Intellectuals Condemn Deoband Managing To Stop Research On Salman Rushdie

‘Narasimha govt had hand in 1995 Kashmir tourist killings’

By Iftikhar Gilani

DNA

New Delhi: May 1, 2012, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar was the blue-eyed boy of the Congress government during PV Narasimha Rao’s tenure, a book by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark has claimed.

Digging into the secret files of the J&K Police crime branch that probed the kidnapping of five western tourists in 1995, in their book, The Meadow, the authors have claimed that the then Congress government was hand in glove with terrorists.

To prepare for the J&K polls, the Rao government made the pro-government militia strike an alliance with Azhar’s ultra-radical outfit Harkat-ul-Ansar (HuA) to decimate Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) from the South Kashmir mountains. Azhar was then general secretary of HuA, which fathered the Taliban in Afghanistan. He set up JeM after his release in Kandahar.

Levy and Scott-Clark claimed that the tourists, kidnapped by the HuA front Al-Faran, were not killed by terrorists but by gunmen backed by two government forces — Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the army and the Special Task Force (STF) of the J&K Police.

They wrote that government forces that should have been hunting the Al-Faran were actually in league with it and the outfit’s terrorists were in the pay of New Delhi.

Talking to DNA from London, Levy said the kidnapping proved to be a turning point for the separatist movement in Kashmir.

Quoting senior officials, the book has claimed that someone in Delhi, realising the diplomatic benefits, wanted to prolong the kidnapping drama and thereby sabotage inspector-general of police Rajinder Tikoo’s attempts for their release by selectively leaking details of negotiations to the press. So distraught was chief negotiator Tikoo by this betrayal that he left the assignment and went on a long leave.

The crime branch file quotes its mole as saying, “The Al-Faran had handed over hostages to RR and STF-backed renegades led by Nabi Azad. On December 24, 1995, they received new orders. We gathered up the hostages and walked them out into the snow. There was (only) one end waiting for them, and we all knew it. No one could risk the hostages being released and complain of the collusion, having seen uniforms and STF jeeps... (There was a) possibility that they had understood (everything).”

They were buried in a hole in the isolated South Kashmir village of Mati Garwan.

More shockingly, when a female trekker approached the RR camp at Chandanwari to report the abduction of Norwegian tourist Dirk Hasert, instead of taking her complaint, an RR major sexually assaulted her, The Meadow has revealed.

If this was not enough, a deep penetration agent of J&K Police crime squad, code named ‘Agent A’, assigned to report on the hostages’ movements, was killed by the RR men who declared him a terrorist. Investigating office Mushtaq Sadiq found how the information dried up with the agent’s death, sabotaging efforts to rescue the tourists.

The book also throws light on the killing of Mirwaiz of South Kashmir, Qazi Nisar, much respected by HuA’s local commander Sikander, at the instance of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The IB fed information to the HM terrorists that Nisar was stealing the mosque money and collaborating with the government to actively canvass against militancy. When HM commander Umar executed Nisar on June 19, 1994, Anantnag was plunged into bloody clashes between the two militant groups.

More worrying is the role of Paramdeep Singh Gill, IG Kashmir range, and chief of STF. Just to claim the $2 million and two more rewards of £20,000 each from the US government, he led relatives and British investigators to believe he had unearthed the grave of Paul Wells, one of the hostages, in the cemetery of Akingham, a small town in South Kashmir. Even two “credible” DNA tests were claimed to have concluded it was Wells.

But when the British Foreign Office demanded a DNA sample to be tested in London, Gill gave up. Locals claimed the body belonged to one Ziauddin, a fair-skinned Afghan fighter killed by security forces in an encounter in late 1995.

Refusing to comment on the revelations made in the book, J&K Congress chief Prof Saifudin Soz stressed the need to forget, move forward and reconcile for the sake of peace in Kashmir. Soz, who was one of the important political figures during the hostage crises, admitted that people have experienced unmatched sufferings in the state over the past two decades.

“It was a difficult time. People lived dangerously. I don’t know what the authors have said. Their claim of then government agencies teaming up with terrorists to decimate another terrorist group cannot be blamed on the party. How is Congress, as a party, in the picture?” he asked.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_narasimha-govt-had-hand-in-1995-kashmir-tourist-killings_1682843

-----------

Shia Islamic Jurisprudent: "Living with Zionism is Impossible"

May 1, 2012

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The grand Islamic Jurisprudent, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli condemned all the crimes perpetrated by Zionism and underlined living with such regime is literally impossible.

“If among family members, one person be imperious, living gets hard, let alone to live next to a tribe with such feature,” said the senior cleric.

Speaking in Qom Seminary, among students, Abdollah Javadi Amoli underscored,” Muslims should keep their unity against all the schemes hatched by this regime.”

The senior cleric underlined that the regime of Zionism is doomed to fail and well off powers cannot change the future of this regime.

In other part of his speech the Islamic scholar also spotlighted the role of Islamic scholars and said,” Seminary instructors with their breadth of their experience can guide and inform people.”

“Via resorting to the holy book of Quran and the lifestyle of Ahlalbayt, Islamic scholars should usher the youth out of detour,” Abdollah Javadi Amoli pointed out.

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=311829

----------

Al-Qaida's Europe attack plans found hidden in porn movie

May 1, 2012

WASHINGTON: Hundreds of internal al-Qaida documents embedded inside a pornographic movie on a memory disk have revealed plots of carrying out attacks in Europe similar to the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Terrorist training manuals in PDF format in German, English and Arabic were among the documents found, according to intelligence sources cited by CNN, which said it had obtained details of the documents.

The German newspaper Die Zeit was the first to report on the discovery of the documents by German cryptologists inside the memory disk found on a suspected al-Qaida operative arrested in Berlin last year, it said.

Interrogators questioning a 22-year-old Austrian named Maqsood Lodin, who had recently returned from Pakistan via Budapest, Hungary, and then travelled overland to Germany were surprised to find a digital storage device and memory cards hidden in his underpants.

Buried inside them was a pornographic video called Kick Ass and a file marked Sexy Tanja.

Several weeks later, German investigators discovered encoded inside the actual video a treasure trove of intelligence - more than 100 al-Qaida documents.

One document called Future Works appears to have been the product of discussions to find new targets and methods of attack, CNN said. German investigators believe it was written in 2009 -- and that it remains the template for al-Qaida's plans.

A year after the document was written, European intelligence agencies were scrambling to investigate a Mumbai style plot involving German and other European militants which sparked an unprecedented US state department travel warning for Americans in Europe.

"I think it is plausible to think that the Future Works document is part of that particular project," investigative journalist Yassin Musharbash, a reporter with the German newspaper Die Zeit, who was the first to report on the documents, was quoted as saying.

"The document delivers very clearly the notion that al-Qaida knows it is being followed very closely," Musharbash told CNN.

While Future Works does not include dates or places, nor specific plans, it appears to be a brainstorming exercise to seize the initiative-and reinstate al-Qaida on front pages around the world, it said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Al-Qaidas-Europe-attack-plans-found-hidden-in-porn-movie/articleshow/12947920.cms

----------

Graves of Muslim soldiers desecrated in France

May 1, 2012

PARIS – The graves of several Muslim soldiers in a cemetery in southeastern France were desecrated over the weekend, officials said Monday. The French president called the act "a slur" on the country's history.

