Syrian Clerics Plead For Help after Fatwa on Eating Dogs and Cats
New Age Islam News Bureau
15
Oct 2013
The blast in the northern city of Kirkuk also wounded 22 people, the sources said. — File Photo
Arab World
• Syrian Clerics Plead For Help after Fatwa on Eating Dogs and Cats
• Bomb near mosque in northern Iraq kills 12 Sunnis
• Tens of Al-Nusra Terrorists Killed In Reef Idlib
• Syrian Army Kills Tens of Al-Qaeda Terrorists in Reef Lattakia
• Militants Target Two Churches with Explosive Devices in Damascus Countryside
• Little comfort for Egypt’s Brotherhood during sacred Eid
• Saudi Shia cleric strongly condemns insult to holy figures and faces of Sunni Muslims
• Explosion reported in Damascus mosque
• Egypt used 'live ammo' against Morsi backers: AI
• Assad prays at Damascus mosque for Eid al-Adha
India
• Bury Us Here but Don't Ask Us to Go Back, Plead Muzaffarnagar Riot Victims
• India, US to jointly target financial networks of LeT, JuD
• Missing Kashmiris linked to al-Qaeda drone project
• Future bleak for Indo-Pak DGMO talks
• Can't be Hindu or Muslim nationalist: J-K court
South Asia
• Bombing at mosque kills Afghanistan governor, 15 injured
• China to give Pakistan two more nuclear reactors
• 7 Shibir activists held with 45 cocktail bombs in Bogra
• ‘Ogyan Party’ terror increases in holiday season
Africa
• Nigeria urged to probe 'custody killings'
• Nigeria: Citadels of Learning, Boko Haram's New Slaughter Fields
• Islamic police in north Nigeria: We’ll arrest cab drivers in cutoff pants, sleeveless T-shirts
• Boko Haram hits the screen and censors hit back
Southeast Asia
• Allah not exclusive to Muslims, government declares ban only applies to Herald
• Court of Appeal judges influenced by right-wing forces in Allah issue, says PAS lawmaker
• Three things we learned from the Allah case
• Court’s Allah ban a gift to Muslims, says Utusan
Pakistan
• Militants ‘still a threat’ in border areas of Afghanistan
• Pakistani cultural activists hail restoration of Dilip Kumar's home
• Pakistani doctors flee Sindh, seek safety in Ahmedabad, India
• Grenade attack in Quetta injures 10
Mideast
• Grand Shia cleric: "Wahhabi behaviour unsecured whole world"
• Second tunnel from Gaza found, destroyed: Israel army
• Israeli settlers storm al-Aqsa Mosque
• Palestinian youths face Israeli abuse: report
• Israel warns against nuclear compromise with Iran
• Iran hopes today's talks will offer N-road map
Europe
• UNICEF: Israel ‘Systematically’ Abuses Palestinian Children
• Hundreds dead in Nigeria detention, Amnesty says
• Russia averts 'terror attack' on chemical facility: Official
• British Pakistani among 4 arrested in London anti-terror raids
• Russia denies issuing conclusions over Yasser Arafat’s death
• Germany praises Turkey's solidarity for Syrian refugees
• Global experts plan Syrian war crimes tribunal
North America
• US ready to ease Iran sanctions if Tehran acts
• Obama presenting Medal of Honour to Afghan war vet
• Libyan al-Qaeda suspect to appear in court
• US courts convict terrorists; Gitmo trials drag on
• Hopes for progress high as US, partners meet with Iran in Geneva over its nuclear program
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/syrian-clerics-plead-help-after/d/14006
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Arab World
Syrian Clerics Plead For Help after Fatwa on Eating Dogs and Cats
14 October 2013
After issuing religious edicts permitting people to eat dogs and cats, Syrian clerics from southern Damascus have reiterated their plea for humanitarian help in a video aired on Al Arabiya News Channel on Monday.
“How does the world sleep with full stomachs while there are hungry people, and not far from the main city [Damascus], just few meters way,” a leading imam said in a statement, initially broadcasted by the Southern Damascus Media Office.
The imam, accompanied by other religious scholars, said his statement that also represented the views of clerics and Shariah (Islamic law) students from southern Damascus, was for people to know about the dire humanitarian situation in their area.
He said while Muslim pilgrims don their white robes to perform one of Islam’s major tenants in Makkah, the hajj pilgrimage, “there are people who died from hunger, and were dressed with white coffins.”
“Haven’t you heard the Fatwas (religious edicts) that have filled our streets and mosques by permitting people to eat cats, dogs and other animals that have already been killed by the bomb attacks?
“Are you waiting for us to eat the flesh of our martyrs and our dead after fearing our lives? … You have forgot that you have brothers and sisters in southern Damascus who are hungry.”
President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have tightened their siege on Southern Damascus throughout the conflict, along with other parts of the capital.
On Friday, fighters loyal to Assad’s regime captured two southern suburbs of Damascus, killing at least 70 people, opposition activists said.
The two suburbs are near Sayida Zainab, a district where a Shiite shrine is located and which the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group, Hezbollah and Iraqi fighters have used as a base to deploy in southern Damascus.
