Kill Me before You Kill a Fellow Maldivian: President Kazakh Students Win Fight against Hijab Ban Need

Stressed to Spread Values of Sufism to End Strife Eleven yrs old Pakistani girl sets new world record in O levels Sultan of Sokoto Urges Solution to ethno-religious crises New laws protect women from abuse in Pakistan Burqa ban: Canada prohibits Muslim veil in citizenship ceremonies House of Commons calls on Pakistan to release Christian woman Engage youth in decision making: Ambassador of Alliance of Civilizations Learn diplomacy from India: Pakistans UN envoy to Karzai Muslim world set to form powerful bloc

Islamist Vision of

sin-free tourism raises Alarm in Egypt

Afzal Guru: Govt. puts the ball in Prezs court Vandals attack disused Jerusalem mosque 90pc of missing Baloch killed by their own groups Punjab Assembly calls for mandatory Quran, Sunnah education Dead body identified as of Hindu trader Probe ordered into secret killings: Bangladesh Home Minister Militants kill five Pakistani villagers: officials Police, militants clash in Pakistan Two Lashkar Men Killed in Khyber Clash Panetta asks Kayani to help resume NATO supplies Pakistan Talking Again to US-Led Coalition: NATO Zardari s real power in Pakistan comes from his party, not his presidency Pakistan PM promises to reconsider ban on BBC World News Pakistan First MFN status to India to affect Pak auto industry UN rights expert starts probing Iran rights abuses Iraq: UN calls for more time to resolve issue of camp residents Iraqi Foreign Minister Meets the High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Secur ity in the European Union

UN asks Iraq to extend dissident camp deadline Islamic World Tells Clinton: Defamation of Islam Must be Prevented -- in America Indian Animal Rights Group Asks Pakistan to Free Monkey URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=613 8 --------Kill Me before You Kill a Fellow Maldivian: President By JJ Robinson December 13th, 2011 Kill me before you kill a fellow Maldivian, President Mohamed Nasheed has said, af ter several slogans calling for the slaughter of anyone against Islam were publish ed yesterday on a website calling for a religious protest on December 23. The organisers of the protest yesterday removed the slogans calling for murder, attributing them to a mistake on the technical teams side. The website, 23December.com, this morning appeared to have been targeted by hack ers, replaced with green skulls and the statement Well come out against you with m achetes if you protest. The original site promoting the protest is now back up at the domain. Speaking at a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally last night, President Nashe ed promised that should the protests target Maldivians, The government and MDP wi ll come out in defence of the people. Well not come out on the streets with the d efence forces but with bare hands. No one can confront us on these streets, Nashe ed was reported as saying. His statements followed an attack on Saturday against a group of silent protester s on the Artificial Beach calling for religious tolerance. Several people were in jured in the skirmish, including controversial blogger Ismail Khilath Rasheed whos website was last month blocked on the order of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. That evening, Nasheed gave an address at a function marking International Human Rights Day, in which he said that Islam stands for the dignity, honour, and nobil ity of mankind, on which Islamic Sharia is based, and contended that those who cl aimed Sharia conflicts with fundamental human rights are clearly unable to compre hend or accept Sharia verdicts. The explosive reaction against UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pilla y, following her recent call for a moratorium and debate on the practice of flog ging for extramarital sex, and an amendment to the discriminatory constitutional p rovision that all Maldivians be Muslim, was a lost opportunity to showcase Shari as compatability with human rights, he said. Our scholars lost the chance by reacting in a provocative and Jihadi manner, even c alling to harm the High Commissioner, Nasheed said. Religious figures were yesterday quick to publicly condemn the calls for violenc e.

Speaking to Minivan News, Former State Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohame d Shaheem Ali Saeed said that the slogan calling for murder was not good, adding t hat Islam is a religion of peace, not of violence. http://minivannews.com/politics/kill-me-before-you-kill-a-fellow-maldivian-presi dent-condemns-calls-for-religious-violence-29345 ---------Kazakh Students Win Fight Against Hijab Ban AQTOBE, Kazakhstan, Dec 14, 2011 -- Officials at a university in northwestern Ka zakhstan have lifted a Hijab ban for students after eight female students threat ened to sue the school, RFE/RL s Kazakh Service reports. The students told RFE/RL on December 8 that they had been unable to attend class es at Saqtaghan Baishev University, as a duty officer at the school s entrance w as preventing them from entering the university because of their head scarves, o r hijabs. The students received help on the issue from the Kazakh Bureau for Human Rights when its lawyer, Aghyzbek Tolegenov, met with university Rector Khalel Khusainov last week. Tolegenov told Khusainov that the university s internal regulations contradicted the Kazakh Constitution and reminded him that "our society should fight extremi sm, but not Islam." Tolegenov told RFE/RL on December 12 that he and human rights experts from the n ongovernmental organization Coalition for Defending Human Rights and Freedoms st arted a campaign on "lifting the hijab ban" at the university. University officials then held a series of discussions involving teachers and st udents that lasted until December 10. Aqtobe Oblast Imam Abdimutalip Daurenbekov also took part in the discussions. Daurenbekov told RFE/RL that it was decided that students can attend classes wit h head scarves as of December 12. Do Not Cover Up In Black

The university s deputy rector, Bayan Orynbaeva, refused to comment on the issue last week and told RFE/RL s correspondent to leave the university. But she agre ed to talk to RFE/RL on December 12 and said the main problem was the color of t he students head scarves and dresses. Perizat Moldasheva said what she wears is traditional Kazakh dress. "They were all black, which is not a traditional [color for] Kazakhs to wear," Ory nbaeva said. However, one of the eight female students who made the initial complaint, Shynar Mantaiqyzy, told RFE/RL that none of them ever wore either black dresses or bla ck head scarves. "Kazakhs traditionally say, Do not cover up in black, something that we all fo llow. Our clothes and head scarves were always of different colors," she said.

