Study Reveals Why Lashkar-e-Tayyeba Militants Cannot Be Wiped Out
New Age Islam News Bureau
6 Apr 2013
India
• Study Reveals Why Lashkar-e-Tayyeba Militants Cannot Be Wiped Out
• Senior journalist and social worker Lajpat Rai converts to Islam
• Don't be apologetic for Ayodhya, take pride instead: Advani
• Grand Mufti of Dar-ul-Uloom, Bandipora for introspection in society
• No crisis for Indian expatriates for 2 months in Saudi Arabia: govt
• Goan-origin Pak man runs from pillar to post to turn 'Indian'
Europe
• One-day Hijab leads young Briton to Islam
• Ban Ki-moon describes Malala Yousufzai as 'symbol of hope'
• Mix-ups mar Saudi graduation ceremony in London
• Dutch court halts Qaeda suspect’s extradition to US
• Call for Britain to help military's Afghan interpreters
• UK Warns of Terror Attack in Somalia Capital
• Guantanamo Bay prison 'must close' - UN rights chief
• UN agency 'broke' as Syria refugee funds run out
• Four Italian journalists abducted in north Syria by ‘rebel group’
Pakistan
• Opponents of Islamic ideology face election ban
• Pakistan court orders poll officials to stop 'intrusive' questions
• RO asks Hina Rabbani Khar to produce marriage certificate
• Hostile neighbours: Ahmadis will be ‘always vulnerable’, says SHO
• Code of conduct for political parties termed significant achievement
• LeT militants better educated than most Pakistani men
• Pakistan poll: Militant group sets strict conditions for candidates
• Pakistan is like a 'horror film franchise': Mohsin Hamid
• HRCP decries ‘charade in the name of scrutiny’
• Is JI fence-mending with US?
• Poetic justice: Musharraf may stand trial for treason
• Envoy’s plea to Saudi Arabia: Let Pak expatriates change sponsors
• Sharifs in graft panel's crosshairs
North America
• Pakistan may use LeT for proxy war in Kashmir: US report
• Canada asks how middle-class boys became jihadists
• Obama to host Mideast allies for talks on Syria
• How matchbooks and posters can trap a wanted man
South Asia
• NATO: Blast in Afghanistan kills 5
• Hopes and fears in Maldives’ tentative run up to polls
• Fair trial for Nasheed “difficult to see”: BHRC trial observers
• Dempsey arrives in Afghanistan for talks
• Russia rules out setting up bases in Afghanistan
• Maldivian leaders must act now to protect women, girls and the country’s reputation
• Hefajat to stay ‘until atheist bloggers hanged’
Arab World
• Salafists attack residence of Iranian charge d'affaires in Cairo
• Five Die in Christian-Muslim Clashes in Egypt: MENA
• Syrian Airstrike Kills at Least 5 in Aleppo
• Iraqi Shiite Group Says Member Killed in Syria
• ‘With 1,000 mosques, Sharjah qualifies to be capital of Islamic culture in 2014’
• Chairman of the Shoura Council: G20 has key role in resolving issues
• Egypt’s April 6 bloc marks 5th anniversary with anti-Mursi protests
• Assad warns of instability, Obama to host Syria talks
• Court saves Bassem Youssef from Brotherhood attempt to shut down TV show
• Suicide Bomber Kills 20 at Iraq Political Rally
• Syrian troops battle rebels outside Damascus
• 35,000 Syria refugees have gone home: Jordan
• Iraq postpones Saudi prisoner’s execution
• Egyptian orphans still suffering on National Orphan Day
Mideast Asia
• Abbas demands two-state map from Netanyahu: Aide
• No Deal in Sight on Final Day of Iran Nuclear Talks
• Turkey raps US absence in $22 billion nuclear tender: Report
• Palestinian president may be ‘leaning toward’ dismissal of PM Fayyad
• Throwing stones Palestinians’ birthright: Israeli writer
Africa
• Nigerian army kills 14 Islamists in raid
• Nigeria moots amnesty for Boko Haram Islamist rebels
• Tunisia frees Salafist sheikh expelled by Egypt
• Mali: France Proposes Permanent Force
• The unwarranted international demonising of Libya and Benghazi
• Al-Qaeda denies Saharan leader killed by France: SITE
• New Mali refugees flee to Niger
• No crisis with Nile Basin states: Morsi
Southeast Asia
• Buddhist-Muslim Tensions Spread as 8 Detainees Die in Indonesia
• Displaced Shiites Languishing in Sampang
• Indonesia Considers Pulling Diplomats from North Korea
• Push for Presidential Insult Article Draws More Flak
• Churches urge Christians to vote wisely in GE13
• Ibrahim Ali threatens to expose ‘shocking’ Pakatan secrets
• Najib calls for strong bond between people and military
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news-lashkar-tayyeba-militants/d/11041
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India
Study Reveals Why
Lashkar-e-Tayyeba Militants Cannot Be Wiped Out
Indrani Bagchi, TNN | Apr 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is not going away anytime soon. The deadly terror group, whose prime target is India, will endure because it has a unique ability to attract high-quality Jihadis.
A new study by West Point has built the first sociological profile of LeT militants, chilling in its revelations. Conducted by Don Rassler, Christine Fair, Anirban Ghosh, Arif Jamal and Nadia Shoeb, the study has dissected biographies of 900 dead LeT militants (published by LeT's own publications) to answer the following questions: background of LeT fighters, recruitment patterns, training and where they die.
Mostly, the study highlights the high degree of trust between Pakistanis and the LeT, which contributes to the outfit having a veritable unending stream of cadres.
The average LeT militant joins the group after turning 16 and is dead around 21. In just over five years, they have undergone training, fought and killed before being killed themselves.
The scholars conclude, "Some of Pakistan's best educated young men are being dispatched to die in this unending conflict with India."
The vast majority of LeT's fighters are recruited from Pakistan's Punjab province, the study has found. This was well known, but the spread of the recruitment topography shows that the districts from where LeT recruits its cadres are also the recruiting grounds for the Pakistani Army. "While LeT's recruitment is diversified across the north, central and southern parts of the Punjab, the highest concentration of LeT fighters have come (in order of frequency) from the districts of Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Sialkot, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, and Multan."
Contradicting conventional wisdom that it is the uneducated and poor who are perforce drawn to LeT's world of jihad, the study shows that about 44% of LeT's cadres are matriculates. Their religious education comes after their regular education. The general notion is that the lack of secular education system in Pakistan's rural areas leads children into madrassa where they are brainwashed and indoctrinated. The study shows that almost half of the fighters receive a secular education before their religious training. The general level of education among Pakistani males is lower.
LeT militants are mostly (around 47%) trained in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Muzaffarabad is also the location for LeT's specialized training module, Daura-e-khaas. Next in importance is Muaskar-e-Taiba in Afghanistan. LeT may be a Pakistani entity but it was created in Kunar province in Afghanistan, and unlike other Deobandi groups, LeT is of the Ahle-Hadith persuasion.
LeT's wide acceptability across the spectrum is supported by the fact that their recruitment has the blessings of families. The study found "12 different channels of LeT recruitment, the most common forms of which include recruitment via: a current LeT member (20%), a family member (20%), mosque or madrassa (17%), LeT speech or literature (12%) and friends (5%)."
