Kashmir-Punjab border turns battle zone as BJP's Ekta Yatra marches on
Lahore suicide attacks kill 13, injure 50
'RSS leader paid for Samjhauta blast'
Muslim cleric urges harsher punishment for terrorists
Jerusalem 'sellout' stokes Arab anger
US Woman hangs and burns dog that chewed bible
Pakistan's Punjab region: a center of Islamic blasphemy
Pakistan Muslims declare Jihad against children
70 Shia Pilgrims Martyred/Injured in Karbala Car Bombings
Malegaon official burnt to death during raid
Darul Uloom Deoband revokes suspension of 9 students
Lack of trust biggest problem in India-Pakistan ties: Kasuri
Veils have never been a custom in my house
Unrest over Vastanvi’s Modi praise
Doctors fleeing Pak due to fears of extortion, target killings
BJP allies join Cong chorus against flag mission
Pakistani security forces accused of rights violations
Top Saudi Shia Cleric "Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al Amri" Passed Away in Medina
Apology not good enough, Deoband’s new chief faces protest wave
Husband arrested for acid attack on woman
Al-Jazeera leaks: Palestinian officials livid
‘No father-to-son succession in Yemen’
Egypt: Head of Sunni Islam’s Highest Body Condemns “Zionist” Anti-Islam Plot…
Reservation for Dalit Muslims
Give up path of confrontation, Chidambaram tells BJP
Female suicide bomber suspected in Moscow blast
Governor Taseer's assassin produced in court
'India, Pak must find common wavelength'
Won't give up, we will enter J&K again: Sushma Swaraj
Hariri Won’t Join Hezbollah-Led Govt
'Palestine Offered Israel Holy Land'
Afghan Taliban 'Godfather' Dies
Outspoken Journalist Murdered In Philippines
Papers throw light on West Asia negotiations
War of words in the Arab world
“Shringar has gone out from our poetry”
Nitish asks BJP to call off flag hoisting in Srinagar
Saudi Arabia suppresses rights of millions: Human Rights Watch
Over 25 Pakistani prisoners in US custody in Afghanistan
Petition moved against Sharmila Farooqui, her father’s eligibility
Hareem Tanvir’s work lauded at Alhamra
UN points to Iraq violence in chiding deportations
Najib Mikati set to lead Lebanon government
A first in UAE: Two women charged with forced labour
Muslims are main victims of terrorism: Forum
Man Kills And Buries His Brother
Explosion on Philippine bus, 2 killed, 18 wounded
Man kills wife, three in-laws
Muslim, Jewish students to act as `campus ambassadors`
Is there Logic to Support Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law?
Why Islam Is Based On Justice?
Religion may be a red herring when it comes to anti-Islam sentiment
Leader of the Astara Islamic Party of Azerbaijan arrested
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/kashmir-punjab-border-turns-battle/d/3999
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Kashmir-Punjab border turns battle zone as BJP's Ekta Yatra marches on
Jan 25, 2011
MADHOPUR/JAMMU/SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Tension escalated along the Jammu and Kashmir-Punjab border Tuesday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began a rally at the Madhopur bridge separating the two states, ignoring a call by home minister P. Chidambaram to abandon the march to Srinagar to hoist the national flag on Republic Day.
Among those expected to address the rally, signalling the determination to go ahead with the plan to unfurl the tricolour at Srinagar's city centre Lal Chowk on Republic Day Wednesday, were top BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar.
The leaders were brought to Madhopur in Punjab on Monday night by Jammu and Kashmir police from Jammu, where they were detained when they arrived at the airport.
The Lakhanpur barrier-Madhopur bridge area, on the border between Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, resembled a battle-zone on Tuesday morning with hundreds of armed security personnel being deployed.
Armoured vehicles, water-cannon trucks, teargas equipment and riot-control vehicles and personnel were stationed to thwart any attempt by the BJP leaders and activists to enter Jammu and Kashmir. Wired fencing was put up all across the bridge to prevent anyone from crossing it.
Madhopur police have, however, allowed the vehicle 'rath' of BJP leader Anurag Thakur to be parked beyond barricades which will be accompany the bjp workers while their leaders are addressing the rally. Forty members of the core group will walk ahead of the vehicle while another five hundred will walk behind on the way to Srinagar.
Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab sealed the Pathankot-Jammu national highway, NH-1A -- the only road link that Jammu and Kashmir has with the rest of the country. The strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway was also shut to traffic to scuttle attempts by BJP activists to sneak into the Kashmir Valley.
Prohibitory orders were also issued in Ramban, Kishtwar, Doda and other areas.
"Any one violating orders would be dealt with as per law," said a police officer.
Authorities also decided to impose curfew-like restrictions in Srinagar to scuttle planned marches by both the BJP and the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in Lal Chowk on Republic Day, official sources in Jammu said.
In New Delhi, union home minister P Chidambaram Tuesday asked BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Jaitley to respect the orders of the Jammu and Kashmir government and call off their planned flag-hoisting in Srinagar by giving up the "path of confrontation".
"I would request the two leaders of the opposition and their colleagues to give up the path of confrontation, return to Delhi and join the celebrations in Delhi on Republic Day," Chidambaram said in a statement.
"There is no justification whatsoever to push a political agenda that will certainly affect peace and law and order in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," Chidambaram added.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has said it would not allow the flag hoisting by any political group in Srinagar.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah was elated with the central government's unqualified support in stopping the BJP march to Srinagar and the treatment meted out to three top party leaders, sources say.
"The chief minister is happy with the centre's support. Almost every one is speaking in his favour and he is rightly delighted," a source in the government who has been interacting with him told IANS on condition of anonymity.
The chief minister, officials added, personally monitored the 'deportation' of Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar and has reportedly instructed police that anyone entering Jammu and Kashmir from Punjab with the tricolour should be dealt with.
The government has announced the closure of all educational institutions in Jammu as a precaution to prevent trouble in the city and other parts of the region.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh, who started a fast in New Delhi Monday, termed as "undemocratic" the government's efforts to stop the party's youth wing from hoisting the national flag in Srinagar on Republic Day, saying it was their fundamental right.
"It is the fundamental right given to the people of India to hoist the (national) flag and it is very unfortunate and undemocratic that the central government, along with the state government, is not allowing people to hoist the flag at Lal Chowk (in Srinagar)," Rajnath Singh told reporters
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kashmir-Punjab-border-turns-battle-zone-as-BJPs-
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Lahore suicide attacks kill 13, injure 50
Jan 25, 2011
LAHORE: A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up near a religious procession of Shiite Muslims in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 50, officials said.
Militants linked to al Qaeda and Taliban have attacked such religious gatherings in the past as part of their bloody campaign to create chaos and topple the US-backed Pakistani government.
