Appalling Rise in Murders of Women in Turkey Highlights that its Secular Liberal Democratic System is no Model for a New Arab World

H. 27 Rabi' I 1432
M. 2011/03/02

New statistics from the Turkish Justice Ministry reveal that that murders of women in Turkey rose by 1,400% over seven years, from 2002 to 2009, with over 950 being killed in the first seven months of 2009 alone. According to the government study, "Research of Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey" almost 42% of women are subjected to violence in the country.

Turkey has been hailed by many Western politicians and commentators as a model for the future political system of Egypt and a new Arab world, praised for supposedly marrying a Muslim majority population with a secular liberal democratic system. This scandalous treatment of women within the country should give serious re-consideration of whether such a system can truly herald a positive future for the women of Turkey or the Arab world.

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz, Central Media Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir commented, "Beyond the glossy exterior of Turkey's economic growth lies the ugly social consequences of secular liberalism where women's security and dignity are primary casualties. Some have blamed Islam's prescription of defined roles for the genders in family life for this rise in violence towards women, such as the man as the head and guardian of the family, suggesting that this ‘inequality' in gender roles breeds disrespect for the woman. However, if this is the case, what explains the epidemic level of violence against women in Western secular liberal democratic states where such Islamic rules do not exist and where numerous gender equality bills are enshrined in law? In the UK, 1 in 4 women face domestic violence, 2 die each week at the hands of their partner, and the police receive a call every minute from a victim of such abuse according to Home Office figures. In the US a woman is battered every 15 seconds by a partner according to FBI statistics."

"The treatment of women depends upon the prevalent attitudes within any society and in secular liberal states a contradiction exists between the call for respect for women and liberal freedoms that either allow the exploitation of the bodies of women in advertising or entertainment that cheapens the view of women, or promote the belief that men are ‘free' to treat women as their desires dictate. Under such systems, whether in the West or in Turkey, legal reforms to establish gender equality are hollow, meaningless words that have failed miserably to secure the safety and dignity of ordinary women. Women in Turkey have therefore borne the brunt of this detrimental system and its values. Islam in contrast may define specific gender roles in family life but also prohibits the exploitation that devalues women as well as vehemently rejecting the ‘freedom' of men to view women as they wish that are 2 of the main contributors to domestic violence under secular liberal systems."

Women in the Muslim world cannot afford nor should they tolerate any more Western inspired foreign experiments in shaping the form of their political system. They should not settle for the least worst political option in levels of stability or repression in the region. The tried, tested, and failed secular liberal democratic system as seen from Bangladesh to Central Asia, Pakistan to Indonesia should be no model for those who have sacrificed so much for a brighter and more just future. A system that continues to ban Muslim women from access to educational and political institutions simply for adopting Islamic dress can surely never be an example to emulate for those whose heritage, beliefs, and strength lies in Islam."

Real change for women in the Muslim world will only materialize with the establishment of the Khilafah state shaped purely upon Islamic laws. This is a system that has also been tried and tested but with a track record of centuries of success in securing the rights and respect of women. This was a state that mobilized whole armies to protect the dignity of 1 woman; a state that recognized women's important contribution to the politics of society and that encouraged female education and generated thousands of female scholars. It is a state that on re-establishment will use its political, educational, and media systems to nurture a mentality of elevated respect towards women within society - Muslim and non-Muslim - as obliged by Islam, with serious judicial repercussions if their dignity or physical well-being is harmed in any way."

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz
Central Media Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir

Kazakhstan to open plant in Kyrgyzstan, create 1,000 jobs

04.03.2011

Kazakhstan Avinu Company plans to build ferroalloy recycling plant in the town of Tash - Kumyr in Jalal - Abad region of Kyrgyzstan, said Acting Mayor Mamidaly Kuldyshev , Kazakhstan Today reported.

The construction of ferroalloy plant will begin in April, he said. A total of 22 hectares have been allocated for the plant area, equipment has already started to be delivered.

The project costs $75 million. The plant is expected to produce output worth $50-60 million

Around 1.3 million tons of coal was extracted in Tash-Kumyr in the soviet times. Currently the volume of coal production barely reaches 30,000 tons.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/capital/business/1840467.html.

Iran to build three more ports on Caspian Sea

04.03.2011

Azerbaijan, Baku, March 4 / Trend /

The Caspian Sea has a large and important potential for Iran’s development, which country has not used before, İRNA news agency quotes Iranian Gilan Province head Ruhulla Kahramani, as saying.

He added that railway infrastructure and an airport exist in the Gilan Province.

Kahramani said that three more ports will be built on the Caspian Sea in the near future. "We intend to build Chamkhale, Kiyashekhre and Chabuksere ports in Lengerud, due to which a relevant program is under development," Kahramani said.

He added that the Chabukser port is designed to serve tourists.

Kahramani noted that capacity of the Anzali port’s loading and unloading facilities will be increased.

"Over the next 18 months, this capacity will be increased to 11 million tons. Thus, the Anzali port will become the largest port in the region," Kahramani said.

At present, five Iranian ports - Anzali, Noushahr, Abad, Gyaz and Neka operate on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Work is underway to develop the Astara port.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/capital/business/1839717.html.

Algeria launches charm offensive to head off unrest

Thu Mar 3, 2011

* Government stung into action by revolts in Arab world

* Officials offer handouts, turn blind eye to lawbreakers

* Critics say deeper problems must be addressed

By Lamine Chikhi

ALGIERS, March 3 (Reuters) - Ahmed Gotari, a 28-year-old unemployed man from the Algerian capital, has grown accustomed over the years to being treated dismissively when he calls on local officials to ask for a job.

So when he went this week to the district mayor's office, he was shocked at his reception: the mayor received him personally, welcomed him to his office and told him he would help.

"It was so great that I asked myself if he was going to bring me a coffee," Gotari told Reuters a few days later. "Not three months ago, we were treated like dogs and even the security guard would not look at us."

It is not an isolated case. Algeria's usually unbending officialdom is handing out business loans, letting off rule-breaking motorists, easing up on tax dodgers and turning a blind eye to people trading without a license.

What changed was the revolts in Egypt, Tunisia and other parts of the Arab World.

Algeria's leaders, wary that their country, too, could succumb to a popular uprising, are taking unprecedented steps to try to win people over to their side.

Critics of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika say that despite its huge oil and gas resources, Algeria has deep structural problems: a lack of democratic freedoms, persistent unemployment and poor housing conditions.

These are issues that cannot be resolved overnight, so the authorities are targeting the problems that can be fixed.

"This is just an aspirin for somebody who has cancer. It would calm the pain for a while but it will not solve the problem," said Mohamed Lagab, a political analyst and teacher of political sciences at Algiers university.

BIGGER PROBLEMS

The government is not ignoring the bigger problems.

It lifted a 19-year-old state of emergency and gave opposition voices airtime on television, key demands of its opponents. It also is investing billions of dollars in modernizing the economy and building new homes.

But its tactic of focusing on day-to-day issues appears to be working -- at least for now.

In January there were several days of rioting across the country triggered by rises in the prices of sugar and cooking oil. Since then there has been no violence and a series of political protests has lost momentum.

Officials throughout Algeria have received instructions to take a more lenient approach with citizens.

