Manmohan is fast becoming Jagmohan for Kashmir. Zafarul-Islam Khan

	Kashmir: Act before foreign forces land in Srinagar The Valley today is a Kosovo-in-waiting. The government should act now before it is too late. By Zafarul-Islam Khan New Delhi (2 August 2010): For the last two months only bullets are talking in Kashmir. Dozens of lives, mostly school-going young men and women, have succumbed to the bullets fired by the security forces directly into their chests. Ten such victims have died within the last twenty four hours for pelting stones and violating curfew. The central cabinet?s security committee met last night without the attendance of even the  governor, the de facto ruler, of the state. Today the dummy chief minister of the state was called for a meeting in Delhi and assured that direct central rule will not be imposed on the state. The situation in the Valley has not deteriorated within a day or two and forces across the border alone are not responsible for the chaos seen in the length and breadth of the Valley. Today?s chaos in the Valley basically reflects the failure of the central government which despite declarations and promises to the contrary, has utterly failed to negotiate with the people who matter in Kashmir, which has thrown in the dustbin the autonomy and self-rule proposals presented by its own trusted hands in the state. Musharraf and even the current Pakistani government have been time and again offering proposals to arrive at a settlement of sorts taking into account the ground realities but visionless people in Delhi have squandered the opportunity. The army bullets once again prove what our enemies claim that India is interested only in the land of Kashmir and not in its people. Manmohan is fast becoming Jagmohan for Kashmir. The way forward is to sack the childish government of Omar Abdullah, set free all activists and political leaders arrested during the last few weeks, withdraw the army and allied forces from all inhabited areas in the Valley, impose governor raj for a fixed and declared period of six months, accept the autonomy proposal presented by the J&K Assembly during Farooq Abdullah?s tenure in 2000, announce a general amnesty for all militants and welcome those who crossed over into POK, hold a fair election with none barred from contesting and monitored by foreign observers like Jimmy Carter and representatives from the UN, EU, OIC etc and let the real winner rule the state. Meanwhile, India must engage in a serious and purposeful dialogue with Pakistan taking into account the various proposals offered by Musharraf and the current government in Islamabad. Failure to work on these lines will be fatal. The protests in the Valley are quickly taking the shape of an intifadah which no amount of army bullets will be able to control. Rather, these criminal bullets and their innocent victims will invite foreign intervention. Let the short-sighted strategists in Delhi realise that foreign intervention is no longer a myth. A prolonged protest, wanton wholesale murder of the civilians and children by the security forces and collapse of the dummy civil government will be enough to pass a resolution in the UN to authorise foreign military intervention and the small men in Delhi will not be able to prevent such forces from landing in Srinagar. The Valley today is a Kosovo-in-waiting. Act now before it is too late. About the author: Zafarul-Islam Khan edits The Milli Gazette and author of several books including Wounded Valley.

IRAN NEXT SUPER POWER

by Pyotr Goncharov

Srinagar: There are reasons to suspect that Iran's nuclear program is neither peaceful nor civilian. Its Natanz (pictured) facility will have 54,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges, and it has already put into operation two cascades with 164 centrifuges each. Iran intends to turn on all of the 54,000 centrifuges. 

There are reasons to suspect that Iran's nuclear program is neither peaceful nor civilian. Its Natanz (pictured) facility will have 54,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges, and it has already put into operation two cascades with 164 centrifuges each. Iran intends to turn on all of the 54,000 centrifuges. What for? Photo courtesy AFP.

Moscow (RIA Novosti) Dec 29, 2006
Iran may become one of the top 10 features of the outgoing year for a number of reasons, including its nuclear dossier and the Holocaust conference, as well as the anti-Israeli rhetoric of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In short, Iran has made others view it as a regional superpower and the key player in the Middle East.

Its nuclear program remains the top issue, with good reason, because it threatens the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

If Iran implements its nuclear program in the proclaimed format, namely on the basis of its own uranium enrichment technologies, this will deal a death blow to the NPT. Iran's program will trigger the domino effect, encouraging Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan to follow suit.

The bomb is not the issue, as Iran will most likely decide against creating it. But it will hover merely one step away from it, forcing Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan to cover the same distance. Tehran promises to share its nuclear technology with Kuwait and Syria, which, taken together with Israel's 200 nuclear charges, will turn the region into a nuclear powder keg.

There are reasons to suspect that Iran's nuclear program is neither peaceful nor civilian. Its Natanz facility will have 54,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges, and it has already put into operation two cascades with 164 centrifuges each. Iran intends to turn on all of the 54,000 centrifuges. What for?

Russian nuclear experts say this number will allow Iran to produce its own nuclear fuel for 20 nuclear power units. So far, Iran plans to turn on only one unit, at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which is being built with Russia's technical assistance. The unit is expected to be put into operation in September 2007 and start generating electricity in November. The construction of the other 19 units is not planned so far.

On the other hand, the same experts say, given the political will, the 54,000 centrifuges can be used to create five to seven nuclear charges within two weeks at the most.

Therefore, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cannot issue guarantees of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, although it cannot prove its military goals either. The IAEA has questions to Tehran which it has refused to answer so far, keeping the world on nuclear tenterhooks.

The talks on Iran's nuclear program, as well as endless debates by experts, political analysts and other specialists, have turned into a cliffhanger compounded by Iran's intricate diplomatic embroidery. More than three months have passed since the UN's August 31 deadline, by which Tehran should have stopped work on its first cascade of 164 uranium enrichment centrifuges. Since then, Iran has put into operation a second cascade and announced the intention to increase the number of working centrifuges to 3,000 by March 2007.

It is certainly bluffing, as it does not have the necessary capacity for this. Yet it has played a joke on the UN Security Council no other country has dared to play before.

Ahmadinejad's statements to the effect that "Iran has made a crucial decision and is moving honorably along its chosen path," and that Tehran would consider any Security Council resolution on sanctions as a hostile move are most likely just verbal bravado, which the world has learned to regard calmly.

Tehran fears sanctions, or else why did Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, rush to Moscow shortly before the planned stopover in Moscow by U.S. President George W. Bush? Tehran thought President Bush and Vladimir Putin would discuss the Iranian nuclear dossier, and feared that Bush would convince Putin to vote for harsh sanctions against Iran. Tehran needed Russia's support, and Larijani received it. But nothing lasts forever.

Putin later said that Russia's support to Tehran was aimed at encouraging it to maintain relations with the IAEA so as to clarify the nuclear watchdog's questions and restore the world's trust in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programs. But it appears that Tehran is not willing to resume talks, at least not now.

On December 23, the UN Security Council voted on the Iranian resolution. The permanent members of the council, who form, together with Germany, a six-country group on Iran, have coordinated sanctions against Iran. The resolution proposed by the European Trio, which is negotiating with Iran on behalf of the European Union, differed radically from Russia's stand.

Moscow argued that the sanctions should cover only the areas that worry the IAEA - enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and work on all heavy water-related projects, and the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.

The Security Council heeded the Kremlin's arguments, but future developments are almost impossible to predict, especially considering the "Persian motifs" in Tehran's foreign policy. One way or another, Russia's neighbor, Iran, will continue to play a key role in the region, and this is the main result of the story with its nuclear dossier.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and may not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial board. Source: RIA Novosti

The Dream of Anti-Islam Forces: India,US, UK, Russia, France, Germany

by Dr. M. Amir Ali, Ph.D.

