Lebanon, Libya, And A Lingering Question

Islam and Politics

30 Mar 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com

Lebanon, Libya, And A Lingering Question

By Rannie Amiri   It took no longer than the announcement that Libya would host this year's Arab League summit in late March for controversy to ensue. One of the League's 22 member states had already threatened to boycott and, some would say, with good cause. It is the one Arab country in which Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi has not dared set foot for the past 32 years. That nation is Lebanon, and the circumstance that eventually led its judiciary to issue a warrant for Qadhafi's arrest was the 1978 disappearance of Imam Moussa al-Sadr. Born in Iran to a Lebanese family, Imam Moussa al-Sadr was a Qum and Najaf-trained philosopher who became one of Lebanon's most revered religious and political figures. Answering the call to become imam of Tyre, he moved to Lebanon in 1960. For the next two decades, his tireless devotion to enfranchising the marginalized Shia population while maintaining respect for, and tranquil relations with, all of Lebanon's confessional groups won him wide praise. Al-Sadr helped redistribute needed resources to the country's underdeveloped and impoverished south. With the institution of an array of social welfare programs, he quickly gained a reputation as a genuine reformer. Al-Sadr became head of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council in 1969, making him de facto leader of this community. In 1974, he founded the "Movement for the Disinherited" which continued to advocate for Shia political and socioeconomic rights. Its armed wing, "The Lebanese Resistance Detachment," became better known by its Arabic acronym, AMAL ("Hope") which persists today as a political party. The complete biography and works of Moussa al-Sadr are beyond the scope of this article. What brings us to the present conflict between Lebanon and Libya however, centers around al-Sadr's 1978 visit to Libya. In August of that year, he and two companions—Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoub and journalist Abbas Badreddine—flew from Beirut to Tripoli, Libya to meet Qadhafi and other government officials. They were never seen or heard from again. It is believed that on orders from Qadhafi, al-Sadr and his two aides were imprisoned and/or murdered. His motivation for doing so remains murky, although he may have regarded al-Sadr as a political or religious rival. Qadhafi denies any knowledge of their fate, saying the three had left Libya for Italy. After Aug. 31, though, no trace of them was found in either country. Other than contending they had departed for Rome, Qadhafi has persistently refused to comment on the matter. In an Oct. 1978 article entitled "An Imam Is Missing," Time recounted that although al-Sadr had flown to Libya to attend ceremonies celebrating Qadhafi's ascent to power, an Alitalia flight was booked in his name the day before those celebrations were scheduled to take place. The crew did not report seeing him on the plane and Italian police found no evidence he had ever been in Rome. As Time reported: "Whatever the explanation of Moussa Sadr's disappearance, troubled Lebanon had lost a potent moderating force in the Imam. As a political as well as spiritual leader of the country's most impoverished community, he had founded technical schools, sports centers and medical clinics for the poor. He had repeatedly attempted to head off bloody sectarian strife." In a recent report from the English language Web site of Lebanon's government-aligned daily An-Nahar (no friend of Amal, Hezbollah, or affiliated parties), it was written: "Sadr was a towering figure in Lebanon as he was trusted by political leaders from across the spectrum. He personified the essence of Lebanon's national unity and many believed that Lebanon could have been spared the agony of Civil War had Sadr been there." Thirty years later, on Aug. 27, 2008, Lebanese courts indicted Qadhafi and six other Libyans on charges of conspiring to kidnap and false imprisonment. In light of Qadhafi's indictment and presumed involvement in al-Sadr's disappearance, there are calls for Lebanon to boycott the upcoming Arab League summit in Tripoli—the same city from which he mysteriously vanished. Both Vice President of the Higher Shia Council, Sheikh Abdul-Amir Qabalan, and Amal head Nabih Berri said Lebanon should not participate until all questions on al-Sadr's fate are fully answered. President Michel Suleiman publicly asked of the Libyan government, "Where are Imam Moussa al-Sadr and his companions? We need to answer this question." Qadhafi has already threatened to expel the 20,000 Lebanese nationals living in Libya and institute other "painful" measures should a boycott take place. This notwithstanding, Lebanon should still boycott the summit. Although nothing of substance has ever emerged from these gatherings, Lebanon has the opportunity to take a powerful stand before it even convenes. For a country that has endured so much in civil strife since the disappearance of Imam Moussa al-Sadr, a boycott would send the message that the lives of great men who uplifted the downtrodden, crossed sectarian lines to promote communal harmony and fought for the wellbeing of the Lebanese people, will not be easily forgotten. Facing Lebanon's empty seat in Tripoli, leaders of the 21 other members of the Arab League would learn a lesson in justice and dignity.   Rannie Amiri is an independent Middle East commentator.   Source: Countercurrents.org   URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamCurrentAffairs_1.aspx?ArticleID=2634

--
Asadullah Syed

Munir Commission Report-Part 19: MR. DAULTANA’S LEAD FOLLOWED BY MOFUSSIL LEAGUES

Books and Documents

30 Mar 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com

Munir Commission Report-Part 19: MR. DAULTANA'S LEAD FOLLOWED BY MOFUSSIL LEAGUES

