Muslim women’s school in south russia closed over extremism concerns
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Cannibalism In Syria Causes An Extremely Rare Disease
By Theodore Shoebat
Its called Kuru, an extremely rare disease which virtually became extinct after extinguishing cannibalism in Papua New Guinea. Amazingly Kuru has now been found in 8 to 20 people, out of all places, in war-torn Syria, and the only way it could have come about, doctors confirmed, is through cannibalism and the consumption of human brain, as first reported by Arabian news source Zaman al-Wasal and substantiated by Orient News Television.
Here is a documentary showing the connection between native sorcery, ritualized cannibalism, and its end result, Kuru:
Two of the infected were sent from Syria to a hosptial in Ghazi Antab in Turkey for further examination to only be transferred to another hospital in Germany. One of the two already died, since Kuru is 100% fatal. Kuru is contagious and has symptoms of skin ulcers and worms, and according to a piece on the New York Times,
Moreover, the Free Syrian Army said they will be doing an investigation on the cannibalism case, and this sparks a hunch as to what their intentions are behind this.
Overall, there are 8 to 20 cases of Kuru in Syria; Kuru strictly is caused by cannibalism, and cannibalism was involved from the report on what took place in the German hospital.
In past studies, it was established that in the area of Fore in Paupa New Guinea, Kuru was transmitted due to “ritualistic mortuary cannibalism.”
It is quite possible that this is what commenced the infection, in that the jihadists began to eat the flesh of their enemies.
Cannibalism is not beyond the nature of the Muslim rebels, here is a video of a Syrian jihadist eating a lung:
Its called Kuru, an extremely rare disease which virtually became extinct after extinguishing cannibalism in Papua New Guinea. Amazingly Kuru has now been found in 8 to 20 people, out of all places, in war-torn Syria, and the only way it could have come about, doctors confirmed, is through cannibalism and the consumption of human brain, as first reported by Arabian news source Zaman al-Wasal and substantiated by Orient News Television.
Here is a documentary showing the connection between native sorcery, ritualized cannibalism, and its end result, Kuru:
Two of the infected were sent from Syria to a hosptial in Ghazi Antab in Turkey for further examination to only be transferred to another hospital in Germany. One of the two already died, since Kuru is 100% fatal. Kuru is contagious and has symptoms of skin ulcers and worms, and according to a piece on the New York Times,
Kuru is a very rare disease. It is caused by an infectious protein (prion) found in contaminated human brain tissue.
Kuru is found among people from New Guinea who practiced a form of cannibalism in which they ate the brains of dead people as part of a funeral ritual.One of the infected men in the German hospital was confirmed to have eaten human flesh, and he eventually died. When the Turkish hospital was asked on the details of the cannibalism case, they refrained from saying anything.
Moreover, the Free Syrian Army said they will be doing an investigation on the cannibalism case, and this sparks a hunch as to what their intentions are behind this.
Overall, there are 8 to 20 cases of Kuru in Syria; Kuru strictly is caused by cannibalism, and cannibalism was involved from the report on what took place in the German hospital.
In past studies, it was established that in the area of Fore in Paupa New Guinea, Kuru was transmitted due to “ritualistic mortuary cannibalism.”
It is quite possible that this is what commenced the infection, in that the jihadists began to eat the flesh of their enemies.
Cannibalism is not beyond the nature of the Muslim rebels, here is a video of a Syrian jihadist eating a lung:
Muslim Women’s School in South Russia Closed Over Extremism Concerns
The country has been on high alert over terrorism concerns in the run-up to the Winter Olympics and after a recent bus bombing in another southern city, Volgograd. That act is believed to have been perpetrated by a 30-year-old Muslim woman.
The Federal Security Service, a successor of the Soviet KGB, said in a statement that pornographic videos of some of the students in the school were discovered during a raid of the premises.
The school was attended by some 30 to 40 women, and many of them were being groomed to marry men in the restive Russian Caucasus, in particular Dagestan, where the school’s headmaster was from, the statement said.
Is India's Mars mission the latest escalation in Asia's space race?
Hong Kong (CNN) -- A successful mission by India's Mars orbiter would make the country the first Asian nation to reach the Red Planet -- and provide a symbolic coup as neighboring China steps up its ambitions in space.
Tuesday's launch was successful, but the plan to send the Mangalyaan, or "Mars craft," on a 680 million-kilometer journey into Mars' orbit has given further credence to claims of an intensifying -- although officially unacknowledged -- space race developing in Asia, with potentially dangerous ramifications.
"I believe India's leadership sees China's recent accomplishments in space science as a threat to its status in Asia, and feels the need to respond," says Dr James Clay Moltz, professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, who sees increasing competition for space-related power and prestige in Asia that echoes the Cold War space race of the mid-20th century.
While Koppillil Radhakrishnan, the head of India's Space Research Organization, has stressed his country is not engaged in competition with any other nation, the mission -- to put a probe into an elliptical orbit around the red planet, mapping its surface and studying the atmosphere -- has been freighted with patriotic significance since its inception.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the 4.5 billion rupee (US$74 million) mission on India's Independence Day last year, just months after a failed joint mission to Mars by Russia and China -- India's great regional rival for superpower status and the most rapidly accelerating space power. To date, only the U.S., Europe and the Soviets have successfully sent spacecraft to Mars -- Japan's 1998 Nozomi orbiter was also unsuccessful.
But not everyone will be cheering from the sidelines. Economist Dr Jean Dreze of the Delhi School of Economics questions the wisdom of investing resources in a flag-waving trip to Mars when the country faces such pressing development needs at home.
