Egypt: Dar Al-Ifta, Standing for National Anthem Not Prohibited
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 Sept 2012
Arab World
• Egypt: Dar Al-Ifta, Standing for National Anthem Not Prohibited
• UAE calls to establish nuclear arms-free Middle East
• Outrage over anti-Islam film underscores Lebanon's Shiite-Muslim divide
• 11 Syrian soldiers killed in Aleppo rebel attacks: activists
• Saudi jail inmates ‘tortured’ in Iraq
• Remote hopes for Syrian children of reunion with parents
• NATO not ready for Syria intervention
• Inflation carves a hole in expats’ income as families struggle
• Bahrain says it arrested 29 during protest Friday
• Arab Spring brought only chaos: Assad
Africa
• Islamist Militants Seize and Rename Radio Station in Mali
• Libyan protesters eject militants from Benghazi, 4 killed
• After Protests, Tunisia’s Salafists Plot a More Radical Revolution
• Africa: UNHCR Releases New Guidelines on Detention of Asylum-Seekers
• French President Denounces Timbuktu Destruction
• More Than 10,000 Somalis Flee Coastal City of Kismayo,
• Sudan’s press for agreement as U.N. deadline looms
• Nigerian forces say kill two religious commanders
• Nigeria: The Myth of America's Freedom of Speech
Southeast Asia
• Muslims urged to correct anti-Islam video by portraying true teachings: Friday sermons
• Is ISI recruiting Lankan Tamils to spy on India?
India
• Retired Muslim teacher leads way for Assam temple repair
• Hundreds of Indians held in Kuwait for Visa violation and theft
• Illegal migrations on agenda of India-Bangladesh border forces’ meet
• US think-tank asks India to prepare against threats along northern borders
• Rajasthanis stranded in Kuwait due to US-led attack on Iraq
• 22 Bangladeshi migrants sentenced to two-year jail in India
• Kargil war secret: IAF used 'jugaad'
• 2011 HC blast: charges to be framed in Oct
• Muslims in Surat march against ‘anti-Islam’ film
• India, Pakistan vow to end curbs to boost trade
Europe
• French, Swiss teams could exhume Arafat’s body
• Kazakh Special Forces kill four militants
• Now, German magazine in caricature row
• Man arrested for calling for head of Mohammad cartoon editor
• Legal action against filmmakers possible, says OIC Secretary-General
• France won't allow cartoon protests
• 'Something's wrong at heart of Islam' says Salman Rushdie
• Muslim migration flow to Europe: Cultural crisis?
• Russian Muslims’ Calmness
• UNHCR helps a further 6,500 Syrian refugees
Pakistan
• Twenty killed as Anti-Prophet Muhammad film protests in Pakistan turn deadly
• Pope condemned Rimsha case but stayed mum on anti-Islam film
• Pakistan allows Indian Sikhs to visit four more Gurdwaras
• US missile strike kills 4 militants in NW Pakistan
• Anti-Islam Film protests in Pakistan: “Now I know there is no guarantee of our safety”
• Church torched in Mardan
• No evidence found against blasphemy accused Rimsha: police
• Pak grapples with fallout of day of Friday's 'killer rage'
• Pak patient gets rare marrow transplant
• 7000 Hindu families from Pakistan awaiting Indian nationality
• Time for Muslim ummah to unite: Raja
• Former Sindh MPA shot dead in Karachi
• Pak military's role same as Pentagon's in US: Khar
• School blown up in Shabqadar
• Pak panel on Osama to submit report in October
South Asia
• Afghanistan bans Pakistan papers
• Pakistani shelling will jeopardise ties, UNSC warned: Kabul
• 15 Jamaat, Shibir activists arrested: Bangladesh
• August ‘second deadliest month’ for Afghan civilians: UN
• Bomb kills five Afghans
• Afghan war forgotten again in White House race
• Bangladesh: Protests spread in city over anti-Islam clip
• World Bank revives funding after Hasina government fulfils its demands
North America
• US ad calling jihad 'savage' to stoke fire
• Muslims gather in Tustin to condemn violence in Libya
• U.S. names 55 cleared Guantanamo prisoners
• Obama’s record in Muslim world: Strides and setbacks
• Sovereignty comes with responsibility: Clinton tells Pakistan
• Hundreds rally at Islamic Centre in Dearborn 'to show our unity'
• CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Hate Vandalism of NY Mosque
Mideast Asia
• Turkish court sentences 322 military officers to jail in coup plot
• HRW concern as Iran bars women from 77 university courses
• Israel war on Iran 'will eventually happen': Guards chief
• Iran unveils locally produced air defence system
• Iran's Ahmadinejad heads to New York for U.N. meet
• Iran opposition group welcomes removal from U.S. terror list
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Outrage over anti-Islam film underscores Lebanon's Shiite-Muslim divide
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Arab World
Egypt: Dar Al-Ifta - Flag Salute, Standing for National Anthem Not Prohibited
21 SEPTEMBER 2012
Dar al-Ifta asserted Thursday 20/09/2012 that saluting the Egyptian flag and standing for the national anthem are allowed in Islam and are not prohibited in religious texts.
Dar al-Ifta has replied to prohibiting claims on this issue, saying "although saluting the flag and standing for the anthem imply glorification but it is not worshiping. It is just showing respect and reverence to the symbol of the country".
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209220190.html
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UAE calls to establish nuclear arms-free Middle East
21 September 2012
The UAE has called on all countries in the region to make a positive commitment to the establishment of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East.
Calling upon all countries in the region to join the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the UAE reminded them of their international obligations to fully comply with comprehensive safeguards.
Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a statement to the 56th Session of the IAEA General Conference, reiterated the UAE’s commitment to working with the agency towards the enhancement of nuclear safety, security and safeguards worldwide, while promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and making use of the agency’s central role in this regard.
“In light of the natural disaster that took place in 2011, resulting in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, the UAE places utmost emphasis on nuclear safety and security as we take stern and progressive steps towards the development of a peaceful nuclear energy programme,” Al Kaabi said.
“Since 2008, the UAE has embarked on a nuclear power programme to meet the growing domestic demand for electricity. My country remains of the view that peaceful nuclear energy would contribute significantly to the future energy mix in the UAE and globally. All advancements of the nuclear programme in the UAE are in accordance with the national nuclear policy of 2008, which commits to using nuclear energy in abidance with the highest standards of safety and security, as well as with endorsed principles of complete transparency, commitment to the highest standards of non-proliferation, and full cooperation with the IAEA,” he added.
Al Kaabi said the UAE started earlier this summer the construction of the Unit One of its Barakah nuclear power plant, making it the first country among nuclear new-comers to start the construction of a nuclear power plant in 27 years.
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation had taken into consideration lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, and included additional measures that enhanced features to safeguard the plant from natural calamities and other disasters.
The UAE has adapted the IAEA’s integrated guidance for the development of new nuclear energy programmes. “We continue to work closely with the IAEA and international partners to establish a successful and sustainable peaceful nuclear energy programme.”
Al Kaabi said since the UAE pursues a transparent approach, it immensely benefited from various comprehensive review services provided by the IAEA. In addition to the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission, which was conducted in 2011, UAE requested another review mission, the Integrated Regulatory Review Service Mission (IRRS).
The outcomes of of the reviews were very positive, with no major gaps identified, Al Kaabi said, quoting the IAEA: “The mission found that the country understands the long-term commitments and responsibilities of nuclear power and is implementing its programme in line with the IAEA ‘Milestones’ approach.”
It was the first time that an IRRS Mission was held at such an early stage in a country embarking on a nuclear programme. This highlights the advancement of the UAE as a model for nuclear new-comers, the representative said.
Al Kaabi said the UAE has also joined the protocol to amend the Vienna convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage as well as the Joint Protocol Relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention, further demonstrating the country’s responsible approach.
The UAE is keen on sharing its experience with other member states embarking on a nuclear power programme by providing feedback on its best practices, guiding principles, lessons learned and challenges.
“We believe that IAEA safeguards are credible means to assure that nuclear material and facilities are being used exclusively for peaceful purposes. They have, however, experienced a challenge with regards to verification during the last decade, some of these challenges continue. These challenges should be addressed to provide full assurance in relation to only the declared activities but also potentially non-declared ones,” Al Kaabi said.
