Category Archives: Pakistan

British family gunned down in honour murder massacre

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From The Daily Mail U.K.

Secret love-child ‘sparked honour killing massacre’ of British family in Pakistan

Last updated at 12:42 PM on 30th May 2010

Natalie SnowdenNatalie Snowden is believed to have had a child with Kamar Mahmood

An Asian man whose marriage breakdown allegedly led to the murders of his parents and sister may have split up with his wife because he had a love-child with a secret girlfriend.

Kamar Mahmood separated from his wife Nabeela after being married for nine years.

It is understood that the shame of the couple’s split – and the news that Mr Mahmood had allegedly cheated on his wife with a white, blonde girl – outraged Nabeela’s family so much that they decided to take revenge.

Nabeela’s three brothers and two other men are accused of shooting dead Mr Mahmood’s father Moham-mad Yusaf, 51, his mother Pervaze, 49, and sister Tania, 22, who were in Pakistan for the marriage of their youngest son, Asad, 24.

The victims were sprayed with bullets as they prayed at a relative’s graveside in a village in Gujrat province. Continue Reading →

More Muslims killing more Muslims.

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From The Daily Mail U.K.

Pakistan sect demands protection after at least 93 members killed in militant assault on Lahore mosques

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 1:47 PM on 29th May 2010

Leaders of Pakistan’s minority Ahmadi sect demanded better government protection this morning as they buried many of the 93 sect members killed by Islamist militants at two of the group’s mosques.

The request could test the government’s willingness to take on hard-line Islamists whose influence is behind decades of state-sanctioned discrimination against the Ahmadis in the Sunni Muslim-majority country.

The attacks occurred minutes apart on Friday in two neighbourhoods in the eastern city of Lahore.

Two teams of gunmen, including some in suicide vests, stormed the mosques and sprayed bullets at worshippers while holding off police.

massacreA Pakistani policeman carries the bloodied body of a worshiper at one of two mosques stormed by gunmen in Lahore yesterday

Thirteen people died overnight at hospitals, raising the death toll to 93, said Raja Ghalab Ahmad, a local sect leader.

Dozens were hurt.

Waseem Sayed, a U.S.-based Ahmadi spokesman, said it was the worst attack in the group’s 121-year history.

Local TV channels reported that the Pakistani Taliban, or their Punjab province branch, had claimed responsibility. Continue Reading →

Times Square Bomber denied bail, wants halal meals in the clink

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From The Ottawa Citizen

Accused N.Y. Times Square bomber denied bail

By Basil Katz, Reuters May 18, 2010 7:45 PM

NEW YORK – Suspected Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was ordered held without bail on Tuesday in his first court appearance since his arrest two weeks ago.

Magistrate Judge James Francis remanded Shahzad in custody after his court-appointed defense lawyer, Julia Gatto, opted not to challenge the prosecutors’ request that he remain jailed pending trial in Manhattan federal court.

Shahzad, 30, remained expressionless and silent as the judge read the charges. He spoke only once to say a statement about his finances was correct. Shahzad entered the courtroom unshackled, wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey sweat pants with white gym shoes, and was handcuffed before being led to jail.

Shahzad did not enter a plea and the next court date was scheduled for June 1.

The Pakistani-born man, who became a U.S. citizen last year, is accused of parking a crude car bomb in New York’s crowded Times Square on May 1. He was arrested aboard a Dubai-bound jetliner two days later.

He has been charged with 5 felonies, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying to kill and maim people. He faces life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors said Shahzad has admitted to the failed Times Square bomb attack and has been co-operating with investigators since his arrest on May 3.

Prosecutors said Shahzad, who has a wife and two children in Pakistan, had traveled to a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold in Pakistan to receive bomb-making training.

The Pakistani Taliban, called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing.

Prosecutors say Shahzad has waived his right to remain silent and has provided valuable intelligence since his arrest, but a prominent defense lawyer on Tuesday raised questions about the unusually long time between Shahzad’s arrest and his first appearance in court.

