| Islamic World News | |
| 02 Jan 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com |
| Stoning of Iran woman could be quashed: judiciary | ||
Why the Malaysian Islamic Authorities act against Islam!? Pak lawyer seeks Malik's removal for wrongly reciting Quran Borders melt at Faiz birth centenary fest 'We need to do much more for Ghalib' Riyadh: Are women half citizens? Jeddah: Women’s sport and schizophrenia Bahrain PM warns against financial irregularities MWL approves interfaith meet in Indian city Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tough on maiming of children Cold Turkey for India as Taliban get cosy with the Turks German Muslims strongly condemn church bombing in Egypt Taliban and Shia Slaughtering in Afghanistan Palestinian woman dies after protest ‘Let operative David Headley spied for Pakistan’ Freedom at last for ‘seditious’ lecturer Pak Taliban trainer of suicide bombers killed in drone raid Pakistan, India cannot afford war: Gilani Zardari signs into law key bill on appointments in top courts US failed to get Kayani to target militant safe havens US will ultimately stop drone attacks, says Gilani India, Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear installations US-led coalition forces kill shadow governor in Afghanistan Iran hangs 12 drug traffickers and kidnappers Iran stoning woman son wants execution stayed Ahmadinejad’s car gets one million dollar bid Pak should discard posture of 'compulsive hostility': Krishna To shield kids from violence, Iraq may ban toy guns Stalin statue blown up in Ukraine: Report More Iran steps tough sell to new UN council Palestinian couples in Israeli jails denied conjugal rights Binayak Sen among six charged with sedition in 2010 Pakistani drone victim seeks to put US on trial Usman Khawaja, Michael Beer to debut for Australia 3-year standoff ends, Nila Gumbad to be part of Humayun Tomb complex Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adulter. | ||
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Bahrain PM warns against financial irregularities
Jan 2, 2011
MANAMA - Bahrain’s prime minister has said the government has zero tolerance policy towards corruption.
Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Salman Al Khalifa on Thursday instructed the ministerial committee for financial and economic affairs to closely follow remarks and recommendations of the National Financial and Administrative Audit Court (NFAAC) contained in its report on ministries and government bodies it controls.
The committee will submit its views and recommendations to the cabinet to enable it to take legal measures to protect public money from being squandered away, it was revealed.
The prime minister warned of firm action against financial irregularities and legal violation by any ministry or government body. He also instructed ministries and government bodies to strictly abide by financial guides and civil service systems and step up their own auditing regulations.
His remarks, carried by Bahrain News Agency, came on the same day of publication of a report by NFAAC that highlighted numerous violations by government organisations. The report mentioned spending of BD3.3 million, including payment of 164,000 euro to one artist on the occasion of National day in 2009 as a violation.
Another violation it mentioned is the recruitment of foreigners on special contracts and high salaries ranging from BD5,000 to BD9,000 by the Radio and Television Cooperation without coordinating with the Civil Service Bureau.
According to the report, by the end of 2009, there were 35 employees hired on special contracts.
The report also criticises the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), saying it runs 40 projects with a budget of BD90 million, but they are managed by only 14 employees. The report mentions that some of these projects failed to achieve their targets such as the hospitality project.
The report shows major losses in the Bahrain International Circuit that reached BD86.8 million by the end of 2009. It says that properties owned by the Ministry of Finance are rented to the Circuit on a low rent of only BD1 per annum.
The 670-page report is the largest since the establishment of the NFAAC in 2003.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/January/middleeast_January4.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Stoning of Iran woman could be quashed: judiciary
Jan 2, 2011
TEHRAN -- The sentence of death by stoning handed down by an Iranian court against a mother of two could be quashed, a senior judiciary official said on Sunday, adding that some ambiguities remained in her case.
When asked by Fars news agency whether the stoning sentence against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani who was found guilty of adultery by an Iranian court could be quashed, Malek Ajdar Sharifi, the head of East Azerbaijan judiciary, said that "anything is possible."
Sharifi's remark came a day after Mohammadi Ashtiani appeared before a group of journalists working for international news networks during what Iranian judiciary officials called an "out of prison" visit to her family.
The journalists were not allowed to ask her questions during the meeting which took place in the presence of judiciary officials at a guesthouse in Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan.
His statement also comes after Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, the son of Mohammadi Ashtiani, pleaded before foreign media that her execution by stoning be stayed.
Sharifi said that certain "ambiguities" still remained in the "evidence" gathered in Mohammadi Ashtiani's case, and this was causing the delay in taking a final decision over the verdict.
The cleric said it is easy to issue a verdict in a case where the murderer clearly confesses to his crime.
"But in this case where the defendant (Mohammadi Ashtiani) denies or makes justifications and there are ambiguities in the evidence, the procedure gets prolonged," he said.
Mohammadi Ashtiani, whose stoning sentence has triggered an outcry in the West, was sentenced to death by two different courts in Tabriz in separate trials in 2006.
Her sentence to hang for her involvement in the murder of her husband was commuted to a 10-year jail term by an appeals court in 2007.
