Alarming rise in the number of anti-government, anti-immigrant extremist groups

By Abdus Sattar Ghazali

For OpEdNews: Abdus Sattar Ghazali - Writer

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has reported an alarming rise in the number of American anti-government militia and anti-immigrant groups, which have remained largely dormant since their heyday in the mid-1990s.

The number of extremist groups exploded in 2009 as "militias and other groups steeped in wild, antigovernment conspiracy theories exploited populist anger across the country and infiltrated the mainstream," according to the SPLC annual report titled "Year in Hate and Extremism."

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. Founded by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr. in 1971, the SPLC is internationally known for tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups.

The SPLC documented a 244 percent increase in the number of active Patriot groups in 2009. Their numbers grew from 149 groups in 2008 to 512 groups in 2009, an astonishing addition of 363 new groups in a single year. Militias - the paramilitary arm of the Patriot movement - were a major part of the increase, growing from 42 militias in 2008 to 127 in 2009.

Hate groups also grew slightly, from 926 to 932, continuing what the SPLC said was a trend that began around 2000, and rising 54 percent in the decade.

Generally, Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the "New World Order," engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme anti-government doctrines.

Patriot groups have been fueled by anger over the changing demographics of the country, the soaring public debt, the troubled economy and an array of initiatives by President Obama that have been branded "socialist" or even "fascist" by his political opponents, the report said.

With the election of Barack Obama as president, that report said, the new wave of militia activity had taken on a much more racist cast than the movement. "This extraordinary growth is a cause for grave concern," said Intelligence Report editor Mark Potok. "The people associated with the Patriot movement during its 1990s heyday produced an enormous amount of violence, most dramatically the Oklahoma City bombing that left 168 people dead."

The Patriot movement has made significant inroads into the conservative political scene, according to the new report. "The "tea parties' and similar groups that have sprung up in recent months cannot fairly be considered extremist groups, but they are shot through with rich veins of radical ideas, conspiracy theories and racism," the report says.

Unlike the 1990s, the Patriot movement's central ideas are being promoted by people with large audiences, such as FOX News' Glenn Beck and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Beck, for instance, reinvigorated a key Patriot conspiracy theory - the charge that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is secretly running concentration camps - before finally "debunking" it.

There also has been a surge in "nativist extremist" groups - vigilante organizations that go beyond advocating strict immigration policy and actually confront or harass suspected immigrants. These groups grew from 173 groups in 2008 to 309 in 2009, a rise of nearly 80 percent.

Nativist activists increasingly adopted the ideas of the Patriots; racist rants against Obama and others coursed through the Patriot movement; and conspiracy theories involving the government appeared in all kinds of right-wing venues. A good example is the upcoming Second Amendment March in Washington, D.C. The website promoting the march is topped by a picture of a colonial militiaman, and key supporters include Larry Pratt, a long-time militia enthusiast with connections to white supremacists, and Richard Mack, a conspiracy-mongering former sheriff associated with the Patriot group Oath Keepers.

What may be most noteworthy about the march, however, is its date -- April 19. That is the date of the first shots fired at Lexington in the Revolutionary War. And it is also the anniversary of the fiery end of the government siege in Waco and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

These three strands of the radical right - the hate groups, the nativist extremist groups, and the Patriot organizations - are the most volatile elements on the American political landscape.

"We are in the midst of one of the most significant right-wing populist rebellions in United States history," the report quotes Chip Berlet, a veteran analyst of the American radical right. "We see around us a series of overlapping social and political movements populated by people [who are] angry, resentful, and full of anxiety. They are raging against the machinery of the federal bureaucracy and liberal government programs and policies including health care, reform of immigration and labor laws, abortion, and gay marriage."

Source: Op Ed News.
Link: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Alarming-rise-in-the-numbe-by-Abdus-Sattar-Ghaza-100308-894.html.

Iraq elections turnout stands at 62.4%

Iraq's electoral body says the 62.4 percent of the eligible 20 million voters cast their ballot in the Sunday elections, despite rains of mortar and rocket attacks.

Hamdiyah al-Husseini, a senior official with the Independent High Electoral Commission, announced the final figure at a Monday news conference in Baghdad, AFP reported.

Husseini also gave a percentage breakdown for each of Iraq's 18 provinces.

The turnout was particularly high in the country's autonomous northern Kurdish region, with 80 percent of voters in Dohuk casting ballots.

At least 38 people were killed and 110 others were wounded in and around Baghdad in the day of parliamentary elections.

The results are expected to be announced on Thursday.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120366§ionid=351020201.

Interpol issues 16 new warrants in Dubai hit

Interpol has issued arrest warrants for 16 new suspects identified by Dubai police for the January assassination of a Hamas commander.

The latest announcement brought to 27 the total number of suspects on Interpol's wanted list for the assassination of Mahmud al-Mabhouh, who was drugged before being suffocated in his hotel room, AFP reported.

"Investigative information provided by the authorities in Dubai bore out the international links and broad scope of the number of people involved, as well as the role of two 'teams' of individuals identified by the Dubai police as being linked to Al-Mabhouh's murder," Interpol said in a statement.

The statement added that the 16 new names make up the second of these "teams," in addition to the 11 for whom Interpol issued arrest alerts, known as Red Notices, on February 18.

The 11 suspects, carrying European passports, included six Britons, three Irish and one French and one German, widely believed to have been Mossad agents carrying fake European documents.

"According to the Dubai police investigation, the first team consisted of a smaller core group alleged to have carried out the killing," said the statement.

The second team of 16 "is believed to have aided and abetted the first team by closely watching, following and reporting Mabhouh's movements from the moment he landed in Dubai airport until his murder" on January 19, the statement added.

Israel has so far refused to confirm or deny involvement in the assassination of the Hamas commander.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120369§ionid=351020205.

Turkey quake toll at 51, recue called off

Turkish officials put the death toll from a strong earthquake in eastern Turkey at 51 after rescuers called off search-and-rescue operations in the area.

