Muslims help Pandits reopen temples
Pakistanis unconcerned about terrorism: Study
10 militants killed in eastern Afghanistan
Veena Malik talks down cleric on live TV debate
Pakistan province sets up Sharia court
Egypt: Militant group in Gaza behind church attack
Under attack, Deoband head says Allah won't forgive Modi
‘Religion is a guide book to live your life constructively’: Zeenat Ali
Girl from Bahawalpur ‘electrocuted’ in honour killing
Two US drone strikes kill six in North Waziristan
Liberal & forgotten, Dara Shikoh takes centre stage
Indo-Pak talks should not be held hostage to 26/11: Gilani
We will win battle for Pak: Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
Muslims want wakf mosques restored
Delhi Wakf Board is bodyless, headless
Car Bombs Kill 10 In Baghdad
Former ISI official killed in North Waziristan
Madani-Iqbal debate over pluralism
Tunisian mosques freed from former regime restrictions
12,000 police to be deployed on Arbaeen of Imam Hussain (A.S) in Lahore
Frontline state in war against terror? Pak to shake off tag
Abbas rules out unilateral declaration of independence
Sunni militia head linked to attack; Sadr back in Iran
Courage under fire as Malaysian navy foils pirates
Licence made easy! Qasab can drive too
Bound by handcuffs and a marriage vow
DEFIANT BJP STOKES J& K FLAG FRENZY
Iran talks fail, but ‘doors still open’
Gunmen attack former mayor of Hangu
Pressure mounts on Tunisian PM to quit
BJP Attacks PM Statement On Lal Chowk Flag Hoisting
Iran Open To More Nuclear Talks, Says President
Pak Rally Against Drone Strike
32 Killed As Bus, Oil Tanker Collide In Pakistan
Pak Court Adjourns 26/11 Case To Feb 4
Pak author bags 1st S Asian lit prize
Mumbai Police silent on Headley role in 26/11
Iran to P5+1: Stop following up Zionists
Imam Hussain's (A.S) Mourning Ceremonies Planned In India on Arbaeen
Production of Quran Software for Islamic Development Hailed
Loving Ahalalbayt, the conspicuous features of people in Kurdistan
Hakim: We hope to work on the Iraq Kuwait framework as soon as possible
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslims-help-pandits-reopen-temples/d/3983
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Muslims help Pandits reopen temples
NOOR-UL-QAMRAIN
Jan 23, 2011
Kashmiri Pandits who did not leave the Valley in the 1990s say that complete harmony exists between the majority Muslims and the minority Hindus. They say that they have been able to reopen many temples with the help of their Muslim neighbours. But the Pandits who migrated from the valley in the early 1990s are scared of returning home in spite of assurances from both the Jammu and Kashmir government and the separatists.
Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti, which is an organisation comprising the 2,788 Pandit families who stayed back, has not only survived but also acted as a bridge with the Muslim community. Samiti chief Sanjay Tikoo told this newspaper that they have reopened 35 temples in the valley with the help of their Muslim neighbours. He said that community contact between Pandits and Muslims was intact. According to Tikoo, the following temples have been reopened by Muslims and Pandits together in the last few years: Sheetaleshwar Bhairav Mandir, Srinagar; Puran Raj Bhairav, Sazgaripora Hawal, Srinagar; Vicharnag temple, Soura, Srinagar; Ganesh Mandir Hal, Pulwama; Shiv temple Nagabal, Shopian; Shiv Mandir, Habba Kadal, Srinagar; Soomyar temple; Habba Kadal, Srinagar; Ganesh Mandir, Pulwama; Shiv Mandir, Fateh Kadal, Srinagar; Mangleshwar Bhairav, Babademb, Srinagar; and Shiv Mandir, Karan Nagar, Srinagar. He said local Pandits were performing the rituals themselves.
Virender Kaul and his brother Rajendra, who had stayed back in Kashmir say that in their ancestral village in Damjam the temple has been reopened and some families living in the area are taking care of the rituals.
At the 5th century temple of Mamal near Pahalgam, the priest's duties are being performed by a Kashmiri Muslim for the last 22 years. He was working as a gardener initially. But before the temple priest left the valley he entrusted the work of the temple with the gardener.
"New Delhi wants Kashmiri Pandits to live in security clusters once they return. I oppose this. I want them return to their respective localities. Whoever has returned has found open arms of his Muslim neighbour to welcome him," hardline separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani told this newspaper.
But the fear remains. "Unless there is any permanent peace in Kashmir we cannot return," said Willy Kaul, an officer in the civil secretariat in Jammu.
While the J&K government has announced many packages for Kashmiri Pandits, on the ground the number of people who have returned is negligible. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that efforts were on for their return after the Supreme Court expressed its dismay over the rehabilitation process of the Pandits.
http://sunday-guardian.com/a/2459
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Pakistanis unconcerned about terrorism: Study
Jan 23, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Even though nearly 4,700 people lost their lives to terrorist activities in Pakistan in the first 10 months of 2010, the general public are now showing a remarkable lack of concern at the “curse,” a study revealed.
The study “Trail of Tragedy: A Chronology of Violence in Pakistan 2010,” carried out by a rights-based civil society organization called Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO), chronologically lists and elaborates on incidents of terrorism that took place in 2010, the Express Tribune reported Saturday.
The terror incidents include suicide attacks, bomb blasts, ambushes, target killings, casualties caused during military operations, attacks on security forces and drone attacks in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The death toll in bombings in the first 10 months of 2010 is estimated at 1,801.
