Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks to get Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close?
August 23rd, 2010
Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks are being eyed for starring roles in the feature version of post-9/11 drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with Scott Rudin producing for Warner Bros. and Paramount.
Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks to get Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close?
According to Variety, Warner Bros. indicated it has sent out offers to Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks but no formal negotiations have been reached.
Set in 2003, based on the Jonathan Safran Foer novel, the story centers on a 9-year-old boy who finds a key in a vase that belongs to his father -- who perished in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- and searches to find the lock that goes with it. It was one of the first American novels to incorporate the Sept. 11 events into the plot.
Scott Rudin has been developing the project since 2005, when Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was published. Eric Roth has adapted the novel and Stephen Daldry is attached to direct.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close comes to theaters in 2012 and stars Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock. The film is directed by Stephen Daldry.
Monday, August 23, 2010
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Cast And Crew
Cast:Karin Viard,Dany Boon,
Marina Foïs,Patrick Bruel,
Emmanuelle Seigner,Christopher Thompson,
Marina Hands,Patrick Chesnais,Blanca Li,
Laurent Stocker,Pierre Arditi,
Director: Danièle Thompson
Writers: Christopher Thompson (writer)
Danièle Thompson (writer)
Studio:IFC Films
Genre:Comedy, Drama
Official Site:lecodeachange-lefilm.com
Rating: for not rated.
Runtime: 100 min | Germany:100 min
Release Date:August 27th, 2010
Country: France
Language: French
Filming Locations: Aubervilliers, Seine-Saint-Denis, France
Also Known As (AKA): (Le code a changé)
Change of Plans ,Europe
(festival title) (English title) / Greece
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Plot Summary:
So called friends at a dinner party end up acting like a dysfunctional family.
Plot Keywords: Friend | Dinner | Dysfunctional Family | Dinner Party | Flamenco Dance
Change of Plans: Synopsis:
Change of Plans (Le code a changé), a delicious comedy of manners from acclaimed Oscar- and César-nominated writer/director Danièle Thompson (“Cousin Cousine,” “La Bûche,” “Jet Lag,” “Avenue Montaigne”). The film centers around a summer dinner party where ten acquaintances, each attempting to mask their own personal troubles, come together for an evening of food, wine and friendship. It's not long before the couples begin revealing their dissatisfaction with their partners and it becomes obvious that they are planning or having affairs. The all-star ensemble cast includes Dany Boon (“Micmacs”), Emanuelle Seigner ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), Karin Viard ("Paris"), and Marina Hands ("Lady Chatterley"). Ms. Thompson co-wrote the film with her son, Christopher Thompson, who also stars in the film and is her frequent collaborator. Change of Plans will open in New York on August 27th.
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Highwater Hollywood Adventure Movie (2010)
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Cast And Crew
Starring: Monique Marrier,
David Sanderson,Kelly Slater
Director:Dana Brown
Writer:Dana Brown
Studio:Outside Pictures
Genre:Adventure, Documentary
Official Site:apostrophefeatures.com
Rating: for not rated.
Runtime:1 hour 30 minutes
Release Date:August 27th, 2010
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Highwater: Synopsis:
Welcome to the North Shore of Oahu – the 7 Mile Miracle – surfing’s Xanadu. A freak of nature that is long considered the ultimate test for surfers.
It’s the Triple Crown – the final 3 contests of the year - held in the cyclone of the North Shore between Halloweenand Christmas Eve.
The Triple Crown is a catalyst for a big wave soap opera that unfolds around, beside and away from the actual contests.
Fifty-five days of low comedy, high drama and nonstop jaw dropping action with the biggest waves, while the best surfers young and old, men and women, take the challenge on this beautiful, compelling earthly and human landscape. The North Shore’s population triples and locals are joined by heroes, posers, legends, leeches, fans, fanatics, dreamers, saints and sinners looking for money, fame, redemption, love, lust, inspiration, parties, respect and surf.
400 will arrive to confront their fears of whether or not they should have come: 50 will nearly drown, boards will be broken, stitches given, a few dreams fulfilled, a few nightmares visited, legends bestowed and revoked.
55 days for paradise found. Or paradise lost. This is the crossroads. For some, nothing will ever be the same.
Movie PLot Summary:
Highwater is an action-packed adventure centered around surfing's Triple Crown competitions,the professional surfing tour's final three competitions held each year on the North Shore of Oahu. Starting on Halloween and ending around Christmas, it attracts the sport's best surfers to the legendary North Shore, known for its huge waves and unparalleled surf. The Triple Crown is the ultimate proving ground for world class surfers, but the events also lure amateurs, surfers young and old, and hopefuls to the North Shore; where population, tension and commerce swell during the competition. Real life drama, humor, death-defying waves, rivalries, parties, heart-break, romance, injuries, and humanity all collide during the nearly two month competition on Hawaii's 7 Mile Miracle. The film will follow multiple story lines over the course of the entire competition and will rely upon Dana Brown's unique ability to take cinematic events and populate them with heroes and everyday people to construct a moving story.
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Cast And Crew
Starring: Monique Marrier,
David Sanderson,Kelly Slater
Director:Dana Brown
Writer:Dana Brown
Studio:Outside Pictures
Genre:Adventure, Documentary
Official Site:apostrophefeatures.com
Rating: for not rated.
Runtime:1 hour 30 minutes
Release Date:August 27th, 2010
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Highwater: Synopsis:
Welcome to the North Shore of Oahu – the 7 Mile Miracle – surfing’s Xanadu. A freak of nature that is long considered the ultimate test for surfers.
It’s the Triple Crown – the final 3 contests of the year - held in the cyclone of the North Shore between Halloweenand Christmas Eve.
The Triple Crown is a catalyst for a big wave soap opera that unfolds around, beside and away from the actual contests.
Fifty-five days of low comedy, high drama and nonstop jaw dropping action with the biggest waves, while the best surfers young and old, men and women, take the challenge on this beautiful, compelling earthly and human landscape. The North Shore’s population triples and locals are joined by heroes, posers, legends, leeches, fans, fanatics, dreamers, saints and sinners looking for money, fame, redemption, love, lust, inspiration, parties, respect and surf.
400 will arrive to confront their fears of whether or not they should have come: 50 will nearly drown, boards will be broken, stitches given, a few dreams fulfilled, a few nightmares visited, legends bestowed and revoked.
55 days for paradise found. Or paradise lost. This is the crossroads. For some, nothing will ever be the same.
