Afghan MPs reject most Karzai cabinet nominees

The cabinet list was submitted to parliament two weeks ago

The Afghan parliament has turned down 17 out of President Hamid Karzai's 24 nominees for his new Cabinet.

Energy minister nominee Ismail Khan, a former warlord, was among the rejected.

Nominees for justice, health, commerce, economy and women's affairs were among others rejected, but Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak was re-appointed.

The BBC's Kabul correspondent says the results complicate Mr Karzai's efforts to repay political favours with Cabinet posts without offending parliament.

He also needs to satisfy international donors who have threatened to withhold funding for any ministry run by a corrupt politician, the BBC's Peter Greste adds.

Western officials have repeatedly emphasised that tackling corruption is key to stabilising the country, following the president's controversial re-election last year.

I think, unfortunately, that the criteria [for Cabinet posts] were either ethnicity or bribery or money Fawzia Kufi Afghan MP

The vote is one of the few occasions when parliamentarians have genuine power to hold the executive to account, analysts say.

Many nominees were criticised as having been picked for reasons other than their competency.

"I think, unfortunately, that the criteria were either ethnicity or bribery or money," MP Fawzia Kufi said, in remarks quoted by AP news agency.

'Slap'

Women's Affairs Minister Husn Bano Ghazanfar - the only female in the Cabinet - was among those who failed to win approval in Saturday's secret ballot of more than 200 MPs.

Mr Khan, a Soviet-era guerrilla leader and anti-Taliban commander who was also energy minister in the last Cabinet, was one of the most prominent nominees to be rejected.

Accused of human rights abuses and corruption, he is also unpopular with some because of his role as a warlord in western Herat province during Afghanistan's civil war.

No-one has been nominated foreign minister, and the post is not expected to be filled until an international conference on Afghanistan in London later this month.

OUT OF OFFICE Ismail Khan, Energy and Water Minister Husn Bano Ghazanfar, Women's Minister General Khodaidad, Anti-narcotics Minister Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatimi, Health Minister Mohammad Sarwar Danish, Justice Minister Wahidullah Shahrani, Commerce Minister Amir Zai Sangeen, Telecommunications Minister

Analysts say Mr Karzai presented his Cabinet to parliament two weeks ago, hoping to finalise his team before the conference.

But only seven posts were confirmed. They include - along with defence - that of Interior Minister Hanif Atmar.

Our correspondent says few had anticipated a slap of this scale for the president.

Independent Afghan MP Daoud Sultanzoy told the BBC that Mr Karzai now had to prove his leadership.

"If Mr Karzai is a capable leader he should tell those benefactors: 'Look, I gave you a chance. I introduced your people to the parliament. The parliament rejected it. You had your chance'."

He said Mr Karzai should now be left to produce a cabinet acceptable to parliament "so we can get on with the work of the people of this country".

US President Barack Obama announced last month he would send 30,000 new US troops to Afghanistan, with a view to beating the Taliban.

Nato countries have followed up by pledging another 7,000 troops so far.

Mr Obama said he wants to begin handing over to Afghan security forces by mid-2011.

President Karzai was returned for a second five-year term after last August's election, despite investigators discovering more than a quarter of votes were fraudulent.

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Rising alcohol addiction costs 'could cripple the NHS'

Alcohol misuse is a major problem for the NHS

The cost of treating the growing number of people drinking heavily threatens to cripple NHS hospitals, warn experts.

If the trend continues the burden will be unsustainable, the Royal College of Physicians and NHS Confederation say.

With a quarter of England's population consuming hazardous amounts, alcohol addiction already costs the NHS more than £2.7 billion a year.

Services need work together to avert a crisis, with the emphasis on prevention, they say in a joint report.

Currently, most of the money is being spent on hospital and ambulance services.

This burden is no longer sustainable Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians

But hospital care alone cannot solve the problem, the report says.

Increasing out-of-hospital provision could be more cost effective, it says.

This would include GPs screening and counselling their patients on alcohol misuse.

Trials suggest that brief advice from a GP, or practice nurse, leads to one in eight people reducing their drinking to within sensible levels.

This, says the report, compares well with smoking cessation, where only one in 20 change their behaviour.

Changing the way alcohol-related services are delivered could save hospitals 1,000 bed days and Primary Care Trusts up to £650,000 a year, experts estimate.

