Somali capital Mogadishu hit by 'suicide attack', Five Killed
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 Jul 2013
A Facebook page claiming links with the Muslim Brotherhood pledges “sexual jihad” to people camping in a pro-Mursi sit-in in Cairo. (Photo credit: http://www.facebook.com/I5watNekab?filter=3)
Africa
• Somali capital Mogadishu hit by 'suicide attack', Five Killed
• Morocco’s ruling Islamists isolated after key ally quits
• Boko Haram leader says ‘supports’ Nigeria school massacre
• Nigeria denies bail to Lebanese ‘linked to Hezbollah’
• Libyan revolutionary hero escapes ambush
Mideast
• Palestinians say destruction of olive groves is an Israeli ‘terror campaign’
• Nablus mayor: If Kerry peace bid fails, Palestinians will take to streets against Israel
• Turkish Supreme Court allows couple to name their baby girl Kürdistan
• Non-Muslim communities join fraternal Sisli iftar
• Hamas claims increased contact with European countries
• 135,000 worshipers pray at Al-Aqusa despite Israeli curbs
Europe
• Bomb goes off in UK mosque just before Ramzan prayers
• UK police set to arrest MQM’s Altaf Hussain?
• Retrial ordered for Islamist who attacked US embassy
• UN urges Egypt to rethink new entry rule for Syrians
• Pakistani Taliban set up base in Syria, BBC reports
• Snowden says he wants asylum in Russia, accepts Putin's terms
Arab World
• Damascus shelling kills 15
• Stop bloodletting, Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah urged Muslims
• 150-year-old religious treasure goes on display at mall for Ramadan in Dubai
• Pro-Mursi protesters are awaiting signal for ‘sexual Jihad:’ report
• Arab students in Israel are turning to Yiddish
• Egypt's banned TV stations use state unit for broadcasts
• Memories vivid at Iraq torture center turned museum
• Egypt's Islamists take to streets of Cairo, but protests peaceful
• Iraqi foreign minister says can’t stop Iranian arms flights to Syria
• 11 jailed for Qaeda ties; 2 sentenced for EP riots
• Egyptians try to define religion’s place in politics
• Anti-sectarianism during a time of religious charity
• Egypt's overthrow of Morsi creates uncertainty for Islamists everywhere
India
• Kashmir Deobandi Scholars Vow to Fight Social Evils
• US exit: India steps up Afghan army training
• Union minister Rahman Khan Calls Modi unstable over 'puppy' remark
• ‘Hizbul Mujahideen’ posters spread fear in Anantnag
Pakistan
• Army wants to swing ‘iron hand’ at terrorists
• Country heading for a bloody revolution: Peshawar High Court
• Zardari felicitates Malala on UN event
• MQM being targeted for anti-Taliban policies: Sattar
• Six government websites hacked by Afghan hackers
• Failure not an option in war on terror: PM
• District Courts vulnerable to terror: Survey
• Fazl wants Afghan peace process to continue
• Spare a Thought for the Hazaras of Quetta
• 615 schools closed in Balochistan
• Militants kill nephew of Baloch nationalist leader Jan Mohammad Buledi
Southeast Asia
• Malay groups give ultimatum to Vatican envoy - apologise or get out
• Indonesian President Resort to social media for updates of prison break in Medan
• Indonesian police hunt 131 in prison breakout
• Does the Election Commission really think Malaysians have a short memory?
• Thailand, Muslim rebels eye Ramadan peace
North America
• US officials: Israel is responsible for Syrian missile depot attack
• Arab countries among those urging release of Gitmo detainees
• US gears up efforts to bring Taliban, Karzai to table
• Syria, Iran don’t belong in UN rights body, says US
• US urges Egypt's army to free Morsi, supporters defiant
• Obama emphasizes US commitment to Syrian rebels in Saudi call
• US asks Russia not to give Snowden 'propaganda platform'
South Asia
• Majlis accepts Bill on Amendments to Local Council Elections Act
• PPM Council Member has not done anything worthy of an apology
• Hassan Saeed and followers decide to form coalition with President Waheed
• Committee compiles report on the “Bill on Soft Loans for Women” in Maldives
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Africa
Somali capital Mogadishu hit by 'suicide attack', Five Killed
13 July 2013
At least five people have been killed in a suicide attack targeting African Union peacekeepers in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, witnesses say.
A witness told the BBC he had seen the bodies of five civilians after a car exploded.
The AU has confirmed that two of its soldiers were wounded in the attack on one of its armoured vehicles which was on its way to the airport.
The al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab has said it carried out the attack.
Its fighters were forced from its bases in the city two years ago but they have carried out hit-and-run bombings since then.
Ahead of Ramadan, which began on Wednesday, the government warned the public that the Islamist militants tend to be more active during the holy Muslim fasting month.
'True colours'
Last month, at least 15 people, including four foreigners, were killed in an al-Shabab assault on a heavily guarded UN office in Mogadishu.
The vehicle which exploded on Friday was in the same area of the capital, not far from the airport and several blocks away from the UN office.
A witness in the area told the BBC Somali Service the vehicle exploded in front of roadside shops.
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said the car bomber was targeting a vehicle belonging to the AU force, known as Amisom, on the road to the airport and several civilians had been killed and wounded.
"Once again the enemies of peace show their true colours to the world - Muslims killing Muslims in the holy month of Ramadan," he said in a statement.
"Our Somali security forces are stepping up operations to prevent such attacks and we will leave no stone unturned to keep our people safe."
On pro-al-Shabab websites, the Islamist group said it targeted the convoy because a number of US officials were travelling in it.
"We are behind the martyrdom explosion... The Americans were our main target," its spokesman Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters news agency.
Amisom spokesman Col Ali Aden Houmed said the force had suffered "two minor injuries".
"This is not something that can stop Amisom from stabilising Somalia,'' AP news agency quotes him as saying.
Al-Shabab is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia - and despite being pushed out of key cities in the past two years still remains in control of smaller towns and large swathes of the countryside.
Some 18,000 African Union troops are in Somalia supporting the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was elected by MPs last September.
His administration is the first one in more than two decades to be recognised by the US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23291562
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Morocco’s ruling Islamists isolated after key ally quits
July 12, 2013
RABAT — Morocco’s ruling Islamists are in need of a new ally after their main coalition partners made good on their threat to quit the government, raising the possibility of early elections.
The Party of Justice and Development (PJD) shot to power for the first time after triumphing in parliamentary polls held in 2011 as one of the democratic measures offered by the monarchy in response to Arab Spring protests sweeping Morocco.
