NHS boss faces death penalty over charges of torture and 18 murders in Bangladesh

• War crimes tribunal set to bring damning indictments against NHS director of spiritual care
• Prosecutors want him extradited to face trial over atrocities committed in Bangladesh in 1971

(Mail Online) One of Britain's most important Muslim leaders – who has a senior role in the NHS – is to be charged with 18 murders by a war crimes tribunal in his native Bangladesh, investigators have told The Mail on Sunday.

Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, who is director of Muslim Spiritual Care Provision in the NHS and is also a chairman of the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy, is accused of abducting, torturing and killing 18 journalists, academics and doctors during the bloody war of independence in Bangladesh in 1971.

Mr Mueen-Uddin, 63, who strongly denies the allegations, is believed to have fled Bangladesh shortly after the war ended, and has been living in London since the early Seventies.

As Deputy Director of the Islamic Foundation Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, pictured left, met Prince Charles in 2003 but now he is accused of murder and faces the death penalty in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) – which has been set up to try the country's most notorious war criminals still alive – has announced that it has completed its year-long investigation into Mr Mueen-Uddin. The ICT's prosecution wing will announce formal charges against him in the next few days, said a senior official at the tribunal.

Sanaul Huq, the Inspector-General of Bangladesh's national police force, who is co-ordinating the ICT investigation, said his investigators believe that Mr Mueen-Uddin killed dozens of people during the independence war, but they can link him only to 18 murders with evidence and eyewitness testimonies.

The ICT said Mr Mueen-Uddin and his associates allegedly subjected their victims to horrendous torture before killing them and dumping their bodies in sports grounds which earned the nickname 'killing fields'.

Mr Huq told The Mail on Sunday: 'They abducted an eye doctor, and then gouged his eyes out before killing him and dumping his body.

'They abducted a cardiologist and cut out his heart before killing him and dumping his body.

'They kidnapped a woman journalist, and cut her breasts off before killing her. Her decomposing body was later found with her breasts cut off.

'These victims were chosen because they were leading figures in the independence movement. Mueen-Uddin was a leading figure when it comes to killing activists. This is why we want to try him in court.

'As soon as charges are made – which I can guarantee will happen in days – we will request the British Government to hand him back to Bangladesh, and we will ask Interpol for his arrest. We will use all means, diplomatic and legal, to bring him back. If we fail, we will try him in absentia.'

Investiagors say that during the Bangladesh civil war, Mr Mueen-Uddin was a member of an Islamic terrorist group which abducted and killed leading Pakistani independence figures

 

Mr Mueen-Uddin declined to respond to the allegations, but his lawyer Toby Cadman, a barrister at 9 Bedford Row International, said: 'As no formal allegations have thus far been put to Mr Mueen-Uddin it would be highly inappropriate for any formal response to be issued to the media.

'This is a matter sub judice and therefore any and all media comment on the nature of the allegations, the strength of the evidence and the eventual outcome of the proceedings is to be avoided. It would be inappropriate at this stage to comment on the substance of the allegations. However, any and all allegations that Mr Mueen-Uddin committed or participated in any criminal conduct during the Liberation War of 1971 have been strongly denied in the past and will continue to be strongly denied in their entirety.'

If Mr Mueen-Uddin is found guilty of the charges, he could face the death penalty.

Mr Cadman added: 'The United Kingdom would not extradite a person where they are at risk of the death penalty – clearly a barrier in the present case due to the repeated remarks by the government of Bangladesh that the accused at the Tribunal will face the death penalty.'

After Britain gave India independence in 1947, the region now known as Bangladesh became a province of Pakistan, and was known as East Pakistan. But residents of East Pakistan became increasingly frustrated because they believed they were being treated like colonial subjects by their government based in the west of the country.

As a result, Bangladesh became independent in December 1971 after a nine-month civil war, during which hundreds of thousands were killed by the Pakistan military. At the time, Mr Mueen-Uddin was among those who did not want a secular Bangladesh splitting from the 'Islamic state' of Pakistan, say ICT investigators.

They say that during the civil war, Mr Mueen-Uddin was working as a journalist for a newspaper called the Daily Purbadesh in the capital Dhaka. But he was also said to be a secret member of an Islamic terrorist group called the Al-Badr Brigade, which abducted and killed leading figures of the independence movement for the Pakistani military. Mr Huq says Mr Mueen-Uddin fled Bangladesh shortly after independence, and went to Britain via India, Nepal and then Pakistan, from where he caught a flight to London in the early Seventies.

Over the decades, he became one of Britain's most influential Muslim leaders, was instrumental in setting up the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), and is now one of the trustees of the UK's leading Islamic charity, Muslim Aid.

Editor of newspaper Purbodesh - Atiqur Rahman - published a front page claiming that Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, a former reporter, had been a murderer

Mr Mueen-Uddin was one of the chief Islamic leaders who mobilised thousands of British Muslims to protest against the publication of Salman Rushdie's controversial book, The Satanic Verses, in 1989.

He led a group of Muslim leaders who went to Downing Street to hand a petition against publication of the book to Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister at the time.

Mr Mueen-Uddin has also met Prince Charles, including one occasion when the heir to the throne visited the East London Mosque in 2010.

The ICT was set up by the Bangladeshi government two years ago after all major political parties voted unanimously in Parliament for a war crimes tribunal. Human rights groups and activists had been campaigning for the tribunal for decades.

The ICT has so far arrested nine alleged war criminals and is trying them in special courts in front of a panel of three judges. The nine are some of the most prominent Islamist leaders of the country, who are accused of killing thousands of independence activists and leaders during the 1971 war.

Mr Huq said: 'At the ICT we are not going to try the foot-soldiers, but are going after the main leaders. We have a list of 20 notorious alleged war criminals we want to try. Mueen-Uddin is one of them. He was a very big player.'

Investigators say that Mr Mueen-Uddin's official title in Al Badr was 'operation-in-charge', which made him a commander of the group.

He is accused of personally abducting six journalists – including a local BBC reporter – three doctors and nine academics from Dhaka University between December 10 and 15, 1971.

More than 1,000 Bangladeshi intellectuals and prominent supporters of the independence movement were killed in the dying days of the war by the Pakistani military in a calculated effort to deprive the new country of its leaders, says the ICT.

Mr Mueen-Uddin and his associates allegedly abducted their victims from their houses during the night at gunpoint, and took them to a gym called the Mohammedpur Training Centre in Mirpur, an area in north Dhaka. The gym was said to have been converted into a makeshift torture chamber.

Mr Mueen-Uddin led a protest against the publication of Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses, in 1989

After the victims were tortured and killed, their bodies were dumped in nearby grounds. The bodies of some victims were never found.

The ICT has interviewed 45 witnesses. Among them is Asif Munier, who is now 46. He was four when his father, Munier Chowdhury, then 45, was taken away from their house in Dhaka. Mr Chowdhury was a prominent playwright and professor of Bengali literature at Dhaka University. He also wrote many articles in support of the independence movement. Mr Chowdhury's body was never found although the family frantically searched the 'killing fields' to find the corpse.

Mr Munier said: 'My father was no criminal. He was targeted and killed for his views to uphold Bengali language and nationalism, so I feel these people left me and my brothers fatherless, made my mother a widow and took away a gifted teacher and writer from Bangladesh, for no fault except believing in freedom and justice.

'His trial would be a symbolic boost to the morale of Bangladesh. It is also a test for the international legal system and human rights mechanism, since Mueen-Uddin is a prominent UK citizen now. Me and my family will be happy to see Mueen-Uddin face trial.'

Mr Munier gave evidence to the ICT early this year.

Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury, an academic in Bengali literature at Dhaka University, is also said to have been kidnapped by Mr Mueen-Uddin from his home and killed on December 14, 1971. His body was never found.

His widow, Dolly Chaudhury, gave a video witness statement to the ICT before her death this year.

Opponents of the ICT say that the tribunal is being used as a tool for the political witch-hunt of Islamic leaders who are the fiercest opponent of the current government, the Awami League party.

The nine individuals who are on trial at the ICT are all leaders of Bangladesh's most prominent Islamic political party, Jamat-I-islami, which opposes the Awami League and its 'secular' politics, say critics.

However, the ICT has broad support among Bangladeshi citizens, who want alleged war criminals tried, say human rights activists.

Mr Mueen Uddin led a group of Muslim leaders who went to Downing Street to hand a petition against the publication of the Satanic Verses to Margaret Thatcher

Sara Hossain, a British-trained barrister and one of Bangladesh's most prominent human rights lawyers, said: 'The critics often fail to mention the overwhelming demand for its [the ICT's] establishment or the need for a process of accountability for 1971 war crimes and crimes against humanity.'

