Sufism keeps Sindh away from extremism: Sassui Palijo
Mullah Omar treated in Karachi with ISI help?
Taseer effect: Pak ready to hire US guards for Zardari
Roadside bomb kills 20 civilians in Afghanistan
Pak breaches pact as jets fly near Indian airspace
UK bars US pastor who threatened to burn Quran
12 Afghans killed while making bomb
Six, including woman, killed in Karachi violence
Maid abuse rampant in Arab region, says magazine
Imam of Washington DC: Iran the main stream of Tunisia revolution
Tunisia fallout: Arab leaders warned of 'unprecedented anger'
Interlocutors use Facebook to connect with J&K people
A few hiccups aside, interlocutors have done a good job in Kashmir
Killer of Thousands Bosnian Muslim Arrested by Israel
Akhtari: Women Conflicts in Religious Backward Countries Derive from Their Society
Two US-led soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri: Islam is the Religion of Unity
Indian Shia Cleric: Sunni, shia Muslims in India get a along well
Ben Ali's family arrested in Tunisia
Mohamed ElBaradei Warns of 'Tunisia-Style Explosion' in Egypt
Mossad Agents Behind Assassination of Iranian Nuclear Scientist Arrested
Poet Raghib Muradabadi passes away
Why is the delay in the release of innocent youth: Maulana Madani to Sonia Gandhi
Shabnam makes UP proud
Displaced Kashmiri Hindus stage protest in Srinagar
Alabama Gov apologises after fuelling Hindu, Muslim fury
Deoband chief says future fatwas will be explained
Shia Muslims to Commemorate Arbaeen in London
There was no court order for mosque demolition: Syed Zafar Mahmood
French teen sets himself alight a copycat of a self-immolation protest in Tunisia
New York Police Department Used Anti-Islam Film 'Third Jihad' To Train Officers
NW Pakistan institutes Sharia law
Iran deplores US pastor's insulting plan
Al-Turabi: Bashir is to blame for Sudan partition
Zionists' footprints seen in Islamic world mishaps: IRI Parliament Speaker
Top Shia Cleric Hit Out at Ashura Attack against Muslims
Two Muslim Children Aged 10, Sentenced to Imprisonment
Ousted Tunisian President's Swiss accounts frozen
Kandahar accused acquitted in arms case
PDP launches Statewide stir for resolving Kashmir issue
Arabian horses enter prez farm
Light & sound to recreate Nazi horrors
Yunus In Trouble For Political Turn
Terror Charge Dropped, PIO Jailed 6 Years
Lal Chowk: From Historic Red Flags To Stone-Pelters
Put off Lal Chowk plan: Omar; don't need his NOC: BJP
Lal Chowk flag-hoisting will be an insult
No shooting in Valley if violence in script?
US mulls visa ban on several Pakistanis
Tunisia a lesson: Moussa
Iran tests missile in display before nuclear talks
Wipe out injustice, Shoura chief tells Islamic states
Swiss banker who turned to WikiLeaks admits errors
Father burns boy's genitals for bed-wetting
Power of peace, love is immense: Scholar
Iran bans production of Valentine's Day gifts, promotions, in bid to stop spread of Western culture
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sufism-keeps-sindh-away-extremism/d/3964
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Sufism keeps Sindh away from extremism: Sassui Palijo
Jan 20, 2011
HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Culture Sassui Palijo has said that Sindh has remained relatively calm and peaceful for decades because of the overwhelming influence of Sufi teachings spread by great Sufi saints and poets.
Addressing a press conference at the Shah Abdul Latif Research Cell in Bhit Shah on Wednesday, she said that Sufi teachings had produced a rich tradition of tolerance and respect for different cultures and religions.
She said the country was facing several kinds of terrorism and extremism, including religious extremism and street terrorism but the people of Sindh had always been against religious extremism because of the influence of Sufism.
She said that Sindh being a land of liberal values its people had traditionally kept religion separate from politics.
Followers of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai must spread his message of love and affection, she said.
Ms Palijo said people were bearing the brunt of street terrorism in Karachi. Everyone must condemn this menace and whoever was behind it must be taken to task, she added.
She said that the proposal for opening the Urs on Tuesday had been discussed and rejected.
She announced the Latif Award for Bhit Shah Press Club and said the PPP government believed in freedom of expression but, at the same time, encouraged responsible journalism.
Later, Ms Palijo inaugurated an agro-industrial exhibition at Bhit Shah and said on the occasion that the agro-industrial sector was the backbone of national economy and generated 80 per cent jobs.
This sector can become more result-oriented with the application of modern technology. It was the responsibility of the organisations concerned to keep farmers informed about new research, she said.
She stressed the need for holding an agro-industrial exhibition at the national level to help farmers of all provinces exchange their expertise. Such exhibitions should be made a regular feature in the interior of Sindh, she said.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/20/sufism-keeps-sindh-away-from-extremism-sassui.html
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Mullah Omar treated in Karachi with ISI help?
Jan 20, 2011
WASHINGTON: Elusive Taliban leader Mullah Omar, one of the world's most wanted terrorists, was treated in a Karachi hospital with the help of Pakistan's spy agency ISI after he suffered a heart attack, a private intelligence agency has claimed. First reported by the Washington Post on its online edition, the claim by Eclipse Group was immediately refuted by Pakistan.
Pakistani ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, said the report had "no basis whatsoever". There was no immediate confirmation of the report from the US officials. In its report, Eclipse Group, which is run by former CIA, US state department and military officers, said the one-eyed leader of the Afghan Taliban suffered a heart attack on January 7, following which he was treated in a Karachi hospital with the help of Inter Services Intelligence.
The Eclipse Group said that its source of information is a physicians in the said Karachi hospital. "While I was not personally in the operating theatre," the physician reported, "my evaluation based on what I have heard and seeing the patient in the hospital is that Mullah Omar had a cardiac catheter complication resulting in either bleeding or a small cerebral vascular incident, or both."
The Eclipse reported that ISI rushed him to a hospital in Karachi, where he was given heparin (an anticoagulant) and operated on. "After 3-4 days of post-operative care in the hospital, he was released to the ISI and ordered to take absolute bed rest for at least several days." The physician who was the source for the report said, "After the operation, there seemed to be some brain damage with Mullah Omar having slurred speech."