Compared to the previous year, the frequency of drone attack increased, reportedly killing 544 militants.
Last year, 2,060 militants were killed in military operations. A total of 273 people were reported dead in target killings, which affected not only the tribal areas and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa but also the urban centers of Pakistan, the report said.
However, it stated: “Even though the sense of insecurity and fear has generally increased, there does not seem to be a collective concern among the general public about the curse of terrorism.”
Schools continued to be targeted by terrorists and militants have recently started targeting shrines of Sufi saints that “represent tolerance, peace and co-existence.”
Commenting on the report, SPO Chief Executive Naseer Memon said: “The destruction to the symbolic heritage of our country, especially symbols of peace, does not bode well for us. Destroying symbols of peace is an attempt by obscurantist forces to pave the way for their violent agenda.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has said the country was “at the brink of economic collapse” and that a turnaround was not possible unless peace comes to Karachi.
PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and General-Secretary Mushahid Hussain Sayed, addressing a press conference in Karachi Friday, said they had handed over to the government a five-point list of things to do.
The list was, however, “not a deadline”, they said. “We don't believe in deadlines,” Shujaat Hussain was quoted as saying by the Geo News.
“The issue of target killings is a very serious one which must be dealt with properly,” he said.
More than 60 people have lost their lives to violence in the first fortnight of 2011.
Mushahid Hussain added that corruption and target killings could be the main factors responsible for the country's economic collapse.
Shujaat Hussain said his party wanted the government to complete its five-year term and that the PML-Q does not want to derail the democratic system.
The two leaders also welcomed the tabling of the de-weaponization bill in the National Assembly by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Last year, over 1,300 people died in various incidents of target killing in Karachi, while the toll since 1986 is reported to be in excess of 10,000.
http://arabnews.com/world/article240070.ece
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10 militants killed in eastern Afghanistan
Jan 23, 2011
KABUL, Afghanistan: Three suicide attackers detonated their explosives vests during a gunbattle with Afghan and coalition forces that left 10 militants and one civilian dead Saturday in Khost province of eastern Afghanistan.
Provincial police chief Abdul Hakim Ishaqzia said the battle, which lasted several hours early Saturday morning, began after insurgents fired a rocket toward a group of Afghan and NATO forces who were preparing to go on patrol in the Sabari district.
The joint force killed 10 militants and arrested 12 others, he said.
“There were no casualties among the security forces, but one civilian was killed and two other civilians, including one woman and a child, were wounded as a result of the suicide attacks,” he said.
Weapons, a suicide vest, explosives and bomb-making equipment were found at the site.
On Friday, an Afghan woman was killed when she was struck by a coalition convoy in Herat province in western Afghanistan, NATO said. The convoy stopped and the woman was taken to medical facility, but she died of injuries she sustained in the accident, the coalition said.
http://arabnews.com/world/article240316.ece
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Veena Malik talks down cleric on live TV debate
Jan 23, 2011
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani actress castigated for appearing to cuddle with an Indian actor on a reality show lashed out at a cleric who had criticized her during a widely watched television exchange this week.
The unusual outburst, punctuated by tears, came at a sensitive time in a country where fundamentalism is spreading and liberals are increasingly afraid to express their views.
“What is your problem with me? You tell me your problem!” an angry Veena Malik asked the scholar, who accused her of insulting Islam.
Earlier this month, a liberal Pakistani governor was shot dead for opposing the country’s harsh laws against blasphemy. In the aftermath, his killer was cheered as a hero among many in the public, shocking the country’s small liberal establishment.
Veena, 26, participated recently on “Bigg Boss,” an Indian version of “Big Brother.” Clips of the show on the Internet include ones in which she appears cozy with Indian actor Ashmit Patel. Those scenes, and her involvement with a show in Pakistan’s archrival India, prompted criticism online and on the air.
“You have insulted Pakistan and Islam,” Mufti Abdul Qawi accused her on the Express TV channel talk show via a television link. The exchange first aired Friday and then again Saturday.
A furious Veena shot back, saying Qawi targeted her because she is a woman, reminding him that the Holy Qur’an admonishes men not to stare at a woman’s beauty beyond a first glance, and telling him there were bigger problems in Pakistan, including the alleged rape of children at madrasas.
During the exchange, Qawi admitted he had not seen the clips of the show but had heard about it from others.
“What does your Islam say, mufti sir?” the actress asked. “You issue edicts on the basis of hearsay.” Veena said she had read the Qur’an and she knew what lines not to cross as a Muslim as well as an entertainer in South Asia. She pointed out that she never kissed Patel, for instance.
“I am a Muslim woman, and I know my limits,” she said.
The cleric seemed unable to respond to her flood of words.
Veena’s fierce outburst sparked a barrage of comments on Twitter. While some writers said they didn’t agree with her and one called her a “porn star,” others said she was brave for standing up to the Pakistani clerical establishment, especially when such an act can mean personal danger.
Wrote one supporter: “The only way to talk to these bloody clerics is to talk down to them. Veena Malik did just that, and how. Good for her!”
http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/offbeat/article240074.ece
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Pakistan province sets up Sharia court
NADEEM SYED
Jan 23, 2011
Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province set up Darul Qaza or Sharia court in its Swat valley. Chief Minister of the province Ameer Haider Hoti billed it as a quantum leap towards full implementation of the Nizam-e-Adl (Order of Justice System) in the region.
The Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, a controversial Act approved by President Asif Ali Zardari after parliamentary approval on 13 April 2009, formally introduced Sharia law in Malakand division, which is a part of Pakistan's frontier region and has been witnessing a war on terror against Taliban in recent times.
It was the result of negotiations between the ANP-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the chief of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM). And critics saw it as a move towards ceding ground to the hardline Taliban.
Full report at:
http://sunday-guardian.com/a/2458
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Egypt: Militant group in Gaza behind church attack
By HAMZA HENDAWI
Jan 23, 2011
CAIRO: An Al-Qaeda-linked group in Gaza was behind the New Year’s Day suicide bombing that killed 21 Christians and wounded about a hundred outside a church in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, the country’s interior minister announced Sunday.
Habib Al-Adly said the shadowy, Gaza-based Army of Islam in Gaza was behind the attack, which sparked three days of Christian rioting in Cairo and several other cities. It was the deadliest attack against Christians in Egypt in more than a decade.
Security officials said an unspecified number of people have been detained in connection with the bombing but gave no more details. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information with the media.
The Army of Islam is thought to have participated in the kidnappings of Israeli soldier Sgt. Gilad Schalit in 2006 and BBC journalist Alan Johnston, who was later released.
Late last year, Israel killed three members of the Army of Islam in separate airstrikes, alleging the men had planned to attack Israeli and American targets in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
http://arabnews.com/world/article240706.ece
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Under attack, Deoband head says Allah won't forgive Modi
Jan 23, 2011
UNDER strong pressure from within the Shoora -the governing body of Dar-ul-Uloom -which elected him, after reports that he praised the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, the newly elected Mohtamim (Head) of Dar-ulUloom, Ghulam Mohammad Wastanavi, today issued a public apology in some Urdu newspapers and rejected alle gations that he gave Modi a clean chit on the 2002 riots.
Calling his remarks "greatly distorted," the Gujarat-born Wastanavi, who was elected on January 10, told The Sunday Express on his first day in Deoband today: "I cannot forgive Narendra Modi, Allah will not forgive Narendra Modi, the common man will not forgive Narendra Modi. No one can forgive Narendra Modi...We will take revenge on Modi. We will pray to Allah for this." "This humble person cannot even think of saying something that is against the dignity and traditions of Dar-ulUloom," he said, adding that if the community was hurt by his statement, "I apologise from the bottom of my heart."
Full report at: Indian Express
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‘Religion is a guide book to live your life constructively’: Zeenat Ali
Manoj R Nair
Jan 23, 2011
Dr Zeenat Shaukat Ali, professor of Islamic studies at Mumbai’s St Xavier’s College has been at the helm of a unique peace project in the city. Now over three years old, the programme included a cricket match in March 2008 between two teams of Muslim, Hindu, Christian clerics — strictly not distributed along religious lines — along with counterparts from other religions played at the Brabourne Stadium.
A year later, in June 2009, Islamic clerics spoke about the idea of the human family in Islam and the Prophet’s legacy of conflict resolution and co-existence of diverse peoples.
Early last week, Zeenat Ali, who heads the World Institute of Islamic Studies for Dialogue, Organisation of Mediation and Gender Justice (WISDOM Foundation), released Winning The Peace: A Quest, a collection of essays and commentaries by leading Islamic scholars. Some of the essays were chosen from a competition that she had organised for imams from Mumbai’s mosques. Other contributors to the book are recognised religious scholars like Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan and Rev Dr Hans Ucko, scholar, peacemaker and former member of the World Council of Churches.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/interview_religion-is-a-guide-book-to-live-your-life-
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Girl from Bahawalpur ‘electrocuted’ in honour killing
Jan 23, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Relatives of a teenage Pakistani girl have apparently electrocuted her for falling in love with a man they did not approve of, police said on Sunday.
Elders and the family of Saima Bibi, 17, decided after a meeting of a village council, or panchayat, that her punishment for shaming the family should be death, police said.
“There are signs of torture and burns on her neck, back and hands which are most probably caused by electrocution,” said the police official, Zahoor Rabbani, from Bahawalpur district in east Pakistan where the alleged killing took place. He was speaking to Reuters by telephone.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani took “serious notice” of the “the sad incident of the killing of a girl by electric current on the orders of the panchayat”, and ordered police to immediately submit a report, his office said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/23/girl-from-bahawalpur-electrocuted-in-honour-killing.html
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Two US drone strikes kill six in North Waziristan
Jan 23, 2011
MIR ALI: A pair of suspected US drone strikes in a militant stronghold in northwestern Pakistan killed six alleged militants Sunday, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
In the first drone attack, the aircraft fired two missiles at a vehicle and a house in Doga Mada Khel village in the North Waziristan tribal area, killing four suspected militants, said the intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Hours later, a drone fired two missiles at a pair of suspected foreign militants riding a motorcycle in the same village, killing them, said the officials.
The exact identities of the suspected militants who were killed were unknown, but Doga Mada Khel is controlled by fighters loyal to the powerful militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur. His group and other militants in North Waziristan regularly launch attacks against US troops in Afghanistan.
