Posts tagged "United Kingdom"

Cameras installed to track Muslims in UK city

by Abdullah on Jun 5, 2010 Muslims, Security, Terrorism, United Kingdom • Comments Closed • Muslims, Security, Terrorism, United Kingdom

About 150 automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPRs) have been installed in two predominantly Muslim areas of Britain’s second biggest city Birmingham from the government’s anti-terrorism fund, it was reported Saturday.

The cameras, including 40 concealed in walls and trees, are targeted to track the precise movement of people entering and leaving the Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath neighbourhoods of Birmingham, central England in the first surveillance of its kind in the UK.

The installation project, which is three times the number to monitor the city centre, was principally been sold to locals as an attempt to combat antisocial behavior, vehicle crime and drug dealing in the area.

But according to the Guardian, the cameras have been paid for by a £3 million grant from the Terrorism and Allied Matters Fund, which has been previously used to monitor potential targets but not whole communities.

Respect Party councillor for Sparkbrook Salma Yaqoob said that the funding arrangement was not made clear to the local authority, which was only told at a briefing the money was from the Home Office.

“The terrorism aspect was certainly not emphasised in that meeting. In fact it was me having to be portrayed as the awkward squad, or even paranoid, for even raising the issue of whether this was really about counterterrorism,” Yaqoob said.

“I raised my concern then: is this really about spying?” she said, but who was told “No, this is about burglary and crime.”

The surveillance of Muslims is in addition to the government’s Prevent extremism program, which the Institute of Race Relations has already castigated as “one of the most elaborate systems of surveillance ever seen in Britain”.

Prevent, set up by the Home Office over two years ago, offers additional funding to work with community groups to effectively spy on all Muslims as potential terrorists.

5 Tips For Your Next Cross Border Shopping Trip

by wq153446 on Oct 13, 2010 Business, Humour, PPC, PTI, TTP, Uncategorized, World News • Comments Closed • Knowledge, United Kingdom, world

Canadians have long been lured across the border where there is a great selection of goods and often better deals and prices. But before you head out for that south of the border shopping excursion you might want to read this article for some common sense tips and information.

When is the best time to go on a Cross Border Shopping Trip?

It’s pretty tricky to predict the times when the border is going to have the least amount of traffic. Alot of cross border shoppers say if you get their on a weekend at 7 am the border is likely to not have alot of traffic.

Long weekends are known to have a backlog of traffic so you might want to avoid those.

Leave your Credit Card at Home

On alot of major credit cards there is a 2.5 per cent fee for out of country purchases. For example TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, CIBI and The Bank of Montreal all charge this fee. If you are a frequent cross border shopper you may want to consider getting a US bank account or a US credit card.

Note: You won’t see this on your credit card statement as it’s rolled in with the exchange rate. You also won’t know the exact exchange rate you get charged because you don’t know how many days it will take for the business to process your credit card transaction.

Exchange Your Cash in Canada

Before you embark on your trip you will want to get some cash from a bank in Canada. American retailers often charge very different exchange rates. If you have your American Greenbacks all ready to go before you leave Canada, you will know exactly the type of deal you are getting.

How much is the personal exemption?

Personal exemption depends on the amount of time you are in the states.

Less Than 24 Hours You don’t qualify for any exemption, you must pay duty on everything you bring back with you. 24 hours to 48 Hours If you are gone for between 24 and 48 hours your personal exemption is $50. That means if you buy $50 worth of american goods you don’t need to pay a tariff on that first $50. You can’t include cigarettes or alcohol in this exemption and the goods must be on your person. More than 48 hours Your exemption for more than 48 hours is $400 worth of purchases. The following items are also exempt in this time frame: 1.15 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or 1.14 litres of wine and liquor or 24 cans or bottles of beer 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 200 grams of manufactured tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks. 1 Week or More If you are going for a week or more your personal exemption limit is $750 CDN. You can also bring back these items: 1.15 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or 1.14 litres of wine and liquor or 24 cans or bottles of beer 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 200 grams of manufactured tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks. You may also include tobacco and cigarettes as a partial exemption and you are allowed to ship some items home before you cross the border. Note: The day you leave does not count as part of the seven days.
Account for Duty Charges

Different items and materials are charged at different rates. Don’t forget to account for these anomalies. You might want to do some research with the Canada Border Services Agency first.

