Laba Gabdhood Shaqada Uga Eryey Xijaabkii Ay Isku Asdurayeen iyo Dareenkii Ka Dhashay Wasiirka War-faafinta Oo Laba Gabdhood Shaqada Uga Eryey Xijaabkii Ay Isku Asdurayeen iyo Dareenkii Ka Dhashay SOURCE: Hadhwanaagnews (wasiirka warfaafin Axmed Xaaji Daahir Cilmi) hadhwanaag 2006-11-08 (Hadhwanaagnews) Hargeysa(HWN):- Laba gabadhood oo ka mid ahaa shaqaalaha wasaarada war-faafinta iyo wacyigelinta jamhuuriyaa Somaliland, ayaa ku eedeeyey wasiirka wasaarada warfaafinta iyo wacyigelinta Md, Axmed Xaaji Daahir Cilmi inay shaqadii ay wasaarada warfaafinka ka hayeen uu kaga eryey xijaabka ay isku asdurayeen. Labadan gabdhood oo magacyadooda lakala yidhaahdo Hoodo Iimaan Maxamed iyo Saynab Yuusuf Axmed, ayaa sidaa ka sheegay mar ay shalay u waramayeen warbaahinta, weligay layma odhan xijaab ayaad sidataa, diintayda muslimka ayey gaaladu igu ixtiraami jirtay, in maata dalkaygii oo muslima xijaab ha ku soo shaqo tagin ama xijaabku noqdo dhar cay ah“Maalintii ugu horeysay ee wasiirka warfaafintu shaqada wasaarada la wareegay ayaa waxa uu igu yidhi, Waa Maxay xijaabkan aad ku soo shaqo-tageysaa, lama ogola in xafiisyada lagu yimaado waana ka mamnuuc, waanan la yaabay anigoo ku soo koray dal ajenibi ah oo Kiristan xukumo (Kenya) oo lix sanadood oo kaliya dalkayga joogay oo sadex madaar oo kiristana xijaab kaga dhoofay, weligay layma odhan xijaab ayaad sidataa, diintayda muslimka ayey gaaladu igu ixtiraami jirtay, in maata dalkaygii oo muslima xijaab ha ku soo shaqo tagin ama xijaabku noqdo dhar cay ah” sidaa waxa tidhi Hoodo Iimaan Maxamed oo ka hadlaysay sida ay uga xuntahay waxa uu wasiirka warfaafinutu kula kacay Iyada saynab Yuusuf Axmed ayaa farta ku fiiqaday inuu wasiirka warfaafinu ku yidhi markii ay ku tidhi na sii xaafada aan degenay Bas ma tago, waxa uu nagu yihdi ayey tidhi waxa magaalada Maraya ee Baabuurta wataa waa rag ee intaad gacanta u taagto Baabuurtu ha idin-qaadaan, Adiguna tilifoon Number-kaaga u qor, iyadoo arrintaa ka hadlaysana waxay yidhi“Waxaan shaqaalaha wasaarada warfaafinta haa muddo sadex sanadood iyo badh, intaa aan wasaarada joogay waxaan ku soo shaqeyn jiray xijaab, maalintii uu noo yimi wasiirka warfaafintu (Axmed Xaaji Daahir) ayuu ii yeedhay waxaanu igu yidhi. Waa Maxay xijaabkan aad xidhan tahay ma itixaad ayaad tahay, markaas ayaan ku idhi ma garanayo itixaada ee waa maxay? Markaasu igu yidhi waa muslimiin, muddo yar kadib ayuu wasiirku naga joojiyey Baabuurkii na rawixin jiray iyada oo aanay xaafada bas tegin oo aan xiliyada rawaxaada iska lugeyn jirnay, anaga oo sooman ayaa waxaanu shaqada gelijirnay 7:00 subaxnimo isaguna waxa uu soo shaqo tegi jiray 12:00 duhurnimo, markaas ayuu xafiiska nagu hayn jiray ilaa 3:00 galabnimo, markii soonkii socodkii nagu adkaaday ayaanu u galnay wasiirka warfaafinta Maalin Ramadaana, waxaanu weydiisanay inuu nasiiyo Baabuur narawixiyaa, waxa uu igu yidhi ‘Inan ayaad tahay, waxa magaalada Maraya ee Baabuurta wataa waa rag ee intaad gacanta u taagto Baabuurtu ha idin-qaadaan, Adiguna tilifoon Number-kaaga u qor”Ayey tidhi Saynab Maaha markii ugu horeysay ee wasiirka wasaarada warfaafintii Axmed Xaaji Daahir uu shaqaalaha wasaarada ka hawlgala shaqada ay ka hayan ka caydhiyo, bilaa sabab, lama garanayo waxa shaqaalaha wasaarada ku diray wasiirka, arrintan ayaa noqotay mid aad suuqayada magaalada Hareysa looga hadal hayey oo dadku falanqeynayeen. Weriye, Mustafe-janaale Reporter Hadhwnaagnews.com/Haregysa E-mail, janaale94@yahoo.com

