By: Robert Maginnis – Human Events

Winning the war in Afghanistan requires Islamabad’s cooperation. However, the Pakistanis feel that they have been ‘dissed’ by the Americans who seemingly are distrustful of the Pakistan military by tying badly needed aid to a series of unacceptable, overly intrusive certifications.

This is but one of many challenges President Obama must address in his new regional strategy if he intends to win the Afghan war. Otherwise, he risks losing Afghanistan to jihadists who will once again use that country to launch global operations and then overrun nuclear-armed Pakistan. The growing violence in Pakistan such as the weekend assault on the Pakistani Army headquarters in Rawalpindi demonstrates that time for action is short.

Consider past mistakes that contributed to the Afghanistan mess and what we can do with ally Pakistan to help resolve the brewing crisis.

In the 1980s, the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) with America’s Central Intelligence Agency created the Taliban in Afghanistan to fight the occupying Soviets. After Russia abandoned Afghanistan we failed to go into that country to rehabilitate the Taliban to prevent radicals like the al Qaida from taking root.

We had another chance in the mid-1990s to change the course of that country. President Clinton knew al Qaeda was nesting with the Taliban in Afghanistan. But Clinton refused to plant humanitarian missions in that country to keep it from deteriorating into a radical Islamic state that threatened global peace.

After al-Qaida attacked America in September 2001, the U.S. defeated the Taliban with the help of the Northern Alliance, ethnic Tajiks. At the time we mistakenly assumed that all Pashtuns – the ethnic group that makes up half the Afghan population – were radical Taliban. This naiveté and our follow-up actions alienated many non-Taliban Pashtun while our real enemy, al-Qaeda, slipped into the Pakistani mountains where they remain today.

Obama’s forthcoming Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy must learn from these past mistakes and partner with the Pakistanis to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan, stop the Talibanization of Pakistan and destroy al Qaida. This will require President Obama to address a number of significant challenges.

First, the U.S. should not “diss” its war ally. Unfortunately, the U.S. Congress just sent an aid bill to President Obama for signature that Pakistani politicians described as “insulting and unacceptable” and reflects lack of trust. A U.S. State Department spokesman admitted “…we need to perhaps communicate better about what this bill entails.”

Pakistani chief of staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani expressed “serious concerns” over the legislation because it links aid to increased monitoring of its anti-terror efforts and Pakistan’s nuclear program. Kiyani’s objections send a message about the limits of civilian control in a country with a history of military rule.

The bill, named after its chief sponsors, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), triples the amount of U.S. economic assistance to Pakistan. But it alienates the Pakistanis by mandating regular administration certification that Pakistan is adhering to a wide range of sovereignty-related requirements. Dr. Ashraf says the bill singles out the military as “the bad people in Pakistan.”

Second, the U.S. must conduct a comprehensive counterinsurgency in the Pashtun area of Afghanistan along the Pakistan border. This will likely require more troops and close cooperation with the Pakistanis who are poised for a campaign in Waziristan, a border region.

We should “provide security for the people” in large populated areas and “hit [the enemy] hard” inflicting “major losses,” said Dr. Nasim Ashraf, a former member of Pakistani President Muscharaf’s cabinet and now with a Washington, DC-think tank. He believes “major defeats” of the Taliban will turn the tide in Afghanistan.

Third, we need to grow the Afghan National Army (ANA) with Pashtun recruits. The Pashtuns must become a significant part of the ANA if it is to be credible. Even though the Pashtun make-up half of all Afghans they account for less than a third of the ANA.

“We need an ethnic balance in the ANA,” said Dr. Ashraf. He argues that Pashtuns have been excluded from the army which hurts the effort to re-integrate them and defeat the Taliban.

Fourth, the Afghan refugee camps near Quetta, Pakistan, should be relocated inside Afghanistan. These camps, which hold up to 2 million Afghan refugees, have become Taliban recruiting grounds and the base of operations for Mullah Mohammed Omar, who was the former head of the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

The Quetta camps and others that dot the Durand Line – the 1,610 mile Afghanistan- Pakistan border fixed by the British in 1893 – have populations that rival many large European cities. It’s time Afghanistan formulates a roadmap to repatriate these people to remove a huge burden on Pakistan and to help mitigate the associated security problems.