Another student, Perizat Moldasheva, told RFE/RL that "what we wear is not a hij ab, what we wear is called a head scarf -- a traditional part of a Kazakh woman

s dress." The Kazakh Constitution guarantees the right of all citizens to practice any rel igion freely and without any restrictions. Amendments to the law on religions do not say anything regarding the head scarf or other religious dress. http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakh_university_hijab_ban_overturned/24420949.htm l ---------Need Stressed to Spread Values of Sufism to End Strife Anil Dutta Karachi December 14, 2011, Love and tolerance, which forms the edifice of Sufism , was highlighted at a lecture titled, Sufism in Islam, at the Goethe-Instut on Tu esday by Prof Dr Jurgen Wasim Frembgen. The lecture highlighted the mystical thoughts and values embedded in Sufi poetry , which serves to build bridges by spreading the message of love, harmony and to lerance. In addition to the field of philosophy, practical tolerance is exemplif ied within the devotional religiosity at the shrines of Sufi saints in Punjab an d Sindh. Expressing concern over the danger faced by the cultural heritage of Pakistan ow ing to the current socio-political conditions, Frembgen said this Sufi heritage was worth conserving as it was the surest panacea for the religious and cultural strife that had engulfed society today. He said that Sufi values of universal b rotherhood, love and tolerance were enshrined in the Holy Quran. To consolidate his thesis, he said that Muslims of the subcontinent often drew on the mystical poetry which characterises Sufi Islam. In ethical terms, he said, Sufism preached non-interference in the religious bel iefs of others and acceptance of every viewpoint. In this context, he cited the oft-quoted axiom, Apne aqeede ko mat choro, doosron ke aqeede ko mat chero, (Stick steadfastly to your beliefs, dont comment on the beliefs of others). Sufis in th e subcontinent, Frembgen said, had all along promoted the saying, Mohabbat sab ke liye, nafrat kisi ke liye naheen (Love for everybody, hatred for none). The Sufi s, he said, believed that love was all that existed in the world and was the for ce that kept the world and mankind going. For them, he said, divine and human lo ve was the edifice of religion. Absolute unity and uniqueness of God, Frembgen, said, was the key to the Sufi tr adition. For those who love, there are no Muslims, no Christians, but all are the equal sons and daughters of Allah Almighty, all of them equal masterpieces of H is creation, he said. He said that Sufism in Islam was the exact antithesis of the rigid caste system of Hinduism. Sufis, he said, warn strictly against religious exclusivism as they firmly believe that whichever way one turns, theres Allah. Talking expressly on the Sufi tradition in the subcontinent, he frequently quoted Baba Farid, Shah Ab dul Latif Bhittai, Bulleh Shah and Odero Lal and their message of universal love transcending all religious differences and uniting mankind into one large homog enous family, all a creation of the loving Allah Almighty. Frembgen is the curator of the Oriental Department at the museum of ethnology Mu nich, Germany, and a private lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Mu nich.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=82131&Cat=4 ---------Eleven yrs old Pakistani girl sets new world record in O levels Suhail Yusuf Dec 14 2011 KARACHI: A Pakistani girl has become the youngest student in the world to have p assed the British Ordinary Level (OLevel) examination. Sitara Brooj Akbar, at the age of 11, passed six Olevel subjects including Mathem atics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. In addition to this honour, Sitara also holds the title of being the youngest Pa kistani candidate of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) a nd successfully attained seven bands out of nine, scoring 7.5 in the testing sys tem. The little genius from Chiniot (Punjab) has been making headlines across local m edia but is yet to receive any recognition from the Government of Pakistan. We dont need any sort of monetary aid from the government, we just want the govern ment to recognise that Sitara has made a shining example for Pakistan on the int ernational stage and she is the daughter of Pakistan, Sitaras father Ali Akbar tol d Dawn.com. Ali Akbar added that the British Council has declared and recognised Sitaras feat as the worlds youngest student to have passed Olevel exams. However, she has only been declared the youngest IELTS candidate in Pakistan, and not across the worl d, as the British Council is yet to confirm her feat globally. Speaking to Dawn.com, Sitaras mother mentioned that her daughter is a great fan o f Dr Abdus Salam, Pakistans sole Nobel laurete and aims to become a top researche r in the field of biochemistry. http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/13/pakistani-girl-set-new-world-record-in-o-levels.h tml -------Sultan of Sokoto Urges Solution to ethno-religious crises By Our Reporter, Dec 14, 2011 The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, has appealed to the Federal Gov ernment to proffer a permanent solution to the ethno-religious crisis in some pa rts of the country to ensure sustainable peace. Abubakar made the call at the 5th Annual General Conference of Muslim Lawyers As sociation of Nigeria (MULAN), in Kaduna, saying: Islam is a peaceful religion th at is promoting the cause of unity, tolerance and not violence. He said groups which had deviated from these principles of the faith were not pr actising the true teachings of Prophet Mohammed (SAN) and Islam but acting for personal gains. The Sultan said Muslims were being victimised because of the activities and acti ons of a few people, who claimed to be part of the Muslim community but whose ac tivities were alien to the tinets of Islamic religion.

