European Court Upholds Employee’s Right To Wear ‘Symbol Of Faith’ At Work
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 Jan 2013
Arab World
• Blasts at Syrian university kill more than 80
• 24 killed in Iraq suicide bombings
• Egypt lawyer Gizawi to get jail and lashes in Saudi Arabia
• Al Arabiya ‘manages terrorist operations in Syria’: Syria’s delegate to UN
• Egyptian bank grants loans to young farmers to marry more than one wife
• Mass Grave Found in Aleppo amid Fierce Fighting
• Taliban opens bureau in Qatar
• Sunni Lawmaker in Iraq Is Killed in a Suicide Bombing
• ‘Stop the pigeon’: Egypt police sends bird to criminal investigation department
• Syrian Rebels Find Hearts and Minds Elusive
• Consulate Supported Claim of Syria Gas Attack, Report Says
Pakistan
• Peshawar, Bara tribesmen sit outside Governor House with 15 bodies
• Maulana Tahir ul Quadri brings whiff of Arab Spring to Pakistan
• Pak FM: India is 'war-mongering', maintains no beheading took place
• 'Hafiz Saeed will be prosecuted, if strong evidence provided': Pak FM
• Indian Army chief's statements "very hostile", says Pak foreign minister
• Panjgur violence: Bomb targeting police van kills five
• Like Nairobi, will Karachi become its own master?
• Maulana Qadri is a dual national, means no good: Hina Rabbani Khar
• Pak FM equates Pakistan with India, says PM Manmohan Singh 'faced corruption charge'
• Pakistan cleric propels protest into third day
• PM lobbies with political leaders against Maulana Qadri
• Top court, EC: Polls must not be delayed
• One soldier killed in 'unprovoked firing': Pakistan army
• Tahir-ul Qadri: Law professor to anti-terror Sufi voice to reforms crusader
• Pakistan slips into crisis mode again
• Upheaval in Pak reflects people’s discontent
• Quit by tonight, Pakistani cleric Qadri gives ultimatum to govt
• Musharraf declares Qadri’s long march a success
• Qadri addresses supporters; police register FIR against TMQ chief
• Those calling Haqqanis asset do not represent Pakistan govt: FM
• Bakery torture case: Shahbaz Sharif’s son-in-law acquitted
• Dhols are beating outside to stop SC from hearing RPP case: CJ
• Pakistani beheaded for drug trafficking in Saudi
• JI viewpoint: Qadri can’t stop change say Munawar
India
• Nations using terror as 'state policy' are short-sighted: India at UN
• Hate speech voice not mine: Akbaruddin Owaisi
• A M U Professors Honoured By AMU Alumni Association, Bahrain
• Darul Uloom Deoband: Qari Abul Hasan Azmi resigns, alleges harassment
• Kolkata Police arrests 10 Burmese Rohingya Muslim refugees, denies refugee status
• Police collect samples; await report in Dasna mosque blast
• Year after Mumbai goof-up, IM bomber duo still on the run
• Muslim protests may mar Congress meet
• Significant Chinese presence in PoK: Lt Gen Parnaik
• Hate speech case: Owaisi back in jail after questioning by Andhra police
• Indian troops did not cross LoC: Army chief General Bikram Singh
• Six years on, Muslims no better
• SAD ministers, MLAs cross ‘LoC’ to target Capt’s Pakistani friend
• Soft PM Delivers Hard Talk to Pak
• Skirmishes Threaten Pakistan-India Thaw
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia anger as judge jokes victims 'enjoy rape'
• Amnesty Calls to End Discrimination against Indonesian Shiites
• Malaysia rated top Muslim-friendly holiday destination
• Indonesia Rated as Sixth Best Muslim-Friendly Holiday Destination
Africa
• Mali’s Use of Child Soldiers Condemned by Human Rights Campaigners
• French triple troops in Mali, prepare for assault
• France in 'Direct Combat' in Mali within Hours
• French National Killed in Islamist Attack in Algeria: Source
• Islamists Seize Japanese, French Nationals in Algeria: Sources
• Somali Islamist rebels sentence French hostage to death
North America
• Morsi's anti-Semitic slurs 'deeply offensive', US says
• US plays down media report that chemical weapons used in Syria
• US expands terror informant rewards program
• Toronto stands in solidarity with Hazaras in Pakistan
• Charges against PM Ashraf rooted in old case, says US
South Asia
• Museum vandalism “tremendous loss to our country’s culture and history: Mohamed Nasheed
• Information Minister for inclusion of internet right in Bangladesh constitution
• Six bombers attack Afghan spy agency, kill two
• Taliban claim suicide attack on Afghan spy agency HQ
• Bahrain fire victims' families to get compensation
• Dhaka-Moscow cooperation to grow stronger, hopes Hasina
• Religious fundamentalists attempt to kill blogger Asif
Mideast Asia
• Israeli newspaper writes editorial in Arabic to urge Palestinians to vote
• Palestinian student killed near West Bank barrier
• Turkey PKK: Thousands at memorial ceremony near Paris
Europe
• European Court upholds employee’s right to wear ‘symbol of faith’ at work
• Italy Closes Consulate in Benghazi after New Attack
• U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Begins Tehran Talks to Secure Access Deal
• Thailand grants access to presumed Rohingya: UN
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Peshawar, Bara tribesmen sit outside Governor House with 15 bodies
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European Court upholds employee’s right to wear ‘symbol of faith’ at work
HASAN SUROOR
January 16, 2013
In a significant ruling, described by Britain’s faith groups as a “victory” for religious beliefs and a setback for “aggressive” secularism, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday upheld the right of a British Airways’ (BA) woman employee to wear a cross to work.
It said that Nadia Eweida (60), a practising Coptic Christian, suffered religious discrimination when BA banned her from wearing a small silver cross to work citing its uniform policy which did not permit displaying items of jewellery.
The court ordered the British Government to pay her £1,600 in damages and £25,000 to cover costs. It said the British authorities “failed” sufficiently to protect her rights under Article 9 of the ECHR, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Ms. Eweida , who went to ECHR after failing to get redress from courts in Britain, said she was “jumping with joy”.
The case had polarised opinion along religious and secular lines with leading Church figures describing BA’s policy as an “attack” on Christianity.
In a sign of the huge interest it had aroused, Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted, “Delighted that principle of wearing religious symbols at work has been upheld — ppl [people] shouldn’t suffer discrimination due to religious beliefs.”
Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights group Liberty, called the ruling “an excellent result for equal treatment, religious freedom and common sense”.
The National Secular Society said it remained opposed to display of religious fervour in public.
BA said that it had changed its uniform policy following the uproar over the Eweida case in 2006, and that since 2007 she and other employees were allowed to wear “symbols of faith” to work. Ms. Eweida returned to work in customer services at Heathrow Airport in 2007 after the change in policy.
