Europe: Muslims sent to Pakistan to showcase ‘British values’
On 30/5/2008 six-member British Muslim team arrived in Pakistan to promote ‘British Islam’. Over the past two years, the British Foreign Office has organized more than 20 visits to countries with a Muslim-majority population in a programme to ‘showcase the integral role Muslims play in British society’ and increase mutual understanding. One thing is for sure that the delegation will not highlight the oppression and tyranny suffered by British Muslims under British values. The routine stop and search of ordinary young Muslims, confinement of Muslims without trial, unbridled police surveillance of mosques, espionage of Islamic organizations and community leaders, the proliferation of anti-terror legislation to target Muslims and the forced removal of hijjab are some of the draconian measures that have become not only Britain’s benchmark for integrating Muslims but Europe too.
Americas: Another proof CIA intelligence is cooked for political means
Last week in an interview with the Washington Post, CIA director Hayden said about Al-Qaeda: “Near strategic defeat of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Near strategic defeat for Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia. Significant setbacks for Al-Qaeda globally …” Senator Rockefeller challenged Hayden’s upbeat assessment and cited a litany of public statements by top intelligence officials over the past year that emphasized Al-Qaeda's regeneration in the Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).Hayden’s remarks have again rekindled the debate about the CIA not learning from its past mistakes. CIA’s failure to apprehend 9-11 hijackers, the absence of Iraq’s WMD and claims that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons have all come under intense criticism. But despite this, the US political establishment is not prepared to acknowledge the enormous amount of evidence that CIA’s intelligence has been purposefully fabricated by successive US administrations— from President Trueman to President Bush junior— to mobilize American opinion for imperial ventures and justify wars against innocent nations.
Americas: Obama’s is the democratic nominee but his outlook on the Muslim world remains unchanged
On 3/6/2008 Senator Obama achieved the required number of delegates to become the Democratic Party’s official nominee. He will now take on of the Republican Party for upcoming US general elections scheduled for later this year. Despite Obama’s rhetoric about making changes to US foreign policy—very little is about to change. His comments on Pakistan, Iran , Palestine and Iraq in strategic terms are similar to those espoused by the Republican Party and Senator McCain. The changes mooted by Obama are only tactical, such as the ‘withdrawal’ of US troops from Iraq and America’s right to attack Pakistan unilaterally. It is very unlikely that the Presidential contest will be won on foreign policy. Obama’s winning speech in St Pauls Minnesota was peppered with references to economic issues, and most likely it is on this that the election will be won or lost.
Middle East: King Abdullah convenes conference to embrace Jews and Christians
On 4/6/2008 Saudi Arabia 's king Abdullah urged a gathering of 500 Muslim scholars to open religious dialogue with Christians and Jews. Has not the King heard the all too often derogatory remarks made by the Pope and other western leaders about Islam? Is he not aware of the words of Allah regarding Jews and Christians? Allah says: “the Jews and the Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their own Deen” [TMQ 2:120]
South Asia: Pathetic efforts aimed at easing Pakistan ’s energy crisis
On 1/6/2008 Pakistan 's government put the nation's clocks forward by an hour and ordered stores to close early to ease electricity shortages that are hurting economic growth and fuelling unrest across the country. This initiative by the government is too little too late. Conservative estimates suggest that Pakistan faces 5000 mw power shortage due to the widening gap between supply and demand. During the past 10 years successive governments failed to build power plants to meet the increase in demand. Furthermore, the privatization of electricity production and distribution in the 1990s has aggravated the energy crisis. Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in some cases refuse to produce and distribute electricity to Pakistani cities, unless the government compensates them for the high price of oil, which is used to generate electricity. The IPPs want the government to raise the electricity tariff by 30%, so that they can maintain their profits. All of this means that during this summer, people will have to pay extra for electricity that will be in short supply. The solution to Pakistan’s energy crisis is to abandon privatization and exploit Pakistan’s coal mines, which are the 2nd largest in the world. But to accomplish this feat, the people of Pakistan must re-establish the Khilafah. The Khilafah will invest heavily in producing liquid coal fuel to generate power, and will also prevent the IPPs from exploiting the people.
South Asia: Is the US right to criticize Myanmar’s military government for blocking relief efforts?
On 1/6/08 Defense Secretary Robert Gates of the United States said that Myanmar was guilty of "criminal neglect" for blocking large-scale international aid to cyclone victims and that more Burmese civilians would perish unless the military regime reversed its policy. Earlier in May 2008, the military junta lifted restrictions on international aid. Ostensibly this was not enough for the US and her allies. US concerns about Myanmar civilians dying is a smoke-screen to mobilize aid agencies to make contact with the pro-western resistance against the Burmese military and its supporters like China .
When it comes to humanitarian aid, the US is the worst performer amongst the industrialized world. America has failed to live up to aid commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq, turned a blind eye towards the plight of Palestinians due to Israeli blockades, and remained a spectator in the aftermath of Israeli bombing of Lebanon in 2006. In all of these cases, the US was the chief criminal. Regarding natural disasters, such as the Pakistani earthquake in 2005 and the Indonesian Tsunami in 2004, America humanitarian assistance was found floundering. But it was America’s ghastly response to Hurricane Katrina that really exposed America’s lack of respect for human life. If this is America’s attitude towards her own citizens, then what can the rest of the world expect when America makes tall claims about ‘humanitarian aid’—in many quarters this is euphemism for humanitarian intervention.
South Asia: Indian fatwa makes no mention of state terrorism by the enemies of Islam
On 1/6/2008 India’s NDTV channel reported that Ulema had gathered from all over India to issue a fatwa against terrorism. “Terrorism is a scourge which must be wiped off from this planet. That is why Darul Uloom and Deoband have issued a fatwa against terrorism,” said Maulana Mahmoud Madani, President, Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind. However, the Ulema did not issue any fatwas condemning Israeli terrorism against Palestinians, Indian atrocities against Kashmiris, Russia’s genocide in Chechnya, and US occupation and slaughter of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the past, the ulema of India were the vanguard of protecting Muslims from crusaders like the British. But today their silence on state terrorism speaks volumes about how far they have fallen from their perch and remain oblivious to India’s close relations with those countries that take great pride in spilling Muslim blood.
5/6/2008
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