9 in 10 Kenyan Muslims practice Female Genital mutilation US drone strike kills 10 in Waziristan Gujarat HC raps Narendra Modi govt

for 'inaction' during post-Godhra riots 4,700 pilgrims arrive in Jeddah on the first day of Umrah season Malaysian opposition Leader's support for Israel offends Muslims Maldives turmoil concern for India Maldives ex-president Mohamed Nasheed was forced out Mideast: 2011 Nobel Laureate Tawakkul Karman, the smiling face of political Islam No space for terrorism, militancy, extremism in Islam Pakistan PM Gilani Kazakhstan needs religious patriots! Brotherhood says it won t Islamize Egypt Oman religious official calls for boosting Muslim-Western ties Militants attack police station in Nigeria s Kano Egypt s feminists prepare for a long battle Salafist says victims of Port Said tragedy died in sin 400 children killed in Syria: UNICEF Italy, France recall envoys to Syria; Russian FM meets Assad Bin Laden s ambassador in Europe to be free in days... Deposed Maldives president at risk , say climate activists Mubarak s wife attempted suicide over corruption charges NATO, Afghan and Pakistan officials to hold border talks Appeal filed against Pak PM Contempt charges Pakistan leads in Islamic microfinance Iran offers to build gas line in Pakistan Arrested German Spies Ordered Pakistan Army Uniforms Iran Kills Six Alleged Pakistani Drug Traffickers: Report Dozens killed in government raid on Syria s Homs: activists Sherry Rehman, General Mattis Discuss Pak-US Relations Mauritanian: Islamic Youth Forum Tackles Extremism Iran: Leader advises literati to write poems to boost Islamic Awakening Minneapolis helps Muslim businesses follow Sharia law World democracies are warming up to Israel Imam Khomeini (RA) Special Issue Published in Philippines The relevance of al-Qaida in the wake of the Arab Spring Firing at Bangladesh border wont stop: Indian BSF chief Irans Parliament summons Ahmadinejad Israeli radio in Farsi transmits peace to Iran Kingdoms Facebook community second largest in Arab world Saudi Kings humanitarian work to be showcased Ministers pledge more support for Saudi Kingdom s SMEs 300 KSA cases of faulty implants being probed Photo: 9 in 10 Kenyan Muslims practice Female URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=657 7 -------9 in 10 Kenyan Muslims practice Female Genetal mutilation Written by Morara Kebaso 8 February 2012 A study in North Eastern Kenya and released in Nairobi Monday by Mothers Lap Foun dation (MLF), a rights group, paints a grim picture in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The results of the report come out even as the practic e among Somali Muslims rise beyond 90 per cent. The study; Delinking Islam from FGM shows that 97 per cent of the Muslims in Nor

th Eastern Kenya practice FGM in the name of religious and cultural beliefs and strongly links religious beliefs in the Somali community to the current prevalen ce rates. While releasing the figures,Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome said thousands of young Somal i girls; barely in their teens, undergo FGM regularly. When I see a young Somali girl walking on the road, I pity her because; soon she will be experiencing the worst form of human rights violations- FGM. Nobody can convince me that a girl as young as 6 years old is undergoing the rite of passage. This rite of passage is from what to what? asked Lethome. Worse, said Lethome who led the study the girls are left under the mercies of br utal village genital cutters who use crude tools of mass destruction (circumcisers kn ife), sewing needle and a thread. Nobody is there for these innocent souls. There is not a single person to complai n to the authorities on behalf of the young girls. The father pays for FGM servi ces; the mother takes the girl to the circumciser and when you ask the police; o ne is told; we dont want to interfere with peoples culture. The politician will say ; he will lose votes. So who will cry for the girls? again posed Lethome. He added that; it is more piteous that the cutter; chest thumps after performing t he circumcision saying; I am the best, I do it like a sewing machine. According to the study, FGM is still high among the Kisii community of Nyanza wh ere it is still perceived as a part of culturd. It is second at 96 per cent afte r North Eastern Kenya, followed by the Maasai at 94 per cent; and Taita Taveta a t 62 per cent. The study revealed that FGM is practiced in most of the 47 counties in the count ry with Central Kenya recording a steady rise after the vice had been seen to re duce two years ago. Due to the sustained Mungiki activities in Central Kenya and other adjacent regio ns, FGM has been seen to rise again, despite initially going down, said MLF legal adviser, Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome at the organisations offices in Nairobi on Monda y. Among the Kikuyu community, FGM practice is currently standing at 33 per cent. Statistics show that as much there is political good will among the Kalenjin lea ders to stump out FGM, it is still practiced and lies at 49 per cent followed by Embu and Meru at 43 and 41 per cent respectively. The prevalence rate of FGM in the Kamba community stands at 27 per cent with other groups recording 21 per ce nt and 5 per cent for Mijikenda and the Swahili people of Coast. International Human Rights activist, Ansar Burney, who is visiting Kenya; Somali and Ethiopia, challenged the media to come out and speak for the young girls wh o literally do not have any hopes for the future as old men were waiting in the fringes to marry them. We need to create awareness; positively sensitise against FGM among communities t hat practice it. And this can only be done best by the media through conveying t he right information. I urge you the Kenyan media to fight for the girl childs ri ghts because FGM is a human rights violation; it is like killing a girl, said Bur ney. http://www.africasciencenews.org/en/index.php/health/63-health/294-9-in-10-kenya n-muslims-practice-female-genetal-mutilation

