Four Ahmadi Printing Press Employees Accused Of Blasphemy
New Age Islam News Bureau
5 Feb 2013
Pakistan
• Four Ahmadi Printing Press Employees Accused Of Blasphemy
• Dr. Tahir ul Quadri unveils 2nd phase of ‘people’s revolution’
• India-Pak peace process should be uninterrupted: Prime Minister
• Pakistan debates talk offer from Tehreek-e-Taliban
• Afghan peace talks Pakistan’s urgent priority: Sherry
• Pak leadership reaffirms support for Kashmiris
• Afghan, Pakistan leaders attempt striking peace deal in six months
• Pak has asked US to end drone strikes but has not taken any step against it
• Balochistan Governor Magsi urges teachers to call off strike
• MPA moves motion against police for harassing Hindu family
• Ex-general accuses Musharraf of volte-face on Afghan war
• Hafiz Saeed urges India to ‘leave Kashmir’
• Three men held for demolishing graves
Africa
• Mali urges world to join fight against extremists
• People of Timbuktu save manuscripts from invaders
• South Sudan fails to withdraw troops from Sudan border
• Timbuktu: back to school, a sign the 'war is over'
• Rage over bad governance fuels Nigeria Islamists
• For Mali amputee, Islamist legacy lingers
• Somalia's al-Shabab opens new Twitter account
Arab World
• OIC demands seat on top UN body to represent Muslims
• Egyptian activist dies ‘after torture’
• Kuwait arrests 3 former MPs for emir insults
• Syria Opposition head seeks talks with Assad's VP
• Saudi Arabia: Israeli strike on Syria a 'flagrant violation'
• Syrian lawmaker rejects preconditions for dialogue
Mideast Asia
• Ahmadinejad ready to fly into space
• Iran arrests official implicated in prison deaths
• Iran optimistic about change in US policy
• Iran's Ahmadinejad in Egypt on historic visit
• Iran says will attend nuclear talks on Feb 26
India
• India takes dim view of British bid to broker Af-Pak strategic pact
• India's reaction to Mali conflict differs from Syrian, Libyan crises
• Akbaruddin Owaisi booked in one more 'hate speech' case
• Painting exhibition faces the wrath of VHP
• Medicos should be generous, tolerant towards patient: Abdul Kalam
• 2008 Malegaon blasts: NIA opposes Sadhvi Pragya Singh's bail
• 2002 riots: Governor forwards former DG's representation to govt
• Released from jail, 70-year-old Afghan national awaits freedom
South Asia
• Sri Lanka bans sending maids to Saudi Arabia
• Protectors of war criminals committing same crime: Bangladesh PM
• Crash kills 16 Bangladeshis in Abu Dhabi
• Karzai urges Western withdrawal
• Bangladesh politician sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes
• Urdu and Japan: a relationship of red blooms and green fragrance
North America
• US Suspected Of Buying Iranian Oil
• In Guantanamo, War on Human Rights Passes for War on Terror
• US drone strikes: Memo reveals case for killing Americans
• US Navy SEAL who killed 150 in Iraq shot dead in Texas
• US suspends Kam Air ban as Afghanistan probes opium claim
• Former heavy weight boxing champion Md Ali critical, daughter said it’s a rumour
Europe
• UK targets Taliban with tiny drones
• US, France agree on need to set up UN Mali force
• 1,800 Chadian soldiers securing Mali's Kidal: France
• Mali future debated at Brussels meeting
• Join the peace process: UK PM to Taliban
Southeast Asia
• Front Member Gets 3.5-Month Prison Sentence for Vandalizing Ahmadiya Mosque
• Islamic authority imposing restrictions on non-Muslims in ‘Allah’ row, says interfaith group
• Unity Department D-G tells Malaysians to stop talking about ‘Allah’
• Stop politicising ‘Allah’ issue, says Penang Malay Congress
• PKS graft case and the loss of moderate Islam in Indonesia
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Bangladesh politician sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/four-ahmadi-printing-press-employees/d/10277
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Pakistan
Four Ahmadi Printing Press Employees Accused Of Blasphemy
By Rana Yasif
February 5, 2013
LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge has fixed February 7 for arguments on the after-arrest bails of four men accused of publishing allegedly blasphemous books about the Ahmadi faith.
Moeed Ayaz, Asmatullah, Razaullah and Ghulamullah, employees of Black Arrow Printing Press, were arrested on January 7 as they loaded a small truck with thousands of books and CDs. The four accused are Ahmadis. Arrest warrants have been issued for the printing press’s owner, who is at large.
The lawyer for the accused, in their post-arrest bail pleas, said that local police had acted illegally against his clients as they had arrested them on the basis of a call made to 15 before an FIR had been registered, as was evident from the statement of the complainant.