Three other Christians — Lillian Ladele, Shirley Chaplin, and Gary McFarlane — who also claimed religious discrimination at work lost their appeals.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/european-court-upholds-employees-right-to-wear-symbol-of-faith-at-work/article4309795.ece
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Arab World
Blasts at Syrian university kill more than 80
Jan 16, 2013
BEIRUT: Twin blasts inside a university campus in Syria's largest city on Tuesday set cars ablaze, blew the walls off dormitory rooms and left more than 80 people dead, anti-regime activists said.
What caused the blasts remained unclear.
Anti-regime activists trying to topple President Bashar Assad's regime said his forces carried out two airstrikes. Syrian state media, for its part, blamed rebels fighting the Syrian government, saying they fired rockets that struck the campus.
Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a commercial capital, has been harshly contested since rebel forces, mostly from rural areas north of the city, pushed in and began clashing with government troops last summer.
Entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed since in fighting and frequent shelling and airstrikes by government forces who seek to dislodge the rebels.
The competing narratives of the two blasts at the city's main university highlight the difficulty of confirming reports from inside Syria. The Syrian government bars most media from working in the country, making independent confirmation difficult, and both anti-regime activists and the Syria government sift the information they give the media in an effort to boost their cause.
Aleppo's university is in the city's northwest, a sector controlled by government forces, making it unclear why government jets would target it, as opposition activists claim.
Syria's state news agency blamed the attack on rebels, saying they fired two missiles at the university. It said the strike occurred on the first day of the mid-year exam period and killed students and people who were staying at the university after being displaced by violence elsewhere. The agency did not say how many people were killed and wounded.
The scale of destruction in videos shot at the site, however, suggested more powerful explosives had been used than the rockets the rebels are known to possess.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited students and medical officials as saying that 83 people were killed in the blasts. Several of the more than 150 people injured were in critical condition, it said.
The group, which relies on a network of contacts inside Syria, said it was unclear what caused the blasts.
Syria's crisis began in March 2011 with protests calling for political reform. The conflict has since turned into civil war, with scores of rebel groups fighting Assad's forces throughout the country.
The UN says more than 60,000 people have been killed.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Blasts-at-Syrian-university-kill-more-than-80/articleshow/18039921.cms
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24 killed in Iraq suicide bombings
January 16, 2013
An explosives-packed vehicle driven by a suicide bomber blew up outside the offices of a major Kurdish party early Wednesday in a disputed Iraqi city, the largest in a wave of morning strikes that left at least 24 dead and scores wounded across the country.
The attacks made for Iraq’s bloodiest day in two weeks. They come amid rising tensions among Iraq’s ethnic and sectarian groups that threaten to plunge the country back into chaos nearly a decade after the U.S.—led invasion.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, car bombs and coordinated attacks are favourite tactics for Sunni insurgents such as al-Qaida’s Iraq branch. They seek to exacerbate divisions within Iraq in an effort to undermine the Shiite-led government.
The blast outside the Kirkuk offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party caused widespread damage, mangling cars and tearing apart storefronts. The KDP is led by Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraq’s largely autonomous Kurdish region, who has frequently sparred with Iraq’s central government in Baghdad.
The deputy police chief in the city of Kirkuk, Maj. Gen. Torhan Abdul-Rahman Youssef, said 11 people were killed in that attack. Another car bomb that exploded nearby killed another two people. Just over 100 were wounded in the two attacks, he said.
Kirkuk, 290 km north of Baghdad, is home to a mix of Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen, who all have competing claims to the oil0rich area. The Kurds want to incorporate it into their self-ruled region in Iraq’s north, but Arabs and Turkomen are opposed.
The city is at the heart of a snaking swath of territory disputed between the Kurds, who have their own armed fighting force, and Iraq’s central government.
A shootout in Tuz Khormato, another contested town along the disputed area, prompted both sides to rush troops and heavy weapons to the area in November.
On Wednesday, yet another car bomb struck the local headquarters for Kurdish security forces in Tuz Khormato, killing five and wounding 36, according to Raed Ibrahim, the head of the provincial health directorate. The town is about 210 km north of Baghdad.
The attacks came as hundreds of mourners gathered in the western city of Fallujah to bury a prominent Sunni lawmaker assassinated by a suicide bomber on Tuesday.
The politician, Ifan Saadoun al-Issawi, was part of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, which holds some posts in Iraq’s loose power-sharing government but is at the same time the main force in opposition to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s administration. He was also a founder of the local branch of the Sahwa, a group of Sunni Arabs who joined forces with the U.S. military to fight al-Qaida at the height of Iraq’s insurgency.
Fallujah and the nearby city of Ramadi have been the scene of more than three weeks of demonstrations against the government.
A planted bomb went off as mourners gathered to mark al-Issawi’s death, wounding three of them, authorities said.
Violent attacks hit other parts of the country as well.
In Baghdad, gunmen using silenced weapons killed three policemen as they were sitting in their police car, according to police and hospital officials. A roadside bomb hit a police patrol on a highway in eastern Baghdad, killing two policemen, officials said.
One policeman was killed and four others wounded when a roadside bomb struck their car in Hawija, 240 km north of Baghdad, according to authorities.
The officials providing details of the attacks outside the disputed areas spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information to reporters.
Violence has fallen since the peak of insurgency several years ago, but lethal attacks still occur frequently.
Wednesday’s attacks were the deadliest in the country since New Year’s Eve, when a string of attacks in Kirkuk and other areas left at least 26 dead.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/24-killed-in-iraq-bombings/article4312393.ece
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Egypt lawyer Gizawi to get jail and lashes in Saudi Arabia
January 16, 2013
An Egyptian human rights lawyer has been sentenced to five years in jail and 300 lashes by a court in Saudi Arabia, his former lawyer says.
Ahmed al-Gizawi was convicted of drug trafficking by a court in Jeddah, in a case which sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries.
Mr Gizawi was arrested in April with more than 20,000 anti-anxiety drugs, which are banned in Saudi Arabia.
Egyptians protested at his arrest, and the Saudis recalled their ambassador.
The fallout was the worst between the two countries since Saudi Arabia severed ties when Egypt signed a peace deal with Israel in 1979. The two powers restored relations in 1987.
Another Egyptian who was arrested in connection with the same case was sentenced to four years in prison and 400 lashes, and a Saudi national jailed for two years and sentenced to 100 lashes, AFP news agency reports.
'Lenient' verdicts
Egyptian activists say Mr Gizawi was held after lodging a complaint against Saudi Arabia for its treatment of Egyptians in its prisons.
His family said he had gone to perform a pilgrimage.
But Saudi authorities doubted this account, saying Mr Gizawi was not wearing white pilgrims' clothes when he was arrested.
