At Least 185 Killed In Nigeria Attack, Killings Started Friday Night and Went On For Hours
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 Apr 2013
At Least 185 Killed In Nigeria Attack, Killings Started Friday Night and Went On For Hours Photograph: Sunday Alamba/AP
Africa
• At Least 185 Killed In Nigeria Attack, Killings Started Friday Night and Went On For Hours
• Arab militants capture town in north-eastern Mali
• Reporter for Government Radio Is Killed in Somalia
• Sudanese Police Mutiny as Security Deteriorates in Darfur
• Nigerian Athletes Join London Marathon in Solidarity with Boston Victims
Arab World
• 'At least 85 people killed in Damascus' as pro-Assad forces storm suburb
• Activist’s Death in Egypt Spurs Charges of Police Abuse
• Heavy penalties slapped on Haj firms for offering poor services
• Mental stress on the rise in Saudi Society during the last 40 yrs
• Saudi Sponsors to Pay for Deporting Illegal Workers
• Egypt court upholds ruling to suspend elections
• World's oldest port, dating back to 4,500 years, found in Egypt
South Asia
• Bangladesh elects parliament speaker, Abdul Hamid, as new president
• Afghan Taliban capture nine foreigners after their helicopter makes emergency landing
• Bangladeshi Activists Bring Fight to Wal-Mart’s Doorstep
• Maldives President invited to 4th International Islamic Conference of Bait Al Maqdis
• NGO urges Maldives government to address “inadequate” child protection measures
• SR 145,000 fine for firm that discriminated against Saudis
Europe
• Richard Dawkins' latest anti-Muslim Twitter spat lays bare his hypocrisy
• Boston Marathon bombings suspect 'wanted to stay in Russia reading the Quran'
• UK bill moves to limit power of Sharia Courts
• Russia Warns EU Not to Lift Syria Arms Ban as UK Keeps Pushing
• HRW accuses Myanmar of 'ethnic cleansing'
• Kazakhstan Expands Security and Economic Cooperation with Afghanistan
• Should We Worry About Terror From Chechnya?
Pakistan
• Lok Mela concludes with a prestigious ceremony at Lok Virsa
• Taliban Attacks in Northwest Pakistan Are Reshaping Ballot
• Ahmadis still out of electoral process
• Nawaz promises to abolish armed wings of political parties
• Pakistan Government Says It Won't Charge Musharraf
• Acting US Special Representative for AfPak visits Pakistan
• Mystery blast kills three children in Kamber Shahdadkot
• ‘Only democracy can resolve Balochistan issue’: former PPP senator
• Pakistan resolved to ensure protection of authors’ rights: IPO
• In campaign mode: Imran vows to pull out troops from Waziristan
• Nine decades later, Turkey gives back to Karachi
India
• India and China agree on Karzai but differ on Pak
• India’s milk pouch model appeals to Europe, Pakistan
• Shia cleric rejects honour of Akhilesh government
• Islamic Congregation of 500,000 people, Chaired by Mufti of the Haram Sharif
• 168 militants killed in J&K in last two years: Antony
• This Kerala family may come into $900 million Saudi bonanza
Southeast Asia
• Indonesian Council of Ulema to spiritual guru: Stop Blaspheming or Face Police
• Father Admits to Raping Child in East Kalimantan
• Residents reject church in West Jakarta
• Beware of LGBT and freedom of religion movements, Muhyiddin tells Muslims
• In Shah Alam, Noordin apologises to Indians, blames Pakatan for Selangor faith row
Mideast Asia
• Iran to stand with Syria in face of crisis
• Iran to meet UN nuclear watchdog on May 21: reports
• Turks and Kurds 'will not achieve reconciliation overnight'
• Turkey 'in intensive talks' with Kabul over hostages
• Israel Praises Azerbaijan's Stand in Iran Crisis
North America
• U.S. averse to direct military involvement in Syrian conflict
• Boston bomb suspects ‘innocent’, framed by FBI: father
• Bible a 'copy' of Quran, Boston bombing suspect told neighbour
• Boston bombing suspects may have bombed civil liberties and human rights too
• Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar probably killed his elder brother: Police
• Boston bombings suspect disrupted mosque on MLK day
• Boston arrest sparks debate over reading of rights
• Half Guantanamo detainees on hunger strike
• US in major arms deal with Israel
• Mosque says bombing suspects were 'occasional visitors,' never violent
• Chicago Muslims hoping Islamophobia doesn’t rise in light of Boston attacks
• Hagel to focus on Syria, Iran in Israel talks
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Africa
At Least 185 Killed In Nigeria Attack, Killings Started Friday Night and Went On For Hours
AP | Apr 22, 2013
BAGA, Nigeria: Officials say fighting between Nigeria's military and Islamic extremists in a town in the nation's northeast has killed at least 185 people.
Lawan Kole, a local government official in Baga, told Borno state officials on a visit Sunday that the killings started Friday night and went on for hours. Kole told state officials that at least 185 bodies had been buried, and people continued to search for the dead.
Brig. Gen. Austin Edokpaye told officials that the extremists used heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
Edokpaye said extremists used civilians as human shields during the fighting, implying that soldiers opened fire in neighbourhoods where they knew civilians lived.
Nigeria has faced bloody insurgent attacks from extremists since 2010 in its predominantly Muslim north.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/At-least-185-killed-in-Nigeria-attack-Officials/articleshow/19670428.cms
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Arab militants capture town in north-eastern Mali
AFP | Apr 22, 2013
GAO, Mali: Arab militants captured a village near Mali's desert city of Timbuktu on Sunday, sources told AFP, as ethnic Tuareg rebels massed in a show of strength near another key northern city.
The Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) told AFP it had taken Ber, a settlement of around 9,000 people some 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Timbuktu, from an armed gang which had been "harrassing our parents".
"As of Sunday, we control the town," Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the MAA told AFP.
"We want to work with the French and Africans fighting against terrorism and drug traffickers," he added.
A military source in Timbuktu confirmed the claim, adding: "The MAA effectively controls the city now. They launched an attack on a local armed group which has not been identified yet."
France launched a military intervention in its former colony in January to prevent al-Qaida-linked Islamist insurgents who had occupied the cities of the vast northern desert since April 2012 from progressing to the capital.
After recapturing the north, the 14-week-old offensive took the fight to the retreating Islamist insurgents' toughest desert bastions and they are facing a guerrilla campaign that includes sudden raids, suicide attacks and land mines.
