Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Highlight Pakistan schools: Boy 11 trained in weapons...explosives and ready to be blown into pieces [Video]

A would-be suicide bomber aged 11 has been arrested alongside Taliban fighters.

Known only as Abdullah, the youngster was caught crossing the mountains from Pakisrtan's tribal region into Afghanistan wearing a jacket packed with explosives.

Police say he is the youngest terror recruit they have ever come across. Abdullah has also become Afghanistan's youngest prisoner but he is still being held at a top security prison in the capital, Kabul.

Abdullah has become the world's youngest terror suspect after he was caught wearing a jacket filled with explosives


Originally from Peshawar in Pakistan, Abudullah was training to be a suicide bomber and had learned the principles of jihad - holy war - at the religious school in Pakistan where he was taught.

Abdullah was interviewed by ITV News's International Editor Bill Neely, who wrote about the visit in the Mirror.

His full interview will be screened on tonight's ITV News at Ten.

Mr Neely said he was shocked at the picture of innocence before him.

'I'd been told I would meet a youth who had been arrested with a group of Taliban fighters – but I didn't expect the picture of apparent innocence that confronted me,' he said.

'I watched this little boy speak, his high-pitched voice so innocent, pouring out the detail of an adventure he had clearly relished.'


ITN journalist Bill Neely said he was shocked at how innocent Abdullah appeared


Mr Neely said Abdullah's days were spent reading the Koran and his evenings were taken up learning how to load weapons and how foreigners came to Muslim lands to kill them.

Abdullah told the journalist, his favourite weapon of choice was the Kalashnikov because he found the trigger of the pistol hard to pull.

When Mr Neely asked the 11-year-old how felt about becoming a suicide bomber he said he knew he 'would end up in pieces.'

He also said he knew the difference between suicide and sacrifice and that he wanted to kill non-Muslims when he grew up 'so they can't come to our homes and kill us.'

It is not yet clear what authorities will do with the boy but it is likely he will be returned back to his religious school.



Source: Daily Mail

The Times Doey Eyed Vision for Turkey: Europe's choice; Turkey's destiny

Obama begins his trip to Turkey with a visit to Atatürk's tomb - but Erdogan has made it clear that he doesn't like 'the great leader' - as his ideas for Turkey are very different - he has stated - that is before he was hulled into court - and given a stern warning for attempting to Islamize Turkey - that he hoped to turn Istanbul into Mecca and Medina - and that Taxsim - the business center of Turkey - would be filled with mosques.

The party following
Atatürk's democratic reformist lead - is in third place - the secular rich, but more troubling that in second place is the Nationalist party - who believe - that the Turkish people are superior - to all man kind and that if in power would try to re-establish the Ottoman Empire, with this they do happily go along with Erdogan's Islamists party's wishes - when voting.

Let's brush aside also - that the Turks have a few Christians in court for insulting Islam and therefore
Turkishness - basically for the crime of leaving Islam - even if these man are not found guilty just the fact that they are in court at all is troubling - that they are threatening closure of a 1300 year old monastery - citing that the land it is on is not their own. And nit pickings like shutting off the water supply to at least one church in Istanbul - mosques aren't charged for water.

Oh and the denial of genocide - the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians - who are shouting the loudest - but at the same time Turkey also mascaraed close to 300,000 Greeks living there as well.

As for democracy the Turkish leader is in the process of destroying - a media mogul - for exposing something or other untoward during his presidency - and being for the other side during the election - by fining the man five times the actual amount (claimed - some items are said to be tax exempt) to be owed.

There is the dreaded Article 301 of offending
Turkishness - used to silence freedom of speech - which - if Turkey were to become an EU member - other member citizens could be charged under.

But no - the main argument is because Turkey is an Islamic nation - the diversity would do Europe good - Europe should let them in.

One of the requirements for getting in Europe - is to get their economic situation in order - and here
Erdogan is telling women to have more children - three children minimum. As a result their population growth has surpassed predictions. EU members are accorded influence according to population size. Now 76 million - it was 13 million in the 1930's.

This while 2/3 of the country is still rural farmers - and the EU offers subsidies to farmers.

Turkey was a great Empire - the second biggest party still has aspirations of Empire - what Turkey is essentially asking for is that the EU rebuild it.

The argument is that this is a Christian club - we should show the Arabs good faith - or as Obama says  send an 'important signal' to the Islamic world - and take in Turkey. But
Erdogan's party was nearly disbanded last year - for attempting to Islamize Turkey - strange things started to happen - like the ministry for Islamic affairs - or such post - issued a government back statement saying that women shouldn't wear perfume outside of the house - as this made them - loose like prostitutes. He has replaced more than half of the civil servants - and put in Islamists leaning ones - and the focus was on Islamizing education.

And he hasn't stopped - he got off with a fine in his court case - that would have disbanded his party - now he wants to replace strategic people in the military and the judiciary- so that no one will have the power the threaten his position again.

This is way over Europe's head - Europe doesn't have to deal with this.

There is a large diaspora of Turkish people living in German - on a recent trip there he told them not to assimilate into German society - that assimilation was against their human rights.

Does 
Erdogan plan to get into Europe purely on the concession that his country is Muslim? Once there - with the Turkish military - rendered powerless - how does the EU plan to keep control of this? It opens the EU up to a serious threat of Islamization - Islamization is not you can practise your religion and I'll practise mine - Islamization is everyone will eventually respect Islam - or the right to be respected or have your sensitivities considered above all others.

On one side it looks like an ambush - here is an
Islamist government - pushing for Turkey's entry into Europe - but on the other side he is telling the Turkish people in Europe - not to assimilate - while increasing his population growth. It is understandable to assume that if Erdogan wants to Islamize Turkey than he wants to Islamize Europe. And this is where everyone is left with cold feet. Islam is no doubt foremost on this man mind - as was evidenced by the opposition to Rasmussen as NATO leader - over the Danish cartoons or on religious grounds. But what Europe wants is a secular democracy - and at the moment it is just not getting those signals from Turkey.

Obama's reasoning is that Turkey can change - as American changed - Europe's reasoning is - let's see this change - and it better be good!!



There is nothing conciliatory about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's mausoleum. Occupying a flattened hilltop in central Ankara, it is an uncompromising monument to 20th-century nationbuilding. Yet it was here that Barack Obama made his first public appearance as US President in a mainly Muslim country. He inscribed a book for visiting dignitaries not with a vision of inter-faith harmony but with a pledge to support “Atatürk's vision of Turkey as a modern and prosperous democracy”. He then met the Turkish President and Prime Minister and each of its main party leaders in turn.

Mr Obama's paean to Islam - “which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better” - came later, and he made it in Ankara precisely because Atatürk's legacy binds Turkey as tightly to the West as its majority religion ties it to the Middle East.

The President's schedule yesterday will have given heart to Turkey's often disheartened Europhiles. So will the passage in Mr Obama's speech to the Turkish parliament in which he restated American support for Turkish EU membership on the basis that “Europe gains by diversity of ethnicity, tradition and faith”.