He was detained at Jeddah Airport after officials found the anti-anxiety medication Xanax in his luggage.
"These verdicts are lenient" given the defendants' "good morals... and the lack of judicial precedents" the judge at the hearing said, according to AFP.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21025009
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Al Arabiya ‘manages terrorist operations in Syria’: Syria’s delegate to UN
16 January 2013
Syria’s delegate to the United Nations accused Al Arabiya News of being an “operation room that manages terrorist operations in” his country on Tuesday.
In a meeting at the U.N. Security Council, Bashar Ja'afari said that Al Arabiya News Channel “airs reports on Syria before they occur.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/16/260730.html
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Egyptian bank grants loans to young farmers to marry more than one wife
16 January 2013
In an attempt to fight “spinsterhood,” the Egyptian Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit decided to grant loans to new farmers to encourage polygamy.
The Bank’s chairman, Mohsen Batran, announced in a press conference held with the Minister of Agriculture on Tuesday, that the bank will be granting loans to young farmers, to help them with the cost of marriage, according to “al-Ahram” newspaper.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/16/260663.html
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Mass Grave Found in Aleppo Amid Fierce Fighting
By JARI LINDHOLM
January 16, 2013
The bodies lay pell-mell under sticky, red earth at Al Islamiah, a sprawling cemetery in Aleppo. Here and there, a limb or a strip of clothing was visible: the tip of a rubber sandal, a clump of curled-up toes, shoeless feet in blue socks. And then there was the face: a prominent nose, a half-open mouth framed by gray stubble, eyes covered with a blindfold. Whatever had happened to the others, there seemed little doubt as to how this man had met his end.
Full report at:
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/mass-grave-found-in-aleppo-amid-fierce-
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Taliban opens bureau in Qatar
January 15, 2013
Manama: Qatar has welcomed the opening of an office by the Taliban in its capital, Doha “to facilitate efforts to hold talks with the concerned parties to achieve security and peace in Afghanistan.”
A spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry expressed Qatar’s welcoming stance in a statement to the Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Monday evening following the release by the White House of a statement on the talks between US President Barack Obama and his Afghani counterpart Hamid Karzai in Washington.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/taliban-opens-bureau-in-qatar-1.1132533
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Sunni Lawmaker in Iraq Is Killed in a Suicide Bombing
By DURAID ADNAN
January 16, 2013
BAGHDAD — An Iraqi Parliament member who was also the leader of a local council of the Awakening movement, an American-backed group of Sunni militias that switched sides to fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq, was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Anbar Province on Tuesday, security and government officials said.
The lawmaker, Efan al-Essawi, who owned a construction company, had gone to inspect a road that it was building to connect Falluja with the main highway in Anbar, a trade route that leads west to Syria and Jordan. The region has been embroiled in strife since last month, when protests, led mostly by Sunnis, broke out against the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. The demonstrations continued in Anbar on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/world/middleeast/iraqi-lawmaker-and-sunni-leader-
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‘Stop the pigeon’: Egypt police sends bird to criminal investigation department
14 January 2013
In an incident that brings back old mailing tools, a pigeon was found Sunday in Egypt’s northeastern city of Qalyubia with a written message tied to one of its feet and a microfilm attached to the other, a local newspaper reported.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/14/260348.html
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Syrian Rebels Find Hearts and Minds Elusive
By ANNE BARNARD
January 16, 2013
BEIRUT, Lebanon — As the Syrian civil war nears the two-year mark, the opponents of President Bashar al-Assad and their international backers have failed to win the backing of many government supporters, including minorities, a slice of the population whose help is essential not only to resolve the conflict, but also to keep Syria from becoming a failed state, analysts say.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/world/middleeast/syrian-opposition-finds-hearts-and-
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Consulate Supported Claim of Syria Gas Attack, Report Says
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
January 16, 2013
WASHINGTON — A State Department cable asserted that Syrian forces might have used poison gas in December, according to a report by Foreignpolicy.com on Tuesday.
The classified cable was sent by the United States consul general in Istanbul, according to the Web site, and it discussed a consulate investigation into allegations that chemical weapons were used in the city of Homs on Dec. 23.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/world/middleeast/consulate-said-to-support-claim-of-
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Pakistan
Peshawar, Bara tribesmen sit outside Governor House with 15 bodies
By Manzoor Ali Shah
January 16, 2013
PESHAWAR: A large number of people on Wednesday staged a sit-in alongside 15 bodies of their loved ones in front of Governor House in Peshawar. They were protesting against the killing of people whose mutilated bodies were recovered from the Bara area of Khyber Agency Tuesday evening.
The bullet-riddled bodies were found in the Alam Gudar area. The bodies of a woman and two children killed in the incident were not brought to the sit-in.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494779/bara-tribesmen-stage-sit-in-outside-governor-house/
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Maulana Tahir ul Quadri brings whiff of Arab Spring to Pakistan
By Omer Farooq Khan
Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan-born Canadian Muslim cleric on Tuesday sent ripples through an already wobbly Pakistani establishment by threatening to unleash a mass movement to overthrow President Asif Ali Zardari and clean up national politics.
To prove he meant business, the ex-law professor Tahir-ul Qadri led a massive street protest of thousands in central Islamabad seeking electoral reforms, bar on corrupt politicians from holding office, and a caretaker setup of "honest persons" ahead of elections scheduled later this year.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Cleric-brings-whiff-of-Arab-Spring-to-Pakistan/articleshow/18041990.cms
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Pak FM: India is 'war-mongering', maintains no beheading took place
By Chidanand Rajghatta
Jan 16, 2013
WASHINGTON: Pakistan's foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar went on a strident diplomatic offensive in the US on Tuesday, accusing India of "war-mongering" and embarking on a "narrative of hostility," while presenting her country as a paragon of peace and amity in the context of border tensions between the two countries.
"I thought war-mongering was a thing of yesteryears and we had put it behind us," the foreign minister of a country that is recognized as having initiated three wars against India said at an Asia Society talk, artfully glossing over her country's well-chronicled record of hostilities towards India to change the status-quo. Pakistan, she said, was "deeply disappointed" with statements coming from the highest levels of the Indian government, but it would not give up on its "deep abiding commitment to pursue peace with India."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-FM-Hina-Rabbani-Khar-says-India-is-war-mongering-maintains-no-beheading-took-place/articleshow/18042994.cms
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'Hafiz Saeed will be prosecuted, if strong evidence provided': Pak FM
Jan 15 2013
Washington: Hafiz Saeed, the 26/11 mastermind, will be prosecuted if India provides incriminating evidence against him, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said today, emphasising that Islamabad wants to close the chapter on Mumbai as soon as possible.
