152-Year-Old Mosque in Mumbai to Allow Women into Its Main Hall
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 Apr 2013
Photo: 152-year-old Iranian mosque in Imambara
India
• 152-Year-Old Mosque in Mumbai to Allow Women into Its Main Hall
• Mumbai gets its first Shariah court to settle civil, marital disputes
• India helping Nitaqat-hit expats in Saudi Arabia
• India to Pakistan: Release Sarabjit Singh, punish attackers
• Security of Pak inmates tightened in UP jails
• Police missed Ajmer Sharif bomb planters
• Hizb ul rewards Kashmir cop killers
• India, Russia agree on Afghan peace, but differ on drawdown
• Indian experts to visit Maldives for satellite study
Pakistan
• ‘Pakistan needs strategy to allay Europe’s fears on terrorism’
• Blast in Peshawar kills eight, including son of former Afghan minister
• Motorcycle bomb kills four in Pakistan: Police
• Haroon surprised why Sindh Human Rights Act 2011 not enforced
• PPP willing to offer PM slot to Imran: Wattoo
• Over 700 ANP activists slain to date: Ghulam Bilour
• Violence in Sindh after bodies of two JSMM men found
• Violence restricts Pakistan’s election campaign
• Liberal parties targeted for their ideology, says TTP
• Attack on Sarabjit may hit Pakistan-India ties: Daily
Arab World
• 5 car bombs kill 26 in Shiite areas across Iraq
• Syrian PM Wael al-Halki survives bomb attack
• 'Tahrir Imam' is free to lead prayers again after court order
• Declaration of the Tenth Doha Conference for Inter-faith Dialogue
• ‘25 Years of Arab Creativity’ show begins today
• Clashes in Iraq Carry Worries of a New Civil War
• Islamist Rebels Create Dilemma on Syria Policy
Southeast Asia
• Indonesian Political Parties Meet Female Quotas, But Where are All the Women?
• Malaysia seeks to arrest ethnic Indian leader
• Zul Noordin picks up Tamil to woo Shah Alam’s Indian voters
• Najib attacks PKR as ‘LGBT’ party, says Malays, Chinese reject DAP, PAS
• Mixing prayer and Maroon 5: Students dare to face the odds
• Ministers in House Race an Ethical Minefield, Critic Says
Mideast Asia
• Hamas Shuts Down Gaza English-Language Club
• Israel Fencing Off Lebanese Village Would Violate UN Resolution
• Israel Says it’s Not Seeking U.S. Intervention in Syria, Despite Chemical Arms
• Israel Lawmaker Claims Hezbollah Getting Chemicals
• Palestinian Christians urge pope to oppose wall
Europe
• Mother of Boston bomb suspects found deeper spirituality
• Russian Security Forces Kill Two Suspected Rebels in Dagestan
• London worker jailed for 2 yrs over discs that contained footage of beheadings and executions
• Tamerlan-mother jihad talk sparked Russian alert
• Germany pledges 172.6 mn Euros for projects in Egypt
South Asia
• China 'arrests more suspects' over Xinjiang clashes
• Afghan youths rename ‘Scud Hill’ in quest for peace
• Adhaalath accuses Nasheed of misleading Danish audience on extremism in the Maldives
• Hefazat holds meeting in Kushtia today defying ban
• Death sentence for Quader Mollah sought from SC
• World leaders continue expressing shock on Building collapse in Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama’at wants perpetrators’ arrest
• Burma report backs security boost for Rakhine
Africa
• Ulema Must Reclaim Original Role: Religious Scholars
• Anti-Gaddafi gunmen up in arms in Libya
• French forces leave Malian town of Timbuktu
• Fear and anger follow Sudanese rebel strike
North America
• Sisters of suspected Boston bombers: 'We don't have any answers'
• With bags of cash, CIA seeks influence in Afghanistan
• Lawmakers press Obama to take action on Syria
• Boston bombing suspect had links to slain Islamists: Source
• Boston bombings: Congressman questions Moscow cooperation with FBI
• Christians, we must love our Muslim neighbours, too
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
-------------
India
152-Year-Old Mosque in Mumbai to Allow Women into Its Main Hall
April 29, 2013
On Thursday afternoon, when Shias celebrate the birthday of Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Mohammad and the wife of Ali (the first Imam of the sect), a historic event will be witnessed at the 152-year-old Iranian mosque in Imambara.
For the first time since the mosque was built, women will be allowed into the main prayer hall, access to which was restricted only to men.
Women, who have traditionally prayed in an enclosure next to the main hall of the mosque, will on Thursday offer short prayers in the main hall.
“For Shias, Bibi Fatima Zahra is the epitome of womanhood, and by opening the main prayer hall to women, we are saying we treat them as equals,” said Ali Namazi, honorary secretary of the mosque.
However, in deference to religious rules that call for gender segregation, men will not be allowed into the hall when women pray.
The mosque’s trustees are not sure whether they will allow women into the main hall regularly.
“There is an issue of space because men need the bigger hall, but we will allow women to use it whenever possible,” said Namazi.
The mosque, identified locally as the Moghal Masjid, was built around 1860 AD by a businessman from Iran — then known as Persia.
He built it to resemble the architecture of his homeland. During Moharram, it is the venue of discourses by religious leaders.
On Thursday, before the prayers, Dr Zahra Zamani, a well-known speaker from Iran will talk about ‘Women in Islam’ in the mosques main hall
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/mumbai/152-year-old-mosque-in-Mumbai-to-allow-women-into-its-main-hall/Article1-1051913.aspx
-------------
Mumbai gets its first Shariah court to settle civil, marital disputes
Mohammed Wajihuddin
Apr 29, 2013
MUMBAI: The city is set to get its first Darul Qaza or Shariah court to settle civil and marital disputes in the Muslim community. The court, set up by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, will be inaugurated on Monday at Anjuman-i-Islam, near CST, and will serve to fill a long-felt need of the community.
