Radical Islamism & Jihad

29 Mar 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Youth Ensnared by Terrorism
	Today Afghanistan provides 93 per cent of world poppy and its half of GDP is earned through drug trade. Drugs, militant tribal traditions, resentment against foreign occupations, poor governance and breakdown of traditional tribal system rugged terrain border sanctuaries - cumulatively provide an ideal incubation environment for these terrorist groups. These vulnerable youth are inspired by religious idealism, though they may belong to different groups or organisations, Taliban, al-Qaeda, various sectarian outfits, or religious groups. While they are used as vanguard for terrorist and suicidal attacks they are not only perpetrators of this crime but also in the end become its very victims. Most of the families lose their youth to the terrorist groups. They leave their parents in agony due to poverty and lack of educational prospects as means of livelihood are not available. Many of their parents languish for years pining for them and some never see them alive as they disappear never to return; those who do are physically disabled, emotionally traumatized and turn misfits in society. -- Dr. Maqsudul Hasan Nuri

Youth Ensnared by Terrorism

By Dr. Maqsudul Hasan Nuri The terrorist High Command gives the suicide instant publicity by bestowing honorific titles of ‘Shaheed’ and ‘Ghazi.’ Glorification of these terrorists in Pakistani press and media is also common amongst the general public because of prevailing strong anti-US sentiment, especially under Bush administration. These conditions created sympathies for terrorists by default. Many religious publications, lectures, and internet websites have proliferated to impart ideological training and information. In Pakistan, many factors have coalesced to goad the youth to join the cause of terrorists’ rank and file. As the most vulnerable section of society with low level of education and poverty-stricken group they are easily swayed by religious slogans of manipulative and half-baked religious leaders. Lack of recreation facilities, repression, closed system, lack of justice, unemployment and identity loss lure them into the willing arms of terrorist organisations with promise of financial reward, societal acclamation and reward in the life hereafter. No wonder, some educated lower middle class youth from our country have fallen an easy prey to these blandishments; even those settled in the West also tend to get ensnared as easy recruits due to alienation in Western societies due to downturn in economies, general discrimination against Muslims and rising graph of expectations, especially after 9/11. No doubt, youth as a whole generally constitute an impressionistic group, yet to be more specific, out of this category, a typical terrorist profile emerges with broken families, childhood abuse, joblessness, high idealism and vulnerability to propaganda. This is supplemented by thrill of adventure, crime and lure of easy money. One reason why militancy in Afghanistan and tribal regions is strong is because of the drug money used for acquiring illegal arms and weapons through drug trade. But this has also permeated in the underdeveloped regions of southern Punjab. Today Afghanistan provides 93 per cent of world poppy and its half of GDP is earned through drug trade. Drugs, militant tribal traditions, resentment against foreign occupations, poor governance and breakdown of traditional tribal system rugged terrain border sanctuaries - cumulatively provide an ideal incubation environment for these terrorist groups. These vulnerable youth are inspired by religious idealism, though they may belong to different groups or organisations, Taliban, al-Qaeda, various sectarian outfits, or religious groups. While they are used as vanguard for terrorist and suicidal attacks they are not only perpetrators of this crime but also in the end become its very victims. Most of the families lose their youth to the terrorist groups. They leave their parents in agony due to poverty and lack of educational prospects as means of livelihood are not available. Many of their parents languish for years pining for them and some never see them alive as they disappear never to return; those who do are physically disabled, emotionally traumatized and turn misfits in society. The youth population in Pakistan is nearly 40 per cent and out of them a vast number of unemployed, alienated humans form an exploitable commodity by terrorist-cum-crime mafia. Thus the flowers in their prime youth are destroyed who otherwise should be agents of healthy change in societies. This is a big loss to economy, intellect, tourism, farming and industrial sector. Also, it adds to manifold problems: loss of investment, negative image and destruction of institutions. Societies afflicted with recurring violence stand in danger of becoming ‘failed states’ societies, and create regional and global insecurities and get pariah status. As victims of violence, the youth become anti-social human beings by turning drug addicts, ideological and social misfits and joining crime syndicates. Arms trafficking, smuggling of drugs is done through them. The society faces a big challenge in their rehabilitation. Moreover, it strains the prison system, law and order and social welfare systems. While beefing up police and anti-terrorism methods are essential they act only as palliatives without addressing the primal causes which are embedded in developing societies. Ethically based progressive levels of education, gainful skilled employment, recreation facilities, foreign travel, psychological counseling, revamping educational reform and syllabi makeover (especially upgrading medieval madrassa system), drug control, de-ideologization programmes, and inculcation of secular ethical values - are all very important. National programmes for youth should be launched and closely monitored. Media and religious scholars’ role should be watched and guidelines strictly laid down and implemented. Glamorization and glorification of jihadi outfits should be discouraged in which the state may have earlier played a role for expedient purposes and given conditions and must come down heavily against the defaulters. In Islamic societies, reinterpretation of Islam and concept of Jihad under present conditions is important. Education (skill training and science) and good governance need heightened emphasis. Besides peace time conditions, in post-conflict, reconstruction of battered societies the role of youth is equally important. There is a need to have community-based and culturally grounded programmes to assist families, children and communities afflicted by the aftereffects of armed conflict. If the youth have to be weaned away from unhealthy pursuits such as militancy, violence and terrorism, a multi-pronged and synergistic strategy has to be adopted. This is however easier said than done. But Pakistani government now should take the bull by the horn and eschew its ambivalence. Today, terrorism is also incited and promoted from certain foreign elements/foreign countries to weaken or malign Pakistan without realising that if Pakistan gets destabilized they too cannot escape unscathed. Forums of youth leaders from different countries and diverse backgrounds ought to meet and exchange views and observe the impressive socio-economic changes in certain Muslim societies, such as Malaysia, Turkey with own eyes as they are an eye-opening and enriching experiences. More representative youth from different regions of the world and with different backgrounds should be exposed to these experiences as the common adage goes: ‘seeing is believing.’ Information and knowledge creates awareness and this, in turn, enables one to challenge false and outdated assumptions. There are today examples where few Islamic nations and communities, such as Malaysia and Turkey armed with education and good governance are less susceptible to crime, militancy and terrorism. Hence Islamic nations, including Pakistan have to imbibe lessons from the above in nation building and efforts towards forging harmonious and robust civil societies. These lessons can then be incorporated into their peculiar conditions and contexts for nation building or else the talent and potential of its youth will be doomed. Source: The Frontier Post URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamRadicalIslamismAndJihad_1.aspx?ArticleID=4357

