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Islamic World News ( 4 Jun 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Indian Mujahideen declared terror outfit

“Koran says – you're free in your religion” – Muslim cleric

Al Qaeda woman held in S. Arabia 

Qaeda urges Saudis to abduct royals, Christians

Riyadh Fashion contest opens up opportunities for women

Women join online campaign against unemployment

‘Obama May Allow Nuke Strike On Iran’

Kasab moves HC against death sentence, seeks lawyer

New aid ship heading for Gaza

Wedding photographers draw flak for unethical practices

Saudi religious police probe MTV programme for 'sin'

Sachar effect: Govt jobs for minorities up

40 Pak Militants to Enter Through J&K?

Two Christian aid groups suspended in Afghanistan

Trader, eunuch acquitted in gay marriage case

India no threat to Pakistan: US

The "peace jirga" and Afghan women

Mideast rivals vie for influence over Iraq govt

Death toll in Bangladesh fire rises to 108, over 100 injured

Gaza flotilla tragedy can boost Mideast peace efforts, says Obama

US 'confident' that Pak will not use weapons against India

Ukraine drops NATO membership plans

‘Epicentre of terror in our neighbourhood'

Sarkozy took Pak kickback?

Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam: ‘Victims and Victimizers’

Aga Khan Islamic center under way in Toronto

Feminized Christianity Meets Alpha Male Islam

Even jeans are too alluring for the Sharia police in Aceh

Turkey honors slain activists, including US teen

Afghan Elders Debate Opening To Taliban

Al-Qaeda replaces lost leaders with ease

At least 21 civilians killed in Mogadishu battle: medics

Pakistani captain of hijacked ship killed

159,600 Pakistanis to perform Haj this year

Four killed for ‘honour’ in Balochistan

JI urges Muslim states to boycott Israel

Differences remain at Afghan peace conference

Students launch campaign for rights

South Sudan army clash with militia, nine dead

Returning soldiers get hero’s welcome in Abha, Khamis Mushayt

Facebook to remove offensive contents

Father dies after stalking of daughter

North Yemen clash kills four, threatening truce

Number of illegal workers in Bahrain declines

8 Afghan civilians killed in fighting, bombing

Meet On Muslim Women's Literacy

Gaza flotilla: Turkey threat to Israel ties over raid

Pakistan terror attack probe links Sarkozy to corruption

Compiled by Asit New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/indian-mujahideen-declared-terror-outfit/d/2949

 

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Indian Mujahideen declared terror outfit

Jun 04 2010

New Delhi: The Government on declared Indian Mujahideen, believed to be a shadow outfit of banned SIMI and Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba, as a terrorist organisation.

The terror outfit, which has been allegedly involved in serial bomb blasts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bangalore and Mumbai, has been added by the Government in the list of terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

"An order has been issued adding Indian Mujahideen and all its formations and front organisations to the list of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967," Home Ministry said in a statement.

The Indian Mujahideen came under spotlight on February 23, 2005 when it allegedly carried out a blast in Varanasi leaving eight people injured.

The terror group, which is believed to be under the direct control of Pakistan's ISI, has so far carried out over 10 blasts in various parts of the country killing nearly 500 people, a senior Home Ministry official said.

The deadliest attack of the Indian Mujahideen was in the national capital in 2006 when as many as 66 people were killed in serial blasts.

Amir Reza Khan was the founding members of the Indian Mujahideen, which was created by ISI ostensibly to spread terror through Indian front outfits. The terror group is at present headed by Iqbal Bhatkal.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indian-mujahideen-declared-terror-outfit/629547/

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“Koran says – you're free in your religion” – Muslim cleric

Jun 4, 2010

Only multiculturalism can provide a peaceful atmosphere for mankind, and the first Islamic society created by Prophet Muhammad was multicultural, Dr Mohammed Tahir ul-Qadri told RT.

Speaking about his recently-issued religious ruling – a fatwa – which condemns terrorism and suicide bombings, Dr Tahir ul-Qadri also said “holy war” is the incorrect translation of jihad and Koran says that there should be freedom of religion.

RT: Here in the UK we mostly know the word fatwa from the one that was issued against Salman Rushdie and his book – The Satanic Verses. Could you explain what fatwa is?

TQ: Fatwa literally means a decree and a ruling and this has a very significant place in sources of Islamic laws and Islamic rulings.

RT: Why are you doing it now and why you didn't issue this fatwa after 9/11 for example?

TQ: I normally never issue a fatwa. But now I thought this was the time because terrorism as a wave became much stronger than earlier in Pakistan and that part of the world last year. Then terrorists started slaughtering people, then terrorists started even killing the people, then taking their dead bodies out of the graves and hanging them on the trees, and they started bombing everywhere and they captured the particular areas, you know, and they took over and then Pakistan military started a very strong operation against them. That was last year. And at that time I found that many scholars and many preachers and even religious political leaders kept silent on that act of brutality committed by the terrorists.

RT: Can we talk in detail – what exactly do you say in the fatwa? Why hasn’t jihad or holy war been mentioned? Why did you miss that out?

TQ: Because I concentrated only on the subject of terrorism. But I mentioned in my book categorically, that an act of terrorism is not jihad.

RT: So in fact terrorism can't be considered as a part of holy war?

TQ: Absolutely not. The holy war is a wrong translation, and I would be clear and you would be the means to communicate this message faster to the world. Its meaning is struggle. That’s it. The word war is not included in the origin and the meaning of the word jihad. Jihad is a much wider concept which means just to strive for, to struggle. If you put your energy and abilities, efforts to achieve your good end – that's known as jihad. So there's no place for aggression in the concept of jihad, no place for brutality when we speak about jihad. The holy war isn't the concept – it is holy struggle.