In one example, police have been given instructions to take away the licenses of drivers who commit traffic violations only in "very grave" circumstances, according to a government document seen by Reuters.

An instruction signed by Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia told the tax authorities to postpone some of their demands for payment.

A police officer said the authorities also were turning a blind eye to black market activity, known in Algeria as "trabendo", and which consists of youngsters selling cheap good in the street without a license.

"They don't pay taxes. We are not sure about the quality of the products they sell, but we don't care about this now," said the officer in the working class neighborhood of Bab El Oued.

"We want them to be doing something."

Another popular measure was the waiver of 24-month compulsory military service for men who had not done their service by the age of 30.

The government also has promised to fund 100 percent of the start-up costs for young people who present a plan for opening a small business.

Finance Minister Karim Djoudi said on state radio the new measures to help young people were costing the state 160 billion Algerian dinars ($2.45 billion).

The policy of making life easier for ordinary citizens has become the subject of satire, with newspaper columnist Hakim Laalam comparing it to a huge, nationwide free-for-all.

"I, who do not have a car, walk for hours in the streets looking at the beautiful and luxurious cars which pass," he wrote in the Soir d'Algerie newspaper.

"Who knows, maybe there is a government department charged with giving the keys of new cars to all those, who, like me, dream of having such a vehicle."

(Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://af.reuters.com/article/algeriaNews/idAFCHI22910820110303?sp=true.

Iran says its two warships return via Suez Canal

03.03.2011

Iran on Thursday confirmed earlier reports that its two warships which had docked in a Syrian port last month were returning via the Suez Canal, dpa reported.

The news network Al-Alam quoted navy officials as saying that the frigate Alvand and the supply ship Kharg have entered the Suez Canal, steaming toward the Red Sea on their way back to Iran.

The two Iranian warships, the first to enter the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal since 1979, docked on February 24 at the Syrian port of Latakia.

Israeli officials have described the Iranian naval mission as a "provocation."

Iran's navy chief Habibollah Sayari however said that the visit by the two warships to Syria was not meant to provoke anyone but they were "carrying a message of peace to the nations of the world."

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/1839793.html.

Bangladesh government brutally torturing Hizb ut-Tahrir activists, including administering electric shocks

H. 22 Rabi' I 1432
M. 2011/02/25

Hizb ut-Tahrir delegation handed over protesting letter to Bangladesh embassy in Islamabad

A delegation of Hizb ut-Tahrir comprising Imran Yousafzai, Deputy Spokesman Hizb ut-Tahrir and member Hizb ut-Tahrir Tahir Khan visited the Bangladesh embassy yesterday and delivered a protesting letter against the brutal torture inflicted on the arrested activists of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bangladesh. The delegation requested the meeting with the ambassador but the representatives of the coward government refused the meeting. Khilafah has strongly protested in the letter against the brutal torture on more than a dozen arrested activists of Khilafah by the notorious sadist agency "Task force For Interrogation". The members were arrested and handed over to this sadist agency on 22nd December and 19th January. The notoriety of this agency knew no bound when recently Guardian printed several stories of their torture. Despite the fact that all Muslim and western government knew with full certainty that Khilafah is a political party and its members are not involved in militancy, Bangladesh government banned the party under the diktats of their western masters. Its Spokesman, chief coordinator and other position holders were arrested and its members are being subjected to inhumane torture. These tortures include blindfolding and severely beating with batons, subjecting to electric shock, applied to their genitals, for up to the duration of 45 minutes, stripping naked, tied and left hanging upside down and squashing between slabs of ice for lengthy periods. In this letter, Khilafah also convulsed the human right organization to mobilize against this brutality on these prisoners of conscious. Let the rulers remember, Khilafah will take stock of their animosity with Islam and subservience to Kufr. And InshaAllah, the day is not far!

Hizb-ut Tahrir: Media office
Wilayah of Pakistan

Address & Website
http://www.hizb-pakistan.org/.

Source: Hizb ut-Tahrir Media Office.
Link: http://www.hizb-ut-tahrir.info/info/english.php/contents_en/entry_11874.

Egypt to release Muslim Brotherhood leaders

CAIRO — Two senior leaders of the Egyptian opposition Muslim Brotherhood are to be released on Wednesday after nearly six years behind bars, their lawyer told AFP.

Khairat al-Shater -- the Islamist group's number three and one of its main financiers -- and businessman Hassan Malek were detained in 2006 and sentenced to seven years in 2008.

"The security services informed the Muslim Brotherhood that there has been an order for their release. They will be released within hours," Abdelmoneim Abdel Maqsud said.

The two were part of a larger group tried in a military court on charges of money laundering and terrorism.

The government at the time said it was trying to dismantle the opposition movement's financial network.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the country's largest and most organized opposition, but it operated illegally until the resignation of president Hosni Mubarak on February 11 after nearly three weeks of anti-regime protests.

Before stepping down, Mubarak handed power to a military council which has vowed to pave the way for a free and democratic system.

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood have since come out of the fold, and one of their members now sits on a panel charged with overseeing constitutional amendments.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

Tunisia's Islamist Movement Legalized

March 01, 2011

Tunisia's Islamist movement Ennahda says it has been legalized, 30 years after it was formed.

The move allows Ennahda to participate in upcoming elections.

The movement, banned under the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was toppled in January, was founded in 1981 by intellectuals inspired by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

The movement's leader, Rached Ghannouchi, returned to Tunisia in January after 20 years in exile in London.

Also today, two more ministers -- the education minister and the scientific research minister -- left the interim government following the resignations of the prime minister and two other ministers after weeks of protests against the caretaker cabinet.

Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
Link: http://www.rferl.org/content/tunisia_islamist_movement_legalized/2324680.html.

Senior Russian Senator: 'Georgia Ordered Domodedovo Bombing'

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 27 Feb.'11

Alexander Torshin, deputy speaker of Russia's upper house of the Parliament, Federal Council, said he did not believe Islamist militants were behind the January terrorist act at Domodedovo airport in Moscow and blamed Georgia for ordering the attack.

He said in an interview with the Russian state newspaper, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, published on February 25, that Islamist rebel leader Doku Umarov, who said he had ordered the Domodedovo bombing, had either nothing to do with this attack or at most acted as a middleman between those who had really ordered it and those who had carried it out.

"I am sure the terrorist act was organized from outside... I will say from where, although I understand that my words may trigger wave of anger and misunderstanding, but I think, it was Georgia and its ruling regime [who ordered the attack]," Torshin said.

"Saakashvili is not hiding his animosity towards us. He has long turned anti-Russian attitudes into a competitive product, which he is selling.There is nothing else to sell; the Georgian wines are being sold poorly on the foreign markets... But there is a demand on Russophobia. The Saakashvili's regime had no need at all in Umarov to organize the terrorist act, because there is Ossetian traitor [Dimitri] Sanakoev [the head of Tbilisi-based provisional South Ossetian administration] and his network of agents," he added.

Torshin, who is a member of ruling United Russia party, led the parliamentary commission of inquiry into 2004 Beslan school hostage-taking tragedy and a commission to probe into the August, 2008 war. He is a member of National Counter-terrorism Committee (NAK), which is Russia's government body coordinating anti-terrorism policies.

Source: Civil Georgia.
Link: http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=23189.