The War within Islam

29 Mar 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Unrecognisable Pakistan
	Not too long ago, we possessed a great country. But where giants walked, midgets pose now. The talk today is of a vanished dignity, of a nation diminished in ways not previously imaginable. It is almost as if no one wants to acknowledge a sad end to what once was a beautiful dream. Our rulers squandered Jinnah’s legacy and turned his dream into a nightmare. Many nations in the past have attempted to develop democratic institutions, only to lose them when they took their liberties and political institutions for granted, and failed to comprehend foreign threats to their sovereignty and independent. Pakistan is a classic example. Born at midnight as a sovereign, independent, democratic country, today it is neither sovereign, nor independent, nor democratic. Today it is not just a “rentier state,” not just a client state. It is a slave state, ill-led, ill-governed by a corrupt, power-hungry junta running a puppet government set up by Washington. -- Roedad Khan

Unrecognisable Pakistan

By Roedad Khan Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Every year, we commemorate March 23 in remembrance of “The Pakistan Resolution” passed in the historic city of Lahore. The Idea of Pakistan was about to be born. On that day, the Muslim League led by Mr Jinnah declared its support for the Idea of Pakistan. That is why generations of Pakistanis will always remember March 23 with profound reverence and respect. Seven years later, thanks to the iron will and determination of Mr Jinnah, we became proud citizens of a sovereign, independent country-a country we could live for and die for. As he left the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked by an admirer, “Dr. Franklin what have you given us”. Franklin turned to the questioner and replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Not too long ago, we possessed a great country. But where giants walked, midgets pose now. The talk today is of a vanished dignity, of a nation diminished in ways not previously imaginable. It is almost as if no one wants to acknowledge a sad end to what once was a beautiful dream. Our rulers squandered Jinnah’s legacy and turned his dream into a nightmare. Many nations in the past have attempted to develop democratic institutions, only to lose them when they took their liberties and political institutions for granted, and failed to comprehend foreign threats to their sovereignty and independent. Pakistan is a classic example. Born at midnight as a sovereign, independent, democratic country, today it is neither sovereign, nor independent, nor democratic. Today it is not just a “rentier state,” not just a client state. It is a slave state, ill-led, ill-governed by a corrupt, power-hungry junta running a puppet government set up by Washington. Sixty-three years after independence, are we really free? Are the people masters in their own house? From the kind of country we have today, Pakistan has lost its manhood and is a ghost of its former self. If Pakistan were to look into a mirror now, it wouldn’t recognise itself. The contrast between Pakistan in 1947 – idealistic, democratic, progressive, optimistic, and Pakistan today – leaderless, rudderless, violent, besieged, corrupt, uncertain about its future – could not be sharper or more disheartening. If you want to know how a people can survive despite their corrupt government, or corrupt leaders, well, visit Pakistan. The independence of Pakistan is a myth. By succumbing to American pressure, we managed to secure a temporary reprieve. But at what price? Twenty-four hours after CIA spy Raymond Davis – charged with killing two Pakistani citizens in broad daylight in Lahore – was allowed to leave the country with the full support of the government, American drones attacked Data Khel in North Waziristan, killing 25 innocent Pakistanis – men, women and children. No protest. No regrets. No word of sympathy. No remorse. Today Pakistan is dotted with American fortresses, which seriously comprises our internal and external sovereignty. American security personnel stationed on our soil, like Raymond Davis, move in and out of the country without any let or hindrance. Pakistan has become a launching pad for military operations against neighbouring Muslim countries. We have been drawn into someone else’s war without understanding its true dimension or ultimate objectives. Nuclear Pakistan has been turned into an American lackey, currently engaged in a proxy war against its own people. With all her shortcomings, Benazir Bhutto had undoubted leadership qualities – charisma, courage, political acumen and articulation. After her tragic assassination, Mrs Zardari’s sudden ascension to the Presidency caused panic among