Senior Lebanese Cleric Stresses the Importance of Muslim-Christian Unity
New Age Islam News Bureau
23
Apr 2014
Photo: ‘My family doesn’t let me use Twitter,’ day’s little PM says, making Erdoğan laugh
Arab World
• Senior Lebanese Cleric Stresses the Importance of Muslims and Christians Unity
• Syria: Army Kills Tens of Militants in Idlib, Aleppo, Homs
• Shiite Iraqi parliament hopeful fought in Syria
• Two senior police officers killed in Egypt car bombing
• Syria infighting indicates discord among AQAP and al-Qaeda leadership
• Syria: 115 Gunmen Surrender in Quneitra
• Bahrain sentences 12 people for life for spying, Iran links
• Arab League criticises Syrian election plan
• Egyptian president commemorates Sinai liberation
• Serendipity aids Egypt in struggle to recover stolen heritage
• Brave Bahraini people say prayers in mosque debris
Europe
• No religious fanatics ever existed in Kazakhstan – Nazarbayev
• France to unveil plan to fight Syrian jihadist threat
• UK and U.S should join hands with Russia in war against radical Islam: Tony Blair
• Russian, Iranian FM conferring on nuclear problem, Middle East, Caspian affairs
• U.N. agencies: Syria aid needs ‘largely unanswered’
• Hajj exhibit opens in Paris, displays Kabaa’s Kiswah
• France assures support in fight against intolerance
Pakistan
• Pak Govt has ‘faith’ in army, and it ‘loves’ media too: Minister for Information
• PPP-MQM deadlock blossoms into political wedlock
• Opp Takes Council of Islamic Ideology’s Take on Marriage to Senate
• Karachi violence claims five lives
• Pakistan Army demands suspension of Geo TV licence
• Hamid Mi chanted Allah-O-Akbar, Pakistan Zindabad after attack
• Pakistan delighted at envoy’s OIC victory
• Ahmadi newspaper case: Four Ahmadis asked to record statements
Mideast
• Israel encouraging more Christians to join military service
• ‘My family doesn’t let me use Twitter,’ day’s little PM says, making Erdoğan laugh
• Turkish PM does not rule out Gül’s second term at presidency
• Iranian Speaker: Free Elections Guarantee Stability in Syria
• Netanyahu: Abbas must choose, peace with Israel or reconciliation with Hamas
• Israel must take on Palestinian governance if talks fail: Abbas
• Israel to send call-up papers to Christian Arabs: Army radio
Southeast Asia
• SBY’s Pluralist Legacy in Tatters, Survey Confirms
• Kelantan yet to decide on special sitting to discuss Hudud law
• Extremists have no place in Malaysian society, says Khairy
• Police hunt for instigators of ‘religious strife’ in Papua
North America
• Lawsuit Accuses FBI of Using No-Fly List to Get American Muslims to Become Informants
• Washington calls S. Sudan violence an 'abomination'
• US embassy asked to remove Sheikh Rashid from ‘no-fly’ list
• State Dept. says Egypt cleared for US military aid: AP
• US considering Bangladesh’s request for more military equipment
• Obama to seek fresh start with Malaysia in overdue visit
India
• Kashmir militants gun down 3 ahead of polls
• Vote Congress, Shia groups urge Muslims
South Asia
• Qaisar handed me over to Pak army: Freedom fighter tells war crimes trial
• Foreign envoys want new image for Bangladesh
• China says probing reports Chinese chlorine used in Syria attack
• President Yameen call on the military to maintain discipline and professionalism
• No re-votes as High Court concludes Majlis election-related cases
• Myanmar's Muslim Rohingyas say they're facing nutrition crisis
• 2 new UZ chairmen, among 38 Jamaat-Shibir men held
Africa
• Tunisia approves entry of Israeli tourists despite opposition
• Abducted in Libya, diplomat pleads to Tunisian govt to act
• Uganda says Islamist rebel leader has fled eastern Congo
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/senior-lebanese-cleric-stresses-importance/d/76705
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Arab World
Senior Lebanese Cleric Stresses the Importance of Muslims and Christians Unity
Apr 23, 2014
Head of Sharia Council, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbik put accentuation on the importance of Muslims’ and Christians’ unity and rapprochement, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).
The Lebanese religious cleric counted unity and rapprochement as the main tool for tackling the standing challenges and chaos some Muslim countries and nations are plunged into.
“For saving Lebanon’s dignity, all the people, no matter Muslims or Christians, should keep their solidarity,” said Sheikh Mohammad Yazbik.
To him, the telling role of solidarity and proximity among people from different religions and sects can counteract the negative consequences of schemes concocted by the enemies, foiling their plots in the long run.
Lebanese religious cleric pointed to the coming presidential election to be held in Lebanon and said the new president of the country should be fully ready so as to stand against the threats of Zionism regime.
http://www.taghribnews.com/vdcd550fsyt0kf6.em2y.html
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Syria: Army Kills Tens of Militants in Idlib, Aleppo, Homs
Apr 23, 2014
The Syrian army made major advances in the different parts of the country, specially in Idlib, Aleppo and Homs, on Wednesday, killing tens of Chechen militants.
In Idlib countryside, the army units killed a large number of terrorists in fierce clashes in the cities of Sarmin and Saraqeb today.
In Aleppo countryside, the Syrian army killed over 20 Chechen militants of the Al-Nusra Front.
In Homs countryside, the army units also destroyed the militants' positions, killing tens of terrorists and injuring dozens more.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs and terrorists against both the army and civilians.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies into armed clashes.
The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.
According to reports, the western powers and their regional allies, specially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930203000798
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Shiite Iraqi parliament hopeful fought in Syria
Apr 23, 2014
BAGHDAD – An Iraqi Shiite who proudly fought Sunni rebels in Syria’s civil war is now running for parliament in his home country, where the conflict has raised already-high sectarian tensions.
Faleh Al-Khazali is one of an unknown number of Iraqi Shiites who have gone to fight on the side of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
The civil war has destroyed swathes of Syrian cities and claimed over 150,000 lives, and in Iraq has sharpened sectarian tensions that have contributed to the worst surge in bloodshed since the height of the violence that followed the 2003 US-led invasion.
