It’s the year 2011, 4G is the “in” thing and everybody seems to be hopping onto the bandwagon this year. Well, everybody except Apple. According to an analyst from Telecom Pragmatics, Sam Greenholtz, the iPhone 5 that will be launching later this year, will not pack any LTE radios and that the iPhone 6 (which will be released in 2012) will be the one supporting LTE instead. According to another analyst, when Apple locked down the specs for the iPhone 5, they didn’t expect this level of hardware competition. Sounds like a reasonable explanation, but if past iPhone models are of any reference to how Apple designs their phones – the exclusion of 4G this year might have been done on purpose. Well, the year is still young and you can expect a lot more iPhone 5 rumors to surface before we actually get the real deal, so stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted.
Al-Muslim Australia is News & Current Affairs Magazine for Muslims in Australia. Al-Muslim Magazine features latest Muslim world news, articles and Islamic teachings. Its an effort to combine Muslims from around the world.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
4G iPhone won’t arrive until 2012 according to analyst
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=781:4g-iphone-wont-arrive-until-2012-according-to-analyst&catid=34:latest-tech-news
It’s the year 2011, 4G is the “in” thing and everybody seems to be hopping onto the bandwagon this year. Well, everybody except Apple. According to an analyst from Telecom Pragmatics, Sam Greenholtz, the iPhone 5 that will be launching later this year, will not pack any LTE radios and that the iPhone 6 (which will be released in 2012) will be the one supporting LTE instead. According to another analyst, when Apple locked down the specs for the iPhone 5, they didn’t expect this level of hardware competition. Sounds like a reasonable explanation, but if past iPhone models are of any reference to how Apple designs their phones – the exclusion of 4G this year might have been done on purpose. Well, the year is still young and you can expect a lot more iPhone 5 rumors to surface before we actually get the real deal, so stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted.
It’s the year 2011, 4G is the “in” thing and everybody seems to be hopping onto the bandwagon this year. Well, everybody except Apple. According to an analyst from Telecom Pragmatics, Sam Greenholtz, the iPhone 5 that will be launching later this year, will not pack any LTE radios and that the iPhone 6 (which will be released in 2012) will be the one supporting LTE instead. According to another analyst, when Apple locked down the specs for the iPhone 5, they didn’t expect this level of hardware competition. Sounds like a reasonable explanation, but if past iPhone models are of any reference to how Apple designs their phones – the exclusion of 4G this year might have been done on purpose. Well, the year is still young and you can expect a lot more iPhone 5 rumors to surface before we actually get the real deal, so stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted.
World leaders seek action against Qadhafi over crackdown
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=782:world-leaders-seek-action-against-qadhafi-over-crackdown&catid=69:current-affairs
World leaders studied punitive measures to take against Moamer Qadhafi on Thursday as the Libyan strongman’s crackdown against opponents grew more desperate. The UN Security Council will meet again Friday to discuss the crisis and USPresident Barack Obama has already discussed possible measures with France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy and the British and Italian Prime ministers David Cameron and Silvio Berlusconi. Diplomats said they are studying a possible no-fly zone over Libya, as well as a travel ban and assets freeze against the Qadhafi family amid mounting concern over the growing death toll.
World leaders studied punitive measures to take against Moamer Qadhafi on Thursday as the Libyan strongman’s crackdown against opponents grew more desperate. The UN Security Council will meet again Friday to discuss the crisis and USPresident Barack Obama has already discussed possible measures with France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy and the British and Italian Prime ministers David Cameron and Silvio Berlusconi. Diplomats said they are studying a possible no-fly zone over Libya, as well as a travel ban and assets freeze against the Qadhafi family amid mounting concern over the growing death toll.“All options are on the table. We are not ruling anything out,” a Western diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The 15-nation council is determined to show international anger after Qadhafi rejected calls from Obama, other heads of state and the Security Council itself for a halt to the violence, diplomats said.
But they noted that sanctions are unlikely to be announced or agreed by Friday’s meeting, when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will address UN envoys.
Ban has already expressed outrage over Qadhafi’s actions and warned of international action against those responsible for the violence.
Obama and Sarkozy, who spoke by phone, renewed their call for an end to the “continuing brutal and bloody repression and to the threatening statements of the Libyan leadership,” the French presidency said.
“The two presidents reiterated their demand for an immediate halt to the use of force against the civilian population.”
In a separate conversation, Obama and the British prime minister promised to “coordinate on possible multilateral measures on Libya,” Cameron’s office said in a statement.
The joint action would include moves at the UN Human Rights Council where western nations are seeking to have Libya thrown off the body, which meets in Geneva on Friday. Cameron has already called for a UN resolution on Libya.
The Security Council released a statement on Tuesday condemning the Qadhafi regime’s crackdown and calling for action against those responsible for the violence that some fear may have killed up to 1,000 people.
“Violence against civilians and repression against people and demonstrators just has to stop,” said Germany’s UN envoy Peter Wittig. “Apparently, the regime in Tripoli did not heed the call of the Security Council.
“So we have really got to think about further action and that is what we emphasized.”
Though diplomats stressed there was unity on the council about the need for new measures, some have said sanctions are likely to be left first to the European Union and United States.
“There was a clear sense that Security Council members want to continue the momentum in terms of the strong unanimity that the council has to address this violence,” said another Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Council members agreed that options need to be put on the table” to use against Libya, the diplomat added.
China traditionally resists sanctions against individual sovereign countries, but a Chinese diplomat said his country was ready to “consider” further action.
The European Union and United States have already threatened sanctions against Libya. The EU is considering an arms embargo and other measures.
Washington has said it could impose measures alone or with other countries.
The 15-nation council is determined to show international anger after Qadhafi rejected calls from Obama, other heads of state and the Security Council itself for a halt to the violence, diplomats said.
But they noted that sanctions are unlikely to be announced or agreed by Friday’s meeting, when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will address UN envoys.
Ban has already expressed outrage over Qadhafi’s actions and warned of international action against those responsible for the violence.
Obama and Sarkozy, who spoke by phone, renewed their call for an end to the “continuing brutal and bloody repression and to the threatening statements of the Libyan leadership,” the French presidency said.
“The two presidents reiterated their demand for an immediate halt to the use of force against the civilian population.”
In a separate conversation, Obama and the British prime minister promised to “coordinate on possible multilateral measures on Libya,” Cameron’s office said in a statement.
The joint action would include moves at the UN Human Rights Council where western nations are seeking to have Libya thrown off the body, which meets in Geneva on Friday. Cameron has already called for a UN resolution on Libya.
The Security Council released a statement on Tuesday condemning the Qadhafi regime’s crackdown and calling for action against those responsible for the violence that some fear may have killed up to 1,000 people.
“Violence against civilians and repression against people and demonstrators just has to stop,” said Germany’s UN envoy Peter Wittig. “Apparently, the regime in Tripoli did not heed the call of the Security Council.
“So we have really got to think about further action and that is what we emphasized.”
Though diplomats stressed there was unity on the council about the need for new measures, some have said sanctions are likely to be left first to the European Union and United States.
“There was a clear sense that Security Council members want to continue the momentum in terms of the strong unanimity that the council has to address this violence,” said another Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Council members agreed that options need to be put on the table” to use against Libya, the diplomat added.
