Queen Elizabeth praises Turkey's role as bridge between West, Islamic world

Ankara – Jamad Al Awwal 10 1429/ May 15, 2008 – Britain's queen, who is on a four-day official visit to Turkey, praised Turkey's role as a bridge between the West and the Islamic world during her first visit to the predominantly Muslim country in 37 years. "For us, Turkey is as important now as it has ever been," Queen Elizabeth II said in a state banquet dinner in her honor with President Abdullah Gul and other top state officials late Tuesday at the presidential palace.. "Turkey is uniquely positioned as a bridge between East and West at a crucial time for the European Union and the world in general," she said. Wearing a tiara and dressed in a white gown decorated with beads in the form of grape bunches, Queen Elizabeth said: "You are playing a key role in promoting peace, political stability and economic development in some of the world's most unsettled areas." The queen was referring to the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.

80 killed, 150 injured as terror strikes Indian city of Jaipur

Jaipur – Jamad Al Awwal 09 1429/ May 14, 2008 – Terror struck India's Pink City of Jaipur for the first time yesterday evening as serial blasts killed nearly 80 people and injured more than 150. Starting around 7.30 p.m. there were nine or 10 blasts within 15 minutes at six crowded places, including in the vicinity of two Hanuman temples, in the Walled City area, in the north western Indian state of Rajastan. Eight persons were picked up for questioning for their suspected role in the serial blasts as authorities today clamped curfew in 15 areas as a precautionary measure. Those picked up for interrogation included a man who was injured in the explosions and a rickshaw puller as investigations pointed towards involvement of Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (HUJI) in the explosions, Press Trust of India reported quoting informed sources. The blasts showed that HUJI has managed to establish cells in the desert state, the sources said.

Muslim blood bank offers free blood for non-Muslims

Riyadh – Jamad Al Awwal 09 1429/ May 14, 2008 – A brainchild of four technology-savvy young Saudis following the teachings of their faith, an online blood bank is assisting thousands of people, Muslims and non-Muslims in desperate need of blood donations. "The website is serving Muslims and non-Muslims alike," Khalaf Al-Goudi, one of the founders of the www.freeblood.com , told IslamOnline. "It is quite often that a Muslim donates to a non-Muslim through our site," he added. The website was established four years ago by Goudi, his cousin and two friends as a unique electronic blood bank that offers services to patients who need blood donations from around the world. It has built up a worldwide database of more than 15,000 donors.

Mina Tent City chosen for Shanghai World Expo 2010

Makkah – Jamad Al Awwal 08 1429/ May 13, 2008 – The tent city of Mina is one of the 55 city projects that have been selected from 226 nominations from across the world for exhibition at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. A 20-member jury picked the winners to be exhibited at the exposition’s Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA). “Saudi Arabia was the only Asian Arab country to win a place in the expo,” said Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Asheikh, deputy minister of municipal and rural affairs for town planning and the Kingdom’s representative to World Expo 2010. Judges picked the tent city by taking into consideration the Kingdom’s efforts to provide modern services to nearly three million pilgrims who spend four days in Mina during the annual Haj pilgrimage.

Palestinians mourn loss of homeland

Jerusalem – Jamad Al Awwal 07 1429/ May 12, 2008 – While Israel celebrates its 60th birthday, Palestinian refugees mourn the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe) when they lost their homeland. Often ignored in Middle East peace talks, they cling to a "right of return". Alia Shabati was 12 when she fled Jewish attacks on her village of Kabri, captured a few days after Israel's creation. Now a matron of 72, wearing a flowery blue dress and white headscarf, her memories of Kabri in today's northern Israel are vividly intact, unlike the village, which was wiped off the map. "We had houses and land," Shabati said in the living room of her modest dwelling in the alleys of Beirut's Burj Al Barajneh refugee camp. "We had olives, grapes, prickly pears and dates. We had orchards and fields. Now what do we have? Nothing."

Ban Ki-moon urges to end fighting in Sudan

New York/Khartoum – Jamad Al Awwal 06 1429/ May 11, 2008 – The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Sudanese government forces and those of the rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to end the fighting near Khartoum. The UN Chief's appeal came in the midst of deterioration of situation in Sudan with launching of an attack on the Capital Khartoum by rebels from Darfur. Expressing "grave concern" at the outbreak of the fighting as a result of the attacks by JEM forces against government forces, Ban "condemns strongly" the use of armed forces and military means by JEM for the achievement of political ends and called for an immediate cessation of fighting and a renewed commitment to a peaceful resolution of outstanding issues, his press office said in a statement.