Khazali, a 39-year-old father of four, commanded the first group of Iraqi Shiite forces that traveled to Syria he told AFP in the southern port city of Basra.
“We entered Syria a year and three months ago ... in a preemptive war to eradicate” the extremists, said Khazali, who is running on Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s State of Law list in the April 30 parliamentary election.
Iraq’s Shiite-led government has publicly sought to remain neutral, but privately seems to favor Assad, who is a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
“I was wounded in my eye, and lost it, and I am delighted and proud of this, and I will return to Syria as the situation requires,” Khazali said. Khazali, a government employee, was also wounded in his right leg while fighting in Syria.
His public Facebook page makes no secret of his involvement in Syria, featuring pictures of him clad in camouflage, including one slightly blurred shot that appears to show him holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle in each hand.
Other pictures include a montage of the Sayida Zainab shrine, Khazali in battle dress giving a victory sign, and a campaign poster with pictures of him and Maliki and the slogan: “We build Iraq.”
He is also shown lying in a hospital bed with a bandage over his right eye. “Our national security, as Iraqis, requires that we go there (to Syria) to defend the holy places first, and second to defend Iraq,” Khazali said.
The Syrian civil broke out in 2011 when Assad’s forces carried out a bloody crackdown on protesters calling for reform.
Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah has acknowledged sending thousands of fighters into Syria and contributing to a string of regime victories.
“There are hundreds of offices belonging to Shiite movements in all Iraq that welcome recruits to fight in Syria,” Abu Ammar, who has twice been to Syria to fight on the side of Assad’s regime, each time for several weeks, told AFP in Baghdad. “I am ready to go again at the first chance,” he said.
“The first time there were many Iraqis and Syrians with me.” Pictures of Iraqi Shiites killed in Syria hang around Baghdad. In Najaf, south of Baghdad, a steady stream of Iraqi Shiites killed in Syria are buried in the massive cemetery known as “the Valley of Peace.”
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140423202809
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Two senior police officers killed in Egypt car bombing
World Bulletin / News Desk
Apr 23, 2014
Two Egyptian policemen were killed on Wednesday in two separate incidents, a security source has said.
Ahmed Zaki, a colonel in the anti-riot police division, was killed Wednesday morning in 6 October City west of capital Cairo, while a soldier was injured when an explosive charge planted under his car detonated, the source, who asked not to be named, told Anadolu Agency.
Zaki was seriously wounded in the blast and immediately rushed to a police hospital in Cairo but later succumbed to his injuries, the source said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Moments later, an anti-riot officer identified as Ahmed Saad was killed while taking part in a raid on a "terrorist hotbed" in the coastal city of Alexandria, the same source said, adding that a militant was also killed in the exchange.
Egypt has seen a spate of attacks on police and army personnel since the military ousted elected president Mohamed Morsi last July.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/134476/two-senior-police-officers-killed-in-egypt-car-bombing
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Syria infighting indicates discord among AQAP and al-Qaeda leadership
Apr 23, 2014
As rumours circulated recently online about a potential merger between al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the al-Qaeda-inspired "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL), an al-Qaeda leader in Syria released a video refuting the possibility of any merger.
Abu Suleiman al-Muhajir, a senior member within al-Nusra Front (ANF), al-Qaeda's branch in Syria, released a video in April saying al-Qaeda leaders must report to al-Qaeda leadership to receive permission to merge with other branches.
Somalia's al-Shabaab never announced a merger with AQAP in Yemen because it did not have the authority to do so, he said, and any attempt by ISIL to do the same with any al-Qaeda branch would be even more difficult.
Full report at:
http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2014/04/22/feature-01
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Syria: 115 Gunmen Surrender in Quneitra
Apr 23, 2014
One Hundred and fifteen gunmen of the villages and towns of Jabata al-Khashab, Tranjeh, Mashara, Khan Arnabeh, al-Baath city and Nab'ia al-Sakher in the countryside had their files settled on Wednesday after they turned themselves in and gave up their weapons to authorities, a source in Quneitra province said.
The source added that the gunmen were released after they pledged not to do any acts that could affect Syria's security and stability.
Governor of Quneitra Maan Salah-Eddin told SANA that the governorate will spare no efforts to restore the misled citizens to the country's bosom.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930203001324
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Bahrain sentences 12 people for life for spying, Iran links
Apr 23, 2014
(Reuters) - A Bahraini court has sentenced 12 men to life in prison for spying, receiving training from Iran's Revolutionary Guard and processing weapons and explosives, a defence lawyer and rights activist said on Tuesday.
Bahrain accuses Shi'ite power Iran of fuelling unrest in the country since a 2011 uprising led by the Shi'ite Muslim community demanding reforms and more share in running the kingdom ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa dynasty.
Tehran denies the accusation, but defends the cause of Bahrain's Shi'ite opposition.
Attorney Fatima al-Adraj said the court convicted the men on Sunday, and sentenced two others to 15 years.
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/uk-bahrain-court-idUKBREA3L1IR20140422
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Arab League criticises Syrian election plan
Apr 23, 2014
(Reuters) - Holding an election in Syria while civil war rages will only obstruct international efforts to resolve the conflict, the head of the Arab League said on Tuesday.
President Bashar al-Assad's government announced on Monday that a presidential election would take place on June 3 - an event that is certain to extend his grip on power.
"This step could suspend the desired efforts of maturing negotiations for a political solution to the Syrian crisis," Nabil el-Araby, the head of the Cairo-based Arab League, said in a statement.
Western and Gulf Arab countries that back rebels fighting to topple Assad have criticised the decision to hold elections, calling it a "parody of democracy" that would wreck efforts to negotiate a peace settlement.
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/uk-egypt-syria-arableague-idUKBREA3L0VU20140422
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Egyptian president commemorates Sinai liberation
Apr 23, 2014
Egyptian interim President Adly Mansour has laid a wreath at a war memorial in Cairo as part of commemorations for Sinai Liberation Day.
Mansour was accompanied by high-profile government officials, including Defence Minister Sedky Sobhy and Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, in the traditional visit to the tomb of president Anwar Sadat and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, state news agency MENA reported.