Movie PLot Summary:
Highwater is an action-packed adventure centered around surfing's Triple Crown competitions,the professional surfing tour's final three competitions held each year on the North Shore of Oahu. Starting on Halloween and ending around Christmas, it attracts the sport's best surfers to the legendary North Shore, known for its huge waves and unparalleled surf. The Triple Crown is the ultimate proving ground for world class surfers, but the events also lure amateurs, surfers young and old, and hopefuls to the North Shore; where population, tension and commerce swell during the competition. Real life drama, humor, death-defying waves, rivalries, parties, heart-break, romance, injuries, and humanity all collide during the nearly two month competition on Hawaii's 7 Mile Miracle. The film will follow multiple story lines over the course of the entire competition and will rely upon Dana Brown's unique ability to take cinematic events and populate them with heroes and everyday people to construct a moving story.
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Daniel and Ana Spanish Romantic Movie (2010)
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Cast And Crew
Cast:Dario Yazbek Bernal,
Marimar Vega,Chema Torre,
Director: Michel Franco
Writer: Michel Franco (screenplay)
Produced by: Daniel Birman Ripstein
Cinematography by: Chuy Chávez
Film Editing by: Óscar Figueroa
Studio:Strand Releasing
Genre: Drama | Thriller
Official Site:alamedafilms.com/danielyana,
Rating: for not rated.
Runtime:1 hour 30 minutes
Country: Mexico | Spain
Language: Spanish
Release Date:August 27th, 2010
USA: January 2010
(Palm Springs International Film Festival)
Certification: Argentina:13
Filming Locations:Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
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Movie Plot Summary:
Daniel and Ana, brother and sister, best friends. Both are at pivotal, defining moments in their contented lives. Ana is about to be married, Daniel is a gregarious teenager discovering his personal and sexual identity. Yet their harmony is instantly shattered when they are kidnapped and are forced to engage in an unforgettable act for their freedom. Their old lives become a distant memory and nothing will ever be the same again.
Daniel and Ana: Synopsis:
Daniel and Ana, brother and sister, best friends. Both are at pivotal, defining moments in their contented lives. Ana is about to be married, Daniel is a gregarious teenager discovering his personal and sexual identity. Yet their harmony is instantly shattered when they are kidnapped and something shocking happens which forces them to confront their desires and fears. Suddenly their old lives are a distant memory. Now, nothing they have known will ever be the same again.
Reviews:
A brother and sister fall victim to an express kidnapping, during which they are hideously violated. (Although several reviews specify what happens, I think it's better not to give it away. Suffice to say the kidnappers borrow a page from the Japanese army's Nanking handbook.) The film follows the aftermath of this abuse, showing how the siblings' character and behaviour are altered. Except for a surprising reprise of the horror, there are few actual events in the balance of the film. Much of what we see on screen is the protagonists acting surly and withdrawn, avoiding people or giving monosyllabic responses. (The clueless parents see both their children begin to behave out of character at the same time but never seem to consider that there might be a common cause.) I believe it would take truly superior actors to infuse this script with the drama befitting the characters' experience and in my opinion, Bernal and Vega are not up to it. This may be a minority opinion, since other viewers have found their performances compelling. Of course, the script doesn't give them a whole lot to work with and bears the lion's share of the responsibility for the tedium of the siblings' goings-on. However, the kidnapping scene could, by all rights, have showcased first class dramatic skills and the leaden acting we see there tells us the actors have a long way to go. (The leads do shine by comparison to their captors, though. It is hard to watch the kidnapper give his spiel and not think of Hannah Arendt's phrase "the banality of evil." Considering the capabilities of these actors, I believe making that scene so detailed showed poor judgment.) One thing worth highlighting is that this film is closer to a vignette than a structured narrative. Despite some indications to the contrary, I believe there is no culminating climax or resolution--it is pretty flat after the kidnapping. The film is supposedly based on a true story and may hew very close to real life, which, of course, is seldom a structured narrative. That may be some viewers' cup of tea; if it isn't yours, think twice about seeing this film. In short, there is a disparity between the film's subject matter and the execution. The premise is not for the faint of heart but its enormous dramatic potential is dissipated in flat, repetitive scenes.
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Cast And Crew
Cast:Dario Yazbek Bernal,
Marimar Vega,Chema Torre,
Director: Michel Franco
Writer: Michel Franco (screenplay)
Produced by: Daniel Birman Ripstein
Cinematography by: Chuy Chávez
Film Editing by: Óscar Figueroa
Studio:Strand Releasing
Genre: Drama | Thriller
Official Site:alamedafilms.com/danielyana,
Rating: for not rated.
Runtime:1 hour 30 minutes
Country: Mexico | Spain
Language: Spanish
Release Date:August 27th, 2010
USA: January 2010
(Palm Springs International Film Festival)
Certification: Argentina:13
Filming Locations:Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
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Movie Plot Summary:
Daniel and Ana, brother and sister, best friends. Both are at pivotal, defining moments in their contented lives. Ana is about to be married, Daniel is a gregarious teenager discovering his personal and sexual identity. Yet their harmony is instantly shattered when they are kidnapped and are forced to engage in an unforgettable act for their freedom. Their old lives become a distant memory and nothing will ever be the same again.
Daniel and Ana: Synopsis:
Daniel and Ana, brother and sister, best friends. Both are at pivotal, defining moments in their contented lives. Ana is about to be married, Daniel is a gregarious teenager discovering his personal and sexual identity. Yet their harmony is instantly shattered when they are kidnapped and something shocking happens which forces them to confront their desires and fears. Suddenly their old lives are a distant memory. Now, nothing they have known will ever be the same again.
Reviews:
A brother and sister fall victim to an express kidnapping, during which they are hideously violated. (Although several reviews specify what happens, I think it's better not to give it away. Suffice to say the kidnappers borrow a page from the Japanese army's Nanking handbook.) The film follows the aftermath of this abuse, showing how the siblings' character and behaviour are altered. Except for a surprising reprise of the horror, there are few actual events in the balance of the film. Much of what we see on screen is the protagonists acting surly and withdrawn, avoiding people or giving monosyllabic responses. (The clueless parents see both their children begin to behave out of character at the same time but never seem to consider that there might be a common cause.) I believe it would take truly superior actors to infuse this script with the drama befitting the characters' experience and in my opinion, Bernal and Vega are not up to it. This may be a minority opinion, since other viewers have found their performances compelling. Of course, the script doesn't give them a whole lot to work with and bears the lion's share of the responsibility for the tedium of the siblings' goings-on. However, the kidnapping scene could, by all rights, have showcased first class dramatic skills and the leaden acting we see there tells us the actors have a long way to go. (The leads do shine by comparison to their captors, though. It is hard to watch the kidnapper give his spiel and not think of Hannah Arendt's phrase "the banality of evil." Considering the capabilities of these actors, I believe making that scene so detailed showed poor judgment.) One thing worth highlighting is that this film is closer to a vignette than a structured narrative. Despite some indications to the contrary, I believe there is no culminating climax or resolution--it is pretty flat after the kidnapping. The film is supposedly based on a true story and may hew very close to real life, which, of course, is seldom a structured narrative. That may be some viewers' cup of tea; if it isn't yours, think twice about seeing this film. In short, there is a disparity between the film's subject matter and the execution. The premise is not for the faint of heart but its enormous dramatic potential is dissipated in flat, repetitive scenes.