“A 13-year-old boy detonated explosives as policemen tried to check him at a cordon near the procession,” Lahore police chief Aslam Tarin told Reuters.
Hospital officials said 13 people, including three policemen and a woman, were killed and around 52 people were wounded.
Shiites stage large rallies on the streets to mark Chehlum or Arba’in, the end of their 40-day religious mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), who was killed during a battle in A.D. 680 in Karbala, a city in modern-day Iraq.
Militants linked to al Qaeda and Taliban deem Shiites as heretics.
Militants have unleashed a wave of suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan. The attacks on religious minorities are part of their wider campaign to destabilise Pakistan.
A group affiliated with the Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
“We will continue such attacks in future,” Shakirullah Shakir, a spokesman for Fidayeen-e-Islam militant group told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/25/blast-near-bhati-gate-several-injured.html
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'RSS leader paid for Samjhauta blast'
Jan 25, 2011
NEW DELHI: One of the accused in the murder of Sunil Joshi — mastermind of a number of terror attacks involving Hindu radicals during 2006-08 — has also told the investigating agencies about the alleged role of RSS leader Indresh Kumar in giving money for carrying out the blast in the Samjhauta Express train.
Vasudev Parmar, who was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police in December last year for allegedly killing Joshi, claimed to have told his interrogators that though the group had contacted a number of RSS leaders for help, it was Indresh who supported them by providing Rs 70,000 for the entire operation to bomb the Pakistan-bound train.
Besides Parmar who hails from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, Anand Raj Kataria of Indore and Harshad Solanki of Gujarat were also arrested in connection with the Joshi murder case. Solanki, an absconder from the 2002 Best Bakery case of Vadodara, was arrested by the Rajasthan police.
Sources in the investigating agencies said that Parmar had also given a detailed account of the meetings held to plan the Samjhauta blast.
Parmar is the second accused who has spoken about Indresh's role in the train blast that had taken place at Deewana near Panipat in Haryana in February 2007. Earlier, another accused Swami Aseemanand — who has already been chargesheeted by the CBI for his role in Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid blast — in his confessional statement before a court in Delhi spoke at length about Indresh's direct and indirect role in one or the other blast carried out by Hindu radicals during 2006-08.
Asked about Aseemanand's claim about Indresh's involvement in financing a number of bomb blasts, a top official in an investigating agency said: "So far, we don't have any corroborative evidence to point at Indresh's criminality, but the RSS leader continues to be on our radar."
About Indresh, the Swami who was arrested by CBI from Haridwar in November last year also claimed that the RSS leader had, in fact, once told him that he should better concentrate on his work among tribals as the "bomb-for-bomb" operation was not meant for him.
"Indreshji told me that this responsibility (bomb-for-bomb) has been given to Sunil and whatever help Sunil needs would be provided by him," claimed Aseemanand in his confession before the court.
Aseemanand, however, also gave a new twist to the entire script stating that Indresh had an ISI link. In his confessional statement, he said that Lt Col Srikant Purohit had once told him that "Indreshji is an ISI agent" and he (Purohit) had all the documents with him about it. He, however, said that Col Purohit had never shown him those documents. Purohit — who had worked with Military Intelligence for many years — is currently in jail in connection with his role in the 2008 Malegaon blast.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-leader-paid-for-Samjhauta-
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Muslim cleric urges harsher punishment for terrorists
Jan 25, 2011
Moscow, January 25, Interfax - The head of the Russian Association for Islamic Consensus' Executive Committee called for stricter punishment for terrorists.
"We don't get tired of repeating our demands for tighter punishment for those who encroach on the life of innocent people, making one more attempt to sow enmity in our multi-ethnic and multireligious Russian society," Mufti Muhammedgali Huzin told Interfax-Religion.
He said ethnic groups populating Russia have good-neighborly mutual relations, and that this "is a source of anger for the pack of abominable jackals, who are trying to bite our powerful and healthy society at the heel."
"But carrion is all they can cope with. Yes, they are probably squeaking with pleasure now, being drunk with the smell of blood and thinking of themselves as heroes, but do real heroes bark like so many wretched curs," Huzin said.
He expressed hope that "the dirty and stinking holes where those wretches take refuge will be destroyed at last and we won't have to mourn the innocent victims of their cowardly attacks."
Huzin offered condolences to the families of those killed on behalf of Russia's Muslim community. "We share the sorrow of their losses and the hardship of their future concerns, and we pray that the Almighty send them patience and hope," he said.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=8130
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Jerusalem 'sellout' stokes Arab anger
Jan 25, 2011
CAIRO: Leaked documents that show Palestinians made major concessions to Israel on occupied East Jerusalem have infuriated many Arabs who fear their rights to the holy city are being sold too cheaply.
Some Arab analysts said the documents, published by Al Jazeera television, did not differ markedly from offers discussed in previous peace talks over the years and showed the kind of concessions needed for any settlement. But ordinary Arabs, many of them angered by their leaders who they feel are too ready to capitulate to US and Israeli demands, still voiced fury about the content of leaks that touch on issues sensitive to many across the Middle East.
"Of course Mahmoud Abbas could have done this because he wants to deepen roots between him and Israel," said Ismail Hussein, an Egyptian bank employee, saying such concessions would turn Palestinians against their president.
Another Egyptian, Salah Hasheesh, said, "If he did this, they are selling themselves cheaply."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Jerusalem-sellout-stokes-Arab-
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US Woman hangs and burns dog that chewed bible
25 January 2011
Authorities charged a US woman with felony animal cruelty, saying she hanged her nephew's pit bull from a tree with an electrical cord and burned its body because the dog chewed on her Bible.
Animal control officers said that 65-year-old Miriam Smith told them she killed a female dog named Diamond because it was a "devil dog" and she worried it could harm neighbourhood children.
Authorities said bond was not immediately set for Smith, who remains jailed in Spartanburg County, South Carolina after her weekend arrest.
Officials said she did not have a lawyer yet.
She faces 180 days to five years in prison if convicted.
Authorities said the remains of the dog were found under a pile of grass with part of an electrical cord around its neck.
Officials said she did not have a lawyer yet.
She faces 180 days to five years in prison if convicted.
Authorities said the remains of the dog were found under a pile of grass with part of an electrical cord around its neck.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/woman-hangs-and-burns-dog-that-
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Pakistan's Punjab region: a center of Islamic blasphemy
By Roderick Samson
Jan 25, 2011
An analysis of the reported blasphemy cases in Pakistan since 1986 (the year when 295-C was made part of PPC by General Zia) reveals that majority of these cases occurred in a few districts of central Punjab.
The data collected by Life for All (LFA), an NGO working on the repeal of blasphemy laws, reveals that since 1986, 1058 people (456 Ahmadis, 449 Muslims, 132 Christians and 21 Hindus) have been charged under the blasphemy laws.
