Week # 98, Dated 12th - 18th Dec. 09’
TURKEY
Political Front: The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has continued its demonstrations in Turkey as well as in Europe; protesting against the condition of their leader
Abdullah Ocalan at İmralı Prison. In the meanwhile despite the PKK claiming responsibility for a terrorist attack in the city of Tokat that left seven soldiers dead earlier this week, the prime minister has stated that there might be other unseen groups and masterminds behind the attack wishing to undermine the government's Kurdish initiative. PM has again reiterated his commitment to push on with its democratic initiative agenda despite strong criticism from opposition parties.
A Turkish court has banned the pro-Kurdish DTP on allegations of having links with PKK. The PM has condemned the court's decision that caused angry protests and plunged the country into political uncertainty. Meanwhile reaffirming their previously announced decision, leaders of the now-defunct Democratic Society Party (DTP) announced that all deputies would withdraw from parliamentary proceedings and return to their respective constituencies to campaign at the grass root level.
Geo-strategic Front: Turkey has clearly said that it would by no means let Israel misuse Turkish airspace to carry out intelligence and surveillance missions of a neighboring country. Meanwhile Turkish growing relations with Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, Egypt, Australia, Denmark, China and Russia remained significant as exchange of official visits by diplomats took place.
Economic Front: Dutch insurance company Eureko has made plans to shift its major investments to Turkey from several countries. Meanwhile two Turkish construction contractors have been named among Europe's top 100 construction companies.
FERTILE CRESCENT
Political Front: Egyptian MPs have submitted 146 investigation requests against the ruling regime in a special session of People’s Assembly (PA). 128 requests got accepted however tension mounted between opposition, independent MPs and the ruling NDP.
Iraqi elections would be held in March where the Foreign Ministry projected a possible coalition government.
Geo-strategic Front: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Turkish counterpart held talks in Ankara on the impasse in the Middle East peace process and the rift between Palestinians factions. Meanwhile the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad underlined his commitment to stability in Iraq during his meeting with Iraqi Shiite leader Amar al-Hakim.
The comments by Saudi Foreign Minister, recently published in the International Herald Tribune, have provoked a range of reactions in Lebanon. The Saudi Foreign Minister expressed his opinion that Lebanon would never enjoy full sovereignty as long as Hezbollah owns more arms than the state military.
British Foreign Minister, David Miliband phoned Israeli opposition leader Livni to apologize and promised to act on changing laws regarding allowing the arrest and prosecution of Israeli officials accused of committing war crimes against the Palestinian people. Further more he opposed the British Court order to apprehend her should she travel to the UK. PM Gordon Brown also asked Livini to visit their country as she would be warmly welcomed there.
Social Front: Egyptian government has recently submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) as part of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism.
Economic Front: Egypt’s government has started channeling most of its additional spending into infrastructure projects in a bid to combat fall-out from the global financial crisis.
In its first comment since the formation of Lebanon’s unity Cabinet, the Institute of International Finance indicated that the creation of the government would probably improve confidence in the Lebanese economy and maintain strong growth of about 7 percent. It also talked about the likelihood of implementing key reform measures included in the Paris III agenda, such as fiscal adjustment and privatization of the telecom sector.
United States President, Barack Obama, signed the Foreign Aid Budget Law of 2010 which includes granting $2.775 Billion in security aid to the state of Israel.
GCC - Gulf Cooperation Council
Geo-strategic Front: A Gulf monetary council would be tasked to decide the peg of a proposed single currency among Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. UAE and Oman are the two countries who have abandoned the plan to join the monetary union.
Gulf leaders have agreed to set up a rapid intervention force that will help states deal with any aggression against their territories, such as the Yemeni rebel incursion into Saudi Arabia. The Saudi navy has set up a blockade off Yemen's northern Red Sea coastline, in an effort to keep fresh supplies from reaching the rebels, who have engaged in a five-year insurgency in the north of the country to win autonomy. The leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have further reaffirmed the right of the UAE over the three islands, occupied by Iran.
While talking about Tehran's failed talks with the West about its nuclear program, Bahrain considered the absence of Gulf countries a major factor. Also Kuwait regards the Afghan war and the Iran nuclear crisis as potent threats to security in the Gulf region. Lastly the landmark 123 Agreement between the UAE and the US for the peaceful development of nuclear energy came into force last week.
