Nine shia's from Parachinar injured in a attack on a Passenger Convoy by Taliban

JNN 22 Dec 2010 Kurrum Agency : Civilian convey escorted by Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel’s was targeted by Terrorists of Taliban in Chapari Village of Lower Kurram.

After so many weeks a Civilian passengers convey was announced by Commandant FC Col Tausef on Wednesday morning. Passengers from Parachinar Tehsil Upper Kurram traveled to Tehsil AliZai Lower Kurram covering 60 km without any fear & without convoy as this area is free of militants Taliban and controlled by Turi & Bangash tribes.

Eye witnesses said that when the convey reached at AliZai Tehsil in Lower Kurram Security forces escorted the Civilians  Convoy to Provide them Security for just 30 km from AliZai Lower Kurram to Tehsil Thall of Distt Hangu.

They added that that When Convey escorted by FC reached the Chapari Village near chapari checkpost in Lower Kurram at that Points ambushed militants opened fired on vehicles.

But The drivers of Civilian convoy did not feared the firing and  without stopping the vehicles continued driving and due to the bravery of these drivers lives of dozens of People in the convoy remained safe but nine persons including children and women were injured while  one of the injured a bus  conductor is in critical condition. Eyewitness further told that when the civilian passenger convoy was attacked the security forces did not responded to the attack of the Terrorist Taliban , while they acted as silent spectator instead of taking action against the terrorists.

Meanwhile emergency meeting of Tribal Elders Council held in headquarter of Kurram Agency in which representatives of six tribal participated. They declared the latest convoy attack as breach of the Muree agreement and termed it as  state sponsored terrorism against the lawful citizens of Kurram Agency.

They council of Elders added  that two weeks ago ISPR issued a statement in newspapers that main Parachinar Thall Road is safe and open for passengers by ignoring the ground realities. Elders Council added that if the concerned road was 100% safe to travel then why the  escort was  arranged by FC even after so  many weeks so ISPR announcement, and if it was an ambush then why the terrorists were not counter attacked and brought to book , as deceiving innocent Shia Population  Parachinar is it self a crime.

They further told that since April2007 for more than ten times official convey escorted by FC were targeted by militants Taliban in different occasions but all the time neither Security forces FC single soldier injured nor the FC official vehicle was damaged which creates questions that either Taliban are friendly to security forces FC.

Elders added that in these mentioned attacks on convoys more than one hundred Turi and Bangash tribe men, women children were murdered, kidnapped , slaughtered and even burnt alive but FC was silent spectator instead of taking action against the attacking Terrorists.

Elders council passed a combine resolution demanding Government to collect Rs.40Millions fine from the rival party according to Muree agreement signed by all the stake holders including government as it is mentioned in Muree agreement that whoever will attack on Road in Kurram Agency jurisdiction will be liable to pay the said fine while it has already been twice violated once in village Charkhel on July 17, 2010 &  on Wednesday Dec 22, 2010, they warned the Government , if the accord is not respected in letter and spirit then  they will not cooperate with government in any negotiations and talks.

Nine shia’s from Parachinar injured in a attack on a Passenger Convoy by Taliban

JNN 22 Dec 2010 Kurrum Agency : Civilian convey escorted by Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel’s was targeted by Terrorists of Taliban in Chapari Village of Lower Kurram.

After so many weeks a Civilian passengers convey was announced by Commandant FC Col Tausef on Wednesday morning. Passengers from Parachinar Tehsil Upper Kurram traveled to Tehsil AliZai Lower Kurram covering 60 km without any fear & without convoy as this area is free of militants Taliban and controlled by Turi & Bangash tribes.

Eye witnesses said that when the convey reached at AliZai Tehsil in Lower Kurram Security forces escorted the Civilians  Convoy to Provide them Security for just 30 km from AliZai Lower Kurram to Tehsil Thall of Distt Hangu.

They added that that When Convey escorted by FC reached the Chapari Village near chapari checkpost in Lower Kurram at that Points ambushed militants opened fired on vehicles.

But The drivers of Civilian convoy did not feared the firing and  without stopping the vehicles continued driving and due to the bravery of these drivers lives of dozens of People in the convoy remained safe but nine persons including children and women were injured while  one of the injured a bus  conductor is in critical condition. Eyewitness further told that when the civilian passenger convoy was attacked the security forces did not responded to the attack of the Terrorist Taliban , while they acted as silent spectator instead of taking action against the terrorists.

Meanwhile emergency meeting of Tribal Elders Council held in headquarter of Kurram Agency in which representatives of six tribal participated. They declared the latest convoy attack as breach of the Muree agreement and termed it as  state sponsored terrorism against the lawful citizens of Kurram Agency.

They council of Elders added  that two weeks ago ISPR issued a statement in newspapers that main Parachinar Thall Road is safe and open for passengers by ignoring the ground realities. Elders Council added that if the concerned road was 100% safe to travel then why the  escort was  arranged by FC even after so  many weeks so ISPR announcement, and if it was an ambush then why the terrorists were not counter attacked and brought to book , as deceiving innocent Shia Population  Parachinar is it self a crime.

They further told that since April2007 for more than ten times official convey escorted by FC were targeted by militants Taliban in different occasions but all the time neither Security forces FC single soldier injured nor the FC official vehicle was damaged which creates questions that either Taliban are friendly to security forces FC.

Elders added that in these mentioned attacks on convoys more than one hundred Turi and Bangash tribe men, women children were murdered, kidnapped , slaughtered and even burnt alive but FC was silent spectator instead of taking action against the attacking Terrorists.

Elders council passed a combine resolution demanding Government to collect Rs.40Millions fine from the rival party according to Muree agreement signed by all the stake holders including government as it is mentioned in Muree agreement that whoever will attack on Road in Kurram Agency jurisdiction will be liable to pay the said fine while it has already been twice violated once in village Charkhel on July 17, 2010 &  on Wednesday Dec 22, 2010, they warned the Government , if the accord is not respected in letter and spirit then  they will not cooperate with government in any negotiations and talks.

Terrorists Attack on Shia Seminary in Jamshoro Pakistan

JNN 23 Dec 2010 : A Security guard was injured By firing in a attack by  Wahabi terrorists of Banned  SSP on Monday night at the seminary of Noted Shia cleric Maulana Haider Ali Jawadi within the limits of Jamshoro police station.

The Wahabi terrorists attacked on the Seminary (Madrisa) “Markaz-e-Tablighate Islami run by  Noted Shia cleric Maulana Haider Ali Jawadi at Jamshoro Sindh, the security guard of the seminary was critically injured.

Maulana Haider Ali Jawadi was the former Provincial President of Tehreek-e-Jaffaria Sindh.

Presently, He is the member of Central Council (Shora-e-Aali) of Majlis Wehdat-e-Muslimeen.

Majlis Wehdat-e-Muslimeen Central leader Raja Nasir Abbas strongly condemned the attack of terrorists on the seminary of Maulana Haider Ali Jawadi and demanded of the government to immediately take the action against the culprits involved in the attack on senior shia cleric Maulana Haider Ali Jawadi seminary.

Imamia Students Organization, Asgharia Organization, Imamia Organization, Jafaria Alliance Pakistan and Shia Ulema Council and others condemned the attack of terrorists on shia seminary in Jamashoro and urged the government to arrest the culprits involved in the attack on Maulana Jawadi seminary.

