Beards, Niqab Become Liability in Egypt after Crackdown
New Age Islam News Bureau
22
Aug 2013
Minister says knowledge of jihad must for children — File photo
Africa
• African Islamist militias merge, declare jihad on France
• Militants kill four in Nigeria
• Libyan PM tells GNC he won’t step down
• Tunisian Islamists accept union plan to resolve crisis
India
• Noted Salafi scholar Abdul Hameed Rahmani dies in New Delhi
• Ajmer to have world’s first Sufi university
• India courts Afghanistan vice-president with eye on mineral resources
• 26/11: Pak seeks Sept dates to send 2nd judicial panel
• Lashkar has 3 lakh members, Tunda claims
• Fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan
• Bengal, Centre spar over OBC status for Muslims
• Suspected Tunda linkman held from Bengal village
Pakistan
• Pak Minister Says Knowledge of Jihad Must For Children
• Key TTP commander among five killed in South Waziristan blast
• Pakistan's Defence Cabinet Committee urges peaceful settlement of issues with India
• 12 militants arrested in Hangu, heavy ammunition seized
• Unrest in Balochistan: Senators seek report on ‘foreign hand’
• 16 killed in Karachi’s unabated violence
• Pakistani Taliban commander welcomes peace talks
• Pak: Taliban threatens women against voting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Abbottabad Commission report: Save the Children denies involvement in Bin Laden raid
Mideast
• Islamic Christian Commission warns of Israel plans to Judaise Aqusa Mosque
• Abbas’s Fatah Glorifies Saddam Hussein on Facebook
• Syria Army cannot be behind Damascus chemical attack: Iran FM
• AKP Blasts Turkish Leader of International Islamic Group
• Israel Deputy FM: Calls to ‘Freeze Construction in Judea and Samaria Are Anti-Semitism’
• Turkish foreign minister says 'red line crossed' in Syria
Australia
• Adelaide mosque preacher directs fury at Buddhists, Hindus, Howard and Obama
• Hate Prevention Denounces Holocaust-Denying Facebook Account, Calls on Social Media to be ‘Socially Responsible’
• SA Police investigating Islamic preacher's call for violence in online video
Europe
• Most in Islamic Awakening nations support Shariah: Poll
• UK Islamic TV channel fined for inciting violence
• HRW urges Egypt to protect churches, end to Islamist incitement
• UN Nuclear Chief: ‘Fundamental Difference of Views’ Between Israel, Arabs on Nuclear Issue
North America
• White House spokesman jokes about Islamic attacks on Christian churches in Egypt
• Kansas school removes controversial bulletin board featuring Five Pillars of Islam
• Erotic novel ‘50 shades of grey’ causes stir at Guantanamo war court
• Judge blocks emails between Fort Hood shooter and militant cleric
• US avoids 'red lines' after Syria chemical claims
• Syrian rebels do not support US interests: Top military chief
• US immigration criteria in screening of Muslims questioned
• Hasidic Jewish Counselor's Sexual Abuse Of A Young Girl Detailed In New Book
South Asia
• Hefazat ignoring women in context of Islamic history
• Talks on US-Afghan security deal may resume soon
• Maldives President hails annulment of rape victim's flogging sentence
• Myanmar ‘failed to protect’ UN rights envoy
• 45,066 Bangladeshis deported from New Delhi in last 22 yrs: Indian court told
Southeast Asia
• Malaysian Minister says ‘zero tolerance’ for bigots, but hands are tied
• Agung Shoots Down School Virginity Test Plan
• Malaysian government wins right to appeal 'Allah' case
• Thai court jails Iranians over Bangkok bomb plot
Arab World
• Beards, Niqab Become Liability in Egypt after Crackdown
• Gunmen kill five people in Iraq
• Egypt's Mubarak out of prison but far from free
• Tariq Ramadan: 'Egypt is returning to a Mubarak era'
• 'Syria forces blast sites of alleged chemical attacks'
• Syria opposition demands urgent UN probe into alleged chemical attacks
• Egyptian Catholic Church Leader Says Country in a ‘War against Terrorism’
• Shin Bet forms new unit to thwart attacks on Israel by Sinai jihadists
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Beards, Niqab Become Liability in Egypt after Crackdown
22 August 2013
CAIRO — Abdul Salam Badr had no choice but to shave his beard to save himself from becoming a target in Egypt's crackdown on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
In recent days, overt signs of piety have become all it takes to attract suspicion from security forces at Cairo checkpoints and vigilantes looking to attack Islamists.
"I was in a shared taxi headed to the morgue, transporting the body of my friend who was killed in the demonstrations," said Badr.
"I was stopped by members of a vigilante group because I had a beard," added the 29-year-old, who said he was not loyal to any political organization.
"The only thing that saved me was the fact that I was transporting a dead body."
And so in a small, dusty salon, he shaved his facial hair, "because life has become safer without a beard."
The ouster of Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, has set off something of a witch hunt against those perceived as being his supporters.
The campaign has been fed by domestic media, which has broadcast around-the-clock images of bearded gunmen allegedly firing at security forces during demonstrations.
One video, showing a bearded man with a jihadist flag attacking young men after they were thrown off the roof of an apartment block in Alexandria has exacerbated the frenzy.
Local media and the government have also loudly labelled the Muslim Brotherhood wholesale as "terrorists".
So-called "popular committees" -- neighborhood militias -- have made life even worse, giving vigilantes the chance to wreak havoc, particularly in Cairo after a night-time curfew was implemented.
The beard and women's full-face veil, or Niqab, are often characteristics of religious Muslims, but have become conflated with support for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Certain Brotherhood leaders sought to promote the wearing of the face veil during Morsi's turbulent year-long presidency.
But now such religious symbols have become a liability.
"People who wear a beard are paying the price for those members of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups who have resorted to violence" in recent days, said May Moujib, professor of political science at Cairo University.
Those affected range from actual Brotherhood members to those who have no affiliation with the group but happen to sport a beard.
One Western news photographer decided to shave his beard after being repeatedly accosted in the street and even threatened by Egyptians who mistook him for a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
A bearded taxi driver, meanwhile, admitted customers were increasingly reluctant to use his services.