China traditionally resists sanctions against individual sovereign countries, but a Chinese diplomat said his country was ready to “consider” further action.
The European Union and United States have already threatened sanctions against Libya. The EU is considering an arms embargo and other measures.
Washington has said it could impose measures alone or with other countries.
Religion News Coverage Doubled, Focused On Islam Controversies In 2010
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=783:-religion-news-coverage-doubled-focused-on-islam-controversies-in-2010-&catid=61:islam&Itemid=48
Islam dominated religion news coverage in 2010, a year that also saw religion reporting double to 2 percent of all news, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
The so-called "Ground Zero mosque" and threat of Quran burning from a Florida pastor helped bring coverage of Islam and related controversies to 40 percent of all religion news last year.
Islam dominated religion news coverage in 2010, a year that also saw religion reporting double to 2 percent of all news, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.The so-called "Ground Zero mosque" and threat of Quran burning from a Florida pastor helped bring coverage of Islam and related controversies to 40 percent of all religion news last year.
From 2009 to 2010,religion -related reporting increased from 1 percent to 2 percent of all news coverage in the U.S. media. And for the first time since 2007, when Pew began tracking such coverage, neither the Catholic Church nor religion's role in American politics were the most reported topic.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Judges reject appeal by Muslims who shouted abuse at hero soldiers
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=770:judges-reject-appeal-by-muslims-who-shouted-abuse-at-hero-soldiers&catid=69:current-affairs
Judges yesterday staunchly defended the ‘rights of the majority’ as they threw out an appeal by a group ofMuslims against their conviction for hurling hate-filled abuse at soldiers.The High Court ruled that the men were not acting within their human rights when they heckled and jeered members of the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment as they marched through Luton after returning from Afghanistan. The anti-war protesters caused outrage when they called the troops – who had previously served in Iraq – rapists, murderers and baby killers.
Judges yesterday staunchly defended the ‘rights of the majority’ as they threw out an appeal by a group ofMuslims against their conviction for hurling hate-filled abuse at soldiers.The High Court ruled that the men were not acting within their human rights when they heckled and jeered members of the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment as they marched through Luton after returning from Afghanistan. The anti-war protesters caused outrage when they called the troops – who had previously served in Iraq – rapists, murderers and baby killers.They also waved placards with slogans including ‘Butchers of Basra’ and ‘cowards, killers, extremists’.
Yesterday’s judgment was hailed as a ‘victory for common sense’. Politicians and campaigners believe the courts have sometimes helped promote minority rights and sensibilities over those of the majority of the British people.
Yesterday’s judgment was hailed as a ‘victory for common sense’. Politicians and campaigners believe the courts have sometimes helped promote minority rights and sensibilities over those of the majority of the British people.
Islamic political party founded in Egypt
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=769:islamic-political-party-founded-in-egypt&catid=69:current-affairs
For the first time in fifteen years, and Egyptian court has licensed a moderate Islamic political party, al-Wasat. Al-Wasat was previously denied a license under the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak, as was any party with a religious basis. Al-Wasat, which is now officially called al-Wasat al-Gadeed, or the new Wasat party, was founded in 1996 after a faction left the Muslim Brotherhood to establish their own party, and the party says that it adopts a centrist platform and believes in translating the principles of Islam into a liberal democratic system.
For the first time in fifteen years, and Egyptian court has licensed a moderate Islamic political party, al-Wasat. Al-Wasat was previously denied a license under the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak, as was any party with a religious basis. Al-Wasat, which is now officially called al-Wasat al-Gadeed, or the new Wasat party, was founded in 1996 after a faction left the Muslim Brotherhood to establish their own party, and the party says that it adopts a centrist platform and believes in translating the principles of Islam into a liberal democratic system.When its platform was presented to the committee of political parties affairs, the committee was headed by Safwat el-Sherif, a prominent member of the ruling National Democratic Party and the Speaker of the dissolved upper house of parliament, the Shura Council.
A previous court ruling in 2009 denied granting the party legal status, saying the platform did not meet the conditions and regulations of political parties.
Undersecretary of the founders of the party, Abul Ela Madi, described the court ruling as a victory in a long battle between despair and hope lasted for 15 years, he said during his speech at the press conference held at the party headquarters on Saturday , adding that the group that took over power and money in Egypt for decades, made the founders lose hope in founding the party, however, he was optimistic that Egyptians would break the barriers of fear and would revolt, considering the license to found the party as the first fruit of the revolution.
He stressed that the party will run for the next parliamentary elections and will seek the membership of national public figures to be an active party. He also said the principles of the party are based on the principles of religious tolerance and that the party believes freedom takes precedence over religion and law and the people is the source of authority, and believes in a balanced economy approach based on economic freedom. He added that the Party is committed to the terms and conditions of the State role in ensuring the rights of the poor for education, health, housing and employment and the need to determine minimum and maximum wages.
UK's Muslim soldiers ‘fighting extremists not Muslims'
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=768:uks-muslim-soldiers-fighting-extremists-not-muslims&catid=69:current-affairs
With more than 600 Muslims in the British Armed Forces, do those that are deployed on the front line in Afghanistan have to reconcile their beliefs in order to fight hardlineIslamic Taliban militants?"My home is the UK. As a Muslim, that's the place I'd happily die for and kill for. That's the same way it's going to remain until my dying day. "My entire soul belongs to the UK and I'm more than proud to fight for this country." Pte Shehab El-Din Ahmed El-Miniawi, is serving with 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in Helmand Province, a Taliban stronghold and scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the nation.
With more than 600 Muslims in the British Armed Forces, do those that are deployed on the front line in Afghanistan have to reconcile their beliefs in order to fight hardlineIslamic Taliban militants?"My home is the UK. As a Muslim, that's the place I'd happily die for and kill for. That's the same way it's going to remain until my dying day. "My entire soul belongs to the UK and I'm more than proud to fight for this country." Pte Shehab El-Din Ahmed El-Miniawi, is serving with 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in Helmand Province, a Taliban stronghold and scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the nation.The only practising Muslim in his battalion, Pte El-Miniawi is on his first tour of Afghanistan.
"I came with no perception of what this place was going to be like, be it hot, be it cold, be it dangerous, be it IED (improvised explosive device)-ridden, whatever," he said.
"If you narrow it down, we're not just fighting Muslims we're fighting extremists. Every culture, every faith... has an extremist background in it.
"That's something I personally feel should be eradicated, so this is why I'm here to fight this war really."
Pte El-Miniawi said his religion was often an advantage out on patrol and the Afghan people warmed to him once they realised they shared the same faith.
"The bosses, the officers who have helped me out on the ground, have pushed me forward to talk to and engage with locals and that breaks the ice.
Private Shehab El-Din Ahmed El-Miniawi Pte El-Miniawi said being Muslim helped him communicate with Afghan people on the ground
"They know who I am, they know my background, so they tend to come to me thinking I'm some sort of a commander," he said.
"It's been extremely hard work, I wasn't expecting this much responsibility as an infantry soldier."
While out on operation he has been attempting to stabilise and rebuild a desolate village in Helmand, so local villagers can return.
"We're looking to support the locals, clear the compounds of IEDs, then hold the area.
"It requires a lot of talking to the locals as well, understanding what they're background is like, looking at what they want for us."