This is as it should be. Mr Obama, like his predecessor, is right that Turkey is as entitled as any of the EU's neighbours to seek to join the Union, and to be given membership once it has enacted the far-reaching reforms required. Moreover, he has every right to state this view. If this offends President Sarkozy, as it appears to, the French leader will have to learn to live with the offence. Mr Sarkozy is of course technically correct that the final decision on whether Turkey's stalled accession talks are allowed to resume will be taken by the EU member states. But he is wrong and, frankly, insulting, to suggest that the US has no part in this vital debate.

Europe has never been shy of lecturing the New World on how to live (Fanny Trollope, Domestic Manners of the Americans, 1832), or on its destiny and responsibilities, whether in two world wars or the promotion of free trade at the expense of jobs in its own rust belt. When advice flows in the opposite direction, Europe should give it serious attention. Mr Sarkozy's reaction to Mr Obama's pitch for Turkish accession was echoed by a notable coolness from Angela Merkel. Neither was unexpected, and both were motivated partly by anxiety over the economic burden on existing members of further expansion. But the Frenco-German stance also panders to the scarcely camouflaged racism of voters who, faced with the prospect of Turkish EU membership, cleave with sudden tenacity to a homo- geneous “Christian” identity that the continent has in fact been shedding since the Enlightenment.

Mr Obama used his speech yesterday to restate campaign themes on Syria, Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it was significant chiefly for its use of Turkey as an example, not a pulpit. Turkey is living proof that Islam and advanced democracy can co-exist. It must do much more to qualify for EU membership, especially in the fields of corporate governance and judicial independence - but so must Bulgaria and Romania, and they are already members. No one claims that Turkey is ready to become the EU's 28th member now, but the US has embraced the idea, and Europe must too.

Source: Times Online

Geert Wilders speaks in LA [Video]

Robert Spencer introduces Fitna



Geert Wilders's speech Saturday night at the David Horowitz Freedom Center event in Beverly Hills, California:



Q&A



Source & Transcript: Jihad Watch

Dutch politician Wilders to contest European elections

Amsterdam - The controversial Dutch Freedom Party PVV formally announced Monday it would participate in the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 4. The Freedom Party PVV said one of its current legislators, Barry Madlener, would lead the party list. [..]

Speaking to the Dutch daily newspaper Volkskrant, Madlener said his party opposes what it calls far-reaching influence from Brussels on national politics.

Madlener said "Europe should not become a super state, but limit itself to economic cooperation. The 2005 referendum about a European constitution also demonstrated that this is what the people want."

In 2005, a 54,9 majority of Dutch nationals voted against a European constitution.
Madlener said the PVV would prefer the European Parliament ultimately to be abolished.

"The European Union should only have an economic function. Legislation and law enforcement belongs to the national arena."

The Freedom Party is also very critical of the EU's financial system.

"The Dutch are financing road building in Portugal and Poland while traffic problems increase in the Netherlands. We want our money back," Madlener said.

The PVV has not yet decided whether it will seek cooperation with liberal-rightist parties from other countries such as Belgian Vlaams Belang.

The Dutch Freedom party, which opposes Turkish membership of the EU and wants to remove Bulgaria from EU, is hoping for "2 to 4 seats" in the European Parliament.

Late March, Dutch polling agencies predicted a major electoral victory for the Freedom Party if general elections would be held today in the Netherlands.

The party, which holds nine of the 150 seats in the Dutch parliament, would get between 24 and 32 seats if elections were held today, polling agencies said.

This would make the Freedom Party the third or, respectively, the second largest party of the Netherlands.

Source: Earth Times

Minister: No separate theatre seats for Dutch Muslim women

On the one occasion that they did do it no one sat in the seats. A Muslim male performer thought it would be a good idea.

Pictured a protest in a Tehran university 

Amsterdam - Theatres should not be permitted to reserve seats exclusively for women, Dutch integration minister Eberhard van der Laan said on Tuesday.

Van der Laan was commenting on a Rotterdam theatre's new policy of reserving 50 seats on its first rows exclusively for women during certain performances.

The theatre said the new policy should bring religious Muslim women to the Dutch theatre who would otherwise not to do so to avoid sitting next to a man.

Minister Van der Laan said the theatre's policy contradicts equal rights legislation.
The Rotterdam city council, which is one of the sponsors of the theatre, had not protested against the new policy.
...

Pakistan fighting jihadist terror for its own survival: Zardari

The Pakistanis have allowed the radicalization of their youth - mainly through the acceptance of Saudi funding of madrassas - and took pride in the fact that they were teaching ordinary school children a more radical form of Islam and a skewered history with respect to India - but these children grow up. In Saudi schools the children - are also taught a virulent form of Islam - or a more fundamental Islamic text - which is against tolerance - but when their kids grew up, and decided that the country was not Islamic enough - and sought to wage jihad against it - the Saudis had the resources to put down such revolts (on one CNN documentary - some years ago - Saudi royals had a tank parked outside of their palace) - but the Pakistanis are cashed strapped - the Saudis have morality police - who in the end were used to seek out or spot their radicals and to help deradicalize - the people (they radicalized)- but the Pakistanis can't afford this luxury - so the militants and tribes ultimately decide in which way this stoked radicalization will be directed - at the moment it is being directed at Pakistan.

Even the Saudis used the radical Islamist /wahaabist from the Arabian tribes - to take Mecca and Medina and make that country - Saudi - Arabia - but when these militants wanted to continue their jihad and start attacking neighboring countries -the Saudis - had to turn against their radical Jihadist attack dogs - Pakistan - also made use of their radicals to get hold of Kashmir - for Islam - now finds those same useful radicals have turned their jihad against them - to bring that country under a medieval Islamic system of laws. Jihad is
Islam's underskirt - those who flaunt with it - will likely get burnt. Pakistan can't afford to flaunt with Jihad and radicalization - such as the Saudis have - what they didn't realize or failed to heed - was that once you radicalize a population - your next problem will be how to control it. Knowing that they can wage jihad - seems to empower or excite Muslims - but how do you control that power - when it is unleashed. Pakistan can't expect to have Saudi style Islam - and keep hold of the country - as they know it.



ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday told top US officials his country was fighting terrorism for its own survival and would not succumb to pressure by militants, officials said.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Richard Holbrooke, special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, arrived in Islamabad on Monday for talks on a new strategy to defeat terror.

"Pakistan is fighting a battle for its own survival," a statement issued by the presidency quoted Zardari as telling Mullen and Holbrooke during a meeting late Monday.

"The President said the government would not succumb to any pressure by militants," it said.

However Zardari called for dialogue with those who lay down their arms and respect state authority, it added.

They also discussed regional security issues, the Afghanistan strategy announced by President Barack Obama last month and a recent surge of militancy and extremism in the region, the statement said.

Pakistani premier Yousuf Raza Gilani and foreign minister Shah Mehmood Quresh also attended the talks with the US officials, who flew into Islamabad following two days of discussions in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Zardari emphasised the need to accelerate development of the impoverished tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and said the government was pursuing the "three Ds" (dialogue, development, deterrence) strategy, it said.

Pakistani officials said the visitors were scheduled to hold separate talks with Gilani and Qureshi.