"Much as I admire India's Mars mission as a scientific achievement, I am unable to understand the urgency of getting there," he told CNN. "The country would be better served if the same resources, talent and zeal were focused on public health or solar energy. This is a prime case of trying to climb the ladder from the top."
Even a former head of ISRO, Dr. G Madhavan Nair, has criticized the project as a waste of resources, saying the proposal was half-baked, too expensive and poorly conceived.
He told CNN's sister network CNN-IBN that while he was in favor of exploring Mars, "my contention is that it has to be done properly with complete set of instruments and with proper orbit." The elliptical orbit, which he said would bring the craft within 360km of Mars at its closest point and 80,000km at its furthest, was "the wrong kind of orbit to enable any clear observation of a planet."
"It is not value for money, that's what I feel," he told CNN-IBN. "With regard to priorities, we know there is severe shortage of communication transponders in the country. We need to prioritize that."
So why is India aiming for Mars? For much of its 50-year history, India's space program has prioritized developing technological capacity to help its population, such as improving its telecommunications infrastructure and environmental monitoring with satellites.
Just last month, points out Dr Krishan Lal, Fellow at the Indian National Science Academy, India's satellite network -- one of the largest communications systems in the world -- successfully gave advance warning of a cyclone heading for the eastern seaboard, allowing for the evacuation of about 900,000 people.
But since 2008, when India sent an unmanned probe to the Moon, the focus has shifted away from a utilitarian focus towards exploration.
Radhakrishnan, ISRO chairman, told CNN the mission had several aims, including monitoring the planet for traces of life that may have existed on Mars, but predominantly to demonstrate the technological capability for interplanetary travel. "First and foremost, what we are trying to do is reach there," he said.
Lal said the mission was "primarily about technology proving," and was also a matter of significant national prestige. "It can't be said that it is a scientific issue," he said.
Indeed, any scientific gains from the mission were unlikely to prove "earth-shattering," said Professor Russell Boyce of the Australian Academy of Science, chairman of the National Committee for Space and Radio Science. "It would be a modest scientific gain that's attempted in the first instance, to demonstrate the capability."
Rather, the mission was driven mainly by the desire "to demonstrate they can" -- a projection of India's technological expertise intended to boost its international prestige and credentials as a leading world power.
"It is a way of showing that you should be taken seriously: 'We are growing in status as a major spacefaring nation, which tends to go alongside growing in status as a great nation.'"
And India is particularly motivated to do so at present, argues Moltz, due to regional rival China's rapid ascent as a space power. Since China launched its first manned spacecraft into orbit a decade ago, he believes, Asia has become the epicenter of a new space race, with China, Japan, and then India leading the way, and smaller powers such as South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan beginning to follow suit with ambitions of their own.
This increasing competitiveness, Moltz argues, is fueling regional tensions, and carries with it the risk for potential confrontations and a deepening militarization of space, unless it is accompanied by greater cooperation.
Conceived in the current regional environment, he said, India's Mars mission was "clearly linked to politics and prestige as much as science."
In terms of national security, he said, "India faces a serious challenge from China's rising space capabilities." "It cannot compete with China's vast resources head to head, as it would likely lose any space 'arms race' with Beijing," he said, adding that meant India would have to be "creative in crafting its response to Chinese developments" including potentially forming alliances with other spacefaring powers.
But other observers differ in their assessments. Boyce said that while there had been a rapid acceleration of space activities in the region, "I'd hesitate to call it a space race."
Rather than being fueled by competition, he said, the heightened activity was largely due to an increasing appreciation of the importance to states of space assets and satellite technology. They provided vital functions in areas such as communications, or remote sensing for climate change monitoring, disaster management or resources prospecting.
"There's a growing realization if you're engaged in space, if you have access to space assets and space-based information, then you stand to gain economically, and in terms of prestige as a nation," he said.
The extent to which countries were motivated by pragmatic interest or prestige varied from nation to nation. "For a country like Australia, the space aspirations are extremely pragmatically driven. On the other hand, a country like Malaysia is intent on putting astronauts in space -- that's very prestige-oriented."
Lal also disputed that a space race was occurring, saying his country acknowledged its limitations in being able to compete with superior space powers and was content to play to its technological strengths, including through comparatively low-cost missions like Mangalyaan. "A space race? This is not the right way to look at it. If you look at the technological base of Japan, we are not comparable. In many ways, China has done better than India, we have no issues with that," he said. "We are trying to collaborate, in my opinion."
Tuesday's launch was successful, but the plan to send the Mangalyaan, or "Mars craft," on a 680 million-kilometer journey into Mars' orbit has given further credence to claims of an intensifying -- although officially unacknowledged -- space race developing in Asia, with potentially dangerous ramifications.
"I believe India's leadership sees China's recent accomplishments in space science as a threat to its status in Asia, and feels the need to respond," says Dr James Clay Moltz, professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, who sees increasing competition for space-related power and prestige in Asia that echoes the Cold War space race of the mid-20th century.
While Koppillil Radhakrishnan, the head of India's Space Research Organization, has stressed his country is not engaged in competition with any other nation, the mission -- to put a probe into an elliptical orbit around the red planet, mapping its surface and studying the atmosphere -- has been freighted with patriotic significance since its inception.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the 4.5 billion rupee (US$74 million) mission on India's Independence Day last year, just months after a failed joint mission to Mars by Russia and China -- India's great regional rival for superpower status and the most rapidly accelerating space power. To date, only the U.S., Europe and the Soviets have successfully sent spacecraft to Mars -- Japan's 1998 Nozomi orbiter was also unsuccessful.
But not everyone will be cheering from the sidelines. Economist Dr Jean Dreze of the Delhi School of Economics questions the wisdom of investing resources in a flag-waving trip to Mars when the country faces such pressing development needs at home.
