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DHAKA, Bangladesh - A senior government official says the head of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party has been executed for his role in acts of genocide and war crimes during the country's independence war against Pakistan in 1971. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan says Motiur Rahman Nizami , leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hung at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday inside Dhaka central jail amid tight security.

The woman who presided over the last five years of failure as the boss of children’s services at Rotherham Council is the same executive who removed three children from their foster parents because they were Ukip voters. Joyce Thacker, the £130,000-a-year Strategic Director of Children’s Services at the scandal-hit council, is among the senior managers who are now under pressure to resign following the “excoriating” report into child sexual exploitation in the town. Mrs Thacker, who joined the Council as deputy head of children’s services in 2006, is already a controversial figure following her decision two years ago to remove...

This recalls how Canadian honor killing victim Aqsa Parvez was buried in an unmarked grave. The victims of this abominable crime are dishonored even in death. "In Sukkur, a separate graveyard for the ‘dishonourable’ ones," by Sarfaraz Memon for The Express Tribune, January 3 (thanks to Pamela Geller): For some of the deceased in Sindh, there are no prayers for a peaceful afterlife and no on comes to put flowers on their graves. Those slain for honour are not spared even in death. There is a separate graveyard for those killed under the pretext of karo-kari (honour killing) called ‘karan...

ISLAMABAD — Text books in Pakistani schools foster prejudice and intolerance of Hindus and other religious minorities, while most teachers view non-Muslims as “enemies of Islam,” according to a study by a U.S. government commission released Wednesday. The findings indicate how deeply ingrained hardline Islam is in Pakistan and help explain why militancy is often supported, tolerated or excused in the country.

In the world of diplomacy, uttering words of caution on a troubled relationship with another state is pretty much raising a red-flag warning of impending or ongoing conflict. This is what retiring Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, did in his final appearance on Sept. 22 with the Senate Armed Services Committee in describing America’s bizarre relationship with Pakistan. In a carefully crafted public statement before U.S. senators, Mullen said, “Extremist organizations serving as proxies of the government of Pakistan are attacking Afghan troops and civilians as well as U.S. soldiers.” Then Mullen made the...

Pakistan has told the US it risks losing an ally if it continues to accuse the country of playing a double game in the war against al-Qaeda, escalating the crisis in relations between the two countries. Hina Rabbani Khar, the Pakistani foreign minister, was responding to comments by Admiral Mike Mullen, the US joint chiefs of staff, who said Pakistan military's spy agency, ISI, was closely tied to the Haqqani network, the most violent and effective faction allied with the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is the most serious allegation levelled by the US against Pakistan since they began an alliance...

A Pakistani man who received commando training from Islamist militants before moving to a Washington suburb has been arrested and charged with providing support to a terror group, US officials said Friday. Jubair Ahmad, 24, stands accused of providing material support to the powerful Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, designated by the US government as a foreign terrorist organization, and then lying about his involvement to investigators. According to an unsealed affidavit by a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent, Ahmad produced and posted a propaganda video for LeT "glorifying violent jihad" in 2010, some three years after he arrived in...

ISLAMABAD – Suspicion rose Monday that Pakistan's intelligence service leaked the name of the CIA chief in Islamabad to local media in anger over the raid that killed Osama bin Laden — the second outing of an American covert operative here in six months.

Tampa, Florida -- An incident aboard a United Airlines flight to Tampa resulted in nine foreign-born people being removed from the airplane and left several passengers shaken. In fact, several thought the incident was serious enough that they asked to be booked on another flight. At least 15 passengers who arrived in Tampa Monday on a United flight were supposed to be here Sunday night. However, the incident involving the nine men changed everything.

SUPPORT NETWORK IN PAKISTAN ACCUSED OF HELPING TALIBAN, OTHERS SNEAK ACROSS BORDER TO ATTACK U.S. BY JAMES RUPERT | james.rupert@newsday.com October 7, 2007 SHEKHANANDEH, PakistanThe stocky, bearded man they call the Subidar is an encyclopedia of the jagged mountains and insular tribes here along Pakistan's northwestern border. As a retired career officer now on contract to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), he would be just the man to enforce his government's declared policy: to stop Taliban and allied guerrillas from crossing into Afghanistan to attack U.S. troops. But the Subidar's mission is just the opposite, say U.S., Afghan and Pakistani...