It is the first top-level US visit since President Obama put Pakistan at the heart of the fight against al-Qaida, unveiling a new strategy nine days ago to commit thousands more troops and billions of dollars to the Afghan war.

"This will be our first interaction with Richard Holbrooke after the unveiling of the policy review," the official said earlier on Monday.

"They will ask questions and we will pose questions about the policy and how it can be implemented," he added.

"There will be detailed discussions on regional security in the context of the November 2008 Mumbai carnage, bomb explosions and suicide attacks in Pakistan and US missile strikes," said the Pakistani official.

Pakistan says the strikes, around 37 of which have killed over 360 people since August 2008, violate its territorial sovereignty and deepen resentment against the government and the United States among its 160 million people.

Pakistan has paid dearly for its alliance in the "war on terror". Attacks have killed more than 1,700 people since July 2007, underscoring the enormity of the challenge. Taliban and al-Qaida are bogged down in the northwest.

Source: India Times

Bodies of four aid workers found in NW Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Four bullet-riddled bodies of local aid workers have been found by the authorities in northwest Pakistan on Monday, a media report said.

The workers have been killed when their vehicle came under attack by unknown assailants near Mansehra, Geo TV said.

According to initial reports the murdered people were workers at an NGO called Firing Rice International.

The motive for the killings is not known yet. But Islamic militants, who accuse NGO's for promoting western values and indulgence in anti-Islamic activities, could be behind the shootings.

Source: India Times

Pakistanis waking up to reality of Shari'a, call Taliban whipping 17-yr girl a “barbaric act”

When the Taliban were meting out similar punishments to women in Taliban controlled Afghanistan - Pakistanis on the whole supported the Taliban and claimed any talk of abuse of rights of women were - a conspiracy against Islam - now that it looks set to arrive at their door - they are protesting against it - though none of the Muslim world raised more than a whimper - when they learned that the Saudi authorities were to flog a woman who as gang raped, or when an old widower of 73 was whipped for received a few loaves of bread from her late husband's nephew (she had been asking the neighbors for food). Any complaints coming from the west are seen as racist and Islamophobic - it seems except when the army of militants advancing on your country intent to implementing these same laws - you find it in yourself to rage against - the more extreme, barbaric and medieval aspects of Islamic law.

Shouldn't Muslims be happy with Muhammed's laws? 

Here women covered completely as not to offend - merely for being women - are further degraded - by being beaten publicly in the streets under islamic holy laws.

Maybe Muslims can better understand why the west by and large rejects their utopic vision for the world and indeed that we have the right to.


Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Almost unanimous protests and condemnation have erupted across Pakistan after the Taliban publicly whipped Chand Bibi, a 17-year-old girl. The “barbaric act” was taped by videophone. Muslim Khan, spokesman for the fundamentalist Islamic group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), said that the video was a fake. However, a few days ago he claimed the action was justified.

Last Saturday Pakistani TV stations broadcast a video clip showing a young woman repeatedly whipped by a bearded man, his face made unrecognisable by a turban, wielding a whip. She was punished for an “unlawful relationship with her father-in-law.”

video

The alleged incident took place in the Swat Valley, an area of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) where Islamic law was imposed following an agreement between the Pakistani government and the Tahrik-e-Nifaz Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) movement.

For Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry the whipping of the 17-year-old girl by the Taliban was a serious violation of fundamental rights and ordered the interior secretary to bring the girl before his court on 6 April where he will head an eight-judge panel to hear the case, but the young woman did not appear today.

During today’s hearing Attorney General Latif Khosa asked the court to have future hearings conducted behind closed doors given the matter’s sensitive nature.

Chief Justice Chaudhry turned down the request arguing that the incident has already been made public as a result of media coverage and that all the facts need to be brought before the public.

In a statement, the young Taliban victim, fearing fundamentalist violence, denied that she was the victim of violence.

Also during the initial hearing the NWFP Inspector General told the court that police have no access to several areas in Swat under Taliban control.

Elsewhere in Pakistan protests against Taliban violence are growing. On Saturday the Labour Party of Pakistan organised a demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club, attracting a large number of women.

In Lahore thousands of people—students, teachers, human rights activists, actors, artists, journalists, lawyers and ordinary citizens—protested the whipping of the young woman by taking part in a rally for peace and against terrorism.

As a result of this episode the whole country seems to be rising up against fundamentalism, demanding that everyone’s basic human rights be respected.

For their part the Taliban are claiming that the video at the centre of the controversy is a fake and a distortion of reality.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, of the fundamentalist Jamiat Ulema‑e‑Islam‑Fazl (JUI‑F) movement, claims that a conspiracy is underway to sabotage the peace deal.

He has pointed the finger at women’s rights NGOs, accusing them of causing the storm even before any of the facts were confirmed.

In turn, those who back the charges have reasserted the authenticity of the video.

Documentary film maker Samar Minallah said she received the video from an activist from the Swat Valley.

She confirmed that the young woman seen in the video spoke Pashto, a language spoken in the Afghan-Pakistan border area.

“Everyone knew about the incident,” Ms Samar said, but the provincial government is trying to draw attention away from the violence and abuses inflicted on women.

Furthermore, she noted that “Muslim Khan had said that the actual punishment for the girl was stoning to death” when in reality “she was ‘only’ flogged”.

Iraq: Five Christians killed as Kirkuk archbishop questions US withdrawal

Kirkuk (AsiaNews) – The US troop pullout is creating a “vacuum’ that could end up in “civil war” and “Iraq’s division”, said Mgr Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk, as he confirmed the death of five Iraqi Christians killed in late March and early April.
Iraq’s “ethnic and religious groups have not become truly reconciled and the security situation remains fragile,” the archbishop said. “The Army and local police are not able to maintain law and order in the country,” he added. For this reason, the departure of US troops could “lead to further violence,” a view made the more cogent by the recent spate of killings in the Christian community

Sabah Aziz Solaiman, 71, was killed during a robbery on the morning of 31 March in Kirkuk. He was murdered in his own home in cold blood after bandits had broken in and taken everything of value on which they could lay their hands. His wife was spared the same fate because she had just gone to work.

On 1 April Nimroud Khodir Moshi was gunned down in front of his restaurant in Baghdad’s neighbourhood of Mashtal. His murderers then fled the scene without leaving a trace.

The next day two sisters, 47 and 60 years of age respectively, were killed in the al-Dora neighbourhood, also in the capital.

Finally, the latest deadly incident took place in al-Madida in Mosul, when Abdul Aziz Elias Aziz, an electrical generator repairman, was shot to death in front of his workshop.

For the archbishop of Kirkuk these tragic events are cause for concern. Such violence could drive even more Christians into exile and fuel the “never-ending” exodus that is threatening the 2,000-year old community. Moreover, as many Christians flee, those who do remain find themselves in greater danger.

“As Holy Week begins, let us pray for peace and stability in Iraq,” said Bishop Sako. “Let us pray that the blood of our martyrs may restore peace. The Crucified and Risen Christ calls upon us to persevere and maintain our presence and witness.”

Church sources in Mosul recently warned AsiaNews that Christians are increasingly in danger of attacks.