Camel farm gains credibility

by sufisahab on Oct 3, 2009 Better life values, Careers, Health & Fitness, Knowledge, United Kingdom, World News • Comments Closed • Careers, Health & Fitness, Knowledge, United Kingdom, world

Dr Marcel Smits

The Bedouin of the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula have long been convinced that the milk of camels can cure almost any internal disease, driving bacteria from the body.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations reports that doctors in parts of Russia and Kazakhstan often prescribe it to convalescing patients.

In India, camel milk is used therapeutically against jaundice, tuberculosis, asthma, anaemia and piles.

And there is some evidence of a much-reduced incidence of diabetes in parts of the country where it is regularly drunk.

European health food?

In the Netherlands, proving the veracity of such claims to a sceptical European audience has become a family concern.

When 26-year-old Frank Smits became Europe’s first commercial camel farmer, his father, Marcel, a neurologist at Gelderse Vallei Hospital in Ede, decided to help the cause by recruiting his medical colleagues to look into some of the alleged health benefits of his son’s product.

Three years down the line, Dr Smits has attracted enough interest and credibility for his research to win funding from the local health authority and nearby Wageningen University.

“I think this milk does have some potential to become a new health food in Europe, but I prefer health food when it’s proven scientifically,” he said. “And that’s what we are trying to do.

“For example, we did a study with diabetic patients, involving giving them half a litre of either cow or camel milk here in the hospital, starting early in the morning and monitoring their blood sugar level every 30 minutes for three hours.”

The patients were not told whether they had drunk milk from a cow or a camel, said Dr Smits, adding that the the full results from the tests would be available at the beginning of next year.

“In the meantime, we are starting a bigger study, lasting three months, with up to 200 diabetic patients and we would not be commissioning such a study if the results of the first research had not been encouraging,” said Dr Smits.

“We have also found evidence that diabetics feel better when they are regularly drinking camel milk, that their quality of life seems to improve.

“I don’t know if this is only the influence on the diabetes or if it is also other aspects of camel milk which improve well-being. And that is also one of the things we are looking into.” (more…)

children among migrants heading for UK

by Abdurrahman on Sep 25, 2009 Afghanistan, Better life values, World News • Comments Closed • Afghanistan, children, refugees, United Kingdom, world

Afghan refugees Fawad, 10, left, and Jawed, 12. They have been living rough on the streets of Calais since the destruction of their refugee camp.

The UN’s refugee agency warned today that children as young as three are among the migrants attempting to reach Britain and that the number of unaccompanied refugee children is on the increase.

There is evidence that ever younger children are attempting dangerous journeys around the world, said William Spindler, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR).

“There have always been minors, but in the last 18 months or so, we have seen younger children, and more families with small children. Recently we encountered a child of three with its mother,” he said.

The warning came three days after the French government destroyed a makeshift refugee camp known as the “jungle” near Calais, detaining 278 migrants, including 132 children. The Guardian spoke to three Afghan cousins aged 10, 12 and 13 who are now sleeping rough on the streets of Calais. (more…)

Kashmiris in UK condemn Pak

by Abdurrahman on Sep 27, 2009 Muslims, Pakistan, Politics, Protest, United Kingdom • Comments Closed • Muslims, Pakistan, Politics, United Kingdom, world

Zardari

A UK-based Kashmiri group has accused Pakistan of never hesitating to fund militants in the northern areas and rejected that country’s move to give the Gilgit-Baltistan region a province-like status.

“Pakistani establishment has always exploited the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. It has never hesitated to fund jihadi and sectarian Taliban in the region for a long time,” Mujatba Ali Shah, information secretary of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), told Kashmiris demonstrating in front of the high commission of Pakistan here.

