Pakistan maintains top slot in Google search for 'sex'

The months of February and August (Ramazan) were the only two months in 2011 that did not feature any cities from Pakistan in the global ranking.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune
By ET Web Desk | December 28, 2011

With over 20 million internet users and growing fast, Pakistan has managed to secure the number one slot for searching the term ‘sex’ globally for all years.

According to a 2010 Fox News report, Pakistan had outranked all countries in Google searches for pornographic terms last year. Narrowing the analytics for the search term to just 2011, Pakistan maintained the number one position, followed by Vietnam and India.

Islamabad featured in the top 10 cities worldwide to search the word ‘sex’ in September and December 2011.

Pakistan’s chaos theory: A liberal dose of silence

Qadri looked victorious and was praised by lawyers for not fleeing the scene of the incident. It would only be hasty to assume that the pro-Qadri phenomenon was limited to the less-educated and radical sections of Pakistani society.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: DNA India
By Shiv Vikas | December 30, 2011

As several high-profile events unfolded in the country through 2011, Pakistan watchers had an eventful time. While Osama bin Laden’s death in a US operation in Abbottabad made a severe dent in Pakistan’s image of a “credible ally” in the war on terror, growing tensions between the army and the federal government kept its citizens and the international community on tenterhooks. However, amid these high-octane events, the Islamic republic also witnessed a slow but noticeable change in its social fabric.

This year, which has been severely hard for Pakistan’s liberal society, has also seen a simultaneous surge in the number of far-right groups. Moderates, who amid widespread violence have always been a calming influence on many of Pakistan’s right-leaning citizens, have been silenced through either killings or fatwas.

Such oppression has now become an alarming trend across the country. Added to this is the concern that mainstream political parties have been appeasing far-right religious groups with newfound zeal.As a consequence, Pakistan today largely stands divided between the right and far-right, with most moderates finding refuge in silence. Some signs show that the country could follow the same trajectory in 2012 and beyond.

Indonesia: President SBY must learn from Gus Dur on religious conflicts | activist

A compound belonging to the Shiite community in Sampang was allegedly burned down on Thursday by Sunni Muslims, who make up the majority of the Islamic population in Indonesia.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post | National
By Bagus BT Saragih | December 30, 2011

In the wake of the brutal arson attack against a Shiite Islamic boarding school in Sampang, Madura, East Java, an activist has called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to learn from his predecessor, the late Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, in handling rampant religious conflict in the country.

“After the fatal attack against Ahmadiyah followers in Cikeusik, Banten, in February, such religious conflicts continue. This is a result of the poor and weak leadership of President Yudhoyono, particularly when it comes to maintaining tolerance in this plural nation,” International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) advocate Usman Hamid said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.

USA: Lajna Imaillah partners in the ‘Season of Sharing and Giving’

Lajna Imaillah translates into ‘Maidservants of God’. They are living up to their core mission and doing their utmost to help those in need, as they consider service to humanity a primary cause that is enjoined upon them by their faith- Islam.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Miami Islam Examiner
By Mansura Minhas | December 30, 2011

Come November and it’s just not the changing fall colors and the increasing chill in the air that captivates our attention. Festive mood sets in and people gear up efforts and start preparing for the Holiday Season which can rightfully be termed the ‘Season of Giving and Sharing’.

However in trying economic times, increasing numbers of families in America find themselves in a quagmire as the holiday season sets in. For those struggling to make ends meet, their woes are exacerbated as it is impossible for them to partake in the joy of giving due to financial constraints. This can be particularly tough for children of such families.

According to a recent survey conducted by US Conference of Mayors, the gap between the haves and have-nots continues to widen. The survey of 29 cities reveals that hunger is on the rise along with homelessness.

In these uncertain times, Lajna Imaillah, the women’s auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, along with other organizations gears up its efforts and does its utmost to help the local communities. Lajna Imaillah’s Miami chapter has adopted Broward Outreach Center’s Hollywood campus since 2009, as a part of its long term commitment to serve the homeless, hapless and needy of South Florida. BOC organized a Thanksgiving banquet where Lajna Imaillah pitched in by sponsoring a cotton candy rental at the festival. It was a huge success and very popular with younger adults and kids.

Kyrgyzstan: Officials Reject Ahmadi Muslim Sect

...[T]he commission's decision violates the rights of the some 1,000 members of the Kyrgyz chapter of the Ahmadiyya community, an Islamic revivalist movement founded in India in the late 1800s by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | EU Desk
Source/Credit: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
By RFE/RL | December 30, 2011

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz religious authorities have refused to re-register the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported yesterday.

According to RFE/RL report, Mr. Sagynbek Toktorbaev, a representative of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Kyrgyzstan said  on December 29 that the government's State Commission on Religious Affairs rejected their re-registration.

He said the commission's decision violates the rights of the some 1,000 members of the Kyrgyz chapter of the Ahmadiyya community, an Islamic revivalist movement founded in India in the late 1800s by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

Yusub Baltabaev, an official with the State Commission on Religious Affairs, told RFE/RL that the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan (SAMK) proposed that the activities of Ahmadiyya in Kyrgyzstan be suspended because of its alleged "threat to religious security" in the country.

Extremism must end for India’s progress, head of Ahmediya Jamaat

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahamd advised the delegates that they should understand their responsibilities. The entire world is full of strives and it is the Ahmadis, who have to save the world from destruction.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Punjab Newsline Network
By PNN | December 31, 2011

QADIAN: Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat has said that the authorities in India should end all forms of extremism in order to progress. Addressing the final day of the three day annual convention on Friday, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said that if justice loving Hindus in India harm the interest of minorities in India due to political reasons then this would lead to destruction of peace in the country. This would further lead to disorder and decline in moral values in the society.

Pakistan: Corruption, Perceptions of Corruption, and Media

The media has a role to play in solving this problem by investigating and exposing corruption where it exists. But this requires more than rumours, gossip, and misleading reporting – it requires real journalism.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Pakistan Media Watch
By PMW | December 30, 2011

Is the government corrupt? Which department is most corrupt? How much of your answer to these questions is based on hard facts, and how much is based on what you’ve been told by the media?

