PUKHTUNKHWA TIMES

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Sunday, April 9, 2017

#ArrestUsWeAreZardari - ‘Three arrested friends of Zardari should be presented in courts’

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said on Saturday three close aides of former president Asif Ali Zardari, who have been arrested, should be presented in the courts within the next 24 hours.

"If you want to arrest people for being Zardari’s friends, then you should arrest me too, I can also tell you a lot," he said while talking to media persons here at his residence in the Ministers’ Enclave. He said the arrested people included Zardari’s manager Ghulam Qadir Marri and Nawab Leghari.

He said the Sindh government has legal powers for the appointment of inspector general of police (IGP) of its choice.

"The federal government appointed five inspector generals of Islamabad Police and three secretaries of the Interior Ministry and in the same fashion the Sindh government also has the right to appoint the police chief of its choice," he said.

He said after explosion in Lahore, the Operation Raddul Fasaad was launched, the Rangers were given special powers, but the National Action Plan (NAP) was not fully implemented. “No matter how much the government speaks, no difference comes from just speaking," he added.

The opposition leader said the Muslims all over in the world and also in the Middle Eastern countries were being victimised and there was a need to get united against these atrocities. He said the government had failed to play its due role to unite the Muslim Ummah. “Saudi Arabia should come forward to end the differences between Muslims across the globe,” he remarked.

He said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto played a vital role in bringing the Muslim Ummah on a single platform and it is the responsibility of every Muslim to play his role for strengthening Islam. He said the rulers have played with the emotions of the people and before elections, the PML-N promised the people that it will provide electricity to everyone, but now the country was still facing a shortfall of 5,000MW.

The opposition leader said progress never comes by just making motorways or orange trains, rather it requires improving financial condition of the people. "The rulers promised that they will build motorways and highways in Sindh. Sadly, the highway here was converted into a motorway,” he remarked.

In reply to a question regarding the awaited verdict on the Panama case, the opposition leader said the verdict is yet to be announced and he hoped "the God gives the strength to make the right decision."

He said the government during the dharna days wanted to prorogue the National Assembly session but he advised the government to summon the joint sitting of parliament.

Bilawal Bhutto - PPP will continue to pursue the mission of a strong and egalitarian Pakistan

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has pledged that his Party will continue to pursue the mission of a strong and egalitarian Pakistan for which country’s nationalist and democratic leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and thousands others laid down their lives fighting the overt and covert anti-Pakistan elements.

PPP Chairman conducted interviews from the candidates for PPP office-bearers of Dera Ghazi Khan Division, Districts Layyah, D G Khan and Rajanpur, and Multan Divisions’ Khaniwal and Vehari of South Punjab at Bilawal House, Lahore. Senior PPP leaders who were present during interviews include former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Natasha Daultana, Shaukat Basra, Bashir Riaz, Abdul Qadir Shaheen etc.

The PPP Chairman said that we are not fighting war for power instead it is a war of ideology and the PPP is torch-bearer of the ideology of Pakistan professed by our founding fathers and their successors who embraced martyrdom but never accepted any adulteration in the ideology.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that PML-N has launched attacks on the PPP leaders and workers in Punjab and launched a multi-billion campaign of media advertisements portraying fake and false development schemes.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that Nawaz Sharif government has increased total public debt of the country by an unprecedented 35% i.e. Rs 5 trillion during last four years while it stood at Rs 13 trillion during 66 years since independence. Trade deficit has risen to $11.71 billion as exports have declined by whooping 16 % during Sharif government, which is a big challenge to the national economy and next government, he added.

He asked the candidates for the Party offices to get ready for a final showdown with the opponents in the next elections as the PPP organizations are being put into full gears to fight for the federation and the democratic rights of its federating units and the masses.

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/

Days of deprivation for the people of South Punjab are over: Bilawal Bhutto

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that days of deprivation for the people of South Punjab were over and asked the people of the region to get ready for the dawn of development, prosperity and equal opportunities.

The PPP Chairman stated this while talking to the PPP leaders and workers from South during interviews for the PPP candidates for different districts of South Punjab including Multan Division, Bahawalpur Division, and districts of Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Lodhran at Bilawal House, Lahore.