The day, a public holiday which officially falls on 25 April, marks the 1982 withdrawal of Israeli occupiers from the Sinai Peninsula.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/99632/Egypt/Politics-/Egyptian-president-commemorates-Sinai-liberation-.aspx
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Serendipity aids Egypt in struggle to recover stolen heritage
Apr 23, 2014
(Reuters) - When French Egyptologist Olivier Perdu saw a fragment of a pharaonic statue on display in a Brussels gallery last year, he assumed it was a twin of an ancient masterpiece he had examined in Egypt a quarter of a century earlier.
The reality was an even more remarkable coincidence: the fragment was part of the very same artifact - a unique 6th century B.C. statue hewn from pale green stone - that Perdu had received special permission to study in Cairo in 1989.
The statue, a 29 cm-high (11 inches) representation of a man wearing a pharaonic headdress and holding a shrine to Osiris, the god of the afterlife, was smashed by looters who broke into the Cairo Museum during the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak.
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/23/us-egypt-theft-antiquities-insight-idUKBREA3M09D20140423
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rave Bahraini people say prayers in mosque debris
Apr 23, 2014
Contrary to destruction of the mosques and problems created by the security forces, people continue saying their prayers in the debris of the mosques.Bahraini Muslims, saying their prayers in Al Momin Mosque, destroyed by authorities in 2011, have been carrying out their religious duties in the debris of the holy place, Taghrib News Agency (TNA) have reported based on the Arabic channel of Al Lo’-Lo’.
A superintendent of the mosque said,” We will construct the mosque better than before and no matter how much the prices will be, we will pay that all.”
Full report at:
http://www.islamicinvitationturkey.com/2014/04/23/brave-bahraini-people-say-prayers-in-mosque-debris/
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Europe
No religious fanatics ever existed in Kazakhstan – Nazarbayev
Apr 23, 2014
Interfax - Kazakh citizens should beware of destructive influences, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
"No religious fanatics ever existed in the holy Kazakh land. The spiritual essence of the Kazakh people has always differed with humanism and internal integrity. The current generation has no right to lose this great quality left by our ancestors. So I urge the Kazakh intelligent community and spiritual leaders, each and every Kazakh citizen not to forget the legacies of great teachers," Nazarbayev said when speaking at the 21st session of the Kazakh people's assembly on Friiday.
Kazakh citizens "should protect their children from destructive influences, urge those lost for common sense and warn them against steps that are not fully thought through, the president said.
"These are not just words, you know what is happening in the world," Nazarbayev said.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=11217
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France to unveil plan to fight Syrian jihadist threat
Apr 23, 2014
(Reuters) - France is to unveil policies to stop its citizens joining the Syrian civil war, a government source said on Tuesday, aiming to prevent young French Muslims becoming radicalised and posing a threat to their home country.
The Interior Ministry will present some 20 measures on Wednesday, including a plan to stop minors leaving France without parental consent, increased surveillance of Islamist websites that recruit fighters and a system to encourage parents to signal suspicious behaviour in their children.
"France will take all measures to dissuade, prevent and punish those who are tempted to fight where they have no reason to be," President Francois Hollande told reporters on Tuesday.
With radical Sunni Muslims from outside Syria fighting alongside Syrians against President Bashar al-Assad, Western countries are concerned of the security risk at home.
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/uk-syria-crisis-france-idUKBREA3L0Z220140422
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UK and U.S should join hands with Russia in war against radical Islam: Tony Blair
Kounteya Sinha,TNN | Apr 23, 2014
LONDON: Former British prime minister Tony Blair who will always be remembered as a man who took UK to war with Iraq along with US president George Bush now wants Britain to join hands with Russia in another war — that against radical Islam.
Blair has asked the UK and the US to put aside their differences with Russia over Ukraine and "co-operate" to fight a new enemy in the form of radical Islam which he felt governments in Europe and America had become "curiously reluctant to acknowledge".
Blair, who is now an active mitigator of peace in the Middle East, called the region including Pakistan or Iran "as a vast unfathomable mess with no end in sight and no one worthy of our support".
"An international programme to eradicate religious intolerance and prejudice from school systems and informal education systems and from organisations in civic society would have a huge galvanizing effect in making unacceptable what is currently ignored or tolerated," Blair said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/UK-and-US-should-join-hands-with-Russia-in-war-against-radical-Islam-Tony-Blair/articleshow/34118209.cms
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Russian, Iranian FM conferring on nuclear problem, Middle East, Caspian affairs
Apr 23, 2014
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif are holding a bilateral meeting ahead of a session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Caspian Sea States.
The meeting will prepare a Caspian summit scheduled to take place in Astrakhan in the fall, Lavrov said in his opening remarks.
"Hopefully, we will exchange opinions on Caspian and other affairs, not only nuclear issues but also problems of the Middle East as a whole," Lavrov said.
Zarif said he expected to discuss preparations for the Caspian summit in Astrakhan and a number of bilateral matters with Lavrov.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_22/Russian-Iranian-FM-conferring-on-nuclear-problem-Middle-East-Caspian-affairs-5868/
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_22/Russian-Iranian-FM-conferring-on-nuclear-problem-Middle-East-Caspian-affairs-5868/
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U.N. agencies: Syria aid needs ‘largely unanswered’
Apr 23, 2014
The directors of five United Nations agencies that provide humanitarian aid to Syria say their appeal for $6.5 billion in emergency funding for 2014 has been mostly ignored.
With only $1.2 billion pledged, the agency heads are renewing their December appeal and emphasizing that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating by the day as the 3-year-old civil war escalates in many areas.
The December appeal “has gone largely unanswered” for a crisis affecting 9.3 million people, said a joint statement Wednesday by U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos, UNICEF director Anthony Lake, U.N. refugee commissioner António Guterres, World Food Program director Ertharin Cousin and World Health Organization director Dr. Margaret Chan.
They say “the worst days seem yet to come” for civilians remaining in Aleppo, Homs, and other areas with heavy fighting.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/04/23/U-N-agencies-Syria-aid-needs-largely-unanswered-.html
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Hajj exhibit opens in Paris, displays Kabaa’s Kiswa
Apr 23, 2014
An exhibit showcasing more than 200 historical pieces reflecting the history of the Hajj has opened this week in Paris.