On 25th December, in a report titled, ‘Military stands at number five among corrupt institutions’, The News reporter Usman Manzoor wrote that “sources said military stood at number five among the 10 most corrupt institutions of the country.” Once again, Jang’s sources have let them down.

The actual report, which was released on 28th December, lists the military at number nine. And the report does not list “the 10 most corrupt institutions of the country” – it lists only the 10 institutions TIP asked about.

Pakistan: Christian arrested on allegation of blasphemous SMS messages

[The] allegation against Sajjad Masih is that he has sent some blasphemy SMS to some people of Gujra through cell phone. The Police stated that the sim card is registered by the name of a Christian girl, Roma Illyas from Gujra.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: PCP | Punjab
By PCP | December 29, 2011

Pakpattan, Punjab: December 29, 2011. (PCP) A Pakistani Christian named Sajjad Gill son of Sardar Masih, resident of District Pakpattan was arrested under blasphemy charges during Christian Holidays season in Pakistan on December 23, 2011, on allegation of sending blasphemous SMS messages on his cellphone to Muslims.

On reports of local Muslims, Tehsil Police Gojra of District Tobe Tek Sing registered First Information Report FIR under Section 295 C PPC against Sajjad Masih Gill and arrested him.

The police detained one other Christian Iftikhar Masih for investigation in Sajjad Masih case but later released him after legal assistance of Mr. Javed Sohtra Advocate, President of ACCA International, a human right based in Pakpattan District and serving persecuted Christians in Punjab province of Pakistan from years.

ACCA team told PCP that allegation against Sajjad Masih is that he has sent some blasphemy SMS to some people of Gujra through cell phone. The Police stated that the sim card is registered by the name of a Christian girl, Roma Illyas from Gujra.

India / UK: Muslim Leader Calls for Jihad Against Extremism And Oppression

His Holiness spoke repeatedly about the state of the world, which he said stood on the brink of disaster and destruction due to the lack of justice and equality within society. He said that at such a crucial time, it was the task of Ahmadi Muslims throughout the world to guide mankind towards salvation.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: AMJ International
By Press Release | December 30, 2011

"Lack of justice leading to increased terrorism and sectarianism” – Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad 

The Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in India concluded on 28 th December in Qadian with a powerful and faith inspiring address by the World Head of the community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who addressed the event from the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London via satellite. The Jalsa attracted over 17,000 people from around the world in Qadian, whilst over 4,000 gathered in London for the concluding session.

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad began his address by reminding the audience that the conventions held by the Ahmadiyya community were distinguished from others, because they were exclusively designed to enhance the religious and spiritual development of those who took part.

Indonesia: Shia Boarding School Set Ablaze

“The residents there often receive death threat. The leader of the boarding school had been asked by the local government to evacuate for a year.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Ulma Haryanto, Ezra Sihite & Dessy Sagita | December 29, 2011

A Shiite-run Islamic boarding school in East Java was set on fire on Thursday by a group claiming to be Sunnis, but rights activists said the conflict was partly due to a drawn-out family dispute.

The Tajul Muluk Islamic boarding school, or pesantren , in Nangkernang village in the Sampang district of Madura Island was destroyed, but there were no reports of injuries.

The pesantren housed about 100 male and female students.

“We suspect the incident was carried out by a group of Wahhabis who are also suspected of burning the house of one of the school’s teachers two weeks ago,” said Ahmad Hidayat, secretary general of Shia Islamic organization Ahlulbait Indonesia (ABI), referring to members of an ultra-conservative Sunni branch.

America's 'Muslim' Problem

American Muslims, however, are here to shed their blood, give their lives, and protect their fellow American citizens -- because this is what America requires of them; this is what Islam requires of them.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Huffington Post
By Qasim Rashid | December 28, 2011

When will America stop validating religious discrimination?

On Oct. 27, 1838, Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued an official order declaring, "The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state if necessary for the public peace." On mayoral Election Day Aug. 6, 1855, the Know Nothing Party -- an anti-Catholic political organization -- sparked riots in Louisville, Kentucky against Catholic immigrants, leaving 22 dead. On Dec. 17, 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant issued Order 11, which read, "The Jews, as a class... are hereby expelled from Tennessee within twenty-four hours..." Expelled Jews, murdered Mormons and massacred Catholics -- and lest we think otherwise, the really gruesome stories involve African and Native Americans.

Boggs believed American Mormons were not real Americans, but dangerous enemies because they blasphemed the name of Christ -- murdering them was the right decision. The Know-Nothings believed American Catholics were infiltrating America for a secret Vatican takeover -- restricting them from our legislature was absolutely necessary. Grant believed American Jews violated trade agreements to control the wealth, working to overthrow the Army -- they had to be expelled. Interestingly enough, each aforementioned discrimination was justified via the excuse of ensuring security against the threat each American minority allegedly posed.

Dreaming Imran’s dream

...[T]oday Imran is talking of the staying-power of the dreams again. The youngsters who surround him believe in him. The hope in their eyes nudges a long dormant memory in my soul. Their faces look familiar for they remind me of someone else who believed too much for too long, so long that the belief became all consuming. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The News International
By Talat Farooq | December 28, 2011

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore and then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

— Langston Hughes


Imran Khan talked about the power of dreams in his Karachi jalsa. How his conviction in his dreams made apparently impossible things possible. The World Cup, Shaukat Khanum, Numl University.... It got me thinking that I too have been a dreamer and a diehard one at that.

Ahmadis who stood Tall - II

When he heard about the attack upon his father he was consumed by grief. Travel back to Pakistan was impossible in those days, and all he could do was pray for his father’s life. He states that he went to the Fazl Mosque and quietly closed the doors behind him and wept bitterly during prayer and prostration before Allah.

Photo: bashirrafiq.com.uk

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Times
By Munir Khan | December 19, 2011

Danishmand Khan was the eldest son of his father Abdul Hannan Khan who was a powerful and influential Khan of his village in what was then known as the North West Frontier Province (and is now known properly as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).Villagers deferred to Danishmand Khan and accorded him the respect that he merited by virtue of his being the son of an influential Khan. Like many in the village Danishmand was not overly religious, and largely paid simple lip service to observance of his faith.