PPP leaders including former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Natasha Daultana, Shaukat Basra, Abdul Qadir Shaheen and others were also present on the occasion.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he felt sad to know that there was only 12% literacy rate in South Punjab while its share in the development budget in the province was meager.

He said that PPP has great plans for the poverty-ridden people of South Punjab and pledged to emancipate them from Takht-e-Raiwind in next elections.

Before the interviews, the family and children of Shaheed Imtiaz Ahmed met the PPP Chairman at Bilawal House. Shaheed Imtiaz Ahmed was killed during an attack on PPP South Punjab Information Secretary Shaukat Basra in Haroonabad.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grave concern that the culprits involved were roaming freely and PML-N government was not ready to lay hands on them.

He said that Punjab government announced for fair investigations but in fact it appears to be hands in gloves with those behind the killing.

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Music Video - Noor Jehan - Sanu Nair Wale Pul te bula ke.flv

Should Pakistan ex-army chief lead Islamic military alliance?

By Ahmed Rashid

The appointment of Pakistan's former army chief General Raheel Sharif to head a 39-country Saudi-led military alliance of Muslim countries to combat terrorism has set off intense debate in Pakistan and in the region.

The alliance is seen by many observers, but in particular by Shia Muslims in Pakistan and the Middle East, as a new Saudi-inspired Sunni block to counter Iran's growing influence among Shias in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

After months of silence from Gen Sharif, Pakistan's defence ministry has now said that both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have come to an agreement on his posting.

So far at least there does not seem to be an army made up of soldiers from any of these 39 countries and what exactly Gen Sharif will do in Saudi Arabia has not been disclosed.

But Pakistanis are anxious given that 20% of the population are Shia, there are large numbers of Shia officers and soldiers in the army - which has never faced sectarian unrest - and memories of the horrors of the 1980s when Saudi Arabia and Iran were accused of fighting a proxy war on Pakistani soil live on.

Each state, it was alleged, funded and supported militant Sunnis and Shia respectively in Pakistan to kill each other.

Even today there are still widespread attacks launched largely by Sunni militants against Shia across Pakistan and the government has so far failed to bring this sectarian war to an end. Many Shia have left the country.

Unity hit?

The deal has prompted enormous debate in Pakistan, with the main opposition coming from Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which says such a deal would worsen the Sunni-Shia rift in Pakistan.

The main advocate of the plan is Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who owes the Saudis several political debts, including his release from a jail sentence imposed a decade ago after he was toppled in a military coup. Mr Sharif then lived for many years in exile as a guest of the Saudis.

The army has also been historically close to the Saudis, providing troops and training in the 1980s to the Saudi armed forces and receiving help for the purchase of weapons systems.

Many Pakistanis are desperately keen that the country stay out of the crises that have gripped the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are jointly trying to defeat the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are Shia. The Saudis are also suspected of supporting a variety of militant Sunni groups fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and of having helped Bahrain crack down on protests led by its majority Shia population.

Pakistan would like to avoid any involvement in these countries.

The Saudis have long asked Pakistan to contribute to its forces in Yemen, which so far Pakistan has refused to do. Last year Pakistan's parliament voted against sending Pakistani troops to Yemen. However the new Islamic alliance led by the Saudis and the appointment of Gen Sharif may alter the strategic picture for some.

Meanwhile Iran has increased its presence throughout the Middle East particularly in providing military aid to regimes in Iraq and Syria, while it is also allegedly helping the Houthis and other Shia in the region.

Iran has strongly objected to the appointment of Gen Sharif as head of the alliance. ''We are concerned that it may impact the unity of Islamic countries,'' said Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost on 4 April.

Islamabad insisted that it had told Iran of the appointment, but Tehran said that did not mean it had accepted the decision. Instead Iran has offered to help form a ''coalition of peace'' in the Middle East rather than forming a military alliance.

'Neutral referee'

Raheel Sharif's acceptance of the job has led to intense debate on political talk shows on TV channels, with many people questioning why a very popular former army chief should now enter the quagmire of the Middle East, which may ultimately force Pakistan to make difficult strategic choices and almost certainly sour its relationship with Iran.

