hanifhamzah

TEHRAN, Iran – An American journalist jailed in Iran for allegedly spying for the U.S. was on her fifth day of a hunger strike Saturday and does not plan to stop until she is freed, her father said.Roxana Saberi, a dual American-Iranian citizen who will turn 32 on Sunday, was convicted more than a week ago and sentenced to eight years in prison after a swift, one-day trial behind closed doors. She began her hunger strike Tuesday to protest her imprisonment, her father said."She said that she has started a hunger strike and this is the fifth day and that she will continue until she is free. I tried to tell her that this can be dangerous, but she didn't give me any time to protest," her father, Reza Saberi, told The Associated Press.

The case has been a source of tension between the United States and Iran at a time when the Obama administration has said it wants to engage its longtime adversary. The U.S. has called the accusations against Saberi baseless and demanded her release.Saberi's father said her lawyer appealed the court's ruling on Saturday — less than a week after Iran's judiciary spokesman said an Iranian appeals court would reconsider her verdict, an indication her sentence could be commuted.Iran's judiciary chief has ordered a full investigation into the case, andPresident Ahmadinejad urged Tehran's chief prosecutor to ensure Saberi be allowed a full defense during her appeal.

Saberi was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But earlier this month, an Iranian judge leveled the far more serious allegation of espionage.Saberi, who was born in the United States and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, moved to Iran six years ago and worked as a freelance journalist for news organizations including National Public RadioBritish Broadcasting Corp. She received Iranian citizenship because her father was born in Iran.Saberi's parents have traveled to Iran from their home in Fargo in a bid to help win their daughter's release. Her father has said his daughter, who was Miss North Dakota in 1997, had been working on a book about the culture and people of Iran, and hoped to finish it and return to the United States this year.Reza Saberi said he hoped to see his daughter in prison on Monday and was concerned about her health."After five days, I am pretty certain that she must be very weak now, because we know she is already frail," he said.

Iran has released few details about the charges against Saberi, but Iran's Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi said Tuesday that the initial investigation of Saberi was done by an expert on security and counterespionage at the Intelligence Ministry before her case was referred to the court.An Iranian investigative judge involved in the case also alleged that Saberi was passing classified information to U.S. intelligence services.The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by hard-line Iranian students. The Obama administration has said it is working with Swiss intermediaries who represent U.S. interests in Iran to secure her release.

GENEVA – A day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad caused an uproar with a speech attacking Israel at a U.N. conference on racism, the U.N. said Tuesday that Ahmadinejad had actually dropped language from the speech that described the Holocaust as "ambiguous and dubious."The U.N. and the Iranian Mission in Geneva did not comment on why the change was made. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, however, said he had met with the Iranian president before his speech Monday and reminded him the U.N. had adopted resolutions "to revoke the equation of Zionism with racism and to reaffirm the historical facts of the Holocaust."

Ahmadinejad may have decided to drop the Holocaust phrase that was in his original text to deliver his condemnation of Israel in a more palatable fashion for many countries.Still, Ahmadinejad's accusation that the West used the Holocaust as a "pretext" for aggression against Palestinians still provoked walkouts by delegates including every European Union country in attendance. But others, including those from the Vatican, stayed because they said he stopped short of denying the Holocaust.

The walkout came after Ahmadinejad accused Western nations of complicity in violence against Palestinians surrounding the foundation of Israel.The original text of his speech said "following World War II, they resorted to military aggression to make an entire nation homeless on the pretext of Jewish sufferings and the ambiguous and dubious question of Holocaust."

U.N. spokeswoman Marie Heuze said U.N. officials had checked back with the interpreters and the Farsi recording of Ahmadinejad's speech, and determined that the Iranian president had dropped the terms "ambiguous and dubious," referring instead in Farsi to "the abuse of the question of the Holocaust."Adding to the confusion, the live English translation of the speech did not mention the word "Holocaust" at all, while the French stayed true to the spoken words of Ahmadinejad. The English translator apparently was following the prepared text and stopped speaking when the Iranian president changed the wording.

The meeting turned chaotic from the start when two protesters in rainbow wigs tossed red clown noses at Ahmadinejad as he began his speech with a Muslim prayer. A Jewish student group from France said it had been trying to convey "the masquerade that this conference represents."The United States and eight other Western countries had already boycotted the event that started on the eve of Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, because of concerns Muslim countries would drown out all other issues with calls to denounce Israel and restrict free speech when it comes to criticizing Islam.

Over 100 other countries on Tuesday approved a 16-page declaration calling on the world to combat intolerance. The declaration did not mention Israel, but among dozens of other points, it reaffirms a 2001 statement issued after the U.N.'s first global racism meeting in South Africa that recognized the "plight of the Palestinians" while affirming the Jewish state's right to security.That support of the 2001 document was cited by President Barack Obama's administration as the reason it boycotted the Geneva meeting.African-American groups participating in the conference sharply criticized Obama and his administration for not attending and not signing its declaration against racism.