After the Chief Minister's statement of 6th March several Muslim League organisations in the Province passed resolutions in support of the demands. Thus, on 6th March the Muslim League, Mian Channu, passed a resolution, that a law should be passed to the effect that no person shall use the word nabi in respect of himself and that if he did so, he would be guilty of an offence. On 7th March 1953, the City Muslim League, Wazirabad passed two resolutions, one of which enjoined every councillor to offer financial help "to the local Majlis-i-Amal and to lay down his life, if necessary, in support of the khatm-i-nubuwwat movement. The resolution further declared that the Muslim League as a body shall not interfere with the programme or activities of Majlis-i-Amal. By the second resolution it was decided to inform the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Chief Minister of the Punjab by telegram that the demands of the Majlis-i-Amal should be accepted within three days and that failing that members of the City Muslim League would resign en bloc and would request M. L. As. from their constituencies to start a, movement to canvass support for a no-confidence motion against Chaudhri Zafrullah Khan. By the same resolution the measures taken by Government forcibly to suppress the religious demands of the Musalmans were strongly disapproved. On the same day the City Muslim League, Jalalpur Jattan, passed a resolution supporting the khatm-i-nubuwwat movement without any reservation and the statement made by the Chief Minister on 6th March, and in the light of that statement offered its support to any step taken by him. The resolution stated further that members of the League were waiting for instructions from the high command to take practical steps to achieve their object.   The second resolution called upon the Government to accept the demands of the Majlis-i-Amal as early as possible. On 8th March 1953 the Muslim League, Gakhar, passed three resolutions; the first to the effect that in order to maintain the dignity of the League it was necessary for its members to side with the people and to take part in the khatm-inubuwwat movement; the second expressing the gratitude of the League to Mir Muhammad Bashir, its President who had offered himself for arrest and had appealed to all councillors to do likewise; and the third appointing Hakim Ali contractor as President who would make necessary arrangements to provide volunteers for arrest after the arrest of Mir Muhammad Bashir. The City Muslim League, Kamoke, on 10th March 1953, expressed itself in favour of the demand for the declaration of Ahmadis as a minority and for the removal of Chaudhri Zafrullah Khan.   MR. DAULTANA WITHDRAWS 6TH MARCH STATEMENT   On 10th March 1953, Mr. Daultana made the following announcement:—   "On the 6th of this month, I appealed on behalf of my Ministry and myself, to the people of the Province to help in the maintenance of law and order.   I assured them that my Government would be prepared to open immediate negotiations with the leaders of the Tahaffuz-i-khatm-i-nubuwwat movement, and that my Ministers would place their demands before the Central Government with a recommendation that they should be accepted.   The appeal was made at a time when in Lahore lawless elements were indulging in loot, arson, and dislocation of essential services. The Tahaffuz-i-khatmi-nubuwwat movement was being exploited by disruptive groups inimical to Pakistan in order to subvert authority, to create dissensions among Muslims and to promote disorder with a view to injuring the safety and stability of Pakistan.   The object of my appeal was to ensure that the people of this Province exert themselves in the maintenance of law and order so that the enemies of Pakistan are no longer able, under the cloak of a religious movement, to foment internecine dissension and create lawlessness in order to damage the security of Pakistan. In actual fact, unfortunately, lawlessness has continued in spite of my appeal, and in Lahore Martial Law had to be introduced in order to bring the situation under control.   Under the present circumstances, there can be no question of any negotiations with, or of consideration of the demands of the leaders of the Tahaffuz-ikhatm-i-nubuwwat movement. It is the foremost duty of any Government to ensure that law is obeyed and the lives and property of its citizens are fully protected.   Both the Central and Provincial Governments are resolved to suppress lawlessness wherever it should occur and to maintain law and order in the Province. The Government must suppress the present threat to the safety and integrity of the country by every means at their disposal.   I appeal to the people of this Province to co-operate with the Government in restoring law and order wherever it should be threatend and in ensuring that the enemies of Pakistan are not able to exploit thekhatm-i-nubuwwat question in order to injure the integrity or safety of the country".   The statement was endorsed by the Working Committee of the Punjab Muslim League which in its meeting held on 11th March 1953, declared that the Committee whole-heartedly supported the appeal made to the patriotic people of the Punjab and further directed every worker of the Muslim League in the Punjab to follow faithfully the directions contained in that statement.   SIALKOT   The official account of the course of events at Sialkot is contained in the written statements of Mr. I. U. Khan, Commissioner, Mr. S. N. Alam, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Deputy Commissioner, and Sayyad Abdur Rauf, Superintendent of Police, and the deposition of Lt.-Col. Khushi Muhammad. We held some sittings at Sialkot and recorded a good deal of non-official evidence after Mr. Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the Deputy Commissioner, against whom there were some complaints by the public, had been transferred.   Since Mr. Mazhar Ali Azhar led a batch of Ahrar volunteers into Jammu in connection with the Kashmir agitation in 1931, Sialkot has always been a directive centre of the Ahrar. It has also been an important Ahmadi centre, being next only to Qadian.   The first important incident in the Ahrar-Ahmadiya controversy occurred here when one Ghulam Muhammad Shah made a violent public speech against the Ahmadis for which he was convicted under section 295-A, I. P. C., on 30th November, 1936. The controversy continued in one form or the other till 1949, but no major incident took place during these years. On 26th November, 1949, a Tabligh Conference was convened by the Ahrar with a view to criticising the attitude of the Ahmadis before the Boundary Commission. In reply the Ahmadis held a meeting of their own on 15th January, 1950, to explain their position. While this meeting was in progress, the Ahrar raised a row and a boy was stabbed. The District Magistrate promulgated an order under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prohibiting meetings for a week. In November 1951 the Ahmadis intended to hold their usual annual session, but in view of the prevailing feeling they were persuaded by the District authorities to put it off. The session was actually held in November 1952 in the Ahmadis' own jalsagah, but the Ahrar threw brickbats on the audience.   By February, 1952, the Ahrar had succeeded in Consolidating popular opinion against the Ahmadis. The agitation against the Ahmadis now took the form of Tahaffuz-ikhatm-i-nubuwwat and the All Muslim Parties Convention was held in this town on 21st July, 1952. After this convention the Tahaffuz-i-khatm-i-nubuwwat movement became more popular and began to attract religious preachers from all sects. The movement daily gained strength and every Friday sermon in mosques became a diatribe against the Ahmadis, and the three demands began to be vigorously pressed. On 20th July, 1952, the Chief Minister made a speech on the occasion of the District Muslim League Convention at Pasrur in which he declared that he "fully endorsed the khatm-i-nubuwwat movement provided the law and order was not threatened". In October, 1952, Maulvi Bashir Ahmad Khatib Jami' Masjid, Pasrur, Karamat Ali Shah and Manzur Ahmad made provocative speeches against the Ahmadis on the occasion of Urs Gullu Shah. Action against them was recommended by the District Magistrate under section 21 of the Punjab Public Safety Act but Government did not agree. In November, 1952, another All Muslim Parties Conference was held in which the three demands were reiterated with added vigour. The Provincial Government had now realised the extent and intensity of the Ahrar-Ahmadiya controversy, and issued a series of general directions in the matter to District Magistrates. The purport of these instructions was that for actionable speeches only prosecutions should be launched and that arrests should not be made in mosques, nor assemblies in the mosques dispersed. Another direction confined action only to Ahrar and Ahmadis. The result, therefore, was that non-Ahrar maulvis felt themselves free to carry on anti-Ahmadi propaganda from the pulpit of every mosque.   