5,000 Malaysian Muslims Rally to Defend Religion
Gaddafi Put on Display in Shopping Plaza Freezer
Kashmiri women yearn for peace, economic stability
Taslima Nasreen degrades Muslim women on Twitter
‘Marriage of Minor Muslim Girls Should be Abolished’
Pak 'confident' India voted for it in UN election
Turkey keeps up military strikes on Kurdish rebels
Islamic scholar al-Qaradawi expects Al-Assad and Saleh to meet Gaddafi's fate
Gaddafi’s killing breached Geneva Conventions: Russian FM
Libya, Iraq remind of renewed US leadership'
Obama announces total Iraq troop withdrawal
Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz dies after long illness
Libyan liberation likely to be declared on Sunday
Libya: Muammar Gaddafi's body to undergo post-mortem
Muammar Gaddafi family demands body, Nato ends Libya war
Mystery surrounds Gaddafi's end
UN Council calls on Saleh to transfer power
Taliban regrouping in Balochistan, say intelligence reports
Hillary’s clean chit to ISI
Iraq rejects US request to maintain bases after troop withdrawal
Jordan’s king urges restart of Mideast peace talks
Expatriate labour recruitment guidelines endorsed by GCC
Clashes Erupt in Yemen's Capital
Islamists in Somalia Strike at African Troops
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/5,000-malaysian-muslims-rally-defend/d/5747
--------
5,000 Malaysian Muslims Rally to Defend Religion
English.news.cn
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- About 5,000 Malaysian Muslims rallied at a stadium near Kuala Lumpur on Saturday in a move to defend their religion and protest against what they saw as a trend of proselytization among Muslims in the country.
They were also pressing for new laws to penalize those who try to convert Muslims.
The turnout at the rally, organised by 25 non-governmental groups, was short of the one million that organizers had expected.
The event was peaceful, with religious hymn recitals and speeches by clergies taking the centre stage.
"Muslims have to be more united and I am here to support the call for us to be protected from attempts of proselytism but I am not opposing other religions," said one of the attendees, Zamzuri Abdul Rahman.
Religion is a very sensitive issue in Malaysia because of its multiracial background.
Some believed Saturday's rally was sparked by a controversial raid by the Selangor state religious authorities at a dinner in a church where Muslims attended.
Organizers of the rally said they are concerned about the trend of apostasy among Muslims.
"We are co-existing with people of other faith and religion and we want to convey a message that we don't want to be intruded. We want people to understand that there is an agreement in the constitution that you cannot spread religious teachings other than Islam to the Muslims," Mohammad Azmi Abdul Hamin, lead organizer of rally told reporters.
Early last year, a high court's judgment to allow a Malay- language edition of a Catholic publication to use the word "Allah" in reference to the Christian God outraged many among the Muslim community who insisted the word is exclusive to Islam.
Several churches were vandalized.
60 percent of Malaysia's 28 million population are Muslims, followed by 19 percent of Buddhists, 9 percent Christians and 6 percent of Hindu and other Chinese religions.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-10/22/c_131206804.htm
-------
Gaddafi Put on Display in Shopping Plaza Freezer
Oct 22 2011,
Misrata:
The body of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is seen inside a storage freezer in Misrata. (Reuters)
Muammar Gaddafi's blood-streaked body was on display in a commercial freezer at a shopping centre as Libyan authorities argued about what to do with his remains and questions deepened over official accounts of the long-time dictator's death.
Also Friday, new video emerged of his violent, chaotic last moments, showing fighters beating him as they drag him away.
Nearly every aspect of Thursday's killing of Gaddafi was mired in confusion, a sign of the difficulties ahead for Libya. Its new rulers are disorganized, its people embittered and divided. But the ruling National Transitional Council said it would declare the country's liberation on Saturday, the starting point for a timetable that calls for a new interim government within a month and elections within eight months.
The top U.N. rights chief raised concerns that Gaddafi may have been shot to death after being captured alive. The fate of his body seemed tied up in squabbles among Libya's factions, as fighters from Misrata – a city brutally besieged by Gaddafi's forces during the civil war – seemed to claim ownership of it, forcing the delay of a planned burial Friday.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gaddafi-put-on-display-in-shopping-plaza-freezer/864019/
--------
Kashmiri women yearn for peace, economic stability
22. 10 2011
In 2007, women of AJK shared mutual concerns over the increasing socio-economic instability, deteriorating economic conditions and atrocities being inflicted upon the women of IHK. – AFP Photo
ISLAMABAD: Women of Jammu and Kashmir from both the sides of the Line of Control (LoC) expressed their desire for peace, security and economic stability in the region and demanded an immediate end to the protracted conflict.