Fifth, the U.S. must help equip Pakistan with the resources to sustain the fight. Foreign minister Qureshi told the Washington Times that Pakistani forces are poised to move into South Waziristan – the heart of Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) resistance – once they receive promised military resources from the U.S. This planned offensive is the most ambitious thus far and is intended to integrate the impoverished tribal population into mainstream society. But American help cannot come too soon.

The TTP isn’t waiting for the Pakistani army to strike South Waziristan. On Oct. 10, the TTP assaulted the Pakistani Army headquarters, which demonstrates the extent of militant penetration into the Pakistani military and is indicative of the type of attacks that will continue. Since last week, there have been four grisly TTP attacks which are allegedly part of the Tailban’s effort to recruit militants across Pakistan.

Sixth, tensions between arch rivals Pakistan and India must be addressed. Last week’s suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul exposed this front in the regional war. The Afghan foreign ministry said the attack “… was planned and implemented from outside of Afghan borders” by the same group responsible for the July 2008 suicide bombing. That bombing was blamed on Pakistan’s ISI.

But the Obama administration excludes India from the security issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is no doubt both India and Pakistan leverage the disaffection. “The U.S. should have been more engaged in a comprehensive policy,” said Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, former ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S. and currently at the Woodrow Wilson Center. She argues the region’s security issues are interconnected and “We need a process to discuss” the differences otherwise the problems are compounded. Talks between the two rivals are stalled because of the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai by Pakistani militants.

Seventh, Afghanistan needs an indigenous process to form a stable, representative government. The West should never have imposed an alien form of government on the Afghans but should encourage the creation of a National Compact that has a proven history of stability in that country.

Dr. Lodhi suggests the Afghans need to embrace “a political process of national reconciliation,” perhaps a National Compact. This indigenous process should integrate the non-ideological Taliban that disavow al Qaeda. She recommends the Taliban form a political party that gives them an engagement avenue other than fighting.

Eighth, the Pakistanis should have unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for counter-terrorist operations. But the U.S. doesn’t want to transfer drones to Pakistan because of the technology loss.

U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan have killed innocent civilians and thus lose “the hearts and minds of the tribes” and using them can give “the enemy the means to get pity,” said Dr. Lodhi. She favors giving the Pakistanis drones that will serve a “broader strategy” that includes police, intelligence, and economic development. Also, the Pakistani public would be more tolerant of civilian casualties caused by drones operated by the country’s own forces.

Finally, the U.S. must make a long-term commitment. Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said “The people in the region have to be reassured that the U.S. has a long-term vision not just for Afghanistan and Pakistan but the entire region.” He called on Washington to learn from “the mistakes of the past.”

Partnering with Pakistan will be the most important part of the president’s emerging strategy. He must avoid past mistakes and make needed adjustments if we have any hope of stabilizing that region before withdrawing our troops.

* Pakistan rocked by fresh attacks A series of attacks on security forces in Pakistan has killed at least 38 people.

* Hamas rejects Fatah reconciliation bid The Syrian-based leadership of Hamas said Thursday it has rejected an Egyptian-mediated proposal to reconcile with Fatah.

* Iranian Supreme Leader Rumored to be Dead Once again, rumors have begun circulating that Iran’s top Muslim leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died.

* Majority of Nobel jury ‘objected to Obama prize’ Three of the five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee had objections to the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to US President Barack Obama.

* ‘Syrian long-range missiles in Lebanon’ Syria has transferred nearly a quarter of its long-and medium-range missile arsenal to Hizbullah.

* Allies push Israel for Gaza probe Israel has come under pressure from its allies to investigate UN allegations of possible war crimes by its army during its Gaza offensive last winter.

* New Egypt front opposes father-son succession A group of Egypt’s opposition forces, including a former presidential candidate, launched a campaign Wednesday to oppose what is widely seen as the increasingly inevitable succession of the long-ruling president’s son.

* Iraq calls on Turkey to stop cross-border raids Iraq asked Turkey on Thursday to respect its sovereignty and stop cross-border military operations against Kurdish rebels.

* And Gog says to Magog: How about a little Armageddon at Megiddo? Talk about a biblical reference. Greenpeace and World March activists staged a “die-in” to protest nuclear weapons at Mount Megiddo.

* Outlines emerging of new EU commission The next European Commission is set to be filled with conservative and liberal commissioners.

* Russia may revise use of nuclear weapons in new military doctrine Russia’s new military doctrine will contain some changes to the situations that could trigger the use of nuclear weapons or preventive strikes against potential foes.