Thank You Bro Northener I will try

Lets not turn every thread into clan rivalry (=the harsh reality of so-called Somali politics) Ceerigaabo waa magaalo lawada dago sida Galkacyo, markaa waa khalad in lagu doodo qole kaliya ayaa iskale Dhulku waa dhul soomaaliyeed dad soomaali muslim baa wada degan, markaa rabshada haa laga waantoobo qole kastana nabagelyo haa lagu dagaankooda, Maamulada qabiilka ku dhisan sida Puntland iyo Somaliland wax khayr ah ey u soo wadaan dadka soomaaliyeed ee waalaaha magaranayo Sophist All Somalia including every city/town/village is your hometown, that’s the way it should be, for me personally I want every Somali to feel home in all parts of our great country Somalia equally, like Borame, Barbara, Burco, Buuhoodle, Boosaaso, Balaweyne, Baydhabo, Buurhakabo, Baardheere, Balcad etc Markaa sophist haa isku koobin one corner of Laascaanood (northeast) NN, dhamaan soomaali baa lawada yahay dhulkana waa lawada dagaa saa ula soco, markaa haa is oran dhulka waa la kale leeyahay, lasoco Hergeysa cid kaa xigta majirtu Anuu ma garanayo xikmada ku jirta warlordkee Ceergaabo heysta amaba Burco iyo Laascaanood. Waayo waanu wada ognahay Kismaayo markasta warlord cusub baa qabsada, faa’ido ee keenan majirtu aan khasaaro a heen Red Sea, haa u ogalaan clan-states ka sida Puntland iyo Somaliland inay kala qeybiyaan dadka soomaalida muslimka ah ee walaalaha ah, hadaanu soomaali nahay cid kasta anagaa iska xigna Res Sea, Ceergaabo dhan waa hal magaalo, oo dad somali dagan yihiin cid kala xigta majirtu, huuhaada haa dhageesanin, Ceergaabo dhinacaa rabtid ka deg Lana soco Hergeyso, Burco, Laascaanood, Boosaaso, Galkacyo yeenan kuu kala sokeenin Anyways Haa lagu dadaalo diinta, nabada iyo horumarka I believe this thread wasn’t intended to be another political dispute between supporters of rivalry clan-states Originally posted by Mr. Red Sea: It appears as though I am playing spoiler role here today,so why don't I get out of the way for the brothers to show more pics of the state. Sakhar,Duke,Sophist,Caamir,and Naxar N.keep posting more pics.Let us just leave it at that IA. You always responsible Redy Thank you bro Red Sea for bringing to end the useless arguments Originally posted by Northerner: Lets not make this a political thread. I'm enjoying the pics. Sophist i cant see your pics! Very true, in this let’s just enjoy the pictures of one region in our beautiful homeland We cannot talk about the hopeless Somali politics in every thread, sometimes we need a break

Great Pictures Thank You Bro Red Sea Heybad waxaad ku leedahay dalkaaga hooyo Dalkaaga hooyo haka deyrin Illahaay waxaanu ka baryanaa inuu soomaali ka dhigo dad dalkooda iyo dadkooda anfaca oo wax badan ku qabta

Rageh Omaar joins Al Jazeera International Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English language news and current affairs channel, set to broadcast globally in the Spring of 2006, announced today that internationally renowned journalist Rageh Omaar has joined the new channel's line-up and will host a daily documentary programme from the station's London broadcast centre. Qatar: Monday, February 06 - 2006 Rageh will present the channel's daily documentary strand Witness from Al Jazeera International's London broadcast centre. The programme will give voice to witnesses from all over the globe, featuring human stories made by storytellers from all walks of life. Content will be gathered from the channel's broadcast centres strategically placed around the world (Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London & Washington DC) drawing on a new breed of video journalists reaching parts of the world often ignored. The Director of Programming at Al Jazeera International Paul Gibbs said, 'As the channel's daily documentary strand, Witness will be the epitome of traditional storytelling with characters that we care about and age old themes presented by internationally renowned journalist Rageh Omaar.' 'We will be unveiling more of our diverse programme offering as we get closer to launch in late Spring of this year,' Gibbs continued. 'It's hugely exciting to be joining a channel which promises to revolutionise global news and current affairs' said Rageh Omaar 'Witness will be what its title implies - a programme of first-hand account. No academics, no commentators unless they are themselves Witnesses.' Rageh Omaar was most recently BBC News' Africa Correspondent based in Johannesburg. His reporting during the Iraq war made him a household name with nearly 90% of the British population tuning in to see his reports from Baghdad on either the weekday BBC news bulletins, or on News 24. Many of his broadcasts were syndicated across the U.S., where the Washington Post labelled him the 'Scud Stud'. Previously Rageh was Developing World Correspondent for the BBC covering stories ranging from drought in Ethiopia to devastating floods in Mozambique. Prior to that he was Amman correspondent having taken a three-month sabbatical at the University of Jordan to study Arabic. Between 1994 and 1996, he worked as a broadcast journalist for the World Service and then became a producer and reporter for Newshour. Rageh began his journalistic career in 1990 as a trainee at The Voice newspaper in Brixton and then moved to City Limits magazine. In 1991 he moved to Ethiopia where he freelanced as a foreign correspondent, much of his work being broadcast by BBC World Service. In 1992, he returned to London as a producer for Focus on Africa for the World Service at Bush House. Rageh Omaar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia on 19 July 1967. He is the youngest of four children. Educated at Cheltenham Boys College, he went on to Oxford University where he gained a BA Honours in Modern History in 1990. Rageh will continue to make programmes for other broadcasters.

Ex-CNN journo Riz Khan joins Al Jazeera Intl A Correspondent | May 27, 2005 21:24 IST Riz Khan, the Atlanta, USA-based former BBC and CNN journalist, is all set to joint Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English news and current affairs channel that is set to go live in early 2006. Khan, who is credited with having pioneered the interactive Q&A format on CNN since joining it in 1993, with his shows Q&A with Riz Khan and Q&A-Asia with Riz Khan, will host a live daily show from Washington, DC, that will feature world leaders, newsmakers and other celebrities. What will set this show apart from others of its kind is the view participation from across the globe. Riz Khan's home page About his move, Khan, who quit CNN in 2001, was quoted as saying, 'I think we are at a turning point where viewers across the world are looking for a fresh approach to news and information.' Al Jazeera International will be the world's first English language news channel to be based in the Middle East. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, the channel was in the news following accusations of biased reportage on Afghanistan and Iraq. This line of thinking clearly does not faze Khan, who has been quoted as saying, 'Al Jazeera brings together all the pieces to provide a complete picture on global issues. I'm incredibly excited to have this rare chance to build something so new and influential from the ground up.' Riz Khan on why he quit CNN 'Al Jazeera International is all about revolutionising viewer choice. I've now got the chance to offer viewers around the globe a much-needed voice on the world stage. Imagine, a person at any level in society, in almost any country, having the chance to talk directly with a President or a Prime Minister, or even a global celebrity. It's a wonderfully honest and equal opportunity for people – something still uncommon in broadcasting.' Nigel Parsons, managing director of Al Jazeera International, has called the development 'the most exciting television news and current affairs project in decades -- one which will revolutionise the global news industry by offering viewers across the world a fresh perspective on news.' The new channel that will launch in early 2006, is said to be hiring staff for its broadcast centres. Parson said the channel will establish broadcast centres in, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington, DC, and bureaus worldwide.