"This is possibly the beginning of a campaign to boycott bearded taxi drivers," he told AFP.
Mohammed Ibrahim, a pharmacist who also has a beard, has changed his route to work and the hours he keeps in order to avoid "tension with the popular committees."
"We are observing a tenet of Islam, but we face the hatred of the population," said Tolba, who has recently launched an online comic to try to break frequently-held stereotypes of Salafist Muslims.
"The targeting of those with beards is deplorable behavior which threatens peaceful coexistence between Egyptians," warned Nivine Messad, another political science professor at Cairo University.
"It is a bad sign for the future, and an indication of the divisions between Egyptians," she said.
"Cooler heads must step in to put an end to the violence and incitement."
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130822177786
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Africa
African Islamist militias merge, declare jihad on France
August 22, 2013
An Al Qaeda-linked militia founded by wanted Islamist commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar announced on Thursday it had joined forces with another armed group to take revenge against France for its military offensive in Mali.
Belmokhtar's Mauritania-based Al-Mulathameen Brigade (The Brigade of the Masked Ones) and the Mali-based Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) said they had joined forces under a single banner to unite Muslims across the region.
"Your brothers in MUJAO and Al-Mulathameen announce their union and fusion in one movement called Al-Murabitoun to unify the ranks of Muslims around the same goal, from the Nile to the Atlantic," the groups said in a statement.
Belmokhtar, a one-eyed Algerian former commander of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), allegedly masterminded a siege in January of an Algerian gas plant in which 38 hostages, including three Americans, died.
Branded "The Uncatchable", Belmokhtar is also thought to have been behind twin car bombings in Niger in May that left at least 20 people dead.
The Algeria siege and the Niger assaults were said to have been carried out in retaliation for France's military intervention launched in January against Islamist groups in Mali.
Belmokhtar, who broke away from AQIM in 2012 and was involved in the fighting against Chadian forces in Mali, was reported to have been killed in action in March.
The reports, however, were never confirmed and it is believed that he remains at large.
He has been designated a foreign terrorist by the United States since 2003, with the State Department offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.
MUJAO is thought to be led by Mauritanian ethnic Tuareg Ahmed Ould Amer, who goes by the nom de guerre "Ahmed Telmissi".
The group broke away from AQIM in mid-2011 with the apparent goal of spreading jihad further into areas of west Africa not within AQIM's scope.
It was one of a number of Islamist groups that occupied northern Mali last year, imposing a brutal interpretation of Islamic sharia law characterised by amputations, beatings and executions, before being ousted by the French-led military intervention.
The statement said the two men had signed a document announcing their merger and ceding command of the new movement to "another personality", without revealing the identity of the new leader.
The statement said the jihadist movement in the region was now "stronger than ever" and threatened France and its allies, promising "to rout their troops".
Al-Murabitoun -- an Arabic phrase meaning "the sentinels" -- was the name given to a Berber dynasty of Morocco which formed an empire in the 11th century.
Today the name is used by a Nasserist political party in Lebanon.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/African-Islamist-militias-merge-declare-jihad-on-France/Article1-1111374.aspx
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Militants kill four in Nigeria
2013-08-22
KANO (Nigeria), Aug 21: Suspected militants dressed as soldiers opened fire on residents of a town in north-eastern Nigeria on Wednesday after luring them out of their homes, killing four people, residents said.
The incident involving suspected members of extremist group Boko Haram occurred around 1am in the town of Gamboru Ngala near the border with Cameroon.
The gunmen dressed in military uniforms went into the Fulatari neighbourhood and called on residents to come
out and see Boko Haram members they claimed they had arrested.
“They took up positions and shot whoever came out of his house to see the Boko Haram men they claimed they arrested,” Musa Zango, a member of a local vigilante group helping the military hunt Boko Haram members, said.
“They deceived the people in the area into believing they were part of the (vigilante) groups that have sprung up in the town recently to fight Boko Haram.”
The gunmen shot dead three residents and strangled another when the gun they fired at him failed, Zango said.
On Monday, troops stationed in the town arrested 17 Boko Haram suspects after a shootout following a tip-off by residents who feared an imminent attack, said Bukar Galadima, a local youth leader.
It was unclear if anyone was killed in Monday's violence.
Wednesday’s incident occurred after Nigeria’s military on Monday claimed that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau “may have died” from a gunshot wound suffered during a clash with soldiers on June 30.
There has however been no further confirmation and violence attributed to the extremist group has continued.
Boko Haram’s insurgency has left at least 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.—AFP
http://dawn.com/news/1037501/militants-kill-four-in-nigeria
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Libyan PM tells GNC he won’t step down
22 August 2013
TRIPOLI — Prime Minister Ali Zidan told the General National Congress (GNC) Wednesday that he would not tender his resignation, despite the fact that a minority of its members had asked for it.
Zidan was summoned by the GNC, together with a number of his ministers, to defend the performance of his government and in particular to reply to allegations by his recently resigned Interior Minister Mohamed Sheikh that he was dictatorial in his running of his government.
However, Zidan refused to hand in his resignation, saying that it was up to Congress to withdraw confidence from his government if it wanted to remove him.
“Resignation from the government would be a natural event in these circumstances that are difficult to bear and difficult to work within,” he added.
“On my part, I considered heading the government as a project of struggle (sacrifice) and the situation requires patience”.
In response to the allegation that he had accused the GNC of interference, Zidan stated that all he had said was that he wished that the GNC would allow him more flexibility when it came to shifting money from one section to another within the approved budget.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130822177737
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Tunisian Islamists accept union plan to resolve crisis
22 August 2013
Tunisia’s governing Islamists moved closer to negotiations with secular opponents on Thursday by agreeing in principle to a plan for a transition toward new elections proposed by the powerful trade unions.
Rached Ghannouchi, chairman of the Islamist Ennahda party, said the negotiations would quickly resolve the standoff that has paralyzed Tunisian politics for almost a month and led to mass protests and calls for the government to resign.
The UGTT trade union federation, which is mediating between Ennahda and its critics, has proposed the government step down and let a neutral interim cabinet prepare new elections. Ennahda rejected this in the past but changed course this week.
