Q&A: Microsoft Unveils New Policy on Intellectual Property

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 3, 2003 -- In response to the need of customers and business partners for greater access to technology, Microsoft today announced an updated policy on intellectual property (IP) that will clearly articulate Microsoft's position on licensing IP. Microsoft already leads the technology industry in investment in research and development, and the new IP policy makes Microsoft technology even more accessible, providing opportunities for expanded innovation across the industry. In addition to increased technology access, Microsoft will license IP to interested parties in a commercially reasonable fashion under terms standard in the industry.

To learn more about Microsoft's new IP policy, PressPass spoke with Marshall Phelps, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Intellectual Property.

PressPass: Why is Microsoft launching this new policy?

Phelps: IP licensing is not new to Microsoft, nor to the IT industry as a whole. We've been licensing IP to third parties for a number of years now. Our customers and partners have been asking us for a more prescriptive, comprehensive guide to our position on IP and licensing. As Microsoft matures as a company, it has become increasingly clear that this revised policy is necessary for us to continue our collaborative work throughout the industry, ensuring consistency, understanding and respect of and for IP.

Other reasons that prompted us to clearly articulate our IP licensing practices include a growth in the size of -- and interest in -- our overall IP portfolio, based on expanded R&D commitments, along with a renewed awareness of IP issues in the software industry. Our portfolio includes a diverse array of copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets and other IP. Our aim is driven by our desire to improve access to this IP while also recouping some of the initial R&D investment.

PressPass: Why is it important to protect IP?

Phelps: The spirit of innovation is something we value passionately. Microsoft firmly believes that innovation is the fundamental component of progress and growth in the IT industry. We believe it is the essential foundation for the delivery of great new products and that it fuels ongoing R&D.

Companies like Microsoft engage in applied research to develop products that advance the state of technology. In turn, that generates jobs, profits and tax revenues that boost the economy, which, as part of the process, funds additional research. Companies also contribute the results of innovation directly into the larger body of technical knowledge. If software companies are not compensated for the investments they make in R&D, the cycle of sustainable innovation is disrupted. When that happens, the overall health of the software industry is jeopardized.

Microsoft is committed to a business model that protects the IP rights in software, just like any other technology, and ensures the continued vitality of an independent software sector that generates revenue and will sustain ongoing R&D. Our commitment to innovation is reflected in our industry leading annual budget for R&D.

PressPass: There are those who say that patents stifle innovation. How would you respond to them?

Phelps: The free and open exchange of ideas is an important ingredient in creating and fostering an innovative environment, but it's not the only ingredient. Motivation and incentive also are critical to sustained and ongoing innovation, especially in the context of large, complex systems that software programs often must implement. History shows that nations and countries with robust IP laws to protect the creative works of authors and inventors are at an advantage. Strong IP laws promote innovation and differentiation—both of which ultimately benefit the customer. Patents are part of the U.S. Constitution, and firms such as IBM have been patenting software-related inventions for over 30 years. The fact is, the last 30 years have seen unprecedented innovation in the IT sector.

PressPass: What IP will you license under this policy?

Phelps: We want to convey that Microsoft is open for business when it comes to IP licensing. In the past, we readily admit that our IP approach was much more closely held and less structured. In retrospect, we realize that our approach caused frustration and confusion for the industry and for our customers. Microsoft's new IP policy embraces an approach that is intended to increase access for reasonable licensing requests.

Microsoft's highest priorities and commitments are the ones that involve our industry, partners and our customers. Microsoft considers the new IP policy a viable means for continuing fair and balanced practices for licensing our IP where it makes sense for our customers, our industry partners, and for Microsoft.

PressPass: Do you feel the IT industry as a whole benefits from IP licensing?

Phelps: Absolutely. A healthy, fluid intellectual property marketplace is essential for a strong IT ecosystem. The revenues generated by IP licenses make it possible for companies like Microsoft to consistently invest in R&D. The industry is continually adopting the innovations that are a direct result of R&D spending and this leads to an increase in deployment. When you have increased deployment, the opportunity for further innovation downstream becomes available -- by both the originating company and potential licensees. This downstream innovation is what generates new IP, which generates new licensing, which generates new revenue. By utilizing this revenue for additional R&D, it furthers the cycle of innovation and that, of course, is a lasting benefit to the industry.