The Fatwas permitting eating dogs’ and cats’ meat has also been issued by an imam in the Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, according to Asharq al-Awsat.
The Yarmouk camp has been under siege for three months, and humanitarian conditions have deteriorated drastically. The Syrian regime is preventing the entry of food and relief items.
Last year, a similar fatwa was also issued in the city of Homs allowing the consumption of cats, dogs and donkeys.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/10/14/Syrian-imams-plead-for-help-after-permitting-people-to-eat-dogs-cats-.html
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Bomb near mosque in northern Iraq kills 12 Sunnis
AP | Oct 15, 2013
BAGHDAD: An Iraqi official says a bomb planted near a Sunni mosque in northern Iraq has killed 12 worshippers after morning prayers on a major Muslim holiday.
Police Col Taha Salaheddin says the attack took place in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The bomb went off as worshippers were leaving the al-Qodus mosque after prayers for the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday.
Salaheddin says Tuesday's bombing also wounded 24 people.
More than 5,000 people have been killed in Iraq since al-Qaida and other militants stepped up attacks following a deadly security crackdown against a Sunni protest camp in April.
The latest attack came despite tight security measures imposed by security forces to prevent attacks during the four-day Eid al-Adha celebrations.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Bomb-near-mosque-in-northern-Iraq-kills-12/articleshow/24185347.cms
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Tens of Al-Nusra Terrorists Killed In Reef Idlib
Oct 15, 2013
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army attacked bastions of the Al-Nusra Front in a strategic military airport in Northwestern Syria, and killed tens of militants in heavy clashes.
The army attacked the concentration points of the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front inside Taftaz military airport in Reef (countryside of) Idlib in Northwestern Syria, killing tens of terrorists and injuring dozens more in fierce clashes.
The conflict in Syria started in March 2011, when sporadic pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of western and regional states.
The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle-East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.
As the foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US government has boosted its political and military support to Takfiri extremists.
Washington has remained indifferent to warnings by Russia and other world powers about the consequences of arming militant groups.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13920723000543
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Syrian Army Kills Tens of Al-Qaeda Terrorists In Reef Lattakia
Oct 15, 2013
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army destroyed concentration centers of Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in Reef (countryside of) Lattakia in the Western parts of the country, killing tens of militants in heavy clashes.
The army destroyed several concentration centers of militants in Ain Issa in Reef Lattakia. The Syrian army killed 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists in Ain Issa, including a notorious ringleader named Abu Khaled Abtejani.
The Syrian army units also destroyed another concentration center of the Al-Qaeda terrorists in Rabia district of Reef Lattakia, killing 15 terrorists.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against the Syrian police, border guards, statesmen, army and the civilians being reported across the country.
Thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies into armed clashes.
The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.
In October 2011, calm was almost restored in most parts of the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies brought the country into chaos through every possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrests in Syria.
The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May, 2012 that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.
The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.
According to the report, material was being stockpiled in Damascus, in Idlib near the Turkish border and in Zabadani on the Lebanese border.
Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13920723000287
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Militants Target Two Churches with Explosive Devices in Damascus Countryside
Oct 15, 2013
TEHRAN (FNA)- Militants targeted the Lady Church and Constantine and Helena Church in Yabroud in Damascus Countryside with two explosive devices.
An official source said that militants detonated two explosive devices planted on the roofs of the churches, causing large material damage to the crosses with no human casualties, Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
The source added that the army units foiled militants' attempt to detonate an explosive device planted in front of Constantine and Helena Church and was set to be detonate remotely.
Earlier, the armed rebel groups targeted many Christian and Muslim worship places, especially the Great Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, al-Omari Mosque in Daraa and al-Latin Church in Deir Ezzor.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13920723001189
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Little comfort for Egypt’s Brotherhood during sacred Eid
15 October 2013
Reuters, Alexandria
Every year, millions of Muslims around the world sacrifice an animal, a sheep, a camel, a goat, as part of the Eid al-Adha festival, the meat to be offered to the poor. It is a time for families to celebrate together.
But with a son in an Egyptian jail for his ties to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Oum Amr’s family was too distraught to perform what is a sacred ritual in Islam.
“Eid has no meaning without my son,” she said in Alexandria, Egypt’s second city and a traditional Brotherhood stronghold. “We are accustomed to performing the sacrifice every year, but this year, it’s just not the same.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2013/10/15/Little-comfort-for-Egypt-s-Brotherhood-during-sacred-Eid.html
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Saudi Shia cleric strongly condemns insult to holy figures and faces of Sunni Muslims
October 15, 2013
Senior Saudi Shia cleric, Sheikh Hasan Saffar, condemned any insult to holy figures and faces of Sunni people.
The Shia cleric leveled criticism on any measures lead to dispersion and beckoned to the present situation of Islamic Ummah which is mired in extremist waves.
“From one way round, Islamic Ummah is suffered from Takfiri movements and from the other way round, grappled with the standing anti-Islamic waves target the holy figures and faces," said Sheikh Hasan Saffar.