"Much as I admire India's Mars mission as a scientific achievement, I am unable to understand the urgency of getting there," he told CNN. "The country would be better served if the same resources, talent and zeal were focused on public health or solar energy. This is a prime case of trying to climb the ladder from the top."
Even a former head of ISRO, Dr. G Madhavan Nair, has criticized the project as a waste of resources, saying the proposal was half-baked, too expensive and poorly conceived.
He told CNN's sister network CNN-IBN that while he was in favor of exploring Mars, "my contention is that it has to be done properly with complete set of instruments and with proper orbit." The elliptical orbit, which he said would bring the craft within 360km of Mars at its closest point and 80,000km at its furthest, was "the wrong kind of orbit to enable any clear observation of a planet."
"It is not value for money, that's what I feel," he told CNN-IBN. "With regard to priorities, we know there is severe shortage of communication transponders in the country. We need to prioritize that."
So why is India aiming for Mars? For much of its 50-year history, India's space program has prioritized developing technological capacity to help its population, such as improving its telecommunications infrastructure and environmental monitoring with satellites.
Just last month, points out Dr Krishan Lal, Fellow at the Indian National Science Academy, India's satellite network -- one of the largest communications systems in the world -- successfully gave advance warning of a cyclone heading for the eastern seaboard, allowing for the evacuation of about 900,000 people.
But since 2008, when India sent an unmanned probe to the Moon, the focus has shifted away from a utilitarian focus towards exploration.
Radhakrishnan, ISRO chairman, told CNN the mission had several aims, including monitoring the planet for traces of life that may have existed on Mars, but predominantly to demonstrate the technological capability for interplanetary travel. "First and foremost, what we are trying to do is reach there," he said.
Lal said the mission was "primarily about technology proving," and was also a matter of significant national prestige. "It can't be said that it is a scientific issue," he said.
Indeed, any scientific gains from the mission were unlikely to prove "earth-shattering," said Professor Russell Boyce of the Australian Academy of Science, chairman of the National Committee for Space and Radio Science. "It would be a modest scientific gain that's attempted in the first instance, to demonstrate the capability."
Rather, the mission was driven mainly by the desire "to demonstrate they can" -- a projection of India's technological expertise intended to boost its international prestige and credentials as a leading world power.
"It is a way of showing that you should be taken seriously: 'We are growing in status as a major spacefaring nation, which tends to go alongside growing in status as a great nation.'"
And India is particularly motivated to do so at present, argues Moltz, due to regional rival China's rapid ascent as a space power. Since China launched its first manned spacecraft into orbit a decade ago, he believes, Asia has become the epicenter of a new space race, with China, Japan, and then India leading the way, and smaller powers such as South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan beginning to follow suit with ambitions of their own.
This increasing competitiveness, Moltz argues, is fueling regional tensions, and carries with it the risk for potential confrontations and a deepening militarization of space, unless it is accompanied by greater cooperation.
Conceived in the current regional environment, he said, India's Mars mission was "clearly linked to politics and prestige as much as science."
In terms of national security, he said, "India faces a serious challenge from China's rising space capabilities." "It cannot compete with China's vast resources head to head, as it would likely lose any space 'arms race' with Beijing," he said, adding that meant India would have to be "creative in crafting its response to Chinese developments" including potentially forming alliances with other spacefaring powers.
But other observers differ in their assessments. Boyce said that while there had been a rapid acceleration of space activities in the region, "I'd hesitate to call it a space race."
Rather than being fueled by competition, he said, the heightened activity was largely due to an increasing appreciation of the importance to states of space assets and satellite technology. They provided vital functions in areas such as communications, or remote sensing for climate change monitoring, disaster management or resources prospecting.
"There's a growing realization if you're engaged in space, if you have access to space assets and space-based information, then you stand to gain economically, and in terms of prestige as a nation," he said.
The extent to which countries were motivated by pragmatic interest or prestige varied from nation to nation. "For a country like Australia, the space aspirations are extremely pragmatically driven. On the other hand, a country like Malaysia is intent on putting astronauts in space -- that's very prestige-oriented."
Lal also disputed that a space race was occurring, saying his country acknowledged its limitations in being able to compete with superior space powers and was content to play to its technological strengths, including through comparatively low-cost missions like Mangalyaan. "A space race? This is not the right way to look at it. If you look at the technological base of Japan, we are not comparable. In many ways, China has done better than India, we have no issues with that," he said. "We are trying to collaborate, in my opinion."
Greedy or gullible?
The British investors who claim that they are the victims of a fraudulent business deal, allegedly perpetrated by a former Umno Baru treasurer, now know how the rest of Malaysia feels.
Calling themselves the British Victims of Investing in Malaysia (BVIM), they staged two protests outside London’s Excel Centre to urge Najib Abdul Razak to speed up the investigation into their plight.
It is a staggering loss for the investors who were defrauded of several millions of ringgit. Some of them lost their life savings.
For decades, many Malaysians have lost their livelihoods, their way of life and for those who were denied an education, their futures. Many have also paid with their lives, including one Mongolian model who was brutally murdered. Malaysians feel betrayed by a government which professes to look after their interests, but is self-serving.
The BVIM saga started in 2008, when the investors were allegedly approached by a representative from Doxport Technologies Sdn Bhd, whose chairperson and director, at the time, was the Umno Baru treasurer Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi.In late 2008 and early 2009, the BVIM invested US$4 million in Doxport Technologies, to purchase six VOIP Telecom switches and equity in the company.
By 2011, having discovered that the switches were not operating in Malaysia and with no return on their investments, the BVIM lodged reports with the police, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commissions (MCMC) and the Company Commissions Malaysia (CCM). They alleged that Doxport had used fraudulent invoices and documents to misappropriate the funds.
