Iranian Women Strip to Slam Repression
New Age Islam News Bureau
9 March 2012
• Use
Knowledge Approach to Disseminate Islamic Message: His Eminence, Grand Mufti of
Oman
• Pakistani
activist gets US’ Women of Courage Award
• Zimbabwe:
Do All Muslims Represent Islam?
• Peace
TV finalizes plan to launch 24-hour Arabic channel
• Pakistan
Taliban demand release of bin Laden's widows, threaten attacks
• Pakistan
appoints new spy chief
• India
walks diplomatic tightrope as traders head to Iran
• US
troops gone, al Qaeda makes Iraq peace elusive
• Kashmir
issue not on backburner: Pakistan
• Pakistan
say seven troops 'killed in Taliban ambush'
• Syria
crisis: Kofi Annan's calls for talks spark anger
• Libya's
Jalil rejects calls for Cyrenaica autonomy
• US
deal to hand Bagram and other prisons to Afghans
• I
will visit Pakistan this summer: Indian Foreign Minister
• Pakistan:
Lt Gen Islam appointed new ISI chief
• Thousands
welcome released Bosnian war criminal
• Muslim
Brotherhood leaning toward IMF loan
• Far
more Christian than Muslim migrants worldwide
• Culture
war brews between new Islamist movement and secularists in Tunisia
• Pakistan's
Iran pipeline plan further strains ties with U.S.
• Free
speech, insults and Islam
• War
drums from Iran and Israel drown out rich past
Complied
by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamed al
Khalili, Grand Mufti of Oman
----------
Iranian
Women Strip to Slam Repression
09
March, 2012
Iranian
women living in exile in Europe have stripped off for a video to promote their
nude calendar in an effort to fight sexual oppression in their home country.
“My
nudity is a ‘no’ to stoning to death,” say the defiant women in the YouTube
video, posing topless to scream against “a society of violence, racism, sexism,
sexual harassment and hypocrisy."
In
analysts' opinion, nudity is a powerful protest tool in the Islamic world,
where women cover every part of body, except the face and hands, with loose
shadow-proof robes. In Iran, a Muslim woman wearing shorts may spend up to four
months in jail.
The
controversial promo is set to boost sales of the Nude Photo Revolutionary
Calendar released for global sales on International Woman’s Day. The calendar
honors an Egyptian blogger, Aliaa Magda Elmahdy. In November Elmahdy, outraged
with a ban on nude models in Egyptian universities and books, set the Arab
world on fire by posting a full length picture of her naked self on the web.
In
the late 1970’s Egyptian official art schools saw a social ban on the tradition
of nude models. Besides hindering arts studies, the ban brought certain
censorship into mainstream arts, including cinema.
“Islamism
and the religious right are obsessed with women's bodies. They demand that we
be veiled, bound, and gagged,” sighs Maryam Namazie, the human rights activist
behind the nude calendar featuring Iranian women.
Namazie’s
initiative sends one more message of homage – to the Iranian actress Golshifteh
Farahani. After posing topless in Madame Le Figaro magazine, the actress
received a phone call from the Iranian government, who warned her against
returning home.
“Islamists
want us covered up, hidden, and not seen and not heard; we refuse to comply,”
Namazie writes in her blog.
In
Iran, the nude calendar and promotional video stirred controversy even among
local feminists.
Azar
Majedi, of the Organization of Women's Liberation in Iran, has slammed the
initiative for exploiting women's nudity for profit, just as the tabloids do,
reports The International Business Times.
Majedi
adds that the calendar is an “absurd caricature” of Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, as
fighting for Muslim women’s rights in tolerant Europe is nothing compared to
raising your head in Egypt.
http://rt.com/news/iran-women-nude-video-calendar-175/
---------
Use
knowledge approach to disseminate Islamic message: His Eminence Shaikh Ahmed
bin Hamed al Khalili, Grand Mufti of Oman
MUSCAT
— 09 March 2012,The caller to Islam has to have the mentality of today and has
to update his knowledge of knowing the different environments so that he
directs his speech according to what suits the recipients, His Eminence Shaikh
Ahmed bin Hamed al Khalili, Grand Mufti of the Sultanate, said recently during
an interview with the religious cadres.
His
Eminence said “all creatures on this earth are not created aimlessly. The human
is created to carry the heavy role that the heavens and the earth and the
mountains couldn’t carry. This duty is to worship Allah and to obey Him in all
that He commanded or forbade. This duty is mutual among people but it differs
according to the conditions of each person. The ruler of a country for example
has the duty of taking care of the nation, the father has to take care of his
house and children, and every position holder has a responsibility in front of
Allah on the Judgement Day.
He
pointed out that calling for Islam must be based on knowledge and fiqh in the
religious affairs. The caller has to know the way to make his words and actions
go directly to the hearts of the recipients. Those words can have the impact of
changing the direction of people’s lives from evil to good, from corruption to
goodness and from the darkness into the light. This word is the real duty of
humans.
He
has demanded to search for the right way to deliver it as he must take into
account the circumstances and time. People vary in everything, even if they
have the same culture but their moods and style vary so the caller must be well
introduced to all of these things.
Ahmed
bin Hamad al Farsi, Director-General for Management and Finance Affairs,
Chairman of the Main Committee of the Forum, said “the forum is a cognitive
tributary of cadres through educating them a series of articles, lectures and
to enable them to contact with their colleagues and equip them with practical
and scientific experience. There is also a moral tributary to break the routine
of nature of the work and change the environment that would renew the
determination and activity. There is a social importance as well as through
enabling the cadre to contact with other officials and colleagues.
Dr
Ismail bin Saleh al Aghbari, advice and guidance expert, the Chairman of the
Supervisory Committee and scientific training, assured on the qualitative
assessment and regulations of selecting the workshops presented at the forum.
He
said that the cadres’ forum is a step forward that indicates the awareness in
the Sultanate, and the care given to those cadres. It shows the care and the
desire of officials in connecting the cadres with reality and the social
environment. The religious cadres are part of the community and they contribute
to the process of building the country at various levels.
http://main.omanobserver.om/node/86289
----------
Pakistani
activist gets US’ Women of Courage Award
WASHINGTON
- 9th March 2012
By
APP
A
Pakistani political rights activist Shad Begum and an Afghan women’s radio
station owner are among 10 honorees chosen by the U.S. State Department as 2012
International Women of Courage.
The
recipients were honored at a ceremony in Washington led by first lady Michelle
Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton
said each of the honored women had persisted in their work “in the face of
adversity, often under the threat of violence.”
“They
come from diverse and distant places, but in one important way, they all walk
the same path,” Clinton said. “They, too, are working tirelessly for justice.
They are working for accountability. They are working for freedom and they are
working tirelessly to improve the lives of women and girls.”
This
year’s honorees include five Muslim women, from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Sudan, and Libya, and women from Turkey, Brazil, Colombia, the
Maldives, and Burma.
Maryam
Durani of Afghanistan is a member of the Kandahar Provincial Council and the
owner of a radio station that broadcasts information about women’s rights.
Clinton said Durani, who has survived attempts on her life for speaking out,
ensures that “the message of equality and inclusion is heard loudly and
clearly” in her community.
Shad Begum from Pakistan is regularly threatened for her work, which
tries to engage women in political participation. Clinton praised Begum for
“fearlessly championing Pakistani women’s political and economic rights, and
working to empower the disadvantaged and oppressed.”
Other
honorees include Samar Badawi of Saudi Arabia, the first woman to sue her
father for abusing the guardian system and preventing her from marrying the
suitor of her choice. She is also the first woman to file a lawsuit against the
government demanding the right for women to vote.
