Egyptian police torture 88 and kill 34 under Morsi: Cairo-based Human Rights group's report
New Age Islam News Bureau
15 Oct 2012
Arab World
• Egyptian police torture 88 and kill 34 under Morsi: Cairo-based Human Rights group's report
• High Number of Birth Defects in US and NATO Bombarded Iraqi Cities
• Egypt celebrates 'International Day of the Girl' at Citadel
• Bible burning was not insulting to Egyptian Christians: Radical preacher
• Saudi father pardons his son’s killer if he memorizes the whole Quran
• Brotherhood denies calls for jihad against Israel
• Rebel Arms Flow Is Said to Benefit Jihadists in Syria
• Historic Syrian Mosque Damaged in Fighting
• How the Arab World reacted to Felix Baumgartner’s jump?
• Witnesses to Friday clashes pin blame on Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
• Spate of Iraq attacks kill at least six
• Number of Syrian refugees in Turk camps exceeds 100,000
• Hezbollah foes say support for Assad puts Lebanon at risk
• Rights watchdog fears for freedoms under draft Egypt constitution
• Extremist ideology main threat: Bahrain
Africa
• New Libyan PM Ali Zeidan has strong India links
• Nigeria mosque massacre not sectarian: military
Pakistan
• Forced Migration: Christians allegedly forced out of Landi Kotal
• In a first, FATA jirga condemns Malala attack
• Taliban target police check post in Pakistan, 6 policemen killed
• Pak religious organisations flay Government on Kashmir policy
• Tribal elders oppose any military operation in North Waziristan
• Media groups, journalists get security after Taliban threat
• North Waziristan operation not on the cards: Rehman Malik
India
• Shillong to have India's first glass mosque
• No schools for kids of PoK returnees
• Russia warns of new wave of terror, seeks India's cooperation
• Afghan national arrested in Assam
• 2 in Gujarat held on charges of spying for ISI
• Homeless Indian worker in Oman threatens to end life
• Delhi HC blast trial to start today
South Asia
• Religious NGO plans Male’ protest in support of death penalty in Maldives
• UK-based lawyers to aid Nasheed defence in “unprecedented” legal move
• Three Children killed in NATO attack: Afghan officials
• Afghan reconciliation: ‘Safe passage’ offer fails to lure Taliban
• Afghan peace negotiator sees progress in talks with Taliban
• For Fukuyama, the Taliban are a bogeyman
• Mass monk rallies against OIC in major Myanmar cities
Europe
• Muslims complain of rising Islamophobia in France
• France's Hollande put hostage lives at risk: Mali jihadist
• UN envoy urges Syria truce as during four days of Eid Al Adha
• EU targets Syria, Iran with new sanctions, to assist Mali through ‘big step’
• European Satellite Provider Cuts off Iranian TV
• We will not sell arms to Pakistan, says Russia
• Rushdie releases 'Midnight's Children' film
Mideast Asia
• Mujahideen Shura Council is consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza: sources
• Turkey bars Syrian civilian flights
• Brahimi seeks Iranian help for Syria ceasefire before heading to Iraq
• Key Qaeda militant killed in Algeria: security
• Iran scoffs at Israel air defences after drone flight
• Iran denies role in cyber strikes in the Persian Gulf
• Palestinians line up for jobs
• EU to impose new sanctions on Iran
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia ‘Wasted’ Chance to Push Human Rights in ASEAN Nations
• Malaysia: Non-Muslim kids deserve religious classes, too
• Euphoric but cautious, Muslim rebels ink Philippine pact as step to peace in strife-torn south
North America
• 9/11 debates back at Guantanamo
• CAIR: NY Groups to Seek Federal Hate Crime Probe of Assault on Muslim Cabbie
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Shillong to have India's first glass mosque
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egyptian-police-torture-88-kill/d/8990
-------------
Arab World
Egyptian police torture 88 and kill 34 under Morsi: Cairo-based Human Rights group's report
15 Oct 2012
Cairo-based rights outfit cites over 200 cases of police brutality - including killings, torture and kidnappings - during President Morsi's first 100 days in office
In a recent report published by the Cairo-based Nadim Centre for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims, 34 cases of death, 88 cases of torture, and seven cases of sexual assault at the hands of Egyptian police were recorded during Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's first 100 days in office.
In the time period cited, the report recorded a total of over 247 cases of alleged police brutality.
The report states that at least 34 people were killed by police in police stations, prisons and in public areas. According to the report, the killings were generally the result of live ammunition used to disperse protesters.
The report also cites 88 cases of torture by police. The seven people that the report alleges were sexually assaulted by police during interrogation include a young man who filed a legal complaint against a police officer and was later threatened and subject to torture.
More than eight cases of the kidnapping of political activists were also recorded, several of whom were also allegedly subject to torture and abuse.
At least ten sit-ins were also reported to have been dispersed by force during Morsi's first 100 days as president, along with several cases of arbitrary arrest as was most recently seen during the 17 September Nile University sit-in.
Approximately ten police raids on homes and private property were also recorded by the centre, the most famous of which was a police raid in early August on shack dwellers behind the Nile Towers in downtown Cairo.
Since last year's revolution, protesters have reiterated demands for the reform of Egypt's police force and the elimination of all forms of police torture and abuse, which had been widespread under the regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Despite an increased police presence on Egypt's streets during Morsi's first 100 days, critics have continued to blame the ministry of interior for a perceived lack of will to provide adequate police training.
In its report, the Nadim Centre further criticised the "safe exit" given to the perpetrators of violence towards demonstrators, including former heads of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Hussein Tantawi and Sami Anan.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55595/Egypt/Politics-/Egyptian-police-torture--and-kill--under-President.aspx
-------------
High number of birth defects in US and NATO bombarded Iraqi cities
14 October 2012
A new study released by a group of scientists, specializing in toxicology, supports claims that United States and NATO weapons used against Iraq in 2003 have led to health crises in the country, The Independent newspaper reported on Sunday.
The findings, published in the Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Bulletin, show the rise of birth defects among Iraqi infants in the cities of al-Basra and Fallujah.
