Aussie Firms Paying Inflated Price to Have Halal Certification by Indonesian Council of Ulema
New Age Islam News Bureau
19
Oct 2013
Suicide blast in central Somalia kills 12: witness
Australia
• Aussie firms paying inflated price to have Halal certification
Africa
• Suicide bomber kills 13 at restaurant in central Somalia
• Senussi again seeks Hague trial
• Tunisia's ruling Islamists see elections in six months
• Islamist rebels claim responsibility for Somalia suicide bombing
Arab World
• Blast and subsequent clashes kill 16 soldiers near Damascus
• Car bomb kills 3 in Iraqi capital
• Car bomb hits Egyptian army intelligence building in Ismailia
• Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood facing wave of trials
• Entire families head to Syria for Jihad vacations
South Asia
• Suicide bomb in Kabul kills two outside foreign compound
• Police stop Maldives presidential election from going ahead
• 3.14 lakh live as modern day slaves in Bangladesh
• Afghan tribal meeting next month to decide on US pact
• Bangladesh PM proposes all-party interim government
• Saudi Arabia’s Candidate for Afghan President has Ties to Both World Trade Center Attacks
Pakistan
• 722 suspects rejoined terror groups after acquittal in Pakistan
• Over 2000 suspects freed by Pakistan courts involved in anti-state activities
• Wrong policies of militant outfits isolates Baloch struggle for rights
• Genocide of Pakhtuns continues since 1948: Bilour
• Even silence provokes militants to kill
• Pakistan tells UN at least 400 civilians killed by drone strikes
• Pakistan tells India it alone can’t restore peace on LoC
• PM orders ‘zero tolerance’ against ‘enemies of state’
Europe
• 'No notification' of Saudi Arabia snub - UN chief Ban
• EU progress report ‘certificate’ of Turkey’s determination for reforms, EU minister says
• Russia calls U.S. proposal to ship out Syrian chemical arms ‘premature’
• France shares Saudi Arabia’s ‘frustration’ on Security Council
India
• Indian Mujahideen plotted to kidnap Jews, free 9/11 convict: Yasin Bhatkal
• Panic grips border villages as mortar shelling by Pakistan continues
• China selling n-reactors to Pak matter of concern: India
• Ram temple, uniform civil code non-negotiable: BJP
Mideast
• Hamas denies taking part in Egypt, Syria, fighting
• Intelligence chief accused by US newspapers for doing duty: Turkish FM
• Saudi rejection of Security Council seat will draw attention to UN’s failures: Gül
Southeast Asia
• The word ‘Allah’ does not belong to any religion or race
• Jakarta Govt Backs Church amid Hard-Liner Protest
• Indonesia sees no rush despite push from Malaysia
• Allah decision binding on all Malaysians, says retired AG Abu Talib
North America
• Could principles of Islamic finance feed into a sustainable economic system?
• US quietly releasing $1.6bn in Pakistan assistance
• India-Pak ties likely to figure in Obama-Sharif meeting
• New York man charged with trying to support terrorists
• Malaysia has stopped providing crime statistics to the UN
• Sanders: Global warming more dangerous than al-Qaida
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/aussie-firms-paying-inflated-price/d/14054
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Australia
Aussie Firms Paying Inflated Price to Have Halal Certification by Indonesian Council of Ulema
October 19, 2013
POWERFUL Muslim clerics in Jakarta are raising money for Islamic schools and mosques by forcing Australian businesses to pay an inflated religious levy on meat exports.
The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), the top Islamic body which orders Fatwa religious rulings, is dictating how much Australian companies must pay to have their food certified as Halal, or legal under Islamic law.
The MUI has expelled three Australian certifiers of Halal meat - even ordering one to stop doing business because it was charging less than its rivals. The scandal has triggered a boycott by some of Australia's leading meat processors, which are refusing to use more expensive certifiers endorsed by the MUI.
But abattoirs have been unable to export Halal meat to Indonesia as a result, risking a trade dispute with one of Australia's key export markets.
MUI chairman Amidhan Shaberah yesterday said that setting minimum fees for Halal was "just part of our control''.
"We have to standardise the charge to avoid any unfair competition between certifiers,'' he said during an interview in Jakarta.
"If we allow them to charge under the standard (price), other certifiers will (find it) hard to get clients.''
Dr Shaberah said Australian Halal certifiers should donate profits to Islamic mosques and schools.
"They should contribute for mosques, Islamic schools, the Islamic community and other social activities,'' he said.
The MUI has suspended Brisbane-based Australian Halal Food Services (AHFS) for engaging in "unfair competition'' that could "weaken (the) Halal certification movement".
"Descended rate of price and cost of certifying … by AHFS … is an unfair competition and weaken(s) Halal certification movement,'' its suspension letter stated.
One major Queensland meat processor, which did not want to be identified, claimed it had been quoted $27,000 a month in Halal certification fees through another MUI-endorsed certifier - four times more than AHFS had been charging.
Stephen Kelly, the general manager of industry affairs for the Japanese-owned Nippon Meat Packers, said its Queensland abattoirs that had used AHFS could no longer sell Halal meat in Indonesia.
"Indonesia is still an important market and we would be keen to have a resolution of this,'' he said.