Much of the print media has been critical of the appointment, which has not been helped by the total blackout of information from both the government and the army as to what exactly this alliance hopes to achieve or how it will benefit Pakistan.

''The government is pursuing a course of action that undermines Pakistan's status as a neutral referee in the Muslim world,'' said Pakistan Today in an editorial.

Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has pledged that Pakistan will maintain a balance in its relations with Tehran and Riyadh "even though it's very challenging".

There has been longstanding criticism from politicians and the media that Pakistan has been ignoring Iran, even though it is an important neighbour. So far Gen Sharif's appointment has only increased that criticism and created considerable unease as to the future course of Pakistan's foreign policy.

Pakistan - ''Middle Eastern temptations''

Afrasiab Khattak

It is hardly surprising to see the eruption of a heated debate in Pakistan over the decision of General (retired) Raheel Sharif (GRS) to become head of the so-called Islamic Military Alliance which is cobbled together by Saudi Arabia. Many Pakistanis are concerned about the possible fallout of this new adventure while the country is still profusely bleeding because of her old Afghan adventure. It is particularly so as the Middle Eastern adventure has the potential for taking the sectarian divide in the country to a new level.

Many Pakistanis vividly remember that up till mid 1970s Pakistan was one of the favorite destinations of tourists from all over the world and was known in other countries for producing good quality of cotton. Then came General Zia’s despotic dictatorship that derailed the country by imposing the so-called Jihadi project on the country with the support of western countries and Arab kings. After that Pakistan came to be known for exporting Taliban and other high quality terrorists. Therefore many people believe that with serious problems of religious extremism and terrorism on her plate, Pakistan can ill afford to jump into the sectarian quagmire of the Middle East. It was with this background in mind that the Pakistani Parliament had passed a resolution opposing the country’s involvement in the on-going military conflict in Yemen.

Pakistan has a history of military relations with Saudi Arabia in terms of providing training facilities and deploying troops for purely defensive purposes. But this time round it’s going to be a new ball game altogether due to the following monumental political and geo-strategic changes in the Middle East.

One, after the defeat of the Sassanian Empire of Persia at the hands of Muslim Arabs in 651 AD it is for the first time that Iranians have been able to deploy their army on a large scale in Arab lands. The post Saddam Shia majority Iraq is part of the Iranian camp. The Alawite regime of Bashar-ul-Assad in Syria has so far survived the devastating civil wars and proxy wars mainly because of Iranian support. Iran has strong and loyal allies in the shape of Hizbullah in Lebanon. Ascendancy of Yemeni Houthies has opened yet another Arab country to Iranian influence. Sheikdom in Bahrain has had a difficult time in quelling Shia uprising. Saudi Arabia, like many of its neighbors, is facing internal sectarian fault lines apart from the threat from the expanding influence of Iran. So the ideological threat from Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979 is now turning into a real military threat for which Saudi Arabia is least prepared. It is looking for boots on ground in the war in Yemen, the outcome of which is vital for the future of the Saudi ruling clan.

Two, the mass uprising in recent years, known as the Arab Spring has badly shaken almost all the Arab countries. The Saudi monarchy was able to keep it out of KSA but it had to provide financial incentives to the population for keeping it away from the uprising, leading to financial difficulties. These financial strains have intensified due to the falling oil prices for the last so many years.

Three, Saudi relations with western countries in general and US in particular have seen a definite decline. US is not as dependent on Saudi oil as it used to be. Wahabism and Salfism, the official ideology of ruling Saudi elites, is regarded to be the ideological basis for violent religious extremism. Many in the west believe that Saudi terror financing hasn’t come to an end despite lots of pressures and persuasions. Unlike the past experience, the Saudis weren’t able to stop western countries from entering into a deal with Iran on the nuclear issue that resulted in lifting stringent financial sanctions from Iran. Saudi insecurities have further deepened with the growing hostile attitude of the western media towards its archaic and repressive state system (although one must add that when it comes to repression the Iranian theocracy is hardly any different).

