Hindu students take to madrassa education by Faizan Ahmad
Ishrat Jahan killing inhuman: Moily
DUBAI: 'Halal' cosmetics for Muslim women
'Nato killed him, has double standards’
Heidi Vogt and Kay Johnson
Afghans slam Nato for scribe's death in raid
Mush’s 2nd political innings after Nov?
Women on fake TV show rescued after 2 months
No 'oriental' tag for Asians, says NY State
Fatwa against ‘political’ iftar by Cithara Paul
No flogging for trouser-wearing woman in Sudan by Mohamed Osman
Boris Johnson converts to Islam
Kasab turns abusive if Basmati not on plate by TN Raghunatha
An Afghan village ignores Taliban threat by Bilal Sarwary
Malaysian Muslims to be charged with sedition by Sean Yoong
Zia, son to face trial in orphanage fund embezzlement case by Anisur Rahman
Ahmadinejad to appoint female vice president
Undeterred, Iran prez bats for 2nd woman minister
URUMQI ON EDGE: Rumour-mongers face China wrath
Rushdie spotted with married model
Thai Jihad: Islamic Assassins Target Buddhist Civilians in Thailand by sheikyermami
US killed Zia with Pak internal power help: Ex-spymaster
S African Indian Muslim women come out in support of 'Hijab'
Afghan women now face new dangers
Saudi Arabia: Save the child bride by Khalaf Al-Harbi
Osama introduced Nawaz Sharif to Saudi royals: ex-ISI officer
Texas: Mosque opens doors and minds to the real Islam by Karina Kling,
Communal’ Modi spent more on Muslim welfare by Akhilesh Suman,
At least 123 militants killed in Pak tribal belt clashes
90 arrested in Birmingham (England) anti-Islam rally
DUBAI — Quran Award
Gains Global
Importance
Green God and green Islam! By mostafa ghanbari
Top 'terror suspect' freed in UK: Report
Underground Cinema in Iran by Sayeh Hassan
Eid shopping picks up in Peshawar by Ali Hazrat Bacha
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL of this page: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/divine-connect-belief-god-hardwired/d/1736
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DIVINE CONNECT
Belief in God hardwired in our brain?
‘During Evolution, People with Religious Tendencies Worked Together Which Helped Them Survive’
We are born believers. Human beings are programmed by evolution to believe in God because it gives them a better chance of survival, researchers have claimed.
The idea has emerged from studies of the way children’s brains develop and of the workings of the brain during religious experiences, Times Online reported on Monday.
Researchers suggest that during evolution groups of humans with religious tendencies began to benefit from their beliefs, perhaps because they tended to work together better and so stood a greater chance of survival. The findings challenge campaigners against organised religion, such as Richard Dawkins, author of ‘The God Delusion’. He has long argued that religious beliefs result from poor education and childhood “indoctrination”.
Bruce Hood, professor of developmental psychology at Bristol University, believes the picture is more complex. “Our research shows children have a natural, intuitive way of reasoning that leads them to all kinds of supernatural beliefs about how the world works,” Times quoted Hood as saying.
“As they grow up they overlay these beliefs with more rational approaches but the tendency to illogical supernatural beliefs remains as religion.” Hood, will present his findings at the British Science Association’s meeting this week, sees organised religion as just part of a spectrum of supernatural beliefs.
In one study he found even ardent atheists balked at the idea of accepting an organ transplant from a murderer, because of a superstitious belief that an individual’s personality could be stored in their organs. “This shows how superstition is hardwired into our brains,” he said.
Full Report at: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=CAP/2009/09/08&PageLabel=17&EntityId=Ar01700&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
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Hindu students take to madrassa education
Faizan Ahmad, TNN 11 September 2009
PATNA: Are madrassas meant only for Muslim students? Far from it, if results of Bihar State Madrassa Examination Board are anything to go by.
Pooja Kumari, Preetam Kumari, Priyanka Kumari and Surya Narayan Sah all students of Madrassa Islamia, Sandalpur in Araria district are among 100 Hindu girls and boys who have passed different grade exams conducted by BSMEB this year.
The results of the madrassa board for Maulvi, Fauqania and Wastania grade exams, declared on Monday, showed that about a hundred non-Muslim students have passed these exams.
Board authorities, who could provide list of non-Muslim candidates of only Fauqania exam, said 37 of them have passed. They include Sanjay Kumar of Madrassa Islamia, Khardaur, Sanam Kumari and Sandhya Kumari of Madrassa Rahmania, Joktia (both in West Champaran), Rupa Bharti of Madrassa Munamia, Balia (Begusarai) and Anita Kumari of Madrassa Faiyazul Uloom (Chhapra).
"All non-Muslim examinees were regular students of madrassas,'' board chairman Maulana Ejaz Ahmad told TOI on Wednesday. He said he spoke to parents of many such students who said education at madrassas was better and their wards were more disciplined. In fact, the second generation of a former legislator is getting madrassa education, he added.
This year Muslim girls both outnumbered and outshone boys in madrassa exam in Fauqania (equivalent to matric) and Wastania (equivalent to middle). "That more girls are joining madrassa and persuing education is an encouraging trend,'' Ahmad said. He said enrolment of Muslim girls in all districts, including Muslim-dominated Kishangunj district which has the lowest literacy among women, has increased.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Hindu-students-take-to-madrassa-education/articleshow/4996010.cms
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Ishrat Jahan killing inhuman: Moily
IANS, New Delhi, September 08, 2009
The killing of Mumbai student Ishrat Jahan by Gujarat Police four years ago was "inhuman" and all those responsible for her death should be punished, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after a metropolitan magistrate's report proved that it was a "fake encounter".
"This is inhuman, if a proper investigation is done then many more skeletons will come out," Moily told IANS.
He said it was surprising that such things were happening in India and demanded that all the officers responsible should be punished.
"All those who are responsible for such inhuman killings should be hauled (up)," he said.
The Gujarat police had claimed that Ishrat Jahan was a member of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and that she and her three friends were on a mission to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi when they were gunned down on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in June 2004.
However, according to the 240 page report by metropolitan magistrate SP Tamang, the four -- Ishrat Jahan, Javed Ghulam Sheikh alias Pranesh Kumar Pillai, Amjad Ali alias Rajkumar Akbar Ali Rana and Jisan Johar Abdul Gani -- were not linked with any terror group and were killed in a "fake encounter".
