Latest Offerings from the Religion of Peace
"He who fights that Islam should be superior fights in Allah's cause"

6/11/2008 (Mogadishu, Somalia) - The head of a humanitarian agency and his driver are shot to death by Muslim militia.

6/11/2008 (Bajaur, Pakistan) - A prostitute is murdered by religious fundamentalists.

6/10/2008 (Baidoa, Somalia) - A taxi driver and another civilian are shot to death by Islamists.

6/10/2008 (Mogadishu, Somalia) - A government official is murdered by Islamic gunmen.

6/10/2008 (Mogadishu, Somalia) - Islamic hardliners kill six Somalis in a savage ambush.

6/10/2008 (Narathiwat, Thailand) - Mujahideen shoot and kill two young men riding a motorcycle.

Al-Maliki aide: Iraqis mull leaving bilateral security talks

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq is contemplating pulling out of security talks with the United States and developing their own legislation that would dictate the shape of the American military presence in the country, an Iraqi official said Thursday.

Thanks to American blundering in Iraq, Iran now maintains a land crescent into northern Israel. And you can rest assured that they will use it...

Iraqis will elect a Shi'ite government and they will impose an Islamic state. The Suni's will fight them and America will be caught in the middle of a civil war. It will be like Vietnam all over again.

Under Islamic law and unified with Iran, Iraq will become what it was not - a clear and present danger to America. We will have set our actual enemy and the enemy of freedom on the throne. And we will have squandered American prestige and wasted thousands of American lives and billions of dollars in the process.

As in the case of Vietnam where we allowed Americans to die until we had achieved "peace with honor," so it will be in Iraq. The peace accords were of no value because the signatories did not share our values. The Communists ignored the document and imposed their will on the people. It was as if we had never been there.

A six-month truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas leaders will take effect Thursday and last for six months, Hamas officials said Tuesday. Israel stopped short of confirming a cease-fire with Defense Minister Ehud Barak saying. "When it starts, if it starts, it's hard to say how long it will last. The test will be how it's implemented."

Bukhari:V7B67N427 "The Prophet said, 'If I take an oath and later find something else better than that, then I do what is better and expiate my oath.'"

Qur'an 9:3 "Allah and His Messenger dissolve obligations."

Qur'an 66:2 "Allah has already sanctioned for you the dissolution of your vows."

Bukhari:V4B52N268 "Allah's Apostle said, 'War is deceit.'"

Honor killing in Canada: Father gets first-degree murder charge

Given the political and social climate today, Canadian authorities could easily have opted for a lesser charge, and mumbled about respecting the cultures of immigrants. Instead, to their credit, they have charged Muhammad Parvez with first-degree murder for killing his daughter after she refused to wear hijab.

May this be just the beginning of a general awakening to stealth jihad initiatives in the West, and a toughening of legal sanctions against Sharia norms and Islamic cultural practices that are at odds with our societies and laws.

Aqsa Parvez deserves no less.

The father of a Mississauga teen killed last year has been charged today with first-degree murder in connection with her death.

Muhammad Parvez, 57, appeared in a Brampton courtroom today where he was officially charged. The charge is an indication investigators believe the girl’s killing was pre-meditated.

Parvez was arrested in early December after his daughter Aqsa, 16, was found strangled in the family's Mississauga home.

Paramedics revived her, but she died later in hospital....

The death drew international attention after her friends said she had argued with her father over her desire to shun the hijab, a traditional Muslim scarf that covers the head and shoulders....

Israel, Hamas begin truce in Gaza

A truce between Israel and Palestinian militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza took effect Thursday after both sides spent the previous day trading blows.

6/18/2008 (Pattani, Thailand) - Two members of a security patrol die from shrapnel injuries following a roadside blast set off by Islamic radicals.

6/18/2008 (Khost, Afghanistan) - Four local cops are killed in a Taliban bombing.