Any request by the Bangladeshi government to the UK to hand back Mr Mueen-Uddin is likely to be tricky because the two countries have no formal extradition treaty. Also, the UK usually does not send suspects to a country where there is a possibility that they may be sentenced to death. A further difficulty is that it is believed that Mr Mueen-Uddin has been granted British citizenship by the Home Office.

However, Mr Huq said: 'We will try all avenues available to us. Although Bangladesh does practise the death penalty, it could be that Mueen-Uddin may not face it at his trial. That will be for the judges to decide.'

A Department of Health spokesman said: 'Mr Mueen-Uddin is not employed by either the Department of Health or the NHS.

'He was head of Muslim spiritual care in the NHS, and chair of the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy, an independent organisation which provides advice to the Department of Health about multi-faith healthcare chaplaincy on behalf of all Faith Groups.

'He has voluntarily stepped down from these roles while he responds to these allegations.'

Poor Saiva families subjected to Islamic proselytism

Administrators of mosques in Ampaa'rai district are engaged in converting members of poor Tamil Saiva families to Islam with financial inducement, civil society sources in Ampaa'rai said. Poor Tamil families from Chiththa'ndi, Mu'rakkottaancheanai, Chanthive'li, Kiraan and Ko'rakkallimadu who go work in rice mills, textile shops and brick making centres owned by Muslim businessmen are being coerced with inducements from the business owners according to sources.

About seventy five Saiva families of Nainaakdu have been converted to Islam.

A mosque has also been constructed at the village for the convertees' use, sources said.

Meanwhile, Tamil girls who are employed in textile shops owned by Muslims along Kalmunai-Akkaraippaththu road are also allegedly being sexually abused and used for prostitution, according to reports.

Police in Akkaraipaththu and Kalmunai have failed to take action against complaints made related to prostitution as the Police officers are also being allegedly bought over by financial inducements from the Muslim organizers of the prostitution rings, local sources said.

Don’t rush new statutory rape bill, Nazri told

DAP’s Teresa Kok urges the AG Chambers to consult relevant groups before tabling a bill in parliament to restrict judges' power on statutory rape sentences.

KUALA LUMPUR: De facto law minister Nazri Aziz was today urged to conduct thorough consultation with relevant groups before a bill is tabled in parliament to amend laws pertaining to statutory rape.

DAP parliamentarian for Seputeh Teresa Kok said Nazri must first setup a committee that included Attorney-General’s Chambers (AG) and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry so that a refined law could be drafted to best resolve the matter.

“The committee should consult women’s groups, deputy public prosecutors, social workers, shelter homes and so on to get their opinion,” she said at a press conference at the Federal Territories DAP annual convention 2012 today.

Kok was commenting on Nazri’s statement yesterday that an amendment would be tabled in parliament soon to disallow judges from exercising their discretionary power, under the Criminal Procedure Code 294 (1), to reduce the sentence given to statutory rapists.

Nazri had reportedly said that the provision would be added to Section 376 of Penal Code, which prescribes mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of statutory rape.

In recent months, the public had raised concerns on judges’ discretionary power after a national bowler and an electrician were allowed to go scot free despite having committed statutory rape against their underaged girlfriends respectively.

Koh said she was against the mandatory five year jail term used to be meted out to the statutory rapist before 2006, but added she was also against no punishment.

“Nowadays many teenagers have consensual sex, and the trend is increasing. If a 18-year-old guy was brought to jail for five years for having sex with his girl friend, his future will be gone,” she said.

“In the United States or United Kingdom, the laws are very detailed in those offences. So I think we should make laws to be more refined as well,” she said.

Meanwhile, the convention attended by 82 participants and 12 observers had passed resolutions to urge the federal government to take stringent measures on the annual budget to prevent leakages; to elevate the status of Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to be answerable to parliament; and to review the Automated Enforcement System, among others.

Can we continue to rely on BN?

Will Najib be as cool if it was Pakatan that had received RM40 million as political contribution?
COMMENT

By Chua Jui Meng

I have known some double tongue people but Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak really takes the cake when it comes to double-speak, that too without the blink of an eyelid.

He not only blatantly double-speaks, he also applies two sets of laws – one for his Barisan Nasional-Umno cronies and another for others – to suit his and BN-Umno’s agenda.

Najib also abuses all government law enforcement agencies to intimidate his political rivals.

I dread to imagine the might of the full force of the BN law enforcement agencies that will be used to clamp down on the Pakatan Rakyat and its “donors” if the RM40 million had been Pakatan’s.

I really wish to see whether Najib will respond the same – by saying that it is unnecessary to reveal the source of RM40 million ‘donation’ for Sabah Umno – when Pakatan receives similar donations.

We are already witnessing how vindictive the BN is towards human rights non-governmental organisation (NGO) Suaram.

After the BN-controlled Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police refused to probe the alleged corrupt deals in the multi-billion-ringgit purchase of Scorpene submarines from France, Suaram lodged a complaint with the French authorities.

Till today, the MACC still refuses to start a probe into the purchase by the Defence Ministry, then helmed by Najib.

Instead, using the Jewish card, all enforcement agencies are now being used to clamp down on Suaram to intimidate its leaders.

The BN-government-controlled print and electronic media then ran amok, questioning Suaram’s source of foreign funding and donations from, among others, Jewish currency trader George Soros.

Mind you, in Malaysia, Jewish or Yahudi in Bahasa Malaysia is sensitive to the majority Muslim populace.

BN then even tried to tarnish Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s links with Soros. However, when pictures of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad with Soros and leaks of Najib’s secret meeting with Soros in the US surfaced in the internet, there were no such amok-like reports in the controlled media.

Najib even had the audacity to ask what was wrong for him to meet Soros! Is he insulting the intelligence of Malaysians?

Najib’s blatant double-speak and arrogance can only be due to Umno’s 55-year rule of Malaysia. And he and Umno-diehard supporters and cronies behave and believe Umno and BN are infallible.

The BN government’s plundering of the country’s wealth is believed to have stacked an RM800 billion federal debt, according to Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Muhkriz Mahathir, thereby likely breaching the legislated debt-ceiling.

This means we are heading towards the way of Greece – bankruptcy.

And, being described by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in the world is cause for concern as it rattles the confidence of both local and foreign investors.

Chua Jui Meng is a PKR vice-president and Johor PKR chairman. He is a former MCA vice-president and an ex-BN cabinet member.

Siapa penyumbang RM40 juta untuk Umno Sabah

(Harakah) - Jika wang RM40 juta yang cuba diseludup ke Malaysia untuk Umno Sabah dibuat dengan cara yang betul, mengapa Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak takut mendedahkan siapa penyumbangnya, kata Naib Presiden PAS, Datuk Mahfuz Omar.

Ketika ditanya dalam sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi Barisan Nasional (BN) malam tadi, Najib mengelak dari mendedahkan siapa penyumbang wang RM40 juta itu.

Bagi Mahfuz, antara persoalan utama berhubung sumbangan RM40 juta itu bukan sahaja siapa penyumbangnya tetapi mengapa ia disumbangkan.

"Tidak ada siapa percaya si penyumbang memberikan sumbangan kepada parti pemerintah dengan percuma begitu sahaja.

"Kalau penyumbangnya orang berniaga, semua tindakan perniagaan dibuat berdasarkan untung dan rugi sebab ia bukan badan kebajikan," kata Ahli Parlimen Pokok Sena itu sambil mempersoalkan keuntungan apa yang diharapkan oleh si peniaga tersebut dalam memberiikan sumbangan sebesar itu.

Sebab itulah, kata Mahfuz, isu utama berhubung sumbangan RM40 juta itu ialah kedudukan pihak yang menerima sumbangan dan pihak yang memberikan sumbangan.

"Yang menerima sumbangan ialah parti pemerintah dan tidak ada siapa pun yang percaya ia diberikan tanpa sebarang kepentingan," kata beliau.

Apa yang berlaku itu juga membuktikan penguatkuasaaan undang-undang di negara ini dibuat secara double standard dan berpilih-pilih, kata Mahfuz.

"Kalau pihak yang kerajaan Umno BN tidak suka, sudah pasti dibongkar dan diburu habis-habisan seperti yang berlaku kepada Suaram sekarang.

"Umno bukan sahaja terima wang dari luar negara malah RM40 juta itu diseludup, tetapi menteri kata dalam Parlimen kononnya tidak ada unsur rasuah," katanya.

Dalam jawapannya kepada soalan Ahli Parlimen Batu Tian Chua, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz berkata, "tidak ada unsur rasuah dibuktikan" di dalam kes itu.

Mahfuz juga mengecam Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) yang menimbulkan kecurigaan besar berhubung siasatannya terhadap penyeludupan wang RM40 juta itu.