Zin
Mar Aung of Burma was imprisoned for 11 years for her political activism and
has dedicated her life to promoting democracy, women’s empowerment, and
conflict resolution.
First
lady Michelle Obama praised the women for standing up and saying “the things
that no one else could say, or would say. Year after year, they endured
hardships that few of us could bear.”
“These
women come from all different corners of the globe; they have taken very
different journeys to this moment,” she said. “But they are all here today
because somewhere along the line they decided they could no longer accept the
world as it is. And they committed themselves to fighting for the world as they
know it should be.
“They
saw corruption and they worked to expose it. They saw oppression and they
worked to end it. They saw violence, poverty, discrimination, and inequality,
and they decided to use their voices and risk their lives to do something about
it.”
The
State Department gives out the awards every year on International Women’s Day
on March 8.
http://www.aaj.tv/2012/03/pakistani-activist-gets-us%E2%80%99-women-of-courage-award/
----------
Zimbabwe:
Do All Muslims Represent Islam?
BY
SHEIKH ABDULLAH MAKWINJA,
8
MARCH 2012
Muslims,
are very popular in the media nowadays. Worldwide debates rage about various
topics that invariably involve Muslims. Almost continuous media exposure means
that there is hardly a person left in the world that has not read or seen
something about Islam or Muslims, or both.
In
addition, most people have an opinion. Many base their opinions on
misconceptions or misunderstandings about Islam. Many base their opinions on
the actions or words of people who call themselves Muslims but actually have
very little knowledge about their religion.
Thankfully,
many base their opinions on sound knowledge and research. However, in a media
saturated century it is only fair to ask the question, do all Muslims represent
Islam?
I
thought it to be the appropriate moment especially this time when Muslims are
celebrating the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad to show how the Holy
Prophet lived and interacted with followers of other divine revealed religions
such Christianity.
Prophet
Muhammad was described as a "Mercy for all the Worlds", as God said
in the Quran: "We have sent you as a mercy for all the worlds."
(Quran 21:107)
The
recipients of this quality were not limited to just the Muslim nation, but also
extended to non-Muslims, some of who spent all their effort trying to harm the
Prophet and his mission. This mercy and forgiveness is clearly demonstrated by
the Prophet who never took revenge on anyone for personal reasons and always
forgave even his staunch enemies.
The
Arabian Peninsula during the time of the Prophet was a region in which various
faiths were present. There were Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, polytheists,
and others not affiliated with any religion.
Looking
into the life of the Prophet, one may draw many examples that portray the high
level of tolerance shown to people of other faiths. At times the Prophet would
permit Christians to conduct their prayers in the Mosque. Islam is a religion
revealed by God for the benefit of humankind and it wholeheartedly forbids
harming innocent people in any way.
This
includes their bodies, wealth, or honour.
Islam
teaches Muslims to treat everybody, no matter their religion, ethnicity, colour
or social status, with respect and kindness. Islam forbids oppression and
safeguards rights and it commands the Muslims to live in peace and harmony and
uphold justice even towards one's enemies and even in times of war.
When
Islam is called the religion of peace it is meant literally. Islam comes from
the root word "sa-la-ma", as do the words Muslim (one who follows the
message of Islam) and which among many meanings also denotes peace, security,
safety and implies submission and surrender to Almighty God.
Peace
and security are inherent in the submission to the One God. The Quran was
revealed for all of humankind and Prophet Muhammad was sent as a mercy to all
humankind. Each person is entitled to sustenance, shelter, and security and if
some are denied their God given rights, it is the responsibility of the rest of
humankind, to restore those rights, not blatantly take them away.
Therefore
when atrocities that defy belief and defy the teachings of Islam are committed,
it is important to remember that not all Muslims represent Islam.
Groups
such as the Boko Haram, Al-Qaida, Al-Shabab etc cannot possibly claim to speak
or act on behalf of all Muslims. Not all Muslims represent Islam and not all
Muslims understand and follow their religion. Culture often dictates action.
Knowing this, it becomes essential to recognise that just because a person, a
group or country is known as Islamic, does not mean that it is automatically a
perfect follower of the laws sent down by God.
To
understand and judge this tolerance, one must look into the period in which
Islam was a formal state, with the specific laws laid down by the Prophet in
accordance with the tenets of religion. Even though one can observe many
examples of tolerance shown by the Prophet in the 13 years of his stay in
Mecca, one may incorrectly think that it was only due to seeking to raise the
profile of the Muslims and the social status of Islam and in general.
The
discussion will be limited to the period which commenced with the migration of
the Prophet to Medina, and specifically once the constitution was set.
When
the Prophet migrated to Medina, he laid laws to ensure harmony and stability in
a society which once had been distraught by decades of war, one which must
ensure the peaceful coexistence of Muslims, Jews, Christians and polytheists.
The Prophet laid down a "constitution" which detailed the
responsibilities of all parties which resided in Medina, their obligations
towards each other, and certain restrictions which were placed on each.
All
parties were to obey what was mentioned therein, and any breach of its articles
was regarded as an act of treachery. All were considered members and citizens
of Medina society regardless of religion, race, or ancestry. Since the upper
hand was with the Muslims, the Prophet strictly warned against any maltreatment
of people of other faiths.
Individual
tribes, who were not Muslims, were allowed to refer to their own religious
scriptures and their learned men in regard to their own personal affairs. Each
was allowed to practice their beliefs freely without any hindrances, and no
acts of provocation would be tolerated.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201203080821.html
-----------
Peace
TV finalizes plan to launch 24-hour Arabic channel
By
RIYADH: GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN, ARAB NEWS STAFF
RIYADH:Mar
9, 2012, Internationally renowned
scholar Dr. Zakir Naik, who is founder and president of the India-based Islamic
Research Foundation (IRF), said in Riyadh yesterday that the IRF-owned Peace TV
has finalized plans to launch a 24-hour Arabic-language Islamic channel.
“The
Arabic channel, to air in mid-2013, will be dedicated especially for
Arabic-speaking viewers around the world,” said Naik.
Peace
TV is a major Islamic satellite television network with a record global
viewership exceeding more than 100 million.
Naik,
who has delivered more than 1,500 public lectures across the world, including
some 220 in Saudi Arabia alone, on comparative religion, said Peace TV Arabic
channel would not be just another Islamic channel.
“There
are more than 60 Arabic channels today but the Peace TV channel will be unique
in content and technology,” said the IRF chief.
Naik,
who will inaugurate a branch and bookstore of Darussalam International
Publications Company in Riyadh today, was felicitated at a dinner reception
hosted in the capital on Wednesday night by Rashid Ali Sheikh, an Indian
businessman and social worker.
Another
reception in honor of this Islamic scholar, to be attended by a large number of
diplomats, businessmen and Saudi as well as non-Saudi officials and guests,
will be hosted by Abdul Malik Mujahid, Darussalam managing director, in the
capital tomorrow.
Naik
said he was happy to attend the opening ceremony of Darussalam branch in
Riyadh. “Darussalam is probably the biggest publisher of Islamic books in the
world,” he added.
Entry
to Darussalam's inaugural program at the Riyadh Avenue Mall (Lulu Hypermarket)
is open to all. A raffle draw will be organized on the sidelines of the opening
ceremony, said Mustafa Habib Siddiqui, Darussalam media manager.
Asked
about the uniqueness of the proposed Peace TV's Arabic channel, the IRF chief
added: “It will be far superior to existing channels.”
