No Religious Practices in Public School!

We are marching to protest against Brampton’s Mayor Linda Jeffery and Bryan Woodland’s (from PDSB) comments after our March 11th Rally in Mississauga. Their biased and uneducated portrayal of Concerned Parents and Bramptonians as fear mongers and hate spreaders. We will continue marching to raise aware of dangers of mixing Religion and Education in Public school. Please join this cause if you have a school going child in your family to stop discrimination, segregation, hate, fear, religious practices in Public school. Let’s choose Education, Arts, Math, Science, Sports and free spirited life for our children in Public school. Let's choose Canada over Religion.

Friends, Parents, All community and races, please join this peaceful rally to show your support. Let's walk shoulder to shoulder for a brighter future for our children. Let's Walk for United Strong and Great CANADA we all love.

 Friends we are 4 days away for the historic rally. Please all come and show your support for better future of your children. We will start from Brampton City Hall. Rally is peaceful and no messages against any one faith or religion. Come with Canadian Flags.

Trump will turn on Canada, warns former Mexican congressman

Former Mexican congressman Barrios Gomez says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must take a 'principled stand' against Donald Trump. Photo from CP/Getty Images

A former Mexican congressman and founding member of the Mexico based think tank; the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations, is warning Canada that while Trump may look on Canada favourably now, it won't last. 

"It's just a matter of time before this administration turns its eyes towards Canada. [Trump] will find some excuse to turn on Canada," Agustin Barrios Gomez said Wednesday in an interview on CBC News Network's Power & Politics.

Barrios Gomez made his comments the same day President Donald Trump moved on his campaign promise to build a wall along the U.S., Mexico border. Trump signed executive orders to jump-start construction of a border wall and block federal grants to immigrant-protecting "sanctuary cities."

Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions in the U.S. that refuse to use municipal funds to enforce federal immigration laws, essentially allowing illegal immigrants to remain there even though they are not supposed to be in the country. 

"As a Mexican, I think this is a horrible symbol of ignorance," Barrios Gomez told host Rosemary Barton, adding that it was "zero likely" that Mexico would pay for the wall or that it would factor into NAFTA renegotiations.

When it comes to those talks on reworking NAFTA, Barrios Gomez said Canada should not cut Mexico loose to strike its own trade deal, but rather both nations must present a united front to the Trump administration. 

"I don't think appeasement is the way to go [for Canada]," he said, calling it "the Neville Chamberlain approach" in reference to the British prime minister's appeasement policy towards Hitler's Germany.

"I think it would be a grave mistake if Canada did not act on principle, because when you sacrifice your principles for short-term gain, you end up losing both," said Barrios Gomez. 

"Now is the time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take a principled stand," he added. "I do not think he needs to be confrontational, but he needs to be very clear about what Canadian values are, and how they align with Mexican values.

"This is a threat to peace and prosperity in North America, just so we understand."

Mexico's president Enrique Peña Nieto is currently still scheduled to meet with Trump next week in Washington. Some media reports have suggested that visit may be cancelled by Peña Nieto now that Trump has made his wall announcement.

Barrios Gomez said his group has been one of the voices calling for the Mexican president to cancel the meeting.

"We've been saying to President Peña Nieto that under these circumstances, Mexico cannot negotiate under threat," he said. 

"Our relationship [with the United States] has been based on the idea that we're friends and allies, so if we're no longer going to be friends, we can no longer be allies."

Why Stephen Harper deserves praise for his action on Ukraine

By Andy Radia | Canada Politics

Stephen Harper and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague.

Maybe there's some political motive involved or maybe Stephen Harper is taking a principled position.

Regardless, Canada's prime minister is earning praise — in this country — for his action on Ukraine.
Harper has emerged as one of the world's most vocal critics against Russia and their annexation of Crimea. His government held emergency parliamentary and cabinet debates on the issue. With support from the opposition parties, Canada was quick to impose sanctions and travel bans against Russian officials.
[ Related: Russian sanctions against Canadians a 'badge of honour' ]
Harper was the first G7 leader to visit Ukraine to visit with the new Crimean administration — something Postmedia News described as doing the "rhetorical heavy lifting" for the west.
And he was the one leading the charge to expel Russia from the G8, an action which led to the Group of Seven industrial nations barring Moscow from future meetings.
His harsh words have even caught the attention of the Russians.
Alexander Romanovich, a Russian parliamentarian, told the Globe and Mail that Canada has no reason to get involved in a dispute so far from its borders.
"Where is Canada? Over there," he said pointing to a far off place.
[ Related: Harper warns Germany about Russia, says Putin trapped in Cold War mindset ]
Harper's recent behavior has also caught the attention of some of Canada's most prominent journos:
The Ottawa Citizen's Michael Den Tandt wrote under the headline "Crimea Crisis has shown Harper at its best."