However, Husain Haqqani asserted that the Pakistani authorities continue to hunt down wanted al-Qaida and Taliban figures and will apprehend anyone "if and when we have hard intelligence".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Mullah-Omar-treated-in-Karachi-with-ISI-
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Taseer effect: Pak ready to hire US guards for Zardari
Jan 20, 2011
Islamabad: In the wake of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseers assassination by his guard,the Pakistan government is considering a proposal to bring in security guards from the US for President Asif Ali Zardari,said a report.
While Zardaris security has always been cause of serious concern for authorities,the government is also mulling a proposal to hire foreign security guards for several VVIPs,including the PM,provincial governors and chief ministers and a few federal ministers,The Express Tribune newspaper quoted highly-placed sources as saying.
An overhaul in the present security system has been recommended as an essential requirement by the authorities responsible for the safety and well-being of the VVIPs, a source was quoted as saying by the daily.An army unit,the 111 Brigade that has been used for several military coups,is currently deployed at the Presidency for the security of Zardari.
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Roadside bomb kills 20 civilians in Afghanistan
Jan 19, 2011
KABUL: A motorized rickshaw packed with civilian passengers struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan Wednesday, triggering a blast that killed all 20 people in the vehicle.
The blast happened in Khoshamad district of eastern Paktika province, the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that women and children were among the dead. Further details were not immediately available.
Civilians are increasingly the victims of the escalating Afghan war, particular from planted bombs on roads and in markets. A recent United Nations report said it documented 2,412 conflict-related civilian casualties in the first 10 months of 2010. More than three-quarters of them were caused by militant activity, a 25 percent increase from the same period in 2009, the report said. At the same time, civilian casualties attributed to pro-government forces decreased.
Also Wednesday, a roadside bomb in southern Zabul province killed four border police officers who were patrolling the area, said Gen Abdul Raziq, the commander for border police in the south. He said the officers struck the bomb in their truck while driving through Shamulzoh district.
In western Herat province Tuesday night, a rocket hit a civilian house during a firefight between insurgents and NATO forces in the area, government spokesman Shafiq Berozyan said. One child was killed and another 10 people were wounded, he said.
These incidents came after two deadly roadside bombings this weekend.
On Saturday, six civilians were killed when their minivan hit a bomb while driving in southern Helmand province. On Sunday, a station wagon carrying a family of nine people struck a bomb in northern Baghlan province, killing all of those aboard.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Roadside-bomb-kills-13-civilians-in-
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Pak breaches pact as jets fly near Indian airspace
Jan 20, 2011
NEW DELHI: In the second such incident within 30 days to possibly probe India's air defence network along the J&K border, Pakistani military aircraft virtually violated Indian airspace in the R S Pura sector near Jammu on Wednesday.
Sources said BSF ground-based mobile observation posts spotted two Pakistani ''light military aircraft'' cruising along the border on Wednesday, with some reports even holding the planes actually crossed over into Indian airspace for some time to fly over four Indian border posts.
Even if the aircraft did not actually enter Indian airspace, the incident clearly violates the two decade-old agreement between India and Pakistan, which lays down that fighters or other military aircraft should not fly within 10km of each other's airspace.
''The Pakistani aircraft were probably checking our air defence capabilities, radar coverage and reaction time...it's a usual military tactic to probe an adversary's defences,'' said an official. This comes close after three Pakistani fighters flew close to the border on December 21.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-breaches-pact-as-jets-fly-near-Indian-
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UK bars US pastor who threatened to burn Quran
Jan 20, 2011
LONDON: An American Christian preacher who caused global uproar by threatening to burn the Koran has been barred from visiting Britain, the British government said on Wednesday.
Florida Pastor Terry Jones, whose threat to burn Islam’s holy book on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks last year provoked widespread condemnation, had been invited by a group that is critical of Islamic immigration into Britain.
“The government opposes extremism in all its forms which is why we have excluded Pastor Terry Jones from the UK. Numerous comments made by Pastor Jones are evidence of his unacceptable behaviour,” a spokesman for Britain’s Home Office (interior ministry) said.
“Coming to the UK is a privilege, not a right, and we are not willing to allow entry to those whose presence is not conducive to the public good,” he said. “The use of exclusion powers is very serious and no decision is taken lightly or as a method of stopping open debate.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/20/uk-bars-us-pastor-who-threatened-to-burn-quran.html
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12 Afghans killed while making bomb
Jan 20, 2011
KABUL: A dozen terrorists died when the bombs they were making exploded in northwest Afghanistan, interior ministry officials said on Wednesday. The incident on Tuesday also injured six other people in the Ghormach district of Faryab province, which borders Turkmenistan, the interior ministry in Kabul said. It added that the dead included two local terrorist commanders. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or homemade bombs are the weapon of choice for terrorists and are a frequent cause of death for foreign troops as well as civilians in Afghanistan. There are around 140,000 international troops fighting a Taliban insurgency that is now in its tenth year. The US-led coalition suffered its highest annual death toll last year with 711 fatalities, according to the iCasualties.org website.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\20\story_20-1-2011_pg7_4
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Six, including woman, killed in Karachi violence
Jan 20, 2011
KARACHI: Six people, including a woman, were killed in separate incidents in different parts of the metropolis on Wednesday.
According to details, police found a bullet-riddled body of a man from Shaheed Ground Malir within the limits of Malir City police station. The victim was later identified as Zain-ul-Abdeen, 29, resident of Sahib Dad Goth. The police shifted the body to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities.
The police officials said the victim was nominated in cases of a dacoity and an attempt to murder, registered at the Malir City police station, adding that his accomplice might be involved in his murder. Later, the police handed over his body to the heirs. Police have registered FIR (11/11) and initiated investigation.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\20\story_20-1-2011_pg7_27
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Maid abuse rampant in region, says magazine
Jan 20, 2011
JEDDAH: A Saudi women’s magazine has published an article highlighting the abuse of maids and the need to find solutions to the problem, not just in the Kingdom but across the region.
According to the article in Sayidaty magazine (a sister publication of Arab News), many housemaids across the region are abused in a variety of ways from physical abuse to not being provided with food. It also adds that such maids have no rights and that they hardly see justice except when a major development occurs.
