Abdullah Bukhari, the legend of Jama Masjid, is dead
By IANS,
New Delhi : Syed Abdullah Bukhari, the grand old Shahi Imam of Delhi's historic Jama Masjid and for long one of India's most outspoken Muslim leaders, died here Wednesday after a long illness. He was 87.
The elderly Bukhari, who anointed his son Syed Ahmed Bukhari as the Shahi Imam in 2000 but continued to retain the title, breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he had been admitted since June 9 following breathing problems.
"He passed away early in the morning," mosque spokesperson Amanullah Khan told IANS.
Lessons from the Haj tragedy
By Dr Kouser Fathima,
The Haj pilgrimage is the dream of all Muslims, but sadly this year the pilgrimage is marred by accidents resulting in...
Use of Azeri radar does not remove Iran threat: US
By RIA Novosti
Tokyo : The joint use of a radar in Azerbaijan, proposed by Russia to Washington, would not remove the threat of a missile attack from Iran, the US missile defence chief said Friday.
Mahasweta was keen to be cremated at Gujarat tribal village: Activist Ganesh Devy
By Sahana Ghosh
Kolkata : An indefatigable crusader for tribal rights, eminent litterateur Mahasweta Devi was keen to be laid to rest at Tejgadh,...
Indian, Pakistani armies to meet over LoC clashes
By IANS,
Jammu: The Indian and Pakistani armies will have a "flag meeting" Monday, after Pakistani troops opened fresh fire at Indian border posts in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said Sunday.
Massive military offensive launched in Assam against militants
By IANS
Guwahati : The Assam government Monday launched a massive anti-insurgency offensive after separatists killed 36 people in the past week, most of them Hindi-speaking people, while the panic stricken migrant workers have started fleeing the state fearing more terror attacks.
"The operation involving the army, police, and the paramilitary, has already begun and is aimed at flushing out militants holed up in bases in the eastern Karbi Anglong district," a senior police official told IANS.
Blind, pregnant mother of nine gets divorce notice
By IANS
Agra : For 17 years, Agra resident Afroz, who is blind, says she tolerated it all from her husband: insults, physical and mental exploitation and deprivation even as she bore him nine children and became pregnant with the tenth.
I was administered wrong drugs: Taslima Nasreen
By Sujoy Dhar, IANS
Kolkata : Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi for "suspected drug effect" Jan 26, said Wednesday that she had been administered wrong medicines by government deputed doctors leading to the hospitalisation.
In her first telephonic interview from her undisclosed address after she was discharged from the hospital Wednesday, the writer said: "I was living under stress and that caused hypertension."
‘Support the innocent’ – campaign to bring back the dignity of falsely implicated terror...
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
A small group of journalists have come together for a campaign which is to bring back the dignity and livelihood of...
Kashmiris stopped at LoC by Pakistan police
Muzaffarabad(IANS) : Pakistani authorities have prevented Kashmiri activists from staging a demonstration in support of free trade and movement of people by road between the Indian and Pakistani Kashmir.
The activists in the Pakistani part of Kashmir had planned to organise the protest at Chakothi, a town near the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Chakothi is on the Pakistani side.
They were clamouring for free movement of people and trade through the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road link.
Waiting for the promised
‘CHANGE’
By M. Burhanuddin Qasmi,
The Muslim world has no illusions that the new US president is going to be a ‘liberator’ for the dieing, war-prone people around the glob. People know it well, he does not have ‘Aladdin’s stick’ with him nor does he belong to an imaginary ‘superman’ category. But they rightly hope, he will be more fair and even-handed when it comes to the conflicts, and end the tension that started between Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Washington under the Bush brigade.
संदीप पाण्डेय को हटाया जाना, शिक्षण संस्थानों के भगवाकरण अभियान का हिस्सा
TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
बनारस हिन्दू विश्वविद्यालय ने मैग्सेसे पुरस्कार से सम्मानित डॉ. संदीप पांडे को नक्सली होने और नक्सली गतिविधियों को बढ़ावा देने के आरोप...
Kashmir village boy’s Bollywood dreams come true
By Ruchika Kher, IANS,
New Delhi : From a village in Jammu and Kashmir to the recording studio of Bollywood, 13-year-old singer Mehrajuddin Rassar has made a journey that few boys his age manage to do. The little prodigy is now dreaming of "making a career in music".
Mehrajuddin, who hails from Aru village in the Kashmir valley, was picked by director Piyush Jha to sing the song "Arzoo" in "Sikandar".
Egypt, Iran seek ties normalization with common stance against war threat
By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian and Iranian top diplomats are engaging in talks to boost bilateral ties amid increasing tension over the disputed Iranian nuclear program.