The women during a two-day intra-Kashmir conference held at Gulmarg demanded their participation in all the peace-building initiatives and peace negotiations on Kashmir.
They demanded of the governments of India and Pakistan to simplify the procedures of trade, communication and travel across the LoC by opening other trade and travel routes like Kargil-Skardu, Chamb-Bhimbar and Leh-Khaplu.
They said that the ceasefire should be respected with immediate halt to violations. They also demanded resolution of all the outstanding issues like landmine, release and return of stray crossers and urged that all the civilian areas should be de-militarised and the Draconian acts like AFSPA and PSA should be repealed.
They also demanded an end to human rights abuses and violations; women representation in legislative assemblies, councils, local bodies, autonomous and independent state institutions to monitor and report gender-based issues; establishment of legal aid committees and village helpline by the state to immediately address issues of half-widows and sexual assault; coverage of state compensation under civil law; people-friendly police reforms; student and faculty exchange programmes across the LoC; and increase in women’s access to micro-financing schemes.
According to Mrs N Malik, Coordinator of Conference from AJK, the second intra-Kashmir dialogue could not take place in AJK due to strained India-Pakistan relations after the Bombay blasts. However, after four years, the conference was held at Gulmarg which was jointly organised by the Center for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) and Women for Peace, an indigenous Srinagar-based NGO with the financial assistance of EU.
The theme of the two-day dialogue was, ‘Women Roles in Society: Issues of Mutual Concern.’ The participants discussed women’s roles in peace-building, policy-making and socio-economic and legal issues in women’s empowerment. The women speakers from both the sides of LOC presented their papers and finally recommendations were finalised by the working groups, says Mrs Mailk.
A delegation of 15 women including educationists, medical practitioners, social workers, lawyers, retired and serving government servants, entrepreneurs, students and housewives from AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan attended the conference. Some 40 participants from all the regions of Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir and Ladak attended the conference.
In 2007, women of AJK representing cross section of the civil society made an informal group and shared mutual concerns over the increasing socio-economic instability, deteriorating economic conditions and atrocities being inflicted upon the women of IHK.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/22/kashmiri-women-yearn-for-peace-economic-stability-2.html
-------
Taslima Nasreen degrades Muslim women on Twitter
Manas Sen Gupta
P 22 Oct 2011
Mumbai: Taslima Nasreen is one name the Islamic world will not forget easily. If she invited the ire of Muslims through her controversial book 'Lajja', she is again on the radar for her comments on Muslim women.
The exiled Bangladeshi writer wrote on her twitter page: "Muslim women deserve to have sex with 72 virgin men on the earth as they won't get these things in heaven. (sic.)"
Her tweet immediately fired a barrage of comments. Some even hinting that she is courting another controversy.
In all respects, her comment is uncalled for and utterly despicable for a writer of her caliber.
http://www.pardaphash.com/news/taslima-nasreen-degrades-muslim-women-on-twitter/682154.html
-------
‘Marriage of Minor Muslim Girls Should be Abolished’
12 October 2011
KOLKATA,
OCT: The state minister for inland and waterways, Mr Haider Ali Safwi,
today said marriage of minor Muslim girls should be abolished.
He was speaking at a conference organised by Sara Bangla Muslim Marriage Registrar and Quazi Society this morning. He said many Muslim girls are illiterate and their parents
force them to marry before they become adults.
He said there is a need to provide education to all Muslim girls. It was often found that most Muslim men marry
four women without any reason. The Quazis perform their marriage without
inquiring the reason for marrying so many girls.
Mr Safwi said if any Muslim man wants to marry twice, it is the responsibility of the Quazis to ask them about the reason for such marriage.
However, members of the organisation claimed that they have seen many cases where the Muslim Marriage Registration Act was amended according to their own whims and fancies and it cannot be tolerated. They had given a deputation to the state government urging it to look into the matter. They also claimed that the state government should take
action against the fake Quazis who are giving permission for such marriages.