The UAE called on countries, in which the safeguards implementation remained under question, to fully cooperate with the IAEA in fulfilling their international obligations, with an objective to addressing all outstanding concerns and to demonstrate their will to exclude potential military dimension to their programme.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/inside.asp?xfile=/data/government/2012/September/government_September52.xml§ion=government
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Outrage over anti-Islam film underscores Lebanon's Shiite-Muslim divide
By Zeina Karam, The Associated Press
September 21, 2012
BAALBEK, Lebanon - The urge to defend Islam's most unifying figure, the Prophet Muhammad, wasn't enough to bring together Lebanon's divided Sunni and Shiite Muslims. The two sects, which have been locked for years in a sometimes violent political rivalry, held separate protests Friday against an anti-Islam movie.
Tens of thousands of supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah movement held a raucous protest in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek. Soon after, a few thousand supporters of a hardline Sunni cleric held gathered in the capital, Beirut.
The rallying cry for both demonstrations was the same: Outrage directed at America and Israel over what they believed was a grave insult to Islam's prophet.
But participants in the two demonstrations could not be further apart, underscoring a years-old divide that has been exacerbated by the crisis in Syria, where the overwhelmingly Sunni opposition is struggling to oust a regime dominated by Alawites, an offshoot of Islam. The 18-month armed rebellion against President Bashar Assad has claimed nearly 30,000 lives, according to activists.
Hezbollah's Sunni opponents accuse the group of using the protests against the movie to distract from the group's support for its ally Assad in the civil war.
"They are doing this so they will move the eyes from what is happening in Syria," said Ahmed Honeneh, a 37-year-old toolmaker among a few thousand at the Beirut rally Friday called by a Sunni firebrand preacher, Sheik Ahmad Assir.
Sitting with friends in a row of white plastic chairs lined up in Beirut's Martyrs Square, Honeneh said he expects Hezbollah's popularity to drop further because of its backing to Assad. He hopes that will offer a chance for Lebanon's Sunnis in Lebanon to gain some of the ground they have lost.
Hezbollah's leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, has called for a series of massive protests this week over the amateurish movie produced in the United States, which depicts Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a child-molester. Nasrallah has called the video an "unprecedented" affront to Muslim people all over the world.
Two Hezbollah-led protests took place earlier this week, and they are expected to continue through the weekend. But Hezbollah appears to be trying to ensure the gatherings don't descend into violence, planning them only in areas where the group has control. None of the rallies targets the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy in the hills outside Beirut.
At Friday's rally in the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek in the eastern Bekaa Valley, tens of thousands of people marched peacefully, shouting "Death to Israel" and "Death to America."
"We are all, Sunnis and Shiites, united against our common enemies," said Batoul al-Bazzal, an 18-year-old student. "The Sunni-Shiite divide has been created by politicians and the media to serve the U.S. and Israel," she claimed. Al-Bazzal stood among thousands of overwhelmingly Shiite protesters carrying a yellow Hezbollah flag in one hand.
Backed by Syria and Iran, Hezbollah is Lebanon's dominant political faction and, with its well-armed guerrillas, the most powerful armed force. But as the Syria war rages, it is treading carefully to retain the power it has built up over the past 30 years in Lebanon, a deeply divided country where its strength is resented by Sunnis and some in the Christian community.
Its main strategy for doing so appears to avoid aggravating the volatile fault line between the Sunni and Shiite communities, which each make up about a third of Lebanon's population of 4 million.
It is to Hezbollah's advantage that the crisis over the film has reinvigorated militant rhetoric that U.S. and Israel are the real enemies of Muslims, taking the heat off of both Assad and his loyal and powerful ally in lebanon.
But Hezbollah's flagrant support for Assad's regime which stands accused by much of the international community of war crimes has angered many Arabs.
The presenter of a political show on Future TV, owned by Sunni Lebanese leader Saad Hariri, went on a 15-minute rant against Hezbollah this week, accusing its leader of "hypocrisy" in calling for the anti-film protests while remaining silent over Assad's deliberate destruction of mosques in Syria and killings of his Muslim countrymen.
Sheik Assir, speaking at the rally Friday, took a jibe at the Hezbollah protests without naming the group, saying it was shameful that posters of the "butcher" Assad were held up during Lebanese protests against the anti-Islam movie.
In remarks earlier this week, he accused Hezbollah "exploiting" the movie to recover some of the group's lost popularity and accused Nasrallah of trying to "snatch" leadership of the Islamic world.
"Why didn't Sheikh Nasrallah do anything when the prophets of freedom were martyred in Syria?" he asked.
Assir's rapid rise and growing following are symptoms of the deep frustration among Lebanon's Sunnis who resent the Hezbollah-led Shiite ascendancy in Lebanon.
The 44-year-old, bespectacled, skinny cleric with a long beard typical of hardline Sunnis was previously little known, a preacher at the Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque in Sidon. Now he is openly challenging and taunting Hezbollah like few have dared before, even taking aim at Nasrallah, a revered figure usually considered a red line in Lebanon.
Sunni bitterness still runs deep over clashes in May 2008, when Hezbollah gunmen swept through Sunni neighbourhoods in Beirut after the pro-Western government of that time tried to dismantle the group's crucial telecommunications network. More than 80 people were killed in those clashes.
Moreover, a U.N.-backed special tribunal has accused four Hezbollah members in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Lebanon's most powerful Sunni leader. Hezbollah says the tribunal is a tool of Israel and the West.
Hezbollah still is Lebanon's single most influential player with considerable support among Shiites and unprecedented political clout. It holds a dominant role in Beirut's government and the prime minister is an ally, after the fall of the previous government sidelined Hezbollah's opponents, the U.S.- and Western-backed factions led by Hariri's son, Saad. As a result, its extensive arsenal of weapons and rockets is virtually untouchable for the moment.
Jihad Bahlo, a 23-year-old salesman in a Beirut clothing shop, said differences between Shiites and Sunnis are largely over politics, and that followers of the two sects often get on well on a personal level. A Sunni, he said his co-workers included Shiites and Christians, and no one discussed politics at work "because we are sick of it."
However, Sunnis tend to be fearful of Hezbollah's military might, said Bahlo, who is from a Sunni village in the predominantly Shiite Bekaa Valley.
http://www.theprovince.com/life/Outrage+over+antiIslam+film+underscores+Lebanons+ShiiteMuslim+divide/7280049/story.html#ixzz27CMuCvpD
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11 Syrian soldiers killed in Aleppo rebel attacks: activists
September 22, 2012
ALEPPO: Eleven Syrian soldiers were killed on Saturday in fighting and rebel attacks on checkpoints in Aleppo province, as shelling killed five members of the same family, monitors said.
The soldiers and five rebels were killed in fierce clashes in the Orm and Kaf Jum areas, near the border with Turkey, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A woman also died in shelling as rebels attacked checkpoints in Abezmo.
"The state has no presence except for military and administrative posts" in the western region of the province in northern Syria, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP by telephone.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Sep-22/188897-11-syrian-soldiers-
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Saudi jail inmates ‘tortured’ in Iraq
22 September 2012
Elements from Iranian Revolutionary Guards ( IRG) are torturing Saudi prisoners in Iraq, the Dammam-based Al-Sharq newspaper reported yesterday, quoting the brother of a prisoner.
“Elements from the IRG are beating and physically torturing my brother and other Saudi prisoners in Iraq,” Mudallah Al-Anzi said. He did not reveal why his brother was being imprisoned. He said his brother told him that they were constantly being tormented by members of the IRG.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-jail-inmates-%E2%80%98tortured%E2%80%99-iraq
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Remote hopes for Syrian children of reunion with parents
Ola Salem
Sep 22, 2012
UMM AL JIMAL, JORDAN // Bint Hussain and her four siblings are part of a lost tribe, hidden from the world's eyes but still within sight of the country from which they fled more than 16 months ago.
Bint Hussain, 15, is among 72 people living in 10 tents only three kilometres away from the Syrian border.
They are members of an extended family torn apart by civil war, the dreadful sounds of which they can still hear.
If the UAE Red Crescent had not chanced upon them this week, the deprivations the group has faced would have increased even further.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/remote-hopes-for-syrian-children-of-reunion-with-parents
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NATO not ready for Syria intervention
22 September 2012
BRUSSELS: NATO does not believe that military intervention in Syria would bring any improvement in the security situation there, a senior alliance official said yesterday.
Germany’s Manfred Lange, Chief of Staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), said the military was telling leaders that there was no good case for military action and the political process had to be pursued.
“The military advice is (that) there are not sufficient visible signs at the moment that a military intervention could lead to an improvement of the security situation,” Lange said.
