to Islam tried to blow up a military recruiting station in a Baltimore suburb on Wednesday, ensnaring himself in a sting operation orchestrated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , law enforcement officials said.
The man, Antonio Martinez , who now calls himself Muhammad Hussain, thought he was detonating a real car bomb at the Catonsville recruiting office, according to a criminal complaint filed against him in federal court. But he had actually been interacting with the FBI, and the bomb was a fake.
The public was "never in actual danger as this device was inert, and his activities were monitored very closely as the plot developed," said Richard A McFeely, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore division said in a statement.
Special agents arrested Antonio Martinez a convert to Islam whom they said dreamed of jihad.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Online-sting-nets-man-in-Maryland-car-bomb-case/articleshow/7074589.cms#ixzz17gTU3BIT
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Iranian-Canadian blogger released on bail: human rights group
Dec 10, 2010
NEW YORK: Iran has temporarily released on bail a pioneering Iranian blogger who has been sentenced to more than 19 years in prison, a rights group said on Thursday.
Iranian-Canadian Hossein Derakhshan, held in prison in Iran since 2008 on what the media has said are suspicions of spying for Israel, was freed on Wednesday night "on the unprecedented bail amount of $1.5 million", the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported.
Derakhshan, nicknamed 'the Blogfather' and credited with launching a blogging revolution in Iran, was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison in September for cooperating with hostile countries, spreading propaganda and insulting religious figures, according to Iranian media.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Iranian-Canadian-blogger-released-on-bail-
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French sale of nuclear reactors to India will create 'mistrust': Pak
Dec 10 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has criticised a multi-billion-dollar agreement finalised by France to sell two nuclear reactors to India, saying the deal would create "mistrust" and have "serious security implications" in South Asia.
Responding to a question on the France-India deal at a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit renewed Pakistan's demand to be treated at par with India in the field of civil nuclear cooperation.
"We strongly believe that creating exceptions for any country is not only a step backwards in terms of promoting peaceful nuclear cooperation, but it also has serious security implications at the regional and global levels," he said.
"In our considered view, country-specific exceptions are inherently counter-productive for these inevitably result in mistrust and non-cooperation," he added.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/French-sale-of-nuclear-reactors-to-India-
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Sharif 'most trusted man' of Saudi royal family in Pak: PML-N
Dec 10 2010
LAHORE: Pakistan's main opposition PML-N party says its chief Nawaz Sharif is the Saudi royal family's "favourite and most trusted man" in this country despite "some misunderstanding" between them in the past.
These remarks by a senior PML-N leader came amid release of secret US cables by WikiLeaks, which showed that Sharif broke a promise made to the royal family by issuing political statements from Saudi Arabia while he was living there in self-exile and by visiting Pakistan in 2005 in violation of an agreement not to return to the country for 10 years.
"Yes there may have been some misunderstanding between Sharif and the Saudi royal family at that time but now he is Saudi Arabia's favourite and most trusted man in Pakistan," the PML-N leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PTI.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Sharif-most-trusted-man-of-Saudi-royal-
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Compulsory voting not feasible, says Quraishi
S.Y. Quraishi
Dec 10 2010
NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi on Thursday said the Election Commission was not in favour of introducing “compulsory voting.” “It is not desirable, it is not feasible. Democracy and compulsory voting do not go together,” he said. In the the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, as many as 30 crore voters did not vote. “If we fine them with even Re.1, we will have to file 30 crore cases,” he said, pointing out that 2,57,928 cases were already pending in courts.
Referring to the recent Bihar Assembly polls, where there was a 16 per cent increase in voter turnout compared to the previous polls, he noted that instead, the voter awareness campaign could be intensified.
On the voting right given to 11 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) through a recent Act, he said efforts were on to frame draft rules by December-end, and that the Commission had a meeting with the Secretaries of the Ministries of Law and Justice, External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs on the subject.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/10/stories/2010121064561000.htm
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S Africa’s Zuma controversial but smart: WikiLeaks
Dec 10 2010
Johannesburg : The rise of Jacob Zuma to South Africa’s presidency was an astonishing achievement, according to U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. Zuma became South African president in May 2009 after a bruising battle for the leadership of the African National Congress with former President Thabo Mbeki, who was forced by the ruling party to step down in late 2008.
Zuma’s rise to the pinnacle of South African politics at the same time that serious questions about his character were headline news is an astonishing political achievement in itself, said a diplomatic cable sent by the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria before Zuma was sworn in as president on May 9, 2009.
Zuma was the subject of a long corruption investigation. Graft charges against him were dropped in April 2009.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/s-africas-zuma-controversial-but-smart-
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Gunmen kidnap 18 Afghan sappers
Dec 10 2010
GARDEZ: Unidentified gunmen kidnapped 18 Afghan sappers on Thursday in southeastern Khost province, the provincial police chief said, the second abduction of a mine clearing team this month.
The group from the Kabul-based Mine Detection Center were traveling in Musa Khel district when they were stopped by a group of gunmen and then seized, said Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai.
“They had gone to the area on the request of the elders to clear mines from their village,” Ishaqzai told Reuters.