 This week many Muslims around the world celebrated the holiday of Ashoura. I have found a page that explains what this barbaric ritual is all about:How Muslims in Lebanon"celebrate" the holiday of Ashoura Ashoura in Lebanon The observance of Ashoura is one of the most important events in the Shia calender. Ashoura marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Husayn, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in what is now Kerbala, Iraq. The death of Husayn was the beginning of the Sunni/Shia split, which persists in Islam to this day. In the past, many Shia men have demonstrated their devotion to Husayn...

A study released in the House of Commons says 80 per cent of the respondents prefer to be called British Indian or British Hindus PTI London: Hindus in Britain do not want to be described as 'Asian' but would rather be called British Indian or British Hindus, a study released in the House of Commons on Tuesday said. The report ‘Connecting British Hindus,’ launched by Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities, identified that some Hindus feel 'excluded' in the race dialogue and urged the government and public service providers to ensure they are included in work taken up to...

Pakistan opposed to any military action against Iran over nuclear program Tue Mar 7, 12:01 AM ET Pakistan would oppose any military action taken by its ally the United States against Iran over its disputed nuclear program, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said. "Pakistan's view is that there should not be any military intervention and we would certainly not be party to any such action," Aziz told BBC television late Monday during a visit to London. The BBC had asked him about Washington's refusal to rule out military action against Iran's nuclear program which US and European diplomats fear...

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who will be chief guest during the Republic Day parade, will talk to Indian leaders on vital issues concerning Iran's WMD programme and opening a communications channel with Israel in the changing circumstances. The Saudi king, who will embark on a five-nation trip commencing 21 January, is keen to open a liaison relationship with Israel and seeks Indian assistance in this. King Abdullah is now sensing the heat of Islamic extremism in his own country to an extent that he has told his close aides to find an immediate solution to it. The Al-Qaeda...

Associated Press Correspondent Denis Gray was aboard the first U.S. helicopters that rushed aid to survivors of last year's tsunami in Indonesia. He recently revisited the same devastated coastline communities. Gray also covered the earthquake in Pakistan. --- LAMPUUK, Indonesia -- There aren't many places in the Islamic world these days where they name streets after American presidents, past or present. But through the tsunami-devastated heart of this village, embedded in a highly conservative Muslim society, runs George Bush and Bill Clinton Road. "We are one big family and those who help us are our brothers. So Americans are our...

Sep 23, 2005 — LONDON (Reuters) - British police arrested a man under the terrorism act at Manchester airport on Friday morning after a struggle and were investigating a suspect package. "Police attempted to arrest the man who struggled with officers. A Taser gun was then used to detain the man," a spokeswoman for Manchester police said. An army bomb disposal unit was investigating a suspect package that was found and parts of terminals One and Two were closed, she said. Britain has been on high alert for more attacks ever since four suicide bombers blew themselves up on the...

Pakistani activists have reacted with outrage to recent comments on rape victims by President Pervez Musharraf. He said that rape was a "money-making concern" and many argued it was a way to get money and a visa to emigrate. Pakistan's most-high profile rape victim, Mukhtar Mai, told the BBC no woman could subject herself to "such a horrendous experience" to make money. Women's groups and activists protested in Karachi on Friday, shouting: "Down with chauvinism". 'Money for justice' The president made his comments in an interview with the Washington Post on 13 September, incensing campaigners and others at home. "You...

A royal commission to investigate how and why the London bombings happened and a media unit to rebut negative stories about Muslims and counter propaganda from Islamist extremists should be set up, according to proposals to be sent to Tony Blair by government-appointed taskforces on tackling Islamist extremism. The Guardian has obtained details of the plans drawn up by the taskforces, set up after the July bombings. They were asked to come up with ideas to help prevent British Muslims turning to terrorism, and which would also counter a sense of alienation some Muslims feel from British society and institutions....

The man believed to be the ringleader of the July 7 bombing attacks appeared last night in a video claiming the killing of 52 people was directly linked to Tony Blair's foreign policy and promising Britain would suffer more suicide attacks. British-born Mohammad Sidique Khan, from West Yorkshire, said civilians were legitimate targets because of the policies of the UK government, a reference to Iraq and Palestine. He said: "We are at war and I am a soldier. Now you too will taste the reality of this situation." The video of the one-time classroom assistant was broadcast by the Arabic...

LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair said that Britain was "desperately sorry" for the death of an innocent Brazilian man who was shot dead by police in an anti-terror chase in London last week. "We are all desperately sorry for the death of an innocent person, and I understand the feelings of the young man's family," Blair told a press conference. "But we also have to understand that the police are doing their job in very very difficult circumstances and I think it's important we give them every support," Blair said at Number 10 Downing Street, his office and...