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Showing posts from January 29, 2012

The Swede Who Convinced Taliban To Allow Girls Schools

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Anders Fange T hese days Anders Fange, 65, lectures on Afghanistan in his native Sweden. His main challenge is to convince skeptical audiences to shed preconceptions when they think about Afghanistan. He hones this point by drawing on nearly three decades of experience in that mountainous country. Fange's public speaking engagements and private conversations are deeply engaging owing to his detailed knowledge of Afghanistan. Anecdotes from his long years there are more than a match for the dry academic comparisons that frequently dominate such events in the West. Fange first went to Afghanistan as a young radio journalist in the early 1980s after Afghans began fighting against the Soviet occupation. He later moved to humanitarian relief work and even worked for the United Nations political mission in the country. "Afghanistan always continues to surprise you. You always get new explanations for things," Fange says. "It's a complicated countr

Kyrgyz Religious Hatred Trial Throws Spotlight On Ancient Creed

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: Kyrgyz Tengriist activist Kubanychbek Tezekbaev A prominent activist in a spiritual movement that predates Islam has gone on trial in Kyrgyzstan charged with inciting religious and ethnic hatred. The charges were brought against Kubanychbek Tezekbaev by the National Security Committee in December after Kyrgyzstan's state Religious Committee concluded that some remarks he made to Kyrgyz media were aimed at stirring up religious and ethnic enmity. In a radio interview on June 16, 2011, Tezekbaev said many mullahs in Kyrgyzstan were "former alcoholics and murderers" who try to conceal their inappropriate past. If found guilty, Tezekbaev faces up to five years in prison. A verdict is expected on February 1. Tezekbaev, who is perhaps best known as the founder of a private school teaching a Kyrgyz national martial art, doesn't deny making the statement. But he denies trying to stir up religious hatred

UN: Record Number Of Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan In 2011

A record number of civilians were killed in Afghanistan in 2011, the fifth year in a row the figure has risen, according to a new UN report. The report from the UN Assistance Mission In Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that 3,021 civilians were killed, most of them by insurgents. According to UNAMA, 2,790 civilians were killed in 2010. UNAMA said roadside bombs and suicide bombers killed more people -- 967 -- than any other type of attack. The report stated that Taliban militants were responsible for 77 percent of civilian deaths in 2011 while NATO and Afghan forces were to blame for 14 percent. Nine percent could not be attributed to either side. The report also said an estimated 185,632 people were displaced, a 45 percent increase over 2010. Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/un_record_number_of_civilian_deaths_in_afghanistan/24473167.html

Thousands mass in Moscow for pro and anti-Putin rallies

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MOSCOW: Thousands massed on Saturday for rival rallies in Moscow opposing and supporting Russian strongman Vladimir Putin's political domination ahead of presidential polls, police said. Some 8,000 people had shown up for an opposition march towards a square just over the Moscow river from the Kremlin, while 15,000 were attending a demonstration in western Moscow supporting Putin, Moscow police said in a statement, with the rallies yet to get fully underway. Source: http://www.brecorder.com/world/europe/44734-thousands-mass-in-moscow-for-pro-and-anti-putin-rallies.html

Sudan rebels ‘looking way’ to hand over abducted Chinese

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BEIJING: Sudanese rebels said they are looking for ways to hand over 29 Chinese workers held in the border state of South Kordofan, Chinese state media said, as Sudan's government confirmed the death of one worker in a fire-fight. The construction workers were captured last Saturday and are apparently being held as pawns in a dispute between Sudan and rebels allied with the newly independent and oil-rich South Sudan . "Presently we are looking for a way to release these Chinese workers, set a date for their release and the party to which they are to be handed over," Arno Taloudy, a rebel spokesman, told China's state news agency Xinhua. Chinese officials had returned to Khartoum from Juba , the capital of South Sudan , and had been urging the rebels through "various channels" to release the workers, beginning with two women being held, Xinhua reported late on Friday. The case marks the third abduction of Chinese in Sudan since 2004 and

