Indian PM asks Saudi king to help stop Pak terror,

Islamic World News

Indian PM asks Saudi king to help stop Pak terror

NEW DELHI: India has asked Saudi Arabia to persuade Pakistan to stop using terrorism as an instrument to promote its objectives, in a significant move seen as aimed at leveraging the uneasiness of the crucial Islamic country over the growing collaboration between Pakistan-backed terror groups working against India and Al Qaida that has vowed to dislodge the rulers in the oil-rich kingdom.

This was disclosed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday when he said he had asked Saudi Arabia, a staunch backer of Pakistan on a whole range of issues including J&K, to use its clout with the rulers in Islamabad to get them to stop using terrorism to extract concessions from India.

Referring to his conversation with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Sunday, Singh said, "I explained to him (the Saudi ruler) the role that terrorism -- aided, abetted and inspired by Pakistan -- is playing in our country. And I did not ask him to do anything other than to use his good offices to persuade Pakistan to desist from this path."

Singh's remarks do not mark a break from the country's opposition to third party mediation. Yet, they take on significance because it is the first time that India has asked the Saudis, who have consistently championed Pakistan's cause in the Organisation of Islamic Countries and other international fora, to use their "good offices" with Islamabad.

http://newageislam.com/indian-pm-asks-saudi-king-to-help-stop-pak-terror/islamic-world-news/d/2528

The Yemen Hidden Agenda: Behind the Al-Qaeda Scenarios, A Strategic Oil Transit Chokepoint, Current affairs, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs

The Yemen Hidden Agenda: Behind the Al-Qaeda Scenarios, A Strategic Oil Transit Chokepoint

By F. William Engdahl

Global Research, January 5, 2010

Yemen itself is a synthetic amalgam created after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, when the southern Peoples’ Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) lost its main foreign sponsor. Unification of the northern Yemen Arab Republic and the southern PDRY state led to a short-lived optimism that ended in a brief civil war in 1994, as southern army factions organized a revolt against what they saw as the corrupt crony state rule of northern President Ali Abdullah Saleh. President Saleh has held a one-man rule since 1978, first as President of North Yemen (the Yemen Arab Republic) and since 1990 as President of the unified new Yemen. The southern army revolt failed as Saleh enlisted al-Fadhli and other Yemeni Salafists, followers of a conservative interpretation of Islam, and jihadists to fight the formerly Marxist forces of the Yemen Socialist Party in the south.

Before 1990, Washington and the Saudi Kingdom backed and supported Saleh and his policy of Islamization as a bid to contain the communist south.[2] Since then Saleh has relied on a strong Salafist-jihadi movement to retain a one-man dictatorial rule. The break with Saleh by al-Fadhli and his joining the southern opposition group with his former socialist foes marked a major setback for Saleh.

Soon after al-Fadhli joined the Southern Movement coalition, on April 28, 2009 protests in the southern Yemeni provinces of Lahj, Dalea and Hadramout intensified. There were demonstrations by tens of thousands of dismissed military personnel and civil servants demanding better pay and benefits, demonstrations that had been taking place in growing numbers since 2006. The April demonstrations included for the first time a public appearance by al-Fadhli. His appearance served to change a long moribund southern socialist movement into a broader nationalist campaign. It also galvanized President Saleh, who then called on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council states for help, warning that the entire Arabian Peninsula would suffer the consequences.

http://newageislam.com/the-yemen-hidden-agenda--behind-the-al-qaeda-scenarios,-a-strategic-oil-transit-chokepoint/current-affairs/d/2368

Afghan Cabinet Minister Claims Karzai Victory, Islamic World News, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic World News

Afghan Cabinet Minister Claims Karzai Victory

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai has won reelection with a clear mandate, garnering 68 percent of the vote in last week’s presidential election, Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal said Monday, citing preliminary figures. That count would dispense with the need for a second round.

Official results have yet to be released — Afghanistan’s election commission plans to announce partial results on Tuesday — but the minister, who is also chief economic adviser to the president, quoted figures he said had been provided to the cabinet. About five million people voted, and 450,000 ballots still have to be counted, he said.