6/17/2008 (Baghdad, Iraq) - Shiite radicals bomb an open-air market, slaughtering over sixty shoppers and vendors.

6/17/2008 (Mogadishu, Somalia) - Three civilians are killed when Islamic militia open fire on government troops.

6/17/2008 (al-Saba Abkar, Iraq) - A suicide bicycle bomber pedals to paradise, taking four Iraqis with him.

6/17/2008 (Narathiwat, Thailand) - A 45-year-old widow and mother of five is chased down and shot by Holy Warriors.

Children among dead in Afghan suicide blast

Story Highlights
- NEW: Suicide bomber jumps on to convoy from a roof in southern Afghanistan
- Coalition spokesman confirms two soldiers were killed
- Three children among the dead, according to local police chief
- Dozens die as battle rages for control of Taliban-held Afghan villages

- and that the only function of the peace treaty, or "hudna," is to give the Islamic armies time to regroup for a renewed offensive, and should, in theory, last no more than ten years.
Koranic verses 3:28 and 16:106, as well as Muhammad's famous assertion, "War is deceit," have all led to the formulation of a number of doctrines of dissimulation-the most notorious among them being the doctrine of "Taqiyya," which permits Muslims to lie and dissemble whenever they are under the authority of the infidel. Deception has such a prominent role that renowned Muslim scholar Ibn al-Arabi declares: "[I]n the Hadith, practicing deceit in war is well demonstrated. Indeed, its need is more stressed than [the need for] courage" (The Al Qaeda Reader, 142).

I spent nearly 3 years working in Iraq as a civilian for the US Army in the oil reconstruction effort. (Not KBR.) During that time I saw many examples, even in country, of people and companies who believed that if they closed their eyes and wished real hard they would not be at a war. I am sure this attitude contributed to extra deaths and injuries amoung civilian contractors. For the record - civilian contractor deaths and injuries are not included in the official casuality count.
Understanding the historical basis and religious mindset of our enemies is not bigotry nor is it condemning all who practice a religion. Unless we acknowledge reality, which includes the religious and historical basis for the current war we are engaged in, the end results will be unnecessary deaths and destruction.

Posted by: (Please withhold) | June 20, 2008 05:50 AM

Vatican

Pope meets with Iran-based Muslim group, method for dialogue agreed on

Vatican City, Apr 30, 2008 / 04:06 pm (CNA).- Following today's general audience, Benedict XVI received a group of Iranian Muslims who have been meeting biannually for the last 12 years with the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. The dialogue between the Vatican and the Muslim group resulted in an agreement on faith and reason, violence and religion and the method for dialogue.

The Vatican is being represented in the discussions by a delegation led by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, while the president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization of Tehran, Iran is leading their group. Representatives from both groups have been holding meetings in Rome to study the theme of: "Faith and Reason in Christianity and Islam".

During the course of the discussions, which came to a close on Wednesday, the two delegations agreed upon the following points:

1. "Faith and reason are both gifts of God to mankind."

2. "Faith and reason do not contradict each other, but faith might in some cases be above reason, but never against it."

3. "Faith and reason are intrinsically non-violent. Neither reason nor faith should be used for violence; unfortunately, both of them have been sometimes misused to perpetrate violence. In any case, these events cannot question either reason or faith."

4. "Both sides agreed to further co-operate in order to promote genuine religiosity, in particular spirituality, to encourage respect for symbols considered to be sacred and to promote moral values."

5. "Christians and Muslims should go beyond tolerance, accepting differences, while remaining aware of commonalties and thanking God for them. They are called to mutual respect, thereby condemning derision of religious beliefs."

6. "Generalization should be avoided when speaking of religions. Differences of confessions with Christianity and Islam, diversity of historical contexts are important factors to be considered."

7. "Religious traditions cannot be judged on the basis of a single verse or a passage present in their respective holy Books. A holistic vision as well as an adequate hermeneutical method is necessary for a fair understanding of them".