Any one know, How people in USA/CANADA can view Al-Jazeera International?

Al Jazeera International Al Jazeera International is a 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel headquartered in Doha, Qatar. A subsidiary of Al Jazeera, it aimed to commence global broadcasting in June 2006 [1] but had to postpone its launch until 15 November 2006 [2]. Al Jazeera International is the world’s first English-language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. The channel will provide both a regional voice and a global perspective to a potential world audience of over one billion English speakers, but without the usual Anglo-American worldview. [3] Instead of being run under central command, news management will rotate around broadcasting centres in and Kuala Lumpur, Doha, London and Washington, D.C. "following the sun". The station will broadcast factual programming including news features and analysis, documentaries, live debates, current affairs, business and sport. Contents 1 Reporters and presenters 2 International bureaux 2.1 Middle East 2.2 Africa 2.3 Asia & Australasia 2.4 The Americas 2.5 Europe 3 Reception 4 External links Reporters and presenters Former US Marine Josh Rushing, who was featured in the documentary Control Room, will be an on-air personality at the new channel.[4] It has also been announced that veteran British broadcaster Sir David Frost and former BBC and CNN anchor Riz Khan will join the new channel [5]. Other previously well-known journalists set to join the channel include: David Frost (broadcaster) (BBC) Felicity Barr (ITN) Stephen Cole (BBC) Jane Dutton (BBC, CNN) Darren Jordon (BBC) David Foster (Sky) Shiulie Ghosh (ITN) Kimberly Halkett (GLOBAL TV) Dave Marash (ABC) Rageh Omaar (BBC) Veronica Pedrosa (BBC, CNN) Shahnaz Pakravan (BBC, ITN) Mark Seddon (Various) Steff Gaulter (Sky) Barbara Serra (Sky) Lauren Taylor (ITN) International bureaux In addition to the four brodcast centres, Al Jazeera International will have 20 supporting bureaux which will gather and produce news. It will share the resources of the Arabic language channel's 42 bureaux and is planning to add further bureaux to be announced as they open. [6] Middle East Broadcast Centre: Doha Correspondents: Hoda Abdel-Hamid, Hashem Ahelbarra, James Bays, John Cookson, and Mike Hanna. Bureaux: Beirut, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza. Correspondents: Zeina Khodr & Rula Amin, Jacky Rowland, and Walid Batrawi. Africa Bureaux: Cairo, Abidjan, Nairobi, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Harare. Correspondents: Amr El Kahky, Gabi Menezes, Haru Mutasa, Kalay Maistry, and Farai Sevenzo. Asia & Australasia Broadcast Centre: Kuala Lumpur Correspondent: Tony Birtley Bureaux: Beijing, Delhi, Islamabad, Manila, and Sydney. Correspondents: Tony Cheng, Zain Awan & Rajesh Sundaram, Kamal Hyder, Marga Ortigas, and Dan Nolan The Americas Broadcast Centre: Washington DC Correspondents: Viviana Hurtado & Rob Reynolds Bureaux: Buenos Aires, Caracas, and New York. Correspondents: Lucia Newman, Mariana Sanchez, Mark Seddon, and Kristen Saloomey. Europe Broadcast Centre: London Correspondents: Alan Fisher Bureaux: Athens and Moscow. Correspondents: Barnaby Phillips and Jonah Hull Source:

VIDEO: Al Jazeera International (Trailer) Al Jazeera sets launch for English channel Reuters Tuesday, October 31, 2006; 5:39 PM DOHA (Reuters) - The English language offshoot of pan-Arab television news channel Al Jazeera said on Tuesday it will start broadcasting on November 15. "As the world's first international English-language news and current affairs channel headquartered in the Middle East, Al Jazeera International is uniquely positioned to reverse the information flow from South to North and to provide a voice to under-reported regions around the world," a statement said. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, the station will have broadcast centers in Kuala Lumpur, Washington and London. The launch corresponds with the 10th anniversary of the popular Arabic-language sister channel, which market research suggests is among the world's best-known brands. The English-language Al Jazeera International has said it should initially reach around 80 million to 100 million households via cable and satellite. Al Jazeera's Arabic-language network has attracted intense criticism from the U.S., British and Middle Eastern governments, and the new channel will work closely with it. Al Jazeera upset Washington by airing statements from al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden after the September 11 attacks. Al Jazeera blazed to success after it went on air in 1996 with its combination of hard news, a slick format and talk shows that have broken taboos in the Arab world. Al-Jazeera English TV date set After repeated delays, the Arabic TV station al-Jazeera has announced a launch date of 15 November for its English-language news channel. US President George W Bush once allegedly threatened to bomb the Doha-based station. The channel is hoping to reach a target audience of 40 million households in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. Al-Jazeera International plans a 24-hour service from bureaus in Kuala Lumpur, Doha, London and Washington DC. It is also seeking to be the first network to broadcast globally in high-definition (HDTV) format. Pioneering "We are extremely proud of what al-Jazeera has achieved over the past 10 years," said Wadah Khanfar, the network's director-general, referring to the inauguration of the Arabic-language on 1 November 1996. "Al-Jazeera today is an international media organisation. Al-Jazeera English will build on the pioneering spirit of al-Jazeera and will carry our media model to the entire world. "The launching of the English channel offers the chance to reach out to a new audience that is used to hearing the name of al-Jazeera without being able to watch it or to understand its language," Mr Khanfar says. "The new channel will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English-speaking world." US difficulties Despite the Washington bureau, and the signing up of star names such as David Frost and Rageh Omaar, breaking into the American market has proven difficult. Commercial director Lindsey Oliver says she is confident the new channel will eventually be carried by major US cable and satellite operators, while conceding that al-Jazeera tended to inspire "very strong feelings". A recent poll found 53% of Americans opposed the launch of the channel and two-thirds of Americans thought the US government should not allow it entry to the US market. As well as 20 bureaus of its own, al-Jazeera International will also be able to call on the resources of its sister Arabic channel. But the extent to which the two channels will follow the same editorial policy is not entirely clear. Independent Al-Jazeera International Managing Editor Nigel Parsons says the new channel will be "totally independent", although plans announced earlier this year to put the manager of the Arabic channel in charge of both channels reportedly caused disquiet among journalists at the English-language channel. Reassurances were given that the two channels would operate in a similar "spirit", although they could cover stories differently. It was reported that editors from both channels were trying to come up with a common mission statement and a code of conduct which included an agreement on the use of terms such as "martyrs", "terrorism" and "resistance". The new channel has its detractors. Palestinian journalist Khalid Amayreh recently voiced fears that it would deviate from the "policies and ideals of the mother channel". He claimed that there was a risk it could assume an international identity very similar to its main Western competitors, pointing out that al-Jazeera's English-language website relied heavily on Western news agencies.