He said he fellow soldiers had joked with him about being Muslim, but it was not a real issue.
"You're seen as one of the blokes. You mingle with everyone, you're all the same people, doing the same job, so why should you be treated any differently?
"At some points you're always going to expect some kind of banter but it's nothing you should be downhearted by, because you're going to get it either way, be you any faith, any colour, fat, thin, small, tall, it's all the same really.
"So me being Muslim, a bit darker than everyone else and a bit hairier, its no big deal at all."
Muslims in the military have faced criticism from members of their own communities in the UK, who are against what they see as taking up arms against fellow Muslims in conflicts such as Afghanistan and previously Iraq.
Zeeshan Hashmi was one of the first British Muslim servicemen to be deployed to Afghanistan, in 2002 and was in the Intelligence Corps for five years.
His brother L/Cpl Jabron Hashmi also served in the Army, but was killed in 2006, becoming the first British Muslim soldier to die in Afghanistan.
Although there was an outpouring of sympathy from his local community, there was criticism too.
There were certain remarks put on the internet, on a given website, certain people see my brother as a traitor because of his role as a soldier, because of his role in the armed forces, in Afghanistan," said Zeeshan Hashmi.
Being a Muslim in the British Armed Forces is not without its risks.
Aside from the obvious dangers all troops deployed in Afghanistan face, such as roadside bombs and suicide attacks, on their return to the UK some Muslim soldiers have experienced threats from extremists within their own community.
A Birmingham man was convicted in 2008 for his involvement in a plot to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier.
Stationed at Camp Bastion in Helmand Royal Navy serviceman Able Rate Boubakr Kanye said such criticism was made by groups desperate for attention.
"We're just going to focus on what we do here, they have to read and see the good things people are doing here.
"Most of the time people come to me to shake my hand.
"I've been receiving so many e-mails, from the Mosque, saying thank you very much for all the jobs you guys are doing."
Cpl Raziya Aslam has been deployed in Lashkar Gah in Helmand as a linguist since November 2010.
"I don't see it as a war against Islam," she said.
"Some of the work is helping people and hopefully Afghanistan to progress."
Cpl Aslam, who was born in the UK to parents who emigrated from Pakistan, was so eager to travel to Afghanistan she spent a year studying Pashto.
Her job sees her acting as an interpreter at a village meeting, known as a "shura".
At the small military base in Lashkar Gah her living quarters are a row of green tents beneath the shadow of a local mosque.
"We've got eight in our tent. You're working long hours, 12 - 13 hours a day. You have a shower, wind down and go sleep. It's just sleep and work"
She joined the RAF 11 years ago because of the opportunities to travel a life in the forces offered.
Her family is supportive but she admitted they would have preferred her to "get married and settle down".
Dr Joel Hayward is dean of the RAF College, Cranwell and a Muslim himself.
He said there was no conflict for a practising Muslim to serve in the British Armed Services in Afghanistan.
"There's a direct correlation at least in my mind, as a scholar and as a Muslim, between those first persecutors of the Muslim community, and for example the terrorists and the insurgents that try and destabilise our world, or try and prevent Afghanistan from finding a proper place as a free nation in the community of nations.
"And so I have no worries in that sense about telling brother Muslims, or sisters, who are going out fight in Afghanistan that this is not incompatible with Islam."
But Muslims are still under-represented in the Armed Services.
Gen Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff recently paid tribute to serving Muslim soldiers and called for more to join up.
"We've got a very bright, vibrant and growing number of Muslims in the British Armed forces and they are a very important part of our lives.
"They are very proud members of the British nation but they happen to be Muslims as well, they don't think there's any contradiction at all."
"I came with no perception of what this place was going to be like, be it hot, be it cold, be it dangerous, be it IED (improvised explosive device)-ridden, whatever," he said.
"If you narrow it down, we're not just fighting Muslims we're fighting extremists. Every culture, every faith... has an extremist background in it.
"That's something I personally feel should be eradicated, so this is why I'm here to fight this war really."
Pte El-Miniawi said his religion was often an advantage out on patrol and the Afghan people warmed to him once they realised they shared the same faith.
"The bosses, the officers who have helped me out on the ground, have pushed me forward to talk to and engage with locals and that breaks the ice.
Private Shehab El-Din Ahmed El-Miniawi Pte El-Miniawi said being Muslim helped him communicate with Afghan people on the ground
"They know who I am, they know my background, so they tend to come to me thinking I'm some sort of a commander," he said.
"It's been extremely hard work, I wasn't expecting this much responsibility as an infantry soldier."
While out on operation he has been attempting to stabilise and rebuild a desolate village in Helmand, so local villagers can return.
"We're looking to support the locals, clear the compounds of IEDs, then hold the area.
"It requires a lot of talking to the locals as well, understanding what they're background is like, looking at what they want for us."
He said he fellow soldiers had joked with him about being Muslim, but it was not a real issue.
"You're seen as one of the blokes. You mingle with everyone, you're all the same people, doing the same job, so why should you be treated any differently?
"At some points you're always going to expect some kind of banter but it's nothing you should be downhearted by, because you're going to get it either way, be you any faith, any colour, fat, thin, small, tall, it's all the same really.
"So me being Muslim, a bit darker than everyone else and a bit hairier, its no big deal at all."
Muslims in the military have faced criticism from members of their own communities in the UK, who are against what they see as taking up arms against fellow Muslims in conflicts such as Afghanistan and previously Iraq.
Zeeshan Hashmi was one of the first British Muslim servicemen to be deployed to Afghanistan, in 2002 and was in the Intelligence Corps for five years.
His brother L/Cpl Jabron Hashmi also served in the Army, but was killed in 2006, becoming the first British Muslim soldier to die in Afghanistan.
Although there was an outpouring of sympathy from his local community, there was criticism too.
There were certain remarks put on the internet, on a given website, certain people see my brother as a traitor because of his role as a soldier, because of his role in the armed forces, in Afghanistan," said Zeeshan Hashmi.
Being a Muslim in the British Armed Forces is not without its risks.
Aside from the obvious dangers all troops deployed in Afghanistan face, such as roadside bombs and suicide attacks, on their return to the UK some Muslim soldiers have experienced threats from extremists within their own community.
A Birmingham man was convicted in 2008 for his involvement in a plot to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier.
Stationed at Camp Bastion in Helmand Royal Navy serviceman Able Rate Boubakr Kanye said such criticism was made by groups desperate for attention.
"We're just going to focus on what we do here, they have to read and see the good things people are doing here.
"Most of the time people come to me to shake my hand.
"I've been receiving so many e-mails, from the Mosque, saying thank you very much for all the jobs you guys are doing."
Cpl Raziya Aslam has been deployed in Lashkar Gah in Helmand as a linguist since November 2010.
"I don't see it as a war against Islam," she said.
"Some of the work is helping people and hopefully Afghanistan to progress."
Cpl Aslam, who was born in the UK to parents who emigrated from Pakistan, was so eager to travel to Afghanistan she spent a year studying Pashto.
Her job sees her acting as an interpreter at a village meeting, known as a "shura".
At the small military base in Lashkar Gah her living quarters are a row of green tents beneath the shadow of a local mosque.
"We've got eight in our tent. You're working long hours, 12 - 13 hours a day. You have a shower, wind down and go sleep. It's just sleep and work"
She joined the RAF 11 years ago because of the opportunities to travel a life in the forces offered.