Shariah courts already function at many places in the country, such as Hyderabad, Patna and Malegaon. Here qazis appointed by the AIMPLB hear the community's various disputes, barring criminal cases, and deliver judgements. "This court will function to settle mainly family disputes pertaining to marriage, divorce and inheritance. Marriage disputes will be settled quickly and the couples will be told to either reconcile or separate if reconciliation is not possible. It will save the community much time and money as fighting cases in civil courts is expensive and time-consuming," said AIMPLB secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani.
For a dispute to be heard by a Shariah court, both the parties in the dispute will have to approach the court. If one of the parties has approached a civil court, then it will have to withdraw the case for the Shariah court to accept the matter.
Rahmani said Shariah courts do not compete with the civil courts. "On the contrary, Shariah courts will lower the burden of the civil courts where thousands of cases are pending and the judges are overworked," he said.
Senior advocate and head of AIMPLB's legal cell Yusuf Muchalla called the city's Shariah court a "significant alternative dispute settlement mechanism". "This court will decide within the framework of Muslim personal laws and mainly deal with matrimonial disputes. This is a kind of domestic tribunal set up by the Muslim community." He added that district and high courts in Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and Orissa have upheld several decisions given by the Shariah courts established by the Imarat-e-Shariah (House of Shariah) headquartered in Patna. Muchalla maintained that the Shariah courts were well within the law of the land.
'Shariah courts don't compete with civil courts'
For a dispute to be heard by a Shariah court, both the parties in the dispute will have to approach the court. If one of the parties has approached a civil court, then it will have to withdraw the case for the Shariah court to accept the matter.
AIMPLB secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani said Shariah courts do not compete with the civil courts. "On the contrary, Shariah courts will lower the burden of the civil courts where thousands of cases are pending and the judges are overworked," he said.
Senior advocate and head of AIMPLB's legal cell Yusuf Muchalla called the city's Shariah court a "significant alternative dispute settlement mechanism". "This court will decide within the framework of Muslim personal laws and mainly deal with matrimonial disputes. This is a kind of domestic tribunal set up by the Muslim community." He added that district and high courts in Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal and Orissa have upheld several decisions given by courts established by the Imarat-e-Shariah (House of Shariah) headquartered in Patna. Muchalla said that Shariah courts were within the law of the land.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mumbai-gets-its-first-Shariah-court-to-settle-civil-marital-disputes/articleshow/19772852.cms
-------------
India helping Nitaqat-hit expats in Saudi Arabia
29 April 2013
Saudi Arabia and India have agreed to set up a joint panel “to evolve mechanism” for addressing problems faced by Indian workers hit by the Nitaqat scheme in Saudi Arabia.
The first meeting of the joint panel, which will also discuss ways and means to maximize the availability of alternative jobs for affected workers, will be held in Riyadh on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference after holding talks with Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih in Jeddah yesterday, Indian Minister of Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi, said: “The Indian side has conveyed its concerns to the Saudi officials, who have assured all possible support.”
He said Saudi Deputy Minister for Labor Affairs Ahamed Al-Humaidan and Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy of India Sibi George would cochair the panel. He said the two sides have also agreed to expedite the long-awaited MoU for labor cooperation between the two countries.
The delegation also met Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.
Ravi, who is accompanied by E. Ahamed, India's minister of state for external affairs and T.K.A. Nair, adviser to the Indian prime minister, said: “A joint working group, set up for expediting the labor agreement, will meet next month in New Delhi.” He said the Kingdom and India would also work closely to make the process of recruitment of workers more transparent, which is in the interest of both the workers and the employers.
Ravi, who is leading a “goodwill delegation,” said the visit was also aimed at briefing the Indian community on the steps taken by India for the rehabilitation of the returning Indians.
He said the Indian delegation did not discuss amnesty for illegal Indians. He reminded the Indian community that they are living in a foreign land where one must respect and obey law of the land. He urged Indian workers to regularize their living and working status within the three-month grace period.
He said that Huroob is a complex and sensitive issue that involves several aspects from the Saudi side.
Nair said Saudi Arabia is India’s strategic partner and both countries share broader range of interest than manpower. He praised Indian diplomatic missions in Jeddah and Riyadh for their efforts to serve the community with limited resources.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/449790
-------------
India to Pakistan: Release Sarabjit Singh, punish attackers
PTI | Apr 29, 2013
NEW DELHI: India on Monday appealed to Pakistan to take a sympathetic and humanitarian view of Sarabjit Singh's case and release him.
India said that it is the responsibility of the Pakistan government to ensure safety and security of all Indian prisoners in their custody.
The Indian government also demanded that the attack on Sarabjit Singh be thoroughly investigated and those responsible punished.
Earlier, Pakistan on Monday said that the "best possible care" is being given to Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh - comatose in a Lahore hospital after a brutal assault - and that there are no plans to move him.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-to-Pakistan-Release-Sarabjit-Singh-punish-attackers/articleshow/19782079.cms
-------------
Security of Pak inmates tighened in UP jails
April 29, 2013
In the wake of brutal attack on Indian national Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistani prison, Uttar Pradesh authorities have alerted the jail superintendents to make adequate security arrangements for prisoners from Pakistan.
"The direction to all jail superintendents to take extra security of Pakistani prisoners have been given specially in Agra, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Aligarh," DIG (jail) A K Pandey said.
Full report at
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/UttarPradesh/Security-of-Pak-inmates-tighened-in-UP-jails/Article1-1052063.aspx
-------------
Police missed Ajmer Sharif bomb planters
April 29, 2013
Two members of the group which planted bombs at Ajmer Sharif Dargah were stopped at a police check after the October 11, 2007 blast, as they went from Ajmer to Ahmedabad. But call it luck or ignorance that the cops let them go.
Bhavesh Patel, who was arrested last month by the NIA told investigators that a group of six right wing extremists had gone to Ajmer for the operation.
Full report at
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Police-missed-Ajmer-Sharif-bomb-planters/Article1-1051948.aspx
-------------
Hizbul rewards Kashmir cop killers
April 29, 2013
Two days after a deadly attack killing four policemen in Sopore, the Hizbul Mujahideen announced a reward of Rs. 5 lakh for the cadre who carried out the strike.
On Sunday evening, Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Balaag-ud-din called up a local news agency. “The militants who carried out the successful strike against the J&K police have been rewarded,’’ he reportedly said.
