Democracy and Islam Can Exist In Harmony, Says Maldives President
Pakistan
Taliban’s Decree: Women Must Wear Burqa and Men Must Not Shave Beard
Prosecution witnesses testify against LeT in Pak's Mumbai case
Non-bailable warrants for Lal Masjid cleric
Fighter jets kill 15 militants in Orakzai blitz
Violence claims four more lives in Karachi
Swiss refuse to reopen Zardari graft probe: Islamabad
Afzal Guru's hanging: JKLF chief on 24-hour hunger strike in Pak
No Taliban peace for Pakistan
Protests in Pak over Afzal Guru's hanging
Fazl in Doha for talks with Afghan Taliban: JUI-F
Suspected militants with ANA, Pak Army uniforms and explosives arrested in KP
For many children of Balochistan, attending school is not an option
Africa
Second suicide bomber blows himself up in Gao, northern Mali
Mass grave discovered in Timbuktu: Mauritanian media
Tunisia: Pressure Grows on Islamists to End Crisis
Three South Korean doctors slain in north Nigeria: Police
Tensions rise in Tunisia as PM threatens to quit
South Asia
Democracy and Islam can exist in harmony, says Maldives President
Ahmadiyya convention in Bangladesh for Islam's correct image
Taliban leader shot dead in Afghanistan
War crimes trial in Bangladesh restored historic narrative of 1971
MDP holds ‘Black March’ against police brutality
Ulema conference: Afghan clerics set to open contacts today
Southeast Asia
Indonesia Islam Leaders Stir Row over Chinese New Year
Makassar Church Targeted in Firebomb Attempt
India
Post Afzal hanging, rights groups demand India end executions
‘I did it for money, not religion’: Afzal Guru
And thereby hangs a tale in Tihar jail
Afzal Guru's hanging: Fear, anxiety return to haunt Kashmir
A single attack that earned Jaish-e-Mohammad global attention
Afzal Guru's execution: Security agencies unfazed by likely spurt in J&K militancy
Afzal Guru Execution will negatively impact youth psyche in J-K: Omar
Those questioning the timing of execution are ‘frustrated’: Minister
Protesters defy curfew, 36 hurt in Valley clashes
Arab World
Front launched with significant Islamist presence to 'end bloodshed' in Egypt
Patriarch of Iraq's largest Christian community: Arab Spring promoting bloodshed
NSHR checks on conditions of workers in Jeddah’s factories
Assad reshuffles cabinet, warplanes raid Damascus
Saudi Arabia looks to buy patrol boats from German firm - media
Mideast Asia
Will talk with US if pressure stops, says Ahmadinejad
Obama visit to focus on Iran, Syria, peace: Israel PM
Israel PM's political partner says Palestinian peace accord impossible
Israel evicts West Bank protesters from camp
Yemen demands Iran explanation on arms shipment
North America
UN, US condemn attack on Iran dissidents in Iraq
Former commander McChrystal opposes drone strikes
Afghan endgame: US withdraws military equipment via Pakistan
Europe
Lebanon may need camps for flood of Syrian refugees: UN
Anti-France protest held in Tunis
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Democracy and Islam can exist in harmony, says Maldives President
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Democracy and Islam can exist in harmony, says Maldives President
Feb 09, 2013
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has said that the Maldivian democratization project is demonstrating to the world that democracy and Islam can exist in harmony.
The President made this statement in his speech delivered at the 12th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Cairo.
Speaking on the theme of the Conference, the Muslim World: New Challenges and Expanding Opportunities, the President noted that the tensions, the clashes, and the conflicts that are threatening to rip apart the Islamic Ummah are caused by the denial, in some parts of the Islamic World, to recognize that Allah has given every human being a desire to be free, and be able to shape their own destiny.
The President said that human aspirations for human rights and freedom need to be granted fully to the peoples of Islamic countries. The President further said that the Maldives, being a 100 percent Muslim country, has been able to introduce and foster a democratic system of governance that guarantees fundamental human rights.
In his speech, the President stressed the need for sharing experiences among member states of OIC that are in transition to democracy, and called on the OIC to support these countries to overcome the challenges of democratic consolidation. The President highlighted some of the challenges that the Maldives is facing in its democratization process, and said that the Maldives is discovering that democratic consolidation requires patience, perseverance, and prudence.