RT: So did terrorists hijack the concept of jihad?

TQ: Yes they did. They misguided people and youth and their efforts have no links with jihad.

RT: You used terms like “terrorism” and “innocent people” in your fatwa – these are terms that hugely open to interpretation. What did you mean by them?

TQ: I understand they again create an excuse on the base of innocent – the word innocent. I’d like to make it clear: in case of killing or non-killing, the word innocent has never been used in the Koran. This exception of innocent has never been given in Koran. The word which is used in Koran means: if anyone kills a human being without the lawful right which the court exercises if the person was an intentional murderer, so he was liable to capital punishment or he was a rebel, so as the punishment of rebellion with killing of man – he is liable to capital punishment and if he is a terrorist and he kills a person, so as punishment of the act of terrorism he is liable to death punishment. So the Koran says if the person is neither an intentional murderer nor a terrorist, killer, rebel… so if anyone kills a person who doesn't fall within these three categories, then they kill innocent people. Any peaceful population, all men who aren't fighting with you one to one on the battlefield – everybody has a right to kill anyone on the battlefield – so every single civilian person who is non-combatant is innocent.

RT: The aim of your fatwa seems to go against everything that suicide bombers and fundamentals believe about themselves. Who do you think they aimed at and what effect do you think it will have?

TQ: Millions of youngsters who aren't potential extremists but who are available. Some people who are always behind the youth, they again trap them and they again put wrong ideologies in their minds and misguide them by using wrong meanings of this terminology. First of all this will effect them, they'll be clear and they'll never be “kidnapped” by the terrorist people. Secondly, thousands of youth who haven’t been totally brainwashed and who haven't become suicide bombers yet, but they're on the same track. They’re going forward – they've become conservative, living an isolated life, they believe in isolation and don't want to be integrated and we can see a tendency which could lead them to radicalism and terrorism. These thousands of youth will stop. And I hope nobody in the whole Muslim world would be in position to rebut it. They can disagree with me just in slogans, and I can't say to be 100 per cent sure about those who were thoroughly brainwashed – but their number is little. Much larger in number are those thousands who are waiting behind to enter. At least it will stop them and this will have a very big effect on Islam and humanity.

RT: Let’s talk about what is increasingly being known as Islamophobia, particularly in Europe. Dutch politician Geert Wilders made a film which says that Koran is a fascist book – what would you say to him?

TQ: I think these are the same kind of activities – not Osama and Taliban, but their supporters who are acting against non-Muslims. If in Western world some people start to do the same kind of thing, it won't help in developing the peace process. It'll only create hatred. The question is what do they want to achieve out of that? Just hatred? Just reaction? Further disputes? Clashes and further division of humanity?

RT: There's quite a lot of opposition to Islam in Europe at the moment. The Swiss for example have banned the building of more minarets. France is talking about banning the burqa… do you think Europe is ready to accept Islam?

TQ: The best solution for peaceful atmosphere for the mankind is multiculturalism. There should be full democracy, freedom of religions, freedom of cultures and no freedom for terrorism, extremism, no freedom of creating brutality and divisions in the society. The first Islamic society created by the Prophet Muhammad, prophet of Islam in Medina, was a multicultural society. He started this society instead – alliance with Jews, Christians and their allied tribes. And their local customs, cultures, traditions, religions and customary laws were given guaranteed protection. Koran says – there should be freedom of religion. Koran says: you're free in your religion and we are free in our religion.

http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-03-09/islam-qadri-fatwa-jihad.html#

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Al Qaeda woman held in S. Arabia

04 Jun, 2010

DUBAI, June 3: Al Qaeda urged supporters in Saudi Arabia to kidnap Christians and Saudi princes to press for the release of a woman militant the group said was nabbed north of Riyadh, in an audio message released on Thursday.

“Form cells to kidnap Christians and princes from the Saud family and their ministers and top officers,” Saeed Al-Shihri, a prominent Saudi leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen, said in the message.

The Dubai based Al-Arabiya news channel described Qsayer as “the most dangerous woman” in Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.

Shihri, who is purportedly number two in the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, insisted that families of prisoners held in Saudi Arabia should take arms to secure their release instead of grovelling to officials.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/al-qaeda-woman-held-in-s.-arabia-460

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Qaeda urges Saudis to abduct royals, Christians

June 04, 2010

Al-Qaeda has urged supporters in Saudi Arabia to kidnap Christians and Saudi princes to press for the release of a female militant the group says was nabbed north of Riyadh, in an audio message released on Thursday.

"Form cells to kidnap Christians and princes from the Saud family and their top officials of ministers and officers," Saeed al-Shihri, a prominent Saudi leader of Al-Qaeda franchise in Yemen, said in the message.

He said that "preacher" Heila al-Qsayer, a widow of a Saudi Al-Qaeda militant killed six years ago by the Saudi authorities, was arrested in Qassim, north of the capital, but did not specify when.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/world/Qaeda-urges-Saudis-to-abduct-royals-Christians/Article1-552685.aspx

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Riyadh Fashion contest opens up opportunities for women

By WALAA HAWARI

Jun 4, 2010

RIYADH: A Saudi businessman has launched a pioneering fashion competition to showcase the talents of aspiring women.

A sense of social responsibility was what motivated Shoorq Al-Mahmoud to launch “Pallamano”.

"The objective of the event is to serve Saudi society and to maintain ongoing development of new talents," said Al-Mahmoud, who is the general manager of events company Atoz.