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Louis Hollywood Musical Silent Movie (2010)
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Cast And Crew
Starring:Anthony Coleman,
Vilmos Zsigmond,Jackie Earle Haley ,
Shanti Lowry,Anthony Mackie
Director:Dan Pritzker
Writers:Derick Martini,
Steven Martini, Dan Pritzker,
David Rothschild
Studio:King Bolden
Genre:Biography, Drama, Musical
Official Site:louisthemovie.com
Rating: for Some sexual content.
Runtime:1 hour 10 minutes
Release Date:August 25th, 2010
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Movie Plot Summary:
A silent film directed by Dan Pritzker and starring Jackie Earle Haley and Shanti Lowry, Louis will premiere in US cities in late August with live musical accompaniment by Wynton Marsalis, renowned pianist Cecile Licad and a 10-piece all-star jazz ensemble. Marsalis will play a score comprised primarily of his own compositions. Licad will play the music of 19th century American composer L.M. Gottschalk. The group will perform live with the film in a series of special performances in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, Detroit and Philadelphia.
Louis: Synopsis:
Shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond as a modern re-imagining of early silent film, Louis is an homage to Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, beautiful women and the birth of American music. The grand Storyville bordellos, alleys and cemeteries of 1907 New Orleans provide a backdrop of lust, blood and magic for 6 year old Louis (Anthony Coleman-pictured above; photo credit: Peter Sorel) as he navigates the colorful intricacies of life in the city. Young Louis's dreams of playing the trumpet are interrupted by a chance meeting with a beautiful and vulnerable girl named Grace (Lowry) and her baby, Jasmine. Haley, in a performance reminiscent of the great comic stars of the silent screen, plays the evil Judge Perry who is determined not to let Jasmine's true heritage derail his candidacy for governor.
"The idea of accompanying a silent film telling a mythical tale of a young Louis Armstrong was appealing to me," says Marsalis (pictured below; photo credit: Frank Stewart). "Of course, calling it a silent film is a misnomer -- there will be plenty of music, and jazz is like a conversation between the players so there'll be no shortage of dialogue. I look forward to playing with Cecile. The contrast between Gottschalk's music and jazz can be a revelation to those unfamiliar with Gottschalk's music and jazz."
"The combination of Cecile playing Gottschalk and Wynton and his ensemble playing jazz reflects the wide-ranging nature of the American musical landscape," notes Pritzker. "Louis came about when I was writing a screenplay about Buddy Bolden, the first jazz trumpeter of New Orleans, and I took my mom to see Chaplin's 'City Lights' with the Chicago Symphony performing the score. It was without a doubt the best movie experience I ever had. The challenge of trying to tell a story visually, without dialogue, was compelling. I thought that if I was going to shoot one film, I might as well try to shoot two -- the second being a silent film that picked up where Bolden ended. And it put Vilmos and me on even footing -- he'd never made a silent film before either."
Louis is a companion piece to Pritzker's Bolden, starring Anthony Mackie, Wendell Pierce and Lowry. Bolden will be released theatrically in 2011.
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Cast And Crew
Starring:Anthony Coleman,
Vilmos Zsigmond,Jackie Earle Haley ,
Shanti Lowry,Anthony Mackie
Director:Dan Pritzker
Writers:Derick Martini,
Steven Martini, Dan Pritzker,
David Rothschild
Studio:King Bolden
Genre:Biography, Drama, Musical
Official Site:louisthemovie.com
Rating: for Some sexual content.
Runtime:1 hour 10 minutes
Release Date:August 25th, 2010
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Movie Plot Summary:
A silent film directed by Dan Pritzker and starring Jackie Earle Haley and Shanti Lowry, Louis will premiere in US cities in late August with live musical accompaniment by Wynton Marsalis, renowned pianist Cecile Licad and a 10-piece all-star jazz ensemble. Marsalis will play a score comprised primarily of his own compositions. Licad will play the music of 19th century American composer L.M. Gottschalk. The group will perform live with the film in a series of special performances in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, Detroit and Philadelphia.
Louis: Synopsis:
Shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond as a modern re-imagining of early silent film, Louis is an homage to Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, beautiful women and the birth of American music. The grand Storyville bordellos, alleys and cemeteries of 1907 New Orleans provide a backdrop of lust, blood and magic for 6 year old Louis (Anthony Coleman-pictured above; photo credit: Peter Sorel) as he navigates the colorful intricacies of life in the city. Young Louis's dreams of playing the trumpet are interrupted by a chance meeting with a beautiful and vulnerable girl named Grace (Lowry) and her baby, Jasmine. Haley, in a performance reminiscent of the great comic stars of the silent screen, plays the evil Judge Perry who is determined not to let Jasmine's true heritage derail his candidacy for governor.
"The idea of accompanying a silent film telling a mythical tale of a young Louis Armstrong was appealing to me," says Marsalis (pictured below; photo credit: Frank Stewart). "Of course, calling it a silent film is a misnomer -- there will be plenty of music, and jazz is like a conversation between the players so there'll be no shortage of dialogue. I look forward to playing with Cecile. The contrast between Gottschalk's music and jazz can be a revelation to those unfamiliar with Gottschalk's music and jazz."
"The combination of Cecile playing Gottschalk and Wynton and his ensemble playing jazz reflects the wide-ranging nature of the American musical landscape," notes Pritzker. "Louis came about when I was writing a screenplay about Buddy Bolden, the first jazz trumpeter of New Orleans, and I took my mom to see Chaplin's 'City Lights' with the Chicago Symphony performing the score. It was without a doubt the best movie experience I ever had. The challenge of trying to tell a story visually, without dialogue, was compelling. I thought that if I was going to shoot one film, I might as well try to shoot two -- the second being a silent film that picked up where Bolden ended. And it put Vilmos and me on even footing -- he'd never made a silent film before either."
Louis is a companion piece to Pritzker's Bolden, starring Anthony Mackie, Wendell Pierce and Lowry. Bolden will be released theatrically in 2011.
Hostage by Al-Qaeda’s North African branch since November have been freed and are on their way to the Mali-Burkina Faso border, Spanish media report.