the people. Zardari reminds one of the American black leader J Raymond Jones. President Truman once asked a New York news paper reporter whether Mr Jones could be trusted. The reporter replied: “Well, Mr President, I can tell you one thing. If Ray Jones stole the Brooklyn Bridge, no would ever find it.” The present leadership is taking Pakistan to a perilous place. The course they are on leads downhill. How meaningful is our twisted, stunted, pallid democracy, replete with parliament, cabinet, political parties, when crucial decisions are made elsewhere. How can authentic democracy take roots in this country when it has been stripped of all its core values – sovereignty of the people, Inviolability of the Constitution, rule of law, supremacy of civilian rule, independence of the Election Commission, sanctity of the ballot box, and a neutral, honest civil service? How can democracy flourish in the absence of ruthless accountability of corrupt rulers, past and present? One of the lessons of history is that when people lose faith in their rulers when they lose faith in the sanctity of the ballot box; when elections are rigged and votes are purchased; when the gap between the rulers and the ruled widens; when there are no ways for people to express political preferences from time to time in an atmosphere free from fear, coercion, or intimidation; when known corrupt people, tax evaders and smugglers are foisted upon a poor, illiterate electorate unable to make an informed political choice, and sworn in as ministers; when elections throw up not the best, not the noblest, not the fittest, not the most deserving, but the scum of the community, and a legion of scoundrels; when hunger and anger come together, people, sooner or later, come out on to the streets and demonstrate Lenin’s maxim that in such situations voting with citizen’s feet is more effective than voting in elections. Too long have we been passive spectators of events. Today our fate is in our hands, but soon it may pass beyond control. A shout in the mountains has been known to start an avalanche. We must call things by their names and shout louder. Let Pakistan be Pakistan again. Let it be the dream it used to be – a dream that is almost dead today. From “those who live like leeches on the people’s lives” – who have robbed us of everything, our past, our present, our future and all our beautiful dreams-we must take back our land again. Pakistan shares many of Egypt’s problems: rampant corruption, social injustice, a growing wealth gap, inflation, total subservience to United States of America. One reason for the rebellions in Egypt and elsewhere was the in-your-face corruption that everyone knew about. We in Pakistan inhale corruption in the very air we breathe. How can any of our hopes emerge from this quagmire? This is one of those moments in history when all that is needed is for someone to push open the door. The present corrupt political system would, I have no doubt, disappear in a violent upheaval since it carries within it the seed of its own destruction. At this moment, when the nation is standing on the escalator of corruption and anarchy, right-minded citizens cannot afford to stand frozen in disgust and dismay. We cannot merely look upon the political developments in sorrow and upon our politicians in anger. Source:The News URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamWarWithinIslam_1.aspx?ArticleID=4360

War on Terror

29 Mar 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

Anti-terrorism Measures: Dealing with Islamic extremism and radicalisation
	To counter terrorism there are political, social, educational, economic, military, intelligence, judicial and media measures, the first including political reconciliation, accommodation, empowerment, tolerance and coexistence. In case of social measures, one way to deal with extremism and radicalisation in society is to promote social harmony, mobility and interaction among different social groups. By promoting literacy and better education, one can defeat the elements that take advantage of ignorance and illiteracy and promote extremism, militancy and terrorism. In a similar fashion, economic measures are key to counter-terrorism because violence has more space when there is poverty, unemployment, under-development and backwardness. Military measures include targeting militant and terrorist hideouts and sanctuaries, cutting off their command and controlling set-ups such as supplies. Intelligence measures can help counter the planning and operations of terrorist groups while judicial measures can ensure prompt hearings and the award of punishment to those found guilty of acts of terror. Finally, media measures include raising awareness levels in terms of threats of militancy and terrorism. -- Moonis Ahmar