Ummah urged to develop tolerance, unity

President National Youth Assembly Hanan Ali Abbasi urged the Muslim Ummah to develop tolerance and unity among themselves as the extremism and intolerance has devastated the image and repute of the Islamic world. He stated this while addressing a two-day World Conference of Youth hosted by the government of Iran. He told ‘The News’ that this was an historical experience for him to present the image of Pakistan at international level. He said that he presented his research paper and delivered his thoughts about world peace and unity among Muslim Ummah. “By the grace of God, I feel accomplished in my mission as this was a matter of honour for me to address this event - World Assembly of Islamic Awakening - which is playing superb role to converge Muslims under a platform to study the dire problems today faced by us.” He met with supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and also heard the president of Iran, Ahmadinejad. More than 1,200 participants from all over the world att

The End of Great Britain? Scottish Separatists Have High Hopes for Referendum

No, there are no Englishmen hanging from the trees in the Scottish Highlands. There are no Scottish terrorists setting off bombs, and someone who speaks with an English accent here isn't likely to be targeted for a beating. Likewise, it's only rarely that you'll see the "Free Scotland" slogan along the highway from Glasgow to Edinburgh. So where exactly are all these separatists supposedly intent on splitting Britain apart? Though they might be hard to spot, they do exist, they're active and they might even reach their goal in less than four years -- and all in a way that is perfectly democratic. On Jan. 25, the Scots were commemorating Robert Burns, their national poet. Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Alex Salmond, the charismatic leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), announced how he intends to dissolve Great Britain. In a referendum to be held in the fall of 2014, the Scots will be asked to answer the following question: "Do

'Anonymous' hackers breach Greek ministry, listen in on police

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Hackers have targeted the website of Greece's justice ministry, sharply criticizing internationally-imposed austerity measures. The group also released a recorded conversation between US and UK anti-hacking police. The loosely organized activist hacker group Anonymous breached the website of Greece's justice ministry on Friday, posting a message that sharply criticized the international bailout package and attached austerity measures as an attack on democracy. "You have introduced a new dictatorship upon your people's shoulders and allowed the bankers and the monarchs of the EU to enslave them both economically and politically," the group's message said. "You have joined the IMF (International Monetary Fund) against your people's acquiescence…democracy was given birth in your country but now you have killed it," the hackers added. Anonymous also criticized Athens for joining the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)

Bahrain protests grow ahead of anniversary

Frequency of demonstrations increasing as kingdom approaches first anniversary of protests.Almost a year since a crackdown began on demonstrations among Bahrain's Shia Muslim majority, thousands of protesters have taken part in marches to demand political reform.  The government says it is listening to the demands of protesters, but the opposition says that despite promises, little has changed.  Clashes between both sides have worsened in the build up to the February 14 anniversary of the start of the protests.  Small-scale demonstrations happen virtually every night in neighbourhoods close to the capital Manama.  Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports.

Riot in Egypt 'Had Nothing To Do with Football'

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REUTERS With two more people killed since Wednesday's stadium tragedy in Port Said, renewed violence in Egypt has highlighted the ongoing struggle for power there. German editorialists say the violence at the football match was just the latest manifestation of tensions between protesters and the powerful military Violence in Egypt spread overnight with protests in Cairo and other cities. Two protesters died after being shot by police in riots sparked in Suez, located around 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital. Hospital workers claim at least 30 people were injured. Witnesses reported that police initially tried to break up protesters, who had attempted to occupy the headquarters of the local security force. Uniformed officers first fired tear gas, and later live ammunition at protesters, they said. But security officials told news agencies that the police had not opened fire and alleged the pr

Burns: Serbia should recognize Kosovo

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It would be important for Serbia to recognize completely Kosovo's right to exist as an independent state, Nicholas Burns, former U.S. undersecretary of state, said, REL reports. "I think it will be important for Serbia to recognize completely Kosovo's right to exist as an independent state. It seems to me like a basic first step to be taken ", Nicholas Burns said.  Former U.S. undersecretary quoted to have said that it is positive for Kosovo and Serbia to negotiate, because, according to him, this is always a good thing, given the tragic history between the two parties; it is always the best to commit to peaceful resolution of the differences which exist between them. Burns said that if Serbia wants to see itself in the EU and NATO, then it "must agree with the fact that Kosovo is independent and that any differences that exist between the two countries should be addressed by peaceful means, negotiations, compromises and no way by threats.