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/homepage/india/Ishrat-Jahan-killing-inhuman-Moily/451517/H1-Article1-451553.aspx
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'Halal' cosmetics for Muslim women
AFP 11 September 2009
DUBAI: For Muslim women who feel they are violating Islam’s teachings by using skin creams with alcohol and pig residues, Layla Mandi has the answer: religiously-correct “halal” cosmetics.
The Canadian makeup artist who converted to Islam is marketing cosmetics called OnePure, which she says have the luxury feel of international brands minus the elements banned under Islamic law.
“There are pork derivatives and alcohol in most cosmetics products, so Muslims should really use something else,” Mandi said.
From Islamic banking to alcohol-free hotels, products tagged as halal have become popular among devout Muslims — who pray five times a day and perform other rituals. Under the concept of halal — which means “lawful” in Arabic — pork and its by-products, alcohol and animals not slaughtered according to Koranic procedures are all forbidden.
“Muslims don’t want to go around and pray five times a day having pork residues on their body,” said Mandi, in her early thirties and swathed in a slim black abaya, or cloak, with wisps of blond hair sticking from under her head scarf.
According to Mandi, fatty acids and gelatin used in moisturisers, shampoos, face masks and lipsticks as well as other items are often extracted from pigs. Determined to create a halal product, Mandi brought together a dermatologist and a chemist and told them the deal: cosmetics and skin-care products free of pork and alcohol.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/middle-east/Halal-cosmetics-for-Muslim-women/articleshow/4996666.cms
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‘Nato killed him, has double standards’
Heidi Vogt and Kay Johnson , Hindustan Times
Kabul, September 11, 2009
A group of Afghan journalists blamed international forces on Thursday for the death of a kidnapped colleague during the British commando rescue of a New York Times reporter and accused the troops of having a "double standard" for Western and Afghan lives.
The newly formed Media Club of Afghanistan — set up by Afghan reporters who work with international news outlets — also condemned the Taliban for abducting both journalists last week in northern Afghanistan as they investigated reports of civilian deaths in a German-ordered airstrike. In addition, both of the main contenders in Afghanistan's disputed presidential election called for investigations into Munadi's death.
More than 50 Afghan reporters, wearing cameras and carrying notebooks, laid flowers Thursday at the Kabul cemetery grave of Munadi, 34, who died in gunfire as British commandos launched the rescue operation in northern Kunduz province. Farrell survived and was taken away in a helicopter. One British commando was also killed in the raid.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/world/Nato-killed-him-has-double-standards/Article1-452496.aspx
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Afghans slam Nato for scribe's death in raid
11 September 2009
KABUL: A group of Afghan journalists blamed the international coalition on Thursday for the death of a kidnapped colleague during the British commando rescue of a New York Times reporter and accused the troops of having a “double standard” for western and Afghan lives.
The accusation came as British PM Gordon Brown’s office said troops had carried out the raid on Wednesday in an attempt to recover both British-Irish reporter Stephen Farrell and his Afghan translator Sultan Munadi and that the mission was authorized as the “best chance of protecting life.”
The newly formed Media Club of Afghanistan — set up by Afghan reporters who work with international news outlets — also condemned the Taliban for abducting both journalists last week in northern Afghanistan as they investigated reports of civilian deaths in a German-ordered airstrike.
The journalists also said it was “inhumane” for the British forces to rescue Farrell, who has dual British-Irish nationality, and also retrieve the body of the British commando killed in the raid, while leaving behind Munadi’s body.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/south-asia/Afghans-slam-Nato-for-scribes-death-in-raid/articleshow/4996705.cms
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Mush’s 2nd political innings after Nov?
Islamabad: Amid the demand for the trial of Pervez Musharraf for treason by the opposition PML-N, the former president is going to participate in Pakistan’s politics after November 30 when a twoyear constitutional bar on him holding public office ends, one of his close aides has said.
“Musharraf would unite various factions of the PMLQ and participate in politics from that platform,” Chaudhry Shahbaz, a PMLQ leader and a former federal minister, told reporters here on Sunday. Shahbaz met Musharraf in Saudi Arabia last week for consultations.
He said the two-year constitutional restriction that prevents Musharraf from participating in politics will end on November 30, after which “he would announce his future strategy”.
Full Report at: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=CAP/2009/09/08&PageLabel=19&EntityId=Ar01904&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
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Women on fake TV show rescued after 2 months
AP 11 September 2009
ISTANBUL: Turkish
Military police on Thursday stormed an Istanbul villa to rescue nine women held captive after being tricked into believing they were reality show contestants.
The women were rescued on Monday in the villa in Riva, a summer resort on the outskirts of Istanbul, a spokesman for the military police in the region who carried out the raid said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give details of the raid to the media. He said the women were held captive for around two months but refused to provide further details.
The women were made to believe they were being filmed for a Big Brother-type television show, the private Dogan news agency and other news reports said, without citing sources. Instead, their naked images were sold on the internet, the reports said.
The women had responded to an ad searching for contestants for a reality show
that would be aired on a major Turkish television station, Dogan said. The nine, including a teenager, were selected among several applicants following an interview, it said.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/middle-east/Women-on-fake-TV-show-rescued-after-2-months/articleshow/4996670.cms
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No 'oriental' tag for Asians, says NY state
PTI 11 September 2009, 12:34am IST
NEW YORK: New York governor David Paterson signed into law a bill that bans use of “oriental” in documents used by state agencies, public
authorities and municipalities when referring to persons of Asian or Pacific islander heritage.
Assemblywoman Grace Meng said the word “oriental” is derogatory and offensive. No state agency, public authority or municipality shall use “oriental” to identify or denote persons of Asian or Pacific islander heritage, she said in a statement. The word has been used with negative connotations.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/us/No-oriental-tag-for-Asians-says-NY-state/articleshow/4996624.cms
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Fatwa against ‘political’ iftar
Cithara Paul
New Delhi, Sept. 7: The country’s highest Islamic seminary has issued a fatwa against iftars hosted by political parties, saying they go against Islamic tradition.
The iftar has no place for lies, hypocrisy and politics, says the fatwa by the Darul Uloom of Deoband, discouraging Muslims from attending these iftars.
Political parties of all hues in India hold iftars — the evening meal when Muslims break their Ramazan fast — to attract the community’s votes and network with its leaders. Even US President Barack Obama hosted an iftar last week.
At an iftar held by the Trinamul Congress minority cell in Calcutta yesterday, Mamata Banerjee had announced a sop, saying railway recruitment exams could now be taken in Urdu. Trinamul plans two more iftars on September 9 and 16, which Mamata is to attend.
