Suicide bomber attacks Karzai's brother's memorial, 4 killed
Mumbai Blast: LeT hand? Cops told to tread cautiously
'Don't name Muslim outfits for Mumbai Blasts without evidence'
Gilani urges Ulema to play role in promoting interfaith harmony
Jamaat-e-Islami condemns Mumbai serial blasts and demands a high level Enquiry
Pennsylvania Man Indicted For Allegedly Soliciting Jihadists To Kill Americans
Four Lashkar militants take woman as hostage in J&K
Six Afghan civilians killed in NATO raid
15 killed in Karachi political violence sparked by minister’s comments
Karachi killings: Pak minister blames wives, girlfriends
Kurd rebels ambush Turkish soldiers, 20 killed in clash
Four killed in Syria as West pushes for UN action
Two soldiers killed in South Waziristan attack
Tea Party Says Textbook Is Pro-Islam
Lawyer Who Promotes Anti-Sharia Laws Publishes New Study on Islamic Extremism
Third interfaith dialogue meet opens in Malian capital
India exercising admirable restraint after Mumbai attacks: NYT
Mumbai blasts renew scrutiny of Pakistan's crackdown on militants
Talks with Pak will continue, say Krishna and Rao
Talks with Pakistan, Hillary Clinton visit on schedule: Krishna
Day after serial blasts, cops clueless as Mumbai seethes
China, Russia refuse to attend Libya Contact Group meeting
Gaddafi plans to blow up Tripoli: Russian envoy
Libyan leader Gaddafi accuses Sarkozy of being 'war criminal'
Istanbul summit likely to up pressure on Qaddafi
NATO chief rejects Libyan civilian death claims
Stand-off continues between Indonesian police, Islamic students
Encounter between security forces, militants on in J&K
Cross-border attacks: ‘Kunar and Nuristan are terrorist havens’
‘Key Taliban leaders taking refuge in Afghanistan’
Pakistan, US need each other: Haqqani
Riots feared on Australia's national 'Ban the Burqa Day' event
Iraqi lawmakers irked by manipulated manual voting
The largest mosque in Dubai opens on July 29
A Muslim group wants talks with Pakistan to be stopped
Court releases terror kingpin, alleged killer of 70
US, Norwegian citizens barred from entering Peshawar
US: Will give full support on counter terror
Osama planned 9/11 anniversary attack in US: report
In Ahmadis' desert city, Pakistan closes in
US-Pak military chiefs huddle in Rawalpindi
Pakistan moves closer to releasing imprisoned doctor
Arab League to sponsor Palestine for UN recognition
Mubarak says, was not in a position to stop violence
Palestinians to hold local polls
Israeli forces seize lands for expansion of settlements
Arab Spring drifts into summer stalemates
South Sudan admitted to UN as 193rd member
Is Turkish-Israeli reconciliation imminent?
Tehran and Abuja emphasize need for upgrading cooperation level
FBI begins probe News Corp over 9/11 hacking allegations
The end: Syrian actor Dakkak, 55, dead
Awqaf makes all arrangements for Ramadan
Redbank man indicted by federal grand jury in terror plot
Somali-Americans Leaving the US to Wage Jihad with Al-Shabaab: “A complete and utter
breakdown in our outreach to the Somali community”
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/suicide-bomber-attacks-karzai-brother/d/5030
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Suicide bomber attacks Karzai's brother's memorial, 4 killed
Jul 15, 2011
A suicide bomber concealing explosives in his turban blew himself up inside a mosque in Afghanistan during a memorial service for the president's assassinated half brother, officials said.
KANDAHAR: A suicide bomber concealing explosives in his turban blew himself up inside a mosque in southern Afghanistan on Thursday during a memorial service for the president's assassinated half brother, officials said. At least four people were killed.
Among the victims of the attack in Kandahar city was Hekmatullah Hekmat, head of the clerical council for the province, and a young child, the interior ministry said. At least 15 people were wounded, including a parliamentarian, Bismillah Afghanmal.
The Kandahar provincial government said all other high-ranking officials at the ceremony were safe and had been taken to a secure location.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which added weight to assertions that the slaying of president Hamid Karzai's younger brother would further destabilize a violent region of Afghanistan.
The Sarra Jamai mosque in the southwest of the city had been filled with relatives and friends of Ahmed Wali Karzai, who was killed earlier this week. They were offering their condolences to the family of the provincial leader.
Officials believe the bomber got the explosives past security by hiding them in his turban.
Kandahar Governor Tooryalai Wesa, who was attending the memorial, said he saw the man's turban explode. Provincial intelligence chief Gen. Mohammad Naeem Momin said authorities drew the came conclusion after examining the bomber's remains.
The attacker approached Hekmat after mourners ended a prayer, the governor said.
``There was a prayer going on and after that prayer the man came close to the director of the religious council and exploded,'' Wesa said. ``It looks like he was targeting the director.''
Wali Karzai was shot at close range by a confidant on Tuesday, leaving President Karzai without a powerful ally in Kandahar province, a former Taliban stronghold and the site of recent military offensives by the U.S.-led military coalition.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing, which has threatened to create a power vacuum in the south.
Wali Karzai was regarded as the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan. He was head of the provincial council, the influential Populzai tribe, and the Afghan president's confidant and emissary.
Beyond his more official roles, Wali Karzai was also known as a master operator who played Kandahar's hard-line tribal and political factions against one another to retain ultimate control over the restive province.
Even the international alliance begrudgingly accepted Wali Karzai's sweeping influence in southern Afghanistan, despite their strong suspicions that he was involved in opium trafficking, smuggling and other criminal enterprises.
The mosque bombing was the second attack in Kandahar city on Thursday. Earlier in the morning, a bomb exploded near a police vehicle in the city, killing one civilian, said provincial police Chief Abdul Raziq.
As the conflict intensifies in the south and southeast of Afghanistan, the United Nations said Thursday that civilian deaths jumped 15 percent in the first half of 2011. The U.N. blamed a rise in insurgent roadside bombings and suicide attacks for the increase.
The U.N. said 1,462 Afghan civilians lost their lives _ many in the crossfire of battle between Taliban insurgents and Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces. During the first half of last year, 1,271 Afghan civilians were killed.
But many of the most contentious incidents continue to be international military strikes in which residents routinely claim civilians are killed.
In the latest such dispute Thursday, government officials in eastern Afghanistan accused NATO troops of killing six civilians in an overnight raid, and more than 1,000 people poured into the streets of Khost province in anger.
The military alliance said the joint patrol with Afghan forces in Khost province killed six fighters from a militant group allied with the Taliban known as the Haqqani network and injured one civilian.
``I don't have any indication that we killed civilians,'' Capt. Justin Brockhoff told The Associated Press.
But the reports stirred up anger in Khost and hundreds of people marched on the capital, shouting, ``Death to America! Death to the government!'' Men in the crowd carried the bodies of the dead on their shoulders.
The raid took place in the village of Toora Worai in an area known as Matoon, about four miles (seven kilometers) from the provincial capital of Khost city.
``The coalition last night ran an operation in that village and unfortunately they were acting on an incorrect report that there was a meeting of Haqqani network commanders going on,'' said Mubarez Zadran, a spokesman for the provincial government. ``The operation left six civilians dead.''
Khost provincial council member, Gul Mohammad Zazi, said international troops stormed into the village around midnight and fired into the windows of houses. Zazi said the dead were not connected to the insurgency.
Brockhoff said that NATO and Afghan forces were going after a Haqqani leader who was responsible for attacks and weapons trafficking in the area.