The
new channel will have access to the world's 300 million native Arabic speakers,
he added. He said the new channel would be a respected global media outlet
presenting Islam and removing misconceptions about Muslims and the Islamic
world.
Asked
about the popularity of the Peace TV programs, he said viewership is growing
and his presence on the channels was about 17 to 18 percent in terms of
airspace. He pointed out that Peace TV has had a large number of speakers and
presenters, including many from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Sheikh Asim
Al-Hakeem and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saifuddin, who have been associated with the
channel for the last several years, are some of them.
Naik
said he had no plans to deliver public lectures during this trip to the
Kingdom. The Islamic scholar in his interview also spoke about the lawsuit he
had filed against the UK government after it imposed an exclusion order on his
visa/entry into the UK a couple of years ago. He also explained how his
statements were often construed without any substance to be in favor of social
persecution and for political action abroad.
Naik
made it clear that he does not support any act of terrorism, but his Islamic
speeches, especially when he criticizes Western powers for their interventions
in the affairs of the Muslim countries, are often taken out of context to blame
him as a supporter of “terrorism and extremism.”
On
the ban imposed by the UK since June 2010, he said the term “exclusion” means
authorities will not grant him a visa to travel to the country. “But my books
and reading materials are freely available in the UK,” he added.
Naik,
who earlier challenged his exclusion in a UK court, has approached the
France-based European Court of Human Rights, which will now decide whether he
will be allowed into the UK or not. Naik said he has never been prevented from
entering any country in the past.
Naik’s
popularity can be gauged from the fact that “The Indian Express”, one of
India’s top daily newspapers, listed him recently as the country's 89th most
powerful person, ahead of Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen and eminent
lawyer and former attorney general Soli Sorabjee.
The
Islamic scholar said the IRF had planned to open two world-class international
Islamic schools in Riyadh and Jeddah. These schools will be run based on the
model of his Mumbai-based school, he noted.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article585180.ece
----------
Pakistan
Taliban demand release of bin Laden's widows, threaten attacks
By
Saud Mehsud
DERA
ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan,Mar 9, 2012, (Reuters) - The Pakistan Taliban will attack
government, police and military officials if three of the late al Qaeda leader
Osama bin Laden's widows are not released from Pakistani custody, a spokesman
for the militant group said on Friday.
Pakistan's
government has charged bin Laden's three widows with illegally entering and
staying in the country, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Thursday.
"If
the family of Osama bin Laden is not released as soon as possible, we will
attack the judges, the lawyers and the security officials involved in their
trial," Ehsanullah Ehsan of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) told
Reuters.
"We
will carry out suicide bombings against security forces and the government
across the country."
Malik
did not specify which court was dealing with the case. The three women will
have to stand trial, but it was not clear what punishment they face if
convicted.
Bin
Laden was killed in a secret U.S. raid in the northern Pakistani garrison town
of Abbottabad in May last year.
The
al Qaeda leader's body was flown out by American special forces, but his three
wives and an undisclosed number of children were among the 16 people detained
by Pakistani authorities after the raid.
Two
of the wives are Saudi nationals, and one is from Yemen, according to the
Pakistani foreign ministry.
Pakistan
had previously said that it would repatriate the women after a government
commission probing the bin Laden raid had completed its questioning.
The
commission has interviewed the family members for clues about how the al Qaeda
chief managed to stay in the country undetected.
The
TTP vowed revenge after bin Laden's death last year, and carried out
high-profile attacks across Pakistan. It bombed an American consulate convoy,
laid siege to a naval base and killed paramilitary cadets.
Formed
in 2007, the TTP is an umbrella group of various Pakistani militant factions
operating in Pakistan's unruly northwestern tribal areas along the porous
border with Afghanistan.
TTP's
spokesman also threatened attacks against Shad Begum, a women's rights activist
based in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
The
U.S. State Department honoured Begum with the 2012 International Women of
Courage award at a ceremony in Washington on Thursday.
"She
works for a secular and infidel system in Pakistan," Ehsan said.
"That is why America has given her this prize."
(Writing
by Qasim Nauman; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Daniel Magnowski)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/pakistan-militants-binladen-idINDEE82808S20120309
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Pakistan
appoints new spy chief
By
CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press
DERA
ISMAIL KHAN (AP) — March 9, 2012, Pakistan's prime minister has appointed a new
head of the country's powerful intelligence agency to replace the current
chief, who is retiring later this month.
The
prime minister's office announced Friday that Lt. Gen. Zaheerul Islam will be
the new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
Islam
currently serves as the ISI chief in the southern city of Karachi.
THIS
IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's
earlier story is below.
ISLAMABAD
(AP) — An American missile attack killed 12 militants on the Pakistani side of
the Afghan border on Friday, one of only a handful of such strikes this year,
Pakistani officials said.
The
missile struck in the Mandao district of South Waziristan, a rugged militant
stronghold where the Pakistani army has staged offensives in the past, the
officials said, giving no further details. The officials did not give their
names because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
It
took place hours after al-Qaida confirmed that a strike last month in North
Waziristan killed one of its commanders — a success in a CIA-led campaign, but
a major source of tension plaguing the relationship between Washington and
Islamabad.
The
strikes, which began in earnest in 2008, have killed scores of militants,
including foreign al-Qaida members involved in plotting attacks on the West.
Their frequency increased in 2010, when they hit militants widely seen as being
proxies of the Pakistani army, causing friction between the U.S and Pakistan.
Reflecting
the tensions, the number of attacks dropped in 2011, and they were cut back
even more after November, when U.S. aircraft mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani
troops on the Afghan border. Pakistan blocked U.S. supply routes into
Afghanistan in protest and said it was renegotiating its ties with Washington
as a result.
Friday's
attack was the eight this year. In contast, in 2010, there were more than 150
such strikes.
Faced
with strong public anger over the drone attacks, Pakistani officials publicly
condemn them as an unacceptable violations of sovereignty that boost support
for extremism. Privately, the program has long had some level of official
sanction and even cooperation.
The
confirmation of the death of militant commander Badr Mansoor is significant,
because he was believed to be behind many of the suicide attacks that have
killed scores of Pakistani civilians in recent years. It could be used by
supporters of the campaign in Washington and Islamabad as an example of how
drone attacks benefit both countries.
The
U.S.-based SITE monitoring service said on Friday that the confirmation of
Mansoor's death came in a video statement by Ahmad Farooq, al-Qaida's head of
media and preaching in Pakistan. The video was released on an Internet jihadist
forum.
Local
Taliban fighters previously said Mansoor was killed in the Feb. 9 strike, but
there was no confirmation from the U.S. or Pakistan. A militant video
eulogizing the dead is considered the most reliable way of knowing when a top
commander has been killed.
In
the nine-minute video, which featured photos of Mansoor alive and dead, Farooq
accused Pakistan of collaborating with the strikes.
"America
is now more eagerly attacking the Pakistani government's targets," he
said. "The drone program is being run with the full consent, permission
and cooperation of the Pakistani government."
The
issue of drone strikes — their frequency, targeting and whether Pakistan should
be informed ahead of them — is key to ongoing, back-channel negotiations to
restart U.S.-Pakistani relations, which are important for America's hopes of
withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Mansoor
was said to have run a militant camp in North Waziristan region, an al-Qaida
and Taliban stronghold where the Pakistani army doesn't launch offensive
operations, giving the militants a safe haven — aside from the drone strikes.
Mansoor
was from Pakistan's largest province, Punjab, and moved to North Waziristan in
2008, where he led a faction of some 230 fighters, local insurgents have said.