Demolition works for Haram expansion in full swing, 40% completed

Makkah – Jamad Al Awwal 05 1429/ May 10, 2008 – Demolition of buildings and properties in the north and north western parts of the Haram Mosque in order to facilitate massive expansion of the mosque is undergoing in full swing. "Nearly 40 percent of demolition works has so far been completed. The works are expected to be completed in the near future and the area will be facilitated for performing prayers for the hundreds of thousands of Umrah pilgrims who throng the holy city in the coming holy month of Ramadan," said a source at the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

World's longest bridge to link Qatar, Bahrain

Manama – Jamad Al Awwal 03 1429/ May 08, 2008 –French Construction Company Vinci has been chosen to build what will be the world’s longest bridge, a span of 40 km that will link Bahrain and Qatar. Paris-based Vinci Construction Grand Projects, the leader of a consortium of construction companies, and Middle East Dredging Company, have signed a $3 billion contract with the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway Foundation to build the dual-lane Friendship Bridge, the French weekly Le Point reported yesterday on its website. The motorway will run over 18 km of embankments where the sea is shallow and 22 km of viaducts and bridges over deep water, including two 400m cable-stayed bridges over shipping channels.

Seminar, scientific exhibition on King Faisal kicked off

Riyadh – Jamad Al Awwal 02 1429/ May 07, 2008 –Giving tribute to one of Islam’s and the Kingdom’s greatest leaders, Riyadh Governor Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, chairman of the King Abdul Aziz Museum, inaugurated a three-day seminar and scientific exhibition on the history of King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz. “I saw in him a true believer, an intelligent politician... He listened beyond patience and was silent and understanding. When he spoke, he decided. And when he decided he was firm... He respected himself so people respected him. He ruled himself, so he ruled the people... He was a staunch supporter of Islamic causes,” said Prince Salman. He added that the late king, before he was martyred, was asked how he saw Saudi Arabia after the year 2000. “I see it as a beacon of light for all humanity,” he replied.

Mogadishu rocked by food riots

Mogadishu – Rabi Al Akher 29 1429/ May 06, 2008 – Police have fired in the air to disperse thousands of people protesting over rising food prices in the streets of Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. More than 10,000 people gathered in the southern neighbourhood of Madina today and marched towards the main Bakara trading district, where rally leaders addressed the crowd, an AFP correspondent said. No casualties were immediately reported, but yesterday two people were killed in protests, witnesses said. However, unconfirmed reports say that there are five deaths in the riots. The crowd briefly dispersed after the firing. "This is the worst problem facing the planet. Nobody cares about civilians and traders are harming us even more than Somalia's armed enemies now," Sheikh Mohamoud Abdulle, a Muslim leader, told the crowd.

OIC Chief lauds services of former Director General of IINA

Jeddah– Rabi Al Akher 28 1429/ May 05, 2008 – The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu lauded the commendable efforts and services made by Abdul Wahab Kashif, former Director General of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), in steering the news agency through difficult times. The Secretary General hailed Kashif’s palpable contributions over the past two decades at the head of the agency and his unflinching dedication through difficult times. Prof. Ihsanoglu made the remarks in his presidential speech at a sendoff ceremony held in honor of Kashif by the OIC General Secretariat at its headquarters here yesterday. The OIC Chief presented Kashif with a commemorative plaque in appreciation of his outstanding contributions to IINA as well as to various Muslim causes on the occasion.

Muslims not against Jews, says Sheikh Qaradhawi

Doha – Rabi Al Akher 27 1429/ May 04, 2008 – World renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradhawi has denied any enmity between Muslims and Jews, asserting that Muslims are only opposed to the hostile, expansionist Zionist movement. "There is no enmity between Muslims and Jews," Qaradhawi, the president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), told visiting Rabbis from the anti-Zionist movement Neturei Karta. He noted that for centuries Jewish citizens were living in peace and coexistence in Muslim countries. "Jews were the wealthiest people in Egypt and many Muslim countries," Qaradhawi told the three rabbis welcomed to his home in the Qatari capital.

