Muslim Missionaries Make Kyrgyz Inroads through Bangladeshi Madrasa
New Age Islam News Bureau
27
Aug 2013
Photo: A boy yawns during Islamic prayers at a square in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.
Europe
• Muslim Missionaries Make Kyrgyz Inroads through Bangladeshi Madrasa
• Russia warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if Syria hit
• Senior security official shot dead in Russia’s North Caucasus
• UK military making contingency plans on Syria
• Ban Ki-moon appoints Pak general as UN military advisor
• Amnesty International Concerned About Tajik Citizen Detained In Uzbekistan
• Russia: Syria has defences to prevent ‘easy victory’
• Italy rules out armed action in Syria without U.N.
South Asia
• At Least 15 Uyghurs Killed in Police Shootout in Xinjiang
• Taliban kill 12 workers in Afghanistan: officials
• Fifteen Islamic parties of Bangladesh plan polls alliance
• Maldives needs to resolve issues in judiciary to implement Islamic Sharia
• Afghanistan Launches Awareness Campaign to Stem Hazardous Exodus
• Mufti a spiritual leader of Ansarullah remanded by Dhaka Court
• ‘Peace process will be Afghan-led’, Sharif assures Karzai
North America
• Hindu Man Mistaken for Muslim Refused Service by JetBlue
• World Muslim Congress' Unity Ceremony Set to Counter Mulberry Quran Burnings
• Calls for Restraint Rise as US/NATO Push for "Illegal" War in Syria
• US Hopes Apache Sales Will Keep Indonesia on Side
• US forces move closer to Syria as options weighed
• John Kerry: Syria chemical attack 'undeniable'
• Obama awards Medal of Honour to Afghan war veteran
Pakistan
• MQM Chief Demands Handing Over Karachi to Army
• Enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and detention, cooperate or face arrests, SC
• Attack on security forces' camp kills six in S Waziristan
• 400 civilians died in 339 drone attacks, NA told
• Pakistan objects to 4 Indian projects on Chenab river
• ‘Will help in resuming talks with Taliban’: Sharif
• Zardari exiting Presidency as a ‘satisfied man’
Arab World
• Syrian bishop warns intervention could spark 'world war'
• Fugitive Brotherhood leader argues against "terrorism" charge
• Egypt hopes for a ‘no strike’ scenario against Syria, urges caution
• Jordan says won't be 'launch pad' for any Syria strikes
• Deaths in police custody revive Egypt rights fears
• Saudi Kingdom tightens laws to prevent all forms of abuse
• Terrorist organizations use media to lure potential members
• Saudi Govt stops hiring foreign lecturers on Islamic studies
• Syria accuses Kerry of lying, disregarding UN
Mideast
• Assad is not to blame for Syria chemical attacks, says Kurdish party leader
• Palestinians call off peace talks with Israel after clash
• Al-Qaeda in Yemen denies U.S. claims on attack plots
• Turkey seizes gas masks, weapons from North Korea destined for Syria: Report
• Turkey hasn’t agreed yet on Mavi Marmara compensation with Israel
• Holy Quran to be rendered into Oshiwambo by a Shi’a lecturer
• African migrants forced to accept 'voluntary’ deportation despite UN policy
India
• In Krishna's land, Muslims help in Janmashtami preparations
• 65 terror groups active in India: Govt
• Hurriyat leader calls for Singh-Sharif dialogue at UN meet
• Govt has pressed Pakistan for Dawood, Hafiz Saeed's extradition: Shinde
• Gwalior lab to test Syria chemical attack samples?
• Another LeT suspect arrested in Malda
• SC raps J&K for ‘discriminatory’ compensation scheme for victims of riots
• Pak continues to target Indian posts along LoC
Southeast Asia
• Guarantee East Java Shia Will Be Safe: Amnesty
• Indonesia Condemns Syria Chemical Weapons Attack
• Harassed out of school - more non-Muslim students leaving Seri Pristana
• Sarawak CM’s son had child with Aussie mistress, says ex-wife in Shariah court
• 'Handle religious issues with care' All Perak state assemblymen urged
Africa
• Kenya: Radical Muslim cleric death still a mystery
• Nigeria: Gunmen Kill 32 in Benue, Borno Communities
• Nigeria: 11 Feared Killed in Fresh Communal Clash in Benue
• Tunisia blames ‘terrorist’ Ansar al-Sharia for killings
• Tanzania: Police Clears Air on Suspected Bomb Found At Dar es Salaam Church
• Somalia: A Shabab Accused of Killing Civilians in Mustahil, Hiran Region
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Europe
Muslim Missionaries Make Kyrgyz Inroads through Bangladeshi Madrasa
By Ron Synovitz, Venera Djumataeva and Gulaiym Ashakeeva
August 26, 2013
A conservative Sunni Muslim movement that is banned in most of Central Asia has made inroads into Kyrgyzstan with recruiting efforts that include offers of a free Islamic education in Bangladesh for children from poor, rural families.