Though Hizbul Mujahideen had not claimed responsibility for the attack so far, the spokesman, according to the news agency, warned the police to be ready for further strikes.
The announcement of cash rewards — a rarity in the nearly three decades of terror — signals a new strategy to lure people into militancy and disrupt the newfound peace.
Full report at
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/srinagar/Hizbul-rewards-Kashmir-cop-killers/Article1-1051950.aspx
-------------
India, Russia agree on Afghan peace, but differ on drawdown
April 29, 2013
The Istanbul Process conference on Afghanistan held in Kazakhstan’s Almaty on Friday confirmed a close affinity of views between India and Russia, even as they differ in their assessments of the planned withdrawal of the U.S.-led NATO mission.
“India and Russia have a strong convergence of perceptions of how to move forward [on Afghanistan],” External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said after arriving here from Almaty.
“India and Russia agree that the process of peace and reconciliation must be Afghan-owned and Afghan-driven. You can’t give readymade solutions to Afghanistan and tell it to apply them. Solutions have to come from within Afghanistan,” Mr. Khurshid told The Hindu.
Full report at
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/india-russia-agree-on-afghan-peace-but-differ-on-drawdown/article4663870.ece
-------------
Indian experts to visit Maldives for satellite study
By Minivan News | April 28th, 2013
A team of Indian experts will be visiting the Maldives to study how India can help to launch and operate the nation’s first communications satellite, reports local media.
Minister of Defence Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim told local media that during his visit to India earlier this month the country expressed interest in the project.
“The team will come to find out how we want to operate it and carry out a study. They have expressed interest to assist us in the project,” Nazim said.
Full report at
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
-------------
Pakistan
‘Pakistan needs strategy to allay Europe’s fears on terrorism’
April 29, 2013
KARACHI: Europe is experiencing fast political and economic changes these days that is fuelling its fear on terrorism along with human and drug trafficking emerging from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Therefore, Pakistan should see how it can allay Europe’s fear by effectively dealing the problems of extremism and terrorism emerging from this region, Career Diplomat Shahid Ameen said.
He stated this while speaking at a workshop on ‘Politics of Identity in Contemporary Europe’ organised by The Area Study Centre for Europe and The Hans Seidel Foundation, Islamabad at University of Karachi the other day.
“Europe has to find out the solutions of its financial crisis, likewise Pakistan needs to focus on its biggest issue of extremism and terrorism itself as it has caused a lot of concerns in Europe about the Muslim country,” he said. Europe is facing problems of migration issues, euro zone crisis and the rise of right wing political parties but at the same time it is also trying to find out the problems of such issues, so one should not be much apprehensive of the future of Europe, he added.
Full report at
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\29\story_29-4-2013_pg7_7
-------------
Blast in Peshawar kills eight, including son of former Afghan minister
ZAHIR SHAH SHERAZI
April 29, 2013
PESHAWAR: At least eight people were killed including the son of two-time former Afghan minister whereas 43 others were injured in a blast which took place at Peshawar's university road on Monday morning.
The son of a former two-time minister of Afghanistan and veteran Jihad leader Qazi Muhammad Amin Waqaud, Qazi Hilal Ameen was also killed in the Peshawar blast along with another Afghan national Idrees.
Full report at
http://www.beta.dawn.com/news/794731/blast-in-peshawar-kills-eight-including-son-of-former-afghan-minister
-------------
Motorcycle bomb kills four in Pakistan: Police
AFP | Apr 29, 2013
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: A bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded on a busy roadside on Monday, killing at least four people and wounding 28 others in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, police said.
Violence has spiked in the nuclear-armed country ahead of national polls on May 11 with 56 people killed in attacks targeting politicians and political parties since April 11, according to an AFP tally.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Motorcycle-bomb-kills-four-in-Pakistan-Police/articleshow/19777383.cms
-------------
Haroon surprised why Sindh Human Rights Act 2011 not enforced
April 29, 2013
KARACHI: Minister Human Rights and Women Development Anis Haroon ordered the Director Human Rights Department to provide immediate financial aid to 500 registered and verified cases in the department. This she ordered while holding a meeting to review the progress of the projects running under the department said a statement issued here on Sunday. The department had received about 2,000 applications for financial help, out of which 500 have been verified from Zakat Council and Social Welfare Officers of their respective districts. The remaining appeals are currently in the process of verification.
Full report at
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\29\story_29-4-2013_pg12_2
-------------
PPP willing to offer PM slot to Imran: Wattoo
April 29, 2013
OKARA: While Imran Khan is drawing huge crowds on his campaign trail, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) predicts that his party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could form the next coalition government at the centre. He also foresees the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as coalition partners in Punjab.
“The PPP could also offer Imran Khan the office of prime minister in the coalition government,” Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, the president of PPP’s central Punjab chapter, told The Express Tribune in a candid interview on Sunday in Okara where he was on a campaign trail. Wattoo is contesting the May 11 elections from three constituencies: NA-147, NA-148 and PP-188.
Full report at
http://tribune.com.pk/story/541943/ppp-willing-to-offer-pm-slot-to-imran-wattoo/
-------------
Over 700 ANP activists slain to date: Ghulam Bilour
April 29, 2013
ISLAMABAD: More than 700 workers of the Awami National Party have been killed in the past five years for their modest and anti-Taliban stance in politics, former railways minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said.
In conversation with The Express Tribune, the Awami National Party (ANP) leader declared that his party has made the most sacrifices to date and that its leadership is being attacked due to their moderate approach to terrorism and friendly ties with neighbours, particularly India.
Full report at
http://tribune.com.pk/story/541929/over-700-anp-activists-slain-to-date-ghulam-bilour/
-------------
Violence in Sindh after bodies of two JSMM men found
April 29, 2013
HYDERABAD: At least three people were killed in incidents of violence which erupted in different parts of Sindh after bullet-riddled bodies of two activists of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz, a radical nationalist party, were found on a road in Dadu district on Sunday.
Kotri bore the brunt of the violence; a moving train came under fire and two vehicles were torched. Two people were killed and four were injured in incidents of firing. Another man was shot dead in an attack on his shop in Hyderabad.