"As the security force was clearing a compound in the area, multiple insurgents armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, opened fire on the force," Brockhoff said. Among those killed in the firefight was a woman who was armed with a pistol and fired on the troops, he added.
He said the international troops administered first aid to the female civilian who was wounded and transported her to a medical facility.
Asif Khan, a resident of Toora Worai who lives next to some of those who were killed said all of the dead were civilians. A spokesman for local schools, Sayed Musa Majro, said the dead included a teacher and two students.
Meanwhile, NATO said one of its service members was killed Wednesday in an attack in eastern Afghanistan. The coalition did not provide further details or the nationality of the service member.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Suicide-bomber-attacks-Karzais-brothers-memorial-4-killed/articleshow/9224358.cms
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Mumbai Blast: LeT hand? Cops told to tread cautiously
July 15, 2011
Rakesh K Singh
With the footprint of the terror strikes in Mumbai pointing to the role of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, the security and intelligence agencies have been advised not to jump the gun by naming any outfit.
Synchronised terorrist attacks with medium to high intensity impact entail elaborate planning to the last detail, and this time around the LeT has ensured that no digital signatures are left behind after the execution of the strikes so as to evade detection by the agencies, according to the initial findings.
Role of the so called homegrown groups could be limited to providing logistical support, and that too was done in a highly modular fashion and liberal use of code words between the modules, intelligence sources said.
The IB has fanned out its crack teams to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh with leads pointing to logistical support being outsourced from there.
The agencies are also tracing the movement of a group of suspect Kashmiri youth who had disappeared from Ahmedabad last month.
The IB team is also interrogating all over again eight SIMI activists who were arrested last month from Bhopal. The SIMI activists had during their questioning revealed that the outfit had assigned some important task to some module but did not elaborate any further. The IM is an extension of the banned SIMI and their role in extending logistical support in executing the attacks is also being probed.
A source in the NIA said a team will leave from Gujarat on Friday morning to join investigations by the IB.
The analysis of the targets by the Intelligence Bureau suggests Gujarati community was chosen by the terrorists.
Preliminary examination of the CCTV footage of the blast sites has provided some clues about the role of some women in planting the bombs. The probe so far has also provided clues suggesting the use of modules comprising couples and that could be for the simple reason that execution could go undetected.
The agencies are not ruling out the role of the underworld as fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, who has close links with the LeT, is on the back foot following elimination of the Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden by the American forces. The don could have been used as he has an extensive network across Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai, sources said.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/353315/LeT-hand-Cops-told-to-tread-cautiously.html
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'Don't name Muslim outfits for Mumbai blasts without evidence'
Abantika Ghosh
Jul 15, 2011
NEW DELHI: Muslim organizations here condemned the Mumbai serial blasts on Wednesday, but said it isn't right to blame Muslim terror groups without evidence. They said premature attribution of the blasts to Muslim groups could create communal tension in the country.
Maulana Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulama i Hind (A), described the blasts as cowardly and criminal. He decried the fact that security agencies have started naming Muslim terror groups like Indian Mujahideen and Laskar-e-Toiba even before proper investigations have been done or forensic evidence collected from the three blast spots analyzed for clues to the perpetrators.
"Recently in the AICC sessions both Congress general secretaries Digvijay Singh and Rahul Gandhi had said Hindu terror was becoming a matter of grave concern for the country. There is precedence where many Muslims have languished in jail for years for acts that were perpetrated by Hindu groups. A repeat should be prevented at all costs," Madani said.
The reference is to the Samjhauta blast case, which has been apportioned to Hindu groups, though many young Muslims were earlier put in jail, including a person who is said to have moved Samjhauta blast accused Swami Aseemanand into confessing his role in the crime.
Nusrat Ali, secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, too condemned the blasts and demanded a probe while sounding a note of caution about speculation in the media and also by security agencies even before they have got down to conduct a proper investigation.
"The security forces have failed in their duty to protest public lives and even before the motive or cause of the attack has been ascertained, a blame game has started that will serve nobody's interests. Irresponsible speculation will create a communal atmosphere in the country," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dont-name-Muslim-outfits-without-evidence/articleshow/9230295.cms
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Gilani urges Ulema to play role in promoting interfaith harmony
15 July 2011
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said the Ulema should play their role in promoting interfaith harmony in the society and building bridges between various sects and religions.
He asked the Ulema to educate the people about religious matters. The prime minister expressed these views while talking to Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhri, member of Islamic Ideology Council, who called on him at the Prime Minister House.
Gilani said the Islamic Ideology Council was a constitutional body and helped the government in formulating policies in line with the teachings of Islam.
He added he would hold a meeting with members and the Chairman of the Islamic Ideology Council and will present their proposals in the Parliament.
Qari Hanif Jalandhri apprised the Prime Minister about the problems being faced by religious seminaries.
He also discussed with him the educational system of the Madaris and efforts of the Islamic Ideology Council to promote interfaith harmony among various sects and religions.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/14/gilani-urges-ulema-to-play-role-in-promoting-interfaith-harmony.html
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Jamaat-e-Islami condemns Mumbai serial blasts and demands a high level inquiry
14 July 2011
New Delhi: Mr. Nusrat Ali, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, strongly condemning the serial blasts in Mumbai, has expressed grief at the incident and demanded the government to conduct a high-level inquiry into the blasts to bring the culprits to justice.
The Secretary General, drew the attention of the government on the poor performances of the agencies when it comes to investigating such incidents, and called on it to check why security forces have failed in their responsibility to protect public lives and property?
He called upon the government to review that a section of the media and some persons have started the blame game by making speculations even before the government’s official statement on the cause and motive of the incident. He said that all irresponsible speculations should be avoided to stop creation of the communal atmosphere.
He expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the blasts.
http://twocircles.net/2011jul14/jamaateislami_condemns_mumbai_serial_blasts_and_demands_high_level_inquiry.html
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Pennsylvania Man Indicted For Allegedly Soliciting Jihadists To Kill Americans
14 JULY 2011
WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)Emerson Winfield Begolly, 22, of New Bethlehem, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., today for allegedly soliciting Islamic extremists to engage in acts of terrorism within the United States and posting bomb-making instruction materials online.
eNews Park Forest is an independently owned and operated electronic publication and has no affiliation whatsoever with the governing bodies of the Village of Park Forest.
The indictment was announced by Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; and David J. Hickton, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
“Today’s case underscores the continuing threat posed by homegrown extremists seeking to use the Internet to incite violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.
“Emerson Begolly is accused of repeatedly using the Internet to promote violent jihad against Americans,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “These allegations demonstrate how young people in the United States can become influenced by – and eventually participate in – jihadist propaganda that is a serious threat to the safety of us all.”
“Today, the FBI is faced with a complex threat environment that combines homegrown extremism and the Internet,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin. “The FBI’s top priority is stopping terrorism, and we remain vigilant against those who solicit violent acts in the United States.”
“Those who attempt to harm or kill Americans will face a determined, coordinated law enforcement effort,” said U.S. Attorney Hickton.
According to the two-count indictment, Begolly has been an active moderator of a popular, internationally known Islamic extremist web forum, the Ansar al-Mujahideen English Forum (AMEF), used by its members to promote and distribute jihadist propaganda. The indictment alleges that since July 2010, Begolly has placed a number of postings encouraging attacks within the United States, including the use of firearms, explosives and propane tanks against targets such as police stations, post offices, synagogues military facilities, train lines, bridges, cell phone towers and water plants.
Following the reported shootings in Northern Virginia at the Pentagon and the Marine Corps Museum in October 2010, Begolly allegedly posted a comment online that praised the shootings and hoped the shooter had followed his previous postings encouraging similar acts of violence that might “seem small but cause big damage.”