Spanish Al-Qaeda hostages freed in Mali
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
AQIM released 39-year-old Alicia Gamez in March. –Photo by Reuters
MADRID: Two Spanish nationals held hostage by Al-Qaeda’s North African branch since November have been freed and are on their way to the Mali-Burkina Faso border, Spanish media reported Monday.
Madrid declined to confirm the report, but a government source told El Pais daily that an official announcement would be made once the two aid workers Albert Vilalta, 35, and Roque Pascual, 50, were in a safe place.
“We are working for a happy conclusion of this case but the release has not yet taken place and therefore we ask all media to act carefully and responsibly,” a government official told AFP on Sunday, shortly after the release was first reported.
The charity the men work for, Accio Solidaria, said on Monday morning they were waiting for official confirmation.
“We hope that during the course of the morning this bit of news will turn out to be positive,” the aid groups head Francesc Osan told Spanish radio RNE.
Pascual and Vilalta were freed on Sunday around midday and were to be taken aboard all-terrain vehicles along with Burkina Faso presidential mediator and advisor Mustafa Chafi, El Pais said.
Earlier this month a Malian official said a radical cell of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has executed two Western hostages, was threatening the lives of the two Spaniards, who are held by another branch of AQIM.
But Accio Solidaria said at the time the families had seen proof that the two were still alive and that negotiations for their release were continuing.
They were among three Accio Solidaria workers kidnapped in Mauritania last November and handed over to AQIM, the North African branch of Osama bin Ladens terror network, in exchange for payment.
AQIM released the other hostage, 39-year-old Alicia Gamez, in March. –AFP
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
AQIM released 39-year-old Alicia Gamez in March. –Photo by Reuters
MADRID: Two Spanish nationals held hostage by Al-Qaeda’s North African branch since November have been freed and are on their way to the Mali-Burkina Faso border, Spanish media reported Monday.
Madrid declined to confirm the report, but a government source told El Pais daily that an official announcement would be made once the two aid workers Albert Vilalta, 35, and Roque Pascual, 50, were in a safe place.
“We are working for a happy conclusion of this case but the release has not yet taken place and therefore we ask all media to act carefully and responsibly,” a government official told AFP on Sunday, shortly after the release was first reported.
The charity the men work for, Accio Solidaria, said on Monday morning they were waiting for official confirmation.
“We hope that during the course of the morning this bit of news will turn out to be positive,” the aid groups head Francesc Osan told Spanish radio RNE.
Pascual and Vilalta were freed on Sunday around midday and were to be taken aboard all-terrain vehicles along with Burkina Faso presidential mediator and advisor Mustafa Chafi, El Pais said.
Earlier this month a Malian official said a radical cell of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has executed two Western hostages, was threatening the lives of the two Spaniards, who are held by another branch of AQIM.
But Accio Solidaria said at the time the families had seen proof that the two were still alive and that negotiations for their release were continuing.
They were among three Accio Solidaria workers kidnapped in Mauritania last November and handed over to AQIM, the North African branch of Osama bin Ladens terror network, in exchange for payment.
AQIM released the other hostage, 39-year-old Alicia Gamez, in March. –AFP
Twenty-five extremist militants serving long jail terms in Tajikistan have escaped from prison,File Photo.
Tajik borders tightened after deadly extremist jailbreak
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
Military officials expressed concern that the 25 criminals may attempt to illegally cross the border into northern Afghanistan. –File Photo
DUSHANBE: Twenty-five extremist militants serving long jail terms in Tajikistan have escaped from prison, killing guards and sparking fears they could cross into neighbouring Afghanistan, officials said Monday.
The inmates broke free late Sunday from a detention centre of Tajikistan’s State Committee of National Security in the capital Dushanbe, attacking guards and seizing their arms, a representative of the committee told AFP.
“As a result, one of the guards was killed, 25 armed inmates escaped from jail, changing into fatigues,” the official said, citing a statement.
Officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, described the inmates as Islamic militants convicted of terrorism and drug trafficking many of whom were serving sentences ranging from 30 years to life.
Following their prison break, the inmates raided a nearby detention centre of the justice ministry in the early hours of Monday where they killed four guards and fled, the official said.
An official at the country’s interior ministry, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the escapees went to the Rasht Valley in the east of the country, adding that most of them are from that region and know it well.
Authorities have beefed up security across airports, railway stations and roads and are planning to deploy armoured vehicles and special forces in the east to recapture the escapees, officials said.
Tajikistan, where a bloody civil war between extremist forces and backers of Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, shares a porous 1,300-kilometre border with Afghanistan.
Military officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that the 25 criminals may attempt to illegally cross the border into northern Afghanistan.
Border guards were put on high alert to prevent the escaped militants from crossing the border, a spokesman for border guards told AFP.
Posts on the border with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and China have also been put on high alert, the spokesman said.
The escaped militants include nationals of Afghanistan and six Russian citizens, all of them natives of the volatile North Caucasus region, where Russian authorities are battling an extremist insurgency.
Last Friday Tajikistan’s Supreme Court handed down prison sentences of 19.5 years to each of the five Russians, while the sixth was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The men were part of the militant group the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and had been accused of seeking to topple the government in a riot in the east of the country last summer.
Earlier Monday, Rakhmon convened an extraordinary meeting with law enforcement and military officials, ordering them to capture the escaped militants.
The United States, which fights the Taliban militants in Afghanistan, has been sending non-lethal US supplies for its troops there through Tajikistan and is planning to build a 10-million dollar training centre for armed forces in the country to boost its hand in the region. —AFP
Tags: Tajikistan Tajikistan-Afghanistan Afghanistan border Tajikistan prisons jailbreak
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
Military officials expressed concern that the 25 criminals may attempt to illegally cross the border into northern Afghanistan. –File Photo
DUSHANBE: Twenty-five extremist militants serving long jail terms in Tajikistan have escaped from prison, killing guards and sparking fears they could cross into neighbouring Afghanistan, officials said Monday.
The inmates broke free late Sunday from a detention centre of Tajikistan’s State Committee of National Security in the capital Dushanbe, attacking guards and seizing their arms, a representative of the committee told AFP.
“As a result, one of the guards was killed, 25 armed inmates escaped from jail, changing into fatigues,” the official said, citing a statement.
Officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, described the inmates as Islamic militants convicted of terrorism and drug trafficking many of whom were serving sentences ranging from 30 years to life.
Following their prison break, the inmates raided a nearby detention centre of the justice ministry in the early hours of Monday where they killed four guards and fled, the official said.
An official at the country’s interior ministry, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the escapees went to the Rasht Valley in the east of the country, adding that most of them are from that region and know it well.
Authorities have beefed up security across airports, railway stations and roads and are planning to deploy armoured vehicles and special forces in the east to recapture the escapees, officials said.