Yemen mosque blast kills 18

Sana'a – Rabi Al Akher 26 1429/ May 03, 2008 – Eighteen people, mostly soldiers, were killed in Yemen yesterday when a blast blamed by authorities on Shiite insurgents exploded at the entrance to a mosque in the rebels' stronghold. A booby-trapped motorcycle exploded as hundreds of Muslim faithful were leaving the Bin Salman mosque in the northwestern town of Saada after Juma prayers, according to military sources at the site. Forty-five people were wounded, AFP reported. The attack on the mosque, located near an army barracks, raised fears of an escalation in violence between the government and Shiite rebels whose insurgency in the mountainous province of Saada has claimed thousands of lives since 2004.

IDB launches 2020 vision for human dignity

Kuwait City – Rabi Al Akher 25 1429/ May 01, 2008 – The President of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Ali announced the bank's 2020 vision for human dignity, aimed at boosting social and economic development. He said the vision aimed to alleviate poverty and elevate standards of living through human development, according to a report published by "Kuwait Fund Magazine" of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. "The IDB allocated $27 billion to boost intra-trade among member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)," he said adding that the target was to raise the level of intra-trade to 20 percent of its total trade with the world. Intra-trade among Muslim countries currently stands at 15 percent, he said.

World Islamic Economic Forum voices concern over food scarcity

Kuwait City – Rabi Al Akher 24 1429/ April 30, 2008 – Addressing the Fourth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), which kicked off here yesterday, several leaders and heads of State voiced concern over the current food scarcity and steep price hike of essential goods across the world. Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa said that development was a humanitarian act and practiced as part of the Islamic economic values. "Such forums are a practical response to the wave of allegations against Muslims and prove that the values of this religion push for the development of people and civilizations," he said. Sheikh Khalifa was speaking at the Leadership Panel of the WIEF, entitled “Islamic Countries in a Competitive World.” The panel was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

Iran, Pakistan hope to sign landmark pipeline agreement soon

Islamabad – Rabi Al Akher 23 1429/ April 29, 2008 – Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday said early materialization of the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline agreement will usher in prosperity and further bring the regional countries closer. Talking to President of Iran Ahmadinejad at the PM House Gilani said Pakistan was keen to promote bilateral relations with Iran in all fields and said it would purchase more electricity from Iran to help meet its growing energy needs. He said Iran was an important country and Pakistan values its cooperation with it for promoting peace and stability in the region.

Israeli raid kills four Palestinian children

Gaza City – Rabi Al Akher 22 1429/ April 28, 2008 – At least seven Palestinians have been killed after the Israeli Army shelled a house in the northern Gaza Strip. Four children and an elderly man were among the dead; the children's mother was taken to hospital but died later as doctors struggled to save her life. The health ministry said shells were fired at a house in the town of Beit Hanoun - the family inside were eating breakfast at the time. The Israeli army say there was an air and tank attack on a group of armed men which were said to be nearby, but they say no houses were targeted.

MWL to host International Islamic Dialogue Conference

Makkah – Rabi Al Akher 21 1429/ April 27, 2008 – The Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) will hold an International Islamic Dialogue Conference. The conference will be held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, according to MWL Secretary General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki. A galaxy of Muslim leaders, scholars, intellectuals as well as officials of Islamic centers and associations and university professors from various countries will participate in the conference, he said adding that invitations have been sent for the dignitaries to attend the conference.

IDB calls for comprehensive strategy to ensure food security

Jeddah – Rabi Al Akher 18 1429/ April 24, 2008 –Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Ali, president of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), yesterday called for a coordination group of regional and international financial institutions to work out a comprehensive strategy to ensure security in food, agriculture and water management in Arab world. Addressing a meeting of the group at the bank’s headquarters in Jeddah, the IDB chief said necessary studies must be conducted to prepare the strategy and human and financial resources must be mobilized to implement it. “We should also work to improve education standard in the Arab world and make it compatible with labor market requirements,” Muhammad Ali said.

Iraq seek neighbors' support

Kuwait City – Rabi Al Akher 17 1429/ April 23, 2008 – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki chided neighboring states yesterday for failing to bolster ties with Baghdad and write off Iraq’s debts now that Saddam Hussein is gone and Iraq is not a threat to the region. Al-Maliki, speaking at a meeting of foreign ministers from the region and Western powers in Kuwait, did not name any countries. He said Iraq was now a vastly different country from that under Saddam, who ruled Iraq with an iron fist for decades until he was ousted in 2003 by US-led forces. “Iraq today is different from the previous Iraq which assaulted its neighbors,” Al-Maliki said. He said Iraq was ready to play a “constructive role” in fostering security and stability in the region and urged neighboring states to open embassies in Baghdad. “It’s difficult for us to explain why diplomatic ties have not been resumed with Iraq. Many other foreign countries have kept diplomatic missions in Baghdad regardless of security considerations,” Al-Maliki said.