He said that even if the complaint were true, his clients should have been charged under Sections 6 (literal distortion of ayah text), 7 (translation or interpretation of Holy Quran contrary to belief of Muslims) and 9 (penalty) of the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) Act of 2011 – which carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison – rather than Sections 295B (defiling the Holy Quran) and 298C (an Ahmadi calling himself a Muslim or preaching his faith) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
At their remand hearing before a magistrate, Advocate Chaudhry Ghulam Mustafa, the lawyer for the complainant, contended that the accused were planning to distribute the “blasphemous literature” in various markets. The magistrate remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of Muhammad Tayyab. Islampura police confiscated the material and truck and registered a case against the men on January 7 under Sections 295B and 298C of the PPC, as well as Section 24A of the Press and Publications Ordinance, though the ordinance was repealed in 2002.
Advocate Mustafa, the lawyer for the complainant, told The Express Tribune that his client, who lived in the same area as the printing press, had heard about the material being published and called the police when he saw books being loaded into a truck there on January 7.
He said that he had filed an application with the magistrate seeking the inclusion of Section 295C (making derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet (pbuh)) of the PPC – which is punishable by death in the charges against the accused. On his application, the magistrate had ordered the investigation officer to proceed in accordance with the law.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/502777/ahmadi-literature-printing-press-employees-accused-of-blasphemy/
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Dr. Tahir ul Quadri unveils 2nd phase of ‘people’s revolution’
5 February 2013
LAHORE: Tehreek-e-Minhaj ul Quran (TMQ) chief Tahirul Qadri, while announcing rallies in different cities of the country, has declared start of second phase of his ‘people’s revolution’ from Gujranwala on February 15.
He was addressing a press conference at Minhaj ul Quran Secretariat in Model Town on Monday. Continuing his aggressive activism against the local political and economic system, he alleged that articles 3 and 38 of the constitution were being violated. However, he clarified once again that although he is a strong critic of “constitutional violations that are being continued in the country”, but his party did not wish to postpone the general elections. He further stated that the Pakistan Army was also in favour of maintaining the continuity of a democratic system in the country.
The cleric said that the ‘second phase’ of his ‘revolutionary struggle’ would start from Gujranwala from February 15; in Faisalabad on February 17; in Multan on February 22, and in Peshawar on February 24, while rallies would be held in Sukkar and Rawalpindi for electoral reforms in
the country.
Qadri said that he would invite all political parties, including Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf, to join his rallies for a “good change”. He said that the ‘revolution’ had been started in order to install a real democracy in Pakistan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\02\05\story_5-2-2013_pg1_3
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India-Pak peace process should be uninterrupted: Prime Minister
Feb 04 2013
ISLAMABAD: Underlining that Pakistan and India are standing at the 'crossroads of history', Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf today said the bilateral peace process should be 'uninterrupted' so that it can produce results.
Ashraf made the remarks while chairing a session of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Council that was held at the Prime Minister's Secretariat.
Pakistan had demonstrated 'seriousness of purpose and sincerity' in resuming the dialogue with India, he said.
In his opening remarks, he said that "Pakistan and India stand at the crossroads of history".
Islamabad feels that the bilateral dialogue 'should be uninterrupted as it is important to sustain this process to make it result-oriented', he added.
Ashraf said Pakistan had conveyed to India that it "seeks friendly, cooperative and good neighbourly relations".
Pakistan has also emphasised the need to "invest more on building trust and infusing greater political skill in resolving all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir", he remarked.
The Kashmir dispute held the key to durable peace in South Asia, and Pakistan feels "a sustainable resolution of the problem will only be possible if the aspirations of the Kashmiris are taken into account", he said.
Ashraf's comments came against the backdrop of a recent spike in tensions between the two neighbours over a string of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
Two Indian soldiers and three Pakistani soldiers were killed in the clashes, the most serious violations of a truce that was put in place in late 2003.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indiapak-peace-process-should-be-uninterrupted-ashraf/1069187/
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Pakistan debates talk offer from Tehreek-e-Taliban
Imtiaz Ahmad, Hindustan Times
February 05, 2013
Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) has reached out to right-of-centre political parties in an attempt to start a dialogue with the government.
Many say this is a sign the TTP is softening its position in the wake of sustained military campaign against them. Ehsanullah Ehsan, TTP spokesman, said they were willing to talk to the army only if there were guarantors in between. "The real power is the army," said Ehsan, adding that the TTP would like to talk to the military but were reluctant to do so as in the past the army had broken its agreements. "We want someone to guarantee that the army will keep its word."
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pakistan-debates-talk-offer-from-Tehreek-e-Taliban/Article1-1006360.aspx
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Afghan peace talks Pakistan’s urgent priority: Sherry
5 February 2013
WASHINGTON, Feb 4: Pakistan treats the Afghan peace process as an “urgent priority”, Ambassador Sherry Rehman said on Monday as the US media reported that mistrust among key players had floundered talks with the Taliban.
“Pakistan looks clearly to an Afghan-led roadmap for reconciliation, understands that this is an urgent priority,” said Pakistan’s envoy to the US, rejecting insinuations that Islamabad was trying to delay the talks.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/05/afghan-peace-talks-pakistans-urgent-priority-sherry/
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Pak leadership reaffirms support for Kashmiris
February 05, 2013
Pakistan's top leadership has re-affirmed its support for the people of Kashmir, saying confidence-building measures initiated with India should lead to the resolution of the dragging dispute over the region.