Anti-US governor wins Okinawa poll

 

JNN 23 Dec 2010 : The Japanese on the southern Island of Okinawa have re-elected incumbent governor Hirokazu Nakaima, who wants an end to the American military presence.

Nakaima, who wants the US base off Okinawa altogether, beat his opponent who agreed to relocate the base to a less crowded area on the island.

In May, Tokyo and Washington agreed to implement a 2006 plan to relocate the Futenma airbase to a less crowded area in Okinawa.

The move infuriated local residents, who view the base as a source of noise, pollution and serious crime –including rape.

Futenma hosts about half the US troops in Japan and the row over this airbase has been giving new headaches to Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

The development comes after his Democratic Party lost an upper house election in August.

Kan’s predecessor Yukio Hatoyama had to resign after he failed to keep his election campaign promise to remove the base off Okinawa.

Futenma has provoked a wave of anger in the country, with the nation demanding a complete removal of the airbase, which has been under US command since the end of World War II, off Okinawa.

Japanese people have been urging their government to remove US military installations from the country altogether.

Tens of thousands of people have held several rallies against the American military engagement in the country over the past months.

 

Zionist Regime of Tel Aviv bars Vananu trip for award

 

JNN 22 Dec 2010 : Vanunu made headlines in 1986, when he divulged shocking secrets about Tel Aviv’s nuclear activities. He was kidnapped later in Italy by Mossad’s special agents and sentenced to 18 years behind bars.

Tel Aviv has denied permission for former Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu to leave Israel in order to collect an international award in Berlin.

 

A host of elites and Nobel laureates, including Irish peace activist Mairead Maguire and German writer Gunter Grass, have called on Israel to allow Vanunu to attend the International League of Human Rights prize ceremony scheduled for December 12.
Vanunu has been named as this year’s recipient of the Carl von Ossietzky Medal.

The prize is named after the renowned German pacifist, who had opposed the Nazi regime, and who was later held in a concentration camp and murdered.

Ossietzky is also famous to have been denied the Nobel Peace Prize laureate as a result of Nazi Germany’s unwillingness to allow the peace activist to leave its border when he was named laureate in 1935.

Vanunu made headlines in 1986, when he divulged shocking secrets about Tel Aviv’s nuclear activities in an interview with a British newspaper, The Sunday Times.

The disclosure cracked the secrecy around the assumed Israeli nuclear arsenal.

The Moroccan-born scientist was kidnapped later in Italy by Mossad’s special agents and sentenced to 18 years behind bars.

He reportedly spent 11 years of his prison term in solitary confinement.

Vanunu was released from prison in 2004, but has not been allowed to leave Israel.

During recent years the former technician at Israel’s main atomic reactor, Dimona, has constantly protested against the Tel Aviv-imposed restrictions and his lack of freedom and has appealed to international bodies for help.

In 2007, the controversial figure was once again sentenced to six months in jail for violating the terms of his parole.

Vanunu who has converted to Christianity has become a hero for many peace activists, and was nominated several times for a Nobel Prize.

In March 2009, he responded by writing the following to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee:

“I am asking the committee to remove my name from the list for this year’s list of nominations,” he said, arguing that “I cannot be part of a list of laureates that includes (Israeli President) Shimon Peres. He is the man who was behind all the Israeli atomic policy.”

Heavy snow with Low Economy halts Europe @ Xmas time

 

JNN 21 Dec 2010 : As more severe weather is forecast across Europe, a bone-chilling blizzard continues to leave thousands of travelers stranded in airports, especially in Britain, while The leaders of several EU countries have urged the President of the European Commission to freeze the EU budget at least for 10 years.

 
The massive crisis triggered by heavy snowfall, which grounded flights and caused seemingly endless traffic jams in parts of Western Europe, has made travel of any type a gamble.

Heavy snow and thick ice all but closed London’s Heathrow, the world’s busiest international passenger airhub over the weekend.

Britain is among those hardest hit by the Arctic conditions, with major disruptions in rail and highway travel.

Authorities canceled about 300 flights at Germany’s main airport at Frankfurt on Monday as they expected more snow.

As the severe weather conditions in Germany continued through Sunday, the airlines were advising their passengers to take the train, while the railways were telling travelers to forget travel altogether for the time being and to stay at home.

German railroads were not the only ones to be affected. Throughout much of Europe, railways were similarly disrupted. Even in southern Sweden, which is used to heavy snow, 100 of 350 train journeys were canceled on Monday.

The Arctic conditions have disrupted travel and shopping plans on the last weekend before Christmas, normally one of the busiest times of the year.

Given Europe’s current struggling economy, the record-breaking blizzard seems to be a harsh blow to the continent’s travel industry at a time when large numbers of Europeans have planned to travel inside or outside the continent.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Finnish Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi, and British Prime Minister David Cameron signed a letter to Jose Manuel Barroso urging him to keep EU spending under control.

The letter comes as Europe is struggling with an economic crisis and the aftermath of recession. Cutting the EU budget is considered as an effort to bring down the debts and narrow down budget deficits. The poorer eastern European countries, however, are likely to resist these cuts.
Without doubt the heavy snowfall has also hit Europe’s business system hard on the closing days of 2010 as Christmas shoppers find it difficult to commute in the blizzard.

Domestic violence 'on the rise' in Britain

JNN 21 Dec 2010 : Newly released official figures show an increase in the number of cases of domestic violence including homicide and abuse across Britain during the past financial year.

The figures showed the number of women killed by a violent partner jumped from 72 in 2007-8 to 102 in 2008-9 recording a 42 percent spike, British media reported.

According to figures released by police in November, as many as 42,000 women filed complaint across the UK last year about being abused by a man.

This is while that the number of men complaining of being a victim of domestic abuse by a woman had increased from 7,361 to 7,938 during the same period.

Campaigners have been voicing concern that the government’s austerity measures, mainly cuts to local authority budgets, may result in more deaths from domestic violence as already poorly funded specialist services face the axe.

Currently one in three local authorities provides no refuge or specialist support to victims.

Earlier this month, domestic violence charity Refuge delivered a petition to the Downing Street urging the government to protect specialist domestic violence services.

“Reducing specialist domestic violence services would have serious consequences, leaving women with fewer options and forcing them to stay with or return to their perpetrator, thereby increasing the risk of death,” a spokeswoman said

Domestic violence ‘on the rise’ in Britain

JNN 21 Dec 2010 : Newly released official figures show an increase in the number of cases of domestic violence including homicide and abuse across Britain during the past financial year.

The figures showed the number of women killed by a violent partner jumped from 72 in 2007-8 to 102 in 2008-9 recording a 42 percent spike, British media reported.

According to figures released by police in November, as many as 42,000 women filed complaint across the UK last year about being abused by a man.

This is while that the number of men complaining of being a victim of domestic abuse by a woman had increased from 7,361 to 7,938 during the same period.

Campaigners have been voicing concern that the government’s austerity measures, mainly cuts to local authority budgets, may result in more deaths from domestic violence as already poorly funded specialist services face the axe.

Currently one in three local authorities provides no refuge or specialist support to victims.

Earlier this month, domestic violence charity Refuge delivered a petition to the Downing Street urging the government to protect specialist domestic violence services.

“Reducing specialist domestic violence services would have serious consequences, leaving women with fewer options and forcing them to stay with or return to their perpetrator, thereby increasing the risk of death,” a spokeswoman said

US preparing for 'new Pakistan raids'

 

JNN 21 Dec 2010 : A new report discloses that US commanders in Afghanistan are preparing to go ahead with a plan to expand ground operations into tribal areas of Pakistan.

