Indian Muslim clerics reject terror despite threats

Salam/Peace:

LUCKNOW, India, May 21 (Reuters) - Senior Muslim clerics in India rejected terrorism as anti-Islamic on Wednesday, despite receiving threats from an Islamist group.

Khalid Rasheed, head of the oldest madrasa, or Islamic religious school, in the northern city of Lucknow, said he and his colleagues had been accused of apostasy over their pacifist stance by the militant Islamist group Indian Mujahideen.

[...]

"Islam is a religion of peace," Ahmad Khazir Shah, the madrasa's vice chancellor, said in a statement on Wednesday. "To give it a bad name, unscrupulous elements are carrying out acts of violence and bloodshed, which is highly regrettable."

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http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSB27535

Saudia Arabia donates $500 million to UN World Food Program

Salam/Peace:

UNITED NATIONS - After making huge profits from the soaring oil prices that have helped drive up the cost of food, Saudi Arabia announced yesterday it was making what the United Nations is calling an "unprecedented" gift of $500 million to the World Food Program.

[...]

But the Saudi pledge far outstrips the $109 million Canada has given to WFP so far this year, and more than meets the target of the program's April appeal following price increases of as much as 50 per cent for wheat, rice and other staples.

"This contribution completes the World Food Program's appeal target of $755 million to respond to the rise in fuel and food costs," UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

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http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6e6853be-45d8-4b99-a635-7dbb0d9ce221