“We will get out of this crisis very soon,” Ghannouchi told journalists after meeting UGTT Secretary General Hussein Abassi. “We accept the UGTT initiative in principle to begin the dialogue (with the opposition).”
“We think the dialogue will begin very soon,” he said, without giving other details of his party’s position.
Ennahda, which governs in coalition with two smaller secular parties, is under increasing pressure from the opposition over accusations that is imposing an Islamist agenda, failing to deal with violent Salafi radicals and mismanaging the economy.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/22/Tunisian-Islamists-accept-union-plan-to-resolve-crisis.html
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India
Noted Salafi scholar Abdul Hameed Rahmani dies in New Delhi
Aug 22, 2013
Mumbai: Noted Salafi scholar, cleric, orator, writer, visionary, educationalist, and a leading figure of Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind Shaikh Abdul Hameed Rahmani, who led the Jamiat in its turbulent time, died today morning in New Delhi. He was 80.
Shaikh Hameed Rahmani, who will always be remembered for his oratory and writing skills in Arabic and Urdu, was founder of a number of educational institutes in and around New Delhi, and other parts of the country mainly North India.
He was suffering from diabetes and was ailing for some time. He is survived by wife, five sons and a daughter. All his children including daughter are well educated.
He is scheduled to be buried in New Delhi today later in the evening.
Shaikh Abdul Hameed Rahmani was General Secretary of Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind in sixties and seventies when the Jamiat was passing through its worst and turbulent time. However, a man of determination and courage, he worked hard to rejuvenate the beleaguered Jamiat.
During his tenure as editor of Majallah Tarjuman, his articles were always talk of the town. Later he also became a member of Rabita Alam-e-Islami. He was equally respected in India and abroad mainly in the Arab states.
Full report at:
http://www.ummid.com/news/2013/August/20.08.2013/maulana-abdul-hameed-rahmani-dies.html
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Ajmer to have world’s first Sufi university
August 21, 2013
The world’s first university for imparting education on Sufi philosophy will come up very soon in the holy city of Ajmer, the final resting place of Khawaza Moinuddin Hassan Chisty, considered the most famous and influential Sufi saint of the Indian subcontinent.
To be named the Garib Nawaz University, after the title of Gharib Nawaz (benefactor of the poor) bestowed on the Sufi saint, the educational institution would focus on Sufi studies and research.
The dargah of the Sufi saint in Ajmer is a symbol of communal harmony and is visited every year by lakhs of people from all faiths.
Moinuddin Chisty preached Sulh-e-Kul -- peace to all -- concept which promoted understanding goodwill and harmony between Muslims and non-Muslims. He was born in Chishti in the Sistan region of East Persia – now in Afghanistan – but made Ajmer his home where he preached his unique philosophy of peace and universal brotherhood.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/rajasthan/Ajmer-to-have-world-s-first-Sufi-university/Article1-1111041.aspx
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India courts Afghanistan vice-president with eye on mineral resources
TNN | Aug 22, 2013
NEW DELHI: As Afghanistan moves towards passing a crucial mining law that will affect Indian investments, New Delhi has been courting Karim Khalili, Afghanistan's second vice-president and a prominent Shia Hazara leader. The Shia Hazaras are the dominant group in the areas that are mineral rich, and therefore will have a big voice in the shape of the new law that is currently being debated in parliament.
Khalili, here on the invitation of Vice-President Hamid Ansari, met the entire Indian leadership including President Pranab Mukherjee. During his conversation with Khalili, Mukherjee reminded him that Indian companies were interested in prospecting for copper, gold, oil and gas in which Afghanistan is believed to be very rich.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-courts-Afghanistan-vice-president-with-eye-on-mineral-resources/articleshow/21966272.cms
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26/11: Pak seeks Sept dates to send 2nd judicial panel
Aug 22 2013
New Delhi : To pave the way for the visit of second judicial commission in connection with Mumbai 26/11 trial, Pakistan has sought two dates in the first week of September. The move comes after a special anti-terrorism court in Islamabad last week asked the Pakistan’s Interior Ministry and National Crisis Management Cell to finalise the arrangements for the visit of Pakistan’s judicial commission.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/2611-pak-seeks-sept-dates-to-send-2nd-judicial-panel/1158499/
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Lashkar has 3 lakh members, Tunda claims
Neeraj Chauhan, TNN | Aug 22, 2013
NEW DELHI: In what has left Indian intelligence agencies concerned, Lashkar-e-Toiba's arrested bomber Abdul Karim Tunda has disclosed that the ranks of the jihadi outfit continues to swell in Pakistan and that LeT currently has 3 lakh active members. The support base of Jaish-e-Mohammad, another terror group active in Kashmir, is around 1.5 lakh, Tunda has claimed.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Lashkar-has-3-lakh-members-Tunda-claims/articleshow/21965093.cms
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Fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan
August 22, 2013
Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire twice by firing mortar shells on LoC posts?in two sub-sectors of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, drawing retaliation from Indian forces.
"There were two ceasefire violations by Pakistan last night", Defence Spokesman Col R K Palta said today.
There was Pakistani firing along LoC on several Indian forward posts in Hamirpur sub-sector of Poonch district from 2130 hours last night, Col Palta said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/jandk/Fresh-ceasefire-violations-by-Pakistan/Article1-1111249.aspx
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Bengal, Centre spar over OBC status for Muslims
August 22, 2013
A fresh tension seems to be brewing between the Union and West Bengal governments over the Centre’s reluctance to include within a central notification all the Muslim groups identified by the state government as belonging to the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
After the Mamata Banerjee government included 86 Muslim groups under the OBC, it had been insisting that the Central government to do the same under its notification so that all these groups can enjoy reservations in central government jobs as well as during admission in educational institutes controlled by the latter.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/kolkata/Bengal-Centre-spar-over-OBC-status-for-Muslims/Article1-1111258.aspx
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Suspected Tunda linkman held from Bengal village
PTI | Aug 22, 2013
RAIGANJ (WB): A person, suspected to have links with arrested Laskhar-e-Taiba terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda, has been arrested with fake notes at a village in North Dinajpur district.