Introduction. It is a dream of anti-Islam forces to get rid of Islam from the face of the earth but they know the impossibility of their dream coming true. Therefore, they have resigned themselves to live with Islam but a modified one in the mold of Christianity, a religion of a few private rituals. Anti-Islam forces want to redefine Islam and they want Muslims to accept it. They have been working on this project for the last three centuries with a lot of success. Their last three centuries of persistent efforts has given rise to pseudo-Islamic cults, new sects, sects redefined, and corrupted orders within Islam.

It is not a secret that various anti-Islam forces are working in tandem and in coordination with each other to remove the Islam of the Qur'an and Sunnah from people's lives around the world. They will tolerate a ritualistic Islam in the mold of Christianity but not real Islam. The question may be asked, "who are these anti-Islam forces?" This author has written an article on this topic; for a detailed discussion, see "ISLAM IN AMERICA: ROUGH ROAD AHEAD", published in the MESSAGE INTERNATIONAL, February 2000. A brief introduction is given below.

Anti-Islam forces may be divided into three groups: (a) Secular Fundamentalists, (b) Zionists and Hindu Fundamentalists, and (c) Christian Fundamentalists. All three work together, support each other in full cooperation, and each group has its own area of work delineated. All three groups put together constitute only under 4% of the American population or under 10 million individuals. However, these people enjoy tremendous power and sway over the people. Over 96% of the people are ignorant believers and followers of anti-Islam forces. It is possible to break the bond between anti-Islam leaders and their ignorant followers through massive education by the Muslims.

Anti-Islam leaders come with titles like Dr., Rev., Prof., etc., which carry an air of authority when they speak. However, when they speak they give informed individuals the impression that they, perhaps, have their doctorates and specialties in bigotry and demagoguery. A few examples of these hate-mongers include, Dr. Robert Morey, Dr. Anis Shorroush, Rev. Pat Robertson, Rev. Billy Graham, Prof. Sam Huntington, Prof. Daniel Pipes and many others.

Secular Fundamentalists are those intellectuals who see religion as irrelevant in peoples' lives but they tolerate religion if people have private beliefs in some kind of God or gods. Some of these people may have some loose belief in some kind of god or gods but they do not see its relevance in the social, economic, and political lives of the people; these may even include the clergy. They are particularly against Islam because they perceive that this religion tries to become an established system of life competing with secularism. Naturally, secularists try to destroy Islam completely; they have an agenda. Secular Fundamentalists is the largest of the three anti-Islam forces and the most powerful because its proponents include politicians, media people, businessmen, professors, teachers and a section of the common folk in the West. These are the people who are running governments, UNO and its branches, banks, multi-national corporations, think-tanks, universities, school systems, charitable foundations, and much more. They control almost the entire wealth of the planet earth. But Allah is more powerful. Secularists use academically-oriented tools to create hate of Islam. These are the generals of the anti-Islam war. These bigots and demagogues are found among professors, specialists, gurus, academicians of universities, and other think-tanks. It should be understood that not every Secular Fundamentalist is an Islam hater but a majority among them are, overtly or covertly. Islam haters use the academic media of research papers, educational material, publication of books, publication of articles in professional journals, and magazines. Thus, they influence the top echelon of the society.

Zionists and Hindu Fundamentalists fear Islam for their own protection. They perceive that the expansion of Islam will destroy their ideologies and their political domains. These are pragmatists and their reasoning for carrying out anti-Islam activities may be summed up as the following:

1. The more Islam and Muslims are demonized, the better the Zionists and Hindus look. Dehumanizing and demonizing Muslims has its own rewards. It gives them the legitimacy to kill Muslims, bulldoze their property, oppress them, and arrest and torture Muslim activists. How often it is that one learns of the killing of a rat as news in the newspaper or TV news program. However, the killing of Muslims makes no news, let alone, the headlines. Whereas, when a single Zionist or a Hindu is hurt or killed by a Muslim it makes resounding headlines in the West. Palestinians in their own land, Muslims in Kashmir, and Chechens in Chechnya are suffering but the powerful West has become mute and blind to their sufferings. To add insult to injury, they emphatically label Muslims as being "terrorists". A stark contrast to Western policy toward Muslims is evident in the case where East Timuris, a Christian and animist minority in Indonesia, burned mosques, killed dozens of Muslims, and marched in the streets. The West stood up in their support and forced their independence upon Indonesia. The Western double standard at play is obvious in that the Palestinians, Kashmiris, and Mindanao Muslims have been demanding their independence for decades and West calls them "terrorists" and helps their oppressors. In October 2000 over 100 Arab youths were killed by the Israelis using American taxpayer-paid guns. A large percentage of the murdered Arabs were teen-age children but no one is questioning Israel or blaming Israelis. When two Israeli-trained assassins who were sent to kill Arab leaders were caught and subsequently killed, it made headlines all over the world. Trained assassins are "peacemakers" and children ages 6 to 16 are "terrorists". Only the ignorant will buy this kind of distortion and there are many in the U.S. due to myopia, laziness, indifference, laxity, and complacency of the Muslim masses and their leaders, particularly those Muslims living in the West. Muslims living in the West have tools and power available to them to change the situation forever and reverse the environment from anti-Islam to pro-Islam.

2. Israeli and Hindu Fundamentalists dehumanize Muslims and portray them as being brute terrorists while the actual perpetrators of terror, namely, the CIA, Israel, and India receive financial, military, technological, and espionage aid from the U.S. administration and Congress. Reportedly, Israel receives from the U.S. government over six billion dollars annually in aid. That is a $1,500 reward granted annually from the American taxpayers for every Jewish male, female, and child living in Israel. This is the reward for colonizing Palestinian land and displacing Palestinian people. The cycle of repression of Muslims is strengthened using American help in the form of guns, tanks, helicopter gunships, missiles, espionage training, intelligence information, and generous economic aid. Muslims living in the U.S. can change this policy through their involvement in the political process; surely, there will be a lot of resistance against the Muslim entry but Muslims have to fight it out and cut out their niche in the American government and exert their influence. There are many success stories of Muslim empowerment at the local level when they became active, for example, in Santa Clara, CA, Bridgeview, IL, Morton Grove, IL, Brooklyn, NY, and the senatorial race in New Jersey in addition to others. Muslims living in those areas were able to turn the tide from anti-Islam to neutrality or pro-Islam. The isolationism proposed by some ignorant Muslims is a recipe for a slow suicide and is in effect a request to be subjected to the same fate that Muslims suffered in Spain, Bosnia, Chechnya, and Kosova. As a result of Muslim involvement, Congressman Tom Campbell (Republican, CA) presented a bill in Congress to stop all forms of aid to Israel; the bill was supported by only 12 congressmen but it was a first attempt. If Muslims become active in American politics, the day when Tom Campbell's bill is passed will not be far.

3. The Zionists and Hindus fear the increasing population of Muslims in the U.S. They see that with the increasing Muslim population, Muslims will eventually become politically and economically a factor and that scares them the most. Zionist influence in America is drawn from Jewish involvement in the political process through giving money, time, and talent for politicians. It is estimated that for every dollar American Jews spend on politicians, Israel receives over one thousand dollars from the U.S. government. This process yielded them, not only money for Israel, but opportunities of becoming politicians themselves. Now, Jews are in the government and running the government at local and national levels enjoying influence beyond their proportion in population (under two percent). Jewish involvement in the political process has changed their position, that is, from the most hated people around the 1900s to the most powerful people in the year 2000. Actually, it took Jews in America less than sixty years (two generations) of hard work to accumulate the power they have. These anti-Islam forces are working as hard as possible to keep the growth of the Muslim population in America in check and certainly, Muslim political participation in check. They are already spreading rumors that Muslim political participation is outright dangerous and should not be encouraged. This group uses the media and entertainment industry to create hate of Islam and Muslims. There are some Muslim groups, like Hizb At-Tahrir, Tanzeem-e Islami, Tablighi Jamaat, and others who have come out actively against Muslim political participation thereby fulfilling the dream of anti-Islam forces. It is strange, what happened to the commonsense, intellect, and wisdom of our sincere brothers? In their naïveté, they are becoming enemies of Islam despite their love and sincerity for the deen of Allah. Although their sincerity and love of Allah is unquestionable, they are nonetheless positioning themselves right into the opportunistic hands of anti-Islam forces.