“The community is being targeted by organised crime groups,” a Chaldean Catholic bishop said. “They are going after Christians because of their commercial activities, attracted by the money and wealth the latter have built up in a lifetime of toil and sweat.”

In the past “these thugs were covered and protected by al-Qaeda.”

Now that the “ideological and confessional” aspect has faded away, “ordinary criminals and organised crime are rearing their head, drawn by money, ready to kill in cold blood.”

Indonesia: Christians fear gains by Islamic parties promoting Shari'a in elections

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Christians of Indonesia are worried about the national and regional elections on April 9. Among the 38 parties going to the polls, an increasing percentage of voters are turning to the confessional groups promoting Muslim ideology. Especially noteworthy among these are the Partai Bulan Bintang (PBB) and the Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS), whose stated political goals include the institution of Shyariat Islam, an Indonesian expression for Sharia.

The Christian communities of the archipelago are a little less than 10% of the population. There are about 12.5 million Protestants, and 7.5 million Catholics: a minority compared to the more than 182 million Muslims.

"Their worrying feelings [of the Christians] have their rationale," says J. Kristiadi, a Catholic and a politic analyst from the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Cases of discrimination on the part of Muslims are on the rise, and there are concerns over the recent increase in public ordinances based on Shyariat Islam.

To the political invasiveness of a confessional nature, Kristiadi also adds the silence of the country's ruling class: on the occasion of the ministerial decree that blocked the construction of any place of worship in Indonesia, no politician objected that this was a limitation of religious freedom.

The growing success of parties of Islamic inspiration is also documented by the latest provincial elections in West Java. Groups like the PKS, thanks in part to an electoral campaign centered on the fight against corruption, obtained unexpected results that many analysts are interpreting as a first test in view of the national elections on April 9, and the presidential election next July.

For Kristiadi, the reason for the success of these parties of clear Islamic inspiration are connected to the progressive abandonment of the Pancasila, the five pillars of secular nationalism on which Indonesia built its history after independence in 1945. With the end of Suharto's dictatorial regime in 1998, a revival was seen of the ideology inspired by Shyariat Islam in the period from 1999-2002, so much so that the parties were able to modify the constitution, which in the past banned the promotion of Sharia in their political platform.

"A survey has revealed that at least 80 percent of university students are hoping to choose in upholding the sharia over Pancasila," says Kristiadi. These are the young people enrolled in the universities in the large cities of Jakarta, Malang, Yogyakarta, and Bandung. Only 4.5% of them hope for the maintaining of the nationalist ideology.

In the process of marginalization targeted at them, Indonesian Christians are paying, among other things, for the lack of authoritative voices within the country's political panorama, and some of the faithful are lamenting the inability to create a single party of Christian inspiration.

India: Weapons deal inked with Israel _ non-Muslim alliance?

New Delhi, 7 April (AKI/Asian Age) - India's ruling United Progressive Alliance government has inked yet another deal with Israel, valued at 240 million dollars, for the manufacture of biomolecular charge systems to be used as ammunition for artillery guns, defence sources have confirmed. These will be manufactured at five factory plants to be set up in Bihar’s Nalanda district, located in the country's northeast.

The deal was inked with the Israel Military Industries in the last week of March following clearance from India’s Cabinet Committee on Security in January 2009.

The factory plants will be built and integrated for India’s Ordnance Factory Board by the Israel Military Industries.

The DRDO will also be involved in the project for joint development of the ammunition, defence sources indicated.

This deal comes close on the heels of another deal signed with Israel in February this year for supply and joint development of medium-range surface-to-air missiles which is valued at two billion dollars.

However, several defence deals worth billions of dollars have been inked with Israel in the past seven years. The Indian military regards Israel as a reliable defence partner.

In August 2007 an Indian cabinet approved two arms deals worth 1.7 billion dollars with Israeli companies to upgrade the country's missile defence systems.

Pakistani man chops wife’s nose in Sukkar, previously killed sister-in-law

SUKKUR (SANA): A man chopped off his wife’s nose accusing for having illicit relations with her nephew.

Aasia Mamdani was accused by her husband that she had immoral relations with her nephew and chopped off her nose.

The mother of the victim brought her to the ENT ward of the Sukkur Civil Hospital.

According to sources, the local influential Ghalib Domki was exerting pressure over the family of the victim to put the matter under the carpet.

Civil Hospital doctor Iqbal Pathan told media that the woman was brought to the hospital in serious condition but the doctors have remake the nose by a surgery and she will recover soon.

Husband of the victim Aasia was also involved in slaying two women including his sister in law.

Police have arrested the man but the local influential using their influence to put the issue in the dark.

Source: Sana News

Pakistan: Taliban blow up Peshawar music shop

ISLAMABAD: Suspected Taliban militants planted a remote-controlled bomb that blew up a music shop and neighbouring stalls in northwest city of Peshawar, police said Tuesday.

"A CD and music centre, as well as three other shops were destroyed when a locally made bomb went off in front of a bus stand in the Faqir Abad area of Peshawar," local police official Anwar Khan told. No loss of life was reported as the shops were closed overnight when the bomb exploded, police said. "It was a huge explosion," Khan said.

Another security official confirmed the attack. Militants have bombed scores of entertainment shops across the country's northwest in recent years, charging that music and films are contrary to the teachings of Islam.

Source: The News

Jordanian man stabs sister to death in honor killing, for leaving home too often

Amman: Jordan's Criminal Court has charged a 19-year-old man with stabbing to death his sister in what is believed to be an honour killing.

Judge Jihad Al Dridi charged the man on Monday with premeditated murder and the possession of a dangerous weapon.

Al Dridi said the man confessed to repeatedly stabbing his 22-year-old sister to cleanse the family honour because she left the house too often.

The victim is the eighth person to be killed in honour crimes this year.

The name of the man and the victim were not revealed due to the sensitivity of the case.

Source: Gulf News

Robert Spencer on the Islamic attack on free speech [Video]



Totally agree with Spencer here - look at the implications of not being able to criticize Islam - while Islam / Muslims are pushing for all governments to be brought under the control of the Shari'a or Islam's law - would mean that in a free society - you be unable to criticize the politics and politicians advocating such laws - what shall we call this - advantage religion - that is why it is so unworkable in the west - whereas in the Middle East, parts of Africa and Asia they have long fallen under this repressive systems of law and there are few if any examples of which we can be inspired by.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Arabia: Mecca mosques 'wrongly aligned', prayers invalid

You can hardly believe what you are reading - when first see this article !! Imagine your prayers to God - if you believe in one - not being heard - if you are facing in the wrong direction when you pray - in this case if you were not facing the Kaaba in Mecca Arabia. This fanaticism indicates that the Kaaba is more than a stone building - it is an idol - a central idol - in which all Muslims share. Indeed the Kaaba was the centre of worship in Mecca before Islam - under the religion of the Quraish, who looked after the Kaaba for 700 years before Islam - the religion was called Kaaba and there were 360 Gods worshipped there among them - Allah's three daughters Allat, Manat an al-Uzza. Indeed the keepers of the Kaaba are today - still the three old ladies (or goddesses) according to Arabian legend.