The competition, which is supervised and judged by a panel of women from the business, academic and fashion communities, aims to encourage and nurture girls who have designing talents, according to Al-Mahmoud.

Many ambitious young Saudi girls have applied to participate in the competition, although Al-Mahmoud admits that marketing efforts were not as intense as it could have been. Only seven girls were chosen as semi-finalists and will be judged across three categories.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article60507.ece

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Women join online campaign against unemployment

By FATIMA SIDIYA

Jun 4, 2010

JEDDAH: Unemployed Saudis are looking to the Internet to campaign against unemployment. One of the recent campaigns launched was titled "A Job is a Right and Not a Gift!" Another campaign launched recently was called "Employ Us or We Will Travel."

Women also started to campaign recently saying that while the idea of Saudi women working as maids is rejected, other jobs are not given to them. Another campaign is by Dalal Al-Batti, a beauty specialist, who along with 100 beauty centers, called for increased Saudization of this sector.

One of the most famous campaigns launched recently and called "Her Dream," is directed against the unemployment of women. The campaign has a website and it lists a number of jobs available in different regions. Each member can write her story about her fruitless effort to find work.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article61004.ece

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‘Obama May Allow Nuke Strike On Iran’

Jun 04th, 2010

Cuban ex-President Fidel Castro wrote in an article out on Thursday that it was unlikely that US President Barack Obama would be re-elected without first letting the US military or Israel launch a nuclear attack on Iran.

Mr Castro, 83, convalescing away from government since 2006, writes regular columns for Cuban media commenting on world events. “Is it possible,” Mr Castro wondered, for Mr Obama to be re-elected “without the Pentagon of the state of Israel... Use nuclear weapons against Iran?” Mr Castro wrote.

Mr Castro described Israel’s interception of aid ships bound for the Gaza Strip as “Nazi fascist fury,” and that Israeli commandos that boarded the ships fired “frenetically” into the aid workers. “Mr Obama can deliver hundreds of speeches trying to smooth over contradictions that are irreconcilable with truth, dream with the magic of his well-articulated speeches, while he makes concessions” to unethical people and groups, Mr Castro wrote.

Mr Obama “can paint worlds of fantasy... That unscrupulous advisers, knowing his tendencies, plant in his head,” Mr Castro wrote.

http://www.asianage.com/international/%E2%80%98obama-may-allow-nuke-strike-iran%E2%80%99-223

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Kasab moves HC against death sentence, seeks lawyer

Jun 4, 2010

MUMBAI: A month after being sentenced to death for the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab has filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court challenging the verdict and sought a lawyer from the legal aid panel to argue his case.

Kasab filed the appeal through the jail authorities and his plea for a lawyer has been forwarded to the Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC), jail sources said today.

The HCLSC would now forward Kasab's request for a lawyer before Acting Chief Justice J N Patel, who is patron in chief of Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority and senior Judge and Chairperson of HCLSC, Justice Ranjana Desai.

Kasab has a right to remain present before the High Court bench which would hear his appeal and in such an event the state would have to ensure that he is brought amidst tight security from the Arthur Road Jail where he is currently lodged.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kasab-moves-HC-against-death-sentence-seeks-lawyer/articleshow/6010809.cms

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New aid ship heading for Gaza

Jun 4, 2010

DUBLIN: An aid ship expects to arrive in Gaza by Saturday morning if given clear passage by Israel, just days after another aid vessel was boarded by Israeli commandos who killed nine people and injured several, crew member Derek Graham said.

The MV Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship bought by pro-Palestinian activists and named after an American woman killed in the Gaza Strip in 2003, set off on Monday from Malta.

He said all on board were determined to continue with the journey following Monday’s deadly raid by Israeli commandos on a Turkish-backed aid convoy.

“We expect to be in Gaza late Friday night, early Saturday morning ... We’re on our way to Gaza,” Graham, who is Irish and an owner of the ship, said over telephone. “Everybody was very upset at what happened. Everbody has been more determined than ever to continue on to Gaza.”

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Middle-East/New-aid-ship-heading-for-Gaza/articleshow/6009285.cms

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Wedding photographers draw flak for unethical practices

By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI

Jun 4, 2010

JEDDAH: The privacy of conservative Saudi society is under attack by foreign female photographers who are contracted to film or photograph wedding parties for women to document the happy occasion.

Many of these photographers, in their quest to make more money, sell copies of the films to studios and women beauty centers who will in turn put them on CDs and sell to buyers longing to see what Saudi women do in their special parties.

The issue came to light recently when the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Madinah confiscated a number of CDs containing films about wedding parties. The CDs were found in a studio run by a number of foreign workers who told investigators that they received the media from foreign female photographers.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article61014.ece

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Sachar effect: Govt jobs for minorities up

Zia Haq

June 04, 2010

The share of minorities — including Muslims — in government jobs is rising steadily on the back of the Prime Minister’s 2007 directive to focus on their employment, latest government data reveals.

The last three years saw a significant rise in government recruitment of minorities: 6.9 per cent in 2007 to 8.3 per cent in 2008 and 9.24 per cent last year. Between ’08 and ’09, the share of minorities on government rolls increased 24 per cent.

The PM’s directive in 2007 came after the Sachar Committee, which probed the disadvantages faced by Muslims — who make up more than 85 per cent of India’s minority population — found the community lagging on various socio-economic parameters.

Full report at: Hindustan Times

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40 Pak Militants To Enter Through J&K?

PRAMOD KUMAR

Jun 4, 2010

Around 40 hardcore terrorists of different Pakistan-based militant outfits will attempt to cross into the Indian territory this month. The latest intelligence inputs reveal that these militants will try to enter India through Gurez and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said that the majority of the militants who would attempt infiltration belong to Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.