France has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe — estimated at more than 5 million — and has struggled with Islamophobia.

A killing spree by a young Frenchman of Algerian origin this year, which targeted soldiers and Jewish children, has reinvigorated the debate over the integration of Muslims in French society.

That debate has played a big role in presidential elections, in which the far-right candidate drew nearly a fifth of the votes in the first round. President Nicolas Sarkozy has tacked hard to the right in the hopes of winning over those voters and, with them, Sunday's decisive second round.

The French Muslim Council condemned the desecration of the graves and called it cowardly. Local press reported the vandalism included racist sayings scribbled on the tombstones.

Sarkozy expressed indignation at the "serious slur against our history" in a statement from his office that said the graves belonged to French soldiers.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/30/graves-muslim-soldiers-desecrated-in-france/#ixzz1tcU3DpZo

----------

Thousands turn up for 'brotherhood rally' in Kerala, India

May 1, 2012

Tens of thousands of people attended the 'brotherhood rally' held here Saturday evening culminating the statewide tour undertaken by All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulema leader A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

They took the pledge in the name of God not to "harm anybody with words, deeds or attitude" and that they would demand nothing that they do not deserve from the society and they would actively participate in the nation-building process.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who inaugurated the public meeting held in the sprawling Chandrasekharan Nair stadium in the heart of the city, said the Yatra had given out a message that such movement could function as an engine of change in the society despite idealogical differences.

"The Musliyar who preaches peace and harmony has set an example for the whole world by coming out to ensure peaceful existence of all religious communities," Chandy said. "In a democracy you need to adopt such peaceful methods to spread the message and Kerala needs an atmosphere where violence has no place.” Ramesh Chennithala, chief of the Congress party that leads the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), said the Yatra should be remembered for ever since it was targeted against none and it was deep-rooted in Islamic principle of love while Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed said the huge gathering underlines the overwhelming support that it received.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/world/article621745.ece

----------

Al-Qaeda has little support in Muslim world: poll

May 01 2012

Washington : A year after Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces in Pakistan, his terrorist outfit al-Qaeda has little support in the Muslim world, a poll has said.

Majority of people in Muslim nations like Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and Lebanon expressed negative views about this terrorist network, according to a poll conducted in these countries between March 19 and April 13 by Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project.

In Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals, 13 per cent of Muslims hold a favorable view of al-Qaeda, 55 per cent an unfavorable view, and roughly three-in-ten (31 per cent) offer no opinion.

Support for the organisation is in the single digits among Turkish and Lebanese Muslims. In Jordan, just 15 per cent express a positive opinion, essentially unchanged from last year, but down significantly from 34 per cent in 2010. Al-Qaeda receives its highest ratings in Egypt, where 21 per cent hold a favorable and 71 per cent an unfavorable opinion, the poll said yesterday.

Pew said, before his death, support for bin Laden had waned considerably among Muslims around the world. Perhaps the most striking decline occurred in Jordan, where in 2005, 61 per cent had expressed confidence in bin Laden to do the right thing in world affairs.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/943904/

----------

Baloch Massacre in Karachi: Lyari presents scenes of Gaza Strip

May 1, 2012

Karachi: The metropolitan city which summarizes a potential greater population of Baloch has once again seen the unsettling thunderous clouds marching their ways toward Baloch homes. The recent clash which many in Karachi believe is a slow genocide has turned the tide and became an aggressive attempt to force the Baloch indigenous population out of their shelters & homes.

On 27 April 2012 new wave of operation and house to house harassment was initiated which till present day is continued nonstop (A killing field just like Karbala) where Baloch people are seized inside their homes without any electricity, Food supplies, medical supplies , Child care or Humanitarian aid. Four days of intense operation and the people are forced to live without food and other necessities, Many Baloch in the start of operation have migrated to other urban localities of Baloch areas such as Jahangir Road, Taruline, Baloch Garden, Malir & Laluket.

The intensified operation to clear Lyari has taken a toll of lives, dozen of Baloch died while illegal arrest, torture & much causality were reported in three days, a mother who was accompanied by her daughter identified as Zainab Bibi Baloch said that her son was dragged out of the house and was taken away by police officials even though he had no part whatsoever in the killing of police officials. Another man who migrated with his wife and 2 children identified as Usman Baloch has said that he was forced to leave his mother’s house because of the operation he said that “While the police officials and Pakistan rangers claims that the operation is against Gangwar but the facts with displacement of Baloch population shows a different picture”.

Full report at:

http://www.balochwarna.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3529

----------

An Indian ends life every 6th day in Oman

May 1, 2012

Dubai : In a worrying sign, an Indian living in Oman has been found to commit suicide every sixth day, owing to financial stress or personal issues, official data shows.

23 Indians had committed suicide in different parts of the Sultanate till mid-April this year. In January and February, eight Indians committed suicide in each month, while four ended their life in March. Three people had committed suicide till mid-April, Times of Oman reported, quoting data available with Indian embassy in Muscat.

Last week, an Indian mother of three was found hanging from the ceiling at her flat in Ruwi region.

50 Indians committed suicide in Oman in the year 2010, while another 54 in 2011, the report said.

Psychologists and social workers in Oman call this an alarming phenomenon.

"Even though the number of suicides was slightly low in March and April, it was quite high in January and February," an Indian lawyer told the paper.

The reasons behind the suicides, psychologists say, are either financial stress or personal issues such as low self-esteem, depression and interpersonal conflict.

Several Indian social and spiritual groups are working in Oman to prevent the rising number of suicides.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/943518/

---------

Muslim students accuse vice chancellor of stoking Islamophobia

May 1, 2012

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Daily Telegraph draws our attention to an open letter to London Metropolitan University's vice chancellor Prof Malcolm Gillies from the university's Islamic and Shia Muslim societies in response to press reports that Gillies in considering a ban on alcohol on some parts of the campus.

 Dear Professor Gillies,

We are responding to your recent comments regarding the proposed alcohol ban within the university on religious grounds.

London Met is a diverse and multicultural university with approximately 30,000 students representing over 150 different countries. We, as Muslim students, value democracy and respect diversity and multiculturalism and we also acknowledge that we are able to practice our faith more freely here in the UK than in many Muslim countries around the world. We find your recent comments regarding banning alcohol on university premises being based on religious grounds, as an attack not only on the values we hold, but also on the values of the wider non-Muslim community. Your comments clearly showed that the alcohol ban you proposed is based on gross generalisation about the views of Muslim students.

Full report at:

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=312250

----------

Iraq fugitive VP charged with murdering six judges

May 1, 2012

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s fugitive Vice President Tareq Al-Hashemi and some of his bodyguards have been charged with murdering six judges and a series of other killings, a judiciary spokesman said on Monday.

Hashemi, one of Iraq’s top Sunni Muslim politicians, fled Baghdad in December when the Shiite-led central government issued an arrest warrant for him, accusing him of running death squads.

He is now in Istanbul in Turkey and is not expected to attend the trial when it begins on Thursday.

Iraq’s delicately-balanced ruling coalition of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds began to strain in December after US troops left and the government tried to remove Sunni Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlaq and made the accusations against Hashemi.

Hashemi initially escaped to the autonomous Kurdish region in the north, where the authorities refused to hand him over.

Full report at:

http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article622290.ece

----------

Trust that hosted AIMPLB convention is SIMI front: Indian Govt.

