South Asia Tribune weekly UK by SAARC International Ltd

From Enter the Dragon

Tribune South Asia

See Page 31

Year 1 Issue 12 Thursday, 06.10.11

www.satribune.co.uk

To Enter The Silat See Page 31

Price: 90p

Largest Hole in ozone in 2011

huge hole that appeared in the Earth’s protective ozone layer above the Arctic in 2011 was the largest recorded in the northern hemisphere, though the sudden appearance of the hole was not due to man-made causes, scientists said in a report on Monday. The ozone layer high in the stratosphere

acts like a giant shield against the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can cause skin cancer and cataracts. Since the 1980s, scientists have charted the size of the ozone hole every summer above the Antarctic. Some years, the holes have been so large that they covered the entire continent and stretched to parts of South America. During

extreme events, up to 70% of the ozone layer can be destroyed, before it recovers months later. The hole above the Arctic was always much smaller – until March this year, when a combination of powerful wind patterns and intense cold temperatures high up in the atmosphere created the right conditions

for already-present, ozone-eating chlorine chemicals to damage the layer. The ﬁndings, reported on Monday in the journal Nature, show that the hole had opened over northern Russia, parts of Greenland, and Norway, meaning people in these areas were likely to have been exposed to high levels of UV radiation.

HURRICANE OPHELIA TO HIT BRITAIN “Arctic blast bringing severe frosts” BRITAIN’S Indian Summer is about to be swept aside as four days of gales and torrential rains batter the country. The tail end of Hurricane Ophelia, currently lashing the United States, is due to hit tomorrow causing chaos with 65mph gusts. And on top of that, an early Big Freeze is expected with an “Arctic blast bringing severe frosts” and snowfall in some areas before the end of the month. Over the next few days there will be a risk of ﬂooding,

falling branches and damaged buildings across virtually the entire UK, weather experts said last night. Jonathan Powell, senior forecaster at Positive Weather Solutions, said the strength of the winds could match Hurricane Katia which devastated parts of Britain last month.“The end of the month and November are looking colder than average with an Arctic blast Continued on page 06 >>

NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

SERIOUS STANCE Russia, China veto UN draft resolution on Syria US outraged as Russia, China veto Syria condemnation UNITED NATIONS - Russia and China, the two permanent members of the UN Security Council, on Tuesday vetoed a draft resolution, which meant to strongly condemn “the continued grave and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian authorities” and threatened punitive measures against the Middle East country. The move split the Security Council, revealing a fundamental difference in approach to the Assad regime’s six-month crackdown on anti-government demonstrations. The draft resolution, presented by France, Germany, Portugal and Britain, won nine votes in favor, two against and four abstentions. Russia and China have the veto power on the 15-nation Security Council. South Africa, India, Brazil and Publisher Salah Bu Khamas (UAE) Sabha Khan (UK) UK Office 10 Courtenay Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 7ND UK Phone: +44 20 8904 0617 Fax: +44 20 8181 7575 info@satribune.co.uk India Office Satya Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. C/O Satya Group. 1st Floor, Avenue Appt., Near Sheth. R. J. J. High School, Tithal Road, Valsad - 396001 Gujarat, India Phone +91 2632 222209 / 222211 Fax: +91 2632 222212 Post Box No. 98 /108 United Arab Emirates Office S.K. Group of Companies P.O. Box 9021, Karama Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 2659970, 3359929; Fax: +971 4 2659971, 3341609 www.sk-groupofcompanies.com Managing Editor & CEO Mohammad Shahid Khan Group Editorial Managers Gulzar Khan (India) Abdul Khalique (Pakistan) Editorial Board UK Frances Brunner FYI Tribune team Adrian Fellar Misbah Khan Reema Shah Rohma Khan Keziah-Ann Abakah Art Department UK Ali Ansar (Art Director) Md. Reazul Islam

Lebanon, the four non-permanent members of the Security Council, abstained. Syria has been wracked by six months of unrest which it blames on foreign conspiracy and armed thugs. A recent UN statement put the number of civilians killed during the past six months in Syria at 2,600, while Syria blames on foreign-backed armed gangs who it says have killed 700 security forces personnel. Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said that Russia did not support the resolution because it was based on a totally different philosophy, “a philosophy of confrontation,” and contained “an ultimatum of sanctions.” “The Russian Federation could not agree with the accusatory tone against Damascus, nor the ultimatum of sanctions against peaceful crisis settlement,” says the ofﬁcial press release of Vitaly Churkin’s speech on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website. “Russia’s proposals on the non-acceptability of military intervention, among others, had not been taken into account… There is no alternative to dialogue.” China’s ambassador, Li Bandong,

said his country had opposed the resolution because “sanctions, or threat of sanctions, do not help the situation in Syria but rather complicate the situation.” While Russia also claimed the move could have opened the door to a

Libya-style military intervention, an outraged US counter claimed their veto was political. Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN did not mince her words: “This is not about military intervention, this is not about Libya. That is a cheap ruse by those who’d rather sell arms to the Syrian regime than stand with the Syrian people.” Russia tries to prevent Libyan scenario in Syria Russian Deputy Foreign Minister

Gennady Gatilov says the current form of the UN resolution on Syria was “unacceptable” as it envisaged sanctions and did not call on Assad’s government to initiate talks with opposition, Interfax news agency reports earlier on Tuesday. Assad warns Syria will strike Israel if attacked, report says Israel is a “threat” to its region because it owns nuclear weapons, Turkey October 4, Iranian Fars news agency reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday that Damascus and Hezbollah would strike Israel if military operations are launched against Syria, according to Israeli daily Haaretz. “If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than 6 hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to ﬁre them at Tel Aviv,” Iranian Fars news agency quoted Assad as saying. The report added that Assad told Davutoglu that Hezbollah would also “launch a rocket attack on Israel.” “All these events will happen in

three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran will attack the U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf and the U.S. and European interests will be targeted simultaneously,” the Syrian president reportedly said. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier on Tuesday announced that Ankara would impose sanctions on Syria, while the Turkish army is set to hold a military exercise on the Syrian-Turkish border later in the week. Israel is a “threat” to its region because it owns nuclear weapons, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday. “I right now see Israel as a threat for its region, because it has the atomic bomb,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency, during an ofﬁcial visit to South Africa. He also accused Israel of committing “state terrorism.” Erdogan in the past has accused the West of “double standards” in the way that it has tried to ban Iran from building nuclear weapons without taking similar measures against Israel. Israel has never ofﬁcially admitting to possessing nuclear weapons.

India may pay heavily in future for supporting the Karzai regime Manmohan Singh’s pledge to stand by people of Afghanistan could return to haunt the Indians. India’s decision to underwrite and, in effect, guarantee Hamid Karzai’s feeble Afghan government is not wholly lacking in logic. In a strategic pact signed on Tuesday, the two countries pledged to co-operate on trade and counter-terrorism, and Delhi agreed to train and equip Afghan security forces. With US and Nato forces edging towards the exit in 2014, it follows that Delhi, the region’s military and economic heavyweight and an aspiring superpower, should take up the strategic slack. But that is not how Pakistan or the Taliban will see the newly announced bilateral security, political and commercial “partnership”. India may yet pay heavily for its presumption. India’s role, or “meddling”, in Afghanistan is already viewed with enormous suspicion in Islamabad, which nurtures a visceral fear

of encirclement arising from its bruising, losing wars with its far larger southern neighbour. Pakistan privately regards Afghanistan as its own backyard, to such an extent that it is widely believed to fund and collude with terrorist groups such as the Haqqani network in order to maintain its inﬂuence

and keep the Kabul government weak and off-balance. Writing in the Washington Post, John Podesta and Caroline Wadhams of the Centre for American Progress voiced widely shared American exasperation that Pakistan’s leaders were not using their unmatched inﬂuence to advance a constructive vision

for Afghanistan. The Taliban will not have forgotten India’s backing of the non-Pashtun Northern Alliance in the 1990s, which eventually swept them from power in 2001 with US help. The idea of India playing an enhanced security role inside Afghanistan, as agreed in Delhi this week, is thus likely to be rejected by them as more unwelcome foreign interference. Karzai noted bitterly last week that if peace were ever to come to Afghanistan, his government needed to talk to Pakistan, not India or the US. Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, seemed to brush aside such concerns when he met Karzai. India’s leaders one day may come to rue their vainglorious generosity in picking up the hot potato that the US, Britain and the rest all gingerly dropped. It seems a high price to pay for outﬂanking Pakistan.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

NEWS

Father Mourns Wife And 5 Children Who Died In Fire

his is the heartbreaking moment that father buried his wife and five of his children after they died in a house fire in Neasden on Saturday. Bassam Kua had bandages on his arms and burns across his face as he watched the six coffins arrive at the Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery in Ilford. London Fire Brigade have started

a safety awareness campaign after revealing the tragedy could have been caused by a faulty chest freezer. More than 500 mourners paid their final respects to a mother and her five children who died in a house fire in Neasden on Saturday.The funeral of Muna Elmufatish, 41, her daughters Hanin, 14, Basma, 13, Amal,

nine, and sons Mustafa, ﬁve and two-year-old Yehya Kua, took place on (Wednesday) at The Garden Of Peace Cemetery in Ilford, Essex.All six died when a blaze swept thorough their semidetached home in Sonia Gardens, just before 1am.Father Bassam Kua, 51, and eldest daughter 16year-old Nur managed to escape the inferno.Nur suffered severe burns and is in a critical condition

Warsi: ‘’We want an outright Tory majority’’

Th e co-chair of the Conservative Party Sayeeda Warsi has told the Conservative Party conference what she wants to see an outright Conservative majority in 2015. She also said the party would stamp out the ‘something for nothing’ culture that she reckoned was created by the Labour Party. “Every leaﬂet we deliver, every call we make, every candidate we select, every member we take, it’s all about 2015,” she said. “Because if we truly want a compassionate Conservative Britain governed by a compassionate Conservative Party, then in 2015 we must deliver an outright Conservative majority.” Warsi went on: “Ask every parent, every mother, every father, and every family. Give them the choice: the good life now or a stable, secure future for your children. They would choose children. We would choose children. And this government is building for

tomorrow as well as today. “Let me read you my favourite bits from Ed Miliband’s speech last week. Over the last few years we’ve seen a series of crises hitting our country. I agree with that. We’ve seen decent people with the right values losing out to those with the wrong ones. I agree with that. An economy and a society too often rewarding not the right people with the right values, but the wrong people with the wrong values. I really agree with that. And he goes on: A something for nothing culture. Take what you can. Fill your boots. Who cares as long as you can get away it. Well we all agree with all of that. “But I ask this: Mr Miliband, if you truly believe what you say, where on earth have you been for the last 13 years? It’s your government that created the something for nothing culture. It’s your party that took out more than you put in! And it’s

you who gave us a welfare system where it doesn’t pay to work. “Let me tell you what I think the something for nothing culture is: Pensioners who need care being forced to sell their homes. Hardworking people earning less than those who play the system. Head teachers not being able to expel disruptive pupils. A tax system that penalises single mothers for getting a part time job. People on housing beneﬁt living in houses that hardworking families cannot afford. Bogus colleges being used for immigration scams. Squatters getting legal aid. And do you know what the worst example is? Reckless, irresponsible, selfinterested, politicians spending millions of pounds we do not have and saddling our kids with the bills. That’s what I call an unfair, freeloading, something for nothing culture. And it’s them, it’s Labour that created it!”

in hospital.Mr Kua who was also in hospital was discharged so he could bid a sad farewell to his wife and ﬁve children. Ashraf Chughtai, 58, who lives opposite, said his son Kamran, 28, was hit by a burning window frame.He said: “Kamran saw Bassan came out, covered in blood, and shouted, ‘Where’s your family? Let’s go’. He saw

something falling, and when he looked up he saw it was the girl. “As he tried to pick her up the frame of an upstairs window came off in ﬂames and hit him on the head. We were shouting ‘Kamran, come out’ but he was trying to go back inside to rescue the others. The ﬁre was too strong, so he sat on the grass next to the girl praying.

New British Heart Foundation film warns South Asians: check your cholesterol The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has released a new short film warning South Asians about the effects of high cholesterol on their heart health. Ali Ali, 38, who stars in the video, has a family history of coronary heart disease and first discovered he had high cholesterol in his twenties. Ali’s father was in his thirties when he suffered a heart attack and died. Ali’s brother also had a heart attack in his thirties, fortunately he survived. Having a

A couple of years after his ﬁrst cholesterol check, Ali suffered chest pains and went to hospital where he was prescribed statins to help reduce his cholesterol level. Doctors have recently increased Ali’s dosage of statins, and Ali is making changes to his lifestyle to help reduce his cholesterol levels even further. Ali has a busy lifestyle; balancing long working hours and family commitments and with two young children. It was

family history is one risk factor for developing coronary heart disease. For people in some South Asian groups in the UK the risk of dying early from coronary heart disease is twice as high as for the general population (1) .CHD is caused by a gradual build up of fatty deposits within the walls of the coronary arteries. This can cause the arteries to narrow and reduces the amount of oxygen-rich blood being delivered to the heart muscle, this can cause chest pain, and may lead to a heart attack.

difficult for him to find ways to improve his heart health. Making a few simple changes like getting off the bus a couple of stops early and making small improvements to his diet will help him improve his cholesterol levels. Regular blood tests from his doctor will help show how effective his lifestyle changes and medication will be. To watch Ali’s film and find out more about the BHF’s wide range of diet, lifestyle and medication advice which is available in a range of languages please visit bhf.org.uk/ali.

NEWS

EDITORIAL End of the world The term ‘Last Day’ in reality stands for the ‘Last Age’, or the age which would culminate in the end of history—when the true Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary (not son of God), would return to rule the world from Jerusalem with justice and ‘eternal’ rule. It would be ‘eternal’ in the sense that history would end with that event. Life on earth beyond that event, and after Jesus dies a human death and is buried next to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon them both) in Madinah, would not qualify as history. Shiekh Imran Hosein last week wrote as he expect great Zionist wars of naked aggression to commence soon. In his letter he also mentioned As a consequence of his study of Islamic eschatology (i.e., the study of Akhir al-Zaman) he expect NATO/India/Israel and their allies within the Muslim world to soon launch reckless and very stupid attacks on Pakistan, Iran, Egypt etc., so that the Zionists might achieve their goal of making Israel the third and last ruling State in the world. The Zionists want history to end with a Pax Judaica that would replace the Pax Americana and Pax Britanica that preceded it. Shiekh Imran Hosein expect such attacks to eventually provoke civil war in Turkey between secular clients/spokesmen/agents of NATO and faithful Muslims who want to liberate Turkey from NATO control. Of course we already know the result of that civil war in Turkey because of the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) concerning the end-time conquest of Constantinople (from NATO control). And then this Wednesday the reports came that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that Damascus and Hezbollah would strike Israel if military operations are launched against Syria . Reports quoted Syrian President “If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than 6 hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to ﬁre them at Tel Aviv,” The report added that Assad told Davutoglu that Hezbollah would also “launch a rocket attack on Israel.” The Holy Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w ) speaks about. The Age of Dajjal would be the age of riba. 1. Dajjal has already liberated the Holy Land from Muslim Rule in 1919. 2. Dajjal has already taken the Jews back to the Holy Land. Continued on page 6 >>

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

Vandals attack Southend mosque Vandals smashed the window of a Southend mosque. They struck at the Essex Jamme Masjid entrance on Harcourt Avenue. It happened between Saturday evening (September 24), and Sunday lunchtime Police are not currently treating it as racially-motivated. A value is yet to be put on the damage. The Southend Standard reports on an act of vandalism on the Essex Jamme mosque. Vandals smashed the windows of the mosque though the police are not treating the incidence as one of religiously aggravated violence. “Vandals smashed the window of a Southend mosque. “They struck at the Essex Jamme Masjid mosque entrance on Harcourt Avenue. “It happened between Saturday evening,[ September 24,] and Sunday lunch-time Police are not currently

treating it as racially-motivated. “Anyone with information should call PC Francisco Rodriguez-Perez at Southend police station on 101.” The mosque was also the site of an attack on an elderly Muslim man who was set upon by a teenager as he made his way to Fajr prayers during.

Swiss MPs back SVP motion banning veil Swiss MPs have approved a far-right move to impose a ban on the burqa or other face coverings in some public places, including on public transport. With 101 votes against 77, the lower chamber of the house approved the motion, which was titled “masks off!”, on Wednesday. The draft bill will still have to be examined by the upper chamber.

Dewani appeal surprising: Hindocha Extradition order: Relieved father of Anni Dewani says family will be in South Africa

he did the right thing. She gave the right judgment – and for that we are so very, very happy.” These were the words of Vinod Hindocha, father of murdered Anni Dewani, following the decision earlier this week by UK Home Secretary Theresa May to sign an extradition order for Shrien Dewani to be brought to South Africa to stand trial for his wife’s murder. “The decision about his extradition is one that everyone expected – that he has to go. However he added: “His decision

to appeal surprises me. I don’t know what grounds he has to appeal on. He is defying his government. It shows that he doesn’t trust his government,” said Hindocha. “He is opposing all the time. What is he afraid of? He will get a fair trial. Why he is afraid? We don’t understand. “If he is innocent, he can return a proud man. If he is guilty, he must face the charges.” Hindocha poured praise and gratitude on the 11 000 people in the UK and to 4 000 South Africans who

signed a petition calling for Dewani to return to face the music in South Africa. “When they handed the petition over to the Home Secretary last week, we could not describe our gratitude. We want to say thank you 11 000 times to all these people who signed. And please will you convey my 4 000 thanks to the South Africans who did this. I struggle to express how overwhelmed we have been by the support shown to us both in the UK and in South Africa.” The decision to extradite Dewani

would bring the family closer to justice for Anni and to closure for them as a family, he added. Dewani is implicated in Anni’s murder which took place during the couple’s honeymoon in Cape Town last December. He has been ﬁghting his extradition for months in the UK. In South Africa National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said the NPA’s British counterparts had conﬁrmed that Dewani had lodged an appeal. Sue Segar with additional reporting by Wendyl Martin and Sapa.

Three charged over Birmingham riots Muslims deaths Three people have been charged with the murders of three men who were killed as they tried to protect shops and homes from looters during riots in Birmingham this summer. Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, were hit by a car in the early hours of August 10 during unrest in the Winson Green area of the city. They were pronounced dead in hospital. West Midlands Police said three men from Birmingham aged 20, 25 and 30 were charged with the murders on Saturday evening.

The men, who have not been named by police, were arrested at a ﬂat in Druids Heath shortly before 3pm on Friday, bringing the number of

people charged with the murders to eight. Ian Beckford, 30, Everton Graham, 29, Joshua Donald, 26, Adam

King, 23, and a 17-year-old male who cannot be named have been charged with murder and have been remanded in custody.

NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

UK lecturers spying on Indian students? According to reports New Home Office rules asking academic staff at British universities to keep a tab on students from India and other non-EU countries have sparked off concern that lecturers have been turned into ‘spies and spooks’. New official figures show that universities and other sponsors of international students reported at least 27,121 non-EU students to the UK Border Agency in the 18 months leading up to August last year. As part of new rules to tighten the students visa system and prevent its abuse, academic staff are required to report to immigration authorities if non-EU students are absent from classes or if their activities arouse suspicion. The Universities and College Union said ‘pressure on staff to spy on their students’ would create

an environment of mistrust on campus and risked jeopardising the crucial relationship between staff and students. Universities and colleges are now required to report suspicious or bogus students or risk being stripped of their licence to sponsor students from outside the European Union, who pay more than three times the fee

paid by UK students. The union said the news that thousands of foreign students are being reported to immigration ofﬁcials each year could make the UK a less attractive place to study for overseas students. UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “The relationship between staff and students is an incredibly important one that is

Islamophobia:

Jogger in vest ‘mistaken for suicide bomber’

built on trust. Fears that lecturers are spying on students, whether they are or not, risks jeopardising that relationship”. She added: “Successive governments have seen plans to turn lecturers into spooks overwhelmingly rejected by the academic community and we will continue to oppose such moves, which would make the UK a less attractive proposition to foreign students.” The Manifesto Club campaign group, which obtained the ﬁgures of non-EU students being reported to immigration authorities, said the stringent visa controls were forcing UK academics to spy on their own students, eroding academic autonomy and damaging relationships between students and staff. In its Students Under Watch report, the group said:

Hillary warns Pak about keeping “wild animal in your backyard”

If I was blond with Caucasian skin type nobody would have noticed An Oxford University student claims he was mistaken for a suicide bomber by police as he jogged around the city’s streets. The 25-year-old was then made to remove the 30kg vest so ofﬁcers could check it for explosives. He said that when they realised it was an exercise vest they advised him to remove it to prevent any another call

from Iran and I’m sure that’s related to it,” he said. He said ofﬁcers advised him not to wear it in the street in future but Thames Valley Police dispute this. Mr Karimi, who is studying for a PhD in physiology, anatomy and genetics at Oxford University, said: “I felt a bit like my rights were violated. The police told me to take my vest off and to go home

Mr Karimi said that was when he covered the vest with his coat. Superintendent Amanda Pearson, of Thames Valley Police, said: “Police received a call from a member of the public who was concerned about a man walking in Southﬁeld Road, with what he thought was a vest which may have contained explosives. “Ofﬁcers attended and spoke to the man, who explained he was wearing a weight vest for personal training reasons. He said: “I’m 100 per cent sure that if I was blond with Caucasian skin type nobody would have noticed and said anything about it, but I am of dark skin complexion and from Iran and I’m sure that is related to it.”

“Universities are reporting large numbers of international students to the UKBA. The agency asks sponsors to email any suspicions about students; each notiﬁcation can include information about several students.” International students are a crucial source of revenue for cashstrapped British universities. Every year, thousands of students from India and other non-EU countries enrol on courses in universities and colleges here. The Home Affairs Select Committee has warned that the David Cameron government’s reforms aimed at cracking down on abuse of the visa system could cost the economy 3.6 billion pounds in a ‘worst-case scenario’, including loss of tuition fees and visa fee income, as well as a reduction in students and their dependants able to come to the UK.

You can’t keep a wild animal in your backyard and expect it to go only after your neighbor, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Pakistan on Friday in unsparing criticism of its toxic policies in the neighborhood. Clinton chose a lecture in her former home turf in Little Rock, Arkansas, to launch into one of the most candid appraisals of U.S-Pakistan ties going back three decades. She agreed that Pakistan had some basis for blaming Washington for its troubles given

how the U.S had once encouraged “good terrorists,” but “that in no way excuses the fact that they (Pakistan) are (now) making a serious, grievous, strategic error supporting these groups” (of “bad terrorists”) “You think that you can keep a wild animal in the backyard and it will only go after your neighbor?” Clinton asked rhetorically, implicitly referring to Pakistan unleashing terrorism in India and Afghanistan, and adding, “We have too many stories where that doesn’t turn out like that . Meanwhile, the Obama administration dispatched its special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman to the region to iron out wrinkles following Mullen’s parting shots even as ofﬁcials assured Pakistan they don’t plan to have U.S boots on the ground in the hunt for the Haqqani group. Grossman is also expected to stop by in New Delhi for consultations.

No solution in Afghanistan minus Pakistan, says Mullen

from a terriﬁed member of the public. “They told me I’d have to take my vest off - I didn’t want to provoke anything else and that’s why I put my jacket over it. He said he feared his ethnic origin had sparked the concerns. “I am 100 per cent sure that if I was blond with Caucasian skin type, nobody would have noticed and said anything about it. “But I’m of dark skin complexion and

and I don’t see why I should. “The point is the first time they stopped me, they asked me not to walk there anymore. They said ‘maybe it’s better somewhere else, like in a park’. “Then later, when I wanted to do another round of the block and I was walking near the police car, the police officer said ‘You’ve got to stop.’ I said ‘I’ve not finished my work-out’ and he explicitly said: ‘Take off your vest’.”

here can be no solution to the conﬂict in Afghanistan without Pakistan, the outgoing Joint Chief’s of Staff Committee (JCSC) chairman, Admiral Mike

Mullen said on Friday.There can be no solution to the conﬂict in Afghanistan without Pakistan, the outgoing Joint Chief’s of Staff Committee (JCSC) chairman,

Admiral Mike Mullen said on Friday. “I continue to believe that there is no solution in the region without Pakistan, and no stable future in the region without a partnership,” Mullen said at a ceremony where he stood down from the post, handing it over to the incoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey. “I urge Marty to remember the importance of Pakistan to all of this, to try and do a better job than I did with that vexing and yet vital relationship,” Mullen added in remarks.

NEWS

UK economic growth cut to 0.1% for April to June

ouble-dip recession fears continued to stalk the UK today after more grim updates showed an economy stagnating and a consumer shorn of confidence. The UK economy barely grew in the second quarter as consumers cut spending, compounding more downbeat news from the eurozone and fuelling fears that Britain could soon slip back into recession. Official data also showed the 20082009 recession was deeper than orginally thought. Revising previous numbers, the Office for National Statistics halved its GDP estimate for April to June this year to just 0.1%, suggesting the economy had already ground to a halt before the European debt crisis escalated in the summer. Household spending dropped 0.8%, its sharpest decline since the depths of the recession at the start of 2009. Chancellor George Osborne is under increasing pressure to reconsider his strict package of spending cuts amid signs the economy is heading to the rocks. But a spokesman for the Treasury said today: “The economy is recovering from a recession we now know was deeper than we thought and the deepest of any major economy except Japan.

Moody’s slashes Italy credit rating amid euro zone warnings Moody’s lowered its rating on Italy’s bonds by three notches on today, saying

it saw a “material increase” in funding risks for eurozone countries with high levels of debt and warning that further downgrades were possible. The agency downgraded Italy to A2 from Aa2, a lower rating than it holds on Estonia and on a par with Malta and kept a negative outlook on the rating. The euro pared gains against the dollar and Japanese yen immediately following the announcement which

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

Saudi police open fire on civilians as protests gain momentum

Insecure Saudis crack down on freedom protest

comes after Moody’s rival Standard and Poor’s cut its rating on Italy by one notch to A/A-1 on Sept. 19. Moody’s decision came as little

surprise after the agency said on September 17 that it would finish a review for possible downgrade of its rating on Italy within a month.

Pro-democracy protests which swept the Arab world earlier in the year have erupted in eastern Saudi Arabia over the past three days, with police opening fire with live rounds and many people injured, opposition activists say. Reports Daily Independent. Saudi Arabia last night confirmed there had been fighting in the region and that 11 security personnel and three civilians had been injured in al-Qatif, a large Shia city on the coast of Saudi Arabia’s oil-

rich Eastern Province. The opposition say that 24 men and three women were wounded on Monday night and taken to al-Qatif hospital. The Independent has been given exclusive details of how the protests developed by local activists. They say unrest began on Sunday in al-Awamiyah, a Shia town of about 25,000 people, when Saudi security forces arrested a 60-year-old man to force his son – an activist – to give himself up.

Tesco’s UK sales fall for the first time in 20 years

Tesco recorded a fall in UK sales for the first time in 20 years today, but insisted a recent round of price cuts would lure back lost custom. The 0.6% fall in UK sales is partly company specific, and

partly a sign of how stretched consumers are, say retail watchers. Finance director Laurie McIlwee said: “In the current economic environment that’s a pretty good effort. But it is not

our best, it is certainly not stellar.” Tesco pointed to its continued investment in new space in the UK as evidence of its long-term optimism. It plans to create 7000 British jobs this year.

Extremist Jewish settlers set fire to mosque in Israel Fire Damage in the mosque was extensive

Extremist Jewish settlers torched a mosque in northern Galilee Monday in the latest of an escalating series of attacks. The blaze incinerated the interior of the mosque in the village of Tuba-Zangria and desecrated copies of the Quran.

The arsonists left behind graffiti reading “price tag” – the calling card of right-wing settlers in their campaign of intimidation in retaliation for Israel’s dismantling of some West Bank settlements. The settler violence has also coincided

>> Continued from page 1 bringing freezing temperatures, severe frosts and even the chance of snow.”He said Ophelia could “give Katia a run for her money”. Helen Chivers, forecaster at the Met Office, said: “The tail of Ophelia is going to get mixed up in our system towards the end of the week.“The North could be in for some gale-force gusts. It is certainly the end of the warm spell and is looking much more like a windy and rainy autumn ¬picture.”It will bring an abrupt end to Britain’s autumn heat wave which has made the past few days feel more like mid-summer than October. Virtually the entire country has basked

with the Palestinian bid to win UN statehood recognition, which could place Israel’s settlements in legal jeopardy. Several high-level Israeli officials condemned the arson yesterday. The pro-settler prime minister, Benjamin

in an Indian Summer with temperatures nudging 86F (30C) over the weekend, breaking previous records for October. That followed the hottest September 30 for more than 100 years with parts of the country hitting 85F at the weekend. The heat wave is thought to have caused the deaths of thousands – a 10 per cent increase in deaths is expected in hot spells. Doctors said it could even exceed the 11 per cent death rate spike seen when temperatures hit 86F in August during a hot snap that lasted just two days. Last week saw temperatures consistently pushing 86F for five days, nearly 30F higher than average, with night-time temperatures higher than expected for the time of year.

The Israeli president, Shimon Peres (centre), accompanied by Sheikh Mohammed Quwan (right), speaks to residents of the Bedouin village of Tuba Zangaria, in northern Galilee, after inspecting a mosque that was torched overnight yesterday in a suspected revenge attack by rightwing extremists.

Netanyahu, was said to be furious

>> Continued from page 4 3. The State of Israel has been restored All that Dajjal has to deliver now is number four. 1. The State of Israel has to become the Ruling State in the World

What should Muslims do at this time?

Firstly, Muslims must never give up the just struggle for liberation from oppression. This can best be maintained if they keep the right company. Surah al-Kahf of the blessed Qur’an has advised that they must search for and keep the company of those who are true servants of Allah Most High: ‘And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking

when he saw photos of the attack, and condemned it. At least two other mosques have been vandalised in the past month. The incident in Tuba-Zangria, a village of Palestinian citizens of Israel, is rare since it occurred inside Israel’s internationally recognised borders. Netanyahu: Galilee mosque arson ‘horrifying’ and has no place in Israel Shimon Peres, Israel’s president, noted that the attack took place during the Jewish holiday season, which he described as a “time for reflection”, and said it was “a difficult day for the entire Israeli society”. As many as 300 residents of TubaZangria marched in anger on a road junction close to a nearby Jewish community on Monday.

His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.’ (Qur’an, al-Kahf, 18:28) Surah al-Kahf also advises withdrawal from the godless society. This can perhaps be best achieved through residence in small Muslim Villages in the countryside rather than the cities of the modern world. Such villages can have village markets which use Dinārs and Dirhams as money for buying and selling. We should in addition recite Surah al-Kahf on every day of Jumu‘ah without fail and also regularly recite the Masnoon Duah for protection from Dajjāl’s Fitnah.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

My Dad, Muhammad Ali Hana Ali Muhammad Ali, my father, has never been afraid of confronting conflicts outside of the ring. His recent attempt to free two hikers held captive in Iran reinforces his relentless effort to promote peace, tolerance and humanity around the world. His work as an ambassador for peace extends as far back as 1985, when he flew to Lebanon to try to secure the release of four hostages. Before the first Gulf War, Ali flew to Iraq to help negotiate the release of 15 American hostages. In his most recent plea to Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, Ali said he would leave in a second for Tehran if it would help bring American hikers Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer safely home. Today, we are in greater need of heroes like my father, especially in a sports culture where athletes seem to be chasing fame merely for the pleasure of making money or breaking records. There is little awareness of the responsibilities that accompany fame. On this Father’s Day weekend, I extend my gratitude to my father. Helping strangers in need has always been his insatiable drive. He says: “I’ve always wanted to be more than just a boxer. More than just the three-time heavyweight champion. I wanted to use my fame, and this face that everyone knows so well, to help uplift and inspire people around the world. I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way but if I have changed even one life for the better, I haven’t lived in vain.” Ali has sought every opportunity to address injustice, as he explained to an Israeli citizen, while commenting about the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. He said: “Although I am a Muslim,

Marisa Paulson Mr. Yoosh had his coffee in one hand, book in the other, “And then Koobar jumped but missed the target an...” he said, but just at that moment, he died. He splattered on the ﬂoor just like his beloved coffee. I remembered how the whole class fell silent, just watching him, watching him, watching him. It took the most mature student: Carl Hanks to call a teacher for help. Sirens of ambulance came, they came in, took him away, our class was

I don’t understand the problems that the two countries have been having over the years. But I know that all people are God’s people, regardless of race, religion or color, and I know that God is not for war or violence ... he is for peace. So I think that whatever people are involved -- whether they are Israelis or Arabs or Puerto Ricans or Chinese -- I think that it’s nice to see the countries who don’t agree religiously, countries who don’t agree politically on many things, that they can make some kind of bond to stop killing and bombing regardless of what other countries may say. So I can sympathize with any country regardless of their beliefs -- whether I agree or not -- that they are tired of suffering so many casualties.” Those principles are even more relevant today in places like Libya, Syria, and Egypt, and most importantly in our own hearts, where all change begins.

Although his voice and movement are not as sharp as they once were, he has a clear mind and pure heart. No matter where he is, his intentions are always

the Ali Center, in Louisville, Kentucky. One of his favorite gifts is a jeweled white robe presented by Elvis Presley, adorned with the words “The People’s

While most people recognize Ali as a ﬁghter who annihilated his opponents in the ring, he is also a gentle man.

the same: to greet as many of his fans as he can and to help others in need. Those qualities are exempliﬁed at

Champion.” It is a symbol of his responsibility of fame and a ﬁtting title for the man who always puts people

SORRY FOR YOURSELF left unattended until after ten minutes of chaos, people realised we were the ones most affected. Why was it my best day? After that traumatic incident, I was given undivided attention from everyone, same happened to others in my class, we were given like a week or two off, my pa and ma had their hawks on me, my younger wit Ethan didn’t aggravate me: I was free. But ever since that day at night, you’d always hear a young boy’s strain of harrowing memories – every night – but I denied

it. That was the only thing that bothered me. His death happened four years ago, I was in College now, preparing myself for my life. I just turned twenty-one, should’ve left the house long time ago but didn’t. Not because I didn’t want to, wasn’t allowed to I guess, was my pa and ma’s boy, and Ethan’s big brother who needed a role model I was. Yeah, so I just stayed at home, did the usual stuff I did: studied, ate, went bed and on and on, did a lot really. Then I went

to College: Primes Mead, I had, made a few friends: wasn’t what you’d call the ‘popular’ type but had gangs to hang with. Yeah, so I had friends, studied maths I did: liked maths, had a job in my neighbourhood: cashier at my supermall. Made money to spend it on nothing. Made money to waste it on nothing. I made money to give to my ma and pa: call it a compensation for letting me live with them. At times I was nice, gave my younger brother a few cents or dollars if he did nothing to

first, especially the oppressed. In spite of his physical limitations, my father is actively living a full, prosperous life. When he’s not creating his latest art work, he loves taking a scenic drive up in the hills of Paradise Valley in Scottsdale, Arizona, with the sounds of James Brown or Sam Cooke playing softly. My father has always enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. He has a caring wife and nine children who love him dearly. He’s living a rich, full life with few regrets and he is at peace with himself. What more could anyone hope for? He says: “For all kids and people around the world -- if you want to be The Greatest -- stand up for each other. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and always be true to yourself. When you reach the mountain top, try not to look down on any one. Treat all people with kindness and respect. No matter how famous we get, no matter how wealthy we become, it is only the heart that makes us great or small. Remember the responsibilities that come with fame. There will be little boys and girls looking up to you. Lead them well.” For over 50 years, Muhammad Ali has exemplified the finest as it pertains to the responsibility of fame. On this Father’s Day, I imagine my father’s prayers will be reaching for a peaceful way to secure the release of those two American hikers, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer; not because they are from one nation, but rather because they are united by the same cause and are brothers in humanity. Daddy! You are a champion in every sense of the word. I adore you and so does the world. God bless you. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Hana Ali.

wind me up or done my errands, yeah, I gave him dollars then. Pity, those days came to an end. Found a better job with more pay, campus with reasonable fees, and independence ready to leave home: I was free. I left home, said bye and was gone. It’s been a year since I’ve returned, and I’ve graduated now, truly like the free man Yoosh. The pounding never ceased. I hated every second but what could I do? Left to right. Stamp on my guts! Stamp on my face! Ouch. I wished he just ﬁnished me off already.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

Gklih{l A women’s place What is a women’s place? At ﬁrst the question might elicit a smile, pry a laugh from pursed lips or quite simply strike one as generally amusing but it is a timeless question asked by many but never truly answered. What is a women’s place? There are those that say a women’s place is in the kitchen, there are others who say that a women’s place is at home and there are very few who suggest a women’s place to be beyond these measures. The world in which we now live has risen above and beyond the platform of which it was once placed. In its wake it has shattered the illusions, misguided conceptions and idealised ways in which women were told to live leaving us with working women in what was once thought to be a man’s world. Once not too long ago education was thought to be an assets women need not posses instead they were sent to ﬁnishing school where they would be trained to run a household perfect

their sowing, cooking and cleaning skills until they could be perfected no more. In such an era these skills were valued more than facial beauty and outward charm for without them no man would marry you, and without a man to marry you had no ﬁnancial standings. Bringing things back to the present day there a still a large number of men who will not marry a woman that cannot cook and in accordance to this there are a large number of modern day women who cannot cook for it is no longer a skill essential for survival now that women can provide for themselves. A while before this a women’s duty was to stay at home and raise her kids for a women’s touch was something a child could not do without and it was preposterous for a man to entertain the idea of staying home watching his kids grow, walk and talk when he could be doing better things... like making money. In the present day and age a large majority of women are the sole bread providers for their

family’s so most children are raised by a playgroup as opposed to the touch of their mother’s hand. Sometime before this the sole purpose of a woman was to serve and please a man. There were women married to men so that their money could be passed to their martial partner. There were women given to men so that an heir could be produced and there were women who were obligated to stand in a man’s shadow so all could marvel at he who possessed her. Believe it or not a women’s worth is much more than holding a dish and spoon. Women have been subjected and overcome a tremendous number of things to co exist with men and still you will ﬁnd a handful of people who deem it their divine right to categorise a women’s worth. It’s no crime to want a woman that can cook, make a house a home or produced a child or two but a woman can do much more than just that. So think and think carefully when one asks What is a women’s place?

