Political Islam in the offing
April 25, 2009 by Amitabh Tripathi
Few weeks ago I predicted in my article that this general election is pregnant with a hidden message of Muslim assertion in coming days with alignment of leftists and Islamists as well. Above mentioned article was written when not even first phase of voting in general elections took place. Now till date two phases of general elections are completed and voting pattern of Muslims in various states has been known. The Most populated state Uttar Pradesh has shown some trend of Muslim voting which tells story in itself. Read more
What will be the message of general elections?
April 8, 2009 by Amitabh Tripathi
India has been gripped under fever of general elections as after one week first phase of voting in few constituencies will take place. Being the largest democracy of the world general elections in India always has some curiosity across the world. For last six decades India has proved credibility of its democratic institutions as well as maturity and it has received praise and respect for its successful functioning of these institutions. The final result of 15th Loksabha will come out on 16th on May and verdict of people will be wide open but it is quite clear that process of formation of the new government will last long just like Israel where several political groups come together to form a government and it took few weeks to materialize. Indian next parliament is very much going to receive fractured mandate and no single political party or formation will be able to muster the majority figure of 272. In this article election results which have been supposed will not be discussed because it is quite clear that anything could happen after elections and any political group or party could go in any camp irrespective of its ideological leanings except of two things that Congress and BJP will not join each other and Left parties will not join BJP. Read more
Pak could collapse within six months: Report
April 6, 2009 by SAF Desk
New York: Pakistan could collapse within six months in the face of snowballing insurgency, according to a top expert on guerrilla warfare.
Such dire prediction was given by David Kilcullen, a former adviser to top US military commander General David H. Petraeus.
Petraeus also echoed the same thought when he told a Congressional testimony last week that insurgency was one which could “take down” Pakistan, which is home to nuclear arms and al Qaeda.
Kilcullen’s comments come as Pakistan is witnessing an unprecedented upswing in terrorists strikes and now some analysts in Pakistan and Washington are putting forward apocalyptic timetables for the country.
In an analysis piece, the New York Times cast doubts about the success of President Barack Obama’s strategy offering Pakistan a partnership to defeat insurgency, but the Pakistanis still consider India enemy number one.
Officially, Pakistan’s Government welcomed Obama’s strategy, with its hefty infusions of American money, hailing it as a “positive change”, the paper said.
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US needs Pak-Afghan help to identify moderate Taliban
April 6, 2009 by SAF Desk
WASHINGTON: Pakistan and Afghanistan can help the United States in approaching those Taliban activists who may have moderate views and are willing to lay down their arms, says US National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones.
In a rare, exclusive interview to Dawn, Gen. Jones also stressed the need for a greater cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the fight against terrorists and said that President Barack Obama’s new strategy offers new hopes for peace and security in the South Asian region.
‘Surely the Pakistani people and Afghan people know more than we do,’ said Gen. Jones when asked how the US would approach the moderates among the Taliban that President Obama says could be included in the peace process.
‘And they can certainly help us in identifying those who are moderate in their views and wish to be participating in the political process,’ said the US national security adviser when asked whether Washington would directly approach the moderate Taliban or would include Pakistan and Afghanistan in this effort.
Explaining who he believed were the moderates, Gen. Jones said those who were willing to participate in the political process ‘without violence and without terror and without causing breaches in the security of either country.
‘And so I think that as we work towards identifying those people who wish to enter into a peaceful dialogue, political dialogue, there’s certainly room on the table for them.’
Asked what’s new in President Obama’s new strategy for the people of Pakistan, especially when drone attacks have continued unabated, Gen. Jones said: ‘What’s new is a regional focus. There has been a tendency in the past to deal with Pakistan and Afghanistan as separate issues. By appointing Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as a regional representative, the US is signaling a more comprehensive strategy.’
The US official pointed out that trouble in the border areas were of concern to both countries and should be dealt with accordingly.
In the new strategy, he said, President Obama also has indicated that the US would like to be helpful to its Pakistani friends and wanted to do whatever it could to be supportive of the government’s efforts.
The new strategy, he said, focuses on the real threat, al-Qaeda. ‘Al-Qaeda, whether it is in the border regions, in Pakistan or in Afghanistan, is the real enemy here. It is an enemy to the Pakistani people, it is an enemy to the Afghan people and to people here in the US and people all over the world.’