ZDNet: Printer Friendly - Microsoft to remove swastikas from fonts

Microsoft to remove swastikas from fonts
Reuters
December 12, 2003, 7:21 AM PT
URL: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-5121134.html
Microsoft said Friday that the latest version of its Office software inadvertently contained a font featuring two swastikas, and said it would offer tools to remove and replace the offending characters from the program.


The swastika, which was made infamous by Nazi Germany, was included in Microsoft's "Bookshelf Symbol 7" font. That font was derived from a Japanese font set, said Microsoft Office product manager Simon Marks.

"It was discovered by one of our customers a couple weeks ago," Marks said, adding that there was "no indication of malicious intent."

The Redmond, Wash.-based software maker said that it had contacted various Jewish organizations about the font and said a utility would be immediately available on its Web site that would remove the characters from the system.

Microsoft said it will release other tools at a later date to remove only the offending characters.

A form of the swastika has been used in the Buddhist religion to symbolize the feet or footprints of the Buddha. The symbol, which was also used widely in the ancient world that included Mesopotamia, Scandinavia, India and the Americas, became common in China and Japan with the spread of Buddhism.

German dictator Adolf Hitler adopted the swastika as the symbol of the Nazi Party because of its nationalist identification, according to the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights group.

Story Copyright © 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

____________________________

but the nazis will complain / suffer

Iris, fingerprints and face to be used in ID card trial

Iris, fingerprints and face to be used in ID card trial
Andy McCue
silicon.com
December 08, 2003
Iris, fingerprint and facial recognition will all be tested as part of the UK Passport Service's six-month trial of biometric technology ahead of the introduction of potentially compulsory national ID cards.

The details have emerged with the announcement that SchlumbergerSema will run the trial, which will start in January next year with 10,000 individuals carrying biometric smart cards.

SchlumbergerSema will lead a consortium of vendors, including NEC, Identix and Iridian Technologies, and will be responsible for designing, building and maintaining the pilot equipment and software. NEC will supply its Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), Identix will provide fingerprint capture and facial recognition technology and Iridian Technologies will supply iris recognition.

The pilot will test iris pattern and fingerprint biometrics enrolment and verification, as well as collection and verification of a facial recognition biometric.

NEC said that, based on its experience with the Singapore Immigration Authority, it has seen the dramatic impact that biometrics can have on improving access to public services and in tackling crime and illegal immigration.

_____________________________________________________
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Comments :

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Comments :

"Pentagon: Many of New Iraq Soldiers Quit "

One Third !

:)


LOL


ROTFLOL

Cairo Conference 2003

From: "NATIONAL FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF IRAQ"
To: tammuzofbablyon@yahoo.com
Subject: THE JEWISH DEFENSE LEAGUE MEN IN IRAQ
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 11:52:22 -0800