“Local newspapers have recently been publishing a lot about maid abuse in the Kingdom and this is where we decided to not just write about the horror stories but also find solutions to the problem,” said Mona Siraj, managing editor of Sayidaty magazine in Jeddah.
“Our responsibility as a magazine that cares for social issues is to give our readers the perfect and real picture … in addition to allowing the authorities and human rights’ bodies to respond,” she added.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article238331.ece
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Imam of Washington DC: Iran the main stream of Tunisia revolution
Jan 20, 2011
The Imam of Washington DC Islamic Center says the Islamic movement in Iran has become the model for changes in Tunisia, which saw the first revolution in the Arab world.
The Imam of Washington DC Islamic Center says the Islamic movement in Iran has become the model for changes in Tunisia, which saw the first revolution in the Arab world.
“There are a lot of parallels that we can draw from what is happening in Tunisia today and what happened in Iran 32 to 33 years ago,” Muhammad al-Asi said in an interview with P.TV.
“The bottom line is that the religious or ideological components of Islam are the deepest and most authentic feelings of all the peoples of North Africa and all the peoples in Muslim countries,” he added.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=221885
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Tunisia fallout: Arab leaders warned of 'unprecedented anger'
Jan 20, 2011
SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Arab League chief Amr Mussa warned Arab leaders on Wednesday that the hardships of ordinary Tunisians that sparked a popular uprising were linked to "unprecedented anger" in the region.
Mussa was addressing an economic summit of Arab leaders in Egypt's resort of Sharm el-Sheikh that closed with a vow to "move forward in the development of our societies in terms of human development, technology, economy and society."
"The developmental challenges are no less important than the political challenges facing the region," the leaders said in a final statement after their one-day summit.
It was the first gathering of Arab leaders since Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced to step down and fled his country on Friday after 23 years in power.
"The revolution that happened in Tunisia is not far from the subject of this summit," Mussa said, amid fears of a spillover.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Tunisia-fallout-Arab-leaders-warned-
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Interlocutors use Facebook to connect with J& K people
Jan 20, 2011
THE interlocutors appointed by the Centre to find ways to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue, have found a virtual platform to interact with the people of the state living in far- flung areas: Facebook.
Professor Radha Kumar, one of the interlocutors, has added hundreds of people from the state to her Facebook account.
These people share their views — ranging from independence for Kashmir to discrimination against Jammu — with her on the social networking site.
Full report at: Mail Today
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A few hiccups aside, interlocutors have done a good job in Kashmir
Jan 20, 2011
In an interaction with reporters at The Times Of India's office, J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah discussed peace, politics and people of the Valley
During the last year of protests what kind of learning have you gone through?
A very mixed sort. We had a good budget session, we had unexpectedly strong support from planning commission in terms of plan size. We really set about approaching 2010 as a year with a lot of development and a lot of activity on the ground. It really started that way and if you see the number of tourists that flooded in to the state March, April, May, and the first week of June it looked like its going to be a record year. If things had remained as they were we would have crossed 7 lakh for the year easily and in spite of the trouble we crossed 5.5 lakh and that was the four months of our peak season. Then of course June happened and what can one say. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what triggered this off. Now lessons. Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/A-few-hiccups-aside-interlocutors-have-done-a-
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Killer of Thousands Bosnian Muslim Arrests by Israel
Jan 20, 2011
Aleksandar Cvetkovi, who is suspected of taking part in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in eastern Bosnia, which left more than 1,000 Muslims dead, was arrested Tuesday by Israel’s National Unit for the Investigation of Serious and International Crime.
chvhk(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Israel's Justice Ministry said Aleksandar Cvetkovic, an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia, was arrested on Tuesday and that prosecutors would seek court approval to extradite him to Bosnia for trial on charges of genocide, the Jerusalem Post reported on its website.
In late August, Bosnian officials asked Israel to arrest and extradite Cvetkovic over his alleged involvement in Srebrenica killings at the peak of the 1992-95 civil war in former Yugoslavia.
A statement by the Bosnian state prosecutor's office said Cvetkovic is suspected of having personally taken part in the execution of more than 800 Bosnian Muslim men and boys from the UN-protected Srebrenica.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=221731
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Akhtari: Women Conflicts in Religious Backward Countries Derive from Their Society Problems not from Islam
Jan 20, 2011
The Scientific workshop on chastity and morality with the presence of philosophers from Iran, Greece, Turkey, Bahrain, Denmark and Belgium Held in Athens
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The International Scientific workshop on chastity and morality with the aim of retrieving and refreshing the Hijab, spirituality, ethics and moral education of people with the presence of educated women of various countries was held in the capital of Athens.
At the beginning of this conference Mr. Honardoost, Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ambassador in Athens pointed at today’s social transgression despite all the materialistic progress of human societies and said: “the main cause of all these conflicts and transgressions is the lack of morality among human societies”.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=221803
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Two US-led soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Jan 20, 2011
Two US-led soldiers have been killed in an attack in Afghanistan, bringing the number of foreign forces killed in the Afghan war in 2011 more than 20.
According to a Press TV correspondent, one of the soldiers was killed in the north on Thursday and another one lost his life in the south on Wednesday, the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, announced without giving further details.
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are by far the most lethal weapon used by Taliban militants.
The militants have used IEDs in their attacks against foreign troops, Afghan forces, and civilians.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161022.html
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Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri: Islam is the Religion of Unity
Jan 20, 2011
The General Secretary of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought wishes success for Quran contest participants.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The General Secretary of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri issued a message on the occasion the third International Qur'an Competition for Muslim Students held in Tehran.
“If Muslims population gets knowledgeable and cognizant they will understand that Islam is the religion of unity,” the Grand Ayatollah mentioned in the announcement.
“Quran advises people and never deceives them, it guides people to the right path and never bewilders them,” the ayatollah said in part of his message.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=220538
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Indian Shia Cleric: Sunni, shia Muslims in India get a along well
Jan 20, 2011
A group of Indian scholars have come to Iran by the invitation of Head of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Senior Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri gave a warm welcome to the group. The world Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought endeavors to get the group familiar with 1979 Islamic Revolution achievements.
