Indian Jamaat Islami to launch political party in March
'It is wrong to assume Hindus cannot be terrorists': Congress Leader
Maulana Vastanvi: I am still the VC of Darul Uloom Deoband
Vastanvi Talks Of Gujarat Development Again
Muslims do not want progress at the cost of identity: SIO President
Army’s report says Purohit plotted to kill RSS leader Indresh
‘Pakistan To Have Most Muslims By 2030’
Petition against Arundhati, Geelani withdrawn
Padma Shri Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed – A distinct son of Ambur
Ishrat Jahan encounter was staged, claims Gujarat cop
Deoband V- C says he hasn’t yet resigned
Jamiat Chief: Only Shoora Can Take Final Call
Jamiat Ulama chief clears ‘rumours’ about next Deoband rector
Teachers root for 'efficient' Vastanvi
'Vastanvi will expand Deoband mandate'
SDPI to launch movement for release of innocent Muslims
Fatwa posters in London target British Home Secy
Egypt Unrest Enters Third Day, ElBaradei To Return
At Least 1,000 Held In Egypt Protests
Egypt: Internet down, police counter-terror unit up
Malaysia to retain textbook that upset ethnic Indians
Muslim population growth to outpace non-Muslims: Study
Muslim demographic peak over next 20 years
Middle East needs to curtail brain drain: Haya Asma Ali Zain
4 dead in central Nigeria in religious violence
52 Muslims among 755 honoured with Police Medals
IAS K M Raziuddin of Hyderabad passes away
Justice Sachar advocates uplift of backward Muslims
American staffer kills three Pakistanis in “self-defence”
Conspiracy to close the minority cell of National Institute of Open Schooling
Sweet message: BSF celebrate with Pakistani Rangers
Tailor and Social Activist Muhammad Ahmed honoured for peace efforts
Forces kill 12 terrorists in Mohmand
Six die in Kabul supermarket blast
Two Nato tankers torched in Bolan
Terrorists blow up school in SWA
Pak gets ‘facilitator’ role in Afghan peace talks with Taliban: Report
M.J. Akbar's book about Pakistan on top again
Ugandan gay rights activist killed
Slackistan Banned In Pakistan
Will reward whistle-blowers: Azad
Tunisia purges government, wins union endorsement
Women as Panchayat’s leaders: The real picture
Space for civil society being contracted in India: UN expert on human rights
BSF shot dead teenagers trying to exfilterate to Pakistan
Spy Game: US, Pak tangle gets messy, bloody
Malaysian men hire themselves out as husbands
Bombs kills 2 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad
6 killed, hundreds arrested in Egypt protests
Army chief brands flag- hoisting row a ‘political game’
Moscow blast forces Govt to discuss security in ‘vulnerable’ arrival lounge
Contaminated Yoghurt Lands Yunus In Dock
Flood Hit Pak Hungry
Egypt blocks Twitter
Darfur peacekeepers in standoff with Sudan army: UN
100 educated youths working as slaves in Malaysia sweat farm
Samjhauta blasts: Hearing deferred till Feb 8
Qaeda leader admits facing pressure from US drones
2 women killed, four kidnapped in Dera Murad Jamali
Iran wants to cooperate in education
Prime suspect named in Moscow attack
Bahrain judiciary set to push ahead with coup plot trial
Israeli troops avoid jail in Palestinian shooting
3 Palestinians arrested in murder of US tourist
Protests in Tunisia, foreign minister resigns
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/indian-jamaat-islami-launch-political/d/4019
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Jamaat Islami to lauch political party in March
New Age Islam News Bureau
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: Welfare Party, the political wing of Jamaat Islami will be launched in March this year. Many renowned Muslim personalitiea are being approached though the outlines of the party are not clear yet, according to sources. Dr Qasim Rasool Ilyas who has been made the convenor of the party is holding hectic parleys in this regard. It should be noted that Jamat Islami had decide not to work on political level after the partition but it seems they have reviewed their long held decision and ar working towards establishing a political party. Jamat leader Mujtaba Farooque though says that the party will not be controlled by Jamat Islami and would work independently, it has given its members and activists permission to be a part of the party.
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'It is wrong to assume Hindus cannot be terrorists': Congress Leader
Jan 28 2011
New Delhi : A day after Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh commented on the issue of 'Sangh terror', CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury today cited ideologies propounded by freedom fighters V Savarkar and B S Moonje to insist that there was nothing new in the violent strain of Hindutva.
Yechury said there was an urgent need to change the mindset that terrorism is associated with people of only one community, and promised to raise the issue of innocent persons targeted in terror-related investigations in the Parliament.
The CPI-M leader was speaking at a day-long conference organised by civil rights groups Anhad and others for highlighting the plight of people who were targeted by security agencies in the aftermath of terror attacks in which the role of some RSS leaders has cropped up recently.
Yechury said his party will raise the issue in the upcoming Parliament session and will demand investigation into the attacks and of redressal of grievances of those unfairly targeted.
"The partition of India happened because the twin radical strains of both Hindutva and Islam were adamant... But despite the fact that India became a secular republic, attempts are being made to convert it into a Hindutva state," Yechury said.
He said there was a history of militant ideology within the RSS and it is wrong to assume that violent tendencies have developed only recently as a reaction to certain provocations.
"The violent strain in Hindutva is very old. The two-nation theory as reminded to us by Digvijay Singh was propounded by Savarkar, who also spoke about militarising Hindu 'dharma' and 'Hinduising' all politics," he said at the conference which was also attended by the Congress leader.
"There is nothing new about these violent tendencies and it is not that such tendencies have developed out of provocation of recent situations... It is wrong to assume that Hindus cannot be terrorists," he said.
Yechury said in the light of history it is important to be careful and to make sure that a particular community is not stigmatised and that terrorism is not encouraged by targeting innocent youth after every terror incident.
Besides Savarkar, Yechury also cited ideology of B S Moonje who is considered a mentor to RSS founder K B Hedgewar.
Yechury pointed out that Moonje had noted in his diary that he wanted to meet Italian dictator Mussolini, and that after meeting him he established the Central Hindu Military Education Society in 1935.
"This was the place where people like Col Shrikant Purohit took training," Yechury said.
Yechury said there should be "zero tolerance" against terrorism but targeting of innocents is not acceptable.
"The communal violence and rehabilitation law has been in the talk for six years but it is still not ready. It should be brought out quickly," he said.
At the conference, civil society groups raised a number of demands, including that a white paper be released on the number of Muslim youths arrested in the aftermath of recent terror attacks in the country.
The memorandum, to be submitted to the government, also demanded a compensation and rehabilitation package for persons targeted and tortured wrongly in terror cases.
It also demanded that foreign sources of funding of Hindutva organisations be also probed, all police officers involved in torture and illegal detention be suspended and charged, and an apology be issued by the respective state governments to persons who were unfairly targeted in terror cases.
Releasing a book of compilation of testimonies of persons picked up and tortured in terror cases in which the role of RSS was later cropped up, activist Shabnum Hashmi said, "These people can be picked up any time again... There is an infiltration of RSS in every government departments...these random arrests have been made not only in BJP-ruled states but also in the states governed by secular governments."
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/it-is-wrong-to-assume-hindus-cannot-be-terrorists/743207/
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Maulana Vastanvi:I am still the VC of Darul Uloom Deoband
New Age Islam News Bureau
Jan 28, 2011
Vadodra: Maulana Vastanvi who kicked off a controversy by making statements in praise of Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi today yesterday said that he had not yet resigned from the post of the VC of Darul Uloom Deoband and the final decision in this matter would be taken by the Islamic seminary on Feb 23 when the ulema from all over the county would assemble. I will present my case before them and they will decide my fate. He said that he would continue as the VC of the Darul Uloom till Feb 23. The students of Deoband are opposing him on the basis of his statement in which he had said that Muslims should Gujarat riots and move on. Maulana Wastanvi who belongs to the Gujarat, said that he did not give a clean chit to Modi. My statement was either misunderstood or media distorted it.