The vacuum left by the Islamists' retreat has allowed Tuareg rebels from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) to regain a foothold in the area, with Arab groups such as the MAA also staking a claim on the region.
A number of corroborating sources told AFP they had seen at least 200 armed ethnic Tuaregs from the Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA), a splinter group from the the main Islamist group Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith), massed near the northeastern city of Kidal.
"The armed MIA men came close to Kidal. There are at least 200. They have been arriving at encampments since Friday. We have seen this," an African military source in the area told AFP.
"The MIA is putting on a show of force. Approximately 200 of its armed militants came close to Kidal," a resident in the area added.
Alghabass ag Intallah, the leader of the MIA, did not deny the claim, but told AFP he did not want to "say too much".
"Yes, MIA youths and others have gathered. We want to know if Bamako wants peace or not," he told AFP.
The separatist Tuareg rebels of the MNLA initially led the takeover of northern Mali last year in a bid to split the region from the south, where the government in Bamako has long marginalised their community.
Fighting alongside Ansar Dine and backed by the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, the Tuareg were then swiftly pushed aside and the alliance collapsed, with many MNLA fighters instead defecting to Islamist rebel groups.
The MNLA then came out in support of the French-led intervention, hoping the move could help it regain control of the north.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Arab-militants-capture-town-in-northeastern-Mali/articleshow/19671635.cms
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Reporter for Government Radio Is Killed in Somalia
By MOHAMMED IBRAHIM
22 April 2013
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali journalist was shot to death on Sunday outside his home in Mogadishu by unknown gunmen, becoming the fourth journalist killed in his country this year, officials said.
The journalist, Mohamed Ibrahim Rageh, was a reporter for the state-run Radio Mogadishu and Somali National Television. He fled Mogadishu in September 2009 after a spate of killings, and was among a few journalists who had returned to continue their careers.
Mr. Rageh left work around 5 p.m. Sunday for his home in the Dharkenley district, said Abdirahim Isse Addow, director of Radio Mogadishu. “But, after a while, we heard very disheartening news about his death,” Mr. Addow said, adding that Radio Mogadishu’s work would continue as usual.
After leaving Somalia in 2009, Mr. Rageh worked as Somali National Television’s correspondent in Kampala, Uganda. He is survived by his wife and two children.
No group claimed responsibility for the killing.
Somalia is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. On Jan. 18, gunmen shot to death Abdi Hareed Osman of Radio Shabelle, and two other journalists were killed this year in suicide bombings. In 2012, 18 journalists and media workers were killed in Somalia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/world/africa/reporter-for-government-radio-is-killed-in-somalia.html?ref=africa
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Sudanese Police Mutiny as Security Deteriorates in Darfur
22 April 2013
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A group of Sudanese policemen have staged a mutiny in Darfur, according to state news agency SUNA on Sunday, in a fresh sign of the deteriorating security situation in the vast western region.
A "limited" number of officers broke away from their Central Reserve Police unit in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, after stealing four Land Cruisers, weapons and provisions, SUNA said, quoting the interior ministry.
The renegade policemen then fired into the air before leaving the city, SUNA said, adding that there were no casualties and that the army was chasing the men.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/04/21/world/africa/21reuters-sudan-darfur.html?ref=africa&gwh=D1A505BA20569920C88CABBEA17B50B5
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Nigerian Athletes Join London Marathon in Solidarity With Boston Victims
21 APRIL 2013
Nigerian athletes join London marathon in solidarity with Boston victims
Two Nigerian amateur runners, who participated in the Sunday London Marathon, said they were in the race in solidarity with the victims of the April 15 Boston Marathon blasts in the US.
Ola Davies told the News Agency of Nigeria, moments after ending the race in which over 35,000 runners participated, that "Since I do not have any charity, I decided to support victims of the Boston blasts by partaking in the race."
Another athlete, Yinka Onabanjo, said, "I was a bit sceptical, but I got motivated by the thousands of people who came from all over the world for this marathon."
The runners described the race as sport tourism, and urged the various state governors in Nigeria to emulate the Cross River State Government for the hosting of the annual Obudu Ranch Mountain Race.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201304220242.html
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Arab World
'At least 85 people killed in Damascus' as pro-Assad forces storm suburb
Total deaths unconfirmed but opposition activists say soldiers executed wounded who were being treated in makeshift clinic
Reuters in Amman
21 April 2013
Syrian forces and militiamen loyal to Bashar al-Assad, the president, killed at least 85 people and possibly many more when they stormed a Damascus suburb after five days of fighting, opposition activists in the area said on Sunday.
There was no immediate confirmation of the activists' account of what they described as a "massacre", in which women and children were killed, at Jdeidet al-Fadel.
Syrian authorities have banned most independent media since the uprising began two years ago.
Jamal al-Golani, a member of the Revolution Leadership Council of Damascus – an opposition group – said the number of dead could be higher than 250. Most of those killed were shot at close range, he said, but the presence of army patrols made documenting all of them difficult.
The killings happened over several days after pro-Assad forces stormed an area where there were up to 270 rebels, Golani said.
He said he had counted 98 bodies in the streets and another 86 bodies in makeshift clinics – where, he said, people had been summarily executed while lying wounded.
Abu Ahmad al-Rabi, an activist in the adjacent district of Jdeidet Artouz, said: "We documented 85 summarily executed, including 28 shot in a makeshift hospital after Assad's forces entered Jdeidet al-Fadel. We fear that the victims of the massacre are much higher."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/21/syria-arab-and-middle-east-protests
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Activist’s Death in Egypt Spurs Charges of Police Abuse
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
22 April 2013
CAIRO — Mohamed el-Gindy spent three days in violent protests around Tahrir Square. In a television interview, he promised a backlash if the new Islamist government tried to recreate the Egyptian police state.
He also derided President Mohamed Morsi.
“We cannot be threatened, mama’s boy,” Mr. Gindy wrote in a Twitter message.
A few hours later, Mr. Gindy was found lying in the street, and bleeding from the head; he was dead within a week.
Today, after nearly three months, Mr. Gindy’s death is a mystery filled with accusations of police brutality, political retaliation, an official cover-up, and a collaboration between the new Islamist leaders and the same security forces that once jailed and beat them.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/world/middleeast/police-under-new-scrutiny-after-activist-dies-in-egypt.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=74FF2E68F3138E5434284F0789EADABD
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Heavy penalties slapped on Haj firms for offering poor services
22 April 2013
Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar yesterday imposed heavy penalties on 68 Haj and Umrah service companies for not providing adequate services to the Guests of God.
