Google Alerts on ISLAM - February 22, 2011

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Shafiul Islam daunted by Sehwag pasting Times of India DHAKA: Bangladesh pacer Shafiul Islam, who was supposed to give his team an early breakthrough, or two, against India but failed to deliver on the big occasion, is not disheartened by the pasting he received at the hands of Virender Sehwag in ... See all stories on this topic »

Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's defiant speech Telegraph.co.uk Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's defiant speech could have been a last-ditch attempt to put forward his own claims to leadership, which has been long-touted in the West. But as a leading voice for reform in Libya, Saif al-Islam needed his father to remain in ... See all stories on this topic » Telegraph.co.uk

Misconception about Muslims and Islam The Hindu A WORLD WITHOUT ISLAM: Graham E Fuller; Little Brown, New York. Hachette India, 612-614, 6th Floor, Time Tower, MG Road, Sector 28, Gurgaon-122001. Rs. 595. To those who are convinced that such titles are suggestive of Islamophobia, A world without ... See all stories on this topic » The Hindu

Muslim countries must get out of the orbit of the US: Leader Tehran Times The status of the Islamic ummah should be improved, he said, and predicted this would happen in the near future. Ayatollah Khamenei also stated that if Muslims promulgate Islam properly, people's inclination toward Islam will increase across the globe. See all stories on this topic »

Huckabee draws heat for anti-Islam remarks Associated Baptist Press By Bob Allen WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Baptist preacher and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has landed in hot water for comments critical of Islam. The former Arkansas governor and potential 2012 presidential hopeful criticized two Protestant ... See all stories on this topic »

Winds of change Times of India Though strongman Muammar Gadaffi's son and heir Seif al-Islam Gadaffi vowed that the government would fight - its own people - to the last bullet and the last man, uncertainty reigns in Tripoli. In Bahrain, the royal family has loosed mercenaries on ... See all stories on this topic »

Ali Fadlallah at International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran: to adopt ... iloubnan.info The 24th International Islamic Unity Conference began its work in Tehran on Saturday, on the occasion of the Islamic Unity Week that was initiated by the Islamic Revolution leader, Imam Khomeini, who invited the Muslim Ummah to unity and resistance in ... See all stories on this topic »

Europe's grave failure Ynetnews Partly because of European xenophobia and partly because of the many problems which a certain percentage of the Muslim immigrant population has caused in Western societies, Islam, its value systems and customs are often attacked. ... See all stories on this topic »

US embassy cables: 'Internecine warfare' in the Gaddafi family The Guardian Much of the tension appears to stem from resentment of Saif al-Islam's high-profile as the public face of the regime; however, deeper tension about contradictions between Saif al-Islam's proposed political-economic reforms, XXXXXXXXXXXX and ... See all stories on this topic »

Buffalo's Muslims Battle Stereotype After Murder NPR So when Mo Hassan, the man who was supposed to be Buffalo's friendly face of Islam, murdered his wife, it stunned a community. "It's not only that he killed his wife — it was the way he killed her that was so despicable," said Dr. Khalid Qasi, ... See all stories on this topic »

Islam and the PLO Journeyman Pictures December 1991 - Under military occupation since 1976, people in the Gaza Strip live as virtual prisoners. Two thirds are refugees. Increasingly frustrated, many Gazans have now lost faith in the secular policies of the PLO, and are looking to more ... See all stories on this topic »

European Free Speech Under Attack Wall Street Journal Defending the right to say that Islam is primarily a totalitarian ideology aiming for world domination. By GEERT WILDERS "The lights are going out all over Europe," British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey famously remarked on the eve of World War I. I am ... See all stories on this topic »

Two pro-India parties floated in J&K with Army, MHA help Times of India While one outfit, with the backing of the home ministry, will be headed by former Ikhwans and ex-militant commanders Zubair-ul-Islam and Imran Rahi, the other is being launched by former militant commander from Anantnag, Liaquat Ali. ... See all stories on this topic »