JBS Australia - the nation's biggest meat packer and exporter with more than 8500 employees - has also been unable to export beef from Queensland to Indonesia.
"We would like to think there's competition in the market rather than a monopoly in the market,'' JBS director John Berry said.
Dr Shaberah said the Brisbane certifier, AHFS, had been suspended for trying to work interstate, and a Melbourne company, Australian Halal Authority and Advisers (AHAA), had been deregistered for "operating without a permit for more than five years'' - even though it was recognised by AQIS at the time.
But a spokesman for AHAA said it had been banned from operating because its head office was in Victoria - where the rival Global Halal Trade Centre is the sole approved certifier.
Dr Shaberah said the third certifier to be struck off, the Adelaide Mosque Islamic Society of South Australia, had failed to pay its US$1000 membership fee and had been "out of contact'' for more than a year.
Adelaide Mosque Islamic Society refused to comment yesterday.
The federal Department of Agriculture confirmed it had no power over approvals for religious certifiers, but a spokesman said: "The Australian Government values our close relationship with MUI and will continue to work together with MUI to overcome issues that affect the mutually beneficial trade in red meat to Indonesia."
WHAT IS HALAL?
HALAL is an Arabic word meaning "lawful". Foods that are prohibited as non-Halal include alcohol, pig meat and carnivorous animals such as crocodiles.
Muslims can only eat meat that has been prepared according to Islamic law.
Animals must be slaughtered by a "sane adult Muslim'', who invokes the name of Allah before slashing the animal's throat with a razor-sharp knife as it faces Mecca.
It must not see other animals being killed, and must bleed out before processing.
Australian animal welfare regulations require that animals be stunned before slaughter, but Islamic groups insist that stunning is non-Halal.
http://www.news.com.au/national-news/aussie-firms-paying-inflated-price-to-have-halal-certification/story-fncynjr2-1226743120181
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Africa
Suicide bomber kills 13 at restaurant in central Somalia
Oct 19 2013
A suicide bomber killed at least 13 people outside a restaurant popular with Ethiopian and Somali troops in the town of Baladweyne in central Somalia on Saturday, a local politician said.
More than 10 people were also wounded in the blast near a military base, Dahir Amin Jesow told Reuters over the phone from Baladweyne.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/84240/World/International/Suicide-bomber-kills--at-restaurant-in-central-Som.aspx
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Senussi again seeks Hague trial
Oct 19 2013
TRIPOLI — Gaddafi’s former security chief Abdullah Senussi has appealed a decision by judges at the International Criminal Court that he can after all be tried in Libya and not brought before the international court in the Hague.
Senussi’s court-appointed lawyer, Benedict Emmerson filing the appeal Thursday, was reported by the Associated Press as asking the ICC to order the Tripoli court trying his client to halt proceedings while the international judges considered the appeal. Emmerson claimed that there was a danger that his client could be convicted and executed in Libya before the ICC ruled on the appeal.
At the international court Senussi was charged with crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the uprising. Libyan charges also include the former security chief’s involvement in the 1996 massacre of 1,300 prisoners at Abu Selim jail.
The ICC a week ago accepted a Libyan government appeal against its original order that Senussi be handed over. Its ruling said that after careful consideration it had found that the Libyan prosecutor’s investigations covered the same ground as its own. It also noted the quantity and quality of the evidence collected against Senussi. It also praised efforts made to “resolve certain issues in the justice system by recourse to international assistance”.
In backing a Libyan trial for Senussi, the ICC also rendered pointless a ruling made by its judges on Sept. 26, demanding that the Libyan authorities permit members of Senussis defense team to have a privileged visit with their client in Libya. Mindful of the 26-day detention of Saif Al-Islam’s four-man defense team in Zintan 16 months ago, the ICC order made a point of insisting that the safety of the defense lawyers be guaranteed. Libya never agreed to the visit.
Senussi is due to make his third appearance in Tripoli next Thursday. With 36 other former top members of the Gaddafi regime, Senussi first appeared in court on Sept. 19. At his last appearance, a closed-door session on Oct. 3, proceedings were adjourned so lawyers for all the defendants could consult more fully with their clients.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20131019184005
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Tunisia's ruling Islamists see elections in six months
Oct 18, 2013
(Reuters) - Tunisia's ruling Islamists, who have agreed to make way for a caretaker government, see elections within six months to put the country's political transition back on track after months of unrest, a senior party official said on Friday.
Nearly three years after an uprising toppled President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, divisions between Islamists and the opposition over the political role of Islam have delayed a democratic process once seen as a model for the region.
Moderate Islamist party Ennahda and an opposition coalition agreed earlier this month for the government to step down to end political deadlock, form a temporary caretaker administration and set a date for parliamentary and presidential elections.
Ennahda agreed to resign three weeks after the start of the negotiations over the new government. Those talks begin on Wednesday, but both sides must still agree on finishing the new constitution, a vote date and decide on members of an electoral commission to oversee the ballot.
"There is a preliminary agreement among the political parties to hold elections in six months after the installation of the election committee," senior Ennahda official Ameur Larayedh told reporters. "There are some problems with the election commission composition, but we are working on that."