The US has stepped up its use of drone strikes to target militants in North Waziristan given the reluctance of the Pakistani army to launch an offensive in the area.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/23/us-drone-strike-%E2%80%98kills-four-militants-in-north-waziristan%E2%80%99.html
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Liberal & forgotten, Dara Shikoh takes centre stage
Jan 23, 2011
New Delhi: What if Dara had been successful Its an uncomfortable question so it’s fitting that confirmed rebel, Shahid Nadeem, should ask it. Dara, Shah Johan’s liberal eldest son, has been effaced from Pakistani educational curriculum; in India, he gets a few lines far less than his brother, Aurangzeb. But posing the question is important, he says, Dara represents a Sufi interpretation of Islam with its belief in universal love and humanism as opposed to the bigotry of Aurangzeb, Zia and the Taliban. Dara, was performed at the National School of Drama’s theatre festival, Bharat Rang Mahotsav, on Friday.
Born in Sopore, Kashmir, in 1947, Nadeem migrated to Pakistan soon after. He grew up in Lahore, attended Government College and collected a Masters degree in applied psychology from Punjab University.
Workings of the mind apart, his college days were occupied by activism. A member of the leftist student’s party in the late 1960s, he had many a violent encounter with right-wingers and, consequently, a longish rap sheet. He says, Got into trouble with military regimes, got accused of arson and treason, got thrown out of university the usual stuff.
Full report at: Times of India
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Indo-Pak talks should not be held hostage to 26/11: Gilani
Jan 23, 2011
LAHORE: The peace process between India and Pakistan should not be held hostage to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday in the run-up to a meeting between foreign secretaries of the two countries.
Gilani contended that his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh is facing public pressure for not resuming dialogue with Pakistan. "But we should not held hostage by (the Mumbai incident)," he said, during an interaction with representatives of the foreign media at his residence here.
Diplomatic efforts, both on the "back and front channels," were underway with India "to find a peaceful solution" to the dragging Kashmir issue, Gilani said without giving details.
Asked about the possibility of the resumption of the composite dialogue that was suspended by India in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, Gilani said there were "50-50 chances" of this happening.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indo-Pak-talks-should-not-be-held-hostage-to-
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We will win battle for Pak: Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
Jan 23, 2011
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri was Pakistans foreign minister for five years from 2002.In Delhi last week,he told Shobhan Saxena Pakistan is not as radicalized as people fear
Pakistans liberal elite seems to be in retreat after the assassination of Punjab governor Salman Taseer... Has the situation become as grave as that
We must make a distinction between religious issues,which are very emotive,and other issues.The blasphemy law is a very emotive issue in Pakistan and the media unfortunately misrepresented Taseers view on the law.What he said was that Asia Bibi was wrongly accused of blasphemy,that she had not committed blasphemy.But the media said Taseer was for change in the blasphemy law.The religious parties thought it a good opportunity to exploit the issue.In the 2002 elections,these parties had gained numbers in the northwestern province of Pakistan.But in the 2008 elections they fell back to their usual numbers.The 2002 gain was in the immediate aftermath of the American bombing of Pashtuns in Afghanistan.Afghanistan is a Pashtun-majority country.Pakistan is not but there are more Pashtuns in Pakistan than Afghanistan.
Full report at: Times of India
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Muslims want wakf mosques restored
MOHAMMED ANAS
Jan 23, 2011
Muslim organisations, after the demolition of the mosque in New Delhi's Jangpura, have asked the Central and Delhi governments to remove encroachments from all wakf properties, including mosques, in Delhi. 373 wakf properties in the city — 45 of them are mosques — are under illegal occupation by government agencies like Delhi Development Authority, Archaeological Survey of India, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi police, etc.
Muslim organisations like Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind, Jamaat-e-Islami, All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board and Raza Academy accuse the Congress government at the Centre and in Delhi of not removing encroachment from wakf properties. Niaz Ahmed Farooqui, the secretary, Jamiat, said that they have given an ultimatum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take quick action on Muslim reservation issue and restoration of wakf properties and if their demands remain unheeded, the Jamiat will start a jail bharo andolan (fill the prison) in a month or two.
Full report at:
http://sunday-guardian.com/a/2456
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Delhi Wakf Board is bodyless, headless
MOHAMMED ANAS
Jan 23, 2011
he Delhi Wakf Board, which is currently involved in a controversy over the demolition of a mosque in Jangpura by the Delhi Development Authority, is itself without a chairperson and a board for over a year. The board was dissolved in October 2009 and till date has not been re-constituted by the Delhi government.
The board, a statutory body governed under the Wakf Act 1995, is constituted by the Delhi government with seven members and a chairman, who is generally a Delhi MLA.
The Delhi government says that since it has been unable to find a "willing candidate" for the post of chairperson it has had to postpone the formation of the board. An aide to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit cited the pending amendment to the Wakf Act as the reason for keeping the board in limbo.
Full report at:
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Car Bombs Kill 10 In Baghdad
Jan 23, 2011
Baghdad: A flurry of morning bombs killed 10 people and wounded 34 around Baghdad on Sunday, police said, in what one Iraqi official called an attempt to undermine security ahead of a much anticipated meeting of Arab heads of state in two months.
The three-hour drumbeat of explosions began around 7 a.m. in Baghdad's rush hour at the start of the local work week. The Iraqi intelligence official said the attacks were trying to present the country as dangerous because Arab heads of state and their large retinues plan to meet in Baghdad in late March for the annual Arab League summit.
The attacks appear to be a mixture of roadside bombings, suicide bombers and car bombs.
Police said at least two car bombs exploded, apparently targeting police patrols, killing two policemen and a bystander, while two other people were killed when the offices of the government sewage department in downtown was bombed.