According to Rizwan Paul, Executive Director LFA "Around 80 per cent of all these cases have been registered only in eight districts of central Punjab -- Lahore, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Gujrat and Kasur". The worst part is that so far 37 accused blasphemers (16 Christian, 15 Muslims, five Ahmadis and two Hindu) have been killed extra-judicially. "Twenty-seven out of them have also been killed in these districts. Full report at:
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=47266&t=Pakistan's+Punjab+region:+a+
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Pakistan Muslims declare Jihad against children
Jan 25, 2011
KARACHI (AFP) – The lifeless bodies of two tiny babies are being given their final bath before burial in Karachi, after they were left to die in the southern Pakistani city's garbage dumps.
"They can only have been one or two days old," says volunteer worker Mohammad Saleem, pointing at the two small corpses being gently washed by his colleagues at a charity's morgue.
In the conservative Muslim nation, where the birth of children outside of marriage is condemned and adultery is a crime punishable by death under strict interpretations of Islamic law, infanticide is a crime on the rise.
More than 1,000 infants -- most of them girls -- were killed or abandoned to die in Pakistan last year according to conservative estimates by the Edhi Foundation, a charity working to reverse the grim trend.
Full report at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110117/lf_afp/pakistanchildreninfanticide
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70 Shia Pilgrims Martyred/Injured in Karbala Car Bombings
Jan 25, 2011
About 70 Shia pilgrims were martyred and injured in a triple car bomb attacks targeted crowds of Shiite pilgrims in the city of Karbala on Monday, the police said.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - About 25 Shia pilgrims were martyred and over 50 others wounded in a car bomb attack targeted crowds of Shiite pilgrims in the city of Karbala on Monday, the police said.
This is the third attack which took place around midday when a booby-trapped car detonated near processions of Shiite pilgrims at al-Da'oum area, just east of Karbala, some 110 km southwest of Baghdad, a source from the city police told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Full report at: http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222414
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Malegaon official burnt to death during raid
Jan 25, 2011
MUMBAI: The additional district collector of Malegaon, Yeshwant Sonawane, was on Tuesday burnt to death by the petrol and diesel adulteration mafia when he went to conduct a raid, police said.
He had gone to Panewadi locality in Manmad in Maharashtra's Nashik district for the raid when he was set on fire, police said.
Yashwant Sonawane was accompanied by his personal assistant and driver when the shocking incident took place at a roadside Dhaba near Manmad town, about 260 km from here.
"Preliminary reports say Sonawane had gone there to conduct a raid on petrol and diesel mafia. There some people, believed to be associated with the mafia, who set him on fire causing his death," Additional Director General (Law & Order) K P Rahuvanshi told PTI.
Another report said Sonawane had stopped at a roadside hotel on way to a certain place to oversee security arrangements for an event when he found people adulterating fuel.
Sonawane objected to it, leading to a scuffle during which he was set ablaze resulting in his death
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Malegaon-official-burnt-to-death-during-
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Darul Uloom Deoband revokes suspension of 9 students
Manjari Mishra
Jan 25, 2011
In a late night development, Darul Uloom Deoband has revoked the suspension of the nine students who were charged with leading a defamatory campaign against the newlly appointed VC Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi.
Vastanvi is facing stiff opposition from the old guard and ultra conservative lobby in the well known Islamic seminary. The move has, however, failed to quell the resentment over his alleged laudatory remarks on Modi.
Meanwhile, support has come pouring in for the beleagured VC who has found many a supporter in the progressive sect in Deoband and from other Islamic bodies.
Ulema of Madrasa Jamia Ashraf Uloom have called for intervention of the advisory council of Deoband to sort out the matter. Once he has been nominated, those opposing him must be dealt with firmly by Deoband, a resolution passed by them maintained.
The All India Jamiyatul Quresh and Muslim Youth Forum have also pledged their support for the VC. However, Samajwadi Party MP and its national vice president Rashid Masood has criticized Vastanvi for making controversial statements. Those occupying top positions in Deoband must show a greater sense of responsibility, the MP said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Darul-Uloom-Deoband-revokes-suspension-of-9-
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Lack of trust biggest problem in India-Pakistan ties: Kasuri
Jan 25, 2011
CHENNAI: The absence of trust is the biggest problem between India and Pakistan and anything that addresses this “trust deficit” is helpful in the way forward, the former Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, said on Monday.
Calling upon the political leadership in the two countries to show will to resolve outstanding issues, Mr. Kasuri, who held the post during 2002-07, said the leaders of the two countries should initiate a peace process in which they address each other's concerns including those on Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism, Siachen, Sir Creek water sharing.
“Our relationship has witnessed many vicissitudes and periods of missed opportunities. We should not let this happen again. The future of our relationship need not look like the present. It should rather look more like the recent past when there was cautious optimism about the relationship and when the two sides were committed to the irreversibility of the dialogue,” he said, delivering a talk on Indo-Pakistan relations during 2000-10 at the Asian College of Journalism here.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/25/stories/2011012563631500.htm
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Veils have never been a custom in my house
Dibyajyoti Chaudhuri
Jan 25, 2011
While on visit to the city recently, writer Nighat Gandhi waxes eloquent on feminism, Islam and why a handful of bearded men do not make a community
Mental health counselor or Feminist writer, how do you define yourself ?
Actually, I'm both. My identity didn't change overnight. Both my callings feed on each other. My training makes me an attentive listener which is a useful characteristic for a writer as well. Come to think of it, my national identity can't be defined as well. I have roots in both Pakistan and India and also in Bangladesh. My parents stayed in Kolkata then went to Pakistan and I finally shifted to the US.
Taslima Nasreen has not been able to come to Kolkata again...
It is unfortunate that the government is playing into the hands of a particular group of people. Not all Muslims are extremists, a handful of bearded men don't make an entire community. The government should have taken a sterner stand and been supportive to Taslima.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/Veils-have-never-been-a-
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Unrest over Vastanvi’s Modi praise
By Piyush Srivastava
Jan 25, 2011
FOR THE first time in Darul Uloom Deoband’s history, more than 100 students on Monday went on indefinite strike as clashes broke out in the seminary the previous night.
The protesting students demanded the removal of Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi, who was elected vicechancellor ( V- C) of the institute only two weeks ago.
They alleged that Vastanvi’s followers had attacked his opponents on Sunday night, leaving two students injured. They urged the Majlis- e- Shurah, the supreme council, to re- elect someone “ more interested in the development of the seminary than in self- promotion”. The students, campaigning for Vastanvi’s removal because of his comments lauding Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, reportedly disrupted classes.