“If the… purpose behind such gatherings is political, then religion doesn’t come into the picture,’’ Mufti Zahoor Nadvi of the Darul Uloom said.
Another argument against “political” iftars relates to the source of their funding. “It would be against Islam if the source of money is the liquor business or interest from loans,’’ said Mubarak Hussein of the Jamiat Ulema, Delhi.
The fatwa, however, doesn’t extend to politicians being invited to private iftars.
Leading Urdu dailies such as Inquilab, Siasat, Khabrein and Qurbani too have decided to boycott political iftars.
“Politicians think hosting iftars will garner them the community’s support… in elections. So they wear the skullcap… but as soon as the show is over, they dump the community,” Inquilab editor Shahid Latif said. “Muslims are fed up. They feel humiliated whenever such iftar showoffs take place.”
Full Report at: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090908/jsp/nation/story_11464975.jsp
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No flogging for trouser-wearing woman in Sudan
By MOHAMED OSMAN and SARAH EL DEEB (AP)
KHARTOUM, Sudan — A woman journalist was convicted Monday of public indecency for wearing trousers, but was spared a sentence of flogging. A defiant Lubna Hussein said she would not pay a $200 fine and would take a month in prison instead to protest Sudan's draconian morality laws.
The 43-year old journalist has set out to challenge the police and courts since her arrest in July by insisting the case go to trial, aiming to embarrass the Khartoum government with the publicity. Her prosecution — and the prospect that she could get the full sentence of 40 lashes — drew an international outcry.
The judge's decision to impose a fine equivalent to $200 appeared to be an attempt to curb the criticism.
"I will not pay a penny," Hussein, who during the court session wore the same trousers that sparked her arrest, told The Associated Press after the ruling.
During the session, police rounded up about 40 women protesting outside the courthouse in support of Hussein, some of them wearing trousers as well in a sign of solidarity.
Full Report at: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jAZW89qny-VUhcZoGjzigD5oegKwD9AIJOVO1
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Boris Johnson converts to Islam
Here's what the future Mayor Johnson wrote in The Spectator shortly after the bomblings of 7 July 2005:
The Islamicists last week horribly and irrefutably asserted the supreme importance of [their] faith, overriding all worldly considerations, and it will take a huge effort of courage and skill to win round the many thousands of British Muslims who are in a similar state of alienation, and to make them see that their faith must be compatible with British values and with loyalty to Britain. That means disposing of the first taboo, and accepting that the problem is Islam. Islam is the problem.
To any non-Muslim reader of the Koran, Islamophobia - fear of Islam - seems a natural reaction, and, indeed, exactly what that text is intended to provoke. Judged purely on its scripture - to say nothing of what is preached in the mosques - it is the most viciously sectarian of all religions in its heartlessness towards unbelievers....
It is time that we started to insist that the Muslim Council of Great Britain, and all the preachers in all the mosques, extremist or moderate, began to acculturate themselves more closely to what we think of as British values.
Emotions ran high after that cruel atrocity in Central London, so perhaps allowances should be made. Also, if you read the whole article, you'll see that Boris's argument is more nuanced than this extract might make it appear. Even so, his claim that Islam is intrinsically an obstacle to Muslim loyalty to Britain seemed pretty unequivocal. Compare it with what he said during a Politics Show debate last April as Mayoral election polling day approached:
The problem is people who wrench out of context quotes from the holy book of Islam, the Koran, and use it to inspire evil in men's hearts. That is a fact that few serious people would deny and we need to tackle the extremists.
So three years after 7/7 Boris no longer seemed prepared to say that "Islam is the problem" only that a minority of Muslims who deliberately misinterpret its scripture are. And now this, uttered at the East London Mosque last Friday:
I urge people, particularly during Ramadan, to find out more about Islam, increase your understanding and learning, even fast for a day with your Muslim neighbour and break your fast at the local mosque. I would be very surprised if you didn't find that you share more in common than you thought.
This has excited much comment, most penetratingly at Harry's Place where (via Conservative Home) some rather unBritish connections of the mosque's imam are documented at length. My interest here, though, is in Boris's intriguing journey from an anti-Islam, pro-"Britishness" position where he called for Muslims to align their faith with "British values" to one where he urges everyone who's not a Muslim to sample an Islamic lifestyle.
Perhaps the answer lies in something else he said in Whitechapel last week:
Whether it's in theatre, comedy, sports, music or politics, Muslims are challenging the traditional stereotypes and showing that they are, and want to be, a part of the mainstream community...Muslims are at the heart of every aspect of society. Their contribution is something that all Londoners benefit from. Muslim police officers, doctors, scientists and teachers are an essential part of the fabric of London.
Islamic finance is contributing to the economy by changing the way Londoners invest, save, borrow and spend. There are valuable lessons that people of all backgrounds can learn from Islam such as the importance of community spirit, family ties, compassion and helping those less fortunate, all of which lie at the heart of the teachings of Ramadan.
It really does appear that "Islam is the problem" no more - quite a conversion. Is it because Boris believes that his call for British Muslims to embrace "British values" has been heeded in the four years since he made it, or are other considerations involved?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2009/sep/08/boris-johnson-islam-east-london-mosque
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Kasab turns abusive if Basmati not on plate
TN Raghunatha | Mumbai
Initially, he wanted the 11,280-page chargesheet in the 26/11 attacks case be translated into Urdu. Then he said he wanted an Urdu newspaper, perfume and toothpaste. He also wanted the Special Court, probing the Mumbai attacks case, to allow him to take a walk in the verandah of the barrack where he is lodged at the high-security Arthur Road prison here. He then asked the prison authorities that he be served ‘mutton biryani’.
Now, Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Kasab is rooting for Basmati rice as part of his menu at the Arthur Road prison.
Known for throwing a fit at the slightest pretext inside the prison, India’s most pampered undertrial, Kasab has been on “Basmati rice” trip in the recent past. Last week, he yelled at the prison guards that he could not make do with the “ordinary rice” served along with his meal and that he preferred “Basmati rice” as part of his menu.
Informed prison sources said that no amount of convincing by the prison guards that they could not serve him anything more than the regular “dal-roti-(ordinary)-rice” — as prescribed under the jail menu — would help matters, an angered Kasab gave his peace of mind to them, saying that as he had been used to eating spicy food, he could not eat the bland food being served at the prison and the least he wanted was “Basmati rice”.