MOHAMMAD ALI

May 1, 2012

The Maharashtra-based Khair-e-Ummat Trust, one of the hosts of the recent three-day convention of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) in Mumbai, has been named by the Union government as one of the “fronts/pseudonymous organisations of SIMI.”

The trust's general secretary, Haroon Mozawalla, has decided to present its case before Justice V.K. Shali, who heads the one-man tribunal that is determining the validity of the ban on SIMI. Justice Shali is slated to visit Maharashtra to examine the evidence against SIMI.

The Home Ministry's “background note on the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI),” a copy of which is with The Hindu, mentions four more organisations as being SIMI ‘fronts' at the national level — Tahreek-e-Ehyaa-e-Ummat (TEU), Tehreek-Talaba-e-Arabia (TTA), Tahrik Tahaffuz-e-Shaaire Islam (TTSI) and Wahdat-e-Islami.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3371392.ece

----------

Pakistan army believes in 'strong democratic system': Kayani

May 1, 2012

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has waded into a standoff between the government and judiciary, saying the country's development and welfare depend on state institutions functioning within their constitutional limits.

The country's Constitution has "clearly defined the responsibilities and functions of national institutions" and it is incumbent on them "to perform their duties within constitutional limits", he said while delivering an address at an event marking the army's Youm-e-Shahada (Day of Martyrs) yesterday.

In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's conviction of contempt by the Supreme Court for refusing to act on orders to revive graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, Kayani said the prime objective of the democratic system is to "ensure the welfare, happiness and increased dignity of the people and the establishment of a balanced society where every person can get justice equally".

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-army-believes-in-strong-democratic-system-Gen-Ashfaq-Parvez-Kayani/articleshow/12947298.cms

----------

Boko Haram: Regional force 'should help Nigeria'

May 1, 2012

Chad's leader has called for the urgent creation of a regional force to tackle Nigerian Boko Haram militants.

The Islamist group operates in northern Nigeria, but President Idriss Deby said it was posing a threat to its neighbours around Lake Chad.

"Our basin is exposed to insecurity because of the permanent threat posed by Boko Haram," he said.

Nigeria has been struggling to contain attacks by the militants who want to impose Islamic law in the country.

On Monday, a suicide attack on a police station in Taraba state, which borders Cameroon, killed at least 11 people. No-one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Boko Haram militants have carried out many similar attacks.

They have targeted government institutions, churches and bars as well as mosques belonging to rival Muslim groups across northern Nigeria over the last 20 months.

Last year, the group also attacked the UN headquarters in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

'Hideout' raided

"I am demanding the creation of a joint deterrence force. We have to make this decision here today," President Deby told a meeting of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, which includes Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and the Central African Republic.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17906504

----------

German Muslims feel growing Islamophobia

May 1, 2012

Around four million Muslims live in Germany; nearly half are German citizens. The Sehitlik mosque in Berlin is one of the largest mosques offering room for 1.500 worshippers.

Ender Cetin, who is the honorary head of Sehitlik mosque, offers a tour for students of a police academy. He believes to have made many friends by explaining Islam to non-Muslim visitors. But prejudices often run deep and the mosque frequently receives threatening letters and calls.

Threatening calls and letters are nothing new to Sanchita Basu, either. For several years now she offers help to victims of racism, at schools, at their jobs or in their neighborhood.

Muslim organizations continue to warn of a growing Islamophobia in Germany. And Islam has been the topic of many political debates. While former German president Christian Wulff and prior, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called Islam ‘a part of Germany’, their statements cause much commotion and hefty criticism from politicians and the public.

Initiatives, like the annual German Islam Conference, try to enable dialogue between the religions. Schools now offer courses in Islam, universities educate Muslim scholars. Yet politics and the media continue to fuel anti-Islamic sentiment portraying Muslims as violent, radical and unwilling to integrate.

Muslims are surely an important part of German society. But their religious belief continues to cause controversy. Populist parties warn of an Islamization of Europe and far too many agree. The far-right already increasingly targets Muslims with many fearing for their safety.

http://presstv.com/detail/238444.html

----------

Sharia Law open house in Midland, CANADA

May 1, 2012

MIDLAND – A Muslim organization will pay another visit to Midland this weekend to tackle misconceptions and answer questions about Islam.

Saturday’s information session will tackle the subject of “Sharia: The Misunderstood Islamic Law.” It will take place at the Midland Public Library from noon to 4 p.m.

The event is being organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association of Canada, which is an auxiliary wing of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a non-profit charitable organization with 65 chapters throughout Canada.

Part of its mandate is to promote peace, condemn terrorism and dispel myths about Islam. In the past 14 months, representatives have visited more than 200 communities, reaching out to an estimated 1.3 million people. This is the group’s third visit to Midland.

http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2012/04/americas/sharia-law-open-house-in-midland-canada

--------

Iranian Cleric: Azerbaijani Government Hurt Muslims’ Heart

May 1, 2012

TABRIZ, Iran (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Friday prayer leader of Tabriz condemned Anti-Islamic acts perpetrated by the government of Azerbaijan.

The despotic policy of Azerbaijan government disappointed Muslims and hurt their hearts,” said Friday prayer leader of Tabriz, Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari.

Ayatollah Mojtahed Shabestari rebuked the dictatorship policy of Azerbaijan government stating that Arrogant powers such the U.S and the regime of Zionism aggravate the exasperating condition in this country.

“The current condition in Azerbaijan is, obviously enough, abysmal especially for Shia people,” said the senior cleric.

“Holding the homosexual parade in a country which most of its population consisted of Muslims is literally disappointing,” the Islamic Scholar mentioned.

The Islamic Scholar underlined, “such system of governing that disappoints people is doomed to fail.”

“Azerbaijan is the second Shia country in the world but unfortunately such anti- Islamic moves hurt Muslims especially Islamic scholars and cleric,” Ayatollah Mojtahed Shabestari underlined.

The senior cleric also urged Azerbaijani nation to keep their unity and eschew any division in this condition.

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=311849

----------

5,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israel on hunger strike

May 1, 2012

JERUSALEM: A Palestinian rights group said Monday that half of about 5,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel are on a hunger strike, demanding an end to imprisonment without trial as well as better conditions.

Ehteram Ghazawneh of the Palestinian group Addameer said prisoners object to ``administrative detention'' that incarcerates some of them for months or years without charges.

More than 300 Palestinians are held in administrative detention, where an Israeli military court allows imprisonment based on secret evidence. The rulings are periodically reviewed.

The Israeli military says it uses administrative detention to protect informants or when they fear an immediate risk to security. The military did not respond to requests for comment about the hunger strike.

Ghazawneh says prisoners also want to end solitary confinement and allow prisoners from Gaza to have family visits.

She estimated that 2,500 prisoners were participating.

Israeli prison service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman had different figures. She said that 1,450 are on a hunger strike. Of them, two prisoners have refused to eat for 63 days.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Palestinian-prisoners-in-Israel-on-hunger-strike/articleshow/12939843.cms

----------

Gunfire, Blasts as Nigerian Forces Raid Islamist Base

May 1, 2012

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - Gunfire and explosions rang out through Nigeria's main northern city of Kano on Tuesday as Nigerian forces battled Islamist militants in a raid on one of their hideouts, witnesses and the military said.

Residents of the Sabuwar Gandu area of Kano awoke to several loud blasts and a raging gun battle. There were no immediate reports of casualty figures.