Recruitment on family recommendations has increased. "Since 2000 there has been a strong upward trend in recruitment via family members and by 2004, this channel contributed to over 40% of LeT recruitment."
This, the study says, is largely due to LeT's strong community presence and local activity. "LeT's local activity and infrastructure are and will remain the key source of its strength, even if the group decides to become more active in the international arena," the authors say.
Where do LeT fighters die? An overwhelming 94% die in Jammu & Kashmir, even though in recent years, Afghanistan has become a theatre for LeT jihadis. In J&K, Kupwara has seen the maximum number of LeT deaths. Baramulla, Poonch, Badgam, Rajouri, Bandipore, Doda, Anantnag, Srinagar and Udhampur make up the rest in descending order. The study observes that Kupwara has been declining in importance in the past few years, while Baramulla and Poonch have been gaining relevance.
Interestingly, in 2005, Pervez Musharraf, then president of Pakistan, in his first meeting with Manmohan Singh in New York asked that India withdraw its forces from Kupwara and Baramulla. These two districts share a 363 km-long border with PoK along the LoC.
If this study is correct, it is clear that LeT cannot be removed by military means. That holds lessons for counter-terrorism strategists in India and the US.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Study-reveals-how-LeT-military-might-cannot-wipe-out-LeT/articleshow/19409208.cms
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Senior journalist and social worker Lajpat Rai converts to Islam
New Age Islam News Bureau
April 6, 2013-04-06
Mumbai: According to a news report in an Urdu daily, senior journalist and social worker of Mumbai, Lajpat Rai converted to Islam. The octogenarian says he was impressed by the teachings of the Quran. Mr Lajpat Rai lives in Juhu Church area.
Lajpat Rai said that he was from Karachi in Pakistan where he had many Muslims in the neighbourhood. They would always take care of us. He said that he was not a religious person but was impressed by the Quran. He rued the fact that Indian Muslims did not have proper leadership and that is why he had decided to write again. He also said that he had worked in various Urdu and English newspapers and one of the dailies had given him the pseudonym Dabeer which was now his name after conversion.
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Don't be apologetic for Ayodhya, take pride instead: Advani
PTI | Apr 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: Raking up the Ram temple issue, BJP leader L K Advani today asked partymen not to be apologetic for the Ayodhya movement and instead take pride in it.
Advani also referred to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's recent words of praise for him, which had surprised many, and said that people should not hesitate to speak the "right thing" as "the world will accept it".
"When people believe and talk of our Ayodhya issue and agitate over it, you should not be apologetic over it, ever. You should take pride in it," Advani told partymen.
In his speech at the BJP headquarters on the party's Foundation Day here, Advani said he felt pride in admitting that his party raised the issue of Ram temple and Ayodhya as it was not just a political movement but also a cultural one.
"People say that BJP and Bharatiya Jana Sangh achieved this position by raising issues like Ayodhya and Ram temple. I feel proud in admitting this and say that ours is not just a political movement but also a cultural movement," he said.
Referring to the SP chief, he said, "Recently, when people heard Mulayam Singh ji praising me, they thought what is he saying and doing? I feel if you speak the right thing, the world will accept it. You should not hesitate. Don't ever let that inferiority complex come inside you."
The Samajwadi Party supremo, when asked about his praise of Advani, had said that those leaders who had done good or are doing so should be appreciated. His comments have sparked speculation of the two parties cosying up in the run up to general elections next year.
Advani said he has no objection to those who believe that BJP gained support by raising the Ayodhya and Ram temple issue alone, but added that he could not complete the Ayodhya Yatra as he was arrested before reaching Ayodhya.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dont-be-apologetic-for-Ayodhya-take-pride-instead-Advani/articleshow/19417402.cms
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Grand Mufti of Dar-ul-Uloom, Bandipora for introspection in society
Apr 06 2013
Srinagar, Apr 5: Grand Mufti of Dar-ul-Uloom Raheemiya, Bandipora Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi said Friday that most of the ills afflicting the society today are the outcome of people’s growing insensitivity and indifference towards their duties and responsibilities in their different capacities and roles. "Ignoring the morality was costing the society heavily. From the evil effects of co-education, corruption in public institutions to the gross abuse of electronic media including internet," Mufti Nazir said addressing a well attended Friday congregation at Masjid-e-Ibrahim, Hyderpora, here today.
Full report at:
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2013/Apr/6/mufti-nazir-for-introspection-in-society-76.asp
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No crisis for Indian expatriates for 2 months in Saudi Arabia: govt
Apr 06 2013
Malappuram : Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia will not face problems for the next two months in the wake of implementation of new labour policy Nitaqat in the Gulf country, Union Minister E Ahamed has said.
"There will not be problems for Indians for the next two months. Saudi authorities have given us assurance in this regard," the Minister of State for External Affairs, who arrived here last night, told reporters.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/no-crisis-for-indian-expatriates-for-2-months-in-saudi-arabia-govt/1098560/
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Goan-origin Pak man runs from pillar to post to turn 'Indian'
Murari Shetye, TNN | Apr 6, 2013
PANAJI: Pakistani national of Goan origin, Albert L Pereira, is entangled in a bitter battle with the Union government after having been denied Indian nationality and consequently rights to his ancestral property because of his Pakistani citizenship.
Taking note of Pereira's case, whose wife and children have been residing in Goa for the last 30 years, Goa State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) issued notices to the Union home minister and state home department.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Goan-origin-Pak-man-runs-from-pillar-to-post-to-turn-Indian/articleshow/19408089.cms
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Europe
One-day Hijab leads young Briton to Islam
05 April 2013
A one-day experience of wearing Hijab has led a 21-year-old Briton to read more about Islam and eventually embracing the religion.
“I took part in the first World Hijab Day and challenged myself to wear the Hijab for a month,” Jessica Rhodes told Muslim Mirror.
“I then began reading the Qur’an and the words in the Qur’an seemed logical and clear, rather than in Bible where they tend to waffle.”
Rhodes, from Norwich, was among scores of non-Muslims around the world who donned Hijab as part of the annual World Hijab Day on February 1.
The event was meant to clear misconceptions that the headscarf, an obligatory code of dress, is a symbol of suppression of women in Islam.
After wearing the outfit, Rhodes says that she could not remember what it felt like to go without wearing Hijab.
After the experience, Rhodes began to read more about Islam to know better about the religion.
“I also did some research into Islam as a whole and felt that it was an inclusive religion that could give me the answers I was looking for,” she said.
http://english.irib.ir/radioislam/news/islam-in-europe/item/86356-one-day-hijab-leads-young-briton-to-islam
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Ban Ki-moon describes Malala Yousufzai as 'symbol of hope'
April 06, 2013
Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousufzai has expressed hope to be a leader to serve the world during video conversation with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who described the 14-year old as a "symbol of hope".
"I can walk. I can talk. I can do anything," Yousufzai told the UN chief in an online video conversation on Friday according to his spokesperson here.
Ban said the young girl, who was attacked by the Taliban last year for opposing restrictions on girls' education, is "a symbol of hope, a daughter of the United Nations."
