Qaeda Chief, Ayman Al-Zawahiri Calls For Unity As Jihadist Schism Deepens
New Age Islam News Bureau
19
Apr 2014
Photo: Fresh Infighting Leaves 65 Militants Dead in Syria
Arab World
• Qaeda Chief, Ayman Al-Zawahiri Calls For Unity As Jihadist Schism Deepens
• Fresh Infighting Leaves 65 Militants Dead in Syria
• Free Syrian Army kill 30 regime troops in Aleppo
• Terrorist Attacks Claim Lives of Five Citizens in Homs, Hama
• Source: Syrian Army Planning Attack to Retake 70% of Militant-Controlled Areas
• Warnings of Insurgency’s “Zero Hour” ahead of Iraqi Elections
• Syria rivalry sharply splits jihadist ranks
• Bahraini Opposition Demonstrates, Insists on Obtaining Rights
• Brotherhood Emirati says group surfaced in UAE to take advantage of Arab Spring
Pakistan
• Journalist Hamid Mir injured in gun attack in Karachi
• No harm in accepting Taliban demands: JI
• Police arrest six suspected Lashkar-i-Jhangvi militants
• Taliban promises not to attack Pakistan's public places
• Police say two UN workers ‘likely’ abducted in Karachi
• Nation standing firm beside armed forces: PM
Mideast
• Drone kills 15 'Qaeda', 3 civilians in Yemen: Security
• Turkey, US 'planning joint operation against ISIL'
• Palestinians pray outside Al-Aqusa after Israeli restrictions
• Turkey detains 9 in Izmir anti-terror operation
North America
• Left-Wing Muslim Group CAIR Says Sharia Law Is Compatible With Democracy
• Obama signs law to block Iranian envoy to U.N.
• Muslims in New York City Unite on Push to Add Holidays to School Calendar
• NYT Slammed for Honouring Israeli Govt Gag Orders
• CIA torture program designer defends techniques
Europe
• Public invited to give evidence to UK review of Muslim Brotherhood
• Birmingham State schools isolate non-Muslims
• Moscow supports Egypt's efforts in fighting terrorism - Russian FM
• Anti-Semitic flyer sparks outrage in Ukraine's east
• Appeal to the Italian government to ask for "the repeal of the blasphemy law in Pakistan"
India
• Gujarat HC bars 53rd Syedna from dealing with Waqfs, public trusts
• India, Pakistan may resume dialogue after Lok Sabha polls
• Angry mob sets ablaze house of Lashkar operative in Kashmir
• Jama Masjid attack: Police file chargesheet against top IM men
• Kashmir issue: Omar asks Geelani to identify emissaries
Southeast Asia
• Islamic Parties Surprise in Indonesia’s Legislative Elections
• Clarify reminder on use of ‘RIP’ by Muslims, former Perlis mufti urges fatwa council
• Ex-prime minister Abdullah backs Kelantan’s Hudud bill
• Indonesia Abuzz Ahead of July’s Presidential Election
South Asia
• Maldives seeks Indian help to set up Islamic varsity
• Directorate soon for madrasas in Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Information Minister: Hefazat’s Shafi won’t be spared
• PID Pakistan ‘declares’ China an Islamic Republic
• 7 militants arrested along with a suicide bombing vest in Jawzjan
• East Turkestan: Chinese Police Shoot Uyghur Minor at Checkpoint
Africa
• Besieged Muslims face murder, starvation in Central African Republic
• South Sudan army battles rebels in worsening war
• Boko Haram leader claims Nigeria capital bombing in new video
• Fresh attack targets foreign diplomats in Libya
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/qaeda-chief,-ayman-al-zawahiri/d/66639
------------
Arab World
Qaeda Chief, Ayman Al-Zawahiri Calls For Unity As Jihadist Schism Deepens
April 19, 2014
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has called for unity in a new interview amid widening divisions with a rival jihadist organisation rooted in the Syrian civil war.
The interview, which the SITE monitoring service dated to between February and April, was released after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) accused Al-Qaeda of having "deviated from the correct path."
"They have divided the ranks of the Mujahideen (holy warriors) in every place," ISIL spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani said in a statement posted on Jihadi forums.
Zawahiri rejected the allegations, suggesting that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime may have penetrated jihadist groups in order to sow sedition, according to SITE, which translated his interview with a Qaeda-run media outlet.
"If I command you to fight your Mujahideen brothers, do not obey me. If I command you to blow yourself up among your Mujahideen brothers, do not obey me," he said.
The split dates back to last year, when Zawahiri ordered ISIL to confine its activities to Iraq after it was accused of widespread abuses against Syrian civilians and rival rebels.
Zawahiri, who succeeded the late Osama bin Laden as leader of the global terror network in 2011, declared Al-Nusra Front to be the official Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
"Our method is to focus on the Hubal (pre-Islamic pagan god) of the era, America, and its Crusader allies and the Zionists and their traitor agents, and to incite the Ummah (Muslim community) and rally it for jihad against them and leaving the side skirmishes," Zawahiri said in the interview.
"Our method is to preserve blood and avoid operations that could potentially shed the blood of others unjustly in marketplaces, residential areas, and even among the Jihadi groups."
Syrian rebels initially welcomed battle-hardened jihadists to their struggle, but Islamist and non-Islamist groups alike turned on ISIL after it began kidnapping, torturing and killing activists and rival rebels, and imposing its strict version of Islam by force.