The show, which will run for three months, aims to broaden the visitors’ knowledge about Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.
It is organized by the King Abdulaziz Public Library and the Arab World Institute in Paris.
French President Francois Hollande opened the show on Tuesday and toured the gallery that showcased 230 rare artifacts, including 53 from Saudi Arabia.
Hollande said the exhibition is the first of its kind in France, adding that it displays rare historical pieces and manuscripts, in addition to the routes pilgrims took to Mecca from various parts of the world.
A piece of Kiswah, the embroidered black cloth covering the Kabaa’s door is also on display.
The first Hajj exhibition was held in London two years ago.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2014/04/23/Hajj-exhibit-opens-in-Paris-displays-Kabaa-s-Kiswa.html
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France assures support in fight against intolerance
Apr 23, 2014
PARIS – French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the assassination attempt on Hamid Mir, senior journalist and TV anchor, on April 19 in Karachi, and wished him a speedy recovery and assured him of its sympathy.
In a statement, ministry’s spokesperson called the authorities in Pakistan to bring those responsible for this attack to justice and assure them of complete support in the fight against terrorism and all forms of intolerance. “Attacks against journalists threaten the freedom of expression and the freedom of information – the very foundations of democracy,” the statement said.
France attaches the utmost importance to ensuring that journalists were able to work in safety everywhere, the spokesperson said. “This is the aim of the resolution on the protection of journalists that we supported and which was adopted in November 2013 by the UN General Assembly,” the statement said.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/23-Apr-2014/france-assures-support-in-fight-against-intolerance
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Pakistan
Pak Govt has ‘faith’ in army, and it ‘loves’ media too: Minister for Information
2014-04-23
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervaiz Rashid said on Tuesday that the government has faith in the army, but it loves the media too.
He said all the national institutions were respectable and integral part of the state. “Every institution is playing its part according to the role written in the constitution,” the minister said talking to newsmen after the inauguration ceremony of the National Book Day event at the Pak-China Friendship Centre. “There is no difference of opinion among the institutions on the national agenda,” he added. “People, government and parliament respect national security institutions. We have a relation of faith with them,” the minister said. “We love our media also.”
To a question about the arrival of Pervez Musharraf in Karachi, he said the rule of law was prevalent in all parts of Pakistan, whether it is Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad. The minister said talks with the Taliban were started in consultation with all the political parties and all the matters were going in the right direction. “Today, the state of Pakistan and national institutions are standing with the scholars and intellectuals. They are standing with those who speak the language of arguments and not of weapons.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/23-Apr-2014/between-the-devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea-govt-has-faith-in-army-and-it-loves-media
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PPP-MQM deadlock blossoms into political wedlock
April 23, 2014
LAHORE - The eight-month ‘deadlock’ between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has ‘blossomed’ into political wedlock of the two parties when two MQM ministers joined the Sindh cabinet after being administered oath by ‘Governor-Emeritus’ Dr Ishratul Ibad.
The PPP enjoys a clear majority in the 168-member Sindh Assembly and, therefore, has been running the province single-handedly after the May last year’s elections. But now the same functions will be performed jointly by the two coalition partners, which are the major entities of the province.
Was there really a need for the MQM to join the coalition? Will this step bring about any improvement in the government’s performance? Will the people of Sindh now face lesser problems than they have been facing so far? Will the law and order situation improve and the daily killings come down?
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/national/23-Apr-2014/ppp-mqm-deadlock-blossoms-into-political-wedlock
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Opp Takes Council of Islamic Ideology’s Take on Marriage to Senate
Apr 23, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Three opposition parties in the Senate – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) – jointly moved a motion in the Upper House of parliament to discuss the latest pronouncements of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CCI) about matrimonial issues.
On other hand, JUI-F, led by Fazal ur Rahman, vowed to oppose the motion, which the party’s lawmakers said was not being tabled at the appropriate time. The pronouncements of the CII, headed by Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, who belongs to the JUI-F, stirred a debate in the country about child marriage and second marriage by a Muslim man. It recommended allowing Muslim men right to remarry without the permission of his first wife as well as permitting child marriages.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/21-Apr-2014/opp-takes-cii-s-take-on-marriage-to-senate
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Karachi violence claims five lives
2014-04-23
KARACHI: At least five people were killed on Wednesday in separate incidents of violence in Karachi, DawnNews reported.
Two bodies were recovered in Mewashah Graveyard near Malang Darbar whereas another body was recovered from a river below the Lasbela Bridge.
All three were first kidnapped and later tortured, however, none of the bodies have been identified yet, police sources said.
One person was also gunned down in Manghopir's Mianwali Colony.
A body of a woman bearing torture marks was also found in a gunnysack in North Karachi’s Rashidabad area.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101765/karachi-violence-claims-five-lives
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Pakistan Army demands suspension of Geo TV licence
Apr 23, 2014
After the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general threatened legal action against Geo TV for maligning the ISI, the Defence Ministry filed an application to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) demanding suspension of the licence to the company, Independent Media Corporation, which runs Geo.
In the application, the Defence Ministry called for action under the PEMRA Ordinance and the Rules for “false and scandalous campaign undermining the integrity and tarnishing the image of State institution (ISI) and its officers.”
It said that immediately after the firing on Geo anchor Hamid Mir last Saturday, “a vicious campaign, libellous and scandalous in nature was started initially on Geo News channel wherein false accusations were made against a State institution tasked to work for the defence, sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan i.e., Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and its DG Lt. Gen Muhammad Zahir ul Islam.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/pakistan-army-demands-suspension-of-geo-tv-licence/article5940129.ece
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Hamid Mi chanted Allah-O-Akbar, Pakistan Zindabad after attack
Apr 23, 2014
KARACHI: Hamid Mir chanted Allah-O-Akbar and Pakistan Zindabad slogans after sustaining bullets in an armed attack on Saturday, revealed his driver and security guard on Tuesday.
Both the men who are eyewitnesses of the brutal attack on Geo News anchor said Hamid Mir called his office to inform about the attack despite receiving bullets and continued reciting Kalma and chanting Pakistan Zindabad slogan.