An Action Committee was formed in this district on the advice of the Punjab Majlis-i-Amal. This Committee began to enlist razakars and collect funds. An intensive propaganda was carried on by Sahibzada Faiz-ul-Hasan who addressed a series of meetings in the district. On 20th February, 1953, several thousand men gathered for Juma prayers in the Jinnah Park, and were addressed by Maulvi Muhammad Ali Kandhalvi, Professor Khalid Mahmud, Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub and Maulvi Fazal Haq. Pamphlets and booklets against Ahmadi tenets were sold and thousands of rupees collected by the sale of eight-anna tickets.   In accordance with the decisions taken in Karachi on the morning of 27th February, 1953, the Home Secretary sent a wireless message to the District Magistrate directing the arrest of Qazi Manzur Ahmad and Wali Muhammad Jarnail. On 1st March, 1953, the city observed a complete hartal and a mob of about 10,000 people assembled at the railway station to see off the first batch of volunteers leaving for Karachi under the leadership of Maulvi Muhammad Yusuf, to offer their services for direct action. The mob had paraded in the streets, shouting anti-Ahmadi slogans and abusing Government, particularly the Prime Minister. The mob was so unruly that it delayed the train and also damaged windows of some carriages. Some of the men boarded the train with the volunteers and alighted at Narowal. On their return journey they stopped trains, looted station vendors and damaged sugarcane crops along the railway line.   On 2nd March 1953, the District Magistrate received secret D. O. letter No. 2514-29-BDSB, dated 28th February, 1953, conveying the decision of Government that the agitation was to be dealt with firmly. He called a Police-Magistrate meeting and decided:—   (1) to arrest nine ringleaders of the agitation under section 3 of the Punjab Public Safety Act on. the night of 2nd/3rd March (Approval of the Home Secretary to this step was obtained over the telephone);   (2) that persons who offered themselves for arrest should be taken in custody, removed to some far off place and dropped there; and   (3) that the military should be requested to stand by. On the evening of 2nd March, 1953, a very large meeting was held in Ram Tulai, which was addressed by Maulvi Sultan Mahmud, Professor Khalid Mahmud, Maulvi Habib Ahmad and Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub. The tone of the speeches delivered was plainly anti-Government, and Professor Khalid Mahmud warned Khwaja Nazim-ud-Din that he would meet the same fate as Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan,. It was announced that two batches of volunteers would be sent to Karachi on the following day.   Maulvi Muhammad Husain, Maulvi Muhammad Ali Kandhalvi, Muhammad Sadiq son of Bhola, Maulvi Habib Ahmad, Abdul Ghafur Butt and Bashir Ahmad son of Chiragh Din, were arrested on the night of 2nd/3rd March. On the morning of 3rd March, 1953, small crowds appeared in the streets, though the military and the police were patrolling. The crowds had a defiant attitude, but they were dispersed, some by the army and some by the police under the orders of the Additional District Magistrate. When the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police reached Dar-ush-Shahabia at about 10-15 a.m. they saw a huge crowd collected inside the building and on. the roofs of the surrounding houses, all shouting anti-Government slogans, When asked to disperse, they closed the door of the Shahabia from inside. On this the District Magistrate declared the assembly as unlawful and directed Mr. Khalil-ur-Rahman, Assistant Superintendent of Police, and Khwaja Iqbal Ahmad, Magistrate, to disperse them. Mr. Khalil-ur-Rahman, when he entered the building, discovered that his service revolver bad been removed by someone from the holster. However, he and Khwaja Iqbal Ahmad succeeded in arresting four persons who wore garlands, one of them being Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub who could not be arrested on the night of 2nd/3rd March. After the arrests the crowd again climbed on the roofs of the Dar-ush-Shahabia and the adjoining buildings and began throwing brickbats from behind the parapets, driving the police behind some vehicles that were parked on the road in front of Dar-ush-Shahabia. The shower of brickbats resulted in injuries to the District Magistrate, the Superintendent of Police and the Assistant Superintendent of Police. One Sub-Inspector was stabbed. After a warning was given but not heeded, the District Magistrate ordered the police to open fire. The crowd, however, continued to throw brickbats from behind the parapets.   At this stage another crowd suddenly appeared on the road from behind the Darush-Shahabia and rushed on the police showering brickbats. They were ordered to disperse, but since they continued throwing bricks, the police was ordered to open fire.   The crowd then receded and one man was found dead, the number of rounds fired being twenty-one. The dead body was picked up by the police, but the swelling mob overflowed the police and snatched away the dead body and Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub from custody. The situation went completely out of control and was, therefore, handed over to the military under the command of Lt.-Col. Khushi Muhammad of the 8th Punjab Regiment. The mob besieged the civil officers who were driven into a blind lane from where they managed to get on the roof of a house in the lane where shortly afterwards was brought Ghulam Hasan, A. S. I. who had been stabbed in the stomach and deprived of his revolver. In the meantime the mob set fire to two police vehicles and the jeep of the District Magistrate. The Municipal Fire Brigade was requisitioned, but this was also burnt. At this stage information was received that the mob was going to burn the District Courts Building, the Police Office and other public buildings. The District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police managed to get out and take a guard with them from the Police Lines to protect the public buildings, including the State Bank building.   While the Dar-ush-Shahabia incident was in progress, another crowd was encountered by the City Inspector and the City Magistrate near Chowk Sant Singh in Rangpura, which was heading for Dar-ush-Shahabia. The mob was stopped but it became violent and caused injuries to the City Magistrate, the City Inspector, A. S. I. Sana Ullah and a head constable. The military, however, came to their assistance and saved them from further harm.   By midday the crowd had assumed immense proportions and started attacking police constables on traffic duty. It then formed itself into a procession and went on parading the dead body of the man who had been killed at Dar-ush-Shahabia. It went to the City Muslim League office where the library was looted. Khwaja Muhammad Safdar, M.L.A., President of the City Muslim League, was brought out of his office and taken through the streets with a blackened face. He was, however, rescued by Col. Khushi Muhammad. The procession then marched to Jinnah Park where about 50,000 persons offered funeral prayers for the dead man under the leadership of Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub. Of course the Maulvi delivered a suitable funeral oration.   The Commissioner, having been informed of the situation by telephone, arrived the same evening. The District Magistrate had imposed a 24-hour curfew from 1 p. m. On 3rd to 1 p.m. on 4th, but since owing to shortage of police and military force it could not be enforced, the Commissioner modified it by changing the hours from 10 p. m. to 4-30 a.m. The same evening one Abdul Haye Qureshi, who was a non-Ahmadi bat had dissuaded the mob from indulging in violence, was beaten and his house ransacked. Public meetings and processions were banned on the 4th March by an order under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. On this day the Direct Action Committee shifted its operations from the Dar-ush-Shahabia to the mosque of Maulvi Nur Husain which is situate near the Tehsil and Police Station Sadr. A large mob which was on its way to that mosque, was intercepted and halted. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the District Magistrate ordered the mob to disperse, but it rushed at the officers. The police was ordered to lathi-charge the crowd but this provoked a shower of brickbats from the surrounding houses. Mr. Khalil-ur-Rahman, Assistant Superintendent of Police, sustained a serious head wound and a police van was damaged. The situation was, therefore handed over to the military who opened fire and brought it under control.   Shortly afterwards a mob re-assembled in front of the mosque. The military officers argued with them and requested them to disperse, and finding that this had no effect, pulled a tape across the street as a barrier, warning the crowd not to advance beyond it. But somebody snipped the tape and burnt the Army Flag, and some persons flourishing swords and knives began to dance and advance towards the barrier. The military, under the orders of Brigadier A. K. Akbar, opened fire and four persons were killed and ten wounded. There is an amusing episode in the incident just mentioned. Let Lt.-Col.   URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamBooksAndDocuments_1.aspx?ArticleID=2633

