Nigerian forces say kill 30 Islamists, arrest 10
New Age Islam News Bureau
8 Oct 2012
Africa
• Nigerian forces say kill 30 Islamists, arrest 10
• Islamist extremism spreading in Tanzania
• Islamist zealots are endangering Mali’s most treasured manuscripts
• Libya and its militias: Who’s in charge?
• Islamist Militants Ban Muslim Agency's Aid to 1.3 Million Somalis
• Libya parliament removes newly-elected PM from post
• Amnesty accuses Rwanda spies of torture
• Nigerian troops target Boko Haram in Damaturu
• Running liberated Kismayo will be tricky for Somalia’s new government
• Shooting, Shelling in Sudan Border State Capital
• Nigeria Uniport student lynching arrests
Pakistan
• Balochistan target killings of Shia claim four lives
• Disappearances, religiosity, lawlessness overwhelming challenges: HRCP
• Bajaur jirga urges govt to hold talks with militants
• Former Pak PM’s Indian heritage
• YouTube among 20,000 objectionable websites blocked in Pak
• Pakistan a 'hapless prey to terrorism': Pak development minister
• Agony of missing persons’ families far from over
• Blast in Quetta kills one, injures 14
• Govt of Balochistan not serious about restoring peace: CJ
• JI asks govt to push for international laws against blasphemy
• Anti-film rally: ‘Fight US with economic power, not guns’
• World Bank to provide 300 million dollars for Sindh education
• Seven die in attack on PPP meeting
• 2 MQM activists among 17 killed in Karachi
• India to release Pakistani prisoner after 15 months
India
• Ahmadiyya Muslims condemn machination to create rift between Sikh and Ahmadiyya's
• Indian initiative to light up Pakistani villages
• Sadiq detained for two weeks before being killed: CBI probes Mumbai cops role
• Mumbai State Minority Commission: government officials antagonistic towards minorities
• Waqf board objects to several Mumbai city mosques in heritage list
• Protesters breach security in J&K Assembly, wave flags, and shouts slogans
• In truce violation Pakistan targets Indian posts, no casualties
• State government to introspect terrorism revival with the Operation Blue star memorial
• IM’s global terror ‘links’ worry sleuths
• No point in PM visiting Pak anytime soon: officials
• Cost of securing Kasab runs up to Rs 27 crore
South Asia
• Attack against “moderate” an “attack against Islam”: Former Maldives President
• Pakistan, Russia to support intra-Afghan dialogue
• Afghan government could collapse, new report says
• Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed arrested
• Bangladesh arrests tycoon over huge bank scam
• Maldives: Contradictory findings in PIC’s report on February 8 crackdown
Europe
• Mosque with 4 times capacity of St Paul’s Cathedral planned in London
• France fears hundreds of Islamist militants at large
• Keeping it real: How British Muslims responded to the sacrilegious film
• Russia seals Tajikistan deal with an eye on Afghanistan
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia: Shiites Still Live as Refugees as Government Intervention Fails
• Two migrant workers face death penalty in Malaysia
• Decade after Bali Bombing, Indonesian Terror Aims at Gov't
Arab World
• Syrian rebel bastions pounded, 61 killed: activists
• Lebanon Says Israeli Planes Circled Its Airspace for an Hour
• Jeddah Governor honours 1000 Holy Qur’an memorizers
• Shoura OKs bill on Saudisation of maintenance jobs
• Kingdom rejects 2016 deficit forecast
• HRW urges Bahrain king to free medics, reverse convictions
• Mass ceremony sees 76 Lebanese, Palestinians wed
• Car bomb hits Syrian capital Damascus, 1 killed
• Ban warns of Syria-Turkey escalation amid shelling
• Egypt: At Least 21 Troops Killed in Sinai Accident
Mideast Asia
• Drone Flight Shows Israel Is Vulnerable: Iran Military Official
• Israel Strikes Gaza Targets after Rocket Salvo
• Iran currency crisis not yet enough to threaten regime
• Controlling Iran's cyberspace
• Ahmadinejad: 'You can't rule with war'
• Turkish politics: A historic trial, the army condemned
North America
• Obama Campaign Building Vandalized With Words 'Muslim Lier' In Iowa
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Nigerian forces say kill 30 Islamists, arrest 10
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/nigerian-forces-say-kill-30/d/8916
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Africa
Nigerian forces say kill 30 Islamists, arrest 10
8 Oct 2012
Nigerian forces said on Monday they killed 30 members of Islamist sect Boko Haram, including a senior commander, and arrested 10 others in a weekend raid on the northeastern city of Damaturu.
Boko Haram is waging an insurgency against President Goodluck Jonathan's government with the avowed aim of reviving an ancient Islamic kingdom in majority Muslim northern Nigeria.
Styled on the Afghan Taliban, the sect's purported leader Abubakar Shekau has said he wants to impose Sharia law on the country of 160 million people, around half of whom are Christian and the other half Muslim. The movement has become the number one security threat to Africa's top energy producer.
Lieutenant Eli Lazarus, a spokesman for joint military and police forces in northeastern Yobe state, said in a statement that they had conducted cordon and search operations at a suspected Boko Haram hideout in Damaturu on Sunday and "engaged in a gun battle with the suspected terrorists."
"About thirty suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the battle which lasted several hours ... The notorious one-eyed Bakaka, the field commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu and a close associate of Abubakar Shekau was killed," he said.
Ten others were arrested and "are presently assisting investigators to track other senior members of the terrorist group," he added. Three Homemade bombs, six assault rifles and 90 rounds of ammunition and several knives were seized, he said.
There was no immediate comment from Boko Haram.
The sect's fighters have killed more than 1,000 people in bomb or gun attacks since they intensified their struggle in 2010, rights groups say.
A military crackdown on the Islamists in the north appears to have weakened them, leaving them less capable of carrying out large-scale, sophisticated attacks like the one that killed 186 people in Kano in January.
Yet it has also pushed them into new areas away from their northeastern heartland, widening their geographical spread. Two explosions in eastern Nigeria's Taraba state on Thursday and Friday wounded around two dozen people and killed one.
The sect usually targets the security forces or government offices, although churches and bars are also often hit. The United States has labeled Shekau and two other of its senior members 'terrorists' and put them on its sanctions list.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/55051/World/International/Nigerian-forces-say-kill--Islamists,-arrest-.aspx
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Islamist extremism spreading in Tanzania
John Newton and Eva-Maria Kolmann,
October 8, 2012
Islamisation is increasing at an alarming rate in Tanzania according to a bishop from the country.
Bishop Bernadin Mfumbusa of Kondoa warned that religious freedom and other civil liberties were under threat from intolerant radical Muslim influences sweeping in from countries neighbouring the east African nation.
Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, the Catholic charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians, the bishop said: “We see more and more itinerant preachers from Saudi Arabia and Sudan entering this country – and Muslims are increasingly making political demands.”
