Tablighi Jamaat centre at Lahore’s Rawalpindi breeding ground for extremists, says Pak H M, then expresses deep respect for it
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 Jul 2011
Gunmen opened fire on a van in the city of Quetta, south-west Pakistan, killing 11 Shia Muslims in a suspected sectarian attack, police say.
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• Pakistani gunmen 'kill 18 Shias' in Quetta
• Pastor and Imam unite for first funeral of Norway victim
• Fahimuddin Dagar's death ends chapter in Indian music
• Urdu work on pre-Islamic Arab literature launched
• Former CIA officer: Israel spreading Islamophobia in US
• Norwegian attacks stem from a new ideological hate
• Offended minorities' panel to decide on Subramaniam Swamy's article
• King Abdullah revokes condition for hiring women in education sector
• No letup in ongoing spate of target killings in Karachi
• Muslim Sanskrit academic bags harmony award
• Veena is not the ‘cause’ of Pak shame
• Norway mass killer 'had several targets'
• First funeral, week after Oslo killings
• Pak: Sexual harassment cases: Fresh notices issued to two accused
• 'Vastanvi was removed in a democratic manner': Darul Uloom
• Egypt Islamists rally in show of strength, clashes in Sinai
• Iranian shelling kill’s 13-year-old in north Iraq
• 11 soldiers, militants killed in Yemen clashes
• Baluchistan CM’s nephew killed in Mastung blast
• Srinagar: Militant killed in encounter
• Two lawyers among five shot dead in Karachi
• A War-Hardened Filmmaker Delves Into Islam
• NATO says it hit Libyan TV transmitters
• Khar briefs prime minister, president on Indo-Pak talks
• Why is everyone going crazy for Khar?
• Khar livid at media terming her style icon
• Norway police say identify all dead after attacks
• Top US officials debate drone strikes in Pakistan
• Pakistan restricts movement of American diplomats: Report
• New Jersey Superior Court judge will favor Sharia law over New Jersey’s Constitution
• UN chief encourages India, Pak to resolve issues through talks
• UNSC slaps sanctions on Pakistani Taliban
• Bangladesh releases 59 Indian prisoners
• Trouble brews in Turkey as military chiefs step down
• GRU Responsible For Bomb Incident At US Embassy In Tbilisi
• Dagestani Militant Leader Brokers Reconciliation Deal Between Chechen Commanders
• NIGERIA: Archbishop Akinola's anger over Sharia plans
• Egyptian 'unity' rally highlights split within nation
• Mubarak to face trial in public
• Uphold spirit of holy month: Al-Sudais
• India has job cut out as UNSC head: Ramadan peace in Libya
• UK man jailed for calling for attacks on lawmakers
• Didn’t react on 9/11 to project calm: Bush
• Release Pak scientist for Swiss couple
• Jamia Urdu board meets Rahul, wants recognition
• Pakistan Taliban added to UN terrorist sanctions list
• ‘US, Israeli mercenaries’ blow up Iran-Turkey gas line
• Babar hailed for promising good news for Saraiki people
• JAZAN: Poverty forces family to keep mentally ill in isolation
• Egyptian Islamists, others gather to show unity
• Sharjah Ruler orders release of 106 prisoners
• Lebanese scribes struggle? To save Arabic calligraphy
• Koran recitation sparks bomb alarm on bus in Germany
• JEDDAH: Case files offer a glimpse into Al-Dandani terrorist syndicate
• US extremists stoking Islamophobia
• Tehran hosts the first nomadic festival on Qashqaei tribe
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/tablighi-jamaat-centre-lahore’s-rawalpindi/d/5146
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Tablighi Jamaat centre at Lahore’s Rawalpindi breeding ground for extremists, says Pak H M, then expressesdeep respect for it
Murtaza Ali Shah
July 30, 2011
LONDON: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that Tablighi missionary centre in Raiwaind is the breeding ground of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan as the centre has a major role in brainwashing the extremists.
Senator Rehman Malik told the audience at the security think-tank International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) while speaking on the topic of “Countering Extremism in South Asia”.
Rehman Malik said that all the terrorists arrested in Pakistan had three elements in common: they have visited the missionary Tablighi centre in Lahore’s Raiwind; their close family members have taken part in Afghan war of the Soviet era and they have been to one of the more than 25,000 madrassahs which have mushroomed in Pakistan following the USA and Pakistan’s joint war against the Communist USSR.
Malik spoke at length about the rise of religious and ethnic extremism in Pakistan and India, nexus of Al-Qaeda, Pakistani Taliben and sectarian groups such as Lashkare-e-jehangvi and Lashkar-e-Jehnagvi from the mainland Pakistan and how Al-Qaeda couldn’t operate in Pakistan without the help of Pakistani originated groups.
He said the terrorism inside Pakistan was being financed from outside and named both India and Afghanistan as the sponsors of terrorist mayhem in Pakistan but claimed that relations with Afghanistan had improved a lot in the last few months and that Afghanistan had listened to the concern of Pakistan - and some international friends - and asked Baloch leader Bharmdagh Bugti to leave its soil.
“We have signatures. We know that it’s coming from outside because a mullah cannot use laser guided missiles, internet and other sophisticated weapons. There is a support and this support was identified to us during our probe into Bombay blasts. The entire IT work telephonic emails were used from the outside in Afghanistan,” Malik said in reference to the anti-Pakistan elements, especially the Indian factor, were involved in proxy war inside Pakistan.
He appealed to the world to help Pakistan in this fight and don’t hurt Pakistan by refusing to acknowledge its role in the war on terror and instead express doubts on Pakistan’s commitment.
Rehman Malik said that he will not meet with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain as the leadership had not asked him to hold talks. “I have no such plan as I I am here to attend my son’s bar-at-law ceremony and this is my private visit,” Rehman said, indicating that some kind of tension still exists between the two sides as this would be rare of Mr malik not to have held talks with the UK based leadership of the MQM. He chose to send good
wishes to the MQM leader through the media. “Altaf Hussain is my friend and brother and I convey my best wishes to him through you (media). He has played a great role in the restoration of normalcy in Pakistan and was very helpful in urging his workers to stay peaceful,” said Malik but also added that foreign elements had a hand in Karachi disturbances.
He said that the problem of Karachi needs a political solution and the capacity of the policy should be strengthened to curb violence but also the Sindh provincial government should take the responsibility. He hoped that the committee formed by the government to look into the Karachi matters will make its findings public.
He said the weapons recovered from Karachi didn’t have anything to do with Israel beyond the fact that they were made in Israel but then he claimed that weapons from many countries are being used in Pakistan and nationals of countries such as China and Maldivers, as well as from many Muslim countries, were found to be training Pakistani extremists.
He asserted that Pakistan should not be left alone to deal with this menace as extremism is a problem spreading around the world so a united strategy must be evolved.
In response to a question asked by The News, Malik said that Lahskar-e-Jahangvi leader Malik Ishaq is a terrorist and was given life imprisonment which he has already completed but after being released from the court he “is under observation.
Answering a question about PML-N’s recent convention in Islamabad which saw the PML-N leadership calling names to the president of Pakistan, Malik said it looked like the Muslim League (N) leadership doesn’t have control over its workers. “We should tolerate each and respect the mandate of the Pakistan People’s Party,” Malik said, also reminding the PML-N of the times when they were all in exile in London. Malik alleged that the since separating from the federal government, the PML-N leaders were busy full time creating problems for the PPP government.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7736&Cat=13&dt=7/29/2011
Malik denies dubbing Raiwind a terrorist centre
July 30, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has clarified his statement that appeared in a section of the media on Friday regarding Raiwind. The minister said, “Raiwind is a religious centre, I owe it by my heart.”
While making clarification about his statement, Rehman Malik said that he had a deep respect for Raiwind, being a religious and Tablighi missionary centre of the country. He said his statement was taken in a wrong way. Malik said that there was no terrorist activity going on in Raiwind. He said, “My statement was wrongly interpreted.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Rehman Malik’s statement was published in Friday’s newspapers, in which he said that the Tablighi missionary centre in Raiwind was a breeding ground for extremism and terrorism in Pakistan and had a major role in brainwashing people.
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?242158
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Pakistani gunmen 'kill 18 Shias' in Quetta
July 30, 2011
QUETTA: Gunmen opened fire on a vehicle in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday, killing people and wounding three, police said.
A woman was also among the dead in the attack in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, where pro-Taliban militants and Baloch separatists are blamed for years of violence. The province shares border with Iran and Afghanistan.
“The vehicle was passing by a bus stand when gunmen riding in another car opened fire, killing at least 18 people and wounding three,” city’s police chief Hamid Shakeel told Reuters.
