"US Soldier Believed Among Dead in Killings," from Spiegel, March 2 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Two people are dead and two further seriously injured after a shooting at Germany's Frankfurt Airport, the country's largest international hub. A suspect has been arrested, and reports are emerging that the victims were part of the US military.

A gunman at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest international hub, reportedly fired at several United States soldiers in a military bus on Wednesday, killing at least two people and seriously injuring two others. Wire reports suggest the two dead were likely American soldiers.

German news agency DPA is reporting that police arrested a 21-year-old male suspect from Kosovo following the attack. A police spokesperson said it was too early to determine if the attack had been politically motivated.

Just after the attack, police still hadn't been able to determine the circumstances of the shooting. "It appears that everything happened in the bus," police spokesman Jürgen Linker told DPA.

Initial reports suggested that a soldier and the bus driver were killed in the shooting. The shooting took place at 3:20 p.m. in a bus lane in a non-secure, public part of the airport's Terminal 2. DPA is reporting that the perpetrator was probably carrying a knife as well....

Developing.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – “It is a sad incident, a sad day not only for minorities” but also “for humanity,” said Mgr Rufin Anthony, bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi as he spoke to AsiaNews, after hearing the news about the coldblooded murder of Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti. “This should be an eye opener for minorities and the government. How much more blood will it take to realise that enough is enough,” he said. Indeed, how much time will it take for Pakistan to find peace and harmony. In the meantime, a Christian source, anonymous for security reasons, said that there is a “state within the state”, made up of fundamentalist elements “who commit crimes and act with total impunity”.

As he remembered Shahbaz Bhatti’s precious work on behalf of Catholics and other minorities, Mgr Anthony could not stop speaking of such a “sad incident,” a bitter day not only for minorities but for mankind as well.

The prelate knew the minister’s everyday schedule. “Bhatti’s daily routine was that he used to go to meet his mother, pray with her. He used to call me and ask me to pray for him every morning,” the bishop said.

Badly shaken by the murder, he went on talking about Bhatti. “I remember him as a child; he regularly attended the Church; he was passionate since childhood. He was under threat and the government did not provide sufficient security.” He “was a brave man, a man of courage, he took a stand for the minorities,” the bishop of Islamabad reiterated.

“When he took the oath for the new cabinet,” after President Ali Zardari had it reshuffled, “he said he would fight till the last drop of his blood. He proved himself, stood firm and paid the price by his blood. This should be an eye opener for minorities and the government. How much more blood will it take to realise that enough is enough,” he concluded.

In the meantime, a Christian source, anonymous for security reasons, said that there is a “state within the state”, made up of fundamentalist elements “who commit crimes and act with total impunity”.

“There are elements working inside the government. There is a state within the state,” the source explained, “that is more powerful, moved by an extremist ideology”...

Sajan George, president of the Global Council o [sic] Indian Christians (GCIC), called for the “immediate repeal of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws”.

On previous occasions, the “GCIC asked the Indian government to raise the matter with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Pakistani government and with the international community to save the life of the mother of two children sentenced to death,” namely Asia Bibi.

For the GCIC, the Pakistani government has “sponsored Islamic terror against minorities and women,” and this might “trigger cycles of violence in other Islamic nations against minorities.”...

"Pakistan's only Christian minister assassinated over blasphemy row," from the Telegraph, March 2 (thanks to Ron):

[...] He said during a trip to Canada: “I have been told by pro-Taliban religious extremists that if I will continue to speak against the blasphemy law, I will be beheaded.” But he said his faith gave him strength.

“As a Christian, I believe Jesus is my strength. He has given me a power and wisdom and motivation to serve suffering humanity. I follow the principles of my conscience, and I am ready to die and sacrifice my life for the principles I believe,” he said.

More on the killing of Shahbaz Bhatti. "Militants say killed Pakistani minister for blasphemy," by Augustine Anthony for Reuters, March 2:

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Taliban militants on Wednesday shot dead Pakistan's only Christian government minister for challenging a law that mandates the death penalty for insulting Islam, the latest sign of instability in a country where many fear radical Islam is becoming more mainstream.

Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti is the second senior official this year to be assassinated for opposing the blasphemy law. Provincial governor Salman Taseer was shot dead by his own bodyguard in January....

Bhatti was shot by men in shawls in broad daylight while he was traveling in a car near a market in the capital, Islamabad, police said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing, saying the minister had been "punished" for being a blasphemer....

Witnesses said the attackers scattered leaflets signed by "The Qaeda and the Taliban of Punjab" at the attack scene, which read: "This is the punishment of this cursed man." [...]

The government of President Asif Ali Zardari has repeatedly said it would not change the blasphemy law, and officials have distanced themselves from anyone calling for amendments.

Al Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban militants, fighting to bring down the state, had called for Bhatti's death because of his attempts to amend the law.

"He was a blasphemer like Salman Taseer," spokesman Sajjad Mohmand said by telephone from an undisclosed location....