Documents obtained by RFE/RL confirm that security officials in Kyrgyzstan are increasingly concerned about a movement called Tablighi Jamaat, which means "Messengers' Assembly" in Arabic. Authorities have been alerted about the movement and told to monitor the activities of its members.
Although it proclaims to be pacifist and apolitical, Tablighi Jamaat has been banned in Russia as an extremist organization. It also is prohibited in Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The chairman of the Kyrgyz parliament's Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Committee, Kanybek Osmonaliev, says the government in Bishkek should prevent Kyrgyzstan from being a Tablighi bastion in Central Asia.
Osmonaliev says the Kyrgyz government should enforce existing legislation that bans children younger than 16 from being sent to religious schools abroad:
"Unfortunately, there are vested interests who make a business out of sending children to Islamic schools in Bangladesh," Osmonaliev told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. "Our special institutions such as the National Security Service, the Interior Ministry, the Education Ministry, and local governments don't pay enough attention to what is happening. In some cases, they even close their eyes. Some members of parliament are trying to raise public awareness and draft legal instruments on this issue. But no one in the government is taking this into consideration."
Narrow Field Of Study
No one can say exactly how many Kyrgyz families have sent their children to Islamic schools in Bangladesh, where the Tablighi Jamaat is strongest, because privately funded religious schools in Bangladesh are not monitored by any government regulatory body.
But RFE/RL has learned that at least 55 young Kyrgyz students are now enrolled at the Tablighi's Kakrail Markaz madrasa in Dhaka.
One of those students is a 23-year-old who began calling himself "Ahmad" after enrolling there.
Ahmad was 17 years old when Tablighi missionaries recruited him from his village in Kyrgyzstan and sent him to study in Dhaka.
Coming from a family that could not afford to pay for his education, the offer of free schooling in Bangladesh was seen as an opportunity they couldn't refuse.
Now, after six years at the madrasah, Ahmad is nearing the completion of his studies.
He has learned to read and write in Arabic and is able to recite the Koran from memory.
But the school hasn't prepared Ahmad for any work except teaching the Koran and conducting "Khuruj" missionary tours to further spread the Tablighi's principles.
Ahmad says he is ready to become a Tablighi missionary back in Kyrgyzstan. He says he will carry out the movement's recommended missionary work at least one night each week, one weekend per month, and for a continuous 40-day stretch every year.
He also plans to complete a 120-day missionary tour that is recommended by the movement at least once in a lifetime.
"Memorizing the Koran is your diploma. It is proof. If one can recite the Koran from beginning to end, that is his diploma. The state [of Bangladesh] doesn't give us any documents [for our studies]. Allah gives us our diploma."
Taliban Comparisons
Tablighi Jamaat is an offshoot of Hanafi jurisprudence within Islam's Deobandi revivalist movement. It was founded in northern India in 1926 with the aim of reaffirming the religious and cultural identity of Muslims on the Indian subcontinent. It stresses individual faith and spiritual development, encouraging a return to orthodox Sunni Islam by what it considers to be wayward Muslims.
The movement works at the grassroots level by sending groups of 10 missionaries from village to village, where they give sermons at local mosques. It now operates in 200 countries and is thought to have more than 100 million adherents worldwide.
Like the Taliban movement in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Tablighi Jamaat embraces the lifestyle and practices of the Prophet Muhammad. Male members grow their beards and, regardless of their nationality, don the flowing white robes worn by Arab men when they do missionary work.
The Tablighis opposition to women's rights also has led to comparisons with the Taliban.
But unlike militant Islamists, the Tablighi Jamaat maintains a neutral political stance and condemns violence carried out in the name of Islam.
That fact has helped Tablighi stretch its global reach. But it also has brought criticism from Al-Qaeda and other militant Islamists who accuse the movement of abandoning jihad.
Some Sunni Wahhabi Ulema in Saudi Arabia have issued Fatwas prohibiting Tablighis from preaching in the country or importing the movement's literature.
'The Connection'
Rafiqul Islam, chairman of the Peace and Conflict Department at the University of Dhaka, has done extensive research on militancy and madrasas in Bangladesh.
He says there is no evidence of direct links between Tablighi Jamaat schools and Islamic militancy.