The minister was acting on complaints filed by a number of pilgrims to the Haj Services Committee, which is a nodal agency looking into such problems.
The committee was set up under Law 58 (servicing local pilgrims) of the Royal Decree issued on 28/10/1426 Hijri.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/448995
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Mental stress on the rise in Saudi Society during the last 40 yrs
22 April 2013
The level of mental stress has gone up to an unprecedented level during the last 40 years under the impact of major changes in Saudi society.
Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Abdullah Al-Subaie, one of the key researchers supervising the first Saudi national health and stress survey (SNHSS), attributed the trend to various factors, including competition, social and family problems, which were also aggravated by the era of globalization, which has made citizens vulnerable to a higher degree of mental stress than in the past.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/448986
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Saudi Sponsors to Pay for Deporting Illegal Workers
Angus McDowall | April 22, 2013
Riyadh. Saudi Arabia will make sponsors and employers of foreigners working illegally in the country pay the cost of deporting them, under new rules approved by the cabinet, the Saudi Gazette reported on Monday.
The world’s top oil exporter is cracking down on illegal expatriate workers in an effort to move more Saudi citizens into private sector jobs. Tens of thousands of people have been deported in recent months as government inspectors descended on businesses that have long bent the rules to hire foreigners, who are often paid less than Saudi nationals.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/saudi-sponsors-to-pay-for-deporting-illegal-workers/587333
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Egypt court upholds ruling to suspend elections
AP | Apr 21, 2013
CAIRO: Egypt's state news agency says that a government legal agency representing President Mohammed Morsi has lost an appeal to reverse a court-ordered suspension of parliamentary elections.
MENA reported Sunday that the ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court to uphold the suspension was final. The polls had been set to begin this month.
Egyptian State Lawsuits Authority had filed the appeal after a lower court ruled in early March that the law governing the elections was illegal and that its passage by the Islamist-dominated temporary parliament was procedurally improper.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-court-upholds-ruling-to-suspend-elections/articleshow/19666626.cms
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World's oldest port, dating back to 4,500 years, found in Egypt
April 22, 2013
Archaeologists have discovered what is believed to be the world's oldest harbour in Egypt. The harbour on the Red Sea coast dates back to 4,500 years and belonged to the days of the Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) who died around 2566 BC.
A French-Egyptian archaeological mission discovered the port at Wadi Al-Jarf area, 180 km south of Sueze, Egypt State Information Service reported. The team also discovered quite a few ancient papyri.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/World-s-oldest-port-dating-back-to-4-500-years-found-in-Egypt/Article1-1048282.aspx
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South Asia
Bangladesh elects parliament speaker, Abdul Hamid, as new president
22 April 2013
DHAKA: The speaker of Bangladesh’s parliament Abdul Hamid was elected unopposed as president Monday, a potentially crucial role as the restive country heads for elections next year, officials said.
Hamid is a 69-year-old stalwart of the ruling Awami League party who has been serving as acting president of the Muslim-majority nation after the death of his predecessor Zillur Rahman on March 20.
“Abdul Hamid has won the election uncontested. The chief election commissioner declared him as the winner today (Monday),” said S.M. Asaduzzman, a director of the Election Commission.
The post of president, which is elected by parliament, fell vacant last month after Rahman died of old age complications in a hospital in Singapore.
Although the president’s role has been largely ceremonial since 1991 when the country switched to a parliamentary system of government, the leader has immense power during the transition of government.
Known for his friendly ties with the opposition parties, Hamid could be thrust into the role of a mediator as the country’s two major parties are on a collision course ahead of the next elections due by January 2014.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its smaller Islamist allies have threatened to boycott polls if they are not held under a neutral caretaker government.
The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rejected the opposition demand, saying the polls will be held under the incumbent government.
http://dawn.com/2013/04/22/bangladesh-elects-parliament-speaker-as-new-president/
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Afghan Taliban capture nine foreigners after their helicopter makes emergency landing
AP | Apr 22, 2013
KABUL: A civilian transport helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in a Taliban-controlled area of eastern Afghanistan, and the insurgents took all nine people who were on board hostage, officials said Monday.
The aircraft landed in strong winds and heavy rain on Sunday in a village in the Azra district of Logar province, southeast of Kabul and about 30 kilometers (or 20 miles) from the Pakistan border, said district governor Hamidullah Hamid.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Afghan-Taliban-capture-nine-foreigners-after-their-helicopter-makes-emergency-landing/articleshow/19673414.cms
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Bangladeshi Activists Bring Fight to Wal-Mart’s Doorstep
Michelle Chen
22 April 2013
Wal-Mart’s business model runs on the art of delusion. Clean aisles and bright decor insulate customers from the unseemly factories that produce the brand's sought-after bargains. But when Wal-Mart’s label was found plastered all over the charred remains of a massive factory fire in Bangladesh last fall, the ugliness at the root of the retail giant’s supply chain was exposed.
The company, however, continues to ignore victims’ demands for compensation, so Bangladeshi activists and their allies have brought their grievances to Wal-Mart’s doorstep in a 10-city U.S. tour.
Full report at:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/04/21-1
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Maldives President invited to 4th International Islamic Conference of Bait Al Maqdis
By Minivan News | April 22nd, 2013
President Dr Mohamed Waheed has been invited to attend the 4th International Islamic Conference of Bait Al Maqdis in Palestine as guest of honour, the President’s Office has confirmed.
President Waheed has been invited to the conference, which is scheduled to take place in early June, by his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas on the back of ongoing efforts to expand bilateral relations with the Maldives.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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NGO urges Maldives government to address “inadequate” child protection measures
By Minivan News | April 21st, 2013
A Maldivian NGO has criticised child protection measures currently in place in the country as “inadequate”, while urging government authorities to incorporate several key human rights obligations into domestic law.
Local NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) told Minivan News today (April 21) that although the Maldives has signed and agreed to be legally bound by the provisions in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocols, the commitments have yet to be adopted into law.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/ngo-urges-government-to-address-inadequate-child-protection-measures-56647
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SR 145,000 fine for firm that discriminated against Saudis
22 April 2013
A Chinese company was fined SR 145,000 for preventing Saudi employees from accessing its headquarters, a local newspaper reported.
The company dismissed the fine and filed an appeal to the Labor Office, the primary commission for labor disputes.
