By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Pakistan had hit a bump in the road after losing their first Super Eights match to India at the 2012 T20 Cricket World Cup. But they rebounded to surprise Australia with a 32-run victory, earning them the right to move to the semifinals due to net run rate, with the bonus of watching their bitter rivals India get left behind.

Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal bowls during a practice session ahead of their Twenty20 World Cup semi-final match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, October 3, 2012. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Pakistan made 149-6 after being sent in to bat in the group two Super Eights match at the Premadasa stadium, before a five-man spin attack restricted Australia to 117-7. Spinning bowler Saeed Ajmal claimed 3-17, but it was 20-year-old Raza Hasan who was declared man of the match for conceding just 14 runs and taking two wickets in four overs of steady left-arm spin.

Both teams ended the Super Eights on four points each, which knocked winless South Africa out of the tournament. “I am grateful to see the effort put up by the boys today,” said Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez. “It was a big game for us and we needed to be at our best against a side like Australia. “Once we got a good total, we knew we will do well because there was going to be help for the bowlers. Raza Hasan was brilliant, a great find for us.”

Australia advanced to the semi-finals despite the defeat due to having the best net run-rate in the group. The result left India needing an emphatic win over South Africa later on Tuesday to stop Pakistan’s progress. India did indeed get a win over South Africa, but it was only by one run, sending both teams packing.

Australia, who have never won the World Twenty20 despite taking four World Cup titles in the 50-over game, had breezed through four consecutive matches in the tournament before being halted by Pakistan. “Pakistan outplayed us,” Australian captain George Bailey admitted. “The ball turned a lot more than before and they used spin against us very well. “The challenge for us now will be to get the winning form back in the semis.”

Veteran Mike Hussey was Australia’s mainstay with an unbeaten 54 off 47 balls, as none of the other batsmen managed to cross 15 against the rampaging spinners. Australia never looked comfortable after their in-form openers, Shane Watson and David Warner, were dismissed by the fifth over with only 19 runs on the board.

Australia, who needed to make 112 or more to qualify, achieved the target when Hussey cut seamer Umar Gul to the fence off the first ball of the final over. Gul’s two overs at the end were the only ones by a seamer as the spinners shared 18 overs between themselves.

Pakistan’s innings revolved around left-hander Nasir Jamshed’s 55 off 46 balls, which contained four boundaries and two sixes. After the openers were removed by the sixth over, Jamshed put on 79 off 55 balls for the third wicket with Kamran Akmal, who made 32 before both batsmen were dismissed in the space of three deliveries. Abdul Razzaq marked his return to the side in place of Yasir Arafat to make 22 from 17 balls.

Pakistan will next take on the hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo in the first semifinal match. Australia will take on the West Indies the next day in the other semifinal match, with the finals to be held two days after that.

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By Adil James, TMO

Imam Masmari explains the hajj, step by step, for audience members at Bloomfield’s Muslim Unity Center.

Bloomfield–September 28–Imam Masmari gave an excellent step by step explanation of hajj, explained in the simplest possible way to about 40 hujjaj who were planning to depart for the holy land this year.

About 50 people were present, and they looked slightly different from the crowd at the Unity Center–they seemed to be younger, and in better physical condition than the larger community at the Unity Center.

Imam Masmari began by saying that hujjaj should make the intention that they would reach a new level of Islam, bi idhnil Lah, as a result of their hajj.

“Almost all of what I will say today is based on one hadith,” he explained.

“Don’t debate on hajj,” he advised.  “Don’t ask–when you have questions, wait and ask a shaykh.”

Most of people, he said, arrive in Medina.  Some go to Jiddah. 

When “you arrive in the shining city of the Prophet (s), increase in salawat, walk in the steps he walked.”  Masmari recounted how Imam Abu Hanifa would remove his shoes in the holy city of Medina due to his reverence and extreme respect for the Holiest Prophet (s).