Tajikistan, where a bloody civil war between extremist forces and backers of Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, shares a porous 1,300-kilometre border with Afghanistan.
Military officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that the 25 criminals may attempt to illegally cross the border into northern Afghanistan.
Border guards were put on high alert to prevent the escaped militants from crossing the border, a spokesman for border guards told AFP.
Posts on the border with Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and China have also been put on high alert, the spokesman said.
The escaped militants include nationals of Afghanistan and six Russian citizens, all of them natives of the volatile North Caucasus region, where Russian authorities are battling an extremist insurgency.
Last Friday Tajikistan’s Supreme Court handed down prison sentences of 19.5 years to each of the five Russians, while the sixth was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The men were part of the militant group the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and had been accused of seeking to topple the government in a riot in the east of the country last summer.
Earlier Monday, Rakhmon convened an extraordinary meeting with law enforcement and military officials, ordering them to capture the escaped militants.
The United States, which fights the Taliban militants in Afghanistan, has been sending non-lethal US supplies for its troops there through Tajikistan and is planning to build a 10-million dollar training centre for armed forces in the country to boost its hand in the region. —AFP
Tags: Tajikistan Tajikistan-Afghanistan Afghanistan border Tajikistan prisons jailbreak
Stoking fresh tensions after 31 policemen were hurt in weekend clashes, police said.
Protester killed, 31 policemen hurt in Kashmir
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
Heavily militarised Indian-administered Kashmir has been the scene of a deadly anti-India insurgency for the past two decades. — Photo by AFP
SRINAGAR: A protester wounded during clashes with Indian security forces in Kashmir died on Monday, stoking fresh tensions after 31 policemen were hurt in weekend clashes, police said.
The latest death brought to 63 the number of protesters and bystanders killed in two months of violent protests in the mainly Muslim region, most of them young men or teenagers shot dead by security forces.
The 28-year-old who died on Monday had been wounded during clashes in northern Baramulla district on August 14 and died in hospital, police said.
Residents said the death had led to new protests, where hundreds of people blocked the main highway in the dead man's village of Singhpora.
The scenic Kashmir region has been under rolling curfews to contain deadly protests that were sparked by the killing June 11 of a teenage student in Srinagar by a police teargas shell.
Anti-India demonstrations at five places in southern Pulwama district late Sunday left 31 policemen injured, including the district police chief, police said. One protester was also hurt.
Heavily militarised Indian-administered Kashmir has been the scene of a deadly anti-India insurgency for the past two decades.
Many commentators attribute the latest protests to frustration among the young generation because of deadlock in talks about the status of disputed Kashmir and high unemployment.
The government in New Delhi has suggested unrest is being whipped up by separatists and militants.
Tags: kashmir issue
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
Heavily militarised Indian-administered Kashmir has been the scene of a deadly anti-India insurgency for the past two decades. — Photo by AFP
SRINAGAR: A protester wounded during clashes with Indian security forces in Kashmir died on Monday, stoking fresh tensions after 31 policemen were hurt in weekend clashes, police said.
The latest death brought to 63 the number of protesters and bystanders killed in two months of violent protests in the mainly Muslim region, most of them young men or teenagers shot dead by security forces.
The 28-year-old who died on Monday had been wounded during clashes in northern Baramulla district on August 14 and died in hospital, police said.
Residents said the death had led to new protests, where hundreds of people blocked the main highway in the dead man's village of Singhpora.
The scenic Kashmir region has been under rolling curfews to contain deadly protests that were sparked by the killing June 11 of a teenage student in Srinagar by a police teargas shell.
Anti-India demonstrations at five places in southern Pulwama district late Sunday left 31 policemen injured, including the district police chief, police said. One protester was also hurt.
Heavily militarised Indian-administered Kashmir has been the scene of a deadly anti-India insurgency for the past two decades.
Many commentators attribute the latest protests to frustration among the young generation because of deadlock in talks about the status of disputed Kashmir and high unemployment.
The government in New Delhi has suggested unrest is being whipped up by separatists and militants.
Tags: kashmir issue
hostage-taking in the Philippines capital ended with six bus passengers dead Monday after shots rang out and police stormed the vehicle. photo.
Philippines bus hostage crisis ends with seven dead
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
Philippine police assault a tourist bus that was taken over by a former police officer in Manila. Philippine police shot and killed a sacked former policeman who was holding 15 Hong Kong tourists aboard a bus in downtown Manila on Monday and TV images showed some hostages leaving the vehicle alive. -Reuters Photo
MANILA: A dramatic hostage-taking in the Philippines capital ended with six bus passengers dead Monday after shots rang out and police stormed the vehicle. The hostage-taker also died, police said.
Five hostages were brought to the Manila Hospital, two of them dead on arrival and three alive without injuries.
The Manila Doctors Hospital reported it received four dead and one woman in critical condition.
The incident started when a dismissed policeman armed with a M16 rifle seized the busload of Hong Kong tourists to demand his reinstatement in the force.
Police officer Roderick Mariano cited the Filipino driver who escaped moments before police surrounded the bus as saying the hostage-taker, identified as former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, 55, opened fire at the tourists.
The gunman earlier released nine hostages, leaving 15 inside, and demanded his job back to free the rest. -AP
Tags: Philippines police Manila hostages tourists
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
Philippine police assault a tourist bus that was taken over by a former police officer in Manila. Philippine police shot and killed a sacked former policeman who was holding 15 Hong Kong tourists aboard a bus in downtown Manila on Monday and TV images showed some hostages leaving the vehicle alive. -Reuters Photo
MANILA: A dramatic hostage-taking in the Philippines capital ended with six bus passengers dead Monday after shots rang out and police stormed the vehicle. The hostage-taker also died, police said.
Five hostages were brought to the Manila Hospital, two of them dead on arrival and three alive without injuries.
The Manila Doctors Hospital reported it received four dead and one woman in critical condition.
The incident started when a dismissed policeman armed with a M16 rifle seized the busload of Hong Kong tourists to demand his reinstatement in the force.
Police officer Roderick Mariano cited the Filipino driver who escaped moments before police surrounded the bus as saying the hostage-taker, identified as former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, 55, opened fire at the tourists.
The gunman earlier released nine hostages, leaving 15 inside, and demanded his job back to free the rest. -AP
Tags: Philippines police Manila hostages tourists
Mohammad Aamer has insisted he remains unaffected by the “pressure” of playing international cricket. photo
“Pressure, what pressure?” says Aamer
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
“I believe that pressure is something that an individual creates for himself and it’s something that you can avoid. I guess it’s just down to the individual and the characteristics of an individual.” —AP Photo
LONDON: Pakistan’s teenage fast bowling sensation Mohammad Aamer has insisted he remains unaffected by the “pressure” of playing international cricket.
