Hindu Wedding Bride Should Be Allowed To Leave Islam, Perak Mufti Says
New Age Islam News Bureau
8
Jun 2014
Taliban Militants (File Photo)
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Southeast Asia
• Hindu Wedding Bride Should Be Allowed To Leave Islam, Perak Mufti Says
• After Hindu wedding raid, Putrajaya vows to resolve conversion spat
• Minister: Malaysia praised for arrests of foreign militants
Arab World
• Egypt Unlicensed Preachers Banned To Curb Islamist Influence
• Double bombing at party office kills 19 in Iraq
• Bombs kill 52 as gunmen Storm University in Iraq
• Clashes Intensify between ISIL, Al-Nusra in Eastern Syria
• Beware of temporary marriage brokers when abroad, Saudi men told
• Al Sissi, Mansour sign pact on power handover
• In Syria’s ‘Berry Place,’ residents dodge bullets
• El-Sisi continues inauguration at Ittihadiya palace
• Syrian election paves way for post-war phase: Hezbollah
• Islamic Front tests its ‘elephant’ cannon
South Asia
• 74 Taliban Militants Killed In Counter-Terrorism Operations in Afghanistan
• 5 militants blown up by own explosives in Helmand
• Qayum Karzai endorses Dr. Ashraf Ghani in election runoff
Europe
• Ukraine Mufti Tells Muslims to Stay Out Of Civil War
• Kyrgyz Imams Call to End Ethnic Tensions
• Pope kicks off Mideast peace summit of prayer
• Jordan’s envoy nominated as new UN human rights chief
Africa
• 37 killed in east DR Congo church
• Cameroon forces kill 2 Boko Haram militants
• The Islamic Injunction on Violence And Killing, By Muslim Clerics
Pakistan
• Troops kill 10 suspected militants in Dera Bugti operation
• Eliminating militants may prove a task too big for NWA elders
• 32 more rockets fired by Pakistani military in Kunar province
• Gunmen shoot up NATO oil tanker in Balochistan
• Grand tribal jirga urges govt to stop unannounced operation in N Waziristan
• K-P govt reluctant to take action against extremists’ occupation of Hindu shrine
• Imran Khan took part in Musharraf’s fraud referendum: Minister
• PTI intends to spread chaos in country: Pervaiz Rashid
• Outrage in Pak after Facebook blocks page of vocal rock band
India
• After techie's killing, fear drives many in Pune to shun skull caps, Pathani suits
North America
• Obama’s views on Muslim terrorism fly in the face of reality: Report
• Doha to host US-Islamic World Forum
• Bergdahl says he was tortured by Taliban captors
Mideast
• Israeli, Palestinian presidents in unprecedented Vatican prayers
• Israel cabinet amends law to block Palestinian prisoner releases
• Quds marks anniversary of occupation with protests
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindu-wedding-bride-be-allowed/d/87419
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Southeast Asia
Hindu Wedding Bride Should Be Allowed To Leave Islam, Perak Mufti Says
8 June 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Zarinah Abdul Majid has found an unlikely supporter in Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria who said the 32-year-old should be allowed to change her religion from Islam to Hinduism on paper.
The religious scholar, who is famous for his hard-line views on Islam, said the courts, whether civil or Shariah should allow Zarinah to formally renounce Islam as she was raised as a Hindu.
“If the Shariah court says they have no jurisdiction, she can go to the civil court and make an oath,” Harussani told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Zarinah’s case came to light when Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) officials detained her in the midst of her Hindu wedding ceremony at a temple in Taman Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya, last Sunday, on suspicion that she, a Muslim, was marrying a non-Muslim according to non-Muslim rites.
Zarinah has claimed that she and her siblings were secretly converted by her Muslim convert father when they were children, but they have long been practising Hindus since their father divorced their mother and abandoned the family over 20 years ago.
The National Registration Department (NRD) reportedly said recently that if Muslims wished to leave the faith, they first need to seek permission from the Shariah Court before the department can proceed to change the religion in their identity card (IC).
NRD director-general Datuk Sulaiman Keling was also quoted yesterday by English daily The Star as saying that the department has never received an application by Zarinah to change her name or religious status.
But Zarinah has claimed otherwise. According to her, she had applied twice with the department for a change in her religious status but failed when she was told to obtain her father’s signature on the documents.
The Star has also reported Fatimah Abdullah, the stepmother of Zarinah’s father Abdul Majeed Gulam Kader, as saying that Zarinah’s mother used to take Zarinah and her siblings to a Hindu temple when they were young.
According to English daily’s report yesterday, Abdul Majeed said he would never permit his children to renounce Islam, pointing out that his estranged wife was converted to Islam upon their marriage then.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/hindu-wedding-bride-should-be-allowed-to-leave-islam-perak-mufti-says#sthash.WSkH23kY.dpuf
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After Hindu wedding raid, Putrajaya vows to resolve conversion spat
8 June 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Putrajaya is committed to finding a solution to the latest row involving faith conversions in the country, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said today, following the uproar over last week’s raid by religious authorities at a Hindu wedding.
The Minister in Prime Minister's Department said that the Cabinet discussed the quandary in its meeting last week and is "looking at the issue from all aspects".
"The government will never give up in looking to this problem and settling this problem," he told a press conference here.
Kurup was commenting on the recent spat over the religious status of Zarinah Abdul Majid, 32, whose wedding was disrupted by Islamic enforcers last weekend.
Enforcers from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raided the event after receiving a tip-off that Zarinah, a Muslim, was getting married to a Hindu according to Hindu marriage rites.
