UN call to reform IMF and WB will fall on deaf ears

"The world institutions created generations ago must be made more accountable, more representative and more effective," UN Secretary General Ban said at the opening of a three-day meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on the global financial crisis and its impact on the developing world. "I regret that financial institutional reform has divided (U.N.) member states," he said. The question of reforming the IMF, World Bank and other international financial bodies was one of the issues that the 126 nations participating in this week's financial crisis had struggled to agree on during months of negotiations on a set of proposals for reforming the global financial system. A 15-page draft obtained by Reuters, said nations "recognize that it is imperative to undertake, as a matter of priority, a comprehensive and fast tracked reform of the IMF ... to increase its credibility and accountability, its legitimacy and effectiveness." However, it is more than likely that the UN will fail to produce a set of concrete steps to redress the financial crisis. This is because the wealthy countries are too busy keeping their financial systems afloat by plundering third world. A point emphasized by Ban, "Surely if the world can mobilize more than $18 trillion to keep the financial sector afloat, it can find more than $18 billion to keep commitments to Africa," Ban said.

Sarkozy attacks Islamic dress for women

This week President Sarkozy of France said that the head-to-toe Islamic garment for women was not a symbol of religion but a sign of subservience for women. "The burka is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience," he told members of both parliamentary houses gathered for his speech. "It will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic." His comments follow an appeal last week by 65 French MPs for a parliamentary commission to examine whether Muslim women who cover themselves fully in public undermine the secular tradition in France as well as women's rights. The MPs represent parties ranging from the Communists to Mr Sarkozy's UMP. The call won instant support from members of Mr Sarkozy's centre-Right government but was opposed by the Socialists, the main opposition party. This is not the first time the French government has lamented over the dress code for Muslim women. In 2004, the country passed a controversial law forbidding wearing of veils from state schools and government offices. It is ironic that France claims to be the harbinger of religious freedom and tolerance, and yet this very notion is conspicuously forgotten when applied to Muslims living in France and the Muslim world.

Somalia: America makes last ditch attempt to rescue Sharif's government

In the wake of the continued pressure from Islamists on the weakening Sharif's regime in Somalia , the US has decided to send weapons to thwart a takeover the nation by Islamist Washington Post reported on Thursday. "A decision was made at the highest level to ensure the government does not fall and that everything is done to strengthen government security forces to counter the rebels," an unnamed U.S. official told the newspaper. The shipment of weapons and ammunition arrived this month in the Somali capital, Mogadishu , the official said. U.S. and Somali officials say that possibly hundreds of fighters from Afghanistan, Pakistan and other nations are fighting alongside the Islamist group known as al Shabab, which Washington has designated a terrorist group, the Post said. For the past 6 years or so, America has struggled to fashion a stable governments in Iraq , Afghanistan , Pakistan and Somalia . Rather then scaling back the Islamic revival in these countries, the continued US aggression against these countries is having the opposite effect.  More and more people are now yearning for the re-establishment of the Caliphate.

Russia attacks Kyrgyzstan's u-turn over US military base

Russia accused Kyrgyzstan of treachery on Wednesday after the central Asian state revoked a Kremlin-backed order to close down a US military base considered vital for the war effort in Afghanistan. The Kyrgyz government agreed to expel US troops after receiving £1.3 billion in aid and soft loans from Moscow in February. But after the United States agreed to triple its rent for Manas, an important re-fuelling and re-supply base for US forces across the border in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan changed its mind - to the fury of Russian officials. "The Kyrgyz leadership has repeatedly stated that the decision to close the base was final and not subject to revision," said Andrei Nesterenko, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry. "The fact that the US military retains a presence in central Asia runs counter both to Russia's interests and to our agreements with the Kyrgyz leadership." Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, last year unilaterally declared the former Soviet Union to be part of Russia's sphere of influence. Russian fury over Kyrgyzstan's decision is likely to sour US-Russian relations further.

Iran plans stern action against the UK for fomenting unrest

This week, Britain reacted cautiously to a warning by Iran that it was considering downgrading diplomatic ties in the wake of continuing unrest over disputed presidential elections. Iran has accused two British officials of "activities inconsistent with their diplomatic status" - diplomatic language for spying - a charge flatly rejected by the Foreign Office.

The Iranian leadership, including the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly targeted Britain in recent days. The attacks appear to reflect long-standing Iranian suspicions of Britain dating back to the UK's role in engineering a coup against the popular Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953.The Tehran regime has also complained about the reporting of the elections by the BBC's new Persian language service. Interestingly, Iran has not taken similar steps against the America - it's so called arch enemy. Oddly enough, the US has been careful to harshly criticize the Iranian regime-suggesting that despite the fiery rhetoric between the two countries both governments are working in tandem to safeguard US interests stretching from Palestine to Afghanistan.