“Hamid Mir is a great man who not only remembered Allah during the painful mome
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-145438-Hamid-chanted-Allah-O-Akbar,-Pakistan-Zindabad-after-attack-
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Pakistan delighted at envoy’s OIC victory
Apr 23, 2014
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Muhammad Naeem Khan has been elected the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) from among 18 member states of the Asian Group.
The election was held in Jeddah on Monday during the meeting of the OIC Permanent Representatives in which Pakistan received 10 member votes, Afghanistan five votes, Indonesia, two and Malaysia, one vote.
Candidates from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Malaysia contested from the Asian Group for the position of assistant secretary general.
A statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office said: “Pakistan attaches high importance to the OIC. Ambassador Naeem Khan will continue with our efforts to project and promote the common interests of the world’s Muslims through the OIC.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/560071
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Ahmadi newspaper case: Four Ahmadis asked to record statements
April 23, 2014
LAHORE: A judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday ordered that statements of four men accused of distributing a daily newspaper of the Ahmadi community, which allegedly contained blasphemous content, should be recorded on April 26.
The four are among six Ahmadis facing charges under Sections 295-B (defiling or desecration of a copy of the Holy Quran) and 298-C (an Ahmadi posing as a Muslim) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 11-W of the Anti-Terrorism Act in a case registered with the Islampura police station.
The complainant had accused the Ahmadis of printing and distributing Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya’s community newspaper Al-Fazal, which he had claimed carried blasphemous content.
He had stated in his complaint that Khalid Ashfaq was president of the Ahmadi organisation in Kareem Park and had been distributing Al-Fazal amongst people, even though the Home Department had banned the newspaper in October 2011. The police were informed and had taken Khalid Ashfaq and Tahir Ahmed into custody when they were distributing copies of the newspaper. A printing press was also raided where allegedly blasphemous material was printed. The police later arrested Faisal Ahmed and Azhar Zareef. All four had been freed on bail. Daily Al-Fazal editor Abdul Sami and another accused Tahir Mehdi have not been arrested so far and have been declared proclaimed offenders.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/699094/ahmadi-newspaper-case-four-ahmadis-asked-to-record-statements/
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Mideast
Israel encouraging more Christians to join military service
Apr 23, 2014
(Reuters) - Israel said on Tuesday it was stepping up efforts to encourage military enlistment by Christian Arab citizens, a community long closer to the larger Muslim minority in identifying with the Palestinians.
Israel's Christian Arabs number about 160,000, some two percent of the Jewish state's eight million people, and the expected number of conscripts - now about 100 - will rise in coming months, a senior military officer said.
"We intend to appeal to the Christian population of conscription age (17 and 18) and will send them call-up notices to volunteer for service," Lieutenant-Colonel Amir Hai told reporters in a telephone briefing on Tuesday.
Being mostly Palestinians themselves, Israel's Christian Arabs have traditionally stood alongside the Muslim community on Israeli-Palestinian issues. The Muslim minority comprises about 20 percent of the population and men of conscription age are largely exempted from military service.
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/uk-israel-christians-military-idUKBREA3L1MK20140422
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‘My family doesn’t let me use Twitter,’ day’s little PM says, making Erdoğan laugh
Apr 23, 2014
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Cabinet members delegated their seats to children as part of the national Children’s Day tradition on April 23, letting young children take the floor on their behalf.
This year’s Children’s Day Cabinet was particularly marked by an answer given by primary school student Göker İnan, responding to a journalist’s question about Twitter and prompting Erdoğan to burst out laughing.
When asked whether he knew about Twitter, the day’s honorary Prime Minister İnan responded “yes,” but added that he did not use the social media network.
“My family does not allow me [to use Twitter]. They say I am too young,” he said. Erdoğan, who has become known for taking particular aversion to the website, responded with laughter.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/my-family-doesnt-let-me-use-twitter-days-little-pm-says-making-erdogan-laugh.aspx?pageID=238&nID=65442&NewsCatID=338
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Turkish PM does not rule out Gül’s second term at presidency
Apr 23, 2014
The ruling party will not take any step that would lead to chaos in Turkey regarding the presidential elections, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.
During his speech, Erdoğan did not rule out a potential second term for current President Abdullah Gül.
Erdoğan said there will not be any problems between the two men, while stating that his final decision on a presidential bid will follow the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) two day camp in Afyon on May 9.
“In 2007, everybody expected my candidacy for the presidency. You [journalists] wrote about it at that time, but we threw you a curve by announcing [Abdullah Gül] as our presidential candidate. We may do the same now,” Erdoğan told reporters on April 23.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-does-not-rule-out-guls-second-term-at-presidency.aspx?pageID=238&nID=65444&NewsCatID=338
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Iranian Speaker: Free Elections Guarantee Stability in Syria
Apr 23, 2014
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani underlined that Syria needs to hold presidential elections in a bid to guarantee restoration of peace and stability in the country.
"Holding free elections and respecting the Syrian people's vote and view is an important step for the establishment of stability and tranquility in the country," Larijani said in a meeting with Cuban Envoy to Iran Vladimir Andres Gonzalez Quesada in Tehran on Wednesday.
The Cuban ambassador, for his part, referred to the regional developments, specially the Syrian crisis, and said, "Cuba is opposed to any foreign interference in Syria."
During the meeting, the two officials also discussed ways to further expand the relations between Tehran and Havana in the different economic, cultural and parliamentary fields.
Larijani also stressed the importance of continued consultations between the two countries in various arenas.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930203000915
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Netanyahu: Abbas must choose, peace with Israel or reconciliation with Hamas
Apr 23, 2014
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas needs to choose whether he wants peace with Israel or Hamas, because he cannot have both, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday.
Netanyahu, at the outset of a meeting in his office with visiting Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, said that instead of moving peace forward with Israel, Abbas is moving toward reconciliation with Hamas.
"He must choose," Netanyahu said. "Does he want reconciliation with Hamas, or peace with Israel? Only one is attainable, not both. I hope he chooses peace, until now he has not done so."
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu-Abbas-must-choose-peace-with-Israel-or-reconciliation-with-Hamas-350159
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Israel must take on Palestinian governance if talks fail: Abbas
Apr 23, 2014
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas told a group of Israeli journalists on Tuesday that if peace talks do not continue, Israel will have to take on the burden of governing Palestinian lands.