Social Front: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Yemen have promising projections for reaching UNESCO's international criteria for educational development.
Economic Front: Consumer prices in GCC countries have fallen this year as the global financial crisis prompted an economic downturn. Meanwhile Islamic finance, an increasingly important element of the GCC financial sector, seems to be in a better position to lead the way in the region’s economic recovery.
CENTRAL ASIA
Political Front: Political parties represented at the Azerbaijani Parliament addressed the U.S. embassy in Baku voicing protest against the U.S. Congress financial aid to Nagorno-Karabakh separatists from the budget bill 2010. Meanwhile a Kazakh court has rejected the appeal made by detained Journalist Esergepov, the owner and chief editor of the Almaty-based weekly "Alma-Ata Inform," who was sentenced to three years of jail for revealing state secrets in an article printed in his newspaper in November 2008.
A criminal case has been opened against 49 associates of the late Tajik Emergency Situations Minister Mirzo Ziyoev. An investigation by the National Security Committee has shown that Ziyoev and 49 others were plotting an armed operation to release some of their supporters from jail. Meanwhile Bakhodir Choriev, the emigrant leader of Birdamlik (Solidarity) Uzbek opposition movement, who had recently returned home, was sent back to USA.
600 observers are expected to monitor the upcoming parliamentary elections in Tajikistan.
Geo-strategic Front: Rights groups have criticized the West for allowing Kazakhstan to assume the rotating chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010, saying the nation is unfit to lead a group devoted to promoting democracy. Meanwhile Germany has allocated Kyrgyzstan €8million for housing development.
Uzbek border guards have shot and wounded two Tajik citizens along Tajikistan's border in the northern Panjakent district. The Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov have signed an agreement to ease cross-border transit for people living along their common frontier.
President of Turkmenistan and Vice Prime Minister of Russia discussed cooperation in the energy sphere and promotion of the most important joint projects aimed at the intensification of partnership. Also Japanese-Turkmen economic cooperation committees held a joint meeting in Tokyo on Dec. 16.
Social Front: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution critical of what it calls the deterioration of media freedom in Azerbaijan. The State Committee for Work with Religious Associations has registered 30 more religious communities. Meanwhile Almaty police detained 29 people for a disturbance during demonstrations on Kazakhstan's Independence Day.
A reporter for the Russian BaltInfo news agency was beaten in Kyrgyzstan's capital. Also Dozens of Uzbek refugees held a protest in Stockholm to support jailed Muslim women in Uzbekistan. Furthermore a prominent Uzbek photographer/video-grapher has been charged with defamation and damaging the country's image because of the content of her photos and videos.
Meanwhile a World Health Organization (WHO) official has reported 14 swine-flu cases in Tajikistan.
Economic Front: SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) and the National Iranian Gas Export Company have signed an agreement on supply of Azerbaijani gas to the northern provinces of Iran during the winter. The leaders of Kazakhstan and China have jointly unveiled the Kazakh section of a natural gas pipeline that would tap into Central Asia’s vast energy riches and loosen Russia’s influence over the region. Also the international Turkmenistan - China gas pipeline was officially launched on 14 December. China has signed the intergovernmental framework agreements on granting two soft loans to Turkmenistan.
Employees of Tajik Embassy in Beijing have given up their three-day’s wages to help the implementation of the Roghun hydroelectricity project. Meanwhile in Tajikistan, gross domestic product (GDP) rose 3.1 percent in the year to November 30, 2009.
Political Front: The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has continued its demonstrations in Turkey as well as in Europe; protesting against the condition of their leader
Abdullah Ocalan at İmralı Prison. In the meanwhile despite the PKK claiming responsibility for a terrorist attack in the city of Tokat that left seven soldiers dead earlier this week, the prime minister has stated that there might be other unseen groups and masterminds behind the attack wishing to undermine the government's Kurdish initiative. PM has again reiterated his commitment to push on with its democratic initiative agenda despite strong criticism from opposition parties.A Turkish court has banned the pro-Kurdish DTP on allegations of having links with PKK. The PM has condemned the court's decision that caused angry protests and plunged the country into political uncertainty. Meanwhile reaffirming their previously announced decision, leaders of the now-defunct Democratic Society Party (DTP) announced that all deputies would withdraw from parliamentary proceedings and return to their respective constituencies to campaign at the grass root level.