"On the Ukraine file, since Russia’s illegal, duplicitous and reckless invasion of Crimea, the prime minister has been at his best. Both he and Foreign Minister John Baird deserve credit for the clear, principled and authoritative position they have taken, up to and including championing Russia’s indefinite suspension from the G8, now again the G7."

The Globe and Mail editorial board penned this glowing review of Harper's efforts:

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper has demonstrated Canada’s worth as a member of the G8, by his forthright advocacy of the suspension of Russia from the group, in the light – or rather the shadow – of Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and threats against Ukraine.

Canada has often been classified as a “middle power.” It was admitted in 1976, a year after a G6 group of the six leading industrialized powers took shape. But in the Ukrainian crisis, this middle power has shown its prescience."

And the Toronto Star's Tim Harper wrote about all the questions about Stephen Harper's international affairs' abilities early in his career.

"It has been a long, eight-year journey for a man who came to office mocked for his lack of international curiosity, but Stephen Harper has become the Cold Warrior of the G7.
Harper has a rigid sense of black-and-white, evil-and-good in the world. He is a man who demands to see actions before he will move off a position and he is not swayed by promises and conciliatory language."

There is still more work to do for Harper and his G7 brethren: there are worries over Russia's stance in eastern Ukraine and the BRIC countries recently condemned the hostile language against Russia. Then there's the issue of potential economic sanctions.
But to date, Harper is leading the way and, for that, he should be lauded.
(Photo courtesy of Reuters)

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Ottawa makes more room in immigration quota for fast-growing class

October 30, 2012

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-makes-more-room-in-immigration-quota-for-fast-growing-class/article4786085/

By STEVEN CHASE

Boosting number of Canadian Experience Class will allow more temporary foreign workers and students into fast-track residency program

Canada will hold immigration levels steady for the seventh year in a row in 2013, but will make more room within its quota for what's quickly become its fastest-growing category of newcomers.

The Canadian Experience Class, launched only a few years ago, represents the future of Canada's immigration system under the Harper government – where Ottawa places a hard-nosed emphasis on attracting the best and brightest skilled workers.

The federal government is under more pressure to demonstrate the economic benefits of immigration, as 2012 polling suggests attitudes towards immigration are cooling slightly. Internal briefing notes for Citizenship and Immigration Canada released under access to information law say there's been a 10-percentage-point drop since 2010 – to 56 per cent – in the number of Canadians who feel that immigration has a positive impact on the economy.

On Wednesday, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will announce that Canada plans to admit from 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents in 2013 – the same annual target range it's set for immigration since 2007.

The Conservatives, however, are reserving more of these spaces for Canadian Experience Class immigrants: a program that targets temporary foreign workers already in Canada as well as non-Canadians who have graduated from universities and colleges here. It places a premium on attracting people who have already proven they can integrate into Canadian society and meet its labour market needs.

Mr. Kenney will announce that this program intends to accept up to 10,000 permanent residents in 2013 – up from 7,000 in 2012 and 2,500 in 2009.

The Canadian Experience Class program started in 2008, and the top three countries of origin are China, India and the Philippines. The program fast-tracks permanent residency applications for skilled foreign workers and graduate students who have spent time in Canada on temporary permits or student visas – ones that can demonstrate they are proficient in either English or French.

Before it was created, highly skilled outsiders could not become permanent residents from within Canada. Would-be applicants were previously told they had to return to their country of origin and wait at the back of a queue for about seven or eight years. Under the new program, applicants can apply from within Canada and expect a quicker decision – normally within one year.

About 100,000 students and 200,000 temporary workers from foreign countries flood into Canada annually – a group the Conservatives feel offers the best prospects to enlist as new immigrants.

Internally, the federal government is closely monitoring what officials consider a slightly diminished enthusiasm for immigration. "Findings from the 2012 tracking study suggest that attitudes towards immigration levels and the impact of immigration are somewhat tightening up," a recent Citizenship and Immigration presentation said.

"Residents of Ontario are among those who seem less convinced as to the positive economic impact of immigration."

The polling figures show very few Canadians realize that Canada accepts more than 250,000 newcomers as permanent residents each year.

The 2012 tracking poll, conducted in two waves, found that when respondents were informed about the actual number of immigrants, there was a shift of between nine and 14 percentage points to the view that Canada was accepting "too many" newcomers – away from "the right amount."

Since 2010, the Immigration report found, there's been a drop of between 16 to 18 percentage points in the number of Canadians who feel that "immigration has a positive impact on Canadian culture."

Churches in Toronto industrial areas face zoning threat

Published on Sunday October 21, 2012

RENE JOHNSTON/TORONTO STAR 

  The Apostolic Church is among the houses of worship in Toronto that exists amid factories and warehouses.