The small North African country, whose 2011 uprising against Ben Ali inspired Arab revolts elsewhere, has been in crisis since Islamist militants assassinated an opposition leader in July, setting off protests demanding that Ennahda step down.
Tunisia's post-uprising transition has been relatively peaceful compared with its neighbors, Egypt, whose army ousted an elected Islamist president, and Libya, where rival militias are threatening to tip the country back into war.
But the opposition - a coalition of Nida Tounes, whose ranks include former Ben Ali officials, and smaller leftist parties - fears Ennahda will delay handing over power after the next three weeks of negotiations.
The election date is likely to be one of the most sensitive issues in negotiations, according to the head of Tunisia's powerful UGTT labor union that brokered the dialogue.
"We are trying to reach a deal on this and other points," said Maghreb Republican Party leader Boussairi Bou Abdeli.
Ennahda won 40 percent of the seats in Tunisia's first post-Ben Ali vote to elect an assembly to write a new constitution. It has shared power in a coalition with two smaller secular parties as part of an initial transitional agreement.
The party's ascent opened fierce debate about the role of religion in politics in a country where many worried that rising Islamist influences might end up imposing strict Islamic law, curtailing liberal education and women's rights.
Facing street protests, Ennahda initially resisted opposition attempts to force the government to resign. But perhaps wary of the fate of Egypt's Islamist leader, Ennahda eventually accepted the idea of stepping aside.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/18/us-tunisia-crisis-idUSBRE99H0LW20131018
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Islamist rebels claim responsibility for Somalia suicide bombing
Oct 19 2013
The Somali Islamist militant group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on Saturday that killed at least 13 people at a restaurant popular with Ethiopian and Somali troops in the town of Baladweyne in central Somalia.
"Our main target was Ethiopian and Djibouti troops who invaded our country. They were sitting there," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, Al-Shabab's military operation spokesman said.
He put the death toll from the attack at 25, including troops from Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.
There was no independent word on whether any foreign soldiers were among the casualties in the bombing.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/84256/World/International/Islamist-rebels-claim-responsibility-for-Somalia-s.aspx
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Arab World
Blast and subsequent clashes kill 16 soldiers near Damascus
Oct 19 2013
At least 16 soldiers were killed in a car bomb attack and fighting that followed between Syrian government forces and Islamist rebels near Damascus on Saturday, a monitoring group said.
The bombing, carried out by a suicide bomber from the jihadist Al-Nusra Front, triggered heavy fighting at a key checkpoint between the rebel-held towns of Mleha and Jaramana, a pro-regime area populated by Christians and Muslim Druze, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/84232/World/Region/Blast-and-subsequent-clashes-kill--soldiers-near-D.aspx
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Car bomb kills 3 in Iraqi capital
Oct 19 2013
Iraqi authorities say a car bomb that exploded on a commercial street in northern Baghdad killed three people.
Police officials say 11 others were wounded in the Saturday morning blast in the capital's Qahira neighborhood. Shops and cars were damaged.
Health officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release the information to reporters.
Violence in Iraq escalated sharply in late April following a deadly crackdown by security forces on a camp for Sunni protesters in the northern town of Hawija. At least 365 people have died in attacks so far this month, according to an Associated Press count.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/84242/World/Region/Car-bomb-kills--in-Iraqi-capital.aspx
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Car bomb hits Egyptian army intelligence building in Ismailia
19 October 2013
At least four people were wounded in Ismailia in northeast of Cairo when a car bomb exploded outside an army intelligence building on Saturday, security sources said.
The blast caused one of the building’s walls to collapse and several surrounding cars to set on fire.
Live images broadcast on Egyptian state TV showed plumes of smoke coming out of the building.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/10/19/Car-bomb-hits-Egyptian-army-intelligence-building-in-Ismailia.html
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Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood facing wave of trials
AP | Oct 19, 2013
CAIRO: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood faces a wave of trials unlike any it has seen in its history, threatening to put a large number of its senior leadership behind bars for years, even life, as military-backed authorities determined to cripple the group prepare prosecutions on charges including inciting violence and terrorism.
The prosecutions are the next phase in a wide-ranging crackdown on the Brotherhood following the military's July ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, who goes on trial next month.
Morsi's trial, the most high-profile case, is setting a pattern for the others, aiming to show that the Brotherhood leadership directed a campaign of violence. Morsi is charged with inciting murder in connection to a protest during his year in office in which his supporters attacked protesters outside his palace.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypts-Muslim-Brotherhood-facing-wave-of-trials/articleshow/24391920.cms
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Entire families head to Syria for Jihad vacations
October 19, 2013
As hundreds of thousands of weary Syrian refugees stream out of the war-torn nation, whole families from Central Asia are rapidly replacing them, courtesy of one of the many world-wide branches of al-Qaeda, as reported by the Catholic news agency Asia News (of Rome, Italy) on Oct. 18, 2013.
In what strikes many Westerners as a perverse family holiday get-a-way gone horribly wrong, the al-Qaeda run terrorist organization The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant/Eastern Mediterranean (ISIL) have opened on-line travel agencies offering groups as large as 150 the chance to travel to Syria to join in the armed Islamic Jihad against the government of Bashir al-Assad.
