Increasingly targeted by the Taliban, the under-protected Afghan civilians are paying an unacceptable price for Nato’s occupation Erica Gaston guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 August 2010 21.30 BST Article history An Afghan policeman stands in front of a Kabul shopping mall attacked by Taliban gunmen. Photograph: Omar Sobhani/ReutersThe UN reported on Monday that in the first six months of 2010, the number of civilian deaths and injuries rose 31%, with the majority (76%) caused by insurgents. Suicide attacks and IEDs against the military killed most of these civilians, who were innocent bystanders. Insurgents are also increasingly turning to assassinations and intentionally targeting … Continue reading The vicious calculus of insurgency

King Abdullah bids to organize religious edicts Saudi king limits clerics allowed to issue fatwas King Abdullah will appoint the clerics who will issue the fatwas Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz on Thursday ordered that public religious edicts, or public fatwas, be issued only by clerics he appoints, in the boldest measure the monarch has taken to organize the religious field. Timid efforts by the absolute monarchy to modernize the deeply conservative country have led to profusion in fatwas from scholars and mosque imams in the country, who use the Internet to publicize them as they fight what they … Continue reading Saudi Arabia to crack down on wild mullahs

Is Robert Spencer a Scholar? On Spencer’s Credentials and Methodology loonwatch.com Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) ranked Robert Spencer as the second leading Islamophobe in the country, losing out the number one position to his boss and financier David Horowitz.  Former Nixon advisor Robert Crane calls out Spencer as “the principal leader…in the new academic field of Islam-bashing.”  Even though Horowitz can be credited with funding the modern day online Crusade against Islam, it is Robert Spencer who fights on the online battlefield, attacking his Muslim foes and their liberal dhimmi allies.  In order to bolster his credibility, Spencer … Continue reading Islamophobia-Batty Man!

Colleges in Islamabad are now home to multiple gangs. ISLAMABAD: It all started with Mrs Khalid Butt finding cigarettes in her son’s room. This was all the more worrisome for being discovered around the same time that he had stopped asking her for pocket money. After questioning his friends, she was even more traumatised to discover that her son, an O-level student, had joined a group of boys who called themselves the “Sheesha Gang”. The gang was involved in a number of anti-social activities that included purse snatching, smoking, hooliganism, vandalism and female harassment. “I was shocked. I immediately changed … Continue reading Gangs of Islamabad

Ground Zero mosque plans ‘fuelling anti-Muslim protests across US’ Religious leaders warn of Islamophobia surge with hate speech and opposition to new Islamic centres across America Chris McGreal in Washington guardian.co.uk, Thursday 12 August 2010 20.01 BST Article history A woman holds up a sign protesting plans to build a mosque close to the World Trade Centre site in New York. Photograph: Michael Nagle/Getty ImagesThe battle over plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York is fuelling a surge in anti-Muslim protests across the US, including opposition to new Islamic centres from … Continue reading Are Americans Anti-Muslim?

The melon Michelangelos: Amazing sculptures carved from fruit By Claire Cohen With their green skins and a hint of red flesh, there is something familiar about these artworks. A closer look reveals they are carved out of watermelons — and these photographs, capturing their intricate designs, are the latest sensation to sweep the internet. The art form originated in the Far East 700 years ago when the carved fruit were often presented to royalty at banquets. Sage: A godly figure in a fruit frame Fishing for compliments: A sea scene Mutant turtle: This reptile berries a juicy fruit salad beneath … Continue reading Michelangelo says ‘Ramadan Mubarak!’

Having a whale of a time: The 20ft sea giant who couldn’t resist smiling for the camera By Mail Online Reporter These remarkable ‘mugshots’ of a group of pilot whales were snapped last week in the clear blue waters of the Straits Of Gibraltar, the gateway to the Mediterranean sea. After several loud ‘barks’ this whale stopped to gaze at its own reflection in the lens. Smugshot: The pilot whale smiles contentedly for the camera as he swims through the Straits Of Gibraltar Don’t let the big cartoon grin on this huge three-ton pilot whale fool you. While the 20-foot … Continue reading Cool Whale!