Geo-strategic Front: Turkey has clearly said that it would by no means let Israel misuse Turkish airspace to carry out intelligence and surveillance missions of a neighboring country. Meanwhile Turkish growing relations with Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, Egypt, Australia, Denmark, China and Russia remained significant as exchange of official visits by diplomats took place.
Economic Front: Dutch insurance company Eureko has made plans to shift its major investments to Turkey from several countries. Meanwhile two Turkish construction contractors have been named among Europe's top 100 construction companies.
FERTILE CRESCENT
Political Front: Egyptian MPs have submitted 146 investigation requests against the ruling regime in a special session of People’s Assembly (PA). 128 requests got accepted however tension mounted between opposition, independent MPs and the ruling NDP.
Iraqi elections would be held in March where the Foreign Ministry projected a possible coalition government.
Geo-strategic Front: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Turkish counterpart held talks in Ankara on the impasse in the Middle East peace process and the rift between Palestinians factions. Meanwhile the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad underlined his commitment to stability in Iraq during his meeting with Iraqi Shiite leader Amar al-Hakim.
The comments by Saudi Foreign Minister, recently published in the International Herald Tribune, have provoked a range of reactions in Lebanon. The Saudi Foreign Minister expressed his opinion that Lebanon would never enjoy full sovereignty as long as Hezbollah owns more arms than the state military.
British Foreign Minister, David Miliband phoned Israeli opposition leader Livni to apologize and promised to act on changing laws regarding allowing the arrest and prosecution of Israeli officials accused of committing war crimes against the Palestinian people. Further more he opposed the British Court order to apprehend her should she travel to the UK. PM Gordon Brown also asked Livini to visit their country as she would be warmly welcomed there.
Social Front: Egyptian government has recently submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) as part of the Universal Periodic Review mechanism.
Economic Front: Egypt’s government has started channeling most of its additional spending into infrastructure projects in a bid to combat fall-out from the global financial crisis.
In its first comment since the formation of Lebanon’s unity Cabinet, the Institute of International Finance indicated that the creation of the government would probably improve confidence in the Lebanese economy and maintain strong growth of about 7 percent. It also talked about the likelihood of implementing key reform measures included in the Paris III agenda, such as fiscal adjustment and privatization of the telecom sector.
United States President, Barack Obama, signed the Foreign Aid Budget Law of 2010 which includes granting $2.775 Billion in security aid to the state of Israel.
GCC - Gulf Cooperation Council
Geo-strategic Front: A Gulf monetary council would be tasked to decide the peg of a proposed single currency among Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. UAE and Oman are the two countries who have abandoned the plan to join the monetary union.
Gulf leaders have agreed to set up a rapid intervention force that will help states deal with any aggression against their territories, such as the Yemeni rebel incursion into Saudi Arabia. The Saudi navy has set up a blockade off Yemen's northern Red Sea coastline, in an effort to keep fresh supplies from reaching the rebels, who have engaged in a five-year insurgency in the north of the country to win autonomy. The leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have further reaffirmed the right of the UAE over the three islands, occupied by Iran.
While talking about Tehran's failed talks with the West about its nuclear program, Bahrain considered the absence of Gulf countries a major factor. Also Kuwait regards the Afghan war and the Iran nuclear crisis as potent threats to security in the Gulf region. Lastly the landmark 123 Agreement between the UAE and the US for the peaceful development of nuclear energy came into force last week.
Social Front: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Yemen have promising projections for reaching UNESCO's international criteria for educational development.
Economic Front: Consumer prices in GCC countries have fallen this year as the global financial crisis prompted an economic downturn. Meanwhile Islamic finance, an increasingly important element of the GCC financial sector, seems to be in a better position to lead the way in the region’s economic recovery.