But a second sentence to death by stoning on charges of adultery levelled over several relationships, notably with the man convicted of her husband's murder, was upheld by another appeals court the same year.
In her Saturday remarks to foreign media she said she wants to sue "the two German" journalists, her former lawyer Mohammad Mostafaie, anti-stoning campaigner Mina Ahadi and her husband's convicted murderer Issa Taheri.
"I have told Sajjad (her son)... to sue the ones who have disgraced me and the country... I have a complaint against them," she said.
The two German journalists from Bild am Sonntag were arrested on October 10 in Tabriz for interviewing Ashtiani's son and family lawyer who were also taken into custody. Her son has been free on bail since last month.
Iran says the two Germans entered the country on tourist visas and failed to obtain the necessary accreditation for journalists from the authorities before "posing as reporters" when they contacted her family.
"I have come in front of the cameras at my own will to talk to the world," said the woman during her brief appearance on Saturday where journalists were also shown a film clip of her having dinner and chatting with her son.
"I am willing to talk because many people exploited (the case) and said I have been tortured, which is a lie," she said, speaking in Persian with a thick accent of the Azeri tongue of the northwestern region from which she hails.
"Leave my case alone. Why do you disgrace me?" she asked the reporters.
Ahadi, meanwhile, told AFP in Berlin that Mohammadi Ashtiani's remarks were made under "enormous pressure" exerted by "the Islamic regime of Iran."
The deputy editor of Bild am Sonntag too said he was "surprised and amazed" at Mohammadi Ashtiani's remarks about the newspaper's reporters.
"We find it surprising that a woman sentenced to death in Iran could leave prison for a few hours to announce to the Western media that she wants charges against the journalists reporting on her case," Michael Backhaus said.
Sharifi said that Mohammadi Ashtiani's meeting with foreign media was arranged following requests from the media themselves.
"Everything that must be said is said. No important points have been left out. Her lawyers, the convict herself and her son have said what should be said and nothing else (revelations) is left to be said," he added.
Prominent Germans, including business leaders, ministers and top sports stars, on Sunday urged Iran to free the two journalists.
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Stoning+verdict+Iran+woman+quashed+judiciary/4049489/story.html#ixzz19sghA7IA
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2010 proves to be worst for media in Pakistan: 19 killed; 1500 retrenched
Jan 2, 2011
Islamabad. Jan. 1:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has termed the year 2010 as one of the worst in the History of Pakistan which ushered into a grave yard for media related employees as 19 media persons lost their lives in target killing, bomb blasts, floods and suicidal attacks which is highest in this year in whole world.
The year also witnessed record retrenchments of over 1500 media related employees including 850 media practitioners in the electronic and print media of Pakistan, without any legal formalities and payments of the legitimate dues.
The PFUJ further pointed out that despite heavy casualties of the media persons during performing the professional assignments the media houses have not taken any measures for their safety and training.
The brutality of the media tycoons can be judged from this hard fact that alone even cell phone and petty equipments are duty insured but they never bothered to realize the importance of human life which is far costar than any material objects and did not care to price insurance care to media persons working in the hostile environment in the conflict zones.
The PFUJ further contended that the year 2010 proved another deadly year for media practitioners of Pakistan who were callously deprived by media owners of legitimate and fair wages, job security, life insurance, training, capacity building, while they were increasingly targeted by terrorists and pressure groups.
The PFUJ Observed that the “Pakistani media practitioners both in the electronic as well as print had to face yet another challenging year. Apart from the requirements of job security, they proved have to bear the brunt of challenges relating to their life property and security”.
Highlighting “the plight of Pakistani media persons,” the main representative body of the print and electronic media, the PFUJ observed during the whole proceeding year media persons in Pakistan remained under clutches of “media owners” and were forced to work without basic amenities, including provision of clean drinking water, medical facilities, life insurance, security gadgets, wash-rooms, an unbiased gender policy, training for working in a hostile environment round-the-clock while media persons were employed on contract basis and deprived of benefits of provident fund, gratuity, pension, and no increase was made in their wages since July 1996.
“A review of the year suggested that like the preceding years, from 1996 onwards, media persons were continuously denied their legitimate benefits by the owners, including a conducive working environment, security of job, wages under a government announced wage board and an unbiased gender policy, and the contract system introduced in media organisations by the media owners for media persons was not abolished”, the PFUJ asserted.
According to the PFUJ as there was no protection of life, media persons continued to work under stress, and at least 19 media related employees lost their lives while at least 327 were wounded, tortured, and extended threats by government agencies in Baluchistan. Over 238 media persons were implicated in criminal cases.
The PFUJ further pointed out that despite ever increasing incidents of killing, kidnapping, torture and intimidating, the media persons working in all parts of Baluchistan no remedial measures have been adopted by the concerned agencies to ensure their protection which is a constitutional as well as obligatory international protocol of the government.