But key coalition partner, the nationalist Istiqlal Party, which held several ministerial portfolios including education and the economy, said in May that it planned to resign over the PJD’s failure to shore up the economy and solve pressing social problems.
It finally did so after the return from a private holiday in France of King Mohammed IV, who had urged the party to go back on its decision.
On Tuesday, five out of six Istiqlal ministers submitted their resignations barring education minister Mohamed El-Ouafa who held on his portfolio forcing the party to suspend him, party spokesman Adil Benhamza told AFP.
To hold on to the reins of power, as other Islamist parties in the region have struggled to do, the PJD is now faced with two choices, according to political analyst Mohamed Darif.
A cabinet reshuffle would be the most obvious short-term solution but the alternative is to call fresh elections, “in order to secure a new majority in the polls,” Darif told AFP.
The PJD’s leadership will meet on Saturday to decide its next step, but Darif says the likeliest scenario is a reshuffle, “which means a new coalition with one or two new parties” to fill the 60 seats held by Istiqlal in Morocco’s House of Representatives.
Local press reports indicate that talks have already begun with the National Rally of Independents, which has 52 seats in parliament.
But such an alliance could turn out to be a mismatch, Darif argues.
“The RNI is a party that voted against the government program drawn up by the Islamists. Going along with it now would go down badly” with its supporters, he says.
If the RNI were to join the Islamists, the government program adopted in January 2012 would have to pass again through parliament.
But the ruling coalition’s prospects couldn’t get much worse than they have been in recent months, when the rivalry between Istiqlal’s leader Hamid Chabat and Islamist Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane frequently spilled into the open.
When it announced its decision to pull out of the coalition, Chabat’s party, which led the previous ruling alliance, accused the Islamists of inaction and of monopolizing decisions.
The political deadlock has prompted fears of government paralysis at a time when Morocco is under pressure to implement much-needed social reforms, notably on costly subsidies, and to fix its ailing public finances.
The country last year faced a budget deficit of more than seven percent of GDP.
Some within the PJD appear to favour the option of new elections.
“It would clear up the situation completely and it is also the wish of some of our party leaders,” Abdelaziz Aftati, a lawmaker from the Islamist party told AFP.
The PJD’s popularity is undeniable, with a recent opinion poll showing Benkirane still having widespread support among the electorate. — AFP
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130713173299
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Boko Haram leader says ‘supports’ Nigeria school massacre
JULY 13, 2013
The head of Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists said he supported a July 6 attack on a school that killed 42 people, but did not claim responsibility for the massacre, in a video obtained by AFP today.
"We fully support the attack on this Western education school in Mamudo," in northern Yobe state, Abubakar Shekau said in the 10-minute video message.
The video was delivered to AFP in a manner consistent with previous statements from the Islamist leader, who has been declared a global terrorist by The United States.
The early morning gun and bomb attack at a boarding school in the Mamudo district of Yobe saw assailants round up students and staff in a dormitory before throwing explosives inside and opening fire, according to witnesses.
Most of those killed were students.
In the video, Shekau described all "Western education schools" as a "plot against Islam".
He however stopped short of claiming to have ordered the attack.
"We don't attack students," he said in the Hausa language message.
Yobe state was one of three areas placed under a state of emergency in May ahead of a sweeping military offensive against Boko Haram.
Roughly translated, Boko Haram means "Western education is sin."
He later said his fighters "do not attack students", and did not claim to have ordered the killings. - ADP, July 13, 2013.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/boko-haram-leader-says-supports-nigeria-school-massacre/
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Nigeria denies bail to Lebanese ‘linked to Hezbollah’
13 July 2013
Abuja: A Nigerian court yesterday denied bail to three Lebanese nationals charged with terrorism over their alleged links to the powerful Hezbollah group.
A high court judge refused bail for three Lebanese-Nigerian men accused of hoarding an arms cache in Nigeria’s troubled north for the Lebanese political party and militant movement Hezbollah.
Mustapha Fawaz, 49, Abdallah Thahini, 48, and Talal Ahmad Roda, 51, were charged last month after a massive supply of weapons was found at a business in the capital Abuja and a private home in the northern city of Kano.
A fourth suspect is said to be on the run.
“There is the likelihood ... that the first, second and third accused persons may not appear for trial,” said High Court Justice Adeniyi Ademola Adetokunbo.
The request “for the accused persons to be admitted to bail is hereby refused.”
The security services have claimed that the weapons discovered at the two premises were intended to attack Israeli and Western targets in Nigeria.
Prosecutors have said the group was actively preparing to commit “a terrorist act.”
The judge also denied a request to re-open the businesses operated by the accused, which include a supermarket and an amusement park in the capital. The Lebanese suspects, who are said to also hold Nigerian citizenship, have pleaded not guilty to all six counts of the terrorism-related offences.
According to court documents, the trio has admitted to being members of Hezbollah. Belonging to the group is not a crime under Nigerian law.
Nigeria is grappling with a deadly insurgency waged by Boko Haram, but there has been no suggestion of any ties between the Lebanese accused and the Nigerian extremist group.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is home to a sizeable Lebanese population, including in the mainly Muslim north.
Judge Adeniyi Ademola Adetokunbo said yesterday the men and quantity of arms discovered “pose national security challenges.”
Northeast Nigeria is under a state of emergency to halt an uprising by extremists.
Soldiers in May recovered rocket-propelled grenades, land mines, hand grenades and assault rifle magazines in a bunker under a bedroom in the northern city of Kano.
The judge at Abuja Federal High Court said the three likely would flee rather than stand trial on charges carrying a sentence of life imprisonment.
The judge sealed off the men’s businesses for investigation. A trial is set for July 29.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/457856
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Libyan revolutionary hero escapes ambush
Jul 13, 2013
TRIPOLI — A leading revolutionary fighter turned army commander escaped assassination on Thursday when his vehicle was fired at.
The commander’s car came under the bullet attack as he left a Tripoli supply base.
Said Amer Guji, a mobile force commander attached to the Army chief of Staff, was leaving the depot at Bawabat Aljibs when armed men in another car came alongside and began firing. Guji returned fire and the attackers made off, but not before injuring him in the head and hands. He was treated at a hospital in Mitiga.