OIC Chief pledges full support for restoring peace in Iraq

Kuwait City – Rabi Al Akher 16 1429/ April 22, 2008 – The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu pledged full support to the international efforts to restore peace and stability to Iraq as well as to achieve reconstruction of the war-torn country. "The visit of the OIC team, third in the last two years, and the opening of our office are concrete indicators of our determination to make practical contribution to the efforts to help Iraq restore stability and security in the country," the OIC Chief said in his address to the Third Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq being held here today. Following is the full text of Prof. Ihsanoglu's speech at the conference:

Scholars call for making Makkah core point for world time

Doha – Rabi Al Akher 15 1429/ April 21, 2008 – Well known Islamic scholars, while addressing a Doha conference on 'Makkah's Importance', said that the holy city, not Greenwich, should become the reference point for world time, reigniting an old controversy that started some four decades ago. A group of Islamic scholars presented on Saturday “scientific evidence” to prove that Makkah was the core of that the zero longitude passes through the holy city and not through Greenwich in the UK. Greenwich in England has been the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) since 1884. GMT is sometimes called Greenwich Meridian Time because it is measured from the Greenwich Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, Gulf Times reported. Greenwich is the place from where all time zones are measured.

Egypt, Iran offer full support to IINA restructuring

Jeddah – Rabi Al Akher 14 1429/ April 20, 2008 – Egypt and Iran promised full support and cooperation to the ongoing restructuring of International Islamic News Agency (IINA), the specialized media organ of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which groups 57 Muslim countries. The offering was made by Mr. Hussein A Al Saharty, counselor at the Consulate General of Egypt in Jeddah, and Mr. Mohammed Sorkhabi from the Permanent Mission of Iran to OIC, during their separate meetings with Mr. Erdem Kok, Director General of IINA, at the headquarters of IINA.

Carter sets out ceasefire plan in meeting with Khaled Meshaal

Damascus – Rabi Al Akher 13 1429/ April 19, 2008 – Former US President Jimmy Carter set out plans for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel at a meeting with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal here yesterday. Carter held more than four hours of talks with Meshaal in one of the highest-profile meetings between the Islamist group that rules Gaza and a Western figure. The meeting was the first public contact between a prominent American figure and Hamas officials since Rev. Jesse Jackson met with Meshaal in Syria in 2006. It followed two other meetings between the former American president and the popular Palestinian group in the region this week. Carter’s convoy arrived at Meshaal’s office for the meeting under tight security and reporters were prevented from getting near the site. The meeting was closed to media.

Palestinians mourn massacre of 20 in Gaza

Gaza City – Rabi Al Akher 11 1429/ April 17, 2008 – At least 20 Palestinians, including five children, have died in the worst clashes with Israeli troops in Gaza in a month. Among the dead was a Reuters cameraman, who was killed while covering the violence. Three Israeli soldiers also died in the clashes. Yesterday's death toll was the highest since a broad Israeli military offensive in early March that killed more than 120 Gazans, including dozens of civilians. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the violence. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, on a visit to Moscow, strongly condemned the Israeli military assault and called on all sides to respect a ceasefire.

Scores dead as blasts rock Iraqi cities

Baghdad – Rabi Al Akher 10 1429/ April 16, 2008 – More than 70 people have been killed yesterday in blasts at three cities in Iraq, in one of the deadliest days there for weeks. At least 53 died and another 90 were injured when explosives packed in a bus detonated outside a restaurant near a court in Baquba, north of the capital. And 13 more were killed in a suicide bombing at a kebab restaurant where policemen were eating in Ramadi, which had seen a sharp decline in violence. Three people were also killed in Mosul in the north, and another in Baghdad. The BBC's Crispin Thorold in Baghdad says suspicion for the attacks is likely to fall on Sunni groups inspired by Al Qaeda.