CENTRAL ASIA
Political Front: Political parties represented at the Azerbaijani Parliament addressed the U.S. embassy in Baku voicing protest against the U.S. Congress financial aid to Nagorno-Karabakh separatists from the budget bill 2010. Meanwhile a Kazakh court has rejected the appeal made by detained Journalist Esergepov, the owner and chief editor of the Almaty-based weekly "Alma-Ata Inform," who was sentenced to three years of jail for revealing state secrets in an article printed in his newspaper in November 2008.
A criminal case has been opened against 49 associates of the late Tajik Emergency Situations Minister Mirzo Ziyoev. An investigation by the National Security Committee has shown that Ziyoev and 49 others were plotting an armed operation to release some of their supporters from jail. Meanwhile Bakhodir Choriev, the emigrant leader of Birdamlik (Solidarity) Uzbek opposition movement, who had recently returned home, was sent back to USA.
600 observers are expected to monitor the upcoming parliamentary elections in Tajikistan.
Geo-strategic Front: Rights groups have criticized the West for allowing Kazakhstan to assume the rotating chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010, saying the nation is unfit to lead a group devoted to promoting democracy. Meanwhile Germany has allocated Kyrgyzstan €8million for housing development.
Uzbek border guards have shot and wounded two Tajik citizens along Tajikistan's border in the northern Panjakent district. The Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov have signed an agreement to ease cross-border transit for people living along their common frontier.
President of Turkmenistan and Vice Prime Minister of Russia discussed cooperation in the energy sphere and promotion of the most important joint projects aimed at the intensification of partnership. Also Japanese-Turkmen economic cooperation committees held a joint meeting in Tokyo on Dec. 16.
Social Front: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution critical of what it calls the deterioration of media freedom in Azerbaijan. The State Committee for Work with Religious Associations has registered 30 more religious communities. Meanwhile Almaty police detained 29 people for a disturbance during demonstrations on Kazakhstan's Independence Day.
A reporter for the Russian BaltInfo news agency was beaten in Kyrgyzstan's capital. Also Dozens of Uzbek refugees held a protest in Stockholm to support jailed Muslim women in Uzbekistan. Furthermore a prominent Uzbek photographer/video-grapher has been charged with defamation and damaging the country's image because of the content of her photos and videos.
Meanwhile a World Health Organization (WHO) official has reported 14 swine-flu cases in Tajikistan.
Economic Front: SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) and the National Iranian Gas Export Company have signed an agreement on supply of Azerbaijani gas to the northern provinces of Iran during the winter. The leaders of Kazakhstan and China have jointly unveiled the Kazakh section of a natural gas pipeline that would tap into Central Asia’s vast energy riches and loosen Russia’s influence over the region. Also the international Turkmenistan - China gas pipeline was officially launched on 14 December. China has signed the intergovernmental framework agreements on granting two soft loans to Turkmenistan.
Employees of Tajik Embassy in Beijing have given up their three-day’s wages to help the implementation of the Roghun hydroelectricity project. Meanwhile in Tajikistan, gross domestic product (GDP) rose 3.1 percent in the year to November 30, 2009.
INDIA
Political Front: The BJP has expressed dissatisfaction over the Liberhan Commission report. Meanwhile moderate parties have strongly condemned BJP’s involvement in the demolition of the Babri Mosque. Indian Muslim communities have asked the government to implement the Liberhan Commission report and duly pay compensation to the affected families.
The CBI report of Shopian murder case has again disturbed security situation in Kashmir where the death of two women being documented as accidental drowning has raised local reaction.
Regional front: Phase three and fourth assembly elections successfully ended in Jharkand with 55 and 58% turnout respectively. Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh’s unity seems to be in danger as the demand for a separate Telangana state by TRS caused serious concerns for the state and centre. TRS’ chief’s hunger strike ended after the confirmation of government to initiate the bill for a separate Telangana state.
Geo-strategic Front: at the UN climate conference India along with other developing countries opposed any move from developed world regarding introduction of a bill to restrict green house gas emissions.
Social Front: 8 lakh Indians are falling prey to cancer every year. Also 37.2% Indians are below poverty line in accordance with consumption criteria.
Economic Front: India has announced plans to increase its bilateral trade with Russia up to $20 billion.