Radio conversation between code A-3 (control station LeT in Pak-Occupied-Kashmir) and code delta-1 (base headquarters LeT in PoK) intercepted on April 24, at about 1410 hours revealed that militants would try to cross Indian border through J&K in the month of June, sources said.

“A total of nine hardcore militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, 10 of LeT, 12 of both LeT and HM and 15 militants of other outfits will try to cross the border. All Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and guides of these outfits have already been alerted,” sources added.

Full report at:

http://www.asianage.com/india/40-pak-militants-enter-through-jk-153

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Two Christian aid groups suspended in Afghanistan

June 03, 2010

Afghan authorities suspended two Christian foreign aid groups today on suspicion of proselytising in the strictly Islamic nation and said a follow-up investigation would include whether other groups were trying to convert Muslims.

US-based Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid will not be allowed to operate while the allegations, aired yesterday on Afghan television, are investigated, said Mohammad Hashim Mayar, the deputy director of the Afghan government office that oversees nongovernment organisations, known as NGOs.

An investigation commission including officers from the National Security and Interior Ministries had been appointed, he said. Both organisations denied the allegation, and Mayar said officials did not have any evidence of proselytising beyond the television report. "They are investigating whether the groups were proselytising or not," Mayar said. "They will report back and also assess what is the impact of closing these NGOs. The investigation will include whether other groups or individuals are involved."

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/afghanistan/Two-Christian-aid-groups-suspended/Article1-552414.aspx

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Trader, eunuch acquitted in gay marriage case

Jun 4, 2010

PESHAWAR—A local court Thursday bailed a local trader and a Eunuch, who were arrested by local police allegedly for marrying each other. Additional Session Judge Tahir Mehmood Thursday granted bail to Malik Iqbal and Eunuch identified as Rani in a case of illegal marriage.

The lawyer of the accused said that both the trader and the Eunuch were arrested when they were busy in a birthday ceremony along with 43 others and further said that allegations levelled against them were baseless. “Fake charges were levelled against them,” the lawyer insisted. Hearing the arguments, the judge granted bail to the accused. Police had arrested Malik Iqbal, Rani and 43 others allegedly attending the marriage ceremony.

The police stated in the first information report (FIR) that Malik Iqbal was getting married with eunuch Kashif alias Rani, a resident of Shabqadar, and a function was being held in this connection at Malik Plaza.

http://dailymailnews.com/0610/04/FrontPage/FrontPage6.php

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India no threat to Pakistan: US

Jun 04 2010

Washington : The United States has clarified that it does not see India as a threat to Pakistan, thus it would continue to urge Islamabad to move out troops from the eastern border to focus more on the volatile western border with Afghanistan.

During a web chat with Indian reporters, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake acknowledged that Pakistan has redeployed troops away from the border with India, and maintained that Pakistan was ‘indispensable for Washington for success in Afghanistan.

'We are very encouraged that the Pakistani army has redeployed troops away from the Indian border. We do not see India as a threat to Pakistan and so we would encourage that process to continue,' The Dawn quoted Blake, as saying.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-no-threat-to-pakistan-us/629506/

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The "peace jirga" and Afghan women

Jun 04 2010

What would a truce with the Taliban mean for the liberation of the country's women?

As the third and final day of Afghanistan's three-day peace conference gets underway, it's worth asking what its implications are for the country's women. After all, the "jirga" is focused on a proposal to offer money and jobs to the Taliban -- a group not exactly known for valuing the rights of women -- if they give up their violent ways.

Soon after President Obama took office, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reaffirmed her commitment to Afghan women, and resistance to the Taliban. Now, President Obama is backing Karzai's proposal and, according to the Guardian's Jonathan Steele,  many women in Afghanistan do too, despite potential setbacks to their freedoms. After interviewing a diverse sample of Afghan women, he came to the conclusion that their desire for peace trumps their desire for liberation.

Full report at:

http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2010/06/04/peacejirga_women/

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Mideast rivals vie for influence over Iraq govt

04 Jun, 2010

BAGHDAD: The United States might be trying to disentangle itself from Iraq, but there is no shortage of contenders to take its place.

A battle between Iraq's neighbours for influence in Baghdad is being played out between Iraq's Sunnis, Shias and Kurds, complicating efforts to stitch together a government three months after an inconclusive parliamentary election.

Failure to reconcile their rival interests could yet delay the government for months to come, further testing stability as all but 50,000 US troops withdraw over the hot Iraqi summer.

“The train leading to the formation of an Iraqi government will depart from Saudi Arabia, passing through Iran, Turkey and Syria, before reaching Baghdad,” an Iraqi political analyst said on condition of anonymity.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/04-mideast-iraq-govt-influence-qs-08

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Death toll in Bangladesh fire rises to 108, over 100 injured

Jun 4, 2010

DHAKA: Rescuers called off the search for survivors on Friday as the death toll from one of Bangladesh's worst fires rose to 108 after flames ripped through a packed neighbourhood of Dhaka, officials said.

The blaze raged for three hours, destroying a row of multi-storey apartment buildings and trapping hundreds of residents in Dhaka's densely populated Kayettuli area, city police chief A.K.M Shahidul Haq told AFP.

"At least 108 people have died including those who expired in hospitals. The toll may rise as quite a few are in critical condition," district administrator Muhibul Haque said.