Though Abbas has repeatedly hinted that he could devolve some of the limited powers his Palestinian Authority exercises in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, his statement added urgency to a U.S. effort to extend negotiations set to expire next week.
"If the negotiations stop, it's the Israeli government that will bear the responsibility for the economic situation and the paying of the salaries of (Palestinian) employees, workers and farmers, for health and for education just as it did before the establishment of the Authority," he told the reporters visiting his presidential headquarters in Ramallah.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99615/World/Region/Israel-must-take-on-Palestinian-governance-if-talk.aspx
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Israel to send call-up papers to Christian Arabs: Army radio
Apr 23, 2014
Israel is to start sending call-up papers to all Christian Arabs of military service age, army radio reported Tuesday, angering Arab lawmakers who accused the government of seeking to divide Christians from Muslims.
Military service will remain voluntary for Israel's 130,000 Christian Arabs as it is for its more than 1.3 million Muslim Arabs.
But commanders hope that the routine sending out of call-up papers will help boost the numbers volunteering from around 100 a year at present to 1,000, the radio reported.
"Under these new arrangements, they will no longer have to submit their own enlistment request and expose themselves to potential pressure from their Christian coreligionists or from Muslims, who are overwhelmingly hostile to conscription," the radio said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99604/World/Region/Israel-to-send-callup-papers-to-Christian-Arabs-Ar.aspx
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Southeast Asia
SBY’s Pluralist Legacy in Tatters, Survey Confirms
Apr 23, 2014
Jakarta. As Indonesia debates the merits of the three-decade rule of strongman Suharto, the one thing the country seems to agree on is that the dictator fared better on protecting religious freedoms than the democratically elected incumbent, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Fewer that 40 percent of 1,200 Indonesians polled last week said Yudhoyono’s stewardship of the country’s religious pluralism was a success, compared to 45 percent for the late Suharto, according the Indonesian Survey Network, or LSI.
In fact, says LSI researcher Ardian Sopa, Yudhoyono was the worst-scoring president in this regard among the six presidents in Indonesia’s history.
Sukarno, the country’s founding president, came out on top with an approval rating of 65 percent, followed by Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid with 58 percent, B.J. Habibie with 49 percent and Megawati Soekarnoputri with 44 percent.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/sbys-pluralist-legacy-tatters-survey-confirms/
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Kelantan yet to decide on special sitting to discuss Hudud law
APRIL 23, 2014
The Kelantan government has yet to make any decision if it was necessary to convene a special state legislative assembly sitting to discuss the proposed implementation of Hudud law in the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said the state government would think carefully if the government needed to call for such a meeting.
"We will see if the special sitting should be held in June or October this year when the legislative assembly convenes as scheduled," he told reporters after the launch of the book Tok Guru-Sebuah Biografi Awal in Kota Baru today.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kelantan-yet-to-decide-on-special-sitting-to-discuss-hudud-law-bernama
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Extremists have no place in Malaysian society, says Khairy
Apr 23, 2014
Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (pic) has denounced political and religious extremists in Malaysia, saying they did not belong "in our society".
Addressing more than 800 Malaysian university students who had come from all parts of Australia to attend the Second Malaysian Summit of Australia (Masa) in Melbourne, he pleaded with them to take the middle path.
Advising them to engage a common or central narrative for the good of the nation, he urged the students to follow the spirit of Rukun Negara (Principles which Guide and Govern Malaysia) to survive and thrive in a modern world.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/extremists-have-no-place-in-malaysian-society-says-khairy-bernama
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Police hunt for instigators of ‘religious strife’ in Papua
April 23 2014
The police had identified and were currently hunting the instigators of a recent clash between Christians and Muslims in Sorong, West Papua, which left three people injured with arrow wounds, National Police chief Gen. Sutarman said.
The police chief said the clash was triggered by the beating last Friday of a man, identified as Haji Soleh Johar, who was on his way to a mosque for dawn prayers. The incident was used by a pro-independence group to wreak havoc in the region, he said.
“We are searching for [Haji’s] assailant. He belongs to a group that wants to gain Papua’s independence by pitting Muslims and Christians against one another,” Sutarman said on the sidelines of an event at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He called on the public in Papua and West Papua provinces to not allow itself to be provoked by the recent incident. “We have explained everything to the public to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future,” Sutarman added.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/04/23/police-hunt-instigators-religious-strife-papua.html
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North America
Lawsuit Accuses FBI Of Using No-Fly List To Get American Muslims To Become Informants
Apr 23, 2014
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses the FBI of using the no-fly list to coerce American Muslims into becoming law enforcement informants.
Four Muslim men who are either American citizens or legal permanent U.S. residents assert in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York, that the FBI's use of the no-fly list violates their First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights and breaks administrative procedures and religious freedom laws. They ask the court to order them removed from the no-fly list and to award them unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
People named on the U.S. no-fly list are prevented from boarding any flight starting from, ending in or passing over the country. Three of the plaintiffs -- Muhammad Tanvir, Jameel Algibhah, Naveed Shinwari -- claim they were added to the no-fly list after refusing for religious reasons to serve as FBI informants. The fourth, Awais Sajjad, says in the lawsuit that he was put on the list, and was "subjected to extensive interrogation" and asked to be an informant, after inquiring how to get removed from the list.
Full report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/22/fbi-no-fly-list_n_5194777.html
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Washington calls S. Sudan violence an 'abomination'
Apr 23, 2014
The White House expressed horror at what it called the "abomination" of spiralling violence in South Sudan's civil war, where rebels have been accused of massacring hundreds of civilians.
The rebels seized the town and oil-hub of Bentiu last week, unleashing two days of ethnic slaughter as they hunted down civilians sheltering in mosques, churches and a hospital, butchering dozens on the roadside, according to the United Nations.
"We are horrified by reports out of South Sudan that fighters aligned with rebel leader Riek Machar massacred hundreds of innocent civilians last week in Bentiu," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99622/World/Region/Washington-calls-SSudan-violence-an-abomination.aspx
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US embassy asked to remove Sheikh Rashid from ‘no-fly’ list
2014-04-23
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s standing committee on rules of procedure and privileges, on Tuesday, decided to contact Mr Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the prime minister on national security and foreign affairs, to take the up the issue of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s name on the ‘no-fly’ list with the United States (US) embassy.