He did not have further details about the abductions.
The province lies along the border with Pakistan and Taleban-led insurgents are active there, but a spokesman for the Taleban said he was not aware of the incident.
Earlier this month, unidentified gunmen abducted a group of sappers from another agency in eastern Nangarhar, but released them unharmed later.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article211997.ece
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Jordan has first woman chief district attorney
Dec 10 2010
AMMAN: Jordan has appointed a woman as chief district attorney of the country’s capital, marking the first time a woman has held a top prosecutor’s post in the Arab kingdom.
The Judicial Council says Ihsan Barakat, a 46-year-old judge and mother of two, will take up her post on Sunday.
The council, the highest judicial authority in Jordan, said in a statement on Thursday that Barakat will head a group of 60 district attorneys, including only one other women, serving in the Jordanian capital Amman.
Only male district attorneys, commonly known here as prosecutors, serve in other districts across Jordan.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article212051.ece
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Palestinian woman prisoner on hunger strike to protest separation from sister
Dec 10 2010
RAMALLAH: A Palestinian woman prisoner is on hunger for the seventh day to protest the Israeli decision not be placed in the same prison as her sister, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday.
Issa Qaraqi', the Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-Detainees, said that Lanan Abu Ghilmeh launched the strike in Al-Damon prison, in the Haifa area, after its administration rejected her appeal to be placed with her sister Taghreed, who is jailed in the Hasharon (Telmond), a central Israeli prison located between Tel Aviv and Netanya.
Qaraqi' said that Lanan launched a nine-day strike on last October and lift it after the prison administration promised to transfer her to the Hasharon prison.
The minister said that the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) "refused to place Lanan and Taghreed in the same cell, or allow them to shake hands, when Lanan was transferred to the Hasharon prison last week due to the Haifa fire."
The IPS evacuated all of the Al-Damon inmates, including the Palestinians, after the wildfire started last Thursday.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article212039.ece
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US soldier, 2 Iraqi policemen killed in Iraq
Dec 10 2010
BAGHDAD: The US military says an American soldier has died in southern Iraq.
In a statement released Thursday, the military says the soldier was killed during operations Wednesday in southern Iraq. The statement gave no cause of death. It says the incident is under investigation.
The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The death raises to at least 4,428 the number of US military personnel who have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003. That's according to an Associated Press count.
Iraqi officials say attacks on a police patrol in northern Baghdad and a checkpoint north of the city killed two policemen early Thursday. The officials spoke on condition on anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article212026.ece
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Pakistan, India must talk to resolve Kashmir issue: Syed Salahuddin
Dec 10 2010
RAWALPINDI: The current situation in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) has turned the state into a nuclear flashpoint, Mutahidda Kashmir Jihad Council Chairman Syed Salahuddin said on Thursday. He said both India and Pakistan should sit on the negotiation table, but this time the main focus of the talks should be resolution of the Kashmir issue. He was speaking at a press conference on the occasion of the World Human Rights Day at the Al-Ikram Building, the city office of the Jamaat-e-Islami. “Kashmiri Mujahideen always used to buy arms, ammunition and explosives from India and we might get a nuclear weapon from it as well,” Salahuddin added. He said that the Kashmiri people had been struggling for their right of self-determination for the last 63 years, while on the other hand the Indian forces are bent upon oppressing their righteous struggle for independence. staff report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\12\10\story_10-12-2010_pg1_9
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Police constable injured in attack on Balochistan CM dies
Dec 10 2010
QUETTA: The police constable who was injured in the attempted suicide attack on the Balochistan chief minister’s convoy succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, raising the death toll to two. The blast left ten people injured.
Mohammad Iqbal was critically injured in the attack and admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Quetta. The funeral prayers of the deceased were offered at the Quetta Police Lines. Provincial Minister for Education Tahir Mahmood, Balochistan Inspector General (IG) Malik Mohammad Iqbal, Capital City Police Officer Abid Notkani, Balochistan Constabulary Commandant Ghulam Shabir Sheikh, Quetta Commissioner Naseem Lehri and other officers attended the prayers. The body was sent to his ancestral town in Mianwali for burial.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\12\10\story_10-12-2010_pg7_15
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Terrorism, intolerance undermining rights: HRCP
Dec 10 2010
LAHORE: Increase in terrorism and intolerance has heightened threats to human rights in Pakistan, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Thursday.
A statement issued by the HRCP on the eve of Human Rights Day said, “December 10 is an occasion to reflect on the challenges and opportunities for realisation of human rights in the country. This year growing terrorism, extremism and intolerance have posed main threat to the people’s rights. Many of the old challenges to human rights in Pakistan have remained, as new ones, such as clandestine detentions and enforced disappearances, seem to have taken a firm root. For the second year in a row, the number of internally displaced persons was higher than refugees. Extra-judicial killings and torture in jails and police stations continues. Drones also continue to be used for extra-judicial killings in FATA with no accountability and in complete absence of official statistics on the number of innocent civilians killed.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\12\10\story_10-12-2010_pg7_18
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3785
9:28 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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