Saturday’s attack came a day after eight people were killed and about 25 wounded in two separate bomb and gun attacks in two districts of Balochistan.
Baloch nationalists have waged a low-scale insurgency for decades but Taliban militants with links to al Qaeda have also been active in Balochistan, the largest but poorest of Pakistan’s four provinces, and home to the country’s largest gas and oil reserves.
Pakistan has seen a surge in violence since al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces in a secret raid in Pakistan in May. Militants have vowed revenge for bin Laden’s death.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14352164
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Pastor and imam unite for first funeral of Norway victim
July 30, 2011
NESODDEN: A woman pastor and an imam celebrated together Friday the funeral of 18-year-old Bano Rashid, the first victim of Anders Behring Breivik’s killing spree to be buried.
The double heritage of the young woman, of Kurdish origin, and her commitment to politics were celebrated during the ceremony at an overflowing tiny church near the Oslo fjord.
“An imam and a pastor side by side for this funeral is a very powerful message,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said after the service.
Similar to dozens of other Norwegian churches, the one in Nesodden, a small municipality south of Oslo, cannot fit more than a hundred or so people.
But many more gathered on Friday to pay tribute to Bano Rashid, who was gunned down while taking part in a retreat organised by the Norwegian Labour Party’s youth wing on Utoeya island, near the capital.
The shooting left 69 dead and a car bomb in central Oslo killed eight other people, bringing the last official death toll of last Friday’s twin attacks to 77.
Behring Breivik, a far-right extremist, confessed to carrying out the attacks when questioned last Saturday.
Bano Rashid was on the island with her younger sister, who survived the massacre.
“The answer must not be hatred, but even more love,” their mother Beyan Rachid told Norwegian media.
Many young people were at Friday’s service, carrying roses and praising Bano’s political involvement and strength.
A close friend of Bano Rashid (18), one of the victims of the massacre on the youth camp of the Norwegian Labour Party walks ahead of her coffin carrying her portrait as they make their way to her gravesite at Nesodden Kirke south of the Norwegian capital Oslo on July 29, 2011. – AFP Photo
It feels good to be here, all together, to say a last goodbye,” said Siri Hov Eggen, also a member of the Labour Party’s youth wing.
“She did tremendous work, she would have become an extraordinary political leader,” she said, describing her slain party colleague as a “solid” young woman with a “strong personality”.
Around her, other young people stifled their sobs.
Friends described Bano as a good student comfortable around people. She had an objective — to become a lawyer — and a dream to get elected to parliament.
The young activist had also written frequently about the evils of racism and discrimination.
Inside the wood and stone church, Stoere drew both smiles and tears from the assembly.
“As refugees who came from Iraqi Kurdistan in 1996, you arrived in Norway as a family, looking for protection and safety. And now you have been hit by what is most absurd, most outrageous and most brutal here in our home, in safe Norway,” he said, addressing Bano’s family.
“Bano is not here today. It is not understandable,” he said, standing next to the young woman’s coffin, topped with flowers and a picture of a happy-looking teen with long brown hair.
A picture and the casket of Bano Rashid, 18, are carried to Nesodden church during the funeral ceremony near Oslo July 29, 2011, as the nation pauses for memorial services after the worst attacks on the nation since World War Two. – Reuters Photo
Stoere also recounted how on that fatal rainy day in Utoeya last week, Bano had lent her rubber boots to her role model, former prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, a hugely respected figure within Norwegian Labour, who spoke to the young activists only hours before the shooting.
Bano, he said, had already been following in the politician’s footsteps, and “this girl, who came came to Norway as a refugee, had it in her to fill Gro’s shoes.”
Once the ceremony was over, the crowd gathered outside the church and parted to let the coffin, also draped in a Kurdish flag and a ribbon in the colours of Norway, go through.
The mourners followed it until it was lowered in the ground. A few young women broke down in tears, while young men tried to hide their bloodshot eyes behind sunglasses.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/29/pastor-and-imam-unite-for-first-funeral-of-norway-victim.html
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Fahimuddin Dagar's death ends chapter in Indian music
July 30, 2011
New Delhi : Indian classical music exponent and descendant of the guru of legendary musician Tansen, the late Ustad Rahim Fahimudddin Dagar, kept the historic legacy of Dhrupad alive with unforgettable performances spanning more than six decades.
Fahimudddin, who died Wednesday at the age of 84, and his illustrious clan - the Dhrupad musicians - were instrumental in taking Dhrupad, one of the oldest forms of Indian music, to younger audiences across the country and abroad.
Son of Ustad Rahimuddin Dagar, Fahimudddin was born in Alwar, Rajasthan in 1927.
He was initiated into music by his uncles Ziauddin Khan Dagar, Ustad Hussainuddin Khan Dagar (known as Tansen Pandey) and Ustad Imaumddin Khan Dagar. He learnt Sanskrit from his father as well as instructor Giridharilal Shastri. His uncle Ustad Nasiruddin Khan Dagar tied the sacred thread -genda- on him to allow him the rite of passage into the Dagar Dhrupad gharana.
He spent 35 years training in classical music and 12 years studying the rudra veena.
Fahimuddin loved children and the company of pets. "At home, he would usually laugh and spend time with his grand children and play with his pet cats," a family member recalled.
He moved out of Alwar in his early youth and lived in Delhi. Later, he located to a government apartment at Sector 12 in R.K. Puram.
The maestro was the driving force behind the SPIC-MACAY classical music movement to promote traditional Indian music among the Gen Next and Gen Y.
In his peer group, the 'ustad' was known for expansive nature and his erudition.
Fahimudddin's forte was his spontaneous and richly textured 'alaap' - the melodious and free-wheeling introduction to the core symphony of the raga. His repertoire was a heritage booty with some of the compositions dating back to the 12th and 13th country.
Fahimudddin was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratan Puraskar, Meyar Foundation award, Kalidas Samman, Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan award, Sahitya Kala Parishad award and the Nada Lifetime Achievement award.
The Dagarvani, a particular style of music that the Dagar family popularised, was an innovation of the alaap and brought to play every note in the 'raga' in all the three registers. There was a feeling of expansiveness to the notes, which were divided into several microtones called 'ananta sruti'.
Known for the power and spontaneity of his alaap, Fahimudddin's skill carried him to global audiences at a time when Indian music was just becoming popular internationally.
The maestro said earlier: "In the beginning, there were four forms - 'chhanda', 'prabandha', 'dhruva' and 'matha'...These then gave way to four styles - 'dhadhoo roop', 'miras roop' and 'jog roop'. These styles later gave way to 'banis' - 'dagar bani (from which the lineage of the musician draws its name)', 'khandar bani', 'nauhar bani' and 'gauhar bani'."
"The development and continuous additions and modifications were made by legendary sages like Nayak Gopal, Nayak Baiju and Swami Haridas Dagar. One of the most loyal votary of the 'gayaki' was Raja Mansingh Tomar of Gwalior," he said in an interview.
"Our ancestor was Swami Haridas Dagar, who was also the guru of Tansen," Fahimudddin said.
The Dhrupad gharana was founded by Ustad Bairam Khan, a north Indian Brahmin who converted to Islam.
Times of India
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Urdu work on pre-Islamic Arab literature launched
July 30, 2011
JEDDAH: Speakers at a literary evening organized by Majlise Ilmo-Adab, Jeddah, provided an insight into Jahiliyyah Arabic literature and poetry on a day when a book on Arab literature before the advent of Islam was released.
Two top literary figures from Lucknow — Rabab Rasheedi, a noted poet and scholar, and professor Ismat Malihabadi — lauded Pakistani poet Khursheed Rizvi for his latest research in the history of classical Arabic poetry before Islam. Both these literary giants are doyens of the Lucknow school of literature and poetry.
Rizvi’s book “Arabi Adab Qabl Az-Islam” (Arabic Literature Before Islam) was released by Rasheedi, who compared his research with the works of Allama Shibli Nomani and Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadvi.
Malihabadi, in his speech, compared Rizvi’s research to that of Maulana Abdul Razzaq. He also highlighted the importance of Arabic poetry and said that it is the mirror of Arab society.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article479664.ece
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Former CIA officer: Israel spreading Islamophobia in US
July 30, 2011
A former CIA officer says those spreading Islamophobic sentiments in the United States are mainly allies of the hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A former CIA officer says those spreading Islamophobic sentiments in the United States are mainly allies of the hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The demonization of Islam and of Muslims is essentially coming from a pool of so-called experts most of whom are allied with the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu,” former CIA counterterrorism officer Philip Giraldi told on Thursday.