The two nations are expected to resume dialogue to build up an alliance against a potential military action on Iran, which would threaten the whole regional security, experts said.
Efforts To Normalize Diplomatic
Uttar Pradesh alerted about possible attack on foreigners
By IANS,
Lucknow: Central intelligence agencies have advised the Uttar Pradesh government to watch out against possible terrorist attacks on foreigners in the state, state home ministry officials said Monday.
According to sources in the home ministry, the advisories - understood to be received from the Intelligence Bureau as well as the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) - followed high level meetings in New Delhi over the past two days in which the movements of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley were taken into account.
Delhi Police seek more time to probe Bhatkal case
New Delhi : Delhi Police Thursday sought from a court here 15 more days to complete probe against Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal...
Resilient Afghans come out in large number despite Taliban threats
By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Kabul: Afghanistan created history on Saturday by turning out in large number to vote for the first transition of power since Hamid Karzai took over after NATO intervention in 2001, braving the incessant rain and threats issued by Taliban.
Transfer of officials knee-jerk reaction: AIADMK
Chennai : Tamil Nadu's ruling party AIADMK has lodged a protest against the large scale transfer of officials ordered by the Election Commission and...
Probe launched as man charged with fraud selected for national award
Ahmedabad : The Gujarat government on Tuesday launched an inquiry into allegations that a person chargesheeted two years ago for committing a fraud of...
Railway Minister visits Ajmer Dargah, promises to rename station
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Fatah strongman denies “seeking Hamas love”
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Mohammed Dahlan, a senior member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party on Sunday denied reports that he signaled willingness to talk with rival Hamas movement.
The Fatah strongman told media that he is committed to the decisions by Abbas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which vowed not to open any dialogue with Hamas until it ends its control of the Gaza Strip.
Two jail wardens sacked for rape
By IANS,
Ranchi: Two jail wardens were sacked and one was suspended after they were arrested for allegedly raping two women and killing one of them at the house of the jail superintendent of Dumka district, an official said Saturday.
"Two wardens appointed on contract have been sacked and another warden has been suspended," D.K. Pradhan, jail superintendent of Dumka central jail, told reporters.
The services of a barber working in the jail on contract basis have also been terminated for the alleged rape.
Four IM suspected operatives sent to police custody in Patna
Patna: A court here Friday sent, to six days' police custody, four Indian Mujahideen suspected operatives arrested by the NIA from Ranchi in connection...
त्रिपुरा में मुसलमानों के खिलाफ लगातार हिंसा के बाद सवालों के घेरे में सरकार
न्यूज डेस्क। two circles.net
बंगलादेश में दुर्गा पूजा के दौरान हुई संप्रदायिक घटना के विरोध के बहाने त्रिपुरा राज्य में हिंदूवादी संगठनों द्वारा मुस्लिम...
In UP polls, those with criminal cases won more votes: Report
New Delhi, (IANS): The winning candidates with criminal and serious criminal cases pending against them polled a higher vote share (44 per cent) compared...
Kerala looking into reports of Taliban style courts
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala is looking into the veracity of media reports suggesting that Taliban style courts are functioning in the state, Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the state assembly Tuesday.
He said this in response to a submission raised by Congress legislator Aryadan Mohammed.
Mohammed said the first such report of a Taliban style court appeared in Veekshenam daily this month and was followed by a series of reports in Mathrubhoomi daily.
The gatekeeper of Ghalib’s grave
By Amit Basole
ہوئے مر کے ہم جو رسوا ہوئے کیوں نہ غرقِ دریا
نہ کبھی جنازہ اٹھتا نہ کہیں مزار ہوتا
hue marke ham jo rusva hue kyun na gark-e-darya
Hindutvawadis in American politics
By Ayub Khan
The appointment of Sonal Shah to Barack Obama's transition team has rightly garnered the headlines. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Activists, writers, scholars, and others bearing right wing Hindu extremist ideology have been gradually carving themselves a niche in the American politics, academia, and intelligentsia.
‘Second wife’s rights must be protected, but Fiza case different’
By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Commission for Women (NCW) Friday sought amendments in the criminal law by which the second wife's rights are protected. It, however, pointed out that the case of former Haryana deputy chief minister Chander Mohan's second wife Fiza was different.
Civil Services: More Muslims should come out to compete, says IRS Faraz Qureshi
A Year-long Series on Education, Sponsored by The Aligarh Forum : - A Mirror on our Efforts, our Successes & our Shortcomings ; Stories...