In messages issued on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day that is observed on February 5 every year, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf reiterated Pakistan's political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pakistan-reaffirms-support-for-Kashmiris/Article1-1006569.aspx
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Afghan, Pakistan leaders attempt striking peace deal in six months
February 05, 2013
The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Monday they would work to reach a peace deal within six months, while throwing their weight behind moves for the Taliban to open an office in Doha. Following talks hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Afghan
President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari also urged the Islamists to join the reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/Afghan-Pakistan-leaders--attempt-striking--peace-deal-in-six-months/Article1-1006470.aspx
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Pak has asked US to end drone strikes but has not taken any step against it
February 05, 2013
Indicating a tacit understanding between Islamabad and Washington over drone strikes, a US scholar has said that the Pakistan government has now publicly asked United States to stop drone strikes, but has not taken any measure against it. In fact, the Pakistani government
continues to clear the air space, whenever the United States asks them to do so for their drone strikes, Micah Zenko, Douglas Dillon Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations – a Washington-based think-tank - told reporters on Monday during a conference call ahead of the Congressional confirmation hearing of the new CIA director later this week.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/Pak-has-asked-US-to-end-drone-strikes-but-has-not-taken-any-step-against-it/Article1-1006461.aspx
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Balochistan Governor Magsi urges teachers to call off strike
5 February 2013
QUETTA, Feb 4: Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi assured protesting teachers on Monday that problems relating to their job would be taken up with the Council of Common Interests and asked them to call off their strike.
About 5,000 male and female teachers recruited under the Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan Package have been observing strike for several days because of delay in payment of salaries Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/05/governor-magsi-urges-teachers-to-call-off-strike/
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MPA moves motion against police for harassing Hindu family
February 5, 2013
KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Pitanbar Sewani moved an adjournment motion in the Sindh Assembly against Khairpur Mirs SHO and other policemen, for harassing a Hindu family.
According to Sewani, SHO Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, ASI Sikandar Abro, and other policemen were wearing civilian clothes and driving a private car when they entered the house of a grade-19 professor, Sachanand, accusing him of bringing a girl from Karachi for illicit relations. The girl was actually the professor’s young daughter, he said.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/502644/mpa-moves-motion-against-police-for-harassing-hindu-family/
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Ex-general accuses Musharraf of volte-face on Afghan war
5 February 2013
ISLAMABAD: Former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf had kept his top commanders in the dark about his ‘secret understanding’ with the US to support the invasion of Afghanistan, according to his former military aide.
Lt General (retd) Shahid Aziz disclosed that top military commanders had reached a consensus to remain neutral in the event of a US operation in Afghanistan, following the 9/11 attacks.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/502851/revelations-ex-general-accuses-musharraf-of-volte-face-on-afghan-war/
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Hafiz Saeed urges India to ‘leave Kashmir’
February 5, 2013
LAHORE: Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed urged India to “leave Kashmir” while addressing a rally in Lahore to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day on Tuesday.
“No one could defeat the Muslims… If America had to run away, then India, you will have to leave Kashmir as well,” said Saeed amid chants of ‘al-jihad, al-jihad’.
Saeed expressed support for all Kashmiri leaders and prayed to God to protect and unite them.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/502947/hafiz-saeed-urges-india-to-leave-kashmir/
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Three men held for demolishing graves
February 5, 2013
KARACHI: Three men, Wasil, Arif and Bahar Ali, were arrested on Monday for defaming graves in Ismail Goth graveyard, Sharafi Goth.
SHO Akhlaq Ahmed explained that the suspects used to work at the graveyard which was more than 50 years old.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/502696/resting-not-in-peace-three-men-held-for-demolishing-graves/
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Africa
Mali urges world to join fight against extremists
Claire ROSEMBERG | February 05, 2013
Mali urged the international community to stand by its side to drive out Islamist extremists from its territory as the United Nations, African Union and other global players met in Brussels on Tuesday.
"The threat concerns all civilised countries," Mali's Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly said as he arrived for talks to anchor long-term peace and stability once the military offensive against Islamist rebel forces is over.
"The entire world must gather around us to chase the jihadists from our soil," he said as some 45 delegations from African and European nations, along with donor and aid groups, stepped into the meeting of the "Mali support and follow-up group."
"We need to prepare the future," said a senior EU official ahead of the talks. "When a state falls apart it takes time to put it together again, like Humpty Dumpty.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/mali-urges-world-to-join-fight-against-extremists/569776
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People of Timbuktu save manuscripts from invaders
5 February 2013
For eight days after they set fire to one of the world’s most precious collections of ancient manuscripts, the alarm inside the building blared. It was an eerie, repetitive beeping, a cry from the innards of the injured library that echoed around the world.
The Al Qaeda-linked extremists who ransacked the institute wanted to deal a final blow to Mali, whose northern half they had held for 10 months before retreating in the face of a French-led military advance. They also wanted to deal a blow to the world, especially France, whose capital houses the headquarters of UNESCO, the organization which recognized and elevated Timbuktu’s monuments to its list of World Heritage sites.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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South Sudan fails to withdraw troops from Sudan border
4 February 2013
JUBA: South Sudan is not withdrawing troops from the border with Sudan to set up a buffer zone as it pledged it was last month, South Sudan’s Army said yesterday, in a setback to efforts to resume the oil exports vital to both economies.