Masmari said hujjaj have several days in Medina, 4 or 5 days–he said focus during this time on spiritual lectures, not fiqh.

When it is time to head towards Mecca, wear ihram in the hotel.  Women wear normal clothes.  Men can’t wear boxers or an undershirt, two cloths only.  In ihram you cannot trim your hair, no scent, no shampoo or soap is allowed.

You can wear a watch, and sandals, even cover the top of your foot, but you should not cover your ankles.  Buy comfortable sandals here, he advised–you will walk a lot, just expose your ankles.

Then move towards meeqat.  Usually you make your intention on the bus.  There are three types of hajj–you make intention of hajj of tamattu–this kind of intention you make verbally according to the Hanafi school.  People on the bus from Darus Salam will remind you; there will be a shaykh on the bus.

You pray 2 rakats sunnah, even in the bus or after you descend from the bus.  After the niyyah, you make labbayk Allahumma Labbayk–you must begin immediately.

5 – 10 minutes “Labbayk” then you begin your journey to Mecca.  “Don’t yell,” he said, “but say it aloud.” 

“Nothing is like hajj–in a few days Allah will forgive every sin that you did–take advantage of this opportunity.”

You can shower in Mecca–but no soap and shampoo.  It is permissible and sunnah to take a shower as you arrive in Mecca.

For groups entering Mecca, the moment you see Kaaba is a time of acceptance of du’a.  Don’t pray two rakat, go straight to the Kaaba.

Al-Mutazam, begin your umra.  Stand next to the stone, say Bismillah Allahu Akbar–for men it’s different, they should expose their right shoulders (ittiba).  Begin to jog–if you can’t then at least jump up and down.

Prophet (s) said “follow my steps in hajj.”

As you approach the Yemeni corner (the corner facing Yemen) you can say Bismillah Allahu Akbar.

After the fourth tawaf, men stop jogging.  In total make seven tawaf–when you reach the stone say Bismillah Allahu Akbar. 

Then say “Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanatan wa fil akhirati hasanatan wa qinna adhaban nar.”  If you can touch the black stone do it but don’t harm yourself or other people.  Try to touch the doors also.  Muslims, he said, must cry at those doors, the doors of Allah–ask forgiveness.  It is sunnah to pray behind maqam Ibrahim, but if it is too difficult it is not required. In the two rakats pray S. Kafirun in the first rakat and Ikhlas in the second.  Then drink zamzam–it is sunnah to drink a LOT, til you can’t drink more.

Then walk towards Safa and Marwa–2 mountains that are in fact not there anymore but their places are marked.  Say Bismillah Allahu Akbar–there are green lights, and a shaykh will tell you when to jog.  Do this seven times. Finish Sa’ee in Marwa reading Qur`an.  Now you have finished umra and you return to your hotel. At this point there will be barbers everywhere.  Sisters usually cut each other’s hair.

You can cut your hair–for Allah’s forgiveness.  Prophet (s) prayed more for those who shave their hair.

Then you have 3 or 4 days to walk around–take off your ihram. 

On the 8th day of Dhul Hijjah, before dhohr, begin to wear ihram. “Take a shower with soap–perfume on your body is okay,” but not on your ihram.  Deodorant is okay before ihram, perfume is okay.  The imam recommended those things.

From the hotel, from the door, “Labbayk.” Hajj.  Go to Mina for dhohr, asr, maghrib, ‘isha.  You will be in tents for one whole day.  Shorten prayers but don’t combine.

Pray fajr then go to Arafat, a HUGE piece of land.  The imam recommended staying where you are, citing his own difficulty on Arafat of moving from one place to another due to crowds.

9th day you must be on Arafat.  On the mountain or on the plain.  You will see clear signs as to where you must be.  Pray dhohr and asr, shorten and combine them.  there will be a khutba.  “Arafat is the best day of life.”  Allah says He looks at His servants and forgives them.

You pray maghrib and isha not at Arafat–Muzdalifa.  It is sunnah to relax and socialize on Muzdalifa, as on Arafat it was to worship.