Anti-terrorism Measures: Dealing with Islamic extremism and radicalisation

By Moonis Ahmar COUNTERING terrorism refers not just to a forceful response to acts of terror but also a comprehensive combination of hard and soft power. In order to effectively deal with the threat of terror, the application of substantial political will, and recourse to social, psychological, economic and political means, are also essential. Pakistan has experienced incidents of terror that have claimed thousands of lives. Despite this, there is no coherent policy to counter terrorism. With a population of 180 million people and vulnerable to external and internal factors that augment violence and terrorism, Pakistan’s predicament as a nation-state has two dimensions: first, the insurgency in Afghanistan has dangerous security implications for Pakistan; second, state and society are fragile, which tends to promote non-state actors attempting to establish their own order by force. To counter terrorism there are political, social, educational, economic, military, intelligence, judicial and media measures, the first including political reconciliation, accommodation, empowerment, tolerance and coexistence. In case of social measures, one way to deal with extremism and radicalisation in society is to promote social harmony, mobility and interaction among different social groups. By promoting literacy and better education, one can defeat the elements that take advantage of ignorance and illiteracy and promote extremism, militancy and terrorism. In a similar fashion, economic measures are key to counter-terrorism because violence has more space when there is poverty, unemployment, under-development and backwardness. Military measures include targeting militant and terrorist hideouts and sanctuaries, cutting off their command and controlling set-ups such as supplies. Intelligence measures can help counter the planning and operations of terrorist groups while judicial measures can ensure prompt hearings and the award of punishment to those found guilty of acts of terror. Finally, media measures include raising awareness levels in terms of threats of militancy and terrorism. So far, Pakistan has not been able to reach a consensus with Washington on countering terrorism, particularly in terms of drone attacks and the launching of a military operation in North Waziristan. Then, when US officials remind Pakistan to ‘do more’ in combating terrorism the stalemate in Pakistan-US strategic ties is strengthened. Yet, the problem in Pakistan is that its military force is now overstretched, involved as it is in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. The opening of another front, a military operation in North Waziristan, would invite more pressure as well as domestic backlash. The re-emergence of banned terrorist groups under other names worsens the predicament of the country’s authorities. Countering terrorism in Pakistan is different as compared to doing so in other countries. First, no other country has, in the past four years, witnessed so many terrorist attacks. The targets of the terrorists are not just the security forces and government installations; mosques, madressahs, shrines, shopping centres and churches have not been spared. Is there any effective anti-terrorism mechanism in operation in Pakistan? Why is the role of Pakistan’s clergy, in terms of effectively countering terrorism, not that significant? How do external factors impede counter-terrorism measures and how can better coordination among the Saarc countries help curb terrorist acts? In the realm of countering terrorism, the role of the state is crucial because it is responsible for the protection and safety of its citizens. An important segment of the state that plays a major role in counter-terrorism measures in Pakistan is the military. To what extent can the military deal with the elements that, over a period of time, take advantage of the situation in Afghanistan and use religion for political purposes, thus deepening their influence in the state and societal structures of Pakistan? The successes and failures of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism policy can be analysed from four perspectives. First comes the state perspective which is divided into the military and civilian dimensions. One has yet to see a firm control over national security affairs by the civilian leadership. The military made sure that national security policy must also represent the country’s interests, whether it was the issue of supporting particular groups in Afghanistan or supporting the Taliban regime. The same was true in the case of India, as the military establishment resolved that it was in the national interest of Pakistan to use jihadi groups against Indian-held parts of Kashmir. The permeation of the jihadi culture, violence and terrorism in Pakistani society were the direct consequences of equating national security with national interests. Second is the societal perspective, which is divided because of a fragmented civil society. When extremism, militancy, radicalisation and terrorism become part of the culture and there is to a large extent silence on the part of the majority of the people, it means that counter-terrorism efforts have failed. The third prism is the political perspective, how far political parties are serious about dealing with the threat and the challenge of terrorism. In fact, religious parties are unwilling to categorically condemn acts of terrorism, particularly suicide killings. So-called secular parties lack the courage and political will to take on fanatic religious groups. And finally, there is the economic perspective: sustained violence and terrorism has caused serious damage to the country’s economy. Since Pakistan will have to live with the phenomenon of terrorism for a long period, it is time a plausible and pragmatic counter-terrorism strategy was formulated and implemented. Source: Dawn URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamWarOnTerror_1.aspx?ArticleID=4359

