Israel Judaising Al-Quds, Abbas Tells Pope
New Age Islam News Bureau
26 May 2014
Pope Francis was greeted in the Old City of Jerusalem by the grand mufti, left, outside the Dome of the Rock, the third most holy site in Islam
Mideast
• Israel Judaising Al-Quds, Abbas tells Pope
• Pope calls Muslims 'brothers' at Dome of the Rock
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad Open to Unity Government
• Israel Okays 50 new settler homes in E. Jerusalem: Councillor
• Iran army chief tells US to leave Syria alone
Africa
• 24 people killed in northern Nigeria attack
• Nigeria girl abduction 'contrary to Islam principles': African Union chief
• Nigeria: Aliero Lambasts Asari for Calling Girls' Abduction Scam
• Saif and Qaddafi-regime officials deny all charges against them
• Salafi Imam assassinated in Benghazi
Arab World
• Kuwaiti Preacher Criticizes Qaradawi Politicized Fatwa: ‘Promote Tolerance’
• Iraqi Minister Sees Syria as A US-Israeli Scenario for All Muslim States
• Syrian Troops Launch Major Offensive on Militant Groups in Idlib
• Banned radical cleric arrested in Lebanon over ‘links to terrorism’
• Regime, 'resistance axis' will triumph in Syria: Hezbollah
• 'Cairo Statement' urge revolutionaries to unite against 'post-coup' Egypt
• Damascus: Looking back on the Golden Age of Muslim Science
India
• No need to fear Modi: Shia cleric Kalbe Sadiq
• Jamat-ud Dawa Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed tweets warning, borders on alert
• Modi inauguration a 'great opportunity', Nawaz Sharif says
• Improvement in India-Pak ties vital for regional peace: Chinese foreign ministry spokesman
• Advance Kashmir peace process, says Mirwaiz
• If Pak doesn’t behave, then Sena points to N-button
Pakistan
• Nawaz Sharif says will pick up threads of ties from Vajpayee’s rule
• Geo makes apology for broadcasting allegations
• US-based Ahmadi doctor shot dead in Punjab
• Karachi violence claims four lives
• Jamaat-i-Islami calls for national consensus for peace in country
• Panic-gripped Waziristan tribesmen fleeing to Afghanistan
• Jamaat-i-Islami chief wants Rs100bn for Karachi
• ‘Tsunami’ to continue till poll reforms: Imran
• Pakistan hopes for reciprocal release of prisoners
North America
• Obama invokes 9/11 as new Afghan troop mission pondered
• US Collecting All Cell Phone Calls In Afghanistan
• Civilian houses become US drones favourite targets in Pakistan - report
• Egypt's presidential aide meets with teenage inventor in US
• US to prepare strategy with Pakistan’s help
• Obama signals US to keep limited Afghanistan role
South Asia
• 5 Afghan soldiers martyred in latest wave of violence
• Uninterrupted democracy must for uplift: PM Sheikh Hasina
• Chinese Muslims: Extremists Don't Represent Islam
• Karzai refuses to meet with Obama during US president's trip to Afghanistan
• Karzai’s elder brother endorses Abdullah in election runoff
Southeast Asia
• Blame non-Malays for questioning Malay rights, says Isma in its latest salvo
• Now, Zahid calls Chinese ‘ungrateful’ for voting DAP
• I have no identity crisis, merely defending Islam, says Ridhuan Tee
• Philippines says 3 Filipinos convicted for spying in Qatar
Europe
• In lawless Libya, Egypt's Sisi becomes a star: Reuters
• Iran’s Zarif in surprise meeting with Ashton
• Brother of convicted terrorist preaching in local mosques
• Spanish village of 'Kill Jews Fort' vote in favour of name change
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Mideast
Israel Judaising Al-Quds, Abbas Tells Pope
May 26, 2014
BETHLEHEM – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel was forcing Christians and Muslims out of Jerusalem.
“We have informed his holiness about the tragic situation in Jerusalem... where Israel is systematically acting to change its identity and character, and strangling the Palestinians, both Christians and Muslims, with the aim of pushing them out,” he said.
Pope Francis met Abbas in Bethlehem on Sunday.
Earlier, Pope Francis addressed what he called “the State of Palestine,” calling Abbas “a man of peace.”
In his speech, he called for a two-state solution and an end to the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict, which he deemed “unacceptable.”
“The time has come for everyone to find the courage... to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgement by all of the right of two states to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders,” he urged.
Pope Francis took a dramatic plunge into Mideast politics, receiving an acceptance from the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to visit him at the Vatican next month to discuss embattled peace efforts. The summit was an important moral victory for the pope, who is named after the peace-loving Francis of Assisi.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in late April, and there have been no public high-level meetings for a year.
Francis landed in Bethlehem, the cradle of Christianity, in a symbolic nod to Palestinian aspirations for their own state. He called the stalemate in peace talks “unacceptable” and stopped briefly to pray at the Israeli separation barrier surrounding this biblical West Bank town.
At the end of an open air Mass in Bethlehem’s Manger Square, the pope invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to pray with him for peace. “I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer,” he said. The offices of the Israeli and Palestinian presidents quickly confirmed that they had accepted the invitation. “We welcome Pope Francis’ invitation to the Vatican. President Peres has supported and will continue to support all avenues to bring about peace,” Peres’ office said in a statement.
Abbas’ spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdeneh, said the summit would take place sometime in June.
Peres, a 90-year-old Nobel Peace laureate, is set to step down over the summer, and the meeting would take place shortly before he leaves office.
Peres has been a fervent support of Mideast peace efforts, and the independent-minded Israeli president, whose job is largely ceremonial, risks upsetting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the move.