Syria's uprising began with peaceful protests in March 2011 but escalated into an insurgency and then a civil war after the regime launched a brutal crackdown on dissent. More than 150,000 people have been killed since the revolt began.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99378/World/Region/Qaeda-chief-calls-for-unity-as-jihadist-schism-dee.aspx
------------
Fresh Infighting Leaves 65 Militants Dead in Syria
April 19, 2014
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) killed more than 60 Nusra militants in the suburbs of Syria’s eastern city of Deir ez-Zor in a fresh wave of infighting in Syria, Press TV reported.
The new deadly clashes come a day after a major leader of the notorious al-Nusra Front was killed in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=23&frid=23&eid=146903
------------
Free Syrian Army kill 30 regime troops in Aleppo
World Bulletin / News Desk
April 19, 2014
At least 30 Syrian regime troops were killed in clashes with the main armed opposition group Free Syrian Army on Friday.
Salih Anadani, the media liaison for the armed al-Tawhid Brigade, told Anadolu Agency that the Free Syrian Army carried out military operations in the regime-held parts of Aleppo.
“Assad’s forces fired rockets and used tanks to protect themselves against armed opposition fighters," said Anadani.
He said opposition fighters used tunnels to approach regime-held checkpoints and blow up trenches.
Anadani added the clashes also led to the death of many opposition fighters.
Aleppo, Syria’s second city, is regarded as an opposition stronghold in the country’s civil war, which entered its fourth year in March.
In three years, it killed over 100,000 people and created 2.5 million refugees, the U.N. says.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/134141/free-syrian-army-kill-30-regime-troops-in-aleppo
------------
Terrorist Attacks Claim Lives of Five Citizens in Homs, Hama
April 19, 2014
Terrorists detonated Saturday a car bomb in Salamiyeh Attackity in Hama, claiming lives of 4 citizens and injuring 9 others.
A source at Hama Police Command told SANA that terrorists explosion targeted 4 trucks carrying humanitarian aid staff of the Syrian Red Crescent on Hama-Salamiyeh road .
The source added that the terrorist explosion claimed lives of 4 citizens, among them a driver of one of the trucks, injured 9 others and caused material damage to citizens’ properties, markets and cars.
Meanwhile, one citizen was killed and 10 others wounded as terrorists fired two rocket shells on al-Ahli hospital in al-Zahra neighborhood, Homs.
A source in Homs told SANA that terrorists fired tow rocket shells on al-Ahli hospital, claiming the life of one citizen and causing material damage to properties.
Meanwhile, terrorists blew up a car bomb near Ka'ab al-Ahbar mosque in Jeb al-Jandali neighborhood in Homs city, casualties reported, a source in Homs told SANA.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=147002&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=20&s1=1
------------
Source: Syrian Army Planning Attack to Retake 70% of Militant-Controlled Areas
April 19, 2014
The Syrian army is planning a massive, phased offensive to take back control over two-thirds of the areas currently controlled by the foreign-backed militants by end of 2014, informed sources disclosed on Saturday.
"The Syrian army intends to restore full security to Aleppo and Daraa in order to endorse its control over 70 percent of the militant-ruled areas in the country," the sources told FNA.
The army units have so far restored security to Al-Qalamoun region in Damascus countryside in the Southern parts of the country. The army liberated the towns and villages in Al-Qalamoun, and even regained control over the mountainous regions in the region.
After its successful operations in Al-Qalamoun, the Syrian army has started its operations in Homs where it has made major advances so far, the sources added.
Full report at:
people have so far been killed and millions displaced in the foreign-backed violence.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930130000764
---------
Warnings of Insurgency’s “Zero Hour” ahead of Iraqi Elections
April 19, 2014
The head of security committee in Abi Saida in Diyala province, Awad al-Rubaie, warned of “Zero hour” scheme which armed groups are seeking to implement ahead of the elections, confirming the presence of more than 50 militants, half of them foreign nationals.Iraqi forces
He talked about the existence of an aggressive scheme being prepared by the armed groups that he called, "Zero hour”, noting that “it aims at launching armed attacks ahead of the elections or during it according to intelligence information available to us in order to prevent the people from participating.”
Full report at:
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=23&frid=23&eid=146782
------------
Syria rivalry sharply splits jihadist ranks
Press Trust of India | Baghdad | April 19, 2014
Rivalry between jihadist groups fighting in Syria has sharply divided global militant ranks once loosely allied under Al-Qaeda, sparking infighting which experts say has hampered efforts to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
And while senior leaders of Al-Qaeda were all but above question under revered founder Osama bin Laden, the conflict has gone so far that even his replacement Ayman al-Zawahiri has come in for fierce criticism on jihadist forums online.
Powerful rebel groups in Syria, including Al-Qaeda’s designated local affiliate Al-Nusra Front, have been locked in fierce fighting with jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), with thousands of people killed since January.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/syria-rivalry-sharply-splits-jihadist-ranks/
------------
Bahraini Opposition Demonstrates, Insists on Obtaining Rights
April 19, 2014
The Bahraini opposition organized a demonstration in Bahrain Protestsal-Manama, condemning the regime torturing measures against the citizens and insisting obtaining of the rights.
The opposition demonstration come in the context of the public movements against the arbitrary regime path of murdering, arresting and deporting citizens on sectarian and political grounds.