They also claimed that more minorities should be inducted into government
services.
http://thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=386303&catid=42
-------
Pak 'confident' India voted for it in UN election
Press Trust Of India
United Nations, October 22, 2011
Pakistan, which has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for a two-year term, has voiced "absolute confidence" that India voted in its favour and said it appreciates the gesture. Islamabad, which was elected on Friday along with Morocco, Guatemala and Togo for
a term beginning on January 1, 2012, had voted for India to be included in the 10-nation non-permanent club last year. New Delhi began its two-year tenure in January this year.
"I am very grateful to him (India's permanent representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri) and I would like to appreciate the reciprocation of India to Pakistan. This will help in getting a lot of things moving forward," Pakistan's envoy to the UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon told PTI.
"I have absolute confidence that India voted for us," he later told reporters.
The voting is done through secret ballot.
Pakistan, which won 129 votes in the 193 member UN General Assembly, was vying for a seat against Kyrgyzstan in the Asia pacific category. There were no abstention.
Puri, who is currently in India, congratulated Haroon over the phone after the election result was declared.
Haroon said Puri and he has a "good working relationship for quite some time now. You have seen that the usual tendencies have not erupted between us and that is a good factor.
"I would say that perhaps both of us have been beneficial in starting dialogue between the two countries and we have gone far and I believe we will go much further."
He said that Pakistan will be working well with all of the other Council members, "especially India."
Full Report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Europe/Pak-confident-India-voted-for-it-in-UN-election/Article1-760212.aspx
-------
Turkey keeps up military strikes on Kurdish rebels
Oct 22, 2011,
CIZRE: Turkey on Saturday kept up a major offensive against Kurdish rebels on its border and in northern Iraq on the third day of operations after rebel attacks killed 24 Turkish soldiers.
The military activity continued on both sides of the border, said an AFP photographer in the southeastern town of Cizre, less than 40 miles (70 kilometres) from the Iraqi frontier. Local residents saw a convoy of 43 military trucks returning from the north of Iraq where members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are holed up, he added. The operation was continuing in Kazan valley in Hakkari province in the southeast, private NTV television reported.
Turkish helicopters dropped commando units and several Kurdish rebels were killed in clashes, it added. Fifty-three rebels were killed since the operations began in the Kazan valley, the daily Hurriyet reported on its website, quoting unidentified sources as saying that the toll could increase. More than 30 of the rebels were killed on Saturday, it added. The toll was not verified by officials. PKK guerrillas last Wednesday killed 24 soldiers and wounded 18 in the mainly Kurdish southeast along the Iraqi border, the army's biggest losses since 1993.
Full Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Turkey-keeps-up-military-strikes-on-Kurdish-rebels/articleshow/10454436.cms
------
Islamic scholar al-Qaradawi expects Al-Assad and Saleh to meet Gaddafi's fate
Ahram Online, Friday 21 Oct 2011
For Iraqis, Gaddafi death evokes Saddam memories
The widely venerated Islamic scholar, Youssef al-Qaradawi, expects the autocratic presidents of Syria and Yemen, Bashar Al-Assad and Ali Abdullah Saleh respectively, to meet the same horrific fate as ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi was killed on Thursday when Libyan fighters, whom he had scorned as "rats" in the early days of the revolution, overran his last redoubt in his hometown of Sirte.
Commenting on the incident in Qatar during his Friday’s prayers sermon, al-Qaradawi said Gaddafi had perceived himself as more of a God than a man, that is why he was doomed. The eminent cleric speculated that Al-Assad and Saleh, whose people have been demonstrating against them for months, will both be killed in a similar manner.
“This is what I said would happen months ago, and it eventually became reality,” al-Qaradawi was quoted as saying. “Anyone who fired bullets at his own people must die. The tyrants of Yemen and Syria will soon be dead too.”
Al-Assad and Saleh have ordered their respective security forces to use live ammunition and even heavy artillery against protesters to end the revolutions in their countries.
However, they only turned up the heat, with revolutionaries in both countries becoming more determined to bring them down.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/24745/World/Region/Islamic-scholar-alQaradawi-expects-AlAssad-and-Sal.aspx
------
Gaddafi’s killing breached Geneva Conventions: Russian FM
October 22, 2011
By News Desk
Moscow, Oct 22 (ANI): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the Geneva Conventions had been breached with the killing of former Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
“We have to lean on facts and international laws. They say that a captured participant of an armed conflict should be treated in a certain way. And in any case, a prisoner of war should not be killed,” The Independent quoted Lavrov, as saying.