The enlistment of Punjabis in the Pakistani Taliban has been a serious concern
for the government, because it makes it easier for the militants to export
violence from the border to the heart of the country, where most Punjabis live.
Also
Friday, suspected militants attacked a vehicle carrying Pakistani security
forces in North Waziristan, killing seven troops, army and intelligence
officials said.
The
security forces returned fire, killing eight militants, the officials said,
speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to
reporters.
Ishtiaq
Mahsud contributed to this report from Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gG4lI5SlEOazEXQhWkdP9hBFlCkg?docId=53ad5de0cd9c42408b44c0140d5214a6
---------
India
walks diplomatic tightrope as traders head to Iran
AFP
NEW
DELHI: Mar 9, 2012, A major Indian trade delegation headed to Iran on Friday to
explore "huge" commercial opportunities created by US-led sanctions
against the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear plans.
The
mission sees India walking a diplomatic tightrope as it seeks more business
from Iran while managing a growing partnership with the United States and
maintaining good relations with Israel, a key arms supplier.
US
lawmakers and pro-Israel groups have accused New Delhi of undermining American
and European efforts to isolate Tehran and force it to abandon its nuclear
programme.
An
attack that severely injured an Israeli diplomat in New Delhi last month --
blamed by Israel on Iran -- has further complicated matters.
The
trade team will be in Iran until March 14 and expects "a lot of
business" from the trip, said Anand Seth, spokesman for the
government-backed Federation of Indian Export Organisations, which is leading
the delegation.
"It's
a big market for Indian exporters," Seth told AFP.
But
the federation declined to name the firms taking part in the visit and a source
close to the delegation said the companies involved were worried about
potential US reprisals.
The
delegation, of around 70 companies and top government officials, wants to boost
exports to improve India's trade balance with Iran, which runs at a huge
deficit as the Islamic republic supplies 11 percent of its oil imports.
Under
the plan, India would pay for up to 45% of those imports in rupees that would
stay in the country and be used in turn to fund Iran's purchases of Indian
goods.
The
move would sidestep Western sanctions that have made it difficult to continue
paying for Iranian crude in dollars, Seth said.
Indian
commerce secretary Rahul Khullar said this month there are "huge
opportunities" in Iran for exports such as textiles, tea, rice, wheat and
other foods, as well as pharmaceuticals, auto components and factory machinery.
Iran
is India's second-largest oil supplier after Saudi Arabia, and while India has
diversified to cut its dependence on the country in recent years, New Delhi
says replacement of "all Iranian oil imports" is not "a
realistic option".
"From
India's side, their stand is very much a case of practicality. Iranian oil is
not easily replaceable," Subhash Agrawal, political analyst and editor of
India Focus, told AFP.
"But
America sees India's move as a disappointing signal for their strategic
friendship," he said. "Also this is US election year and for
Americans, Iran is the number one security issue. They're hyper-sensitive on
the sanctions issue."
India
has said it will abide only by UN sanctions and will not implement others
imposed unilaterally by the United States and European Union.
Indian
officials also insist recent events should not overshadow the country's
historic "rich civilisational" ties with Iran, seen in New Delhi as a
vital regional counter-balance to arch-rival Pakistan.
India,
which has one of the world's largest Muslim populations, is also uneasy about
joining a US-led drive against the Islamic republic that could have domestic
political repercussions, analysts say.
Earlier
this week, the Indian embassy in Washington said accusations that New Delhi was
playing sanctions spoiler "overlook the imperative of India's dependence
on oil imports from Iran to serve the energy needs of its people."
More
than 400 million Indians do not "have access to commercial energy",
it said.
Two-way
trade between India and Iran is around $13.7 billion annually, of which Indian
exports account for just $2.74 billion, but Indian experts estimate bilateral
trade could reach $30 billion a year by 2015.
Annual
trade with Israel currently stands at $5 billion and the two countries are
negotiating a free-trade agreement.
The
investigation into last month's bomb attack on an Israeli diplomat resulted in
its first arrest this week.
Police
detained a 50-year-old Indian freelance journalist who is thought to work
part-time for the Iranian news agency IRNA. Foreign nationals are suspected of
being behind the bombing.
A
senior Delhi police source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said
investigators probing the case "at this point of time cannot say for sure
who are these foreign nationals".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-walks-diplomatic-tightrope-as-traders-head-to-Iran/articleshow/12198297.cms
---------
US
troops gone, al Qaeda makes Iraq peace elusive
BAGHDAD:
Reuters, Mar 9, 2012 If Iraqis were hoping that the withdrawal of US forces
last year would finally mean the end of war, al Qaeda and its Sunni militant
allies are determined to prove otherwise.
Daily
bombings and shootings remain an endemic feature of life. In the past three
months, al Qaeda-linked fighters have been blamed for attacks that have killed
at least 250 people.
In
a particularly poignant reminder of militants' potency this week, gunmen in
unauthorized uniforms of special commandos drove from checkpoint to checkpoint
in the western town of Haditha before dawn, gunning down police. They killed 27
including two officers dragged from their homes and slain in the street.
A
return to the all-out sectarian slaughter that killed tens of thousands of
Iraqis in 2006-07 is unlikely. Nor are al Qaeda fighters threatening to again
impose their rule over whole swathes of Iraq as they did in the early years
after the US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
But
unlike Shi'ite militia groups - which have largely declared they are ready to
lay down arms now that US troops have left - al Qaeda and other Sunni groups
have shown no sign of giving up the fight. And Iraq's security forces show
little sign of the wherewithal to vanquish them once and for all.
Al
Qaeda will continue to be a menace until security forces have better
intelligence, are more technologically sophisticated and can gain the public's
trust in those pockets where the militants still have support.
In
the absence of American troops to oppose, al Qaeda and its allies in Iraq have
hewed to explicitly sectarian rhetoric, calling on all Sunnis to join them in
battle against the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
"Know
that the coming stage is a stage of real confrontation and war against the
despicable (Shi'ites), whether you like it or not," the al
Qaeda-affiliated Sunni group Islamic State of Iraq said after claiming
responsibility for attacks on Iraqi security forces that killed 60 people on
February 23.
Ibrahim
al-Shimari, spokesman for the Islamic Army, another militant group, said it
would keep fighting as long as "the effects" of the former US
occupation still exist.
"We
are continuing to defend the Iraqi people and this weapon is the guarantee of
the security of the Iraqi people."
Iraqi
authorities insist they have the situation under control. Deputy Interior
Minister Adnan al-Asadi says attacks have fallen by more than 80 percent
compared to past years, with the remaining violence a sign of terrorist groups
trying to "prove they are still on the scene".
"After
the tightening that happened against al Qaeda and other groups and the heavy
blows they received, the detentions of many leaders and members that
contributed to cells breaking up, ... sanctuaries and sources of finance are
much more restricted," Asadi told Reuters. "That has led these groups
to, from time to time, prepare an attack to signify their identity."
Iraq's
branch of al Qaeda is only loosely linked to the wider organization founded by
Osama bin-Laden, but shares its strong anti-Western ideology and its aim of
restoring the strict Sunni Muslim caliphate that ruled the mediaeval Arab
world.
In
the early years after the fall of Saddam, al Qaeda fighters took control of
cities and towns in Sunni-dominated western and central Iraq, resisting the US
presence and imposing a stark interpretation of Islamic law.
They
also fought Shi'ites, who make up the majority in Iraq but are denounced by al
Qaeda as apostates from true Islam.