Full report at:
http://www.examiner.com/article/entire-families-head-to-syria-join-terrorists
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South Asia
Suicide bomb in Kabul kills two outside foreign compound
2013-10-19
KABUL: A Taliban suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden car in Kabul on Friday outside a compound where many foreign workers are based, killing at least two local civilians, Afghan officials said.
The blast was followed by bursts of gunfire as Afghan quick-reaction forces rushed to the scene at the Green Village, a fortified residential complex not far from Kabul airport in the east of the city.
“Initial investigations show it was suicide car bomb attack,” interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said, confirming that two civilians, including one woman, had been killed.
“A small car packed with explosives hit two vehicles as they were exiting the Green Village compound,” he added. At least four other civilians were also injured.
The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the strike.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1050311/suicide-bomb-in-kabul-kills-two-outside-foreign-compound
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Police stop Maldives presidential election from going ahead
Oct 19 2013
Police in the Maldives have stopped a presidential election from going ahead on Saturday, plunging the country into fresh political uncertainty.
Electoral commission head Fuwad Thowfeek said police had entered his offices and were stopping officials distributing election materials.
The Maldives has been in turmoil since ex-President Mohamed Nasheed was ousted in disputed circumstances in 2012.
The latest move has caused alarm among the country's international partners.
India's foreign ministry said it was "seriously concerned at attempts to stall the democratic process".
A US embassy official in Sri Lanka said the failure to hold Saturday's election "represents a real threat to democracy in Maldives".
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply dismayed" and called for the democratic process in the Maldives to be allowed to proceed.
Commonwealth observers in the country also issued an angry statement denying suggestions by the police that they had sought Commonwealth advice before stopping the election.
In a televised speech, Mr Thowfeek said it was a "dark day for democracy".
Correspondents said the Maldives' capital, Male, appeared calm early on Saturday, with people still waking up to the news.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24591768
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3.14 lakh live as modern day slaves in Bangladesh
Oct 19 2013
Over 3.14 lakh people in Bangladesh are today living in conditions that can be described as modern day slavery, states Global Slavery Index of the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation.
The index that gives the comprehensive measure of the country by country extent and risk of “modern slavery” revealed that 29.8 million people are living in conditions of “modern slavery” across the world.
India has the highest number of enslaved people, approximately 14 million people, which is almost half the total number worldwide.
China follows with an estimated 2.9 million and Pakistan comes in third with an estimate of over two million, the survey claimed.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/3-14-lakh-live-as-modern-day-slaves-in-bangladesh/
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Afghan tribal meeting next month to decide on US pact
AFP
2013-10-19
KABUL: About 3,000 Afghan tribal elders and civil leaders will gather in Kabul next month to decide whether to support a deal allowing some US troops to stay in the country after 2014, officials said Saturday.
Organisers of the “loya jirga” said that leaders of the Afghan Taliban would be welcome to attend the event, which will be held in the third week of November at a huge tented venue in the city.
The meeting will debate the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) that has been subject to months of intense negotiations between Afghanistan and the US.
President Hamid Karzai has said that only a loya jirga could decide an issue of Afghan national sovereignty, with legal immunity for US troops remaining a potential sticking point in discussions.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1050380/afghan-tribal-meeting-next-month-to-decide-on-us-pact
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Bangladesh PM proposes all-party interim government
AFP
013-10-18
DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday proposed an all-party interim government in an effort to break a deadlock over upcoming parliamentary polls amid opposition calls for protests.
The proposal comes as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has threatened to boycott any elections held under a government or interim administration led by Hasina.
The BNP, led by Khaleda Zia, has called for its supporters to stage non-stop armed protests across the country, starting October 25, to force Hasina to quit and hold polls under a neutral caretaker government.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1050188/bangladesh-pm-proposes-all-party-interim-government/print
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Saudi Arabia’s Candidate for Afghan President has Ties to Both World Trade Center Attacks
October 19, 2013
Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, one of the godfathers of global Islamic terrorism, who brought Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan, who founded the Call of Jihad training school for terrorists attended by Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing and was a mentor of his uncle Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, may be Afghanistan’s next president.
That may sound farfetched, but Sayyaf was conveniently sorta kinda part of the Northern Alliance, even if he seemed to be part of it mainly to bring it down from the inside.
And he’s already become fairly powerful in Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/saudi-arabias-candidate-for-afghan-president-has-ties-to-both-world-trade-center-attacks/
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Pakistan
722 suspects rejoined terror groups after acquittal in Pakistan
PTI | Oct 19, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A majority of the nearly 2,000 suspected terrorists freed by Pakistani courts since 2007 have either joined terror groups or are involved in anti-state activities, a media report said on Saturday.
Of the 1,964 suspected terrorists released by the courts, 722 have rejoined terrorist groups while 1,197 are actively involved in anti-state activities, the Dawn reported.
At least 12 of such acquitted terrorists have been killed - four of them in US drone attacks in the restive tribal areas and eight during the operations conducted by security forces, the paper reported quoting an official document.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/722-suspects-rejoined-terror-groups-after-acquittal-in-Pakistan/articleshow/24382200.cms
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Over 2000 suspects freed by Pakistan courts involved in anti-state activities
Oct 19 2013
Islamabad : A majority of the nearly 2,000 suspected terrorists freed by Pakistani courts since 2007 have either joined terror groups or are involved in anti-state activities, a media report said on Saturday. Of the 1,964 suspected terrorists released by the courts, 722 have rejoined terrorist groups while 1,197 are actively involved in anti-state activities, the Dawn reported.
