Afghan Couple Find Idyllic Hideout in Mountains, But Not For Long
New Age Islam News Bureau
22
Apr 2014
Afghani Zakia and Mohammad Ali are fleeing threats of arrest and death in Afghanistan as a result of their marriage, which crosses cultural boundaries.
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South Asia
• Afghan Couple Find Idyllic Hideout in Mountains, But Not For Long
• 12 Taliban militants killed, 9 others injured in Afghan operations
• Bangladesh IGP: Terrorism and militancy under control
• 120 Bangladeshis leave for Malaysia
• Afghan campaign worker shot dead outside his home
Africa
• Tunisians say 'no' to Sharia and set an example for the region
• French troops in Central African Republic escort Muslims to safety
• Tunisia begins efforts to launch national dialogue in Libya
• Libya body charged with drawing up charter starts work
• Islamists kill second Somali lawmaker, threaten more attacks
Arab World
• Iraqi Premier Accuses Saudi Arabia of Supporting Terrorism in the Region
• Syria: Heavy Weaponry Destroyed, Militants Killed in Idlib
• Son of distributor of anti-Islam film Fitna accepts Islam
• Over 400 needy Saudi patients turn to organs black market in Asia
• ‘Farcical’ Syrian election will undermine political solution
• Dubai on track for ‘capital of Islamic economy’
• Three more terrorists get death sentence in Riyadh
Southeast Asia
• PKS: Show of Piety a Must for Islamic Presidential Candidate
• Dr Mahathir should keep views on Hudud to himself, says Muslim youth group
• Muslims bound by fatwa council’s advice on ‘Rest in Peace’, says Jamil Khir
• Brunei delays introduction of tough Islamic law
• Pakatan must understand Kelantan’s Hudud first before supporting it, says Anwar
Mideast
• Yemen Launches "Massive, Unprecedented" Military Operation against Al-Qaeda
• Netanyahu to Palestinians: When you want peace, let us know
• Turkish university cancels homosexuality conference amid Hizbullah fear
• Gunmen kill 4 senior security officials in Yemen
• Turkish PM bans Taksim Square for May Day rallies
• Arab MK: Israel trying to divide Arabs by tar
• Abbas calls Holocaust ‘single greatest tragedy in modern-day history’
'• Almost one million' Syrian refugees in Turkey: PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
North America
• Pakistan, Afghanistan to resume proxy war: US paper
• U.S. Ordered to Release Memo in Awlaki Killing
• U.S. Supreme Court to review Jerusalem birthplace law
• U.S. examines use of toxic chemical use in Syria
• NYC jury hears tape defending 9/11 terror attacks
Europe
• British rebel fighter offers rare insight into daily life of foreign jihadists
• Mock executions, beatings: Journalists describe Syria ordeal
• French president accuses Syria’s Assad of gassing his own citizens
• Five-star jihad? Brit extremist says Syria is no luxury
India
• Teachers Force Muslim, Lower Caste Students to Clean Toilets in India: Report
• No Muslims in BJP, AAP Gujarat list
• Would prefer to go to Pakistan than stop criticising Narendra Modi: Omar Abdullah
Pakistan
• Gen Beg warns of Egypt-like change in Pakistan
• Militant attacks in north-western Pakistan kill 8
• Jamaat-i-Islami Plans FATA Peace Jirga in Peshawar
• Three killed, 30 injured in Charsadda blast
• JuD chief: Hindus safe in Pak unlike Muslims in Gujarat
• Malik urges govt not to free convicted Taliban
• Punjab claims it’s coming down hard on militants
• Nine suspected militants arrested from Peshawar hospital
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/afghan-couple-find-idyllic-hideout/d/76681
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South Asia
Afghan Couple Find Idyllic Hideout in Mountains, But Not For Long
Rod Nordland, The New York Times
April 22, 2014
Hindu Kush Range, Afghanistan: They eloped from their village in the Bamian Valley on the first day of spring, but their month on the run has taken them back into winter as they fled higher into these rugged mountains in central Afghanistan. They stayed in the homes of friends when they could, and they slept rough in caves when they could not.
Mohammad Ali, 21, and Zakia, 18, are fugitives, but they are together at last, married by a mullah after being kept apart by disapproving families and the taboo of their different ethnicities and sects. Her family has threatened to kill them, and now they face potential arrest, too, as the police are seeking them on what the couple say are concocted charges of bigamy and "attempted adultery."
A week ago, they reached the spacious, mud-walled house of Haji and Zahra on a promontory overlooking a valley of freshly tilled wheat and potato fields along a fast river. On three sides, towering mountains still capped with snow shielded the hamlet of only four homes from view, and the nearest road was a steep walk away over a shaky log bridge - a perfect hide-out, and honeymoon picturesque.
Haji and Zahra are distant relatives and former neighbours of Mohammad Ali, and they welcomed the couple despite having eight children of their own, and little in the way of food beyond bread, rice and tea.
When Mohammad Ali and Zakia related how her family opposed the match because they are Sunni Tajiks and he is a Shiite Hazara, and how the two had tried for years to persuade her parents to allow them to be together, Zahra and Haji readily agreed that the couple could stay.
"I support what they did; they love each other," Zahra said. "And for God's sake, I decided we should help them."
This was the eighth place the couple had slept in since the night Zakia fled a women's shelter in Bamian, where she had spent months in custody under court order. At one point, they tried to flee across the Iranian border, but the people smugglers there wanted more money than they had, and the walk was, Mohammad Ali feared, more than Zakia could survive.
For a while, they took refuge in Ghazni province, a dangerous area with a large Hazara population.
Finally they came to these high mountains, where they could at least find friends and distant relatives, although not all were welcoming. One night, turned away from shelter, the couple had to sleep on a mountainside; two nights, though they were near a large town, they feared to enter it and slept in a cave on the outskirts.
By the time they arrived at Haji and Zahra's home, Mohammad Ali said, he was down to his last 1,000 Afghanis - less than $20. There was no Cellphone service unless he climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak nearby, and often that still did not work. He needed to make calls to arrange their next refuge.