Citing unnamed Washington officials, The New York Times said that the proposal would escalate special operations in Pakistan, opening a new front in the Afghan war.

The proposal “would escalate military activities inside Pakistan, where the movement of American forces has been largely prohibited because of fears of provoking a backlash,” it said.

The report comes only days after Washington employed a new strategy for the Afghan war.

The paper added that the new proposal is waiting for approval from US President Barack Obama.

“The decision to expand American military activity in Pakistan … would amount to the opening of a new front in the nine-year-old war,” said the report.

The United States has expanded its drone strike zones in Pakistan over the past week.

The US has almost doubled CIA-operated attacks, with over 100 non-UN-sanctioned strikes reported in 2010. The escalation comes despite protests by Pakistani officials that the drone attacks mainly lead to civilian casualties.

“It would run the risk of angering a Pakistani government that has been an uneasy ally in the war in Afghanistan, particularly if it leads to civilian casualties or highly public confrontations,” The newspaper added.

On Sunday, US Vice President Joe Biden suggested that the US is seeking to increase its presence in Pakistan because militants are trying to “bring down” the Islamabad government.

“Our overarching goal and our rationale for being there is to dismantle, ultimately defeat al-Qaeda… to make sure that terrorists do not, in fact, bring down the Pakistani government, which is a nuclear power,” Biden said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

The remarks come days after Obama blamed Pakistan for not doing enough to fight terrorism in its troubled northwestern tribal belt along the Afghan border.

More than 250 people have been killed in a total of 49 drone attacks the US has launched since September 3. The victims of the attacks have been mostly civilians.

Pakistani officials maintain that the missile strikes have proven “counterproductive” as large numbers of outraged residents of the border areas are beginning to support the militants.

“We believe that they are counter-productive and also a violation of our sovereignty,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said in early October.

In late November, Islamabad rejected a request from Washington to expand its drone missile campaign outside the lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border.

Basit said Pakistan would not allow the United States to carry out drone strikes in new areas.

 

US preparing for ‘new Pakistan raids’

 

JNN 21 Dec 2010 : A new report discloses that US commanders in Afghanistan are preparing to go ahead with a plan to expand ground operations into tribal areas of Pakistan.

Citing unnamed Washington officials, The New York Times said that the proposal would escalate special operations in Pakistan, opening a new front in the Afghan war.

The proposal “would escalate military activities inside Pakistan, where the movement of American forces has been largely prohibited because of fears of provoking a backlash,” it said.

The report comes only days after Washington employed a new strategy for the Afghan war.

The paper added that the new proposal is waiting for approval from US President Barack Obama.

“The decision to expand American military activity in Pakistan … would amount to the opening of a new front in the nine-year-old war,” said the report.

The United States has expanded its drone strike zones in Pakistan over the past week.

The US has almost doubled CIA-operated attacks, with over 100 non-UN-sanctioned strikes reported in 2010. The escalation comes despite protests by Pakistani officials that the drone attacks mainly lead to civilian casualties.

“It would run the risk of angering a Pakistani government that has been an uneasy ally in the war in Afghanistan, particularly if it leads to civilian casualties or highly public confrontations,” The newspaper added.

On Sunday, US Vice President Joe Biden suggested that the US is seeking to increase its presence in Pakistan because militants are trying to “bring down” the Islamabad government.

“Our overarching goal and our rationale for being there is to dismantle, ultimately defeat al-Qaeda… to make sure that terrorists do not, in fact, bring down the Pakistani government, which is a nuclear power,” Biden said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

The remarks come days after Obama blamed Pakistan for not doing enough to fight terrorism in its troubled northwestern tribal belt along the Afghan border.

More than 250 people have been killed in a total of 49 drone attacks the US has launched since September 3. The victims of the attacks have been mostly civilians.

Pakistani officials maintain that the missile strikes have proven “counterproductive” as large numbers of outraged residents of the border areas are beginning to support the militants.

“We believe that they are counter-productive and also a violation of our sovereignty,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said in early October.

In late November, Islamabad rejected a request from Washington to expand its drone missile campaign outside the lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border.

Basit said Pakistan would not allow the United States to carry out drone strikes in new areas.

 

More than 100 Canadians named on Al Qaeda-affiliated website

JNN 21 Dec 2010 : More than 100 Canadian-Arab Christians are listed on an Al Qaeda-affiliated website, apparently targeted because of their alleged role in attempting to convert Wahhabi Muslims. Some of those named say concerned Canadian intelligence officials have contacted them.

The Shumukh-al-Islam website, often considered to be Al Qaeda’s mouth piece, listed pictures, addresses and cellphone numbers of Coptic Christians, predominantly Egyptian-Canadians, who have been vocal about their opposition to Wahhabi Islam.

In a forum on the website, one member named Son of a Sharp Sword, says “We are going to Wahhabi Islam and all of the Mujahedeen (holy warriors) will cut off their heads.”

Three pages of the fundamentalist, Arabic-language website titled “Complete information on Coptics” sets to “identify and name all of the Coptics throughout the world who hope to defame Wahhabi Islam,” The website calls the Coptic Christians living abroad “dogs in diaspora,” a derogatory reference in Arabic.

Among those named on the Shumukh-al-Islam website is Samuel Tawadrus, a Coptic Egyptian living in Quebec.

“This is a direct threat against our lives,” Tawadrus said in an interview.

 

More than 100 Canadians named on Al Qaeda-affiliated website

JNN 21 Dec 2010 : More than 100 Canadian-Arab Christians are listed on an Al Qaeda-affiliated website, apparently targeted because of their alleged role in attempting to convert Wahhabi Muslims. Some of those named say concerned Canadian intelligence officials have contacted them.

The Shumukh-al-Islam website, often considered to be Al Qaeda’s mouth piece, listed pictures, addresses and cellphone numbers of Coptic Christians, predominantly Egyptian-Canadians, who have been vocal about their opposition to Wahhabi Islam.

In a forum on the website, one member named Son of a Sharp Sword, says “We are going to Wahhabi Islam and all of the Mujahedeen (holy warriors) will cut off their heads.”

Three pages of the fundamentalist, Arabic-language website titled “Complete information on Coptics” sets to “identify and name all of the Coptics throughout the world who hope to defame Wahhabi Islam,” The website calls the Coptic Christians living abroad “dogs in diaspora,” a derogatory reference in Arabic.

Among those named on the Shumukh-al-Islam website is Samuel Tawadrus, a Coptic Egyptian living in Quebec.

“This is a direct threat against our lives,” Tawadrus said in an interview.

 

Ashura Processions in Parachinar, while it still bleeds due to 4 years siege By Taliban

JNN 19 Dec 2010 : Tens of thousands of Shia Muslims in a Pakistani tribal region called for end to a 4-year siege of northwestern city allegedly by Taliban militants, as the blockade has increased difficulties of the people.

The demand was made by Shia Muslims in the Ashura day procession in Parachinar, the center of Kurram tribal agency.

Some two hundred thousands Shia Muslims took part in the Ashura procession, which started at 8 a.m. and continued till late night on Friday.

The procession was started from main Imambargah in Parachinar city and after passing via Kurram militia, Turi graveryard, katchery road and hazara graveyard ended in Central Imambargha at night time.

During Aazadari procession juma prayer were offered at central imambarghah while maghreeb prayer at Katchery Chowk near post office.