The two countries came close to war last April in the worst border clashes since South Sudan seceded in 2011 under a peace deal that ended one of Africa’s longest civil wars.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/south-sudan-fails-withdraw-troops-sudan-border
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Timbuktu: back to school, a sign the 'war is over'
February 05, 2013
School teacher Ahmed Mohamed Coulibaly wipes the blackboard with a flourish, erasing the last date children came to school in the Malian city of Timbuktu: March 22, 2012. That was the day a group of soldiers ousted Mali's government, paving the way for armed Tuareg and
Islamists to capture Timbuktu 10 days later, and marking the beginning of 10 months of brutal rule under their version of Islamic law.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/Timbuktu-back-to-school-a-sign-the-war-is-over/Article1-1006484.aspx
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Rage over bad governance fuels Nigeria Islamists
By Tim Cocks
Feb 5, 2013
(Reuters) - Few in Nigeria's second city of Kano would admit to supporting the Islamist insurgents waging a bloody northern rebellion against the central government in Abuja.
But when Boko Haram talks of sweeping away the corrupt old order and creating an Islamic state to rule Nigeria fairly, the idea finds resonance with millions of desperate, struggling Nigerians in the north who feel the state has failed them.
"If the government treated people justly, there would none of these problems," said Khalid Adamu, 45, piling apples into pyramids of red and green at his stall by a traffic-choked Kano street.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/us-nigeria-islamists-idUSBRE91409Q20130205
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For Mali amputee, Islamist legacy lingers
Feb 5, 2013
GAO (Mali): The Islamists in Mali came to Issa Alzouma's cell and brought him out to the public square they had renamed Place de Shariah. They laid him out, tying down his arms and legs before amputating his right hand with a knife.
"I passed out from the pain," the 39-year-old father of three recalled, the stump still wrapped in gauze more than a month later. "The next thing I knew I was in the hospital."
Alzouma still carries the worn, folded piece of paper he was given upon his discharge from the hospital in December after five days there. Diagnosis: Amputation, it says.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/For-Mali-amputee-Islamist-legacy-lingers/articleshow/18352985.cms
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Somalia's al-Shabab opens new Twitter account
5 February 2013
Somalia's al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group has opened a new Twitter account in English, less than two weeks after its previous account was suspended.
A senior al-Shabab official told the BBC that the new account was genuine.
Al-Shabab's previous English-language account was suspended after it used it to announce it would kill a French hostage and then said it had done so.
Twitter's rules say that threats of violence are banned but it refused to comment on the suspension.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21321687
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Arab World
OIC demands seat on top UN body to represent Muslims
5 February 2013
The 56-member Organization of Islamic Conference, the largest Muslim organization in the world, should have a seat on the UN Security Council, said Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, its secretary-general.
“One of the important objectives for which I have been exerting a lot of efforts was to have a seat for OIC in the Security Council to represent 1.5 billion Muslims in the world,” Ihsanoglu told reporters in Cairo.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/oic-demands-seat-top-un-body-represent-muslims
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Egyptian activist dies ‘after torture’
5 February 2013
CAIRO: An Egyptian activist who slipped into a coma following days in police custody died yesterday, the Health Ministry and his party said, setting off a storm over police brutality in the new Egypt.
Mohammed Al-Guindi, 28, went missing last month after joining protests demanding change on the second anniversary of Egypt’s uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak.
According to the health ministry he was brought to Cairo’s Al-Helal hospital by ambulance on Jan. 28 — three days after he went missing — unconscious and suffering from internal bleeding.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/egyptian-activist-dies-%E2%80%98after-torture%E2%80%99
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Kuwait arrests 3 former MPs for emir insults
Feb 5, 2013
Kuwait says three former opposition lawmakers have been charged with insulting the country’s ruler in the latest crackdown on perceived political dissent in the Gulf nation.
The arrests announced on Tuesday by Kuwait’s Information Ministry are part of an escalating backlash from authorities as the oil-rich country faces growing political unrest. Kuwait has the Gulf’s most free-wheeling political system, but denouncing the Western-backed emir is illegal.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/kuwait-arrests-3-former-mps-for-emir-insults/article4382468.ece
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Syria Opposition head seeks talks with Assad's VP
February 05, 2013
The United States has strongly backed a move by Syria's opposition chief to open dialogue with President Bashar al-Assad in a bid to end 22 months of warfare that has cost tens of thousands of lives.
Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, the leader of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, told pan-Arab television channel Al-Jazeera on Monday that "the ball is now in the regime's court. They will either say yes or no."
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Syria-Oppn-head-seeks-talks-with-Assad-s-VP/Article1-1006478.aspx
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Saudi Arabia: Israeli strike on Syria a 'flagrant violation'
5 February 2013
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia slammed an Israeli airstrike that hit targets near Damascus as a “flagrant violation” against the war-torn country’s territory, Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said yesterday.
