Is belief in God rational or irrational? What role should religion play in our private and public lives? Is science sufficient to make religion redundant? Is the way forward for humanity in the 21st century a return to God or the completion of secularisation process of modernity? Join us for an evening of intellectually rigorous discussion as two learned speakers answers these important questions and contest opposing ideas.

Guest Speakers:

Dr Lawrence Krauss (U.S)

Dr Krauss is an international renowned theorectical physicist. He is Foundation Professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Dept., Co-director, Cosmology Initiative and Director, Origins initiative at Arizona State university. He is visiting Australia to speak at the Atheist Convention in Melbourne.

Uthman Badar (Australia)

Uthman is a Muslim activist and public speaker based in Sydney. His areas of expertise and theology, logic, jurisprudence, politics, and economics. He is currently at the University of Western Sydney completing a PhD, and has engaged in many debates and discussion forums with advocates of atheist and secular ideology.

I have examined your site and found that you have published under the title "The Legend of the Revolution... 23-Islamism and the Crisis of the Political Project" a second response to the letter of advice that the Hizb had sent to you on 11/28/2010.

London, UK, April 12th 2012 - In today's speech in Indonesia, UK Prime Minister David Cameron called on the Muslim world to "embrace democracy" and reject the region's growing calls for Islamic governance which he labelled "extremism".

Headlines:

• In UK riots may be controlled with chemicals weapons
• Crisis-hit Greece rents out police for €30 per hour
• US calls for support of Yemeni President's military changes
• US Crusader looking to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014
• American crusaders return to Pakistan

Details:

In UK riots may be controlled with chemicals weapons:

Future riots could be quelled by projectiles containing chemical irritants fired by police using new weapons that are now in the final stages of development. The Discriminating Irritant Projectile (Dip) has been under development by the Home Office's centre for applied science and technology (Cast) as a potential replacement for plastic bullets. Documents obtained by the English newspaper Guardian reveal that last summer's riots in England provided a major impetus to Home Office research into new-generation riot control technology, ranging from the Dip to even more curious weaponry described by Cast technicians as "skunk oil". The briefing by Cast for the Police Service of Northern Ireland says that last year's disorder sparked a surge of ideas to the Home Office from the public as well as companies manufacturing police technology. To capitalise on the interest, Cast convened a "brainstorming" event in October. Participants included police from London and Northern Ireland, the Police Federation, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. "No ideas too stupid or 'off the wall' to consider," the briefing notes record. It is understood that the Dip, which was originally supposed to have been introduced in 2010, would be loaded with CS gas, pepper spray or another irritant. Other parts of the briefing, released under the Freedom of Information Act, refer to a need in the short term by police to develop "counter laser dazzle" technology to protect officers from being dazzled by people using lasers like those used in recent Greek riots.

Crisis-hit Greece rents out police for €30 per hour:

Greece is offering a ‘cop-for-hire' service, renting out policemen for €30 per hour, plus €10 if you want a police car too. It triggered fears that security of people who cannot afford a policeman for hire may be affected in favor of those who can. This new way for the cash-strapped Greek state to raise money will "pay for the cost of using police materials and infrastructure, and allow to modernize them", the Ministry of Citizen Protection said in a statement. The Police services on offer were previously used in "exceptional cases" - escorting the transportation of dangerous material or art works and were free of charge. Now, Police services have a price-tag. If you need something special the hourly fee for patrol boats is €200, and €1500 for helicopters, according to the Proto Thema newspaper. Even though the ministry said it would only accept such hires if they do not affect the security forces' operational capacity, only those with the cash will benefit from the initiative. The newspaper says the less wealthy will be left to deal with crime by themselves. The financial crisis left Greece with rising unemployment, a fast-growing crime rate and a surge in illegal immigration. Security has substantially deteriorated in the Greek capital in recent years, with previously safe and calm neighborhoods of the city becoming literally off limits after nightfall. The Athens City Council described the situation as, "The city's historic center and other major areas are suffering desertification, all manner of criminal activity and manifestations of violence, insecurity, lawlessness, the impoverishment of significant numbers of people - both native inhabitants and foreign nationals, illegal prostitution and illegal drug trading." Youth unemployment is soaring as high as 50 per cent, driving some to leave the country, others to protest, and a few to resort to breaking the law.

US calls for support of Yemeni President's military changes:

The U.S. called for support of new Yemeni President Abdurabu Mansur Hadi after forces loyal to ousted leader Ali Abdullah Saleh shelled an opposition general's house in response to Hadi removing some military commanders. The U.S. welcomes Hadi's "civilian and military personnel transfers as part of the ongoing political transition in Yemen," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said in an e-mailed statement released late yesterday in Washington. "In spite of those who seek to derail the transition, President Hadi has demonstrated strong leadership by steadfastly implementing the agreed-upon political settlement." Forces loyal to Saleh shelled the house of Major General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, commander of the First Armored Division, without causing injuries, Abdulghani al-Shameri, the spokesman for the general, said in a phone interview yesterday. Forces loyal to the air force commander closed Sana'a airport and threatened to shoot down any aircraft taking off, Al Arabiya television reported yesterday, citing its correspondent. Hadi, who was elected president of the Arab world's poorest country in February, is implementing the most sweeping changes to the armed forces after Saleh agreed in November to relinquish power under a Gulf-brokered peace plan. The Gulf Cooperation Council called on all political parties in Yemen to support Hadi "in moving forward" with the Gulf plan, Abdullatif al-Zayani, secretary-general of the six- member group, said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. The GCC supports all measure taken by Hadi to get "out of the current crisis," al- Zayani said.

US Crusader looking to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014:

US and Afghan defense chiefs on Tuesday discussed the future of American troops in Afghanistan after 2014, with both sides calling for a long-term security partnership. US Defense Leon Panetta hosted Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and Interior Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi at the Pentagon two days after Washington and Kabul signed a deal putting Afghans in charge of controversial night raids, removing a major obstacle to a security pact governing the US military's future presence beyond 2014. "We are looking forward to an enduring, long-term cooperation (with the United States)," Wardak said in English at the start of the meeting. "We can say that it is vital for the survival of our country in that volatile, dangerous neighborhood," he said. Panetta, with top US military officer General Martin Dempsey at his side, said he looked forward to discussing "our ability to arrive at a strategic partnership agreement that will again be another step forward in our relationship."The Pentagon chief called the newly-signed memorandum on night operations a milestone in a gradual handover from NATO to Afghan security forces, scheduled to be complete by the end of 2014. "The fact that we were able to achieve an agreement I think was a very important step forward to ensure that we will make the transition to Afghan operations, but we will do it in a responsible and effective way," Panetta said. He said the two sides would discuss the future of Afghan security forces, including the troop levels that will be reached in a short-term "surge" and "ultimately the levels you can sustain in the future."

American crusaders return to Pakistan:

American troops have returned to Pakistan in what is believed to be the first requested-presence mission since the U.S. military was ordered to leave last year amid a meltdown in the countries' relations. A team of eight U.S. military search-and-rescue experts has been dispatched from Afghanistan to assist in efforts to recover 138 mostly Pakistani soldiers trapped beneath an avalanche in northern Kashmir. A U.S. military official in Kabul, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the delicate status of the U.S.'s current relationship with Pakistan, told Fox News that the unit has not yet been tasked by the Pakistan military. "The Pakistan military is still assessing the need, but they are there and ready to help," the official said in an email. In 2005 the Pentagon used the Kashmir earthquake to send operatives from the Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC - the secretive, elite military unit that killed Osama bin Laden - into Pakistan. What will the US do this time?