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/Ban-describes-Malala-as-symbol-of-hope/Article1-1038355.aspx
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Mix-ups mar Saudi graduation ceremony in London
6 April 2013
Nearly 25 percent of the 2012 Saudi students in Britain who qualified to participate in a graduation ceremony organized by the Saudi Cultural Affairs Section at the Saudi Embassy in London failed to register online for the event and did not have seats at the event, prompting a harried remedy of distributing additional tickets and arranging additional seating at the last minute. In the end, some 1,500 male and female graduates attended in addition to around 2,000 guests.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/447193
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Dutch court halts Qaeda suspects extradition to US
Apr 06 2013
THE HAGUE: A Dutch court on Friday halted the extradition of a Dutch-Pakistani al Qaeda suspect to the United States, saying he would not be handed over until Washington guaranteed the same treatment for his post-traumatic stress disorder as in the Netherlands.
The Hague judge “prohibits the State to extradite Sabir Khan as long as the United States cannot guarantee,” that Khan, 26, gets a very specific type of treatment for his disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, said a court document sent to AFP. Khan, 26, is wanted by the US for allegedly planning acts including a suicide bombing at a US military base in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\06\story_6-4-2013_pg7_5
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Call for Britain to help military's Afghan interpreters
April 6, 2013
LONDON: British military, political and academic figures on Saturday called on the government not to “abandon” the Afghan interpreters for the troops when they pull out of the country.
In a letter to The Times newspaper, they said there were roughly 600 interpreters helping British forces, largely in the troubled southern Helmand province, with many now fearing Taliban reprisals as British troops start to withdraw from the country.
“The British military’s job in Afghanistan would have been impossible without local interpreters, who have risked their lives and made extraordinary sacrifices just like British soldiers,” the letter says.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/531925/call-for-britain-to-help-militarys-afghan-interpreters/
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UK Warns of Terror Attack in Somalia Capital
Apr 06 2013
LONDON (AP) — The British government says it believes terrorists are in the final stages of planning attacks in Somalia and urged U.K. nationals to leave the country.
The Foreign Office already advises against all travel to Somalia, including Somaliland, where it says there is a specific threat to Westerners.
It said Saturday it had revised its travel advice to reflect concerns that terrorists are in the final stages of plotting attacks in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
Britain has no diplomatic representation in Somalia and is unable to provide consular assistance in the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/06/world/europe/ap-eu-britain-somalia.html?ref=europe&gwh=2D5CA38D7FCBDF98F7F2B16B0AA1AEBE
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Guantanamo Bay prison 'must close' - UN rights chief
Apr 06 2013
The UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay, has urged the US to close Guantanamo Bay, saying the indefinite detention of many inmates there without charge or trial violates international law.
Ms Pillay said about half of 166 prisoners had been cleared to transfer either home or to third countries.
She also said she was "deeply disappointed" that the US was not honouring its pledge to close the camp.
It opened in 2002 to hold terrorism suspects after the 9/11 attacks.
President Barack Obama moved to close the facility at the US naval base in Cuba, but his plans to try suspects in US civilian courts were blocked by Congress.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22046979
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UN agency 'broke' as Syria refugee funds run out
Apr 06 2013
A UN agency has said it will soon be unable to provide "life-saving" aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan and other countries due to funds running out.
"The needs are rising exponentially and we are broke," said Marixie Mercado, a spokeswoman for children's charity Unicef.
Some 1.2 million Syrians have fled since the uprising began in March 2011.
Around 385,500 have escaped to Jordan, with figures set to triple by the end of the year, Ms Mercado said.
This would bring the number of Syrian refugees there close to 1.2 million - the equivalent of one-fifth of Jordan's total population.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22045451
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Four Italian journalists abducted in north Syria by ‘rebel group’
6 April 2013
Four Italian journalists have been kidnapped in the north of Syria, on the border with Turkey, the Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed late Friday.
The war-torn country is being described as the world’s most dangerous place for journalists.
The foreign ministry confirmed the report “indicating that it has followed the developments from the very beginning,” according to the ANSA news agency. It also called for “maximum discretion,” stressing that “the physical safety of the hostages remains the absolute priority.”
The Italian authorities said they had been monitoring the case from the start but called for “maximum discretion”, insisting that “the physical safety of the hostages remains the absolute priority”, the ANSA report said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/06/Four-Italian-journalists-abducted-in-north-Syria-by-rebel-group-.html
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Pakistan
Opponents of Islamic ideology face election ban
04 Apr, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A considerable number of former members of the parliament, senior politicians and lawyers etc, who openly negate and oppose the Islamic ideology of Pakistan, are vulnerable to be declared unfit to contest the upcoming polls.
It is not only the article 62 of the constitution but the nomination paper of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that bounds every aspirant of the parliament and provincial assemblies to respect, protect and preserve the Islamic ideology.
The constitution and the nomination paper make it clear that the Islamic ideology has been the very basis for the creation of Pakistan. According to article 62(g) a person is not qualified to become member of the parliament/provincial assembly if “he has not, after the establishment of Pakistan, worked against the integrity of the country or opposed the ideology of Pakistan”.
The nomination paper seeks from every candidate to solemnly swear that: “I will be faithful to the declaration made by the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that Pakistan would be a democratic state based on Islamic principles of social justice. I will bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan and that I will strive to preserve the Islamic ideology which is the basis for the creation of Pakistan.”
Full report at:
http://www.urduwire.com/en/news/opponents-of-islamic-ideology-face-election-ban_nid881891.aspx
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Pakistan court orders poll officials to stop 'intrusive' questions
PTI | Apr 6, 2013,
LAHORE: A Pakistani court has barred election officials from asking irrelevant or intrusive questions while scrutinizing nomination papers after days of televised proceedings during which candidates were asked to recite Quranic verses and to reveal intimate details.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore high court issued the order yesterday evening following widespread criticism of the questioning of candidates by returning officers, who are mostly judges of lower courts deputed to assist election authorities.
In his order, Shah directed Returning Officers to "immediately refrain from asking random intrusive and inquisitive questions that have no nexus with information given in the nomination papers or do not arise from the objections raised by the other side".
During proceedings conducted in front of TV cameras, the Returning Officers had asked candidates to prove their Islamic credentials by reciting Quranic verses or by explaining the method for offering prayers.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-court-orders-poll-officials-to-stop-intrusive-questions/articleshow/19413299.cms
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RO asks Hina Rabbani Khar to produce marriage certificate
Apr 06 2013
MUZAFFARGARH: The Returning Officer on Saturday asked former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar to produce her marriage certificate during the scrutiny of her nomination papers in Kot Addu for the NA-177 seat.
Returning Officer Abdur Rehman Bodla asked Khar to produce her ‘nikahnama’ while examining her nomination papers in which the former minister had declared that her husband Feroz Gulzar had liabilities of Rs 35 million.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/04/06/ro-asks-hina-rabbani-khar-to-produce-marriage-certificate/
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Hostile neighbours: Ahmadis will be ‘always vulnerable’, says SHO
April 6, 2013
LAHORE: “We cannot force people to live in peace with Ahmadis if they do not want to,” Chunnia Police SHO Tariq Khan told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.
On March 25 a mob had vandalised the home of an Ahmadi citizen, Maqsood Anjum, in Shamsabad, a village of Kasur. They had also beaten his family and stolen valuables.
Caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi has taken notice of the incident and summoned the district police officer on April 1 to be briefed on the incident and the progress in the investigation of the case.
The Express Tribune has learnt that police have asked the nominated suspects to be available at the Chunnia police station if [and when] Sethi sends a special team.