ENTERTAINMENT Lady Gaga, Illuminati puppet Stefani Germanotta, burst into stardom in only 5 years and then changed her name to Lady Gaga. The mysterious and colourful idol shot to the top of the industry. However one question that strikes at us all is, just who is Lady Gaga? Most of us come out with a similar conclusion... she comes from and Elite family and is an Elitist herself. Yet she is a Catholic, but also a public worshipper of the Illuminati and Satanism. None of her material is quite original, but it is absolutely unique. The Symbolism surrounding Lady Gaga is now so blatant that one must think its some sick joke. The Illuminati symbolism has become so clear that when we analyse pictures it’s all about pointing out the obvious. Her ‘so called’ image of intense make-up and distinct style is now seen as normal all around the globe. As many followers gave pointed out recently, Gaga is much too obvious and blatant about her Illuminati loyalties for it all to be just a coincidence. With her precision and great perception with regard to the secret society’s symbolism, culture, history and beliefs

are so amazingly accurate, it causes most of us to wonder, if she, or someone behind her is the ‘real deal’. Also with the tens and millions of dollars she earned at the controls of America’s entertainment industry, if she hadn’t been Illuminati before, she most likely is to be one now. The well known ‘Satanic Eye’, is being symbolised by Gaga.

ADVICE Dear Miss R, Recently I’ve been feeling very hungry and my appetite has increased vastly. I didn’t think it would make much of a difference however my mum has been hinting at me for a while that I’ve put on a bit of weight. My mum is always saying things like so to me so I chose to ignore her however a few people in school have also been making snide comments at my weight. I’m not usually worried about weight issues however these comments are making me very self-conscious and are slowly gnawing at my self-esteem. I don’t think I should stop eating as much but not quite sure as to what else to do? Food lover

http://www.usc.co.uk VILA CHANG RELAXED CHINO Price £25.00

http://www.zalando.co.uk Short Dress - blue Price £17.95

Dear Food lover,

http://www. houseoffraser.co.uk OASIS TAN JEAN Price £ 20.00 http://www. hm.com Dress Price £12.99

By Misbah Khan

http://www. peacocks.co.uk Ladies Pintuck Shirt Price £16.00

First of all you should be confident in your own skin and not be worried about what others are saying. You can pull anything of with confidence. However, it is important that you are not eating unhealthy and are keeping to a balanced diet as many young people nowadays are facing obesity. So make sure that when you are hungry you do not only eat junk food but also get your fruits and vegetables in there. That way you will be healthy and also be filling you appetite. Also if you feel that you are putting on unwanted weight then you could try exercising for example a dance class or even just going for walks. This will bring your confidence up and also keep you fit and healthy. Miss R

aarc S

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

Work displayed in saarc int. are a review of southasianmedia.net. The information on this page is for information purposes only. The South Asia Tribune and SAARC International Ltd. assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed, or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The full story can be viewed at www.southasianmedia.net

Thursday, 06.10.11

international

Tension as India and Afghanistan deepen ties

It is an agreement that observers say is likely to anger Pakistan. Strategic partnership with India not targeted against Pak: Karzai India and Afghanistan have signed an agreement aimed at deepening their relations. One of the deals is for Indian troops to help train Afghan security forces. Relations between India and Pakistan remain fraught and the issue of inﬂuence in Afghanistan is a new source of friction. Afghanistan has also been voicing increasing frustration with Pakistan. Senior Afghan ofﬁcials recently accused Pakistan’s intelligence service of involvement in the murder last month of Kabul’s main peace negotiator. Pakistan denies the claim. The Afghan commission investigating the killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani is also accusing Pakistan of refusing to cooperate. Seeking to allay apprehensions, Afghan

President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday said his country’s strategic partnership with India was not targeted against “twin brother” Pakistan. “Pakistan is a twin brother, India is a great friend. The agreement that we signed yesterday with our friend will not affect our brother,” Mr. Karzai said during an

interaction after delivering the Third R. K. Mishra Memorial lecture organised by the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. He said neither India nor Afghanistan intended the strategic partnership to go beyond the two countries. President Hamid Karzai’s two-day visit

to India presages a major realignment of regional powers over the Afghan problem. India has taken a carefully thought-out decision to pitch for a key role in the so-called “endgame” in Afghanistan, commensurate with its aspirations as a regional power and in defense of what it considers to be its vital interests against the backdrop of a developing situation about which it is genuinely concerned. India, however, will not get away unchallenged in its newfound “proactivism” and how the ensuing regional rivalries will play out in the coming period remains far from clear. The cloudy horizons may have got just a bit darker as Karzai’s presidential jet takes off from the Indian capital on Wednesday. Karzai, too, had a mission on his mind Continued on page 27 >>

NEWS

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

Sectarian attack: Gunmen kill 14 people in Quetta Pakistan Fourteen people belonging to the Shia community were killed while seven injured in a firing incident near the Western Bypass in Quetta on Tuesday morning.About 20 people were on board a bus when unidentified gunmen appeared on a motorcycle and opened fire at the vehicle enroute to Hazara Ganji.Conflicting media reports stated that the passengers were lined up and subsequently shot by the assailants. According to reports the passengers were on their way to the fruit and vegetable market when the assailants opened fire.“The bus was carrying people mostly from the Hazara community who were returning from Quetta,” senior police Hamid Shakeel said .“Four gunmen riding two

motorcycles opened ﬁre on a bus in the outskirts of Quetta,” local police ofﬁcial Hamid Shakeel told reporters.“The death toll has risen to 14. Two of the injured who were in critical condition

died in hospital. Now 13 Shiite Muslims and one Pashtun have been killed in the attack,” he said after initially putting the death toll at 10.Meanwhile, police have cordoned off the area and

DRP accuses Gayoom of distortion of ‘reality’

The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has accused the former President of Maldives and the founder of DRP, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of lying and slandering the party.In a press statement issued yesterday, DRP

said that the former President Gayoom slandered and lied against the party speaking at a rally of the new Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) at Thaa. Atoll Guraidhoo. DRP said that Gayoom tried to distort the reality to deceive the

public into believing that DRP is an inferior party. DRP said that Gayoom’s statement that “MDP gained momentum in the political arena when DRP was sleeping” is misleading and deceptive. The main opposition party said that it was Gayoom who lost the Presidential Elections in 2008 when he was leading DRP. DRP said that the main reason for the big failure in the 2008 President Elections is because the whole presidential campaign was handed over to Gayoom’s son, Farish Maumoon. DRP also noted that it was Gayoom’s action to cause his undue inﬂuence over the party that was the biggest hindrance against the party’s work to make the government responsible and accountable.

initial investigations of the incident is underway.Sectarian violence is on the rise in Quetta as 26 Shia pilgrims were killed in a ﬁring incident last month in Mastung, about 30 kilometres southeast

of Quetta, when a group of armed men attacked a passenger bus carrying Shia pilgrims from Quetta to Iran. The Mastung attack was claimed by banned militant outﬁt Laskar-e-Jhangvi.

Afghanistan says Pakistan refuses to help in Rabbani probe

Afghanistan on Tuesday accused Pakistan of refusing to cooperate with investigations into the killing of Kabul government peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani. “Today we received a message from the embassy of Pakistan saying that since this issue has arisen in media, we cannot cooperate

and we apologise for that,” said Mohammad Yasin Zia, deputy head of the National Directorate of Security. Rabbani’s killing in Kabul on September 20 has prompted Karzai to reconsider his strategy for talking peace with the Taliban. The NDS, Afghanistan’s intelligence service, said it had handed evidence in Rabbani’s killing to Pakistani ofﬁcials to take action last Thursday. It has also alleged that the killer was a Pakistani and the attack was planned in Quetta. Pakistan has questioned the evidence provided to its embassy in Kabul, and described Rabbani as a great friend of Pakistan, who was widely respected in the country.

Pakistan considering MFN status for India Pakistan’s commerce ministry has sent a summary to all stakeholders, seeking their comments on changing the decades-old trade regime with India. If no objection is raised, the summary will be sent to the federal cabinet for approval. In a dramatic break with the past, the government is inclined to granting the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India in a couple of months after getting a green signal from all stakeholders. As a ﬁrst step, the commerce ministry has sent a summary to all stakeholders, seeking their comments on changing the decades-old trade regime with India, according to sources. The summary was sent a couple of weeks ago and the stakeholders have been asked to submit their comments within three weeks. If no objection is raised, the summary will be sent to the federal cabinet for approval. The environment turned favourable for the decision in the wake of the recent tensions in Pakistan’s ties with its top trading partner, the United States. Pakistan’s exports at an estimated $4 billion in 2010-11 make the US the only

country with which it enjoy surplus. Experts say granting the MFN status to India will not only reduce tensions between the two countries but also earn support from the Indian government at a time when the US has accused Pakistan of having links with the Haqqani network of Afghanistan. While the government appears to have put aside some crucial issues, including Kashmir, that have marred economic and trade relation between the two countries for decades, it has made the MFN decision conditional to the removal of non-tariff barriers by India.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Textile Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said he hoped the MFN status would be granted to India next month. Mr Baig, who recently visited India along with Commerce Minister Amin Fahim, said the formalities were likely to be completed ahead of the next meeting of the commerce secretaries of the two countries. Pakistani and Indian commerce secretaries are scheduled to meet in November in New Delhi to ﬁnalise the issue. Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma is scheduled to visit Pakistan in November along with a

delegation of businessmen. “I think the decision is more likely to be announced during the Indian commerce minister’s visit,” Mr Baig said. Pakistan’s business community, according to Mr Baig, has already recommended to the government to grant the MFN status to India. This is a key recommendation as Pakistani businessmen were not prepared in the past to compete with Indian businesses and wanted a restricted regime. Commerce Minister Amin Fahim also hinted during his ﬁve-day visit to India that the status would be granted, saying fulﬁlment of procedures were delaying the decision. Mr Fahim said it was the priority of his ministry to grant MFN status to India at the earliest. Last week, the commerce ministers of Pakistan and India set a target of $6 billion bilateral trade to be achieved in three years from the current $2.7 billion. There are also reports of $3 billion trade through illegal channels. Pakistan will also change its trade regime from ‘positive’ to ‘negative list’

as required under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta). This was the key issue due to which Pakistan had not ratiﬁed the treaty, Mr Baig said. The country has included 1,945 items in the positive list for trading with India, while the import of other items is banned. Under Safta, Pakistan has committed to a sensitive (negative) list of 1,169 items. Mr Baig said the negative list was likely to be reduced to only a few items and the issue would be settled by November. To reciprocate this gesture, the Indian government would formally withdraw its opposition to an EU trade concessions package at the World Trade Organisation, he said. The WTO is scheduled to take up the EU waiver issue on Oct 20 and the Indian decision is likely to be announced the same day. The adviser said that Indian government had agreed to improve the infrastructure on Wagah border and set up cold storages for perishable items. He said Pakistani businessmen had also raised the issue of non-tariff barriers with Indian authorities concerned.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF AFGHANISTAN NEWS

US persuading us to join Afghan govt: Haqqani The operational leader of Haqqani network on Monday claimed that the United States and other countries had contacted the Haqqanis and persuaded them to join the Afghan government In an interview with the BBC released on Monday, he said the coalition partners were trying to create “tension” among insurgents. The group has “been contacted and are being contacted by intelligence agencies of many Islamic and nonIslamic countries, including the US, asking us to leave the sacred jihad

killer was a Pakistani and that the plot was made by the Quetta Shura. However, no Afghan officials have specifically accused the Haqqani network over the killing. Haqqani said during the 1980s anti-Soviet resistance, mujahedeen fighters “had contacts with the intelligence agencies of Pakistan and other countries, but after the invasion by the Americans, there have never been contacts by intelligence agencies of other countries which could be effective for us.” agencies

and take an important part in the current government,” Sirajuddin Haqqani said. He also denied killing the Afghan government’s peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani and the US allegations that the Haqqanis were currently linked to the ISI. “We haven’t killed Burhanuddin Rabbani and this has been said many times by the spokespersons of the Islamic Emirate,” he said, referring to the Taliban. Afghan ofﬁcials blamed Taliban for killing Rabbani in Kabul, saying the

CRC urges long-term world commitment to Afghanistan

he International Committee of the Red Cross is urging the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, to remain engaged

and committed to working for the wellbeing of Afghanistan after international troops withdraw from the country in 2014.

Afghanistan to host ﬁrst rock festival in 30 years

Afghanistan is anticipating its ﬁrst rock festival for three decades next week when hundreds of fans are expected to converge for a oneday extravaganza of local and international acts. Sound Central, a “stealth festival” that organisers hope will draw up to 2,000 young Afghans, will showcase Afghan bands playing music from doom metal to blues rock, as well as musicians who have ﬂown in from

Iran, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The music will almost certainly be a new experience for most fans in a country which has not hosted such an event since the entrance of Soviet troops in 1979 heralded the start of decades of violence and the eventual Taliban takeover. People seeking a change from traditional Afghan music tend to listen to western pop or soundtracks from India’s Bollywood ﬁlms.

Red Cross says civilians in Afghanistan are still paying the price of conﬂict 10 years after the invasion of their country by American-led international forces. It says Afghans remain caught in the middle of armed violence and

the security situation in many areas of the country remains alarming. The ICRC’s head of operations for South Asia, Jacques de Maio, says many Afghans are pessimistic about the immediate future. He says they are uncertain about what will happen after international troops leave Afghanistan. He tells VOA the ICRC anticipates continued armed conﬂict in the coming months and years. And he says that because of the unpredictability of future developments, the international community must remain involved and assume responsibility for what happens in Afghanistan. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been working in Afghanistan for 25 years and has no plans to leave. It says it remains committed to helping the people who are most vulnerable.

Human rights film festival held in Kabul The first human rights film festival was held in Kabul. The festival started with a film ‘Akardeyon’ which has been produced by Jafer Panahi is about Afghan refugees in Iran. The festival was held by French Institute to Kabul with cooperation of US, Swiss, Holland, Independent Human Rights Commission and UNAMA at Isteqlal High School. Short and long feature films produced by film producers of 18 countries are to be screened for six days. Nearly 200 films had been nominated in the festival and only fifty of them have been selected for the festival. According to Maryam Mana, an official for the festival, 36 films produced by Afghans are to be displayed in the festival. The films have pasteurized violence and counter discrimination and injustice. The first speaker was a representative for the French Institute to Kabul.

Karzai abandons peace talks with Taliban Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said his government will no longer hold peace talks with the Taliban. He said the killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani had convinced him to focus on dialogue with Pakistan. Former Afghan President Rabbani was negotiating with the Taliban but was killed by a suicide bomber purporting to be a Taliban peace emissary. US President Barack Obama has renewed calls for Pakistani action against militants of the Haqqani network. Mr Karzai, speaking to a group of religious leaders, said there were no partners for dialogue among the Taliban. It was not possible to ﬁnd the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, he added. “Where is he? We cannot ﬁnd the Taliban Council. Where is it?” he

said. “A messenger comes disguised as a Taliban Council member and kills, and they neither conﬁrm nor reject it. Therefore, we cannot talk to anyone but to Pakistan,” Mr Karzai told the meeting. “Who is the other side in the peace process? I do not have any other

answer but to say Pakistan is the other side in the peace talks with us.” A statement by members of the nationwide council of religious scholars praised Rabbani’s efforts to bring peace to the country, and condemned his killing in the strongest terms.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BANGLADESH NEWS

‘Razakar’ Sayedee indicted on 20 counts Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee facing charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 independence war has been indicted by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The tribunal framed the charges on Monday after Sayedee was produced before the threemember panel of judges around 10:30am amid tight security. The trial will start from Oct 30, the tribunal announced. Describing the 4,000-page charge-sheet placed against him as ‘untrue’, Sayedee denied the charges. The prosecutors brought 31 accusations against the Jamaat leader, based on which 20 charges were framed by the court. Sayedee’s lawyer Tajul Islam also claimed that the procedure to frame charges was ‘baseless’. The prosecution team present in the court included ICT prosecution chief Golam Arif Tipu, prosecutors Syed Rezaur Rahman and Ziad Al Malum and state prosecutor in the case Syed Haider Ali. The defence team consisted of Tajul Islam and

Tanvir Ahmed Al Amin. Earlier, a prison van carrying Sayedee from the Dhaka Central Jail reached the tribunal located in the old High Court building at Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue around 9:45am.

While framing charges, the tribunal speciﬁcally pointed out 20 incidents after narrating the contexts behind the liberation war and its history and said the report dubbed Sayedee as a member of the Rajakar forces.

Charges against Sayedee, who was known as ‘Deilla Razakar’ in his area during the war, relate to involvement in killing of more that 3,000 unarmed people, rape of more than nine women, arson, forcing Hindus to convert their religion, looting and other crimes against humanity. The crimes were committed in Pirojpur’s Mohakuma area. When the charges were being read out in English, Sayedee’s lawyer Tajul Islam stood up and urged the court to have them read out in Bengali. But Sayedee, who was in the dock, said, “I can understand what is being said. Please continue.” After the charges were read out, the court asked Sayedee whether he was guilty of these charges. In response, the Jamaat leader said, “I will to talk to my lawyer.” After the court informed Sayedee that he could not consult his lawyer at that time, the Jamaat leader asked permission to give a speech which the court granted. In the eight-minute speech that followed, Sayedee said that the charges were not true.