In the city's northern Kazimiyah suburb, another bomb exploded as a bus of Iranian pilgrims drove by, killing one and injuring nine.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/car-bombs-kill-10-baghdad-765
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Former ISI official killed in North Waziristan
Jan 23, 2011
MIRANSHAH: Former ISI official Colonel (R) Imam was killed in North Waziristan, according to sources.
According to DawnNews sources, the group responsible for his death refuse to release his body to his family.
The group has yet to identify itself to officials.
Last year in March, Colonel (R) Imam and journalist Asad Qureshi were abducted and released by an unknown militant group who called itself, Asian Tigers.
Imam, whose real name is Sultan Amir Tarar, worked alongside Afghanistan’s mujahideen to defeat the Soviet occupation.
Former inter-services intelligence officer, Khalid Khawaja was also kidnapped and later his body was found near a stream in Karam Kot with note attached saying he was with the CIA and ISI, about seven kilometres south of North Waziristan’s main town of Mirali.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/23/former-isi-official-killed-in-north-waziristan.html
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Madani-Iqbal debate over pluralism
By Khaled Ahmed
Jan 23, 2011
The writer is a director at the South Asia Free Media Association, Lahore khaled.ahmed@tribune.com.pk
Should the state be named after its majority population — Islam and Hindutva — or should it be pluralist; staying away from religion and treating all citizens equally? This debate was engaged by a Muslim cleric, Husain Ahmad Madani, after his release from a jail in Malta in 1920. The very next year, he was imprisoned by the Raj as a part of the ‘Karachi Six’, at the height of Gandhi’s first movement of civil disobedience.
Barbara Metcalfe discusses an interesting argument that developed between Madani and philosopher Allama Iqbal over the nature of the state. The paper appears in Islamic Legitimacy in a Plural Asia: Edited by Anthony Reid and Michael Gilsenan (Routledge 2007). Madani was principle of the Darul Ulum at Deoband in India, from 1927 until his death in 1957. Allama Iqbal was to be the ‘philosopher of the Pakistani state’ after 1947, although he died much earlier, in 1938.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/107579/madani-iqbal-debate-over-pluralism/
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Tunisian mosques freed from former regime restrictions
Jan 23, 2011
Imams routinely praised Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Friday prayers but a week after his dramatic downfall, his name was pointedly absent from their sermons, worshippers said.
TUNIS (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Imams routinely praised Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Friday prayers but a week after his dramatic downfall, his name was pointedly absent from their sermons, worshippers said.
Also gone were the groups of police that had always been deployed outside mosques for the weekly prayer, supposedly to safeguard against Islamist threats, they said.
"Normally the imam starts with incantations like 'may God bless our president Zine El Abidine ben Ali'," said worshipper Anas Tamallah, 26, outside the central Al-Fath mosque.
This Friday the disgraced leader had been dropped, and instead the imam opened with a prayer for the "memory of the martyrs of the revolution", he said, a reference to the victims of protests that toppled the ex-ruler.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222238
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12,000 police to be deployed on Arbaeen of Imam Hussain (A.S) in Lahore
Jan 23, 2011
More than 12,000 police will provide security cover to the participants of Arbaeen of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) in Lahore, Pakistan.
LAHORE, Pakistan (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - More than 12,000 police will provide security cover to the participants of Arbaeen of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) in Lahore, Pakistan.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Muhammad Aslam Tareen said this while presiding over a meeting of senior police officers here Thursday in which security arrangements for Arbaeen of Hazrat Imam Hussain and Data Sahab urs were reviewed.
He said that special surveillance and checking of all hotels, inns, bus and wagon stands towards any possibility of subversion and to ensure law and order on the occasion. He directed that effective arrangements for smooth flow of traffic be ensured on these occasions.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222251
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Frontline state in war against terror? Pak to shake off tag
Jan 23, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Seeking an image makeover, the Pakistan government has decided to stop referring to the country as a "frontline state in the war against terrorism" as it does not want to be perceived as the epicentre of the menace, said a media report on Friday.
"Descriptions like frontline state in war against terrorism overcast the country's positivities . Therefore, we are doing away with this phrase," a senior security official was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
The phrase is "misleading" and creates an impression that the problem of terrorism is specific to this region, something which contradicts Pakistan's position that it is a global phenomenon , the unnamed official said. "We don't want to be seen as the epicentre of terrorism anymore," the official said.
The phrase gained currency after Pakistan joined the US-led war on terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Top Pakistani leaders, including the President and the Prime Minister, frequently refer to the country as a "frontline state" in the campaign against terrorism in their public speeches.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Frontline-state-in-war-against-terror-
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Abbas rules out unilateral declaration of independence
Jan 23, 2011
RAMALLAH, West Bank: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ruled out a unilateral declaration of independence.
"At this stage there is no option to declare a Palestinian state without Israel's collaboration," Abbas said in an interview aired on Al Jazeera television on Saturday. "A Palestinian state will be established only with agreement from Israel."
Abbas said the Palestinians would continue their "political struggle for the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" and would approach the United Nations on the matter by September.
He warned that the collapse of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority could lead to a "popular uprising" or a "Palestinian revolt," but ruled out the possibility of a military conflict with Israel.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article240023.ece
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Sunni militia head linked to attack; Sadr back in Iran
Jan 23, 2011
BAGHDAD: Iraqi police arrested the local leader of a government-backed Sunni militia for planning the deadly bombings on Shiites this week, Iraqi officials said Saturday.