-------US drone strike kills 10 in Waziristan 8 February 2012 MIRAMSHAH: A US drone attack targeting a militant compound killed 10 insurgents in a troubled Pakistani tribal region on Wednesday, security officials said. Two missiles hit the compound located in Tappi, 10 kilometres southeast of Miram shah, the main town in volatile North Waziristan near the Afghan border, a milit ary official in Peshawar said. The attack triggered fire in the compound and 10 militants were killed, the offici al told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. The dead included some foreign militants from Central Asia, another security off icial said but offered no details. Some local residents in Tappi contacted by AFP said the militants announced over a mosque loudspeaker that funeral prayers for the dead will be held on Wednesda y afternoon. US officials say Pakistans tribal belt provides sanctuary to Taliban fighting in Afghanistan, al Qaeda groups plotting attacks on the West, Pakistani Taliban who routinely bomb Pakistan and other foreign fighters. But the missile strikes fuel widespread anti-American resentment, which is runni ng especially high in Pakistan since US air strikes inadvertently, killed 24 Pak istani soldiers in November. President Barack Obama last month confirmed for the first time that US drones ha ve targeted Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants on Pakistani soil, a programme that h as escalated under his administration. In a chat with web users on Google+ and YouTube, Obama said on January 31 a lot o f these strikes have been in the FATA Pakistans semi-autonomous Federally Administ ered Tribal Areas on the Afghan border. According to an AFP tally, 45 US missile strikes were reported in Pakistans triba l belt in 2009, 101 in 2010 and 64 in 2011. The New America Foundation think tank in Washington says drone strikes in Pakist an have killed between 1,715 and 2,680 people in the past eight years. The United States had until now refused to discuss the strikes publicly, but the program has dramatically increased as the Obama administration looks to withdra w all foreign combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. US diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks in late 2010 showed that Pakistans civil ian and military leaders privately supported US drone attacks, despite public co ndemnation in a country where the US alliance is hugely unpopular. Islamabad is said to be reviewing its entire alliance with the United States and has kept its Afghan border closed to Nato supply convoys since the November str ike. It ordered US personnel to leave Shamsi air base in southwestern Pakistan, widel

y believed to have been a hub for the CIA drone program, and is thought likely t o only reopen the Afghan border by exacting taxes on convoys. http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/08/us-drone-strike-kills-eight-in-pakistan-officials .html -------Gujarat HC raps Narendra Modi govt for PTI Feb 8, 2012 inaction during post-Godhra riots

AHMEDABAD: The Narendra Modi government was on Wednesday pulled up by the Gujara t high court for "inaction and negligence" on its part during the 2002 post-Godh ra riots that led to large-scale destruction of religious structures. A division bench of acting chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pa rdiwala made these observations, while ordering compensation for over 500 religi ous structures in the state. The court was hearing a petition filed by Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat (I RCG). Inadequacy, inaction and negligence on the part of the state government to preve nt riots resulted in large-scale destruction of religious structures across the state, the court observed. The government was responsible for repair and compensation for such places, it f urther said. The court said that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for relig ious structures. The court also ordered that principal judges of 26 districts of the state will r eceive the applications for compensation of religious structures in their respec tive districts and decide on it. They have been asked to send their decisions to HC within six months. IRCG s petition in 2003 had sought court s directions to the government to pay c ompensation towards damage of religious places during riots on the ground that t he National Human Rights Commission, too, had recommended and the state governme nt had in principle accepted the suggestion. The state government had opposed the IRCG petition, saying it was a violation of article 27 of the Constitution. The government further said that there was no policy with regards to compensatio n for restoration/repair of religious places damaged or destroyed during the rio ts. Lawyer for IRCG, M T M Hakim hailed it as a "landmark judgement" in the country, in which compensation has been ordered for destruction of religious structures. "This is also probably for the first time that a court has held the state govern ment responsible for inaction and negligence during the 2002 riots," Hakim said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-HC-raps-Narendra-Modi-govt-forinaction-during-post-Godhra-riots/articleshow/11806101.cms