Full report at:
counting them as moves running counter to Ahlul Bayt teachings and doctrines.
http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=472095
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Explosion reported in Damascus mosque
October 15, 2013
Syrian warplanes have bombed the suburbs of Damascus, while rebels have fired mortar shells at the capital on the first day of a major Muslim holiday, an activist group said on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera has also received reports of a bombing inside a mosque in the al-Tadmon neighbourhood, south of the capital Damascus, on the morning of the Eid al-Adha holiday.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels fired rockets and mortar rounds at three Damascus neighbourhoods. An amateur video posted online shows three rockets being fired, leaving a trail of dark smoke.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/10/explosion-reported-damascus-mosque-2013101581550372827.html
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Egypt used 'live ammo' against Morsi backers: AI
October 15, 2013
CAIRO : Egyptian security forces used live ammunition on October 6 to disperse supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi who were also attacked by men with firearms and swords, Amnesty International said Monday.
At least 49 people were killed and hundreds wounded in Cairo alone as security forces used "excessive and unwarranted lethal force" to disperse pro-Morsi crowds, said the human rights watchdog.
The Egyptian health ministry said at least 57 people were killed nationwide on the day of the bloody crackdown, including 48 in the capital.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/15-Oct-2013/egypt-used-live-ammo-against-morsi-backers-ai
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Assad prays at Damascus mosque for Eid al-Adha
15 October 2013
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad prayed at a Damascus mosque early on Tuesday morning as Muslims marked the Eid al-Adha holiday, state media said.
State television broadcast images of the president entering the Hassiba mosque and waving to supporters before taking part in prayers.
The prayers were led by Imam Mohamed Tawfik al-Bouti, the son of Mohamed al-Bouti, a senior pro-regime religious figure who was killed in a bombing at a mosque in March.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/10/15/Syria-s-Assad-prays-at-Damascus-mosque-for-Eid-al-Adha-.html
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India
Bury Us Here but Don't Ask Us to Go Back, Plead Muzaffarnagar Riot Victims
October 15, 2013
Mumbai: After losing everything they had till couple of months ago including home, furniture, livestock, shops, bicycles, items collected for marriageable girls and other hard-earned belongings, hundreds of Muslims affected by the Muzaffarnagar riots who are now living in the relief camps are refusing to return back to their villages even though they are without bathrooms, drinking water, electricity, sanitation, medical assistance and other essential amenities, and depending on others even for their daily intake of food.
"We used to live normally with them with civil ties. But they are not our friends. How could they be, since they allowed the looting and burning of our houses when we were away? Even now, nobody has come to see us or asked us to come back. They are not our friends. 'Hamein yaheen dafan kar do, lekin jaane ko na kaho' (Bury us here but don't ask us to go back)", Salma and Shabnam two sisters who are now living in relief camps with hundreds others pleaded with a fact finding team that visited them on October 9.
Full report at:
http://www.ummid.com/news/2013/October/15.10.2013/muzaffarnagar-post-riot-assessment.html#sthash.ERZiOSqr.dpuf
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India, US to jointly target financial networks of LeT, JuD
October 14, 2013
India and the US have agreed to work together to target the financial network and fund raising activities of Pakistan-based terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the Haqqani network and individual terrorists associated with these organisations.
The decision by the two countries, in this regard, was taken during a meeting between finance minister P Chidambaram and US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew yesterday.
The two leaders jointly chaired the fourth annual meeting of India-US Economic and Financial Partnership held at the IMF headquarters in Washington.
Chidambaram and Lew also agreed on commitment to deepening dialogue on implementation of international anti-money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism and expanding cooperation on countering illicit financing.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/India-US-to-jointly-target-financial-networks-of-LeT-JuD/Article1-1134866.aspx
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Missing Kashmiris linked to al-Qaeda drone project
October 15, 2013
The Islamabad police have said that Irtiyaz and Dr. Mujahid Gilani, who escaped during a raid last month on their home on the outskirts of the city, are linked to al-Qaeda. A cousin of theirs, teenaged Shoaib Andrabi, is in judicial custody till October 21.
A senior police official who did not wish to be named told The Hindu on Monday that the Gilanis’ link to al-Qaeda and that they were using their house to test spy planes were now part of the official record. He said the police were still looking for the two Gilani brothers and others who could be involved in the case. There was no mention of the two women who went missing from the house after the police raid at Gilani Manzil around 1 a.m. on September 7.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/missing-kashmiris-linked-to-alqaeda-drone-project/article5234401.ece
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Future bleak for Indo-Pak DGMO talks
October 15, 2013
There is little possibility of a meeting between the director generals of military operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan, with the neighbouring country’s army escalating tension in Jammu and Kashmir, a top army officer told HT.
The officer said there was no proposal from Islamabad yet on the DGMO-level talks to ease rising tensions along the Line of Control (LoC).
Shortly after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif met in New York in September-end, a senior Pakistani diplomat had declared that the DGMOs would meet “within a week.”
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Future-bleak-for-Indo-Pak-DGMO-talks/Article1-1135171.aspx
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Can't be Hindu or Muslim nationalist: J-K court
Peerzada Ashiq, Hindustan Times
October 14, 2013
BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s remark that he was a ‘Hindu nationalist’ stirred a debate earlier this year, but the Jammu and Kashmir high court has ruled that any person claiming affiliation with any form of religious nationalism shall be barred from contesting elections.