"Our men just raided one of the hideouts of the elements ... where we discovered explosives and weapons," said a spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kano, Lieutenant Iweha Ikedichi.

After a relative lull, Boko Haram attacks have surged in the past few days, dampening hopes that tighter security in the north had drastically reduced their capability.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/05/01/world/africa/01reuters-nigeria-violence.html?ref=global-home

----------

Ahead of Osama raid anniversary, US vows to target Zawahiri

May 1, 2012

WASHINGTON: Ayman al-Zawahiri , the new head of terror outfit al-Qaida remains at large in Pakistan's tribal area, a top US counter-terrorism official has said as Washington vowed to hunt him down.

Labelling the Egyptian cleric as now the number one target of the US, John Brennan , the US deputy National Security Adviser told CNN: "We believe he (Zawahiri) is in that region of the world, as well as other Qaida leaders that continue to borough into areas of... the FATA of Pakistan." Brennan added: "We're not going to relent until they're brought to justice one way or the other." Speaking to reporters he said: "We demonstrated the ability to do that with bin Laden. We are in constant consultation with our Pakistani counter-terrorism partners on a regular basis about how we can do this as soon as possible."

Laden letters, diary to be displayed

US officials say the public will soon be able to read some of Osama bin Laden's last written or typed words gathered by navy commandos when they raided Abbottabad compound. The trove included correspondence between the terror leader and his far flung affiliates, and a diary written in bin Laden's own hand.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Ahead-of-Osama-raid-anniversary-US-vows-to-target-Zawahiri/articleshow/12945332.cms

----------

Sri Lankan Muslims call for protection

May 1, 2012

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s main Muslim party called on the government on Monday to protect religious minorities after protests by Buddhist monks demanding that a 60-year-old mosque be relocated.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which is a member of the ruling coalition, said it opposed shifting the mosque in Dambulla, 150 kilometres (93 miles) north of Colombo, saying this would be “disastrous” for the country.

The monks argued that the mosque was inside temple land and should be demolished while the Muslims maintain that they have been offering prayers there since the mid 1940s.

The government said in a statement last week that it had offered three alternate locations for the mosque and had also agreed to finance a new building, an offer firmly rejected by the SLMC. “We will not agree to any compromise of taking land elsewhere,” SLMC leader and Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem told reporters in Colombo. “We are very, very firm on that.” He said “extremist forces” were trying to create religious tensions in a country emerging from nearly four decades of ethnic strife which has cost an estimated 100,000 lives.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\05\01\story_1-5-2012_pg14_5

----------

Shots fired between Mali president's guards and junta loyalists

May 1, 2012

BAMAKO: Gunfire broke out in Mali's capital, with troops who took part in last month's military coup and the guard of the newly installed president exchanging shots, witnesses said.

The shooting in central Bamako followed an attempt by junta loyalists to arrest a member of the presidential guard, witnesses said.

The guardsmen, or "Red Berets," have voiced anger over the arrest of former army chief by soldiers who took part in the March 22 coup that toppled ex-president Amadou Toumani Toure weeks before an election.

The US embassy in Bamako, through its Twitter account, reported the shooting, but did not specify the groups involved.

"Gunfire reported in ACI2000, vicinity of ORTM, and possibly other areas of #Bamako. US Citizens advised to shelter in place," the embassy tweeted.

The referred to area is near the office of the national television and radio station (ORTM), which the junta seized on the night of its coup and has continued to occupy.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Shots-fired-between-Mali-presidents-guards-and-junta-loyalists/articleshow/12944558.cms

----------

Osama thought of changing al-Qaida's name

May 1, 2012

LONDON: Osama bin Laden was depressed because his al-Qaida had been pounded by US forces and had developed a reputation in the Islamic world for killing Muslims. He, therefore, thought of "re-branding" the terror outfit.

"So damaged is al-Qaida's image that bin Laden even considered changing its name," John Brennan, US President Barack Obama's assistant for homeland security and counter-terrorism, was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

"And one of the reasons? As bin Laden said himself, US officials 'have largely stopped using the phrase 'the war on terror' in the context of not wanting to provoke Muslims'," Brennan said, according to political blog The Ticket.

The name al-Qaida is Arabic for "the base", and refers to the training bases fighters occupied while battling the Soviet army in Afghanistan.

Brennan's information came from bin Laden's documents, which were found at the compound in Pakistan's Abbottabad city, where he was hiding when he was killed by US forces last year.

According to Brennan, Adam Gadahn, bin Laden's US-born public relations chief, said al-Qaida had become known as a group that "does not hesitate to take people's money by falsehood, detonating mosques, spilling the blood of scores of people".

Bin Laden himself said "a large portion" of Muslims around the world "have lost their trust" in the outfit.

The al-Qaida chief was also worried that too many experienced leaders had been killed and that many "junior terrorists" were rising through the ranks, the daily said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Osama-thought-of-changing-al-Qaidas-name/articleshow/12951447.cms

---------

Four Pakistanis plotted to bomb British army base using toy car

May 1, 2012

London: Four Pakistani-Britons have been charged with taking inspiration from al Qaeda magazine Inspire, and plotting to use a toy car to attack a base of the Territorial Army in Britain's Luton town. The plot was, however, foiled.

Zahid Iqbal, 30, is accused of leading the terror network. He was joined by Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 24, Umar Arshad, 23, and Syed Farhan Hussain, 21.

The gang is accused of working to recruit others for jihad and raising funds, the Daily Mail reported.

The men were arrested at their homes in Luton last week.

The Westminster magistrates' court heard the men bought survival equipment, downloaded Al Qaeda terror manuals and discussed methods and targets. Two of the men were caught discussing how to build explosive devices from instructions in Inspire magazine.

It was also claimed the gang planned to attack NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Ahmed is accused of acting as a recruiter and making an "explorative visit" to Pakistan where he may have undertaken terrorist activities, the daily said.

Hussain allegedly specialised in the distribution of funds and provisions, while Arshad allegedly provided practical guidance on activities abroad, what to wear to fit in and lead the outdoor training.

All four were accused of possessing editions of Inspire, and a terrorist book called "44 Ways to Support Jihad".

Ahmed and Arshad were also found with a copy of "21 Techniques of Silent Killing". Arshad was also accused of owning "The Al Qaeda Manual" while Hussain was accused of possessing "The Book of Jihad" and a manual named "The Explosives Course Two".

The four men have been remanded in custody. The trial continues.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/qaeda-inspired-pakistanis-plotted-to-bomb-uk-army-base_772761.html

--------

German Police Arrest 30 Salafists After Clashes

May 1, 2012

BERLIN (AP) — German police say 30 protesters of an ultra-conservative Muslim group were arrested after clashing with security officials.

Police spokeswoman Anja Meis said a group of Salafists protesting against a far-right march threw stones and attacked officers separating the two rallies in the western German city of Solingen Tuesday. Three policemen and a passer-by were injured.

She says the violence erupted after far-right protesters showed cartoons depicting Islam's Prophet Muhammad drawn by Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard which were first published in a newspaper in 2005.

Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet.

Germany's domestic intelligence agencies are keeping a close eye on Salafists, suspected by officials of spreading a radical ideology condoning violence.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/05/01/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-salafists-arrested.html?ref=global-home

---------

18 Al-Qaeda militants killed in Yemen fighting

May 1, 2012

SANAA: Fierce clashes killed at least 21 people, including 18 Al-Qaeda militants, today near the southern Yemeni town of Loder, which Al-Qaeda is trying to capture, a local official said.