Ketua Menteri Sabah yang juga Ketua Umno negeri, Datuk Seri Musa Aman sebelum ini menafikan tuduhan yang mengaitkan dirinya dengan hartawan balak, Michael Chia yang pernah ditahan pada 2008 kerana cuba menyeludup wang haram berjumlah RM40 juta.

Bagaimanapun, SPRM membersihkan dakwaan rasuah terhadap Musa dan Chia.

Hasan Ali’s umbrage over PAS-DAP ties — The Malaysian Insider

OCT 14 — There are many out there who fear the Islamist PAS working together with the secular DAP. To the point that PAS is seen as abandoning its Islamist roots while DAP is accused of either being very Christian or trying to help PAS implement an Islamic state.

That didn’t work in 1999 when both parties worked together in the Barisan Alternatif that floundered over the Islamic state concept. In Election 2008, they agreed not to contest against each other and PKR, and their success led to the formation of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Among those in the happy group then was Datuk Dr Hasan Ali. Well, he isn’t there now after being sacked last January by PAS.

This past week, he has criticised Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Mentri Besar, over the latter’s comments about cooperating with DAP. Others who have supported such cooperation include PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

But Hasan’s ire was directed at Nik Aziz and other PAS leaders whom he called “parasites”. Yet, at the heart of his umbrage is an underlying racism and chauvinism. And that Muslims and non-Muslims should not cooperate.

It is incredible that such a notion still exists almost 50 years after Malaysia was formed, and 55 years of Merdeka for Malaya. Wasn’t the country’s independence based on cooperation between all races? Wasn’t PR victory in 2008 due to such cooperation too?

Perhaps, Hasan recognises the value of such cooperation and realises that it can knock out his former nemesis, Barisan Nasional (BN). Perhaps he wants BN to take back Selangor and rub PR noses into the ground for rejecting him and his ideas.

Beyond the politics of it, it is just reprehensible that we have Malaysian politicians who believe that Muslims and non-Muslims should not cooperate with each other. Malaysians must not tolerate such ideas and tell off those who believe that this manner of thinking is correct.

Malaysia is a country for all, a country where all Malaysians cooperate no matter what race or religion. People like Hasan need to know this before mouthing off and criticising those who work together despite having different faiths. That is true unity.

Hasan can joust all he wants with his former party colleagues but he shouldn’t do it at the expense of Malaysia and Malaysians. We have come a long way as a nation and as a people who work together and should not be undermined by those who feel people of different faiths should not cooperate.

If anything, Malaysians should show people like Hasan the door if he decides to stand for elections again.

BN Government Makes Promises It Can Fulfill - Najib

KUDAT, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak reiterated today that the government led by Barisan Nasional (BN) only promised something to the people which it could fulfill, as to him the inability to fulfill promises would be hypocrisy.

According to Najib, failure to fulfill promises made to the people not only violated religious teaching but was also committing a major sin for lying.

He said those who made empty promises would be punished by the people.

"Never once will we put ourselves as hypocrites. That is why we use the tagline "Fulfilling Promises", as the government only talks about real things and not lies. We live by our word.

"If we put our fate in trust, we cannot betray trust. That is why I guarantee that every sentence, every word which we utter to the people, is based on our capability. If we are not capable, we will not mention as being unable to fulfill promises to us is a big sin.

"God will curse us, the people will punish us, the people will also punish leaders for cheating the people," he said when opening the "Fulfilling Promise" tour programme at the Kudat Sports Centre here.

The programme was attended by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and more than 50,000 people from various areas near Kudat such as Pitas, Matunggong, Kota Belud, Tandek and Pulau Banggi.

Najib also said the reception of Sabahans in his series of visits to the state such as Sandakan, Sipitang, Kota Belud, Penampang and Kudat were very encouraging, reflecting the people's confidence with the BN government.

He said the presence of so many people also reflected the confidence of the residents in putting their hopes in the future on BN and not others, and it represented the unity of the people with the current government.

Najib also gave his guarantee that all promises of the BN government would be fulfilled irrespective of when the general election was held.

The Prime Minister also described Sabah as a reflection of the people of 1Malaysia as despite the variety of races and religious beliefs in the state, the people could still live in harmony since Sabah became independent 49 years ago.

On the selection of Kudat as the programme's location, Najib said it was not solely because of nostalgic sentiments of Kudat as the former state capital of Sabah as well as the birth place of its former leader, the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, but it also represented the commitment of the BN government to continue bringing development to the district.

Najib said as a leader, he needed to understand the grouses of the people as well feel their pulse and was prepared to fufill the aspirations and needs of the people.

"As one of the people's aspirations, especially in Kudat, the Promises Fulfilled Tour will mark the start of returning Kudat to its former glory when it was the capital of Sabah, at least we will develop Kudat as desired by the people here," he said.

After the programme launch, Najib made a visit to the residence of the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, who was a former Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri and former chief minister.

Earlier, Najib had also met the people in Kampung Air near here upon his arrival from Kundasang.

MIC to focus on delivering Indian votes in Selangor, says Palanivel

SHAH ALAM, Oct 14 — The MIC will intensify efforts to deliver the 235,000 Indian votes in Selangor to  the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 13th general election, said party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.

He said the party was confident of delivering the votes judging by the various initiatives taken by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to uplift the well-being of the Indian community.

“With various initiatives taken, we expect that Indian support towards BN will increase by more than 70 per cent in Selangor, especially in rural and suburban areas.

“This is important to wrest back Selangor from the opposition,” he told a press conference after attending the foundation stone laying ceremony at Rimba Jaya Sri Maha Mariamman Temple here today.

Palanivel (picture) said MIC will also increase its Indian vote-bank within the party by increasing it from the current 400,000 to more than 500,000 votes.

Meanwhile, Palanivel, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had approved a RM1 million allocation for the construction of the temple, which is expected to be completed in a year’s time. — Bernama

Police 'extorted' wife of death-in-custody victim

Hindus Fighting to Save Cows in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, TMC and Police Promoting Cow Slaughter.

 
 West Bengal Politics, Administration, Police want to crush Hindu Organisations in West Bengal.

Under political pressure from Ruling Party (TMC), the West Bengal Police is plotting to ensure untroubled Cow Slaughter in maximum places very much illegally.

Hindu Existence (Special Investigating Team) | Kolkata |13-10-2012 :: Through its Valuable Judgements dt 02.11.2011 and 13-10-2011, the Honb’le Calcutta High Court categorically said that “the officials of the State and local bodies have no power to facilitate holding of markets for trading of cattle for sacrifice and also the movement of cattle for the said purpose on the occasion of Id-uz-Zoha”. Earlier, the Supreme Court of India reiterated that “sacrifice of a cow on Bakr id Day is not an obligatory overt act for a Musalman to exhibit his religious belief and ideas”. In many occasions the appex court directed that “such slaughter cannot be a religious purpose because it is not a part of religious requirement for the Musalmans..” In fine Cow slaughter in the name of Medicinal, Research or Religious purposes is strictly prohibited as per the directions given by the Honb’le courts time to time. In West Bengal one can procure beef from the authorised slaughter houses and permitted outlets, obviously not violating the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 in force.

But, unfortunately the Police in West Bengal allowing Animal Cruelty, Ghastly Slaughtering and Perilous Pollution in these days of ensuing Bakar Idd on 27th Oct, 2012, by violating Preventions of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; Animal Transportation Act; WB Pollution Control Act; WB Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 and the relevant judgements of different Hon’ble courts. The political and police nexus in different places in West Bengal is promoting local Cow markets (Garu-hat) and the illegal transportation for Cow Slaughter in ensuing Bakar Idd and taking huge amount of speed money-bribe from the unauthorized cow traders and transporters.

This news coming from every corners of West Bengal and the ruling TMC (All India Trinmool Congress) has framed a policy to allow maximum cow markets-cow slaughter for Bakar idd to satisfy its Muslim Vote Bank. For example, the Usthi PS has arranged an illegal Cow trade point just adjacent to Police Station itself (Northern side of PS, in between PS and Usthi Agricultural Nursery). In Joynagar PS area, big cow markets are presently seen in Mouzpur and Biswanathpur villages. In Sahararhat (Falta PS), the Beef-eaters are canvassing such a illegal Cow market there on mike. Not only that, in some areas Police is trying illegal Cow Slaughter in new places under political pressure.