Responding to a question on the Mumbai terrorist attack, Khar said Saeed is free now because the courts let him go because the evidence that was presented against him wasn't good enough, it seemed.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hafiz-saeed-will-be-prosecuted-if-strong-evidence-provided/1059756/
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Indian Army chief's statements "very hostile", says Pak foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar
Jan 16, 2013
WASHINGTON: The disconnect between Pakistan's adrift and enfeebled civilian government and its out-of-control military was on show in the US last night when the country's foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar insisted Islamabad wanted to resolve issues through dialogue rather than military actions despite the alleged depredations of its army resulting in the beheading of an Indian soldier.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-Army-chiefs-statements-very-hostile-says-Pak-foreign-minister-Hina-Rabbani-Khar/articleshow/18039752.cms
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Panjgur violence: Bomb targeting police van kills five
By Mohammad Zafar
January 16, 2013
QUETTA: Violence continues unabated despite the imposition of governor’s rule in Balochistan. On Tuesday, at least five policemen, including a senior official, were killed in a bomb blast while three civilians were wounded elsewhere in the volatile province.
Suspected insurgents remotely detonated a bomb targeting a police patrol van in Panjgur district, killing five policemen, among them a deputy superintendent of police (DSP). Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494627/panjgur-violence-bomb-targeting-police-van-kills-five/
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Like Nairobi, will Karachi become its own master?
January 16, 2013
KARACHI: What do Nairobi and Karachi have in common – aside from the Aga Khan’s philanthropy and an Ismaili population? As it turns out, the Kenyan capital bears remarkable similarities to the financial capital of Pakistan. They share that label too as drivers of their country’s economies.
The name Nairobi came from the Maasai phrase ‘Ewaso Nai´beri’, meaning “a place of cool waters”. And Karachi’s original old city was marked by two gates – Kharadar and Mithadar – or the gate of brackish water and the sweet-water gate.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494461/growing-pains-like-nairobi-will-karachi-become-its-own-master/
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Maulana Qadri is a dual national, means no good: Khar
By Huma Imtiaz
January 16, 2013
WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar termed Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s demands “preposterous and unconstitutional” and said the cleric means “no good”.
In a ‘Question and Answer’ session after her speech at the Asia Society in New York, Foreign Minister Khar said that Qadri was a dual national which bars him from contesting provincial or national assembly elections.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494740/qadri-is-a-dual-national-means-no-good-khar/
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Pak FM equates Pakistan with India, says PM Manmohan Singh 'faced corruption charge'
January 16, 2013
New York : Even as corruption charges threatened to topple Pakistan's second premier in a row, the country's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar drew a parallel with India, saying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also faced "very big" allegations.
"The problem of corruption plagues many countries within South Asia and elsewhere also. You saw many many scandals of corruption and allegations on the Prime Minister within India also very recently and very, very big ones," she said here.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hina-rabbani-khar-equates-pakistan-with-india-says-pm-manmohan-singh-.../1060157/
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Pakistan cleric propels protest into third day
AF Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani protesters rallied for a third day on Wednesday in the largest political demonstration seen for years in the capital, calling on the government to quit after the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister.
Tens of thousands of followers of Pakistani-Canadian cleric Tahir-ul Qadri massed near parliament house, where they were dug in for the long haul with stocks of food and bedding.
A general election is due to be held by mid-May, but Qadri wants parliament dissolved immediately and a caretaker government set up in consultation with the military and the judiciary, to implement key reforms before the polls are held.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-cleric-propels-protest-into-third-day/articleshow/18043713.cms
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PM Raja Pervez Ashraf lobbies with political leaders against Qadri
Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: With influential cleric Tahir-ul Qadri descending on Islamadad with swarms of his supporters, Pakistan PM Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday lobbied with top political leaders, including PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, for "upholding" the democratic system. Hours after Qadri gathered in Islamabad demanding sweeping electoral reforms, Ashraf telephoned political leaders to discuss the situation.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/PM-Raja-Pervez-Ashraf-lobbies-with-political-leaders-against-Qadri/articleshow/18041982.cms
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Top court, EC: Polls must not be delayed
Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Against the backdrop of demands by fiery cleric Tahirul Qadri for dissolving parliament and forming a caretaker government, Pakistan's SC and election commission on Tuesday said there should be no delay in holding the next general election scheduled for this year.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Top-court-EC-Polls-must-not-be-delayed/articleshow/18041910.cms
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One soldier killed in 'unprovoked firing': Pakistan army
Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani army today said one of its soldiers was killed in "unprovoked firing" along the Line of Control.
A statement from the army's media arm alleged that Indian troops violated the ceasefire on the LoC and "carried out unprovoked firing" in Hotspring and Jandrot sectors.
The firing continued from 10pm to 11pm Pakistan time and the soldier was killed at Kundi post, the statement said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/One-soldier-killed-in-unprovoked-firing-Pakistan-army/articleshow/18039656.cms
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Tahir-ul Qadri: Law professor to anti-terror Sufi voice to reforms crusader
By Sameer Arshad | Jan 16, 2013
Pakistani-Canadian scholar Tahir-ul Qadri was a fringe player in politics, known for his TV sermons on Sufi Islam, before he descended on Lahore last month, seeking reforms and ridding the country of the "corrupt" government. His call for saving `the state and not politics' ahead of his "million-man march" to Islamabad was interpreted as a move to derail national elections scheduled for May. This provoked outrage and made his a target of stinging criticism particularly on highly-popular primetime news shows.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Tahir-ul-Qadri-Law-professor-to-anti-terror-Sufi-voice-to-reforms-crusader/articleshow/18041962.cms
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Pakistan slips into crisis mode again
ANITA JOSHUA
January 16, 2013
Pakistan plunged into a political crisis on Tuesday with the Supreme Court ordering the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf within hours of Pakistani-Canadian cleric-politician Tahir-ul Qadri calling for immediate dissolution of Parliament and assemblies. Just as Dr. Qadri was holding forth on his future course of action after the expiry of “his” deadline for the dissolution of the assemblies, the Pakistan Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the Prime Minister in a pending case relating to his days as Power Minister.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-slips-into-crisis-mode-again/article4309427.ece
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Upheaval in Pak reflects people’s discontent
Vivek Katju
January 16, 2013
THE political drama being played out in Islamabad has an uncanny echo of the Anna Hazare protests in Delhi.
Qadri and Hazare are of course very different in their orientations but both, in different ways, are symbolic of the disenchantment and anger with the governing classes in the two countries.
Full report at: Mail today
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Quit by tonight, Pakistani cleric Qadri gives ultimatum to govt
Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Thousands of protesters led by Canada-returned cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, rallied in Islamabad for the third day in a row on Wednesday, giving the government time till Wednesday night to quit and dissolve the national and provincial assemblies to pave the way for electoral reforms.
