Chief Justice of Maldives: Calls for religious tolerance shocked the nation Crowd fights Chinese police at mosque

demolition Bumper Sticker Sparks New Clash at Indonesian Church Israel kills leader of al Qaeda-linked Army of Islam in Gaza airstrike Pak, Pending blasphemy cases issue: Govt orders arrest of accused, their product ion in courts Transcript reveals Mufti praised Modi J&K Hurriyat moderates ready for talks, but not in vacuum British Muslim MPs told no halal meat Youth are hope for justice, peace: Pope Help us: Al-Qaida to Pakistani militants Funeral of Bahrain youth turns into street protest 12 terrorists killed, 3 hostages recovered in Khyber Agency Libya holds Gaddafi supporters over plot Arab Parliament calls for pullout of monitors in Syria In a reversal, Salah opts to stay in Yemen 15 terrorists killed in Orakzai Agency bombing Four FC soldiers killed in Sui Anti-Taliban fighter killed in Bajaur Ten injured in Quetta grenade attack India-Pakistan peace gets peoples push Pakistan to Challenge Carbon Credits to India Gilani asks Nawaz not to strengthen dictators Pakistan, US assume less cooperation in future Nawaz Sharif: Pakistan would have been prosperous if Zardari had accepted my agen da Turkey PM urges Palestinian reconciliation in meeting with Hamas leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iranians made success in face of western sanctions Iranian border guards still in Pakistani custody Iran to hold Muslim women Media festival Indian mangoes losing American market to Pakistan Complied by New Age Islam News Bureau Photo: Crowd fights Chinese police at mosque demolition URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=627 3 -----------Calls for religious tolerance shocked the nation: Chief Justice of Maldives By Eleanor Johnstone January 1st, 2012 The December 10 silent protest for religious tolerance is a warning of the Maldive s weakening Islamic faith, Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussein has said. Faizs claim that the demonstration shocked the nation was made yesterday at the ope ning of the Islamic Scholars Symposium, reports local media. It was a warning that showed us the increased role religious scholars are require d to play and the work they need to do, he said. Recommending that the scholars focus on strengthening the Islamic faith rather t han debate contentious issues, Faiz said students and lawmakers required further

education about the Shariah penal code. The December 10 demonstration was originally planned for International Human Rig hts Day as a peaceful, silent protest. However, the 30 participants were attacke d with stones, and blogger Ismail Khilath Rasheed was taken to the hospital with h ead injuries. Rasheed was subsequently arrested without charges following requests from religi ous NGOs and ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Reeko Moosa Manik that pol ice investigate the demonstration. Rasheeds detention was extended a second time last week, after Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticised the claim that the gathering had violated national laws , and Amnesty International declared Rasheed a prisoner of conscience. Meanwhile, Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has requested the parliam entary National Security Committee to include appropriate punishments for those who call for religious freedom in the nations penal code. In discussions, he said the punishments available under Penal Code Article 88(a), (b) and (c) were soft. Bari previously ordered the Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM) to shut d own Rasheeds blog on the grounds that it contained anti-Islamic content. This weekends Scholars Symposium is attended by 60 scholars who are debating seve n key points of contention, reports Haveeru. Points include the method for handling controversial religious issues; the forma tion of prayer rows between mosque pillars; alms payment; the Qunooth prayer; an d the traditions of the Prophet Mohamed. According to local media, the conference is the biggest of its kind to be held i n the Maldives. Originally scheduled for January it was allegedly postponed for reasons unspecified. The conference comes one week after a coalition of religious NGOs and opposition parties rallied thousands across the country to defend Islam, setting off a game of chicken with the government which has lately put the tourism industry on the chopping block. President Mohamed Nasheed attended yesterdays opening ceremony. Religious conservative Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla and severa l other scholars from the party are participating in the conference. Members of Adhaalath Party and Minister Bari were unavailable for comment at tim e of press. http://minivannews.com/society/calls-for-religious-tolerance-shocked-the-nationchief-justice-faiz-30174 --------Crowd fights Chinese police at mosque demolition By JOE McDONALD, Associated Press BEIJING, Jan 02, 2012, A crowd of Muslims fought with police who demolished a m osque in China s northwest, a police employee and a human rights group said Mond ay.

The violence erupted Friday in Hexi, a town in the Ningxia region, after the mos que was declared an "illegal religious place" and about 1,000 officers arrived t o demolish it, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democ racy said. It said 50 people were injured and more than 100 detained after several hundred members of China s Muslim Hui minority tried to stop the demolition. It cited a villager as saying two people died, but said it could not confirm that. An employee who answered the phone at the town police station confirmed that off icers had fought with protesters and said about 80 people were detained but deni ed there were any deaths. Police demolished the mosque after the clash, said the employee, who refused to give her name. She said she did not know how many people were involved or why po lice demolished the mosque. The Communist government closely monitors religious activity and worries that mo sques and other houses of worship might become centers for anti-government agita tion. The Hui are one of several Muslim minority groups in China. They include descend ants of Muslim immigrants from Central Asia, members of China s majority Han eth nicity who converted to Islam and several other groups. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jvOyow-FXbn7Wro6DoAvho-JTrPw?d ocId=5e262f29065d4545a40351aaaa91eb93 -------Bumper Sticker Sparks New Clash at Indonesian Church Vento Saudale Bogor.January 02, 2012, A bumper sticker prompted members of the hard-line Islam ic Reform Movement to attack several members of the GKI Yasmin church on Sunday. The bumper sticker, on the back of a church members car, said, We need a friendly Islam, not an angry Islam. Scores of vociferous Muslims from the group known as the Islamic Reform Movement (Garis) terrorized members of the congregation who came to the churchs New Years Eve service in Bogor, GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging said. Garis chairman Majudien was infuriated by the sticker and began to run after the car. The incident led the congregation to disband and move the service to the h ome of one of the members. What is the aim of that sticker being put there? That is a provocative action aga inst us, the Muslims of Bogor, Majudien said. Bona said that the sticker was a souvenir that was distributed by the family of the late former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid during a commemoration of his death on Friday. All guests who came, including the chairman of the Constitutional Court, the depu ty religious affairs minister and other VIPs also got the same souvenir, the sam e sticker, he said.