Breaking point

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "The nation's growing addiction to alcohol is putting an immense strain on health services, especially in hospitals, costing the NHS over £2.7 billion each year."

And this sum has doubled in under five years.

"This burden is no longer sustainable," he said.

"The role of the NHS should not just be about treating the consequences of alcohol related-harm but also about active prevention, early intervention, and working in partnership with services in local communities to raise awareness of alcohol-related harm."

Steve Barnett, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "We hope this report helps to outline the scale of the problems facing the NHS and acts as a warning that if we carry on drinking in the way that we are currently, the bar bill will be paid in worse health and a health system struggling to cope."

A Department of Health spokesperson welcomed the report: "We agree the level of alcohol-related hospital admissions, crime, and deaths are still unacceptable.

"We are now seeing a real will by the NHS for change and improvement in alcohol services.

"Two thirds of PCTs have adopted reducing alcohol-related hospital admissions as a local priority for the first time.

"The department is providing Primary Care Trusts with the support, tools and incentives to deliver alcohol services in their own areas effectively according to local needs."

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Ten years at the top for Vladimir Putin

Much has changed in the 10 years since Vladimir Putin first became Russia's president. Now serving as prime minister with a possible view to running for the presidency again in 2012, James Rodgers assesses the rise and rise of the spy who came to control the Kremlin.

When Boris Yeltsin resigned as Russia's first post-Soviet leader, Vladimir Putin inherited a war in Chechnya and an economy drowning in debt

Cast your mind back to 31 December 1999. In Moscow, it is the last day of a century that has seen revolution and the collapse of communism.

Everyone in the Russian capital is waiting for reassurance from regions further east, where the new millennium has already started, that Russia's nuclear power stations are still safe - now that the date on their computers has changed to 2000.

He is a street boy turned into a very sophisticated political functionary and manipulator Sergei Karaganov Moscow Higher School of Economics

The main news of the day comes as a surprise.

Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first post-Soviet leader, announces his resignation.

Vladimir Putin takes over as acting president.

There is war in Chechnya.

The economy is still reeling from Russia's defaulting on its debt a year earlier.

Tough, and rough

Mr Putin "came into a virtual failed state", says Sergei Karaganov, a former advisor to Mr Yeltsin, and now dean of Moscow's Higher School of Economics.

He was, and is, an old KGB officer who leads, or tries to evaluate all events and future from that angle: how to control society Mikhail Kasyanov Former prime minister

He has watched both Mr Putin, and Russia, change.

"He is bright, even brilliant, very tough, sometimes rough. He is a street boy turned into a very sophisticated political functionary and manipulator."

This description sums up Vladimir Putin's great versatility as a politician: he can seem equally comfortable wearing an expensive suit and discussing economic issues with world leaders, or sharing a joke with soldiers and speaking their slang.

He has divided the opinion of those who have lived through his 10 years at the top.

Many ordinary Russians - and, of course, Russia's new super-rich - thank him for bigger paycheques. Others see this as having come at too high a cost to political and press freedom.

Calm after chaos?

One of Vladimir Putin's first moves was to appoint Mikhail Kasyanov as his prime minister. Today, Mr Kasyanov is Mr Putin's implacable opponent.

"He was, and is, an old KGB officer who leads, or tries to evaluate all events and future from that angle: how to control society, how not to allow people to directly participate because that brings risks," says Mr Kasyanov of his former boss.

Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, disagrees.

Versatile as a politician, Vladimir Putin has divided the opinion of those who have lived through his 10 years at the top

He puts Mr Putin's political success down to an electorate fed up with the chaos it associated with Russia's immediate post-Soviet democracy.

"[They] believed... that one needs to have a strong leader. And then Mr Putin appeared, and he was immediately supported by very many Russians who still had expectations for life changing for the better.

"This is how Mr Putin from the very beginning of his era received very strong support from society, from the Russian citizens."

At times he has needed it - dealing with incidents like the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in 2000; the Moscow theatre siege two years later; the killings of Beslan schoolchildren in 2004.

The arrest, and subsequent jailing, of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was once Russia's richest man, has been one of the most controversial cases of the Putin era.

Tense relations

In 2006, Russia held the G8 presidency. Vladimir Putin welcomed world leaders to his home town, St Petersburg.

The country felt it was reclaiming the superpower role it had lost with the demise of the Soviet Union. Still, under Mr Putin, Russia's relations with the West have at times been tense. The eastward expansion of Nato has infuriated Moscow.