At the time when this picture was taken - it was possible for non-Muslims to travel to Mecca - and as Arabia was very poor, beggars and small peddlers waited for travellers visiting the Kaaba - to earn a living.


Some 200 mosques in Islam's holiest city, Mecca, point the wrong way for prayers, reports from Saudi Arabia say.

All mosques have a niche showing the direction of the most sacred Islamic site, the Kaaba, an ancient cube-like building in Mecca's Grand Mosque.

But people looking down from recently built high-rises in Mecca found the niches in many older mosques were not pointing directly towards the Kaaba.

Some worshippers are said to be anxious about the validity of their prayers.

There have been suggestions that laser beams could be used to make an exact measurement.

Tawfik al-Sudairy, Islamic affairs ministry deputy secretary, downplayed the problem in remarks quoted by the pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat.

"There are no major errors but corrections have been made for some old mosques, thanks to modern techniques," he said.

"In any case, it does not affect the prayers."

Source: BBC

Obama: Turkey needs to be able to join EU, EU members disagree



US President Barack Obama tells leaders of EU member states that letting Turkey become a member of the European Union would send an "important signal" to the Arab and Islam world.

Comment made during the EU-US summit in Prague, the Czech Republic.

Obama doesn't understand the EU don't have to allow Turkey to join the EU in order to send 'important' messages to the Islamic world.

Turkey is largely a strategic partner for the US - as Obama said - we frequently think of Turkey in terms of a military relationship - but we should think also about other areas such as trade. That's the thing - to ask the EU to allow Turkey in - in order to better secure the US military alliance with Turkey - namely as a launching pad for control over Russia and other parts of the Middle East.

The EU should rightly object to this - Turkey is pressing charges against two Christians for converting from Islam - an act which is considered an insult to Turkishness - which is equal to insulting Islam.

i.e. leaving Islam = insulting Islam = insulting Turkishness

Even the question - launched by the US Chicago Tribune journalist on the Armenia genocide - would be considered an arrestable offence in Turkey - under the same Art. 301 of the criminal code for insulting Turkishness.

President Sarkozy of French - answered by saying that it is up to the EU member states to decide who joins.

The EU rightly has serious concerns about Turkey's membership - likely Turkey sees this as a financial boost - but this means that the EU will be charged with rebuilding Turkey - a Turkey which is already treading backwards - on prerequisites like human rights, Cyprus and the Armenian genocide issue.

A bee in the bonnet question on Armenian genocide at Obama and Abdullah Gül press conference

The first question launched by US Chicago Tribune journalist - sent Obama into an ice skating ballad - gliding by any mention of the very word genocide and at first it seemed he would avoid the word Armenian.


Barack Obama found his diplomatic skills tested to the limit today when he was forced to address the Turkish slaughter of Armenians during the dying days of the Ottoman Empire without using the word "genocide".

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a systematic campaign of extermination during the First World War, and during his campaign for the presidency Mr Obama declared that "America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide".

Today, during a joint press conference in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, President Obama said that his views had not changed but he took extreme care not to use the word "genocide" so as not to inflame his hosts, who have always denied the claims.


Instead, he expressed the hope that talks between Turkey and Armenia could "bear fruit very soon" and he wanted to support that process.

“Well, my views are on the record and I have not changed views,” Mr Obama said in response to a question about the genocide and his stance on it.

"I want to focus not on my views right now, but on the views of the Turkish and Armenian people. If they can move forward and deal with a difficult and tragic history, then I think the entire world should encourage that.”



Responding to the same question, Mr Gul appeared to back Mr Obama by declaring that it was "not a legal or political issue, but an historical issue" which was being addressed by a joint commission of historians.

Even though he took a swipe at members of the Armenian diaspora who use the issue to "cling to their identity", he also appeared to suggest that a breakthrough was near.

"Our view is that we should let the historians, the experts, sit down," Mr Gul said.

"We are ready to face the reality, the facts. I cannot be the politicians who decide what happened when, who lost the most lives and who is right and who is wrong."

Source: Times Online

Sunday, April 5, 2009

UK: Cartoon strip aimed at under-12s depicts Christian boy as Islamaphobe thug

The UK government has lost the plot - while Muslims talk of Jihad (and increasing amounts spent on its prevention and de-radicalization (even the CIA is involved in the UK, its that bad) and of imposing Shari'a - the Muslim idea of - heaven on earth (see SWAT Valley) - on the rest of us - while Muslim attacks on Church of England clergy increase (so much so they have been advised not to wear the collar - out and about) - and Muslim openly show disdain for western culture and for others' religious beliefs - the UK government believes that little Christian children are the problem - and need to change their behavior towards Islam. 

Here again the rational is Islamphobia - is the cause of all Muslim ills. One look at the Koran and Hadiths - and they'll see that this behavior has been going on since the Prophet - in fact the Prophet sanctioned it. Strange how all Muslim countries or places with large Muslims populations - are acting in the same way. Little Christian boys - have nothing at all to do with it - this train wreck can't be pinned on them.  

A Government-funded charity was at the centre of a row last night after a magazine it publishes for children appeared to depict Christians as Islamaphobes who regard Muslims as terrorists.

In a cartoon strip, a boy wearing a large cross around his neck is shown telling a friend that a smiling Muslim girl in a veil looks like a terrorist.

He later confronts her and shouts: ‘Hey, whatever your name is, what are you hiding under your turban?’



'Wrong message': The cartoon thug is wearing a cross

She replies that the garment is called a hijab and it is part of her religion, ‘like that cross you wear’.

The girl is then shown standing up for another boy, who is being bullied, and her behaviour is contrasted with that of the boy wearing the cross.

The cartoon story, entitled Standing Up For What You Believe In, appears in the latest issue of Klic!, a quarterly magazine aimed at children in care aged from eight to 12.

Published by the Who Cares? Trust, a charity set up in 1992, it is described on the cover as ‘the best ever mag for kids in care’ and is widely distributed by town halls.

The charity received £100,000 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, headed by Ed Balls, in both 2007 and 2008, and £80,000 this year.

Although the cartoon does not specifically refer to the boy’s religion, it has angered Christian groups and MPs who fear it sends out the wrong message.

Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: ‘What about Christian children in care who received this magazine? How will they feel to see themselves mocked as narrow-minded Islamaphobes?

‘It is a clumsy caricature, symptomatic of a culture which says it is OK to bully Christians in the name of diversity.’

Philip Hollobone, the Tory MP for Kettering, said: ‘I think it is very unfortunate that the lad who is pointing the finger is wearing a cross.

'You can hardly imagine anyone producing a magazine in which the roles were reversed and it was the Muslim girl who was behaving badly.’

Gary Streeter, the Tory MP for South West Devon, said the religious parody was ‘unacceptable’, adding: ‘If it is being done with public money, it should be investigated and the magazine withdrawn.’

But Who Cares? Trust chief executive Natasha Finlayson said she had no intention of withdrawing it, describing the cross as ‘bling’ rather than a religious symbol.

She said the charity had received a complaint but did not agree the cartoon was derogatory towards Christians.

‘I am a Christian myself, so when a woman called us, I went back and looked at the comic strip from her point of view,’ Ms Finlayson said.