“In our constitutional scheme, a citizen of India is only an Indian. No person can claim himself to be a Hindu nationalist, Muslim nationalist, Sikh nationalist, Buddhist nationalist or a Christian nationalist,” justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar said in the ruling on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/srinagar/Can-t-be-Hindu-or-Muslim-nationalist-J-K-court/Article1-1133976.aspx
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South Asia
Bombing at mosque kills Afghanistan governor, 15 injured
Oct 15 2013
Kabul, Afghanistan: Arsallah Jamal, governor of Afghanistan's eastern Logar province, was killed in a bomb blast while delivering a speech in a mosque on Tuesday morning.
Afghan officials said the bomb went off while Jamal was speaking to the crowd on Tuesday morning to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
The governor's spokesman, Din Mohammad Darwesh, said the bombing took place at the main mosque in the provincial capital of Puli Alam.
Provincial deputy police chief Rais Khan Abbul Rahimzai said the explosion also wounded 15 people, five of them critically.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bombing-at-mosque-kills-afghanistan-governor-15-injured/1182816/
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China to give Pakistan two more nuclear reactors
Oct 15 2013,
New Delhi : China is well on track to firm up the sale of two more nuclear
reactors to Pakistan, raising serious concern in India which has conveyed its objections at both the political and official levels in China, as well as the Nuclear Suppliers Group in the last few months.
The deal in question will constitute the first foreign sale of China’s indigenous 1,100 MW nuclear reactor series called ACP 1000 which is set to be a major technological advance for Beijing.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/china-to-give-pakistan-two-more-nuclear-reactors-india-protests/1182754/
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7 Shibir activists held with 45 cocktail bombs in Bogra
October 15, 2013
Police recovered 45 cocktail bombs, sharp weapons and explosive materials for making 150 cocktails from their possession
Police in a drive arrested seven Islami Chhatra Shibir activists from Jamil Nagar and Malgram areas in Bogra on Monday.
The arrestees were identified as Rabiul Islam, Ershad Ali, Mahbubur Rahman, Enamul Haq Sarker, Tariqul Islam, Abu Raihan and Enamul.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/oct/14/7-shibir-activists-held-45-cocktail-bombs-bogra#sthash.b14PdeCR.dpuf
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‘Ogyan Party’ terror increases in holiday season
Zyma Islam and Shaheen Mollah
October 15, 2013
With Eid-ul-Azha knocking on the door, wallets are usually heavier with bonuses at work and money from livestock trading in the cattle markets across the capital.
This has led to a surge in the activities of the gangs which sedate their victims before mugging them clean.
At least 100 people have been attacked by these gangs known as “Ogyan Party” in the last five days, many of them being cattle traders.
No less than 21 such victims were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday alone. Sources said 20 such patients were brought to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in the last five days.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/ogyan-party-terror-increases-in-holiday-season/
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Africa
Nigeria urged to probe 'custody killings'
October 15, 2013
The London-based rights group Amnesty International is seeking an investigation into the alleged deaths of hundreds of people in detention facilities during a crackdown on Muslim groups in Nigeria, saying it has evidence.
In a report on Tuesday, the organisation said that "credible information" from a senior Nigerian army officer indicated that more than 950 people suspected of having links to Boko Haram died in military custody in the first six months of this year.
Boko Haram, an armed group, wants to topple the Nigerian government and impose an Islamic state, and has been responsible for thousands of deaths.
Amnesty International said prisoners had been suffocated, starved and subjected to extra-judicial killings in the army-led operation in the country's northeast.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/nigeria-urged-probe-custody-killings-201310158234191101.html
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Nigeria: Citadels of Learning, Boko Haram's New Slaughter Fields
BY ALKASIM ABDUKADIR, 15 OCTOBER 2013
The insurgency in Nigeria's North Eastern corner has once more brought into sharp relief the precarious balance between life and death in the region. Scores of people are killed on a daily basis and the frequency has also ensured a sense of 'tragedy fatigue' amongst the country's populace.
The sustained escalation of attacks by the Nigerian army on insurgent hideouts has motivated the insurgents to retaliate, targeting areas regarded as soft targets like schools. This became more notable after the offensive at Kasiya forest, which left about 16 soldiers dead alongside 150 insurgents; one of the most deadly face offs between the Nigerian Army and the insurgents.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201310151033.html?viewall=1
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Islamic police in north Nigeria: We’ll arrest cab drivers in cutoff pants, sleeveless T-shirts
October 15, 2013
KANO, Nigeria — Cutoff pants displaying a bulging calf? Sleeveless T-shirts showing off a well-muscled physique? Forget it in Nigeria’s northern Kano state, where Islamic police are deploying thousands of officers to arrest anyone sporting the “indecent dress” that’s fashionable among young men driving motorized rickshaw taxis.
Police also have orders to arrest any cabbie carrying men and women together in the confined space of the three-wheeled taxis.