Some people leave before fajr, some after (after is sunnah), go to Jumrah al aqaba–after stoning the pillars you can shower and wear regular clothes, but still no sex.

Then make tawaf ul ifada seven times, but not with your shoulder exposed.  Regular clothes.  If you break your wudu Masmari said to continue anyway.  Then back to Mina.

This was an excellent lesson in how to perform hajj and umrah.

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By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to get what they hoped for at the annual U.N. General Assembly after closing ranks to send a message to Iran that it may face war over its nuclear program.

Obama and Netanyahu did not meet with each other at the United Nations, where leaders and foreign ministers from the world body’s 193 member states have gathered since last week to give speeches and hold private talks to resolve conflicts and boost trade.

But the two men left the U.N. meeting with more than they arrived with: Obama with an assurance that Israel would not attack Iran’s nuclear sites before the November 6 U.S. presidential election, and Netanyahu with a commitment from Obama to do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from producing an atomic bomb.

The General Assembly, concluding on Monday, was notable for what was not accomplished. World powers failed to break deadlocks over Iran’s nuclear program, the conflicts in Syria, Mali and Congo, and the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace talks.

As in previous years, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assailed the United States, Israel and Europe, while calling for a new world order. He made his eighth and likely final address to a U.N. General Assembly.

The lack of substantive progress on the world’s protracted conflicts led diplomats and analysts to question the relevance of the United Nations, saying it was incapable of moving decisively as it did last year on Libya.

“The diplomatic situation at the U.N. may have to get worse before it gets better,” said Richard Gowan of New York University. “Perhaps we need a diplomatic debacle on the scale of Iraq – or a peacekeeping failure like Srebrenica (Bosnia) – before big states wake up and ask why the U.N. is stagnating.”

In July 1995, U.N. peacekeepers in Bosnia failed to prevent the massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica.

Analysts and diplomats argue that the lack of U.N. backing for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 highlighted the need for a U.N. seal of approval for military interventions. Widely seen as “illegal,” as former U.N. chief Kofi Annan described it, Western powers made certain that the NATO intervention in Libya last year had the backing of the U.N. Security Council unlike the Iraq war.

While the United States and Israel have long refused to rule out the use of military force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Netanyahu has criticized Obama for failing to make clear to Tehran under what circumstances Western powers would be prepared to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

Suggestions from Israel that he was letting down the Jewish state were an irritant Obama did not want to put up with in the final weeks before an election, especially given the way the issue has been leveraged by Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Meanwhile, Western officials say, Netanyahu may want to avoid antagonizing Israel’s main ally and poisoning ties with the man who could occupy the White House for another four years.

Iran rejects Western allegations that it is developing the capability to produce atomic bombs – it says its nuclear program is for peaceful energy and medical purposes – and refuses to comply with Security Council demands to halt nuclear enrichment.

This has led to increasingly harsh U.N. and Western sanctions, which have caused the value of Iran’s currency to plummet.

Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence.

In his speech to the General Assembly on Thursday, Netanyahu held up a cartoonish diagram of a bomb with a fuse to illustrate the threat of Iran’s nuclear program. He used a red marker to draw a line at the point where Iran would be close to producing an atomic bomb.

Images of “Bibi’s bomb” – referring to Netanyahu’s nickname – with its graphic “red line” representing the moment Iran can no longer be stopped from getting a nuclear weapon will likely be the defining image of this year’s assembly.

It may also join other memorable moments when visual aids were used in U.N. speeches. These include: U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson’s unveiling of U-2 spy plane photos of Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s flawed intelligence briefing seeking to make the case for war with Iraq before the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Netanyahu praised Obama for telling the General Assembly that the United States will “do what we must” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and acknowledged that there was still room for diplomacy. Harsh sanctions, Netanyahu said, could probably persuade Tehran not to build a nuclear weapon.