Full report at:
http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/latest-national/25441-pennsylvania-man-indicted-for-allegedly-soliciting-jihadists-to-kill-americans.html
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Four Lashkar militants take woman as hostage in J&K
Jul 15, 2011
SRINAGAR: Security forces on Friday surrounded a house in Jammu and Kashmir where four Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants have taken a local woman as hostage, police said.
The incident happened in Maidanpora village, 87 km from Srinagar, in Kupwara district of North Kashmir, a police officer said.
A top LeT commander is believed to be holed up inside the house, he added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Four-Lashkar-militants-take-woman-as-hostage-in-JK/articleshow/9231480.cms
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Six Afghan civilians killed in NATO raid
Jul 15 2011
KHOST: Afghan government officials on Thursday accused NATO of killing six civilians, including an 11-year-old girl, during a military operation targeting the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network.
A demonstration broke out after bodies of the dead were carried through the eastern city of Khost and the provincial council announced it was going on strike in protest at the killing until a proper investigation was ordered. NATO said its troops killed insurgents linked to the Haqqani network during gunfights in the area, but said only one civilian was wounded. “A teacher, a student, an 11-year-old girl, and three other ordinary people were killed in the operation. They were civilians, innocent people,” said Khost provincial spokesman Mubarez Zadar. “The coalition forces were given the wrong information and based on wrong information, they carried out an operation,” he said.
The provincial council said it had gone on strike in protest.
“We won’t open until a thorough investigation into the incident,” it said. Civilian casualties are an inflammatory issue between US-led foreign forces and President Hamid Karzai who issued a “last warning” to the military in early June to avoid “arbitrary and unnecessary” operations that kill civilians.
Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\15\story_15-7-2011_pg7_9
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15 killed in Karachi political violence sparked by minister’s comments
Jul 15 2011
Karachi: Fresh political violence gripped Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi, on Thursday, leaving 15 people dead in fighting sparked by a senior ruling party leader’s criticism of the city’s dominant political group.
Angry mobs went on a rampage and burnt vehicles after Zulfiqar Mirza, a minister in the Sindh provincial assembly and senior member of President Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party, urged the people of Karachi and Hyderabad, the second-largest city of Sindh, to “stand up... and rid yourselves of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement”.
“I appeal to the people of Karachi especially, and of Hyderabad, to stand up for yourselves, for Pakistan, for Karachi and for your innocent children, and rid yourselves of these cursed ones,” he said while talking to reporters, referring to senior MQM leaders.
In comments broadcast repeatedly by local television stations, he also criticised Mohajirs — the descendants of Urdu-speakers who migrated from India — for being ungrateful for the home they were given after the creation of Pakistan in 1947.
Police and rescue officials said that 15 people were killed and 21 injured in incidents of firing in many parts of the city since Wednesday night. At least one person was killed in Hyderabad, police said.
Several protests were held in Karachi and other cities of the province, where hundreds of angry protesters burnt tyres, chanted slogans against Mirza and burnt his effigies, demanding his removal as a minister.
Mirza later apologised for his comments. “My statement last night was my personal view and was not meant to hurt anybody’s sentiments. But if it has done that, I sincerely apologise,” he said in a statement.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/817694/
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Karachi killings: Pak minister blames wives, girlfriends
Jul 15, 2011
ISLAMABAD: After initially pointing fingers at the Taliban, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has come out with a bizarre theory on the raging violence in Karachi, blaming "wives and girlfriends" for 70 % of the killings in the city where ethnic and political rivalries have claimed scores of lives.
In comments that were ridiculed all over the media, Malik told reporters during an interaction in Quetta yesterday that more people had been killed by those who wanted to get rid of their wives, girlfriends and boyfriends than those responsible for "target killings" in Karachi.
He was responding to a question on the killing of more than 150 people in recent clashes in the port city.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Karachi-killings-Pak-minister-blames-wives-girlfriends/articleshow/9225553.cms
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Kurd rebels ambush Turkish soldiers, 20 killed in clash
Jul 15, 2011
DIYARBAKIR: Kurdish fighters killed 13 Turkish soldiers in an ambush on Thursday and seven militants died in the firefight that marked the worst clash since the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) ended a ceasefire in February.
Grenades thrown by the militants ignited a fire in the heavily forested area where the clash occurred and the troops perished in the blaze, according to a statement released by the chief of staff.
At least seven soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously.
"Turkey will succeed in overcoming the terror and the powers behind it without compromising democracy, justice and brotherhood," Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.
Immediately after the attack, Erdogan met the army and intelligence chiefs as well as the interior minister and head of the paramilitary gendarmerie in Ankara.
Security forces, backed by warplanes, launched a hunt for the rebel fighters in the mountains of Diyarbakir province, and the military chief of land forces had gone to the area.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Kurd-rebels-ambush-Turkish-soldiers-20-killed-in-clash/articleshow/9229191.cms
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Four killed in Syria as West pushes for UN action
Jul 15, 2011
DAMASCUS: Security forces killed four people in Syria on Thursday and used heavy machine-guns against protesters, rights groups said, as the West keeps pushing for UN action against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported two deaths in the central city of Homs, while the Arab League of Human Rights said two people were killed in Deir Ezzor, a city in eastern Syria.
More than 11 people were wounded, some seriously, in Homs, 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Damascus, when security forces opened up with heavy machine-guns, the Syrian Observatory said.
Sustained gunfire ran into late Thursday, the group said.
Abdel Karim Rihawi of the Arab League of Human Rights said at least five people were wounded in Deir Ezzor, and added the mood was "tense, with residents observing a general strike."
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Four-killed-in-Syria-as-West-pushes-for-UN-action/articleshow/9230661.cms
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Two soldiers killed in South Waziristan attack
July 15, 2011
LADHA: Two soldiers were killed and three others suffered injuries when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in the area of Zengara in South Waziristan Agency on Thursday.
Officials said that security forces were patrolling the area when roadside bomb exploded.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/14/two-soldiers-killed-in-south-waziristan-attack.html
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Tea Party Says Textbook Is Pro-Islam
By Nathan Curby
July 14, 2011
Editor’s Note: This is the first of two articles about the Prince William County Tea Party’s concern about the accuracy and fairness of Virginia school textbooks. The second article will run Friday.
While the Prince William County Tea Party raises concerns about a school textbook it says has a “Pro-Islamic bias,” a local Muslim leader says criticism of Islam comes mostly from people who don’t know enough about it.
The Tea Party’s accusations were included in an email sent to a distribution list on July 7 to promote a forum for female candidates for elected positions who line up with the Tea Party values. The email claims that a Virginia school textbook “favor(s) Islam in secular schools, revises history and obscures Sharia law including the treatment of non-muslims.”
The email cites one textbook on Ancient World History that has 22 pages for the Islam section, compared to eight pages on the origins of Judaism and six pages on early Christianity. The email also takes issue with several of the book’s statements about Islam and Sharia law, claiming the author revises history to present Islam in a better light.
Full report at:
http://lakeridge.patch.com/articles/tea-party-accuses-textbooks-of-bias-toward-islam
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Lawyer Who Promotes Anti-Sharia Laws Publishes New Study on Islamic Extremism
By Paul Berger
July 12, 2011
A legislative wave is surging through the nation’s heartland: In Tennessee, Louisiana and Arizona, lawmakers have passed statutes prohibiting courts from relying on any foreign law, legal code or system that is contrary to state or federal public policy in reaching their decisions. Similar statutes are being considered in 20 other states.