In pursuit of further employment he decided to move from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and moved to Mastung in Balochistan. Before departing his father Abdul Hannan Khan gave him his parting advice; which was that he (Danishmand Khan) should avoid “Qadianis” and not be ensnared by the adherents of this faith. At the time India was awash with stories about the Qadiani Mahdi and in some cases, enemies had twisted his pure message so as to arouse opposition against Ahmadis. With this advice & warning ringing in his ears Danishmand Khan travelled and eventually settled in Mastung, Baluchistan.

Hadhrat Maulvi Muhammad Ilyas Khan was a noted and famous personality in Mastung. He was revered for his piety and honesty and was regarded with great respect by Pashtuns of the area. But far more important to him was the fact that he had taken the Bait at the hands of the Hadhrat Mirza Hakim Nur ud Din r.a, Khalifatul Masih I, and was a devout Ahmadi and disciple of the Promised Messiah.

Qadian, India: Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat warns of another world war foundation laid

In his message to the pope, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of the perilous state of world. His Holiness concluded his message by praying for world peace and urging all other parties to play their respective roles for this important pursuit.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Punjab Newsline Network
By Maqbool Ahmed | December 2011

QADIAN: The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s Worldwide Spiritual Head Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad has warned that the world is fast moving towards another world war. Shiraz Ahmad (Secretary, Education Dept, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, India) reading out Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad’s message to the His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of three-day Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat said that Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad has written to the Pope calling him to use his influence to encourage religious tolerance and establishment of human values throughout the world.

The message was delivered personally by the President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Kababir, Muhammed Sharif Odeh who met the Pope as part of official delegation of renowned religious scholars.In his message to the pope, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of the perilous state of world. His Holiness concluded his message by praying for world peace and urging all other parties to play their respective roles for this important pursuit.

Pakistan: Minority rights | Silence, increasing intolerance make for another grim year

Silence became the biggest atrocity against minorities in Pakistan this year. With the rise of the phenomenon of crushing the voice of minority advocates and increasing intolerance, 2011 remained a grim year for minorities in the country.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune
By Ali Usman | December 29, 2011

LAHORE: Silence became the biggest atrocity against minorities in Pakistan this year. With the rise of the phenomenon of crushing the voice of minority advocates and increasing intolerance, 2011 remained a grim year for minorities in the country.

The year opened with the assassination of then Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer by his own security guard Mumtaz Qadri in Islamabad on January 4. Taseer was killed for speaking against the blasphemy law and raising a voice in favour of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy.

Minority rights activists believe that the incident was a huge setback as not only did they lose a supporter, but the PPP-led government also distanced itself from those who supported amendments in the blasphemy law.

Guatemala: Dispatches from Gift of Sight camp ~ Aliya A. Latif

For me, it was hard to tell who was a doctor, technician, volunteer or assistant (not withstanding the white coats) because everyone worked with such a sense of selflessness and carried themselves in such an unassuming way.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Gift of Sight / Humanity First
By Aliya A. Latif | December 28, 2011

The final Gift of Sight post operation clinic has ended, and there are still so many memories I won’t soon forget.

Just a few days ago, Humanity First Guatemala Executive Director David Gonzalez mentioned that patients are still calling him; still so grateful to Humanity First for the Gift of Sight. The excitement just hasn’t worn off, and truthfully, how can it? To be able to see strangers, loved ones, even yourself in the mirror again or for the first time?

I spoke to Manuela and so many other patients during the second post-operation clinic.  “What was the first thing you saw?,” I’d asked. “My husband,” one woman said as she smiled.  “My clothes,” said another.  “I went downtown Guatemala city with my family and just watched people walking by,” said a mom with her daughter. “I read my Bible.”

I think back over the surgery and optometry clinics and how well the teams worked together. I fondly remember the Salud y Paz staff commenting that they had never worked with such a humble and generous team as Humanity First, and how much they appreciated the care Humanity First volunteers took with patients during the clinic and that we followed up to schedule not one, but two post-operative clinics to ensure patients were progressing well.

I remember my own personal first when I was able to scrub in and witness my very first eye surgery.

Humanity First Team Travels to Ghana for Water for Life Project

 In addition to assisting with the water pump project, Saad and Donovan will be conducting a study to acquire further information regarding the Water for Life project in Ghana.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Humanity First
By PR | HF | December 28, 2011

Refurbishing 50 Water Pumps with Humanity First Ghana Team.

Bolga, Ghana, December 28, 2011 --(PR.com)-- A team of Humanity First volunteers has returned to Ghana and is currently working on the on-going Water for Life initiative in Bolga. They are continuing restoration and installation of water wells with the support of the Humanity First Ghana team.

Under the guidance of Water for Life Director, Shahid Malik, Humanity First is working to renovate or, if necessary, completely replace dilapidated hand pumps in communities of Northern Ghana. The goal of the mission is to refurbish 50 water pumps in a ten-day span to provide access to clean, potable drinking water for villagers.

Corruption still Indonesia's big shame

The so-called spiritual leader of militant Islam in Indonesia served almost 26 months for conspiracy over the 2002 nightclub attacks before being freed in 2006 and subsequently cleared of any involvement.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Big Pond News
By Big Pond | December 28, 2011

Despite being praised for great leaps forward in democratic reform and economic development, Indonesia remains a country racked by religious intolerance, corruption and massive inequality.

In November 2010, US President Barack Obama returned to his boyhood home of Jakarta, stopping at the Istiqlal Mosque soon after touching down.

One of South-East Asia's largest mosques, and sitting next to a Catholic church, it's regarded as a symbol of diversity.

During his visit, the US president lauded Indonesia as a fine example of democracy and praised the country for its religious pluralism.

But within months, the world's most populous Muslim nation would again be experiencing a surge in religious violence as 1500 people rampaged through the streets of Cikeusik in West Java.