Russia's war with Georgia saw the United States and many European politicians support Georgia.

"Russia has emerged for the West as something very alien, and it's not really a partner, it's not a threat, and the relationships are very ambiguous," says Oksana Antonenko, a Russia expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

She believes, though, that Mr Putin has already done enough to guarantee his legacy.

Images of Putin swimming in a Siberian lake this summer seem aimed at promoting his macho image

"Putin certainly has already assured himself a very favourable place in Russian history," she suggests.

"Fifty, 100 years, 200 years from now he will be seen in Russian history as the man who saved Russia from the brink of collapse."

Sergei Karaganov sees a more complicated picture.

"The cost of progress became higher and higher: blatant corruption, over-centralisation, and a decrease of incentives for economic growth," he argues.

"If that is reversed somehow in the next several years, he will be seen as a controversial, but a great politician.

"If not, we will be facing a decline, and he will then be seen as a person who was relatively successful but then failed."

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A decade of digital advances - 31 Dec 09

'World's best job' man stung by tiny, lethal jellyfish

The Irukandji jellyfish is so miniscule it is almost invisible to the naked eye

The man who landed what was dubbed "the best job in the world" as the caretaker on a tropical island off Australia has been stung by a lethal jellyfish.

Briton Ben Southall, who beat 34,000 applicants to secure the position, was stung during his last week in the job.

The culprit was the peanut-sized Irukandji jellyfish, whose venomous sting can be lethal.

In his blog, which he keeps as part of his job, he describes the incident as "a little sting on the beach".

But it was his progressive symptoms of fever, headache, lower back pain, chest tightness and high blood pressure that led doctors to diagnose the sting.

"I thought I'd done particularly well at avoiding any contact with any of the dangerous critters that consider this part of the world their home," Mr Southall writes in the latest update to his online diary.

Stinger suit

"I've avoided being boxed by a kangaroo, nibbled by a shark and bitten by a spider or a snake - but then in my final few days on Hamilton Island I fell foul of a miniscule little creature known as an Irukandji," his blog continues.

I really should have been wearing a full stinger suit Ben Southall Caretaker of Hamilton Island

The jellyfish - which struck as he descended from a jet-ski - is virtually invisible to the naked eye and can be deadly - in 2002 two tourists died after being stung.

It is so small it can pass through the nets that protect popular swimming spots in Queensland from larger jellyfish.

But Mr Southall - who has fully recovered after a dose of antibiotics and rest - admitted that he had been inadequately dressed for the excursion.

"It's not something to be messed around with. I really should have been wearing a full stinger suit, as is recommended at all beaches here this time of year," he said.

Mr Southall, 34, a charity fundraiser from Hampshire had to undergo a gruelling selection process to get the A$150,000 ($134,000) role - including swimming, snorkelling and one-to-one interviews.

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Israel plans to build more homes in E Jerusalem

Israel does not include East Jersusalem in a pause in building in the West Bank

Israel announces plans for nearly 700 homes in mainly Arab East Jerusalem, despite Palestinian and international demands that it freeze building there.

The move follows plans announced last month for 900 homes on occupied land in Gilo, south of Jerusalem, last month.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it, in a move not recognised internationally.

The Palestinians, who want to locate their future capital in East Jerusalem, condemned the move.

They said the plans showed Israel was "not ready for peace".

Israel's housing ministry announced on Monday that it has invited contractors to bid on the construction of 198 housing units in Pisgat Zeev, 377 homes in Neve Yaakov and 117 dwellings in Har Homa, which are built on land captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

It is part of an invitation to bid for contracts on 6,500 housing units across the country.

The new buildings will make apartments cheaper and more affordable for young families, the Israeli Housing Ministry said.

Last month, Israel announced a 10-month suspension of new building in settlements in the occupied West Bank, under heavy pressure from the US.

But the right-leaning government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made is clear that it does not regard Jewish areas in Jerusalem as settlements and the restrictions do not apply there.

The Palestinians have refused to resume peace talks without a complete halt to settlement building in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

'Eternal capital'

In November, US President Barack Obama warned that Israel's plans to build 900 new homes in Gilo, to the south of Jerusalem, would create a "dangerous situation".

Mr Obama told Fox News that additional settlement construction made it harder for Israel to make peace in the region and "embitters the Palestinians".