On Sunday, the mob from Garis shouted at church members when they began to arriv e but were prevented from physical contact by hundreds of police officers who se parated the congregation from the crowd. Lawmaker Indah Kurnia on Sunday said that cases of intolerance like in Bogor sho uld not be allowed to continue and called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to intervene. There is no need to just say that the green light had been given; the evidence is that the congregation cannot worship at its church, Indah said. Also present there was the chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights ( Komnas HAM), Ifdhal Kasim, but he did not comment. Bona said that the church was waiting for Yudhoyono to take action. The president has said that he has tasked the concerned ministers to ascertain that the law i s firmly upheld in the case of the GKI Yasmin and we are now awaiting the steps, Bona said. The church has been illegally sealed off by the city administration on the prete xt that the congregation doctored a petition needed to obtain a building permit. The congregation has since 2008 been forced to hold Sunday services on the side walk outside the church. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/bumper-sticker-sparks-new-clash-at-indonesia n-church/488405 --------Israel kills leader of al Qaeda-linked Army of Islam in Gaza airstrike By BILL ROGGIO December 30, 2011, The Israeli Air Force killed an emir of the al Qaeda-linked J aish al Islam, or Army of Islam, in an airstrike in northern Gaza. The airstrike is the latest by Israel that has targeted al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Israeli fighter-bombers killed Muaman Abu a strike in the Zeitoun district in Gaza ich runs Gaza, confirmed that Abu Daf was tinians were wounded. Members of the Army flag flown by al Qaeda in Iraq, Shabaab, iddle East. Daf, a leader of the Army of Islam, in City today. Hamas, the terror group wh killed in the attack. Five other Pales of Islam wrapped Abu Daf s body in the and other al Qaeda affiliates in the M

The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the strike and said the Air Force "targeted a terrorist squad that was identified moments before firing rockets at Israel f rom the northern Gaza Strip." "A hit was confirmed, thwarting the rocket fire attempt," the IDF said in a stat ement released on its website. "The aforementioned squad is responsible for the firing of rockets at Israel in the past number of days." Today s strike that killed Abu Daf is the third by the Israeli Air Force against what the IDF refers to as "Global Jihad-affiliated terrorists," or Gaza-based g roups linked to al Qaeda. On Dec. 27, the Israeli Air Force killed Abdallah Telb ani, who was involved in a plot to attack Israel from the Egyptian Sinai as well as with rocket and IED attacks along the Israeli-Gaza border. And on Dec. 28, the Israeli Air Force killed Rami Daoud Jabar Khafarna and Hazam

Mahmad Sa adi Al Shakr, two former Hamas members who were involved with "Global Jihad-affiliated terrorist" networks in Gaza. Khafarna and Shakr were members o f a "squad" that "was previously known to the IDF due to its attempt in carrying out a terror attack on the Israel-Egypt border." There are four main Salafist groups that operate in the Gaza Strip. All four gro ups have expressed their support for al Qaeda. Those groups are the Jaish al Isl am, Jund Ansar Allah, Jaish al Ummah, and Jaish al Mu minun. These groups have c lashed with Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated terror group that rules Gaz a and is supported by Iran and Syria. [See LWJ report, Israel kills Global Jiha d affiliated-terrorists in Gaza airstrikes, for summaries of the four terror gr oups.] The Army of Islam "subscribes to a Salafist ideology of global th the traditional model of armed Palestinian resistance," the nt said in a May 2011 press release that announced the group s terrorist entity. The terror group "has previously worked with mpting to develop closer al Qaeda contacts." jihad together wi US State Departme designation as a Hamas and is atte

Mumtaz Dughmush is the leader of the Army of Islam. He was listed by the US Stat e Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in August 2011. The group has released propaganda that has expressed its affiliation and support for al Qaeda. On May 7, 2011, just five days after the death of Osama bin Laden , the Army of Islam released a statement eulogizing the al Qaeda leader. Also, i n August 2008, Sheikh Abu Harith al Ansari, an Army of Islam leader, released a statement on jihadist forums that claimed bin Laden would seek to focus his atta cks on "the Jews." In addition to launching mortar and rocket attacks into Israel, the Army of Isla m "has been responsible for numerous terrorist acts against the Governments of I srael and Egypt, as well as American, British and New Zealander citizens," the U S State Department said. "The group is also responsible for early 2009 attacks o n Egyptian civilians in Cairo and Heliopolis, which resulted in casualties and d eaths." The Egyptian government accused the Army of Islam of executing the Jan. 1, 2011 bombing at a Coptic church in Alexandria that killed 21 people. The terror group became known in 2006 after it captured Israeli soldier Gilad Sh alit and then turned him over to Hamas. Also in 2006, the Army of Islam kidnappe d two Fox News journalists. In 2007, a cell from the Army of Islam, led by Khattab al Maqdasi, kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston. Maqdasi is said to have fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. The group demanded Abu Qatada s release in exchange for Johnston. http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/12/israel_kills_al_qaed.php --------Pak, Pending blasphemy cases issue: Govt orders arrest of accused, their product ion in courts By Asghar Azad KARACHI: Jan, 02, 12, The federal government has instructed provinces to submit the details of pending cases registered under blasphemy law during 2010-11 and d irected the authorities concerned to arrest those involved in such cases immedia tely, besides producing them before the courts, Daily Times has learnt. Sources privy to the matter informed that the government was of the view that su

