Indian jihadist calls for attacks on non-Muslims

Henri Rose Cimatu

An Indian Jihadist operating out of Pakistan has made a call to "kill an American or European, whether French or Australian or Canadian, or other unbelievers who have declared war on the Islamic State."

Ansar al-Tawhid fi'Bilad al-Hind, Indian jihadists based in Pakistan's northwest border area called on supporters to attack non-Muslims in the region, in an online Eid message on October 4, The Indian Express reported.

The call was delivered by 39-year-old Maulana Abdul Rehman al-Nadwi al-Hindi.
Indian security analysts say Maulana Abdul Rehman is a pseudonym for fugitive jihadist Sultan Abdul Kadir Armar.

The Indian Express reported in August that Armar delivered his first call for Indian Muslims to join the global jihad.

In his words, he encouraged the Muslim community to take the "Quran in one hand and the sword in the other, and head to the fields of jihad."

Now through a 30-minute video, Armar has directed the Muslims to "kill the mushrik (those who practice idolatory) wherever you find them... shoot them if you can, stab them, throw stones at their heads, poison them, run them over, burn their fields - and if you are unable... spit in their faces,"

He specifically instructed that they should target the "security forces, the agents, and the helpers of the oppressors."

He also likened the blood of an unbeliever to the blood of the dog as it is permitted to spill the blood of civilians and soldiers.

In the speech, Armar also pledged loyalty to jihadist leader Ibrahim al-Awwad al-Badri, acknowledging his status as self-proclaimed Caliph, or ruler of all Muslims in the Islamic State.

Meanwhile, Ajay Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi told Reuters news agency, "There is no doubt that the radicalisation process has begun in different parts of the country. Islamic fundamentalists are seeking to indoctrinate Indian Muslims."

The Indian jihadists have been involved in various attacks against Western nationals like the suicide bombing of Glasgow airport in 2007 and the September 2010 Indian Mujahideen attack outside Delhi's Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India.

Public varsities given time to implement English entry test, says ministry – Bernama

Public universities will be given sufficient time to introduce the new conditions for the Malaysian University English Test (Muet) next year.

Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan (pic) said the ministry would give public universities sufficient time to make full preparations to implement the new requirements.

"We will give public universities sufficient opportunity and time to implement the decision (new condition for Muet requirements).

"Public universities should not see the upgrading of the Muet grades as a burden," he told Bernama after attending the graduation ceremony of Form Five students of the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Damansara Utama today.

He was commenting on worries voiced by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak that the new requirements would result in a shortage of students to fill the places in several areas of study offered by local universities.

Kamalanathan said public universities should not worry about the new Muet requirements because the ministry would continue to work hard to help students equip themselves with a command of English before enrolling into the universities.

"We will not leave them on their own and the ministry will do whatever is needed to help them improve their English, even at the school level.

"This is the ministry's responsibility. We will work with public universities and secondary schools on ways to improve the standard of English among schoolchildren," he said.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, when tabling Budget 2015 announced that beginning next year, the new minimum entry requirement for public universities, previously at Band 1, was now Band 2 for arts and social science studies (graduation requirement of Band 3); science, technology, engineering and mathematics was Band 3 (graduation condition Band 4), while Band 4 was fixed for law and medical studies (graduation condition Band 5). – Bernama, October 17, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/public-varsities-given-time-to-implement-english-entry-test-says-ministry-b#sthash.6GlrVgvR.dpuf

After RM700 million spent, automated traffic enforcement system now useless

Introduced just two years ago, the RM700 million Automated Enforcement System (AES) to nab speeding motorists is now nothing more than a white elephant, unable to fulfil its purpose to prevent speed violations because of pending legal issues.

Summonses are still being issued under the system – nearly RM1.5 million at the latest count – but few people are paying up because a freeze by the Attorney-General on the blacklisting of offenders who don't pay fines in time is still in place.

The Road Transport Department (RTD) revealed that only some 200,000 summonses out of the total have been settled but without the power to blacklist those who don't pay, the AES has become an ineffective tool to prevent speeding violations.

RTD director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider that the AES was still in effect but it was a futile mechanism as long as the freeze stays in place.

"The AES is in operation and we have continued to hand out summonses but there has been no decision from the A-G as yet on whether we can blacklist those who have not paid up within a certain period of time.