If the Awakening Council leader is found guilty of the charges, it would affirm widespread government doubts about integrating the Sunni fighters into the nation's security forces — despite their alliance with the US against Al-Qaeda. It could also signal that the militia's frustration about being sidelined by Iraq's Shiite-dominated government may have finally reached a boiling point.
The arrest was announced as anti-American cleric Muqtada Sadr headed back to Iran, according to two senior aides, after a brief two-week visit breaking nearly four years of self-exile.
The populist firebrand Shiite cleric, who leads a powerful political movement, left Iraq early Saturday, according to the two aides.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article240109.ece
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Courage under fire as Malaysian navy foils pirates
Jan 23, 2011
MALAYSIA’S navy captured seven Somali pirates and rescued 23 crew members on Friday after thwarting an attempt to hijack a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden, authorities said.
The Royal Malaysian Navy said its commandos injured three pirates in a fierce gun battle and rescued the crew members of the Malaysian- flagged MT Bunga Laurel early Friday, less than two hours after the assailants stormed the vessel with pistols and assault rifles.
In another successful but riskier rescue on Friday, South Korean special forces stormed a freighter in the Arabian Sea that had been hijacked a week earlier. They freed 21 crew members and killed eight Somali pirates.
The Malaysian navy sent a ship and a helicopter, which were then 22 km from the Bunga Laurel , after crew members locked themselves in a safe room and activated a distress call, it said in a statement late Friday.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Licence made easy! Qasab can drive too
By Rajat Rai
Jan 23, 2011
PAKISTANI terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab can have a hearty laugh at his prison cell in Mumbai. He has allegedly been issued a driving licence by the regional transport office ( RTO) of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district.
The licence, which purportedly also bears his photograph, reportedly lists his permanent residence in a Gorakhpur locality.
Qasab’s driving licence was supposedly procured by a TV news channel. The reporter apparently managed to get driving licences for Shah Rukh Khan and Rahul Gandhi as well.
Notwithstanding the fact that Shah Rukh Khan and Rahul Gandhi probably have little reason to apply for a licence in Gorakhpur, that the RTO allegedly lent his signature and an authentic government stamp to a document bearing a known terrorist’s name and likeness shows a callousness bordering on the obscene.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Bound by handcuffs and a marriage vow
Jan 23, 2011
Shaba weds undertrial Shoaib in Chandauli’s district court after a decade- long courtship
MARRIAGES are made in heaven. Or so they claim.
But they can be made in jails as well, as love birds Shoaib and Shaba found in the Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh.
Shoaib, an undertrial in a murder case who has been lodged in the district jail for the past seven years, came to the wedding party wearing handcuffs. But that did not deter Shaba from saying “ Qubul hai ” ( I agree) to the cleric who solemnised the marriage in the district court on Friday.
“ We tried to convince Shaba to marry somebody else. But she stood her ground and pursued her case in the court to get the permission to marry Shoaib,” said A. K. Khan, a relative of Shoaib.
Full report at: Mail Today
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DEFIANT BJP STOKES J& K FLAG FRENZY
By Poornima Joshi
Jan 23, 2011
PM says don’t score brownie points on R- Day as J& Kseals borders
PRIME MINISTER Manmohan Singh’s warning on Saturday to the BJP to not “ promote divisive agendas” on Republic Day had the opposite effect.
It fanned the party’s aggressive nationalism exhibited by its youth wing in its march with the National Flag to symbolically reassert India’s claim on Kashmir on January 26.
“ Republic Day is a solemn occasion,” the PM said on Saturday. “ It is not an event to score political points, to embarrass state and local administrations, to create situations that could lead to entirely avoidable problems, or to promote divisive agendas.” Although it was an address to the nation, it was mainly aimed at the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha ( BJYM) that was passing through Una in Himachal Pradesh in the evening to reach the Jammu & Kashmir ( J& K) border on the morning of January 25.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Iran talks fail, but ‘doors still open’
Jan 23, 2011
Istanbul : Talks meant to nudge Iran toward heeding UN Security Council demands to stop uranium enrichment collapsed Saturday, with Tehran shrugging off calls by six world powers to cease the activity that could be harnessed to make nuclear arms.
Announcing the failure of two days of negotiations, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said no new date for another meeting had been set. She blamed what the six consider unrealistic demands by Iran — an end to UN sanctions and agreement that Iran could continue to enrich - for the disappointing results.
Proposals by the six for improved UN monitoring of Iran’s nuclear activities were rejected by Tehran, as were attempts to kickstart dialogue through reviving a subset of international talks focusing on Iran shipping a limited amount of its enriched uranium in exchange for fuel for its research reactor.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iran-talks-fail-but-doors-still-open/741012/
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Gunmen attack former mayor of Hangu
Jan 23, 2011
HANGU: Gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying the former mayor of a town wracked by militancy, killing three people and wounding four others, including the mayor, police said on Sunday.
Gunmen attacked the former mayor of Hangu town, Ameer Afzal, on Sunday as he was riding in a vehicle with his relatives, said police official Gul Jamal.
Faisal’s father, nephew and driver were killed, and the mayor and three passers-by were wounded, he said.
The gunmen fled on motorcycles, but one of them was injured in a shoot-out with police and captured, said Jamal.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/23/gunmen-attack-former-mayor-of-hangu.html
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Pressure mounts on Tunisian PM to quit
Jan 23, 2011
TUNIS: Pressure was rising on Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi to quit as the main trade union targeted his transitional government and the United States called for democratic reforms to stem turmoil.