The other dead were an army officer and two tribal volunteers aiding the military.

The source said the Al-Qaeda militants were forced to retreat in the direction of Amiin, 12 kilometres south of Loder.

Witnesses said the fighting lasted for several hours, and that air force planes had bombed militant positions in the mountains southeast of Loder, from which columns of smoke could be seen rising.

A tank in the hands of the militants, as well as two vehicles mounted with machineguns and ammunition stocks were destroyed, other sources said.

Al-Qaeda seized Loder in August 2010, but the army eventually drove it out.

Loder lies 150 kilometres northeast of Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, which was seized last May by the Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law), an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in the Arabic Peninsula.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/18-al-Qaida-militants-killed-in-Yemen-fighting/articleshow/12943122.cms

----------

Afghan protesters accuse Nato of killing 4 children

May 1, 2012

KANDAHAR: Hundreds of Afghan demonstrators on Tuesday accused US-led Nato troops of killing four children during clashes with insurgents in a southern Afghan town, officials and witnesses said.

The protesters, who were carrying the bodies of four children aged eight to 12, blocked the Kabul-Kandahar highway and chanted anti-US slogans, they said.

The children died during an exchange of fire between Taliban insurgents and Nato and Afghan security forces in Shahjoy in the southern Zabul province on Monday, said deputy provincial governor Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar.

The gunfight was unleashed when members of Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), along with their allies from the Afghan security forces, were meeting local community leaders and came under attack by insurgents.

“Isaf and Afghan troops returned fire. There was an exchange of fire during which four children were killed and some others kids were injured. Today the people are protesting the killing of the children,” Rasoulyar told AFP.

The official said his initial findings suggested the casualties were caused by Taliban fire.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2012/05/01/afghans-protesters-accuse-nato-of-killing-4-children/

----------

Powerful blast rips through Quetta, five killed

May 1, 2012

QUETTA: A powerful blast ripped through Quetta’s Sariab Road on Tuesday, killing at least five people while injuring three others, DawnNews reported.

Rescue officials confirmed that at least five people had been killed in the incident. The dead also included Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.

The loud explosion, which was reported to be so powerful that it shook several buildings in the provincial capital, took place at around 2:15pm inside a car parked near the Sariab grid station. The area, located near Quetta’s Irrigation Colony, is known to be a busy locality.

According to initial reports security officials, the explosion was suspected to be a remote-controlled bomb blast, while an FC vehicle was supected to be the intended target of the attack.

A heavy contingent of local police and FC personnel reached the scene of the blast and cordoned off the area. The injured were also shifted to a local hospital by rescue workers.

http://dawn.com/2012/05/01/bomb-blasts-through-quetta-five-killed/

----------

Taliban leader dies in Afghan raid

May 1, 2012

A Taliban leader and another insurgent were killed after they opened fire on Afghan and coalition troops during a night raid in the country's east, Nato has said.

But villager Abdul Malik Abdul Rahimzai said the soldiers who attacked a neighbour's house in Qarghayi district in the eastern province of Laghman killed "innocent people" who were unarmed.

Mohammad Aziz Khochi said two of his nephews were killed in the raid. He said one was a local council member and that they were not insurgents.

Nato said the Taliban leader had co-ordinated roadside bombings in the province. It said several insurgents were detained in the operation.

Under a recent US-Afghan deal, night raids must now be led by Afghan forces.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association.

----------

Nigerian Forces Raid Islamist Base in Kano, 1 Killed

May 1, 2012

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian forces raided the hideout of Islamist militants in Kano on Tuesday, killing the suspected mastermind of an attack on Christian worshippers, in a gun battle that lasted several hours in the main northern city.

The raid followed a spate of attacks in the past days, believed to be by Islamist sect Boko Haram, which killed 30 people and dampened hopes that tighter security in the north had drastically reduced the sect's capability.

Residents of the Bubugaje slum area of Kano awoke to several loud explosions and the sound of gunfire.

"It is really terrifying ... everyone is indoors," said Anthonia Okafor, a student at Kano university.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/05/01/world/africa/01reuters-nigeria-violence.html?ref=world

----------

Twenty-three killed in Syria violence activists say

May 1, 2012

Twenty-three people have been killed in renewed violence in Syria on Tuesday, activists say.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says nine members of one family, including four women and two children, were among 11 people killed in a mortar attack on a village in Idlib province.

Actvists also report 12 soldiers were killed near their base in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor.

An advance party of 16 UN monitors has begun work in the country.

This is due to be expanded to 100 by mid-May. Eventually as many as 300 international observers are expected to be deployed.

A cease-fire agreement which came into force on 12 April has helped reduce violence, but fighting is continuing across the country.

'Calming effect'

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17906618

----------

Afghan-NATO Raid Kills 2 in Eastern Village

May 1, 2012

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — NATO says a Taliban leader and another insurgent were killed after they opened fire on Afghan and coalition troops during a night raid in the country's east.

But villager Abdul Malik Abdul Rahimzai says the soldiers who attacked a neighbor's house in Qarghayi district in the eastern province of Laghman killed "innocent people" who were unarmed.

Mohammad Aziz Khochi says two of his nephews were killed in the raid. He says one was a local council member and that they were not insurgents.

NATO says the Taliban leader coordinated roadside bombings in the province. It says several insurgents were detained in the operation.

Night raids are controversial in Afghanistan. Under a recent U.S.-Afghan deal, they must now be led by Afghan forces.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/05/01/world/asia/ap-as-afghanistan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

----------

One year on, Pakistan keeps its Osama secrets

May 01, 2012

One year since US commandos flew into this Pakistani army town and killed Osama bin Laden, Islamabad has failed to answer tough questions over whether its security forces were protecting the world's most wanted terrorist. Partly as a result, fallout from the raid still poisons relations

between Washington and Pakistan, where anti-American sentiment, support for Islamist extremism and anger at the violation of sovereignty in the operation can be summed up by a Twitter hashtag doing the rounds: 02MayBlackDay.

The Pakistani government initially welcomed the raid that killed bin Laden in his three-story compound, but within hours the mood changed as it became clear that Pakistan's army was cut out of the operation. Any discussions over how bin Laden managed to stay undetected in Pakistan were drowned out in anger at what the army portrayed as a treacherous act by a supposed ally.

That bin Laden was living with his family near Pakistan's version of West Point not in a cave in the mountains as many had guessed raised eyebrows in the West. The Pakistani army was already accused of playing both sides in the campaign against militancy, providing some support against al-Qaida but keeping the Afghan Taliban as strategic allies.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/One-year-on-Pakistan-keeps-its-Osama-secrets/Article1-848867.aspx

----------

It was appropriate to go into Pakistan and take out Osama: US President Barack Obama

May 1, 2012

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Monday defended his decision to order special forces to go inside Pakistan and kill al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden at his safe hideout a year ago.