Those killed during the proeceeding year includes Hameed Marwat TV artist (Quetta). Ashiq Ali Mangi, a reporter for Mehran TV channel, (Sindh), Samaa TV Cameraman Malik Arif in Quetta, Azmat Ali, Correspondent of Samaa for Orakzai Agency, Ghulam Rasool Birhamani, reporter for the Hyderabad-based Daily Sindhu, Imran Ashfaq, , Shahid Square, correspondent Daily Assas, Karachi, Faiz Mohammad Khan Sasoli President of Khuzadar Press Club, Abdul Haque (Security Guard of PBC Khuzdar, Baluchistan ), Asma Anwar of Nowshera, Mohammad Sarwa, Aaj TV media crew driver in Quetta, Baluchistan, Cameraman Ejaz Ahmed Raisani, Quetta. Misri Khan, a senior journalists of Hangu in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Mujeebur Rehman Saddiqui, senior correspondent of Daily Pakistan, Mehar Mohammad Akmal, Reporter Punjab TV and correspondent of daily Asas,: Abdul Hameed Hayatan, Balochistan, Altaf Chandio, President of Mirpurkhas Press Club, in the province of Sindh, Abdul Wahab of Express News and Pervez Khan of Waqt TV, in Mohmand Agency of the tribal areas, Mohammad Khan Sasoli, a correspondent with Baluchistan Times and President of the Khuzdar Press Club.
The PFUJ said that ironically none of the killers of media practitioners who were killed after 9/11 were brought to justice so far which has aggravated the miseries of the deceased families as well as the media community. Moreover, majority of the media practitioners and media related employees who lost their lives were not compensated at par with the security personals.
"Situation in the Baluchistan province and Tribal Belts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa is very volatile for the media practitioners and a still more painful aspect of the same is that in both areas which are ridden by insurgency for almost over a decade ninety-nine percent media practitioners of the same areas are neither regularly paid employees nor they are being provided any training for safety in the wake of reporting which further aggravated the safety of the life of the media persons".
The trend of kidnapping and torturing even killing has also attained a dangerous trend in these areas by unknown persons as well as security agencies yet there is none in the country to ensure the safety of the media persons.
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Why the Malaysian Islamic Authorities act against Islam!?
Jan 2, 2011
The Malaysian Islamic Authorities should consider the following facts and respect the efforts over the years of the peace loving Muslim ummah recorded as follows:
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - FACT 1 - The generations of Muslim of the first three centuries never followed any of those 4 sects of the so called “Ahlul Sunnah Wal Jama’ah” at all. Where were those sects during those three generations, the best generations ever? Al¬Ash`ari was born in 270 A.H. and died in 320 A.H. Ibn Hanbal was born in 164 A.H. and died in 241 A.H. Al¬Shafi`i was born in 150 A.H. and died in 204 A.H. Malik was born in 95 A.H. and died in 179 A.H. Abu Hanifah was born in 80 A.H. and died in 150 A.H.
FACT 2 - Shi’as follow the sect of the Imams from the Prophet's Household, and the household surely know what their house contains. Non¬ Shi’as follow the sects of the learned sahabah and tabi`in; so, what makes it "mandatory" on all Muslims, after those three centuries had gone by, to follow those sects instead of the one followed before them? What made them divert their attention from those who were peers only to the Book of Allah and its own companions, the descendants of the Messenger of Allah and his trustees, the nation's ark of salvation, the leaders, the security, and the Gate of Salvation?
A fatwa was issued by the rector of Al-Azhar University, Mahmud Shaltut, recognizing Shia Islamic law as the fifth school of Islamic law. In 1959, al-Azhar University in Cairo, the most influential center of Sunni learning, authorized the teaching of courses of Shia jurisprudence as part of its curriculum.
The Amman Message started as a detailed statement released the eve of the 27th of Ramadan 1425 AH / 9th November 2004 CE by H.M. King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein in Amman, Jordan. It sought to declare what Islam is and what it is not, and what actions represent it and what actions do not. Its goal was to clarify to the modern world the true nature of Islam and the nature of true Islam.
In order to give this statement more religious authority, H.M. King Abdullah II then sent the following three questions to 24 of the most senior religious scholars from all around the world representing all the branches and schools of Islam: (1) Who is a Muslim? (2) Is it permissible to declare someone an apostate (takfir)? (3) Who has the right to undertake issuing fatwas (legal rulings)?
Based on the fatwas provided by these great scholars (who included the Shaykh Al-Azhar; Ayatollah Sistani and Sheikh Qaradawi), in July 2005 CE, H.M. King Abdullah II convened an international Islamic conference of 200 of the world's leading Islamic scholars 'Ulama) from 50 countries. In Amman, the scholars unanimously issued a ruling on three fundamental issues (which became known as the 'Three Points of the Amman Message'):
1. They specifically recognized the validity of all 8 Mathhabs (legal schools) of Sunni, Shi'a and Ibadhi Islam; of traditional Islamic Theology (Ash'arism); of Islamic Mysticism (Sufism), and of true Salafi thought, and came to a precise definition of who is a Muslim.
2. Based upon this definition they forbade takfir (declarations of apostasy) between Muslims.
3. Based upon the Mathahib they set forth the subjective and objective preconditions for the issuing of fatwas, thereby exposing ignorant and illegitimate edicts in the name of Islam.