الجبهة الوطنية لتحرير العراق
فصائل المقاومة البطلة
بيان من الحزب الشيوعي العراقي - الكادر
( المجد للمقاومة في العراق وفلسطين )
( الموت للصهاينة والغزاة وكلاب الصهاينة والغزاة )
حول تأسيس ما يسمى بمجلس السلم والتضامن، يعلن الحزب الشيوعي العراقي -
الكادر أن المدعو نوري عبد الرزاق حسين، سكرتير عام ما تبقى من منظمة
تضامن الشعوب الأفريقية الآسيوية، ومهندس الاتصالات السرية بين ما يسمى
بالمعارضة العراقية ورابطة الدفاع اليهودي هو مخلب القط لتنفيذ المخطط الصهيوني
في العراق. وقد سبق له أن أصدر بيانا يؤكد فيه ما نشرته عنه رابطة الدفاع
اليهودي من أنه كان ضمن اللجان التابعة للجيش الأمريكي، التي ساعدت
بالدراسات والمعلومات عند التخطيط لغزو العراق. كما أكد أيضا البشرى التي زفتها
هذه الرابطة عن قرب انضمام إسرائيل إلى منظمة التضامن الأفروآسيوي، من
منطلق أنها دولة آسيوية، فضلاً عن لجان السلم والتضامن العالمي، بقيادته. هو
وشقيقه سعد عبد الرزاق حسين، ضابط الاتصال مع منظمة الإيباك ، فرع لندن،
المسمى
أما السيد فخري كريم زنجنة، الذي اختير رئيساً لهذه الشعبة الاستخباراتية
المسماة بمجلس السلم والتضامن، فغني عن التعريف باعتباره المسؤول المالي
للحزب الشيوعي العراقي سابقا، والسكرتير الفعلي له، والمدير الحالي لمؤسسة
سياحية تساعد اليهود على دخول البلاد وشراء العقارات على نحو طوفاني،
مستغلين في ذلك الفوضى القائمة وحاجة الناس، وتستورد العمالة البيضاء إلى
البيوت والفنادق. ولم ينس أحد في العراق بعد نداءات الأول من خلال إذاعة سوا
أثناء الغزو، مطالباً العراقيين بإلقاء السلاح والاستسلام للجيش الأمريكي
على أساس أنه قوة تحرير،. كما لم ينس أحد في العراق بعد تصريح الثاني
لإذاعة صوت أمريكا عام 1991 الذي ناشد فيه الإدارة الأمريكية بتشديد الحصار
على الشعب العراقي بسبب غزو الكويت.
ومن وجهة نظر المنظمة والمجلس وقطبيهما نوري وفخري، فالعراق ليس محتلا
وإنما جديدا، لذا لن يحتاج إلى تضامن، لا معه ولا مع أهله الثكالى ومرضاه
وقتلاه واستقلاله الضائع وبيوته المهدمة وأطفاله المشردين من ضحايا الجوع
واليورانيوم المستنفد. بينما، وهذا ما يناضل لأجله نوري وفخري، المحتاج
للتضامن هو فقط دولة إسرائيل الحبيبة خاصة بعد الاستطلاع الخطير الذي بين أن
60% من الأوربيين يقولون أن إسرائيل هي الدولة الأخطر على السلام العالمي.
فهنيئا لكم أيها العراقيون بهذا المجلس،،، الصهيوني العتيد!
الحزب الشيوعي العراقي - الكادر
الجبهة الوطنية لتحرير العراق

that was supposed to be from the resistance, and this one is supposed to be from the Zionists
SOMEONE is working hard to make نوري عبد الرزاق حسين famous. WHY?

From NOURI ABDUL RAZZAK HUSSAIN Tue Dec 2 11:45:28 2003
X-Apparently-To: tammuzofbablyon@yahoo.com Tue, 02 Dec 2003 13:45:50 -0800
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From: "NOURI ABDUL RAZZAK HUSSAIN" Add to Address Book
To: tammuzofbablyon@yahoo.com
Subject: Your most urgent help is needed
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 11:45:28 -0800
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Your most urgent help is needed. Call for Urgent Solidarity and Support
from : Nouri Abdul razzak Hussain. Secretary General of The Afro Asian
Peoples solidarity organization.
Dear friends,
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhoury, a Bangladeshi journalist
and advocate of dialogue has been arrested on the false accusation of
spying for Israel. He
was on his way to set up a writers' conference in Israel. He had
agreed to set up a branch
of the IFLAC group, an NGO which promotes dialog in Bangladesh.
...

- snip -

Hey you NOURI : stop spamming my inbox with your politics !

Al-Ahram Weekly | Egypt | Against empire:

Against empire
Egyptian and international anti-war organisations will meet in Cairo next month to voice strong opposition to the US imperial project.
by Amira Howeidy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A line from 20th-century Egyptian diva Um Kulthoum's song of solidarity with the Palestinian people goes, "My brother, those who committed injustice have exceeded all limits." This line, according to Soheir Morsy, summarises the theme of the anti-war conference scheduled to be held in Cairo in December. Morsy, an Arab-American academic, is one of the conference organisers.