OIC receives prime plot of land to build its new headquarters

Jeddah – Rabi Al Akher 09 1429/ April 15, 2008 – The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has received a prime plot of land allotted to build its new headquarters from the Jeddah Municipality at a ceremony held here yesterday. The Municipality officials handed over the documents related to the site to senior officials of OIC including its Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. The ceremony was also attended by senior officials of the Saudi Ministry of Finance, the Jeddah Construction Development Company as well as officials from the OIC member countries.

Saudi Arabia determined to eliminate terror, says king

Riyadh – Rabi Al Akher 08 1429/ April 14, 2008 – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz reaffirmed re-affirmed Saudi Arabia's resolve to fight terror to the end. He said that Kingdom is determined to eliminate the murderous ideology of terrorism that transforms deceived youth into tools of killing and destruction. In his opening speech at the 41st conference of the Federation of Arab Universities at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences here last night, the king also highlighted that Islam is a religion of moderation, which denounces all forms of terrorism.

Iran mosque blast kills 10

Tehran – Rabi Al Akher 07 1429/ April 13, 2008 – At least 10 people have been killed and more than 150 wounded yesterday in an explosion at a mosque in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. The blast "may have been caused by explosives left behind from an earlier exhibition commemorating" the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Press TV reported. The semi-official Fars News Agency carried a similar report. "Based on the initial evaluation, the Saturday night explosion ... has not been intentional or sabotage," it quoted the commander of the security forces in the southern Fars province, Ali Moayedi, as saying.

King Abdullah, Wade review success of OIC Dakar Summit

Riyadh – Rabi Al Akher 06 1429/ April 12, 2008 – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz received Senegalese President Abdullah Wade and his accompanying delegation at his ranch in Janadriyah near Riyadh yesterday. During the meeting, the king welcomed the Senegalese President, wishing him and the accompanying delegation a pleasant stay. The Senegalese president expressed his thanks and appreciation to King Abdullah for the good reception and generous hospitality accorded to them. They discussed major events and developments at the Islamic and international arenas.

800-year-old Kaaba key sold for 9.2 million pounds

London – Rabi Al Akher 04 1429/ April 10, 2008 – A 800-year-old key to the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, sold for 9.2 million pounds late yesterday, setting a new record for an Islamic work of art at auction. The 12 century Abbasid period key, made of iron and measuring 37 cm long, sold at Sotheby's in London for more than 18 times its pre-sale estimate and was bought anonymously. Its existence was previously unknown and prompted a bidding battle that took the price to more than 18 times the £400,000-£500,000 estimate in an auction of Islamic art, whose 405 lots sold for a total of £21.5 million.

OIC Chief vows support to UN in tackling global challenges

Jeddah – Rabi Al Akher 03 1429/ April 09, 2008 – The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has reiterated the unambiguous and firm support of the OIC to the United Nations and its universal and commendable role in catering for the good of humanity at all levels. While reacting to some recent declarations and threats targeting the United Nations, he praised the constant efforts of the UN and its indispensable work to help the people of the world to cope with the challenges of the 21st Century, and to ensure peaceful settlements to all disputes confronting the humanity, prominent among which are the chronic crisis in the Middle East and the conflicts affecting the Muslim world, the OIC chief said in a statement.

Amnesty urges India to probe unmarked Kashmir graves

Sri Nagar, India – Rabi Al Akher 02 1429/ April 08, 2008 – Amnesty International has appealed to Indian authorities to urgently investigate nearly a thousand unmarked graves in Kashmir discovered by a local human rights group over the past year. The graves were found in cemeteries in 18 villages close to the Line of Control, the military control line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, according to the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), an independent group in Kashmir. “Amnesty International urges the Government of India to launch urgent investigations into hundreds of unidentified graves discovered since 2006 in Jammu and Kashmir,” a statement from Amnesty International said.

Islam Karimov is keen to achieve peace in Afghanistan

Bucharest – Rabi Al Akher 01 1429/ April 07, 2008 – Highlighting the significance of achieving peace and stability in the war-torn Afghanistan, the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov called for stepping up of efforts to resume the negotiation process in this regard. "Achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan," he termed, "as a decisive factor of security to resolve the vitally important problems of sustainable social and economic development of an entire Central Asian region." The president made the remarks during his speech at the NATO/Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Summit, held in Bucharest, capital of Romania on April 3. The Summit discussed issues of multilateral cooperation to ensure regional and international security and stabilization of situation in Afghanistan.