The Council of Ministers “condemns the Israeli aggression against Syrian territories which it considers a flagrant violation against the territories of an Arab state and against its sovereignty,” SPA reported.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/kingdom-israeli-strike-syria-flagrant-violation
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Syrian lawmaker rejects preconditions for dialogue
5 February 2013
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A prominent lawmaker from Syria's ruling party has rejected preconditions for dialogue set by the opposition chief to help end nearly two years of bloodshed.
Fayez Sayegh tells The Associated Press that dialogue between the Syrian government and its political opponents in the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition should start without preconditions.
Full report at: Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press
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Mideast Asia
Ahmadinejad ready to fly into space
Feb 5, 2013
MOSCOW: A week after Iran sent a monkey into orbit, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he is ready to become the country's first astronaut, the Mehr news agency reported Monday.
"I am ready to become the first human to be sent into space by Iranian scientists," Ahmadinejad said on the sidelines of an exhibition of space industry achievements in Tehran.
Iran launched a monkey into space last week as part of preparations for a manned space mission.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Ahmadinejad-ready-to-fly-into-space/articleshow/18340717.cms
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Iran arrests official implicated in prison deaths
5 February 2013
TEHRAN, Iran: A senior Iranian government official and former Tehran prosecutor general has been arrested, two years after a parliamentary probe found him responsible for deaths by torture of at least three jailed anti-government protesters, state media reported.
Saeed Mortazavi — a close ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — was taken to Tehran’s Evin prison late Monday night, according to the reports, which gave no details or explanation for the arrest.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/iran-arrests-official-implicated-prison-deaths
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Iran optimistic about change in US policy
February 05, 2013
Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that he was "optimistic" that the United States was revamping its approach to Tehran in the protracted dispute over Iran's nuclear programme.
"I feel this new (US) administration is really this time seeking to at least divert from its previous and traditional approach vis-a-vis my country," he told a foreign policy think-tank in Berlin.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Iran-optimistic-about-change-in-US-policy/Article1-1006357.aspx
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Iran's Ahmadinejad in Egypt on historic visit
Feb 5, 2013
CAIRO: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for the first trip by an Iranian head of state to Egypt since the 1979 revolution, underlining the more open ties that have developed since Egyptians elected an Islamist head of state.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Irans-Ahmadinejad-in-Egypt-on-historic-visit/articleshow/18348815.cms
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Iran says will attend nuclear talks on Feb 26
Qurat ul ain Siddiqui
5 February 2013
TEHRAN: Iran will attend fresh negotiations with world powers in Kazakhstan on Feb 26 over Tehran’s disputed nuclear activities, its top negotiator Saeed Jalili said in a statement released on Tuesday.
The decision was made in a phone conversation earlier Tuesday between the offices of Jalili and European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported citing the statement.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/05/iran-says-will-attend-nuclear-talks-on-feb-26/
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India
India takes dim view of British bid to broker Af-Pak strategic pact
By Indrani Bagchi
Feb 4, 2013
NEW DELHI: India is taking a dim view of British efforts to push through a strategic partnership agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan as British PM David Cameron played host to Asif Ali Zardari and Hamid Karzai at his country residence, Chequers.
India's peeve stems from its firm belief that the UK is looking at the Afghanistan issue from a Pakistani point of view, without involving countries like India into it. Cameron announced on Monday that Afghanistan and Pakistan would sign a strategic partnership agreement by this autumn. As Cameron prepares to visit here later this year, this issue is expected to feature in high-level discussions with the Indian leadership.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-takes-dim-view-of-British-bid-to-broker-Af-Pak-strategic-pact/articleshow/18338160.cms
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India's reaction to Mali conflict differs from Syrian, Libyan crises
Feb 4, 2013
NEW DELHI: The conflict in Mali has evoked a very different reaction from India as compared to Syrian or Libyan unrest. Last week, India committed $1 million to the upgrade of the Mali army as it gears up to fight Islamists and fighters of the al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.
In fact, New Delhi has even committed to ramp up its contribution to $100 million after the conflict in the African nation. In December 2012 - during its last month in the UN Security Council - India had co-sponsored a French resolution UNSCR 2085 that supported an African Union-ECOWAS military force in Mali.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indias-reaction-to-Mali-conflict-differs-from-Syrian-Libyan-crises/articleshow/18339690.cms
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Akbaruddin Owaisi's voice recorded, custody extended
Feb 5, 2013
HYDERABAD: Forensic experts recorded the voice of MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi in a court, which also extended his judicial custody till February 19 in a hate speech case.
Experts of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory recorded the legislator's voice as he has reportedly claimed during the interrogation that the voice in the video footage of his speech is not his.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Akbaruddin-Owaisis-voice-recorded-custody-extended/articleshow/18348870.cms
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Painting exhibition faces the wrath of VHP
5 February 2013
The paintings are offensive showing women in poor light, says VHP spokesperson
Barely days after the controversy surrounding Kamal Haasan’s movie Vishwaroopam rocked the world of cinema, a painting exhibition at the Delhi Art Gallery in Hauz Khas village here on Monday was targeted by activists of Durga Vahini, women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, who disrupted the private show for sometime.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/painting-exhibition-faces-the-wrath-of-vhp/article4379463.ece
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Medicos should be generous, tolerant towards patient: Abdul Kalam
Feb 04 2013
Hyderabad : Generosity, ethics, tolerance and pure concentration on patient are among the virtues medical professionals should possess, former President A P J Abdul Kalam said on Monday.