Netanyahu has expressed anger with politicians that have reached out to Abbas at a time when the Palestinian leader is reconciling with the militant group Hamas. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140526206419
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Pope calls Muslims 'brothers' at Dome of the Rock
May 26, 2014
Pope Francis on Monday urged his "brother" Muslims to never abuse God's name through violence as he opened the third and final day of his Mideast pilgrimage with a visit to the Dome of the Rock, the iconic shrine located at the third-holiest spot in Islam.
Francis took off his shoes to step into the gold-topped dome, which enshrines the rock where Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven.
The mosque complex, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is at the heart of the territorial and religious disputes between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
Speaking to the grand mufti of Jerusalem and other Muslim authorities, Francis deviated from his prepared remarks to refer not just to his "dear friends" but "dear brothers."
"May we respect and love one another as brothers and sisters," he said, and added, "May we learn to understand the suffering of others! May no one abuse the name of God through violence!"
After the brief visit, Francis headed to the Western Wall, the only remains of the biblical Second Temple and the holiest place where Jews can pray.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/102220/World/Region/Pope-calls-Muslims-brothers-at-Dome-of-the-Rock.aspx
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Palestinian Islamic Jihad Open to Unity Government
May 26, 2014
Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) top leader says he welcomes the reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah even though his group is not a party.
PIJ, which is devoted to Israel’s destruction, is widely regarded as more violent than Hamas but has been an outlier in the reconciliation process between the two larger Palestinian factions. Still, it might be willing to join the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) under the right conditions.
“… [W]e welcome the reconciliation and any step that serves our people and our cause on the condition that it does not violate any of our national fundamentals,” PIJ Secretary General Ramadan Shallah told the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper.
Shallah, whose previous position involved teaching state university students in Florida and who was set upby Sami Al-Arian, noted that PIJ would not participate in any scenario that is “part of Oslo’s political framework,” referring to the 1994 peace deal between Israel and the PLO that created the Palestinian Authority.
“The common denominator in this case is that it does not lead to any move to perpetuate the reality of the occupation, open the door to more concessions, or abrogate or withdraw the weapons of resistance, which is a red line for us,” Shallah said.
Dawoud Shehab, a PIJ spokesman, similarly told Iran’s Press TV, “However, what we are concerned about is that they build a real national unity and a strategy based on resistance as the way to freedom. The reconciliation should end the process of negotiation with occupation.”
If Hamas has its way, PIJ will get exactly what it is looking for. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said Tuesday that the terrorist group would continue its violent campaign against Israel, and said no compromises would be made.
“The reconciliation does not mean an end to our resistance against the invaders, resistance will continue as long as the occupation exists,” Meshaal said.
http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/05/25/palestinian-islamic-jihad-open-to-unity-government/
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Israel okays 50 new settler homes in E.Jerusalem: Councillor
May 26, 2014
Israel on Monday approved plans for 50 new homes for Israelis in annexed east Jerusalem as Pope Francis wrapped up a visit to the region, city officials said.
"The municipality has given the green light to build 50 new housing units in five buildings in Har Homa," city councillor Yosef Pepe Alalu told AFP.
Har Homa is a settlement neighbourhood in the southern sector of Arab east Jerusalem which was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War then annexed, in a move not recognised by the international community.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/102241/World/Region/-Israel-okays--new-settler-homes-in-EJerusalem-Cou.aspx
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Iran army chief tells US to leave Syria alone
World Bulletin / News Desk
May 26, 2014
Iran’s Chief of General Staff Hassan Firouzabadi said on Monday that the U.S. will not be able to achieve its goals in Syria.
Firouzabadi in response to the U.S. saying that they will send weapons to opposition groups to push the Syrian regime to negotiation said "there is no weapon and the terrorists cannot use those weapons. Thus, the U.S. should leave alone the Syrian people so that they can shape their country's future," according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' official website.
"The opposition groups have great disputes that cause clashes between them. In the circumstances the terrorists in Syria have two options. Their first option is laying down arms and resigning themselves to the Syrian regime. The second option is finding a way to flee", Firouzabadi added.
The Chief of General Staff also stated that the presidential election is only way to go in Syria and that the Syrian people will give their answer.
The Syrian presidential elections are scheduled to take place on June 3.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/137361/iran-army-chief-tells-us-to-leave-syria-alone
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Africa
24 people killed in northern Nigeria attack
May 26, 2014
At least 24 people were killed by suspected members of Islamist extremist sect Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, local newspaper Vanguard reported on Monday.
More than 20 insurgents armed with assault rifles and explosives attacked the village of Kamuyya in Borno State during a weekly Sunday market.
The gunmen fired into the crowd before setting shops and vehicles on fire.
More than 100 houses were burnt down, the witnesses said.
“The militants, armed with sophisticated weapons, raided the area and proceeded to the major market. They began to shoot sporadically into the crowd, killing 24 people on the spot and burnt most of the shops in the market,” said a resident Bukar Umar.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/24-people-killed-in-northern-nigeria-attack/article6049241.ece
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Nigeria girl abduction 'contrary to Islam principles': African Union chief
May 26, 2014
The abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria last month was "contrary to the teachings of Islam", the head of the African Union (AU) said at an event to mark Africa Day on Sunday.
"We strongly condemn the abduction of the young, innocent schoolgirls in Nigeria. We urge their immediate unconditional release," said Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who is also president of Mauritania, in a message to Africans sent out over the weekend.
"These actions are contrary to the teachings of Islam, a religion of tolerance and peace," he said, marking the 51st anniversary of the creation of the Organisation of African Unity, the predecessor to the AU.
