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Monday, May 24, 2010

Pakistan blocks 800 web pages


Pakistan has blocked 800 web pages and URLs to limit access to "blasphemous" material, extending a crackdown that has already banned access to Facebook and YouTube, an official said yesterday. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) banned access to Facebook, YouTube and other links, which included restricted access to Wikipedia, in view of what it called "growing sacrilegious content" this week. "At least 800 individual web pages and URLs have been blocked since the government's orders to shut Facebook and YouTube," Wahaj us Siraj, a spokesman for the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan said. Mr Siraj's remarks came hours after the Facebook user who organised an "Everyone Draw Mohammed Day" competition to promote "freedom of expression" evidently took down the page along with a separate blog about the campaign. The competition sparked angry protests in Pakistan, a conservative Muslim country, although members of a well-educated, moderate elite expressed disappointment about the blanket ban on the wildly popular websites.

Barack Obama's new world order


BARACK Obama wants to shape a new "international order" in which the US co-operates with other nations and seeks long-term support by promoting its democratic values. The US President's weekend speech to cadets at the West Point military academy was practically a trial run for the national security policy he will announce this week. Addressing graduates at the same venue he announced a 30,000 US troop increase for the Afghan war six months ago, Mr Obama said: "Yes, we are clear-eyed about the shortfalls of our international system. "But America has not succeeded by stepping out of the currents of co-operation -- we have succeeded by steering those currents in the direction of liberty and justice, so nations thrive by meeting their responsibilities and face consequences when they don't." His comments indicate he has not been dissuaded from his theme of engagement with other nations, including the Muslim world, despite threats to national security from two attempted terror attacks on US territory.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Facebook divides civil society in Pakistan


When hundreds of Pakistanis are protesting against social networking websites Facebook and Youtube for carrying the caricatures of Prophet Mohammed Peace Be Upon Him, there are many in this conservative Muslim country who oppose the decision of banning these sites and believe in tackling this situation by adopting counter measures. Protesters in major cities of Pakistan Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Peshawar spent last Friday shouting "Death to Facebook", "Death to America" and burnt US flags. But surprisingly and in contrast with the past, the religious leadership, which organized the processions, could not attract big gatherings for the protests. Around 4,000 people came in the streets to protest against the facebook and Youtube in Karachi, 3,000 turned up in Lahore, around 500 gathered in Multan, up to 400 appeared in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and 250 showed up in North-Western City of Peshawar. In Lahore, protesters burnt US, Norway, Sweden and Denmark flags. In Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Peshawar, people blocked main roads and shouted death to face book, America and Western Media, which humiliated the holly prophet. 

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan on the run?


The Pakistan Army is said to have conveyed to Washington its willingness to go into North Waziristan but in the trade off wants immediate end to drone attacks in the region. In the first place Pakistan Army, it is said, is not willing to be caught in the drone crossfire and suffer unnecessary casualties by way of collateral damage. And secondly the army does not want to move in without first conducting thorough scouting of the area which it is further said, it does not believe was possible with drone sorties continuing their deadly attacks on a daily basis. Most unofficial strategic analysts, therefore, consider as totally uncalled for the US demand that Pakistan Army should launch an offensive in North Waziristan against Taliban “as soon as possible” while Washington continued its drone missions. ”The decision whether or not to launch the offensive against the outlawed Tehreeki- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in North Waziristan and if at all when, should be left entirely to the Pakistan Army,” said these analysts.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Some players watch girls, sign autographs during match: Afridi


Pakistan T20 skipper Shahid Afridi has accused some players of standing near the boundary, signing autographs and watching girls during the match. I have my eye on a few such players who do not focus on ground, he said. In a leaked video of the PCB hearing on Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia, broadcasted by a Pakistani TV channel, Afridi admitted that he has heard rumours of the Pakistan team's involvement in match fixing but cannot single out any player. On being asked, why the Pakistan players performed so poorly in Australia, Afridi replied that though some players fielded really well in the practice sessions, they watched girls and signed autographs during match. When an PCB official asked Afridi if there were any deliberate defeats, he replied, that his team has not been beaten in the matches but have actually "given away" those matches. Afridi claimed that the Pakistani cricket team lacks mental strength. He said, the players had decided that they cannot beat Australia even before the match had begun. On being asked whether he suspects that any member of the team intentionally lost a match, he replied that he had heard from others that such things exist but did not know of any such player.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Cartoonist Molly Norris disavows 'draw Mohammed day'