In some of these statutes and bills, Sharia, or traditional Islamic religious law, is explicitly cited; in others it is not. In either case, civil libertarians and Muslim groups denounce them as efforts to target Islam. And those pushing for these laws don’t deny this.
Republican State Rep. Sally Kern, who sponsored such a bill in Oklahoma, stressed the political potency of the movement, saying, “It’s always helpful when you can say to your colleagues, ‘This piece of legislation is practically identical to about 20 other states.’”
One reason those statutes and bills may be similar is the model set out for such legislation two years ago by a little-known Lubavitch-affiliated attorney living quietly in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. Through his “American Laws for American Courts” project, David Yerushalmi, a specialist in securities, business and international law, has offered legislators a template that claims to sidestep constitutional objections to singling out Islam by avoiding explicit mention of it (though not all state legislatures have taken this advice).
Full report at:
http://forward.com/articles/139688/#ixzz1SBdO54Es
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Third interfaith dialogue meet opens in Malian capital
JULY 09, 2011
APA Bamako (Mali) The third edition of the dialogue between Muslims and Christians, organized by Mali’s Association for peace and salvation (AMPS) on Saturday started in the nation’s capital Bamako, in the presence of representatives of the country’s Christian and Muslim communities and delegates from 14 other countries.
The 500 participants attending this three-day conference are expected to discuss ways for various religious denominations to live together, in line with the central theme of the meeting “Education and Training for Peace and Development.”
“We should be vigilant and take proactive measures against possible religious conflicts,” the representative of Mali’s ministry of Territorial Administration and Local Governments said at the opening ceremony.
For his part, Guinea’s Religious Affairs minister El Hadj Abdoulaye Diasse assured that his country would follow Mali’s example, to launch discussions around the theme of the dialogue between Muslims and Christians in Guinea.
Initiated in the aftermath of the anti-Islamic campaign launched in 2006 in Denmark, the discussions between Islam and Christianity are organized in Mali by AMPS, in partnership with the embassies of Denmark and Spain.
http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2011/07/09/third-interfaith-dialogue-meet-opens-in-malian-capital/
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India exercising admirable restraint after Mumbai attacks: NYT
Jul 15, 2011
WASHINGTON: While commending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for exercising considerable restraint after the Mumbai terror attacks, a leading US daily has said that learning from past mistakes India should work towards perfecting its intelligence and counter-terror efforts.
"Indians are angry and asking why their government did not ensure their safety. Indian officials say they have made significant security reforms but it may never be possible to stop all terrorist attacks. That is true, but New Delhi still must learn from this experience and keep trying to perfect its intelligence and counterterrorism efforts," the New York Times said in a lead editorial.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-exercising-admirable-restraint-after-Mumbai-attacks-NYT/articleshow/9232341.cms
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Mumbai blasts: Interior decorator cheated death, twice
Vijay Singh
Jul 14, 2011
NAVI MUMBAI: Vashi interior decorator Deepak Patel escaped death by a whisker in the 11/7 train blasts five years ago and promptly became one of the many Mumbaikars to vow never to commute by train again. On Wednesday, however, his car's window panes were shattered by the Dadar blast and he escaped death—again by a whisker—prompting him to wonder how he should travel in Mumbai.
The 36-year-old considers himself 'twice lucky' after he escaped death on Wednesday. "But, now after my second brush with a bomb blast on Wednesday while driving my Maruti Esteem car in Dadar, I really wonder who is really safe in the city," said Patel, a little shaken.
Early on Thursday morning, Patel visited a Sai Baba temple at Vashi to offer his deepest gratitude to the lord.
Patel, who was travelling to Navi Mumbai along with two of his office employees, recalled that his car was just 3 metres away from the Dadar bus-stop where the explosion occurred a little after 7pm.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-blasts-Interior-decorator-cheated-death-twice/articleshow/9225998.cms
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Talks with Pak will continue, say Krishna and Rao
Indrani Bagchi
Jul 15, 2011
Talks with Pakistan will continue despite Mumbai blasts, SM Krishna said.
NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan may have finally overcome the terror-talks links. Despite Wednesday's terror attack in Mumbai, India will go ahead with the foreign minister talks with Pakistan next week.
Talking to TOI, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said, "I am convinced of the need for India and Pakistan to discuss such issues of vital importance for the future of this region.. I know the extent and pain that we as a country have to deal with, and has been inflicted upon us by cross-border terrorism, I don't think the memories of that can fade so easily. But because we share borders, we will always have to deal with them. I don't think unadulterated confrontation or speaking the language of conflict can help us or Pakistan."
Foreign minister SM Krishna also confirmed there would be no change in the dialogue schedule with either Pakistan or US. Condemning the Mumbai attacks, he said, "This is yet another grim reminder to everyone in this region and our country that terror is a continuing threat to India and it is necessary for all Indians to be ever vigilant of these terrorist attacks."
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Talks-with-Pak-will-continue-say-Krishna-and-Rao/articleshow/9230395.cms
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Talks with Pakistan, Hillary Clinton visit on schedule: Krishna
Jul 15, 2011
NEW DELHI: Even as he strongly condemned the Mumbai blasts, foreign minister S M Krishna on Thursday ruled out any impact on the upcoming talks with Pakistan or the strategic dialogue with the US. While Pakistan's minister of state for foreign affairs Hina Rabbani Khar is expected to arrive in Delhi on July 26 for talks, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will take stock of India-US relations with Krishna on July 19.
"They are (on schedule). There is no change in the scheduled visits of Secretary Clinton or the foreign minister of Pakistan," said Krishna on the sidelines of his meeting with Burhanuddin Rabbani, chairman of the High Peace Council of Afghanistan and a former Afghan president.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Talks-with-Pakistan-Hillary-Clinton-visit-on-schedule-Krishna/articleshow/9230275.cms
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Day after serial blasts, cops clueless as Mumbai seethes
Vishwa Mohan
Jul 15, 2011
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Investigators were struggling to find clues to the identity of the perpetrators of Wednesday's serial blasts in Mumbai, raising the scary possibility that the fresh outrage may join the list of unsolved terror cases.
Sources familiar with the probe acknowledged that the investigators have not yet found any lead worth mentioning. Although Indian Mujahideen, the ISI-sponsored proxy of Lashkar, is seen as a possible suspect, the evidence is so thin that agencies in Mumbai and New Delhi are wary of sticking their necks out.
Wednesday's blasts were similar to the pattern seen in the attacks that were deemed to have been engineered by Indian Mujahideen. The three blasts were set off using improvised explosive devices in crowded areas with a view to maximizing casualties: a signature style of IM terrorists.
But there were major departures from the IM modus operandi as well. The attacks have not been followed by electronic pamphlets taking credit for the blasts. Starting with the serial blasts in UP courts in 2007, several terror attacks involving the Mujahideen were followed by emails justifying the killings as acts of courage meant to avenge alleged atrocities on Muslims.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Day-after-serial-blasts-cops-clueless-as-Mumbai-seethes/articleshow/9229588.cms
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China, Russia refuse to attend Libya Contact Group meeting
July 15, 2011
China and Russia announce that they will not be taking part in a Libya Contact Group meeting to be held in Istanbul, which is expected to discuss a Turkish proposed road-map for a political settlement
China’s President Hu Jintao (back) and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev walk during a meeting in Moscow’s Kremlin June 16, 2011. Reuters photo
Invited as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China and Russia will not participate in the international Libya Contact Group meeting to be held Friday in Istanbul.