In an attempt to suppress the student’s campaign, the authorities on Monday evening expelled nine protesters.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Doctors fleeing Pak due to fears of extortion, target killings
Jan 25, 2011
Karachi : Medical professionals including top doctors are fleeing Pakistan or have gone underground due to threats by extortionists, even as 10 medics have been killed in target killings in recent months in Karachi.
According to a report around 50 medical professionals have gone into hiding after getting chits or phone calls from extortionists who have threatened to kill them if they didn't comply.
The fears in the medical community are genuine because since May last year 10 doctors have been killed in target killings. In Karachi, since 2000, at least 85 doctors have been gunned down in targeted attacks, usually carried out by two men on a motorcycle.
The Pakistan Medical Association said it had got reports of doctors closing down their clinics and fleeing some areas and some had even left jobs at state owned or private hospitals after getting threats from extortionists.
"It is not a very good situation for those belonging to the medical profession because doctors need security and peace of mind to work in their profession," Habib Soomro a PMA official said.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/doctors-fleeing-pak-due-to-fears-of-
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BJP allies join Cong chorus against flag mission
Jan 25, 2011
THE OPPOSITION to the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s ( BJYM) Rashtriya Ekta Yatra grew on Monday with the Congress terming it “ most naked manifestation of political irresponsibility”, and ally JD( U) said the march had no “ meaning”. Several Gandhians and academics urged the party workers to exercise restraint in view of the “ delicate situation” in Kashmir.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari asked the BJP why it did not think of undertaking such a Yatra during the six years when NDA was in power.
“ The Tiranga Yatra of BJP is possibly the most naked manifestation of political opportunism. Srinagar is part of India. It is not Muzaffarabad ( in Pakistan) where you go to hoist the flag. Why did this Yatra did not come out when NDA was in power for six years. This is rank political opportunism. This use of a national symbol for political gains needs to be condemned,” said Tewari.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Pakistani security forces accused of rights violations
Jan 25, 2011
NEW YORK: The Taliban and other terrorists in Pakistan increased their deadly attacks against civilians and public places during 2010, while the Pakistani government response was marred by serious human rights violations, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its World Report 2011.
The 649-page report, HRW’s 21st annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarises major human rights trends in more than 90 states and territories worldwide. Suicide bombings, armed attacks, and killings by the Taliban, al Qaeda, and their affiliates targeted nearly every sector of Pakistani society, including minorities and journalists, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The country’s largest cities bore the brunt of these attacks. Two attacks in May on the Ahmadiyya community’s places of worship in Lahore killed nearly 100 people. On July 1, a suicide bomber killed 40 devotees at the shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh.
Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\25\story_25-1-
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Top Saudi Shia Cleric "Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al Amri" Passed Away in Medina
Jan 25, 2011
Top Shia Cleric in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al Amri, Passed Away in holy city of Medina at the age of 120.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Prominent Shia religious scholar in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al Amri, 120 years, Passed Away in holy city of Medina.
According to informed sources, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al Amri passed away in Riadh hospital in the early hours of today.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222400
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Apology not good enough, Deoband’s new chief faces protest wave
Jan 25 2011
New Delhi : An agitation that began on Sunday evening by about 30 senior students of the Darul Uloom, Deoband, demanding the removal of the Vice Chancellor was called off Monday evening. The teachers at the university promised the students that their demand would be placed before the managing committee.
The 21-member managing committee, which had 17 members present and voting, elected Maulana Ghulam Mohammed as the VC on January 10. Though the committee is scheduled to meet only twice a year, it is not clear whether a special meeting will be called in light of the controversy.
The agitation, reportedly by about 30 senior students, began around 7 pm on Sunday. They closed the gates of the seminary, which remained shut till Monday evening. According to some reports, two students received minor injuries in the commotion that ensued on Sunday. Police were not called. Unconfirmed reports said nine students were rusticated on Monday after the agitation disrupted classes and life at the Darul Uloom.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/apology-not-good-enough-deobands-
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Husband arrested for acid attack on woman
Jan 25, 2011
JAZAN: A Saudi has been arrested by police in the town of Samta in the southern Jazan province for throwing acid at his Yemeni wife resulting in injuries to her face, chest, neck and hands.
The Saudi attacked his wife during a domestic dispute, said Capt. Abdullah Al-Qarni, spokesman for Jazan police. “The man was arrested and handed over to the concerned officials for questioning.”
The woman, named Wafa, is now calling on the authorities to punish her husband, a local newspaper reported.
Wafa said she married her husband 10 years ago and that they have three sons together. “My husband has done nothing to legalize our marriage and the status of our children. We don’t even have proper identity cards,” she said.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article241995.ece
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Al-Jazeera leaks: Palestinian officials livid
Jan 25, 2011
RAMALLAH: Palestinian officials reacted with astonishment and fury on Monday after the leak of hundreds of secret documents on a decade of peace talks with Israel.
The cache of documents, the first set of which was revealed by Al-Jazeera late on Sunday night, contain potentially damning revelations on the amount of land in annexed East Jerusalem that the Palestinians were willing to cede to Israel.
And the hundreds of documents, dating from 1999 onwards, also reveal that Israel gave the Palestinian leadership advance warning before it launched a devastating 22-day invasion of Gaza in December 2008.
The revelations have infuriated the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas voiced astonishment at the leaks in talks with Egyptian journalists in Cairo, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
He said Palestinian negotiators had never sought to hide the terms of their peace talks with Israel from Arab neighbors.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article241786.ece
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‘No father-to-son succession in Yemen’
Jan 25, 2011
SANAA: Yemen’s president blasted opposition claims of a planned handover of power to his son, describing such talk as “utmost rudeness” and insisting there will be no father-to-son succession in his country.
Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power for nearly 32 years but faces growing dissent, also said in a televised speech late Sunday that he will increase salaries for the armed forces in a measure apparently meant to ensure the army’s loyalty.
The Yemeni capital, Sanaa, has seen three days of protests since Saturday, inspired by Tunisia’s turmoil that ousted that country’s longtime ruler. The Yemeni protesters have demanded Saleh step down and that his son doesn’t take over.
Saleh has long been believed to be grooming his son Ahmed, who commands the Republican Guard and the army’s special forces, to succeed him.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article241922.ece
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Egypt: Head of Sunni Islam’s Highest Body Condemns “Zionist” Anti-Islam Plot…
Jan 25, 2011
You know, because today an Islamist suicide bomber in Russia did wonders for Islam’s reputation.
CAIRO, Jan 24 (KUNA)- The Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb said Monday the defamation campaign targeting Islam in the West is politically motivated.
“The campaign spearheaded by western media moguls aims to promote unfair stereotypes about Islam in contradictions of the true Islamic values of tolerance and moderation being advocated by Al-Azhar,” a statement issued by Al-Azhar Sheikhdom quoted him as saying.