OIC Chief warns against inciting anti-Islam hatred

Jeddah – Rabi Al Akher 01 1429/ April 07, 2008 – The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu voiced his deep concern over the dangerous implications of the recent spate of Islamophobic actions such as that caused by reprint of cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Danish newspapers and the release of the offensive documentary "Fitna" by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders defaming the Holy Quran and causing widespread insult to the sentiments of Muslims of the world. "Fitna documentary was a reprehensible act of incitement and intolerance against peaceful inter-religious and inter-communal cohabitation that challenges the global agenda for peace and development," he told reporters after the inaugural session of the open ended Inter Governmental Meeting of Group of Experts that met here yesterday to discuss OIC Plan of Action for Women.

Muslim graves vandalized in French WW1 cemetery

Paris – Rabi Al Awwal 29 1429/ April 06, 2008 – Vandals have desecrated several dozen graves in the Muslim section of a military cemetery near Arras in northern France, officials said today. Prime Minister Francois Fillon called the attack a "revolting act" and said those responsible would be found. The desecration came almost exactly a year after youths daubed Nazi inscriptions and swastikas on Muslim tombs in the same Notre-Dame de Lorette cemetery in Ablain Saint-Nazaire, Reuters reported. Officials in northern France confirmed that numerous graves had been sprayed with paint in the new attack, but did not give any further information.

Cambodian Premier accuses Media of linking Islam with terrorism

Phnom Penh – Rabi Al Awwal 28 1429/ April 05, 2008 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has accused major media organizations like CNN and the BBC of unfairly linking terrorism to Islam. He made the comments in an opening speech at a two-day international conference on interfaith cooperation for peace, held in Phnom Penh. Hun Sen said it is inaccurate to link the world's over one billion Muslim population to acts committed by small numbers of people. He said when terrorism occurs in one place, a politician or the media will link it to Muslims as a whole. ''Terrorism is terrorism. It has nothing related to religion,'' ABC Australia quoted him as saying.

OIC Chief calls for joint work to improve condition of Muslim Ummah

Islamabad – Rabi Al Awwal 26 1429/ April 03, 2008 – The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged the Muslim countries to "pool their resources, share expertise and work together to improve the conditions of the Muslim Ummah". “We should also continue to rely upon collective will and joint action on the part of OIC Member States,” he said. Prof. Ihsanoglu was addressing the opening session of the 13th General Assembly meeting of the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) here on Tuesday. The opening session of the three-day meeting, which concluded today, was chaired by Parvez Musharraf, President of Pakistan.

OIC should be effective body of Islamic world, says Gilani

Islamabad – Rabi Al Awwal 25 1429/ April 02, 2008 – Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday emphasized the need to adopt a holistic approach to meet the internal and external challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah. He said that concerted efforts are required to mobilize all available resources resting with the Islamic countries for the promotion of science and technology which is essential for their development and progress. The Prime Minister made the remarks during his meeting with the visiting Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, at the PM Secretariat. The OIC Secretary General congratulated Syed Gilani on assuming the office and expressed confidence that under his leadership Pakistan would attain progress and prosperity.

Arab Summit slams Islamophobia

London – Rabi Al Awwal 23 1429/ March 31, 2008 – Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal invited Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to Gaza for unconditional talks on the two factions’ divisions, in a television interview today. He also told British broadcaster Sky News that Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by Palestinian fighters in June 2006, is still alive and being treated well. “We invite Mahmud Abbas to come to Gaza to talk directly without any conditions... to work together to find a solution to the problems in Gaza and the West Bank,” Meshaal said, speaking from an undisclosed location in Damascus.

Christian, Muslim leaders welcome King Abdullah's call for interfaith dialogue

Jeddah – Rabi Al Awwal 19 1429/ March 27, 2008 – There has been a tremendous response from across the Muslim and Christian world to a call made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz on Monday for a Muslim consensus on a dialogue with Christianity and Judaism to end inter-faith tension. Responding to the call, the World Council of Churches urged its members to open a dialogue with Muslim scholars. The Geneva-based WCC said it wanted to organize discussions on theology and ethics with signatories of A Common Word, a call for Christian-Muslim dialogue issued by 138 Islamic scholars last October and welcomed by many Christian churches, Reuters reported. “We are encouraging our churches to consider this invitation offered by the Muslim leaders as a new opportunity for inter-religious dialogue,” WCC General Secretary Rev Samuel Kobia said in a statement on the Common Word appeal.