Giraldi also said that Islamophobia is fueled by the US administrations' characterization of international terrorism as an “Islamic phenomenon.”
“US politicians like [President Barack] Obama and [Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton ... are sending messages, constantly, that reinforce that stereotype of ... Muslim,” he said.
Giraldi added that it would be difficult to change this attitude in the United States because the American public has been fed "a heavy dose of propaganda" to support that story for decades.
“At a certain point, it (American public) begins to believe it (the propaganda) and that is really the unfortunate aspect of this,” the former CIA officer said.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=256458
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Norwegian attacks stem from a new ideological hate
By Abraham H. Foxman
July 30, 2011
The savage acts of terrorism in Oslo last week shocked people of goodwill and conscience around the world. The deadliness of the attacks — 77 people, many of them youths, were killed during a calculated, merciless shooting rampage and a bombing near the government’s headquarters — and the cruelty behind them make it difficult to set aside emotion and consider their significance. Yet when studying the apparent motivations, as expressed by confessed perpetrator Anders Behring Breivik, a crucial point emerges.
Europe and the United States have been no strangers to violence motivated by anti-
Islamic sentiments over the past decade. Muslims have been assaulted and killed, their mosques and institutions damaged and destroyed. Yet the majority of the attacks have fallen into only a few categories:
?Hate crimes typically motivated by culturally or religiously based anti-Islamic prejudice.
?Acts of retaliatory or reactionary violence.
?Violence by white supremacists, who usually hate the race and religion of the majority of Muslims.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/norwegian-attacks-stem-from-a-new-ideological-hate/2011/07/28/gIQAhxy8hI_story.html
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Offended minorities' panel to decide on Subramaniam Swamy's article
July 30, 2011
Subramanian Swamy had advocated disenfranchisement as a punishment for Muslims refusing to acknowledge their Hindu ancestry
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) will take a final view on Tuesday on an article written by Subramanian Swamy where he advocated disenfranchisement as a punishment for Muslims refusing to acknowledge their Hindu ancestry.
The NCM had taken suo moto notice of the article at its meeting on July 19. The article appeared in the Daily News and Analysis (DNA) on July 16 – three days after the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai. NCM chairperson Wajahat Habibullah told The Hindu that while the NCM found the article offensive in the extreme, a final decision on the commission's response would be taken when the full bench reconvened on Tuesday. He said the NCW will go by legal advice it had procured from within the government: “There are no two opinions that the article is highly offensive and violative of the law. I'm fairly clear about the course the NCM should follow, but the decision has to come from the full Bench.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2306235.ece
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King Abdullah revokes condition for hiring women in education sector
July 30, 2011
RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has endorsed a recommendation to cancel the stipulation demanding residence proof by female applicants for jobs in the Ministry of Education. The cancellation of the condition will be effective from 2012.
King Abdullah also directed transportation authorities to take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of passengers, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
“The cancellation of the residence proof has become an imperative in the wake of the royal order to create 52,000 jobs in the Ministry of Education so that all women applicants get fair employment opportunities,” Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah said while thanking the king for the order.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article480040.ece
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No letup in ongoing spate of target killings in Karachi
July 30, 2011
KARACHI: There was no letup in the ongoing spate of target killings as 11 more fell prey to separate acts of violence in Karachi on Friday.
Two advocates were shot dead near FTC Bridge on Sharah-e-Faisal within the limits of Brigade police station. Advocates Mohammad Saleem and Faheem Riaz were going in a car (Z-9053) when unidentified armed men intercepted them and sprayed bullets before fleeing. Both lawyers were fatally shot on the face. In a bid to escape, lawyers’ car knocked a cyclist Noman before ramming into an electric pole. Bodies were shifted to JPMC for medico-legal formalities.
SHO Akhtar Abbas said police recovered empty shells of 9 mm pistol from the spot. Police say Bhatti was vice president of PML-N Lawyers’ Forum while Riaz was also a member. Case was not registered till filing of this report.
Separately, a Sunni Tehreek activist was shot dead at Rozi Goth within the remit of Surjani police station. Zahid Qadri,40, was sitting outside his home when unidentified armed men targeted him. Body was shifted to JPMC for post-mortem.
Meanwhile, three people were gunned down when unidentified armed men attacked two teashops located near Sindhi hotel within the precincts of New Karachi Industrial Area police station. In first incident, armed motorcyclists targeted New Quetta Hotel, killing hotel owner Saeed, 35 and his employee Ikhlaq, 30. Shortly, unknown armed men attacked Quetta Bismillah Hotel in the same vicinity killing Subhan, 28.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\30\story_30-7-2011_pg1_7
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Muslim Sanskrit academic bags harmony award
July 30, 2011
New Delhi: Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Friday presented the National Communal Harmony Award to Mohammad Hanif Khan Shastri,Acharya Lokesh Muni and the Centre for Human Rights and Social Welfare for their outstanding work in the field of communal harmony and national integration.
Shastri,who works with Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan,has endeavoured to promote communal harmony by highlighting similarities between Hinduism and Islam through his unique literary contributions in Hindi and Sanskrit.He was conferred the award for the year 2009.Through his works,Shastri has tried to show similarities between the Quran and Hindu mythology.
Acharya Muni is the founder president of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati,a Delhi-based voluntary organization,which aims to promote non-violence,peace,communal harmony and works against female feticide and drug addiction and provides help during natural calamities.He was given the award for 2010.
Times of India
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Veena is not the ‘ cause’ of Pak shame
July 30, 2011
SHE’S a Pakistani comedian who catapulted to fame because she claimed she had hardcore evidence about match- fixing.
Veena Malik’s reality TV antics may make you love her or hate her, but you’ve got to admit she’s one brave woman who is not scared to take on hot- headed mullahs. And she shows how she’s different on Koel’s widely travelled red couch.
With Bigg Boss and Big Toss, Veena is keen on doing the Bollywood routine and says she’s been signed on to be the leading lady in two films. But in Pakistan, it was TV, with her comedy shows and talent in mimicry, which made Veena popular. “ If you make a comparison, the Pakistani film industry is not as huge as Bollywood,” she says. “ There, the biggest entertainment is news channels, so I have been working with them for four years.” Mimicry is Veena’s forte and she decides to do it on herself on the couch. “ Anyone who chooses to mimic herself when asked to display her mimicry skills has to be smarter than she’s giving out,” writes Koel in her blog on http:// blogs. intoday. in. “ Veena doing Veena is simply hysterical.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Norway mass killer 'had several targets'
July 30, 2011
Norwegian police say Anders Behring Breivik told them he had "several targets" in mind when they quizzed him about the twin attacks that killed 77 people a week ago.
Norwegian media reported that the right-wing extremist, who admitted to the July 22 shooting on an island summer camp and a car-bomb blast in Oslo earlier the same day, also wanted to hit the royal palace and the ruling party headquarters.
Police prosecutor Paal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby said Brevik had told officers he had planned to hit other targets but refused to confirm the press reports.
"During his interrogations he said in general terms that he was interested in other targets," he told a press briefing on Saturday.
"They were targets which would seem natural for a terrorist."
According to the Verdens Gang tabloid, the royal palace was a target because of its symbolic value.
Full report at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-30/norway-mass-killer-had-several-targets/2817682/?site=newcastle
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First funeral, week after Oslo killings
July 30, 2011
Oslo: Norway held the first funeral on Friday for a victim of Anders Behring Breiviks massacre of 76 people a week ago amid signs of a leap in popularity for the ruling Labour Party that was his main target.Flags around the nation flew at half mast to mark the day a week ago when Breivik set off a bomb in central Oslo that killed 8 people followed by the shooting of 68 people,mostly youth members of the Labour Party at an island summer camp.
Bano Rashid,18,will be buried at Nesodden church near Oslo as the nation pauses for memorial services after the worst attacks on the nation since World War Two.
We have to stand united and carry their dreams forward, Nesodden mayor Christian Holm said of Rashid and another Nesodden youth,Diderik Aamodt Olsen,who died in the attacks.Breivik,a rightwing anti-Islam zealot who said he was on a crusade to save Europe by striking at the Labour Party that he accused of accommodating Muslim culture,will be interrogated by police for the second time on Friday.
Times of India
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Pak: Sexual harassment cases: Fresh notices issued to two accused
By Jamal Shahid
July 30, 2011
ISLAMABAD, July 29: The Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) syndicate put the cases of sexual harassment back to square one when it met on Friday to implement the findings of an inquiry, and instead issued fresh show cause notices to the two accused.