Thousands rallied in Tunis and other cities Saturday, while hundreds of protesters backed by the UGTT union launched a march on the capital from the impoverished region where an uprising began last month, ending strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s 23-year rule.
Participants at the march called their protest a “caravan of liberation”.
“The aim of this caravan is to make the government fall,” said Rabia Slimane, 40, a teacher from Menzel Bouzaiane, where the first victim of the uprising was killed by security forces last month.
The peaceful anti-government demonstrators in Tunis were joined by hundreds of police officers, some of whom briefly blocked a car carrying interim president Foued Mebazaa, the speaker of parliament.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/23/pressure-mounts-on-tunisian-pm-to-quit.html
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BJP Attacks PM Statement On Lal Chowk Flag Hoisting
Jan 23, 2011
The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of 'psychologically surrendering' to Kashmir separatists by describing the party's decision to hoist the national flag in Srinagar as 'divisive'.
Addressing media persons here, BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley said: "When two people speak in New Delhi about the segregation of the (Jammu and Kashmir) territory, it passes off as a right to free expression. But when as an assertion of India's sovereignty, the national flag is sought to be hoisted in Srinagar, it is dubbed as divisive."
Describing the Prime Minister's stand as 'unacceptable', Mr Jaitley wondered how could the hoisting of the national flag be 'divisive and provocative'.
On union finance minister Pranab Mukharjee's comparing the stalling of parliament by the opposition with the Maoists, Mr Jaitley suggested that the minister be more restrained in his utterances.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/india/bjp-attacks-pm-statement-lal-chowk-flag-hoisting-757
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Iran Open To More Nuclear Talks, Says President
Jan 23, 2011
Iran is open to holding further talks with six world powers over its nuclear programme, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday, a day after the failure of the latest round of dialogue.
Mr Ahmadinejad's remarks came after the world powers expressed disappointment over the two days of talks held in Istanbul, even as the United States and Germany voiced hopes of holding new negotiations with the Islamic republic.
"They have talked for a few rounds, but we never expected that issues would be resolved during these few sessions because of the record and mentality of the other parties," Ahmadinejad said in a speech aired live on state television from the nothern city of Rasht.
"But if the other side is determined and committed to justice, law and respect, one can hope that suitable results could be achieved in future sessions."
The talks in Istanbul on Friday and Saturday failed to yield results between Iran and the so-called P5+1 — UN Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/iran-open-more-nuclear-talks-says-president-766
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Pak Rally Against Drone Strike
Jan 23, 2011
Islamabad: A large number of tribesmen today rallied in Pakistan's volatile North Waziristan tribal region demanding an immediate halt to the US drone strikes, the second such protest in the region in three days.
Today's rally in Mir Ali, a key town in the region, coincided with two drone strikes in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan that killed seven people.
Over 2,000 tribesmen had joined a rally in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan tribal agency, on Friday.
The first drone strike today targeted a vehicle carrying suspected militants at Doga Madakhel village, killing four persons. Three more persons were killed in the second strike that targeted a motorcycle, local media reported.
Local residents said tribesmen in Mir Ali closed all markets and transport stayed off the roads to protest against the drone strikes.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/pak-rally-against-drone-strike-754
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32 Killed As Bus, Oil Tanker Collide In Pakistan
Jan 23, 2011
Thirty-two people, including 11 children, were killed and about 20 others injured when the bus they were travelling in collided with an oil tanker in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, officials said on Sunday.
The collision late last night near Hyderabad city triggered a massive fire as the tanker was loaded with around 40,000 litres of fuel.
Reports said the bus rammed into the back of the oil tanker parked by the highway after the driver apparently fell asleep.
About 50 people, including women and children, were in the bus, regional police officer Muhammad Farooq said at the accident site.
"The driver lost control of the bus and hit an oil tanker from the back side. 32 people have been killed and several others injured," Farooq told reporters.
"There are women and children among the dead. Some dead bodies are beyond recognition," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/32-killed-bus-oil-tanker-collide-pakistan-750
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Pak Court Adjourns 26/11 Case To Feb 4
Jan 23, 2011
Islamabad: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court today adjourned to February four the trial of LeT's Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects in the Mumbai attack case after prosecutors sought more time in the wake of a related petition before a High Court which is yet to decide the matter.
Prosecutors sought more time from judge Rana Nisar Ahmed of the Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court so that the Lahore High Court could decide on the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA's) petition seeking a direction for Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai attacks, and Fahim Ansari to be declared proclaimed offenders or fugitives, sources said.
Ansari was accused of surveying the places to be targeted during the 26/11 terror strikes and passing maps to his Pakistani handlers.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/pak-court-adjourns-2611-case-feb-4-592
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Pak author bags 1st S Asian lit prize
Shalini Umachandran
Jan 23, 2011
Jaipur: You can usually spot a winner from the way he walks,and more importantly from the way people around him treat him.Even before the first $50,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2011 was announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival here on Saturday evening,it was obvious H M Naqvi had it in the bag.It was there to see in the smiles of the directors of DSC Limited,the company that instituted the prize,and in host Kabir Bedis hug,when the Karachi-based author strode onto stage to read from his debut novel,Home Boy,about three young Pakistanis in the US after 9/11.
I feel wonderful to have won this prize,especially since Home Boy was written at a time when I was destitute, said Naqvi,36,after the ceremony. I started the book in 2003 and completed it in 2007.During that time,I only made $11,000 net of taxes,teaching creative writing at Boston University.There was always an overdraft at the end of the month, he said.