Threat of clerical tsunami in Express Buzz With Partition, its founding 'ideology' was defined in terms of a wholly negative identity as a bulwark against a malign Hindu India that had deceitfully seized Kashmir to leave behind a “moth-eaten” Pakistan committed to defending Islam within the ... See all stories on this topic »

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American who sparked diplomatic crisis over Lahore shooting was CIA spy - Guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/20/us-raymond-davis-lahore-cia/print

 

American who sparked diplomatic crisis over Lahore shooting was CIA spy

• Raymond Davis employed by CIA 'beyond shadow of doubt'
• Former soldier charged with murder over deaths of two men
• Davis accused of shooting one man twice in the back as he fled

 

• Special report: A CIA spy and a diplomatic whirlwind

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• Declan Walsh in Lahore and Ewen MacAskill in Washington
• guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 February 2011 19.38 GMT
  In Karachi, scores of demonstrators call for the execution of Raymond Davis, the US consulate employee who has been jailed in Lahore for killing two Pakistanis Link to this video   The American who shot dead two men in Lahore, triggering a diplomatic crisis between Pakistan and the US, is a CIA agent who was on assignment at the time.   Raymond Davis has been the subject of widespread speculation since he opened fire with a semi-automatic Glock pistol on the two men who had pulled up in front of his car at a red light on 25 January.   Pakistani authorities charged him with murder, but the Obama administration has insisted he is an "administrative and technical official" attached to its Lahore consulate and has diplomatic immunity.   Based on interviews in the US and Pakistan, the Guardian can confirm that the 36-year-old former special forces soldier is employed by the CIA. "It's beyond a shadow of a doubt," said a senior Pakistani intelligence official.  The revelation may complicate American efforts to free Davis, who insists he was acting in self-defence against a pair of suspected robbers, who were both carrying guns.   Pakistani prosecutors accuse the spy of excessive force, saying he fired 10 shots and got out of his car to shoot one man twice in the back as he fled. The man's body was found 30 feet from his motorbike.   "It went way beyond what we define as self-defence. It was not commensurate with the threat," a senior police official involved in the case told the Guardian.   The Pakistani government is aware of Davis's CIA status yet has kept quiet in the face of immense American pressure to free him under the Vienna convention.  Last week President Barack Obama described Davis as "our diplomat" and dispatched his chief diplomatic troubleshooter, Senator John Kerry, to Islamabad. Kerry returned home empty-handed.   Many Pakistanis are outraged at the idea of an armed American rampaging through their second-largest city. Analysts have warned of Egyptian-style protests if Davis is released.  The government, fearful of a backlash, says it needs until 14 March to decide whether Davis enjoys immunity. A third man was crushed by an American vehicle as it rushed to Davis's aid.  Pakistani officials believe its occupants were CIA because they came from the house where Davis lived and were armed.   The US refused Pakistani demands to interrogate the two men and on Sunday a senior Pakistani intelligence official said they had left the country.  "They have flown the coop, they are already in America," he said.   ABC News reported that the men had the same diplomatic visas as Davis. It is not unusual for US intelligence officers, like their counterparts round the world, to carry diplomatic passports.   The US has accused Pakistan of illegally detaining him and riding roughshod over international treaties. Angry politicians have proposed slashing Islamabad's $1.5bn (£900m) annual aid.   But Washington's case is hobbled by its resounding silence on Davis's role.  He served in the US special forces for 10 years before leaving in 2003 to become a security contractor.  A senior Pakistani official said he believed Davis had worked with Xe, the firm formerly known as Blackwater.   Pakistani suspicions about Davis's role were stoked by the equipment police confiscated from his car: an unlicensed pistol, a long-range radio, a GPS device, an infrared torch and a camera with pictures of buildings around Lahore.   "This is not the work of a diplomat. He was doing espionage and surveillance activities," said the Punjab law minister, Rana Sanaullah, adding he had "confirmation" that Davis was a CIA employee.   A number of US media outlets learned about Davis's CIA role but have kept it under wraps at the request of the Obama administration. A Colorado television station, 9NEWS, made a connection after speaking to Davis's wife.  She referred its inquiries to a number in Washington which turned out to be the CIA. The station removed the CIA reference from its website at the request of the US government.   Some reports, quoting Pakistani intelligence officials, have suggested that the men Davis killed, Faizan Haider, 21, and Muhammad Faheem, 19, were agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency (ISI) and had orders to shadow Davis because he crossed a "red line".   A senior police official confirmed US claims that the men were petty thieves – investigators found stolen mobiles, foreign currency and weapons on them – but did not rule out an intelligence link.   A senior ISI official denied the dead men worked for the spy agency but admitted the CIA relationship had been damaged.  "We are a sovereign country and if they want to work with us, they need to develop a trusting relationship on the basis of equality. Being arrogant and demanding is not the way to do it," he said.   Tensions between the spy agencies have been growing.  The CIA Islamabad station chief was forced to leave in December after being named in a civil lawsuit.  The ISI was angered when its chief, General Shuja Pasha, was named in a New York lawsuit related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.   Although the two spy services co-operate in the CIA's drone campaign along the Afghan border, there has not been a drone strike since 23 January – the longest lull since June 2009.  Experts are unsure whether both events are linked. Davis awaits his fate in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.  Pakistani officials say they have taken exceptional measures to ensure his safety, including ringing the prison with paramilitary Punjab Rangers.  The law minister, Sanaullah, said Davis was in a "high security zone" and was receiving food from visitors from the US consulate. Sanaullah said 140 foreigners were in the facility, many on drug charges.  Press reports have speculated that the authorities worry the US could try to spring Davis in a "Hollywood-style sting".  "All measures for his security have been taken," said the ISI official. "He's as safe as can be."