A statement issued after the meeting said, “In Friday`s meeting at the Quaid-i-Azam University, it was resolved that the syndicate was now designated as the competent authority under the clause 2(d) of the Protection Against Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 to implement the decision of inquiry committee.
“However, it was also decided to issue the show cause notices to the accused and they were required to submit their replies to the competent authority within seven days.”
A four-member committee has already shared with the syndicate its findings into sexual harassment cases against two QAU faculty members.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/30/qau-sexual-harassment-cases-fresh-notices-issued-to-two-accused-2.html
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'Vastanvi was removed in a democratic manner': Darul Uloom
Jul 30 2011
Muzaffarnagar : Darul Uloom Deoband has said fatwas issued by the seminary are meant for guidance and should not be enforced forcibly.
A fatwa is not an order but a guidance of principle and any one can abide by it or ignore it, in-charge of the fatwa department of the seminary Mufti Habibur Rehman told reporters last evening.
They are not to be enforced forcibly, he said.
On the issue of sacking of controversial Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, who had raised the hackles of conservatives by praising Narendra Modi, from the post of Vice Chancellor, Rehman said that the step was taken in a democratic manner.
Vastanvi was removed in a democratic manner through the process of voting, he said.
The step was taken after Vastanvi refused to resign from the post, he added.
Maulana Vastanvi was removed from the post of Vice Chancellor by Majlis-e-Shoora (management body) of the seminary on July 24.
Vastanvi, an MBA, was elected Vice Chancellor on January 10 following the death of his predecessor Maulana Marghoobur Rahman.
The moderate Maulana, who has a Facebook page in his name, had triggered a controversy soon after his appointment with his remarks praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's rule and his development policy.
Rehman, who was here to lay a foundation stone of a mosque at Shahpur village, appealed to the Muslims to regard all religions and work for the development of the country.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/vastanvi-was-removed-in-a-democratic-manner/824701/
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Egypt Islamists rally in show of strength, clashes in Sinai
July 30, 2011
CAIRO: Hundreds of thousands of Islamists packed Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday in a show of force that angered secularists as clashes in Sinai between security and apparent Islamists killed four, including a military captain.
Islamists from across the country flocked into the central square to defend what they called "Egypt's Islamic identity" in the country's largest protest since a revolt ousted president Hosni Mubarak in February.
Smaller rallies took place elsewhere across the country.
In the northern Sinai town of El-Arish, a peaceful protest earlier gave way to armed clashes between police and roughly 150 masked men in trucks carrying banners that read "There is no God but Allah."
The gunmen stormed through the city and tried to force their way into a police station but were confronted by policemen and soldiers, sparking a gunfight.
A military officer and three civilians, one of them a 13-year-old boy, were killed in that incident. The official MENA news agency identified the dead officer as a captain.
Twelve police conscripts were wounded, a health ministry official told state television.
Witnesses said the armed men had also tried to destroy a statue of former president Anwar Sadat, whom Islamists killed in 1981.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-Islamists-rally-in-show-of-strength-clashes-in-Sinai/articleshow/9415683.cms
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Iranian shelling kills 13-year-old in north Iraq
July 30, 2011
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Iranian shelling of a Kurdish border village has killed a 13-year-old boy in northern Iraq.
An Iraqi official, Maghid Ahmed, says the boy was killed late Thursday as he was tending his sheep near the Kurdish village of Tabas.
Iranian forces have been shelling the area in an attempt to target Kurdish rebels who operate on both sides of the volatile border.
The Iranian Kurdish opposition group PEJAK, which stands for the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan, has been involved in sporadic clashes with Iranian forces in recent years and says it is fighting for greater rights in Iran.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/July/middleeast_July604.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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11 soldiers, militants killed in Yemen clashes
July 30, 2011
ADEN: Eleven people including top officers have been killed in fierce clashes between Yemen’s army and suspected al Qaeda militants in the country’s restive south, military and local officials said on Saturday.
“al Qaeda elements stationed in Dofas (Abyan province) attacked army units there using machine guns on Friday, killing two officers and four soldiers, and wounding nine others,” a military official in the village told AFP.
The official identified the dead officers as Colonel Mohammed al-Salahi and Colonel Hilal Shamsan.
Medics at a military hospital in the strategic southern port city of Aden confirmed the toll.
A local official in Dofas, 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of Abyan’s provincial capital of Zinjibar, said that five members of the extremist network were also killed during the attack and four more were wounded.
Militants belonging to the “Partisans of Sharia” (Islamic law), which is suspected of links to al Qaeda, took over much of Zinjibar in May. Thousands of residents have since been displaced by fighting there.
Deputy Information Minister Abdo al-Janadi said last week that the United States had provided logistical support to the Yemen military’s 25th Mechanised Brigade, which was until recently besieged by the militants in Zinjibar.
US commanders have repeatedly expressed concern that the jihadists have been taking advantage of a protracted power vacuum in Sanaa to expand their operations.
Since January, protesters have been demanding the ouster of veteran President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in hospital in Saudi Arabia since early June being treated for wounds sustained in a blast at his palace.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/30/11-soldiers-militants-killed-in-yemen-clashes.html
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Balochistan CM’s nephew killed in Mastung blast
July 30, 2011
QUETTA: Two people, including one of the nephews of Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, were killed while 39 others, among them eight officials of the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) and four policemen, were wounded in a hand grenade attack in a football stadium in Mastung, about 40 kilometres south of Quetta, on Friday.
Mastung Deputy Commissioner Noorul Haq Baloch said the incident took place at the conclusion of a ceremony held to award prizes to participants of All-Pakistan Sarwan Football Tournament.
Fourteen-year-old Akmal Raisani had come to the event with his father Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, the chief minister’s younger brother, who had to give away the awards. “The guests were leaving when the explosion took place,” said the deputy commissioner, adding that some people received bullet wounds when intense firing started following the hand grenade attack.
Akmal Raisani was fatally hurt in the attack and was rushed to the Combined Military Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The other dead could not be identified. Sources said that Akmal was getting into a vehicle at which unidentified miscreants lobbed a grenade. “Siraj Raisani had already got into the car and was sitting in the front seat,” an official, who wished anonymity, told this scribe. “Siraj Raisani was the target of the attack,” he added.
Some sources held that an explosive device had already been planted under the stairs of the pavilion.
Emergency was declared in all state-run hospitals after the blast. Eighteen injured were ferried to the CMH, six to the Bolan Medical Complex and three to the Sandeman Hospital. mohammad zafar
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\30\story_30-7-2011_pg1_6
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Srinagar: Militant killed in encounter
Jul 30 2011
Srinagar: A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of north Kashmir on Saturday.
The gunbattle broke out in Rashampora village of Kupwara Friday evening when troops launched a cordon and search operation, Defence Spokesman Lt Col J S Brar said.
In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed. The firefight has stopped and search operations are going on in the village, he said.
The identity and group affiliation of the militant is yet to be ascertained, he added.
With today's killing, a total of eight militants have been killed in Kupwara district this month. Five militants including top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an encounter at Lolab on July 15 while two militants were killed in a gunbattle at Handwara on July 24.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/militant-killed-in-encounter/824694/
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Two lawyers among five shot dead in Karachi
By Imran Ayub
July 30, 2011
KARACHI: At least five people, including two lawyers associated with a political party, were shot dead and three others wounded in targeted attacks in different parts of the city on Friday, leaving members of the legal fraternity and political parties aghast just a day before the major parties will take part in a peace walk.
Fifty-year-old Fahim Riaz Siddiqi and 45-year-old Saleem Bhatti, both associated with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), were returning home in a car from work a little after 8pm when they were attacked on a road linking Abyssinia Line with Sharea Faisal near the FTC flyover, police said.
While the police said they had not found any eyewitness who could share information about the deadly assault, they believed the job was executed by armed men riding a motorbike as was seen in most targeted killings.
“The car (Z-9053) came under intense firing as it was about to appear on Sharea Faisal and went out of the driver’s control,” said a senior police official.
Subsequently, the car hit a bicycle before ramming into a pillar of the flyover, he said, adding that two young riders sustained injuries in the accident.
The attackers appeared to be waiting for the lawyers under the bridge which usually remained dark at night, the official said. However, he added, the police could not find any eyewitness who could tell about the number of attackers and their appearance.
The firing was so intense that it left both lawyers dead on the spot, the police said. The bodies were later shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
The investigators said the attackers used 9mm pistol and targeted faces and heads of the two victims.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/30/two-lawyers-among-five-shot-dead-in-karachi.html
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A War-Hardened Filmmaker Delves Into Islam
By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN
July 30, 2011
On his way home from covering the Persian Gulf war, the filmmaker Greg Barker stayed overnight in a small Egyptian village. Early the next morning, an undulating sound awakened him. For someone raised in Southern California, where predawn interruptions usually come from car alarms, it took some time to realize he was hearing the muezzin’s call to prayer.