These demands include extending Islamic Sharia law and making everyone subject to it – Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
Bishop Mfumbusa said: “In recent times there has been a constant demand to introduce Shari‘a into other parts of Tanzania which do not have a majority of Muslims.”
Sharia law is already in force in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago with an almost completely Muslim population, but it does not apply to other parts of the country.
The bishop said there were calls for Sharia, which currently applies in areas of civil law such as marriage and inheritance, to be extended to cover criminal law.
“They claim that otherwise Muslims would be able to avoid the law by claiming not to be Muslim.
“To prevent this they say Sharia law must be made applicable to everyone.”
But, despite these demands to extend Islamic law, no more than 31 per cent of Tanzania’s 45 million inhabitants are Muslim according to Church sources.
Christians make up more than half the population – including more than 12 million Catholics.
Bishop Mfumbusa described how the influence of radical Islam can be seen on the country’s streets.
He said: “In many parts of the country more veiled women than in the past can be seen, among them small girls.”
The bishop added: “Verbal attacks are also on the increase,” but stressed that to date there had been no violent attacks in Kondoa Diocese.
He said that education is not only being radicalised but even Catholic schools can face difficulties.
“In the church schools, which are also attended by Muslim children, we must be very sensitive and cautious to avoid any undesirable incidents,” said Bishop Mfumbusa.
The number of madrassas – Qur’anic schools – has also grown, with more extremist ones encouraging pupils not to attend regular schools, which is compulsory in Tanzania.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/islamist.extremism.spreading.in.tanzania/30776.htm
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Islamist zealots are endangering Mali’s most treasured manuscripts
Oct 6th 2012
IT MAY seem odd that Timbuktu, the Malian city on the south-west fringe of the Sahara desert, is twinned with Hay-on-Wye, a placid little town on the Welsh side of the border with England. The reason for this partnership is books. Hay is famous for its bookshops and an annual literary festival. Timbuktu has a huge stock of Arabic manuscripts, some of them going back to the 12th century, with topics ranging from Islam and philosophy to mathematics and astronomy.
But whereas Hay is as gentle as ever, Timbuktu for the past few months has been run by fiercely aggressive Islamists who control the northern two-thirds of Mali. Ansar Dine, the group in charge of the city, espouses an austere Salafist version of Islam. It has proved itself no friend of the city’s cultural heritage.
Earlier this year it began smashing ancient tombs in Timbuktu on the ground that they were idolatrous. Nine were destroyed, seven in a part of the town designated as a World Heritage Site. “The mission is not complete,” said an Ansar Dine spokesman. But the destruction of monuments may, for the moment, be over. Apart from international outrage at the vandalism, it went down badly with the town’s citizens.
The safety of Timbuktu’s manuscripts is less assured. As the rebels descended on Timbuktu, Mali’s cultural authorities told the owners of private libraries in the city to hide their wares. But not all of them are safe. A big collection at the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research, which has 30,000 manuscripts, is under threat. Ansar Dine has occupied it.
On local radio the group said it would not harm the manuscripts. But many local scholars are worried. During their tomb-smashing period the rebels paused to apologise to Timbuktu’s people—then started smashing things again. The scrolls are not yet safe.
The manuscripts offend the Salafists less than the tombs or graven images do, though some address the Sufi school of Islam, which they scorn. Timbuktu’s mayor, Hallé Ousmane, worries that Ansar Dine may start selling manuscripts to bring in much-needed cash. Others say the group sees the institute as a handy piece of property. Samuel Sidibe, the director of Mali’s
national museum, has asked Ansar Dine via the Red Cross if the manuscripts could be evacuated from Timbuktu. It said no.
http://www.economist.com/node/21564266
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Libya and its militias: Who’s in charge?
The incoming government may be loath to take on all the militias at once
Sep 29th 2012
THE jihadist militia known as Ansar al-Sharia that was blamed for the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi on September 11th that led to the death of the American ambassador was smashed ten days later at the behest of a surging crowd of angry citizens who marched on its base and forced its members to flee. At least 11 people were killed in the fracas. But that is by no means the end of the matter.
Full report at:
http://www.economist.com/node/21563778
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Islamist Militants Ban Muslim Agency's Aid to 1.3 Million Somalis
October 8, 2012
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's al Shabaab militants said on Monday they had banned Muslim aid agency Islamic Relief from areas under their control, a move that would deprive 1.3 million people of food, clean water and health care.
Islamic Relief, one of few international aid agencies able to work in al Shabaab-run areas, said it had not been notified by the rebels that its permit had been revoked and that a ban would also threaten access to areas under government control.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/08/world/africa/08reuters-somalia-
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Libya parliament removes newly-elected PM from post
Oct 08 2012
Tripoli : Libya's parliament ousted the country's new prime minister in a no-confidence vote on Sunday, the latest blow to hopes that political factions could agree on a government charged with restoring stability after last year's civil war.
Mustafa Abushagur was the first prime minister to be elected after the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He represented an offshoot of the country's oldest anti-Gaddafi opposition movement, and was considered a compromise candidate acceptable to both liberals and Islamists.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/libya-parliament-removes-newlyelected-pm-from-post/1013575/
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Amnesty accuses Rwanda spies of torture
08 OCT 2012
Rwanda's military intelligence has been accused of illegally detaining and torturing scores of people in a report by lobby group Amnesty International.
It says the men were held for between 10 days and nine months without access to lawyers, doctors and family members.
There are credible accounts of serious beatings, electric shocks and sensory deprivation to force confessions, the report says.
The government rejected the report and accused Amnesty of seeking publicity.
The report, Shrouded in Secrecy, says that between March 2010 and June this year it documented 45 cases of unlawful detention and 18 allegations of torture or ill-treatment at two camps and in safe houses in the capital, Kigali by a military intelligence department known as J2.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19868558
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Nigerian troops target Boko Haram in Damaturu
07 OCT 2012
About 30 suspected members of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram have died in a gun battle with troops in north-east Nigeria, the military says.
Army spokesman Lt Eli Lazarus said the battle in Damaturu lasted several hours and 10 arrests were also made.
He said the militants killed included a senior commander known as one-eyed Bakaka.
Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and impose Sharia law across Nigeria.
Attacks in central and northern Nigeria attributed to the group have killed an estimated 1,400 people since 2010.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19867043
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Running liberated Kismayo will be tricky for Somalia’s new government
Oct 6th 2012
IN ITS final broadcast from Somalia’s port city of Kismayo, Radio Andalus, the mouthpiece of the jihadist group known as the Shabab, told listeners that its fighters were withdrawing from the city to launch a guerrilla war. With the city already surrounded by Kenyan troops and with other militias backing Somalia’s government, an amphibious assault persuaded the Shabab to leave its last urban bastion.
Full report at:
http://www.economist.com/node/21564258
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Shooting, Shelling in Sudan Border State Capital
October 8, 2012
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Shooting and shelling broke out in the main city of Sudan's oil-producing South Kordofan state near the border with South Sudan on Monday, witnesses said.