"All the lines which we thought were red have been crossed. [What's happening in Iraq] is plain occupation," she said, "which does not only involve redrawing the regional map in geographic terms, but also redrawing the future of our region as part of a global [US] strategy for control."

Hundreds of Arab and international activists throughout the world share the same vision and will come to Cairo next month to attend what is expected to be the region's biggest anti-occupation conference. Organised by the International Campaign against US and Zionist Occupations (ICAUZO), the Cairo conference will be held in the Egyptian Press Syndicate headquarters on 13 and 14 December. The meeting is convening under the slogan "Yes to resistance in Palestine and Iraq. No to capitalist globalisation and US hegemony."

The group, previously known as the International Campaign Against US Aggression, organised the first Cairo conference in December 2002 in the run-up to the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq, at a time when the anti-war movement was at its peak. The Web site of the UK-based Stop the War Coalition referred to last December's conference as a "landmark in the construction of an international anti-war movement". It was attended by 400 delegates from the Middle East and international anti-war activists, including former Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, British MP George Galloway, and two former senior UN representatives, Denis Halliday and Hans von Sponeck.

The organisation issued the Cairo Declaration during the conference, stating their opposition to the war on Iraq and their solidarity with the Palestinian resistance, as well as with all of those who oppose neo-liberal "globalisation" policies which have done so much to create international instability and inequality. The Cairo Declaration also served as a point of reference for significant anti-war events such as the Jakarta Peace Consensus and the Tokyo Declaration (May 2003). According to Wael Khalil, an activist involved in the second Cairo conference, "the day of action for the massive 18 January anti-war demonstrations was decided upon in Cairo last year".

The conference's steering committee, which had been assigned the task of following up on implementation of the Cairo Declaration, disappeared from sight, as did the anti-war movement, which fell silent after the fall of Baghdad on 9 April. Although the global anti-war movement started recovering recently -- as seen in last week's massive London demonstrations marking Bush's visit to the British capital -- the Egyptian arm seemed to remain dormant. Critics were quick to point out that since last year's conference, very little, if anything, has been heard from the steering committee. The international anti-war movement, in fact, took on the lion's share of the work with regard to advancing the recommendations of the Cairo Declaration. Egyptian activists reluctantly admit their shortcomings, blaming them largely on "government repression".

"Demonstrations here were brutally suppressed," Sonallah Ibrahim, a prominent novelist involved in the second Cairo conference, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Three students in Alexandria lost their eyesight because anti- riot police fired shotgun pellets at them." He also claimed that the police plant agents provacateurs among the demonstrators to incite them to what the police considers extreme action, thereby justifying heavy-handed counter-measures. This type of behaviour, he continued, resulted in a fire engine being set aflame during the anti- war demonstrations of March. Actions like this, he says, also affect future demonstrations.

Hundreds of protesters were arrested throughout the year, the majority of whom had been involved in demonstrations on 20 and 21 March, which began just hours after the start of the Anglo- American invasion of Iraq. Local and international human rights groups, and anti-war organisations, condemned the security clampdown, demanding an open investigation into allegations that protesters had been tortured while in detention. But while detention periods remained brief, the security apparatus continues to show intolerance. In August, five activists were referred to an Emergency State Security Court for allegedly forming a clandestine communist organisation which intended to overthrow the government and replace it with a "hard- line communist" regime. Four of the defendants remain at large while the fifth, anti-war activist Ashraf Ibrahim, has been in jail since last April. The first court session has been scheduled for 16 December.

The second Cairo conference will focus on three main points: the imperial structure and global and domestic manifestations of hegemony; popular movements against capitalist globalisation; and imperialism and support of resistance in Iraq and Palestine. Morsy maintains that dictatorship is not far removed from imperialism. "Look at the regimes in the region or in Latin America. Who is supporting them?" she argues. "Who quashed the demonstrations on 20 and 21 March? The links are there, we don't make them. By focussing on imperialism during the conference, we are looking at the source from which all this is being generated."