“The political process has to be pushed forward, sanctions need to take effect. At the moment, this situation cannot be solved by the military in a responsible way,” he told a briefing.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/nato-not-ready-syria-intervention
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Inflation carves a hole in expats’ income as families struggle
DIANA AL-JASSEM
22 September 2012
Due to inflation many expats in Saudi Arabia are struggling to survive and send money back home for their families.
Employees from Asia and Africa arrived in the country and expected a salary that seemed high to them as they were coming from extreme poverty. Soon after, they discovered they couldn’t survive and support the families they left behind, due to the high rate of inflation. Expatriate wages in Saudi Arabia are usually based on the nationality of the workers. Those from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India can expect a salary between SR 800 and SR 2,000. Expatriates from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Palestine may get a wage of SR 5,000 to SR 8,000 if they are working in engineering, pharmacy, journalism or medicine. Those who don’t have a bachelor’s degree work for between SR 800 to SR 2,500.
Imee Anjo, a Filippino baby-sitter, works in a compound but she has to do extra freelance job to increase her wages.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/inflation-carves-hole-expats%E2%80%99-income-families-struggle
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Bahrain says it arrested 29 during protest Friday
September 22, 2012
DUBAI: Bahrain arrested 29 people in the commercial district of the capital Manama on Friday as anti-government protesters marched in the city center in defiance of a government ban, state media said late Friday.
Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, has been in political turmoil since a protest movement dominated by majority Shiite Muslims erupted in February 2011 demanding the Sunni-led monarchy enact democratic reforms.
The demonstration was organized by an opposition group called February 14, said Jasim Husain, one of the leaders of the main opposition group, Wefaq.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Sep-22/188890-bahrain-says-it-arrested-29-during-protest-friday.ashx#ixzz27COmrkhO
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Arab Spring brought only chaos: Assad
September 22, 2012
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria yesterday told an Egyptian magazine that the Arab Spring uprisings only brought chaos and that the Syrian rebels cannot win as clashes raged
In a rare interview with the weekly al-Ahram al-Arabi, he said "both sides of the equation" were equal and that dialogue was the "only solution".
Assad insisted that his government would not fall like that of the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
His comments came as fresh fighting was reported in the second city of Aleppo.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces backed by helicopter gunships had clashed with rebels near the Hananu army barracks in the north-eastern Arkoub district.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=250791
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Africa
Islamist Militants Seize and Rename Radio Station in Mali
20 SEPTEMBER 2012
Militants belonging to the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), a Salafist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, seized control of community station Radio Soni in the northeastern town of Ansongo on August 29, according to local journalists.
The assailants renamed the station "Radio Islamiya" and ordered the staff to replace a female editor, Fatoumata Abdou, with a man, according to Radio Soni Director Issa Idrissa Maïga. The assailants claimed that Sharia law forbids a woman from leading men, Maïga told CPJ. Abdou, who was a news presenter, had stopped broadcasting reports in late June after MUJAO fighters seized control of Ansongo, the director said.
MUJAO is one of a number of Islamist militant groups who have overtaken Mali's vast Saharan north and imposed strict Sharia law, according to news reports.
The men subsequently moved the station to the offices of Orange Mali, a local telecom provider, which they occupied, local journalists told CPJ.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209210575.html
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Libyan protesters eject militants from Benghazi, 4 killed
Sep 22, 2012
BENGHAZI (Libya): Libyans angry over the enduring power of paramilitary groups in Benghazi stormed the bases of an Islamist militia and an ex-rebel unit sparking clashes that left at least four people dead, according to early Saturday figures.
Overnight, hundreds of demonstrators including several armed men stormed the headquarters of the Raf Allah al-Sahati Brigade, located at a farm in the Hawari region 15 kilometres (10 miles) from the centre of Benghazi.
At least four people were killed and 40 wounded in clashes pitting protesters and the Raf Allah al-Sahati, an Islamist group under the authority of the defence ministry, according to an AFP tally based on hospital records.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Libyan-protesters-eject-militants-from-Benghazi-4-killed/articleshow/16500511.cms
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After Protests, Tunisia’s Salafists Plot a More Radical Revolution
The past week of unrest and protests across the Muslim world was largely the work of more puritanical Salafists, many of whom harbor as much ire for their own governments as they do the West.
By VIVIENNE WALT
September 21, 2012
In a park hidden from the road and strewn with trash, two young Salafist men dressed in the traditional garb of gray tunics and sandals laid out their plan for revenge against the anti-Islam YouTube video out of California, as well as cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a French satirical magazine this week. In the meeting place they had picked for an interview with TIME on Thursday, the men said they were prepared to wait—years, if necessary—for the right moment to avenge the insults from both the U.S. and France. “We never know when the reaction will be, but sooner or later this revenge is going to be seen by the West, just as we saw with the Danish cartoons,” said Mahmoud, 25, a slender man with black hair, referring to drawings of the Muslim prophet which appeared in a Danish newspaper in 2006—two whole years before al-Qaeda detonated a car bomb outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad in apparent revenge, killing five people. With hardline Islamic youth under tight surveillance since the disastrous attack on Tunis’s U.S. Embassy last Friday, Mahmoud says that devout youth like him will simply wait until the heat is off, before taking action, including possible “jihad.” “We can do anything,” Mahmoud said, “but at the right time and place, under the right circumstances.”
Full report at:
http://world.time.com/2012/09/21/after-protests-tunisias-salafists-plot-a-more-radical-revolution/#ixzz27BQH3EUz
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Africa: UNHCR Releases New Guidelines On Detention of Asylum-Seekers
21 SEPTEMBER 2012
UNHCR is today issuing new guidelines on the detention of asylum-seekers. The guidelines represent UNHCR policy and are intended as advice for governments and other bodies making decisions on detaining people.
As a principle, UNHCR opposes detention of people seeking international protection. The new guidelines make clear that seeking asylum is not a criminal act, and that indefinite and mandatory forms of detention are prohibited under international law. We are disappointed that many countries continue to hold asylum-seekers in detention, sometimes for long periods and in poor conditions, including in some cases in prisons together with common criminals.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209211522.html
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French President Denounces Timbuktu Destruction
18 SEPTEMBER 2012
French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday denounced the "unfathomable stupidity" of Islamist radicals who destroyed Muslim shrines at Timbuktu in northern Mali.
The French president referred to the destruction, while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a new wing in the Louvre museum, entirely dedicated to Islamic art.
He said that looking at the numerous works of art, one could understand that "the best weapons to fight against fanaticism which claims to be Islamic can be found in islam itself."
"The honour of Islamic civilisations is that they are older, more alive and more tolerant than some of those who today abusively claim to speak in their name," said Hollande.
The opening of the new wing, in the world's largest museum, comes amid anti-Western protests throughout the Islamic world in reaction to the production in the United States of the film "The innocence of Muslims."
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209190471.html
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More Than 10,000 Somalis Flee Coastal City of Kismayo, Fearing Fighting
21 SEPTEMBER 2012
Nairobi — The UN refugee agency said Friday it was closely following the situation around the Somali port city of Kismayo as thousands of residents fled in anticipation of new clashes.
"So far this month, more than 10,000 people have fled from Kismayo fearing the resumption of fighting. Movements substantially increased on Monday and have been continuing since. Some 7,500 people fled the area in the past four days amid growing tension," a UNHCR spokesman said.
Most of the internally displaced Somalis are leaving Kismayo and its surroundings on minibuses. Poorer households undertake the journey in lorries and trucks, in some cases using donkey carts.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209211431.html
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Sudans press for agreement as U.N. deadline looms
AMAN SETHI
September 22, 2012
Two days ahead of a scheduled presidential summit between the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan, negotiators said they were hopeful of arriving at a broad agreement to end hostilities and resume oil production and transit between the two countries.
President Omar Hassan al Bashir of Sudan and President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan are expected to meet in the Ethiopian capital on Sunday to conclude a comprehensive agreement that addresses issues left unresolved when South Sudan seceded from its northern neighbour last year.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/sudans-press-for-agreement-as-un-deadline-looms/article3923389.ece
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Nigerian forces say kill two religious commanders
September 22, 2012
MAIDUGURI: Nigerian security forces fighting the Boko Haram in the northeast of the country said on Friday they had killed two commanders from the group and arrested eight other members in two separate incidents.