Railway tracks were damaged by bomb blasts in Khairpur and Shaheed Benazirabad districts. Ghotki was closed after firing in a busy bazaar and Dadu after low-intensity blasts caused by crackers.
Full report at
http://dawn.com/2013/04/29/violence-in-sindh-after-bodies-of-two-jsmm-men-found/
-------------
Violence restricts Pakistan’s election campaign
April 29, 2013
PESHAWAR: Attacks by the Pakistani Taliban are forcing the main party in the country’s restive northwest, an important battleground in the upcoming general election, to campaign in the shadows. The Awami National Party (ANP) ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for the past five years, but it is now bearing the brunt of a wave of Taliban violence as the country heads towards the May 11 general election. The umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction has vowed to target the country’s three main secular parties which formed the outgoing national government — the ANP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Pakistan People’s Party of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Full report at
http://dawn.com/2013/04/29/violence-restricts-pakistans-election-campaign/
-------------
Liberal parties targeted for their ideology, says TTP
April 29, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has defended its attacks politicians, claiming that they were targeting liberal political parties for their secular ideology and support for military operations.
“The first reason for attacking political parties is their secular doctrine. The second reason is that they were responsible for burning Fata, Swat and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” said TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan in a statement.
Full report at
http://tribune.com.pk/story/541944/deadly-mandate-liberal-parties-targeted-for-their-ideology-says-ttp/
-------------
Attack on Sarabjit may hit Pakistan-India ties: Daily
IANS | Apr 29, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The attack on Sarabjit Singh could have serious implications for Pakistan-India ties, said a Pakistani daily, adding that the fate of the Indian death row prisoner was caught in the problematic relationship between the two countries.
Sarabjit Singh was admitted to a Lahore hospital after a murderous attack on him in Kot Lakhpat jail April 26. He is in coma. His family has arrived in Pakistan on a special visa issued by the Pakistan government.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Attack-on-Sarabjit-may-hit-Pakistan-India-ties-Daily/articleshow/19777345.cms
-------------
Arab World
5 car bombs kill 26 in Shiite areas across Iraq
AP | Apr 29, 2013
BAGHDAD: Five car bombs exploded today in predominantly Shiite cities and districts in central and southern Iraq, killing 26 civilians and wounding dozens, officials said.
The blasts come amid a week-long spike in sectarian violence following clashes at a Sunni protest camp in the north of the country. No one has claimed responsibility, but coordinated bombings in civilian areas are a favourite strategy used by al-Qaida in Iraq.
Two parked car bombs went off simultaneously today morning in the city of Amarah near a gathering of construction workers and a market, killing 13 civilians and wounding 42, according to the police.
Another police officer said that a parked car bomb exploded near a restaurant in the city of Diwaniyah, killing eight civilians and wounding 25 others.
At least three cars were seen charred and twisted outside a two-story building with a blast-damaged facade. Shop owners and cleaners were brushing debris off the bloodstained pavement.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/5-car-bombs-kill-26-in-Shiite-areas-across-Iraq/articleshow/19782345.cms
-------------
Syrian PM Wael al-Halki survives bomb attack
Reuters | Apr 29, 2013
BEIRUT: Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Damascus on Monday, state media and activists said, as rebels struck in the heart of President Bashar al-Assad's capital.
The explosion shook the Mezze neighbourhood shortly after 9am (0600 GMT), sending a plume of thick black smoke into the sky, internet footage posted by opposition activists showed.
The Britain-based Syria Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of sources across Syria, said one person accompanying the prime minister had been killed. State television reported casualties, but gave no details.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syrian-PM-Wael-al-Halki-survives-bomb-attack/articleshow/19779469.cms
-------------
Tahrir Imam' is free to lead prayers again after court order
An Egyptian court reverses order to stop the popular 'Tahrir Imam,' Mazhar Shahin from leading prayers deemed anti-Brotherhood
29 Apr 2013
Egypt's administrative Disciplinary Court halts an order to suspend Sheikh Mazhar Shahin, who is well-known for leading prayers in Cairo's Tahrir Square during and after Egypt's 18-day uprising in 2011.
Earlier in April, Shahin was suspended as imam (Islamic leader) of Omar Makram Mosque in Tahrir by Egypt's ministry of endowments (also known as Auqaf, a body responsible for overseeing imams).
The charges against him included criticising President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full report at
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/70359/Egypt/Politics-/Tahrir-Imam-is-free-to-lead-prayers-again-after-co.aspx
------------
Declaration of the Tenth Doha Conference for Inter-faith Dialogue
April 25, 2013
We, the 300 participants from over 70 countries on six continents – Jews, Christians, Muslims among other religions – met at the Doha Ritz Carlton for the Tenth Doha Interfaith Conference from April 23 to 25, 2013. We acknowledge the generous hospitality of HH Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and of the State and people of Qatar, and pay tribute to the organizers of the conference, the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Qatar University.
Full report at
http://interfaith2013.qatarconferences.org/news/news_03.html--
------------
‘25 Years of Arab Creativity’ show begins today
29 April 2013
A major traveling exhibition in collaboration with the Paris-based Institut du Monde Arabe will kick off in Riyadh today in Naila Art Gallery in Takhasussi Road, celebrating 25 years of Arab creativity.
Announcing the inauguration of the show at a press conference held in Riyadh yesterday, Mona Khazindar, executive director of the Arab World Institute told newsmen here that the month-long event will be held under the patronage of Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja, minister of Culture and Information, and Jack Lang, president of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.
Full report at
http://www.arabnews.com/news/449769
-------------
Clashes in Iraq Carry Worries of a New Civil War
By TIM ARANGO
2013/04/29
BAGHDAD — In the final days before the United States withdrew its troops from Iraq, American intelligence officers worried that a future Sunni insurgency here might be led not by Al Qaeda but by an organization whose leaders are former high-level members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.
Now, after large numbers of Sunni tribesmen clashed with government forces last week, Iraqis of all sects are asking two questions: Is the country headed toward a new civil war? And, if so, will the group of former Baathists lead one side of it?