"As long as there is no decision on the matter, we cannot blacklist anyone. So this has rendered the AES ineffective," he said.

In the ongoing Parliament sitting, the Transport Ministry recently said in a written reply to Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PAS) that a total of 1,492,084 AES summonses worth RM51.4 million have been issued since its inception on September 23, 2012, until August 31 this year.

Out of that number, a whopping 1,298,015 summonses have not been paid.

The ministry, in its written reply, also said that there were 10 fixed and four mobile AES cameras in operation at 14 accident-prone locations in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Perak.

Under the AES, photographs and video images of vehicles flouting traffic rules are captured, before summonses are issued to the offenders.

Problems arose as police continued their enforcement against speeding motorists in parallel with the privatised AES, causing motorists to complain about being summoned twice. A handful challenged the summonses received under the AES in court, leading to the Attorney-General's order to freeze the blacklisting of offenders.

Ismail said that if traffic offenders who were summoned do not want to pay, there was nothing that the RTD could do.


"We cannot do anything other than keep urging them to pay up. But if they don't, we cannot force them or do anything pending the A-G's decision," he said adding that the RTD was still able to blacklist motorists for other offences not related to the AES.

"We are ready anytime to blacklist offenders under the AES if the A-G gives the go-ahead. But of course, there will be a notice period for motorists to settle their compounds before the blacklisting takes into effect."

The RTD had previously pledged to fix a total of 831 cameras to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths as part of the pilot phase of the AES project implemented in September 2012.

However, three months later, the A-G's Chambers ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to summonses issued under the AES to study legal issues raised following a public outcry.

The prospect of errant motorists being slapped with dual fines cropped up after the police, who enforce speeding laws, said they would continue enforcement and put up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras.

Opposition leaders have also questioned the awarding of the RM700 million AES deal to two firms – ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap – who will be entitled to RM16 for each valid summons for the first five million issued.

It was reported that the remaining revenue will then be split evenly between the two companies and the government up to a cap of RM270 million each.

The firms will each receive 7.5% from the remaining revenue and the government will keep the rest.

Pakatan Rakyat claimed that the companies are linked to the MCA and Umno but this has been vehemently denied.

Last year, the-then acting transport minister Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein announced a 50% discount for the AES summonses, where traffic offenders only had to pay RM150 instead of RM300 for each AES summons if they paid up quickly.

He had also said that a wholly-owned government company, AES Solutions Sdn Bhd, would take over the management of AES from ATES and Beta Tegap. – October 18, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/after-rm700-million-spent-automated-traffic-enforcement-system-now-useless#sthash.nE9izGMn.dpuf

Religious, ethnic hatred top concern of M'sians

Most Malaysians believe that religious and ethnic hatred as a growing threat to the world's future, says a study.

A Pew Research Centre study found that almost 32 percent of Malaysians believe that religious and ethnic hatred will be a burgeoning threat to the world, especially with the conflicts happening in the Middle East.

The study conducted between March and June this year found that more Muslims than followers of other religions in Malaysia cite this as their top concern.

"In Malaysia, Muslims (35 percent) are more concerned than Buddhists (22 percent) about religious and ethnic hatred."

Other than Malaysia, countries like France, United Kingdom, Egypt, Lebanon and Indonesia also rank ethnic and religious hatred as a concern.

Nuclear weapons were listed second on the list of concerns for Malaysians with 22 percent of respondents from the country believing that this, too, is a rising danger around the world.

Pew Research surveyed 48,643 respondents from 44 nations around the world for the survey.

The nations were given the option to select between five concerns: nuclear weapons, pollution, AIDS and other diseases, inequality and religious and ethnic hatred.

Other Asian countries were divided between pollution and environmental problems and nuclear weapons as the greatest concern in the list of threats.

On the other side of the world, most Europeans (32 percent) and Americans (27 percent) were more concerned about inequality as a threat with the increasing gap between the rich and poor

Africans listed AIDS and other infectious diseases top of their list of rising issues in the world with 29 percent of them believing so.

Cops on the lookout for 'topless' women in PD

 

The Negri Sembilan police are tracking down four women who had supposedly sunbathed topless on a beach in Port Dickson.

Sinchew Daily reported today that the police have confirmed receiving a report from the Port Dickson Municipal Council, and are investigating the incident under Section 294(a) of the Penal Code.