Delhi celebrates Eid with feasting and fervour
By IANS,
New Delhi : It was a day of prayers, feasting and togetherness Monday as Muslims in the national capital celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
Akbaruddin Owaisi and other MIM leaders booked in Yafai murder case
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net
Indian American jailed for 21 years for armed bank robbery
By IANS,
Washington: An Indian American has been sentenced to 255 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for an armed bank robbery and shooting a bank teller in the hand with a shotgun in 2008.
The alleged robber, Anirudh Lakhan Sukhu, 43, of Silver Spring was sentenced Friday by US District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. Baltimore, Maryland, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
UNESCO to step in for promoting Kashmir art, literature: Governor
By News Agency Of Kashmir
Jammu : The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is stepping in to assist Institute of Kashmir Studies towards the development and promotion of art, culture, literature and philosophy of Kashmir.
Poet Mohammad Sahid Chowdhury felicitated at Imphal
By Dr Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net,
Imphal: All Manipur Muslim (Meitei-Pangal) Welfare Association (AMPWA) has felicitated Mohammad Sahid Chowdhury, the renowned Manipuri Muslim poet from Barak valley of Assam.
He was felicitated at a function held at Hafiz Hatta here on May 11, 2015.
Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu writes to Delhi CM on naming fish market after Ashfaqullah Khan
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
फ़तेहपुर बवाल में मदरसे में आग के बाद अल्पसंख्यकों का पलायन !
आसमोहम्मद कैफ।Twocircles.net
फ़तेहपुर-
बिंदकी कोतवाली क्षेत्र के बेहटा गांव में कथित तौर पर गोमांस की शिकायत मिलने के बाद हुए बवाल के बाद अब अल्पसंख्यको के...
Dialogue between Islam & oriental religions must for peace in South Asia
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: To ensure peaceful life in South Asia it is necessary that dialogues are initiated between Islam and oriental religions. For India to emerge strong global power, such dialogues are must, said scholars and leaders of different religions today in New Delhi while informing the media about the “International Dialogue Between Islam & Oriental Religions” going to be held here on February 20-21.
शरजील उस्मानी पर यूपी में एक और मुक़दमा दर्ज
आकिल हुसैन। Twocircles.net
अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम विश्वविद्यालय के पूर्व छात्र शरजील उस्मानी के खिलाफ उत्तर प्रदेश में एक और मामला दर्ज किया गया हैं। शरजील उस्मानी...
Cancelling PM’s rallies sent negative message: Shatrughan Sinha
Patna: Bollywood actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday said the last-minute cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies for ongoing campaigning in Bihar assembly polls...
Rice: U.S. concerned about Turkey’s military action in Iraq
By Xinhua
Baghdad : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday that Washington is concerned about Turkey's activities that would cause destabilization in northern Iraq after Turkey launched two offensives against rebel troops this week.
Rice, who arrived in Iraq Tuesday on a surprise visit, told a press conference that the U.S., Turkey and Iraq "share common interest of stopping the activity of PKK "which threatens stability in northern Iraqi and resulted in deaths in Turkey.
Holi – a shared colourful heritage of Hindus, Muslims
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS,
Though I never see people as Hindus and Muslims, yet I would like to share that Tilak Raj Rustagi, a Hindu friend and colleague of mine, has since 1983 been coming to my place on Holi to smear the red gulal on my forehead as a mark of the festival's inter-faith harmonious spirit.
Once a relative of mine, on seeing the colour smeared on my forehead, remarked, "It is irreligious to play Holi." I told him that such things only reiterate my faith in my religion, as friendly acts like putting gulal or lighting a candle on Diwali cannot take away my religion.
BJP lifts now ANHAD’s photo for its “Kashmir Bachao Divas” ad
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: BJP did it again. Guess what? It is another instance of blatant misuse of photo of a secular organization by the party for the propagation of its communal ideology. This time, it used ANHAD’s photo without its permission in its “Kashmir Bachao Divas” ad.
The BJP lifted illegally a photograph of an ANHAD demonstration on Kashmir issue,held on July 8, 2010 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, and misused it in its advertisement on “Kashmir Bachao Divas” in the Indian Express on August 20, 2010 and Navbharat Times on August 21, 2010.
बिहार में जद(यू) व राजद के सहारे भाजपा
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
पटना: यह भाजपा का ओवर कांफिडेंस है या पार्टी बुरी तरह से डरी हुई है. जिस रफ़्तार से दूसरी पार्टियों के...
Connaught Place shootout: Hearing begins on cops’ pleas
By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday began hearing appeals of the 10 police officials who have challenged the life terms awarded to them after they were convicted for shooting down two innocent businessmen in the Connaught Place here ten years ago.