"As far as my personal role and what other folks would do, I'd just recommend that everybody take a look at people's previous statements in terms of whether they thought it was appropriate to go into Pakistan and take out bin Laden," Obama said at a joint White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

"I assume that people meant what they said when they said it. That's been at least my practice. I said that I'd go after bin Laden if we had a clear shot at him and I did.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/It-was-appropriate-to-go-into-Pakistan-and-take-out-Osama-US-President-Barack-Obama/articleshow/12943005.cms

----------

Latest US drone attack on Pakistan torpedoes reopening of Nato supply route

May 1, 2012

WASHINGTON: Undeterred by Islamabad's shrill protests about breach of its sovereignty by American drone strikes culminating in a parliamentary resolution calling for a halt to such unmanned attacks, the US conducted yet another such operation over the weekend. The attack has virtually torpedoed Pakistan's participation in Nato's 25th summit in President Obama's hometown in Chicago on May 20-21 where far reaching decision are expected on the transition in Afghanistan and beyond.

The weekend drone strike came after a lull of nearly a month from the previous such attack during which time Pakistan upped the ante on the issue with its parliamentary review calling for a halt to such violations of its sovereignty. On Monday, the Pakistani foreign office condemned the latest attack which was said to have killed three or four suspected terrorists operating out of an abandoned girls' school in Miramshah.

"Such attacks are in total contravention of international law and established norms of interstate relations," Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement, terming it a violation of its sovereignty. But the attack killed more than just four militants; it also demolished any pretence of consideration for Pakistan's honor and self-respect which its leaders had put at stake with a very public stand on drone strikes.

In Washington meanwhile, the Obama administration went on the offensive, defending the drone strikes and maintaining that they are ethical, proportional, and in keeping with US efforts to spare innocent civilians from being caught up in the crossfire.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Latest-US-drone-attack-on-Pakistan-torpedoes-reopening-of-Nato-supply-route/articleshow/12942466.cms

----------

Drone strikes are legal and ethical: US

May 01 2012

Washington : US says drone strikes were "legal" and "ethical" tools against al-Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan dismissing Islamabad's concerns over the attacks.

Justifying the use of remotely piloted aircraft, a top Obama administration counter terrorism official said "rigorous standards" were applied in these attacks, which were carried out in "surgical manner" and "laser like precision."

Marking the anniversary of the killing of al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin laden by American special forces in Pakistan, John Brennan, President Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser told a meeting here that the strikes were used only in cases of "significant threat."

He described al-Qaeda as "legitimate military target" which was in armed conflict with the US.

"There is nothing in international law that bans the use of remotely piloted aircraft for this purpose or that prohibits us from using lethal force against our enemies outside of an active battlefield," Brennan said in his address to international scholars at Woodrow Wilson Centre.

This is the first time that US has made public an elaborate explanation of drone strikes which have sharply increased in places like Pakistan and Yemen with the emergence of new technology, which reduces the cost and risks of open warfare.

Brennan said the President had directed officials to be more open about how they decide to kill terrorism suspects.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/drone-strikes-are-legal-and-ethical-us/943955/

----------

NATO supplies: Pak wants $1,000 per truck

 May 01 2012

Islamabad : Pakistani authorities have proposed the imposition of a levy of $1,000 on each truck and container transporting supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan through the country's territory, a senior official has said.

The Communication Ministry had proposed the levy, National Highway Authority chairman Mohammad Ali Gardezi said.

His remarks came against the backdrop of discussions within the government on reopening the supply routes that were closed after a cross-border NATO air strike in November.

“The government sought proposals from the Communication Ministry on the levy to be imposed on NATO containers,” Gardezi said.

A proposal regarding the recovery of estimated damages and the levy of a tax for infrastructure usage charges has been submitted to the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministries and it was proposed that $1,000 should be charged for every NATO container, he said.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nato-supplies-pak-wants-1-000-per-truck/943933/

----------

Bin Laden said to have wanted Obama assassinated

May 1, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Obama administration official says al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden wanted to see President Barack Obama and Gen. David Petraeus assassinated.

But Michael Leiter (LYT'-uhr) tells NBC's "Today" show he didn't think that necessarily was bin Laden's highest priority, suggesting the terrorist leader dreamed of another large-scale, 9/11-type attack on the United States.

Asked by "Today" host Matt Lauer Tuesday whether bin Laden's aim of seeing Obama assassinated was more of a "wish-list" than a plot, Leiter agreed.

Leiter served as head of the National Counterterrorism Center during the Obama administration. He was present with Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the White House a year ago as they monitored the U.S. operation that killed bin Laden at a Pakistan compound.

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press.

----------

Belgium broadcasts an anti-Islam TV program

May 1, 2012

“Today’s Issues” program that is aired on a French speaking Belgian TV channel broadcasted a number of anti-Islam opinions and ideas, which enraged the Muslims in the country, knowing that a number of Belgian politicians and representatives of the Islamic community criticized this program that always seeks spreading a negative view about Islam.

Philippe Moureaux, the mayor of Saint-Jans-Molenbeek, where many Muslims reside, stated that having the national TV channels handle racial and Islamophobia topics has become unbearable and unacceptable.

He also considered that the program tries, through unconvincing bad examples, to spread a negative view about Muslims amidst the public opinion, criticizing those in charge of the program for not mentioning one positive thing about Muslims.

Mahinur Ozdemir, an MP in the Belgian Parliament in Brussels and a Muslim woman of Turkish origin, said: The program reflects an immoral image of the Muslim Belgians, which contradicts with the principle of non-biased television in the state.

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=312231

----------

Osama's Abbottabad home being sold off brick by brick

May 1, 2012

Osama Bin Laden's last home is being sold brick by brick after being demolished following his death last year.

Two baths and a home-made TV aerial have also been put on sale by the enterprising contractor who bulldozed the three-storey home in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad in February.

While Pakistan's leaders are keen to obliterate any memory of how the world's most wanted man evaded capture for so long, Shakeel Ahmed said his salvage yard had become a tourist attraction for visitors looking for a souvenir.

"These bricks can be used by people to build new houses," he said, pointing to a heap of some of the 180,000 bricks from the site. "Some come here looking for just one, so they can have them as a gift."

The al-Qaeda leader was shot dead a year ago tomorrow (Wednesday) after the CIA traced him to the villa in Abbottabad.

In recent months, Pakistan has tried to obliterate his memory: Bin Laden's three widows, along with their children and grandchildren, were deported to Saudi Arabia last week and the house itself is now nothing but a pile of bricks in Mr Ahmed's yard.

Full report at:

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_osama-s-abbottabad-home-being-sold-off-brick-by-brick_1683101

----------

Osama was in touch with Mullah Omar till his last: Report

May 1, 2012

Terror mastermind Osama bin Laden till his last was in frequent touch with his deputy Ayman al- Zawahiri and Taliban supremo Mullah Omar, plotting operations against NATO forces, documents found at his Abbottabad hideout show.

The documents show a close working relationship between top al Qaeda leaders and Mullah Omar, Guardian reported.

The news will undermine hopes of a negotiated peace in Afghanistan, where the key debate among analysts and policymakers is whether the Taliban, seen by many as following an Afghan nationalist agenda, might once again offer a safe haven to Al Qaeda or like-minded militants, or whether they can be persuaded to renounce terrorism.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/61755-osama-was-in-touch-with-mullah-omar-till-his-last-report-.html

----------

Bahrain orders fresh trial for 20 convicts

1 May 2012

MANAMA - The 20 out of 21 defendants convicted for their role in a foiled attempt to overthrow the regime last year will have a fresh trial, according to a decision taken by the Cassation court on Monday.

The court also decided to release Al Hurr Yousif Mohammed Al Sumaikh after reducing his sentence from 2 years to six months.