Talking about a book written by a monk, who is also a medical researcher, he said the book gives six virtues that empower the medical professionals with a human heart.
They include - generosity, pure ethics, tolerance, perseverance, cultivating pure concentration on patient and intelligence.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/medicos-should-be-generous-tolerant-towards-patient-abdul-kalam/1069212/
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2008 Malegaon blasts: NIA opposes Sadhvi Pragya Singh's bail
Feb 5, 2013
MUMBAI: National Investigation Agency, probing the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, today told the Bombay High Court that it was opposing the bail plea of prime accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur who has sought the relief on medical ground.
Sadhvi who was diagnosed with cancer last year had sought bail on medical ground to undergo treatment.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2008-Malegaon-blasts-NIA-opposes-Sadhvi-Pragya-Singhs-bail/articleshow/18352103.cms
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2002 riots: Governor forwards former DG's representation to govt
By Saeed Khan
Feb 5, 2013
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat governor Dr Kamla has forwarded a letter dashed off by former DGP R B Sreekumar to the state government for appropriate action. In his letter to the governor on December 9, the former top cop had sought punitive action against certain officers who failed to perform their duty during the 2002 riots.
Sreekumar said that he received a communiqué from the governor's office saying that it has forwarded his representation demanding punitive departmental action against officers that failed to implement Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2002-riots-Governor-forwards-former-DGs-representation-to-govt/articleshow/18347873.cms
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Released from jail, 70-year-old Afghan national awaits freedom
Feb 5, 2013
JAIPUR: A 70-year-old Afghan national is stranded in India for over two years even after completing his jail term. Concerned over his deteriorating health, the family members of the man, Mir Vaiz, are running from pillar-to-post to get him released from a detention centre in Alwar town. He has completed 14 years behind bars against his 12-year-long prison sentence, but his freedom has got entangled in a maze of formalities that are yet to be completed by the government.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Released-from-jail-70-year-old-Afghan-national-awaits-freedom/articleshow/18341091.cms
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South Asia
Sri Lanka bans sending maids to Saudi Arabia
Feb 05 2013
Dubai : Sri Lanka has suspended sending maids to work in Saudi Arabia, following an international outcry over the beheading of a young Lankan housemaid in the Kingdom.
The Chairman of Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) said that the government had decided to suspend sending domestic maids to Saudi Arabia until the maids are provided with an insurance cover by the Saudi authorities.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sri-lanka-bans-sending-maids-to-saudi-arabia/1069676/
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Protectors of war criminals committing same crime: PM
5 February 2013
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday warned of stern action against the persons creating anarchy in the name of movement to protect the war criminals.
"The persons who are unleashing destructive activities in the name of movement to protect the figures involved in crimes against humanity in 1971, are equally committing the same crimes," she said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44577
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Crash kills 16 Bangladeshis in Abu Dhabi
5 February 2013
At least 16 Bangladeshis died in a terrible road crash that claimed 22 lives and injured 25 others at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates yesterday, police and Bangladesh embassy officials in the UAE said.
Latiful Haque, a labour councillor at Bangladesh mission there, told The Daily Star over the phone that they had identified 16 of the dead as Bangladeshis and one as an Indian.
He suspected the rest too were Bangladeshis.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=267868
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Karzai urges Western withdrawal
February 05, 2013
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has questioned whether western troops were "fighting in the wrong place" during their decade-long mission in Afghanistan, saying security was better in southern Helmand province before the arrival of British forces.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/Karzai-urges-Western-withdrawal/Article1-1006359.aspx
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Bangladesh politician sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes
Feb 5, 2013
DHAKA: A Bangladeshi court sentenced a senior Islamist opposition leader to life in prison on Tuesday for mass murder and crimes against humanity during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
Abdul Quader Molla, 64, the fourth highest ranked leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, is the first politician to be found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal, a much-criticised domestic court based in Dhaka.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Bangladesh-politician-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-for-war-crimes/articleshow/18347511.cms
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Urdu and Japan: a relationship of red blooms and green fragrance
Rauf Parekh
2013/02/04
Among foreign nationals who have written about, and in Urdu, the Japanese stand head and shoulders above the rest. For more than 100 years, people in Japan have been learning and teaching Urdu as a foreign language.