The authors of the report correlate defects and abnormalities with the exposure to metals released by bombs and bullets.
The “Metal contamination and the epidemic of congenital birth defects in Iraqi cities,” investigation was initiated in 2010 when 56 families from Fallujah were asked to answer a questionnaire. Results from Basra city were collected from the Department of obstetrics and gynecology at Basra maternity hospital.
Hair samples, taken from residents in Fallujah who had lived there since 1991, were found to contain trace elements of poisonous metals, the report stated.
Findings showed that levels of lead were five times higher in the hair of children with birth defects than in other children, suggesting hair is a “bio-marker of exposure.”
Mercury levels in children were also found to be six times higher, while children in Basra had three times more lead in their teeth than children living in non-affected cities.
Miscarriage, toxic levels of lead and mercury contamination and staggering numbers of birth defects including congenital heart defects, brain dysfunctions and abnormal limbs were recorded at a high rate, posing a new threat to the bombarded city of Fallujah.
Residents of Fallujah city even changed the name of their hometown from the “City of Mosque” to “The Polluted City,” reported the Independent.
One of the lead authors of the report, Mozghan Sayabieasfahani, said that there is “compelling evidence” to relate the increasing rate of birth defects and miscarriages to military assaults on Fallujah when it was bombarded in 2004 by U.S. marines.
U.S. marines first attacked Fallujah eight years ago after four employees from an American security company were killed in a grisly attack. A second attack occured seven months later. American military forces later admitted to using white phosphorus shells but never admitted to using depleted uranium during the attack, which has been associated with high rates of cancer and birth defects.
The World Health Organization is expected to publish an additional report to be released in November, it is expected to show the same results of a high increase in birth defects.
Aside from the cities of Fallujah and Basra, seven other cities are included in the forthcoming examination.
The most common abnormalities found in the children of Fallujah are congenital heart defects; 24 out of 26 children were born with the defect. As well as neural tube defects, which affect 18 out of 46 children?
The rate of malformed-born babies has risen over the years, now 37 out of every 1,000 babies are born with defects.
According to Sayabieasfahani there is a “footprint of metal in the population” an there is “compelling evidence linking the staggering increases in Iraqi birth defects to neuro-toxic metal contamination following the repeated bombardments of Iraqi cities.”
She described the “epidemic” as a “public health crisis.”
She added that, “in utero exposure to pollutants can drastically change the outcome of an otherwise normal pregnancy. The metal levels we see in the Fallujah children with birth defects clearly indicate that metals were involved in manifestation of birth defects in these children. The massive and repeated bombardment of these cities is clearly implicated here. I have no knowledge of any alternative source of metal contamination in these areas.”
However, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson said to the Independent newspaper; “we are not aware of any official reports indicating an increase in birth defects in Basrah or Fallujah that may be related to exposure to the metals contained in munitions used by the U.S. or coalition partners. We always take very seriously public health concerns about any population now living in a combat theatre. Unexploded ordnance, including improvised explosive devises, is a recognized hazard.”
Meanwhile, a UK government spokesperson made a comment on the study saying that there was no “reliable scientific or medical evidence to confirm a link between conventional ammunition and birth defects in Basra.” Further adding that, “all ammunitions used by UK armed forces falls within international humanitarian law and is consistent with the Geneva convention.”
Sayabieasfahani added that the data gathered was likely to be an “underestimate” since many parents hide their children with defects and abnormalities from public view, leaving a number of cases unrecorded.
Further studies are yet to be conducted in order to trace the presence of depleted uranium in the children of both Basra and Fallujah. However, such projects need funding, “we need extensive environmental sampling of food, water and air to find out where this is coming from, and then we can clean it up. Now we are seeing 50 percent of children being born with malformations; in a few years it could be everyone,” the doctor added.
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/14/243734.html
-------------
Egypt celebrates 'International Day of the Girl' at Citadel
Nada El-Kouny
14 Oct 2012
Hundreds gather at historic Citadel in Cairo to celebrate contribution of girls to society and promote gender equality
Against the backdrop of the silhouetted Cairo skyline and the iconic Citadel lit in green, yellow and pink, hundreds gathered to celebrate the first ever International Day of the Girl on Thursday.
The Pyramids were also lit in pink during the celebration.
Plan International (PI), an international NGO working on the promotion of children's rights, in coordination with UN Habitat for Safe Cities, set up the initiative.
Seventy other countries around the world took part in the initiative by lighting up some major landmarks in celebration of the day.
“Because I am a girl,” a two minute video of diverse Egyptian girls stating in one sentence how they feel because they are a girl or what they aspire for as a girl, launched the event. Harassment, the right to education, tradition, freedom, and self-identity were some of the underlying themes tackled in the short video.
A large number of the event’s participants were women and girls from around Egypt where PI has been holding its projects, which include, Minya, Assiut, Alexandria, Beheira, Giza, and Qalioubeya.
Hosneya Khalifa, 42, from Dar El-Salaam in Cairo, stated how it was her first time out with her family in at least six years. “This is nice for a change, it is nice to go out, listen to music, spend time with my children,” Khalifa said.
“I feel it is important for me to attend this especially for my 17-year-old daughter. I feel afraid for her and I feel that unless she is by my side I will never feel safe for her in this city,” she lamented.
Khalifa’s youngest daughter was standing at the face-painting section along with dozens of kids swarming around to animate their faces. Colourful clowns on stilts were also a major attraction for the children.
A number of bands, including a traditional Zar performance, led by a magnetic lead chanter, performed at the event.
Other performances included an all girls’ oud performance from students of the House of Oud taught by famous oudist, Iraqi-born Nassir Shamma, the contemporary Egyptian band Ana Masri and Egyptian rap band FBI.
Caitlin O’Dowd, one of the main organisers of the event, stated that bringing in a band like Zar which performs ritual songs traditionally for healing and exorcism, was symbolic.
“The fact that women lead the chants and men are additional participants is a form of female empowerment,” O’Dowd stressed.
Mohamed Abou Sama, from UN Habitat for Safe Cities, stressed the need to create safe cities where girls and women can live safely.