“Failing that, there is danger that the very people who placed such high hopes and dreams in democracy would become detached from it”, added the President.
Speaking on the challenges facing the Islamic world, President Waheed called for the immediate cessation for hostilities in Syria, and said that the civilized world will not tolerate a government killing its own people.
The President congratulated Palestine for obtaining non-member observer State status at the United Nations last year, and condemned Israel’s continued occupations and illegal settlements in the occupied territory of Palestine.
The President further said that restoring the inalienable rights of the Palestinians should be a central focus of the Islamic Ummah, and that a just and equitable resolution of the conflict is fundamental for maintaining peace and security in the Middle East and elsewhere.
He called for demonstrating more unity and solidarity by Islamic countries in combating Islamophobia, and in addressing extremism, intolerance and other prejudices. He further called for upholding Islamic virtues of respect and tolerance.
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/47326
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Pakistan
Taliban’s Decree: Women Must Wear Burqa and Men Must Not Shave Beard
New Age Islam News Bureau
February 10, 2013
The outlawed terrorist outfit of Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have been distributing pamphlets in Karachi asking women to wear Burqa and men to wear only Islamic dress. The pamphlets have also warned men against shaving their beard. Those ignoring the verdict would be out rightly beheaded, the pamphlet said.
Recently, the home minister of Pakistan had given the Taliban a clean chit saying that they were not involved in terrorist activities and targeted killings in Karachi.
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Prosecution witnesses testify against LeT in Pak's Mumbai case
February 09, 2013
During a raid on two LeT training camps in Sindh province, "huge quantity" of incriminating items including details about the distribution of weapons to the Mumbai attacks' terrorists were found, a court conducting the trial of seven men charged with involvement in 2008 attacks was told on Saturday.
Deputy Director Faqir Muhammad and inspector Khalid Awan of the Federal Investigation Agency provided details of items found in the LeT camps when they were cross-examined by defence lawyers during proceedings conducted by anti-terrorism court Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
After the in-camera hearing, FIA special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali told PTI that Muhammad and Awan were "very important witnesses".
During the cross-examination, the witnesses said they raided two LeT training camps at Yousaf Goth in Landhi area of Karachi and Mirpur Sakro area in Thatta district.
The witnesses said they had found a huge quantity of incriminating articles, including maps of Indian cities, details about the distribution of weapons to the terrorists who attacked Mumbai, photographs of the two boats used by the attackers and jihadi literature, Ali said.
Khwaja Haris Ahmed, the counsel for LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was among those who cross-examined the prosecution witnesses.
In a separate development, defence lawyers filed an application seeking an assurance from the court that there would be no hindrance in the working of the Pakistani judicial commission that is set to visit Mumbai to cross-examine four witnesses.
Khwaja Haris Ahmed sought the cancellation of an earlier agreement between India and Pakistan that did not allow members of the commission to cross-examine the Indian witnesses during a visit to Mumbai in March last year.
Special Prosecutor Ali told the court that this agreement was no longer in force. The judge asked the prosecution to submit a copy of the new agreement regarding the judicial commission’s second visit to India and adjourned the case till February 23.
Ali also informed the judge that the defence lawyers had not submitted their passports and other documents to complete formalities for the commission's visit.
The commission will cross-examine four key Indian witnesses - the police officer who led the probe into the Mumbai attacks, the magistrate who recorded the confession of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker, and two doctors who performed the autopsies of the attackers. Kasab was hanged last year in a jail in Pune.
Following the commission's last visit to Mumbai, its findings were rejected by the anti-terrorism court because the panel did not have the power to cross-examine witnesses.
Following negotiations between officials of the two countries in December, India agreed to allow the Pakistani commission to cross-examine the witnesses. Indian officials also sought an assurance that the panel’s findings will not again be rejected by the anti-terrorism court.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Prosecution-witnesses-testify-against-LeT-in-Pak-s-Mumbai-case/Article1-1009224.aspx
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Non-bailable warrants for Lal Masjid cleric
10 February 2013
ISLAMABAD: A local court on Saturday issued non-bailable warrants for Maulana Abdul Aziz, Khateeb of Lal Masjid, and four witnesses, including a police officer.
The orders were passed after the court found the above mentioned individuals absent during the proceedings of a case involving harassment of owners of CD shops.