These Three Points were then unanimously adopted ( from July 2005 to July 2006 ) by the Islamic World's political and temporal leaderships. In total, over 500 leading Muslim scholars worldwide as can be seen on www.ammanmessage.com unanimously endorsed the Amman Message and its Three Points.
Grand list of endorsements of the Amman Message and its three points (July 2005–July 2006) involving Total number of signatures = 552 from 84 countries (including Malaysia with 8 signatories).
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=219452
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Pak lawyer seeks Malik's removal for wrongly reciting Quran
Jan 2, 2011
Islamabad : A Pakistani lawyer has approached the Supreme Court seeking the disqualification of Interior Minister Rehman Malik for wrongly reciting a passage from the Quran during a cabinet meeting earlier this week.
Tariq Asad requested the court to disqualify Malik as a member of parliament after TV news channels beamed footage of the minister wrongly reciting "Surah Ikhlas", a brief passage from the Quran that most Muslims know by heart, at the start of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
In the footage shown on television, Malik wrongly read the prayer three times as his cabinet colleagues laughed at his efforts. Malik contended that the passage had been wrongly printed in a piece of paper given to him by aides. Reports said an inquiry had been ordered into the faux pas.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-lawyer-seeks-maliks-removal-for-wrongly-
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Borders melt at Faiz birth centenary fest
By Aishwarya Sati & Alolika Dubey
Jan 2, 2011
THE CREATIVE arts have always been the preferred medium to voice opinions, express concerns and create awareness.
Keeping this in mind, the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust ( Sahmat) organised Faiz 2011 on New Year’s day at the Vithal Bhai Patel House lawns to commemorate the birth centenary of Pakistan’s radical Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
A series of cultural programmes, including songs, dance, drama and poetry recitals, were held in his memory. The day also marked the 22nd death anniversary of Safdar Hashmi, the actor, director, playwright and lyricist associated with street theatre.
Hashmi died of the injuries he sustained in an attack while performing the street play Halla Bol at Sahibabad in 1989.
Full report at: Mail Today
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'We need to do much more for Ghalib'
Mohammed Wajihuddin
Jan 2, 2011
Denied due acknowledgement in his lifetime, maverick poet Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869) had predicted that the world would acknowledge his greatness posthumously. The newest chapter in lengthening the memory of Ghalib was added on December 26 — a day ahead of his 213th birth anniversary — when his fans installed a beautiful bust of him at his restored haveli (mansion) in old Delhi's Gali Qasim Jaan. If the event warmed up the frozen December evening in the walled city — the fans, holding candles, marched to the memorial from crowded Chandni Chowk — the birth of the bust itself is no less exciting.
A year ago, when renowned poet-film director Gulzar commissioned the bust to Solapur-based sculptor Bhagwan Rampure, the latter says he had no clue the task would be so challenging. "Gulzar saheb had faith in me. I had to live up to his expectations and do justice to one of the most familiar faces in the pantheon of Indian poets," says the 48-year-old sculptor whose other famous installations include the bull at the Mumbai Stock Exchange, the Buddha series and busts of Jhansi ki rani and B R Ambedkar. But did he know Ghalib enough? "I had seen Gulzar's popular TV serial Mirza Ghalib and had grown up listening to the poet's ghazals," says Rampure. Gulzar also lent the sculptor Pavan K Varma's 1989 book Ghalib: The Man, The Times and some rare photographs.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/We-need-to-do-much-more-for-
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Riyadh: Are women half citizens?
Jan 2, 2011
Local newspapers recently reported that car dealers require the approval of the guardian for a woman to buy a car. This was immediately followed by a denial from the director of the Traffic Department in Riyadh.
The denial was in fact a confirmation of reality. Does the Traffic Department consider women incomplete citizens?
Does it not recognize women as citizens when they have identity cards issued by the Ministry of Interior, the body under which both the Traffic Department and the Civil Affairs Department come? Are ID cards, which are proof that women are citizens, just ink on paper? In our homeland, there is a woman who has reached the rank of a deputy minister but still unable to buy a car. The Kingdom is committed to Islam as a rule of government yet women cannot operate freely. I fear the day when women will not be allowed to take food without the consent of their guardians. This decision is so shameful that even the Traffic Department has tried to deny it, though it is a fact.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article227406.ece
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Jeddah: Women’s sport and schizophrenia
Jan 2, 2011
THERE are things that you cannot understand, or in the least will leave you puzzled. Among such conundrums is the fact that certain things are permitted by one agency, yet forbidden by another.
For instance, the Ministry of Education, in a recent statement, warned against holding sporting activities in girls’ schools. It said that such an act would be considered a gross violation of its rules and regulations.
The ministry’s spokesman, Muhammad Al-Dhikhaini, told local newspapers that the Ministry of Education’s Jeddah branch is investigating the violations committed by a number of private schools in the city that allowed their pupils to participate in a sports competition.