Her family is supportive but she admitted they would have preferred her to "get married and settle down".
Dr Joel Hayward is dean of the RAF College, Cranwell and a Muslim himself.
He said there was no conflict for a practising Muslim to serve in the British Armed Services in Afghanistan.
"There's a direct correlation at least in my mind, as a scholar and as a Muslim, between those first persecutors of the Muslim community, and for example the terrorists and the insurgents that try and destabilise our world, or try and prevent Afghanistan from finding a proper place as a free nation in the community of nations.
"And so I have no worries in that sense about telling brother Muslims, or sisters, who are going out fight in Afghanistan that this is not incompatible with Islam."
But Muslims are still under-represented in the Armed Services.
Gen Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff recently paid tribute to serving Muslim soldiers and called for more to join up.
"We've got a very bright, vibrant and growing number of Muslims in the British Armed forces and they are a very important part of our lives.
"They are very proud members of the British nation but they happen to be Muslims as well, they don't think there's any contradiction at all."
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tanzania: Dar es Salaam bomb explosion: President Kikwete urges residents to return home
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=762:tanzania-dar-es-salaam-bomb-explosion-president-kikwete-urges-residents-to-return-home&catid=69:current-affairs
The government has urged the displaced residents of Gongo la Mboto and its nearby suburbs to go back to their homes and continue with their daily activities as the area is now secured and no more bombs explosions are expected.
More than 4,000 people have been displaced following series of bomb explosions which rocked Gongo la Mboto Military camp (511KJ) on Wednesday night, killing at least 20 people, resulting into panic, fear and displacement of the people living near the camp.
The call was made on Thursday by President Jakaya Kikwete as he was receiving the report from the Commanding Officer of the barracks, Colonel Aloyce Mwanjile when he visited the camp.
Mr Kikwete expressed his condolence to all victims and said the incidence has touched the whole nation and is a national disaster which requires patience as the National Security Committee was scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the matter.
“I was informed at night about the incidence, and the military base camp management and other security officials came at the state house at 3am (Thursday) where we had discussion on the incidence, I empathize with all victims, people should be calm and serene as we are seeing forward to make everything in order,” said Mr Kikwete.
Presenting the report before the president Colonel Mwanjile said 20 civilians have been reported dead and more than 300 casualties being hospitalized, however no combatant’s death report but only one have been reported to suffer a minor injury on his right hand.
“During the explosions, some 23 weapon store were burnt down in addition to two dormitories used by unmarried male and female soldiers as well as five vehicles,” Colonel Mwanjile presented adding that explosions also led to the burning of the general store and various damages to buildings within the barracks.
Mr Kikwete was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Forces of the Tanzania People's Defence Force General Davis Mwamunyange, Minister of Defence and National Service of Tanzania, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Suleiman Kova, the Acting Dar es Salaam Region Commissioner, Mr Said Meck Sadick, Temeke District Commissioner, Ms Chiku Gallawa and other security and government officials.
Tanzania People Defense Force (TPDF), Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Abdurrahman Shimbo urged people not to touch any remains of bombs as they may blow up once irritated, saying that the TPDF experts are already in the suburbs collecting them.
He said such bomb remnants have been discovered in some areas including; Pugu Kajiungeni, Tabata, Yombo and in Gongolamboto and advised people to immediately report whenever they come into contact with them.
TPDF’s spokesperson, Lt Kapambala Mgawe dashed out claims by some people on the cause of the explosions as rumor had it that the bombs exploded because were expired saying that expired bomb can longer explode and the source of the incident will be made public when it is established by the investigative team.
‘Muslim News’ witnessed hundreds of people aimlessly walking along Nyerere road with most shops and hotels around remaining closed for the whole day, with long traffic jam experienced from Mombasa to areas around Julius Nyerere Airport.
However, some residents seemed to care less about the incident as they were found going on with their business as usual with bomb remnants in their houses without reporting to respective authority; Mr Mwashuruti Juma a resident of Gulukwa Kwalala suburb at Ukonga Ward exemplified this.
The government has urged the displaced residents of Gongo la Mboto and its nearby suburbs to go back to their homes and continue with their daily activities as the area is now secured and no more bombs explosions are expected.More than 4,000 people have been displaced following series of bomb explosions which rocked Gongo la Mboto Military camp (511KJ) on Wednesday night, killing at least 20 people, resulting into panic, fear and displacement of the people living near the camp.
The call was made on Thursday by President Jakaya Kikwete as he was receiving the report from the Commanding Officer of the barracks, Colonel Aloyce Mwanjile when he visited the camp.
Mr Kikwete expressed his condolence to all victims and said the incidence has touched the whole nation and is a national disaster which requires patience as the National Security Committee was scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the matter.
“I was informed at night about the incidence, and the military base camp management and other security officials came at the state house at 3am (Thursday) where we had discussion on the incidence, I empathize with all victims, people should be calm and serene as we are seeing forward to make everything in order,” said Mr Kikwete.
Presenting the report before the president Colonel Mwanjile said 20 civilians have been reported dead and more than 300 casualties being hospitalized, however no combatant’s death report but only one have been reported to suffer a minor injury on his right hand.
“During the explosions, some 23 weapon store were burnt down in addition to two dormitories used by unmarried male and female soldiers as well as five vehicles,” Colonel Mwanjile presented adding that explosions also led to the burning of the general store and various damages to buildings within the barracks.
Mr Kikwete was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Forces of the Tanzania People's Defence Force General Davis Mwamunyange, Minister of Defence and National Service of Tanzania, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Suleiman Kova, the Acting Dar es Salaam Region Commissioner, Mr Said Meck Sadick, Temeke District Commissioner, Ms Chiku Gallawa and other security and government officials.
Tanzania People Defense Force (TPDF), Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Abdurrahman Shimbo urged people not to touch any remains of bombs as they may blow up once irritated, saying that the TPDF experts are already in the suburbs collecting them.
He said such bomb remnants have been discovered in some areas including; Pugu Kajiungeni, Tabata, Yombo and in Gongolamboto and advised people to immediately report whenever they come into contact with them.
TPDF’s spokesperson, Lt Kapambala Mgawe dashed out claims by some people on the cause of the explosions as rumor had it that the bombs exploded because were expired saying that expired bomb can longer explode and the source of the incident will be made public when it is established by the investigative team.
‘Muslim News’ witnessed hundreds of people aimlessly walking along Nyerere road with most shops and hotels around remaining closed for the whole day, with long traffic jam experienced from Mombasa to areas around Julius Nyerere Airport.
However, some residents seemed to care less about the incident as they were found going on with their business as usual with bomb remnants in their houses without reporting to respective authority; Mr Mwashuruti Juma a resident of Gulukwa Kwalala suburb at Ukonga Ward exemplified this.
Libyans in fiery clash with government officials
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=763:libyans-in-fiery-clash-with-government-officials&catid=69:current-affairs
“All the people of Beyida are out on the streets,” said 25-year-old Rabie al-Messrati, who said he had been arrested after spreading a call for protests on Facebook.Online calls of dissent have been growing rapidly over the past few days, withFacebook groups calling for “Uprising on February 17″ doubling in popularity between Monday and Wednesday.In the southern city of Zentan, 120km south of Tripoli, hundreds of people marched through the streets and set fire to security headquarters and a police station, then set up tents in the heart of the town, as a wave of unrest spread south and westwards across the country.Activists had earlier clashed with government supporters and police, who reportedly shot rubber-coated steel bullets and used water cannon in Benghazi city.