During the liberation, Guji was a prominent revolutionary leader fighting with the Jadu brigade. — Libya Herald
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130713173300
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Mideast
Palestinians say destruction of olive groves is an Israeli ‘terror campaign’
Hugh Naylor
Jul 13, 2013
AWARTA, WEST BANK // Israeli settlers have felled more than 1,000 olive and almond trees that have been cultivated for generations by Palestinians, say villagers in this verdant hamlet.
The destruction of trees in Awarta highlights the challenges faced by the roughly 80,000 Palestinian families living under Israeli occupation who depend on the olive industry for their livelihood.
"They've destroyed 150 of my olive trees and 300 of my almond trees," said Fouzan Awwad, 53, a father of six and a member of one of the 23 families who have farmed this area in the West Bank hills east of Nablus. Some of the olive trees were more than a century old.
"This is my income, and now it's gone."
Mr Awwad, like many of Awarta's 7,000 residents, say the felling of their trees that started late last month is an attempt by Israel to seize more of their land.
They also see it as a part of a campaign by ultranationalist Jews to intimidate Palestinians by raiding their villages, damaging their property and spray-painting bigoted graffiti on homes, mosques and churches.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/palestinians-say-destruction-of-olive-groves-is-an-israeli-terror-campaign#ixzz2Yuv2t9om
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Nablus mayor: If Kerry peace bid fails, Palestinians will take to streets against Israel
13 July 2013
Ghassan Shaka'a, a veteran member of the PLO leadership, told Israel Radio that Israel's refusal to make concessions, release prisoners is pushing moderate Palestinians in the West Bank to support Hamas.
Israel and the Palestinians are headed toward another round of street clashes if peace efforts spearheaded by US Secretary of State John Kerry fail, the mayor of Nablus told Israel Radio on Saturday.
Ghassan Shaka'a, who has also served as a veteran functionary in the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Israel Radio that Palestinians in the West Bank will take to the streets and demonstrate against Israel if the peace process remains stalled.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Nablus-mayor-If-Kerry-peace-bid-fails-Palestinians-will-take-to-streets-319695
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Turkish Supreme Court allows couple to name their baby girl Kürdistan
13 July 2013
The Supreme Court upheld an appeal allowing a Kurdish couple to name their baby girl "Kürdistan" on July 13.
“Every person is obligated to have a name. The right of choosing a name that identifies with the person’s life and becomes an indistinguishable part of its personality is a fundamental individual right, guaranteed by the Constitution,” the Supreme Court said in its ruling.
A local civil registry had filed a complaint in 2011 against the Toprak family living in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa’s Hilvan district on the basis that the name could “offend the society.” The local court ruled in favor of the complainant, changing the baby girl’s name to “Helin.”
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-supreme-court-allows-couple-to-name-their-baby-girl-kurdistan.aspx?pageID=238&nID=50630&NewsCatID=339
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Non-Muslim communities join fraternal Sisli iftar
13 July 2013
Some 600 people, including Jews, Greek and Armenian Turks came together for an iftar dinner organized by the Sisli Municipality and the Anadolu Kültür foundation.
The “iftar” (fast-breaking) dinner that took place on July 11 in Istanbul’s Sisli neighborhood, where minorities constitute most of the inhabitants, was a “dinner of abundance, friendship, brotherhood,” according to Mustafa Sarigül, the mayor of Sisli.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/non-muslim-communities-join-fraternal-sisli-iftar.aspx?pageID=238&nID=50613&NewsCatID=341
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Hamas claims increased contact with European countries
12 July 2013
European governments including Britain have stepped up back-channel contacts with Hamas despite an official EU policy of political isolation, in an effort to understand and possibly influence debate in the Islamist group about its future direction, according to four senior Hamas officials.
Meetings between Hamas and European government representatives and intermediaries have taken place in Gaza, Cairo and European capitals over recent months, the officials said.
The EU banned contact between its member states and the Islamist organisation when the latter took over Gaza in 2007, and Hamas is classified as a terrorist organisation by Brussels.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/12/european-hamas-contact-eu-gaza
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135,000 worshipers pray at Al-Aqsa despite Israeli curbs
Jul 13, 2013
RAMALLAH — The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine Sheikh Mohammed Hussein said that some 135,000 Palestinian worshipers succeeded in reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem for the Friday prayers of the blessed month of Ramadan despite Israeli restrictions.
Hussein said that “the worshipers reached Al-Aqsa Mosque despite the strict Israeli measures at the military checkpoint surrounding the occupied city of Jerusalem.”
Since the early hours of Friday morning, thousands of Palestinian from across the northern West Bank cities, Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Jenin gathered at the Qalandyah crossing, north of Jerusalem, Al-Aizariyah crossing to the east of Jerusalem and ‘Rachel’ checkpoint to the south of the city waiting in long-crowded rows to be allowed entry.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130713173325
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Europe
Bomb goes off in UK mosque just before Ramzan prayers
Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Jul 13, 2013
LONDON: Shortly before the first Friday prayers during Ramzan, there was scare at a mosque in a town in central England after a loud bang, which police said was a "suspected bomb blast". There were no immediate reports of injuries. Locals said it was a providential escape for many as the prayer timings were changed from 1pm to 2pm while the explosion was heard around 1.06pm outside the mosque at Tipton near Birmingham.
Area MP, Adrian Bailey, said it was an improvised nail bomb kept on the rain line in front of the mosque where people sit and pray.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Bomb-goes-off-in-UK-mosque-just-before-Ramzan-prayers/articleshow/21048330.cms
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UK police set to arrest MQM’s Altaf Hussain?
Imtiaz Ahmad , Hindustan Times
July 13, 2013
The noose is tightening around Altaf Husain, leader of the Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), with strong rumours that the UK police would arrest him over the weekend. Husain, who lives in self-exile in London, is facing an investigation over money laundering and there is a
possibility that the discovery of unaccounted for hundreds of thousands of pounds from his house may lead to his arrest.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/UK-police-set-to-arrest-MQM-s-Altaf-Hussain/Article1-1091622.aspx
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Retrial ordered for Islamist who attacked US embassy
13 July 2013
A Bosnian appeals court on Friday ordered the retrial of an Islamist extremist who opened fire on the US embassy in Sarajevo in 2011, citing failures to respect his legal rights.
Mevlid Jasarevic, 24, was given an 18-year sentence in December 2012, the heaviest ever handed down for terrorism offences by a Bosnian court.