Qadri, who marched into Islamabad with his supporters on Monday and began a protest near parliament, outlined four demands during his speech on Wednesday afternoon, including electoral reforms according to the constitution before polls and reconstitution of the election commission.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Quit-by-tonight-Pakistani-cleric-Qadri-gives-ultimatum-to-govt/articleshow/18048140.cms
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Musharraf declares Qadri’s long march a success
Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday declared the long march led by Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri a success, DawnNews reported.
“I have supported them from the beginning,” said the former president.
Qadri, who played a role in backing a military coup in 1999, has threatened to remain camped out near the federal parliament with thousands of supporters until his demands for the resignation of the government are met.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/16/musharraf-declares-qadris-long-march-a-success/
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Qadri addresses supporters; police register FIR against TMQ chief
Jan 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) on Wednesday against Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, DawnNews reported.
The FIR was registered at the federal capital’s Kohsar police station.
Qadri was delivering an address as his supporters continued their sit-in for the second day at D-Chowk near Parliament House in Islamabad and reiterated his demands.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/16/qadri-refutes-link-between-sc-order-long-march/
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Those calling Haqqanis asset do not represent Pakistan govt: FM
Jan 16, 2013
NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar late Tuesday said that whoever calls the Haqqani network “an asset for Pakistan” did not represent the Pakistani government, a report from BBC Urdu said.
She further said that army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani did not hold such opinions in the present circumstances.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/16/those-who-call-haqqani-network-an-asset-do-not-represent-pakistan-govt-fm-khar/
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Bakery torture case: Shahbaz Sharif’s son-in-law acquitted
Jan 16, 2013
LAHORE: A local court in Lahore on Wednesday acquitted Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s son-in-law, Ali Imran Yousaf, in a case over the torture of a bakery employee in Lahore, DawnNews reported.
The court said the complainant and victim of the Defence bakery torture case had told a judicial magistrate that Yousaf and his Elite Force guards were not involved in the torture.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/16/bakery-torture-case/
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Dhols are beating outside to stop SC from hearing RPP case: CJ
January 16, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that “dhols” were beating outside the Supreme Court to force it into not hearing the Rental Power Projects case, reported Express News on Wednesday.
But, the chief justice said, that he will hear the case “even if the sky fall downs”.
The chief justice said that the judges have taken an oath of providing justice and will pass a verdict in the case in accordance with the law and Constitution.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494789/dhols-are-beating-outside-to-stop-sc-from-hearing-rpp-case-cj/
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Pakistani beheaded for drug trafficking in Saudi
January 16, 2013
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia beheaded a Pakistani man in the eastern Khubar province on Wednesday after he was convicted of drug trafficking, the interior ministry announced.
Arshad Mohammed was arrested for smuggling heroin and hashish into the kingdom, the ministry was quoted as saying by the official SPA news agency.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494796/pakistani-beheaded-for-drug-trafficking-in-saudi/
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JI viewpoint: Qadri can’t stop change say Munawar
January 16, 2013
LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Munawar Hasan said on Tuesday Dr Tahirul Qadri will not succeed in his bid to prevent the inevitable change in the country.
He was addressing the concluding session of a five-day JI workshop at Mansoora. He said the forces opposed to an Islamic revolution in the country wanted to spread disappointment among people but the people could no longer be fooled.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494473/ji-viewpoint-qadri-cant-stop-change-say-munawar/
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India
Nations using terror as 'state policy' are short-sighted: India at UN
Jan 16, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: Talking tough on terror in the backdrop of tension on the Indo-Pak border, India told UN Security Council that nations using terror as an "instrument of state policy" are "short-sighted" and have invariably themselves suffered immensely from the "Frankenstein monster."
Participating in a counter-terrorism debate presided over by Pakistan's foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar; Indian envoy to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said the fight against terrorism has to be "unrelenting and fought across all fronts".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nations-using-terror-as-state-policy-are-short-sighted-Hardeep-Puri/articleshow/18043626.cms
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Hate speech voice not mine: Akbaruddin Owaisi
Jan 16, 2013
ADILABAD: Police questioned MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday. Arrested on January 8 for delivering hate speeches, the MLA was granted police custody for five days beginning January 12. The police custody will end on Wednesday.
According to sources, Akbaruddin contested police claim that it was his voice in the video recording of the alleged meeting at Nirmal on December 22, 2012, that was aired on Youtube. Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hate-speech-voice-not-mine-Akbaruddin-Owaisi/articleshow/18039476.cms
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A M U Professors honoured by AMU Alumni Association, Bahrain
New Age Islam New Bureau
Janurary 16, 2013
Aligarh: Professor Abdul Aleem and Professor Farzana Aleem, were felicitated by the Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association in Bahrain. Prof. Abdul Aleem is associated with the Hindi department while Farzana Aleem is associated with the Home Science department. She is the former Dean of Agricultural Sciences faculty.
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Darul Uloom Deoband: Qari Abul Hasan Azmi resigns, alleges harassment
New Age Islam New Bureau
Janurary 16, 2013
Deoband: One of the most qualified teachers and religious scholar of Darul Uloom Deoband, Qari Abul Hasan Azmi has resigned from the post of teacher citing harassment and nepotism in the institution. He said that he had been subjected to harassment and insulting treatment by the authorities and I was forced to take the decision. Speaking to the media, he said that over the years the standard of education has gone down as unqualified teachers have been given charge of different departments. He said that the department of Qirat was given to someone who was not in the least capable and qualified to serve in that capacity. “I was stripped of the post mere on the basis of a letter someone wrote against me from abroad without conducting any enquiry into the complaint”, he said. He further said that despite being in the knowledge of the acrimonious attitude of a demoted person of the past and a corrupt person in present, I was humiliated and harassed mentally. He also said that Qari Jamshed was given charge by ignoring and bypassing qualified teachers. However, Qari Abul Hasan Azmi’s request has once again created a controversy in Deoband.
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Kolkata Police arrests 10 Burmese Rohingya Muslim refugees, denies refugee status
New Age Islam New Bureau
Janurary 16, 2013
Kolkata: Ten Burmese Rohingya Muslims were arrested by the Kolkata Police on Tuesday for entering the country illegally. There are four men three women and three children among the arrested. According to reports, the police found them sitting in a local train in Bidhan Nagar station and interrogated them. They could not produce proper documents and so they were taken into custody. They belong to the Rakhani state of Burma and have fled the country following the worst massacres against them.
