Islamist Ideologue, Terrorist, Hafiz Saeed to join Pakistan politics
New Age Islam News Bureau
2 Feb 2012
- NATO report rips open Pak ‘double game’ in Afghanistan
- Radical Islam spills into Kenya – report
- Nigeria: Boko Haram Spokesman Arrested
- Over 70 die in Egyptian soccer pitch invasion
- Scholars Call for Israeli Recognition of the Assyrian Genocide
- India: Narendra Modi, like Nazis, will be remembered for Gujarat carnage: Cong
- Taliban: New and Improved?
- Kuwaitis start voting to elect new parliament
- Yemen president could face questions in Gitmo case
- Rival Libyan militias fight gun battle in capital
- Palestinian protesters target UN chief Ban Ki-moon
- Philippines: Most-wanted terror leader of Jemaah Islamiyah killed
- Turkey's Jails Filling Up With Journalists
- Overcoming Islamophobia in US elections
- Pak: Mili Boko Haram crisis may break Nigeria -ACF warns Jonathan
- tant Attack on police mobile, kills three
- Canada wants to boost its investments in Indonesia
- Khaleda gets permanent bail in Zia Charitable graft case
- Australia-Bangladesh diplomatic ties celebrated
- Muslim America moves away from the minaret on 9/11 Site
- Iran hosts Intl. Seminar of Eminent Ladies of Divine Religion
- Ghanaians begin prayer session for peace in Nigeria
- Pakistan to limit unilateral US actions: Khar
- Pakistan SC to indict PM Gilani with contempt of court on Feb 13
- SC verdict not implementable, says Pak Barrister
- Pakistan not aiding Taliban
- EU trade help for Pakistan
- Taliban suffered big setbacks last year: NATO
- NATO report won’t hurt fence mending efforts: US
- Iraq's Al-Qaida Claims Responsibility for Attack on Shiite-led Government Compound
- Al-Qaeda Inspired Islamists admit terror plot charges
- Thai Army ‘Sorry’ for Muslim Killings
- CAIR leads campaign against General for his 'Islamophobic' views
- US combat in Afghanistan to end next year: Panetta
- Russian EU envoy sees no chance for Syria resolution
- IAEA mission had ‘intensive discussions’ in Iran
- Syrian troops move on new rebel areas near Damascus
- Former Lebanese PM Murder: Suspects to be tried in absentia
- Afghanistan: Leon Panetta signals end to US combat role
- Guj HC relief for Modi in riots case
Complied by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, center, the leader of a banned Islamic group Jamaat
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamist-ideologue,-terrorist,-hafiz-saeed/d/6526
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Islamist ideologue, Terrorist, Hafiz Saeed to join Pakistan politics
Feb 1, 2012
Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has kept the guessing game on about his reported political ambitions.
At a press conference yesterday in Karachi, he parried questions on whether the JuD would declare itself a political party and participate in elections during a press conference yesterday in Karachi.
There is speculation that Saeed plans to contest upcoming elections either to the Punjab Assembly or the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament. He said it was a "misconception" to consider that the JuD was not a political party as its activities, including bringing together different parties and raising awareness on issues, were of a political nature.
"We believe the politics of polarisation harms the Ummah (Muslim brotherhood)," Saeed was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune daily. In recent months, the JuD has played a key role in putting together the Defa-e-Pakistan Council (Defence of Pakistan Council), a conglomerate of some 40 religious and extremist groups.
The Council has organised a string of massive rallies across the country during which hardline leaders, including Saeed, opposed the granting of Most Favoured Nation-status to India and demanded that Pakistan pull out of the US-led war on terrorism.
During yesterday's news conference, Saeed said the Defa-e-Pakistan Council was a coalition that aimed to "defend Pakistan". He said: "Political activity and ups and downs will continue regardless – but Pakistan has to be safe and secure".
The UN Security Council declared the JuD a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, which too was founded by Saeed, in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
Saeed and several other JuD leaders were detained by Pakistani authorities after the attacks but they were freed within six months.
After the easing of restrictions imposed on him last year, Saeed has stepped up his public activities, including organising rallies and events in support of the blasphemy law and highlighting differences over the sharing of river waters with India.
The Defa-e-Pakistan Council has tried to rope in mainstream political parties for its rallies and a delegation with senior JuD leaders recently met PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif while Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan sent a message to be read out on his behalf at the Council’s rally in Lahore last month.