* Israeli Firm Patents Unmanned Helicopter Muslim terrorists’ newest nightmare? Steadicopter, an Israeli company, has developed an unmanned helicopter using patented technology that enables the chopper to stay stable while airborne.

* Fayad: We won’t take Mickey Mouse state Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayad on Wednesday called the demilitarized Palestinian state envisioned by Israel “a Mickey Mouse state.”

* New flying reptile fossils found Researchers in China and the UK say they have discovered the fossils of a new type of flying reptile that lived more than 160 million years ago.

* Syria: We held exercise with Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of using phosphorous bombs on Gaza’s children.

* Berlusconi backs Blair for EU job Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has endorsed Tony Blair as his preferred candidate to be president of the European Union.

* Officials: Hizbullah hiding arms in homes Thousands of weapons caches have been placed in homes scattered in 160 villages in southern Lebanon.

* Parliament chief reminds EU of historical facts on Stalin The Polish head of the EU parliament on Wednesday (14 October) underlined some basic facts about Joseph Stalin at an event held in the context of mounting historical revisionism in Russia.

* Putin warns against intimidating Iran Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned major powers against intimidating Iran.

* Klaus keeps EU guessing on future of Lisbon Treaty The Czech constitutional court will hear a challenge to the EU’s Lisbon Treaty at the end of October.

* Don’t pressure Iran, says Russia Pressuring Iran and threatening further sanctions over its nuclear program would be counter-productive, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says.

* US wants bunker-buster fast, denies Iran is reason The Pentagon is speeding up delivery of a colossal bomb designed to destroy hidden weapons bunkers buried underground and shielded by 10,000 pounds of reinforced concrete.

* Russia and China Reaffirm Gas Deal Plans The main Russian gas exporter signed a general trade agreement with China’s largest state-run energy company.

* Peres: Hizbullah Turning Lebanon into a ‘Powder Keg’ Hizbullah has turned Lebanon, formerly known as the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” into a “powder keg” of explosives.

* Russia Gas Pipeline Heightens East Europe’s Fears With an ambitious new pipeline planned to run along the bed of the Baltic Sea, the Russian natural gas giant Gazprom is driving a political wedge between Eastern and Western Europe.

* Egyptian MP: Storm Israeli Embassies If Jews Visit Temple Mount An Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood legislator told the parliament that Arabs around the world should break into Israeli embassies in every country if Israelis visit the Temple Mount.

* Turkey, Syria sign cooperation deal The Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers signed a civil and defense cooperation treaty.

* Gambling firm tips Blair for EU president job Irish gambling firm Paddy Power has tipped former UK premier Tony Blair to become the first EU president.

* Silvan Shalom to Turks: Come to your senses As Turkey signals its increasing distance from Israel and its deepening ties with Syria, Jerusalem is starting to lose patience.

* Fatah: Hopes in Obama ‘evaporated’ An internal document circulated among members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s political party says all hopes placed in the Obama administration “have evaporated”.

By: – Col. Bob Maginnis

President Obama renewed his pledge to end the military’s ban on homosexuals at a fund-raising dinner in Washington Saturday night. His speech was designed to buy more time from the impatient gay community that aggressively supported his bid for the presidency.

“I will end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” Obama promised 3,000 supporters of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a far-left group that promotes forcing Americans to embrace homosexual behavior. The commander-in-chief said “That’s my commitment to you” but he offered no timetable.

He assured the cheering audience “I’m here with a simple message: I’m here with you in that fight.” Then Obama said “Do not doubt the direction we are headed and the destination we will reach” and “my commitment to you is unwavering.”

He reviewed his campaign pledge to be “a fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans” and then outlined evidence of his pro-homosexual accomplishments and the way-ahead.

Obama reminded those at the $250-a-plate black tie event that his administration has extended benefits to the spouses of homosexual federal employees, hosted a “Gay Pride” month celebration and distributed tickets to gay “families” to attend the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. He also appointed John Berry to serve as Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the highest-ranking openly homosexual official in U.S. history.

Obama promised to re-invigorate the nation’s response to HIV/AIDS. He will host public forums to develop a national HIV/AIDS strategy, end a policy that prohibits HIV-positive foreigners from entering the country and renew the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act. That act is the country’s largest federally funded program for people with HIV/AIDS.

But his pro-gay list of achievements is thin, which disappoints anxious activists. He did celebrate the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a bill that recently passed the House and is expected to be considered by the Senate this week. He promised to eagerly sign the bill, which has become a centerpiece of the homosexual community’s political agenda because it includes crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.