EAST ASIA
Political Front: Former Thai PM Thaksin landed in Cambodia amidst tight security. The issue is expected to mount tensions between the neighboring countries. Thai government has claimed that it would submit an extradition request to Cambodia for Thaksin.
Geo-strategic Front: Thai government has recently detained five foreigners and their foreign registered aircraft loaded with war weaponry that flew from North Korea and was probably heading towards Iran. Investigations are underway.
Social front: Religious authorities in the North Sumatran Province of Aceh attempted to pass a law according to which Muslim adulterers would be stoned to death, a move that the Indonesian government blocked. Meanwhile at the environmental front Indonesia has announced to cut carbon emissions up to 26% by 2020.
Malaysian government has recently unveiled its plan to combat corruption. Also the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has assured its support to the Catholic Church's fight to overturn a government ban on the use of the term 'Allah' to describe God in Christian texts. Meanwhile Malaysia has expressed willingness to provide assistance to the Muslim community in southern Thailand in the interest of restoring peace and harmony in the restive region.
Economic Front: Malaysia has expressed willingness to send financial and banking experts to help Thailand set up an Islamic bank in the three provinces in the south for the benefit of Muslim residents. Meanwhile Thailand has cancelled an eight-year-old Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambodia on the oil and gas-rich overlapping area in the Gulf of Thailand.
The Philippine central bank kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low to boost economic growth from near a decade low. Meanwhile the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has forecasted a 2.3 per cent growth for Brunei next year after it contracted by 1.2 percent in 2009.
Political Front: The BJP has expressed dissatisfaction over the Liberhan Commission report. Meanwhile moderate parties have strongly condemned BJP’s involvement in the demolition of the Babri Mosque. Indian Muslim communities have asked the government to implement the Liberhan Commission report and duly pay compensation to the affected families.
The CBI report of Shopian murder case has again disturbed security situation in Kashmir where the death of two women being documented as accidental drowning has raised local reaction.
Regional front: Phase three and fourth assembly elections successfully ended in Jharkand with 55 and 58% turnout respectively. Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh’s unity seems to be in danger as the demand for a separate Telangana state by TRS caused serious concerns for the state and centre. TRS’ chief’s hunger strike ended after the confirmation of government to initiate the bill for a separate Telangana state.
Geo-strategic Front: at the UN climate conference India along with other developing countries opposed any move from developed world regarding introduction of a bill to restrict green house gas emissions.
Social Front: 8 lakh Indians are falling prey to cancer every year. Also 37.2% Indians are below poverty line in accordance with consumption criteria.
Economic Front: India has announced plans to increase its bilateral trade with Russia up to $20 billion.
EAST ASIA
Political Front: Former Thai PM Thaksin landed in Cambodia amidst tight security. The issue is expected to mount tensions between the neighboring countries. Thai government has claimed that it would submit an extradition request to Cambodia for Thaksin.
Geo-strategic Front: Thai government has recently detained five foreigners and their foreign registered aircraft loaded with war weaponry that flew from North Korea and was probably heading towards Iran. Investigations are underway.
Social front: Religious authorities in the North Sumatran Province of Aceh attempted to pass a law according to which Muslim adulterers would be stoned to death, a move that the Indonesian government blocked. Meanwhile at the environmental front Indonesia has announced to cut carbon emissions up to 26% by 2020.
Malaysian government has recently unveiled its plan to combat corruption. Also the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has assured its support to the Catholic Church's fight to overturn a government ban on the use of the term 'Allah' to describe God in Christian texts. Meanwhile Malaysia has expressed willingness to provide assistance to the Muslim community in southern Thailand in the interest of restoring peace and harmony in the restive region.
Economic Front: Malaysia has expressed willingness to send financial and banking experts to help Thailand set up an Islamic bank in the three provinces in the south for the benefit of Muslim residents. Meanwhile Thailand has cancelled an eight-year-old Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambodia on the oil and gas-rich overlapping area in the Gulf of Thailand.
The Philippine central bank kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low to boost economic growth from near a decade low. Meanwhile the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has forecasted a 2.3 per cent growth for Brunei next year after it contracted by 1.2 percent in 2009.
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Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and developed jointly by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
Please Preview your comments before posting.
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and developed jointly by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
Please Preview your comments before posting.