Appearing before a division bench of Justices B.N. Chaturvedi and G.S. Sistani, senior counsel Dinesh Chand Mathur argued for the then assistant commissioner of police (ACP) S.S. Rathi that the shootout was a case of mistaken identity and not conspiracy.
Terror outfits recruiting via foreign NGOs, says Russia
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : International terrorist groups are recruiting activists in Russian regions with the support of some foreign non-governmental organizations, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday.
"International terrorists and religious extremists enjoy the support of certain foreign non-governmental organizations when carrying out recruitment activities," FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev told the National Anti-Terrorism Committee.
Bihar native bags Rs 1 crore worth of scholarships to study in US
By Afroz Alam Sahil, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: Shireen Rahmani, a student of Grade XI, Al Majid International School, Dammam, KSA, recently attended the prestigious...
Two brothers abducted by Maoists in Bihar
By IANS,
Patna : Maoist guerrillas abducted two brothers from a village in Bihar Wednesday night, police said Friday.
Rajesh and Sunil Yadav, both in their late 20s, were abducted at gun point by a group of armed Communist Party of India (Maoist) activists from their house in Sevai village under Barachatti police station in Gaya district, about 125 km from here.
Some villagers told police officials in Gaya that two brothers were abducted on suspicion of belonging to a rival Maoist outfit.
Pakistan readies to arrest Nawaz, brother on arrival
By IANS
Islamabad : The Pakistani government is readying to arrest former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz when they return home from exile Monday and could even divert their aircraft to another city to prevent them from landing here.
"The government (is) still in the process of working out a plan to manage the crowd expected at Islamabad airport to greet them (Sharifs), which might get out of control on hearing the news of (their) arrest," Dawn reported Saturday, quoting sources.
Short story writer and Urdu scholar Naiyar Masud no more
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Naiyar Masud, the famous short story writer and Urdu scholar passed away today at the age of 81 years. A...
Kashmir activist slapped with law for jailing without trial
Srinagar : Authorities on Wednesday booked a prominent Kashmir human rights activist under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) that allows jailing a person...
UK to review troops role in Iraq next spring
By NNN-IRNA
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Wednesday refused to give any commitment about Britain's future military deployment in Iraq, saying the situation will be reviewed again following the drawdown next spring.
"I am not going to set any artificial timetable for the withdrawal of remaining British troops following the planned reduction from 4,500 to 2,500 by April 2008, Brown said.
SDPI calls Patels’ stir for OBC status is preposterous
By TCN News,
Bhopal: The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), while condoling the loss of precious lives of more than half a dozen people...
कन्हैया पर हमला : मोदी सरकार की फासीवादी कारगुजारी!
TwoCircles.net News Desk
पटना : माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने दो दिनों पूर्व पटियाला हाउस कोर्ट के अंदर छात्रों, शिक्षकों और पत्रकारों की भाजपाई वकीलों के...
Woman’s womb was not slit during 2002 riots: Doctor
By IANS,
Ahmedabad: The horror tale of a pregnant woman having her womb slit open by attackers of the 2002 communal riots during the Naroda Patia massacre in Ahmedabad has been negated by a doctor who carried out the autopsy.
J.S. Kanoria during his cross-examination before special court judge Jyotsnaben Yagnik Wednesday said he had conducted the post-mortem examination on three bodies, including the pregnant woman, Kausarbanu Sheikh, and had found the foetus intact in her womb.
‘पाई पाई जोड़कर आगे की पढ़ाई जारी रखूंगी’
Saba Yaseen for TwoCircles.net
फ़ैज़ाबाद : 22 साल की आयशा की ख्वाहिश वकालत की पढ़ाई करके जज बनने की है, लेकिन देश में लॉ...
Curfew in south Kashmir to prevent separatist called march
Srinagar : Authorities on Monday imposed curfew in four south Kashmir districts to prevent a separatists called protest march.
Police said strict curfew will remain...
Hazrat Ali Academy holds seminar on education
By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net
Muzaffarpur: “Students should be motivated to get concrete results; they should not be let get depressed,” said Professor Shamshad Hussain, Ex-vice chancellor of Magadh University (Gaya) and Nalanda Open University (Patna).
He was addressing a daylong seminar organized by the city’s prominent Muslim educational institution Hazrat Ali Academy on 6th April 2008. The topic of the seminar was ‘Our Education in Present Era -- Its aim, problems and solutions.’
Two dead as mobs run amok in Sopore, Baramulla, Srinagar
By IANS,
Srinagar: Two persons were killed and more than three dozen protesters and security men injured in widespread violence in Srinagar and north Kashmir Baramulla districts Monday. The trouble erupted as thousands of protestors were prevented from reaching Sopore to attend the funeral of two men killed last week, police said.