In view of all the above it is pretty clear that the aforementioned military alliance is needed by Saudi Arabia to contain Iranian political expansion and military domination in the Middle East, for defending herself and other Sheikdoms. Winning the war in Yemen is crucial for achieving the aforementioned objective and the experience of the last two years has proved it beyond any doubt that KSA cannot do it by herself. Hence the so-called Islamic Military Alliance against terrorism. Saudis have their eyes on the Pakistan Army. General Raheel Sharif’s joining the force will be the first step towards committing Pakistani soldiers to the so-called military alliance. After all GRS is not an ordinary citizen who can go and seek a job anywhere in the world. He was until very recently military leader of Pakistani state and his joining the Saudi led alliance will only indicate the state’s inclination towards physically joining it. This will amount to attracting a Saudi-Iran proxy war into Pakistan, a country already suffering from sectarian terrorism.

Apart from the recent resolution of the Parliament against becoming a party to the war in Yemen there was another policy decision a few years ago. After the US attack on a Pakistani border post in Salala the then Parliamentary Committee on National Security had prepared some recommendations that were subsequently approved by a joint session of the Parliament. One of them made it obligatory for the government to present every agreement or treaty with foreign countries to the Parliament. That policy is still binding. Unfortunately the present federal government has a very poor record in making Parliament the main forum for policy making and oversight. In the present case the situation is more difficult in view of the close relations of the Pakistani ruling clan (the Sharif family) with their Saudi counterparts. Also of no less importance is Saudi investment in the Pakistani defense sector and military establishment (remember Musharraf’s confession about flowing of Saudi money into his bank accounts). But history will never forget the rulers if they bring sectarian wars into the country by falling for Middle Eastern temptations.

To avoid in future situations like the present one the Parliament needs to legislate and the relevant government ministries need to make rules for the foreign employment of persons who have served on high and sensitive security institutions of the country. It shouldn’t be free for all.

Iran envoy expresses reservations about fmr Pakistani army chief’s role in military alliance

Islamabad, April 3, IRNA - Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan has expressed reservations on issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Pakistani government for appointing former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif as the head of Saudi-led military alliance.

Mehdi Honardoost talking to different media of Pakistan said that it was correct that Pakistan had contacted Iranian officials before issuing the NOC, but it did not indicate that Iran was satisfied with this decision or it had accepted the same.

He said that Tehran had informed Islamabad that Iran would not become a part of any alliance like the 'military alliance' nor such kind of offer was extended to Iran.

He strongly believed that all important Islamic countries should come together to form a coalition of peace to resolve their issues rather forming a controversial military alliance.

Earlier Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that the government had issued an NOC to the former army chief to lead the military alliance.

The decision of the government is drawing a lot of criticism from analysts, former diplomats, and opposition parties because they believe that such a move could create more problems for Pakistan on diplomatic front.

In April 2015, days after Saudi Arabia launched heavy strikes on Yemen, Pakistan parliament unanimously approved a resolution urging the government to stay neutral in the face of demands from Riyadh to join its military strike against Yemen.

http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82480185/

PPP will continue to pursue the mission of a strong and egalitarian Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/2017/04/08/ppp-will-continue-to-pursue-the-mission-of-a-strong-and-egalitarian-pakistan-bilawal-bhutto/

Friday, April 7, 2017

Pashto Music Video - Sha Lalia -

Only ‘SUNNI SOLDIERS’ - BY ASKING FOR ‘SUNNI SOLDIERS’ SAUDI ARABIA IS TRYING TO DIVIDE PAKISTAN ARMY

By: Khalid Muhammad

If I were to tell you that Saudi Arabia wants the Pakistan Army, but only the Sunni soldiers and officers, what would your reaction be?

If I were to tell you that the training contingent that is in Saudi right now is only Sunni soldiers and officers, would you still believe that the Yemen war is justified?

I understand that you want to believe that the conflict in Yemen is justified and that our holy sites are threatened by the Houthi rebels, but that is simply not the case. This is not a battle for the integrity of Saudi Arabia, but an expansionist power grab by them to re-instate their chosen leader.

When you have spent the past 2 weeks telling the world that you want the Pakistan Army involved in the conflict, or as the media has reported it “the Pakistan Army wants to be involved,” only to turn and demand that only Sunni officers and soldiers are sent to fight, you have to start to wonder what the greater game is here.