3. Christian Fundamentalists see Islam as a world competitor in winning the hearts and minds of the people around the world for their respective religions. The conversion (reversion) rate to Islam is abhorrent and terrifying for them. In addition, Christian Fundamentalists are more Zionists than the Jews of America. This group works at the gutter level creating lies and deception against Islam and Muslims and selling it to the masses directly. They create hate of Islam and Muslims and work so that Bosnia-like situations are created and the holocaust of Muslims takes place right here in America. Their goal is to remove Islam from the West, which includes the Americas and Europe, and they fight Islam in the Muslim-majority countries as well. These are the foot soldiers of the anti-Islam movement. The Christian Fundamentalists attack Islamic aqeedah, practices, history, and civilizations; they distort everything Islamic and misrepresent it to their listeners and readers. These people use Christian TV and radio, publish books for common people, as well as brochures, tracks, and pamphlets. Furthermore, their leaders with the title "Dr." appear live in churches and deliver talks filled with bigotry against Islam and Muslims. While Muslims are ignorant of these activities and oblivious to whatever is going on around them, by the time they find the results, it will be too late to do anything about it. It will be Bosnia right here in America. Those Muslims who are against reaching out to the non-Muslim population are fulfilling the dreams of anti-Islam forces. Again, this author finds Tablighi Jamaat is openly guilty of opposing the reaching out to non-Muslims. This author has experienced a lot of antipathy from these people during his travels from New York to California for the purpose of mobilizing the Muslim population to perform outreach work.

Muslims themselves contribute to islamophobia but this is not due to spite for Islam but rather to their own ignorance of Islam but this is not the topic of this paper. This author has written an article on this topic that is unpublished but privately circulated. The solution to the problem of anti-Islam forces is the education of Muslims and American masses about Islam and Muslims and thus pulling the rug from under the feet of the anti-Islam forces, that is, denying them an audience who would believe them. The Muslim mission is like a bicycle that has two wheels. A monocycle is incapable of going very far or fast enough. One wheel of the bicycle is the education and reform of the Muslims and the other wheel is outreach to the non-Muslims, both tasks must be done simultaneously. The policy of the Tablighi Jamaat, which consists of going on a monocycle, has no evidence in the Qur'an or the Sunnah. They will be able to contribute many sheep to the herd but will not contribute to bringing out leaders who will lead the Muslim Ummah, restore dignity to Islam and Muslims, and establish the rule of Allah in this earthly life.

The Dreams: Anti-Islam forces would love to see a modified Islam that would include the following:

1. Removal of Jihad from Islamic teachings. This is the scariest part of Islamic teachings that a fighter is a ghazi or shaheed; it is win-win situation for a Muslim mujahid. The West is willing to support any kind of Islam that does not have Jihad in the meaning of qital in its theology. A mushrik values two things most, his life and his property, the things that a true Muslim cares the least about in the Way of Allah. Remind yourself of the Hadith of wahn, the disease that will destroy Muslims and will render them subjects of their enemies. They welcome Qadiyanis, Tablighi Jamaat, Sufis, and similar other groups. These Muslim groups, by their opposition or silence about Jihad in the meaning of qital, are fulfilling the dream of the enemies of Islam. Qital is a part of Islam but it is relevant only in its place and time; it is not for everywhere nor for every time there is opposition to Islam. Muslims have a duty to attempt and exhaust all peaceful means before resorting to qital. On the other hand, those who incite to qital for every Muslim problem are also fulfilling the dreams of their enemies because this gives them an opportunity to project Islam as advocating terrorism and war.

2. Removal of politics as a part of Islam. There are two things under this topic: (a) Separation of politics and "religion", which is the fundamental dogma of secularism, and (b) discouraging Muslims from political participation in the West, which is a wish and a dream so that Muslims do not gain power and do not disturb the power of the Zionists and Christian Fundamentalists. The separation of politics from religion is rooted in the brutal rule of the Catholic Church over Europe lasting over one thousand years in the name of religion. Secularists see Islam in the mold of Catholicism, which is foolishness on their part and those Muslims who support them.

Political participation of Muslims in America is hated by anti-Islam forces because this will change the status quo and Muslims will begin to gain political power in the U.S. They love the movements of Qadiyanis, Tablighi Jamaat, Sufis, Hizb At-Tahrir, Tanzeem-e-Islami, and similar groups who agree with the enemies of Islam in maintaining the status quo through their opposition to political participation. These groups (anti-political participation Muslims) make the dreams of the anti-Islam forces come true. If Muslims become active in politics in an organized manner the power of the Zionists and Christian Fundamentalists will dissipate in time and Muslims may gain the position of dictating their policies domestically as well as globally. Please do not tell me that allowing the enemies of Islam to realize their dreams against Islam is part of the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet(S). The absence of Muslims from politics leaves the field wide open for the enemies of Islam to work freely without any resistance and obstruction.

3. Removal of Islamic Economics. Here again there are two things: (a) Separation of economics of the country from religion, in this case Islamic teachings, and (b) Preclusion of the Muslim establishment of economic institutions based on Islamic economics. It terrifies these people that the Muslims should become successful in their economic endeavors because that will be the end of the capitalist economy which supports the exploitation of the weak and the ignorant and greed is a virtue.

An interest-based economy is un-Islamic whereas a capitalist economy is interest-based. Capitalism is rooted on the exploitation of the needs and ignorance of the people. Islam makes it Haram. In addition, trading in alcoholic liquors, swine products, gambling, and prostitution are Haram in Islam. Islamic economics will demolish the entire structure built upon capitalism. Tablighi Jamaat and Sufis are fulfilling the dreams of anti-Islam forces by adopting silence in this area and that is not the Sunnah of the Prophet(S). Anti-Islam forces would like to see either the Muslims casting away the principle of Islamic economics or adopting silence as the above- mentioned Muslim groups have done.