The group, the Men of the Army of the Naqshbandia Order, commonly known by the initials of its Arabic name, J.R.T.N., has emerged as a potential alternative to Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia for Sunnis who have long felt deeply marginalized under Iraq’s Shiite-led government and are taking up arms once again. Passions were ignited last week after a raid by security forces on a Sunni protest camp in the northern village of Hawija, a stronghold for the group, left dozens dead.
Full report at
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/world/middleeast/clashes-in-iraq-carry-worries-of-a-new-civil-war.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=C952BB185597E3D6D9AB40843DC03B2A
--------
Islamist Rebels Create Dilemma on Syria Policy
By BEN HUBBARD
2013/04/29
CAIRO — In Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, rebels aligned with Al Qaeda control the power plant, run the bakeries and head a court that applies Islamic law. Elsewhere, they have seized government oil fields, put employees back to work and now profit from the crude they produce.
Across Syria, rebel-held areas are dotted with Islamic courts staffed by lawyers and clerics, and by fighting brigades led by extremists. Even the Supreme Military Council, the umbrella rebel organization whose formation the West had hoped would sideline radical groups, is stocked with commanders who want to infuse Islamic law into a future Syrian government.
Nowhere in rebel-controlled Syria is there a secular fighting force to speak of.
Full report at
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/world/middleeast/islamist-rebels-gains-in-syria-create-dilemma-for-us.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=8FC5D1A5E73149171FA54502DB9EEA6B
--------
Southeast Asia
Indonesian Political Parties Meet Female Quotas, But Where are All the Women?
April 29, 2013.
Political parties have met a requirement that women should account for at least 30 percent of their candidates in next year’s legislative election, but some appear to be fudging the numbers, a watchdog says.
The group Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi) said on Sunday that of the 6,576 candidates nominated by the 12 eligible parties, 2,434 of them, or 37 percent, were women.
Sebastian Salang, the Formappi executive director, said the National Democrat Party (NasDem), which will be contesting its maiden election in 2014, had the most female candidates, at nearly 40 percent, or 223 out of its 560 candidates.
Full report at
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/bad-math-political-parties-meet-female-quotas-but-where-are-all-the-women/
-----------
Malaysia seeks to arrest ethnic Indian leader
April 29, 2013
Malaysian authorities have issued an arrest warrant against an ethnic Indian leader, who is contesting the next month's general elections, for failing to appear in a court hearing a sedition charge against him.
Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar has been charged under the Sedition Act. He faces three years in jail or a fine if convicted on the charge.
Uthayakumar, a candidate for the May 5 polls, said the warrant was issued despite submitting a medical certificate exempting him from court appearance from April 2 to May 17.
Full report at
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Malaysia-seeks-to-arrest-ethnic-Indian-leader/Article1-1052045.aspx
-------------
Zul Noordin picks up Tamil to woo Shah Alam’s Indian voters
April 29, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Shah Alam hopeful Datuk Zulkifli Noordin has picked up some Tamil in a bid to warm up to the Selangor state capital’s Indian minority ahead of the May 5 polls.
The vice-president of right-wing Malay group Perkasa has been sprinkling words like “appa” and “amma” — Tamil for father and mother — in his speeches while stumping in the federal seat in a keen attempt to appear more racially inclusive.
Full report at
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/zul-noordin-picks-up-tamil-to-woo-shah-alams-indian-voters/
-------------
Najib attacks PKR as ‘LGBT’ party, says Malays, Chinese reject DAP, PAS
April 29, 2013
PORT KLANG, April 29 — PKR supports pluralism, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community while the Malays continue to reject the DAP’s principles and the Chinese fear PAS, Datuk Seri Najib Razak charged last night when criticising the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties ahead of the May 5 polls.
The caretaker prime minister told a 1,000-strong enthusiastic crowd here that political parties that were not suitable for each other would cause the country’s destruction if they formed the government.
Full report at
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-attacks-pkr-as-lgbt-party-says-malays-chinese-reject-dap-pas/
-------------
Mixing prayer and Maroon 5: Students dare to face the odds
Prodita Sabarini
April 29 2013
“God Forbid, Toli-Toli high school students make fun of Islamic prayer!” shouts the title of a YouTube video. I clicked the link and was amazed.
I saw five teenage girls, bangs, long hair and all, one of them in a headscarf. They wore track suits and were in a classroom, lined up like a group of dancers.
Their arms, folded in front of their solar plexus’ were in poses just like salat (daily Islamic prayers). A girl chants Arabic at a beautiful pitch until American band Maroon 5’s poppy tune “One More Night” begins. Then the group breaks into a dance.
Full report at
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/04/29/mixing-prayer-and-maroon-5-students-dare-face-odds.html
-------------
Ministers in House Race an Ethical Minefield, Critic Says
By Rizky Amelia
April 29, 2013.
Ten government ministers have been nominated by their parties to run for a legislative seat in next year’s election, prompting warnings that they could abuse their current powers to ensure victory.
Sebastian Salang, the executive director of the Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), said on Sunday that it was “highly unethical” for the ministers in question to run for a seat at the House of Representatives while still occupying a senior government post.
Full report at
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/ministers-in-house-race-an-ethical-minefield-critic-says/
-------------
Mideast Asia
Hamas Shuts Down Gaza English-Language Club
By: Khaled Kraizim
April 28, 2013
Mohammad al-Saleh, a 16-year-old from Gaza, loves reading. He is a student intent on studying the English language as soon as he enrolls in college. Bending his head down, he carries his books and walks out of Gaza’s municipal library. He had been working in the library with his peers to put the final touches on a project.
Most young men in Gaza usually try to avoid studying English before college, due to the common perception that it is a hard and complicated language. However, Saleh’s case was different, and his interest in the language was quite peculiar. Yet, the Hamas-affiliated municipality in Gaza stepped on Saleh’s hopes to perfect his language skills — voluntarily and freely, with the help of a trainer — by shutting down an English-teaching club that he was part of.
Full report at
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/hamas-gaza-closes-english-language-club.html#ixzz2RqdEOyLF
-------------
Israel Fencing Off Lebanese Village Would Violate UN Resolution
By: Nasser Chararah
April 28, 2013
In recent days, Israel has unilaterally attempted to build a fence around the northern part of Ghajar, a Lebanese village that it has occupied since 2006. Lebanese security forces revealed to Al-Monitor that Israel had previously erected a barbed-wired fence around the northern Lebanese part of the village, to prevent — according to their claims — armed men from infiltrating the southern part of the village located in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Israel, however, is now intent on replacing this barb-wire fence with a five meter high fence.