Fifty-one people were killed by the 6.0-magnitude earthquake that shook eastern Turkey early Monday morning, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News reported.

At least four of the dead were children.

Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek put the death toll at 57, but crisis desks in both Elazig and Ankara said later that the official toll stood at 51, offering no explanation for the confusion.

The quake caused the most deaths in six villages around the epicenter near the town of Karakocan in Elazig province.

Rescuers struggled to dig survivors from the rubble after the tremor struck at 4:32 am (0232 GMT), razing mud-brick houses in five remote mountainous villages in the mainly Kurdish area and killing whole families in their beds.

The rescuers called off search-and-rescue operations after about eight hours and quickly began to bury the victims.

"According to the information we have, no one remains under the rubble. The work has been ended," an official from a crisis desk at the governor's office told AFP.

The tremor left 74 others injured, officials in Elazig said.

According to the officials, 34 of the injured remained hospitalized Monday afternoon, including one in serious condition.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120365§ionid=351020204.

Two convicted drug traffickers hanged in western Iran

Tehran - Two convicted drug traffickers were hanged in western Iran, the official news agency IRNA reported Monday. The two were hanged over the weekend in the city of Khorramabad, IRNA said.

Murder, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking of quantities in excess of five kilograms are among the crimes punishable by death in Iran.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312970,two-convicted-drug-traffickers-hanged-in-western-iran.html.

Two tiger cubs killed in 'revenge' by villagers in India

New Delhi – In a case of revenge, villagers located on the outskirts of the famous Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the north-west state of Rajasthan, killed two 17-month-cubs, upset over the killing of their livestock by tigers which strayed out of the reserve.

The incident has sent shockwaves as India has been crying hoarse over the drop in the number of big cats. India, at last count, had a total of 1,411 tigers in its reserves.

Forest officials said it could have been revenge by the villagers, upset over the killing of their livestock by tigers. Officials say that such incidents may happen again, as straying of tigers from the over-populated reserve was expected. The tiger population in Ranthambore reserve has now come down to 39, which has capacity for only 30.

With the death of the cubs, the worst fears over the growing tiger population and their shrinking habitat leading to their killings have come true. According to forest officials, the two cubs had strayed from the park about two months back and were seen roaming in its outskirts ever since.

'It's not a case of poaching as the body parts were intact. It appears to be a case of revenge killing,' Rajasthan's state chief wildlife warden R N Mehrotra has been quoted as saying in the Times of India newspaper.

Forest officials said they found carcasses of two goats from the place where the dead cubs were found.

'Prima facie it appears that the tigers ate the goats that were set as bait and got poisoned. The tigers had vomited,' the official said.

'The tigers have been attacking livestock in villages. But on Sunday, they were poisoned by the villagers near the Talawara village, about 15 km from the park, on the banks of the Banas river,' the official added.

Officials recovered their carcasses and conducted a post mortem. The viscera has been sent for forensic test and the bodies have been burnt.

'The two adult cubs were from the same litter of the Chirolee tigress and were roaming on the outskirts. When their bodies were traced they were together. They seemed to have been lying for two days and had developed maggots. However, their mother is within the park limits and is safe,' the report quoted an official as saying.

'Had we relocated some of the tigers to Sariska, we would not have seen this day. We could have relocated five tigers to Sariska by now and there would have been space for these cubs in Ranthambhor,' the report quoted forest officials as saying.

Four tigers in Ranthambore have died in the last two years, officials have been quoted as saying.

Four more tigers are said to be still wandering in the neighborhood of the park -- in a range of 15-150 km from it -- in the Kota-Baran area and near Bund Baretha in Bharatpur-Dholpur districts, perhaps awaiting the same fate, the Hindu newspaper reported..

The theory of human involvement gets strengthened by the fact that one goat was partly eaten and its left-over was on the ground while the other goat carcass was found hanging from a tree.

Sariska is probably one of the most visited parks in India.. The park was, as with many other parks, was the hunting reserve of the erstwhile royal family in the area.

The reserve was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958 and came under the "Project Tiger" as a Sariska tiger reserve in 1979.

The park covers quite a large area of 800 square kilometers, 480 square kilometers of which form the core area of the national park. It is located among the Aravalli hill ranges in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. Due to the presence of monuments of religious importance located within the park boundaries.

The man-animal conflict in India is assuming serious proportions with reports of conflict being reported in increasing numbers.

A tiger had mauled and injured a woman in the Sunderbans forests in the eastern state of West Bengal late last month..

In Bahraich area in northern Uttar Pradesh state, a herd of elephants attacked a village near the Katarniyaghat Wildlife sanctuary and damaged crops.

Over half a dozen elephants broke the gate of the colony and damaged walls of at least two houses. The pachyderms also damaged household goods besides, pulling down trees and the sugarcane crop in the farmhouse of the colony, officials said.

The residents faced a tough time chasing the elephants away by burning fire and beating drums.

In two incidents that occurred in Corbett tiger reserve in north India last month, a woman was killed by a tiger and another of a leopard striking a group of three boys.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312973,two-tiger-cubs-killed-in-revenge-by-villagers-in-india.html.

North Korean army on high alert over US-South Korean maneuvers

Seoul - Pyongyang said it put its troops into combat-ready positions on Monday as the US and South Korea began a series of joint military exercises, news reports said. In a statement released through the state media, the Korean People's Army (KPA) said its troops would take action if the joint maneuvers in South Korea encroached over the border "by even 0.001 millimeters," news agency Yonhap reported.

Pyongyang called the planned exercise a rehearsal for an invasion of North Korea, and threatened "powerful counteraction," a military spokesman was quoted as saying by state media on February 25.

The statement released Monday through the Korean Central News Agency said KPA forces "should keep themselves highly alerted to mercilessly crush the aggressors," according to the Yonhap report.

As of Monday morning, there were no indications of unusual military movement in North Korea, Seoul's defence ministry said, nor had the North imposed any unusual restrictions on border traffic.

Seoul and Washington maintain that the annual maneuvers scheduled for March 8-18 are exclusively defence-oriented. Around 20,000 South Korean soldiers were involved, the ministry added.