Let’s rewind and understand what the KSA has asked for. During the first few days of the conflict, the mantra was that Pakistan wanted to be involved. This mantra then morphed, as the world watched Pakistan stand neutral, to a position that the Saudis wanted a 3-4 year deployment of a full corps of the Army under their command. The recent meeting between the “dignitaries” of the Government of Pakistan and the Saudi monarchy determined that Pakistan’s involvement would only be to protect the integrity of Saudi Arabia and the holy sites. The problem is that when you put our soldiers under the command of the Saudi monarchy as requested, our commanders are no longer the command unit for them. They take their orders from Riyadh, not Rawalpindi. If they are ordered to storm Yemen, they must follow the orders.

But the game here is much larger and we need to understand the context.

In the past few months, the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force and SSG Commandos have made great advances against the TTP and their affiliated organizations around the country. The GOP has been pushed to take action against the extremist madrasahs that are funded illegally by foreign countries, many of which are these same countries asking for our assistance now. When we are nearing the day where we can honestly say that the terrorist threat in Pakistan has been broken permanently, the Saudis have launched a campaign against the Houthis even though this conflict has been building for over 6 months.

The army and the population of Pakistan are united for the first time in many years to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and extremism, the Saudi are now trying to not only divide the population, but divide our army as well. When a soldier puts on a uniform, he fights for the country that he calls home, not the religious beliefs that they carry individually. For a request/order to be made that the only acceptable soldiers for the Yemen conflict are Sunni and no Shia needs to be sent, it is clear that this is an attempt to divide our armed forces along religious grounds.

The Pakistan Army is roughly 70% Sunni and to deny deployment to the other 30% smacks of discrimination and favoritism. Do they believe that a professional military like Pakistan’s can’t see beyond their individual religious beliefs to fight for a unified, justified cause? If that is the case, then why ask Pakistan to send its armed forces?

Unless of course your objective is to cause division within our military command and fighting soldiers.

When we talk about force impact analyses, things like this have a dramatic effect on the morale and motivation of each soldier. I’m not talking in the context of the fight in Yemen, but the fight here in Pakistan. When we dare to say that one religious faith isn’t as committed as another, we are walking a fine line towards eroding the unity of our armed forces, which is a death sentence to a professional force like the Pakistan Army.

April 6th is a massive day for the country. The President has summoned a joint session of the Parliament to debate the involvement of the Pakistan military in Saudi Arabia. I believe that this will not be a debate, but a convincing of why the military must be involved. As we have seen on our media, the “gifts of the Saudis” are being paraded before the nation, as evidence of their support of Pakistan and the people.

Let’s look at where the country stands. The liberal political party, the Pakistan People’s Party, has thrown their support behind the war along with the conservative Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. The religious political parties are quiet in where we should stand. The media is spending their time making the case that the military must be sent, even though none of the holy sites are threatened. Their biased reporting has split the country and seeded confusion in the general population, making this decision much harder.

But please don’t be fooled!

Pakistan has paid with 80,000 innocent lives. These same countries that we are considering to protect today funded the killers. But when the media makes this case, ask yourself these questions:

- When we started our fight against terrorists, which one of these countries offered equipment, materials or financial support to our armed forces?

- Which one stopped funding the extremist madrasahs and the groups that they currently fund?

- While we are locked in a battle for our existence, why are we being asked to provide soldiers for a fight that has nothing to do with us, but has the potential of causing massive bloodshed within our borders if we chosen one side over the other? And why is no one talking about that potential?

And the biggest question you need to ask and demand an answer for is:

- When did the Pakistan Army become a mercenary force for hire to the highest bidder? Ready to fight in any country of the world for the right price.

Remember Lal Masjid, where the media and the population all wanted the Pakistan Army to take action against the terrorists in the middle of Islamabad. When the Army finally took action, the majority of the country shifted their position to calling the Lal Masjid brigade victims, forgetting what they were saying only hours before.

Now, put think about what the reaction of these same people will be if an innocent person is killed because of a Pakistan Army soldier’s bullet or a bomb being dropped from a Pakistan Air Force fighter plane.