On 12-10-2012, Sri Sudip Singh (M. +919831115206). Officer-in-Charge, Usthi Police Station invited Sri Pintu Mahish of vill-Pianjganj for a discussion over a General Diary made by him (Pintu Mahish) on 4-10-2012 through registered post (book no. 9508, receipt no. 178). In course of the discussion, Mrs. Papiya Sultana, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Falta Zone, Ph. 2448-0366 , M. +919874690988 , Fax-03174-241100), South 24 Parganas also appeared in that meeting very interestingly. Through out the meeting, the Police authority pressurized Pintu for negotiating a cow slaughter in Pianjganj village. A bold Pintu negated the proposal of Police to allow cow slaughter in that village only to satisfy the Muslim brothers and sisters of the Muslim Police Officer Papiya Sultana. Further he said to the police officials not to favour anybody but to uphold the law of the land and the verdicts of Hon’ble Courts. It is heard that the O/C of Usthi Police Station is hatching a plan to allow the cow slaughter by a crooked means and set a further meeting on 13-10-2012 evening. But, so far it is gathered that the Police has not formally invited the village leaders of Pianjganj in the All Party Meeting on 13-10-2012. But, a resolution may be adopted to permit an OPEN COW SLAUGHTER IN PIANGANJ VILLAGE violating all the rules in broad day light.

It was very much astonishing that an Officer-in-Charge is negotiating for an illegal cow slaughter in a convened meeting and a Deputy Superintendent of Police is trying to convincing their inability to do anything if such a cow slaughter may happen in a cattle house of a personal occupancy. All the proceedings say a police intention to allow an illegal cow slaughter in Pianganj area, where Hindus are united to resist it in both legal and agitational way.

Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) also entered and enquired into the village of Pianjganj and took some sample of posters of Bangiya Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Posters from the wall where a SAVE COW – SAVE NATION call was envisaged in connection of a Rashtra Raksha Sammelan (Protect the Nation Meet) on 09-10-2012 at Kolkata. The Kolkata Police did not allow that meeting to make a repression upon the Save Cow Activists and maintained the State Policy of Miss Mamata Banerjee (Chief Minister, West Bengal) to curb out all the Hindu Force from West Bengal step by step.

On the other hand, cross border cow transportation and cow-theft in rural areas in North 24 Pgs, South 24 Pgs, Nadia and Murshidabad are getting optimum rates due the inaction of BSF and State Police in West Bengal.

Banner-Posters of banned Rashtra Raksha Sammelan at Kolkata on 09-10-2012.

The Police is now trying to arrest the Save Cow Activists (Go Bhakta) in different place in West Bengal including in the area of Usthi Police Station.

But, the Go Bhaktas in West Bengal in various forums and in Bangiya Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Arya Veer Dal, Rashtriya Go Raksha Mission, Rashtriya Go Sewa Manch, Manishika, Samarpan, Rashtriya Go Raksha Sena, Hindu Existence – Go Raksha Vahini etc. have been united to SAVE COWS IN WEST BENGAL.

In last two days in Kulti area (Burdwan) and Jharkhan Border, 67 Cows in Border areas, 15 Cows in Nirsa and 7 Cows in Kulti have been recovered from the illegal Muslim Cow Traders. 3 cows with valid documents were taken to the custody of Police to return the original owners to retain and not to be slaughtered any way in this critical juncture for avoiding any further tension.

In the last couple of days, the Save Cow Activists had recovered 5 Cows from Salt Lake IT Sector (Techno-polish) and put in the safe custody of Rajasthan G0 Kalyan Trust Goshala near Barasat. These cows were being transported in a very small vehicle (Chotta Hathi) very wretchedly violating various attracted section of law. Now, Firhad Hakim (Bobby), Urban Development Minister of West Bengal is trying hard to take those 5 Cows for (fake) petting. Then why that vehicle on which the cows were being transported was superscribed with “KURBANIR GARU” on its window screen? It is reported that some Muslim fanatics and the group of Bobby Hakim have given a bond of Rs. 70,000/= to take out the Cows from the Goshala.

 

 The position of Cow protection in West Bengal is in a very vulnerable position as the Ruling Party is not maintaining the Verdict of Hon’ble Supreme Court of Indian and Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta. In many places Police and local administration are allowing illegal Cow Markets (Garu-hat) and Cow transportation as narrated above, though totally banned by the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta.
The tensions related to hurting Hindu sentiments by slaughtering cows at various places in the event of Bakar idd may affect the peace and harmony of the State. And it is not desirable anyway.
………………….
Despite all these, some sincere and patriot Police officials are exceptionally endeavouring hard to protect the Cow-Wealth in the light of exactness of the law and the judgements of Hon’ble Courts.
Arya Veer Dal Bangal, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Bengal, Rashtriya Go Raksha Mission Rashtriya Go Sewa Mission, Hindu Existence – Goraksha Vahini and all other Cow Protection Groups and Forums in West Bengal met recently and vowed to SAVE COWS IN WEST BENGAL at any cost.
SHAME SHAME MAMATA BANERJEE, CHIEF MINISTER OF WEST BENGAL.
See this revealing Video: MAMATA BANERJEE ADVOCATED COW SLAUGHTER IN PARLIAMENT : Late RAJIB DIKSHIT.

Failed Pakistani asylum seeker posed as taxi driver to pick up and rape young clubber on mattress in a corner shop

Jailed: Pakistan-born Atiq Rehman, who was twice refused leave to remain in the UK, was jailed for six years

• Atiq Rehman lured a 22-year-old woman into the back room of a corner shop and attacked her on a mattress laid on the ground
• He led her from outside a nightclub before threatening to tie her up with tape while he carried out the attack
• When he carried out the rape he was free on the condition he reported regularly to authorities
• He was jailed for six years on both counts of rape, to run concurrently, and ordered to be deported on his release from prison

An illegal immigrant who was twice refused asylum in Britain raped a woman before he could be deported, a

court heard yesterday.

Atiq Rehman, 20, spotted his 22-year-old victim leaving a club and tricked her into thinking he was a taxi driver.

He then lured her into the back room of a corner shop and attacked her on a mattress for 45 minutes.

Yesterday the Pakistani national was jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape.

Sentencing him, Judge Usha Karu said: ‘The fear she must have experienced simply can’t be imagined.’

Rehman had applied for asylum in the UK twice last year.

His initial asylum application and subsequent appeal were rejected by the Home Office.

After his rejection, he dropped under the radar of the authorities and may have used a fake name to avoid detection.

In the hours before the attack, his victim had spent the evening with friends at Infernos nightclub in Clapham, south London.

Within minutes of luring her into the shop, Rehman raped her.

He threatened to tie her up with duct tape if she did not stop crying.

He then raped her again before callously asking her how many children she wanted to have.

After the attack on April 29 he threw her out of the shop. The young woman stumbled to a friend’s house in nearby Balham and called the police.

Describing the attack, prosecutor Jeffrey Israel told Inner London Crown Court the victim met Rehman after becoming separated from her friends outside the club.

‘He approached her and she mistakenly thought he was offering a taxi service,’ Mr Israel said.

‘Mr Rehman had keys to open the metal shutters to the shop, and led her through to the back room.

Attack: Rehman led the woman to Newspoint store in Clapham Common Southside, (pictured) after she became separated from her friends outside the club following a night socialising

There were two mattresses on the floor, and the woman began to cry. She was scared because she didn’t want to be in that room alone with the defendant.’

During the attack the woman was ‘shouting and crying’ and ‘physically trying to push him away from her’, he said.

‘Throughout, she was shouting at him to stop and trying to escape from him,’ Mr Israel said. ‘She told him she didn’t want to do this, and was begging him to stop.

Rather than stopping, he pushed her on to her back and pulled her arms. She was struggling to get away.’

Club: Rehman had led the girl from outside Inferno’s nightclub in Clapham, south London, (inside pictured) with the promise of a taxi ride home before threatening to tie her up with tape while he carried out the attack

The owner of the shop, Bilal Akbar, was initially arrested on suspicion of rape, but told detectives he had lent his keys to Rehman, who had fled to Manchester.

Rehman handed himself in to police on May 26, but initially claimed a friend was responsible and he had been wrongly accused.

Later he changed his story and claimed he had consensual sex with the victim. Eventually he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape. However, even in court yesterday he continued to maintain the sex had been consensual.

Rehman, of Thornton Heath, Surrey, was jailed for six years on both counts of rape, to run concurrently, and he was ordered to be deported on his release from prison

Judge Karu said his crimes had been compounded by an ‘element of abduction’, the length of the ordeal, and the fact he took advantage of a woman who had been drinking.

The judge ordered Rehman, of Thornton Heath, South London, to be deported on his release from prison. Outside court, investigating officer Detective Constable Lisa Greedy, said: ‘This was an horrific attack by a man who had no qualms in exploiting a woman who he believed to be intoxicated.

‘The fact that he then threatened his victim with violence only added to her trauma.

‘I would like to pay tribute to the victim who showed strength and determination throughout the investigation.’