Full Report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/201187/Kasab-turns-abusive-if-Basmati-not-on-plate.html
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An Afghan village ignores Taliban threat
Bilal Sarwary
VICTORY FOR THE BALLOT: Afghan men walk down a flooded street in Nangarhar province on August 31.
Just before the elections, people in the Eastern Province of Nangarhar in Afghanistan complained of a spurt in violence and government apathy, fearing that it may affect voter turnout.
But increased violence and constant threats from the Taliban did not deter residents of this remote village from participating in the presidential and provincial elections held on August 20.
Braving bad weather and rocket attacks, voters from Kodi Khel left their homes in mountainous valleys early in the morning for polling stations.
The Taliban tried its best to deter them. Several people were killed in the run-up to the elections.
Schools, government offices and homes of officials were targeted in an attempt to create a wave of fear among the electorate.
On the night just before the polling day, the Taliban distributed pamphlets in the area asking people not to venture out.
“This is not a real Afghan election, this is just a game by the invaders,” a village elder read out from one such pamphlet. By invaders the Taliban meant the Western forces operating on Afghan soil.
Full Report at: http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/08/stories/2009090854900900.htm
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Malaysian Muslims to be charged with sedition
Sean Yoong | Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia’s attorney general pledged Monday to file sedition charges against Muslims who marched with, and stomped on, a bloody cow head to protest the planned construction of a Hindu temple.
The August 28 protest is said to have insulted Hindus and stoked tensions among Malaysia’s three main ethnic groups, the Malay Muslim majority and Chinese and Indian minorities. Several dozen protesters paraded through the streets with the severed cow head in Shah Alam, the capital of central Selangor state, to denounce the state Government’s plan to build a temple in their largely Muslim neighborhood. Hindus consider cows sacred. State authorities in Selangor later said they have found a new site in Shah Alam to build the temple.
The conflict highlighted frustrations among religious minorities about strict guidelines that restrict the number of non-Muslim places of worship, partly based on whether enough non-Muslims live in an area to justify having a church or temple. years in prison, while illegal assembly carries a maximum one-year sentence.
Full Report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/200980/Malaysian-Muslims-to-be-charged-with-sedition.html
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Zia, son to face trial in orphanage fund embezzlement case
Anisur Rahman | Dhaka
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her elder son will face trial for allegedly embezzling over Rs 1.41 crore meant for an orphanage “which existed only in papers”, a court here ruled Monday.
The court of Dhaka metropolitan special judge ANM Bashirullah accepted charges pressed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader as she appeared on the dock under tight security.
The judge set October 25 for indictment hearing against Zia and five other defendants including her elder son Tarique Rahman for embezzling over Taka 2.10 crore for an orphanage trust “which exists only in papers”.
Witnesses said dozens of pro-BNP lawyers including ex-speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and party’s secretary general Khondokar Delwar Hossain stood for Zia claiming her innocence as she appeared at the court escorted by police.
The judge also issued arrest warrants against defendants Mominur Rahman, nephew of Khaleda, and former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui as they did not appear in court despite being summoned earlier.
Full Report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/200967/Zia-son-to-face-trial-in-orphanage-fund-embezzlement-case.html
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Ahmadinejad to appoint female vice president
Sep 7, 2009
Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that he would appoint a female vice president to give greater representation to women in his administration.
Ahmadinejad earlier appointed three female cabinet ministers, but parliament rejected two of them and endorsed only Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi as health minister. She became the first female minister in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic.
After the parliament's rejections of his two other nominees, Ahmadinejad appointed another woman to head the education ministry. According to state television, Ahmadinejad introduced parliament deputy Fatemeh Alia as a replacement for the rejected Susan Keshavarz.
Keshavarz has since been appointed by the president as an adviser on education and training.
Ahmadinejad did not disclose the name of his new choice for vice president or in which field she would be engaged.
Source: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1499659.php/Ahmadinejad-to-appoint-female-vice-president
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Undeterred, Iran prez bats for 2nd woman minister
Tehran: Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday nominated another woman for the post of education minister after his first choice, also a female, failed to win the support of parliament, a report said.
Ahmadinejad also proposed a new energy minister after his first pick likewise failed to muster enough support from MPs, the Mehr news agency said.
“This afternoon the president presented Fatemeh Alia and Ali Zabihi in an official letter to the parliament as his nominees for the education and energy ministries”, respectively, Hamid Reza Hajibabai, a member of the parliament presiding board, was quoted by as saying by Mehr.
Alia is serving her second term as Member of Parliament and is regarded as close to Ahmadinejad, while Zabihi is head of Iran’s Social Security Organisation that deals mainly with pensions.
Hajibabai added that a vote of confidence on the latest two candidates would be held in parliament on September 15. Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie confirmed the nominations.
Full Report at: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=CAP&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&GZ=T
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URUMQI ON EDGE
Rumour-mongers face China wrath
Urumqi: China’s troubled far western city of Urumqi has spelt out potential punishments for spreading rumours, after days of sometimes deadly unrest and panic about reported syringe attacks that fanned ethnic tensions.
Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, has been struggling to return to order after days of panic and protests over claims that Muslim Uyghur’s used syringes to attack residents, especially members of China’s Han majority.
Urumqi authorities said in a notice that anyone found guilty of injecting others with dangerous substances could face a long jail sentence or even the death penalty.
The full notice from the law-and-order authorities, reported in a later Xinhua report, also warned residents they face possible jail terms for rumour-mongering.
“Those who deliberately concoct and spread false information about innocent members of the public being stabbed with needles, could be tried and sentenced to up to five years in jail,” said the notice.
Full Report at: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=CAP/2009/09/08&PageLabel=19&EntityId=Ar01903&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
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Rushdie spotted with married model
London: Author Salman Rushdie is rarely seen out without a striking woman towering over him but the controversial writer finally stepped out with a woman his own stature, albeit a married one.
The ‘Booker of Bookers Award’ winning author made an appearance at the Venice Film Festival with Canadian-born former model Carolann Javicoli, reported Daily Mail online.
The pair did not leave each others side during the party at the exclusive Hotel De Bains but the author’s spokesperson denied a romance saying that Javicoli was the wife of Rushdie’s close friend. The 61-year-old the author of ‘Satanic Verses’, who was earlier married to supermodel Padma Laxmi, more than two decades his junior, was praised by Javicoli as a “wonderful man with a wicked sense of humour”.