The Islamist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the mass abduction on April 14 in Chibok, in northeast Nigeria. It has carried out a brutal insurgency in the region since 2009, that has claimed around 2,000 lives this year alone.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/102202/World/International/Nigeria-girl-abduction-contrary-to-Islam-principle.aspx
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Nigeria: Aliero Lambasts Asari for Calling Girls' Abduction Scam
May 26, 2014
ABUJA--FORMER Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Adamu Aliero, has rejected the claims in some quarters that northern states governors and some politicians in the North were behind Boko Haram insurgents in the abduction of Chibok School girls.
He also took a swipe at leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, NDPVF, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, over a statement credited to him that the girls' abduction was a fiction. He said it was a wrong notion that should be widely condemned, stressing that no responsible person could ever fathom and eventually encourage the killing and maiming of innocent Nigerians.
Aliero who was also a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) spoke in an exclusive chat with Vanguard, Sunday.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201405260398.html?viewall=1
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Saif and Qaddafi-regime officials deny all charges against them
May 26, 2014
The trial of Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi and other Qaddafi-regime officials resumed today in Tripoli with Saif again appearing in a television link from his jail in Zintan. The changes against them were read out one by one by the Attorney General.
They face charges of murder, advocating violence and using mercenaries to put down the revolution.
They judge then asked them individually to respond to the charges read against them.
“I refute all the charges. They are all untrue,” Qaddafi’s Tripoli Internal Security Agency head Mansour Dhou said.
Qaddafi’s External Security Agency head, Abu Zaid Omar Dorda, accused the court of mounting a political trial. “These charges are made up purely for political reasons, and I reject them all,” he responded.
Full report at:
http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/05/25/saif-and-qaddafi-regime-officials-deny-all-charges-against-them-trial-again-adjourned/#ixzz32p4IsY43
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Salafi Imam assassinated in Benghazi
May 26, 2014
A Salafi Imam was killed by unknown gunmen in the Zawaw district of Benghazi last night as he left work.
Sheikh Salah Mohammed Ahraka was pronounced dead on arrival at Al-Jalaa Hospital, a hospital spokesperson told the Libya Herald. Ahraka, who was 37, had been shot twice.
http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/05/24/imam-assassinated-in-benghazi/#ixzz32p4LtQLp
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Arab World
Kuwaiti Preacher Criticizes Qaradawi Politicized Fatwa: ‘Promote Tolerance’
May 26, 2014
The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) headed by renowned Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi recently issued a “Fatwa” and said participation in Egypt’s presidential elections on 26th and 27th May 2014 is forbidden (haram), reports al-Seyassah daily.
Meanwhile, a number of Kuwaiti clerics regret that certain Kuwaiti religious personalities are supporting the fatwa. They criticized the ambitions of the Brotherhood and al-Qaradawi for exploiting Islam to pounce on the government.
In this context, Kuwaiti preacher Sheikh Saleh Al-Ghanim said the fatwa is politicized and aims to keep Egyptians from voting in the upcoming presidential elections. He called on the scholars to promote tolerance among Muslims. Political activist Manea Al-Ajmi also said the fatwa of Qaradawi and his group is not only politicized but contradictory, as he had earlier urged Egyptians to go to the polls and give their support to ousted Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi otherwise they would be committing sin.
Full report at:
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/206313/reftab/36/t/Kuwaiti-preacher-criticizes-Qaradawi-politicized-fatwa/Default.aspx
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Iraqi Minister Sees Syria as A US-Israeli Scenario for All Muslim States
May 26, 2014
Iraq's transportation minister warned that the US and Israeli scenario for the Muslim and Arab countries will not come to an end in Syria and it will spread to other countries as well.
"The Zionists and Americans want to destroy the armies of the Arab countries like Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen," Iraqi Transportation Minister Hadi Farhan al-Amiri said, addressing the 7th General Assembly Meeting of the Islamic Radios and Televisions Union on Sunday.
He noted that the armies of Egypt, Libya and Yemen are confused because they do not know how to fight against the terrorists, and added, "This bewilderment is part of the West–Zionist scenario for those countries."
Yet, the Iraqi minister saw the Syrian crisis as a strategic miscalculation for the US, saying, "The United States' miscalculated scenario in Syria is a repetition of its earlier strategic mistake in Afghanistan."
In relevant remarks in April, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned against the plots hatched by the enemies to create rift among different Muslim sects.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930305001070
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Syrian Troops Launch Major Offensive on Militant Groups in Idlib
May 26, 2014
The Syrian army targeted insurgents' concentration centers and hideouts in several areas in Idlib countryside, killing and wounding tens of rebels.
A military source told FNA on Monday that army soldiers targeted the militants' hideouts in Jabal al-Arbaeen in Idlib, Northwestern Syria, killing and wounding a large number of them.
FNA dispatches from Syria said that over 50 Takfiri terrorists, many of them foreigners, were killed in the army's operations in Idlib countryside and their bodies are still left on the battlegrounds.
The source said that Jabal al-Arbaeen is now witnessing heavy fighting between the Syrian army and the terrorists, adding that the governmental forces have acted successfully in the region and are now advancing towards al-Fanar restaurant.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930305000676
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Banned radical cleric arrested in Lebanon over ‘links to terrorism’
May 26, 2014
A firebrand Islamist preacher who was banned from the UK after praising al-Qa’ida attacks on the West has been arrested in Lebanon for allegedly supporting terrorism.
Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohamed, a Syrian-born preacher who moved to the UK in the 1980s, became infamous in Britain after reportedly describing the 9/11 bombers as “the Magnificent 19” and the London 7/7 bombers as the “Fantastic Four”.
He also founded the since-banned Islamist organisation Al-Muhajiroun and helped convert Michael Adebowale, who went on to take part in the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London, in May 2013.
Lebanon’s Interior Minister, Nouhad Machnouk, told a press conference yesterday that Mr Bakri Mohamed had been arrested in the early hours of the morning in the city of Aley, in the mountains southeast of Beirut.