But the appeals court said in a statement the verdict was "annulled" and announced a new trial due to "serious procedural breaches" and "violation of [the] defendant's rights", without giving specific details.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/76350/World/Region/Retrial-ordered-for-Islamist-who-attacked-US-embas.aspx
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UN urges Egypt to rethink new entry rule for Syrians
13 July 2013
The UN refugee agency on Friday expressed deep concern over a new Egyptian visa requirement for Syrians and reports that Syrian refugees were being returned to their war-ravaged country.
"I appeal to the Egyptian authorities, as I have to all other governments in the world, to admit and protect all Syrians seeking refuge in their country," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/76343/Egypt/Politics-/UN-urges-Egypt-to-rethink-new-entry-rule-for-Syria.aspx
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Pakistani Taliban set up base in Syria, BBC reports
Jul 13, 2013
KARACHI: The Pakistan Taliban militants set up a cell in Syria six months ago to monitor "the jihad" in the region, the BBC Urdu website reported on Friday.
The militants had visited Syria to set up a base with the assistance of ex-Afghan fighter from the Middle East who had recently moved to the region and to assess the "needs of jihad", Mohammad Amin, a Taliban operative told BBC.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1028542/pakistani-taliban-set-up-base-in-syria-bbc-reports
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Snowden says he wants asylum in Russia, accepts Putin's terms
AP | Jul 13, 2013
MOSCOW: Edward Snowden emerged from weeks of hiding in a Moscow airport, saying on Friday that he wants asylum in Russia before moving on to Latin America and assailing US surveillance programmes as illegal and immoral at a meeting with a dozen Russian officials and rights activists.
The developments cleared up uncertainty about where the former National Security Agency systems analyst is, but left open the big question: What comes next?
Snowden said he was ready to meet President Vladimir Putin's condition that he stop leaking secrets if it means Russia would give him shelter that could eventually help him get to Latin America. There was no immediate response from Putin's office, but speakers of both houses of the Kremlin-controlled parliament spoke in support of Snowden's plea.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Snowden-says-he-wants-asylum-in-Russia-accepts-Putins-terms/articleshow/21047499.cms
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Arab World
Damascus shelling kills 15
Jul 13, 2013
BEIRUT — Fifteen people were killed Friday in shelling in Syria’s capital, among them six in the heart of the city, as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan entered its third day, a watchdog said.
“Six people were killed when three shells (likely launched by rebels) hit Baghdad Street in the center of the city. Nine others were killed in massive (regime) shelling of Qaboon in northwestern Damascus,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130713173330
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Stop bloodletting, Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah urged Muslims
Jul 13, 2013
MAKKAH/MADINAH – Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais said the Muslim Ummah is still in discord and its issues have aggravated and the bloodletting is continuing.
In his sermon on the first Friday of Ramadan, Al-Sudais said, “The people of wounded Syria and steadfast Homs are being killed by the armies of oppression and tyranny in total violation of human rights, international norms and war conventions. The supply of relief material and medicines is being blocked.”
On behalf of fasting Muslims, he called for the cessation of genocide and starvation of the Syrian people.
He stressed that humanitarian relief should be allowed to enter the country immediately, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130713173345
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150-year-old religious treasure goes on display at mall for Ramadan in Dubai
Melanie Swan
Jul 13, 2013
DUBAI // A 150-year-old religious icon, the Damascene Mahmal, has been given a temporary home at Dubai Mall for Ramadan.
The hand-crafted treasure has silver and gold calligraphy on silk and was designed for transport on a camel.
The Mahmal was used to carry the Kiswah cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca. The black cloth fully covers the Kaaba and is draped over it on the ninth day of the month of Dhu Al Hijjah, the day pilgrims leave for the plains of Mount Arafat during Hajj.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/150-year-old-religious-treasure-goes-on-display-at-mall-for-ramadan#ixzz2YuvTvdP8
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Pro-Mursi protesters are awaiting signal for ‘sexual Jihad:’ report
13 July 2013
Hardcore Muslim Brotherhood (MB) supporters are awaiting a signal to commence a campaign of 'sexual Jihad' within their sit-in camp in Cairo; which is something a Fatwa (religious edict) posted on a MB-affiliated Facebook paged suggests will soon be allowed.
The fatwa came in response to a question by a female Brotherhood supporter asking if 'sexual Jihad' is allowed in Rabea al-Adawiya Square and the rest of Egyptian squares where people have been protesting since 30 June.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2013/07/13/Pro-Mursi-protesters-are-awaiting-signal-for-sexual-Jihad-report-.html
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Arab students in Israel are turning to Yiddish
Vita Bekker
Jul 12, 2013
TEL AVIV // At first glance, Yiddish phrases such as "oy vey" may seem odd when uttered by Samah Jayosi, a Muslim Palestinian citizen of Israel. Yet the headscarf-wearing 24-year-old is one of several dozen Arab students at a major Israeli university learning about the Yiddish language and the culture of Eastern Europe's Ashkenazi Jews - a rare quest even among most young Israeli Jews who view Yiddish as useless in their daily lives.
For some Arab students, delving into Yiddish may be driven by curiosity about the language or an assumption that the course could be relatively easy because Yiddish is similar to their spoken Hebrew.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/arab-students-in-israel-are-turning-to-yiddish#ixzz2YuuoYLn0
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Egypt's banned TV stations use state unit for broadcasts
Alice Fordham
Jul 12, 2013
CAIRO// The sit-in for supporters of the deposed president is a ramshackle affair, with a platform hastily constructed from old wood, barriers cobbled together out of furniture, and people sleeping on flour sacks.
But sitting incongruously among the shambles is a bright blue state television transmission van. Its tall satellite mast rises up alongside the minaret of the Rabaa Al Adawiya mosque, and around it is a buzz of activity as broadcast technicians step over the prone bodies of those taking Ramadan snoozes.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/egypts-banned-tv-stations-use-state-unit-for-broadcasts#ixzz2YuuwePje
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Memories vivid at Iraq torture center turned museum
12 July 2013
Kamiran Aziz Ali grimaces and leans forward, his hands behind his back, re-enacting the moment in January 1990 when Saddam Hussein’s henchmen flung him into a jail cell in the “Red House.”
“I am still in pain,” Ali says. “I cannot sit down for a long time anymore.”
But mercifully for Ali, his return to the cell where he was jailed was not for real.
For years an infamous torture center earmarked for Kurdish rebels fighting Saddam’s regime — Kurdish fathers would threaten their sons with being sent to the Red House for not doing their homework or other misdeeds — the Red House is now a museum.