“Salman does tend to attract a lot of beautiful women around him. That’s just the sort of man he is. But he sees the beauty inside and out,” Javicoli said. PTI
Full Report at: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=CAP/2009/09/08&PageLabel=20&EntityId=Ar02005&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
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Thai Jihad: Islamic Assassins Target Buddhist Civilians in Thailand
by sheikyermami
September 6, 2009
Classic Mohammedan warfare in the “Deep South:” the Buddhists are being terrorized, killed at random, driven out of their homes. This article shows a similar modus operandi wherever the soldiers of Allah have been allowed to settle and gained critical mass:
The rate of beheaded Buddhists is proportionate to the concentration of Muslims within a Buddhist population.
The Qur’an:
Qur’an (2:191-193) - “And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]…and fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah.” There is a good case to be made that the textual context of this particular passage is defensive war, even if the historical context was not. However, there are also two worrisome pieces to these verse. The first is that the killing of others is authorized in the event of “persecution” (a qualification that is ambiguous at best). The second is that fighting may persist until “religion is for Allah.” The example set by Muhammad is not reassuring.
The Islamic insurgency in Southern Thailand is ongoing and political and military leaders in Thailand appear to be at a loss because of many internal political and economic convulsions. Yet it is clear that radical Islamists desire an independent state and this state is meant to be Muslim to the core, and all Buddhists are deemed to be expendable.
In Kashmir the Hindu minority was forced to flee because innocent civilians were targeted by Islamic jihadists and Serbian Orthodox Christians in Kosovo have witnessed the endless destruction of their Christian churches and culture.
A similar pattern can be seen because Buddhists face daily fears and gradual Islamization in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. While recently three Christian pastors in Northern Nigeria were beheaded by Sunni Islamists because they refused to renounce Christianity.
2009.09.06 (Yala, Thailand) – A 61-man is mowed down along with his son and daughter in an automatic weapons attack by Islamic separatists. |
2009.09.06 (Grozny, Chechnya) – Islamic militants shoot a young traffic policeman to death. |
2009.09.05 (Kunar, Afghanistan) – Two women are killed by a Taliban mortar attack on their neighborhood. |
2009.09.05 (Swat, Pakistan) – Holy Warriors gun down two brothers outside their home. |
2009.09.05 (Mogadishu, Somalia) – Children are among the dead when al-Shabaab Islamists stage an attack in a residential area. |
2009.09.05 (Yala, Thailand) – A Buddhist rubber tapper is gunned down by Muslim radicals. |
Sadly, more harrowing stories can be stated about the burning alive of Christians in Pakistan by Sunni Islamists and the continuing persecution of all minorities. Therefore, Ahmadiyya Muslims face the sword of Sunni Islam because of conservative hatred in Pakistan and Baha’is in Iran face severe restrictions and bouts of false propaganda by central forces in Iran. At the same time Christians face either dhimmitude or pogroms in Iraq alongside other minorities like the Shabaks, Yazidis, and Mandaeans because radical Islamists threaten all minorities.
In Southern Thailand the current Islamic insurgency is following a similar pattern and this pattern is based on the beheading of Buddhists, killing innocent civilians, killing teachers, and spreading darkness throughout Southern Thailand.
Of course Islamists and others want to silence the mass media and many writers fear the shackles of editors or they are turning a blind eye because of political correctness.
Therefore, we have ridiculous media attention about discrimination against Muslims with regards to being checked at airports or being denied dress freedom in France. However, does this really compare with beheading Buddhists in Southern Thailand or burning Christians alive in Pakistan? Also, remember that this is done in the name of Islam because these Islamists want an Islamic monoculture where they kill or persecute non-Muslims first and then kill fellow Muslims, like killing Ahmadiyya Muslims, because they are not deemed to be Muslim enough.
Turning back to Thailand it is clear that Muslims in the south feel alienated from the central state and the economic infrastructure is weak. However, many Buddhists in Thailand also face economic hardship and grinding poverty in parts of this nation yet they do not go around beheading Muslim religious leaders.
If Thailand doesn’t do more to respond to daily intimidation and the ethnic cleansing of Buddhists in Southern Thailand then clearly the situation is going to get even worse. It is also important to point out that radical Sunni Islamists in Indonesia and the Philippines, alongside global jihadists, could join the fray if this crisis continues to follow the same path.
This hatred is inspired by Mohammed because he stated in the Hadiths to not only kill infidels (non-Muslims) but that Muslims will be rewarded for killing infidels.
Therefore Islamists follows the sayings of Mohammed and in Hadith 9:4 Mohammed stated “Wherever you find infidels kill them; for whoever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection.” Mohammed also stated in Hadith 9:50, 57 that “No umma (a member of the Muslim community) should be killed for killing a kafir (an infidel) … Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him.”
Therefore, Islamic jihadists in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, Thailand, or wherever, are directly following the teachings of Mohammed. Given this, Islamic radicalism in Thailand and other parts of the world is a serious issue because minorities are being killed by Islamic jihadists because of the fascist nature of this ideology.
Zachary Abuza, author of Militant Islam in Southeast Asia (Crucible of Terror), and a host of other written material, highlighted the role of the madrasas (Islamic schools).
He stated “In their pursuit of the creation of Islamic states, many Southeast Asian jihadis established Islamic schools to indoctrinate, propagate, and recruit. The leaders of many militant groups in Southeast Asia, including the Laskar Jihad, Kampulan Mujahidin Malaysia, and Jemaah Islamiya, returned from Afghanistan and established a network of madrasas as the base of their operations and recruitment.”
Clearly it is obvious that many radical Islamists are being churned out in radical madrasas and national governments must either regulate these schools or provide an alternative system. If not, they will become a continuing breeding ground for killers of non-Muslims and Muslims alike, after all, the Taliban and Islamic indoctrination came through these radical Islamic schools and they had no qualms in killing Shia Muslims and other so-called Islamic heretics.
Therefore, whoever controls the mosque or madrasas is in a powerful position. It must be mentioned that not all madrasas are involved in hate inspired indoctrination, however, many are out of control and you have a state within a state and of course Pakistan is paying for this now because they allowed this dangerous situation to happen in the first place.
In modern day Thailand you have the false reality of stability in many parts of this nation and tourists from all over the world visit for various factors. However, in Southern Thailand you have a dangerous Islamic insurgency which beheads Buddhists, kills teachers, kills Muslims who are deemed to be loyal to Thailand, and other innocents.