Great Pictures Thanks sakhar, and duke for sharing

Originally posted by SOO MAAL: Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden, left, arrives in Mogadishu and is greeted by Islamic leader Yusuf Indha Adde I didn't know that Indha Adde was islamic leader Originally posted by SOO MAAL: Mr Adan (right) said he wanted to avert "an imminent war" Dagaal baaba lagabaqayaa, Gudoomiye Sheriif na qosol buuba la dhacay kamaba qasna Siyaasiinta soomaaida waaba layaaba waa iska wa regaan qoslaan, waxna ma qabtaan

Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden, left, arrives in Mogadishu and is greeted by Islamic leader Yusuf Indha Adde Somali Parliament Leader Meets With Islamist Leaders By VOA News 05 November 2006 Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden, left, arrives in Mogadishu and is greeted by Islamic leader Yusuf Indha Adde Somalia's parliament speaker has met with leaders of the country's powerful Islamist movement in an effort to avoid war. Islamist leaders Sunday welcomed Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden and at least 19 other Somali legislators in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which the Islamists control. Aden has said he made the trip without the authorization of the president or prime minister in Somalia's interim government. Saturday, government ministers requested that Aden consult with them before meeting with the Islamists. Peace talks between the interim government and the Islamists collapsed in Sudan on Wednesday. Witnesses say the two sides are preparing for battle around the government's home base of Baidoa. The town in southern Somalia is the only one the weak administration controls. Locals say both sides have deployed additional fighters to the area, and have test-fired their artillery, causing some civilians to flee. Militia groups loyal to the Islamic courts have seized control over much of southern Somalia since winning a battle for Mogadishu in June. Somalia's interim government has international support but virtually no power outside Baidoa. Diplomats fear that war between the sides could drag in neighboring Ethiopia, which supports the government, and Eritrea, which allegedly backs the Islamists. Ethiopia says it has a few hundred military instructors in Somalia, though witness reports put the troop numbers much higher, in the thousands. Eritrea has denied accusations from the United States that it is helping to arm the Islamist forces. Somalia has not had effective central authority since 1991, when warlords overthrew the last president. Mr Adan (right) said he wanted to avert "an imminent war" Somali Islamists back peace talks Mr Adan (right) said he wanted to avert "an imminent war" Somali's powerful Islamist leaders say they have agreed to hold new peace talks with the fragile transitional government to avert an all-out war. The move comes after speaker of the transitional parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan held talks with the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in Mogadishu. So far there have been no reaction from the transitional government. Mr Adan was the first senior figure from the government to go to Mogadishu since it was seized by the UIC in July. The talks in the capital followed the collapse of peace talks in Sudan last week. Eyewitness reports from Somalia suggest both sides have been preparing for war and digging trenches. "The talks [with Mr Adan] were so critical and the Islamic courts have accepted the offer from the speaker for talks," UIC's senior official Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. "Now, we are ready to continue the peace process in Khartoum," Mr Ibrahim said. Mr Adan said before the talks he believed that "Somalis can pull themselves out of this crisis and they must do so themselves". Mr Adan's visit has not been welcomed by other members of the transitional government, the BBC's Africa editor David Bamford says. He says Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf sees the speaker's move as ominous, amid concerns that it may lead to a power-sharing agreement that excludes the rest of the government. War fears The transitional government is based in Baidoa, 250km (150 miles) north-west of Mogadishu but the two sides' forces are reported to be just 30km apart. Observers now fear a conflict which could engulf the entire region. Ethiopia backs the government while its rival Eritrea has been accused of arming the UIC. Both countries deny reports they have troops in Somalia. But Ethiopia admits having hundreds of military trainers with the government. The UIC has rapidly taken control of most of southern Somalia since seizing the capital in June. Somalia has been in the grip of warlords and militias for years and has not had a functioning national government since 1991.

Saddam's conviction is meaningless Saddam’s conviction has nothing to do with bringing a brutal dictator to justice, because in our world there is countless number of dictators. True Saddam was a bad, a brutal dictator, but so is most if not all Arab and African leaders like Mubarak of Egypt, Qadafi of Libya, Al asad of Syria, saud house in Arabia, Ali salef of Yemen, Mee Zenawi of Ethiopia, Musharraf of Pakistan etc Saddam's conviction is just another indication that America is the sole super power in our world and nothing to do with justice Anyways, its fact that every evil and tyrant dictator will have disgraceful conclusion American sources admitted that more 600,000 have died because this conflict since the war started 2003. Saddam regime ruled Iraq close to 40 years and Iraq never seen this scale of violence Anyways, I don't believe americans will bring freedom or good governance to Iraqis, I am sure saddam was better for them Study estimates 600,000 Iraqis dead by violence Updated 10/11/2006 1:20 PM ET By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY More than 600,000 Iraqis have died by violence since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The figure is based on surveys of households throughout most of the country. It vastly exceeds estimates cited by the Iraqi government, the United Nations, aid and anti-war groups, and President Bush. The new estimate was immediately challenged by the Pentagon. Lt. Col. Mark Bellesteros, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Iraqi government "would be in a better position ... to provide more accurate information on deaths in Iraq." Frederick Jones, a spokesman for the National Security Council said "many experts" found that a 2004 study by the same group "wildly inflated the findings." That study said the war had caused 100,000 Iraqi deaths. "This study appears to be equally flawed," he said. The new study said the deaths have resulted from coalition military activity, crime and religious violence. ON DEADLINE: Read the report At a White House press conference this morning, President Bush said "a lot of innocent people have lost their lives" in Iraq, but that "600,000 is not credible." He said he did not know, however, what a more accurate number would be. The Iraqi government dismissed the Johns Hopkins estimate. The toll in the report "exceeds the reality in an unreasonable way" and the report "gives inflated numbers in a way that violates all rules of research and the precision required of research institutions," Iraq spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement. "These numbers are far from the truth," al-Dabbagh said. The Iraqi government has never given an official number of people killed since the U.S. invasion. Iraq's Health Ministry has estimated 50,000 violent deaths since the war began, through June. Last December, President Bush put the figure at 30,000. The Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, estimated the death toll at 60,000. Overall, the analysis estimates that 2.5% of the Iraqi population has died as a result of the conflict. The research relied on random sampling of 1,800 Iraqi households by researchers from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and the School of Medicine at Al Mustansiriya University in Baghdad. Based on deaths suffered by those households, analysts calculated an average of about 600 deaths a day since the invasion. "I think it's perfectly plausible," said the study's lead author, Gilbert Burnham, professor of international health at Johns Hopkins. Then-British foreign secretary Jack Straw was among those who criticized the earlier study. This time the researchers doubled the size of their random survey. In 92% of the homes in which residents reported deaths, families had death certificates, they said. Beyond violent deaths, the study said about 53,000 deaths from other causes, such as accident and illness, were attributable to the war because of its effect on health care. Gunfire was the leading cause of violent death; car bomb fatalities are rising, the study said. James Fearon, a Stanford University political scientist and Iraq expert, said, "One thing (the study may) certainly do is confirm the view that there is a very, very serious civil war going in Iraq."