The blaze has been put out and a search-and-rescue effort halted after firefighters scoured "every inch of the fire-hit buildings", Dhaka fire department chief Abu Nayeem told AFP.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/South-Asia/Death-toll-in-Bangladesh-fire-rises-to-108-over-100-injured/articleshow/6009323.cms

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Gaza flotilla tragedy can boost Mideast peace efforts, says Obama

Jun 4, 2010

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said on Thursday the deadly Gaza flotilla incident was "tragic," but he expressed hope it could provide an opening to boost Middle East peace efforts.

Obama, in an interview with CNN's Larry King days after an Israeli raid on Gaza-bound aid ships, said Israel "has legitimate security concerns" about the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Rockets are regularly fired from there into the Jewish state. But he also said Israel's blockade of Gaza "is preventing people" from pursuing economic opportunities," according to an advance transcript of the interview to be broadcast on Thursday night.

"I think what's important right now is that we break out of the current impasse, use this tragedy as an opportunity," to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, he said.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Middle-East/Gaza-flotilla-tragedy-can-boost-Mideast-peace-efforts-says-Obama/articleshow/6009885.cms

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US 'confident' that Pak will not use weapons against India

Jun 3, 2010

WASHINGTON: The US, which is offering a range of sophisticated weapons to Pakistan to fight terrorists, is confident that these will not be used against India "in any way" and promised to ensure that the armaments are not misused through end-use monitoring.

"They are not to be used against India in any way," Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake has said.

"This is a question I often receive, and I'd like to reassure all of our friends in India that whatever military assistance we are providing to Pakistan is to be used in its fight against terrorism - particularly in its border areas with Afghanistan," Blake said yesterday during a webchat ahead of the US-India Strategic Dialogue here.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-confident-that-Pak-will-not-use-weapons-against-India/articleshow/6008069.cms

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Ukraine drops NATO membership plans

Vladimir Radyuhin

Jun 4, 2010

MOSCOW: Ukraine has officially taken NATO membership off its agenda in a volte face on policy ardently pursued by the previous President, Viktor Yushchenko.

The Ukrainian Parliament on Thursday approved in first reading a Bill that amends a 2003 national security law to exclude the goal of “integration into Euro-Atlantic security and membership in NATO”. The Bill submitted by President Viktor Yanukovych commits Ukraine to “a non-bloc policy which means non-participation in military-political alliances”.

Kiev formally applied to join NATO in 2008, and even though the alliance failed to immediately give the green light to the Ukrainian bid, Mr. Yushchenko vowed to win NATO membership as the only way to “safeguard Ukrainian sovereignty”.

Full report at:

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/04/stories/2010060455931600.htm

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‘Epicentre of terror in our neighbourhood'

Jun 4, 2010

Washington: Without naming Pakistan, India said on Thursday the “epicentre” of global terrorism was in its neighbourhood and asked the United States to make sure that no particular extremist group was left out in the fight against terrorism.

In his opening remarks at the first-ever India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said the global nature of the security challenges that the world faced today, particularly the threat posed by transnational terrorism, required India and the U.S. to cooperate more closely than ever before.

“Though the epicentre of this threat lies in India's neighbourhood, it reaches far and wide all across the world as we have seen time and again and most recently a few weeks back in Times Square,” Mr. Krishna said.

Full report at:

http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/04/stories/2010060464821400.htm

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Sarkozy took Pak kickback?

Dipankar De Sarkar

Jun 4, 2010

Did French President Nicolas Sarkozy take kickbacks from an arms deal his country signed with Pakistan in 1994?

The long-standing allegation was revived on Thursday after the French media reported that police in the tax haven of neigh- bouring Luxembourg had named Sarkozy as the man behind a company registered there, which is alleged to have received the illegal payments.

The money is said to have funded the 1995 French presi- dential campaign of former prime minister Edouard Balladur. Sarkozy, who had served under Balladur as the budgets minister, was the cam- paign spokesman.

The president's office described the media reports as “nonsense“ and “grotesque“.

The deal referred to was the sale of three Agosta 90B sub- marines to Pakistan for Euro 800 million (Rs 4,800 crore).

Full report at: Hindustan Times

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Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam: ‘Victims and Victimizers’

June4, 2010

By Rafia Zakaria/DAWN – If the attacks on Ahmadis in Lahore last week were not horrifying enough, the ensuing debate on Pakistani talk shows and television programmes was even more chilling. While condemning the attack, it seems Pakistanis were unwilling to deal with the underlying bigotry that permits such hatred.

Across the globe in the United States, on the same day as the attack in Lahore, the Manhattan Community Board in New York City voted to allow the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero despite opposition from several groups. This curious juxtaposition presents a timely illustration of ideas of American pluralism and Muslim identity brought into proximity by globalisation and migration.

Full report at:

http://craigconsidine.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/dawn-review-of-journey-into-america-the-challenge-of-islam-victims-and-victimizers/

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Aga Khan Islamic center under way in Toronto

Jun 4, 2010

TORONTO — The Aga Khan, leader of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims, has broken ground on a $300 million Islamic center that will include the first museum of Islamic art and culture in North America.

More than a decade in planning and design, the complex will be home to the 100,000-square-foot Aga Khan Museum, designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki.

Nearby, the larger Ismaili Centre Toronto will contain meeting and multi-purpose rooms, a prayer room, youth lounge and library.

According to the Aga Khan Foundation, the museum will house and exhibit "some of the most important works of Islamic art in the world." Some 200 pieces from the Aga Khan's personal 1,000-piece collection will be on display in a permanent gallery. Some artifacts date back 1,000 years.