Marriage between a Muslim and non-Muslim is prohibited under the state's Islamic legislation.
Kurup conceded that Putrajaya has not does have an immediate plan to settle the controversy as it needs to consult "all the stakeholders" before moving ahead.
"What we discussed is to find ways and means on how to settle this problem; it is not to make an immediate solution.
"There is nothing concrete yet but that doesn't mean the problem has passed us by," he insisted.
Jais officials detained Zarinah in the midst of her Hindu wedding ceremony at a temple in Petaling Jaya for interrogation and has also probed her mother, who is believed to be Hindu.
They are being investigated under Section 10 of the Shariah Criminal Enactment (Selangor) 1995, for insulting or bringing disrepute to Islam.
Zarinah has claimed that she and her siblings were secretly converted by her Muslim convert father when they were children, but they have long been practising Hindus since their father divorced their mother and abandoned the family over 20 years ago.
According to her, she had applied twice - in 2007 and again in 2013 - with the National Registration Department (NRD) for a change in her religious status but failed when she was told to obtain her father’s signature on the documents.
But NRD director-general Datuk Sulaiman Keling was quoted yesterday by The Star as saying that the department has never received an application by Zarinah to change her name or religious status.
The Star has also reported Fatimah Abdullah, the stepmother of Zarinah’s father Abdul Majeed Gulam Kader, as saying that Zarinah’s mother used to take Zarinah and her siblings to a Hindu temple when they were young.
According to English daily’s report yesterday, Abdul Majeed said he would never permit his children to renounce Islam, pointing out that his estranged wife was converted to Islam upon their marriage then.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang had proposed that the government moot a cabinet committee to fast-track claims of wrongful conversions.
Kurup said the view, together with other collective suggestions, will be taken into account “as long as it leads to resolving the problems we are facing at hand”.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/after-hindu-wedding-raid-putrajaya-vows-to-resolve-conversion-spat#sthash.UgPEp2Rf.dpuf
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Minister: Malaysia praised for arrests of foreign militants
8 June 2014
BALING, June 8 — Malaysia has not drawn flak for arresting foreign nationals involved with international terrorist activities in the country, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Instead, Malaysia has been praised for the decisive actions taken to protect the safety of its people and the world, he said.
The Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), especially the Special Branch, does not tolerate criminal activities committed by any triads or militant organisations that can be detrimental to Malaysia’s security.
“I assure you the police and the Special Branch will strictly instil the responsibility to combat crime and local violence and curb infiltration by foreign militants who have made Malaysia their base,” he told reporters during his visit to the Baling district police headquarters here, today.
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/minister-malaysia-praised-for-arrests-of-foreign-militants#sthash.YkLx2JXI.dpuf
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Arab World
Egypt Unlicensed Preachers Banned To Curb Islamist Influence
8 June 2014
Egypt has banned unauthorized preachers from giving sermons or teaching Islam in mosques and other public places, according to a decree on Saturday marking a further step in official efforts to curb Islamist influence.
The decree issued by interim President Adly Mansour’s office also threatened fines and jail for freelance imams, especially if they wore clerical garments associated with the respected al-Azhar centre of Sunni learning in Cairo.
Selected employees of the religious endowments ministry will be empowered by the justice ministry to arrest anyone caught violating the decree, it added.
“No preacher will mount a Membar next Friday without a permit,” the ministry said on its Facebook page, referring to the traditional raised pulpit in a mosque. The decision was taken to “preserve national security,” it said.
The military-backed government sees mosques as recruiting grounds for Islamist parties and has moved to bring them under tighter control since the army toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood last July.
It said in April it had licensed more than 17,000 state-approved clerics to give Friday sermons to stop mosques from falling “into the hands of extremists.” It also disclosed it had removed 12,000 unapproved preachers.
Many Egyptians pray at small neighborhood mosques beyond the control of the state, where outsiders can easily move in to take over and preach their brand of Islam.
Fines and jail
The Muslim Brotherhood, until last year Egypt’s best-organized movement, has been driven underground, with most of its leaders in jail or in hiding. It denies any involvement in lethal attacks on security forces since Mursi’s overthrow.
According to the decree, “only designated specialists at the Ministry of Religious Endowments and authorized preachers from al-Azhar shall be permitted to practice public preaching and religious lessons in mosques or similar public places.”
Only al-Azhar officials and graduates as well preachers from the ministry or the grand mufti’s office will be allowed to wear the trademark “turban” - a red hat with a white cloth band - and robes that designate an al-Azhar cleric, it said.
Unauthorized preachers face fines jail terms up to a year and fines up to 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($7,000). Wearing or denigrating al-Azhar garments in any way will carry similar penalties, it added.
Galal Mora, secretary-general of the Nour Party, an Islamist group that backed the army’s removal of Mursi, told Reuters the group approved of the law and urged respect for it.
The religious endowments ministry has been keeping a close eye on authorized imams as well. The state news agency MENA reported on Saturday that it had removed three government appointed imams from their positions in Minya province.
Accused of mixing religion and politics, the men will be switched to administrative jobs and be banned from giving Friday sermons, it said.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s worldwide website, which still operates despite the clampdown on the movement in Egypt, protested against the removal of the three imams.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/07/Egypt-bans-unlicensed-preachers-tightens-grip-on-mosques.html
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Double bombing at party office kills 19 in Iraq
8 June 2014
Authorities in Iraq say a double bombing at a Kurdish party office has killed 19 people in a town northeast of Baghdad.