OIC Chief slams move to screen anti-Qur’an film

Riyadh – Rabi Al Awwal 18 1429/ March 26, 2008 – The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) urged the Dutch government to stop the screening of an offensive anti-Qur’an film produced by a right-wing parliamentarian. "We must not allow freedom of speech to be used as a cover to insult religion,” said Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the OIC, which groups 57 Muslim countries. “I must say that there is a positive development between the OIC and the Dutch government and we look forward to new steps by the Netherlands to stop the screening of this film,” he told the Sixth Forum of Dialogue Among Civilizations between Japan and the Islamic World, which concluded here yesterday. The two-day Forum entitled "Culture and the Respect of Religions," was organized by the Institute of Diplomatic Studies and the Department of Islamic Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yemen brokers Fatah, Hamas reconciliation deal

Sana'a – Rabi Al Awwal 16 1429/ March 24, 2008 – Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have signed a Yemeni-brokered reconciliation deal yesterday, promising to renew discussions after months of hostilities. The two factions reconvened in Sana'a earlier in the day in a last ditch effort to hammer out a compromise over the future of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The Sana'a Declaration read: "We, the representatives of Fatah and Hamas, agree to the Yemeni initiative as a framework to resume dialogue between the two movements to return the Palestinian situation to what it was before the Gaza incidents".

Gaddafi opens Africa's second largest mosque in Kampala

Kampla – Rabi Al Awwal 12 1429/ March 20, 2008 – Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi inaugurated yesterday one of Africa's biggest mosque in the Ugandan capital Kampala. A galaxy of leaders, including heads of state of several African countries, attended the glittering ceremony of opening the Gaddafi National Mosque at Old Kampala Hill. The actual ceremony, which coincided with the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), held in a football stadium.

Hamas, Fatah agree to Yemeni peace initiative

Sana'a – Rabi Al Awwal 10 1429/ March 19, 2008 – A top Hamas official said his group was ready to accept a Yemeni bid for reconciliation with Fatah, which voiced willingness to start a national dialogue when its Islamist rival agrees to the terms of Yemen's initiative. "The visit is to meet (Yemeni) President Ali Abdullah Saleh ... and inform him of the movement's acceptance of the Yemeni initiative," Hamas deputy politburo chief Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera television upon his arrival in Sanaa. Abu Marzouk did not say if that meant that the group accepted relinquishing its control over the Gaza strip, but Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters in Gaza that the group would discuss the points of the Yemeni initiative.

Humanitarian crisis is the worst in Iraq

Baghdad – Rabi Al Awwal 08 1429/ March 17, 2008 – Millions of Iraqis have little or no access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare, five years after the US-led invasion, according to the latest report of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Swiss-based agency says Iraq's humanitarian situation is "among the most critical in the world". It warned that despite better security in some areas, millions had been left essentially to fend for themselves. Some families spend a third of their average monthly wage of $150 just buying clean water, the report found. An even worse humanitarian crisis in Iraq will only be averted if much more attention is paid to the everyday needs of Iraqi citizens, the report said.

Prof. Ihsanoglu re-elected Secretary General of OIC

Dakar – Rabi Al Awwal 06 1429/ March 14, 2008 – The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was re-elected for a new five-year term of office during the closing meeting of the 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference held in the Senegalese capital Dakar. The new Charter sets the new term of office for OIC Secretary General at five years instead of four years as it was in the previous Charter, according to an OIC statement.

Muslim leaders vow to project Islam's true image

Dakar – Rabi Al Awwal 06 1429/ March 14, 2008 – Wrapping up of the 11th Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) with the theme of “Islam in the 21st Century,” here yesterday, heads of state and leaders from 57 Muslim countries renewed pledge to work harder to make sure that Islam’s true image is better projected all over the world. Condemning strongly all forms of extremism and terrorism, the Summit highlighted that Islam is a religion of moderation that calls for peaceful coexistence with followers of other religions. It called for more dialogue between Muslims and Christians. The leaders also hammered out a new charter for the world’s biggest Islamic group. The new charter is aimed to modernize and reform the group of 57 nations concentrated in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

OIC Summit set to begin in Dakar today

OIC Summit set to begin in Dakar today
Dakar – Rabi Al Awwal 05 1429/ March 13, 2008 – The 11th Islamic Summit of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is set to begin in Dakar, capital of Senegal, this afternoon. Leaders of the world’s biggest Islamic body have arrived here for the two-day Summit, with the theme of “Islam in the 21st Century,” to study ways to improve Islam's image in the West and spur economic development in some of the Muslim world's poorest countries. The participants will discuss the implementation of the 10-year Program of the Organization’s activities, ways of settling political, economic, cultural, social and humanitarian issues, as well as issues in the sphere of information, science and advanced technologies. The meeting is returning to Africa for the first time in 14 years. They will consider documents prepared by OIC foreign ministers, including drafts of OIC’s new Charter and the Dakar Declaration.