2 of 2

Raja Moussaoui
Special to the Star

For years, churches have been popping up in industrial zones across Toronto. Old factories and warehouses are big and cheap, making them a perfect place for poorer, immigrant churches lacking the financial resources to build or buy a conventional building.
But the city is considering a zoning bylaw that would stop houses of worship from setting up in areas zoned for industrial use — sparking outrage among religious groups.
“Our places of worship provide a venue for spiritual growth, language and cultural advancement,” said Pastor David Loganathan, of the Tamil Pastors Fellowship of Canada. “Canada is a multicultural country, and many more people will be coming. I am thoroughly disappointed with the disregard shown to places of worship from this bylaw.”
The proposed changes are part of the city’s larger effort to harmonize 41 separate sets of bylaws that existed before Toronto’s amalgamation in 1998.
It’s a delicate balancing act for the city: Religious groups fear the changes mean they will lose the very places they gather as a community. Meanwhile, neighbouring businesses worry that leaving things as they are may limit their operations or even force them to relocate.
The noise, dust, odour or vibrations that a factory kicks up may one day not sit well with the church next door, even if the factory has been there for years, worries Calvin Lantz, a lawyer representing the Toronto Industry Network.
Last month, Nestle initiated a campaign against a proposed condo development near its Sterling Rd. plant, concerned in part that people moving in nearby would eventually force the company to make expensive retrofits.
The encroachment of places where people gather in the community is, Lantz claims, “one of the principle reasons ... why industry leaves Toronto.”
Letting houses of worship cluster around industrial zones would “be in effect creating barriers to attracting industry to Toronto,” he says.
But the congregations say they’ve been forced to look at industrial lands because of the high cost associated with buying or renting conventional church properties.
Altogether, 15 pastors and religious leaders appeared before an Oct. 12 planning committee meeting to argue against the zoning change. That was enough to convince Councillor Peter Milczyn, committee chair, that “the bylaw as it’s been drafted now is unacceptable.” City staff will meet with representatives of faith communities to review the proposal, and eventually Toronto council will debate the issue.
“The city needs to make allowances for a place of worship and understand the real dynamics, because they provide added value to the community. They should not be seen as a nuisance,” said Pastor Audley Goulbourne, of the Lisle Memorial Baptist Church.
A City of Toronto report commissioned in 2009 shows the problem will not resolve itself. The report identified 1,260 “official” places of worship that were operating in the city in 2005, one-third of which had opened between 1995 and 2005. In 2008, no fewer than 22 per cent of Toronto’s places of worship were located in industrial areas.
“The increase in establishments of places of worship likely corresponds to large population increases in a number of religious denominations in Canada, including Muslim, Christian (including Evangelical, born-again and Apostolic), Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist,” the report said.
Similar issues have cropped up elsewhere in the GTA.
In 2010, after an uproar over the issue in Brampton, the city updated its places of worship policy to provide religious groups — especially small, emerging congregations — more flexibility in acquiring sites for future places of worship. The amendments, which permit temples, mosques and churches in more locations, including residential, commercial and certain industrial zones, followed complaints from faith groups over the lack of legal options.
In Toronto, the increase follows a trend away from manufacturing and towards warehousing and distribution, says Graham Meader, executive vice president and sales representative of Colliers International. But a warehouse needs high ceilings, something older factories lack, Meader says.
Drive around the industrial area south of Highway 407 and west of Highway 400 on a Wednesday afternoon, and the issue is apparent.
Peppered among the warehouses, scrap yards and factories are single-storey warehouses with signs out front that read, for example, “Christ Apostolic Church, Vineyard of Comfort” and “Mount Zion Ministries, Motto: True Worshippers Centre.”
On a weekday afternoon, factories are buzzing, trucks are driving goods in and out to the nearby highways — but the churches are locked up. On a Sunday, the scene switches. Cars are parked up and down the laneways next to the churches and the sounds of lively singing and instruments can be heard from the street.
Mount Zion Ministries, at 105 Kenhar Dr. in North York, opened its doors in 2008. Led by Pastor Kingsley Osayande, the church serves a mostly Nigerian congregation. When they moved in, places of worship were permitted in the industrial area under the zoning law, and the church didn’t seek any planning approvals.
While the proposed bylaw change would not evict houses of worship already approved, Osayande worries his church may eventually be forced out because it has yet to receive planning approvals under the old bylaw. The church has now applied to the city to confirm that its meets the parking and landscaping requirements.
Raja Moussaoui is a journalism fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.

In Pakist­an, everyt­hing is a plot by the Indian­s, Americ­ans or Israel. Or all three!