4. Modified Muslim social life. Anti-Islam Forces would like to see that Muslims drop Hijab and objections to the free mixing of genders. They would love to see that Muslims begin dancing the way it is done in the Western culture and adopted by many eastern societies, including some westernized "Muslims". They hate to see educated Muslim women wearing hijab and staying away from westernized social parties. On the other hand, they love to ridicule those Muslim women who are closeted in their homes and, if they go out at all, they wear complete covering (burqa or abaiya or chador). Rejecters of Hadith is the group that has adopted a western-style social life and this pleases the West. On the other hand, Tablighi Jamaat has become extremely oppressive of their women by denying them the opportunities of education and intellectual growth. Tablighis even preclude their women from going to the masajid and listening to the speeches of their own scholars. They do not understand that the first five or six years of a child shape his/her personality, this is the period he/she spends with the mother. The mother is the first teacher of a child and builds up the personality of that child. An oppressed, ignorant, frustrated, and angry mother is going to become selfish, living day by day for the security of her food and shelter till her last day comes. This kind of mother is going to raise a child in her mold: selfish, angry, frustrated, ignorant, and with no ambition for excellence or a vision for himself, his family, or his people. Conversely, a mother who is educated, Islamically informed in the Qur'an and Sunnah, happy, and a visionary with leadership qualities, will raise children who are educated, happy, and visionary leaders. For a thousand years, Muslims have oppressed their women, kept them ignorant, and suppressed and as a result, we have raised a whole Ummah that is selfish, ignorant of Islam, mediocre in their profession, short-sighted, devoid of vision for their people, and lacking in leadership qualities. The whole Muslim world is ruled by such selfish brutes who are able to become brute dictators with the help of the West but cannot lead because their ignorant mothers did not train them for such tasks. Tablighi Jamaat and the likes of them want to maintain this sorry state of affairs for the Muslim Ummah and are happy with keeping the reins of world power in the hands of anti-Islam forces. No wonder these people can obtain visas to any country in the West whereas many good Muslims are black-listed or quietly denied entry and if they enter somehow, they are arrested and jailed under one pretext or another.

5. Opposition to Outreach to non-Muslims. Da'wah to non-Muslims is a duty of all Muslims because this promotes and propagates Islam. Anti-Islam forces hate this activity of Muslims most because the spread of Islam and any rise in the influence of Muslims is contrary to their wishes and designs. Anti-Islam forces love Tablighi Jamaat and Sufis who do not reach out to the non-Muslims to convey the message. Naturally, the members of these Muslim groups are able to obtain visas easily to countries all over the world. By opposing or adopting silence against Da'wat ila-Allah to non-Muslims is fulfilling the dreams of anti-Islam forces. Hizb At-Tahrir is quite vocal in their slogan of "Khilafa is the solution" but they have no workable plan to bring it about, not even in the Muslim-majority countries. I would like to see their plan to establish Khilafa in places where Muslims are living as 2% of the population such as in the United States. The West is not the place for raising emotional slogans of "Khilafa is the solution" and hyping up a few young people with fiery speeches. If their speeches are for establishing Khilafa in one or more of the Muslim-majority countries, they should go to those target countries and work there. All these people do is create more problems and obstacles for those who have plans to bring about a change in the West, as much as is possible, without any bloodshed.

6. Stop forbidding evil. Islamic teaching is Amr bil-ma'roof wa nahi 'an al-munkar meaning enjoining good and forbidding evil. Forbidding evil is, in essence, reminding people to abstain from their evil deeds, which they may take as criticism. From a secular point of view, evil must be defined by law; whatever is divinely defined as evil is not necessarily an evil. For example, drinking liquors, gambling, fornication, and homosexuality are acceptable norms in the West and they should not be labeled as "evil". From the western point of view, Tablighi Jamaat is a wonderful group of Muslims because they have taken out nahi ‘an al-munkar and replaced it with sukoot 'an al-munkar meaning silence about evil. Tablighi Jamaat is fulfilling the dreams of anti-Islam forces. In the secular culture, all evils that are not defined by law as crimes are wonderful, creative acts. Nudity is creativity, pornography is creativity, homosexuality is an alternate life-style, adultery is consensual adult creativity, and now here comes another imaginative act, incest is creativity. Tablighi Jamaat prefers to adopt silence on all these matters rather than reminding the society about these evils and work to remove them from the society. The Muslims of Tablighi Jamaat and Sufis are wonderful, moderate Muslims loved by Daniel Pipes and Sam Huntington.

7. Stop studying and living by the Qur'an and Sunnah. It is becoming common knowledge among informed Westerners that those Muslims who study Qur'an and Sunnah and try to live by them are catalysts of change within the Muslim Ummah. Such people earn the wrath of the West, they are awarded titles such as Wahabi and Fundamentalist extremists, and are the targets against whom the West subsidizes movements. This author has heard many times from Sufi leaders that the goal of their lives is to fight to remove "Wahabism", a non-existent ghost. Sufis do not work for the goal of their lives as being that of earning the pleasure of Allah but rather gain the pleasure and good graces of the enemies of Allah through their fight against Wahabism. The term "Wahabism" was coined by the British in the 1820s to destroy the reform movement of the Shahidayn in India through sowing hate and dissension within the Muslim Ummah and in this the British were very successful. The people who call mankind to the Qur'an and Sunnah are bringing meaningful change in the Muslim societies worldwide and this upsets the West. The true revival of Islam among the Muslims is possible only through the Qur'an and Sunnah. Only rote recitation of the Qur'an rather than studying keeps Muslims tame. Tablighi Jamaat and Sufis are fulfilling the dreams of the West from within by discouraging study of the Qur'an and Sunnah. The West would love to see Muslims blindly follow a leader who does not call people to study the Qur'an and Sunnah but follow him blindly. According to Tablighi Jamaat and Sufis, asking proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah is a taboo. Such religious leaders can be bought and sold to the highest bidder thus controlling people becomes easier. People who are ignorant and follow like sheep in a herd are much easier to control than those who seek knowledge from the Qur'an and Sunnah rather than hearsay opinions.

With respect to Muslim-majority countries, the West has the following dreams in addition to the above-mentioned points.

Israeli Resolution. In the early 1970s the government of Israel passed a resolution to keep all Arab (Muslim-majority) countries, singly or any combination thereof, weaker than the State of Israel. This resolution was adopted by the Democratic Party in total and a slightly weaker version was adopted by the Republicans. It is obvious that these American political parties have joined the enemies of Islam and Muslims and they are pursuing the following strategies.

8. Educational and technological backwardness and mediocrity. It is the earnest hope of the West that Muslims not become educated or technologically advanced but remain mediocre in their work and professions. Research and development and excellence should remain within the circle of non-Muslim people. Muslims should only be consumers of development and production of the non-Muslim world. Fortunately for the West, there are Muslim groups that promote mediocrity, consumerism, and staying in the masajid as much as possible - the West loves it.

The West is trying to keep Muslim-majority countries in the column of net importers of consumer-finished products and exporters of raw material so that they remain dependent upon industrially advanced non-Muslim countries for finished products and purchasers of raw material. The West is trying as much as possible to keep Muslim societies backward in education, technology, and industrial products whether heavy industry or consumer products. As long back as 1973 when King Faisal stopped selling oil to the U.S., Henry Kissinger reportedly told Saudis that they may drink oil when they get hungry because the U.S. would not sell them wheat. The U.S. government wants to keep every Muslim-majority country at bay with that kind of threat. Muslims cannot change such stupid policies of the U.S. government until they get involved and rise upward through the ladder of power. Get involved and gain influence. Muslims need not beg but demand and dictate after removing anti-Islam forces from the position of power. It can be done and it should be done. For the Muslims, the rise to power in America is not going to be a bed of roses.

9. Denying military technology. The West would not mind if Muslim majority countries have a police force with a few sticks and guns to kill their own people and to keep them as herds of sheep who stay in line and remain loyal to the puppets of the West. The peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians showed their real intent. The deal was that the Palestinian police would be given a few simple guns to keep the Palestinian population under control and for use against their own people. A credible force of defense against an enemy is not allowed for any Muslim-majority country. When Iraq developed a credible force, it was bombed to the stone age. The West has been conspiring with Israel, India, and Russia to bomb Pakistan to the stone age, as soon as possible. India and Israel can develop nuclear bombs but the same technology is denied to Pakistan and Iraq. Israel, India, and China can develop their own missiles and airplanes but Pakistan and Iran are not to develop these technologies. Those who oppose Muslim participation in American politics want the status quo, that is, keeping Muslim countries weak and maintaining the hegemony of the West, Israel, Russia, and India over Muslim- majority countries. Only through involvement will Muslims be able to change the policies of the West. Muslims should have the vision of becoming the government of the West and pursue it with tunnel vision.