Full report at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/banned-radical-cleric-sheikh-omar-bakri-mohamed-arrested-in-lebanon-over-links-to-terrorism-9434213.html
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Regime, 'resistance axis' will triumph in Syria: Hezbollah
May 26, 2014
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Sunday that the Syrian regime and the "resistance axis" including his Lebanese Shia militant movement would triumph in Syria's conflict.
"Syria will triumph and the resistance axis will triumph," said Nasrallah, in an address to mark the 14th anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/102200/World/Region/Regime,-resistance-axis-will-triumph-in-Syria-Hezb.aspx
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'Cairo Statement' urges revolutionaries to unite against 'post-coup' Egypt
May 26, 2014
Three independent political figures known for their opposition to the army's intervention in Islamist president Mohamed Morsi's ouster and the subsequent violent crackdown against his supporters issued a statement on Saturday calling for unity and a return to the ideals of the 25 January 2011 uprising.
In the document, titled "Cairo Statement", the signatories called for "unification to regain the January 25 revolution" and a return to the "democratic path, away from the counter-revolution and oppression".
Speaking to Ahram Online, poet, activist and one of the statement's signers Abdel-Rahman Youssef explained that the document is not offering solutions but is rather an invitation for dialogue among "revolutionaries" with the purpose of forming a committee to find answers for Egypt's current situation.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/102171/Egypt/Politics-/Cairo-Statement-urges-revolutionaries-to-unite-aga.aspx
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India
No need to fear Modi: Shia cleric Kalbe Sadiq
Press Trust of India | Muzaffarnagar | May 26, 2014
Expressing confidence over the country’s development under Narendra Modi’s prime ministership, Shia cleric Kalbe Sadiq has said Muslims do not need to fear.
“As Prime Minister, his (Modi) mentality will change automatically,” the All India Muslim Personal Law Board vice President, Sadiq, said on Sunday at Chilkana village in the Saharanpur district.
The Shia cleric has come to the village for participating in a religious programme.
“Due to backwardness in education Muslims are poor in economic status,” he said, and appealed them to strive for quality education.
He also asked the community to set up modern educational institutions.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/no-need-to-fear-modi-kalbe-sadiq/
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Jamat-ud Dawa Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed tweets warning, borders on alert
May 26, 2014
Jamat-ud Dawa Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, suspected mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, tweeted Sunday that “Modi becoming the PM is not India’s domestic issue”. A day earlier, he had warned Nawaz Sharif against his visit to India and said “it was an effort to appease India and did not reflect Pakistan’s national honour”.
“India elections gave birth to mutated #secularism hiding #BJP #Hindutva serpent with consistent bias evident against #Muslims,” tweeted Saeed. He addressed a rally, Takbeer Convention, held to highlight the threat to Pakistan’s defence apparatus in Hyderabad Sunday.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/hafiz-tweets-warning-borders-on-alert/
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Modi inauguration a 'great opportunity', Nawaz Sharif says
AFP | May 26, 2014
NEW DELHI: Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the inauguration of Narendra Modi as his Indian counterpart on Monday was a "great opportunity" for the two nuclear neighbours to open a new chapter in relations.
"It is a great moment and a great opportunity," Sharif, who is in New Delhi as a guest for the swearing-in ceremony, told the NDTV network.
"This is a chance to reach out to each other. Both governments have a strong mandate," he added, according to a transcript provided by the Pakistan high commission.
"This could help in turning a new page in our relations."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Modi-inauguration-a-great-opportunity-Nawaz-Sharif-says/articleshow/35618962.cms
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Improvement in India-Pak ties vital for regional peace: Chinese foreign ministry spokesman PTI | May 26, 2014
BEIJING: Lauding the new Indian government's move to invite Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, China on Monday said improvement in Indo-Pak ties contributes to regional peace, stability and development.
"We have noted that latest development and we welcome that. Both India and Pakistan are major countries in South Asia. The improvement of India-Pakistan relationship not only serves the interests of the two countries but also contributes to regional peace, stability and development," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
"As friend and neighbour of the two countries, China would like see the constant improvement of India-Pakistan relationship. We hope this kind of momentum can be maintained so that India and Pakistan can realize common development and maintain regional peace and stability," he told a media briefing here.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Improvement-in-India-Pak-ties-vital-for-regional-peace-China-on-invite-to-Sharif-for-Modis-swearing-in/articleshow/35618877.cms
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Advance Kashmir peace process, says Mirwaiz
AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
May 26, 2014
“For any lasting solution, Kashmiris must be involved”
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the ‘moderate faction’ of the Hurriyat Conference, on Sunday urged Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to move forward substantively on the Kashmir issue. They should seek a resolution to the over six-decade-long political crisis by engaging the people of Jammu and Kashmir in a “full-fledged peace process.”
The Mirwaiz, in a statement, said given the massive mandate both leaders had won in their respective countries, they could take bold initiatives for the resolution of disputes. “There must be a serious and result-oriented process of dialogue. For this to happen, India and Pakistan must engage the people of Jammu & Kashmir as an active and true partner in the search for peace. For any lasting solution, Kashmiris must be involved.”
Calls for serious efforts
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/advance-kashmir-peace-process-says-mirwaiz/article6046924.ece
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If Pak doesn’t behave, then Sena points to N-button
May 26, 2014
The Shiv Sena has decided to attend Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony on Monday despite its misgivings about Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s presence at the event. The party said Mr. Modi might have to press the nuclear button if Pakistan's tail remained crooked.
“All the Shiv Sena MPs will be present at the ceremony. We will be taking a flight to Delhi in the morning,” confirmed newly elected MP Vinayak Raut on Sunday. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray will also attend the ceremony. The Shiv Sena’s Anant Geete is expected to get a cabinet berth in the newly formed Union Cabinet.