"The boycott of the Obama administration both saddens us and angers us," said Jaribu Hill, executive director of the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights."We will not let Mr. Obama off the hook simply because he stands inside black skin, or because his campaign served to energize and inspire thousands of young people and people of color," she said.Ban, the U.N. chief, was heartened at the adoption of the declaration by consensus and urged countries not at the conference to rejoin the fight against racism.

In Paris, France's foreign minister criticized the U.S. decision to stay away from an event featuring Ahmadinejad while declaring itself open for negotiations on Iran's nuclear program."More than a paradox, it could really be a mistake," Bernard Kouchner said.But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a note Tuesday thanking those nations that boycotted the Geneva conference."This decision restored a bit of sanity to a world in which an anti-racism conference turns its stage over to a Holocaust denier who expresses his desire to wipe Israel off the map," the note said, according to his office.

Most of Ahmadinejad's rhetoric was not new but its timing and high profile could complicate U.S. efforts to warm ties with the Islamic republic. Alejandro Wolff, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, denounced what he called "the Ahmadinejad spectacle."In Tehran, some 200 people gathered at the airport to give Ahmadinejad a hero's welcome as he returned home.Iranian state TV described him as having defended Palestinian rights against a racist regime.

The official IRNA news agency quoted lawmakerMohammad Reza Bahonar as saying that Ahmadinejad's speech in Geneva was a "great achievement for (Iran's ruling) system."The U.N. said it expelled 13 people Tuesday from the conference, including members of Jewish and Iranian groups that disrupted Ahmadinejad's speech."At the United Nations we demand that conferences and debates be held in a spirit of mutual respect and dignity," Heuze said.

Today,the world community begins to see evidence of the massacre of Palestinians planned by Ariel Sharon and his murderous Zionist Army........ Here in Malaysia, we have become extremely frustrated at President George Bush and his inability or unwillingness to stop the horrible slaughter that is occurring in the Holy Land and that may culminate in the genocide of the Palestinian people...... We individually have the power of choice to buy one product over another or to simply forgo a purchase entirely..... If more and more people around the world do the same, the pressure will become powerful enough to force a positive change..... We each can also help by asking our family members and friends to do the same.

Below are products and brands of corporations and businesses that are helping Ariel Sharon and Zionist Israel to continue their racist apartheid policies and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands.....Each of the companies have ties to Israel and support their policies against the Palestinian people.... As an example, Estée Lauder's chairman, Ronald Lauder, served as the Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and is the current President of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) - a quasi-governmental agency whose main function is to legitimize Israeli occupation of Palestinian land..... Ronald Lauder is a hardcore Zionist and his views are often more extreme then those of the Israeli government...Other examples are:

KIMBERLY-CLARK
In 1998 Mr. Robert P. Van der Merwe, chairman of Kimberly-Clark Europe received the Jubilee Award by the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is the highest tribute ever awarded by the "State of Israel" in recognition of those individuals and organizations, that through their investments and trade relationships, have done the most to strengthen the Israeli economy.

COCA-COLA
From 1966 onward Coca-Cola has been a staunch supporter of Israel. Recently the Government of Israel Economic Mission honored Coca-Cola at the Israel Trade Award Dinner for its continued support of Israel for the last 30 years and for refusing to abide by the Arab League boycott of Israel.

NESTLE
Swiss food giant Nestle will set up a global research and development center for snack foods next year in Sderot, a town in Israel's Negev desert, the Maariv newspaper reported on Sunday. Nestle owns 50.1 percent of Israeli food maker Osem Investments and the two together produce snack foods at a plant in Sderot.

INTEL
Intel is one of the biggest supporters of Israel. Their very first development center outside the US was opened in Haifa in 1974. Since then they have continued pouring investment in to Israel. By year 2000 they employed over 4000 Israelis. Exports from their Lachish-Qiryat Gat plant in israel total $3 million a day at peak capacity - approximately $ 1 billion a year. The Intel plant at "Qiryat Gat" is built on land Israel confiscated from the Palestinian villages of Iraq al Manshiya. Iraq al Manshiya was a village of 2000 people living in 300 houses with two mosques and one school. The original Palestinian inhabitants were terrorized out of the village and then the whole village was razed to the ground to prepare the way for the new Israeli settlement of Qiryat Gat. Today the remaining population from Iraq al Manshiya is still not allowed to return.

SARA LEE
In 1998, Mr. Lucien Nessim of Sara Lee Personal Products received the Jubilee Award by the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is the highest tribute ever awarded by the "State of Israel" in recognition of those individuals and organizations, that through their investments and trade relationships, have done the most to strengthen the Israeli economy

Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (SBP) or Fully Residential School is a school system established during the 1970's in Malaysia . The main purpose of it is to nurture selected outstanding students in a conducive and educational environment to excel in academics and extracurricular activities, creating a wholesome student.