Russia, which is critical of the NATO-led strikes in Libya, turned down Turkey’s invitation, while China, which has maintained a policy of non-interference in the conflict, has not said it will attend the meeting, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official told the Hürriyet Daily News on Thursday.
Major Western and regional powers will gather in Istanbul for the fourth meeting of the contact group, which seeks to bring an end to the Libyan crisis. China will skip the meeting “because the function and method of operation of this contact group need further study,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Thursday.
Full report at: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=china-russia-refuse-to-attend-libya-contact-group-meeting-2011-07-14
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Gaddafi plans to blow up Tripoli: Russian envoy
July 14, 2011
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has a “suicidal plan” to blow up the capital Tripoli if it is taken by rebels, the Kremlin’s special envoy to Libya told a Russian newspaper on Thursday.
“The Libyan premier told me, if the rebels seize the city, we will cover it with missiles and blow it up,” Kremlin envoy Mikhail Margelov said in an interview with the Izvestia daily.
Margelov met Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi last month.
“I imagine that the Gaddafi regime does have such a suicidal plan,” he added, saying that Gaddafi still had plentiful supplies of missiles and ammunition.
But Margelov, who has had rare access to senior Libyan officials, questioned reports that Gaddafi could be running out of arms in the drawn-out conflict.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/353136/Gaddafi-plans-to-blow-up-Tripoli-Russian-envoy.html
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Libyan leader Gaddafi accuses Sarkozy of being 'war criminal'
Jul 15, 2011
TRIPOLI: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Thursday accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy of being a "war criminal" who had stained his country's history.
"This Sarkozy is a war criminal who has stained the history of the French nation and destroyed his country's ties with Libya and Muslim countries," Gaddafi said in a message to supporters in an eastern district of Tripoli.
"He's mentally disturbed," he charged in the message relayed over loudspeaker.
"By leading a crusade against the Libyan people, he has led his country into a lost war," said Gaddafi. "He is not a Frenchman. The (French) people should ban this criminal."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Libyan-leader-Gaddafi-accuses-Sarkozy-of-being-war-criminal/articleshow/9230010.cms
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Istanbul summit likely to up pressure on Qaddafi
By SIRAJ WAHAB
Jul 14, 2011
ISTANBUL: Senior officials from more than 40 countries, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are on their way to the historic Turkish city of Istanbul to take part in Friday’s talks on Libya.
Besides the 40 countries, the International Contact Group also comprises United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League and African Union representatives. The meeting is a follow up to earlier sessions in Doha, Rome and Abu Dhabi.
There is alarm in the Western world at the current stalemate in Libya. When a UN resolution authorized countries “to take all necessary measures” to help protect Libyan civilians from attacks by Qaddafi forces on March 19, it was believed that Qaddafi would be removed in a matter of days. Four months later and after heavy aerial bombardment Qaddafi continues to remain well entrenched in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
The opposition National Transitional Council, which is based in Benghazi, has won recognition from many states, but its fighters have been unable to dislodge Qaddafi.
Reports appearing Thursday in Turkish newspapers suggest that Qaddafi is facing dramatic shortages of fuel for his soldiers and citizens in Tripoli, and he is running out of cash to pay his forces and what is left of his government.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article471987.ece
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NATO chief rejects Libyan civilian death claims
Jul 14, 2011
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has dismissed Libyan claims that the alliance’s air strikes campaign has killed more than 1,100 people in the North African nation.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen says NATO has “no confirmed information” about possible civilian casualties as a result of its bombing.
On Wednesday, Libya’s prosecutor general accused NATO of killing 1,108 people and wounding another 4,500 and filed charges against the alliance’s chief in Libyan court.
Fogh Rasmussen spoke to reporters Thursday after meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to appeal for more support for the NATO campaign in Libya.
The Dutch government has sent F-16 fighter jets, but will not allow them to conduct air strikes.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article471950.ece
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Stand-off continues between Indonesian police, Islamic students
Jul 14 2011
Mataram (Indonesia): Indonesian police were locked in a tense stand-off with armed students at an Islamic boarding school for a third day today, after a bomb blast there killed a suspected terrorist.
Police say the school is linked to radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who was jailed for 15 years last month for funding a terrorist group that was planning attacks against Westerners and political leaders.
Security forces arrived at the school at Bima town, West Nusa Tenggara province, late Monday after a home-made bomb exploded in one of the rooms, killing a man suspected of being a Philippine-trained bomb expert.
Local media have quoted police as saying the unidentified man was suspected of instructing students how to make bombs when one of the devices exploded.
After the blast, hundreds of students and teachers armed with knives and swords blocked the entrance, preventing police and soldiers from investigating the incident.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/816944/
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Encounter between security forces, militants on in J&K
Jul 15, 2011
Security forces on Friday launched an encounter with four militants, hiding in a house in Lolab area in Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir, after a woman trapped inside the building managed to sneak out.
Security forces launched a search-cum-cordon operation in Maidanpora village in Lolab, 120 kms from Srinagar, following information about presence of three to four foreign militants, officials said.
There was no exchange of firing between the two sides as security forces wanted to ensure that all civilians are out of the building before start of an offensive.
As the woman came out to safety, the officials said, security forces began engaging the militants. The encounter is on, they said.
Other members of the woman’s family had come out earlier.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2229514.ece?homepage=true
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Cross-border attacks: ‘Kunar and Nuristan are terrorist havens’
July 15, 2011
The Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan have become the sanctuary and launch pad for attacks into Pakistan by a host of terrorist groups and their leaders including Maulana Fazlullah, Faqeer Muhammad, Abdul Wali and Hakeemullah, said a Pakistani military spokesperson.
These groups are now conducting cross-border attacks into Pakistani territory, said Major General Athar Abbas in an interview with BBC Urdu.
The spokesperson said that Pakistani army had expressed its apprehensions when Nato and Afghan forces were abandoning their checkposts from Kunar and Nuristan.
The apprehensions have proven to be true, he said.
While Pakistan cannot take direct military action against terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan, a joint commission has been formed in Peshawar to address the issue of cross border attacks, the spokesperson said. The commission will decide how to deal with the militants, he added.
Full report at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/210185/cross-border-attacks-kunar-and-nuristan-are-terrorist-havens/
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‘Key Taliban leaders taking refuge in Afghanistan’
July 15, 2011
LAHORE: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Athar Abbas said on Thursday that many terrorist outfits and their key leaders, including Fazlullah, Faqeer Muhammad, Abdul Wali and Hakimullah, were taking refuge in safe havens present in Kunar and Nooristan areas of Afghanistan, a private TV channel reported.
In an interview with a British news channel, the ISPR DG said that these terrorists intrude into Pakistan to carry out subversive activities. He said when NATO and Afghan forces were pulling away from these areas, the Pakistan military had shared its reservations with them and now the same were proving right.
Maj Gen Abbas disclosed that 50-60 militants belonging to Swat Tehrik-e-Taliban infiltrated into Pakistan and attacked the joint checkpost of Levies and police.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\15\story_15-7-2011_pg7_3
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Pakistan, US need each other: Haqqani
July 15, 2011
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani said that Pakistan and the US need each other and share multidimensional ties, and whatever the media portrays is not always true.
Hussain Haqqani said that during an interview with a local radio station in Washington.
He said that Pakistan and the US have a complex, multidimensional relationship and both countries need each other. History has shown us that occasionally there are differences between the best of allies as well.
"I think what we see is basically a difficult, complex relationship playing out in an age of media glare. But what comes in the media glare is not always what happens in private between us as allies," he added.
Full report at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=18742&title=Pakistan,-US-need-each-other:-Haqqani
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Riots feared on Australia's national 'Ban the Burqa Day' event
Jul 14 2011
Canberra: A national day of protest in Australia demanding the burqa be banned has raised fears it could provoke riots in the nation.