Subsequent to the imposition of the fine, the Chinese company dismissed the head of public relations at its branch in Jeddah for his inability to void the fine.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/448983
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Europe
Richard Dawkins' latest anti-Muslim Twitter spat lays bare his hypocrisy
The celebrity atheist's Twitter rant against journalist Mehdi Hasan shows he's a believer too – in his own mythology
Andrew Brown
22 April 2013
Richard Dawkins and Twitter make one of the world's great pairings, like face and custard pie. But whereas more accomplished clowns ram custard pies into the faces of their enemies, Dawkins' technique is to ram his own face into the custard pie, repeatedly. I suppose it saves time and it's a lot of fun to watch. On Sunday afternoon he was at it again, wondering why the New Statesman employs an imaginative and believing Muslim:
"Mehdi Hasan admits to believing Muhamed [sic] flew to heaven on a winged horse. And New Statesman sees fit to print him as a serious journalist."
But this is only half the fun. The real comedy comes when he lifts his face from the pie, dripping scorn and custard, to glare at the audience who can't see how very rational he is. Because there are some people who don't understand that everything Dawkins says illuminates the beauty of reason.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/22/richard-dawkins-islamophobic
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Boston Marathon bombings suspect 'wanted to stay in Russia reading the Quran'
Apr 22, 2013
The suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings who was killed by police wanted to stay in Russia reading the Quran rather than return to the US last year at his father's insistence, a relative said.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, a US resident from Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus region, started getting seriously into Islam a couple of years ago, Patimat Suleimanova, an aunt, told reporters in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
"He wasn't religious as a child," said Mrs Suleimanova, 62. "That happens when a person's soul is lacking something."
Tsarnaev and his brother Dzhokar, 19, are accused of planting two bombs that exploded about 10 seconds apart near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, killing three people and wounding at least 170 more. The elder brother was killed as they both tried to escape a dragnet early April 19.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/americas/boston-marathon-bombings-suspect-wanted-to-stay-in-russia-reading-the-quran#ixzz2RBf2dybi
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UK bill moves to limit power of Sharia Courts
By David C. Jennings (Bio and Archives)
April 21, 2013
Under the Arbitration Act of 1996, Muslims in the UK were empowered to resolve certain legal matters within their faith in a similar way to that already granted to Jewish Beth Din courts. These allow adherents of (mostly orthodox) Judaism to settle matters according to their religious faith without the matter entering civil law.
The initial “tribunals” were set up by lawyer Shiekh Faiz-ul-Aqtab and still operate in London, Bradford, Manchester, Birmingham and Nuneaton. Since then it is believed the number has grown to 85. Rulings can be enforced in both the County Courts and the separate courts! Initial hearings dealt with inheritance and nuisance neighbours but it is apparent the scope and influence of the courts has broadened considerably.
Full report at:
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/54644
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Russia Warns EU Not to Lift Syria Arms Ban as UK Keeps Pushing
22 April 2013
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned the European Union on Monday not to lift an arms embargo that has prevented weapons supplies to Syrian rebels, despite British and French lobbying.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday that EU foreign ministers, who last month rejected a Franco-British proposal to ease the ban, would in coming weeks discuss the question again.
Russia, which says it is continuing to implement weapons contracts with Syria but is no longer delivering arms that could be used in the civil conflict, has vehemently opposed any supplies of weapons to President Bashar al-Assad's opponents.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/04/22/world/europe/22reuters-syria-crisis-russia.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=0B5BD215A9129A011E425500EA0E2273
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HRW accuses Myanmar of 'ethnic cleansing'
April 22, 2013
Myanmar has waged "a campaign of ethnic cleansing" against Rohingya Muslims, a leading rights watchdog said Monday, citing evidence of mass graves and forced displacement.
The Rohingya, who are denied citizenship by the country also known as Burma, have faced crimes against humanity including murder, persecution, deportation and forced transfer, New York-based Human Rights Watch said.
Myanmar officials, community leaders and Buddhist monks organised and encouraged mobs backed by state security forces to conduct coordinated attacks on Muslim villages in October in the western state of Rakhine, HRW said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/HRW-accuses-Myanmar-of--ethnic-cleansing/Article1-1048347.aspx
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Kazakhstan Expands Security and Economic Cooperation with Afghanistan
Richard Weitz
22 April 2013
On April 17, the Kazakhstani government withdrew a proposed bill supporting the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) from the Majilis, but the foreign ministry was quick to explain that Kazakhstan had no plans to reduce its support for international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. It was only recalling the bill from parliament because the decision of many ISAF members to accelerate their troop withdrawals from Afghanistan had made its terms out of date (Trend, April 17).
Full report at: Jamestown Foundation
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Should We Worry About Terror From Chechnya?
APR 19, 201
BY ERIC NIILER
Two brothers with origins in the volatile northern Caucasus region have spread fear and terror throughout Boston just a few days after police say they were suspected of setting off bombs at the finish of the city’s famed marathon.
Chechnya and the surrounding region are the homeland to refugees seeking to escape a war zone for a better life in the United States or Western Europe. The area is also home to several Muslim terror groups, experts say, who are trying to exploit poverty and conflict to expand the influence of radical Islamic ideology.
Full report at:
http://news.discovery.com/human/life/terrorism-chechnya-130419.htm
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Pakistan
Lok Mela concludes with a prestigious ceremony at Lok Virsa
22 April 2013
ISLAMABAD: The 10-day folk festival of Pakistan, popularly known as the “Lok Virsa”, which started on April 12, concluded on Sunday at Shakaparian with a prestigious award ceremony. The cultural event had been organised by Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage) in collaboration with all the provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
Shahzada Jamal Nazir, Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, National Harmony, National Regulation & Services, National Heritage & Integration, graced the ceremony as chief guest and gave away the cash awards to the winning artisans and trophies to the festival participants & sponsors.
Millions of people from different walks of life attended the festival during the 10 days which featured artisans-at-work exhibition, provincial cultural pavilions, folkloric song & dance performances, cultural evenings, craft bazaar, NGO stalls, theatre performances and special entertainment for children and families.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\22\story_22-4-2013_pg11_2
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Taliban Attacks in Northwest Pakistan Are Reshaping Ballot
By DECLAN WALSH
22 April 2013
NOWSHERA, Pakistan — When Shahid Khan started talking, his gunmen clambered onto a school’s rooftop, scanning the surrounding hills with flashlights, anticipating a possible attack.