Islam and the West 29 Mar 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com Juan Cole's Open Letter to the Left on Libya
	The United Nations-authorized intervention in Libya has pitched ethical issues of the highest importance, and has split progressives in unfortunate ways. I hope we can have a calm and civilized discussion of the rights and wrongs here. On the surface, the situation in Libya a week and a half ago posed a contradiction between two key principles of Left politics: supporting the ordinary people and opposing foreign domination of them. Libya’s workers and townspeople had risen up to overthrow the dictator in city after city– Tobruk, Dirna, al-Bayda, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Misrata, Zawiya, Zuara, Zintan. -- Juan Cole

Juan Cole's Open Letter to the Left on Libya

By Juan Cole As I expected, now that Qaddafi’s advantage in armour and heavy weapons is being neutralized by the UN allies’ air campaign, the liberation movement is regaining lost territory. Liberators took back Ajdabiya and Brega (Marsa al-Burayqa), key oil towns, on Saturday into Sunday morning, and seemed set to head further West. This rapid advance is almost certainly made possible in part by the hatred of Qaddafi among the majority of the people of these cities. The Buraiqa Basin contains much of Libya’s oil wealth, and the Transitional Government in Benghazi will soon again control 80 percent of this resource, an advantage in their struggle with Qaddafi. I am unabashedly cheering the liberation movement on, and glad that the UNSC-authorized intervention has saved them from being crushed. I can still remember when I was a teenager how disappointed I was that Soviet tanks were allowed to put down the Prague Spring and extirpate socialism with a human face. Our multilateral world has more spaces in it for successful change and defiance of totalitarianism than did the old bipolar world of the Cold War, where the US and the USSR often deferred to each other’s sphere of influence. The United Nations-authorized intervention in Libya has pitched ethical issues of the highest importance, and has split progressives in unfortunate ways. I hope we can have a calm and civilized discussion of the rights and wrongs here. On the surface, the situation in Libya a week and a half ago posed a contradiction between two key principles of Left politics: supporting the ordinary people and opposing foreign domination of them. Libya’s workers and townspeople had risen up to overthrow the dictator in city after city– Tobruk, Dirna, al-Bayda, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Misrata, Zawiya, Zuara, Zintan. Even in the capital of Tripoli, working-class neighborhoods such as Suq al-Jumah and Tajoura had chased out the secret police. In the two weeks after February 17, there was little or no sign of the protesters being armed or engaging in violence. The libel put out by the dictator, that the 570,000 people of Misrata or the 700,000 people of Benghazi were supporters of “al-Qaeda,” was without foundation. That a handful of young Libyan men from Dirna and the surrounding area had fought in Iraq is simply irrelevant. The Sunni Arab resistance in Iraq was for the most part not accurately called ‘al-Qaeda,’ which is a propaganda term in this case. All of the countries experiencing liberation movements had sympathizers with the Sunni Iraqi resistance; in fact opinion polling shows such sympathy almost universal throughout the Sunni Arab world. All of them had at least some fundamentalist movements. That was no reason to wish the Tunisians, Egyptians, Syrians and others ill. The question is what kind of leadership was emerging in places like Benghazi. The answer is that it was simply the notables of the city. If there were an uprising against Silvio Berlusconi in Milan, it would likely unite businessmen and factory workers, Catholics and secularists. It would just be the people of Milan. A few old time members of the Red Brigades might even come out, and perhaps some organized crime figures. But to defame all Milan with them would be mere propaganda. Then Muammar Qaddafi’s sons rallied his armored brigades and air force to bomb the civilian crowds and shoot tank shells into them. Members of the Transitional Government Council in Benghazi estimate that 8000 were killed as Qaddafi’s forces attacked and subdued Zawiya, Zuara, Ra’s Lanuf, Brega, Ajdabiya, and the working class districts of Tripoli itself, using live ammunition fired into defenseless rallies. If 8000 was an exaggeration, simply “thousands” was not, as attested by Left media such as Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now! As Qaddafi’s tank brigades reached the southern districts of Benghazi, the prospect loomed of a massacre of committed rebels on a large scale. The United Nations Security Council authorization for UN member states to intervene to forestall this massacre thus pitched the question. If the Left opposed intervention, it de facto acquiesced in Qaddafi’s destruction of a movement embodying the aspirations of most of Libya’s workers and poor, along with large numbers of white collar middle class people. Qaddafi would have reestablished himself, with the liberation movement squashed like a bug and the country put back under secret police rule. The implications of a resurgent, angry and wounded Mad Dog, his coffers filled