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2011

Common platform to discuss issues turned into a platform to woo Muslims - Ummid.com

http://ummid.com/news/2011/February/20.02.2011/etv_seminar.htm

Common platform to discuss issues turned into a platform to woo Muslims   Monday February 21, 2011 06:27:24 PM, ummid.com Staff Reporter

Former BJP President Rajnath Singh during the seminar on Minority issues held in Mumbai on February 20 Malegaon: When it declared to organise the day-long seminar February 20, ETV Network promised to provide a common platform to discuss the challenges minorities are facing in India. The seminar held in a Mumbai hotel, however, turned into a common platform for the leaders and politicians from various political parties and groups to score over one another, amid blame game and sans concrete plans for the minority empowerment.   Hurling the salvo against the Indian National Congress was former Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh with the support from party MP Shahnawaz Husain whereas at the receiving end were the top Congress leaders including Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan, Union Minister Salman Khurshid, State Congress President Manikrao Thakre and others. At the same time, the BJP leaders were leaving no stone unturned to use the opportunity to woo the Muslims - most of the time even taking the stand totally against the BJP policy and promising something, opposing which is the core of BJP politics.   "Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power for just six years in the sixty-three years of independent India. How can it be blamed for the backwardness of the minorities", said Rajnath Singh who was presiding over the seminar that was aired live on ETV channels.   "Let the government come out with a concrete proposal for the Muslim empowerment, safety of the Awkaf properties or on any other pending issues, BJP will certainly support them", he added.   Vehemently denying the allegations that he and his leader LK Advani had went to see Sadhavi Pragya Singh Thakur, one of the accused in the Malegaon blast case, Rajnath Singh said, "BJP is neither providing any support to Malegaon blast culprits nor does it have anything to do with them."   On Swami Aseemanad's confession and release of the Muslim accused, he said, "The CBI is investigating these cases. We should wait for the results and have faith in the judiciary."   Taking his leader's strong show of Muslim appeasement even further, Sayyed Shahnawaz Hussain, BJP MP from Bhagalpur said, "BJP has no role in whatever that happened to the minorities in the past. We are concentrating on current generation and its prevailing issues, and if the government brings a resolution in the parliament for the development of the minorities based on Sachchar Committee report, BJP will fully support it."   Maharashtra Chief Minister in his comments on Swami Aseemanand's confession and release of Muslim youths reiterated his earlier stand and said no injustice would be done to anyone.   "Justice will be done to every individual of the state. An innocent won’t pay for someone else’s crime and a criminal won’t be let free to create massacre, I assure you from this forum", he said.   Union Minister Salman Khurshid also reiterated his earlier assertions and said, the government is committed to the development of the minorities and taking all efforts for the proper use of wakf properties.   On the minority status of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University Salman Khurshid could just say that these institutions are established by the Muslims and they are for them.    The seminar that started at 10:00 in the morning ran till 04:00 in the afternoon. What is surprising to those present is the lack of seriousness among the politicians in addressing the challenges minorities are facing.   "From the seminar one thing has come out very clearly. The Muslim community is no more interested in mere rhetoric and empty promises. They want concrete plans for their empowerment and the politicians should make note of this", Karim Salar, Jalgaon based educationalist and head of Iqra Education Society who was present in the seminar said to ummid.com.