-------4,700 pilgrims arrive in Jeddah on the first day of Umrah season Feb 8, 2012 JEDDAH: More than 4,700 pilgrims on 19 flights arrived at the King Abdul Aziz In ternational Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah on the fist day of the 2012 Umrah season at the Haj terminal on Tuesday. The pilgrims were mainly from Turkey, Algeria and Iraq, the Saudi Press Agency r eported. The General Authority for Civil Aviation said the KAIA administration h as done all needed work in collaboration with government departments and operati ons agencies at the airport to handle the pilgrims smoothly. Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article572454.ece -------Malaysian opposition Leader s support for Israel offends Muslims 07 February 2012 KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim s expressed support for the existence of the Zionist state of Israel is offensive to Muslims worldwide. In a Feb 6 report by online newsportal http://www.rakyatmerdekaonline.com, Anwar s comments were described as reckless and excessive . "I think this statement is very reckless and excessive. Anwar s support can hurt and ignores the aspirations of the Muslim world, at a time when there are inter national calls and support for the struggle of the Palestinians from Israeli occ upation," said director of the Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic World (PKTT DI) Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta (UMJ), Hery Sucipto. Hery suspects Anwar s statement is politically intended to gain the sympathy and support from the United States and the West, and Israel. However, he said, the move was too risky, especially for Muslims in Malaysia and internationally. The report said public sympathy towards the Opposition leader could turn into ap athy following his comments on the Palestinian-Israel issue. Hery said Anwar should be more cautious when making statements to the media. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last month, Anwar had reportedly ex pressed support for "all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel" . -------Maldives turmoil concern for India SANDHYA SHARMA WEDNESDAY, 08 FEBRUARY 2012 Maldives political unrest, leading to its first democratically elected president in decades Mohamed Nasheeds resignation, is a security alarm for India.

Experts feel the Sunni-dominated island nation Maldives can be a fertile ground for jehadist recruitment for the already radicalised youth, as the country which graduated from autocratic rule to democracy doesnt seem to be willing to make ch anges for religious pluralism. Nasheeds resignation has further dented that trans ition. Maldives can be a Talibanised version of a Sunni state, said senior fellow Alok Ba nsal at CLAWS (Centre for Land and Warfare Studies). Maldives has been coming under the influence of a Salafi-Jihadi ideology which i s increasingly gaining currency among Maldivians, especially the youth. The coun try recently ordered shut down on spas and heath clubs. Radical political parties such as the Adhalaat Party are clamouring for Sharia t o be implemented. Adhalaat, which is sympathetic to the Taliban, also controls t he nations Ministry of Islamic Affairs. India said it would refrain from intervening in the internal matter of the country . But the developments in the neighbourhood are sure to keep New Delhi on the al ert mode. India enjoys diplomatic clout in the country and has strong stakes in its securi ty. In 1988 India foiled a coup on the island by sending a battalion of soldiers (Operation Cactus) to back the Government. However, official sources differentiated the current situation from the developm ents of 1988 when Maldives had sought help from New Delhi in the face of extraneo us powers trying to force a regime change. There are about 30,000 Indians there a nd sources said Indian expatriate community there is safe. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/40993-maldives-turmoil-concern-for-india.html -------Maldives ex-president Mohamed Nasheed was forced out 8 February 2012 Mr Hassan has pledged to uphold the constitution of the Maldives Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has said that he was forced to resign "at gunpoint" by police and army officers in a coup. He said the move was planned with the knowledge of vice president Mohammed Wahee d Hassan who has replaced him. Mr Nasheed resigned after some security officials joined opposition protests ove r the removal of a top judge. Mr Hassan denies a coup took place or that there was a pre-arranged plan for him to stage a takeover. Hundreds of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters, led by Mr Nasheed, have marched through the streets of Male in protest at his ousting. Full Report At: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16945764

-------Mideast: 2011 Nobel Laureate Tawakkul Karman, the smiling face of political Isla m 07 FEBRUARY 2012 (by Stefano Secondino) (ANSAmed) - ROME - Tawakkul Karman is the new face of pol itical Islam. She wears a veil, but talks of democracy. She fights against despo ts, but preaches non-violence. She asks the West for respect, but at the same ti me wants to work together. She is religious, but no fundamentalist. The Yemenite winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, heroine of the revolution tha t has driven out President-dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, represents the new polit ical class that emerged from the Arab uprisings. Religious, but moderate (at lea st for now). A political Islam that has nothing to do with the Islam of the bear ded terrorists who formed an obsession in Western public opinion after September 11, in the Bush era. An Islam that speaks of democracy and human rights, that w as reduced to silence for years by the old secular dictators, relics of Arab nat ionalism, socialists when they were young and pro-Americans when they got old. Full Report At: http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2012/02/07/visualizza_ new.html_75664673.html -------NO SPACE FOR TERRORISM, MILITANCY, EXTREMISM IN ISLAM PAKISTAN PM GILANI Feb 6th, 2012 . ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (NNN-APP) Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has s aid that there is no space for terrorism, militancy or extremism in Islam and th ose involved in such activities cannot even claim to be Muslims. The Prime Minister, in his message on the occasion of Eid Milad-un- Nabi (SAWW) being celebrated on Sunday, said,Those, who spread disorder and chaos, cannot eve n claim to be Muslims as the scourges of terrorism and extremism are incompatibl e to the essence of Islamic teachings. The Prime Minister said today (Sunday) the Muslims around the world including Pa kistan are celebrating Eid Milad-un-Nabi (SAWW) with religious zeal. Full Report At: http://news.brunei.fm/2012/02/06/no-space-for-terrorism-militancy-extremism-in-i slam-pakistan-pm-gilani/ -------Kazakhstan needs religious patriots! by WENDELL SCHWAB 2/6/2012 Last week, Kazakhstans Vice Prime Minister Erbol Orynbaev told the board of the M inistry of Education and Science that the countrys schools have a vital assignmen t: to prevent ideological extremism presumably the type of extremism that led to t