--
Asadullah Syed

OBJECTIVES RESOLUTION AND SECULARISM--PART III

Urdu Section

30 Mar 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com

OBJECTIVES RESOLUTION AND SECULARISM--PART III

By Wajahat Masood On September 1, 1947, Shabbir Ahmad Usmani had issued a press release whose every word was a reply to the speech delivered by the Qaid-e-Azam in the Legislative Assembly on August 11, 1947 just 20 days ago. Some sentences are reproduced here: " I want to make it very clear that this resounding victory of Qaid-e-Azam ( the establishment of Pakistan) owes to the discipline and restraint of the Muslims. Muslims are religious by nature and the basis of the Two-nation Theory is also religion. If the Muslim ulema-e-deen (religious scholars) had not joined this movement lending it a religious hue, Qaid-e-Azam or any other leader with however great diplomatic abilities or even the Muslim League would not have been able to generate such degree of passion among the Muslims. Nonetheless, with the joint efforts of the ulema-e-deen and the Muslim leaders, the Muslims woke up and agreed upon one objective. We should now necessarily put all our efforts to prepare the Constitution of Pakistan by keeping before us the natural and universal principles of Islam as they are the sole remedy for the current malady. If we failed to do so, then the western democracy will pervade with all its vices and the destructive nationalism will replace the internationalism of Islam." Qaid-e-Azam had said in his speech, " In course of time (in Pakistan) the Hindus will cease to remain Hindus and the Muslims will cease to remain Muslims, not with reference to religion as it is an issue of the personal belief of each individual, but in political terms as citizens of the state." Therefore, as a nut in the hands of the anti-democracy lobby in politics, Maulvi Shabbir Ahmad Usmani made it a point to quip, "I want that every Muslim remains a Muslim and every Hindu remains a Hindu even in the most adverse situations." Addressing the American people on the radio on February 1, 1948, Qaid-e-Azam said clearly, "However, it is obvious that Pakistan will not be a religious country where the mullahs will have the authority to rule in the light of religious objectives. A sizeable population of our country is non-Muslim, such as Hindu, Christian, Parsi etc. but they are all Pakistanis. They will have the same rights and privileges as given to other citizens and they will get an equal opportunity to play their role in the national affairs of Pakistan." On February 19,1948, in a broadcast speech for the Australian people, Qaid-e-Azam announced in no uncertain terms that there would be no place for mullaism in Pakistan. Now it can be pointed out that the founder of Pakistan says, " the mullahs will have no authority to rule in the light of religious objectives" but after the death of Qaid-e-Azam, the Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan while addressing the Legislative Assembly on March 12, 1949 said, "the state should not play the role of neutral observer where the Muslims will merely have the right to assert and practice their faith because practically the state will adopt such policy as will negate the very doctrines on which the state of Pakistan was demanded. The neutrality of the state in religious affairs is secularism. If the state assumes the responsibility of imposing religion, then the dominance of religious leadership becomes inevitable. Now the issue was raised as to what were the concepts which led to the demand of Pakistan. The question could be answered from two angles. One angle of the demand for Pakistan was purely political and legal. The Political leadership was aware of the fact but it did not try to clarify that the political demand was being presented to the Muslims in religious 'sugar-coat'. For the last 60 years a line of the poem composed by an educationist from Sialkot, Asghar Saudai "Pakistan ka matlab kya, La ilaha illallah" has been presented to the nation in such a way as if it formed the basis of the Muslim League's policy. Now let's have a look on the testimony presented by Malik Ghulam Nabi (the former minister for education, Punjab). He was a close associate of Qaid-e-Azam and a member of Muslim League Council. On page no. 106 of his book "Kissa ek sadi ka"(The chronicle of a century) he writes: "The first conference of All Pakistan Muslim League Council in Pakistan was held under the presidentship of Qaid-e-Azam in the Dena Hall, Karachi on December 14, 1947. In the conference, a bearded man came up and said to Qaid-e-Azam, "We had told people, Pakistan ka matlab kya, La ilaha illallah," Qaid-e-Azam said, "Please sit down, neither I nor the working council of All India Muslim League has passed a resolution adopting 'Pakistan ka matlab kya, la ilaha illallah. Albeit you must have raised this slogan to garner votes." Qaid-e-Azam was not deviating from his original stance because in his mind the Political system of Pakistan was a democratic secular one. In an interview with the representative of the Reuters, Doll Campbell, he had said, "The new state will be a modern democratic state in which the people will be the source of power. Each citizen of the new nation will enjoy equal rights free from any discrimination on the basis of religion, caste or creed." In this regard we can also get the testimony of Maulana Ghulam Rasool Meher. The maulana was a scholar, researcher and journalist and was the editor of the daily Inquilab. He was also one of the delegates of the Round Table Conference. In his letter to Ashiq Hussain Batalwi after the formation of Pakistan, he writes: "In my view, what Qaid-e-Azam meant by 'Two-nation theory' was that the majority in each area had the right to rule. That is, the demand was not that all the Muslims should be segregated without exceptions. If that were the case, Qaid-e-Azam would be compelled to bring all the Muslims to Pakistan from different areas. In politics, sometimes different affairs are presented in an exaggerated form to impress upon their importance. Qaid-e-Azam was never convinced by the meaning of the 'two-nation theory' as understood by the common man and the leaders. However, Pakistani leaders have always suffered from exaggeration and disarray of thoughts after Qaid-e-Azam, and are still suffering. URL: http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=2635