The president of Awami Muslim League and member of National Assembly (MNA) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, on March 21, faced an embarrassing situation at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, when he was barred from boarding an airplane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flying to Toronto.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1101749/us-embassy-asked-to-remove-sheikh-rashid-from-no-fly-list
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State Dept. says Egypt cleared for US military aid: AP
Apr 23, 2014
The Obama administration said Tuesday it has certified that Egypt is upholding its 35-year-old peace treaty with Israel and therefore qualifies for some military and counterterrorism assistance.
A congressional aide said the decision clears the way for the release of Apache helicopters to Egypt, which the United States has held up since the July ouster of Egyptian Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood-led government.
"Today, Secretary (of State John) Kerry spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister (Nabil) Fahmy to inform him that he is certifying to Congress that Egypt is sustaining the strategic relationship with the United States, including by countering transnational threats such as terrorism and weapons proliferation, and that Egypt is upholding its obligations under the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in an emailed statement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/99621/Egypt/Politics-/State-Dept-says-Egypt-cleared-for-US-military-aid-.aspx
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US considering Bangladesh’s request for more military equipment
Apr 23, 2014
Secretary (bilateral) of the Foreign Ministry Mustafa Kamal and Kelly held the press conference after a day-long dialogue on security for the third time
Bangladesh has sought more military equipment from the United States and Washington says it is considering the matter positively.
“Bangladesh did express its interest in receiving more equipment from the US. There are various ways for Bangladesh to obtain military equipment from the United States,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tom Kelly yesterday said at a joint press briefing in Dhaka.
Secretary (bilateral) of the Foreign Ministry Mustafa Kamal and Kelly held the press conference after a day-long dialogue on security for the third time.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/foreign-affairs/2014/apr/23/us-considering-bangladesh%E2%80%99s-request-more-military-equipment#sthash.vdTZyzy4.dpuf
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Obama to seek fresh start with Malaysia in overdue visit
Apr 23, 2014
Barack Obama will this weekend become the first US president to visit Malaysia for nearly 50 years, seeking to put decades of uneasy relations behind him as both cast wary eyes on a rising China.
Obama – who visits Saturday-Monday – is expected to tout the US's friendship with the economically thriving moderate Muslim nation.
As one of several rival claimants to parts of the South China Sea, Malaysia is also an important partner in the US "rebalance" of its strategic attention to Asia, where concern is rising over Beijing's territorial assertiveness.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/obama-to-seek-fresh-start-with-malaysia-in-overdue-visit
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India
Kashmir militants gun down 3 ahead of polls
Apr 23, 2014
Militants shot dead three people in Kashmir in attacks that appeared to be intended to intimidate locals who are due to vote in a general election later this week.
The execution-style attacks targeted two village council heads in Anantnag district.
The police and the army launched a combined operation to find the militants suspected of executing the attacks, the most serious in Jammu and Kashmir.
Village headman, Mohammad Anwar Sheikh of Amlar Tral was killed on Monday, while in another village, Batgund Tral, a village headman and his son were shot dead by militants.
Relatives and crowd of residents gathered at the deceased headman’s house to express grief.
A relative of the deceased, Bashir Ahmed, said on Tuesday that a few unidentified men opened fire at the headman. “We were going to offer prayers. While we were inside the mosque, someone came from outside and informed that a firing has taken place. When we came out we saw a body lying outside,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/kashmir-militants-gun-down-3-ahead-of-polls/article5938315.ece
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Vote Congress, Shia groups urge Muslims
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Softening their stand on the Congress, prominent Shia organisations, community leaders and Islamic scholars Tuesday appealed to Muslims to vote for the party in the ongoing national elections.
Top Shia leaders announced their decision Tuesday after a meeting late Monday night in the city, an official said.
"Remember the Gujarat riots before voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. It's the RSS which is trying to make him a hero," Khoja Ashan Ashri Jamaat president Safdar Karmali said on behalf of various groups.
Karmali said the Muslim community "is not safe" under Modi and in order to foil the designs of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Muslims must vote for parties with secular credentials, which are the Congress and its allies.
Ali Akbar Sharoff, another prominent Shia leader, said that past differences of the community with the Congress and its leaders like Ahmed Patel must be buried now and Muslims should cast their votes in favour of that party.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-vote-congress-shia-groups-urge-muslims-1981059
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South Asia
Qaisar handed me over to Pak army: Freedom fighter tells war crimes trial
Apr 23, 2014
A freedom fighter yesterday testified that Syed Mohammad Qaisar and his accomplices had handed him over to the Pakistani army during the Liberation War and the army's torture forced him to amputate his left leg.
Shah Hussain Ali, son of martyred Shah Firoz Ali of Habiganj, said the accused and his aides had also handed his father over to the occupation army and that his father never returned.
Hussain testified before International Crimes Tribunal-2 as the eighth prosecution witness in Qaisar's case. The freedom fighter said he and his father had to face dire consequences, as he joined the Liberation War and his father contributed in organising war in Habiganj.
Earlier, Hussain's younger brother Shah Hasan Ali testified as the seventh prosecution witness in the case, giving almost an identical description of the incidents and sought justice.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/city/qaisar-handed-me-over-to-pak-army-21208
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Foreign envoys want new image for Bangladesh
Apr 23, 2014
Foreign envoys have expressed hope that authorities of Bangladesh will work together for a new image of the country with improved working conditions for the factory workers.
“This large and growing garment sector is critical to Bangladesh's economy,” the high commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Heather Cruden said.
“It is responsible for significant increases in women's employment and economic empowerment of the country,” she said at a programme on Tuesday.
British High Commissioner Robert Gibson said Bangladesh made significant progress since Rana Plaza tragedy but “big challenges still remain.”
“UK's support is focused on the areas where action is needed: improving building safety and working conditions, empowering workers and urging buyers to take responsibility of their supply chain.”