At least 12 of such acquitted terrorists have been killed - four of them in US drone attacks in the restive tribal areas and eight during the operations conducted by security forces, the paper reported quoting an official document.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/over-2000-suspects-freed-by-pakistan-courts-involved-in-antistate-activities/1184613/
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Wrong policies of militant outfits isolates Baloch struggle for rights
2013-10-19
The assassins fired a volley of bullets as the chaddar-clad woman got down from a rickshaw on April 27, 2010 in Quetta and left. The woman was left lying dying in a pool of blood. She was Professor Nazima Talib, a much loved teacher to countless grateful students across Balochistan.
The so-called Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the killing. The London-based chief of the B.L.A., Hyrbyair Marri, defend the killing of Professor NazimaTalib as reaction to the killing of a Baloch woman who died during a military raid on her home.
It was clear that Hybyair Marri had thrown the age-old Baloch honor code, called Dod-o-Rabeedag to the winds. Women, like old men and children, are considered to be the bahote or wards of the Baloch and are not allowed to be touched during war.
This was the most cowardly action carried out by the Baloch in hundreds of years of their martial history that included challenging the Portuguese, the British and Pakistan military excesses for more than six decades.
Full report at:
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/48533/
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Genocide of Pakhtuns continues since 1948: Bilour
October 19, 2013
PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) leader and member National Assembly Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has said that genocide of Pakhtuns was continuing since 1948 in the name of Jihad against progressive forces, socialism and for independence of Kashmir, Geo News reported.
Addressing a press conference here Friday, Bilour said that it seems talks were not taking place with the Taliban, adding if there were any negotiations ceasefire had taken place and there were no blasts.
He said if talks were taking place, these were being held with unconcerned persons.
The ANP leader further said earlier MMA and now cricket player is imposed through engineered elections.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-122913-Genocide-of-Pakhtuns-continues-since-1948:-Bilour
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Even silence provokes militants to kill
2013-10-19
PESHAWAR: Sardar Inayatullah Khan Gandapur, a former chief minister of the province and a chieftain, was known for aristocratic style as he drove around in his custom made armoured vehicle due to feuds.
However, his son, Sardar Israrullah Khan Gandapur, even after being elected MPA thrice and made the law minister in the current provincial government, was a completely different man and a down-to-earth soul.
The younger Gandapur was killed by a suicide bomber, who entered his hujra that was open to the locals on the Eid day. He left behind a widow, a five-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1050324/even-silence-provokes-militants-to-kill
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Pakistan tells UN at least 400 civilians killed by drone strikes
October 19, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has confirmed that of some 2,200 people killed by drone strikes in the past decade, at least 400 were civilians and an additional 200 victims were deemed “probable non-combatants,” a UN human rights investigator said on Friday.
Ben Emmerson, UN special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, also urged the United States to release its own data on the number of civilian casualties caused by its drone strikes.
Emmerson said Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry told him it had recorded at least 330 drone strikes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan’s largely lawless region bordering Afghanistan, since 2004.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/619521/pakistan-tells-un-at-least-400-civilians-killed-by-drone-strikes/
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Pakistan tells India it alone can’t restore peace on LoC
Oct 19 2013
NEW DELHI: In the wake of repeated violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Control, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir on Friday said that both sides need to take steps to stabilise the situation at the disputed border, and added that Pakistan is prepared to do whatever it can to exercise utmost restraint and responsibility in this regard.
“I think both sides ought to take steps to stabilise the situation at the LoC. This is the decision of the two prime ministers. Pakistan is prepared to do whatever it can to exercise utmost restraint and responsibility in this regard. I hope it happens sooner than later,” he said. “I believe that directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of the two countries have been asked to fix the ceasefire and show respect for it. I can say that our side is committed to that decision,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\10\19\story_19-10-2013_pg1_3
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PM orders ‘zero tolerance’ against ‘enemies of state’
Oct 19 2013
LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that there should be zero tolerance against the enemies of the state and they should be dealt sternly.
Prime Minister Nawaz Friday said that the state has the right to take pre-emptive steps for protection of its citizens and a special counter-terrorism force (SCTF) would be formed soon in Punjab. He said this while chairing a meeting in which he was given a presentation on SCTF in Punjab. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Inspector General (IG) Khan Baig and officials of various law enforcement agencies also attended the meeting.
The prime minister said that the new force should be raised immediately with a new command structure. He said it should be professionally sound, competent and adequately paid. Nawaz said anti-terrorism force structure would be separate from that of police. The prime minister said a new force is needed to deliver in the right direction and he expects that this (new force) will help in eliminating extortionists and target killers. “Law enforcement agencies need to show zero tolerance towards heinous crimes,” Nawaz said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\10\19\story_19-10-2013_pg1_1
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Europe
'No notification' of Saudi Arabia snub - UN chief Ban
Oct 19 2013
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he has received no notification from Saudi Arabia that it will turn down a seat on the UN Security Council.