He urged the association to use its position to defend and protect the good imag e and rights of Muslims and Islam in Nigeria. Earlier, the National President of the association, Alhaji Tajuddeen Oladoja, sa id the primary objective of the conference was to articulate appropriate strate gies for the promotion and protection of fundamental rights and interest of Musl ims in Nigeria. He said MULAN was carrying out the task by identifying rights of Muslims in the context of law and judicial process in Nigeria. Oladoja said MULAN frowned at the non establishment of Shariah courts by state g overnments in southern Nigeria. He appealed to the Federal Government to hasten efforts in establishing Shariah courts in the southern states to ensure the adjudication of certain Islamic pers onal matters relating to marriage, divorce, inheritance, paternity among others. The president said the association had joined the labour movement and other bod ies to oppose the removal of oil subsidy. We are warning the government that the indices that gave rise to the uprising in North Africa and the Arab world are everywhere in Nigeria, he said. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/newsextra/29646-sultan-urges-sol ution-to-ethno-religious-crises.html -------New laws protect women from abuse in Pakistan By MUNIR AHMED, Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) Dec, 14, 2011, Azim Mai s husband allegedly threw acid in her fac e last year after she refused to sell their two boys to a man in Dubai to use as camel racers. The 35-year-old mother of five can no longer find work as a maid because her deeply scarred face scares potential employers. Acid burnings are among the most horrific crimes against women in Pakistan that are now criminalized in a landmark set of laws passed by the parliament. They st and to protect millions of women from common forms of abuse in a conservative, M uslim country with a terrible history of gender inequality. Rights activists praised the laws Tuesday while stressing their passage was just the first step, and likely not the hardest one. It could be even more difficult to get Pakistan s corrupt and inefficient legal system to protect women s right s that many men in this patriarchal society likely oppose. "This is a big achievement for the women of Pakistan, civil society and the orga nizations that have been working for more than 30 years to get women friendly bi lls passed," said Nayyar Shabana Kiyani, who has lobbied for the legislation as part of The Aurat Foundation, a women s rights group. "We can t really get good results until the laws are implemented at the grassroo ts level," she added. Full Report at:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-Cwkf4F6qPJMGSWk-sFbk9lScWA?d ocId=261c64a9ea1c4a0d8440c7e7ba231845 -------Burqa ban: Canada prohibits Muslim veil in citizenship ceremonies Canada, a country that prides itself on having one of the world s most liberal s ystems for immigration, just banned women from wearing veils while taking the oa th of citizenship. Limited to citizenship ceremonies, Canada s new rules make it the second nation after France to ban face-covering garments in public, although there are a numbe r of countries in Europe that have begun to target Islamic fashion and religious observance in the past few years. France s conservative government passed a veil ban in October 2010, a law that w ent into force in April 2011. The Netherlands also indicated in September that i t would impose a ban on veils because the "wearing of clothing that completely o r almost entirely covers the face is fundamentally at odds with public life." In August 2009, Switzerland outlawed the construction of new minarets at Swiss mos ques. Canada s minister of citizenship and immigration, Jason Kenney, told reporters t hat he found it "bizarre" that Canada s rules had once allowed women to wear fac e-concealing garments during their citizenship ceremonies. Full Report at: http://www.minnpost.com/globalpost/2011/12/14/33810/burqa_ban_canada_prohibits_m uslim_veil_in_citizenship_ceremonies ---------House of Commons calls on Pakistan to release Christian woman 12 December 2011 Asia Bibi faces possible death sentence under blasphemy laws By Deborah Gyapong The Canadian Catholic News OTTAWA (CCN)Canadas Parliament has called on Pakistan to release a Christian woman who faces a possible death sentence under that countrys blasphemy laws. On Dec. 8, the House of Commons unanimously passed the following motion: That, th e House of Commons joins the Senate of Canada in calling upon the Government of Pakistan to immediately release Ms. Asia Bibi, to ensure her safety and well-bei ng, to hear the outcry of the international community and to respect the princip les of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The motion, tabled by Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, was welcomed by International Chr istian Voice (ICV), a religious freedom organization founded by Peter Bhatti, th e brother of the former Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti assassinate d in March. Bhatti was the second highly-ranked Pakistani official who was assassinated for speaking against the blasphemy laws. On Jan. 4, Punjab province governor Salmaan