Muslim Foreign Ministers agree to revise OIC Charter

Muslim Foreign Ministers agree to revise OIC Charter
Dakar – Rabi Al Awwal 04 1429/ March 12, 2008 – The foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member countries have agreed changes to the Charter of the Muslim world's main representative body, officials said. "We have concluded a historic act" with the consensus on a revised charter after two years of debate within the 57-member body," said Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, foreign minister of Senegal, told a press conference here yesterday. Gadio said there was a "99.99 percent chance" that the changes would be formally approved by OIC leaders at their Summit on Thursday and Friday. The two-day Foreign Ministerial Meeting preparatory to the 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference concluded here yesterday.

Senegal President calls for interfaith dialogue, peaceful coexistence

Dakar – Rabi Al Awwal 03 1429/ March 11, 2008 – Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade called on Muslim and Christian intellectuals to engage in a dialogue that fostered mutual tolerance and understanding. "We've seen that dialogue can work miracles," he said. "…Muslims and Christians should strive to coexist and not allow extremists to drag the world into a war of religions," Wade said. He made the appeal before the 11th Summit Conference of the world's largest Islamic body, the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which he is hosting in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Thursday and Friday.

OIC Chief says Islamophobia to figure high in Dakar Summit

Dakar – Rabi Al Awwal 02 1429/ March 10, 2008 – Muslim leaders will debate Islamophobia when they meet in Dakar, Senegal this week amid Muslim anger over a Danish cartoon insulting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and a Dutch film perceived as anti-Islamic. The 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will discuss the first report of a monitoring committee on Islamophobia at the conference, said the Secretary General of OIC Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. "We have to resolve the issue of Islamophobia through a committed political dialogue and a historical reconciliation between Islam and the West," he told AFP. The 11th OIC Summit will be held on March 13 and 14.

King Abdullah receives Faisal Prize

Riyadh – Rabi Al Awwal 02 1429/ March 10, 2008 – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz received the King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) for Service to Islam. Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, director-general of the King Faisal Foundation, handed the prestigious prize to the king at a ceremony held at the Prince Sultan Hall of the Al-Faisaliah Hotel last night. Crown Prince Sultan, and several other princes, ministers and foreign diplomats also attended the event, which marks the 30th anniversary of the awards.

Madinah Quran Complex wins King Abdullah Translation Award

Riyadh – Rabi Al Awwal 01 1429/ March 09, 2008 – King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex in Madinah, which boasts of translating the holy book into nearly 50 foreign languages, is among the six winners of King Abdullah International Award for Translation. The awards were announced at a ceremony attended among others by King Abdullah at King Abdul Aziz Public Library here last night. Announcing the winners, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, adviser to King Abdullah and member of the board of the King Abdul Aziz Public Library, said that translation is a bridge to other cultures and plays a great role in the advancement of civilizations and societies.

OIC invites Muslim leaders to Dakar Summit

Cairo – Safar 30 1429/ March 08, 2008 – The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has sent invitations to leaders of its 57 member countries to attend its 11th Summit, to be held in Dakar, capital of Senegal, on March 13 and 14, Sayyed Qassem Al-Mesri, advisor to OIC Secretary-General, said here yesterday. The two-day summit will be preceded by the OIC foreign ministers' meeting on March 11 and 12. "The OIC leaders are scheduled to discuss a wide range of issues including the amendment of the Charter of the Organization with a view to strengthening cooperation among the Muslim countries," Al-Mesri told reporters. "The OIC was hastily founded in late 1960s following the arson attack against Al-Aqsa Mosque. So its charter is not composed enough. The Organization needs a new charter that could outline the tools and targets cooperation among its members more clearly.
"The coming summit will decide on this issue," he said, noting that the OIC Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was lobbying for restructuring the organization and enhancing the powers of its chief.