with oil billions, for the democracy movements on either side of Libya, in Egypt and Tunisia, could well have been pernicious. The arguments against international intervention are not trivial, but they all did have the implication that it was all right with the world community if Qaddafi deployed tanks against innocent civilian crowds just exercising their right to peaceful assembly and to petition their government. (It simply is not true that very many of the protesters took up arms early on, though some were later forced into it by Qaddafi’s aggressive military campaign against them. There still are no trained troops to speak of on the rebel side). Some have charged that the Libya action has a Neoconservative political odor. But the Neoconservatives hate the United Nations and wanted to destroy it. They went to war on Iraq despite the lack of UNSC authorization, in a way that clearly contravened the UN Charter. Their spokesman and briefly the ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, actually at one point denied that the United Nations even existed. The Neoconservatives loved deploying American muscle unilaterally, and rubbing it in everyone’s face. Those who would not go along were subjected to petty harassment. France, then deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz pledged, would be “punished” for declining to fall on Iraq at Washington’s whim. The Libya action, in contrast, observes all the norms of international law and multilateral consultation that the Neoconservatives despise. There is no pettiness. Germany is not ‘punished’ for not going along. Moreover, the Neoconservatives wanted to exercise primarily Anglo-American military might in the service of harming the public sector and enforced ‘shock therapy’ privatization so as to open the conquered country to Western corporate penetration. All this social engineering required boots on the ground, a land invasion and occupation. Mere limited aerial bombardment cannot effect the sort of extreme-capitalist revolution they seek. Libya 2011 is not like Iraq 2003 in any way. Allowing the Neoconservatives to brand humanitarian intervention as always their sort of project does a grave disservice to international law and institutions, and gives them credit that they do not deserve, for things in which they do not actually believe. The intervention in Libya was done in a legal way. It was provoked by a vote of the Arab League, including the newly liberated Egyptian and Tunisian governments. It was urged by a United Nations Security Council resolution, the gold standard for military intervention. (Contrary to what some alleged, the abstentions of Russia and China do not deprive the resolution of legitimacy or the force of law; only a veto could have done that. You can be arrested today on a law passed in the US Congress on which some members abstained from voting.) Among reasons given by critics for rejecting the intervention are: 1. Absolute pacifism (the use of force is always wrong) 2. Absolute anti-imperialism (all interventions in world affairs by outsiders are wrong). 3. Anti-military pragmatism: a belief that no social problems can ever usefully be resolved by use of military force. Absolute pacifists are rare, and I will just acknowledge them and move on. I personally favor an option for peace in world policy-making, where it should be the default initial position. But the peace option is trumped in my mind by the opportunity to stop a major war crime. Leftists are not always isolationists. In the US, progressive people actually went to fight in the Spanish Civil War, forming the Lincoln Brigade. That was a foreign intervention. Leftists were happy about Churchill’s and then Roosevelt’s intervention against the Axis. To make ‘anti-imperialism’ trump all other values in a mindless way leads to frankly absurd positions. I can’t tell you how annoyed I am by the fringe left adulation for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the grounds that he is ‘anti-imperialist,’ and with an assumption that he is somehow on the Left. As the pillar of a repressive Theocratic order that puts down workers, he is a man of the far Right, and that he doesn’t like the US and Western Europe doesn’t ennoble him. The proposition that social problems can never be resolved by military force alone may be true. But there are some problems that can’t be solved unless there is a military intervention first, since its absence would allow the destruction of the progressive forces. Those arguing that “Libyans” should settle the issue themselves are willfully ignoring the overwhelming repressive advantage given Qaddafi by his jets, helicopter gunships, and tanks; the ‘Libyans’ were being crushed inexorably. Such crushing can be effective for decades thereafter. Assuming that NATO’s UN-authorized mission in Libya really is limited ( it is hoping for 90 days), and that a foreign military occupation is avoided, the intervention is probably a good thing on the whole, however distasteful it is to have Nicolas Sarkozy grandstanding. Of course he is not to be trusted by progressives, but he is to his dismay increasingly boxed in by international institutions, which limits the damage he could do as the bombing campaign comes to an end (Qaddafi only had 2000 tanks, many of them broken down, and it won’t be long before he has so few, and the rebels have captured