Welsh Faiths Unite Against Extremism

Welsh Muslim and Christian leaders are coming together this weekend to coordinate efforts on fighting extremism and improving social cohesion.

"(We want to) prevent intolerance, isolation and marginalization created by extremist parties, such as the BNP [far-right British National Party] and Welsh Defense League (WDL)," Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales Saleem Kidwai told the BBC News Online Saturday, February 6.

The two-day meeting in the northern village of Hawarden, Flintshire, will focus on extremism and its impact on the society.

Leading speakers at the event are Bishop of St Asaph Gregory Cameron, Muslim scholar Abdalla Yassin Mohammed and Chairman of the WAG Community Cohesion Unit Joanne Glenn.

The meeting is a part of an ambitious initiative, the Finding A Common Voice, co-launched in 2007 by the Muslim Council of Wales and the Church of Wales.

Previous events have addressed a number of hot issues such as the role of women in religion; religious stereotypes, citizenship; and global challenges.

The BNP, a far-right and whites-only political party, is notorious for attacks against immigrants and Muslims.

BNP leader Nick Griffin had earlier described Islam as a “wicked and vicious faith”.

The BNP and WDL have recently organized a number of anti-Muslim protests in Wales and across the United Kingdom.

The anti-Muslim rallies have almost ended violently after many of the participating extremists tried to attack police and clash with Muslim residents.

One Nation

The Sunday's meeting will also discuss means of improving social cohesion in the country.

"The aim of this event is to explore in greater depth the implication of social cohesion policies for these two faith communities in Wales," Canon Robin Morrison, Welsh Bishops' adviser on church and society, said.

Kidwai, of the Muslim Council of Wales, urged all Welsh to stand up against extremist drives that threaten social cohesion.

"Community cohesion in Wales, generally, and north Wales, especially, was highlighted as an issue when the Welsh Defense League made an attempt in Wrexham to create disunity among the communities," he said.

"The manner in which all communities stood together as one gave a clear message to WDL that in Wales we are one nation and together we stand."

The Muslim leader stressed that Welsh Muslims are keen on keeping good relation with other communities.

"The same was demonstrated by the communities in Newport and Swansea. This is something we must hold on to," he said.

"We are one nation."

Britain is home to more than two million Muslims, mostly of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi backgrounds.

Court martial looms for Fonseka over 'coup'

Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka could be hauled before a court martial to answer charges of plotting a coup to topple the government, a press report said yesterday.

The government has sought legal advice on using a military court to fast-track proceedings against Fonseka, who challenged President Mahinda Rajapakse in the January 26 vote, the Sunday Times said.

"A military court will try retired general Sarath Fonseka on several charges of conspiracy," it said.

There was no immediate comment from Fonseka, who has already accused the government of planning to arrest or assassinate him after he fell out with Rajapakse and resigned in November.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said he was unaware of plans to bring Fonseka before a court martial, but added that a senior defence official had publicly spoken of the possibility.

Fonseka led troops to a crushing victory over Tamil Tiger rebels in May last year, ending a decades-long separatist campaign by the guerrillas.

However, he and Rajapakse were at loggerheads over sharing credit for the spectacular military success and then went head to head at the ballot box last month.

Fonseka, who was routed by Rajapakse, has vowed to challenge Rajapakse's election at the Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, Rajapakse sacked a dozen senior military officers whom the defence ministry said were a "direct threat to national security."

Security forces kept Fonseka under siege while election results were being announced the day after the election, and 36 retired officers working at Fonseka's offices were later arrested by police.

Fonseka said the government targeted his office to prevent his party from collecting evidence to mount the legal challenge to Rajapakse's re-election.

The government insisted the election was free and fair but the United States and the European Commission have pressed for a probe into the charges of vote fraud.

Iran Ups Uranium Enrichment, West Angry

In a new defiance to the West, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered Sunday, February 6, the production of higher-grade nuclear reactor fuel, drawing immediate fire from major world powers.

“Now Dr (Ali Akbar) Salehi, start to make the 20 percent with the centrifuges," Ahmadinejad told the atomic chief at an exhibition on laser technology broadcast on the state television.

The defiant Iranian leader blamed the West for the deadlock over the nuclear fuel deal.