Student Selection Criteria

There is great competition to acquire places in these elite schools as the number of places are limited compared to the number of eligible applicants. Students are chosen by the SBP unit of the Ministry of Education based on certain criteria. Enrolment is open at the level of Form 1 & Form 4

Entry to Form 1

• - Achieving at least 5A's in the UPSR or Primary School Evaluation Test
• - Have outstanding achievements in extracurricular activities

Entry to Form 4

• -Achieving at least 8A's in the PMR formerly known as Lower Certificate of Education (LCE)
• -Have outstanding achievements in extracurricular activities

Other criterias included in this selection:

• - Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra allocation
• - eligible students from rural schools
• - children of school alumni members (in certain schools)

School System

Students are required to stay in campus throughout the academic session. Amenities such as classrooms, lodging, praying area, sports facilities and food halls are provided for the use of the students with the aim of developing their talents and cultivating their potential in a conducive learning environment. Being selected students, the government spends a high sum of allocation subsidising students of SBP.

Schools can either be single sex or coed. The teachers chosen are among the best in their fields, and this is particularly important as a great emphasis is placed in excellent academic achievements.

In accordance to the high standard expected from these schools, students who are found to not achieve at required levels may be dismissed from the system, but this vary between the schools and is at the discretion of the governing body of the respective schools. Students with poor disciplinary records are also dismissed from the school system, as there is little tolerance for misbehaviour.

SBP schools do produce excellent results in all government examinations, and also in extracurricular activities in both the field of academics and sports. Great achievements of these schools is celebrated in the yearly event "Hari Kecemerlangan Sekolah Berasrama Penuh" (HKSBP) where awards are given out to schools with outstanding achievements.

Traditions and Pride

The history of SBP is a rich one, and certain fields are considered the hallmark of SBP schools. These include

• - Piala Perdana Menteri (PPM) debate competition of which is a yearly event as part of the HKSBP calendar
• - Wind Orchestra SBP competition
• - annual basketball competitions (both at zone and national level) also part of HKSBP calendar
• - Rugby SBP 10's
• - Nadwah Kepimpinan Islam
• - Kem Kepimpinan PRS
• - Kem Ketua Rumah (KESUMA)
• - Kem Ketua Pelajar

List of Fully Residential Schools in Malaysia

Pulau Pinang

• Sekolah Menengah Sains Tun Syed Sheh Shahabuddin (SMSTSSS)

Wilayah Persekutuan

• Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah(SAS)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Seri Puteri(SESERI)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Alam Shah(ASIS)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Labuan(SMS EXCEL)
• Maktab Tentera Diraja(RMC)

Perlis

Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Syed Putra

Kedah

• Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Halim(SMSAH)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mohammad Jiwa(SEMUJI)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Pokok Sena(SAINA)
• SBP Integrasi Kubang Pasu(I-KUPS)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Kubang Pasu

Perak

• Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Raja Tun Azlan Shah (SERATAS)
• Sekolah Menegah Sains Teluk Intan (SEMESTI)
• SBP Integrasi Gopeng (I-GOP)
• Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR)

Sabah

• Sekolah Menengah Sains Sabah (SMESH)
• SM Sains Lahad Datu (SEMSALD)

Sarawak

• SM Sains Kuching(SainsKu)
• SM Sains Miri(SAINSRI)

Selangor

• Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (KISAS)
• SBP Integrasi Gombak (INTERGOM)
• SBP Integrasi Rawang (SEPINTAR)
• SBP Integrasi Sabak Bernam (INTESABER)
• Sekolah Seri Puteri(SSP)
• SM Agama Persekutuan Kajang (SMAPK)
• SM Sains Hulu Selangor(SEMASHUR)
• SM Sains Kuala Selangor (KUSESS)

Negeri Sembilan

• Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak (SDAR)
• SBP Integrasi Jempol
  
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Jaafar (STJ)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Seremban (SASER)
• Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Labu(SMAPL)
• Kolej Tunku Kurshiah (TKC)

Melaka

• SBP Integrasi Selandar
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Muzaffar Syah (MOZAC)

Johor

• SM Sains Johor
• SM Sains Kota Tinggi (SAKTI)
• SM Sains Sultan Iskandar
• SM Sains Muar ( SAMURA )
• Sekolah Tun Fatimah (STF)
  

Pahang

• Sekolah Menengah Sains Tengku Abdullah(SEMESTA)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Kuantan(SEMSAS)
• Sekolah Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Pekan (SHAH PEKAN)
• SBP Integrasi Temerloh(INs0FT)
• SBP Integrasi Kuantan(I.K.)
• SBP Integrasi Pekan(INTEP)

Terengganu

• SBP Integrasi Batu Rakit(BRaInS)
• SM Sains Dungun
• SM Sains Kuala Terengganu (SESTER)
• SM Sains Sultan Mahmud(SESMA)

Kelantan

• SM Sains Machang(SMACH)
• SM Sains Pasir Puteh(SCIPP)
• SM Sains Tengku Muhamad Faris Petra (SCIFER)

This is a very useful information for all Musleem around the world :


The majestic Kaabah is covered by a black cloth known as Kiswa,which is produced & changed every year.....A special factory was designed for the manufacturing of Kiswa in Makkah with an approximate cost of SR 17 million...The cloth is made of 670kg of silver dyed black thread and about 120kg of pure gold & 50kg of silver is used in writing the Qur'anic verses over the cloth...The total surface area of the cloth is 658 sqr meter...