The heightened tension came amid increased diplomatic efforts to get North Korea back to the six-nation talks aimed at ending its nuclear program. The talks include North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the United States.

Pyongyang said Sunday that it would refuse any dialogue on nuclear or other military issues as long as the drill on the other side of the border continues, the Yonhap report said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312988,north-korean-army-on-high-alert-over-us-south-korean-manoeuvres.html.

Myanmar issues five new election laws

Yangon - Myanmar's military regime on Monday promulgated long-delayed laws related to a general election planned this year. State television cited new laws regarding an election commission, the political party registration process and on election rules for members of parliament and regional legislatures.

"Details of the laws will be available in state newspapers on Tuesday," Myanmar TV reported.

The junta has announced plans to hold a general election some time this year, but has been slow to issue laws governing the polls and registration process.

"The legislation took a long time to draft because we wanted it to be as flexible as possible," said one official source, who asked to remain anonymous.

It was not immediately clear whether the political party registration law had been written in such a way to exclude the National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition party from contesting the polls.

The NLD is led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest, where she has spent 14 of the past 21 years.

"It's too early to comment on the laws," NLD spokesman Nyan Win said.

The party won Myanmar's last general election in 1990 with a landslide victory, but has been denied from taking office by the ruling junta for the past 20 years.

Myanmar's generals argued that the country needed a new constitution before power could be passed over to civilian rule.

A military-drafted charter was pushed through and approved by a plebiscite in May 2008. The new constitution cements the military's control over any elected government through the National Parliament, primarily an appointed body that has veto power over all legislation.

Myanmar has been ruled by military dictatorships since 1962.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312989,myanmar-issues-five-new-election-laws.html.

PM to open Comoros investment conference

Doha: The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani will open on Wednesday a conference to support investment and development in the Republic of the Comoros to be hosted by Qatar in collaboration with the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the United Nations Fund for Development.

The conference will be part of efforts by Arab States, Islamic countries, organizations and charities and the business sector to support development in the least developed countries and third world states.

The conference will be attended by the Comoros President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, the Secretaries-General of the Arab League, OIC, representative of the UN Secretary-General, ministers from Qatar and the Arab countries, ambassadors and senior officials from Islamic countries and donor countries at the international level as well as representatives from international organizations and associations Charities in the Arab and Islamic world and the representatives of the business communities.

Assistant Foreign Minister for Follow up Affairs and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Conference Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi said the conference aims to provide grants and assistance to Comoros from states, charities and humanitarian organizations and private sector.

He added that development projects are focused on three sectors: infrastructure projects and areas of humanitarian and investment fields. He noted that the infrastructure projects cover the areas of roads and government buildings, institutions and airports as well as energy, water, transportation, health and education areas, besides agriculture. They also cover areas of investment made by companies and businessmen in the fields of of fishing, agriculture, energy and water, tourism, health, education and mining.

Source: The Peninsula.
Link: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=March2010&file=Local_News201003084385.xml.

Gaza marks 1000th day of Israeli siege

March 7, 2010

Gaza – Ma'an – Protests against the crippling siege imposed on the Gaza Strip should spread across the world, said Palestinian lawmaker Jamalh Al-Khudari on Sunday, as the blockade enters its 1000th day.

"The siege harmed the people, as well as the environment, health, the economy and social life. It constitutes a serious attempt to suffocate the people and break their will," Al-Khudari told reporters during a news conference.

He announced that 500 Gaza residents have died as a result of the siege, most of whom were patients who could not receive appropriate medical treatment.

Al-Khudari pointed out that one million Gaza residents live on humanitarian aid channeled by Arab and foreign countries as well as the UN. "The Palestinian economy in Gaza has been completely destroyed with more than 140,000 people unemployed, which amounts to 80% of Gaza’s manpower.

"It was described as a tyrannical siege that violates international law by Arab and international organizations and governments ... serious pressure must be practiced on the occupation, which is to be held accountable for the situation," he said.

Attempts to ensure the arrival of a series of solidarity boats in April by international activists are underway, he said.

Following Hamas' takeover of the coastal enclave in June 2007, Israel closed the Gaza Strip's borders and began to limit vital supplies of food, fuel, medicine, construction materials, and other supplies. Most of Gaza's 1.5 million residents remain trapped inside, with work and travel permits scarcely extended to the Palestinian population with Israel. Meanwhile, Egypt enforces an ad hoc policy toward opening the Rafah crossing into Egypt, with many patients and students left stranded on either side as a result.

Few construction materials have been allowed into the Gaza Strip, preventing the population from rebuilding after Operation Cast Lead, with many remaining homeless a year on. The UN Under?Secretary?General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) John Holmes visited Gaza this week, commenting on the immediate need to lift the blockade and open the crossings fully to allow Palestinians in Gaza to commence rebuilding and, restart their lives and livelihoods.

The majority of work and travel permits issued by Israeli authorities were revoked following the takeover, with few Palestinians able to enter Israel via the Erez crossing, northern Gaza. This in turn, has lead to a rise in unemployment and has hindered medical access for many who cannot be treated in the Strip due to ongoing medical shortages and the recent destruction of hospitals during Israel's assault in December 2008.

Much of the coastal enclave experiences regular blackouts due to the fuel shortfall. OCHA described the situation at the Gaza Power Plant "fragile," with only 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel needed to operate the GPP entered Gaza, compared to a weekly average of 1.7 million liters since December 2009 and 2.2 million liters prior.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=63947&s2=08.

Iran Parliament approves $347-billion budget

Iran's Parliament on Monday approved the budget for the year ending March 2011, allocating $347 billion to the government based on an oil price of 65 dollars a barrel.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had put forward a 368.4-billion-dollar plan in January, based on an oil price of 60 dollars a barrel, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

According to IRNA, lawmakers approved the general outlines of the budget, with 151 of the 225 representatives present on Monday voting for and 62 against the bill.

Based on the budget, the government plans to start a major plan to scrap costly subsidies on energy and goods, reducing government expenditure.