Regarding the event, Taqrib reporter spoke with one of the Indian group members, Sher Mohammed Jafri, the representative of Iranian Muslim residents in Mumbai.
Would you give us a picture of Muslim’s condition in India?
The only problem is Wahhabis nothing else. Actually in India Hanafies, Shafeies, Malekies and other people from different Islamic Schools of thought live together without any problem.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=221765
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Ben Ali's family arrested in Tunisia
Jan 20, 2011
Dozens of members of ousted Tunisian President Zin el Abidin Ben Ali's family have been arrested while they were trying to leave the country.
Tunisia's state television said 33 of Ben Ali's family members were captured by the country's security forces on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Tunisian prosecutors launched a probe into the domestic and foreign assets of the former president and his family members.
The investigation will look into possible illegal financial transactions, foreign bank accounts and properties held by them.
The French newspaper Le Monde reported earlier that Ben Ali's wife, Laila Trabelsi, left Tunisia with 1,500 kilograms of gold from the country's central bank. However, a source at the bank denied the news.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161028.html
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Mohamed ElBaradei Warns of 'Tunisia-Style Explosion' in Egypt
Jack Shenker in Cairo
Jan 20, 2011
Mohamed ElBaradei says Egyptians 'yearning for change', but draws criticism for refusing to back street-level protests
The Egyptian dissident Mohamed ElBaradei has warned of a "Tunisia-style explosion" in his country as self-immolation protests proliferated and anti-government activists announced plans for a nationwide "day of anger" next week.
"Suppression does not equal stability, and anybody who thinks that the existence of authoritarian regimes is the best way to maintain calm is deluding themselves," ElBaradei told the Guardian. (Photograph: Herwig Prammer/Reuters)But the former UN nuclear weapons chief stopped short of calling on his supporters to take to the streets, prompting scathing criticism from opposition campaigners who believe ElBaradei is squandering a rare opportunity to bring an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three decades of autocratic rule.
Full report at:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/01/19-5
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Mossad Agents Behind Assassination of Iranian Nuclear Scientist Arrested
Jan 20, 2011
Iran has found and arrested the terrorists in charge of the last year assassination of its renowned nuclear scientist, Informed sources said
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iran has found and arrested the terrorists in charge of the last year assassination of its renowned nuclear scientist, Informed sources said.
"The terrorists involved in the assassination of martyr Masoud Ali Mohammadi last year have been arrested," an informed source said Sunday night.
Iranian university professor and nuclear scientist, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, was also assassinated in a terrorist bomb attack in Tehran in January 2010.
The 50-year-old professor was killed in a booby-trapped motorbike blast in front of his house in Qeytariyeh neighborhood in Northern Tehran.
Iranian officials took the Zionist regime of Israel and US hirelings inside Iran responsible for the terrorist operation.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=220547
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Poet Raghib Muradabadi passes away
Jan 20, 2011
KARACHI, Jan 19: Renowned Urdu poet and one of the last masters of the technical aspect of poetry writing (Ilm-i-Aroos), Raghib Muradabadi passed away on Wednesday. He was 93.
Born in 1918 in Delhi, Raghib Muradabadi graduated from Delhi College and learned the art of composing poetry from the likes of Yas Yagana, Safi Lakhnavi and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan. After partition, he came to Karachi where he was made the head of the rehabilitation committee for migrants by former prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan. He contributed a great deal to the betterment of the migrant community.
He wrote 40 books which include a collection of ghazals, nazms, naat, a collection of poetry in Punjabi and translations in verse of Quranic Ayats and Ahadees. His collection of ghazals Rag-i-Guftar was received with critical acclaim as did his naats, Midhatul Bashar .
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/20/poet-raghib-muradabadi-passes-away.html
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Why is the delay in the release of innocent youth: Maulana Madani to Sonia Gandhi
New Age Islam News Bureau
Jan 20, 2011
New Delhi: The General Secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Maulana Mahmood Madani has written a letter to the PM, The Home Minister P Chidambaram and Sonia Gandhi demanding the immediate release of the 9 innocent youth of Malegaon who have been suffering in jail on false charges. He said that after Aseemanand’s confession before the Metropolitan Magistrate there remains no doubt about the fact that the nine Muslim youth behind bars are innocent. Though it was known from the first day that the youth were not involved, there is anxiety among the Muslims of Malegaon as to what is the reason behind the delay in their release after the solid proof of the involvement of communal forces have come to light. Maulana Madani has demanded immediate release and compensation for the youth whose life and career were ruined. The act will recover the image of the Congress and the government among the Muslims. He said that their bail petitions have already been filed in the MCOCA court and the court has demanded an explanation from the government and the investigative agencies. Now all the eyes are on the government’s reply. So the state government should be instructed to give all assistance in the deliverance of justice. He also said that to save the country and humanity, politics should be avoided and appropriate steps should be taken with full conviction and courage for the sake of justice.
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Shabnam makes UP proud
New Age Islam News Bureau
Jan 20, 2011
Amroha: Promising Kabaddi players Shabnam won accolades for her performance helping the UP Kabaddi team reaching the second position in the National School Kabaddi tournament held in Karnataka. Though UP lost to Haryana, Shabnam’s powerful performance helped her team gain the second position. Shabnam represented Muradabad division.
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Displaced Kashmiri Hindus stage protest in Srinagar
Jan 20, 2011
Jammu, Jan 20 (ANI): Displaced Kashmiri Hindus staged protest against the government inaction over their resettlement issues in Jammu.
The demonstrators were observing, what they call, the 21st 'holocaust day', on Wednesday.
The Panun Kashmir, a leading organisation of Kashmiri Pandits, resolved to pursue the demand for a homeland within the constitutional framework of India.
"We believe that on this day the process of displacing us had begun in Kashmir," said Ajay Chrungoo, chairman of Panun Kashmir.
The demonstrators demanded that in any future dialogue process with the government, the atrocities committed on the Kashmiri Hindus must be taken into consideration.
Millions of Pandits were forced to flee the valley, after militancy broke out in 1989.
According to the National Human Rights Commission, over 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits have been displaced since the separatist rebellion began.