Great pictures Thank you Sakhar

At least the Sheikh Hilali apologized to women, But Mr. Mackay (Canada’s Foreign minister) even rejected to apologize after he referred his female colleague in the Canadian parliament Ms. Stronach “Dog” !!! I cannot believe how some westernized people argue without supporting evidence that west respects more women then Islam, or west knows human rights!!!

Two Canadian ministries, Peter MacKay (the current foreign minister) and Belinda Stronach (Former Human Resources and Skills Development minister) share a laugh as they attend the East Coast Music Awards, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005, in Sydney, N.S. Stronach demands apology from MacKay for ‘dog’ reference Meagan Fitzpatrick CanWest News Service Friday, October 20, 2006 CREDIT: Fred Chartrand, Canadian Press Belinda Stronach. OTTAWA - Belinda Stronach demanded an apology from her ex-boyfriend, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, today for allegedly referring to her as a dog. Following question period Friday, Stronach rose on a point of order to ask for an apology. “Mr. Speaker yesterday during question period the minister of foreign affairs used a very inappropriate word to describe me,” Stronach said, adding that those kinds of comments have a “chilling” effect on women who contemplate entering politics. “For that Mr. Speaker, I simply ask that the minister of foreign affairs apologize to this House,” she said to a round of applause. The Speaker Peter Milliken ruled that he and his staff had reviewed audio tapes and official transcripts and could find no reference to the alleged slur. “I am unable to confirm any of the suggestions that have been made,” he said. “Under the circumstances, there’s nothing further I can do at this time.” MacKay has denied making the comment, which about 10 Liberal MPs say they heard. The alleged slur occurred during Thursday’s question period after Liberal MP David McGuinty asked MacKay how the Conservatives' newly unveiled green plan would help MacKay's dog in Nova Scotia. MacKay allegedly looked up, pointed to Stronach's empty chair and said "You already have her." Liberal MPs immediately labelled the comments sexist and degrading to Stronach and all women. Stronach was not alone in asking for an apology on Friday with several of her colleagues as well as an NDP MP came to her defence. “Will no one in the Conservative party condemn these sexist actions?” asked the NDP’s Judy Wasylycia-Leis. Speaking to reporters later, she said that while asking that question a Conservative MP yelled “stop whining.” “Do they not know what kind of environment they’re creating? I thought we’d struggled and won the battle to be able to work and speak without feeling degraded or demeaned,” she said. Wasylycia-Leis even proposed that the House of Commons should perhaps introduce a sexual harassment policy. Stronach said the comments were hurtful and insulting and she was disappointed to not receive an apology. “It goes beyond this. It is really, I think, a reflection of the character and of the attitude of this government towards women. The fact that no one would take responsibility for this kind of a comment today, I think shows that,” she told reporters. Stronach and MacKay had a stormy breakup following her defection to the Liberals in May 2005. MacKay, stung by what he described as his girlfriend's betrayal, said he would seek comfort with his dog, Jack, because "at least dogs are loyal." © CanWest News Service CANADA'S EMBARRASSING FOREIGN MINISTER A Man of Poor Character and Thin Talents John Chuckman Were a senior member of any national government to insult a woman in public, there would be reason for concern. An apology might put the act down in the public's mind to poor judgment in the fierce heat of partisan debate. Were the senior member then to refuse admitting what he had done, despite many witnesses, surely a question of character is raised. But reportage of Peter MacKay's sleazy remark in Parliament about Belinda Stronach has revealed other behavior far more disturbing. Apparently for months, MacKay has been glaring and making faces at Stronach. His abusive behavior continued with such intensity that her party changed her seat to one behind another member. This is not the mooning of a lovesick pup or the melancholy of a jilted lover, although the mainline press has tended to treat it in this light fashion. This is aggressive behavior by an obsessive personality, carried out repeatedly in a public place without any concern for embarrassment or shame, behavior typical of a stalker, warning signs of a dangerous personality. We already knew there were serious flaws in MacKay's character. There was his unapologetic, hasty breaking of a written agreement made at the former Conservative Party leadership convention. He simply brushed it off with saying politics was a blood sport, a rather odd choice of words coming from the representative of a party trying to promote itself as doing business in a new and ethical way. Following Stronach's crossing the floor to the Liberals, MacKay busied himself doing simpering interviews about being abandoned both as deputy party leader and as lover. In fact, without MacKay's bizarre little press blitz, most Canadians would never have known about his affair with Stronach. This, too, was commonly attributed to the freshly-jilted lover's overwrought emotion. His words and tone in these interviews seemed tailored to give that sympathetic impression, but they were quite unconvincing coming from a self-professed, blood-sport politician. What MacKay was actually doing was character assassination only slightly disguised as sympathetic pouting. What also bothered me at the time was that no one in the press raised the important issue of a senior executive in an organization, the deputy leader of the new Conservative Party, having an affair with someone directly under his authority. This is not considered ethical in the business world, a situation fraught with many possibilities for abuse, and is often a reason for dismissal. MacKay has shown himself unfit for high office, not because of an affair, but because of his repeated display of questionable character and personality traits, and these traits are accompanied by what can only be called a slim endowment of talent. MacKay has made blundering statements as foreign minister several times that certainly have embarrassed his boss. It really is time for him to go.