ch cases should be resolved on priority basis. Several departments, especially all four provincial home departments, have been g iven directives to arrest all the culprits nominated in blasphemy cases immediat ely and to inform the federal government with the developments and proceedings i n the cases, sources claimed. The officials of the Sindh law department on the condition of anonymity informed that according to a report received from police officials, some 32 blasphemy ca ses were registered during 2010-11 in the province, which were still pending as the law enforcement agencies were still struggling to arrest the accused. Full Report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_20 --------Transcript reveals Mufti praised Modi AGE CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, Jan 02 2011, The transcript of PDP president Mehbooba Muftis speech at the National Integration Council (NIC) has revealed that she had indeed praised Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for his approach to investment proposals. The transcript was made public on Sunday by the Union home ministry which put th e text on its website. Ms Mufti, while referring to her interaction with a Muslim businessman who spoke of Mr Modis quick response to a business proposal, had also said at the NIC meeting, held in Delhi in Sept ember last year, that such actions were necessary to reach out to minorities who in turn will respond positively. She also stressed on the need for giving more opportunities to minorities, inclu ding reservation in government jobs. According to the transcript, Ms Mufti said: I recall once I was in Chennai and I met some one, a Muslim businessman, and he to ld me that he had gone to see Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, and he said I was very impressed. I had an appointment with him regarding some business dea l and he had got all the officers there, around him. They did not take even 10 minutes and he got his job done. So, I mean, people, minorities, Muslims they ar e looking forward [to] some kind, some kind of step forward, some kind of reachi ng out, which I think, we are missing. I mean to say that if all political parti es reach out to minorities they will respond positively. The document counters th e denials by Ms Mufti, who had asked the ministry of home affairs to release the complete transcript of the NIC deliberations. The PDP leaders purported comments at the NIC meeting first came in the public domain when BJP leader Sushma Swara j said even Ms Mufti, who had always been opposed to the BJP, had praised Mr Mod i at the NIC meeting. http://epaper.asianage.com/PUBLICATIONS/ASIAN/AAGE/2012/01/02/ArticleHtmls/Trans cript-reveals-Mufti-praised-Modi-02012012002019.shtml?Mode=1# -------J&K Hurriyat moderates ready for talks, but not in vacuum

YUSUF JAMEEL SRINAGAR, Jan 02, 2011, The moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference and othe r like-minded Kashmiri separatists are willing to hold a dialogue with the Centr e but on Sunday sought to make it clear that talking about talks in vacuum, a crit ical reference to Union home minister P. Chidambarams latest statement on new possibilities in the restive state, was unacc eptable. Mr Chidambaram had, on New Years Eve, said that the channels of communication wit h some of the separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir were open and there was a p ossibility of negotiation with them in the New Year if they came forward for dia logue. As far as talks with the separatists groups in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are always open to talk to them. It is not that the channels of communication w ith some of them have entirely cut off. These channels are still open and it is possible that some of them will agree to come forward for talks in 2012. If they are ready for talks, we are ready for talks, he told reporters in New Delhi. Reacting, Kashmir chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said, We are not, and were never, again st holding talks to seek an amicable solution to the Kashmir problem. But we hav e said it before and reiterate today that talks ought to be meaningful and resul t-oriented. Unfortunately, we have had bitter experience with them... they have never shown seriousness in this matter nor do they seem to be sincere. The Mirwai z also reiterated that the Hurriyat Conference was not interested in holding tal ks for the sake of talks and cited instances when the Centre, according to him, failed to come out with positive responses to the proposals and suggestions made by the amalgam towards confidence building in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the amalgam had given a four-point proposition that included demilitarising the state, the repeal of black laws, including the Armed Forces (Sp ecial) Powers Act and the Public Safety Act and the release of political prisone rs, to make a forward movement on the resolution of the Kashmir issue. The home minister is publicly talking about getting rid of the AFSPA but the Army says it is against such a move. There are other minor issues over which the disagreement within the government and various official agencies is wi de open. How will they evolve consensus for the resolution of Kashmir issue? he a sked. Elaborating on the Centres failures to address the issue, another senior amalgam le ader, Prof. Abdul Gani Butt, said: Weve seen in the year 2011 that the government has been only talking about talks in vacuum. http://epaper.asianage.com/PUBLICATIONS/ASIAN/AAGE/2012/01/02/ArticleHtmls/JAMMU -KASHMIR-Hurriyat-moderates-ready-for-talks-but-02012012002021.shtml?Mode=1 -------British Muslim MPs told no halal meat IANS