No caretaker, Unique fair at 300 high Three-month job not no polls: BNP schools for quality education done in 6 months BNP standing committee member Tariqul Islam yesterday said the opposition parties will not let Awami League fulﬁll its dream of holding parliamentary elections under the present administration. BNP standing committee member Tariqul Islam yesterday said the opposition parties will not let Awami League fulﬁll its dream of holding parliamentary elections under the present administration. “AL is daydreaming to stay in power, holding an election under their own government. But the dream will not come true”, he said while addressing a human chain in front of the city’s Jatiya Press Club. The BNP chairperson on September 27 declared that no election will be held without caretaker government while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the opposition must take part in election.

The Daily Star and Robi will hold English Language Fair in 300 high schools across the country from October 12 to inspire students to improve their proﬁciency in English. The Daily Star and Robi will hold

school in the capital under English in Schools (EIS) initiative of The Daily Star and Robi, and will be gradually held in other schools till April next year. The fair will also cover students of

English Language Fair in 300 high schools across the country from October 12 to inspire students to improve their proﬁciency in English. The fair will start from a well-known

700 more schools that are under the EIS programme. Two world famous ﬁlms -- Alice in Wonderland and Lion King -- will be screened at the daylong fair.

Construction of culverts for Hatirjheel Project near the capital’s FDC shows little sign of progress although six months have gone by and the work keeps disrupting train service and

Ofﬁcials at the site yesterday said two box culverts will be build to accommodate sewer pipes beneath rail trucks at a cost of Tk 1.32 crore that also covers maintenance of affected rails.

trafﬁc movement in the area every day. Construction of culverts for Hatirjheel Project near the capital’s FDC shows little sign of progress although six months have gone by and the work keeps disrupting train service and trafﬁc movement in the area every day.

Arman Hossain, divisional engineer of railway, said Toma Construction Limited got the culvert construction job in April and was supposed to finish it in three months. He said they along with the firm were trying to get the job done by the Eidul-Azha. “But the rains have seriously hampered the work.” No representative of the company was found at the site yesterday. Some people there said Toma has engaged several small contractors to build the culverts. Contacted over the phone, Humayun, an official of Toma Construction, denied their involvement with the construction and said another company named Sun Flower is doing the work. Interestingly, according to the officials, the man represents his company in the project. Nobody from Sun Flower was found either.

13,000 children trafﬁcked in 5 years

Speakers at a roundtable said over 13,000 Bangladeshi children were trafﬁcked to different countries of

the world in the last ﬁve years. Speakers at a roundtable said over 13,000 Bangladeshi children were

trafﬁcked to different countries of the world in the last ﬁve years. Quoting a government report,

they said the trafﬁcked children are being compelled to stay in forced labour, sexual torture and domestic work, which caused their mental sufferings. The speakers made the remarks at a roundtable titled ‘Nationally Standard Counseling Services to Trafﬁcked Survivors’ organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission in collaboration with USAID and Winrock at Jessore Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) conference hall on Thursday.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BHUTAN NEWS

Climate change centre set up Olympic meet in Bhutan

Using the expertise of its faculty and potential of its students, the country’s premier tertiary institute, Sherubtse College in Kanglung, Trashigang, is

all set to spearhead climate changerelated studies in Bhutan. On October 1, it formally inaugurated its “Centre for Climate Change

Labor ministry to draft bill T

he Ministry of Labor and Human Resources (MoLHR) is planning to draft a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) bill to empower, enforce and regulate the vocational institutes in the country.

The TVET act is also expected to change the attitude of the people towards blue color jobs and those students who pass out from the vocational institutes in the country. “The act will be a career ladder, where the students will be reorganized according to the qualiﬁcations received from the Technical Training Institutes

(TTI),” said Karma, chief program ofﬁcer for TVET, MOLHR. The Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) only considers the academic qualiﬁcation but with the TVET policy in place, vocational graduates will be at the same level,

he said. The policy is expected to be completed and enforced by the end of 2012. The director of department of human resources under MoLHR, Sonam Rinchen said, “The TVET concept is new to the country though there were technical institutes in the country.”

& Spatial Information” at the Department of Geography & Planning, which will research and disseminate information on climate change and its impact on Bhutan. The centre will mainly undertake research, collect, create and share data, contribute to policy making, organise and participate in national and international events, and develop and deliver academic courses and training. Some of its research areas are land use and land cover, sustainable development, adaptation and mitigation, disasters and policies.

Monetary compensation for ceded land

esterday, Sarpang dzongkhag administration officials distributed monetary compensation to 15 landowners of Samthang and Gelephu gewog, for property lost to build the domestic airport in Bhur, Gelephu. Landowners were compensated for huts, fruit plants, trees, animal feeding grass and other agricultural products. This is the second time monetary compensation is being distributed since September 6. Sarpang dzongkhag’s land record official, Ugyen, said more than 30 landowners amongst the 106 landowners, whose lands was taken for airport, were given monetary compensation. He said compensation was given, in keeping with the verification and assessment report conducted by agricultural, forestry and other relevant government officials, done in accord with the villagers’ report submitted to the dzongkhag. Compensation ranges from Nu 20,000 to Nu 1,300,000 depending on what the lands were used for.

ust as thousands of Thimphu residents were rushing to Trashichhodzong for the Lhamoe Drubchen, another special event at Royal police ground. Wearing a white shirt and maroon shorts, 16-year old Tashi Lhamo, who stands three feet tall, took home a bronze

Draktsho’s only branch in the east at Rongthong in Trashigang. Children waved to the cheering and emotional crowd, as they lined up for the parade, and then began participating in some 27 ﬁeld and track events, such as 100 m race, walk,

medal in a walk race in the first Olympic for children and youth with disabilities. But she seemed slightly dissatisfied for not bagging gold, and said she had been first during the practices. “I wore slippers during the practice, and wearing shoes today slowed me,” she said. The embroidery student from Changmey, Trashigang, joined

hurdle, throws and dancing. One of the mothers said she never thought her speech-impaired son could perform such activities prior to his admission in Draktsho. “I feel happy and proud to see my child participate, but at the same time my heart feels heavy to see my child struggle,” she said, watching her son run the 100 m dash.

Bhutan seeks India investment in education, health Bhutan’s Prime Minister Jigme Y Thinley describes the relation between his country and India as an example for other nations to follow. “Bhutan-India relations are of an exemplary kind. It is an example for all countries that share a common border with each other,” he told a press conference after attending the 114th annual general meeting of the Mahabodhi Society of India, of which he is the president. He said that beyond cultural ties, Indo-Bhutan relation was initially one in which India was the donor

and benefactor and Bhutan the beneﬁciary of assistance for development. “Bhutan has now reached a good level of development and the nature of our relations is changing to one that is mutually beneﬁcial. A typical example of this is the mutual collaboration on hydel power (projects),” he said. In reply to a question, he said that Bhutan, which aspires to be a ‘green and sustainable economy,’ was looking for more Indian investments in Education, Health, Tourism and IT-enabled services.

Thimphu declaration endorses TOR for four initiatives O

ne of the outcomes of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation environment ministers’ meeting, which ended yesterday, was the endorsement of the terms of reference for four initiatives under the Thimphu declaration. The four initiatives include the SAARC inter-governmental marine initiative, to strengthen the understanding of shared oceans and water bodies in the region; the mountain initiative on mountain ecosystems, particularly glaciers and their contribution to sustainable development and livelihoods; monsoon initiative on

the evolving pattern of monsoons to assess vulnerability due to climate

change; and climate-related disasters initiative on the integration of

Climate Change Adaptation with Disaster Risk Reduction. These initiatives would be supported by the regional SAARC centres. The environment ministers also endorsed the extension of the climate change action plan for 2009-11 by three more years until 2014. From adaptation of climate change to regional stance for international negotiations, the action plan focuses on seven thematic areas. It emphasises policies and action for climate change mitigation, technology transfer, ﬁnancing and investment mechanism, education, training and awareness, monitoring, assessment

and management of impact and risks due to climate change. Director of the SAARC department with the foreign ministry Sonam Tshong said it was extended because some components of the action plan are still under implementation. “Three years is too short,” he said. “Extending the action plan gives opportunities to modify and/or continue the implementation.” The ministers also endorsed the commissioning of a study on ‘Climate Risks in the Region’, which would comprehensively address the related social, economic and environmental challenges.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

To destroy Al Aqsa, will they use HAARP? T

he $30 million [Pentagon] project, euphemistically named HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program), is made to beam more than 1.7 gigawatts (billion watts) of radiated power into the ionosphere -- the electrically charged layer above Earth’s atmosphere. Put simply, the apparatus is a reversal of a radio telescope -- just transmitting instead of receiving. It will ‘boil the upper atmosphere’. After [heating] and disturbing the ionosphere, the radiations will bounce back onto the earth in for form of long waves which penetrate our bodies, the ground and the oceans.” [“Angels Don’t Play This HAARP”, page 8] Allegations are that Israel is planning or in the middle of trying to create an earthquake for the main purpose of bringing down the Al Aqsa Mosque complex (heaven forbid) so they can rebuild their temple and reinstate their blood sacriﬁces. Recent data released by Dimitar Ouzounov and colleagues from the

Seemingly inexplicable and rapid heating of the ionosphere directly above the epicenter reached a maximum only three days prior to the quake, according to satellite observations, suggesting that directed energy emitted from transmitters used in the High

Infrared emissions above the epicenter increased dramatically in the days before the devastating earthquake in Japan, say scientists. Dimitar Ouzounov at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in

earthquake, the total electron content of the ionosphere increased dramatically over the epicentre, reaching a maximum three days before the quake struck. Israel Makes Waves by Simulating an Earthquake

The Seismologic Division of the Ministry of National Infrastructure’s Geophysical Institute will attempt to simulate an earthquake in the southern Negev on Thursday. Israel news photo NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland highlights some strange atmospheric anomalies

Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) may have been responsible for inducing the

Maryland and a few buddies present the data from the Great Tohoku earthquake which devastated Japan

Israeli scientists will simulate an earthquake in the Negev to ﬁne-tune its earthquake advanced

Infrastructure’s Geophysical Institute will attempt to simulate an earthquake in the southern Negev on Thursday. The experiment, financed by the U.S. Defense Department, is a joint project with the University of Hawaii and is part of a scientific project intended to improve seismological and acoustic readings in Israel and its environs, up to a 1,000 km/621 mile radius. The experiment intends to improve the understanding of sound waves in the atmosphere. Scientists will then be able to fine-tune Israel’s seismological equipment to give advance warning of earthquakes. Measurements will also be taken in other countries, including Cyprus, Greece, France, and Germany. Israel will create a controlled explosion of 80 tons of explosive material, which will simulate the intensity of a tremor after an earthquake of Magnitude 3. Natural earthquakes of a similar intensity occur in the Middle East region about once a week, without the public feeling them. The Ministry of National Infrastructure and Finance Ministry have recently financed a three-year plan to upgrade Israel’s seismological equipment, as part of Israel’s earthquake advance warning system. Israel covers up HAARP Haiti Earthquake This publicity stunt of an earthquake simulation in Israel works as a cover-up by letting those thousands of insiders who actually are aware of HAARP military programs realize the public will buy anything. The results are already preplanned to prove that the recent spate of eathquakes could not have been made by humans. Nobody is

Courtesy, U.S. Geological Survey

over Japan just days before the massive earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11.

quake. Atmosphere above Japan Heated Rapidly Before M9 Earthquake

on 11 March. Their results, although preliminary, are eye-opening. They say that before the M9

warning equipment. The Seismologic of the Ministry of

Division National

mentioning Indonesia’s Tsunami which I long suspected of being man made.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF INDIA NEWS

Anna Hazare puts Congress on notice on Lokpal issue T

o begin with, Hazare said, he will appeal to voters in Hisar Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana where bypolls are scheduled on October 13 not to vote for the Congress candidate as the party was “deliberately” not bringing the Jan Lokpal bill. Anna Hazare on Tuesday put Congress on notice on the Lokpal issue, saying he will campaign against it in election-bound states if the Centre fails to get his version of the anticorruption bill passed in Parliament’s Winter Session. To begin with, Hazare said, he will appeal to voters in Hisar Lok Sabha constituency

in Haryana where bypolls are scheduled on October 13 not to vote for the Congress candidate as the party was “deliberately” not bringing the Jan Lokpal bill. “If the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed in the Winter Session, then I will name the Congress and ask people not to vote for it in the Assembly polls scheduled in ﬁve states next year,” he said addressing a press conference in his native village, 50 km from Pune. He announced that he would begin his tour of ﬁve election-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur between October 13 and 15.

Telangana strike enters Day 21, TRS chief hopes to meet PM T

he Telangana region has been witnessing violent protests in addition to the general strike, called by Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC). Situation on the ground has been getting increasingly serious with two suicides reported in two days. On the 21st day of general strike in Andhra Pradesh’s Telangana region, some Congress leaders on Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the statehood issue. The prime minister assured the

delegation that he would present their demands before Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the party’s core committee. Meanwhile, pro-Telangana activists of other parties have warned that they were running out of patience over the statehood issue. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) earlier rejected any further consultations on the issue. Party chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao held a sit-in at Rajghat and observed silence for few hours on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Sunday

to highlight the tense situation in Telangana region. He was joined

Delhi Police Crime Branch clueless on money trail

by party activists and statehood supporters in his silent protest. Rao has been camping in Delhi since Friday hoping to meet the prime minister. On Monday he said that it was high time that Congress made up its mind on the Telangana issue.

No reason for Pak to worry about Indo-Afghan partnership: US Welcoming the strategic partnership agreement between India and Afghanistan, the United States today asserted that there was no reason for uneasiness or apprehension by Pakistan’s leadership on this. “It should not been seen as a zerosum game,” a State Department official said, when asked about the possible implication in Pakistan of India-Afghan Strategic Partnership, announced in New Delhi a day earlier, particularly at a time when there is simmering tension in US-Pak relationship. “We got a common goal there which is peaceful, stable and an increasingly democratic country (in Afghanistan) which... everybody would be able to benefit from peace and security so it is not a zero-sum game,” the official said requesting anonymity as the official was authorised to speak to the media on this issue. Earlier in the day, the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, welcomed the reports of strategic partnership between India and Afghanistan which was announced during the Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai’s visit to New Delhi yesterday.

We want Telangana, not comforting words: TRS

n the supplementary charge sheet on the cash-for-vote scandal ﬁled in a special court here on Friday, the Delhi Police Crime Branch revealed that it continued to be clueless about the money trail. In the supplementary charge sheet on the cash-for-vote scandal ﬁled in a special court here on Friday, the Delhi Police Crime Branch revealed that it continued to be clueless about the money trail. The Crime Branch said despite efforts, it found no “abnormal

withdrawal” from the bank accounts of accused Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh. Five of his bank accounts, three of them in branches in Delhi and two in the Royal Bank of Scotland were analysed, but the charge sheet concluded: “There is no abnormal withdrawal from these accounts of accused Amar Singh. Detailed efforts have been made to link the money trail but there is no system in the banks to record the number of the currency notes at the time of payment to the customers.” An allegation raised by Mr.

Singh’s former secretary Sanjeev Saxena in his bail application that he was handed over Rs.1 crore in cash by Shyam Jaju, in-charge of the BJP ofﬁce, was also probed but no evidence could be found regarding delivery of bribe money from Mr. Jaju to Mr. Saxena. During investigation, Mr. Jaju stated that he had never met Mr. Saxena or handed over any money to him. The Crime Branch also quizzed a number of bank ofﬁcials to ascertain the money trail but no leads could be gathered.

On Saturday, both Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad — who is also Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh — said the government needed time for further consultations. Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao staged a sitin at the Rajghat on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi, urging a quick decision on statehood. He said there was no need for “further consultations.”

“What is the need for further consultations? How long will they take for a decision,” asked Mr. Rao. “Our people are suffering and dying in Telangana and here people want discussions. We need Telangana, not comforting words.” While the general strike entered the 20th day in the Telangana region, Mr. Rao brought his ﬁght to the national capital once again. TRS cadres and supporters arrived at Rajghat around 10 a.m. and observed a silent sit-in for several hours.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

Zionist : Replace Al-Aqsa with Temple

ionist calls for “building Third Temple on ruins of Al-Aqsa Mosque” The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is behind these calls. The Jewish groups pushing for the temple have urged Netanyahu to fulfil his promise that in the event of his re-election, he would approve and arrange for Jewish prayers to be held in Al-Aqsa.