Sudan's army has been battling rebels in the state for over a year, but the capital Kadugli has been mostly isolated from the fighting.
"There was shelling in Kadugli today. It started at around 1140 and stopped at around 1215," said Ray Torres, officer in charge at UNICEF, which has a compound in Kadugli.
One or two shells landed inside the UNICEF compound but did not explode, Torres said, adding that one women had been injured by a rocket explosion outside the compound. Two witnesses in the area confirmed the shelling.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/08/world/africa/08reuters-sudan-
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Nigeria Uniport student lynching arrests
08 OCT 2012
Thirteen people have been arrested after four Nigerian students accused of stealing were beaten and burnt alive.
A horrific video of the killings was posted on the YouTube video-sharing website.
One of those arrested was a traditional ruler in the Aluu community of Port Harcourt, police said, urging students from the University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) not to seek revenge.
The students had been accused of stealing laptops and mobile phones.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19869492
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Pakistan
Balochistan target killings of Shia claim four lives
OCTOBER 8, 2012
QUETTA: Four people were shot dead in Balochistan on Sunday as incidents of target killing continued unabated in the province.
Gunmen on a motorbike opened fire at Rahib Ali in Quetta’s Qambrani road area, killing him on the spot.
Mohammad Yasin was gunned down in Musa colony on Sariab road. His relatives placed the body in front of the Balochistan High Court building and urged Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, to take notice of the targeted killing of people belonging to the Shia community.
The protesters chanted slogans against the chief minister, Frontier Corps and police for their inability to arrest the terrorists and bring them to book.
They said the government and police had failed to provide security to Shias.
The protesters dispersed peacefully after the local administration assured them that the killers would be arrested.
In a statement, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen’s district president Allama Wilayat Hussain Jafari condemned the killing of Rahib Ali and Mohammad Yasin and said the perpetrators were the enemy of humanity because no religion allowed the killing of innocent people.
The Tahafuz-i-Azadari Council announced a three-day mourning in protest against the killings.
In Khuzdar, armed men riding a motorbike opened fire on three people on Sultan Ibrahim road. Nazir Zehri and Haroon Zehri died and Yousuf Zehri was injured.
http://dawn.com/2012/10/08/balochistan-target-killings-claim-four-lives/
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Disappearances, religiosity, lawlessness overwhelming challenges: HRCP
OCTOBER 8, 2012
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed alarm at growing intolerance and abuse of belief, continued incidents of enforced disappearance and illegal detention of citizens in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, proliferation of sectarian violence and a general breakdown in law and order in the country and called these overwhelming challenges to the citizens’ right to life and freedom to practise their religious belief.
A statement issued at the conclusion of the HRCP Council meeting on Sunday said, “The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is disappointed at the continued enforced disappearances and illegal detention across the country, especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This endemic malaise has proliferated in conjunction with the plague-like spread of sectarian violence in Pakistan, which is both widespread and systematic.
HRCP said that it views with “acute anxiety the rising intolerance and extremism on the basis of religious and sectarian identity, as a result of growing pandering to religiosity. All aspects of life, including education and the justice system, are being affected. All this amounts to making a mockery of the majority’s belief as well as mocking others’ religious beliefs and indeed the very right to hold these beliefs”.
It said instances of religiosity in state institutions are growing.
“The recent order by the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to make the grant of bail to an alleged brothel owner conditional to her attending a madrassa one hour daily for a month is baffling and has no basis in law. The impact such decisions by high courts have on judges of subordinate courts does not bode well. Such precedents should be singled out and condemned unreservedly,” HRCP said.
It added, “Nothing short of single-minded reform and sustained education and awareness drives will stem this destructive tide. The use of blasphemy law to persecute religious minorities should also be highlighted and exposed.”
HRCP called upon the authorities to dismantle all sectarian organisations “hobnobbing with militant elements and ensure effective implementation of the ban on militant organisations. Unlike the prevailing practice, the investigation and prosecution of cases of sectarian violence must be given due priority”.
Reiterating its view that the future of democracy and the state’s integrity depend on the holding of free and fair elections, HRCP called upon all political parties, media and civil society organisations to play their part in ensuring peaceful and free elections, particularly in Balochistan, and help the Election Commission of Pakistan in discharging its onerous responsibilities, as the present state of disorder and lawlessness poses a serious threat and undermines the prospects of peaceful elections.
HRCP said it welcomes the Election Commission’s decision regarding re-polling at the polling stations where less than 10 percent of the registered women voters cast their ballots.
“This decision must be implemented as it would increase women’s participation in the electoral process and also prevent the illegal pacts made by candidates and political parties to bar women from voting.”
HRCP also reaffirmed its demand for an end to the “discrimination against the Ahmadis and to ensure the inclusion of their names in the joint voters’ list”.
It added, “It is unnerving how the authorities now take in their stride the general and pervasive breakdown in law and order across the country, which is denying the citizens of the whole gamut of rights, not least the right to life, but also the right to work and to education among many others. There are well founded fears that the situation will deteriorate further leading to and during the forthcoming elections. It is high time that the authorities respond to the omnipresent paralysis of law and order through well thought-out and concrete measures and not through mere rhetoric.
Unfortunately, the plight of flood affectees in Sindh and Balochistan continues to be compounded by a lack of government response.”
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\08\story_8-10-2012_pg7_26
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Bajaur jirga urges govt to hold talks with militants
OCTOBER 8, 2012
KHAR, Oct 7: The participants of a jirga here on Sunday demanded of the government to end military operation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas as use of force was no solution to the issue of insurgency.
They asked government to hold talks with all militant groups in Fata for restoration of lasting peace in tribal areas.
Tribal elders, religious scholars and political leaders attended the jirga that was organised by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl.
JUI-F provincial leader Mufti Abdul Shakoor, former MNA Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq, Malik Abdul Qadar Khan and others spoke on the occasion.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/08/bajaur-jirga-urges-govt-to-hold-talks-with-militants/
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Former Pak PM’s Indian heritage
By Hakeem Irfan in Muzaffarnagar
OCTOBER 8, 2012
‘KEHKASHAN’, a white bungalow with manicured lawns, rows of trees and iron grills located in the Company Bagh area of Muzaffarnagar, is no ordinary bungalow.
The British- era structure was once owned by Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan — who was to Mohammad Ali Jinnah what Jawahar Lal Nehru was to Mahatma Gandhi — whose extended family lived in Jansath tehsil of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.
Keeping in view its historical importance and relevance, senior Samajwadi Party leader and cabinet minister Azam Khan, in a recent meeting with district officials, suggested that the government take over the bungalow and develop it as a tourist destination.
Full report at: Mail Today
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YouTube among 20,000 objectionable websites blocked in Pak
Oct 08 2012
Lahore : Pakistani authorities have blocked about 20,000 websites, including YouTube, for hosting "objectionable" material like footage from the anti-Islam movie "Innocence of Muslims", an official said on Monday.