Full report at:
“This building was a dungeon for a dictator,” he says. “We can never forget.”
http://www.arabnews.com/news/457718
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Egypt's Islamists take to streets of Cairo, but protests peaceful
Reuters | Jul 13, 2013
CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Egyptians marched on Cairo's streets in the early hours of Saturday to demand ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi be reinstated, but there were none of the deadly clashes that swept Egypt a week ago.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood called on Friday for "a day of marching on", and 10 days after the military overthrew Egypt's first freely elected president, large crowds descended on the capital waving flags and chanting slogans.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypts-Islamists-take-to-streets-of-Cairo-but-protests-peaceful/articleshow/21049596.cms
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Iraqi foreign minister says can’t stop Iranian arms flights to Syria
13 July 2013
Iraq rejects Iran’s transfer of weapons to Syria but is unable to stop it, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in an interview published on Saturday.
Two years of fighting in Syria is dragging an already fragile Iraq into the mix as Shi’ite and Sunni fighters cross the long border between the two states.
“We reject and condemn the transfer of weapons through our airspace and we will inform the Iranian side of that formally. But we do not have the ability to stop it,” he told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, according to a translation from Reuters.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/13/Iraq-foreign-minister-says-can-t-stop-Iran-arms-flights-to-Syria.html
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11 jailed for Qaeda ties; 2 sentenced for EP riots
July 13, 2013
JEDDAH – A Saudi court has sentenced 11 people including foreigners to jail on charges including weapons training, bomb-making and ties to Al-Qaeda, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
The prison terms handed down by the special court ranged from 18 months to 15 years.
Some were convicted of “declaring that it was the duty of young people to go abroad to fight, and permitting suicide attacks, while some had links to people of the deviant doctrine.”
Some were found guilty of “weapons training and training in bomb-making at Al-Qaeda bases,” SPA said, adding that “some defendants had links to someone involved in organizing the travel of youth to fight abroad.”
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130713173349
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Egyptians try to define religion’s place in politics
July 12, 2013
By Maria Golia
“Too bad you won’t go to heaven when you die,” said the bearded gentleman beside me, referring to my non-Muslim status, “you seem like a nice person.”
We had been chatting in a packed and broiling Tahrir Square last June, awaiting the results of the second round of Egypt’s post-revolution presidential polls, a tight runoff between the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Mohammad Mursi and Ahmad Shafiq, Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister. When Mursi’s win was announced, Cairo was euphoric. However wary of political formulas covering everything from here to the hereafter, I shared most Egyptians’ opinion that the Muslim Brotherhood should have their chance. Given recent events, even they must agree that they blew it.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2013/Jul-12/223367-egyptians-try-to-define-religions-place-in-politics.ashx#ixzz2Yu1o85TJ
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Anti-sectarianism during a time of religious charity
July 13, 2013
By Beckie Strum
BEIRUT: The lines dividing the country’s sects have deepened outside the walls of Dar al-Aytam, but inside the Islamic charity, the children know but one identity: orphan. “We accept all the cases and we take care of their food and education,” said Rania Zantout, media relations officer at Dar al-Aytam. “The only thing that matters is they don’t really know who their mother and father are.”
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan brings with it annual fundraising campaigns by the country’s major Islamic charities. This is the time of year when many Muslims pay their annual zakat, a charitable sum that is based on their wealth and required by Islamic law.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Culture/Lifestyle/2013/Jul-13/223543-anti-sectarianism-during-a-time-of-religious-charity.ashx#ixzz2Yu227pNJ
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Egypt's overthrow of Morsi creates uncertainty for Islamists everywhere
12 July 2013
It was a Ramadan gift with a difference: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates dipped into their oil revenues this week to stump up a cool $12bn (£8bn) to bail out cash-strapped Egypt – a swift reward for the army's removal of President Mohamed Morsi and the stunning blow to his Muslim Brotherhood.
Morsi's removal was a big moment in the unfinished story of the Egyptian revolution. But it is also posing troubling questions for Islamists elsewhere. Can they hold on to power where they have it or win it where they do not? And does the coup against the democratically elected leader of the Arab world's largest country – albeit an unpopular and incompetent one – mean that others will shun the ballot box and turn to violence?
Egypt's Brotherhood is calling it a "naksa" (setback in Arabic). "It is like 9/11 in its magnitude," argues the independent Saudi historian Madawi al-Rasheed. "The Muslim Brothers managed to repackage themselves as moderate Islamists. Hopes were raised after the 2011 uprisings and now they are back at square one."
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/12/egypt-morsi-islamists-uncertainty
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India
Kashmir Deobandi Scholars Vow to Fight Social Evils
By Amin Masood
July 13, 2013
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Kashmiri religious scholars from the Deobandi school of thought have vowed to use their influence to fight social ills like corruption, drug addiction and eve teasing.
At a May 26th conference in Srinagar, Jamaat Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat urged people to focus on moral education and join hands in curbing social ills, after two decades of turbulence prevented such efforts.
"Now the situation has improved for over two years. Religious scholars and imams should make collective efforts and spread awareness of social ills in every nook and cranny of Kashmir," Jamaat head Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi told Khabar South Asia. "From top to bottom, corruption is rampant in every government department. Increased numbers of youths tend to get into the bad habit of drugs and eve teasing."
"It is high time for religious scholars and clerics to unite and play their role effectively in streamlining the system for the collective benefit of people."
The participants urged common folks to abandon violence and follow the right path of Islam for their own well-being and the good of society.
"Violence in all its manifestations brings death and destruction as has been witnessed in Kashmir in the past two decades. People should shun violence as it is un-Islamic and follow the right path to bring reforms in society," Moulvi Fayaz Ahmad, head of Jamaat-ul-Suliah madrasa for girls, told Khabar. "Civil society and religious leaders should form a joint taskforce aimed at spreading the message of peace and brotherhood through seminars among people of all faiths."
Spreading the message
The scholars have decided to visit schools, colleges and offices in Kashmir and hold seminars to spread awareness about the long-term implications of such behaviour, Darul Aloom Sopore head Mufti Muzaffar Hussain told Khabar. In their sermons, too, imams will urge people to come forward to help.
"It is the moral duty of religious leaders and civil society members to raise their voice against corruption, eve teasing and drug addiction and mobilise public support to put an end to the menaces," Hussain said.
State police welcomed the move.
"Although late, it is a great move, and unity among religious scholars to reform society should yield desired results. We will provide all support to these noble efforts," Kashmir Inspector General of Police Abdul Gani Mir told Khabar.