“By creating safe cities for girls it will serve society at large and ensure a sense of security for all,” he said.
Nihal Saad Zaghloul, a leading anti-sexual harassment campaigner and one of the founders of Emsek Motaharesh, or ‘Catch a Harasser’ campaign, stressed how harassment had become a major epidemic. She explained that a public event, a “safe space” for all of Egypt’s women, was a good example which should set a standard for the rest of society.
“It is important for women to put themselves out there and to show their talents,” Zaghloul stated as she referred to a play that attempted to tackle the issue of early marriage.
Virginia Saiz, Resource Mobilisation and Communications Manager at PI, told Ahram Online that Thursday’s event was merely the start of what she hoped would become a larger social movement for girls' rights, primarily to education.
“The fact that the Pyramids were lit in pink spreads a strong message, it shows that Egypt is committed to girls' rights,” she stressed.
While faced with several logistical problems before the event, Saiz stated that it had all paid off in the end.
“We are aiming to highlight that girls matter and that if we invest in girls Egypt will become a better place,” she stated.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55410/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-celebrates-International-Day-of-the-Girl-at-.aspx
--------
Bible burning was not insulting to Egyptian Christians: Radical preacher
Sarah El-Rashidi
14 Oct 2012
Radical preacher Abu-Islam, on trial for burning a Bible at a protest outside the US embassy, defends his act in an exclusive interview with Ahram Online
Islamist preacher Abu-Islam Ahmed Abdullah arrived with his supporters at a court in Nasr City on Sunday to face charges of burning a Bible during protests outside the US embassy in September.
The trial had been adjourned on 30 September until Sunday and was adjourned again until 21 October.
Abu-Islam, who is the president of two Egyptian satellite channels – the Umma and Mariya – which he maintains are culturally orientated, defended his radical views in an interview with Ahram Online.
"There is no such thing as the Bible or the Torah, there is only the Quran!" Abu-Islam said when asked why he said his act of burning the Bible was not an insult to Egypt's Christians
He asserted that he had set fire to an English-language Bible, rather than an Arabic version approved by the Coptic Church, out of respect for Egypt's Coptic Christians.
"All these translations of the Bible are evidence of its invalidity!" he said.
During a demonstration against an anti-Islam film in front of the US embassy in Cairo on 11 September, the Muslim cleric tore and burned copies of the Bible. Before leaving the demonstration, he told the crowd that next time he would get his grandson to urinate on it.
Abu-Islam's case is the first time charges filed for denigrating Christianity have been investigated, Egyptian Union for Human Rights leader Naguib Gebrail said, and it is a breakthrough because other cases filed against him have not been properly addressed.
In contrast, Coptic Christians charged with defaming Islam are immediately brought to justice, Gebrail asserted.
Abu-Islam stated his admiration for the Salafist Nour Party and the Muslim Brotherhood.
"They both have their strengths. The Nour Party is ideologically strong, strictly adhering by Sharia law, while the Muslim Brotherhood is sound in terms of organisation and structure," he stated.
They should combine their different strengths, he said.
Both groups have an equally strong following, he asserted, and their ongoing success will be dependent on their use of the media, especially television.
Maintaining their public services will be an important factor in preserving their support bases, he added.
Abu-Islam dismissed the possibility of secular and liberal groups triumphing in the future.
"Secular groups have no voice and do not stand a chance as they lag far behind the ideological and organisational strength of the Islamists," he said.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55594/Egypt/Politics-/Bible-burning-was-not-insulting-to-Egyptian-Christ.aspx
-------------
Saudi father pardons his son’s killer if he memorizes the whole Quran
14 October 2012
A Saudi father pardoned his son’s killer if he successfully memorized the Holy Quran, a local newspaper reported on Saturday.
Rabi’a al-Dousary, father of the slain young man named Abdullah, promised to pardon the convicted felon, Faisal al-Ameri, if he successfully memorized all of the Holy Quran before leaving prison, al-Yawm Saudi newspaper reported.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/14/243752.html
-------------
Brotherhood denies calls for jihad against Israel
By JPOST.COM STAFF
10/15/2012
The Muslim Brotherhood denied on Sunday that Mohammed Badiehad called for a “holy Jihad” against Israel, Daily News Egypt reported.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned an alleged statement made by the Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guide, Mohammed Badie, that Jews spread “corruption on earth, spilled the blood of believers and in their actions profane holy places, including their own.” The human rights organization called for the United States to sever all ties with the Brotherhood.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=287833
---------
Rebel Arms Flow Is Said to Benefit Jihadists in Syria
By DAVID E. SANGER
WASHINGTON — Most of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply Syrian rebel groups fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists, and not the more secular opposition groups that the West wants to bolster, according to American officials and Middle Eastern diplomats.
That conclusion, of which President Obama and other senior officials are aware from classified assessments of the Syrian conflict that has now claimed more than 25,000 lives, casts into doubt whether the White House’s strategy of minimal and indirect intervention in the Syrian conflict is accomplishing its intended purpose of helping a democratic-minded opposition topple an oppressive government, or is instead sowing the seeds of future insurgencies hostile to the United States.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/world/middleeast/jihadists-receiving-most-arms-sent-to-syrian-rebels.html?hp
-------------
Historic Syrian Mosque Damaged in Fighting
October 15, 2012
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian TV says President Bashar Assad has ordered immediate repairs at a historic mosque in the city of Aleppo after fierce fighting between rebels and regime forces set parts of the compound on fire.
Government troops had been holed up inside the place of worship in downtown Aleppo for several months before rebels fighting to topple Assad launched a push to liberate it this week.
The 13th century Umayyad mosque is a UNESCO world heritage site. Now the regime and the rebels are trading accusations over who is responsible for the fire.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/10/15/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria.html?ref=middleeast
-------------
How the Arab World reacted to Felix Baumgartner’s jump?
15 October 2012
While more than 5 million people around the world watched with awe Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner’s conduct the world’s first jump from as high as 39 thousand meters from planet earth, many Arabs where busy commenting on the historic event on micro-blogging site Twitter with a mixture of satire and self-petty.