"We have blocked 20,000 objectionable websites and blogs since the blasphemous film surfaced on the Internet," an official of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said.
"We are strictly following the court's orders in this regard," said the official who did not want to be named.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/youtube-among-20000-objectionable-websites-blocked-in-pak/1013613/
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Pakistan a 'hapless prey to terrorism': Pak development minister
Oct 08 2012
Rewari (Haryana) : Condemning the acts of terror, a Pakistan minister said his own country was a “hapless prey to terrorism” due to which over 40,000 persons lost their lives in recent years.
“Pakistan herself was a hapless prey to terrorism which had taken a heavy toll of about 40,000 persons there in recent years,” said Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Planning and Development Minster of the Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-a-hapless-prey-to-terrorism-pak-development-minister/1013588/
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Agony of missing persons’ families far from over
Waseem Ahmad Shah
OCTOBER 8, 2012
A grief-stricken mother of a missing student, reacts, as she joins others demanding to know the whereabouts of their missing family members near the Presidential palace in Islamabad, May 19, 2008. — Photo by AP/File
Ikramullah Khattak came out of the Courtroom No I in the Peshawar High Court. He was visibly dejected and told media person that he was going to commit self-immolation. He said he could no longer face the minor children of his cousin, Jamal Abdul Tahir, who had been missing for over 15 months without any noteworthy progress in his case.
Some well-wishers told him that he should not lose patience as there were several of the missing persons who were allegedly picked up by the intelligence agencies many years ago and their relatives had still not lost hope. Several others had returned after remaining in captivity for many years.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/08/agony-of-missing-persons-families-far-from-over-2/
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Blast in Quetta kills one, injures 14
OCTOBER 8, 2012
QUETTA: A child was killed and 14 others, including at least four policemen, were reported injured in an explosion on Quetta’s Double road, DawnNews reported.
Security sources said the blast in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province, occurred when a roadside bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded.
Senior police official Wazir Khan Nasir said the bomb was detonated through a remote-controlled device.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/08/blast-reported-in-quetta/
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Govt of Balochistan not serious about restoring peace: CJ
October 8, 2012
QUETTA: While hearing a case pertaining to the security situation in Balochistan, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said Monday that the provincial government “was not serious” about restoring peace, Express News reported.
The hearing is underway by a three-member bench at the Quetta Registry of the Supreme Court.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/448628/govt-of-balochistan-not-serious-about-restoring-peace-c
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JI asks govt to push for international laws against blasphemy
October 8, 2012
KARACHI: Though Jamaat-e-Islami’s rally on Sunday against the anti-Islam film was devoid of the violence that swept through the city during riots on Ishq-e-Rasool Day, the anger of the party’s activists towards the movie was still evident.
The party’s activists, equipped with placards and banners, gathered at Numaish Chowrangi and later marched towards Tibet Centre. JI’s Sindh chief, Asadullah Bhutto, said, “[The US] has to ban the movie and teach its citizens to respect all religions.” He added that the Pakistan government should push for international laws against blasphemy.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/448498/namoos-e-mustafa-pbuh-rally-ji-asks-govt-to-push-for-international-laws-against-blasphemy/
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Anti-film rally: ‘Fight US with economic power, not guns’
By Rana Tanveer
October 8, 2012
LAHORE: Rather than wage a futile and unwinnable jihad against America with guns, the Muslims should boycott products from the United States and hurt its economy, said Shiite leader Allama Jawad Naqvi at a protest against an anti-Islam movie here at Nasser Bagh on Sunday.
Addressing the Tehreek Bedari-i-Ummat Mustafa (Movement to Awaken the Followers of the Chosen One (peace be upon him)) ijtema, Naqvi said it was impossible to defeat America with weapons, as it had more weapons than anyone. He said it also made no sense to wage jihad against the US with US-made weapons.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/448442/anti-film-rally-fight-us-with-economic-power-not-guns/
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World Bank to provide 300 million dollars for Sindh education
By Asad Farooq
OCTOBER 8, 2012
KARACHI: Senior Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq held a high level meeting with the delegation of World Bank mission in which the bank committed to support education is Sindh by providing US$ 300 million for next four years.
Dhushynth Raju of the WB mission appreciated Sindh Senior Minister’s efforts for Sindh Education Reforms Program (SERP) I. WB agreed to continue teachers’ recruitment, school specific budgets, management reforms and schools’ construction.
Haq highlighted the government’s efforts for education, establishment of STEDA, development of Geographical Information System (GIS) and other measures.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\08\story_8-10-2012_pg12_2
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Seven die in attack on PPP meeting
By Mansoor Mirani and Waseem Shamsi
OCTOBER 8, 2012
KHAIRPUR/SUKKUR: Six activists of Pakistan People’s Party and a reporter of a TV channel were killed and 10 people, including three reporters and administrator of Khairpur Taluka Municipal Administration, injured when a group of gunmen opened fire on a public meeting in Sadoro Janwari village on Sunday night.
MNA Nafeesa Shah of PPP was scheduled to address the meeting.
Sukkur DIG Dr Ameer Shaikh said the incident took place because of an enmity between two groups of Janwari community and police knew who had carried out the attack.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/08/seven-die-in-attack-on-ppp-meeting/
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2 MQM activists among 17 killed in Karachi
OCTOBER 8, 2012
Karachi: Two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists were among 17 people killed in the city on Sunday.
A man was killed while another injured in a firing incident in Ilyas Goth in the limits of Super Market Police Station. The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Rafique Baloch while injured was identified as Burhan, 30. The body of Baloch, and injured Burhan were moved to hospital for medico-legal formalities.
In another incident, a man was gunned down by unidentified armed men in Paposh Nagar, in the limits of Paposh Nagar Police Station. The man was identified as Munir Ahmad, a resident of the same area.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\08\story_8-10-2012_pg7_13
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India to release Pakistani prisoner after 15 months
By Rana Tanveer
October 8, 2012
LAHORE: India will release Pakistani prisoner Sikander Azam on Monday (today) after 15 months of detention, said Bhim Singh, the prisoner’s Indian counsel.
Azam had completed his sentence in July 2011. Talking to The Express Tribune, Singh said the Pakistani prisoner will cross Wagha Border on October 9 with two other prisoners.
Sikander Azam was arrested from Jammu railway station on July 18, 2008 under Public Safety Act, and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and fine. Despite completing the sentence on July 18, 2011 the prisoner was kept in confinement at Jammu jail due to pending legal formalities.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/448575/india-to-release-pakistani-prisoner-after-15-months/
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India
Ahmadiyya Muslims condemn machination to create rift between Sikh and Ahmadiyya's
Yudhvir Rana
Oct 8, 2012
AMRITSAR: With intentions of creating rift between Sikhs and Ahmadiyya Muslims, a person using fake ID on Facebook has attempted to defile Guru Nanak Dev and other Sikh Gurus. Spokesperson and secretary for geneal affairs, Sadar Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Mohammad Naseem Khan told TOI on Monday that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community had taken serious note on the incriminating matter that surfaced on a social website Facebook on October 6.