Speaking with the Iranian news agency IRNA after a meeting with Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Mostafavi said that the two had discussed other ways to improve dialogue between Catholics and Muslims.

One of the ideas under discussion included holding meetings dedicated to religious-themed theatre and cinema. Another proposal floated in the meeting was to facilitate exchanges between scientific institutes and universities linked to the Catholic Church and Shia research centers in Iran.

Female bomber kills 16 near government complex

Story Highlights
Attack took place on a street authorities had sealed off last week
Police officers, women, children among casualties, officials say
Authorities say women are increasingly offering themselves up for suicide missions
Officials: Al Qaeda preys on women who are illiterate, religious, in financial straits

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A female suicide bomber killed 16 people and wounded 40 Sunday when she detonated her explosives in a crowded area of central Baquba, police there said.

Police, women and children were among the casualties, according to the Diyala Military Operations command..

Bukhari: V5B59N377 "A man came to the Prophet and said, 'Can you tell me where I will go if I get martyred?' The Prophet replied, 'To Paradise.' The man fought till he was martyred."

Israel closes Gaza crossings

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel has closed crossings between Israel and Gaza except for Erez crossing on Gaza's northern border, a military source said Wednesday.

The closing of the crossings came a day after four rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel by Islamic Jihad. The militant group said its members fired the rockets as revenge for the killing of one of the group's military commanders in the West Bank.

The rocket fire violated the truce that went into effect last week between Israel and Hamas leaders in Gaza. Israel said that under the conditions of the truce, the Hamas leadership in Gaza is responsible for all militant attacks on Israel -- not just those carried out by Hamas militants.

The cease-fire does not apply in the West Bank.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, called Tuesday's attacks "a grave violation" of the truce agreement.

A Hamas spokesman said Tuesday the group remains committed to the cease-fire despite the attacks.

Hamas: We want truce, despite rocket attacks

Story Highlights
NEW: Hamas: We're still committed to cease-fire agreement with Israel
Palestinian militants in Gaza fire rockets and a mortar round into Israel
Incidents reported to be first violation of nearly week-long truce
Israeli troops also killed two militants in the West Bank on Tuesday

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Hamas leaders in Gaza are still committed to a cease-fire agreement with Israel despite numerous rocket and mortar strikes Tuesday, a Hamas spokesman said.

The Israeli military has not responded, but a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the attacks could jeopardize the fragile truce, which took effect Thursday.

"It is clear that these rocket attacks present a grave violation of the understandings achieved by Egypt to achieve calm in the south," Mark Regev said.

Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza said they fired three rockets into southern Israel on Tuesday, violating a truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas leadership.

Two Israelis received minor injuries when one of the rockets struck the southern Israeli town of Sderot, a frequent target of such militant strikes, Israeli ambulance services said. Another rocket struck the town, causing damage, and the third rocket landed in an open field, a police spokesman said.

An Islamic Jihad source said its militants fired the rockets in revenge for the Israeli killing of one of its commanders in the West Bank.

The rocket firings followed a mortar attack from Gaza into Israel earlier in the day that the Israeli military said marked the first reported violation of the truce.

No one was hurt, and the mortar shell did not cause any damage. There has been no reported Israeli response.

Israel said that under the conditions of the truce, the Hamas leadership in Gaza is responsible for all militant attacks on Israel, not just those carried out by Hamas militants.

Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli military said it killed a senior member of Islamic Jihad and another militant with him during a raid in Nablus, in the West Bank.

The senior militant, Tareq Jumaa Ahmed Abu Ghali, opened fire at the Israeli soldiers as they tried to arrest him, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The soldiers fired back, killing Abu Ghali and the other militant, the IDF said.

The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agreement is between Israel and Hamas leaders in Gaza and does not apply to the West Bank, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority under President Mahmoud Abbas. The truce is supposed to last six months.

The terms stipulate that Palestinian militants stop attacks on Israel. Israel, in turn, will halt raids inside Gaza and ease its economic blockade if the truce holds.