Full report at:
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=147024&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=27&s1=1
------------
Brotherhood Emirati says group surfaced in UAE to take advantage of Arab Spring
April 19, 2014
ABU DHABI // An Emirati who worked for the Muslim Brotherhood for two decades said the banned organisation tried to take advantage of the Arab Spring to extract concessions from governments in Arab countries, including the UAE.
Amal Al Hossani believes the UAE Government had been aware of Brotherhood activity in the country since the 1970s but no action was taken until it surfaced during the tide of unrest.
“I believe the decision to come to the surface in the UAE wasn’t taken locally,” he said during the second part of an interview broadcast by Abu Dhabi Al Emarat TV, which is owned by The National’s publisher, Abu Dhabi Media. “No Emirati who knows the Emirati community could have thought that such a move would be beneficial.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/world/muslim-brotherhood/muslim-brotherhood-emirati-says-group-surfaced-in-uae-to-take-advantage-of-arab-spring#ixzz2zHocnapd
------------
Pakistan
Journalist Hamid Mir injured in gun attack in Karachi
2014-04-19
KARACHI: Unknown gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on Hamid Mir in Karachi on Saturday, injuring the senior reporter and television anchorperson.
Reports said the incident took place on Sharae Faisal near Natha Khan area when the gunmen opened fire on his vehicle around 5:30pm.
The journalist was on his way to his office from the airport when he was attacked.
Mir was taken to a private hospital for emergency treatment. The journalist received two gunshots and was taken to the hospital in a state of unconsciousness.
Mir is now reported to have regained consciousness and hospital admin say his condition is out of danger.
In a message, President Mamnoon Hussain condemned the attack and expressed sorrow at the incident.
Social media also exploded with messages of condemnation.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1100972/journalist-hamid-mir-injured-in-gun-attack-in-karachi
----------
No harm in accepting Taliban demands: JI
2014-04-19
LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq says the government should give serious consideration to the Taliban demands if it does not want more bloodshed in the country.
During a press conference here on Friday, he said the Taliban were simply demanding a peace zone for talks where there was no danger of attack and the release of about 300 non-combatants. He said there was no harm in accepting these demands for freeing the country from terrorism.
Mr Haq said the talks were not the issue of the two “Sharifs” it was an issue of the country’s solidarity and the nation’s future. Therefore, both the Sharifs should be on one page for making the talks successful.
Full report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1100838/no-harm-in-accepting-taliban-demands-ji
------------
Police arrest six suspected Lashkar-i-Jhangvi militants
2014-04-18
ISLAMABAD: Police said on Friday they have arrested six men suspected of being behind a string of high-profile killings and assassination attempts linked to a banned sectarian group.
The arrests are a rare success for the police, who have a notoriously low detection and prosecution rate for such crimes.
Police said the six suspects are responsible for killing 16 people over the last two years and for four attempted murders.
Their victims are believed to include a lawyer, a well-known Pakistani journalist, and a prominent Shia doctor and his 12-year-old son gunned down on their way to school.
They are also thought to be behind an attack last month in which writer Raza Rumi, a vocal critic of the Taliban, was wounded and his driver killed.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1100765/police-arrest-six-suspected-lj-militants
----------
Taliban promises not to attack Pakistan's public places
World Bulletin / News Desk
April 19, 2014
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a network of various insurgent groups in Pakistan, says it will not target public places despite ending a 40-day long ceasefire with security forces.
However, the network warns that “some forces” may strike public places using the end of the ceasefire as an excuse.
“Attacks on security and government installations can be carried out in defense, but we will not target the public places”, Shahidullah Shahid, spokesperson for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan said in a press release.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/134148/taliban-promises-not-to-attack-pakistans-public-places
----------
Police say two UN workers ‘likely’ abducted in Karachi
2014-04-19
KARACHI: Police officials on Friday said two local workers of the United Nations have gone missing from Gulshan-i-Maymar neigbourhood of the port city fearing they might have been abducted, DawnNews reported.
According to initial reports both UN officials are residents of Hyderabad who were visiting Karachi for leisure. Police said their mobile phones are switched off which implies that they have been abducted.
They said UN workers Sami Nawaz and Farrukh Saleem came for a picnic at a water park located at Super Highway. Their search went underway after wife of one of them reached to police for help.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1100766/police-say-two-un-workers-likely-abducted-in-karachi
----------
Nation standing firm beside armed forces: PM
2014-04-19
KAKUL: Addressing the passing out parade of the 129th Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Long Course on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the nation was standing firm beside the armed forces, DawnNews reported.
The premier, who was the chief guest at the occasion, during his address said that the young soldiers of the country possessed high moral fibre, adding that their profession demanded high level of dedication.
The prime minister said that to make the country’s defence impregnable the government would extend every possible help to the armed forces.
He moreover said equipping the armed forces with modern technology was the government’s responsibility.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1100951/nation-standing-firm-beside-armed-forces-pm
----------
Mideast
Drone kills 15 'Qaeda', 3 civilians in Yemen: Security
April 19, 2014
A drone strike Saturday killed 15 Al-Qaeda suspects and three civilians in Yemen's central Baida province, a stronghold of the extremist group, a security official said.
The jihadists were travelling in a vehicle towards the southern Shabwa province, witnesses said. The three civilians were passing by in another car.
The United States is the only country that operates drones in Yemen, but officials rarely discuss the covert programme.
Last month, Yemen's President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi defended the use of drones against Al-Qaeda in his country, which has killed dozens of militants in a sharply intensified campaign over the past year.
Drone strikes "have greatly helped in limiting Al-Qaeda activities, despite some mistakes which we are sorry about," Hadi told the pan-Arab Al-Hayat daily.