“The way and manner some of the commercial tricycle operators engage in indecent dressing and carry men and women together is disturbing,” said Yusuf Yola, spokesman for the Hisbah board that is responsible for ensuring compliance with Shariah laws in Kano.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/islamic-police-in-north-nigeria-well-arrest-cab-drivers-in-cutoff-pants-sleeveless-t-shirts/2013/10/14/30ef4654-34f4-11e3-89db-8002ba99b894_story.html
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Boko Haram hits the screen and censors hit back
October 15, 2013
A vicious would-be suicide bomber is heading for Nigeria’s vast metropolis of Lagos and only a down-on-her-luck prostitute can stop a horrific attack.
This ominous fiction forms part of “Boko Haram”, a new film by Ghanaian-Nigeria director Pascal Amanfo, which has been banned by censors in Ghana and shunned by cinema owners in Nigeria.
A movie inspired by the very real and brutal Islamist group active in Nigeria was potentially so inflammatory that it was released in the country with the title “Nation Under Siege” to avoid a backlash.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\10\15\story_15-10-2013_pg4_6
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Southeast Asia
Allah not exclusive to Muslims, government declares ban only applies to Herald
BY DESMOND DAVIDSON
OCTOBER 15, 2013
The ban on the use of the word Allah only applies to the Catholic weekly, Herald, and not other Christian publications or the Al-Kitab, the Bahasa Malaysia bible which is widely used in Sabah and Sarawak, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He said the Cabinet decision to allow the use of Allah in Bahasa Malaysia or native language bibles in Sabah and Sarawak and the assurance given by Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in 2011 still stand, thereby suggesting that the government does not believe that the word is exclusive to Muslims.
But the issue (the ban on the word Allah in the Herald) is not over yet, he added, and believed there would be an appeal to the Federal Court.
He added that the decision made by the Federal Court later could change all that.
However, he said the Federal Court ruling could still be over-ridden by a political decision.
“Decisions made by the courts are case laws. Even though they become part of the law of the country, they are normally not enforceable.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/allah-not-exclusive-to-muslims-now-government-says-ban-only-applies-to-hera
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Court of Appeal judges influenced by right-wing forces in Allah issue, says PAS lawmaker
BY V. ANBALAGAN
OCTOBER 15, 2013
An opposition lawmaker believes that the three Court of Appeal judges were influenced by right-wing Muslim groups when they unanimously banned the word Allah from being used in the Bahasa Malaysia section of the Catholic weekly, the Herald.
PAS’s Parit Buntar MP, Mujahid Yusof Rawa (pic), an advocate of interfaith dialogue, said the decision was a setback to interfaith relations and that right-wing forces were responsible for the current predicament.
Malay rights groups Perkasa, Jalur Tiga and Pertubuhan Pembela Islam have been at the forefront of protests against the use of the word Allah in this issue.
The Court of Appeal, which allowed the appeal by Putrajaya to reverse an earlier High Court ruling that the Herald could use the word, relied on religious and political reasons to come up with yesterday's decision, said Mujahid.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/court-of-appeal-judges-influenced-by-right-wing-forces-in-allah-issue-says
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Three things we learned from the Allah case
October 15, 2013
So the Court of Appeal has ruled that the Catholic Church cannot use the word Allah in its weekly publication, Herald. Understandably, there is widespread disappointment, even anger among Christians, especially those in East Malaysia who have used Allah in Christian prayers and worship services for more than 100 years. Yes, far longer than the birth of this nation or for that matter, the age of the chief protagonist, Umno.
This case has been an eye-opener and a learning experience for many.
Lesson Number 1:
Political stability counts for little if all it does is provide cover for the wicked to trample on the Constitution time and time again like a dry leaf.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/three-things-we-learned-from-the-allah-case
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Court’s Allah ban a gift to Muslims, says Utusan
BY RITA JONG
OCTOBER 15, 2013
The decision by the Court of Appeal to ban the word Allah in the Catholic weekly, Herald, was a gift to Muslims as they celebrate Aidiladha today, said Utusan Malaysia.
Awang Selamat, the pseudonym for Utusan's collective editorial team, said the decision also recognised the efforts made by those who defended the purity of the name Allah.
"This case must be an example to others not to jeopardise the supremacy of Islam as any of such attempts would affect the harmonious relationship between other races and religions in the country," said Awang Selamat.
"As Malaysians, we have to accept the supremacy of Islam. The Court of Appeal's decision in setting aside the earlier High Court's decision was correct based on the provisions provided in the constitution which clearly states the rights of Muslims and the role of the Malay royalty as the protector of Islam."
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/courts-allah-ban-a-gift-to-muslims-says-utusan
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Pakistan
Militants ‘still a threat’ in border areas of Afghanistan
2013-10-15
KHAR: Peace was restored in Bajaur Agency but militants could still pose a threat in the border areas, said Political Agent Abdul Jabar Shah here on Monday.
Addressing a jirga of Mandal tribe, he said that normalcy returned to the region after elimination of terrorists, however, durable peace would need some time.
The tribal elders, members of peace committees and senior officials attended the jirga. The elders of Mandal tribe assured the local administration of their support in maintaining writ of the government in the region.