SHO Khan said that two Ahmadi families living among a hostile population of 10,000 would always be vulnerable. A contingent of 20 policemen had been deployed to guard their homes even though the families had left the area on March 26, he said.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/531707/hostile-neighbours-ahmadis-will-be-always-vulnerable-says-sho/
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Code of conduct for political parties termed significant achievement
Apr 06 2013
ISLAMABAD: Political parties’ agreement on a code of conduct for the upcoming elections was hailed at a seminar as a significant achievement for democracy in the country.
The participants of the seminar organised on Friday by the Jinnah Institute, with the support of the Asia Foundation, on the recently promulgated code of conduct for political parties was of the view that it is crucial that the parties adhere to the code to ensure free and fair polls. Jinnah Institute Director Raza Rumi highlighted the importance of political parties acknowledging the importance of a code of conduct and agreeing on its provisions. “It is a significant achievement that the political parties themselves have agreed on a code of conduct, but the security climate prevailing in the country can threaten the prospects of holding free and fair elections,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\06\story_6-4-2013_pg11_1
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LeT militants better educated than most Pakistani men
ANITA JOSHUA
Apr 6, 2013
A detailed analysis of over 900 biographies of dead Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives has revealed that some of Pakistan’s best educated men are being “dispatched to die” in the unending conflict with India over Kashmir with Punjab providing the bulk of this cannon fodder.
Based on historical precedent, the study on ‘The Fighters of LeT: Recruitment, Training, Deployment and Death’ warns that the reduction of the U.S. footprint in Afghanistan could bring them back to Kashmir. While admitting difficulty in predicting the directional priorities of Pakistan-based militant groups, it warns that internal security challenges faced by Pakistan and the State’s own shifting threat priorities could result in some of these groups reorienting and investing more broadly in the conflict in Indian Kashmir; the preferred “fighting ground” for 94 per cent of LeT recruits.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/let-militants-better-educated-than-most-pakistani-men/article4584996.ece
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Pakistan poll: Militant group sets strict conditions for candidates
April 06, 2013
A pro-government militant group in Pakistan's restive tribal belt bordering Afghanistan has set "stringent conditions" for candidates contesting the May 11 polls to ensure "trouble-free balloting", according to a media report on Saturday.
The Taliban faction of Mullah Nazir, who was killed in a US drone strike in January, has assured candidates that it will not interfere in the voting process.
However, it laid out stringent conditions for candidates contesting the general election in South Waziristan Agency.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pak-poll-Militant-group-sets-conditions-for-candidates/Article1-1038414.aspx
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Pakistan is like a 'horror film franchise': Mohsin Hamid
Apr 06 2013
London: Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid has described the coverage of Pakistan in the international media as a "horror film franchise".
"Most news outlets are owned by big entertainment corporations that depend on shocking people for their success and Pakistan is one such horror story that sells. It is like a big Hollywood Friday 13th franchise," said Hamid at a pre-launch event for the Festival of Asian Literature at Asia House in London which kicks off on May 7.
"But that isn't Pakistan. It is a very complicated place with a long history and my books are an attempt to re-complicate what's been over-simplified in the news agenda. I don't want to be a propagandist or say that Pakistan is just great. There are problems but it is a much more complex place than we are given to believe," added the author of acclaimed books such as The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Moth Smoke.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-is-like-a-horror-film-franchis.../1098610/
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HRCP decries ‘charade in the name of scrutiny’
Apr 06 2013
LAHORE: A leading Pakistani human rights watchdog has expressed alarm over recent “undesirable developments” in Pakistan, including what it describes as a “charade” in the name of scrutiny of nomination papers.
“Those ‘managing’ the election affairs have embroiled the people in issues that are as irrelevant as they are unnecessary,” the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said in a hard-hitting statement issued Friday.
“Candidates for the general elections are being asked questions that have no link whatever with the law and the constitution.”
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/04/05/hrcp-decries-charade-in-the-name-of-scrutiny/
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Is JI fence-mending with US?
Apr 06 2013
ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the religious political party and well known for US-bashing, have been clandestinely reaching out to some of the American diplomats when one of its key leaders met a top USA diplomat in recent days, Daily Times has learnt. The JI, led by Munawar Hassan, is going to contest the next general elections and apart from speaking on the domestic issues, is vociferously raising the voice against USA by blaming it for the whole security situation in the region including Pakistan and Afghanistan. The party is also critic of USA interference in the domestic politics of Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\06\story_6-4-2013_pg7_13
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Poetic justice: Musharraf may stand trial for treason
April 6, 2013
ISLAMABAD: History will be made on Monday (April 8) when the Supreme Court hears a petition asking for the former president Pervez Musharraf to be put on trial for high treason. The court’s decision on the petition will bring a saga, which began when Musharraf sacked the judges of the superior judiciary including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, full circle.
The petition, filed by the Rawalpindi chapter of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), requests the SC to direct the federal government to prosecute Musharraf under the High Treason (Punishment) Act 1973.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/531840/poetic-justice-musharraf-may-stand-trial-for-treason/
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Envoy’s plea to Saudi Arabia: Let Pak expatriates change sponsors
6 April 2013
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Muhammad Naeem Khan has urged the Saudi government not to deport Pakistani expatriates who have been found not working for their sponsors.
Speaking at a function here to mark Pakistan Day, the ambassador said such Pakistanis should be allowed to change their sponsors legally.
He said he has asked the Saudi authorities to inform the embassy about the Pakistanis who are brought to the deportation centre so that the embassy could explore legal avenues to help them avoid deportation.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/447209
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Sharifs in graft panel's crosshairs
Apr 6, 2013
Pakistan's anti-corruption watchdog has objected to the candidature of former PM Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif in the upcoming election, saying they had defaulted on a bank loan worth Rs 3.48 billion. The National Accountability Bureau raised the issue in an official communication sent to the election commission.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Sharifs-in-graft-panels-crosshairs/articleshow/19408853.cms
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North America
Pakistan may use LeT for proxy war in Kashmir: US report
IANS | Apr 6, 2013
WASHINGTON: Raising the spectre of a renewed conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, a US study has warned that Islamabad may well turn to trusted Pakistani militant groups, such as LeT, to do its bidding.
For the past two decades LeT, the group behind the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people, has steadily emerged as one of Pakistan's most lethal and capable militant proxy groups, according to the study.
Titled "The Fighters of Lashkar-e-Taiba: Recruitment, Training, Deployment and Death," the 61-page report by the Combating Terrorism Centre at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York is primarily focused on LeT and its integration into Pakistani society.
Once the primary battleground for jihad in South Asia, "over the last decade the fight in Kashmir just hasn't been as relevant for jihadist actors" with US and international troops in Afghanistan providing "a visible and seductive target" for militant groups, it said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Pakistan-may-use-LeT-for-proxy-war-in-Kashmir-US-report/articleshow/19414480.cms
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Canada asks how middle-class boys became jihadists
6 April 2013
Shocked to learn that two of their own attacked a desert gas plant in Algeria, Canadians are struggling to understand how young men from a quiet, middle-class neighbourhood ended up as jihadists.
It was announced by Algerian officials almost immediately after the days-long siege of the In Amenas plant by the Algerian army in January that the pair were among the dead.
One intelligence source said they were Arabs with dual citizenship and were among the 29 Islamists killed in the bloodbath, alongside 38 hostages.