Full report at
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/israel-violation-un-resolution-1701-southern-lebanon.html#ixzz2RqdQ3vuQ
----------
Israel Says It’s Not Seeking U.S. Intervention in Syria, Despite Chemical Arms
By ETHAN BRONNER
2013/04/29
A senior Israeli official said Sunday that Israel was not urging the United States to take military action in Syria, despite intelligence assessments asserting that the government of President Bashar al-Assad recently used chemical weapons in the civil war gripping its country.
The official, Yuval Steinitz, the minister of strategic and intelligence affairs and international relations, also said that his government saw no comparison between American policy toward Syria and the Obama administration’s announced intention to stop Iran from gaining nuclear capability.
Full report at
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/world/middleeast/israel-says-its-not-asking-us-to-intervene-in-syria.html?ref=middleeast&_r=0&gwh=0FEF0B28B53AD30ACDCDF5D1CC15810F
--------
Israel Lawmaker Claims Hezbollah Getting Chemicals
2013/04/29
JERUSALEM (AP) — A former Israeli defense minister alleged Monday that Syria's chemical weapons are "trickling" to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the first claim by a senior politician in Israel that one of the country's nightmare scenarios is coming true.
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who also called for international intervention in the Syria's civil war to stop mass civilian deaths, did not supply any evidence for his claim.
"The process of weapon transferal to Hezbollah has begun," Ben-Eliezer told The Associated Press. He refused to elaborate.
Full report at
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/29/world/middleeast/ap-ml-israel-syria.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=0713036C7215B51CA5E9CB1D97BEAAF8
--------
Palestinian Christians urge pope to oppose wall
Christians in Beit Jala ask Pope Francis to voice opposition to Israeli separation wall that will damage their community
29 Apr 2013
Palestinian Christians near Bethlehem on Monday urged Pope Francis to speak up against an Israeli decision to build its controversial separation barrier on a route they say would cut off their community.
"We cry to your Holiness with a feeling of despair and urgency in order to keep alive our hope that justice and peace is still possible," said an open letter from the Christians of Beit Jala, a town near the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Full report at
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/70370/World/Region/Palestinian-Christians-urge-pope-to-oppose-wall.aspx
------------
Europe
Mother of Boston bomb suspects found deeper spirituality
AP | Apr 29, 2013
BOSTON: In photos of her as a younger woman, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva wears a low-cut blouse and has her hair teased like a 1980s rock star. After she arrived in the US from Russia in 2002, she went to beauty school and did facials at a suburban day spa.
But in recent years, people noticed a change. She began wearing a hijab and cited conspiracy theories about 9/11 being a plot against Muslims.
Now known as the angry and grieving mother of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, Tsarnaeva is drawing increased attention after federal officials say Russian authorities intercepted her phone calls, including one in which she vaguely discussed jihad with her elder son. In another, she was recorded talking to someone in southern Russia who is under FBI investigation in an unrelated case, US officials said.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Mother-of-Boston-bomb-suspects-found-deeper-spirituality/articleshow/19777875.cms
-------------
Russian Security Forces Kill Two Suspected Rebels in Dagestan
By ANDREW ROTH
2013/04/29
MAKHACHKALA, Russia — Russian security forces in Dagestan killed two men in a counterterrorism operation on Sunday; officials said one of the men was a suspect in a series of bomb attacks on local police convoys.
In a statement, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that security forces stormed the home of two men believed to be members of a criminal gang based outside of the city of Kizilyurt after the men opened fire on the police with automatic weapons, the Interfax news service reported.
Full report at
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/world/europe/russian-security-forces-kill-two-suspected-rebels-in-dagestan.html?ref=europe&gwh=9F48B41585E6B69A042961101F1CE7F6
--------
London worker jailed for 2 yrs over discs that contained footage of beheadings and executions
STEVE ANDERSON
26 APRIL 2013
A council worker from London has been jailed for two years after admitting having 300 computer discs of terrorist material in his car and home.
Khalid Baqa, 48, worked as a revenue officer for the London Borough of Hackney, and was found to have one of the discs in his office computer, the Old Bailey heard.
The discs included al-Qa'ida's Inspire magazine, 39 Ways to Support and Participate in Jihad and 42 Ways to Support Jihad by Anwar al-Awlaki and contained 26 hours of speeches by the hate preacher Anwar al-Awlaki.
Full report at
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/london-council-worker-jailed-for-two-years-over-terrorism-discs-that-contained-footage-of-beheadings-and-executions-8590058.html
-------------
Tamerlan-mother jihad talk sparked Russian alert
Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN | Apr 29, 2013
WASHINGTON: US investigators are starting to focus on the mother of the Brothers Tsarnaev who allegedly undertook the Boston marathon bombing amid signs that she might have inspired her sons' turn towards radicalism. Meanwhile, Anzor Tsarnaev, the father of the two boys, postponed his trip to the US to see his jailed younger son citing poor health.
Zubeidat Tsarnaeva is becoming the central focus of inquiry after it emerged that she was on a US federal terrorism database following Russian intelligence red flagging her for Washington. Moscow reportedly alerted CIA in 2011with concerns about the mother and her eldest son Tamerlan, who died in a gunfight with police after the Marathon bombing, when it obtained telephone intercepts of the two discussing jihad.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Tamerlan-mother-jihad-talk-sparked-Russian-alert/articleshow/19774994.cms
----------
Germany pledges 172.6 mn euros for projects in Egypt
Cooperation agreement allocates funds to development projects in pollution reduction, water supply, sanitation facilities, private sector promotion and women's rights
29 Apr 2013
Egypt has signed a financial and technical cooperation agreement with Germany worth 172.6 million euros, state-owned news agency MENA reported on Monday.
Under the terms of the agreement, 165 million Euros will be allocated to financing development projects, according to Planning Minister Ashraf El-Araby, who signed the agreement on behalf of Egypt at the German embassy in Cairo on Sunday.