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Vastanvi Talks Of Gujarat Development Again
Jan 28, 2011
Amita Verma
Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, the vice-chancellor of Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, has said that development was palpable in Gujarat.
The cleric, however, said that this did not mean that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi could be given a clean chit on the victimisation of Muslims during the Godhra riots.
Talking to reporters in Muzaffarnagar on Thursday, the maulana, who has offered to resign following the controversy over his statements on Gujarat, said, “The people of Gujarat agree on the fact that development is happening in the state and everyone whether a Hindu or a Muslim is benefiting.” The maulana reiterated that his statements on Gujarat were misreported by a section of the media that led to a controversy on the issue and protests by students in the seminary.
However, the deputy vice-chancellor of the seminary, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi, told a news agency that a decision on the resignation issue will be taken on February 23 by its managing committee.
“If his resignation is accepted, a new name for the post will be considered by the committee the same day,” he said.
Meanwhile, the cleric’s decision to quit his post has been termed as unfortunate by several clerics who expected him to make positive changes in the 200-year-old institution.
UP Samajwadi Party secretary Maviya Ali has urged the management committee of Deoband to reject Maulana Vastanvi’s resignation. “It is unfortunate that Vastanvi is not being allowed to work in an institution which could have benefited from his experience and his vision. His approach to certain issues is progressive and he is being made to pay the price for this,” he said.
Mr Vastanvi was elected vice-chancellor on January 10, has been facing protests from students at the seminary after he had said that Muslims should now forget the communal agenda of 2002 and move on where Gujarat was concerned.
http://www.asianage.com/india/maulana-talks-gujarat-development-again-482
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Muslims do not want progress at the cost of identity: SIO President
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: “Muslims want development and progress but not at the cost of their ideological and religious identity. In Gujarat, Muslims still feel anxious about their identity” said Mohammad Azharuddin, National President of Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO), when his view was sought on the stormy statement of Deoband Rector Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi that there is no discrimination against Muslims in development matter in the state.
Mr. Azharuddin was addressing a press conference today at Press Club of India, New Delhi. The conference was called to highlight the SIO agenda for campuses.
R-L: Saikh Shoib, MD. Azharuddin, Shariq Ansar and MD. Asif Ali
“Our campuses should be the mirror image of a peaceful society. Therefore, we should struggle to maintain the peace and tranquility at the campuses. If anything goes wrong, we must object and protest against it but peacefully and sensibly” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/muslims_do_not_want_progress_cost_identity_sio_
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Army’s report says Purohit plotted to kill RSS leader Indresh
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi : A Military Intelligence report of the Army on disgraced officer Lt Colonel Prasad Srikant Purohit — now in jail for his alleged role in the Malegaon 2008 blast and links with Hindu extremists — reveals that his organisation, Abhinav Bharat, had plotted to kill senior RSS leader Indresh.
Its reason: Indresh, Purohit suspected, was the “mole of the ISI” (Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence) in the Sangh Parivar and had received fake Indian currency to the tune of Rs 21 crore from the Pak agency.
Indresh’s name also figures in statements made by some of the accused in a string of terror attacks on Muslim targets, including Malegaon, Mecca Masjid and the Samjhauta Express. Indresh has denied any role and said the government has been playing politics with the investigation.
The plot to kill Indresh was revealed by Purohit in his interrogation in connection with the September 29, 2008 Malegaon blast, according to the MI report which has been obtained by The Indian Express.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/armys-report-says-purohit-plotted-to-kill-rss-leader-
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‘Pakistan To Have Most Muslims By 2030’
Jan 28, 2011
Shafqat Ali
Pakistan will overtake Indonesia as the world’s most numerous Muslim nation by 2030 while the Muslim minority in mostly Hindu India will retain its global rank as the third largest Muslim population, suggests a report.
According to the new study, falling birth rates will slow the world’s Muslim population growth over the next two decades, reducing it on average from 2.2 per cent a year in 1990-2010 to 1.5 per cent annually from now until 2030.
The US-based Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life says Muslims will number 2.2 billion by 2030 compared to 1.6 billion in 2010, making up 26.4 per cent of the world’s population compared to 23.4 per cent now, according to estimates.
The report did not publish figures for worldwide populations of other major religions, but said the Pew Forum planned similar reports on growth prospects for worldwide Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/%E2%80%98pakistan-have-most-muslims-
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Petition against Arundhati, Geelani withdrawn
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: A petition seeking action against hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, writer Arundhati Roy and four others for allegedly making anti-India speeches last year was withdrawn from the Delhi High Court Thursday after Delhi Police told the court that a police complaint has already been lodged.
"Now, the petition becomes infructuous," Justice Mukta Gupta said, taking note of the police submission that a first information report (FIR) into the case has already been lodged and a probe was going on.
Following the court order, Salek Chand Jain, who had filed the plea through advocate Sugriva Dube, withdrew the plea for prosecution of the Hurriyat leader, Roy and others for their alleged anti-India speeches at the convention on "Azadi: The Only Way" here in October last year.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/petition_against_arundhati_geelani_withdrawn.html?
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Padma Shri Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed – A distinct son of Ambur
Jan 28, 2011
By Shafee Ahmed Ko
Chennai: Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed of Ambur in Tamil Nadu is among the recipients of Padma Shri Award 2011 from President of India. “I am happy my country honors me, and I am indebted to all those who made the industry successful, that belongs to everyone and to our country as whole,” the uncrowned king of leather industry of Ambur told TwoCircles.net after the announcement of the Padma Awards 2011.
Mecca Babu and Farida Babu are the synonyms of Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed. He is a recipient of the 2011 Padma Shri Award, India's fourth highest civilian honor. Mecca is the surname and Babu made Ambur “Mecca of Leather Trade.” Out of 84 Padma Shri awardees this year, 8 are Muslims. Two from the community have won Padma Vibhushan and two others Padma Bhushan.
L-R: P.Murari (Advisor FICCI) K.S.Sundaram(VC,SIRC,ICAI) Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed(FCCI-TNSC)
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/padma_shri_mecca_rafeeque_ahmed_%E2%80%93_
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Ishrat Jahan encounter was staged, claims Gujarat cop
Jan 28, 2011
AHMEDABAD: There has been a twist in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.
Ahmedabad joint commissioner of police Satish Verma has claimed that the encounter of Ishrat Jahan was staged. Satish Verma has filed an affidavit in Gujarat high court.
The senior police officer also said that the members of the Special Investigation Team were not cooperatiing in the probe.
Satish Verma has accused a Delhi cop of trying to divert the case.
The Gujarat high court has asked the Narendra Modi government to respond to the claims of the senior cop.
Ishrat Jahan was killed in an enounter on June 15, 2004.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ishrat-Jahan-encounter-was-staged-claims-
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Deoband V- C says he hasn’t yet resigned
By Kapil Dave
Jan 28, 2011
MAULANA Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi, the vice-chancellor (V-C) of Dar-ul Uloom Deoband who is in the eye of a storm, on Thursday said he had not resigned as yet.
He said a final decision in the matter would be taken by the governing council of the Islamic seminary next month. “I have not yet resigned. A meeting of the Majlis-e-Shoora (supreme council) will be held on February 23, in which scholars from all over the country will come. I will present my case and they will decide whether I should continue or not. I will continue to be the vice-chancellor of Dar-ul Uloom till February 23,” Vastanvi said in Vadodara.