But it was only this week when Canadian media revealed that they were actually former schoolmates who grew up in sleepy London, Ontario that the public’s interest was piqued.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation named the men as Xristos Katsiroubas, 22, from a Greek Orthodox family, and Ali Medlej, 24. They died during the siege, possibly by blowing themselves up.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2013/04/06/Canada-asks-how-middle-class-boys-became-jihadists-.html
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Obama to host Mideast allies for talks on Syria
US President Barack Obama to meet different regional top-level officials in the coming weeks to discuss the Syrian crisis
5 Apr 2013
President Barack Obama will host leaders from key US allies Jordan, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the coming weeks, amid turmoil in Syria, the White House said Friday.
The US administration said Jordan's King Abdullah II will meet with Obama on April 26 for talks "Jordan's political and economic reforms, the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and additional regional issues of mutual concern."
Obama will then host Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 16 for talks on "Syria, trade and economic cooperation, and countering terrorism.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/68528/World/Region/Obama-to-host-Mideast-allies-for-talks-on-Syria.aspx
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How matchbooks and posters can trap a wanted man
Apr 06 2013
WASHINGTON: From the unruly areas of Pakistan to Philippine jungles and the deserts of Iraq, simple matchbooks and posters are proving an effective US tool in the hunt for the world’s most wanted men.
Since its launch in 1984, the Rewards for Justice Program run by the Diplomatic Security bureau of the State Department has paid out $125 million in rewards to 80 people for information leading to the capture of terrorists.
Pictures of the wanted men are printed on posters, matchbooks and pens along with messages in the local languages and dialects asking for information and providing instructions on how to hand over tip-offs or ring a hotline.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/04/06/how-a-matchbook-can-trap-a-wanted-man/
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South Asia
NATO: Blast in Afghanistan kills 5
April 06, 2013
NATO says a blast in Afghanistan has killed three coalition service members and two civilians working with the alliance.
The blast from a roadside bomb occurred Saturday in southern Afghanistan. NATO did not provide additional details about the explosion or disclose the nationalities of those killed.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanistan/NATO-Blast-in-Afghanistan-kills-5/Article1-1038546.aspx
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Hopes and fears in Maldives’ tentative run up to polls
Sameer Arshad
05 April 2013
The halt on ex-Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed’s controversial trial has raised hopes of more credible presidential polls in the country, where electioneering has picked up pace with the nomination of candidates for the elections including through primaries.
The Maldivian High Court halted the case on April 1 days after the European Union said the polls would not be credible without Nasheed, whose supporters describe the trial for ordering a judge’s detention during his tenure as motivated to prevent him from contesting. The UN echoed countries like India and the US as it urged all sides to work for ensuring “fair, peaceful and inclusive elections’’ last month.
Yet Nasheed’s participation is not completely guaranteed. His supporters fear the Supreme Court may overrule the order suspending the trail till the legality of the judges hearing his case in a lower court is decided. They point out rampant political control over Maldivian judiciary to underline their fears and warn of a violent backlash if they come true.
Full report at:
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gray-areas/entry/hopes-and-fears-in-maldives-tentative-run-up-to-polls
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Fair trial for Nasheed “difficult to see” when judicial bench “cherrypicked to convict”: BHRC trial observers
By JJ Robinson | April 6th, 2013
The UK’s Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC) has expressed “serious concern” over the appointment of judges by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) in the trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed.
Accounts of the appointment process, “if accurate, suggest egregious unconstitutional behaviour by the JSC in selecting the judicial bench to hear Mr Nasheed’s case,” stated BHRC Executive Committee member Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, who visited the Maldives to observe recent proceedings against Nasheed.
The committee has conducted several independent trial observations of proceedings involving the former President, who is charged over the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed, during the final days of his presidency.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/fair-trial-for-nasheed-difficult-to-see-when-judicial-bench-cherrypicked-to-convict-bhrc-trial-observers-55784
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Dempsey arrives in Afghanistan for talks
Apr 6, 2013
A weekend visit to Afghanistan by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is aimed at assessing the type and level of additional training that U.S. troops could provide to Afghan defence forces after 2014.
Gen. Martin Dempsey, who arrived at Bagram Air Field on Saturday after an overnight flight, said that assessment will inform U.S. decisions about how many American troops should remain after the U.S. and NATO combat role ends in December 2014.
The U.S. is expected to keep between 9,000 and 10,000 in a residual force, but no final decision has been made.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/dempsey-arrives-in-afghanistan-for-talks/article4587760.ece
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Russia rules out setting up bases in Afghanistan
Apr 6, 2013
A top Russian military official denied reports that Russia may set up bases in Afghanistan, even while reiterating readiness to assist the Afghan armed forces. “I want to state that there are no plans today for [Russian] military bases on the territory of Afghanistan,” said Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov.
General Antonov said Russia had always responded to Afghanistan’s needs for strengthening its armed forces and was ready to consider further requests. “But the question of setting up our bases in Afghanistan is not being discussed. Reports stating the opposite are rubbish,” the official said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/russia-rules-out-setting-up-bases-in-afghanistan/article4585239.ece
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Maldivian leaders must act now to protect women, girls and the country’s reputation
By Ricken Patel | April 6th, 2013
In the last two weeks, nearly two million people across the world - including many people in the Maldives – have reacted in horror to the tragic story of a 15-year-old rape victim sentenced to be publicly flogged.
Sadly, this terrible case highlights a wider injustice: the yawning gap between the punishments applied to men and women in the Maldives. A 2007 study by the Maldivian government’s own Ministry of Gender and Family showed that as many as one in three women between the ages of 15 and 49 have suffered either physical or sexual abuse. And fornication requires both a man and a woman, but 90% of those sentenced to flogging in the Maldives in 2011 were women. How is this situation a reflection of justice, Islamic or any other kind?
It’s a good sign that the president has called on the attorney general to review the case of the 15-year-old girl, and that current laws and child protection mechanisms are being reviewed. But the citizens who signed this petition want to see further action: they want to know that other vulnerable women and girls in this country never have to go through such an ordeal. As we know, this is not the first time an incident like this has occurred: a similar sentence was handed out to a 14-year old during the last government.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/comment-maldivian-leaders-must-act-now-to-protect-women-girls-and-the-countrys-reputation-55746
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Hefajat to stay ‘until atheist bloggers hanged’
Apr 06 2013
Radical Islamists on Saturday threatened to stay in Motijheel until the ‘atheist bloggers are hanged’.
Dhaka’s business hub Motijheel turned into a human sea as thousands of people poured into the area to join a rally of radical Islamist organisation Hefajat-e Islam.
The rally started around 11:00am through recitation from the Quran.
Noor Hossain Kashemi, Dhaka city ameer and joint convenor of Hefajat, is leading the rally.
Among others, Junaid Babunagari, secretary general of the organisation, is present at the makeshift podium.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/hefajat-men-throng-motijheel-in-droves/
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Arab World
Salafists attack residence of Iranian charge d'affaires in Cairo
Protesters condemn Iran, Shiism and Muslim Brotherhood during demonstration in Heliopolis; Iranian chargé d'affaires blames protest on Syrian opposition
5 Apr 2013
Dozens of protesters attempted to storm the residence of the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Cairo on Friday.
The protesters, mostly Salafists, threw stones at the building and daubed offensive slogans on the outer wall.
They chanted against Iran, Shias and the Muslim Brotherhood and in support of the Syrian opposition.
