Israeli troops open fire on women outside mosque

Staff and agencies
Guardian Unlimited Friday November 3, 2006
At least one Palestinian woman was killed and another 10 were reported woundedwhen Israeli forces today opened fire on a group preparing to act as a humanshield for militants in a Gaza mosque.Dozens of women were gathering outside the mosque in Beit Hanoun in the northernGaza Strip this morning after an appeal on a local radio station. Up to 60gunmen had taken refuge in the building after the Israeli army began its largestGaza offensive in months
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Muslim Scholar Seeks Debate With the Pope

Eminent scholar of comparative religion Dr.Zakir Naik has invited Pope Benedict XVI for an open inter-faith dialogue.
The Pope`s recent statement, which included a quote from a 14th century Byzantine emperor, sparked outrage in the Muslim world. In his latest efforts to calm down the Muslim anger the Pope invited diplomats from 20 Islamic countries at his summer residence in south of Rome. This extraordinary gathering was seen as the latest effort by Benedict XVI to quell the furor stirred two weeks ago by controversial remarks he made about Islam.
He is attempting to channel the emotion into what he calls an authentic and respectful dialogue. Dr. Naik sees the Pope`s statement on Islam as pre-planned.
"He (the Pope) knew very well what he was speaking at University of Regensburg in Germany on September 12," he said.
"The Pope`s apology to the Muslims was at all not an apology rather it was putting salt on the wounds," said Dr. Naik, adding that the Pope should have explicitly apologized and retracted his statement.
"I am more than willing to participate in the inter-faith dialogue with Pope Benedict XVI. I am ready on any topic he (the Pope) wishes as long as it focuses on Quran and the Bible," Dr. Naik said. He said he can go to Rome or Vatican to meet the Pope.
"I can go to Rome and to Vatican on my own expense if an Italian visa is arranged for me," he told ONLINE after delivering his lecture on "20 most common questions about misconceptions of Islam," organized by Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh, attended by a number of ambassadors, diplomatic staff and members of the Sri Lankan community. Dr. Naik during the past three years has delivered over 600 lectures in the US and Canada.
"I am absolutely ready for an open and public debate with the pope under live international TV coverage," he said.
Let the 1.3 billion Muslims and 2 billion Christians around the world listen to the debate based on equal slot of time allotted to both sides, he said.
"It is not only a debate but also a question and answer session allowing the people to ask queries," he said. He said he is not in favor of closed-door meeting with the Pope, as was suggested by his predecessor Pope John Paul II, when South African-based Islamic scholar Ahmed Deedat invited him for open dialogue, he said. Full News
References - geocities.com , paktribune.com , saudigazette.com

Cruise, Holmes exchange vows in Italy

BRACCIANO, Italy - Officially, they got married in Los Angeles, but the spectacle of the wedding between
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes was here, in a 15th-century castle that evoked fairy tales and lit up with red, white and green fireworks for a cheering, celebrity-laden crowd.There were fireworks inside, too, a "never-ending kiss" between the betrothed after they exchanged vows Saturday. The kiss lasted so long it caused guests to shout "stop, stop!" said Giorgio Armani, who attended the wedding and designed the outfits of the bride, the groom and their baby, Suri.... more

Russia issues warning on Iran, N. Korea

HANOI, Vietnam - The world must be firm but also very cautious when dealing with the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs, Russia's foreign minister said Saturday during an Asian-Pacific summit in Vietnam
It was Russia's latest warning that harsh actions against
Iran could undermine efforts to resolve the disputes over their nuclear programs.
"The international community is obligated to approach the resolution of the Korean peninsula issue and the issue of the Iranian nuclear program extremely cautiously — firmly but cautiously," Sergey Lavrov said on the sidelines of the summit. "If we force this situation into a corner then the threats of (nuclear) proliferation will significantly increase." ... more