In the promotion of Urdu, the role of university teachers has been instrumental. Prof Gamou Reiichi, who is known as Japan’s Baba-i-Urdu, was the one to plant Urdu’s exotic sapling in Japanese soil. The sapling was tended lovingly by Prof Suzuki Takashi, a pupil of Prof Reiichi’s, and other scholars such as Prof Hiroji Kataoka, Prof Asada Yutaka, and Prof Hiroshi Hagita made sure that this alien plant kept blooming and bearing fruit. Teachers from the latter generation who worked for the promotion include Prof So Yamane, Prof T. Matsumura, Prof Hiroshi Kankagaya and Prof Kensaku Mamiya.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/04/urdu-and-japan-a-relationship-of-red-blooms-and-green-fragrance/
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North America
US Suspected Of Buying Iranian Oil
By: Shabbir H. Kazmi
February 4, 2013
There is consensus that super powers violate globally agreed policies, when their own interest is at stake. Though, one can come up with a long list of such policy violations, stories of world’s leading economies defying economic sanctions imposed on Iran have started appearing as headlines in global media.
The latest story publish in Eurasia Review has raised suspicions that even United States, the mastermind of these sanctions was involved in buying Iranian oil. The expected copybook reply could be “We placed order with an exporter and were not aware that the load was blended with oil of Iranian origin.”
Full report at:
http://www.eurasiareview.com/04022013-us-suspected-of-buying-iranian-oil/
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In Guantanamo, War on Human Rights Passes for War on Terror
By John Goss
Feb 4, 2013
What has the US military done to Shaker Aamer? Have they tortured him so badly they dare not release him in case he discloses the nature of these abuses? Shaker (pronounced Shacker) is a sick man. Why is he the only British subject still in Guantanamo Bay concentration camp? Clearly he has not committed any crime or he would have been brought to trial. At least that is how justice used to be done in the United States and in the United Kingdom.
Full report at:
http://newsjunkiepost.com/2013/02/04/in-guantanamo-war-on-human-rights-passes-for-war-on-terror/
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US drone strikes: Memo reveals case for killing Americans
5 February 2013
The legal basis for using drone strikes to kill US citizens has been disclosed in a leaked Justice Department memo.
US officials can authorise the killing of Americans abroad if they are leaders of al-Qaeda or its allies, according to the document obtained by NBC News.
Lethal force is lawful if they are judged to pose an "imminent threat" and their capture is not feasible, it adds.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21333570
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US Navy SEAL who killed 150 in Iraq shot dead in Texas
4 February 2013
WASHINGTON: A former US Navy SEAL sniper credited with killing more than 150 insurgents in Iraq has been shot to death at a firing range in Texas.
The death of Chris Kyle, 38, was confirmed by FITCO Cares, a foundation he helped start that worked with returning soldiers to help them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/us-sniper-who-killed-150-iraq-shot-dead-0
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US suspends Kam Air ban as Afghanistan probes opium claim
Feb 5, 2013
KABUL: The United States has suspended its blacklisting of Kam Air after the Afghan government promised an investigation into claims of opium trafficking by the airline, Nato's coalition force in Afghanistan ISAF announced on Monday.
A statement from ISAF said: "The Afghan government has agreed to conduct a full investigation of Kam Air and, if warranted, to take further action."
In return, the US "will support the Afghan government's investigation by providing evidence and documents as required," it said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-suspends-Kam-Air-ban-as-Afghanistan-probes-opium-claim/articleshow/18343139.cms
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Former heavy weight boxing champion Md Ali critical, daughter said it’s a rumour
New Age Islam News Bureau
February 5, 2013
Legendary boxer and former heavy weight champion Md Ali is seriously and has been admitted to Arizona Hospital in a critical condition. He has been suffering from dehydration and weakness. His brother Rahman told the media that Ali was so ill that the chances of his survival are minimal. However, his daughter Laila Ali dispelled said that his father was not critically ill and said that the news about his being critically ill was only a rumour. She said she talked to her father in the morning and he was fine.
His brother Rahmand Ali said that Md Ali told him not to be sad about him as he had achieved everything he had wanted in life.
However, Rahman said he did had not seen his brother since last summer and had not contact with the family.
Md Ali’s daughter said that her father was at home and she talked to him on Sunday and he told him he was watching Super Bowl at home in Arizona, wearing a Baltimore Ravens jersey.
However, Rahman Ali quoted Md Ali as saying, 'I've achieved everything I've ever wanted to accomplish. Don't cry for me, I'm in no pain.'
Md Ali has also reportedly said, “
Still gives minted Quotes although really ill - “Allah gave me this illness to remind me that I'm not number one, he is."
His fans have created an account on twitter pray4ali and have expressed their deep anguish and sadness on his illness.
Md Ali’s fan Tahmid said, “Sad to hear about Muhammad ali, such an inspirational figure for so many.”
Other fan Nafisahh said, “ When people like Md Ali come to this world, give's you a reason to why living is so good.”
Another fan urged him to defeat death. “Come on Ali you can win this last fight.”
Ali suffers from Parkinson's disease. Last month he celebrated his 71st birthday.
Md Ali has become a boxing legend and a cultural icon. Nicknamed "The Greatest", Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these were three with rival Joe Frazier, which are considered among the greatest in boxing history, and one with George Foreman, where he finally regained his stripped titles seven years later. Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, epitomized by his catchphrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", and employing techniques such as the Ali Shuffle and the rope-a-dope. Ali brought beauty and grace to the most uncompromising of sports and through the wonderful excesses of skill and character, he became the most famous athlete in the world. He was also known for his pre-match hype, where he would "trash talk" opponents, often with rhymes.