"A person with fake ID has tried to besmirch Guru Nanak Dev along with other Gurus with an ulterior motive to malign, drag and implicate Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamat into a very embarrassing and inconvenient position" he said. Member Ahmadiyya Press Committee Chaudhary Maqbool Ahmad informed that on Facebook account the person using a fake ID had put photographs of Guru Nanak Dev, other Sikh gurus and founder of Jamat founder Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and have given objectionable remarks.
He apprehended that the whole operation could be Pakistan based where Ahmadiyya's had been declared non-Mulsims and were subjected to persecution. Khan said one Tahir Ahmad, with a fictitious name and fake identity had tried to denigrate the Sikh gurus and manipulating the names of Ahmadiyya Muslims in order to sow seeds of discord between two communities. While condemning the mechination against Ahmadiyya sect, Khan said that a delegation of Jamat along with Baba Sukhdev Singh Bedi, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, MLA, Fatehgar Churian, , Hakim Swaran Singh former President, Nagar Council , Qadian Chaudhary Abdul Wassy , Maulana Tanvir Ahmad Khadim met Senior Superintendent of Police, Batala demanding strict action against the culprits.
"We want the culprits to be booked under the charges of treason against government of India and nation " said Khan adding that the cyber criminal should be traced immediately and punished. Khan said Ahmadiyya's were peace loving Muslims and not only gives respect to Guru's but also Hindu gods and goddesses while quoting words of founder of Ahmadiyya that "An Ahmadiyya Muslim who fails to respect the founders of other religions does not belong to my Jamaat".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ahmadiyya-Muslims-condemn-machination-to-create-rift-between-Sikh-and-Ahmadiyyas/articleshow/16725590.cms
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Indian initiative to light up Pakistani villages
October 07, 2012
An Indian initiative is lighting up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's birthplace in Pakistan as part of a little publicised project aimed at energy cooperation, including tapping alternative sources of energy, in the subcontinent. The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) has set up two power micro-grids in Chak 313 village of Pakistan's Sahiwal district as part of the initiative.
Teri chief RK Pachauri told media persons here that the institute will also provide additional solar water heaters and two desktop computers at Gah village, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's birthplace, in Chakwal district as part of its Lighting a Million Lives campaign, which has provided electricity to over 380,000 households in rural India.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Indian-initiative-to-light-up-Pakistani-villages/Article1-941193.aspx
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Sadiq detained for two weeks before being killed: CBI probes Mumbai cops role
Sukanya Shetty
Oct 08 2012
Mumbai: 7 policemen had reportedly detained Sadiq in Mumbai for 2 weeks before he was shifted to A’bad
CBI is for the first time probing the role of Mumbai police in an inter-state fake encounter. Seven city policemen, including an IPS-rank officer, reportedly detained Sadiq Jamal Mehtar illegally in Mumbai for two weeks before he was shifted to Ahmedabad and killed in an alleged fake encounter on January 13, 2003, CBI officers from Gujarat told The Indian Express.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sadiq-killing-cbi-probes-mumbai-cops-role/1013529/
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Mumbai State Minority Commission: government officials antagonistic towards minorities
ZEESHAN SHAIKH
Oct 08 2012
Mumbai: New Minority Commission Chairman submits report to Chief Minister After a 10-district tour in less than 35 days of taking charge on August 29, Chairman of State Minority Commission Munaf Hakeem has submitted a report to Chief Minister Prithivraj Chavan claiming the behaviour of government officials had antagonised the minority community in Maharashtra.
The report specifically blames sections of the police force and the education department for strengthening the sense of victimhood among minorities.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/babus-antagonistic-towards-minorities-says-hakeem/1013472/
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Waqf board objects to several Mumbai city mosques in heritage list
Manoj R Nair
October 08, 2012
The Waqf Board, the statutory body looking after Muslim religious trusts, has objected to the inclusion of several mosques in the new list of proposed heritage structures. The Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) current list of protected heritage buildings already includes old mosques in the city such as the Jama Masjid in Zaveri Bazaar, Minara Masjid and Imamwada's Mogul Masjid.
However, the new list plans to include others such as Nagdevi Street mosque and the Bakkar Kasab mosque in Dongri. The list also proposes to include cemeteries and musafirkhanas.
ND Pathan, chief executive officer of Waqf, has written to the BMC protesting against the decision.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Wakf-board-objects-to-city-mosques-in-heritage-list/Article1-941348.aspx
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Protesters breach security in J&K Assembly, wave flags, shout slogans
October 08, 2012
Three youth on Monday breached the ongoing state assembly session in Srinagar, triggering chaos and a rough chase from marshals. The incident has put the security under scanner as to how three youth managed to reach the public gallery with an intention to storm onto the floor of Assembly.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/JAndK/Protesters-breach-security-in-J-amp-K-Assembly-wave-flags-shout-slogans/Article1-941385.aspx
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In truce violation Pakistan targets Indian posts, no casualties
Oct 7, 2012
JAMMU: In yet another truce violation, Pakistani troops fired at Indian forward posts in Jammu and Kashmir's Sambha sector prompting BSF jawans to retaliate effectively.
There was no loss of life or injury to anyone on the Indian side in the brief exchange of fire between the two sides yesterday, a senior BSF officer said here today.
Pakistani Rangers violated the ceasefire targeting Indian forward posts with small arms firing in Samba sector, he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-truce-violation-Pakistan-targets-Indian-posts-no-casualties/articleshow/16714445.cms
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State government to introspect terrorism revival with the Operation Bluestar memorial
Oct 7, 2012
AMRITSAR: While condemning the increase in terrorism Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde advised Punjab government to introspect on whether the terrorism was being revived or not with the construction of memorial to Operation Bluestar in the Golden Temple complex.
Shinde was here on his maiden visit to review the functioning of India's first Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari. When asked him about the apprehensions of state Congress leadership that construction of memorial to Operation Bluestar will revive the terrorism in Punjab, Shinde, without taking name of any party said "It is up to them , this country has suffered a lot , I don't know whether they are reviving terrorism or not but if it is so they should introspect " he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/State-government-to-introspect-terrorism-revival-with-the-Operation-Bluestar-memorial/articleshow/16711673.cms
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IM’s global terror ‘ links’ worry sleuths
By Abhishek Bhalla
OCTOBER 8, 2012
THE Indian Mujahideen ( IM) has links with the international radical group Hizbut Tahrir, Indian intelligence agencies suspect.
Hizbut Tahrir, a Palestinian radical outfit founded in 1953 that believes in an Islamic state, is active in India and trying to radicalise disgruntled Muslim youth, according to recent intelligence inputs.
Possible links between the IM and Hizbut Tahrir has stumped intelligence agencies as the group has had no past history in India.