Tools for reforming society
Mohammad Irshad, a post-graduate in Islamic studies, said the initiative will be effective because the messengers are just as important as the message itself.
"Lectures from religious scholars are much more effective than teachers or social workers and would yield positive results," he said.
"Moral values are important for building a society free from corruption, drug addiction, violence and hatred," Nasim Hamid, head of University of Kashmir's Islamic studies department, told Khabar. But he urged religious leaders to make use of legal tools to combat corruption, as well.
"Apart from seminars in educational institutions, the scholars and leaders should expose the corrupt officers through Right to Information (RTI) Act and other legal means."
"State Vigilance Organisation (SVC) should strictly enforce anti-corruption laws to punish corrupt officials and politicians," Kashmir Insight editor Junaid Islam told Khabar. "People should make use of RTI and the Public Service Guarantee Act to expose the corrupt officials and help the SVC book the culprits under law."
Berlin-based Transparency International, a non-government organisation that works on corruption-related issues, ranked Jammu & Kashmir the second most corrupt state in India in 2008.
http://khabarsouthasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2013/07/13/feature-01
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US exit: India steps up Afghan army training
Rajat Pandit, TNN | Jul 13, 2013
NEW DELHI: India is stepping up training of Afghan National Army (ANA) in a major way, even as it also considers supply of military equipment to the fledgling force, in the backdrop of the US-led coalition preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014.
Defence ministry sources say "a major Indian effort has been launched for capability enhancement of the ANA" to ensure it can handle the internal security of Afghanistan after the progressive exit of the 100,000 foreign soldiers from there by end-2014.
India is worried about the stability of the strategically-located Afghanistan after the withdrawal because it is likely to witness a concomitant surge in the activity of the Taliban and its deadly arms like the Haqqani network, which have long worked in league with the Pakistani Army against Indian interests.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-exit-India-steps-up-Afghan-army-training/articleshow/21047157.cms
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Union minister Rahman Khan calls Modi unstable over 'puppy' remark
July 13, 2013
Slamming Narendra Modi's remarks on Gujarat riots, Union minority affairs minister Rahman Khan on Saturday described the Gujarat chief minister as "a frustrated person" who was not stable.
"He (Modi) is not a stable man. He doesn't know what he wants to convey to the people. Sometimes he is a Hindu nationalist and sometimes a nationalist," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Bangalore.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/bangalore/Union-minister-Rahman-Khan-calls-Modi-unstable-over-puppy-remark/Article1-1091821.aspx
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‘Hizbul Mujahideen’ posters spread fear in Anantnag
AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
Jul 13, 2013
More than militancy, it looks like a crude attempt at extortion and spreading fear: police
Posters, typeset in Urdu on behalf of the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, have spread a wave of terror in South Kashmir even as the police on Friday registered the First Information Report (FIR) here.
A militant bastion from 1990 to 1994, and an Ikhwanul Muslimoon and Muslim Mujahideen stronghold from 1995 to 1997, Anantnag has been a peaceful town for the last over 10 years.
The laser-printed posters, warning people against liaising with the police and mainstream politicians, appeared mysteriously before Sehri on Friday morning at the Jamia Masjid Hanfia, the Jamia Masjid Ahl-e-Hadith and the Rahat Dedi Masjid Lalchowk. The posters were unsigned and unstamped, but threatened as many as 33 residents by name.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/hizbul-mujahideen-posters-spread-fear-in-anantnag/article4909440.ece
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Pakistan
Army wants to swing ‘iron hand’ at terrorists
July 13, 2013
ISLAMABAD - The military command had conveyed to the ruling brass that any let up in violence was not possible unless the terrorism was dealt with an ‘iron hand’, recommending military action in the militancy infected areas, according to informed insiders.During the detailed briefings given to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif following the latter’s visit to the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters on Thursday, the military leadership had explained in depth to the premier regarding the difficulties being faced by Pakistan Army and its paramilitary and intelligence wings in course of their drive against terrorism and insurgency, it is learnt.Reportedly, during their respective presentations given to the PM, the army generals had referred to certain instances to point out the involvement of some incumbent and former government functionaries including provincial ministers in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who were allegedly instrumental in hampering the security forces operations using political clout.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/13-Jul-2013/army-wants-to-swing-iron-hand-at-terrorists
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Zardari felicitates Malala on UN event
Jul 13, 2013
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday felicitated Malala Yousufzai on her 16th birthday and the international community for celebrating the event by inviting her to a special programme organised by the United Nations in New York.
Malala was received by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and honoured to address the special session of the Youth Assembly of the world body to mark her birthday.
“Malala is the symbol of young defiant girls in all climes and all ages wishing to seek education for their emancipation and rejecting extremism, tyranny and militancy,” the president said in his message of felicitation.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1028636/zardari-felicitates-malala-on-un-event
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MQM being targeted for anti-Taliban policies: Sattar
Jul 13, 2013
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar said on Friday that his party was the only one against Talibanisation of Pakistan and that is why it was being targeted.
Speaking to the media after returning from London, Sattar said that no allegations against the MQM had been proved in court, adding that the party was subjected to several terrorist attacks during the election campaign.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\13\story_13-7-2013_pg7_4
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Six government websites hacked by Afghan hackers
Jul 13, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A group of hackers – Afghan Cyber Army – briefly breached and defaced six Pakistani government websites.
The targeted websites include mod.gov.pk (Ministry of Defence), mpnr.gov.pk (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources), ntb.gov.pk (National Training Bureau), ead.gov.pk (Economic Affairs Division), cabinet.gov.pk (Cabinet Division) and interior.gov.pk (Ministry of Interior).
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\13\story_13-7-2013_pg7_12
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Failure not an option in war on terror: PM
By Farooq Awan
Jul 13, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday looked busy in weaving the fabric of new national security policy as he visited the Ministry of Interior to fine-tune the 33-page draft compiled by the National Counter-Terrorism Authority.
A day after making a rare visit to the ISI headquarters, the prime minister told officials at the Interior Ministry that failure was not an option at all in the war against terrorism.
“We are racing against time to save our country from terrorists,” the prime minister told the interior ministry as he ordered it to finalise the policy to curb terrorism in consultation with all the provinces on fast-track basis, a source at the interior ministry told Daily Times.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\13\story_13-7-2013_pg1_1
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District Courts vulnerable to terror: Survey
July 13, 2013
Israr Ahmad
RAWALPINDI - The ex#tremists and terrorists can easily target District Courts any time because of poor security arrangements in and around the court premises as well as at newly constructed Judicial Complex, a survey conducted by The Nation revealed on Friday.