Russia has been critical of NATO military action in Libya, saying that it has gone well beyond the stated mission of saving civilian lives. The main concern for Moscow now is whether the new Libyan authorities will honour contracts signed by the Gaddafi regime.
It is also concerned about the oil and arms trade, as Russian Railways had secured a two billion dollars contract to construct a railway line between Sirte and Benghazi.
Moscow recognised the National Transitional Council as the official government of Libya last month and said it expected all existing contracts to be honoured. (ANI)
http://truthdive.com/2011/10/22/Gaddafi-s-killing-breached-Geneva-Conventions-Russian-FM.html
-------
Libya, Iraq remind of renewed US leadership'
Agence France-Presse
Washington, October 22, 2011
US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that his decision to pull all US troops out of Iraq by the end of the year and the death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were reminders of "renewed" US leadership in the world.
"This week, we had two powerful reminders of how
we've renewed American leadership in the world," Obama said in his weekly radio and internet address.
"I was proud to announce that -- as promised -- the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of this year, " he explained.
"And in Libya, the death of Muammar Gaddafi showed that our role in protecting the Libyan people, and helping them break free from a tyrant, was the right thing to do."
Gaddafi, who lorded over the oil-rich North African nation for 42 years, met a violent end on Thursday after a Nato air attack hit a convoy, in which he was trying to escape from his hometown of Sirte.
He survived the air strike but was apparently captured and killed after a shootout between his supporters and new regime fighters.
Obama said that without putting a single US service member on the ground, "we achieved our objectives" in Libya.
"Soon, our Nato mission will come to a successful end even as we continue to support the Libyan people, and people across the Arab world, who seek a democratic future," he added.
On Friday, the president also announced that all American troops will leave Iraq by the end of the year, ending a long war which cleaved deep political divides and estranged the United States from its allies.
The decision came after Iraq failed to agree to legal immunity for a small residual force that Washington had hoped to keep in the country to train the army and counter the influence of neighboring Iran, officials said.
"Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, the Iraqi people have the chance to forge their own future," Obama noted in his address.
The president argued that after these foreign policy successes, Americans should now turn their attention to challenges at home, revitalizing the economy and creating new jobs.
He urged members of Congress to work together to pass his jobs plan without delay.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Americas/Libya-Iraq-remind-of-renewed-US-leadership/Article1-760285.aspx
-------
Obama announces total Iraq troop withdrawal
22 OCTOBER 2011
President Barack Obama today declared an end to the Iraq war, one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in US history, announcing that all American troops would be withdrawn from the country by year's end.
Obama's statement put an end to months of wrangling over whether the US would maintain a force in Iraq beyond 2011.
He never mentioned the tense and ultimately fruitless negotiations with Iraq over whether to keep several thousand US forces in Iraq as a training force and a hedge against meddling from Iran or other outside forces.
Instead, Obama spoke of a promise kept, a new day for a self-reliant Iraq and a focus on building up the economy at home.
"I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year," Obama said.
"After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over."
Obama spoke after a private video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and he offered assurances that the two leaders agreed on the decision.
The US military presence in Iraq stands at just under 40,000. All US troops are to exit the country in accordance with a deal struck between the countries in 2008 when George W Bush was president.
Obama, an opponent of the war from the start, took office and accelerated the end of the conflict. In August 2010, he declared the US combat mission over.
"Over the next two months our troops in Iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home," Obama said.
"The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops."
http://dailypioneer.com/pioneer-news/top-story/15120-obama-announces-total-iraq-troop-withdrawal.html
-------
Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz dies after long illness
guardian.co.uk, 22 October 2011
Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz's death raises questions about the succession in Saudi Arabia. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP
The heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, has died, raising questions about the succession in the oil-rich kingdom and key US ally in the Middle East.
The death of the crown prince – the half-brother of the ailing Saudi King Abdullah – was announced by Saudi state TV.
Sultan, who was 85 and had been suffering from colon cancer, was the kingdom's deputy prime minister and the minister of defence and aviation. He underwent surgery in New York in February 2009 for an undisclosed illness and spent nearly a year abroad recuperating in the United States and at a palace in Agadir, Morocco.
The most likely candidate for the throne after Sultan is Prince Nayef, the powerful interior minister in charge of internal security forces. After Sultan fell ill the king gave Nayef an implicit nod in 2009 by naming him second deputy prime minister, traditionally the post of the third in line.