Full report at: Mail Today
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No point in PM visiting Pak anytime soon: officials
Vinod Sharma
October 06, 2012
Officials in the know in Delhi aren’t sanguine about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visiting Pakistan in the near future.
They cite many reasons for it, notable among them being the lack of domestic support for scaling up dialogue without tangible progress on disputes dealt directly by the Pakistan army.
“There isn’t much enthusiasm for upgrading talks even in our Punjab that’s usually receptive to peace initiatives,” said an official.
He felt a summit-level visit can be helpful to the bilateral process only when there’s something to show to the people by way of achievement.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/No-point-in-PM-visiting-Pak-anytime-soon-officials/Article1-940932.aspx
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Cost of securing Kasab runs up to Rs 27 crore
Sagnik Chowdhury
Oct 08 2012
State govt is hoping Centre will waive bill for ITBP deployment
Even as Ajmal Kasab, setenced to death for 26/11, awaits response to his mercy petition, the state government has run up a whopping Rs 27-crore bill to secure Arthur Road Jail where the Pakistani terrorist is counting his days.
An officer of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) guarding the gunman in Mumbai said from New Delhi: “The cost of deployment at Arthur Road Jail had accumulated to Rs 27.32 crore on October 1, but there has been no disbursment. The (Union) Home Ministry will deal with the state, we are not involved in any direct communication.”
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cost-of-securing-kasab-runs-up-to-rs-27-crore/1013447/
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South Asia
Attack against “moderate” an “attack against Islam”: Former Maldives President
By Neil Merrett | October 6th, 2012
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has alleged the murder of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Dr Afrasheem Ali, whom he claimed was a leading local advocate against Islam being seen as an “extremist religion”, was an attack on the country’s religious identity.
Gayoom, acting head of the PPM, made the claims at a memorial ceremony held for Dr Afrasheem on his birth island of Raa Atoll Ungoofaaru, alleging that the MP’s murder this week was an attempt by unidentified figures to eradicate Islam from the nation, local media has reported.
Under the Maldives Constitution, it is illegal for anyone to openly practice any faith other than Islam in the country, with nationality tied to following the faith.
According to newspaper Haveeru, former President Gayoom was quoted as acknowledging Dr Afrasheem’s efforts to educate the public on “moderate Islam”, while also raising questions over potential “benefits” to the nation in the significant number of local religious scholars being trained abroad.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/attack-against-moderate-afrasheem-an-attack-against-islam-gayoom-44948
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Pakistan, Russia to support intra-Afghan dialogue
By Kamran Yousaf
October 8, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia have decided to support an “all-inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue” to guide the war-ravaged country towards lasting peace.
“The Afghan endgame was one of the key subjects that came under discussions between Pakistani authorities and the Russian foreign minister, who travelled to Islamabad last week,” a senior government official told The Express Tribune.
Sergey Lavrov visited Pakistan in an effort to assure Islamabad that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to postpone his maiden trip would not affect the process of realignment.
Relations between the former Cold War rivals have shown significant improvement in recent months due to quiet diplomacy.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/448546/pakistan-russia-to-support-intra-afghan-dialogue/
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Afghan government could collapse, new report says
October 08, 2012
The Afghan government could fall apart after NATO troops pull out in 2014, particularly if presidential elections that year are fraudulent, a report by the International Crisis Group said Monday.
"There is a real risk that the regime in Kabul could collapse upon NATO's withdrawal," said Candace Rondeaux, the ICG's senior Afghanistan analyst. "The window for remedial action is closing fast."
The report -- "Afghanistan: The Long, Hard Road to the 2014 Transition" -- said the country was on course for another set of fraudulent elections after the chaotic presidential and parliamentary polls in 2009 and 2010.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/afghan-government-could-collapse-new-report-says/548934
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Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed arrested
Oct 08 2012
Male : Maldives' first democratically-elected President Mohamed Nasheed was arrested on Monday, a week after he failed to appear before a court here to face charges of abuse of power while in office.
Maldivian police arrested Nasheed, 45, at the Island of Faresmaathodaa of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, south of Maldives.
Police spokesman Hassan Haneef confirmed that the former president has been arrested after Hulhumale Magistrate Court ordered the police to produce him before it.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/former-maldivian-president-mohamed-nasheed-arrested/1013590/
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Bangladesh arrests tycoon over huge bank scam
OCTOBER 8, 2012
DHAKA: Bangladesh police have arrested a textile tycoon over allegations that he was involved in embezzling $192 million in the country’s largest ever banking scam, officials said Monday.
Officers arrested Tanvir Mahmud, managing director of Hallmark Group, and his brother-in-law, a group general manager, at a house in the capital Dhaka, police spokesman Abhishek Ahmed told AFP.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/08/bangladesh-arrests-tycoon-over-huge-bank-scam/
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Maldives: Contradictory findings in PIC’s report on February 8 crackdown
By Mariyath Mohamed | October 7th, 2012
The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) has released the second of its three pending reports regarding police action around the contentious transfer of power in February.
The PIC states that it initiated the investigation due to allegations of police brutality when breaking up the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s demonstration on February 8, following the controversial resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed the previous day.
The PIC report on the events in Male’ on February 8 states that the investigation was carried out with a committee inclusive of all five members of the commission.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/contradictory-findings-in-pics-report-on-february-8-crackdown-44964
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Europe
Mosque with 4 times capacity of St Paul’s Cathedral planned in London
Oct 08 2012
London : A 10,000-capacity ‘mega-mosque’, which will be the size of Battersea Power Station, has been planned for West Ham, near the Olympic Park in east London.
The mosque will hold four times as many worshippers as St Paul’s Cathedral, have an Islamic library, sports facilities and eight flats for visiting clerics.
Architects have described the mosque as a ‘contemporary Islamic sacred space’.
The plan has been submitted by Tablighi Jamaat, a Muslim missionary movement once described as an ''ante-chamber of fundamentalism''.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mosque-with-4-times-capacity-of-st-paul-s-cathedral-planned-in-london/1013684/
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France fears hundreds of Islamist militants at large
October 08, 2012
By Nicolas Gaudichet
PARIS: France's Interior Minister on Monday predicted more arrests of Islamic extremists and warned of possibly hundreds of home-grown militants at large following a crackdown that sent shockwaves through the country's Jewish community.
Manuel Valls issued his warning in the wake of a nationwide sweep at the weekend which left one man dead and 12 others in detention on suspicion of either being involved in the bombing of a Jewish grocery last month or of planning other anti-Semitic attacks.
"We know that there are dozens, even hundreds of individuals who are capable of organising themselves like the group that has just been dismantled," Valls said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Oct-08/190585-france-fears-hundreds-of-islamist-militants-at-large.ashx#ixzz28iLFK8GZ
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Keeping it real: How British Muslims responded to the sacrilegious film
By Zab Mustefa
October 7, 2012
It was meant to offend, and offended they were. But, for them, the appropriate response to the amateur anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims was to spread knowledge, not create chaos.