Liberia: Vice President Inaugurates Humanity First Vocational and Technical Training Institute

Due to the innovative curriculum and unique skill set offered by experienced teachers at the institute, the Liberian government is expanding on its partnership with Humanity First Vocational and Technical Training Institute to set up training programs in collaboration with government technical institutes.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Humanity First
By PR | HF | December 28, 2011

Monrovia, Liberia, December 28, 2011 --(PR.com)-- On November 24, 2011, the official opening of the Humanity First Vocational and Technical Training Institute took place with the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Dr. Joseph N. Boakai, as the chief guest and keynote speaker. More than twenty dignitaries attended the ceremony, including the Honorary Consul General of India, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva, Commanding Officer of Pakistan Army’s UN Peacekeeping Force in Monrovia, Lieutenant Colonel Shafique Ahmad and Liberian government officials.

The Humanity First Vocational and Technical Training Institute in Monrovia, Liberia began its first session on October 3, 2011. The institute is fully equipped with several mechanical workshop and practical labs. There are currently 216 students enrolled in nine trades that offer six-month diploma courses. The industry response to job placements and internships for the future institute graduates has been overwhelming.

The Vice President noted his gratefulness on the start of the institute and elaborated on how this institute will contribute towards the key needs of the Liberian economy. He stated, “The Liberian government believes that everyone benefits when we invest in education. Education transforms the individual lives, empowering people to pursue their dream of a better life and expand their human potential.”

Indonesia: The Thinker ~ Blind Justice for All

In a country where corruption is prevalent and judges, prosecutors and police officers can easily be bribed, it is not surprising that many trials are simply travesties of justice. What is right can be wronged and vice versa.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Oei Eng Goan | December 28, 2011

The expression “due process of law,” which is uttered often by law enforcement officials, lawmakers and politicians, has become a mere cliche in the ears of justice seekers, who know all too well that the nation’s judicial system actually favors the rich and powerful.

Justice is very precious for the common people, especially for marginalized and minority groups, but it almost always remains out of reach during confrontations with people of power. In recent weeks we have seen this in several cases, such as the bloody land disputes between farmers and plantation companies in the Mesuji district of Lampung, and again when politicians in Bogor refused to allow a congregation to worship in their own church, even on Christmas Day.

In the first case, local farmers in Lampung were driven away from their homes by security officials for “illegally” occupying land that companies have claimed as part of their plantation areas. In the second case, the Bogor mayor barred people from praying in the GKI Yasmin church on the pretext that it had been built without a proper permit, even though it has been there for years.

Britain's imperial echoes have led it to a ruinous decade of wars - The Guardian | UK

With the end of the nuclear threat, a revived resort to war as a foreign policy response seems to run deep in British and American psyches. Television programmes and bestseller lists are fixated on the two world wars.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Guardian | UK
By Simon Jenkins | December 27, 2011

The UK has been belligerent to the Muslim world – while not being threatened by any state

What do Britons "want" in the coming year? An ambassador to Washington was once asked the question on radio and replied, "That's very kind of you, a box of candied fruits would do." Such humble responses are now out of date. As the season of goodwill slithers into that of New Year's resolution, the urge to tell the world how to behave seems uncontrollable.

We can suppress a yawn at David Cameron's sermon on Christian values and Ed Miliband claiming the Helmand army is making Britain "secure, peaceful and happy". More troubling is the foreign secretary, William Hague's, declaration on Facebook of a Christmas ambition to increase "international pressure on Syria … push Burma in the right direction … improve the situation in Somalia … and protect women's rights in the Middle East" among other uplifting goals.

USA: Action aboard airplane creates a reluctant hero

Although Hazziez’s religious faith didn’t matter to those grateful passengers, it has become an important aspect of his story. He is a Muslim. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Kansas City Star
By Tony Rizzo | December 25, 2011

Jabir Hazziez Jr. has been showered with accolades, but he sees his role as reflecting his Muslim faith. 

A man foaming at the mouth lunged for the airliner’s cabin door, attempting to open it as flight attendants struggled to hold him at bay.

Most of the post-Thanksgiving travelers cruising at some 30,000 feet toward Kansas City that day were unaware of the potential disaster looming at the front of the plane.

But when a crew member came on the intercom asking if anyone had medical training, passenger Jabir Hazziez Jr. heard the sense of concern in her voice.

What happened next came as no surprise to those who know and work with Hazziez, a Kansas City firefighter, reserve Jackson County deputy and member of the U. S. Naval Reserve.

As Hazziez walked toward the front of the plane, he saw a man pacing and holding his head in his hands. The man appeared to be in an “altered mental state” and clearly appeared agitated.

“He was trying to get to the door of the plane,” Hazziez recalled recently. “I grabbed ahold of him and tried to calm him down.

France: Man punches nurse for removing wife's burqa during childbirth

[A]s he spotted the nurse, through a window, taking off his wife's burqa while the woman prepared to give birth, the man smashed open the locked door. He hit the woman in the face, demanding she replace the full Islamic veil.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: NDTV | IANS
By IANS | December 23, 2011

London:  A Muslim man in France has been jailed after he punched a nurse who tried to remove his wife's veil during childbirth.

Nassim Mimoune, 24, had already been expelled from the delivery room for branding the midwife a 'rapist' as she carried out an intimate examination of his wife, the Daily Mail reported.

But just as he spotted the nurse, through a window, taking off his wife's burqa while the woman prepared to give birth, the man smashed open the locked door. He hit the woman in the face, demanding she replace the full Islamic veil.

Nigeria: Malta Ahmadiyya Group - Attacks were inhuman

"The Ahmadiyya Community condemns the attack in strongest terms, and demands the authorities to bring the culprits in front of justice as soon as possible."

Image: Sky News

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: All Africa | Daily Trust
By AFP | December 27, 2011

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Malta, has strongly rejected and categorically condemned the violent attacks on Churches in Nigeria on Sunday.

A string of bombs struck churches in five Nigerian cities, leaving dozens dead and wounded on the Christmas day, a special day for Christians around the world.

The community said the blasts mark the second holiday season that bombs have hit Christian houses of worship in the West African nation.

"These acts of violence and hatred against innocent citizens are provocative and inhuman. These are no doubt, inhuman, heinous and cruel attacks, which should be condemned at every level.