Following widespread criticism from the public, Khan began distancing himself from the Council's activities. However, Saeed said the JuD expects "good things" from Khan.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/223756/hafiz-saeed-join-pakistan-politics.html
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NATO report rips open Pak ‘double game’ in Afghanistan
REZAUL H LASKAR
2 February 2012
Exposing the ISI’s “manipulation” of Taliban’s senior leadership and its “massive double game”, a damning NATO report says that Pakistan Government remains “intimately” involved with the Afghan-based terror group.
Full Report At:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/39573-nato-report-rips-open-pak-double-game-in-afghanistan.html
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Radical Islam spills into Kenya – report
IBRAHIM ORUKO
WEDNESDAY, 01 FEBRUARY 2012
SPREADING: An al Shabaab fighter runs from a burnt-out AU military tank in 2010. Photo/File
Somalia’s growing Islamist radicalismis spilling over into Kenya, a new report shows. The International Crisis Group attributes this to the militia’s swift rise torelative dominance in southern Somalia since early 2009, which it says hasadded to concerns about radicalisation in Kenya and beyond.
According to the report, the al Shabaab movementhas built a cross-border presence and a clandestine support network amongMuslim populations, and is recruiting and radicalising youth, often capitalisingon long-standing grievances against the state. The report reveals that al Shabaab has built a formidable and secretive supportinfrastructure in Kenya with North Eastern, Nairobi and Coast regions as theareas where the recruitment and radicalisation activities are most active.
However, the report says Somali sourcessuggest al Shabaab-inspired radicalisation is on the decline in North Eastern province and Eastleigh, but counter-terrorism experts caution against hastyconclusions. Titled 'Kenyan Somali IslamistRadicalisation', the report projects Islamic radicalism could grow moresevere with the October 2011 by the government’s decision to intervene directlyin the two decade-old Somalia conflict.
“Radicalisation is a grave threat to Kenya’s security and stability. Formulatingand executing sound counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisation policiesbefore it is too late must be a priority. It would be a profound mistake,however, to view the challenge solely through a counter-terrorism lens,” statesthe report, which was launched on Wednesday in Brussels.
According to the report, a tiny, buthighly radicalised, close-knit and secretive Salafi Jihadi fringe (marja’iyah) emulates al Shabaab,supports its jihad, funnels money and recruits and is the primary agent ofradicalisation. However, it notes that “anecdotalevidence” does suggest a drop in traditional jihadi propaganda activities inand around the major Salafi mosques in Eastleigh.
Friday sermons – often important ingauging clerical establishment views – appear less inflammatory and devotedmore to spiritual matters. “With exceptions, the jihadi pamphletsgiven to congregations during prayers have either disappeared or cover issuesbeyond the region. The “toning down” of sermons, however, may simply be aresult of the routine surveillance most major mosques reportedly now receive. “Even without the physical threat posedby Al-Shabaab, Kenya would have to contend with this small but dangerous,homegrown threat,” the report states.
Another plausible explanation is thatjihadi radicalization may have gone underground. Most mosques in Eastleigh nowlook deserted during the “off-peak” times between the five mandatory prayers. The special muhazara (lecture) and halaqa(study group) sessions conducted by clerics for select students appear fewand far between.
According to some sources, these “master classes” are beingconducted away from mosques, usually in homes or in the dozens of madrasas thathave sprung up. No place has as many madrasas per square kilometre in Kenya asEastleigh. A mosque in Pumwani, until recentlyhanded out jihadi pamphlets with articles and speeches by Anwar al-Awlaki, anextremist Yemeni-American cleric killed in a US drone attack in Yemen inSeptember 2011. “It was said to have been animportant Al-Shabaab recruitment centre throughout 2010. Youths with potentialwere reportedly often sent to Kiunga, Lamu for further vetting at an Al-Shabaab“holding” facility, their IDs, birth certificates and other documentsconfiscated and burned.
The founder of the Muslim Youth Centre(MYC), based at the Pumwani mosque, Sheikh Ahmed Iman Ali, was recently namedAl-Shabaab’s leader and coordinator in Kenya. He allegedly commands a force ofsome 200-500 fighters, most of them Kenyans. The report wants the government todevelop effective, long-term counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisationstrategies.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/national/national/60441-radical-islam-spills-into-kenya-report
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Nigeria: Boko Haram Spokesman Arrested
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012.
(MAIDUGURI, Nigeria) — The purported spokesman for a radical Islamist sect responsible for hundreds of killings in recent weeks in Nigeria has been arrested, an official with the country's secret police said Wednesday.