Of the votes counted, Mr. Karzai has won over 3 million, while his chief rival, Dr Abdullah Abdullah won 1.5 million, the minister said. Ramazan Bashardost has won about 4.5 per cent of the vote and Ashraf Ghani around 1 per cent, he said.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/world/asia/25afghan.html?hp

http://newageislam.com/afghan-cabinet-minister-claims-karzai-victory-/islamic-world-news/d/1674

Jammu and Kashmir: Keep It Together, Current affairs, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs

Jammu and Kashmir: Keep It Together

By ARIF MOHAMMED KHAN

28 Aug 2008

The important question is who resisted the invaders for five days till Indian help arrived. This question has been best answered by T N Dhar, a long-time critic of Sheikh Abdullah. He has written: "The National Conference leaders considered it a breach of trust and a challenge to the self-respect of Kashmiris and since the organisation was deeply entrenched at the grass-root level... the entire population was electrified with repulsion for Pakistan". Not just National Conference volunteers, the entire population stood up against the Pakistani invaders and supported Kashmir's accession to India.

On the other hand in Junagadh, before independence, the Nawab repeatedly expressed solidarity with the surrounding Kathiawar states and on April 22, 1947, the official Gazette of Junagadh reproduced a speech of the Junagadh prime minister categorically repudiating allegations that Junagadh was thinking of joining Pakistan. The constitutional adviser of the Nawab informed Mountbatten that he had advised the ruler to accede to India.

http://newageislam.com/jammu-and-kashmir--keep-it-together/current-affairs/d/631

Interfaith dialogue; Saudi initiative appreciated, Islam and Pluralism, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Pluralism

Interfaith dialogue; Saudi initiative appreciated

By Fahad Al-Qurashi, Saudi Gazette

Commentators stressed the importance of the image of King Abdullah entering the Conference Hall holding the hand of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, and that of the former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani thus symbolizing a better understanding between the two countries and the two sects.

This great picture sent two important messages. First, it is true that Muslims belong to different sects but that does not mean they should be divided.

Muslims can solve their problems among themselves thorough dialogue in order to create a strong front that better represent their issues. Second, dialogue is one of the best methods for Muslims to build better relations with non-Muslims.

The Holy Qur’an calls for establishing dialogue with those who reject Islam. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) tried in numerous cases to build bridges with those who did not believe that he was a Prophet, and he urged Muslims to do the same.

When people engage in dialogue they understand each other better and learn from one another. In addition, dialogue can contribute to removing mistrust and suspicion from their minds. When people trust each other, they can work together confidently for the greater common good of mankind. It is self-evident that much of what divides people is their beliefs.

http://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue;-saudi-initiative-appreciated/islam-and-pluralism/d/303

Islam: Secularists raise tension as Turkish court prepares landmark judgment on ruling AKP, Islam and Politics, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Politics

Islam: Secularists raise tension as Turkish court prepares landmark judgment on ruling AKP

Robert Tait in Ankara

The Guardian,

Monday July 28, 2008

"The basis of the case against the AKP is intolerance," he said. "A sharia system is, by its nature, intolerant of other thoughts, beliefs and practices. Just like fascism in Italy or nazism in Germany, sharia is a sensitive issue in Turkey. With a small spark it can turn into a social movement. We had a sharia-based system during Ottoman times and our society still has traces of it. We don't want to go back to that."

The comments came as the constitutional court prepares to open hearings today that could result in the AKP's dissolution. The court's 11 judges will consider an application by the chief prosecutor, Aburrahman Yalcinkaya - Eminagaoglu's immediate boss at the supreme court of appeals - to close the party and ban 71 senior members, including the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the president Abdullah Gul, from party politics for anti-secularism.

http://newageislam.com/islam--secularists-raise-tension-as-turkish-court-prepares-landmark-judgment-on-ruling-akp/islam-and-politics/d/344