Important to note that after acquittal from 26 cases, the only case pending against Maulana Aziz is the said case, which is also in its final stage.
Shehzad Khan civil judge cum judicial magistrate resumed hearing of the case registered against Maulana Aziz and his other associates in April 2007 for threatening the owners of CD shops and forcibly closing their businesses in F-7 Markaz and Aabpara Market.
The order was passed, when during the hearings, it transpired that neither Maulana Aziz nor any of the witnesses, including a deputy superintendent of police Mohammad Ashraf Shah were present in the court.
The judge expressed annoyance over the absence of the accused and the witnesses of the case and issued the warrants.
However, Maulana Wajihullah, counsel of Maulana Aziz, appeared before the judge and informed that the cleric because of other engagements was not in Islamabad and, therefore, could not appear in the court.
The counsel assured the court that Maulana Aziz would appear in the court on the next date of hearing.
The judge, however, issued the non-bailable arrest warrants for Maulana Aziz as well as for the witnesses and adjourned the matter till February 14.
It may be mentioned that Maulana Aziz has been acquitted in over two dozen cases in the last couple of years.
These cases were registered against the cleric in 2007, when relations between Lal Masjid and the government deteriorated and led to the July 3 operation.
Among them the famous cases registered against the cleric were of abducting Aunti Shamim and her daughter, abduction of police officials and seizing of official vehicles, launching FM Radio without obtaining prior permission of the government, CD
burning case, killing of a Rangers official and sabotaging and damaging government property.
http://dawn.com/2013/02/10/non-bailable-warrants-for-lal-masjid-cleric/
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Fighter jets kill 15 militants in Orakzai blitz
February 10, 2013
HANGU: Fighter jets continued to bombard militant hideouts in Upper Orakzai Agency on Saturday, killing at least 15 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, security forces said.
An official of the security forces said that jets bombed TTP hideouts in Tambo Sar, Satar Sok, Durrani Masi, and Arghanjo areas, destroying five of them, including the strategically important hideout in Tambo Sar.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/505199/bombing-hideouts-fighter-jets-kill-15-militants-in-orakzai-blitz/
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Violence claims four more lives in Karachi
10 February 2013
KARACHI Four people including a Shia man were killed in separate acts of violence on Saturday, police said.
A man belonging to Shia sect was killed near his house in Golimar area within the precincts of Rizvia police station.
Station House Officer (SHO) Rashid Haider said that unidentified armed pillion riders opened a volley of bullets on 32-year-old Syed Qamar Raza Naqvi, resultantly he received fatal bullet wounds and died instantly. The body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) for medico-legal formalities. He said that Qamar worked at a private company. The SHO said that initial investigation suggested that ongoing killing on sectarian grounds was behind the incident.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\02\10\story_10-2-2013_pg7_12
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Swiss refuse to reopen Zardari graft probe: Islamabad
Feb 10, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Swiss authorities have refused to reopen long-running graft cases against Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari as he enjoys immunity as head of state, Pakistan's law ministry said on Sunday.
Pakistan wrote to Switzerland in October over the multi-million dollar allegations against Zardari, which date back to the 1990s, at the insistence of the country's Supreme Court.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Swiss-refuse-to-reopen-Zardari-graft-probe-Islamabad/articleshow/18428799.cms
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Afzal Guru's hanging: JKLF chief on 24-hour hunger strike in Pak
Feb 10, 2013
ISLAMABAD: JKLF chief Yasin Malik on Saturday began a 24-hour hunger strike here to pressure Indian authorities to hand over the body of Afzal Guru, hanged and buried in a Delhi jail for his role in the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, to his family.
Malik, here on a private visit to meet his wife and daughter, was joined by a small group of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and JuD activists for the hunger strike at a ground outside the National Press Club in the heart of Islamabad.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Afzal-Gurus-hanging-JKLF-chief-on-24-hour-hunger-strike-in-Pak/articleshow/18424963.cms
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No Taliban peace for Pakistan
Imtiaz Ahmad
February 09, 2013
The offer by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militia earlier this month to enter into talks with the Pakistan government should have been welcomed by Islamabad with open arms. Instead, the Zardari government has remained largely silent to the offer.