The official with Nigeria's State Security Service declined to give many details about the man known by the nom de guerre Abul-Qaqa, simply saying that officers are questioning him. If it is him, the spokesman's arrest could prove to be a boon for Nigeria's weak central government, which has remained unable to stop attacks by the sect known as Boko Haram.(PHOTOS: Deadly Attacks in Nigeria)
However, the same agency paraded a supposed spokesman only weeks earlier who apparently had only a loose affiliation with a group that has splintered and become even more dangerous. And a national spokeswoman tried to deny the reported arrest without being able to explain the apparent confusion gripping an agency charged with protecting the nation.
Ahmed Abdullahi, the Borno state director for the secret police agency, told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that officers tracked down the man through signals sent out by his mobile phone. The agency later flew him to Nigeria's capital Abuja for further questioning.
Abul-Qaqa served as the spokesman for the radical wing of the sect, often as a go-between between its leaders and trusted members of north Nigeria's media. He issued claims of responsibility typically the same day as attacks to journalists working for either the BBC's Hausa language service or The Daily Trust newspaper, the two most trusted sources of news in Nigeria's Muslim north.
Abdullahi declined to give the man's name, and it wasn't clear whether he faced criminal charges or had legal representation.
Reached Wednesday night, national secret police spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar denied the agency had arrested Abul-Qaqa, but was unable to explain why a top official with the agency would say otherwise. "We don't have him — at least I do not have information that we have him," Ogar said.
The State Security Service, which has plainclothes investigators across Nigeria, is charged with securing the nation, However, it is an agency long associated with suppressing political dissent, rather than putting down the sectarian violence now being carried out by Boko Haram.See more international news in Global Spin
In November, the secret police claimed it made a major breakthrough in stopping the sect by arresting Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, a supposed Boko Haram spokesman who used the name al-Zawahiri. Konduga implicated a Nigerian senator in taking part in the group.
But Konduga, later sentenced to three years in prison, acknowledged he had not made a statement on behalf of Boko Haram for months and that the group had expelled him on suspicion he was a government spy.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, is carrying out increasingly sophisticated and bloody attacks in its campaign to implement strict Islamic law and avenge Muslim killings in Nigeria, a multiethnic nation of more than 160 million people.
The sect was blamed for at least 510 killings last year alone, according to an Associated Press count. This year, it is blamed for killing at least 270 people in January alone. On Jan. 20, the sect carried out a coordinated assault on police stations and government agencies in the northern city of Kano that killed 185.
Boko Haram has splintered into three factions, with one wing increasingly willing to kill as it maintains contact with terrorist groups in North Africa and Somalia, diplomats and security sources say.
With that wing viewing a wide variety of people and institutions as potential targets, even politicians with ties to Boko Haram can no longer consider themselves safe.
Violence by Boko Haram has increasingly begun targeting Christians, inflaming longtime tensions in a nation largely divided into a Christian south and a Muslim north. Thousands have died in rioting sparked by ethnic and religious differences in the country since it became a democracy in 1999.
On Wednesday, about 2,000 mourners gathered at a Catholic church near Abuja for a mass burial of victims of a Boko Haram bombing there that killed at least 44 people, church officials said
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2105904,00.html#ixzz1lEflV4YA
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2105904,00.html
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Over 70 die in Egyptian soccer pitch invasion
2 February 2012
CAIRO: Seventy-three people were killed and hundreds of others injured on Wednesday after a football pitch invasion in the Egyptian city of Port Said, health ministry sources said, in an incident that one player described as “war, not football”.
The game was between Al Ahli, one of Egypt’s most successful clubs, and Al Masry, a team based in Port Said. Live television footage showed fans running onto the field and chasing Ahli soccer players.
Full Report At:
http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/02/over-70-die-in-egyptian-soccer-pitch-invasion.html
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Scholars Call for Israeli Recognition of the Assyrian Genocide
2-1-2012
(AINA) -- In a significant milestone for efforts towards the worldwide recognition of the Assyrian genocide, nearly thirty internationally renowned holocaust and genocide scholars, and Assyrian and Greek social, cultural and religious groups, have written to the Israeli Knesset calling for the inclusion of Assyrians and Greeks in the Knesset's forthcoming legislation on remembrance of the Armenian genocide.