President Ahmadinejad had asked for 40 billion dollars in the budget from scrapping the subsidies. However, lawmakers seem to have cut that estimation in half.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120362§ionid=351020102.

Iranian protesters want extradition of PJAK terrorists

Iranian protesters gathered outside the Belgian embassy in Tehran on Monday to demand the extradition of the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK) terrorist group members from Europe.

The protesters carried pictures of their loved ones, killed in terrorist attacks carried out by PJAK, A Press TV correspondent reported.

On Friday, Belgian authorities detained several Kurdish dissidents in Brussels as part of a counter-terrorism operation.

On the same day, around 20 plain clothes security officers stormed PJAK leader Abdul-Rahman Haji Ahmadi's apartment near Cologne, Germany, and arrested him.

The PJAK terrorist group, an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, is responsible for a number of fatal bombings in western Iran and southern Turkey over the past decade.

Iran has on several occasions reported clashes between government forces and PJAK members along its western border with Iraq. The terrorist group is reportedly supported by the United States.

In a 2006 article published in The New Yorker, investigative journalist, Seymour Hersh, revealed that the US military and Israel are assisting PJAK by providing the group with equipment, training, and vital intelligence in a bid to destabilize the Islamic Republic.

Some believe that the United States is using the Kurds to exercise its goals in the region.

"This is the way in which the US government used the Kurdish question … to undermine the sovereignty of Iraq in order to justify the invasion." Writer and political activist, John Rees said on Monday.

"They said that the Kurdish issue is an important one and the Kurds have the right to self determination, but what happened is that he imperial powers have used it in their own interest," he added.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120353§ionid=351020101.

US wants Israel military dominant in Mideast: Biden

In a landmark visit to Tel Aviv, US Vice President Joe Biden will remind Israeli officials that the hefty military aid they receive from Washington should ease their worries about Iran's nuclear work.

Biden, who is slated to arrive on Monday, is expected to warn his hosts against an attack on Iranian nuclear sites, particularly now that world powers are trying to pursue fresh sanctions against Tehran.

In a Monday interview with a leading Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Biden assured Tel Aviv it will always have the backing of the US government in the event of a military confrontation with Iran.

“I can promise the Israeli people that we will confront, as allies, any security challenge it will face. A nuclear-armed Iran would constitute a threat not only to Israel — it would also constitute a threat to the United States."

Pointing to the huge US military aid granted to Tel Aviv each year, Biden said Washington has always sought to ensure that Israel remains the top military power in the Middle East.

This, according to Biden, should somehow put Tel Aviv's mind at ease with regards to Iran's nuclear program and eliminate the need for a military attack against the country.

“The Obama administration gives Israel annual military aid worth USD 3 billion,” said Biden. “We revived defense consultations between the two countries, doubled our efforts to ensure Israel preserves its qualitative military edge in the region, expanded our joint exercises and cooperation on missile-defense systems."

Biden hoped that Washington-led efforts to apply pressure on Iran, along with unilateral sanctions imposed by the US Treasury will be enough to subvert Iran's nuclear plans.

Israel, which is reported to have the region's sole atomic arsenal, has a long-standing tendency to take out suspected nuclear sites.

In 1981, Tel Aviv bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor and launched a similar attack on what it suspected to be an undercover nuclear program in Syria — a claim Damascus strongly rejects.

This has led observers to believe that the Israeli regime will act along the same vein with Iran's nuclear program.

Iran, unlike Israel, is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has opened its enrichment facilities to UN inspection.

Following numerous unannounced visit by UN inspector to Iranian nuclear sites, the International Atomic Energy Agency continues to confirm non-diversion nuclear materials in Iran.

Regardless, however, the United States and Israel allege that Iran is pursuing a military nuclear program — a claim Iran views as "unfounded and baseless."

Tehran says its nuclear program is solely aimed at the civilian application of the technology.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120350§ionid=351020202.

Netanyahu: My father foresaw 9/11 attacks in 1990s

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his father predicted the 9/11 attacks on New York's twin towers back in the '90s.

The remark was made during the 100th birthday celebration of the premier's father, Benzion Netanyahu, Haaretz reported.

The Israeli prime minister added that those who do not know their past will not understand their presence and will not be able to predict their future.

Benzion Netanyahu is an Israeli historian and Zionist activist.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120347§ionid=351020202.

Erdogan slams Israel list of Jewish sites

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and the Mosque of Bilal Ibn Rabah, "will forever be Islamic and will never be part of the Jewish heritage." In an interview to a Saudi paper published on Sunday, he said: "Palestine is our case did it is not out of our agenda in any given day."

Erdogan, who described Palestine as an open prison, urged Palestinians to unite and end their internal division "because it is not in favor of the Palestinians, but in the the interest of their enemies. He added:" I love my brothers in Fatah And my brothers in Hamas wherever they are."

The Turkish Prime Minister also stressed the necessity of lifting the siege on Gaza, saying "the Gaza Strip crossings did not allow the process of reconstruction after the devastating war and here I urge the Islamic world to take a serious steps In this area. "

Last week, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and the Tomb of Rachel in Bethlehem n the list of Jewish historical sites. The Israeli move sparked riots in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Ibrahimi Mosque is considered the fourth most important Islamic mosque after the Holy Mosques in Makkah and Medina and Al Aqsa mosque.

© 2010 Al Bawaba

Source: Al-Bawaba.
Link: http://albawaba.com/en/news/262314.

33 per cent reservation not an end, but platform: Jammu and Kashmir women

Jammu, Mar 7 : Though the fraternity is set to feel more empowered and secure once the Women Reservation Bill, scheduled to be introduced tomorrow in the Upper House of the Parliament gets nod from the parliamentarians, the women in Jammu and Kashmir feel that it is not a matter of 33 per cent but a platform for the fairer sex to consider themselves as an individual.

The weaker sex in this militancy-torn state feels the would definitely strengthen them, besides making them more aware of their rights.

