Is philanthropy catching on among China’s super rich?
Source: BBC News When US billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett held a banquet in China a few years ago to urge fellow tycoons to donate their fortunes to charity, […]
Erdogan sides with Doha, approves deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar
Source: Dawn Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved legislation for increased military cooperation with Qatar, including a deal for the deployment of Turkish troops there. The move is a sign of support for the Gulf state in its dispute with its regional neighbours. The legislation, which also foresees cooperation in […]
Is Indonesian Islam too big to fail?
Source: Jakarta Post The above question is addressed to those who still believe in the strength of Indonesian Islam post-Jakarta gubernatorial election and the verdict of two years’ imprisonment handed down to Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, the outgoing Jakarta governor. Indonesian Islam refers to Islam that is progressive, moderate and […]
Has Zakir Naik been given KSA Citizenship?
Source: AT Naik’s whereabouts are unknown, as he keeps shifting his base. He is said to be currently living in Saudi Arabia, which, according to reports, has not only honored him for his service to Islam but has given him citizenship. Muslims in India are divided over Naik. Some feel the federal […]
Islamism enticing many of Pakistan’s best and brightest
Source: Asia Times By Syed Afreen Why are increasing numbers of educated young Pakistanis falling for the message of hate peddled by extremists online and among their social circle? The […]
No-one likes Trump, I don’t care
Source: Asia Times: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is another matter. According to senior Chinese officials, Saudi royal family members are funding every radical madrassa in Asia, including those in Xinjiang Province. When Chinese diplomats have complained to the Saudi government, it has denied knowledge of the funding, while turning […]
ISIS Says It Killed Two Chinese Hostages in Pakistan
Source: The Daily Beast The so-called Islamic State said Thursday that it killed two Chinese teachers kidnapped last month in southwestern Pakistan. The two were working as language teachers in Quetta when armed men disguised in police uniforms abducted them on May 24. The ISIS-friendly Amaq news agency said members […]
Indonesian Ahmadis up in arms over mosque closure
Decision by West Java authorities seen as another example of persecution minority Muslim group Authorities seal a mosque belonging to Ahmadiyya Muslims in Parakansalak in West Java in this July 26, 2016 file photo. Sect members have spoken out against the closure of another mosque in nearby Sawangan during Ramadan. (Photo courtesy of […]
Indonesia: Govt Studying Ahmadiyya Mosque Closure in Depok
Source: http://en.metrotvnews.com/national-en/1bV6AD2b-govt-studying-ahmadiyya-mosque-closure-in-depok Metrotvnews.com, Jakarta: The Religious Affairs Ministry is still studying the Ahmadiyya mosque closure by the Depok municipality administration. “I cannot give any statement yet,” Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said on Monday. The Al-Hidayah mosque which is owned by the Indonesia Ahmadiyya Community (JAI) was sealed by the […]
Modi’s Push for a Hindu Revival Imperils India’s Meat Industry
Source: The New York Times By SUHASINI RAJ and ELLEN BARRY MEERUT, India — When Uttar Pradesh’s state government began a crackdown on unlicensed slaughterhouses in March, Sanjay Chaturvedi, a […]
Iraqi Kurds plan independence referendum on September 25
Reuters International JUN 7, 2017 FILE PHOTO: Iraq’s Kurdistan region’s President Massoud Barzani gestures during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (not pictured) in Erbil, Iraq […]
Islamist militants strike heart of Tehran, Iran blames Saudis
Reuters International JUN 7, 2017 A boy is evacuated during an attack on the Iranian parliament in central Tehran, Iran, June 7, 2017. Omid Vahabzadeh/TIMA via REUTERS (reuters_tickers) By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin LONDON (Reuters) – Suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini’s mausoleum in Tehran on […]
US suspects Russian hackers planted fake news behind Qatar crisis
Source:CNN US investigators believe Russian hackers breached Qatar’s state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to a crisis among the US’ closest Gulf allies, according to US officials briefed on the investigation. The FBI recently sent a team of investigators to Doha to help the Qatari […]
Malaysia’s Mahathir, 91, says would step in as prime minister if needed
Reuters International JUN 6, 2017 – 11:44 Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks during an interview with Reuters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin (reuters_tickers) TOKYO […]
Why Ramadan sparked a fruit protest
Source: BBC News By M Ilyas Khan BBC News, Islamabad Image copyrightEPAImage captionFruit prices shot up with the advent of Ramadan Social media activists in Pakistan have ended a three-day […]
In Greece and Russia, the veneration of saintly remains is a huge phenomenon
Source: The Economist The politics of holy relics Jun 2nd 2017 by ERASMUS IF YOU consult “The Orthodox Church”, a standard introduction for English-speakers penned by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, you […]
Qatar: ‘No justification’ for cutting diplomatic ties
Arab countries’ decisions led by Saudi Arabia are founded on ‘baseless’ allegations, Qatar foreign ministry says. The dispute between Qatar and the Gulf’s Arab countries escalated after a recent hack of Qatar’s state-run news agency [AFP/File] FAST FACTS Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and the Maldives cut ties with Qatar […]
HACKED EMAILS SHOW TOP UAE DIPLOMAT COORDINATING WITH PRO-ISRAEL THINK TANK AGAINST IRAN
Zaid Jilani, Ryan Grim June 3 2017, THE EMAIL ACCOUNT of one of Washington’s most connected and influential foreign operatives has been hacked. A small tranche of those emails was […]
Why Saudi Arabia is mad at Qatar and why we care
John Bacon USA Today Why Saudi Arabia is mad at Qatar and why we care 8 Hours Ago | 01:00 The rift between Qatar and other Arab nations intensified Monday whenSaudi […]
The island that forever changed science
Source: BBC News By Theodora Sutcliffe 5 June 2017 The Indonesian island of Ternate, like its neighbour Tidore, is almost all volcano. It sprouts from the sea, an almost-perfect, yet […]