Israel has repeatedly said that the truce is a first step toward a broader cease-fire agreement that must include the release of an Israeli soldier who was taken hostage two years ago.

Ofer Dekel, Israel's point man for the negotiations to release Cpl. Gilad Shalit, is expected to arrive in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, an Israeli official said. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Tuesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh.

A day before his trip to the Egyptian resort city, Olmert held "security consultations" with Dekel and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on how to expedite Shalit's release.

Islamic-minded immigrants in Belgium recently raped a young woman for not wearing a veil. (Presumably, the police are investigating to determine how the victim was dressed).

Such a grotesque act disqualified Muhammad from his alleged calling. What's more, his personal perversity had a lasting legacy. Muslims follow his example. While most of what happens in the Islamic world escapes our purview, as Islam is hostile to all freedoms, including press and inquiry, we have gained glimpses in Afghanistan and Iraq. There, virginal young girls are frequently raped by Muslim men. And as you would expect in a culture influenced by Muhammad, the victims are shamed, not the perpetrators.

The "normal" prayer recited by a Muslim as he or she is terrorizing and murdering infidels is "Allahu Akbar." It means: "Allah is the Greatest," or "Allah is the Most Great." Muhammad called it the "Islamic Prayer of Fear," and he used to say it every time he terrorized, plundered, raped, enslaved, and or murdered innocent people.

"Allahu Akbar," like "Tawakkalt ala Allah," remains a dual confession. By repeating it, as most every Muslim murderer does before and during their terrorist acts, they are confessing to the crime. They, like the Muslim goons who hijacked the four passenger jets on 9/11, are telling us that they are good Muslims killing for Allah. They are telling us that they are following Muhammad's example

Iran: Our nukes are peaceful, but we'll nuke you if you resist

War Is Peace Alert: those nukes are not hard to make from our peaceful nuclear program if you give us trouble, says Larijani. "Iran issues warning over nuclear program," by Ali Akbar Dareini for Associated Press, June 25 (thanks to JCB):

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's parliament speaker warned the West on Wednesday that it may face "a done deal" if it provokes Iran, a stern hint that Tehran could build nuclear weapons if attacked.

The speaker, Ali Larijani, who was once Iran's top nuclear negotiator, also warned that a "short opportunity is left" for a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, which the U.S. and some of its allies fear is aimed at producing a bomb.

Iran has long denied it intends to build a nuclear weapon, saying its program is meant only to generate electricity. Larijani, one of Iran's most powerful politicians, did not directly warn that Iran could change its intentions, but his vague comment appeared aimed at raising that possibility.

Larijani pointed to recent comments by Mohamed ElBaradei, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, who said in an interview last week that a military strike on Iran could turn the Mideast into a "ball of fire" and "prompt Iran, even if it didn't produce a nuclear weapon today, to resort to an emergency plan to produce a nuclear weapon."

Larijani said the West should "take Mr. ElBaradei's warnings seriously."

"Don't provoke Iran otherwise you will face a done deal that will block the path of your return to a compromise with Iran," Larijani told an open session of the parliament broadcast live on state radio Wednesday.

The phrase he used in Farsi, "amal-e anjam shodeh," means literally "an accomplished act" or "fait accompli." [...]

A hard-line newspaper also hinted on Wednesday that Iran may weaponize its nuclear program if attacked.

"Even if Iran's nuclear facilities are totally destroyed — a possibility that is precisely zero — it will easily be revived within a short period of time, but with the difference that it may prompt a fundamental reconsideration in intentions," the daily Kayhan said in an editorial.

A top commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday warned that an attack on Iran would draw the U.S. into "a new tragedy."

"If you want to move towards Iran, make sure you will bring artificial legs and walking sticks because you will not have any legs to return on should you come," the television quoted Mohammad Hejazi, a top Guards figure, as saying.

Iran has spread its nuclear facilities throughout the country and has built key portions underground to protect from possible Israeli or American airstrikes....