The letter, sent on January 27 by the Assyrian Genocide Research Center to numerous members of the Knesset of the State of Israel, noted that hundreds of thousands of innocent Assyrians and Greeks "faced targeted killings, rape, abuse, destruction of home and villages and the razing of churches at the hands of the Ottoman Turks and their Kurdish allies" during the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923.
Full Report At:
http://www.aina.org/news/20120201130441.htm
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India: Narendra Modi, like Nazis, will be remembered for Gujarat carnage: Cong
TNN
2 February 2012
NEW DELHI:Feb 2, 2012, , Congress on Wednesday put Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi at par with the Nazis, saying both the regimes would be defined by their carnages. The party made the comparison to dismiss Modi's claims of ushering in development on a day he was reported to have "blown his own trumpet" in a speech.
AICC spokesman Manish Tewari said the claims of development were like saying even Nazis had constructed the famous autobahn motorway system. "But Nazis are known for Austwitz camp," he said, adding the Gujarat regime would be defined by its inaction and culpability in the 2002 Godhra riots.
While Tewari added the caveat that he was not drawing a parallel between the despised German regime and the present Gujarat CM, he added there were some lessons to be learnt from history.
The bid to taint Modi's development claims came a day after Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit praised the BJP leader for development of Gujarat which she said was the reason for his reelection. The praise for bete-noire Modi did not go down well with Congress and she later claimed her comments had been torn out of context.
What made Dikshit's remark provocative was the controversy over Gujarat Congress unit last week bringing out a pamphlet praising Modi's record as CM. AICC dismissed charges of the party unit backing Modi by saying it was a satire on the Hindutva leader and little could be done if sarcasm was lost on the BJP.
However, Tewari's acerbic attack on Modi appeared to lay down the bottomline for partymen who are tempted to appreciate the CM for development. He made it clear that Godhra riots would continue to be the Congress measure for Modi's stature.
"The CM had in 2004 changed the terms of reference of Nanavati Commission to include the role of Gujarat CM and government in its ambit. If the CM or the state government are so innocent in riots, why did they not present themselves before the commission? There has been a wide gulf between the words and deeds of the state government over 10 years and we have been constantly highlighting that," Tewari said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Narendra-Modi-like-Nazis-will-be-remembered-for-carnage-Cong/articleshow/11721252.cms
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Taliban: New and Improved?
Feb 1st, 2012
Apparently the Taliban are softening, even allowing girls to get an education. Clearly this heralds an opening to the West, a heady indication that their most repressive days are past them, and that soon they will take their place among the free people of the earth. Soon they will be following the teachings of Naomi Wolf and Thomas Paine.
Full Report At:
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/02/01/taliban-new-and-improved/
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Kuwaitis start voting to elect new parliament
Feb 2, 2012
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwaitis started casting votes on Thursday in a snap poll to elect the fourth parliament in less than six years with unofficial polls showing the Islamist-led opposition in the lead.
The election was called following bitter political disputes and youth-led street protests, inspired by the Arab Spring, that eventually forced the resignation of the previous government and the dissolving of parliament.
Full Report At:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Kuwaitis-start-voting-to-elect-new-parliament/articleshow/11724125.cms
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Yemen president could face questions in Gitmo case
Feb 2, 2012
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO: A lawyer for a Guantanamo prisoner charged in the attack on the USS Cole has asked a judge to let him question the president of Yemen while he is in the US for medical treatment.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Reyes, the Pentagon-appointed lawyer for Guantanamo prisoner Abd al-Nashiri, said Wednesday that he believes President Ali Abdullah Saleh may have information about the 2000 Cole attack that he needs for his client's upcoming war crimes trial at the US Navy base in Cuba.
Full Report At:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Yemen-president-Ali-Abdullah-Saleh-could-face-questions-in-Gitmo-case/articleshow/11721030.cms
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Rival Libyan militias fight gun battle in capital
By OLIVER HOLMES
Feb 1, 2012
TRIPOLI: Rival militias fought a two-hour gunbattle over a luxury beach house being used as a barracks in the Libyan capital on Wednesday, underscoring how volatile the country is following the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi.
A Reuters reporter heard exchanges of both heavy and light weapons coming from the Tripoli district of El-Saadi beach, a stretch of Mediterranean coast overlooked by office skyscrapers and the Marriott Hotel.
Militias have carved up Tripoli and the rest of Libya into competing fiefdoms, each holding out for the share of power they say they are owed.