One protester, identified as Tajamul Ahmad Bhat of Wadoora (Sopore) was killed and six other protesters were injured when an angry mob defied curfew in north Kashmir's Sopore town Monday morning.
Abbas due to demand halt of construction of settlements at meeting with Olmert
By KUNA
Gaza : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is due to hold a scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem later on Thursday during which he is expected to urge the Israeli side cease construction of settlements.
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) said in a statement that Abbas would urge Olmert to order cessation of all settlement constructions works in the Palestinian regions to jump-start a serious negotiating process, aspired to end up with a peace treaty by the year-end.
Abbas, Hamas leaders pray together in West Bank
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and three senior Hamas officials prayed together Friday noon in a mosque near Abbas' headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the first time since mid-June when Hamas defeat Abbas' Fatah and seized the Gaza Strip.
The official Palestinian Satellite Television showed footage of Abbas and three Hamas leaders - Nasser el-Dein Al-Sha'er, Sheikh Husein Abu Kweik and Sheikh Ahmed Abu Ruman - praying at the weekly Friday prayers.
Benazir returns within hours of emergency order
By DPA
Islamabad : Anticipating the imposition of emergency rule, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who had left the country for Dubai only 20 days after she had arrived in Karachi to end her eight-year exile on Oct 18, returned within a few hours after the issuance of the presidential order.
Moussa to address EU parliament’s meeting in Lisbon
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa will head to Lisbon, Portugal, Sunday to take part in the EU parliament's foreign relations and cooperation committee meeting.
The League's official spokesman Alaa Rushdi told the press that Moussa's address to the conference would focus on the situation in the Mideast and efforts to revive the peace process. The address would also touch upon European-Arab relations.
“Politics of hatred will cause threat to peace and integrity of the country,” Kuldip...
Convention also demands restoration of minority institution status for AMU
By TCN News,
Aligarh: “Religion should not be mixed with nationalism as these concepts together ought not to do any service to the humanity,” said noted scholar and intellectual Kuldip Nayar.
Nayar was addressing a national convention on ‘Restoration of Minority Status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU): Problems and Prospects’ organized by Sir Syed Minority Foundation of India here.
Terrorists in Kashmir were like Special Forces: Army
Srinagar: The Indian Army Sunday said the terrorists who killed eight soldiers and three policemen in the Kashmir Valley Friday were trained like Special...
Maulana Azad Urdu Univ offers Masters in journalism, business administration
By RINA,
New Delhi: Whereas Maulana Azad National Urdu University’s School of Mass Communication and Journalism (SMCJ) is offering two-year M.A. in mass communication and journalism (MCJ) through Urdu medium, its School of Management and Commerce has come up with MBA program.
Israel willing to return Golan Heights for peace: report
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert secretly told Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel would give up the Golan Heights in return for peace with Damascus, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.
क्या नाम है!…अशफ़ाक़…पांच गोलिया चलीं और बेवा हो गई 11 दिन की दुल्हन
इसरार अहमद, twocircles.net
दिल्ली। क़रीब 50 लोगों की मौत के बाद पूर्वी दिल्ली के इलाक़ों में हिंसा थम गई है। इन तीन दिनों में कई...
AMU students awarded Uttar Pradesh govt. scholarship
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Aligarh: More than two thousand six hundred students of Aligarh Muslim University have been awarded scholarship by the Uttar Pradesh government for the session 2007-2008.
Professor Tabassum Shahab, Nodal Officer, Minority Students' Affairs at AMU said the complete list is available on www.scholarships.up.nic.in. The amount of scholarship is mentioned against their names and has been credited in their bank account.
And they go unheard: Official discrimination disappoint disables in J&K
By Reyaz Ahmed, NAK,
Baramulla : Hundreds of handicapped persons, who had come from far off villages of the district to give vent to their grievances in an interaction program organized by District Handicapped Association Baramulla (DHAB), were disappointed as no one was there to give an ear to their plight at Dakbanglow Baramulla
Being very part of our society, these handicapped persons comprising of all age groups are deprived of many civil rights and the government has been apathetic towards their demands for many years.
Quota hike for Muslims not on basis of religion: Telangana CM
Hyderabad, (IANS): Telangan Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao Monday clarified that the proposal to hike quota for Muslims is not based on religion but...
15 kg of heroin recovered in Punjab
By IANS,
Amritsar : The special narcotics cell of the Punjab Police Sunday arrested two men and recovered 15 kg of heroin from them.