Mohammad Alauddin, 56, was arrested at Mothergachi village in the Karandighi police station area in the district last night with counterfeit currency worth Rs 6,000 found on him, district SP Akhilesh Chaturvedi said.
Chaturvedi said, "The notes were all printed in Bangladesh with which Mothergachi village shared a border."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Suspected-Tunda-linkman-held-from-Bengal-village/articleshow/21980553.cms
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Pakistan
Pak Minister Says Knowledge of Jihad Must For Children
Aug 22, 2013
PESHAWAR: Every child should know about the actual purpose and spirit of jihad as it couldn’t be separated from the faith of Muslims, said Provincial Minister for Information Shah Farman.
“Jihad is part of our faith. Jihad shouldn’t be held responsible for the act of someone, who misuses it for other purposes,” he told a press conference here on Wednesday.
Like other basic principles of Islam, he said, children should have knowledge of jihad.
To a question about reinsertion of Quranic verses regarding jihad in the textbook of Islamic studies for grade 9 and 10, the minister said that a review committee was formed to look into the matter. “No one can dictate the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government to change the curricula,” he said, adding that he had not taken dollars from America.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1037491/minister-says-knowledge-of-jihad-must-for-children
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Key TTP commander among five killed in South Waziristan blast
ZAHIR SHAH SHERAZI
Aug 22, 2013
PESHAWAR: A Pakistani Taliban commander believed to be harbouring foreign militants was killed along with four others in a roadside bomb explosion in South Waziristan tribal agency, officials said Thursday.
Ghulam Jan, believed to be a key commander of the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed along with four accomplices when the improvised explosive device targeted his vehicle on Wednesday evening in Birmal tehsil, located about 27 kilometres from Wana, the main town in South Waziristan.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1037571/key-ttp-commander-among-five-killed-in-south-waziristan-blast
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Pakistan's Defence Cabinet Committee urges peaceful settlement of issues with India
Aug 22 2013
Islamabad : Emphasising that the ceasefire on the LoC should be maintained, Pakistan's highest body on security issues led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said the country will continue to seek peaceful settlement of all outstanding issues with India.
The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) received a briefing on the situation along the Line of Control during its first meeting since Sharif assumed office in June. Discussions on tensions along the LoC figured prominently in the meeting.
"It was strongly emphasised that the ceasefire should be maintained in letter and spirit. All military and diplomatic channels should be used to prevent ceasefire violations. It was emphasised that Pakistan will also continue to seek dialogue and resolution of all outstanding issues with India peacefully," the official statement said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-s-defence-cabinet-committee-urges-peaceful-settlement-of-issues-with-india/1158749/
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12 militants arrested in Hangu, heavy ammunition seized
August 22, 2013
HANGU: At least 12 militants were arrested and heavy ammunition was seized in a successful operation carried out by security forces in Hangu, Express News reported on Thursday.
Seven hand grenades, a landmine and six Kalashnikovs were recovered from the possession of the arrested militants.
A suspected militant was arrested after he opened fire at security forces and police officials during their visit to sensitive polling stations in Hangu on Tuesday. District Police Officer (DPO) Hangu Sajjad Khan said security officials along with the police were visiting the Togh Sarao polling station when the incident occurred.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/593697/12-militants-arrested-in-hangu-heavy-ammunition-seized/
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Unrest in Balochistan: Senators seek report on ‘foreign hand’
August 22, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A senate panel on Wednesday sought a report from intelligence agencies on the alleged involvement of foreign hands in the troubled areas of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan.
“Why is it generally believed that India and Afghanistan are funding ‘Ferrari camps’, if any, in Balochistan,” asked Senator Fateh Muhammad Hasni. “It’s the right time to take up this issue seriously,” he observed.
Senate Standing Committee on Interior was discussing the worsening law and order situation in volatile areas when chairman of the panel, Senator Talha Mahmood directed Secretary Interior Javed Iqbal to invite all law enforcement and intelligence agencies for their input on such burning issues.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/593560/unrest-in-balochistan-senators-seek-report-on-foreign-hand/
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16 killed in Karachi’s unabated violence
August 22, 2013
KARACHI - The unabated target killing claimed 16 lives in various incidents here on Wednesday.
A man belonging to Ahmadi community, Zahoor Ahmed Kiyani, 46, was shot dead along with his neighbour Noorul Wahid in Mujahid Colony area of Orangi Town.
Police said Kiyani was affiliated with Ahmadiyya community. He was sitting outside his residence along with his neighbour when some gunmen riding a motorcycle came and sprayed bullets indiscriminately. He sustained multiple bullets wounds when Wahid passing through the spot trying to caught the culprits which resulting gunmen also shot him and managed to flee. The victims were rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsy. Later, the bodies were handed over to their families. Kiyani was working as staffer of the Anti-Narcotics Force and was posted to the Anti-Smuggling Unit of Pakistan Customs. Police have registered an FIR against unidentified assailants.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/karachi/22-Aug-2013/16-killed-in-karachi-s-unabated-violence
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Pakistani Taliban commander welcomes peace talks
22 August 2013
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — A senior Pakistani Taliban commander has welcomed the government's recent offer to hold peace talks.
Asmatullah Muawiya said in a statement Thursday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demonstrated political maturity by reiterating his offer to hold peace negotiations in a speech over the weekend.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130822177801
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Pak: Taliban threatens women against voting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
August 22, 2013
The banned Pakistani Taliban has warned women of Hangu town in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that they will be kidnapped and killed if they vote in the by-polls, a media report today said. The polling is being held for one seat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, PF-42 Hangu-1.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pak-Taliban-threatens-women-against-voting-in-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa/Article1-1111289.aspx
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Abbottabad Commission report: Save the Children denies involvement in Bin Laden raid
August 22, 2013
PESHAWAR: The chief executive officer (CEO) of Save the Children has categorically denied involvement in the May 2 Abbottabad raid.