Most popular were tweets from Saudi Arabia, where the trend “What if Felix was Saudi?” was trending in Arabic.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/15/243762.html
-------------
Witnesses to Friday clashes pin blame on Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
Randa Ali
14 Oct 2012
Handful of protesters injured in recent Tahrir Square clashes allege that members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood were ultimately responsible for Friday's violence
The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate hosted a press conference on Sunday at which several eyewitnesses to Friday's clashes – and some of those injured therein – told their version of events, with many pinning the blame on the Muslim Brotherhood.
The conference was organised by several post-revolution political forces, including the National Front for Justice and Democracy and the Popular Committee for Defending the Revolution.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55597/Egypt/Politics-/Witnesses-to-Friday-clashes-pin-blame-on-Egypts-Mu.aspx
-------------
Spate of Iraq attacks kill at least six
15 Oct 2012
Six people are killed including three policemen and two anti-Qaeda militiamen and many others injured in shootings and bombings north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad
A spate of shootings and bombings targeting Iraqi security forces north of Baghdad killed at least six people and wounded several others on Monday, security and medical officials said.
Among the dead were three policemen and two anti-Qaeda militiamen, after deadly bombings targeted Iraqi police the previous night, killing one policeman.
On Monday morning, gunmen attacked a checkpoint in the centre of the town of Tuz Khurmatu, 175 kilometres (110 miles) north of Baghdad, killing two policemen before fleeing the scene, a security official in the town said. A doctor confirmed the toll.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/55623/World/Region/Spate-of-Iraq-attacks-kill-at-least-six.aspx
-------------
Number of Syrian refugees in Turk camps exceeds 100,000
15 Oct 2012
Ankara says numbers of Syrian refugees in Turkey who fled the killings in the war-torn Arab country exceeds 100,000
The number of Syrian refugees housed in camps in southern Turkey has exceeded 100,000, the Turkish disaster management agency (AFAD) said on Monday, a level beyond which Ankara had previously said it would struggle to accommodate more.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/55632/World/Region/Number-of-Syrian-refugees-in-Turk-camps-exceeds-,.aspx
-------------
Hezbollah foes say support for Assad puts Lebanon at risk
15 October 2012
Hezbollah’s increasingly visible support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its latest military challenge to Israel has put the militant group on a collision course with domestic opponents who accuse it of dragging Lebanon towards regional conflict.
While still denying it has sent forces to Syria to fight alongside soldiers trying to crush a 19-month-old uprising against Assad, Hezbollah has held a number of public funerals this month for fighters killed performing “jihadi duties.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/15/243823.html
-------------
Rights watchdog fears for freedoms under draft Egypt constitution
Dina Ezzat
14 Oct 2012
Human Rights Watch (HRW)'s Heba Morayef expresses concern over constitutional draft articles that she says could infringe upon rights of women, minorities in Egypt
Human rights activists have voiced concern over Egypt's draft constitution – articles of which have been recently released to the public – which they say could potentially violate women's and minorities' rights.
"If Article 4 of the draft constitution gives Al-Azhar control over the interpretation of Islamic texts within the context of legislation, then that would simply mean that an elected parliament is undermined as the legislative body," said Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/55591/Egypt/Politics-/Rights-watchdog-fears-for-freedoms-under-draft-Egy.aspx
-------------
Extremist ideology main threat: Bahrain
15 October 2012
MANAMA - A Bahrain minister has said that the main threat to national security of the regional countries is the extremist ideology of Hezbollah, the Shirazists and the Sadrists and their followers, societies and clergy men.
Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa said in a statement on Saturday that this ideology used the principle of Welayat Al Faqih which turned the traditional theocrats into a regional political authority.
He said under a project these religious authorities and their political societies and organisations which politically use the principle of Welayat Al Faqih to spread their message, provide all forms of support to disable the security and stability in Bahrain and other Gulf states.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
--------
Africa
New Libyan PM Ali Zeidan has strong India links
Oct 15 2012
Libya\'s new Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, a career diplomat has strong India connections.
62-year old Zeidan shot into prominence when he was sent to work in Libyan embassy in India in the late 1970s alongside the Ambassador Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf, Al Jazeera reported.
Both Zeidan and el-Magariaf hit the headlines when they defected in 1980 to form the National Front for the Salvation of Libya.
Zeidan a local council member of the city of Tripoli and a member of Libya\'s National Assembly was elected the new Prime Minister in a televised count, just a week after the last PM was dismissed in a vote of no-confidence.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/new-libyan-pm-ali-zeidan-has-strong-india-links/1017007/
------
Nigeria mosque massacre not sectarian: military
15 October 2012
KADUNA, Nigeria — The Nigerian army has said an armed assault on a mosque in which 21 people died at the weekend was the result of a criminal feud and not sectarian violence.
The attack on Sunday was the bloodiest in a day of violence that also saw the restive northeastern city of Maiduguri rocked by a roadside blast and two separate gun attacks that killed at least four people including a local chief, according to residents and the military.
The army and locals said the pre-dawn raid on the mosque in the village of Dogon Dawa, in the northern state of Kaduna, was carried out by armed robbers engaged in a running feud with a local vigilante group.
Full report at: Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved.
------
Pakistan
Forced Migration: Christians allegedly forced out of Landi Kotal
October 15, 2012
LANDI KOTAL: The Christian community of Khyber Agency has alleged that it has been told to leave the Landi Kotal army camp without any prior notice.
Members of the community said they had been ordered to leave the area on Sunday while they were offering weekly prayers. They complained that no prior notice was given to them nor was any alternative provided for their accommodation.
Chairman of the Christian community of Khyber Agency Arshad Masih said they have been living in the area since 1914 when they were brought there by British rulers. According to him, the land was given to the British by the Khugakhel tribe for a hundred-year period.
The Frontier Corps (FC), which also existed at the time under the name of Frontier Constabulary, now says the lease is over and the people must vacate the land, said Masih.