Pakistan: Christian Man, Family Hiding After Blasphemy Charges

Masih's case is no exception. Over the Christmas holiday news amerged that a young man was charged with desecrating the Koran under Pakistan’s controversial “blasphemy” laws. The 23-year-old Khuram Masih, who is not related, was detained December 5 in Shahdara Town, near Lahore, after an argument over rent with a Muslim land lord.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: BosNewsLife
By Stefan J. Bos | December 27, 2011

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife ) -- A Christian man who spent more than three years in a Pakistani jail on "false charges of blasphemy against Islam" was hiding with his family in Pakistan's Punjab province Tuesday, December 27, after police briefly detained him again, a friend and human rights official told BosNewsLife.

Amanat Masih, 50, was arrested on Christmas Day while visiting his local church, explained Farrukh H. Saif, the executive director of the Lahore-based World Vision In Progress foundation (WVIP), a major advocacy group.

Israel: Jewish gender segregation campaign turns violent

Unnamed ultra-Orthodox activists representing the Beit Shemesh community issued a statement in which they spoke out against the scuffles and stoning events, but blamed it on the media.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Yahoo News | AFP
By Menahem Kahana | AFP | December 27, 2011

Clashes erupted on Monday between police and several hundred ultra-Orthodox Jews from a town near Jerusalem who are campaigning for men and women to be segregated, an AFP journalist said.

Israeli police had stepped up their patrols in Beit Shemesh following unrest sparked by discrimination against women imposed by a radical fringe of the town's religious Jews.

Several demonstrators were taken in for questioning after police, and journalists were roughed up and insulted by ultra-Orthodox men telling them to "clear off," the journalist said.

There were also shouting matches between ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews.

Malta: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama't condemns attacks on churches in Nigeria

"The head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community calls all the people to exhibit their kindness to one-another, to show love and affection and for renewing ties of brotherhood and kinship so that peace in the best possible manner can be established in our societies."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Times of Malta
By TOM | December 26, 2011

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Malta, has strongly rejected and categorically condemned the violent attacks on Churches in Nigeria yesterday.

A string of bombs struck churches in five Nigerian cities, leaving dozens dead and wounded on the Christmas day, a special day for Christians around the world.

The community said the blasts mark the second holiday season that bombs have hit Christian houses of worship in the West African nation.

"These acts of violence and hatred against innocent citizens are provocative and inhuman.

120th Jalsa Salana Ahmadiyya Muslim Community commenced in Qadian

On this occasion Partap Singh Bajwa MP greeted the Jalsa Salana participants. He also greeted Pakistani Jalsa salana Participants. In his speech he said that it is his desire that there should be no visa restrictions. And  Indo-Pak people travel without any visa formalities.

Photo: Sarana Lawati

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Punjab Newsline Network
By Maqbool Ahmed | December 26, 2011

QUADIAN:: The 120th Jalsa Salana of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community commenced here with special prayers in Qadian. Maulana Hakeem Mohammad Din, President Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Bharat hosted the “Lawae-Ahmadiyyat” in Ahmadiyya ground at 10 A.M.

After flag hosting ceremony he presided the jalsa. After the recitation of Holy Quran Maulana Hakeem Mohammad Din said in his speech that the primary purpose of this convention is to enable every sincere individual to personally experience religious benefits, They may enhance their knowledge and due to their being blessed and enabled by Allah the exalted their perception may progress. Among its secondary benefits is that this congregational meeting together will promote mutual introduction among all brothers and it will strengthen the fraternal ties within this community.

‘Govt must act on intolerance or things will get worse’

A handful of protesters gathered outside the sealed church, taunting members of the congregation and preventing them from entering Jl. H. Abdullah Bin Nuh where the church is located.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By Tifa Asrianti | December 26, 2011

The constant harassment of members of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Taman Yasmin is evidence of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s failure to protect minority groups in the country.

The harassment reached its peak on Sunday with locals preventing the congregation from performing Christmas mass.

Pluralism activists warned that the government’s inaction toward religious intolerance during the year could incite more violence in 2012.

“If the central government, especially the President, does not take action against the perpetrators, there will be more of the same in the future,” the deputy chairman of human rights watchdog Setara Institute, Bonar Tigor Naipospos, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Ahmadiyya Muslims Convention starts in Qadian in Punjab

The convention is being attended by delegates from all over the globe with more than 5000 delegates from Pakistan alone.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: New Kerala | Punjab-news
By New Kerala | December 26, 2011


Qadian, Dec 26 : The three day Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community began at Qadian city in Punjab’s Gurdaspur District which also the birthplace of Ahmadiyya Muslim sect founder, Mirza Gulam Ahmad.

The convention is being attended by delegates from all over the globe with more than 5000 delegates from Pakistan alone.

The day began with hoisting of the community flag followed by recitation of the verses from Holy Quran. The first session of the convention was presided by Mohammed Imam Ghori, Chief Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in India. (ANI)


Read original post here: Ahmadiyya Muslims Convention starts in Qadian in Punjab

Indonesia: A Bad Year for Religious Rights

“The congregation has been praying on the sidewalk every Sunday since April 2010. The one responsible for this is the entire nation, including the mayor, governor and the police.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Anita Rachman | December 26, 2011

This year alone, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono used 19 of his speeches to encourage people to embrace tolerance, the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace has counted.

However, action has yet to follow his words. The reality on the ground, Setara says, is that intolerance has been steadily on the rise in Indonesia.

The country was shocked in February when a mob of some 1,500 people brutally attacked a handful of Ahmadiyah members in Banten, killing three.

Authorities in the West Java city of Bogor continued to seal a church there, GKI Yasmin, and more recently, the Bogor district authorities have also outlawed worshiping activities at the Roman Catholic Santo Joannes Baptista church in Parung.

Demystifying Jinnah’s Pakistan

With the passage of time, Pakistan has gradually been hijacked by forces that were against Jinnah’s principles from the very beginning. Every following constitution has been less secular than its predecessor. State has taken on itself to define and dictate people’s faith.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |  US Desk
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune
By  Kashif Chaudhry | December 25, 2011

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, rightly known as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, spent most of his life advocating for a united India in which rights of all factions would be respected and Muslims given an equal representation in all state affairs. It was not until he realised this was not possible in the prevailing political atmosphere that he took up a different path to protect the rights of the Muslim minority – fighting for a separate homeland.