"Let all the Muslim Brothers hear, we will not accept relations between Egypt and Iran," the protesters chanted. "Iranian ambassador, Egypt will not be Shia, Egypt is a Sunni country" and "Egypt and Syria are one hand."
The protesters carried banners saying "No to Shias in Egypt."
A number of journalists and photographers were assaulted during the protest.
Security forces dispersed the protesters with tear gas after a man tried to hang the Syrian independence flag on the gate of the residence.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/68532/Egypt/Politics-/Updated-Salafists-attack-residence-of-Iranian-char.aspx
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Five Die in Christian-Muslim Clashes in Egypt: MENA
Apr 06 2013
CAIRO (Reuters) - Five Egyptians were killed and eight wounded during clashes between Christians and Muslims in a town near Cairo, security sources said on Saturday.
Four Christians and one Muslim were killed when members of both communities started shooting at each other in Khusus outside the Egyptian capital, the sources said.
They said the violence broke out late on Friday when a group of Christian children were drawing on a wall of a Muslim religious institute. No more details were immediately available.
State news agency MENA had earlier put the death toll at four.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/04/06/world/middleeast/06reuters-egypt-
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Syrian Airstrike Kills at Least 5 in Aleppo
2013/04/06
BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian government airstrike on a heavily contested neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo killed at least five people Saturday, while several mortar rounds slammed into a residential district in Damascus, leaving at least one person dead, activists and state media said.
Aleppo and Damascus — Syria's two largest cities — are key fronts in civil war between President Bashar Assad and the rebels trying to overthrow his regime. Opposition fighters have managed to seize control of several neighborhoods in Aleppo since storming the city last summer, while the regime has largely kept the rebels at bay so far in Damascus, although opposition fighters control several suburbs of the capital and look increasingly capable of threatening the heart of the city — and Assad's power.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/06/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria-
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Iraqi Shiite Group Says Member Killed in Syria
2013/04/06
BAGHDAD (AP) — A member of an Iraq Shiite militant group was killed in Syria, an official with the group said Saturday, highlighting how the increasingly sectarian conflict there is drawing in its fragile neighbors that already experience unrest among religious sects.
Other Shiite militias in Iraq have acknowledged sending members to Syria, but it is the first time that the Iraqi Hezbollah has hinted that its members are fighting there.
The fighter, Afrad Mohsen al-Hemedawi, was killed while defending a Shiite holy shrine in Syria, according to the official of the Hezbollah Brigades, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue. The official said the man was killed on March 30 and buried on April 1.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/06/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iraq-
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‘With 1,000 mosques, Sharjah qualifies to be capital of Islamic culture in 2014’
By Mohammad El Sadafy
April 06, 2013
Al Muhairi said this during a session of the Sharjah Advisory Council to discuss the policies of the DTPS.
Al Muhairi said the directorate is planning many projects in the field of religion, culture and education.
He said the emirate has 277 schools at present. There are proposals to build 150 new ones.
There are 32 cultural centres for various age groups and women in the emirate besides 21 museums which qualified Sharjah to be called “Capital of Arab Culture” in 1998.
Full report at:
http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/with-1-000-mosques-sharjah-qualifies-to-be-capital-of-islamic-culture-in-2014-2013-04-06-1.501459
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Chairman of the Shoura Council: G20 has key role in resolving issues
6 April 2013
Addressing the opening session of the fourth periodical meeting of the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Consultation Forum, Chairman of the Shoura Council Abdullah Al-Asheikh stressed the Kingdom’s rich and pioneering experience in countering issues such as water shortage, citing Saudi Arabia’s effort to find sustainable and practical solutions at all levels.
The forum, organized by Mexico’s Senate, was held April 3 to 5 in Mexico City and attended by representatives of the G20 member states as well as Spain, Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/447205
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Assad warns of instability, Obama to host Syria talks
With ongoing battles between rebels and Assad regime forces, Obama will host leaders from key US allies Jordan, Turkey, Qatar and the UAE in the coming weeks amid turmoil in Syria, the White House said
6 Apr 2013
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned that the fall of his regime would destabilise the region "for many years", as US President Barack Obama announced talks with Middle East allies over the crisis.
"The whole world knows that if Syria is partitioned, or if terrorist forces take control of the country, there will be direct contagion of the surrounding countries," Assad said in an interview with two Turkish media outlets, video of which was posted on his Facebook page Friday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/68550/World/Region/Assad-warns-of-instability,-Obama-to-host-Syria-ta.aspx
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Court saves Bassem Youssef from Brotherhood attempt to shut down TV show
Egypt's administrative court rejects the case filed by a Brotherhood lawyer to suspend Bassem Youssef's Jon-Stewart-like political satire programme
6 Apr 2013
The popular El Bernameg TV programme by satirist Bassem Youssef will continue being aired for now after an administrative court dismissed a lawsuit on Saturday calling for the programme to be suspended.
The court rejects the case, filed by a Muslim Brotherhood lawyer Mahmoud Abul Enein, saying the plaintiff does not have the right to ask for the programme to be suspended.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/68553/Egypt/Politics-/Court-saves-Bassem-Youssef-from-Brotherhood-attemp.aspx
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Suicide Bomber Kills 20 at Iraq Political Rally
Apr 06 2013
BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials say a suicide bomber has killed 20 people and wounded more than 50 in an attack at political rally in the Iraqi city of Baqouba.
Councilman Sadiq al-Huseini says the bomber detonated his explosives as candidate Muthana al-Jourani was hosting lunch for supporters on Saturday in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad.
A health official and police officer who provided details about the attack spoke anonymously because they weren't authorized to speak to media.
Violence is expected to surge in the lead up to Iraq's provincial elections on April 20.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but such attacks are the hallmark of al-Qaida militants seeking to undermine confidence in the Shiite-led government.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/06/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iraq.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=4DD47CAED80F0C201697D22402789E43
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Syrian troops battle rebels outside Damascus
Apr 6, 2013
Syrian government troops battled rebels on Saturday in a town outside Damascus, part of a belt of communities around the capital that has been the scene of near-daily fighting in recent months, opposition activists said.
In the north, warplanes hit rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, killing five people, activists said.
The rebels control large swaths of northern Syria, including several districts of Aleppo that they took from President Bashar Assad’s troops last year as well as much of the border with Turkey.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/syrian-troops-battle-rebels-outside-damascus/article4588347.ece
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35,000 Syria refugees have gone home: Jordan
April 05, 2013
AMMAN – Almost 35,000 Syrian refugees have returned home from Jordan since their country’s conflict broke out in March 2011, but a larger number joined the exodus last month alone, a government spokesman said Friday.
“34,824 Syrian refugees have gone back to their country since the start of the crisis,” Anmar Al-Hammud, spokesman for the refugee file, said.
He said around 2,500 of them had returned at their own request from the Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan Thursday with the assistance of Jordanian security services.
Jordan says it is hosting more than 475,000 refugees from Syria, including over 146,000 at Zaatari, a border camp whose residents have staged several protests over the tough living conditions.
More than 41,000 Syrian refugees entered Jordan in March alone, said Hammud, adding that the kingdom fears the total number will have soared to 700,000 by the end of this year.
