Malaysia deports Saudi journalist accused of blasphemy

 

 

Malaysia has deported a young Saudi journalist who is wanted in his home country over Twitter posts about the Prophet Mohammad that sparked calls for his execution, an official told the AFP news agency.

 

Hamza Kashgari, who was detained in Malaysia on Thursday after fleeing Saudi Arabia, left the country in the custody of Saudi officials on Sunday, according to a Malaysian government official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.

 

Kashgari, a 23-year-old newspaper columnist, fled to Muslim-majority Malaysia after making comments on the microblogging site deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammed, which fuelled a surge of outrage in the kingdom.

 

Insulting the prophet is considered blasphemous in Islam and is a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.

 

Malaysia s government would not immediately confirm Hamza s deportation, but a Home Ministry statement on Sunday said Kashgari would be sent back to Saudi Arabia.

 

“Malaysia has a long-standing arrangement by which individuals wanted by one country are extradited when detained by the other, and Kashgari will be repatriated under this arrangement,” the statement said.

 

“The nature of the charges against the individual in this case are a matter for the Saudi Arabian authorities.”

 

Clerics and locals in the kingdom have called for Kashgari s death for three comments he made on Twitter on the occasion of the Prophet Muhammad s birthday.

 

“On your birthday, I find you wherever I turn. I will say that I have loved aspects of you, hated others, and could not understand many more,” read one tweet posted on Saturday.

 

All three tweets were later deleted by Kashgari, who received over 30,000 responses within a day of the postings.

 

Kashgari, who had originally apologised for his comments, said in an interview he was being made a “scapegoat for a larger conflict” over his comments.

 

 

New clashes in eastern Saudi kill one

RIYADH: Saudi police exchanged fire with “masked gunmen” at a protest in the Shiite-populated east, killing one of them, state reported early Saturday, in the second fatal clashes in the oil-rich region in 24 hours.

“Security forces following an unauthorised gathering in the (Shiite) town of Al-Awamiya in Qatif district came under fire from masked gunmen,” the official SPA news agency quoted a police spokesman as saying.

Police “responded, sparking an exchange of fire that resulted in the wounding of one of them, who died later.”

An activist told AFP that Said was “shot dead by security forces as they dispersed a protest against the killing of another man” on Thursday.

“Eight armoured vehicles belonging to Saudi security forces intervened to disperse the protest,” the activist said.

Munir al-Medani, also 21, died of his wounds on Thursday after being shot by security forces in the Al-Shwaika neighbourhood of Qatif during a Shiite demonstration for reform in the ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim kingdom, activists said.

Saudi authorities said that Medani too died in an exchange of fire between security forces and “masked men.”

Demonstrators also took to the streets of another Qatif town — Al-Rabieya — on Friday to protest against Medani’s death, activists said.

“Hundreds of demonstrators waved pictures of those killed and detained as they condemned the shooting (by Saudi security forces) on peaceful protests,” one activist told AFP.

Activists and witnesses said that Medani’s death came when security forces opened fire on a Shiite procession marking the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed — a celebration forbidden in Saudi Arabia — which turned into a demonstration for reform and the release of Shiite detainees.

Said’s death raises to seven the number of protesters killed since demonstrations erupted in the Eastern Province last March.

Prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Hasan al-Saffar criticised the use of force against protesters saying: “This will not solve the problem but will only further complicate it,” in a speech published on a Shiite websites.

“Blood in Muslim states has become cheap and human rights are violated as blood runs in several countries. Prisons are filled with detainees and torture is still practised against prisoners in most Islamic states,” Saffar said.

The region has been rocked by a series of uprisings that unseated autocracts in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in 2011.

Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh is due to quit on February 21 under a transfer of power deal while pressure is mounting on the Syrian regime to end its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protest.

The immediate trigger for the protest movement among Saudi Shiites was a Saudi-led military intervention in neighbouring Bahrain to help its Sunni rulers crush Shiite-led pro-democracy demonstrations last March.

Activists say that Saudi authorities have arrested nearly 500 people since the protests started. Many have been released but dozens remain in custody, among them human rights activist Fadel al-Munasif and writer Nazir al-Majid.

In January, Saudi authorities published a list of 23 men wanted on suspicion of involvement in the disturbances.

Later the same month, the interior ministry announced that security forces had arrested nine people suspected of involvement in the wounding of three policemen in the Eastern Province.

Most of Saudi Arabia’s estimated two million Shiites live in the province, where the vast majority of the OPEC kingpin’s huge oil reserves lie. They complain of marginalisation in the Sunni-dominated kingdom. AGENCIES

Manchester City cruise to 3-0 win over Fulham

 

Manchester City restored its three-point advantage at the top of the Premier League with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

 

Argentina international Sergio Aguero scored the opening goal from the penalty spot after nine minutes, his 15th league goal of the season. Just before the half-hour, City doubled their lead when Adam Johnson s far post shot deflected into the goal off Fulham defender Chris Baird.

 

City were seeking to place pressure on defending champions Manchester United, who had drawn level with them at the top of the table in midweek and are scheduled to play Chelsea on Sunday.