“All the people of Beyida are out on the streets,” said 25-year-old Rabie al-Messrati, who said he had been arrested after spreading a call for protests on Facebook.Online calls of dissent have been growing rapidly over the past few days, withFacebook groups calling for “Uprising on February 17″ doubling in popularity between Monday and Wednesday.In the southern city of Zentan, 120km south of Tripoli, hundreds of people marched through the streets and set fire to security headquarters and a police station, then set up tents in the heart of the town, as a wave of unrest spread south and westwards across the country.Activists had earlier clashed with government supporters and police, who reportedly shot rubber-coated steel bullets and used water cannon in Benghazi city.Demonstrators gathered in the early hours of Wednesday morning in front of Benghazi’s police headquarters and chanted slogans against the “corrupt rulers of the country”, Al Muslim sources said.
Chants including “No God but Allah, Muammar is the enemy of Allah,” can be heard on videos of demonstrations uploaded to YouTube. Independent confirmation was not possible as Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s administration keeps tight control over the movements of media personnel.
Police reportedly fired tear gas and violently dispersed protesters, arresting 20. Families of those arrested are planning to gather outside the city’s security directorate to demand their release, our source tells us.
Al Muslim is understood to have been taken taken off the state-owned cable TV network, but is still reportedly available on satellite networks.
Meanwhile, protesters have taken to Twitter to spread details on how to bypass internet clampdowns. Social media sites were reportedly blocked for several hours through the afternoon, but access was restored in the evening.
The crowds of demonstrators included some armed with rocks and petrol bombs, reported the online edition of Libya’s privately owned Quryna newspaper, which is based in Benghazi – some 1,000km east of the oil-exporting country’s capital.
At least 38 people were injured in the clashes, including ten security officials.
Benghazi’s residents have a history of distrust of Gaddafi’s rule, and many of the people jailed for membership of banned political groups are from the city.
On Wednesday evening, 110 members of the armed – and outlawed – Libyan Islamic Fighting Group were due to be released from Abu Salim prison later on Wednesday, in a suspected move to quell tension in the city, believed to have been orchestrated by Gaddaffi’s son, Seif al-Islam Gaddaffi.
There are just 30 members of the group remaining in prison.
The state has also offered to double the salaries of government workers, and co-ordinated a series of twelve pro-Gaddaffi rallies in cities across the country.
In a telephone interview with Al Muslim Idris Al-Mesmari, a Libyan novelist and writer, said that security officials in civilian clothes came and dispersed protesters in Benghazi using tear gas, batons and hot water.
Al-Mesmari was arrested hours after the interview.
‘Day of rage’ called
Anti-government protesters have also called on citizens to observe Thursday as a “Day of Rage”. They are hoping to emulate recent popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia to end Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s 41-year-old rule.
The rare protests reportedly began after relatives of those killed in a prison massacre about 15 years ago took to streets. They were joined by scores of other supporters.
Benghazi residents have a history of distrust of Gaddafi
The relatives were said to have been angered by the detention of Fathi Terbil, human rights lawyer and official spokesman of the victims’ families, who was arrested by the Libyan security forces, for no apparent reason.
However, Terbil was later released, according to reports.
Twelve-hundred prisoners were killed in the Abu Slim prison massacre on June 29, 1996, after they had objected to their inhumane conditions inside the prison.
Those killed were buried in the prison’s courtyard and in mass graves in Tripoli. The families of the victims have been demanding that the culprits be punished.
Mohammed Maree, an Egyptian blogger, said “Gaddafi’s regime has not listened to such pleas and continues to treat the Libyan people with lead and fire.”
“This is why we announce our solidarity with the Libyan people and the families of the martyrs until the criminals are punished, starting with Muammer and his family.”
Libyan state television reported that rallies were taking place all over the country early this morning “in support of the rule of the people by the people”.
Signed statement
A group of prominent Libyans and members of human rights organisations have also demanded the resignation of Gaddafi.
They said that the Libyans have the right to express themselves through peaceful demonstrations without any threat of harassment from the regime.
The demands came in a statement signed by 213 personalities from different segments of the Libyan society, including political activists, lawyers, students, and government officials.
Meanwhile, a local human rights activist told Reuters news agency that the authorities have decided to release 110 prisoners jailed for membership of banned organisation, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
The prisoners to be freed on Wednesday, are the last members of the group still being held and will be set free from Tripoli’s Abu Salim jail, Mohamed Ternish, chairman of the Libya Human Rights Association said.
Hundreds of alleged members of the group have been freed from jail after it renounced violence last year.
Egypt cancels Iran warships Suez Canal passage
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=764:egypt-cancels-iran-warships-suez-canal-passage&catid=69:current-affairs
Egypt cancelled plans for two Iranian warships to cross Suez Canal on Thursday, February 17, removing a potential policy headache for new army rulers.“No Iranian warships ships crossed the Suez Canal today,” Ahmed El Manakhly, a member of the canal’s board who is responsible for shipping movement, told Reuters.“The Suez Canal does not have any Iranian warship on its waiting list for tomorrow Friday.”Another canal source said 26 ships, including one French warship, had entered in the morning northbound convoy.
Egypt cancelled plans for two Iranian warships to cross Suez Canal on Thursday, February 17, removing a potential policy headache for new army rulers.“No Iranian warships ships crossed the Suez Canal today,” Ahmed El Manakhly, a member of the canal’s board who is responsible for shipping movement, told Reuters.“The Suez Canal does not have any Iranian warship on its waiting list for tomorrow Friday.”Another canal source said 26 ships, including one French warship, had entered in the morning northbound convoy.But the convoy did not include Iranian warships, added the source.Two Iranian warships were planned to cross the international waterway on way to Syria.
Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper described the two Iranian ships as an MK-5 frigate and a supply vessel, which would not present a significant danger to the Jewish state.
Syria is one of Israel’s neighboring adversaries. It has an alliance with Iran which has deepened along with Tehran’s isolation from the West over its disputed nuclear program.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported on Jan. 26 that Iranian navy cadets were going on a year-long training mission into the Red Sea and through Suez to the Mediterranean.
The Suez Canal is a vital commercial and strategic waterway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia.
It is also a major source of revenues for the Egyptian government.
Relief
The cancellation has removed a new policy headache for Egypt’s new military rulers, who took control after President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down after popular protests.
Manakhly said warships of any country needed approval to pass from Egypt’s defense and foreign ministries.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had said two Iranian warships planned to sail through the canal en route to Syria overnight on Wednesday, describing it as a “provocation”.
He had said the ships were expected to pass through the Suez Canal overnight on Wednesday.
Israel’s state-funded Channel One television said Lieberman, a vociferously far-right partner in the conservative coalition, had spoken out of turn as the Defense Ministry “had preferred to ignore” the ships’ approach.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was tracking them and had alerted “friendly nations in the region” accordingly.
If the ships had crossed, it would have been the first time since Iran’s 1979 revolution that Iranian warships had passed through the canal.