One of the refugees, Azizur Rehman gave details of their plight and hardship following the massacres. He said that he was a bright student and had passed the matriculation with letter marks but he was denied admission in college on the basis of ethnic discrimination. So he started working as a mason with his father in Bali Bazar in the suburbs of Sittwe. On Eid last year, his sister Hasina was slayed for celebrating Eid and the agenst of the government slashed his two fingers. He said that even after suffering so much torture and discrimination, they were not ready to leave their ancestral home but the situation had become more threatening and grimmer by the day. Recently, the womenfolk of the riot hit Muslims were abducted and sold to the brothels in Bangkok which forced them to flee to Bangladesh by crossing the river Naf through Chittagong. Bangladesh officials wanted to send them back to Burma but they said they did not want to go back to Burma at any cost. He said that they kept them in a refugee camp where they had to starve as they were not allowed to even go out and look for jobs. So they came to India and wanted to go to Jammu.
However, Joint Police Commissioner Javed Shamim said that they did not have any valid document that’s why they were detained. If they apply for Amnesty, they will be treated according to the rules for refugees. Speaking on the issue, human rights activist Prof Prasenjit Biswas said, ‘During the partition, India gave the people of Eastern and Western Punjab refugee status. Apart from them, 5, 00,000 Tibetans, Sri Lankan Tamils and Chakma refugees were granted refugee status. Besides, India has granted refugees status to the homeless people of Poland, Afghanistan and African countries but when it comes to treating the Rohingya Muslims as refugees, the police arrests them under Foreigner’s Act 1964. The police arrested Rohingya refugees earlier as well which is a serious issue”, he said.
IG (Jail) Ranvir Kumar also reportedly said that he did not know anything about their refugee status.
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Police collect samples, await report in Dasna mosque blast
January 15, 2013
A day after a blast in the basement of the Qazi Wali Mosque in Dasna, the local police on Tuesday asked the Lucknow forensic department to ascertain the contents of the device that caused the explosion. No casualty was reported in the blast.
The police and the forensic team collected samples from the site, but are yet to ascertain reason behind the incident.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/uttarpradesh/Police-collect-samples-await-report-in-Dasna-mosque-blast/Article1-990259.aspx
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Year after Mumbai goof-up, IM bomber duo still on the run
Jatin Anand, Hindustan Times
January 15, 2013
Despite their apparent success at dismantling several terror modules last year, there is one hitch which remains a 'cause for concern' for the elite special cell of the Delhi Police.
On the evening of January 13 last year, a special cell-led operation aimed at nabbing two Pakistan-trained bombers, known by their aliases Waqas and Tabrez, had not worked out at Mumbai's Byculla area, apparently because of 'a slight miscommunication' with their Maharashtra counterparts.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Year-after-Mumbai-goof-up-IM-bomber-duo-still-on-the-run/Article1-990246.aspx
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Muslim protests may mar Congress meet
Zia Haq, Hindustan Times
January 15, 2013
Several Muslim organisations are slated to hold four major conferences in Jaipur, coinciding with the Congress's chintan shivir as a mark of dissent and to draw the party's attention to alleged human rights violations, including police firing inside a mosque in 2011 that killed 10 Muslims.
MPs Asaduddin Owaisi, Mohd Adeeb and Ali Anwar Ansari, as well as film-maker Mahesh Bhatt are among those who will address the rallies.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Muslim-protests-may-mar-meet/Article1-990244.aspx
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Significant Chinese presence in PoK: Lt Gen Parnaik
January 15, 2013
Asserting that there is a large presence of Chinese troops and workers in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), northern command chief Lt Gen TK Parnaik on Tuesday said that China would not like to "interfere" in border conflict between India and Pakistan. "There is a large number of People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops and Chinese workers in PoK and we also know that they are involved in construction of infrastructural projects in Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK," Parnaik told reporters after presenting gallantry and distinguished service awards to 44 Army personnel of the Northern Command at the Investure ceremony on 64th Army Day celebration here.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/jandk/Significant-Chinese-presence-in-PoK-Lt-Gen-Parnaik/Article1-990092.aspx
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Hate speech case: Owaisi back in jail after questioning by Andhra police
Jan 16, 2013
HYDERABAD: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was sent back to jail on Wednesday after four days of questioning by police in a hate speech case.
Police in Adilabad district did not question the legislator for the fifth day and produced him before a magistrate in Nirmal town, about 200 km from here. He was later sent back to the district jail in Adilabad, some 90 km from Nirmal.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hate-speech-case-Owaisi-back-in-jail-after-questioning-by-Andhra-police/articleshow/18045590.cms
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Indian troops did not cross LoC: Army chief General Bikram Singh
Jan 16, 2013
KHAIRAIR (UP): Rejecting Pakistan's allegations, Army chief General Bikram Singh on Wednesday said Indian troops have not crossed the Line of Control (LoC) or indulged in unprovoked firing and that any casualty on the other side may have been due to retaliatory firing.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-troops-did-not-cross-LoC-Army-chief-General-Bikram-Singh/articleshow/18045918.cms
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Six years on, Muslims no better
Jan 16 2013
New Delhi : At a recent seminar organised to review the progress made by Muslims since the 2006 Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee report was tabled, speakers debated on whether or not there’s been any positive change on the ground level.
Three members of the panel — Justice Sachar, economist Abusaleh Shariff and academician T K Oomen — discussed with experts and politicians what had changed for Muslims in the last six years.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/six-years-on-muslims-no-better/1059814/
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SAD ministers, MLAs cross ‘LoC’ to target Capt’s Pakistani friend
Jan 16 2013
Chandigarh : Butt of below-the-belt ‘jokes’ in Assembly, now also PR dept’s press release
Had Capt Amarinder been as concerned about people of Punjab as that of Pakistan, the party would not have lost elections.
In case of your leader (Amarinder), a foreigner is heading home affairs department while the one who should be heading home department is handling external affairs.
Your president is not attending the Assembly session as there are guests from across the border.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sad-ministers-mlas-cross--loc--to-target-capt-s-pakistani-friend/1059924/
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Soft PM Delivers Hard Talk to Pak
By Gautam Datt and Saurabh Shukla in New Delhi
January 16, 2013
After army chief’s ultimatum PM says Pak men behind beheading should be brought to book
HE didn’t wave an iron fist after shedding his velvet glove. But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has a reputation for being soft on Pakistan did, at last, talk tough to Islamabad on the issue of the beheading of an Indian soldier on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir last week.
Full report at: Mail today
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Skirmishes Threaten Pakistan-India Thaw
By HEATHER TIMMONS
January 16, 2013
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India on Tuesday made what may be one of his most aggressive public statements ever about Pakistan, saying that renewed hostilities between the countries in the disputed Kashmir region had made a continued thaw in relations impossible.
Hours later, Pakistan accused the Indian military of an unprovoked attack, saying it had shot across the contested Line of Control border the countries share and killed a Pakistani soldier, bringing the total death toll in the skirmishes to five over the past week.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/world/asia/indian-leader-accuses-pakistan-of-
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia anger as judge jokes victims 'enjoy rape'
January 16, 2013
There have been calls in Indonesia for a high court judge to be dismissed after he joked that some rape victims enjoy the experience.