Vastanvi, who was elected V-C on January 10, has been facing protests from a section of students and faculty at the seminary after he reportedly said that Muslims should forget the Gujarat riots of 2002 and move on and that the community did not face discrimination in the state. All communities, including Muslims, were progressing during the rule of Narendra Modi, he said.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Jamiat Chief: Only Shoora Can Take Final Call
Jan 28, 2011
On a day when the head of the influential Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana Gulam Mohammed Vastanvi said that he hasn’t resigned from his post as yet, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Qari Mohammed Usman Mansoorpuri said that it was up to Darul Uloom’s Majlis-e-shoora (governing council) to accept Maulana Vastanvi’s resignation or maintain status quo.
Maulana Mansoorpuri was forced to issue a statement here on Thursday in the wake of swirling rumours that he has quit as the JUH president and has been appointed the new rector of Darul Uloom. He said, “Only majlis-e-shoora of the seminary is authorised and responsible for appointing any mohtamim.” He also said that the on-going row is “painful” for him.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/india/jamiat-chief-only-shoora-can-take-final-call-481
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Jamiat Ulama chief clears ‘rumors’ about next Deoband rector
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: After the resignation offer of controversial rector of Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi, on Tuesday evening, speculations about new rector are rife in the circles close to the seminary. However, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind president Maulana Qari Mohammad Usman Mansoorpuri has termed it baseless that he has resigned from the Jamiat post and going to replace Maulana Vastanvi.
Maulana Mansoorpuri also termed it mere rumor that Maulana Arshad Madani is going to take his place as the president of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind.
In a press statement this evening, Jamiat chief Mansoorpuri said: “Rumors are being spread by some persons around the country that I have quit as president of Jamiat Ulama-i- Hind and Maulana Arshad Madani has been replaced. I strongly refute this rumor and declare it baseless.”
While welcoming any compromise move between the two factions of Jamiat (one led by Mahmood Madani and another by his uncle Arshad Madani), he said some are linking it to the ongoing row at Deoband.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/jamiat_ulama_chief_clears_%E2%80%98rumors%E2
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Teachers root for 'efficient' Vastanvi
Jan 28, 2011
NEW DELHI: Controversy notwithstanding, teachers at the 150-year-old Deoband seminary are backing Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi as they hope he has the wherewithal to not just bring in more funds but also give students a better quality of life.
But change – if it means modernization of curriculum that most had expected of the MBA Mohtamim – is still a bad word for many at the seminary.
Pro vice-chancellor Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi is the only man willing to openly come out in support of the embattled Vastanvi.
"I have known him for 10 years. He is broad-minded, efficient... He would have made better facilities available to students, brought in more funds," says Madrasi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Teachers-root-for-efficient-Vastanvi
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'Vastanvi will expand Deoband mandate'
Nandita Sengupta
Jan 28, 2011
NEW DELHI: Criticizing the politics of self-styled leaders of Muslims at Deoband, members of the community voiced their deep disappointment over the reported quitting of Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi as vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband. Now that Vastanvi has part-apologized and part-denied his pro-Modi statement, there is hope that the rector may continue to head the 145-year-old institution.
However unfortunate his Modi remark, Vastanvi can only benefit the pre-eminent seminary is the mainstream Muslim belief. "Social indicators of Muslims in UP and Bihar show they are worse off than in other states. Their leaders have failed. It's these self-appointed leaders who felt threatened by Vastanvi's focus on modern education," said Aijaz Ilmi of Urdu daily 'Siyasat Jadid'. Building on that, Abdul Khaliq, chairman of the Awadh Public Trust, adds, "Vastanvi has the credentials. He's a well-meaning man of vision. He can introduce a curriculum more relevant to Muslim youth."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Vastanvi-will-expand-Deoband-mandate
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SDPI to launch movement for release of innocent Muslims
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) will launch a concerted campaign from 20th Feb. 2011 for the release of innocent Muslim youths who have been put behind bars on false charges of terrorism.
It is alarming that innocent people are retained in jail even after the actual culprits are brought into light, said SDPI general secretary Mr. A. Sayeed. He informed that the SDPI has decided to file a PIL directly or through some human rights organization for release of the innocent youths implicated in false cases of bomb blasts in the country.
The SDPI campaign will also highlight the party agenda to uplift marginalized classes of people i.e. Minorities, Dalits and Other Backward Castes, so as to ensure their share in power, he informed.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/sdpi_launch_movement_release_innocent_muslims.
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Fatwa posters in London target British Home Secy
January 28, 2011
The police are investigating posters appearing in south London notifying a fatwa against British home secretary Theresa May.
The posters, reportedly pasted in the Tooting area on Wednesday, said the fatwa had been issued in protest against "the abduction, kidnapping and false imprisonment" of Muslim clerics by the British Government.
The posters appeared at the same time as home secretary May announced in Parliament on Wednesday a reform of control orders for terrorism suspects that has been attacked for retaining controversial overnight curfews and electronic tags for terror suspects.
A link on the posters directs people to a website, Theresamayfatwa.com, which states: "The current reality of Muslims living in Britain has unfortunately become very bleak; what was initially perceived by some, to be a malicious smear campaign against the Muslim community has now turned into something far more sinister."
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/313516/Fatwa-posters-in-London-target-British-Home-
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Egypt Unrest Enters Third Day, ElBaradei To Return
Jan 28, 2011
Jan. 27: The Egyptian police fought protesters in two cities in eastern Egypt on Thursday and prominent reform campaigner Moham-ed ElBaradei headed back to the country to join demonstrators trying to oust President Hosni Mubarak.
The police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and teargas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to Mr Mubarak’s 30 year-old-rule, a witness said.
Across the eastern city of Ismailia, hundreds of protesters clashed with the police, who dispersed the crowds with teargas. Mr ElBaradei told Reuters before he left Vienna for Egypt to join in demonstrations that it was time for Mr Mubarak to step aside.
“He has served the country for 30 years and it is about time for him to retire,” Mr ElBaradei, the Nobel-winning former head of the UN nuclear agency, said. “Tomorrow is going to be, I think, a major demonstration all over Egypt and I will be there with them.” Mr ElBaradei’s arrival could spur protesters who have no figurehead, although many activists resent his absences in recent months.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/egypt-unrest-enters-third-day-elbaradei-return-434
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At Least 1,000 Held In Egypt Protests
Jan 28, 2011
Cairo: At least 1,000 people have been detained in Egypt since Tuesday, in the most serious protests of President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-rule, a security official said on Thursday, as activists vowed to continue rallying.
"At least 1,000 people have been detained around the country since the demonstrations started," on Tuesday, the official told AFP.
Security was out in force in downtown Cairo after two days of unprecedented anti-government protests left six dead and scores injured.
The pro-democracy April 6 Movement, the driving force behind the rallies, has called on Egyptians to keep going.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/least-1000-held-egypt-protests-391
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Egypt: Internet down, police counterterror unit up
Jan 28, 2011
CAIRO: Internet service in Egypt was disrupted and the government deployed an elite special operations force in Cairo on Friday, hours before an anticipated new wave of anti-government protests.
The developments were a sign that President Hosni Mubarak's regime was toughening its crackdown following the biggest protests in years against his nearly 30-year rule.
The counter-terror force, rarely seen on the streets, took up positions in strategic locations, including central Tahrir Square, site of the biggest demonstrations this week.
Facebook and Twitter have helped drive this week's protests. But by Thursday evening, those sites were disrupted, along with cell phone text messaging and BlackBerry Messenger services. Then the Internet went down.
Earlier, the grass-roots movement got a double boost _ the return of Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and the backing of the biggest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-Internet-down-police-
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Malaysia to retain textbook that upset ethnic Indians
Jan 28, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR: Ethnic Indian activists in Malaysia have decried a government decision to retain a high school textbook that refers to the Hindu caste system.