Why Rebuild the Temple? According to Israeli source of information There are significant problems in building a new Temple. The destruction of the earlier one by the Romans in 70 A.D. is documented on the Arch of Titus. In A.D. 638 The Muslim armies conquered the land of Israel from the Byzantine Empire. In 687 The Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on the location of the Jewish Temple. Today Islam is over 20% of the earth’s population. Muslims view the “Dome of the Rock” as the 3rd most holy site to Islam. From the top of Mt. Moriah, Muslims believe Mohammed (SAW) ascended into Heaven. For Zion this creates a problem? And also puts Israel’s future Temple at odds with the Islamic world. They know Islam would never accept the building of a Jewish Temple over this location. And Zion , the ones in favor of building a Temple would not accept the “Dome of the Rock”. So either Islam defeats the Jews or Israel defeats Islam. Zionist says The bible tells them that Israel will build the

Temple. Once the “Dome of the Rock” is removed, only then could a Jewish Temple be built. For the Dome of the Rock to be removed a significant event must take place. According to Zionist scripts this event will bring the Islamic world against Israel & Israel will vanquish the armies of Islam in a coming battle foretold in the Bible. Zionist say : Prerequisite of Daniel’s 70th Week Before the “70th Week” of Daniel can begin two events must happen to the Jewish people. • They must be gathered into the Land of Israel • Israel must have the desire to rebuild the Jewish Temple Daniel’s 70th Week especially concerned “Your People” the Jews, and “Your Holy City” Jerusalem. Before Israel can rebuild the Temple they must first occupy the land of Israel and Jerusalem. And before the Temple can be rebuilt the “Dome of the Rock” must be demolished and the Temple mount area must be purified. The ashes of the “Red Heifer” will permit the cleansing of the future temple. Before this, Islam as a threat to Israel will be eliminated. But Quran says “And he (i.e., Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow Me: this is a Straight Way.” (Qur’an, Zukhruf, 43:61) Narrated Aisha (RA): Allah’s Apostle said, “An army would invade the Ka’aba and when the invaders reach Al-Baida’, all the ground would sink and swallow the

whole army.” I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! How would they sink into the ground while amongst them would be their markets (the people who worked in business and not invaders) and the people not belonging to them?” The Prophet replied, “All of those people would sink but they would be resurrected and judged according to their intentions.” (Sahih al-Bukhari) It is quite clear from the above prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) that the third earthquake would take place at the time of the advent of Imam al-Mahdi. But the Imam cannot emerge to liberate the Arabian heartland of Islam until Israel has become the ruling state in the world. And Allah knows best! Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him) has provided a description of a Last Age that would precede the end of history. Many Signs of the Last Day reveal grave events that would occur in the Last Age. These events would seem like an evil storm blowing through the world while sifting the grain (i.e., those who have rue faith) from the husk (those who have no faith). Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah’s Apostle said: “The Last Hour would not come unless (and until) the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them (i.e. so defeat them that) the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the Continued on page 30 >>

18 Reviews:

NEWS

Warriors After War

Indian and Pakistani Retired Military Leaders Reﬂect on Relations Between the Two Countries, Past, Present and Future My good friend and senior journalist Hamraz Ahsan invited me at the Book Launch and Panel Discussion on “Warriors after War”. Indian and Pakistani Retired Military Leaders Reﬂect on Relations between the Two Countries, Past, Present and Future ,published by Peter Lang earlier this year. Among others Panelists were another good senior friend Prof Amin Mughal . He is a critic in the area of Urdu and Punjabi literature. He taught English at Islamia College and Shah Hussain College in Lahore. As a leader of the National Awami Party, he was imprisoned a number of times. He worked for the weekly magazine Viewpoint in Lahore and was editor of Awaz, an Urdu daily published in London. Hamaraz Ahsan a Pakistani journalist with over

Singh Maini is Associate Fellow Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi and a co-editor of the book. And it was my ﬁrst meeting with Professor Richard Bonney who is Emeritus Professor at the University of Leicester and a coeditor of the book.

in India and Pakistan’s enduring rivalry since 1947. The extensive interviews with twenty-six former Indian and Pakistani ofﬁcers reveal the centrality and intractability of the Kashmir issue for regional peace. The interviews are enhanced with biographical notes along with a comprehensive introduction and conclusion. Detailed and in-depth analyses by Amin Mughul and Hamraz Asan gave the audience a new awareness. But Amin Mughal kept Jehadis as the only and ultimate Islamic evil force where as a fact Islam and these Jehadis link are debatable. Hamraz Ahasn mentioned the early life in Pakistan as how the senior Pakistani Army ofﬁcers used to travel on “SUHRAB BYCYCLE” and I personally think in few words

30 years’ experience in the Urdu print media. He has researched several social and anthropological subjects, including work on the remote tribes of the Punjab. He is a respected published poet and is a renowned syndicated columnist. He has also researched and worked on many documentary and ﬁlm projects for terrestrial UK TV and general release ﬁlms. At the launch I met a new friend and good person too known as Tridivesh

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the Partition of the Subcontinent in 1947, but because of a shared history and culture, there are similarities between the two armies. ‘Warriors after War’ is a fascinating collection that illustrates this remarkable bond and underlines the need to humanize each other and work towards a more peaceful South .This is a timely study, which illuminates key episodes

he summed up the real reason for the Conﬂicts. The Generals of 2012 are billionaire and the issues of the region with Suhrab bicycle are in the closet. I was amazed to know the point of view by Tridivesh Singh Maini, he said he have no hopes from darling of the west PPP and was supporting Nawaz Sharif. He did not mention PML(N) was not only darling of the west and the warriors for Nuke test and also a corrupt.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

Seminar on “Islam –disintegration of the ummah” Held on 27th September at St Greoge Church Hall, South Woodford.

London based charity organisation Ethos UK organisatise a seminar on “Islam –disintegration of the ummah. Sponsored by Redbridge Council and Big Lottery Fund main speaker Mr Md Soukat Ali said, after the death of Allah’s Messenger, Muslims were divided on the issue of who would succeed the Prophet (peace be upon him). But as soon as the issue was resolved peacefully, all the Muslims were united behind Hadhrat Abu Bakr Al Siddiq, the first Caliph of Islam (May Allah be pleased with him). This unity of Muslims continued till the Martyrdom of third Caliph of Islam, Hadhrat Uthman ibn Affaan (May Allah be pleased with him). The first major division of Muslims occurred over a political issue of whether the murderers of Hadhrat Uthman should be captured first OR the law and order situation in Madinah should be handled first. This difference in approaches on purely a political issue divided the Muslims permanently. However, there were no differences among Muslims regarding Islamic Jurisprudence and worshipping (Ibadaat). All the Companions (Sahabah), the Family (Aal-e-Nabi) of

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and later TAB-E-EEN (Muslims who followed the companions of the Prophet, Peace be upon him) used to pray together and only ONE way. If some differences occasionally appeared among them, they never considered it as a difference that could divide Muslims. Although, after the Martyrdom of Hadhrat Uthman, Muslims were divided in to two groups but neither history nor other Islamic literature tells us that they had differences in IBADAAT or Islamic Jurisprudence (FIQAH) OR they declared each other as Kaﬁr, Mushrik, etc. like our Imams and scholars do nowadays. In the discussion and questions & answers session among others noteables are Mr M Rahman, Mr F Khan and Mr A Rahman. All the participating members agreed that only political agreement can re-established the Muslim Ummah. Dr Arbab Akanda conduct the seminar which ﬁnished at 3.30 pm. At the beginning of the seminar special prayer was organised for the sudden death of Dr Azam Khan (peace be upon him), a member of the organization and ex-teacher of the Epping Forest College.

CIA Contractor Arrested In Highlands Ranch After Parking Spot Fight Raymond Davis Was Released From Pakistani Prison In January The CIA contractor who was freed from a Pakistani prison after the U.S. paid $2.3 million in blood money was arrested Saturday morning in Highlands Ranch after he allegedly fought with another man

In the argument, Davis was the aggressor . The 50-year-old victim, Jeffrey Maes, was treated at the scene and released. Maes said his daughters, ages 6 and 8, cried after

conduct. He was released after posting $1,750 bond. Davis was jailed in a Pakistani prison on Jan. 27, after he shot and killed two Pakistani men as he sat in his car. He was charged with two counts of murder in March and then released after the families of the two Pakistanis he killed pardoned him in exchange for compensation or “blood money.” The payment of “blood money” to the families, sanctioned under Pakistani law, was considered by Davis’ attorney as the best way to get out of the crisis. 7NEWS conﬁrmed Davis owns a security company called Hyperion Protective Consultants, which is contracted to do work for the U.S. government. He used to work for Blackwater as a security employee.

He was charged with two counts of murder in March and then released after the families of the two Pakistanis he killed pardoned him in exchange for compensation or “blood money.” over a parking spot. According to reports Davis and another man with him had been arguing with a third man about a parking spot when the verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation.

witnessing the ﬁght but Maes didn’t learn until afterwards his alleged attacker also did work for the CIA. Davis was taken into custody on misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and disorderly

Govt will talk to anyone who ‘decommissions’ himself : PM Talking to a group of reporters here on Sunday, the prime minister said: “We are ready to hold talks with everybody who is willing to decommission oneself.” Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the government is ready to talk to anyone in troubled areas provided he is willing to “decommission” himself. He said he was avoiding to use the word ‘surrender’ because it was against tribal culture and traditions.

He rejected Afghan allegations of Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani and stressed that only unity against the common enemy (terrorists) could ensure victory for both countries. When asked how would the government satisfy the opposition and implement the decisions of the All Party Conference, he said a committee formed by the APC

would give recommendations while a parliamentary body would oversee the enforcement. Replying to a question about the APC boycott by some Baloch nationalist leaders, he said those who did not attend did not differ on the issue for which the APC had been convened and their boycott was actually in view of “ground realities”.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

SPECIAL FEATURE

Diwali – the festival of lights

robably one of India’s most famous festivals is the Diwali Festival of Lights. Celebrated all over India and in Indian communities throughout the world, the word Diwali in fact means ‘rows of lit lamps’, which should give you a clue as to what this festival is all about. Signifying the triumph of good over evil, the lamps commemorate the return of Lord Rama, along with Sita and Lakshmana from his 14 year exile and battle against the demon-king Ravana. According to the story, the people of Rama celebrated his return by setting off firecrackers and illuminating the kingdom with small earthen lamps, a tradition which continues today. Taking place between October and November (this year’s start date is the 26th of October) Diwali holds such special significance in India that many businesses count the first day of Diwali as the start of their financial year. With homes decorated, lamps ablaze, firecrackers going off all over the place and lights hanging from just about every corner, it truly is a festive time to visit the sub-continent. Don’t forget the significance of sweets, which makes this festival a favourite with children – make sure you’ve got a pocketful of sweets to share with passersby. The Times of India sums up the cultural and religious significance of this holiday: “Regardless of the mythological explanation one prefers, what the festival of lights really stands for today is a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill, and a religiously sanctioned celebration of the simple … joys of life.” (Times of India editorial) Celebrate Diwali at Museum of London by learning more

about the Festival of Lights and taking part in a craft workshop. Children’s workshop Taking place during the half term school holidays, the art and craft workshops for Diwali at Museum of London give kids the chance to explore the story behind the Festival of Lights, which is celebrated by thousands of Londoners each

year. Children can also make a shadow puppet to take home as a souvenir of their day. The art workshops for Diwali at Museum of London take place on Saturday 22nd October and Sunday 30th October 2011. The drop in sessions run from 12.30pm - 2pm and 2.30pm 4pm. Admission is free and there is no need to book in advance. Take part in the Festival of Lights this October with a special menu for Diwali at Cinnamon Kitchen. Tasting menu Created to celebrate the Hindu Festival of Lights, the four course tasting menu for Diwali

at Cinnamon Kitchen features dishes such as tandoori king prawns, grilled partridge and roasted rack of lamb. The menu also includes treats such as Bombay spiced vegetables and a creamy saffron malai hawa dessert. Special events As well as the special menu for Diwali at Cinnamon Kitchen, the acclaimed Indian restaurant

will also be hosting two exclusive events. On Tuesday 18th October, there’s a cocktail and canape evening with entertainment from Honey Kalaria’s Dance Academy and magician Bjarat Patel, which aims to raise funds for the Find Your Feet charity. On Saturday 22nd October, there’s also a night of palm reading, henna tattooists, DJ sets and more at the restaurants bar and lounge, Anise. The special menu for Diwali at Cinnamon Kitchen is available from 17th October 22nd October 2011, and costs £45.00 per person. For more information and to book a table, call 020 7626 5000.

The Find Your Feet charity night for Diwali at Cinnamon Kitchen takes place on Tuesday 18th October 2011. Tickets cost £35.00. The late night party at Anise takes place on Saturday 22nd October 2011. Tickets cost £10.00. Londoners are invited to get involved with spectacular Diwali

celebrations in the heart of London at Diwali on the Square, bringing Diwali to Trafalgar Square in an extravagant cultural event. The Festival of Lights Diwali on the Square will transform Trafalgar Square with vibrant Diwali celebrations, including traditional light displays and colourful Diwali decorations. Open to all, the event promises to light up Trafalgar Square in traditional Indian style, with displays and food stalls catering to all tastes. Music and dance As well as lights and decorations, a full programme

of performances feature at Diwali on the Square including a mixture of traditional and contemporary music and dance. This year’s highlights include the chance to take part in a traditional circular dance known at the garba accompanied by live music from the Trafalgar Square stage. Special activites at Diwali on the Square There’s also a number of special activities for both kids and families to take part in this year, with both classical and contemporary dance showcases to entertain both young and old. As 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the free Trafalgar Square festival, you can expect even more of a vibrant atmosphere as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Londoners of all creeds and backgrounds unite to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Prayers and peace in London With Diwali having strong religious signiﬁcance for a cross section of Londoners, prayers for peace and other special messages will be shared by crowds present at the event. The crowds will be out in force to join the festivities in traditional style, celebrating the triumph of good and renewal of life. The word Diwali (or Deepavali) means ‘row of lamps’, and it is common to see lamps during the ﬁve day festival as the light symbolises the arrival of Lord Rama as he liberates Queen Sita and quashes the evil Ravana. Diwali on the Square takes place at Trafalgar Square from 2pm 7pm, Sunday 16th October 2011. The event is free to attend. Diwali itself falls on Wednesday 26th October 2011. For more information on the special events taking place, click on the link below.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF PAKISTAN NEWS

U.S. Secretly Met Afghan Militants Outreach to Viliﬁed Haqqani Network, Blamed for Recent Upsurge in Violence, Signals New Approach in Effort to End War

S officials met with leaders of the Haqqani network in a meeting arranged by the InterServices Intelligence agency (ISI) earlier this summer, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The meeting was held “in an effort to draw” the group into talks “on winding down the war.” Afghan and US officials accuse the network over a string of highprofile attacks in heavily-guarded Kabul, including last month’s 19hour siege which targeted the US embassy and ISAF headquarters. The feared Haqqani network has its main powerbase in eastern Afghanistan but its leadership is based across the border in Pakistan’s tribal belt.Officials

from Pakistan and the US said the initiative did not yield much. Washington had earlier also said that the group was “beyond

reconciliation.”The report states that the US had come to terms with the fact that targeting the group was not the solution and

that they would have be drawn into peace talks. A US official said: We’ve got no illusions about what the Haqqanis ultimately are. The war is going to end with a deal. That’s what we’re trying to make inevitable. The more parties involved in talking, that’s probably going to make for a better deal. The official did not discuss the talks and said they were “early and not very well defined”. Earlier on Monday, Sirajuddin Haqqani had denied any recent links between his group and the ISI. Haqqani also denied that the network was involved in the killing Afghan peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani.

TTP unsure about supporting Pakistan if US attacks

This was stated by TTP’s leader and Taliban Commander of Bajaur area Moulvi Faqir Ahmed while taking to the media. The banned organisation Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) said on Sunday that it will never support Pakistan blindly in case of an attack from the US, media has reported. He said that although the US and Pakistan are allies in the war against terrorism, both the countries are deceiving each other in the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Moulvi Faqir further stated that the US wants an exit passage for its army from Afghanistan while Pakistan is trying to entrap US further in the war.

Intelligence about ISI link not clear: Obama Zardari urges US to

he intelligence is not as clear as we might like in terms of what exactly that relationship is,” said Mr Obama in a radio interview when asked about Admiral Mullen’s testimony at a Senate hearing last week. US President Barack Obama said on Friday that Admiral Mike Mullen was expressing “frustration” over alleged terrorist safe havens in Pakistan when the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the Haqqani network was an arm of the country’s intelligence service. “But my attitude is, whether there is active engagement with Haqqani on the part of the Pakistanis, or rather just passively allowing them to operate … they’ve got to take care of this problem,” he said. In the same interview, the president said the US would continue to push Pakistan to do more to curb militants

resume dialogue

based in its border regions while maintaining intelligence cooperation with the country. “We’ve been very ﬁrm with them about needing to go after safe havens inside of Pakistan, but we’ve tried to also preserve the intelligence cooperation that we’ve obtained that’s allowed us to go after Al Qaeda in a very effective way,” he said. “There’s no doubt that the relationship

is not where it needs to be and we are going to keep on pressing them to recognise that it is in their interest, not just ours, to make sure that extremists are not operating within their borders.” Earlier in the day, Admiral Mullen, while transferring his responsibilities to the new military chief Gen Martin Dempsey at a ceremony in Virginia, said he had already urged his successor to stay engaged with Pakistan.

The president, in his recent article published in the Washington Post by the name of “Talk to, not at, Pakistan”, stressed the need for resumption of serious dialogue between the two countries. President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the recent verbal assaults by a section of the United States government has not only helped terrorists but also affected the war against terror. The strategy of blaming Pakistan not only had a damaging impact on the relationship between the two countries, it also compromised common goals of defeating terrorism, extremism and fanaticism, President Zardari wrote. “It is time for the rhetoric to cool and for serious dialogue between allies to

resume.” The president elaborating the challenges faced by the country said: “Pakistan is pounded by the ravages of globally driven climate change, with ﬂoods once again making millions of our citizens homeless, we ﬁnd that, instead of a dialogue with our closest strategic ally, we are spoken to instead of being heard. We are being battered by nature and by our friends. This has shocked a nation that is bearing the brunt of the terrorist whirlwind in the region. And why?” “Pakistan sits on many critical fault lines. Terrorism is not a statistic for us. Our geopolitical location forces us to look to a future where the great global wars will be fought on the battleground of ideas,” he said.

Taseer murder case: Qadri sentenced to death Qadri, one of Taseer’s elite force guards, shot and killed the governor for his views on the blasphemy law outside a restaurant in Islamabad. Mumtaz Qadri, the main accused in the murder oaf former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, has been sentenced to death on Saturday, reported Express 24/7. During the incamera hearing of the murder case, the anti- terrorism court said that it was a heinous crime and there is no justiﬁcation to it. Qadri confessed to the murder under oath. Qadri, a constable in the Punjab Police

and a member of its Elite Force, tried to justify his murder of the governor by stating that he had killed him for

supporting Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman whom Taseer had believed had been wrongly convicted of committing

blasphemy. According to Qadri’s statement, he had approached the governor on the evening

of January 4 and tried to talk to him about Taseer’s very public support for Aasia Bibi and his advocacy of reform – not repeal – of the blasphemy laws. Last August, Taseer’s son Shahbaz Taseer was kidnapped from Lahore’s upscale Gulberg area. No one has claimed responsibility for the crime but Taseer’s family was threatened several times by the extremists. “Our family has been receiving threats from the Taliban and extremists. They could be behind the abduction of my brother,” Sheharyar Taseer, Shahbaz’s younger brother, had said.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF MALDIVE NEWS

Committee discusses rash use of public money T

he Anti-corruption Committee has requested the parliament Finance Committee to advocate on government ofﬁcials given living allowances residing in government compounds free. A day after Auditor General’s report suggest investigating Maldives Media Council consuming public money irresponsibly, the Anticorruption Committee has requested the parliament Finance Committee to advocate on government ofﬁcials given living allowances residing in government compounds free. The members of the committee deliberating on the issue has brought

more conflicting debate on the government officials such as island and atoll councilors and other public fund drying government officials with living allowances.