Why do you want to stand in support of this for our soldiers, our brothers, our fathers?

Stand with Pakistan today. Stand with the Pakistan military today.

Stop believing the media spin and remember what they did during Lal Masjid. They beat the war drums demanding action and then they called the public media trials to convince the army and our soldiers of killing innocents.

Are you ready to do this again?

http://www.shiitenews.org/index.php/pakistan/item/27977-by-asking-for-sunni-soldiers-saudi-arabia-is-trying-to-divide-pakistan-army

Pakistan: Second Ahmadi Muslim murdered in Lahore in 10 day

"This is 2nd brazen attack in less than 10 days where Ahmadi's are targeted openly while govt makes tall claims & tries to white wash truth," said Jama'at Ahmadiyya Pakistan.

For the second time in last two weeks an Ahmadi is murdered due to his faith in Punjab, Pakistan.

A 68 year old Ahmadi veterinary doctor Ashfaq Ahmad is gunned down today when a gunmen shot him at point blank range in Sabzazar Colony, Multan Road.

Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad was on his way to offer prayers with his grandson and another person when he was targeted by gunman riding a motorcycle.

The grandson and other person accompanying Dr Ashfaq were unharmed though they remain in shock after this horrific attack.

"This is 2nd brazen attack in less than 10 days where Ahmadi's are targeted openly while govt makes tall claims & tries to white wash truth," said Jama'at Ahmadiyya Pakistan through its spokesperson.

Reportedly, Dr Ashfaq was a retired professor from University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and also held Ph.D in food and nutrition science.

Read original post here: Pakistan: Second Ahmadi murdered in Lahore in 10 day

This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Times of Ahmad. Times of Ahmad is not an organ of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, nor in any way associated with any of the community's official websites.

http://timesofahmad.blogspot.com/2017/04/pakistan-second-ahmadi-murdered-in.html

Pakistan - Another Ahmadi Muslim killed – Excommunicating an entire community hasn't satisfied our lust for blood

Yet another man has lost his life in the Land of the Pure because of his faith. Yet another family has been forced to go through the trauma no family deserves to experience. This man’s crime was that he was an Ahmadi.

We conveniently blame General Zia for bringing in religious extremism in our country. And while that is something he really is to be held accountable for, given his significant contributions to the blasphemy law, he cannot be entirely blamed for our treatment of religious minorities in present day. Bhutto, the champion of liberal values is also the man behind the conditions of the Ahmaddiya community at present for it was during his time that this community, which was already being persecuted at the time, was excommunicated from Islam according to the Constitution of Pakistan.

Pakistan is the only country that has declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims – something that was done in a very over-nightly manner. Members of the Ahmaddiya community were legally required to stop ‘behaving’ as Muslims. Their places of worship could no longer be called mosques. Acts such as reading the Quran became punishable offences for Ahmadis. Within no time, an entire community was shunned. These people became strangers in their own homeland, a minority where they were once part of the majority. It is ironic that Pakistan, having been created to protect a religious minority, became hell for another religious minority.

As if the excommunication wasn’t enough, the Ahmaddiya community has continued to be persecuted at every point in time. Their people have been killed, their places of worship destroyed. Sad as it is, members of this community aren’t even safe in death for their graves get desecrated.

We have labelled them as non-Muslims, our passports require us to declare that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was an impostor and his followers are non-Muslims. What more do we want? Haven’t we won? Why this continued bloodshed? Why this lack of empathy?

We are brutal, intolerant people who can raise our voices against things happening thousands of miles away in the West, but we dare not raise a voice about things happening at home. We will go to great lengths to criticize Islamophobia in the West but will never address our own treatment of religious minorities. No cleric will raise his voice against the killing of human beings. Wasn’t Islam the religion of peace? Where is the peace?

The truth is, in order to emphasize on the superiority of our beliefs over everyone else’s, we have become a nation of monsters who will go to any length to prove ourselves superior. We, as a nation, do not understand that God does not require all this killing and dying in its name. In the name of God, we simply continue fueling our egos by feeding them the blood of innocent people.

Malala to become youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace

Malala Yousafzai, the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is to become the youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace, the organisation´s chief said on Friday.