For as long as Pakistan has existed, liberals and conservatives have debated the true nature of the state that Jinnah envisioned and helped form. Did he want Pakistan to be a secular or an Islamic State? And what exactly do these terms mean?

Pakistan: What made 2011 a difficult year

For the media too, the scenario was bleak. At least seven journalists were killed while reporting from the field. The most prominent among them was Saleem Shahzad.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Economics Times |
By IST, IANS | December, 25 2011

The year 2011 saw Pakistan making headlines for all the wrong reasons, compounded by yearend uncertainty about the political future of a nation that is a declared nuclear power. Will the military take over the reins of government yet again was the common refrain among Pakistanis following the memogate scandal and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's accusation that the army was acting like a "state within a state".

Of greatest significance was the deterioration of its ties with the US, mostly because of a daring American commando operation to kill the world's most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden, and a US-led air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

From the assassinations of two top politicians to cricketers being found guilty of match-fixing, Pakistan witnessed some of the worst events ever.

Faith and interfaith: A Muslim's Christmas

 If this interpretation is -- as I believe -- correct, then the "healing of the blind and the leper" has a similar significance: namely, an inner regeneration of people who were spiritually diseased and blind to the truth."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Huffington Post
By Mike Ghouse | December 23, 2011

One of the most frequently used words during Christmas season is peace. Indeed, it is a reflection of the innermost desire within each one of us, whether we are Christians or not. Christmas is an annual milestone that intensifies the desire to have peace for oneself and for the world.

Christmas evokes kindness, empathy and goodness toward fellow beings; it's a euphoric feeling of renewal that Jesus taught to the world, it is a sense of completion one feels when he or she finds in tune with humanity. Jesus showed the way by embracing the whole humanity regardless of who they were. He is my hero, he is my mentor, and he is the first known pluralist on the earth. Christmas is a celebration of that refreshed feeling.

Jesus holds a special place in every one's heart, but particularly among Christians and Muslims, comprising over half the population of the world.

India: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamat's 120th annual convention from Monday

Conventions are held in different countries at different times of the year. The convention in United Kingdom has an international significance due to the presence of Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the head of the community.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily Pioneer | Gurdaspur
By Manan Saini | December 22, 2011

The 120th annual convention (Jalsa salana) of Qadian Jamat would begin on December 26 at its headquarters in Qadian about 30 kms from here. A special session will be held on December 27th, which will be addressed by the head of the community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmed from London.

Ahmadiyya community has a glorious and peaceful history. This community was founded by Mirza Gulam Ahmed in 1889 in Qadian, a small town of Punjab. The span of the community has now reached over 200 countries, the organisation claims. Aiming for universal peace and brotherhood through the peaceful teaching of Islam, it preaches and practices —Love for All, Hatred for None — the Jamat's motto.

The three-day Jalsa salana was started by the founder Mirza Gulam Ahmed in 1891. A modest gathering of 75 members formed the audience of the convention then and now this convention is held in numerous countries across the globe and has a global audience of millions of people, the organisers said.

Eclipsed: Agents of influence

U.S. policymakers fear a “Shia crescent,” a regional alliance led by Iran. A dawning “Muslim Brotherhood crescent” is far more threatening.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Tablet Magazine
By Lee Smith | November 2, 2011

Until January of this year, U.S. policymakers and American allies feared what Jordan’s King Abdullah II had dubbed the “Shia crescent.” The thinking was that as Iran’s power grew, this strategic alignment of hostile governments would stretch from the Islamic Republic of Iran, through its ally Syria, on to the newly empowered Shia majority in Iraq, and up to the shores of the eastern Mediterranean where it would reach Hezbollah in Lebanon. But that was before pro-American dictators started to fall like dominoes across the region. What we’re looking at now is what some, like historian Martin Kramer, have called a “Muslim Brotherhood crescent.”

Take a look at the map. In last week’s Tunisian elections, the Islamist al-Nahda Party, once outlawed, won 90 out of 217 seats. As goes Tunisia, so goes the Arab Spring. In Libya, several Islamist figures, some of them reportedly aligned with al-Qaida, seem likely to fill the vacuum left by Muammar Qaddafi’s death. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, the region’s oldest Islamist movement, is prepared to compete for 50 percent of the country’s parliamentary seats in elections scheduled for later this month. The exact strength of the Islamist element in the ongoing Syrian uprising remains to be seen, but the contours of this new crescent are already becoming clear.

Canada: Humanity First volunteers deliver a slice of Christmas cheer

The 15 or so volunteers gathered at Allan Gardens are with Humanity First, a non-profit organization run by the Ahmadiyya community, a small Muslim sect with more than 100,000 followers in Canada.

Najeeb Tariq (left) and Basharat Ahmed, (centre) volunteers for
Humanity First, a non-profit charitable and religious organization,
hand out pizza slices and juice boxes to people on the street outside
Seaton House on George St. in Toronto Saturday afternoon.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Star | Canada
By Alyshah Hasham | December 24, 2011

In the warmth of their minivan, the four Khokhar children busily fold white triangular boxes. Then they add the two steaming hot slices of pizza they are about to deliver to people living on the streets in the downtown core.

The 15 or so volunteers gathered at Allan Gardens are with Humanity First, a non-profit organization run by the Ahmadiyya community, a small Muslim sect with more than 10,000 followers in Canada. For the last four years in Toronto the group has driven around delivering hundreds of pizzas to shelters and homeless people on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a tradition mirrored in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

Outside Seaton House, a shelter on George St., first-time volunteer Mina’am Khokhar, 11, passes a box of two cheesy slices, and a juice pack to Najeeb Tariq, 25.

Tariq hands them to a weathered man, his bright blue eyes and reddish beard shaded by a blue baseball cap.

Eye on logic: Saying “Merry Christmas” – Haram?

Here’s my point. All that matters is your heart and Allah rewards all actions according to intentions. If your intention when wishing a fellow colleague, “Merry Christmas” is to admit Jesus’s partnership to godhead, you might as well not say it.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: KashifMD.Com |
By Kashif Nadeem | December 24, 2011

Yes you read it right; believe me I am equally surprised I am writing on this “issue.” Apparently, as Christmas is nearing, a not-so-unpopular notion that “Greeting on the occasion of Christmas is haraam (forbidden) according to scholarly consensus” is circulating the internet again. Saying “Merry Christmas” is tantamount to committing “shirk” or associating partners with Allah, it is claimed.

True, Islam is based on the fundamental principle of Oneness of God (Tauheed). Accordingly, associating any partners with God (Shirk) is the biggest sin in Islam. The Holy Quran preaches that God begets none and is not begotten. But is there “shirk” in wishing someone a happy Christmas?

Islam is the only faith (other than Christianity) that makes it mandatory for its followers to believe in the truth and divine mission of Jesus (on whom be peace). The Holy Quran teaches that Jesus (on whom be peace) was a true prophet of God. In this role, he was similar to other prophets viz. Prophet Adam, Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet David and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all). Jesus (on whom be peace) was sent as the Messiah to the Children of Israel to reform and lead them spiritually.

USA: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community begins its three-day convention at Chino mosque

Attending the convention also provides a chance to meet and spend time with other Ahmadiyya Muslim community members living in other parts of the country.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Daily Bulletin
By Monica Rodriguez | December 23, 2011

CHINO - Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from the western United States began gathering Friday at the Baitul Hameed Mosque for the first of three days of religious talks, fellowship and spiritual renewal.

More than 1,000 members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community are expected to take part in their 26th annual Convention West Coast USA.

The convention offers members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith a chance to attend seminars where they can increase their knowledge and understanding of the faith, pray together, but also take a moment to socialize, said Rashid Syed, public relations secretary for the Chino mosque.

The convention is an event that draws individuals and families alike, Syed said.

Pakistan: Harassment of three Ahmedis accused under blasphemy laws

“Such baseless cases against Ahmedis will not deter us. This is not the first time that such cases have been registered against Ahmedis and will not be the last one. As in the past, these cases will also be proven false.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: December 24, 2011
By Rana Tanveer | December 24, 2011

LAHORE: The police have registered cases under the blasphemy laws against a student and his father in Khushab and a headmaster in Gujrat, all three of them Ahmedis.

Sajeel Ahmed, 18, of Khushab was accused of making derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in a first information report (FIR) registered under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which carries the death penalty. The complainant is his classmate Waqas Nadeem, who said that Sajeel had tried to convert other students and made remarks that hurt their religious sentiments.

Sajeel’s father Hakim Jameel was accused of describing his son as a Muslim in his school admission form, an offence under Section 298-C of the PPC with a penalty of up to three years in prison. The complainant in the case is Qari Saeed Ahmed, who submitted that “the Muslims of Khushab are worried about the increasing number and activities of Qadianis in the city”.

Eye on extremism:Looking for faith amid persecution

I’m a Christian and familiar with Jesus’ words, “Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you,” but at that moment, those words seemed impossible. Honestly, I don’t know that I could sincerely love my enemies. I’m not sure that I could even pray for them.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit:  CNN | Blog |  CNN
By Vivian Padilla-Chapman | December 22, 2011


(CNN) - Imagine living in a country where being born into your family's faith could thwart your chances of learning to read, narrow your employment opportunities to jobs like trash collector, street sweeper, or brick maker, and restrict you to drinking from separate water fountains in your village.

In 2009 in Pakistan, I discovered that these issues as well as life-threatening circumstances are daily challenges for Pakistani Christians who live in segregated “colonies” and make up about 2% of the majority Muslim population.

I’m a Latina, born in Spanish Harlem and raised in Brooklyn during the 1960s. I know what it’s like to face discrimination as a minority, but how would I face this kind of persecution for my faith? What would daily life be like under that tension? Could I hold on to my faith?

Canada: Edmonton Muslims tip scales in favour of food bank

Ahmadiyya is a worldwide reform movement within Islam that began in India in the 19th century. The movement stresses peaceful teachings found within the Qur’an.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Edmonton Journal
By Brent Wittmeier | December 22, 2011

Ahmadiyya youth group holds weigh-ins to help collect 450 kilograms of food for charity

Najeeb Khawaja, 15, is with Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth from the Hadi Mosque in Edmonton. The group collected more than 10,000 pounds of food for the food bank.
Photograph by: Shaughn Butts, edmontonjournal.com

EDMONTON — This Christmas break, Mohyuddin Mirza will take time to honour Jesus Christ, peace be upon him.

The veteran agrologist and practising Muslim helped found Edmonton’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1969, and usually participates in a holiday symposium recognizing the connections between Islam and a first-century Jew named Jesus.

Indonesia: Govt must protect religious minorities | DPD

DPD Chairman Irman Gusman said that such a guarantee was essential especially now that attacks on religious minorities and their places of worship had intensified.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By Ridwan Max Sijaba | December 23, 2011

The government must guarantee the rights of religious minorities to worship in and build their places of worship, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) said in a statement.

DPD Chairman Irman Gusman said that such a guarantee was essential especially now that attacks on religious minorities and their places of worship had intensified.

Irman said that such an assault was a serious infringement on the rights of minority groups and in violation of the amended 1945 Constitution which guaranteed freedom of religion.

Faith and practice: Ahmadis who stood Tall

Throughout the summer months of 1974 Ahmadis suffered terrible torture, trial and tribulation. Up till that point the disturbances had been confined to the Punjab & Sind provinces. But the conflagration was about to sweep into the NWFP province or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it is now known.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Times
By Munir Khan | December 18, 2011

In 1973 the OIC Islamic Summit conference took place in Lahore Pakistan. Prime Minister Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto was the host and the all the Heads of the then Islamic world attending this grand event. This ranged from King Feisal, King Hussein, Qadafi, Arafat, Hafez Asad, Anwar Sadat, Sheikh Zayed and a whole spate of other Muslim leaders. Bhutto was at the peak of his political powers and was anxious to place himself at the centre of the Muslim world. His slogan of Islamic socialism appealed to the zeitgeist of the time, and was viewed with favour by many. Bhutto wanted to secure for himself the vanguard role as the de facto political leader of the Muslim world that could only be acquired through the blessing of Saudi Arabia and King Feisal in particular.