“There are still threats from militants in the areas along the Afghan border,” the political agent told the jirga. He urged the tribal elders to realise the situation and remain alert to face challenges because it was responsibility of every citizen to defend the area against anti-state elements.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1049890/militants-still-a-threat-in-border-areas
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Pakistani cultural activists hail restoration of Dilip Kumar's home
Oct 15 2013
Peshawar : Pakistani cultural activists have supported the announcement made recently by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government that the birthplace of the cinema legend Dilip Kumar would be conserved soon and turned into a museum.
Expressing satisfaction at the announcement, the writers and cultural activists, including Salahuddin, Mohammad Ibrahim Zia, Ali Awais and others said Peshawar had produced legends who excelled in respective fields.
They said Peshawarites were proud of Dilip Kumar as he is the greatest thespian Peshawar has ever produced, a media report said.
They hoped the provincial government, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, would go beyond announcements and take practical steps to conserve the birthplace of the acting legend without wasting any time.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistani-cultural-activists-hail-restoration-of-dilip-kumars-home/1182845/
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Pakistani doctors flee Sindh, seek safety in Ahmedabad
Bharat Yagnik, TNN | Oct 15, 2013
AHMEDABAD: Growing terrorist unrest and a hostile attitude towards minorities in Pakistan forced over 20 doctors to migrate to Gujarat last year. This is the largest migration of medical professionals to the state - the highest so far being nine (1999) after the Kargil war and eight in 1970. The number could go up this year.
Over the past over four decades, 64 doctors have migrated to the safe haven of Gujarat from Pakistan, mostly from the Sindh province, and registered with the Gujarat Medical Council. Sources say the number of doctors who have migrated but not yet registered could be much higher.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistani-doctors-flee-Sindh-seek-safety-in-Ahmedabad/articleshow/24174392.cms
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Grenade attack in Quetta injures 10
October 15, 2013
HAZARGANJI: A hand grenade attack injured at least 10 people in the Hazarganji area of Quetta, Express News reported on Tuesday.
Four children and two police officials were among the injured. They were taken to hospital and there were no serious injuries.
Unidentified attackers reportedly targeted the vehicle of a police constabulary.
The police have cordoned off the area.
On September 19, at least 10 people, including a child and a woman, were injured in a grenade attack at Balochistan Constabulary Line in Quetta.
Among the injured was a Balochistan Constabulary operative and a levies officer.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/618442/grenade-attack-in-quetta-injures-10/
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Mideast
Grand Shia Cleric: "Wahhabi Behaviour Unsecured Whole World"
October 15, 2013
Grand Shia cleric, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, called Wahhabi groups as a threat for the whole world and said both Shia and Sunni communities are among the targets of Wahhabism.
He hailed Islam as the religion of blessing and privileges for all and expressed regret that the divine religion is misrepresented by extremist Wahhabis as the religion of bloodshed and violence.
Iranian cleric noted that Takfiri (excommunicating) behaviours would turn attractions of Islam into a reason for repulsion and stated while the modern world is ready to embrace Islam, extremist behaviours by Wahhabi groups have intensified Islamophobic efforts.
“Behaviours of Takfiri groups are threatening for the whole world and are not limited to Islamic countries.” Said senior scholar and demanded Muslim clerics not to take silence against Takfiri groups.
Full report at:
http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=472094
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Second tunnel from Gaza found, destroyed: Israel army
AP | Oct 15, 2013
JERUSALEM: Israel's military says it has found and destroyed a second tunnel dug from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into Israel.
The military says it blew up the tunnel today. It says the tunnel was packed with explosives and stretched dozens of metres into Israel.
Brig Gen Yoav Mordechai warned that the surrounding area is dangerous and "threats are still imminent".
On Sunday, the military announced the discovery of a long, concrete-lined tunnel from Gaza into Israel and alleged militants planned to use it to attack or kidnap Israelis.
Gaza's Hamas rulers and their allies have dug tunnels into Israel before. It was through one such tunnel in 2006 that militants sneaked into Israel, killed two soldiers and kidnapped a third, Gilad Schalit, who was held hostage for five years.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Second-tunnel-from-Gaza-found-destroyed-Israel-army/articleshow/24204862.cms
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Israeli settlers storm al-Aqsa Mosque
October 15, 2013
A number of extremist Israeli settlers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque in East al-Quds on Monday and raised Israel flag inside the mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam, local media reports.
A group of 14 settlers raised an Israeli flag while touring the mosque’s compound, local media said.
After the incident, Israeli police closed Mughrabi Gate that leads to al-Aqsa Mosque compound for visitors.
Full report at:
http://www.tehrantimes.com/world/111536-israeli-settlers-storm-al-aqsa-mosque
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Palestinian youths face Israeli abuse: report
October 15, 2013
The UN Children's Fund has said Israel's army and police force continue to mistreat Palestinian youths during arrests and detentions, despite agreeing to test alternative treatment following international pressure.
Teh fund's progress report, released on Monday, stated that "violations are ongoing", seven months after an initial paper was released which highlighted widrespread mistreatment of Palestinian youths arrested in the occupied West Bank.
The report cited 19 sample cases of alleged abuse of youths aged between 12 and 17 in the occupied West Bank in the second quarter of 2013.