Some members, who differ on deciding on living allowances while some of the recipients living in government shelters cannot be subjected to pay utility bills like

Dr. Majeed resigns from Presidency of Committee

inister of Islamic Affairs, Dr. Abdul Majeed Abdul

Baari has yesterday resigned from the presidency of the Committee of

Govt hands over Kulhudhuffushi hospital to German company The government Thursday handed over the regional hospital in Haa Dhaal atoll Kulhudhuffushi to ProMedKlinik of Germany.

in the country to all citizens in a cost effective way, and at the same time work at improving those services. He also said that starting January next

Managing Director of Upper North Health Service Corporation Badruddeen Hassan and ProMedKlinik President Norbert Seis signed the agreement for handing over the hospital to the company. Speaking at the ceremony, President Mohamed Nasheed said the purpose of the government’s Madhana health insurance scheme was to provide quality social security and affordable healthcare for all the people of the country. The President said the government targets at providing all health services available

year, the government will provide health insurance for all the people under Madhana insurance scheme. President Nasheed noted that sustainable development could only be achieved by making sure that all agencies were run economically and cost effectively. Speaking in this regard, the President said that the seven Health Service Corporations established in the country should carry out their works in the same way, in administering the respective hospitals and health centres under their management.

Scholars of the Adhaalath Party. Minister Dr. Abdul Majeed Abdul Baari announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the President of Adhaalath Party, Sheikh Imran Abdullah. The Minister resigned from the post at a time when Adhaalath Party sent a letter to him requesting his immediate resignation from the ministry following the break away of the party from the government’s coalition.

electricity and the more scares water bills, argue that those living in government residences can consume the living allowances while enjoying free living in government residences.

Others argue that some arrangements must be made if any government personnel paid for their living are residing in government residences. They say the living allowance recipients must pay rent and utility bills but a Mrf. 5000.00 is not sufﬁcient for their living allowances. The parliament ever ready to increase senior level remunerations are still unable to help reimbursing government reduced civil servants salary while the Ministry of Finance holding several subsidy funds is still in ripping public with new government planned goods and service tax.

PPM justiﬁed as ‘strong opposition party’

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said that the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was created because there is no strong and effective

opposition party to take the government to account. Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said that the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was created because there is no strong and effective opposition party to take the government to account. Speaking to the media after returning to Male’ concluding his tour of some islands of Laamu Atoll and Thaa Atoll, Gayoom said that PPM was formed to provide a strong force against the current Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) led government.

Bundu Khan Restaurant 43 Commercial Street, London E1 6BD Telephone: 020 7375 2595 Fax: 020 7375 2494 Email Us: info@bundukhan.com

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF NEPAL NEWS

Nepal plans to send 150,000 maids to Gulf N

epal has lifted its ban on exporting housemaids to the Gulf states and is working on an ambitious plan to deploy about 150,000 woman workers in the region. The plan comes in the framework of an agreement with the Kingdom and other Gulf countries that will guarantee protection to the maids, according to newly-appointed Nepalese Ambassador Udaya Raj Pandey . Pandey said Nepalese women would be allowed to work in Saudi

Speaking about the need to ensure more facilities and more protection to Nepalese workers, Pandey said Nepal has proposed a SR1,000 minimum monthly salary for Nepalese workers and stipulated other terms and conditions. At present, Saudi Arabia is home to about 700,000 Nepalese. The two countries can also forge closer ties in the tourism sector. Tourist arrivals in the ninth month of the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 have increased by 11 percent compared to the same period last year, according to government ﬁgures.

Arabia as maids, but only for carefully vetted sponsors who agree to certain conditions. At a press brieﬁng at the Nepalese Embassy, the envoy spoke at length on growing Riyadh-Katmandu ties with special reference to the proposed visit of a high-power Saudi delegation to his country, possibly during the last week of November. He also unveiled Nepal’s plans to open consulates in Jeddah and Dammam to cope with the growing workload, mainly related to labor and consular matters.

Opp parties ﬂay combatants’ salary hike T

he opposition parties--Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML--have taken serious exception to the government’s decision to hike allowances of former Maoist combatants who were brought under the Special Committee on January 22 last year. The parties said they are not against any move that ensures better future of the combatants, but that the unilateral decision at the moment has raised suspicions over the Maoist commitment to complete the combatants’ integration and rehabilitation process. On Sunday, the Cabinet had hiked the salary of the combatants from Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,500 each. The parties said the decision was also in breach of the Interim Constitution and the Directives for Supervision, Control, Direction and Code of Conduct for Maoist Army Combatants-2010.

Prime minister ‘drops’ clemency agenda

Talking to the Post on Monday, NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC said the government’s decision to hike the salary was “mysterious” as it conﬂicted with what Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had promised earlier.

“The prime minister, who had earlier vowed to complete the integration process within 45 days of assuming the ofﬁce, has hiked the salary. What can we infer from here?” KC said.

he agenda to provide presidential clemency to Maoist lawmaker Balkrishna Dhungel was moved again in the Cabinet on Sunday that was to be forwarded to the President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. This has been considered a regular agenda for the Cabinet since the Jhala Nath Khanal-led government. “It was in the official agenda of the Cabinet meeting,” said Minister for Health and Population Rajendra Mahato. However, Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta said the meeting did not discuss the agenda. According to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Bhattarai did not want to enter into the standing proposal. Even sources close to PM Bhattarai have confirmed that the agenda was not discussed in the meeting. It is learnt that the PM dropped the agenda before the Cabinet meeting while discussing it with the chief secretary.

USAID provides Rs Deliver peace‚ Maoist terror tag will go: US 5 billion to Nepal V

The U.S. has provided an additional USD 65.474 million (nearly Rs. 5 billion) as ﬁnancial support to Nepal through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this year under its ongoing ﬁve-year Assistance Agreement with the Nepal government.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Lal Shanker Ghimire and ission Director of USAID/Nepal David C. Atteberry signed the agreement on behalf of the two governments today. The funds will be used to implement activities that will help achieve the objectives of President Obama’s

isiting US Congressman Steve Chabot Friday assured that his country will remove the UCPNMaoist from its terrorist watch-list once Nepal gets lasting peace and a new constitution. “Discussions on removing the terror tag attached to Nepali Maoists are already underway in Washington. I am confident that we can remove this tag once Nepal gets lasting peace and constitution,” Dhananjya Jha, America Division Chief at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), quoted the US Congressman as saying at the meeting with PM at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar. Though the Maoist party has joined mainstream politics and led the government twice, it continues to figure in the US State Department’s Terrorist Exclusion List and Specially Designated Nationals. Specially designated nationals are

organisations and individuals who are restricted from doing business with the United States, American companies or Americans. The Maoist party has been seeking the removal of the tag, which the US had attached during the insurgency. At his meeting with US President Barack Obama last week, PM Bhattarai, who is also UCPN-M vice-

chairman, had also sought removal of the tag. At today’s meeting, Chabot, who is chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia in US Congress, also expressed concern about the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants and statue writing process.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF SRILANKA NEWS

President promises funds for health sector

resident Mahinda Rajapaksa today promised not to reduce under any circumstances the funds allocated for country’s health

sector. Participating in an observation tour at Kandy Teaching Hospital this morning the President said the

government allocated 90 billion rupees for health sector last year and It is ready to allocate more funds for the next year in the budget.

President Rajapaksa urged all parties in the health sector to extend their maximum support to enhance health facilities for the public. The President also inspected the kidney treatment unit and the special treatment section for security forces in the Kandy Hospital. Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and the Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake accompanied the President.

5 men go on trial accused People losing faith in institutions: UNP of funding Tamil Tigers Five Sri Lankans accused of supporting the Tamil Tiger rebels in their country’s 26-year civil war have gone on trial in a Dutch court, in a case that hinges on whether judges rule that the Tigers were legitimate freedom ﬁghters or terrorists. Prosecutors accuse the men _ all Tamils who live in the Netherlands _ of illegally funding the group that has been branded a terror organization by the European Union. But a lawyer for two of the suspects said Thursday the men were just

The main opposition UNP today said the dangerous trend of people rising against the police is a result of people losing their faith on such institutions as they have become politicised. UNP MP Gayantha Karunatilleke who referred to the killing of a police ofﬁcer

today are forced to act as spectators when hooligans of several inﬂuential people go into action. The UNP MP recalled that this was exactly what happened on Independence Day when the UNP staged a protest in Colombo calling for the release of jailed former

in Moratuwa and the recent incidents in Dompe said such incidents are signs of a dangerous trend which had risen as a result of those institutions losing their independent status. Mr. Karunatillke said the police had lost its reputation because of the way it dealt with certain incidents. He said the police

Army Commander Sarath Fonseka as a group of thugs who happened to be henchmen of a government politician attacked several MPs. “The Country would go into anarchy if an independent police service is not established as soon as possible,” he said.

collecting money for Tamil victims of the bloody conﬂict. The war ended in May 2009 when government troops crushed the rebels and killed their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. The rebels had been ﬁghting to create an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils.

Colombo MC election is not a beauty contest

Opp to lodge complaint on ﬁnancial irregularities

Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to complain to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on an alleged financial fraud amounting to Rs. 574 million at the Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Municipal Council (SJKMC). UNP parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva has said that the PAC would be called to summon the official of the municipal council to investigate into the alleged irregularities. He has said that since supportive documents have not been provided to prove the spending of monies at the municipal council, the Auditor General had refused to give a qualified opinion on these spending. Citing a minor example for the irregularities that have taken place at the municipal council, he has said that only 806 cubes of sand had been purchased for monies allocated for 1,500 cubes of sand when constructing the access road to the Chandra Silva Stadium. According to Dr. de Silva, a proper procedure has to be introduced to the municipal council to make it compulsory for publication of its accounts to ensure transparency.

Sri Lankan: 1800 Ex-Rebels freed

Sri Lanka’s governing United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Milinda Moragoda says that the CMC election was not a beauty contest. Moragoda has told the media that the municipality is a service providing organization and the people have to decide on the person with the better programme and the better individual to implement that programme.

According to Moragoda, the Mayor has two roles - to ensure that citizens receive the services they expect and to act as a link between the city and the central government. As for whether he would implement the Defence Ministry/Urban Development Authority (UDA) plans for Colombo, Moragoda has said that he would work together with the Defence Secretary to develop the city.

Sri Lankan government on Friday released 1,800 former Tamil Tiger rebels who have undergone a two-year rehabilitation program following the end of the war in May 2009.President Mahinda Rajapaksa handed over the rehabilitated former members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to their families today at a ceremony held at the Temple Trees with the participation of ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats and the family members . The Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms Ministry has made the arrangements to bring the former rebels to the Temple Trees and it was the ﬁrst time such a large group of rehabilitated cadres were reintegrated into the society.

The rehabilitated cadres received certiﬁcates for their skills training from the U.S. Ambassador Patricia Butenis, Australian High Commissioner

Kathy Klugman and the Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha. The former rebels staged a cultural show for the audience.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

HAARP or End of the World! Dead Birds Fall From Sky In Sweden, Millions Of Dead Fish Found In Maryland, Brazil, New Zealand Whale in UK, Fish in Pakistan

Hundreds and possibly thousands of dead birds have reportedly fallen from the sky in Italy. Wildlife ofﬁcials say that even more previously unreported dead birds were found in Kentucky last week.

The Baltimore Sun reports that an estimated 2 million fish were found dead in the Chesapeake Bay, mostly adult spot with some juvenile croakers in the mix, as well. Maryland Department of the Environment spokesperson Dawn Stoltzfus says “cold-water stress” is believed to be the culprit. She told The Sun that similar large winter fish deaths were documented in 1976 and 1980. While all three events are likely unrelated, they come after recent reports of mysterious dead birds falling from the sky in both Arkansas and Louisiana. Thousands of dead birds were found in Beebe, Arkansas on New Year’s Eve, and a few days later, around 500 of the same species were found 300 miles south in Louisiana. A Kentucky woman also reported finding dozens of dead birds scattered around her home. In the

Millions of dead fish surfaced in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay in the U.S., Tuesday, while similar unexplained mass fish deaths occurred across the world in Brazil and New Zealand. On Wednesday, 50 birds were found dead on a street in Sweden. The news come after recents reports of mysterious massive bird and fish deaths days prior in Arkansas and Louisiana.

ParanaOnline reports that 100 tons of sardines, croaker and catfish have washed up in Brazilian fishing towns since last Thursday. The cause of the deaths is unknown, with an imbalance in the environment, chemical pollution, or accidental release from a fishing boat all suggested by local officials. days prior to New Year’s, nearly 100,000 fish surfaced in an Arkansas river 100 miles west of Beebe. Officials are now saying that fireworks likely caused the Arkansas bird deaths, and power lines may be to blame for the death of the birds in Louisiana. Some remain skeptical of the explanations. Dan Cristol, a biology professor and cofounder of the Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies at the College of William

& Mary, told the AP that he was hesitant to believe fireworks were to blame unless “somebody blew something into the roost, literally blowing the birds into the sky.” Wednesday, officials in Sweden reported the finding of 50 dead birds on a street, suggesting that cold weather or fireworks were the likely culprit. Bird deaths and fish kills at smaller numbers aren’t all that uncommon, though the size

The mysterious honeybee apocalypse: Up to 12 million bees found dead and dying in Florida and no one knows why The massive bee die-off has stung Charles Smith, whose Smith Family Honey Company lost $150,000 worth of bees. State officials are testing the bees to determine what type of chemicals contributed to their deaths. No one can tell yet what killed as many as 12 million bees from 800 hives this week in Brevard County, on central Florida’s Atlantic coast. and proximity of some of the recent events have led people to allege their relation, though officials deny the frequency of these wildlife deaths as being anything other than coincidence. In August of 2010, tens of thousands of dead fish were reported washing ashore in two separate occasions, 200 miles apart on the East Coast.

Birds Dying In Italy: Thousands Of Turtle Doves Fall Dead From Sky

anuary 2011 GeaPress reported hundreds -- possibly thousands -- of dead and dying birds in Italy. Countless turtle doves were found scattered in the streets, in flower beds and hanging tragically from trees “like Christmas balls” in the town of Faenza. Many of the birds that fell dead from the sky were discovered with a mysterious blue stain in their beaks. In the past week, similar incidents of mass animal deaths have been reported across the world. Thousands of dead birds fell from the sky in Arkansas on New Year’s Eve, and similar incidents were reported on different days in Louisiana, Kentucky and Sweden. Two million fish were discovered dead in Maryland, with other fish kills also reported

in Brazil, New Zealand and Arkansas -approximately 100 miles from the bird incident. 40,000 crabs washed up on England beaches in the past few days, as well. While the events are likely unrelated, most still remain a mystery. Officials suggest fireworks are likely responsible for many of the bird deaths and that unusually cold weather could be to blame for the strange mass deaths of fish and crabs. GeaPress suggests that the blue stains found in mouths of the dead and dying birds in Italy could be the result of poisoning or possibly signs of hypoxia. Both the local forest service and the WWF in Faenza have sent some of the dead birds for testing, though the results likely won’t be available for at least a week.

Saarc international I Thursday 06 October 2011

SPECIAL FEATURE Society said that the ﬂock of birds was particularly vulnerable this year, and less likely to respond competently to a fright. “This winter has been unusually tough and jackdaws may be in poor condition. That makes it easier for them to ﬂy into different objects. There is very little food in the wild compared with previous years and I see dying birds every day.” The mysterious death of the jackdaws, darkplumaged members of the crow family, follows similarly creepy incidents in Arkansas, where up to 5,000 birds dropped dead on New Year’s Eve, Louisiana, where more than 500 dead bird plummeted to the ground on January 3, and Kentucky, where a woman found dozens of bird

200 Dead Cows In Wisconsin Although many of the mass animal deaths reported around the world in the past month remain unexplained, officials have closed the case on the mystery of 200 cows that dropped dead in Wisconsin on January 14. A toxin from moldy sweet potatoes, which were a part of the animals’ feed, are to blame for the bovines’ seemingly strange demise. The Wausau Daily Herald reports that the cattle’s feed was then sent for testing, and the lab results from Friday revealed that a mycotoxin commonly occurring in moldy sweet potatoes, ipomeanol, was found to have triggered the pneumonia that caused the 200 cows to die. According to AolNews, officials attest that the spoiled potatoes were not in the human food supply chain, and therefore pose no threat to people. When it comes to mass animal death in 2011, birds do it, fish do it, and now even cows do it. For a number of Christian theologians, it’s enough to suggest the end of days is near. The latest in a bizarre series of animal deaths occurred on January 14. The Wisconsin Rapids Tribune reported that the Portage County Sheriff’s Department dispatched police to the town of Stockton after a cattle owner discovered “numerous dead cows” in a field. Regardless of the outcome of those necropsies, plenty of people find the herd’s mysterious death somewhat apocalyptic, especially in the wake of

25 Beached whale found 800 metres ashore in Yorkshire Last week Marine experts have been left bafﬂed after a rare whale was found over 800 metres from the shore in the Humber Estuary, Skefﬂing, East Yorkshire. The 33ft mammal is thought to have died after getting caught in shallow waters – rolling onto its own blowhole before getting swept inland by the tide. Experts are “95 percent sure” the whale is a female from the rare Sei species – only three of which have been found stranded on the British coast in the last twenty years.

including theologian Paul Begley in Indiana, believe the animal deaths were divined from above as a sign the end of days is approaching. The death of cows, birds and fish in particular seems to follow the prophecy set out by the Bible in the Book of Hosea, and are said to result when man turns his back on God. “By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood,” the prophecy goes. “Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.” “There’s something biblically going on with the signs of the second coming of Christ,” Begley says on his YouTube channel. His message could creep out believers and non-believers alike. But don’t expect the second coming any time soon. He adds that “we still need seven years of tribulation” and “the rise of the anti-Christ” for that to happen. (via the New York Daily News.)

Bird-pocalypse Now: Up to 100 Dead Jackdaws Found in Sweden Birds of a feather continue to die together. 150 tons of red tilapia in Vietnam, 40,000 crabs in Britain Shortly before midnight on January 4, residents in the Swedish town of Falköping found between

corpses in her backyard. Experts insist that no link exists between the four cases, and no one has connected any of them with the death of up to 100,000 ﬁsh in Arkansas .

Earlier this month a ﬁn whale washed up dead near Spurn Point, North East Lincolnshire after getting stranded at Immingham. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has seen a rise in whale sightings over the last year but are unable to explain the increase in the North Sea.

Karachi: Dead ﬁsh en masse found at city’s shores

People looking at a 35 feet long dead ﬁsh, which came on the beach

events that claimed the lives of thousands of birds and ﬁsh in Arkansas, and hundreds of birds in Sweden, Louisiana and Kentucky. Around the world many have suspicion that its men made by using “HAARP” but Some Christians,

50 and 100 jackdaw carcasses strewn across their lawns and roads. County veterinarian Robert ter Horst believes the birds were scared to death. Anders Wirdheim of the Swedish Ornithological

Thousands of dead fish mysteriously appeared on the shores and waters of the New Channel, locally known as Naeen Naar, located in the backwaters of the Sandspit beach, near Kakapir village late Saturday evening, causing panic among fishermen. Though several types of fish are among them, but the majority is the Dhanbhari fish that started appearing on the shores. Several fishermen have returned to the shores and stopped routine fishing. The dead fish found afloat and on the shores are in a rotting state, with no eyes and ruptured gills. Many fishermen say that it’s the deadly industrial chemicals that have killed them.