In that moment, Mr. Barker sensed both epiphany and rebuke. Something about the summons to worship clearly mattered enormously to the people now heading toward the mosque. Yet even after working for months as a journalist in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reporting on a war in the midst of the Muslim world, Mr. Barker had to admit that he knew virtually nothing about Islam.
Now, 20 years later, the curiosity and challenge of that moment have reached fruition in the form of the documentary “Koran by Heart.” The film follows three children as they compete in an international contest to memorize and recite from the Koran, the Muslim holy book. Fittingly, it will be shown on HBO on Monday as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins.
“Koran by Heart” simultaneously embraces and subverts a familiar documentary genre. As several critics noted when it played last spring at the Tribeca Film Festival, it follows the formula of cute, precocious kids under win-or-lose pressure that was popularized by the 2002 film “Spellbound” and “Mad Hot Ballroom” in 2005.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/30/us/30religion.html
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Nato says it hit Libyan TV transmitters
July 30, 2011
BRUSSELS: Nato announced Saturday it had carried out precision strikes on three Libyan television transmitters to silence “terror broadcasts” by Moamer Qadhafi’s regime.
“A few hours ago, Nato conducted a precision air strike that disabled three ground-based Libyan state TV satellite transmission dishes in Tripoli… with the intent of degrading Qadhafi’s use of satellite television as a means to intimidate the Libyan people and incite acts of violence against them,” a statement said.
The strike was “performed by Nato fighter aircraft using state-of-the-art precision guided munitions,” said the statement released by Alliance spokesman Colonel Roland Lavoie.
“We are now in the process of assessing its effect,” he added.
“Our intervention was necessary as TV was being used as an integral component of the regime apparatus designed to systematically oppress and threaten civilians and to incite attacks against them.
“Qadhafi’s increasing practice of inflammatory broadcasts illustrates his regime’s policy to instill hatred amongst Libyans, to mobilize its supporters against civilians and to trigger bloodshed,” the statement said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/30/nato-says-it-hit-libyan-tv-transmitters.html
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Khar briefs prime minister, president on Indo-Pak talks
July 30, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday reiterated that Pakistan desires to have good neighbourly relations with all regional countries, including India, in the larger interest of the welfare of the people of South Asia.
Talking to Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar at the Prime Minister Secretariat, Gilani said the continuation of dialogue process with India would help both the countries to improve regional environment as well as facilitate discussions on all issues between them. The foreign minister briefed the premier on her visit to India and outcome of the talks.
The prime minister said it was an encouraging sign that talks between the two countries were helping to develop better understanding of each other’s viewpoint on all issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. He was pleased to learn that the Indian prime minister would be visiting Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
Earlier, Hina Rabbani Khar briefed Prime Minister Gilani about the outcome of the official talks with Indian delegation. She also briefed him about her meetings with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, leader of the opposition and Kashmiri leaders.
Meanwhile, the foreign minister called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency on Friday. Khar briefed the president about her recent visit to India and her discussions with the Indian leadership. Expressing satisfaction over the progress made during the minister’s visit, the president said, “Pakistan welcomes commitment of the two sides to work together in seeking early and amicable solutions to all issues between the two countries.” The president also hosted lunch for the minister. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\30\story_30-7-2011_pg7_12
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Why is everyone going crazy for Khar?
July 30, 2011
Pakistan’s youngest foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar made a style-statement with her three-day visit to India. PHOTOS: FILE
She is rich, stylish, and travels the world — so what’s the big deal about Pakistan’s youngest and first female foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s Birkin bag, glitzy shades and designer heels that were on display during her visit to India, ask Indian and Pakistani designers.
Khar’s classic black Hermes’ Birkin could cost anything above $10,000-$15,000, her Roberto Cavalli shades cost over $500 and the Jimmy Choos over $900, according to Indian news agency IANS.
Maheen Khan, who has dressed political icons like Benazir Bhutto, believes fashion is secondary when it comes to political figures, but the designer is all praise for Khar. “For me, Hina Rabbani Khar is a prime example of a woman who knows how to dress according to her profession,” she said.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/220005/why-is-everyone-going-crazy-for-khar/
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Khar livid at media terming her style icon
July 30, 2011
Lahore: Pakistans youngest foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar might have held the Indian media in thrall with her precious South Sea pearls,Roberto Cavalli shades and Birkin bag,but the media spotlight on her style and fashion statements left her incandescent with rage.
The 34-year-old Khar,who is also Pakistans first woman foreign minister,returned here on Thursday evening after talks with her Indian counterpart S M Krishna,and objected to being described as a fashion icon as soon as she landed.
Reacting angrily to questions regarding the coverage of her fashion in Indian dailies and TV channels,Khar said,You see,paparazzi are everywhere.Besides,you (media) should not do such acts. She was addressing reporters at Lahore airport,and she was so irked at the questions that she refused to answer any more and left for Islamabad.
Such was the focus that The Wall Street Journal not usually given to cover FM-level talks between India and Pakistan carried a story on the Indian medias reportage of Khar.Media coverage of her accessories practically overshadowed the India-Pakistan dialogue, the Journal said.
The last two occasions on which the Indian media focused so much on visiting women dignitaries was when Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni visited India.Independent observers averred that Khars stock in Pakistan had risen after her visit.
Times of India
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Norway police say identify all dead after attacks
July 30, 2011
OSLO : Norwegian police said on Friday they have identified all bodies recovered after a bombing and shooting massacre by Anders Behring Breivik a week ago that killed at least 76 people.
We can confirm that all the dead have been identified, Oslo police Chief of Staff Johan Fredriksen said. He said all the names would be issued at 1600 GMT. By Thursday night, 41 people had been identified.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/norway-police-say-identify-all-dead-after-attacks/824309/
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Top US officials debate drone strikes in Pakistan
July 30, 2011
ASPEN: The White House's top adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Friday that taking out three to five key al-Qaida leaders could amount to a "knockout punch" against the group.
Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, retired Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said now is the time to keep up US counterterrorist actions in Pakistan, even if they upset the Pakistani government.
Lute said killing al-Qaida successor Ayman al-Zawahri and four of his lieutenants in the next six months could "significantly jeopardize al-Qaida's capacity to regenerate."
His comments came in response to former US intelligence chief Dennis Blair, who said that the US should stop its drone campaign in Pakistan. The CIA's unmanned aircraft operation aimed at al-Qaida is backfiring by damaging the US-Pakistan relationship, he said.
The program, which targets Pakistani-based al-Qaida and other militants, has jumped from fewer than 50 in the Bush administration, to more than 200 strikes in Pakistan's ungoverned tribal areas since President Barack Obama took office. Strikes are carried out with tacit Pakistani assent, by drones that fly from Afghanistan.
Publicly, Pakistani officials decry the hits. That tension grew worse after the US unilateral raid into Pakistan on May 2 to kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and an earlier incident, in January, when a CIA contractor was held for killing two Pakistani men in Lahore whom he said were trying to rob him.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Top-US-officials-debate-drone-strikes-in-Pakistan/articleshow/9416979.cms
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Pakistan restricts movement of American diplomats: Report
July 30, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani government has imposed restrictions on the movement of US diplomats and other embassy officials in the country, media reports said on Friday.
All US diplomats will now require to get special no objection certificate for travelling to other cities, Geo television reported.
Pakistani authorities have imposed travel curbs on US diplomats few days ago. The same curbs would also apply on other diplomats, Geo reported quoted an unspecified sources as saying.
The US has also slapped similar curbs on Pakistani diplomats and embassy staffers in the US, the report said.
There was no official word and reaction from the US embassy.
The reports came days after Pakistan has repeatedly denied US Embassy employees entry into Peshawar city in the country's volatile northwest region, police said.
Two groups of US diplomats were sent back from areas in the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province, this month, according to local media.
All foreigners are required to have special permission to enter the northwest and southwestern Balochistan province, officials say.
The reports came at a time when relations between the US and Pakistan have deteriorated after the this month blockade of USD 800 military aid. The decision was aimed at mounting pressure on Islamabad to take more steps against the Taliban and al-Qaida militants.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-restricts-movement-of-American-diplomats-Report/articleshow/9416039.cms
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New Jersey Superior Court judge will favor Sharia law over New Jersey’s Constitution
July 30, 2011
Sohail Mohammed, a 47-year old Muslim lawyer who defended Muslims after the September 11 attacks was sworn in as a New Jersey Superior Court judge this week. Many conservatives fear that Mohammed would pay more attention to Sharia law, an Islamic code of law than the Constitution.