Organisers say that more Arab activists than last year will participate in the upcoming event. International activists expected to attend include veteran British politician Tony Benn; British MP Jeremy Corbyn; and Walden Bello, head of the Focus on the Global South Centre, or a representative. Dozens of anti-war and anti-globalisation groups such as Stop the War Coalition and ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) will be present as well. The final list of attendees will be confirmed by the beginning of next month.

"This conference is an attempt to reinvigorate the global popular movement," said Sonallah Ibrahim.

Unlike the first Cairo conference, which was funded by businessmen and held at a lavish five- star hotel, the event in December will be a low-budget affair with participants covering their own costs of attendance. According to Mamdouh Habashi, the conference's organiser, individuals, syndicates and organisations participating in the event are donating only small sums of money and international participants are paying for their own flights and accommodation.

"We really don't want funding from anybody. We're a group of independent activists with one objective, and funding has not constituted a problem at all. In fact we're receiving requests from activists from all around the world, including Asia and Iraq, to participate."

Second Cairo Conference December 13 and 14, 2003


THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST U.S. & ZIONIST OCCUPATIONS

Cairo Conference 2003
http://www.cairocampaign.com/index_e.htm


Yes to Resistance in Iraq
Yes to Resistance in Palestine
No to Capitalist Globalization
NO U.S. Hegemony


Greetings from Cairo, Egypt

Organizers of the International Campaign Against U.S. and Zionist Occupations view with appreciation the popular international solidarity with the struggles of the Palestinian and Iraqi people, and the unwavering support of the principles and recommended actions of the Cairo Declaration issued by the Campaign at the close of its Cairo Conference of December 2002.


In view of the recent intensification of aggression against Palestine and Iraq, the Campaign organizers deem it important to convene an international meeting for consultation and coordination.

To this end the Egyptian Preparatory Committee has the pleasure of inviting you to the


Second Cairo Conference December 13 and 14, 2003

Egyptian Journalists Syndicate,

under the banner


Yes to Resistance in Iraq & Palestine, No to Capitalist Globalization and U.S. Hegemony

Given
- the danger of recent developments on Iraqi and Palestinian lands, particularly after the U.S. and British occupation of Iraq and the consequent chaos, destruction, and colonial control imposed on Iraq’s people and resources

- the intensification of Zionist aggression/racism against the people of Palestine, occupation of their land, subsidized by U.S. imperialism

- the evident merging of U.S. and Zionist objectives in the form of the imperialist/settler colonial Middle East Project

- the threats to Syria and Iran associated with the U.S. imperial regional strategy

- the spiralling chaos, authoritarianism, and exploitation, as well as the open war against anti-globalization forces, and overall imperial hegemony, to the detriment of the welfare of the peoples of the world



The International Campaign against U.S. and Zionist Occupations finds in these developments serious challenges to anti-imperialist forces, worldwide and regionally. Effectiveness of the global movements confronting the injustices and destructiveness of capitalist globalization requires the formulation of a clear, collective strategy commensurate with the present danger confronting humanity.

This is precisely the reasoning behind the preparation for a second Cairo Conference where discussions will center on three major themes:

* Support of Resistance in Palestine and Iraq.

* Imperialism: Regional/Global Manifestations and Popular Confrontations.

* Popular Arab and International Movements in Solidarity with Resistance: Mechanisms and Challenges.

We are confident that you will do your utmost to attend this important assembly of international activists opposed to capitalist globalization, war, occupation and racism. We are certain that your participation would contribute to the discussions of the major themes of the conference, and formulation of specific strategies in support of the Palestinian and Iraqi resistance, as well as all peoples threatened by imperialist globalization and U.S. hegemony. We look forward to our meeting in Cairo.

Egyptian Preparatory Committee for the Second Cairo Conference


http://www.cairocampaign.com/index_e.htm
cairocamp@cairocampagin.com

2003
Second Cairo Conference December 13 and 14, 2003

Google

Reasons for war on Iraq

"25000 liters anthrax, 38000 liters botulinum toxin, 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX gas, mobile bio-weapons labs, weapons.."
- GWB 2003-01-28 speech. \/|\/

Found to date: 0.