The dispute has aggravated many among Malaysia's ethnic Indian minority who complain that authorities in this mostly Malay Muslim country fail to respect their sensitivities.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said late Thursday that a special panel will propose amendments that can be made to the book before it eventually becomes compulsory for high school literature classes.
Mohan Shan, president of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam organization, said the book should be withdrawn entirely because it allegedly portrays ethnic Indians as coming from inferior communities.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Malaysia-to-retain-textbook-that-
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Muslim population growth to outpace non-Muslims: Study
Jan 28 2011
Pakistan : Pakistan may surpass Indonesia as the world's most populous Muslim nation while the Indian Muslims' number is estimated to cross 23.6 crore in 2030, as the community's population worldwide is expected to grow about twice the rate of non-Muslims in the next two decades, says a study.
In the next two decades, the Muslim population globally is expected to grow about twice the rate of the non-Muslims, the study, 'The Future of the Global Muslim Population', released yesterday said.
If current trends continue, Muslims will make up 26.4 per cent of the world's total projected population of 8.3 billion in 2030, up from 23.4 per cent of the estimated 2010 world population of 6.9 billion, said the report.
According to the report released by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, India is projected to have a Muslim population of 23,6182,000 in 2030; which would be nearly 16 per cent of the then Indian population.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/muslim-population-growth-to-outpace-nonmuslims-
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Muslim demographic peak over next 20 years
Michelle Boorstein
Jan 28, 2011
The world's Muslim population will grow at double the rate of nonMuslims over the next 20 years, according to a broad new demographic analysis that is likely to spark controversy in the West.
The Future of the Global Muslim Population may be the first to attempt to map the Muslim population of most of the world's countries. The analysis was conducted by two giant nonprofit groups interested in religion: the Pew Research Center and the John Templeton Foundation. This is part of a larger project to map the population of all the world's religions.
AMONG ITS OTHER PROJECTIONS: Muslim populations in some parts of Europe will reach the double digits, with France and Belgium at 10.3 percent by 2030.
Pakistan will overtake Indonesia as the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Muslim population growth and fertility rates will continue to decline.
India will remain home to the world's third largest Muslim population.
The number of US Muslims will more than double, from 2.6 million in 2010 to 6.2 million in 2030.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
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Middle East needs to curtail brain drain: Haya Asma Ali Zain
28 January 2011
Healthcare leaders have been urged to develop strategies to stop ‘brain drain’ in the medical field from the Middle East.
On the final day of the Arab Health exhibition, Princess Haya bint Hussein, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, urged leaders to devise strategies to retain talent.
“Like all developing countries, the Middle East too is facing a brain drain. We need to devise effective strategies to retain talent,” she said while delivering the keynote address at the Leaders in Healthcare conference on Thursday.
She also said that though healthcare affordability was considered a luxury in the Gulf region, it was far from the case. “Expenditure on healthcare in the region is lower but there is a clear warning on the horizon,” she said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/January/theuae
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4 dead in central Nigeria in religious violence
Jan 28, 2011
BAUCHI, Nigeria: A fight over a game of billiards disintegrated into religious violence in northern Nigeria, leaving at least four people dead among the smoldering ruins of churches and mosques, authorities said Thursday.
The attack in the town of Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi state came the same day police said members of a radical Muslim sect killed a police officer guarding a voter registration site in northeast Nigeria. The attack showed the continuing ability of members of the Boko Haram sect to kill at will despite a military and police crackdown, leaving a state police commissioner to admit he cannot guarantee the safety of election officials.
The violence also comes ahead of April elections that many worry could ignite simmering ethnic and religious tensions in a country that became a democracy only a decade ago.
In Tafawa Balewa, the home of Nigeria’s assassinated first prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the violence started Wednesday night, said Borno state police Muhammed Indabawa.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article244464.ece
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52 Muslims among 755 honored with Police Medals
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: There are 52 Muslims among 755 police personnel to have been awarded with Police Medals by President of India on this Republic Day. The police medals have been given in four categories: President’s Police Medals for Gallantry; Police Medals for Gallantry; President’s Police Medals for Distinguished Service; Police Medals for Meritorious Service.
Muslim police personnel have made their presence in all categories except the first one -- President’s Police Medals for Gallantry. This year President’s Police Medals for Gallantry have been given to 11 police personnel.
Police Medals for Gallantry were given to 129 personnel – 18 are Muslims. President’s Police Medals for Distinguished Service have been awarded to 82 –only 2 of them are Muslims. Police Medals for Meritorious Service have been awarded to 533 personnel – 32 are Muslims. Below is the list of honored Muslim police personnel.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/52_muslims_among_755_honored_police_medals.
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IAS K M Raziuddin of Hyderabad passes away
Jan 28, 2011
Hyderabad: IAS officer K M Raziuddin, son of K M Arifuddin, head of Madina Group of Institutes (Hyderabad) died of heart attack near Bangalore at 11.00 pm on 25th Jan. 2011. He was 40-year-old Indian Civil Service cadre from Hyderabad. He was serving as Deputy Commissioner Customs Central Excise, Bangalore.
According to local Urdu daily Etemaad, Raziuddin was returning to Bangalore after attending a conference of customs and central excise in Chennai. He suffered heart attack near Kanchipuram. He was rushed to the hospital but breathed his last on the way.
His body has been brought to Hyderabad. The funeral prayer is being offered today (27th Jan) after Noon Prayer (Zohar) at Shahi Masjid, Bagh-e-Aamma. He will be buried in the graveyard near Masjid Chiyonti Shah in Usmanpura area.
He is survived by wife, a son and a daughter.
Eminent personalities from the city have visited his home to offer their condolences. They include Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Justice Saadatullah Hussaini, Asif Pasha, former minister, Andhra Pradesh and Burhanuddin Owaisi, Editor-in-Chief, Etemaad daily.
http://www.twocircles.net/node/236862?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&
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Justice Sachar advocates upliftment of backward Muslims
Jan 28, 2011
Lucknow: The backward section of Muslims received a shot in the arm with Justice Rajinder Sachar advocating for their upliftment on Thursday. Justice Sachar was in Lucknow to attend 'Pasmanda Jagao- Desh Bachao' conference organised by All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz.
Addressing the audience, he said that in the present time, condition of the backward Muslims is pathetic and there is a need to look after them. Regarding the blockades in the development of backward Muslims he remarked: "When the backward Muslims raised their voices against their backwardness then it is said by many that it is conspiracy to divide Muslims. None has tried to divide Muslims. Backward people of every religion have the right to raise their voice against their backwardness."
While quoting a verse of Holy Quran, he said that God never changes the destiny of that community who never do efforts to change their destiny.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/node/236917?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&
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American staffer kills two Pakistanis in “self-defence”
Anita Joshua
Jan 28, 2011
ISLAMABAD: An American employee of the U.S. consulate in Lahore gunned down two motor-cyclists after they accosted him with guns at a traffic intersection. A pedestrian was killed by another vehicle of the consulate as it sought to rush to the scene on being alerted. According to the police, Raymond David said he had fired in self-defence. Police suspect robbery to be the motive. Also, the Foreign Office was being contacted to ascertain whether diplomatic immunity extended to cases where murder is involved.
http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/28/stories/2011012865252000.htm
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Conspiracy to close the minority cell of National Institute of Open Schooling
New Age Islam News Bureau
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: The Chairman of Muslim Intelligentia forum Dr Anwar Pasha has apprised the government of the conspiracy of the National Isntitute of Open Schooling to close it minority cell. The former Chairman of NIOS, Dinesh Singh Bisht had established the minority cell as an independent cell to felicitate the affiliation of minority institutions so that poor and needy minority students could be brought into the mainstream by giving accreditation of schools and madrasas, Mr Pasha said. Mr Bisht had appoint three Muslim officers in this connection who rendered their services efficiently. He said that with Mr Bisht’s retirement, the minority cell was merged with other departments and the extension of the three officers was kept pending. Mr Pasha has written to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, PM Manmohan Singh, Minister for Human Resources, Kapil Sibal, Minister for Minority Affairs, Salman Khurshid and the Chairman of National Minority Commission apprising them of the development. He has also warned that if the minority cell is not reinstated as an independent cell and the three Muslim officers are not reinstated within three days, they will stage protest alongwith the students of minority institutions at the office of the NIOS.