The sect has killed hundreds in attacks on security forces, government offices and churches since launching an uprising in 2009 with the aim of carving out an Islamic state. Agents from the secret service stopped a car at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Maiduguri on Wednesday and the occupants opened fire on them, said Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for joint military and police forces in the northeastern city.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\09\22\story_22-9-2012_pg4_4
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Nigeria: The Myth of America's Freedom of Speech
BY MOHAMMAD QADDAM SIDQ ISA
21 SEPTEMBER 2012
Having somehow managed to accumulate enough weight to influence international socio-political, economic and cultural trends, the United States and its western allies have literally imposed their so-called "western standards" as the yardsticks of measuring not only the quality of technological products but also the civility and sophistication of people's cultures and religious beliefs.
This enormous influence has obviously made them regard themselves as the leaders of the world and also the guardians of modern civilization. The United State in particular parades itself as the ultimate leader, whose standards, which it always refers to as world standards, shall -according to it- effectively define the bases of measuring what is civilized and what isn't in all aspects of life, which also explains its apparent sense of arrogance and megalomania.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209210935.html
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Southeast Asia
Muslims urged to correct anti-Islam video by portraying true teachings: Friday sermons
By Imelda Saad
21 September 2012
SINGAPORE: Friday sermons in mosques across Singapore addressed the aftermath of the anti-Islamic video that has led to protests around the world.
Mosque leaders urged their congregation to correct the accusations by portraying the true teachings of Islam.
They should acquire knowledge and understanding, nurture excellent families and community, as well as contribute to the well-being of humanity and global peace.
Religious leaders pointed out that the irresponsible action of a small group of individuals is uncalled for, and is regrettable but stressed that reacting through violence will only affirm the wrongful impression portrayed in the film -that Islam supports extremism and violence.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1227324/1/.html
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Is ISI recruiting Lankan Tamils to spy on India?
Sep 22, 2012
CHENNAI: Agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are actively attempting to recruit Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who have returned to the island nation after the end of the Eelam war, the Tamil Nadu state intelligence has informed the Centre's Intelligence Bureau.
Thamim Ansari, a Thanjavur man who was arrested recently for suspected links to the ISI, was in Sri Lanka when ISI operative Haji made contact with him.
Intelligence sources say the ISI is hiring the refugees because they are familiar with India and can collect information from the country without raising suspicions.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Is-ISI-recruiting-Lankan-Tamils-to-spy-on-India/articleshow/16500314.cms
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India
Retired Muslim teacher leads way for Assam temple repair
Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Sep 22 2012
Guwahati : Although an undercurrent of communal tension continues to grip Dhubri district in western Assam following the desecration of a Kali temple on September 7 in the heart of the district town, a retired Muslim teacher has come forward with a donation of Rs 5,000 for repair of the damaged temple.
Abdur Rashid, a retired teacher of the Rashtrabhasha Hindi LP School in Dhubri, made the donation on Thursday after local municipal board chairman Hemabrata Mazumdar made an announcement of Rs 6,000 for the same.
“I think it is very important for people of both communities to maintain peace and harmony during such situations created by miscreants taking advantage of the situation,” said Rashid.
Muslims comprise over 75 per cent of the population in Dhubri, which shares about 122 km international boundary with Bangladesh.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/retired-muslim-teacher-leads-way-for-assam-temple-repair/1006206/
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Hundreds of Indians held in Kuwait for Visa violation and theft
September 22, 2012
Indians are among more than 2,100 people apprehended in Kuwait during raids on visa violators and those involved in crimes like theft, an official at the Indian embassy in Kuwait has said. Thought the exact number of Indians taken into custody is not clear, the official said that the
Indian embassy in Kuwait has accepted around 300 applications from relatives of those arrested and the officials are going to visit police stations to look into the matter.
Some of those arrested have already been released, he told PTI.
According to reports, officials from Kuwait's ministry of interior apprehended 2,136 individuals for expired residency and involvement in drug, theft, liquor and such cases during impromptu security campaigns.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/Hundreds-of-Indians-held-in-Kuwait/Article1-933968.aspx
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Illegal migrations on agenda of India-Bangladesh border forces’ meet
Sep 22, 2012
NEW DELHI: Following the recent violence in Assam, illegal migration from Bangladesh is among the top issues to be discussed in the five-day meet between Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) starting on September 25 in Dhaka.
Various solutions including joint patrolling and fencing of vulnerable entry points, mainly in Dhubri district of Assam, and imposition of night curfew in the border areas used for such infiltration are expected to be discussed. BSF will give BGB a list of Bangladeshi nationals apprehended while crossing the border in the past one year.
The 22-member delegation leaving for Bangladesh on September 25 will be lead by BSF DG U K Bansal and include representatives from the ministries of home and external affairs.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Illegal-migration-on-agenda-of-India-Bangladesh-border-forces-meet/articleshow/16497665.cms
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US think-tank asks India to prepare against threats along northern borders
Sep 22, 2012
NEW DELHI: Holding that the possibility of future conventional wars of major consequence along India's northern borders with Pakistan and China persists, a prominent US think-tank says the Indian defence establishment "must plan and prepare accordingly".
In a 70-page report titled, "Airpower at 18,000: The IAF in the Kargil war", the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says the 1999 Indo-Pak conflict demonstrated on a strategic level that a stable bilateral nuclear deterrence relationship can markedly inhibit such regional conflicts in intensity and scale - if not preclude them altogether.
"In the absence of the nuclear stabilizing factor, those flash points could erupt into open-ended conventional showdowns for the highest stakes," it says. But the study goes on to add that the Kargil war "also demonstrated that nuclear deterrence is not a panacea", and consequently India must plan and prepare for the future.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-think-tank-asks-India-to-prepare-against-threats-along-northern-borders/articleshow/16498003.cms
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Rajasthanis stranded in Kuwait due to US-led attack on Iraq
Ashish Mehta
Sep 22, 2012
JAIPUR: With the US-led attack on Iraq entered on the second day many Indians including Rajasthanis have been deported back to their respective homes. Most of these Rajasthanis hail from Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Udaipur, Jodhpur and other parts of the state. Amidst these reports their families back home are jittery and have sought the intervention of the state government for a safe arrival of their kin.
At least 1000 people from Rajasthan were deported from Kuwait since Thursday as they were allegedly found involved in crime as well as many of them were declared as 'Ilegal immigrant' as their VISAs had already expired. With the developments in Kuwait, many people of the state whose kin had gone there are jittery.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rajasthanis-stranded-in-Kuwait-families-urge-state-govt-to-intervene/articleshow/16501581.cms
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22 Bangladeshi migrants sentenced to two-year jail
Imphal, September 22, 2012
Twenty-two illegal Bangladeshi migrants, who had entered Manipur to work as labourers, have been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a local court. The chief judicial magistrate of Imphal East district (CJMIED) passed the order on Friday after hearing the case filed by Porompat police
station.
The Bangladeshis were charge sheeted under provisions of Foreigners Act 1946, official sources said.
Two children, who accompanied the 22 illegal migrants, were sent to juvenile home, they said.
The state home department have been instructed to take up proceedings for deportation of the foreigners after completion of their prison term.
Manipur police had launched operations to trace illegal migrants at different places including Hatta in Imphal East district and Lilong in Thoubal district on August 30.
Police had rounded up 100 illegal migrants from Hatta and Lilong and of these, 22 were were imprisoned by the CJMIED and cases against the rest were pending in the court, they said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Imphal/22-Bangladeshi-migrants-sentenced-to-two-year-jail/Article1-933874.aspx
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Kargil war secret: IAF used 'jugaad'
Yashwant Raj
September 21, 2012
The Indian Air Force's best kept secret is out: Its stellar role in the Kargil victory 13 years ago had as much to do with its pilots and planes as that great Indian trick, jugaad.
Pilots flew real-time missions with hand-held GPS sets to home in on high-altitude targets,
usually tiny contingents of Pakistanis occupying Indian positions. And its aces used hand-held video cameras to record bombing runs for post-op analysis back at the base.