Eventually
al Qaeda's extreme violence and rigid rule alienated Sunni tribes, who teamed
up with US troops to drive them out, first from their stronghold in Anbar
province and then from other areas. Since 2008 the fighters have no longer
controlled significant territory.
Having
fought to drive the militants out, Iraqi villages and towns are unlikely to
welcome al Qaeda back, Asadi said.
For
Full Report:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-troops-gone-al-Qaeda-makes-Iraq-peace-elusive/articleshow/12198997.cms
--------
Kashmir
issue not on backburner: Pakistan
ISLAMABAD:
9 MAR, 2012, , Pakistan today said it is not putting the "core issue"
of Kashmir on the backburner as it works to normalise ties with India, and any
final settlement between the two sides would be linked to realising the
"aspirations of the Kashmiri people".
"The
Jammu and Kashmir dispute is about the people of Kashmir and their inalienable
right to self-determination. Therefore, there is no question of freezing this
issue or putting this core dispute on the backburner," Foreign Office
spokesman Abdul Basit said.
"Doubtless,
we are taking steps on the path to normalise Pakistan-India relations but
reaching the final destination will inevitably be contingent upon realisation
of Kashmiris' aspirations," he said during the weekly news briefing in
response to a question on whether Pakistan is willing to set aside the Kashmir
issue while normalising ties with India.
Basit
remarked that the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
defenders had recently urged the Indian government to repeal the Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act.
Replying
to another question on the need for India and Pakistan to work together to
settle the Siachen issue in order to minimise damage to the environment, Basit
said Islamabad wanted the matter to be "resolved as quickly as
possible".
The
military standoff on Siachen is one of the subjects being discussed in the
resumed dialogue process and Islamabad's effort "continues to be to seek
early resolution of this issue, like all other issues between Pakistan and
India, particularly the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir", Basit said.
Responding
to yet another question, Basit said he was unaware of any Track-II discussions
that were part of efforts to resolve issues between India and Pakistan.
"I
am not aware of any such discussions as part of Pakistan's policy decisions but
these contacts have been made, discussions are being held but perhaps in their
private capacity.
"There
is no government policy as far as these discussions are concerned," he
said.
India
and Pakistan last year resumed their peace process after a break of over two
years in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Since
then, the two sides have taken several steps to normalise relations in various
fields, particularly trade.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/kashmir-issue-not-on-backburner-pakistan/articleshow/12198061.cms
---------
Pakistan
say seven troops 'killed in Taliban ambush'
(AFP)
MIRANSHAH,
Pakistan, March 09, 2012 — Taliban militants armed with guns and rockets
ambushed a Pakistani military convoy Friday, killing seven soldiers in the
militant stronghold of North Waziristan, officials said.
The
attack took place at Khar Qamar, 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of Miranshah,
the main town in the district that has become the most notorious Taliban and
Al-Qaeda stronghold on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.
The
Pakistani security officials said nine militants were also killed in the
attack, but there was no independent confirmation of the toll.
"At
least seven soldiers were martyred when militants fired machine guns and
rockets on a military convoy," a senior security official told AFP.
Other
security officials in Peshawar, the biggest city in northwest Pakistan,
confirmed the attack and that the toll had risen from four to seven.
"After
the ambush, Pakistani military helicopters and troops retaliated and there were
reports of deaths of nine militants," an intelligence official said.
Pakistan
has for years battled homegrown insurgents in the tribal belt on the Afghan
border. It says more than 3,000 soldiers have died but has resisted US pressure
to carry out a sweeping offensive in North Waziristan.
US
and Afghan officials say Taliban use Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt as
a rear base in their 10-year insurgency against Kabul and US troops.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gZO11ZDble4YRue5lEc7zDu08hGA?docId=CNG.ed3fc3e016a720a3286d8f3516f0c011.2d1
--------
Syria
crisis: Kofi Annan's calls for talks spark anger
March
9, 2012
Syrian
opposition activists have angrily rejected calls by Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab
League envoy to Syria, for dialogue with the government.
The
leader of the main opposition, Burhan Ghalioun, said the comments were
"disappointing" when Syrians were being "massacred every
day".
Mr
Annan, who is due in Syria on Saturday, had said a solution lies in a
"political settlement".
He
also said further militarisation "would make things worse".
Meanwhile
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said the Syrian government had agreed to a
"limited assessment" of the situation in the country.
At
a news conference in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Baroness Amos said she had
asked the Syrian government for unhindered access to the worst-hit areas, but
the government asked for more time to consider the request.
She
has been touring camps on the Turkish-Syrian border to see the situation for
around 11,000 Syrian refugees. Earlier in the week she visited Homs, which
witnessed heavy fighting.
Tens
of thousands of people were again reported to be on the streets across Syria on
Friday, protesting against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Activists
say Syrian troops are massing in northern Idlib province and fear another major
assault, as happened in Homs.
The
Local Co-ordination Committees group said another 35 people were killed across
Syria on Friday, including 13 in Homs, nine in Idlib, three in Hama, two in
Damascus and one each in Lattakia and Aleppo.
'Pointless'
Mr
Ghalioun, speaking to Associated Press, said: "These kind of comments are
disappointing and do not give a lot of hope for people in Syria being massacred
every day. It feels like we are watching the same movie being repeated over and
over again.''
Activists
fear the Free Syrian Army in Idlib could be the next major target
He
added: "Any political solution will not succeed if it is not accompanied
by military pressure on the regime."
For
Full Report:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17312040
----------
Libya's
Jalil rejects calls for Cyrenaica autonomy
7
March 2012
Libya's
national unity will be defended with force if necessary, the head of the
governing National Transitional Council (NTC) has said.
Mustafa
Abdel Jalil called on regional leaders to engage in dialogue, a day after
senior figures in oil-rich eastern Libya called for semi-autonomy.
He
warned that remnants of the Gaddafi regime were "infiltrating" their
ranks.
Civic
leaders in the east say they have experienced decades of neglect from
Tripoli-based governments.
Leaders
from the region, which was once called Cyrenaica, made their call for more
autonomy in a document issued after a meeting in Benghazi, which was the focal
point of the revolution that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
They
demanded a regional parliament, and control over the police force and courts,
but stopped short of advocating a division of the country.
They
agreed that foreign policy, among other responsibilities, should be left to the
government in Tripoli.
But
Mr Jalil said he would not allow a divided Libya.
"We
are ready to deter them, even with force," he said in a speech shown on
national television.
Other
NTC members have claimed that the authors of the Benghazi declaration were
trying to hijack the revolution and did not fully represent the region.
However,
correspondents say the declaration has significant popular support among people
in Benghazi.
Libya's
three regions enjoyed federal power following the country's independence in
1951, until the country became a unitary state in 1963.
Cyrenaica
stretches from the central coastal city of Sirte to the Libyan-Egyptian border
in the east - containing two-thirds of the country's oil reserves.
The
people of Cyrenaica, known as Barqa in Arabic, felt particularly marginalised
and neglected under Gaddafi, who focused much of the development on the west.
The
city of Benghazi was the seat of the uprising that eventually toppled the
former dictator.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17284313
--------
US
deal to hand Bagram and other prisons to Afghans
9
March 2012
Afghanistan
and the US have reached a deal to transfer US-run prisons in the country to
Afghan control.
The
largest and most controversial of these is Bagram jail, which holds 3,000
detainees, including terror suspects.
Under
the deal the US will cede control of Bagram over six months. Reports say they
will retain access and be able to block the release of certain detainees.
Handing
over US-run jails has been a key demand of Afghan President Hamid Karzai ahead
of Nato's withdrawal.