Below them, Mr. Khan, a candidate for his region’s provincial assembly, addressed potential voters — poor farmers and village traders, gathered on a cluster of rope beds outside the school, listening raptly to his promises. Then, after wolfing down snacks offered by his hosts, he abruptly left.
“They say it’s not safe around here,” said Mr. Khan, as he leapt into a waiting car, trailed by a bodyguard. “We’d better get going.”
Electioneering has taken a dark twist in northwest Pakistan, where a concerted campaign of Taliban attacks against the main secular party is violently reshaping the democratic landscape before parliamentary elections scheduled for May 11.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/world/asia/pakistani-taliban-violently-reshape-the-ballot.html?ref=asia&gwh=5E8D1BC83E7DCCEE8E438D391DCDCA0B
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Ahmadis still out of electoral process
April 22, 2013
LAHORE: The Ahmadiya community will not cast votes in the May 11 elections because of the “attitude of the State”, Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya Pakistan Spokesperson Saleemudin told The Express Tribune on Sunday.
Ahmadis are unable to register as Muslim voters. The election commission used the NADRA data to register Ahmadis in a separate roll. However Ahmadis say they will not avail their right to vote.
Saleemudin said there were up to 200,000 members of the community in the country. Every government, he said, has pandered to anti-Ahmadiya elements which was why Ahmadis had been unable to cast their votes.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/538686/franchise-ahmadis-still-out-of-electoral-process/
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Nawaz promises to abolish armed wings of political parties
22 April 2013
LAHORE: President Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that if his party was given mandate by masses then abolishing armed wings of political parties in Karachi would be his top priority.
Talking to media persons here on Sunday, Mian Nawaz Sharif said that “Karachites were facing barbarism due to negligence of political forces who ruled the country for five years and PML-N after coming into power would remove the miseries of the metropolis.”
Commenting on Pervez Musharraf’s detention, Nawaz Sharif said the former army chief violated constitution twice besides putting the sovereignty of country at stake and hence he should be tried under the law.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\22\story_22-4-2013_pg7_15
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Pakistan Government Says It Won't Charge Musharraf
22 April 2013
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's caretaker government has told the Supreme Court it will not file treason charges against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
Attorney General Irfan Qadir said in a statement submitted to the court Monday that caretaker officials have decided to leave the decision on treason charges to the government that will come to power after the May 11 parliamentary election.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/22/world/asia/ap-as-pakistan.html?ref=asia&gwh=320AD76D9969057361B90087308DA164
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Acting US Special Representative for AfPak visits Pakistan
22 April 2013
ISLAMABAD:A United States delegation led by Acting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan David D. Pearce visited Pakistan on April 21-22.
The visiting delegation comprised Ambassador David Pearce, Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Lieutenant General (Retired) Dagulas Lute, Special Assistant to the President on Afghanistan and Pakistan; Dr Peter Lavoy, Principal Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and Ambassador Richard Olson, according to a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/04/22/acting-us-special-representative-for-afpak-visits-pakistan/
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Mystery blast kills three children in Kamber Shahdadkot
22 April 2013
LARKANA: At least three children were killed and two women were wounded in a mysterious explosion in a house in District Kamber Shahdadkot’s Sajawal Tehsil in Sindh, media channels reported police sources as saying.
The nature and intensity of the blast could not be ascertained till the filing of this report.
http://dawn.com/2013/04/22/mystery-blast-kills-three-children-in-kamber-shahdadkot/
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‘Only democracy can resolve Balochistan issue’: former PPP senator
22 April 2013
QUETTA: The resolution of Balochistan issue is in establishing a strong parliamentary and democratic system in the country, says Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, a PML-N leader and a former PPP senator.
Talking to newsmen here on Sunday, Mr Raisani said external forces were exploiting the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan.
He said the Baloch were deprived of their due share in development and employment opportunities during the tenures of successive governments, adding that the problem could be solved through good governance.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/04/22/only-democracy-can-resolve-balochistan-issue/
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Pakistan resolved to ensure protection of authors’ rights: IPO
22 April 2013
ISLAMABAD: Director General Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan), Tarik Feroze has reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to ensure protection of authors’ rights.
In his message for the World Book & Copyright Day being observed across the globe on April 23, he said that all possible efforts would be made to check book piracy, since it was not only in the interest of the authors but also of the country. “Creation of the mind is also known as Intellectual Property (IP). Thus one must respect the rights of the authors and the right of the author is respected when the readers buy and use genuine books and do not use the books for commercial purpose without the consent of the author,” said Feroze. He said this right had been accepted and ensured not only in the Pakistan’s copyright law but also in the entire world through international conventions in this respect.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\22\story_22-4-2013_pg11_6
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In campaign mode: Imran vows to pull out troops from Waziristan
April 22, 2013
DERA ISMAIL KHAN / KARAK: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan opened his election campaign on Sunday with the tantalising promise of bringing peace to the troubled tribal area of Waziristan through a series of measures precipitated in part by a withdrawal of troops from there.
Once Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf comes to power, Imran told thousands of ecstatic party supporters at a rally in Dera Ismail Khan that he would order a pullout of forces from the tribal area.
“The prime minister of naya Pakistan will not be a slave to anyone,” the PTI leader told the rally — his second in the course of a day.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/538826/in-campaign-mode-imran-vows-to-pull-out-troops-from-waziristan/
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Nine decades later, Turkey gives back to Karachi
April 22, 2013
KARACHI: When Aynur Pazarrci watched Benazir Bhutto on television, she would think of her as an elder sister. After spending her whole life in Turkey, Pazarrci felt connected to Pakistan long before she moved here seven years ago. Now, she serves as the vice principal of the Pak Turn International School’s guidance department.
Tucked away in the narrow streets inside Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Pak-Turk International School is a not-for-profit initiative of the Pak-Turk International Cag Educational Foundation (Pak-Turk ICEF), aiming to provide low-cost education. A movement that started in 1999 is now spread to nine cities across the country.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/538707/nine-decades-later-turkey-gives-back-to-karachi/
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India
India and China agree on Karzai but differ on Pak
Shishir Gupta
April 22, 2013
India and China have decided to back Hamid Karzai regime and are prepared to work towards the stability of Afghanistan after the US pulls out in 2014. But differences have cropped up in perceptions over the long-term roles of Pakistan, Taliban and Washington in that region. While China is bothered about the United States' role in Afghanistan, India sees both Pakistan and Taliban as forces of instability in that region.