“This is a concerted campaign to slaughter every liberal, progressive and humanist voice in Pakistan." Yes. And then they'll start in on other countries.

"Assassinated Christian Pakistani Gov’t Official Taped Prophetic Death Message," by Jonathon M. Seidl for the Associated Press, March 2:

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Assailants purportedly sent by al-Qaida and the Taliban killed the only Christian member of Pakistan’s federal Cabinet Wednesday, spraying his car with bullets outside his mother’s driveway. It was the second assassination in two months of a high-profile opponent of blasphemy laws that impose the death penalty for insulting Islam.

The killing of Shahbaz Bhatti, a 42-year-old Roman Catholic, further undermines Pakistan’s shaky image as a moderate Islamic state and could deepen the political turmoil in this nuclear-armed, U.S.-allied state where militants frequently stage suicide attacks.

The Vatican said the assassination shows that the pope’s warnings about the danger to Christians in the region are fully justified.

Bhatti, a campaigner for human rights causes, had apparently been aware of the danger he was in and left a video-taped message with the British Broadcasting Corp. and the Al-Jazeera satellite TV station to be broadcast in the event of his death.

In the farewell statement, Bhatti said he was threatened by the Taliban and al-Qaida, but that this would not deter him from speaking for “oppressed and marginalized persecuted Christians and other minorities” in Pakistan. “I will die to defend their rights,” he said on the tape. “These threats and these warnings cannot change my opinions and principles.”

Despite the threats, Bhatti, who had been assigned bodyguards, was without protection when he visited his mother in the capital of Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon, police said. The politician had just pulled out of the driveway of the house, where he frequently stayed, when three men standing nearby opened fire, said Gulam Rahim, a witness.

Two of the men opened the door of the car and tried to pull Bhatti out, Rahim said, while a third man fired his Kalashnikov rifle repeatedly into the dark-colored Toyota, shattering the windows. The gunmen then sped away in a white Suzuki Mehran car, said Rahim who took shelter behind a tree. Bhatti was dead on arrival at an area hospital, while his driver was not harmed.

In leaflets left at the scene of the shooting, al-Qaida and the Pakistani Taliban Movement in Punjab province claimed responsibility. They blamed the government for putting Bhatti, an “infidel Christian,” in charge of an unspecified committee, apparently referring to one said to be reviewing the blasphemy laws. The government has repeatedly said such a committee does not exist.

“With the blessing of Allah, the mujahedeen will send each of you to hell,” said the note, which did not name any other targets.

Government officials condemned the killing, but made no reference to the blasphemy law controversy.

“This is a concerted campaign to slaughter every liberal, progressive and humanist voice in Pakistan,” said Farahnaz Ispahani, an aide to President Asif Ali Zardari. “The time has come for the federal government and provincial governments to speak out and to take a strong stand against these murderers to save the very essence of Pakistan.”...

But in a sign of how scared the largely secular-leaning ruling party is of Islamist street power, party leaders haven’t supported calls for reforming the laws. Instead, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and others have repeatedly insisted they won’t touch the statutes....

"Saudi Cleric Denies Fatwa Against Protests in Libya," from Xinhua, March 1:

A prominent Saudi cleric threw his weight behind anti-government protests that swept Libya to bring down leader Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year-old rule, denying there has been a fatwa (a religious edict) to condemn anti-Gaddafi protesters.

"Qaddafi's government is not Islamic," local daily Arab News quoted sheikh Saleh Al-Lehaydan, as saying.

"He is not an imam (leader) or a true Muslim," the member of the Saudi Council of Ulema (senior religious scholars), the kingdom's top Islamic body, said....

See-No-Islam, Hear-No-Islam, Speak-No-Islam Dhimmitude in Ohio -- after all, everyone knows it's a Religion of Peace™: "Kids beaten for being bad Muslims, caseworker says: Boy was beaten for not following Islam closely enough, girls say," by Rita Price for the Columbus Dispatch, March 2 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

A Franklin County Children Services worker who is accused of violating the rights of a Muslim family said agency files contain references to their religion because it was a source of conflict between the parents and children.

Amber Spires told jurors in U.S. District Court that Naim and Hadiya AbdulSalaam's strict practices were an issue with their children, especially their 16-year-old son, Mandela, who was the first to be placed in foster care, in 2003.

"That was part of the argument between Mandela and the family," Spires testified yesterday in the trial of a lawsuit against her. "They are strict, and they are Islamic."

Mrs. AbdulSalaam's attorney, Michael Moore, asked Spires whether she would have noted that a family was "strict Christians."

"I might have, yes," Spires said.

The caseworker testified that the three teenage daughters told her that their mother and stepfather had stripped Mandela and beaten him until he lost control of his bowels.

"His sisters specifically told me that he had been disciplined for being a bad Muslim," Spires testified.

She also said that, during her first meeting with the girls in May 2003, one asked whether she could remove her headscarf. Spires said she asked whether their mother allowed that, and she explained that she would be truthful if Mrs. AbdulSalaam asked about it.