Al-Tayyeb made the remarks during his meeting here with a delegation from the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
“Muslims have a long history of friendly relations with non-Muslims over the last 14 centuries,” he noted.
Full report at: http://weaselzippers.us/2011/01/24/egypt-head-of-sunni-islams-highest-
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Reservation for Dalit Muslims
25 January 2011
In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), the Supreme Court, on January 4, 2011, stated that it would examine the constitutional validity of Ranganath Misra Commission recommendation for inclusion of dalit Muslims and Christians in the schedule caste list to make them eligible for quota in education and jobs under the constitutional scheme. (The Times of India, January 5, 2011). Earlier, on January 25, 2008, on the similar issue, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Centre seeking its reply to the petition filed by Akhil Maharashtra Muslim Khatik Samaj, wherein it was pleaded that there were Dalits within Muslim community who needed reservation and demanded inclusion in the SC list. Then, the judge had also referred to the strict dictates of Quran prohibiting practice of any forms of caste system within Islam and it asked the petitioner if Islam permitted caste system. (Times of India, Jan. 26, 2008).
Full report at: http://twocircles.net/2011jan25/reservation_dalit_muslims.html
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Give up path of confrontation, Chidambaram tells BJP
Jan 25, 2011
NEW DELHI: As the BJP's Ekta Yatra enters the final stage, home minister P Chidambaram today appealed to BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj to give up the "path of confrontation" and not push any "political agenda" that will affect peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
The home minister noted that the Jammu and Kashmir government has made it clear that it would neither let any yatra to Srinagar nor would it allow any assembly at Lal Chowk.
"The BJP leaders should respect the orders passed by the state government. It would be most unfortunate if the BJP leaders defy the restrictions placed by the state government or deliberately cause a breach of peace. There is no justification whatsoever to push a political agenda that will certainly affect peace and law and order in Jammu and Kashmir," he said in a statement.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Give-up-path-of-confrontation-
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Female suicide bomber suspected in Moscow blast
Jan 25, 2011
MOSCOW: The Moscow airport blast that killed 35 people may have involved a female suicide bomber from Russia's predominantly Muslim North Caucasus, RIA Novosti quoted a security source as saying Tuesday.
"The explosion occurred the moment the presumed female suicide bomber opened her bag," the state-run news agency quoted the unnamed security official as saying.
"The terrorist was accompanied by a man. He was standing beside her and (the blast) tore off his head."
Russian investigators said Monday they had found a head of "Arab appearance" that was initially presumed to have belonged to the suicide bomber.
The unnamed security source said the blast bore the hallmarks of an attack carried out by North Caucasus militants.
"This act of terror followed the classic scheme used by terrorists who come from the North Caucasus," said the security official.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Female-suicide-bomber-suspected-in-
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Governor Taseer's assassin produced in court
Omer Farooq Khan
Jan 25, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The assassin of Pakistan's Punjab governor Salman Taseer appeared in a prison court on Monday for a pre-trial hearing as a handful of his supporters were protesting outside the court for his defence.
Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, 26, the self confessed assassin of the murdered governor Taseer was brought for a procedural hearing at an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail amid tight security.
Some 60 supporters of Qadri turned up outside the jail, waving placards and shouting slogans---"Allah-u-Akbar (Allah is great). We salute you Mumtaz Qadri. Long Live Qadri, Long Live Punjab police".
The demonstrators were mainly from a little known Sunni religious group Shabab-e-Islami. Its cleric chief Qari Hanif had been investigated by police on suspicion of inciting violence against governor Salman Taseer. Qadri earlier confessed before the police that he was impressed by the fiery speeches and sermons of two outspoken clerics, Mufti Qari Hanif Qureshi and Imtiaz Shah.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Governor-Taseers-
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'India, Pak must find common wavelength'
Jan 25, 2011
NEW DELHI: As India and Pakistan gear up for foreign secretary-level talks next month in Thimphu, New Delhi on Monday said it was important for the two countries to find a "common wavelength" for dealing with terror as it was an issue that cannot be "brushed aside".
"Terror is something that cannot be brushed aside because terror is a matter of fact. And I think all of us, including Pakistan, live under the fear of terror," said foreign minister S M Krishna.
He was asked if India would look beyond terror during a bilateral meeting between foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on the sidelines of the Saarc committee meeting in Thimphu on February 6 and 7.
"It is necessary that we should find a common wavelength in terms of fighting terror," he stated. Asked if recent reports on the Samjhauta Express blast probe indicating the involvement of right-wing extremist groups would cast a shadow over the talks between the foreign secretaries, he said the outcome should not be prejudged.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Pak-must-find-common-
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Won't give up, we will enter J&K again: Sushma Swaraj
Jan 25, 2011
CHANDIGARH: Hours after being deported out of Jammu, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that she, Jaitely and Anant Kumar will once again lead BJP workers to enter J&K on Tuesday.
"If we had our say we will reach Lal Chowk at Srinagar on January 26 with large number of people to hoist the national flag," she added.
Sushma tweeted, "We did not come for a Satyagraha. We have come for Tiranga Yatra. Won't give up. Come what may...We will enter J&K again."
Around 50,000 BJP and BJYM activists are likely to gather at Madhpur on Tuesday morning where first they will be addressed by senior party leaders and then they will head for Lakhanpur border to enter J&K.
Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Anant Kumar held a close door meeting alongwith BJYM national president Anurag Thakur to decide their strategy for Tuesday morning.
Anurag Thakur before heading for meeting with top BJP leaders told TOI that they are determined to enter Jammu to hoist national flag at Lal Chowk.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Wont-give-up-we-will-enter-JK-
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Hariri Won’t Join Hezbollah-Led Govt
Jan 25, 2011
Beirut, Jan. 24: Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday ruled out joining a government led by a Hezbollah-appointed candidate, his office said, as consultations on nominating a new Premier were underway.
“The (Hariri-led) Future Movement announces its refusal to participate in a government headed by a candidate named by the Opposition,” the statement said, referring to Shia militant group Hezbollah and its allies.
The statement came as former Premier Najib Mikati was tipped as the top candidate for premiership after he secured the backing of Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which brought down the government of its political rival Hariri earlier this month. Officials said the billionaire telecom tycoon was Hezbollah’s favoured candidate given his position as a centrist politician who has good relations with the country’s feuding parties.
Mr Mikati was elected to Parliament in 2009 as an ally of Mr Hariri. He is a major shareholder in South Africa’s MTN Group and runs the French fashion line Faconnable. Mr Mikati, 55, submitted his candidacy on Sunday saying he was coming forward in the hope of being a consensual candidate.
http://www.asianage.com/international/hariri-won%E2%80%99t-join-hezbollah-led-govt-
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'Palestine Offered Israel Holy Land'
Jan 25, 2011
Jerusalem, Jan. 24: Palestinian negotiators secretly told Israel it could keep swathes of occupied East Jerusalem, according to leaked documents that show Palestinians offering much bigger peace concessions than previously revealed.