Taseer was killed by his own bodyguard for defence of Bibi. Full Report at: http://bcc.rcav.org/canadian/1226-house-of-commons-calls-on-pakistan-to-releasechristian-woman ---------Engage youth in decision making: Ambassador of Alliance of Civilizations BY RAYNALD C RIVERA DOHA: 14 December 2011, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, ambassador of Alliance o f Civilizations, stressed the importance of linking the Alliances objectives to M illennium Development Goals (MDGs), making education a main priority and activel y engaging the youth as decision makers, during the conclusion of the fourth Uni ted Nations Alliance of Civilizations Forum yesterday. Establishing a link between the Alliances objectives and the MDGs, Sheikah Moza e xpressed optimism the Millennium Development Goals could be realized by turning conviction to action through projects approved by the United Nations within a ce rtain framework to eventually reach international tolerance, peace and cultural diversity. To this end, Sheikha Moza also called for setting up a monitoring and follow-up mechanism to ensure progress on the outcomes of the UNAOC dialogues. We thought of creating an observatory in order to ensure follow-up and identify i ndicators in all levels. We will try to monitor through reports to assess effort s and see results reached, she said. Full Report at: http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/175753-engage-youth-in-decision-making-sheikh a-moza.html --------Learn diplomacy from India: Pakistans UN envoy to Karzai New York: Dec< 14 12 2011,Advising President Hamid Karzai to take a leaf out of I ndias book and learn from the enormous maturity it has shown, Islamabads envoy at the UN said Afghanistans accusatory stance towards Pakistan will not help bilateral ti es. Noting that a massive change around has come today in India-Pakistan relations as compared to the post-26/11 environment, Pakistans ambassador to the UN Abdullah H ussain Haroon said the two neighbours are beginning to see things from each other s perspective thanks to the dialogue process. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. PTI I wish President Karzai could take a leaf out of the Indian book, instead of bein g accusatory towards Pakistan, Haroon said in New York. He said even if a leaf falls on the grass in Afghanistan, the Afghan leader points a finger towards Islamabad, saying the Pakistanis must have done it. It does not work that way. I think India would be a good example for Karzai to fo

llow in which he should realise that this accusatory game gets no where. Full Report at: http://www.firstpost.com/world/learn-diplomacy-from-india-pakistans-un-envoy-tokarzai-155796.html -------Muslim world set to form powerful bloc : Secretary General, IIAC

Dec 13, 2011 Secretary General of the International Islamic Awakening Conference Ali Akbar Ve layati says the Muslim world is set to become a global power bloc. Considering the current Islamic Awakening trend, the Muslim world will turn into a powerful bloc in the future, Velayati said at a Tuesday meeting in the Iranian capital city, Tehran. The golden age of the US has come to an end; they cannot even be accountable for what has happened in their country, IRNA quoted him as saying. The senior Iranian official was making reference to the anti-capitalism Occupy m ovement which emerged in the US after demonstrators staged an occupy protest ral ly in New York s financial district on September 17. Despite police harassment and mass arrests, the Occupy protests have spread to o ther major US cities as well as other capitalist countries such as Australia, Br itain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal. Under the existing circumstances, not only have the Western countries faced probl ems in economic aspects, but also their officials are not accountable to their o wn people regarding the political areas, Velayati pointed out. The Islamic countries no longer tolerate any colonialism and dictatorship of the West; moreover, the Western countries are not as strong as they were before in w anting to bully the Middle Eastern countries, he added. Since early 2011, a wave of popular uprisings has spread across the Arab world. The growing Islamic Awakening movement has so far led to three regime changes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/215470.html --------Islamist Vision of December 13, 2011 REPORTING FROM CAIRO -- The Egyptian tourism minister has expressed concern abou t recent comments by members of the country s leading Islamist parties, who have outlined their vision for "sin-free" tourism. "There are international concerns about some irresponsible comments made by some Islamists about beach tourism in Egypt," Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhri Abdel N our told the independent satellite channel Mehwar on Monday evening. "Many count ries have sent inquiries and asked for explanations, and Egyptian tourism alread y lost a lot because of these comments." sin-free tourism raises Alarm in Egypt

Abdel Nour was referring to statements by members of the Muslim Brotherhood s Fr eedom and Justice Party and the ultraconservative Salafi party Al Nour. The two parties are leading in parliamentary polls after the first stage of voting last month, raising fears that the country s lucrative tourism industry could be at r isk. About 15 million holiday-makers visited the country last year, contributing $12. 5 billion to the economy, Abdel Nour said. A senior assistant at the ministry said Tuesday that Egypt is expected to earn n o more than $9 billion from tourism this year because of a reduced number of vis itors, which at one point during the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubar ak was 80% lower than the previous year. Abdel Nour said Egyptian tourism "is currently facing a double challenge: securi ty and the [religious] fatwas." Full Report at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/12/egypt-sin-free-tourism.html -------Afzal Guru: Govt. puts the ball in Prezs court New Delhi: Dec 13, 2011, Under fire from opposition over the delay in carrying o ut the death sentence of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, government today put the onus on President Pratibha Patil saying a decision on the issue has to be taken by her. Using the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Parliament attack, BJP asked why g overnment was not punishing those held guilty for the December 13, 2001 audaciou s strike. UPA meet ends; Chidambaram says meeting fruitful . Reuters Despite the Supreme Court confirming the sentence, the man (Guru) is still out th ere in jail The nation wants to know, why are we hesitating in punishing those gu ilty for the Parliament attack, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj s aid. We come here every year to remember all those killed in the attack. There are two sides to the issue, one is to pay homage to those killed and the other is to ca rry out the sentence granted by the Supreme Court on the man responsible for being behind the attack conspiracy, she said at a function in Parliament Hous e to pay homage to nine people who lost their lives in the attack. BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Why the delay in Afzal Gurus (case). Ho w long? Why? I think, the sooner that verdict is executed, it will be the bigges t homage to those great warriors, he said. Full Report at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/afzal-guru-govt-puts-the-ball-in-prezs-court-1554 28.html --------