"We will wait and see. I am not sure if this is a serious offer and whether we should respond to it," interior minister Rehman Malik told newsmen earlier this week.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/worldsectionpage/world/No-Taliban-peace-for-Pakistan/Article1-1009328.aspx
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Protests in Pak over Afzal Guru's hanging
Feb 09 2013
Islamabad : Activists of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Kashmiri groups on Saturday organised protests against the execution of Afzal Guru in several Pakistani cities while the administration of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir announced three days of mourning.
Dozens of JuD activists joined a protest held outside the National Press Club in Islamabad hours after Guru was hanged and buried in Delhi's Tihar Jail this morning.
Similar protests were organised by the JuD in Lahore and Karachi.
JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, a mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, claimed Guru's execution amounted to “judicial terrorism”.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/protests-in-pak-over-afzal-gurus-hanging/1071981/
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Fazl in Doha for talks with Afghan Taliban: JUI-F
10 February 2013
NOWSHERA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has gone to Qatar to hold talks with the Taliban, revealed Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a leader of the party and general secretary of the Milli Yakjehti Council, on Saturday.
Speaking at a condolence reference for Jamaat-i-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad here, he urged the government and the army to take the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s talks offer seriously and initiate a dialogue to ensure a peaceful atmosphere during the general election.
But contrary to the statement by Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a spokesman for JUI-F, Abdul Jalil Jan, told Dawn in Peshawar that Maulana Fazl had gone abroad on a private visit.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/10/fazl-in-doha-for-talks-with-afghan-taliban-jui-f/
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Suspected militants with ANA, Pak Army uniforms and explosives arrested in KP
10 February 2013
PESHAWAR: Security forces conducted different raids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday arresting four suspects, including two key commanders, besides seizing uniforms of Pakistani and Afghan National Army along with a huge quantity of arms and explosives.
Security sources told Dawn.Com that the law enforcement agencies conducted a raid in Samar Bagh area of Lower Dir district and seized uniforms of Pakistan Army and the Afghan National Army (ANA) and arrested two suspects, who were shifted for further investigations.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/10/militants-with-ana-pakistan-army-uniforms-and-explosive-arrested-in-kp/
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For many children of Balochistan, attending school is not an option
February 10, 2013
QUETTA: A damning report on the state of education in Balochistan, Pakistan’s most deprived province, has revealed that 34.1% of children aged between six and 16 are not enrolled in schools.
Around 77.7% children in the pre-primary school age group are not attending elementary schools in the province.
These and other shocking statistics were revealed at the provincial launch of Pakistan’s largest-ever citizen-led household-based Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Survey 2012 in Quetta.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/505189/for-many-children-of-balochistan-attending-school-is-not-an-option/
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Africa
Second suicide bomber blows himself up in Gao, northern Mali
February 10, 2013
GAO, Mali – Residents and a Malian military official say a suicide bomber blew himself up, the second such attack in the northern Malian city in recent days.
Capt. Daouda Diarra said the most recent attack occurred Saturday at about 11 p.m. at a checkpoint in the city. Diarra said the bomber set off the explosive belt he was wearing, killing himself and injuring a Malian soldier was injured.
Full report at:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/10/official-second-suicide-bomber-blows-himself-up-in-gao-northern-mali/#ixzz2KV5nlvhH
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Mass Grave Discovered In Timbuktu
Feb 10, 2013
NOUAKCHOTT: A mass grave containing several bodies was discovered in Timbuktu in northern Mali, recently recaptured from Islamist rebels by French-led forces, a Mauritanian news agency said on Saturday.
Three bodies in the grave were recognisable, all of them "Arab shopkeepers who had recently been arrested by Malian soldiers and had not been heard from since," according to independent news site ANI.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Mass-grave-discovered-in-Timbuktu-Mauritanian-media/articleshow/18424657.cms
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Tunisia: Pressure Grows on Islamists to End Crisis
February 10, 2013
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Calm is returning to the streets of Tunisia's capital, even as pressure is growing on the governing Islamists to find a solution to the country's biggest crisis since it set off the Arab Spring uprisings two years ago.
The killing of a Tunisian opposition leader last week brought protests against a government accused of pandering to extremists. The prime minister wants to appoint a new government of technocrats to ease tensions.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/02/10/world/middleeast/ap-ml-tunisia-
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Three South Korean doctors slain in north Nigeria: Police
Feb 10, 2013
POTISKUM: Officials say attackers in north-eastern Nigeria have killed three South Korean doctors, beheading one in the assault.
