Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Islamic World News

29 Mar 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Suicide attack kills 24 in Afghanistan
	Blasts at Yemen bullet factory kill at least 110 Pakistan army shell kills troops in battle with Taliban Gaddafi troops force rebels back Gaddafi calls on international powers to end 'barbaric' attacks Pakistan Cabinet condemns desecration of Holy Qur’an China pushes ahead Pakistan nuclear plant expansion India-Pak: First day of talks extremely positive: Pillai ISI does not have authority to make arrests, Cabinet gives nod to reopening of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case Pakistan has ‘hands full’ against militants Saudi student pleads not guilty in Texas terror plot Mubarak and family are not in Saudi Arabia: Military council World looks to 'better future' for Libya at London meeting Libya must not become Iraq, Obama warns UK, France urge Libyan loyalists to ditch Qaddafi Libya accuses NATO of terrorising its civilians Syrian forces fire to disperse Daraa protest Libya shows images of Kadhafi son after death rumours Mubarak and family under house arrest Egypt' PM visits South Sudan: will recognise new state Nigeria president seeks Muslim leaders help to ensure peaceful polls RI proposes ceasefire, peaceful resolution to Libya conflict Banquet hosted in honor of Al-Sudais Israel president: Great hopes for Arab revolutions Israel deploys Iron Dome Indonesia urges ceasefire in Libya Kingdom denounces Israeli raids on Gaza Munter in Washington for consultation on US-Pak ties Islamic finance system lacks a comprehensive law: Expert Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: Tribesmen stand near bodies of victims of an explosion at a bullet factory in the southern Yemeni town of Jaar on Monday.

-------- Suicide attack kills 24 in Afghanistan MAR 29 2011 Three suicide bombers rammed an explosives-laden truck into a construction depot in eastern Afghanistan, killing 24 workers and wounding 59 others, officials said Monday. The bombers forced their way into the privately-run construction facility in Paktika province by shooting a security guard dead before blowing up their truck late Sunday, the interior ministry said. The provincial administration condemned the attack in Barmal district, which shares a long, porous border with Pakistani areas troubled by Taliban militancy. ‘At around 8.20pm, a truck filled with explosives entered the complex and detonated,’ it said in a statement. ‘Based on the information we have, 24 people were killed and 59 others were wounded.’ Islamist insurgents in Afghanistan have been known to target construction workers — seen by them as in the pay of the Western-backed authorities in Kabul — as well as military forces and government officials. The resident Hamid Karzai said the attack was ‘unforgivable’, calling it ‘the work of enemies of Afghanistan who oppose the country’s development.’ Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group was responsible for the attack. However, the Taliban, the main militant group behind the Afghan insurgency now into its 10th year, are known to make false claims and exaggerate casualties from their attacks. http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/13274.html -------- Blasts at Yemen bullet factory kill at least 110 MAR 29 2011 A series of blasts at a bullet factory in south Yemen killed at least 110 people on Monday when residents broke in to steal ammunition a day after clashes between militants and the army in the town, doctors said. Witnesses said the blasts, possibly triggered by a cigarette, caused a massive fire in the factory in the town of Jaar in Abyan province, where al Qaeda militants and mainly leftist southern separatists are active. "This accident is a true catastrophe, the first of its kind in Abyan," said one doctor at the state-run hospital. "There are so many burned bodies. I can't even describe the situation." Doctors put the death toll at 110, but said that even arriving at a figure was difficult because the charred remains were difficult to count. They said some victims, including women and children, would be buried in a mass grave. Scores were wounded, many suffering from burns, doctors said, and many bodies remained inside the factory, which also contained stores of gunpowder. Clashes broke out in Jaar on Sunday between militants and the army, feeding Western and Saudi fears that chaos in Yemen would benefit al Qaeda's Yemen-based arm while President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 32-year-old rule is in crisis. Saleh is facing pressure from tens of thousands of protesters demanding his removal. Talks on a transition have stalled, although sources close to the discussions said a deal was still within reach. Militants who a provincial government official said were suspected to be from al Qaeda seized control of several buildings on Monday in the town of several hundred thousand residents, including the bullet factory. The army tried to dislodge them, but later appeared to have deserted the town for the provincial capital of Zinjibar, where security was tightened after militants fired rockets at state buildings, witnesses said. One soldier was killed on Sunday and aircraft flew over Jaar. By early on Monday, Islamist gunmen appeared to be in control of Jaar and had left the bullet factory. But they did not prevent residents from streaming in to see the factory or steal from an ammunition depot on the site, witnesses said. "The factory is surrounded by these terrorist elements who did not permit fire trucks to enter to extinguish the blaze in the factory, nor did they allow ambulances to transport the dead and wounded to hospitals," a provincial official said. Doctors said they were later allowed in to retrieve the remains, and the governor of Abyan announced an investigation, state media said. Washington, which has been involved in the transition talks in Yemen, and Saudi Arabia have seen Saleh as a strongman to keep al Qaeda from extending its foothold in a country which many political analysts say is close to collapse. Yemen's al Qaeda wing claimed responsibility for a foiled attempt in late 2009 to blow up an airliner bound for Detroit and for U.S.