Gen. Jones said that when President Obama announced a direct aid package of $1.5 billion a year for five years, this was meant to reassure the Pakistani people that the US was committed to bringing peace and security to their country.
Ahmadinejad in Response to Obama: “Any Hand Outstretched to Attack Us Will Be Cut Off”
April 6, 2009 by SAF Desk
In an April 1 speech in the Khuzestan region in southern Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded to U.S. President Barack Obama’s videotaped message on the occasion of the Iranian New Year. Following are excerpts from Ahmadinejad’s speech:
Ahmadinejad to the West: Mind Your Manners
“…In order to take control of the [world's] people, the arrogant ones, those who speak through violence, the [most] corrupt people in history, are targeting first and foremost the honor [of the world's peoples], since a man who loses his honor is ready to bear any suffering and is trampled and easily eliminated. It is impossible for the arrogant ones to overcome a society and a population who have tasted the taste of honor…
“Seven years ago, following the Iranian nation’s steadfast stand on the nuclear issue, the enemies took up positions on both sides of Iran’s borders, in the east and in the west, and announced that the reason for their military show of force was in order to contain the Iranian nation in the Middle East region. Several times they made as though they were about to attack [Iran], with military preparations and threats against the Iranian nation. However, by the grace of God and thanks to the Iranian nation’s steadfastness, and thanks to the values of the martyrs, they were defeated…”
Ahmadinejad then addressed the world powers, saying: “We advise you to correct your behavior, since the world is changing… Stop the egotism, the aggression, and the lack of manners. Speak to the [world's] nations in a correct manner and politely…”
Iran “Is Known to the World as a Nation that Cannot Be Defeated”
“Thanks to the steadfastness of the Iranian nation, which stands behind the dear leader [Khamenei], this nation continues in its glorious path and is known to the world as a nation that cannot be defeated. Today, thanks to great achievements, the threat to Iran has been lifted, and no power in the world entertains the notion of taking action against the Iranian nation. Even if someone were to entertain this notion and want to undertake any act of aggression against the nation… he should know that the Iranian nation is ready, and any hand outstretched in order to attack will be cut off.
“The Iranian nation is one of civilization, culture, and values. It is peace-loving, and [its people are] people of reason and dialogue, justice and brotherhood. It desires that this atmosphere should exist throughout the world. They [the West] say that the world cannot be run through terror or militarism. We say the same thing; in fact, this is the deepest wish of the Iranian nation. However, the question here is: why are they making shows of force thousands of kilometers from their borders and attacking other nations? Stop your shows of force and aggression, and look to the world in peace and tranquility…” [1]
Paris, Berlin bristle as Obama backs Turkey for EU
April 6, 2009 by SAF Desk
By Kerstin Gemhlich and Mark John
PRAGUE (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama urged the European Union on Sunday to accept Turkey as a full member of the 27-nation bloc, in remarks rejected outright by France and met coolly by Germany.
The disagreement was a rare outward sign of divergence at an EU-U.S. summit stage-managed to relaunch transatlantic ties that were strained under the Bush administration and which both sides are now eager to mend.
“The United States and Europe must approach Muslims as our friends, neighbors and partners in fighting injustice, intolerance and violence, forging a relationship based on mutual respect and mutual interests,” Obama told the summit.
“Moving forward toward Turkish membership in the EU would be an important signal of your (EU) commitment to this agenda and ensure that we continue to anchor Turkey firmly in Europe,” he told EU leaders.
Turkey has long been seeking to join the bloc, and Obama’s comments were a reaffirmation of U.S. support for that goal.
But there is resistance among EU states such as Germany and France to its membership, including among ruling conservatives.
Sarkozy said it was up to the EU member states to decide on Turkish entry and reiterated his opposition. “I have always been opposed to this entry,” he told France’s TF1 television.
“I still am and I think I can say that the immense majority of member states shares the position of France,” he said.
“Turkey is a very great country, an ally of Europe, an ally of the United States. It will stay a privileged partner. My position hasn’t changed and it won’t change,” he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was clearly in the interest of all to forge ties between the EU and the Muslim world, but asked to comment directly on Obama’s remarks, she noted only: “It’s clear there are different opinions.”