The documents, obtained by the Al Jazeera television channel, could undermine the position of the Palestinian President, Mr Mahmoud Abbas, whose public declarations about Jerusalem are at odds with what his officials were promising in private.
Equally sobering for the Palestinian people, who want to create a state on land Israel seized in a 1967 war, is the fact that Israel offered nothing in return for the concessions and turned down their offer, saying it did not go far enough.
The leaked documents of a 2008 meeting between Palestinian, the US and Israeli officials showed a senior Palestinian proposing that Israel annex all but one of its major Jerusalem settlements as part of a deal to end their decades-old conflict.
Al Jazeera said on Sunday it had other documents that show the Palestinians were ready to make other massive concessions on the hugely sensitive issue of the right to return for Palestinian refugees.
Full report at: http://www.asianage.com/international/palestine-offered-israel-holy-land-
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Afghan Taliban 'Godfather' Dies
Jan 25, 2011
Peshawar, Pakistan: A former Pakistani intelligence officer considered a 'godfather' of the Afghan Taliban but kidnapped by Islamists has died of a heart attack in captivity, a government official said.
Sultan Amir Tarar, known as 'Colonel Imam', was seized by Islamist rebels last March with another ex-spy and a British journalist in the lawless northwest border district of North Waziristan, a key militants' hideout.
Tariq Hayat, the top administrative official for the tribal areas of Pakistan, said district officials had informed him of Tarar's death.
"I was told by the political administration of North Waziristan that he died from a heart attack," Hayat told AFP.
"He died from a heart attack, but I will say that he was killed by the Taliban because he was a heart patient and if you don't provide medicine to a heart patient you are going to kill him," he said, adding that his body had not been recovered.
Full report at: http://www.asianage.com/international/afghan-taliban-godfather-dies-930
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Outspoken Journalist Murdered In Philippines
Jan 25, 2011
An outspoken radio broadcaster in the Philippines was shot dead on Monday, the police said, becoming the latest journalist to be murdered in one of the world's most dangerous countries for the media.
The victim, Gerardo Ortega, who hosted a daily radio show on the western island of Palawan, was shot in the head while shopping in a clothing store just after finishing his latest broadcast, local police said.
The Police quickly caught his attacker but the motive for the killing was not yet known, desk officer Robert Dagala said.
"We still cannot say if (his murder) was related to his work as a radio commentator. The killer has accomplices who are still being hunted," Mr Dagala said.
Journalists are often targeted in the Philippines by powerful people who want to silence them.
Full report at: http://www.asianage.com/international/outspoken-journalist-murdered-philippines-890
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Papers throw light on West Asia negotiations
Atul Aneja
Jan 25, 2011
DUBAI: The Palestinian leadership was ready to give up most of East Jerusalem and substantially dilute the demand for the return of the war displaced Palestinian refugees to their homeland to strike a peace deal with Israel, leaked documents obtained by Al Jazeera television have revealed.
The “Palestine Papers”— comprising nearly 1,700 files and thousands of pages of diplomatic correspondence on the inner workings of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, also show that Palestinian negotiators were ready to divide Jerusalem's Old City. Israel was offered control over the Jewish Quarter, part of the Armenian Quarter and part of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. In addition, Palestinian negotiators are said to have proposed formation of an international committee that would take over Jerusalem's Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque — Islam's third holiest site is located.
The papers throw light on the mindset of Israelis, who, backed by the Americans, wanted that Palestinians give up their claims over prominent Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank, apart from their East Jerusalem concessions.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/25/stories/2011012564492100.htm
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War of words in the Arab world
Atul Aneja
Jan 25, 2011
DUBAI: The leaked “Palestine papers” which are being serially released by Al Jazeera television and Guardian newspaper have unleashed a war of words in the Arab world.
The papers allege that during negotiations held in 2008, Palestinian negotiators had agreed to give up most of East Jerusalem, significantly diluted the demand for the return of war-displaced Palestinian refugees, and offered major concessions to the Israelis on the status of the Jerusalem Old city.
A furious Palestinian Authority (P.A.) President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday denied offering secret concessions to Israelis and alleged that the leaked documents were inaccurate.
Ahmed Qurei, former P.A. Prime Minister and chief negotiator at the peace talks in 2008, told Associated Press that “many parts of the documents were fabricated, as part of the incitement against the P.A. and the Palestinian leadership.” Chief negotiator Saeb Erekat dismissed the reports as “lies and half truths”.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/25/stories/2011012564542100.htm
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“ Shringar has gone out from our poetry”
Jan 25, 2011
JAIPUR: Two poets of eminence, brought together to read out from their latest collections on the penultimate day of the Jaipur Literature Festival here on Monday, spoke of different kinds of love, in different languages.
The twosome, long in the service of the muse, expressed confidence about the survival of poetry as a form of expression and felt that the audience was getting larger and more responsive, thanks to technology.
Ashok Vajpeyi, Hindi poet-critic, and K. Satchidanandan, who writes in Malayalam, recited their intense verses on the theme, “Poetry in the time of love and torment.”
“I am rather unabashed about writing love poems. And all the individuals in my poems are not imaginary. They are real,” Mr. Vajpeyi, septuagenarian chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi, asserted. “Over a period ‘shringar' has gone out from our poetry. They have apparently included it in the category of pornography,” he rued.
“Poems on love and torment are fine as long as the poetry itself does not torment you,” said Mr. Satchidanandan, perhaps the most translated contemporary Indian poet, in a lighter vein. His While I write: New and selected Poems was brought out recently.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/25/stories/2011012557422200.htm
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Nitish asks BJP to call off flag hoisting in Srinagar
Jan 25, 2011
New Delhi: A day before the BJP youth wings Ekta Yatra enters Kashmir,the partys main ally JD(U) asked it to call off the proposed flag hoisting ceremony at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
While JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav had said even earlier that his party opposed the yatra,Bihar CM and top JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar came out in the open against the proposed event saying it was a meaningless exercise.Given the kind of tension that is prevailing in the Valley,this yatra has no meaning and I dont support this, Kumar said.Though it is an internal matter of the BJP,I am opposed to the plan.My party president has also been speaking about it, he added.
Times of India
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Saudi Arabia suppresses rights of millions: Human Rights Watch
Jan 25, 2011
Brussels : Saudi Arabia suppresses or fails to protect the rights of millions of women, foreign workers and Shiites, and reforms have so far been largely symbolic, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today.
"Authorities continue to systematically suppress or fail to protect the rights of nine million Saudi women and girls, eight million foreign workers, and some two million Shiite citizens," HRW said in its annual report for 2010.