Some Kashmiri Pandits made their way to New Delhi in 1989, while others were scattered across the country, but thousands still live in abysmal conditions in Jammu. (ANI)
http://in.news.yahoo.com/displaced-kashmiri-hindus-stage-protest-srinagar-20110119-
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Alabama Gov apologises after fuelling Hindu, Muslim fury
Jan 20, 2011
Washington : After his inauguration day remarks about only Christians being his brothers and sisters angered many in the US, Alabama's new Governor Robert Bentley apologised for causing the offence and said he would work for all people alike.
Bentley's controversial remarks he made early this week had angered non-Christians in the country, including the Hindus, Muslims and the Jews as also the atheists.
Addressing a predominantly African American church on Monday after his official inaugural address, Bentley said only those who accepted Jesus Christ as their savior are his "sisters or brothers".
He went on to add, "... so anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister..."
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) joined many Christian, Jewish, Muslim and atheist leaders in denouncing Bentley's words, calling his views "intolerant, repulsive and wholly unacceptable".
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/alabama-gov-apologises-after-fuelling-hindu-muslim-
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Deoband chief says future fatwas will be explained
Yagnesh Mehta
Jan 20, 2011
SURAT: Leading Islamic seminary and the fount of Deobandi thought, Darul Uloom has often hit the headlines for its controversial fatwas, like banning jeans for women and advising them not to talk to male colleagues.
Now, Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, the new vice-chancellor of the institution, plans to introduce reforms in the process of issuing fatwas. Explanations for fatwas would be given for the fatwas to avoid misunderstanding among people and misrepresentation in the media.
"To understand a fatwa, one has to understand its process. An individual approaches a mufti with his or her query. The reply is called a fatwa. It is a solution based on Sharia law to an individual's query and not something that can be generalised. But fatwas have been misrepresented time and again. This is something we need work on," Vastanvi told TOI.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Deoband-chief-says-future-fatwas-will-be-
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Shia Muslims to Commemorate Arbaeen in London
Jan 20, 2011
Shia Muslims plan to commemorate Arba’een (religious observation that occurs 40 days after the Day of Ashura) in London.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Shia Muslims plan to commemorate Arba’een (religious observation that occurs 40 days after the Day of Ashura) in London.
According to Al-Kosar Website, the devotees of Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) in England will hold mourning ceremonies for Imam Hossein (AS) on the occasion of Arba’een.
They will attend the ceremony with the aim of expressing their solidarity with millions of Iraqi mourners who take a long walk annually to Karbala on the occasion of Arba’een.
The move in Iraq by Shia Muslims is aimed at commemorating the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS).
The event is held annually in form of a demonstration and the devotees of Ah-lu-Bayt (AS) begin their move from Husseini Council building in London to Hyde Park.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=221768
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There was no court order for mosque demolition: Syed Zafar Mahmood
New Age Islam News Bureau
Jan 20, 2011
New Delhi: The President of Zakat Foundation of India Syed Zafar Mahmood has said the truth has now come out that the High Court had not passed any orders for the demolition of Noor Masjid. The mosque which was situated on the Wakf land was wrongly demolished by the DDA on the order of the Lieutenant Governor, he said. The Delhi High Court’s order for the demolition of illegal constructions and removal of encroachments on the government land on the drain along Jangpura was used as a justification for the demolition of the mosque. Syed Zafar Mahmood said that there was no mention of the mosque in the High Court order. It is mentioned in the Gazette that the mosque is situated on Wakf land for decades. Nevertheless, the mosque was demolished by force. He said that he had filed an application under the RTI for the names of the members of the Religious Committee who recommended the demolition but till date he had not received the information. He demanded that people responsible for the demolition should be punished.
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French teen sets himself alight a copycat of a self-immolation protest in Tunisia
Jan 20, 2011
A 16-year-old French student has set himself on fire at his school, in what appears to be a copycat of a self-immolation protest which triggered unrests in Tunisia.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A 16-year-old French student has set himself on fire at his school, in what appears to be a copycat of a self-immolation protest which triggered unrests in Tunisia.
The unnamed schoolboy was rushed to hospital on Tuesday after dousing himself with flammable liquid and setting himself alight at his school in the southern French city of Marseille.
The boy had screamed "I'm sick of it all" just before collapsing in front of his schoolmates, France 24 quoted Marseille prosecutor Jacques Dallest as saying.
According to hospital officials, the teenage boy is in a critical condition, with burns covering over 70 percent of his body.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=221726
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New York Police Department Used Anti-Islam Film 'Third Jihad' To Train Officers
Jan 20, 2011
The New York Police Department has used a movie that portrays Muslim-Americans as jihadis hell-bent on destroying the United States from within in its counter-terrorism training for officers.
The Village Voice reports today that the NYPD has shown "The Third Jihad" to officers taking their mandatory counter-terrorism courses.
The department no longer shows the movie.
"It was reviewed and found to be inappropriate," deputy commissioner Paul Browne told the Voice. "It was not approved for the curriculum. It's not shown for any purpose now."
Browne, who called the video "pretty wacky," told the Voice that the movie had been shown while officers were filling out paperwork, before the actual classes began. But anonymous cops also told the Voice that an instructor showed the movie, warning the officers they might find it offensive.
Full report at:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/nypd_used_anti-
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NW Pakistan institutes Sharia law
Jan 20, 2011
The provincial government of Pakistan has instituted Sharia law in the northern Malakand division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and set up Dar-ul-Qaza (Sharia appellate court) in Swat.
Also meaning "path" in Arabic, Sharia guides all aspects of Muslim life including daily routines, familial and religious obligations, and financial dealings. Precedents and analogy applied by Muslim scholars are used to address new issues. The consensus of the Muslim community also plays a role in defining this theological manual.
Sharia law has been in force to some extent in Malakand since 1994. But appeal cases are heard in the Peshawar high court, which operates under the civil code.
Sharia influences the legal code in some regional countries. A movement to allow Sharia to govern personal status law, a set of regulations that pertain to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and custody, is even expanding into the West.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161011.html
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Iran deplores US pastor's insulting plan
Jan 20, 2011
Iran's Foreign Ministry has condemned last September's threat by US Pastor Terry Jones for trying to burn the Muslims' holy book of Qur'an.
"We strongly condemn planned and hateful activities of an unbalanced pastor of a church in the US state of Florida, who was planning to burn the Qur'an," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters on Wednesday.