MB chairman mourns Turkey's first Islamist PM

The Muslim Brotherhood’s chairman Dr. Mohamed Badie offered his sincerest sympathy following the death of Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister, Negm Eldin Erbakan, who died at the age of 85.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Muslim Brotherhood’s chairman Dr. Mohamed Badie offered his sincerest sympathy following the death of Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister, Negm Eldin Erbakan, who died at the age of 85. Erbakan who served only a year as prime minister was forced to stand down in 1997 by Turkey's staunchly secular military.

His Islamist Welfare Party was prevented from practicing politics or emerging in the political arena in 1998 and he was banned for five years for violating the constitution.

Turkey’s current governing AK Party, which has Islamist roots, grew out of Welfare.

Source: Ikhwanweb.
Link: http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28113.

Syria, Iran sign naval training pact

Damascus, Feb 27 (IANS) Syria and Iran have signed a naval training agreement, media reports said.

Taleb al-Bari, chief of Syria's navy, and his Iranian counterpart, Habibollah Sayyari, signed the agreement on the Iranian ship Kharg which was docked at the Syrian coast, Xinhua reported citing local Damascus Press news website.

Sayyari, who arrived in Syria Wednesday, said his country's vessels were on a 'routine voyage' and had never participated in any military exercise.

On Thursday, two Iranian navy ships, Alvand, a 1,500-tonne patrol frigate armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, and Kharg, a 33,000-tonne supply vessel, arrived at the Syrian seaport of Lattaqia, 350 km north of Damascus, on a training mission.

The two vessels, which crossed the Suez Canal in Egypt before entering the Mediterranean Sea, have aroused anger among Israeli top officials, who regarded the voyage as a provocative step.

Source: Sify.
Link: http://www.sify.com/news/syria-iran-sign-naval-training-pact-news-international-lc1gEebgjde.html.

Algerian police block new protests

By Abdellah Cheballah (AFP)

ALGIERS — Several hundred riot police blocked a new opposition attempt to stage an anti-government march in the center of the Algerian capital Saturday.

The demonstration by about 100 people against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decades-old regime had been meant to start two days after the government lifted a state of emergency in force for 19 years, amidst a split in the Algerian opposition.

But hundreds of police in helmets and shields blocked access to two central squares where protesters on Feb 12 and 19 tried to stage marches, which have been banned in the capital since 2001.

Police were backed up by armored vehicles as a helicopter flew overhead, but witnesses said their overall presence was less than for both earlier rallies this month.

Demonstrators, led by Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) leader Said Sadi, were unable to rally in Martyr square as planned, an AFP journalist saw. Sadi was surrounded by police before the scheduled start of the protest march at 1000 GMT. Another RCD lawmaker, Mohamed Khendek, was evacuated by ambulance.

"I was hit in the stomach with a club when I tried to resist the officers who took on Said Sadi. I passed out and they took me to a hospital. I'm not injured," he told AFP by telephone after leaving the hospital.

Police pushed RCD supporters to the nearby seafront.

Shouting his name, about 20 stalwarts of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika brandished his portraits and a banner in Arabic reading: "Algerians are pro-Bouteflika".

Finding themselves between the two groups, police averted any possible clashes.

A leading RCD figure, Madjid Yousfi, was confident that "the uprising in the region's countries will bring down all dictatorships as in the 1950s during decolonization".

Last weekend, protesters clashed with riot police who stopped a bid by some 3,000 people to march in the capital.

On Thursday, the 73-year-old Bouteflika also promised to place "anti-corruption" at the heart of government action, along with reforms to help the economy, employment and housing to regain Algerians' support and ward off a wave of unrest similar to the ones that engulfed Egypt and Tunisia.

Unprecedented protests were staged in January that left five dead.

The latest protest was called after a split in the opposition this week.

While the RCD vowed it would march Saturday "and every Saturday" its former ally, the National Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD), an opposition umbrella group formed last month, begged out, saying it planned to "revamp the movement".

The CNCD has said it wants the immediate end of Bouteflika's regime, citing the same problems of high unemployment, housing and soaring costs that inspired the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

Malaysia and Turkey agree to cooperate in police training

Feb 26, 2011

PUTRAJAYA - MALAYSIA and Turkey have agreed to cooperate in police training which will also see Turkish police personnel attending the Malaysian Academy on Trans-national Organized Crime (Matoc) in Langkawi, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

Datuk Hishammuddin said the exchanges would help build stronger relations between the police forces of both countries.

He said he had met with his Turkish counterpart Besir Atalay when he accompanied Prime Minis-ter Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on an official visit to the country, and they both agreed there was a need to strengthen cooperation and commitment in combating cross-border crimes.

'To follow up on my discussions (with Besir), I have asked the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar to visit Turkey on April 10 to attend the 178th Turkish Police Day celebrations as well as hold further talks,' he said.

He added that Malaysian police personnel would be sent to Turkey, ahead of the IGP's arrival, to look into the details of the cooperation. -- THE STAR/ANN

Source: The Straits Times.
Link: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_639144.html.

Algeria lifts emergency in concession to protesters

Saturday, 26 February 2011

ALGIERS: Algeria on Thursday lifted a 19-year state of emergency in a concession to the opposition designed to keep out a wave of uprisings sweeping the
Arab world.

Ending the emergency powers was one of the demands voiced by opposition groups which have been staging weekly protests in the Algerian capital that sought to emulate uprisings in Egypt and neighboring Tunisia.

However, one of the organizers of the protests said this week that lifting the state of emergency was not enough, and that the government must allow more democratic freedoms.

In Washington, US President Barack Obama welcomed the move but said the Algerian government needed to do more.

“This is a positive sign that the government of Algeria is listening to the concerns and responding to the aspirations of its people, and we look forward to additional steps by the government that enable the Algerian people to fully exercise their universal rights,” Obama said in a statement.

“The United States is committed to continuing our cooperation with the government of Algeria as it works to represent and meet the needs of all Algerians,”
he said.

An order signed by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika lifting the state of emergency came into force on Thursday after it was published in the government’s official gazette.

Algeria is a major energy exporter that pumps gas via pipelines under the Mediterranean
to Europe.

The state of emergency was imposed to help the authorities combat Islamist rebels, but in the past few years the violence has subsided and government critics have alleged the emergency rules are being used to repress political freedoms.

The lifting of the state of emergency will have few practical implications. New rules were also adopted which will allow the military to continue involving itself in domestic security, as it had done under the emergency powers.

The emergency rules banned protest marches in Algiers, but Bouteflika said this month the restriction would remain in force indefinitely.

Bouteflika, who is 73, is likely to remain under pressure — both from protesters and from inside the ruling establishment — to deliver more change and to explain to the public what he plans to do. REUTERS

Source: The Peninsula.
Link: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/middle-east/143905-algeria-lifts-emergency-in-concession-to-protesters.html.

List of Hizb ut-Tahrir activists martyred by Gaddafi

Tuesday, 22 February 2011

Gaddafi has a long history of brutal suppression and murder of Muslims in Libya. In light of recent events where hundreds of Muslims have been martyred by the Libyan regime we list some of those activists from Hizb ut-Tahrir who were martyred previously to show Gaddafi's actions are nothing new. His oppression continued with the full support of Britain, America and the EU despite what they say now.