"The Israeli government proves every day that it is not ready for peace," said Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

But Israel says that East Jerusalem is part of the "indivisible and eternal" Israeli capital.

Israel's annexation of the east of the city has never been recognised by the international community.

About 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in settlements illegal under international law.

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Imam Hussain -Views of Non-Muslim Scholars

Imam Hussain -Views of Non-Muslim Scholars

The event of Karbala marks the greatest sacrifice for the sake of God in the human history. The minute and stunning details of this great event have been written and survived from the very first day by the eye witnesses. For the last fourteen hundred centuries, the battle of Karbala reflects the collision of the good versus the evil, the virtuous versus the wicked, right versus the wrong, and the collision of Imam Husain (the head of virtue) versus Yazid (the head of impiety).

Edward G. Brown, the professor of Arabic and oriental studies at the University of Cambridge, praises Imam Husain in these words:

"… a reminder of the blood-stained field of Kerbela, where the grandson of the Apostle of God fell at length, tortured by thirst and surrounded by the bodies of his murdered kinsmen, has been at anytime since then sufficient to evoke, even in the most lukewarm and heedless, the deepest emotions, the most frantic grief, and an exaltation of spirit before which pain, danger and death shrink to unconsidered trifles."

[A Literary History of Persia, London, 1919, p. 227]

As the Imam of the time and true representative of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (S), Imam Husain (A) stood up against the tyrant of the time to safeguard and protect Islam and guide fellow Muslims. On the other hand, the staying power of the rulers (Mu'awiya and his son Yazid) depended solely on the might of the sword. They used brute force to rule over the Muslim empire even by all possible illicit means.

By the time the sun was set, the day of Ashura in the plains of Karbala, witnessed Imam Husain (A) giving up everything humanly possible in the way of God including his 72 brave and loyal followers and his 6 months beautiful baby, Ali Asghar. In the wake of such a great sacrifices, the Quran praises as:

“Think not of those who are slain in God's way as dead. Nay, they are living, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord” (Qur'an 3:169).

Before the battle of Karbala, the world knew only the rule that “The Might is the Right”. However, the day of Assura introduced even more powerful rule to this world; “The Right is the Might” . Now, the blood of the innocent could win over the sword of a tyrant.

Mahatma Gandhi (Indian political and spiritual leader) writes: “I learned from Hussein how to achieve victory while being oppressed.”

According to the great poet Rabindranath Tagore, Hussain’s sacrifice indicates spiritual liberation. He writes: “In order to keep alive justice and truth, instead of an army or weapons, success can be achieved by sacrificing lives, exactly what Imam Hussain (A.S.) did”

Such an everlasting victory can only be achieved by the one who totally believes and trust in the Almighty God.

Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian and essayist) explains: “The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Husain and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!”

Imam Hussain (A.S.) explains the mission of his sacrifice in his own words: “I have taken this stand not out of arrogance or pride, neither out of mischief or injustice. I have risen to seek reform in the community of my grandfather. I would like to bid good, forbid evil, and follow the tradition of my grandfather and my father ‘Ali bin Abi Talib.”

Charles Dickens (English novelist) writes: “If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires…then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”

In spite of all the painful aspects of Karbala, it holds a great significance in the Islamic history, for the revolution of Imam Husain (A) was not merely an event which had taken place by chance. It was rather a movement for the revival of Islam. Imam Hussain (A) declared his noble mission right from the day one.

Antoine Bara (Lebanese writer) writes: “No battle in the modern and past history of mankind has earned more sympathy and admiration as well as provided more lessons than the martyrdom of Husayn in the battle of Karbala.” (Husayn in Christian Ideology)

History has seen numerous massacres of innocent people, but the tragedy of Karbala is one of the few where men, women and children voluntarily allowed themselves to be subjected to hunger, thirst, humiliation and death on the burning sands of Karbala because they believed that Imam Hussain (A) stood for righteousness. Little wonder that for over 1400 years Muslims, have been nurturing the tale of Karbala in their hearts like an open wound, lest they should forget the supreme sacrifice of Imam Hussain (A) and his followers.

Great spiritual leaders are known to make great sacrifices, but at Karbala, common men and women with infants at their bosom, their hearts and souls aflame with righteousness, chose death rather than evil and weakness. Such was the greatness of Imam Hussain (A); such was his spiritual power, which could uplift common mortals to heights of supreme courage and sacrifice.