''In my opinion women should not look for reservation because they should be so hardworking and talented that it should not be their need,'' Renu Nanda, a socialite said.

Ms Nanda said women should be so competitive and self dependent that they can stand by the side of their counterparts.

Reservation means discrimination. By giving reservation, women are being discriminated as it labels them as weak against men and thus, will be limiting the space for her,'' the social worker added.

For Meenakshi Kilam, an administratrix in the field of education, is a great milestone for the fairer sex that would take them to the world of liberalization and empowerment.

Ms Kilam said though the Bill was not directly having an impact on females representing every class in the society, but it would be motivating them to feel independent and secure.

''There will be certain setbacks once it gets through but on the other hand it will also be of a great advantage to the women's fraternity,'' Ms Kilam added.

Chairperson of State Women Commission Shamima Firdous said after struggling for 13-long years, the Central Government was set to introduce the Bill in the Parliament.

We are hopeful that the government gives green signal to the Reservation Bill, which would empower and help women to secure their rights, the MLA said.

The fairer sex earlier used to work hard and face so many hurdles in various fields but the Bill would make her feel secure and more empowered, she added.

''Reservation of 33 per cent is not an end but it is the beginning and a platform for women to prove their worth,'' Rajni Sehgal, a lady police officer said.

Ms Sehgal said women should come forward and utilize this opportunity.

''The Bill will make every woman consider herself an individual and not a dependent. This is a prominent chance for her to prove her individuality,'' she added.

Source: New Kerala.
Link: http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-65977.html.

International skiers promotes heli-skiing in Kashmir

Srinagar, Mar 8 : Professional skiers from around the world gathered in Srinagar, on Sunday to take off on choppers and indulge in heli-skiing down the slopes of Gulmarg.

Heli-skiing is off-trail, downhill skiing that is accessed by a helicopter and not with the help of a skiing lift.

Top international professional skiers including Sylvan Sudan, known as the "impossible skier" for having skied on some of the world''s most difficult slopes, were among the few present to take up the challenge in India.

Sudan is believed to have been one of the few climbers to have scaled the Hidden Peak - known as K5 - which is Pakistan''s third highest mountain.

"We have organized and called all the major skiers from around the world this year, mainly to promote heli-skiing as it is not noticed in India. Skiers when they would return to their place, they would spread a message that Kashmir is best for heli-skiing. As (professional skier) Sylvan Sudan also said that there is no better place than India in the world as far as heli-skiing is concerned," said Farooq Shah, Director, Tourism, Kashmir.

Skiers seemed excited as they boarded the helicopter, which took them all the way to Gulmarg valley, where they were dropped off to ski.

"There are very few places left on the earth that not many people have skied and not a lot people have touched, and there is so much untouched. So, to have this opportunity to ski in Himalayas and be able to ski with legendary skiers is a dream come true," said Richard Allan, a professional skier from US.

The best and longest skiing slopes in Gulmarg can be accessed by the Gondola Cable Car Lift, which allows a ski run of 2,213 meters, a treat to the ski lovers.

Newly introduced Gondola Cable Car Lift from Gulmarg to Apharwat makes Gulmarg one of the highest lift-served ski resorts in the world.

Source: New Kerala.
Link: http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-66077.html.

Omar-led regime 'looting', 'misleading' Jammu and Kashmir people: Andrabi

Jammu, Mar 7 : Alleging that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has not learnt any lesson from the previous mistakes committed by the National Conference (NC), the Socialist Democratic Party (SDP) president Drakshan Andrabi today said the Omar-led government is not only 'misleading' but also 'looting' the people of the state.

''The NC-led government is only repeating its old practice of misusing public and government money for nourishing their political interests,'' Dr Andrabi told reporters at a press conference here this afternoon.

She alleged that Mr Abdullah, in one of his statements, has claimed that Rs 2,700 crore was yet to be spent out of the 5,500 crore (grant from the Central Government) on various development works with only few days left in the current financial year.

''The government either wants to utilize funds only on files, or this amount is going to the pockets of the politicians and the bureaucrats functioning within the government,'' the SDP leader added.

She further said that starvation-like situation has emerged in various remote areas of the state due to the non-availability of ration and other essential commodities, which are being black-marketed by the contractors.

Dr Andrbai, however, also termed the ongoing present Assembly session as a 'fish market'. ''The legislators, instead of seriously discussing the masses' problems and various other issues, are busy blaming each other and making mockery of the democratic set up,'' she added.

Source: New Kerala.
Link: http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-66092.html.

The Government of Canada Lists Al Shabaab as a Terrorist Organization

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- 03/07/10 -- The Honorable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, today announced that the Government of Canada has listed Al Shabaab as a terrorist group, effective March 5, 2010, pursuant to the Criminal Code of Canada.

"This Government will not tolerate terrorism and is determined that terrorist groups do not receive support from Canadian sources," said Minister Toews. "Listing this group is another example of the decisive action needed to make Canada's communities safe. Canada is once again showing vigilance in the global fight against terrorism.

The decision to list Al Shabaab meets the legal threshold set out in the Criminal Code, which requires the existence of reasonable grounds to believe that the entity has knowingly participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity or is knowingly acting on behalf of, at the direction, or in association with such an entity.

The Government is taking this step to help protect Canadian families from the activities of this organization. The Government received reports from the Somali community that Al Shabaab has attempted to radicalize and recruit young Canadians. The listing of Al Shabaab will help the Government of Canada to better support the Somali community of Canada.

The objective of this listing is to help combat terrorist activities, including impeding terrorist financing. For example, the listing prohibits all persons in Canada as well as every Canadian abroad from knowingly dealing with assets owned or controlled by Al Shabaab. In addition, it is an offense to knowingly participate in, contribute to, or facilitate certain activities of a listed entity. Other related offenses are set out in the Criminal Code.

The listing process requires extensive analysis of security and/or criminal information and intelligence to ensure that the decision to list meets the legal threshold.

The names of listed entities under the Criminal Code can be found on the Public Safety Canada Web site at www.publicsafety.gc.ca under National Security, Listed Entities.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/the-government-of-canada-lists,1193614.shtml.