The attack happened Saturday night in Potiskum, a town in Yobe state. Officials told an Associated Press journalist that the doctors worked at the General Hospital in Potiskum.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Three-South-korean-doctors-slain-in-north-Nigeria-Police/articleshow/18429641.cms
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Tensions rise in Tunisia as PM Hamadi Jebali threatens to quit
Feb 10, 2013
TUNIS: Tunisia's prime minister threatened to quit on Saturday and warned of chaos unless key ministries held by fellow Islamists go to independents in a new government of non-partisan technocrats.
Hamadi Jebali said he would resign within days if he failed to form the new government, even as his Ennahda party rejected a planned new cabinet and several thousand party supporters took to the streets to oppose his plans.
Jebali said he took the decision to form a technocrat government after the murder on Wednesday of leading government critic Chokri Belaid that sparked days of unrest and political uncertainty in Tunisia as tensions fray.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Tensions-rise-in-Tunisia-as-PM-Hamadi-Jebali-threatens-to-quit/articleshow/18423744.cms
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South Asia
Ahmadiyya convention for Islam's correct image
10 February 2013
Foreign delegates to the Ahmadiyyas convention yesterday called for all Muslims to play a role in removing the misunderstanding and misgivings about Islam in the world and highlight the beauty of Islam in their respective capacities.
Everyone who believes in Islam should establish peace and a brotherly environment in the world, they said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=268551
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Taliban leader shot dead in Afghanistan
February 10, 2013
A Taliban leader known for coordinating suicide attacks has been killed in an operation in Kandahar province, NATO-led forces said on Sunday. "During a security operation in Maiwand district Saturday, Afghan and coalition forces killed Taliban leader Abdul Baki," Xinhua quoted the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as saying in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanistan/Taliban-leader-shot-dead-in-Afghanistan/Article1-1009518.aspx
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War crimes trial restored historic narrative of 1971
10 February 2013
With bringing the collaborators of Pakistani occupation army to justice, the historic narrative of 1971 has finally been restored, said Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (EGDNC) Acting President Prof Muntasir Mamun yesterday.
The BNP-Jamaat and their like minded people tried to remove the memory of 1971 from the mind of the nation, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=268548
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NDA head calls for drug smugglers to receive death penalty
By Minivan News | February 9th, 2013
National Drug Agency (NDA) Chairperson Lubna Zahir has called for individuals found to be importing illegal narcotics into the Maldives to face the death penalty, local media has reported.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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Ulema conference: Afghan clerics set to open contacts today
February 10, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Afghan clerics is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday to discuss the agenda for an upcoming conference of religious scholars from the two countries, officials said on Saturday.
President Asif Ali Zardari and his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, had agreed to hold the conference in early March at the recent trilateral summit in London.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/505185/ulema-conference-afghan-clerics-set-to-open-contacts-today/
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia Islam Leaders Stir Row Over Chinese New Year
February 10, 2013
As Indonesia and other countries with Chinese diasporas welcome the Year of the Snake, some Islamic leaders have ignited a religious row by declaring the celebrations “haram” and off limits for Muslims.
After decades of repression under the dictatorship of Suharto, who rose to power after a bloody purge of communists and Chinese in the late 1960s, Chinese-Indonesians are now accepted in mainstream society of the largely Muslim nation.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesia-islam-leaders-stir-row-over-chinese-new-year/570697
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Makassar Church Targeted in Firebomb Attempt
Farouk Arnaz | February 10, 2013
Police are investigating a Sunday morning arson attempt on a church in Makassar, South Sulawesi, after three people hurled molotov cocktails at the facade in a botched attack, police said.
Portions of Toraja Mamasa Church of Jordan Congregation, in Panakukkang, Makassar, caught fire early Sunday morning. The church’s sign and front door were damaged in the attack.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/makassar-church-targeted-in-firebomb-attempt/570685
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India
Post Afzal hanging, rights groups demand India end executions
Feb 10, 2013
NEW YORK/LONDON: In the wake of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, global rights groups have asked India to end the use of executions and move towards abolishing the death penalty.
"Questions need to be asked why the Indian government executed Afzal Guru now," New York-based Human Rights Watch's South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly said.