Dr. K. Sheldrake writes: “Of that gallant band, male and female knew that the enemy forces around were implacable, and were not only ready to fight, but to kill. Denied even water for the children, they remained parched under the burning sun and scorching sands, yet not one faltered for a moment. Husain marched with his little company, not to glory, not to power of wealth, but to a supreme sacrifice, and every member bravely faced the greatest odds without flinching.”

Dr. Radha Krishnan writes “Though Imam Hussain gave his life years ago, but his indestructible soul rules the hearts of people even today.”

The tragedy of Karbala took place in 680 AD on the banks of the Euphrates in Iraq but Karbala has a universal appeal and in today’s climate of violence, it is more relevant than ever. The tragedy of Karbala and its spirit of non-violent resistance and supreme sacrifice has been a source of inspiration to the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru.

Mahatma Gandhi’s first Salt Satyagrah was inspired by Imam Hussain’s non violent resistance to the tyranny of Yazid. Gandhi is said to have studied the history of Islam and Imam Hussain (A), and was of the opinion that Islam represented not the legacy of a sword but of sacrifices of saints like Imam Hussain (A).

Mahatma Gandhi writes:“My faith is that the progress of Islam does not depend on the use of sword by its believers, but the result of the supreme sacrifice of Hussain (A), the great saint.”

Nehru considered Karbala to represent humanities strength and determination. He writes:
“Imam Hussain’s (A) sacrifice is for all groups and communities, an example of the path of righteousness.”

Dr. Rajendra Prasad writes, “The sacrifice of Imam Hussain (A) is not limited to one country, or nation, but it is the hereditary state of the brotherhood of all mankind.”

Dr. Radha Krishnan writes, “Though Imam Hussain (A) gave his life almost 1300 years ago, but his indestructible soul rules the hearts of people even today.”

Swami Shankaracharya describes, “It is Hussain’s (A) sacrifice that has kept Islam alive or else in this world there would be no one left to take Islam’s name.”

Mrs. Sarojini Naidu writes, “I congratulate Muslims that from among them, Hussain (A), a great human being was born, who is reverted and honored totally by all communities”

Simon Ockley (1678-1720), the Professor of Arabic at the University of Cambridge writes:

"Then Husain mounted his horse, and took the Koran and laid it before him, and, coming up to the people, invited them to the performances of their duty: adding, 'O God, thou art my confidence in every trouble, and my hope in all adversity!'… He next reminded them of his excellencies, the nobility of his birth, the greatness of his power, and his high descent, and said, 'Consider with yourselves whether or not such a man as I am is not better than you; I who am the son of your prophet's daughter, besides whom there is no other upon the face of the earth. Ali was my father; Jaafar and Hamza, the chief of the martyrs, were both my uncles; and the apostle of God, upon whom be peace, said both of me and my brother, that we were the chief of the youth of paradise. If you will believe me, what I say is true, for by God, I never told a lie in earnest since I had my understanding; for God hates a lie. If you do not believe me, ask the companions of the apostle of God [here he named them], and they will tell you the same. Let me go back to what I have.' They asked, 'What hindered him from being ruled by the rest of his relations.' He answered, 'God forbid that I should set my hand to the resignation of my right after a slavish manner. I have recourse to God from every tyrant that doth not believe in the day of account.'"

[The History of the Saracens, London, 1894, pp. 404-5]

Ignaz Goldziher (1850-1921), the Famous Hungarian orientalist scholar writes:

"Ever since the black day of Karbala, the history of this family … has been a continuous series of sufferings and persecutions. These are narrated in poetry and prose, in a richly cultivated literature of martyrologies - a Shi'i specialty - and form the theme of Shi'i gatherings in the first third of the month of Muharram, whose tenth day ('ashura) is kept as the anniversary of the tragedy at Karbala. Scenes of that tragedy are also presented on this

day of commemoration in dramatic form (ta'ziya). 'Our feast days are our assemblies of mourning.' So concludes a poem by a prince of Shi'i disposition recalling the many mihan of the Prophet's family. Weeping and lamentation over the evils and persecutions suffered by the 'Alid family, and mourning for its martyrs: these are things from which loyal supporters of the cause cannot cease. 'More touching than the tears of the Shi'is' has even become an Arabic proverb."

[Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law, Princeton, 1981, p. 179]

Edward Gibbon (1737-1794), considered as the greatest British historian of his time writes

"In a distant age and climate the tragic scene of the death of Husain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader."