Iran’s revolution poisoned ties with Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel that year.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Anti-Muslim immigration petition stirs community anger in Australia
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=760:anti-muslim-immigration-petition-stirs-community-anger-in-australia&catid=69:current-affairs
A new petition in the Australian Federal Parliament for a ten-year moratorium on Muslim immigrants is drawing the fury of the Muslim community in the country. “That’s hardly a loving Christian to be very selective in whom you want to enter in your home,” Ikebal Patel, president of the Australian Federation ofIslamic Councils, told the Herald Sun on Tuesday, February 15. ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries presented a petition calling for a 10-year suspension of Muslim immigration into Australia and for a review of the country’s immigration policy to ensure priority is given to Christians.
A new petition in the Australian Federal Parliament for a ten-year moratorium on Muslim immigrants is drawing the fury of the Muslim community in the country. “That’s hardly a loving Christian to be very selective in whom you want to enter in your home,” Ikebal Patel, president of the Australian Federation ofIslamic Councils, told the Herald Sun on Tuesday, February 15. ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries presented a petition calling for a 10-year suspension of Muslim immigration into Australia and for a review of the country’s immigration policy to ensure priority is given to Christians.“For God’s sake we’ve gone beyond the white Australia policy and now we are talking about … a policy that only allows Christians,” said Patel.
The petition cites the constitution, the founding fathers and the currently parliament prayer to insist that Australia is a Christian commonwealth.
It also insists on rejecting what it describes as ‘attempts to establish a Muslim nation in Australia’.
Senator Humphries said the petition expresses a view about Australia’s immigration policy and wasn’t racially vilifying.
“A number of senators had refused to do so and having read the content I can understand why,” he told the Canberra Times.
“But my long-standing position on petitions is that it is the right of every Australian to put their point of view to the Australian Parliament.”
Muslim immigration and multiculturalism have become a heated debate in Australia, a country where one quarter of the population is immigrants and one that was long celebrated as a melting pot for immigrants.
Australia Muslims have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned in post 9/11.
A 2007 poll taken by the Issues Deliberation Australia (IDA) think-tank found that Australians basically see Islam as a threat to the Australian way of life.
A recent governmental report revealed that Muslims are facing deep-seated Islamophobia and race-based treatment like never before.
Abhorrent
Senator Humphries insisted that his petition was not against Muslims, but should be accepted in the frame of free speech.
“I certainly don’t agree with what’s in the document,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday, February 15.
“I don’t agree with the sentiments expressed by the petitioners.”
He, however, insisted that he was a friend of Canberra’s Islamic community.
“Many Muslims are my friends and I hope they’ll remain my friends,” he said.
“But I believe that they have the right to put that point of view in front of the members of the Federal Parliament.”
But ACT Labor senator Kate Lundy, who is also parliamentary secretary for immigration and citizenship, criticized the anti-Muslim petition.
“I would not have tabled this petition,” she said.
“All citizens are entitled to request that their petitions are tabled in the Parliament and all senators exercise their own judgment.
“The Government is committed to Australia’s brand of multiculturalism which has seen the integration and the peaceful settlement of 7 million migrants since the Second World War.”
Disappointed by the position, Patel, the Muslim leader, said he would write to the senator for explanation.
“The least we would have expected from him is to let us know what he was going to do,” Patel said.
“It is just quite disappointing to have something as despicable as this and for him to put it in [the Senate]. And then it makes the world stage by being discussed in the Senate.
“You either put it in and back it or you take Senator Kate Lundy’s view that…she chose not to put it forward because it was an abhorrent position.”
The petition cites the constitution, the founding fathers and the currently parliament prayer to insist that Australia is a Christian commonwealth.
It also insists on rejecting what it describes as ‘attempts to establish a Muslim nation in Australia’.
Senator Humphries said the petition expresses a view about Australia’s immigration policy and wasn’t racially vilifying.
“A number of senators had refused to do so and having read the content I can understand why,” he told the Canberra Times.
“But my long-standing position on petitions is that it is the right of every Australian to put their point of view to the Australian Parliament.”
Muslim immigration and multiculturalism have become a heated debate in Australia, a country where one quarter of the population is immigrants and one that was long celebrated as a melting pot for immigrants.
Australia Muslims have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned in post 9/11.
A 2007 poll taken by the Issues Deliberation Australia (IDA) think-tank found that Australians basically see Islam as a threat to the Australian way of life.
A recent governmental report revealed that Muslims are facing deep-seated Islamophobia and race-based treatment like never before.
Abhorrent
Senator Humphries insisted that his petition was not against Muslims, but should be accepted in the frame of free speech.
“I certainly don’t agree with what’s in the document,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday, February 15.
“I don’t agree with the sentiments expressed by the petitioners.”
He, however, insisted that he was a friend of Canberra’s Islamic community.
“Many Muslims are my friends and I hope they’ll remain my friends,” he said.
“But I believe that they have the right to put that point of view in front of the members of the Federal Parliament.”
But ACT Labor senator Kate Lundy, who is also parliamentary secretary for immigration and citizenship, criticized the anti-Muslim petition.
“I would not have tabled this petition,” she said.
“All citizens are entitled to request that their petitions are tabled in the Parliament and all senators exercise their own judgment.
“The Government is committed to Australia’s brand of multiculturalism which has seen the integration and the peaceful settlement of 7 million migrants since the Second World War.”
Disappointed by the position, Patel, the Muslim leader, said he would write to the senator for explanation.
“The least we would have expected from him is to let us know what he was going to do,” Patel said.
“It is just quite disappointing to have something as despicable as this and for him to put it in [the Senate]. And then it makes the world stage by being discussed in the Senate.
“You either put it in and back it or you take Senator Kate Lundy’s view that…she chose not to put it forward because it was an abhorrent position.”
Muslim American Congressman Hails Egyptian Protests as Rebuke to al-Qaida
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=759:muslim-american-congressman-hails-egyptian-protests-as-rebuke-to-al-qaida&catid=69:current-affairs
Muslim American U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison has hailed the protests that began in Tunisia and spread to Egypt and are now radiating out to a whole list of countries. Ellison praises President Obama for his handling of the crisis in Egypt, and says the United States must continue to be on the right side of history. Congressman Keith Ellison says the Egyptian protesters have delivered a stunning and stiff rebuke to al-Qaida and religious extremism. He said al-Qaida leaders have long made false claims that America is at war with Islam, and that violence is the way to attain political goals.
Muslim American U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison has hailed the protests that began in Tunisia and spread to Egypt and are now radiating out to a whole list of countries. Ellison praises President Obama for his handling of the crisis in Egypt, and says the United States must continue to be on the right side of history. Congressman Keith Ellison says the Egyptian protesters have delivered a stunning and stiff rebuke to al-Qaida and religious extremism. He said al-Qaida leaders have long made false claims that America is at war with Islam, and that violence is the way to attain political goals."They also say that the only way to achieve change is through violence and terrorism and murder," said Ellison. "Well the people in Tahrir Square showed that if you stick, and you stay, and you stand up for what you believe in, that you will be successful and you don’t have to harm anybody to do it."
Ellison said the Egyptian protesters refused to be provoked into responding to violence from pro-government thugs, although some were beaten, jailed and even killed. The Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota said the credit for Hosni Mubarak’s resignation belongs to the people of Egypt. But he says he is also proud of President Barack Obama for laying out universal principles in his Cairo speech two years ago.
