Pak objects to no mention of Kashmir in UN list of disputes
Afghan militants burn NATO convoy; blasts kill 3
Radical Preacher Bakri Mohammad Arrested
ANP activist among 4 killed in Karachi
Germany Honors Selected Islamic Plans to Promote Interfaith Dialog
Notice to TV channel over hurting Muslim sentiments
Khaleda's allegations baseless: ISPR
Pakistani security forces kill six militants in Swat
Saudi court rejects death sentence for TV psychic
Iran arrests three women lawyers: Reports
'Kargil heroes' on Adarsh list turn out to be fake
Haj a time of wonder for young S. African convert
Thousands join Iranian Saint’s Urs in Kashmir
London's Iraqi community united in grief at memorial service
Al-Qaida denies plot to target Muslim haj pilgrims
Thousands protest attacks against Iraqi Christians
Top Shia Cleric: Iran, Pakistan single unified nation
"Observer Islamic Countries" rejects Indian bid for UNSC
Joint efforts to combat terrorism dominate Mauritanian press
120 years old Indian lady plans to perform Hajj
Kasab not interested in case, lost in his own world: Lawyer
Facebook hits Saudi roadblock for being 'too bold'
Two terrorists killed in Jammu and Kas
`Hand over voice samples of LeT terrorists'
Talks with Taliban at 'nascent' stage: Karzai
Wary of Taliban, Afghan mujahedeen ready for fight
Islamist militancy can never be defeated: British General
Pakistan calls for flexibility on reforming UNSC
Zahid Hussain’s book The Scorpion’s Tail launched
Pakistan, US, India face common enemy: Holbrooke
International community must help Pakistan: Malik
More than 2 million Muslim pilgrims begin Haj
Abducted Afghan diplomat freed after two years
Australian Muslims feel targeted by new planning
Blind Muslim woman buys guide horse as parents consider dogs unclean
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Pak objects to no mention of Kashmir in UN list of disputes
Nov 15 2010
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has objected to the exclusion of Kashmir from a list of disputes under the observation of the Security Council as mentioned by the UK's top diplomat in an annual debate on UNSC reforms.
UK holds the presidency of UNSC this month. "Jammu and Kashmir dispute was not mentioned in the context of unresolved long-running situations," said Amjad Hussain B Sial, Pakistan's acting envoy to UN, told the General Assembly, where the debate was held.
"We understand this was an inadvertent omission, as Jammu and Kashmir is one of the oldest disputes on agenda of the Security Council," he added.
Pakistan has been asking the UN to intervene to help resolve the issue but India has always maintained that it has to be resolved bilaterally between the two countries.
Speaking earlier at the General Assembly, the UK envoy to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, said that "some long-running situations, including in the Middle East, Cyprus and Western Sahara remain unresolved, as do issues where the Council has become engaged in recent years, including Nepal and Guinea Bissau."
"Huge challenges remain in Sudan, Somalia and the DRC," he added.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had said that the UN will not intervene in Kashmir issue until requested by both the parties -- India and Pakistan.
"As far as this role of good offices is concerned, the United Nations normally takes that initiative when requested by both parties concerned," Ban said in October.
"India and Pakistan, they are neighbouring countries, important nations in that region - peace and security would have important implications," he added.
At the debate in the General Assembly, the UK also repeated its support to see India on as a permanent member of the Security Council.
"On the Council's structure, we continue to support permanent membership for Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, as well as permanent representation for Africa," said Philip Parham, deputy envoy to UK.
"We look forward to working with many of these countries next year when they join the Security Council," he said, referring to the entry of India and Germany on the Council next year as non-permanent members for a two year term.
While Japan will leave the Council in 2011, Brazil will serve out one more year.
The UK representative also suggested "an intermediate model" of reform, which would create new seats with a longer mandate than the present two year term.
Then, at the end of this period, a review would be done to see whether these seats should be turned into permanent ones.
Pakistan, which objects to India being on the Council, argued that the new council should include a few large states, a number of medium sized States and a majority of smaller States.
"We support the position of the Organization of Islamic Conference demanding adequate representation of Muslim Ummah in the Security Council," said Sial.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-objects-to-no-mention-of-Kashmir-in-UN-list-of-disputes/articleshow/6927918.cms#ixzz15KGvXlDT
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Afghan militants burn NATO convoy; blasts kill 3
Nov 14 2010
Kabul : Officials say insurgents have set fire to a convoy of NATO fuel tankers in eastern Afghanistan, while a series of bomb blasts in the south has killed a NATO service member and two civilians.
A spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial government, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, says the convoy attack started this morning when a group of gunmen rushed on the trucks in the province's Behsod district.
He says the drivers fled and the insurgents set 12 tankers ablaze. No one was killed in the attack.
In the south, a local official, district government chief Abdul Ghani, says the civilians were killed in an explosion in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province. The NATO service member was killed in a separate attack.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/afghan-militants-burn-nato-convoy;-blasts-kill-3/710952/
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Radical Preacher Bakri Mohammad Arrested
November 14, 2010
Lebanese police have arrested radical Islamic preacher Omar Bakri Mohammad just days after he boasted he would "not spend one day" of a life sentence behind bars.
A security official said Lebanese intelligence agents seized the cleric near his home in the northern city of Tripoli.
Police reportedly fired in the air to disperse curious onlookers who had gathered after the arrest.
Sky's home affairs correspondent Mark White said Mohammad was stopped by security forces who had been following a vehicle he was travelling in.
White said: "Omar Bakri Mohammad was pulled from the car at gunpoint."
Mohammad, who lived in Britain for 20 years, is a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim.
He has praised the September 11 attacks on America in 2001 and hailed the terrorists as the "magnificent 19".
The 50-year-old was sentenced to life in jail by a Lebanese military court on Thursday.
He had been found guilty, along with more than 40 other Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians and Saudis, of "incitement to murder, theft and the possession of arms and explosives".
The day after the sentence was handed down, he vowed he would "not spend one day in prison".
"I will not hand myself in to any court. I do not believe in the law in Britain as in Lebanon," he had told reporters at his home.
Mohammad, who failed to show up for sentencing on Thursday, said he had not been formally told the court would issue a verdict and insisted he was innocent.
The Syrian-born cleric and Lebanese national also denied he had any links to al Qaeda.
Mohammad was banned from Britain in 2005 as part of government measures, following the London underground and bus bombings that year.
He had sparked outrage in the wake of the bombings for saying he would not hand over to police Muslims planning to launch attacks.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Omar-Bakri-Mohammad-Radical-Islamic-Preacher-Arrested-In-Tripoli-Lebanon/Article/201011215807669
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ANP activist among 4 killed in Karachi
Nov 14 2010
KARACHI: Four people were killed in the city on Saturday, police told Daily Times.
According to details, an Awami National Party (ANP) activist’s bullet-riddled body was found from a car in Metroville, the SITE ‘A’ police said. The body of Shahbaz Guldad Khan, 42, was recovered from a car. The victim, a resident of Baldia Town, had left home on Friday to attend a relative’s funeral. His body was found in the early hours of Saturday, with five bullet wounds.
ANP Spokesman Qadir Khan said that the victim was the president of the Ittehad Town ward of the party. He condemned the murder and demanded the government to arrest the murderers. Police said that the victim’s family suspected that their relatives, Iqbal and Ishtiaq, might be involved in the murder. A case against the relatives has been registered on the complaint of the victim’s brother. An Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) activist was gunned down near his shoe factory in Ranchore Line, the police said. Ikhlaq Muhammad Niaz, 27, was on his way to his shoe factory situated near Ramaswamy, when two men on a motorcycle opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. His body was shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\14\story_14-11-2010_pg1_3
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Germany Honors Selected Islamic Plans to Promote Interfaith Dialog
November 14, 2010
The best Islamic plans to promote dialog were awarded in Berlin November 13 during a ceremony entitled “Award 2010 for Social Integration”.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Deutsche Welle reportred that the event was attended by German Federal Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maiziere, and delegates from Islamic institutions.
“Recently, we have received negative feedback that criticizes the administration’s plans for failing to promote the integration of Muslim community into the German society, populated by an overwhelming majority of Christians, said the minister; however, I personally believe that such plans have achieved success to a certain degree.”
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=213092
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Notice to TV channel over hurting Muslim sentiments
Nov 14, 2010
BHOPAL: A local court has issued a notice to Colors TV CEO ''for showing indecency and hurting Muslim sentiments by staging the second nikah of actors Sara Khan and Ali Merchant'' as part of the Bigg Boss reality show.