Defense lawyer Ron Kuby, who does not represent Shahzad, called the elapsed time “unprecedented” and suggested Shazhad might have been “buried in the bowels of a Manhattan version of Guantanamo.”

Asked by Judge Francis if Shahzad had willingly given up his right to be presented in court sooner, Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Jackson, one of the prosecutors in the case, said “yes.”

It remained unclear when Shahzad met with a defense lawyer for the first time. Gatto, the court-appointed lawyer who sat by Shahzad’s side at Tuesday’s 9-minute hearing, declined to speak with reporters.

At the hearing, U.S. Marshals emptied the court room ahead of the proceeding for a security sweep. Law enforcement officials formed a tight cordon inside the room, where about 20 journalists were allowed in.

Gatto asked the judge that specific instructions be sent to the Bureau of Prisons for Shahzad to receive halal meals.

Shahzad has been charged with five felonies in the May 1 incident: attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, using a destructive device in an attempted violent crime, transporting and receiving explosives, and trying to damage and destroy property with fire and explosives.

Shahzad lived in the neighboring state of Connecticut and had recently returned to the United States after spending several months in Pakistan.

Several people have been arrested in Pakistan in the case and U.S. authorities carried out raids last week in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maine, detaining three people.

A U.S. official said White House National Security Adviser James Jones and CIA Director Leon Panetta were in Pakistan to discuss the Times Square case and other matters, noting that the Pakistanis were “doing more” in the way of co-operation.

“The Pakistanis have done some good work on the Shahzad case,” the official said. “It’s important for them to have as fresh a picture as possible of how the United States views the threat from the tribal areas.”

© Copyright (c) Reuters

STRATFOR: Pakistani Taliban behind Times Square attempt

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May 9, 2010
The Pakistani Taliban were behind the attempted bombing in New York’s Times Square, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said May 9, Reuters reported. Speaking on ABC television’s “This Week,” Holder said there is evidence of the Pakistani Taliban’s involvement but there was nothing to suggest the Pakistani government knew of the attempt. Holder said the administration is satisfied with the amount of cooperation the Pakistani government was giving in the investigation.

NBC: Suspect arrested in NYC bomb attempt

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I guess it wasn’t anarchists after all. H/T GOV

Man is a Connecticut resident who bought the SUV at center of probe

Image: Surveillance video photo of Times Square suspect

NYPD via AP
An image taken from a surveillance video released by police on Monday shows a man, center, carrying a bag and walking away after removing his shirt in New York City.
BREAKING NEWS
msnbc.com news services
updated 12:18 a.m. ET May 4, 2010

NEW YORK – Authorities arrested a suspect in the attempted weekend car bombing in Times Square, NBC News’ justice correspondent Pete Williams reported early Tuesday morning.

A U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent, Shahzad Faisal, was arrested Monday night on Long Island, Williams reported.

Earlier, an official told The Associated Press that the potential suspect recently traveled to Pakistan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the case was at a sensitive stage.

Continue Reading →

Canada: Muslim woman fears acid attack reprisal

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From The Toronto Sun

Muslim woman fears reprisal

Claims death threats for working in men’s hair salon

By TOM GODFREY, Toronto Sun

Last Updated: April 22, 2010 5:21pm

A Muslim woman fighting to stay in Canada fears being disfigured with acid for allegedly “bringing shame” to her ex-husband’s family in Pakistan by leaving him and travelling here to work in a hair salon frequented by men.

Roohi Tabassum, 45, of Brampton, said corrosive acid is thrown in the faces of women in Pakistan and other Islamic countries to disfigure them because they have allegedly “shamed” their families.

Tabassum said there have been two incidents the past month in Pakistan where women’s faces were burned with acid by assailants who fled.

“I don’t leave the house or go anywhere because I am scared,” she said. “Sometimes the women are also disabled, burned or tortured.”

Tabassum claims family members in Pakistan are still receiving threats from ex-husband, Faisal Javed, who has threatened to kill her.

“He (ex-husband) is determined to have me killed or crippled,” she said. “I am very concerned for myself.”