To date, only one suspect has been interviewed by the police and the Money Laundering Investigation Division has shown little vigour in pursuing the allegation.
Like the BVIM, many Malaysians are frustrated that the avenues for recourse are limited and constrained by political machinations. Many people do not trust the police and others believe that justice only benefits the highest bidder. In a climate of fear and mistrust, Malaysians are resigned to suffering in silence. It is high time they became more vocal.
The BVIM and overseas Malaysians are able to organise demonstrations, but many Malaysians in their homeland do not have that privilege. If they were to attend a march, they may face water cannons, tear gas, beatings and arrest. The Penans of Sarawak fare worse and are often subjected to violent retaliation. In the isolated interior, their plight is highlighted only if people are brave enough to smuggle their story to the outside world.Malaysians joining protests in overseas locations face subtle intimidation, with Special Branch operatives masquerading as protesters, collating information, whilst their colleagues take videos and snapshots of the participants. ‘Big Brother’ Malaysia-style is well and truly alive. It is a mockery for Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to tell his counterparts not to spy on their “friends”.
The plight of the BVIM raises many questions. How were these victims defrauded? Why did they part with their money, so easily? At least one man lost his life savings. Another was enchanted by his experience on a package holiday to Malaysia, and he, too, fell for the investment scam.
It reminds one of the tragic tales of lonely middle-aged women who go on holiday, and are seduced by attentive suitors, on the beach. They marry and find that they are later fleeced of their life savings.
‘Conmen target greedy people’
Some people have little sympathy for the BVIM and feel that they deserved their fate. One cynic said, “Experienced conmen know that honest people are not vulnerable. The conmen target greedy people who want to make a fast buck. They fall for the promise of wealth beyond their dreams.”
The BVIM are not the first, nor will they be the last, to be swindled by Malaysian con artists, who mask themselves with a veneer of respectability, to dupe people into parting with their money. They know that first impressions of status and power count.
Will the full story of this alleged fraud ever be known? In our experience, financial abuses or corrupt practices which involve Umno Baru are immediately swept under the carpet.
In several instances, the case was closed because of “lack of evidence”. People in positions of responsibility are found “not guilty”, as in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) fiasco. In many cases, junior officials are made to be the patsies, then prosecuted and jailed. After a young Mongolian model was murdered, her alleged assailants spent time in jail but were later released.Does anyone remember the Maminco Tin scandal of the 80s? Or the Perwaja Steel fiasco a decade later? How about the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) fraud of 2011? Or the Genneva gold scandal; the business was launched with much pomp by an ex-PM.
When a court case seems to be going well, there will often be a sudden out-of-court settlement and the villain will escape public scrutiny, to prevent the full extent of the crime from being exposed. This is exactly what happened when a member of the rakyat alleged that the home Minister, Zahid Hamidi, had grievously assaulted him.
In Malaysia, the paper trail in the misappropriation of hundreds of millions of ringgits, is invariably alleged to lead to Umno Baru men and their cronies.
The BVIM have met Najib and some cabinet ministers, and they have the support of several MPs in Britain. Lord Ahmed of Rotherham pleaded with Najib on behalf of the BVIM, but Lord Ahmed is a man with a tainted past. He was jailed when he ran over and killed a man, whilst driving on the motorway and sending a text message. The British papers are full of stories of his other indiscretions.
If memory serves this writer well, this is the same Lord Ahmed who invited Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to the House of Lords in 2010.
Only the naïve would think that the Malaysian and British MPs will move heaven and earth to force Najib to pressure the police, the MCMC and the CCM to investigate and prosecute. The British MPs would rather fete Najib, to entice him into investing millions of ringgits of the taxpayers’ money in England; money which comes from Felda, EPF and other GLCs.
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).
'End race, religion-based political parties, associations'
"The time has come for all racial parties to be deregistered, including PAS unfortunately. We have to be practical if we want a united country.
"It's very dangerous to allow political parties and professional organisations that are based on race or religion," Karpal told a press conference in Penang today.
He was lashing out at the statement by Muslim Lawyers Association president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar threatening the Bar Council if it supported Catholic newspaper The Herald in relation to the ban on using the word ‘Allah'.
He said the Muslim Lawyers Association should not have been allowed to be registered in the first place, since the Bar Council was open to all lawyers, regardless of their religion.
"Such associations are just troublemakers. The government should not allow them to operate," Karpal said.
- Bernama
Sothi goes for MIC veep post
S Sothinathan, a former deputy minister, said because he had been away from mainstream politics for sometime, there were many hurdles to cross.
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC Central Working Committee member S. Sothinathan put to rest speculations when he announced his decision to contest the post of vice-president in the MIC elections on Nov 30.
He said he arrived at the decision after discussing with party president G. Palanivel, grassroots leaders and the public.
“My agenda is to serve the Indian community through the MIC. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen MIC’s unity and the community, to make sure it returns to its glory days.
“It is not a difficult task if we put our minds together,” he told a press conference here today.
The former natural resources and environment deputy minister said he needed to position himself in the party because after “being away” from mainstream politics over the past few years, there were many hurdles he had to face.
Holding previous posts such as (MIC) secretary-general for six years (2000-2006) and vice-president (2006-2009) in the party, Sothinathan, 53, believed his vast experience would bring about wisdom as to what was right for the party and community.
The post is expected to be contested by eight other candidates.
Meanwhile, MIC Youth secretary C. Sivarraajh announced his intention to contest the post of Youth chief during the wing’s elections on Nov 16.
He said his decision was based on his contributions to the party, vast experience and backing from supporters.