Police officials say the attack took place Sunday morning when a suicide bomber set off his explosive vest at the gate of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan office in Jalula, 125 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Baghdad.
Minutes later, a car bomb exploded near the building as security forces arrived to inspect the scene of the first blast. Police put the death toll for both explosions at 13 killed and 60 wounded.
Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/08/Double-bombing-at-party-office-kills-13-in-Iraq.html
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Bombs kill 52 as gunmen Storm University in Iraq
June 08, 2014
BAGHDAD: A series of car bombs exploded across Iraq's capital Saturday night, killing at least 52 people in a day of violence that saw militants storm a university in the country's restive Anbar province and take dozens hostage, authorities said.
The attacks in Baghdad largely focused on Shiite neighborhoods, underscoring the sectarian violence now striking at Iraq years after a similar wave nearly tore the country apart following the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Now with U.S. troops gone, Iraq founds itself fighting on fronts across the country, as separate clashes in a northern city killed 21 police officers and 38 militants, officials said.
The first Baghdad attack took place Saturday night in the capital's western Baiyaa district, killing nine people and wounding 22, police said. Later on, seven car bombs in different parts of Baghdad killed at least 41 people and wounded 62, police said. A roadside bomb in western Baghdad also killed two people and wounded six, police said. All the attacks happened in a one-hour period and largely targeted commercial streets in Shiite neighborhoods, authorities said.
Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details to journalists.
The day began with militants killing three police officers on guard at the gates of Anbar University, a police and a military official said. Islamic extremists and other anti-government militias have held parts of Anbar's nearby provincial capital of Ramadi and the city of Fallujah since December amid rising tensions between Sunnis and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.
The gunmen detained dozens of students inside a university dorm during their attack, the officials said. Sabah Karhout, the head of Anbar's provincial council, told journalists that hundreds of students were inside the university compound when the attack started at the school. Anbar University says it has more than 10,000 students, making it one of the country's largest.
Ahmed al-Mehamdi, a student who was taken hostage, said he awoke to the crackle of gunfire, looked out the window and saw armed men dressed in black running across the campus. Minutes later, the gunmen entered the dormitory and ordered everybody to stay in their rooms while taking others away, he said.
The Shiite students at the school were terrified, Mehamdi said, as the gunmen identified themselves as belonging to an Al-Qaeda splinter group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria. The Sunni terror group, fighting in Syria with other rebels trying to topple President Bashar Assad, is known for massive, bloody attacks in Iraq as well often targeting Shiites that they view as heretics.
The Islamic State did not immediately claim the attack on the school.
Several hours later, gunmen left the university under unclear circumstances. Students then boarded buses provided by the local government to flee the school, though gunfire erupted as security forces attacked retreating militants, police said.
"We thank God that this crisis ended almost peacefully and no student was hurt as far as I know," Mehamdi said.
Security officials said authorities wanted to wait for bomb disposal experts before entering any building on campus out of fears that the fleeing gunmen planted explosives. Government forces also came under sniper fire, officials said.
"Not a single student or a university staff member was hurt during the raid. All of them went home and their ordeal is over," Karhout said.
Meanwhile in the northern city of Mosul, clashes continued Saturday for a second day between security forces and Sunni militants trying to seize neighborhoods there. Police and morgue officials said that fighting since dawn Saturday killed 21 police officers and 38 militants.
Al-Qaeda-linked fighters and their allies seized Fallujah and parts of Ramadi in late December after authorities dismantled a protest camp of Sunnis angry at what they consider their second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government. Fearful of setting off violence, security forces withdrew from the area, allowing militants to seize the cities. In April 2013, a similar dismantling of a Sunni protest camp in Hawija sparked violent clashes and set off the current upsurge in killing.
The government and its tribal allies are besieging the rebel-held areas, with fighting reported daily. Tens of thousands have fled the violence.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jun-08/259283-bombs-kill-52-as-gunmen-storm-university-in-iraq.ashx#ixzz346cJi1YQ
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Clashes Intensify between ISIL, Al-Nusra in Eastern Syria
8 June 2014
The Al-Qaeda-linked rival groups continued their fierce clashes in the Eastern parts of Syria as reports said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has intensified its attacks on rival Al-Qaeda group, the Al-Nusra Front.
The clashes intensified between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Al-Nusra Front in Al-Salehiya town in the Northern parts of Deir Ezzur, specially in Al-Halabiya Square.
Reports said the ISIL is pushing back the Al-Nusra from its positions, inflicting repeated defeats and huge losses on the rival group.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930318000466
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Beware of temporary marriage brokers when abroad, Saudi men told
June 08, 2014
RIYADH — The Saudi Charitable Society for the Welfare of Saudi Families Abroad (Awaser) has warned citizens traveling abroad against brokers of temporary marriages who may be waiting for them at the airports.
"The Saudi and GCC travelers should be watchful for the advocates of temporary marriages who are stationed at a number of European and Asian airports," the society's chairman Tawfiq Al-Suwailem told Al-Hayat newspaper.
He said the number of such brokers increases, especially during the school summer vacations.
"We are making efforts to protect Saudi citizens against falling prey to these incorrect types of marriages promoted by these brokers," he added.
Al-Suwailem warned temporary marriages would have many negative effects, including the possible refusal of Saudi fathers to look after any children they may produce as a result.
He pointed out that the society had detected a number of temporary marriages that took place during the school summer vacations.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140608207725
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Al Sissi, Mansour sign pact on power handover
8 June 2014
Cairo: Egypt's new president Abdul Fattah Al Sissi and outgoing caretaker president Adly Mansour Sunday signed a document on power handover, in an unprecedented move in the country.