Meantime, they described it as a week in heaven. "We could go out for walks in the mountains," he said. "Everywhere else we had to hide inside."
Green grass crept up the mountainside, providing forage for the donkeys and sheep, and reminding Mohammad Ali and Zakia of their shared childhood, when they tended their families' animals together; their farms had been side by side.
"They seemed so happy together," Zahra said. "For the whole week they were here, they were never fighting or angry with one another."
By Friday, reality caught up. Mohammad Ali's father, Anwar, and his oldest brother, Bismullah, 27, came to visit them because word had circulated about where the couple were hiding. A woman, another distant relative, coming back from a funeral had visited Zahra and Haji and saw the couple there.
"That stupid woman," Zahra said. "Some people don't know how to keep a secret."
Haji spoke up: "They have to leave here today."
There was neither argument nor resentment. Zakia quickly packed the two plastic bags in which they keep their clothes, along with a small knapsack. Zahra teared up. "She loves him and wanted to be with him is all," she said. "But the problem is if it comes to a dispute between families, they might kill each other - and them, too."
Anwar thought it might be the last time he saw his son and daughter-in-law, and he had something to say. The first time he had heard about Mohammad Ali's plan to marry Zakia, Anwar had thrashed his son so badly that the young man had facial bruises for months. But since then, the father had come around.
"My daughter-in-law stood behind my son and was brave enough to say she loves my son, and it is an honor for us to stand behind her," Anwar said. "She's a part of my family now." Both Anwar and Bismullah were red-eyed with emotion. (Like many Afghans, none of them use surnames; in Haji and Zahra's case, their surnames are being withheld for their protection.)
Mohammad Ali and Zakia were the only ones who did not look bereft, smiling and laughing easily with each other, even as they got ready to run again. "It's worth it, because we love each other," he said. "Of course we're concerned about our safety, but our happiness is greater than our concern."
"How can I be sad?" Zakia asked, and gathered her veils over her face. "We're together; I'm with my love." Mohammad Ali had suggested she wear an all-covering blue burqa for disguise, but she refused proudly.
"I can't put that thing on me," she said.
They hoped to be hundreds of miles away by Saturday morning, but were not sure which way they would go. The road to the north went through Taliban country. To the west, bandit country, where they risked being robbed - or worse. The road to the south went over passes still blocked by snow.
There was no road east, but they could always walk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/world/asia/afghan-couple-find-idyllic-hide-out-in-mountains-but-not-for-long.html
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12 Taliban militants killed, 9 others injured in Afghan operations
Apr 22 2014
At least 12 Taliban militants were killed and 9 others were injured during counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan.
The interior ministry of Afghanistan following a statement said the operations were conducted by Afghan national police forces in cooperation with the Afghan national army and Afghan intelligence – national directorate of security (NDS) operatives in the past 24 hours.
The statement further added that the militants were killed or injured during operations in Kabul, Kunar and Paktika provinces.
Interior ministry also added that Afghan security forces detained 3 militants during the operations and various types of weapons, ammunition and explosives were seized.
Afghan national police forces also discovered and seized 2 improvised explosive device (IEDs) along with 3 rounds of rockets during the operations, the statement added.
Interior ministry said the Taliban militants were looking to carry out terrorist attacks by using the IEDs and rockets in Farah, Kunar and Maidan Wardak provinces.
http://www.khaama.com/12-taliban-militants-killed-9-others-injured-in-afghan-operations-6022
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Bangladesh IGP: Terrorism and militancy under control
Apr 22, 2014
Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker yesterday claimed that although the people of the country had to face the worst consequences of terrorism in recent times, the law enforcement agencies have kept terrorism and militancy under control.
“Terrorism and militancy in the country are now under control due to the activities being carried out by the law enforcement agencies,” the police chief said while addressing as the chief guest the inaugural session of a four-day workshop.
The event on “Responding to Terrorism: Alternative Approaches” began at Police Staff College in Mirpur.
The IGP said: “The professional members of the law enforcement agencies have combated terrorism and militancy efficiently and we want to play more active role in curbing terrorism.”
In the global perspectives, he said, terrorism was no more an issue of any specific country so regional and international cooperation was essential for controlling terrorism.
“Time has come to improve the efficiency of law enforcement agencies for curbing crimes. Effective measures needs be taken through joint efforts,” the IGP said.
“This workshop has been organised for the personnel of those agencies which are working to fight crimes and terrorism in Bangladesh.”
Police Staff College, Bangladesh organised the four-day workshop in cooperation with Singapore-based International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR).
http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-rights/2014/apr/22/igp-terrorism-and-militancy-under-control#sthash.E833oOqL.dpuf
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120 Bangladeshis leave for Malaysia
Apr 22, 2014
A total of 120 Bangladeshi migrants have left Bangladesh for Malaysia by a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight on Tuesday morning.
“The flight, with 120 Bangladeshi workers, has left the airport at 7am,” Zahidul Islam, assistant director of Expatriat Dest at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital, has told the Dhaka Tribune.
A total of 244 migrant workers are scheduled to fly for Kuala Lumpur. Of them, 120 have left for Malaysia on Tuesday and the rest of them is set to go on April 24 to work in the plantation sector of that country, he said.
The cost for each migrant worker was estimated at Tk24,000 but sources said the cost came down further when Biman agreed to transport the Malaysia-bound workers.
According to BMET, around 3,352 workers out of 10,000 selected thus far have left Dhaka for Malaysia to work in the plantation sector under government-to-government arrangements.
The government of Bangladesh and the government of Malaysia have signed a MoU on November 26 to send the workers to Malaysia under the G2G system.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2014/apr/22/120-migrants-leave-malaysia#sthash.kwxcpBHz.dpuf
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Afghan campaign worker shot dead outside his home
April 22, 2014
A prominent campaign worker in Afghanistan’s presidential election was shot dead outside his home in the country’s east, officials said on Tuesday. The Taliban denied they were involved in the killing.