[The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, London, 1911, volume 5, pp. 391-2]

Peter J. Chelkowski, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, New York University, writes

"Hussein accepted and set out from Mecca with his family and an entourage of about seventy followers. But on the plain of Kerbela they were caught in an ambush set by the … caliph, Yazid. Though defeat was certain, Hussein refused to pay homage to him. Surrounded by a great enemy force, Hussein and his company existed without water for ten days in the burning desert of Kerbela. Finally Hussein, the adults and some male children of his family and his companions were cut to bits by the arrows and swords of Yazid's army; his women and remaining children were taken as captives to Yazid in Damascus. The renowned historian Abu Reyhan al-Biruni states; "… then fire was set to their camp and the bodies were trampled by the hoofs of the horses; nobody in the history of the human kind has seen such atrocities."

[Ta'ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran, New York, 1979, p. 2]

Reynold Alleyne Nicholson(1868-1945), Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic at the University of Cambridge, writes, "Husayn fell, pierced by an arrow, and his brave followers were cut down beside him to the last man. Muhammadan tradition, which with rare exceptions is uniformly hostile to the Umayyad dynasty, regards Husayn as a martyr and Yazid as his murderer."

[A Literary History of the Arabs, Cambridge, 1930, p. 197 ]

Robert Durey Osborn (1835-1889), the Major of the Bengal Staff Corps, writes, "Hosain had a child named Abdallah, only a year old. He had accompanied his father in this terrible march. Touched by its cries, he took the infant in his arms and wept. At that instant, a shaft from the hostile ranks pierced the child's ear, and it expired in his father's arms. Hosain placed the little corpse upon the ground. 'We come from God, and we return to Him!' he cried; 'O Lord, give me strength to bear these misfortunes!' … Faint with thirst, and exhausted with wounds, he fought with desperate courage, slaying several of his antagonists. At last he was cut down from behind; at the same instance a lance was thrust through his back and bore him to the ground; as the dealer of this last blow withdrew his weapon, the ill-fated son of Ali rolled over a corpse. The head was severed from the trunk; the trunk was trampled under the hoofs of the victors' horses; and the next morning the women and a surviving infant son were carried away to Koufa. The bodies of Hosain and his followers were left unburied on the spot where they fell. For three days they remained exposed to the sun and the night dews, the vultures and the prowling animals of the waste; but then the inhabitants of a neighboring village, struck with horror that the body of a

grandson of the Prophet should be thus shamefully abandoned to the unclean beasts of the field, dared the anger of Obaidallah, and interred the body of the martyr and those of his heroic friends.”

[Islam Under the Arabs, Delaware, 1976, pp. 126-7]

Sir William Muir (1819-1905), the Scottish scholar and statesman and held the post of Foreign Secretary to the Indian government as well as Lieutenant Governor of the Northwestern Provinces writes: "The tragedy of Karbala decided not only the fate of the caliphate, but of the Mohammedan kingdoms long after the Caliphate had waned and disappeared."

[Annals of the Early Caliphate, London, 1883, pp. 441-2]

Karbala symbolizes the true face of struggle against injustice – non-violent resistance. Not taking life but sacrificing your life for Islam. In summary, it is not out of place to say in words of some known Indian poets:

• Let humanity awaken and every tribe will claim Hussain as their own.
• In the martyr of Imam Hussain A.S.), lies the death of Yazid, for Islam resurrects after every Karbala

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Commentary

Hussain, the man who inspired Barack Obama's middle name, has inspired people from Ghandi, to Martin Luther King, to Edward Gibbon. He will never be forgotten by history.

He came to the help of his fellow countrymen who called out to him from Kufa, and yet he died because he refused to give "Bayat" or allegiance to the King of the time named Yazid.

For this he sacrificed everything but what mattered most, His Morals, beliefs, and Principals.

Would such men be alive today they would stuggle through the oppressors and stop at nothing until they achieved victory.

May this Hussain, peace be upon him, grandson of the Prophet of Islam, always be cherished and remembered for standing by his principles and being a shining emblem for Sincerity and Honor.

Thank you for your sacrifice, we will never forget it son of the Lion of God; as his Father Ali was called; may peace be upon all of them.

Iranian protests spark fresh clashes in Tehran

Images from Tehran showed police motorcycles being set alight

Clashes have taken place overnight in the Iranian capital, Tehran, following anti-government protests on Sunday in which at least eight people died.