Sivarraajh is Special Officer (I) to Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Also announcing his candidacy was MIC Youth legal bureau head R. Thinalan.
Thinalan is contesting the post of MIC Youth deputy chief.
On the duo’s vision and mission for MIC Youth, Sivarraajh said: “We want to go beyond the temple and schools issues.
“Our priority is the economy issue and Indian community empowerment because the core reason behind gangsterism is economy.
“ Meanwhile, Thinalan said he was committed to work hard for MIC Youth in the coming years as youth or young voters will make up a big percentage in the 14th General Election.
The MIC Youth and Wanita MIC will hold their respective elections on Nov 16, with nominations fixed on Nov 8.
-Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC Central Working Committee member S. Sothinathan put to rest speculations when he announced his decision to contest the post of vice-president in the MIC elections on Nov 30.He said he arrived at the decision after discussing with party president G. Palanivel, grassroots leaders and the public.
“My agenda is to serve the Indian community through the MIC. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen MIC’s unity and the community, to make sure it returns to its glory days.
“It is not a difficult task if we put our minds together,” he told a press conference here today.
The former natural resources and environment deputy minister said he needed to position himself in the party because after “being away” from mainstream politics over the past few years, there were many hurdles he had to face.
Holding previous posts such as (MIC) secretary-general for six years (2000-2006) and vice-president (2006-2009) in the party, Sothinathan, 53, believed his vast experience would bring about wisdom as to what was right for the party and community.
The post is expected to be contested by eight other candidates.
Meanwhile, MIC Youth secretary C. Sivarraajh announced his intention to contest the post of Youth chief during the wing’s elections on Nov 16.
He said his decision was based on his contributions to the party, vast experience and backing from supporters.
Sivarraajh is Special Officer (I) to Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Also announcing his candidacy was MIC Youth legal bureau head R. Thinalan.
Thinalan is contesting the post of MIC Youth deputy chief.
On the duo’s vision and mission for MIC Youth, Sivarraajh said: “We want to go beyond the temple and schools issues.
“Our priority is the economy issue and Indian community empowerment because the core reason behind gangsterism is economy.
“ Meanwhile, Thinalan said he was committed to work hard for MIC Youth in the coming years as youth or young voters will make up a big percentage in the 14th General Election.
The MIC Youth and Wanita MIC will hold their respective elections on Nov 16, with nominations fixed on Nov 8.
-Bernama
After ‘Allah’ rebuff, Karpal demands de-registration of Muslim groups and political parties
(MM) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh said today all religious and race-based professional or political bodies should be de-registered, singling out the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA) as an example.The vocal politician said the MLA should not have been allowed to be formed in the first place as the existing Bar Council was already an adequate professional body that represents all lawyers in the country.
“The Bar Council represents all lawyers in the country, the government should not allow a professional body to operate based on religious lines such as the MLA,” he said in a press conference at Air Itam here today.
He said MLA’s registration should be revoked, insisting it was a serious matter that Muslim lawyers are allowed to form separate associations based on religion.
“We don’t want a situation where others want to do the same, we don’t want a Hindu Lawyers Association or a Buddhist Lawyers Association,” he said.
The Bukit Gelugor MP claimed that even Muslim lawyers do not support MLA as it was purportedly an association set up by just a handful of troublemakers.
His criticisms against MLA today come in light of the association’s recent threat against the Malaysian Bar Council when it warned the body against backing Catholic weekly Herald’s appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling that banned it from using the word “Allah”.
MLA president Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar had cautioned the Bar Council against taking a partisan stand in the spat that is deepening a gulf in multi-religious Malaysia.
He reminded the Bar Council that the majority of its members were Muslims, and stressed that the views of a “few scattered Muslim members” in support of the Church did not represent the sentiments of its mainstream that number in the “thousands”.
“The Muslim Lawyers Association, whose considerable members are also members of the Malaysian Bar, wholeheartedly supports the decision of the Court of Appeal.
“Our Association strongly oppose [sic] any partisan action by the Bar Council over the issue,” he said in a statement.
“The Bar Council should lodge a police report against MLA for issuing this threat and not be intimidated by them,” he said.
Responding yesterday, the Bar Council urged the authorities to stop turning a blind eye to threats after a Muslim law group warned it against backing the Catholic Church’s court appeal for the right to call God “Allah”.
Council president Christopher Leong also stressed that the Malaysian Bar and the Bar Council are secular bodies that are not partial to any religious beliefs.
“It unfortunately appears that some parties or segments of our society deem it appropriate to resort to issuing threats or fear-mongering as a means of getting their way,” Leong said in a statement today.
“The Malaysian authorities for their part should cease pandering to, or legitimising such practices, as it only serves to encourage those who resort to threats or violence as a means of getting their way or silencing others. Such behaviour also seeks to stifle discourse, growth and understanding,” he added.
Apart from the MLA, Karpal added today that all other political and professional bodies that operate along religious or racial lines should also be de-registered.
“Such organisations operating along religious and racial lines is dangerous for a multi-racial society and a threat to unity,” he said.
“Unfortunately, this includes PAS but they have taken the first step by setting up a unit for non-Muslim supporters,” he said.
This means Umno, MCA and MIC, and all Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties that are race-based, should also be de-registered, he said.
On whether this was against freedom of association, Karpal said freedom of association doesn’t mean racist associations can be set up as there should be certain limits in place.
Defeat for Malaysia’s Mahathir?
A seemingly obscure state by-election in Kedah yesterday may have signaled the cresting of the influence of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who put all of his resources and those of his son, Mukhriz, into a vain effort to defeat the Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia candidate.