On 28 June 2009, Hizb ut-Tahrir Wilayah Pakistan organized a public lecture to mobilize the masses for stopping America's war in the tribal areas. At a time the government has announced an expansion of operations and even more army casualties, Deputy Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan, Imran Yousafzai, demanded that our sons in the Pakistan Army are no longer used as fuel for America's war to dominate the region.

Taking time out from claiming costs at the taxpayers expense, last week, David Cameron addressed a fundraiser at the Dorchester hotel for the influential Conservative Friends of Israel at which he slavishly pledged his commitment to Israel and claimed that "Israel strives to protect innocent life" despite its slaughter of over 1500 civilians last January.

Britain: Dramatic increase in the number of Muslim youth drinking alcohol

There has also been a huge rise in the number of young girls and Muslims drinking alcohol, the borough-by-borough study of alcohol abuse in the London found. James Cleverly, chairman of the London Assembly health and public services committee, which published the report, said: "The rise in young girls and Muslims drinking are the most concerning aspects of the report. "The investigation also revealed that the percentage of young drinkers of Bangladeshi origin has increased five-fold in four years, and those of Pakistani origin has more than doubled, while the number of white British drinkers has dropped. The figures show 10 per cent of youngsters of Pakistani origin and 12 per cent of Bangladeshi origin admit to drinking compared with four per cent and two per cent four years ago. But the percentage of white British 11 to 21-year-olds who admitted having drunk in the last year dropped from 80 per cent to 64 per cent. Mr Cleverly said: "The increase among these ethnic groups is alarming." He said the number of young Muslims who drink could be higher but they are scared of admitting it. The report raised concerns around how Muslim families will cope if a child develops an alcohol problem.

Will BRIC challenge western dominance?

This week the inaugural summit of the BRICs-Brazil, Russia, India, China-took place in Yekaterinburg. Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, called it "the epicentre of world politics". These four countries represent almost half of the world's population and about 20% of the global economy. The really striking thing about the gathering is that leaders of these countries discussed topics such as reforming the IMF; their demand for more say in global policy-making; and, in the case of China, Brazil and Russia, a plan to switch some of their foreign-currency reserves out of dollars and into IMF bonds. All this reflects growing self-confidence. The largest emerging markets are recovering fast and starting to think the recession may mark another milestone in a worldwide shift of economic power away from the West. However, it remains to be seen whether BRIC translate its relative economic advantage into political muscle. Until then it is unlikely that BRIC will be able to counter western dominance.

US Meddling in Iran all over again

This week US President Barack Obama said that he will not "meddle" in Iran, as thousands took to the streets of the capital Tehran after protests over the country's general election. But despite Osama's reassurances, America cannot be trusted. In 1953 the CIA orchestrated the removal of Mosaddeq's regime through mass demonstrations. Today, the blatant denouncing of the Iranian elections by the American media and US support of pro-opposition leaders bears close resemblance to 1953. The only missing ingredient is the active involvement of CIA. But that may soon change. According to Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker of July 8 last year: "Late last year 2007, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence and congressional sources. These operations, for which the President sought up to $400m, were described in a Presidential Finding signed by Bush, and are designed to destabilise the country's religious leadership." What should be clear to all is that America and the West will never allow Muslims to decide their own political destiny. Muslims can only decide their political future through the re-establishment of the Caliphate. Unlike the political medium in Iran, the caliphate will be independent from western interference and intrigue.

Zardari receives EU money to fight Islam

The European Union (EU) will give $100m to Pakistan in new humanitarian aid to help efforts to tackle "the economic crisis and terrorism", EU officials say. The so called aid was announced at the start of summit talks between President Asif Ali Zardari and EU leaders in Brussels. However, it soon became clear that the money was not intended to help the 3million refugees but to bolster Zardari's efforts to fight Islam. "I welcome President Zardari's commitment to reinforce the democratic institutions, reform the economy and defeat extremism and terrorism, which pose a threat not just to his country, but to its neighbours and to the rest of the world," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said. "In exchange, we want Pakistan to take the fight against terrorism very seriously and that they do a lot on their home front," said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Allah says: "O ye who believe! Take not My enemies and yours as friends (or protectors)- offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you, and have (on the contrary) driven out the Messenger and yourselves (from your homes), (simply) because ye believe in Allah your Lord! If ye have come out to strive in My Way and to seek My Good Pleasure (take them not as friends), holding secret converse of love (and friendship) with them: for I know full well all that ye conceal and all that ye reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed from the Straight Path."