Tabassum entered Canada from the U.S. in 2001 and filed a failed refugee claim. She faces deportation to the U.S., and then to Pakistan, which is under appeal before an Immigration and Refugee Board.

She claimed Javed is angered because she works in a salon that styles men’s hair and suspects she has a boyfriend, which she denies.

Her lawyer Max Berger said 1,200 to 1,500 women were killed in 2007 from honour killings in Pakistan, according to U.S. Department of State statistics.

“This is a very legitimate concern that she has,” Berger said. “These type of honour killings or attacks are not uncommon in Pakistan.”

He successfully obtained refugee status for a Pakistani woman 10 years ago who had “half her face burned in an acid attack” due from bringing shame to a family.

Tarek Fatah, of the Muslim Canadian Congress, said acid attacks against women do occur and can be for a disgracing a family.

“Women are at the bottom of the rung of the ladder in this culture,” Fatah said. “We just cannot dismiss her claim outright.”

Police and immigration officials are not aware of an acid attack against a woman in Canada.

Related: Girls poisoned at Afghan school.

U.S. warns of potential new terrorist attacks in India

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From STRATFOR

India: U.S. Warns Of Terrorist Attacks In New Delhi
April 21, 2010
Indications suggest terrorists are planning attacks in the Indian capital, according to a U.S. Embassy warden message released April 21. The message warned that terrorists have tended to target areas often visited by Americans or Westerners and specifically mentioned markets in Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Mehrauli and Sarojini Nagar as attractive targets.

***** UPDATE *****

April 22, 2010
The U.S. Embassy reported April 22 that there are “increased indications that terrorists are planning attacks” in New Delhi. In the past, targets included places where U.S. citizens or Westerners are known to congregate or visit. Markets, such as those located in Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Mehrauli, and Sarojini Nagar, can be “especially attractive targets for terrorist groups,” according to the alert.

*** Indian forces open fire at border of Pakistan ***

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From STRATFOR:

April 19, 2010
Indian troops opened “unprovoked fire” at the Pakistani border in Shakargarh Sector, ARY News reported April 19. For more than 30 minutes, Indian forces fired at least 90 rounds and mortar shells at the boundary area. No casualties were reported.

Pakistan: 41 Killed In Twin Suicide Bomb Attacks

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April 17, 2010 from STRATFOR.COM
Two suicide bombers attacked the Kacha Pukka refugee camp in northwest Pakistan on April 17, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 60 others, VOA News reported. Police say the bombers, who were wearing burqas, struck minutes apart as residents lined up to register for aid. Reuters says about 300 people were waiting in line at the time of the attack. Kacha Pukka houses people fleeing violence in the Orakzai district, where Pakistani forces have recently stepped up an offensive against Taliban militants.

US CONSULATE IN PAKISTAN TARGET OF TERRORIST ATTACK 7-8 DEAD

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UPDATE: One attacker was able to blow up in the U.S. Consulate premises, AAJ TV reported April 5. The front side of the U.S. Consulate has been totally destroyed. Reports of seven or eight security personnel in the Consulate are dead. The Consulate’s communication system is down.

RED ALERT: U.S. Consulate Attacked In Pakistan

Three explosions, two rocket attacks and subsequent gunfire have been reported in the near vicinity of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 5. The attack occurred early afternoon local time when the consulate would have been full of both American and local employees. The death toll is reported at 36 but is expected to rise.

There are no assessments yet of the damage that the consulate building has sustained, but reports indicate that the explosions led to the collapse of other, adjacent buildings. Pakistani soldiers are also reported to be engaging militants in gunfire, indicating that militants are actively engaged in an attack near the area – possibly with the intention of breaching the U.S. consulate.

Many U.S. diplomatic missions (including the one in Peshawar) have a number of built in security features, such as a perimeter wall, ample stand-off distance between the buildings and the wall, reinforced concrete structure and windows and marines stationed inside to ward off attacks. While militant activity in the tribal belt of northwest Pakistan has led to regular attacks against targets of the Pakistani state, today’s assault against the consulate is an extremely rare direct attack on a U.S. target.