‘I am sorry that she is upset but I don’t share her view. When I saw the cartoon, I didn’t think of that character being a Christian because I saw the cross as ‘bling’, as jewellery.

‘To me it is a cartoon about bullying rather than discrimination or religion.’

Source: Daily Mail

Has Saudi finance of Pakistani education brought on its radicalization and therefore its imminent downfall?

Pictured girl's of the Red Mosque out to enforce their version of Islamic law - carrying sticks in Islamabad Pakistan.

Pakistan may be back from the brink but it is far from being out of the woods. A chilling reminder of that came last Monday (March 30) when a group of terrorists laid siege to a police training centre near Lahore and killed over 30 people.

But growing terrorism and insurgency are not the only problems bedevilling Pakistan. Its economy is in shambles. By the end of last year, inflation was at 25 per cent, gross Forex reserves had run down to just $3.5 billion, equivalent to four weeks of import value and fiscal deficit was higher than 7 per cent of the GDP. The GDP growth rate last year was about 2 per cent which means a flat per capita GDP growth, since population growth rate is now running at around 2 per cent a year. But for a $7.6 billion emergency loan sanctioned by the IMFlast November, Pakistan would have become insolvent.

Exports have come down drastically due to global recession and remittances from Pak workers in the Middle East, which form a large chunk of the country's Forex earnings, are set to dive as the immigrant workforce in that region is being subjected to large layoffs following the collapse of the real estate boom.

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia has been a steadfast and munificent Sugar Daddy to Pakistan, although its money has been channelled more to the Wahabi theology pushing madrassas. Ironically, these have created the insurgent minds which are posing a threat to the integrity of Pakistan. However, thanks to the recent tanking of crude prices, even the House of Saud cannot afford to throw money at Pakistan.

US president Obama's recently announced largesse of $1.5 billion per year for the next five years (with strings attached, as is typical of US aid) may stave off immediate disaster. The problem is that to extricate itself out of the present economic morass, Pakistan needs a stable and strong government. Unfortunately, as recent events have shown, this may be a fond hope.

Ironically, when the subcontinent was politically divided into two sovereign countries back in 1947, all the desiderata favoured Pakistan emerging as the stronger nation as it did not have the multiplicity of fault lines that India had.

So, why has Pakistan gone down the tube? One reason was that Pakistan was politically orphaned in its infancy. Jinnah died of illness in 1948 itself while his successor and close colleague in the Muslim League, Liaquat Ali Khan, was assassinated in 1951. With no political leaders of national stature, the ensuing decade was chaotic with seven different prime ministers and eight different cabinets following each other in quick succession. The disillusioned public lost faith in democracy and Ayub Khan's military take over in 1958 was the first of many subsequent military dictatorships.

Pakistan's present plight is also because it has allowed itself to be manipulated as a pawn by the US since the Cold War years -- first by joining US-sponsored organisations to ring the USSR, then providing hit men (jihadis) to oust the Soviet-backed regime from Afghanistan. And now it is providing foot soldiers for the American hunt for the al Qaeda.

Again, Pakistan's obsession with Kashmir, which started in 1947 itself, has so dominated its psyche that all other matters of state, such as education, commerce, industry, health and so on have been left unattended. It has even led that country to sponsor terrorist organisations like the LeT, which were supposed to harass India but have now turned on their own masters.

Recent actions by its civil society in boldly coming together to oust a military dictator (Musharraf) and humble a civilian despot (Zardari), seem to offer hope. But it could also be a false dawn. Youth dominates the population mix of Pakistan (37 per cent is under 15).But if these youngsters are constantly fed a Hate India diet they will only end up as recruits for the jihad factories and Pakistan is likely to slide further down the abyss of anarchy.

Source: DNA

Pakistan: Flogging video a conspiracy, 'an attempt to undermine Swat peace deal', says Taliban [Video]

All in all it should have happened behind closed doors, the Taliban spokesman concludes. A clear admission that they would prefer to live in the dark ages in private. The Prophet's punishments!

Islamabad, 3 April (AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - The release of a video showing a 17-year-old girl being brutally flogged in public is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the peace deal signed with the Taliban in Pakistan's troubled northwestern Swat valley, according to North West Frontier Province's information minister, Mian Iftikhar.

video

The shocking two-minute video shows bearded Islamic militants - one of whom is her brother - holding the girl down as she screams out in pain. It was aired Friday on a Pakistani TV channel talk show and inflamed public opinion in the country.

“We were able to acquire peace [in the Swat valley] after a very long time and such media manipulations showing a past event as recent would spoil these efforts and could drag the region once again in turmoil,” Iftikhar told reporters.

He claims he personally visited the Swat valley to investigate the case and that the flogging occurred on 3 January, nearly five weeks before the Swat peace deal was signed on 16 February. Local Islamic courts were established a few days later.

Iftikhar is the leader of the anti-Taliban secular Pashtun Awami National Party, which was targeted by Islamic militants during a bloody two-year conflict with security forces in the Swat valley which ended in February when they signed a controversial peace deal with the NWFP government.

The Taliban have downplayed the video.

“This was an old incident which happened before the Islamic Sharia courts were constituted in the Swat Valley and even before the ceasefire was announced.

"It was not officially done by the Taliban but some Taliban did that in their private capacity,” Taliban spokesperson Haji Muslim Khan told Adnkronos International (AKI).

Khan said the girl's flogging took place while the Taliban was fighting the Pakistani army. "We were not in a position to control each and every event and therefore some lapses happened," he said.

"Nevertheless, one thing was confirmed and that is that the girl was wayward and therefore she should be punished.”

The flogging occurred after a neighbour reportedly claimed the girl had a relationship with a married man.

“Some rules were ignored during the implementation of flogging like, it should be done behind closed doors and not in public," Khan admitted.

Pakistan's chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has ordered Pakistan's interior secretary and the NWFP government to prepare a report on the incident by by Monday.

Pakistan: Taliban blow up state radio station in northwest

Wana, 3 April (AKI) - Suspected Taliban militants on Friday blew up the only radio station in the lawless South Waziristan tribal region, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said, condemning the attack.

Gunmen surrounded state-owned Radio Pakistan Wana, broke down the doors and took away its transmission equipment before blowing up the building, it said.



The attack on Radio Pakistan Wana was almost certainly carried out by Taliban activists but their motive was unknown, said Reporters without Borders.

“Waziristan has clearly become a lawless region not just for ordinary citizens but for journalists in particular,” it added.

The station had already cut back its broadcasts to a minimum because of repeated Taliban harassment and had been avoiding any controversial programming, including music, the watchdog said.

Other state-run radio stations in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan have been intimidated and had their offices ransacked, the watchdog reported.

"We urge the authorities to accept that they have a duty to protect journalists and prevent attacks on the media so that press freedom can be established in the tribal areas,” it said.

Friday's attack was the third on Radio Pakistan Wana since its creation in 2004. The first one came just a few days after it began operating. The second one was in 2006.

Saudis to buy vast tracts of land in Ethiopia, Sudan to produce food

Interesting - new mosques to follow no doubt - along with the most radical form of Islam.