Mohammed M. Ramadan, 11 April, 1980, London. Journalist and announcer at BBC, Arabic section. Assassinated by Gaddafi operatives outside Regent Park mosque. Libyan regime refused him burial in Libya and returned the body to be buried in London. Two Libyans were tried for the crime and in Sep. '80, sentenced to life in prison.

Mohammed M. Hfaf, 7 April 1983, Tripoli. Student. Imprisoned in April '73, accused of membership in Islamic Liberation Party (Hizb ut-Tahrir). Ten years later, on 7 April '83, executed by hanging in College of Engineering, Tripoli.

Abdallah A. al-Mesallati, April, 1984, Tripoli. Student. Arrested on April 16, 1973, charged with membership in Islamic Liberation Party (Hizb ut-Tahrir), sentenced to prison. Retried by Revolutionary Courts, sentenced to death, and executed in Tripoli Central Prison.

Abdul Aziz al-Gharably, April, 1983, arrested. Student, Tripoli. Suspected of membership in political party. Died in Jan. '84 as a result of torture and lack of medical care.

Hasan A. al-Kurdi, April 1984. Arrested among hundreds in Spring '73. In June, accused with nine others of membership in Islamic Liberation Party and of writing articles opposing the regime. On 7 Dec. '73, the Revolutionary Council issued resolution to stop the courts and release the accused. Re-arrested on the same day and held without trial until Feb. '77, sentenced to 15 years in prison, days later, the sentence increased to life imprisonment. Executed in prison without trial, April 1984.

May Allah سبحانه وتعالى accept them as shuhada and even if some Muslims forget their sacrifices, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will not, nor the countless more Muslims who were disappeared, imprisoned, tortured and killed.

This list is excerpted from more extensive list in al-Inqadh Magazine, Vol. 10, Issue No. 37, September 1991, Pages 80-105, published by Libyan opposition group NFSL.

Gadaffi carried out a personal crusade against Hizb ut-Tahrir ever since the Party sent a delegation to discuss with him his denial of the validity of the ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. After four hours of discussion wherein they proved that the ahadith were a source of Sharia like the Quran, the Party distributed reports of the discussion. So incensed was Gaddafi that he murdered thirteen members; they were hanged in universities and schools in front of their teachers, pupils and families. One of them was brought down still alive, he was hung a second time, then they tied his body to the back of a car which was driven in full view of his family and sons.

May Allah grant the martyrs the highest place in Jannah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

سَيِّدُ الشُّهَدَاءِ حَمْزَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ المُطَّلِبِ وَ رَجُلٌ قَامَ إِلَى إِمَامٍ جَائِرٍ فَأَمَرَهُ وَ نَهَاهُ فَقَتَلَهُ

"The master of the martyrs is Hamza ibn Abdul Mattalib, and a man who stands (in front of) an oppressive ruler and enjoins the good and forbids the evil and so is killed for it." [Haakim]

Source: Khalifah.
Link: http://www.khilafah.com/index.php/activism/africa/11323-list-of-hizb-ut-tahrir-activists-martyred-by-gaddafi.

Syria send ships to evacuate nationals from Libya

February 24, 2011

Two ships left Syria Thursday for Libya to evacuate Syrians there from turmoil, Syrian official news agency SANA reported.

The Syrian transport ministry is seeking to hire additional ships to secure the evacuation of Syrian nationals from the violence in Libya, Syrian Transport Minister Yarub Badr was quoted by SANA as saying.

Ghaida Abdullatif, the director general of the Syrian Arab Airlines, said the institution would continue to run flights to the airport in the Syrian capital of Tripoli, adding that additional flights would be put into operation after getting necessary permission.

Resources estimate the number of Syrians in Libya at 150,000 to 20,000. Syrian Ambassador to Libya Hilal al-Atrash confirmed that no casualty was registered in the Syrian community in Libya.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/7299425.html.

US Embassy warns Americans to avoid Friday protests in Jordan

Feb 24, 2011

AMMAN, Jordan — The U.S. Embassy has issued a warden message warning Americans to avoid what could potentially be large anti-government protests in Jordan.

Jordan is bracing for nationwide demonstrations on Friday to protest against physical attacks by so-called "thugs." Eight activists were wounded in clashes with pro-government protesters last Friday.

Jordan has seen street protests in the last eight weeks, but with much smaller crowds than in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

Friday marks the eighth straight week of protests, in which Jordanians demanded a greater say in politics, lower food prices and to popularly elect their prime minister — now a prerogative of Jordan's King Abdullah II.

The U.S. Embassy message Thursday warned U.S. citizens to "avoid demonstrations and crowds and to be aware of their surroundings."

Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Breaking the siege of Gaza is high priority for Egypt's young revolutionaries

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Young participants in the 25th January Egyptian revolution have told the Palestine Information Center that Egypt has been freed from a tyrannical regime and breaking the siege of Gaza is high on their list of priorities. Ousting Hosni Mubarak was difficult, they said, but it was just the beginning of the revolution, not the end. In Tahrir Square, they added, all sections of Egyptian society were united, including Muslims and Christians; leftists and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Ahmed Bahaauddin Shaaban, one of the founders of the Egyptian Movement for Change (Kifaya), told the PIC, "We took part in a real battle pitting the Egyptian people against the corrupt regime, which was heavily entrenched. However, the Egyptian people were able to uproot it." The people of Egypt have taken one step on a long road, said Shaaban, by overthrowing a dictator and his oppressive regime. "However, we still have a lot to do. We have a program for democracy, social reform, and the creation of a modern, developed state. We have shaken the regime, as can be seen clearly in the fall of its corrupt symbols."

Mr. Shaaban warned that the struggle will be long. "The fall of an oppressive dictator like Mubarak affects the entire regime structure but we will be able to deal with its remnants," he said. "In the past few days we have defeated the most oppressive forces in the country - the Central Security Force and the State Security Force - which have vanished into thin air." So, he added, has the former ruling party, the National Democratic Party, which had three million members.

Arab issues are at the top of the revolution's priorities, stressed Shaaban, and the people of the Gaza Strip are delighted by its success because they also suffered at the hands of Mubarak's regime. "The people of Gaza will feel the effects of the revolution because the siege of Gaza will end and the kinship between the people of Egypt and Palestine will be restored."

Amr Ibrahim, another of the young leaders of the revolution and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood chipped in: "The most important characteristic of this revolution was that it was impossible to tell people apart on the basis of which political movement they belonged to. Everyone in Tahrir Square was there under the banner 'I am an Egyptian'. You couldn't tell who was a leftist and who was a Muslim Brother, or who was a Christian and who was a Muslim."

According to Mr. Ibrahim, the youth of the Muslim Brotherhood were involved in the revolution from its beginning on the 25th January having asked for permission from the movement's leaders. As the demonstrations increased in intensity and the occupation of Tahrir Square by the demonstrators grew, instructions were given by the leadership of the Brotherhood to their younger members to enter Tahrir Square in great numbers. In the end, claimed Ibrahim, Muslim Brotherhood youth members made up between 40 and 50% of the demonstrators.

A spokesman for the 6th April Youth Movement asserted that the resignation of the president was not one of the demands of the youth of the revolution when they were preparing for the 25th January. "We wanted the sacking of the Interior Minister and the implementation of a court decision setting the minimum wage at 1200 Egyptian pounds per month," said Ahmed Maher. "The groups taking part in the movement are very diverse but together they organized protests, using Facebook and on the ground, on the 25th January and on the Day of Anger on Friday 28th January, in addition to organizing the million man demonstrations on the 1st February and the 'Day of Departure', 4th February."