Analysts
say the issue has cast a shadow over negotiations on Nato's withdrawal of all
of its combat forces by the end of 2014 and the long-term relationship with
Afghanistan.
Bagram
prison, officially known as the Parwan Detention Centre, is located in one of
the largest military bases for Nato-led forces in Afghanistan. It has been at
the centre of a number of prisoner abuse allegations in recent years.
Nato
is also under intense pressure after days of protests and targeted killings
across Afghanistan - over the inadvertent burning of Korans at Bagram - left at
least 30 people dead.
The
US repeatedly apologised over the incident but that failed to quell public
anger.
Ongoing
US support
Correspondents
say the deal is the first stage of a mechanism which is still being worked out
but will eventually see US-run jails handed over to full Afghan control.
US
military officials in Kabul told the media that the Afghan government would
take charge of about 500 prisoners at the detention centre within 45 days.
There
are some 3,000 Afghan and 50 non-Afghan prisoners there. US mentors will
continue to provide a logistical support role to their Afghan counterparts.
But
observers say serious concerns remain over the Afghan government's ability to
secure its prisons. They cite two major jail breaks in Kandahar last year,
which resulted in the escape of hundreds of Taliban leaders and commanders.
Analysts
say rampant corruption in the government, poor training and low morale in the
security forces have made the task of securing prisons even more difficult.
Along
with night raids, the transfer of detention facilities has been a major
stumbling block in negotiations.
The
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the US and Afghanistan comes after
the US missed a deadline Mr Karzai set in January to hand over such jails.
He
then gave the US another month to reach an agreement - that deadline was set to
expire on 10 March.
On
signing the agreement, Gen John Allen, Nato's commander in Afghanistan lauded
it as " yet another example of the progress of transition".
Under
the terms of the agreement, the US would provide support and advice to the
Afghan commander at Bagram for up to a year.
"This
MOU illustrates our commitment to Afghan sovereignty, our mutual obligations
under international law, and our enduring partnership," a statement
released by the US embassy reads.
"We
have had our challenges and there will be challenges ahead as we continue
negotiation on the framework for our strategic partnership, but this MOU marks
an important step forward," it says.
The
US has previously handed over responsibility for about 300 detainees at Bagram
but said the Afghan government was not ready to fully take control of the
prison, the Associated Press news agency reports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17312911
---------
I
will visit Pakistan this summer: Indian Foreign Minister
PTI
SINGAPORE:
Mar 9, 2012, Noting that India and Pakistan have made "major strides"
in reducing their trust deficit, external affairs minister S M Krishna today
said he will visit Islamabad this summer.
"Over
the past two years, we have made major strides in reducing the 'trust deficit'
between India and Pakistan.
"I
hosted the foreign minister of Pakistan Hina Rabbani Khar in New Delhi in July
last year, and plan to visit Islamabad myself this summer," Krishna said
in his address at a seminar organised here by the Institute of South Asian
Studies.
Krishna
said both Khar and he affirmed the importance of carrying forward the dialogue
process with a view to resolving peacefully all outstanding issues through
constructive and result oriented engagement.
"We
agreed that terrorism poses a continuing threat to peace and security and
reiterated the firm and undiluted commitment of our two countries to fight and
eliminate this scourge in all its forms and manifestations," he said.
Krishna
said New Delhi welcomed Pakistan's efforts to normalise trade relations with India
by moving from positive to negative lists, and their eventual elimination.
Recalling
the meeting between Prime Ministers of both countries during the Saarc meet
last year, Krishna said both reaffirmed that people are at the heart of the
relationship between two countries and that people-to-people contacts and
cultural exchanges should be promoted.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/I-will-visit-Pakistan-this-summer-SM-Krishna/articleshow/12199827.cms
--------
Pakistan:
Lt Gen Islam appointed new ISI chief
Islamabad:
Mar 09, 2012, Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam was
on Friday appointed the chief of the powerful ISI by Pakistan government,
ending months of speculation about a third extension to incumbent Lt Gen Ahmed
Shuja Pasha whose tenure ends on March 18.
56-year-old
Islam, currently the military commander in Karachi, is considered close to army
chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He served as Deputy ISI Director from 2008 to
2010.
"Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has appointed Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam, Corps
Commander Karachi, as the new Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence,"
said a brief statement from the Premier's office.
His
appointment ended speculation about a further extension to Pasha, who had been
in the post since 2008 and got two extensions after reaching the age of
retirement in 2010. Pasha is now due to retire on March 18.
Islam,
who is due to retire in October 2014, comes from a military family of Punjab
province. During his earlier stint in the ISI, he reportedly headed a section
that dealt with domestic and counter-intelligence matters.
In
his capacity as the head of the Karachi Corps, Islam played a key role in
operations by security forces to control widespread ethnic and political
violence in the financial hub of Karachi last year.
In
the past few weeks, media reports had said several generals were in the running
for the post of ISI chief, including Maj Gen Sahibzada Isfandiyar Ali Khan
Pataudi, a Deputy Director General in the spy agency and an uncle of Bollywood
star Saif Ali Khan.
However,
sources said that Islam had emerged as a front-runner several weeks ago after
it became clear that both the military and civilian leadership were not keen on
granting another extension to Pasha.
Pasha
had come under a cloud after US special forces mounted an operation to kill
al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad in May last
year.
He
reportedly offered to resign during a special joint session of Parliament that
was especially convened to discuss the raid against bin Laden.
The
current ISI chief also faced criticism for his role in the memo scandal that
strained relations between the civilian government and the powerful military
last year.
Pasha
reportedly travelled to London without the permission of the government to meet
American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, who made public the mysterious memo that had
sought the US help to stave off a feared coup in Pakistan after the killing of
bin Laden.
Ijaz
subsequently told the media that Pasha had toured several countries, including
Arab states, to seek support for a military takeover in Pakistan.
The
military used Ijaz's revelations about the memo to ask the Supreme Court to
order a probe into the issue but dismissed his allegations that Pasha had
visited other countries to seek backing for a coup.
--------
Thousands
welcome released Bosnian war criminal
(AFP)
PULA,
March 09, 12 — Some 3,000 supporters of a convicted Bosnian Muslim war criminal
welcomed him on Friday as he left a Croatian prison where he had served most of
his 15-year jail term.
Fikret
Abdic, 72, left the prison in the northern Adriatic port of Pula on being
granted early release after serving more than two-thirds of his sentence.
During
Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, Abdic was a militia leader and set up a self-proclaimed
state known as the "Autonomous Region of West Bosnia."
He
was sentenced for imprisoning some 5,000 people in detention camps, at least
three of whom died of maltreatment. Abdic fled to Croatia in 1995 following his
military defeat and obtained dual citizenship.
His
supporters, who came mostly from the northwestern Bosnian town of Velika
Kladusa and who affectionately call him 'Babo' (Papa), gathered outside the
prison in the early morning hours.
"We
are Babo's, Babo is ours!" chanted his supporters who arrived aboard some
30 buses and hundreds of cars.
They
still nostalgically remember the days when the communist-era Agrokomerc
agriculture enterprise in Velika Kladusa boomed under Abdic's management. At
the time it provided employment for 13,000 people in the region.
Agrokomerc
was also linked to one of the biggest scandals in the years before the break-up
of the former Yugoslavia, as Abdic was accused of issuing promissory notes
without the backing of collateral.
But
he enjoyed great popularity among Bosnia's population until his conflict with
the government in Sarajevo.
In
2002, a Croatian court sentenced him to 20 years in prison. His sentence was
reduced on appeal to 15 years.