Zachary Abuza also commented that “While the government has recently pledged more development funds for the restive south, the insurgency has never been about development. Sadly, as long as the conflict remains confined to the southernmost provinces, it will remain a low priority for the government, consumed with elite political machinations in Bangkok. And while Southern Thailand remains the single most lethal conflict in Southeast Asia, it remains a low priority for America and its allies in the region.”
Sadly it does appear that Zachary Abuza is correct because this issue is neglected and since 2008 it is clear that this insurgency is growing once more because more attacks and killings have been reported.
Therefore, the war within Islam is continuing because Islamic radicals are killing Muslims and Islamic leaders who are deemed to be infidels because they do not support the ongoing slaughter of innocents. At the same time Buddhists are living in fear and many have been killed in extremely cruel ways and of course many have fled this carnage.
Sunai Phasuk, a political analyst at Human Rights Watch, commented that “Buddhist monks have been hacked to death, clubbed to death, bombed and burned to death.” Therefore, it is clear that this Sunni Islamic insurgency is following a familiar path and this applies to the destruction of all non-Muslim elements within society or the complete dhimmitude of all non-Muslims by the rule of fear.
The ongoing Islamic jihad in Southern Thailand could draw in other regional and global jihadists, and this could have dire consequences because you have Christian-Muslim tensions in parts of Indonesia and the Philippines. Also, if the Thai army is forced to retreat or adopt a containment policy then clearly Islamic jihadists will gain because they will have free areas in order to spread their dangerous ideology and cause further mayhem throughout the region.
At the same time the current Sunni Islamic insurgency hopes to cleanse the region of all Buddhists and to destroy Buddhist temples and architecture in yet another re-run of Afghanistan. Therefore, it is clear that the minority Buddhist community in Southern Thailand needs greater protection from radical Islamists.
If political leaders in Thailand betray the Buddhist minority then the consequences will be severe. Also, this part of Thailand could become yet another museum where Buddhism is eradicated by Islam?
By Lee Jay Walker
www.theseoultimes.com
Source: http://sheikyermami.com/2009/09/06/thai-jihad-islamic-assassins-target-buddhist-civilians-in-thailand/
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US killed Zia with Pak internal power help: Ex-spymaster
6 September 2009
ISLAMABAD: US and "internal powers" were behind the 1988 plane crash that killed General Zia-ul-Haq, who ruled Pakistan from 1978 till his death, a former Pakistani spymaster has claimed.
Imtiaz Ahmed, a former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, said the US collaborated with "internal powers" in Pakistan to assassinate Zia.
Ahmed, who also served in the ISI, has shaken up political parties with revelations of huge payments allegedly made by the Inter-Services Intelligence to strengthen the opposition to former premier Benazir Bhutto in 1990.
"Former army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg also says that Zia's plane crash was not an accident, but sabotage," he told a TV news channel.
Zia came to power after overthrowing the then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977, the third ruler to impose martial law.
He initially ruled as the Chief Martial Law Administrator, but later installed himself as the President of Pakistan in September 1978.
Zia's death in a military plane crash in August 1988 remains shrouded in mystery, which has given rise to several conspiracy theories.
Full Report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/pakistan/US-killed-Zia-with-Pak-internal-power-help-Ex-spymaster/articleshow/4978577.cms
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S African Indian Muslim women come out in support of 'Hijab'
7 September 2009
JOHANNESBURG: Hundreds of Indian Muslim women here have come out in support of Muslim women's right to wear 'Hijab,' a traditional headgear, worldwide.
Over 500 women visitors pledged their support for an international campaign asserting Islamic tradition of wearing Hijab during a live broadcast by the Johannesburg-based radio service Channel Islam International (CII) in the mainly Indian area of Lenasia over the weekend.
Muslims across the world are protesting against a ban on 'Hijab' in France. The CII gave a free scarf to every woman who voiced her support to the campaign.
"Although we are fortunate to have strong constitutional support for the rights of Muslim women in South Africa to wear the Hijab, it is surprising that countries with supposedly far longer democracies are now denying this right to the extent that innocent Muslim women are now coming under attack," CII Director Ashraf Seedat told PTI.
CII has launched a vigorous campaign to promote the headscarf, besides countering negative propaganda against Hijab.
Seedat said the spirit of 'World Hijab Day' was to counter the "Western propaganda" to link Hijab with backwardness, terrorism and the repression of women.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4980295.cms
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Afghan women now face new dangers
7 September 2009
One reason for the widespread public support for the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan was genuine revulsion at the treatment of Afghan women under the Taliban. Shocking videos of women being flogged or executed by firing squads in football stadiums for "adultery" had been smuggled out by campaigners in the late 1990s. Many people assumed that with the disappearance of Mullah Omar and his extremist followers, women would no longer be regarded as lower in status than farm animals, fit only for household drudgery or reproduction.
Girls would be able to go to school, and their mothers or sisters allowed working, or even just enjoying ordinary pleasures such as travelling in a taxi, singing, laughing in public, or venturing out of the home without a male relative or a heavy blue cloak covering every inch. Western leaders were eager too to play up the "liberation of the women" as one of the noble aims of the military engagement in Afghanistan.
Pervez Kambaksh has now benefited from a behind-closed-doors act of clemency from the Afghan president. But the fact that the student must flee in fear of his life because he circulated an article questioning attitudes to women in Islam suggests that the supposed introduction of democracy and eight years of war have delivered scant progress.
True, Afghan women can now work and become MPs, but acid is still thrown in the faces of little girls trying to go to school, violence against women is rampant and the Karzai government recently enacted a law which in effect allows men to demand sex or starve their wives. As Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch put it, Karzai made "an unthinkable deal" because he needed to buy the support of fundamentalists in the 20 August elections.
Full Report at: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/katherine-butler-afghan-women-now-face-new-dangers-1782907.html
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Saudi Arabia: Save the child bride,
Khalaf Al-Harbi | Okaz, klfhrbe@gmail.com
By what reason or logic do we allow a young elementary schoolgirl to marry a man in his 80s? How could this happen without anyone raising a finger? Is it appropriate to publish this news item on the front page while the entire society considers it a personal affair?
Paradoxically, the groom insisted that he was not yet 80! Maybe he is three or four days less than 18. He boasted to the bride’s aunt that his marriage to her niece was not against Islam since it was based on mutual acceptance.
He said he proposed to her elder sister who turned down the offer because she was busy studying. He said the father then offered him her younger sister and allowed him to see her under Shariah law.