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Ulema Council organizes Nyay rally in Lucknow - TwoCircles.net

http://twocircles.net/2011feb20/ulema_council_organizes_nyay_rally_lucknow.html

Ulema Council organizes Nyay rally in Lucknow

Submitted by admin3 on 20 February 2011 - 9:33pm

• India Politics
• Indian Muslim

By TCN Special Correspondent,

Lucknow: Thousands of workers of Rashtriya Ulema Council (RUC), converged at Mini Stadium in Vikas Nagar for their Nyay (Justice) rally to demand justice and equality for Muslims and other marginalized sections on Sunday. The RUC, which was formed in the wake of crackdown on Azamgarh after Batla House encounter in 2008, completed its two years of existence.


Maulana Amir Rashadi and Maulana Tahir Madani, the top RUC leaders who are prominent Muslim clerics, adopted a matured political tone unveiling their future plans.

“We are not in a hurry for grabbing power by any means, it is the start of a political revolution to change the system and our goal is not 2012. We have 100 years planning and are working on it,” said Maulana Rashadi.

From its earlier policy of “only Muslim” stand, the RUC has also included other marginal sections in their agenda. The charter of demands included reservation to dalit Muslims and Christians, reservation of 9.41 percent within the 27 percent quota for backward caste beside equality to all the marginal, downtrodden sections of the society. Corruption, price rise and other issues also figured in the speeches of the RUC leaders.


Rashadi also reiterated his demand of implementation of Nimesh Commission report and release of Maulana Hakim, Tariq Qasmi and Maulana Kahlil Mujahid-the accused in terror cases. “If the Mishra commission report is not made public and implemented within one month, we will launch an agitation,” said Rashadi.

Lashing out at the Congress led UPA government, Rashadi claimed that the central government was concealing the Nimesh Mishra report while dispatching its emissary to Sanjarupur in Azamgarh. “It is a cruel joke on the sufferings of the Azamgarh people,” he said.

Rashadi also denied any alliance in the coming state assembly elections. The RUC leader even ruled out any association with the Gorakhpur based Peace Party, claiming to go all alone in the coming elections.


Surprisingly, some of the leaders of RUC during their speeches made derogatory comments on Chief Minister Mayawati, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and even termed Maulana Abul Kalam Azad as a traitor. However, the senior leaders disowned these remarks from the stage itself.

“We cannot allow any such personal comment and also cannot call Maulana Azad as a traitor. Our stage cannot be used for such statements,” said Maulana Nizamuddin clearing the murmuring among the crowd.

The rally which was the second one by RUC at the same ground, this time witnessed a bigger crowd and better management.

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