During the first India-China official meeting on Afghanistan in Beijing last Thursday, both countries exchanged their respective positions on the restive nation and their concern over US forces pulling out next year While there was agreement in theoretical positions in the first-ever exchange, Beijing felt that engagement with Pakistan and reconciliation with the ultra conservative Taliban was vital to long term stability of the trouble-torn nation.
Official sources said India's concern, however, was Pakistan and the terror groups based in that country using Afghanistan for strategic depth after US pulls out. It was evident from the meeting that if Pakistan and Taliban were a big worry for India, then possibility of some 20,000 US troops remaining in Afghanistan for special operations after the pull-put was bothering Beijing.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/India-and-China-agree-on-Karzai-but-differ-on-Pak/Article1-1048279.aspx
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India’s milk pouch model appeals to Europe, Pakistan
Prashant Rupera, TNN | Apr 22, 2013
VADODARA: Mother Dairy, Gandhinagar, a unit of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has now emerged as world's largest milk film manufacturer. And, the Indian dairy model of supplying daily milk to consumers in the form of pouches is now being adopted by the western world and even in neighbouring Pakistan.
Marketers of Amul brand, GCMMF, has enhanced the milk film producing capacity of the Bhat village-based plant near Gandhinagar as the demand for pouched milk is fast increasing in the country.
The plant, which had a capacity of producing 8,000 metric tonnes of milk film, now can produce 17,000 metric tonnes a year with capacity expansion that was carried out with Rs 80 crore investments.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indias-milk-pouch-model-appeals-to-Europe-Pakistan/articleshow/19669046.cms
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Shia cleric rejects honour of Akhilesh government
ATIQ KHAN
April 22, 2013
Accuses SP government of betraying the cause of Muslims
Vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and eminent Shia cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe Sadiq on Sunday refused to accept the honour conferred on him at a polio eradication programme by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. He walked out even as the programme was under way.
Dr. Sadiq later accused the Samajwadi Party government of betraying the cause of Muslims. In a statement mailed by his son Kalbe Hussain on Sunday night, the Maulana said: “The honour was in contrast to the promises made by the government which are pending.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/shia-cleric-rejects-honour-of-akhilesh-government/article4640835.ece
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Islamic Congregation of 500,000 people, Chaired by Mufti of the Haram Sharif
New terror staging post
Sunita Aron
April 22, 2013
Krishna Nagar, a dusty, sleepy border town in Nepal's Kapilavastu district, suddenly woke up to a bustle recently, with a tent city coming up in the middle of nowhere to house guests from all over the world - India, Nepal, the UK, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
The town - on Nepal's southern border with India in Uttar Pradesh - hosted a mega congregation of 500,000 people addressed by Islamic scholars and religious leaders from March 29 to 31.
While religious congregations, known as an Ijtema, are a routine affair at Islamic seminaries, the unusually high scale of this congregation took the Indian authorities by surprise. The importance of the event was borne out by the fact that the mufti of the Haram Sharif holy mosque in Mecca, Dr Wasiullah Abbas, was the chief guest.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/lucknow/New-terror-staging-post/Article1-1048263.aspx
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168 militants killed in J&K in last two years: Antony
PTI | Apr 22, 2013
NEW DELHI: A total of 168 terrorists were killed by the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir in the last two years, with 63 of them being neutralised in the hinterland last year, defence minister A K Antony informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.
In a written reply to the House, Antony provided the figures relating to terrorists killed in the state along the Line of Control (LoC) and the hinterland.
In 2012, 73 terrorists were killed with 10 of them being neutralised along the LoC. The remaining 63 were killed by the Indian Army in the hinterland.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/168-militants-killed-in-JK-in-last-two-years-Antony/articleshow/19678673.cms
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This Kerala family may come into $900 million Saudi bonanza
IANS | Apr 22, 2013
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One family in Kerala, the Keyis of Kannur district, may have struck gold -- the state government has taken up with the centre the issue of about $900 million due to them, being held by the treasury of Saudi Arabia.
The state government is urging the centre to intervene to ensure the transfer of the money, amounting, in the 1950s, to 1.4 million Saudi riyals (one riyal today is equal to Rs 14.40), which has been lying in the Saudi treasury for the past nearly six decades.
Speaking to IANS, P. Naseer, director of the Minority Welfare Department, said that the Keyi family had, for over ten years, been trying to gain possession of the amount.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/This-Kerala-family-may-come-into-900-million-Saudi-bonanza/articleshow/19675483.cms
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Southeast Asia
Indonesian Council of Ulema to spiritual guru: Stop Blaspheming or Face Police
Jakarta Globe | April 22, 2013
The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) has threatened to report a celebrity spiritual guru to the police for deviating from Islamic doctrine and having too many wives.
Besides having more spouses than is allowed by Islam, the MUI claimed that Subur — who is known to his disciples as Eyang — also practiced sorcery and black magic.
“For this reason, the MUI wants Subur to repent and return to a straight path,” Ma’ruf Amin, the chairman of the MUI, said on Monday as quoted by state-run news agency Antara.
The edict was issued after the conclusion of an MUI investigation that began April 8, 2013. The council gathered that Subur had digressed from mainstream Islamic teachings by having eight wives, when the religion only allows for a man to have four.
Though he has not officially tainted the religion, the MUI believes that Subur violated Islamic principles and has asked him to divorce four of his spouses and stop working as a shaman and a clairvoyant.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/mui-to-subur-stop-blaspheming-or-face-police/587347
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Father Admits to Raping Child in East Kalimantan
Tunggadewa Mattangkilang | April 22, 2013
Balikpapan. Police in East Kalimantan’s Kutai Kartanegara district have arrested a man for allegedly raping his own daughter almost every night for the last eight years.
According to the victim, her father, Suyanto, 35, from Tenggarong Seberang subdistrict district, has been raping the now 16-year-old girl ever since she was 8 years old, said Adj. Comr. Suwarno, a spokesman for the district police.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lawandorder/father-admits-to-raping-child-in-east-kalimantan/587259
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Residents reject church in West Jakarta
April 22 2013
Residents have taken to the streets to stop construction of a church Tambora, West Jakarta, claiming that organizers lack a needed permit.
Several people were seen on Sunday surrounding the Bunda Hati Kudus Foundation school, where the church was to be built.
"How can you just build a church when there's no permit?" Wawat, one of the men outside the school, said as quoted by kompas.com. "We have no issues as to what the school management plans to build, but there has to be a permit."