The drone programme has come under criticism from human rights activists concerned over civilian casualties.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/99382/World/Region/Drone-kills--Qaeda,--civilians-in-Yemen-Security.aspx
----------
Turkey, US 'planning joint operation against ISIL'
World Bulletin / News Desk
April 19, 2014
It has been claimed that the United States and Turkey are together planning to conduct a joint operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) rebel group in Syria.
Speaking to the Daily Sabah, an unnamed source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Turkey and the US will be co-operating against the armed group.
The ISIL, originally starting off as Al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq, broke off from Al-Qaeda when ISIL commander Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi disobeyed the orders of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahri to pull out of Syria.
Zawahri had designated affiliate Nusra Front to fight in Syria under the command of al-Baghdadi's former right-hand man Abu Muhammad al-Golani.
Instead of pulling out of Syria, the ISIL turned their guns on the Nusra Front as well as other Syrian opposition forces including the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and local Turkmen and Kurdish groups.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/turkey/134112/turkey-us-planning-joint-operation-against-isil
----------
Palestinians pray outside Al-Aqsa after Israeli restrictions
World Bulletin / News Desk
April 19, 2014
Hundreds of Palestinian youths performed Friday prayers on the streets outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after Israeli police barred Muslim worshippers from entering the holy site.
Hundreds of Israeli policemen were deployed in the vicinity of the compound, erecting barricades at the entries of the Old City of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) and denying access to people under 50, an Anadolu Agency reporter at the scene said.
Earlier in the day, Israeli police said they would only allow men over 50 and holders of blue ID cards (issued to residents of Al-Quds and Israel) into the compound, Israeli Channel 7 reported.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/134098/palestinians-pray-outside-al-aqsa-after-israeli-restrictions
----------
Turkey detains 9 in Izmir anti-terror operation
World Bulletin / News Desk
April 19, 2014
Nine people have been arrested in a counterterrorism operation against the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party in the province of Izmir in the west of Turkey, public prosecutors have said.
Pinar Turk, who was the mayoral candidate of the People's Democratic Party for Izmir municipality in the country's March 30 municipal elections, and Kerim Altinmakas, from the Socialist Party of the Oppressed, were among those detained in a police raid on several addresses in the city, officials from the Izmir Public Prosecution office said on Friday.
The detained are alleged to be members of the MLKP group, which formed from two communist factions in 1994 and is considered to be among the 12 most active terrorist organizations in Turkey since 2007, according to Turkish security officials.
Two more people are being sought as part of the operation.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/134139/turkey-detains-9-in-izmir-anti-terror-operation
----------
North America
Left-Wing Muslim Group CAIR Says Sharia Law Is Compatible With Democracy
April 19, 2014
Shariah is a primitive, backwards system of law usually championed by illiterate savages. It encourages rape, makes women into property and drags a society screaming back into the dark ages. No intelligent person who means well could possibly believe that Shariah is compatible with a free and democratic society. Which brings us to CAIR.
[B]ut, as you may have noticed, the ideals, the principles behind our expression of democracy do offer us a guide to the target of our thoughts tonight.
Two documents give us a sense of the recipe:
The Declaration of Independence asserts that the right of the people “to alter or to abolish their government” must remain intact and the people must have the freedom to lay government’s “foundation on such principles” and organize “its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
The Constitution adds additional thoughts: “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.””
Full report at:
http://www.rightwingnews.com/religion/left-wing-muslim-group-cair-says-sharia-law-is-compatible-with-democracy/
----------
Obama signs law to block Iranian envoy to U.N.
April 19, 2014
Hamid Abutalebi, was a member of an Iranian student group that seized the US embassy in 1979 in Tehran iseffectively prevented from becoming Iran’s ambassador to the UN
President Barack Obama signed a law Friday that allows Washington to deny visas to anyone — including United Nations envoys — who has engaged in terrorist acts against the United States.
Under the law, which passed Congress on April 10, the US already notified the UN that it would not issue a visa to Iran’s designated ambassador to the New York-based world body.
Hamid Abutalebi was a member of an Iranian student group that seized the US embassy in 1979 in Tehran and held 52 US citizens hostage for 444 days. He is effectively prevented from becoming Iran’s ambassador to the UN.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/obama-signs-law-to-block-iranian-envoy-to-un/article5928042.ece
----------
Muslims in New York City Unite on Push to Add Holidays to School Calendar
April 19, 2014
The meeting opened with a pledge from the podium to try to end, God willing, by the hour of the evening prayer. Clusters of colorfully veiled women kept watch over jittery young children. Rows of men conversed in a jangle of languages.
They were Muslims from Bosnia and Montenegro, Egypt and Syria, Pakistan and Bangladesh — several hundred in all.
It was a gathering remarkable in its diversity from among New York City’s Muslims, a growing group whose members often find it difficult to work together politically because of differences in national origin, language, sect and class. But a single issue has managed to unify them: the push to close the city’s public schools for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, the most sacred Muslim holidays.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/nyregion/muslims-in-new-york-city-unite-on-push-to-add-holidays-to-school-calendar.html?_r=0
----------
NYT Slammed for Honoring Israeli Govt Gag Orders
April 19, 2014
The New York Times made a rare admission that it submits to Israeli state gag orders, fueling charges from critics that the globally-influential publication plays fast-and-loose with journalistic ethics to give favorable coverage to Israel.