Through out the route of Procession mourners including all ages and children with addition to non-Muslims even Christians and hindus were beating their chests by doing ‘matam’ and zaadari. Azadars were also chanting Labik Ya Hussain, Down with USA, Down with Israel, Down with Taliban.

Addressing the biggest gathering of aazadars, ulema and scholars told that the people of Parachinar and martyrs set a new example of resisting and defeating the Taliban.

In Aazadari procession certain resolutions were adopted demanding the govt to lift four years of inhuman siege of Parachinar immediately by opening and securing main Thall- Parachinar Road.

They condemned attacks on Shia Muslims in Quetta, Peshawar and Hangu, murdering innocent children and women by yazeddi forces.

They said that if the govt does not lift the four years imposed siege and economic blockade, then they will start armed long march from Parachinar to Thall to open the main road and the responsibility will be on all concern

Malaysia is another Wahabi State, Banning Shia's to Commerate their Religious Activities

JNN 18 Dec 2010 :Dated 15th December 2010, the night of 10th Muharam 1432, a group of approximately 200 Shiites (105 of them are local adults, few from Indonesia, two from Myanmar, and the rest are from Pakistan and Iran, and children) gathered at a premise named after Imam Ali ibni Musa ar-Ridha (Hauzah Imam Ridha, situated in Seri Gombak, the State of Selangor, Malaysia).

The gathering was dedicated to Imam Hussein ibn Ali a.s in commemoration of his martyrdom in Karbala. Commencing at 8:00 pm local time, the event started with the congregational prayers of Maghrib and Isya’, and proceeded with the Ziyarat ‘Asyura and a brief account of the Karbala event.

This was then followed by a speech by Hujjatul Islam Mohsein Radmard of Iranian origin which was translated into Malay by Hujjatul Islam Haji Muhammad Kamil Zuhairi bin Abdul Aziz.The contents of the unfinished speech focused around the characters and attributes of the Muslim believers. At around 10:15 pm while the speech was going on, a group of people came in introducing themselves as enforcement officers from the office of the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS). The officers called off the speech and started reading the search warrant justifying their raid on the premise.

The search warrant however was found to be faulty as it permits search on the premise numbered 11C, whereas the premise where the event took place is 9C. Some of the officers came into the premise with their shoes on. This invited unnecessary anger from some of the members of the congregation to which the officers acted upon and removed their shoes. To cool down the tense, the congregation chanted Salawat on Prophet Muhammad and his family.

The officers then requested the congregation to remain calm and silent while they proceeded with their search procedure. The identity cards and passports of all attendees were collected, together with some of the evidences of Shiite elements which include Turbah, Mafatihul Jinan, Quran, posters, banners, potraits, books and etc. Some of the attendees are lecturers, students, lawyers and government servants.

The attendees were later served with a notice which required them to be present at the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS) at Shah Alam to be further investigated individually in private sessions. When attended the sessions, they were again served with notice requiring their presence at the Syariah Subordinate Court scheduled in March 2011.

Both Hujjatul Islam Mohsein Radmard and Hujjatul  Islam Haji Muhammad Kamil Zuhairi bin Abdul Aziz were brought for investigation immediately after the raid which finished at around 2:00 am. They were later required to attend Shariah Court at Kuang at 10:00 am, on 16thDecember 2010 for their details to be taken down. Afterwards, they were released on bail pending for the Shariah criminal proceeding scheduled on 20th January 2011.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the government had banned the Shi’ite teachings as it could mislead the people and contradict the Sunni teachings followed by Malaysians.

“The government disallows the spreading of this (Shi’ite) teaching, following several wrongful propogations which could stir the harmony of the Muslims in this country,” he said.

“If there are two sects in this country, it may lead to bloodshed because the Muslim society will have differences in religious opinion, like what has happened to Muslim societies in Pakistan and Iraq.

JAIS Director Datuk Muhammed Khusrin Munawi at the interviews conducted outside the premise while the raid was going on, said:

1. His office has investigated and followed the activities conducted here since last two years and has enough evidence to relate the group as Syiah before conducting the raid;

2. The raid was considered the biggest raid related to deviated teachings in Selangor;

3. The group shall be brought to their office for further investigation and thereafter be prosecuted. And his office believes that the teaching has been spread throughout other states as well;

4. The raid involves 200 people including foreigners suspected from Iran;

5. We will prosecute them under Section 12(c) (of Islamic Jurisdiction Administration Enactment of 1989) for their violation of the fatwa of the Mufti of Selangor, which decreed that (Shiisme) is deviant from the teaching of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah or from the true teaching of Islam;

6. Among them there are some who allow mutaah (contractual) marriage, a concept which entices some of them to practice shiisme;

JNN To answer to this accusation read: Mut’ ah : Temporary Marriage in Islamic Law

7. Hajj is not compulsory for them; visiting Imam Hussein’s shrine is sufficient for them to get into heaven;

8. They can combine prayers at any time, zuhr and asr together, maghrib, isya’ and subh, without darurat or conditions like travelling 90 ‘marhalah’;

9. Lightening of ibadah is an attraction to their followers.

10. Some of them which are fanatic and believed that we are not Muslims and our blood it is ‘halal’ (permissible) for them;

11. It is a jihad if they could kill Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (followers). For me, this make them the most dangerous deviants compared to other deviant teachings.

12. From the evidences and documents available to us, the group is the shia hardliners, and for me if we let them, it will threaten our national security.

Those points have never been thought in Hauzah Ar-Ridha, but are of his own views on shiisme and most of which are written in the Selangor Mufti’s fatwa. In the news papers, the above points were quoted with addition of some fatwas issued by the Selangor Mufti. This includes the allegations that Shiisme rejects hadith narrated by Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah and labels other the companions of the Prophet as kafir. According to the Selangor Mufti’s fatwa, Shiisme is considered a deviant from Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah as some of its teachings contradict from aqidah and syariah views of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah.

Khusrin said all those who were detained will be charged under Section 12 (c) of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995 which are insulting, rejecting, or dispute the violation of the instructions set out and given a fatwa by the religious authorities.

The full account of the raid was reported in most mainstream written and visual media.

The raid happened while some of the participants of the mourning were the Professors of Universities, Students, Lawyers and Malaysian Government Employees.

Wahhabi’s Influences

It is obvious the Khusrin’s false charges are not true. Though, all these are his opinion that he accused Shia under the influence of Wahhabi thoughts which most of these Fatwas (religious verdicts) are registered in Selangor’s Mufti Fatwas! The Shia are under the pressure of Wahhabis by using the Fatwa as law.

This comments printed as, special issue on Selangors Fatwas, in Selangors newspapers. Among published Fatwas in the newspapers there is a charge that: “Shia rejects the Sunni Hadith and also knows the companions of the Holly Prophet (s.a.w.w) as infidel”. The accusations, repeatedly has been answered and rejected by Shia clerics.

According to Selangor’s Mufti Fatwa, Shia are diverted because some teachings of Shia are different from what Sunni believe in.

Widespread Protests

Extensive protests will be followed by these extreme and unacceptable actions. Thai Shia will protest tomorrow.

Malaysian Students of Qom Seminary will announce their protest in front of Malaysian Embassy in Tehran tomorrow.

Wahhabi extremist threaten Malaysia

Malaysia has about twenty thousand indigenous Shia. While more than thirty thousand Iranians live, work or study in Malaysia. These acts are extreme and false propaganda toward them and their life and security is on risk. Malaysia is playing with their economy and the popularity by these incorrect acts.