An ‘anti-burqa’ group on Facebook created a ‘Ban the Burqa day’ page that called on members to wear a balaclava, mask or "anything to cover " to imitate a Burqa in an event demanding burqas to be outlawed.
But Islamic leaders labelled the event racist, and campaigners believe that the move could provoke ‘2005 Cronulla riot-style’ hysteria, the Herald Sun reports.
Organiser Kye Keating, 20, instigated the protest with two friends via Facebook after Sydney woman Carnita Matthews used her burqa to quash a jail sentence for deliberately making a false statement to police.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/817424/
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Iraqi lawmakers irked by manipulated manual voting
By WALEED IBRAHIM
Jul 15, 2011
BAGHDAD: Many lawmakers are calling on Iraq’s Parliament to start using electronic voting, arguing that the current system conducted by a show of hands allows leaders of political blocs to manipulate the results.
The parliament building, located in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, was equipped with an electronic voting system in its legislative chamber about three years ago. It has been tested successfully but never used for a vote.
With the Iraqi government on the verge of critical decisions like the possible extension of the US troop presence in Iraq beyond a Dec. 31 deadline, more legislators are demanding that Parliament give them a little privacy in their voting.
“I am afraid to say that our Parliament has nothing to do with (serious) decisions. They are in the hands of a few senior lawmakers,” said Safia Al-Suhail, an independent lawmaker.
“Many lawmakers cannot stand against the will of their leaders. This may even threaten their life,” she added.
“Technically, the system is ready. The problem is with the heads of the blocs. They are rejecting it,” an official at parliament said on condition of anonymity.
Legislators, watched carefully by their leaders, raise their hands. For some votes, officials count the raised hands. For others, the speaker simply eyes the room and declares a majority in favor.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article471883.ece
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The largest mosque in Dubai opens on July 29 Shafaat Ahmed
15 July 2011
The exterior and interior views of the majestic Al Farooq Omar bin Khattab Mosque and Islamic Centre at Al Safa. — KT photo by Shihab
Come the last Friday before holy month Ramadan, another landmark would be added to Dubai’s celebrated landscape matching the city’s ambition.
Though it has already made its presence felt physically, Al Farooq Omar bin Khattab Mosque and Islamic Centre will host its first congregation with a Friday prayer on July 29.
A replica of Istanbul’s fabled Blue Mosque, the Al Farooq Centre is designed to play a similar role that the historic Blue Mosque played with its extended community centre, a public kitchen, a hospital, a bazaar and a madrassa.
While Dubai’s Blue Mosque complex won’t have a hospital or a public kitchen, it houses a madrassa that will facilitate learning of the Holy Quran and Islamic courses, a library with a collection of some 4,000 Islamic and other religious titles to help advance learning, and a lecture hall that will be host to inter-faith dialogue to forge better religious understanding.
The complex also has the customary residences for the Imam (prayer leader) and Muezzin (the caller for prayers).
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/July/theuae_July377.xml§ion=theuae
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A Muslim group wants talks with Pakistan to be stopped
14 July 2011
By Faisal Fareed
Lucknow: The All India United Muslim Morcha (AIUMM) has strongly condemned the serial blasts in Mumbai which went off Wednesday evening. AIUMM has also urged
the Indian government to immediately stop any dialogue with Pakistan.
"We are fed up with this daily terror attacks on our country. Decisive steps should be taken against Pakistan else these incidents will again occur,” said Dr MA Siddiqui, president, AIUMM.
Siddiqui also criticized the central government and security agencies for not acting tough after such incidents. "We should learn from previous attacks to prevent future attacks. It is unfortunate that terrorist Kasab is now the safest person in our country," he said.
http://twocircles.net/2011jul14/muslim_group_wants_talks_pakistan_be_stopped.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
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Court releases terror kingpin, alleged killer of 70
By Asad Kharal
July 15, 2011
LAHORE: Fida Hussain Ghalvi is scared. Twelve members of his family were killed in cold blood in 1997 and the alleged killer, Malik Ishaq, has been released on bail from Kot Lakhpat jail by the Supreme Court Lahore registry on Thursday.
Ishaq, however, is no ordinary killer. He is one of the founders of the dreaded terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), key suspect in the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009 and 43 other cases in which 70 people have been killed.
He was granted bail by the apex court after the prosecution failed to prove his involvement in the case of attack on Sri Lankan cricket team.
Ishaq was acquitted in 34 out of 44 cases while in the remaining 10, including the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team, he had already been granted bail, official documents revealed.
Full report at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/209674/sri-lankan-cricket-team-attack-alleged-mastermind-released/
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US, Norwegian citizens barred from entering Peshawar
July 15, 2011
PESHAWAR: Two United States (US) citizens and a Norwegian have been disallowed from entering Peshawar after they were found to be travelling without a No Objection Certificate (NOC), Express 24/7 reported on Thursday.
The foreigners were taken into custody at the Peshawar Interchange on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and were sent back to Islamabad.
Sources have said the foreigners were carrying valid visas and passports, but did not have an NOC for travelling to Peshawar. There are also reports of an automatic rifle being kept inside the vehicle.
The police department was given clear instructions from the Foreign Office and Interior Ministry to stop the foreigners from entering Peshawar if they did not have valid papers, sources said.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/209646/us-norwegian-citizens-barred-from-entering-peshawar/
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US: Will give full support on counterterror
Jul 15, 2011
NEW DELHI: A day after the Mumbai blasts, and ahead of the second round of Indo-US strategic dialogue, the US said on Thursday that it would be as responsive as it could be on counter-terrorism. The dialogue between secretary of state Hillary Clinton and the Indian leadership next week is also expected to focus on the Af-Pak situation, and the recent strife over the NSG's new guidelines for transfer of ENR technology to NPT non-signatories.
Noting that India and the US were "much closer" and the security exchanges were more frequent, charge d' affaires Peter Burleigh said both sides are committed to a "long-term" partnership, which covers almost every conceivable issue from education to counter-terrorism in the bilateral relationship.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-Will-give-full-support-on-counterterror/articleshow/9230378.cms
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Osama planned 9/11 anniversary attack in US: report
July 15, 2011
Slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and his operations head were plotting to attack the US on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 strikes, a media report has claimed.
Osama bin Laden was shot dead by US commandos during a surprise raid at his safe house in Pakistan's garrison town of Abbottabad where he lived for the last five year.
"Bin Laden and his operations chief Attiyah Abd al-Rahman swapped views about the composition of the attack team, with bin Laden repeatedly rejecting names that Rahman suggested," the Wall Street Journal reported quoting officials familiar with the intelligence taken from bin Laden's house.
It said the plan, according to US officials, were only in the discussion phase.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/353326/Osama-planned-9/11-anniversary-attack-in-US-report.html
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In Ahmadis' desert city, Pakistan closes in
Jul 15 2011
Rabwah (Pakistan) : At the office of what claims to be one of Pakistan's oldest newspapers, workers scan copy for words it is not allowed to use -- words like Muslim and Islam.
The government is constantly monitoring this publication to make sure none of these words are published, explains our guide during a visit to the offices of al Fazl, the newspaper of the Ahmadiyya sect in Pakistan.
This is Rabwah, the town the Ahmadis built when they fled the killings of Muslims in India at Partition in 1947, and believing themselves guided by God, chose a barren stretch of land where they hoped to make the Punjab desert bloom.
Affluent and well-educated, they started out camping in tents and mud huts near the river and the railway line.
