Pakistan Observer - Sports News

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Islamic principles work with democracy

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

MUSLIM nations are warming up to an era of religious tolerance and good governance. From Tunisia to Pakistan, the Muslim world is in turmoil, as each country struggles to find its own path to an Arab Spring. Pessimists say that, in the end, all of these countries will end up with some form of authoritarian regime either because Islamic parties cannot accept democracy or out of fear that these regimes will keep a nation out of the modern world. But I am an optimist. I believe the democratic ferment in the Arab world will eventually bring an era of relative democracy, religious tolerance and good governance. And I believe guiding Islamic principles will lead the way. Without a doubt, revolutions are messy. When revolutions occur after decades of authoritarian rule, the next stage is often chaotic and sometimes violent.

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Clinton 1st US visitor to Laos in 57 years

Cambodia—Hillary Clinton Wednesday became the first US secretary of state to visit Laos for 57 years, on a trip focused on the damaging legacy of the Vietnam War and a controversial dam project. At Vientiane’s flag-bedecked Wattay International airport, Clinton was given flowers by girls in traditional purple-silk costumes, kicking off her brief but historic trip. “It’s a pretty big deal for the Laotians, and we will underscore a number of areas that we’re working on together,” a senior US official said. These include left over ordnance from the war which ended in 1975, excavating the remains of US soldiers missing in action, and the continuing effects of defoliant Agent Orange, used by the US to try to flush out communist forces.

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Syrian rebels ask Russia to drop Assad support

Damascus—The head of Syria’s main exiled opposition group sought Wednesday to convince Russia to drop all support for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, saying there was no hope of a political transition. Syrian National Council chief Abdel Basset Sayda told Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in rare talks at the Russian foreign ministry that Moscow needed to understand his country was in the throes of a revolution.

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The challenges facing Egypt’s new president

Muhammad Shukri

THE new Egyptian President, Mohammed Mursi, faces immense challenges on the domestic front, having inherited a politically divided country with a heavy legacy of corruption, poverty, rampant unemployment and security problems.Externally, Egypt’s new leader will also encounter a number of serious challenges, the most prominent of which are relations with Israel, the US and Iran. Here is a look at some of the most pressing issues.

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China backs Annan’s call for Iran role in Syrian solution

Beijing—China threw its weight behind U.N. envoy Kofi Annan on Wednesday, backing his call to include Iran in internationally-brokered talks to resolve Syria’s crisis, in the face of strong Western opposition. “China believes that the appropriate resolution of the Syria issue cannot be separated from the countries in the region, especially the support and participation of those countries that are influential on relevant sides in Syria,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said in Beijing.

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