The warning issued by the Ministry of the Education and its spokesman’s statement will make one believe that sports are illegal for schoolgirls. The philosophy behind this is the claim to “prevent any activity that may hurt you or others.” It is this same idea that there is a ban on drugs which can damage one’s mind.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article227935.ece
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MWL approves interfaith meet in Indian city
Jan 2, 2011
JEDDAH: The Makkah-based Muslim World League has approved a proposal to hold an international interfaith dialogue conference in the south Indian state of Kerala in the first half of this year. The organization has sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting his consent.
In his letter to the Indian premier, MWL Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Turki emphasized his organization’s efforts to promote and enhance constructive dialogue among adherents of different faiths and cultures.
The MWL has previously held interfaith dialogue conferences in Makkah, Madrid and Geneva.
The three-day conference is being organized by the International Interfaith Dialogue India (IIDI) in Kochi, a platform aimed at promoting peace, harmony and fraternity among various religious communities in India.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article227943.ece
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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tough on maiming of children
Jan 2, 2011
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday issued a strong warning against the evil cliques which maim children and force other people to beg as a means of earning money.
The present government wants to stop begging permanently through rehabilitating the country’s poor and under-privileged people, she said while inaugurating a function marking the National Social Welfare Day 2010 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.
This year the National Social Welfare Day is being observed with the slogan 'May the services to helpless and poor people become our commitment'.
Hasina said: "Why our people would beg on the streets? We want to rehabilitate every destitute in the society with accommodation, education and healthcare facilities."
She informed that the formulation of the Vagabond and Unsheltered Persons (Rehabilitation) Bill 2010 is now at the final stage.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=27719
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Cold Turkey for India as Taliban get cosy with the Turks
By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury
Jan 2, 2011
THE TALIBAN’S move to open a representation office in Turkey will be closely monitored by India, as external affairs minister S. M. Krishna travels to Kabul this month to reiterate New Delhi’s concern over any reconciliation with the Islamist militant group.
This is the first effort by the Taliban to establish a legal presence on foreign soil. Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s announcement about the Taliban’s plan recently had come as a surprise. The move could help the extremists attain a legal character amid negotiations with Kabul.
India, which favours an inclusive and Kabul– led reintegration process in Afghanistan, is expected to raise the issue during Krishna’s visit.
“ While talks with the Taliban may be held at any location, we want the process to be transparent and led by Kabul,” said a source, indicating India’s reservations against moves by foreign powers like Pakistan to dictate the process.
Full report at:Mail Today
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German Muslims strongly condemn church bombing in Egypt
Jan 2, 2011
A German Muslim umbrella organization here Saturday sharply condemned the New Year bomb attack on a church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria which left at least 22 people dead.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A German Muslim umbrella organization here Saturday sharply condemned the New Year bomb attack on a church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria which left at least 22 people dead.
'We condemn this horrific and inhuman attack in the strongest possible terms,' said the Cologne-based Coordination Council of Muslims in a statement.
It stressed that the holy Quran highlighted the need to protect human lives and
houses of God.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=219459
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Taliban and Shia Slaughtering in Afghanistan
Jan 2, 2011
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - As the Taliban fights to make a comeback in Afghanistan, no group is in more danger than the Shias (Hazara Shia). The Taliban’s favorite victims, hundreds of Shia families froze to death while fleeing their villages during winter attacks by the Taliban.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=219439
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Palestinian woman dies after protest
2 January 2011
RAMALLAH, West Bank - A senior Palestinian medical official said a woman died on Saturday after being treated for inhaling gas fired by Israeli forces quelling a protest a day earlier in the occupied West Bank.
Jawaher Abu Rahme, 35, was the second member of her family said to have died in one of the weekly protests held in the village of Bilin against an Israeli barrier built across the West Bank.
A brother, in his 20s, was killed in 2009 after a tear gas canister struck him in the chest.
The precise reason for Abu Rahme’s death was unclear, including what type of gas she may have inhaled.
Mohammad Eidi, head of emergency at Ramallah Hospital, told Reuters Abu Rahme had arrived there on Friday “with very weak breathing as a result of inhaling a gas. The type of gas is still not identified. We put her on respiratory system. But she died this morning.”
The Israeli military said: “the exact circumstances of the woman’s death are currently under investigation”.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/January/
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‘ LeT operative David Headley spied for Pakistan’
Jan 2, 2011
DAVID Coleman Headley, who scouted for targets in Mumbai for the 26/ 11 attacks, was a Pakistani spy working for the Inter Services Intelligence ( ISI), an investigative news report has claimed.
ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha was possibly aware of the plot too, the report said.
US and Indian officials say Lashkar- e- Tayyeba ( LeT) operative Headley served as a Pakistani spy, American investigative journalist Sebastian Rotella wrote in www. propublica. org.
Investigation into the Mumbai attacks by the US and Indian agencies, the report said, has for the first time revealed how the ISI has been playing a double game: acting as a frontline US ally in the fight against terror while supporting selected terrorist groups which serve Pakistani interests.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Freedom at last for ‘ seditious’ lecturer
By Naseer Ganai
Jan 2, 2011
NEW YEAR’S Day proved lucky for Kashmir University lecturer Noor Muhammad Bhat. The lecturer, who was arrested on charges of sedition on December 9, was released from police custody on Saturday. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court had granted him interim bail on a surety bond of ` 25,000 on Friday.