He lamented that all requests to reverse the decision fell on deaf ears with political administrators including senior officials saying the area fell under the jurisdiction of FC.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/451704/forced-migration-christians-allegedly-forced-out-of-landi-kotal/
-------------
In a first, FATA jirga condemns Malala attack
October 15, 2012
GHALLANAI: In a first for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) since the attack on Malala Yousafzai, a grand tribal jirga condemned the murder attempt, offered prayers for the child activist, and announced support for the government in this regard on Sunday.
The Haleemzai tribe’s grand tribal jirga held at Sangar Ghallanai was attended by thousands. The Taliban attack had not been condemned publicly by any prominent individual or group in Fata until now.
Addressing the jirga, peace committee leader Muhammad Ali Haleemzai said that terrorists had destroyed schools and hospitals in the region and were working against their tribal customs, saying they wanted to push the people ‘back to the stone age’.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/451663/in-a-first-fata-jirga-condemns-malala-attack/
--------
Taliban target police check post in Pakistan, 6 policemen killed
Oct 15, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Six policemen, including a senior officer, were killed and about a dozen others injured when a large group of Taliban militants stormed a police check post on the outskirts of Peshawar city in northwest Pakistan, officials said on Monday.
Superintendent of Police Khurshid Khan was among the policemen killed when militants targeted the check post at Mattani, a suburb of Peshawar, at about 10 pm last night.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Taliban-target-police-check-post-in-Pakistan-6-policemen-killed/articleshow/16818779.cms
-------------
Pak religious organisations flay Government on Kashmir policy
TARIQ NAQASH
14 Oct 2012
Muzaffarabad, Oct 14: Defence of Pakistan Council (DFC), an alliance of mainly religious organisations, pulled in hundreds of people here on Sunday to express complete support for the ongoing armed struggle in Jammu and Kashmir amid criticism of Pakistani rulers for “falling in with the United States.”
However, DFC chairman Maulana Samiul Haq also spotlighted the shooting of Malala Yousafzai and its imminent repercussions for the country.
Full report at:
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Oct/15/pak-religious-organisations-flay-government-on-kashmir-policy-39.asp
-------------
Tribal elders oppose any military operation in North Waziristan
Oct 15, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani tribesmen on Sunday said they would oppose any military operation in North Waziristan tribal region amidst growing speculation about a possible offensive following the Taliban attack on teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai.
A tribal elder who attended a jirga or council held in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan Agency, said tribal elders had opposed any possible military operation. He said on phone that the elders had warned that people would migrate to Afghanistan if Pakistan troops launched an offensive.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Tribal-elders-oppose-any-military-operation-in-North-Waziristan/articleshow/16816609.cms
-------------
Media groups, journalists get security after Taliban threat
Oct 15 2012
Islamabad : Pakistani media organisations and some leading television anchors were provided security following threat that they would be targeted by Taliban for their coverage of the attempted assassination of a teenage rights activist, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said today.
"Several alerts were received that some anchors and media houses would be targeted," Malik said while interacting with journalists in Islamabad this morning. Additional police had been deployed at the media organisations and plainclothes personnel had been deputed to guard the anchors, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/media-groups-journalists-get-security-after-taliban-threat/1017009/
-------------
North Waziristan operation not on the cards: Rehman Malik
October 15, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday said that no preparations were underway for a military operation in the North Waziristan tribal region, DawnNews reported.
Speaking to media representatives in Islamabad, Malik said the plot to attack 14-year-old rights activist Malala Yousufzai was made in the Pak-Afghan border region.
The minister moreover said that the details of shifting Malala to the UK had not been made public due to security concerns.
Malik said Malala’s condition had improved and swelling on her brain’s membrane had decreased.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/15/north-waziristan-operation-not-on-the-cards-rehman-malik/
-------------
India
Shillong to have India's first glass mosque
Oct 15, 2012
Shillong: India will have its first glass mosque - in the country's northeast. Madina Masjid, an imposing and resplendent structure of glass dome and glass minarets, will formally open doors to the devotees on Thursday in Meghalaya's capital. "It is an architectural marvel," Congress legislator Sayeedullah Nongrum, who helped in the mosque's construction, told IANS. "It took us one and a half years to complete the only glass mosque in India and the largest one in the northeastern region," said Nongrum, who is also general secretary of the Shillong Muslim Union (SMU).
The four-storey building - 120 feet high and 61 feet wide -- stands inside an Idgah Complex in the city's Lahan area and is close to the garrison grounds along the Umshyrpi river. At night, the mosque's glasswork glows and glitters. The mosque houses a new orphanage named Meherba, a library and a 'markaz'-- an Islamic theological institute. Madina Masjid has a capacity of around 2,000 people and has separate space for women to offer prayers.
Full report at:
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shillong-to-have-indias-first-glass-mosque/300532-26.html
-------------
No schools for kids of PoK returnees
Ashiq Hussain
October 14, 2012
The return of 117 Kashmiris from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the last one year has gladdened many hearts, but the largely informal government amnesty which made this possible has not accounted for the wives and children these men brought back.
For the returnees, dreams of a fresh start in Jammu and Kashmir are souring fast because their kids are not getting admission in schools. Moreover, their wives have no access to their kin in PoK.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/No-schools-for-kids-of-PoK-returnees/Article1-944623.aspx
-------------
Russia warns of new wave of terror, seeks India's cooperation
October 14, 2012
As NATO forces prepare to exit Afghanistan in 2014, Russia on Sunday warned of a "new wave" of terrorism in the region, including against India and sought cooperation with New Delhi to stop this "invasion".
Sharing Russia's serious concerns on the evolving situation in Afghanistan after the departure of NATO troops in 2014, visiting deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin said once the foreign troops leave the country, thousands of terrorists and fundamentalists will take shelter there.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Russia-warns-of-new-wave-of-terror-seeks-India-s-cooperation/Article1-944598.aspx
-------------
Afghan national arrested in Assam
Oct 15, 2012
DHEMAJI (Assam): An Afghan national, suspected to be an ISI agent, has been apprehended on Monday by the police in Assam's Dhemaji district.
The Afghan, identified as Akhtar Hussain, had come here nine months ago on a three-month tourist visa but stayed on even after the expiry of the visa, Superintendent of Police Pradip Ranjan Kar said.