The decision was made after the court accepted the quash of judgment submitted by the convicts as it referred them to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The court highlighted that a quash of judgment does not result in the release of the defendants as long as they were imprisoned when presented in the first trial, because a quash of judgment brings the case to the same condition when it emerged from the public prosecution. Whereas a verdict to quash a judgment does not result in or potentiality of giving preference to acquittal on the conviction in the case, but the court may return it after legal error correction, which occurred in the first judgment to adjudicate with the same previous penalty, mitigate, or innocence of the defendant.

It retrieves full freedom to issue judgment without being bound by verdict of the First Degree as a new case that did not receive the judgment before.  However, it is prohibited to adjudicate with severe punishment as long as the defendant was the appellant before the Court of Cassation.

The case involves 21 defendants out of whom 7 were sentenced in absentia. One of the defendants is Abdulhadi Al Khawaja who is a human rights activist and has been on hunger strike for more than 70 days. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=/data/middleeast/2012/May/middleeast_May3.xml&section=middleeast

----------

Moderate Islamist gains in presidential race

1 May 2012

A moderate Islamist campaigning to be Egypt’s next president has won the support of some unlikely allies — the country’s most conservative religious groups, including former militant jihadists.

Their backing reflects the growing mistrust by many Islamists of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, the would-be flagbearer for the religious vote. And it has made Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh a front-runner with an unusual coalition that includes secular liberals and even some Christians along with hard-line Islamists.

‘He (Abolfotoh) will be a president for all Egyptians,’ Wael Ghonim, an icon of the youthful revolutionaries behind the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year, wrote on his Twitter account Monday.

‘He will bring us together, not divide us.’

Before he was thrown out last year, Abolfotoh was a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood — now Egypt’s most powerful political force. He earned the reputation as a moderate reformer within the Islamic fundamentalist group.

But the bearded, 60-year-old former dissident eventually fell out with the group after publicly slamming it for not being transparent about its financing and irking his fellow Brothers by saying he would rather have a good Christian than a bad Muslim as president — contradicting the movement’s line that majority Muslim Egypt should not be ruled by a Christian.

Now he is one of the few candidates with crossover appeal for both religious conservatives and liberals.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=/data/middleeast/2012/May/middleeast_May4.xml&section=middleeast

----------

Israeli Defense Minister Leaves 'All Options' On Table With Iran

May 1, 2012

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said "all options to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons should remain on the table," a reference to a possible Israel attack on the Islamic republic.

Speaking in Jerusalem before The Foreign Press Association on April 30, the defense minister said the recent resumption of international talks on Iran’s nuclear program did not "fill [him] with confidence" and warned that "Israel cannot afford to be duped."

He said Iran is "getting closer" to attaining nuclear weapons and Israel must control its own fate.

Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence because Iranian leaders frequently call for the destruction of Israel and support violent anti-Israeli groups in the region.

Western governments have imposed tough economic sanctions on Tehran over suspicions that it is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, which it denies.

http://www.rferl.org/content/israeli_defense_minister_leaves_all_options_on_the_table_with_iran/24565963.html

----------

Laden was worried about the future of al-Qaeda in his final days

May 1, 2012

Osama bin Laden complained of 'disaster after disaster' befalling al-Qaeda, and was worried about the future of his terror group in his final days, a trove of documents obtained from his Abbottabad compound has revealed.

White House counter-terror official John Brennan said that US intelligence analysts learned bin Laden was worried about his legacy as his terror group was struggling to attract new recruits to replace leaders killed in US operations.

"With its most skilled and experienced commanders being lost so quickly, al-Qaeda has had trouble replacing them," News24 quoted Brennan, as saying.

"In documents we seized, he confessed to 'disaster after disaster'," Brennan added.

According to the report, things got so bad for the group that bin Laden even considered changing the group's name.

Brennan said the documents show that bin Laden urged his group's leaders to flee Pakistan's tribal regions and seek refuge in areas free of 'aircraft photography and bombardment'.

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_laden-was-worried-about-the-future-of-al-qaeda-in-his-final-days_1683053

----------

Iran's Oscar-Winner To Screen Film In Support Of Afghan Refugees

May 1, 2012

Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi is reportedly planning screenings of his Oscar-winning film, "A Separation," to express solidarity with Afghan refugees in Iran.

A number of other prominent Iranian filmmakers are also planning expressions of support amid reports of new restrictions targeting the country's Afghan population.

Earlier this month, Iranian media quoted officials as saying that Afghans will be banned from the province of Mazandaran, a popular tourist destination. The reports also said Afghans living in the province had been given a June 20 deadline to vacate. Recent limitations imposed on Afghans have been reported in other cities as well, including Isfahan, where on April 1 -- Nature Day in Iran -- Afghans were barred from entering a park to celebrate.

“Such inappropriate behavior toward immigrants in Iran -- a country that has one of the highest number of refugees in the world -- is bitter,” Farhadi was quoted as saying on April 29 by “Shargh” daily.

The paper reported that Farhadi is planning to return to Iran from Paris, where he is making preparations for his latest project, to hold screenings of his film, which won this year's Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film and a Golden Globe.

The screenings, which are due to take place on May 11 and 12, will be followed by a discussion between Afghans and Iranian citizens.

Several other prominent filmmakers are also planning to show their solidarity with Afghans by traveling to Mazandaran to meet with them. No date has been set for the visit.

Full report at:

http://www.rferl.org/content/iran_oscar_winner_farhadi_to_screen_film_separation_in_support_afghan_refugees/24565560.html

----------

Afghan Youths Stage Protest Against Warlords

May 1, 2012

KABUL -- Hundreds of Afghan youths have protested in Kabul against the country's former warlords.

The protest, the second in less than a week, comes amid an unprecedented campaign against the strongmen.

Members of several political youth groups, including the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan, burned posters and chanted slogans condemning the warlords.

The demonstration comes after a contentious national holiday that honored the former warlords on April 28, known as Mujahedin Victory Day.

Before the holiday, on April 24, members of the Afghan Freedom-Loving Youth Group swept through the streets of Kabul putting up hundreds of posters and spraying graffiti messages critical of the warlords.

Many of the former warlords, who are accused of war crimes by human rights groups, still wield significant influence in the country's political affairs.

http://www.rferl.org/content/afghanistan_warlords_protest/24565135.html

----------

Iranian Commander Says NATO Missile Shield Will 'Deform' Turkish Kids

May 1, 2012

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, says Turkey should expect "deformed children and incurable diseases" as the result of NATO’s planned missile shield.

Tehran has previously made clear its displeasure at Turkey's agreement to deploy an early warning system for missiles, part of the NATO shield structure, on its soil.

Iranian officials have said the plan will be used as an "eye" for Israel by giving it greater surveillance over countries in the region.

The shield is intended primarily to counter perceived threats from Iran and North Korea, although Turkish officials have said the system is not aimed at any specific country.

The claim by the Hajizadeh, which he did not back with any scientific data, is the latest in a series of warnings Tehran has issued against the plan.

Hajizadeh warned last year that his country could target the relevant installations in Turkey if faced with a military attack.

"We have prepared ourselves if any threat is staged against Iran," he was quoted as saying last November. "We will target NATO's missile shield in Turkey and will then attack other targets."

Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, however, dismissed the threats and reassured Turkey that they are not Iran's official policy, according to reports by Turkish media.