10. Globalization. This is the tool, which is being sold to Muslim countries to stunt Muslim culture and replace it with western culture. Dr. S.M. Kureshi of Pakistan has written a book under the title, "WESTERN FUNDAMENTALISM IN ACTION"; it is worth reading.

It appears that "globalization" was developed to stunt the resurgence of true Islam and the rising aspirations of Muslims to regain their past glory of being the world power to which others would have to reckon with. Globalization includes maintaining the hegemony of the West in all areas of life, particularly, cultural hegemony. Some Islamic movements are trying to remove the bad influences of the Western culture and replace them with true Islamic norms, lost gradually under the colonial rule of Europe. The West is using all tools available to her to implement globalization. Unless Muslims reach the policy-making chambers, they will have no control over such hazardous movements. Those Muslims who oppose Muslim involvement in U.S. politics essentially want to give free rein to the West in their implementation of globalization. For whom are these people working in their ignorance? Are they working for Islam or anti-Islam forces? You decide!

During the last fifty years two persons were most influential in the formulation of American foreign policy. During the Eisenhower era, John Foster Dulles, then Secretary of State, formulated the policy that was Capitalism-centered; it was anti-Communism and anti-Islam. When it was suggested to him to work with Islamic movements to destroy Communism, he rejected the idea saying that Communism was a daughter of the West whereas Islam was an alien. During the Nixon era, Henry Kissinger, an immigrant Jew from Europe, maneuvered himself into the position of Secretary of State. Kissinger's policy was Zionism and Israel-centered and, naturally, it was anti-Islam, anti-Muslim and anti-Arab. Perhaps, it was Kissinger who inspired Israel to pass the resolution of keeping the Arab (Muslim) world weaker than Israel so that American political parties could adopt in their planks. He developed or contributed to the policy of dividing the world into regions of influence (hegemony) with the U.S. on top, like on the top of a totem pole. He chose Israel to be the masters of the Middle East, from Morocco to Iran. India was chosen to be the master of South Asian countries and Japan was selected to rule over the Far East. He chose the Republic of South Africa (then a white, racist regime and an ally of Israel) to be the master of sub-Sahara Africa. The same policy is being followed by the U.S. government and Europe in the year 2000. Kissinger engineered the implementation of Dulles' plan of breaking Pakistan into two pieces. Kissinger planned further break of Pakistan into four pieces and his policy is being followed by the successive U.S. governments. Muslims must get into the power and put a stop to such anti-Muslim policies. Globalization is the extension of the same old policies of Dulles and Kissinger. Only through involvement, will the Muslims be able to change these corrupt and racist policies.

In conclusion, it is an earnest appeal to our beloved brothers in Islam who associate themselves with Tablighi Jamaat, Hizb At-Tahrir, and those who agree with these parties to re-examine their policies and strategies. The founders of these movements were sincere and good people but their policies and strategies were developed during the colonial period. Had they been living in our time, traveled in the West, this author is sure that they would have changed. They would have never agreed to fulfill the dreams of anti-Islam forces the way their perceived followers are intent on doing. Besides, many of these policy and strategy issues are not a matter of Shari'ah but rather a matter of Ijtehad. Let us work together to change the world by bringing justice and equity as we have learned it from the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

E-mail your comments to amirali@ilaam.net

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: Medicinal plants of India Directory ver.02 released

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: Medicinal plants of India Directory ver.02 released

Medicinal plants of India Directory ver.02 released

Medicinal plants play an important ROLE IN HUMAN LIFE TO COMBAT DISEASES SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL. The rural folks and tribals in India even now depend largely on the surrounding plants/forests for their day-to-day needs. Medicinal plant are being looked upon not only as a source of health care but also as a source of income. The value of medicinal plants related trade in India is of the order of 5.5 billion US$ (Exim Report-1997) and is further increasing day-by-day. The international market of herbal products is estimated to be US $ 62 BILLION. India share in the global market of medicinal plants trade is less than 0.5%. In view of the innate Indian strengths, which include diverse eco-systems for growth of medicinal plants, technical/farming capacity, strong manufacturing sector, the medicinal plants sector can provide a huge export opportunity after fulfilling domestic needs.

he present e-book also covers systematic account of most different plants with pictures used in medicines. It covers Medicinal Plants containing alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, additives and other active matabolites.

It also contains details of Govt. Schemes for Medicinal Plants. We hope that this e. book will be useful not only for technologists, professionals, but also for farmers, traders, students, NGOs, institutions, exporters and importers of Medicinal Plants.
The CD-based book costs Rs. 550/-
(Also available on online e-mail edition)
Payment: Demand Draft//MO only in favour of "International Information Resource Centre",
Mailing address: POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR Jammu and Kashmir 190001
Ph:09858986794,01933-223705
e-mail:iirc@rediffmail.com

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: Pampore : 5 civiliens killed 32 injured

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: Pampore : 5 civiliens killed 32 injured

Pampore : 5 civiliens killed 32 injured

By: Johan Simith

Pampore, 1 August : Five  person was killed and 32 others, including 13 Indian troops, were injured in clashes between protestors and Indian forces which opened fire in Pampore area in the outskirts of the city on Sunday.

Also, protesters set the Tehsil office and Tehsildar's house on fire  in Pampore. Indian National Flag burn by protesters & waving Go India Go Back Flag.

Earlier in the day, clashes broke out in Baramulla between the people and the security forces.

People defied the curfew in north Kashmir town and Pampore and took to the streets. They also allegedly clashed with the security forces. Around 12000 people have blocked the NHA1 at Galander on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

The number of people who have lost their lives in violence since Friday has gone up to seven after one person was killed in clashes between protestors and security forces which opened fire in Pampore area in the outskirts of the city early in the day.

Curfew remained clamped in violence-hit Kashmir Valley as Indian forces maintained a close vigil on the situation, which continued to be tense.

Curfew was imposed in nine districts of the Valley - Anantnag, Srinagar, Baramulla, Kulgam, Budgam, Bandipora, Pampore, Awantipora, Khrewa, Sombora Ganaderbal, Shopian and Pulwama - while prohibitory orders are in place in Kupwara district.

1000 of Groups of protesters took to the streets and tried to block the Srinagar-Jammu Highway when security personnel intervened, police said.

Indian Security personnel then opened fire in which three persons were injured, they said, adding one of them succumbed to his injuries.

5 civilians were killed and 32 people, including 30 policemen, injured yesterday in clashes between protesters and security forces. With today's death, the number of people killed in violence since Friday has gone up to seven.

Three civilians killed in troops firing in Sopore, Pattan

Srinagar, July 31, 2010: Indian paramilitary forces opened fire to quell protesters, leaving at least three persons dead and 50 others injured. Several on them received bullet and tear-gas shelling injuries.

Police say paramilitary soldiers have fired on thousands of demonstrators in Kashmir, killing three men and injuring at least 50 others, as protests against Indian rule spread across the region.

Authorities imposed strict restrictions on the movement of people to protest against the killing of youths in firing by police and paramilitary forces since June 11 this year in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla, Islamabad areas.