Full report at
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/70325/Business/Economy/Germany-pledges--mn-euros-for-projects-in-Egypt.aspx
------------
South Asia
China 'arrests more suspects' over Xinjiang clashes
29 April 2013
More suspects have been arrested over violent clashes in China's Xinjiang region that killed 21 people, state media report.
Police also found weapons and flags from a separatist group, official reports quoted Deputy Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei as saying.
Eight suspects were already in custody after the violence on 23 April.
China said it was a planned attack by a "violent terrorist group", but other accounts dispute this.
The BBC team that visited the site of the incident to try and clarify details were taken by police to a government compound and subsequently ordered to leave.
Memorial held
Deputy Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei told official media in Kashgar that explosives were seized along with flags belonging to the separatist East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
He did not say whether the suspects were ethnic Uighurs or provide details including how many suspects were held or where they were arrested.
Full report at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22334919
------------
Afghan youths rename ‘Scud Hill’ in quest for peace
April 29, 2013
Once it was known as “Scud Hill” — a launching pad for Scud missiles during the Soviet occupation and subsequent civil war and a symbol of Afghanistan’s violent past.
Now a small but growing group of young people calling themselves Afghan Voices has renamed it “Peace Hill” and planted trees on the summit to form the word “Solh” (peace in the Dari language).
“This is Scud hill, this is the place from which missiles were fired and destroyed our country. But by planting trees that shape the word “Solh” we want to rename it Peace Hill,” said Ghulam Abbas Farzami, a 19-year-old member.
Farzami was talking to AFP this month as he planted his first tree on the hill overlooking the half-ruined Darul Aman palace in Kabul, a symbol of wartime destruction.
Full report at
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\29\story_29-4-2013_pg14_7
---------
Adhaalath accuses Nasheed of misleading Danish audience on extremism in the Maldives
By JJ Robinson | April 28th, 2013
The Adhaalath Party has issued a statement condemning former President Mohamed Nasheed’s comments on Islamic radicalism during an address in Denmark.
During his address, Nasheed stated the Maldivian population had largely rejected Islamic extremism, and, in a veiled reference to the Adhaalath Party, noted that “the Islamists were never a credible electoral threat.”
“ The Islamic extremists also didn’t like the Maldives’ new democracy because they were unpopular. They failed to win the Presidential elections in 2008, they failed to win local government elections – in 2011 they won less that four percent of the vote.
Full report at
http://minivannews.com/politics/adhaalath-party-accuses-nasheed-of-misleading-danish-audience-on-extremism-in-the-maldives-57107
-------------
Hefajat holds meeting in Kushtia today defying ban
April 29, 2013
Hefajat-e-Islami has declared that it would hold a public meeting in the district today defying a ban by the local administration on any gathering.
Abdul Khaleque, general secretary of the religious body, read out a statement in this regard at a press conference held at the office of Khelafat Andolon Kushtia district unit on Saturday evening.
The Hefajat leader said that they sought permission on April 18 to hold the meeting on Kushtia public library ground on April 28.
But on Saturday, the local administration informed them that they cannot hold the meeting, he said.
Full report at
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/hefajat-holds-meeting-in-kushtia-today-defying-ban/
-------------
Death sentence for Quader Mollah sought from SC
April 29, 2013
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday prayed to the Supreme Court to sentence Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah to death for committing crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 disbelieved statements of three prosecution witnesses regarding Quader Mollah’s involvement in the murder of hundreds of unarmed people at Keraniganj during the Liberation War, he said, adding that it should not have disbelieved those.
Full report at
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/death-sentence-for-quader-mollah-sought-from-sc/
-------------
World leaders continue expressing shock on Building collapse in Bangladesh
April 29, 2013
World leaders have continued to express deep shock at the loss of lives in Savar building collapse.
In a message to President Abdul Hamid, German President Joachim Gauck has expressed his deep shock at the tragedy that claimed hundreds of lives.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families. You have our full sympathy as you go through this difficult time. The efforts of the rescue teams are the focus of my hopes. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” he said.
Full report at
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/world-leaders-continue-expressing-shock/
-------------
Bangladesh Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama’at wants perpetrators’ arrest
April 29, 2013
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama’at leaders yesterday urged the government to arrest in 48 hours “the Hefazat-e Islam activists” who assaulted the Khatib (one who gives religious sermons at mosques) of Chittagong’s Jamiat ul Falah Mosque on April 26.
The leaders, including the khatib, Maulana Jalal Uddin Al Quaderi, also the Ahle Sunnat’s presidium member, were addressing a press conference in the capital’s Dhaka Reporters Unity.
Full report at
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/ahle-sunnat-wants-perpetrators-arrest/
-------------
Burma report backs security boost for Rakhine
29 April 2013
A government commission in Burma has recommended doubling the number of security forces in Rakhine state, which saw deadly ethnic clashes last year.
It also said that the segregation of Muslim Rohingyas and Buddhists should continue, but acknowledged that was not a suitable long-term solution.
More than 190 people were killed and 100,000 displaced in deadly clashes between Buddhists and Muslims.
The Rohingyas are a stateless group who are not recognised as Burmese citizens.
Burma's Prime Minister Thein Sein appointed a panel last year to investigate the origins of the conflict and suggest measures to prevent more violence, but its findings have been delayed several times.
Full report at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22334883
------------
Africa
Ulema Must Reclaim Original Role: Religious Scholars
Jemal Oumar
25/04/2013
Ulema are in the best position to present Islam as a religion that rejects violence, calls for tolerance and uses dialogue, an international meeting of religious scholars concluded this week.
To discuss how Ulema can help spread the values of moderation in the Muslim world, the UK-based Global Centre for Renewal and Guidance organised a gathering of clerics, preachers and religious scholars at its Nouakchott branch on Monday (April 22nd).
Among the topics: how acts by extremist groups, said to be in the name of religion, are actually contrary to the principles of Islam.
"Extremist groups are not permitted to demolish the graves of the righteous for this behaviour is a fraudulent act of the devil and is contrary to the teachings of Islam," said the Global Centre's vice-president, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf.