Close the borders to Muslim immigrants: Salim Mansur’s House of Commons testimony

When Salim Mansur, a political scientist at the University of Western Ontario, asked me to provide a promotional blurb for his 2011 book Delectable Lie: A Liberal Repudiation of Multiculturalism, I was only too happy to oblige. Here’s what I wrote:
“In an age of ideological conformity such as ours, it takes courage to speak against the prevailing orthodoxy. This is a courageous book. Professor Mansur exposes how multiculturalism corrodes the values and traditions that sustain Canada as a liberal democratic order. The result is a book to galvanize Canadians against the apostles of extremist progressivism.”
I would like to restate that view. Mansur, a practicing Muslim, is one of the few intellectuals in Canada willing to speak truth to power on this issue even if that truth is unpalatable — and therefore politically incorrect — to the elites hellbent on re-engineering Canadian society in their own ignorantly destructive image.
Indeed, earlier this week, on October 1,  Mansur appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and, more or less, warned that unless Canada abandons its current multicultural policies and, accordingly, its immigration policies, we will in the not too distant future “severely undermine our liberal democracy.” In particular, he focused on the need to curtail immigration “from Muslim countries for a period of time given how disruptive the cultural baggage of illiberal values is brought in (to Canada) as a result.”
Not surprisingly, nary a word of Mansur’s testimony made it into the mainstream media, at least as far as I could determine. With a view to correcting that deficiency, let me provide what no one else seems willing to even acknowledge. I shall eschew commentary in order to let Mansur have his full say, although I have Boldfaced those parts of his statement that seem to me most relevant, and most provocative.

Honourable Members,

Many thanks for inviting me to share my thoughts with this Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. I appear before you as a common citizen deeply apprehensive and concerned about the drift of our country as it changes due to the rate of immigration that is without precedent among any of the advanced liberal democracies of the West. My expertise, or to the extent my expertise is recognized by this Committee for which I have been invited to appear before you, is that of a professional academic, a researcher, writer, author and public intellectual of some recognition in this great country of ours, and I am both proud and humbled to come before you as an unhyphenated Canadian.

Let me state right at the outset, before I share with you my perspective on immigration, I support all measures under consideration that modern technology provides for in securing our borders, monitoring those who seek to gain entry into Canada, those who arrive here without proper documentation and claim refugee status, and those in legions outside of Canada who want to come here as immigrants. I believe it is a no-brainer to work towards a more secure Canada, and to implement smart cards, biometric systems, and other tools available now or will be in the future for the purpose of keeping Canada and Canadians secure from those who would do us harm. I have no doubt on this matter that were we to have the thoughts of our founding fathers inform us, and those remarkable leaders who have come after them such as Laurier and King, Pearson and Trudeau, Knowles and Douglas, they would remind us that a constitution agreed upon by a free people to provide for, as John A. Macdonald put it, “peace, order and good government” is not a suicide-pact.

In the small amount of time I have before you I want to stress upon the first principle behind the Immigration policy as it has evolved since the centennial year and presently stand. Needless to remark that Canada is an immigrant country, and our history tells us as we should know it has been immigrants from Europe over the past several centuries that built this country. On the whole they built it well and, indeed, so well that Canada has come to be an eagerly sought country for people from around the world as I did. But, and here is the point, at some stage of Canada’s historical development since at least 1867 those who built Canada in the early years of its history could have reached an agreement to close the door to further immigration. They did not. They believed the strength of their country would be maintained through a judicious policy of accepting new immigrants from Europe. But the key point here I want to emphasize, and I have written about this at length in the public media, is they all believed that immigration judiciously and carefully managed (I emphasize manage) in terms of numbers and source origin of immigrants should be such that the nature of Canada as a liberal democracy is not undermined.

It is numbers and the nature of numbers that matters and, given the nature of things, determines how existing arrangements are secured or undermined. Since the open door immigration policy was instituted around the time of Canada’s centennial year, the nature of immigration into Canada started to change from what had been the pattern since before 1867 to around 1960. During the past fifty years immigration from outside of Europe, from what is generally designated the Third World, has rapidly increased in proportion to those immigrants originating in Europe. Furthermore, given the revolution in transportation with the introduction of wide body trans-continental jetliner that has made mass travel economical and easy the distinction between immigrant and migrant workers has been eliminated. This means, and it is not simply in reference to ethnicity, that Canada is rapidly changing culturally in ways our political elite, media elite and academic elite do not want to discuss. But the fact that this is not discussed, or driven under the carpet, does not mean the public is not keenly aware of how much the country has changed in great measure in a relatively short period, and if this pattern continues for another few decades there is the likelihood that Canada will have changed irrevocably, and not necessarily for the better in terms of its political tradition as a liberal democracy.

So in terms of first principle, we need our governing institutions and those individuals we, as Canadians, send to them to represent us, to boldly re-examine our existing immigration policy and re-think it in terms of what it represents and how it will affect the well-being of Canada in the years to come. I do not need to remind you that any set of policy, however benign or good the intent is behind the making of such policy, is riddled with unintended consequences. History is a paradox. What you intend is not how things turn out in the long run, and not even in the short term. Pick any example you want, and think it through and see for yourself the paradoxical nature of history and how it surprises us by confounding our expectations.

I have at hand the recent publication of Statistics Canada, Projections of the Diversity of the Canadian Population: 2006 to 2031. In other words, this projection affects me now and what remains of my life, but more importantly affects my children, my students, my friends and neighbours in their life time. Your views, as our representatives, are critical and will affect all of us, and you will be responsible in terms of our history, if you take your place in these hallowed halls with the seriousness it demands, for the good and the bad that come out of your decisions.

Let me quickly, time permitting, point out from this Statistics Canada publication the following:

1. Given the nature of our immigration policy since the 1960s, the foreign born population is growing about 4 times faster than the rest of the population; consequently, in 2031 there will be between 9.8 million and 12.5 million foreign-born persons compared to 6.5 million in 2006, and the corresponding number in 1981 was 3.8 million.
2. According to Statistics Canada projection, the population estimated for 2031 will be around 45 million of which 32 per cent, or around 14.5 million people will be foreign-born.
3. One more interesting, and yet critical, figure is the cultural/religious make up of Canada in 2031. The fastest growth, according to the report, is “the Muslim population… with its numbers tripling during this period. This increase is mainly due to two factors: the composition of immigration… and higher fertility than for other groups.” The figures are for Muslims in 2006 at around 900,000 constituting 2.7 per cent of the population, and rising to in 2031 to around 3.3 million constituting 7.3 per cent of the population.

If the levels of immigration in Canada is being maintained, and defended, on the basis of the needs to deal with the problems of Canadian society in terms of an aging population, fertility rates among Canadian women, skilled labour requirement and maintaining a growth-level for the population consistent with the growth of the economy, then this policy needs to be seriously re-evaluated.

We cannot fix the social problems of the Canadian society by an open immigration policy that adds to the numbers at a rate that puts into question the absorptive capacity of the country not only in economic terms but also, if not more importantly, in cultural and social terms and what this does to our political arrangements as a liberal democracy.

The March 2012 Herbert Grubel and Patrick Grady study for the Fraser Institute on Immigration and Refugee Policy should end once and for all the naivety that immigrants add in the short and medium term to economic gains for the country. Indeed, the cost-benefit analysis the Grubel-Grady study provides, based on government sources and revenue Canada numbers, indicates immigrants are a net cost to the rest of the society. “The fiscal burden imposed by the average recent immigrants,” Grubel and Grady write, “is $6,000, which for all immigrants is a total between $16 billion and $23 billion per year.” This is unfair, unsustainable, and disruptive to the Canadian society when set against the demands of Canadians for their needs, especially in distressing economic times as we have been witnessing since 2008.

The flow of immigration into Canada from around the world, and in particular the flow from Muslim countries, means a pouring in of numbers into a liberal society of people from cultures at best non-liberal. But we know through our studies and observations that the illiberal mix of cultures poses one of the greatest dilemmas and an unprecedented challenge to liberal societies, such as ours, when there is no demand placed on immigrants any longer to assimilate into the founding liberal values of the country to which they have immigrated to and, instead, by a misguided and thoroughly wrong-headed policy of multiculturalism encourage the opposite. It is no wonder that recently the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the British Prime Minister David Cameron, among other European leaders and a growing body of intellectuals, have spoken out in public against multiculturalism and the need to push it back, even repeal it.

I have written a book on the wrong headed policy of multiculturalism published recently under the title Delectable Lie: a liberal repudiation of multiculturalism. Time forbids me to discuss this matter at any length, but I would surely hope members of this Committee might take the time and read my book even if they disagree with me. Here I want to leave you in your deliberations to reflect upon the following situation of a paradoxical nature:

We may want to continue with a level of immigration into Canada annually that is about the same as it is at present; i.e. somewhere in the vicinity of 300,000 immigrants, refugee claimants, and students and workers under visa provision entering Canada.