Thet Thet Tun

ေဆာင္းပါးရွင္ ပါကစၥတန္ ရုုိက္တာသတင္းဌာနက သတင္းေထာက္ခ်ဳပ္ဟာ ျပီးခဲ့တဲ့ လပုုိင္းအနည္းငယ္က အသက္အႏာၱရယ္ေႀကာင့္ ပါကစၥတန္ကုုိ အျပီး စြန္႕ခြာခဲ့ရတယ္။

ေဆာင္းပါးရဲ႕ အက်ဥ္းခ်ဳပ္ကေတာ့ ပါကစၥတန္မွာ လူနည္းစုု ပညာတတ္ေတြအေနနဲ႕ အခုုလုုိ အႀကမ္းဖက္တာေတြကုုိ ဆန္႕က်င္ေသာ္လည္း တတုုိင္းျပည္လုုံးက ညီညြတ္စြာ လက္ခံဘုုိ႕ ျငင္းဆုုိေနတဲ့ အခ်က္ကေတာ့ ျဖစ္လာသမ်ွ ျပႆနာဟာ သူတုုိ႕ရဲ႕ ျပည္တြင္းေရး၊ သူတုုိ႕နဲ႕ပဲ ဆုုိင္တယ္ဆုုိတာပါပဲ။

ပါကစၥတန္မွာ ျဖစ္သမ်ွ ျပသနာဟာ အိႏၵိယ၊ အေမရိကန္၊ အစၥေရး သုုိ႕မဟုုတ္ သူတုုိ႕ ၃ဦး ေပါင္းႀကံလုုိ႕ ျဖစ္ရတာပါလုုိ႕ အျမဲလႊဲခ်ေနတတ္ျပီး ကုုိယ့္တာဝန္ ကုုိယ္ ဘယ္တုုံးကမွ မယူခဲ့ပါဘူးတဲ့။

In the end, the real enemy of Pakistan is not India or the United States. It’s not even passivity in the face of — or even acceptance of — a pernicious and twisted ideology. It’s the denial that the ideology has come from within Pakistan itself.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2012.

State of denial

tribune.com.pk

In Pakist­an, everyt­hing is a plot by the Indian­s, Americ­ans or Israel. Or all three!

Towheed Feroze

In the name of religion

October 5, 2012

The rage, directed so far, at the West is now right here in our own backyard. In Ramu, thousands of zealots, inflamed by what they said was a defamatory comment made on Islam in Facebook allegedly by a Buddhist, went on the rampage. They vandalized Buddhist homes and desecrated temples. In certain cases, Hindu places of worship were also targeted in Patiya, Chittagong. The images of total destruction plastered on all national and international papers spoke of one thing only – mad rage. In one photo, a Buddha statue was seen without a head. Someone had decapitated it in devilish fury. So, this is what happens when someone makes a derogative comment about Islam.
Does the violent mob feel better now that so many people’s lives have been abruptly turned upside down? Well, the issue is, if they feel themselves to be better Muslims by reacting like such fanatics. An anecdote from the Prophet’s life, taught to most of us during our school days, comes back.
An old woman who did not have high regard for the Prophet or Islam laid thorns on his path everyday and each day The Prophet carefully removed the obstacles and went on his way. One day, there were no thorns and the same happened the next day. Anxious, The Prophet sensed that some harm had come to the woman and after asking others went to her home. The old woman was sick but she was speechless at the kindness of the man whom she tried to harm for so long and became ashamed. The morale here is that: Islam never speaks of violence and never condones undermining other faiths. The Prophet also went to war but when there was no other way. So, the religion of compassion and empathy is translated into an ideology of hatred and intolerance when the so-called Muslims’ fail to grasp what religion actually stands for. That is not to say that when Islam is insulted or, made to become a victim of slander, Muslims should remain passive but their action needs to be sensible and supported by logic and not by uncontrollable wrath. The sad part is when the images of broken idols and ransacked temples are portrayed across the world Islam-phobia will only become more entrenched.
Already, the general people of the West have a weary attitude towards Muslims and while extreme acts are committed by a handful of radicals, the brunt of the suspicion falls on all Muslims. A bearded man can possess moderate values and may shun all extremisms but, at first glance, he may be regarded with skepticism. This is the hard truth and acts like temple attacking will only reinforce these fears.
The problem is that the when people erupt in anger and attack worship areas of other faiths they fail to look at the far-reaching repercussions. Today, many of those who broke into temples in anger may be feeling a sense of satisfaction but their action, in the long run, will only fuel anti-Muslim sentiment. In Western societies, Muslims will slowly begin to be avoided and an irreversible gap of understanding may develop. As for countries like Bangladesh, minority communities will be jolted into realising that any time their existence can face threat. The Buddhist community as a whole was not to be held responsible for the errant act of one man (assuming he made pejorative remarks about Islam).
Let’s change the context and the point here will become clear. Just because one Bangladeshi man breaks the law in a foreign land does not mean that all Bangladeshis are criminals. The same rule applies here. The bottom line is that religion’s main tenet is tolerance but while there is no dearth of diehard adherents of a faith, using religion to promote harmony and understanding is missing. The incident in Ramu comes amidst the global furore over an anti-Islamic film and the West’s stubbornness to permit anything in the name of freedom of speech and therefore, is loosely connected to the convulsions the world has seen in the last few weeks.
Unfortunately, by protesting with violence and vandalism, Muslims have only shown an ugly side. Had they united and forwarded a demand saying that there must be certain demarcations in freedom of speech, the picture would have been a sober one. Instead of putting a united front, the countries were busy quelling angry mob riots. But after everything said and done – this also has to be remembered that Islam is not a fragile religion and so, any kind of vilification will eventually have no impact on it. Muslims need to remember that by resorting to uncivil acts they are only branding themselves as fanatics. The truth to come out of years of Islam-bashing followed by outburst is that, insult on religion will never stop. Some evil brain will always try to become instantly in(famous) by attacking Muslims and their faith and the best course for Muslims would be to either form a platform consisting of all Muslim nations and protest or, simply ignore.
Meanwhile, Muslims who attack holy places of other faiths and defile religious images and idols need better understanding of the ideals of Islam. Often general people’s emotions are stirred by inflammatory speech made by Moulanas and off they go, screaming for blood, weapons in hand.
The scars of the Gujarat riot in India remain fuelling an invisible, uneasy division between Muslims and Hindus and the latest clashes between Muslims and Bodo people which trickled down to others parts of India have only shown that religious divides persist and can flare up at the slightest provocation.
Not surprisingly, immediately after the Ramu incident, main political parties began finger pointing, blaming each other for inciting sectarian animosity. For God’s sake, when a community is faced with the predicament of existence, let’s refrain from using it as a political weapon. The government needs to find the perpetrators and take stern action and as soon as possible. Inter-faith discussions and meetings must be held so that the minority people do not feel like outsiders.
Bangladesh always prides herself to be a country where people of all faiths live peacefully and this achievement sets us apart – let’s not allow a group of extremists to spoil that!
————————————
Towheed Feroze writes on social, political, development and cultural issues.