Both leaders signed the pact in the presence of several heads of states and world delegations at an inauguration ceremony held in the Ittihadiya presidential place in eastern Cairo.
Mansour, a former top judge, took office on July 4, a day after Al Sissi, the then defence minister, led the army's ouster of Islamist president Mohammad Mursi.
Al Sissi won an overwhelming victory in last month's two-candidate elections, securing nearly 97 per cent of the votes cast.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/egypt/al-sissi-mansour-sign-pact-on-power-handover-1.1344268
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In Syria’s ‘Berry Place,’ residents dodge bullets
8 June 2014
Damascus: The Damascus neighbourhood is known as Berry Place, but its bucolic name hides its difficult reality — it is the front line between rebels and soldiers loyal to President Bashar Al Assad.
The area is an island in the eastern district of Jobar, where rebels hold the east and the army controls the west.
On the two streets on the edge of the regime-held portion, lined with modest one-storey homes, children play, shouting and laughing, their voices occasionally drowned out by the rumble of artillery or the crack of a sniper’s rifle.
“They [the rebels] threatened us to try to make us flee but we have stayed despite the bombings,” said Umm Emad Al Masri, a woman in her forties in a black robe and turquoise headscarf.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/syria/in-syria-s-berry-place-residents-dodge-bullets-1.1344493
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El-Sisi continues inauguration at Ittihadiya palace
8 June 2014
Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has arrived at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Heliopolis for the second stage of his inauguration as president.
The former president, Adly Mansour, will hand over power to the new leader.
Both Mansour and El-Sisi will address the public during the ceremony.
El-Sisi earlier took the presidential oath of office at the Supreme Constitutional Court.
The ceremony at Ittihadiya will be attended by at least 45 Arab and international figures, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.
Among the guests are King Abdullah of Jordan, Crown Prince Salman Ibn Abdel-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohamed Ibn Ziad of UAE, King Hamd of Bahrain as well the presidents of Chad, Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea.
The ceremony at Ittihadiya will be followed by another ceremony this evening at the Al-Quba presidential palace.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/103172/Egypt/Politics-/ElSisi-continues-inauguration-at-Ittihadiya-palace.aspx
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Syrian election paves way for postwar phase: Hezbollah
June 08, 2014
BEIRUT: Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said Sunday that the recent Syrian presidential election paved way for the postwar phase as he reiterated the call to elect a Lebanese president as soon as possible.
“The Syrian presidential election lays the foundation for the postwar phase, and we are now in a new stage in the challenge against the plot to bring down the resistance in Syria,” he said.
“What happened [in the presidential election] is a triumph to the axis of the resistance and to Syria,” he said, in reference President Bashar Assad's victory in last week's election.
He said that the United States was now confused after it lost its bet in Syria.
“They now do not know what to do, the United States now does not know what to do and what it wants,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Jun-08/259318-syrian-election-paves-way-for-postwar-phase-hezbollah.ashx#ixzz346btt2Z8
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Islamic Front tests its ‘elephant’ cannon
June 08, 2014
BEIRUT: A leading Islamist militia has conducted the first test of a home-made cannon it calls the “elephant.”
The test was featured in a video posted to YouTube Thursday by the Islam Army, one of seven groups making up the Islamic Front, which is believed to be the largest grouping of fighting networks in the ranks of rebels seeking to oust President Bashar Assad.
The test was purportedly conducted in the Damascus suburb of Adra, and shows the cannon fire a large projectile at an undisclosed location.
The nearly upright cannon appears to be approximately 3 meters high, with the projectile fired adding at least another meter to the height of the device. The narrator of the video says it was manufactured by the “Islamic Defense Factories.”
The Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria that is often allied with the Islamic Front, last month announced that it had established its own manufacturing industry for war materiel.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jun-07/259232-islamic-front-tests-its-elephant-cannon.ashx#ixzz346c7we5t
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South Asia
74 Taliban Militants Killed In Counter-Terrorism Operations in Afghanistan
8 June 2014
At least 74 Taliban militants were killed following counter-terrorism operations in various provinces of Afghanistan in the past 24 hours.
The Interior Ministry of Afghanistan following a statement said the operations were jointly conducted by Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army and Afghan Intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) operatives.
The statement further added that the operations were conducted in Kunar, Kunduz, Zabul, Maidan Wardak, Paktia, Paktika, Herat and Helmand provinces.
At least 23 Taliban militants were also injured and 3 others were detained during the operations, interior ministry said, adding that Afghan security forces also confiscated various types of light and heavy weapons along with ammunition and explosives.
Interior Ministry also added that Afghan police forces discovered and seized 10 improvised explosive device (IED) during operations in Nangarhar, Kunduz, Ghazni, Khost, Herat and Helmand provinces.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
http://www.khaama.com/74-taliban-militants-killed-in-counter-terrorism-operations-8231
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5 militants blown up by own explosives in Helmand
8 June 2014
At least five militants were blown up by their own explosives in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan.
The incident took place in Sangin district on Saturday while the militants were looking to plant improvised explosive device (IED).
Interior ministry said the militants were planting the IED on main Sangin when it went off, leaving five mine planters dead.
The officials further added that police forces discovered and confiscated ten improvised explosive device (IED) from Nangarhar, Kunduz, Ghazni, Khost, Herat and Helmand provinces.