And "each year, thousands of people receive unfair trials or are subject to arbitrary detention," said the report released in Brussels.
It listed individual curbs on freedoms affecting residents, particularly on women, whose ability to work, marry, study or travel lies in the hands of male guardians.
The group criticised the kingdom's failure to fulfill a 2009 pledge to the UN Human Rights Council to end the male guardianship system, saying human rights remained poor in Saudi Arabia.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/saudi-arabia-suppresses-rights-of-
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Over 25 Pakistani prisoners in US custody in Afghanistan
Jan 25, 2011
LAHORE: The US army, for the first time, has confirmed the presence of more than 25 Pakistani prisoners in Afghanistan, whereas the Americans have denied mentioning their detention period or nationality. In an interview with BBC Urdu in Kabul, the US army spokesperson said that there was a very less number of prisoners, “meaning less than 50”, belonging to some third-world country, adding that a little more than half of this group are Pakistani nationals. He said that he could not reveal anything about the Pakistanis in order to ensure the security of US soldiers, Afghan nationals, and prisoners and to guard the secret information, the channel said. The Foreign Office has also confirmed that more than 265 Pakistani nationals are detained in Afghan jails apart from Bagram. In a separate interview with BBC Urdu, Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit had confirmed that 20 Pakistani nationals were in US custody. On the other hand, according to a statement coming from the Americans, the number of detainees is more than that. Basit said the exact number of missing people was not known, adding that unfortunately he did not have the exact facts and figures of such cases. He said that whenever such a case occurred, the only way to find out about them was to ask Afghan officials or the allied forces. Moreover, the Foreign Office admitted that the progress regarding the prisoners’ exchange agreement between the two countries was quite slow, the channel reported. Hundreds of Pakistani nationals, allegedly having links with al Qaeda and the Taliban, were detained after the post 9/11 US invasion of Afghanistan. daily times monitor
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\25\story_25-1-2011_pg1_2
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Petition moved against Sharmila Farooqui, her father’s eligibility
Jan 25, 2011
ISLAMABAD: A constitutional petition was moved in the apex court on Monday challenging the eligibility of Sharmila Farooqui, the adviser to the Sindh CM, and her father Usman Farooqui, the principal secretary to the president, from holding any public office.
The petition was filed by the Al-Jihad Trust through its chairman Habibul Wahabul Khairi under Article 184(3) of the constitution that made the federal government through the law secretary, Sindh through its chief secretary, NAB chairman, National Savings DG, Usman Farooqui, former chairman Pakistan Steel Mills and incumbent principal secretary to the president and the State Bank through its governor respondents in the petition.
The petitioner said the SC had taken suo motu notice of “misdeeds” of Sharmila Farooqui and called a reply from the NAB chairman, which had so far not been filed.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\25\story_25-1-2011_pg7_13
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Hareem Tanvir’s work lauded at Alhamra
Jan 25, 2011
LAHORE: A solo painting and photography exhibition showcasing Hareem Tanvir’s work was held at the Alhamra Art Gallery on Monday.
The show was inaugurated by the former principal of the National College of Arts (NCA) Nazish Attaullah, and attended by an art savvy crowd. The young artist has also taught at NCA and studied art abroad as well. Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design Consultant, Gernot Lenschow, said Tanvir’s intellect and picture finishing techniques were remarkable and they could be termed as the modern day elite art. “The impact of the paint on the onlooker is very convincing and gives a decent touch,” he said.
Another visitor said that the sublime paintings of the artist were exceptional and it showed that our country did not lack creativity. “Her modern day depiction of Adam and Eve is very interesting,” she said while referring one of the paintings on display. Tanvir told Daily Times that the sensuality of things was her prime inspiration and she had depicted it in her work. “To look at things and feel them, to actually sense a situation and then portray it in my art has been my style all along,” she said. The show will continue until January 29.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\25\story_25-1-2011_pg7_17
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UN points to Iraq violence in chiding deportations
Jan 25, 2011
BAGHDAD: The head of the UN refugee agency scolded nations on Sunday for deporting Iraqis back into danger, delivering his criticism on a day when insurgents rattled the Baghdad area with a series of bombings.
Antonio Guterres, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said an estimated 2,000 Iraqis have been fleeing their homeland every month, including a “significant number of Christians.” But some countries have turned back dozens of refugees - forcing many to return to some of Iraq’s most violent regions.
“There are still some areas in central Iraq in which we believe people should not be sent back against their will,” Guterres told reporters after meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. “And this is the position we have very clearly expressed to some of the counties that have been doing that, against our opinion.”
Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\25\story_25-1-
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Najib Mikati set to lead Lebanon government
25 January 2011
Hezbollah and its allies won support on Monday to nominate their candidate for Lebanon’s prime minister, giving them the upper hand in attempts to form a government.
Telecoms tycoon Najib Mikati, who is backed by a Hezbollah-led coalition, looked set to be asked to form a new government after the first of two days of consultations among Lebanese politicians.
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, whose government collapsed earlier this month, said he and his group would not serve in a government dominated by Hezbollah, and Hariri supporters in north Lebanon called for a “day of anger”.
“As for the coup that Hezbollah is carrying out, it is an attempt to put the office of prime minister under the control of Wilayat al Fakih (Iran’s clerical authority)”, Hariri loyalist Mustafa Alloush said in the northern city of Tripoli.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/January/
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A first in UAE: Two women charged with forced labour
Marie Nammour
25 January 2011
DUBAI - The Public Prosecution referred to the Court of First Instance two women for alleged human trafficking, with the specific charge of forcing someone to work without pay and sexual exploitation, for the first time, upon an order from the Dubai’s Attorney-General.
Eissam Issa Al Humaidan said on Monday that the case involved two women and two other absconding Asians, including the son of the prime accused, who have been found to have forced three women to work in a massage centre, owned by one of the ?women. The victims were allegedly forced to provide illegal massage and sex services, without getting paid, under threat and confinement.
Al Humaidan said the Public Prosecution implements the Human Trafficking Laws strictly and assigns the investigation and follow-up task force to book the perpetrators so that they could not escape accountability.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/January/theuae
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Muslims are main victims of terrorism: Forum
Jan 25, 2011
RIYADH: A scientific forum was opened at Prince Naif University of Security Sciences in Riyadh Monday to caution the public against possible abuse of the Internet to promote terrorism and extremism.
Speaking at the forum, Abdul Aziz Al-Ghamdi, president of the university, said Muslims were the largest victims of terrorism in the world. He emphasized that Islam had nothing to do with terrorism.
Prince Bandar bin Abdullah bin Mishari, director of the National Information Center at the Ministry of Interior, opened the forum, which focused on the role of the Internet in combating terrorism and extremism.