Full Report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/22/saudi-crown-prince-sultan-dies
-------
Libyan liberation likely to be declared on Sunday
AP
A Libyan man gestures front of a caricature of former Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi. Photo: AP
The liberation of the country is likely to be marred by questions raised worldwide about the circumstances of Qadhafi's violent killing. Recorded images suggest was found alive and taunted before being shot.
A military spokesman says Libya’s transitional government will declare liberation on Sunday after months of bloodshed that culminated in the death of long-time leader Muammar Qadhafi.
Officials from the governing National Transitional Council had said the announcement would be made on Saturday in the eastern city of Benghazi, the revolution’s birthplace.
But spokesman Abdel-Rahman Busin says preparations are under way for a Sunday ceremony. He didn't give an explanation for the delay. The declaration will allow Libya’s new rulers to move forward with efforts to transform the oil-rich nation into a democracy.
Libyan authorities are facing questions about how Qadhafi was killed after images emerged showing he was found alive and taunted and beaten by his captors.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2562233.ece
-------
Libya: Muammar Gaddafi's body to undergo post-mortem
22 October 2011
A post-mortem examination on the body of Libya's ex-leader Col Muammar Gaddafi is expected to be carried out on Saturday in the city of Misrata.
His burial has been delayed, with officials divided about what to do with the body.
The UN and Col Gaddafi's family have called for a full investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Video footage showed Col Gaddafi alive after his capture in Sirte on Thursday, and then dead a short time later.
The US has called on Libya's new authorities to give a full account of Col Gaddafi's death in an "open and transparent manner".
Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) is expected to formally announce the liberation of the country during the weekend.
Full Report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15412529
-------
Muammar Gaddafi family demands body, Nato ends Libya war
Reuters | Oct 22, 2011,
Gaddafi's blood-streaked body was on display in a commercial freezer at a shopping center in Misrata.
MISRATA (LIBYA): Nato called an end to its air war in Libya, and the clan of Muammar Gaddafi demanded a chance to bury the body that lay on display in a meat locker after a death as brutal and chaotic as his 42-year rule.
In a statement on a Syria-based pro-Gaddafi television station, the ousted dictator's family asked for the bodies of Gaddafi, his son Mo'tassim, and others who were killed on Thursday by fighters who overran his hometown Sirte.
"We call on the UN, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and Amnesty International to force the [National] Transitional Council to hand over the martyrs' bodies to our tribe in Sirte and to allow them to perform their burial ceremony in accordance with Islamic customs and rules," the statement said.
At an understated and sparsely-attended news conference late on Friday, Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Western alliance had taken a preliminary decision to call a halt to Operation Unified Protector on Oct. 31.
Full Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Gaddafi-family-demands-body-NATO-ends-Libya-war/articleshow/10452972.cms
-------
Mystery surrounds Gaddafi's end
By Gabriel Gatehouse
BBC News, Misrata
Libyans of all ages have been celebrating the death of Col Gaddafi
The carnival atmosphere in Misrata after Friday prayers had a distinctly macabre tinge, as hundreds of people flocked to peer into a giant freezer. There were men, women and children. They chanted slogans and waved Libya's new red, black and green flags.
They had come to see the body of Mutassim Gaddafi, the colonel's feared son, his head of internal security, lying naked on the floor of a refrigerated shipping container, his lower half covered by a blanket.
His upper body showed two fresh gunshot wounds - one in the chest and one in the neck.
At first, secrecy surrounded the whereabouts of the body of his father. But later, long queues formed in another residential district of the city, of people wanting to view his corpse.
"There are some Libyans who don't believe that Gaddafi is dead," said Ali Souwan. He had the former dictator laid out in his home on the night of his death.
"So people are coming to my house to see it."
More than 24 hours after their deaths, the corpses of Muammar Gaddafi and other members of his entourage still lie unburied, in contravention of Islamic tradition.
For the people of Misrata, the manner of Col Gaddafi's death matters little, nor does that of his son. What counts is that he has gone, and crucially that Libyans believe he will not be coming back.
Full Report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15412845
--------
UN Council calls on Saleh to transfer power
Press Trust Of India
United Nations, October 22, 2011
The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously passed a resolution that calls on Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down and transfer power to his deputy as it condemned human rights violations and demanded an immediate end to attacks on civilians by security forces. The
resolution, which comes a day after Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi was killed, stresses that Gulf Cooperation Council's initiative should be implemented that calls for the president to transfer power to his vice-president followed by the formation of an interim government, a new constitution and elections.