Bhat, a lecturer in English literature at the Gandhi Memorial College, Srinagar, ( affiliated to Kashmir University) was arrested for setting an “ anti- establishment” English- B paper for first year BA, BSc and BCom students.
A question in the paper was whether stone- pelters were the real heroes. The paper also asked students to translate an Urdu passage on Eid in curfew into English.
A rough translation of the passage reads: “ Kashmir is burning again. The blood of youth is being spilled like water. Kids are being beaten to death by police and forces. Girls and women are being fired at. People in cities and villages are crying in pain. The administration is still in deep slumber. It seems that the administration has become deaf and dumb … Full report at: Mail Today
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Pak Taliban trainer of suicide bombers killed in drone raid
Jan 2, 2011
PESHAWAR: Pakistani Taliban's top commander Qari Hussain Mehsud, best known as the trainer of suicide bombers, has been killed in a US drone strike in the country's restive tribal belt, a provincial minister said.
"Qari Hussain was killed in a drone strike," Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said.
The Taliban commander died in North Waziristan tribal region in the first week of October. There was no word from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan on the development.
Analysts said that if the report is confirmed, it would be a serious blow to the Taliban. Noting that another Taliban leader named Azmatullah had also been killed, Hussain said the government would succeed in eliminating militants in 2011.
Several militant commanders, including Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, and al-Qaida operatives have been killed in hundreds of missile strikes carried out by US drones in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-Taliban-trainer-of-suicide-bombers-
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Pakistan, India cannot afford war: Gilani
Jan 2, 2011
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan cannot afford war, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said, stressing that dialogue is the only way to resolve outstanding issues between the two neighbours.
Responding to a question on India-Pakistan relationship during his maiden appearance in a live television show, the prime minister said dialogue is the only way forward because both the countries cannot afford war.
The prime minister was taking calls on a range of issues from people during the show which was jointly hosted by PTV and Dunya TV Saturday night, the APP reported.
Gilani acknowledged India's commitment that the bilateral talks cannot be made hostage to the Mumbai attack. However, he accused India of not being ready to make "any compromise with Pakistan".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-India-cannot-afford-war-
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Zardari signs into law key bill on appointments in top courts
Jan 2, 2011
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has signed into law a key constitutional amendment bill aimed at resolving the judiciary-executive differences by changing the process of appointments in Pakistan's superior courts, calling it "a New Year's gift" for the country.
Zardari gave his formal assent to the 19th Constitutional Amendment Bill last evening at a ceremony in Karachi, where the President was camping.
He described the 19th Constitutional amendment as a "new Year's gift of democracy" for the country. In future too, legislations will be enacted through mutual consensus by taking along all political forces with the aim of making the country stronger.
The signing ceremony was attended by senate chairman Farooq H Naek, national assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza and Raza Rabbani, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on constitutional reforms.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Zardari-signs-into-law-key-bill-on-
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US failed to get Kayani to target militant safe havens
Jan 2, 2011
PAKISTAN: All efforts by US officials to convince Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to attack the Taliban's safe havens in Pakistan have failed so far and the US intelligence believe he is unlikely to change his mind anytime soon. Kayani, who has more direct say over the country's security strategy than its president or the PM, has resisted personal appeals from US President Obama ad officials. ians
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-failed-to-get-Kayani-to-target-
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US will ultimately stop drone attacks, says Gilani
Jan 2, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday took a swipe at critics of the government who advocate a tit-for-tat reply to US drone attacks, explaining “we are trying to convince Washington that these strikes will eventually prove counter-productive”.
“Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state which cannot take any irresponsible step to stop US Predator attacks. We are, however, confident that we will be able to persuade the world and the US to stop the drone attacks as they affect attempts to isolate militants from non-combatants,” Mr Gilani said during a first-ever live telecast from the Prime Minister’s House.
The programme was a joint presentation of the Pakistan Television and a private network.
Mr Gilani reiterated his stance about WikiLeaks, dismissing as concocted its “revelations” about his tacit approval of the use of drones.He described as unwarranted the strike observed on Friday over the blasphemy issue because the government had not taken any decision to amend the law.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/02/us-will-ultimately-stop-drone-attacks-says-gilani-2.html
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India, Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear installations
Jan 2, 2011
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan on Saturday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities in line with a two-decade-old pact prohibiting attacks on atomic assets despite lingering tensions over the issue of terrorism in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
Pakistan's foreign ministry handed over a list of the country's nuclear facilities to an officer of the Indian High Commission at the Foreign Office here, officials told PTI.
The Indian side handed over its list to an officer of the Pakistan High Commission at the external affairs ministry in New Delhi.