Two people were killed when opened fire on a mob at Aramgarh village of Sopore, in Baramulla district this afternoon.  Shoukat Ahmad Chopan and Mohammad Ahsan Ganai were killed and a dozen others injured when Indian CRPF paramilitary forces opened fire on a mob in Sopore. Chopan and Ganai succumbed to injuries on way to hospital.

Doctors at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital in Srinagar said two youth, Ahsem Ganai and Showkat Chopan, were brought dead. Out of 50 injured in clashes, 10 suffered bullet injuries and were undergoing treatment in different hospitals. The condition of two of them is stated to be "critical", officials said.

India paramilitary forces used brute force and stopped people who took to streets shortly after Friday prayers and were heading towards Sopore town.  However, the protesters denied IIndian armed personnel in uniform opened fire, resulting in injuries to seven persons who were rushed to hospital. 

A police officer, on condition of anonymity, said troops fired on protesters chanting pro-freedom slogans in Pattan, Kreeri iand Sopore towns. Two people were killed in Sopore and one died in Pattan, the officer and a local doctor said.

According to reports, two youth were killed and a dozen persons received bullet injuries when paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Railway Protection Force Personnel (RPF) opened fire on a group of demonstrators at Amargarh in Sopore after Friday prayers.

Witnesses said the two men were shot when forces opened fire on a demonstration in Sopore town, both died on the way to hospital. "Both men had bullet wounds and were dead by the time they reached us," a doctor in Srinagar's main hospital told Writer-South Asia. 

Six people including a teenager identified as Iqbal Ahmad Khan was critically injured in Chanapora area of Srinagar city, when CRPF troopers opened fire on mob there on Friday morning.  The 22-year-old Iqbal Ahmad Khan son of Abdul Majid Khan who, among several others, was injured in firing by paramilitary forces in Chanapora Friday morning continues to be in a critical condition.  Medical Superintendent (MS) of the Soura Institute of Medical Sciences Dr Amin Taabish told media men that Iqbal's condition was still "unstable and critical". He did not elaborate further on his condition.

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: ‘Sheikh Aziz's town boiled"

Writer-South Asia is updated every minute of every hour with the latest news, features,analysis: ‘Sheikh Aziz's town boiled"

‘Sheikh Aziz's town boiled"

Pampore , July 31: In disputed state of Kashmir, braving restrictions, people mostly youth staged protests against India and killing of civilians by paramilitary forces firing and clashed with police and CRPF personnel across the Valley. At least three dozens persons were injured in paramilitary forces’ actions who used teargas shells and brute force to disperse protestors.

Defying restrictions, youth staged pro-freedom demonstrations at Pampore, Sambora, Khrewa, Awantipora, Lethpora,Chanpora, and other areas of Shaheed-e-Azemat Sheikh Abdul Aziz's town. The protestors clashed with Indian army, STF, and Indian Central Reserve Police Force, who used tear smoke shells to disperse the protesting youth.The protestors clashed with policemen, who lobbed tear smoke shells to disperse the agitating youth. At least 7 people including some women were injured in the police actions.

The locals said the police and CRPF men beat up pedestrians smashed windowpanes of several houses and parked vehicles at Pampore, Sambora and Awantipora localities of South Kashmir..

The residents of South Kashmir areas including , Nambalbal, Shaheed-e-Azemat Road, Drangbal and Sambora on Friday accused the troops of going berserk by ransacking houses and beating inmates.

Pampore  residents said huge contingents of police in presence of senior officials started pelting stones on the houses breaking the windowpanes.  “Thereafter the cops barged into the houses and beat the inmates including women and children,” the locals said.

Besides they said the cops ransacked the household items including electronics and furniture. “They kicked the TV sets and other electronic goods,” the locals alleged.

Residents of  Pampore said the windowpanes of houses close to the main road were damaged. “Almost all the houses near the main road bore the brunt of the vandalism as cops went berserk,” said the residents of Pampore while showing the broken windows of the houses.  

According to police, a mob of slogan-shouting protesters attacked the Naidkhai camp of the state armed police in Bandipora district Saturday afternoon.

'The policemen posted inside fired warning shots in the air which failed to quell the mob prompting police to open fire. Two people were critically wounded. One of them, identified as Mudasir Ahmad Lone, 23, later succumbed to injuries,' a police official here said.


A large procession of locals carried the body of the youth from Sumbal police station to Naidkhai village where more mourners joined them targeting security men with stones and rocks.


A teenager identified as Javaid Ahmad Teli sustained a serious gunshot injury when protesters in north Kashmir's Baramulla town attacked security forces deployed in the area. Teli, who suffered a critical head injury, was taken to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura in Srinagar but later succumbed to his injury while undergoing treatment.


Earlier, three people including two women and a boy suffered gunshot injuries in north Kashmir's Kreeri village where a mob attacked a camp of the local police.

The injured have since been admitted to hospitals in Srinagar city. A large mob of protesters attacked vehicles plying on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Pampore town,  14 km from here in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. The mob also burnt two vehicles of the Indian Air Force passing through the town during the protests.


All the occupants of the two vehicles, however, escaped unhurt. They took shelter in a local bank building before being rescued by the security forces. The mob had surrounded the local police station in Pampore and the security forces are trying to disperse them using batons and tear smoke shells.


In Sopore town, mobs torched a building at the local railway station and also a fire tender that had reached there to douse the flames.


In south Kashmir's Kakpora town, mobs hurled a petrol bomb at the vehicle of the local deputy superintendent of police. 'The officer and his guards escaped unhurt, but the vehicle was destroyed in the fire triggered by the petrol bomb,' police said. According to police, the number of protesters and security men injured in Saturday's clashes across the Valley is 12. Two protesters were killed in Amargarh area of Sopore town Friday when mobs damaged the rail track there and two more were killed in the adjacent Pattan town where mobs attacked and torched the local police station.


Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened a meeting of his ministers and senior party leaders in Srinagar, which was also attended by his father and union Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah. At the end of the meeting, a spokesman of the ruling party said the law and order situation in the Valley was reviewed. 'It was also decided to release all the arrested political leaders and youth very soon. The central government would be urged to start a dialogue with the local separatist leaders without wasting any further time. 'The MLAs (legislators) of the ruling party have been advised to remain stationed in their constituencies and monitor the situation there,' the spokesman said. (Writer-South-Asia)

Pakistanis still consider India as a major threat than Taliban, AL-Qaeda

By: Johan Simith

 Islamabad, 30 Jully: Though terror groups continue to strike in their country, a majority of Pakistanis still consider India as a major threat, view America as an enemy and are far less concerned about the Taliban and the Al Qaeda.

While Pakistanis express serious concerns about the United States, they are more worried about neighbour and longtime rival India than extremist groups within Pakistan, according to the prestigious Pew Research Centre opinion poll carried out inside Pakistan.

"When asked which is the greatest threat to their country -- India, the Taliban or Al Qaeda -- slightly more than half of Pakistanis (53 per cent) choose India, compared with 23 per cent for the Taliban and just 3 per cent for the Al Qaeda," it said.

However, despite the deep-seated tensions between India and Pakistan, most Pakistanis want better ties with India.

Roughly 72 per cent said it is important for relations with India to improve and about 75 per cent support increased trade with India and further talks between the two rivals.

In spite of pumping in billions of dollars in economic and military aid, the United States' image in Pakistan was at its lowest ever among the 22 nations included in the poll. Fifty-nine per cent of the respondents described America as an enemy and only eight per cent trusted President Barack Obama.