The 49-year-old Mukhriz, elected chief minister of the conservative, Malay-dominated northern state in May national elections, made the attempt to wrest the district from PAS into a personal battle by offering to become an “honorary assemblyman” for the constituency. His 88-year-old father stumped the district energetically for the Barisan candidate, visiting party leaders including those from PAS in the attempt to take the seat. The Barisan Nasional shuttled in cabinet ministers including United Malays National Organization Deputy President Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy prime minister, and others, to walk the precincts.
It was estimated by PAS officials that the Barisan dumped RM15 million (US$4.72 million) on the district, with about 25,000 voters, in the form of government grants to schools and mosques and other largesse, including selling rice, sugar and other commodities at a fraction of their true value, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based news website Malaysian Insider.
Nonetheless, PAS’s Mohamad Azam Abdul Samat outpolled the UMNO candidate, Ahmad Sohaimi, by 12,069 votes to Ahmad’s 10,975. The seat had been previously held by the late former Kedah chief minister, Mohamad Azam, who died recently after having won five straight elections since 1995 in the constituency.
Given the amount of resources thrown at the effort, political analysts were calling the defeat the second one for Mahathir after failing to demonstrate enough clout to deliver Mukhriz to a seat as one of UMNO’s three vice presidents in elections held in October, an indication that his power to influence the party is waning despite his continuing popularity with the rank and file.
Mukhriz harbors ambitions of following his father’s footsteps eventually into the premiership and his father harbors ambitions of getting him there. However, in previous party elections, he lost his campaign to become head of the youth wing to Khairy Jamaluddin, Abdullah Badawi’s son in law, who is now a close ally of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. With these two defeats, Malaysia’s legions of news sites, many of them aligned with the opposition, have sprouted doubts about his abilities.
Mukhriz himself said he accepted the voters’ decision, but pointed out that the ruling coalition had cut seriously into PAS’s majority since the May 5 general election.
Mahathir left the premiership in 2003 – 10 years ago— after ruling the country for 22 years but has remained a prominent and troublesome critic of his successors, playing a major role in driving Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from the job in 2009. Last week, he blasted the current one, Najib Tun Razak, although not by name, alleging that millions had been spent in the effort to keep Mukhriz from the vice presidency in favor of the three incumbents, who have been labeled a part of “Team Najib.”
Bloggers connected to Mahathir have continued scathing criticism of Najib, although the former prime minister hasn’t yet unleashed public criticisms of the current premier as he did with Badawi. UMNO is to hold its annual general meeting on the week of December 2-7. Although some observers expect fireworks, others say Mahathir’s campaign against Najib is more muted since his wing of the party holds none of the top leadership positions.
“It’s very clear that Dr M’s influence is waning, or has been overrated,” said a veteran Kuala Lumpur-based UMNO figure. “A Kedah UMNO MP called me to tell me results. He said If Mahathir hadn’t come to campaign, we would have had a better chance. But, he added, it’s too early to count Mukhriz out although he has been hurt by the loss.
Kedah was Mahathir’s home base. He was born in the state and worked there as a doctor before he went into politics. He is also remembered, however, for his scorched-earth criticisms of fundamentalist Islam in an area that has long been a fundamentalist stronghold.
A source in the Mahathir wing of the denied that the loss of the seat diminished the former prime minister’s stature. “This is a PAS stronghold,” he said. “They won with a reduced majority. That is not good for PAS.” Mahathir, he said, remains a force despite having been retired for more than a decade.
In any case, it is clear that the Barisan pulled out all the stops in the effort to take the seat, throwing in enormous resources in the attempt to wrest the seat from PAS, seemingly an unwinnable task from the start.
Asked why Mukhriz would risk his personal prestige on a basically unwinnable seat, the source in the Mahathir wing of the party said “He had to. He’s the chief minister. It’s an election.”
The Barisan Nasional continues to hold a 21-seat majority in the 36-member state assembly.
BN Machinery Should Not Be Disappointed With Sungai Limau By-election Results - Muhyiddin
From Nurulhuda Che Das
PARIS, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery should not be disappointed with the results of the Sungai Limau state by-election as despite the loss, the majority votes obtained by the opposition had been reduced, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"I wish to thank the entire BN machinery for their hardwork in Sungai Limau and despite not winning, we managed to reduce PAS' majority.
"This means, efforts undertaken by all party leaders and machinery have increased the support of voters for the BN," he told Malaysian journalists here Tuesday.
He said BN members at all levels should take lessons from the defeat and be prepared to work even harder in the future.
"The area, despite being touted as a PAS stronghold, has been penetrated by BN, and I am confident that a larger portion of those who gave us their votes were fence-sitters who may have supported the opposition but are drawn to us, this time around," he noted.
Muhyiddin said the support of the Chinese community in the area had also improved as compared to the general election in May, based on the results of the Polling District Centre (PDM).
"I am confident that during our campaign, we managed to repel all sorts of propaganda and attacks made by the opponents on national issues, that BN is corrupt or the growing inflation, and so on.
"Some of the issues relating to the 2014 Budget have been explained but I believe we need to continue the effort as the situation could change in future," he added.
He said BN might need to look at the aspect of campaign effectiveness and study the capability of the machinery, including from the angle of logistics, information and so on, in a by-election post-mortem.
On the performance of Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir, he said according to a report he received, voter acceptance of Mukhriz was excellent.
"They saw him as a young leader, friendly to the people and he also reached out to the grassroots, and villagers. I believe he could also look at development in the state," he said.
Muhyiddin said, what had been promised during and after the by-election by both the federal and state governments, should be implemented.
"I did not say the promises were conditional, whatever we have announced, we will carry them out," he added.
He did not deny the influence of the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak (former Kedah menteri besar) was still strong in the area.