Posted by Robert at 10:39 AM

updated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Pakistani militants set ski resort hotel on fire

Story Highlights
* Militants set fire to a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort Thursday
* Militants forced their way into the state-run hotel in the Swat Valley
* The resort is located near the Afghanistan border, 300km from Islamabad

SLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Militants set fire to a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort Thursday, as security in the Swat Valley continued to deteriorate despite a month-old peace deal.

Militants forced their way into the state-run hotel in the northwestern tourist valley early Thursday morning, ransacked it and set it on fire, said Sardar Rehim Shahzad, district coordinator for Swat police.

The hotel, the only one at the Malam Jabba ski resort, sustained significant damage, he told CNN.

The resort is located near the Afghanistan border and about 300km (186 miles) from the capital city of Islamabad. It was shut down last summer after militants overran the area, keeping tourists away, Shahzad said.

Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), was once Pakistan's biggest tourist destination. Aside from the ski resort, it was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and visitors to the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area.

In recent months, however, militants bent on imposing fundamentalist Islamic law, or Sharia, have unleashed a wave of violence across the NWFP which has claimed hundreds of lives, many of them security personnel.

The militants want women to wear veils, beards for men and to ban music and television.

After months of bloody battles, the government in May reached a peace deal with fighters loyal to the banned hardline Islamic group, Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM).

It is the latest attempt by Pakistan's new government -- headed by the party of the assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto -- to achieve peace through negotiations in the lawless tribal areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein.

Ahead of the peace pact, Pakistan's government released TNSM's former leader Sufi Mohammed, who had been jailed in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

He was freed after agreeing to cooperate with the government. Under the terms of his release, TNSM was also expected to lay down its arms and forgo violence.

But his son-in-law Fazlullah, who took over TNSM during his jail stint, vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region.

Iraq judge gunned down

Story Highlights
* Judge Kamal al-Showaili was driving home from work in the Jamila neighborhood
* No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, and motive is unknown
* Assassinations of professionals have been common in Iraq during the war

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Gunmen in Baghdad killed a senior city appeals judge on Thursday, an Interior Ministry official said.

The drive-by shooting occurred in eastern Baghdad. No one has claimed responsibility and investigators are looking into a motive for the attack.

The judge, Kamal al-Showaili, was driving home from work in the Jamila neighborhood at the time. At least two of his bodyguards were also wounded.

Al-Showaili headed the appeals court in Rasafa, in eastern Baghdad. The other city appeals court is in Karkh, in western Baghdad.

The assassinations of professionals have been common in Iraq during the war, with lawyers, judges, and professors the victims of violence.

For Iraqi Christians, money bought survival
By Andrew E. Kramer/ The New York Times

In many cases, Christian families drained their life savings and went into debt to make the payments. Insurgents also raised money by kidnapping priests. The ransoms, often paid by the congregations, typically ran as high as $150,000, several priests and lay Christians said.

June 29, 2008 -- Updated 1456 GMT (2256 HKT)

Malaysian opposition leader denies sodomy claim

Story Highlights
* People's Justice Party leader Anwar Ibrahim accused of sodomizing a male aide
* Former deputy prime minister was imprisoned on similar charges a decade ago
* Anwar says charges were fabricated to prevent him from exposing corrupt officials
* Allegations come after Anwar's party made tremendous gains in recent elections

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has denied accusations he sodomized a male aide in a politically explosive scandal, which he blamed on a government conspiracy to thwart his rising clout.

The accusations revived memories of a similar sex scandal a decade ago that led to his imprisonment and ouster as deputy prime minister.

Hours after the aide filed the complaint, Anwar, 60, took refuge at the Turkish Embassy, claiming his life was in danger. Anwar, 60, dismissed the accusation as "a complete fabrication."

The dramatic developments that began to unfold a little before midnight Saturday will further roil Malaysian politics, which have been in turmoil since March 8 elections handed the governing National Front coalition its worst-ever result.