Maher believes that it is important for Egyptians to cooperate in planning Egypt's future post-Mubarak; he proposed the formation of a delegation of youth and members of the Front for the Support of the Demands of the Revolutions to negotiate with the army's leaders. It is necessary for the government of Egypt to be transferred to civilians, he said, adding that the revolutionary youth can still achieve a great deal in bringing forth the fruits of the revolution.

With regards to lifting the siege of Gaza, Maher said that the issue cannot be ignored. It is, he stressed, one of the demands of the revolution: "Pressure exerted by the revolutionaries as well as Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi's call to end the siege has obliged the army to fulfill this demand." It is time to end the suffering of the people of Gaza, he said. This, ended Maher, has made the government in Israel "fearful" of Egyptian youth. "If young Egyptians demonstrated on the borders of occupied Palestine," he grinned, "I wouldn't rule out the Zionists packing up and leaving."

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2076-breaking-the-siege-of-gaza-is-high-priority-for-egypts-young-revolutionaries.

Exiled Uighurs worried on death sentences

Feb 23, 2011

WASHINGTON — The leader of the exiled Uighur community on Wednesday voiced concern over China's plans to execute four people on charges of plotting unrest and accused Beijing of intimidation.

State media said China's highest court has given the green light for the four executions in the northwestern Xinjiang region, the scene of strife between the indigenous Uighur community and China's majority Han.

Uighur advocate Rebiya Kadeer, a former prisoner who lives in exile in the Washington region, voiced worries over the sentences and said she opposed any form of violence.

"By sentencing these four Uighurs to death, China is attempting to intimidate the Uighur people, fearing that they will take to the streets to demand human rights, democracy and freedoms from the authoritarian Chinese government," she said in a statement.

The state-run Xinjiang Daily said that two of those convicted were involved in an August 19 bombing in Aksu, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, that killed seven people and wounded 15 others.

China is highly critical of Kadeer and accuses her of stirring up unrest in Xinjiang, a charge that she and a number of US lawmakers dismiss as smears.

China says it has brought development to Xinjiang, but many Uighurs bristle at what they see as political and religious oppression and criticize the influx of Han Chinese to Xinjiang.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

U.S. lauds end to Algerian emergency law

ALGIERS, Algeria, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Word that 19 years of emergency law is ending in Algeria was welcomed by the United States Wednesday.

State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley called Tuesday's announcement by the Algerian government a "positive" step toward the expansion of democratic freedoms.

"We reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, including the freedom of assembly and expression," Crowley said in a statement.

Ahmed Ouyahia, secretary-general of the National Democratic Rally, said Wednesday the state of emergency will be lifted before the end of the month, along with additional major decisions to be announced, Algerie Press Service reported Wednesday.

The other issues will include housing, employment and administration services, he said.

He also noted the wave of popular uprisings across the region cannot be ignored and solutions must be found to address the problems facing Algerian youth, the news agency said.

Under the emergency law, peaceful protests are banned and authorities have much wider liberty to detain citizens.

Thousands of Algerians ignored that ban in recent weeks, staging rallies that at times were met by baton-wielding security personnel and tear gas.

Algeria has had only one political party, the National Liberation Front, since gaining independence from France 49 years ago. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been in office since 1999.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/02/23/US-lauds-end-to-Algerian-emergency-law/UPI-30201298508641/.

Algeria police says officers who beat 2 student protesters to be punished

Feb 23, 2011

ALGIERS, Algeria — The head of communications for the Algerian police says officers who beat up two student protesters at a recent demonstration will be punished.

Djilali Boudalia says there were "no instructions to use force" against students protesting Sunday in front of the Ministry of Higher Education in the capital, Algiers.

He said Wednesday the officers involved could face criminal proceedings.

Tensions are high in this North African country since last month's ouster of the autocratic president in neighboring Tunisia and uprisings in Egypt and Libya, which shares a border with Algeria.

Massive police deployments largely quashed two pro-reform marches in Algiers earlier this month.

Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Malaysia And Turkey Announce Lifting Of Visa Requirements

From Khairdzir Yunus

ANKARA, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Turkey have agreed to lift the visa requirements for their citizens to travel to each other's country.

This was announced at a joint press conference by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan after their four-eyed meeting, which was followed by a delegation meeting between the Malaysian and Turkish delegations, at the Prime Minister's Office here Tuesday.

"We have decided that there will be no visa requirements between our two countries which is also a momentous and significant decision that will definitely enhance people to people contact between our two countries," Najib said.

"Of course, we have very much in common between our two countries. Some of us also have the same origin and we need to rediscover that heritage that we have. We should not take it for granted, we should rediscover that, and that could be a very strong basis for much closer people to people relationship," he added.

Currently, ordinary and official passport holders of Malaysia or Turkey are exempt from visa for their travels up to 90 days.

In a move to foster closer relations between the people of the two countries, Erdogan also announced that Turkey would declare a "Malaysia Year" in Turkey soon, to which Najib responded that Malaysia would reciprocate the move.

Erdogan also announced that Turkey's national carrier, the Turkish Airlines, would resume its direct flight to Kuala Lumpur.

Najib thanked Erdogan for agreeing to the resumption of the Turkish Airlines' direct flight to Malaysia, and added that: "We will look at increasing our frequency and more flights from Kuala Lumpur to Turkey."

Najib said that he was glad to hear that his visit was very much awaited in Turkey since the last official visit by a Malaysian Prime Minister to this country was 28 years ago, and he was delighted that he was able to make the visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Erdogan.

The Malaysian Prime Minister said they had "very warm and very productive" discussions during the meeting by both sides as well as during the preceding private meeting between him and Erdogan.

He said the most important thing that had been decided was to elevate their bilateral relationships towards achieving strategic level.

"And for this reason we will work towards an agreement, the draft agreement of which has been submitted to the Malaysian side and we are studying the framework agreement and hoped that this agreement can be signed by the end of this year and to add substance to the strategic framework agreement.

"We also decided that the FTA agreement between Malaysia and Turkey should also be signed simultaneously and in this regard, I have extended an invitation to my brother Prime Minister Erdogan to visit Malaysia at the end of this year so that we can sign two very momentous and significant agreements that will open a new chapter, in fact, a new era, between the two countries," he said.

On Erdogan's suggestion that the trade volume between both countries be increased from the current US$1.2 billion to US$5 billion, Najib said that US$5 billion was not an ambitious target for them to try to achieve in the near future.

"We will definitely improve the level of trade between the two countries. 1.2 billion US dollars doesn't do justice to the importance of bilateral cooperation and I cannot agree more with the (Turkish) prime minister," he said.

He said both leaders were also looking at areas to expand between the two countries and two specific possibilities that had been identified were the automobile industry and the oil and gas industry.

On the current uprising and unrest in a few Muslim countries, Najib said the only solution to ensure stability in the Muslim world which was undergoing a traumatic period right now was for them to adopt good governance that was based on the principle of democracy with the necessary adjustments according to the country's peculiarities and needs.