Algerian teachers' union ends strike

2010-03-07

Algeria's National Union of Education and Training Personnel (UNPEF) on Saturday (March 6th) ended its latest strike and called for classes to resume on Sunday, APS reported. "We decided to implement the court decision, which declared the strike illegal," UNPEF spokesman Sadek Dziri said. CNAPEST (Autonomous Union of Secondary and Technical Teachers), which joined the labor action on February 24th, will announce its decision on Monday.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/07/newsbrief-04.

Uighur unrest has yielded 198 sentences so far, says China

Beijing - Last year's demonstrations in Uighur-populated areas of China have resulted in 198 court sentences so far - with the expectation of more to come - a Chinese official told reporters Sunday. "The investigation, prosecution and trials are still going on, and the final figure of the people sentenced will be more than that," said Nur Berkri, chairman of China's Xinjian Province, speaking on the sidelines of China's annual People's Congress.

The protests last summer, which claimed 197 lives, show that China has lots of work ahead of it in the fight against separatism, he said.

The chairman made no reference to the number of death penalties or executions related to those charges, though Uighur groups have reported at least 26 death penalties and nine executions.

The fighting broke out between ethnic Uighurs and Chinese last summer over complaints from the Uighur side about mistreatment and repression from ethnic Chinese and the central government.

Nur said it it would not be long until full internet service is restored to the region following a blackout instituted to help quell the violence. Since then, only a few state-controlled websites have been reintroduced, though Nur pointed out that text messaging services had resumed in January.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312873,uighur-unrest-has-yielded-198-sentences-so-far-says-china.html.

Anti-abortion protests draw thousands in Spain

Madrid - Thousands of people gathered across Spain Sunday to protest plans to make access to abortion easier. It was the third time anti-abortion protesters had gathered since Spain's parliament cleared the legislation, paving the way for the new law to take effect at the start of July.

Current law typically only allows abortion in cases of severe fetal deformities, rape or when the mother's health is at risk. The new guidelines would allow women access on demand to abortion services through the 14th week of a pregnancy.

Sunday's protests centered in Madrid under the motto "Yes to Life." Protesters compared abortion to terrorism and urged Spain's Socialist government to reverse the policy.

The new law has come under heavy criticism from the Catholic church and the opposition conservative People's Party (PP). About 300 organizations sponsored the protests in a dozen cities Sunday.

About 100,000 abortions are performed annually in Spain.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312879,anti-abortion-protests-draw-thousands-in-spain.html.

Palestinian fishing boat seized in Egyptian waters

Rafah, Egypt (Earth Times) - Egypt's navy seized a Palestinian fishing boat from the Gaza Strip after it passed into Egypt's territorial water, police said. The navy detained two Palestinian fishermen on the boat and turned them over to Egyptian security forces for interrogation and investigation, police told the German Press Agency dpa.

This is at least the third Palestinian boat to be seized in Egyptian waters in the last two years.

Fishermen on the two previous boats faced a quick trial on charges of illegally entering Egyptian waters before they were sent back to the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Egypt closed the Gaza Strip's borders after Hamas took control of the territory's security forces in 2007.

Israel has prevented fishermen from venturing into the waters off the Gaza Strip out of fear they could be smuggling weapons into the territory, leading many fishermen to try their luck in Egyptian territorial waters.

NATO 'suspends' relations with Kosovo force over show of weapons

Pristina - The NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) said Sunday it has suspended relations with the local security force after it violated its status as an unarmed organization by displaying arms at a ceremony. The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) members took part in a March 5 ceremony celebrating the guerrilla army which fought the Serbian army and police in the 1990s.

"KFOR has temporarily suspended support, mentoring and training activities of the KFS ... in response to the appearance of an armed, military-style KSF honor guard during the Martyrs' Commemoration Ceremony," KFOR said in a statement.

"This is inconsistent with the non-military status of the KSF," it said.

NATO intervened against Serbia in 1999, ousting Serb forces from Kosovo and paving the way for a United Nations administration and eventually, the declaration of independence by the mainly Albanian province in February 2008.

The KSF is Kosovo's fledgling army, mainly manned by former guerrillas, but still just an unarmed disaster-relief organization trained by KFOR.

KFOR said it has suspended "support, mentoring and training of the KSF until further notice" and asked Kosovo authorities for a "satisfactory explanation of the incident, appropriate remedial action and assurances that there will be no repeat of such actions."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312909,nato-suspends-relations-with-kosovo-force-over-show-of-weapons.html.

UN atomic boss feels the heat

By Anoush Maleki

The new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general, Yukiya Amano, is stealing the spotlight with his dangerous approach to Iran.

The veteran diplomat, who took control of the UN nuclear agency after the 12-year reign of Egypt's Mohamed ElBaradei, inherited one of the most chaotic eras in the agency's history — including the weak global security system meant to reduce nuclear weapons around the globe, while those non-members conducting nuclear programs — such as Israel whose nuclear arsenal of 200 to 300 warheads precedes the regime's reputation and its belligerent actions in the volatile Middle East — continue to refuse to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The IAEA was founded 52 years ago for two primary objectives: to provide a sound basis for the global development of civilian nuclear programs and to prevent the development and spread of nuclear weapons.

The agency, which consists of some 2,200 professional staff members from more than 90 nations, has dispatched teams of inspectors around the globe to monitor and find government that are breaking their commitments to the NPT.

Upon taking the reins at the IAEA in December, Mr. Amano, who comes from the only nation struck with nuclear arms, befittingly pledged to fight the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to promote and regulate the civilian nuclear industry.

Mr. Amano, however, spared no time to divert the agency's full attention toward Iran and the long lasting dispute over its nuclear energy program, which the world powers allege is a cover for developing and spreading atomic bombs.

His first report on Iran, released on February 18, claimed that the UN agency had "concerns about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed activities" that could enable the Iranian military to develop a working nuclear bomb.