-bound cargo bombs sent in October 2010. With central control weak, Saleh's government has relied on tribal allies to maintain order but in recent years has faced rebellions by Zaidi Shi'ites in the north and a separatist movement hoping to recreate the state of South Yemen that united with the north under Saleh's rule in 1990. http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/8798/World/Region/Blasts-at-Yemen-bullet-factory-kill-at-least-.aspx -------- Pakistan army shell kills troops in battle with Taliban MAR 29 2011 At least 13 Pakistani soldiers have been killed by one of their own mortar shells during a battle with Taliban militants in the north-west. The militarys say the shell blew up as it was being launched against the insurgents in Khyber region. Funerals for the soldiers have been held. Earlier, officials said insurgents killed the soldiers during the battle. Pakistani forces are fighting across the lawless tribal belt, where Taliban and al-Qaeda militants find sanctuary. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12886897 -------- Gaddafi troops force rebels back MAR 29 2011 Pro-government forces have intensified attacks on Libyan rebels, forcing them back towards the key town of Bin Jawad. The renewed fighting came as delegates from dozens of countries were gathering in London for a conference on the future of Libya. US President Obama earlier defended the first military intervention of his presidency, insisting that US involvement would be limited. But he also said overthrowing Col Gaddafi by force would be a mistake. Anti-Gaddafi forces had made rapid progress westwards from their stronghold in Benghazi in recent days - greatly aided by international air strikes - seizing a number of coastal communities and important oil installations, including Ras Lanuf, Brega, Uqayla and Bin Jawad. But on Tuesday rebel fighters said pro-Gaddafi forces had used heavy weaponry to check their advance. They had reportedly been forced to retreat from the town of Nawfaliya, 125km (75 miles) from Col Gaddafi's birthplace Sirte, towards the coastal town of Bin Jawad. A Pentagon spokesman in Washington, Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, said that because the Libyan rebels were not well organised, any military gains they made would be tenuous. He said the rebels were clearly benefiting from actions of the US, which has started using heavily-armed low-flying aircraft against government forces. Meanwhile, ships from the US Sixth Fleet attacked three Libyan ships that had been firing indiscriminately at merchant ships in the port of Misrata, west of Sirte. One of the vessels was destroyed and a second beached, while the third was abandoned, US Navy officials were quoted as saying by Reuters. In eastern Libya, rebel radio has been urging more people in the west of the country to join the anti-Gaddafi uprising. 'Barbaric offensive' Nato has denied that its air strikes are meant to provide cover for a rebel advance. He said he had ordered military intervention to enforce the UN resolution because if the coalition had waited one more day, there could have been a massacre in Benghazi that would have stained the conscience of the world, eclipsed the dawning democratic impulses across the region and crippled the credibility of the UN. He said he had refused to wait for images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action. But the president also addressed the limits of action: he said there was no question that the world would be better off with Gaddafi out of power but to broaden military aims to regime change would splinter the coalition and mean US troops on the ground. Read Mark's thoughts in full Commentators question Obama's speech But while Nato insists it is impartial in the conflict, Russia has renewed its expressions of concern, saying intervention in an internal civil war is not sanctioned by UN Security Council Resolution 1973. Ahead of Tuesday's conference, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he wanted Col Gaddafi to leave power and face trial at the International Criminal Court. Some 40 delegations - from the coalition, the UN, Nato, the African Union and Arab League, but not the Libyan government - will be represented in London. Rebel officials have been invited for talks on the meeting's sidelines, although not to the conference itself. In a letter to those attending the conference, Col Gaddafi called for an end to the "barbaric offensive" on his country. 'Regime change' ruled out In his first televised address on the Libyan intervention, Mr Obama said that having led the initial campaign - which had saved "countless lives" - the US would hand over to Nato allies on Wednesday. "We have stopped Gaddafi's deadly advance," he said at the National Defense University in Washington DC. But the lead in enforcing the no-fly zone and protecting civilians on the ground would now move to the Americans' allies, he added. "We must always measure our interests against the need for action," the president continued. "But that cannot be an argument for never acting on behalf of what's right." Earlier, in a video conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Mr Obama had agreed that Col Gaddafi "had lost any legitimacy to rule and should leave power, and that the Libyan people should have the political space to determine their own future", the White House said. An Italian proposal to end the crisis includes offering Col Gaddafi an escape route from Libya, ensuring a quick ceasefire and facilitating dialogue between rebels and tribal leaders. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said he had discussed the proposals with Germany and France. Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim, meanwhile, has called on those attending Tuesday's conference in London to act as "peacemakers, not warmongers". http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12892798 -------- Gaddafi calls on international powers to end 'barbaric' attacks MAR 29 2011 TRIPOLI: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi called for an end to the "barbaric offensive" against Libya in a letter addressed to international powers meeting in London Tuesday to discuss his nation's future. In the letter, addressed to the "contact group" of nations meeting to map out a post-Gaddafi future for Libya, the strongman likened the NATO-led air strikes to military campaigns launched by Adolf Hitler during World War II. The campaign was launched more than a week ago by Britain, France and the United States to enforce a UN no-fly zone on Libya and to protect civilians under attack by Gaddafi's forces. More than 35 countries, including seven Arab states, are meeting Tuesday in London as rebels, emboldened by the air strikes, closed in on the key city of Sirte as they advanced against Gaddafi's forces. Britain, France, Germany and the United States had agreed that the London talks should aid "the political transition in Libya," said a French presidency statement. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Gaddafi-calls-on-international-powers-to-end-barbaric-attacks/articleshow/7814395.cms -------- Pakistan Cabinet condemns desecration of Holy Qur’an MAR 29 2011 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has condemned the desecration of the Holy Qur’an by a US evangelical preacher in a church in Florida and observed that this heinous act is reflective of the presence of extremism in various societies. The burning of a copy of Holy Qur’an was carried out by pastor Wayne Sapp under the supervision of Terry Jones, who last year drew condemnation over his aborted plan to burn a copy of Holy Qur’an to mark the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Highlighting the historical address of the president of Pakistan in the joint sitting of the Parliament on March 22, 2011, the prime minister stated that it was the fourth continuous address to the joint sitting of the Parliament by any democratically elected president. He said that the president in his address gave concrete guidelines to steer the country forward amid a number of challenges and reiterated that all political parties should adopt a reconciliatory approach in the greater national interest and also vowed to uphold the supremacy of the constitution and the Parliament. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article333608.ece -------- China pushes ahead Pakistan nuclear plant expansion MAR 29 2011 China is committed to controversial plans to expand a Pakistan nuclear power plant using 1970s technology, and is preparing a new reactor to start up there soon, even after Japan's crisis triggered global alarm about atomic safety. China's construction of reactors at the Chashma nuclear power plant in the Punjab region of Pakistan drew international unease well before a the earthquake and tsunami battered the 1970s vintage nuclear reactors in Japan, crippling cooling systems and causing radiation to leak into the surroundings. Those worries could now multiply. But neither Beijing nor Islamabad is likely to cut short their nuclear embrace. China's nuclear ties with long-standing partner Pakistan have triggered unease in Washington, Delhi and other capitals worried about Pakistan's history of spreading nuclear weapons technology, its domestic instability, and the potential holes created in international non-proliferation rules. Safety is also a major concern, as the reactors at Chashma, including the third and fourth units China has planned, are derived from designs dating back to the 1970s, said Mark Hibbs, an expert on atomic policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who has closely followed Chinese-Pakistani nuclear cooperation. This means they have fewer safety features than the newer models Beijing will increasingly use for domestic nuclear plants. Full report at: http://www.newsindia-times.com/NewsIndiaTimes/20110324/5623958924955104159.htm -------- India-Pak: First day of talks extremely positive: Pillai MAR 29 2011 NEW DEHLI:In the midst of cricket diplomacy underway ahead of the high-voltage Pakistan-India World Cup semi-final match at Mohali on Wednesday, the Home Secretaries of the two countries met on Monday as part of ‘real diplomacy’ and held talks on various issues of bilateral concerns. Monday was the first day of the two-day meeting in New Delhi and Pakistan’s Home Secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman said after the first round that the talks with his Indian counterpart GK Pillai were positive. Indian Home Secretary Pillai too had similar views to share. “Talks were extremely positive and progress (has been) made in the right direction,” he told reporters after the first day of talks ended. While there was no official word on what came up for discussion during the talks, sources said India sought voice samples of the suspected Mumbai terror attack plotters believed to be in Pakistan. Sources said the Pakistani officials "assured" the Indian delegation that they would look into the