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Sweet message: BSF celebrate with Pakistani Rangers
Jan 28, 2011
AMRITSAR/GURDASPUR (PUNJAB): Various functions were held in the city to hoist national flag on the occasion of 62nd Republic Day.
In a district-level function held at Guru Nanak Stadium, Cabinet minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon unfurled the national flag. He also distributed tricycles and sewing machines to the needy persons at the end of the function.
At Indo-Pak international border at Attari, the Border Security Force officials shared the celebrations of Republic Day with Pakistani Rangers by giving them sweets, the gesture was also reciprocated from the Pak side.
At Guru Nanak Dev University vice-chancellor AS Brar unfurled the national flag.
Meanwhile, addressing R-Day parade at Gurdaspur rural development and panchayat minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said while more than 5,000 acres of encroached panchayat land has been retrieved from encroachers, the revenue from panchayat land coming to government coffers has increased from Rs 80 crore to Rs 18,076 crore annually.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sweet-message-BSF-celebrate-with-Pakistani-
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Tailor and Social Activist Muhammed Ahmed honored for peace efforts
Jan 28, 2011
Unnao, Uttar Pradesh: For 37-year-old Muhammed Ahmed of Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh, the Republic Day 2011 was not like any other day. In fact, it was a precious one of his life. He was honored by the district police for his valuable peace efforts in the area. The Superintendent of Police acknowledged the contribution of Ahmed, a tailor by profession, in maintaining law and order in the district.
Muhammed Ahmed, son of Abdul Lateef, lives in Mohalla 24-A B Nagar under Kotwali Police Station in Unnao city. He has received the award from Unnao Police for his peace efforts. Father of four, Ahmed has no formal education. He is a social activist and a tailor master by profession.
“Muhammad Ahmed, with his dedication and hard work, did commendable job by helping the local police in controlling crime and maintaining law and order,” said AK Shukla, Superintendent of Police, Unnao, in the citation.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/node/236861?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&
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Forces kill 12 terrorists in Mohmand
Jan 28, 2011
KHAR: At least 12 terrorists, including two suicide bombers, were killed on Thursday in separate incidents in the Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan, officials said. In one incident, Pakistani troops and helicopter gunships killed 10 terrorists in a raid on their hideouts in Mohmand agency. “At least 10 terrorists were killed in an operation by security forces in Inzaree village,” Zakir Hussain Afridi, administration chief of neighbouring Bajaur Agency, whose main town is Khar, said. “Ground troops fired mortars and helicopter gunships pounded terrorist hideouts,” he added. Local security officials confirmed the strike and the terrorist death toll.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\28\story_28-1-2011_pg7_7
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Six die in Kabul supermarket blast
Jan 28, 2011
KABUL: At least six people were killed in an explosion that rocked a grocery store frequented by foreigners in Kabul, police and eyewitnesses said.Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada, chief of counterterrorism at the Ministry of Interior, said both Afghans and foreigners were among the dead in Friday’s blast.He said police were still investigating what caused the blast.The explosion ignited a fire inside the store and mounds of canned goods and other merchandise were strewn across the floor of the smoke-filled building, making it difficult for police officers to walk inside the building.A large plume of gray smoke was seen above the store, which is situated in the heavily guarded Wazir Akbar Khan district, an area favoured by foreigners and wealthy Afghans.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/28/suicide-attack-in-kabul-supermarket.html
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Two Nato tankers torched in Bolan
Jan 28, 2011
QUETTA: Unidentified gunmen on Friday torched two Nato tankers carrying logistics for the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) operating in Afghanistan, in Bolan area, some 20 kilometres from Quetta.According to sources, the Nato vehicles were on route to Afghanistan from Karachi when unknown armed men intercepted the vehicles.They offloaded the people on board, set the tankers alight and started firing at the vehicles.As a result, both containers and were gutted.The assailants managed to escape from the scene.The local administration then reached the site and started a probe into the incident.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/28/two-nato-tankers-torched-in-bolan.html
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Terrorists blow up school in SWA
Jan 28, 2011
TANK: Taliban terrorists on Thursday blew up a higher secondary school in Wana, headquarters of restive South Waziristan Agency, though there was no loss of life, officials said. The higher secondary school in Wana, which is run by the political administration of South Waziristan Agency, was razed when five bombs went off at noon. The explosion was heard several kilometres away. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing. staff report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\28\story_28-1-2011_pg7_8
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Pak gets ‘facilitator’ role in Afghan peace talks with Taliban: Report
Jan 28 2011
Islamabad : Afghanistan has finally assigned a formal role to Pakistan in its peace and reconciliation process - that of a facilitator.
Kabul and Islamabad agreed on Thursday to set up a joint commission for reaching out to the Afghan Taliban.
“Both sides agreed on the creation and operationalisation of a two-tier joint body headed by foreign ministers and deputy foreign minister/foreign secretary to support the peace and reconciliation process,” the Dawn quoted a joint statement at the end of Pak-Afghan foreign ministers’ talks, as saying.
The proceedings were dubbed as ‘preparatory to the new Pakistan-US-Afghanistan trilateral process’, which will be held in Washington next month.
Although Pakistan and Afghanistan had been discussing the possibility of setting up a joint body for reconciliation for the past few weeks following a turnaround in their bilateral ties late last year, it was the US embrace of the reconciliation process in the annual review that really encouraged the two sides to embark on the initiative, the report said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-gets-facilitator-role-in-afghan-peace-talks-with-
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M.J. Akbar's book about Pakistan on top again
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi, Jan 27 - Indian journalist M. J. Akbar's "Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan" and "Tender Hooks" by Pakistani writer Moni Mohsin continue to lead the non-fiction and fiction sections, respectively, of the bestseller list for the second week.
The top 10 in each category this week are:
Non-Fiction
1. "Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan" Author: M. J. Akbar Publisher: Harper Collins Price: Rs. 499.00
2. "India: A Portrait" Author: Patrick French Publisher: Penguin Books Price: Rs. 699.00
3. "Makers of Modern India" Author: Ramachandra Guha Publisher: Penguin/Viking Price: Rs. 799.00
4. "Civil Disobedience" Author: L. C. Jain Publisher: The Book Review Literary Trust Price: Rs. 395.00
5. "The Emperor of All Maladies" Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee Publisher: Fourth Estate Price: Rs. 499.00
Full report at:
http://www.topnews.in/mj-akbars-book-about-pakistan-top-again-2307853
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Ugandan gay rights activist killed
Jan 28, 2011
Nairobi : An outspoken Ugandan gay activist whose picture recently appeared in an anti-gay newspaper under the headline “Hang Them” was beaten to death in his home, Ugandan police said on Thursday.
David Kato was one of the most visible defenders of gay rights in a country so homophobic that government leaders have proposed to execute gay p
eople. Kato and others in Uganda had recently warned that their lives were endangered, and four months ago a local paper, Rolling Stone, published a list of gay people, and Kato’s face was on the front page.