“We simply reacted to the film in a reasonable and responsible way,” says Walid Kamil, Discover Islam’s public relations manager. “We want to get the message across that we [Muslims] are peaceful people.”
Many Muslims reacted violently in the aftermath of the film; the American ambassador to Libya was killed and as many as 20 people died in rioting across Pakistan. In Britain and Ireland, volunteers of UK-based charity Discover Islam took to the streets as well but only to distribute copies of the Holy Quran and a biography of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446289/keeping-it-real-how-british-muslims-responded-to-the-sacrilegious-film/
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Russia seals Tajikistan deal with an eye on Afghanistan
VLADIMIR RADYUHIN
8 Oct 2012
Russia has extended its lease of a key military base in Tajikistan for 30 years in a deal that strengthens Moscow’s strategic position in the region ahead of NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan.
An agreement prolonging Russia’s military presence in Tajikistan till 2042 was signed by the Defence Ministers in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who paid a two-day visit to Dushanbe.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/russia-seals-tajikistan-deal-with-an-eye-on-afghanistan/article3975065.ece
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia: Shiites Still Live as Refugees as Government Intervention Fails
October 08, 2012
Efforts by the local government to quell violence against Shiites have hit a standstill in Sampang, leaving nearly 200 Shiite Muslims stranded in a local sports center after a deadly Sunni mob attack sent them fleeing from their homes.
Local Sunnis have refused to allow the Shiites to return to their homes in Karang Gayam village, unless they adopt Sunni Muslim teachings, Sampang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Imam Sanusi told the Antara News Agency.
The beleaguered Shiites declined.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/sampang-shiites-still-live-as-refugees-as-government-intervention-fails/548892
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Two migrant workers face death penalty in Malaysia
October 08 201
Two Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, Haryanto Azlan and Effendi, are facing the death penalty for their alleged involvement in two different cases.
Haryanto, who is being detained at the Kluang Penitentiary in Johor, was allegedly involved in a brawl that resulted in fatalities four years ago.
Effendi, meanwhile, was accused of possessing illegal drugs and is being detained at Sungai Buloh Prison in Selangor.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/08/two-migrant-workers-face-death-penalty-malaysia.html
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Decade After Bali Bombing, Indonesian Terror Aims at Gov't
October 08, 2012
Bali. Ten years after terrorist attacks at two Bali nightclubs killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists, Indonesia has won international praise for its counterterrorism efforts. Militant organizations have been fractured and many of their charismatic leaders have been killed or jailed.
But an Associated Press analysis shows the number of strikes within the country has actually gone up, especially since 2010, when radical imams called on their followers to focus on domestic targets rather than Westerners. The more recent attacks have been conducted with less expertise, and the vast majority of victims have been Indonesians.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/decade-after-bali-bombing-indonesian-terror-aims-at-govt/548942
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Arab World
Syrian rebel bastions pounded, 61 killed: activists
October 08, 2012
BEIRUT: A string of rebel bastions across Syria was rocked by regime shelling and clashes on Monday, as several army checkpoints also came under attack, with at least 61 people killed nationwide, a rights group said.
Twenty of the deaths occurred when the army launched an intensive pre-dawn assault on the town of Karak al-Sharqi in the southern province of Daraa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
In the northwest province of Idlib, five soldiers were killed and three officers, including a brigadier general, were captured during clashes with rebels at a checkpoint in the village of Zaayniyeh, the Britain-based group said.
The rebels, who also lost one of their own men, seized that checkpoint and another on the road between Jisr al-Shughur and the village of Darkush on the Turkish border, amid ongoing clashes.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Oct-08/190566-syrian-rebel-
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Lebanon Says Israeli Planes Circled Its Airspace for an Hour
By JODI RUDOREN
OCTOBER 8, 2012
JERUSALEM — The morning after the Israeli Air Force shot down an unidentified drone in the Negev Desert, the Lebanese government said that four Israeli warplanes spent an hour on Sunday illegally circling in its airspace.
The Israeli Defense Forces refused to confirm or deny the report from the Lebanese Army, which said the planes entered above the village of Kfar Kila at 10:10 a.m. and left above Naqoura an hour later.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/world/middleeast/lebanon-says-israeli-planes-circled-
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Jeddah Governor honors 1000 Holy Qur’an memorizers
9 October 2012
Jeddah: Prince Mishaal bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Jeddah, patronized here yesterday evening an honoring ceremony for 1000 male and female memorizers of the Holy Qur’an held by the Holy Qur’an Memorization Society in Jeddah.
The Chairman of the Society’s Board of Directors Eng. Abdulaziz Hanafi expressed in a speech his thanks to and appreciation of the Prince for supporting the Society, its programs and activities.
http://www.arabnews.com/jeddah-governor-honors-1000-holy-qur%E2%80%99-memorizers
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Shoura OKs bill on Saudization of maintenance jobs
8 October 2012
The Shoura Council passed a bill stipulating Saudization of all operation and maintenance works in the public utilities sector at a regular meeting in Riyadh yesterday.
“The bill stipulates that no worker other than a Saudi should be employed in operation and maintenance contracts of public utilities unless the job is of a special nature and no skilled Saudi workers are available in that specialization,” Assistant Chairman of the Shoura Council Fahd Al-Hamad said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/shoura-oks-bill-saudization-maintenance-jobs
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Kingdom rejects 2016 deficit forecast
8 October 2012
The Kingdom’s robust foreign currency reserves as well as the low public debt (less than 6 percent of GDP) are two important fiscal cushions in the face of volatile oil prices, a top Saudi-based economic analyst said yesterday.
Fahad Alturki, senior economist at Jadwa Investment, made the comments as Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf asserted on Saturday that the International Monetary Fund’s forecasts that Saudi Arabia’s budget surpluses will gradually decline before dropping into deficit by 2016 are a “doomsday scenario.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/kingdom-rejects-2016-deficit-forecast-0
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HRW urges Bahrain king to free medics, reverse convictions
October 08, 2012
DUBAI: Human Rights Watch on Monday urged Bahrain's King Hamad to reverse the convictions of nine medics for their involvement in last year's anti-regime protests and order the release of those still in prison.
"We are reluctant to call on the king to reverse a judicial decision, but time and again we have seen Bahraini courts uphold politically motivated charges against those who peacefully dissent," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at the New-York based rights watchdog.