Abdic
and his son Ervin also face a trial in Croatia over financial frauds, that
opened in October 2011.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j0A4pk8wvrOogi7FQw0dbyk7IYKw?docId=CNG.ed3fc3e016a720a3286d8f3516f0c011.1a1
--------
Muslim
Brotherhood leaning toward IMF loan
By Patrick Werr and Marwa Awad/Reuters
CAIRO:
March 9, 2012,The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's political wing supports Egypt's
request for an IMF loan, but first it wants the government to produce a
coherent plan to battle corruption and get costs under control, its economic
policymakers say.
The
government said earlier this year it had formally requested a $3.2 billion
International Monetary Fund loan to stave off a financial crisis after more
than a year of political and economic turmoil.
The
IMF has asked Egypt to draw up an economic reform plan with benchmarks and
targets, line up aid pledges from other donors and sell the plan to the
country's political forces, especially the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice
Party (FJP), which won nearly half the seats in the new parliament.
Analysts
say any reservations the Brotherhood has about the IMF are largely based on concerns
of a public backlash against the Washington-based lender, which in the 1990s
imposed liberalization policies that were later blamed for hurting the poor.
The
Brotherhood may have no choice but to accept an agreement in the end, but it
seems to be following a strategy of delaying as long as possible while calling
for austerity and emphasizing it is not opposed to foreign borrowing.
"We
are not for the agreement nor against it. This is the responsibility of the
government," said Saad Al-Hoseiny, a member of the FJP and chairman of
parliament's Planning and Budget Committee.
"The
government will take this step, and we will not prevent it. But we want to be
certain that it goes along a sound economic path and does not resort to
borrowing as the easy way out," he told Reuters in an interview this week.
The
IMF said on Thursday it was studying a document the Egyptian government had
given it and expected to send a mission to Cairo in the second half of March.
The
Brotherhood, whose members include entrepreneurs and established businessmen,
broadly supports a market economy, although it says it wants greater social
justice.
No
interference
Ahmed
Alnaggar, a member of the FJP's internal economic committee, said the program
outlined by IMF regional director Masood Ahmed in a meeting with FJP leaders in
January had no demands that touched on Egypt's sovereignty.
"The
terms (of the loan) are good. The interest rate is 1.1 percent. There are no
conditions that we see as interfering in internal politics. The IMF stressed
that fully in the meeting," he said.
The
IMF told the FJP it had changed its approach to lending to be more efficient
and to bolster its image in developing countries.
Since
then, the FJP had only received a summary of the government's 18-month reform plan,
not the whole document, he said. It got more details in a broad policy
statement that Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzoury read out to parliament on Feb.
28.
Hoseiny
said the government had also been meeting with parliament to build support for
an IMF loan.
"Our
reply to this loan will be part of our reply to the government program as a
whole in parliament," he said, adding that he expected a vote within three
weeks.
owever,
the FJP would move more quickly if the government submitted its reform plan
before then.
"We're
here sitting," Hoseiny said.
The
FJP wanted the government to streamline expenditures, improve security in the
country and make a serious attempt to combat corruption, which was a drain on
the budget and was dampening the political will for a loan, he said.
The
FJP also wanted the government to exhaust all other options to increase its
revenue, including selling Islamic sukuk bonds to foreign institutions and
plots of land to Egyptians living abroad, Hoseiny said.
If
properly done, the sukuk sales could raise as much as $10 billion, far more
than the central bank's estimate of $2 billion, and the land sales as much as
$15 billion, he said.
Government
plan
"If
we see that there are clear plans and ideas, that they pledge to deliver, then
okay, we will agree," Hoseiny said.
Alnaggar
said the FJP wanted to see the actual program the government would present to
the IMF and not a hypothetical one or a summary.
"We
have no problem with the IMF," Alnaggar said in the interview. "We
are a member country and it is our right to take out a loan, especially since
the IMF was set up to intervene to resolve urgent balance of payments
deficits."
"We
have an urgent balance of payments deficit, and therefore we have a right to
use it."
Egypt
has spent more than $20 billion in foreign reserves since last year's uprising
to prop up its currency. Reserves now stand at a worryingly low $15.7 billion,
including $4 billion in gold bullion the government would be loath to draw
down.
For
Full Report:
http://thedailynewsegypt.com/economy/muslim-brotherhood-leaning-toward-imf-loan.html
-------
Far
more Christian than Muslim migrants worldwide
By
Tom Heneghan
Agency:
Reuters
Paris,
March 9, 2012, Christians far outnumber Muslims as migrants around the world,
including in the European Union where debates about immigration usually focus
on new Muslim arrivals, according to a new study issued on Thursday.
Of
the world's 214 million people who have moved from their home country to live
in another, about 106 million (49%) are Christians while around 60 million
(27%) are Muslims, the study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life said.
Only
3.6 million Jews around the world have moved across international borders, the
study said, but that is 25% of the world's Jewish population, by far the
highest proportion on the move of any faith group.
"Many
experts think that, on the whole, economic opportunities - better jobs and
higher wages - have been the single biggest driver of international
migration," it said.
"At
the same time, religion remains a factor in some people's decisions to leave
their countries of birth and their choices of where to go."
The
study defined migrants as people living in another country in 2010 for over a
year, including estimates of illegal immigrants and long-term refugees
including Palestinians and their descendants.
"Perhaps
contrary to popular perception,...Christian immigrants outnumber Muslim
immigrants in the European Union as a whole," the report said, indirectly
referring to far-right parties that have long campaigned against Muslim
newcomers.
Of
the 47 million migrants in the EU, 26 million (56%) are Christians, double the
13 million Muslim migrants, who make up only 27% of the total, it said.
The
gap narrows when intra-EU migration - for example, Christian Greeks to Germany
or French-born Muslims to Britain - is excluded, but Christians migrating from
outside the EU still outnumber non-EU Muslim migrants by about 13 million to 12
million.
The
United States is the leading destination for Christian migrants, who account
for 32 million (74%) of its 43 million-strong foreign-born population.
Two-thirds of them are from Latin America. "The United States has received
about as many immigrants from Mexico alone (more than 12 million, including
both legal immigrants and unauthorised ones) as any other nation has received
from all sources combined," the study said. The US is also the world's top
destination for Buddhists, many from Vietnam. "About five percent of US
immigrants are Muslims, a much lower share than in Europe," it added.
Saudi
Arabia is the top destination for Muslim migrants, mostly workers from other
Arab countries, the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia and the Philippines. While
nearly half of all Muslim migrants come from the Asia-Pacific region, the
largest single group - over five million - is made up of migrants and their
descendants from the Palestinian territories, the study said.
Israel
takes in the most Jewish migrants, many of them from Russia and Ukraine,
followed far behind by the US, Canada and Australia. The United Nations
estimates that about three percent of the world's population are migrants.
"If
the world's 214 million international migrants were counted as one nation, they
would constitute the fifth most populous country on the globe, just behind
Indonesia and ahead of Brazil," the study said.
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_far-more-christian-than-muslim-migrants-worldwide_1660332
-------
Culture
war brews between new Islamist movement and secularists in post-revolution
Tunisia
By
Associated Press,
March
9, 2012
TUNIS,
Tunisia — Every Friday, bearded men in shin-length robes demonstrate in
Tunisia’s capital against perceived insults to Islam in a country once known
for its aggressive secularism. They have occasionally turned violent, attacking
secular intellectuals and harassing women for their style of dress.
This
emerging movement of believers known as Salafis has seemingly appeared out of
thin air — and prompted fears of a culture war in this North African country of
10 million.