A three-party opposition coalition led by Anwar made spectacular gains, winning an unprecedented 82 seats in the 222-member Parliament and the legislatures of five states. Anwar has threatened to engineer defections from the National Front -- which has ruled continuously since 1957 -- to bring down the government by September.

In a statement posted on his blog, Anwar said the political developments put his life in danger. "Certain agents" in the National Front "have initiated plots" to harm him, he said.

"I have been told that my assassination has not been ruled out as means to subvert the people's will and bring an end to the transformational changes taking place in Malaysia," Anwar said.

He added that he remained committed to work toward a "free and just Malaysia."

Several embassies offered to shelter him but Anwar chose the Turkish mission because of his close ties with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Badrul Hisham Shaharin, a senior member of Anwar's People's Justice Party.

It was not clear how long he would stay there, even though police say they do not intend to arrest him before investigations are complete.

More than 50 supporters gathered outside the embassy anticipating a visit by Anwar's family. Police blocked roads in the area in an apparent security precaution.

Anwar's wife, Azizah Ismail, described the sodomy accusation as an attempt at "political murder."

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi insisted the government was not responsible for the accusation, saying there was no conspiracy "to cause (Anwar) trouble or harass him or raise such issues to undermine him."

Asked about Anwar's denial, Abdullah said it "was common for an accused person" to claim he was innocent.

Anwar, a charismatic politician, was once part of the ruling establishment, rising to the post of deputy prime minister and finance minister in then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government in the 1990s.

But it all unraveled in 1998 when he was accused of sodomizing his driver and abusing his power to cover up the deed. Mahathir fired him from the government and had him jailed. Anwar was subsequently convicted on both charges but Malaysia's highest court overturned the sodomy conviction and freed him in 2004.

Anwar insists he was framed to prevent him from challenging Mahathir for power. After a decade in political oblivion, Anwar revived his career with this year's electoral success.

In his blog statement, Anwar said he recently obtained evidence that the national police chief, Musa Hassan, and the attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, fabricated evidence against him in 1998.

"These actions are being repeated today to undermine the forces of reform and renewal which were unleashed in the March 2008 elections," he said. In an earlier statement, he said the new accusation was engineered by "interested parties" to prevent him from exposing Musa and Abdul Gani.

Bakri Zinin, the federal police chief for criminal investigations, said the aide filed a complaint Saturday claiming Anwar had sodomized him in a condominium in an upscale Kuala Lumpur suburb.

"We want to establish the allegation first to see whether there is truth or not," Bakri told a news conference. "We will conduct a thorough investigation and be fair to both sides."

"These actions are being repeated today to undermine the forces of reform and renewal which were unleashed in the March 2008 elections," he said. In an earlier statement, he said the new accusation was engineered by "interested parties" to prevent him from exposing Musa and Abdul Gani.

Bakri Zinin, the federal police chief for criminal investigations, said the aide filed a complaint Saturday claiming Anwar had sodomized him in a condominium in an upscale Kuala Lumpur suburb.

"We want to establish the allegation first to see whether there is truth or not," Bakri told a news conference. "We will conduct a thorough investigation and be fair to both sides."

Sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by 20 years' imprisonment in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Anwar did not run in the March elections because his abuse of power conviction barred him from holding political office for five years. The ban ended in April, and Anwar has indicated he wants to re-enter Parliament through a by-election, which would make him eligible to become prime minister.

Babylon & Beyond
Quick Links: Current affairs. Egypt. Iran. Iraq. Israel. Marines in Iraq. Religion.

EGYPT: Coptic diaspora spreads the word

In the midst of continuing sectarian tensions between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Egypt, the Coptic diaspora has recently called for demonstrations in the U.S. and European cities.

Hundreds of Coptic migrants took to the streets in the Netherlands, France and the U.S., raising banners reading "Save Christians in Egypt," "Stop Islamic Terrorism" and "Help! Christians of Egypt are under attack."