Sheikh apologises for comments [This is the print version of story "]http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1774835.htm] AM - Friday, 27 October , 2006 08:00:00 Reporter: Lindy Kerin TONY EASTLEY: After coming under intense pressure over his comments that scantily-dressed women provoke sexual violence, one of Australia's most senior Muslim clerics has been given a slap over the wrist by the organisation that employs him. Sheik Taj din al-Hilaly's comments made during a recent speech in Sydney, sparked widespread condemnation and calls for his resignation. Late last night, the Lebanese Muslim Association of New South Wales met to review the Iman's address and consider his future. The cleric has apologised for his comments, but many of his critics, particularly those within the Muslim community, say he must go. As Lindy Kerin reports the Sheik's story has been broadcast around the world. (sound of BBC News) BBC NEWS READER: Australia’s top Muslim cleric says sorry after comparing uncovered women to raw meat. LINDY KERIN: Sheik Hilaly's comments have made news around the world. He's under fire over a recent speech given during Ramadan where he suggested immodestly dressed women provoked sexual attacks. Last night he apologised for any offence caused but he said he would not be resigning. He told Channel Nine that his comments had been taken out of context. TAJ DIN AL-HILALY: Is misunderstanding. I'm very, very sorry for that. People misunderstanding my talk in my mosque. LINDY KERIN: Nada Roude from the Islamic Council of New South Wales and the United Muslim Women's Association says she was shocked by the comments and immediately sought an explanation from Sheik Hilaly. NADA ROUDE: He basically tried to explain that the whole thing wasn't intended in the way that it came out and that he was quite, I guess apologetic about what had happened, but I think for me it was about expressing how disappointed and upsetting his comments were. LINDY KERIN: Sheik Hilaly was appointed mufti by country's peak Islamic body, the Federation of Islamic Councils of Australia. That organisation is holding elections early next year and is refusing to make any comment. Sheik Hilaly is no stranger to controversy - and it's not the first time he's been in trouble for his remarks. Nada Roude says the Sheik should have been more careful in his choice of words, but doesn't think he should resign. NADA ROUDE: If I was on the board of the LMA, obviously I would be looking very seriously about perhaps putting some fairly strict guidelines around the activities of the Iman. In the sense that any comments and lessons and sermons that he may wish to make, it has to be made clearly to him that certain languages and colourful descriptions that he may consider from his own cultural perspective to have no meaning or may be harmless, that he should refrain from. TONY EASTLEY: Nada Roude from the Islamic Council of New South Wales and the United Muslim Women's Association. Sheikh invokes Pope's defence Email Print Normal font Large font October 27, 2006 - 11:25AM Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali believes his comments have been misinterpreted in the same way the Pope was misunderstood in a sermon on Islam. The mufti has triggered a storm over a sermon in which he blamed women for sexual assault. Sheik Alhilali has been stood down from giving sermons at his Lakemba mosque in Sydney for the next two to three months, a mosque spokesman said this morning. Abdul El Ayoubi, from the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) which administers the Lakemba mosque where the mufti is based, says the LMA board was not happy with the sheik's sermon. "But we did accept his apology and we want to move on,'' Mr El Ayoubi told AAP. "We feel at this stage that is only fair that he be stood down for the next couple of months." Earlier this year Pope Benedict XVI outraged Muslims by quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor who said innovations introduced by the Prophet Mohammed were "evil and inhuman". Sheik Alhilali says he was quoting an ancient Islamic scholar to make a point when he compared immodest women to "uncovered meat" to a Ramadan sermon at Lakemba mosque in Sydney. Mr El Ayoubi said the mufti feels like he has been misinterpreted like the Pope. "He keeps harping on the fact that he was quoting some ancient scholar, and he was, and compares it to the situation with the Pope," Mr El Ayoubi told AAP. "The Pope quoted some Byzantine leader and had a go at our prophet, and the sheik goes `look there's no difference', except that this may offend more people than the Pope's comments offended." Mr El Ayoubi said the sheik was not talking about rape in the sermon, he was talking about adultery, and he was quoting some other person. AAP

West supported the Pope over his offensive comments about Islam German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the pope on Saturday, telling the mass-circulation Bild newspaper that the pontiff had merely been calling for dialogue with other religions. "Whoever criticizes the pope misunderstood the aim of his speech," Merkel was quoted as saying, according to Reuters. "It was an invitation to dialogue between religions and the pope expressedly spoke in favour of this dialogue ... What Benedict XVI emphasised was a decisive and uncompromising renunciation of all forms of violence in the name of religion." Bush addressed the issue during his meeting Monday with the prime minister of Malaysia. "The president noted that the pope had made some apologies for his remarks and the president believed that the pope was sincere in those remarks and that's where the discussion was left," Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian affairs for the National Security Council, told reporters during a briefing on the meeting held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Now, I believe the Sheikh is innocent and sincere in his comments

