Titles:

• UK poll finds profound anti-Muslim sentiment

• Sarkozy says burka 'not welcome' in France

• Israel plans to attack Lebanon

• Britain warns of a possible coup in Iraq

• Yemni scholars  issue jihad  warning to western  powers

• US Senator: Pakistani leaders complicit in drone attacks

• Indian general denies losing  kashmiri territory  to China

 

News Detailes:

UK poll finds profound anti-Muslim sentiment:

Mistrust of Muslims living in Britain has reached unprecedented levels, a survey to be published this month will show. There is concern over the growing influence of Islam on the British way of life with 52 per cent of those surveyed believing that the country is becoming deeply divided along religious lines. Based on interviews with almost 4,500 people, the British Social Attitudes Survey will show that only a quarter of native Britons now "feel positive" about the presence of an estimated two million Muslims in the UK, most of them immigrants from the Indian subcontinent. Almost half of those interviewed in the government-funded survey said they believed that religious diversity had produced a negative impact on life in the UK. Among the findings are that 55 per cent of the population would be strongly opposed to a large mosque being built in their area, while only 15 per cent would be against a new church. Prof Voas said: "Muslims deserve to be the focus of policy on social cohesion because no other group elicits so much disquiet. Recent statistical projections for the European Union have predicted that virtually all 27 countries, including Britain, will see large increases in their Muslim populations in the coming 40 years.

Sarkozy says burka 'not welcome' in France:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has reiterated his view that the full burka is "not welcome" in France, as a debate continues on whether to ban it. A parliamentary report on the issue is due out at the end of January. Mr Sarkozy did not explicitly call for a ban, saying "no one should feel stigmatised" by any eventual law.  His UMP party is to put forward a bill this month banning the wearing of the Islamic veil in public, as a means of defending France against "extremists". Mr Sarkozy said the first step should be for parliament to adopt a resolution that would unequivocally condemn the burka - and then move on to considering a ban. He said no decision should be made until parliament hears the results of a six-month commission on whether a law banning such garments from public places was needed. The results are expected to be published by 27 January, and the commission's head, communist MP Andre Gerin, was quoted on Wednesday as saying the next step would be a debate on any such law.

Israel plans to attack Lebanon:

A well-informed Lebanese source, who spoke on condition of anynomity, told As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper this week that President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri were reportedly informed during their trips abroad - referring to Sleiman's trips to France and the US, and Hariri's visit to Turkey- that Israel is planning to soon attack Lebanon.The source said that France warned Hariri in 2006 before the July War that Israel was preparing to carry out a massive operation along Lebanon's border. Hariri immediately conveyed the message to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, added the source. As-Sharq al-Awsat also cited other reports in the foreign media warning against an Israeli war on Lebanon. The new attack would be similar to the Gaza offensive when the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a surprise attack and destroyed Palestinian police stations in the strip last year, said the source. He added that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) would be Israel's first target, especially since the LAF's military bases' locations are out in the open, unlike Hezbollah's secret hideouts

Britain warns of a possible coup in Iraq:

A warning by the British ambassador to Iraq that a military coup was still a "real possibility" in Baghdad has set off swirling rumours of conspiracy, and been met with wildly divergent reactions, some accusing him of scaremongering, others hoping it is a prophecy that will come true. John Jenkins told the Chilcot inquiry in London that democracy was far from assured in Iraq and the military could still overthrow an elected government. Mr Jenkins cited the large number of Iraqi army officers who had served under Saddam Hussein as one of the reasons not to discount a coup. "If you look at the history of Iraq, of military coups in Iraq, you have to think that it is always a real possibility in the future. " "If there is such a military coup that eliminates the current government and it ends the Iranian stranglehold over Iraq, then the tribes will support it,"  said Sheikh Mohammad al Hamadani, a leading member of the tribal council in Maysan province, in southern Iraq. He added, "If the way to rid ourselves of these Islamic parties that do as Iran tells them is to have a coup, then we are in favour of that. We would need to be sure that the British and the Americans supported such a coup however, in order that it can succeed." In Baghdad, Hassan Bikan, a member of parliament's security committee, said a military coup was impossible., He said, "Perhaps the British have a political goal or are playing some political game in talking about this," he said. "I think their ambassador is out of touch with the reality on the ground."

Yemni scholars  issue jihad  warning to western  powers:

Over 150 religious scholars from all governorates of Yemen issued a statement rejecting any direct or indirect interference in Yemen's affairs from foreign forces. Tens of scholars gathered on Thursday at al-Mushhd Mosque to express their absolute rejection of foreign sides interfering in Yemen. Any intervention, the statement said, from any foreign side, will be rejected and have major consequences. "Islam allows for Jihad, a right to defend it's own land in case of any invasion to Yemen," the statement read. The Islamic scholars rejected military bases or structures in lands or territorial water. In the statement, they expressed their refusal of invasion or any destruction of Yemen's sovereignty. They also called upon the government to nullify and reject any political or security interference in Yemen's affairs: any violations of Yemen's religion, independence, or Yemeni land.  The statement mentioned that military cooperation with any foreign side is rejected in Islamic Sharia, and would harm the country's interest.  The religious scholars decided to establish a committee to look at the incidents, reasons, and consequences to work out solutions from the Sharia. They call upon all Yemenis to refer to the Quran and Islamic Sharia, in order to unite. They also asked that the Arab League and Islamic organizations to stand with them. 

US Senator: Pakistani leaders complicit in drone attacks:

A senior US senator urged Pakistan on Wednesday to publicly acknowledge its role in drone attacks but other experts said they did not see either Washington or Islamabad owning up the air strikes.In a conference call with reporters from Dubai, Senator Carl Levin scolded Pakistan's leaders for privately supporting US drone strikes while publicly denouncing them. "What troubles me is the public attack on these drone attacks," he said.  "While at the same time they've privately obviously not told us that we must stop," chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee said. Further stressing the point, he claimed that Pakistani leaders "not only understand and acquiesce, but in many cases privately support the drone attacks". The minimum the United States should expect from Pakistan "is a silence on their part rather than a public attack on us". Such criticism "creates real problems for us in terms of the Pakistani public and helps create some real animosity towards us - a sense of revenge, the implication that we're violating Pakistan's sovereignty", he said. Senator Levin said he believed it was wrong to put all the blame on the US and "I've told them that to their face".

Indian general denies losing  kashmiri territory  to China:

Earlier last week, the India media reported that India has lost vast tracts of land to China along the line of actual control (LAC) in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. However, General Kapoor rubbished such reports and said, "As far as the number of troops are concerned the attitude of the Chinese and our (India's) attitude is alright and there are regular border personnel meetings and there is no other area as I told earlier that Indian territories have shrunk. That's a wrong thing. Whenever there are any differences we have a mechanism and between India and China there is border peace and tranquility agreement signed in 1993. According to which it is laid down that whenever there is problem that we can discuss it between each other on the hotline or after calling a border personnel meet, a clarification be sought."