Governor Chris Christie attended the ceremony at Passaic County Courthouse, where he said Mohammed helped bring together Muslim Americans and law enforcement in the aftermath of Sept. 11. Christie, U.S. Attorney at the time, said. "I saw it personally," according to philly.com.
Christie said the Muslims Mohammed represented were inappropriately detained by the FBI after what he called a very difficult time for law enforcement. None were charged with crimes.
President of the conservative Eagle Forum of New Jersey, Carolee Adams said, "This was political expediency, trying to court favor with a growing population.” She said Christie's dismissing his critics meant he was "ignorant" of Sharia law.
NJ.com says Christie is right for supporting Mohammed’s selection; saying some conservative Internet rants were insulting and racist, and calling Mohammed a true American immigration success story with proven papers and a law degree.
The president of the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association, Asaad Siddiqi, told the Wall Street Journal that Sharia law for Muslims is cultural, rather than something that would prevent a judge from upholding the law and the Constitution.
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/conservatives-fear-new-judge-sohail-mohammed-will-favor-sharia-law-over-new-jerseys-constitution
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UN chief encourages India, Pak to resolve issues through talks
July 30, 2011
United Nations : UN chief Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the recent "constructive" talks between the Indo-Pak Foreign Ministers and encouraged the two countries to resolve their outstanding issues through dialogue in the interest of the regional security.
The UN Secretary General "welcomes the recent constructive discussions between the two Foreign Ministers" in New Delhi, his office said today.
"As he has done on occasions in the past, the Secretary General encourages the two countries to resolve their outstanding issues through dialogue in the interest of the peoples of the two countries and regional security," it said.
Ban's statement follows the July 27 talks between External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar in New Delhi during which the two sides announced new Confidence Building Measures (CBMs).
The CBMs included increasing cross-LoC trading days and expanding travel to include tourism and religious aspects, apart from relaxing permit conditions for travel by people of Jammu and Kashmir to the other side of LoC by having a system of six-month multiple entry.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/un-chief-encourages-india-pak-to-resolve-issues-through-talks/824684/
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UNSC slaps sanctions on Pakistani Taliban
Jul 30 2011
United Nations : The UN Security Council has slapped sanctions, including an assets freeze and travel ban, on the al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban, which is believed to be behind a string of terror attacks in that country and last year's botched bombing attempt on New York's Times Square.
The powerful Council yesterday put the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its international anti-terrorism sanctions list, a move highlighting the terrorist group's growing capacity to strike.
The decision to target the Pakistani Taliban comes at a time when the UN is seeking to encourage the Afghan Taliban to pursue peace talks with the government there, a prelude to a US withdrawal from the war-ravaged country.
The UK welcomed the TTP's addition to the sanctions list.
The move "sends a powerful signal of the international community's solidarity and resolve in the fight against the TTP and international terrorism," said Mark Lyall Grant, the UK's envoy to the UN.
"It (the group) has clear links to al-Qaeda at an operational level. Designating TTP under the sanctions regime will help to reduce its ability to operate effectively and perpetrate terrorist attacks."
The UN anti-terrorism blacklist imposes financial and travel ban aimed at restraining the extremists' capacity to strike.
According to the Obama administration, Faisal Shahzad, a naturalised US citizen of Pakistani origin who planted the Times Square car bomb, had acknowledged that he was trained in Waziristan, a stronghold for al-Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban.
The Pakistani Taliban, thought to be behind a number of terror attacks in Pakistan that killed hundreds of people, was formally established in 2007 and is headed by Hakimullah Mehsud.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/unsc-slaps-sanctions-on-pakistani-taliban/824698/
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Bangladesh releases 59 Indian prisoners
July 30, 2011
Bangladesh has released 59 Indian prisoners languishing in jails after completing their sentence following the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The External Affairs Ministry informed NHRC Chairperson Justice (Retd) K.G. Balakrishnan on Saturday about the development and as also its efforts to secure the release of another 17 Indian prisoners who have also completed their jail-term.
The NHRC had in November 2010 took suo motu cognizance of the matter and issued notice to the Ministry during Mr. Balakrishnan’s visit to Dhaka, an NHRC spokesperson said.
The issuance of notice came after Chairperson of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission told Mr, Balakrishnan that 76 Indian prisoners were languishing in jails after their jail term as the Indian authorities were not making any efforts to secure their release, the spokesperson said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2308340.ece
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Trouble brews in Turkey as military chiefs step down
Jul 30 2011
Ankara : The chiefs of staff of Turkey’s military stepped down Friday as tensions dramatically increased over the arrest of dozens of officers accused of plotting to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government.
The resignation of so many top commanders for the first time ever in Turkey signals a deep rift with the government, which has been confident in confronting a military that once held sway over Turkish political life. The arrests of high-ranking military officers would once have been unimaginable.
The resignations of Turkey’s top general, Isik Kosaner, along with the country’s navy, army and air force commanders, came hours after a court charged 22 suspects, including several generals and officers, with carrying out an Internet campaign to undermine the government. The commanders asked to be retired, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Gen Necdet Ozel, the commander of the gendarme forces, the highest-ranking commander who remained in office. Ozel was widely expected to become the next head of the military and Kosaner’s resignation might speed up the process.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/trouble-brews-in-turkey-as-military-chiefs-step-down/824530/
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GRU Responsible For Bomb Incident At US Embassy In Tbilisi
July 30, 2011
The US intelligence community has concluded that a Russian military intelligence officer, based in Abkhazia, commissioned the bomb blast outside the US embassy in Tbilisi and other bomb explosions during 2010 in Georgia. The Obama administration has accepted this conclusion, and attempted to discuss the embassy bombing incident at high diplomatic levels with Moscow. The administration kept the Russian-ordered blast at its embassy under tight wraps of secrecy until now, so as to protect its Russia “reset” policy across the bilateral agenda, which looks increasingly like a reset-at-all-costs.
It was not until The Washington Times’ Eli Lake broke the story in a three-part investigative report (July 22, 27, 29) that Obama administration officials publicly acknowledged the September 22, 2010 bomb incident at its Tbilisi embassy. The officials, however, spoke anonymously and in the wider context of addressing multiple challenges to the Russia-reset policy.
Full report at: Jamestown Foundation
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Dagestani Militant Leader Brokers Reconciliation Deal Between Chechen Commanders
July 30, 2011
The history of the conflict resembles a detective novel. One year ago, on July 24, 2010, Doku Umarov, in his capacity as leader of the armed resistance in the North Caucasus, appointed Emir Aslanbek (aka Aslanbek Vadalov) as his future successor. In the same address, Umarov said he had appointed another well-known Chechen commander, Emir Khusein (Khusein Gakaev), as the head of Chechnya (aka Velayat Nokhchiycho) (www.kavkazcenter.com, July 24, 2010). Doku Umarov himself had simultaneously occupied both positions since 2006. A week later, on August 2, 2010, taking everyone by surprise, Umarov declared before the cameras that he was stepping down as head of the North Caucasus armed resistance movement for health reasons. He said he planned to appoint as his replacement one of the most well-known Chechen commanders, his first deputy (aka naib) Aslanbek Vadalov (www.newsru.com, August 2, 2010). Umarov asked his acolytes from among the Dagestanis, Ingush, Kabardians and Balkars to accept his choice (www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE17R5guzSc). Vadalov’s closest associates, Emirs Khusein (aka Khusein Gakaev), Tarkhan (Tarkhan Gaziev) and Mukhannad, addressed them, calling Umarov’s choice worthy (www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YVXL7az5HM&feature=related).
Full report at: Jamestown Foundation
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NIGERIA: Archbishop Akinola's anger over Sharia plans
July 30, 2011
THE FORMER Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, has added his voice to the chorus of protest over government regulated Islamic banks in Nigeria.
Injecting religion into the financial sector while the country wrestled with sharp sectarian divisions
was a recipe for disaster, the archbishop said on 10 July at a youth festival in Obantoko, and could lead to the "disintegration" of Nigeria.
However, Muslim leaders have attacked the archbishop, questioning his sincerity in condemning Sharia financial laws.
On 13 January, 2011 the Central Bank of Nigeria released an official circular setting the "Framework for the Regulation and Supervision of Institutions Offering Non-Interest Financial Services in Nigeria."