 

And it proved to be a comfortable victory when striker Edin Dzeko scored the third goal after 72 minutes.
 

PTIs Quetta public meeting postponed

 

According to sources, The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s (PTI) public meeting scheduled for Quetta on Pakistan Day has been postponed on resistance from nationalist parties in Balochistan.

 

Now the PTI’s public meeting will be held in April. The exact date of the public rally will be announced later.

 

Imran Khan during his public meeting in Karachi on December 25, 2011 had announced to hold a public meeting in Quetta on March 23.
 

Gas supply to Punjab industries suspended for 5 days

 

According to Sui gas officials, the intensity of winter has increased shortfall of gas, causing load shedding of gas, therefore gas supply to industrial sector will be restored only two days a week.

 

The industrialists vehemently condemned unreasonable gas load shedding, causing tremendous and unbearable loss to them.
 

Pakistan tops journalists death list in 2010

BRUSSELS: At least 94 journalists died in violence this year across the world, the International Federation of Journalists said Friday, adding that Pakistan was the most dangerous place in 2010 for media workers.

“Journalists and media personnel remain prime targets for political extremists, gangsters and terrorists,” the Brussels-based organisation said in a report, adding that another three died in accidents over the past 12 months.

The death toll came at the hands of “targeted killings, bomb attacks and crossfire incidents,” it said.

In 2009, the total was 139 journalists.

The IFJ said 15 media workers died in Pakistan this year, adding that the majority of the annual fatalities comprised “victims of violence connected to the insurgency war in Pakistan, the drug war in Mexico as well as the political unrest in Honduras.”

The list was issued two days after Danish and Swedish intelligence agencies said they foiled an attack plot against the daily that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

“Nearly 100 journalists killed is a heavy loss which ought to stir the world governments into action to offer better protection to journalists,” said Jim Boumelha, IFJ president.

9th Muharram: Mourning procession being taken out across country; red alert

The 9th Muharram mourning processions are being taken out across the country to commemorate the huge sacrifices rendered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) and other martyrs of Karbala, trendpk.com reported on Thursday.

In Lahore, thousands of mourners took out Zuljinah procession from Imambargha Atia Ahle-Bait located at Nicolsan Road and Pandu Street Islampura.

ited the sacrifices rendered by Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his companions and family members at Karbala. The procession route is being monitored by moveable cameras installed at hidden places. In Islamabad, the procession started from the imambargah in G-6. The participants of Majlis-i-Aza had to pass walk-through gates installed on the main road. The mourners did Noha Khwani and Matam (chest-beating). In Karachi, the main procession would begin from Nishtar part chowrangi, and after passing though its routes, would climax at Hussnainia Irania Imambargha, Kharadar. Strict security measures have been adopted by the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to meet any untoward incident.
Extra police and Rangers contingents have been deployed across the country in this regard. Security arrangements have also been finalized in others major cities for Muharram including Quetta. Police, Balochistan Constabulary and FC besides a brigade of Army would be deployed in the city on the occasion of mourning processions.LEAs have sealed off all the procession routes in Quetta, Lahore and others major cities.

Roadside bomb kills 3 pilgrims in Iraq

BAGHDAD: A roadside bomb killed three pilgrims and wounded 18 in Baghdad ahead of a religious event, an Iraqi Interior Ministry source said on Tuesday.

A police source said three people were killed and 19 wounded by the explosion in the western Baghdad district of Ghazaliya.

Another roadside bomb wounded 14 Shi’ite pilgrims in Khalis, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, the Diyala province operations centre said.

Shi’ite pilgrims have been gathering around Iraq ahead of Ashura on Friday, which commemorates the death of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hussein at the battle of Kerbala in 680. AGENCIES

Sweden: Two blasts rock center of Stockholm, one killed

Two blasts rocked the center of Stockholm on Saturday in a possible attack inspired by Sweden’s presence in Afghanistan, killing the bomber and wounding two other people.

Swedish news agency TT said that 10 minutes before the first blast, when a car exploded near a busy shopping street, it received an email with threats over the Swedish presence in Afghanistan and over a years-old case of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad by a Swedish artist.

Police spokesman said the car exploded at peak shopping hours. About 10 to 15 minutes later another explosion took place on a street 300 meters away.

A man was found dead near the second explosion and two people with minor injuries were also found nearby. When asked if the man blew himself up in some way, police spokesman said that It is possible.

Pakistan court stalls pardon moves for Christian mother

LAHORE: A Pakistani court on Monday prevented the government from granting a swift pardon to a Christian mother sentenced to death for insulting the Prophet Mohammed, a lawyer said.

Lawyers petitioned the top court in Punjab province not to allow President Asif Ali Zardari to pardon Aasia Bibi while her case was pending in the courts.

Pope Benedict XVI has called for her release and political pressure has been growing for a pardon, but conservative Muslims have threatened anarchy if the government grants clemency to Bibi, mobilising protestors onto the streets.

She was sentenced on November 8 to hang under controversial blasphemy laws that rights activists say encourage Islamist extremism.

Bibi can be executed only if the Lahore high court upholds her sentence on appeal. No date has yet been set for the appeal hearing.

“We argued that since

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