Full Report At:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article570153.ece
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Palestinian protesters target UN chief Ban Ki-moon
2 February 2012
"Ban Ki-moon: Enough bias for Israel", read one protester's sign
Dozens of Palestinians staged a hostile protest as the convoy of visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon crossed into Gaza from Israel.
Many were relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and said they were angry at Mr Ban's refusal to meet them to discuss the prisoners' situation.
Full Report At:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16851644
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Philippines: Most-wanted terror leader of Jemaah Islamiyah killed
Hrvoje Hranjski and Jim Gomez
Thu, 02/02/2012
The Philippine military said it killed Southeast Asia's most-wanted terrorist and two other senior militants Thursday in a U.S.-backed airstrike that would mark one of the region's biggest anti-terror successes in recent years.
Philippine troops did not immediately recover bodies from the dawn strike targeting a militant stronghold on a southern Philippine island, but military spokesman Col. Marcelo Burgos said the dead included Malaysian Zulkifi bin Hir, also known as Marwan, top leader of the regional, al Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror network.
Also killed in the strike were the leader of the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf militants, Umbra Jumdail, and a Singaporean leader in Jemaah Islamiyah, Abdullah Ali, who used the guerrilla name Muawiyah, Burgos said.
Full Report At:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/02/philippines-most-wanted-terror-leader-killed.html
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Turkey's Jails Filling Up With Journalists
2-1-2012
Aziz Tekin, a correspondent for the Kurdish-language newspaper Azadiya Welat, had the misfortune of becoming a news item himself over the weekend when he became the 105th journalist in Turkey to be put behind bars.
That places Turkey -- a country usually hailed as an exemplar of democracy and Islam -- ahead of such repressive regimes as Iran and China with the largest number jailed journalists in the world according to the Platform of Solidarity with Imprisoned Journalists.
Others take issue with exactly how many of the detainees are being held purely for doing their jobs, but they don't deny that scores of media professionals are being detained and face laws and a judicial system that makes it easy to put and keep them behind bars.
"The press is quite pluralistic and rather free, but it remains dangerous for a journalist who writes a critical article against the government, especially on the Kurdish issue or criticizing the judiciary. The risk of getting arrested is really high," Johann Bihr, head of the Europe desk at the international press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, told The Media Line.
Full Report At:
www.themedialine.org
http://www.aina.org/news/20120201124907.htm
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Overcoming Islamophobia in US elections
by Muqtedar Khan
2 February 2012
Newark, Delaware -- Islam has become an important part of American discourse leading up to the 2012 federal elections and candidates everywhere appear eager to take a position on Islam for political gain.
Across the country, rising Islamophobia has made it difficult for some Muslims to build mosques and practice their faith, although their right to do so is enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution. In the current race for the presidential nomination, some presidential candidates are invoking Islam and Muslims in a negative fashion in an attempt to bolster their popularity with populations they perceive to be suspicious of Muslims or Islam. For example, if elected, former presidential candidate Herman Cain promised not to appoint Muslims to his cabinet.
Full Report At:
http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_openPrintPage.action?newsId=270243
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Pak: Mili Boko Haram crisis may break Nigeria -ACF warns Jonathan
tant Attack on police mobile, kills three
Written by Hassan Ibrahim, Kaduna
Thursday, 02 February 2012
THE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has warned that unless the Jonathan-led administration takes the necessary action towards ending the Boko Haram crisis, its attacks on Nigerian towns and innocent souls have the capability of disintegrating the country.
The organisation, therefore, advised that the Federal Government should commit itself openly and unambiguously in guaranteeing the security of leaders of Boko Haram when eventually they come out for dialogue promised by President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Government should continue to persevere, uncover the true identity of these people, to be able to determine their demands or grievances and address those that may be genuine and in accordance with our laws,” the ACF said.
Full Report At:
http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/35352-boko-haram-crisis-may-break-nigeria-acf-warns-jonathan-wants-fg-to-dialogue-with-sect-seeks-re-organiation-of-other-security-agencies
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Canada wants to boost its investments in Indonesia
Andi Hajramurni and Sita W. Dewi
Thu, 02/02/2012
Diamond jubilee: Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (right) and Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia Mackenzie Clugston launch a logo to commemorate 60 years of Indonesian and Canadian relations during a celebration on Wednesday in Jakarta. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
The Canadian government plans to increase its investments in Indonesia, particularly in South Sulawesi, marking 60 years of bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Canadian Embassy in Indonesia sent 11 Canadian businesspeople to South Sulawesi to learn about business opportunities in the province.