Campaign worker Esmatullah, who like many Afghan men uses only one name, was returning home from visiting a friend on Monday afternoon when unknown gunmen opened fire outside his house in Logar province, provincial spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish said.
Esmatullah known as Commandor Tor for his role in the struggle against the 1990s Soviet occupation was killed instantly while his two bodyguards were wounded, Mr. Darwish said.
Esmatullah worked as an election observer for presidential candidate Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf, a prominent Islamic cleric who is currently running fourth in the race for the top post, according to the partial results that have been released.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/afghan-campaign-worker-shot-dead-outside-his-home/article5937079.ece
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Africa
Tunisians say 'no' to Sharia and set an example for the region
Apr 22, 2014
The constitution of the second Tunisian Republic, adopted on 27 January, three years after the Tunisian Revolution, is considered almost a miracle: this Arab Muslim country succeeded in getting its Islamists and secularists to agree on a constitution that recognises the Tunisian state as a civil state based on citizenship, popular will and the rule of law. It recognises the role of Islam but Sharia (Islamic law) is not mentioned as a source of law.
This is the most advanced compromise in the Arab and Muslim countries between Islamists and secular modernists. And this was the will of the people expressed through their representatives in the Constituent Assembly.
In reality, the constitution is a synthesis of the conflicting demands of politics and religion in Tunisia.
It is not only a genuine compromise between the Islamist Ennahda party (the leading party in the National Constituent Assembly) and the modernist secular forces in the Assembly, but also reflects negotiations between these two trends in Tunisian society as a whole. It was not easy to reach this consensus. Negotiations within the NCA lasted two years and three months and were echoed on the streets, with hundreds of thousands of Tunisians voicing their support for a civil state and for safeguarding and promoting women's rights. Other Tunisians, mainly Imams and religious associations who thought they had popular support, resisted articles of the constitution, such as the one on freedom of conscience.
Full report at:
http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2014/04/22/Tunisians-say-no-to-Sharia-example-Middle-East.aspx
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French troops in Central African Republic escort Muslims to safety
Apr 22, 2014
(Reuters) - French peacekeepers in Central African Republic escorted a convoy of Muslims away from the threat of violence in the capital on Monday to a town effectively controlled by Muslim rebels.
A Reuters witness said 102 Muslims guarded by 150 French troops, supported by a helicopter patrolling overhead, left the northern suburb of PK-12 on Sunday in trucks for Bambari, about 300 km (190 miles) northeast of the capital.
Almost all Muslims have fled Bangui since the Muslim Seleka rebels, who seized power in March 2013, were forced to step aside in January. The United Nations has since reported a "cleansing" of Muslims from the country's west.
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/21/uk-centralafrica-muslims-idUKBREA3K13W20140421
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Tunisia begins efforts to launch national dialogue in Libya
Apr 22, 2014
TRIPOLI – Tunisia has become the latest country to try and forge a national dialogue among rival groups in Libya.
The spokesman for the Tunisian Foreign Ministry, Mukhtar Shawashi, was quoted on Tunisian TV saying that Tunisia had began efforts to launch a national dialogue in Libya which included all parties so as to achieve compromise and a peaceful solution to the country’s crisis.
Pointing out that the situation in Libya inevitably affects it, he added that the initiative was endorsed by the Libyan government and several foreign ambassadors in Tunisia including those of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US and Algeria. Tunisian Foreign Minister Monji Hamdi had met them to discus the issue, it was stated.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140422202652
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Libya body charged with drawing up charter starts work
Apr 22, 2014
AL-BAIDA, Libya – Libya’s constituent assembly, which has been charged with drawing up a new constitution, launched its work Monday in Al-Baida, in the country’s east where violence has been rife since the 2011 revolt.
Dozens of officials, tribal chiefs and civil society representatives took part in the ceremony amid tightened security measures.
The new constitution has been billed as a milestone in the North African country’s transition from the 42-year dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi, who was overthrown and killed in 2011.
But 13 of the 60 assembly seats remain vacant, after unrest in certain areas stopped voting in a February 20 election to choose the body. A date for a new poll has yet to be set.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140422202646
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Islamists kill second Somali lawmaker, threaten more attacks
Apr 22, 2014
Islamist rebels shot dead a Somali lawmaker on Tuesday, a day after blowing up one of his colleagues, and vowed to keep killing politicians and wreck efforts to secure the country.
Al-Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab told Reuters they wanted to send a message to Western-backed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who on Tuesday was due to wrap up a three-day conference on improving security in the capital.
"This proves that they cannot and will never do anything about security ... More serious killings are on the way," said al Shabaab's military spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab.
Somalia's two decades of civil war and lawlessness, triggered by the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, has already spread to destablize the region.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/04/22/Islamists-kill-second-Somali-lawmaker-threaten-more-attacks.html
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Arab World
Iraqi Premier Accuses Saudi Arabia of Supporting Terrorism in the Region
Apr 22, 2014
Baghdad, (SANA) Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki stressed that the Saudi Arabia turned into a state of problems due to its policies in supporting terrorists in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and other countries.
The Saudi Arabia lives the dream of toppling Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, but it will not succeed, al-Maliki said in an interview with al-Manar TV broadcast Monday, calling Saudi Arabia to stop interfering in the Iraqi affairs and to respect the interests of Iraq.
The Iraqi Premier reassured that the political solution is the only one for solving the crisis in Syria, calling on all the Syrian sides and the international community to adopt a political solution to the crisis.
Full report at:
http://sana.sy/eng/22/2014/04/22/540296.htm
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Syria: Heavy Weaponry Destroyed, Militants Killed in Idlib
Apr 22, 2014
Syrian army continued its mop-up operations against militants in Idlib.
In Idlib province, militants’ gatherings were targeted near Sarmin town in the countryside, with large numbers of militants getting killed and injured, SANA reported.
Some of those were of non-Syrian nationalities, according to a military source.