ANALYSIS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

Who killed Anwar al-Awlaki – and why? The US said that as a key figure in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), he had played a “significant role” in plots to blow up US airliners and had sought use poison to kill US citizens. Mr Obama is said to have personally ordered his killing last year. Yemen’s defence ministry statement said only that Awlaki had died in Khashef in Jawf province, about 140km (87 miles) east of the capital, Sanaa, “along with some of his companions”. US and Yemeni officials later named one of those as Samir Khan, also a US citizen but of Pakistani origin, who produced an online magazine promoting al-Qaeda’s ideology. US officials said Awlaki’s convoy was hit by a US drone and jet strike. The Washington Post reports that a secret Justice Department memo sanctioned the killing of Awlaki, a U.S. citizen who became an al Qaeda propagandist and operational leader. The document followed a review by senior administration lawyers of the legal issues raised by the lethal targeting of a U.S. citizen. Administration officials told the Post that there was no dissent about the legality of the killing. The administration has faced criticism and a legal challenge - over its targeting of Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents. The memorandum may represent an attempt to resolve a legal debate over whether a U.S. president can order the killing of American citizens. A senior tribal chief who helped bury the bodies in a cemetery in Jawf said reporters that seven people were killed in the strike, their bodies completely charred. The chief said the brother of one of the dead, who had given the group shelter in his home, had witnessed the strike. According to the chief, the witness said Awlaki was travelling in a pick-up with six other people on their way to neighbouring Marib province.

US ofﬁcials were unwilling to go into detail about America’s role in Awlaki’s killing. But it is likely that the hunt for Awlaki would have been overseen by the CIA, in large part to enable it to be classiﬁed as “covert action” that not only gives the American pursuers a freer hand in how they operate, but means they are not

which has an uncertain future. Awlaki was a US citizen, had not been indicted for any crime, and the strike took place in a country where US forces are not ofﬁcially waging war. In a report presented to the UN General Assembly earlier this year, the UN Special Rapporteur on extra judicial killings,

obliged to seek the approval of the Yemeni government. The CIA launched a failed drone attack to kill Awlaki in May after Obama gave the unusual authorisation for the killing of an American citizen. It was revealed in June that the CIA is building a secret base in an unnamed Middle Eastern country to launch drone attacks within Yemen – without the necessity of informing President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s USfriendly but beleaguered administration,

Christof Heyns, raised serious doubts about the Awlaki case, pointing out that the cleric had been investigated by US ofﬁcials on numerous occasions: Mr. al-Awlaki was arrested and imprisoned by the Yemeni authorities for 18 months from 2006-2007 at the request of the United States Government after he sought to mediate a tribal dispute. During his imprisonment, he was repeatedly questioned by FBI agents. As subsequently reportedly admitted by United States

Government officials, John Negroponte, then Director of national intelligence, told Yemeni authorities that the United States did not object to Mr. al-Awlaki’s continued detention. At the end of 2007 United States officials reportedly conveyed to the Government of Yemen that the United States no longer insisted on Mr. alAwlaki’s continued imprisonment, and he was released. Why kill him? With the death of Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki had risen to become US Enemy Number One, at least in the public’s eyes. Many prosecution cases of alleged jihadists in the US today declares an alleged Awlaki link. Fort Hood shooter Major Hasan reportedly listened to his sermons and exchanged emails with him, for example. That fear wasn’t confined to the US. Twenty-three Australians were recently revealed to be under restriction for alleged contacts with Awlaki, according to WikiLeaks. In the UK, numerous terror plots have been linked to the radical cleric. And Awlaki’s two-year stay in the UK from 2002-2004 is still not fully understood. But what, exactly, was Awlaki’s role? Although he is often described as an “al Qaeda commander” or “a leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” (AQAP) it is not clear that he was ever either of these things. After 9/11, Awlaki was so trusted by the US government for a time that he was even invited to lead prayers at the Pentagon one day in 2002, as Fox News revealed earlier this year. Documents exclusively obtained, including an FBI interview conducted after the Fort Hood shooting in November 2009, state that Awlaki was taken to the Pentagon as part of the military’s outreach to the Muslim community in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. …According to the documents, obtained as part of an ongoing investigation by the specials unit “Fox News Reporting,”

there was a push within the Defense Department to reach out to the Muslim community. “At that period in time, the secretary of the Army (redacted) was eager to have a presentation from a moderate Muslim.” In addition, Awlaki “was considered to be an ‘up and coming’ member of the Islamic community. After her vetting, Aulaqi (Awlaki) was invited to and attended a luncheon at the Pentagon in the secretary of the Army’s Office of Government Counsel.” Awlaki’s alleged crimes were more recent. A popular preacher, his sermons began to circulate widely on the web. As anti-US sentiment rose in the wake of the invasion of Iraq, the sermons’ content became more militant. Copies of his sermons have been found in the possession of a number of terrorists arrested in recent years – not a sign of guilt, but certainly an indicator of Awlaki’s popularity in dark corners. What role did Awlaki actually play in al Qaeda? None, according to some. ‘They [the western media] have claimed he’s going to be the next leader of al-Qaida, but it’s nonsense. Anwar is not a leader, he’s just a man with strong views and a big mouth,’ his father told The Guardian this year. Mr. al-Awlaki was arrested and imprisoned by the Yemeni authorities for 18 months from 2006-2007 at the request of the United States Government after he sought to mediate a tribal dispute. During his imprisonment, he was reportedly repeatedly questioned by FBI agents. As subsequently reportedly admitted by United States Government officials, John Negroponte, then Director of national intelligence, told Yemeni authorities that the United States did not object to Mr. al-Awlaki’s continued detention. At the end of 2007 United States officials reportedly conveyed to the Government of Yemen that the United States no longer insisted on Mr. al-Awlaki’s continued imprisonment, and he was released.

Anwar al-Awlaki’s extrajudicial murder Michael Ratner Is this the world we want? Where the president of the United States can place an American citizen, or anyone else for that matter, living outside a war zone on a targeted assassination list, and then have him murdered by drone strike. This was the very result we at the Center for Constitutional Rights and the ACLU feared when we brought a case in US federal court on behalf of Anwar al-Awlaki’s father, hoping to prevent this targeted killing. We lost the case on procedural grounds, but the judge considered the implications of the practice as raising “serious questions”, asking: “Can the executive order the assassination of a US citizen without ﬁrst affording him any form of judicial

process whatsoever, based on the mere assertion that he is a dangerous member of a terrorist organisation?” Yes, Anwar al-Awlaki was a radical Muslim cleric. Yes, his language and speeches were incendiary. He may even have engaged in plots against the

United States – but we do not know that because he was never indicted for a crime. This proﬁle should not have made him a target for a killing without due process and without any effort to capture, arrest and try him. The US

government knew his location for purposes of a drone strike, so why was no effort made to arrest him in Yemen, a country that apparently was allied in the US efforts to track him down? There are – or were – laws about the circumstances in which deadly force can be used, including against those who are bent on causing harm to the United States. Outside of a war zone, as Awlaki was, lethal force can only be employed in the narrowest and most extraordinary circumstances: when there is a concrete, speciﬁc and imminent threat of an attack; and even then, deadly force must be a last resort. The claim, after the fact, by President Obama that Awlaki “operationally directed efforts” to attack the United States was never presented to a court before he was placed on the “kill” list

and is untested. Even if President Obama’s claim has some validity, unless Awlaki’s alleged terrorists actions were imminent and unless deadly force employed as a last resort, this killing constitutes murder. We know the government makes mistakes, lots of them, in giving people a “terrorist” label. Hundreds of men were wrongfully detained at Guantánamo. Should this same government, or any government, be allowed to order people’s killing without due process? The dire implications of this killing should not be lost on any of us. There appears to be no limit to the president’s power to kill anywhere in the world, even if it involves killing a citizen of his own country. Today, it’s in Yemen; tomorrow, it could be in the UK or even in the United States. Source: Guardian

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

BUSINESS

India, Switzerland sign MoU on financial dialogue New Delhi, Oct 4, IRNA - India signed an MoU on financial dialogue with Switzerland that will pave the way for exchange of views between the two sides on financial and macroeconomic issues. The agreement comes at a time when the issue of black money stashed in Swiss banks has become a matter of major political debate in India . The agreement was signed during President Pratibha Patil’s visit to Switzerland during which she has held bilateral talks with her Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmi-Rey on a number of issues including economic cooperation, Monday,

pti reported. The agreement that will be notiﬁed

on October 6, comes close on the heels of the signing of an

amending protocol to the Double Taxation (Avoidance) Agreement

(DTAA), to provide a framework for exchanging tax related information. In a statement to the press, President Patil said: ‘we noted that the amending protocol to the Double Taxation (Avoidance) Agreement would provide a framework for exchange of tax related information of importance to either side, when it enters into force’. ‘A Memorandum of Understanding on ﬁnancial dialogue was also signed to provide a useful forum for exchange of views on ﬁnancial and macroeconomic issues,’ she said.

The Indian Food & Beverage Market Exports up 44.2 p.c. in August, imports grew by 41.8 p.c. to Touch US$330 Billion by 2015

“Fi India 2011”, South Asia’s leading exhibition & conference for the food ingredients and food processing industry, organised by UBM India, was inaugurated successfully by Shri Satej Patil, State Minister for Home, Rural Development and Food & Drug Administration, Maharashtra. The sixth edition of the 2 day exhibition & conference opened today at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai. “India’s total processing strength of it produce is expected to reach 35% of the total produce by 2025.We are happy to note that with ‘Fi India 2011’, UBM has taken the right step in promoting this sector and has strengthened the government’s hands in providing a platform to promote the food & food ingredients industry & the role it would play in establishing safety

standards.”, Shri Satej Patil said. India’s food ingredients market itself is expanding at a 9% growth rate year-on-year, well above the 5-6% global average. What was once a small market valued at $470 million in 2007, only a meagre 1.6% of the global market, is now getting worldwide attention from major food and beverage manufacturers and food ingredient companies. Mr. Sanjeev Khaira, MD, UBM India said, “The factors aiding this remarkable shift are changing lifestyle and eating habits, increased per capita income and increasing nutritional awareness, which has led to the demand of healthy, nutritious, and cost

effective convenience foods.” The aim of the 4 conferences is to guide the food and beverage processing business in India to the next level with sessions covering innovations in Bakery, Dairy, Ingredients, Health & Wellness. Also, Fi India has emerged as the biggest congregation of the Indian nutraceuticals fraternity in India and South Asia. With over 120 exhibitors participating, nearly 4,500 industry visitorsare expected, including those from the USA, Singapore, UAE, Australia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Dubai, Taiwan, Korea, Italy, Belgium and France. Fi India 2011 has grown year-onyear remarkably.

ommerce Secretary Rahul Khullar has said that growth in coming months will be difficult on account of uncertainty in Western markets. During the April-August period, India’s exports grew by 54.2 per cent to $134.5 billion, the data shows. India’s exports maintained their growth momentum in August, 2011, rising by 44.2 per cent year-on-year to $ 24.3 billion despite the economic woes in traditional Western markets, according to data released by the Commerce Ministry on Monday. Imports, too, grew by 41.8 per cent to $38.4 billion in August, translating into a trade deficit of $14 billion during the month, as per the data. However, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar has said that growth in coming months will be difficult on account of

uncertainty in Western markets. During the April-August period, India’s exports grew by 54.2 per cent to $134.5 billion, the data shows.In the April-August period, imports expanded by 40.4 per cent to $189.4 billion. The trade gap during the period amounted stood at $54.9 billion, the Commerce Ministry data shows. Oil imports during August, 2011, were valued at $10.3 billion, translating into a growth of 48.7 per cent compared to the corresponding period last ﬁscal, while non-oil imports rose to $ 28 billion, an expansion of 39.4 per cent vis-à-vis the same month of 2010-11. The data also shows that oil imports during the April-August, 2011, period stood at $52.3 billion and non-oil imports during the ﬁve-month period amounted to $137 billion.

Business community refuses to pay bills KESC The overall power consumption in the city was much less on Sunday as compared to a working day, yet the KESC failed to meet the demand. Despite an increased supply from the Sui Southern Gas Company, the Karachi Electric Supply Company failed to provide relief to people as it carried out about 12 hours of loadshedding in several areas of the city on Sunday.

Residents of many localities spent a sleepless night between Saturday and Sunday because of frequent outages. A representative of the small and medium manufacturers, Arif Balwani, condemned the KESC for carrying out eight hours of loadshedding in industrial areas. He said the KESC with its performance was gradually killing the small and medium enterprises

in the city which, he pointed out, contributed to 55 per cent of the country`s tax revenue. The president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mian Abrar Ahmad, criticised what he called the dictatorial practice of the KESC and said that in view of the blackmailing attitude of the KESC, industrial associations had decided not to pay KESC bills.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

The city of Dubai is built on foundations that are steeped in history and tradition. From the evocative Dubai Museum to the spectacular Jumeirah Mosque, and from the breathtaking Bastakiya to the imperious Heritage Village. There are many mysteries waiting to be unravelled. Explore Dubai at your pace and relive great traditions from day gone by.

DEFINITELYDUBAI.COM

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

NEWS

Ten Major Signs of the Last Day - Has One Just Occurred LAST DAY MEANS LAST AGE

blessed Prophet that the third major ‘sinking of the earth’, i.e., the one that would occur in Arabia, would swallow an army that would be heading south to Makkah. That

sign has occurred (i.e., the third major earthquake) that the son of Mary would descend from the sky with his hands resting on the wings of two angels, and would kill Dajjal the False Messiah or Anti-Christ. The Qur’an itself has described Jesus (i.e., the return of Jesus) as the ‘ilm (which here means the very key to the subject) of the Last Hour: “And he (i.e., Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow Me: this is a Straight Way.” (Qur’an, Zukhruf, 43:61) It follows that his return must come chronologically at the end of the list. We also know that the ‘ﬁre’ from Yemen would follow the third earthquake. And so now that it appears that the major earthquake

DAJJAL I have argued in my book, ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an – An Islamic View of the Destiny of Jerusalem’, that Dajjal the False Messiah or Antichrist was released into the world in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). He has already completed the ﬁrst stage of his mission that lasted for “a day like a year”, and is about to complete the second stage that lasts for “a day like a month”. The third and last stage of his mission (of impersonation of the true Messiah) that would last for just “a day like a week” would, I believe, commence when Israel replaces USA as the ruling state of the world. And that would

MAJOR SIGNS Hudhayfah ibn Usayd Ghifari, the companion of the Prophet, said, “Allah’s Messenger came to us all Shiekh of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He asked: What are Imran you discussing? (The Companions) Hossein replied: We are discussing (the subject of) the Last Hour. Thereupon he said: It will not come until you see ten signs. And (in this connection) he made a mention of the ‘smoke’, ‘Dajjal’, the ‘beast’, the ‘rising of the sun from the west’, the ‘descent of Jesus son of Mary’, ‘Gog Tribune Comment and Magog’, ‘sinkings of the earth in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia’ at army would be on its way to attack the end of which ‘fire would burn Imam al-Mahdi, the descendent forth from Yemen, and would drive of Prophet Muhammad (peace people to the place of their assembly’ and blessings of Allah Most High (i.e., the place where mankind will be upon him). It was prophesied be assembled for judgment).” unch reckless (Sahih Muslim) world to soon la lim us pt M e th n hi wit stan, Iran, Egy Here, then, are the ten attacks on Paki id al up go st r ry ei ! th ve m e u d an hiev laik major Signs of the Last onists might ac Assalaamu ‘a Zi e e th at at St th g so lin , ru etc. last Day as prophesied by the third and you are that I el r ra d ve Is re en g he to in w y ak u or m rm yo t hist xt of Prophet Muhammad I write to info e Zionists wan finitely the ne Th x . de ld in Pa or e ne w th e po e th st ac in repl to po (peace and blessings of have decided .e., the third ica that would (i da at Ju . re x it et Pa R ed a ed ic h ec it pr Islam Allah Most High be upon ist wars of w x Britanica that International pect great Zion ericana and Pa ex m I A e us ca him): be ) Retreat soon. tually provoke on to commence • Dajjal — the false Messiah naked aggressi attacks to even lar clients/ ch su ct pe ex I secu or Anti-Christ, rkey between and faithful civil war in Tu TO A • Gog and Magog, N nts of ge /a om en m es ok sp ate Turkey fr • Smoke, want to liber ho the w s ow kn lim y us M • The beast of the earth or we alread se ur co f O l. e of the NATO contro land (most likely the holy Turkey becaus in ar w l vi ci ‘alaihi result of that mad (sallalahu land), am uh M t he op uest of Hadith of Pr end-time conq • The sun would rise from the e th ng ni er nc wa sallam) co ntrol). west, (from NATO co e pl no ti an st on C • Three sinkings of the earth l make ce we should al • one in the east en m m co s ar w pt etc., When those stan, Iran, Egy • One in the west ki Pa h ac re to against every effort • and One in Arabia, e in the Jihad at ip ic rt pa n ca the other so that we • A fire would come out of sion. Those on es pr op d an en, in aggression resident in heav Yemen and would drive people ly ab rt fo m co e expected hand who ar to their place of assembly (for ers, cannot be at w ol co of rs Dajjal’s rive judgement), fire of hell. to return to his • The son of Mary would descend. Although these signs ve, lamic with lo were not given by the blessed Is of y ud st nce of my ) Prophet (peace and blessings of As a conseque khir al-Zaman Hosein the study of A ., .e s Imran N. (i lie y al og Allah Most High be upon him) r ol ei at th esch d an l /India/Israe in their chronological order of I expect NATO occur when Israel occurrence I have made an effort in the East has wages a big war that would result to put them in that order, with the ones that have not as yet occurred that he would occurred, we await four more major in dramatic territorial expansion at the bottom of the list. How did restore the Islamic Caliphate (or signs that still remain to occur. “from the river of Egypt to the river I arrive at the above order? We Islamic model of a state) in the When did the first six ‘major’ signs Euphrates”. Israel would then seize control of the Suez Canal and all know from the prophecies of the Arabian peninsula. It is after that occur? Continued from page 32 >>

the oil of the Arabian Gulf. By the end of that third stage, Dajjal the false Messiah or Antichrist would have been born into the world of Jewish parents, would have risen to become ruler of Israel and, hence, would have completed his mission to rule the world from Jerusalem. And Allah Knows best! An entire chapter of the book is devoted to explaining the subject of Dajjal. I am now writing a quartet of books on Surah al-Kahf of the Qur’an, and one of the four books would be entirely devoted to a comprehensive explanation of the subject of Dajjal, the false Messiah or Anti-Christ in Islam Insha Allah. GOG AND MAGOG I have also argued in my book that Gog and Magog were released into the world in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon him). The Qur’an itself has made mention (Qur’an, al-Anbiyah, 21:94-5) of a ‘town’ which was destroyed by Allah Most High, and the people of the town expelled, and then banned from returning to reclaim their town until Gog and Magog were not only released but, also, had spread out (around the world) in all directions. “But there is a ban on a town which We have destroyed: that they (the people of the town) shall not return (to reclaim that town as their own); until Gog and Magog are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly spread out in every direction (replicating themselves amongst all the peoples of the world).” (Qur’an, al-Anbiyah, 21:95-96) I identiﬁed that ‘town’ to be Jerusalem. And since the Jews have already returned to Jerusalem to reclaim it as their own, it follows that Gog and Magog, like Dajjal, are also close to the end of their mission. And Allah Knows best! Another entire chapter of ‘Jerusalem in the Qur’an’ is devoted to explaining the subject of Gog and Magog. In addition, the fourth of the quartet of books on Surah al-Kahf will be devoted to a comprehensive explanation of this subject Insha Allah. To be continued