Ramu rioters to be booked: Hasina

07 October, 2012 Sunday

Ramu rioters to be booked: Hasina

. UNB, Dhaka 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said steps will be taken against those found involved in the recent sectarian violence in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong to stop the recurrence of such dastardly incidents in the future.
"Action will be taken against those involved the communal violence seeing the video footage taken during the attacks on the minority people… we'll take action, we must take action after investigation into the incidents," she said.
The Prime Minister's strong words came when a delegation of Bangladesher Bouddha Samaj Surakkha Committee led by Sanghanayak Suddhananda Mohathero called on her at Ganobhaban in the morning.
Hasina further said: "This is not the end … there may be more such incidents as the religious festivals like Prabarana Purnima (of the Buddhists), Durga Puja (of Hindus) and Eid-ul-Azha (of Muslims) are getting nearer."
"We all need to remain alert against any possible repeat of such violence… we've already asked the law-enforcing agencies to stay alert," she told the Buddhists delegation.
The delegation met the Prime Minister yesterday, a week after sectarian clash rocked Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazar on the night of September 29 after a Buddhist youth reportedly posted a photograph disgracing the holy Quran on the wall of his facebook account.
The clash that ensued at Merunloa village in Ramu upazila continued on Sunday and spilled over into Chittagong, leaving many homes of the Buddhist community and pagodas damaged.
At the meeting, member secretary of Bangladesher Buddha Samaj Surakhha Committee Ashok Barua said its five-member sub-committee visited the affected areas and talked to people.
A member of the sub-committee PR Barua said they found that the attacks were carried out to muddle the Rohingya issue, obstruct the trial of war criminals and destabilise the country ahead of the next general election.
In South Chittagong, he said, the fundamentalists are very much active and the two Jamaat parliament members are patronising them.  "Hizbut Tahrir is using the Rohingyas there," he alleged.
Sanghanayak Suddhananda Mohathero requested the Prime Minister to take effective steps so that such incidents never happen again in the country.
He said the entire Buddhist community is very much pleased upon the Prime Minister for her quick and prompt actions during the incidents although she was in New York at the time to attend the United Nations General Assembly. "We're happy seeing you in action just after the incidents, we're very much pleased, we're ready to sacrifice anything for you (PM)," he said.
Suddhananda also mentioned that the Buddhist community has been living in the areas for a long time and this incident was the first there.
He said the losses caused by these attacks were numerous and irreparable, as the Bihars and pagodas of these areas lost so many relics of Lord Goutam Buddha. "This preplanned attack is a blow to the country's tradition of communal harmony," Ashoke Barua said.
He informed the Prime Minister that the culprits attacked 25 Buddha Bihars, damaging 11 of them totally. "They set afire, burned Holy Tripitak and various priceless items," he mentioned.
Ashoke also said the attackers used same types of destructive objects like crude bombs, gun powder, diesel and petrol in all the incidents at different places.
He gave the premier a cement block used in all the attacks, and mentioned had the local administration acted properly in time many Bihars could have been saved. Ashoke requested the Prime Minister to enquire into the mysterious role of the officer-in-charge of Ramu Police Station.