"But I am proud of a few things, one is that President Obama, a couple of years before this revolution made comments in Cairo which were nothing short of prescient" said Ellison. "[He was] talking about people’s desire to have a voice in their own governance, freedom of expression, freedom of inquiry, freedom of faith."
Some Republican lawmakers, such as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, have accused the Obama administration of having a rollercoaster policy on Egypt.
"First it was negotiate with the opposition, then it was orderly transition," said Ros-Lehtinen.
Ellison said the president was right to be cautious in the beginning and was phenomenal in making clear where Washington stood in the end.
Ellison also said concerns expressed by some Republican lawmakers about the prospect of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood group playing too big of a role in the transition are “overblown.”
‘My view is that the Muslim brotherhood is a part of the fabric of Egyptian society," he said. "Democracy means that we don’t get to decide who runs that country, the people of that country decide that. The Muslim brotherhood, by the way, has never polled at more than 22 percent. The population is really not calling for more religion, they are calling for bread, peace, freedom and dignity.
Ellison said as protests for democracy spread to Iran and to a number of Arab-speaking countries, the United States should take note of which countries allow for peaceful freedom of expression.
"And I hope the United States gets on the right side of history," said Ellison. "I believe we should reorder our priorities in the Middle East, and things like human rights and development and diplomacy ought to be our primary tools, and things like guns, bombs and warfare ought to be used as a last resort.”
At a news conference Tuesday, President Obama drew a contrast between the protests in Egypt and the protests in Iran, which have been violently put down by the government. The president said the United States is sending a strong message to its allies in the region that they should look to Egypt’s example and not Iran’s.
Ellison said the Egyptian protesters refused to be provoked into responding to violence from pro-government thugs, although some were beaten, jailed and even killed. The Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota said the credit for Hosni Mubarak’s resignation belongs to the people of Egypt. But he says he is also proud of President Barack Obama for laying out universal principles in his Cairo speech two years ago.
"But I am proud of a few things, one is that President Obama, a couple of years before this revolution made comments in Cairo which were nothing short of prescient" said Ellison. "[He was] talking about people’s desire to have a voice in their own governance, freedom of expression, freedom of inquiry, freedom of faith."
Some Republican lawmakers, such as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, have accused the Obama administration of having a rollercoaster policy on Egypt.
"First it was negotiate with the opposition, then it was orderly transition," said Ros-Lehtinen.
Ellison said the president was right to be cautious in the beginning and was phenomenal in making clear where Washington stood in the end.
Ellison also said concerns expressed by some Republican lawmakers about the prospect of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood group playing too big of a role in the transition are “overblown.”
‘My view is that the Muslim brotherhood is a part of the fabric of Egyptian society," he said. "Democracy means that we don’t get to decide who runs that country, the people of that country decide that. The Muslim brotherhood, by the way, has never polled at more than 22 percent. The population is really not calling for more religion, they are calling for bread, peace, freedom and dignity.
Ellison said as protests for democracy spread to Iran and to a number of Arab-speaking countries, the United States should take note of which countries allow for peaceful freedom of expression.
"And I hope the United States gets on the right side of history," said Ellison. "I believe we should reorder our priorities in the Middle East, and things like human rights and development and diplomacy ought to be our primary tools, and things like guns, bombs and warfare ought to be used as a last resort.”
At a news conference Tuesday, President Obama drew a contrast between the protests in Egypt and the protests in Iran, which have been violently put down by the government. The president said the United States is sending a strong message to its allies in the region that they should look to Egypt’s example and not Iran’s.
Muslim Brotherhood plans political party
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=758:muslim-brotherhood-plans-political-party&catid=69:current-affairs
The long banned Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday it will form a political party once democracy is established in Egypt but promised not to field a candidate for president, trying to allay fears among Egyptians and abroad that it seeks power. Still, the fundamentalist movement is poised to be a significant player in the new order. Egypt’s new military rulers gave a strong sign they recognize that the Brotherhood, which calls for creation of an Islamic state in the Arab world’s most populous nation,
The long banned Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday it will form a political party once democracy is established in Egypt but promised not to field a candidate for president, trying to allay fears among Egyptians and abroad that it seeks power. Still, the fundamentalist movement is poised to be a significant player in the new order. Egypt’s new military rulers gave a strong sign they recognize that the Brotherhood, which calls for creation of an Islamic state in the Arab world’s most populous nation,can no longer be barred from politics after the mass popular uprising that forced out President Hosni Mubarak with 18 days of protests.
The Armed Forces Supreme Council included a former Brotherhood lawmaker to an eight-member panel tasked Tuesday with amending the constitution enough to allow democratic elections later this year.
The panel is comprised of legal experts of various ideologies, including secular liberal scholars and three judges from the current Supreme Constitutional Court, one of them a Christian, Maher Sami Youssef.
The changes aim to open the field for political parties to form, loosen restrictions on who can run for president and write in guarantees to prevent the rampant election rigging that ensured Mubarak’s ruling party a lock on power.
The panel’s head is Tareq el-Bishri, considered one of Egypt’s top legal minds. A former judge, he was once a secular leftist but became a prominent thinker in the ”moderate Islamic” political trend.
He is respected on both sides as a bridge between the movements. Sobhi Saleh, the Brotherhood representative, was jailed for three days during the protests.
The military is pushing ahead with a quick transition. Generals from the Armed Forces Supreme Council said Tuesday the military wants to hand power to a government and elected president within six months, the firmest timetable yet outlined. The constitutional panel has 10 days to propose its changes to be put to a referendum.
I
”If the freedom to create political parties is seriously allowed, the Muslim Brotherhood will be part of the scene, but just not all the scene as they were in the past regime,” said Ammar Ali Hassan, an Egyptian expert on Islamic movements.
Last week, Obama played down the Brotherhood’s power, calling it only ”one faction in Egypt” that does not enjoy majority support.
The wave of protests that ousted Mubarak may have hurt the Brotherhood’s popularity, as well.
The group initially balked at joining the demonstrations when they erupted Jan. 25, until its younger cadres forced its leadership to join fearing they would be left behind. Hundreds of thousands from across the spectrum of Egyptian society joined the protests.
Brotherhood youth were a major source of manpower and organizational experience, but they never became the majority.
The Armed Forces Supreme Council included a former Brotherhood lawmaker to an eight-member panel tasked Tuesday with amending the constitution enough to allow democratic elections later this year.
The panel is comprised of legal experts of various ideologies, including secular liberal scholars and three judges from the current Supreme Constitutional Court, one of them a Christian, Maher Sami Youssef.
The changes aim to open the field for political parties to form, loosen restrictions on who can run for president and write in guarantees to prevent the rampant election rigging that ensured Mubarak’s ruling party a lock on power.
The panel’s head is Tareq el-Bishri, considered one of Egypt’s top legal minds. A former judge, he was once a secular leftist but became a prominent thinker in the ”moderate Islamic” political trend.
He is respected on both sides as a bridge between the movements. Sobhi Saleh, the Brotherhood representative, was jailed for three days during the protests.