"The courts have failed to uphold Bahrain’s obligation to protect free expression and peaceful assembly," he said in a statement released by HRW.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Oct-08/190580-hrw-urges-bahrain-king-to-free-medics-reverse-convictions.ashx#axzz28UXVstB2
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Mass ceremony sees 76 Lebanese, Palestinians wed
October 08, 2012
SIDON: A mass wedding was held in Sidon Sunday for 76 Lebanese and Palestinian brides and grooms, as part of a program to promote cooperation and diversity between the city’s communities. In a festive atmosphere and surrounded by friends and family, couples walked into the arena where the wedding was held. Grooms sported black with pink ties and brides wore sparkling white dresses. The event focused on religious diversity and included both Muslim and Christian couples. This is the fifth year this event has been held, and it was supported by Sidon MP Bahia Hariri and the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee, as well as the Hariri Foundation.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Oct-08/190531-mass-ceremony-sees-76-lebanese-palestinians-wed.ashx#ixzz28iKZUczW
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Car bomb hits Syrian capital Damascus, 1 killed
Oct 8, 2012
DAMASCUS: A car bomb exploded today near the police headquarters in central Damascus, killing at least one person and damaging nearby buildings, Syria's state-run news agency said.
The blast is the latest in a series of bombings and suicide attacks targeting security personnel and government institutions as Syria plunges deeper into chaos.
Damascus, in particular, has become a frequent target for car bombs and suicide blasts, but there have been several massive bombings in the northern city of Aleppo and others cities across the country as well.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Car-bomb-hits-Syrian-capital-Damascus-1-killed/articleshow/16717430.cms
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Ban warns of Syria-Turkey escalation amid shelling
October 08, 2012
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned Monday of a "dangerous' fallout from spiralling violence along the Syrian-Turkish border, as regime troops shelled rebel bastions across Syria leaving dozens dead.
"The escalation of the conflict along the Syrian-Turkish border and the impact of the crisis on Lebanon are extremely dangerous," Ban said at the opening of the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, France.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/ban-warns-of-syria-turkey-escalation-amid-shelling/548944
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Egypt: At Least 21 Troops Killed in Sinai Accident
October 8, 2012
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — A troop carrier overturned on a mountain road in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula early Monday, killing at least 21 members of the security forces stationed on the border with Israel, officials said.
Health Ministry official Tarek Khater said the driver of the vehicle was speeding downhill on the badly maintained single-lane road as he transported members of the paramilitary Central Security Forces along the borderline. A security official says the high number of casualties resulted from the vehicle rolling several times.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/10/08/world/middleeast/ap-ml-
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Mideast Asia
Drone Flight Shows Israel Is Vulnerable: Iran Military Official
October 8, 2012
DUBAI (Reuters) - The incursion by an unmanned aircraft into Israeli airspace at the weekend exposed the weakness of Israeli air defenses, an Iranian military official was quoted as saying on Monday.
The Israeli air force shot down a drone on Saturday after it crossed into southern Israel, the military said, but it remained unclear where the aircraft had come from.
Jamaluddin Aberoumand, deputy coordinator for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the incident indicated that Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defense system "does not work and lacks the necessary capacity", Fars news agency reported.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/08/world/middleeast/08reuters-israel-aircraft-
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Israel Strikes Gaza Targets After Rocket Salvo
October 8, 2012
GAZA (Reuters) - Israel said it struck targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday after Palestinian militants fired rockets at southern Israel, in what they said was a response to an Israel air strike on Sunday that wounded two militants and eight bystanders.
Sunday's Israeli air strike was aimed at two Palestinian militants, one of whom was critically wounded. The armed wing of Hamas, the Islamists who control the Gaza Strip, said it joined in Monday's rocket attack along with the Islamic Jihad group.
Gaza has been under the control of Hamas since 2007. The Islamist group rejects permanent peace with Israel and the two sides fought a three-week war in December-January 2008-2009. The border is tense, with frequent clashes.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/08/world/middleeast/08reuters-palestinians-
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Iran currency crisis not yet enough to threaten regime
2012/10/07
PARIS: The protests that have rocked Tehran over Iran’s plunging currency expose an undercurrent of tension and the effects of sanctions, analysts say, but do not yet signal a real threat to the regime.
Despite hopeful talk from Israel of a “Persian Spring”, experts said the regime remains firmly in power and the majority of Iranians continue to support its nuclear ambitions despite sanctions.
“People are not happy with the economic sanctions but will that push them to overthrow the regime? I don’t think so,” said Thierry Coville of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Relations.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/07/iran-currency-crisis-not-yet-enough-to-threaten-regime/
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Controlling Iran's cyberspace
06 Oct 2012
With presidential elections coming up in 2013, the Iranian government is determined to win the information battle.
On Listening Post this week: The battle for control of Iran's cyberspace. Plus, Kashmir and the rise of a new online army.
The Iranian government’s decision to block Google last week provoked concerns among the country’s online community that the Persian firewall had just become harder to penetrate. Then, just as quickly as it had been disconnected, Google came back online. But despite the u-turn, for many, the Google incident reflected the government's wider strategy to control who is saying what to whom in Iran.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2012/10/201210671528877108.html
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Ahmadinejad: 'You can't rule with war'
06 Oct 2012
The Iranian leader discusses his country's role in Syria's conflict and shares his concerns over the region's future.
The financial sanctions on Iran are now having a real impact. Earlier this week, people in Tehran openly complained that the Iranian currency is drastically losing value against the dollar, pushing up prices.
Meanwhile, Iran's leadership is already dealing with a threat from Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli leader, who delivered a strong speech at the United Nations against the Iranian nuclear programme.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2012/10/201210685414228951.html
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Turkish politics: A historic trial, the army condemned
Sep 29th 2012
WAS justice served? The question has been raging ever since a special Istanbul security court on September 21st handed down sentences ranging from six to 20 years against 325 officers accused of seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s mildly Islamist Justice and Development (AK) party in 2003. The trial called “Sledgehammer” was heralded as a historic turning point for Turkey’s wobbly democracy. For the first time civilian prosecutors had charged officers, including two former generals and a former admiral, for alleged coup-plotting, as part of a broader conspiracy known as Ergenekon, under which hundreds of other officers of varying ranks are also facing trial.
Full report at:
http://www.economist.com/node/21563782
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North America
Obama Campaign Building Vandalized With Words 'Muslim Lier' In Iowa
By Sabrina Siddiqui
10/05/2012
President Barack Obama's campaign building in Des Moines, Iowa, was vandalized with the words "Muslim Lier" (intended to be "Liar"), spray-painted on a large banner.
The Des Moines Register reports:
The blue banner is 16 by 8 feet and hangs on the south side of the building at 2307 Hubbell Ave. The words were written with red spray paint, police said.
The vandalism occurred sometime between 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday, when it was discovered, police reports show.
The same message was reportedly spray painted near the Iowa State Fairgrounds earlier in the week.
The damage was estimated at $500.
Dating back to his 2008 campaign, a faction of Americans have falsely believed that Obama is a Muslim, even though he has openly discussed his Christian faith. According to a poll released in July, 30 percent of Republicans and 34 percent of conservative Republicans identified the president as a Muslim.
Last week, Madonna created a stir when she told fans at a concert, "We have a black Muslim in the White House." The singer later clarified that she was simply being ironic.
A request for comment was not immediately returned by the Obama campaign's Iowa office.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/obama-vandalism-muslim-iowa_n_1942505.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/nigerian-forces-say-kill-30/d/8916