He admitted “We know there is more work” to do and then promised to work hard on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). “It’s not fair to get fired for being gay,” Obama said but he made no promise when he will try to push ENDA through Congress. The proposed bill would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation.

Obama says he does not support homosexual marriage, a position that enjoys strong bipartisan support across the country. But he does see “…a time relationships between two men and two women are just as admirable as a man and a woman.” For now, Obama’s same-sex relationship vision is blunted unless the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is repealed, an idea he favors. There is a pending House bill to repeal DOMA but opponents outnumber supporters and twenty-nine states have banned same-sex marriage.

The president said “We are moving ahead on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’” and indicated he is working with “the Pentagon and House.” He explained, “We should not punish patriotic Americans who serve this country, especially when fighting two wars.” Then he invoked a common canard about the issue, “We cannot afford to cut from our ranks people with critical skills.”

Anyone serving in the military knows about the “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on homosexuals serving openly. That means gay service members lied to join. Besides, the vast majority of those dismissed for homosexuality — more than 12,000 or 3.2 percent of all forced discharges since 1994 — are junior people with few skills.

There is no need to reverse the policy based on recruitment or retention, the most-often cited justification for reversing the policy. The military has no shortage of recruits and retention is at record levels.

The 1993 ban was passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress and signed by President Clinton. It is intended to protect combat effectiveness which the Pentagon’s 1993 task force on homosexuality said is threatened by openly serving gays. Until there is objective and independent evidence that military effectiveness won’t be harmed by gays serving openly, Congress will likely keep the ban no matter what Obama says or does.

Obama’s appearance at the HRC dinner and advocacy for radical change marks him as “…the most divisive president in American history,” said Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law. Staver continued, “He seems to relish in promoting radical policies and ideas that drive a wedge between people who hold contrasting beliefs and values.”

The president concluded his speech with an anecdote about a young man struggling “to fall asleep with a secret.” The young man’s secret, said Obama, is his homosexuality and the president promised “his future is bright” because our “common ideals [are] stronger than division.” Obama promised there are “still laws to change and hearts to open.”

Obama’s speech demonstrates conclusively that he intends to forcibly change America’s moral compass by rewriting our laws to force all Americans to embrace the radical gay agenda.

* PM to Arab citizens: Don’t believe lies Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday called on Israeli-Arabs not to be deceived by “lies” about Israel digging under the Temple Mount.

* Preparing for Service in the Rebuilt Temple Jews in the town of Mitzpe Yericho are taking practical steps to prepare for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, by preparing descendants of Cohanim (priests) and Levites for service.

* Turkey drops joint drill because of IAF In another sign of continued tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem, the Turkish military canceled a planned joint exercise with the Israel Air Force scheduled for this week, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

* After drill cancellation, Barak says Turkey major player in ME Following Turkey’s cancellation of a joint military exercise on Sunday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that “despite the ups and downs, Turkey continues to be a major player in our region.”

* N Korea ‘test-fires five rockets’ North Korea has test-fired five short-range missiles off the east coast of the peninsula, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency has reported.

* Dollar Reaches Breaking Point as Banks Shift Reserves Central banks flush with record reserves are increasingly snubbing dollars in favor of euros and yen, further pressuring the greenback after its biggest two- quarter rout in almost two decades.

* Interpol to help UN in peacekeeping missions Interpol, the global police organization, said Monday it will provide enhanced technical and advisory support to the United Nations in the world body’s peacekeeping missions worldwide.

* Jordan threatened to expel Israel envoy over Temple Mount clashes Jordan threatened to expel Israel’s ambassador to the Kingdom last week in the event of Israel choosing to forcibly enter the Temple Mount during clashes in Jerusalem.

* Poland ratifies Lisbon Treaty as Czech cloud hangs overhead Polish President Lech Kaczynski signed the Lisbon Treaty at a ceremony in Warsaw.

* Clinton to press Russia on Iran, arms control US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton travels to Russia on Monday hoping to win Moscow’s backing for a strong stance on Iran’s nuclear program and looking for progress on a new arms control pact.

* Iran threatens to ‘blow up heart’ of Israel if attacked Iran would “blow up the heart” of Israel if it was attacked by the Jewish state or the United States.

* Pakistan gunmen ‘take hostages’ A number of militants who earlier attacked Pakistan’s military HQ near Islamabad have taken 10-15 security personnel hostage.