Interior ministry condemned the use of improvised explosive device (IED) by militant groups and said the IEDs mainly incur casualties to ordinary civilians.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
http://www.khaama.com/5-militants-blown-up-by-own-explosives-in-helmand-8235
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Qayum Karzai endorses Dr. Ashraf Ghani in election runoff
8 June 2014
Qayum Karzai, the elder brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday announced his support to Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai during the second rund of election.
The announcement was made during a gathering in Kabul Intercontinental Hotel. He had withdrawn from the first round of election in favor of Zalmai Rassoul.
Karzai said it is important to take decisions considering the standards and called on Afghan people to have vast participation in election runoff.
Dr. Ghani welcomed Qayum Karzai’s support to transformation and continuity team and said they have agreed to jointly serve Afghanistan and build a better future for Afghan people.
He said our first commitment is to bring stability in the country and build a government in which people are empowered.
A number of Afghan lawmakers and Ishaqzai tribe in southern Kandahar province also announced their support to Dr. Ghani.
http://www.khaama.com/qayum-karzai-endoses-dr-ashraf-ghani-in-election-runoff-8233
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Europe
Ukraine mufti tells Muslims to stay out of civil war
World Bulletin / News Desk
8 June 2014
The Muslim leader of Ukraine, Said Ismagov, has urged Muslims to stay out of the Ukraine crisis amid reports of the developing civil war attracting both pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian fighters from around the world.
Ismagoc, who is the head mufti of the Committee of Muslims of Ukraine, wrote on Facebook, “Just take your ‘soldiers of fortune’ by hand and say strictly: There is nothing to do in Ukraine!”
“Everything is good in Ukraine, you cannot even imagine how well things are here! We all find a place in the sun and ground under our feet. We never faced any Muslim massacres, murder of imams or ethnic cleansing. We built mosques anywhere we wanted and they were never destroyed,” he added.
“The Holy Quran and its translations were never banned. We published Muslim newspapers, expressing our opinion without any censorship,” Ismagov noted.
“Muslims in Ukraine are an integral part of the country, part of its common history. We feel like home in Ukraine. It is our homeland.”
“We were free to practice Islam, perform prayers and fast during the Holy Ramadan. Moreover, there is plenty of ethnic Ukrainians who converted to Islam. Everything is good in Ukraine. Don’t come here to fight against us,” he conluded.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/138450/ukraine-mufti-tells-muslims-to-stay-out-of-civil-war
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Kyrgyz imams call to end ethnic tensions
World Bulletin / News Desk
8 June 2014
On Friday, Muslim scholars all over Kyrgyzstan gave sermons at the Islamic congregational prayers, calling their countrymen to bring an end to ethnic violence in the central Asian state.
The day earlier Kyrgyzstan's Grand Mufti Maksatbek Hajji Toktomushev had told imams in the country to focus their sermons on the topic of Islamic teachings about brotherly relations between all Muslims until June 13.
Precisely four years ago, ethnic clashes between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz citizens left more than 400 people dead in the southern regions of Osh and Jalal-Abad following the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
Tensions have remained high ever since, with protests continuing for the release of detained former parliamentary speaker and aide of Bakiyev, Akmatbek Keldibekov.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/muslim-world/138454/kyrgyz-imams-call-to-end-ethnic-tensions
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Pope kicks off Mideast peace summit of prayer
8 June 2014
Vatican officials insist no political agenda is lurking behind Pope Francis’ invitation to the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to pray for peace together in the Vatican gardens.
They say no concrete initiatives are expected.
But Sunday’s unusual summit - with Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers intoned in the shadow of St. Peter’s Basilica - could take on great significance on the ground. And it will certainly enhance Francis’ reputation as a leader unhindered by diplomatic and theological protocol who is willing to take risks for the sake of peace.
“Peace is a gift of God, but requires our efforts. Let us be people of peace in prayer and deed,” Francis tweeted. “Prayer is all-powerful. Let us use it to bring peace to the Middle East and peace to the world.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/08/Pope-kicks-off-Mideast-peace-summit-of-prayer.html
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Jordan’s envoy nominated as new UN human rights chief
June 08, 2014
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has proposed Jordan’s UN ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, to replace Navi Pillay, a harsh critic of Israel’s policies in occupied Arab territories, as the United Nations’ human rights chief based in Geneva, according to an official announcement on Friday evening.
Pillay, a South African jurist who in 2012 was given an abbreviated second term of only two years due to criticism of the United States, which protested her denunciations of Israel, according to UN diplomats.
Prince Zeid’s nomination will now go before the 193-nation UN General Assembly for approval. Prince Zeid, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Cambridge University, has previously served as Jordan’s ambassador to the United States and Mexico.
He was also a political affairs officer in UNPROFOR, the UN peacekeeping mission in the former Yugoslavia during the Balkan conflict.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/international/08-Jun-2014/jordan-s-envoy-nominated-as-new-un-human-rights-chief
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Africa
37 killed in east DR Congo church
June 08, 2014
KINSHASA - Armed men burst into a church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo overnight, killing more than 37 people including women and children, local sources said Saturday.
The sources said the victims were ethnic Bafuliru and were spending the night in the church in the South Kivu province after a meeting.
In all, “eight men, 14 women, 10 children and a soldier” were killed, a local councillor said, adding that 28 people were wounded.
South Kivu’s Interior Minister Jean-Julien Miruho told AFP that the attack was likely a revenge killing over cattle raids in the region.
“It is a problem of (stolen) cattle, and one side went to seek revenge,” he said. Local sources also confirmed that there had been a problem of stolen cattle in the region.