Prominent Armenian Journalist Arrested

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Armenia - Hayk Gevorgian, a journalist for the "Haykakan Zhamanak" newspaper. A prominent journalist working for Armenia’s leading pro-opposition newspaper was arrested on Friday on charges of injuring another man which his colleagues rejected as baseless and politically motivated. Police said Hayk Gevorgian, a veteran correspondent, columnist and editor for the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily, was taken into custody for running over an unnamed “young man” and speeding away in a newspaper car last month. He was formally charged under articles of the Armenian Criminal Code dealing with serious injuries caused in traffic accidents. Gevorgian was detained by police officers outside his Yerevan apartment and taken to the police headquarters in the city’s central administrative district. He was kept there for several hours before being transferred to the Nubarashen prison in Yerevan. The alleged car incident occurred on January 13, the day when “Haykakan Zhamanak” published

How Long Will Umarov's Ban On Terrorism Last?

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Islamist insurgent leader Doku Umarov (center) recorded his appeal in an undisclosed location. D oku Umarov, the self-styled Caucasus Emirate leader, has resurfaced after a six-month silence and ordered the end of attacks by his fighters on civilian targets in Russia. In a four-minute video clip posted on February 3 on the Caucasus Emirate's main website, Kavkazcenter. com , Umarov notes that developments in Russia today, meaning the protests against the outcome of the December State Duma election, and the corruption and iniquities of the Russian leadership in general, show that the civilian population does not support what he termed Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's "Chekist regime, of which they are the hostages." Umarov said the insurgents were constrained by their religion not to harm those Russian civilians who do not participate in or support the Russian leadership's "war against Muslims."

Russian Islamist Chief Calls for End to Attacks

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A file image from website hunafa.com of a man identified as Chechen Islamist rebel leader Doku Umarov (AFP/File, --) MOSCOW — The leader of Russia's Islamist rebels ordered a halt to attacks on civilians, saying mass opposition protests showed the public no longer supported Vladimir Putin, according to a video posted Friday. Doku Umarov, whose Caucasus Emirate group claimed atrocities including a deadly Moscow airport bombing in 2011 and a metro attack in 2010, said from now only security objects and officials would be targeted. "I order all special groups that are carrying out or plan to carry out special operations in Russia to put a halt to these operations that could hurt the peaceful population," Doku Umarov said in a video address posted on the rebel mouthpiece kavkazcenter.com . "Today's events in Russia have shown us that Russia's peaceful population does not support Putin's Chekist regime and are hostages of a regime that is

Mortar fire kills 217 in Syrian 'massacre': rights group

NICOSIA: Mortar fire killed 217 people and left hundreds more injured in a "massacre" in the central Syrian city of Homs overnight Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The rights group said the mortar fire had hit the Al Khalidiya district of Homs, which has become a flashpoint of the 10-month revolt against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. "It's a real massacre," the observatory's director Rami Abderrahman told AFP, calling for the "immediate intervention" of the Arab League to end the killing. The Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya television channels showed images of dozens of bodies on the ground. The Syrian Observatory also reported that two civilians were killed in the Damascus suburb of Rastan late Friday, while eight army deserters were shot dead in various regions of Syria. The violence broke out after thousands of people across Syria defied the government crackdown to mark the 30th anniversary of a notorious

Sharia in Germany? Politician Blasted for Support of Islamic Law

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DPA Muslims praying in a mosque in Berlin. Does Sharia have a place in Germany? The interior minister of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate thinks it could, particularly in civil cases relating to marriage and divorce. But criticism of his comments has been fierce.  Most politicians in Germany have gotten the message: The quickest way to spark a career-damaging controversy is to make a facile comment about Nazis or the Holocaust. Media critics and political opponents are quick to pounce. But that isn't the only way to attract unwanted attention, as Jochen Hartloff, the interior minister of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, found out this week. In an interview with the Berlin tabloid BZ , Hartloff said that Sharia law, in a "modern form," would be acceptable in Germany. In comments published on Friday in the center-left daily Süddeutsche Zeitung , he added that

A Revised Portrait of Hungary's Right-Wing Extremists

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REUTERS Though largely ignored by the national media, Hungary's right-wing extremist Jobbik party operates within a surprisingly well-developed and self-sustained online universe. What's more, recent studies have found that the party's supporters aren't the "losers" that many experts thought they were. The leader of Hungary's right-wing extremists rarely expresses himself so clearly. Speaking before a crowd of a few thousand supporters in Budapest's Sportmax complex on Saturday, Jan. 21, Gábor Vona announced the end of liberal democracy in the world. In the speech traditionally delivered before party members in January, the 33-year-old politician demanded "no compromising" either with or as part of the ruling political system, calling instead for "fighting, fighting and still more fighting." "We are not communists, fascists or National Socialists," Vona