The IAF's "innovative use of airpower (was) one of the excellent features of the Kargil operations", says a new study of the war by Benjamin Lambeth, an airpower historian, released on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/NorthAmerica/Kargil-war-secret-IAF-used-jugaad/Article1-933788.aspx
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2011 HC blast: charges to be framed in Oct
September 21, 2012
A city court on Friday reserved its order for formal framing of charges in the 2011 Delhi High Court blast case for October 1. District judge HS Sharma will formally frame charges against Wasim Akram Malik, arrested for his allegedly involvement in the case by the Nation Investigation
Agency (NIA), for various offences under the Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substance Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
On September 7, 2011, a bomb exploded at gate number 5 of the high court, killing 15 people and injuring 79 others. Apart from Malik, the NIA had chargesheeted five others. Accused Amir Abbas Dev arrested by the NIA had later turned approver. Three others — Amir Kamal, Junaid Akram Malik and Shakir Hussain Seikh alias Chota Hafiz — who are suspected members of the banned terror outfit, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, are evading arrest. The sixth accused, a minor, is being adjudicated separately.
On September 4, the court had dropped the charge of waging a war against the country, following which the NIA had moved the court on September 18 against the decision.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/2011-HC-blast-charges-to-be-framed-in-Oct/Article1-933656.aspx
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Muslims in Surat march against ‘anti-Islam’ film
Sep 22 2012
Surat : Amid tight security, thousands of Muslims on Friday staged a peaceful march under the banner of Versatile Minorities Forum in the city in protest against the allegedly anti-Islam film made by an American, Nakoula Basseley.
After Friday’s prayers, they gathered at Chowk Bazaar and started their march at 3 pm, passing through different areas before reaching district collector’s office at Nanpura, where their representatives handed over a memo-randum to collector Jayprakash Shivhare.
Versatile Minority Forum president Ishtiyak Pathan said, “Our religious sentiments are hurt. The world is protesting against this film and we too joined in the protest in a peaceful manner.”
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/muslims-in-surat-march-against-antiislam-film/1006304/
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India, Pakistan vow to end curbs to boost trade
Sep 22, 2012
NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan on Friday moved forward to deepen trade and economic ties vowing to end restrictions on trade through the land route, exploring better railways and air connectivity and promoting investments between the two countries.
The two nations have taken baby steps in the past few months to repair trade ties, which analysts say will have a positive impact on political relations. Pakistan has agreed to normalize trade and grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India by the end of the year, which would facilitate greater trade between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The commerce secretaries of the two countries, who met for the seventh round of talks in Islamabad, signed three agreements, including redressal of trade grievances and co-operation and mutual assistance in Customs matters.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Pakistan-vow-to-end-curbs-to-boost-trade/articleshow/16497118.cms
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Europe
French, Swiss teams could exhume Arafat’s body
21 September 2012
RAMALLAH: French investigators and Swiss experts could jointly exhume the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to judge if he was poisoned, a Palestinian source close to the probe said Friday.
The source, asking not to be named, told AFP the two teams would travel to the West Bank town of Ramallah to take samples from Arafat’s remains in a mission shortly before the eighth anniversary of his death on November 11.
“The Palestinian Authority has decided to unite the efforts and work of the Palestinian commission, of French investigators and Swiss experts” from a specialized laboratory, said the head of the Palestinian panel on Arafat’s death.
Tawfiq Tirawi said the Palestinian leadership had agreed to samples being taken from Arafat’s body “if this will help determine the truth” and if this was in keeping with his family’s wishes.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/french-swiss-teams-could-exhume-arafat%E2%80%99s-body
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Kazakh special forces kill four militants
September 22, 2012
ALMATY: Kazakhstan’s special forces on Friday killed four members of a criminal group accused of attacks on police in the main oil-producing Atyrau region, prosecutors said.
The mainly Muslim nation of 17 million, Central Asia’s largest economy, has until recently been proud of its stability. But bomb blasts and fierce skirmishes between militants and security forces have become an almost weekly phenomenon in the oil-rich nation this year. Special forces stormed a house in a suburb of regional capital Atyrau early on Friday after the four suspects refused to surrender their weapons and opened fire on troops, the prosecutor-general’s office said. “As a result of the anti-terrorist operation, all four persons who put up armed resistance were destroyed,” the office said on its website, adding that petrol bombs and components of improvised explosive devices had been found at the scene.
Five militants were killed in the town of Kulsary in the same region on Sept 12 after they barricaded themselves into a house and refused to surrender.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\09\22\story_22-9-2012_pg14_3
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Now, German magazine in caricature row
Sep 22, 2012
A German satirical magazine has entered the row over an anti-Islam internet video made in the US and the publication by a French weekly of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed. Titanic presented the front page of its October edition showing a photo montage of Bettina Wulff - wife of former German president Christian Wulff - being embraced by a Muslim fighter wearing a turban and brandishing a dagger. The headline says: 'West Rises Up: Bettina Wulff Makes Film About Muhammed." The magazine, which prints 100,000 copies a month, comes out on September 28. Editor Leo Fischer said in an interview with weekly Der Spiegel, "Now Mohammed is on everybody's lips and we are reacting."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Now-Germanmagazine-in-caricature-row/articleshow/16499186.cms
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Man arrested for calling for head of Mohammad cartoon editor
September 22, 2012
PARIS: French police on Saturday arrested a man for apparently calling on a Jihadi website for the decapitation of the editor of a magazine that published cartoons mocking Mohammad, a judicial source said.
The man was detained in the western city of La Rochelle for calling on the radical website for the head of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which on Wednesday published cartoons of a naked Prophet.
"The essential thing is not to let him live in peace," the man allegedly wrote.
Police have opened a preliminary probe on charges of incitement to commit murder, the source said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Sep-22/188894-man-arrested-for-calling-for-head-of-mohammad-cartoon-editor.ashx#ixzz27COiLMPf
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Legal action against filmmakers possible, says OIC Secretary-General
JASSIM ABUZAID
21 September 2012
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is ready to sue the offensive filmmakers on US soil, OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has said.
However, he added this could only be achieved through diplomatic efforts of the member states.
Ihsanoglu made his remarks shortly before the publication of anti-Islam cartoons in a French magazine.
Ihsanoglu was addressing the media on Tuesday to express the organization’s stand regarding the recent events following the post of a film that mocked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on YouTube.
The secretary-general called the film a “nasty” production that ridiculed the Prophet’s life with blasphemy and falsification.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/legal-action-against-filmmakers-possible-says-ihsanoglu
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France won't allow cartoon protests
Sep 22, 2012
PARIS: France confirmed on Friday it would allow no street protests against cartoons denigrating Islam's Prophet Muhammad that were published by a French magazine this week.
Interior minister Manuel Valls said prefects throughout the country had orders to prohibit any protest over the issue and to crack down if the ban was challenged.
"There will be strictly no exceptions. Demonstrations will be banned and broken up," he said.
The main body representing Muslims in France appealed for calm as the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo put a new print run of the cartoons on the news stands. The drawings have stoked a furore over an anti-Islam film made in California that has provoked sometimes violent protests in several Muslim countries, including attacks on US and other Western embassies, the killing of the US envoy to Libya and a suicide bombing in Afghanistan.
French embassies, schools and cultural centres in some 20 Muslim countries were closed on Friday in a precaution ordered by the French government.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/France-wont-allow-toon-protests/articleshow/16499180.cms
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'Something's wrong at heart of Islam' says Salman Rushdie
Sep 22, 2012
PARIS: Author Salman Rushdie, who lived in hiding for nine years under a death sentence from Iran's supreme leader, told Le Monde in an interview published on Thursday that something had gone wrong at the heart of Islam.
"Something has gone wrong at the heart of Islam. It is quite recent. I remember when I was young, many cities in the Muslim world were cosmopolitan cities with a lot of culture," he said. "It is a tragedy that this culture has regressed to this point, like a self-inflicted wound. The Islam in which I grew up was open, influenced by Sufism and Hinduism, and not like the one which is spreading rapidly at the moment."
"There is a limit beyond which you cannot blame the West any more," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Somethings-wrong-at-heart-of-Islam/articleshow/16499183.cms
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Muslim migration flow to Europe: Cultural crisis?
KENAN ENGİN
Sep 22, 2012
One of the most striking developments after the so-called Arab Spring is the rapid flow of migrants toward the EU. According to an EU report, applications of refugees to the EU increased 16.2 percent in 2011 compared with 2010. The rapid flow of predominantly Muslim migrants into the EU has raised an important challenge for European societies, and policy makers should be able to manage cultural diversity and implement a coherent migration policy.
To explore these issues, we need to investigate questions such as: How far do migrants carry their culture with them and to what extent do they absorb the values and norms in their host societies?