"But it is important that we listen to the people and the people must be given the right kind of avenues for them to express their aspirations and their hopes for the future," he said.

Najib, who arrived in Istanbul on Monday, is on a three-day official visit to Turkey, his first since assuming the premiership in April 2009.

He is accompanied by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, as well as several cabinet ministers, members of Parliament and senior government officials.

On the last day of his visit on Wednesday, Najib will participate in the Malaysia-Turkey Business Roundtable Talks organized by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) and the Global Movement for Justice, Peace and Dignity (Kemuliaan Insan) co-organised by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) and International Movement for a Just World (JUST), which will all be held in Istanbul.

-- BERNAMA

Source: Bernama.
Link: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=565819.

Qaddafi's Regime Will Fall in Days, Houni Tells Al-Hayat

By Massoud A. Derhally - Feb 23, 2011

Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s regime has a matter days before it falls, Al-Hayat reported, citing Major Abdel Moneim al-Houni, a former member of Libya’s revolutionary command council who resigned as the country’s ambassador to the Arab League on Feb. 20.

Houni told the Saudi-owned newspaper that Imam Moussa al- Sadr, chairman of Lebanon’s Shiite Islamic Council, who went missing on a visit to Libya in August 1978, was killed and buried in the Sabha region in the southern part of the north African country. Houni said his brother-in-law, who was the pilot of Qaddafi’s private plane, was tasked with transporting Sadr’s to Sabha and was killed himself shortly after doing so to keep the crime secret.

Lebanon’s examining magistrate issued a summons in 2008 for Qaddafi to appear for questioning about Sadr. Relations between Libya and Lebanon were strained by the disappearance of the cleric and two of his aides. Libya has always maintained that Sadr left the country to Italy.

Source: Bloomberg.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-23/qaddafi-s-regime-will-fall-in-days-houni-tells-al-hayat.html.

Rights groups call for protection of Rohingyas in India and Indonesia

22 Feb 2011

BANGKOK (AlertNet) – Rights groups have urged Thailand to investigate claims that its navy pushed a group of “boat people” from Myanmar’s embattled Rohingya minority back out to sea in rickety vessels, two years after similar allegations surfaced.

The groups also called on Indonesia and India to protect Rohingyas who fled by sea to the nearby countries in recent weeks.

The Rohingyas are a Muslim minority from Rakhine State in the west of predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Rights groups say they suffer much abuse and are denied free movement, education and employment by the military junta. They are also denied citizenship.

A group of 91 Rohingyas with little food and water landed in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands in early February in what the BBC said was an engine-less boat. The group told Indian police they had been set adrift by the Thai navy.

The Thai Foreign Ministry has denied this and said it deported a group of 91 Rohingyas (who reached Thailand in January) at the Thai-Myanmar border crossing in Ranong province in southern Thailand “which was in line with their wish”.

Kitty McKinsey, a spokeswoman for the United Nations’ refugee agency, UNHCR, told AlertNet:

“Based on the information we have now it seems likely that the 91 who are in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the same 91 who were intercepted in Thailand on 22nd January.”

“We don’t know exactly [how] they would’ve gotten from Thailand to the Nicobar Islands.”

Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are calling for Thailand to investigate the case.

“Thailand’s blanket denial that 91 Rohingya deportees were pushed back to sea fails to explain their arrival in the Andaman and Nicobar islands,” Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

“The Thai government should promptly and impartially investigate which officials were responsible for towing migrants out to sea and cutting them loose.”

ANOTHER GROUP FOUND DRIFTING OFF ACEH

Last week, Indonesian fishermen found another 129 Rohingyas drifting in a boat off the coast of Aceh. Like the group in Andaman and Nicobar islands, they were said to be starving and severely dehydrated when found.

They have been at sea for about three weeks, according to Indonesian officials.

In a statement, Amnesty International asked Thailand, India and Indonesia to act on “their obligations under international human rights and customary international law” including helping determine if they qualify for refugee status.

In a similar incident two years ago, the Thai navy was accused of towing 992 Rohingya boat people to sea before abandoning them to their fate with little food or water in boats without engines. Many were found off the coast of Indonesia but hundreds were feared to have died. Thailand promised to investigate but said the results were inconclusive.

"The situation of the Rohingyas would be concerning enough just considering their persecution in Myanmar and their precarious state on the high seas," Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty’s researcher for southeast Asia, told AlertNet.

"When factoring in what happened to them at the hands of Thai authorities in late 2008 and early 2009 -- and that similar unlawful and inhuman treatment is being alleged again -- their situation is even more alarming. The problem is rooted in Myanmar but implicates the region, but two years on we're no closer to accountability or a solution."

Rights groups say thousands of Rohingyas flee Myanmar for Malaysia and Bangladesh each year. Malaysia is home to 85,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar although it is unknown how many are Rohingyas.

Aid groups estimate over 300,000 Rohingyas live in Bangladesh, mostly in horrendous conditions at makeshift camps, living in mud huts covered in plastic sheets and tree branches.

Thailand has around 150,000 refugees, mainly from eastern Myanmar, in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Source: Alertnet.
Link: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/rights-groups-call-for-protection-of-rohingyas-in-india-and-indonesia.

Jordan Orders Gunships, Receives Camcopters

By: David Donald
March 4, 2011

Two Airbus Military CN-235 transports are to be modified to gunship configuration for the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

Jordan is to modify two of its Airbus Military CN-235 utility transports to a gunship configuration. A contract has been awarded to ATK for the work, which is being undertaken in conjunction with Jordan’s King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau. The work will be split between ATK’s U.S. facilities and those of KADDB in Jordan.

ATK has been developing “gunship lite” concepts for some time, having offered the AC-27J Stinger II to the U.S. Air Force, and the concept can be applied to a number of high-wing transport types. For the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s CN-235s, ATK will provide the STAR mission system that integrates ISR sensors and fire control, as well as weapons. Hellfire missiles, rocket pods and other stores can be hung from outriggers that project from the undercarriage sponsons. In the rear fuselage the aircraft will have ATK’s M230LF 30mm link-fed cannon fitted. This is a version of the Chain Gun that arms the AH-64 Apache.

Separately, the Austrian company Schiebel announced it has delivered two S-100 Camcopter unmanned air systems to KADDB, ordered last July on behalf of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. The Camcopters are equipped with the L-3 Wescam MX-10 EO/IR payload, which made its first flight on the air vehicle in January.

Source: Aviation International News (AIN).
Link: http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/jordan-orders-gunships-receives-camcopters-28893/.

Jordanian protesters ratchet up demands but stop short of urging king's ouster

By Joel Greenberg
Friday, March 4, 2011

AMMAN, JORDAN - Enas Hamed went out Friday for the first time to join thousands of people marching through central Amman to demand an overhaul of Jordan's political system, a growing weekly demonstration that is posing a mounting challenge to King Abdullah II.

Hamed, a 27-year-old homemaker who was joined by her mother-in-law, said such political participation was new to her.

"I saw what happened in Tunis and Egypt, so it's possible in any country with any government," she said, referring to the uprisings that toppled two autocratic leaders. "It gave us the courage to go forward to this demonstration. I love my country, and I want it to change."

The protesters are not calling for the removal of the king or the monarchy, which many Jordanians still see as a vital unifying force in a country with a large Palestinian population and numerous rival tribes.