Full report at
http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2013/04/25/feature-02
-------------
Anti-Gaddafi gunmen up in arms in Libya
Reuters | Apr 29, 2013
TRIPOLI: Gunmen surrounded Libya's foreign ministry on Sunday calling for an already proposed law banning officials who had worked for deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi from senior positions in the new administration .
At least 20 pick-up trucks loaded with anti-aircraft guns blocked the roads while men armed with AK-47 and sniper rifles directed the traffic away from the building , witnesses said.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Anti-Gaddafi-gunmen-up-in-arms-in-Libya/articleshow/19775154.cms
-------------
French forces leave Malian town of Timbuktu
AP | Apr 29, 2013
BAMAKO (MALI): Dozens of French forces have left the northern Malian town of Timbuktu several months after their military operation largely ousted radical Islamic fighters from the area, a French military official said on Sunday.
The reallocation of about 100 French soldiers to the northeastern town of Gao will pose a critical test as to whether Malian soldiers and their counterparts from neighbouring nations will be able to maintain security in the area still threatened by jihadists.
Soldiers from neighbouring Burkina Faso officially took over last week in Timbuktu, and French soldiers are now departing, according to Col. Cyrille Zimmer.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/French-forces-leave-Malian-town-of-Timbuktu/articleshow/19773033.cms
-----------
Fear and anger follow Sudanese rebel strike
29 April 2013
KHARTOUM: Fear and anger yesterday followed a Sudanese rebel strike on a major town residents said had been left unguarded and was hit during coordinated attacks in the insurgents’ most audacious act in years.
In Umm Rawaba, a previously peaceful community of thousands which bore the brunt of Saturday’s attack, residents said about 300 youths stoned a convoy carrying North Kordofan state governor Murghani Hussein Zaki-Adeen, and federal Electricity Minister Osama Abdullah Mohammed.
“Where were you yesterday?” witnesses said protesters shouted after the governor visited the homes of people who died in the unrest.
Full report at
http://www.arabnews.com/news/449819
-------------
North America
Sisters of suspected Boston bombers: 'We don't have any answers'
By CNN Staff
April 24, 2013
(CNN) -- Two sisters of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings issued a statement Tuesday through their attorneys, saying they "don't have any answers but we look forward to a thorough investigation and hope to learn more."
"Our heart goes out to the victims of last week's bombings. It saddens us to see so many innocent people hurt after such a callous act," the statement from Ailina and Bella Tsarnaev said. It also asked the media to respect their privacy.
The Tsarnaev brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhorkhar, are accused of carrying out the April 15 bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/23/us/boston-tsarnaev-sisters/index.html?iref=obinsite
-------------
With bags of cash, CIA seeks influence in Afghanistan
Matthew Rosenberg, NYT News Service | Apr 29, 2013
KABUL, Afghanistan: For more than a decade, wads of American dollars packed into suitcases, backpacks and, on occasion, plastic shopping bags have been dropped off every month or so at the offices of Afghanistan's president — courtesy of the Central Intelligence Agency.
All told, tens of millions of dollars have flowed from the CIA to the office of President Hamid Karzai, according to current and former advisers to the Afghan leader.
"We called it 'ghost money,'" said Khalil Roman, who served as Karzai's chief of staff from 2002 until 2005. "It came in secret, and it left in secret."
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/With-bags-of-cash-CIA-seeks-influence-in-Afghanistan/articleshow/19777369.cms
-------------
Lawmakers press Obama to take action on Syria
Reuters | Apr 29, 2013
WASHINGTON: Republican senators on Sunday pressed US President Barack Obama to intervene in Syria's civil war, saying America could attack Syrian air bases with missiles but should not send in ground troops.
Pressure is mounting on the White House to do more to help Syrian rebels fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which the Obama administration last week said had probably used chemical arms in the conflict.
Full report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Lawmakers-press-Obama-to-take-action-on-Syria/articleshow/19775884.cms
-------------
Boston bombing suspect had links to slain Islamists: Source
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Boston Marathon bombing suspect, is reported to have known two insurgents from anti-Kremlin movement in Chechnya
29 Apr 2013
One of the brothers suspected of carrying out the Boston bombings had made links with two figures in the Islamist anti-Kremlin insurgency in the Northern Caucasus, both of whom were killed by Russian security forces, a security source said Monday.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, who was himself killed during his capture by US authorities, was known to have been in contact with a Dagestan militant named Makhmud Nidal and also a militant of Canadian origin named William Plotnikov, a Russian security source in the Northern Caucasus told AFP.
Full report at
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/70373/World/International/Boston-bombing-suspect-had-links-to-slain-Islamist.aspx
--------
Boston bombings: Congressman questions Moscow cooperation with FBI
April 29, 2013
A member of the House Homeland Security Committee says the FBI would have carried out a much more intense investigation of two men now suspected in the Boston Marathon bombings if the Russians had informed Washington of "the mother's radicalization" and "the son's
radicalisation."
Republican Peter King says such information "definitely would have caused the investigation to go further."
Full report at
http://www.hindustantimes.com/worldsectionpage/chunk-ht-ui-worldsectionpage-bostonblast/Boston-bombings-Congressman-questions-Moscow-cooperation-with-FBI/Article1-1052213.aspx
---------
Christians, we must love our Muslim neighbours, too
By Josh Graves
April 28, 2013
Dr. Amir Arain is a trusted friend. We’ve worked together on several projects in the time I’ve lived in Nashville. Amir is a top Neurologist at Vanderbilt Medical Centre and leading professor at Vanderbilt University.
He also happens to be the chief spokesperson on matters of faith and culture for the Nashville Islamic Centre. Amir is from Pakistan but is now a U.S. citizen with all the rights and privileges I enjoy. He is as devout to his country, faith, city, and family as I am to mine.
In Dearborn, Michigan—just 20 minutes from where I grew up—some of the most loyal citizens of the U.S. make up the single largest concentration of Arabs in the world, outside of the Middle East. These leaders are doctors, teachers, military servants, and spiritual directors. Full report at
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/04/26/christians-must-love-our-muslim-neighbors/#ixzz2RsEovrsv
-----------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/152-year-old-mosque-mumbai/d/11346