Full report at:
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=14669
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Egyptian 'unity' rally highlights split within nation
By JEFFREY FLEISHMAN AND AMRO HASSAN
July 30, 2011
CAIRO -- A huge rally Friday meant to symbolize Egyptian unity highlighted instead the deepening splits between secularist and Islamist parties over the direction of a nation convulsed in recent weeks by protests and fears that the revolution for democracy has sputtered.
The demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir Square reaffirmed the power of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist organizations that amassed tens of thousands of supporters. It was a stark display that signaled battles certain to unfold in coming months over the influence of Islamic law on Egypt's new constitution.
Secularist parties have pressured the ruling military council to draft guidelines to govern the writing of a constitution. The Brotherhood has criticized the move as an attempt to circumvent the new Parliament, which Islamists are expected to control, giving them power to pass a constitution weighted in Sharia law.
"The people want an Islamic state," Islamists chanted while outnumbered secular demonstrators watched from the sidelines in a square streaked with religious banners and echoing with sound of voices from loudspeakers.
Full report at:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/29/3803522/egyptian-unity-rally-highlights.html#ixzz1TZYpUrRM
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Mubarak to face trial in public
July 30, 2011
CAIRO: Deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak will go on trial next week in Cairo's huge Convention Centre, just yards away from the presidential palace from where he lorded over his country's destiny for over three decades, the justice ministry announced.
The proceedings would be open to public as the convention centre can seat hundreds, state-run news agency MENA reported quoting the officials who said the trial would open on August 3.
The official announcement came as thousands of people trooped back into Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square in a unity march of secular and islamists forces who were demanding an early trial of Mubarak, purge of his supporters and end to military trial of civilians.
Along with Mubarak in the dock would be his two sons Alaa and Gamal and his infamous interior minister Habib-al-Adil.
MENA quoted the Health Minister Amr Hilmy as declaring, "Mubarak is in appropriate health condition for him to be tried in Cairo."
Hilmy told reporters that the 83-year-old former president is well enough to be moved from hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheik, where he is under arrest, to Cairo.
The official announcement said that Mubarak would face charges of corruption and ordering the killing of protesters during the uprising that toppled him in February.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Mubarak-to-face-trial-in-public/articleshow/9415266.cms
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India has job cut out as UNSC head: Ramadan peace in Libya
Sachin Parashar
July 30, 2011
New Delhi: India will use its position as the president of the United Nations Security Council to work for putting an end to violence in strife-torn Libya during Ramadan.India will assume the presidency of UNSC in August for the first time in 19 years as it remained out of the Council all this while.
The Security Council presidency is held in turn for a month by members in the alphabetical order of their names.Indias permanent representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said India was looking forward to the presidency and it would not restrict itself to just peacekeeping during this period.
Full report at: Times of India
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UK man jailed for calling for attacks on lawmakers
July 30, 2011
LONDON: A man who posted messages on an Islamic extremist website calling on Muslims to attack British lawmakers has been jailed for 12 years.
Bilal Zaheer Ahmad posted the threat against UK lawmakers who voted for the Iraq war on the US-based RevolutionMuslim.com on Nov. 3 last year.
Prosecutors said Friday the 24-year-old listed the pro-war politicians on the website, quoted extracts from Islamist writings promoting jihad, and urged others to kill the politicians.
The threat was posted a day after a 21-year-old Muslim woman was jailed for trying to murder parliamentarian Stephen Timms in retaliation for his support of the Iraq war.
Timms suffered injuries to his liver after the woman, Roshonara Choudhry, plunged a kitchen knife twice into his stomach.
http://arabnews.com/world/article479968.ece
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Didn’t react on 9/11 to project calm: Bush
July 30, 2011
Los Angeles: Former president George W Bush says his apparent lack of reaction to the first news of the September 11 2001 attacks was a conscious decision to project an aura of calm in a crisis.
In a rare interview with the National Geographic Channel,Bush reflects on what was going through his mind at the most dramatic moment of his presidency when he was informed that a second passenger jet had hit the World Trade Center.
Bush was visiting a Florida classroom and the incident,which was caught on TV film,and has often been used by critics to ridicule his apparently blank face.My first reaction was anger.Who the hell would do that to America Then I immediately focused on the children, Bush says in an excerpt of the interview shown to television writers.
Bush said he could see the news media at the back of the classroom getting the news on their cellphones and it was like watching a silent movie. Bush said he quickly realized that a lot of people beyond the classroom would be watching for his reaction.So I made the decision not to jump up and leave the classroom.I wanted to project a sense of calm, he said of his decision to remain seated and silent.
Times of India
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Release Pak scientist for Swiss couple
July 30, 2011
Shawal: The Pakistani Talibans No 2 commander says his group has custody of two kidnapped Swiss tourists,and that it will free them only if the US releases an imprisoned female Pakistani scientist.
The Swiss pair were abducted in the southwest Baluchistan province earlier this month.Taliban commander Waliur Rehman said his group ordered the kidnapping in order to gain freedom for Aafia Siddiqui,a US educated mother of three who is serving 86 years in an American jail for trying to kill US officials.Rehman says the Swiss have not been tortured,but if Siddiqui is not freed,a Taliban court will decide their fate.
Times of India
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Jamia Urdu board meets Rahul, wants recognition
July 30, 2011
Members of the Governing Board of Jamia Urdu, Aligarh, are running from pillar to post to persuade the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education to withdraw its month-old order de-recognising degrees offered by the Urdu institution.
Other than meeting the Board’s chairman Subhash Garg, Education Minister Bhanwar Lal Meghwal and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday last, they met Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
Leader of the delegation Jasim Mohammad told The Pioneer that Rahul Gandhi had assured them he would ask Gehlot to resolve the issue at the earliest.
Earlier, they had met Ahmed Patel, political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Mohammad said all the degrees of Jamia Urdu, including Adib (matriculation), Adib Mahir (Intermediate) and Moulim-e-Urdu, were recognised by Rajasthan Government way back in 1958, as was done by the Centre and several other States.
He alleged that the board's decision to de-recognise the degrees was based on technical ground rather than academic reasons.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/356888/Jamia-Urdu-board-meets-Rahul-wants-recognition.html
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Pakistan Taliban added to UN terrorist sanctions list
July 30, 2011
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Friday put the Pakistan Taliban on its international anti-terrorism sanctions list in a move highlighting the growing threat from the group, diplomats said. The adding of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group to the sanctions list also comes as the Security Council eases pressure on the Afghan Taliban in a bid to encourage it to join peace moves in Afghanistan. The Pakistan Taliban have been blamed for attacks that have left hundreds dead in Pakistan but also been linked to an attempted bombing in Times Square, New York last year. Britain’s UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant welcomed the addition of the Pakistan Taliban to counter-terrorism list, a moved which has been backed by the Pakistan government. “It sends a powerful signal of the international community’s solidarity and resolve in the fight against the TTP and international terrorism,” Lyall Grant said in a statement. afp
http://arabnews.com/world/article479999.ece
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‘US, Israeli mercenaries’ blow up Iran-Turkey gas line
July 30, 2011
TEHRAN: A bombing of a pipeline carrying gas from Iran to Turkey early Friday was carried out by “mercenaries” in the pay of Israel and the United States, and forced a cut in supply, Iranian officials said.
“The export of gas to Turkey has been temporarily halted after an explosion struck the pipeline” in northwestern Iran, spokesman for the National Iranian Gas Co (NIGC) Majid Boujarzadeh told the oil ministry’s news agency SHANA.
According to Iranian media, the explosion occurred near the Bazargan border crossing, close to the city of Maku in Iran’s West Azarbaijan province,
“The bombing which left no casualties … occurred at the hands of Zionist and American mercenaries,” Maku Governor Hamid Ahmadian told the ISNA news agency.
Bourjarzadeh said repair work on the pipeline was under way and expressed hope for a speedy resumption of the gas flow.
It is not the first time gas supplies to Turkey have been disrupted. In the summer of 2010, it was damaged twice in blasts blamed on separatist Kurdish rebels.
Iran, which has the second-largest proven gas reserves in the world after Russia, exports about 30 million cubic metres of gas to Turkey annually, according to deputy oil minister and chairman of the NIGC, Javad Ouji
http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/29/%E2%80%98us-israeli-mercenaries%E2%80%99-blow-up-iran-turkey-gas-line.html
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Babar hailed for promising good news for Saraiki people
By Afnan Khan
July 30, 2011
LAHORE: Supporters of a separate province in Southern Punjab have hailed former federal law minister Babar Awan’s promise of good news for Saraiki people in Ramazan while the opponents have termed it a conspiracy against the country.
Addressing a press conference, Babar said that the people of Saraiki areas would be given the greatest news in the history of Pakistan during Ramazan. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Kamil Ali Agha told Daily Times that his party had proposed establishment of separate provinces in Southern Punjab and Hazara area and Babar Awan’s statement was a positive step in that direction.
He added that the PML-Q had put this as a condition of alliance with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and his party also wanted the government to provide equal resources to the neglected people of these areas.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\30\story_30-7-2011_pg7_23
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Poverty forces family to keep mentally ill in isolation
July 30, 2011
JAZAN: Ali Mufreh is a 50-year-old Saudi who has been living in chains for more than 35 years in a small village north of Jazan because he is mentally ill.
Ali’s movement is restricted to only a few meters after he fell ill when he was 15. No one is around to talk to him and the only sound he listens to is that of his clanking iron restraints, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
Omar is Ali’s younger brother and takes care of him along with five other members of the family including his sick mother. Ali is kept inside a small room and no one is allowed to come near him because of his illness. His brother said that his condition makes him very aggressive, attacking anyone that comes nearby.
Omar said that his family is poor and has no source of income. They do not receive any assistance from the social security office or from any charity organization.
“I was forced to chain my brother in this small room to protect him and protect others from him. His health condition is deteriorating every day,” he said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article479671.ece
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Egyptian Islamists, others gather to show unity
By PATRICK WERR & MARWA AWAD
July 30, 2011
CAIRO: Thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday to show Islamists and others were united in wanting change, though divisions remain on how hard to press the military rulers about the pace and depth of reforms.
Muslim chants such as “There is no God but God” and “Islamiya, Islamiya” dominated. Some waved banners saying “Islamic Egypt.” A senior Muslim Brotherhood official described the rally as a “Friday of unity of all political forces.”
Some protesters chanted “People and army, hand in hand.”
The Brotherhood and other Islamists had joined a big rally with other groups on July 8 demanding a deeper purge of officials who served under ousted President Hosni Mubarak and swifter corruption trials. But since then have stepped back.
Islamists said they wanted to give the army time to respond. Other groups, such as the April 6 movement, have kept up the pressure with some camping out in Tahrir.
“We are glad political forces are showing a united front at this critical juncture in the revolution,” Mohamed Adel, spokesman for April 6 said ahead of the rally.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article479851.ece
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Sharjah Ruler orders release of 106 prisoners
July 30, 2011
SHARJAH - Some 106 inmates of different nationalities in Sharjah’s correctional institutions will be released before the start of the holy month of Ramadan under orders under orders from His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and ruler of Sharjah.
The pardon was given to the prisoners who had served half of their jail terms and proved good character and conduct. They will enjoy spending the holy month of Ramdan and Eid El Fitr with their families.
Police Commander Major General Humaid Al Hadidi expressed gratitude for Shaikh Sultan for his generous initiative.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/July/theuae_July778.xml§ion=theuae&col=
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Lebanese scribes struggle? to save Arabic calligraphy
30 July 2011
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s few remaining Arabic calligraphers, whose elegant script and interweaving words transport one to another era, are working to preserve an art form struggling to compete with new technology.
“The computer is a wonderful tool but in no way can it replace an artist or produce masterpieces,” says Mahmoud Bayoun, one of the country’s best-known calligraphers, whose works have been displayed in the United States and Iran.
The 75-year-old, who learned the skill as a teenager, today uses his talent to draw up menus for the Lebanese presidency for official functions or write condolences and congratulatory messages on behalf of the prime minister.
Bayoun says the longest letter he has written was from late prime minister Rafik Hariri to Syria’s then president, Hafez Al Assad, on the occasion of a national holiday.
Hariri was assassinated in 2005 in a massive seaside bombing in Beirut that many Lebanese blamed on Syria, which denies involvement. Assad died in 2000 and was succeeded by his son Bashar.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/July/middleeast_July606.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Koran recitation sparks bomb alarm on bus in Germany
July 30, 2011
A man's whispered recitation of the Koran so unnerved a woman sitting near him on the bus that she reported a possible bomb Friday, creating a massive traffic jam on a major north German artery.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A man's whispered recitation of the Koran so
Unnerved a woman sitting near him on the bus that she reported a
Possible bomb Friday, creating a massive traffic jam on a major north
German artery.
'She heard the mumbling of Koran Surahs by her
fellow passenger and took that as a threat,' said police spokesman
Detlev Kaldinski in Rotenburg in the state of Lower Saxony.
Her warning prompted the bus driver to pull over his vehicle, carrying
45 people from Copenhagen to Paris, in the middle of the night. Police
later showed up with a team of 20 investigators, special forces and
bomb sniffer dogs.
A search of the man, a Tunisian, at a rest
stop turned up neither weapons nor explosives. The highway was blocked
for two hours and the rest stop unavailable for three.
The
woman heard the man use the word 'Osama' during his prayers, said
police. The man said he has the nickname Osama and sometimes speaks
about himself in the third person.
http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=256464
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Case files offer a glimpse into Al-Dandani terrorist syndicate
By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI
July 30, 2011
JEDDAH: Arab News has obtained from special security sources the details of the crimes committed by the terrorist cell of Turki Al-Dandani which began operations in February 2003 in a series of attacks that resulted in the death of 239 Saudis and expatriates.
Eighty-five members of the cell are currently being tried for those attacks.
Al-Dandani's group was the second terrorist cell in Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Khaled Al-Haj of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Investigations revealed that the cell established a number of groups in various regions:
* Riyadh Group consisted of a number of individuals under the leadership of Al-Dandani himself. Its tasks included aiding and abetting militants, gathering information about targets, wiring cars with explosives and recruiting suicide bombers.
* Qassim Group was under the leadership of Rakan Al-Saykhan, who was in charge of acquiring arms. The group was responsible for manufacturing and storing explosives before they were sent to Riyadh to be used to commit acts of terror.
* Al-Kharj Group was charged with collecting intelligence on Prince Sultan Air Base, one of the targets of the organization. It also recruited militants for the planned attack and transported weapons and explosives to the area.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article479971.ece
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US extremists stoking Islamophobia
Rhonda Pence
Jul 30, 2011
We've all heard news reports exposing anti -Muslim sentiment and fear in the U.S.
They range from communities fighting to block the building of mosques, to hate crimes, to republican presidential candidates speaking anti-Muslim rhetoric on national television. But now a progressive advocacy group is taking the messaging a step further and accusing the Right Wing in America of stratigizing to spread anti-muslim hate in the US.
People for the American Way released a new report called The Right Wing Playbook. The group traced and analyzed anti muslim comments from across the nation and says without a doubt, the rhetoric is part of a deliberate plan.
The report discusses eight strategies employed by anti-Muslim activists to cast doubt on the validity of Islam as a religion and the integrity of American Muslims in order to justify prejudice and illegal discrimination. Scare tactics include framing American Muslims as dangerous to America and inventing the danger of "creeping Sharia",
According to the report, another scare tactic is denying the validity of Islam as a religion, Arguing that Muslims have no First Amendment rights under the Constitution.
A new Cornell OSU poll shows anti muslim has intensified since Navy Seals killed Osama Bin Laden May 1 in Pakistan. Before his death, nearly half of respondents described Muslim Americans as "trustworthy" and "peaceful, After his death that figure dropped to one-third of respondents.
Researchers attribute the rise in negative views about Muslims to the wall-to-wall media coverage that focused on terrorism and bin Laden's religious views.
Many Americans agree anti-muslim rhetoric has escalated on blogs and in political campaigns.
Some experts believe the anti muslim rhetoric will escalate through the 2012 elections. Advocates are urging Americans to speak out and challenge bigotry.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/191432.html
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Tehran hosts the first nomadic festival on Qashqaei tribe
Saman Kojouri
Jul 30, 2011
From handicrafts, carpet weaving to their traditional clothes, foods and customs; all have been put on display in the first festival of the Qashqaei Tribe in the mountain skirts around the capital city Tehran.
Hundreds of Tehranis visit this festival every day because it has given them a good chance to go back to nature.
Like many other tribes, Qashqaei tribe moves from one place to another during summer and winter. The Qashqaei tribe is mainly based in Fars Province. They speak a dialect of Turkish.
Qashqaei men are well known for their skills as horsemen and herders, while women are famous for their skills in carpet weaving. They weave colorful and intricately patterned rugs both on the road and at their summer and winter camps.
In Qashqaei community, marriage links camps and herding groups together. Traditionally, women arrange marriages between families. The wedding, which might last for several days, includes a continuous serving of delicious food and tea, listening to local music, as well as stick and kerchief dances.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/191449.html
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/tablighi-jamaat-centre-lahore’s-rawalpindi/d/5146