Earlier the Saudi foreign ministry said it had turned down the non-permanent seat, accusing the world body of "double standards".
The ministry said the UN needs to be reformed first.
It said the Security Council had failed in its duties towards Syria as well as in other world conflicts.
Mr Ban refused to say whether he would be speaking to the Saudi king about the matter.
"I understand that some member states, particularly some concerned group of member states, are discussing [this] among themselves," Mr Ban said.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24586363
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EU progress report ‘certificate’ of Turkey’s determination for reforms, EU minister says
Oct 19 2013
The European Union’s annual progress report published released Oct. 16 is a “certificate of Turkey’s determination to enact reforms" despite the criticisms against Ankara, EU Minister Egemen Bağış said in a written statement today.
“The reforms realized by Turkey are recognized and appreciated by the EU,” Bağış said, stressing that Turkey had never been closer to EU standards.
“The stage where Turkey has reached today in terms of democratization, human rights and economic development is without any dispute, the closest to the EU standards,” Bağış said in the statement published on the ministry's website.
The EU Ministry's statement is the government’s first official reaction to this year’s report, as Ankara decided not to make any immediate comments to protest Brussels’ decision to release the document during the Feast of the Sacrifice.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-progress-report-certificate-of-turkeys-determination-for-reforms-eu-minister-says.aspx?pageID=238&nID=56475&NewsCatID=338
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Russia calls U.S. proposal to ship out Syrian chemical arms ‘premature’
19 October 2013
Russia issued a statement on Saturday calling the U.S. proposal for Syria’s chemical weapons to be shipped out of the country “premature.”
The remarks issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry were a response to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s statement to National Public Radio on Thursday.
“My hope is that much of this material will be moved as rapidly (as) possibly into one location, and hopefully on a ship, and removed from the region,” Kerry said.
The ministry replied on its website, saying “experts are considering various options and technical ways to destroy the Syrian chemical weapons, including outside Syria.”
“Considering that this work is not yet finished, in our view it is so far premature to talk about any specifics,” the statement read.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/10/19/Russian-calls-U-S-proposal-for-it-to-ship-Syrian-chemical-arms-premature-.html
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France shares Saudi Arabia’s ‘frustration’ on Security Council
19 October 2013
France said Friday it shared Saudi Arabia’s frustration on the U.N. Security Council after Riyadh rejected membership over “double-standards” in resolving world conflicts, namely Syria.
“We have an ongoing dialogue on the subject of Syria with Saudi Arabia. We share its frustration after the Security Council’s paralysis,” French foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said, noting that France is proposing reforms to the council’s veto rights.
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia won, for the first time, a seat as a non-permanent member in the U.N. Security Council.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/10/19/France-shares-Saudi-Arabia-s-frustration-on-Security-Council.html
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India
Indian Mujahideen plotted to kidnap Jews, free 9/11 convict: Yasin Bhatkal
Neeraj Chauhan, TNN | Oct 19, 2013
NEW DELHI: Indian Mujahideen wanted to make international headlines through an audacious plan to kidnap Jews in India and use them to bargain for the release of a Pakistani woman serving an 86-year prison sentence in the US for her involvement in the 9/11 plot, the interrogation of IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal has revealed.
Yasin, caught from Nepal in August this year, has told National Investigation Agency investigators that while he was in that country, IM founder leader Riyaz Bhatkal had suggested the plan which was aimed at securing the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
Siddiqui, 41, a US-trained neuroscientist, was convicted as an al-Qaida courier and financier following disclosures by 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Muhammad.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-Mujahideen-plotted-to-kidnap-Jews-free-9/11-convict-Yasin-Bhatkal/articleshow/24359538.cms
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Panic grips border villages as mortar shelling by Pakistan continues
Oct 19 2013
Jammu : Panic gripped villages along the international border in Pargwal sector as Pakistani mortar shells continued pounding the area later this evening.
Sources said that Pakistani troops started mortar shelling on four border out posts around 6.30 pm. Though BSF were retaliating, the shelling from across the border had caused panic among villagers.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/panic-grips-border-villages-as-mortar-shelling-by-pakistan-continues/1184383/
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China selling n-reactors to Pak matter of concern: India
Oct 19 2013
New Delhi : Ahead of PM Manmohan Singh’s visit to China next week, India on Friday expressed “concern” on the nuclear cooperation between China and Pakistan but refused to pre-judge discussions to be held between Singh and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
When asked to comment on the reports of China supplying nuclear reactors to Pakistan — as reported by The Indian Express earlier this week — Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said, “This is a concern for India. Let the talks get over, I will be happy to brief you.”
Besides meeting Li, Singh will be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and will also address the Central party school.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/china-selling-nreactors-to-pak-matter-of-concern-india/1184518/
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Ram temple, uniform civil code non-negotiable: BJP
Oct 19 2013
Party floats website inviting suggestions for draft preparation
The BJP has made it known that its core issues —abrogation of Article 370, construction of a Ram temple and enforcement of a uniform civil code — will be non-negotiable in its manifesto for the general election.
The newly appointed chairman of the party’s Election Manifesto Committee, Murli Manohar Joshi, said at a news conference on Friday the party would seek suggestions from cross-sections of society on a range of subjects for preparation of the draft manifesto.