Full Report At:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/02/canada-wants-boost-its-investments-indonesia.html
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Khaleda gets permanent bail in Zia Charitable graft case
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Indictment hearing in Zia Orphanage graft case adjourned till Mar 18
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia appearing before a Dhaka court that granted her permanent bail in Zia Charitable Trust graft case on Thursday. Photo: Star/Palash Khan
Star Online Report
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, accused of abusing power in setting up Zia Charitable Trust, appeared before a Dhaka court Thursday and received permanent bail in the case.
Another court adjourned the hearing on charge framing against the BNP chief in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case till March 18.
Full Report At:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=35548
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Australia-Bangladesh diplomatic ties celebrated
Metro Desk
Australian High Commission in Dhaka hosted a reception in the city on Tuesday to mark Australia Day and the 40th anniversary of Australia-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, says a press release.
Full Report At:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=220833
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Muslim America moves away from the minaret on 9/11 site
By Jane O'Brien
BBC News, Washington
2 February 2012
In post 9/11 America the construction of new mosques in the US has sometimes sparked controversy and even confrontation. Is that why some new Muslim houses of worship are being built without the most recognisable features of Islamic architecture - minarets and domes?
The National Islamic Center in Washington DC is an imposing building with a towering minaret. One of America's iconic mosques, it is surrounded by the flags of the Islamic countries which helped pay for its construction in the 1950s.
Full Report At:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16825976
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Iran hosts Intl. Seminar of Eminent Ladies of Divine Religion
Wednesday Feb 01, 2012
Tehran has held the International Seminar of Eminent Ladies of Divine Religion, hosting participants from different countries, Press TV reported.
Women from 22 countries attended the seminar along with a number of Iranian female officials and scholars on February 1.
Full Report At:
http://presstv.com/detail/224376.html
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Ghanaians begin prayer session for peace in Nigeria
February 1, 2012
The Global Intercessory Prayer Organisation (GIPO), an NGO has organised a prayer session for peace to prevail in Nigeria as Boko Haram, an Islamic radical group seeks to impose Sharia law on the country.
Full Report At:
http://vibeghana.com/2012/02/01/ghanaians-begin-prayer-session-for-peace-in-nigeria/
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Pakistan to limit unilateral US actions: Khar
2 February 2012
WASHINGTON — Pakistan will tell the United States it cannot take unilateral actions such as the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and that parliament will determine military priorities, the foreign minister told a US magazine.
A Pakistani parliamentary committee is reviewing the troubled relationship with the United States amid outrage over a NATO raid in November that mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers near the Afghan border at Salala.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, in an interview with Time magazine released Wednesday, said that the upcoming report would recognize the importance of US ties but "will redefine what is uncompromisable for Pakistan."
"It is the parliament of Pakistan that must decide whether it is time for military action in one area or not," she said.
Full Report At:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-33558-Pakistan-to-limit-unilateral-US-actions
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Pakistan SC to indict PM Gilani with contempt of court on Feb 13
Feb 2, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Supreme Court said on Thursday it intended to indict Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for contempt on February 13 over his refusal to pursue corruption cases against the president.
Judge Nasir-ul-Mulk told the Supreme Court there were grounds to proceed against Gilani, despite the government's insistence that President Asif Ali Zardari has immunity from prosecution while he is head of state.
"After the preliminary hearing, we are satisfied that prima facie there is a case for further proceeding into the matter.
Full Report At:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-SC-to-indict-PM-Gilani-with-contempt-of-court-on-Feb-13/articleshow/11725775.cms
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SC verdict not implementable, says Pak Barrister
2 February 2012
ISLAMABAD: Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan treaded a fine line on Wednesday and performed a delicate balancing act between defending the prime minister who is facing contempt charges and convincing the Supreme Court that its NRO verdict for requesting the Swiss authorities to reopen money-laundering cases is not implementable.
But at the end of the proceedings he was asked to complete his arguments by Thursday before the tea-break and, if convinced by his arguments, the court would discharge the contempt or move ahead with formally framing the charge against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Full Report At:
http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/02/writing-letter-to-swiss-authorities-sc-verdict-not-implementable-says-aitzaz.html
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Pakistan not aiding Taliban
SHAIQ HUSSAIN
ISLAMABAD/LONDON - Pakistan strongly refuted NATO allegations on Wednesday that it was assisting Taliban militants fighting the US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan, warning that such baseless accusations could further harm the already strained relations between Islamabad and Washington.