The revelation emerged when the The Times delayed its coverage of the Israeli detention of a Palestinian journalist, due—as it turns out—to a gag order from an Israeli court.
The blackout came to light when journalists who did not heed the gag order exposed the detention and media censorship. The Times's public editor, Margaret Sullivan, then elicited an admission from her own publication that it complies with Israeli media blackouts as a matter of policy.
Full report at:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/18-6
----------
CIA torture program designer defends techniques
World Bulletin / News Desk
April 19, 2014
The designer of the CIA's “enhanced interrogation” program, which has been the subjet of much scrutiny from the US Senate after a report last week revealed that agents had overstepped their legal boundaries regarding their intel extraction techniques, has broken his silence.
James Mitchell spoke to The Guardian about his alleged involvement in the program, which was approved by the George W. Bush administration after the 9-11 attacks. Dismissing the accusations against the secret services, he said “The people on the ground did the best they could with the way they understood the law at the time.”
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/134173/cia-torture-program-designer-defends-techniques
---------
Europe
Public invited to give evidence to UK review of Muslim Brotherhood
April 19, 2014
The UK government has called on the public to provide information which may help its review of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Prime Minister David Cameron recently commissioned an internal government review into the Islamist group, which has been banned as a terrorist organisation in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
According of its term of reference, the review will look into the group's values, activities, policies, philosophy, activities, impact and influence on the British national interests, at home and abroad.
The review team, led by Sir John Jenkins, Britain's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, asked any interested parties or individuals to send information.
“Submissions should be no longer than 3,000 words and include a summary of up to 500 words,” Cameron's office said in a statement issued on its website.
A spokesman for the prime minister's office told Ahram Online that this was a procedural statement, confirming that Jenkins' team was commissioned to make a review, not conduct a legal or judicial investigation.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/99367/Egypt/Politics-/Public-invited-to-give-evidence-to-UK-review-of-Mu.aspx
----------
Birmingham State schools isolate non-Muslims
April 19, 2014
Schools in Birmingham are illegally segregating pupils, discriminating against non-Muslim students and restricting the GCSE syllabus to “comply with conservative Islamic teaching”, an official report leaked to The Telegraph discloses.
Department for Education inspectors said that girls in a school at the centre of the so-called “Trojan Horse” plot were forced to sit at the back of the class, some Christian pupils were left to “teach themselves” and an extremist preacher was invited to speak to children.
The report, into three schools in the city, follows weeks of controversy over the alleged plot to “Islamise” secular schools in Birmingham and will lead to calls for intervention. The report focuses on Park View School and its sister schools, Golden Hillock and Nansen, the only primary of the three. Inspectors found that Park View practised forced and discriminatory sex segregation and has “restricted” GCSE subjects “to comply with conservative Islamic teaching”.
Full report at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10775755/State-schools-isolate-non-Muslims.html
----------
Moscow supports Egypt's efforts in fighting terrorism - Russian FM
April 19, 2014
Moscow supports the efforts of Egypt’s authorities in fighting terrorism, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
An explosive device went off on Friday night in Cairo, killing a police officer and injuring several people.
"We strongly condemn this attack. Criminal acts of the kind cannot be justified," the foreign ministry said.
Moscow "is forced to state regretfully an increase in recurrence of terrorist attacks in the Egyptian capital, where the attacks are aimed at law enforcement officers and civilians."
"We support the efforts of the Egyptian authorities to combat terrorist manifestations and to restore order," the source said. "It is imperative that the forthcoming presidential election in Egypt is held in a peaceful atmosphere."
Full report at:
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_04_19/Moscow-supports-Egypts-efforts-in-fighting-terrorism-Russian-FM-4207/
----------
Anti-Semitic flyer sparks outrage in Ukraine's east
World Bulletin / News Desk
April 19, 2014
A leaflet with anti-Semitic undertones, which were distributed last week allegedly by pro-Russian groups in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, has triggered outrage within the Jewish community in Ukraine.
Flyers ordering Jews to register with pro-Russian separatists were distributed by masked men outside of Donetsk’s main synagogue, according to Ukraine’s Donbass news agency.
The leaflets threatened them to face deportation unless they made a list of property they own and paid a registration fee.
They also carried the seal of ‘Donetsk People's Republic’ together with a number of Russian symbols.
Pinchas Vichetski, a senior rabbi and community leader in eastern Ukraine, said Jews were uneasy over the latest developments but they did not fear.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/134171/anti-semitic-flyer-sparks-outrage-in-ukraines-east
----------
Appeal to the Italian government to ask for "the repeal of the blasphemy law in Pakistan"
April 19, 2014
Rome - An appeal to the Italian government comes from the Federation of Pakistani Associations in Italy: Adan Farhaj Bakhsh, president of the Federation, in a message sent to Fides, calls on the Italian government to intervene "and ask the Pakistani government for the repeal of the blasphemy law in Pakistan".