Yet organizers from the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's largest opposition group, and members of smaller leftist parties have ratcheted up their chants: "The people want to reform the regime!" they roared, echoing the battle cry of the Egyptian revolution: "The people want to topple the regime!"

The protesters called for the ouster of the king's latest appointee, Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit, whom they accused of corruption and presiding over rigged elections during a previous term as premier. They called for the dissolution of parliament, widely regarded as an unrepresentative assembly chosen in a fraud-marred vote, and demanded an elected cabinet, replacing the current system in which the prime minister is appointed by the king.

In a call addressed to King Abdullah, they shouted: "Change the policy, not the people."

Pictures of the monarch, seen everywhere in Jordan, were noticeably absent from the protest, though marchers carried Jordanian flags. Ranks of police separated the protesters from a small group of pro-monarchy demonstrators, who walked ahead, proclaiming their loyalty to the king. Last month, men armed with sticks and metal rods attacked anti-government demonstrators, injuring eight.

The protests appear to be attracting a wider circle of Jordanians, both religious and secular, who are finding them an outlet for discontent stoked by economic hardship, including rising prices and unemployment and a growing gap between rich and poor.

"We want to fix the system," said Yazid Arman, 27, a Web developer who said he was protesting for the first time. "We want the liberty to express ourselves, and we need justice in the distribution of resources."

Attacking the king and undermining the monarchy would only lead to internal strife, Arman said. "The change has to be step by step," he added.

Maneuvering to prevent the unrest from accelerating, Abdullah and top officials have sought to reassure Jordanians that real change is coming and that their voices are being heard.

"When I say reform, I want real and quick reform," Abdullah declared in a recent speech to cabinet ministers, legislators and judges.

After Bakhit's government narrowly won a vote of confidence in parliament on Thursday, the prime minister announced plans to create new jobs and prevent price hikes for basic goods and utilities. And the head of Jordan's Public Security Department, Lt. Gen. Hussein Majali, promised in a public letter to the king to protect citizens' right to free speech.

So far, both protesters and authorities have managed their confrontations so as to avert the deadly clashes seen in neighboring Arab countries. But debate is growing about the king's authority.

"The government is a sham, and it takes orders from the king and the security agencies," said Murad Adaileh, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamic Action Front. "The people should have a role in governing the country."

Hamed, the homemaker and first-time demonstrator, said the monarchy was essential to hold the country together. "It's an umbrella for us," she said, "and it preserves the country's stability."

Asad al-Zagha, a member of a leftist party, noted that insulting the king is banned in Jordan. Asked why the protesters were not criticizing the monarch, who holds ultimate power, he replied: "We can't. We criticize the government - and ask him for things."

Source: The Washington Post.
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/04/AR2011030405143.html.

Iran Warships Complete Suez Canal Voyage Amid Israel Objection

By Alaa Shahine and Mariam Fam - Feb 22, 2011

Iranian warships sailed through the Suez Canal to reach the Mediterranean Sea for the first time since 1979 as Israel stressed its objection to their voyage to Syria.

The two ships entered the canal early today after the approval of Egypt’s Defense Ministry, the state-run Middle East News Agency cited Ahmed El Manakhly, head of traffic at the Suez Canal Authority, as saying. MENA didn’t specify when the vessels reached open water.

Crude reached its highest level in a week in New York on Feb. 18 as the heightening of tensions between Iran and Israel because of the trip increased concerns over instability in the region. Iran is the second-biggest producer, after Saudi Arabia, in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Oil jumped to the highest in more than two years in New York today as Libyan unrest stoked further concern over supplies.

“The transit of the Iranian boats is part of Iran’s full- out struggle for hegemony and control of the Middle East,” Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said today at a conference in Eilat, according to an e-mailed statement from his office.

Shalom’s comments followed Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor’s depiction of the warships sailing through the canal as “a provocation” that should be “dealt with by the international community.” He said today that he was citing previous comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Won’t Risk Attack

“The Iranian warships saga is a significant one but with limited consequence,” Richard Lee, a senior equity analyst at Emirates NBD Asset Management Ltd. in Dubai, said in comments e- mailed today. “It is significant because of the appearance of an emerging tension between Iran and Israel, and it likely to stay as that. I don’t expect this to turn into a full-scale war simply because Iran cannot afford it now.”

Iran rejects international economic sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear program and has accused the U.S. and Israel of stoking dissent in the Islamic state. Unrest in Iran has been revived in the past week under the influence of Arab revolts.

Israel and the U.S. suspect that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at producing weapons. Iran says its atomic installations are for generating power. The United Nations has imposed four rounds of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

The vessels, the 1,500-ton patrol frigate Alvand and 33,000-ton supply vessel Khark, are the first Iranian warships to use the waterway since the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled Iran’s pro-Western monarchy, according to Press TV. Alvand is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while Khark has a 250-member crew and can carry three helicopters, the Iranian state-run broadcaster said.

Key Route

The 120-mile (190-kilometer) waterway carries about 2.5 percent of world oil output, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and is a key route for ships carrying Asian consumer goods to Europe.

The U.S. is monitoring the progress of the warships, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Feb. 18. Iran doesn’t show “responsible behavior in the region, which is always a concern to us,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Feb. 20 that Israel views with “gravity” Iran’s plan to send the vessels through the canal, a move that he said highlights the need to increase his country’s defense budget. Lieberman said on Feb. 16 that Israel wouldn’t “ignore forever” such acts.

The ships will go to Syria, where they will anchor “for a few days” after a trip through the canal that is “routine according to international law,” Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said cited the country’s ambassador to Syria, Ahmad Mousavi, as saying.

Egypt said on Feb. 18 that it had approved Iran’s request to send the ships through the canal. According to international law, Egypt can’t forbid any vessel from using the waterway unless that country is at war with Egypt, El Manakhly told Bloomberg Television Feb. 16.

Source: Bloomberg.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-22/iran-warships-enter-suez-canal-on-syria-trip-egypt-state-run-agency-says.html.

Hamas condemns violence against Libyan protesters

February 22, 2011

Islamic Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday condemned violence by the Libyan forces against protesters.

A statement by Hamas said that the movement "strongly condemns massacres, airstrikes and artillery fire against Libyan people by the Libyan regime."

Protests have been reported in several cities in Libya, where people call for an end of leader Moammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian leadership said it hopes that peace, security and stability would prevail in Libya.

Nabil Abu Rdineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the incidents in Libya were "internal affairs."

Libya was rocked by unrest in the past week with unconfirmed media reports of hundreds of protesters killed in clashes with the security forces.

The United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon called for an immediate end to the violence in Libya given the report that the Libyan government used war planes and helicopters against demonstrators, according to the statement from Ban's spokesman.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/7296429.html.

Protest strikes dog Algeria

Feb 22, 2011

ALGIERS — Protest strikes hampered business as usual in Algeria Tuesday, testing the government's confidence that it will not succumb to a popular uprising like the ones that toppled the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes.

The normally docile judicial system saw the sixth day of a strike by court clerks, forcing the postponement of many trials, while municipal workers, engineering students and even paramedics also downed tools.

The strikes have coincided with short-lived anti-government protests on Saturday and Monday in the capital Algiers.