The source noted that a car and two heavy machine guns mounted on vehicles were destroyed.
An army unit targeted an armed group near Saraqeb town, leaving all of its members dead.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930202001343
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Son of distributor of anti-Islam film Fitna accepts Islam
Apr 22, 2014
Arnoud van Doorn's son, Iskander Amien De Vrie, was one of the 37 people who converted to Islam during the Dubai International Peace Convention.
The son of Arnoud van Doorn, the famous Dutch policy maker and distributor of an anti-Islam film Fitna that caused unrest in 2008, surprised the audiences at the three-day Dubai International Peace Convention by embracing Islam.
Arnoud’s son, Iskander Amien De Vrie, was one of the 37 people who converted to Islam during the convention.
“I bear witness that there is no God to be worshipped but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his worshipper and last messenger,” said Iskander in his Shahadah (testimony) to become a Muslim.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/nationgeneral/2014/April/nationgeneral_April148.xml§ion=nationgeneral
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Over 400 needy Saudi patients turn to organs black market in Asia
Apr 22, 2014
DAMMAM — As many as 410 Saudis have bought from the black market organs – mainly kidneys – for illegal transplantation, during the past two years, Makkah daily reported on Monday.
“A total of 220 Saudis bought organs for transplants from markets in Pakistan, China and Egypt in 2013 and 190 did the same in 2012 at their own personal expense,” said Dr. Faisal Shaheen, director of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplants.
He said transplant operations for all the Saudis have succeeded but about 40 percent of them had to seek further treatment for various side-effects.
“This is how the doctors discovered that the citizens bought organs from the black market and illegally got them transplanted and later informed the center,” he said.
Shaheen said the center informed the World Health Organization (WHO), which is concerned with efforts to stop the black market in organs.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140422202703
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‘Farcical’ Syrian election will undermine political solution
Apr 22, 2014
NEW YORK: UN chief Ban Ki-moon warns that Syria’s newly announced presidential election will undermine efforts to achieve a political solution to Syria’s three-year-old civil war if it goes ahead on June 3, the United Nations said on Monday.
Ban and international Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi have “warned that the holding of elections in the current circumstances amid the ongoing conflict and massive displacement will damage the political process and hamper the prospects for a political solution,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/559106
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Dubai on track for ‘capital of Islamic economy’
Abdul Basit / 22 April 2014
A report published, underlined what was called a “tremendous opportunity” in the global Islamic economy.
Dubai, which is already known as one of the leading financial hubs in the world, is on track to achieve the targets to become ‘the capital of the Islamic economy’, according to a top government official.
In January 2013 this vision was announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Last October, Shaikh Mohammed unveiled a strategic plan in this regard for the emirate. The plan includes seven key pillars and 46 strategic initiatives.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/uaebusiness/2014/April/uaebusiness_April329.xml§ion=uaebusiness
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Three more terrorists get death sentence in Riyadh
Apr 22, 2014
RIYADH — Three more terrorists belonging to Cell 85 of Turki Al-Dandani were awarded death sentence here on Monday.
Announcing the verdict, the Special Court in Riyadh also gave jail terms to 40 others.
Five terrorists were given death sentences on Sunday for their role in three blasts in Riyadh in 2003.
The blasts resulted in the death and injury of 129 people including children and women.
Monday's verdict involved the second batch of the 43-member gang. Defendants No. 45, 47, and 48 were awarded capital punishment while defendants from No. 43 to 85 were awarded prison sentences ranging between two and 26 years.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140422202697
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Southeast Asia
PKS: Show of Piety a Must for Islamic Presidential Candidate
Apr 22, 2014
Jakarta. A proposed coalition of Islamic political parties should back a presidential candidate who prays five times a day at a mosque and will cut short cabinet meetings to lead his ministers in prayer, an official says.
Almuzzammil Yusuf, a senior member of the Prosperous Justice Party, or PKS, said in Jakarta on Monday that a high level of piety should be a “minimal requirement” for any candidate running for the highest office in the Muslim-majority nation.
“The presidential and vice presidential candidates should at the very least pray punctually five times a day at the mosque or pray together with ministers on the sidelines of cabinet meetings,” he said. “That way the people will follow in their example.”
He also said the candidate should be clean and adhere to high moral standards.
The PKS, which in 2009 won the most votes of any Islamic party, suffered a decline in this year’s legislative election, largely due to a massive corruption scandal that has seen its president jailed and which threatens to drag down other senior members of the party.
Outside of a show of piety, Almuzzammil said a presidential candidate from an Islamic coalition should run on three main programs dictated by the Koran: religious programs, food security and public safety.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/pks-show-piety-must-islamic-presidential-candidate/
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Dr Mahathir should keep views on hudud to himself, says Muslim youth group
Apr 22, 2014
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should be careful before making statements about shariah law because it could lead to Islam being viewed in a negative light, the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) said today.
Abim president Amidi Abdul Manan said the country’s longest-serving prime minister should be more careful about giving his views on issues related to shariah.
Amidi was referring to an interview on Astro Awani featuring Dr Mahathir on April 17, regarding the implementation of the Shariah Criminal Enactment 2 in Kelantan.
Amidi said Dr Mahathir had said it was unfair if different punishments were meted out to criminals for the same crime as it could cause confusion.
Dr Mahathir had given an example that many Muslims would be handicapped if their hands were cut off for stealing.
However, if non-Muslims were caught for theft, they were sentenced to two months’ jail, a far cry from having their hands cut off.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dr-mahathir-should-keep-views-on-hudud-to-himself-says-muslim-youth-group
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Muslims bound by fatwa council’s advice on ‘Rest in Peace’, says Jamil Khir
Apr 22, 2014
Any advisory from the National Fatwa Council is binding on Muslims, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said today, referring to the council's reminder to Muslims not to use the phrase "Rest in Peace" when condolong a non-Muslim's death.
The minister in charge of religious affairs, while refusing to state if the statement was an opinion or a fatwa (edict) from the Council, insisted that it was applicable nonetheless.