In all cases, the detainees, all male, suffered physical violence, including beating, kicking and slapping, while in 17 cases they were verbally abused.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/10/palestinian-youths-face-israeli-abuse-report-2013101505225951701.html
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Israel warns against nuclear compromise with Iran
2013-10-15
JERUSALEM: Israel on Tuesday urged the world to avoid a partial deal with Iran, which could see a relaxing of sanctions, just hours before a new round of nuclear talks.
Following a meeting late on Monday, the security cabinet warned the international community against any “partial agreement that would fail to bring about the full dismantling of the Iranian military nuclear programme...(which) could lead to the collapse of the sanctions regime.
”Iran is due to begin two days of closed-door negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday with the so-called P5+1 countries — the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a media blitz in recent days, warning against concessions to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1049919/israel-warns-against-nuclear-compromise-with-iran
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Iran hopes today's talks will offer N-road map
Reuters | Oct 15, 2013
DUBAI: Foreign minister and chief negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif voiced hope that Iran and world powers can agree at talks this week on a road map towards defusing the stand-off over Tehran's nuclear activity, but warned the process would be complex.
The negotiations about Iran's nuclear programme, to start in Geneva on Tuesday, will be the first since the June election of President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who wants to thaw Iran's icy relations with the West to secure the removal of punitive sanctions that have hobbled its oil-based economy.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-hopes-todays-talks-will-offer-N-road-map/articleshow/24174995.cms
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Europe
UNICEF: Israel ‘Systematically’ Abuses Palestinian Children
Oct 15, 2013
TEHRAN (FNA)- United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said the Israeli regime is still "systematically" mistreating the Palestinian children detained by the Zionist regime's troops in the occupied West Bank.
In a statement released on Monday, UNICEF stated that "violations are ongoing", seven months after an initial paper was released which highlighted widespread mistreatment of Palestinian youths arrested in the West Bank, Al-Alam reported.
The report cited 19 sample cases of alleged abuse of youths aged between 12 and 17 in the occupied West Bank in the second quarter of 2013.
In all cases, the detainees, all male, suffered physical violence, including beating, kicking and slapping, while in 17 cases they were verbally abused.
UNICEF's March report, entitled "Children in Israeli Military Detention", said Israel systematically tried youths in military courts, and gave evidence of practices it said were "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment".
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13920723000799
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Hundreds dead in Nigeria detention, Amnesty says
Oct 15, 2013
Hundreds of people have died in detention facilities in north-east Nigeria as the army tries to crush an Islamist militant rebellion there, according to Amnesty International.
The human rights group said some detainees died from suffocation in overcrowded cells, others from starvation and extra-judicial killings.
In Wednesday's report, it calls for an urgent investigation into the deaths.
There has not yet been an official response to the report.
But the Nigerian army has rejected all previous accusations of human rights abuses.
A senior Nigerian army officer told Amnesty that at least 950 people had died in military custody during the first half of this year, according to an advance copy of the report seen by the BBC.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24528660
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Russia averts 'terror attack' on chemical facility: Official
AFP | Oct 15, 2013
MOSCOW: Russian investigators said on Tuesday they had detained two suspected Islamists who planned to blow up a chemical storage facility in central Russia.
The two natives of Russia's volatile North Caucasus region had since September been preparing a "terrorist act" at the chemical storage facility in the central Kirov region that could have put the lives of "hundreds of people" at risk, investigators said in a statement.
"According to the investigators, the suspects are Wahhabi followers and have come to the Kirov region from Moscow," the statement said, referring to an ultra-conservative branch of Islam.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Russia-averts-terror-attack-on-chemical-facility-Official/articleshow/24202703.cms
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British Pakistani among 4 arrested in London anti-terror raids
October 15, 2013
LONDON: Four terror suspects including a British Pakistani were arrested by the police in London raids as part of anti-terror operation, Daily Mail reported.
The 29-year-old British Pakistani Naveed Baluch, a butcher who had recently returned from a visit to his wife in Pakistan, was arrested after police smashed down the door of his local authority flat in Peckham, south-east London, on the evening of October 13.
Officers also searched six addresses across London as part of an operation to simultaneously detain a group of suspected terrorists. It was feared that an attack similar to the Kenyan mall massacre was being planned on British soil.
The other three suspects were a 28-year-old British Azerbaijani, a 25-year-old British Turkish and a 25-year-old British Algerian.
According to Scotland Yard the detainees were held because of suspicion that they were involved in acts of terrorism and were being interrogated at a south London police station.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/618449/british-pakistani-among-4-arrested-in-london-anti-terror-raids/
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Russia denies issuing conclusions over Yasser Arafat’s death
15 October 2013
The Russian agency involved in studying the remains of Yasser Arafat on Tuesday denied issuing any conclusions about the death of the Palestinian leader, after a report cited its chief as saying he could not have died from polonium poisoning.
Russia’s Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) was one of three international institutes involved in exhuming Arafat’s remains in November 2012.