possibility of challenging a court ruling that prevented Islamabad from sharing with New Delhi voice samples of those being prosecuted for the November 26-29, 2008 attack. India since long has been demanding voice samples of seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) suspects - including top leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abu al-Qama and Zarar Shah - suspected to have masterminded the Mumbai carnage that killed 166 people, including foreigners. Monday’s meeting between the home secretaries is the first between the two since the attack. Another key issue debated at the meeting was the dates and procedures for a judicial commission from Pakistan to visit India and interview some of the witnesses in the Mumbai attack. India has already agreed to allow a Pakistani team to question them. New Delhi also wants to send its own judicial commission to Pakistan to interrogate the suspects there but there has been no response from Islamabad on this front. India pulled out of formal peace talks with Pakistan following the Mumbai attack that is blamed on militant leaders based in Pakistan. http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ts&nid=1937 -------- ISI does not have authority to make arrests, MAR 29 2011 ISLAMABAD: During a hearing of the missing persons’ case on Tuesday, Additional Attorney General K K Agha said the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) did not have the authority to make arrests, DawnNews reported. Justice Javed Iqbal in his remarks said no arrests had been made in relation to the targeted killings across Balochistan. Moreover, Justice Raja Fayyaz said bodies of missing persons were also being recovered. Justice Fayyaz also objected to the formation of the missing persons’ recovery commission and questioned its rationale when the apex court had itself ordered the registration of cases in this regard. During the hearing, Additional Attorney General K K Agha said that out of the 10 missing persons’ cases that the inquiry commission was handling, four had been found. Furthermore, Advocate Hashmat Habib requested the court to demand details of safe houses of intelligence agencies. One of the safe houses of the agencies is near the judges’ enclosure, Justice Javed Iqbal said, adding that intelligence agencies’ safe houses are guest houses ad not torture chambers. Justice Iqbal further said that it was due to the efforts of the Supreme Court that at least 137 missing persons had been recovered. http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/29/isi-does-not-have-authority-to-make-arrests-k-k-agha-tells-sc.html -------- Cabinet gives nod to reopening of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case MAR 29 2011 ISLMABAD: The federal cabinet in a special meeting on Tuesday approved to reopen the murder case of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB), through a constitutional reference to the Supreme Court (SC) under Article 186 of the constitution. Federal Minister for Information, Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan, told media men after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani that the cabinet gave approval to file a reference by President Asif Ali Zardari after a detailed discussion. She said that the cabinet also gave approval for the transfer of five ministries to the provinces and Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination, Raza Rabbani, would brief the journalists about modalities with respect to employees and attached departments. “Ministries of education, culture, livestock and dairy development, social welfare and special education and tourism will be handed over to the provinces,” she elaborated. “The prime minister also took the cabinet into confidence about his scheduled visit to India to see semi-final cricket match between the two countries on March 30,” she said, adding that it would be a way forward for resumption of a composite dialogue. She added that the cabinet also condemned desecration of the holy Quran by an American pastor, Terry Jones, saying, “The incident has offended the sentiments of Muslims across the globe. Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\03\29\story_29-3-2011_pg1_1 -------- Pakistan has ‘hands full’ against militants MAR 29 2011 NEW YORK: Pakistan is so busy fighting its own extremist militants that it can do little more to help Nato forces battling in neighboring Afghanistan, Nato’s top civilian there said Monday. Mark Sedwill, senior civilian representative for the Western military alliance in Afghanistan, said Pakistani attitudes were hardening toward guerrilla groups that had previously been supported by the state. “In the past, they had relations with various groups,” he told the Asia Society think tank in New York, but now “I think there has been a shift.” However, there are limits on what Pakistan can do to stem the flow of militants entering Afghanistan to fight Nato troops. “To be honest, the Pakistanis are preoccupied with those domestic threats. This is out of hand,” Sedwill said. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/29/pakistan-has-%E2%80%98hands-full%E2%80%99-against-militants-nato.html -------- Saudi student pleads not guilty in Texas terror plot MAR 29 2011 WASHINGTON: A Texas college student from Saudi Arabia who is accused of buying chemicals and equipment to build a weapon of mass destruction has pleaded not guilty. The arraignment for Khalid Ali M. Aldawsari was held Monday at the federal courthouse in Lubbock, Texas. The magistrate set the case for trial on May 2. A criminal complaint was filed against him last month after the FBI outlined their investigation into Aldawsari’s activity. The FBI agents arrested Aldawsari on Feb. 23 after a chemical supplier tipped them that he was purchasing suspicious substances. Investigators allege they found bomb-making materials in his apartment, as well as violent writings and target lists, including dams and nuclear power plants. Aldawsari was indicted March 9 on one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. After the grand jury indicted Aldawsari, US District Judge Sam Cummings issued an order to bar the parties to the case, including their attorneys, from making any public statements to the media, which “could prejudice a fair trial,” writing in his order that the case had already received extensive media coverage. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article333611.ece -------- Mubarak and family are not in Saudi Arabia: Military council MAR 29 2011 The ruling military council categorically denied that Hosni Mubarak had fled Egypt, announcing that the ex-president and his family members are under house arrest. The announcement is intended to dispel media reports that the Mubaraks, whose assets have been frozen pending an investigation, had followed the example of toppled Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali by seeking refuge in Saudi Arabia. A statement on its official Facbeook page read: “Out of the supreme military council’s belief in the importance of maintaining communication with the Egyptian people and the youth of the revolution, we stress the following: 1- The news of the departure of former president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak to Tabuk [Province] in Saudi Arabia is not true, as he is under house arrest along with his family. 2- Concerning the appeal lodged by the mother of the young man Mohamed Adel Mohamed Ali Fawzi, who was arrested during the January 25 Revolution, the chief of the supreme military council has ordered that the legal process of his trial be started. Full report at: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/8775/Egypt/Politics-/Mubarak-and-family-are-not-in-Saudi-Arabia-Militar.aspx -------- World looks to 'better future' for Libya at London meeting MAR 29 2011 More than 35 countries will attend a conference in London on Tuesday to discuss "a better future for the people of Libya" after Western air power helped rebel fighters make dramatic advances. It will be the first meeting of the "contact group", comprised of countries led by France, Britain and the United States which are carrying out military attacks on pro-regime forces, as well as countries that support the action. As rebels sweep westwards and close in on Muammar Gaddafi's home town of Sirte under cover of Western bombing, the international community is looking to what happens in a post-Gaddafi world, Western diplomats said. NATO finally agreed Sunday to take over full command of military operations to enforce a no-fly zone in Libya from a US-led coalition, clarifying an issue which has dogged international thinking. While France, Britain and the United States have driven forward the military action on Libya, they have been determined to ensure Arab nations are seen to be supporting their efforts. The Arab League has been invited to London and the foreign ministers of Jordan and Qatar will attend alongside Western representatives including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Alain Juppe of France and Britain's William Hague. The core of the meeting will be made up of countries which have taken the initiative to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, aimed at protecting Libyan civilians from attack from Gaddafi's forces. Full report at: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/8799/World/Region/World-looks-to-better-future-for-Libya-at-London-m.aspx -------- Libya must not become Iraq, Obama warns MAR 29 2011 WASHINGTON - The United States cannot afford to repeat the same costs as incurred in the Iraq war by seeking militarily to overthrow Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, President Barack Obama said Monday. “If we tried to overthrow Kaddafi by force, our coalition would splinter. We would likely have to put US troops on the ground, or risk killing many civilians from the air,” the US president argued in an address to the nation. “The dangers faced by our men and women in uniform would be far greater. So would the costs, and our share of the responsibility for what comes next. “To be blunt, we went down that road in Iraq ... But regime change there took eight years, thousands of American and Iraqi lives, and nearly a trillion dollars. That is not something we can afford to repeat in Libya. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/March/international_March1597.xml&section=international -------- UK, France urge Libyan loyalists to ditch Qaddafi MAR 29 2011 LONDON: Britain and France warned Muammar Qaddafi’s supporters on Monday that they are facing a final opportunity to stop supporting their leader and to join Libyans pressing for political change in their country. In a joint statement, Prime Minister David Cameron and President Nicolas Sarkozy said Qaddafi loyalists should abandon the dictator and side with those seeking his ouster. “We call on all his followers to leave him before it is too late,” the two leaders said. “We call on all Libyans who believe that Qaddafi is leading Libya into a disaster to take the initiative now to organize a transition process.” The two European leaders repeated their call on Qaddafi to step down and said the opposition’s Interim National Transitional Council should help other civil society leaders to begin a transition to democracy. “We encourage them to begin a national political dialogue, leading to a representative process of transition, constitutional reform and preparation for free-and-fair elections,” Sarkozy and Cameron said. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article333363.ece -------- Libya accuses NATO of terrorising its civilians MAR 29 2011 Tripoli : Libya accused NATO on Sunday of terrorising and killing its people as part of a global plot to humiliate and weaken the North African country. The government says Western-led air attacks have killed more than 100 civilians, a charge denied by the coalition which says it is protecting civilians from Gadaffi's forces and targeting only military sites to enforce a no-fly zone. The terror people live in, the fear, the tension is everywhere. And these are civilians who are being terrorised every day, said Mussa Ibrahim, a Libyan government spokesman. We believe the unnecessary continuation of the air strikes is a plan to put the Libyan government in a weak negotiating position. NATO is prepared to kill people, destroy army training camps and army checkpoints and other locations. Earlier on Sunday, NATO officials said the alliance had agreed to take command of military operations in Libya. Ibrahim acknowledged that rebel forces in the east were advancing westwards but declined to give any details on the retreat of government troops. The rebels are making their advances, he said. Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/768258/ -------- Syrian forces fire to disperse Daraa protest MAR 29 2011 Syrian forces opened fire to disperse hundreds of protesters in Daraa calling for an end to emergency laws on Monday, but demonstrators regrouped despite a heavy troop deployment, a witness said. At least 61 people have been killed in ten days of anti-government protests in the southern city, posing the most serious challenge to President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Assad has yet to respond to the demonstrations, which have spread to the port city of Latakia and Hama, but Vice President Farouq al-Shara said Assad would give an important speech in the next two days. The demonstrators in Daraa converged on a main square chanting: "We want dignity and freedom" and "No to emergency laws", the witness said. He said security forces fired in the air for several minutes, but protesters returned when they stopped. Security forces have reduced their presence in recent days in the poor city, but residents said on Monday they had returned in strength. "(Security forces) are pointing their machine guns at any gatherings of people in the area near the mosque," said a trader, referring to the Omari Mosque which has been a focal point of demonstrations in the city. Abu Tamam, a Daraa resident whose house overlooks the mosque, said soldiers and central security forces occupied almost every metre outside the mosque. Another resident said snipers had repositioned on many key buildings. Full report at: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/8807/World/Region/Syrian-forces-fire-to-disperse-Daraa-protest.aspx -------- Libya shows images of Kadhafi son after death rumours MAR 29 2011 TRIPOLI: Libyan national television late Monday broadcast what it said was live footage of Khamis, the son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, at his residence in Tripoli, to quash rumours of his death. The images were broadcast after several days of rumours that suggested that Khamis, a soldier who leads one of the country's elite batallions, had been been killed in an air strike by coalition forces. The pictures showed Khamis, dressed in military uniform, meeting a crowd of supporters. Last week US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told ABC News that she had heard reports that one of Moamer Kadhafi's sons may have been killed in an air strike, but there was not enough evidence to confirm it. http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=13320 -------- Mubarak and family under house arrest MAR 29 2011 CAIRO: Ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his family are under house arrest, Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said on its website Monday. "There is no truth to reports that former President Hosni Mubarak has left Egypt for Tabuk in Saudi Arabia," the country's military rulers said in the Web statement. "He is under house arrest, with his family, in Egypt," it said. The council has ruled Egypt since Mubarak was forced to quit on Feb. 11 after 18 days of massive street protests against his 30-year rule. The military rulers also announced Monday that Egypt's hated emergency laws will be lifted before parliamentary elections set for September. The laws have been in place since 1981, when Mubarak took power. They give police near-unlimited powers of arrest and allow indefinite detentions without charges. They also sharply curtail rights to demonstrate and organize politically. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article333634.ece -------- Egypt' PM visits South Sudan: will recognise new state MAR 29 2011 Egypt's Prime minister arrives in South Sudan from Khartoum. This is the first official visit abroad since the uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak. Egypt will recognise South Sudan as an independent state after it voted to secede from Khartoum, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby said. The new government also said it would introduce a new proposal to Nile Basin nations to try to overcome a stalemate on sharing the river's waters, as a seven-minister delegation headed by Egypt's prime minister arrived on Sunday in Khartoum. "Sudan intends to be the first to recognise Juba (capital of South Sudan) and Egypt intends to be the second to recognise the South," Elaraby said in Khartoum. The delegation will visit Juba on Monday. Egypt had pressed for its ally, Sudan, to remain united to preserve 