"Muslims abide by the views of the National Fatwa Council, because it is their views," Jamil (pic) told reporters today after officiating the excellence award ceremony at the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department in Kuala Lumpur.
Former Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin had called on the Council to be more detailed when issuing edicts.
"The recent statement by the council about discouraging Muslims from saying RIP should be explained further so that everyone will have a better understanding," Asri had said.
He said the council's explanation should be based on two categories: whether the deceased understood but rejected Islam outright, or whether he or she has yet to receive the call to accept the religion.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/muslims-bound-by-fatwa-councils-advice-on-rest-in-peace-says-jamil-khir
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Brunei delays introduction of tough Islamic law
Apr 22, 2014
Brunei has postponed its implementation of tough Islamic criminal punishments that were due to begin Tuesday and have drawn condemnation from the UN's human rights office and rare criticism at home.
No confirmed new date was given for the start of the sharia penalties -- which will eventually include flogging, severing of limbs and death by stoning -- but an official told Brunei media they would begin "in the very near future".
Jauyah Zaini, assistant director of the oil-rich sultanate's Islamic Legal Unit, was quoted by the Brunei Times as saying implementation had been delayed "due to unavoidable circumstances". He did not elaborate or give a new date.
Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah -- the driving force behind sharia -- is visiting Singapore, and the government is believed to be waiting for the all-powerful Islamic monarch to return before introducing the sensitive legal code.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/99554/World/International/Brunei-delays-introduction-of-tough-Islamic-law.aspx
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Pakatan must understand Kelantan’s hudud first before supporting it, says Anwar
Apr 22, 2014
The model and implementation of hudud law which the Kelantan government is preparing to introduce needs to be understood in-depth first, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"We must understand what the hudud law is about first before Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties support the Kelantan government's plans," said the opposition leader last night.
"Several issues must be discussed first, including basic Islamic matters, such as deviant teachings and anti-Hadith before hudud is taken to the next stage.
"We as Muslims cannot dispute the laws of the Quran. I am not former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pakatan-must-understand-kelantans-hudud-first-before-supporting-it-says-anw
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Mideast
Yemen Launches "Massive, Unprecedented" Military Operation against Al-Qaeda
Apr 22, 2014
A "massive and unprecedented" military operation targeting Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is underway in Yemen, according to an unnamed Yemeni official.
A senior Yemeni government official spoke to CNN about the ongoing operation. At least 65 suspected militants were killed since Saturday in the provinces of Abyan, al-Bayda, and Shabwa. The drone strike in al-Bayda killed 10. The operation in Abyan and Shabwa is still underway, UPI reported.
On Sunday night, Yemeni Special Forces ambushed militants believed to be high-value targets in AQAP, killing them. Yemeni commandos also exchanged gunfire with militants in a vehicle on a highway in Shabwa.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930202001120
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Netanyahu to Palestinians: When you want peace, let us know
Apr 22, 2014
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu criticized the Palestinian Authority on Monday, saying that its threat to dissolve and the ruling Fatah faction’s efforts to forge unity with Hamas indicate a lack of desire for peace.
“Today, we saw the Palestinian Authority speak of dismantling itself and also talking about unity with Hamas,” the premier told revelers at a Mimouna celebration in Or Akiva. “They should decide – either dissolve, or enter into a union with Hamas. When they want peace, they should let us know. Because we want a genuine peace.”
Palestinian officials in Ramallah on Monday denied that the Palestinian Authority has been considering dissolving itself if the peace talks with Israel fail.
Some officials were quoted over the past few days as saying that President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to dismantle the PA in protest against the lack of progress in the negotiations.
The reported threat, which comes as the April 29 deadline for the end of the peace talks approaches, is seen as an attempt to exert pressure on the US and Israel to comply with Palestinian demands, especially regarding the release of prisoners.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu-to-Palestinians-When-you-want-peace-let-us-know-350043
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Turkish university cancels homosexuality conference amid Hizbullah fear
Apr 22, 2014
A panel on homosexuality has been canceled by Mardin Artuklu University (MAU) in southeastern Turkey after a media outlet close to Hizbullah described the event as “immoral.”
The İlke Haber Ajansı (İLKHA) not only condemned the event, but also targeted its organizer, academic Levent Şentürk.
However, İLKHA stated that the cancellation was not enough and said Şentürk should leave the city, also calling on him to prove that he is not homosexual.
The conference, which was set to be held on April 17, was also slammed by İLKHA for coinciding with Turkey's official Holy Birth Week, dedicated to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-university-cancels-homosexuality-conference-amid-hizbullah-fear-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=65336&NewsCatID=341
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Gunmen kill 4 senior security officials in Yemen
April 22, 2014
Yemeni officials say gunmen have killed four senior security officers in the past 24 hours in a string of attacks.
The assassinations come as the Yemeni government pursues what officials say is a major campaign reportedly backed by U.S. drone strike in southern Yemen against al-Qaeda. The government says 55 suspected militants have been killed so far.
The officials say assailants riding motorcycles gunned down three colonels, two of them in the intelligence agency and one from military police in Sanaa on Monday and early Tuesday.
They say gunmen also shot dead a deputy security chief on Tuesday in the central city of Harib.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/gunmen-kill-4-senior-security-officials-in-yemen/article5936934.ece
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Turkish PM bans Taksim Square for May Day rallies
Apr 22, 2014
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said April 22 he would not allow May Day gatherings on Istanbul's Taksim Square, the scene of protests that have dogged the government for months.
A similar decision in May last year to ban the use of the square - a traditional and symbolic rallying point for unions - led to violent clashes between police and protesters which were followed by a wave of nationwide anti-government demonstrations in June.
"Those who insist on celebrating it here [in Taksim Square] are just saying: 'I am ready for clashes," Erdoğan defiantly said at a meeting of his party's parliamentary group meeting.
"Give up on your hopes of Taksim. Do not engage in a fight with the state. Do not disturb the peace of our people. Our people do not want to see streets where stones and Molotov coctails prevail," he said. "We will not tolerate this. You are not above the law."