Reports say police fired tear gas to disperse crowds of demonstrators in various parts of the city overnight.

The nephew of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was among those killed in Sunday's clashes, the worst violence since June's contested elections.

His funeral on Monday is thought likely to be a focal point for more protests.

According to Mr Mousavi's website, Seyed Ali Mousavi was shot in the back as security forces fired on demonstrators.

On Monday, Iranian state television said 15 people had been killed in the confrontation between the opposition and the security forces - though a different state media outlet later said eight people had died.

Police denied being responsible for any of the deaths. They said three were accidents and that one person had been shot, but not by police. Details of the others have not been given.

Officials said the shooting was under investigation.

Opposition politician Ebrahim Yazdi, a foreign minister after the 1979 revolution and now leader of the Freedom Movement of Iran, was also arrested early on Monday, according to the reformist website Jaras.

The protests, which began after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election in June, have grown into the biggest challenge to the government since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Media ban

About 300 people were detained after Sunday's protests, police said.

Those arrested include members of the banned opposition group Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO) - or the People's Mujahideen - Iranian state-owned channel Press TV reported.

Why is such a holy day not respected by the rulers? Mehdi Karoubi Moderate cleric

The report quoted a source within the Iranian intelligence ministry.

Opposition supporters took to the streets on Sunday as the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura reached its climax.

Tehran's police chief, Azizollah Rajabzadeh, was among dozens of security force members injured in the clashes, officials said.

Unconfirmed reports said four people also died in protests in the north-western city of Tabriz and there were clashes in Isfahan and Najafabad in central Iran and Shiraz in the south.

Foreign media face severe restrictions in Iran and reports cannot be verified. However, witnesses said that in Tehran some protesters attacked police.

Police responded by firing directly into the crowds, opposition sources say, although this is denied by Iranian authorities.

In pictures: Tehran clashes

Clashes continued throughout the day. In the early hours of Monday, opposition sources said a large crowd had also gathered near the offices of the state-run television and radio.

They said police were firing tear gas in an attempt to disperse them.

Moderate cleric Mehdi Karoubi, who came fourth in last June's election, criticised Iran's rulers for Sunday's violence, an opposition website reported.

"What has happened to this religious system that it orders the killing of innocent people during the holy day of Ashura?" the Jaras website reported him as saying.

"Why is such a holy day not respected by the rulers?"

Foreign concern

The White House condemned the "unjust suppression" of protests.

RECENT UNREST IN IRAN 19 Dec: Influential dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri dies aged 87 21 Dec: Tens of thousands attend his funeral in Qom; reports of clashes between opposition supporters and security forces 22 Dec: Further confrontations reported in Qom 23 Dec: More clashes reported in city of Isfahan as memorial is held 24 Dec: Iran reportedly bans further memorial services for Montazeri except in his birthplace and Qom 26 Dec: Clashes reported in central and northern Tehran 27 Dec: At least eight dead following anti-government protests in Tehran; 300 reported arrested

"Hope and history are on the side of those who peacefully seek their universal rights, and so is the United States," White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said.

A spokesman for the French foreign ministry, Bernard Bolero, also condemned the violence.

"These people in the streets are just claiming more freedom, more democracy," he told the BBC. "The repression of the police forces is not acceptable."

Iranian security forces have been on alert since influential dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri died a week ago aged 87.

His funeral attracted tens of thousands of pro-reform supporters, many of whom shouted anti-government slogans.

BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, who is now based in London, says the opposition - denied the right to protest - chose the highly significant festival of Ashura when millions of Iranians traditionally take to the streets for ceremonies and parades.

Anger at last June's elections, won by incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sparked mass protests in Tehran and other cities that led to thousands of arrests and some deaths.

Mr Mousavi and other opposition leaders have said the poll was rigged.

Source

Riz Khan - Clock ticking on Development Goals - 24 Dec 2009

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Commentary

If we had stuck to the guidelines we made back in 2000, in 5 years there would be no poverty. What an astounding fact...
How shocking and how short a time to accomplish one of the greatest tasks the world has ever seen.

Yet we failed. It is my generations job to try again and force the political will back up to meet this challenge. People complain all the time about Climate change but global poverty is silent and more deadly in the long run because it strips our potential for a better world economically, morally, and politically.

Lets work to try and bring this problem to an end.