he criminal acts done in the name of Islam in western Kazakhstan and Taraz last year by developing Kazakh patriots who think independently. This assignment refle cts the Soviet approach of some Kazakhstani government officials to criminal act s done in the name of Islam: the problem to be solved is the false consciousness of extremists. Except, in this case, instead of the proletariats misrecognition o f its class interests, it is Kazakh Muslims misrecognition of their true ideology : Kazakh patriotism. Full Report At: http://www.registan.net/index.php/2012/02/06/kazakhstan-needs-religious-patriots -and-already-has-them/ -------Brotherhood says it won t Islamize Egypt 2012-02-08 By Li Lianxing Editor s note: China Daily reporter Li Lianxing traveled to Cairo to talk with l eaders of the Muslim Brotherhood about their plans for the future of the country and its relationship with China. CAIRO - Egypt will not be "Islamized" by leaders of the Islamic political party, a senior official from the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood told China Daily. The country will embrace a full democracy after the presidential election in Jun e, said Mahmoud Ghozlan, one of the supreme leaders of the Egyptian Muslim Broth erhood and a spokesman for the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). "An Islamic country is not a religious country understood in the same way as the Middle Ages in Europe," he told China Daily in an exclusive interview. Full Report At: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012-02/08/content_14556086.htm -------Oman religious official calls for boosting Muslim-Western ties 8 February 2012 8 February 2012 MUSCAT - Both Muslims and Westerners are responsible for any cri sis in their relations and hence must join hands to overcome the situation throu gh harmony and understanding, Omans top religious official said here on Monday. Awqaf and Religious Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Salmi, who was ope ning a Human Rapprochement Week in which elite thinkers, intellectuals, researche rs and academics from around the world are taking part, observed that Muslims, C hristians and Jews had one thing in common they were all descendents of Ibrahim. Moreover, Muslims and Westerners have shared certain common cultural experience s, such as the one in Andalusia, Sicily, Oman and Baghdad, he added. The event is organised by the Sultan Qaboos Centre for Islamic Culture (SQCIC) and dignitari es attending the opening ceremony included Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad al Khalili, th e Grand Mufti of Oman, several ministers and members of the State Council and Ma jlis Ashshura.

Full Report At: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2012/Februa ry/middleeast_February234.xml&section=middleeast&col= -------Militants attack police station in Nigeria s Kano Tue Feb 7, 2012 KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked a police station with explosives and a utomatic weapons in Nigeria s northern city of Kano on Monday, the latest assaul t by suspected Islamist militants on the country s second biggest urban centre. A Reuters reporter heard a powerful blast which shook windows and a sustained gu n battle, which was still under way after more than an hour. Boko Haram is waging a low level insurgency against the government and says it w ants to impose sharia law across the country of 160 million people split evenly between Muslims and Christians. Full Report At: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE81601P20120207 -------Egypt s feminists prepare for a long battle 07 Feb 2012 With a tumultuous year behind it, Egypt is bracing for a fresh start - but this new democracy carries some old baggage, including the classic challenge of the m arginalisation of the country s women. With conservative groups such as Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood winning ma jority votes in the new government after decades of either being banned from ele ctions or relegated to the political fringes, what will the role of women in thi s new Egypt be? Some Western media have placed emphasis on the potential offered by some women s rights groups, while more alarmist pundits have gone so far as to say that women s rights will be taken back to the "dark ages". US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also expressed concern that women were bei ng "largely excluded from the transition process and even harassed in the street ", and that "the best-organised political parties supported few women candidates in the recent elections". Full Report At: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/01/2012117113758961894.html -------Salafist says victims of Port Said tragedy died in sin Tuesday 7 Feb 2012 El-Shahat, who is the official spokesperson of the El-Daua El-Salafiya and faile d to secure a seat in parliament, said that the 74 football fans who met their d