"We had told them (the West) to come and have a swap, although we could produce the 20 percent enriched fuel ourselves," he said.

"We gave them two-to-three months' time for such a deal. They started a new game.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proposed last October a deal whereby Iran would send about 70 percent of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France in exchange for more highly enriched fuel to produce medical isotopes.

The 5+1 group, which comprises the five Security Council member states - the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus German, had set a December 31 deadline for Tehran to accept the proposal.

Tehran had insisted that the low-enriched uranium swap should happen on stages, giving the West until the end of January to accept its own proposal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Friday that a final deal on nuclear enrichment was “possible”.

Ahmadinejad, however left the door open for negotiations with the West to reach an agreement on nuclear enrichment.

“If they came and said, 'We will exchange without conditions,' then we will exchange," Ahmadinejad said.

"If they say they will cooperate regarding the reactor and the medicines, we will say, Very well, we cooperate."

The West accuses Tehran of developing a secret nuclear weapons program.

Iran insists that its nuclear program only aims at procuring power to feed an increasing local consumption.

Western Anger

The Iranian move has stirred the anger of Western polls, amid calls for an action against the Islamic Republic, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“If the international community will stand together and bring pressure to bear on the Iranian government, I believe there is still time for sanctions and pressure to work,” US Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a press conference in Italy.

“We must all work together."

Gates said the Iranian action were very disappointing, despite the West’s efforts to engage with Tehran.

"No one has tried more sincerely to reach out and engage with Iran than the President (Barack) Obama.

“The international community has offered the Iranian government multiple opportunities to provide reassurance on its intentions. The results have been very disappointing,” he said.

The British government also raced to condemn the Iranian move.

"Reports that Iran is planning to enrich some of their fuel to 20 percent level of enrichment are clearly a matter of serious concern," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

“This would be a deliberate breach of five UNSCRs (United Nations Security Council Resolutions)."

The West has been rallying to slap a fourth round of UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

"It may be that the sanctions screw needs to be or can be turned here and there, We need to consider very carefully what impact our options could have," said German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.

He said that it should be made clear to Iran that "patience is at an end."

Religious Tension Grips Guinea

At least one person was killed and scores wounded in two days of deadly clashes between Christians and Muslims in the Muslim-majority West African country.

"The situation is very difficult in Nzerekore," a police source told Reuters on Sunday, February 6.

"It is still very tense."

The clashes erupted on Friday after a Christian woman, wearing indecent dress, was stopped while passing Muslim worshippers at prayers.

In retaliation, Christians stoned Muslims trying to pray.

Christian youths also went to drive motorbikes near a mosque in the region to disturb the Muslim prayers.

"We have been told of one dead and many injured," said the police source.

Calm was restored by Saturday evening, although sporadic bursts of gunfire were still sounding out in the city.

The violence has forced dozens of women and children to flee the town to seek refuge in the bush.

The West African country, a former French colony, has a population of 10 million, nearly 85 percent of them Muslims.

Tension

The government has slapped a curfew to quell violence in the city.

"We put in place a curfew but, despite that, clashes continued," said the police source.

The government has also dispatched a delegation to talk with Muslim and Christian leaders in the city to calm the situation.

The eastern city has been tense over the sidelining of junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara.

"One of the reasons is the tension gripping the country since the December 3 coup led by Camara after the death of long-time leader Lansana Conte," Hamdi Abdel-Rahman, a Professor of political sciences at Cairo University, told IslamOnline.net.

Camara, who was wounded by an ex-aide, is a member of one of the minority ethnic groups.

He has been held responsible by a UN report for the killings of over 150 pro-democracy marchers in Conakry last September.

"The political tension in Guinea has resulted in the current incidents in Nzerekore," Abdel-Rahman said.

Ahmadinejad orders nuclear work

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has instructed Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation to begin enriching uranium for use as nuclear fuel, casting doubt on the prospect of a deal with the West.

Ahmadinejad's comments on Sunday, carried on state television, were directed at Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads the atomic energy body and who was sitting in the audience at the time of the speech.

"I [ask] Dr Salehi to start work on the production of 20 per cent fuel using centrifuges," Ahmadinejad said.

But he continued: "The doors for interaction are still open."

Iranian officials have repeatedly said their country can make fuel enriched to 20 per cent itself if there is no agreement on obtaining the material from abroad.

