“Women to Reclaim Public Space” Women’s Action Forum held a program of defiance and resistance at Karachi-Pakistan Press Club on 8th May 2009. Arundhati Roy was the closing speaker.
Taliban boy’s interview who asked the interviewer that government can ban the plastic shopping bags by making law then why can’t government of Pakistan ban women to not to come out of the houses? The point is that the plastic bag was made in a factory but so was the boy. He was made in a factory that is producing this kind …

The House Committee on Appropriations has approved $1.9 billion for Pakistan for the next fiscal year, $591 million above the request. This also includes $597 million to help address the economic crisis, about $100 million above the request.
The fund to address the economic crisis will be used for agriculture and food security, strengthening national and provincial governance, expanding the rule of law, and improving access to and quality of education. The amount also includes assistance for more than a million people displaced in the fight against terror and now …

The U.N. refugee agency announced recently that half a million people have fled the fighting between Pakistan Army and Taliban in Swat in the past few days bringing the total displaced in recent months to 1 million.
A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said the fighting has led to massive displacement in the area. Ron Redmond said up to 200,000 people have arrived in safe areas in the past few days and that another 300,000 are on the move or are about to flee.
Redmond told reporters in …

The Pakistan army has started operation against the Talibans in Sawat area after the agreement between TNS fell apart. 
The military spokesman Major-General Atthar Abbas told a news briefing at army headquarters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, ”Approximately 143 militants have been reported killed in Swat valley.” 
He further said, “On the directive of the government, the army is now engaged in a full-scale operation to eliminate the militants. They are on the run and trying to block exodus of civilians from the area.”  The helicopter gunships, fighters and troops were all involved in Swat …

Swine flu or Influenza A H1N1 viral infection cases have been confirmed across the United States, Canada, Mexico and other part of the world. Swine Flu or Mexico flu is a contagious respiratory illness that can be spread from human to human, by coughing, sneezing, and coming into contact with virus-covered surfaces.
Symptoms
According to the CDC, like seasonal flu, symptoms of swine flu infections can include fever, which is usually high, cough, runny nose or stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme and …

Israeli Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman told a news conference at a hospital in central Israel, “we should call this Mexican flu and not swine flu.” He was pointing to the refence to pigs is offence to Jews and Muslims.
JERUSALEM (AP) — The outbreak of swine flu should be renamed “Mexican” influenza in deference to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork, said an Israeli health official Monday.
Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said the reference to pigs is offensive to both religions and “we should call this Mexican flu and not …

Dalia Mogahed has been appointed to President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She will be advising the President Obama on prejudices and problems faced by Muslims.
Dalia Mogahed is a senior analyst and executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite news channel, she said, “My work focuses on studying Muslims, the way they think and their views. Then I should tell the president about their problems and needs, especially that lately Muslims have been perceived as a source …

A policeman in Kuwait refused to salute a female police officer just because she is a woman. He told the woman police officer that it is below his dignity to salute her she is a woman and I am a ‘man’. The male police officers citing local social values, cultural norms and local traditions to justify their stance.
The woman police officer has filed a formal complainted against the policeman. It will be interesting to see what will be the outcome of the complaint.
The women police officers were graduated on March …

Rabia Zargarpur or Rabia Z, born and raised in UAE, moved to United States about 15 years ago, is now back in UAE with her husband.  In an interview, she said, “I speak as a fashion designer, a Muslim, a woman and a mother and it’s a tremendous achievement to finally see the fashion industry and the world of commerce appreciate and encourage the idea of an up and coming international brand name which seeks to fulfil the fashion needs of contemporary women of the Islamic faith.”
She further said, “It …

I was watching CBC’s programm ‘Passionate Eye” about the Pakistani taliban. It showed an interview of a ‘talib’ in an Islamic school in Karachi, Pakistan.  The Talib was very keen to join taliban after finishing his studies and work for their cause.
He strongly beleived that women should remain inside the house and government of Pakistan should enforce a law prohibiting all the women coming out of house.
Most surprising part of his interview was his willingness to become a suicide bomber after permission from his parents. When asked is it not …