In northeastern Annaba, an industrial center, seven unemployed people staged a protest on the roof of the administration building in which they mutilated themselves. One lost consciousness after slashing his torso and was taken to hospital.

But Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said the anti-government protests that toppled rulers in Tunisia and Egypt would not spread to Algeria as part of a "domino effect" across the region.

"The domino effect is an invention on the part of the media, including that of Algeria which is very free. I don't think it applies to Algeria. Algeria is not Egypt or Tunisia," he told Spanish daily newspaper El Pais in an interview published Sunday.

The justice ministry called on bailiffs to replace the striking clerks where possible, citing anger among lawyers who have boycotted hearings.

The bar association called the walkout a "heavy violation of the law" and a "serious precedent", in a statement published by the press.

Municipal workers were the latest to down tools, launching a three-day strike Monday to demand a special statute and greater benefits.

The union representing civil servants said two-thirds of the workforce observed the strike, though "pressure" dissuaded many in the capital from taking part.

Paramedics launched an "open" strike on February 8 involving daily work stoppages of between 30 minutes and an hour and rallies at hospitals.

The wave of protests also reached academia, with engineering students demanding the repeal of a decree that they say devalues their diplomas.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

Unsung Heroes In The Evacuation Of Malaysian Students

By Luqman Nul Hakim Mazlan

CAIRO, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- While the 'Ops Pyramid' has been hailed as a success in bringing home more than 8,000 Malaysian students from Egypt and boosted the image of the parties involved, there was a handful of unsung heroes who provided a helping hand as well.

These individuals felt that they too have a responsibility in helping fellow citizens trapped in a crisis ridden country.

It was a baptism of fire for these individuals too with many of them spending sleepless nights helping to organize the passage out from Cairo for the students.

Some recalled that they came face to face with vigilante groups and security personnel armed with AK-47 when they were on their rounds to help out.

ITS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE NATION

Former Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim who was one of the individuals involved told Bernama he came on his own to assist as he felt he has a role to play there.

Shahidan also praised Najib for his quick decision to evacuate Malaysian students from Egypt and calling various parties to help in ensuring the success of the 'Ops Pyramid'.

"It was a quick decision to evacuate and the operation had to be conducted within a very short time frame".

Admitting that it was tiring work, especially when he had just finished helping flood victims in Johor, Shahidan said he is always available for the nation in times of need.

"It is my way of showing gratitude to a nation that has helped me all this while, I'm a citizen who is thankful and count my blessings.

"I came on my own with four media representative from Malaysia, paid my own fare," he said.

Shahidan explained that he and the media team hardly slept for four nights as they helped out with the 'Ops Pyramid'.

A DRAMATIC MOMENT FOR TAHA

Mohd Taha Hassan, 30, the younger brother of former Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, also came to Cairo to help.

Unlike Shahidan, for Mohd Taha it was quite a dramatic experience when he encountered armed Egyptian security personnel.

The incident happened while he was on his way with three members of the 1Malaysia Putra Club from the Cairo International Airport to deliver food to the Malaysian students taking refuge at the Abbasiah Malaysia Hall.

When they reached near Tahrir Square, were millions of Egyptians were rallying, they were stopped by about 20 security personnel armed with AK-47 rifles.

"We were taken to a military police station and questioned on our presence there. I vividly remember an AK-47 rifle being pointed at 1Malaysia Putera Club media unit head, Mohd Khairul Rizzuan Abu Hassan.

"I have never faced such situation, I was really worried, I had studied in Egypt for eight years and had never came across such situation.

"There were many security personnel, but thank god we were released without any harm," he added.

Despite the dramatic event, Mohd Taha has no regrets in helping 1Malaysia Putera Club to deliver food for Malaysian students.

Mohd Taha is proud of the fact that he was there to help fellow Malaysians when conditions were deteriorating in the land of the Pharaohs and the government was forced to evacuate Malaysians under 'Ops Pyramid'.

MALAYSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA ALSO CHIPS IN

Another one who appeared in person to help is the Malaysian Ambassador to Libya, Dzulkepli Mohd Nor.

Though he was requested by the Foreign Ministry to help in the evacuation, Dzulkepli took it as his personal mission.

It was a baptism of fire for Dzulkepli too as he had to work under conditions that can be best described as chaotic.

"No matter what, I was happy to be able to help fellow Malaysians in time of need," he said.

AIR ASIA PILOT PROUD TO BE PART OF OPS PIRAMID

Meanwhile, Dinish Alwyn Prabakaran, who is AirAsia's pilot involved in 'Ops Pyramid', is also proud of the fact that he was able to help Malaysians in Egypt.

Piloting the plane involved in 'Ops Pyramid' is definitely a memorable experience for Dinish especially when it is the first time that an AirAsia plane has touched down in Egypt.

"Though there were some initial problem over flight permit and the landing rights because AirAsia has no flights to Cairo and Jeddah, the airline managed to iron them out and after that it was all plain sailing," said the pilot.

While the Malaysian students are back safe and sound, the Egyptians are back with their lives after successfully unseating President Hosni Mubarak who ruled Egypt for more than three decades through 'people power'.

The students want to go back to Egypt to finish their studies and the Egyptians want to see a new future for their country.

-- BERNAMA

Source: Bernama.
Link: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsfeatures.php?id=565403.

Malaysian police arrest Iranians over drug haul

Feb 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian police said Tuesday they have dented a major drugs syndicate with the arrest of two Iranian women with over 6.2 kilograms of methamphetamine on a resort island.

Northern Penang state police chief Ayub Yaakob told AFP the women were arrested on Saturday at Penang international airport after their suitcases were found containing drugs worth 1.55 million ringgit (510,793 dollars).

"We became suspicious about the women as they had traveled to Malaysia three times in less than three months and they did not have any business dealings or any other reason to keep them coming back so frequently," he said.

"The two Iranian women, we believe, are part of one of the region's biggest syndicates which is trying to use Malaysia as a transhipment point for its drug and it has been dealt a significant blow with this arrest," he added.

However, Ayub said police would not be releasing any more details on the arrests as investigations were ongoing and could lead to further arrests.

Iran's ambassador in Kuala Lumpur has said international crime gangs are using Iranians to smuggle drugs into Malaysia.

Last month, a suspected Iranian drug trafficker died in a Malaysian hospital after 137 capsules of methamphetamine -- also known as crystal meth -- broke open in his stomach.

There has been a steep increase in the number of Iranian suspected drug traffickers caught in Malaysia, with 138 arrested from January to October last year compared with 16 in the whole of 2009.

Police have said that many of the drugs are destined for export to China, the Philippines and other neighboring countries.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

Libyan Embassy in Malaysia condemns 'massacre,' distances itself from Gadhafi's regime

Feb 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Libyan Embassy in Malaysia is distancing itself from Moammar Gadhafi's regime, and has condemned the "barbaric" killing of civilians protesting against him.

An embassy statement says it will "stand with our Libyan nationals."

It says, "We strongly condemn the barbaric, criminal massacre ... of our innocent civilians."

The statement was issued Tuesday after embassy officials opened the compound's gates to about 200 Libyans in Malaysia, mainly university students.

They staged a peaceful protest for about an hour, chanting, "Game over, Gadhafi!"

Embassy official Osama Saleh said the ambassador and most other staff planned to return to work Wednesday, and that no diplomats in Malaysia were stepping down.

Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.