The 18-year-old left-arm quick was named man-of-the-match in Pakistan’s four-wicket third Test win at The Oval for his impressive career-best five wickets for 52 runs in England’s second innings.
He has now taken 13 wickets at an average of just over 20 apiece in three Tests against England.
And it’s not just his bowling that shows maturity beyond his years.
Aamer’s resourceful tail-end batting has been a feature of the current campaign and his patient unbeaten four helped Pakistan to their victory target at The Oval in a win that reduced England’s series lead to 2-1 ahead of the fourth and final Test starting at Lord’s on Thursday.
“I don’t really let pressure affect me at all,” Aamer told the PakPassion.net website.
“I believe that pressure is something that an individual creates for himself and it’s something that you can avoid. I guess it’s just down to the individual and the characteristics of an individual.”
He added: “I just go out there, relax, smile, enjoy myself, play my natural game, do what comes naturally to me and play my cricket according to the conditions and match situation. The more you worry about things when you are out there in the middle, the more problems you are going to encounter.”
Aamer and Mohammad Asif are rapidly developing into one of the best new-ball pairings in world cricket and Aamer said: “He’s a fantastic guy to bowl in tandem with.
“He’s such a threatening bowler, someone who has the ability to take a wicket with every delivery.
“He never gives the opposition batsmen any respite. His nagging accuracy and skill really helps me and I think we complement each other very well.”
Aamer also paid tribute to the influence of Pakistan coach and fast bowling great Waqar Younis, as well as team bowling coach Aaqib Javed, on his game.
“Both Waqar and Aaqib have really helped me improve as a bowler. They guide me quite literally session by session.
“They will sit down and talk to me at the end of each session when I have been bowling and explain to me what I did well and what I didn’t do well in the completed session of cricket.
“In addition they will talk to me about the upcoming session and what is required of me. They are of great help to me and I believe that I can only improve as a bowler with guys like Waqar and Aaqib around me.”
Aamer explained he was not trying to bowl ‘magic’ deliveries.
“I feel that if I try too many different things and experiment too much, then that affects the quality of my cricket. My philosophy is to keep it simple and stick to the basics instead of trying to be too clever.”
Aamer, on course to reach the landmark of 50 wickets in his 14th Test at Lord’s, added: “It’s great to be going into the final match at with some momentum. We’ll be going all out for victory at Lord’s.” —AFP
Tags: mohammad aamer mohammad amir
Monday, 23 Aug, 2010
“I believe that pressure is something that an individual creates for himself and it’s something that you can avoid. I guess it’s just down to the individual and the characteristics of an individual.” —AP Photo
LONDON: Pakistan’s teenage fast bowling sensation Mohammad Aamer has insisted he remains unaffected by the “pressure” of playing international cricket.
The 18-year-old left-arm quick was named man-of-the-match in Pakistan’s four-wicket third Test win at The Oval for his impressive career-best five wickets for 52 runs in England’s second innings.
He has now taken 13 wickets at an average of just over 20 apiece in three Tests against England.
And it’s not just his bowling that shows maturity beyond his years.
Aamer’s resourceful tail-end batting has been a feature of the current campaign and his patient unbeaten four helped Pakistan to their victory target at The Oval in a win that reduced England’s series lead to 2-1 ahead of the fourth and final Test starting at Lord’s on Thursday.
“I don’t really let pressure affect me at all,” Aamer told the PakPassion.net website.
“I believe that pressure is something that an individual creates for himself and it’s something that you can avoid. I guess it’s just down to the individual and the characteristics of an individual.”
He added: “I just go out there, relax, smile, enjoy myself, play my natural game, do what comes naturally to me and play my cricket according to the conditions and match situation. The more you worry about things when you are out there in the middle, the more problems you are going to encounter.”
Aamer and Mohammad Asif are rapidly developing into one of the best new-ball pairings in world cricket and Aamer said: “He’s a fantastic guy to bowl in tandem with.
“He’s such a threatening bowler, someone who has the ability to take a wicket with every delivery.
“He never gives the opposition batsmen any respite. His nagging accuracy and skill really helps me and I think we complement each other very well.”
Aamer also paid tribute to the influence of Pakistan coach and fast bowling great Waqar Younis, as well as team bowling coach Aaqib Javed, on his game.
“Both Waqar and Aaqib have really helped me improve as a bowler. They guide me quite literally session by session.
“They will sit down and talk to me at the end of each session when I have been bowling and explain to me what I did well and what I didn’t do well in the completed session of cricket.
“In addition they will talk to me about the upcoming session and what is required of me. They are of great help to me and I believe that I can only improve as a bowler with guys like Waqar and Aaqib around me.”
Aamer explained he was not trying to bowl ‘magic’ deliveries.
“I feel that if I try too many different things and experiment too much, then that affects the quality of my cricket. My philosophy is to keep it simple and stick to the basics instead of trying to be too clever.”
Aamer, on course to reach the landmark of 50 wickets in his 14th Test at Lord’s, added: “It’s great to be going into the final match at with some momentum. We’ll be going all out for victory at Lord’s.” —AFP
Tags: mohammad aamer mohammad amir
A group of youth hold a demonstration to condemn the killing of two brother by mob in Sialkot.Video Of victims.
Video of mob killings sparks anguish in Pakistan
Sunday, 22 Aug, 2010
A group of youth hold a demonstration to condemn the killing of two brother by mob in Sialkot. -AP Photo
ISLAMABAD: The men took turns savagely beating the two teenage brothers with sticks, drawing blood before dragging and hanging their dead bodies from a nearby pole. None of the dozens of people watching tried to stop the attack, not even several police. The boys may have been mistaken for robbers.
The scene, caught on video and broadcast on news channels, has outraged and anguished Pakistanis, some of whom are asking if years of state neglect have brutalized society. It also is a blow to the already-shoddy image of the government as it appeals for international aid to cope with disastrous floods.
''Is this what we are? Savages?'' asked an editorial in an English-language daily. ''So utterly bereft of a speck of humanity that a crowd of ordinary men are passive spectators to public murder?''
The killings occurred Aug. 15 in Sialkot, a town in eastern Punjab province. As details have emerged, authorities appear increasingly confident the two boys Moiz Butt, 17, and his brother Muneeb, 15, were innocent.
The two went to play cricket after praying and eating breakfast, carrying a bag with them containing game equipment, said Mujahid Sherdil, a top government official in the district. They were sons of a middle-class man who deals in fabric for soccer balls. Moiz was honored with the title ''hafiz'' for having memorized the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
An armed robbery had taken place in the vicinity of the cricket field, so residents were on alert and police were nearby. Apparently, when the boys appeared with a bag, they were thought to be the robbers, Sherdil told The Associated Press.