London, Jan. 1, 2012, British Muslim MPs have been told they cannot have meat sl aughtered in line with Islamic tradition because the method is offensive to many of their non-Muslim colleagues, a media report said. The halal method involves slitting the animal s throat without first stunning it. The Palace of Westminster has rejected demands to serve halal meat in its restau rants, the Daily Mail reported. The stance has infuriated some parliamentarians who have eaten meat in the Palac e s 23 restaurants and cafes, having been assured that it was halal. Lord Ahmed of Rotherham said: I did feel misled. I think a halal option should be made avail able. Alison Ruoff, a member of the Church of England, said: It s a bit hypocritic al that the Houses of Parliament, which have allowed other people to provide hal al food, have ruled it out on their own premises. Spokesmen for the House of Lords and the House of Commons confirmed that halal m eat was not served in their restaurants, the newspaper added. http://epaper.asianage.com/PUBLICATIONS/ASIAN/AAGE/2012/01/02/ArticleHtmls/BRITI SH-MUSLIM-MPs-TOLD-NO-HALAL-MEAT-02012012010005.shtml?Mode=1 ------Youth are hope for justice, peace: Pope AFP Vatican City, Benedict XV, Jan 2, 12, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated New Years Day with a homily on world peace which stressed the importance of educating youth in moral values, so they could become builders of peace. The Pontiff called on the w orlds religious and educational leaders Sunday during a mass in Saint Peters Basil ica to counter the culture of relativism by educating the younger generations in p eace and justice. The culture of relativism raises a radical question: does it still make sense to educate? And then, to educate for what? the pope said. In the face of the shadows that obscure the horizon of todays world, to assume res ponsibility for educating young people in knowledge of the truth, in fundamental values and virtues, is to look to the future with hope, he added. The spiritual leader said that in an age strongly marked by a technological menta lity, the social reality in which (children) grow up can lead them to... Be intole rant and violent. If the young are helped to combine a profound sense of justice with respect for t heir neighbourand a capacity to address conflicts without arrogance they would becom e people of peace and builders of peace, he added. Boys and girls today are growing up in a world that has, so to speak, become smal ler, where contacts between different cultures and traditions, even if not alway s direct, are constant, the 84-year-old pontiff said. http://epaper.asianage.com/PUBLICATIONS/ASIAN/AAGE/2012/01/02/ArticleHtmls/Youth -are-hope-for-justice-peace-Pope-02012012009047.shtml?Mode=1 -------Help us: Al-Qaida to Pakistani militants

AP DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan: Jan 2, 2012, Pakistani Islamic militant commanders s ay prominent al-Qaida and Afghan Taliban fighters have asked them to set aside d ifferences and step up support for the battle against US-led forces in Afghanist an. The Pakistani Taliban commanders say the request came during two meetings in Pak istan s tribal region in November and December. They said Monday that the senior al-Qaida commander Abu Yahya al-Libi attended b oth meetings, as did Sirajuddin Haqqani, the de-facto head of the most feared mi litant group in Afghanistan. Pakistan s most prominent militant leaders, including Pakistani Taliban commande r Hakimullah Mehsud, also attended. The commanders who described the meetings spoke on condition of anonymity becaus e of their sensitivity. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Al-Qaida-to-Pakistani-militant s/articleshow/11340007.cms -------Funeral of Bahrain youth turns into street protest DUBAI: Jan, 02, 12, Bahraini police fired tear gas and sound grenades after hun dreds of Shia youths demonstrated on Sunday against the death of a 15-year-old p rotester a day earlier in the Sunni-ruled Gulf island kingdom, residents and act ivists said. Confrontations between security forces and protesters take place almost daily in areas populated by members of the Shia majority, which led anti-government prot ests Bahrain crushed last year. After the funeral, many of the mourners started protesting and the police began u sing tear gas and sound bombs. It is still going on hours later, a resident told Reuters from the mostly Shia village of Sitra, south of the capital Manama. At least one demonstrator was injured after being hit in the head by a tear gas canister, activists said in Twitter messages. The opposition said earlier that S ayed Hashim Saeed, who died on Saturday, had been hit by a tear gas canister at close range. But officials said the youths body had extensive burns which could n ot have been caused by a tear gas canister. Preliminary investigations show that the deceased was among those who took part in attacks on security forces by thro wing petrol bombs, the state news agency BNA quoted a police official as saying. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_36 ------12 terrorists killed, 3 hostages recovered in Khyber Agency LANDIKOTAL: Jan, 02 12, At least 12 terrorists were killed and three hostages re covered from their custody after a shootout with security forces in Landikotal T ehsil on Sunday. Khasadar sources said that a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was al so killed and another wounded during the gunbattle. The clash took place when un identified terrorists opened fire on a security forces vehicle passing through t

he area. Reinforcements reached the spot on Sunday morning and fighting intensif ied between the two sides. The security forces besieged a house after a tip-off about the presence of terrorists there. One of the terrorists detonated his expl osive vest, killing four of his aides. Meanwhile, some elders also intervened to bring the situation under control, but failed to persuade the terrorists to sur render. This resulted in the fighting continuing into the evening. staff report http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_5 ------Libya holds Gaddafi supporters over plot TRIPOLI: Jan 02 12, A Libyan militia chief said on Sunday, his fighters had capt ured nine supporters of other-thrown leader Muammar Gaddafi who had been plottin g to blow up Tripolis power grid on New Years evening. We captured explosives with them that they bought from the black market and now w ere interrogating them, the commander of Tripolis Revolutionist Council Abdullah Na ker told Reuters. Militia groups who helped oust Gaddafi last year still hold considerable power i n Libya, and have taken the law into their hands in several areas, setting up ro ad blocks and arresting suspects despite the presence of an official police forc e. Naker said the nine Gaddafi supporters had been funded by a group of businessmen affiliated to the former leader, who was killed in October after militias overr an his home town of Sirte. Naker also accused the nine and their supporters of trying to relaunch the forme r leaders official television station Al Jamahiriya. Full Report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_39 ---------Arab Parliament calls for pullout of monitors in Syria AP Cairo: Jan 2, 2012, A pan-Arab body called Sunday for the immediate withdrawal o f the Arab League monitors in Syria because President Bashar Assads regime has ke pt up killings of government opponents even in the presence of the observers. The 88-member Arab Parliament said that Arabs are angered by the Syrian regimes o ngoing killings while the nearly 100 monitors are in the country. The monitors a re supposed to be ensuring Syria complies with terms of the Leagues plan to end t he 9-month-old crackdown on dissent a plan Syria agreed to on 19 December. However, the Kuwaiti head of the Arab Parliament, Ali Salem al-Deqbasi, said the presence of the monitors is distracting from the flagrant violations committed by Assads regime. The killing of children and the violation of human rights law is happening in the presence of Arab League monitors, raising the fury of Arab people, he said. According to activists, more than 150 people have been killed across the country