--
Asadullah Syed

26/11 suspect Rana not to plead guilty

Islamic World News

30 Mar 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com

26/11 suspect Rana not to plead guilty

Somali pirates hijack 8 boats with 120 Indians From Afghanistan to Arakans, militants converge on Dhaka Be alert, says Hasina after tip-off on threat to her life Defence ministry report blasts Pak for letting terror camps flourish Snubbed S M Krishna drops Iran visit India to contact US for Headley's credit card bills 'Moscow bombers could be linked to AfPak terror network' 123 Agreement indicates deeper ties with India: US Pakistan and India disagree over power project Suicide bombers kill four in Tank, Bajaur Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik to wed Sania Mirza Congress asks Amitabh to clarify position on Modi Israel restricts access to Al-Aqsa mosque Six Iraq election winners face ban for Baath links Afghanistan's ex-minister faces arrest for corruption Somalis protest against Al Qaeda-linked militants Half of Police encounters in India are fake, says NHRC 'My son was not a Jihadi', says father of the suspect killed in fake encounter Qaddafi: Nigeria should split along ethnic lines 9 US Christian militia members charged in police-killing plot Moscow bombings: Blasts could trigger a fresh wave of vengeful violence in Caucasus Hindu-Muslim clashes injure scores in India Turkey makes case against sanctions on Iran Prominent Iraqi politicians fail to win seats Israel to allow clothes, shoes into Gaza Compiled by Akshay Kumar Ojha URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2636 ------ 26/11 suspect Rana not to plead guilty Mar 30, 2010 Chicago: Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana, charged for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks, will not change his 'not guilty plea' and will go ahead for a trial, the process for which will start only after September, his lawyer said on Monday. Rana, wearing the orange prison jumspsuit, appeared before US Judge Harry Leinenweber in US District court in Chicago where federal prosecutors set out dates till September to produce and handle classified information and evidence in the case. http://ibnlive.in.com/world/ ------ Somali pirates hijack 8 boats with 120 Indians Mar 30, 2010 Somali pirates have hijacked around eight boats with nearly 120 Indian sailors on Tuesday in the biggest-ever hijacking bid. TV channels said the hijacked boats have been traced near Seychelles. Sources said the Indian sailors were sailing from Somalia to Dubai [ Images ]. Most of the sailors hail from Gujarat, sources said. The Indian Navy has confirmed the hijack and said they were working to contact the pirates and free the Indians. http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/mar/30/somali-pirates-hijack-8-boats-with-120-indians.htm ------ Kidnapped Iran diplomat 'freed in Pakistan' 30 March 2010 An Iranian diplomat taken hostage in Pakistan in 2008 has been freed and returned to Iran, according to Iranian diplomatic sources. Gunmen seized Heshmatollah Attarzadeh as he drove to work at the Iranian consulate in Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar in November 2008. Mr Attarzadeh was the commercial attache at the consulate. His abduction came amid a surge of violence in the region and a wave of attacks blamed on Islamist militants. "He has been freed," Abbas Ali Abdullahi, head of the Iranian consulate in Peshawar, was quoted as telling Reuters news agency. "It's confirmed that he has reached Iran." Mr Abdullahi gave no further details of how Mr Attarzadeh's freedom was secured. The Iranian News Network Channel (IRINN) reported that Iranian agents had freed Mr Attarzadeh "in a complicated intelligence operation" and returned him safely to Iran. There has been no official Pakistani comment on the incident. 'Terrorist act' Mr Attarzadeh was seized and his guard killed after gunmen sprayed the car in which they travelling with bullets. Iran's foreign ministry condemned the kidnapping as "a terrorist act" and summoned Pakistan's ambassador to discuss the incident. The abduction came during a wave of attacks and abductions of foreign workers in the area, close to Pakistan's lawless tribal areas. Areas close to Peshawar - the biggest city in north-west Pakistan - are known to be Taliban and al-Qaeda strongholds. Last November, a Pakistani who worked at Iran's Peshawar consulate was shot dead at his home in the city. Correspondents say that Iranian diplomats and nationals have been targeted in predominantly Sunni Pakistan since the 1990s amid Shia-Sunni sectarian tensions. Bilateral relations have been strained since predominantly Shia-Iran said Pakistan-based agents were involved in a suicide bombing in south-east Iran last October which killed 42 people. The attack was blamed on the Sunni resistance group, Jundullah. Last month, Iranian authorities arrested Jundullah's leader, Abdolmalek Rigi and are reportedly holding him in eastern Iran. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8594308.stm ------ From Afghanistan to Arakans, militants converge on Dhaka Mar 30, 2010 At least 15 foreign militant organisations were active or are still operating in Bangladesh since 1991 using the country as a safe haven or transit point to infiltrate India and other neighbouring countries, those nabbed have confessed. The outfits who found access in Bangladesh are based in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Myanmar, using fake passports, engaging in militancy and funding their operations partly by printing fake Indian rupees and US dollars. The statements of detained militants also reveal agents of 'a Pakistani intelligence agency not only coordinated the militants' activities in Bangladesh but also provided them with necessary funds and training,' The Daily Star newspaper said quoting official sources. Statements of several detained foreign and local militants have been recorded by different Bangladeshi intelligence and law-enforcement agencies dealing with militancy, the newspaper said Tuesday. Full report at: http://www.bangladeshnews.net/story/617943 ------ Be alert, says Hasina after tip-off on threat to her life Mar 30, 2010 Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered security agencies to be on high alert after a tip-off by Indian and other foreign intelligence agencies on a possible threat to her life and to sensitive installations in the country. She told her colleagues at the cabinet meeting Monday evening that besides a possible attack on her, government buildings, radio and television centres as well as power, gas and water supply plants could also face sabotage. 'I have information that war criminals might try to carry out attacks on me, or carry out other subversive acts to foil the trial. But I am not scared, since only the Almighty Allah preserves the right to give or take a life,' Hasina was quoted as saying by a cabinet member after the meeting. Full report at: http://www.bangladeshnews.net/story/617691 ------ Defence ministry report blasts Pak for letting terror camps flourish Mar 30, 2010 NEW DELHI: With Pakistan not taking any concrete action to dismantle the anti-India terror infrastructure operating on its soil, New Delhi has held that 'meaningful dialogue' with Islamabad 'is possible only in an environment free of terror or threat of terror'. Even as security forces in J&K brace for 'a hot summer' in terms of infiltration and terrorism, the ministry of defence's latest annual report has blasted Islamabad for letting terror-training camps to flourish in Pakistan and PoK. The Army, in fact, estimates the 42 or so camps house 2,000 to 2,500 trained militants, with around 400 well-armed terrorists waiting in 'launch pads' along the LoC to infiltrate into J&K as the snow in the mountain passes melts further. As for China, the MoD report said India was "conscious and alert" about Beijing's military modernisation and the massive development of infrastructure in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and adjoining areas, and was taking steps to counter them. The report, however, comes down heavily on Pakistan. Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Defence-ministry-report-blasts-Pak-for-letting-terror-camps-flourish/articleshow/5740911.cms ------ Snubbed S M Krishna drops Iran visit Sachin Parashar Mar 30, 2010 NEW DELHI: India's attempts to step up engagement with Iran on crucial regional issues, including Afghanistan, appear to have suffered a setback, with foreign minister S M Krishna calling off his visit to Tehran at the last moment amid signs of indifference on the part of the hosts. Krishna decided not to go after the Iranians abruptly changed dates twice. It is not known if the visit will take place in the near future. Sources revealed that Krishna reacted to Iran's wriggling out of the dates it had intimated to India for the second time by saying prior commitments prevented him from making the visit. India refrained from taking issue with Iran, but sources said that Tehran's fickleness over the dates could result from a possible reluctance on Iran's part after India took a stand favouring International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolutions against it for pressing ahead with its nuclear programme. Manmohan's Iran visit also on hold Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Snubbed-S-M-Krishna-drops-Iran-visit/articleshow/5740629.cms ------ India to contact US for Headley's credit card bills Mar 30, 2010 NEW DELHI: Indian agencies are planning to contact US banks to find out the identities of those who picked up the international credit card bills of American terrorist David Coleman Headley during his terror mission. Though the FBI has shared some details with National Investigation Agency (NIA) while referring to Headley's co-accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana's company — World Immigration Service — as one of the funding sources which also provided him a cover for his jihadi mission, it is not yet clear who picked up his international credit card bills in the US. "Headley will also be asked for details during interrogation once we get access to him," said an official, adding India would send "a letter to the US by the end of this week" seeking direct access. The letter, to be sent by the home ministry to the US department of justice seeking dates for direct access to Headley, has been finalized. Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-to-contact-US-for-Headleys-credit-card-bills/articleshow/5740916.cms ------ 'Moscow bombers could be linked to AfPak terror network' Mar 30, 2010 MOSCOW: Plotters of the twin suicide blast at Moscow subway stations that killed several people could have links with the terror network based in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, Russia said on Tuesday. The deadly blasts in the subway could have been organised with support from abroad, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said. "I do not rule this out, nothing can be ruled out here," he said. The minister said that Moscow "is well informed about the so-called no-man's land on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan," where "the terrorist underground has entrenched itself". Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Moscow-bombers-could-be-linked-to-AfPak-terror-network/articleshow/5741155.cms ------ 123 Agreement indicates deeper ties with India: US Mar 30, 2010 The state department said the arrangements would "enable Indian reprocessing of US-obligated nuclear material under the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards." "Completion of these arrangements will facilitate participation by US firms in India's rapidly expanding civil nuclear energy sector," it said. The advanced consent granted India to reprocess spent fuel of US origin and fuel burned in American-supplied civilian reactors is just the third such agreement reached by the US with another country. The US previously granted similar rights only to the European consortium the European Atomic Energy Community and Japan [ Images ]. Although the US has 123 Agreements with China, Brazil [ Images ], Indonesia, South Korea and 16 other countries, these countries, even though being a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty -- which India is not -- have not been accorded similar consent as to India. Full report at: news.rediff.com/report/2010/mar/30/somali-pirates-hijack-8-boats-with-120-indians.htm ------ Pakistan and India disagree over power project By Ahmad Fraz Khan Mar 30, 2010 LAHORE: Pakistan and India failed to end differences over the design criteria of the Nimoo Bazgo power project on the second day of their talks here on Monday. Pakistan Indus Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah termed the deadlock unfortunate and said that the issue would be discussed again on Tuesday and after that the two sides might take up the Chutak power plant. Talking to newsmen, leaders of both delegations expressed their resolve to implement the Indus Basin Water Treaty in letter and spirit. Indian Indus Comissioner G. Aranga Nathan said that his country was committed to the treaty and designed all power projects by following the criteria permitted in it. On Monday, both sides locked horns over the design of the Nimoo Bazgo project. The Pakistani side said that the "current project design is aimed at maximising manipulatable water space". Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/pakistan-and-india-fail-to-end-differences-over-power-project-030 ------ Suicide bombers kill four in Tank, Bajaur Mar 30, 2010 TANK/KHAR, March 29: Four people were killed and 10 others injured in two suicide attacks, one in Tank and the other in Bajaur tribal region on Monday. In Tank, four burqa-clad militants opened fire at the office of pro-government tribal leader Misbahuddin Mehsud. One of the attackers managed to enter the office and blew himself up, killing two people and injuring two others. The deceased were identified as Munawar and Shah Wali. Malik Taj, the chief of Mamond tribe, and Akbar Khan were going home after attending a jirga in Lagharai when a boy approached their vehicle and detonated the explosives wrapped to his body. They were taken to the agency headquarters hospital in Khar where they died. Eight people were injured in the attack and, according to doctors. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/suicide-bombers-kill-four-in-tank,-bajaur-030 ------ Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik to wed Sania Mirza By Mohammad Yaqoob Mar 30, 2010 LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik is engaged to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and the two will soon be tying the knot, leading television channels in India and Pakistan reported on Monday. While reports about the engagement started doing rounds since early evening, Sania's father Imran Mirza, a former sports journalist, confirmed the news to a leading Indian channel, Aaj Tak, while speaking from Hyderabad Deccan later in the evening. A few channels also quoted Sania's agents as confirming the development, which took many by surprise. According to the channel, Shoaib's mother met Sania's parents in India and sought their consent for making Sania her daughter-in-law. In Sialkot, Malik's family sources confirmed the news and disclosed that date for the wedding would be decided in the first week of April. The valima reception is likely to be held in Lahore in mid-April. Malik, serving a one-year ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board, is currently in Sharjah for the Bangladesh League. Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/shoaib-malik-to-wed-sania-mirza-030 ------ Congress asks Amitabh to clarify position on Modi Mar 30, 2010 NEW DELHI, March 29: Congress on Monday asked Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan whether he endorses Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's 'role' in the 2002 pogrom or condemns it."Does he (Amitabh) condemn the role of Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom or he endorses it?...What does he say about the Gujarat massacre and fake encounters that took place since Modi took over," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari asked at a briefing here. His salvo at the brand ambassador of Gujarat (Amitabh Bachchan) came after Modi hit out at Congress, saying those opposing Bachchan were "Taliban of untouchability". Tewari said "if he (Bachchan) is sensible and right-thinking, he will come out strongly against it (the riots)". Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/congress-asks-amitabh-to-clarify-position-on-modi-030 ------ Israel restricts access to Al-Aqsa mosque Mar 30, 2010 JERUSALEM, March 29: Israel curbed on Monday travel from the West Bank and access to Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound as Jews began to celebrate Passover holidays amid raised tension with the Palestinians. Four Israeli rightwing activists were briefly detained when they tried to make their way to the Old City in annexed east Jerusalem with two goats intended for ritual slaughter, police said. A Passover animal sacrifice near the mosque compound in the Old City would likely have been perceived by Muslims as a challenge to the tense status quo of the site and could have sparked unrest. In a separate incident at the checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, a small group of Palestinians hurled stones at Israeli security forces, who responded by firing stun grenades. Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/israel-restricts-access-to-alaqsa-mosque-030 ------ Six Iraq election winners face ban for Baath links Mar 30, 2010 BAGHDAD, March 29: Six candidates who won parliamentary seats at Iraq's elections face losing them just days after results were announced, the body charged with barring Saddam Hussein loyalists said on Monday. At least one of the six is a member of former prime minister Iyad Allawi's secular Iraqiya bloc, which came first in the March 7 poll. The six were among a group of more than 50 names initially put forward as parliamentary hopefuls earlier this month to replace candidates previously barred by the Justice and Accountability Committee (JAC). "On March 3, the election commission presented 54 names to replace those who had been banned" by the JAC for their alleged links to Saddam's Baath Party, said the body's executive director Ali al-Lami. Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/six-iraq-election-winners-face-ban-for-baath-links-030 ------ Afghanistan's ex-minister faces arrest for corruption Mar 30, 2010 KABUL, March 29: Afghan authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a former minister accused of corruption and are seeking his extradition from Britain following reports of his detention, a prosecutor said. Mohammad Siddiq Chakari, a former minister for Haj and religious affairs, is accused of taking bribes from a foreign catering company during last year's Haj pilgrimage, Afghanistan's deputy attorney general Fazil Ahmad Faqiryar told AFP. If confirmed, it would be the highest profile arrest in Afghanistan's efforts to fight graft, with the attorney general's office saying to 17 ministers are under investigation for alleged involvement in corruption. The warrant against Chakari was issued after he defied an order not to leave the country without permission, Faqiryar said. Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/afghanistans-exminister-faces-arrest-for-corruption-030 ------ Somalis protest against Al Qaeda-linked militants 30 Mar, 2010 MOGADISHU, March 29: Hundreds of women and children marched through the rubble-strewn streets of Somalia's capital to protest against Al Qaeda-linked militants on Monday, officials said. The protesters, clad in white Somali traditional clothing and chanting "Down with Al Shabab," were angered after members of the extremist group dug up graves of venerated clerics over the last week. They also protested the influx of foreign fighters to Somalia, said Mohyadin Hassan Afrah, who heads Mogadishu's civil society umbrella group that helped organise the march. Full report at: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/somalis-protest-against-al-qaedalinked-militants-030 ------ Half of Police encounters in India are fake, says NHRC From Christina Palmer Mar 30, 2010 New Delhi—Of the 2,560 police encounters reported between 1993 and 2009, nearly half of them were found to be fake, according to the National Human Rights Commission. In response to a series of Right to Information (RTI) queries by Delhi-based activist Afroz Sahil, the commission has stated that "out of 2,560 cases, 1,224 cases were found to be of fake encounters". The reply shows that nearly every second police encounter in different parts of the country during the last 16 years turned out to be fake. Sahil filed RTI applications continuously between 2008 and 2009 with the human rights watchdog to get the information. Responding to his first application, the commission said on October 20, 2008: "As per record available with the Commission, so far 2,560 cases of police encounter/fake encounter have come up before the NHRC. The commission has so far granted compensation in 16 cases of alleged fake encounters." The panel, however, did not answer a question on the number of fake encounters. Not satisfied, Sahil appealed for more information. A month later, the commission stated :"In addition to the earlier reply, it is submitted that of the 16 cases in which certain acts of omission/commission resulting in human rights violations on the part of public servants were found, eight of them are still under consideration." Full report at: http://dailymailnews.com/0310/30/FrontPage/FrontPage1.htm ------ 'My son was not a Jihadi', says father of the suspect killed in fake encounter Mar 30, 2010 New Delhi—Mohammad Ameen is a proud father today, though his son is long dead and buried. What has changed for the 55-year-old from Sanjarpur village in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh is a response to a Right to Information plea that his son, Atif Ameen, may not be an Indian Mujahideen terrorist on the suspicion of which he was gunned down in the controversial Batla House encounter on September 19, 2008. Vindicated: Mohammad Ameen says the autopsy report of Atif, revealed by an RTI plea, proves that his son was innocent According to the autopsy report, which was revealed after an RTI plea, the bullet wounds on the body of Atif — who was a Jamia Millia Islamia student and used to put up with his friends at the L-18 Jamia Nagar suggest that the allegations of him being killed in a gunfight might be wrong. But Mohammad Ameen is concerned only about the fact that now nobody would dare call his son a terrorist. "No report can bring back my dead son. But it has at least rendered some authenticity to our claim about his innocence," he told and Indian newspaper MidDay. The sudden death of his young son has taken its toll on him but Mohammad Ameen remains resolute to restore Classified no more Full report at: http://dailymailnews.com/0310/30/FrontPage/FrontPage3.php ------ Qaddafi: Nigeria should split along ethnic lines Mar 30, 2010 TRIPOLI: Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi suggested Monday that Nigeria be split along ethnic lines, like Yugoslavia, into several mini-states as a way of resolving violence in Africa's most populous nation. Qaddafi drew Nigeria's anger last week by saying the oil-rich nation should be divided into Muslim and Christian nations along the model of the 1947 partitioning of the Indian subcontinent, which led to the independence of India and Pakistan. In those comments, he told a group of African student leaders in Tripoli that the violence in Nigeria was symptomatic of a "deep-rooted conflict of a religious nature" and required a radical solution. On Monday, Qaddafi said that wasn't radical enough. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article36581.ece ------ 9 US Christian militia members charged in police-killing plot By COREY WILLIAMS & DEVLIN BARRETT Mar 30, 2010 DETROIT: Nine suspects tied to a Midwest Christian militia that was preparing for the Antichrist were charged with conspiring to kill police officers, then attack a funeral using homemade bombs in the hopes of killing more law enforcement personnel, federal prosecutors said Monday. The Michigan-based group, called Hutaree, planned to use the attack on police as a catalyst for a larger uprising against the government, according to newly unsealed court papers. US Attorney Barbara McQuade said agents moved on the group because its members were planning a violent reconnaissance mission sometime in April. Members of the group, including its leader, David Brian Stone, also known as "Captain Hutaree," were charged following FBI raids over the weekend on locations in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article36558.ece ------ Moscow bombings: Blasts could trigger a fresh wave of vengeful violence in Caucasus Mar 30, 2010 However much Russia's oppressive policies in the Caucasus deserve condemnation, nothing can excuse yesterday's two suicide attacks on the Moscow underground rail system in which at least 37 people were slain and dozens injured, some so seriously they were last night not expected to survive. The Russian intelligence service, the FSB was quick to blame Chechen terrorists. It pointed to a Chechen insurgent website in which rebel leader Doku Umarov warned Moscow would once more become a target. According to the site, Umarov is intent on establishing an Islamic emirate that will embrace Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and North Ossetia. The Russians may be right in their accusation. However, it should not be forgotten the FSB itself has "form" on such attacks. It is widely suspected of  the 1991 bomb attacks on four Moscow apartment blocks, which killed nearly 300 and injured twice as many more. This outrage was the trigger for a renewed Russian Chechen assault ordered by then acting President Vladimir Putin. This tough response ensured Putin's election as president and he of course had formerly been a senior officer in the KGB,  the FSB's predecessor. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/opinion/editorial/article36603.ece ------ Hindu-Muslim clashes injure scores in India By OMER FAROOQ | AP Mar 30, 2010 HYDERABAD, India: Authorities fired tear gas and warning shots and swung batons Monday to disperse crowds of angry Hindus and Muslims who attacked each other with stones and clubs in southern India, where more than 75 people have been injured. Communal rioting broke out Saturday in Hyderabad, capital of southern Andhra Pradesh state, and about 1,600 paramilitary soldiers and police have been deployed to calm the situation, A.K. Khan, city police commissioner, told reporters. Hyderabad has a population of 8 million, nearly 40 percent Muslims. The last major Hindu-Muslim rioting in Hyderabad took place in 1990, killing 200 people. The city had been mostly peaceful since then. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article36593.ece ------ Turkey makes case against sanctions on Iran Mar 30, 2010 ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he did not favor imposing economic sanctions to pressure Iran into showing it has no covert nuclear weapons program. Erdogan laid down his country's position as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that in order to progress in EU entry talks Turkey must open its ports to ships and planes from Cyprus and help press Iran to stop its controversial nuclear program. Merkel said Turkey's membership talks are "open-ended," but did not repeat her long-standing suggestion to give Turkey a "privileged partnership" that falls short of full EU membership. Germany is committed to existing agreements and "we are continuing the membership talks," she stressed before reporters at a joint news conference with Erdogan. She continued to put pressure on Turkey, urging the country to side with the United States and Europe to try to tamp down Iran's nuclear ambitions ahead of the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit scheduled in Washington in mid-April. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article36555.ece ------ Prominent Iraqi politicians fail to win seats Mar 30, 2010 BAGHDAD: Several prominent Iraqi politicians — long considered untouchable — failed to win seats in the country's March 7 election, according to lists published Monday, reflecting voter dissatisfaction with the country's political class. Their failure comes as weeks of haggling to form a new government lie ahead, possibly opening the way for renewed violence and instability as the US is preparing to withdraw all its troops from the country. The list of candidates who made it into the 325-member Parliament were surprising for the absence of several household names of the faction-ridden politics of the past few years. Those who didn't make the cut included the powerful Ali Al-Lami of the Shiite religious bloc, who led a government vetting panel that banned about 450 candidates, mostly Sunnis, from running in the elections for alleged ties to Saddam Hussein's old party. Defense Minister Abdul-Qadir Al-Obeidi and national security adviser Mouwaffaq Al-Rubaie were also not re-elected. Neither was veteran Sunni politician Adnan Pachachi, an elderly statesman from a prominent Baghdad family. Pachachi, in his 80s, had been rarely attending Parliament sessions. Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article36614.ece ------ Israel to allow clothes, shoes into Gaza Mar 30, 2010 GAZA: Israel will allow a shipment of clothes and shoes to be delivered to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the first time in its almost three-year-old tight blockade of the enclave, Palestinian officials said on Monday. They said the first 10 truckloads would be arriving via the Israeli-controlled Gaza border point on Thursday. Israel is under international pressure to relax its blockade, which the United Nations says punishes Gaza's 1.5 million people. Israel prohibits shipments of cement and steel to Gaza on the grounds that Hamas could use them for military purposes. Its long list of controlled goods also includes items that critics say have no apparent military value, such as children's crayons and books. Gaza has been getting most of its consumer goods via tunnels from neighboring Egypt operated by smugglers who add on hefty surcharges. Gaza merchants said 10 truckloads would not fill their stocks and demanded that Israel release goods long held in its seaports. Egypt is building an underground wall to block the tunnels, which have been frequently bombed by the Israeli air forces since Israel's offensive against Hamas 14 months ago in which some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed. http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article36621.ece   URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=2636

--
Asadullah Syed