"No one argues that those who engage in serious crimes shouldn't be punished, but the death penalty is brutal and irreversible, and there is no convincing evidence to suggest it serves as a deterrent," Ganguly said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Post-Afzal-hanging-rights-groups-demand-India-end-executions/articleshow/18428642.cms
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‘I did it for money, not religion’: Afzal Guru
By Maneesh Pandey
10 February 2013
Parliament attack convict in his first interview after his arrest to a print journalist
IT was chilly as usual in December 2001, but the national Capital was highly charged in the aftermath of the most defining terror attack launched on the 13th day of the month. The seat of political power had been attacked during the winter session.
I was covering the crime beat and was going through the grind as usual to find my “big story” of the day following the attack. I still remember with crystal clarity that it was December 20 and a bunch of journalists, including me, was idling around the Delhi Police Special Office in Lodhi Colony looking for our “exclusive” story.
Full report at: Mail Today
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And thereby hangs a tale in Tihar jail
10 February 2013
IT WAS all so hush- hush. Papers signed in the night, orders passed with immediate effect and a quiet execution carried out first thing in the morning. No one had any clue, till after Afzal Guru had been hanged on Saturday morning, that all this cloak and dagger activity was taking place at Tihar jail.
Obviously, twitterati had a lot to gossip about when news of Guru’s hanging broke.
# AfzalGuru was right on top of the weeks trends with other related topics including # Tihar, # Kasab, # Omar Abdullah, and # Kashmir occupying the rest of the list.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Afzal Guru's hanging: Fear, anxiety return to haunt Kashmir
Feb 10, 2013
SRINAGAR: As the plane landed in Srinagar, motley groups of tourists, returning Kashmiris, and families of Armymen looked nervous. For many, their first visit to Kashmir had coincided with an event that has the potential to cause Kashmir to do one of its famous u-turns: from peace to violence, from tourist paradise to a forsaken place. The drive through Srinagar's deserted streets, concertina rolls on the streets, and a scowling policeman every 10 steps look ominous. In a space of few hours, Kashmir seems to have turned back 10 years.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Afzal-Gurus-hanging-Fear-anxiety-return-to-haunt-Kashmir/articleshow/18424328.cms
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A single attack that earned Jaish-e-Mohammad global attention
Feb 10, 2013
NEW DELHI: The daring 2001 attack on Indian Parliament was the signature that announced the arrival of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), founded by Maulana Masood Azhar, who was one of the three terrorists released as part of the 1999 Kandahar hijack prisoner swap. JeM, with a single masterstroke of hitting the seat of world's largest democracy, established its terror credentials overnight not only in India but across the world.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/A-single-attack-that-earned-Jaish-e-Mohammad-global-attention/articleshow/18424048.cms
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Afzal Guru's execution: Security agencies unfazed by likely spurt in J&K militancy
Feb 10, 2013
NEW DELHI: Terror outfits from across the border are likely to leverage the hanging of Md Afzal Guru and the resulting resentment against Indian state in the Valley to revive militancy in Jammu & Kashmir. Indian security establishment, however, is not perturbed as it believes the sentiment for militancy among the youth in the Valley is dead and even the emotional connect of the Afzal issue is largely limited to the state's urban centres.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Afzal-Gurus-execution-Security-agencies-unfazed-by-likely-spurt-in-JK-militancy/articleshow/18423983.cms
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Afzal Guru execution will negatively impact youth pysche in J-K: Omar
Zubair Bhat
Feb 10 2013
In a TV interview to a news channel, NDTV, JK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah feared that the Afzal Guru hanging would have negative impact on youth pysche in J-K. Hitting out at the UPA govt, Omar said that the govt would have to prove that the execution wasn't selective. "Govt would have to convince the world that Afzal's execution wasn't selective".
"There is generation of young Kashmiri people who feel alienated and victimised and now it is up to the govt to answer", added Omar.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/afzal-guru-execution-will-negatively-impact-youth-pysche-in-jk-omar/1072181/
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Those questioning the timing of execution are ‘frustrated’: Minister
10 February 2013
Hitting out at the Opposition parties, Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on Sunday, said those questioning the timing of execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru were “frustrated.”