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/muslim-migration-flow-to-europe-cultural-crisis.aspx?pageID=238&nID=30711&NewsCatID=396
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Russian Muslims’ Calmness
Sep 20, 2012
Do not give in to provocations and show the true character of Islam is the appeal by Russia’s Council of Muftis to the country’s Muslims. It calls on the faithful not to pour out their anger at the film “Innocence of Muslims” and to show your morality, endurance and compassion.
The film that insults Muslims has triggered a wave of disturbances in many countries and has become one of the key topics discussed by the Russian authorities in the past few days. They assessed the film as a potential threat to public peace and order. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office intends to ban the distribution of the film in the country. The first deputy head of the Central Spiritual Department of Muslims in Russia Albir Krganov, said that the display of the film in Russia would hardly trigger riots in an interview with the Voice of Russia.
Full report at:
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_20/Russian-Muslims-Calmness/
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UNHCR helps a further 6,500 Syrian refugees
September 22, 2012
BEIRUT: A further 6,500 Syrian refugees have sought assistance from the UNHCR and the Lebanese government over the past week. Almost 75,000 refugees are now receiving assistance, 53,000 of whom are registered. The true number of refugees is thought to be tens of thousands more. The UNHCR recently announced it would be expanding its registration efforts into south Lebanon, where it is estimated that there are at least 10,000 refugees.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Sep-22/188860-unhcr-helps-a-further-6500-syrian-refugees.ashx#ixzz27CVAcUiS
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Pakistan
Twenty killed as anti-Prophet Muhammad film protests in Pakistan turn deadly
Sep 21, 2012
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Nearly 20 people were killed and hundreds injured today when thousands of angry demonstrators during government-sanctioned protests over an anti-Islam film turned violent in several cities across Pakistan on a day being observed as 'Love the Prophet Day'.
The worst affected was Pakistan's financial hub Karachi, where 14 people were killed including two policemen who were shot dead. Around 110 others injured when anti-film rallies turned violent and anarchy prevailed for many hours in some parts of the coastal city.
Officials said nearly 200 people were injured in Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar before the protests tapered off at nightfall.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Twenty-killed-as-anti-Prophet-Muhammad-film-protests-in-Pakistan-turn-deadly/articleshow/16494420.cms
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Pope condemned Rimsha case but stayed mum on anti-Islam film
September 22, 2012
MULTAN: Governor Punjab Latif Khosa said on Saturday that Pope Benedict XVI condemned the blasphemy accusations levelled against Christian girl Rimsha Masih, but remained silent on the anti-Islam film, Express News reported.
Speaking to the media at Multan airport, Khosa said that when the Rimsha case surfaced, the entire world including the Pope “made a lot of noise” and questioned why they are tight-lipped over the anti-Islam film.
He said that Pakistanis living abroad should not only be used for strengthening their economy, but be given the rights of citizens.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/440852/pope-condemned-rimsha-case-but-stayed-mum-on-anti-islam-film-khosa/
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Pakistan allows Indian Sikhs to visit four more gurdwaras
Yudhvir Rana
Sep 22, 2012,
AMRITSAR: For the first time, Pakistan government will allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit four more historical Sikh gurdwaras. These gurdwaras will be opened in November when Sikh pilgrims visit Pakistan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
Pakistan government allows Indian Sikh devotees to visit only 16 of the 175 gurdwaras. However, the Sikhs of Pakistan and other countries can visit all the gurdwaras.
The four gurdwaras which will be opened include Gurdwara Janamsthan Bebe Nanaki at Dera Chahal in Lahore, Gurdwara Babe Di Ber in Sialkot, Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh and Gurdwara Bhai Biba Singh, both in Peshawar.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-allows-Indian-Sikhs-to-visit-four-more-gurdwaras/articleshow/16498623.cms
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US missile strike kills 4 militants in NW Pakistan
September 22, 2012
Pakistani intelligence officials say a US drone has fired two missiles at a vehicle in northwest Pakistan, killing four suspected militants. The officials say the attack took place on Saturday in Mohammed Khel village in the North Waziristan tribal region bordering
Afghanistan.
They say the identities and nationalities of the slain men was not immediately known and their agents are trying to get more details.
The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
The latest attack comes despite Pakistani demands to halt the missile strikes.
It also comes at a time when Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar is visiting Washington to discuss a range of issues, including how to resolve differences over US drone attacks in Pakistan.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/US-missile-strike-kills-4-militants-in-NW-Pakistan/Article1-933875.aspx
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Anti-Islam Film protests in Pakistan: “Now I know there is no guarantee of our safety
By Saad Hasan
September 22, 2012
KARACHI: For nearly three decades, the people who work at Bambino Cinema were able to somehow protect it from the mobs that would steamroll MA Jinnah Road during countless protests. But on Friday, their luck ran out: Nishat, Prince and Capri on MA Jinnah Road were set ablaze. A similar fate lay in store for Gulistan in Landhi and Nargis in Quaidabad.
Nawab Hasan Siddiqui, the owner of Nishat Cinema, said he will never open it again. “Now I know there is no guarantee of our safety. No assurance is enough. We did everything that they [protest organisers] had asked us to do.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/440694/karachi-protests-quaids-sister-came-to-the-movies-here/
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Church torched in Mardan
September 22, 2012
MARDAN, Sept 21: A mob protesting against the anti-Islam film in the city on Friday set a church on fire and ransacked public and private property.
Armed with clubs and sticks, the angry protesters torched the building of the Sarhadi Lutheran Church.
They ransacked furniture and equipment in the offices of mobile phone companies, a courier firm and the Mardan postgraduate college.
Awami National Party MNA Himayatullah Mayar said police were responsible for the loss. He said no proper security arrangements had been made to prevent the protesters from damaging the property.DIG Abdullah Khan said police had made adequate security arrangements and deployed a large number of personnel to protect sensitive places in the city.
“We have arrested 50 suspects after the church was torched,” the DIG said, adding FIRs would be registered against those found behind violent incidents after investigation.
http://dawn.com/2012/09/22/church-torched-in-mardan/
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No evidence found against blasphemy accused Rimsha: police
Shakeel Qarar
September 22, 2012
ISLAMABAD: In a startling development on Saturday, the Islamabad police claims to have found no evidence or witness to prove that blasphemy accused girl Rimsha Masih was seen desecrating holy papers, according to a copy of the revised charge sheet available with Dawn.com.
In the charge sheet, the police claim that the cleric, Mohammad Khalid Chishti was guilty of adding papers to the pile in order to manipulate the evidence in light of the statements by the witnesses. The police have also said that investigations have proved that the holy papers had also been burnt.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/09/22/police-submits-interim-charge-sheet-in-rimsha-case/
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Pak grapples with fallout of day of Friday's 'killer rage'
Sep 22 2012
Islamabad : Pakistanis today grappled with the fallout of the violence that engulfed the country during protests against an anti-Islam film, resulting in the death of at least 23 people and destruction of property worth billions of rupees in what is being described by the media as the day of "killer rage".
Violence erupted yesterday during government-sanctioned protests against the film 'Innocence of Muslims', which has triggered large-scale demonstrations across the Muslim world.
Two policemen were among the 17 people who died in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, while six more were killed in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-grapples-with-fallout-of-day-of-fridays-killer-rage/1006375/
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Pak patient gets rare marrow transplant
By Neetu Chandra
September 22, 2012
A BUSINESSMAN from Pakistan who was diagnosed with a rare, life- threatening disorder has got a new lease of life after he underwent an unmatched bone marrow transplant at a hospital in the Capital.
Stem cells were harvested from a donor in Germany and shipped to India for conducting the transplant.
Abdul Samad, 36, was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome ( MDS) — a disorder where bloodforming stem cells in bone marrow fail to make enough healthy blood cells — in January 2010.
Full report at: Mail Today
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7000 Hindu families from Pakistan awaiting Indian nationality
Sep 22, 2012
JAIPUR: At least 7000 Hindu migrants who came from Pakistan in last seven years through pilgrimage VISA are awaiting Indian nationality. They are living mostly in western Rajasthan in camps provided by Seemant Lok Sansthan, an NGO working to safeguard rights and interests of the Hindu exodus.
Out of these 7000 in Jodhpur alone 5000 are staying in relief camps. Though they are yet to start a regular life through some employment are on the mercy of the state government and NGOs, they are not willing to return to Pakistan at any cost.
