More on the cable-cut: New York Times, Pakistan Internet Link Repairs to Take Three Days, 28 June 2005 "The head of Pakistan's Internet Service Providers' Association, V.A. Abdi, said the providers normally had total bandwidth of 600 megabites at their disposal but now they had just 34. Pakistan has about 10 million Internet users, he said."

United Press International/The Washington Times, Freed hostage said he witnessed killings, June 27 2005 details of interview with Douglas Wood

Telegraph | News | 'My dream was to be a suicide bomber. I wanted to kill 20, 50 Jews. Yes, even babies', 26 June 2005

TIME.com: Inside the Mind of an Iraqi Suicide Bomber -- Jul. 04, 2005

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Pakistan's internet link crippled, 28 June 2005: "A fault in an undersea cable has crippled many of Pakistan's internet and mobile phone links overseas."

asiantribune.com, New York teenager deported to Bangladesh: FBI held girl as "suicide bomber" suspect, 29 June 2005: "Tashnuba apparently came to the FBI's attention as a result of government spying on an Internet chat room where speeches of Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammed, a London-based Islamic cleric, were posted. The sheik is said to encourage support for the Iraqi insurgency and 'global jihad,' though he denies recruiting anyone to become a suicide bomber. And Tashnuba has insisted that her exchanges in the chat room were on other topics, such as the nature of a utopian state under Islamic law."

electronicintifada.net, Kids with machine guns, 27 June 2005 Zachary Wales' account of an Internet cafe in Jerusalem

Haaretz Cell phones invade the Arab world, June 29 2005 "Is it permissible to use verses from the Koran as ring tones? Is it permissible to summon the faithful to prayer via a cellular phone and is it permissible to get divorced by sending an SMS? Numerous Muslims have asked such questions, seeking religious rulings to guide them in this use of the new device. Religious scholars deliberated, and the upshot has been at least four different rulings."

milligazette.com, Reference to embryology in the Qur'an, The Milli Gazette, Vol.6 No.02, MG120 (16-31 Jan 05)

arabnews.com, Kingdom Issues New List of Terrorists, 29 June 2005 "Saudi Arabia yesterday issued a new list of 36 suspects believed to be linked to a series of terror attacks across the country, reflecting the government's resolve to go ahead with its anti-terror campaign."

csmonitor.com, Is black-market baby formula financing terror?, 29 June 2005

adnki.com, Qatar: Jewish Scholars To Join Religious Dialogue Summit, 27 June 2005

adnki.com, Iraq: Saudi Al-Qaeda Split Prelude To Terror Chief's Death, 27 June 2005: "An influential Saudi al-Qaeda leader, Abdullah Muhammad Rashid Al-Rushud, reported killed recently in Iraq, travelled there after a serious split within the al-Qaeda leadership, a recent statement posted on Internet Islamist forums suggests. "

Islam Online, Malaysia Awaits Fatwa on Anti-HIV Measures, June 26, 2005 : "The Malaysian government will make a final decision on the implementation of a controversial anti- HIV program after a ruling from the country's National Fatwa Council, reported Bernama news agency."

Islam Online- Health & Science, Step Aside Men, Women IT Experts Coming Through, June 23 2005

KTLA/LA Times, Breaching the Wall at Prayer, 27 June 2005 Also discusses Amina Wadud's efforts in March this year (previously blogged): "The March service by Wadud, an Islamic studies professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, drew a global chorus of condemnations and provoked threats of violence. An anonymous appeal for Osama bin Laden to issue a decree to kill Wadud was circulated on the Internet, prompting Virginia Commonwealth to move her lectures off campus — with remote hook-up — for the rest of the semester, a university spokeswoman said."

expressindia.com, Madrasas training young women in IT skills, June 27 2005 "Madrasas have all along remained the preserve of men but this one has broken new ground. Cradled between its majestic dome and minarets is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre for hundreds of Muslim women and girls which imparts them new livelihood skills and gives them the confidence to face the world." Very interesting article, this one, about the Babul-Uloom madrasa, located in Seelampur. Also links to a related website: seelampurmart.org

news24.com, US 'knows' where Zarqawi is, 27 June 2005

news24.com, Al-Qaeda group denies US talks, 26 June 2005: "The al-Qaeda linked extremist group Ansar al-Sunna on Sunday denied that any of its members had met US representatives over the violence in Iraq and vowed to pursue its jihad or holy war, according to an Internet statement. "

Xinhua - English, Al-Qaeda group warns of talks with US, 27 June 2005: "Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad made an announcement via the Internet Sunday, warning other anti-America militant groups against talks with the US troops in Iraq. "