Vandals attack disused Jerusalem mosque 14 December 2011 Vandals have set fire to a disused 12th Century mosque in the centre of Jerusale m and left graffiti insulting the Prophet Muhammad on its walls. Jerusalem s mayor denounced the attack, which caused no structural damage. The incident is being linked to a wave of attacks by Jewish settlers and right-w ing extremists angered by what they see as Israeli government attempts to restri ct settlement building. Early on Tuesday, protesters broke into an Israeli army base in the West Bank. They set tyres alight and damaged vehicles inside the Ephraim Brigade s headquar ters near Qalqilya, officials said. The brigade s commander was also slightly in jured when his vehicle was pelted with stones. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the violence "intolerable" and told sec urity forces to "to act aggressively" against those responsible. Price-tag attacks

The Nebi Akasha mosque is located in the middle of an ultra-Orthodox part of Jer usalem. Israeli media reports say it has not been used as a place of worship since Israe l s war of independence in 1948, though it was recently renovated and turned int o a municipal storage facility. Early on Wednesday morning, the Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services received a ca ll saying there was a fire in the building. Full Report at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16176316 -------90pc of missing Baloch killed by their own groups By Mohammad Zafar QUETTA: December 14, 2011, Frontier Corps (FC) Inspector General Major General U baidullah Khattak on Tuesday claimed that 90 percent of the Baloch missing perso ns were involved in criminal activities and had been killed by their own organis ations. Addressing a press conference at FC Headquarters in Quetta on Tuesday, he said t hat the FC was present in various districts of Balochistan to maintain law and o rder. If tribal elders and members of civil society ensure peace in the province, then the FC will be withdrawn, he said. Khattak denied the allegations that his force was involved in enforced disappear ances of Baloch youth and political activists. Defending the FC existence, the FC chief said there had been decline in violence during this year as 1,328 incidents took place while there were 1,425 incidents

of violence in 2010. According to information shared by FC, there were 110 rock et attacks in this year and there were 164 in last year. Similarly, 134 grenade attacks in this year and 168 during the last year. For Full Report: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\12\14\story_14-12-2011_pg7_5 -----Punjab Assembly calls for mandatory Quran, Sunnah education By Hussain Kashif LAHORE: Dec 14, 2011, The Punjab Assembly (PA) session on Tuesday was marked by the passage of a unanimous resolution asking to include the education of Quran a nd Sunnah in the educational curriculum upto matric, a hot debate on President A sif Ali Zardaris medical trip to Dubai and declarations of Shahbaz Sharif as an a rrogant Chief Minister (CM) and his ministers being incompetent. The resolution was presented by a female member of the treasury bench, MPA Nasim Nasir Khajawa, who had mentioned the word students in the resolution, which was l ater modified and the word female students was added by Pakistan Muslim League-Qua id (PML-Q) legislator Seemal Kamran in the resolution. The resolution sought to make compulsory the education of holy Quran as well as Hadiths for both the male and female students up to matric. Since no objections were raised on the resolu tion, the assembly approved it, declaring the education of Quran and Sunnah comp ulsory for students up to matric. Meanwhile, the PA also adopted another resolution, confirming contract employees of Utility Stores from Grade 14 to 18. For Full Report: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\12\14\story_14-12-2011_pg13_1 ------Dead body identified as of Hindu trader Staff Report QUETTA: 14 Dec, 2011, A body found Monday night in Sardar Kariz, an outskirt are a of Quetta, has been identified as that of Hindu trader Ravi Kumar on Monday, p olice said. Kumar, a local trader of Quetta, had been abducted by armed persons in broad day light some three months ago from posh the area of Satellite Town. His captors de manded Rs 20 million from the family, and ultimately reduced their demand to Rs 10 million. When the family did not fulfil their demand, the captors executed Ra vi and threw his body in the area close to Western Bypass, outskirts of the prov incial capital. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\12\14\story_14-12-2011_pg7_17 ---------Probe ordered into secret killings: Bangladesh Home Minister Star Online Report, December 14, 2011