Yousafzai, 19, will be appointed on Monday by U.N.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and will help promote girl´s education around the world as part of her new role.

The Pakistani education activist came to prominence when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head on her school bus in 2012 as punishment for campaigning for girls to go to school which defied the militant group's ban on female education.

Yousafzai has since continued campaigning on the world stage and in 2014 became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner.

"Even in the face of grave danger, Malala Yousafzai has shown an unwavering commitment to the rights of women, girls and all people," Guterres said in statement.

"Her courageous activism for girls´ education has already energised so many people around the world. Now as our youngest-ever U.N. Messenger of Peace, Malala can do even more to help create a more just and peaceful world.

"Yousafzai, who received medical treatment in Britain where she has since studied, has also set up the Malala Fund to support girls´ education projects in developing countries.

A regular speaker on the global stage, Yousafzai visited refugee camps in Rwanda and Kenya last July to highlight the plight of refugee girls from Burundi and Somalia.

Music Video - Lady Gaga - Million Reasons

Anti-war activists attempt citizens arrest on Saudi general visiting London over alleged Yemen war crimes

China - US airstrike on Syrian base a show of force

The US launched dozens of cruise missiles at an airbase in Syria controlled by President Bashar al-Assad on Friday morning Beijing time in response to an earlier chemical weapon attack.

This is the first direct US assault on an Assad target in six years of Syrian civil war. In 2013, the Syrian government was accused of using chemical weapons and the Obama administration was mulling an airstrike. But the crisis was eventually resolved with Russian diplomatic efforts.

This crisis however was triggered by a chemical weapon attack in Syria on Tuesday that reportedly caused over 200 civilian casualties, including children. Countries including the US, the UK and France immediately announced that Assad's forces were behind the attack, though the latter denied the accusation. Russia once again sided with the Syrian government. When the incident came before the UN Security Council, great divergence in opinion emerged between the Western camp and Russian and Chinese representatives.

The US military attack on Friday took place despite no definitive results from the investigation by an international organization, and was carried out in the absence of a UN Security Council resolution. The Trump administration wasted little time in striking its targets, marking a stark contrast with its predecessor.

The US' decision to attack the Assad government is a show of force from the US president. He wants to prove that he dares to do what Obama dared not. He wants to prove to the world that he is no "businessman president" and that he will use US military force without hesitation when he considers it necessary.

US military action opens the door for other direct foreign military attacks on the Assad government, a signal that outside interference in Syria is rapidly escalating. Before US airstrike, Assad's forces had gained an obvious advantage in the civil war, but foreign military interference could change the situation.

The US military strikes could lead to a "falling out" between the US and Russia. Conflict between the two countries will once again emerge.

Not too long ago, Trump said that simultaneously attacking the Islamic State and the Syrian government would be foolish. But now he has ordered an attack despite affording himself only a narrow window in which to make his decision. This is Trump's first major move in international affairs, and it leaves an impression that the decision was made in haste and is not without contradictions.

Neither Russia nor Iran will remain silent on the attack nor sit idly by and accept the fallout. The Syrian civil war is entering a new phase. More refugees will flee the region and Europe may have to pay the price.

Four-Star General Slams Trump’s Reckless Rush To War As A Political Stunt

By Sean Colarossi

McCaffrey said it would be a "mistake" to conduct "limited political signaling" in response to Bashar al-Assad's chemical attack on his own people.

Four-star Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey took aim at Donald Trump’s Syrian response on Thursday, claiming it would be a mistake for the commander-in-chief to rush the military into action without thinking it through.

McCaffrey said it would be a “mistake” to conduct “limited political signaling” in response to Bashar al-Assad’s chemical attack on his own people.

When MSNBC’s Chris Matthew’s asked McCaffrey what the rationale is behind Trump’s probable military intervention in Syria, besides political, the four-star general said:

I don’t think there is an argument. I think it would be a mistake to conduct limited political signaling using naval airpower or F-16s flying out of some place in the region … Military power invited unknown consequences when you carry it out. The question might be why don’t we consider significant humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees and border regions of Turkey and Jordan and Iraq in lieu of ineffectual military strikes.