The law penalises “whoever, to the annoyance of others does any obscene act in any public place”, and is punishable by up to three month imprisonment, or a fine, or both.

Port Dickson Municipal Council (MPPD) chairperson Ab Khalid Mat said the incident is an isolated case, but MPPD viewed the matter seriously and was currently conducting an investigation, Bernama reports.

“We hope members of the public who saw incidents such as this one in any places in Port Dickson will immediately lodge a report to the authorities for further action,” he said when contacted today.

He said sunbathing topless in public places is an offence.

In the 2pm incident, the women, believed to be in their 20s and 30s, were sunbathing on a mat at the beach under the hot weather.

However a visitor, who was bathing there became aware of their behaviour and videotaped the incident, according to Bernama.

When the rakyat are treated like fools

By SSK

The new Secretary-General of PKR has issued a directive asking Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters to assemble in front of the Federal Court in Putrajaya on 28th and 29th October 2014.

PKR’s Youth Movement said in the event that Anwar is jailed they will be organising peaceful protests. But how can they assure us that the protests will be peaceful when in the first place it is going to be an illegal assembly?

All protests all over the world start as peaceful protests but they do not always end peacefully. And if the Malaysian government clamps down on what would be regarded as an illegal assembly the protestors will accuse the government of not respecting democracy and freedom of assembly and so on.

This is nothing short of an attempt to provoke the government and an attempt to trigger unrest. And the government will certainly not allow this to go unchallenged.

However, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should not fall into this trap because this is precisely what they want the government to do. Najib, therefore, has to carefully consider how to respond to this challenge while maintaining law and order and yet not allowing them to exploit this as an example of a draconian course of action.

The issue of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles in Selangor is another volatile issue that the opposition is exploiting. Christians in Sabah and Sarawak should not fall into the opposition’s trap and become emotional about the matter.

Even PAS, the Islamic party, has not opposed the use of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles in Sabah and Sarawak. They just oppose its use in Selangor and even then because there are certain laws in Selangor that forbids its use.

Instead of putting the blame on the federal government, the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government should pass a bill next month in the Selangor State Assembly to amend or abrogate this law.

If Selangor refuses to repeal this law how can the federal government be blamed for this? After all, religion is a state matter so Selangor has to take action to rectify this.

Let us see whether next month Selangor makes a move to remove this law. Nevertheless, whatever happens next month in Selangor does not affect Sabah and Sarawak so the Christians here need not be worried or react to what is happening in Selangor.

US: Najib must repeal Sedition Act, as promised

US: Najib must repeal Sedition Act, as promised

KUALA LUMPUR: The United States, which observed the Malaysian Bar’s protest march to Parliament against the Sedition Act, said Prime Minister Najib Razak must follow through on his promise in 2012 to repeal the law.

The US embassy said it had taken notice of the recent blitz of Sedition Act cases, which has seen several academicians, civil society figures and politicians investigated under the colonial-era Act.

“We urge the Malaysian Government to apply the rule of law fairly, transparently, and apolitically in order to promote confidence in Malaysia’s democracy, judiciary, and economy.

“US officials have raised our concerns about the rule of law and human rights with the Malaysian government, and will continue to do so,” the Embassy said in a statement today.

The Act has been criticised as vague in interpretation and application, seemingly encompassing a wide range of topics and speech.

Real Nancy stands up

'I'm at the lowest ebb of my life,' she says in reference to attacks over a statement explaining the decision not to charge Ibrahim Ali with sedition.

KUCHING: De facto Law Minister Nancy Shukri has expressed anguish that even her countrymen, Sarawakians, are wondering whether she has changed for the worse since taking up her present position in the Prime Minister’s Department.

“If you ask the people in my constituency, Batang Sadong, no one will believe all the things being said about me,” she said in an update on a continuing controversy swirling around her since Parliament opened for this session. “I believe that all Sarawakians are still with me because they know me and have seen how I serve my people over the years.”

The update also comes in the wake of a report that the AG’s Chamber will issue a statement to explain its decision not to charge Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali under the Sedition Act for threatening to burn the Bibles seized by religious authorities in Selangor not so long ago.

Nancy, of Iban-Chinese-Scottish extraction, stressed that race and religion have never been an issue with her since she grew up in a multi-racial family with relatives of different races and religions.