The military is pushing ahead with a quick transition. Generals from the Armed Forces Supreme Council said Tuesday the military wants to hand power to a government and elected president within six months, the firmest timetable yet outlined. The constitutional panel has 10 days to propose its changes to be put to a referendum.
I
”If the freedom to create political parties is seriously allowed, the Muslim Brotherhood will be part of the scene, but just not all the scene as they were in the past regime,” said Ammar Ali Hassan, an Egyptian expert on Islamic movements.
Last week, Obama played down the Brotherhood’s power, calling it only ”one faction in Egypt” that does not enjoy majority support.
The wave of protests that ousted Mubarak may have hurt the Brotherhood’s popularity, as well.
The group initially balked at joining the demonstrations when they erupted Jan. 25, until its younger cadres forced its leadership to join fearing they would be left behind. Hundreds of thousands from across the spectrum of Egyptian society joined the protests.
Brotherhood youth were a major source of manpower and organizational experience, but they never became the majority.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Mubarak's last-minute rush to hide his billions
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=746:mubaraks-last-minute-rush-to-hide-his-billions-&catid=69:current-affairs
Hosni Mubarak used the 18 days it took for protesters to topple him to shift his fortune into untraceable accounts, Western intelligence sources said. The former Egyptian president is accused of amassing as much as $64 billion during his 30 years in power. It is believed his wealth was tied up in foreign banks, investments, bullion and properties in London, New York, Paris and Beverly Hills. In another move, Egypt's chief prosecutor banned the sacked prime minister Ahmed Nazif from leaving the country the day after Mr Mubarak was overthrown.
Hosni Mubarak used the 18 days it took for protesters to topple him to shift his fortune into untraceable accounts, Western intelligence sources said. The former Egyptian president is accused of amassing as much as $64 billion during his 30 years in power. It is believed his wealth was tied up in foreign banks, investments, bullion and properties in London, New York, Paris and Beverly Hills. In another move, Egypt's chief prosecutor banned the sacked prime minister Ahmed Nazif from leaving the country the day after Mr Mubarak was overthrown.The prosecutor also banned the widely despised former interior minister Habib al-Adly from travelling and froze his assets on Saturday, the state news agency MENA said.
In the knowledge that his downfall was imminent, Mr Mubarak was understood to have attempted to place his assets out of reach of potential investigators. On Friday night, Swiss authorities announced they were freezing any assets Mr Mubarak and his family may hold in the country's banks, while pressure was growing for Britain to do the same.
A senior Western intelligence source said Mr Mubarak had begun moving his fortune in recent weeks. ''We're aware of some urgent conversations within the Mubarak family about how to save these assets. We think their financial advisers have moved some of the money around. If he had real money in Zurich, it may be gone by now,'' the source said.
Demands were growing among protesters in Cairo on Saturday night for Mr Mubarak, who was at his family villa in the resort town of Sharm El Sheikh, to be put on trial for corruption.
There were unconfirmed reports that he was effectively under house arrest, as the focus of protesters moved from toppling the hated ruler to seizing his fortune, although the army's ruling council said Mr Mubarak was being treated with respect.
During the protests last week, Ibrahim Yousri, a former deputy foreign minister, and 20 lawyers petitioned Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, the prosecutor-general, to put Mr Mubarak and his family on trial for stealing state wealth.
''There's no doubt there will have been some frantic financial activity behind the scenes,'' a US official said.
''They can lose the homes and some of the bank accounts, but they will have wanted to get the gold bars and other investments to safe quarters.''
The Mubaraks are understood to have wanted to shift assets to Gulf states where they already have considerable investments.
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have frequently been mentioned as likely destinations for Mr Mubarak and possibly his family.
Reports from Egypt suggest Mr Mubarak had accounts with the Swiss bank UBS as well as with HBOS, now part of Lloyds Banking Group, which is 41 per cent owned by the British government.
But it is understood Lloyds officials have so far found no evidence that Mr Mubarak had secret accounts with them.
Quite how much he has stashed away - and where it is hidden - is open to speculation.
His wife Suzanne is half-Welsh, while it is thought the couple's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, may even have British passports.
In the knowledge that his downfall was imminent, Mr Mubarak was understood to have attempted to place his assets out of reach of potential investigators. On Friday night, Swiss authorities announced they were freezing any assets Mr Mubarak and his family may hold in the country's banks, while pressure was growing for Britain to do the same.
A senior Western intelligence source said Mr Mubarak had begun moving his fortune in recent weeks. ''We're aware of some urgent conversations within the Mubarak family about how to save these assets. We think their financial advisers have moved some of the money around. If he had real money in Zurich, it may be gone by now,'' the source said.
Demands were growing among protesters in Cairo on Saturday night for Mr Mubarak, who was at his family villa in the resort town of Sharm El Sheikh, to be put on trial for corruption.
There were unconfirmed reports that he was effectively under house arrest, as the focus of protesters moved from toppling the hated ruler to seizing his fortune, although the army's ruling council said Mr Mubarak was being treated with respect.
During the protests last week, Ibrahim Yousri, a former deputy foreign minister, and 20 lawyers petitioned Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, the prosecutor-general, to put Mr Mubarak and his family on trial for stealing state wealth.
''There's no doubt there will have been some frantic financial activity behind the scenes,'' a US official said.
''They can lose the homes and some of the bank accounts, but they will have wanted to get the gold bars and other investments to safe quarters.''
The Mubaraks are understood to have wanted to shift assets to Gulf states where they already have considerable investments.
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have frequently been mentioned as likely destinations for Mr Mubarak and possibly his family.
Reports from Egypt suggest Mr Mubarak had accounts with the Swiss bank UBS as well as with HBOS, now part of Lloyds Banking Group, which is 41 per cent owned by the British government.
But it is understood Lloyds officials have so far found no evidence that Mr Mubarak had secret accounts with them.
Quite how much he has stashed away - and where it is hidden - is open to speculation.
His wife Suzanne is half-Welsh, while it is thought the couple's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, may even have British passports.
Pawlenty hits Obama on Muslim Brotherhood
http://almuslim.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=747:pawlenty-hits-obama-on-muslim-brotherhood&catid=69:current-affairs
Tim Pawlenty accused President Barack Obama on Sunday of not being clear enough in opposing the Muslim Brotherhood taking over in Egypt. Pointing to the president's interview ahead of last Sunday's Super Bowl on Fox News, Pawlenty said Obama should have been firm in stating that the United States does not want the group to gain power. "The president of the United States ducked the question on whether the Muslim Brotherhood should be running Egypt," Pawlenty said on ABC's "This Week." "And I’m telling you they should not be running Egypt."
Tim Pawlenty accused President Barack Obama on Sunday of not being clear enough in opposing the Muslim Brotherhood taking over in Egypt. Pointing to the president's interview ahead of last Sunday's Super Bowl on Fox News, Pawlenty said Obama should have been firm in stating that the United States does not want the group to gain power. "The president of the United States ducked the question on whether the Muslim Brotherhood should be running Egypt," Pawlenty said on ABC's "This Week." "And I’m telling you they should not be running Egypt."
Pawlenty also attacked the administration for cutting aid to non-governmental organizations in Egypt, as well as the policy of past administrations of propping up ousted leader Hosni Mubarak.
"History shows that authoritarian regimes offer only a false stability," said the former Minnesota governor, who's weighing a bid for the Republican presidential nomination
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