The agency, Mr. Amano said, will now seek to discuss with Iran projects "involving high precision detonators fired simultaneously; studies on the initiation of high explosives and missile re-entry body engineering; a project for the conversion of UO2 to UF4, known as 'the green salt project'; and various procurement related activities."

Iran, however, says it is not willing to discuss the alleged activities unless it is provided with the original documents that have allowed the agency to link the country's conventional military projects with its civilian nuclear program.

It also reserves the right not to share the information demanded by the IAEA, arguing that any country is entitled to keep its military secrets.

Nonetheless, Mr. Amano, who enjoys the full support of the United States and its allies, ignored the history of the nuclear dispute. And he even went on to contradict an American intelligence estimate in 2007 that claimed Iran had not conducted weapons-related activities beyond 2003.

"Addressing these issues is important for clarifying the agency's concerns about these activities and those described above, which seem to have continued beyond 2004," he said in the report.

In 2003, Iran announced its voluntarily suspension of uranium enrichment, which it is entitled to under the NPT, and reprocessing activities. The next year, the Iranian Parliament, Majlis, extended the confidence building measure while UN inspections at Iran's nuclear installations forced the then IAEA director general, Mr. ElBaradei, to declare in November 2003 that there was "no evidence" Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons.

His assurance was ignored by the powers, who responded to Iran's decision to sign the Additional Protocol by the imposition of United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions.

The accusations continued under Mr. ElBaradei, while the IAEA continued to verify the non-diversion of Iran's civilian program.

Mr. Amano, meanwhile, stepped into the spotlight by claiming that the "alleged studies" — branded by the ElBaradei administration — were "factual."

The unusual tone prompted Iran to accuse the Japanese diplomat of bowing to the White House pressure his predecessor had managed to fight for years.

Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, said on February 22 that judging on the report, Mr. Amano — who worked as director general for the disarmament, nonproliferation and science department at the Japanese Foreign Ministry — has proven to be an amateur in the new position and must receive on the job training, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).

It is noteworthy that the IAEA report was released amid an effortless US campaign to win international support for penalizing Iran for its program and delays surrounding a nuclear fuel swap deal, which, if the West had shown flexibility, could have been a door opener for the struggling Obama administration on Iran.

Whether Mr. Amano wrote the report to lend an apparent hand to the White House and indoctrinate an international consensus against Iran remains to be uncovered but the report's immediate impact was likely to accelerate the confrontation between Iran and the Western countries.

Now, thanks to Mr. Amano, the dispute with no practical resolve in sight will continue to plague the ties between Iran and the United States.

The White House, under Congressional, Israeli and neo-con pressure, is fiercely pursuing a failure on Iran: Sanctions in the hopes of a breakthrough — not realizing, that even if China and Russia finally support such a measure, sanctions will not alter Iran's course of action.

The Japanese diplomat, meanwhile, needs to be briefed on the history of Iran and understand the beliefs and objectives of the Islamic Republic.

The IAEA chief needs to realize that when the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, issues a fatwa — an Islamic declaration that all Muslims are obliged to comply with — and forbids the building and spreading weapons of mass destruction, including atomic bombs, he means business.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120309§ionid=3510303.

China ready to say goodbye to dollar

The head of China's Central Bank has declared that the country is ready to end pegging its currency in dollars, but said that any changes would be gradual.

Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, described the decision as a "temporary" response to the global financial crisis, but gave no timescale for any change in policy.

"If we are to exit from irregular policies and return to ordinary economic policies, we must be extremely prudent about our choice of timing," Zhou said. "This also includes the [yuan] exchange rate policy."

His comments come as the US administration accuses China of artificially keeping the value of the country's yuan low.

"China and its currency policies are impeding the rebalancing [of the global economy] that's necessary," President Obama had told Bloomberg last month.

"My goal over the course of the next year is for China to recognize that it is also in their interest to allow their currency to appreciate because, frankly, they have got a potentially overheating economy," Obama said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120258§ionid=3510213.

6.0-magnitude earthquake kills five in eastern Turkey

An earthquake of 6.0-magnitude has killed five people in the eastern Turkish village of Okcular in Elazig Province, the governor of the province said.

Turkey's Kandilli earthquake observatory said the quake measured 6.0-magnitude and had its epicenter at Basyurt-Karakocan and struck at 4:32 am local time (0232 GMT) on Monday.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120322§ionid=351020204.

Arrest frenzy in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh has gone on an arrest spree which has most recently saw more than 50 people north of the Kingdom detained, says a Saudi human rights group.

Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) said in a statement that the campaign was being carried out in Buraidah, Qassim's provincial capital, AFP reported.

The 50-plus individuals recently arrested in the northern province of Qassim are mostly youths and adolescents, the report added.

"We don't know why they were arrested, they arrested entire families and they still have some of the fathers," Mohammed Fahd al-Qahtani, a founder of ACPRA, told the agency.

Alongside the detainees was Thamer Abdulkareem Al-Khather described in the statement as, a member of "the youth movement that calls for constitutional reform" in the Kingdom.

Thamer, a university student "interested in human rights" and "an advocate of prisoners' rights," and his father, one of the founders of the ACPRA, "have been constantly harassed by the (interior ministry's General Investigation Directorate) DGI's clandestine detectives a week before Thamer's arrest," the statement said.

Saudi Arabia has arrested thousands of people over the past years, many of whom remain in detention without being charged.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120308§ionid=351020205.

Khilafah: A Wealth of Possibilities

The 3rd March 2010 was the 86th anniversary of the destruction of the Khilafah. After tasting the bitter fruits of socialism in the 1950’s and then the mirage of independence throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, the situation of the Ummah across the world remains the same if not worse. As a result, the problems the Ummah faces have ballooned into many other issues.

The Ummah faces a number of challenges since the destruction of the Khilafah that would need to be overcome for change. Challenges such as poverty, development, healthcare as well as sustainable economic growth, distribution of wealth and industrial development have for long been the center of debate and discussion between policy makers, intellectuals and government ministers. Unfortunately such a debate has skewed the discussion of change, and whilst many material obstacles need to be overcome by the Ummah, change from some perspectives remains a physiological barrier rather than material i.e. do the Ummah believe change is possible.