He was attacked in his home Wednesday afternoon and beaten on the head with a hammer, said Judith Nabakooba, a police spokeswoman. But police officials said they don’t believe this was a hate crime.
“It looks like theft, as some things were stolen,” Nabakooba said.
Gay activists disagreed, saying Kato was singled out for his defense of gay rights. “The Ugandan government must take responsibility for David’s blood!” said Val Kalende, chairperson of a gay rights group.JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ugandan-gay-rights-activist-killed/742942/
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Slackistan Banned In Pakistan
Jan 28, 2011
Jan. 27: The censor board in Pakistan has barred the release of Slackistan, London-based Hammad Khan’s independent film about westernised twenty-somethings in Islamabad, media reports said.
The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) has demanded that all references in the film to the Taliban, Osama Bin Laden and “Islamic beards” and related religious attire be edited.
The censors have also objected to the term ‘lesbian’ in a scene apart, from all instances of bad language in English and Urdu uttered by the movie’s characters, The News reported
The characters’ holding and sharing alcoholic drinks in the film — which would suggest alcohol being enjoyed — also have been objected to. The CBFC has also stated that the film would still receive a restrictive adults rating —18+ — despite the cuts, The News reported.
Mr Khan described the censor board’s verdict is oppressive, arbitrary and steeped in denial about life outside their offices. “Maybe the establishment’s view is that young Pakistanis saying words like Taliban and lesbian pose a more potent threat than the bullets and bombs that are finding increasing legitimacy in the country every day,” he told the newspaper.
Slackistan has had successful screenings at festivals in London, Abu Dhabi, New York, San Francisco and Goa. Mara Pictures had released the film in the UK and are handling its Pakistan release.
http://www.asianage.com/international/slackistan-banned-pakistan-432
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Will reward whistle-blowers: Azad
Jan 28, 2011
AN UPCOMING scheme seeks to reward those who give information on oil adulteration, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday.
"I will soon announce a reward scheme for those providing information on food adulteration. I will write to all states on this. There should be no mercy for those involved in food adulteration,"
Azad told The Indian Express.
Sources said the minister had, during a two-day conference in Hyderabad recently, brought up the plan to reward informants on adulteration. Once a nodal authority is entrusted the task of overseeing how the scheme will work, the government will engage advocates experienced in such cases as its counsel.
Azad had earlier announced a reward scheme for those providing information
on spurious, adulterated, misbranded and sub-standard drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. “We did not have anybody claiming a reward, though,” he said.
As Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Azad had announced a reward scheme for information that would help foil grenade attacks.
“This time we will make sure to make sure the informer’s identity is kept secret,” he said.
Indian Express
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Tunisia purges government, wins union endorsement
Jan 28, 2011
TUNIS: The Tunisian government ditched loyalists to its ousted president on Thursday -- a move which won backing from the powerful labor union and could help defuse protests which have inspired people across the Middle East.
Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, who retained his job, said 12 ministers would be replaced, purging the interim government of members of the former ruling party including the interior, defense and foreign ministers.
"This government is a transitional, interim government that will remain until it completes its mission of taking the country to democracy," Ghannouchi said in a live television address.
Weeks of violent protests by Tunisians angered by poverty, repression and corruption forced President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia on January 14 after 23 years in power.
But they had been angered after an interim government led by Ghannouchi had retained many former Ben Ali loyalists.
The purge is unlikely to fully quell protests in Tunisia, some of which are spontaneous and others more organized.
After the prime minister's television address, chants of "bread, water but no Ghannouchi" broke out among protesters who had launched a sit-in outside his office to demand he resign.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Tunisia-purges-government-wins-
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Women as Panchayats leaders: The real picture
Jan 28, 2011
By Anjuman Ara Begum
Guwahati: A baseline report prepared by Kuala Lampur based organization International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia entitled, ‘Baseline Report: Women and Political Participation in India’ observed about the political participation of women in India that, ‘Articles 325 and 326 of the Constitution of India guarantee political equality, equal right to participation in political activities and right to vote respectively. While the latter has been accessed, exercised and enjoyed by a large number of women, the former i.e., right to equal political participation is still a distant dream. Lack of space for participation in political bodies has not only resulted in their presence in meager numbers in these decision making bodies but also in the neglect of their issues and experiences in policy making’. To address the gender gap, India is one of the few countries in the world that has made it mandatory for one-third reservation for women in all institutions of local self-governance. The posts for Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons in the Panchayats are reserved for women.
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/women_panchayats_leaders_real_picture.html?utm_
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Space for civil society being contracted in India: UN expert on human rights
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi: The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, expressed her concern for a contraction of the space for civil society in India, despite the country’s “comprehensive and progressive legal framework as a guarantor of human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as the existence of the National Human Rights Commission as well as a number of state and statutory commissions mandated to promote and protect human rights.”
This observation was communicated in a press release issued from New Delhi on 21st Jan. 2011 by the UN Special Rapporteur. She ended her fact finding mission with a note, “I am particularly concerned at the plight of human rights defenders working for the rights of marginalized people, i.e. Dalits, Adavasis (tribals), religious minorities and sexual minorities, who face particular risks and ostracism because of their activities.”
Full report at:
http://www.twocircles.net/2011jan27/space_civil_society_being_contracted_india_un_
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BSF shot dead teenagers trying to exfilterate to Pakistan
Yudhvir Rana
Jan 28, 2011
AMRITSAR: Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead two teen aged boys in the wee hours of Friday while they were trying to illegally cross over to Pakistan from Indo-Pak international border near Amritsar.
The preliminary investigations suggests that both of them are Bangladeshi Muslims. Rupees five hundred and a watch have been recovered from one of them.
Giving details of the incident BSF inspector general (frontier) Himmat Singh told TOI that a patrolling party of BSF spotted some suspicious movements in a mustard field near BSF's Mullankot Border Outpost (BOP), about four and half kilometer north of Attari international border, at around 1 AM on Friday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BSF-shot-dead-teenagers-trying-to-exfilterate-to-
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Spy Game: US, Pak tangle gets messy, bloody
Chidanand Rajghatta
Jan 28, 2011
WASHINGTON: The United States said Thursday it will try hard to ensure there is no anti-American backlash from a shooting incident on a busy Lahore street on Thursday in which a US consular official, who Pakistanis suspect is a spy, shot and killed two locals, who Americans suspect may have been jihadis.
"We want to make sure that a tragedy like this does not affect the strategic partnership that we're building with Pakistan. And we'll work as hard as we can to explain that to the Pakistani people," was the tempered reaction from State Department spokesman Philip Crowley even as the two 'allies' faced yet another explosive diplomatic situation following the incident.
The episode has all the ingredients of a scene from a spy thriller, with spooks from each side offering their version of the shooting. Broadly, the official version from both sides is that the consular official, identified in some reports as Raymond Davis, was driving through a busy Lahore marketplace when he was accosted by two motorcycle borne men who tried to rob him, upon which he shot them. One died on the spot and another died in a hospital.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Spy-Game-US-Pak-tangle-gets-messy-
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Malaysian men hire themselves out as husbands
Jan 28 2011
Kuala Lumpur : Many Malaysian men have been busted for hiring themselves out as husbands to foreign women who need a pass to remain in the country.
It appears the men, who are usually middle-aged, agree to the sham marriage for monetary gains.
“We get suspicious when a much older man marries a young foreigner,” the Star Online quoted Perak Immigration department director Mohamad Shukri Nawi as saying.
“This is especially so if the man’s occupation is listed as rubber tapper or fisherman,” he stated.
He also revealed that his officers have come across several cases where men admitted their marriage was a sham.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/malaysian-men-hire-themselves-out-as-
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Bombs kills 2 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad
Jan 28, 2011
Baghdad : Officials say roadside bombs targeting Iraq security forces have killed two civilians in Baghdad.