But the Israeli leader also hinted at war. He said Iran’s enrichment plants were visible and vulnerable to attack and suggested that a decision on force could come by next spring. Tehran’s U.N. mission responded by saying Iran has the means and right to retaliate with full force against any attack.

Israel, presumed to be the region’s only nuclear power, has twice destroyed sites it feared could be used to develop atomic weapons – in 1981 in Iraq and in 2007 in Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem was among the last speakers to address the General Assembly. On the final day of the session on Monday, he accused the United States, France, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia of hijacking what was a domestic crisis by supporting rebels with arms and money.

Russia, an ally of Syria, and China have vetoed three Security Council resolutions condemning Assad’s government. Both made clear they still oppose U.N. sanctions against Syria or new measures against Iran, which Western nations accuse of propping up Assad’s government.

One Western ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters: “If I were a member of Assad’s government, I’d be very happy Syria’s getting short shrift at the U.N. If I were a rebel, I’d be pretty disappointed with the U.N. right now.”

The Palestinians, whose aspirations for their own state are now taking a back seat at the United Nations to Iran, Syria and the Arab Spring, were probably also disappointed by the General Assembly.

A year ago in New York, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced his bid for full U.N. membership for a Palestinian state, sparking excitement at the General Assembly and the West Bank. The request wilted in the face of U.S. opposition.

This year, Abbas announced he was looking for a less-ambitious status upgrade at the world body that would make it a “non-member state” like the Vatican, instead of an “entity.” There was no excitement at the General Assembly or the West Bank.

(Editing by Will Dunham)

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By Aijaz Z. Syed

The more things change between Islam and the West the more they remain the same. Ludicrous as it may sound to our friends in the West, many in the Middle East and around the world sincerely believe that 9/11 was an inside job and probably another manifestation of Israel’s ever fertile imagination. Of course, I’ve always dismissed such conspiracy theories with the contempt they deserve.

Over the past few days and weeks though, as the Muslim world has gone up in flames with the US and Western missions attracting the fury of the faithful like never before, I’ve been having my doubts. After all, Israel has been the biggest beneficiary of the Sept. 11 attacks and the resultant tsunami of American wrath targeting the world of Islam.

More than a million lives lost in Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention the mind-boggling mess all across the region. The true cost of 10 years of shock and awe may perhaps never be captured in real terms. And it’s not just the Muslims who have suffered in this conflict. The West hasn’t been any less affected. The empire has nearly bankrupted itself in fighting these wars with the world’s biggest economy still reeling from the backbreaking burden.

The contagion that spread from the Wall Street in 2008 has crippled the world economy.

So whoever started it, they took out two birds with one stone. And the same prolific mind appears to be at work once again behind the latest storm pitting Muslims against the West all over again. The method, timing and the measured execution of the freakish little hate-fest, “Innocence of Muslims,” bear the same distinct hallmarks.

The US presidential polls are weeks away with Barack Obama being streets ahead of his Republican rival. Not because the incumbent has delivered on the “change-we-can” promise but because the alternative is even more unpalatable. A stuffed dummy would be more human than the plastic emotions of Mitt Romney. However, he’s more acceptable to Israel because he never misses an opportunity to grovel before his masters, savaging the Palestinians and Iranians while Obama has ostensibly failed to heed the lobby’s diktats over Iran.

Now with the US missions around the world being overwhelmed by the tsunami of Muslim rage, not to mention the unprecedented lynching of US diplomats including the ambassador in Libya, and Obama being accused of being soft on “Islamist terrorists,” this election could yet see a turnaround before the November showdown.

There’s another reason why Obama earned himself the Zionists’ wrath. Breaking away from the glorious Western tradition of helping their friendly despots torment their people in the name of stability, he has had the audacity to stand back and watch the dawn of democracy in the Middle East. The Arab Spring has seen many of Israel’s loyal allies being replaced by the Islamists and people who are impervious to carrots and sticks.