The NGO’s global president and CEO, Carolyn Miles, held a meeting with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Wednesday in this regard. The organisation has faced tremendous criticism after the Abbottabad Commission linked it to the hunt for bin Laden and other espionage activities in the country.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/593610/abbottabad-commission-report-save-the-children-denies-involvement-in-bin-laden-raid/
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Mideast
Islamic Christian Commission warns of Israel plans to Judaise Aqusa Mosque
Mohammed Mar’i
22 August 2013
RAMALLAH — The Islamic Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites on Wednesday warned of ongoing Israeli plans and projects to Judaise Al-Aqusa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
Hanna Issa, the secretary general of the commission, said in a press statement on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the burning of the mosque that “dangers around Al-Aqsa Mosque and plans to Judaize it are still looming as 44 years passed since it burning by an extremist Jewish settler.”
Issa said that “the dangers and impacts of the fire are now affecting the entire holy city including the Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130822177735
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Abbas’s Fatah Glorifies Saddam Hussein on Facebook
Aug 22, 2013
One of Palestinian Fatah party’s official Facebook pages recently posted a picture of Saddam Hussein with the caption, “How many people love this hero?”
The same Facebook page posted two other pictures of the former Iraqi dictator last year, portraying him as a hero, Palestinian Media Watch reported Aug. 21.
“He smiled to deny the enemy the pleasure of victory. May Allah have mercy on you, Saddam Hussein,” one of photo captions on the Fatah Facebook page stated.
The most recent glorifying picture of Hussein garnered 1,439 Facebook “likes” and 111 comments praising it.
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/08/21/abbass-fatah-glorifies-saddam-hussein-on-facebook/
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Syria Army cannot be behind Damascus chemical attack: Iran FM
Aug 22, 2013
Iran has dismissed claims accusing the Syrian government of using chemical weapons against militant positions in the suburbs of Damascus.
“If the use of chemical weapons is true, it has definitely been carried out by terrorist and Takfiri groups, because they have proved in action that they refrain from no crime,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif said in a late Wednesday phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/22/319858/takfiris-behind-syria-chemical-attack/
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AKP Blasts Turkish Leader Of International Islamic Group
By: Tulin Daloglu
Aug 22, 2013
What has changed since the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared in 2009 a policy of zero problems with neighbors? The Arab Spring. The revolutionary developments starting from Tunisia in December 2010 that spread to a number of countries in the Middle East caught the Ankara government by surprise. Until then, Erdogan had a rock star popularity on the Arab street while advancing his gains in the Arab world by building strong relations with leaders being brought down by people today – although maybe not in Syria. Erdogan’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, claimed they knew everything about the Arab world, and particularly wanted to show the country’s secular, Kemalist population that the previous governments were wrong for turning their back on the Middle East and keeping regional relations at a low profile. They vehemently argued against those who questioned whether this new policy was a sign of Turkey shifting from the Western axis to the East. The more Erdogan used Israel as the whipping boy, the more these concerns were raised, and more the Arabs loved Erdogan.
Full report at:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/turkey-calls-resignation-ihsanolgu-oic.html#ixzz2cgxhs2tj
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Israel Deputy FM Elkin: Calls to ‘Freeze Construction in Judea and Samaria Are Anti-Semitism’
Aug 22, 2013
Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin said international calls for Israel to “freeze construction in Judea and Samaria are anti-Semitism,” in an interview with Brazilian daily O Estado de Sao Paolo, during a trip this week and last to Latin America.
“Imagine this elsewhere: members of a specific group forbidden to build houses. Everyone would say that is a racist decision,” Elkin said. “We cannot be the only country in the world to say, because of the fact that you are Jewish, you are forbidden to build homes in Jerusalem.”
Full report at:
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/08/21/israel-deputy-fm-elkin-calls-to-freeze-construction-in-judea-and-samaria-are-anti-semitism/
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Turkish foreign minister says 'red line crossed' in Syria
22 August 2013
BERLIN — Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday a "red line was crossed" in Syria and called for international action following reports of a massacre involving chemical weapons.
"We call on the international community in this situation where the red line was crossed long ago to intervene as soon as possible," he said in Berlin after talks with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130822177798
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Australia
Adelaide mosque preacher Sheikh Sharif Hussein directs fury at Buddhists, Hindus, Howard and Obama
Aug 22, 2013
An Adelaide Islamic preacher is under police investigation after he was filmed calling for all Buddhists and Hindus to be killed.
Detectives are examining the sermon given by Sheikh Sharif Hussein, who has previously been visited by the intelligence services, in which he described Australian soldiers as "Crusader pigs”.
In the video clip, published online this week by the US-based Middle East Media Research Institute, the preacher attacked Jews, former Prime Minister John Howard and US President Barack Obama.
Full report at:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/adelaide-mosque-preacher-sheikh-sharif-hussein-directs-fury-at-at-buddhists-hindus-howard-and-obama/story-fnii5yv7-1226701605335
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Hate Prevention Institute Denounces Holocaust-Denying Facebook Account, Calls on Social Media Companies to be ‘Socially Responsible’
Aug 22, 2013
Australia’s Online Hate Prevention Institute denounced a Facebook account Tuesday for spreading “Holocaust inversion and also significant new antisemitism related to Israel.”
In a statement, Dr. Andre Oboler, CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute flagged “The Untold History” Facebook account, which is “liked” by 843 people, and features 428 comments, though many of them were made to ridicule the account and its creators.
Full report at:
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/08/13/online-hate-prevention-institute-denounces-holocaust-denying-facebook-account-calls-on-social-media-companies-to-be-socially-responsible/
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SA Police investigating Islamic preacher's call for violence in online video
Aug 22, 2013
An online video of a radical Islamic preacher calling for Hindus and Buddhists to be killed is being investigated by South Australian police.
The video in Arabic contains extracts from a sermon by Sheikh Sharif Hussein who was formerly employed at the Park Holme mosque in Adelaide's south.
Sheikh Hussein quit about three years ago after concerns were raised about his extreme views.
The video was posted on an American website and has now appeared on YouTube.
It contains derogatory remarks about Jews, Hindus and Buddhists and brands former Prime Minister John Howard a war criminal.
Full report at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-22/islamic-society-condemns-comments-of-adelaide-preacher/4904552
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Europe
Most in Islamic Awakening nations support Shariah: Poll
Aug 22, 2013
A new survey shows that the majority of young people in the Arab countries which experienced Islamic Awakening advocate Islamic Shariah (law) as an essential source of legislation.