In a statement issued on Sunday night, Mr Thackeray said, “Till now only India has tried to forget the past and extend the hand of friendship towards Pakistan. It is difficult to have faith in Pakistan. Since we have faith in Mr Modi’s strong leadership, we don’t want to obstruct this. But if after all this, Pakistan’s tail remains crooked, then Modi will have to press the nuclear button in his hand.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/if-pak-doesnt-behave-then-sena-points-to-nbutton/article6048432.ece
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Pakistan
Nawaz Sharif says will pick up threads of ties from Vajpayee’s rule
Press Trust of India | New Delhi | May 26, 2014
Arriving here with a “message of peace”, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that he intends to pick up the threads with India’s new leader Narendra Modi from where he and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee left off in 1999.
Sharif, who is in the national capital on a overnight stay to attend the swearing in of Modi as Prime Minister, arrived here from Lahore where he said he was going to New Delhi with a “message of peace”.
Later, speaking here, the Pakistan Prime Minister said both governments have a strong mandate and this could help in “turning a new page in our relations”.
Sharif will have a bilateral meeting with Modi tomorrow during which the two sides are expected to discuss ways to enhance cooperation.
“This is the same BJP’s Prime Minister Vajpayee for whom I have the greatest of respect. I intend taking up threads from where Vajpayee and I left off in 1999,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/nawaz-sharif-says-will-pick-up-threads-of-ties-from-vajpayees-rule/
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Geo makes apology for broadcasting allegations
May 26, 2014
ISLAMABAD – A biggest television news channel apologized on Monday for broadcasting allegations against the premier intelligence agency in an attempt to resolve an issue that increased tensions between the civilian government and the armed forces, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported on Monday.
“After serious introspection, editorial debates, feedback and engagement with all parties, directly and indirectly, we have concluded that our coverage immediately after the tragic and unnerving attack on Hamid Mir on April 19th was excessive, distressful and emotional," read a front-page notice in Monday's issue of The News newspaper.
The apology added that the coverage that night was misleading, disproportionate and inappropriate. Geo is part of the Jang Media Group, which is owned and run by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. In addition to Geo News and an entertainment channel, the group owns popular Urdu and English language newspapers.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/26-May-2014/geo-makes-apology-for-broadcasting-allegations
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US-based Ahmadi doctor shot dead in Punjab
May 26, 2014
LAHORE: Gunmen shot dead a doctor from the minority Ahmadi community on Monday in Chenab Nagar town in Punjab province, officials said, the latest attack on the beleaguered group.
Mehdi Ali, a 50-year-old heart surgeon normally based in the United States, was attacked as he visited a cemetery in the town of Chenab Nagar.
“Two gunmen riding on a motorbike shot dead a cardiac surgeon, Dr Mehdi Ali outside the Ahmadi graveyard in Chenab Nagar,” local police official Ahmed Ali told news agency AFP.
He said the incident occurred early on Monday morning when the doctor was going to the graveyard with his family.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1108691/us-based-ahmadi-doctor-shot-dead-in-punjab
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Karachi violence claims four lives
May 26, 2014
KARACHI: At least four people were killed on Monday in separate incidents of violence in Karachi, DawnNews reported.
Three bodies were recovered from Karachi’s Sarjani Northern Bypass.
The bodies bore torture marks and sustained multiple bullet wounds.
According to the police sources, all three of them were kidnapped before killing however the bodies have not been identified as yet.
One person was also shot dead near a hospital chowrangi in Landhi.
Karachi, the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan, is riddled with targeted killings, gang wars, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism.
Targeted operations led by Rangers’ forces with the support of police are ongoing in the city under a directive issued by the federal government against criminals already identified by federal, military and civilian agencies.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1108682/karachi-violence-claims-four-lives
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Jamaat-i-Islami calls for national consensus for peace in country
May 26, 2014
LAHORE - Jamaat-i-Islami Secretary General Liaquat Baloch has said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be going to India after bypassing the Parliament, the national leadership and rubbing salt on the wounds of the Kashmiris who are undergoing the tyranny of Indian Army.
In a statement on Sunday, he said that moves on foreign or diplomatic front without a national agenda would bear no fruit and lead to confusion among the masses.
He said that serious talks on any important issue were not possible at the oath-taking ceremony.
On the other hand, he said, it was a bitter fact was that the recent Indian elections were held on the basis of enmity with Pakistan and the slogan on grabbing Kashmir declaring it India’s integral part.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/lahore/26-May-2014/liaquat-calls-for-national-consensus-for-peace-in-country
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Panic-gripped Waziristan tribesmen fleeing to Afghanistan
By Pazir Gul
May 26, 2014
MIRAMSHAH: Panicked by the ongoing military action in North Waziristan Agency, the tribal people have preferred to take refuge in neighbouring Afghanistan instead of shifting to settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to reports, many families have migrated to Khost and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan from different areas of the volatile tribal region.
Eid Mohammad Khan, a local tribesman, told this correspondent that many foreigners also moved to Afghanistan from Waziristan before the launch of military action. He said that the foreigners sold their belongings in the local market before the military action was started.
“Many foreigners belonging to Uzbekistan, China, Middles East and European countries who were settled in Mirali, Miramshah and the adjoining areas have shifted to border areas of Afghanistan,” Mr Khan said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1108616/panic-gripped-waziristan-tribesmen-fleeing-to-afghanistan
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Jamaat-i-Islami chief wants Rs100bn for Karachi
May 26, 2014
KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Siraj-ul-Haq has urged the government to announce a Rs100 billion grant for Karachi to solve a host of problems it faces.