A consortium of five Saudi business men has pledged an investment of $266 million into agricultural projects in Sudan and Ethiopia. The projects will lease land in the two countries to produce food for export to Saudi Arabia. The Ethiopian portion of the deal was reached as part of a wide ranging programme of investments signed by Saudi agriculture minister Fahd Balghunaim and Ethiopian Finance minister Sufian Ahmed.

In Sudan, a Saudi Arabian firm Hail Agricultural Development Cooperation (HADCO) has leased 22,830 acres (roughly the size of the French capital, Paris) in the northern part of the country. The deal worth $45.3 million sees HADCO lease the land for 48 years to grow wheat and corn for export to Saudi Arabia and gives the firm an option to acquire a further 80,940 acres.

The investment deals are part of an initiative by the Saudi Arabian government to secure food security for the Kingdom by acquiring fertile land in neighbouring countries with sole aim of providing food supplies for the country.

This is part of a trend that has seen an increasing amount of “food Security” investments by Asian countries in Africa. In Madagascar the recent coup was triggered by amongst other reasons opposition to the deal between the former government and South Korea to lease land the size of Belgium to the Korean firm Daewoo to grow and export food back to South Korea.

Source: Click Afrique

Denigration of women, hatred, violence: Shari’a Infiltrates German Courts, Schools, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs


By Dr. Sami Alrabaa

Once again a German court ruled by referring to Shrai’a (Islamic law), which predominantly incites to denigration of women, hatred, violence.

Most recently, Lisa, a German woman (46) married to an Egyptian, called the police seeking protection for herself and her 17-year-old daughter from assaults by her husband. Magdi, Lisa’s husband, threatened to kill their daughter who had been raped by a man. Magdi, a practicing Muslim, believes that his daughter committed “Zena” (adultery). He told his wife that he was always suspicious of his daughter who clandestinely had a German boyfriend. Lisa filed a divorce case against her husband, and requested deporting him.

The judge, Matthias Rau, at a court in Hanover, Germany, ruled (Jan. 21, 2009), Lisa had to wait for at least one year before she is legally divorced. Her husband cannot be deported. “He must be re-educated, in hopes he would renounce his Islamic understanding of “Zena”, the judge said.

The German judge argued, “Muslims have a different understanding of rape than Europeans, and this must be taken into account.”

In an interview with a German radio, NDR on Feb. 18, 2009, Rau said, “Shari’a aligns rape to adultery, Zena, and victims – women - are often punished instead of prosecuting the perpetrators and convict them.”

Helmut Wagner, another German judge, this time in Essen, ruled March 2, 2009, Muslim girls in Germany can not be forced to swim in public and learn about the evolution theory at school. The parents of three school girls requested a verdict freeing their daughters from taking part in swimming classes and lessons which teach the evolution theory. Wagner argued, “These things contradict tenets in Islam, the religion of these girls, and hence in light of freedom of religion, the Muslim girls cannot be forced to do or learn things which are incompatible with their religion.”

The Attorney General was indignant. He objected to Wagner’s verdict by saying, “How would this judge rule if a Muslim kills someone who commits apostasy. According to the Koran, he must be killed. Would the judge let the perpetrator free?” The Attorney General cites the Koran which says, “If they (Muslims) turn (their) back (to Islam), then seize them and KILL them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.” (Sura 4, verse 89).

The attorney General added, “In Islam, polygamy is permissible. Should also this be sanctioned in Germany for Muslims? It seems to me that some German judges are more royal than the king and more Catholic than the Pope. Some Arab countries use Western legal codes.”

In another case, the judge, Hans-Dieter Bachmann at a court in Dortmund, also ruled (Feb. 12, 2009), with reference to Shari’a. He said, according to the Koran, a Muslim father can beat his 15-year-old daughter who refuses to wear a headscarf, and he cannot be punished, and quoted the following passage from the Koran, “The men are made responsible for the women, and God has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. The righteous women will cheerfully accept this arrangement, since it is God’s commandment, and honor their husbands during their absence. If you experience rebellion from the women, you shall first talk to them, then (you may use negative incentives like) deserting them in bed, then you may (as a last alternative) beat them.” (Suran 4 on Women).

Numerous cases have now been ruled with reference to Shari’a in Germany. Earlier in 2007, Christa Datz-Winter, a judge in Frankfurt also referred to a passage in the Koran that gives the right to a husband to beat his wife. She procrastinated the divorce of a Moroccan women from her Moroccan husband, Both live in Germany.

Instead of using Paragraph 1565 of the German Federal Law, Datz-Winter preferred to use the hardship criteria as defined in the Koran, and added in her verdict, “Both the wife and the husband are Muslims. In Islam, the husband is allowed to castigate his wife. This fact cannot be ignored, and cultural and religious motives must be considered in this case.”

Andrea Bramsche, a lawyer in Stuttgart, Germany, told the prominent weekly newspaper, Die Zeit on-line, (Feb 19, 2009), “What is going on in German courts? Are we here in Saudi Arabia or Iran? Even some Muslim countries are obviously more secular than we are. Syria, Lebanon, and Tunisia, for example, apply the Napoleon code, and Turkey uses the Swiss code. Besides, would a Saudi judge rule allowing a German to drink alcohol in Saudi Arabia because the Bible allows that?”

The list of passages from the Koran and Hadith, which basically constitute Shari’a, and denigrate women is long. For more details check out “Is Islam a Violent Faith” and “Women in Hadith”.

If German courts opt to use Shari’a in their verdicts then women can be beaten, their testimony is worth half of that of men, they are disallowed to travel alone, they can inherit only half the mount their male relatives get. Women are intellectually deficient. They even cannot fast without their husband’s permission, etc. All these commandments are entailed in Shari’a.

Shari’a has also infiltrated German schools. The head teacher of a secondary school in Detmold permits Muslim pupils who do not want to learn the evolution theory to learn the “creationist theory” as an alternative.

In another school, the head teacher issued instructions to male teachers not to shake hands with Muslim girls after handing over their graduation documents. “This is haram (impermissible) in Islam.” The head teacher said.

Shari’a has also infiltrated the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In an interview with the Egyptian Al Ahram Weekly (Oct. 19, 2008), Gabrielle Linda Guelil, a Muslim Turk, whose real first name is Layla and who dyes her hair blond to look German, and works for this ministry as head of a new section called “Dialogue with the Islamic World”, said, “Through interaction and dialogue with the Muslim world we hope to bridge the gap between cultures and clear up any misunderstandings.”

What kind of “misunderstandings” is Guelil talking about? Are “beating women” and urging Muslims to kill infidels – Christians and Jews – which the Koran, Hadith, and fatwas (edicts) incite to, all “misunderstandings”? This is an insult to the intellect of all sanely-thinking people.

Then Guelil says, “Tolerance must prevail. Respecting other religions is essential.” The question is who is intolerant, Islamists or the rest of the world? Who does not allow non-Muslims build their temples and practice their religions? Is it the West, or Muslim countries, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, the cradle of fanatic Islam? Who set embassies to fire after the Muhammad cartoons? Have you ever heard of a Christian or a Jew setting fire to a mosque? Who is actually intolerant?!