Daming Sunusi, who is running for a post in the Supreme Court, made the comments during a fit-and-proper test, when asked whether the death penalty should apply to rapists.
He has since apologised and said he was trying to lighten the tense mood.
But politicians have since said they will not back his Supreme Court bid.
The Judicial Commission is investigating whether Mr Daming broke the code of ethics.
Mr Daming was asked during the interview for his views on whether Indonesia should introduce the death penalty for convicted rapists, currently a heated topic of debate in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21039561
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Amnesty Calls to End Discrimination Against Indonesian Shiites
Jakarta Globe | January 16, 2013
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International is calling on the Indonesian government to end its discrimination against the Shiite Muslim minority in Madura, East Java, and guarantee the community a safe return to their homes.
In a press statement obtained by the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday, Amnesty International said that a potential forced relocation of the Shia community living in a temporary shelter in East Java represents the continuing discrimination against religious minorities in Indonesia.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/amnesty-calls-to-end-discrimination-against-indonesian-shiites/565908
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Malaysia rated top Muslim-friendly holiday destination
16 January 2013
Malaysia has been rated the world’s top Muslim-friendly holiday destination in a survey released Wednesday that listed Egypt, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Singapore as runners-up.
The study by Singapore-based Muslim travel consultancy Crescentrating ranked countries on how well they cater to the growing number of Muslim holidaymakers seeking halal - or Islam-compliant - food and services.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/16/260733.html
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Indonesia Rated as Sixth Best Muslim-Friendly Holiday Destination
January 16, 2013
Indonesia has been named the sixth best Muslim-friendly holiday destination in the world, in a new survey released on Wednesday that listed Malaysia in the top position.
The world's most populous Muslim nation tied with Morocco and Jordan with a score of 6.1 in a study conducted by Singapore-based Muslim travel consultancy Crescentrating — which ranked countries on how well they cater to the growing number of Muslim holiday makers seeking halal, or Islam-complaint, food and services.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesia-rated-as-sixth-best-muslim-friendly-holiday-destination/565909
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Africa
Mali’s Use Of Child Soldiers Condemned By Human Rights Campaigners
BY Palash R. Ghosh
January 15 2013
France’s military intervention in Mali has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of child soldiers who have been forcibly recruited to fight by Islamist militants who control the northern half of the West African country.
Human Rights Watch, the New York-based activist group, said in a report that it had received eyewitness accounts of children in Mali as young as 11 years old participating in combat and staffing checkpoints in areas under aerial bombardment.
Full report at:
http://www.ibtimes.com/babies-harms-way-malis-use-child-soldiers-condemned-human-rights-campaigners-1017254
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French triple troops in Mali, prepare for assault
Jan 16, 2013i
BAMAKO, Mali: After a punishing bombing campaign failed to halt the advance of al-Qaida-linked fighters, France pledged Tuesday to triple the size of its force in Mali, sending in hundreds more troops as it prepared for a land assault to dislodge the militants occupying the northern half of the country.
The move reversed France's earlier insistence on providing only aerial and logistical support for a military intervention led by African ground troops.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/French-triple-troops-in-Mali-prepare-for-assault/articleshow/18041524.cms
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France in 'Direct Combat' in Mali within Hours
January 16, 2013
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — French troops pressed northward in Mali toward territory occupied by radical Islamists on Wednesday, military officials said, announcing the start of a land assault that will put soldiers in direct combat "within hours."
French ground operations began overnight in Mali, Adm. Edouard Guillaud, the French military chief of staff, said on Europe 1 television. France's Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on RTL radio that soldiers were headed away from the relative safety of the capital toward the rebel strongholds in the north.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/01/16/world/africa/ap-af-mali-
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French National Killed in Islamist Attack in Algeria: Source
January 16, 2013
ALGIERS (Reuters) - A French national was killed in an attack by Islamist militants on an Algerian gas field on Wednesday, a local source said.
The militants had seized five Japanese nationals and a French citizen from the facility at In Amenas, local and diplomatic sources said earlier. (Reporting by Lamine Chikhi; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/16/world/asia/16reuters-algeria-kidnap-casualty.html?ref=europe&_r=0&gwh=8FCBBFFCC83FC56F006CE1399756A5F0
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Islamists Seize Japanese, French Nationals in Algeria: Sources
January 16, 2013
ALGIERS (Reuters) - Islamist militants seized five Japanese nationals and a French citizen from an oil facility in southern Algeria on Wednesday, local and diplomatic sources said.
The foreigners were taken from the facility at In Amenas in the morning. Algerian troops had mounted an operation to rescue the hostages, a local source told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/16/world/africa/16reuters-algeria-
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Somali Islamist rebels sentence French hostage to death
Jan 16, 2013
MOGADISHU: Somali militants linked to al-Qaida said on Wednesday they had sentenced a French agent to death several days after an attempt by French armed forces to rescue him failed.
Al Shabaab said in a statement the decision to kill Denis Allex, held hostage in Somalia since 2009, was unanimous and followed three years of what it called "exhaustive attempts at negotiations" over his release.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Somali-Islamist-rebels-sentence-French-hostage-to-death/articleshow/18045570.cms
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North America
Morsi's anti-Semitic slurs 'deeply offensive', US says
January 16, 2013
The US has strongly criticised Egypt's Mohammed Morsi for anti-Semitic remarks he apparently made before being elected president.
TV footage shows Mr Morsi in 2010 referring to Zionists as "bloodsuckers" and "descendants of apes and pigs".
US officials want the leader to clarify his "deeply offensive" comments, which they say run counter to Middle East peace efforts.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21037606
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US plays down media report that chemical weapons used in Syria
Jan 16, 2013
WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday poured cold water on a media report that chemical weapons had been used in the Syrian conflict, but reiterated that if the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad did resort to chemical weapons, it will be held accountable.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-plays-down-media-report-that-chemical-weapons-used-in-Syria/articleshow/18041767.cms
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US expands terror informant rewards program
Jan 16, 2013
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed into law a measure expanding a cash rewards program for informants designed to thwart terror attacks to also target organised crime and human rights abuses.
He said the new law would help bring individuals like the Lord’s Resistance Army chief Joseph Kony and commanders of the M23 and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda group to justice.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/16/us-expands-terror-informant-rewards-program-2/
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Toronto stands in solidarity with Hazaras in Pakistan
Murtaza Haider
Jan 16, 2013
Hundreds gathered at the Toronto City Hall on January 13 to protest against the senseless murders of Shias and other minorities in Pakistan. Pakistan Development Fund, a Toronto-based student group, organised the event in which religious and other groups also participated.