Addressing a reception organised by his party here on Sunday on his first visit to Karachi after assuming the office of the JI chief, Mr Haq said a fraud was being committed in the name of democracy because most political parties did not hold elections within their parties.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had decided to visit India without taking political parties into confidence.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1108647/ji-chief-wants-rs100bn-for-karachi
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‘Tsunami’ to continue till poll reforms: Imran
May 26, 2014
FAISALABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Sunday that the “tsunami”, a reference to the movement launched by his party, would not stop unless verification of voters’ thumb impression was carried out in four constituencies and electoral reforms were introduced in the country.
If election rigging was confirmed (as a result of the verification), he warned, his party would seek action under Article 6 of the Constitution against the PML-N, former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Mir Shakeel-ur-Rahman.
Addressing a public meeting at the Dhobi Ghat ground here, Mr Khan announced that the PTI would stage its next rally in Sialkot on June 7.
He said corruption, lack of justice and “family politics” were major problems of the country. “The PTI wants introduction of a system based on justice for all but it is not possible without free and fair elections.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1108652/tsunami-to-continue-till-poll-reforms-imran
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Pakistan hopes for reciprocal release of prisoners
May 26, 2014
Even as Sri Lanka and Pakistan ordered the release of Indian fishermen, Islamabad has raised the issue of Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, held in Indian prisons.
“According to our figures, there are 521 Pakistani prisoners in India, including 168 fishermen,” a press release from the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office said, adding “the Government of Pakistan hopes that they too will be able to return to their loved ones in Pakistan soon.”
Pakistan has always said the “issue of prisoners in our respective countries is a humanitarian one and should be taken in that spirit.”
Following instructions from the Pakistan Prime Minister, the 161 prisoners will be handed over to Indian authorities on Monday at the Wagah/Attari border, the release said. The freed prisoners were taken in an air-conditioned bus from Karachi to the Wagah border in Lahore. Pakistan is releasing all those fishermen whose status as Indian nationals has been confirmed by Indian authorities.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/pakistan-hopes-for-reciprocal-release-of-prisoners/article6047194.ece
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North America
Obama invokes 9/11 as new Afghan troop mission pondered
May 26, 2014
BAGRAM: As he ponders leaving some troops in Afghanistan after longest US war, Barack Obama harkens back to the September 11, 2001 attacks to justify more than a decade of sacrifice.
Whether the US president is also using that imagery to justify longer US military involvement in Afghanistan, senior political aides will not say.
But Obama, in a surprise visit to Bagram Airfield outside Kabul on Sunday, did not sound like a man about to wash his hands of Afghanistan.
Aides hint the president will offer some “clarity” on his intentions in a major speech at the West Point military academy on Wednesday meant to put his foreign policy in a wider context.
On Sunday, he twice mentioned that he saw a poster of the Twin Towers in New York in a Bagram trailer complex where he got a briefing from top military and intelligence officials.
Obama mentioned September 11 when talking to young troops, many of whom were mere kids when al Qaeda sent fuel-laden airliners on suicide missions against targets in New York and Washington in attacks planned in Afghan terror havens.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/713243/obama-invokes-911-as-new-afghan-troop-mission-pondered/
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US Collecting All Cell Phone Calls In Afghanistan
May 26, 2014
WikiLeaks on Friday revealed that the US has been surveilling all cell phone conversations in Afghanistan as part of its SOMALGET mass data collection program. SOMALGET is one component of a broader NSA effort, including a program called MYSTIC, which collect communications data in Mexico, Kenya, the Philippines, Iraq and elsewhere.
Millions of voice clips and reams of telephone metadata are collected and stored as part of the SOMALGET/MYSTIC program, which taps into entire national cellular networks. Three days ago, Glenn Greenwald's The Intercept, revealed that SOMALGET was being used to collect phone calls made from the Bahamas and an unknown country, now revealed to be Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://www.countercurrents.org/gaist250514.htm
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Civilian houses become US drones favorite targets in Pakistan - report
May 26, 2014
Over 60 percent of all US drone strikes in Pakistan targeted domestic buildings, according to a joint research by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), a London-based non-profit news group, Forensic Architecture, a research unit based at Goldsmiths University, London, and Situ Research in New York.
The authors obtained the data on drone strikes in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas by analyzing media reports, witness testimonies and field investigations. According to the study, at least 132 houses have been destroyed in more than 380 strikes over the past decade with at least 222 civilians being among the 1,500 or more people killed.
"On average, 6.2 people and 0.9 reported civilians died per strike on domestic buildings," says the research, adding that these numbers may be conservative because the Bureau "has found the deaths of women are dramatically underreported," as the seclusion of women and children in the country which orders them to spend more time indoors make them more vulnerable to drone strikes.
Full report at:
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_05_25/Civilian-houses-become-US-drones-favorite-targets-in-Pakistan-report-9560/
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Egypt's presidential aide meets with teenage inventor in US
May 26, 2014
Egyptian presidential aide for scientific issues Essam Heggy has met with teenage inventor Abdallah Assem after the later sought asylum in the US.
Assem, 17, who faces charges in Egypt of allegedly taking part in an illegal protest, travelled to the US on special permission from the interior ministry to compete in the Intel Science and Engineering Fair. Now he says he won't return to Egypt out of fear that he'll be arrested at the airport for a crime he insists he did not do.
As a result, Assem has been criticised by Egyptian media outlets, who have questioned his loyalty to Egypt.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Heggy said that he'd met the teenage inventor at the California Institute of Technology, adding that Assem is seeking education in the US and is not trying to create a conflict with Egypt in any possible way.