For Obama, words not said in debate spoke the loudest

• View GalleryRepublican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (L) shakes hands with President Barack …

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - During their 90-minute debate on Tuesday night, President Barack Obama talked four minutes longer than Republican challenger Mitt Romney. But when the debate was over, it was what Obama didn't say that defined the evening - and helped make it a good one for Romney.

In a debate that largely was a mix of campaign talking points and tedious policy detail, the themes that Obama's campaign have emphasized to drive down Romney's approval ratings did not surface.
Obama did not mention Romney's work at Bain Capital, the private equity firm whose role in sending thousands of jobs overseas has been cited by Obama's campaign as it has portrayed Romney as a job-killer.
Obama resisted chiding Romney about the former Massachusetts governor's reluctance to release more than two years of his income taxes. Democrats have questioned whether Romney - who has a fortune estimated at up to $250 million - is hiding something about his finances and why he keeps millions of dollars in offshore accounts.
But Obama's most startling omission was not uttering a phrase that has dominated the campaign for much of the past two weeks: "47 percent."
That would be the percentage of Americans who Romney - speaking at a private fundraiser that was secretly videotaped in May - said were "victims" who are dependent upon government benefits and are unlikely to vote for him.
The video of Romney's remarks, which surfaced last month, was a benchmark in the campaign. Last week, Obama's team released an ad featuring Romney's "47 percent" comment in seven key states, including Colorado, the host of Tuesday's debate.
Many voters say that Romney's comments had given them a negative opinion of the former Massachusetts governor.
Nearly six in 10 people said in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last month that they felt Romney unfairly dismissed almost half of Americans as victims.
In the fallout from the video, Obama's small lead over Romney in nationwide polls increased by a few points. Meanwhile, Republicans campaigning in tight U.S. House and Senate races across the country tried to distance themselves from Romney's remarks.
So it was widely expected that Obama would remind voters of the Romney video at Wednesday's debate, which was projected to draw a national television audience of about 60 million viewers.
Moderator Jim Lehrer appeared to invite Obama to do just that during one of the debate's final segments.
"Do you believe there's a fundamental difference between the two of you as to how you view the mission of the federal government?" Lehrer asked.
"The federal government has the capacity to help open up opportunity and create ladders of opportunity and to create frameworks where the American people can succeed," Obama said.
Obama campaign advisers defended the president's response.
"The president wasn't looking at a checklist of attack lines. He was trying to explain his plans," said Obama campaign spokesman Jen Psaki.
'I'M NOT A PERFECT MAN'
Romney supporters said that Obama's avoidance of the topics that could have put Romney on defense might signal a shift in strategy by the president's team.
"It could be that the Obama folks don't feel it's a good vehicle for them anymore," said Romney senior adviser Kevin Madden.
Obama also mostly held his tongue when it came to an accomplishment that Vice President Joe Biden has said should be among the top reasons to re-elect Obama: The successful mission by U.S. forces that killed Osama bin Laden.
In a debate that focused on domestic policy, Obama made no mention of the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks until the closing minutes of the debate.
In wrapping up the debate, Obama again avoided the anti-Romney themes that have been hallmarks of his campaign.
Instead, Obama acknowledged there were areas in which he had fallen short as president.
"You know, four years ago, I said that I'm not a perfect man and I wouldn't be a perfect president," Obama said. "And that's probably a promise that Governor Romney thinks I've kept."
(Additional reporting by John Whitesides in Denver; Editing by David Lindsey and Jim Loney)

Photo deemed offensive to Islam sparks riots, temple burning in Bangladesh

Some of the temples targeted were over 300 years old. Fifteen villages were attacked, and over 100 houses were looted or damaged.