Malaysia is divided into 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories (Wilayah Persekutuan). These are divided between the two regions of Malaysia, with 11 states and 2 federal territories on Peninsula Malaysia and the other 2 states and 1 federal territory in East Malaysia. The Federal Kings of Pahang, Selangor, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kedah, Johor, Perlis and Terengganu and Federal Territories of Malacca, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. All of them have their own law and Selangor is the only State in which these strange Fatwa and rules exists.

Malaysia is another Wahabi State, Banning Shia’s to Commerate their Religious Activities

JNN 18 Dec 2010 :Dated 15th December 2010, the night of 10th Muharam 1432, a group of approximately 200 Shiites (105 of them are local adults, few from Indonesia, two from Myanmar, and the rest are from Pakistan and Iran, and children) gathered at a premise named after Imam Ali ibni Musa ar-Ridha (Hauzah Imam Ridha, situated in Seri Gombak, the State of Selangor, Malaysia).

The gathering was dedicated to Imam Hussein ibn Ali a.s in commemoration of his martyrdom in Karbala. Commencing at 8:00 pm local time, the event started with the congregational prayers of Maghrib and Isya’, and proceeded with the Ziyarat ‘Asyura and a brief account of the Karbala event.

This was then followed by a speech by Hujjatul Islam Mohsein Radmard of Iranian origin which was translated into Malay by Hujjatul Islam Haji Muhammad Kamil Zuhairi bin Abdul Aziz.The contents of the unfinished speech focused around the characters and attributes of the Muslim believers. At around 10:15 pm while the speech was going on, a group of people came in introducing themselves as enforcement officers from the office of the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS). The officers called off the speech and started reading the search warrant justifying their raid on the premise.

The search warrant however was found to be faulty as it permits search on the premise numbered 11C, whereas the premise where the event took place is 9C. Some of the officers came into the premise with their shoes on. This invited unnecessary anger from some of the members of the congregation to which the officers acted upon and removed their shoes. To cool down the tense, the congregation chanted Salawat on Prophet Muhammad and his family.

The officers then requested the congregation to remain calm and silent while they proceeded with their search procedure. The identity cards and passports of all attendees were collected, together with some of the evidences of Shiite elements which include Turbah, Mafatihul Jinan, Quran, posters, banners, potraits, books and etc. Some of the attendees are lecturers, students, lawyers and government servants.

The attendees were later served with a notice which required them to be present at the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS) at Shah Alam to be further investigated individually in private sessions. When attended the sessions, they were again served with notice requiring their presence at the Syariah Subordinate Court scheduled in March 2011.

Both Hujjatul Islam Mohsein Radmard and Hujjatul  Islam Haji Muhammad Kamil Zuhairi bin Abdul Aziz were brought for investigation immediately after the raid which finished at around 2:00 am. They were later required to attend Shariah Court at Kuang at 10:00 am, on 16thDecember 2010 for their details to be taken down. Afterwards, they were released on bail pending for the Shariah criminal proceeding scheduled on 20th January 2011.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the government had banned the Shi’ite teachings as it could mislead the people and contradict the Sunni teachings followed by Malaysians.

“The government disallows the spreading of this (Shi’ite) teaching, following several wrongful propogations which could stir the harmony of the Muslims in this country,” he said.

“If there are two sects in this country, it may lead to bloodshed because the Muslim society will have differences in religious opinion, like what has happened to Muslim societies in Pakistan and Iraq.

JAIS Director Datuk Muhammed Khusrin Munawi at the interviews conducted outside the premise while the raid was going on, said:

1. His office has investigated and followed the activities conducted here since last two years and has enough evidence to relate the group as Syiah before conducting the raid;

2. The raid was considered the biggest raid related to deviated teachings in Selangor;

3. The group shall be brought to their office for further investigation and thereafter be prosecuted. And his office believes that the teaching has been spread throughout other states as well;

4. The raid involves 200 people including foreigners suspected from Iran;

5. We will prosecute them under Section 12(c) (of Islamic Jurisdiction Administration Enactment of 1989) for their violation of the fatwa of the Mufti of Selangor, which decreed that (Shiisme) is deviant from the teaching of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah or from the true teaching of Islam;

6. Among them there are some who allow mutaah (contractual) marriage, a concept which entices some of them to practice shiisme;

JNN To answer to this accusation read: Mut’ ah : Temporary Marriage in Islamic Law

7. Hajj is not compulsory for them; visiting Imam Hussein’s shrine is sufficient for them to get into heaven;

8. They can combine prayers at any time, zuhr and asr together, maghrib, isya’ and subh, without darurat or conditions like travelling 90 ‘marhalah’;

9. Lightening of ibadah is an attraction to their followers.

10. Some of them which are fanatic and believed that we are not Muslims and our blood it is ‘halal’ (permissible) for them;

11. It is a jihad if they could kill Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (followers). For me, this make them the most dangerous deviants compared to other deviant teachings.

12. From the evidences and documents available to us, the group is the shia hardliners, and for me if we let them, it will threaten our national security.

Those points have never been thought in Hauzah Ar-Ridha, but are of his own views on shiisme and most of which are written in the Selangor Mufti’s fatwa. In the news papers, the above points were quoted with addition of some fatwas issued by the Selangor Mufti. This includes the allegations that Shiisme rejects hadith narrated by Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah and labels other the companions of the Prophet as kafir. According to the Selangor Mufti’s fatwa, Shiisme is considered a deviant from Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah as some of its teachings contradict from aqidah and syariah views of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah.

Khusrin said all those who were detained will be charged under Section 12 (c) of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995 which are insulting, rejecting, or dispute the violation of the instructions set out and given a fatwa by the religious authorities.

The full account of the raid was reported in most mainstream written and visual media.

The raid happened while some of the participants of the mourning were the Professors of Universities, Students, Lawyers and Malaysian Government Employees.

Wahhabi’s Influences

It is obvious the Khusrin’s false charges are not true. Though, all these are his opinion that he accused Shia under the influence of Wahhabi thoughts which most of these Fatwas (religious verdicts) are registered in Selangor’s Mufti Fatwas! The Shia are under the pressure of Wahhabis by using the Fatwa as law.

This comments printed as, special issue on Selangors Fatwas, in Selangors newspapers. Among published Fatwas in the newspapers there is a charge that: “Shia rejects the Sunni Hadith and also knows the companions of the Holly Prophet (s.a.w.w) as infidel”. The accusations, repeatedly has been answered and rejected by Shia clerics.

According to Selangor’s Mufti Fatwa, Shia are diverted because some teachings of Shia are different from what Sunni believe in.

Widespread Protests

Extensive protests will be followed by these extreme and unacceptable actions. Thai Shia will protest tomorrow.

Malaysian Students of Qom Seminary will announce their protest in front of Malaysian Embassy in Tehran tomorrow.

Wahhabi extremist threaten Malaysia

Malaysia has about twenty thousand indigenous Shia. While more than thirty thousand Iranians live, work or study in Malaysia. These acts are extreme and false propaganda toward them and their life and security is on risk. Malaysia is playing with their economy and the popularity by these incorrect acts.

