Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Pakistan has issued this Publicized Policy Position (PPP) regarding the relationship of men and women in society. The ideology of capitalism espouses Western liberalism which undermines the family structure; the Khilafah "Caliphate" will nurture it, forming the firm foundations of an Islamic society.

A. PREAMBLE: Western, failed, corrupt liberal values must not be imported as if they are solutions to our problems

News:

News agency Tatar-inform reported about the all-Russian conference "Islam-Online" that took place on the 4^th of April in the capital of Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan. Approximately 100 representatives of electronic media from different regions of Russia gathered in this conference.

Spiritual Board of Muslims of Tatarstan that organized this activity dominated the aim of this conference as consolidation of Muslim journalists to propagate the values of the so-called "traditional Islam".

Acting mufti of Tatarstan, Kamil Samigullin, during the conference requested to create the Association of Islamic electronic media and to adopt a "Lawbook of Muslim Journalism".

Comment:

Muslim ministry once again became an implement, which is used by authorities to manage the minds of Muslims.  To reach such an aim they decided to recruit journalists - they directly influence the consciences of people.

In this case the conference is organized within the framework of the large-scale campaign against the Islamic web activity. Putin set this course on the 14^th of February at the extended board of FSB, stating: "You must act strong to neutralize different extremist structures. You must block attempts of radicals to use abilities of information technologies, Internet resources and social networks for propaganda."

He confirmed this direction of law enforcement authorities on the 7^th of March at the extended board of General prosecutor's office. He said, "A number of radical groups act defiantly today... They organize public activities, spread criminal ideas using the Internet, recruit public supporters."

These statements demonstrate, that the leadership of the country worries about uncontrollable information centers for Muslims. Muslims naturally began to seek non-official, independent Islamic resources, because authorities took control all the print media, and forces the imams of the mosques to coordinate their khutbas with FSB.

The authorities are afraid of the uncontrollable Internet. Internet activities nearly erupted in revolution in Russia a year ago, when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Moscow, demanding Putin's resignation.  Naturally, the danger of power of uncontrollable Internet resources increases through political activism of Muslims, which is prescribed by the religion. This is why in the "Islamic Internet" Putin views it as a threat. He also considers the nearly 20-million Muslim population in his country.

The greatest concern is the scale of influence of Internet on society. So, the chairman of committee of the State Duma in information politics, information technologies and communication, Aleksey Mitrofanov said during the conference on the 19th of March: "The era of free Internet has ended. It was not a factor of politics, or economics, when there were only 2 millions of Internet users. But now there are 45 million users in the country, so it became a factor and we must to control it."

This conference and all Putin's harsh statements about the work of Islamic activists indicate the real ideological breakthrough among Muslims of Russia. The main intellectual activity of the Islamic Ummah was transferred to the uncontrollable virtual areas in the last few years, and Muslims in Russia were not outside of this motion vector.  It is not a secret, that the key role in revolutions in the Arab countries played a part on the activists using the Web, where they could reach wide audiences, after blocking the ordinary mass media for them.

With the permission of Allah, the abilities of the Internet will play the similar role on the Russian-speaking media area, that covers all countries of CIS, where almost 100 million Muslims live.

Usman Salihov

During his April 4th visit to the capital of the troubled province of Baluchistan, Quetta, General Kayani, announced his pleasure at "inclusive elections" within the democratic system, urging the people to participate in these elections. This statement is pouring salt on the wounds of the noble Muslims of Baluchistan, for Democracy itself enabled

Headlines:

• Arab World Faces $89 Billion Food Gap By 2020
• 40% of Pakistan's Youth Want Islamic Law: Survey
• UK Aid ‘Helping Fund Re-election Campaign' of PPP
• North Korea Warns Military Cleared to Wage Nuclear Attack against US
• Anti-Muslim 'Radicals' Driving Myanmar Unrest, Experts Say

Details:

Arab World Faces $89 Billion Food Gap By 2020:

Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, has warned that the food crisis in the Arab world is getting bigger and it is expected to reach $89 billion in 2020. "Estimated at $41 billion in 2010, the food gap is widening and expected to reach $89 billion in 2020," he told a conference in Dubai on Tuesday. Currently there is a need for agriculture investment worth $65-80 billion to fill this gap, Shaikh Hamdan added. He attributed the expansion of food crisis in the Arab region to weak infrastructure, unhealthy investment environment, poor financial resource, lack of scientific researches as well as the undeveloped agriculture services. "The recent agriculture projects in the Arab world were not effective enough and didn't translate to the required result in food production along with the increasing demand on food." The Arab world is prey to the global food price volatility, as most countries in the region are net food importers. A shortage in food grain in 2007-08 had pushed up the food prices globally and had an adverse affect in the region, pushing up inflation, prompting countries to formulate food security policy and raise buffer stock. While most of the Arab countries are rich in agriculture resources, the total area of cultivated land represent only five per cent of the overall lands of the Arab world while it is also represent only 1.4 per cent of the fertilised area available for agriculture.