Merkel said the form of any future connection between the EU and Turkey was still not clear, a reference to the possibility of a privileged partnership stopping short of actual membership — a formula favored by French and German conservatives.
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Pakistan: Taliban plans on carrying out two suicide attacks per week
April 6, 2009 by SAF Desk
ISLAMABAD – A senior Pakistani Taliban commander says the group carried out a suicide attack against a paramilitary camp in Islamabad that killed eight members of the security force.
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Hakimullah Mehsud, a deputy to Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, says his group will carry out two suicide attacks per week in Pakistan like the one in Islamabad on Saturday.
Hakimullah warned last week that his group would attack Islamabad in retaliation for U.S. drone missile strikes against militants in Pakistan near the Afghan border.
The Pakistani Taliban deputy spoke to The Associated Press by phone Sunday.
Read More…
Pakistan minister terms Swat flogging a Jewish plot
April 6, 2009 by SAF Desk
KARACHI: Federal Minister Senator Azam Khan Swati of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) said on Saturday that the flogging of the 17-year-old girl in Swat was a Jewish conspiracy aimed at destroying peace in Swat and distort the image of those Islamists who sport beards and wear turbans. Speaking at a reception hosted by the JUI-F Karachi Chapter in his honour, Swati said that the JUI-F may part ways with the PPP-led coalition government if drone attacks continue to violate the sovereignty of Pakistan. “We shall not tolerate the violation of our country’s sovereignty through drone attacks,†he said, adding that under a deep-rooted conspiracy, the Pakistan Army was being defamed. He said that the ISI might be modernised on the lines that they bring a bad name to its reputation among Pakistanis.He said that the US administration has declared Baitullah Mehsud as its enemy and approved financial aid for the Pakistan government for actions against people such as Mehsud. “There are apprehensions that the US administration may turn Pakistan into the next Afghanistan on the pretext of an operation against terrorists as they did with Afghanistan in the name of Osama Bin Laden,†said Swati. The JUI-F minister expressed concern over the fact that the US might target Pakistan’s nuclear installations, adding that we must be careful. “It is unfortunate that we long for water and electricity in this age of advancement,†he lamented, while also condemning the killings of Pukhtoons in interior Sindh. Qari Usman, Qari Sher Afzal and Maulana Abdul Karim Abid of the JUI-F also spoke on the occasion. staff report
The Death Throes of Pakistan’s Hindus
April 5, 2009 by Dr. Richard L. Benkin
I just returned from a month in India during which time an incredible number of significant events were occurring. My primary mission in going was to document and raise awareness of the ethnic cleansing of Bangladeshi Hindus. I found plenty, including evidence of ongoing attacks on them both in Bangladesh and in West Bengal, India. The border between the two is so porous that terrorists and contraband move freely with and without the help of India’s Border Security Force or West Bengal police. But I also witnessed the tragic beginning of the end for Pakistan’s Hindus. Once one in five Pakistanis, they have been reduced to one percent of the population. Read more
Pak Taliban claims responsibility for NY shootout
April 4, 2009 by SAF Desk
Binghamton (NY): Pakistani Taliban militant leader Baituallah Mehsud claimed on Saturday responsibility for an attack on a US immigration centre in New York state in which 13 people were killed.
“I accept resonsibility. They were my men. I gave them orders in reaction to US drone attacks,” Mehsud told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.
A man armed with two handguns killed 13 people at an immigration services centre before apparently turning the gun on himself, authorities in Binghamton, New York, said.
Representative Maurice Hinchey, whose district includes Binghamton, told the New York Times that indications are the gunman was an immigrant from Vietnam.
Earlier, a man armed with two handguns killed 13 people at an immigration services centre before apparently turning the gun on himself, authorities in Binghamton, New York, said on Friday.
Police Chief Joseph Zikuski told a news conference the gunman blocked the back entrance of the building with a car, walked in the front door and shot two receptionists, one of whom died, before entering a classroom and killing 12 more people and then apparently committing suicide.
The only victors can be the jihadists themselves: Western authorities, already mired in politically correct myopia, will grow even more afraid to speak openly about what they’re trying to do and what we can do to stop it. The losers can only be those who value freedom of speech and understand why it is so important in a genuinely pluralistic society. The UN measure moves the West one step closer to submitting to the hegemony of Islamic norms.