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-bans-taksim-square-for-may-day-rallies.aspx?pageID=238&nID=65382&NewsCatID=338
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Arab MK: Israel trying to divide Arabs by tar
Apr 22, 2014
MK Basel Ghattas (Balad) told Army Radio on Tuesday that the recent defense establishment decision to start sending preliminary conscription notices to all Christian Arabs of enlistment age was an attempt to divide Israeli Arabs in Israel.
His comments came after Army Radio reported Tuesday a change in IDF policy which includes sending preliminary conscription orders to all Christian Arabs at the age of 16-and-a-half. They will then have a preliminary meeting at the IDF conscription office, and decide whether or not to serve.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Arab-MK-Israel-trying-to-divide-Arabs-by-targeting-Christians-for-IDF-draft-350070
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Abbas calls Holocaust ‘single greatest tragedy in modern-day history’
Apr 22, 2014
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the Holocaust the “single greatest tragedy in modern-day history” during a meeting with a visiting American rabbi in Ramallah on Sunday.
According to Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, a Jewish-Muslim interfaith group, Abbas agreed to make a public declaration on behalf of Holocaust-remembrance efforts around the world, as well as to speak out against attempts to ban circumcision and ritual slaughter in several European countries.
Abbas told Schneier that “remembrance should be an issue of increased concern to both Jews and Muslims,” the rabbi said after the meeting.
Abbas has been a subject of criticism in some Israeli circles over accusations of Holocaust denial because of his graduate thesis, written while studying in the former Soviet Union, which asserted that “a partnership was established between Hitler’s Nazis and the leadership of the Zionist movement” and that the Zionist movement “gave permission to every racist in the world, led by Hitler and the Nazis, to treat Jews as they wish, so long as it guarantees immigration to Palestine.”
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Abbas-calls-Holocaust-single-greatest-tragedy-in-modern-day-history-350048
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'Almost one million' Syrian refugees in Turkey: PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Apr 22, 2014
The number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has reached "almost one million," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, while pledging to keep accepting those fleeing the war.
"Are we supposed to ask our brothers not to come, and to die in Syria?" Erdogan said as he addressed his party's lawmakers in parliament.
The three-year conflict in Syria has sent millions fleeing to neighbouring countries and beyond.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99572/World/Region/Almost-one-million-Syrian-refugees-in-Turkey-PM.aspx
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North America
Pakistan, Afghanistan to resume proxy war: US paper
2014-04-22
WASHINGTON: Pakistan and Afghanistan may resume their proxy war after the Americans leave the region, a US newspaper warned on Monday while another said that the Pakistani government was holding talks with the Taliban against the army’s wishes.
The Los Angeles Times noted that Pakistan’s civilian government was “pushing back” against the country’s powerful military as politicians expanded their influence and since he returned to office in June, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had taken several steps to make this point.
He took up a case against army personnel over the disappearance of imprisoned militants, engaged the Taliban insurgents in peace talks and indicted Gen Pervez Musharraf on treason charges. The government and courts have denied the ailing Musharraf’s appeals to seek medical treatment abroad.
The military-civilian tussle, the report noted, presented a dilemma for the United States, which was eager to see democratic reforms but also supported the Pakistani army’s desire to go after the Taliban militants.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101486/pakistan-afghanistan-to-resume-proxy-war-us-paper
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U.S. Ordered to Release Memo in Awlaki Killing
Apr 22, 2014
(Reuters) - A federal appeals court ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to turn over key portions of a memorandum justifying the government's targeted killing of people linked to terrorism, including Americans.
In a case pitting executive power against the public's right to know what its government does, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling preserving the secrecy of the legal rationale for the killings, such as the death of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki in a 2011 drone strike in Yemen.
Ruling for the New York Times, a unanimous three-judge panel said the government waived its right to secrecy by making repeated public statements justifying targeted killings.
These included a Justice Department "white paper," as well as speeches or statements by officials like Attorney General Eric Holder and former Obama administration counterterrorism adviser John Brennan, endorsing the practice.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/21/us-nytimes-dronestrikes-lawsuit-idUSBREA3K0QC20140421
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U.S. Supreme Court to review Jerusalem birthplace law
Apr 22, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to weigh the constitutionality of a law that was designed to allow American citizens born in Jerusalem - the historic holy city claimed by Israelis and Palestinians - to have Israel listed as their birthplace on passports.
The case concerns a long-standing U.S. foreign policy that the president - and not Congress - has sole authority to state who controls Jerusalem. Seeking to remain neutral on the hotly contested issue, the U.S. State Department allows passports to name Jerusalem as a place of birth, but no country name is included.
The State Department, which issues passports and reports to the president, has declined to enforce the law passed by Congress in 2002, saying it violated the separation of executive and legislative powers laid out in the U.S. Constitution.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/04/22/U-S-Supreme-Court-to-review-Jerusalem-birthplace-law.html
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U.S. examines use of toxic chemical use in Syria
Apr 22, 2014
The United States has indications that a toxic industrial chemical, probably chlorine, was used in Syria this month, the State Department said on Monday, adding that an investigation has been launched.
“We have indications of the use of a toxic industrial chemical” in the town of Kfar Zeita, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“We are examining allegations that the government was responsible,” she told reporters. “Obviously there needs to be an investigation of what’s happened here.”
On Monday the rebel Free Syrian Army reported that 400 people were suffering from poison again following a regime raid on the suburb on Idlib.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/04/21/U-S-examines-use-of-toxic-chemical-use-in-Syria.html
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NYC jury hears tape defending 9/11 terror attacks
Apr 22, 2014
NEW YORK — A New York jury has heard a broadcast interview in which an Egyptian cleric defended the Sept. 11 attacks, saying it left Muslims and non-Muslims around the world happy.
The tape was played Monday in the second week of the trial of Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (muh-STAH’-fuh kah-MEHL’ muh-STAH’-fuh).