* Iran: Israel’s threats inexplicable Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Khazaee, sent a letter of protest to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

* Mitchell says meeting with Abbas positive US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Friday.

* EU Council president must manage national leaders, says Barroso European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says a future permanent president of the European Council must be able to stand up to member states that seek to pursue their own interests.

* Polish leader ratifies EU treaty Polish President Lech Kaczynski has signed the European Union’s much-delayed Lisbon Treaty.

* Iran dominates Clinton trip to Europe, Russia Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton departed for Europe late Friday on a five day trip.

* Armenia-Turkey agreement delayed A landmark agreement normalising ties between Turkey and Armenia after a century of hostility has been delayed.

* Fresh clashes mar al-Aqsa prayers Clashes have broken out in East Jerusalem amid high tensions after Palestinian groups called for a day of protest over access to al-Aqsa mosque.

* China says time to act on NKorea disarmament talks North Korea appears keen to improve ties with the U.S. and its neighbors in Asia and perhaps rejoin nuclear disarmament talks.

* Iran will blow up the heart of Israel Iran will “blow up the heart of Israel” if the United States or the Jewish state attacked it first, a top official with Iran’s most powerful military force, the Revolutionary Guard, warned Friday.

* Palestinians urged to defend al-Aksa The Fatah Central Council has called for a general strike in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Friday in protest of Israel’s “measures against al-Aksa Mosque.”

* Diplomat: EU to sign partnership with Syria this month Source says new treaty will help union ‘develop substantial dialogue on human rights situation in Syria’

* Leaving Iraq Is a Feat That Requires an Army There is no more visible sign that America is putting the Iraq war behind it than the colossal operation to get its stuff out.

* Barroso fears powerful European president European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has sided with smaller member states in trying to restrict the role of the proposed president of the European Council, a new post created by the Lisbon Treaty.

* US crash lands probes into Moon NASA scientists are assessing preliminary data after crashing two unmanned spacecraft into the Moon in a bid to detect water-ice.

* U.S. furious over Israeli incitement against Obama The US administration is furious over Israeli incitement against President Barack Obama, Democratic congressmen close to Obama told an Israeli source who returned from a visit to Washington this week.

* Jordan’s King to Haaretz: Nuclear transparency applies to Israel as well For a long while, the “Jordan is Palestine” formula – of which many Israelis, notably Ariel Sharon, were fond – rattled the royal house.

By: Associated Press

The global Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly 1 in 4 people in the world practice Islam, according to a report Wednesday billed as the most comprehensive of its kind.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life report provides a precise number for a population whose size has long has been subject to guesswork, with estimates ranging anywhere from 1 billion to 1.8 billion.

The project, three years in the making, also presents a portrait of the Muslim world that might surprise some. For instance, Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon, China has more Muslims than Syria, Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined, and Ethiopia has nearly as many Muslims as Afghanistan.

“This whole idea that Muslims are Arabs and Arabs are Muslims is really just obliterated by this report,” said Amaney Jamal, an assistant professor of politics at Princeton University who reviewed an advance copy.

Pew officials call the report the most thorough on the size and distribution of adherents of the world’s second largest religion behind Christianity, which has an estimated 2.1 billion to 2.2 billion followers.

The arduous task of determining the Muslim populations in 232 countries and territories involved analyzing census reports, demographic studies and general population surveys, the report says. In cases where the data was a few years old, researchers projected 2009 numbers.

The report also sought to pinpoint the world’s Sunni-Shiite breakdown, but difficulties arose because so few countries track sectarian affiliation, said Brian Grim, the project’s senior researcher.

As a result, the Shiite numbers are not as precise; the report estimates that Shiites represent between 10 and 13 percent of the Muslim population, in line with or slightly lower than other studies. As much as 80 percent of the world’s Shiite population lives in four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq.

The report provides further evidence that while the heart of Islam might beat in the Middle East, its greatest numbers lie in Asia: More than 60 percent of the world’s Muslims live in Asia.

About 20 percent live in the Middle East and North Africa, 15 percent live in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2.4 percent are in Europe and 0.3 percent are in the Americas. While the Middle East and North Africa have fewer Muslims overall than Asia, the region easily claims the most Muslim-majority countries.

While those population trends are well established, the large numbers of Muslims who live as minorities in countries aren’t as scrutinized. The report identified about 317 million Muslims – or one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population – living in countries where Islam is not the majority religion.