"We will not return to Pakistan even if the Indian government may hang us," said Changi Ram who is staying with his 7-member family at a camp situated on the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer highway. Like him most of these families have lost everything in Pakistan but they want to stay back in India.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/7000-Hindu-families-from-Pakistan-awaiting-Indian-nationality/articleshow/16503418.cms
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Time for Muslim ummah to unite: Raja
September 22, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Friday said the Muslim Ummah needed to stand united and seek a permanent solution to ban hate speech, which sowed seeds of discord.
He was addressing a large gathering to mark the Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (PBUH) at the PM Secretariat. The prime minister said the Muslim world needed to work together with other countries towards a mechanism that ensured respect of sentiments for people belonging to all religions. Raja said there was a need to translate the strong sentiments into a unified policy, in coordination with other Muslim countries so that the Muslim Ummah could speak with one voice on such issues.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\09\22\story_22-9-2012_pg7_12
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Former Sindh MPA shot dead in Karachi
September 22, 2012
KARACHI: Unknown gunmen shot dead Malik Ata, a former MPA of the Sindh Assembly, in Karachi, DawnNews reported.
Ata was killed in the city’s Mahmoodabad No. 3 area, which comes within the remits of the Baloch Colony police station.
Ata, who died on the spot, had been elected for a seat for religious minorities in the provincial assembly and leaves behind five daughters and three sons.
Police has initiated an investigation into the former MPA’s killing.
http://dawn.com/2012/09/22/former-sindh-mpa-shot-dead/
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Pak military's role same as Pentagon's in US: Khar
Sep 22 2012
Islamabad : Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has stressed that her country’s military plays as much of a role in its affairs as the Pentagon in the United States does.
Khar also said that Pakistan does not want any strategic depth in Afghanistan.
She added that the closure of joint operations between US forces and Afghan forces and the recent ‘green on blue attacks’ were matters of grave concern, the Express Tribune reports.
“It is not ambition, but anxiety which drives our interest in Afghanistan,” the paper quoted Khar, as saying.
She added that she would be the first to admit that Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan have not been easy, but cited examples of how they have built a relationship with the Afghan president.
“To Pakistan, the most important capital is not Washington or London, but Kabul,” Khar said.
According to the paper, Khar’s remarks came while addressing an audience of think tanks and policy pundits at the Council on Foreign Relations in a session moderated by former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-militarys-role-same-as-pentagons-in-us-khar/1006356/
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School blown up in Shabqadar
September 22, 2012
SHABQADAR: Unidentified miscreants blew up a government middle school for boys with an explosive device in Saro Killay area. Two rooms of the school building were completely destroyed. It is pertinent to mention that this was the second attack on the school’s building.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\09\22\story_22-9-2012_pg7_11
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Pak panel on Osama to submit report in October: Pakistan foreign minister
Sep 22, 2012
WASHINGTON: The report of the independent commission investigating Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan would be available next month, the visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said.
"We are awaiting the report of the independent commission. That report is going to be out in October," Khar said in response to a question during a speaking engagement yesterday at the Council on Foreign Relations, an eminent American think-tank.
The panel, popularly known as the Abbottabad Commission, was formed after the Al Qaeda chief was killed in a unilateral US raid in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad on May 2 last year. It was tasked with ascertaining the full facts regarding bin Laden's presence in Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Pak-panel-on-Osama-to-submit-report-in-October-Pakistan-foreign-minister/articleshow/16500770.cms
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South Asia
Afghanistan bans Pakistan papers
September 22, 2012
Afghanistan banned all Pakistani newspapers from entering the country on Friday to block the Taliban from influencing public opinion. The order, issued by the Ministry of Interior, adds to the mounting tension between the countries. The Ministry said the newspapers were a conduit for Taliban propaganda. “The news is not based in reality and it is creating concerns for our countrymen in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. Also, the newspapers are a propaganda resource of the Taliban spokesmen.” The tensions were highlighted on Thursday at a U.N. Security Council meeting, when Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul called on Pakistan to stop shelling in the border province of Kunar, which he said has killed dozens of civilians.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/afghanistan-bans-pakistan-papers/article3923420.ece
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Pakistani shelling will jeopardise ties, UNSC warned: Kabul
September 22, 2012
UNITED NATIONS: Afghanistan’s foreign minister has warned the UN Security Council that its ties with Pakistan were being threatened by Pakistani shelling across the two countries’ border that has killed dozens of Afghan civilians.
“Failure to end such attacks risks jeopardising Afghanistan-Pakistan bilateral relations, with potential negative consequences for necessary bilateral cooperation for peace, security and economic development in our two countries and the wider region,” Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul said.
“We reiterate our call for an immediate and complete end to these acts, which have taken the lives of dozens of Afghans, mainly civilians, while leaving many more wounded,” he added.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/440725/pakistani-shelling-will-jeopardise-ties-kabul/
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15 Jamaat, Shibir activists arrested: Bangladesh
September 22, 2012
Police arrested six Jamaat men in Mymensingh yesterday and nine Shibir activists in Jessore on the previous day.
Police picked up six leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami including its district unit secretary Abdul Karim in Mymensingh yesterday, reports our correspondent.
The Jamaat men were going to join a procession in the town organised by BNP as part of a countrywide programme of the BNP-led 18 party alliance.
Police also charged batons to disperse the processionists.
In Jessore, nine Islami Chhatra Shibir activists were arrested early Wednesday on charge of planning subversive activities, reports our correspondent.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=250589
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August ‘second deadliest month’ for Afghan civilians: UN
September 22, 2012
KABUL: A total of 374 civilians were killed and 581 injured in August as a result of the war in Afghanistan, making it the second deadliest month for civilians since 2007, the United Nations said Friday.
The UN’s special representative in Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said that although fatalities were down in the first half of the year, the summer months had been particularly bloody.
“Civilian casualties have decreased overall through the first eight months of the year compared year on year. However, this trend began reversing during this summer with a greater number of civilian deaths and injuries occurring in July and August than in the same period last year,” he said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/09/22/august-second-deadliest-month-for-afghan-civilians-un/
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Bomb kills five Afghans
September 22, 2012
KANDAHAR: A roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on Friday killed five civilians, including children, local authorities said. The explosion struck their vehicle while they were travelling from Nawa district to Lashkar Gah, Helmand’s provincial capital. “Two children and three men were killed in a bomb attack,” Helmand’s provincial police spokesman, Farid Ahmad Farhang, told reporters. Seven other civilians, including women and children, were wounded and taken to hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but similar incidents in the past have been blamed on Taliban.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\09\22\story_22-9-2012_pg7_9
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Afghan war forgotten again in White House race
September 22, 2012
America's "forgotten war" in Afghanistan, is missing in action again, squeezed out of the campaign narrative as President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney duel for the White House. Americans still die in Afghanistan, 70,000 US troops still serve, civilians are cut down in the crossfire and
top US brass says war strategy is under threat from rising insider attacks on NATO troops by Afghans.
But in a race consumed by economics, character attacks and over-hyped gaffes, Arlington National Cemetery's fresh rows of headstones are an afterthought.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Americas/Afghan-war-forgotten-again-in-White-House-race/Article1-933867.aspx
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Bangladesh: Protests spread in city over anti-Islam clip
September 22, 2012
Twelve like-minded Islamic parties have called a countrywide daylong hartal for Sunday when they fought pitched battle with police around Jatiya Press Club area in the capital to protest against a film and one French weekly's cartoon demeaning Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (pbuh).
At least 30 people including law enforcers were injured and over 20 teargas shells were lobbed during the clash that ensued around 10:30am.
Our reporters covering the event report: More than 40 leaders and activists of the parties were detained when the protesters tried to hold demonstration defying police ban on holding rallies in the area.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=41036
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World Bank revives funding after Hasina government fulfils its demands
HAROON HABIB
September 22, 2012
After months of bitter controversy compounded by suspense and wrangles, the World Bank has finally decided to revive its funding for the $2.9 billion Padma Bridge — a dream project for Bangladesh
The decision was formally announced by the world’s biggest lending agency’s Board meeting in Washington on Friday .
The World Bank cancelled its $1.2 billion credit of the $2.9 billion project on June 29 this year over allegations of corruption — repeatedly denied by Bangladeshi authorities . Though the Bank had not released the funds , it remained rigid on not reviving the loan till the Sheikh Hasina government agreed to its conditions .
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world-bank-revives-funding-after-hasina-government-fulfils-its-demands/article3923506.ece
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North America
US ad calling jihad 'savage' to stoke fire
Sep 22, 2012
NEW YORK: A provocative advertisement that equates Muslim radicals with savages is set to go up in the city's subway system as violent protests over an anti-Islamic film ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad sweep over much of the Muslim world.