Mustafa is charged with conspiring to support al-Qaida by trying to set up a terrorist training camp in 1999 in Oregon. He also is accused of helping abduct two American tourists and 14 others in Yemen in 1998. Four hostages died.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/nyc-jury-hears-tape-defending-911-terror-attacks/2014/04/21/2deb0e6e-c9ac-11e3-b81a-6fff56bc591e_story.html
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Europe
British rebel fighter offers rare insight into daily life of foreign jihadists
Apr 22, 2014
Like a surreal version of the hit MTV series 'Cribs', a British citizen who fights with the rebels in Syria has released a video tour of the home he shares with fellow fighters in the war-torn country.
With security services in the UK growing increasingly concerned about the number of Britons travelling to join extremist groups in Syria, the video offers a unique insight into the daily lives of those who have already made the journey.
"Today we wanted to show you the basic living of the brothers in this base," says the man, known by the nom de guerre Abu Abdullah. "There has been a lot of talk of this so-called five-star jihad. And the way the mujahedeen have been living in these villas and these mansions and cupboards full of sweets. But it is far from that."
Full report at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/british-rebel-fighter-offers-rare-insight-into-daily-life-of-foreign-jihadists-9272178.html
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Mock executions, beatings: Journalists describe Syria ordeal
Apr 22, 2014
Mock executions, hunger, thirst, cold, beatings, a makeshift chess game to pass the time... and a "surreal" snowball fight with their jailers.
Details are starting to trickle through of the ordeal experienced by the four French journalists who returned home Sunday after being held hostage for 10 months at the hands of the most radical of Syria's jihadist groups, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
But the journalists were reluctant to give too much away for fear of jeopardising the safety of those who remain in captivity in the war-torn country, including US journalist James Foley, a freelancer who had been working for Agence France-Presse and other media when he went missing in November 2012.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99527/World/Region/Mock-executions,-beatings-Journalists-describe-Syr.aspx
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French president accuses Syria’s Assad of gassing his own citizens
Apr 22, 2014
France’s Francois Hollande said during a recently broadcast media interview that he believes Syrian forces were directed by President Bashar Assad to unleash chlorine gas onto the civilian population.
Mr. Hollande admitted to Europe 1 radio that he has no proof of Mr. Assad’s use of gas, but he does have “several elements” that suggest the recent use of chemical weapons by government forces.
“What I do know is what we have seen from this regime is the horrific methods it is capable of using and the rejection of any political transition,” he said, The Independent reported.
Meanwhile, France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius concluded that there were “indications” of possible chemical weapons attacks by Mr. Assad against his own citizens that nonetheless still needed investigation, The Daily Mail reported.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/21/french-president-accuses-syrias-assad-gassing-own-/#ixzz2zb6WIDC4
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Five-star jihad? Brit extremist says Syria is no luxury
Apr 22, 2014
“Five-star jihad” in Syria doesn’t exist, according to one British jihadist fighting in the crisis-torn country who has uploaded a video to YouTube to show viewers the living conditions of extremists.
The video was released on Sunday by Rawat al-Tawheed, a mouthpiece group for British fighters that are fighting in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to a report by The Telegraph.
Like a surreal version of the hit MTV series ‘Cribs’, as described by The Independent, the man who calls himself Abu Abdullah tours the rooms of what appear to be an abandoned house.
In one shot, the camera is taken into a room where he says up to seven “mujahideen,” or fighters, sleep on foam mattresses on the floor with AK47s seen resting against the wall.
“It’s just basic living, you’ve got your mattresses here where six or seven brothers sleep on the floor. The majority of the time we don’t have electricity.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/04/21/Five-star-jihad-Brit-jihadist-says-no-such-thing-.html
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India
Teachers Force Muslim, Lower Caste Students to Clean Toilets in India: Report
AFP | Apr 22, 2014
NEW DELHI: Some Indian teachers force children from lower castes and minority religions to clean toilets and sit separately from their classmates as part of "persistent" discrimination in classrooms, a rights group said on Tuesday.
Human Rights Watch said pupils from marginalised communities often dropped out of school and started working as labourers rather than face continued humiliation at the hands of teachers and principals.
The 77-page study on schools was compiled through interviews with more than 160 teachers, principals, parents and students in four states which have large populations of low-caste poor, indigenous tribals and Muslims.
"India's immense project to educate all its children risks falling victim to deeply rooted discrimination by teachers and other school staff against the poor and marginalised," said the report's author Jayshree Bajoria.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Teachers-force-Muslim-lower-caste-students-to-clean-toilets-in-India-Report/articleshow/34076363.cms
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No Muslims in BJP, AAP Gujarat list
RAHI GAIKWAD
Apr 22, 2014
The lone candidate from the community is from Congress
Though the Bharatiya Janata Party had some Muslim faces at its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Vadodara early this month, the saffron party has not fielded a single Muslim candidate for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat.
“We do not select candidates based on caste and religion. We look at the work done by our workers and the winnability factor. Besides, L.K. Advani is our representative from the minority [Sindhi] community. Candidate selection is done after our local workers and leaders submit names based on people’s contribution and work,” BJP media cell convenor Harshad Patel said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-muslims-in-bjp-aap-gujarat-list/article5934718.ece
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Would prefer to go to Pakistan than stop criticising Narendra Modi: Omar Abdullah
April 22, 2014
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday that he would “prefer to go to Pakistan” than stop criticising the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Addressing an election rally in Anantnag district, he said, “I will prefer to go to Pakistan than stop criticising Modi… Thanks to the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus, I won’t have to go to New Delhi. I can board the bus from here only.”
He was reacting to Bihar BJP leader Giriraj Singh’s statement that there is “no place” for those who “want to stop” Modi and “their place will be in Pakistan”.