Home Minister Shahara Khatun said on Wednesday that she had directed the law enf orcement agencies to investigate the incidents of secret killing after coming to know about those through newspapers. Asked whether she has any intelligence information about the forced disappearance and killings, she did not give any reply. Shahara was talking to reporters after a meeting at her ministry on law and orde r during Bishwa Ijtema. Devotees from over 100 countries will participate in this year s Ijtema, she sai d. The first phase of Bishwa Ijtema will begin on the bank of the Turag River at To ngi on January 13. Another three-day Ijtema will begin at the same venue on January 20. Mayor of Tongi municipality Azmat Ullah Khan, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hasan Mahmud Khondoker and Rapid Action battalion (Rab) Director General Mokhles ur Rahman were present at the meeting. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=34400 --------Militants kill five Pakistani villagers: officials (AFP) PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Dec 14, 2011 Militants opened fire on Pakistani villagers Tu esday, killing at least five civilians and wounding another six in the tribal ba dlands bordering Afghanistan, government officials said. The attack took place in the Shalobar area of Khyber, part of Pakistan s semi-au tonomous tribal belt where the military is fighting homegrown militants led by w arlord Mangal Bagh. "Five villagers were killed and six were injured," Sayed Ahmad Jan, a senior gov ernment official in Khyber, told AFP by telephone. "Militants came in a pick-up and fired on the villagers who were standing on the side of the road," Jan added. An intelligence official in Khyber said villagers were helping the Frontier Corp s (FC) dislodge militants, confirming that paramilitary troops had launched a se arch operation in the area on Tuesday. Elsewhere in Shalobar, seven people, including two children and three women, wer e wounded when a mortar shell slammed into their home, Jan said. Al-Qaeda-linked militants have carved out strongholds in Pakistan s tribal belt, also a rear base for Taliban fighting US troops in Afghanistan. --------Police, militants clash in Pakistan Islamabad, 14/12/2011 (IANS) Clashes erupted Tuesday between police and at least

50 armed militants in Pakistan s northwest tribal region after the outlaws ambu shed a police convoy, a media report said. At least five policemen were injured in the incident in Budhbeer area of Peshawa r, Xinhua reported citing Urdu TV channel ARY. Though local media reports said several militants were killed in the clashes, th ey did not specify the exact number. The attackers may have come from nearby Khyber Agency, a tribal area along the b order with Afghanistan, reports said. The militants fled the scene after police reinforcements arrived. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Indo-Asian News Service http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5675128 --------Two Lashkar Men Killed in Khyber Clash Reuters, Dec 14, 2011 KHYBER: Militants clashed with pro-government militiamen and local police in the Bara area of the northwestern Khyber tribal region, killing two militia members and wounding another, security officials said. http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/14/two-lashkar-men-killed-in-khyber-clash-2.html --------Panetta asks Kayani to help resume NATO supplies Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD - Dec 14, 2011, US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta made a phone call to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Tuesday and sought his go od offices for the resumption of NATO supplies to Afghanistan through Pakistan, a s the top NATO commander in Afghanistan Marine General John Allen revealed for t he first time that he spoke to General Kayani on the phone on Monday - their fir st conversation since the November 26 NATO air strikes - and said he was seeing some signs of a possible lifting of Pakistans communications blackout imposed on the US-led coalition after the NATO attack. Panetta, who was on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan to discuss the latest si tuation there with Afghan authorities, telephoned the army chief a day after Gen eral Allen. Panetta, who said in Kabul that it was important to reach out to Pak istan if the United States wanted to dismantle Afghan militant havens, told Gene ral Kayani that his country wanted normalisation of ties with Islamabad as it wa s vital to win the ongoing war on terror? Full Report at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/12/panetta-asks-kayani-to-help-resume-natosupplies/ ---------

Pakistan Talking Again to US-Led Coalition: NATO Associated Press Kabul: December 14, 2011, Voicing cautious optimism, the top NATO commander in A fghanistan said that he s seeing signs of a possible lifting of Pakistan s commu nications blackout imposed on the US-led coalition after NATO airstrikes killed two dozen Pakistani forces last month. Marine Gen John Allen revealed for the first time that he spoke on the phone on Monday with Pakistan army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani their first conversatio n since just after the airstrikes. Allen said they both expressed a commitment t o work through the incident and try to restore coordination between their forces along the border. "I do have a sense of progress," Allen told reporters at a news briefing at his Camp Eggers headquarters in Kabul, describing the phone call as businesslike and cordial. "The conversation was clearly about attempting to resolve the issue... around the border incident, in the sense that, let s restore border coordinatio n so that we can move on." He added that he believes Pakistan will soon restore its liaison officers, who w ere pulled after the November 26 incident, to border coordination centers or NAT O headquarters in Kabul. Allen said the two did not discuss when Pakistan would reopen its border crossings to NATO convoys transporting supplies for troops in Afghanistan. Allen made his comments shortly after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Afghanistan unannounced to talk with commanders about the war. In addition to ch illy relations with Pakistan, the US also is grappling with ongoing plans to wit hdraw tens of thousands of troops in coming months, handover security to Afghan forces and the impact of potentially big budget cuts to the military. Full Report at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/pak-talking-again-to-usled-coalition-nato/211696-2.ht ml -------Zardari s real power in Pakistan comes from his party, not his presidency Saeed Shah in Islamabad guardian.co.uk,13 December 2011 Formally, the Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, exercises few powers in a p osition that is now supposed to be largely ceremonial. However, he derives his authority from his position as the joint head, with his son Bilawal, of the ruling Pakistan People s party (PPP). From his party positio n, Zardari controls the government, including the appointment of the prime minis ter. When the PPP was elected in 2008, he chose the party veteran Yousuf Raza Gilani as the prime minister. Gilani, who is theoretically the one in charge of day-today government, has proved fiercely loyal to his party and the president so far. Zardari and his cronies in the presidency are immersed in all aspects of the gov