A large number of people, including lawyers, judges, litigants and some most dangerous criminals, visit the courts daily while no proper security arrangements can be witnessed at the main entrances and car parking area of the courts.
Physical scrutiny of persons coming to the courts is also not carried out and no one is asked to introduce himself whether he is a lawyer or a complainant. The most worried thing is that the only walkthrough gate installed at the entrance of JC has been dysfunctional for the last many days. The police officials deputed at security duty can be seen busy chatting often closing their eyes towards what is happening around them.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/editors-picks/13-Jul-2013/district-courts-vulnerable-to-terror-survey
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Fazl wants Afghan peace process to continue
July 13, 2013
Javaid-ur-Rahman
ISLAMABAD - Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the Chief of JUI-F, has appealed to all stakeholders of the Afghan reconciliation not to let pass by the window of opportunity created following the opening of the Afghan Taliban Office in Doha.
In a statement issued here by his Spokesperson, Jan Achakzai, the Maulana said that the Taliban feel that promises had been “broken” when they did agree to the office.
He said that he understands the sentiments of the Afghan Taliban as they want to be treated with respect and as genuine stakeholder in Afghan reconciliation process.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/editors-picks/13-Jul-2013/fazl-wants-afghan-peace-process-to-continue
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Spare a Thought for the Hazaras of Quetta
Jul 13, 2013
A month ago, on June 15th, a bus carrying students home from the Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University in Quetta, Pakistan, was hit by a female suicide bomber. The bus was destroyed and fourteen passengers left dead; but that wasn't the end of it. The militant group behind the bombing, Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ), then attacked the Bolan Medical Complex, where the injured had been taken and anxious relatives were gathering, killing four nurses, among others. We sometimes need to be reminded how utterly depraved the ideology is that drives jihadist groups like the LeJ. University students are blown up, and a hospital is attacked to intimidate and murder those ministering to the victims.
Full report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/llewelyn-morgan/hazaras-quetta_b_3581917.html
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615 schools closed in Balochistan
SALEEM SHAHID
Jul 13, 2013
QUETTA: Over 600 schools set up in Balochistan under a presidential ordinance have been closed and services of 684 teachers terminated.
Under the ordinance, a National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) was established in 2002 which set up 615 schools and hired 684 teachers in Balochistan to educate over 4,600 students in those schools.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1028635/615-schools-closed-in-balochistan
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Militants kill nephew of Baloch nationalist leader Jan Mohammad Buledi
SYED ALI SHAH
Jul 13, 2013
QUETTA: Militants gunned down the nephew of Jan Mohammad Buledi, the spokesperson of the Chief Minister of Balochistan, in Turbat town of the insurgency-hit province on Friday.
Levies officials told Dawn.com that two armed militants on a motorcycle opened fire at Chiragh Buledi, the nephew of Jan Buledi, in Buleda area of Turbat.
They said Chiragh sustained serious gunshot wounds, and succumbed to his injuries on his way to hospital.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1028525/militants-kill-nephew-of-baloch-nationalist-leader
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Southeast Asia
Malay groups give ultimatum to Vatican envoy - apologise or get out
JULY 12, 2013
Jati and Perkasa have given seven days to the Vatican's first envoy to Malaysia to retract his support of the local Catholic Church using "Allah" to describe God or the Malay-Muslim groups will push for his ouster.
Both groups said they would urge Putrajaya to close Vatican Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Joseph Marino's office and remove the papal representative from his post in the country if his statement is not retracted.
"We strongly criticise the statement made by Archbishop Marino," Jati president Datuk Hasan Ali told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/perkasa-gives-ultimatum-to-vatican-envoy-apologise-or-get-out/
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Indonesian President Resort to social media for updates of prison break in Medan
July 13, 2013.
The timing of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s recent move to become a “true netizen” by joining Facebook and Twitter has proved fortuitous after the president was left to resort to social media for rolling updates of a disastrous prison break in Medan, from which four “heavyweight” terrorists remained at large on Saturday, because the government had no information.
“On Medan prison, I found out about it from the mass media and after some international TV stations broadcast the story,” the president said at a cabinet meeting at Halim Airport on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/sby-i-found-out-about-medan-prison-break-from-tv-and-followed-it-on-social-media/
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Indonesian police hunt 131 in prison breakout
Jul 13, 2013
Indonesian police today expanded their search for 131 inmates including four militants who escaped from an overcrowded jail during a riot that left five dead, a spokesman said.
Inmates began rampaging through the jail in Medan city on Sumatra island on Thursday, setting fires and hurling bottles at guards in anger over power cuts and water shortages at the prison.
The Tanjung Gusta jail was engulfed in towering flames, killing three inmates and two prison staff who were trapped in their office.
"We stepped up efforts by instructing all police forces across Sumatra island to carry out a massive hunt operation," Heru Prakoso, spokesman for the North Sumatra police, told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/indonesian-police-hunt-131-in-prison-breakout/
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Thailand, Muslim rebels eye Ramadan peace
Jul 13, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR — The Thai government and Muslim rebels have agreed to try to curb violence during Ramadan, a Malaysian official said Friday, marking a new step towards ending nearly a decade of conflict.
An insurgency in the Muslim-dominated region has claimed more than 5,700 lives since 2004 but talks between the Thai authorities and some rebel groups including the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) have brought tentative hopes of peace.
Malaysia is acting as a facilitator for the negotiations. But despite several rounds of talks since March, attacks in the region have occurred almost daily.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130713173339
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North America
US officials: Israel is responsible for Syrian missile depot attack
13 July 2013
Israel is responsible for a July 5 early morning airstrike in Syria, anonymous US officials told CNN on Friday.
The attack on Latakia, which originally had no claim of responsibility, is reportedly the work of the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
Three unnamed US officials told CNN that the IAF had been targeting Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles that could pose a threat to the Israel.
In response to early rumors that the airstrike could have been carried out by the IDF, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Likud) said Tuesday Israel will continue to stand on the side lines of Syria's civil war.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/US-officials-Israel-is-responsible-for-Syrian-missile-depot-attack-319688
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Arab countries among those urging release of Gitmo detainees
13 July 2013
President Barack Obama’s renewed push to close the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects has given a glimmer of hope to foreign governments that he will fulfill that promise and triggered diplomatic maneuvering from U.S. allies eager to bring home long-held detainees.