The forum was organized by the Saudi university in association with the anti-terrorism team at the United Nations, Global Counterterrorism Center in the US and the German Ministry of Interior.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article242006.ece
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Man Kills And Buries His Brother
Jan 25, 2011
ASIR: A 28-year-old Saudi man in Asir stabbed his elder brother and then buried his body following a disagreement.
The body of the dead brother was buried close to the family home. Police were, however, able to discover that a murder had taken place and arrest the brother. Police suspect the 28-year-old was under mental pressure and is addicted to drugs.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article242096.ece
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Explosion on Philippine bus, 2 killed, 18 wounded
Jan 25, 2011
MANILA, Philippines: A powerful explosion ripped through a passenger bus in the Philippine capital on Tuesday, killing at least two people and wounding at least 18 others, officials said.
The explosion was so powerful that it punched a hole in a nearby concrete fence along metropolitan Manila’s main highway in suburban Makati city, Mayor Junjun Binay said.
The bus was approaching a commuter railway station when the blast occurred inside the vehicle, taking out half of its front windshield, punching holes in windows and immediately killing a female passenger near the center of the explosion, Binay said.
He said the damage indicated that it was caused by a bomb.
He said one hospital reported two people dead and 18 wounded.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article242447.ece
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Pakistan: Man kills wife, three in-laws
Jan 25, 2011
MIRPURKHAS, Jan 24: A man shot dead his wife, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law in the house of his in-laws in Satellite town on Monday.
Police said that accused Zahir Ali Langah suspected his wife Shazia of having extra-marital affair with someone and her mother Shahzadi, sister Naseema and brother Mohammad Amir of supporting her. He shot dead all four.
The man fled from the scene with his two-year-old son but police later arrested him from near Jarwari Shakh and recovered a pistol from his possession.
Town police shifted the bodies to civil hospital for autopsy.
The family had shifted from Shahdadkot during floods.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/25/man-kills-wife-three-in-law.html
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Muslim, Jewish students to act as `campus ambassadors`
Jan 25, 2011
LONDON: Sara Amin-Nejad, an Iranian-born Muslim studying pharmacy at Manchester University, has never experienced any hostility from a Jewish student. But she has never met one either.
That was why she signed up to be part of a new team, being launched on Wednesday at the House of Lords, of 18 Muslim and Jewish students working as “campus ambassadors” at 10 universities around the UK to bring people from the two faiths together.
“I thought it would be a really good opportunity to meet new people,” she says. “I’ve never had the chance to speak to a Jewish student before.”
The idea is that the team of students will act as role models for good inter-faith relations. They will receive monthly training sessions in leadership, strategy and conflict resolution and be expected to organise activities on their campuses, such as art and drama projects, and volunteering in the community, that involve Muslims and Jews working together.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/25/muslim-jewish-students-to-act-as-
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Is there Logic to Support Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law?
By warrenlarson
Jan 25, 2011
More than 40,000 Rally to Support Blasphemy Law
Believe it or not, blasphemy against Muhammad is of far greater concern in Pakistan than blasphemy against God, and anyone accused of this crime is dealt with very harshly.[1] Gustakh-i-Rasul (blasphemy against the Prophet) in the nation’s penal code, 295-C, is defined as follows:
Use of derogatory remark etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet: whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
The Law was introduced in 1986 by the military regime of Zia ul-Haqq as part of the shariah (Islamic Law).[2] It was endorsed in 1992 by the government of Nawaz Sharif, and in 1993 extended to include names of the Prophet’s family. Still later, the Lahore High Court ruled that the anti-blasphemy law embraces all prophets. This is especially ominous for Christians who believe Noah drank wine, Moses murdered and David committed adultery.
Full report at: http://warrenlarson.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/is-there-logic-to-support-
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Why Islam Is Based On Justice?
Jan 25, 2011
During the Tartar invasion, when Muslims were being attacked and butchered by the Mongols, one of the Muslim leaders at that time, Qutuz, had to raise enough money to be able to resource the battle against the Tartars
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - During the Tartar invasion, when Muslims were being attacked and butchered by the Mongols, one of the Muslim leaders at that time, Qutuz, had to raise enough money to be able to resource the battle against the Tartars.
He met with scholars and leaders and told them of his intention to impose taxes, to supply the military and secure enough resources to fight the Tartars.
However, a great scholar at that time, Imam al-Izz ibn Abdis-Salaam, opposed these measures. He issued a famous fatwa, that imposing taxes will not be allowed, except after two conditions had been met:
1) To prepare the army from the treasury department until there is no more money.
2)To sell the properties of ministers and leaders and let them have only their swords and horses.
Full report at: http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=222451
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Religion may be a red herring when it comes to anti-Islam sentiment
Nesrine Malik
Jan 25, 2011
Casual generalisations about Muslims often take the place of deeper discussion of migration and integration
"Are you a practising Muslim"? is one of the first questions I am asked socially. Initially, I took it to be harmless curiosity about reconciling faith and London living. But over time, I realised that mostly it was shorthand for "Are you that kind of Muslim?" – the underlying assumption being that a practising Muslim is automatically a more extreme type than the non-practising one. While this goalpost-moving is mildly annoying, it's nothing sinister. Reassured that I am not that kind of Muslim (rather, one that although practising, is secular in outlook/dress etc) many then are comfortable to make the comments and jokes Lady Warsi claims are "Islamophobic".
Islamophobia is a strong word, and one that is too often used as a catch-all. I am not much concerned with what people express in private as long as it is not manifested in public affairs or in an intimidating or discriminatory fashion.
Full report at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jan/24/muslims-
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Leader of the Astara Islamic Party of Azerbaijan arrested
Jan 25, 2011
The leader of the Astara district branch of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (AIP), Ruhullah Akhunzadah, has been arrested, the Azeri Office of the Prosecutor General said in a statement.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The leader of the Astara district branch of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (AIP), Ruhullah Akhunzadah, has been arrested, the Azeri Office of the Prosecutor General said in a statement.
Azeri Police illegally claimed in searching Akhunzadah's apartment on Friday, National Security Ministry personnel found four Kalashnikov assault rifles, one Nagant revolver, three magazine cases, five hand grenades, two TNT blocks, 491 cartridges and seven CDs.
On January 8, AIP leader Movsum Samedov and his cousin Dayanat Samedov were arrested which Azeri forces claimed that they found grenades, assault rifles... during searches in their homes and in a store owned by Dayanat Samedov.
Set up in 1991, the AIP was suspended in 1997 due to the arrest of its then leader, Haji Muzaffer Jebrail-zade.
Samedov was elected as AIP leader at a party congress in July 2007.
In Azerbaijan when government can not arrest opposition parties, they claim parties of having weapons and assault rifles.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=222439
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/kashmir-punjab-border-turns-battle/d/3999