The drug haul, valued at over Rs.150 million in the international market, was made following a tip-off, Senior Superintendent of Police P.K. Sinha said. The consignment was seized near a bus stand here.
The two arrested, Harpal Singh and Harjit Singh, are known drug smugglers of Punjab's border districts of Ferozepur and Tarn Taran.
Dissent essential in open society: Hamid Ansari
By IANS:
New Delhi, July 17:Dissent is of critical importance in an open society and its suppression could metamorphose it into an illiberal and ethnic...
SDPI to hold first national delegates meeting in Delhi on Oct 18
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
Patna: Newly formed Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is going to hold its first national delegates meeting at FICCI Auditorium in New Delhi on 18th October.
SDPI was launched in July 2009 in New Delhi. Just in three months it has set up its units in 16 states with about 1.5 lakh party cadres. The states where SDPI units have been formed include Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Manipur, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Puducherry, Bihar, Goa and Haryana.
Zakia satisfied with key Gujarat cops’ removal from SIT
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: The widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court order to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to keep two senior Gujarat police officers away from investigations into the 2002 communal riot cases during which her husband was killed.
Zakia Jaffri said she was opposed to the inclusion of the Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officers Geetha Johri and Shivanand Jha in the SIT because their approach to investigations of the communal riots cases was "blatantly partisan."
Murder of popular Muslim cleric sparks clashes in Bengal
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Poland to withdraw troops from Iraq in 2008
By DPA
Warsaw : Poland will withdraw all its troops from Iraq by 2008, new Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in his first address to the Polish parliament Friday.
"We will conduct this operation keeping in mind that our commitment to our ally, the US, has been lived up to and exceeded," he said.
"The specific logistics and date will come from consultations with our allies, including our main ally, the US. But 2008 is the last year of the polish military mission in Iraq," he added.
Muslim student from JNU goes missing after being beaten up by ABVP cadre, case...
By Amit Kumar, TwoCircles.net
A student of Jawaharlal University, Najeeb Ahmad has reportedly gone missing since Saturday following a brawl with ABVP cadres in the...
मैं यूपी छोड़ रहा हूँ,मेरी गाड़ी भी पलट सकती थी -ज़ाकिर अली त्यागी
एक्टिविस्ट ज़ाकिर अली त्यागी को इस बार गौकशी में जेल भेज दिया था,अब वो रिहा हो गए है ! पढ़िए उन्होंने क्या लिखा है!
ज़ाकिर...
India should accept five conditions on Kashmir: Geelani
New Delhi: Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Geelani on Monday said India should accept five conditions set by his group, including withdrawal of...
Fatah denies pressuring Abbas over attending Nov. conference
By Xinhua
Gaza : A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement denied on Saturday Israeli reports that the movement built pressure on Abbas regarding his participation in a U.S.-sponsored peace conference.
"We did not put any pressure on President Abbas or asked him to put conditions on his participation in the conference," spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman told Voice of Palestine radio.
"The Israeli press reports are meant to foil the conference in order to blame the Palestinians of the failure," Abdel Rahman added.
Expectations of Muslims from Mamata’s first West Bengal budget
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Third wave of floods hit Assam, three lakh affected
Guwahati, (IANS): A third wave of floods hit Assam on Friday, inundating over 700 villages in 15 districts and affecting over three lakh people.
The Assam...
Two arrested for bid to kidnap US firm CEO in Noida
By IANS,
Noida : Two people were arrested Monday for attacking and attempting to abduct the CEO of a US-headquartered software firm here last week. The police said one of them wanted to raise funds to contest Lok Sabha elections.
The Sector 24 police arrested Saurabh Yadav, 25, and Ashok Sharma, 24, from Noida.
"Saurabh Yadav is the son of Balbir Singh Yadav, a sub-inspector with the Sales Tax department in Ghaziabad," Noida Superintendent of Police (city) Ashok Tripathi said.
Three troopers wounded in Kashmir explosion
By IANS
Srinagar : Three troopers of Border Security Force (BSF) were wounded in a landmine explosion in north Kashmir Thursday.
Delhi court rejects Jamiat’s petition for certified copy of Aseemanand’s confession
By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Lakhvi’s release challenged in Pakistan Supreme Court
Islamabad : The Punjab government on Tuesday challenged in the Supreme Court the Lahore High Court's order releasing Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind...
Waqf Enquiry Commission: tenure extended
By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: The tenure of the Waqf Enquiry Commission has again been extended for the fourth time. The Commission was constituted in 2007 to look into the irregularities in the Kerala State Waqf Board on a four-month tenure. The tenure has now been extended till October 31.