Congratulations sister

Is One Offensive Cleric More Important Than 38 Reasonable Ones? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why do so many reasonable Islamic scholars get such little attention in the news media when compared to the relatively few offensive ones? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Firas Ahmad, October 27, 2006 On October 12th of this month, 38 highly respected and theologically diverse clerics from the Muslim world wrote what is widely considered a respectful and engaging "Open Letter" to the Pope in response to his controversial comments about Islam made during his Regensburg address in September. Not only was the letter of historical significance, but it also represented an articulate and reasoned invitation to dialogue from Muslims with the Papacy on matters of theology and faith. The signatories included top scholars from Bosnia, Croatia, Egypt, the United States, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Kosovo, Oman, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Iran. Around the same time, a single Muslim cleric in Australia, Sheik Taj Aldin al-Hilali, delivered a sermon to about 500 followers where he allegedly compared some women who do not dress modestly to uncovered meat being left out for a cat. I wonder which story received more news coverage. If we follow the Google news aggregator as a gauge, at the height of the news coverage of the Open Letter to the Pope, the story appeared in about 220 different news sites across the world. The only major English language news web site to carry the story on the front page was BBC. Most notably, the major US media outlets almost entirely ignored the event. With the exception of a front page story that week in the Christian Science Monitor and a small story aired on CNN, the letter came and went without much fanfare. As the fury over Hilali's remarks continue to gain momentum, according to Google there are currently over 800 news services carrying the story. That is quadruple the coverage of the Open Letter. I would expect this to increase before it subsides. The cleric's remarks are drawing furious reactions from around the globe, and the life of the story is likely being extended by the already tense debate over Muslim women who wear veils in the UK. The open letter signed by 38 scholars, who represent all eight major schools of thought in the Islam, is more representative of the global Muslim community than this one lone Australian cleric. However, judging by the prevailing media coverage any casual reader would think the exact opposite. When Pat Roberston or Jerry Fallwell make embarrassingly ignorant comments, they are dismissed as the rantings and ravings of old senile men. When any Muslim cleric does something similar, in the court of public opinion Islam is guilty of the offense until proven otherwise. When it comes to the media, Muslims can hardly catch a break. The sad reality is that if the 38 scholars who wrote the Open Letter really wanted the world to hear what they had to say, they should have first congregated in Cairo and burned an effigy of the Pope. Firas Ahmad is Senior Editor of Islamica Magazine.

Media blamed for Islam bias Jeremy Roberts October 27, 2006 AUSTRALIAN Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty believes the media is fuelling a growing bias against Islamic Australians, warning that increased vilification of Muslims is fomenting home-grown terrorism. In a speech delivered in Adelaide, Mr Keelty played down Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali's inflammatory comments on women, asserting that "many in the community also say offensive things and many of them are white Caucasian Australians". He said rising vilification of Muslims was being fuelled by irresponsible media outlets which sensationalised terrorism-related stories with little basis in fact. And he called on Australians to teach the values of democracy and multiculturalism to the younger generation so that "our future is not worse than our past". Mr Keelty - who clashed with Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in 2004 after the commissioner blamed the suicide attacks on Madrid train system on the war in Iraq - said he met privately with Muslim groups in Adelaide yesterday. "You hear more and more stories of treatment of the Islamic community that really is substandard by members of our own wider community," he said at a lunch hosted by the South Australian Press Club. "It is vilification, picking them out of the crowd because they dress differently or they speak differently. "If we are not careful we risk raising a generation of Australians who will have a bias against Islam." He said to avoid terrorism, the country must not marginalise people. "We don't want to provide them with more reasons to be further marginalised or disenfranchised to the point where they will take their own life in order to kill many others." Mr Keelty's comments differ in emphasis to John Howard's singling out in September of a minority of Australian Muslims. He said a "small section of the Islamic population (was) very resistant to integration". A spokesman for Mr Howard said the Prime Minister would not comment on Mr Keelty's speech. But Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration Andrew Robb said it was the terrorists who were to blame for increased "anxiety in the community". And he said the onus was on Muslims to put the rest of the community at ease. "The actions and the statements of the terrorists is leading to stigmatisation of Muslims in Australia," Mr Robb said. "To minimise the anxiety in the community Australian Muslims have to accept they face a problem with Islamic terrorism - a problem which is not of their making but a problem nonetheless. "But they are best placed to do something about it, by denouncing it and by asserting their Australian-ness and being confident in all of that." Mr Robb has proposed a tougher test for people seeking citizenship, including an English test and knowledge of some elements of Australian history and society. Speaking about "partnerships" with different communities, Mr Keelty appeared to take exception to yesterday's front page report in The Australian on Sheik Hilali. "The other partnership which is important - and if you have seen The Australian newspaper today you would understand why - is with the Islamic community," he said. Later saying the story was "balanced" by female Muslim input, he said Muslim vilification was fuelled by a sensationalist media. But he said the solution to the risk of bias against Muslims was a return to "teaching the values to the future generations that we were brought up with". "One of our great strengths as a community is that we do have a very open democratic system in this country ... one of the strengths of this country is multiculturalism."

Muslim veils don't bother McGuinty By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF Premier Dalton McGuinty says he has no problem speaking to women wearing full veils. Jack Straw, the leader of the British House of Commons, is the latest politician to set off a firestorm after admitting he asks Muslim women to show their faces when he meets with them. And yesterday, a Muslim teaching assistant in London, England, suspended after she refused to remove a veil during lessons, won a victimization suit against her school. Asked for his views on the veil, McGuinty said he supports absolutely a woman's right to wear what she pleases. "One of the strengths of this society that we're building together is that we are respectful of one another's traditions and faiths, as long as we understand that we're building here on common ground and respecting the law of the land," he said. Conservative Leader John Tory said he believes people have the right to dress according to their traditions and faiths. "I think what we should be doing is spending our time trying to find ways to bring people together and to understand each better, rather than giving them instructions on how they can dress or how they can live their lives," Tory said. NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo said women have the right to make choices in their lives. "And if they chose to wear a veil then so be it -- this is a woman's right," DiNovo said.