Since
the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011 unleashed a
string of Arab uprisings, Islam has blossomed in Tunisia in a way it wasn’t
allowed to do for half a century.
New
religious freedoms have also opened the way for the Salafis, who are now in a
daily battle for hearts and minds with equally hardline secular elements
entrenched in the media and the elite. Television stations, Western embassies
and government offices have all felt the conservatives’ wrath.
In
the middle are the moderate Islamists who won Tunisia’s first free elections
and are trying to build a democratic model for countries that followed Tunisia
down this still uncertain revolutionary path.
The
Salafis say they are just reclaiming rights long denied.
“Tunisians
are thirsty for religious knowledge,” said Mohammed Bedoui, a young adherent of
the Hizb al-Tahrir, or Liberation party, which calls for the return of the
Islamic caliphate. “The regime of Ben Ali neglected the religious universities
and the Tunisian imams just can’t answer to the demand.”
The
war of words is taking place against a backdrop of armed radical movements just
over the porous borders in neighboring Algeria and Libya, and there are worries
that Tunisia’s aggressive demonstrations could evolve into an armed struggle if
the competing demands are not handled carefully.
Secular
intellectuals describe the Salafis as backward and engaging in a wholesale
assault against freedom of expression and Tunisia’s progressive traditions. The
religious conservatives — distinctive with their mustache-less beards, short
robes and sneakers — counter that their religion is under daily attack.
“The
demonstrations are a response to the provocations of the secularists and the
leftists, particularly the polemic against the niqab (face-covering veil) in
universities,” said Bedoui.
The
Salafis cite the broadcast of blasphemous movies, publication of seminude
photos of models in newspapers and bans on women wearing the veil as attempts
to target and provoke them. They call the secularists leftover supporters of
the old dictator.
In
one of their most high profile sit-ins, demonstrators stalled exams at a
university near Tunis for weeks protesting a ban on female students wearing the
niqab during exams.
In
October’s elections, the moderate Islamist party Ennahda dominated the polls,
though most believe that people voted for them not out of religious conviction
but because they trusted them to do away with the old system and get the
country back on track.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/culture-war-brews-between-new-islamist-movement-and-secularists-in-post-revolution-tunisia/2012/03/09/gIQAsAQe0R_story.html
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Pakistan's
Iran pipeline plan further strains ties with U.S.
By
Alex Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times
Reporting
from Islamabad, Pakistan— March 8, 2012,
As the U.S. and Pakistan struggle to patch up frayed ties, plans for a
Pakistani-Iranian natural gas pipeline further threaten the fragile
partnership.
Pakistan
desperately needs new energy sources and has made it clear that it plans to
forge ahead with the pipeline to bring in natural gas from Iran, despite
warnings from the U.S. that Islamabad could be hit with economic sanctions if
it follows through with the project.
"If
built, [it] could raise serious concerns under the Iran Sanctions Act. We have
made that absolutely clear," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
said at a congressional hearing last month. "We believe that actually
beginning the construction of such a pipeline, either as an Iranian project or
as a joint project, would violate our Iran sanctions law."
The
imposition of sanctions "would be particularly damaging to Pakistan
because their economy is already quite shaky," she said.
Pakistan's
leaders appear unmoved. At a news conference last week, Foreign Minister Hina
Rabbani Khar said talk of sanctions wouldn't deter Islamabad from ramping up
its cooperation with Iran.
"We
cannot afford to be selective about where we receive energy from," Khar
said.
More
than half of Pakistan's manufacturers use natural gas to power their factories,
and no other country relies as heavily on natural gas to fuel its cars, buses
and trucks. About 21% of the country's vehicles run on compressed natural gas.
Yet
Pakistan produces only 30% of the natural gas it needs. Neighboring Iran,
meanwhile, has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves, topped only by
Russia. The proposed 1,300-mile pipeline would deliver to Pakistan more than
750 million cubic feet of gas per day from Iran's South Pars gas field in the
Persian Gulf.
The
U.S. has touted an alternative pipeline project that would transport natural
gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and into Pakistan and India. But with
Afghanistan mired in a 10-year-old war with Taliban insurgents, experts in
Pakistan doubt that pipeline will ever be built.
"A
lot of people might be huffing and puffing, but no one is coming up with a
viable alternative," said Safiya Aftab, a columnist with the Friday Times,
a Pakistani weekly newspaper. "Running a pipeline through Afghanistan in
the current conditions is not going to happen."
The
U.S. is trying to persuade Pakistan to drop the Iranian pipeline project at a
time when its government is taking stock of its relations with Washington after
the errant American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers near the
Afghan border in November.
Pakistanis
have also been deeply frustrated with the continuation of U.S. drone missile
strikes against militants in Pakistan's tribal areas, and with Washington's
decision not to inform Islamabad before launching the commando raid that killed
Al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden in the military city of Abbottabad in May.
Islamabad's government is under heavy pressure from a vehemently anti-American
public to reduce its dependence on Washington and assert its own agenda.
For
Full Report:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-fg-pakistan-iran-pipeline-20120309,0,1716716.story
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Free
speech, insults and Islam
BY:
IDA LICHTER From: The Australian March 09, 2012 12:00AM
PROFESSOR
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the eminent Turkish Secretary General of the Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation was recently welcomed in Europe, the US and Australia.
However,
this organisation has an agenda to criminalise criticism of Islam, which
threatens to strangle dissent and reform.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/free-speech-insults-and-islam/story-e6frg6ux-1226293822139
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War
drums from Iran and Israel drown out rich past
By
Joe Sterling, CNN
March
8, 2012
The
saber-rattling between Iran and Israel conjures fears of mass casualties and a
nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
Israel
has threatened to attack Iran to stop it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran
says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and has threatened to strike
first against enemies who threaten its national interests.
The
tough talk makes it easy to forget that Israel and Iran have not always been
enemies. The Jews of Israel and Persians of Iran have had a rich and nuanced
relationship dating back thousands of years.
They
have enjoyed an "overwhelmingly positive connection" for centuries,
said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council and author
of "Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the
United States."
In
fact, Israeli Jews grow up reading a Bible story about the Persian leader Cyrus
the Great, who is said to have liberated Jews and allowed them to return from
exile to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, said David Menashri, an Israeli
expert on Israeli-Iranian relations.
Feinstein on Iran: 'Israel will attack' IAEA
chief: Iran 'not telling everything' Cleanup seen at Iran military site
"In
the back of the historical memory of the Israelis, when you speak about Iran,
Iran is considered to be a good friend of Israel," he said.
After
the birth of the nation of Israel in 1948, the countries enjoyed a
"honeymoon" that lasted until just before the 1979 Islamic
revolution, said Menashri, professor emeritus of Tel Aviv University and
president of the Academic Center of Law and Business in the Israeli city of
Ramat Gan.
Before
the revolution, when the shah-led monarchy governed Iran, Israel and Iran
shared a pro-Western bent. They cooperated overtly and covertly on economic,
political and security issues.
Israel
viewed Iran as part of its strategy to develop ties with non-Arab states on the
region's periphery, such as Turkey and Ethiopia. It also saw Iran as an
important way station for Jews fleeing persecution in Iraq, said Uri Bialer, a
professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Israel's
ties with Iran were chiefly motivated by "a single word with three letters
-- O-I-L," he said.
Iran
earned money selling oil to the Jewish state. The shah also saw in Israel
another pro-American ally with influence in the United States.
For
Full Report:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/08/world/meast/israel-iran-relations/
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