Full report at:

http://www.rferl.org/content/iranian_commander_warns_against_nato_shield_in_turkey/24562846.html

----------

Tzipi Livni resigns as member of Israeli parliament

May 1, 2012

Israel's former foreign minister and opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, has announced that she is resigning from the country's parliament, the Knesset.

However, Ms Livni said she was not withdrawing from public life and would remain a member of the Kadima party.

Her decision comes just over a month after she lost Kadima's leadership.

Ms Livni's successor as Kadima leader, Shaul Mofaz, had said he wanted her to help the party return to power in early elections widely expected this year.

Kadima is currently the biggest party in the Knesset, but recent polls have suggested the number of seats it holds could be halved.

Israel 'at threat'

Ms Livni submitted her resignation to Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, she said she was "leaving the Knesset at this point, but I'm not retiring from public life", adding that Israel was "too dear" to her.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17908446

----------

Govt figures show Iraq civilian deaths climbed in April

May 1, 2012

BAGHDAD: The number of civilians killed in violence in Iraq rose slightly in April, according to government figures released on Tuesday.

The worst incident occurred on April 19, when more than 20 bombs struck cities and towns across Iraq, killing at least 36 people and wounding more than 150. Al Qaeda’s Iraqi affiliate claimed the attacks.

Government figures showed 88 civilians were killed in April, up from 78 people in March, a health ministry source said.

Twenty soldiers and 18 policemen were killed, compared to 12 soldiers and 22 policemen the previous month.

Violence has dropped from the height of sectarian fighting in 2006-07, when monthly civilian tolls were regularly around 3,000, but bombings and killings still occur on a daily basis.

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)  and Sunni Muslim insurgent groups fighting the Shi’ite-led government say they will not lay down their arms despite the departure of US forces.

Tensions within Iraq’s coalition government of Shia, Sunnis and Kurds have climbed since December, when the government sought the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi and the dismissal of Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq.

http://dawn.com/2012/05/01/govt-figures-show-iraq-civilian-deaths-climbed-in-april/

----------

Malaysia introduces minimum wage for the first time

May 1, 2012

Malaysia has introduced a minimum wage for the first time in a move to support low income households and amid speculation that the government may call elections soon.

Private sector workers in peninsular Malaysia will receive a minimum salary of 900 ringgit ($297; £183) a month.

Workers in the states of Sabah and Sarawak will get 800 ringgit.

Malaysia, South East Asia's third-largest economy, has set a target to achieve rich nation status by 2020.

"The introduction of the minimum wage is a historic moment for Malaysia," said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

"The lowest-paid will now be guaranteed an income that lifts them out of poverty and helps ensure that they can meet the rising cost of living."

Too high?

While the move is likely to be welcomed by workers and low income families, some critics believe that smaller businesses may be hurt by it.

"The 900 ringgit level is too high for those in small towns and remote villages," said Shamsuddin Bardan director of the Malaysian Employers' Federation.

Mr Bardan added that the scheme will result in wages rising between 40% to 90% in places such as Sabah and Sarawak increasing the cost of doing business there.

"We feel the situation will be better managed if wages are linked to productivity and skills of employees," he said.

Prime Minister Najib Razak said that small businesses will be given a one-year grace period to adjust to the new system.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17903906

----------

UN Warns About South Sudan Hunger After Fighting

May 1, 2012

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The U.N.'s World Food Program is warning that recent fighting between South Sudan and Sudan could push more people into a hunger crisis situation.

WFP South Sudan country director Chris Nikoi said in a statement Tuesday that the food situation in the border region was already precarious, and that recent border clashes threaten to displace more people.

WFP assisted around 2,000 new arrivals at the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan's Unity State over the past week. The camp houses about 20,000 people.

WFP says it is pre-positioning food supplies in the region in advance of the rainy season, which makes roads impassible. The seasonal rains are expected to begin within weeks.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/05/01/world/africa/ap-af-south-sudan-hunger.html?ref=global-home

----------

Paradise ‘lost’ and found in Kashmir

By Naseer Ganai

May 1, 2012

THERE’S more to Srinagar than its famous gardens, lakes and houseboats.

The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is dotted with heritage houses and ancient buildings and after years of instability prompted by the separatist movement, the focus is once again turning towards these structures.

“ Last year we invited a number of experts from England and took them on a tour of the old city. They were amazed to see its architecture, the ancient buildings, mosques and lanes. They said, ‘ this is your real asset and it should be projected’,” the state’s director of tourism, Farooq Ahmad Shah, said.

Tourists who visit Kashmir generally use Srinagar as a transit place to travel to destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg. “ This should change. There is much in Srinagar for tourists other than the Dal Lake,” Shah said.

The tourism department is now putting more effort in renovating ancient structures. It has taken up the task to renovate the Lalla Ded museum ( in the old city) named after the famous Kashmiri saint Lalla Ded, venerated by the Hindus and the Muslims.

Full report at: Mail Today

----------

India’s counter-terror measures remain in disarray

May 1, 2012

NEW DELHI — More than three years after Pakistani militants sailed into Mumbai and launched a series of attacks that killed 166 people, India is still struggling to put in place counter-terror measures that would help authorities prevent and respond to future threats.

An ambitious plan to set up a National Counter Terrorism Center — similar to the center in the United States — has been delayed, a victim of turf wars and the increasingly fractured nature of Indian politics.

The anti-terrorism center was supposed to give authorities sweeping powers to search, interrogate and arrest suspects across India. But it has become embroiled in a face-off between the beleaguered national government in New Delhi and the increasingly garrulous governments of some states that are trying to protect the autonomy of their police forces.

The impasse not only weakens India’s effort to mount a coordinated campaign against terrorism, but also reflects the growing power of regional parties that makes the country increasingly tough to govern, analysts say.

As India and the United States step up their counter-terrorism cooperation through training and joint exercises, India’s disjointed response to national security runs the risk of crippling the counter-terrorism campaign in this volatile region.

Full report at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/indias-counter-terror-measures-remain-in-disarray/2012/04/30/gIQAo5yktT_story.html

----------

Samajwadi Party leader says his party prefers a Muslim for President post

May 1, 2012

NEW DELHI: A Samajwadi Party leader today said his party was in favour of a Muslim candidate occupying the post of the President but maintained that it was against "communalising" the elections for the constitutional office.

SP leader Kamal Farooqi also said parties like SP, BSP and Trinamool Congress can have a consensus in supporting a presidential candidate but added that the idea was not to isolate the UPA.

Noting that SP was in favour of a Muslim candidate as it wants to "promote Muslims" due to its "solid Muslim vote base", he said names of Vice-President Hamid Ansari, former Rajya Sabha deputy chairman K Rahman Khan and Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi were making the rounds and they were being discussed in media and among people.

Farooqi said favoured the names of Ansari, Khan and Quraishi terming them as "able" people who have proved themselves in their respective fields.

He claimed that there seems to be a "consensus at least among non-NDA parties" and said if a good candidate is available "in the market" then a name could be decided.

Recalling that though SP had supported former President A P J Abdul Kalam for the post in 2002, he was "afraid" that the Congress had certain "inhibitions" about his name this time.

He said the SP will come out with its decision on the name of Presidential candidate shortly.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Samajwadi-Party-leader-says-his-party-prefers-a-Muslim-for-President-post/articleshow/12949274.cms

----------

URL:  https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/intellectuals-condemn-deoband-managing-stop/d/7195