The opinion poll, whose results were published on July 30, was conducted by Al Jazeera Studies Center based on interviews with 8,045 young adults from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen.
The survey found that 93 percent of respondents in Libya , 89 percent in Yemen, 64 percent in Tunisia and 57 percent in Egypt favor the enforcement of Islamic Sharia.
In 2011, the wave of Islamic Awakening in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Libya led to the overthrow of dictatorial regimes following massive popular uprisings in the four Arab states.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/21/319820/islamic-awakening-states-favor-shariah/
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UK Islamic TV channel fined for inciting violence
Aug 22, 2013
LONDON: Britain's broadcasting watchdog on Wednesday fined an Islamic television channel #85,000 ($133,000, 99,700 euros) after a presenter said anyone disrespecting the Prophet Mohammed should be killed.
Ofcom ruled that Noor TV, which broadcasts on Sky, had breached broadcasting codes by inciting violence during a program aired on May 3 last year.
The watchdog said the size of the fine reflected the seriousness of the channel's transgression, but stopped short of revoking its licence.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1037572/uk-islamic-tv-channel-fined-for-inciting-violence
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HRW urges Egypt to protect churches, end to Islamist incitement
22 August 2013
Egyptian authorities must protect churches and Christian homes and businesses from attack and Islamists must stop inciting sectarian violence, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.
The group said it had documented attacks on 42 churches and dozens of Christian institutions, schools and homes, as well as Christian-owned businesses across the country.
It said at least four people were reported killed in sectarian violence, three Christians and one Muslim.
Attacks on Egypt’s Christian minority have escalated since the July 3 ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Mursi.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/22/HRW-urges-Egypt-to-protect-churches-end-to-Islamist-incitement-.html
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UN Nuclear Chief: Still ‘Fundamental Difference of Views’ Between Israel, Arabs on Nuclear Issue
Aug 22, 2013
VIENNA - UN atomic agency chief Yukiya Amano has not been able to narrow Israeli-Arab differences on how to move towards a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, but will keep trying, according to a report by his office.
Discussions with officials from the region have shown that there continues to be a "fundamental difference of views" between Israel and the other Middle East countries, it said.
The report was prepared by Amano's International Atomic Energy Agency ahead of an annual meeting next month of the IAEA's 159 member states.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/UN-Efforts-to-bridge-gaps-between-Israel-Arabs-on-nuclear-issue-have-failed-323670
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North America
White House spokesman jokes about Islamic attacks on Christian churches in Egypt
Aug 22, 2013
The White House’s deputy press secretary today downplayed Muslim attacks on Christians in Egypt, joking about the savagery that has left at least six Christians dead.
Press secretary Josh Earnest was asked by Fox News’ correspondent, Ed Henry, if President Barack Obama has a “red line” beyond which he would act against Muslim attacks on Egyptian Christians.
“Well, I didn’t bring my red pen out with me today,” Earnest joked.
After making his joke, Earnest said the administration is “outraged… and concerned” about the Muslim attacks on almost 100 churches, monasteries, orphanages and other marked Christian sites. Many Christians’ shops and homes have also been looted and burned by mobs.
But Earnest didn’t name or criticize the attackers, even though he did charge the military with perpetrating “violence… against peaceful protestors.”
Full report at:
http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/21/white-house-spokesman-jokes-about-islamic-attacks-on-christian-churches-in-egypt/#ixzz2cgsVEe2m
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Kansas school removes controversial bulletin board featuring Five Pillars of Islam
Aug 22, 2013
In the last year, the Freedom from Religion Foundation has pitched a fit about a preschool graduation ceremony begun with a Christian prayer, about a portrait of Jesus Christ hanging at a middle school and about a mother praying on the front steps of her kids’ high school.
Oddly enough, the Madison, Wisconsin-based outfit was apparently nowhere to be found to lead the charge against a bulletin board at a Wichita, Kansas elementary school illustrating the Five Pillars of Islam.
However, reports The Wichita Eagle, some parents who have their own concerns about religion in schools complained about the display in a hallway outside fourth-grade classrooms. It has now been removed.
Full report at:
http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/21/kansas-school-removes-controversial-bulletin-board-featuring-five-pillars-of-islam/#ixzz2cgst2eCe
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Erotic novel ‘50 shades of grey’ causes stir at Guantanamo war court
22 August 2013
The Associated Press, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
A lawyer for a Guantanamo Bay prisoner charged in the Sept. 11 terror attack said Wednesday that guards gave his client a contraband copy of the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” apparently as a joke or an attempt to discredit him.
The allegation came weeks after a U.S. congressman returned from visiting the prison and said officials told him the book was a favorite among men in Camp Seven, the highest-security section of Guantanamo. It was a surprising comment since the military tightly restricts what prisoners can read and the novel isn’t in the main detainee library.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2013/08/22/Erotic-novel-50-shades-of-grey-causes-a-stir-at-Guantanamo-war-court.html
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Judge blocks emails between Fort Hood shooter and militant cleric
Aug 22, 2013
FORT HOOD, Texas — Evidence purporting to show how US Army Major Nidal Hasan adopted a radical vision of Islam, including emails Hasan exchanged with American cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki, was blocked by a military judge on Monday at Hasan’s court-martial for shooting dead 13 fellow soldiers.
Judge Colonel Tara Osborn barred testimony about the correspondence between Hasan and Awlaki, the US-born militant who was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen in 2011, and with other militants.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130821177613
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US avoids 'red lines' after Syria chemical claims
AFP | Aug 22, 2013
WASHINGTON: The United States refused to set new "red lines" for Syria on Wednesday as claims of a horrific chemical arms strike reignited debate over Washington's reluctance to intervene in the civil war.
Claims by Syrian rebels that President Bashar al-Assad's forces massacred 1,300 people in a chemical weapons attack near Damascus sparked new pressure for action on Capitol Hill.
But the top US military officer, General Martin Dempsey, pushed back on calls for air strikes, which he said could embroil America in an open-ended war.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-avoids-red-lines-after-Syria-chemical-claims/articleshow/21969067.cms
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Syrian rebels do not support US interests: Top military chief
AFP | Aug 22, 2013
WASHINGTON: US armed intervention in Syria would not resolve the civil war and rebel forces cannot be relied on to back American interests, the top military chief said in a letter to Congress.