eath during the violence that ensued following a match between Masry and Ahly di ed while enjoying an entertainment which is religiously forbidden and so were no t martyrs. Since Thursday of last week, when the tragedy took place, thousands of protester s have been demonstrating in Cairo, and other cities across Egypt over the secur ity forces handing of the events in Port Said s football stadium. Security forces are either accused of masterminding the attacks or allowing the attacks to happ en. Full Report At: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/33905/Egypt/Politics-/Salafist-says -victims-of-Port-Said-tragedy-died-in.aspx -------400 children killed in Syria: UNICEF 8 February 2012 GENEVA: At least 400 children have been killed in 11 months of violence in Syria and almost the same number detained, with reports of torture and sexual abuse, the United Nations Children s Fund said Tuesday. "As of the end of January, 400 children are dead and more than 400 have been det ained," UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado said at a briefing. "There are reports of children arbitrarily arrested, tortured and sexually abuse d while in detention," the agency added in a statement. Mercado said the figures for children killed came from Syrian human rights group s "that we find to be credible". Full Report At: http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-34328-400-children-killed-in-Syria:-UNICEF -------Italy, France recall envoys to Syria; Russian FM meets Assad Feb 7, 2012 ROME/PARIS: Italy and France on Tuesday said they were recalling their ambassado rs to Syria, a day after Britain and the US stepped up pressure on Syrian leader Bashar Assad to step down. Syrian forces, meanwhile, renewed their assault on t he flashpoint city of Homs as Russias foreign minister held talks in Damascus wit h Assad about the countrys escalating violence. Both Italy and France said their embassies would remain open to provide assistan ce to their citizens in the country. Tuesdays announcement comes as other Western powers including Britain, the United States and Italy have called back their top envoys in the wake of new violence in Syria. Its the second time in three months that France has recalled Ambassador Eric Chev allier to Paris. In November, France briefly closed consular and cultural posts in Syria over a new upsurge in violence.

Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/world/article572263.ece -------Bin Laden s ambassador in Europe to be free in days... By JACK DOYLE and JAMES SLACK 8th February 2012 One of the worlds most dangerous fanatics will be freed from jail within days wit h a judges permission to do the school run. Notorious hate preacher Abu Qatada is considered such a threat that he will be p ermitted to roam the streets for only two hours a day. But Mr Justice Mitting ruled that he must be allowed to walk his youngest child to school under his bail conditions. It raises the prospect of parents at the school gates bumping into the radical c leric, who was known as Osama Bin Ladens ambassador in Europe. Qatadas strict curfew also reflects the fact that he has, in the past, been accus ed of terrorist fundraising. He was found to have 170,000 cash in his possession, including 805 in an envelope marked For the mujahedin in Chechnya. The bail ruling came as the respected Royal United Services Institute think tank warned that sources estimate that at least 200 would-be suicide bombers are acti vely planning attacks in the UK. Full Report At: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097108/Abu-Qatada-release-Osama-Bin-Lad ens-ambassador-Europe-free-days.html?ITO=1490 -------Deposed Maldives president Wed Feb 08 2012 Paris : Maldives ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, who today said he was forced to resign, is "at risk," according to climate change activists who have launched a global petition on his behalf. "Tell your national leaders: We are deeply concerned about the recent coup that forced [Nasheed] from office and is currently keeping him under house arrest," 3 50.org said on its website, which provides a Web form for emailing the petition. "President Nasheed was the first democratically elected leader of his country an d a global voice for action to address the climate crisis. He needs your support to ensure his safety," the organisation said. "Please put diplomatic pressure on the leaders of this coup to avoid violence an d to work for a peaceful, democratic solution to their conflict." at risk , say climate activists

Nasheed, speaking by telephone from the capital Male, said he resigned under the threat of violence from some 18 "middle-ranking" police and Army officers. "They told me if I didn t resign they would resort to use arms," he said. "I too k it as a threat. I wanted to negotiate the lives of the people who were serving in my government." 350.org, a global grassroots campaign calling for a sharp cut in greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the concentration of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atm osphere, praised Nasheed as a "tireless voice for climate action." Many small island nations are already reeling from the impact of rising sea leve ls and more intense storms, both impacts of global warming, according to scienti sts. Nasheed -- who once held a cabinet meeting underwater to dramatise the plight of low-lying island states such as his own -- often said that beating back the thr eat of climate change "is a matter of life and death for us." "Now it is he specifically who is at risk," 350.org said in launching the appeal . http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/909506/ -------Mubarak s wife attempted suicide over corruption charges IANS Feb 8, 2012

CAIRO: The wife of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has confessed in her memoirs about an attempt to commit suicide when she knew she would be arrested f or corruption. "May 13, 2011, was the darkest day of my life. When Assem al-Gohary, assistant justice minster for illicit gains affairs, brought an order to arrest me, I too k an overdose of sleeping pills and wanted to commit suicide as I could not imag ine what for and how to live," Suzanne Mubarak was quoted as saying by EGYnews. She said that she was miraculously saved. Full Report At: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Mubaraks-wife-attempted-sui cide-over-corruption-charges/articleshow/11805586.cms -------Nato, Afghan and Pakistan officials to hold border talks 8 February 2012 ISLAMABAD: Nato, Afghan and Pakistani military officials will hold talks on impr oving border security and coordination on Wednesday, in a possible sign that ten sion is easing following a cross-border Nato air attack in November that infuria ted Pakistan. Pakistans military said the director-general of military operations, Major-Genera l Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed, would represent the country in the talks at a coordinatio