The birth of any nation would require those who espoused change and those that participated in its emergence to ascertain the nation’s strengths and advantages. Those elements considered necessary but absent would need the development of policies so they can be overcome.

Otto Van Bismarck oversaw German unification which set the nation on the path to industrial supremacy. Beginning in 1884, Germany established several colonies outside of Europe in order to overcome its shortage of mineral resources. Bismarck managed to achieve unification of the German lands which many had attempted for nearly a thousand years. Such unification meant German resources and minerals could all follow one unified policy and for once Germany could be domestically developed without facing any secessionist calls.

Similarly Japan by the turn of the 20th century had managed to develop its industries. However the rapid growth of the economy had made Japan painfully aware of its limited natural resources. Japan overcame such disadvantages through a program of aggressive territorial expansion through conquering the Korean peninsula and surging deep into China in order to exploit labor and resources. In a similar manner the British Empire conquered foreign territories for export markets and utilized slave labor to overcome small workforce.

These examples show that all nations need some very basic ingredients to emerge as a powerful states and ones that can very quickly establish a prosperous standard of living for its people with secure borders. The development of infrastructure, defence industries and energy are fundamental for any nation, the possession of mineral resources would therefore be a strategic strength and a huge advantage for the emergence of a nation. The examples of Germany and Japan are examples of societies – rightly or wrongly, who overcame shortages of the key building blocks for a new nation.

When one looks at the potential of the Muslim Ummah, the Muslim lands do not just posses the key building blocks for a new nation, but over a beyond this reality the Khilafah would emerge a very powerful state due to the many strengths it will inherit that are present in the Muslim lands.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

الَر كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ

“Alif. Lam. Ra. This is a book which we have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might bring mankind out of darkness into the light by the permission of their Lord – to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.” [Ibrahim, 14:1]

The propagation of Islam is achieved through projecting an image of strength globally, so that those who have designs on the Ummah should consider the existence of its deterrent force so powerful as to render success in an attack too doubtful to be worthwhile.

And Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدْوَّ اللّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِن دُونِهِمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تُظْلَمُونَ

“And prepare against them what force you can and horses tied at the frontier, to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them, whom you do not know (but) Allah knows them; and whatever thing you will spend in Allah’s way, it will be paid back to you fully and you shall not be dealt with unjustly.” [Al-Anfal: 60]

All of this makes it essential for the Khilafah to field an advanced military and have a strong manufacturing base.

The Muslim Ummah collectively possesses over 700 billion barrels of oil and half of the world’s gas. Both the worlds key energy sources. It is for this reason the Muslim countries produce half of the world’s daily oil requirement and 30% of the world’s gas needs. Alongside this Saudi Arabia posses the worlds largest oil field, whilst Qatar and Iran posses the worlds largest gas field.

The Ummah globally number 1.6 billion, more importantly over 60% of the Ummah is below the age of 28. The importance of a large population is critical for domestic economic development and defence. The absence of a large pool of labor means the nation cannot be constructed or in many cases would take decades before it was able to become self sufficient. On the emergence of the Khilafah for the defence of its borders the Khaleef will have the capability to deploy armed forces of over 4 million personnel.

Alongside this the Ummah will inherit many of advantages. The geographical distribution of the Ummah and the Muslim lands means some of the world’s key strategic waterways and airspace will be Islamic periphery. 40% of the world’s oil passes through the Straits of Hormuz waterway that straddles between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf in the southwest. This fact alone makes it the most important waterway in the world. The Suez Canal is considered one of the world’s most important waterways as it links Asian markets to the Mediterranean and Europe. 7.5% of global sea trade transits the canal. Similarly the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم ensured that key trade routes in the Hijaz were under Islamic control, which severely weakened the enemies of Islam to maneuver and weaken the Ummah.

Whilst many in the Ummah live in severe poverty, this by no means is due to the absence of agriculture in the Muslim lands. In fact the facts on ground, with the right polices will make the Khilafah the worlds bread basket. Egyptian agriculture takes place in some 6 million acres of fertile soil in the Nile Valley and Delta, It has made Egypt amongst the worlds largest agricultural producers and is the worlds largest producer of dates, second largest producer of geese meat and the worlds third largest producer of buffalo and camel meat. Pakistan’s not only irrigates more land than the whole of Europe combined, but Pakistan is also the world’s largest producer of ghee (Clarified Butter), the 2nd largest producer of chickpeas, buffalo meat and milk, the 3rd largest producer of Okra vegetables, the 4th largest producer of apricot, cotton, goat’s milk and mangoes and the 5th largest producer of onion and sugar cane. At the same time Turkey is the world’s largest producer of hazelnut, fig, apricot, cherry, quince and pomegranate. The Ummah already before the Khilafah is the world’s breadbasket.

The Muslim lands also posses the world’s largest aluminium smelter in Bahrain, critical for industrialization, the worlds largest open pit Gold Mine in Uzbekistan’s Qizilqum Desert, the worlds largest aluminium plant in Tajikistan, the world largest coal field in the Thar dessert in Pakistan and the worlds largest producer of tin – Indonesia.

The real question that needs to be asked is how is it possible for a people so rich and so plentiful in resources, to be so poor in reality? There is only reason for this and that is the rulers over the Muslim lands have never had any intention of making the right use of such huge wealth for their people. The Muslim lands posses all the necessary ingredients to take its own destiny into its own hands; it now just needs a ruler who fulfills the destiny of the Ummah. The Ummah has no need to colonize other peoples or engage in territorial expansion as Germany and Japan and the British Empire did, as it has all the necessary ingredients within its own borders.

[article by Adnan Khan]

source: http://www.khilafah.com/index.php/the-khilafah/issues/8935-khilafah-a-wealth-of-possibilities.

Source: Haqeeqat.
Link: http://www.haqeeqat.org/2010/03/07/khilafah-a-wealth-of-possibilities/.