The winds of change sweeping the Arab world have blown away Israel’s fig leaf of legitimacy and the racist canard that Arabs are intolerant of democracy and incapable of peaceful coexistence with a “democratic and progressive” Israel. More important, the new wave of Arab renaissance is seen as a threat to the Zionist and neocon designs on the Middle East, making them all dangerously desperate.

So what do they do? They return to the time-honored tradition of sowing the whirlwind and anarchy. The 14-minute obscenity produced by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula aka Sam Bacile and porn peddler Alan Roberts is so crude that calling it a “movie” would be an insult to filmmakers everywhere. Yet it has managed to provoke us like nothing has since the Satanic Verses.

We have been here before of course, repeatedly, with no lessons learned. Any two-bit, loathsome creep can now, it seems, abuse and provoke the followers of the world’s fastest spreading faith. We see a red rag anywhere and we charge in, eyes wide shut, without a thought to the identity and intent of those behind the provocation. Which is what our legion of enemies want. And we never fail to oblige. We hand our detractors the victory and vindication they are looking for by dignifying their cheap and obscene shots with our violent response.

By burning sacred books and attacking someone who came as a blessing for the whole of mankind, the perpetrators only show themselves to be what they are — demented prisoners of their own delusions. The thing about a provocation is it works only when you acknowledge it. You are not provoked unless and until you choose to be.

Of course, it’s easier said than done considering the profound reverence, love and esteem in which the Prophet of Islam is held by his followers.

While everyone loves and reveres his religious icons, the place and eminence he holds in the hearts and minds of the believers remains truly unrivaled. They love and celebrate him in every way possible; they name their sons after him; they remember him in their prayers five times a day and pray for him every time his blessed name is mentioned. You’ve got to be a Muslim to truly understand what Muhammad (peace be upon him) means to his followers.

The spontaneous outpouring of anger and grief across the world over the past two weeks should therefore come as no surprise to anyone although the targeting of innocents and diplomats can never be condoned.

On the other hand, the Nakoulas and Flemming Roses of this world are only too aware of this sensitivity and emotional vulnerability of Muslims and repeatedly prey on it. They abuse the great gift of free speech to promote hatred and bigotry.

As Tariq Ramadan argues, behind the celebration of freedom of speech hides the arrogance of ideologists and racists who feed off the multiform humiliation of Muslims to demonstrate the “superiority” of their civilization and the validity of their resistance to the “cancer” of retrograde Islam.

As Islam spreads its wings in the heart of Western civilization at a breathless pace — it has already overtaken Catholicism as the largest religious denomination in the world — you see a new desperation and viciousness in these attacks on the faith.

This is why now that the storm of protests over the movie has peaked and Muslims have made their point, it’s time to pause and ponder the ways of dealing more effectively with these recurring slurs and bouts of Islamophobia. Instead of waiting for the next round of assault on their icons, Muslim nations and opinion leaders must push for global norms and laws ensuring respect for all religions.
Enough of Western duplicity giving free rein to all sorts of lunatics targeting Muslims in the name of free speech while punishing anyone even remotely critical of its favored few. In many European states, including Denmark, blasphemy is a serious crime. Only it covers Christian and Jewish icons. Islam is fair game.

As if the long history of colonial wars in the Middle East wasn’t enough to spice this relationship, we now have these perpetual, mindless attacks on Islamic icons, fueling a civilizational clash and producing ever new crops of extremists.

The UN General Assembly concluded in 2006 that “defamation of religions is among the causes of social disharmony and leads to violations of human rights.” These noble words, however, like many others emanating from the world body, remain mere words on paper while the world hurtles toward an imminent Apocalypse.

As the world grows smaller and borders become irrelevant, we are becoming more intolerant of each other. Is it too much to ask for a little understanding and respect for your fellow beings in the melting pot that is our world? You are entitled to your opinion as much as I am to my own. Just don’t force it down my throat. As the Holy Qur’an puts it, “lakum deenukum waliya deen.” (To you be your faith, and to me mine!).

