The government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is trying to wriggle out of its agreement with Iran to construct the gas pipeline that would provide major relief to energy starved Pakistan. Industrial production has been badly affected by shortage of electricity with many industrialists shutting their factories and relocating abroad. The people of Pakistan have historical suffered at the hands of incompetent and selfish rulers.
Al-Awda, the Palestinian Right of Return, has issued an urgent appeal to end the siege of Gaza. Unusual torrential rains have flooded the tiny Gaza Strip whose infrastructure was already twice destroyed by zionist barbarism in 2008- 2009 and in 2012. Gaza's sole power plant remains shut because of shortage of fuel and spare parts. The zionist regime and Egypt's military are collaborating in this crime against Gaza. The siege must end now.
The people of Gaza suffer shortages of food, water and medicine. They have also been subjected to 12-hour power outages because of the lone power plant shutting down last month as a result of lack of spare parts. Now nature has imposed another challenge: unusual rains have caused massive flooding. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected. The zionist-Egyptian siege, meanwhile continues.
The Saudis have become so desperate that they no longer feel the need to hide their alliance with the zionists. The alliance is against Islamic Iran. The caste of Saudi villians leading this crusade, ostensibly on behalf of “Sunni Muslims” is Bandar bin Sultan and Walid bin Talal. The Ummah must challenge these obscurantist zionist agents and tell them they have no right to speak on behalf of any Muslims, anywhere.
Addicted to killing innocent people with drones, this time the US targeted a wedding party in Yemen. At least 17 guests were murdered yesterday when a drone strike hit a car that was traveling in a wedding convoy. It was the second strike this week in Yemen. Obama calls drone strikes as precision weapons but the number of civilians killed show a callousness that borders on the scandalous.
American hypocrisy became evident, yet again, on December 12 when the Treasury Department slapped new nuclear-related sanctions on Iran even while the Obama regime has said it would not do so. At the same time, Wendy Sherman, the top US nuclear negotiator told Congress it could impose new sanctions if they were not nuclear-related. The deal appears to have been placed in jeopardy.
Hasina Wajed is determined to push Bangladesh into civil war. The hasty manner in which Jamaat-e Islami leader Abdul Qauder Molla was executed by hanging within hours of the Supreme Court rejecting his appeal to review his death sentence shows the vindictiveness of the current prime minister. Violent protests erupted in many cities across the country. Bangladesh is heading for more turmoil as polarization deepens.
Without mincing words, the Saudi Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh has condemned suicide bombings as haraam. He has said that anyone who blows himself up with explosives is hastening his departure to hell. This is a very strong statement coming from the highest religious authority in the kingdom that specializes in producing suicide bombers, of course against people they consider to be their enemy.
Western hypocrisy was on full display in South Africa today as scores of leaders from around the world gathered to pay respects to Nelson Mandela, the father of South Africa's liberation struggle who died on December 5. He was 95. The same western rulers whose countries had aided and abetted the apartheid regime that had tormented Mandela and his fellow strugglers for decades were now singing his praises.
There appears no limit to the hatred of Bangaldeshi Prime Minister Hasina Wajed. She insists on seeking revenge from her political opponents that had opposed her father's quest to break Pakistan with Indian military help to create Bangladesh. Her government has announced it will hang Abdul Qauder Molla, a leader of the Jamaat-e Islami after midnight today. Observers believe it will lead to more chaos in the country.
Droning innocents to death in Pakistan is official US policy. This is implemented by US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on behalf of Barack Obama who has escalated drone strikes alarmingly since becoming president. Hagel was in Islamabad today to insist the drone attacks would continue while the people of Pakistan are adamantly opposed to them. There have been protests for several weeks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to get such attacks stopped.
The Saudis have intensified their subversion of any chances of a negotiated settlement in Syria. The purchase of nearly 16,000 anti-tank missiles from the US at a price of $1.1 billion in meant for the Saudi-sponsored mercenaries in Syria. Will the latest move succeed or merely add to the misery of the people.
Nelson Mandela has exposed the hypocrisy of Western rulers that have made a beeline to join his funeral in South Africa. Kings, presidents, prime ministers and others will be there to proclaim Mandela’s greatness while they indulged and continue to indulge in the worst kinds of crimes against humanity imaginable.
Nelson Mandela, the first popularly elected president of post-apartheid South Africa died today at home in Johannesburg. He was 95. Surrounded by family, he breathed his last at around 8:50 pm local time. This was announced by a sombre Jacob Zuma, the current president of South Africa, on TV. He said a “light had gone out in the world.” Mandela would be given a state funeral. All flags were ordered to fly at half-mast.
Most Muslims do not subscribe to the divisive ideology of hate and killings among different schools of thought in Islam. This, however, needs serious effort to bring the majority together and to isolate the hate-propagating minority. In recent weeks, some tentative steps have been taken that are likely to yield positive results. Unity and harmony in the Ummah are desperately needed to overcome the myriad problems confronting Muslims.
he Americans find themselves at their wits end with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Even as lame duck president, he has put his spanner in the Bilateral Security Agreement that the Americans desperately want signed immediately. They have threatened to withdraw all their forces and leave Afghanistan to its fate unless it is signed immediately but Karzai remains unfazed. He seems to dare them to walk away.
Failure of the foreign conspiracy to topple the government of Bashar al-Asad has resulted in fighting spilling over into Lebanon. In addition to fightnig, such as in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, assassination of Hizbullah commanders and fighters has also intensified. Hassan al-Laqqis, a prominent Hizbullah commander was the latest victim, assassinated last night as he returned home. Two gunmen shot him at close range.
Within a few days of Iran signing the interim deal with the sextet (US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany), there have been quick moves by Tehran to approach its Persian Gulf neighbors. These regimes have also realized that change is coming and it would be in their interest to mend fences with Tehran. The speed with which the moves are occurring is quite astonishing.
Shaykh el-Qaradawi continues to grab headlines. His latest announcement about resigning from the advisory Committee of Ulama at Al-Azhar has been welcomed by most sincere Muslims. He resigned because he accused Al-Azhar and its shaykh of failing to condemn the military coup and its massacres of the Egyptian people. Muslims, however, have questioned el-Qaradawi's sectarian outbursts and his acceptance of patronage of the Qatari amir.
The Saudi regime has become extremely jittery and, therefore, even more oppressive than before. Omar al-Saeed, a member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) was sentenced to 300 lashes and four years in jail for merely demanding a consitutional monarchy in the country. His trial was held in secret and he had no access to a defence lawyer.