Why This Fear of Islam? Linda Heard, sierra12th@yahoo.co.uk An astute Egyptian friend recently forwarded an article that appeared in last Sunday’s Independent newspaper titled “Drunk and Disorderly: Woman in UK Are the Worst Binge Drinkers in the Worldâ€. Appended to the e-mail was this comment from my friend pointing out the inherent irony. “Instead of recommending that UK women learn a thing or two from their compatriot Muslim sisters to save millions of pounds for the National Health Service, the jokers in Number Ten Downing Street instead make a big issue about a dress code that has zero effect on the well-being of the country.†He’s surely got a point. According to the article “one in three 17-30-year-olds is now classed as a heavy drinker, bingeing on four or more drinks in one session at least once a fortnightâ€, which translates to liver damage, premature death, cancer, heart problems, an escalation in anti-social behavior, lost working hours and puts those women at risk of sexual assault. This trend affects one in out of every three young women and yet British politicians, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, seem more concerned about the handful of British women who have chosen to don the full veil, which poses no danger to either themselves or to the public at large. It’s fashionable nowadays for Britain’s politicians to complain about immigrants who refuse to assimilate. The more right wing among them infer that the presence of a large Muslim community threatens “our way of life†without going into details as to what that way of life actually entails. Not surprising when Britain has become such an eclectic multiethnic melting pot. There no longer is a stereotypical British way of life other than in the pages of an Agatha Christie or a P.G. Wodehouse novel. It’s interesting, too, that those who feel intimidated or threatened in the presence of a woman wearing the veil don’t appear to be concerned by the sight of a nun’s habit, Hassidic garb or side locks, Sikh turbans or the shaved heads and orange robes of Hare Krishna devotees. Moreover the current ministerial focus on Muslim assimilation is having the opposite effect. Moderate Muslim leaders resented being told by John Reid, the home secretary, to monitor their children for signs of hate. And reports state that since Jack Straw’s comments on the veil, more and more young women are adopting the niqab in protest — a predictable reaction. Indeed, the British government appears to be going out of its way to foment an enemy within in keeping with Blair’s struggle against what he calls an evil ideology. It’s no wonder that British Muslims are beginning to feel demonized and marginalized when their own government calls for mosques, faith schools, community centers and Islamic bookshops to be monitored. If British Muslims tend to live in close proximity to one another it isn’t the only community to do so. London’s Stamford Hill was and is more reminiscent of Mea Sharim in Israel than a British city suburb. Brick Lane resembles a corner of Bangladesh while Soho is predominantly Chinese. These ghettoized areas aren’t new. They’ve existed for more than half-a-century in some cases and nobody seemed to mind. The governmental message is further having an effect on the attitudes of ordinary people. Reports of Muslim women wearing the hijab being insulted in the streets or suffering the indignity of having their head scarves pulled from their heads are rife. In short, Muslims have become fair game for racists and bigots. I know many Muslims who lived in Britain for decades without problems and who never faced discrimination or open enmity. Let’s face it. It may be a cliché but everything did change post- Sept. 11. It didn’t need to. If those 19 criminals had been labeled just that instead of “Muslim terroristsâ€, law-abiding Muslims in Britain and Europe wouldn’t have been stigmatized. After all, the IRA killers were never described as “Catholic terrorists†out to turn Northern Ireland into a papal state. It seems to me that Muslims were deliberately targeted by the US that needed a new enemy following the collapse of the Soviet Union so that its mighty military-industrial complex could continue functioning. It needed a new “ism†to combat after the demise of communism and so the war on another intangible, terrorism, was born. Moreover, the demonizing of what the US referred to as extremist Islam and what George W. Bush now calls “Islamic fascism†has facilitated public approval for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Rule One. When going to war, the enemy must be painted as some kind of inferior or terrifying being. For Europe, the US has opened a dangerous Pandora’s Box with its assaults upon Muslims and Muslim countries. In Britain and France, Muslim youth, who are rightly angered, feel isolated from the rest of society and are becoming radicalized. In turn, Europe’s right-wing parties are gaining strength while Germany is witnessing a frightening resurgence of the neo-Nazi movement. Some European Muslims are asking, “are we becoming Europe’s new Jews?†They’re not because there are major differences. Islam is the fastest growing religion on the planet and Muslims make up almost one quarter of the world’s population. Europe’s Muslims are — or should be — backed by Muslim states unlike the Jews scattered throughout the Diaspora. It is this sheer strength of numbers combined with a sense of religious brotherhood shared by all Muslims that concerns British politicians. Their comments concerning the veil are simply a manifestation of those underlying fears. Whether Muslim women in Britain reject the niqab is not the issue. The differences will still remain. Few will show up in the statistics on binge drinking or unwed mothers for instance. My Egyptian friend is spot on when he suggests British women could learn a thing or two from their compatriot Muslim sisters. Instead of attempting to drag Muslims down to the lowest common denominator Britain’s leaders should encourage their citizenry to respect the morals and ethics espoused by Muslims that are so sadly lacking in society at large. Until contemporary times those same morals and ethics were the mainstay of British life. I still remember how my grandmother would make sure the bottle of sherry was out of sight when the vicar made an impromptu visit and would wear a head scarf or a hat when attending church on Sundays. The traditional British way of life that Muslims are being blamed for eroding disappeared in the 1960s. In fact, Muslims in Britain today could even be perceived as the torch carriers for the values inherent in the Britain that once was. Now that’s a thought.

Saudi cleric says West fearful of spread of Islam Reuters Monday, October 23, 2006; 6:11 AM RIYADH (Reuters) - A prominent Saudi cleric said on Monday that Pope Benedict's controversial remarks on Islam came from vexation at the spread of the Muslim faith. Many Muslim leaders have criticized the Pope for a speech in September that quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor as saying Islam was evil and irrational and had been spread by the sword. "This arises only because of ire in the hearts of adversaries over the spread of Islam beyond all borders and obstacles," Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid said in a sermon at the Grand Mosque in Mecca to mark the Muslim Eid al-Fitr feast. "Every rational person knows that no principle, no matter how attractive or powerful, can be spread by the sword or tank or explosives...," he said. "(Islam) is the only faith that can solve the problems of mankind." The Pope has many times expressed regret for the uproar caused by his speech and voiced respect for all Muslims. But he has stopped short of the unequivocal apology demanded by some. Bin Humaid, whose sermon was carried by state media, said history was filled with violence. "How many Muslims were killed, displaced and made homeless ... Muslim blood has been the cheapest," he said. "The jihad of Prophet Mohammed and that of his companions and followers was jihad for the sake of God, and not for conceit, influence, greed or fanaticism for a race...It is a struggle to champion monotheism, to prevent oppression from encroaching on rights and power from wiping out justice." In a Eid message, Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince urged Muslims to follow Prophet Mohammad's "message of love, forgiveness, mercy, unity and goodness." Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, has been battling a campaign by al Qaeda supporters to topple its conservative monarchy since 2003.