Police and hospital officials say the first bomb exploded about 8:30 am near a police patrol at a commercial complex in the Karradah neighborhood. One civilian was killed and five other people, including three policemen, were wounded.
Officials say a bomb targeting Iraqi soldiers patrolling the Bab al-Muadham area exploded about an hour and a half later, killing one bystander and wounding three others.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information.
Today’s blasts follow a deadly week in Iraq, raising concerns about an uptick in violence as the US military prepares to withdraw by the end of this year.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bombs-kills-2-iraqi-civilians-in-baghdad/742736/
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6 killed, hundreds arrested in Egypt protests
Jan 28, 2011
Rania (Cairo) : Hundreds of Egyptian protesters, including journalists, have been arrested in two days of Tunisia-inspired unprecedented mass protests against President Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic regime that left at least six people dead.
Egypt witnessed a second ‘day of anger’ against the 30-year-rule of Mubarak yesterday as thousands of protesters took to streets, shouting slogans like ‘Down with Hosni Mubarak, down with the tyrant,” “We don’t want you”! Downtown Cairo saw thousands of security personnel chase anti-government protesters as they tried to reassemble at Tahrir Square, the same place where more than 20,000 demonstrators converged on Tuesday, occupying it for several hours before being dispersed by security forces early yesterday.
At some places, security forces fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets, and demonstrators threw stones in response.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/6-killed-hundreds-arrested-in-egypt-protests/742706/
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Army chief brands flag- hoisting row a ‘ political game’
By Rahul Kanwal
Jan 28, 2011
CHIEF of the army staff General V. K. Singh was at his caustic best on Thursday as he described the recent flag- hoisting controversy in Jammu and Kashmir as “ political wrangling and political games”. He was also scathing of the government’s attitude vis- à- vis the Kashmir issue, saying it needed to stop taking decisions that were expedient just for the sake of it and aimed at narrow purposes.
General Singh told Headlines Today in an exclusive interview: “ Jammu and Kashmir is a complicated set of things.
There has to be a holistic view on what we do there. We have to take a very different view for the long term. Don’t take decisions for the sake of expediency for a certain purpose. You have to have focus and resolve, and the government should put some people on the job.” The army chief also asserted that troop withdrawal from Kashmir was not an option at this time.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Moscow blast forces Govt to discuss security in ‘vulnerable’ arrival lounge
Jan 28, 2011
New Delhi : The recent deadly terror attack at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport has set off alarm bells here with the government urgently scheduling a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Monday to conduct a full review of security at airports, particularly in the arrival area.
The Home Ministry, sources said, has already started a review with the Central Industrial Security Force — the CISF is deployed at all key airports — to check each aspect of airport security, beginning with the perimeter area to the concourse. It’s learnt that North Block is keen on implementing a concourse security plan for every airport in the country, which airport authorities including security officials have been saying is difficult to implement.
However, what happened at Domodedovo airport has brought the focus back on the concourse area at the airports, namely the departure and arrival terminals. At Domodedovo, the suicide bomber walked into the arrival terminal with a suitcase laden with explosives and blew up, killing 35 persons.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/moscow-blast-forces-govt-to-discuss-security-in-
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Contaminated Yoghurt Lands Yunus In Dock
Jan 28, 2011
Jan. 27: The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr Muhammad Yunus, appeared in a court on Thursday in the latest legal trouble for the pioneer of microfinance loans — this time over claims of contaminated yoghurt.
Dr Yunus, who won the Nobel for his work making small loans to poor entrepreneurs, appeared in a different court case last week on charges of defamation dating back to 2007. He also faces a government probe into his bank.
His legal woes in Bangladesh have led to speculation — denied by the government — that they stem from personal differences with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The two fell out in 2007 when Dr Yunus briefly proposed setting up a political party, a year after he won the Peace Prize.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/contaminated-yoghurt-lands-yunus-dock-433
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Flood Hit Pak Hungry
Jan 28, 2011
Islamabad: Millions of Pakistanis hit by last year's devastating floods are 'still facing flood water, shivering in temporary shelters and struggling to find food', said a report of an international NGO.
The Oxfam report, 'Six months into the floods', said that though the aid effort had reached millions, it struggled to meet the huge scale of human need.
"Six months on, millions of people are still facing flood water, shivering in temporary shelters and struggling to find food," Dawn quoted the Oxfam report as saying.
The INGO was currently helping nearly 1.9 million people, said Neva Khan, the head of Oxfam in Pakistan.
Nearly 20 million people had been affected by the floods that caused destruction running into billions of rupees.
http://www.asianage.com/international/flood-hit-pak-hungry-395
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Egypt blocks Twitter
January 28, 2011
Micro-blogging site Twitter confirmed on Wednesday that its service had been blocked in Egypt, indicating a probable Government crackdown on technology that could disseminate information about the widening anti-Government demonstrations.
“We can confirm that Twitter was blocked in Egypt around 8 am,” Twitter confirmed on the @twitterglobalpr feed. “It’s impacting both Twitter.com & applications. We believe that open exchange of info benefits societies and helps Government.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/313597/Egypt-blocks-Twitter.html
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Darfur peacekeepers in standoff with Sudan army: UN
Jan 28, 2011
KHARTOUM: The Sudanese army threatened to "burn to the ground" makeshift camps for people left homeless by the eight-year-old conflict in Darfur in a tense standoff with peacekeepers, UN sources said.
The army's move came on the same day that the US led calls for the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission to be more "aggressive" in protecting civilians.
Around 200 Sudanese soldiers confronted UNAMID troops at their camp in Shangil Tobay, in North Darfur, on Wednesday evening, surrounding the road in, as well as the adjacent camp for the thousands displaced by fighting in December (internally dispersed persons -- IDPs), UNAMID said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Darfur-peacekeepers-in-standoff-
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100 educated youths working as slaves in Malaysia sweat farm
Caesar Manda
Jan 28, 2011
KOLKATA: A hotel management graduate from Bengal is among 100 educated Indians being forced to work as slaves in a palm oil plantation in Penang, Malaysia, since October last year, says the CID.
It's been three months since Indian authorities learnt about their plight but red tape has delayed rescue efforts. Indian investigators say the lives of these men may be at risk.
At least five of the victims are from Bengal, allegedly lured by a fake placement company in Serampore, Hooghly, says the CID. It got on the case after Khorshed Alam Laskar, who is from Dhapdhapi, a rural area in South 24-Parganas, managed to get an SOS across to his family.
"The plantation owners keep us locked in a barracks-type shed. We are forced to slave for 15-16 hours on just one meal a day," Laskar told his relatives in the last week of October when he got his hands on a cellphone.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/100-educated-youths-working-as-slaves-in-
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Samjhauta blasts: Hearing deferred till Feb 8
Rajinder Nagarkoti
Jan 28, 2011
PANCHKULA: National Investigation Agency (NIA) failed to produce Swami Aseemanand, who is accused of being behind a number of terror incidents involving right-wing Hindu outfits, before the Panchkula district court on Thursday in connection with Samjhauta blasts.
IA officials on Thursday moved an application before the court stating that at present Aseemanand was in the custody of Rajasthan ATS, which was probing the Ajmer blasts. They informed the court that ATS had got Aseemanand's police remand till February 5, therefore they will be able to produce him only after that date.
An officer of the Rajasthan ATS also showed the Ajmer court's order to the additional district and sessions judge, Kanchan Mahi, about the police remand of Aseemanand.
After going through the documents moved by NIA and ATS, court deferred the hearing till February 8.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Samjhauta-blasts-Hearing-deferred-till-Feb-
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Qaeda leader admits facing pressure from US drones
Jan 28, 2011
ISLAMABAD: A purported al Qaeda leader in Pakistan says the terror network is losing territory and fighters amid a US drone strike campaign, according to an audio message monitored by a US organisation that tracks militant propaganda.