About three-quarters of Muslims living as minorities are concentrated in five countries: India (161 million), Ethiopia (28 million), China (22 million), Russia (16 million) and Tanzania (13 million).

In several of these countries – from India to Nigeria and China to France – divisions featuring a volatile mix of religion, class and politics have contributed to tension and bloodshed among groups.

The immense size of majority-Hindu India is underscored by the fact that it boasts the third-largest Muslim population of any nation – yet Muslims account for just 13 percent of India’s population.

“Most people think of the Muslim world being Muslims living mostly in Muslim-majority countries,” Grim said. “But with India … that sort of turns that on its head a bit.”

Among the report’s other highlights:

• Two-thirds of all Muslims live in 10 countries. Six are in Asia (Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Iran and Turkey), three are in North Africa (Egypt, Algeria and Morocco) and one is in sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria).

• Indonesia, which has a tradition of a more tolerant Islam, has the world’s largest Muslim population (203 million, or 13 percent of the world’s total). Religious extremists have been involved in several high-profile bombings there in recent years.

• In China, the highest concentrations of Muslims were in western provinces. The country experienced its worst outbreak of ethnic violence in decades when rioting broke out this summer between minority Muslim Uighurs and majority Han Chinese.

• Europe is home to about 38 million Muslims, or about five percent of its population. Germany appears to have more than 4 million Muslims – almost as many as North and South America combined. In France, where tensions have run high over an influx of Muslim immigrant laborers, the overall numbers were lower but a larger percentage of the population is Muslim.

• Of roughly 4.6 million Muslims in the Americas, more than half live in the United States although they only make up 0.8 percent of the population there. About 700,000 people in Canada are Muslim, or about 2 percent of the total population.

A future Pew Forum project, scheduled to be released in 2010, will build on the report’s data to estimate growth rates among Muslim populations and project future trends.

A similar study on global Christianity is planned to begin next year.

By: Akiva Eldar – Haaretz

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has asked Haaretz to relay a message to the Israeli public that it disavow the illusion that the status quo can be perpetuated, because as a result of the diplomatic impasse, “We are sliding back into the darkness.

“Is Israel going to be fortress Israel or is it going to be part of the neighborhood? Because if there is no two-state solution, what future do we all have together?” he asked in an exclusive interview on Tuesday at his palace in Amman at the height of the disturbances in East Jerusalem.

“Show me the future of Israel 10 years from now. Where do you want Israel to be vis-a-vis its relationship with Jordan and other Arab countries? I understand that you tend to live in the here and now. You are worried about the next threat. It is difficult for an Israeli to look into the future because of the security aspect. But if there is peace and stability, then people can look into the future.”

Jerusalem is “a tinderbox that will have a major flashpoint throughout the Islamic world,” he added.

The king said he had raised the sanctity and sensitivity of Jerusalem with every Israeli prime minister, including Benjamin Netanyahu. He said that it “is important to understand the need of ending all settlement activities and other unilateral actions that threaten the identity of the holy city.”

Abdullah said he had also discussed the issue with the U.S. administration. He warned that attempts to change the situation in the city could destabilize relations with Jordan, which by agreement has a special function in Jerusalem, and could damage efforts to renew negotiations with the Palestinians.

When asked whether he supports bringing back the wall that divided the city until June 1967, Abdullah said: “I don’t believe in dividing the city with a wall. We don’t want to see walls anywhere. Walls eventually do come down. Putting up walls have never helped societies.”

Jerusalem should be a symbol of coexistence for the three monotheistic faiths, he added.

With the Israel-Jordan peace treaty approaching its 15th anniversary, the 48-year-old Jordanian leader recalled the glory days of relations between the two neighboring countries. He spoke of the feelings of friendship and faith his father, the late King Hussein, had for Yitzhak Rabin. He said that unfortunately, “our relationship is getting colder.”

The king, who this year marked his 10th anniversary on the throne, attributes the gap between the two countries to foot-dragging on negotiations with the Palestinians and the settlement policy in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Abdullah called for a renewal of talks on the basis of understandings that had been reached with previous Israeli governments, and not to begin from point zero.

In reference to his decision to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in Jordan, Abdullah pledged that it would be done with the safest and most efficient technology available, to protect the facilities from natural disasters or terror attacks. “We will, and we all should, be transparent when it comes to nuclear energy,” he said.

When asked whether, in this reference to transparency, he had Israel in mind, he said, “It’s sort of a dark subject. And that applies to Israel as it applies to other countries.”