Hussain during his stay here also married a local woman and was living with her in a rented house in Gogamukh area of the district.
He was arrested from the rented house and further investigations are on, Kar said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Afghan-national-arrested-in-Assam/articleshow/16820400.cms
-------------
2 in Gujarat held on charges of spying for ISI
Oct 15, 2012
AHMEDABAD: Two persons were arrested in Ahmedabad on Sunday for allegedly passing on confidential information related to an Army base in Bhuj and Army Cantonment to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), police said.
Sirajuddin Ali (22) and Mohammad Ayub (23), both residents of Jamalpur, have been charged with espionage. While Ali used to supply eggs to the Army canteen, Ayub is a student, police said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-in-Gujarat-held-on-charges-of-spying-for-ISI/articleshow/16813908.cms
-------------
Homeless Indian worker in Oman threatens to end life
Oct 15 2012
Muscat : A homeless Indian worker in Oman has threatened to end his life until and unless he gets help to return to his home land.
Mohammad Rafiq, in a letter to M. Bheem Reddy, Vice-President of the Migrants Rights’ Council (MRC), pleaded for help to return to India, as he has no job and home in Oman.
“I am living in a farmhouse, suffering with hernia, kidney pain, and joint pains,” Rafiq wrote to the MRC, which is based in Hyderabad.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/homeless-indian-worker-in-oman-threatens-to-end-life/1016964/
---------
Delhi HC blast trial to start today
October 15, 2012
THE trial in the Delhi High Court blast case will begin from Monday with a city court recording the evidence.
District judge H. S. Sharma had paved the way for the trial against accused Wasim Akram Malik to start by framing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substance Act and IPC. The HC, however, had turned down the National Investigation Agency’s plea to prosecute Malik under the charge of waging war against India, saying that only because an e- mail referring to the release of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru was sent by the accused, it did not mean that an offence against the state was committed.
Mail Today
------
South Asia
Religious NGO plans Male’ protest in support of death penalty in Maldives
By Mariyath Mohamed | October 14th, 2012
Religious NGO “Muslimunge Gulhun” yesterday told local media that it is organising a demonstration calling on the state to implement and enact the death penalty.
The demonstration, to be called ‘Thanfeez’ – translated as “implement – is scheduled to be held at 4: oo pm on Friday (October 19) at the Artificial Beach area of Male’.
The demonstration will mainly focus on advocating for the death penalty, which organisers believe will to bring an end to murders occurring in the Maldives, according to a press briefing held at Muslimunge Gulhun head office. The NGO further stated that the demonstrations would also be used to advocate for the penalties of other crimes to be aligned with Islamic Sharia.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/religious-ngo-plans-male-protest-in-support-of-death-penalty-45365
-------------
UK-based lawyers to aid Nasheed defence in “unprecedented” legal move
By Neil Merrett | October 13th, 2012
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has confirmed two senior UK-based legal experts – one a specialist in Shariah Law – will be joining the defence team of former President Mohamed Nasheed ahead of his trial over the detention of a senior judicial figure whilst in power.
Party Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor confirmed that Sir Ivan Lawrence QC and Barrister Ali Mohammed Azhar will be working with local lawyers Hisaan Hussain and Hassan Latheef in some capacity to represent Nasheed.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/uk-based-lawyers-to-aid-nasheed-defence-in-unprecedented-legal-move-45315
-------------
Three Children killed in NATO attack: Afghan officials
October 15, 2012
KANDAHAR: Afghan officials said Monday that a NATO air strike killed three children while it was targeting Taliban insurgents planting mines on a road in southern Afghanistan.
NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) confirmed an air strike in Helmand province’s Nawa district on Sunday, saying that three insurgents died and it was investigating reports that children were also killed.
“Two Taliban mine-planters were identified and targeted by Isaf from the air and killed,” district police chief Ahmad Shah Khan told AFP.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/15/children-killed-in-NATO-attack-afghan-officials/
-------------
Afghan reconciliation: ‘Safe passage’ offer fails to lure Taliban
October 15, 2012
ISLAMABAD: No Afghan Taliban leader has so far approached a joint Afghan-Pakistan-US team for the “safe passage” to join the reconciliation process, raising doubts about the success of the trilateral mechanism, The Express Tribune has learnt.
In a seemingly angry reaction to the idea of “safe passage”, the Taliban had quickly rejected the trilateral forum as an attempt to “create schisms” in their ranks and to divert attention from “real issues”.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/451690/afghan-reconciliation-safe-passage-offer-fails-to-lure-taliban/
-------------
Afghan peace negotiator sees progress in talks with Taliban
October 15, 2012
KABUL: The Afghan government’s efforts to encourage Taliban insurgents to enter peace talks are making progress despite apparent deadlock, a senior government negotiator said on Sunday.
Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, who was wounded in a Taliban attack a year ago, suggested there was behind-the-scenes activity to start a peace process in Afghanistan.
“When politicians are on the stage, they will be always saying something different than what they are discussing in private,” he said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/15/afghan-peace-negotiator-sees-progress-in-talks-with-taliban/
-------------
For Fukuyama, the Taliban are a bogeyman
October 15, 2012
CALIFORNIA / STANFORD: For renowned political scientist Francis Fukuyama, the Taliban, in Afghanistan or Pakistan, are bogeymen.
“One must understand that the political motives of the Taliban [in Afghanistan] focus on the exit of NATO forces from Pashtun areas. They don’t have a larger agenda and they don’t want to branch out in other parts of the world,” says Fukuyama, a Senior Fellow at the Centre on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, in an interview with The Express Tribune.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/451706/for-fukuyama-the-taliban-are-a-bogeyman/
---------
Mass monk rallies against OIC in major Myanmar cities
15 October 2012
Thousands of monks took to the streets in Myanmar’s two main cities on Monday to protest against a world Islamic body’s attempts to help Muslim Rohingya in unrest-hit Rakhine state, organizers said.
