Asia

Israelis, Palestinians must unite to end occupation

Source: haaretz.com “The will of Israel” does not derive from civilian, minority-majority norms, nor is it based on a constitution that guarantees minority rights and defines when a minority has the option to rise up against the government. Instead, “the will of Israel” derives from an ultra-nationalist version of the […]

Thousands march for Palestine in Jerusalem

by Yair Altman Ynetnews Israeli, Palestinian activists march along line that divided Jerusalem in 1967, call for establishment of Palestinian state. Organizers say they will not resort to violence Some 2,000 people are taking part in a march for the independence of Palestine in east Jerusalem. The organizers of the […]

Mumbai rocked, Pakistan suspected

Terror returned to Mumbai on Wednesday nearly three years after the massive assault on the city that left 164 people dead. The latest attack was a relatively smaller incident, with three bomb blasts killing 21 people. The significance is no minor matter though, for while no group has claimed responsibility, […]

Makkah realtors cash in on ‘jinn’ rumors

By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS MAKKAH: There are widespread rumors among Makkawis claiming some abandoned buildings and estates are possessed by jinns. According to the widely circulated gossip, residents of these buildings located in various districts of the holy city, especially on the outskirts, say they vacated their […]

Why the US won’t leave Afghanistan

Surge, bribe and run? Or surge, bribe and stay? How US military bases and the energy war play out in Afghanistan. Among multiple layers of deception and newspeak, the official Washington spin on the strategic quagmire in Afghanistan simply does not hold. No more than “50-75 ‘al-Qaeda types’ in Afghanistan”, […]

Pakistan bristles at failed label

Pakistan may be taking a deleterious turn, especially as the United States plans to pull out of Afghanistan by 2012 and threatens to withdraw military aid from the country, but its media has reacted indignantly to claims that put it on the same scale as the poorest African countries. Foreign […]

Ahmedi community slams govt over killing of minority member

Staff Report LAHORE: Representatives of the Ahmedi community and human rights activists have slammed the government over religiously motivated killing of an Ahmedi advocate, Malik Mabroor Ahmad, while demanding immediate action against the culprits. Jama’at Ahmadiyya Pakistan spokesperson Saleem ud Din stated on Tuesday that the well-known Ahmedi lawyer was assassinated in a religiously motivated attack […]

In Indonesia, civil society is keeping tolerance alive

By Testriono, The Daily Star Recent cases of religious intolerance in Indonesia have led some observers to worry that U.S. President Barack Obama’s praise of religious tolerance in Indonesia during his visit in November 2010 was exaggerated. Public statements and decrees from Indonesian government officials have discredited religious minority groups […]