The court issued the notice and asked the CEO to appear before it or submit a reply through a lawyer on November 19 after admitting local Samajwadi Party leader Shamsul Hasan's petition against the show. ''If the channel didn't file a reply and the CEO didn't appear before the court, an ex-parte verdict would be pronounced,'' the notice said. He said channel has hurt Muslim sentiments by organising nikah of the two, who had already tied the knot.
''Islam has its rules for a second marriage between a man and a woman. It doesn't permit repeated marriages between the same individuals,'' said Hasan.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Notice-to-TV-channel-over-hurting-Muslim-sentiments/articleshow/6922511.cms#ixzz15GAeB8jz
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Khaleda's allegations baseless: ISPR
Nov 14 2010
ISPR on Sunday reiterated its claim saying that opposition leader Khaleda Zia neither was evicted nor forced to leave her Dhaka Cantonment residence.
It also refuted the claim of former premier that her rooms were ransacked on Saturday.
The Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) Director Shahinul Islam at a press briefing at an adjacent building near Jahangir Gate also termed all the allegations of the premier as baseless, false, fabricated and motivated.
Shahinul told the press briefing that the BNP chief had voluntarily vacated her Shahid Mainul Islam Road house.
Public Relation Officer of the Army Station Headquarters Lt Col (retd) Wali Ullah who was present during the press conference however claimed that Khaleda misbehaved with on duty law enforcers and also threatened them.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=26927
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Pakistani security forces kill six militants in Swat
Nov 14, 2010
MINGORA, PAKISTAN: Pakistani security forces killed six militants in clashes in the Swat Valley, a northwest region where the military has largely routed the Taliban but where sporadic violence persists, an army spokesman said Sunday.
The militants attacked a security checkpoint near Shakar Dara on Saturday night, Maj. Mushtaq Ahmed said. Authorities imposed a curfew as they searched for the assailants. Clashes during the search operation killed six militants and wounded one soldier in the Matta area.
The Pakistani army launched a major anti-Taliban offensive in 2009 in Swat, a one-time tourist haven largely overrun by militants beginning in 2007.
Though the months-long offensive was hailed a success, militant activity is still reported in the picturesque region and concerns are growing that the insurgents could rise again unless redevelopment efforts move faster.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistani-security-forces-kill-six-militants-in-Swat/articleshow/6924126.cms#ixzz15G9tPK5n
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Saudi court rejects death sentence for TV psychic
13 November 2010
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has refused to ratify the death sentence of a Lebanese psychic convicted of practicing witchcraft in a case that has outraged international human rights groups.
A three-judge panel said in its ruling Thursday that there was not enough evidence that Ali Sibat’s actions harmed others. The judges ordered the case to be retried in a Madinah court and recommended that the sentence be commuted and that Sibat be deported.
The charges in Sibat’s case seem to centre on a call-in talk show he hosted on a Lebanese satellite TV station where he would tell fortunes and give advice. His supporters point out that the show was aired from Lebanon, not Saudi Arabia.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/November/mid
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Iran arrests three women lawyers: Reports
Nov 14, 2010
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have arrested three female lawyers at an airport in Tehran after they arrived on a flight from Turkey, media reported on Sunday.
The three detained at Imam Khomeini airport Saturday were identified as Sara Sabaghian, Maryam Kianersi and Maryam Karbasi, reformist newspapers Arman and Shargh said, without providing further details.
Sabaghian reportedly represented a detained opposition blogger and Kianersi was on the defence team of Kobra Najjar, a woman sentenced to death by stoning who was acquitted and freed about two years ago.
Several human rights lawyers have been targeted in Iran's ongoing crackdown on dissent, which saw scores of activists, journalists and government critics jailed since the disputed 2009 presidential election and the ensuing unrest.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-arrests-three-women-lawyers-Reports/articleshow/6924646.cms#ixzz15G9qblNF
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'Kargil heroes' on Adarsh list turn out to be fake
Josy Joseph
Nov 14, 2010
NEW DELHI: The Adarsh housing scam, which has already cost Ashok Chavan his job as Maharashtra chief minister, is sinking to still more embarrassing depths as investigators comb carefully through the claims of its promoters, who invoked the names of Kargil heroes and war widows to extract clearances.