Around 3,000 maroon-robed clerics, some shouting and holding banners reading “No OIC”, marched through downtown Yangon, according to an AFP photographer, in the latest rally against the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Thousands more protested in the country’s second-largest city Mandalay and in a further demonstration in the town of Pakokku in Magway region in central Myanmar, according to organizers.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/15/243837.html
-------------
Europe
Muslims complain of rising Islamophobia in France
2012/10/15
These Muslims say, Islamophobia is rising in France. The right wing party UMP which leads the opposition has come under sharp criticism.
Earlier this month, its leader Jean-Francois Cope wrote on twitter: “There are neighbourhoods in France where children can't eat their pain au chocolat or chocolate pastry because it's Ramadan.”
Islamophobia Observatory, a not for profit watchdog and Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault have both warned, this is stigmatising Muslims.
Full report at:
http://presstv.com/detail/2012/10/15/266711/muslims-complain-of-rising-islamophobia/
---------
France's Hollande put hostage lives at risk: Mali jihadist
14 Oct 2012
Rebel groups allied with Al-Qaeda, which seized control of north Mali, say French President Hollande put lives of hostages in danger by supporting military intervention in the country
A Jihadist leader on Saturday accused French President Francois Hollande of putting hostage lives at risk by backing military intervention in northern Mali in a claim dismissed by the head of state.
Oumar Ould Hamaha, a leader of one of the rebel groups allied with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) that seized control of the north following a March coup also said Hollande had put his own life in danger.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/55555/World/International/Frances-Hollande-put-hostage-lives-at-risk-Mali-ji.aspx
-------------
UN envoy urges Syria truce as during four days of Eid Al Adha
15 October 2012
UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi called Monday for a ceasefire in Syria during the upcoming four-day Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha, as the revolt entered its 20th month with a death toll of more than 33,000.
Brahimi made his call as he shuttled between Syria’s neighbours, which have been bitterly divided by the conflict along the confessional lines that have traditionally riven the Islamic world.
The envoy was in Shia-majority Iraq on Monday after holding talks in Shia-ruled Iran, closest ally of the minority Alawite-dominated Syrian regime of President Bashar Al Assad. Iraq has striven to remain neutral in the conflict.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
---------
EU targets Syria, Iran with new sanctions, to assist Mali through ‘big step’
15 October 2012
The European Union slapped fresh sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime Monday, agreeing an assets freeze and travel ban on 28 Syrians and two firms at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
This 19th round of sanctions since the start of the Syrian conflict in March last year brings to 181 the number of people and to 54 the number of companies blacklisted by the EU, according to AFP.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/15/243782.html
-------------
European Satellite Provider Cuts Off Iranian TV
October 15, 2012
PARIS (AP) — European satellite provider Eutelsat has taken 19 Iranian television and radio broadcasters off the air as a result of European Union sanctions.
Eutelsat spokeswoman Vanessa O'Connor says the channels operated by Iranian state broadcaster Irib have been blocked for viewers in Europe and elsewhere as of Monday morning.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/10/15/world/europe/ap-iran-satellite-
-------------
We will not sell arms to Pakistan, says Russia
SANDEEP DIKSHIT
October 15, 2012
Ahead of Russian President Valdimir Putin’s visit next month, Moscow declared that it would not sell arms to Pakistan. “We are always cooperating with India to ensure safety of the region. We never created trouble for India in the region as compared to other countries. If someone says otherwise, spit in his face,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin replied on being asked whether Russia was planning to sell arms to Pakistan.
“We don’t do military business with your enemies. We don’t transfer any arms to them,” he told journalists after arriving here on Sunday to co-chair the India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in the run-up to Mr. Putin’s first visit to south Asia in his third term as Russian President.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/we-will-not-sell-arms-to-pakistan-says-russia/article3996891.ece
-------------
Rushdie releases 'Midnight's Children' film
15 Oct 2012
Author talks to Al Jazeera after film version of controversial novel premiers at London Film Festival.
The film version of Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children", one of the most cherished award-winning novels of the 20th century, premiered in the 56th London Film Festival on Monday.
It tells the story of a pair of children born when India gained independence from Britain. The novel includes negative portrayals of senior Indian political figures, which led to Rushdie being sued by former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/10/2012101521534232308.html
---------
Mideast Asia
Mujahideen Shura Council is consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza: sources
By DAVID BARNE
October 14, 2012
On Saturday, the Israeli Air Force killed Abu al Walid al Maqdisi (a.k.a. Hisham Saidani), the former emir of the Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem, and Ashraf al Sabah, the former head of Ansar al Sunnah. On Sunday, Israel killed one militant from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The first statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday's incident said that the targets of the strike were members Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC).
As previously noted at The Long War Journal, the description of al Maqdisi as both emir of Tawhid and Jihad and a member of the Mujahideen Shura Council may not be contradictory, but may actually provide evidence of the consolidation of the smaller Salafi-Jihadist groups into the Mujahideen Shura Council.
Full report at:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/10/mujahideen_shura_cou.php#ixzz29NLplGj
--------
Turkey bars Syrian civilian flights
14 Oct 2012
Turkey's foreign minister says the country has barred its air space to Syrian civilian flights.
Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday that Turkey had made the decision because the Syrian regime, which is battling an insurgency, was "abusing" civilian flights by transporting military equipment.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/55589/World/Region/Turkey-bars-Syrian-civilian-flights.aspx
-------------
Brahimi seeks Iranian help for Syria ceasefire before heading to Iraq
15 October 2012
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has asked Iranian authorities for help in achieving a ceasefire in Syria during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha later this month, the United Nations said on Monday.
A statement issued after Brahimi held talks with officials in Tehran also said he underlined that the crisis in Syria “was getting worse every day and stressed the urgent need to stop the bloodshed.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/10/15/243772.html
-------------
Key Qaeda militant killed in Algeria: security
15 October 2012
ALGIERS: A militant charged with liaising between Al-Qaeda and its North African branch Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has been killed in an ambush by Algerian forces, security officials said on Sunday.
Boualem Bekai, who was known as Khaled El Mig, was killed on Friday at Azrou some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Tizi Ouzou region east of the capital, the APS news agency cited the officials as saying.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/key-qaeda-militant-killed-algeria-security
-------------
Iran scoffs at Israel air defenses after drone flight
15 October 2012
DUBAI: Iran said yesterday the launch of a drone aircraft into Israel by Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah was a sign of the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility on Thursday for the launch of the drone aircraft which Israel shot down last weekend after flying 25 miles (55 km) into the Jewish state, saying the drone’s parts were manufactured in Iran and assembled in Lebanon.