n centre at the border. Full Report At: http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/08/nato-afghan-and-pakistan-military-officials-to-me et.html -------Appeal filed against Pak PM contempt charges 8 February 2012 ISLAMABAD: An intra-court appeal requesting the Supreme Court to suspend its dec ision of framing contempt charges against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was filed on Wednesday, DawnNews reported. On Feb 2, the apex court had issued summons for the premier for Feb 13 for him t o be indicted with contempt over his refusal to pursue corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. The announcement significantly escalated pressure on the embattled prime ministe r, threatening to plunge his weak government deeper into crisis and force early elections within months. The appeal, filed by the prime ministers counsel, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, request ed the court to postpone the indictment. It moreover said that the ruling was given without the premier being given an op portunity to defend himself directly. Ahsan said he based the appeal on precedents set by top courts in Australia, Bri tain, France, India and the United States. I have filed an appeal today. I have quoted more than 50 national and internation al cases and given specific reasons against the Supreme Court order, Ahsan told r eporters. A court official confirmed that the appeal had been received. If convicted of contempt, the prime minister could be jailed for up to six month s and disqualified from public office. Ahsan called for an early hearing of the appeal. It depends on the court to stay the proceedings and decide against summoning the prime minister on February 13, he said. http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/08/appeal-filed-against-pm-contempt-charges.html -------Pakistan leads in Islamic microfinance February 07, 2012 MANILA, Philippines - Pakistan has been acknowledged as a leader of Islamic micr ofinance with more than 20 institutions providing microfinance services. In an international summit on Islamic microfinance in Istanbul, AlHuda Centre o

f Islamic Banking and Economics chief executive officer Muhammad Zubair Mughal s aid that conventional microfinance has badly failed and its examples can be clea rly seen in India and Latin America. People do not use financial and banking system due to interest as it is strictly prohibited in Islam, hence forced to live in poverty whereas through Islamic mic rofinance, by using the financial products based on Shariah principles, we can ge t the people out from poverty, he said. Full Report At: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=775004&publicationSubCategoryId=7 4 -------Iran offers to build gas line in Pakistan February 08, 2012 ISLAMABAD - Iran on Tuesday offered Pakistan assistance in building the much-awa ited gas pipeline, as the two countries resolved to enhance the volume of the bi lateral trade from $1.5 billion to $5 billion by exploring new avenues of econom ic cooperation.The offer to build the Pakistani portion of the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project was made by the visiting Iranian Vice-President on Internation al Affairs Ali Saeedlou during meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Advi ser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.The two countries also s igned three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to promote cooperation in the ec onomic sector.The latest development gained more importance, as President Zardar i, while setting aside the US pressure, made it clear that Pakistan was committe d for early implementation of Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline to meet the ever-growin g energy demand in the country. During a meeting with Ali Saeedlou at the Presid ency, Zardari proposed elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers between the two countries to further boost trade ties and realise the true business and tra de potential.The president said enhanced cooperation in energy, security, commun ication and infrastructure would help the two countries to materialise the goal of raising the bilateral trade to $5 billion.He said Pakistan and Iran were pois ed to play an important role in the promotion of intra and inter-regional connec tivity, which was the key to the socio-economic development of the people.He exp ressed readiness to grant multiple entry visas to the businessmen from Iran on a reciprocal basis, adding that Pakistan also wanted to carry forward the propose d projects of 1000 MW Taftan-Quetta power transmission line and the 100 MW power supply to Gwadar. Full Report At: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/0 8-Feb-2012/iran-offers-to-build-gasline-in-pakistan -------Arrested German Spies Ordered Pakistan Army Uniforms 8 February 2012 Moreover, the some traditional ladies full-length outer garments (burqas) have al so been recovered from their residence. The alleged German spies namely Rolf Schmidt, Kristen Wild, and Lorenz had been living in Peshawar since 1981 and shifted to a bungalow at Parklane a year ago.

Police also found receipt of uniform order as well. Full Report At: http://www.pakistanideology.com/pakistan-news/arrested-german-spies-ordered-paki stan-army-uniforms/ -------Iran Kills Six Alleged Pakistani Drug Traffickers: Report 8 February 2012 TEHRAN: Iranian border guards killed six alleged drug traffickers were said to hav e crossed over from Pakistan, the official IRNA news agency said on Saturday. The six were shot dead after they allegedly crossed the border and opened fire, the report said quoting the Iranian Sistan-Baluchestan province border police. Over 1,000 kilos (2,200 pounds) of opium and hashish were seized, the report sai d. After a number of drug traffickers not only did not pay attention to the halt orde rs but started shooting, the Iranian border patrol returned fire, the police adde d. The report came a day after Pakistani officials said that Iranian border guards shot dead at least six Pakistanis and wounded two others after they strayed acro ss the border in a remote southwestern area of Pakistan. Full Report At: http://pakistannewstoday.com/2012/01/29/iran-kills-six-alleged-pakistani-drug-tr affickers-report/ -------Dozens killed in government raid on Syria s Homs: activists 8 February 2012 BEIRUT: Dozens of civilians were killed on Wednesday as government troops presse d a relentless assault on the flashpoint central Syrian city of Homs into a fift h straight day, activists said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the deaths were caused by shelling and gunfire from Syrian forces, and added that three entire families were also k illed overnight by regime-backed thugs. (AFP) http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-34445-Dozens-killed-in-government-raid-in-Homs -------Sherry Rehman, General Mattis Discuss Pak-US Relations Thursday, 02 February 2012 WASHINGTON: On Wednesday, the envoy of Pakistan, Sherry Rehman met with Centcom Commander General James Mattis about the relationship of Pak-US.

Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan is the only country who sacrifices a lot than a ny other country and stand in war against terror and almost success in every war against terrorism. She also included that, stressed the need for both countries to work together to build a relationship that is equitable, transparent and predictable. Full Report At: http://www.pakistaninewsupdate.com/Pakistan-News/sherry-rehman-general-mattis-di scuss-pak-us-relations.html -------Mauritanian: Islamic Youth Forum Tackles Extremism FEBRUARY 7, 2012 NOUAKCHOTT, 15 Rabi al-Awwal/7 Feb.(IINA)-The 24th International Islamic Scienti fic Conference was held February 1st-3rd under the aegis of the Culture and Isla m Group, in conjunction with the Islamic Organisation for Education, Culture and Science (ISESCO). The meetings theme was the role of Islamic youth, caught between aspirations for c hange and the demands of rationality. In a speech at the opening ceremony, Mauritanian Islamic Affairs Minister Ahmed Ould Neini emphasised the need to involve young people in development. Youths are the pillar of society. They are the catalyst in national development, and no healthy development can succeed without involving this segment of society ; which requires young people to display greater rectitude in their thinking and greater wisdom, the minister said. Full Report At: http://iina.me/wp_en/?p=1006667 -------Iran: Leader advises literati to write poems to boost Islamic Awakening 07 February 2012 TEHRAN -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has emphasized the significant role of literature in the uprising of Islamic Aw akening. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in Tehran on Monday at a meeting with the Ir anian and foreign literati who attended the International Congress on Islamic Aw akening Literature. He asked the literary figures from Islamic countries to write poetry that would have a great influence on the uprising of the Islamic Awakening. At the meeting, guests from Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Bahrain and several other c ountries recited their poetry in honor of Prophet Muhammad (S), the Islamic Awak ening, and the 33rd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Full Report At:

http://tehrantimes.com/arts-and-culture/95237-leader-advises-literati-to-write-p oems-to-boost-islamic-awakening -------Minneapolis helps Muslim businesses follow Sharia law BY NICK SUDHEIMER 2012 / 02 / 07 In 2005, Afrik Grocery and Halal Meat on Cedar Avenue needed to expand. Owner Ab di Adem, who operates his business under Sharia law, needed to find a loan that funded the expansion and complied with his religious beliefs. Finding the loan was easier than he expected. Since December 2006, the city of Minneapolis, in partnership with the African De velopment Center, has given out 54 loans in a way that is compliant with Islamic law by using a fixed rate in place of a variable interest rate, which some cons idered sinful. Full Report At: http://www.mndaily.com/2012/02/07/minneapolis-helps-muslim-businesses-follow-sha ria-law -------World democracies are warming up to Israel By Moshe Arens 8 February 2012 No Israeli could have failed to notice the radical change in weather over the pa st two months. Forecasters predicted another dry winter, and fortunately they tu rned out to be wrong. And while Israel is still suffering from a water shortage, for the moment the situation is not as dire as we had thought. But has anyone noticed that there is another change on the horizon, one that has confounded the prophets of doom? Slowly but surely, it is becoming apparent tha t the international political climate in Israel is far better than had been pred icted, and it seems to be getting better all the time. Last week the Canadian foreign minister, John Baird, announced during a visit to Israel that Israel has no better friend than Canada. "Ottawa", he said, "stands for what is principled and just, regardless of whether it is popular, convenien t or expedient." Baird added, "Israel is a beacon of light in a region that crav es freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law." Full Report At: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/world-democracies-are-warming-up-to -israel-1.411455 -------Imam Khomeini (RA) Special Issue Published in Philippines