The Iranian spokesperson also urged "all followers of divine religions to be more cautious about this dark conspiracy."
Last year, Jones sparked a global outrage when he announced plans to burn copies of the holy Qur'an to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
However, he had to cancel the plan after facing international reactions and condemnations of the issue.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161027.html
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Al-Turabi: Bashir is to blame for Sudan partition
Asmaa El-Husseini in Khartoum
Jan 20, 2011
In exclusive interview held prior to his arrest, opposition leader Al-Turabi warned that Sudan will break into eight mini-states ? or disintegrate completely ? if current conditions are allowed to continue
Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly hours before his arrest on Monday with five leaders of his party, Hassan Al-Turabi, leader of the Popular Congress Party said that the opposition would take action against the regime after the outcome of the referendum is announced. He blamed the regime for dismembering the country.
Al-Turabi said: “A popular uprising similar to the one that took place in Tunisia is a possibility in Sudan.” He added: “The opposition in Sudan ? political and military and across the political spectrum ? is unanimously in agreement that the current regime, which is using Islamic slogans to justify its presence, must go.”
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/2/8/4358/World/Region/AlTurabi-Bashir-is-to-
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Zionists' footprints seen in Islamic world mishaps: IRI Parliament Speaker
Jan 20, 2011
IRI Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said here Wednesday Zionists' footprints are clearly seen in many of the Islamic world crises.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iranian Parliament Speaker, Larijani, made the comment during his meeting with the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran's representatives in UAE, referring to the recent developments in Tunisia, Palestine and Lebanon, reiterating, 'Surveying the developments in those countries, signs of the international intriguing factors and opportunist elements are seen very easily.'
He reiterated, 'In Lebanon, for instance, the footprints of the Americans and the Zionists are seen, because after a period of relative peace in that country, due to the intrigues of certain circles the situation turns chaotic there once again.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=221866
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Top Shia Cleric Hit Out at Ashura Attack against Muslims
Jan 20, 2011
Head of the World Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought refers to the attack of the Ashura mourners in Malaysia and warns against the differences which might end in excommunication
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Head of the World Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought refers to the attack of the Ashura mourners in Malaysia and warns against the differences which might end in excommunication.
Following the recent heinous act of the security forces attacking Ashura mourners in Selangor state of Malaysia, Iranian top cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri in a letter asked religious leaders and top figures of the country to prevent the detained clerics to be tried on alleged accusations.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=220889
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Two Muslim Children Aged 10, Sentenced to Imprisonment
Jan 20, 2011
In one of the most outrageous miscarriages of justice in the world, a Bahraini court imposed a jail sentence on two children for their pro-democracy activities. The two children each aged 10 years old are said to be the youngest political prisoners in the world and their continued detention has led to an outcry among local and international human rights activists.
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - The court also imposed a sentence of ten years imprisonment on three Bahrainis: Fadhel Abbas, his brother, Mohammad and Sayyed Ali Omran. They were also fined 4000 Bahraini Dinars (11,000 US dollars). Three other detainees in the same case, Jaffar Abdul Hamid, Fadhel Hubail and Abbas Ramadhan, had to wait for their sentence until 16th January. They were sentenced on the basis of confessions extracted under torture for allegedly taking part in anti-regime activities. The whole trial took less than one hour to issue the verdict and sentence. It is clear that the sentences came from high authorities who control the judiciary from the royal court. Despite pleas to allow the two brothers to see their seriously ill mother, Al Zayed refused the request.
Full report at:
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=220086
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Ousted Tunisian President's Swiss accounts frozen
Atul Aneja
Jan 20, 2011
DUBAI: The Swiss government has decided to freeze the accounts of ousted Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali amid calls that the former dictator now in exile in Saudi Arabia should be held accountable for his alleged crimes.
“The government decided at its meeting today to freeze any funds in Switzerland of the ex-Tunisian President and his entourage with immediate effect,” Swiss Foreign Minister Michelene Calmy-Rey announced on Wednesday, following a Cabinet meeting. She added that the Swiss government had acted in order to prevent withdrawal of any assets belonging to Mr. Ben Ali that might be in Switzerland. This would also help Tunisian authorities recover pubic assets that might have been illegally transferred to Switzerland.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/20/stories/2011012055291700.htm
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Kandahar accused acquitted in arms case
Jan 20, 2011
Mumbai: Abdul Lateef and Bhopal Man alias Yusuf Nepali, convicted in 2008 for life in the 1999 Kandahar plane-hijack case, were acquitted in a dacoity and arms case by a Sessions Court here on Wednesday. A third accused in the dacoity case, Mushtaq Ahmed Azmi, was also acquitted.
Lateef and Yusuf Nepali were part of a five-member group, which was arrested in December 1999 from different locations in Mumbai's Jogeshwari suburb. A cache of arms comprising AK-56 assault rifles, revolvers, hand-grenades, rocket launchers and bomb-making material was recovered from the members.
The other three partners were Mushtaq, and Pakistan nationals Asif alias Babloo and Haji Mohammad Iqbal.
The group was arrested for robbing a cooperative bank in suburban Borivali in October 1999, two months prior to the hijack incident. It was alleged that part of the stolen sum of over Rs.7 lakh was used by the IC-814's hijackers. However, lawyers in the robbery case said this claim was not tenable.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/20/stories/2011012064911500.htm
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PDP launches Statewide stir for resolving Kashmir issue
Jan 20, 2011
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday launched a Statewide stir to highlight the need for a permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue. Hundreds of party workers held protest demonstrations at several district headquarters, but these protests passed off peacefully without any opposition from the authorities.
Mainstream political parties have activated their workers to hold demonstrations in capital Srinagar and countryside. The activity started after Centre’s interlocutors on Kashmir suggested to the Union Government to allow right to protest in Kashmir. The mainstream political rallies have replaced the separatist sponsored public uprising that dominated the Valley for second half of 2010.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/311838/PDP-launches-Statewide-stir-for-resolving-Kashmir-
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Arabian horses enter prez farm
Jan 20, 2011
Three horses recently joined camels,cows and goats kept at the animal yard in President Asif Ali Zardaris palatial official residence in the Pakistani capital,according to a media report.Zardari is quite conscious about his health and has opted for horse riding to keep himself physically fit,sources in the presidency said.