In the end, one just hopes the US has drawn right lessons from the whole episode. For much of the Muslim anger directed against US missions is clearly a blowback of the long years of Washington’s wars and lopsided policies blindly supporting Israel. The long simmering volcano of Muslim ire has finally erupted. The empire would ignore the writing on the wall at its own cost.

Aijaz Z. Syed is a Gulf based commentator.

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By Ayub Khan, TMO

Mr.Ramvilas Paswan receiving AFMI’s Pride of India Award at the hands of AFMI founder Dr. Abdul Raheman Nakadar,MPP Dipika Damerla and MPP Jagmeet Singh.

The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI USA & Canada) held its 22nd Annual North American Convention in the city of Brampton (Greater Toronto Area) on Saturday September 29, 2012.  The theme of the convention was ‘Our Youth, Our Future: Ensuring Their Success through Education.’ The speakers at the convention urged Muslims and minorities in India and elsewhere to wage common struggle to attain a dignified status in societies.

The chief guest Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan (Member of the Indian Parliament and leader of the Lok Janshakti Party) in his keynote address said that Indian Muslims are not alone in their struggles in India. He said that the dalit and other communities will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in maintaining the secular character of the country.

He pointed out that unfortunately caste consciousness, which is completely antithetical to the Islamic spirit, has also crept into the Indian Muslim society and that it should be weeded out.

Mr. Paswan berated the divisive forces in the country and said that India belongs to Muslims as it does to any other community. He highlighted his commitment to raise the issue of discrimination in parliament and elsewhere. He urged the Muslims in the country to hold their heads high and not to get scared by the prevailing anti-Islamic sentiment which he blamed on an international conspiracy to defame the faith.

Mr. Jagmeet Singh, Member of Provincial Parliament of Ontario from the New Democratic Party, stressed that as racialized communities and people of color Muslims, Sikhs and other communities face similar problems. He offered all his support to the community in the face of any discriminatory policies and attitudes. He said what is happening to Muslim communities today can happen to any other community tomorrow. Instead of breaking out in different silos all should work cooperatively, he stressed.

Ms. Dipika Damerla, Member of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario from the Liberal Party, said that everyone should be proud of their identities which can be more than one at any time. She said there is nothing to apologize for if we are celebrating the amalgam of our various identities. She said that she is a proud Canadian who also carries with her a part of India. She praised AFMI (USA & Canada) for its mission to increase literacy and educational empowerment in India.

AFMI (USA & Canada) president Dr. Tajuddin Ahmed and founder Dr.A.S. Nakadar highlighted the organization’s various educational projects and their impact on raising the status of Indian Muslims.

Other speakers who spoke at various sessions of the convention include Ms. Aseefa Sarang (convention chairperson), Dr. Imbesat Daudi (Maine), Dr. Qutbuddin (Indiana), Dr. Aslam Abdullah (Las Vegas), Dr. Sana Uddin (Indiana), Mr. Mark Persaud (Toronto), Shaikh Abdullah Idris Ali (Secretary General of Islamic Society of North America-Canada), Dr. Azeemuddin (Texas), Imam Abdul Hai Patel (Toronto), Mr. Taha Ghayyur (Toronto), Mr. Jamal Khan (Toronto), Dr. Husain Nagamia (Florida), Mr. Wasi Nomani (Lawyer at the Supreme Court Of India), Mr. Ali Quraishi (New Mexico), and Dr. Shakir Mukhi (New York) among others.

At the convention AFMI (USA & Canada)’s Pride of India Award was given to Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan.  Ten Awards of Excellence & Appreciation were given to local volunteers , community leaders and others who are making positive impact in their communities. The awardees include Dr. Tajuddin Ahmed (for his philanthropic activities and for promoting AFMI’s mission, Imam Hamid Slimi (for promoting interfaith dialogue), Mrs. Rabia Khedr (for advocating access to the disabled and for promoting diversity in workplace), Mr. Jawaid Danish (for promoting Urdu language and literature), Imam Nafis Bhayat (for promoting positive values among the youth), Mr. Zeib Jeeva (for his philanthropic and charitable activities), Mr. Taha Ghayyur (for promoting Muslim arts and culture), Mr. Laik Ali Khan (for philanthropy), Dr. Cassim Degani (for his volunteer medical services around the world), and Mr. Husain Bhayat ( for his educational and charitable activities in Canada and India).