Malaysia is divided into 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories (Wilayah Persekutuan). These are divided between the two regions of Malaysia, with 11 states and 2 federal territories on Peninsula Malaysia and the other 2 states and 1 federal territory in East Malaysia. The Federal Kings of Pahang, Selangor, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Kedah, Johor, Perlis and Terengganu and Federal Territories of Malacca, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. All of them have their own law and Selangor is the only State in which these strange Fatwa and rules exists.

Bolivia Follows Neighboring Countries in Recognition of Palestinian State

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : Bolivia joined Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay by announcing it recognized Palestine as a sovereign state within the 1967 borders, Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported Friday.

Bolivian President Evo Morales made the announcement during the South American trade block Mercosur’s summit which took place in Brazil. Morales was quoted as saying that Bolivia recognized the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders with Israel.

Ma’an news agency also reported that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the announcement and thanked the Bolivian president for his support of the Palestinians.

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the announcement, stating it would not assist the peace process. “We oppose actions that might determine the results of negotiations before they started. A move like this does not encourage the Palestinian Authority to return to the negotiating table,” the statement said.

In the last two weeks more significant developments have occurred when several South American countries declared their recognition of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. The first was Brazil, and Argentina and Uruguay followed.

On Thursday, Israel harshly condemned Norway for upgrading the standing of the Palestinian representation in Oslo from a ‘general delegation’ to a ‘diplomatic delegation’.

Over the past four months several countries have upgraded the standing of Palestinian representatives. The first country to have done so was none other than the United States. After the U.S., France, Spain, and Portugal also took similar steps.

Bolivia Follows Neighboring Countries in Recognition of Palestinian State

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : Bolivia joined Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay by announcing it recognized Palestine as a sovereign state within the 1967 borders, Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported Friday.

Bolivian President Evo Morales made the announcement during the South American trade block Mercosur’s summit which took place in Brazil. Morales was quoted as saying that Bolivia recognized the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders with Israel.

Ma’an news agency also reported that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the announcement and thanked the Bolivian president for his support of the Palestinians.

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the announcement, stating it would not assist the peace process. “We oppose actions that might determine the results of negotiations before they started. A move like this does not encourage the Palestinian Authority to return to the negotiating table,” the statement said.

In the last two weeks more significant developments have occurred when several South American countries declared their recognition of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. The first was Brazil, and Argentina and Uruguay followed.

On Thursday, Israel harshly condemned Norway for upgrading the standing of the Palestinian representation in Oslo from a ‘general delegation’ to a ‘diplomatic delegation’.

Over the past four months several countries have upgraded the standing of Palestinian representatives. The first country to have done so was none other than the United States. After the U.S., France, Spain, and Portugal also took similar steps.

Ashura Comemorations In Bahrain , Kuwait and Saudia Arabia

JNN 18 Dec 2010 – MANAMA, Bahrain:  Thousands of Shiite Muslims in Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia marked Ashura on Thursday, commemorating the Martydom of the  grandson of the Prophet Mohammed , Hussein Ibn e Ali A.S with processions and cries of mourning.

In Manama, processions took place in the narrow streets of the old city, which is dotted with Shiite places of worship. Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni dynasty but the majority of its population is Shiite.

A number of Shiites Also attended the Procession from nearby Saudi Arabia, where they make up 10 percent of the population, and Kuwait, where they are about a third of the population, came to Bahrain to participate in the processions.

The colour black dominated the occasion, which marks the martyrdom of Hussein (A.S), a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) and the third Shiite imam, in 680 AD by the forces of the Omayyad Caliph Yazid (L.A) in a battle in Karbala, Iraq.

Men covered their heads in dust, crying “Hussein, Hussein,” expressing regret that the faithful did not rescue the imam when he was besieged in the Iraqi desert.

Women, who usually do not participate in Ashura processions, did so in Bahrain this year.

The processions in Bahrain were supervised by volunteers and security services, and no incidents were reported.

Saudi Shiites complain of marginalisation and segregation in the Gulf kingdom dominated by Wahhabism, a strictly puritanical form of Sunni Islam.

In Kuwait, members of the Shiite community marked Ashura inside their places of worship, as street processions are banned.

Sunni Muslims Commemorate Ashura Procession in Indian Province of Hamachal

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : NAHAN, Himachal, India -It is rare to find the Sunni community commemrating Ashura , while here in this town , Ashura is observed by exclusively Sunni Community, As there are no Shia Residents in this town.

Muharram is observed by the “Shia” Muslim community across the world in commemoration of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Imam Hussain (pbuh) along with his family and followers, who were martyred in the Battle of Karbala in AD 680 ,but here in this town the day is observed by the “Sunni” community of Muslims which makes the day distinct with other parts of the country.

All Himachal Muslim welfare committee state Chief Naseem Mohammed Didan says the day is observed only by “Shia community all over the world, but it’s really worth appreciable and adoring that in his town, “Suni” Muslim observes Mohrram as a gesture towards the “Shia Muslims. As per previous year Practive, it is remarkable that Muharram is still observed in the same manner even after years and years of Independence.

It is learnt that the town established in 1621 has always set examples of communal harmony. The town did not witnessed communal clash in the history even not during the partition. The member of the Royal family and former MLA Kanwar Ajay Bhadur Singh says this unique tradition was started at the behest of Maharaja Shamsher Parkash, ex ruler of the princely state.

He also said that there is no “Shia community in the town. There are Hindus, Sunni Muslim, Sikh and Christian communities living in harmony and participates in each other’s commemorations and celebrations. Chief of Anjuman e  Islamiya said, for this rare tradition credit goes to ex ruler of the princely state, who invited and brought persons from all section of the society and religion and envisaged perfect understanding between them which still prevails in the town.

There are no Shia residents in the town and No Imambargah , hall of mourning in the town so whole of the ceremony took place in the open spaces in streets.

On Friday rare Muharram was observed in the town, in which almost every family of “Sunni community participated in Tazia procession which started this afternoon from four mosques of the town, with the sun set  the procession was ended at Jamma Masjid katcha tank.

Himachal Pradesh  is a state in Northern India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,673 km²),[4] and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east. The literal meaning of Himachal Pradesh is Region of snowy mountains.

Saudi Shia's Attacked by local Wahabis on Ashura Procession

JNN 18 Dec 2010 Medina : Shia participants were attacked by local Wahabi’s in Medina, when the Shia Citizens where taking out the Ashura Procession .

Saudi Shia sources said “Saudi security forces failed to provide security to Shia Citizens of Saudia Arabia as they were attacked by the local Wahabi’s  , which may have been avoided if the security forces would have planned earlier to safe gaurd the Shia Citizens who were  attending there Ashura Processin , But the security forces came late and Wahabis attacked the Participants of the Procession of Ashura ,and due to which fights broke out between Shiites and Wahhabis during the Ashura mourning procession in Medina on Thursday”.

According to Saudi Media, Shia Muslims are under severe restrictions and discriminations by ignorant Wahhabi sects, but the Saudi government denies the accusations.

Ignorant Wahhabis attacked number of Shiites with stones when they were perfrming Ashura rituals in Medina, the incident was happened near the famous mosque of Quba.

A journalist said Reuters “Security forces came to disperse the crowds”.

Saudi Wahhabi forces arrested 38 Shia mourner in the holy city of Medina after fighting erupted near Islam’s oldest mosque Al-Quba on the Shiite religious holiday of Ashura, Saudi media reported on Saturday.

“Several people suffered minor injuries in Thursday’s clashes between Wahhbais and Shias”, the press reports said..