Pakistanis perceived little threat from the Taliban and the Al Qaeda and only 25 per cent of the people said it would be bad for Islamabad if Taliban takes over Afghanistan again.

While 18 per cent said it would be good for Pakistan, 57 per cent were not concerned.

State Department spokesman P J Crowley conceded that there is a huge trust deficit between the US and Pakistan.

"We understand that there's a deficit in trust in our relationship. There are those in Pakistan who recall and sense that they were abandoned by the US and the international community, going back 20 years or more," he said.

Crowley said the US has worked hard in recent months to try to turn this relationship around.

"I think we recognise that this was not going to occur overnight. We have tried to communicate forcefully to not only the government, but also to the people directly, that the US is committed to the future of Pakistan," he said.

"We are, in fact, a partner. I think we're not surprised that people want to see fruits of this partnership; that's exactly what we're trying to do. It goes back to what the (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) announced in Islamabad last week -- concrete projects that -- on energy, on health, on education -- that will create tangible results so the people of Pakistan can see it. And when they see it, then we would expect to see those poll numbers prospectively improve," he said. (Writer-South Asia)

The Killing of Shiekh Abdul Aziz and First Kashmir-Wide Curfew in 19 Years

Saheed-e-Azemat Sheikh Abdul Aziz and relatives of missing and imprisoned people participate in a protest against Human Rights violations in Srinagar, summer capital of  Kashmir . The people fear that their missing relatives might have been killed and buried in hundreds of recently discovered unmarked graves in Northern Kashmir. Amnesty International too has urged India to launch an urgent inquiry into nearly 1,000 unmarked graves found during the past two years by Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies. / Javed Dar

Srinagar, Jully 29: The Killing of Shiekh Abdul Aziz and First Kashmir-Wide Curfew in 19 Years

On August 11, 2008, about 300,000 people from across  Kashmir, along with trucks loaded with fruit, began marching toward several points on the 778-kilometer Line of Control to cross over into the Pakistani side of Kashmir, in their bid to reach Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir. Indian security forces opened fire at the marchers at several places to break up their protests, killing 10, including senior Pro-pakistani Kashmiri leader (commonly known as Baba-e-Jehad-i-Kashmir) Sheikh Abdul Aziz who was also a prominent member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and was also a member of the co-ordination committee of ethnic and religious nationalities struggling for right to self-determination under the chairmanship of Justice Ajit Singh Bains formed in Delhi on March 23, 2008.  “Sheikh Aziz was a friend of Sikhs and supporter of Sikh cause for independence,” Over 1,000 people were arrested, and hundreds of wounded were hospitalized at different hospitals across the Kashmir valley. As the protests continued, over 3000 truckloads of fruit were destroyed, allegedly by Indian security forces.

Protests calling for freedom from India continued through August and September in different parts of  Kashmir, with dozens killed and hundreds injured. However, a government-brokered agreement with the Hindu protesters of the Jammu region was reached, under which the land allotment to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which had been cancelled due to protests by Kashmiri Muslims, was revived in a different form.

The Jammu and Kashmir government, with the understanding of some Muslim and Hindu leaders, leased the land to the SASB for the limited pilgrimage season, giving them no proprietary or title rights. The Hindu leaders called off their stir after signing the lease agreement. The agreement said: "The Shrine Board  may use the land for erecting temporary prefabricated accommodation and toilet facilities and for shopkeepers to set up shops."  This second reversal by the government in its decision to allocate the land to the Hindu shrine has been rejected by the Kashmiri leaders, fuelling a continuation of anti-India protests. The demonstrations are the biggest since 11th august, 2008 when violent anti-India protests killed about 72 Kashmiri  muslims. (Writer-South Asia)

UN expresses concern over situation in Kashmi

UNITED NATIONS, July 29: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over the “prevailing security situation in Indian-administered Kashmir over the past month” and asked India and Pakistan to make renewed efforts to address outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, his spokes-person said the secretary- general “calls on all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and address problems peacefully” and he “encouraged both sides to rekindle the spirit of composite dialogue which was initiated in 2004”.

The statement said: “The Secretary-General welcomes the recent resumption of foreign minister-level talks between India and Pakistan.

“He encourages both sides to rekindle the spirit of the composite dialogue, which was initiated in 2004 and had made encouraging progress on some important confidence-building measures, and to make renewed efforts to address outstanding issues, including on Jammu and Kashmir.

Ruling out one again withdrawal of its observer mission in India, Pakistan, United Nation’s Secretary General  said the two countries should continue the composite dialogue process to maintain peace in the subcontinent. "India and Pakistan are two important countries in the subcontinent and they should continue to improve their relations through dialogue and cooperation," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters here. (Writer-South Asia)

Human rights excesses in disputed Kashmir highlighted in London

London, July 28: Dr Angana Chatterji, co-convenor of the International Peoples Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Jammu and Kashmir narrated human rights excesses in Occupied Kashmir and called for improving the monitoring of humanitarian situation in the valley.

Dr Angana Chatterji, while addressing a composite gathering at Kashmir Centre London, said that the disturbing concept of zero tolerance for non-violent dissent evolved round fear, surveillance of the ordinary Kashmiri irrespective of age or gender, discipline and punishment. 

This has proved to be a sustained and widespread offensive with mass and extra judicial killings in Kashmir by the military and paramilitary institutions as brought out in evidence in the report ‘Buried Evidence’ by the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian administered Kashmir, she added.

Dr Chatterji reported that the disproportionate number of special forces in the occupied territory gave the impression that the armed forces were more powerful than the occupation authorities and that the reality in Kashmir was one of militarised controls and that Kashmir was not a dispute but a conflict zone.

She stressed the importance of cultivating alliances with credible institutions and organisations, adding these needed to be formed and developed as there was at present no monitoring was going on in Jammu and Kashmir, therefore, no sustained visibility.

Dr Chatterji emphasised that there needed to be a sustained outcry from the international media and that the international community needed to play a proactive role in establishing alliances with organisations, which were seen to be acceptable.

Representatives from Amnesty International, the Economist, Conciliation Resources, Asian Affairs and community activists also spoke on the occasion.

At the end, the Executive Director of Kashmir Centre London, Professor Nazir Ahmad Shawl presented his book ‘Speaking Silence’ to her.(Writer-South Asia)

Indian troops seize relief material, detain, release 60 persons

Srinagar, July 28: In disputed state of Kashmir, police seized huge quantity of relief material raised by the people of Shopian for the residents of Srinagar, who were under curfew and restrictions for last one month, near Sonawar and detained nearly 60 youth.

Policemen seized 40 relief-laden vehicles and detained people in Sonawar and Pantha Chowk areas on Tuesday. The vehicles were carrying rice, vegetables, cooking oil and other essential commodities from Shopian area to Maisuma. “We had pooled essential commodities and dispatched to Srinagar where people are facing shortage of essentials stuff due to curfew and restrictions. But it is unfortunate that police didn’t allow us to distribute the relief among the needy,” said an elderly man from Shopian who was accompanying the relief-laden trucks. “The vehicles were carrying items worth Rs 10 to 12 lakh,” he added.

As soon as the caravan of vehicles entered the city near Pantha Chowk, police raided the vehicles at several places up to Ram Munshi Bagh Police Station.

“We were travelling smoothly,” said Shabir Ahmad Butt, a relief worker of Shopian town. “As we reached near Ram Munshi Bagh Police Station, police stopped us and forced us to enter police station along with vehicles.”