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/04/22/residents-reject-church-west-jakarta.html
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Beware of LGBT and freedom of religion movements, Muhyiddin tells Muslims
22 April 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 - Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin warned Malaysian Muslims of two challenges facing them today — the alleged spread of the lesbian, gay, trans-sexual and bisexual (LGBT) movement, and demands for freedom of religion among the Malays.
According to the Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman, these were efforts by foreign influences who are trying to divide the Muslims in the country, backed by masterminds from among Malaysian Muslims themselves.
“We cannot be careless, the challenge against Islam’s position comes in many ways,” Muhyiddin (left) said at a meet-and-greet session with employees of Islamic agencies at the Usamah bin Zaid Mosque in Wangsa Maju here.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/shun-fatwas-from-politicians-muhyiddin-tells-muslims/
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In Shah Alam, Noordin apologises to Indians, blames Pakatan for Selangor faith row
22 April 2013
SHAH ALAM, April 22 — Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Zulkifli Noordin apologised to Indians last night in Shah Alam while on the second day of his Election 2013 campaign trail for having uttered insults against Malaysia’s third biggest faith group in the past.
The Perkasa vice-president also attempted to shift the blame put on him, telling Selangor’s Indians they should be more upset with the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government for demolishing their temples and shrines than whatever he had ever done.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/in-shah-alam-zul-noordin-apologises-blames-pakatan-for-selangor-faith-row/
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Mideast Asia
Iran to stand with Syria in face of crisis
IANS | Apr 22, 2013
DAMASCUS: Iran has expressed its solidarity with Syria amid prevailing crisis, with the visiting national security head from Tehran assuring support to President Bashar al-Assad's efforts to handle "aggressive foreign policies".
Alaeddin Boroujerdi has arrived in Syria on a three-day visit to discuss prevailing situation with top Syrian officials including President Assad, Xinhua reported.
Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem accused "foreign powers" of targeting Syria's pivotal role in the region, as he met Boroujerdi on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-to-stand-with-Syria-in-face-of-crisis/articleshow/19673714.cms
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Iran to meet UN nuclear watchdog on May 21: reports
22 April 2013
DUBAI: Iran and officials from the United Nations nuclear watchdog will hold a new round of talks over Iran’s disputed nuclear program on May 21 in Vienna, Iranian media reported on Monday.
The Mehr and ISNA news agencies gave no further details in their reports.
The International Atomic Energy Agency press had no immediate comment. Last week, a diplomatic source told Reuters that a meeting in May was a possibility, but that no date had yet been fixed.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/04/22/iran-to-meet-un-nuclear-watchdog-on-may-21-reports/
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Turks and Kurds 'will not achieve reconciliation overnight'
Thomas Seibert
Apr 22, 2013
ISTANBUL // Protests by Turkish nationalists against the government's initiative to end a decades-long war with Kurdish militants show that reconciliation will not be achieved overnight, analysts say.
The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, has been involved in peace negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed Kurdish rebel leader who is seen as public enemy Number One by Turkish nationalists.
As a result of the peace talks, Ocalan last month called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that he founded to stop attacks on security forces and withdraw its estimated 1,500 fighters from Turkey to rebel camps in northern Iraq. No clashes between security forces and rebels have been reported since then.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/turks-and-kurds-will-not-achieve-reconciliation-overnight#ixzz2RBf99doH
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Turkey 'in intensive talks' with Kabul over hostages
April 22, 2013
Turkey confirmed on Monday that eight of its nationals were abducted by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan after their helicopter made an emergency landing and said it was holding "intensive talks" with Kabul.
"The Turkish embassy is holding intensive talks with Afghan authorities to find out their whereabouts," a foreign ministry diplomat told AFP. He said there was no information about their well-being.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/turkey-in-intensive-talks-with-kabul-over-hostages/587359
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Israel Praises Azerbaijan's Stand in Iran Crisis
22 April 2013
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president has praised Azerbaijan for playing a key role in countering Iran's influence in the Middle East.
Shimon Peres says Azerbaijian, which shares a border with Iran, has taken a "clear stand" against war and terrorism.
Peres says Azerbaijan's "unique geographic location" makes it a "key country" in the region.
Peres spoke Monday during a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. It's the first visit by an Azerbaijani foreign minister to Israel.
Israel believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies. Israel and the U.S. have hinted at military action if diplomacy fails to stop Iran's controversial nuclear program.
Israel's ties with Azerbaijan have grown since its once-strong strategic relationship with nearby Turkey deteriorated.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/22/world/middleeast/ap-ml-israel-azerbaijan.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=3AFF92C0780CB0B5D24D7D85E5FEE307
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North America
U.S. averse to direct military involvement in Syrian conflict
ATUL ANEJA
April 22, 2013
A select group of 11 countries, advocating “regime change” in Syria may have been pushed on the back foot as the latest intelligence assessment in the United States reveals that the government of Syrian
President Bashar Al Assad continues to possess sufficient political cohesion and military firepower to take on the armed opposition.
The core element of the Friends of Syria grouping, held their meeting in Istanbul on Saturday, with the opposition still pitching for a military solution to the Syrian crisis. “There is no solution with this regime through negotiation. This (conflict) will not be settled other than by force,” said Brigadier Selim Idris, head of a military command on the sidelines of the meeting.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/us-averse-to-direct-military-involvement-in-syrian-conflict/article4640332.ece
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Boston bomb suspects ‘innocent’, framed by FBI: father
22 April 2013
MOSCOW: The father of the suspected Boston bombers insisted in an interview published Monday that his sons Tamerlan and Dzhokhar were innocent and could not have carried out the bombings.
Their plans for the future had included returning to work in Russia, Anzor Tsarnaev said in the telephone interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda daily, adding that he hoped to travel to the United States where his younger son Dzhokhar is in hospital after his capture with serious injuries.
“I only know what they are showing on television. We plan to go and see him in America if Allah permits.”
His two sons “were studying and working” in the United States, he said.
He said that he last spoke to his elder son Tamerlan Tsarnaev after the bombings. His son told him then that he had received a phone call saying he was a suspect, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/449003
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Bible a 'copy' of Quran, Boston bombing suspect told neighbour
AFP | Apr 22, 2013
BOSTON: The deceased Boston bombing suspect recently described the Bible as a copy of the Quran during an argument about religion, a former neighbour claims.
Al Ammon, whose apartment is in the same building in the Boston suburb of Watertown where Tamerlan Tsarnaev once lived, told CBS televisions “60 Minutes" that the dispute between the two took place about three months ago.