Tensions have increased in the region with Israel threatening to bomb the nuclear sites of Hezbollah’s patron Iran if diplomacy and sanctions fail to stop Iranian nuclear activity the West suspects is meant to develop a weapons capability. Tehran says it is seeking only civilian nuclear energy.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/iran-scoffs-israel-air-defenses-after-drone-flight
-------------
Iran denies role in cyber strikes in the Persian Gulf
ATUL ANEJA
October 15, 2012
Iran has denied any role in cyber-attacks against two major oil and gas companies in the Persian Gulf, amid statements from the United States that alluded to the possible rise in Tehran’s capability to launch massive cyber-strikes against Washington and its allies.
The director of Iran’s National Center of Cyberspace, Mehdi Akhavan Beh-Abadi, on Sunday dismissed U.S. claims that Tehran was behind the recent cyber- attacks against a number of Persian Gulf oil and gas companies. Addressing a press conference in Tehran, Mr. Beh-Abadi said that US claims were bereft of any “technical basis”. “We interpret this issue politically and in light of domestic issues and election in the United States,” he said referring to the upcoming November 6 presidential polls. The Iranian official said he sympathised with the two companies, Saudi Arabia’s Aramco and Qatar’s Ras gas, which had been attacked by the Shamoon virus.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-denies-role-in-cyber-strikes-in-the-persian-gulf/article3999278.ece
------------
Palestinians line up for jobs
14 October 2012
BEIT EL (West Bank) — For Palestinians, the Israeli military coordination office on the outskirts of Jerusalem is a symbol of Israel’s decades-long control over their lives. Now it has also become an unlikely source of hope for employment.
In response to an economic crisis gripping the West Bank, Israel has increased the number of permits for Palestinians to work in Israel. This has drawn large crowds of desperate men to the gray edifice each morning in chaotic scenes of long lines, frustrated faces and heated arguments as they try to secure a coveted permit.
At a time of double-digit unemployment in the West Bank, Palestinian workers, particularly people working in manual jobs like furniture moving, gardening and maintenance work, have Full report at:
1.asp?xfile=/data/middleeast/2012/October/middleeast_October139.xml§ion=middleeast
----------
EU to impose new sanctions on Iran
Oct 15 2012
EU member states are set to announce a new package of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.
Ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg, diplomats said the measures would focus on dealings with Iran's banks, trade and gas imports.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said they would be "a sign of our resolve... that will step up the pressure".
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19947507
----------
Southeast Asia
Indonesia ‘Wasted’ Chance to Push Human Rights in Asean Nations
Jakarta Globe | October 15, 2012
Indonesia has failed to use its influence to urge other Southeast Asian countries to improve their own commitments to upholding human rights, a leading watchdog says.
Haris Azhar, coordiNATOr of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said in a statement on Sunday that despite chairing the rights commission of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations from 2009 to 2012, Jakarta has been reluctant to use its influence to petition for greater protection of rights.
Most notably, he said, Indonesia has failed to take a “productive stance” on abuses against the minority Rohingya community in Myanmar.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-wasted-chance-to-push-human-rights-in-asean-nations/550171
-------------
Malaysia: Non-Muslim kids deserve religious classes, too
Lee Chung Yen
Oct 11, 2012
The National Education Blueprint is putting emphasis on one stream of education and language even the religious education is heading a one medium of education
The third item of the blueprint clearly indicates that its objective is to create citizens with excellent characters and to enhance Islamic teachings, moral education and universal values.
It is also stated in the last sentence of the third item that the Education Ministry may study the possibility of having Muslim and non-Muslim students to attend the Islamic classes and Moral Education classes, respectively, simultaneously.
Full report at:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/211427
-------------
Euphoric but cautious, Muslim rebels ink Philippine pact as step to peace in strife-torn south
By Hrvoje Hranjski,Jim Gomez
The Associated Press, October 15, 2012
MANILA, Philippines - Muslim rebels and the Philippine government overcame decades of bitter hostilities and took their first tentative step toward ending one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies with the ceremonial signing of a preliminary peace pact Monday that both sides said presented both a hope and a challenge.
The framework agreement, also called a roadmap to a final peace settlement that is expected by 2016, grants minority Muslims in the southern Philippines broad autonomy in exchange for ending more than 40 years of violence that has killed tens of thousands of people and crippled development.
Full report at:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/About+Muslim+guerrillas+elusive+chieftain+arrive+Manila+peace+pact/7388169/story.html#ixzz29MT5WmA9
-------
North America
9/11 debates back at Guantanamo
October 15, 2012
US NAVAL BASE AT GUANTANAMO BAY: The self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11 attacks and his four co-defendants are due back in Guantanamo court Monday for hearings to pave the way to their trial.
It will mark the second appearance for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other alleged co-plotters before the special tribunal known as military commissions on the US naval base. They face the death penalty if convicted for the 2001 attacks on the United States that left nearly 3,000 people dead.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/15/911-debates-back-at-guantanamo/
-------------
CAIR: NY Groups to Seek Federal Hate Crime Probe of Assault on Muslim Cabbie
10/15/12
(NEW YORK, NY, 10/15/12) – On Monday, October 15, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), and members of the New York City Muslim Community will host a press conference asking for an investigation into hate crime charges against a banker arrested in February on charges of assault, larceny and intimidation with racial slurs against a New York cab driver.
The Connecticut State Attorney announced plans to dismiss charges against the banker at trial on Monday in the Stamford Superior Court. CAIR-NY and allies will host a press conference after the trial to express outrage and to request a federal a hate crime investigation of the Wall Street banker.
"We believe there is ample evidence to go forward with this case and urge federal authorities to take over from state attorneys who seem unwilling to prosecute this man," said CAIR-NY Executive Director Muneer Awad.
-------------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egyptian-police-torture-88-kill/d/8990