What is this? An older sister refuses to marry an old man and so the father willingly presents her younger sister. When the old groom was allowed to look at his would-be child bride, did he not notice any disapproval or sign of rejection on her face?
How do you expect a child to react? Who will tell us the difference between paternity and selling vegetables on the streets?
Before reading about this sad story, I was willing to believe that some foreign human rights organizations were targeting us. But after coming across this story, I thanked God that I was not a member of a human rights organization because I would definitely have targeted us.
I would have thrown away the Declaration of Human Rights in the wastepaper basket, torn off my clothes and gone into the street like Tarzan — it seems the world has turned into a jungle in which a father is willing to offer his child to a man in his 80s. It is totally disheartening that society is looking at this tragedy as a personal affair and questioning how they can object when the father has given his consent?
This marriage is a gross violation of international human rights agreements pertaining to children of which the Kingdom is a signatory. Moreover, the special committee formed by the Ministry of Health to study the phenomenon of marriages involving underage girls has resolved that such marriages cause deep health, psychological and social harms.
Islam, being a religion of humanity and providence, will not accept these harms. So how can we accept a father and an old groom stabbing our religion and society claiming, “she is his daughter and he is free to do whatever he wants with her?” Source: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=13§ion=0&article=126141&d=7&m=9&y=2009
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Osama introduced Nawaz Sharif to Saudi royals: ex-ISI officer
6 September 2009
LAHORE: Osama bin Laden introduced Nawaz Sharif to the Saudi royal family in the late 1980s and during a meeting the former Premier had asked the
Al Qaida chief to provide employment to Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, former ISI officer Khalid Khwaja claimed on Sunday.
Khwaja, who was close to Sharif in the late 1980s and early1990s, made the claim in an interview.
"During his first visit to Saudi Arabia as Chief Minister of Punjab in the late 1980s, no one from the royal family had given Sharif importance," he said.
"Thereafter, on Sharif's request, Osama bin Laden introduced him to the royal family and that helped him in getting closer to the Saudis," said Khwaja, who was a squadron leader in the Pakistan Air Force before joining the ISI in 1985.
"A close aide of Sharif family and I arranged at least five meetings between Sharif and bin Laden in Saudi Arabia.
"During a meeting with bin Laden as Prime Minister in the 1990s Sharif asked him to provide employment to Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia and undertake development projects in Pakistan," said Khwaja, who was dismissed from service by late military ruler Gen Zia-ul-Haq in 1988 for reportedly writing a letter in which he disagreed with Zia on certain policies.
Full Report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4978856.cms
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Texas: Mosque opens doors and minds to the real Islam
By: Karina Kling, Sept 6, 2009
Talking religion can be a tricky and often controversial topic, but one group of Muslims wants to talk about it, and as such, alleviate false perceptions and advance understanding about the Islamic faith.
You may have passed by the Nueces Mosque on the UT campus, seen people entering for prayer or wondered why women wear those veils.
"its prime time we came out and let people know what the Muslim community is about," Sobia Lodhi, the non-Muslim outreach director, said.
For the first time in 30 years, members of the Mosque opened their doors in hopes of educating others.
"We want them to be educated, and once they are educated, I don't think anyone will be ignorant," Lodhi said.
During the holy month of Ramadan, and just days away from Sept. 11, Lodhi said she put this project together so people could come and learn what Islam says about terrorism and clear up misconceptions about the term 'jihad'.
"The term 'jihad' means struggle. It in no way means killing people or committing suicide," she said. Lodhi said part of that struggle is demonstrated through a month of fasting.
"It balances your life out, we're quitting something and it cleanses your body. It purifies it," she said.
Members of the Mosque said all are welcome in their worship, a lesson learned by non-Muslims who came out to clear up some of their own questions.
"I just want to become more open-minded and learn more about my brothers and sisters in the community," Emily Macrander, a UT student, said.
Holy day is on Fridays and all are invited to come and pray at the Mosque.
Source: http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=251658
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‘Communal’ Modi spent more on Muslim welfare
By Akhilesh Suman, Sept 7, 2009
Gujarat has given more money to Muslims under Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities in comparison to States like Uttar Pradesh which houses India’s largest Muslim population and where minority appeasement has remained the main electoral planks for main political stakeholders.
Data collected by the National Minority Finance development Corporation (NMDFC) shows startling discrepancy among the States in providing incentives to Muslims. While Kerala tops the list, Bihar and West Bengal too are not far behind. But both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati who compete for Muslim votes and claim to be the champions of their cause have not made any mark on this plank.
Under one of the main heads of the PM’s programme, the NMDFC was supposed to provide financial assistance to people belonging to minority communities, especially Muslims.
While the administrative control of the NMDFC lies with the Ministry of Minority Affairs at the Centre, money is disbursed at the State level through agencies nominated by the respective State Governments. These Agencies provide micro-credit through NGOs and also extend educational loans for pursuing technical and professional courses.
Sources in the Government told The Pioneer that the PMO has been keeping a close watch on the programme unveiled by Prime Minister Manmohan who had created a major controversy by announcing that minorities enjoyed the ‘first right on resources’.
Full Report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/200856/%E2%80%98Communal%E2%80%99-Modi-spent-more-on-Muslim-welfare.html
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At least 123 militants killed in Pak tribal belt clashes
September 06, 2009
At least 123 militants have been killed and over 50 injured in fresh anti-terror operations launched by Pakistani security forces to flush out Taliban fighters from their hideouts in lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistani security forces killed three militants in a gun battle in the restive Malakand division in the country’s northwest while nine militants and a 10-year-old boy trained by the Taliban voluntarily surrendered, officials said on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off regarding the presence of militants near Alpurai in Swat valley, troops conducted a cordon and search operation in the area. During a subsequent exchange of fire, the security forces killed three militants and apprehended two more.
A 10-year-old boy, who was trained by the militants, voluntarily surrendered to security forces at Nagwa, the military said in a statement. Nine militants surrendered to security forces at Bilogram, Odigram, Hazara, Guljaba and Peochar.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/pakistan/At-least-123-militants-killed-in-Pak-tribal-belt-clashes/Article1-451008.aspx
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90 arrested in Birmingham (England) anti-Islam rally
06 Sep 2009
Police have arrested 90 people after racially-charged anti-Islam demonstration in the city of Birmingham, central England, turned violent.
The unrest broke out when supporters of an English nationalist group, the English Defence League, encountered anti-fascist activists during a rally on Saturday opposing expansion of Islamic ideas in Britain, West Midlands police said Sunday.