Full report at:

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/art/95486384_Aga_Khan_Islamic_center_under_way_in_Toronto.html

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Feminized Christianity Meets Alpha Male Islam

By William Kilpatrick

We’ve grown accustomed to video images of ten-year-old boys in Palestinian training camps, dressed like mujahideen and wielding AK-47’s. Luckily, the West knows how to respond to such shows of aggressiveness. For instance, in the last few years “tag” and similar games have been banned from numerous school playgrounds in the U.K. and the U.S. on the grounds that they are “hazardous” and “inappropriate.” So there, take that, you little jihadist!

As it did in the seventh century, Islam is taking on the appearance of an unstoppable masculine force. But in the West the masculine spirit looks more like a ghost. In The Suicide of Reason, Lee Harris puts the matter in stark biological terms: “While we in the West are drugging our alpha boys with Ritalin, the Muslims are doing everything in their power to encourage their alpha boys to be tough, aggressive, and ruthless.”

Full report at:

http://grendelreport.posterous.com/feminized-christianity-meets-alpha-male-islam

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Even jeans are too alluring for the Sharia police in Aceh

04 June 2010

INDONESIA – Sharia police in the Indonesian province of Aceh are stopping women dressed in jeans and forcing them to change into long government issued skirts.

The semiautonomous province on the northern island of Sumatra has the highest proportion of Muslims in the country. In order to bring an end to decades of fighting between Muslim separatists and the army, the national government consented to the adoption of Sharia law in Aceh in 2002. To enforce the new laws, a special unit of police, called Wilayatul Hisbah or “the vice and virtue patrol”, was established.

On 26 May, the West Aceh district of the province intensified their crackdown on women wearing tight fitting trousers by issuing the local police with 20,000 long skirts. Women who are stopped at checkpoints for breaching the bylaw are now furnished with a skirt and have their trousers confiscated. The women cannot be arrested however.

Full report at:

http://updatednews.ca/?p=23068

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Turkey honors slain activists, including US teen

04 June 2010

ISTANBUL – Thousands of mourners hailed activists killed in an Israeli commando mission as martyrs Thursday, hoisting their coffins to cheers of “God is great,” while Turkish leaders said Israel had jeopardized its relationship with its closest Muslim ally despite meeting Ankara’s demand to release the hundreds captured in the raid.

The father of the youngest of the nine activists killed — 19-year-old high school student Furkan Dogan, who had dual U.S.-Turkish citizenship — praised his son for dying in a just cause.

Ahmet Dogan told the state-run Anatolia news agency he identified his boy in the morgue and he had been shot through the forehead. Still, he said, the family was not sad because they believed Furkan had died with honor.

“I feel my son has been blessed with heaven,” he said. “I am hoping to be a father worthy of my son.”

Full report at:

http://updatednews.ca/?p=23054

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Afghan Elders Debate Opening To Taliban

Sayed Salahuddin And Sanjeev Miglani

Jun 4, 2010

Afghan tribal elders discussed ways to reach out to the Taliban on Thursday, despite a rocket and gunfire attack by the insurgents aimed at disrupting a national conference seeking an end to nearly nine years of war. President Hamid Karzai, who launched the traditional “peace jirga” of tribal elders on Wednesday amid the gunfire is hoping to get national support for his plans to reach out to the Taliban ahead of a gradual US military withdrawal from 2011.

Nearly 1,600 delegates, many wearing turbans and long beards, were huddled in a giant tent in the west of the capital to finalise a resolution on a peace plan to end the deadly insurgency.

Full report at:

http://www.asianage.com/international/afghan-elders-debate-opening-taliban-224

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Al-Qaeda replaces lost leaders with ease

June 04, 2010

The death of Al-Qaeda’s third-ranking leader in a drone strike was portrayed by US officials as a severe setback to the terrorist organiation.

But if history is any guide, the network will have no problem replacing him.

On at least 10 occasions in the past decade, Al-Qaeda has sustained the loss of a senior operative described at some point as the No. 3 figure in its hierarchy.

Each time, the group has moved quickly to appoint a successor, demonstrating a resilience that has enabled it to survive a dozen years of open warfare with the US and defy repeated predictions of its demise.

Full report at: Hindustan Times

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At least 21 civilians killed in Mogadishu battle: medics

June 04, 2010

At least 21 Somali civilians were killed on Thursday and 59 wounded in fierce Mogadishu clashes pitting government forces backed by African Union troops against Islamist insurgents, medics said.

The fighting broke out when newly-trained government forces backed by the soldiers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) apparently launched a major offensive to recapture key Mogadishu neighbourhoods.

The internationally-backed government had lost ground last month when insurgents, mainly from the Al Qaeda-inspired Shebab movement, punched through a strategic frontline and closed in on the presidential compound.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/At-least-21-civilians-killed-in-Mogadishu-battle-medics/H1-Article1-552908.aspx

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Pakistani captain of hijacked ship killed

04 Jun, 2010

NAIROBI: Security forces from Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region stormed a hijacked cargo vessel early on Thursday and outgunned the pirates holding it after they fatally shot the ship’s Pakistani captain, authorities said.

Authorities decided to try and free the Panama-flagged ship by force after pirates refused pleas to surrender and instead killed the captain, said Saeed Mohamed Raage, who is the minister of marine transport and ports in the region.

“We can’t afford letting pirates capture Somali-charted ships. If we don’t act so decisively they will continue hijacking all Somali-bound cargo ships,” Raage said.

Two officers were wounded during a brief shootout with the pirates and ultimately all seven pirates were detained, he said.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/pakistani-captain-of-hijacked-ship-killed-460

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159,600 Pakistanis to perform Haj this year

04 Jun, 2010

ISLAMABAD: A total of 159,647 Pakistanis will perform Haj this year — half of them under the regular scheme and the remaining through private group operators.