Mecca Masjid blast case was toughest, says retiring CBI director
By IANS,
New Delhi : A day before his retirement, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Vijay Shankar Wednesday said the Mecca Masjid blasts case was the toughest during his two-year-nine-month-long stint as head of the agency.
“It was one of the toughest cases because it was handed over to us very late,” Shankar said in an informal chat here with reporters.
He also described the Malegaon blasts and the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder cases as challenging.
A year of intimidations of minorities and their defenders
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat,
The BJP government led by Narendra Modi at the Centre has completed one year and rightly it is time to evaluate...
Cellular firm has no idea about Pashmina, stop ad, says Kashmir
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Monday asked the central government to stop an advertisement by a popular cellular company that shows a Pashmina shawl...
Dissolution of UP Special Task Force demanded
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Muslims in Uttar Pradesh are feeling insecure as all types of state cruelty is being perpetrated against them on the pretext of terrorism, said Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NMC).
Speaking in a meeting of NMC held at Sahkarita Bhawan in the city, he said Muslims are being subjected to immense coercion and pressure in the name of terrorism.
Declaration of emergency in Pakistan likely tomorrow: Geo TV
ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting presided over by President General Pervez Musharraf decided Wednesday to declare emergency in the country for one month that could be extended for three months, the well placed sources told Geo News.
The meeting reviewed current political situation and various options regarding changes in the political set up came under discussion.
Pakistan Muslim League (QA) president Chaudhry Shujaat also reportedly said while talking to women parliamentarians of party during a reception which was hosted by him at his residence that emergency is likely to be declared.
Seminar on long-term loan, its implications for Zakat
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Azamgarh: A three-day Fiqh seminar to discuss long term loan and its implications for Zakat began on 27th February at Jamia Ashrafiyyah in Mubarakpur, Azamgarh (U.P.).
Report: Islamic banking seminar in Kochi
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Kochi: The veteran economist and member of Kerala State Planning Board Dr K Rama Chandran has said that the absence of ethical values in economic dealings and problems inherent in market economy are the basic reasons behind the current economic crisis. The eradication of interest from economic system and injecting ethics to economics are the only way to solve the crisis. He said when delivering key note address in the seminar conducted by Jamaat-e- Islami Hind, Kerala on “ Global Economic Crisis and Islamic Banking”.
Serious questions on Gajendra’s suicide
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Jaipur: A delegation of Welfare Party of India- Rajasthan led by the State President Er. Rashid Hussain visited Nagla Jhamar Wada, village of Gajendra Singh who killed himself in the AAP farmers rally on April 22nd in New Delhi.
Late Dr. Omar Khalidi and others to be honored at Brandeis University
TCN News
Boston Study group(BSG) will be honoring Late Dr. Omar Khalidi, Dr. Shobha Singh, Dr. Laxmi Berwa and Thenmozhi Soundararajan for their pioneering work in...
क्या हमने साम्प्रदायिक तनाव की ये ख़बरें देखीं, पढ़ीं और जानी हैं?
नासिरूद्दीन हैदर खान
क्या हमें पता है कि पिछले हफ़्ते तीन दिनों में कई जगहों पर हिन्दू और मुसलमान आमने-सामने आए हैं? दोनों समुदायों के...
Kerala receives threat of multiple bomb blasts
By IANS,
Kannur (Kerala) : The cyber police cell in Kerala has traced an e-mail threat from the United Arab Emirates, warning of widespread bomb blasts in the state, if a separate Muslim state, comprising districts of north Kerala, is not created.
Speaking to IANS, inspector general of police Tomin J. Thachenkery said Friday that the e-mail was received Thursday at a few media offices.
Awadh culture on display at Lucknow literary festival
By Syed Hasan Zia Rizvi, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The first ever Lucknow Literature Festival, held on March 23-24, became an occasion to showcase the culture of Awadh.
Never imagined I would hit a Test century: Pathan
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
Bangalore, Dec 9 (IANS) Irfan Pathan, after scoring his maiden century in the third Test against Pakistan here Sunday, said he had never imagined he would score a Test hundred.
"Ever since I have comeback into the India team, whether it is the Twenty20 or one-day internationals, I have been bowling and batting pretty well. But when it came to Test cricket, I never thought I would score a hundred," Pathan told reporters after scoring 102 on the second day of the match.
Class 12 students held for chain snatching
By IANS,
New Delhi: Two Class 12 students have been arrested in the national capital for various cases of chain snatching, police said Monday.
Dipankar Das, 21, and Kapil Chauhan, 19, - both residents of west Delhi - were held from the PVR Priya complex in Vasant Vihar when they were trying to sell of a stolen mobile phone and laptop.