President of Majlis-e-Mashwarat Committee, Shopian, Abdur Rashid Dalal said 40 Tata mobile vehicles were carrying relief. “Twenty-eight vehicles carrying aid were from Shopian town while the rest joined the cavalcade from peripheral villages while travelling toward the city,” said Dalal, who is detained at Ram Munshi Bagh Police Station.

“The relief was organised and transported by people of Shopian. The MMC had no role in the relief sending,” Dalal said. However, after forceful protests in Shopian and Pulwama and the tense mood in Maisuma, police was frced to release the vehicles and all aid workers in shifts after keeping them in police stations for several hours. (Writer-South Asia)

Writer-South Asia (News every one hour): Saw-palmetto berries (serenoa repens) Seeds for Sale in Kashmir & India

Writer-South Asia (News every one hour): Saw-palmetto berries (serenoa repens) Seeds for Sale in Kashmir & India

Saw-palmetto berries (serenoa repens) Seeds for Sale in Kashmir & India

Srinagar, July 27: Saw palmetto is a small hardy fan palm whose stem usually remains below ground or runs just along the surface. In some cases, it develops an erect or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves 2'-8' above ground. The palmate leaves are 2'-3' across and green or bluish green. The cluster of leaves gets about 4'-6' high with a similar spread. In the wild, saw palmetto often grows in clumps 20 or more feet in diameter. The petioles (leaf stems) are about 2' long and sharply saw-toothed. The fruits are round, black and about an inch in diameter. An especially attractive form with silvery-white leaves occurs along the Atlantic coast in Florida.

Saw palmetto occurs naturally on the coastal plain from South Carolina to southeastern Louisiana. It grows in a wide range of habitats from seaside sand dunes and dry scrub to moist forests, pine flatwoods and even wetlands. Saw palmetto can be the dominant ground cover in certain southeastern pine forests, sometimes covering hundreds of acres. Culture: Once established, saw palmetto is virtually maintenance-free.

Light: Prefers full sun, but can tolerate partial sun.
Moisture: Tolerates drought but can also tolerate moderately moist soils.
Hardiness: Fully hardy to zone 7, this palm has been seen growing in zone 6, but does suffer foliage damage at 10 degrees F. and complete foliage loss at 3-5 degrees F.

Saw palmetto is a beautiful little palm and richly deserves a place in the ornamental landscape. The silver form is especially attractive. Plant saw palmettos in front of clumps of larger palms, or even underneath large palms. They look good massed in clumps in mixed borders, or as framing hedges. Use as accents to trees or in foundation plantings.

Features: The berries of saw palmetto are used as a treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or enlarged prostate gland. They are also used as a diuretic to tone the bladder, improve urinary flow, and decrease urinary frequency. They may help prevent prostate cancer.

Most herbal hair loss remedies contain Saw Palmetto berries. They are said to be an effective treatment for baldness, as well as relieving the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
Saw Palmetto berries/seeds
Package of  50 seeds: 750/-
Other Packages: 100,250,500 Seeds
More details: Chenab Industries Kashmir- CIK
POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR J&K 190001
Mob: 09858986794
Ph: 01933-223705
e-mail: iirc@rediffmail.com,cikashmir@gmail.com

Writer-South Asia (News every one hour): Shaheed-e-Azemat Sheikg Abdul Aziz vedio aired by KBC

Writer-South Asia (News every one hour): Shaheed-e-Azemat Sheikh Abdul Aziz vedio aired by KBC

Shaheed-e-Azemat Sheikg Abdul Aziz vedio aired by KBC

Srinagar: The core viewers or the niche market of KBC is estimated to over 30 million people of which nearly 5 millions are settled in UK, Europe and Middle East with higher buying power due to long and sustained migration tradition.

Potentially the whole of Asia, Africa, Middle East, UK and Europe is our market. However, its target audience and niche market include the entire population of Jammu Kashmir along with Pahari, Pothowari and Hindko speaking Pakistanis and Indians in South Asia and across the world. But the transmissions of KBC are not to be confined to these communities. It will also cater for the wider English speaking audience across the globe and Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi speaking population of South Asia.

KBC tends to broadcast in all major languages spoken in the state of Jammu Kashmir and in South Asia in general. While the languages spoken across Kashmir include Kashiri, Pahari, Doagari, Gojari, Kishtwari, Ladakhi, Sheena, Broshiski, and Punjabi, Kashmir was the first state in South Asia where Urdu was adopted as official language in 1905.

Since 1947 Hindi has also been emerged as one of the state languages as well as English that has become state language at the government level as well as at public level due to large scale migration to UK and USA and strong linkages between Kashmiri diaspora with Kashmir.

The closeness and similarities between Pahari and Pothowari and Hindku languages and communities make programmes in these languages an essential component of KBC programming and news coverage.

The core languages of KBC programming include English, Pahari, Pothowari, Hindku, Kashiri, Dogari, Punjabi and Urdu. However, there will be programmes in other languages of Kashmir and South Asia in general.

more deatils and latest vedios:  

http://kbcchannel.tv/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewvideo&Itemid=125&video_id=94

Writer-South Asia (Srinagar | New Delhi | Islamabad | Muzaffarabad: Nothing less than freedom from India acceptable to Kashmiris: Muhammad Farooq Rehmani

Writer-South Asia (Srinagar | New Delhi | Islamabad | Muzaffarabad: Nothing less than freedom from India acceptable to Kashmiris: Muhammad Farooq Rehmani

Nothing less than freedom from India acceptable to Kashmiris: Muhammad Farooq Rehmani

Islamabad, July 25: The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League (JKPFL), Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are determined to continue their struggle against Indian occupation till its logical conclusion.

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani in a statement in Islamabad said that the ongoing upsurge against the over stay of Indian troops and paramilitary forces, draconian laws and installation of stooges by fraud elections, was being handled by the 21st century youth, who had the stamina to continue the unarmed fight for the right of self determination, as they had burnt their boats and exhausted their patience before the monster of state terrorism.

He said that every other thing except the current experiment had become irrelevant in this situation. He hoped that the pro-India lobby in any garb would not be allowed to rule the roost. “Experience and wisdom coupled with the circumstances will dictate terms of the uprising,” he added.

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani out-rightly rejected the internal autonomy proposal of both senior and junior Abdullah and termed it obsolete. He regretted the cold shoulder attitude of the world community and said that only Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and some other western human rights groups seriously censored India for its unabated oppression and abuses in occupied Kashmir, while no country could voice their resentment against the inhuman situation created by the Indian authorities in the territory.

The JKPFL Chairman criticized America for its ''Hands off policy'' on Kashmir, warning that this policy would not bring peace and prosperity to South Asia. He deplored that the America, which had sponsored and endorsed the Security Council resolutions on Kashmir in the last century, now was giving an old international dispute a bilateral curl.

''The Kashmiris will never barter away their slogan nor withdraw on Indian terms. They will not accept bilateral bend or interpretation of the dispute or political and economic packages not reflecting the sentiments of the people, but will continue to stress upon the world leaders including America to fulfil their promises with the Kashmiris according to the Security Council’s resolutions, as they did in other cases of international character and dimension,'' he remarked.(Writer-South Asia)

Writer-South Asia (Srinagar | New Delhi | Islamabad | Muzaffarabad: Indo-Israeli intransigence (Indian forces killed Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz)

Writer-South Asia (Srinagar | New Delhi | Islamabad | Muzaffarabad: Indo-Israeli intransigence (Indian forces killed Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz)