India-Obsessed Security Strategy Made Pak Vulnerable To Osama Raid: Probe Report
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 Jul 2013
Photo: China asked to ease restrictions in Xinjiang for Ramadan
India
• India-Obsessed Security Strategy Made Pak Vulnerable To Osama Raid: Probe Report
• Twitter suspends purported Indian Mujahideen account
• Indian Mujahedeen’s 'twitter handle' still active, 'unfollows' LeT boss Hafiz Saeed
• Tweet owning up Bodh Gaya serial blasts traced to Pakistan
• Bareilly man finally returns home from Pak jail
• Indian journal researches on the state of Urdu in Gulf
Arab World
• How Syria's mould-breaking al-Nusra Front is winning hearts and minds
• Won't rule out Brotherhood role in govt: Egypt PM
• Gunmen in western Iraq kill 14 during Ramzan meal
• Bahrain: The Cohesion of the Power and Religion Gave "Al-Qaeda Ideology" to the Country
• Syrian Jihadists lose support as abuses mount
• ‘Mukabbariyah’ at Prophet’s Mosque retains its glitter
• Infighting threatens Egypt transition plan, army orders arrests
• Top commander escapes attempt on life in Sinai: Egyptian Army
• Egypt events may influence, but won’t define Syrian war
• Memories vivid at Iraq torture centre turned museum
• Ramadan cannon was ‘born by chance’
• Egypt's Christians face backlash for Morsi ouster
• Syria's Assad says ousted Baathists made mistakes
• Egypt Is Arena for Influence of Arab Rivals
Pakistan
• ‘Bin Laden stayed in at least five places in Pak’
• PPP’s information secretary assails critics of army, secret agencies
• Tackling terrorism: Door to dialogue should remain open, says Pak PM
• Pak: Lahore begins Ramadan fearful of violence
• Motorcycle bomb kills two in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan
• Haqqani rejects OBL commission’s findings
• Pakistan sends letter rogatory seeking samples of 'pink foam' from 26/11
• External hands involved in all matters of Pakistan: BNP-M
• Prayer leader allegedly paraded naked, in Pakistan
• Abbottabad Commission report: Fazl questions failure to fix clear responsibility
• Abbottabad commission: Leaked report calls for redefining Pak-US ties
Europe
• Spain mulls permanent residency for Saudis
• UN accepts Syrian offer for chemical arms claims talks
• Amnesty International calls for new refugee measures at Turkish-Greek border
• Malala to have little interaction with media, for her safety concerns
• Afghan peace talks won’t bear fruit until 2015: EU envoy
• Bosnia to bury hundreds at Srebrenica massacre site
South Asia
• China asked to ease restrictions in Xinjiang for Ramadan
• Myanmar jails Buddhists in Islamic school massacre
• Myanmar jails four Muslims for riot murder: Official
• Two successive roadside bombings kill five in southern Afghanistan
• President Waheed, former President Nasheed announce trip to Saudi for Umra pilgrimage
• Parties, parliament, judiciary most corrupt institutions in the Maldives: Report
Africa
• Drones in Niger Reflect New U.S. Tack on Terrorism
• Sudan’s former spy chief facing coup charge freed
• Libyan govt takes back ministry from armed group
Southeast Asia
• Church right to say Allah describes God, says Vatican’s first envoy to Malaysia
• Institute set to mediate Sampang Shia conundrum
• Malaysian MP Questions need for Islamic subject in private universities
• Ramadan is opportunity to achieve tolerance: Australian FM
• Five states told to amend conversion law by DAP MP
North America
• Ohio Muslims hope Ramadan events will build bridges with non-Muslims
• Fort Hood suspect tells potential jurors he supports Taliban, Sharia law
• Boston Marathon bombing suspect pleads not guilty
• US to deliver fighter jets to Egypt in coming weeks
• Muslim civil rights leader uses Ramadan to push for release of ex-Marine jailed in Iran
• American Conservatives, Islam, and Religious Realism in U.S. Foreign Policy
Mideast
• We have suffered a lot from military coups; we don’t want the same for Egypt: Turkish PM
• Fragment of ancient Egyptian sphinx discovered in Israel
• Turkish group wants Egyptian leaders prosecuted
• Kurdish rebel group appoints hawkish new leader
• West Bank: Israel is capable of building 10,000 houses in settlements
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/india-obsessed-security-strategy-made/d/12547
-------------
India
India-Obsessed Security Strategy Made Pak Vulnerable To Osama Raid: Probe Report
Jul 11 2013
Islamabad: US Navy SEALs were able to sneak into Pakistan covertly to kill Osama bin Laden because of advanced American stealth technology and the Pakistani military's obsession with India. The leaked report of the Abbottabad Commission said India remained the focus of Pakistan's military "despite a growing American threat including actual border raids, drone strikes, special operations, the spread of a hostile spy network" among others.
"Given the negative developments in the US-Pakistan relations in recent years, there was no basis to limit defence planning to only one front in the east (with India), while ignoring the border and airspace in the West," it said.
It noted that apart from tensions with the US, there were also differences with Afghanistan and a developing strategic relationship between Afghanistan and India on one hand and between India and the US on the other.
"All this should have been taken into consideration instead of leaving the western borders exposed to the increasingly 'kinetic' and threatening policies of the US which were directed against Pakistan," the report said. It said that there seemed to be a "defeatist element" in the defence planning of the Pakistan Air Force, especially in the acceptance of the fact that it was "not structured and equipped to fight a two-front war". It also noted that Defence Policy provided the framework and guidance for the formulation of the Joint Strategic Directive (JSD) which was the "Bible for the armed forces".
"The last JSD was issued in 2007 and specifically stated.”India has been and will continue to be the main military threat to Pakistan," the report noted. The Pakistani Deputy Chief of Air Staff said none of the government departments, civil or military, had ever declared the US or Afghanistan to be a direct threat to Pakistan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indiaobsessed-security-strategy-made-pak-vulnerable-to-osama-raid-probe-report/1140173/
----------
Twitter suspends purported Indian Mujahideen account
Vishwa Mohan, TNN | Jul 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: Acting on India's request, the US-based micro-blogging giant Twitter Inc on Thursday suspended the purported Twitter handle of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
"The account - @IndianMujahidin - is suspended for violation of the Twitter rule", said a senior government official.
Suspension came hours after the handler of the account fiddled with it and kept it alive by 'following' and 'unfollowing' certain persons from its list of 'followers'.
According to the micro-blogging company, the accounts are suspended for pending investigation.
It's rule - as stated on the micro-blogging site - says, "Accounts are generally suspended for violations of the Twitter rules. We (the company) also may suspend accounts for investigation if we suspect an account has been hacked or compromised".
The Twitter handle had created flutter in the country's security establishments. It's claim on Bodh Gaya blasts may not be genuine, but the fact that the account generated its first tweet barely 16 hours before the incident forced the agencies on Wednesday to take it up with the US-based company to find out the location where it could be used to upload the message.
Officials said even if it appears to be a prank, they cannot take it lightly until they verify it and reach to a logical conclusion.
"The matter is still being verified. We have done some ground-works and the company responded by suspending the account", said the official.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Twitter-suspends-purported-Indian-Mujahideen-account/articleshow/21015891.cms
-------------
Indian Mujahedeen’s 'twitter handle' still active, 'unfollows' LeT boss Hafiz Saeed
Vishwa Mohan & Bharti Jain, TNN | Jul 10, 2013
NEW DELHI: A twitter handle, purportedly belonging to a terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, has created flutter in the country's security establishments. Its claim on Bodh Gaya blasts may not be genuine, but the fact that the account generated its first tweet barely 16 hours before the incident forced the agencies on Wednesday to take it up with the US-based company Twitter Inc. to find out the location where it could be used to upload the message.
Interestingly, the twitter handle - @IndianMujahidin - which went silent after July 7 was used again on Wednesday. It was, however, this time not used to tweet something. The handler of the account did just 'unfollow' the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and went on silent mode again.
The fiddling with the account shows that someone must be still operating it from the location which is still unknown to the agencies.
Officials said even if it appears to be a prank, they cannot take it lightly until they verify it and reach to a logical conclusion.
"The matter is still being verified. We have done some ground-works and also taken up the issue with the Twitter Inc", said an official.
Since the person who might have opened the account used a proxy server pointing its location somewhere in Canada, the Indian agencies are verifying the details with the micro-blogging giant.
"We are trying to gather details relating to identity and IP address used to register the account. Though it could be a fake handle created by an impostor, we cannot rule out any genuine link to IM, more so as a tweet ahead of the blasts warns of an impending strike at Mumbai," a senior home ministry official told TOI.
The Twitter account appears to be created only recently. It has just two tweets so far. It claims to be the official Twitter account of Indian Mujahidin with the message "hamara maksad India se badla lena hai (our aim is to take revenge against India). Rock Sago To Rock Lo (stop if you can stop it) 7 days left".
Though "Rock Sako (not Sago) to Rok Lo" was used by the IM in its one of the six emails sent to media after series of blasts in different cities across the country during 2007-10, it could not mean much as everything (contents) relating to the outfit's emails had been extensively reported in the past.
It also claims support from D Company, a nomenclature commonly used for underworld empire of 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Dawood Ibrahim, and its motive is to take revenge with India. The first tweet from the Twitter handle dates back to 14:02 hours on July 6, and warns: "Hamara agla target Mumbai hai. Rock sago to rock lo (Our next target is Mumbai. Stop us if you can)".
On July 7, at 18:32 hours, there was another tweet saying "9 dhamake humne karay" (We carried out the nine blasts).
Officials here said there were reasons to doubt the authenticity of this purported IM twitter handle as "there are spelling mistakes". For example, the introduction spells terrorist as "terriorist". Even the 'Indian Mujahideen' is spelt different as 'Indian Mujahidin' (unlike what IM emails used). Second, past e-mails from IM have consistently stressed on its Indian roots, but this particular account follows Twitter accounts of LeT founder Hafiz Muhammed Saeed and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and four others including cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It 'unfollowed' Hafiz Saeed only on Wednesday evening keeping its 'following' list to five - a move which puzzled the agencies which have been keeping tab on the account.
Officials, however, warned against reading much into the tweet on Mumbai, as no terror group is known to give a seven-day notice to the agencies and public ahead of a strike.
A home ministry official also pointed out that, if the tweet is found to be genuine, this would be the first instance of IM using a public platform to claim responsibility. "Till now, IM has used only emails to claim responsibility for the blasts. These were sent to select media houses," the official noted.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-Mujahideens-twitter-handle-still-active-unfollows-LeT-boss-Hafiz-Saeed/articleshow/21008406.cms
-------------
Tweet owning up Bodh Gaya serial blasts traced to Pakistan
Mateen Hafeez, Vishwa Mohan & Bharti Jain, TNN | Jul 11, 2013
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Two tweets purportedly from Indian Mujahideen that claimed the terror outfit carried out the serial blasts at Bodh Gaya and warned about a plot to attack Mumbai by July 13 have been traced to Pakistan. The Twitter handle @IndianMujahidin sent out the warning to Mumbai on July 6. It followed that up by claiming responsibility for the explosions at the Buddhist site in Bihar in a tweet on July 7, almost 12 hours after the explosive devices placed inside the temple complex had gone off.
Sources in Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the home ministry in Delhi told TOI that the person using the Twitter handle @IndianMujahidin had uploaded the messages from somewhere in Pakistan. "Our probe has established that the tweets originated in Pakistan. We cannot pinpoint the exact city or location at this point of time since we have not got a detailed report from the microblogging firm," a senior source in Maharashtra ATS said.
The Pakistan origin of the tweets was also confirmed by home ministry sources and the Information Technology department in Delhi.
The handle remained silent for three days before getting active briefly on Wednesday. It went silent after "unfollowing" the chief of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.
The July 6 tweet warned that the IM, an LeT-sponsored group which has been linked to a spate of terror attacks beginning November 2007, would attack Mumbai during the weekend. It signed off with an audacious warning that IM, which had struck Mumbai earlier, would attack the city again by July 13. "Hamara agla target Mumbai hai. Rok sago (sako) to rok lo. Seven days left," tweeted the IM account which introduced itself as the official account of the terror outfit, saying that its objective was to take revenge against India.
Sources, however, acknowledged that the location could not be precisely determined unless Twitter gets back with the information India has sought. "It could be a case of spoofing or using a proxy IP address. We cannot establish the exact IP address until the server provides us a detailed report. The preliminary report, however, suggests that the IP address is in Pakistan. We have sent a request to Twitter for the details," an ATS officer said.
Official sources said the tweets just could be a brag or a prank, but said they were constrained to investigate its origin. The fact that it put out its first tweet barely 16 hours before the terror strike has forced agencies to pursue the US-based social network site for details on the account holder's location.
The account also claims the support of D Company, a reference to the underworld empire of the 1993 Mumbai blasts accused.
The first tweet from the Twitter handle came at 14:02 hours on July 6. On July 7, at 18:32 hours, there was another tweet saying "9 dhamake humne karay" (We carried out the nine blasts).
Although IM has made a "rok sako to rok lo (stop us if you can)" taunt earlier also, sources said there were reasons to doubt the authenticity of this purported IM Twitter handle as "there are spelling mistakes." The introduction spells terrorist as "terriorist". Even the 'Indian Mujahideen' is spelt different as 'Indian Mujahidin' (unlike what IM emails used).
Past e-mails from IM have consistently stressed the Indian roots of the group in order to distract attention from the Lashkar's role. However, this particular account made no secret that it was following Twitter accounts of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Four others include Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Also, IM had so far used long emails to justify terror attacks as retaliation against alleged persecution of Indian Muslims and to hold out warnings. The 6 emails sent between 2007 and 2010 quoted from Islamic scriptures and were full of rants against Hindus and their faith. They were also replete with references to the Babri demolition, communal violence in Gujarat and other instances of alleged atrocities on Muslims in Maharashtra and elsewhere.
A home ministry official also pointed out that if the tweets were found to be genuine, this would be the first instance of IM using a public platform to claim responsibility. "Till now, IM has used only emails to claim responsibility for the blasts. These were sent to select media houses," the official said.
Initially, it was felt that the person operating the account used a proxy server that indicated a location in Canada.
"We are trying to gather details relating to identity and IP address used to register the account. Though it could be a fake handle created by an impostor, we have to rule out any genuine link to IM, more so as a tweet ahead of the blasts warns of an impending strike at Mumbai," a senior home ministry official told TOI.
He also warned against reading much into the tweet on Mumbai, as no terror group is known to give a seven-day notice to the agencies and public ahead of a strike.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tweet-owning-up-Bodh-Gaya-serial-blasts-traced-to-Pakistan/articleshow/21009688.cms
-------------
Bareilly man finally returns home from Pak jail
Jul 11 2013
Lucknow : Bareily resident Yashpal, who was lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, Pakistan, for around three years, returned to India Tuesday evening. He was to be released on May 30 but it took around a month more for Pakistan to complete the legal formalities before deporting him to India.
It was in Kot Lakhpat Jail that Sarabjit Singh was lodged. Singh was attacked and killed by a fellow prisoner in April .
On Tuesday evening, Yashpal (30), along with six others, including a woman from Maharashtra, was brought to Wagah border in Amritsar by Pakistan authorities and handed over to Indian authorities.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/up-man-returns-from-pak-jail/1140247/
-------------
Indian journal researches on the state of Urdu in Gulf
July 11, 2013
JEDDAH — Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad, conferred the doctorate degree on research of “the condition of Urdu language and literature in the Gulf countries” to senior Journalist Mohammed Abdul Rasheed Junaid, a resident editor at Gawah Urdu weekly and Partner, Media Plus Communication and Public Relations in Hyderabad.
Junaid conducted his research under the guidance of Prof. Khaled Saeed. The research focuses on the existing situation of Urdu language and literature in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130711173114
-------------
Arab World
How Syria's mould-breaking al-Nusra Front is winning hearts and minds
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad
10 July 2013
The al-Qaida-affiliated commander in charge of the oil company in Shadadi, eastern Syria – a lean, broad-shouldered man who is followed everywhere by a machete-wielding bodyguard – was explaining the appeal of jihadi rule to the people of the newly captured town.
"Go and ask the people in the streets whether there a liberated town or city anywhere in Syria that is ruled as efficiently as this one," he boasted. "There is electricity, water and bread and security. Inshallah, this will be the nucleus of a new Syrian Islamic caliphate!"
The al-Nusra Front, the principle jihadi rebel group in Syria, defies the cliche of Islamist fighters around the Middle East plotting to establish Islamic caliphates from impoverished mountain hideaways. In north-eastern Syria, al-Nusra finds itself in command of massive silos of wheat, factories, oil and gas fields, fleets of looted government cars and a huge weapons arsenal.
The commander talked about the services al-Nusra is providing to Shadadi's residents. First, there is food: 225 sacks of wheat, baked into bread and delivered to the people every day through special teams in each neighbourhood. Then there is free electricity and water, which run all day throughout the town. There is also al-Nusra healthcare, provided from a small clinic that treats all comers, regardless of whether they have sworn allegiance to the emirate or not. Finally, there is order and the promise of swift justice, delivered according to sharia law by a handful of newly appointed judges.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/10/syria-al-nusra-front-jihadi
-------------
Won't rule out Brotherhood role in govt: Egypt PM
July 11, 2013
Egypt's Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi said on Thursday he would not rule out posts for the Muslim Brotherhood in a new cabinet, if the candidates were suitably qualified.
"I don't look at political association ... If someone is named from (the Brotherhood's) Freedom and Justice Party, if he is qualified for the post" he may be considered, Beblawi told AFP.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/Won-t-rule-out-Brotherhood-role-in-govt-Egypt-PM/Article1-1090756.aspx
-------------
Gunmen in western Iraq kill 14 during Ramzan meal
AP | Jul 11, 2013
BAGHDAD: Gunmen overran an Iraqi army checkpoint and then shot up a trailer packed with policemen breaking their Ramzan fast, killing a total of 14 troops in the country's restive western Anbar province, authorities said today.
The attack happened at sundown, yesterday, as the troops were marking the end of the first day of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. It was the latest in a string of brazen strikes by militants that has killed more than 2,000 people since the start of April.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Gunmen-in-western-Iraq-kill-14-during-Ramzan-meal/articleshow/21018771.cms
-------------
Bahrain: The Cohesion of the Power and Religion Gave "Al-Qaeda Ideology" to the Country
Jul 11, 2013
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The noticeable logistic activity of Bahrain Salafists in Syria is surprising and unprecedented, but it is difficult to prove that this activity is conducted without the control of the Bahrain governmental apparatuses. In fact, this is impossible. After king Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa assumed power in 1999, he developed “Hilf Fudul” or “League of the Virtuous” with the groups of political-Sunni Islam including Salafism. Hamad made use of this league to set limits to the old aspirations of democracy and to instigate the continual sectarian discord with the opposition.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=439406
-------------
Syrian Jihadists lose support as abuses mount
11 July 2013
In the early days of the Syrian uprising, when opponents of the regime were desperate for assistance from any quarter, jihadist fighters were welcomed but a spate of abuses is fuelling a backlash.
Things have changed.
“Out, out, out, the [Islamic] State [of Iraq and Syria] must get out,” protesters shouted at a rally in the northern town of Manbij this week, referring to an Al-Qaeda front group.
The video of the demonstration is one of many showing how civilians and mainstream rebel fighters alike are turning against the more hardline Islamist factions.
The rebel forces seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad are disparate but many espouse political Islam of one form or another.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2013/07/11/Syria-Jihadists-lose-support-as-abuses-mount-.html
---------
‘Mukabbariyah’ at Prophet’s Mosque retains its glitter
July 11, 2013
MADINAH — "Mukabbariyah" is the place the azan (call to prayers) takes place.
The first Mukabbariyah was constructed in the Prophet’s Mosque in 886 AH at the same location where Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) called for prayers in the presence of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on Fridays.
The Mukabbariyah is on the northern side of Al-Rawdah. It is a square-shaped platform, raised on eight pillars, to relay the imam’s calls to worshipers before loud speakers were introduced.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130711173118
-------------
Infighting threatens Egypt transition plan, army orders arrests
Reuters | Jul 11, 2013
CAIRO: Political infighting threatened to stall Egypt's transition plans on Thursday, as the military cracked down on Muslim Brotherhood leaders it blames for inciting a clash in Cairo in which troops shot and killed 53 protesters.
Monday's violence between supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader toppled by the army last week, and soldiers at a military compound has opened deep fissures in the Arab world's most populous country.
On Wednesday, Egypt's public prosecutor ordered the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and several other senior Islamists, evoking memories of when the movement was repressed under autocratic former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in 2011.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Infighting-threatens-Egypt-transition-plan-army-orders-arrests/articleshow/21013605.cms
-------------
Top commander escapes attempt on life in Sinai: Egyptian Army
Jul 11 2013
Cairo : Chief of Egypt's second field army escaped an attempt on his life in the border town of Rafah after gunmen opened fire on his car, an army spokesman said.
Militants attacked the senior military commander convoy while he was checking Shaykh Zuwayed area near the border with the Gaza Strip.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/top-commander-escapes-attempt-on-life-in-sinai-egyptian-army/1140538/
-------------
Egypt events may influence, but won’t define Syrian war
Samia Nakhoul
Jul 11, 2013
BEIRUT — The fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has put a new spring in the step of Bashar Al-Assad, who sees it as a sign that Islamists — including those spearheading the Sunni-dominated rebellion against him — are in decline.
Exuding confidence after a recent successful army counter-offensive, and speaking as the Egyptian army was deposing Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, Assad said “what is happening in Egypt is the fall of what is known as political Islam.”
“After a whole year, reality has become clear to the Egyptian people. The Muslim Brotherhood’s performance has helped them see the lies the (group) used at the start of the popular revolution in Egypt.”
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130711173129
-------------
Memories vivid at Iraq torture centre turned museum
By Guillaume Decamme
July 11, 2013
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq (AFP) – Kamiran Aziz Ali grimaces and leans forward, his hands behind his back, re-enacting the moment in January 1990 when Saddam Hussein's henchmen flung him into a jail cell in the "Red House".
"I am still in pain," Ali says. "I cannot sit down for a long time any more."
But mercifully for Ali, his return to the cell where he was jailed was not for real.
For years an infamous torture centre earmarked for Kurdish rebels fighting the ex-dictator's regime -- Kurdish fathers would threaten their sons with being sent to the Red House for not doing their homework or other misdeeds -- the Red House is now a museum.
Once used to extract so-called confessions from fighters opposed to Saddam, since 1996 the Red House has exhibited the torture used by regime loyalists before the three-province Kurdish region of northern Iraq gained some autonomy -- and respite -- from the dictator's rule.
Full report at:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/11/memories-vivid-at-iraq-torture-centre-turned-museum/#ixzz2Ym0o3Bg3
-------------
Ramadan cannon was ‘born by chance’
11 July 2013
It appears to have come about by accident that the Ramadan cannon is now emblematic of the ninth month of the Muslim calendar in Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim countries.
It is a fixture in Makkah, to announce when people should break their fast at sunset, and at dawn to warn them they should stop eating and drinking.
Its origins go back to the 15th century according to some accounts.
One story traces the origin to the Hijri year 859 (around 1455), when a Mamluk sultan of Egypt wanted to test a new cannon that he had just received. He fired a ball that exactly coincided with Maghreb time during Ramadan. People then thought this was the sultan's way of telling them it was time to break their fast.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/457688
-------------
Egypt's Christians face backlash for Morsi ouster
Jul 11, 2013
With a mob of Muslim extremists on their tail, the Christian businessman and his nephew climbed up on the roof and ran for their lives, jumping from building to building in their southern Egyptian village. Finally they ran out of rooftops.
Forced back onto the street, they were overwhelmed by several dozen men. The attackers hacked them with axes and beat them with clubs and tree limbs, killing Emile Naseem, 41. The nephew survived with wounds to his shoulders and head and recounted the chase to The Associated Press.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/11/egypts-christians-face-backlash-morsi-ouster.html
-------------
Syria's Assad says ousted Baathists made mistakes
July 11, 2013
DAMASCUS: Ruling party leaders removed in a reshuffle this week had made mistakes while in office, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad told the Baath party's mouthpiece in an interview published Thursday.
The interview was published two days after the Baath party announced the names of 16 new leaders, which included none of the party's former chiefs with the exception of Assad, who will remain secretary general.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jul-11/223311-syrias-assad-says-ousted-baathists-made-mistakes.ashx#ixzz2YmC55OaR
---------
Egypt Is Arena for Influence of Arab Rivals
By ROBERT F. WORTH
July 11, 2013
WASHINGTON — Three of the Persian Gulf’s richest monarchies have pledged $12 billion in cash and loans to Egypt, a decision aimed not only at shoring up a shaky transitional government, but also at undermining their Islamist rivals and strengthening their allies across a newly turbulent Middle East.
The robust financial aid packages of $8 billion announced Tuesday by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and $4 billion announced on Wednesday by Kuwait, followed the Egyptian military’s killing on Monday of dozens of Muslim Brotherhood members and sympathizers protesting last week’s military ouster of Egypt’s Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi. The aid package underscored a continuing regional contest for influence between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, one that has accelerated since the Arab uprising upended the status quo and brought Islamists to power.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/world/middleeast/egypt-is-arena-for-influence-of-arab-rivals.html
----------
Pakistan
‘Bin Laden stayed in at least five places in Pak’
Jul 11 2013
Islamabad: Since he slipped into Pakistan in mid-2002, Laden lived in at least five different places including Peshawar before finally settling down in Abbottabad in 2005 where he was eventually killed by US Navy SEALs in a covert raid in 2011, the leaked report of the Abbottabad Commission stated.
The places included the tribal areas of western Pakistan (South Waziristan and Bajaur), as well as Peshawar, Swat and Haripur. Interestingly, members of his family also lived in Karachi, Quetta and the Iran-Pakistan border area.
Meanwhile, US Navy SEALs were able to sneak into Pakistan covertly to kill Osama bin Laden because of advanced American stealth technology and the Pakistani military’s obsession with India.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-bin-laden-stayed-in-at-least-five-places-in-pak-/1140304/
-------------
PPP’s information secretary assails critics of army, secret agencies
Jul 11, 2013
LAHORE: PPP’s information secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira hit out at the critics of the armed forces on Wednesday and said it was unfair to expect from the army and intelligence agencies to detect the US helicopters which had taken part in the Abbottabad operation in which Osama Bin Laden was killed.
He said in a statement that the helicopters had flown from an airbase in Afghanistan and were equipped with the latest stealth technology which no other country had, adding that the people blaming the Pakistan Air Force for not being able to track the US helicopters knew nothing about such technology.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1024291/kaira-assails-critics-of-army-secret-agencies
-------------
Tackling terrorism: Door to dialogue should remain open, says Pak PM
July 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Amidst an upsurge in militant violence, the government doesn’t rule out dialogue as part of its counter-terrorism strategy.
“The door to dialogue should be kept open at all times,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told lawmakers from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday.
“We have no option but to vigorously pursue a well-planned and coordinated strategy to find a meaningful solution to the problem of terrorism,” he said, adding that peace was important for economic growth.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/575456/tackling-terrorism-door-to-dialogue-should-remain-open-says-pm/
-------------
Pak: Lahore begins Ramadan fearful of violence
July 11, 2013
Pakistanis began celebrating the holy month of Ramadan on Thursday with police on alert in Lahore and shopkeepers braced for a slump in trade after the worst bombing in the city for two years.
Five people were killed and nearly 50 wounded on Saturday in the Anarkali market in Pakistan's second largest city, which prides itself on its fine cuisine, much loved during Ramadan meals at sundown.
It was the worst bombing in Lahore since a teenage suicide attacker targeted a Shiite Muslim religious procession on January 25, 2011, killing at least nine people.
The market is back at work, but has little of the normal hustle and bustle associated with Ramadan, when families shop for special food and dine out in the evenings. Instead people are scared.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pak-Lahore-begins-Ramadan-fearful-of-violence/Article1-1090767.aspx
-------------
Motorcycle bomb kills two in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan
PTI | Jul 11, 2013
PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed and five others injured today when a powerful motorcycle bomb exploded near a mosque in Pakistan's north-western province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, police said.
The bomb was planted in a motorcycle parked outside the mosque in Kacha Pakka area in Kohat district, about 50 kilometres south-west of provincial capital Peshawar.
The bomb exploded as the worshippers came out after noon prayer on the first day of holy month of Ramzan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Motorcycle-bomb-kills-two-in-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa-in-Pakistan/articleshow/21018570.cms
---------
Haqqani rejects OBL commission’s findings
Jul 11, 2013
WASHINGTON: Former Pakistan ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has rejected the Abbottabad Commission’s suggestion that as ambassador he issued visas without authorisation or was responsible for CIA agents coming into Pakistan in large numbers.
Mr Haqqani said in a statement that the US Navy SEALS who found Osama bin Laden did not come with visas and the entire controversy over visas had been manufactured to distract attention from the two vital questions. “The first question is, why Pakistan’s bloated security agencies failed to find OBL for nine years and the second, how were the US SEALS able to come into Pakistan without detection by our security forces,” he said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1024301/haqqani-rejects-obl-commissions-findings
-------------
Pakistan sends letter rogatory seeking samples of 'pink foam' from 26/11
Jul 11 2013
Mumbai : Pakistan has sent a letter rogatory (LR) through a court in Islamabad, asking for samples of the “pink foam material” recovered from the 26/11 attack sites, for a chemical comparison with similar samples seized in Karachi.
New Delhi and Islamabad have earlier exchanged dossiers on the evidence collected by investigators in the two countries.
A similar LR issued by a Chicago court in January 2011, seeking samples of physical evidence required by the FBI, is pending with a Mumbai court. Mumbai Police has indicated its reluctance to part with the samples, because alleged LeT operative Zabiuddin Ansari, believed to be the “Abu Jundal” who directed the terrorists by phone from the control room in Karachi, is awaiting trial in the 26/11 case.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-sends-letter-rogatory-seeking-samples-of--pink-foam--from-2611/1140373/
-------------
External hands involved in all matters of Pakistan: BNP-M
Jul 11, 2013
QUETTA: Balochistan National Party- Mengal (BNP-M) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal said on Wednesday that external forces were involved in all matters of Pakistan, including the issue of handing down punishment to a former dictator, DawnNews reported.
The nationalist leader said that had his six-points given in the Supreme Court of Pakistan been accepted then the Baloch could have been brought to the negotiating table.
Mengal also alleged that there was no rule of provincial Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch in Balochistan and that actual powers rested with someone else.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1024207/external-hands-involved-in-all-matters-of-pakistan-mengal
-------------
Prayer leader allegedly paraded naked, in Pakistan
July 11, 2013
HARIPUR: A prayer leader who was allegedly paraded naked in Chohar Sharif village has blamed the police of siding with the accused men.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday after filing a complaint with the district police officer (DPO) of Haripur, Chan Muhammad Khan, 51, who is the prayer leader at a local mosque, said his son Naeem Shehzad had an argument with the son of an influential local, Ajmal Khan, around three days earlier.
On the evening of the same day, he was about to give the call for evening prayers when Ajmal Khan, Amanullah, Abdul Salam, Sahab Khan and Safeer allegedly barged into the mosque armed with pistols and AK-47 rifles and dragged Chan out of the building. Chan claimed the men did not even bother taking off their shoes before entering the mosque.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/575225/influential-perpetrators-prayer-leader-allegedly-paraded-naked/
-------------
Abbottabad Commission report: Fazl questions failure to fix clear responsibility
July 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pointing out certain incomplete references and ‘loopholes’ in the Abbottabad Commission report, Maulana Fazlur Rehman questioned why the report failed to fix clear responsibility for the security lapse which allowed the US Navy Seals helicopters to fly into Pakistan.
“Why were the radars on sleeping mode on the night of the raid? How did the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) manage to establish its intelligence network in Pakistan?” questioned Jamiat-e-Ullema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, adding that the report failed to clearly state the reasons and pinpoint the responsibility on individuals for the lapse that undermined Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/575408/abbottabad-commission-report-fazl-questions-failure-to-fix-clear-responsibility/
-------------
Abbottabad commission: Leaked report calls for redefining Pak-US ties
July 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Abbottabad Commission, in its report, has observed that while Pakistan has paid the price for its relationship with the US, the government has seldom been honest about it with the country’s people.
“This relationship has been on a rollercoaster ever since it began,” says the commission’s report.
“Governments in Pakistan have seldom been honest [about the relationship with the US] with their own people, leading to inevitable crises of expectations, disappointments and negative consequences. It has never been a genuine people to people, transparent or honest relationship,” it adds.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/575439/abbottabad-commission-leaked-report-calls-for-redefining-pak-us-ties/
-------------
Europe
Spain mulls permanent residency for Saudis
11 July 2013
Spain is seriously considering granting permanent residency to Saudi businessmen and investors in a move aimed at attracting more investments from the Kingdom.
Revealing this, President of the Saudi-Spanish Council Abdullah Al-Rasheed said Spain may benefit from such a move since it could help the country in tiding over the difficult economic times it is facing.
He said the matter came up at a council meeting between the two sides when many Saudi investors expressed the desire to be granted permanent residency in Spain. The Saudi businessmen evinced particular interest in investing in real estate, industry and contracting.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/457685
-------------
UN accepts Syrian offer for chemical arms claims talks
Jul 11 2013
New York : The United Nations has accepted the Syrian government's invitation for a visit by two senior UN officials for talks on the purported use of chemical weapons in the country's bloody civil war, a UN spokesman has said.
The offer of talks was made to Swedish scientist, Ake Sellstrom named by the United Nations to investigate the claims, and Angela Kane, UN High Representative for Disarmament.
Sellstrom and Kane have accepted the invitation "with a view to completing the consultations on the modalities of cooperation required for the proper, safe and efficient conduct of the UN mission to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria," said Martin Nesirky, spokesman for the UN chief yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/un-accepts-syrian-offer-for-chemical-arms-claims-talks/1140501/
-------------
Amnesty International calls for new refugee measures at Turkish-Greek border
Jul 11, 2013
Amnesty International has released a report about the refugees who try to enter the European Union through the Turkish-Greek border.
The report, titled “Frontier Europe: Human Rights Abuses on Greece’s Border with Turkey,” focuses on the refugees who cross the Turkish-Greek border, as well as how officials of both of the countries treat the refugees.
Irem Arf Rayfield, Amnesty International's European Institutions Office Researcher on Refugee and Migrants’ Rights in Europe, told the Hürriyet Daily News that the Turkish-Greek border was the most important transit route for reaching the EU.
Rayfield said Greece had recently taken substantial measures regarding the refugee transits across the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and had upgraded the security by fence wiring 10.5 kilometers of its land border.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/amnesty-international-calls-for-new-refugee-measures-at-turkish-greek-border.aspx?pageID=238&nID=50457&NewsCatID=359
-------------
Malala to have little interaction with media, for her safety concerns
Jul 11, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: Concerns over Malala Yousufzai’s safety have inhibited her interaction with world media at the United Nations and her media advisers and the entourage has kept a tight control over her engagements.
When asked at a press briefing on Thursday, United Nations spokesman Martin Nesriky could not say as to why she was unavailable to the press except to say that Malala would meet UN Chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday (July 12) afternoon.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1024248/malala-to-have-little-interaction-with-media?view=print
-------------
Afghan peace talks won’t bear fruit until 2015: EU envoy
Jul 11, 2013
GENEVA — Hoped-for peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents will not bear fruit until 2015 at best, a year after US-led troops leave the country, the EU’s Afghanistan envoy warned Wednesday.
“The European Union supports an Afghan-led dialogue on reconciliation. Whatever channels they choose is up to them,” Vygaudas Usackas told an open session of the Geneva Center for Security Policy, a Swiss think-tank.
“But being realistic, I don’t expect any breakthrough until 2015,” said Usackas, who bows out in September after more than three years as the EU’s top diplomat in Afghanistan.
Efforts to get talks off the ground hit a hurdle Tuesday when the Taliban temporarily closed their newly opened office in Qatar, blaming “broken promises” by the Afghan government and United States.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130711173093
-------------
Bosnia to bury hundreds at Srebrenica massacre site
By Rusmir Smajilhodzic
July 11, 2013
SREBRENICA, Bosnia-Hercegovina (AFP) – Bosnia will bury 409 victims of the Srebrenica massacre, including a newborn baby, on Thursday, the 18th anniversary of Europe's worst post-war atrocity in which Bosnian Serb forces slaughtered some 8,000 Muslims.
Thousands of people flocked to this ill-fated town to attend the funeral of the victims whose remains were found in mass graves in the eastern Bosnian Srebrenica region and only identified almost two decades after the 1995 killing.
Full report at:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/11/bosnia-to-bury-hundreds-at-srebrenica-massacre-site/#ixzz2Ym0eb2uF
-------------
South Asia
China asked to ease restrictions in Xinjiang for Ramadan
Jul 11 2013
Washington : An organisation for religious freedom based in the US has called on China to end all violence and restrictions on religious activity in its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
"Launched in the name of stability and security, Beijing's campaigns of repression against Uyghur Muslims include the targeting of peaceful private gatherings for religious study and devotion," said Katrina Lantos Swett, Chairperson of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
"These abuses predictably have led to neither stability nor security, but rather instability and insecurity. We urge the government to lift these restrictions, especially with the start of Ramadan," Swett said.
Full report at:
ttp://www.indianexpress.com/news/china-asked-to-ease-restrictions-in-xinjiang-for-ramadan/1140487/
-------------
Myanmar jails Buddhists in Islamic school massacre
Jul 11, 2013
YANGON, Myanmar — State media in Myanmar say a court has sentenced seven Buddhists to between three and 15 years in jail for their role in a massacre at an Islamic boarding school that left dozens of students and teachers dead.
The Kyemon daily says a Muslim man was also found guilty Wednesday, but provided few details.
A wave of sectarian violence that has gripped Myanmar in the last year has left more than 250 people dead — most of them Muslims — and sent 140,000 others fleeing their homes.
The March 21 attack on the Mingalar Zayone Islamic Boarding School in the central town of Meikhtila was one of the most brutal, with Buddhist mobs hunting down children and teachers with metal pipes, chains and stones as security forces stood by.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130711173166
-------------
Myanmar jails four Muslims for riot murder: Official
Jul 11, 2013
YANGON — Four Muslim men have been jailed for murder following religious violence in central Myanmar in March that left dozens dead, an official said Wednesday.
The defendants were given sentences of between seven years and life imprisonment for their part in the deadly rioting in the town of Meiktila that mainly targeted Muslims and spread elsewhere in the Buddhist-dominated country.
“Four persons were sentenced yesterday (Tuesday) for murder,” Meiktila district chairman Tin Maung Soe told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130711173079
-----------
Two successive roadside bombings kill five in southern Afghanistan
AP | Jul 11, 2013
KABUL: Officials say a twin bombing in southern Afghanistan has killed five people, three civilians whose car struck a roadside bomb and two police officers who had rushed to the scene to help the victims when the second bomb went off.
A provincial government spokesman, UmmarZawaq, says the attack occurred on Thursday morning in Helmand province.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Two-successive-roadside-bombings-kill-five-in-southern-Afghanistan/articleshow/21016028.cms
-------------
President Waheed, former President Nasheed announce trip to Saudi for Umra pilgrimage
By Leah Malone | July 10th, 2013
President Mohamed Waheed departed on an official visit to Saudi Arabia today (July 10), a day after local media reported that former President Mohamed Nasheed’s request to perform Umra was rejected by Saudi authorities.
Nasheed, along with Parliamentary Speaker Abdullah Shahid and former Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad, are currently in Sri Lanka waiting for their visas to Saudi Arabia to process. They will be conducting Umra, a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of year and is highly recommended but not compulsory in Islam.
Local media in the Maldives reported that Nasheed was denied a visa by the Saudi Arabian government, however former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem, who is currently in Sri Lanka with Nasheed, Shahid, and Sawad, refuted the claims as inaccurate.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/president-waheed-former-president-nasheed-announce-trip-to-saudi-for-umra-pilgrimage-60959
-------------
Parties, parliament, judiciary most corrupt institutions in the Maldives: Global Corruption Barometer
By JJ Robinson | July 10th, 2013
The judiciary is considered one of the Maldives’ most corrupt institutions, according to a poll conducted for Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer, along with parliament and political parties.
Of those surveyed, 69 percent felt the judiciary was a corrupt institution, while two percent of families admitted paying bribes to judges.
The political sphere was considered extremely corrupt, particular parliament (78 percent), and political parties (75 percent).
The military (44 percent) was reckoned to be almost as corrupt as police (47 percent), the business community (42 percent) and the media (48 percent).
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/parties-parliament-judiciary-most-corrupt-institutions-in-the-maldives-global-corruption-barometer-60966
-------------
Africa
Drones in Niger Reflect New U.S. Tack on Terrorism
By ERIC SCHMITT
July 11, 2013
NIAMEY, Niger — Nearly every day, and sometimes twice daily, an unarmed American drone soars skyward from a secluded military airfield here, starting a surveillance mission of 10 hours or more to track fighters affiliated with Al Qaeda and other militants in neighboring Mali.
The two MQ-9 Reapers that are based here stream live video and data from other sensors to American analysts working with French commanders, who say the aerial intelligence has been critical to their success over the past four months in driving jihadists from a vast desert refuge in northern Mali.
The drone base, established in February and staffed by about 120 members of the Air Force, is the latest indication of the priority Africa has become for the United States at a time when it is winding down its presence in Afghanistan and President Obama has set a goal of moving from a global war on terrorism toward a more targeted effort. It is part of a new model for counterterrorism, a strategy designed to help local forces — and in this case a European ally — fight militants so American troops do not have to.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/world/africa/drones-in-niger-reflect-new-us-approach-in-terror-fight.html
---------
Sudan’s former spy chief facing coup charge freed
11 July 2013
KHARTOUM: The former chief of Sudan’s powerful intelligence service, who faced a possible death sentence for his alleged role in a coup plot, was freed under an amnesty yesterday, his lawyer said.
Salah Gosh “was released because of the amnesty given by President Bashir to all those who participated in the coup,” Nabeel Adeeb told AFP.
Gosh was the most high-profile figure detained last November in connection with the alleged coup plot against the 24-year regime of Omar Al-Bashir.
Gosh is also one of the last to obtain amnesty, after soldiers and intelligence officers were earlier pardoned. A witness said Gosh was greeted with jubilation when he reached his house.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/457672
--------
Libyan govt takes back ministry from armed group
Jul 11, 2013
TRIPOLI: The Libyan government has taken back control of its interior ministry from an armed group that had besieged the building for a week, an official said on Wednesday.
The group had ordered staff to leave the ministry on July 2 and its men had remained there for days. They had closed off the compound’s main entry with mounds of sand.
One of them had said they would stay until authorities broke up an armed force, known as the Supreme Security Committee (SSC), which says it is backed by the interior ministry. The SSC is composed of militiamen – former rebel fighters from the 2011 war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi – who are often better armed and more powerful than the police.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\11\story_11-7-2013_pg4_10
---------
Southeast Asia
Church right to say Allah describes God, says Vatican’s first envoy to Malaysia
BY JENNIFER GOMEZ
JULY 11, 2013
In his first interview with the Malaysian media, the first resident diplomat sent by the Vatican to live and work in this country spoke on the controversial issue of the use of the Arabic word "Allah" to describe God in any religion.
Archbishop Joseph Marino said he supports the stand of the Catholic Church in Malaysia.
He applauded the arguments made by the Christian Federation of Malaysia to use "Allah" in its texts to refer to God as very well done.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/church-right-to-say-allah-describes-god-says-vaticans-first-envoy-to-malaysia/
-------------
Institute set to mediate Sampang Shia conundrum
Jul 11, 2013
The East Java provincial administration has appointed the Sunan Ampel Islamic State Institute (IAIN) to mediate the Shia issue in Sampang regency, Madura Island.
IAIN rector Abdul A’la told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that a consultation forum would take place starting from next week, where he would be inviting all parties involved in the conflict.
He said the invitations would be extended to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, Ahlul Bait Indonesia (ABI), the Indonesian Ahlul Bait Association (IJABI), the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the Islamic Boarding School Foundation (YAPI) and Madura clerics.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/11/institute-set-mediate-sampang-shia-conundrum.html
-------------
Malaysian MP Questions need for Islamic subject in private universities
BY MD IZWAN
JULY 11, 2013
An opposition MP today called on the education ministry to re-think its move to make Islamic Civilisation studies compulsory for local students in private universities.
DAP Kampar MP Dr Ko Chung Sen said the ministry will make the subject compulsory from Sept 1.
"We strongly urge the education ministry to reverse the ruling and let the individual universities decide on the needs of their courses," he said during a press conference today.
"If you look at the renowned universities in the world, there is no subject on religion that is made compulsory for its students.
"How will this subject help a student studying medicine, engineering or law?" he asked. - July 11, 2013.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mp-questions-need-for-islamic-subject-in-private-universities/
-----------
Ramadan is opportunity to achieve tolerance: Australian FM
Jul 11, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR: The holy month of Ramadan provides an opportunity to achieve tolerance, communal well-being and mutual respect, said Australian Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr.
In a Ramadan message, he said that nowadays, Australia was home to nearly half a million Muslims and Islam was the country's fourth most observed religion. "Australians are proud of our record in promoting the 'overlap of cultures'.
"Having travelled to many parts of the Muslim world, I am encouraged by the spirit of tolerance that has enabled many nations and communities, so successful to manage their religious and cultural differences," he said in a statement issued by the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur here today.
Full report at:
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/ramadan-is-opportunity-to-achieve-tolerance-1.316803
-------------
Five states told to amend conversion law by DAP MP
JULY 11, 2013
Five states in Malaysia must amend their Islamic administration enactments to stop the unconstitutional conversion of minors to Islam, said DAP Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming in Parliament today.
Nga said the enactments in Negri Sembilan, Perak, Kedah, Malacca and Sarawak are inconsistent with the country's supreme law which requires the consent of both parents for conversions.
He said the amendments have to be made following the withdrawal of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 which would have allowed the conversion of a child to Islam with the consent of one parent. - July 11, 2013.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/five-states-told-to-amend-conversion-law-by-dap-mp/
-------------
North America
Ohio Muslims hope Ramadan events will build bridges with non-Muslims
By JoAnne Viviano
The Columbus Dispatch, July 9, 2013
Muslims in central Ohio are inviting their non-Muslim neighbors to learn more about the Islamic holy month of Ramadan by partaking in one of the evening fast-breaking meals that mark the observance.
Such meals, called if tars, start with water and dates and include prayer and often a reading from the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Groveport plans a July 27 interfaith iftar that will feature a panel of members of various religions discussing their own fasting traditions, said Dr. Abdus Salam Malik, the group’s president.
“A lot of people have misconceptions, and problems arise in the community when people don’t know each other,” Malik said. “So we want people to come and get to know each other and, once they know each other, they realize that ... everybody has human values, good values. That creates better understanding and better peace.”
Full report at:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/07/09/ramadan-events-aim-to-build-bridges.html
-------------
Fort Hood suspect tells potential jurors he supports Taliban, Sharia law
July 10, 2013
FORT HOOD, Texas – The Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 deadly Fort Hood shooting rampage told some potential jurors Wednesday that he supports the Taliban and the strict Islamic Sharia law.
Maj. Nidal Hasan, who is serving as his own attorney in his court-martial, asked questions of individual Army officers on the second day of jury selection. On Tuesday after the first group of 20 potential jurors arrived, he declined to ask questions.
Hasan, 42, faces execution or life without parole if convicted in the rampage that left 13 dead and nearly three dozen wounded on the Texas Army post on Nov. 5, 2009.
In answering Hasan's questions, several potential jurors said they had negative views of Muslims, the Quran or Sharia law. But they said they could put aside those views and only consider evidence in the case.
Full report at:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/10/fort-hood-suspect-tells-potential-jurors-supports-taliban-sharia-law/#ixzz2YlzgI6ef
-------------
Boston Marathon bombing suspect pleads not guilty
Jul 11 2013
Washington : Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to all the 30 federal charges related to the April 15 attacks that killed three people and injured more than 250.
Tsarnaev, 17, who made his first public appearance yesterday in a Boston court after his arrest on April 19, has been charged with using weapons of mass destruction, in addition to host of other charges that carries the possibility of a death penalty.
"Not guilty" Tsarnaev said in a Russian accent before the Boston court. Thereafter he pleaded not guilty repeatedly about a dozen more time.
"The maximum penalty is up to life in prison or the death penalty," the Assistant US Attorney, William Weinreb, said in the court during the proceedings that lasted for about seven minutes.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/boston-marathon-bombing-suspect-pleads-not-guilty/1140491/
-------------
US to deliver fighter jets to Egypt in coming weeks
July 11, 2013
The United States still plans to go through with the delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt in the coming weeks, US defense officials told Reuters on Wednesday, even after the Egyptian military's ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.
The disclosure came as Washington treads a careful line, neither welcoming Morsi's removal nor denouncing it as a "coup," saying it needs time to weigh the situation.
A US decision to brand his overthrow a coup would, by US law, require Washington to halt aid to the Egyptian military, which receives the lion's share of the $1.5 billion in annual US assistance to that country.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/US-to-deliver-fighter-jets-to-Egypt-in-coming-weeks/Article1-1090646.aspx
-------------
Muslim civil rights leader uses Ramadan to push for release of ex-Marine jailed in Iran
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 10, 2013
DETROIT — A Muslim civil rights leader in Michigan is using the advent of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to plead for the release of an American ex-Marine detained in Iran.
Dawud Walid of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter sent a letter Tuesday to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei through Iran's U.N. mission in New York.
Walid requests "during this month of mercy" that Khamenei urge court officials to release Amir Hekmati or grant him a "speedy, fair and transparent trial."
Full report at:
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/57910662ea1f43189536e5b86ef86f55/MI--Iran-American-Detained/
-------------
American Conservatives, Islam, and Religious Realism in U.S. Foreign Policy
By Andrew C. McCarthy
July 10, 2013
I appreciate Thomas Farr’s response to my critique of his original argument, but I still respectfully submit he is not practicing the realism he preaches.
Just to be clear, I was moved to reply because Mr. Farr expressed astonishment that Abdul Rahman could be put on capital trial for apostasy notwithstanding a constitution that, as Mr. Farr summarized it, expressly guaranteed the “protection of human rights” and “a civil society free of oppression” – a constitution the U.S. ambassador, who had midwifed it, praised for the “broad religious freedom” it enabled. I countered that this was an unrealistic depiction of the Afghan constitution, which is a sharia supremacist document through and through. Mr. Farr does not appear to contest this point in his latest post.
Full report at:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/353076/re-american-conservatives-islam-and-religious-realism-us-foreign-policy-andrew-c
-------------
Mideast
We have suffered a lot from military coups, we don’t want the same for Egypt: Turkish PM
Jul 11, 2013
Turkey’s stance regarding the military takeover in Egypt is due to its own recent history, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan explained July 10, raising his rhetoric a notch against the interim rule in the country.
“A military coup has been staged in Egypt, although they don’t accept it. We have suffered a lot from military coups. We don’t want our Egyptian brothers to suffer from [them] as well. That’s the only matter,” Erdogan said during a fast-breaking event organized by the civil servants’ union (Memur-Sen) in Ankara.
“I hope that steps will be taken to end the chaos,” he added.
Turkey had been the most vocal critic of the military takeover that toppled President Mohamed Morsi, who was elected as the candidate of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). The party stood as the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, a powerful Islamist organization banned until the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/we-have-suffered-a-lot-from-military-coups-we-dont-want-the-same-for-egypt-turkish-pm.aspx?pageID=238&nID=50474&NewsCatID=338
-------------
Fragment of ancient Egyptian sphinx discovered in Israel
Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Jul 11, 2013
LONDON: Archaeologists digging in Israel say they have made a surprising find: the feet of an Egyptian sphinx—a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human—linked to a pyramid-building pharaoh.
Archaeologists have dug up the Sphinx in Tel Hazor National Park with an inscription that bears the name of the Egyptian king Mycerinus, who ruled more than 4,000 years ago. The king was one of the builders of the famous Giza pyramids.
The Hebrew University (Jerusalem) team found evidence of the ancient Egyptian leader in northern Israel. The find at Hazor is an unexpected and important discovery. Moreover, it is only piece of a royal Sphinx sculpture discovered in the entire Levant area (the eastern part of the Mediterranean).
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Fragment-of-ancient-Egyptian-sphinx-discovered-in-Israel/articleshow/21012728.cms
-------------
Turkish group wants Egyptian leaders prosecuted
Jul 11, 2013
ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish Islamic human rights group has petitioned for Egypt's military chief and 10 other officials to be put on trial for crimes including murder, torture and unlawful imprisoning under a law that allows prosecution of such crimes by Turkish courts, even if they were not committed in the country.
Ahmet Faruk Unsal, who heads the Ankara-based Mazlum-Der group, said Thursday he filed the complaint with prosecutors against the Egyptian defense minister and the military-backed government this week for deposing Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi through a "coup."
He added, however, that prosecutors need the Justice Ministry's permission before starting possible action against Egyptian leaders.
Turkey's Islamic-rooted government, which had forged an alliance with Morsi, has also spoken out against his ouster and has demanded his immediate release. — AP
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130711173165
-------------
Kurdish rebel group appoints hawkish new leader
11 July 2013
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), engaged in a fragile peace process with the Turkish government after nearly three decades of conflict, has named a hardline party veteran as its new political leader, local media reported Thursday.
Cemil Bayik, one of the founders of the group which has fought a 29-year nationalist campaign against Ankara, is a close ally of its imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, and is known for his hawkish rhetoric against the government.
In a statement published on pro-Kurd news agency Firat, the PKK announced Bayik would replace the moderate Murat Karayilan, who will however remain head of the group’s military wing. No reason was given for the leadership shake-up.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/11/Kurdish-rebel-group-appoints-hawkish-new-leader.html
---------
West Bank: Israel is capable of building 10,000 houses in settlements
11 July 2013
Israel is capable of constructing 10,000 new homes in the settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem with the aim of reducing house prices, the Minister of Housing Uri Ariel said according to media reports on Thursday.
“We have the ability to immediately launch the construction of 10,000 houses in [east] Jerusalem and in the settlement blocs of Judea-Samaria [the West Bank],” the minister said during a meeting of the Finance Committee.
The minister notably mentioned three settlements, Beit Arieh, Ofarim and Elkana, situated according to him “in the center of the country,” in which the construction projects could be launched, the press has reported.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/11/West-Bank-Israel-is-capable-of-building-10-000-houses-in-settlements.html
---------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/india-obsessed-security-strategy-made/d/12547