Did any Kargil hero actually get a flat in Adarsh? In 2002, the society had listed two members — out of a total of 71 — as Kargil heroes. But it now turns out that the army has no record of even these two having seen action in the 1999 conflict. Worse, the two — a major and a subedar — are now missing from the new list of 103 that the Adarsh promoters released on October 26 to the media, after TOI investigations unearthed the conspiracy behind the high-rise in Colaba.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kargil-heroes-on-Adarsh-list-turn-out-to-be-fake/articleshow/6922241.cms#ixzz15G9nyJj5
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Haj a time of wonder for young S. African convert
By SIRAJ WAHAB
Nov 14 2010
MINA: Israel Ponty Moletsane truly is on the journey of a lifetime this year. The 29-year-old South African radio producer converted from Christianity to Islam last year, and now he has traveled to the holy land to perform the Haj.
Moletsane said he learned about his new faith while working at the Channel Islam International radio station in Johannesburg over the last five years. He said many puzzling questions he had about religion were answered after reading the Holy Qur’an.
“I was a Catholic, but as I grew up I became a type of born-again Christian,” Moletsane told Arab News. “I learned everything one step at a time. I was doing the comparison all the time. This is when I realized the contradictions in our holy book. That prompted me to learn more about the Holy Qur’an and Islam. I decided to accept Islam, but I did not have the courage to make my decision public.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article189846.ece
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Thousands join Iranian Saint’s Urs in Kashmir
November 14, 2010
The annual urs of 13th century Iranian saint, Mir Syed Ali Hamadani, was observed throughout Kashmir with traditional devotion and fervour on Saturday, with exalting functions being held in mosques and shrines.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The largest gathering took place at the Khanaqah-e-Ma’ula in Srinagar which resounded with hymns and recitations throughout previous night.
A large number of the devout were treated to a glimpse of saint’s relics after dawn prayers, and the ritual was held after every prayer through the day.
The night air echoed with lilting chants of Awrad-e Fatiha as thousands of people braved a cold night to pay obeisance at the shrine, and the number swelled to over 50,000 at noon prayers today.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=213018
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London's Iraqi community united in grief at memorial service
By: Jo Siedlecka
November 14, 2010
Before the service: crosses with candles were laid in the aisle of the church for each of the 52 victims.
There was a palpable sense of grief and righteous anger at a memorial service for the victims of the recent Baghdad cathedral bombing, held at Holy Trinity Church, in Brook Green, west London on Friday. More than 800 Iraqi Christians attended the Syriac service, led by Bishop Alan Hopes and Syriac Catholic Chaplain Fr Nizar Simaan with Catholic and Orthodox clergy. The packed congregation included representatives from the Muslim community and local politicians. Messages were Archbishop Vincent Nichols, and Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Full report at:
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=17106
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Al-Qaida denies plot to target Muslim haj pilgrims
Nov 14, 2010
DUBAI: Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula denied on Sunday it would stage any action to coincide with the Muslim haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia after a Saudi minister said such an operation could not be ruled out.
Just over a week ago, AQAP claimed a plot to mail two parcel bombs to the United States that caused a global security alert. The explosives were intercepted in Dubai and Britain before they could be detonated following a tip-off from Saudi Arabia.
"We are against any crimes against pilgrims ... Haj is a pillar of Islam and we are most eager (not to spill) the blood of Muslims, wherever they may be. Mecca is more sacred than any other place," AQAP said in a statement posted on an Islamist website often used by militants.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Al-Qaida-denies-plot-to-target-Muslim-haj-pilgrims/articleshow/6923933.cms#ixzz15G9zlvFL
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Thousands protest attacks against Iraqi Christians
Nov 14 2010
BRUSSELS: Several thousand people from across Europe gathered in Brussels Saturday to protest a recent escalation of violence against Christians in Iraq.
“We want our voice to be heard by the European community,” said Suleyman Gultekin of the European Syriac Union, which organized the march. “We are attacked systematically” in Iraq.
Syriac Christians have lived in the Middle East for centuries and now make up a small minority in countries like Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Turkey.
The demonstration follows a string of violent attacks against the Christian community in Iraq, which has already dwindled from 1.5 million to about 400,000 over the past decade.
Gunmen stormed a Sunday Mass service in Baghdad on Oct.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article189764.ece
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Top Shia Cleric: Iran, Pakistan single unified nation
November 14, 2010
Secretary General of the Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri, said here on Saturday that Iran and Pakistan can adopt better positions vis-à-vis the challenges by promoting mutual cooperation.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Secretary General of the Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri, said here on Saturday that Iran and Pakistan can adopt better positions vis-à-vis the challenges by promoting mutual cooperation.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=213026
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"Observer Islamic Countries" rejects Indian bid for UNSC
November 14, 2010
Cairo (UNN) Observer Islamic Countries opposed a permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council, claiming it would be an "injustice" with the Muslim World.