This is "essential for an inclusive, orderly and Yemeni-led process of political transition."
Condemning human rights violations and the excessive use of force by the Yemeni authorities against peaceful protesters in the country's eight-month uprising, the Security Council said all sides should quickly implement a regional plan for an orderly transition of power.
"Now is the time for government and opposition leaders to live up to their responsibilities and reach an agreement. The resolution is clear in this regard. It calls for action without further delay."
Full Report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Americas/UN-Council-calls-on-Saleh-to-transfer-power/Article1-760193.aspx
---------
Taliban regrouping in Balochistan, say intelligence reports
Khaleeq Kiani
22.10 .11
Intelligence agencies have alerted the federal government about a reorganisation of Taliban after the replacement of police with Levies force in Balochistan.—File Photo
ISLAMABAD: At least two intelligence agencies are reported to have alerted the federal government about a reorganisation of Taliban and other militant organisations in Balochistan after the replacement of police with Levies force.
Reliable sources told Dawn on Friday that in their separate reports the two agencies had requested the prime minister and the cabinet division to intervene and persuade the provincial political leadership not to waste gains achieved through conversion of B-areas into A-areas.
The crux of the reports was that the rolling back of police force in most areas had encouraged the militant outfits, including the Taliban, to re-organise themselves, taking advantage of loose policing by the Levies which did not have the required training and the will to address such challenges.
But, the sources said, the Prime Minister Secretariat was against interfering in provincial matters because it would be against the 18th Amendment which granted autonomy to provinces.
Full Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/22/taliban-regrouping-in-balochistan-say-intelligence-reports.html
--------
Hillary’s clean chit to ISI
By Iqbal Mustafa
ISLAMABAD – “Yes! We have no evidence at all that Pakistan’s ISI supported the Haqqani network for attack on the US embassy in Kabul”,
This was the crystal clear answer of the visiting US Secretary of state to a Pakistani journalist’s question that if the US had any clear evidence of ISI’s any involvement in terror attack on US Embassy in Kabul last month as she met with a group of handpicked electronic media persons of Pakistan on Friday afternoon. After giving this clean chit to Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency the ISI, Hillary Clinton also admitted that the United States held one exploratory meeting with the Haqqani network, which an official said took place before a series of massive attacks.
“In fact, the Pakistani government officials helped to facilitate such a meeting,”
A US official said Pakistan’s main spy Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate had arranged for the meeting with the militants that took place “in the summer,” before two symbolic anti-American attacks in Afghanistan.
Clinton said that “we do not see any contradiction” between fighting and talking.
“And we want more coordination between the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan for what must be, with respect to the conflict, an Afghan-led effort,” the chief US diplomat said.
“We believe that there is now an opportunity for us to begin talking, but there is no guarantee that the talking will result in anything that will move us toward a peaceful resolution,” Clinton said.
Full Report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/1011/22/FrontPage/index.php?id=1
--------
Iraq rejects US request to maintain bases after troop withdrawal
Ewen MacAskill
guardian.co.uk,
21 October 2011
Obama presented the troop withdrawal as the fulfilment of one of his election promises Link to this video
The US suffered a major diplomatic and military rebuff on Friday when Iraq finally rejected its pleas to maintain bases in the country beyond this year.
Barack Obama announced at a White House press conference that all American troops will leave Iraq by the end of December, a decision forced by the final collapse of lengthy talks between the US and the Iraqi government on the issue.
The Iraqi decision is a boost to Iran, which has close ties with many members of the Iraqi government and which had been battling against the establishment of permanent American bases.
Obama attempted to make the most of it by presenting the withdrawal as the fulfilment of one of his election promises.
"Today I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he told reporters.
But he had already announced this earlier this year, and the real significance today was in the failure of Obama, in spite of the cost to the US in dollars and deaths, to persuade the Iraqi president Nouri al-Maliki to allow one or more American bases to be kept in the country.
Obama was formally told of Maliki's final decision on Friday morning in a video conference.
Speaking later to reporters, Obama glossed over the rejection, describing it as Iraq shaping its own future.
He told reporters that the "tide of war is receding", not only in Iraq but in Afghanistan and in Libya.
Full Report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/21/iraq-rejects-us-plea-bases
------
Jordan’s king urges restart of Mideast peace talks
(AP) 22 October 2011,
“The future for the Middle East and beyond is with the normalcy of peace,” Abdullah told the opening of a two-day special meeting of the Davos-based World Economic Forum, held on the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.