The party had floated a website — bjpelectionmanifesto.com — inviting suggestions. It was ready to reconsider some of its positions, barring the core issues, on other subjects spelt out in the previous manifestos.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ram-temple-uniform-civil-code-nonnegotiable-bjp/article5248859.ece
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Mideast
Hamas denies taking part in Egypt, Syria, fighting
October 19, 2013
GAZA CITY: The Gaza Strip's Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya on Saturday denied reports that his group was involved in fighting in the neighbouring Egyptian Sinai or in Syria.
"We did not interfere in the affairs of any country and are not involved in the events or differences or internal conflicts of any country," Haniya said.
"This (is) our position regarding what has happened and is happening in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and all Arab and Islamic countries," he said.
"We are not involved in any incident," he added. "Neither in the Sinai or elsewhere. We only act in the Palestinian arena and our guns are turned only toward the Zionist enemy."
He called on the media to stop their "baseless" accusations against Hamas, which he said "is proud to have taken from its first day a principled and moral position for the people and their suffering and their right to freedom, democracy and dignity."
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-123013-Hamas-denies-taking-part-in-Egypt,-Syria,-fighting--
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Intelligence chief accused by US newspapers for doing duty: Turkish FM
Oct 19 2013
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has taken a vigorous defense of Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, saying articles published in U.S. newspapers blasting his role in Ankara’s Syria and Iran policies were besmirching his name merely because he was performing his duty.
“When you read these articles, Hakan Fidan is accused of establishing an independent intelligence structure and not letting other intelligence agencies operate in Turkey. Therefore, he is being blamed for doing his job,” Davutoğlu said in a live interview on private broadcaster Kanal 7 aired on the night of Oct. 18.
Davutoğlu’s remarks came a day after veteran Washington Post columnist David Ignatius claimed that Turkey blew the cover on a group of Israeli spies, disclosing their names to Iranian intelligence, while noting that Fidan was considered “suspect” by Israeli authorities due to his “close” ties to Tehran.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/intelligence-chief-accused-by-us-newspapers-for-doing-duty-turkish-fm.aspx?pageID=238&nID=56477&NewsCatID=338
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Saudi rejection of Security Council seat will draw attention to UN’s failures: Gül
Oct 19 2013
Turkish President Abdullah Gül called for respect for Saudi Arabia’s rejection of the U.N. Security Council seat, expressing his hopes that the move will draw global attention to some of the international body’s failure.
“It seems like Saudi Arabia is trying to grab the world’s attention and to give a meaningful response. If they have chosen such a path, it should be met with respect,” Gül told reporters as he was leaving a mosque in Istanbul’s Emirgan neighborhood, near the Tarabya Palace following Friday prayers.
Gül also shared the Saudi’s frustrations regarding the Security Council’s long paralysis on Syria.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/gul-expresses-hope-saudi-rejection-of-security-council-seat-will-draw-attention-to-uns-failures.aspx?pageID=238&nID=56462&NewsCatID=338
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Southeast Asia
The word ‘Allah’ does not belong to any religion or race, says Loh
Oct 19 2013
KUALA LUMPUR: The word “Allah” does not belong to any religion or ethnic group, said MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok.
He said the Court of Appeal’s decision to ban The Herald from publishing the word “Allah” in their weekly newsletter would leave an impact at the domestic and international levels on the issue of religion in Malaysia.
“Christians in Arab countries and the Middle East use ‘Allah’ freely,” he added in a press statement yesterday.
Loh, also the deputy chairman of MCA publicity bureau, said an appeal should be filed against the ruling which had found in favour of the Home Ministry.
He said Article 3 of the Federal Constitution was to give non-Muslims the right to practise their faith freely without restriction.
Full report at:
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/10/19/The-word-Allah-does-not-belong-to-any-religion-or-race-says-Loh.aspx
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Jakarta Govt Backs Church Amid Hard-Liner Protest
Oct 19 2013
City officials threw their support behind an embattled East Jakarta church as hard-line Islamists rallied against the house of worship in Cipayung, lobbing accusations that the building’s renovation project lacked city permits.
An unknown group of hard-liners began to hang banners outside GPIB Pelita last Sunday in protest of the ongoing renovation of ageing sections of the building, Rev. A.H. Lowing said. The project is expected to wrap up this week.
“This is only renovating the broken parts, the structure of the building is not changing,” Lowing said. “It will remain the same as it was when it was built in 1981. But then there was this protest and one of them came here. We explained to him that it is not the construction of a new building, only a renovation.”
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/jakarta/jakarta-govt-backs-church-amid-hard-liner-protest/
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Indonesia sees no rush despite push from Malaysia
October 19 2013
Indonesia is in no rush to revive the controversial Malacca Straits Bridge project, which has been on hold since the Asian financial crisis back in 1998, a senior government official says.
The Public Works Ministry’s director general for highways, Djoko Murjanto, said in Jakarta on Friday that the ministry, together with relevant ministries and departments, such as the Foreign Ministry and the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), would need to comprehensively study the prospects for the bridge and its benefits for Indonesia.
“We understand that this project is important to strengthen connectivity across ASEAN, particularly between Indonesia and Malaysia. But, we have to be fully prepared in terms of infrastructure, safety and security before this bridge is constructed, as it will connect our country to the whole of Asia, not only Malaysia,” Djoko told The Jakarta Post.