AN AMERICAN cartoonist whose work inspired the controversial "Everybody Draw Mohammed Page" on Facebook has condemned the effort and issued an apology to Muslims. Molly Norris, of Seattle, drew a cartoon in April to protest the decision by the US television channel Comedy Central to cancel an episode of the popular show South Park over its depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in a bear suit. In her cartoon, Norris satirically proposed May 20 as an "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day". An "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" page quickly turned up on Facebook but Norris, writing on her website at mollynorris.com, said she had nothing to do with it. "I did NOT 'declare' May 20 to be "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day," she said, adding that her idea was satire but "was taken seriously, hijacked and made viral". Islam strictly prohibits the depiction of any prophet as blasphemous and Muslims across the globe staged angry protests over the publication of satirical cartoons of Mohammed in European newspapers four years ago.

Obama hails Iran sanctions draft


US President Barack Obama on Wednesday hailed a UN draft plan to impose tougher sanctions on Iran and again called on the country to live up to its international obligations. A draft UN plan circulated on Tuesday proposed a modest expansion of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. The 10-page draft - agreed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia after months of negotiations - targets Iranian banks and calls for inspections of vessels suspected of carrying cargo related to Iran's nuclear or missile programs. At least three of the 10 non-permanent Security Council members — Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon — have expressed opposition to new sanctions. Brazil and Turkey have approached the 15 Security Council members demanding they not endorse the new sanctions.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy: Muslims should not feel 'stigmatised' by burka ban


Mr Sarkozy told a cabinet meeting, which approved the bill that could become law this autumn, that France was an old nation that could not allow its vision of women's dignity and public order to be violated by the veil. "This is a decision one doesn't take lightly," Mr Sarkozy said. "Nobody should feel hurt or stigmatised. I'm thinking in particular of our Muslim compatriots, who have their place in the republic and should feel respected." According to the law, nobody in France will be allowed to wear a garment "designed to hide the face". Those who breach the ban will be fined 150 euros (£129) or sent on a course to learn the values of French citizenship. Those who force someone to cover their face because of their sex will be jailed for a year and fined 15,000 euros (£12,900).

'Everybody Draw Mohammed' Day Unleashes Facebook Fracas


What started out as a cartoonist's call to action against censorship -- an open invitation to submit caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad -- has led to death threats, a court order and a call for a boycott of Facebook. What started out as a cartoonist's call to action against censorship -- an open invitation to submit caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad -- has led to death threats, a court order to temporarily block parts of the website in Pakistan and a call for a boycott of Facebook to protest what Muslims believe is blasphemy. "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" began last month as the brainchild of a Seattle-based cartoonist named Molly Norris, who was appalled by Comedy Central's decision to censor an episode of "South Park" that depicted Muhammad in a bear costume. As a way to protest the network's decision -- which came after an Islamic extremist website warned of retaliation against the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker -- Norris created a poster with likenesses of Muhammad as a domino, a teacup and a box of pasta. She declared May 20 "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" -- and her efforts quickly went viral, spawning several Facebook pages with thousands of followers dedicated to the event.  They also prompted a "protest" movement by thousands of other Facebook users opposed to it.

Major powers agree on sanctions against Iran


The United States won agreement from China, Russia and other major powers on tough new sanctions against Iran's nuclear program Tuesday, a day after Tehran sought to stave off penalties through a deal to swap nuclear materials. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told a Senate committee that the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. — along with Germany would present the full council with a draft resolution later Tuesday, capping months of diplomatic maneuvering and painstaking negotiations.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Hezbollah can strike deep inside Israel: Hassan Nasrallah


Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has refused to confirm or deny Israeli allegations his group has obtained long-range Scud missiles from Syria. Nasrallah, in an interview said the claims were an attempt to intimidate, but he did not see a repeat of the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war on the horizon. Nasrallah said that his group can strike deep inside Israel if a new war breaks out but has refused to confirm whether or not his militants have long-range Scud missiles.

Belgium's parliament votes to ban veils


Belgium's lower house of parliament on Thursday voted in favor of draft legislation banning certain veils sometimes worn by Muslim women. If approved, the measure would ban all clothing that partially or completely covers the face. Those who violate the ban would be fined between about $20 or jailed. If the law passes, Belgium would be the first European Union country to ban the face veil. Critics of the ban say it violates freedom of expression and unfairly targets Belgium's Muslim community. The human rights group Amnesty International swiftly denounced the vote. Supporters of the ban say it reinforces women's right. They add that it is a critical security measure that will prevent Muslim radicals from hiding behind veils. France is contemplating a similar ban.