“Growing up in Sarawak, where there is no issue with race and religion, I never dreamt that one day I would be branded as someone who is anti-Christian or a supporter of those calling for Bible burning,” she said.

“The church leaders in my area can be my witness. The Buddhist believers in my constituency know who I am. For years, I have been giving out grants to them, and I eat and drink with them. I think they are equally shocked to know that I have been labeled ‘racist’ or anti-Christian.”

She pleaded with Sarawakians not to be taken in by the attacks hurled at her. “Check my track record over the years,” she said. “I have been badly under attack. Honestly, I am at the lowest ebb of my life.

“However, as long as Sarawakians understand who I am and what is going on, I will remain strong and continue to serve them without fear or favour.”

In reiterating that she would never support any religious or racist statements or action against non-Muslims, she affirmed that she “never supported Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali and his religious views”.

“Neither the police nor the AG can give any reply in Parliament. I, as the de-facto Law Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, had to do it on their behalf,” she said. “Whatever were the findings of the police or the decision of the AG, I read it out in Parliament because they could not do it there.

“It must be made known that it was the AG’s decision not to charge Ibrahim under the Sedition Act, and the decision was based on police investigations.”

Referring to her statement in Parliament, she said, “It does not mean I agree with Ibrahim’s extreme views.”

Nancy continues to be under intense attack, especially from netizens, after her statement in Parliament explaining why Ibrahim was not charged for his call to burn the Bibles. She was answering a question last Wednesday from DAP MP and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and since then all hell has broken loose and turned her life upside down.

Malaysia 19 years behind South Korea, complacency, graft among culprits

Malaysia are 19 years behind South Korea in terms of productivity, the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry said today, naming graft, leakages, complacency and archaic labour laws as road blocks.

Its executive director Stewart Forbes said Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per worker productivity last year was equivalent to South Korea's - but in 1995.

"Malaysia's historic productivity growth was unimpressive although at one time, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan all started out on the same level playing field.

"Putrajaya is always quick to point out that Malaysia is better than Thailand or Vietnam or Indonesia. But why is Malaysia choosing the worst to make comparisons?

"Putrajaya ought to be comparing Malaysia to Taiwan, Singapore or South Korea. They should set the bar higher when making comparisons," Forbes said.

He was speaking at a discussion "Budget 2015: Balancing Growth, Fiscal Sustainability and Rising Cost of Living", organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (Asli) in Kuala Lumpur today.

"Complacency is never far away and comparing yourself to the worst countries instead of to the best will only make people rest on their laurels instead of striving for more."

Moderator Tan Sri Dr Ramon V. Navaratnam agreed with Forbes, saying Malaysians had lost the fire which helped the country reach its current level since independence.

Ramon, the Centre for Public Policy Studies chairman, said a lack of meritocracy had played a role in Malaysians losing the edge in terms of productivity.

"Companies which hire foreign workers have claimed that Malaysians are too demanding, including wanting weekends off and higher pay," Ramon said.

Forbes warned against creating a dependence on the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) handouts, saying it would undermine capacity building.

"Putrajaya must take steps to ensure that BR1M does not become something which is expected rather than an assistance," Forbes said.

"While the handouts for the lower income groups will help, the introduction of GST next year and subsidy rollbacks will increase cost of living."

Forbes praised Putrajaya over Budget 2015, noting that the government would earn more revenue from the Goods and Services Tax, continued investment and trade.

However, he also noted that Putrajaya would earn less revenue through direct taxation due to decreases in the individual and corporate tax rates.

"Putrajaya will also be spending a fair amount of money in giving out BR1M handouts," he said, adding continued leakages would also cost the government money.

"Malaysia loses at least RM1.5 to RM2 billion due to smuggling activities including contraband alcohol, cigarettes and fuel," he said, adding this did not include corruption and wastage.

Forbes also noted that the Budget 2015 expenditure was still focused on operational rather than development, and said corruption and productivity issues had yet to be addressed.

"Putrajaya also needs to focus on amending labour laws in Malaysia as they are quite archaic and hark back to post-independence days.