The officials said the two sides also exchanged lists of prisoners held in each other's jails under the provisions of a separate agreement. The two countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners twice a year.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/India-Pakistan-exchange-lists-of-nuclear-
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US-led coalition forces kill shadow governor in Afghanistan
Jan 2, 2011
KABUL: In a major blow to Taliban, US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan have killed the group's Pakistan-trained shadow governor in Kunduz province, who was an expert in making improvised explosive devices, suicide vests and anti-aircraft weapons. Mullah Bahador, Taliban's shadow governor in Kunduz, was killed during a raid in the Chardara district .
Mullah Bahador was responsible for coordinating attacks against coalition forces in the Kunduz area. pti
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/US-led-coalition-forces-kill-shadow-
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Iran hangs 12 drug traffickers and kidnappers
Jan 2, 2011
TEHRAN: Iran has executed eight convicted drug smugglers and four kidnappers in the past week, state media reported on Saturday.
The country is frequently criticised by human rights groups for maintaining one of the highest execution rates in the world.
The drug smugglers were executed in the central city of Qom. Mostafa Barzegar Ganji, a judiciary official from the city, told the official Irna news agency 16 other narcotics traffickers were also awaiting hanging there.
"They will soon be hanged if the authorities do not forgive them," he said.
The kidnappers were put to death on Saturday in Zahedan prison in the volatile border province of Sistan-Baluchestan, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-hangs-12-drug-traffickers-and-
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Iran stoning woman son wants execution stayed
Jan 2, 2011
TABRIZ, Iran: The son of an Iranian woman who has been sentenced to death by stoning said on Saturday that he wants her execution to be stayed but added that his mother was guilty of murdering his father.
"My mother has been sentenced to stoning ... I want her death sentence to be dropped. This is my request," said Sajjad Qaderzadeh.
Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani has been sentenced for death by stoning, a verdict that has triggered an outcry in the West.
Qaderzadeh, however, said that his mother was "guilty" of murdering his father.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-stoning-woman-son-wants-
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Ahmadinejad’s car gets one million dollar bid
2 January 2011
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 1977 Peugeot 504 received a one million dollar bid after the car was put on an international auction.
The Sunday report by the Iran daily said that various bids from abroad have been received by the multilingual website that was set up on Saturday for the auction.
The paper reported that the top bidders will be invited to the auction, which will be held in mid-February.
Online offers can be made until the end of January.
The 1977 white Peugeot sedan has been put up for this auction to fund housing projects for disabled and young people.
The move is seen as a bid to appeal to the youth and attract attention towards housing projects that Ahmadinejad has promoted during his campaigns, promising to put a roof over the head of every poor Iranian.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/January/
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Pak should discard posture of 'compulsive hostility': Krishna
Jan 2, 2011
NEW DELHI: In a forthright message to Pakistan, India on Sunday said its posture of "compulsive hostility" will not help a "serious and sustained" dialogue between the two countries.
Noting that the country "walked the extra mile in reaching out" to its neighbours, external affairs minister S M Krishna said, "We earnestly hope that our neighbour would see the merit in constructive engagement and discard the posture of compulsive hostility."
During an exclusive interview, the minister said, "Our only expectation from Pakistan is to dismantle the terror infrastructure that operates from the territories under its control. A serious and sustained dialogue can thrive only in a peaceful and terror free climate."
He also said that terrorism, whether state-sponsored or not, has no place in today's world and needs to be rooted out through concerted efforts of each and everyone.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-should-discard-posture-of-compulsive-
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To shield kids from violence, Iraq may ban toy guns
Jan 02 2011
Baghdad : The Ministry of Health here is campaigning to ban the sale of guns in Iraq. Toy guns, that is. The dangers of toy air pistols became evident to Mustafa after he was hit in the eye by a plastic pellet. Baghdad’s toy markets are stocked with plastic weapons in all prices and sizes: toy guns, tanks, knives, uniforms, even silencers. In a country where guns and military gear are heartbreakingly prevalent, basic training begins early.
“It’s the responsibility of the community to get rid of these toys,” said Dr Emad Abdulrazaq, national adviser for mental health at the ministry. “They make it easier for a child to make the next step to real violence, because every day he enjoys guns.”
The ministry, which itself has no authority to regulate toy sales, has urged the government to ban all toy weapons. But for now it is concentrating on one: a cheap plastic air pistol highly popular among boys that fires plastic pellets and has been the source of hundreds, possibly thousands, of eye injuries.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/to-shield-kids-from-violence-iraq-may-ban-toy-
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Stalin statue blown up in Ukraine: Report
Jan 2, 2011
Moscow : A statute of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin was blown up by unidentified men on the New Year Eve in the Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye, according to reports.
The Stalin statue was installed in front of the regional office of the Ukraine's Communist party and was blown to pieces about an hour before the New Year fireworks.
"Several minutes before the blast, a group of men was seen walking along the fence. One of them climbed over the fence and hung a bag that obviously had an explosive device inside it on the statue," RIA Novosti reported quoting a police report.
The report said the statue was completely destroyed and no one was injured in the incident.
A criminal case has been launched and a search for the miscreants is on.