The appeal was launched thanks to a motion approved unanimously by the Regional Council of the Marche region. "The complaint of the President of the Federation, who has asked for our support, is clear. This law provides for the death penalty for those who fail to respect the Prophet Muhammad, and is often used for private purposes, attacking in particular religious minorities in Pakistan", said the motion, sent to Fides.The approved text continues: "Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are a fundamental right of every individual: we cannot remain indifferent. 85% of the cases are false allegations of blasphemy. The Christian Sawan Masih is one of the latest victims of this law, sentenced to death for unjust accusations of blasphemy. The couple Shafqat and Shagufta Emmanuel and Asia Bibi are just some of those who are unjustly detained, on which weighs a death sentence for blasphemy. Every nation should raise their voice against these injustices and ask the Pakistani government for the release of imprisoned innocent people and the abolition of this unjust law that stifles the essence of freedom", said the motion.
http://www.news.va/en/news/asiapakistan-appeal-to-the-italian-government-to-a
----------
India
Gujarat HC bars 53rd Syedna from dealing with Waqfs, public trusts
VINAYA DESHPANDE
April 19, 2014
The Gujarat High Court has granted an interim injunction against the current 53rd Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, barring him from selling, transferring or dealing with the public trusts and Waqfs of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Gujarat till April 25.
The interim order was passed after Khuzema Qutbuddin, the uncle of Mufaddal Saifuddin, filed a bunch of petitions challenging the validity of the assistant charity commissioners’ and Waqf board members’ decisions.
“The honourable High Court of Gujarat has passed an ad-interim order restraining Shehzada Mufaddal Saifuddin, his agents and his servants from alienating, selling, transferring or dealing with in any manner the assets and properties of about 75 public trusts and 261 wakfs till the next returnable date,” a spokesperson of Khuzema Qutbuddin, said.
The uncle-nephew duo is already embroiled in a bitter succession row.
Mr. Khuzema Qutbuddin has filed a suit in the Bombay High Court seeking that he be declared the 53rd Syedna. Within days of the demise of the 52nd Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin in January this year, his brother Khuzema Qutbuddin had laid claim to the position of the religious leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/gujarat-hc-bars-53rd-syedna-from-dealing-with-waqfs-public-trusts/article5928965.ece
---------
India, Pakistan may resume dialogue after Lok Sabha polls
April 19, 2014
India and Pakistan hope to resume their composite dialogue once the Indian parliamentary election ends, Pakistan's envoy to the US has said.
Jalil Abbas Jilani also said in a talk at Harvard University that there was increasing awareness in both countries that there can be no military solution to their problems.
The News International newspaper reported that Jilani spoke on "Pakistan-India Relations, The Way Ahead" Monday. It was the inaugural event for the Harvard Kennedy School's annual South Asia Week.
Giving a brief overview of the main problems affecting India-Pakistan relations, Jilani said positive changes had taken place and concrete steps had been taken to improve bilateral ties.
A career diplomat who served in India as charge d'affaires from where he was expelled in 2003 during high tensions, Jilani talked about the growing desire for peace.
"There is also a realization that no country can achieve its economic goals while in a state of tension with its neighbours," the daily quoted him as saying.
Full report at:
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/399958/india-pakistan-may-resume-dialogue.html
------------
Angry mob sets ablaze house of Lashkar operative in Kashmir
M Saleem Pandit,TNN | Apr 19, 2014
SRINAGAR: For the first time in the last two decades of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, an angry mob on Saturday set ablaze the house of an overground worker (OGW) of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) at Nowpora in Sopore district for attempting to kidnap a local girl, Sopore SP Abdul Qayoom said.
According to the SP, Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Imran Ahmad Jabroo was arrested following a complaint. One AK-47 rifle was recovered from his possession.
The angry mob torched the house and two cars in the compound of the house belonging to the Lashkar operative.
The police officer said the accused tried to kidnap a local girl on gunpoint on Friday night. The girl was rescued after the inmates raised their voice and the neighbours came to their help, SP Qayoom said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Angry-mob-sets-ablaze-house-of-Lashkar-operative-in-Kashmir/articleshow/33956621.cms
------------
Jama Masjid attack: Police file chargesheet against top IM men
PTI | Apr 19, 2014
NEW DELHI: Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar were on Saturday charged by Delhi Police in connection with the September 2010 Jama Masjid terror attack case in which two Taiwani tourists had sustained bullet injuries.
The special cell of Delhi Police filed its final report before Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash against the two top IM men under various sections of the IPC including 307 (attempt to murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and under the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.
The police claimed in the charge sheet that IM's Indian chief Yasin Bhatkal was instructed by Pakistan-based handlers to carry out terror attacks just before the beginning of 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) which were held in Delhi.
It said the conspiracy for the attack was hatched to "dissuade foreign nations from participating in the same (CWG) and to portray the image of India, the host nation, as a weak and disturbed nation".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jama-Masjid-attack-Police-file-chargesheet-against-top-IM-men/articleshow/33961696.cms
------------
Kashmir issue: Omar asks Geelani to identify emissaries
April 19, 2014
Amidst a controversy over Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s claim that Narendra Modi had sent emissaries to meet him, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday questioned the secrecy behind the move and asked the hardline separatist leader to identify the pointmen to establish who was “lying.”
With the BJP denying Mr. Geelani’s claims, Mr. Abdullah said the easiest way to find out the truth was to identify the emissaries.
“So Mr. Geelani has claimed that Mr. Narendra Modi sent emissaries to talk to him and other separatist leaders in Delhi, in Mr. Geelani’s case twice,” Mr. Abdullah wrote on twitter.
“So who is lying, Mr. Geelani or NaMo campaign? Easy way to find out — let Mr. Geelani identify the emissaries who met him on behalf of NaMo,” the Chief Minister said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kashmir-issue-omar-asks-geelani-to-identify-emissaries/article5928699.ece
------------
Southeast Asia
Islamic Parties Surprise in Indonesia’s Legislative Elections
April 19, 2014
Jakarta. The April 9 legislative election has brought two surprising results.
First, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which was predicted to garner a large number of votes with the help of the widely popular Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo as its presidential candidate, only garnered around 19 percent — far below its target of 27 percent.
The second surprise came in the form of five Islamic parties, which analysts had written off as small contenders, performing much better than expected.
With a combined count of 31.9 percent of the vote, according to early data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, this year’s legislative elections mark the surprise rise of the country’s religion-based parties.
Five years ago, the group managed to secure 29 percent of the votes, which was said to be the lowest level of support ever for a country attributed as having the world’s largest Muslim population.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/islamic-parties-surprise-indonesias-legislative-elections/
----------
Clarify reminder on use of ‘RIP’ by Muslims, former Perlis mufti urges fatwa council
April 19, 2014
The National Fatwa Council has been urged to clarify its statement discouraging Muslims from using the phrase “Rest in Peace" (RIP) when condoling a non-Muslim's death.
Commenting on the council's reminder that Muslims are not permitted to use the phrase, former Perlis mufti Associate Professor Datuk Dr Asri Zainul Abidin said the clarification was important so that the matter would be clearly understood.
He said the council's explanation should be based on two categories: whether the deceased understood but rejected Islam outright, or whether he or she has yet to receive the call to accept the religion.
"The first is whether the deceased rejected Islam as a religion. He knew about Islam but rejected it. The perception of Islam is RIP should not be said to this person.
"But if this person does not know what Islam is or if he is unclear because of his own perception about Islam, then we cannot say he has been punished by God."
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/clarify-reminder-on-use-of-rip-by-muslims-former-perlis-mufti-urges-fatwa-c
----------
Ex-prime minister Abdullah backs Kelantan’s hudud bill
April 19, 2014
Former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (pic) has come out in support of the PAS-led Kelantan government’s plan to table a Private Members' Bill on hudud in Parliament.
“What's wrong if the matter is brought to Parliament?" Bernama quoted him as saying in Putrajaya today.
Kelantan had reportedly set up a technical committee to study the possibility of implementing the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II, or hudud, said Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah on February 20.
Asked whether hudud should be implemented at the federal level, Abdullah was reported as saying: "Let the implementation be carried out one at a time."
The committee had held a meeting on March 3 and one of its main tasks was to study the possibility of implementing the hudud enactment without amending the Federal Constitution and existing shariah law.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ex-prime-minister-abdullah-backs-kelantans-hudud-bill
--------
Indonesia Abuzz Ahead of July’s Presidential Election
April 19, 2014
Jakarta. While waiting for the General Elections Committee to release the official results of last week’s election, Indonesia’s political arena continues to keep itself busy with a flurry of activities.
Parties are now evaluating their quick-count results and shaping their latest strategies in facing the upcoming presidential election; the countries election committee is struggling with unresolved problems related to recounts and problematic ballot boxes throughout the archipelago; while the media is scrambling to gauge the final outcome of the unpredictable race.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-abuzz-ahead-julys-presidential-election/
----------
South Asia
Maldives seeks Indian help to set up Islamic varsity
April 19, 2014
New Delhi : The Maldives has sought academic tie-ups with the Jamia Millia Islamia, one of India's oldest universities, and help in establishing an Islamic university in the island nation, a visiting Maldivian minister said here.
A delegation led by Maldivian Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed visited the university Wednesday evening to explore possibilities of academic collaborations and partnerships. It sought Jamia's assistance in developing a culture of academic publications in the Maldives.
Full report at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/maldives-seeks-indian-help-to-set-up-islamic-varsity-114041700943_1.html
----------
Directorate soon for madrasas in Bangladesh
April 19, 2014
The government will set up a separate directorate for the country’s madrasas to bring discipline into the religious education system.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told the Dhaka Tribune the ministry had finalised the decision and got approval of other ministries concerned.
“We have finalised a decision to set up a separate directorate for the madrasas to bring their education into discipline,” Nahid said.
“Efforts are underway to ensure that the madrasa students read Bangla, English and other basic subjects along with religious and Arabic books. Setting up a separate directorate for madrasas will help us implement the decision.”
He said this would also help the government to monitor madrasas properly.
Asked when the directorate will start operation, he said the ministry was working on this, and everything would be completed soon.
Only the Alia madrasa would come under the new directorate.
The Education Ministry officials, however, told the Dhaka Tribune one of the purposes to set up the directorate was to bring the Qaumi madrasas to a monitoring system as well, but that might take some time.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/education/2014/apr/19/directorate-soon-madrasas#sthash.JIBVIXQ7.dpuf
----------
Bangladesh Information Minister: Hefazat’s Shafi won’t be spared
April 19, 2014
Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu yesterday said Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Shah Ahmad Shafi would not be spared from facing the consequences for his comments on girls and their education.
Inu said Shafi compared girls to tamarinds and advocated for girls’ education up to only grade 4, for which he must publicly seek apology.
The minister was addressing a discussion titled “Peace, development and democracy” held in the Kushtia Municipality auditorium.
Hosted by the Department of Mass Communication under the Ministry of Information, the programme was attended by people from all tiers, including journalists, teachers and freedom fighters.
In his address, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu urged Shafi to give up his opinion on women.
He branded the Hefazat chief as an “enemy of democracy.”
Inu, also JSD president, mentioned a series of development programmes implemented by the government.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/apr/19/inu-hefazat%E2%80%99s-shafi-won%E2%80%99t-be-spared#sthash.bIabYN7g.dpuf
----------
PID Pakistan ‘declares’ China an Islamic Republic
2014-04-19
ISLAMABAD: While issuing a routine media statement, the Press and Information Department (PID) may have inadvertently declared China an Islamic Republic.