"Abdallah is filled with noble patriotic feelings and he came [to the US] to represent Egypt [in the Intel competition]," Heggy's post read.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/102189/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-presidential-aide-meets-with-teenage-invent.aspx
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US to prepare strategy with Pakistan’s help
May 26, 2014
WASHINGTON: The United States wants Pakistan’s cooperation in formulating its future counter-terrorism strategy for Afghanistan and the rest of South Asia, the White House said on Sunday.
Briefing the media on President Barack Obama’s surprise visit to Kabul earlier in the day, his Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes said the US had not yet decided how many troops to keep in Afghanistan after 2014 but all US allies in the region would be consulted before making any major decision.
“We’ve been looking broadly at counter-terrorism and how do you have a counter-terrorism strategy in Afghanistan, in South Asia, in cooperation with Pakistan that keeps Al Qaeda core on its heels,” said Mr Rhodes.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1108633/us-to-prepare-strategy-with-pakistans-help
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Obama signals US to keep limited Afghanistan role
May 26, 2014
President Barack Obama slipped into Afghanistan for a surprise visit on Sunday and made clear that the U.S. will likely maintain a limited role here even after its combat mission ends this year and America’s longest war comes to a close.
“America’s commitment to the people of Afghanistan will endure,” he pledged.
Speaking to troops gathered in an airplane hangar on this sprawling military base, Mr. Obama said the war had reached a pivotal point, with Afghan forces assuming primary responsibility for their country’s security. But while many of the 32,800 U.S. forces now in Afghanistan will leave in the coming months, Mr. Obama said a continued military presence could help protect gains made during nearly 13 years of fighting.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/obama-signals-us-to-keep-limited-afghanistan-role/article6048244.ece
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South Asia
5 Afghan soldiers martyred in latest wave of violence
May 26 2014
At least five Afghan national army soldiers were martyred in the latest wave of violence.
Defense ministry spokesman, Gen. Zahir Azimi, said the national army soldiers were martyred in the past 24 hours.
Azimi did not disclose further information regarding the exact location and circumstances of the incident.
The anti-government armed militants including the Taliban rebels frequently use improvised explosive device (IED) as the weapon of their choice to target Afghan and coalition forces.
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the main contributors to civilian and Afghan national security forces casualties.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/5-afghan-soldiers-martyred-in-latest-wave-of-violence-8148
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Uninterrupted democracy must for uplift: PM Sheikh Hasina
May 26, 2014
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today once again put emphasis on uninterrupted democratic process saying it could ensure development of any country.
"I think uninterrupted democratic process can only ensure uplift of any country," she said.
The prime minister said this while addressing a meeting with the members of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary League at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo this morning.
After the meeting, PM's Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil briefed reporters.
Takeo Kawamura, a member of the House of Representatives of Japanese Parliament, led the members of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary League.
Hoque said the prime minister, at the meeting, hoped that the lawmakers of the two countries would work together for further development and said they could play an important role in further consolidating the bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Japan.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/uninterrupted-democracy-must-for-uplift-pm-25733
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Chinese Muslims: Extremists Don't Represent Islam
May 26, 2014
TEHRAN (FNA)- The terror attack of May the 22nd in Urumqi has aroused indignation amongst locals. People in Urumqi are angry. They say those who carried out the attacks are extremists and not truly Muslims and also that violence is against their faith.
http://english.farsnews.com/player.aspx?nn=13930304001222
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Karzai refuses to meet with Obama during US president's trip to Afghanistan
May 26, 2014
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has rejected a proposed meeting with US President Barack Obama at Bagram air base outside Kabul during Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan, Karzai's press service said in a statement.
"The US embassy in Kabul requested the Afghan presidential staff to arrange a meeting between the two leaders at Bagram military airfield. Hamid Karzai replied that he would gladly welcome Obama to his presidential palace and refused to meet with the US president elsewhere," the statement said.
Earlier, Obama's Deputy National Security Adviser Benjamin J. Rhodes claimed that it was the US side that had cancelled the meeting, motivating it by Obama's unwillingness to interfere in the country's internal affairs ahead of the second round of the Afghan presidential election.
Obama did not want to steal the spotlight, meeting with candidates and so on, so he passed on a meeting with Karzai to avoid injecting himself into Afghanistan's presidential elections, Rhodes said.
Full report at:
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_05_26/Karzai-refuses-to-meet-with-Obama-during-US-presidents-trip-to-Afghanistan-8572/
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Karzai’s elder brother endorses Abdullah in election runoff
May 26 2014
Mahmud Karzai, the elder brother of President Hamid Karzai endorsed Abdullah Abdullah in the second round of election.
Karzai announced his support to Abdullah Abdullah in election runoff during a press conference on Monday.
While announcing his support to Abdullah, Karzai said he announced his support for Abdullah’s team in election runoff due to similarity he has with Abdullah’s policies.
Karzai said he has agreed with Abdullah to jointly campaign for national unity, security and fight against corruption.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/karzais-elder-brother-endorses-abdullah-in-election-runoff-8150
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Southeast Asia
Blame non-Malays for questioning Malay rights, says Isma in its latest salvo
May 26, 2014
Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) today said the status of non-Malays in the country would not be called into question if they did not complain incessantly about the special rights of Malays.
Isma vice-president Abdul Rahman Mat Dali wrote on the NGO's website that non-Malays constantly questioned and disputed the special rights of Malays.
"Therefore, the Malays have every right to dispute and complain about the decision to give rights to the non-Malays. Otherwise, it would be unfair," he wrote, just hours after Malaysians united to back the Thomas Cup squad who lost to Japan in the final yesterday.
"Even Malaysia's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman had stressed this before," Abdul Rahman said, adding that the former premier had given too much “face” to the Chinese.
Abdul Rahman quoted the former premier as saying: "The Malays are prepared to give reasonable rights to the non-Malays.”
"The Malays have sacrificed a lot for the non-Malays. There has never been a race of natives who have such a high degree of courteousness as the Malays.