The rare admission by Ustadh Ahmad Farooq follows an escalation in US missile hits against al Qaeda and Taliban targets in the tribal belt along the border with Afghanistan, as well as increased Pakistani army operations over the last three years.
The authenticity of the audio recording could not be independently verified, but Farooq has released other messages.
The US-based SITE Intelligence group, which tracks militant websites and other media, described Farooq as al Qaeda’s head of media and preaching in Pakistan. It said late Wednesday that the recording was released by Al-Sahab, al Qaeda’s media arm.
SITE said Farooq spoke of the challenges facing al Qaeda in vague terms as part of a broader lecture on the need to keep faith in God during times of crisis. The 28-minute speech was released on jihadi forums on January 23, according to the US group.
“There were many areas where we once had freedom, but now they have been lost,” he said. “We are the ones that are losing people, we are the ones facing shortages of resources. Our land is shrinking and drones are flying in the sky.” Farooq spoke.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\28\story_28-1-2011_pg1_4
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2 women killed, four kidnapped in Dera Murad Jamali
By Mohammad Zafar
Jan 28, 2011
QUETTA: Two women were killed and four traders were kidnapped in two separate incidents in Dera Murad Jamali on Thursday.
According to official sources, a man identified as Abdul Khaliq opened fired on his wife, Muktiar Bibi, and sister, Razia Bibi, in the Goth Changez area of Balan Shak in Dera Murad Jamali. The victims received multiple bullets and died on the spot. Khaliq managed to escape. Balochistan Levies, after being informed by the locals, arrived at the scene. The bodies were shifted to a nearby hospital for an autopsy, and were identified and later handed over to relatives. Levies official said the incident had been caused due to a domestic dispute. A case has been registered and the Levies have started investigations.
Separately, four cattle dealers were kidnapped by unidentified armed men at the National Highway near the Bakhtiarabad area of Dera Murad Jamali. According to Levies official, four cattle traders were on way to Quetta from Thul, Sindh, when seven armed men stopped their truck at the Chegrda area of Dera Murad Jamali on gunpoint and took them away to an undisclosed area. The abducted have been identified as Niaz Ahmed, Bashir Ahmed, Bakshal Khan and Mithal Khan.
After the incident, the National Highway that links Sindh with Balochistan, was blocked by local transporters and traffic was disrupted for several hours. After negotiations with the local administration, the transporters opened the highway for traffic. A case has been registered, and the Balochistan Levies started a search operations to recover the abducted.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\28\story_28-1-2011_pg7_12
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Iran wants to cooperate in education
Jan 28, 2011
PESHAWAR: Acting Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran in Peshawar Hasheem Ashjazadeh called on the University of Peshawar Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Azmat Hayat Khan, said a press release issued here on Thursday.
He discussed with him various educational development projects that the Iranian govt intends to initiate in Pakistan in the near future. Dr Azmat said that technical education needed improvement in Pakistan. The acting consul general said that his govt wanted to cooperate with Pakistan in the field of education. This would ultimately strengthen the relationship between the two brotherly countries.
Ashjazadeh added that universities in Iran wanted to start academic exchange programmes with the University of Peshawar and modalities in this regard were being finalised.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\28\story_28-1-2011_pg7_20
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Prime suspect named in Moscow attack
Jan 28, 2011
AN ETHNIC Russian, allegedly belonging to an extremist group, has been named by police as the prime suspect behind the suicide attack at Moscow's international airport that claimed 35 lives.
The suspect, whose surname was revealed by police as Razdobudko, is allegedly a member of the Nogai Jamaat terrorist group disbanded in October 2010, according to `Kommersant' daily.
Police say Razdobudko a resident of the Stavropol territory in south Russia bordering the volatile Caucasus region could be one of the organisers or even a perpetrator of Monday's attack at Domodedovo airport.
"He is by no means the only person being investigated for taking part in the terrorist attack, so we should not jump to any conclusions," a source close to the investigation was as quoted as saying by the daily.
The source said DNA and other tests were still being carried out to establish theidentityofthesuicidebomber.
Sofartherehasbeennoofficialconfirmation of the information. However, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday said that preliminary information showed the Domodedovo blast was not linked to Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya.
Meanwhile, four were killed and six injured on Wednesday in a powerful car bomb explosion in North Caucasus region of Dagestan.
Indian Express
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Bahrain judiciary set to push ahead with coup plot trial
Jan 28, 2011
MANAMA: Judicial officials ended a nearly two-month legal impasse Thursday to resume the trial of 25 activists accused of plotting against Bahrain’s rulers, but faced protests from the suspects over allegation of torture and forced confessions.
The case is closely watched by rights groups and Western governments after sectarian clashes last year in the strategic Gulf kingdom, which hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
The highly sensitive trial had been stalled since early December when the entire defense team quit to protest alleged torture against their clients.
It resumed with court-appointed replacement attorneys even though they have been rejected by the defendants, who are accused of supporting “terrorist” cells seeking to undermine the ruling regime. Twenty-three suspects are in custody and two are being tried in absentia.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article244424.ece
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Israeli troops avoid jail in Palestinian shooting
Jan 28, 2011
JERUSALEM: An Israeli military court on Thursday sentenced two soldiers convicted in the close-range shooting of a bound and blindfolded Palestinian man, but spared them jail time.
Lt. Col. Omri Borberg, caught on video holding the arm of Ashraf Abu Rahmeh while he was shot with a rubber-coated bullet, cannot be promoted for the next two years, or command troops for one year, the military said.
The sergeant who pulled the trigger has completed his military service, but was demoted to private.
“That is not a conviction — its nothing,” Abu Rahmeh said after the sentencing. “I really thought both would be punished, but with deep sorrow the court has ruled in their favor.”
Emerging from the courtroom, Borberg said he accepted the sentence — and that he never told the soldier to shoot.
Abu Rahmeh was shot in the foot in July 2008 in the West Bank village of Naalin. He was detained by Israeli troops after protesting against Israel’s West Bank separation barrier.
A relative of Abu Rahmeh said the family would appeal the sentence.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article244181.ece
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3 Palestinians arrested in murder of US tourist
By MOHAMMED MAR’I
Jan 28, 2011
RAMALLAH: Israel’s internal intelligence agency Shin Bet announced on Wednesday the arrest of a Palestinian cell allegedly responsible for killing of American tourist Kristine Luken in a forest near Jerusalem late last year.
Luken, 44, was stabbed to death in December while hiking with a friend in a forest outside Jerusalem. Police say the three men told interrogators they wanted to kill a Jew. Luken was in fact Christian.
The Shin Bet also said the 13 cell members are also suspected of causing 21 different security incidents between 1997 and 2010. The Palestinians were arrested on Dec. 21 in a joint IDF-Shin Bet operation. During their interrogations the suspects allegedly confessed to perpetrating the attack.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article243574.ece
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Protests in Tunisia, foreign minister resigns
28 January 2011
PMTUNIS - Tunisian Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane has resigned from the interim government, state television said on Thursday, after days of protests demanding the cabinet be purged of members of the former ruling party.
Protesters, who earlier stormed police barricades in the Tunisian capital, had insisted the government dismiss key loyalists of ousted leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on Jan. 14 when weeks of violent protests against poverty, repression and corruption toppled him after 23 years in power.
Since then, an interim government that includes many former ruling party officials has struggled to impose order.
Foreign minister Morjane quit Ben Ali’s RCD party last week but that had not proved enough to appease protesters.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/January/
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/indian-jamaat-islami-launch-political/d/4019