He added, however, that more information was still being sought. The boys were believed to have been in fights over the past few days for the right to play on the cricket ground, which was about a mile (two kilometers) from their house.
The origins of the video are unknown and there are reports that multiple men in the crowd recorded the attack using cell phones. Stations blurred out some of the more graphic images of the boys' bloodied bodies, but several faces in the crowd are clearly identifiable, including several police officers in uniform who watched.
Punjab province Police Chief Tariq Saleem said the government has ordered two separate inquiries into the killings.
''This incident is highly condemnable, especially in the police presence,'' Saleem said after visiting the boys' family. ''All accused, including police, will be arrested soon.''
It's unclear whether such mob killings are more common now than in years past in Pakistan, but they are more likely to get reported and affect the public consciousness because of the explosion of electronic media during the last decade.
Over the past two years, police and even soldiers have been caught on video beating suspects. In 2008, in two separate incidents in less than a week, crowds set fire to suspected robbers in the southern city of Karachi. In the first incident, a picture of men lying like logs in a fire made front pages.
Civic groups condemned the attack in Sialkot, and the media attention forced the government to respond. But many suspects never get caught, one reason mobs feel free to go after victims on their own.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited the family of the two boys Sunday in Sialkot and issued an appeal for citizens to come forward with evidence to help the investigation. He said at least 10 suspects have been arrested, including four police officers.
Malik said the police should have at least fired their guns in the air to disperse the crowd, and added people should not take the law into their own hands.
''It is not the kind of incident any civilized society can afford,'' he said. ''The whole of Pakistan wants the people involved to be punished. And we are getting demands from the nation that they should be hanged at the very place where they murdered the two brothers.''
The brothers' killings came as Pakistan's government is reeling from other crises, including the worst flooding in decades. The calamity appears to have further eroded confidence in the government, a key U.S. ally in the fight against extremism.
In a column Sunday, commentator Ghazi Salahuddin wrote that the Sialkot attack and the desperation of the poor caught in the floods are ''rooted in the potential inability of the state to protect and look after the citizens.''
''These things are possible because the successive ruling elites do not really love Pakistan,'' Salahuddin wrote. ''They have never loved this country and the present government does not deserve to be blamed more for its lapses than the previous ones.'' -AP
Video Of Victims in Sialkot.
Tags: sialkot killings police law and order
Sunday, 22 Aug, 2010
A group of youth hold a demonstration to condemn the killing of two brother by mob in Sialkot. -AP Photo
ISLAMABAD: The men took turns savagely beating the two teenage brothers with sticks, drawing blood before dragging and hanging their dead bodies from a nearby pole. None of the dozens of people watching tried to stop the attack, not even several police. The boys may have been mistaken for robbers.
The scene, caught on video and broadcast on news channels, has outraged and anguished Pakistanis, some of whom are asking if years of state neglect have brutalized society. It also is a blow to the already-shoddy image of the government as it appeals for international aid to cope with disastrous floods.
''Is this what we are? Savages?'' asked an editorial in an English-language daily. ''So utterly bereft of a speck of humanity that a crowd of ordinary men are passive spectators to public murder?''
The killings occurred Aug. 15 in Sialkot, a town in eastern Punjab province. As details have emerged, authorities appear increasingly confident the two boys Moiz Butt, 17, and his brother Muneeb, 15, were innocent.
The two went to play cricket after praying and eating breakfast, carrying a bag with them containing game equipment, said Mujahid Sherdil, a top government official in the district. They were sons of a middle-class man who deals in fabric for soccer balls. Moiz was honored with the title ''hafiz'' for having memorized the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
An armed robbery had taken place in the vicinity of the cricket field, so residents were on alert and police were nearby. Apparently, when the boys appeared with a bag, they were thought to be the robbers, Sherdil told The Associated Press.
He added, however, that more information was still being sought. The boys were believed to have been in fights over the past few days for the right to play on the cricket ground, which was about a mile (two kilometers) from their house.
The origins of the video are unknown and there are reports that multiple men in the crowd recorded the attack using cell phones. Stations blurred out some of the more graphic images of the boys' bloodied bodies, but several faces in the crowd are clearly identifiable, including several police officers in uniform who watched.
Punjab province Police Chief Tariq Saleem said the government has ordered two separate inquiries into the killings.
''This incident is highly condemnable, especially in the police presence,'' Saleem said after visiting the boys' family. ''All accused, including police, will be arrested soon.''
It's unclear whether such mob killings are more common now than in years past in Pakistan, but they are more likely to get reported and affect the public consciousness because of the explosion of electronic media during the last decade.
Over the past two years, police and even soldiers have been caught on video beating suspects. In 2008, in two separate incidents in less than a week, crowds set fire to suspected robbers in the southern city of Karachi. In the first incident, a picture of men lying like logs in a fire made front pages.
Civic groups condemned the attack in Sialkot, and the media attention forced the government to respond. But many suspects never get caught, one reason mobs feel free to go after victims on their own.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited the family of the two boys Sunday in Sialkot and issued an appeal for citizens to come forward with evidence to help the investigation. He said at least 10 suspects have been arrested, including four police officers.
Malik said the police should have at least fired their guns in the air to disperse the crowd, and added people should not take the law into their own hands.
''It is not the kind of incident any civilized society can afford,'' he said. ''The whole of Pakistan wants the people involved to be punished. And we are getting demands from the nation that they should be hanged at the very place where they murdered the two brothers.''
The brothers' killings came as Pakistan's government is reeling from other crises, including the worst flooding in decades. The calamity appears to have further eroded confidence in the government, a key U.S. ally in the fight against extremism.
In a column Sunday, commentator Ghazi Salahuddin wrote that the Sialkot attack and the desperation of the poor caught in the floods are ''rooted in the potential inability of the state to protect and look after the citizens.''
''These things are possible because the successive ruling elites do not really love Pakistan,'' Salahuddin wrote. ''They have never loved this country and the present government does not deserve to be blamed more for its lapses than the previous ones.'' -AP
Video Of Victims in Sialkot.
Tags: sialkot killings police law and order
60 percent of Americans oppose building the proposed Muslim cultural center and mosque two blocks from the site known as “Ground Zero.”
Americans still associate Islam with violence
Saturday, 21 Aug, 2010
More than 30 Southern California religious leaders gathered in downtown Los Angeles to show their support for plans to build a mosque and community center two blocks from ground zero, despite widespread opposition to the project. — Photo by AP
NEW YORK: The furor over plans to build a Muslim cultural center near the World Trade Center site shows nine years of efforts to separate Islam from association with terrorism have largely failed, experts say.