ernment, as the regular press releases issued from his office make clear, with u pdates on him dealing with everything from flood control measures to foreign aff airs. No doubt the orders to the government are continuing to flow from his hosp ital bed in Dubai. If Zardari becomes incapacitated then a real power vacuum could follow, as the g overnment is run by few ministers of any ability or initiative. Indeed they appe ar to have been chosen for that reason. Full Report at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/13/zardari-power-pakistan-party-preside ncy?newsfeed=true ------Pakistan PM promises to reconsider ban on BBC World News Indiantelevision.com Team NEW DELHI: 13 December 2011, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani has pro mised that he will investigate the blockade of BBC World News in Pakistan. The m ove has been welcomed by the BBC . Gillani promised to look on this issue during an interview to the BBC. He said t hat his government believed in the freedom of speech and the freedom of media an d that was why the Draconian laws imposed on the freedom of expression in Paki stan in past had been rejected. The BBC World News is currently banned to display on all Pakistani cable network s, due to its telecasting an anti-Pakistan documentary Secret Pakistan which t ried to prove links between Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and Taliban. The Secret Pakistan documentary was televised on BBC World News in days after NATO strikes on Pakistani checkpost had raised anger in Pakistanis about the new s channel, after which its coverage was abandoned by all Pakistani cable network s. http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k11/dec/dec92.php -------Pakistan First By Tanveer Ahmed ISLAMABAD: Dec. 14, 2011,The envoys conference has reaffirmed that Pakistans exte rnal relations continue to be based on the principles of respect for sovereignty , independence and territorial integrity in accordance with international law as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. At the concluding session of the conference on Tuesday, ambassador-designate to US Sherry Rehman presented the recommendations made by the conference to the pri me minister. She said that the envoys of Pakistan from select capitals evaluated important aspects of the Pakistans foreign policy. They were also guided by the resolutions adopted by parliament (22 October 2008 and 14 May 2011), which refle cted the aspirations of the people of Pakistan. The envoys discussed Pakistans relationships with key countries, as well as inter national organisations and assessed the overall regional situation. Addressing t

he concluding session of the two-day conference, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gila ni stressed that Pakistans foreign policy was based on immutable principles. The Charter of the United Nations, norms of inter-state conduct and international la w provided the framework for Pakistans endeavours to ensure peace and security bo th in its own region and the world, he added. Full Report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C12%5C14%5Cstory_14-12-2011_ pg1_1 --------MFN status to India to affect Pak auto industry By Shabbir Sarwar LAHORE: 14th De, 2011, Pakistan is producing just 20 percent of current automob ile production as compared to India and the government of Pakistan is moving too fast on the issue of trade with India especially on giving Most Favourite Natio n (MFN) status, which would put negative affects on the Pakistani auto industry, said Nabeel Hashmi, chairman Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts Accessori es Manufacturers (PAAPAM) on Tuesday. He said during 2010-11 India manufactured 2.50 million cars, 12.671 million moto rcycles, 0.548 million tractors, 0.799 million rickshaws, 0.408 million light co mmercial vehicles, 0.318 million multi utility vehicles including means ambulanc es, television communication vans etc, 0.344 million buses and trucks. Pakistan is producing 0.119 million cars, 0.034 million LCVs, 0.003 million buse s and trucks, 0.070 million tractors, 1.8 million motorcycles and just 0.015 mil lion rickshaws. Indias overall automotive industries worth was $39.4 billion. Last year India exp orted auto parts worth $5 billion. Overall engineering goods exports by India la st year were $37.198 billion. Full Report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C12%5C14%5Cstory_14-12-2011_ pg5_10 ---------UN rights expert starts probing Iran rights abuses AFP Nov 29, 2011 United Nations Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed, seen here in 2005, will talk to A UN expert tasked with investigating alleged human rights abuses in Iran will t alk to Iranian activists in France, Germany and Belgium this week after a reques t to visit the country itself was refused. United Nations Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed will meet Iranians living in the three countries during a fact-finding mission from November 30 to December 8. "A visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran would have allowed me to gain better un derstanding of the situation," Shaheed said in a statement.