“Our position is that we are not rushing this project; nor do we have it on hold. We have not yet seen any urgency for it.” Djoko said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/10/19/indonesia-sees-no-rush-despite-push-malaysia.html
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Allah decision binding on all Malaysians, says retired AG Abu Talib
Oct 19 2013
All Malaysians are bound by the Court of Appeal ruling on the Allah issue, says former attorney general Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman (pic), who is puzzled that Putrajaya believes the controversial judgment does not affect Christians in Sabah and Sarawak.
The appellate court agreed that the Home Minister could ban the word Allah in the Catholic weekly Herald, but two Cabinet ministers had insisted the decision did not include the Al-Kitab, the Bahasa Malaysia bible widely used in Sabah and Sarawak, and other Christian publications in East Malaysia.
"It has the effect of a binding precedent and all have to respect that decision, whether you agree or disagree," he told The Malaysian Insider, adding it was binding until set aside by the country's highest court, the Federal Court.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/allah-decision-binding-on-all-malaysians-says-retired-ag-abu-talib
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North America
Could principles of Islamic finance feed into a sustainable economic system?
October 19, 2013
The Sharia principle that no one should profit purely from loans might contribute towards a sustainable economy
Is your mortgage Halal? How about your pension?
Islamic finance has been a significant global force for the past few decades, but in recent years Sharia-compliant saving and investing have become more common in the United States. For example, in June, Goldman Sachs provided a loan to Arcapita Bank, an Islamic investment company, that in compliance with Sharia law did not charge interest. In July, a US-based trade association, the World Council of Credit Unions, published a manual explaining to would-be community financiers in developing countries how to operate Sharia-compliant credit unions.
Full report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/islamic-finance-sustainable-economic-system
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US quietly releasing $1.6bn in Pakistan assistance
AP | Oct 19, 2013
WASHINGTON: The US has quietly decided to release more than $1.6billion in military and economic aid to Pakistan that was suspended when relations between the two countries disintegrated over the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden and deadly US air strikes against Pakistani soldiers.
Officials and congressional aides said ties have improved enough to allow the money to flow again.
American and NATO supply routes to Afghanistan are open. Controversial US drone strikes are down. The US and Pakistan recently announced the restart of their "strategic dialogue" after a long pause. Pakistan's new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, is traveling to Washington for talks this coming week with President Barack Obama.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-quietly-releasing-1-6bn-in-Pakistan-assistance/articleshow/24396974.cms
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India-Pak ties likely to figure in Obama-Sharif meeting
PTI | Oct 19, 2013
WASHINGTON: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to discuss with Barack Obama his recent efforts to improve ties with India when he meets the US President at the White House next week, officials said on Saturday.
Sharif is arriving in Washington on Saturday on the first official visit of a Pakistani leader in the Obama administration.
In his meeting with Obama on Wednesday, which is taking place less than a month after the US president met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 27, among other things Sharif is expected to discuss the state of the India-Pak ties, officials familiar with the preparations said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Pak-ties-likely-to-figure-in-Obama-Sharif-meeting/articleshow/24376997.cms
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New York man charged with trying to support terrorists
AP | Oct 19, 2013
CENTRAL ISLIP, New York: An American-born clerk at a home improvement store on New York's Long Island has been charged by federal prosecutors with conspiracy to commit murder abroad, obstruction of justice and attempting to support terrorists.
Twenty-five-year-old Marcos Alonso Zea has pleaded not guilty. He was arraigned and detained without bail following his Friday arrest. His lawyer did not comment after his court appearance.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/New-York-man-charged-with-trying-to-support-terrorists/articleshow/24374107.cms
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Malaysia has stopped providing crime statistics to the UN, says The New York Times
Oct 19 2013
The Malaysian government stopped submitting crime statistics to the United Nations, according to a New York Times report.
The publication said that the official dealing with gathering crime statistics at the organisation had confirmed the information.
“The Malaysian government has also stopped providing crime statistics to the United Nations, according to Enrico Bisogno, the official responsible for compiling crime data at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,” said the report.
Not only that, the NYT brought up the issue of manipulation of statistics by government officials.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-has-stopped-providing-crime-statistics-to-the-un-says-the-new-york
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Sanders: Global warming more dangerous than al-Qaida
Oct 19, 2013
Forget al-Qaida. According to the Senate’s only openly socialist member, the country’s main national security threat is global warming.
In fact, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told Playboy magazine that climate change is a bigger threat to the U.S. than al-Qaida. Sanders is an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.
Sanders blames “hypercapitalism” for the inaction on global warming, due to the fossil fuels industry manipulating the political process to drown out efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
“You have the entire scientific community saying we have to be very aggressive in cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” Sanders said in the interview. “Yet you’re seeing the heads of coal companies and oil companies willing to sacrifice the well-being of the entire planet for their short-term profits. And these folks are funding phony organizations to try to create doubt about the reality of global warming.”
Full report at:
http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/18/sanders-global-warming-more-dangerous-than-al-qaida/#ixzz2iELR5oDM
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/aussie-firms-paying-inflated-price/d/14054