The identities of the assailants are unclear but the Bafuliru people have been in conflict with the Barundi ethnic group for years over property and custom issues.
http://www.nation.com.pk/international/08-Jun-2014/37-killed-in-east-dr-congo-church
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Cameroon forces kill 2 Boko Haram militants
World Bulletin/News Desk
8 June 2014
Suspected Boko Haram militants from Nigeria attacked a town in Cameroon's far north on Saturday but local security forces fought them off, killing at least two gunmen, Cameroon's government said.
Cameroon recently deployed 1,000 troops to the far north and the attack in the Mayo Tsanaga Division in the Far North Region is the latest in a series of clashes between Cameroon security forces and the group.
Cameroon government spokesperson Issa Tchiroma Bakary said a raid was carried out early on Saturday morning by 50 well-armed gunmen believed to be members of Boko Haram.
"Our defence and security forces fought back immediately. (They) killed two of the assailants, seized one of their vehicles and a Kalashnikov war weapon, forcing them to run back crossing the border into the Nigerian territory," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/138498/cameroon-forces-kill-2-boko-haram-militants
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The Islamic Injunction On Violence And Killing, By Muslim Clerics
8 June 2014
The abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls on April 15, 2014 from their hostel in Borno State by the Boko Haram sect has raised serious security challenges. This outrageous act has put every well-meaning Nigerian on his or her toes. Churches and mosques have embarked on prayers, fasting and rallied all in an attempt to uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the girls. On its part, the Federal government has invited the international community to also assist. Many Nigerians, especially in the Northeastern part of the country now sleep with one eye closed. As everyone is making frantic effort to find lasting solution to the problem, which many believed is politically-motivated, it is pertinent to ask: what is the Islamic injunction on violence and killing in the name of God? What is the quality of teaching issued out to members by Muslim clerics and how do adherents understand the message? Does Islam encourage ‘forced marriage’ and human trafficking? CHRIS IREKAMBA and PAUL ADUNWOKE took these questions to some Muslim clerics for clarification.
Full report at:
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/features/ibru-ecumenical/164900-the-islamic-injunction-on-violence-and-killing-by-muslim-clerics
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Pakistan
Troops kill 10 suspected militants in Dera Bugti operation
8 June 2014
QUETTA: Paramilitary forces Sunday killed more than 10 alleged militants in violence-stricken Balochistan as part of a fresh operation to quell a long-running insurgency, officials said.
The operation in Dera Bugti district's Gandyari town, 250 kilometres (150 miles) southeast of the capital Quetta, came just three days after troops killed 30 suspected militants in the same area.
Officials said the town, close to the borders of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces, was the hub of the separatist movement carrying out attacks on trains, bridges and security forces.
“We can confirm that 10 militants of the outlawed Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) have been killed in an operation in Gandyari today,” Manzoor Ahmed, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan, told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1111391/troops-kill-10-suspected-militants-in-dera-bugti-operation
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Eliminating militants may prove a task too big for NWA elders
8 June 2014
PESHAWAR: Finally, the elders of Utmanzai tribe of North Waziristan Agency have been tasked to take the bull by the horns within 15 days. The helpless non-combatant residents have to eliminate hardcore foreign fighters from the area.
A mission which could not be fully accomplished by over one division army, thousands of paramilitary troops of the Frontier Corps and big spy network in over eight years has now been handed over to civilians to take on these well-trained fighters. Even US drones could not deter these foreign and local militants.
In other words, the state passed the buck to the people of Utmanzai tribe who have badly suffered physically, mentally, socially and economically because of the eight years long volatile situation in the area.
Provision of security to its citizens is the prime responsibility of the state and the government, but taking advantage of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan and Corps Commander Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani gave the task to the tribesmen.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1111340/eliminating-militants-may-prove-a-task-too-big-for-nwa-elders
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32 more rockets fired by Pakistani military in Kunar province
8 June 2014
The Pakistan military fired 32 more rockets in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan in the latest wave of cross-border shelling.
According to local government officials, the cross-border shelling started late Saturday and continued until early Sunday morning.
Provincial security chief, Gen. Abdul Habib Syed Khel said at least 32 rockets landed in Dangam district.
Gen. Syed Khel confirmed that the shelling did not incur any casualties to the local resident; however, he expressed concerns that the government has not taken any step to halt the shelling.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/32-more-rockets-fired-by-pakistani-military-in-kunar-province-8232
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Gunmen shoot up NATO oil tanker in Balochistan
June 8, 2014
QUETTA: Gunmen in Dera Murad Jamali on Sunday fired bullets at an oil tanker carrying fuel bound for Nato troops in Afghanistan, setting the vehicle and a car ablaze, police said.
The attack highlights the continuing dangers facing the US-led coalition as it winds down operations in Afghanistan with 51,000 combat troops due to pull out of the country by the year’s end.
Sunday’s incident occurred around 200 kilometres southeast of Quetta.
“Two gunmen riding a motorcycle intercepted a Nato oil tanker in Dera Murad Jamali city and fired bullets at it,” local police official Ali Gohar Lehri told AFP.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/719074/gunmen-shoot-up-nato-oil-tanker-near-quetta/
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Grand tribal jirga urges govt to stop unannounced operation in N Waziristan
June 7, 2014
PESHAWAR: A grand tribal jirga has requested the government to stop unannounced military operations in North Waziristan Agency, Express News reported on Saturday.