"However I will now study a wide range of human rights issues by meeting activis ts within the Iranian diaspora, alleged victims of human rights violations, inte rgovernmental and civil society organisations," he said. The former Maldives foreign minister, appointed Special Rapporteur in June, will report back to the Human Rights Council in March next year. http://news.yahoo.com/un-rights-expert-starts-probing-iran-rights-abuses-1521347 93.html --------Iraq: UN calls for more time to resolve issue of camp residents Special Representative Martin Kobler 6 December 2011 The United Nations envoy for Iraq today voiced concern over the situation in a camp housing several thousand Iranian exiles and urged the Iraqi Government to extend the deadline for closing down the settlement as efforts con tinue o find a peaceful solution that conforms with international law. Situated in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala, Camp Ashraf houses members of a group known as the Peoples Mojahedeen of Iran. The Iraqi Government has repeate dly stated its intention to close down the camp by 31 December and to transfer r esidents to another location until countries willing to accept them for resettle ment are found. Residents want to remain in the camp until a resettlement soluti on is found. Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of t he UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), told the Security Council in a briefi ng on the situation in the country that the UN is making efforts to facilitate a peaceful and durable solution. Lives are at stake and must be protected, said Mr. Kobler. The Government has a res ponsibility to ensure the safety, security and welfare of the residents. Any for ced action that results in bloodshed or loss of life would be both ill-advised a nd unacceptable. Mr. Kobler noted that any workable solution must be acceptable to both the Iraqi Government and residents of Camp Ashraf. A solution must respect Iraqi sovereig nty, on the one hand, and be in line with international humanitarian, human righ ts and refugee laws, on the other. Full Report at: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40639 ---------Iraqi Foreign Minister Meets the High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Secur ity in the European Union 07/12/2011 Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari met on the morning of 5/12/2011 in the Conferenc e Centre in Bonn, Baroness Catherine Ashton, the High Commissioner for Foreign A ffairs and Security in the European Union. The relationship between Iraq and the European Union reviewed during the meeting in the light of the evolving relatio nships between the two sides and in the light of the preparations for the signin

g of partnership and cooperation agreement between Iraq and the European Union. The two sides stressed on the importance of this agreement in pushing the relati onship between them to advanced steps forward. They also discussed the decision of the Government of Iraq to close the Camp Ashraf at the end of the year 2011, and the emphasis on the sovereign decision of Iraq. Baroness Ashton praised Iraq s position in the treatment of the subject according to the considerations of h umanity and respect for international humanitarian law, and the steps taken by I raq in this area in cooperation with international bodies relevant in the forefr ont of the UN High Commissioner for refugees and the UN mission to help in Iraq (UNAMI). http://www.mofa.gov.iq/eng/articles/display.aspx?id=11346 ---------UN asks Iraq to extend dissident camp deadline By Jewel Samad AFP Dec 7, 2011 The United Nations on Tuesday appealed to the Iraqi government to push back a De cember 31 deadline to close an Iranian dissident camp north of Baghdad, warning of a growing risk of violence. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also renewed appeals to the international commu nity to find a home for the estimated 3,400 Iranian exiles at Camp Ashraf. Amid heightened international concerns, the UN envoy to Iraq, Martin Kobler, tol d the UN Security Council many "obstacles" remain to ending doubts over how to e nd the camp standoff. The positions of the residents and the government "remain far apart," Kobler tol d the 15-member council. There is "a real danger of confrontation and even violence" because of the uncer tainty over the camp, which has been home to members of the People s Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) since the 1980s. Full Report at: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/un-asks-iraq-extend-dissident-camp-deadline-212103263.h tml --------Islamic World Tells Clinton: Defamation of Islam Must be Prevented -- in America By Clare M. Lopez Dec 14, 2011 As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomes Secretary General of the Organiza tion of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to Washington this week, it is critical that Americans pay attention to what these two leaders intend to do. From 12 to 14 December 2011, working teams from the Department of State (Do S) and the OIC are going to discuss implementation mechanisms that could impose limits on freedom of speech and expression. The OIC s purpose, as stated explicitly in its April 2011 4th Annual Report on I

slamophobia, is to criminalize "incitement to hatred and violence on religious g rounds." Incitement is to be defined by applying the "test of consequences" to speech. Under this twisted perversion of falsely "yelling fire in a crowded t heater," it doesn t matter what someone actually says -- or even whether it is t rue or not; if someone else commits violence and says it s because of something that person said, the speaker will be held criminally liable. The OIC is taking direct aim at free speech and expression about Islam. Neither Christianity nor Judaism is named in the OIC s official documents, whose only c oncern is to make the world safe from "defamation" of Islam -- a charge that inc ludes speaking truthfully about the national security implications of the Islami c doctrine of jihad Full Report at: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/12/islamic_world_tells_clinton_defamation_of _islam_must_be_prevented_in_america.html --------Indian Animal Rights Group Asks Pakistan to Free Monkey By Will Davies Dec, 14, 2011 As if Pakistans ambassador to India doesnt have enough challenges to deal with fro m Kashmir tensions to the trial of militants involved in the Mumbai attacks to i mproving trade relations now another tricky issue has emerged, and it comes in t he unlikely form of a monkey named Bob. Bob, or to use his full name, Bobby, was reportedly arrested last week after stray ing into Pakistan from India. Bobby, astonishingly, hadnt even bothered to submit the necessary visa paperwork before his little cross-border trip, and now hes paying a heavy price for presumi ng that, as an animal, he was free to wander hither and thither however he chose . This lax approach to admin does little to dispel the stereotype that monkeys a re irresponsible, or cheeky. At least now, as he sits incarcerated in Bahawalpur Zoo in Pakistans Punjab provi nce, Bobby has time to reflect on the errors of his ways, perhaps as he bounces a baseball off the wall of his cell, la Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, though of course, being Indian, hed have a cricket ball. Full Report at: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/12/13/indian-animal-rights-group-asks-pa kistan-to-free-monkey/ URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=613 8