"Therefore, there must be a guarantee of special rights for the Malays in the Federal Constitution."
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/blame-the-non-malays-for-questioning-the-rights-of-malays-says-isma-in-its
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Now, Zahid calls Chinese ‘ungrateful’ for voting DAP
May 26, 2014
Only the Chinese would be happy if Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Teluk Intan Datuk Mah Siew Keong lost in the May 31 by-election, as they are already wealthy and ungrateful for it, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
"I would feel sad if DAP won again in Teluk Intan. The Malays would be sad. The Indians would be even sadder.
"But the Chinese would be fine, because they have all sorts of businesses. But if it weren't for the Malays or Indians who buy goods from them, they wouldn't have any business.
"It is the Malays and the Indians who help Chinese businessmen. And when they vote, they choose DAP.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/now-zahid-calls-chinese-ungrateful-for-voting-dap
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I have no identity crisis, merely defending Islam, says Ridhuan Tee
May 26, 2014
Controversial lecturer Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has denied suggestions that he suffers from an identity crisis, insisting he has merely been defending Islam all along.
In his Sinar Harian column today, Ridhuan (pic) said he wanted the rights of the original inhabitants of Malaysia to be acknowledged.
Using a badminton analogy, the National Defence University Malaysia lecturer said: "When Datuk Lee Chong Wei meets Lin Dan, it is a good example to reveal one's love for Malaysia.
"Both these players are Chinese, but of course we will support the Malaysian Chinese instead of the Chinese from China.”
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-have-no-identity-crisis-merely-defending-islam-says-ridhuan-tee
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Philippines says 3 Filipinos convicted for spying in Qatar
May 26, 2014
The Philippines said Monday three Filipinos had been convicted of espionage in Qatar, with one sentenced to death and the others to life in jail.
The trio were sentenced last month by a local court for selling information deemed threatening to Qatar's national security, foreign department spokesman Charles Jose said.
"We are extending legal assistance to them as the case goes through an appeals court," Jose said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/102216/World/International/Philippines-says--Filipinos-convicted-for-spying-i.aspx
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Europe
In lawless Libya, Egypt's Sisi becomes a star: Reuters
May 26, 2014
Libyan civil servant Mohamed Ali has put on his business card a picture of the only man he thinks can save his country from falling apart - Egypt's new strongman Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Libya is preparing for elections next month, but many Libyans have long given up on their own parties paralysed by political infighting three years after the revolution and civil war that brought down Muammar Gaddafi.
Instead, Libyans look to their eastern neighbour where former army chief Sisi is expected to easily win this week's elections after his military forced out an elected Islamist president from office.
Tired of militias and Islamist militants filling a power vacuum left by a five weak prime ministers since 2011, many see the revival of strongman rule in Egypt as their dream scenario.
"Sisi is an outstanding man, a nationalist, a Muslim and an Arab. He is restoring stability and fighting terrorism," said Ali who uploaded Sisi's picture on his mobile phone.
"Our politicians only think of their personal agenda. We wish we had someone like Sisi," he said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/102227/Egypt/Politics-/-In-lawless-Libya,-Egypts-Sisi-becomes-a-star-Reut.aspx
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Iran’s Zarif in surprise meeting with Ashton
26 May 2014
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif are to meet Monday in Istanbul to review progress on negotiations toward a nuclear deal, media reports said.
The previously unannounced two-day meeting comes after fruitless talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna earlier this month when no "tangible progress" was made ahead of a July 20 deadline.
The Istanbul meeting was announced on Iranian media, with the ISNA news agency citing a source close to the Islamic republic's nuclear negotiating team.
Zarif left Tehran at around 10 am (0530 GMT) and will head to Algeria on Tuesday when his meetings with Ashton end.
No representatives from the P5+1 group -- the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany -- that is negotiating with Iran over its nuclear activities will be at the meeting, the report added.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2014/05/26/Iran-s-Zarif-in-surprise-meeting-with-Ashton-.html
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Brother of convicted terrorist preaching in local mosques
May 26, 2014
THE controversial brother of a convicted terrorist is back preaching to scores of supporters in mosques in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Junaid Thorne is linked to a group known as Millatu Ibrahim, which was banned in Europe in 2012.
He delivered a lecture at the Dandenong South mosque on March 8, according to his Facebook page.
The 24-year-old has previously asked businessmen to give money for the jihad.
Mr Thorne has also visited the Al-Furqan Islamic centre in Springvale South, which was raided by counter-terrorism teams in 2012.
The self-proclaimed sheik from Perth is the brother of Shayden Thorne, 25, who was sentenced to 4½ years in a Saudi Arabian prison for having terrorism-related materials on a laptop.
Full report at:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/brother-of-convicted-terrorist-preaching-in-local-mosques/story-fni0fit3-1226931003996
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Spanish village of 'Kill Jews Fort' vote in favor of name change
By REUTERS
May 26, 2014
MADRID - The tiny Spanish village of Castrillo Matajudios, or "Kill Jews Fort" in English, on Sunday voted in favour of changing its name, Spanish media reported, as it cast off a vestige of Roman Catholic religious persecution from over 400 years ago.
The campaign to rebaptize the village, led by mayor Lorenzo Rodriguez, had thrust its 56 mostly elderly inhabitants into the media spotlight in recent weeks, as its controversial name sparked headlines worldwide.
Villagers in the hamlet of ancient stone houses, near the city of Burgos, cast their ballots at the same time as EU-wide elections for representatives in the European parliament, for which initial results were due late on Sunday.
Spain's El Pais newspaper said the motion to change the village's name had received 29 votes Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/Spanish-villiage-of-Kill-Jews-Fort-vote-in-favor-of-name-change-354341
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