UK – Features

Picture: (AFP/Vladimir Valishvili)
Georgians cheer while listening to a speech by President Mikheil Saakashvili from the steps of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi. Georgia and Russia have agreed to a peace plan brokered by France after Moscow ordered a halt to its military onslaught.

The leaders of two Russian-backed rebel regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, ruled out talks with Georgia’s leaders, accusing them of war crimes.

South Ossetia’s leader, Eduard Kokoity, was quoted as saying "There can be no talks with organizers of genocide…. Only judges at an international tribunal should talk to them".

Abkhaz rebel leader Sergei Bagapsh says "There will be no more negotiations with Georgia."

Bagapsh added "One should put state criminals on trial".

The two separatist leaders have long ruled out bilateral talks with Tbilisi.

Their latest comments were reported after Russia and Georgia agreed on a French peace plan to end fighting in and around the two regions.

Georgia last week attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to retake the region, sparking a massive retaliatory strike from Russia, which backs the separatists.

MRN-AFP

Read More »Reportrebel georgian regions rule out talks with tbilisi

Picture: (AFP/Tauseef Mustafa)
Indian Kashmiri Muslim demonstrators hold aloft an effigy depicting an Indian soldier during a demonstration in Srinagar on August 12. Security forces in Indian Kashmir have briefly relaxed a curfew as the casualty toll from two days of anti-India protests stood at 20 dead and at least 500 injured

Read More »Kashmir demonstrations

Picture: (AP Photo)
A damaged bus is seen, in the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon today. A bomb exploded near a bus carrying civilians and off-duty members of the military in the northern city of Tripoli early this morning. Suspicion fell on the possibility of the so called al-Qaida-inspired Islamic fighters seeking revenge on the military.

A security official says eleven people were killed in a bomb blast that rocked the north Lebanese port city of Tripoli this morning.

The official says "Eleven people were killed, including eight Lebanese soldiers," adding that 18 wounded remained in hospitals in the
area.

At least two of the dead succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

MRN-AFP

Read More »11 dead in Lebanon bombing

22 August 2008

Press Release

Detention of Two SA Muslims in Uganda on charges of “Terrorism”

The MEDIA REVIEW NETWORK (MRN) and MUSLIM JUDICIAL COUNCIL (MJC) express their deep concern at the arrest and detention of two Muslim South Africans in Uganda on the spurious charges of "terrorism".
 
The Islamic cleric Mufti Bhayat and Haroon Saley, from the Crescent of Hope organisation, are well known in the community for their selfless devotion in serving the poor and the destitute, for several decades.
 
The MRN and MJC are outraged that Muslims of undeniable integrity and a track-record of poverty alleviation have been profiled as "terrorists". This feeds into the orchestrated frenzy of 42that can only be detrimental to the harmonious relationship currently enjoyed by our people on the continent.
 
The MRN is preparing to send our Chairperson, Iqbal Jassat, to accompany Zahid Asmal of Channel Islam International, to Uganda, to make an assessment of the case.

The MRN and MJC have urged the Minister of Intelligence, Ronnie Kasrils, to intervene immediately and seek the release of our citizens back to our shores.
 
Issued by:
Dr Firoz Osman
Secretary-General
Media Review Network
082 337 6976

(Media Review Network is an advocacy group based in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa)

Read More »Pr detention of two sa muslims in uganda on charges of terrorism