A permanent Security Council seat in the UN for India means a major injustice with 1.90 billion's muslim of world said Faisal Muhammed.
He said the destruction of Iraq ,Afghanistan and present situation of Kashmir,Philistine shows that current structure of UNSC "discriminatory" which is impact the UN's credibility in portions of the Middle East and in the Islamic stats.
Full report at:
http://www.unnindia.com/english/story.php?Id=7066
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Joint efforts to combat terrorism dominate Mauritanian press
November 14, 2010
Mali-Mauritania - The cooperation between Mauritania and Mali in the fight against terrorism, led by Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), dominated the Mauritanian media this past week. The cooperation was discussed during the visit to Nouakchott of the Chief of Staff of the Malian army, Gen. Gabriel Poudiougou.
The weekly newspaper 'La Tribune' featured a full page story under the title 'War against AQIM: Mali and Mauritania team up,' saying 'the Mauritanian forces (have) committed to combat terrorism since mid-September in northern Mali with joint patrols, composed of elements from Mali and Mauritania, who are going through northern Mali in search of AQIM bands.'
Full report at:
http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/joint-efforts-to-combat-terrorism-dominate-mauritanian-press-2010111460961.html
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120 years old Indian lady plans to perform Hajj
November 14, 2010
An oldest Muslim woman in the Indian subcontinent plans to come to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - An oldest Muslim woman in the Indian subcontinent plans to come to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year.
Pakistani 'Geo News' Channel said that Ms. Munni Begum at the age of 120 years will be the world's oldest lady to perform Hajj.
It added that Begum was born on 14th of August 1890 in Jaipur-Rajistan region of India and enjoys physical fitness to enable her to perform the Hajj.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=212873
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Kasab not interested in case, lost in his own world: Lawyer
Nov 14, 2010
MUMBAI: Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, sentenced to death for his role in 26/11 terror attacks, does not have any interest in the hearing of his appeal in the Bombay High Court and seems to be lost in his own world, his lawyer Amin Solkar said on Sunday.
Solkar, who met Kasab in his heavily guarded bullet and bomb-proof cell at Arthur Road Central Prison here yesterday, said, "He does not evince interest in the 26/11 case".
"We talked about religion and things in general but often he went off at the tangent and diverted from the topic...I think he is lost in his own world," Solkar said.
"Kasab seems to be medically fit and showed interest in reading books. I have promised to give him some story books in Urdu as he is proficient in that language," Solkar said.
The jail authorities have already provided him with the holy Quran and Kasab recites the verses regularly.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kasab-not-interested-in-case-lost-in-his-own-world-Lawyer/articleshow/6924032.cms#ixzz15G9l1DYW
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Facebook hits Saudi roadblock for being 'too bold'
Nov 14, 2010
RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA): An official with Saudi Arabia's communications authority says it has blocked Facebook because the social networking website doesn't conform with the kingdom's conservative values.
The official says Saudi's communications and information technology commission blocked the site on Saturday and an error message shows up when internet users try to access it.
He says Facebook's content had "crossed a line" with the kingdom's conservative morals, but that blocking the site is a temporary measure.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam and religious leaders have strong influence over policy making and social mores.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Facebook-hits-Saudi-roadblock-for-being-too-bold/articleshow/6922213.cms#ixzz15GA2haNg
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Two terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir
Nov 14, 2010
JAMMU: Two terrorists who had attempted to sneak into the Indian side along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir around midnight Saturday were killed by the Indian Army, sources said Sunday.
The Indian troops spotted some movement along the LoC and opened fire, in which two of the infiltrators were killed, army sources said.
The incident took place in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district, 210 km north of Jammu, around midnight Saturday.
"It appeared to be a fresh infiltration bid by terrorists from across the LoC as Pakistan is desperate to push in as many terrorists into the Indian side before the mountainous passes close with snow in the coming months," an army officer of the 16 corps of the Indian Army based at Nagrota, near Jammu, said on condition of anonymity.