Pushing back against calls for air strikes and other action, General Martin Dempsey said in a letter to one lawmaker that US military leaders were not "reticent, weary or risk averse" but rather mindful of the costs of war and "pragmatic about the limits of military force."
He said knocking out Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's air force was an option but it could drag the United States into an open-ended war.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Syrian-rebels-do-not-support-US-interests-Top-military-chief/articleshow/21966989.cms
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US immigration criteria in screening of Muslims questioned
22 August 2013
LOS ANGELES: Civil liberties advocates say they have uncovered a US government program that has blacklisted some Muslims and put their citizenship applications on hold for years as it screens immigrants for national security concerns.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California said in a report that the criteria used by US Citizenship and Immigration Services to blacklist immigrants are overly broad and include traveling through regions where there is terrorist activity.
The report says immigration officers are instructed to find ways to deny applications who have been deemed a national security concern. For example, they’ll claim they failed to receive sufficient information from the immigrant.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/462008
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Hasidic Jewish Counselor Nechemya Weberman's Sexual Abuse Of A Young Girl Detailed In New Book
08/22/2013
Nechemya Weberman, an esteemed religious counselor in New York's Hasidic Jewish community, was sentenced in January to 103 years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl who came to him for guidance about her faith. Now the story of Weberman's transgressions is being told in a new book called "The Devil of Williamsburg."
Author Allison Yarrow joined HuffPost Live's Mike Sacks to discuss what she learned about the man who was convicted of 59 counts of sexually abusing a minor.
Full report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/21/nechemya-weberman-sexual-_n_3790407.html?ref=topbar
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South Asia
Hefazat ignoring women in context of Islamic history
Aug 22, 2013
Much of what we know of as Islam today has been influenced by historical developments long after the death of the Prophet
It is widely accepted that the Prophet Mohammed (SAW) transformed Arabian society enriching, “inter alia”, its moral, judicial, spiritual and political dimensions. What often seems to be less appreciated is that these monumental transformations took place in only 23 years.
Given this minuscule span of time, much of what we know of as Islam today has been influenced by historical developments long after the death of the Prophet. Islamic history has influenced Islam itself. This is an obvious point but profound in its implications.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/op-ed/2013/aug/21/hefazat-ignoring-women-context-islamic-history
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Talks on US-Afghan security deal may resume soon
EMMA GRAHAM-HARRISON
Aug 22, 2013
KABUL: Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, has lined up a high-profile negotiating team to thrash out a critical long-term security deal with the US, raising hopes that talks suspended in June might restart soon.
The national security adviser, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, and former finance minister Dr Ashraf Ghani will represent the Afghan government in negotiations on the bilateral security agreement whenever they start again, said Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for Karzai.
In a further glimmer of hope for diplomats, Faizi said that while Karzai had not yet decided to restart talks, a national convention to approve a final draft could be held within two months, suggesting he is considering authorising a new round of negotiations.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1037507/talks-on-us-afghan-security-deal-may-resume-soon
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Maldives President hails annulment of rape victim's flogging sentence
Aug 22, 2013
President Mohamed Waheed Hassan on Wednesday hailed the High Court ruling which annulled the eight months house arrest and 100 lashes sentence handed to the 15-year-old alleged rape victim as a major victory for the criminal justice system and the protection of children's rights.
The girl from Shaviyani Atoll Feydhoo had been sentenced to eight months under house arrest and 100 lashes after the Juvenile Court found her guilty of pre-marital sex in a separate incident.
Full report at:
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/50692
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Myanmar ‘failed to protect’ UN rights envoy
Aug 22, 2013
The UN human rights envoy to Myanmar has accused the country’s government of failing to protect him when his convoy came under attack this week.
Tomas Ojea Quintan said this happened during his visit to the central town of Meiktila, the scene of recent deadly clashes between Buddhists and Muslims.
He said some 200 people surrounded his car, punching the doors and windows.
No-one was hurt, but the envoy said he now had an insight into how people would have felt during March’s clashes.
“The state failed to protect me,” Quintan told reporters at the end of his 10-day visit to Myanmar, also known as Burma.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/myanmar-failed-to-protect-un-rights-envoy/
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45,066 Bangladeshis deported from New Delhi in last 22 yrs: Indian court told
Aug 22, 2013
Over 40,000 illegal Bangladeshi migrants have been deported from India’s national capital in the last 22 years, a Delhi court was told on Tuesday.
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) also said this year till June 30, they have deported 182 Bangladeshi migrants and 119 more are awaiting deportation.
“…this office (FRRO) has deported 45,066 illegal migrants of Bangladesh since the year 1991 till date and a batch of 119 illegal migrants of Bangladesh are restricted for deportation,” the FRRO said in its reply to the court which had sought an explanation from it for not complying with its direction to periodically identify illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/45066-bangladeshis-deported-from-new-delhi-in-last-22-yrs/
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Southeast Asia
Malaysian Minister says ‘zero tolerance’ for bigots, but hands are tied
Aug 22, 2013
PUTRAJAYA, Aug 22 — Tan Sri Joseph Kurup has said there must be “zero tolerance” for racial and religious bigotry, but the minister in charge of national unity also admitted that he has no authority beyond educating wrongdoers.
Against a backdrop of rising intolerance, Kurup said his ministry’s focus was constrained to simply helping the public understand what issues may be considered as offensive to others.
“For us, we don’t have any power to take action but what we emphasise is to make them aware that certain things hurt other people and also to educate them.
“That’s all you can do,” he told The Malay Mail Online and Sin Chew Daily in a recent interview.
Insisting that “action will have to be taken” against bigots and stressing that the government must take an unforgiving approach with such individuals, Kurup pointed out that the power to punish offenders instead lies with other government bodies such as the police.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/kurup-says-zero-tolerance-for-bigots-but-hands-are-tied#sthash.5tnc5gsH.dpuf
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Agung Shoots Down School Virginity Test Plan
Aug 22, 2013
Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono has ordered Education Minister Mohammad Nuh to strongly reject and stop South Sumatra’s Prabumulih education board head from carrying out his plan to impose virginity tests on high school girls in light of allegations that he initiated the program.