A secret NATO report obtained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had said the Taliban in Afghanistan were being directly assisted by Pakistani security services. “The leaked report, derived from thousands of interrogations, claims the Taliban remain defiant and have wide support among the Afghan people,” the BBC said. “A BBC correspondent says the report is painful reading for international forces and the Afghan government,” it added. The report also alleges that Pakistan knows the locations of senior Taliban leaders. However, Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement: “We are committed to non-interference in Afghanistan. Pakistan has suffered enormously because of the long conflict in Afghanistan. A stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in our own interest and we are very much cognizant of this.”
Full Report At:
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/02/pakistan-not-aiding-taliban/
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EU trade help for Pakistan
2 February 2012
Feb 1 (Reuters) - A World Trade Organisation committee meeting on Wednesday approved a European Union waiver on duties for 75 products from Pakistan, a scheme intended to boost textile exports to help Pakistan recover from massive floods in 2010.
"I'm very happy. It was a long drawn out exercise, and something of a success for diplomacy," Pakistan's ambassador to the WTO, Shahid Bashir, told Reuters.
The waiver, lowering trade barriers for humanitarian reasons, is unprecedented in the WTO and does not set a precedent for similar actions in future.
Full Report At:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/01/eu-pakistan-trade-idUSL5E8D137C20120201
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Taliban suffered big setbacks last year: NATO
2 February 2012
BRUSSELS: NATO insisted Wednesday that the Taliban has been weakened as the alliance downplayed the impact of a leaked report showing the insurgents confident of victory once Western combat troops leave in 2014.
"The Taliban have suffered tremendous setbacks on the battlefield in the last year, and we know that they've lost a lot of ground and they've lost a lot of leaders," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told reporters.
Full Report At:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-33555-Taliban-suffered-big-hits-last-yr:-NATO
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NATO report won’t hurt fence mending efforts: US
2 February 2012
WASHINGTON: A US State Department spokesperson said Wednesday that a leaked NATO report summarizing the views of Taliban detainees was not designed to impact on efforts to ease tensions with Pakistan.
"(T)his is a classified report... It shouldn't have come out into the open. It was not designed for any purpose other than to help those in the field understand what Taliban detainees were saying. So it was in no way designed to impact on our ongoing efforts to get back on track with Pakistan, which continue,” Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said at the daily briefing.
Full Report At:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-33554-Nato-report-wont-hurt-fencemending:-US
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Iraq's Al-Qaida Claims Responsibility for Attack on Shiite-led Government Compound
2-1-2012
BAGHDAD (AP) -- An al-Qaida front group in Iraq claimed responsibility for a bloody attack on a government compound in the Islamist militants' former stronghold west of Baghdad last month and vowed more attacks on the Shiite-led government as it tries to make up with its Sunni-backed members.
Full Report At:
http://www.aina.org/news/20120201155205.htm
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Al-Qaeda Inspired Islamists admit terror plot charges
2 February 2012
Four radical Islamists have admitted plotting a major pre-Christmas terror attack on the London Stock Exchange.
The al Qaida-inspired fundamentalist group wanted to send five mail bombs to various targets over the 2010 festive period, and discussed launching a "Mumbai-style" atrocity.
A hand-written target list found at one of the defendant's homes listed the names and addresses of London Mayor Boris Johnson, two rabbis, the American Embassy and the Stock Exchange.
Full Report At:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/four-men-admit-london-bombs-plot-103437306.html
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Thai Army ‘Sorry’ for Muslim Killings
FEBRUARY 1, 2012
BANGKOK (Thailand), 9 Rabi Al-Awwal/1 Feb (IINA)-Thailand’s military apologized Tuesday, January 31, for the killing of four Muslims in the country’s troubled south after an outpouring of anger from rights groups and Muslims.
Full Report At:
http://iina.me/wp_en/?p=1006571
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CAIR leads campaign against General for his 'Islamophobic' views
2 February 2012
The controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations – an unindicted co-conspirator in a terror-funding scheme – is boasting of preventing an outspoken retired general from speaking at an upcoming prayer breakfast at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Retired Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin, a strong critic of CAIR, has recommended a WND Books bestseller, “Muslim Mafia, that exposes the group’s role as a front group in the U.S. for the Muslim Brotherhood, the originator of most of the world’s major Islamic terrorist groups, including al-Qaida and Hamas.