After ‘successful’ talks with the government in Peshawar, the jirga said most factions of the Taliban in North Waziristan have given the jirga a mandate to seek peace in the agency.
Further, the jirga urged all parties to establish peace in accordance to the peace agreement signed in 2006 while continuing efforts to resume peace talks. The jirga also requested for the relaxation of the curfew imposed in the agency.
A joint press release issued by the government and the jirga stated that the jirga will initiate dialogue with various factions of the Taliban upon its return to Bannu.
Earlier on June 6, a heated debate between the 65-member tribal jirga and Peshawar Corps Commander reached the conclusion that tribal elders will play their role in restoring peace in North Waziristan within 15 days.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/718703/grand-tribal-jirga-urges-govt-to-stop-unannounced-operation-in-n-waziristan/
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K-P govt reluctant to take action against local extremists’ illegal occupation of Hindu shrine
June 7, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is reluctant to take action against local extremists, who are occupying the land of Hindu shrine in district Karak.
Advocate General K-P Latif Yousufzai has submitted a report on behalf of Deputy Commissioner Karak in the Supreme Court over the alleged illegal occupation of Hindu shrine by local extremists in district Karak.
The provincial government in its report has expressed apprehension that Oil & Gas Exploration companies are in field at various places for symmetric survey, therefore, any action against the illegal occupation of Hindu shrine land will likely to aggravate the un-rest amongst the people under the influence of local Aalim Molana Muhammad Sharif, who is opposing the construction/eviction of Hindu temple.
Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a patron of Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), who has brought up the issue in the top court, said that he had informed the illegal occupation of Hindu Shrine to PTI chief Imran Khan, senior leader of PTI Shah Mahmood Quraishi and local MNA of PTI Nasir Khan but they did not taking action in this regard.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/718739/k-p-govt-reluctant-to-take-action-against-illegal-occupation-of-hindu-shrine/
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Imran Khan took part in Musharraf’s fraud referendum: Minister
June 08, 2014
ISLAMABAD- Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that Imran Khan participated in the fraud referendum and elections of 2002 held by Pervez Musharraf.
In a statement, he said in 2002 election, Imran Khan was given one seat in charity. “Imran should tell how he got 30 seats this time,” he asked. Khan invited PML-N’s criticism after holding a massive rally in Sialkot where he addressed thousands of his supporters on Saturday, calling upon the judiciary to investigate last year’s rigging in general elections.
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/08-Jun-2014/khan-took-part-in-musharraf-s-fraud-referendum-saad
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PTI intends to spread chaos in country: Pervaiz Rashid
June 08, 2014
ISLAMABAD- Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid has rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan's criticism of the PML-N government as unfounded.
In a statement, he said PTI is scared of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, because it knows that if he could make Pakistan a nuclear state, he could also turn the country into a strong economy bringing prosperity to the people. The Minister said PTI has failed to deliver in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in its one-year rule in the province so far. He said PTI wants to spread chaos and despondency in the country.
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/08-Jun-2014/pti-intends-to-spread-chaos-in-country-pervaiz-rashid
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Outrage in Pak after Facebook blocks page of vocal rock band
New York Times | London | June 8, 2014
Facebook said on Friday that it had blocked users in Pakistan from access to the pages of a popular Pakistani rock band and several left-wing political pages, drawing sharp criticism from free-speech activists who accused the American company of caving in to government censors.
Members of the band, Laal, whose members have frequently spoken out against the Taliban, confirmed that their Facebook page, which had over 400,000 “likes,” had been blocked.
Following an outcry on social media and inquiries by reporters to the Pakistani government and to Facebook, the government reversed itself and Facebook restored access to Laal’s page.
But advocates said late on Friday that at least six other Facebook pages that promoted progressive debate in Pakistan and that had been blocked during the week remained inaccessible.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/europe/outrage-in-pak-after-facebook-blocks-page-of-vocal-rock-band/
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India
After techie's killing, fear drives many in Pune to shun skull caps, Pathani suits
Asseem Shaikh,TNN | Jun 8, 2014
PUNE: The 1.30pm namaz at the mosque in Unnati Nagar, Hadapsar, on Saturday had the usual gathering but something was different. Many had changed their attire and a handful their appearance — Pathani suits had made way for trousers and shirts and a few young men had shaved off their beards.
The brutal murder of Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh on June 2 allegedly by members of Hindu Rashtra Sena has left them worried. The 28-year-old IT manager was targeted in Hadapsar by the hate mob as he stood out in his beard, skull cap and Pathani suit.
At least 25 Muslim families, who have been living in Unnati Nagar locality for the past 40 years, say there has never been any communal tension before. A local resident said, "Our Hindu neigbours are with us. It's the outsiders who have done this." Police have said 30-40 young men from the outskirts had attacked Mohsin, of whom 17 have been arrested.
"I feel scared sporting a beard and going out for work. So my two friends and I collectively took a decision to shave off the beard till the law and order situation improves in the area," said a 28-year-old resident who did not wish to be named. "I have only trimmed my beard all these years, but this is for the first time I felt the need to look different, at least for some time." Others say they have stopped wearing the skull cap when they step out of their homes.