Union minister Farooq Abdullah said the BJP wants to create “a new Pakistan”. Speaking to the media in Chadoora, he said, “This is the mindset of the BJP… It is this mindset that created Pakistan. Now they want to create a new Pakistan”.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/would-prefer-to-go-to-pakistan-than-stop-criticising-modi-omar/
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Pakistan
Gen Beg warns of Egypt-like change in Pakistan
Apr 22, 2014
LAHORE - Former Army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg on Monday proposed a three-point formula to normalise the tense civil-military relations, warning the government of an Egypt-like change in case urgent steps were not taken in accordance with his suggestions.
He said the high treason case against Gen Pervez Musharraf should be dropped and he should be allowed to go abroad; the Pemra should ensure that no TV channel telecasts programmes that undermine the prestige of the army; and ministers or other leaders should be barred from speaking against the people who defend the country even at the cost of their lives. Talking to The Nation, he said the civil setup would face no threat and the situation would normalise within no time if the government acted in the light of his suggestions. Otherwise, he said, a military general would take over, just like Gen El-Sisi did in Egypt, and the United States would support the change for its own interests.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/22-Apr-2014/gen-beg-warns-of-egypt-like-change-in-pakistan
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Militant attacks in north-western Pakistan kill 8
Apr 22, 2014
Two militant attacks in north-western Pakistan killed eight people, including five policemen on Tuesday, officials said.
In one of the attacks, gunmen ambushed a police patrol on the outskirts of the city of Peshawar, killing five policemen and a civilian, said police officer Fazal Wahid. He said the police chased the attackers and killed some of the militants in a shootout.
And in the neighbouring Charsadda attack, a bomb rigged to a motorcycle exploded close to a police van, killing two bystanders, said police officer Sharifullah Khan. Both officers said nearly 20 policemen were wounded in the two attacks.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attacks but provincial police chief Nasir Durrani said the attacks were retaliation for recent arrests of militants in the region. Mr. Durrani said the police had rounded up many Taliban militants and seized much arms, ammunition and explosives.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/militant-attacks-in-northwestern-pakistan-kill-8/article5937262.ece
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Jamaat-i-Islami Plans FATA Peace Jirga in Peshawar
2014-04-22
PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-i-Islami Fata has decided to hold a peace jirga for the region at Nishtar Hall in the provincial capital on May 1.
According to JI Fata chief Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed, people from all walks of life are to participate in the event, where Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Sami chief Maulana Sami ul Haq and JI chief Sirajul Haq will be among the speakers.
“Members of the Taliban and government peace committees will also be invited to the moot to know about the violence-affected tribesmen’s problems, especially damages to their life and property. This will help push the relevant authorities for concrete steps to end the volatile situation,” he told a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101517/ji-plans-fata-peace-jirga-in-peshawar
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Three killed, 30 injured in Charsadda blast
2014-04-22
PESHAWAR: At least three people were killed and several others wounded on Tuesday in an explosion near a police vehicle in Farooq Azam chowk of Tehsil Bazaar in Charsadda.
According to district headquarters hospital personnel, more than 30 were wounded in the attack, including policemen.
The Charsadda police control room confirmed that the police vehicle was attacked in the Tehsil bazaar situated on Nowshehra road.
Police personnel and rescue teams immediately reached the site of the incident.
District police officer Charsadda, Shafiullah Khan told that the explosive material was planted in a motorcycle and the police mobile van was the primary target, adding that the dead also included a shopkeeper.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101538/three-killed-30-injured-in-charsadda-blast
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JuD chief: Hindus safe in Pak unlike Muslims in Gujarat
April 22, 2014
At a time when BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is under fire from the Congress raking up his secular credentials, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and alleged mastermind of the Mumbai 26/11 attacks on Monday added to the debate saying Hindus in Pakistan “remain protected.”
Directly targeting Modi, Saeed tweeted, “I want @narendramodi to listen, Hindus of Pakistan, their lives & honor will always remain protected unlike what you did with Muslims.”
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “I do not think we need to take notice of Hafiz Saeed. The humiliation and suffering of Hindus in Pakistan is too well known. Consistently tormenting Hindu families and young Hindu girls in Pakistan has become focus of political activism. His politics is no different from that. They have never spoken a word against that.”
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/jud-chief-hindus-safe-in-pak-unlike-muslims-in-gujarat/
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Malik urges govt not to free convicted Taliban
2014-04-22
ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Rehman Malik has urged the government not to release those Taliban who have been convicted in different cases.
Talking to reporters after a meeting of the PPP’s overseas committee, he said the government should be careful during peace talks with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Taliban cannot be trusted because they are not reliable. The government should not believe that they will honor commitments made by them,” he said.
The PPP has supported the government’s peace initiative but opposed release of Taliban prisoners. It has insisted that the government should ask the TTP to free Ali Haider Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Shahbaz Taseer, son of slain governor of Punjab Salmaan Taseer.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101471/malik-urges-govt-not-to-free-convicted-taliban
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Punjab claims it’s coming down hard on militants
2014-04-22
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has detained and prosecuted about 700 militants involved in sectarian violence over the last six months. In 2013, law-enforcement agencies in the province registered nearly 3,500 cases on charges of misusing loud speakers, delivering hate speeches, disseminating incendiary material and trying to cause divisions among different segments of society.
The information was released by the Director General of Public Relations (DGPR) Punjab in response to a story carried in this newspaper, calling attention to the presence of proscribed organisations’ sleeper cells in and around Lahore and the provincial government’s lukewarm response to these developments.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101490/punjab-claims-its-coming-down-hard-on-militants
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Nine suspected militants arrested from Peshawar hospital
Apr 22, 2014
PESHAWAR: Nine suspected militants including three injured with gunshot wounds were arrested from the Lady Reading hospital on Tuesday as they were brought to the hospital for treatment.
The official sources said that the suspected militants belong to a banned outfit operating in the Khyber Agency adding that they were first shifted to the Khyber Teaching Hospital for treatment but were referred to the LRH for further treatment.
The three alleged militants in injured condition were brought by six people in an ambulance to the LRH Peshawar where police arrested all of them.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101543/nine-suspected-militants-arrested-from-peshawar-hospital
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