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Europe
UK targets Taliban with tiny drones
Feb 5, 2013
LONDON: United Kingdom on Monday revealed how the British troops in Afghanistan are the first to use a state-of-the-art hand-held nano surveillance helicopter. The size of a child's toy — measuring around 4 inches by 1 inch and weighing just 16gm, the Black Hornet Nano Unmanned Air Vehicle is providing British troops on the ground with vital situational awareness.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/UK-targets-Taliban-with-tiny-drones/articleshow/18343920.cms
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US, France agree on need to set up UN Mali force
February 5, 2013
PARIS: US Vice President Joe Biden hailed France’s “decisive” intervention in Mali on Monday and joined President Francois Hollande in calling for UN peacekeepers to be quickly deployed to the country.
On the first visit by a top US official since President Barack Obama’s inauguration last month, Biden also joined Hollande in vowing to keep up pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/502877/us-france-agree-on-need-to-set-up-un-mali-force/
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1,800 Chadian soldiers securing Mali's Kidal: France
5 February 2013
PARIS — About 1,800 Chadian soldiers have entered the northern Mali city of Kidal to "secure" what was the last stronghold of Islamist rebels, the French defence ministry said on Tuesday.
A ministry official said French forces, now numbering 4,000 in Mali, also took control and were securing the city's airport following paratrooper reinforcements.
Full report at: Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved.
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Mali future debated at Brussels meetin
5 February 2013
UN, European and African officials are due to meet in Brussels to discuss how to hold democratic elections in Mali in the summer.
They will also discuss the security and humanitarian situation in the wake of last year's coup and the current offensive against Islamist militants.
French and Malian forces are forcing back al-Qaeda-linked fighters who seized the vast north of the country.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21332208
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Join the peace process: UK PM to Taliban
Feb 04 2013
London : UK Prime Minister David Cameron today called on Taliban to join the peace process after he held a high-level peace talks with Afghan and Pakistani Presidents Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari.
The talks, to discuss peace process and prevent a Taliban resurgence when foreign troops withdraw from the war-torn country in 2014, featured top spy chiefs and military generals of the countries for the first time.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/join-the-peace-process-uk-pm-to-taliban/1069215/
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Southeast Asia
Front Member Gets 3.5-Month Prison Sentence for Vandalizing Ahmadiya Mosque
Jakarta Globe | February 05, 2013
A member of the Islamic Defenders Front has received a three-and-a-half-month prison sentence for vandalizing a mosque run by Ahmadiya devotees in Bandung, on the eve of Idul Adha last year.
The Bandung District Court found Muhammad Asep Abdurahman, a member of the organization known as FPI, guilty on Tuesday of vandalizing a mosque on the eve of Idul Adha on Oct. 25, 2012.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/fpi-member-gets-35-month-prison-sentence-for-vandalizing-ahmadiyah-mosque/569699
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Islamic authority imposing restrictions on non-Muslims in ‘Allah’ row, says interfaith group
By Debra Chong, Assistant News Editor
February 05, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — A non-Muslim interfaith group chided today the Selangor Islamic Council (MAIS) and a former top judge for trying to control the rights of Malaysia’s religious minorities in the tussle over “Allah”, which they said was against the country’s highest law.
The Malaysian Consultative Council Of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) was weighing in on recent statements issued by MAIS and ex-Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheik Abdul Halim, barring non-Muslims from calling their gods “Allah”.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/islamic-authority-imposing-restrictions-on-non-muslims-in-allah-row-says-interfaith-group/
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Unity Department D-G tells Malaysians to stop talking about ‘Allah’
By Boo Su-Lyn
February 04, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Putrajaya urged Malaysians today to refrain from discussing the controversy over the word “Allah” being used by non-Muslims to refer to their gods.
National Unity and Integration Department (NUID) director-general Datuk Azman Amin Hassan said that the contentious row should be left to the courts to resolve, referring to the federal government’s appeal against a 2009 High Court judgment that ruled “Allah” was not exclusive to Islam.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/unity-department-d-g-tells-malaysians-to-stop-talking-about-allah/
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Stop politicising ‘Allah’ issue, says Penang Malay Congress
By Opalyn Mok
February 05, 2013
GEORGE TOWN, Feb 5 — Politicians from both sides of the divide have been told to stop exploiting the “Allah” issue for political mileage.
“The ‘kalimah Allah’ is not an object or a brand that can be traded about for political gain,” said Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak (picture).
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/stop-politicising-allah-issue-says-penang-malay-congress/
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PKS graft case and the loss of moderate Islam in Indonesia
Syahrul Hidayat, Exeter, UK
February 05 2013
The latest corruption case revealed by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has shocked the country, largely because it involves the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which had no significant record of corruption.
More than that, the case involves one of the most respected symbols of the party; its chairman. Until recently, probity was a very significant selling point for the party in attracting voters.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/02/05/pks-graft-case-and-loss-moderate-islam-indonesia.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/four-ahmadi-printing-press-employees/d/10277