enough to level the playing field, that little further can be accomplished from the air). Many are crying hypocrisy, citing other places an intervention could be staged or worrying that Libya sets a precedent. I don’t find those arguments persuasive. Military intervention is always selective, depending on a constellation of political will, military ability,international legitimacy and practical constraints. The humanitarian situation in Libya was fairly unique. You had a set of tank brigades willing to attack dissidents, and responsible for thousands of casualties and with the prospect of more thousands to come, where aerial intervention by the world community could make a quick and effective difference. This situation did not obtain in the Sudan’s Darfur, where the terrain and the conflict were such that aerial intervention alone would have been useless and only boots on the ground could have had a hope of being effective. But a whole US occupation of Iraq could not prevent Sunni-Shiite urban faction-fighting that killed tens of thousands, so even boots on the ground in Darfur’s vast expanse might have failed. The other Arab Spring demonstrations are not comparable to Libya, because in none of them has the scale loss of life been replicated, nor has the role of armored brigades been as central, nor have the dissidents asked for intervention, nor has the Arab League. For the UN, out of the blue, to order the bombing of Deraa in Syria at the moment would accomplish nothing and would probably outrage all concerned. Bombing the tank brigades heading for Benghazi made all the difference. That is, in Libya intervention was demanded by the people being massacred as well as by the regional powers, was authorized by the UNSC, and could practically attain its humanitarian aim of forestalling a massacre through aerial bombardment of murderous armored brigades. And, the intervention could be a limited one and still accomplish its goal. I also don’t understand the worry about the setting of precedents. The UN Security Council is not a court, and does not function by precedent. It is a political body, and works by political will. Its members are not constrained to do elsewhere what they are doing in Libya unless they so please, and the veto of the five permanent members ensures that a resolution like 1973 will be rare. But if a precedent is indeed being set that if you rule a country and send tank brigades to murder large numbers of civilian dissidents, you will see your armor bombed to smithereens, I can’t see what is wrong with that. Another argument is that the no-fly zone (and the no-drive zone) aimed at overthrowing Qaddafi not to protect his people from him but to open the way for US, British and French dominance of Libya’s oil wealth. This argument is bizarre. The US declined to do oil business with Libya in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, when it could have, because it had placed the country under boycott. It didn’t want access to that oil market, which was repeatedly proffered to Washington by Qaddafi then. After Qaddafi came back in from the cold in the late 1990s (for the European Union) and after 2003 (for the US), sanctions were lifted and Western oil companies flocked into the country. US companies were well represented, along with BP and the Italian firm ENI. BP signed an expensive exploration contract with Qaddafi and cannot possibly have wanted its validity put into doubt by a revolution. There is no advantage to the oil sector of removing Qaddafi. Indeed, a new government may be more difficult to deal with and may not honor Qaddafi’s commitments. There is no prospect of Western companies being allowed to own Libyan petroleum fields, which were nationalized long ago. Finally, it is not always in the interests of Big Oil to have more petroleum on the market, since that reduces the price and, potentially, company profits. A war on Libya to get more and better contracts so as to lower the world price of petroleum makes no sense in a world where the bids were already being freely let, and where high prices were producing record profits. I haven’t seen the war-for-oil argument made for Libya in a manner that makes any sense at all. I would like to urge the Left to learn to chew gum and walk at the same time. It is possible to reason our way through, on a case-by-case basis, to an ethical progressive position that supports the ordinary folk in their travails in places like Libya. If we just don’t care if the people of Benghazi are subjected to murder and repression on a vast scale, we aren’t people of the Left. We should avoid making ‘foreign intervention’ an absolute taboo the way the Right makes abortion an absolute taboo if doing so makes us heartless (inflexible a priori positions often lead to heartlessness). It is now easy to forget that Winston Churchill held absolutely odious positions from a Left point of view and was an insufferable colonialist who opposed letting India go in 1947. His writings are full of racial stereotypes that are deeply offensive when read today. Some of his interventions were nevertheless noble and were almost universally supported by the Left of his day. The UN allies now rolling back Qaddafi are doing a good thing, whatever you think of some of their individual leaders. URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamAndWest_1.aspx?ArticleID=4361