Times of India
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Light & sound to recreate Nazi horrors
Jan 20, 2011
Yad Mordechai (Israel): Survivors of one the darkest episodes of the Nazi era have turned to light-and-sound shows and walk-through mockups in the hope their memories will not fade away into the history books.
At the From Holocaust to Revival museum in southern Israel,a scale model of the Warsaw ghetto shows where its Jews rose up against Hitlers troops in mid-1943,engaging in frantic houseto-house fighting in a bid to halt deportations to death camps.
The revolt marked the only significant armed Jewish resistance to Nazi oppression during World War II,but it was crushed with the loss of several thousand Jewish lives.Many of the Ghettos remaining 50,000 plus inhabitants were sent to the gas chambers,becoming part of the 6 million killed by the Nazis.
Full report at: Times of India
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Yunus In Trouble For Political Turn
Jan 20, 2011
Dhaka, Jan. 19: The Nobel prize winner and microfinance pioneer, Mr Muhammad Yunus, is in trouble in Bangladesh — the price for crossing the country’s Prime Minister, Ms Sheikh Hasina.
Lauded internationally for his innovative work making small loans to poor entrepreneurs, at home he has been dragged to court to answer charges of defamation and faces a government probe into his bank.
The two blows in quick succession over the last month have led to speculation that his woes stem from personal differences with Ms Hasina, who said in December that microfinanciers were “sucking blood from the poor.”
“Hasina and Yunus were on good terms before he floated the idea for a political party,” said Mr M.M. Akash, an economics professor at Dhaka University. “That was a huge political blunder and he is now paying the price for it.”
http://www.asianage.com/international/yunus-trouble-political-turn-093
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Terror Charge Dropped, PIO Jailed 6 Years
Jan 20, 2011
Mumbai, Jan. 19: The Supreme Court of Spain has reduced the jail term of Mumbai-born businessman Roshan Jamal Khan from eight-and-a-half years to six years for alleged terror links, his brother said here on Wednesday, and claimed that the terror charges had been dropped.
The ruling came in an appeal filed by Jamal Khan, challenging a lower court verdict of December 2009, that sentenced him to eight-and-a-half years in jail, said his brother, Mr Mehboob Khan. He said he did not know on what charges his brother had been sentenced for six years.
Terming it a blatant violation of human rights, he lamented the Indian government’s silence on the case.
Jamal Khan, 57, was nabbed along with 10 Pakistanis from a mosque in Barcelona January 19, 2008, for alleged terror links and has been in custody of the Spanish police.
Mr Mehboob Khan said his brother’s appeal came up for hearing December 15 and lasted barely two hours.
http://www.asianage.com/international/terror-charge-dropped-pio-jailed-6-years-092
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Lal Chowk: From Historic Red Flags To Stone-Pelters
Jan 20, 2011
Lal Chowk is Srinagar’s nerve centre, often used for political articulation in the past nearly seven decades, besides being the business hub of Jammu and Kashmir’s main town.
When the tribal militia from Pakistan invaded Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 autumn, the National Conference (NC) named Srinagar’s central square as Lal Chowk and its activists owing allegiance to Mr G.M. Sadiq, a known leftist who was highly influenced by the Bolshevik resolution of Soviet Russia, put up a red flag there shored up by huge stones. Lal Chowk was the takeoff point for travel outside Kashmir and regular bus services will operate from here to Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad, Jammu, Amritsar and other places. The famous tour operators included Nanda Bus, Allied Chiraguddin, Diamond Bus and N.D. Radhakrishan. Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/india/lal-chowk-historic-red-flags-stone-pelters-141
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Put off Lal Chowk plan: Omar; don't need his NOC: BJP
Jan 20, 2011
WORRIED over the possible violent fallout of the BJP youth wing’s Kolkata-toKashmir ‘Ekta Ya tra’, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the BJP not to “precipitate” the situation in the Va lley by going ahead with the plan to hoist the Tr icolour at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk on Republic Day.
However, the BJP said it didn’t require a no objection certificate (NOC) from Omar to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk. “We don’t need a no objection certificate from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country...in fact it would be nice if the CM welcomes the Ekta Ya tra. It is his responsibility (to welcome). He is an elected representative,” said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain.
Full report at: Indian Express
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Lal Chowk flag-hoisting will be an insult
Jan 20, 2011
Omar Abdullah invited BJP leaders to join J&K's official Republic Day celebrations at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium ''to give the flag hoisting the respect it deserves''.
He said if BJP goes ahead with its plans to unfurl the tricolor at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on January 26, it would be a throwback to Murli Manohar Joshi's flag hoisting there in 1991 and an insult to it.
''The memory I have of that (1991) yatra is this sea of security people and a sort of pole in the middle and the flag going up with no idea whose hand is on the rope and who's raising it,'' he said.
If the Ekta Yatra reaches Lal Chowk this would be repeated, he added. ''Unlikely that I'll be able to leave Lal Chowk open and give them the space to raise the flag with the pomp it deserves, which I think is an insult to the flag,'' he said. He said if the BJP really wants to raise the flag with the pomp and ceremony it deserves it should join the official ceremony.
''Instead of trying to overshadow the function, they should be a part of the function and give respect to the flag hoisting that it deserves," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Lal-Chowk-flag-hoisting-will-be-an-
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No shooting in Valley if violence in script?
Jan 20, 2011
NEW DELHI: Turning censor, Omar Abdullah says he will not allow any Bollywood shooting in the Valley, once the favourite of directors, if the script potrays Kashmir as a dangerous place where there are only bombs and bullets. He is angry at the way Bollywood projects Kashmir these days and is determined to end the negative projection of the Valley as a place where only terrorists breed.
''I will first ask what the film is all about. I won't let them shoot a film in the Valley which shows that only bombs go off and bullets are fired in Kashmir,'' he said.
He was especially critical of 'Lamhaa', a Sanjay Dutt starrer released in July last year. The film, written and directed by Rahul Dholakia, was partly shot in Kashmir. ''My friend Dholakia made a film where bombs were stored in boxes of apples,'' Omar said.