AP

CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH

Photo deemed offensive to Islam sparks riots, temple burning in Bangladesh

Published Sunday, Sep. 30, 2012 07:35PM EDT

Last updated Sunday, Sep. 30, 2012 08:29PM EDT

Thousands of rioters torched Buddhist temples and homes in southeastern Bangladesh Sunday over a photo posted on Facebook deemed offensive to Islam, in a rare attack against the community.
Officials said the mob comprising some 25,000 people set fire to at least five Buddhist temples and dozens of homes in Ramu town and its adjoining villages, some 350 kilometres from the capital Dhaka.
The rioters claimed the photo allegedly defaming the Koran was uploaded on Facebook by a young Buddhist man from the area, district administrator Joinul Bari said.
“They became unruly and attacked Buddhist houses, torching and damaging their temples from midnight to Sunday morning,” he told AFP.
“At least 100 houses were damaged. We called in army and border guards to quell the violence,” he said, adding that authorities had temporarily banned public gatherings in the area to prevent further clashes.
The man who sparked the riots, who has gone into hiding, told local media he did not post the picture, insisting someone else had “tagged” his account with the image on the social network.
His mother and an aunt were given police protection for their safety after the violence broke out, officials said.
Police officer Rumia Khatun said about “25,000 Muslims chanting God is Great” first attacked a Buddhist hamlet in Ramu, torching centuries-old temples, and later stormed Buddhist villages outside the town.
It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties, and authorities did not say if any of the rioters were arrested.
Witnesses described rioters leaving a trail of devastation at the Buddhist villages.
“I have seen 11 wooden temples, two of them 300 years old, torched by the mob. They looted precious items and Buddha statues from the temples. Shops owned by Buddhists were also looted,” said Sunil Barua, a local journalist on the scene.
Mr. Barua, himself a Buddhist, said 15 Buddhist villages were attacked and more than 100 houses were looted and damaged. “The villages look like as if they were hit by a major cyclone,” he told AFP by phone.
The country’s home minister, industries minister and national police chief rushed to the scene Sunday morning.
Buddhists, who make up less than one per cent of Bangladesh’s 153 million population, are based mainly in southeastern districts, close to the border with Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
Sectarian tensions have been running high since June when deadly clashes erupted between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar’s western Rakhine, or Arakan, state.
Although Bangladesh, where nearly 90 per cent people are Muslims, has witnessed deadly clashes between Muslims and Hindus in the past, sectarian clashes involving Buddhists are rare.
In recent weeks tens of thousands of Muslims have hit the street across the country to protest a US-made anti-Islam film mocking the prophet Mohammed.

166 held for Ramu violence

Three cases filed against 1,500 over Patiya violence, 4 upazilas still under Sec 144, Western Marine Shipyard workers on 1-day leave

A statue of Lord Buddha is left standing amidst the ruins of a temple burnt down by a violent mob at Ramu upazila in Cox's Bazar early Sunday. Photo: Focus BanglaStar Online Report

Law enforcers have so far arrested 93 people in Cox's Bazar and 73 in Chittagong till Monday morning centring violence in Ramu that spread to Chittagong later.
Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir on Monday informed journalists about the arrests after inaugurating a training programme at APBn headquarters in the capital.
A mob destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and more than 50 houses in Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazar early Sunday. The violence was apparently triggered by a Facebook posting of a photo defaming the holy Quran.
A correspondent from Cox's Bazar reports, 80 people have so far been arrested in different places of the district in connection with the violence.
Of the arrestees, 32 were from Ukhia, 22 from Teknaf, 8 from Ramu and 18 from Sadar upazila of Cox’s Bazar, said Babul Akhter, additional superintendent of police (ASP) of Cox’s Bazar.
Police arrested four more in Ramu upazila headquarters of Cox's Bazar Monday noon while they were preparing to stage a protest against the arrests.
Meanwhile, at least 1,500 people were sued in three cases filed with Patiya Police Station on charge of vandalising two monasteries and a Hindu temple, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
Of the three cases, priest Dipananda of Kolagaon Sarbojanin Ratnangkur Buddha Bihar in Patiya lodged one accusing 450 people bringing specific allegation against 25, who were already arrested Saturday night.
The other two cases were filed by Jakir Hossain and Kamal Uddin, both sub-inspectors of Patiya Police Station, accusing 1,500 to 2,000 people. Jakir and Kamal brought specific charges against total 54 accused.
Amid the section 144, the situation is now calm in the areas where the violence occurred. Police, Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guards Bangladesh and army personnel have been posted in the areas.
Meanwhile, the Western Marine Shipyard authorities have declared a one-day leave for Monday following the arrest of 26 of its workers in connection with the violence in Ramu.
“We have put a notice for a day’s leave but did not shut down the yard. We thought this would help us to organise the workers as some people working under a subcontract in the yard were arrested yesterday [Sunday],” reports our Chittagong correspondent quoting Md Shakhawat Hossain, the managing director of Western Marine Shipyard.
“They are not our regular staff,” he added.

U.N. chief urges careful handling of Myanmar Rohingyas issue

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS | Sat Sep 29, 2012 12:56pm EDT

(Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the world's largest Islamic body on Saturday to "treat carefully" the issue of the stateless Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar because it could affect the reform process underway in the country, also known as Burma.
Over the past year, Myanmar has introduced the most sweeping reforms in the former British colony since a 1962 military coup. A semi-civilian government, stacked with former generals, has allowed elections, eased rules on protests and freed dissidents.
But an outbreak of violence in June between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and the Rohingyas killed 80 people and displaced thousands. At least 800,000 Rohingyas are not recognized as one of the country's many ethnic and religious groups.
Rights groups accused Myanmar security forces of killing, raping and arresting Rohingyas after the riots. Myanmar has said it exercised "maximum restraint" in quelling the riots.
Ban discussed the issue in separate meeting with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Myanmar President Thein Sein on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly of world leaders.
During his meeting with Ihsanoglu, Ban "indicated the importance of the situation in Rakhine being treated carefully because of the potential wider implications of the Rakhine issue on the overall reform process in Myanmar," his spokesman said.
An OIC committee set up to deal with the Rohingya issue met for the first time in New York this week and called for them to be given rights as citizens in Myanmar. Ihsanoglu said he wanted to visit Myanmar when the government was ready to "to remedy the fundamental rights issues of the Rohingya Muslims."
Myanmar's president is in a tight spot. Concessions towards the Rohingyas could prove unpopular among the general public, but perceived ill-treatment risks angering Western countries that have eased sanctions in response to human rights reforms.
Thein Sein said in June the government was only responsible for third-generation Rohingyas whose families had arrived before independence in 1948 and that it was impossible to accept those who had "illegally entered" Myanmar.
Ban and Thein Sein "discussed the recent outbreak of violence in Rakhine state and the immediate and long-term perspectives to promote inter-communal harmony and address the root causes of the tension there, including developmental efforts," Ban's spokesman said in a statement.
"The President confirmed the country would address the long-term ramifications of this question," the spokesman said.
Last week Aung Min, a minister in President Thein Sein's office and the government's top negotiator in peace talks with at least 10 ethnic minority rebel groups, said the government had set up an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the violence between the Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingyas.
The commission would look at how further violence could be prevented, which includes examining the status of the ethnic minorities, he said. It is due to report on due November 16.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Buddhist temples, homes burned, looted in Ramu
Sun, Sep 30th, 2012 4:26 am BdST

Cox's Bazaar, Sept 30 (bdnews24.com)—A mob torched and vandalised a village of Buddhists in Cox's Bazaar's Ramu Upazila early on Sunday in one of the worst religious attacks in Bangladesh apparently triggered by a Facebook posting allegedly defaming the Quran. 

Eyewitnesses and police said the assailants set fire to at least six Buddhist temples and nearly 20 homes and looted and damaged more than a hundred others until 3am in the hate attack.

Cox's Bazaar district's Superintendent of Police Selim Mohammed Jahangir acknowledged the violence in the Buddhist-dominated locality. He said around 3am situation in the Ramu district headquarters was under control but in areas on the fringe, tension was palpable.

"Police patrols have been strengthened in the Buddhist-majority areas," SP Jahangir added. 

Paramilitary BGB personnel have been called out to restore order in the affected areas, Suresh Barua, teacher at a local school, said.

Several houses and Mithhachharhi Bonbihar, some five kilometres from Ramu Sadar Upazila, were set on fire around 3:30am, said General Secretary of Ramu Upazila Juba League Nitish Barua. 



A 100-foot high under-construction Buddha sculpture was also ravaged in Bimukti Bidarshan Babna Centre in the locality, he added. 

Gias Uddin Ziku, Office Secretary of Cox's Bazaar district unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Chairman of Jhilangja Union, said he dispersed Jamaat-e-Islami activists who had gathered around localities of ethnic minorities. He also said he had informed the police of the incident.

Local people said followers of an Islamist party led by several leaders took out a procession around 10pm on Saturday alleging that a photo was uploaded on the Facebook to defame the holy book. 

At a subsequent rally, they claimed a youth by the name of Uttam Barua had pasted the purportedly offensive photo in the social networking website and demanded his arrest.

Another militant procession was taken out that marched down towards the Barua Parha around 11:30pm and some youths from the procession set some homes of the Buddhists on fire. 

From then on, 15 homes, three temples including 'Saada Ching' and 'Laal Ching' were burned to the ground, Dipak Barua, a local, said.

Police, local administration officials and public representatives were trying to quell the arson and destruction that continued at least until 1:30am. 

A local journalist, who was hiding with family in the neighbourhood that came under attack, told bdnews24.com the Cheranghata Barakyang Temple close to his home was set alight. He said the flames died out around 2:45am.

Also, Ramu Maitree Bihar, Saada Chinglaal, Ramy Sina Bihar and Jadiparha Bouddha Bihar were torched, ransacked and looted. 

At least 10 Buddhist villages were attacked and Purbo Merongloa locality that had around 20 houses was burned.

Chairman of Ramu Upazila Council Sohel Sarwar Kajal said efforts were on to quell the tension. 

Several Facebook users, meanwhile, said Uttam Barua, the Ramu youth being accused of Quran defamation, did not post the photo deemed to be offensive to Islam. They said Uttam was tagged in the photo from a Facebook ID called 'Insult Allah' and so he was in no way responsible.

Recently, there was much hullabaloo was created after Rohingya Muslims tried to cross the border into Bangladesh fleeing the religious riot in Myanmar's Buddhist-majority Rakhine state. A section of the civil society in Bangladesh reacted to the government refusing the refugees entry. The government believes communal forces were behind this incident. 

bdnews24.com/corr/mhp/bd/0430h