A conservative blogger won a court order to post the advertisement in 10 subway stations next Monday. It reads, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-ad-calling-jihad-savage-to-stoke-fire/articleshow/16499184.cms
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Muslims gather in Tustin to condemn violence in Libya
Sept. 14, 2012
By ROXANA KOPETMAN
TUSTIN – Some wore the colors of their native Syria or Libya or the United States. Their message, however, was a united one.
About 60 Southern California Muslims and other supporters turned out at a Tustin mall on Friday night to remember those killed in Libya this week and to decry the violence perpetrated in the name of their religion.
"We are here to make it clear to the world that this outrageous crime goes against basic principles of Islam," organizer Dima Khedraki of Orange told the group gathered outside the District at Tustin Legacy mall. "Islam is a religion of peace, love and acceptance of one another."
Full report at:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/libya-371571-extremists-tustin.html
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U.S. names 55 cleared Guantanamo prisoners
September 22, 2012
WASHINGTON: The U.S. government has published for the first time a list of 55 Guantanamo detainees cleared for release but still held amid challenges identifying a willing host country or concerns about sending them home.
The list, which includes names and serial numbers, represents about a third of the 167 "war on terror" suspects who still linger at the U.S. naval base in southern Cuba more than 11 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil.
A significant number of the men listed are Yemenis, reflecting U.S. concerns over sending Guantanamo detainees to the troubled nation, where they could become involved in terror-related activities.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Sep-22/188876-us-names-55-cleared-
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Obama’s record in Muslim world: Strides and setbacks
21 September 2012
WASHINGTON — Images of angry mobs in Arab cities burning American flags and attacking US diplomatic posts suggest the Muslim world is no less enraged at the United States than when President George W. Bush had to duck shoes hurled at him in Baghdad.
But more than three years after President Barack Obama declared in Cairo that he would seek “a new beginning” in US-Muslim relations, a closer look reveals strides as well as setbacks.
One US-led war is over and another is receding, although there are questions about whether America has made lasting gains in Afghanistan. The Arab Spring revolution, a spontaneous combustion that happened independent of Western influence, has given people new power and hope as well as democratic elections the US supports.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Sovereignty comes with responsibility: Clinton tells Pakistan
Sep 22 2012
Washington : The US supports Pakistan's sovereignty, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, reminding Islamabad that all sovereign nations carry certain obligations like preventing threats to neighbours and the international community. "We support Pakistan's sovereignty, but we are clear that all sovereign nations carry certain obligations: to protect the human rights of their citizens, to control their territory, to prevent threats to their neighbours and the international community," Clinton told reporters in a joint press availability with her Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sovereignty-comes-with-responsibility-clinton-tells-pakistan/1006370/
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Hundreds rally at Islamic Centre in Dearborn 'to show our unity'
September 21, 2012
Sending a message of peace and unity, hundreds of people rallied Friday afternoon on the steps of Michigan's largest mosque to protest the anti-Islam film that has sparked violence around the world.
Under a banner that read "Repel Evil With Good," a dozen Muslim and Christian leaders spoke to the crowd at the Islamic Centre of America in Dearborn. They slammed both the controversial film, titled "Innocence of Muslims," and the extreme response that has erupted around the Muslim world over the past week.
Full report at:
http://www.freep.com/article/20120921/NEWS02/120921062/Protesters-rally-Dearborn-against-anti-Islam-film
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CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Hate Vandalism of NY Mosque
9/21/2012
Graffiti included 'RIP US Ambassador' and 'The War Will Rise'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/21/2012) –- The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the FBI to investigate vandalism of a New York mosque as a hate crime.
Suffolk County police are investigating hate graffiti, including "RIP US Ambassador" and "The War Will Rise," spray-painted on the outside wall of the North Bay Shore Masjid Darul Quran mosque. The vandalism is believed to have occurred sometime between September 12th and 13th, in response to the recent killing of America's ambassador to Libya.
Full report at:
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Mideast Asia
Turkish court sentences 322 military officers to jail in coup plot
Sep 22, 2012
SILIVRI: A Turkish court sentenced more than 300 military officers to jail on Friday for plotting to overthrow Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan almost a decade ago, ending a trial that underscored civilian dominance over the once all-powerful military.
The court in Silivri, just west of Istanbul, handed prison terms to 322 serving and retired army officers and acquitted 34, according to court documents seen by Reuters.
Two retired generals and a retired admiral considered the ringleaders of the so-called "Sledgehammer" plot to topple Erdogan in 2003 were given life terms. Their relatives collapsed in tears in the courtroom as the sentences were handed down.
The military has long been the guardian of Turkey's secular establishment, launching three coups between 1960 and 1980 and pressuring an Islamist-led government to quit in 1997.
But Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party, which came to power a decade ago, has tamed military influence over policy-making and ministerial appointments as part of efforts to strengthen democracy, while prosecutors have pursued suspected coup-makers through the courts.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Turkish-court-sentences-322-military-officers-to-jail-in-coup-plot/articleshow/16497204.cms
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HRW concern as Iran bars women from 77 university courses
22 September 201
As Iran's academic year kicked off on Saturday, a US-based rights group raised concern about new restrictions putting scores of university degree courses off-limits to women.
Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the restrictions extended a creeping "Islamicisation" of Iran's universities that have been imposed under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Citing an August report by the Iranian news agency Mehr, the group said that women were barred from 77 courses in various universities, including those in computer science, chemistry engineering, business administration and sciences.
A much smaller number of courses were also barred to men in some campuses, including studies in history, linguistics, literature, sociology and philosophy.
Full report at:
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/hrw-concern-iran-bars-women-77-uni-courses
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Israel war on Iran 'will eventually happen': Guards chief
September 22, 2012
By Mohammad Davari
TEHRAN: An Israeli war on Iran "will eventually happen" but the Jewish state will be destroyed as a result, the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday, according to reports.
"War will happen but it is not certain where and when," General Mohammad Ali Jafari said, according to the ISNA and Fars news agencies.
"The shameful and cancerous tumor that is Israel is seeking war against us, but it is not known when that war will happen. They now consider war as the only way to confront us, but they are so stupid that their (US) masters should stop them," he said.
"If they begin (aggression), it will spell their destruction and will be the end of the story," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Sep-22/188887-israel-war-on-iran-will-eventually-happen-guards-chief.ashx#ixzz27COrZ72u
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Iran unveils locally produced air defense system
September 22, 2012
By Nasser Karimi
TEHRAN: Iran displayed Friday a new, all-Iranian-made air defense system, saying it was designed to confront American warplanes in case of a U.S. attack on the country.
The system was on show during a military parade in Tehran commemorating the start of the Iraq-Iran war 32 years ago.
The semi-official Fars news agency said the Raad, or Thunder, is more advanced than its Russian predecessor and is designed to confront fighter jets, cruise missiles, smart bombs, helicopters and drones.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Sep-22/188832-iran-unveils-locally-produced-air-defense-system.ashx#ixzz27COw3AgD
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Iran's Ahmadinejad heads to New York for U.N. meet
September 22, 2012
TEHRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Tehran on Saturday for New York and the U.N. General Assembly, where he will deliver his final speech to the world gathering, Iranian media reported.
His speech this year is keenly awaited in the face of sharp differences with the U.N. Security Council over Iran's controversial nuclear program, and Israeli threats to launch pre-emptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Past addresses by Ahmadinejad to the General Assembly -- which have included Holocaust denials and conspiracy theories about the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States -- have prompted walk-outs by U.S. and other Western representatives.
Ahmadinejad is expected to make his remarks on or around Wednesday. U.N. rules limit speakers to five minutes on the podium.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Sep-22/188885-irans-ahmadinejad-heads-to-new-york-for-un-meet.ashx#ixzz27CVK1sjV
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Iran opposition group welcomes removal from U.S. terror list
September 22, 2012
PARIS: Opposition group the People's Mujahedeen of Iran on Saturday welcomed its imminent removal from the U.S. terror blacklist, saying it would help boost the fight against Islamic "fascism".
The move was "the first step in correcting the mistaken and catastrophic policy of connivance with religious fascism that has inflicted such pain on the Iranian people," a spokesman of the now Paris-based group said.
The plan to remove the group from the list was announced just days ahead of an October 1 deadline set by a U.S. court by which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had to decide on the fate of the group, also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK).
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Sep-22/188899-iran-
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egypt-dar-al-ifta,-standing/d/8755