Full report at: Times of India
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Mumbai Police silent on Headley role in 26/11
Jan 23, 2011
MUMBAI: If Mumbai Police is to be believed, American-born terrorist David Headley, who has confessed to conducting a recce of all 26/11 targets in the city, may have played no role in the carnage.
The assessment by the Mumbai Police is reflected in its appeal before the Bombay high court in which its elite crime branch is silent on the role of the Pakistan-origin LeT terrorist while contesting the acquittal of Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin in the November 26, 2008 attack that left 166 people dead.
While the home ministry burnt midnight oil over getting access to Headley after his role in the brazen attack emerged, the focus of Mumbai Police through its special public prosecutor Ujjwal D Nikam was that the terrorists intruded into the country's financial capital with the help of hand-written maps drawn by Ansari.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-Police-silent-on-Headley-role-in-
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Iran to P5+1: Stop following up Zionists
Jan 23, 2011
A day after multifaceted talks between Iran and the P5+1, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad advises the six major world powers to stop following up the path of Israel.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A day after multifaceted talks between Iran and the P5+1, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad advises the six major world powers to stop following up the path of Israel.
Addressing thousands of enthusiastic people in the northern city of Rasht on Sunday, the Iranian president said certain arrogant Western powers, including the US, are not interested in resolving issues with Iran.
He added that Iran repeats to the officials of the P5+1 (Russia, China, France, Britain and the US plus Germany) to get rid of pressure by certain "narrow minded" Zionist individuals “if you wants talks to bear fruit.”
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222276
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Imam Hussain's (A.S) Mourning Ceremonies Planned In India on Arbaeen
Jan 23, 2011
On the occasion of Arbaeen, mourning processions are planned to be held this Tuesday, January 25, in different Indian cities.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - On the occasion of Arbaeen, mourning processions are planned to be held this Tuesday, January 25, in different Indian cities.
Arbaeen marks the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his faithful companions in the battle of Karbala.
Mourners will be carrying placards and banners featuring Ya Aba Abdillah Al Hussein (AS) and Ya Sayyid al-Shuhada (AS).
They will then gather in Husseiniya centers where Shia clerics give speeches about the life and character of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions.
Mourning ceremonies will also be held on Monday, January 24, in different cities with the presence of Shia Muslims as well as Hindus who are devoted to Imam Hussein (AS).
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222263
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Production of Quran Software for Islamic Development Hailed
Jan 23, 2011
Designing and producing Quranic software is a good means of disseminating Islam,a Ugandan Quran researcher says.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Hojat-ol-Islam Yusef Makanga told that the Islamic Republic of Iran has made significant contributions to the field of computer research of Islamic sciences which have facilitated undertaking Quranic and Islamic studies.
Referring to the activities of the Noor Computer research Center of Islamic sciences, head of Uganda’s Imam Sadegh (AS) seminary noted that the center is fully equipped with the latest technology and provides Muslims with software on Islamic subjects.”
“At present, information dissemination needs a special attention and can pave the way for introducing Islamic activities to the world.”
He also regarded media a proper source for introducing Quranic software adding that every effort needs to be made in order for making the whole world familiar with the principles of Islam.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222259
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Loving Ahalalbayt, the conspicuous features of people in Kurdistan
Jan 23, 2011
“Loving Ahalalbayt is one of the most conspicuous features of people in Kurdistan,” said the Supreme leader’s Head Office, Hojjatol Islam Mohammadi Golpaygani.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - “One of the of the most conspicuous features of people in Kurdistan is their love for Ahlalbayt [the household of prophet Mohammad],” said Hojjatol Islam Mohammad Mohammadi Golpaygani in an introduction ceremony of the Supreme Leader’s deputy in Kurdistan.
“Working at the service of people in Kurdistan is so worthful for authorities and managers, “Hojjatol Islam Mohammad Mohammadi Golpaygani underlined.
He expressed,” Many of people in this region are Sadat ,Descendants of Ahlalbayt, and their deep faith to Islamic rules can be paradigm for other people.”
“Kurdistan scarified 80 martyrs to the Islamic revolution” Hojjatol Islam Mohammad Mohammadi Golpaygani expressed and underscored,” scholars and elites always suffered a lot for disseminating the Islamic rules and concepts and sacrificed many things in this way.”
He appreciated Hojjatol Islam Seyyed Mussa Musavi as the supreme leaders’ former deputy in Kurdistan during these 30 years and asked Hojjatol Islam Mohammadi Shahrudi to do his best in this new post.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222254
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Hakim: We hope to work on the Iraq Kuwait framework as soon as possible
Jan 23, 2011
President of the Islamic Supreme Council of Ammar al-Hakim that the convening of the Arab Summit in Baghdad at the end of next March was “an important message launched by the Arab brothers to support and entrusting the ongoing political process in Iraq.”
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - President of the Islamic Supreme Council of Ammar al-Hakim that the convening of the Arab Summit in Baghdad at the end of next March was “an important message launched by the Arab brothers to support and entrusting the ongoing political process in Iraq.”
He said in a statement during his visit to the city of Karbala yesterday: “The Arab summit held in Baghdad at the end of March is an important message launched by the Arab brothers to support and entrusting the ongoing political process in Iraq and the increasing openness of the Iraqi reality.”
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222252
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslims-help-pandits-reopen-temples/d/3983