"But it was inevitable that the PAS leader still has a hold over the people but I do not think it will continue as we have managed to chip away their majority," he noted.
PAS retained the Sungai Limau seat with a reduced majority of more than half in the by-election yesterday.
BN candidate Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who obtained 10,985 votes, lost to Mohd Azam Abd Samat by a 1,084 majority. The PAS candidate received 12,069 votes.
In the 13th General Election in May, (former Kedah menteri besar) Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak (PAS) won the state seat in a four-cornered fight, with a majority of 2,774 votes.
Muhyiddin is currently in the French capital for a five-day working visit to attend the 37th United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) General Conference, beginning today.
PARIS, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery should not be disappointed with the results of the Sungai Limau state by-election as despite the loss, the majority votes obtained by the opposition had been reduced, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"I wish to thank the entire BN machinery for their hardwork in Sungai Limau and despite not winning, we managed to reduce PAS' majority.
"This means, efforts undertaken by all party leaders and machinery have increased the support of voters for the BN," he told Malaysian journalists here Tuesday.
He said BN members at all levels should take lessons from the defeat and be prepared to work even harder in the future.
"The area, despite being touted as a PAS stronghold, has been penetrated by BN, and I am confident that a larger portion of those who gave us their votes were fence-sitters who may have supported the opposition but are drawn to us, this time around," he noted.
Muhyiddin said the support of the Chinese community in the area had also improved as compared to the general election in May, based on the results of the Polling District Centre (PDM).
"I am confident that during our campaign, we managed to repel all sorts of propaganda and attacks made by the opponents on national issues, that BN is corrupt or the growing inflation, and so on.
"Some of the issues relating to the 2014 Budget have been explained but I believe we need to continue the effort as the situation could change in future," he added.
He said BN might need to look at the aspect of campaign effectiveness and study the capability of the machinery, including from the angle of logistics, information and so on, in a by-election post-mortem.
On the performance of Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir, he said according to a report he received, voter acceptance of Mukhriz was excellent.
"They saw him as a young leader, friendly to the people and he also reached out to the grassroots, and villagers. I believe he could also look at development in the state," he said.
Muhyiddin said, what had been promised during and after the by-election by both the federal and state governments, should be implemented.
"I did not say the promises were conditional, whatever we have announced, we will carry them out," he added.
He did not deny the influence of the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak (former Kedah menteri besar) was still strong in the area.
"But it was inevitable that the PAS leader still has a hold over the people but I do not think it will continue as we have managed to chip away their majority," he noted.
PAS retained the Sungai Limau seat with a reduced majority of more than half in the by-election yesterday.
BN candidate Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who obtained 10,985 votes, lost to Mohd Azam Abd Samat by a 1,084 majority. The PAS candidate received 12,069 votes.
In the 13th General Election in May, (former Kedah menteri besar) Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak (PAS) won the state seat in a four-cornered fight, with a majority of 2,774 votes.
Muhyiddin is currently in the French capital for a five-day working visit to attend the 37th United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) General Conference, beginning today.
Rich Hindu? So extort
His refusal led to attack on Hindus by Jamaat-BNP men in Pabna
M Abul Kalam Azad and Ahmed Humayun Kabi Topu, Pabna
Extortionists, mostly belonging to the BNP and Jamaat, had planned to frame Hindu schoolboy Rajib Saha in Pabna for maligning Islam after his businessman father refused to pay them.Rajib’s father Babul Saha, a leading trader in Bonogram bazaar, has two grocery shops with warehouses. He had been paying the youths regularly until June when they demanded Tk 2 lakh.
On Saturday morning, the youths went to his house looking for Rajib but found only his mother. They then went to Babul’s shop.“Around 9:00am, Manik, Khokon and a few others came to my shop. One of them showed me something on his cellphone and said my son had maligned the Prophet. They asked me to bring my son or face dire consequences,” Babul told The Daily Star yesterday.Babul, who is now under Ataikula police custody for safety, said he did not understand what his son had actually done.
According to locals, Khokon is a supporter of BNP and Manik belongs to Jamaat. Selim Khan, leaderof Ataikula union BNP and defeated chairman candidate of union parishad election in 2011, was backing the extortionists.
Sources also said a few Awami League men had links with the youths.
The group chose Saturday as it was the weekly market day at Bonogram in Santhia upazila. It was also the occasion of Kali Puja.
Around 10:00am, some unidentified people started distributing photocopies of what they said was a “Facebook page”, claiming Rajib had defamed Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in a post.
Jamaat-Shibir supporters began agitating around 11:00am. An announcement from the loudspeaker of the bazaar mosque did the rest. Hundreds of people came out clamouring for Rajib’s “execution”.
The youths were waiting for this. They and their men attacked Sahapara and Ghoshpara simultaneously, vandalising and looting around 100 houses from around 12:30pm to 3:00pm.
Locals alleged when a mob started to wreck the houses in the two Hindu villages, law enforcers were busy trying to confront agitating mobs blockading the Dhaka-Pabna highway.
Anil Kumar Sarker of Sahapara said a gang of 10 to 12 youths, armed with sticks, stormed his house around 12:30pm. They left hurriedly after vandalism.
“As soon as they left, I phoned Pabna Superintendent of Police Sirajuddin Ahmed and told him what was happening,” he said. The SP told him, “Police have been mobilised to tackle the situation.”
Anil then rang Deputy Commissioner Ashraf Uddin.
“The DC asked me if I have contacted the SP and when I said yes, he assured me that the SP would take care of the problem.”
Around 1:30pm, over 50 unruly people attacked Anil’s house again.
“At that time I took refuge in the attic with my family and watched through a crack the men ravaging my already-damaged house. Then they set ablaze the idols inside the family temple,” he added.