While the Hazaras sat with the coffins of their children who died in targeted bomb attacks on January 10, 2013, millions in Pakistan joined the grieving parents by holding protest rallies against the senseless and targeted violence against minorities in Pakistan. The Hazaras have particularly been an easy target because of their unique features that set them apart from the rest. In the past year alone, hundreds of Hazaras have died in bomb blasts and targeted killings.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/15/toronto-stands-in-solidarity-with-hazaras-in-pakistan/
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Charges against PM Ashraf rooted in old case, says US
Anwar Iqbal
Jan 16, 2013
WASHINGTON: The US State Department has said that the Supreme Court order against Prime Minister Pervez Ashraf is rooted in an old case but refused to say if it’s politically motivated.
At a news briefing at the State Department, spokesperson Victoria Nuland also said that the United States was not taking a position on Maulana Tahirul Qadri’s long march or on political issues associated with it.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/16/charges-against-pm-ashraf-rooted-in-old-case-says-us/
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South Asia
Museum vandalism “tremendous loss to our country’s culture and history: Mohamed Nasheed
By JJ Robinson | January 15th, 2013
Former President Mohamed Nasheed has expressed “deep concern” over leaked CCTV footage of a group of men vandalising archaeological evidence of the Maldives’ pre-Islamic civilisation in the national museum in Male’.
The incident took place amid the political turmoil of February 7 at around 11:30am in the morning, as police and military officers turned on the Nasheed administration in nearby Republic Square.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/museum-vandalism-tremendous-loss-to-our-country-our-culture-and-our-history-former-president-51180
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Information Minister for inclusion of internet right in Bangladesh constitution
January 16, 2013
Right to internet is one of the fundamental human rights, and this right should be included in the constitution, said Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu yesterday.
He stressed on developing a strong mechanism to combat cyber crimes and blocking offensive contents on internet.
Free flow of authentic information can play a significant role in empowering people and strengthening democracy, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=265390
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Six bombers attack Afghan spy agency, kill two
Jan 16, 2013
(Reuters) - Six suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on Afghanistan's spy agency in Kabul on Wednesday, killing two people and wounding 30, Afghan officials said.
The attack started at around noon (0730 GMT) when a suicide attacker detonated a large car bomb near a gate of one of the National Directorate of Security's (NDS) buildings, the Kabul police chief's office said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/us-afghanistan-blast-idUSBRE90F0D620130116
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Taliban claim suicide attack on Afghan spy agency HQ
January 16, 2013
KABUL: The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Afghanistan’s intelligence agency headquarters in heavily-fortified central Kabul Wednesday.
In a text message to AFP the Taliban claimed that “a large number of intelligence workers were killed and wounded”.
Officials say at least two guards were killed, along with five insurgents, while around 30 civilians were wounded.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494801/taliban-claim-suicide-attack-on-afghan-spy-agency-hq/
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Bahrain fire victims' families to get compensation
January 16, 2013
The government will distribute compensation to the family members of the workers who were killed in a fire in Manama of Bahrain on Friday afternoon.
Every family of the deceased will get Tk 2 lakh each, said Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, expatriates' welfare and overseas employment minister on Wednesday.
The minister was talking to reporters after a meeting with three visiting lawmakers of Bahrain at his secretariat office in the capital.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44030
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Dhaka-Moscow cooperation to grow stronger, hopes Hasina
January 16, 2013
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed the high hope that friendship between Bangladesh and Russia will continue to grow stronger and partnership consolidated further thus bringing benefits, prosperity and progress to both countries and peoples.
“I’m here in Moscow to sow the seed of 0our common tree of friendship and collaboration with President (Vladimir) Putin, the fruits of which many of you here will savour in the future,” she said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44029
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Religious fundamentalists attempt to kill blogger Asif
January 16, 2013
Religious fundamentalists attacked popular Bangla blogger and online activist Asif Mohiuddin on Monday night with an intention to kill him, alleged a group of bloggers and victim's relatives yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=265394
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Mideast Asia
Israeli newspaper writes editorial in Arabic to urge Palestinians to vote
15 January 2013
The Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” wrote on Tuesday its opening editorial in Arabic asking the Palestinian Arabs to go and vote in the 19th Israeli Knesset elections that will take place on January 22nd.
“Dear Arab masses... Come out and vote” was the headline of the opening editorial.
Nearly 50 percent of Arabs in Israel are reluctant to participate in the elections. The majority of those Arabs do not believe in Israeli democracy and they want to prevent the legitimization of the Israeli authorities that are occupying the Palestinian territories.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/15/260659.html
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Palestinian student killed near West Bank barrier
January 16, 2013
A 17-year-old Palestinian has been shot dead by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank.
Palestinian medical sources say Samir Ahmed Awad died after being hit by three bullets in the village of Budrus.
It happened near a school situated about 200m (650ft) from the barrier that Israel has built in the territory.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21029219
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Turkey PKK: Thousands at memorial ceremony near Paris
January 16, 2013
Thousands of Kurds have attended a memorial near Paris for three activists shot dead in the city, amid reports of Turkish air strikes on the PKK.
Carrying flags and posters of the three dead women, they followed the coffins across frozen ground to a community centre where they were put on display.
The victims, a senior official in the separatist PKK group and two political activists, will be buried in Turkey.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21030213
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Europe
Italy Closes Consulate in Benghazi After New Attack
By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
January 16, 2013
ROME — Italy closed its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and withdrew its staff because of security concerns, after an attempted ambush of the Italian consul over the weekend.
Though the diplomat, Guido De Sanctis, escaped unharmed, the episode raised concerns about the tenuous security situation in Libya as the transitional government struggles to rebuild the country after the overthrow of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi nearly two years ago.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/world/africa/italy-closes-benghazi-consulate-after-
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U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Begins Tehran Talks to Secure Access Deal
January 16, 2013
DUBAI (Reuters) - Senior U.N. nuclear watchdog officials began talks in Iran on Wednesday to nail down an elusive deal for access to pursue a long-stalled investigation into suspected military dimensions to the Iranian nuclear programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, whose mission is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, has been trying for a year to negotiate a so-called structured approach with Tehran that would give it access to officials, documents and sites.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/16/world/middleeast/16reuters-nuclear-iran-
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Thailand grants access to presumed Rohingya: UN
January 16, 2013
BANGKOK: The UN’s refugee agency said Wednesday it had received permission from Thailand to visit about 850 people, many thought to be from Myanmar’s Rohingya minority, held after raids on camps in the Thai south.
Hundreds of migrants have been arrested in the past week in police sweeps of remote areas in rubber plantations near the border with Malaysia, leading the UNHCR to try to confirm whether any of them plan to seek asylum.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/494750/thailand-grants-access-to-presumed-rohingya-un/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/european-court-upholds-employee’s-right/d/10033