Interfax earlier quoted FMBA head Vladimir Uiba as saying he doubted a report published in The Lancet at the weekend saying that Swiss radiation experts had found traces of polonium on Arafat’s clothing.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/10/15/Russia-denies-issuing-conclusions-over-Yasser-Arafat-s-death.html
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Germany praises Turkey's solidarity for Syrian refugees
October 15, 2013
Germany's Ambassador to Turkey Eberhard Pohl said Eid Al-Adha was an indication of peace and solidarity and that Turkish people showed solidarity for Syrian refugees was a humanitarian act.
Pohl released a message on account of the feast of sacrifice, wishing happy festivals to the people living Turkey.
The ambassador also noted that the Eid Al-Adha reminded Prophet Ibrahim who is joint ancestor of both Christians and Muslims.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=120690
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Global experts plan Syrian war crimes tribunal
October 15, 2013
WASHINGTON — When the guns fall silent in Syria and the killing eventually stops, a key part of helping a traumatized people rebuild and heal will be bringing to justice those behind years of shocking brutality.
Even though there is no end in sight yet to the grinding war in which some 110,000 people have died, a group of international judges and experts is already working to give the victims a voice through a special court.
“This has never been done before,” said David Crane, who has led the project to draft a 30-page blueprint for a Syrian Extraordinary Tribunal to Prosecute Atrocity Crimes setting out in detail the possible make-up of any eventual court.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20131015183682
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North America
US ready to ease Iran sanctions if Tehran acts
Reuters | Oct 15, 2013
GENEVA: The United States held out the prospect of quick sanctions relief for Iran on Monday if Tehran moves swiftly to allay concerns about its nuclear programme, although both countries said any deal would be complex and take time.
Six world powers - the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - hold talks with Iran on its nuclear programme in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"No one should expect a breakthrough overnight," a senior U.S. administration official told reporters.
Washington is ready to offer Iran rapid relief from economic sanctions if Tehran moves quickly to address concerns that the ultimate goal of its nuclear work was to make bombs, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-ready-to-ease-Iran-sanctions-if-Tehran-acts/articleshow/24171070.cms
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Obama presenting Medal of Honor to Afghan war vet
October 15 2013
A former Army captain hailed for bravery during combat in Afghanistan in 2009 is adding the Medal of Honor to his list of military decorations.
President Barack Obama will bestow the nation's highest military honor on William D. Swenson on Tuesday. Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama will also attend the ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
The White House says Swenson is being recognized for courageous actions while he was an embedded trainer and mentor with the Afghan National Security Forces in Kunar Province in northeastern Afghanistan on Sept. 8, 2009.
Swenson retired from the military in February 2011. He has a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal and lives in Seattle.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/10/15/obama-presenting-medal-honor-afghan-war-vet.html
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Libyan al-Qaeda suspect to appear in court
October 15, 2013
An alleged senior al-Qaeda figure captured in Libya by US special forces this month has been transferred to the United States and will face charges in court in New York on Tuesday, US officials have said.
The Libyan, Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, better known as Abu Anas al-Liby, is a suspect in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 civilians.
He was seized by a US Army Delta Force squad on the streets of Tripoli on October 5 and whisked onto a navy ship in the Mediterranean Sea where he was questioned by a team of interrogators.
He was handed over to US civilian law enforcement over the weekend and brought directly to the New York area, said US Attorney Preet Bharara, the chief federal prosecutor for Manhattan.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/libyan-al-qaeda-suspect-appear-court-20131014195144317865.html
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US courts convict terrorists; Gitmo trials drag on
AP | Oct 15, 2013
WASHINGTON: Four years after his failed effort to bring the mastermind of the Sept 11, 2001 attack to New York for trial, President Barack Obama has reinstated the federal courthouse as America's preferred venue for prosecuting suspected terrorists.
His administration has done so by quietly securing conviction after conviction in the civilian judicial system. Meanwhile at Guantanamo Bay, admitted Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's case moves at a snail's pace.
Tuesday's expected arraignment of suspected al-Qaida member Abu Anas al-Libi is the latest example of Obama's de facto policy. Al-Libi was captured in a military raid in Libya earlier this month and had been under interrogation aboard a US warship with his fate uncertain.
The Obama administration says it considers all options for prosecuting terrorists, weighing military and civilian trials on a case-by-case basis.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-courts-convict-terrorists-Gitmo-trials-drag-on/articleshow/24186414.cms
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Hopes for progress high as US, partners meet with Iran in Geneva over its nuclear program
October 15, 2013
GENEVA — The United States and five other world powers sat down Tuesday for the first talks on Tehran’s nuclear program since the election of reformist Iranian President Hassan Rouhani four months ago.
The talks are being seen as a key test of Iran’s overtures to the West. The U.S, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany are eager to see whether Iran’s new style since Rouhani’s election will translate into progress on dispelling concerns that Tehran may want to make nuclear weapons.
Iran has long insisted it does not want such arms and that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, and top Iranian officials have come to the negotiating table saying Tehran is willing to make concessions to end a decade of deadlock. But the U.S. and its allies insist it will take more than words to advance negotiations and end international sanctions crippling Iran’s economy.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/hopes-for-progress-high-as-us-partners-meet-with-iran-this-week-over-its-nuclear-program/2013/10/15/830494b2-3571-11e3-89db-8002ba99b894_story.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/syrian-clerics-plead-help-after/d/14006