We cannot, however, continue with such an in-flow of immigrants under the present arrangement of the official policy of multiculturalism based on the premise all cultures are equal when this is untrue, and that this policy is a severe, perhaps even a lethal, test for a liberal democracy such as ours.

This means we cannot simultaneously continue with both, the existing level of immigration and official multiculturalism, as they together endanger greatly our liberal democratic traditions.

If we persist we will severely undermine our liberal democracy or what remains of it, compromise the foundation of individual freedom by accommodating group rights, and bequeath to our children and unborn generations a political situation fraught with explosive potential for ethnic violence the sort of which we have seen in Europe as in the riots in the ban lieu or suburbs of Paris and other metropolitan centres.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize we need to consider lowering the number of immigrants entering into Canada until we have had a serious debate among Canadians on this matter. We should not allow bureaucratic inertia determining not only the policy, but the existing level of immigrant numbers and source origin that Canada brings in annually. We have the precedent of how we selectively closed immigration from the Soviet bloc countries during the Cold War years, and we need to consider doing the same in terms of immigration from Muslim countries for a period of time given how disruptive the cultural baggage of illiberal values is brought in as a result. We are, in other words, stoking the fuel of much unrest in our country as we have witnessed of late in Europe. And lest any member wants to instruct me that my views are in any way politically incorrect or worse, I would like members to note I come before you as a practicing Muslim who knows out of experience from the inside how volatile, how disruptive, how violent, how misogynistic is the culture of Islam today and has been during my lifetime, and how greatly it threatens our liberal democracy that I cherish since I know what is its opposite.

 Thank you.

Mansur’s testimony did not go down well with most of the committee members, who were eager to establish their multikulti bonafides and ensure their respective constituents that they, too, prayed at the altar of diversity. It is worthwhile reading their questions of Mansur, as well as his responses. For the most part, we get duck-and-cover banalities from the politicians, a least in comparison to Mansur’s display of courage. Too bad so few other Canadian intellectuals — particularly non-Muslims — aren’t willing to display equal moral fortitude. But then I guess you don’t get government grants by criticizing government policy.

Statutory rape: Provision to disallow reduced sentences to be tabled in Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The government will soon table in Parliament a provision disallowing judges from exercising their discretionary power to reduce the sentence given to statutory rapists, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, following an uproar on the light sentences received by two men convicted of having sex with their barely pubescent girlfriends.

If passed, it will be added to section 376 of the Penal Code, which prescribes a mandatory jail sentence for those convicted of statutory rape.

According to a Star Online report today, Nazri (picture), who is the de facto law minister, said the provision would state that section 294(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which gives the judge discretionary power to reduce or give a lighter sentence to the accused, would not apply.

“If passed, the provision will mean that judges cannot give lighter sentence in the case of statutory rape.

“I have spoken to the Attorney-General on the provision and he has agreed; therefore it will be tabled in the next Parliament sitting,” he was reported as saying at a press conference in Padang Renggas, Perak today.

Nazri said the additional provision was important as it would protect minors.

The minister had last month said the government was considering setting up a sentencing council to ensure the streamlining of criminal punishment meted out by the courts.

"The government believes that a sentencing council can be put in place but not a committee to review court decisions," Nazri told Parliament on September 25.

"It is dangerous if we have a review system as this will create another tier in the legal system. This is because there is a committee higher than the courts to review their decision," he said then.

Nazri further said the proposed sentencing council would only look at streamlining court sentences and not revisit cases to review judgments.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has also backed amendments to the law to inflict tougher penalties on convicted child rapists.

“The department’s stand is that rape cases require deterrent sentencing to reflect the abhorrence and revulsion of the public towards such crimes.

“This aberration of justice for those who most need the protection of law must be rectified,” the AGC said in a statement on September 5.

In August, former national bowler Noor Afizal Azizan and electrician Chuah Guan Jiu who were bound over for five years and three years respectively on a RM25,000 good behaviour bond each after being found guilty of statutory rape.

In both cases, the judges had stated that they had taken the “bright futures” of both men into consideration as well as the fact the sex acts were consensual.

The AGC added that it had filed an appeal against the Penang Sessions Court’s decision on August 29 for Chuah’s case and that it was considering the use of the court’s inherent power to review the decision in Noor Afizal’s case.

Temple lodges police report against DBKL

Fresh 30-day notice earmarks Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman temple in Bukit Bintang for demolition

KUALA LUMPUR: The 101-year-old Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman temple in Bukit Bintang was slapped with yet another notice from DBKL to vacate its premises to make way for a development project.

The first, issued in July under the Emergency Ordinance, wanted the temple committee to vacate part of the building to allow for the construction of a walkway by Hap Seng Sdn Bhd.

DBKL officers subsequently visited the temple under the pretext of evicting squatters but dispersed when told by the temple’s legal counsel that the EO was now defunct.

DBKL then issued a fresh 30-day notice dated Sept 15 under the Street, Drainage and Building Act of 1974, alleging it was built illegally. The notice calls for the demolition of the temple.

Subang MP R Sivarasa, one of two lawyers for temple, the other being Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran, said DBKL had contradicted itself.

“DBKL has known of the existence of the temple. The temple exists with their permit. This is mentioned in a DBKL affidavit,” said Sivarasa.

Yesterday, the temple committee president Balasubramaniam and secretary Nalini Rani lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police station against DBKL for issuing the notice.

They were accompanied by human rights lawyer and PKR vice president, N Surendran, and Hindraf’s S Jayathas who recently joined PKR.

In the police report, Nalini said that she suspected there was some sort of collusion between the developer Hap Seng and DBKL authorities.

Sivarasa asked: “Who gets the benefit from the notice? It is the developer. What is the relationship between the developer and DBKL? Is there an element of bribery?”

Surendran, meanwhile, announced that a demonstration will be held at the DBKL building on Oct 19 at 11am to oppose DBKL’s decision to destroy the temple.

“Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has cheated the Indian community. The demolition notice is a huge blow and a stab in the back,” said Surendran.

“Don’t touch this temple, or you will face the consequences. This is our warning to the BN government,” he added. “The temple has a special place in the hearts of Hindus.

Hap Seng obtained a court order to demolish the temple in July. However the temple committee filed a suit in August to set aside the order.

The committte said Hap Seng only named DBKL as the defendant while leaving out the temple, saying it was unfair. The suit is to be heard on Nov 1.

Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman temple, located at Jalan Tengah off Jalan P Ramlee, Bukit Nenas, draws about 200 devotees weekly and is the only temple in the Bukit Bintang area.

Suaram decries ‘police extortionists’

The NGO criticises the police force for their alleged practice of seeking cash in exchange for information or other favours from family members of those detained.

PETALING JAYA: Suaram lambasted the police over what appears to be a prevailing culture of their officers requesting bribes from family members in exchange for information on the whereabouts of their detained loved ones.

The latest allegation involves the wife of death in custody victim, P Chandran, who said she was asked to pay RM300 for information on her husband just before he died in detention.

N Selvi said she attempted to check with the police on the whereabouts of her husband so that she could pass him medication for hypertension problem.

“Suaram is gravely concerned at the steady repetition of corrupt practices by the police,” said Suaram coordinator R Thevarajan.

He said that this was not the first time such allegations have been brought to Suaram’s attention.

In one instance, said Thevarajan, police had requested RM13,000 as “release fee” from parents of teenagers detained under the Emergency Ordinance in 2011.

He also said that according to Suaram’s records, police have, throughout the years, never claimed any responsibility for the death of detainees.

“Suaram is perturbed at the cause of death and recounts that every death-in-custody was either attributed to the victim’s health or passed off as a case of accident,” he said.

Thuggish attitude

Suaram wants the officer-in-charge of the Dang Wangi lock-up, where Chandran was detained, to produce his daily journal for “scrutiny and an independent inquest”.

Thevarajan said that an inquest should be held within a month.

“Suaram repeats the call for the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission [IPCMC].

“The police institution needs an independent disciplinary mechanism before such thuggish attitude becomes the official code of conduct of the institution,” he said.

Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zainuddin Ahmad told Bernama that Chandran died from heart disease in the Dang Wangi police station lock-up on Sept 10.

An attempt by FMT to get further response from Zainuddin was unsuccessful.

PKR’s Kapar MP S Manickavasagam announced that he is helping the family to bring a suit against the government and police for neglect.

Chandran was apparently arrested for suspected kidnapping of a baby in Cheras.

‘In the dark’ IGP: Who said that?

Although the Immigration Department boss says his officers were stopping Bersih leaders at airports based on a list from the police, the police chief however appears clueless about this.