Around 1.2 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries over the past two years, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. – AFP
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130406160130
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Iraq postpones Saudi prisoner’s execution
April 05, 2013
JEDDAH — The execution of Saudi prisoner Abdullah Al-Qahtani, which was supposed to take place Thursday, has been postponed by the Iraqi authorities, Al-Hayat daily reported Friday, quoting the head of the committee for Saudi prisoners in Iraq.
Thamer Al-Belaihid said the news was confirmed by a source inside Baghdad’s maximum-security prison where Al-Qahtani has been incarcerated.
Al-Qahtani entered the Iraqi territory in 2005.
He was arrested in 2009 and charged with killing a jewelry shop owner in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, Al-Qahtani will continue his hunger strike, which he started recently, demanding that the Iraqi president look into his case and review the death sentence handed down by a fast-track court. He has been held inside a small cell, just 100 meters away from the execution chamber.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130406160102
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Egyptian orphans still suffering on National Orphan Day
Egyptian orphans try to break free of society's cruel shackles in order to celebrate their national day
Sarah El-Rashidi
5 Apr 2013
As legal adoption is prohibited by Islamic law, parentless children are stuck in the conflicting position of being objects of charity while being rejected due to their lack of heritage and family.
"Our society snubs and looks down on orphans," explains Hala Anwar live-in mother at one of Bent Masr orphanages' four branches in Cairo's Mohandiseen district.
The orphanages were founded by Dr Esmat El-Merghani, a lawyer who works at the Arab League.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/68132/Egypt/Politics-/-Egyptian-orphans-still-suffering-on-National-Orph.aspx
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Mideast Asia
Abbas demands two-state map from Netanyahu: Aide
An aide of Mahmoud Abbas says Palestinian President requested Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu to present a map of the two-state solution
5 Apr 2013
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has demanded that Israel's prime minister present a map for a future Palestinian state before any peace talks can resume, an aide said on Friday.
Abbas "wants to know, through a map to be presented by Benjamin Netanyahu to (US Secretary of State John) Kerry, what the prime minister's view of a two-state solution would be, especially the borders," political adviser Nimr Hammad told AFP.
The remarks came just days ahead of a visit by Kerry, who will hold fortnightly meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, local media say, as he tries to revive the stalled peace process.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/68524/World/Region/Abbas-demands-twostate-map-from-Netanyahu-Aide.aspx
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No Deal in Sight on Final Day of Iran Nuclear Talks
Apr 06 2013
ALMATY (Reuters) - Six world powers and Iran met for a second day on Saturday with scant hope of striking a breakthrough deal to ease concern that Tehran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons capability, a dispute that could escalate into a new Middle East war.
Negotiators failed to narrow their differences when the two-day meeting began on Friday, which followed a round of talks in February, also in Kazakhstan's commercial hub, Almaty.
The final day of negotiations was unlikely to achieve more than a willingness to keep talking. Iran responded on Friday to an offer of limited relief from sanctions with a proposal of its own that puzzled Western diplomats and which Russia said raised more questions than answers.
Iran's critics accuse it of covertly seeking the means to make nuclear bombs and say Tehran in the past has used diplomacy as a stalling tactic. Further inconclusive talks will not reassure Israel, which says it could launch air strikes to stop its arch-enemy from getting the bomb, if necessary.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/04/06/world/middleeast/06reuters-iran-
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Turkey raps US absence in $22 billion nuclear tender: Report
AFP | Apr 6, 2013
ANKARA: Turkey's energy minister has criticized the United States not joining in the $22 billion tender to build the country's second nuclear power plant, local media reported on Saturday.
"If we are not building the nuclear power plant with America, which strategic project will we handle with them?" Energy minister Taner Yildiz was quoted as telling the daily Hurriyet newspaper.
The minister said Washington's non-participation in the project was not compatible with the so-called "model partnership" between the two Nato allies.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Turkey-raps-US-absence-in-22-billion-nuclear-tender-Report/articleshow/19413536.cms
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Throwing stones Palestinians’ birthright: Israeli writer
April 06, 2013
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — A newspaper op-ed piece by an Israeli writer has revived an emotional debate surrounding Israel’s 45-year rule over the West Bank and east Jerusalem: Do Palestinians who throw rocks at Israelis exercise a “birthright” of resisting military occupation, as the author argued? Or is stone-throwing an indefensible act of violence?
The heated argument — along with a police complaint West Bank settlers filed against the author — was another sign of the deepening gulf between the two peoples after decades of conflict.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130406160093
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Africa
Nigerian army kills 14 Islamists in raid
Reuters | Apr 5, 2013
KANO (NIGERIA): Nigerian soldiers killed 14 suspected Islamist insurgents on Sunday during a dawn raid on a house in the main northern city of Kano, the military said.
Islamist sect Boko Haram wants to carve an Islamic state out of Nigeria. It and other Islamist groups have become the main threat to stability on Africa's top oil-producing state and increasingly menace neighbours like Cameroon.
Boko Haram has killed hundreds in gun and bomb attacks, including 25 in Kano earlier in March, since it intensified an insurgency two years ago.
In Sunday's raid, one soldier was killed and another seriously injured while a suspected suicide bomber was arrested in a car packed with explosives, the army said.
"This operation was conducted following a tip-off from our intelligence. You can see that there are over 10 of the terrorists all dead," Iliyasu Abbah, an officer in the military task force dealing with Islamist rebels, told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Nigerian-army-kills-14-Islamists-in-raid/articleshow/19402193.cms
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Nigeria moots amnesty for Boko Haram Islamist rebels
Apr 06 2013
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a panel to look into the possibility of granting an amnesty to the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
The move came after religious and political leaders said the military approach did not solve the violence.
Mr Jonathan previously rejected any amnesty offer, saying the rebels were "ghosts" whose demands were not known.
Hundreds of people have been killed since Boko Haram fighters stepped up their campaign in recent years.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22042352
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Tunisia frees Salafist sheikh expelled by Egypt
The Justice ministry says Tunisia freed a Salafist sheikh coming from Egypt
5 Apr 2013
Tunisia freed on Friday a Salafist sheikh arrested on arrival after being expelled by Egypt for falsifying travel papers for jihadists, saying he was not guilty, the justice ministry said.
Tunisian Imed ben Salah, also known as Abou Abdallah Ettounsi, was arrested on March 21 and ordered out of Egypt, according to press reports, for organising the falsification of documents to help jihadists travel to combat zones.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/68537/World/Region/Tunisia-frees-Salafist-sheikh-expelled-by-Egypt.aspx
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Mali: France Proposes Permanent Force
Apr 06 2013
France has proposed keeping a permanent force of 1,000 French troops in Mali to fight armed Islamist militants, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Friday. Mr. Fabius, on a visit to Bamako, Mali’s capital, said France was pushing ahead with plans to reduce its 4,000-member military presence from the end of this month but planned to keep a combat force in Mali to support a future United Nations peacekeeping mission. France’s three-month military campaign has largely swept Islamist rebels out of towns in northern Mali and into remote desert and mountain hideaways. “France has proposed, to the United Nations and to the Malian government, a French support force of 1,000 men, which would be permanent, based in Mali and equipped to fight terrorism,” Mr. Fabius said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/world/africa/mali-france-proposes-permanent-force.html?ref=africa&gwh=5CD96E00B3BBC38A912D245A95CE7B41
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The unwarranted international demonising of Libya and Benghazi
5 April 2013:
After the fall of Tripoli in 2011, Western politicians were guilty of painting a rosy and unrealistic picture of what would happen next. Outside observers with a superficial knowledge of Libya, its history, people and culture instantly assumed the post-Qaddafi era would be devoid of problems.