Krishna Ghati has been in the news for infiltration in the past four months.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Two-terrorists-killed-in-Jammu-and-Kashmir/articleshow/6923197.cms#ixzz15GAbFotj
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`Hand over voice samples of LeT terrorists'
Vishwa Mohan
Nov 14, 2010
NEW DELHI: India will reiterate its demand with Pakistan, asking it to hand over 'voice samples' of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who have been in jail for their involvement in the 26\11 terror attacks and arrest the other key players including Hafiz Saeed and Sajid Majeed. New Delhi will send its formal communication to Islamabad ahead of the second anniversary of the Mumbai carnage.
"It will be second such request to Islamabad after Union home minister P Chidambaram raised the issue with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik during their meeting in June. The matter had also come up as a follow-up during foreign minister-level talks in July," said a senior government official.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hand-over-voice-samples-of-LeT-terrorists/articleshow/6921485.cms#ixzz15GAhbWYW
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Talks with Taliban at 'nascent' stage: Karzai
Nov 14 2010
Washington : Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has had "one or two" meetings with "very high" Taliban leadership on a peace deal, says both sides are keen to "end the national suffering."
Asked to comment on the secret negotiations with Taliban, Karzai said that he met with Taliban leaders in "one or two" meetings about three months ago.
He, however, described these meetings as "nascent."
The talks were in a nascent stage and amounted to little more than "the exchange of desires for peace," Karzai told Washington Post.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/talks-with-taliban-at-nascent-stage-karzai/710999/
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Wary of Taliban, Afghan mujahedeen ready for fight
Nov 14 2010
Panjshir Valley : President Hamid Karzai's moves to make peace with the Taliban are scaring Afghanistan's ethnic minorities into taking their weapons out of mothballs and preparing for a fight.
Mindful that Karzai's overtures come with NATO's blessing, and that US and NATO forces will eventually leave, they worry that power will shift back into the hands of the forces they helped to overthrow in 2001.
Such a peace deal won't be easy in a country with a complex ethnic makeup and a tradition of vendetta killings. With ethnic and tribal differences having sharpened during the violence of the last 30 years, there's little indication that Karzai's overtures are gaining much traction.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/wary-of-taliban-afghan-mujahedeen-ready-for-fight/710958/
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Islamist militancy can never be defeated: British General
Nov 14 2010
London : Warning that Islamist militancy can never be defeated, the new head of Britain's armed forces has said the threat posed by al-Qaeda and its affiliates would put the UK's national security at risk for at least 30 years.
In an interview with 'The Sunday Telegraph', General Sir David Richards has said that defeating the terror group Al-Qaeda and Islamist militancy was "unnecessary and would never be achieved", though it could be "contained" to allow Britons to lead secure lives.
"In conventional war, defeat and victory is very clear cut and is symbolised by troops marching into another nation's capital. First of all you have to ask: do we need to defeat it (Islamist militancy) in the sense of a clear cut victory? I'd argue that it is unnecessary and would never be achieved. But can we contain it to the point that our lives and our children's lives are led securely? I think we can," the 58 -year-old General Richards said, adding that the threat posed by the al-Qaeda meant Britain's national security would be at risk for the next three decades.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/islamist-militancy-can-never-be-defeated-british-general/710963/
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Pakistan calls for flexibility on reforming UNSC
Nov 14 2010
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan, which opposes new permanent seats on the UN Security Council and strongly supports an expansion of non-permanent members on Friday, called for “flexibility and compromise” on part of countries pushing competing proposals for enlarging the 15-member body so as to move the stalled reform process forward.
Speaking in the General Assembly’s annual debate on achieving equitable representation in the 15-member council, Pakistan’s Acting Ambassador Amjad Hussain Sial said his country was committed to reform, that would make it more representative, transparent and effective.
Despite a widespread agreement that the Security Council needs to reflect the 21st century world, the 192-member assembly has been unable for three decades to agree on a reform proposal.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\14\story_14-11-2010_pg7_10
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Zahid Hussain’s book The Scorpion’s Tail launched
Nov 14 2010
ISLAMABAD: United States drone attacks in Pakistani territory can be termed military tactic and political gimmick, but it can never bring the desired outcome to defeat the militants and radical forces in the region.
Speakers expressed these views on Saturday at the launching ceremony of a book titled “The Relentless Rise of Islamic Militants in Pakistan: The Scorpion’s Tail written by journalist Zahid Hussain at Kuch Khass.