Nitish Kumar as JD-U chief set to expand ‘Janata Parivar’
New Delhi : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Sunday unanimously elected president of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) at the party's national executive...
11 years on, justice eludes Muslim victims of Beemapalli police firing
By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net
11 years ago, police action in Beemapalli in Kerala led to the killing of six people – all Muslims. Najiyo O...
Drugs worth Rs.480 mn seized in Mumbai
By IANS,
Mumbai : In one of the biggest drug hauls in Maharashtra, the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Saturday seized a narcotics consignment worth nearly Rs.480 million meant for export to Mexico.
Acting on a tip-off, DRI sleuths raided the Air Cargo Complex at Mumbai International Airport and found 441 kg of Amphetamine tablets.
Investigations and a follow-up raid yielded another 382.5 kg of the same contraband.
The exporters had attempted to mislead the authorities by declaring these stimulants as lead acetate, which is also white in colour.
Rahul’s team member Nadeem Javed strong contender in Jaunpur
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Kerala Govt’s silence over Togadia’s hate speech mysterious: Social activists
Saffroning Kerala: Part 10
By Abdul Basith MA, TwoCircles.net,
Direct flight from Indore to Jeddah for Haj pilgrims
By IANS
Bhopal : Haj pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh will have a direct flight from Indore to Jeddah from the next Haj season, it was announced Saturday.
The decision to connect the city with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia was taken at the All India Haj Conference organised by the Haj Committee of India at New Delhi recently, an official said.
Madhya Pradesh Haj Committee Secretary Nusrat Mehandi, who attended the meeting, said Haj pilgrims from the state would get to fly from Indore via Mumbai.
Six NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Kabul : Six NATO soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack in southern Afghanistan Sunday, reports Xinhua.
SIO’s historic win in student union poll at Kolkata’s Maulana Azad College
By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net,
General alert in Goa after Al Qaeda message
Panaji: Goa has been put on alert after Al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahri said in a video message that the terror outfit would...
जीत का जश्न मीठा होना चाहिए, कड़वा नहीं!
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल,
बिहार विधानसभा चुनाव ख़त्म हो चुका है. कल चुनाव के नतीजे भी आ जाएंगे. हालांकि इसको लेकर सबके अपने-अपने क़यास हैं, अपने-अपने...
Asaduddin Owaisi takes charge as MIM president
By Mohammad Siddique, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad : A week after the death of Salahuddin Owais, his elder son Asaduddin Owais, a London trained Barrister today formally took charge as the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a Muslim political party.
Another JNU student joins police investigation
New Delhi : Ashutosh Kumar, a student facing sedition charges for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, joined the...
Saran tension on wane, Bihar minister says not aware of violence
Patna : Bihar Education Minister Ashok Choudhary shocked a delegation of a citizen forum for communal harmony and peace on Tuesday by saying he...
Remembering Hindi litterateur Prof KP Singh
By Dr Mohammad Sajjad,
It is quite befitting for a reputed and historic university to commemorate its distinguished and accomplished academics: people who combined...
Azamgarh celebrates National Education Day on Maulana Azad’s birthday
By Salman Sultan, TwoCircles.net Special Correspondent,
Azamgarh: The district centre of National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) at Department of Computer Science, Shibli National College, Association for Welfare, Medical, Educational and Legal Assistance (AWMELA) and Darul Mussanefein, Shibli Academy, organized a program on 11th November 2009 in the Hall of Shibli Academy, Azamgarh, as a National Education Day celebration to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Union Education Minister of India.
Naqvi launches websites for Ministry of Minority Affairs
New Delhi : Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday launched a new Hindi website and released an updated version...
JMI and its minority character inseparable: Akhtarul Wasey
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has been a minority institution since its establishment, and will remain so, said Prof Akhtarul Wasey of JMI.
Talking about the minority character of JMI, Prof Wasey, who is director of Dr. Zakir Husain Institute of Islamic Studies, said considering the objectives behind establishing this institution, no honest person can oppose according minority character to it. He, however, admitted that restoration of the minority character of JMI is a big challenge, not insurmountable.
US steps up hunt for varsity killers
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : As a four-agency task force stepped up its hunt for the killers of two Indian students at a US university with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it was still to zero in on the motive for the crime.
The two Ph.D. students, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, 31, of Hyderabad, and Kiran Kumar Allam, 33, of Kurnool, were found shot dead at the Louisiana State University (LSU) apartments at Baton Rouge Thursday night.
Uttar Pradesh gangster shot dead by police
By IANS,
Lucknow : A gangster wanted in nearly 36 criminal cases was gunned down by security personnel in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district but his aide managed to escape, police said Thursday.