Hindu families too are shaken, more so because the locality is known for its unity. A shopkeeper recalled how Muslims in the area built a Ganpati temple many years ago. "There has been no quarrel, leave alone a clash, among the two communities here. We are united and we have already held a peace meeting," said Rajesh Lad, the LIC agent outside whose office Mohsin, a manager in a textile firm's IT unit, was attacked.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/After-techies-killing-fear-drives-many-in-Pune-to-shun-skull-caps-Pathani-suits/articleshow/36225007.cms
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North America
Obama’s views on Muslim terrorism fly in the face of reality: Report
June 08, 2014
Despite President Barack Obama and his minions claiming the strength of the world’s radical Islamist network is waning and the threat to the United States minimal, a study released on Wednesday by a well-respected and highly-regarded think-tank contradicts what many call Obama’s myopic view of the terrorist threat to the United States, the American people, and U.S. interests throughout the world, according to Joel Kaplan, a former members of a police special operations team.
The RAND Corporation study suggests that the threat of Islamic terrorism isn’t waning at all, but appears to be growing by leaps-and-bounds. A rising number of Salifi-jihadist groups (Islamists) is a growing terrorist threat to the United States when one considers the lack of border security and screening of immigrants—legal and illegal—by the U.S. government.
In last four years—2010-2014—the world has experienced a 58 percent increase in the number of Islamist terror groups, with the number of Muslim terrorists doubling and the number of al-Qaida affiliates has actually tripled.
Full report at:
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/63618
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Doha to host US-Islamic World Forum
June 08, 2014
Doha: The Brookings Institution’s Project on US Relations with the Islamic World in conjunction with the Government of Qatar will host the 2014 US-Islamic World Forum from June 9 to June 11 in Doha.
Keynote speakers at this year’s event include the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali, President Bujar Nishani of Albania, and US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson.
Other speakers and panellists include Phil Gordon, White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Region, U S National Security Council, Prem Kumar, Senior Director of the Middle East and North Africa, US National Security Council; Alia Mansour, Member, Syrian National Coalition; Rashad Hussain, US Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Mehrezia Labidi-Maiza, Vice-President, Tunisian Constituent Assembly.
Full report at:
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/news/qatar/286944/doha-to-host-us-islamic-world-forum
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Bergdahl says he was tortured by Taliban captors
Jun 8, 2014
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has told people treating him at a U.S. military medical facility in Germany that he was tortured, beaten and held in a cage by his Taliban captors in Afghanistan after he tried to escape, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss what Mr. Bergdahl has revealed about the conditions of his captivity.
The official said it was difficult to verify the accounts Mr. Bergdahl has given since his release a week ago.
Mr. Bergdahl, now 28, was captured in June 2009 after he disappeared from his infantry unit. He was held for nearly five years by Taliban militants.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that military doctors at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre say that while Mr. Bergdahl is physically able to travel he’s not yet emotionally prepared to be reunited with his family. He has not yet spoken to his family.
Mr. Bergdahl was returned to the U.S. military in exchange for the release of five Taliban militants from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/bergdahl-says-he-was-tortured-by-taliban-captors/article6094751.ece
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Mideast
Israeli, Palestinian presidents in unprecedented Vatican prayers
8 June 2014
Israeli and Palestinian presidents meet in an unprecedented prayer meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, a gesture he hopes will "re-create a desire, a possibility" of relaunching the Middle East's stalled peace process.
The Vatican has played down any expectations that the Sunday evening meeting between Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas, billed as a "pause from politics," will lead to any immediate breakthroughs in the region's tortuous problems and says it is not meddling in regional issues.
"No one is presumptuous enough to think peace will break out on Monday," said Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a Church official in charge of Catholic sites in the Holy Land and a key organiser of the encounter.
"The intention of this initiative is to re-open a road that has been closed for some time, to re-create a desire, a possibility, to make people dream," he said, adding that the pope does not want to get involved in details of issues such as borders or settlements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the key Israeli decision-maker, is not attending and he refuses to deal with the Palestinian unity government, backed by Hamas Islamists, that Abbas swore in last Monday. Peres is due to leave office next month.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/israeli-palestinian-presidents-in-unprecedented-vatican-prayers#sthash.EroWxQnA.dpuf
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Israel cabinet amends law to block Palestinian prisoner releases
8 June 2014
The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved changes in a law that could block amnesty for Palestinians imprisoned for murdering Israelis.
The amendment, which needs to be approved by parliament before passing into law, would give the courts power to prevent Israel's president from granting clemency or shortening the jail term of anyone imprisoned for murder.
Ayelet Shaked of the far-right Jewish Home party who initiated the change said it was aimed at preventing the release of Palestinian militants who killed Israelis, as well as other Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/israel-cabinet-amends-law-to-block-palestinian-prisoner-releases#sthash.Ioszi7s0.dpuf
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Quds marks anniversary of occupation with protests
World Bulletin/News Desk
8 June 2014
The protests mark the 47th anniversary of the Six-Day War, which Arabs refer to as the "Naksa" ("Setback"), during which Israel captured East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
Global mass rallies in support of the occupied city of Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque are taking place in more than 80 cities in 42 countries around the world.
According to the Middle East Monitor, huge marches are to kick off in the West Bank and the occupied territories of 1948, heading towards Jerusalem or to the nearest point to it, in addition to the rallies taking place in the surrounding countries, in several Arab countries, as well as in Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, 10 European countries, Latin America and in countries where there are Israeli embassies.
The Jerusalem International Foundation has urged Arabs, Muslims and the international community to participate in the rallies.
Palestinian Archbishop of the Sebastian Greek Orthodox Church Attalla Hanna has slammed Israeli plans to Judaize al-Quds (Jerusalem), describing the June 5 anniversary of 1967 occupation of al-Quds as a very sad and dramatic moment, Alalam reported.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/138487/quds-marks-anniversary-of-occupation-with-protests
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindu-wedding-bride-be-allowed/d/87419