since the observers began their one-month mission on Tuesday. AP The mission of the Arab League team has missed its aim of stopping the killing of children and ensuring the withdrawal of troops from the Syrian streets, giving the Syrian regime a cover to commit inhumane acts under the noses of the Arab Le ague observers, al-Deqbasi said in a statement. The Arab League created the Arab Parliament, which is made up of lawmakers and a dvisers from states around the Middle East. Its recommendations are nonbinding a nd it operates separately from the Arab League. While the Arab Parliament has little sway on Damascus or the Arab League, al-Deq basis remarks about the observer mission represents growing concern about the mon itors ability to deter Assads regime from killing protesters. According to activists, more than 150 people have been killed across the country since the observers began their one-month mission on Tuesday. The UN says more than 5,000 people have died as the government has sought to cru sh the revolt. The Arab League plan demands that the government remove its security forces and heavy weapons from cities, start talks with the opposition and allow human right s workers and journalists into the country. It also calls for the release of all political prisoners. The ongoing violence in Syria, and questions about the human rights record of th e head of the Arab League monitors, Sudanese Lt Gen Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dab i, are reinforcing the oppositions view that Syrias limited cooperation with the o bservers is merely a ploy by Assad to buy time and forestall more international condemnation and sanctions. The Syrian opposition has called for the removal of al-Dabi, a longtime loyalist of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on an international arrest warrant on charges of genocide in the Darfur region. http://www.firstpost.com/world/arab-parliament-calls-for-pullout-of-monitors-insyria-169639.html -------In a reversal, Saleh opts to stay in Yemen AP Yemens outgoing President decided to stay in the country, reversing plans to leav e, his ruling party said on Sunday, in an apparent attempt to salvage his contro l over the regime, which has appeared to unravel in the face of internal revolts and relentless street protests. In a sign of the fraying, the son and nephew of President Ali Abdullah Saleh lau nched a crackdown on suspected dissidents within the ranks of the elite security services they command, officials within the services said. The Republic Guard, led by the son, and Central Security, led by the nephew, hav e been the main forces used in trying to suppress the uprising against Mr Salehs rule in 2011. http://epaper.asianage.com/PUBLICATIONS/ASIAN/AAGE/2012/01/02/ArticleHtmls/IN-AREVERSAL-SALEH-OPTS-TO-STAY-IN-02012012009041.shtml?Mode=1

-------15 terrorists killed in Orakzai Agency bombing HANGU: Jan 02, 12, Fifteen terrorists were killed and five hideouts destroyed wh en fighter jets blitzed their hideouts in Orakzai Agency on Sunday, official sou rces said. According to security forces, the jets bombed terrorist hideouts in Torsmat, Jab ba Kellay, Akhunkot and Sama Bazaar in Upper Tehsil, killing 15 insurgents and d estroying five hideouts. The dead included five terrorists of commander Ziaur Re hman group. The spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) has denied the security fo rces claims and said they suffered no loss. inp http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_4 -----Four FC soldiers killed in Sui QUETTA: Jan 02 12, Four security personnel were killed and two others injured i n a landmine explosion in Surali area, some 10 kilometres from Sui town of Dera Bugti, on Sunday. According to sources, a paramilitary troops vehicle was on rou tine patrol in Sui, when it hit a landmine planted by unidentified persons. As a result of explosion four personnel were killed on the spot while two others sus tained injuries. Security forces and Balochistan Levies personnel rushed to the scene soon after the explosion and shifted the dead and injured to the nearby go vernment hospital. staff report http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_9 ------Anti-Taliban fighter killed in Bajaur KHAR: Jan 2, 12,A bomb blast in Bajaur Agency on Sunday killed an anti-Taliban m ilitiaman and wounded three others, an official said. The injured were two other anti-Taliban fighters and a passer-by, senior government official Faaz Muhammad told AFP. The remote-controlled bomb hit a shop in Salarzai town, about 20 kilo metres northeast of Khar, the main city in Bajaur Agency. The bomb destroyed the shop and killed one anti-Taliban fighter, the official said. Bajaur was the scene of a major anti-terrorist operation in August 2008 and in February 2009 and the military said the area had been secured. afp http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_7 ------Ten injured in Quetta grenade attack QUETTA: January 02, 2012, At Least 10 people were injured in a hand grenade atta ck in a shop on Joint Road in the provincial capital on Sunday evening. According to a police official, unidentified persons riding a motorbike lobbed a hand grenade at a pan shop, which caused a huge explosion that injured 10 peopl e. The assailants managed to flee the scene after carrying out the attack. Secur ity personnel and police rushed to the spot soon after the explosion. staff repo rt