But in recent days Iran has seemed close to a deal with the West over shipping its nuclear material abroad to be turned into fuel and then returned.

Countering criticism

Alireza Ronaghi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tehran, said the president's comments were aimed at countering domestic criticisms of his announcement that Iran was ready to accept the deal.

"President Ahmadeinajd is sending a message to his critics inside the country and within the conservative camp - [to] those who thought he was moving far ahead of the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]," he said,

"This is obviously not going to have a very positive effect [on negotiations with the West] ... the world powers that are involved in the nuclear talks are not very happy about Iran always trying to prove its own capabilities when there is a negotiation going on."

Some Iranian officials have opposed the proposed nuclear deal, saying they would prefer a simultaneous exchange on Iranian soil, a plan rejected by world powers.

The US and Germany said on Saturday that they saw no sign Tehran would make concessions on its nuclear programme, despite recent upbeat comments from Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, over the prospect of a deal.

The West fears Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, but Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for purely civilian purposes.

'Dangerous and unacceptable'

John Kerry, the US senator, who was in Munich attending an international security conference, told Al Jazeera that Ahmadinejad's comments were "confusing" and "unfortunate".

"I think Iran keeps missing the global community's generous messages about how to defuse a crisis," he said.

"He [Ahmadinejad] seems only to understand confrontation and he's on a good path to get it the way he's going. I think it's very sad, obviously there are lots of pressures within Iran that are at play here, and so I think the western community just needs to proceed down the road steadily, with determination.

"A nuclear Iran in it's current context is dangerous and unacceptable, that has been the policy of every nation that I know of that has been involved in trying to persuade Iran otherwise."
Source: Al Jazeera

UK Erases Religion: Bishop

A senior church bishop has accused the Labour-led British government of enforcing a policy to sideline the role of religion in public life, warning the move erodes morality from the society.

“Our present political class are probably the last people to be making decisions about a constitution and the last to be pronouncing on the place of God in politics and government,” Bishop of Durham, Dr Tom Wright, told The Times on Saturday, February 6.

Wright, the fourth-most-senior in the church hierarchy, said the British public had been left to “lurch in a sea of amoralism”.

He noted that religion has been put aside by the Labour governments since coming to power in 1997, reaching the point where “something is dangerously wrong with our system”.

As examples in point, the evangelical bishop cited the British role in invading Iraq under Tony Blair government and the controversial equality legislation.

“We are supposed to have a democracy where we have a system of checks and balances developed over a long period which have got very deep roots,” he said.

“And if you say we’re going to cut down those trees and pave this bit over with concrete then all sorts of things may happen to the ecosystem.

“The law of unintended consequences is really rather powerful here.”

Earlier this week, the Labour government has dropped the Equality bill after criticism from Pope Benedict XVI and bishops.

The bill would have sought to outlaw any form of discrimination against any minority groups such as homosexuals.

But religious groups have criticized the motion, fearing it would restrict people’s ability to express their religious beliefs.

According to the CIA fact book, Christians constitute 71.6 percent of Britain’s population, Muslim 2.7, Hindu 1, other 1.6 and unspecified or none 23.1 percent.

Immorality

The British bishop warned that sidelining religion results in the erosion of morality from the society.

“We have lived as a Western society by a particular set of stories which are substantially Enlightenment stories, about science solving all our ills,” he said.

Enlightenment is a term used to describe a time in Western philosophy and cultural life in the 18th century when reason was advocated as the primary source and legitimacy for authority.

“The Enlightenment kicked God upstairs like the elderly relative in the attic,” said Dr. Wright.

This has allowed government officials to do whatever they want, regardless it goes in line with religious teachings or not, he said.

“Theology abhors a vacuum,” the bishop said.

“If you get rid of God you inflate yourself to be divine instead.”

His criticism will be echoed by Prince Charles of Wales during a speech to the Church of England’s General Synod next week.

He will call for religion to be put back into government, criticizing the Labour Party for creating a “Health Robinson mess” of British systems of government.

The absent role of religion under the Labour government was also criticized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

In a foreword to a book to be published next week, God and Government, Williams warns of a “deep crisis of faith in politics.”

Seeking to reinstate the role of religion in public life and politics, British bishops are working to issue a voting guide for voters in the general elections.