Arvind, Rahul Sharma get National call-up Kapugedara

spinning all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Rahul Sharma. Praveen leads attack With India seeking depth in the pace bowling department that has been jolted by injuries, the wise men have picked ﬁve pacemen. Swing bowler Praveen Kumar leads a largely inexperienced pace pack that consists of Vinay Kumar, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav and Arvind. Aaron, who was part of the Indian ODI squad in England but did not play a game, and Umesh Yadav will add an element of pace to the Indian

bowling. Arvind will provide the left-armer’s angle. Of course, the selectors were handicapped by injuries to frontline pacemen Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, and Munaf Patel. And ﬁtness concerns on the batting front meant maestro Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and Rohit Sharma could not be considered for selection. Rahane retained Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary who travelled to England as replacements to the injury-hit ODI

squad have retained their places. Rahane was impressive in the opportunities provided to him. Five batsmen The side has ﬁve batsmen in Gautam Gambhir, Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Tiwary, and batsmen-wicketkeepers in skipper M.S. Dhoni and Parthiv Patel. Jadeja occupies the all-rounder’s slot. Then, there are ﬁve pacemen and two specialist spinners. Keeping the bowling concerns in mind, the selectors have chosen an additional paceman over someone such as Yusuf Pathan.

named skipper for HK sixes This year’s competition will kick off at the Kowloon Cricket Club from October 28-30, 2011. Squad: Chamara Kapugedera (C), Thisara Perera (VC), Kushal Perera, Ashan Priyanjana, Dilshan Munaweera, Chathura Peiris, Sachith Pathirana.

SPECIAL FEATURE

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

Zionist: Replace Al-Aqsa with Temple Continued from page 17 >> Gharqad (Box Thorn) tree would not say that, for it is the tree of the Jews.” (Sahih Muslim) This prophecy of the Last Day very clearly rules out the possibility of any peaceful resolution of the conflict between Jews and Muslims over Jewish oppression in the Holy Land and elsewhere in the world. Anas ibn Malik narrated that Allah’s Apostle said: “Dajjal would be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan wearing Persian shawls.” (Sahih Muslim) The Dome of the Rock (Arabic, Qubbat al-Sakhra) is one of the architectural glories of the world, and the only early Islamic sanctuary to have survived intact. The design of the building is basically Byzantine - double octagonal ambulatories encircling the Holy Rock. A shrine and not a mosque, it is the third holiest place in Islam after the Ka’aba in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. The al-Aqsa Mosque, at the south end of the Temple Mount platform, was last rebuilt in 1035 and has since undergone several restorations - most recently in 1938-42; and again beginning in 1969 to repair extensive damage from a fire deliberately set by a deranged tourist. During the Mamluk and Ottoman periods and until the mid-19th century, non-Muslims were not permitted onto the Haram. The first known exception was made by order of the Ottoman Sultan in 1862, during the visit of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. Last Year Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas said that Israeli excavation works near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem were likely to endanger regional peace

efforts, Israel Radio reported. Abbas added that the excavations demonstrated Israel’s intentions

to destroy holy Islamic sites also at the same time Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the excavation has led to a dangerous rise in Middle East tensions and could derail the revival of Arab-Israeli peace talks. He also said “What Israel is doing in its practices and attacks against our sacred Muslim sites in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa is a blatant violation that is not acceptable under any pretext,”. The Israeli authorities claimed The dig is part of a plan to rebuild the Mugrabi bridge walkway planned to run from the Dung gate to the Mugrabi gate, which serves as the primary entrance to the compound referred to by Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as al-Haram al-Sherif, the Noble Sanctuary. “The excavations are being carried out according to procedure by a team of professional archaeologists and experts,” authorities also claimed. Adnan Husseini, the director of the Islamic Waqf, the trust that oversees that complex , said he suspected that the excavations around the holy site were attempts to tunnel under it. In the 1980s, Israel claimed they uncovered a plot by a group of Jews to blow up Al-Aqsa in the hope that a new Jewish temple could be built at the site. In last year January a Palestinian organization revealed Israel is planning to dig a new tunnel under Al-Aqsa mosque. The Buraq Wall forms the base of Al-Haram Al-Sharif, encompassing the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque. Israeli occupation forces had been digging under the holy Islamic compound in search for Solomon Temple which Jews claim had been demolished by the Babylonians in 586 BC and should be built again. Holy Islamic

compound in search for Solomon Temple which Jews claim had been demolished by the Babylonians in

586 BC and should be built again.

‘Historic’ Dream The Western Jerusalem Development Company said the project is a realization of an all-time historic dream for Jews. In April 2011 The Al Aqsa Foundation for Islamic Endowment (Waqf) and Heritage reported that the Israeli Authorities are ongoing with their excavations under the Al Aqsa Mosque as they are ongoing with creating a network of tunnels under the mosque and around it. The Foundation also

warned that Israel is targeting the Al Aqsa mosque by weakening its foundations through constant digging and excavations to create these tunnels. Preparations for a Third Jewish Temple In October 1990, when the Crisis in the Persian Gulf between the Allied Forces and Iraq was heating up an incident took place on the Temple Mount that caught the attention of the world. Jews attempted to lay a foundation stone for the Third

Temple on the Temple Mount. A project to rebuild the Third Temple in Israel is now being

started. In l982, after years of disagreement about methods of approach, three groups of devout Jews, The Jerusalem Temple Foundation, To the Mountain of the Lord, and The Faithful of the Temple Mount combined their forces to plan for and build the Third Temple. According to Rabbi Goren, a 1967 survey of the Temple Mount shows the exact location of the First and Second Temples as well as the site of the Ark of the Covenant.

Imagined Replica Most Orthodox Jewish believers

in Jerusalem who are working towards the building of the Third Temple believe that the Ark of the Covenant is safely hidden in a chamber under the Temple Mount. They feel certain God has preserved the Ark for 25 centuries and that it will be available when the Temple is restored. Where as sources claim Zionist have recovered and it s with them. The Ark was a box . It was constructed of acacia wood, and was plated with pure gold, inside and out. On the bottom of the box, four gold rings were attached, through which two poles, also made of acacia and coated in gold. The contents of the Ark has been debated through the centuries. The general consensus is that the ﬁrst tablets containing the Ten Commandments, which were broken by Moses, and the second tablets, which remained intact, were contained in the Ark (Bava Batra 14b). According to one opinion in the Talmud, both Tablets were together in the Ark; according to another, there were two Arks, and each contained one set of Tablets. The location of the Temple and of the outer court What Zionist have found under Al Aqsa : Magic Was Taught By the Devils and Sulayman Was Free From It

Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic... At Tabaree explains that in this verse that what Allaah ascribed to the devils, the Jews ascribed to Sulayman, claiming that it was from his knowledge, and that he subjugated the men, Jinn and devils (shayaateen), and other creatures of Allaah through magic. And on account of this belief of their’s they justiﬁed to the people their own actions in doing what Allaah had made unlawful upon them of magic. And then they said that Sulayman was not a Prophet but a magician, so Allaah absolved Sulayman bin Dawud from magic and kufr against the claims made against him, and also declared as liars those justifying their practice of magic, and Allaah exposed them in that they were simply following the magic that the devils rehearsed to them during the era of Sulayman. Ibn Katheer brings a narration: Muhammad bin Ishaaq bin Yasaar: That the devils wrote books on types of magic, after they knew of Sulayman’s death, and so they wrote “Whoever wishes to attain such and such, let him do such and such”, and they put all of this into

a book, and then placed a seal on it upon the seal of Prophet Sulayman and they wrote as its title, “This is What Aasif bin Burkhyaa the Friend of the King Sulayman Wrote of the Kept Treasures of Knowledge”. Then they buried it beneath his throne. Later, some of the Children of Israel found this book and they said, “By Allaah Sulayman’s kingdom was not except by way of this (magic)”. So they spread this magic amongst the people, they learned it and taught it, and Magic is not found amongst anyone more than amongst the Jews... The devils in the time of Sulayman wrote books in which there was magic and disbelief, then they buried them under the throne of Sulayman, and later they brought them out and read them to the people.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

COMMENT

Enter The Silat : Chinese Wushu Martial arts and the journey to Islam Daliah Merzaban

uslim school girls from St. Maaz high school practice Chinese Wushu martial arts inside the school compound in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. Girls from ages 10-16 participate in weekly sessions during the school terms. A close friend introduced me to the idea that practicing martial arts has the potential to assist a Muslim in achieving a

higher spiritual connection with God. Since I had always associated martial arts with Asian culture and Eastern religions such as Zen Buddhism, the connection with Islam did not immediately occur to me. But after sitting in on one of my friend Imran’s aikido and karate classes at a dojo in the United Arab Emirates last month, the correlations began to unfold before my eyes. The mood was set when, just before starting two hours of rigorous and

meticulous training, a number of students and the sensei assembled to pray Islam’s sunset prayer, known as maghrib. Each technique they practised during the sessions that followed was precise, demanding mastery of the subtle movements of leg, arm, hand and back. Students of various backgrounds and faiths exhibited tremendous patience as they repeated these motions, striving to take any tiny step closer to precision of combat technique. Aikido, which originated in Japan, is typically done in pairs and practitioners learn to defend themselves while protecting their attackers from injury. Karate emphasises hard training and precise movement using a series of punches, kicks, and knee and elbow strikes.

While learning defensive ﬁghting skills is the core purpose of training, interactions between students were remarkably cordial. A deep sense of equality ﬁlled the room; no matter how advanced in skill an apprentice, young or old, happened to be, s/he made an effort to enrich the experience of peers. Whether the belts they wore around their waists were black, brown, purple or white, everyone appeared to derive some value from the session.

perfection. Such traits are at the heart of martial arts as well, although a practitioner need not be driven, as Imran is, by a desire to please God. There are, furthermore, a few martial arts practices that go against sharia which, for instance, discourages blows to the face and bowing to other human beings. To bridge gaps inherent in some martial art forms and supplement his training, Imran added an exercise technique known

their parents and teachers. “Every martial technique depends on a preset, pre-thought movement of the human body,” explained Nadzrin, who has written extensively on Silat on a series of blogs. “A possible stumbling block to spiritual development is the practitioner’s ascribing of his development or prowess to himself… Thus, we are taught in Silat that all gerak (movement) belongs to Allah, The Mover, in every sense of the word.”

of gratitude to God become the goal of each activity, even beyond the five daily prayers. In the area of fitness, we are encouraged to live in a healthy, beneficial way, consistently keeping our egos and impulses in check. In one Hadith, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, advised Muslims: “Teach your children swimming, archery and horse-riding”. Martial arts help people attain these

This was inspiring for me because of the commonalities I saw with Islam. Muslims at varying stages along the spiritual path share a common ambition: to forge an intimate bond with the one Almighty God. Islam embodies an undeviating path to peace of mind, attained by aligning one’s physical, mental, ﬁnancial, family and community affairs to this primary goal, which we should help each other work toward.

asSenaman Tua, native to his homeland Malaysia, to his martial arts regimen. Most-easily understood as an Islamic form of yoga, Senaman Tua requires that in addition to physical development, students take a journey toward self-realization. One who trains in Senaman Tua will eventually have all the core skills to learn and master Silat, a martial art practised in Malaysiaand Indonesia, rooted in Islam. The goal of each Silat practitioner

While certain varieties of Silat became controversial because they deviated from Islam, most Silat styles in Malaysia are sharia-compliant, he said. Some schools, meanwhile, have modiﬁed techniques used in other martial arts like aikido and taekwondo to ensure they comply with Islam by, for instance, including bows that do not reach the level of sujud, prostration in Islamic prayer.Silat and Senaman Tua styles are now offered in many countries,

goals, according to Nadzrin, because with proper training they encourage alignment and coordination between mind and body. He said participants gain many beneﬁts, including equilibrium, muscular strength, stamina, cardiovascular maintenance, hormonal balance, improved kinesthesis and their senses become more receptive. When a Muslim’s body is healthy and ﬁt, s/he is better equipped to, for instance, apply greater focus in prayer. In this

For a martial artist, the journey of perfecting technique doesn’t end with a black belt, it demands continual dedication and training. Imran told me later than evening, “Karate is like a pot of boiling water, and constant training is the ﬁre that keeps the water boiling,” citing wisdom from a prominent karate instructor that can underlie both martial arts and Islamic devotion. The comment brought to mind the concept of Al Insan Al Kamil in Islamic theology, describing the perfect being who has achieved unity with God in mind, body and soul. Attaining this level of consciousness demands a series of traits, such as steadfastness (istiqamah), selfinventory (muhasabah), improvement (tahsin) and humility — each honed to

is to improve their art for the sake of God, explained Mohd Nadzrin bin Abdul Wahab, Imran’s Senaman Tua instructor, who has offered Silat training in Malaysia since 2003. “The basic idea behind silat is softness is strength,” said Nadzrin, 34. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Nadzrin was drawn into Silat after seeing how Islam was woven into each lesson of his ﬁrst guru, Muhammad Radzi Haji Hanaﬁ. “Every other word” he uttered was an Islamic principle, related Nadzrin. Silat teaches practitioners that they should dedicate their whole self, mind, body and soul to the intention of performing the art for the sake of God in order for the goal to be worthwhile. Apprentices should strive to be truthful, keep promises and act with strong conviction without disrespecting

including the United States, Europe, South Africa, Canada and Singapore. Yet Silat on its own is no replacement for a Muslim’s intellectual training in religion. It is rare to find instructors who are also qualified religious scholars, which had been commonplace between the 11th-19th centuries, Nadzrin said. “I have discovered that the only way to learn Islam is to learn Islam directly, not going through the goggles of a martial art. Some martial arts teachers aren’t qualified to teach or misrepresent it. However, in martial arts, you get to see the practice of Islam inmuamalat (interactions),” he said. Islam, Arabic for ‘submission to God’, embodies an entire lifestyle whereby followers integrate acts of worship into everything they do, such that expressions

context, one’s pursuit of fitness is not driven by a desire to feed one’s vanity and ego by attaining a toned figure or buff muscles, but rather to strengthen one’s body to be better able to practise faith. Reflecting back to Imran’s training, I am impressed at how the mastery of combat techniques actually moves martial artists away from negative energies like anger and closer to the serenity inherent to the Islamic state of mind. “Martial arts teach us awareness,” said Imran. “The more we train, the more aware we become. The more aware we become, the less likely we would get involved in a situation of conflict. So ironically, the more we train, the less use we will have for our violent techniques. We attain peace.”

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 06 October 2011

SAT

Sports

Kapugedara named skipper for HK sixes Chamara Kapugedara has been named as the captain of the forthcoming Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2011 tournament.Thisara Perera has been named as the deputy of the seven man squad.

Organized by the Hong Kong Cricket Association since 1992, the tournament is the only international cricket event held in Hong Kong. Continued on page 29 >>

We can beat India, says Cook HYDERABAD (Agencies) - The Poms are all ready and steady to go against the Men in Blue after ﬁnally landed in India to kick-off the 5-match One Day International (ODI) series on October 14, 2011, in Hyderabad. Having already marked their dominance against the Indian visitors on the recent home-series, the English side looks strong to deliver another competitive bout against the Asian giants. However, England’s skipper, Alastair Cook, also remains wary of India’s might on their home turf, and stated that it will be ‘incredibly tough’ to beat the side on their backyard. “I certainly think we can beat India. It will be incredibly tough. We need everyone to be playing very well,” said Cook. The series kicks off with the opening ODI match on Friday, next week, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, in Hyderabad. It will be followed by the remaining ﬁxtures, shifting venues between Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi (October 17), Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

(October 20), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (October 23) and ﬁnally Eden Gardens, Kolkata (October 25). The two teams will also face each other on the tour’s one-off Twenty20 (T20) match that will be played on October 29, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. During India’s recently concluded tour of England, the side trotted on to bear a clean sweep across all formats of cricket, in addition to the streak of injuries suffered by some major players on its ranks. As for the upcoming series, the team will now have a potent chance to fall back hard on the Poms and exhibit their true might as the recent World Cup title winning team. However, with some major talent still off the squad, including Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian side will have to make good use of its ‘youth-oriented’ side, built on budding talent such as top-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane and star spinner, Rahul Sharma. On the other hand, the English too will be aiming to retain their dominance over the Indians.

Arvind, Rahul Sharma get National call-up The selection panel headed by K. Srikkanth left out experienced offspinner Harbhajan Singh. Another off-spinner R. Ashwin will lead the spin attack that includes leftarm spinning all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Rahul Sharma.Left-arm paceman Sreenath Arvind and legspinner Rahul Sharma are the new faces in the 15-member Indian squad for the ﬁrst two ODIs of the ﬁve-

match series against England. The series begins in Hyderabad on October 14 and the second game will be played in New Delhi on Oct. 17. Harbhajan out The selection panel headed by K. Srikkanth left out experienced offspinner Harbhajan Singh. Another off-spinner R. Ashwin will lead the spin attack that includes left-arm Continued on page 29 >>

Published by Saarc International Ltd, Suit 101, 10 Courtenay Road, London HA9 7ND. UK Telephone:020 8904 0619 Fax: 020 8181 7575 E-mail: info@satribune.co.uk www.satribune.co.uk, www.saarc.co.uk. Printed at Webprint UK Ltd, Unit B1 Eastern Approach, Alfred Way, Barking, IG11 0AG