“I’d take it one step further. I’d say that it’s far, far worse today than it was in the immediate aftermath of 9/11,” said Reza Aslan, a writer and scholar on religion, using the shorthand for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Public opinion polls show more than 60 per cent of Americans oppose building the proposed Muslim cultural center and mosque two blocks from the site known as “Ground Zero.”
Former US President George W. Bush repeatedly sought to separate Islam from the al Qaeda hijackers who carried out the attacks there and on the Pentagon, and all major American Muslim organizations have issued repeated statements condemning violence in the name of Islam.
But that message has been overpowered by news coverage of the seemingly endless attacks on civilians often claimed by al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremists in the Muslim world, in addition to images of US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.Then there are cases closer to home.
In February, an Afghan immigrant pleaded guilty to plotting a suicide bomb attack on New York City subways after al Qaeda training.
In June a Pakistani-born American citizen pleaded guilty to attempting to set off a car bomb in Times Square, saying extremists would continue to attack the United States.
Receiving far less attention are regular statements from the Islamic Society of North America, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations strongly condemning any violence perpetrated in the name of Islam.
“The Fiqh Council of North America wishes to reaffirm Islam’s condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism,” the council said in a 2008 fatwa, or religious ruling. “Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism.”
Both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars generally support that view of the faith’s mainstream, but for many Americans extremist actions have had more resonance than the moderate majority’s words and practices.
The Times Square bomb case played out just as the Cordoba Initiative was seeking permission from local authorities to build its 13-story, $100 million Muslim center and mosque near the World Trade Center site where 2,750 people were killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
Republicans have seized on the controversy over the plan ahead of midterm elections where Democrats are fighting to retain control of Congress amid difficult economic conditions.
Newt Gingrich, a leading Republican and possible presidential candidate, has called the proposal an “assertion of Islamist triumphalism.”
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said it was “creating more division, more anger, and more hatred.” Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin called it “a stab in the heart of Americans who still have that lingering pain from 9/11.”
“Republicans are reading the American population on this better than the Democrats in the sense that the American population is fearful,” said William Swatos of the Association for the Sociology of Religion in Galva, Illinois, agreeing that efforts to separate Islam from terrorism in the public mind have failed.
Religious scholar Aslan blames “Islamophobia” that he said was being whipped by the Republican Party establishment.
“They are making religious bigotry, just as they made anti-immigrant sentiment, part of their political platform,” Aslan said. “Democrats in the most cowardly fashion have completely caved in to this challenge.”
While some Democrats have joined Obama in defending the plan for the New York Muslim center, others, like some Republican critics, have suggested it be built at a location more distant from Ground Zero.
The politician offering the most forceful defense of the mosque is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent not seeking re-election.
Opponents of the mosque site contend allegations of bigotry are unfair, saying the plan's supporters ignore the pain of 9/11 survivors.
“If one victim doesn’t like it, we don’t need the mosque,” said Thane Rosenbaum, director of the Forum on Law, Culture & Society at New York's Fordham University.
“We’re being told religious tolerance goes one way” and that “Americans must tolerate that the mosque needs to be there.”
Saturday, 21 Aug, 2010
More than 30 Southern California religious leaders gathered in downtown Los Angeles to show their support for plans to build a mosque and community center two blocks from ground zero, despite widespread opposition to the project. — Photo by AP
NEW YORK: The furor over plans to build a Muslim cultural center near the World Trade Center site shows nine years of efforts to separate Islam from association with terrorism have largely failed, experts say.
“I’d take it one step further. I’d say that it’s far, far worse today than it was in the immediate aftermath of 9/11,” said Reza Aslan, a writer and scholar on religion, using the shorthand for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Public opinion polls show more than 60 per cent of Americans oppose building the proposed Muslim cultural center and mosque two blocks from the site known as “Ground Zero.”
Former US President George W. Bush repeatedly sought to separate Islam from the al Qaeda hijackers who carried out the attacks there and on the Pentagon, and all major American Muslim organizations have issued repeated statements condemning violence in the name of Islam.
But that message has been overpowered by news coverage of the seemingly endless attacks on civilians often claimed by al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremists in the Muslim world, in addition to images of US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.Then there are cases closer to home.
In February, an Afghan immigrant pleaded guilty to plotting a suicide bomb attack on New York City subways after al Qaeda training.
In June a Pakistani-born American citizen pleaded guilty to attempting to set off a car bomb in Times Square, saying extremists would continue to attack the United States.
Receiving far less attention are regular statements from the Islamic Society of North America, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations strongly condemning any violence perpetrated in the name of Islam.
“The Fiqh Council of North America wishes to reaffirm Islam’s condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism,” the council said in a 2008 fatwa, or religious ruling. “Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism.”
Both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars generally support that view of the faith’s mainstream, but for many Americans extremist actions have had more resonance than the moderate majority’s words and practices.
The Times Square bomb case played out just as the Cordoba Initiative was seeking permission from local authorities to build its 13-story, $100 million Muslim center and mosque near the World Trade Center site where 2,750 people were killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
Republicans have seized on the controversy over the plan ahead of midterm elections where Democrats are fighting to retain control of Congress amid difficult economic conditions.
Newt Gingrich, a leading Republican and possible presidential candidate, has called the proposal an “assertion of Islamist triumphalism.”
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said it was “creating more division, more anger, and more hatred.” Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin called it “a stab in the heart of Americans who still have that lingering pain from 9/11.”
“Republicans are reading the American population on this better than the Democrats in the sense that the American population is fearful,” said William Swatos of the Association for the Sociology of Religion in Galva, Illinois, agreeing that efforts to separate Islam from terrorism in the public mind have failed.
Religious scholar Aslan blames “Islamophobia” that he said was being whipped by the Republican Party establishment.
“They are making religious bigotry, just as they made anti-immigrant sentiment, part of their political platform,” Aslan said. “Democrats in the most cowardly fashion have completely caved in to this challenge.”
While some Democrats have joined Obama in defending the plan for the New York Muslim center, others, like some Republican critics, have suggested it be built at a location more distant from Ground Zero.
The politician offering the most forceful defense of the mosque is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent not seeking re-election.
Opponents of the mosque site contend allegations of bigotry are unfair, saying the plan's supporters ignore the pain of 9/11 survivors.
“If one victim doesn’t like it, we don’t need the mosque,” said Thane Rosenbaum, director of the Forum on Law, Culture & Society at New York's Fordham University.
“We’re being told religious tolerance goes one way” and that “Americans must tolerate that the mosque needs to be there.”
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