KUALA LUMPUR: Immigration Department director-general Alias Ahmad had confirmed that his officers were stopping certain travellers at airports based on a list furnished by the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

But when the question of a police list was posed to Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar today, the latter seemed to be in the dark.

“Who said that? Who?” he asked, visibly puzzled.

“Can you confirm that with the Immigration [Department]?” he added. “[Is that claim] from the right channels or hearsay?” he was quoted as saying.

Ismail had initially said that the Immigration Department had the right to stop travellers for checks when quizzed on such incidents involving several Bersih leaders.

“It is the right and process of the Immigration to stop [travellers],” he said.

Yesterday, FMT had obtained a confirmation from Alias regarding the list, after Bersih co-chaiperson S Ambiga claimed that she was stopped for no reason.

Ambiga, who was at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to board a flight to Australia, said she was held at the auto-gate for about 10 minutes on Tuesday night.

The former Bar Council president claimed that it was an act of harassment.

This morning, two other Bersih steering committee members K Arumugam and Toh Kin Woon were stopped at the LCCT and KLIA airports respectively.

Prior to Ambiga, other Bersih leaders who suffered similar treatment were Maria Chin Abdullah, Wong Chin Huat, Yeo Yang Poh and Andrew Khoo.

Do the math, hudud is possible

If Pakatan Rakyat forms the federal government, then the threat of hudud being implemented is real both politically and economically.
COMMENT

By Shen Yee Aun

I would like to help MCA publicity bureau chief Kow Cheong Wei on certain points that he had missed out during his debate against DAP’s Hew Kuan Yew on Thursday night.

Hew said there were less than two-third Muslim MPs in Parliament and it needed the consent of at least 148 MPs to push for an amendment to the Constitution to introduce hudud.

“Out of the 222 MPs in Parliament, only 107 MPs from the Peninsular are Muslims. If we add the East Malaysian Muslim MPs, there will only be 130.

“Besides, our constituency delineation is such that there are only 136 Muslim-majority seats, with more than 61% of the voters being Muslims,” said Hew.

Hew’s calculation is based on the current political scenario where in total there are only 130 Muslim MPs in Parliament. He must not neglect the current political reality where his calculation is based on the the current government ruled by Barisan Nasional.

The hudud calculation is only impossible in the BN political structure because mathematically the maximum number of Muslim MPs from BN even if they win all their seats will only be 117 MPs from Umno. It is almost impossible to have a Muslim/Malay MP from MCA, MIC, PPP and other BN component parties. So hudud is only mathematically impossible if BN rules.

As for Pakatan Rakyat, the number of their Muslim MPs can be intangible and hard to predict because any Muslim candidate can represent both DAP and PKR in the general election.

Moreover, DAP themselves have already pledged to introduce few potential Muslim/Malay candidates in the upcoming general election. So to have an extra 18 MPs from both PKR and DAP to reach 148 for hudud to be implemented is possible.

Hew also claimed that our constituency delineation is such that there are only 136 Muslim-majority seats. But he forgot to include the number of Muslim candidates and MPs from mixed constituencies.

Basically, Pakatan just needs an additional 12 seats from Muslim MPs contesting in mixed seats to reach 148 for hudud to be implemented.

It’s not all about mathematics

So when we claim that hudud is possible and a potential threat, this is a political reality based on when Pakatan governs the country and not based on the calculation where the current government is helmed by BN.

Hew also forgot to include the factor of the potential strength of the upcoming prime minister. What if the majority of Muslims MPs in Pakatan decide to elect (PAS president Abdul) Hadi Awang as their prime minister.

Having the influence of a prime minister will also increase support among the non MuslimPakatan MPs for Hadi for their own political survival in the coalition and government. Mathematically, the number of Muslim MPs from Pakatan will be more than the number of Muslim MPs from BN.

Mathematically, Pakatan’s strong performance in the last general election also led to Parliament witnessing a decrease of seven non Muslim MPs.

Even if their choice is Anwar Ibrahim for prime minister, Anwar has pledged his personal support for the implementation of hudud and never once dared to object to it like how Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has done.

Even Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who seems pro-Malay has never once made a stand or expressed personal support for hudud.

In politics, sometimes it is not all about mathematics. Just look at Perak where DAP won three times the number of seats compared to PAS but the menteri besar came from PAS.

Despite DAP existing in Kelantan, its leaders have never been able to block PAS’ Islamic state agenda in the state.

A similar situation is also unfolding in Kedah – bumiputera housing loan has been increased from 30% to 50% and then from 50% to 70%, pork abbatoirs were banned, gambling was banned and the list goes on even without a 2/3.

Let us talk about Selangor where PAS is the least dominant political party. Do they actually need to be a strong political powerhouse or obtain 2/3 support to raid 7/11 outlets for selling alcohol beverages? What about the ban imposed on a cinema in Bangi back then?

In conclusion, the threat of hudud under Pakatan is real, be it politically or mathematically.

Shen Yee Aun is a political observer and former Klang DAP Youth chief.

Scorpene: Peguam Perancis akan hadir ke Parlimen

(Harakah) - Dua peguam Suaram dalam kes Scorpene di Perancis, William Bourdon dan Joseph Breham akan datang ke Malaysia dalam masa terdekat untuk memberi taklimat berhubung isu itu kepada Ahli Parlimen di Dewan Rakyat.

KeadilanDaily melaporkan, Pengarah Eksekutif Suaram, Cynthia Gabriel berkata, kedua-duanya telah memohon visa dan akan hadir sebelum sidang parlimen berakhir, November ini.

“Kita sedang merancang tarikh sesuai untuk bawa mereka beri penerangan di Parlimen. Mungkin dalam bulan November. Visa kedua-dua peguam untuk ke Malaysia telah dimohon minggu lalu.

“Kita akan bawa mereka masuk secara sah untuk beri penerangan kepada Ahli Parlimen Malaysia dan sekarang sedang cari tarikh sesuai,” ujar Cynthia yang dipetik portal PKR itu.

“Kalau boleh kita tak nak buat penerangan di Singapura. Itu hanya pilihan terakhir,” ujar beliau lagi.

Menurut Cynthia, kemasukan itu dibuat mengikut prosedur selepas Wisma Putra dan Jabatan Imigresen sebelum ini mengguna alasan untuk mengusir Bourdon atas alasan menyalahguna pas lawatan.

“Jadi kali ini kita mohon secara betul mengikut prosedur.

“Kita bawa masuk mereka kali ini secara sah dan harap kerajaan beri kerjasama. Wisma Putra tak perlu beri alasan untuk halang peguam jumpa klien (Suaram),” tegas Cynthia.

What Does "Moderate" Mean in Malaysia?

There have been a lot of loose definitions of "moderate" Islam in the media recently and in the wake of violent protests throughout the Muslim world, the word is starting to mean simply -- non-violent. The deaths in Libya and many other Muslim countries have been a disturbing counterpoint to the hopes aroused by the Arab Spring movement. Peaceful protests have achieved so much more change in the last two years than all the decades of violence in the past, yet extremists still believe they can achieve their agenda by continuing to murder innocent civilians. Violence is their only way of remaining relevant as they have nothing else to offer.

Malaysia is often referred to as a moderate Islamic country, as it is mainly peaceful, prosperous and law-abiding. A predominantly Muslim country with vocal and distinct minority populations of Indian and Chinese origin, peaceful change has taken place over the last twenty years without violent extremism. It may be because the government has kept a tight hold on the country with the emergency law and regulations adopted in 1957 to maintain political order and stability when Malaysia was emerging from the communist insurgency. These laws stayed in place until very recently and have been used to respond to any movement that was considered prejudicial to national security. Today, the question arises of whether such laws provide security or whether they have become a liability. In September, 2011 the increasingly controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) of 1960 was repealed and in November, 2011, the government finally lifted three existing emergency proclamations, rendering void the unpopular Emergency Public Order and Prevention of Crime Ordinance of 1969.

However, civil rights groups are expressing dissatisfaction with the new legislation which replaces the archaic repealed laws; Hasmy Agam, the Chief Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia has spoken out against the new legislation for failing to meet international human rights standards. Many see the proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill as placing further curbs on civil liberties by restricting street demonstrations and the new Security Offences Act is simply "the New ISA." The much vaunted relaxation of media restrictions is also being criticized as an inadequate half-measure.

Another reform that many see as long overdue is Malaysia's affirmative action policy, where Malays have been given preference over the decades. Very successful at bringing education and economic opportunity to ethnic Muslim Malaysians, the policy is now being seen as culturally divisive and open to corruption. The present government has rejected calls for reform as the policy has helped maintain their electoral advantage for over twenty years.

