British police promotes head scarves to improve community relations

British police in Somerset is issuing head coverings to its female officers so they can enter mosques. The head coverings have so far been given to 15 officers, including Assistant Chief Constable Jackie Roberts. She said: "The scheme recognizes and respects the cultural and religious practices of our communities." If the British establishments is really sincere about building good relations with the Muslims community it should start immediately by withdrawing its troops from Muslim lands, rolling back terror laws that target Muslims and ending the daily abuse of Muslims via the British media.

A second Russian base in Kyrgyzstan

A high-ranking Kremlin aide said Wednesday that Russia aims to establish a second military base in Kyrgyzstan , where the United State also has an important air base, Russian news agencies reported. The comments by Sergei Prikhodko underlined how Kyrgyzstan , although small, poor and little-known until recently, has become important geopolitically. The base would be used by a rapid-reaction force being formed by the Russia-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization, Prikhodko said. "In essence, this is not a Russian base," he said, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. The agency cited him as saying that Russia and Kyrgyzstan have agreed in principle on establishing the base. The issue will be discussed when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meets other CSTO leaders in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, Prikhodko said, according to ITAR-Tass. Other CSTO members are Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Bakiyev has made Kyrgyzstan the centre of American-Russian rivalry. Rather than working to free Kyrgyzstan of foreign powers he is busy oscillating between Russia and America, unable to determine who to please.

Once again the US attempts to divide the Taliban

As part of a new strategy, the United States and its Nato allies in Afghanistan are trying to reach out to the second tier of the Taliban leadership, while continuing to use military force to tame or eliminate the hardcore. Gen Stanley McChrystal, the new US commander in Afghanistan , provided some insight into the new strategy in an interview published on Wednesday. Gen McChrystal, who has prepared a briefing paper for President Barack Obama on the situation in Afghanistan , disagreed with those who say that no dialogue with the Taliban was possible. ‘There is significant potential to go after what I would call mid- and low-level Taliban fighters and leaders and offer them re-integration into Afghanistan under the constitution,' he said.'Most of the fighters we see in Afghanistan are Afghans, some with foreign cadre with them. But most we don't see are deeply ideological or even politically motivated,' he added. ‘Most are operating for pay; some are under a commander's charismatic leadership; some are frustrated with local leaders.' This is not the first time the US and her allies have sought to divide the Taliban. Ever since America 's invasion of Afghanistan , the US government has been seeking to split the Taliban but has hitherto failed.

Zardari solicits Tajikistan in America's war against Islam

Pakistan , Afghanistan and Tajikistan Thursday vowed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism and organized crime and also strengthen their trade, energy and communication ties. Agreement on this came at a trilateral meeting between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon  ‘Today we will write another page in the history of the region and bring the concept of regional ownership to the war in Afghanistan ‘, Zardari said at a joint press stakeout with the other two leaders after the meeting. ‘We stand together and will face all eventualities', Zardari added, pointing to the threats terrorists posed to national interests. The three countries agreed that terrorism was a regional phenomenon that necessitated a comprehensive, concerted and coordinated approach with full participation of the states and local communities. Militancy, separatism, extremism and organized crimes undermine regional peace and stability and pose a threat to the security of all regional states, a joint declaration signed by the three presidents said.

Naked girls plough fields in India for rain

Farmers in an eastern Indian state have asked their unmarried daughters to plough parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said .Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar state ploughed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the ploughs. "They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar 's remote Banke Bazaar town. "This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily." "And who is more astray than one who calls (invokes) besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection; and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them? And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become enemies for them and will deny their worshipping." [TMQ:46,5-6]