2012/02/07 (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - On the occasion of the 10-Day Fajr ceremonies, Iran C ultural Center in the Philippines published a special issue of its quarterly tit led Great Leader of Islamic Revolution. According to the Islamic Culture and covers some of the papers presented (RA) and its world-wide influences h the UP University, the biggest one Full Report At: http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=295196 -------The relevance of al-Qaida in the wake of the Arab Spring Tuesday, 07 February 2012 The political and social upheaval in many parts of the Middle East and North Afr ica that began with a young mans personal quest for dignity after being slighted by a policewoman in a small Tunisian town in December 2010 was one of the most i mportant stories of 2011. The consequences of this ongoing process, commonly described as the Arab Spring, r emain unclear. In Egypt and Tunisia, the Spring has seen the collapse of decades ol d dictatorial regimes and given way to elections and new legislatures. However, in Egypt, the army remains the most important institution and it has maintained power, even in the face of continued protests. In Libya, a violent uprising brou ght down four decades of dictatorship, leading to the formation of a temporary G overnment, which faces enormous challenges in reconciling tribal relations and l aunching an entirely new and supposedly democratic system of Government. In Syri a and Yemen, the protests and the violence continue, while the existing power st ructures prevail. In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States (with the notable exceptio n of Bahrain), the wave of revolt has, for the time being, been averted by a bar ricade of monetary largesse that has effectively bought out any potential protes ts before they even had the chance to develop. Full Report At: http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23272:t he-relevance-of-al-qaida-in-the-wake-of-the-arab-spring&catid=87:border-security &Itemid=188 -------Firing at Bangladesh border wont stop: Indian BSF chief Wednesday, February 8, 2012 Chief of the Indian Border Security Force U K Bansal has said it would not be po ssible to totally stop the firing at the border as they must take steps to stop the offenders. It would never be possible to totally stop firing - so long criminal activities w ould continue to take place at the India-Bangladesh border, BSF men will have to prevent the offences. And that is the duty of the troop, he said this during an Relations Organization (ICRO), the magazine at the seminar of character of Imam Khomeini held by the Iranian center in cooperation wit in the Philippines.

interview with BBC Bangla in Kolkata broadcast on Tuesday. Bansal s comments came when human rights organisations has been alleging that th e incidents of killing and torture of Bangladeshis in the hands of BSF are witne ssing a rising trend. Full Report At: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=35691 -------Irans Parliament summons Ahmadinejad Feb 8, 2012 TEHRAN: Iran s Parliament has summoned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for questio ning over a long list of accusations, including allegations that he mismanaged t he nation s economy. It s the first summons of its kind for an Iranian president since 1979. It follo ws a petition by a parliamentary committee and is part of a power struggle ahead of March parliamentary elections. Mohammad Reza Bahnoar, the Parliament deputy speaker, said Tuesday that lawmaker s are demanding Ahmadinejad answer questions on the economy, including purported ly bypassing a special budget for the Tehran subway and public transportation. He is also to be queried about foreign and domestic policy decisions. The summons will be sent to Ahmadinejad this week. The president must appear in Parliament after one month. Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article572362.ece -------Israeli radio in Farsi transmits peace to Iran By ARON HELLER Feb 8, 2012 JERUSALEM: While Israeli leaders are increasingly sounding belligerent warnings of a potential military strike against Irans nuclear installations, a group of Ir anian-Israelis are transmitting a different message. Radio RADISIN, a private Farsi-language radio station based in Tel Aviv, airs Ir anian music, poetry and current affairs shows aiming to spread peace between the Israeli and Iranian people regardless of who is in power in Tehran. Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article572337.ece -------Kingdoms Facebook community second largest in Arab world

By ARAB NEWS Feb 8, 2012 RIYADH: With 2.9 million Facebook users, Saudi Arabia is the second largest Arab country in the use of the social media tool and the 32nd worldwide, Al-Eqtisadi ah daily reported Tuesday quoting a study. The work, conducted by Fawziya Al-Harbi, a researcher with a master s degree in media from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, said the number of Facebook users in the Kingdom had tripled over the past few years, and almost half of the users were young men and women under 25 years of age. Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/offbeat/article572367.ece -------Saudi Kings humanitarian work to be showcased By FATIMA SIDIYA Feb 8, 2012 JEDDAH: Sulaisila Center for Art and Heritage, a division of Al-Faisaliya Women Welfare Society, organizes an event entitled Identity at Park Hyatt Hotel here on Sunday. The event, held under the patronage of Princess Hissa Al-Shalan, wife of Custodi an of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, aims at highlighting the achievements of the king in the field of humanitarian work in the Kingdom. The event also int ends to support Saudi women in the field of design and development of Saudi heri tage. The preparation and organization of Identity was stretched over seven mont hs and will include a film to show the Kings efforts in humanitarian development produced by Iman Younis, a Saudi woman. Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/offbeat/article572366.ece -------Ministers pledge more support for Kingdom s SMEs By ABDUL HANNAN TAGO Feb 8, 2012 RIYADH: Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Assaf reaffirmed on Tuesday at the Saudi Small and Medium Enterprises Forum that the SMEs sector is being given increasin g importance and financial support through training and guidance to help it cont ribute to the development of the Saudi economy. Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/economy/article572468.ece --------

300 KSA cases of faulty implants being probed By ARAB NEWS Feb 8, 2012 RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is currently investigating more than 300 cases of women in the Kingdom that have undergone breast augmentation using silicon implants that were produced by a French company called Poly Implant Prothese or PIP, which has been shut down in 2010, business daily Al-Eqtisadiah found out on Tuesday. According to Al-Eqtisadiah resources, this procedure had been performed in 20 ho spitals and clinics around the country. The SFDA also found out during their inv estigations that a local company that works in the field of medical supplies and products had imported these silicon implants by express mail from 2006 until 20 09 and had distributed quantities to several hospitals and clinics throughout th e Kingdom. Full Report At: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article572330.ece URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=657 7