Nigeria: Senator marries 13-year old, rights activists appalled, Islamic World News, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic World News

Nigeria: Senator marries 13-year old, rights activists appalled

A Nigerian senator, who introduced and implemented Sharia Law in a Northern Nigeria state, has married a 13 year old girl from Egypt, and women rights group have sprung in protest against the allegedly disingenuous senator. An investigation into his marriage to a minor has been demanded by the Nigerian senate.

Reports claim that Ahmad Sani Yerima, 49, married a 13 year old Egyptian girl at the national mosque in Abuja. Nigeria’s human rights commission has already begun an investigation, following reports of the marriage in newspapers.

"What we are concerned with is that our minors, the girl child, should be allowed to mature, before going into marriage. This very evil act should not be seen to be perpetrated by one of our distinguished legislators ... that is what we are saying," President of the Women’s Medical Association, Mma Wokocha was quoted by reporters.

Ms. Wokocha who is behind the petition demanding that the Senator be taken to court, to face a fine and a jail sentence.

According to reports, the whereabouts of the teenager are unknown - and it is not clear whether she has any parent or guardian with her.

Senator sani Yerima has also been accused of having previously married a 15-year-old girl in 2006. He is reported to have paid a dowry of $100,000 to the parents of his latest teenage bride - and to have the minor flown into Nigeria from Egypt.

However, an investigation into these claims is to be carried out by a Senate committee. In 1999, Senator Sani Yerima oversaw the introduction of Sharia law - for the first time in northern Nigeria, while he was the governor of Zamfara state.

http://newageislam.com/nigeria--senator-marries-13-year-old,-rights-activists-appalled/islamic-world-news/d/2776

Dialogue: Hillary Clinton and Strobe Talbott on The US-Muslim world relations at Doha, Qatar, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Dialogue: Hillary Clinton and Strobe Talbott on The US-Muslim world relations at Doha, Qatar

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH HAMAD BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Well, I remember, Talbott, when we talked about Brookings Doha three years ago in Washington, me and you and Martin, we said, "What we are looking for, opening another institute? It's -- you are not for that, and we are also not for that." We thought that in this part of the world, we need to have kind of (inaudible) in different aspects, and some also studies and some data. And you know, we have many institutions and many universities in Qatar open. And for us, what is important: we need to understand each other more between your region and our country, between your country and our countries in this region. And one of these things is to open (inaudible) Brookings Institute Saban Center in Doha.

And I think we benefited a lot. This is the seventh time we did this dialogue. And every time it's growing. I remember the time, it was around 60 persons we invited. And we were pushing to bring the 60 persons. And this year we have 300, because we put a limit of 350, and (inaudible), but now we are looking for more quality. We are looking for the dialogue to have a Doha Center of dialogue.

Our dream and His Highness's dream, how to make Doha Center for everybody to meet, to have different opinions, to have different ideas, but to have same values, and to have same principles of solving all the problems by talking to each other. And I think we, as you know, succeeded by last year. We were having 107 conferences in Doha. And I am talking 107 conferences over 150 persons -- we don't count the smaller conferences. And we were glad to have all the people here for the culture. It's good for people to meet each other. And also, it's good to know why we are angry from each other.

http://newageislam.com/dialogue--hillary-clinton-and-strobe-talbott-on-the-us-muslim-world-relations-at-doha,-qatar/islam-and-the-west/d/2465

India can’t simply wait for America to deliver on Pak, War on Terror, NewAgeIsam.com

War on Terror

India can’t simply wait for America to deliver on Pak

By Vikram Sood

Pakistanis once again showed an impeccable sense of timing and disdain. They had just "won" the Swat battle, launched with great fanfare and huge hidden costs just ahead of President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Washington. A grateful West, desperate for some success story, then burst into adulatory gestures and found new reasons to ply their ally with even more funds. Saeed’s release was lost in the din of this praise. Besides, the release happily coincided with the visit to Pakistan by Richard Holbrooke, who dismissed the release as an "internal matter" of the Pakistanis. This has been a favourite escape route, used by many previous administrations whenever they wanted to cover up Pakistani transgressions.

In contrast, India’s sense of timing has been appalling. One day after Saeed’s release amid the usual round of angry reactions and sound bites, reports started circulating that India was about to resume the long-suspended dialogue with Pakistan. Everyone knew that pressure by the United States on India had abated only temporarily and that it would resume soon after the elections. It was also generally understood that the dialogue would be resumed after Pakistan had given India some satisfaction on issues relating to terrorism. One does not know who worked out this brilliant spin for the resumption, but it reflects poorly on our sense of timing and tactical wisdom. To say that we are not under anyone’s pressure and yet say the dialogue will resume prior to Hillary Clinton’s visit, so that she does not pressure us, only means we have wilted even before the heat has been turned on. The other reason put forward — that this would hopefully enable Pakistan to rein in its jihadis and prevent another Mumbai-type attack — can only be called supplication by a would-be major power to a failing state.

http://newageislam.com/india-can%E2%80%99t-simply-wait-for-america-to-deliver-on-pak---/war-on-terror/d/1454

Obama's Nomination Victory Speech In St. Paul

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama

Final Primary Night

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

St. Paul, Minnesota

That is particularly true for the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.