“It was the day of our Kali Puja and the village was in a festive mood. Suddenly all hell broke loose leaving us shaken to the core.”
There was no trace of police until 2:30pm when a team of four cops arrived leisurely at Sahapara. “The policemen went around the village and left in about 10 minutes, since then none of the law enforcers have come to see us,” said Anil.
Sukumar Biswas of Ghoshpara said ten to twelve marauding groups, mostly youths, created panic by screaming as they rampaged through the village. “They stole gold ornaments and cash and destroyed our refrigerator, TV, computer, beds, tables, utensils and what not.”
A trail of destruction can be seen throughout the villages.
The areas have maintained communal harmony since the independence despite being dominated by Jamaat-e-Islami, a party historically known for practising communal politics.
Eighty-year-old Bishnu Priya Saha said she was born at Sahapara and lived all her life there but never imagined she would see this day. “Here we, the Hindus and Muslims, are living like brothers and sisters for generations.”
Meanwhile, local administration organised a solidarity meeting on the bazaar mosque premises to quell tension and distributed cash, rice and corrugated tin sheets to the victims.
Asked why police failed to protect the Hindu houses, DC Ashraf Uddin claimed forces reached the scene when mob blockaded the road and tried to quell the situation.
OC Rezaul Karim of Ataikula Police Station said they were not informed of the attacks and looting immediately. “My limited force was busy controlling the mob on the highway.”
Police arrested Rezaul Karim of Gaurigram after filing a case in the evening against twenty named and more than a hundred unnamed people.
Contacted, BNP leader Selim said his political rivals were bringing false allegation against him.
M Abul Kalam Azad and Ahmed Humayun Kabi Topu, Pabna
Idols
lay in ruins after a mob attacked Hindu temples and homes in Bonogram
of Pabna on Saturday. The pack also stormed houses and vandalized them,
inset. Photo: Star
On Saturday morning, the youths went to his house looking for Rajib but found only his mother. They then went to Babul’s shop.“Around 9:00am, Manik, Khokon and a few others came to my shop. One of them showed me something on his cellphone and said my son had maligned the Prophet. They asked me to bring my son or face dire consequences,” Babul told The Daily Star yesterday.Babul, who is now under Ataikula police custody for safety, said he did not understand what his son had actually done.
According to locals, Khokon is a supporter of BNP and Manik belongs to Jamaat. Selim Khan, leaderof Ataikula union BNP and defeated chairman candidate of union parishad election in 2011, was backing the extortionists.Sources also said a few Awami League men had links with the youths.
The group chose Saturday as it was the weekly market day at Bonogram in Santhia upazila. It was also the occasion of Kali Puja.
Around 10:00am, some unidentified people started distributing photocopies of what they said was a “Facebook page”, claiming Rajib had defamed Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in a post.
Jamaat-Shibir supporters began agitating around 11:00am. An announcement from the loudspeaker of the bazaar mosque did the rest. Hundreds of people came out clamouring for Rajib’s “execution”.
The youths were waiting for this. They and their men attacked Sahapara and Ghoshpara simultaneously, vandalising and looting around 100 houses from around 12:30pm to 3:00pm.
Locals alleged when a mob started to wreck the houses in the two Hindu villages, law enforcers were busy trying to confront agitating mobs blockading the Dhaka-Pabna highway.
Anil Kumar Sarker of Sahapara said a gang of 10 to 12 youths, armed with sticks, stormed his house around 12:30pm. They left hurriedly after vandalism.
“As soon as they left, I phoned Pabna Superintendent of Police Sirajuddin Ahmed and told him what was happening,” he said. The SP told him, “Police have been mobilised to tackle the situation.”
Anil then rang Deputy Commissioner Ashraf Uddin.
“The DC asked me if I have contacted the SP and when I said yes, he assured me that the SP would take care of the problem.”
Around 1:30pm, over 50 unruly people attacked Anil’s house again.
“At that time I took refuge in the attic with my family and watched through a crack the men ravaging my already-damaged house. Then they set ablaze the idols inside the family temple,” he added.
“It was the day of our Kali Puja and the village was in a festive mood. Suddenly all hell broke loose leaving us shaken to the core.”
There was no trace of police until 2:30pm when a team of four cops arrived leisurely at Sahapara. “The policemen went around the village and left in about 10 minutes, since then none of the law enforcers have come to see us,” said Anil.
Sukumar Biswas of Ghoshpara said ten to twelve marauding groups, mostly youths, created panic by screaming as they rampaged through the village. “They stole gold ornaments and cash and destroyed our refrigerator, TV, computer, beds, tables, utensils and what not.”
A trail of destruction can be seen throughout the villages.
The areas have maintained communal harmony since the independence despite being dominated by Jamaat-e-Islami, a party historically known for practising communal politics.
Eighty-year-old Bishnu Priya Saha said she was born at Sahapara and lived all her life there but never imagined she would see this day. “Here we, the Hindus and Muslims, are living like brothers and sisters for generations.”
Meanwhile, local administration organised a solidarity meeting on the bazaar mosque premises to quell tension and distributed cash, rice and corrugated tin sheets to the victims.
Asked why police failed to protect the Hindu houses, DC Ashraf Uddin claimed forces reached the scene when mob blockaded the road and tried to quell the situation.
OC Rezaul Karim of Ataikula Police Station said they were not informed of the attacks and looting immediately. “My limited force was busy controlling the mob on the highway.”
Police arrested Rezaul Karim of Gaurigram after filing a case in the evening against twenty named and more than a hundred unnamed people.
Contacted, BNP leader Selim said his political rivals were bringing false allegation against him.
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