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/labour/2014/apr/23/foreign-envoys-want-new-image-bangladesh#sthash.Z6pi4sYY.dpuf
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China says probing reports Chinese chlorine used in Syria attack
World Bulletin/News Desk
Apr 23, 2014
China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it was investigating reports that a chlorine canister bearing the name of the country's biggest arms maker was shown in footage believed to document a gas attack in Syria this month.
Attacks this month in several areas in Syria share characteristics that have led analysts to believe that there is a coordinated chlorine bomb campaign, with growing evidence that it is the government side dropping the weapons.
In the rebel-held village of Kfar Zeita in the central province of Hama, 125 miles (200 km) north of Damascus, opposition activists uploaded video of people choking and being fed oxygen following what they said were bombs dropped from helicopters on April 11 and 12.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/134503/china-says-probing-reports-chinese-chlorine-used-in-syria-attack
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President Yameen call on the military to maintain discipline and professionalism
By Ahmed Rilwan | April 22nd, 2014
President Abdulla Yameen has called on military officials to maintain discipline and professional standards in their service.
“The state wants to make soldiers professional. The security of the state depends on the professionalism of soldiers.”
“Political ideology should not enter the ranks of soldiers,” said Yameen – the commander in chief of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
Yameen’s comments were made during a ceremony held in Malé to mark the 122nd anniversary of the military service in the Maldives. The occasion also saw the launch of the military’s own television station and the presentation of numerous awards.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/president-yameen-call-on-the-military-to-maintain-discipline-and-professionalism-83265
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No re-votes as High Court concludes Majlis election-related cases
By Ahmed Naish | April 23rd, 2014
The High Court has delivered verdicts today in 13 election-related cases filed by losing candidates in the March 22 parliamentary polls seeking annulment of the results.
In 12 cases, the High Court ruled that there were no grounds to annul the results and order a re-vote as the evidence submitted was not sufficient to prove electoral fraud.
In the case concerning the Lhaviyani Kurendhoo constituency, the court ruled that there were no grounds to grant the request for a recount of ballot boxes.
Losing candidates from both opposition and government-aligned parties had challenged the outcome of the Majlis elections.
The 13 constituencies were Haa Dhaal Nolhivaram, Shaviyani Funadhoo, Lhaviyani Kurendhoo, Lhaviyani Naifaru, Kaafu Kaashidhoo, Vaavu Felidhoo, Thaa Thimarafushi, Laamu Isdhoo, Gaaf Alif Villigili, Gaaf Alif Gemanafushi and the mid-Hithadhoo, Hithadhoo North and Feydhoo constituencies in Addu City.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/no-re-votes-as-high-court-concludes-majlis-election-related-cases-83312
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Myanmar's Muslim Rohingyas say they're facing nutrition crisis
Apr 23, 2014
In Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, violence and poverty run rampant.
Now, Muslim Rohingyas there say it's affecting their health.
They say their children are suffering from malnutrition and that it's a direct result of aid workers being attacked in the region.
"My children have been facing food problems for three months since the NGOs left. We have no food support, no medicine, nothing. There is no donor either."
Warehouses belonging to aid groups like UNHCR and UNICEF were attacked in March.
Workers were immediately evacuated.
Full report at:
http://www.trust.org/item/20140423074517-zsovq/?source=hpeditorial
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2 new UZ chairmen, among 38 Jamaat-Shibir men held
Apr 23, 2014
Police arrested 38 activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, including two newly elected upazila parishad chairmen, from different districts yesterday.
The arrestees are accused of different crimes including subversive activities, said police.
In Chapainawabganj, police arrested Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mokhlesur Rahman, also newly elected chairman of Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila parishad, from Parjatan motel area in Rajshahi city yesterday morning on charges of different criminal cases.
Protesting the arrest and demanding his release, district unit of Jamaat has called hartal in Chapainawabganj district for eight hours from 6:00am to 2:00pm today.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/country/2-new-uz-chairmen-among-38-jamaat-shibir-men-held-21200
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Africa
Tunisia approves entry of Israeli tourists despite opposition
Apr 23, 2014
Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa announced Wednesday that the security authorities in his country have approved the entry of Israeli tourists to Tunisia.
"There is a decision to allow Israeli tourists into Tunisia," Jomaa said at an economic conference in Tunis.
"The aim is that the tourist season be a success," he said.
The decision caused a backlash from the Tunisian opposition, who were quick to accuse the government of being lenient and "normalizing relations with Israel."
Eighty members of the Tunisian parliament demanded that the Tunisian Minister of Tourism Amal Kirbul and the Interior Minister Rida Separ, be brought for a hearing on the issue.
The Tunisian prime minister welcomed the hearing on the condition that it be conducted in an "objective and transparent manner, absent any political interests."
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Tunisia-approves-entry-of-Israeli-tourists-despite-opposition-350151
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Abducted in Libya, diplomat pleads to Tunisian govt to act
Apr 23, 2014
TRIPOLI/TUNIS: A Tunisian diplomat kidnapped in Libya pleaded with his government to negotiate with his captors, according to a video released by a rebel group on Sunday evening.
Libyan rebels have seized two Tunisian diplomats in the past month to demand the release of fellow militants jailed in Tunisia for attacking security forces there in 2011, according to the Tunisian government.
Entitled “message of the kidnapped Tunisian diplomat Mohammed Bel Sheikh to the Tunisian government and his family” the video, published on social media, showed the diplomat crying.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/559481
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Uganda says Islamist rebel leader has fled eastern Congo
Apr 23, 2014
(Reuters) - The leader of a Ugandan Islamist rebel group has fled his hideout in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after a U.N.-backed offensive destroyed several camps belonging to his militia, Uganda's military said on Tuesday.
Jamil Mukulu, head of the ADF-NALU group, had escaped to another country, a Ugandan army spokesman said, weeks after the Congolese army said it was close to crushing the rebels with the support of U.N. forces and attack helicopters.
"We understand Jamil Mukulu is no longer in eastern Congo," spokesman Ronald Kakurungu told Reuters. "ADF started to feel pressure (and) some international allies evacuated him to another country."
Full report at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/uk-uganda-militants-adf-idUKBREA3L10O20140422
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/senior-lebanese-cleric-stresses-importance/d/76705