Cost of war: $800,000,000,000 USD.

The look on Sadam's face - priceless!

BBC invites bids for £2bn IT outsourcing contract
: "BBC invites bids for 2bn IT outsourcing contract"

2 Billion Sterling Pounds

To
Inform
and
Disinform
and
Misinfiorm

_____________________________________________

There is a good chance that this guy does not understand part or whole of the following >

a) Arabic Culture
b) Globalization
c) Music
d) All of the above

Take a wild wild guess !

NOW

I have reason to think that the sick mind of Sharon, and other such Zionists before and around him, and the products of Zionism, caused this nice guy to get so confused.

Aljazeera.Net - Blast at Italian synagogue 'not attack'

Blast at Italian synagogue 'not attack'
by
Thursday 11 December 2003 11:48 AM GMT


Italy has been on high alert since attacks on its forces in Iraq

An explosion near a synagogue in the northern Italian city of Modena was caused by a psychologically disturbed man and initial investigations ruled out "terrorism", according to the interior ministry.


"We have spoken with Modena police and even if this is an unpleasant event, it seems we can rule out an attack," said a spokesman, Michele Calderone, on Thursday.

"The author of the gesture was an unemployed man, with psychological troubles and we are working on the thesis of suicide," he added.

The man, who was apparently a Jordanian, set himself on fire. When police approached to try and put out the flames, the car, which ran on flammable liquid propane gas, exploded, the Ansa and Agi agencies reported, citing police.

No other injuries were reported.

'Suicide'

"The man had shown uneasiness and problems relating to people in the past," a policeman in Modena told Reuters. "We think we're dealing with a suicide."

Police said the car was parked on a small, side street near one of the container walls that runs around the synagogue, about 50 to 80m from the main entrance.

Italy has stepped up security in recent weeks after a suicide bomber killed 19 Italians in southern Iraq last month. Italy has sent troops to Iraq to help US-led occupation forces there following the war to oust former president Saddam Hussein.

Security alerts were also raised around Europe following four suicide bomb attacks in Turkey in November, two of which hit synagogues. Sixty one people were killed in those attacks, claimed by groups linked to al-Qaida.

:: Xinhuanet - English ::: "GAZA, Dec. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei said Thursday that it is impossible to establish an independent Palestinian state while Israel builds the security wall in the West Bank.
Talking about establishing a Palestinian state with this separation wall is a joke, Qurei told reporters.
The prime minister termed the fence building as a 'killing point' of the peace process.
The construction of the security fence undermines every possibility to achieve the vision as US President George W. Bush drew in the roadmap peace plan, he said.
Qurei noted that his upcoming meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is to bring the Palestinians full answers about the security fence, Jewish settlements and various restrictions imposed on their lives.
Getting answers for both Israelis and Palestinians will help rebuild the missing confidence between the two sides, he added"

FBI detains two Pakistani nuclear scientists: "FBI detains two Pakistani nuclear scientists"


FBI detains two Pakistani nuclear scientists

Shyam Bhatia in London | December 11, 2003 19:41 IST


The arrest of two top Pakistani nuclear scientists in Islamabad has been confirmed by Pakistani sources in London, who say the men have been accused of passing on nuclear secrets to Iran.

Dr Farooq Mohammed and Dr Yasin Chohan were key members of the team responsible for Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests.

They are described as director and laboratory director respectively of Pakistan's secret uranium enrichment facilities at Kahuta, situated between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The two scientists are the latest in a list of nuclear experts detained at the behest of the US.

Two years ago under US pressure the Pakistani authorities arrested Dr Sultan Bashiruddin Mehmood, who had designed the Khusab nuclear power station, and subsequently offered his services to the Taliban regime in Kabul.

One of his colleagues who worked with him in Kabul was shipped out to the Pakistan embassy in Myanmar before US counterintelligence and terrorism experts had a chance of getting to him.

Mohammed and Chohan have worked under the 'father' of the Pakistani nuclear programme, Bhopal-born Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Khan did much of his early research at a uranium research centre in Almelo, Holland, jointly owned by a three-nation European consortium, before he returned to Pakistan.