The J&K CM praised Tahaan, an off-beat, low-budget film released in 2008. The film, directed by Santosh Sivan with Rahul Bose in a lead role, told the story of a young boy and his donkey. The film was shot in the Valley. ''Tahaan was a positive film. But such instances are few and far in between," he said. ''There's hardly anything untold in Kashmir. What's untold is its positive aspect.''
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-shooting-in-Valley-if-violence-in-
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US mulls visa ban on several Pakistanis
Jan 20, 2011
LAHORE: The US government is considering a ban on issuance of visa to those people who supported the assassination of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer earlier this month. Sources in Washington told Daily Times that the Congress took serious view of cheering, supporting and condoning Taseer’s assassination by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad on January 4, or for publicly encouraging, directly or indirectly, the killing of “blasphemers.” They said the US government was preparing a list of Pakistani journalists, parliamentarians, lawyers and religious leaders who would not be issued visas or allowed to travel to the US for supporting the assassination of Taseer and lionising his assassin.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\01\20\story_20-1-2011_pg1_6
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Tunisia a lesson: Moussa
20 January 2011
The Arab League chief warned the region’s leaders to heed economic and political problems that sparked Tunisia’s upheaval because Arab citizens’ anger had reached an unprecedented level.
Widespread public protests in Tunisia — prompted by high prices, a lack of jobs and political repression — toppled the country’s president of 23 years, Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali.
Arab populations across the Middle East and North Africa complain about the same issues that beset Tunisia and have been mesmerised by TV images of an autocrat being flung from office by street action — events not seen in the region for decades.
“What is happening in Tunisia in terms of the revolution is not an issue far from the issues of this summit which is economic and social development,” the League’s Amr Moussa told an Arab economic summit in Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh resort.
“The Arab citizen has en-tered a stage of anger that is unprecedented. I am certain that achieving full development that is tangible to the Arab citizens will relieve our societies of these challenges,” he said. Arab officials have played down the prospects that events in Tunisia could spread.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/January/
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Iran tests missile in display before nuclear talks
20 January 2011
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran says it has test-fired an anti-aircraft missile near a nuclear site in a military display before talks resume with world powers over Tehran’s uranium enrichment program.
The semiofficial Fars news agency says the “Hawk” surface-to-air missile system was tested near Arak in central Iran, where a research reactor is under construction.
The report Wednesday gave no other details. U.S.-made Hawk missiles were purchased by Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but Iran says it has made its own versions.
The test appeared to be designed to show Iran’s resolve to defend its nuclear sites.
Talks with the United States and five other world powers resume in Istanbul on Friday.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/January/
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Wipe out injustice, Shoura chief tells Islamic states
Jan 20, 2011
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has called for a unified stand from all Arab and Islamic countries on regional and international issues.
“The member states should voice a uniform opinion on regional and international matters to demonstrate the solidarity of Arab nations,” Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh said during an extraordinary session of the parliamentary union of Islamic countries that concluded in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
“Our nations should strive to wipe out injustice, oppression and develop a mechanism to get rid of destitution and poverty and spread the message of tolerance advocated by the religion of Islam.
“We must preen ourselves to face the challenges of the Islamic world and march forward to achieve the Arab peace initiative to safeguard our interests, pristine culture and heritage.”
The meeting was presided over by the speaker of the UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) Abdul Aziz Al-Ghurair.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article238342.ece
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Swiss banker who turned to WikiLeaks admits errors
Jan 20, 2011
ZURICH: A Swiss banker who claims to have handed WikiLeaks details of rich tax cheats acknowledged Wednesday that he made mistakes in his effort to expose the world of offshore tax evasion.
Rudolf Elmer said his nine-year campaign against former employer Bank Julius Baer was marred by missteps, as he awaited sentencing before a Zurich court on charges of coercion and breaking Switzerland’s strict bank secrecy laws.
“I made big mistakes, I admit that,” he told reporters during a break before the verdict. “I wouldn’t say I’m a hero, but also not that I’m a traitor.” Zurich prosecutors allege that Elmer stole client data after being fired from his job at the Cayman Islands branch of Julius Baer, and then tried to extort money from the Swiss-based bank and its senior executives.
Prosecutor Alexandra Bergmann also alleges that Elmer, 55, illegally gave details on the bank’s offshore clients to tax authorities, media and later WikiLeaks.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article238221.ece
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Father burns boy's genitals for bed-wetting
Jan 20, 2011
JEDDAH: The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said on Wednesday it was investigating press reports that a father in Yanbu had bruned his four-year-old son’s genitals as punishment for bed-wetting.
“This is violence against children about which we will not keep silent,” the NSHR said in a statement.
According to the press reports, the child’s uncle informed police about the abuse after his sister (the boy's mother) informed him of the injury. The father has been summoned for questioning.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article238140.ece
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Power of peace, love is immense: Scholar
Jan 20, 2011
A new book on Islam, non-violence and religious tolerance, edited by city-based Islamic scholar Zeenat Shaukat Ali, was launched in the city on Tuesday. The book, Winning the Peace: A Quest, is an anthology of over 30 essays published by Ali’s non-profit organisation Wisdom Foundation,
founded three years ago to work towards global peace.
Prominent personalities who have contributed to the book include Salman Khurshid, minister of state for corporate and minority affairs, American consul general Paul Folmsbee, peace activist Kamala Bhasin and Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Power-of-peace-love-is-immense-Scholar/Article1-
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Iran bans production of Valentine's Day gifts, promotions, in bid to stop spread of Western culture
Jan 20, 2011
No computer virus could stop Iran from shooting Cupid out of the sky.
Iranian is cracking down on Valentine's Day, calling for a ban of any gifts or promotions related to the lovers' holiday, Iranian media reported.
"Printing and producing any products related to Valentine's Day, including posters, brochures, advertising cards, boxes with the symbols of hearts, half-hearts, red roses and any activities promoting this day are banned," the country’s printing works union announced, under instructions from Iranian hardliners.
"Authorities will take legal action against those who ignore the ban," the union warned.
The ban is an attempt by Islamic nationalists to stop the corruption of the country's youth, among whom mingling with the opposite sex is forbidden, Tehran's Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported.
Full report at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/01/18/2011-01-
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sufism-keeps-sindh-away-extremism/d/3964