Kuwait has hired lobbyists to help bring its two remaining prisoners home. British Prime Minister David Cameron personally pressed Obama at the Group of 8 (G8) summit last month to release the United Kingdom’s final detainee. And the fate of Afghans being held at the U.S. military prison in Cuba has been at the forefront of peace talks between the U.S., Taliban and Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/07/13/Arab-countries-among-those-urging-release-of-Guantanamo-detainees.html
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US gears up efforts to bring Taliban, Karzai to table
July 13, 2013
ISLAMABAD- The United States has stepped up efforts to reach Afghan Taliban through intermediaries to persuade them to start reconciliation process with the Afghan government and its High Peace Council for lasting peace and stability in the country. US Ambassador Richard Olson met with JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq, who is highly venerated among the Afghan Taliban, and discussed the crucial issue with him few days ago in Rawalpindi. Sources told the TheNation that Obama Administration also approached Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries to support the US initiative in order to make it fruitful.On its part, Pakistan has called upon the stakeholders in Afghan conflict to address the situation that arose following the closure of Doha Office by the Taliban and their boycott of the reconciliation process as the mark of protest.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/13-Jul-2013/us-gears-up-efforts-to-bring-taliban-karzai-to-table
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Syria, Iran don’t belong in UN rights body, says US
13 July 2013
UNITED NATIONS: The United States and Israel said on Thursday that Syria and Iran, which according to UN envoys plan to run for spots on the UN Human Rights Council this year, do not deserve to be on the world body’s rights watchdog due to “egregious” abuses.
The General Assembly’s annual elections for the United Nations’ 47-nation Geneva-based human rights body will be held this autumn in New York. There will be 14 seats available for the five UN regional groups for three-year terms beginning in January 2014.
From the so-called Asia group, which includes the Middle East and Asia, seven countries — Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Jordan, Maldives, Syria and Vietnam — will be vying for four seats, UN diplomats said on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/457858
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US urges Egypt's army to free Morsi, supporters defiant
AFP | Jul 13, 2013
CAIRO: The United States on Friday called on Egypt's military to free deposed president Mohamed Morsi, as tens of thousands of his supporters vowed to keep fighting for his reinstatement.
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States agreed with Germany's earlier appeal for Morsi to be released and was "publicly" making the same request.
The deposed Islamist president has been held in a "safe place," according to Egypt's interim leaders, and has not been seen in public since his ouster on July 3.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-urges-Egypts-army-to-free-Morsi-supporters-defiant/articleshow/21052273.cms
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Obama emphasizes US commitment to Syrian rebels in Saudi call
Reuters | Jul 13, 2013
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama told Saudi Arabia's king on Friday that he is committed to providing U.S. support to Syrian rebels who have been waiting for shipments of light arms that have been stalled in Washington.
In a phone call, Obama and King Abdullah also discussed events in Egypt a week after the Egyptian military ousted elected President Mohamed Morsi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Obama-emphasizes-US-commitment-to-Syrian-rebels-in-Saudi-call/articleshow/21049032.cms
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US asks Russia not to give Snowden 'propaganda platform'
PTI | Jul 13, 2013
WASHINGTON: Insisting that Edward Snowden is facing charges on espionage, the Obama administration asked Russia to return the fugitive leaker to the US and not to give him a "propaganda platform".
Snowden, who is stranded at the Moscow airport for more than two weeks, today said he would prefer to seek asylum in Russia.
"Our position on Mr Snowden is that there are felony charges against him and our belief that he ought to be returned to the United States to face those felony charges is as it was. We have communicated it to a variety of countries, including Russia," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-asks-Russia-not-to-give-Snowden-propaganda-platform/articleshow/21046435.cms
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South Asia
Majlis accepts Bill on Amendments to Local Council Elections Act
Jul 13, 2013
At the Eleventh Sitting of the Third Session of the Majlis held yesterday, “Bill on Amendments to the Local Councils Elections Act (No. 10/2010) tabled by Hassan Latheef, MP, South Hithadhoo, was accepted by the Majlis for debate. It was passed with a unanimous vote of all fifty MPs present. The Bill has been sent to the National Security Committee for review.
The declaration tabled by Ali Riza, MP for Milan’dhoo, which calls to “provide essential healthcare services, while claiming the shortfall in medical treatment coverage by Government’s Aa’sandha health scheme burdens patients admitted both in Maldives and foreign Hospitals”, citing Article 23 (c) of the Constitution, was passed with a majority vote of forty seven in favour and two abstentions. The Bill has been sent to the Committee of Social Affairs for review.
Full report at:
http://themaldiveschronicle.com/majlis-accepts-bill-on-amendments-to-local-council-elections-act/
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PPM Council Member has not done anything worthy of an apology
Jul 13, 2013
Council Member of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Umar Naseer’s Campaign Manager Maaz Saleem has said that Umar has not done anything worthy of an apology.
Referring to the decision by PPM Council to ask Umar to make a public apology before 10.00 am on Sunday, Saleem said that the people who should apologise are those who ‘put fake votes in the ballot boxes’.
He said that the public is aware that Umar has not done anything worthy of an apology and that the people who should apologise are those who planned and put fake votes in the ballot boxes.
Full report at:
http://themaldiveschronicle.com/umar-has-not-done-anything-worthy-of-an-apology-maaz-saleem/
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Hassan Saeed and followers decide to form coalition with President Waheed
Jul 13, 2013
The Council of Gaumee Party has decided to form a coalition with President Waheed for the upcoming Presidential Election, and to establish a committee to make the arrangements to establish and strengthen this coalition.
In addition to Gaumee Party, Adhaalath Party also announced its decision last week to team up with President Waheed for the upcoming Presidential Election.
Full report at:
http://themaldiveschronicle.com/hassan-saeed-and-followers-decide-to-form-coalition-with-president-waheed/
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Committee compiles report on the “Bill on Soft Loans for Women” in Maldives
Jul 13, 2013
The sub-committee of the Committee on National Development of the Peoples’ Majlis convened yesterday for its 13th meeting today to evaluate work done by the committee on the “Bill on Soft Loans for Women”.
Members finalized a summary report on the process of review of the bill by the committee, and sent the draft to the main committee for consideration.
Members who attended were Hamdhoon Abdulla Hameed, MP, In’guraidhoo and Nazim Rashaad, MP, Thulhaadhoo. Hussain Waheed, MP, Komondoo, did not attend.
http://themaldiveschronicle.com/committee-on-national-development-compiles-report-on-the-bill-on-soft-loans-for-women/
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