The uranium enrichment plant subsequently set up in Kahuta, also known as the AQ Khan research laboratories, drew heavily on the expertise that Khan acquired in Almelo.

A question mark rises over Khan now that such senior members of his team have been arrested. In recent months Khan himself has been under suspicion over allegations that he transferred nuclear secrets to North Korea as well as earlier to Iran.

According to the Pakistani sources two FBI members were part of the team that detained Mohammed and Chohan in Islamabad on Wednesday. Mohammed had just returned home after attending a relative's funeral.

The Pakistani authorities have yet to confirm the arrests, but opposition senators from the country's upper house of parliament have lodged a protest, saying the arrests are a grave threat to national security.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement that Islamabad has an uncompromising policy not to transfer nuclear technologies to third countries.

A spokesman for the ministry refused to comment on why the US has imposed sanctions on the Kahuta laboratories after accusing its scientists of providing material support to a country or people trying to develop weapons of mass destruction or the missiles that carry them.


____________________________________________________________________________________________

In contrast the nuclear scientisits that worked for the Nazis were luxuriated in the keen to use their knowledge USA

Something is very wrong in Pakistan !

This is a good one , fir is fair, and deserves a big smile, a grin too.

: )

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage


French Report Backs Ban on Veil, Kippa, Cross
Thu December 11, 2003 08:19 AM ET

By Tom Heneghan
PARIS (Reuters) - France should ban Muslim veils, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses from its public schools, but also create new holidays to respect holy days of its minority religions, an official report said on Thursday.

The long-awaited report on church-state relations, the center-piece of a national debate over integrating Muslims into French society, advised Paris to stand firm against militant Islamists trying to undermine official secularism.

At the same time, it urged traditionally Catholic France to respect "all spiritual options" in a society becoming ever more diverse through immigration.

President Jacques Chirac said he would announce next Wednesday whether he would seek a law banning the veil, now a major issue in France amid concern of failed Muslim integration and growing Islamist influence. He has hinted he backs a ban.

"Secularism essentially means respect for differences," commission chairman Bernard Stasi told a news conference.

But he added: "We must be lucid -- there are in France some behaviors which cannot be tolerated. There are without any doubt forces in France which are seeking to destabilize the republic and it is time for the republic to react."

Christian, Muslim and some Jewish religious leaders have urged Chirac not to seek an outright ban on religious symbols in public schools. Muslims have been outspoken in defending the veil as a religious obligation they have a right to wear.

CONSPICUOUS SIGNS

The commission proposed barring "conspicuous signs of political or religious affiliation," but said discreet medals -- such as a small cross or Star of David -- were acceptable.

It also suggested adding Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, and the Eid al-Kebir festival at the end of Islam's Ramadan fasting month to a list of school holidays.

Companies were advised to consider ways of allowing employees to take off the religious holiday of their choice.

France, once so Catholic it was called "the eldest daughter of the Church," is now eight percent Muslim. Islam is its second-largest religion.

Its five-million-strong Muslim community and its 600,000 Jews are both the largest minorities of their kind in Europe.

Apart from the veil, the commission also investigated issues such as Muslim women refusing treatment by male doctors, pupils challenging teachers about the Holocaust and a "new anti-Semitism" among disaffected Muslim youths.

"This anti-Semitism is real in our country," commission secretary Remy Schwartz said. "We found children have to leave public schools in some areas because they are not physically secure... This has profoundly shocked the commission."

The commission was also shocked by cases of discrimination against women and said sexual equality was one of the guiding principles it used for reaching its conclusions.

Schwartz said Muslim girls said they were pressured into wearing veils by family and "outside groups" -- a reference to activists officials say are promoting strict religious practices among French Muslims, who are of mostly North African origin.

"Many asked for protection from the state, that the state forbids the wearing of religious symbols in school to guarantee their protection and their individual freedom," he said.

Kamal Kabtane, head of the Grand Mosque of Lyon, said Muslims would respect an anti-veil law but added: "This decision will resolve nothing at all. It will only add to the confusion."