He said “thousands of indigenous Shia Muslims have been killed by sectarian groups, who are agents of Pakistan’s secret services, but Pakistan carried a blanket ban on Gilgit-Baltistan so that the world could not know about the genocide of local people.”

Shah said Pakistan’s move to give the Gilgit-Baltistan region a province-like status “is aimed at giving China an upper hand in the region by giving it full-fledged access to the area and its resources.”

The United States and other countries with influence on Pakistan must ask it questions in this regard, he said.

UKPNP leader Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmir, addressing the gathering telephonically from Geneva, said the organization was “unequivocally” against Pakistan government’s move to give Gilgit-Baltistan a province-like status and branded it as the colonisation of the area.

Kuwait’s Amir donates 10 million pounds to UK Islamic center

by Asad on Jan 30, 2010 Islam, Kuwait • Comments Closed • Islam, Kuwait, United Kingdom

His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has donated 10 million pounds to Oxford Center for Islamic Studies (OCIS), Kuwait’s ambassador in London said Friday. The donation was delivered by visiting Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Ahmad to British Crown Prince Charles in a ceremony at Clarence House, Khalid al-Duwaisan said following the event. The move is a good addition to the distinguished relations between Kuwait and the UK and will surely contribute to bolstering and cementing bilateral historical ties, the Kuwaiti ambassador said.

Founded in 1985, the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies (OCIS) is a key world scientific institution that seeks to stimulate and promote academic studies bearing on the Islamic religion, and is a significant bridge between the West and the Muslim world, he added. Prince Charles is the honorary chairman of the British-Kuwaiti Friendship Society and the OCIS.

For his part, the OCIS director, Farhan Nethami, told KUNA that the Amir’s donation to the OCIS is an extension of Kuwait’s relentless contributions to buttressing international scientific institutions. He also thanked Kuwait for contributing to building the OCIS’s library at Oxford University. The Kuwaiti deputy prime minister and foreign minister is a member of the OCIS’s board of trustees. The center mainly aims to create a deeper understanding of Islam and the Muslim world in the West.

Mutual mistrust won’t stop extremism

by sufisahab on Dec 16, 2009 Islam, Muslims, Pakistan, United Kingdom, World News • Comments Closed • Islam, Muslim, Pakistan, Terrorism, United Kingdom

The arrest of five American Muslims in Pakistan allegedly conspiring to join the terrorist groups Jaysh Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba exposes a troubling phenomenon of domestic radicalisation, but also highlights an evolved, proactive Muslim American community seeking partnership to curb extremism.

The five young, American born, basketball loving, community service volunteers from Virginia allegedly join a growing number of jihadist-wannabes. Despite appearing mild mannered, well educated and seemingly assimilated, they are often hijacked by an appealing and delusional narrative extolling the heroism of martyrdom which is promoted by extremists, who successfully use the internet for global recruitment and indoctrination. The justification for their criminality is rationalised by a perverse misunderstanding of their religion which is anchored by a growing resentment towards those state actors committing what they see as anti-Muslim violence and oppression.

Recently, the disturbed army major Nidal Hasan killed 13 fellow soldiers at Fort Hood allegedly retaliating against the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which he often referred to as “war on Islam”.

Furthermore, two US Muslim men were convicted of plotting to aid terrorists by filming landmarks around Washington DC and sending the clips as potential target sites to terrorists abroad.

These isolated examples of imported radicalism nonetheless fuel the latent prejudices of a minority convinced their 4 million Muslim American neighbours represent a treacherous fifth column of stealth jihadists ready to spontaneously ignite. Despite the visible existence of millions of practising American Muslims who belie this stereotype by never engaging in terrorism, let alone felonies or misdemeanors, a study by the Pew Research Centre found that 38% of all Americans say Islam is more likely to encourage violence than other religions. (more…)

Pak lawyer to move UN, sue Facebook

by Abdullah on May 22, 2010 Islam, Muslims, Pakistan, World News • Comments Closed • Islam, Muslims, Pakistan, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Protest, United Kingdom

As the whole Muslim world is protesting against Facebook for displaying the caricatures of the Holy Prophet (SAW), a Lahore based lawyer vows to approach the United Nations and also will sue the Facebook admin for hurting sentiments of the Muslims across the globe.