"A balance needs to be struck in Malaysia's labour laws to bring it in line with the 21st century. Changes need to be made to bring it up to date," he said. – October 17, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-19-years-behind-south-korea-complacency-graft-among-culprits#sthash.Rtp4n6t0.dpuf

Statement by Organisers of the Regional Conference on Media and Internet Freedom, in Support of the Malaysian Bar

As we convene a regional conference to discuss challenges to Media and Internet Freedom around Asia, we recognize and express solidarity with the ongoing movement in Malaysia for the repeal of the Sedition Act. We are deeply concerned about the recent rise of sedition cases and threats against those in the academe, civil society and journalism.

We view this issue to be fundamentally about protection of the fundamental right of every person to freedom of expression, in this particular case to speak critically about her or his government and/or its officials, without fear of physical or legal reprisal.

We find through our discussions that the Sedition Act exists in various forms in different countries. It also exists under various names to restrict critical speech about government, policies, political parties, certain social classes and institutions, or religious or cultural practices.

The Sedition Act and similar laws are also outdated. It might have been necessary for colonial governments to supress speech of people occupied by a foreign power against their will. However, even in modern countries which have rejected the yoke of occupation, many of these laws remain or are being revived.

There is also a serious problem about how these various laws are being implemented, purportedly to keep society safe, but effectively to instil fear and self-restraint on the discussion of legitimate issues – even placing those who dare to speak out at risk.

We therefore stand with Malaysian citizens and civil society in calling for the repeal of the Sedition Act

Najib Gives Asean-EU FTA A Push At ASEM

Datuk Seri Najib Tun RazakFrom Leslean Arshad

MILAN (Italy), Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave Asean and European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) a push at the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit here.

Najib said when Malaysia assumed the chairmanship of Asean in 2015, one of the key areas to be given emphasis would be to encourage the Asean-EU FTA process.

Najib, who is the Coordinator of the ASEM Asean sub-group, said the regional Asean-EU FTA could complement the existing EU FTA with Singapore as well as the near-concluding FTA with Vietnam.

"In due course we hope there will be Asean-EU FTA and that will complete the inter-regional integration between EU and Asean," he said in a joint press conference at the end of ASEM Summit here today.

Other ASEM leaders at the presse conference were European Commission president Jose Manuel Barraso, European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi and Mongolia president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.

Over 50 leaders from Asia and Europe were in the Italian city for the two-day ASEM Summit to deliberate on issues of common interests.

Najib said intra- and inter-regional integration would be one the key areas for Malaysia to continue to work on when it assumed the chairmanship of Asean next year.

He said Asean should be attractive to European companies with the ongoing integration process as the ease in doing business would be enhanced.

Najib said Asean would emerge as the economic community with about 600 million people with US$2.5 trillion of combined gross domestic product.

"It will make it attractive for European companies to invest in single market when we declare ourselves economic community," he said.

Najib said Malaysia was all for to give a strong emphasised on Asean-EU relations.

"I see a lot of exciting possibilities and I agree with the view, Asean-EU partnership will grow from strength-to-strength," he said.

German bikers unite with Dutch comrades in fight against ISIS

RT.COM

Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria have received a surprising accession. While allied forces refuse to take part in military action on the ground, several German bikers have reportedly joined the fight against the jihadists.

Kawan A., the club leader of the 'Median Empire’ gang, wrote on his Facebook: “While others blabber on, our guys are at the front and fighting against ISIS,” stating that at least two of the group's members are fighting alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

Founded by Kurdish Germans, Cologne’s Median Empire is a biker gang named after an ancient community which extended from eastern Turkey to India in the VIII century B.C.

The gang also posted pictures of its members alongside Peshmerga fighters.

In April and June this year, the German bikers – whose ideology is based on the Medes legends that describe them as “fearless and mounted warriors” – organized aid missions to supply Syrian Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq with medicaments, food, and humanitarian aid.

However, the German bikers' participation in the fight against ISIS militants is trumped by an estimated 300 jihadists who left Germany to join the Islamic State and other militants in Syria.

Median Empire is not the first European biker gang to fight against the militants; three members of the Dutch motorcycle club 'No Surrender' are now in the Mosul region of Iraq, leading and training a Kurdish battalion in its fight against ISIS, according to Klaas Otto, the head of the gang, who spoke to BBC.

He added that the trio are ex-military – two marines and one soldier – who were pushed into action by the cruelty exhibited by ISIS.