To achieve this Bhutto contrived to flatter King Feisal and had President Idi Amin of Uganda propose that King Feisal s be recognised as the Amir ul Momineen. This suited Bhutto’s purpose to have King Feisal appointed to the religious leadership role amongst the Muslims and reserve for himself the Machiavellian role of principal advisor and leader in all political matters. Bhutto was not in the least religious, and for him religion was simply a means to an end.

West African delegates who held a favourable opinion of the jamaat, and had seen the philanthropic and altruistic activities of the jamaat throughout Africa quickly alerted the jamaat of the proposal and handed over briefing papers and pamphlets being circulated at the conference slandering and criticising the jamaat. It is unclear to this day what exactly happened or was agreed at the conference. It is suggested apocryphally that King Feisal was advised that he couldn’t be recognised as the Amir ul Momineen, as Ahmadis already had an Amir ul Momineen-the Khalifatul Masih. It is alleged that at the conference Bhutto pledged to “fix” this particular problem.

Eye on common sense: UN condemns religious intolerance, drops 'defamation'

The New York-based rights group Human Rights First welcomed the resolution prior to its adoption, describing the new version as "a decisive break from the polarizing focus in the past on defamation of religions."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Retuers | Articles
By  Reuters | December 19, 2011

UNITED NATIONS Dec 19 (Reuters) - For the first time in more than a decade, the U.N. General Assembly on Monday condemned religious intolerance without urging states to outlaw "defamation of religions," an appeal critics said opened the door to abusive "blasphemy" laws.

The call on countries to prohibit "defamation" had been included in a non-binding resolution on combating religious intolerance passed annually by the 193-nation assembly.

The resolution approved on Monday declares that "discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief constitutes a violation of human rights." It also expressed concern about the incitement to religious hatred and the failure of some states "to combat this burgeoning trend."

Ghana: The attacks on priests

As the first Ghanaian Head (Ameer) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi A. Wahab Adam has received great respectability for himself and the Mission.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Ghanian Chronicle
By I. K. Gyasi | December 19, 2011

The leaders of the various religious organisations, especially, those of the Christian and Islamic persuasions, always find themselves in a dilemma.

They are often called upon to act and speak on matters of national importance. If they do not speak, they are accused of keeping silent in the face of the perpetration of injustice. If they speak, they are accused of dabbling in partisan politics.

Indeed, most of the time, what passes for criticism is nothing, but personal, scurrilous and gratuitous insults that betray a total lack of good breeding on the part of the so-called critics.

Last month, members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) issued a post-conference communiqué, in which they called for (1) verification to go with bio-metric registration, (2) an alternative to the computerised system of admission to the Senior High School and (3) a reversion to the four-year duration, instead of the current three-year duration for the senior high programme.

India: Ahmediyya Muslims cross Wagah Border for annual congregation

"We have come here for the annual conference to be held in Qadian which will start from the 26th of this month. By the grace of god, we are thankful to the government of India for granting visas to so many of us." 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: News Track India
By ANI | Dec 22, 2011

Wagah, Dec 22 (ANI): Thousands of Ahmediyya Muslims gathered at the Wagah Border post for their annual community congregation beginning from December 26 in the town of Qadian in Gurdaspur District of Punjab.

Though, Ahmediyyas regard themselves to be part of the Muslim faith, they have been branded as "non-Muslims" by the Government of Pakistan as per the 1974 Constitutional amendment which declared them as "heretical".

The Ahmediyya Muslim sect considers its leader, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, as a Prophet which is opposed by mainstream Muslims who consider it blasphemous.

Eye on truth: Qur'an full of love for humanity

How hypocritical to say that those who criticize the Bible or Christians for their atrocities are atheists or pro-Muslims, and those who criticize Qur'an are Muslim scientists?

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Barrie Examiner
By Masood Nasir | December 21, 2011

In her letter, Monti Hannona again cites second-hand sources to make her points about Muslims and Qu'ran. That was the whole point of my argument, which she clearly ignored.

If Muslims are acting against their own teachings then it is not the fault of Qur'an. Do all Christians follow the teachings of the New Testament and turn the other cheek?

How hypocritical to say that those who criticize the Bible or Christians for their atrocities are atheists or pro-Muslims, and those who criticize Qur'an are Muslim scientists?

How she negates her own argument within the same letter can only be termed as delusional.

Ms. Hannona says the teaching of turning your other cheek does not work in all situations. But this is not how Jesus applied it.

Pakistan: Dandruff afflicts Pakistan's army?

"It is said that Sabouraud can tell your moral character, the amount of your yearly income and what you have eaten for breakfast by looking at the root of one of your hairs."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Guardian | Uk
By Marc Abrahams | December 19, 2011

Researchers take a comprehensive look at the incidence of dandruff among Pakistani soldiers

Researchers take a comprehensive look at the incidence of dandruff among Pakistani soldiers

Public knowledge about dandruff in Pakistan's army comes mainly from a study called Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Dandruff Among Soldiers, written by Naeem Raza, Amer Ejaz and Muhammad Khurram Ahmed, published in 2007 in the Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan.

Raza, Ejaz and Ahmed surveyed 800 male soldiers of all ranks, ascertaining each soldier's knowledge about, and personal experience with, dandruff. The survey was "designed keeping in mind the general taboos of our region about dandruff, which included visits to doctors, homeopathic physicians or 'hakims', use of oils, any home-made remedies or commercial products".

Indonesia Blasted for Failure to Uphold Its Own Laws

“If this keeps up, it could be dangerous. It could undermine the principle of rule of law in the country and lead to an even greater loss of public trust in the government.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Agus Triyono | December 21, 2011

The government is guilty of flouting dozens of its own laws throughout 2011, a leading legal watchdog said on Tuesday.

In its year-end presentation, the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) said that was evident from the host of cases in which the state failed to enforce the letter of the law, including the continued closure of the GKI Yasmin church in Bogor, which was twice ordered reopened by the Supreme Court.

Nurkholis Hidayat, the LBH Jakarta director, said another was the failure by the Health Ministry and the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), a state school, to comply with a Supreme Court ruling to release a list of infant milk brands found to be contaminated with a potentially deadly bacteria.