France’s Anti-Sarkozy Season Begins With a Strong Showing In the Streets Against Racism and Xenophobia by: Jim Cohen, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed The Romas, who are not usually seen in street demonstrations, came out in substantial numbers. (Photo: Jim Cohen begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting) Tempestuous French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been in a tailspin in the polls in recent months and his turbulent way of trying to snap out of it was to rally the most conservative and xenophobic wing of his right-wing base with a series of moves over the summer that were sure to remind … Continue reading President Sarkozys’ antics lead to demos

By Anjum Niaz dawn.com The ‘Saudi flag fluttering on Hotel Plaza on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. – (File Photo) Once upon a time there stood a building that housed a cheap retail store going by the name of ‘Burlington Coat Factory.’ It was near the World Trade Centre in New York. Over time, the store closed down and the building fell vacant for anyone to rent or own. One beautiful September morning when the sky was unbelievably blue, the sunlight eerily ethereal and the air mystically magic, two silver jetliners flew straight into the Twin Towers killing everyone in them … Continue reading An inconvenient truth

In appreciation of Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi by Hafsa Spot-fixers, cheats, runners up, dopers – the list will go on except for one Pakistani sportsman, who continues to make the right kind sports news year after year. It seems like Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi has taken over the responsibility of lifting the nation’s sporting image. The fact that less people know about his feat of becoming the first Pakistani (among several other firsts) to enter the men’s and mixed doubles quarterfinals at a grand slam tennis tournament, than three Pakistani’s facing the possibility of life bans from cricket is unfortunate, to say the least. … Continue reading Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi

ACT! For America’s Veteran Defenders of America Posted on 05 September 2010 by Garibaldi loonwatch ACT! For America, or as they are better known Hate! for America have created what they are dubbing a joint project, Veteran Defenders of America. ACT! for America is the organization led by class A loon Brigitte Gabriel, it regularly defames Muslims and insists Islam is trying to take over America. In my previous article, ACT! for America is better known as Hate! for America I wrote, ACT! for America has a problem. Its first problem is that it was founded by Brigitte Gabriel. Yes, … Continue reading America’s Veteran Organisation backed by Al Qaida!

OIC Holds International Celebration of 14 Centuries Since the Qur’an was Revealed IslamToday / Agencies Sun, 09/05/2010 05 September 2010 The OIC affiliated Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture “IRCICA” is celebrating 14 centuries since the revelation of the Holy Qur’an. The event is being held in Istanbul under the auspices of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The celebration this year implements the decision of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) at its thirty-seventh session, held last May in Tajikistan. Eighty ministers and officials from forty … Continue reading 14 Centuries Since the Qur’an was Revealed

VIEW: Hostages —Yasser Latif Hamdani American Muslims, as indeed other Muslims in western nations, very conveniently claim the global unity of the ummah, but when gross injustices perpetrated by Muslims against non-Muslims and also Muslims are pointed out to them, they distance themselves from the Muslim world To my article last week on the issue of the Manhattan mosque, many American Muslims and indeed our own holy Pakistani Muslims responded with the refrain that they — the American Muslims — are not the ambassadors of the Muslim world in the US but are equal citizens of the United States of … Continue reading Hostages to Priests and Mullahs?

COMMENT: Sixty-three years on: still India’s vital interest —Aparna Pande Mistrust is bridged by opening borders and improving visa regimes, by championing trade and commerce and above all by the willingness to listen to the other person and to continue talks despite disagreements and differences India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao recently stated: “I believe that dialogue is the most effective means to tackle outstanding issues with Pakistan and the abandonment of dialogue; the interruption of the dialogue, by no means serves the interest that we seek to pursue in getting Pakistan to stop its pursuit of terrorism against India.” In … Continue reading Sixty-three years on: still India’s vital interest

COMMENT: The purpose behind sectarian violence —Dr Syed Mansoor Hussain In many parts of Pakistan, the Taliban religious philosophy has sympathisers and supporters among the general public, politicians, bureaucracy at all levels, police forces and of course among the local religious establishments and mosques. As such the religious terrorists do not work in a vacuum but have local help and protection Sectarian violence is as old as organised religion. However, sectarianism becomes a large scale problem only when it is taken over by a political group to obtain political advantage. There is no point in rehashing the long and violent … Continue reading The purpose behind sectarian violence

COMMENT: Financing flood reconstruction —Muhammad Aftab Out of 21 banks, 12 recorded an increase on the back of higher fee income and a 39 percent decline to Rs 19 billion in loan losses. The banks failed to control their management and administrative expenses, which were up 13 percent to Rs 71 billion As the floods recede, the country is a picture of destruction. Now comes the hard task: of reconstruction; helping farmers, industry and business to put them back on their feet. Whatever the cost of reconstruction is going to be, the financing task is unusual and enormous. Extraordinary steps … Continue reading Financing flood reconstruction

Smokers’ Corner: Hot yuppie soup Nadeem F. Paracha “Those needing psychiatric treatment most are many among the educated and modern: the chattering classes and their hip, self-contradictory and condescending offspring who have become great fodder for urban radical-conservatism.” – Illustration by Abro Sometimes I feel that the human condition in Pakistan is actually a medical condition. At this point, Pakistan does not need politicians, technocrats or economists to improve its lot. It needs psychiatrists. I am not talking about the masses as such. They’ve swung from left to right, right to left and then back again in their assessments about … Continue reading Designer Mullahs!