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\01\02\story_2-1-2012_pg7_3 --------India-Pakistan peace gets peoples push South Asian News Agency DELHI, January 2, 2012 .The eight Joint Convention of the Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy calls on the people of India and Pakistan to resi st global hegemony and support peoples resistance movements in a spirit of intern ational solidarity. The eight Joint Convention of the Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Dem ocracy calls on the people of India and Pakistan to resist global hegemony and s upport peoples resistance movements in a spirit of international solidarity. The three day event comprised cultural programmes, including performances by See ma Anil Sehgal, the Gundecha brothers, Mahmood Farooqi and Nadira Babbar. In a k eynote address to the convention, Dr Ravi Sinha of the New Socialist Initiative discussed the dangers posed by global hegemony, pliant nation states and totalit arian communities. The delegates at 8th joint convention of the Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Pea ce and Democracy (PIPFPD) have expressed concern over the strained relations bet ween the two nations since PIPFPDs last convention held in 2005. Speaking at the joint convention that, concluded here on Saturday, delegates sai d the people of the two countries should foster a strong friendship to ease tens ion. The convention pledged to reinforce democracy, socio-economic justice and d efend the security as well as the right to life and livelihood of the people on both the sides. The participants also said that the Delhi Declaration of the 2005 Joint Conventi on had decided to appoint a joint committee to deliberate the question of establi shing peace and goodwill between the peoples (as distinct from the elite) of Ind ia and Pakistan on a permanent basis. However due to objective factors beyond th e Forum and our subjective weaknesses, these decisions were not implemented. This convention reiterates its determination to translate these decisions into r eality in the coming days. At the same time, it emphasizes the need to evolve ne w strategies and launch initiatives to facilitate people to people dialogue and hold regular joint conventions without interruption or undue delay. The Convention also took note of and decried the expansionist designs of the Ind ian and Pakistani governments. The war on terror and these economic policies have fanned the flames of religious fundamentalism. The explosive combination of rel igion with politics has added to the volatility of the region and threatens the minorities of both countries. Women, children and marginalized sections bear the brunt of these intolerant extremist tendencies. The Forum was of the firm opinion that the problem of Kashmir must be resolved i n accordance with the wishes of the people on both sides of the Line of Control. The working group on Kashmir specifically demanded an immediate end to the viol ation of human rights on all sides; unrestricted travel across the Line of Contr ol; opening of communication channels and travel routes; the enhancement of trad e relations and people to people contacts with an emphasis on students and youth ; the demilitarization of both Kashmirs; an immediate withdrawal of forces from Siachen and its declaration as a peace zone; and the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

The Forum extends its wholehearted support to the growing peoples movements for j ustice and control over their own societies and natural resources. It expresses its concern at the repressive policies adopted by both governments against resis tance movements. The Convention condemned the increasing number of disappearances and extra-judic ial killings of political activists and human rights defender in Balochistan. It further denounces the mounting repression in Chhattisgarh, Orisssa, Kashmir, an d the North-Eastern parts of India. We call on both governments to eschew violen ce in favour of peaceful methods and dialogue to resolve these issues. http://www.sananews.net/english/2012/01/india-pakistan-peace-gets-peoples-push/ -------Pakistan to Challenge Carbon Credits to India PTI REZAUL H LASKAR ISLAMABAD, JAN 02, 2012, Pakistan will challenge in the international court of a rbitration a decision by a UN climate agency to grant carbon credits to India on a hydropower project without clearance of its trans-boundary environmental impa ct, a media report said today. An inquiry by the Water and Power Ministry concluded that India secured carbon c redits for the 45 MW Nimoo-Bazgo hydropower project from the UN Framework Conven tion on Climate Change without mandatory clearance from Pakistan, the Dawn newsp aper quoted its sources as saying. Pakistani officials have alleged that India secured the carbon credits even thou gh Pakistani authorities had not seen or cleared the cross-boundary environmenta l impact assessment report for the project on river Indus. Islamabad has now decided to challenge the UNFCC s decision in the international court of arbitration "because legal requirements were allegedly not fulfilled b y the UN agency", the report said. Officials alleged the Indian government "misled the UN agency through fake and f ictitious documents that might have shown Pakistan s consent to the project beca use there was no such record available in Pakistan". "It is still not established how India was able to get carbon credit benefits fo r the Nimoo-Bazgo project, which is located on trans-boundary water, and for whi ch ratification of the parties concerned should have been procured before hand b y it under clause 37(b) of UNFCC," an unnamed official was quoted as saying. "Although it is too difficult to get carbon credits on a trans-boundary project such as Nimoo-Bazgo, due to lack of contest by the Permanent Commissioner for In dus Waters (PCIW), India was able to get carbon credits on this project," the of ficial said. http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=746236 --------Gilani asks Nawaz not to strengthen dictators

Islamabad: January 02, 2012, Pakistan Prime Minister YousufRaza Gilani cautioned main opposition PML-N chief NawazSharif that raking up allegations of corruptio n against thePPP-led government would only strengthen the hands ofdictators and the "third force". "I want to tell Nawaz Sharif that raking up allegationswill not give you a chanc e. It will only give an opportunityto a third force. We should show political ma turity," Gilanisaid. Every elected government in the past was removed oncharges of corruption and thi s allowed dictators to come topower, he said. "People without ideology are criticising the PakistanPeople s Party and PML-N to create an atmosphere for the thirdforce," he said. Gilani did not identify the "third force" though hisremarks appeared to be a vei led reference to the military,which has ruled Pakistan for more than half its hi story. Gilani s remarks came against the backdrop of tensionsbetween the civilian gover nment and the powerful military overthe alleged memo that had sought US help to prevent a militarytakeover in Pakistan. The Supreme Court last week set up a judicial commissionto probe what is being d escribed as the "Memogate" scandal. The premier said opposition parties should approachcourts if they have proof of corruption in the government. He linked attacks on his government to fears amongpolitical "have nots" of the r uling PPP securing a majority inupcoming elections to the Senate or upper house of parliament. The Senate polls will be held as scheduled in March andif they were stopped thro ugh undemocratic means, it would havea negative effect on the country, Gilani sa id during theprogramme "PM Online" a monthly live television show in whichthe pr emier answers questions from the public. He contended that all political activities were linked tothe Senate elections an d conspiracies were being hatched tostop them. Asked about the government s perceived differences withthe judiciary over the Me mogate scandal, Gilani saidPakistans democracy was passing through an evolutionar y phasethat could result in some discomfort in the balance of powerbetween the l egislative, executive and judiciary. "If we follow the constitution and trichotomy (of power),I don t feel any threat from anywhere," he said. Responding to a question about the government holdingtalks with the Taliban, Gil ani said this could happen only ifthe rebels gave up violence. "If the militants denounce terrorism, what objection isthere (to holding talks w ith them)?" he asked. He noted that his government s policy for tacklingmilitancy comprised developmen t, dialogue and deterrence. Asked about Pakistan s troubled relations with the US,Gilani said new terms of e ngagement were needed for the tiesbetween Islamabad and Washington as his govern