Buried within the 1,500 words of Press Release No. 151 is the paragraph, “The Cabinet gave Approval for Signing of Protocol for the Period from Nov 2004 to Nov 2012 and Approval for Revision of Protocol between the Government of Islamic Republic of China for Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Surveying and Mapping.”
The faux pas is not exactly a rare occurrence. A series of similar blunders has plagued the Prime Minister’s (PM) media office over the past week, suggesting that the federal government’s mouthpiece has trouble getting its facts straight.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1100925/pid-declares-china-an-islamic-republic
----------
7 militants arrested along with a suicide bombing vest in Jawzjan
Apr 19 2014
At least seven suspected militants were arrested along with a suicide bombing vest in northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan.
Deputy interior minister Gen. Ayub Salangi said the suspects were arrested in Shebarghan city.
Jawzjan is among the relatively peaceful provinces in northern Afghanistan; however the anti-government armed militant groups are struggling to increase insurgency activities by coordinating terrorist attacks in this province.
The Afghan intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) also foiled a suicide car bombing plot in Jawzjan province late in March.
Anti-government armed militant groups were looking to target the elections campaign in Shebarghan city.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/7-militants-arrested-along-with-a-suicide-bombing-vest-in-jawzjan-3594
----------
East Turkestan: Chinese Police Shoot Uyghur Minor At Checkpoint
April 19, 2014
Police in China's far-western region of Xinjiang have shot dead a man who drove through a security checkpoint, the local government said on Thursday [17 April 2014], the latest violence to hit the troubled area with a large Muslim population.
The man, Abdul Basiti Abdulimiti, was a "terrorist" from Keping county in Aksu prefecture, the Aksu government said on its website. It did not identify him as one of the mainly Muslim Uighur people who call the region home, but his name suggests he was.
Abdulimiti was killed on Saturday [12 April 2014] after he stormed two security checkpoints on a motorcycle, ignoring warning shots fired by officers, the Xinjiang government said on its local news portal, Tianshannet. He snatched a firearm and assaulted a police officer, the government said.
Full report at:
http://www.unpo.org/article/17060#sthash.g6IMYsbR.dpuf
---------
Africa
Besieged Muslims face murder, starvation in Central African Republic
Reuters | Apr 19, 2014
BODA (Central African Republic): In normal times, the rickety wooden bridges at each end of the red-dirt main street in Boda were gateways to shops and a bustling market in the diamond-mining town in Central African Republic.
Today, they mark the fine line between life and death for hundreds of Muslims living under siege, encircled by Christian "anti-balaka" militia fighters bent on chasing out the country's Islamic population.
"We live in a prison," said Adou Kone, a tailor. "Everything is blocked, nothing comes in. It's very expensive to buy food ... Our life is at a critical stage."
Boda illustrates the chaos that has gripped Central African Republic since late 2012 when a battle for political power degenerated into clashes between Muslims and Christians that have forced about 1 million people from their homes.
If they stray beyond either bridge, Muslims in Boda say they would be killed, like thousands of other victims of tit-for-tat violence that continues despite the deployment of French and African peacekeepers.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Besieged-Muslims-face-murder-starvation-in-Central-African-Republic/articleshow/33926975.cms
-------
South Sudan army battles rebels in worsening war
April 19, 2014
South Sudan's army said on Saturday they had "lost communication" with commanders battling rebels in a key oil state where rebels have seized a major town, amid a worsening conflict engulfing the young nation.
However, army spokesman Malaak Ayuen said the situation was "all calm" in the flashpoint town of Bor, where at least 58 people were killed and more than 100 others wounded when gunmen stormed a UN base on Thursday.
The UN Security Council called the attack on the camp where thousands of civilians were sheltering an "outrage" that may "constitute a war crime".
Among the dead were children, and the UN has warned that the death toll could increase.
The top UN official in the war-torn nation, Toby Lanzer, praised peacekeepers for preventing what could have been a massacre of up to 5,000 people, and vowed the world body would use "lethal force" again to protect civilians under their protection.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/2/99398/World/South-Sudan-army-battles-rebels-in-worsening-war.aspx
----------
Boko Haram leader claims Nigeria capital bombing in new video
April 19, 2014
The leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for a bombing in Nigeria's capital that killed at least 75 people, in a video message obtained by AFP on Saturday.
"We are the ones that carried out the attack in Abuja," Shekau said in the 28-minute video, referring to the deadliest attack ever in Nigeria's capital which targeted a bus station packed with morning commuters.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/99395/World/International/Boko-Haram-leader-claims-Nigeria-capital-bombing-i.aspx
----------
Fresh attack targets foreign diplomats in Libya
April 19, 2014
Foreign diplomats in Libya from several Arab and Western missions are reportedly fleeing the country amid a string of recent attacks targeting envoys and Libyan politicians, diplomatic sources said Saturday.
The latest attack by gunmen in the Libyan capital Tripoli targeted the Portuguese embassy, wounding a security officer, Portuguese news agency Lusa said on Friday.
The men fled when other security officers arrived on site, the agency said, adding that the wounded officer’s life was not in danger.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/04/19/Fresh-attack-targets-foreign-diplomats-in-Libya.html
----------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/qaeda-chief,-ayman-al-zawahiri/d/66639