"I remember the first thing I said to him was that it's always good to have an open mind towards other religions. And then he went into the Bible and the Quran," Ammon said in an excerpt of an interview set to air later Sunday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Bible-a-copy-of-Quran-Boston-bombing-suspect-told-neighbour/articleshow/19669716.cms
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Boston bombing suspects may have bombed civil liberties and human rights too
Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN | Apr 21, 2013
WASHINGTON: A brief checklist of the fallout from the Boston marathon bombing by the Brothers Tsarnaev: possible spanner in the upcoming immigration legislation with possible rethink on some provisions; a re-examination of the process of granting political asylum, which enabled the Tsarnaev family to emigrate from Chechnya to the United States; greater scrutiny of overseas trips by immigrant youth, particularly those from the world's hotspots who are returning there; a more measured US policy on radical separatist movements across the world; more intense monitoring of mosques and ethnic minority enclaves in America; and more extensive and intrusive casing of Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and other social media for subversive messages.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Boston-bombing-suspects-may-have-bombed-civil-liberties-and-human-rights-too/articleshow/19665929.cms
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Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar probably killed his elder brother: Police
PTI | Apr 22, 2013
BOSTON: DzhokharTsarnaev, the younger of the two Chechen brothers suspected of the Boston Marathon blasts, probably killed his elder brother Tamerlan by running over his SUV over him while fleeing, police said.
Dzhokhar, 19, who was arrested on Friday after days of manhunt, is in serious condition in a Boston hospital. His elder brother, Tamerlan, 26, the alleged mastermind of the Boston marathon bombing died a day earlier during a police exchange fire.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Boston-bombing-suspect-Dzhokhar-probably-killed-his-elder-brother-Police/articleshow/19672897.cms
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Boston bombings suspect disrupted mosque on MLK day
Apr 22 2013
Boston : Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of two brothers suspected in the Boston Marathon blasts, had objected to a sermon at a Cambridge mosque in which the speaker compared the Prophet with civil rights leader Martin Luther King, a mosque official said.
Yusufi Vali, executive director of the Islamic Society of Boston, which runs the mosque, said 26-year-old Tsarnaev told the speaker, "You are a kafir [an unbeliever]," and said he was contaminating people's minds and was a hypocrite.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/boston-bombings-suspect-disrupted-mosque-on-mlk-day/1105939/
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Boston arrest sparks debate over reading of rights
AFP | Apr 22, 2013
WASHINGTON: The arrest of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect has ignited debate over a legal exception that allows police to interrogate individuals without reading them their rights.
The suspect, Dzokhar Tsarnaev, a 19-year-old naturalized US citizen, was in hospital to receive treatment for injuries he sustained during a shootout with police on Friday.
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick said the seriously wounded Tsarnaev was "not able to communicate yet," hinting that he may not have been questioned so far.
However, rights advocates were quick to express concern over possible efforts by President Barack Obama's administration to use a provision waiving the need to inform Tsarnaev of his right to an attorney or to remain silent.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Boston-arrest-sparks-debate-over-reading-of-rights/articleshow/19679352.cms
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Half Guantanamo detainees on hunger strike
22 April 2013
Eighty-four of the 166 prisoners held at the US-run Guantanamo Bay facility are now on hunger strike, US military officials have said.
The prisoners are protesting against their indefinite detention. Most are being held without charge.
Sixteen of the 84 prisoners are being force-fed and five are being treated in hospital. None has a life-threatening condition, according to the military.
The hunger strike started in February and has grown rapidly in recent weeks.
The number of strikers last Wednesday was 52 and by Friday had reached 63.
'Mishandling of the Koran'
Hunger strikes are frequent at Guantanamo, but the current protest - which began on 6 February - is one of the longest and most widespread.
Guantanamo officials deny claims that the strike began after copies of the Koran were mishandled during searches of prisoners' cells.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22246527
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US in major arms deal with Israel
22 April 2013
The United States is to equip Israel with a range of advanced missiles and fighter jets, new defence chief Chuck Hagel has said on a visit to Jerusalem.
The deal is part of a US $10bn arms package involving Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Mr Hagel said the weapons would allow Israel to maintain its qualitative military edge over its neighbours.
The arms deal with the US' regional allies comes at a time of heightened concern over Iran's nuclear programme.
Israel and the US have said they would be prepared to take military action to stop Iran's nuclear activity, which they suspect is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22244832
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Mosque says bombing suspects were 'occasional visitors,' never violent
By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News
22 April 2013
A mosque outside Boston said Saturday that the two brothers suspected in the bombing of the Boston Marathon were “occasional visitors” who never “exhibited any violent sentiments or behavior.”
The Islamic Society of Boston Cambridge Masjid said in a statement that its community was “in shock to have learned of the crimes of these individuals.”
People who knew Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the men authorities say set off twin blasts near the marathon finish line Monday, have been urged to call law enforcement and have done so, the mosque said.
Full report at:
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/20/17842358-mosque-says-bombing-suspects-were-occasional-visitors-never-violent?lite
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Chicago Muslims hoping Islamophobia doesn’t rise in light of Boston attacks
BY BECKY SCHLIKERMAN, AP
April 19, 2013
Chicago Muslims on Friday condemned the Boston attacks and said they hope anti-Muslim sentiment doesn’t rear its ugly head.
“Our focus is on the true victims — the ones who are hurting, the ones who are bleeding, the ones who unfortunately have died — and we don’t want to be drawn into fending for ourselves in this time,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “We want to grieve in peace like everybody else.”
Rehab gathered with a group of interfaith leaders to make the plea.
Full report at:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/19591255-418/chicago-muslims-hoping-islamophobia-doesnt-rise-in-light-of-boston-attacks.html
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Hagel to focus on Syria, Iran in Israel talks
April 22, 2013
Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel will meet his Israeli counterpart on Monday in Tel Aviv for talks expected to focus on Syria's protracted civil war and Iran's disputed nuclear programme.
Hagel has said US military intervention in Syria would be a last resort and the discussions in Israel come as Syrian rebels suffered setbacks on the battlefield along with fresh turmoil within its leadership.
Syrian opposition chief Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib announced on Sunday that he would step down in the face of what he called world "inaction" while rebel forces were pushed back by President Bashar al-Assad's troops in Qusayr near the Lebanese border.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/Hagel-to-focus-on-Syria-Iran-in-Israel-talks/Article1-1048398.aspx
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