Under the Haj policy for the current year, the expense for pilgrims boarding flights in Karachi and Quetta will be Rs2,26,000 and for those travelling from other airports in the country Rs238,000.

Main commercial banks, NBP, UBL, MCBL, HBL and ABL will receive applications under the regular (government sponsored) scheme from June 10 to 25. There will be balloting if there are more applications than the number envisaged in the policy.

The Saudi Ministry of Haj has stated that only those private tour operators who have the business previously will get the quota, whereas the government has sought the addition of a few new companies on the directives of the Supreme Court.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/159,600-pakistanis-to-perform-haj-this-year-460

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Four killed for ‘honour’ in Balochistan

June 04, 2010

QUETTA: Four people, including two women, were killed in two separate incidents of “honour killings” in Jaffarabad and Kachhi districts on Thursday. According to official sources, a man identified as Mahmood opened fire on his sister-in-law Sakina and Barkat Ali, in the Chatan Pati police precincts. Both the victims passed away instantly and the police have arrested the suspect. Separately, in another incident at Haji Shahr area in Kachhi, a man and his sons shot dead his daughter Sadaf and Jewan Khan for allegedly having “illicit relations”. Police has registered a case and started investigations. Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Quetta a man was shot dead near Bhosa Mandi at Eastern Bypass. The assailants managed to escape from the scene. The victim Shahbaz Khan was taken to Government Sandman Hospital for a post mortem. Later the body was handed over to relatives for burial. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\04\story_4-6-2010_pg7_8

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JI urges Muslim states to boycott Israel

June 04, 2010

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hasan on Thursday urged the Muslim states to boycott Israel in all fields and start an immediate relief move for Gaza Strip via the Rafah border between Egypt and Palestine.

Presiding over a high-level meeting of the party held at Mansoora, the JI chief called the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla an insult to humanity and international laws, saying that the Muslim countries should not let Israel go unpunished.

Munawar, however, said that the attack could have been averted had Egypt not blocked the Rafah border with Palestine.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\04\story_4-6-2010_pg7_20

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Differences remain at Afghan peace conference

By KATHY GANNON & AMIR SHAH

Jun 4, 2010

KABUL, Afghanistan: Hundreds of Afghan leaders held hours of talks Thursday on ways to end the insurgency wracking their country, but remained divided over whether to reach out to Taleban leaders and a host of other issues.

Discussions meant to guide President Hamid Karzai's next steps toward ending nearly nine years of war ranged from strengthening Islamic law to the role of the United Nations and the tens of thousands of NATO forces in the country, delegates told The Associated Press.

Ethnic and political fissures opened up in committee sessions held Thursday, the second day of the peace conference, or jirga, which is to end Friday.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/world/article60959.ece

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Students launch campaign for rights

Jun 4, 2010

JEDDAH: A number of Saudi male and female school and university students have launched a Facebook campaign calling for the protection of their rights and have received support from around 2,000 people, including teachers, academics, lawyers and journalists, Al-Madinah newspaper reported.

“This is a normal reaction to the violence and aggression faced by students from teachers. We have grown up and demand that our rights are protected and preserved,” said one of the campaign’s 45 organizers, Hanan Ali Al-Qarni, a pharmacy student at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.

Al-Qarni added that the students will forward their demands to the Ministry of Education and the National Society for Human Rights, especially since many people have pledged their support.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article61010.ece

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South Sudan army clash with militia, nine dead

Jun 4, 2010

KHARTOUM: South Sudan's army said on Thursday it had clashed with a militia leader, killing eight of his men, and promised capture him dead or alive, the latest battle in the oil-producing region since April's elections.

Under a 2005 north-south peace deal ending Africa's longest civil war, southerners will vote in a plebiscite on independence in seven months, but the semi-autonomous region has accused the north of arming militias to destabilise it ahead of the vote, which most analysts believe will result in secession.

"Yesterday we ambushed the forces of Galwak Gai ... and we killed eight of his men and we captured 13," south Sudan's army (SPLA) spokesman Kuol Diem Kuol said on Thursday. "They killed one from our side and two were wounded."

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article60854.ece

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Returning soldiers get hero’s welcome in Abha, Khamis Mushayt

By HAYAT AL-GHAMDI

Jun 4, 20108

ABHA: Soldiers returning from the Kingdom’s southern borders where fierce battles took place between Saudi forces and Houthis who had tried to infiltrate into the Kingdom late last year were given hero’s welcomes by residents of the southern cities of Abha and Khamis Mushayt on Thursday.

Crowds of people assembled in Ras Aqabat Dhilie, a crossroad between Asir and Jazan, to cheer the returning soldiers. A source at Asir Governorate told Arab News that the reception was spontaneous and that members of the public expressed their happiness at the soldiers’ return and victory.

Soldiers held high the Kingdom's flag, raised victory signs and shouted slogans expressing their readiness to defend the Kingdom. The returning soldiers were from the 10th and 18th brigades.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article61008.ece

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Facebook to remove offensive contents

Jun 04, 2010

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has started the process of unblocking Facebook, as the website authorities have agreed to remove offensive contents.

BTRC Chairman Zia Ahmed informed BBC Bangla Service of this development after receiving feedback from the social networking site.

“I look forward to learn more about your local standards and work together to promote safe use of Facebook in Bangladesh,” said Joe Sullivan, chief security officer of Facebook.

Sullivan, in a mail to BTRC, also said, “My team is responsible for managing law enforcement relations on Facebook and promoting a safe experience on the site for our users.”