The West, in its eagerness to secure lucrative contracts and justify its involvement in the uprising against Qaddafi, peddled lies to the media. It chose to ignore Libya’s recent history of intense political in-fighting, and this has resulted in major governance flaws which will take years to overcome.
Full report at:
http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/04/05/opinion-the-unwarranted-international-demonising-of-libya-and-benghazi/
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Al-Qaeda denies Saharan leader killed by France: SITE
April 06, 2013 1
RIYADH: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the movement's North African arm, said French statements that its forces had killed the group's leader in the Sahara were "blatant fallacy", a monitoring website said on Saturday.
AQIM, as the group is known, did not name the leader but it appeared to be referring to Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, whose death in Mali in February was confirmed by Paris "with certainty" on March 23.
The militant group, which attacked a gas plant in Algeria in January, denied the death in a statement published on Friday on Islamist internet forums, SITE, a U.S.-based intelligence monitoring website, reported.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Apr-06/212815-al-qaeda-denies-saharan-leader-killed-by-france-site.ashx#ixzz2PfqAPamP
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New Mali refugees flee to Niger
6 April 2013
GENEVA: Thousands of refugees from war-torn Mali have crossed into neighboring Niger amid fears of reprisals by the country's military who are battling rebels, the UN refugee agency said yesterday.
Almost 6,000 people, mainly women and children, arrived on foot or on donkeys, said Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
"They say they fled because of the ongoing war in northern Mali, and for fear of possible reprisals by the Malian army. They also said that more people are on their way to Niger," Edwards told reporters.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/447143
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No crisis with Nile Basin states: Morsi
Egyptian President Morsi and Sudanese counterpart Omar Al-Bashir affirm that cooperation between Egypt and Sudan is high on their respective agendas
6 Apr 2013
Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has described relations with Nile Basin states as "friendly" during a joint press conference with Sudanese counterpart Omar Al-Bashir in Khartoum.
"Egypt's ties stumbled in the past, but now we are together, with possibilities of enhancing cooperation that satisfies the interests of all sides," Morsi told reporters at the end of a two-day visit to the neighbouring country.
"Mutual talks in this respect are currently ongoing, and we welcome the restoration of old relations with Africa," Morsi added.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/68527/World/Region/No-crisis-with-Nile-Basin-states-Morsi.aspx
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Southeast Asia
Buddhist-Muslim Tensions Spread as 8 Detainees Die in Indonesia
By JOE COCHRANE and THOMAS FULLER
Apr 06 2013
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Simmering religious and ethnic violence in Myanmar spread beyond its borders on Friday when a brawl broke out at an immigration center in Indonesia between Muslim and Buddhist detainees, leaving 8 dead and 15 wounded, officials said.
A group of 117 Rohingya refugees and 11 Buddhists accused of illegal fishing, all from Myanmar, were being held together in the same area of a government detention center in Belawan, a port city in North Sumatra Province, when fighting erupted just after midnight, said Herianto, a spokesman for Indonesia’s Department of Immigration in Jakarta.
“There were eight fishermen killed,” said Mr. Herianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. “The injured detainees were Rohingya,” a Muslim ethnic group in Myanmar.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/world/asia/buddhist-muslim-tensions-spread-as-detainees-die-in-indonesia.html?ref=world
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Displaced Shiites Languishing in Sampang
IRIN | April 06, 2013
Sampang, Madura. Eights months after dozens of Shiite Muslims on Madura Island were driven from their homes by mobs from neighboring Sunni villages, the displaced remain in poor conditions with no immediate prospect of returning.
Nearly 170 Shias in Madura’s Sampang district are still confined to a gymnasium, unable to work or travel. They are dependent on government provisions for their survival. Local authorities have warned them to stay near the gym for their safety.
“We have no chance to leave here. It feels like we’re in jail,” Ustadz Iklil, 40, lamented.
He said families were limiting themselves to one meal a day when government food provisions fell short, and that basic hygiene was difficult to maintain.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/displaced-shiites-languishing-in-sampang/583996
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Indonesia Considers Pulling Diplomats From North Korea
Jakarta Globe & Reuters | April 06, 2013
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering a plan to evacuate Indonesian diplomats from Pyongyang amid rising tension in North Korea.
A statement released by the Ministry on Saturday said that North Korea’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has briefed all foreign representatives in Pyongyang, including Indonesian diplomats, and urged them to consider evacuating the country following leader Kim Jon-un’s threat that North Korea would launch missile attacks on the United States and South Korea.
The country on Friday told foreign embassy officials it cannot guarantee their safety in a conflict.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-considers-pulling-diplomats-from-north-korea/584066
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Push for Presidential Insult Article Draws More Flak
Anastasia Winanti Riesardhy & Markus Junianto Sihaloho | April 06, 2013
The debate over a government proposal to reinstate criminal charges for insulting the president is heating up, with critics calling the move unconstitutional and proponents arguing for the need to safeguard the president’s dignity.
Irman Putra Sidin, a state administrative law expert from the University of Indonesia, pointed out on Friday that the article in question, included in proposed amendments to the Criminal Code, had previously been struck down by the Constitutional Court.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/push-for-presidential-insult-article-draws-more-flak/583993
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Churches urge Christians to vote wisely in GE13
Apr 06 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Churches have joined in the drive to educate voters, urging Christians to come out and vote with wisdom in Election 2013, which is expected to be Malaysia’s most intense polls.
In a video uploaded on YouTube yesterday, Christians were reminded of their moral duty to vote.
“We vote because we have a moral obligation to participate in the life of the nation,” said a narration in the video jointly produced by the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) — an umbrella body of Protestant churches — and the Catholic Research Centre.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/churches-urge-christians-to-vote-wisely-in-ge13/
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Ibrahim Ali threatens to expose ‘shocking’ Pakatan secrets
Apr 06 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — Datuk Ibrahim Ali has threatened to expose two secrets on assets held by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders which he claims will shock the nation as it prepares to face the most heated polls contest to date.
The Perkasa president (however, said he would only reveal the secrets after nomination day and would first seek Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s approval.
“At this moment, I cannot reveal further information on that matter until the time is right.
“However, I am confident the exposure of these secrets later would shock many quarters, especially the people of Kelantan because (it) involves assets held by certain leaders in the opposition pact, apart from problems of cooperation among them,” he was quoted saying in Utusan Malaysia today.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ibrahim-ali-threatens-to-expose-shocking-pakatan-secrets
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Najib calls for strong bond between people and military
Apr 06 2013
KUANTAN, April 6 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today spoke of the need for the people and the military to establish a strong bond so that the people can better appreciate the sacrifices of the armed forces in maintaining security and safeguarding national sovereignty.
He said the undivided support of the people for the security forces was contributory to the success of the national transformation efforts.
Peace and national security were prerequisites for the success of a nation, he said when launching the Armed Forces Open Day at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base here.
Najib (picture) said two components were necessary to ensure that national security was at its best, and cited these as the leadership and courage of well-equipped security personnel as well as the people’s undivided support for the security forces.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-calls-for-strong-bond-between-people-and-military/
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news-lashkar-tayyeba-militants/d/11041