Three security officials were also wounded, the Al-Madina newspaper said.

According to Rasid the fighting pitted members of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority against majority Wahhbais.

Many of the kingdom’s top Wahhabi clerics have condemned Shiites as having rejected “true” Islam.

 

Officials say that the Shiites make up ten percent of the population of Saudi Arabia, but diplomats estimate the figure more than 15 percent.

Saudi Shia’s Attacked by local Wahabis on Ashura Procession

JNN 18 Dec 2010 Medina : Shia participants were attacked by local Wahabi’s in Medina, when the Shia Citizens where taking out the Ashura Procession .

Saudi Shia sources said “Saudi security forces failed to provide security to Shia Citizens of Saudia Arabia as they were attacked by the local Wahabi’s  , which may have been avoided if the security forces would have planned earlier to safe gaurd the Shia Citizens who were  attending there Ashura Processin , But the security forces came late and Wahabis attacked the Participants of the Procession of Ashura ,and due to which fights broke out between Shiites and Wahhabis during the Ashura mourning procession in Medina on Thursday”.

According to Saudi Media, Shia Muslims are under severe restrictions and discriminations by ignorant Wahhabi sects, but the Saudi government denies the accusations.

Ignorant Wahhabis attacked number of Shiites with stones when they were perfrming Ashura rituals in Medina, the incident was happened near the famous mosque of Quba.

A journalist said Reuters “Security forces came to disperse the crowds”.

Saudi Wahhabi forces arrested 38 Shia mourner in the holy city of Medina after fighting erupted near Islam’s oldest mosque Al-Quba on the Shiite religious holiday of Ashura, Saudi media reported on Saturday.

“Several people suffered minor injuries in Thursday’s clashes between Wahhbais and Shias”, the press reports said..

Three security officials were also wounded, the Al-Madina newspaper said.

According to Rasid the fighting pitted members of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority against majority Wahhbais.

Many of the kingdom’s top Wahhabi clerics have condemned Shiites as having rejected “true” Islam.

 

Officials say that the Shiites make up ten percent of the population of Saudi Arabia, but diplomats estimate the figure more than 15 percent.

Ashura puppet show on stage

 

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : The Ashuraopera puppet show, the renowned Iranian playwright and theater director Behrouz Gharibpour, is on stage at Tehran’s Ferdowsi Hall.

TheAshurapuppet show — which went on stage on Dec. 12 and will continue until Jan. 2, 2011 — is a blend of music, puppetry, poetry and Persian passion play (Tazieh).

“We can’t perform the opera at any hall. It should be staged at a hall with certain specifications,” Gharibpour said.

The Iranian playwright pointed out that France’s Charleville-Mézières Puppet Theater Festival has also invited Gharibpour to stage his opera puppet show Ashura at the event, which will be held from September 16 to 25 in 2011.

He also explained that people in France are familiar with traditional Persian performances and Tazieh.

Gharibpour recently attended the Tbilisi Festival of Theater, in Georgia, with his puppet show Rostam and Sohrab.

He is considered one of the pioneers of traditional Persian puppet theatre, and known for his extensive research on Qajar-era puppetry.

 

FBI now spying on your garbage

 

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents are helping local authorities turn thousands of garbage collectors into a spy force that reports to the police.

Reports say 100 Waste Management employees have already gone through a training program called Waste Watch, CBS 6 Albany/WRGB reported on Friday.

“Because our job is collecting trash from local neighborhoods and businesses, we are a useful resource to identify illegal activity, or to help prevent a minor mishap from turning into a dangerous situation,” said Ken Bevis, district manager of Waste Management in Albany, New York.

Bevis added that all Waste Management drivers, helpers, and repair technicians have been trained to look out for suspicious activities and respond in the event of an emergency.

Officials believe that garbage collectors who go through the same route every day are able to recognize situations that are not normal.

Police hope that they will be able to help keep streets clear of crime as well. But not everyone is sold on the idea.

Waste Watch is already active in 100 communities across the United States. The total figure of informants could already number at least 10,000 nationwide.

Critics say the program is an example of how the United States is turning into an East German-style informant society.

 

Six more banks out of business in US

 

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : Regulators in the United States have closed six more banks in four different states, raising the bank failure toll this year to 157.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) shut down the six banks with a total of $1.23 billion in assets, Bloomberg reported on Saturday.

The United Americas Bank, Appalachian Community Bank and Chestatee State Bank in Georgia, the First Southern Bank in Arkansas, Community National Bank in Minnesota, and Florida’s Bank of Miami have been seized in the latest closures.

Florida has been hit the hardest by bank failures among other states, losing 29 lenders this year.

The FDIC says that the total assets of this year’s failures would likely be lower even though the number of closures has exceeded that of last year.

The closures have taken place against the backdrop of a deepening financial crisis in the United States and the lenders’ overflow of real estate loans.

Washington Mutual, which had $307 billion in assets when it was seized in September 2008, remains the largest bank to fail during the financial crisis.

Experts believe that more than 500 banks may fail before the economic crisis comes to a close.

The FDIC released its latest quarterly report on the state of the banking industry in November. The corporation says it expects bank closures to peak this year after 140 closures in 2009.

 

Majority of Apps spy on users

 

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : An investigation into smartphone applications has revealed that most the Apps are designed to spy on people, transmitting personal data of device owners to different companies.

According to The Wall Street Journal‘s investigation, 56 of the 101 widely used Apps — including software and games for iPhone and Android phones — transferred the personal details of their users to advertising companies without the consent of users.

Various companies benefit from the personal information in different ways, ranging from finding the users address to their interests and software they use the most.

Forty-seven of these applications transmitted the location of the phone, whereas age, gender and other personal information were sent by five of the Apps. The unique ID number assigned to each phone by the manufacturers was the most widely shared detail.

iPhone sends out more information compared with Androids which typically use Google operating systems, the study found.

TextPlus 4 (iPhone App for text messaging), Pandora (a music App in both iPhone and Android), and Paper Toss (a game in both iPhone and Android) were the applications sharing the most data. The manufacturers of TextPlus 4 and Pandora; however, deny the claim, saying that the Apps share data anonymously and the personal profile, including age and gender, is transferred voluntarily.

Apple, similarly, says iPhone Apps “cannot transmit data about a user without obtaining the user’s prior permission and providing the user with access to information about how and where the data will be used.”

The manufacturers of Smart Phones running Google’s Android operating systems, such as Motorola Inc, Samsung Electronics Co and Google, say the responsibility of handling with user’s information rests with the App-makers. If users do not like a particular application to have access to their data, they can simply choose not to install the app, Google says.

While computer users can block or delete tiny tracking files (cookies), smartphone users are completely powerless in this regard.

“In the world of mobile, there is no anonymity,” says Michael Becker of the Mobile Marketing Association, stressing that a cell phone is “always with us. It’s always on.”

 

'Coup may happen in Saudi Arabia'

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : A political analyst has said that a coup could happen in Saudi Arabia, with the health issues of the elderly monarch providing an opportunity for the plotters.

“It is possible that a coup could happen, and I see nothing to prevent that from happening,” Dr. Kamal Helbawy of the Center for the Study of Terrorism said in an interview with JNN on Saturday.

“Both in Qatar and Oman in the past, the sons of the kings stole the leadership from their fathers, and I think there is a rift in the house of Saud,” he added.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah was hospitalized in the United States on November 22 for a debilitating herniated disc, complicated by a hematoma that put pressure on his spine.

Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah said the state of the monarch’s health was “very reassuring” following the first operation on his disc.

Earlier in the month, US surgeons performed another operation on the monarch’s back, which was reported to have gone smoothly.

“With his old age and sickness, there is suspicion about succession. There has been tension in the family for several decades. I believe there is a political and religious crisis,” Helbawy said.

King Abdullah has left his half-brother, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, who is thought to be suffering from cancer, at the helm.

The prolonged convalescence of the Saudi ruler has raised doubts about King Abdullah’s succession.

 

‘Coup may happen in Saudi Arabia’

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : A political analyst has said that a coup could happen in Saudi Arabia, with the health issues of the elderly monarch providing an opportunity for the plotters.

“It is possible that a coup could happen, and I see nothing to prevent that from happening,” Dr. Kamal Helbawy of the Center for the Study of Terrorism said in an interview with JNN on Saturday.

“Both in Qatar and Oman in the past, the sons of the kings stole the leadership from their fathers, and I think there is a rift in the house of Saud,” he added.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah was hospitalized in the United States on November 22 for a debilitating herniated disc, complicated by a hematoma that put pressure on his spine.

Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah said the state of the monarch’s health was “very reassuring” following the first operation on his disc.

Earlier in the month, US surgeons performed another operation on the monarch’s back, which was reported to have gone smoothly.

“With his old age and sickness, there is suspicion about succession. There has been tension in the family for several decades. I believe there is a political and religious crisis,” Helbawy said.

King Abdullah has left his half-brother, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, who is thought to be suffering from cancer, at the helm.

The prolonged convalescence of the Saudi ruler has raised doubts about King Abdullah’s succession.

 

Vatican covered up abuse cases: Report

 

JNN 18 Dec 2010 : The Vatican covered up the child abuse cases of dangerous former pedophile priest Tony Walsh in Ireland, a new investigative report says.

The report strongly criticizes the actions of the Vatican and Dublin church authorities for their failure to deal with Walsh.

Walsh, a former Catholic priest, sexually abused hundreds of children in Ireland over almost two decades.

A state-ordered investigation into Dublin Archdiocese cover-ups found last year that Catholic officials shielded scores of priests from criminal investigation over several decades and did not report any crimes to the police until 1995. The findings sent shockwaves through the church and forced three Irish bishops to resign.

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said that Walsh was another Brendan Smyth who should have been dealt with much earlier.

“Tony Walsh is an example of the classic serial pedophile on the same level as Brendan Smyth. The first lesson to be learned is the only way to deal with people like him is to stop them immediately. Procrastination and negotiation are part of the climate in which such pedophiles flourish,” he said.

Smyth was a Catholic priest who became notorious as a child molester and used his position in the Church to gain access to his victims.

Over a period of over 40 years, Smyth sexually abused and indecently assaulted over 100 children in parishes in the Irish cities of Belfast and Dublin as well as in the US.

 

US Military Women getting raped By there fellow Soldier , who are criminals Rather than Soldiers

JNN 17 Dec 2010 : Women who join the US military are more likely to be raped by a fellow American soldier than getting killed by enemy fire

American civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon for refusing to release records of sex crimes occurring within the United States military.

The plaintiffs, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Service Women’s Action Network, and Yale Law School students, are seeking access to the records through a district court in New Haven, Connecticut.

The groups say official records of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military are needed to determine the extent of the problem and what has been done to address it.

They have also underlined the fact that withholding the documents is against the Freedom of Information Act.

The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are yet to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed against them on Monday.

According to the case, tens of thousands of service members have reported some sort of sexual assault or trauma in the past decade.

It underlines that about 80 percent of unwanted or threatening sexual acts are not reported.

The lawsuit also says the government only prosecutes eight percent of sex offenders in the military.

In the 2009 fiscal year, a Pentagon report showed an 11 percent increase in sexual assaults in the military over the previous year.

The shocking survey also said that one in every three women report being sexually assaulted during their service in the US military.

Among the 705 cases where victims asked that their details be kept from their military commander and law enforcement officials, 489 (69 percent) involved rape, 39 alleged forcible sodomy and 125 indecent assault.

The report also recorded allegations by civilian victims against members of the military. Of a total of 574 cases reported last year, 391 involved rape, 33 forcible sodomy and 150 indecent assaults.

This means that women, who join the military to help fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, are more likely to be raped by a fellow American soldier than they are of getting killed by enemy fire.

This is while sexual abuse is believed to be the primary cause of post traumatic stress disorder among female service members.

Many say the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have raised the demand for additional military personnel, and that is why people with criminal backgrounds, who were turned away ten years ago, are now among the ranks of the US military.

“Putting these types of individuals into situations … where they are confronted with an opportunity to do things of a criminal nature, it should not surprise anyone that a much higher percentage of these types of things are going to go on,” former US Senate candidate, Mark Dankof, told Press TV on Monday.

However, even though President Barack Obama’s administration is quite aware of the problem of sexual assault in the US military, it has been very slow in addressing the issue, and has only asked US Congress to advance additional funds for more prevention programs.

Erdogan Attends Ashura Ceremony in Istanbul, Addresses Mourners

JNN 17 Dec 2010 Ankara :Thousands of Turkish Shia braved freezing temperatures to commemorate the day of Ashura. There was a huge turnout at the Ashura  Muharram in Turkey where marches and mourning consolations were taking place in Ankara and Istanbul, and many other places. Erdogan delivered a speech about the moral meanings of the occasion.

Senior adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ali Akbar Velayati, was among the attendees in the ceremony and addressed the mourners describing the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (PBUH), as the symbol of fight against oppression.

Erdogan attended the ceremony this year for the first time since his AK party came to power in 2002.

Erdogan, who is a follower of the Hanafi school of the Sunni branch of Islam, delivered a speech at the ceremony, in which he discussed the importance of unity between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

“We have been feeling the pain of Karbala for 1,370 years. We have to feel that pain in our hearts. We remember (Imam) Hussein (AS) whenever an innocent person is killed,” the Turkish prime minister said as he began his speech.

“This country is ours, these lands are all ours, this history, this civilization is ours. Nobody can claim superiority to any other. We are equal to each other and we are all brothers in these lands. We are all first-class citizens of this country. The problems of all religious groups in my country are mine. That’s why we are struggling to address century-old problems through consensus. Aren’t there those who oppose us? Of course, there are. But we will overcome this with patience,” Erdogan added.

Erdogan’s participation in Ashura ceremony is a sign of Islamic unity

Addressing the Ashura mourners in Istanbul, Velayati described Erdogan’s participation in the ceremony as an extremely significant symbol of Islamic unity.

He also pointed to Turkey’s role in defending Islamic values and foiling plots against Muslim countries.

Ashura symbolizes unity among Muslims, justice, devotion, and the struggle against oppression, Velayati added.

He said that Imam Hussein’s uprising was aimed at reviving Islam and teaching Muslims to rise against bullying powers. Velayati also called on all Muslims to stand for the rights of Palestinians. He said that Muslim countries were obliged to defend the Palestinian nation in the asymmetrical war against Israel.

Velayati noted that the Gaza siege was a clear sign of Israel’s tyranny against Muslims and the people of Gaza, adding that the teachings of Imam Hussein (PBUH) tasked Muslims to extend assistance to the Palestinian nation. He also highlighted Turkey’s status in defending Islamic values and confronting conspiracies against Muslim countries.