The 243 pages book covers topics like Witch Brew, An Islamic State, The Peril of Appeasement, ‘The Holy Terror, Operation Earthquake, Turning the Tide, Breaking Apart the Myth’ and The Scorpion’s Tale.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\14\story_14-11-2010_pg11_5
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Pakistan, US, India face common enemy: Holbrooke
Nov 14 2010
ISLAMABAD: US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke on Sunday said that Pakistan, the United States and India face a common enemy.
Arriving for a two-day visit in Pakistan, Holbrooke told the media that some extremist organisations in Pakistan had attacked US forces in Afghanistan.
Holbrooke said that Pakistan, America and India must together face the enemies responsible for terrorism. He said that Pakistan did not have enough resources for a military operation in North Waziristan and therefore the Pakistan Army would itself decide when it was ready to launch an operation.
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/14/pakistan-us-india-face-common-enemy-holbrooke.html
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International community must help Pakistan: Malik
Nov 14 2010
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Sunday said that if the international community cannot give funds then it should not keep telling Pakistan to “do more” either.
Speaking at the Pakistan Development Forum, Malik said that in the fight against terrorism, Pakistan has been spending Rs.140 billion annually. He said that Pakistan was capable of fighting terrorism but needed funds to do so.
Malik said that in order for peace to prevail in the world, it was crucial for Pakistan and Afghanistan to be at peace too.
He said that the international community must cooperate with Pakistan not just to restore peace in Pakistan but to ensure global peace.
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/14/international-community-must-help-pakistan-malik.html
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More than 2 million Muslim pilgrims begin Haj
Nov 14 2010
MECCA: At least 2.5 million Muslims began the annual Haj pilgrimage on Sunday, heading to an encampment near the holy city of Mecca to retrace the route taken by the Prophet Mohammad 14 centuries ago.
Travelling on foot, by public transport and in private cars, the pilgrims will stream through a mountain pass to a valley at Mina, some three km outside Mecca. The path is the same as the Prophet himself took on his last pilgrimage.
The Haj, one of the world’s biggest displays of mass religious devotion lasts for five days. In the past it has been marred by fires, hotel collapses, police clashes with protesters and deadly stampedes.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2010/11/14/more-than-2-million-muslim-pilgrims-begin-haj.html
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Abducted Afghan diplomat freed after two years
Nov 14 2010
Abdul Khaliq Farahi, the Afghan consul general in Pakistan, was seized by gunmen who ambushed his car and killed his driver in September 2008 in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar.
‘I can confirm that he was freed yesterday and he is in Afghanistan,’ said Siyamak Herawi, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
‘The government of Pakistan has apparently said that he was freed in an (security force) operation,’ he replied when asked whether any deal had been struck to secure Farahi’s release.
Pakistani officials, however, denied any operation had been carried out. Karzai’s office said Farahi’s freedom was the result of continued efforts by Pakistan and Afghanistan.
At the time of his abduction, Farahi was Kabul’s nominee to become ambassador to Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/November/international_November693.xml§ion=international
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Oz Muslims feel targeted by new planning
November 14, 2010
Muslims in Australia have claimed that they are being targeted by new planning laws, preventing religious groups from taking over empty churches abandoned by other faiths in south-western Sydney.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the controversial regulations have been proposed by Canterbury Council, which includes the Islamic community strongholds of Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury and Lakemba.
The move is being backed by the Labor mayor Robert Furolo, who is also the state MP for the seat of Lakemba, and residents opposed to a mosque on the site of an ex-Roselands church.
Full report at:
http://sify.com/news/oz-muslims-feel-targeted-by-new-planning-news-international-klorOkifagd.html
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Blind Muslim woman buys guide horse as parents consider dogs unclean
November 14, 2010
London, Nov 14 (ANI): A blind Muslim woman has used her three-year savings to pay for a miniature horse to be trained to act as her eyes.
Reason: Mona Ramouni lives with her strict Muslim parents who would not allow a dog in the house because they consider the animal unclean, reports the Daily Mail.
Ramouni,28, stumbled across a website article about miniature guide horses in April 2008.
"It was something that I never thought about for myself," she said.
Since welcoming three-year-old guide horse Cali into her Dearborn, Michigan, home last year, Ramouni has seen her life turned around.
Full report at:
http://news.oneindia.in/2010/11/14/blindmuslim-woman-buys-guide-horse-as-parents-considerdogs.html