ment wanted totake the public along with it in the wake of a string ofcrises. http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/gilani-asks-nawaz-not-to-strengthen-dic tators_749871.html --------Pakistan, US assume less cooperation in future By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press RAWALPINDI, Pakistan Jan 02, 12 Fatigued by a series of diplomatic crises over t he past year, the United States and Pakistan are redefining their troubled relat ionship, stepping back from the assumption that common goals and shared interest s can trump mutual suspicion. For Pakistan that means less cooperation with Washington and willingness, and in some cases eagerness, to swear off some of the American financial aid that ofte n made Pakistan feel too dependent, and too pushed-around. For the United States it means lower expectations in several areas, including th e crucial question of Pakistani help in ending the war in next-door Afghanistan. Overall it could be the biggest change in a decade in a relationship that has be en a mainstay of U.S. military and counterterrorism policy since the 9/11 terror attacks. Both U.S. and Pakistani officials said the November killing of 24 Pakistani sold iers in a NATO airstrike and Washington s refusal to outright apologize for the deaths has been a game changer in a relationship characterized by mistrust and m utual acrimony. In the United States, civilian and military officials have called the friendly f ire incident a tragedy caused by mistakes on both sides, but insist that Pakista n fired first. Pakistan denies that and has called the airstrike an unprovoked a ttack. Full Report at: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gxHXJg7ij8llsreFSnTRc5ndhYHg?d ocId=c270289888ed4ace969dbf0a40a20183 ---------Nawaz Sharif: Pakistan would have been prosperous if Zardari had accepted my agen da By Madiha Saeed KARACHI: January 2, 2012, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, while addressing a large gat hering of supporters in Karachi, said that if Zardri had accepted the agenda of the Charter of Democracy, it would have worked wonders for the countrys prosperit y. The nation is very worried about the current governments actions, he said. If PPP had accepted that agenda, the state of the country would have been much more pr osperous, and nothing could have made him happier than a flourishing Pakistan, N awaz added.

The PML-N chief also added that if by following the aforementioned agenda, Zarda ri succeeded in improving the condition of Pakistan, and was elected into office again, that would make Nawaz Sharif the happiest person in the country since hi s only priority was a prosperous Pakistan. He said that Pakistan was an extremely blessed country and had everything from c oal and water to agricultural resources. The real problem of the country was tha t nobody had attempted to run it accurately in the past 64 years, he added. Sharif said that the world had gone to new heights like stepping on the moon in the past 64 years, but Pakistan was still stuck with problems like lack of clean water. Talking about the recent flood crises, he said that he had personally vi sited the affected areas and witnessed people living without camps, their homes and livestock destroyed in the catastrophe. The PML- N chief vowed that he would change the condition of the people of Sindh and eradicate poverty and starvatio n from the province. Full Report at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/315393/pml-n-sindh-council-meeting-nawaz-sharif-arri ves-in-karachi/ -------Turkey PM urges Palestinian reconciliation in meeting with Hamas leader By The Associated Press 01.01.12 Turkey s prime minister on Sunday welcomed efforts toward reconciliation between the rival Palestinian factions during a meeting with the Hamas premier of the G aza Strip, Turkey s state-run news agency reported. Ismail Haniyeh is on an official tour of the Muslim world, his first trip outsid e the blockaded territory since the Islamist group took over Gaza in 2007. Turke y is trying to help efforts toward a reconciliation between the rival Palestinia n Hamas and Fatah factions. Haniyeh met Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the Tur kish leader s Istanbul residence. Erdogan expressed hope that the Palestinians " attain an all-encompassing umbrella organization with strong democratic represen tation powers," the Anadolu Agency reported. Erdogan s spokesman was not available for comment. On Monday, the Hamas prime minister will meet the head of an Islamic aid group w hose Gaza-bound vessel was the target of a deadly raid by Israeli troops in 2010 . Turkey s ties with Israel, a former ally, deteriorated sharply over the flotil la raid that killed nine activists on the Turkish boat, and Erdogan has demanded that Israel lift all restrictions on the Palestinian territory. Hamas officials say the goal of Haniyeh s trip is to improve ties with Muslim co untries swept up in the uprisings shaking the Arab world. Hamas and Fatah joined in a short-lived unity government following 2006 parliame ntary elections. But the following year, the alliance shattered and Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip during several days of fighting, leaving the Fatah-le d Palestinian Authority in charge in the West Bank. Repeated attempts at reconci liation failed, and both sides have cracked down on the other in their respectiv