Islam and the West

29 Mar 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com

White Man’s Burden, Again?
	The Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) have lived up to their reputation of being spineless blocs by blindly endorsing the Security Council resolution, which paved the way for the third Western military intervention in a Muslim country within a decade. The buzz of protest coming from them against aerial bombing is just eyewash. This third war on a Muslim country remains more blatant as it came without any provocation of the Sept 11-like terror strikes on the United States or fabricated charges of weapons of mass destruction as in the case of Iraq. The Western media, particularly the electronic media, is playing like an orchestra by resorting to one-sided reporting and propaganda against Libya to justify the military intervention. CNN, Fox, and the BBC, all are following the script in totality. Programmes presented by the smiling anchors with their excited voices giving details of the “humanitarian” blitz on Libya are appalling to watch. One of the analysts was seen predicting Qaddafi’s assassination by someone from his close circle. Was it a prediction or instigation remains a question. --Amir Zia

White Man’s Burden, Again?

By Amir Zia Saturday, March 26, 2011 The flawed and twisted concept of “white man’s burden” was once used by imperial European nations as a justification to vanquish and rule the non-white people in the name of “progress and civilisation” in far-flung regions. This Western-centric viewpoint, which remained in vogue till the late 19th and early 20th centuries, justified colonisation and exploitation of mostly self-contained societies of Asia, Africa and North and South America. The credit of coining this phrase goes to the colonial-era English writer and poet Rudyard Kipling, who first used it in his poem in 1899, justifying imperialism as a noble cause. Take up the White Man’s burden – No tawdry rule of kings, But toil of serf and sweeper – The tale of common things. The ports ye shall not enter, The roads ye shall not tread, Go mark them with your living, And mark them with your dead. Kipling advocated “savage wars of peace,” articulating the self-conceited gloss of morality given by European powers to their military campaigns. The colonial era is no more, but the false moral justifications to launch new wars have not changed in this age of neo-colonialism. The white man’s burden of yesteryears of carrying the cross in the name of progress and civilisation has now been replaced by the mantra of teaching virtues of democracy, freedom and human rights to the peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America – through direct or indirect cold-blooded military interventions. The latest victim is the North African nation of Libya, facing the combined might of France, Britain and the United States. The Western powers eye a regime change under the pretext of protecting civilian lives – read armed Libyan insurgents, who were at the verge of defeat. Through their aerial blitz, involving hundreds of aircraft and cruise missile attacks, the Western powers want to bestow upon the people of Libya the gift of democracy, soaked in the blood of their soldiers and civilians. The United Nations Security Council resolution 1973, which called for a no fly-zone over Libya and “all necessary measures to protect civilians,” provided these Western nations a so-called justification to act as world goons and meddle in the affairs of a sovereign state, which should have been left on its own to decide its future. But the massive oil stakes in Libya motivated the Western nations to prop up armed rebels and get directly involved in the conflict, making it bloodier and messier. The swift manner in which Security Council went into action on Libya stands in contrast to many other bigger conflicts on which the world body has been dragging its feet decade after decade. Israeli atrocities on Palestinians, especially in Gaza, in recent years, the continued Indian subjugation and repression of the people of Kashmir are two of the protracted conflicts on which the Security Council chose to play a limited role, despite all the killings and human rights abuses. However, the swift Security Council verdict on Libya should not come as a surprise. The US-led Western nations have a record of using the United Nations to advance their vested interests. The West-sponsored-armed revolt, which is more tribal in nature rather than a democratic or ideological movement, has provided Washington and its allies a chance to get rid of Libyan strongman Muammar Qaddafi – who has been defying the West for a long time. The plan is now to install a subservient government in the name of protecting civilian lives – even though the same argument can be made about intervening in Bahrain or Yemen. The real goal, however, remains exploiting Libya’s vast oil wealth. The Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) have lived up to their reputation of being spineless blocs by blindly endorsing the Security Council resolution, which paved the way for the third Western military intervention in a Muslim country within a decade. The buzz of protest coming from them against aerial bombing is just eyewash. This third war on a Muslim country remains more blatant as it came without any provocation of the Sept 11-like terror strikes on the United States or fabricated charges of weapons of mass destruction as in the case of Iraq. The Western media, particularly the electronic media, is playing like an orchestra by resorting to one-sided reporting and propaganda against Libya to justify the military intervention. CNN, Fox, and the BBC, all are following the script in totality. Programmes presented by the smiling anchors with their excited voices giving details of the “humanitarian” blitz on Libya are appalling to watch. One of the analysts was seen predicting Qaddafi’s assassination by someone from his close circle. Was it a prediction or instigation remains a question. The Libyan conflict may not drag for long, given the small size of the population and the isolation of the Qaddafi regime, but this third Nato front against a Muslim country will have far-reaching consequences. It will fuel Muslims’ anger against what they perceive as “arrogant” Western nations and further radicalise their societies and strengthens those forces, which get energy and life out of such conflicts. The narrative and the world view of “us versus them” propagated not just by puritan legal Islamic groups, but also by extremists, militant and terrorist organisations will gain more acceptance and fan anti-US and anti-West sentiment. It will provide radical group with new willing recruits, who see violence and terrorism as the only means to avenge what they perceive western injustices and atrocities. The Libyan conflict also remains a bad news for moderate and pro-democracy forces, which are fighting against the tide of extremism and militancy in countries such as Pakistan. They stand weakened as the west continues to interfere and interrupt in the natural evolution of Muslim societies – most of which remain unprepared for the Western-style democracy because of their particular social, economic, political and religious background. It is high time for the Western nations to come out of their mindset of “white man’s burden,” which can only intensify conflicts in this day and age of powerful individuals, who have the ability and capacity to take on the world powers and keep the pot on the boil. The rulers and the elite of majority of the Muslim countries may be in the pocket of the Western powers, but not the Muslim street. It will react and strike back. Source: The News URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamAndWest_1.aspx?ArticleID=4358

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