“Law and democracy are supreme in India. Law has taken its course. Such comments are made by those who are frustrated,” Jaiswal told PTI when asked about the timing of the execution. “When the due procedure of law was completed, Guru was hanged. There is no place for terrorism in our country,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/those-questioning-the-timing-of-execution-are-frustrated-jaiswal/article4400217.ece
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Protesters defy curfew, 36 hurt in Valley clashes
Bashaarat Masood
Feb 10 2013
Srinagar : Despite appeals of calm from CM Omar Abdullah and a strict curfew, protesters clashed with police and paramilitary forces in different parts of the Valley Saturday, leaving 36 people injured, including 23 police personnel. The injured included 10 protesters hit by allegedly police firing.
“I appeal to people to maintain peace,” Omar said at a hurriedly convened press conference in Srinagar. “The case was with the Centre and the state government had nothing to do with it. I was informed through telephone by the home minister about it yesterday at around 8 pm.”
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/protesters-defy-curfew-36-hurt-in-valley-clashes/1072022/
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Arab World
Front launched with significant Islamist presence to 'end bloodshed' in Egypt
New front made up of Islamists and some non-Islamists, including Ghad Al-Thawra Party head Ayman Nour, formed to 'end bloodshed' and achieve goals of revolution
10 Feb 2013
A new political coalition was launched on Saturday made up of a number of well-known Islamists and other political figures.
The National Conscience Front includes former minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mohamed Mahsoub, Wasat Party deputy leader Essam Soltan, Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) figures Mohamed El-Beltagi and Helmy El-Gazzar, legal expert Ramadan Bateekh, Judges for Egypt leader Walid Shoraby, former presidential candidate Mohamed Selim El-Awa, Ghad Al-Thawra Party leader Ayman Nour, and MP Mohamed Mohieddin.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/64417/Egypt/Politics-/National-Conscience-Front-launched-with-significan.aspx
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Patriarch of Iraq's largest Christian community: Arab Spring promoting bloodshed
10 February 2013
KIRKUK: The newly appointed patriarch of Iraq's largest Christian community said yesterday that the Arab Spring had been hijacked by narrow interests and had promoted tension and bloodshed.
Asked about the impacts on Christians of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East that eventually led to the ouster of strongmen in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya and the conflict in Syria, the head of the Chaldean Church Louis Sako said the changes had initially signalled hope.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/patriarch-arab-spring-promoting-bloodshed
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NSHR checks on conditions of workers in Jeddah’s factories
10 February 2013
A number of factories in Jeddah have adopted the scheme of hiring expatriate workers on a temporary basis to increase their productivity.
However, these factories exploit these workers by paying them low salaries and refusing to transfer their sponsorship.
Hussein Al-Sharif, supervisor of the Makkah branch of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said, “We will visit industrial regions in Jeddah soon to check the working conditions for expatriates there. We are also planning to visit some real estate projects in Jeddah to check on the circumstances of foreign workers.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/nshr-checks-conditions-workers-jeddah%E2%80%99s-factories
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Assad reshuffles cabinet, warplanes raid Damascus
February 10, 2013
DAMASCUS: President Bashar al-Assad reshuffled his cabinet Saturday as regime warplanes raided rebel areas in a bid to end the stalemate in Syria’s deadly civil war and hopes for a political solution appeared to founder.
Syria is in the depths of an unprecedented economic recession because of the violence gripping the country for nearly two years, and the latest government reshuffle focused on finance and social affairs portfolios.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/505322/assad-reshuffles-cabinet-warplanes-raid-damascus/
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Saudi Arabia looks to buy patrol boats from German firm - media
Germany has reportedly approved selling maritime arms to Saudi despite of the public blame
10 Feb 2013
Saudi Arabia is looking into buying patrol boats worth 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) from a German firm, and appears to have won the Berlin government's approval despite widespread public criticism of arms deals, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/64438/Business/Economy/Saudi-Arabia-looks-to-buy-patrol-boats-from-German.aspx
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Mideast Asia
Will talk with US if pressure stops, says Ahmadinejad
Feb 10, 2013
TEHRAN: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he is ready to have direct talks with United States if the west stops pressuring his country.
