Even in death, Mandela exposes hypocrisy of Western rulers

December, 2013
Nelson Mandela has exposed the hypocrisy of Western rulers that have made a beeline to join his funeral in South Africa. Kings, presidents, prime ministers and others will be there to proclaim Mandela’s greatness while they indulged and continue to indulge in the worst kinds of crimes against humanity imaginable.

• Mandela, 95, bids farewell to the world

• Concrete steps to end sectarian strife in Pakistan

• Karzai, US play cat and mouse over security deal

• Hizbullah commander assassinated in Beirut

• Iran, neighbours take steps for better relations

Content and implications of the Iran-West deal

December, 2013
After three rounds of intense negotiations in Geneva, Iran and the P5+1 countries signed an interim deal in the early hours of November 24 relating to Iran’s nuclear program. The deal to last for six months calls for Iran to limit its nuclear activity in return for some relief from sanctions.

Dealing with sectarianism

December, 2013
In Islam difference of opinion is permitted but in a respectful manner. Sectarianism is a deliberately propagated ideology of hate in which one group of Muslims denounces another as ‘kafirs’ and even resorts to killing. Such hate ideology must be exposed and confronted.

• Bandar is no Bilal... he is Wahshi

• Foreign policy for principled objectives

Hopeful changes in Turkish policy

December, 2013
After experiencing repeated failures in its policies, especially in Syria, Iraq and Egypt, Turkey has embarked on a course correction in foreign policy. One hopes these are sincere and that Ankara would work for peace and justice rather than disunity in the region.

• How money works and talks

War on Syria drawing down or escalating?

December, 2013
The US and its Western and Zionist-Wahhabi allies may have lost in Syria but this should not lead one to conclude that their mischief-making is over. Vigiliance and prudent rather than complacency are required.

• Turkey’s return to “zero problem” policy

• Pledge to end sectarian violence in Pakistan

• Taliban’s proxy wars in the region

• Aliyev regime dug own grave with electoral fraud

• USS Gerald R. Ford--$14 billion lethal creation

Alternative reality for Afghanistan’s future

December, 2013
Afghanistan does not need Western-style democracy but a return to its traditional method of solving disputes in the country. Twelve years of stuffing democracy down the throats of Afghans has created more chaos and mayhem with no end in sight to this tragedy for the people.

• Genesis of the Kashmir dispute

• Aal Saud: The primitive clan from Dar‘iyyah

New guidelines for international relations

December, 2013
In his book, Hegemony and Sovereign Equality: The Interest Contiguity Theory in International Relations, M J Balogun argues for a new set of principles to guide international relations making a strong case for discarding the old discredit methods used so far.

More Zionist encroachments in Masjid al-Aqsa

December, 2013
The Zionists never give up. Not only have they stolen almost all of Palestine but they have also intensified their encroachment and attacks on the Haram al-Sharif that contains the Masjid al-Aqsa. Muslims worldwide should take note of this and prevent the Zionists from succeeding.

Tale of Malala and Nabeela

December, 2013
Why is Malala promoted but Nabeela, another Pakistani girl who is the victim of US drone strikes, is ignored, is a question many in Pakistan are beginning to raise including this reader.

• Hamas leadership’s decisions

• Drone deaths

• Changed global environment

• Saudi failure