Agung called the test unethical and suggested the local education board provides sex education, information about HIV/AIDS, and family planning to the students instead.
“Isn’t there anything better to do?” Agung was quoted as saying by Tempo.co on Wednesday.
However, Prabumulih education board head H.M. Rasyid denied that he proposed the test plan, claiming instead that the media had misinterpreted his statements.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/agung-shoots-down-school-virginity-test-plan/
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Malaysian government wins right to appeal 'Allah' case
Aug 22, 2013
Malaysia’s government on Thursday won the right to challenge a court ruling that allowed the country’s non-Muslim minority to use the word “Allah” to refer to God.
Appeal hearings are scheduled to start on Sept. 10 to resolve the politically sensitive dispute that triggered attacks on Malaysian churches and other places of worship more than three years ago.
“Allah” is the Arabic word for God and is commonly used in the Malay language to refer to God.
The government, however, insists “Allah” is an Islamic word and that its use by others would confuse Muslims.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/malaysian-government-wins-right-to-appeal-allah-case/article5048651.ece
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Thai court jails Iranians over Bangkok bomb plot
August 22, 2013
Two Iranian men were sentenced to between 15 years and life Thursday for their involvement in a botched bomb plot last year in Bangkok, which ended with one of them having his legs blown off.
The pair, who had denied the charges, were among five Iranians suspected of involvement in blasts that Israel has linked to a 2012 spate of attacks on its diplomats across the world.
Saeid Moradi, 29, who lost his limbs as he hurled an explosive device at police in the Thai capital, was found guilty on charges including attempted murder and handed a life term by the Bangkok Southern Criminal court.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Thai-court-jails-Iranians-over-Bangkok-bomb-plot/Article1-1111340.aspx
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Arab World
Gunmen kill five people in Iraq
22 August 2013
Gunmen killed five people, including two soldiers, in Iraq on Thursday, officials said, the latest in a spike in violence that the government has so far failed to stem.
Security forces have in recent weeks carried out some of their biggest operations since the 2011 withdrawal of US forces, but analysts and diplomats have said authorities have not addressed the root causes of the violence.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/22/Gunmen-kill-five-people-in-Iraq-.html
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Egypt's Mubarak out of prison but far from free
AFP | Aug 22, 2013
CAIRO: Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, who left jail for house arrest on Thursday, enjoyed near absolute power for three decades as president before a 2011 uprising overthrew him. The 85-year-old's spectacular fall from grace sent shock waves across the Middle East and beyond when he announced his resignation on February 11, 2011 after an 18-day popular revolt.
Just months later, in April, he was arrested and subsequently charged with various crimes, including corruption and inciting the deaths of at least 850 people killed during the uprising.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypts-Mubarak-out-of-prison-but-far-from-free/articleshow/21981519.cms
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Tariq Ramadan: 'Egypt is returning to a Mubarak era'
20 August 2013
Professor Tariq Ramadan, a Muslim theologian, says Egypt is on the verge of returning to a Mubarak-style era.
"Mohamed Morsi is due to be charged with new accusations while Mubarak is going to be freed. This is something which is a coming back to a Mubarak's era."
Professor Ramadan, whose grandfather is one of the founding members of the Muslim Brotherhood, does not believe that its members are behind the recent attacks on Coptic churches.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23772361
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'Syria forces blast sites of alleged chemical attacks'
August 22, 2013
Syrian forces blasted rebel zones near Damascus on Thursday, including areas where the opposition alleged loyalists had launched a chemical weapons attack on Wednesday, a monitoring group said.
The air raids and shellings appear to be part of an all-out army offensive to rout rebels from strategic points surrounding the capital, activists said.
"Warplanes carried out several raids this morning on Khan al-Sheikh and Zamalka, wounding several people" and sparking fierce clashes, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
It said that other areas around the capital were also subjected to aerial bombardments, including Moadamiyet al-Sham, Daraya and Irbin.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Syria-forces-blast-sites-of-alleged-chemical-attacks/Article1-1111311.aspx
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Syria opposition demands urgent UN probe into alleged chemical attacks
Reuters | Aug 22, 2013
BEIRUT/AMMAN: Syria's opposition demanded on Thursday that United Nations chemical weapons inspectors immediately investigate a besieged rebel-held region hit by an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people a day earlier.
In Paris, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said the international community needed to respond with force if the allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical attack on civilians proved true, although there was no question of sending troops on the ground.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syria-opposition-demands-urgent-UN-probe-into-alleged-chemical-attacks/articleshow/21976546.cms
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Egyptian Catholic Church Leader Says Country in a ‘War Against Terrorism’
Aug 22, 2013
The ongoing turmoil in Egypt “is not a political struggle, but a war against terrorism,” the head of the Catholic Church in Egypt, Bishop Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, Patriarch of Alexandria, said in a recent statement.
“With pain, but also with hope, the Catholic Church in Egypt is following what our country is experiencing: terrorist attacks, killings and the burning of churches, schools and state institutions,” Bishop Sidrak said.
Full report at:
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/08/20/egyptian-catholic-church-leader-says-country-in-a-%E2%80%98war-against-terrorism%E2%80%99/
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Shin Bet forms new unit to thwart attacks on Israel by Sinai jihadists
Aug 22, 2013
Some 15 different Salafi groups affiliated with the global jihad movement and Al-Qaida are operating in Sinai, according to senior officials in the Shin Bet security service. Officials say four of these groups are especially active in attempts to attack Israel Defense Forces soldiers along the border and fire rockets into Israel. While the Shin Bet estimates the number of operatives at several hundred people, Military Intelligence puts it at a few thousand.
Some of these operatives are foreign fighters from Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Gaza Strip, but most are Sinai Bedouin who have undergone a process of radicalization. A senior Israeli intelligence official said the foreigners bring motivation and inspiration, but the basic infrastructure is comprised of Sinai Bedouin.
Full report at:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.542417
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/beards,-niqab-become-liability-egypt/d/13156