Hague: 'There is an opportunity' to end piracy and terrorism in Somalia

William Hague has hailed a historic opportunity to end piracy and terrorism in Somalia after a landmark visit to the war-torn nation.  "I came away confident that there is an opportunity for the world to help Somalis achieve the better future they deserve," said Mr Hague, the first British foreign secretary to visit the anarchic nation for two decades. "Recent political and security gains in Somalia mean there is a historic opportunity to turn a corner in the country and to lay the foundations for greater stability in the long-term," he said. Britain considers Somalia a direct threat to its security. There are fears that British nationals have joined the al Qaeda-linked Shabaab insurgents who are fighting to topple the weak Western-backed government in Mogadishu. Pirates in central and northern Somalia have also kidnapped Britons, holding them and other foreigners hostage for ransom. "We need more effective action t

Protests in Argentina as Prince William begins Falklands deployment

Argentinian protesters have marched on the British embassy in Buenos Aires, burning the Union flag, in protest at the Duke of Cambridge's six-week deployment to the Falklands Islands.  A branch of the British owned HSBC bank was also attacked late on Thursday by a mob of 100 men armed with clubs, spray-painting it with "English out of Malvinas" – the Argentinian name for the disputed islands. Quebracho, a hardline left wing group behind the HSBC protest, vowed to target a different British business every week as the relationship between the two countries plummeted to its lowest ebb since the conflict 30 years ago. Vice President Amado Boudou on Thursday claimed Prince William had been sent to the disputed islands to mask the Government's failings domestically. The moves "have to do with British domestic politics, with the high unemployment. This is an attempt to cover for a government that has a low level of accomplish

Hague: 'There is an opportunity' to end piracy and terrorism in Somalia

William Hague has hailed a historic opportunity to end piracy and terrorism in Somalia after a landmark visit to the war-torn nation.  "I came away confident that there is an opportunity for the world to help Somalis achieve the better future they deserve," said Mr Hague, the first British foreign secretary to visit the anarchic nation for two decades. "Recent political and security gains in Somalia mean there is a historic opportunity to turn a corner in the country and to lay the foundations for greater stability in the long-term," he said. Britain considers Somalia a direct threat to its security. There are fears that British nationals have joined the al Qaeda-linked Shabaab insurgents who are fighting to topple the weak Western-backed government in Mogadishu. Pirates in central and northern Somalia have also kidnapped Britons, holding them and other foreigners hostage for ransom. "We need more effective action t

Four terrorism-hit districts of Malakand Agency: Rs 1,098 billion loans written off, Senate told

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh has said that banks and financial institutions have written off Rs 1.098 billion loans of 13,464 borrowers of four terrorism-hit districts of Malakand Agency. Replying to a question during question hour in the Senate on Friday, he gave district-wise details of subsidy reimbursed to the banks and institutions on account of loans written off in Maslakand, Swat, Buner and Chitral districts through budgetary support under fiscal relief for Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, FATA and PATA.Hafeez said that a summary regarding writing off loans worth additional Rs 400 million is with the Prime Minister and approval would be made in a couple of days. He said that after approval, residents of other districts including Bajaur will also be benefited in this regard.The Minister informed the Senate that Habib Bank (HBL) was given Rs 19.41 million subsidy for loans writing off of 63 borrowers of Malakand District, Rs 12.32 million subsidy for 209 borrowers in

Demonstrators seek revision of terrorist detention act

More than 50 Occupy Louisville and other demonstrators Friday waved signs, beat drums and gave speeches calling for the repeal of a new law they fear could allow the U.S. government to jail its citizens without charge. The demonstration, held outside the federal courthouse downtown, was part of a national day of action against the National Defense Authorization Act, defense spending legislation that includes a provision authorizing indefinite detention of terrorism suspects without trial — and which critics worry could be used against U.S. citizens. Demonstrators, who were targeting Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for supporting the provision, said it threatens due-process rights. “It’s a direct affront to our civil liberties under the guise of fighting terrorists,” said Brice Powers, who works in construction but joined the demonstration at lunchtime. “It’s very important that we repeal this.” Since it became law last month, the provision has drawn opposition fro

Philippine military cannot find terror leaders' bodies in strike

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