Azhar Siddique Advocate, a public litigation lawyer, while talking to The News said that he would approach the United Nations and would urge the highest forum to take action against those who were responsible for Facebook caricatures. “I will sue the owners of Facebook (Mark Elliot Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz), the writers, the artists (Andy) and the management of Facebook who committed the heinous and serious crime”, said the lawyer.

“Facebook has temporarily been blocked in Pakistan under orders of the Lahore High Court. However this closure does not initiate proceedings for conviction and sentencing the accused under the national and international laws and protocols as well as the Charter of the United Nations. For this reason, as a deeply aggrieved person I have lodged a complaint against Facebook owners in Pakistan and will move to the highest authority in the days to come”, said Azhar Siddique. (more…)

Pakistan ‘arrests five Britons at Islamabad airport’

by Abdurrahman on Jan 19, 2010 Pakistan, Security, United Kingdom • Comments Closed • Pakistan, Security, United Kingdom

Airport officials thought to be investigating whether passports were genuine or fake

They were arrested along with five Pakistani nationals after they were allegedly seen swapping boarding cards, the officials said.

However, a spokesman for the Foreign Office said that no British nationals had been arrested.

According to a Pakistan immigration official, five British nationals were booked onto a flight to Manchester, believed to be operated by local airline Air Blue, while the Pakistani nationals were due to board a flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The ten had already completed immigration and security checks, including having their photographs taken, and were in the departure lounge when they were arrested, the officials said.

A Foreign office spokesman said there was no indication that the incident was terrorism-related, while other sources suggested the motivation for swapping boarding cards was more likely to be illegal immigration into Britain by the Pakistani nationals.

“We’re investigating their motives,” said a Pakistan interior ministry official.

Prisoners convert to Islam for perks

by ali on Jun 8, 2010 Islam, Muslims, United Kingdom • Comments Closed • Islam, Muslims, United Kingdom

Prisons should not treat all Muslims as 'potential terrorists'

Inmates in Britain are converting to Islam because of the “perks” they can receive in jail, the Chief Inspector of Prisons warned in a report published yesterday.

Ms Anne Owers also said Muslim prisoners are being driven to extremism because they are all treated as potential terrorists while in jail, despite the fact that fewer than one per cent are in prison for terror-related offences.

Some prisoners believe they will receive “material benefits” such as more time out of their cell and better food during the fasting month of Ramadan if they become Muslim, Ms Owers said in her report.

Among the reasons given by inmates for switching to Islam was the opportunity of “support and protection in a group with a powerful identity” and the discipline and structure provided by observing Islam through prayer.

The Chief Inspector also voices scepticism over claims by high security prison staff that gangs are forcing non-Muslim prisoners to convert to Islam through intimidation.

Some inmates who converted – known as “convenience Muslims” – adopt the religion in order to get benefits available only to Muslims.

Some converts admitted that they had changed faith because they get to have more time out of the cells to go for Friday prayers, the Times of London reported.

One convert was quoted in Ms Owers’ report as saying: “Food good too, initially this is what converted me.”

The number of Muslims in prison in England and Wales has soared in recent years from 5 per cent of the prison population in 1994 to 8 per cent in 2004 and to more than 12 per cent, on the latest figures.

The treatment of Muslim inmates by the Prison Service risks a “self-fulfilling prophecy” of leaving them alienated and disaffected, Ms Owers warned.

“It would be naive to deny that there are, within the prison population, Muslims who hold radical extremist views, or who may be attracted to them for a variety of reasons.” she said.

“But that does not argue for a blanket security-led approach to Muslim prisoners in general. The National Offender Management Service must develop a strategy, with support and training, for effective staff engagement with Muslims as individual prisoners with specific risks and needs, rather than as part of a separate and troubling group,” she added.

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