As the general said, it’s obvious that the only real justification for engaging militarily so soon after Assad’s chemical attack is pure politics. There is never a good reason to recklessly jump to war, especially after the U.S. has essentially been engaged in endless military conflict for over 15 years.

But Trump has spent nearly three months in office racking up nothing but losses on issue after issue. In recent days, in particular, his administration has been drowning in scandal and incompetence, both with respect to Russia and the president’s paranoid claims about President Obama wiretapping Trump Tower.

Rushing to war will likely provide no positive, lasting impact on Syria, but it will change the subject and play into Trump’s phony strongman schtick.

But like McCaffrey noted, the U.S. should be emphasizing its humanitarian role in all of this, like, say, helping the refugees or funding humanitarian aid, not rushing to engage our military.

Not only would this be a sensible response to this international crisis, but it would be much more effective than dropping bombs in order to score some political points.

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Mere Coincidence? Trump Strikes Syrian Arab Army While Xi Jinping Visits US

The US missile attack on an airfield in Syria during the Sino-US summit in Florida was an allegedly pre-planned action. It gives signal to China that the US is ready to play the role of a global policeman, be more active on the Korean Peninsula and in the South China Sea region. That is according to Russian experts who interviewed with Sputnik.

The Russian experts’ community also believes that the US made a wrong decision by striking Syria against the background of the meeting in Florida, as China will not succumb to pressure from the US.

“It is a sign for Xi Jinping — look, we used force in Syria and we can use it elsewhere. For example, be more active in the South China Sea. I think that such logic accompanies these two events — the bombing and the summit,” Russian military expert Vladimir Evseev said.

He further said that the US has sent a signal showing its readiness to use armed forces, if necessary, in order to protect American national interests.

“The strike is a provocation. It is very similar to a pre-prepared special operation, which, of course, was aimed for the Chinese leader. Most likely, this was the main goal and chemical weapons are just an excuse,” Evseev said.

On April 6, Donald Trump confirmed that he gave an order to strike a Syrian Air Force airfield, allegedly from where, he said, an attack was carried out using chemical weapons against civilians several days ago.

The coincidence of the US attack on the Syrian Air Force with the summit in Florida, according to an expert at the Institute of the Far East, Alexander Lomanov, looks like a Chinese saying: “kill a chicken to frighten a monkey.”

“Trump is now trying to revive the authority of the US by saying that he is not afraid of anything, he is ready to strike everywhere. Despite the fact that the blow occurred in Syria, after all, the main problem for the United States is the DPRK,” Lomanov said.

The expert said that all of this looks like a very flat and very intrusive demonstration of Trump's determination to apply the same method of action in North Korea.

It may be aimed at putting pressure on President Xi Jinping so that he in turn tries to prevent an escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula by liquidating the regime in Pyongyang.

“I believe that Trump had such logic. But I'm afraid that none of this in reality will happen. The demonstration of force in Syria will not stir the Chinese leadership to surrender over North Korea, as Trump had hoped for,” the analyst said.

The analyst said that in general Trump is a very good businessman, but, in extreme cases, he can also be a policeman.

According to a military expert, Vasiliy Kashin, “The consequences of this step gradually will clarify Trump's policy towards Bashar al-Assad. In addition to excluding him as a player in solving the Syrian problem, the United States also tried to demonstrate to Russia and the international community its determination, independence and dominance in resolving the Syrian crisis.”

In this matter Washington claims to have some cooperation and dialogue with Russia on combating terrorism, but now it is clear that although the Trump administration might still be looking forward to the development of cooperation with Russia it claims to have a dominant role in this cooperation.

“Against this background, I think it will be difficult for Bashar al-Assad to play his role in the Syrian settlement,” Kashin concluded.

Syrian opposition claimed Tuesday forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had used a chemical gas on people in the northwestern province, killing nearly 80 and injuring 200. Assad argued his government has no chemical weapons after agreeing to have them destroyed in 2013. He also ruled out having used chemicals against his own people.

The opponents of President Bashar al-Assad have claimed that the Syrian Arab Army had used chemical weapons against civilians intentionally, something Syrian authorities strongly deny. No evidence has been provided to support the claims.