40% of Pakistan's Youth Want Islamic Law: Survey:

Ahead of crucial elections marking the first democratic transition in Pakistan's history, more than 90 per cent of the youth believe the country is heading in the wrong direction while nearly 40 per cent think Shariah or Islamic law would be the best political system, a survey said. These are among the key findings of a new survey by the British Council that focussed on youths between 18 and 29 years, who are expected to play an important role in the May 11 general election. The ‘Next Generation Goes to the Ballot Box' report, published today, indicated deep pessimism among the youth, many of whom will be voting for the first time. "In 2007, 50 per cent of the youth thought Pakistan was heading in the wrong direction, today that figure is 94 percent," Zaka said. A majority of respondents - 38 percent - said Islamic Shariah would be the best political system for Pakistan while 32 per cent backed military rule and only 29 per cent favoured democracy, according to the survey that covered over 5,200 youths across the country. Those who backed Islamic law said it was the best system for "promoting moral behaviour", eradicating corruption, ensuring access to electricity and water, and providing people with healthcare and education. Sixty-four per cent of male youths described themselves as conservative or religious while the figure for females was 75 percent.

UK Aid ‘Helping Fund Re-election Campaign' of PPP:

A leading development economist has alleged, in evidence to a parliamentary probe, that the BISP was being used to buy support for Pakistan Peoples Party, a report published in British newspaper The Daily Telegraph said. "The fact that it is called Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) tends to suggest that there is what is called clientelism," Dr Ehtisham Ahmad, who held several senior positions at the IMF, told The Daily Telegraph. "The more you give the more benefit there is to the party that bears the Bhutto name." Britain's Department for International Development (DfID) was pouring money into a scheme riven by "clientelism", according to Ahmad, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. "It is not stolen to the extent to which previous cash transfers were stolen, but this is the mechanism, which is funded partly by DFID, to make friends and influence people. This is the re-election campaign of Mr Zardari, which is funded by DFID," he said. "Well done." Britain has rapidly expanded its assistance in recent years. Pakistan is on course to becoming the biggest recipient of UK aid, receiving £450m per year by 2015.

North Korea Warns Military Cleared to Wage Nuclear Attack Against US:

South Korea says North Korea has moved a missile with "considerable range" to its east coast after an unnamed spokesman for the North Korean army warned the U.S. Wednesday that its military has been cleared to wage an attack using "smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear" weapons. South Korea's defence minister said Thursday the missile moved is not capable of hitting the United States. Kim Kwan-jin dismissed reports in Japanese and South Korean media that the missile could be a KN-08, which is believed to be a long-range missile that if operable could hit the United States. Kim told lawmakers at a hearing that the missile's range is considerable but not far enough to hit the U.S. mainland. He said he did not know the reasons behind the missile movement, saying it "could be for testing or drills." The range he described could refer to a mobile North Korean missile known as the Musudan, which has a range of 1,800 miles. That would make Japan and South Korea potential targets, but little is known about the missile's accuracy. North Korea has railed for weeks against joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises taking place in South Korea and has expressed anger over tightened sanctions for a February nuclear test. The army spokesman said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency that troops have been authorized to counter U.S. aggression with "powerful practical military counteractions." National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden called the threats "unhelpful and unconstructive."

Anti-Muslim 'Radicals' Driving Myanmar Unrest, Experts Say:

Two years after a repressive junta ceded power, Myanmar is grappling with a surge in religious extremism that experts trace to anti-Muslim "provocateurs" including radical Buddhist monks. At least 43 people have been killed while mosques and Muslim homes have been destroyed over the past fortnight in central Myanmar, in a wave of violence that witnesses say seems to have been well organised. "It is clear that there are some agents provocateurs with radical anti-Muslim agendas at work in the country - including influential Buddhist monks preaching intolerance and hatred of Muslims," said Jim Della-Giacoma, a Myanmar expert with the International Crisis Group think-tank. "Also, the systematic and methodical way in which Muslim neighbourhoods were razed to the ground is highly suggestive of some degree of advance planning by radical elements," he added. Monks - once at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement and viewed with reverence in this devout Buddhist-majority nation - have been linked to the unrest. Some members of the clergy have been involved in the violence, while others are spearheading a move to shun shops owned by Muslims and only visit stores run by Buddhists, identified by stickers showing the number "969", which has become a symbol of their campaign. "When the profit goes to the enemy's hand, our nationality, language and religion are all harmed," said Wirathu, a monk from Mandalay whose anti-Muslim remarks have come under recent scrutiny. "They will take girls with this money. They will force them to convert religion. All children born to them will be a danger to the country. They will destroy the language as well as the religion," he said in a speech put online.

Abu Hashim