KitmanTV Christian Persecution video mix

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Here is an excellent collection of some important documentaries on the treatment of Christians in the Islamic world. Some of the early footage is from a staggering documentary on the Zabaline people of Egypt, a Christian sect that has to live as slaves if slaves had to pay for their own servitude.

Thanks again to KitmanTV for doing this:

The Zabaline of Egypt:

Terrorists Could Use Explosives in Breast Implants to Crash Planes, Experts Warn

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FOXNEWS… Female homicide bombers are being fitted with exploding breast implants which are almost impossible to detect, British spies have reportedly discovered.

The shocking new Al Qaeda tactic involves radical doctors inserting the explosives in women’s breasts during plastic surgery — making them “virtually impossible to detect by the usual airport scanning machines.”

It is believed the doctors have been trained at some of Britain’s leading teaching hospitals before returning to their own countries to perform the surgical procedures.

MI5 has also discovered that extremists are inserting the explosives into the buttocks of some male bombers.

“Women suicide bombers recruited by Al Qaeda are known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery,” Terrorist expert Joseph Farah claims.

The lethal explosives called PETN are inserted inside plastic shapes during the operation, before the breast is then sewn up.

The discovery of these methods was made after London-educated Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab came close to blowing up an airliner in the U.S. on Christmas Day.

He had stuffed explosives inside his underpants.

Hours after he had failed, Britain’s intelligence services began to pick up “chatter” emanating from Pakistan and Yemen that alerted MI5 to the creation of the lethal implants.

A hand-picked team investigated the threat which was described as “one that can circumvent our defense.”

Top surgeons have confirmed the feasibility of the explosive implants.

Explosive experts allegedly told MI5 that a sachet containing as little as five ounces of PETN could blow “a considerable hole” in an airline’s skin, causing it to crash.

Pakistan: Mob of “pro-Taliban radicals” beats student to death for playing music

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From Jihad Watch:

Emulating Muhammad’s profound hostility toward music. “Student beaten to death for playing music,” from Big News Network, March 20:

A student has died after being beaten to death by pro-Taliban radicals at a Pakistani university.

The beating, which occurred earlier in the week, culminated in the death of Anan Khan, who attended the University of Engineering & Technology in Peshawar.

He was severely beaten with several other students at the university by members of a student wing of the hard-line Jamiat-e Islami party.

Witnesses have said the IJT attacked Adnan for playing music.

Members of the IJT have a record of breaking up music appreciation functions and dance parties on the campus.

Rise in marriages between cousins ‘putting children at risk of birth defects’, warns Baroness

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MAILONLINE… A rise in the number of marriages between cousins in Britain has prompted calls for a crackdown on the practice amid warnings it is putting children’s health at risk.

Crossbench peer Baroness Deech has called for a ‘vigorous’ public campaign to deter marriages between family members, which is common in Muslim and immigrant communities.

Her comments come as figures show up to 75 per cent of British Pakistanis in some areas are married to first cousins.

In a speech to be made next week, obtained by The Times, the leading family lawyer will warn that such marriages can be a barrier to the integration of minority communities and increases the risk of birth defects in children.

She is also expected to call for testing for genetic defects when marriages between family members are arranged and for a register of people carrying genetic diseases to be set up in order for two carriers not to be introduced.

She said such a scheme could be possible in Bradford, which has the UK’s highest population of Pakistanis. 

Up to three-quarters of Pakistanis in Bradford are married to their first cousins.

The trend is also evident in Birmingham, where figures show that one in ten of all children born to first cousins died in childhood or suffered from a serious genetic disorder.

British Pakistanis, half of whom marry a first cousin, are 13 times more likely to produce children with genetic disorders than the general population, according to Government-sponsored research.

Although British Pakistanis account for three per cent of the births in this country, they are responsible for 33 per cent of the 15 to 20,000 children born each year with genetic defects. Continue Reading →