He added, “I can be your main point of contact as we work through and establish detailed processes for removing troubling content in the future.”

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=141313

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Father dies after stalking of daughter

Jun 04, 2010

The father of a stalked girl died of heart attack being overwhelmed with the fear that media attention would make it very difficult for him to marry her off.

Saiful Islam Munna, a resident of Jaleshwaritola in Bogra town, died outside Jaleshwaritola police camp moments after pleading to newsmen not to run the story of his daughter being stalked.

Around 3:00pm yesterday Munna handed over to police stalker Shamim Ahmed. He had apprehended Shamim with the help of relatives when Shamim was stalking his daughter Shila, a class-VIII student of Bogra Government Girls' High School.

Hearing the news, journalists rushed to the police camp and began taking pictures of Shamim and collecting information for their report.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=141307

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North Yemen clash kills four, threatening truce

4 June 2010

SANAA - Four people were killed in a gun battle between northern Shia rebels and religious rivals on Thursday, Yemen’s Interior Ministry said, in violence that could strain the region’s uneasy four-month truce.

Yemen’s government agreed a truce in February with the northern Houthi rebels to halt a war that has raged on and off since 2004 and displaced 250,000 people.

The ceasefire has largely held but instability still threatens a country neighbouring top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, which was briefly drawn into the war last year when rebels seized Saudi border areas.

In a statement on its website, the Interior Ministry said Houthi rebels in their stronghold Saada region had tried to stop members of a rival Shia group of the same Zaidi sect from distributing competing statements from local Shi’ite scholars.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June163.xml

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Number of illegal workers in Bahrain declines

4 June 2010

 MANAMA — The number of illegal workers in Bahrain dropped by 5,000 in the last three months. The number of runaway expatriates stood at 48,000 in February which declined to 43,000 by the end of May.

The drop in the numbers was achieved as a result of concerted efforts by members of a national committee formed to oversee and address the issue of illegal residents and employment of such individuals in the kingdom

CEO of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Ali Radhi, attributed the drop to an easy exist campaign launched on May 25.

The campaign allows workers who overstayed in Bahrain and those who ran away from their sponsors with expired work permits to leave Bahrain after paying a BD25 fine.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/2010/June/middleeast_June148.xml

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8 Afghan civilians killed in fighting, bombing

4 June 2010

 KABUL, Afghanistan - A clash between Afghan forces and Taliban militants left four civilians dead in a southern district where a major NATO operation early this year was meant to reassert government control, a provincial official said Thursday.

Also, a roadside bombing in the same province killed four other civilians.

The clash happened early Wednesday after militants fired on an Afghan forces patrol in Marjah district, sparking a gunbattle, Helmand provincial spokesman Daoud Ahmadi said. The civilians — three men and one woman — were killed when a rocket hit a house, he said.

No security forces were hurt, Ahmadi added. It was not clear if there were any militant casualties.

Four other civilians — two men and two young boys — were killed when their motorbike hit a roadside bomb in Helmand’s Nawzad district on Wednesday afternoon, he said.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/June/international_June137.xml&section=international&col=

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Meet On Muslim Women's Literacy

4 June 2010

The convention will aim at eradicating illiteracy among Muslim women, and also at instilling values according to Quran and Hadeeth.

3rd Jun, 2010: The Jamiatul Mominath, an Islamic seminary dedicated to imparting knowledge to Muslim women, will organise a 2-day convention in the state on June 5 and 6.

Jamiatul Mominath reception committee president Syed Shah Noor-ul-Haq Quadri said that the program is aimed at creating awareness on education among women of the country, educating them on the advantages of adult education and the losses they will incur on dropping out of school.

Noor-ul-Haq Quadri said that the convention will aim at eradicating illiteracy, particularly among Muslim women, and also at instilling values according to Quran and Hadeeth.

Full report at:

http://www.fullhyderabad.com/hyderabad-news/meet-to-create-awareness-on-muslim-womens-literacy-from-june-5-745

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Gaza flotilla: Turkey threat to Israel ties over raid

4 June 2010

Turkey has warned it may reduce economic and defence ties with Israel following the deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla.

Deputy PM Bulent Arinc said Ankara was "assessing deals with Israel", once its close ally.

Nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli troops clashed with passengers on a ship trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza on Monday.

Another aid ship - the Rachel Corrie - is on its way to the Hamas-run enclave.

Israel has been widely criticised over the raid, which took place in international waters.

There are conflicting reports as to what happened - the activists say they were attacked, while Israel says its commandos were beaten, stabbed and shot at first.

Israel says it will not allow the ships to dock at Gaza, fearing the cargo might contain weapons and other items it wants to prevent reaching Hamas.

Full report at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/10236884.stm

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Pakistan terror attack probe links Sarkozy to corruption

Jun 4, 2010

PARIS: A broad investigation into a 2002 terrorist attack in Pakistan that killed 11 French naval engineers has linked French president Nicolas Sarkozy to a complex kickback affair.

As a result, the lawyer representing the families of the victims of that suicide bombing in Karachi has demanded Sarkozy's resignation.

"We consider that Sarkozy lied to the families when he met with them," Olivier Morice said. "The families are indignant. We think this was a state lie. Sarkozy must therefore resign".

Morice based his demand on the fact that the judges investigating the May 8, 2002 attack believe it was not part of Al Qaeda's terror war against the West, but rather the result of political infighting among French right-wing politicians, in which Sarkozy apparently played a major role.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Pakistan-terror-attack-probe-links-Sarkozy-to-corruption/articleshow/6011729.cms

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/indian-mujahideen-declared-terror-outfit/d/2949


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