To add insult to injury, Guelil says, “Some Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, enforce the Islamic Shari’a law without making the effort to explain that this law does not necessarily constitute a violation of human rights.”

What should the Saudis explain? How men should beat women and denigrate them? Beating women, denigrating them, and inciting to hatred and violence against non-Muslims do not “constitute a violation of human rights”? This is insane.

Instead of lecturing us about “misunderstandings” and “tolerance”, Guelil should have asked Muslims to be tolerant and renounce violence.

Shari’a is not the “law of Allah”. God is merciful and tolerant. He would never incite to kill human beings and denigrate them. Anyone who claims the opposite is an outlaw and irreligious by all means.

Islam is an Arabic word which means “submission”. There is no room of freedom in Islam. It is full of contradictions. While the Koran says, “There is no compulsion in Islam” (Sura 2, verse 257), it incites to hatred and violence in numerous passages. Muslims who turn their back to Islam are branded as “heretics” and sentenced to death. Check out the above mentioned articles.

Many German apologists, and for that matter many Europeans like the British Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams who endorses Shari’a, argue that Muslims living in the West must have their own law, Shari’a applied next to the mundane law. They justify that by religious freedom which all Western constitutions prescribe.

They also argue that in a bid to integrate migrants of different religious backgrounds, these people must “feel home”. Their religious tenets must be taken into consideration. But how about Western mundane laws and constitutions, do they use the Bible or refer to it? The answer is NO.

At the same time all those apologists do not realize, or rather ignore that Shari’a violates basic human rights.

I believe that apologists who refer to Shari’a and accept its appalling rules do so out of fear of Islamists. The aim is appeasing radical Muslims. Consequently, they make themselves accomplice to those who violate human rights and incite to hatred and violence.

Source: Canadian Free Press

Obama Prague Speech: A World Without Nuclear Weapons [Video]

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Maldives' Jihad Problem: Nine Maldivians arrested in possession of weapons in Waziristan, Pakistan


Sun, sea, sand & Jihad?

After a bomb was set off in the heart of Maldives tourist area - the official excuse was that there were some radical Islamics - from a few mosques - who had travelled to the Middle East and so on and came back with an extreme form of Islam - and you were left with the impression that they were going to sort it out - isolate the group and see that a moderate form of Islam is taught to the Maldivian people - but next we hear they passed a law that requires everyone holding a Maldives passport to be a Muslim - and a Sunni Muslim - and they started - with the help of Arab NGO's to crackdown on non-Muslim material for ex. that were found in the children's library - on one occasion they shut the main library to search for books - most donated - by the UN and other charity groups - that contained - Christian stories for children - and the other non-Islamic material. Now word is that to call someone a Christian - is seen as highly offensive - as well as internet sites promoting Christianity to Maldivians have been blocked. Religious education is now being forced on everyone - and the head of the Islamic affairs is playing with the idea of the death penalty for apostates. Likely the Islamic logic behind all this - is that they are going to show themselves to be Muslim - so the radicals wont attack, and try to impose their form of Islamic law (never mind destroying the country to do it). But what they are going to end up with is a radicalised people - Pakistan did the same - appealed to the Islamist factions - turned a blind eye while children were being taught a radical curriculum in schools - in the hopes that what would evolve is this Islamic peace - what has happened is that the radical factions - were simply enabled by all the appeasement - and now they are poised to take over the country - they already control 20% of Pakistan. Similarly tolerance has effectively been sidelined in the Maldives.

Tourists in the Maldives are easy targets - the Maldives government is hoping to have tourists as well as to impose an extremely form of Islam - the whole gamble could just as easily come unravelled - today to appease the Islamists - they have been given control of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs - tomorrow - the Islamists may be in control of the country - and politicians there are already afraid to challenge them.


More on Maldives' Islamic issues here

Nine Maldivians have been arrested with weapons near the Pakistani-Afghan border, the minister of defence and national security has revealed.

According to Ameen Faisal, none of the detainees had criminal records, but Minivan News has learnt that one, Ali Shafeeq, 25, of R.Kandholhudhoo, had been arrested for his involvement in the bomb blast in September 2007, which injured 12 tourists in Male’s Sultan Park.

He was later cleared of all charges and released.

Addressing press today, Ameen said all nine travelled on three separate flights to Pakistan on various dates between the 27 February and the 1 March.

Two were arrested in Waziristan, the religiously conservative mountain region of northwest Pakistan, on the 11 March and a further six on 12 March. The departure and arrest dates of the ninth person remain unknown.

Faisal added the ministry had not yet discussed a course of action with the Pakistani government.

The news comes two weeks after the South Asian News Agency reported that three Maldivians had been arrested for illegally entering Waziristan.

The region, which borders Afghanistan, is rigorously controlled by armed tribal people and has been described by US President Barack Obama as "the most dangerous place in the world".

“This is very miserable and dangerous issue,” said Ameen. “Because of this, there might be difficulties for Maldivians in travelling abroad.”

The minister said there were no reports of Maldivians being killed in terrorist activities, adding Maldivians usually travel abroad for educational or health reasons.

Yesterday, Ahmed Saleem, the president of the Human Rights Commission Maldives (HRCM), said the commission had received reports about Maldivians enlisting with terrorist organizations and there were a number of dead Maldivians who could be classified as extremists.

“I don't think killing people and going on jihad are allowed in Islam,” said Saleem. Notice the conflicting statements on jihad, the Minister for Islamic Affairs says jihad is 'prescribed' in Islam.

The remaining eight arrested were: Yoosuf Izadhy, 38, of M.Nicosia in Male’, Ahmed Ashraf, 31, of Hdh.Vaikaradhoo; Abdullah Sameer, 38, of Sh. Lhaimagu; Ali Faiz, 31, of Hdh.Vaikaradhoo; Moosa Yoosuf, 30, of L.Kalhaidhoo; Yoosuf Mohammed, 52, L.Kalhaidhoo; Mohammad Zuhree, 28, of Gdh. Dhaandhoo; and Arif Ahmed, whose details are as yet unknown.

After the Sultan park bombing, three Maldivians were sentenced for 15 years in prison in December 2007 after confessed to planting a device to “target, attack and injure non-Muslims, to fulfill jihad”.

Ten Maldivians were wanted by Interpol for their alleged involvement in the attack; some were believed to be hiding out in Pakistan.

One suspect was arrested in mid-January at Male’ International Airport on his return from Pakistan where he has been living since Interpol issued a warrant for his arrest.

Source: Minivan

Jihad is not for Maldivians - even though it is prescribed in Islam: Dr Majeed of Islamic affairs

Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, minister of Islamic affairs has said it is not an obligation for Maldivians to fulfil Jihad even though it is prescribed in Islam, reports Miadhu.

He said Jihad would only be compulsory for Maldivians if the Maldives was under attack.

Speaking to Miadhu Daily, Majeed said there were certain requirements which had to be met before going to Jihad including taking care of children, wives and parents.

He added leaving family for the sake of Jihad was not permitted in all cases, but only against a fully armed enemy. Like the Americans? And not the high paying (non-Muslim) tourist!!

Source: Minivan