After the agency accused the parents of not providing proper education and medical care and forcing the girls to work long hours in the home and family store, the three girls also went into foster care, in July 2003. Spires said Mandela told her the girls also were beaten.

Mrs. AbdulSalaam, 55, of Grandview Heights, complained to the agency numerous times about the handling of her case. She said the agency refused to find a Muslim foster home, allowed a foster family to take the girls to church, and placed the children in predominately white schools, where they were uncomfortable.

Spires testified that, even though she was a new caseworker handling a difficult case, she did not worry that she was being unfair. "That did not cause me concern, because I knew I did not do anything discriminatory towards her," Spires said of Mrs. AbdulSalaam....

Officials have said that the children were raised Christian until Mrs. AbdulSalaam married Mr. AbdulSalaam....

"Pirates in Haradheere agreed last week to hand al Shabaab insurgents a 20 percent cut of ransoms but a deep distrust prevails between the two sides."

"Somali Islamists want to do ransom deals on board," by Mohamed Ahmed and Abdi Sheikh for Reuters, March 1:

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali Islamist rebels have demanded their fighters be allowed to board hijacked vessels anchored off the coastal town of Haradheere to monitor the payment and division of ransoms, escalating risks to hostages.

Islamists clamped down hard on piracy when they briefly ran much of Somalia in 2006, but with ransoms rising they now want a share of its earnings.

Hardline Islamist militants have surrounded the pirate base to pressure gang leaders and their investors into accepting the order, pirates and residents said on Monday, after a number tried to sail ships up the coast.

If rebels are allowed to board the vessels, hostages risk becoming stuck in the middle of dangerous rows or, worse, being kidnapped by al Shabaab rebels, who claim ties with al Qaeda.

Shipowners fear any proven link between pirates and Islamist fighters will make it legally difficult to pay ransoms without running foul of counter-terrorism legislation.

Pirates in Haradheere agreed last week to hand al Shabaab insurgents a 20 percent cut of ransoms but a deep distrust prevails between the two sides.

"They demanded we allow six of their fighters to board each of our hijacked ships. We have not left our houses since Wednesday. Worse, we are constantly receiving threatening text messages," he said, adding negotiations had begun again....

Despite a flotilla of international warships patrolling the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, pirates continue to rake in tens of millions of dollars in ransoms each year.

Al Shabaab set up an office in Haradheere after last week's deal.

"Negotiations are going on and again I reckon the pirates have no other option but to accept al Shabaab's order," said local elder Ahmed Wardheere, who was involved in negotiations over splitting the ransom....

Imitating what they're taught is admirable. "Playing dead: The sickening video that shows children recreating suicide bomber attacks as a playground game," from the Daily Mail, March 1 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

A shocking video has emerged from Pakistan depicting children role-playing a Taliban suicide bombing.

The 84-second clip shows Pashtun children recreating a terrorist attack, with one boy dressed in black - the 'bomber' - being embraced and wished well by his friends before setting off on his deadly mission.

In the single-take video, the 'bomber' then approaches another boy, dressed in white, who appears to be mimicking a member of the security forces and tries to stop him.

But the young Jihadi then 'detonates' - with other boys throwing sand into the air to simulate the explosion - and others rush in to examine the children who are playing dead.

Ahsan Masood, a Pashtun from Waziristan in Pakistan, posted the video on Facebook because he 'thought it was funny'.

He said he believed it had been filmed in Khost, Afghanistan, and that it had been sent to him via his mobile phone by a friend.

It has been described as 'horrifying' by a children's charity in Pakistan, but others have said it could be seen in a positive light as children role-play to deal with the violent circumstances they see in their everyday lives....

Yeah, it's super. Especially when they're learning at the madrassa that this is a noble act and that Allah guarantees Paradise to those who "kill and are killed" for him (Qur'an 9:111).

"Afghan convert: execution could be near," by Michael Foust in the Baptist Press, March 1:

WASHINGTON (BP)--An Afghan man in jail for converting from Islam to Christianity says in a handwritten letter that he has been beaten and likely faces the death penalty for his conversion -- and he is requesting that people follow his case.

The letter from Shoaib Assadullah, 23, was smuggled out of prison and posted on International Christian Concern's website. According to ICC, Assadullah was arrested Oct. 21 in Mazar-e Sharif after he gave a Bible to a man who turned him in. During a Dec. 28 court hearing Assadullah was given one week to recant Christianity or face the death penalty, but the U.S. and other governments put enough pressure on Afghanistan authorities to spare his life, ICC reported. He is in prison in Mazar-e Sharif.

Assadullah believes his life is still in danger.

"My case is supposed to be sent to the court shortly, because the prosecutor has the right to hold a case only for 30 days," he wrote, alluding to his Dec. 28 court appearance. "The court's decision is most definitely going to be the death penalty for me, because the prosecutor has accused me under the Clause 139 of the criminal code which says, 'If the crime is not cited in the criminal code, then the case has to be referred to the Islamic Shariah law.'"...