Malaysia is ranked in 20th position in the 2012 Global Peace Index issued by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The second highest Muslim nation in the ranking, outdone only by Qatar, Malaysia's tranquility has been achieved by a stable though autocratic democracy. If Malaysia has indeed truly achieved maturity, the challenge now is to grant more civil rights and freedoms to a diverse population where 40 percent are non-Muslim. Malaysia's Constitution calls for the rights of all to practice their faith in peace and harmony but, increasingly, today the ideal of religious tolerance is being threatened by what many see as the "Arabization" of Malaysian Islam.

Malaysia has traditionally been pragmatic and even liberal about such issues as apostasy, and viewed Sharia courts as dealing with a narrow range of family matters for Muslims, and not having the power to dictate a citizen's relationship to the state. But recent surveys of Malay attitudes show that a majority think of themselves as Muslims first and Malaysians second and want the state to become more Islamic.

This, in turn, is threatening the concept of Malaysian nationalism and national unity, which Prime Minister Razak is attempting to achieve through his 1Malaysia concept. It will be just window-dressing if conservative views are protected and racial relations and religious liberties are sabotaged by extremism.

Najib Razak presents himself as a reformer on a mission to modernize Malaysia. But the reality is that Malaysians want more than window dressing as the time gets closer to the next election. With the country going into full campaign mode, the rifts in philosophy are becoming clearer, the dirty tricks dirtier and the opposition party under Anwar Ibrahim's leadership is becoming more popular.

Malaysia will always be a multi-cultural, multi-religious country and, hopefully, its Muslim population will always practice a moderate and non-violent form of Islam. Increasingly, it looks as if Anwar Ibrahim will be the visionary and principled leader Malaysia needs to safeguard this for the future.

Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is the Executive Chairman of The Scotland Institute and a Fellow and Member of the Board of Directors at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.

‘Criminalising’ men in women’s attire is unconstitutional, High Court told

The Sun Daily
by Karen Arukesamy

SEREMBAN (Aug 30, 2012): In what is the first case of its kind, four transsexuals are challenging the Negri Sembilan Syariah law that forbids males to openly dress or pose as females on the grounds that it is infringing their rights under the Federal Constitution.

The High Court today began a constitutional hearing before Justice Datuk Siti Mariah Ahmad on a judicial review of Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal (Negri Sembilan) Enactment 1992, initiated by the four transsexuals who have been charged under the section.

Muhamad Juzaili Mohd Khamis, 24, Shukor Jani, 25, Wan Fairol Wan Ismail, 27, and Adam Shazrul Mohd Yusoff, 25, who work as bridal make-up artists, identify themselves and dress as women.

Counsel Aston Paiva, representing the four, told the court that Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal (Negri Sembilan) Enactment 1992, which “criminalises” any man who dresses or poses as a woman, is “unconstitutional”.

The section provides for a fine not exceeding RM1000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both, upon conviction.

“They (applicants) have been identified to have a medical condition known as Gender Identity Disorder (GID). It is an attribute of their nature that they did not choose and cannot change,” he said.

“The undisputed medical evidence shows the applicants are biologically male but psychologically female. Thus, it is not applicable to them.”

He said the applicants, who have been arrested and harassed by the authorities several times, cannot conform to Section 66 by virtue of their medical condition, without suffering psychological harm and trauma.

“The applicants therefore ask this court for relief, either by declaring the law unconstitutional or by declaring that Section 66 does not apply to people like them, who suffer from GID,” Paiva said.

He pointed that Section 66 denies them the right to freely express their identity, and infringes Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution that guarantees freedom of expression.

Pointing that only Parliament can restrict freedom of expression, he added that Section 66 is unconstitutional as it is enacted by the state legislature.

They are also seeking a court order to prohibit their arrest and prosecution under the section.

Paiva said that Section 66 also violates:

>> Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution, which enshrines the right to personal liberty.

>> Article 8(2), which states that “…there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the grounds only of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender in any law…”

>> Article 9(2), which enshrines the right of every citizen to move freely throughout Malaysia.

>> Article 4(1), which declares void any law that is inconsistent with the Federal Constitution.

“Only men can be charged with this offence in this state – not women,” he said, adding that in other states, similar law involves immoral activities and not just dressing up as women.

He submitted that the challenge before the court is whether the state’s enactment is consistent with the Federal Constitution and not to rule on religion or religious precepts.

Siti Mariah fixed Oct 11 for the next hearing.

Syarie lawyer can challenge his suspension order, rules judge

The Star
by M. MAGESWARI

KUALA LUMPUR: Famous syarie lawyer Muhamad Burok, who was suspended from practising in the Federal Territories for six months for his role in a syariah matter without instructions from his client, has been allowed to challenge the order.

High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim granted leave to Muhamad for a judicial review application and a stay against the suspension order until Oct 30.

He did this after hearing submissions from Muhamad’s lawyers Dr Zulqarnain Lukman and Mohd Fikah Sanusi in chambers yesterday.

Dr Zulqarnain said the judge had ruled that there were merits to be heard in Muhamad’s case.

“We will now file our papers for the hearing of the judicial review,” he said.

Muhamad, he added, was handling five syariah cases for the client, who lodged a complaint with the Federal Territory Syarie Lawyer Committee here.

“We received a letter, dated Dec 6, 2010, from the committee notifying us of the complaint,” said Dr Zulqarnain.

He claimed that Muhamad had replied to the committee in a letter dated Feb 22, last year and had attached a copy of the details in his diary explaining how he had acted for the client.

However, the committee had issued an order dated April 23 saying that Muhamad had been suspended for six months for violating two provisions of the Practice Direction 2002 on the Ethics of the Syarie Lawyer.

Najib To Witness Signing Of Peace Framework Agreement Between Philippines, MILF

From R. Ravichandran

MANILA, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will arrive here tomorrow for a three-day official visit to the Philippines, where among others, he will witness the signing ceremony involving the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Framework Agreement for peace.

Briefing Malaysian reporters here Saturday, Charge d'Affaires of the Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines, Zakaria Nasir, said Najib, accompanied by wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, would have a tight schedule on Monday, beginning with the wreath-laying ceremony at Luneta Park (Rizal Park) here.

This will be followed by a welcoming ceremony/arrival honours at the Malacanang Palace grounds. The Palace is the official residence and the principle workplace of the Philippine president.

After signing the guest book at the palace's Reception Hall, Najib will proceed to a closed-door meeting with Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III at the President's Hall of the Malacanang Palace.

After that, Najib will lead the Malaysian delegation to an Expanded Bilateral Meeting which would be participated by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed at the President's Hall.

The meeting will be followed with a Joint Press Statement.

After attending the official luncheon hosted by Aquino, the prime minister and the president will witness the signing ceremony of the landmark GPH-MILF Framework Agreement at the Rizal Hall.

Najib is scheduled to deliver a speech, followed by Aquino, at the event.

The Malaysia-brokered peace agreement was announced simultaneously in Manila and Kuala Lumpur on Oct 7.

The framework agreement is a road map for establishing a new autonomous region to be administered by the Muslims in the nation's south, aimed at paving the way for a long, lasting peace after more than 40 years of conflict.

Najib, among others, in welcoming the agreement, had said that he was delighted that through this historic deal, the rights, dignity and future prosperity of the Bangsamoro people would be protected, while at the same time, the sovereignty and the Constitution of the Philippines would be preserved.

Zakaria said the prime minister would also attend a business dialogue with the Philippines-Malaysia Business Council, at a hotel here on Monday.

At 7.30pm, the prime minister and wife are scheduled to attend the 'Majlis Mesra Bersama Rakyat Malaysia' at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel here.

Zakaria said about 150 people, comprising Malaysian students, businessmen and their family members, would attend the event.

Najib and Rosmah are scheduled to depart for home on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile on Monday, Rosmah, in a separate itinerary will deliver a speech at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati here.

Among dignitaries scheduled to attend the event are Kris Aquino, sister of the Philippine president, and AIM president Dr Stevan J. DeKrey.

Rosmah, who is an alumni of the institute, will also tour the AIM campus.

Journalist upset with The Star

An ex-Star journalist who wrote an article on the rape of Penan females is upset with her former paper for apologising to a timber company over her article. She claims the daily had failed to consult her about the apology.

The Star’s apology can be found here. The timber firm then withdrew its defamation case.

On top of the apology, The Star has to publish a full-page feature highlighting the timber firm’s corporate social responsibility efforts, according to Malaysiakini.

Journalist Hilary Chiew had written the report about the rape incidents ‘Against their will’ in 2008 but says The Star did not consult her when making its decision to apologise to the timber firm over the report. “I have never, at any point in time, been informed nor consulted about the negotiations for the out-of-court settlement,” Chiew was reported as saying in Malaysiakini.

The timber firm is denying it was in any way linked to the incidents of rape of Penan females and did not have any operations in the vicinity.