Now they have a town of some 60,000 people, a jumble of one- and two-storey buildings, along with an Olympic size swimming pool, a fire service and a world class heart institute.
Yet declared by the state in the 1970s to be non-Muslims, they face increasing threats of violence across Pakistan as the country strained by a weakening economy, an Islamist insurgency and internecine political feuds, fractures down sectarian and ethnic lines.
The situation is getting worse and worse, says Mirza Khurshid Ahmed, amir of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan. The level of religious intolerance has increased considerably during the last 10 years.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/817852/
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US-Pak military chiefs huddle in Rawalpindi
By Kamran Yousaf
July 15, 2011
ISLAMABAD: As civilian leaderships in Islamabad and Washington look on from the sidelines, military and intelligence chiefs from Pakistan and the US work frantically to rebuild their strained anti-terror cooperation.
The new CIA chief General David Petraeus and the head of the US-led international forces for Afghanistan Lt-Gen John Allen held crucial talks with Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
The discussions come amid simmering tensions between the two countries over Pakistan’s decision to expel US military trainers and a crackdown against the “private CIA network” in the aftermath of the unilateral American raid that killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Matters of ‘professional interest’
Not surprisingly, little has trickled down from the meeting between the American and Pakistani military chiefs.
Full report at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/210172/us-pak-military-chiefs-huddle-in-rawalpindi/
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Pakistan moves closer to releasing imprisoned doctor
July 15, 2011
Pakistan moved closer to releasing an imprisoned doctor who had helped the CIA track Bin Laden after the country’s spy chief flew to the US to try to rescue intelligence ties between Washington and Islamabad, the Guardian reported.
The ISI chief, Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, flew to Washington on Wednesday to seek a patch up in relationship.
The official position towards Dr Shakil Afridi, the subject of weeks of negotiations between the countries, seemed to have softened as a senior Pakistani official said that he may not have known he was working for the CIA.
“If it is confirmed that [Afridi] did not deal with Americans and didn’t know he was working for the CIA, he didn’t break any laws,” the official said.
“He also did not spy on Pakistan or violate the official secrets act. So there may be no reason to charge him,” the official added.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/210187/pakistan-moves-closer-to-releasing-imprisoned-doctor/
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Arab League to sponsor Palestine for UN recognition
Jul 15, 2011
RAMALLAH, West Bank: The Arab League will ask the United Nations to upgrade the Palestinians to full member status, a draft statement from a league meeting in Qatar said Thursday.
"It was decided to go to the United Nations to request the recognition of the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital and to move ahead and request a full membership," said the communique, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
The statement did not provide a timeline but Palestinian officials have said they want application to be made in time for the UN General Assembly session in September. A Palestinian delegate said the Arab League had appointed a committee to determine dates.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speech later on Thursday denounced such unilateral moves. "If they (the Palestinians) really wanted peace they would sit down for negotiations, without preconditions. There is no replacement for negotiations. Unilateral steps will not bring peace closer and will not bring any solution," Netanyahu said.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article472090.ece
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Mubarak says was not in a position to stop violence
By HAMZA HENDAWI
Jul 15, 2011
CAIRO: Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has told interrogators he did not order security forces to open fire on protesters during the 18-day uprising that ousted him, according to a leaked transcript of his interrogation that was published Thursday.
He also insisted that no one would have listened to him had he ordered a stop to the violence, which killed nearly 900 protesters, and suggested that both the security forces and the demonstrators fired on each other during the Jan. 25-Feb. 11 uprising.
Mubarak, 83, also denied corruption allegations, while seeking to explain why a bank account in his name held millions of dollars in foreign donations intended for the construction and upkeep of a massive library in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. He said he had secretly kept the money from the library's management so they could not claim it or use it for purposes not related to the facility.
The transcript of Mubarak's questioning by prosecutors was published Thursday by two independent newspapers, Al-Youm Al-Sabea and Al-Dustour. Al-Youm Al-Sabea published photographs of the original handwritten notes of the interrogators on its website.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article472113.ece
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Palestinians to hold local polls
By MOHAMMED MAR’I
Jul 15, 2011
RAMALLAH: A senior Palestinian official on Thursday said that the government of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will announce in the coming days the date of local elections in Palestinian territories.
Ghassan Al-Shak’a, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, said that the “committee studied on its last meeting the organization of local elections in West Bank and Gaza Strip.”
The last round of local elections took place in 2005.
Al-Shak’a added that the “government will hold the elections appropriately on Oct. 22 after consultations Fayyad made with Palestinian factions.” He did not elaborate if the consultations included the Hamas movement.
The elections have been postponed so far due to Hamas’ refusal to hold elections as long as the reconciliation talks with rival Fatah movement are ongoing.
Hamas said it wants the elections to be a result of a power-sharing agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party as part of a broader reconciliation pact.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article472087.ece
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Israeli forces seize lands for expansion of settlements
By MOHAMMED MAR’I
Jul 15, 2011
RAMALLAH: Israeli forces declared some 2,000 dunams of Palestinian lands near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, paving the way for the settlement of Efrat to annex them.
Mohammed Braijeyeh, the spokesman of Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Bethlehem, said that the Israeli forces handed notifications for the Palestinian owners in the Al-Khader village, to the south of Bethlehem, declaring them as state lands. Braijeyeh said that the order was signed by the commander of Israeli Army in West Bank
According to the order, “the lands will be used until Dec. 31, 2012 for military purposes and fighting terrorism.”
Braijeyeh said that the order is “an Israeli pretext to annex the lands to Efrat.”
He added that the Israeli army warned the Palestinian owners from entering the confiscated lands.
Efrat, with around 9,000 residents, is the largest settlement in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc.
The bloc is one of the West Bank’s settlement blocs that all Israeli governments have said they want to retain under any final-status agreement with the Palestinians.
Braijeyeh said that the confiscation is a violation of an Israeli commitment to the US administration that it will not confiscate Palestinian lands to expand settlements in Palestinian territories.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article472085.ece
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Arab Spring drifts into summer stalemates
Jul 14, 2011
CAIRO: Among the protest banners in Cairo’s Tahrir Square was a hand-drawn map of the Arab Spring with black target symbols covering each country hit by anti-government uprisings since the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt were ousted earlier this year.
But the bull’s-eyes could easily be replaced with question marks as the groundswell for change has splintered into scattered and indecisive conflicts that have left thousands dead and Western policymakers juggling roles from NATO airstrikes in Libya to worried bystanders in Syria and Yemen.
The stalemates could shift into a deeper holding pattern in August during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when the pace of daily life traditionally slows as the Islamic world observes a dawn-to-dusk fast and other customs such as temporary truces.
It’s a huge and traumatic undertaking to shove aside regimes with decades in power — and sway over nearly every decision down to who gets hired as street sweeper. Iran did it with the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the American-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein cleaned the slate for Iraq and ushered in years of near civil war.
But no such wholesale change appears in the pipeline with the present revolts. That has raised concern that even if the leaders fall, the pillars of the regimes could survive, as happened when military rulers took temporary control after Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak stepped down.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article471921.ece
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South Sudan admitted to UN as 193rd member
Jul 14, 2011
UNITED NATIONS: The General Assembly admitted South Sudan on Thursday as the 193rd member of the United Nations.
The assembly vote, by acclamation, followed the African country's achievement of independence on Saturday, breaking away from Sudan.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/-South-Sudan-admitted-to-UN-as-193rd-member/articleshow/9225974.cms
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Is Turkish-Israeli reconciliation imminent?