In December 2011, Ukraine, along with other former Soviet republics, would be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fragmentation of the ex-USSR, created by Josef Stalin.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/stalin-statue-blown-up-in-ukraine-report/731942/
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More Iran steps tough sell to new UN council
Jan 2, 2011
UNITED NATIONS: India and South Africa are joining the UN Security Council, bolstering a bloc of countries on the powerful panel that may be reluctant to support new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.
However, barring any shocking revelations about Tehran’s nuclear program, some analysts suggest that Washington might forgo pursuing new UN steps against Iran in 2011. That may be good news for oil markets, since Western diplomats say Iran’s energy sector would be the next logical area to sanction.
Germany, Portugal and Colombia join the 15-nation Security Council on Jan. 1, also for two-year stints as rotating members.
Apart from Iran’s nuclear ambitions, council diplomats point to other key issues on the council agenda in 2011 — the threat of new civil wars in Ivory Coast and Sudan, tensions on the Korean peninsula, Security Council expansion and the expected re-election of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for another five-year term starting in 2012.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article227845.ece
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Palestinian couples in Israeli jails denied conjugal rights
Jan 2, 2011
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Ex-detainees said Saturday that the suffering of several married Palestinian women prisoners is increasing after the Israeli authorities used “lame excuses” in their refusal to place them in the same prison as their husbands.
The ministry said there are 43 Palestinian women prisoners serving their terms in the prisons of Al-Damon in Haifa and the Hasharon (Telmond), a central Israeli prison located between Tel Aviv and Netanya. It added that the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), “refuses to place the married women with their husbands in accordance with the Israeli law that allows the prisoner to meet his jailed wife every six months.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article227997.ece
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Binayak Sen among six charged with sedition in 2010
Jan 2, 2011
NEW DELHI: As doctor and human rights activist Binayak Sen spends New Year's Day in prison as the only person to be convicted on sedition charges in 2010, it is worth noting that at least five others have also faced the charge over the course of the year. Most of these have been charged for their statements with regard to either the Naxal issue or the Kashmir conflict, according to media watchdog site TheHoot.org.
Sedition is a crime dealt with in Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code, which says that “whoever by written or spoken words, or by signs or visible representations attempts or brings into hatred or contempt or attempts or excites disaffection towards the government established by law shall be punishable with life imprisonment.” This was one of the charges that Dr. Sen was found guilty of last week.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/02/stories/2011010258361600.htm
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Pakistani drone victim seeks to put US on trial
Jan 2, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Sadaullah Wazir says he was relaxing in his front yard when the missile struck, hurling him against the wall and mangling his legs so badly that they had to be amputated. Three of his relatives died. Now the 17-year-old and his family want justice from America, which they say was behind the attack.
Detailed accounts by casualties such as Wazir rarely make it outside the tribal regions. He and other tribesmen recently traveled to Islamabad, the capital, to meet with lawyers who are planning to sue the CIA for damages, possibly adding a new layer of scrutiny to the agency’s covert war inside Pakistan.
American officials do not acknowledge that war or discuss who is being killed in drone-fired missile attacks on al-Qaeda and Taliban targets, which have surged this year to average about two a week. But they have said privately that the strikes are highly precise and harm very few innocents. Some locals agree about their accuracy, especially when compared to bombing runs by Pakistani jets.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/23/pakistani-drone-victim-seeks-to-put-us-on-trial.html
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Usman Khawaja to debut for Australia
Jan 2, 2011
SYDNEY: Batsman Usman Khawaja and spinner Michael Beer will make their debuts for Australia in the final Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, captain Michael Clarke said on Sunday.
Pakistan-born Khawaja will become the first Muslim to play Test cricket for his adopted country, while Beer will get his debut after playing just seven first-class matches for Western Australia.
Khawaja will step into the demanding number three batting position, up to now occupied by Ponting.
Michael Clarke, standing in as captain for the injured Ricky Ponting, said selectors had chosen to use the left-arm spin of Beer while making fast bowler Doug Bollinger the 12th man for the fifth Test, starting on Monday.
Australia – Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin (vice-capt), Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Mike Hussey, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Beer. Doug Bollinger (12th man).
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/02/khawaja-beer-to-debut-for-australia.html
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3-year standoff ends, Nila Gumbad to be part of Humayun Tomb complex
Jan 2, 2011
A YEAR and several frantic letters to the Prime Minister and senior Railways officials later, a plot of land surrounding the Nila Gumbad has been handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). With this, the Mughalera monument abutting the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s To mb will finally be integrated with the To mb Complex.
Following a three-year long standoff between the ASI and Railways, the two bodies have finally resolved the issue of land transfer.
Sources said that the move came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened and sought a status report on the issue following newspaper reports and letters from ministers and conservationists seeking his intervention.
“A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the ASI and Railways about two weeks ago. Land approximately 42 m on north and south and about 8 m east of Nila Gumbad has been transferred to the ASI for integration with the Humayun’s To mb and development of the monument,” said a senior Railways official.
Full report at: Indian Express
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3866
11:14 PM
Moderate Islamist here
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This is Islam:
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