The protests follow an eruption of violence between Muslims and Copts in several parts of Egypt. Last month a land dispute involving a Coptic monastery left one Muslim man killed in the southern province of Menya. Four Copts, including two monks, were injured. The clash arose after the monastery began building a wall around neighboring farming land, saying it belonged to the church. Days earlier in Cairo, four Copts were shot dead in a jewelry shop by two gunmen who fled without stealing anything.

Egypt is predominantly Sunni Muslim; the Coptic minority is believed to constitute almost 10% of a population of 78 million. An estimated 2 million Copts live in the diaspora.

Since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak came to power in 1981, the Coptic Church has sought to project an image of religious co-existence and has not turned to inflammatory discourse on sectarian violence. Yet the response to the recent bloodshed suggests that the church is about to change its style. This month the Coptic Holy Senate issued a relatively strongly worded statement calling on Mubarak to put an end to armed attacks against Copts and ensure their safety.

The church, which refrains from publicly criticizing the regime, has often distanced itself from the demands made by its followers overseas. This week violence broke out between Copts and Muslims over a rumor of the kidnapping of a Muslim woman and her son in Fayoum province, about 80 miles south of Cairo. One Muslim reportedly died of a heart attack and four Copts were injured in the clashes.

The tension comes at a crucial moment for the Coptic Orthodox Church as the frail Pope Shenouda III is away for medical treatment in the U.S.

— Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo

source

U.S. Army criticizes its Iraq 'failures'

The U.S. military underestimated the looting and chaos that followed the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and lacked the troops needed to restore order, an official Army history concludes. full story

Bulldozer attack 'could have been worse'

Israeli authorities are investigating why a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem rammed his bulldozer into several cars and buses, killing three people before Israeli police shot him dead. Israeli authorities say the man -- a construction worker -- was trying to kill as many people as possible. full story

Police seize 9 terror suspects in Indonesia

Story Highlights
* Nine terror suspects were arrested in western Indonesia
* Cache of powerful bombs packed with bullets also seized in the raid
* Group considering a bombing in Jakarta, local TV station reported

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- A Singaporean who met several times with Osama bin Laden was among nine terror suspects arrested in western Indonesia, a local television station reported.

A cache of powerful bombs packed with bullets was also seized in the raid Wednesday.

The men initially planned to attack Western tourists on Sumatra Island, but changed their minds after realizing too many Indonesian lives could be lost, TVOne quoted anti-terror police as saying. They reportedly were considering a bombing in the capital, Jakarta, instead.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has been hit in recent years by a string of suicide bombings that have killed more than 240 people. The regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah has been blamed in those attacks.

Read on

Sharia law 'could have UK role'

Principles of sharia law could play a role in some parts of the legal system, the Lord Chief Justice has said.

But there is no possibility of sharia courts sitting in the UK, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers added.

Lord Phillips, the most senior judge in England and Wales, said there was no reason sharia law's principles could not be used in mediation.

The Archbishop of Canterbury prompted controversy when he said use of certain aspects of the law "seems unavoidable".

Sharia is a set of principles which govern the way many Muslims believe one should live one's life.

In a speech at the East London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel, Lord Phillips said that sharia suffered from "widespread misunderstanding".

Gunmen kill U.N. official, wound another in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- A senior U.N. official in Somalia was gunned down Sunday night as he exited a mosque after evening prayers, according to a journalist on the scene.

Osman Ali Ahmed, head of the U.N. development program in the war-torn capital of Mogadishu, was shot at about 7:50 p.m. and died from his wounds at an African Union-run hospital near Mogadishu airport, said the Shabelle Media Network journalist, whose name was withheld for security reasons.

Ahmed apparently was the target of the attack, an official with the U.N. program said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation.

The journalist said he spoke with Ahmed's mother-in-law, who lived with him in a house five blocks from the mosque. She confirmed that Ahmed had been ambushed by gunmen outside the mosque and shot twice in the head.

Read on