About 200 people were involved in the clashes with both sides throwing projectiles and running from riot police, prompting authorities to arrest 90 people, all under 40 years of age, on suspicion of criminal damage and violent disorder.
It was not immediately clear how many of the 200 belonged to each side, as the youths had their faces covered in most of the television footage of the incident in the city's downtown area.
Clashes also erupted last month at a similar demonstration in Birmingham, a diverse city of about 1 million where nearly a third of the population is non-white.
The English Defence League, which denies racism charge, blames counter-demonstrators for inciting violence at its rallies. It has planned protest marches in other cities, including one next month in Manchester.
Source:http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=105488§ionid=351020601
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DUBAI — Quran Award
Gains Global
Importance
By Ahmed Shaaban, 7 September 2009
DUBAI — The Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) has become one of the most important Quran Awards across the world, according to Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazina, Deputy Commander-in-chief of the Dubai Police.
“The Dubai Police is one of the main departments sponsoring the activities of the DIHQA from its early sessions,” Al Mazina said. “The award pays attention to all memorisers of the Holy Quran all over the world. It also honours an Islamic personality every year, let alone other Quran institutions,” he added.
The global popularity of the Holy Quran Award, said Al Mazina, was basically due to the sincere and close care and attention given to the Award by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Full Report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2009/September/theuae_September148.xml§ion=theuae&col=
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Green God and green Islam!
by mostafa ghanbari, 06-Sep-2009
My dear compatriots, do not get me wrong, I am not against the new movement which claims of being fully green and honest. On the contrary, I believe in them and their abilities in creating a new era of new challenges over the lost democracy and skewed justice in our country; but my point is the transparency of their attitudes. Are their thoughts and philosophies transparent enough to convince the common sense and assure the appropriate future outcomes of their efforts? What are their true definitions for the GREEN GOD AND GREEN ISLAM? Have our hindering problems during the past three decades, been just the colour of God and Islam??
Let me be honest with you my dear and highly civilized compatriots, that I have not been able to get the main message within the new philosophy of the GREEN GOD AND GREEN ISLAM! As the designers, the architects of this new thought and philosophy, (who are significant and outstanding figures and well- known for all of us) have not been duly clear and understandable in with their definitions of their main aims. Is religion separate from politics or not??? Are they going to sleep in different rooms or not? These are the most definitive questions which must be necessarily answered and made understandable to non-specialists, before going any further with the whole idea; but it is obvious that the architects of this new movement are not so willing to use a simple language in their explanations about their main aims.
Full Report at: http://www.iranian.com/main/node/79680
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Top 'terror suspect' freed in UK: Report
7 September 2009
LONDON: The British government has released a man it considers a top dangerous terrorist suspect from virtual house arrest, possibly to avoid disclosing secret evidence against him, a report said on Monday.
The unnamed man has been closely monitored and his movements severely restricted since 2006 because of his alleged links with Islamic terrorists, although he has never been charged, the Times said.
His control order, which confines him to his home for 16 hours a day, was revoked last week and his electronic monitoring tag removed, despite government claims that he remains a threat, the newspaper said.
The man, who has dual Libyan and British nationality, and is known only as AF, was one of three suspects who won a landmark legal ruling in July that their control order was illegal.
The law lords ruled that the suspects had been denied a fair hearing prior to detention because they had not been given details of the cases against them.
The ruling opened the way for up to 20 men held under control orders to challenge their detention and to seek to know the cases against them.
Full Report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/world/uk/Top-terror-suspect-freed-in-UK-Report/articleshow/4980412.cms
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Underground Cinema in Iran
by Sayeh Hassan, 06-Sep-2009
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with the renowned film maker Mr. Moslem Mansouri, and speak to him about “underground cinema” in Iran. Mr. Mansouri is one of the founders of underground cinema in Iran which started taking shape in 1996.
Underground cinema was created in response to the severe censorship imposed on Iranian artists by the Islamic Regime in Iran. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is in charge of regulating and in reality censoring art in Iran. Film makers must first submit the transcript of their proposed film to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for approval. If approval is granted they may start making the film, however once the film is completed it must once again be sub mitted to the Ministry to be approved for screening.
According to Mr. Mansouri, there are currently two categories of film makers in Iran.
1. A group of film makers who agree with the Islamic Regime’s politics and policies ad who make their films in support and furtherance of these policies. In return the Islamic Regime is very supportive of these film makers. With the support of the Regime the films of these film makers are screened internationally which leads to great success for these film makers.
2. A group of film makers who refuse to work within the frame work of the Islmaic Regime. Even though these film makers may not actively be against the Regime, they refuse to further the Islamic Regime’s agenda by producing films within their policies and rules. It is extremely difficult for these film makers to make films or be recognized internationally, since they are not given any government support. Some of these film makers are Mr. Bahram Behzayi and Mr. Yaser Taghvayi. It might take these film makers 10-15 years to make one film, whereas film makers who work within the frame work of the Islamic Regime can make films much more frequently.
Mr. Mansouri went on to tell me about how along with a number of friends including Ms. Lila Ghobadi he decided to start an underground cinema in 1996. He made six films from 1996 to 1998 which became the basis for underground cinema in Iran. These films included “Trial” and “Epitaph” which is about prostitution in Iran.
Full Interview at: http://iranian.com/main/blog/sayeh-hassan/underground-cinema-iran
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Eid shopping picks up in Peshawar
By Ali Hazrat Bacha, 07 Sep, 2009
PESHAWAR, Sept 6: The shopping activities in different bazaars of Peshawar are gaining momentum as Eidul Fitr draws near.
In the past, Saddar Bazaar was considered a hub of shopping where customers of all ages converged from cross the district. People from all the districts of the Frontier province used to come to Saddar for buying various items.
But the situation changed during the last few years when militancy spilled over into the settled districts of the province. The spate of terrorist activities and security measures taken by authorities in Peshawar including road blockades and body search of people forced the consumers to avoid visiting bazaars of the provincial metropolis.
However, a marked improvement in the security situation in the province again provided an opportunity to people to visit famous markets and bazaars of Peshawar for Eid shopping.
Now again the rush of people can be seen in different bazaars especially in the evening and on Sunday. A large number of people are seen buying different items for Eid.
Full Report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/eid-shopping-picks-up-in-peshawar-799
URL of this page: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/divine-connect-belief-god-hardwired/d/1736