July 14, 2011
With the backdrop of the Arab Spring, it is no surprise that Turkey and Israel have renewed their dialogue. Jerusalem and Ankara’s shared strategic interests are becoming ever clearer, particularly with the ongoing unrest in neighboring Syria. These interests serve to catapult both sides over the obstacles that have hindered their reconciliation since the incident aboard the Mavi Marmara in 2010. With renewed understanding of the benefits of their close cooperation and partnership, Israeli-Turkish reconciliation today is imminent.
There has been a recent flurry of activity between Israeli and Turkish officials. First, apparently under pressure from Turkish officials, the IHH, the organizer of last year’s Gaza-bound flotilla, announced that the Mavi Marmara would not participate in an upcoming flotilla. Next, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a congratulatory note for his re-election victory stating, “My government will be happy to work with the new Turkish government… in the hope of reestablishing our cooperation and renewing the spirit of friendship.” Israeli Deputy PM Moshe Ya’alon purportedly held private discussions with Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu regarding a reconciliation document.
Full report at: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=is-turkish-israeli-reconciliation-imminent-2011-07-14
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Tehran and Abuja emphasize need for upgrading cooperation level
15 July 2011
IRNA – Ministers of foreign affairs of Iran and Nigeria here Wednesday emphasized need for upgrading level of cooperation in various fields between Tehran and Abuja.
According to the dispatched IRNA reporter, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali-Akbar Salehi who has arrived in Nigerian capital city to participate at the Conference of the D-8 Foreign Ministers here, in a meeting with his newly appointed Nigerian counterpart Ulubnega Ashiru was agreed with him on need for upgrading comprehensive bilateral cooperation, keeping in mind both countries appropriate potentials and capacities.
In the meeting where bilateral ties and cooperation, as well as upgrading the level of cooperation were the main axes of talks, the two top diplomats also emphasized that the two countries trade volume needed to be increased and greater cooperation was needed in industrial, energy, development and infrastructure fields.
Full report at: (Courtesy Press TV for the background on D-8)
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FBI begins probe News Corp over 9/11 hacking allegations
Jul 15 2011
Washington : The FBI has started inquiry into allegations that media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. tried to hack into the phones of 9/11 terror attack victims, media reports have said.
FBI's decision to investigate came after its Director Robert Mueller received many request in this regard from several lawmakers. The FBI routinely makes preliminary inquiries into issues raised by lawmakers to determine whether a full-blown investigation is needed.
"The (US) law says that any US corporation that bribes a foreign official is subject to severe penalties, not only fines but even criminal penalties. We want to make sure that this company, with all of its influence and the information that it passes to our region, isn't doing that," said New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, who was among the first to demand an investigation.
"They be doing the same thing here and filtering out the news that they want to hear or that they want to steal, in this case, and use it? And we don't want that to happen," Lautenberg told the CNN, referring to the phone-hacking scandal in Britain where the News of the World had hacked into the phone of a teenage murder victim in 2002.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/817835/
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The end: Syrian actor Dakkak, 55, dead
Jul 15, 2011
DAMASCUS: Syrian actor Hasan Dakkak, 55, died on Wednesday after suffering a massive heart attack at his house in Damascus. He was well known for his work in theater and television.
He also starred in the famous Syrian serial “Bab Al-Hara,” in which he played the role of a baker in an old Damascus neighborhood. Dakkak, who was of Palestinian origin, was born in 1956 in the Syrian capital.
http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/offbeat/article472022.ece
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Awqaf makes all arrangements for Ramadan
15 July 2011
ABU DHABI — The General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf (Endowments) (GAAIA) has completed arrangements for hosting a large number of Muslim scholars, guests and invitees of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to deliver lectures and address the faithful during the Holy month of Ramadan.
The organising committees continue their meetings to finalise the administrative and organisational procedures with the aim of accomplishing the plan for hosting the Muslim scholars and top clergymen. The meetings of the panels also addressed the issue of the facilities for the society and all establishments to conduct prayers, worship and recitation of the Holy Quran during Ramadan, which is an opportunity to breathe the sense of tolerance, coexistence, dialogue, paying charity and cementing ties among all segments of the society in a tolerant and amicable manner.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/July/theuae_July369.xml§ion=theuae
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Redbank man indicted by federal grand jury in terror plot
By Brian Bowling
July 15, 2011
Brian Bowling is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer and can be reached at 412-325-4301 or via e-mail.
An Armstrong County man whom FBI agents tagged as a would-be jihadist solicited Islamic extremists to attack police stations, synagogues and other facilities in the United States, and provided links showing them how to build bombs, a federal prosecutor said on Thursday.
"Emerson Begolly is accused of repeatedly using the Internet to promote violent jihad against Americans," said Neil MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., indicted Begolly, 22, of Redbank on charges of soliciting crimes of violence and distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction.
He faces federal charges in Pittsburgh that he bit two federal agents who sought to detain him in January while other agents searched his parents' homes for the evidence used in the new charges.
His attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Marketa Sims, could not be reached for comment. Begolly's mother, Joan Kowalski, declined comment. His father, Shawn Begolly, could not be reached.
The searches turned up several computers and storage devices, and a small arsenal of weapons. Agents said at the time that Begolly was posting pro-jihad messages on the Internet. The indictment provides more details on those postings.
Full report at:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_746752.html#ixzz1SBhrzmXU
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Somali-Americans Leaving the US to Wage Jihad with Al-Shabaab: “A complete and utter breakdown in our outreach to the Somali community”
July 15, 2011
(PJM) — A Minneapolis man, Omer Abdi Mohamed, is scheduled to go on trial next week in federal court on charges that he aided a group of young American Somali men in their travels to Somalia to fight with the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab terrorist organization. Two of the men that Mohamed helped leave the country conducted suicide bombings, the most recent last month which I reported on exclusively here at PJMedia. In fact, over the past few years more than two dozen Somali men from the U.S. are known to have left for the fields of jihad in Somalia.
But just as that trial is about to begin we can report exclusively here at PJMedia that a new batch of al-Shabaab recruits from Minnesota and Ohio have left the country to join the terrorist group.
Confirmation of this new crop of al-Shabaab recruits comes from award-winning Kenyan journalist Fatuma Noor, who met up with the ten new recruits ranging in age from 17 to 24 years old in Nairobi and then Northern Kenya as they were on their way to cross the border into Somalia. Noor just won the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist award for 2011 for her past work interviewing Western al-Shabaab recruits. In her current three-part series in the Nairobi Star, she also recounts her travel with the recruits to the Somali border, and how she was almost killed by al-Shabaab in Somalia for violating Islamic law by traveling without a chaperone with men who were not her relatives (only to be saved by the al-Shabaab recruits).
In her article, Noor identifies some of the American Somalis in the group:
Nuno Ahmed from Minneapolis, who says that he’s joining al-Shabaab because “young people like me are needed there to protect our country.”
Abikar Mohamed from Minneapolis, who states that “we are here to protect Islam and we are going to do that at all cost.”
Abdirahman Gullet from Minneapolis, who took inspiration from his friend Burhan Hassan and Shirwa Ahmed, both of whom died with al-Shabaab (Burhan while fighting with the group, Ahmed in a suicide bombing).
Adan Hussein from Minneapolis, who acknowledges that he “might die protecting my religion, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.” He also says that their trips were funded by some of their community elders.
Full report at:
http://weaselzippers.us/2011/07/13/somali-americans-leaving-the-us-to-wage-jihad-with-al-shabaab-%E2%80%9Ca-complete-and-utter-breakdown-in-our-outreach-to-the-somali-community%E2%80%9D/
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/suicide-bomber-attacks-karzai-brother/d/5030