Full Report At:
http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/muslims-force-general-from-west-point-prayer-breakfast/
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US combat in Afghanistan to end next year: Panetta
2 February 2012
BRUSSELS: Defence Secretary Leon Panetta laid out the administration’s most explicit portrayal of the US drawdown in Afghanistan, saying Wednesday that US and other international forces in Afghanistan expect to end their combat role in 2013 and continue a training and advisory role with Afghan forces through 2014.
Panetta’s remarks to reporters travelling with him to a Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels showed how the foreign military role in Afghanistan is expected to evolve from the current high-intensity fight against the Taliban to a support role with Afghans fully in the lead.
Full Report At:
http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/02/us-combat-in-afghanistan-to-end-next-year-panetta.html
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Russian EU envoy sees no chance for Syria resolution
Feb 1, 2012
MOSCOW: Russia’s envoy to the European Union said on Wednesday he believes a Western-Arab draft UN Security Council resolution cannot pass without language clearly ruling out potential military intervention, the Interfax news agency reported.
Full Report At:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article569872.ece
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IAEA mission had ‘intensive discussions’ in Iran
By MICHAEL SHIELDS
Feb 1, 2012
VIENNA: United Nations nuclear inspectors and Iranian officials held what both sides described as “good” talks in Iran about suspicions that the Islamic Republic was seeking to develop atomic weapons, but said more discussions would be needed.
Full Report At:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article570002.ece
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Syrian troops move on new rebel areas near Damascus
WEDNESDAY, 01 FEBRUARY 2012
Syrian troops battled army defectors in a string of towns in the mountains overlooking Damascus on Wednesday in a new assault to crush rebellious areas around the capital, activists said.
The battles in a mountain valley came after regime forces succeeded in largely retaking control of suburbs on the eastern side of the city in an offensive the past week that fueled some of the bloodiest days of the nearly 11-month-old uprising.
Full Report At:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/39424-syrian-troops-move-on-new-rebel-areas-near-damascus-.html
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Former Lebanese PM murder: Suspects to be tried in absentia
2 February 2012
Wanted posters for the four men went on display in Lebanon last year
The UN tribunal investigating the assassination of the former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in 2005 has said it will try the four accused in absentia.
Shia Islamist group Hezbollah members were named as suspects and warrants for their arrest issued last summer.
Full Report At:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16849508
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Afghanistan: Leon Panetta signals end to US combat role
2 February 2012
Insurgents infiltrating Afghan security forces can often remain undetected
The US will seek to wind down combat operations in Afghanistan during 2013, more than a year before a deadline for withdrawal, the defence secretary says.
Speaking while travelling to a Nato summit, Leon Panetta said the US hoped to switch to a role training and supporting Afghan forces.
Full Report At:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16843361
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Guj HC relief for Modi in riots case
TNN
2 February 2012
AHMEDABAD: Feb 2, 2012, The Gujarat high court will not direct the Nanavati-Mehta commission to summon chief minister Narendra Modi and question him about the 2002 Gujarat riots. Civil rights organization Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM) had filed an application demanding that Modi be called by the commission for cross-examination.
A bench of Justices Akil Kureshi and Sonia Gokani rejected the application and upheld the November 2009 order by a single judge. The bench observed that the decision to summon any person was left to the quasi-judicial body's discretion.
JSM wanted that Modi, three of his secretaries, politicians and senior cops be cross-examined on the basis of the call records that IPS officer Rahul Sharma had submitted. The call details show that the secretaries were in constant touch with those accused in the 2002 riots even as the violence was on. JSM has alleged complicity of the chief minister's office in the 2002 riots.
The Nanavati-Mehta commission, formed by the state government to investigate the riots, had rejected JSM's plea in 2009 saying it had not found substantial evidence to summon Modi. The secretaries-Tanmay Mehta, OP Singh and Sanjay Bhavsar-too were not summoned, but were ordered to file affidavits explaining their telephonic conversations.
JSM then moved the high court, asking it to direct the commission to summon Modi and others. It argued that in 2004 the state government itself had given the commission the powers to summon ministers, including the chief minister, and was duty-bound to summon Modi on basis of the evidence it had on record.
Justice K S Jhaveri, had rejected the petition, which led to the filing of an appeal before a division bench. The then Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhaya had entertained the appeal and sought answers on various occasions from the commission, which maintained that rejection of JSM application was an interim order.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Guj-HC-relief-for-Modi-in-riots-case/articleshow/11719036.cms
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamist-ideologue,-terrorist,-hafiz-saeed/d/6526