“The role of church and religious leaders is one of warning their congregations to wake up and take responsibility to choose their political leaders,” said Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York.

New Doctrine Puts Russia, NATO on Collision

A new Russian military doctrine that considers the NATO a prime enemy brought the former Cold War foes to a collision course on Saturday, February 6.

“I have to say that this new doctrine does not reflect the real world,” NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Reuters.

"I was surprised to read that Russia considers NATO a main threat in its new doctrine.”

Russia unveiled on Friday a new military doctrine that considers the alliance a prime enemy.

The document listed first among "chief outside military threats" the fact that NATO is attempting to "globalize its functions in contravention of international law."

It also cited attempts to bring “military infrastructure of NATO members closer to Russian borders, including by expanding the bloc.”

Russia is angry with NATO expansion plans to include former Soviet republics Georgia and Ukraine, which Moscow still considers part of its sphere of influence.

The document also names other threats as creation and deployment of missile-defense systems and “high-precision conventional weapon systems.”

“It does not reflect realities and it is in clear contradiction with all our endeavors to improve the relationship between NATO and Russia,” Rasmussen said of the Russian doctrine.

Relations between NATO and Moscow plunged to a post-Cold War low after the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.

Efforts were made to gradually resume formal contacts with no major achievement in this concern.

Afghanistan Help

Rasmussen said the NATO is keen to develop a strategic partnership with Russia and to expand cooperation in Afghanistan.

“NATO is not an enemy of Russia,” he stressed.

The NATO chief said that he would raise the new military doctrine during a coming meeting in Munich with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Rasmussen called on Moscow to foster cooperation with the NATO on war-torn Afghanistan.

“I have urged Russia to step up their engagement in Afghanistan,” he said.

Following US President Barack Obama’s visit to Russia last July, Moscow accepted Washington request to allow land transit of non-lethal NATO supplies to Afghanistan.

It also pledged to do all it can to help the alliance's troubled Afghan effort and allow new routes for the US to avoid Taliban attacks on supply routes in Pakistan.

However, Moscow failed to answer to the NATO request to expand transit options and military training for Afghan troops.

“I have presented proposals to the Russians when I visited Moscow in December as to how they could further their engagement,” Rasmussen said.

“I think Russia and we share the same interests in success in Afghanistan.”

Irish Imams Urge Niqab Acceptance

As an uproar is brewing across Europe on the ban of the face-veil, Irish imams are calling for respect of religious freedom, urging European Muslims to positively contribute to their societies to clear misconceptions.

“While there is no problem with the niqab in Ireland, it is something which is being debated in many places right now,” Ali Selim, Secretary-General of the Irish Council of Imams, told The Irish Times Saturday, February 6.

Several European countries have been gripped by a heated debate on banning the Muslim veil.

A French parliamentary panel recommended last month slapping a partial ban on face-veils in hospitals, schools, public transport and government offices.

The Italian government is also debating a law to ban the veil.

Similar debates are also heating up in Denmark and Germany to ban the Muslim outfit.

The Irish Imams urged European countries to respect the right of Muslim women to wear what suit them.

They said in a statement that calls for face-veil ban violate personal freedoms guaranteed by democratic systems.

Such a ban would also constitute an obstacle to multiculturalism, integration and human rights, they warned.

While hijab is an obligatory code of dress for Muslim women, the majority of Muslim scholars agree that a woman is not obliged to wear the face-veil.

Scholars believe it is up to women to decide whether to take on the veil or burqa.

Positive Role

The Irish Imams called on European Muslims make positive contributions to their societies to help clear misconceptions.

“Muslims are the minority in most countries,” Selim said.

“[They] are therefore faced with many challenges and how they deal with these is important.”

Islam, the world's second biggest religion after Christianity, is widely seen as Europe's fastest growing faith.

However, European Muslims have been facing ferocious smearing attacks by rightist groups, amid efforts to restrict their religious rights.

In November, Swiss voters backed an initiative by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party to ban mosque minarets in the country.

Calls have also been growing in Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands to ban the minaret construction.

Opposition is also growing in Denmark over plans to build the first two large mosques in the capital Copenhagen.

Ireland is home to some 50,000 Muslims, making up about 1 percent of the total population.