e territories. Reconciliation talks currently under way with Egyptian mediation appear to be ma king progress, with both Fatah and Hamas saying they hope to allow Palestinian e lections to go ahead in 2012. http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/turkey-pm-urges-palestinian-reconciliati on-in-meeting-with-hamas-leader-1.404950 --------Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iranians made success in face of western sanctions TEHRAN, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iran s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said her e Sunday that Iran has been successful in the face of western sanctions. Khamenei said the Islamic republic has achieved "eye-catching successes" in its confrontation with western powers and their economic and propaganda campaigns, t he local satellite Press TV reported on Sunday. "Countering the sanctions and progress in nuclear (technology) is part of these accomplishments," Khamenei was quote as saying in a meeting with members of the Islamic society of Iranian students in Europe. This triumphant trend will not subside and will continue apace in the future, he added. "The enemy is repeatedly suffering defeats and setbacks, despite its all-out sec urity and political measures against the Islamic Republic," Khamenei reiterated. Khamenei made the remarks after U.S. President Barack Obama signed on Saturday t he bill on banking sanctions against Iran. Obama signed on Saturday a wide-ranging defense funding bill in Honolulu, Hawaii , calling for new sanctions against financial institutions doing business with I ran s state banking institutions. The bill, approved by U.S. Congress last week, aims at reducing Tehran s oil rev enues but gives the U.S. president powers to waive penalties as required. Obama singed the bill into law although he has "serious reservations" about prov isions regarding counter-terrorism efforts, including clauses that regulate the detention, interrogation and prosecution of suspected terrorists. "The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everyth ing in it," Obama said in a prepared statement accompanying his signature in Haw aii, where he is having a family holiday. Full Report at: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-01/02/c_122524531.htm ---------Iranian border guards still in Pakistani custody (AP) QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) Jan 2, 12 A government official says authorities have yet t o decide what to do with three Iranian border guards detained for allegedly cros

sing into Pakistan and killing a man. Aalam Faraz said Monday the Iranians admitted to inadvertently crossing into Bal uchistan province while chasing a vehicle. They allegedly shot and killed one ma n and wounded another Sunday. Faraz says the Iranians claimed they accidentally shot the men when the fired on the vehicle they were chasing. Pakistani border guards chased the Iranians back across the border, seized the t wo men who were shot and detained three Iranian border guards. Faraz is waiting to hear from provincial authorities about what to do with the I ranians. He is a senior official in Washuk district, where the incident occurred . --------Iran to hold Muslim women Media festival Jan 1, 2012 Iran has planned to hold the first International Festival of Muslim Women s Prin t Media to appreciate the endeavors of Muslim women who promote the Islamic valu es. More than 27 international publications from different Asian, African and Europe an countries have so far applied to take part at the event alongside the Iranian ones. The registered countries include Indonesia, Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt, Russia and Tha iland. The event aims to identify the written publications of Muslim women from all aro und the world. The organizers of the festival are also hopeful that the event wo uld create capacity for further collaboration in the Islamic world. The first International Festival of Muslim Women s Print Media will kick off on January 7, 2012 in the capital city of Tehran and will run for six days. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218859.html -------Indian mangoes losing American market to Pakistan By Yogima Seth Sharma New Delhi, Jan 01 2012, Indian mango exporters are losing ground to their Pakist ani counterparts in the US market. The exports of this exotic fruit from India, which started in 2007 in bargain of the access to the US Harley Davidson bikes to Indian market, is seeing a contin uous decline over past three years. Exchange rate disadvantage Indian exporters face in competition with their Pakistani peers; high freight charges and lack of irradiation facilities in India are at blame. Data available with the agricultural and processed food product export developme nt authority (Apeda) shows export of mangoes from India to US declined by 13.4 p er cent in 2009-10 at 175.40 tonnes from 202.64 tonnes in 2008-09. In 2010-11, e

xport saw a steeper decline of 22.1 per cent at 136.70 tonnes. This has fallen w ell short of Apedas expectations as the US is a large market and is yet to be ful ly tapped for mangoes. Indian mangoes have failed to meet our expectations in the US market. At the time of launch, we had expected mango exports touch 900-1,000 tonnes annually in thr ee-five years to the US, where demand was high and growing because of the presen ce of large Indian diaspora there. On the contrary, we have seen exports declini ng every year and we seem to have lost to Pakistan, a senior Apeda official said. Pakistan, he said, has an edge over India in exports of mangoes to the US on acc ount of the currency as well as freight charges advantages. Freight charges in I ndia are high because of additional surcharge and other taxes, including the edu cation cess. According to the official, India has only one irradiation facility in Nasik and mangoes being a seasonal and perishable fruit, quality deteriorates by the time it goes from Uttar Pradesh to Nasik for irradiation and is then exported to the US. This adds to our overall cost. Moreover, prices of Pakistani mangoes are at l east 25-30 per cent less than the Indian varieties because of their lower valued currency as compared to Indian rupee against dollar, he said. The US has allowed selling of Indian mangoes only if they are irradiated and free from pests. India exported 59,220.78 tonnes of mangoes in 2010-11 worth Rs 162 crore. Major export destinations included the UAE (25,725 tonnes), Bangladesh (23,049.6 tonne s), the UK (2,723.5 tonnes), Nepal (1,991.3 tonnes) and Saudi Arabia (1,592.2 to nnes). Indian Dasheris, Langra and Chausa, grown in Lucknow, Saharanpur and Barap anki belt of UP are the most sought after varieties of mangoes in the West. http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/indian-mangoes-losing-american-market-pakistan-1 70 URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=627 3