His Sunday statements to a rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution come after Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all key decisions, effectively closed the door on direct talks with Washington as long as sanctions and other pressures remain.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Will-talk-with-US-if-pressure-stops-says-Ahmadinejad/articleshow/18429832.cms
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Obama visit to focus on Iran, Syria, peace: Israel PM
Feb 10, 2013
JERUSALEM: Iran's nuclear ambitions, Syria and the peace process with the Palestinians will top US President Barack Obama's agenda on his upcoming visit to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
Last week, the White House said Obama would make his first visit to Israel as president on a trip likely to take place next month. It would also include stops in the Palestinian territories and Jordan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Obama-visit-to-focus-on-Iran-Syria-peace-Israel-PM/articleshow/18430902.cms
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Israel PM's political partner says Palestinian peace accord impossible
10 February 2013
Israel has no chance of signing a permanent peace accord with the Palestinians and should instead seek a long-term interim deal, the most powerful political partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday.
The remarks by Avigdor Lieberman, an ultranationalist whose joint party list with Netanyahu narrowly won a January 22 election while centrist challengers made surprise gains, seemed designed to dampen expectations at home and abroad of fresh peacemaking.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44658
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Israel evicts West Bank protesters from camp
10 February 2013
HEBRON: Israeli Army yesterday forced Palestinian activists to evacuate a West Bank encampment they tried to set up to protest against settlement building, witnesses said.
Soldiers dismantled tents that were being erected in two different areas near the town of Yatta in the southern West Bank, and forced activists to leave, the Palestinian witnesses said.
At the first site no arrests were made, but soldiers used water cannon to disperse activists at the second and arrested six people, including two photographers.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/israel-evicts-west-bank-protesters-camp
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Yemen demands Iran explanation on arms shipment
Yemen requests an explanation from Iran over a seized arms shipment last month, emphasizing that its territories will not become a site for 'proxy wars'
10 Feb 2013
Yemen on Sunday demanded an explanation from Tehran over an Iran-linked arms shipment seized last month and rejected interference in its internal affairs, state news agency Saba reported.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/64447/World/Region/Yemen-demands-Iran-explanation-on-arms-shipment.aspx
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North America
UN, US condemn attack on Iran dissidents in Iraq
10 February 2013
UNITED NATIONS: The UN secretary-general and the US government condemned a deadly attack on an Iranian dissident camp in the Iraqi capital early on Saturday and urged Iraqi authorities to carry out a full investigation.
“(Ban Ki-moon) strongly condemns the mortar attack today on Camp Liberty, the temporary transit facility near Baghdad for former residents of Camp Ashraf,” the secretary-general’s press office said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/10/un-us-condemn-attack-on-iran-dissidents-in-iraq/
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Former commander McChrystal opposes drone strikes
10 February 2013
WASHINGTON: There’s widespread resentment against drone strikes in Pakistan, says the former commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal.
At the launching ceremony of his book, “My Share of the Task”, on Friday evening, the retired general repeated what he had said earlier that US drone strikes were “hated on a visceral level”.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/10/mcchrystal-opposes-drone-strikes/
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Afghan endgame: US withdraws military equipment via Pakistan
February 10, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The United States has started withdrawing military equipment from Afghanistan and a first convoy of containers crossed the Torkham border point headed to Karachi for shipment, said an official of the cargo company on Sunday.
An official of the cargo company, Bilal Associates, from Karachi told The Express Tribune via phone call that his company received clearance for the US defence equipment at the Torkham border point on Friday.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/505306/afghan-endgame-us-withdraws-military-equipment-via-pakistan/
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Europe
Lebanon may need camps for flood of Syrian refugees: UN
Feb 10, 2013
BEIRUT: Lebanon should consider setting up transit centers to absorb the waves of refugees fleeing neighboring Syria and may have to establish formal refugee camps if the influx continues, a United Nations refugee official said.
The tiny and fragile Mediterranean state already hosts 260,000 refugees - equivalent to 6.5 percent of its population - and has sought to absorb them in homes and communities, fearing large camps of Sunni Muslim Syrians could inflame sectarian tensions still smouldering from its own 1975-1990 civil war.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Lebanon-may-need-camps-for-flood-of-Syrian-refugees-UN/articleshow/18422481.cms
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Anti-France protest held in Tunis
10 February 2013
TUNIS: Thousands of people protested in central Tunis yesterday shouting pro-government and anti-French slogans, a day after the funeral of a murdered opposition figure became a mass rally against the ruling party. “France get out!” and “The people want to protect the legitimacy” of the government were among slogans chanted by Ennahda party supporters who numbered more than 3,000, AFP journalists estimated.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/anti-france-protest-held-tunis
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/democracy-islam-exist-harmony,-says/d/10353