“They wanted to do something when they saw the pictures of the beheadings,” the leader of No Surrender told Dutch public broadcaster NOS.

Security services both in the Netherlands and in Germany have been trying to prevent their citizens from traveling to the Middle East to support the Islamic State jihadists.

However, the Dutch prosecutor's spokesman, Wim de Bruin, told AFP: “Joining a foreign armed force was previously punishable, now it's no longer forbidden. You just can't join a fight against the Netherlands.”

But the bikers will not be able to join the Kurdish Workers’ Party, which is banned as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US.

 READ MORE: Bikers v ISIS? Dutch motorcycle gang gets green light to fight Islamic State

Philippines: Abu Sayyaf 'Releases German Hostages after £3.4m Ransom Paid'

By Thomas Wyke

Two German hostages have reportedly been released by al-Qaida-linked militant group Abu Sayyaf after a ransom was paid to save them from execution. 

The terror group had given authorities a deadline of today (17 October) to meet their demands before killing one of the hostages. 

The group claims the 250 million peso (£3.4m) ransom was paid in full but this has not been verified by Filipino officials.  

A senior police official told Reuters: "They are now safe and secure at an army camp", confirming a statement from the group's spokesman Abu Rami. 

Their release comes just hours after Abu Sayyaf had allowed negotiations with the Filipino and German authorities to be extended. It is thought that Abu Sayyaf were keen to hold out for payment rather than immediately executing one of the hostages.

Stefan Okonek, 71, and his partner Henrike Dielen, had been sailing their yacht from Palawan to Sabah when they were seized by armed militants in April 2014. Their deserted yacht was discovered floating out at sea by local fishermen on 25 April.

Okonek and Dielen were separated and held deep in the jungle on the remote island of Jolo.

Three thousand Filipino troops had been sent to Jolo, standing by in case a settlement could not be reached.

Rudiger Konig, the crisis commissioner of the German Federal Government, was dispatched by Fran-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, to the Philippines last Friday in order to negotiate for the safe release of the two German nationals.

It is unknown who paid the ransom if the group's claim is true or whether the German government agreed to Abu Sayyaf's demand to end its support for the US led coalition air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Founded in the early 1990s, Abu Sayyaf have developed a feared reputation for their use of bomb attacks, kidnapping and extortion.

Abu Sayyaf's leader Isnilon Hapilon, who has a $5m bounty on his head, recently declared the group's allegiance with Islamic State.

The terror group still holds Ewold Horn and Lorenzo Vinciguerre, both wildlife photographers from Holland and Switzerland, who were kidnapped two years ago in the southern island province of Tawi Tawi. Two Malaysians and a Japanese man are also being held by the group.

Court upholds death penalty of Aasia Bibi

LAHORE: A court on Thursday upheld the death sentence of a Christian women convicted of blasphemy four years ago, as her lawyers vowed to appeal.

Aasia Bibi, a mother of five, has been on death row since November 2010 after she was found guilty of allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) during an argument with a Muslim woman.

“A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court dismissed the appeal of Asia Bibi but we will file an appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” her lawyer Shakir Chaudhry told AFP.

Two high-profile politicians — then Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer and minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti — were murdered in 2011 after calling for reforms to the blasphemy law and describing Bibi’s trial as flawed.

The blasphemy allegations against Bibi date back to June 2009.

She was working in a field when she was asked to fetch water. Muslim women labourers objected, saying that as a non-Muslim she was unfit to touch the water bowl.

A few days later the women went to a local cleric and put forward the blasphemy allegations.

Over a dozen religious clerics — including Qari Saleem who brought forward the initial complaint against Bibi — were present at the court on Thursday.

“We will soon distribute sweets among our Muslim brothers for today’s verdict, it’s a victory of Islam,” Saleem told AFP outside the courtroom as the clerics congratulated each other and chanted religious slogans.

Last month a prison guard at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi shot and wounded a 70-year-old Scottish man with a history of mental illness who is on death row for blasphemy.

The jail also houses Mumtaz Qadri, the former bodyguard of governor Taseer who gunned him down in an Islamabad market place.

Blasphemy carries the death penalty, though Pakistan has had a de facto moratorium on civilian hangings since 2008. Only one person has been executed since then, a soldier convicted by a court martial and hanged in November 2012.