1929 and 1955 Nile Basin treaties, which allocated the lion's share of river waters to Egypt and its southern neighbour, Sudan. But after decades of north-south civil war, southern Sudanese this year voted to become independent on 9 July. Full report at: http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/1/64/8774/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-PM-visits-South-Sudan-will-recognise-new--st.aspx -------- Nigeria president seeks Muslim leaders help to ensure peaceful polls MAR 29 2011 The Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, appealed to Muslim leaders on Sunday to help ensure that elections next month, which risk stoking regional rivalries, pass off peacefully. Africa’s most populous nation holds presidential, parliamentary and state governorship elections spread over three weeks in April, all of which are set to be fiercely contested. Jonathan met with the Sultan of Sokoto, one of Nigeria’s most influential Islamic leaders, and other senior figures from the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Muslim umbrella organisation Jamatul Nasir Islam in the northern city of Kaduna. Nigeria is home to the largest Muslim community in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for roughly half of the country’s 150 million people, as well as to more than 200 ethnicities, most of whom generally live peacefully side by side. But ethnic and religious rivalries bubble under the surface and the candidacy of Jonathan, a Christian from the southern Niger Delta, has fuelled resentment from some in the north who believe the next president should be a northern Muslim. http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/13265.html -------- RI proposes ceasefire, peaceful resolution to Libya conflict MAR 29 2011 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked the United Nations to implement the its 1973 resolution on ceasefires to end conflicts in Libya and protect civilians. The official statement was made in response to ongoing conflicts in Libya, that has left many civilians dead. "Indonesia sees two important elements in the 1973 UN resolution: The need for the immediate establishment of a ceasefire […] and to seek a peaceful political settlement to end the conflict," Yudhoyono told a press conference at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday. The situation in Libya has been heating up since an alliance of military forces, including that of the US and France, launched airstrikes targeting the military of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. Full report at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/29/ri-proposes-ceasefire-peaceful-resolution-libya-conflict.html -------- Banquet hosted in honor of Al-Sudais MAR 29 2011 NEW DELHI: The Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament of India) Dr. K. Rahman Khan welcomed Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah to India and held a banquet in his honor here on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Khan lauded the role of the Al-Sudais as a voice of sanity in the Muslim world and spreading the real message of Islam as a religion of peace, harmony and coexistence. He also praised Al-Sudais’ stress on inter-faith dialogue between the world religions to avoid clash of civilizations and foster amity, peace and progress of a unified mankind in the emerging globalized world. He dwelt at length on the time-tested centuries old cordial and friendly relations that India and Saudi Arabia have been enjoying together. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article333473.ece -------- Israel president: Great hopes for Arab revolutions MAR 29 2011 GENEVA: Israeli President Shimon Peres expressed hope Monday that popular revolutions in the Middle East could improve relations between his country and its Arab neighbors, if they end up becoming more democratic and prosperous. Changes in government would need to be accompanied by greater economic freedom and development, he said, as poverty and oppression in the region had fed resentment against Israel. “We hope the better our neighbors will have it, we shall have better neighbors,” Peres told reporters in Geneva after a meeting with Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey. Israel was watching protests in Syria particularly closely. “Clearly this changes the status quo in Syria,” he said, without elaborating. A weeklong series of anti-government demonstrations has rocked Syria, considered one of Israel’s biggest enemies in the region. http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article333569.ece -------- Israel deploys Iron Dome MAR 29 2011 Beersheba (Israel): Israel deployed a cutting-edge rocket defence system on Monday, rolling out the latest tool in its arsenal to stop a recent spike in attacks from the neighbouring Gaza Strip. Israel hopes the home-grown Iron Dome system will provide increased security to its citizens, but officials warned it cannot do the job alone. The system went into operation shortly after an Israeli aircraft struck a group of militants in Gaza, killing two. Israeli said they were about to fire a rocket. The Iron Dome system has raised hopes that Israel has finally found a solution to the years of rocket fire from Gaza. The primitive rockets have evaded Israel's high-tech weaponry, in part because their short flight path, just a few seconds, makes them hard to track. The government approved Iron Dome in 2007. Its developers have compared the effort to a high-tech start-up, working around the clock in small teams to perfect its weapons, radar and software systems. The developer, local defence contractor Rafael, declared the system ready for use last year. Iron Dome uses sophisticated cameras and radar to track incoming rockets, determine where they will land, and intercept and destroy them far from their targets. If the system determines the rocket is headed to an area where casualties are unlikely, it can allow the weapon to explode on the ground. http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/29/stories/2011032957691700.htm -------- Indonesia urges ceasefire in Libya MAR 29 2011 The Indonesian government has urged for an immediate ceasefire in Libya between members of the local military and allied forces (including the US, France and UK among others), fearing further civilian casualties. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told a working meeting with the House of Representatives’ Commission I here on Monday that an immediate ceasefire in Libya had become urgent. "In the past eight days we have seen an increase in the number of civilian victims and therefore there should be an immediate truce, the presence of UN forces in the field, and a political process in Libya," Marty said, as quoted by kompas.com. He also asserted that Indonesia rejected violence of any kind in Libya. "In reality from the beginning we have rejected violence by Gaddafi’s followers, rebels, and even the coalition group because violence itself will only cause suffering to the civil population." Various issues including those related to the Libyan conflict and the post-tsunami management for Indonesian citizens in Japan will be discussed at a working meeting between Marty and Commission I. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/28/ri-urges-ceasefire-libya.html -------- Kingdom denounces Israeli raids on Gaza MAR 29 2011 RIYADH: The Council of Ministers on Monday denounced Israeli airstrikes on residential areas in Gaza, killing innocent people, and urged the international community to take immediate action to stop the continuous Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, also called for greater coordination among Arab countries to confront the consequences of new developments in the region and ensure their unity and stability. The Cabinet also urged the international community to stop Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. The UN Security Council should move quickly to stop Israel’s dangerous violations and provide protection to unarmed Palestinian civilians, it said, adding that Israel should be forced to respect UN resolutions. King Abdullah welcomed the newly appointed Housing Minister Shuwaish Al-Duwaihi to the Cabinet and wished him every success in his new career. He highlighted the importance of the new Housing Ministry in solving the citizens’ housing problems. Before the Cabinet session, he took his oath of office in front of the king. Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet approved proposals related to the codification of the moral content of information technology in the Kingdom. It also endorsed a memorandum of understanding signed with China on June Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article333581.ece -------- Munter in Washington for consultation on US-Pak ties MAR 29 2011 WASHINGTON: US Ambassador Cameron Munter arrived in Washington on Monday for consultations aimed at reducing tensions with Pakistan as a senior US envoy regretted civilian casualties in drone attacks in Fata. Diplomatic sources told Dawn that Pakistan’s strong reaction to the March 17 drone attack in North Waziristan, which killed more than 40 people, would figure prominently in the talks. Pakistan summoned Ambassador Munter to the Foreign Office a day after the attack and lodged a strong protest over the drone strike and later sent a similar note to the US State Department. The March 17 attack was the most lethal since August 2008 when the covert campaign escalated in the areas bordering Afghanistan, and the seventh such attack in nine days. The strike led to a rare public condemnation by the army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, who said that the US drone “carelessly and callously targeted” a peaceful meeting of tribal elders. Pakistan’s reaction was registered in Washington and causing US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman to regret civilian deaths. A transcript released by the State Department on Monday quoted him as telling journalists: “When civilians are killed, we regret it. We deeply regret it.” The purpose of US military actions in the tribal regions, Mr Grossman said, was not to attack Pakistan. Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/29/munter-in-washington-for-consultation-on-us-pak-ties.html -------- Islamic finance system lacks a comprehensive law: Expert MAR 29 2011 JEDDAH: Islamic banks and finance institutions should have a comprehensive law to regulate their activities, make their products Shariah-compliant and win investor confidence, according to a professor at the Department of Economics in the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM). "At present there is no law defining what is Islamic banking and finance. We need a complete set of rules and regulations. In the absence of such a law, discrepancies will continue," Muhammad Yousuf Saleem told Arab News. A comprehensive law would bring about dramatic improvement in the quality of Islamic banking and finance services, he said. There are now thousands of Islamic banks and financial institutions across the world, dealing with more than $1 trillion in deposits and assets. "These institutions are in need of a substantial law defining Islamic banking products and banking activities," said Saleem, who holds a doctorate degree in law from IIUM. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/economy/islamicfinance/article333631.ece URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=4362