Scholarships were also handed out to three deserving Toronto area students. The family and friends of the late Abdul Gaffar Sheikh, a prominent member of AFMI (USA & Canada) also launched a scholarship in his name at the convention.

Poonam Bhatia, Bollywood play back singer and a performer entertained the audience with her melodious voice. Upcoming actor Chirag Paswan also entertained the audience with his performance which was much appreciated.

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By Seyhmus Cakan

Turkish soldiers stand guard in an armoured personnel carrier on the Turkish-Syrian border near the Akcakale border crossing, southern Sanliurfa province, October 4, 2012. Turkey‘s parliament gave authorisation on Thursday for military operations outside Turkish borders if the government deemed them necessary, a day after artillery shelling from Syria killed five civilians in the Turkish town of Akcakale. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey’s military hit targets inside Syria on Wednesday in response to a mortar bomb fired from Syrian territory which killed five Turkish civilians.

In the most serious cross-border escalation of the 18-month uprising in Syria, Turkey hit back at what it called “the last straw” when a mortar hit a residential neighborhood of the border town of Akcakale.

NATO called an urgent meeting to discuss the matter.

“Our armed forces in the border region responded immediately to this abominable attack in line with their rules of engagement; targets were struck through artillery fire against places in Syria identified by radar,” Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s office said in a statement.

“Turkey will never leave unanswered such kinds of provocation by the Syrian regime against our national security.”

There were no immediate details of the Turkish strikes against Syria, nor was it clear who had fired the mortar into Turkish territory.

Residents of Akcakale gathered outside the local mayor’s office, afraid to return to their homes as the dull thud of distant artillery fire rumbled across the town.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had urged Turkey to keep all channels of communication open with Syria. He later issued a statement calling on “the Syria Government to respect fully the territorial integrity of its neighbors as well as to end the violence against the Syrian people.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed outrage at the mortar from Syria and said Washington would discuss with Ankara what the next steps should be, calling the spread of violence a “very, very dangerous situation”.

Washington sees Turkey as a pivotal player in backing Syria’s opposition and planning for the post-Assad era. But Ankara has found itself increasingly isolated and frustrated by a lack of international consensus on how to end the conflict.

Turkey’s military response contrasted with its relative restraint when Syria shot down a Turkish reconnaissance jet in June. Ankara increased its military presence along its 900-km (560-mile) border with Syria and called a meeting of NATO’s North Atlantic Council.

That meeting was only the second time in NATO’s 63-year history that members had convened under Article 4 of its charter which provides for consultations when a member state feels its territorial integrity, political independence or security is under threat.

The same article was invoked for the meeting of NATO ambassadors to be held in Brussels later on Wednesday.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said after the mortar attack: “This latest incident is the last straw. Turkey is a sovereign country. Its own soil has been attacked.”

“There must be a response to this under international law,” he said, according to Turkey’s Cihan news agency.

Some 30,000 people have been killed across Syria, activists say, in an uprising that has grown into a full-scale civil war with sectarian overtones and threatens to draw in regional Sunni Muslim and Shi’ite powers.

Violence inside Syria intensified on Wednesday with three suicide car bombs and a mortar barrage ripping through a government-controlled district of central Aleppo housing a military officers’ club, killing 48 people, according to activists.

(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans, Oliver Holmes and Laila Bassam in Beirut, Seda Sezer and Ece Toksabay in Istanbul, Jonathon Burch and Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara Writing by Nick Tattersall and Robin Pomeroyp; Editing by Michael Roddy)

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