He said “shortsighted leaders may think they can shut” the door to peace — a rebuke believed directed at Israel’s right-wing government. He added that a Palestinian-Israeli deal must consider Israel’s “security and acceptance” and allow for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Around 1,000 participants from 50 countries, including the United States, are attending the meeting which will discuss ways for economic development and creating jobs in the Arab world following the revolts that unseated three longtime Arab leaders.
Abdullah said one of the main factors to be considered is creating 85,000 jobs across the region soon to help alleviate poverty and improve living conditions for the youth who are leading the effort for change.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle11.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/October/middleeast_October435.xml§ion=middleeast
--------
Expatriate labour recruitment guidelines endorsed by GCC
22 October 2011
ABU DHABI - The Gulf Cooperation Council for Arab States’ (GCC) Ministers of Labour have endorsed the expatriate labour recruitment guidelines and policies, which will be submitted to the Supreme Council of the GCC to ratify them in the next summit.
The resolutions were reached at the GCC Labour Ministers’ 28th session, which concluded on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi under chairmanship of the UAE Labour Minister, Chair of the 28th session of GCC Labour Ministers’ Council Saqr Ghobash.
Present were the GCC Labour ministers of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, GCC Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Labour, senior officials, experts, researchers. The event was held at the Union Hall at Emirates Palace Hotel.
The GCC Labour Ministers thanked President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for good reception and hospitality during the event.
They expressed their admiration about the development being witnessed by the UAE under its wise leadership, wishing good health to the leadership and prosperity to UAE.
The GCC Labour Ministers appreciated the initiative of the UAE Labour Minister on holding a specialised symposium in the framework of Council’s meeting. It aimed to exchange expertise among the GCC States and reviewing the regional and international practices regarding the expatriate labour recruitment and employment to reach a unified GCC vision over the issue.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/October/theuae_October557.xml§ion=theuae&col=
-------
Clashes Erupt in Yemen's Capital
VOA News
Yemeni female protesters show their hands with colors of the pre-Gadhafi Libya, Yemen and Syria flags during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen, October 21, 2011.
Fierce clashes erupted on two fronts in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, on Saturday, a day after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution condemning the government's crackdown on dissent.
Witnesses say security forces have raided neighborhoods that are home to family members of an opposition tribal leader, Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar. They say plumes of smoke have been seen rising from several areas.
In another part of Sana'a, government forces have clashed with loyalists of Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a Yemeni general who joined the opposition.
Friday's Security Council measure was the body's first resolution on Yemen since widespread protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh began earlier this year.
It calls Yemen's use of force against protestors excessive and says "those responsible for violence, human rights violations and abuses should be held accountable."
The resolution also reaffirms support for a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative that calls for Saleh to transfer power to a deputy in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
Saleh has agreed to the plan several times, but each time, he has backed away without signing the deal.
For the past ten months, opposition activists have been demanding an end to Saleh's 33-year autocratic rule. Dozens of people have died in protest-related unrest over the past few days.
Yemen has also been plagued by violence linked to al-Qaida militants.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Clashes-Erupt-in-Yemens-Capital-132372898.html
-------
Islamists in Somalia Strike at African Troops
By SOLOMON MOORE
NAIROBI—Islamist militants struck back at African Union forces attempting to drive them from Somalia's capital, releasing grisly images Friday of some of the soldiers it said it killed in the previous day's battle.
Al Shabaab, blamed for recent abductions in Kenya and bombings in East Africa, staged an ambush Thursday, attacking AU regional peacekeeping forces moving against the militant group's last strongholds in Mogadishu, while neighboring Kenya advanced on militants in the south.
The AU ambush took place in the Deynile district on the western outskirts of the city, where al Shabaab fighters had hunkered down after being swept from the rest of the capital, AU military officers said.
The ambush is a reminder of al Shabaab's durability and military capability, even as it embarks on a new battle with Kenyan troops 70 miles outside of Kismayo, a town on Somalia's southeastern coast that military officials say is another militant stronghold.
"What I witnessed yesterday was very tragic," said Sheikh Taqwudiin Muhammad, a religious elder in Deynile and one of several witnesses reached by phone. "I saw more Burundian bodies than I can count. These foreigners don't know how to fight on this terrain, while Shabaab knows the area better and has better tactics."
Full Report at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203752604576645321243463728.html
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/5,000-malaysian-muslims-rally-defend/d/5747