War on Terror How 'Pakistan's Switzerland' became Taliban land At a time when the world's eyes are focused on Pakistan and what it will do about the terrorist hubs in its territory, there are few areas of concern bigger than Swat. The picturesque valley in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) was once a bustling tourist hub before the Taliban overran the area. Unlike the proxy wars raging in the fringes of Pakistan's territory, Swat is much closer to Pakistan's heartland — a three-hour drive from Islamabad. Radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah's band of footsoldiers have made sure that the place once called 'Pakistan's Switzerland' is now a valley marked by destruction. -- Manjusha Madhu
------ The Pakistani government has "lost control" of the settled district of Swat to the Taliban, a senior politician said. The military is losing the battle that began more than a year ago in the former vacation paradise once known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, according to Haji Adeel, the Senior Vice President of Awami National Party, the ruling party in the Northwest Frontier Province. --- Bill Roggio More.. http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1167 Ijtihad, Rethinking Islam Demolish Kafir/ Mushrik/ Munafiq-manufacturing factories, says Sultan Shahin, defending New Age Islam against Talibani onslaught ... As a community we are more reactionary and obscurantist that positive and progressive. We live in fear and denial. There is noting wrong with us; it's all Jewish conspiracy, Hindu conspiracy, Western imperialist conspiracy, etc. etc. We love living in the past, in the land of pointlessness. So our discussions too are not so much about issues of today as about the bygone past. We revel in discussing ad infinitum the dirty politics of seventh century Arabia and taking sides with one or the other party. We have no present and no plans for the future. As a community, that is. Some individuals, of course, do have plans for themselves as well as for the community and a vision of regeneration for Islam and the Muslim community. But they are reviled for thinking of this word rather than the other world where 72 houris are waiting for them impatiently in a land of milk and honey and of course, plenty of liquor. (In the case of poor women, of course, only their husbands, if any, would be waiting there, and yet some of them become suicide bombers, for some reason.) ------ Sultan Shahin, editor, New Age Islam 112 Comments More... http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1143 Islam and Pluralism 2 Bengal madrasas turn a chapter, more Hindus than Muslims on rolls Kolkata: Madrasas across the country may be under the scanner for imparting Islamic fundamentalist teachings and accused of being factories of narrow orthodoxy, but in West Bengal, there are at least two where Hindu students outnumber Muslims. Located about 110 km from Kolkata, the Orgram Chatuspalli High Madrasa in Burdwan district and Kasba MM High Madrasa in Uttar Dinajpur district are known for their academic excellence and secular credentials. While at Orgram, 64 per cent — 555 of the 883 students — are Hindus, at Kasba, 647 of 1,069 students, or 60 per cent, are Hindus. -- Shiv Sahay Singh --- There are some pre-requisites for the policy of equivalence to succeed. First of all there has to be an all India madrasa Board. All madrasas, including the independent ones, have to be compulsorily part of this board. This Board should adopt a common curriculum for all madrasas, which would include modern subjects and English. Sufficient numbers of trained teachers for this purpose should be provided for the Board. -- Arshad Alam More.. http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1165 -- Syed Md Asadullah --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Asalam o Alaikum, You Are Receiving This Message, Because You Are A Member Of FOCUS ON ISLAM, A Google Group [..:: The Best Group For Nice Islamic Mails ::..] \/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<>\/ You can Post Your Comments and Suggestions to Me [Moderator of this Group] on this email address: [email protected] To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.google.com/group/focusonislam/ To post messages/mails to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Please forward our Mails to Your friends, and convence them to join our Group. Wanna subscribe to this group, send email to [email protected] \/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<>\/ *********************************************************** The Official Website of Group is LAUNCHED, http://www.geocities.co -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