"If I analyze the history of Bangladesh, I can rightly point out that all students who are studying in the madrasa system in Bangladesh are not widely involved in militant activities," Islam says. "The history and social and economic condition of Bangladesh do not favor this kind of militancy in Bangladesh. But the people who are educated and influenced by the Wahabi and Maududi ideology -- I mean those who actually took part in the Afghanistan war and studied in different madrasas in Pakistan -- they come to Bangladesh. This is the connection if some of these people are involved in bringing students from Central Asia, teaching them in Bangladesh, and then taking them back to Central Asia. And this is happening."
But Stratfor security analysts say there are "indirect links" between Tablighi Jamaat and militancy. They say the movement unintentionally offers a place where jihadists look for potential recruits.
Examples of disillusioned Tablighi who have become militants include members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Taliban fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and two British suicide bombers in the London terrorist attacks of July 7, 2005 -- Mohammed Siddique Khan and Shahzad Tanweer.
http://www.rferl.org/content/islam-kyrgyzstan-religion-education-bangladesh/25086641.html
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Russia warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if Syria hit
Aug 27 2013
MOSCOW: Russia on Tuesday warned a military intervention in Syria could have “catastrophic consequences” for the region and called on the international community to show “prudence” over the crisis.
“Attempts to bypass the Security Council, once again to create artificial groundless excuses for a military intervention in the region are fraught with new suffering in Syria and catastrophic consequences for other countries of the Middle East and North Africa,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
“We are calling on our American partners and all members of the world community to demonstrate prudence (and) strict observance of international law, especially the fundamental principles of the UN Charter,” ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.
Earlier Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that Moscow regretted Monday's decision by the US to postpone a meeting on the Syria crisis, as Western powers mulled military action over last week's chemical attack in Syria.
The scrapping of the meeting, which was due to take place at The Hague later in the week, is the latest sign of a new peak in tensions between Moscow and the West over the possibility of military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
“It arouses regret that our partners decided to cancel the bilateral meeting” involving senior diplomats from both sides, Gatilov said on Twitter.
“Working out the parameters of a political solution in Syria would have been especially helpful right now, when military action is hanging over this country,” Gatilov said.
In such a climate, it was especially important to work in concert to try to organise the repeatedly postponed peace conference bringing together the Damascus regime and the rebels, Lukashevich said.
“However, the United States' decision to postpone the meeting in The Hague is sending precisely the opposite signal to the opposition, encouraging their intransigence as they await outside intervention,” he said.
Lukashevich said convening the peace conference was now a “most urgent task.”Western countries including the United States are considering their response to an alleged chemical weapons attack by Assad's regime on August 21.
Russia has said it believes rebels were behind the incident and has warned any military action without UN approval would violate international law.
On Monday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemned the “hysteria” over the claimed chemical attack and said the West had yet to come up with proof that Assad's regime was behind it.
He also said Russia would not get involved in a military conflict in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told British Prime Minister David Cameron in a telephone call on Monday there was no evidence yet that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons against rebels, Cameron's office said.
Pro-Kremlin Russian newspaper Izvestia on Monday published an interview with Assad who ridiculed as “nonsense” the idea his regime used chemical weapons and warned the United States of failure if it attacked Syria.
Russian officials are now comparing the possible use of force against Syria to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which was vehemently opposed by Moscow as based on flawed intelligence that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction.
“Deja-vu,” Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee wrote on Twitter.
“It feels like in the White House it's still (George W.) Bush, (Dick) Cheney and (Donald) Rumsfeld and in Downing Street Tony Blair,” he said, referring to the former US president, vice president, defence secretary and British premier during the Iraq war.
“The faces change. But not the politics,” he added.
http://dawn.com/news/1038710/russia-warns-of-catastrophic-consequences-if-syria-hit
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Senior security official shot dead in Russia’s North Caucasus
27 August 2013
Reuters, Moscow
A security official was killed by unidentified gunmen in Russia’s Ingushetia republic, local police said on Tuesday, the latest violence in a region plagued by an Islamist insurgency and near the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
President Vladimir Putin has launched a huge security operation in regions surrounding the Black Sea resort of Sochito to stop any insurgent attacks on next year’s Winter Olympics, but the North Caucasus region suffers almost daily violence.
Ahmed Kotiyev, head of the regional Security Council which had vises on security and defense matters, and his driver were shot dead by gunmen who sprayed their car with bullets on a highway 30 km (19 miles) north of the major city of Nazran.
The shooting follows a botched assassination attempt against Kotiyev, who helped militants abandon the insurgency, in June when assailants fired a grenade launcher on his house.
Pictures, posted on the local police website 06.mvd.ru, showed Kotiyev’s car, a Russian-made Lada, peppered with bullet holes.
Ingushetia’s head, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who himself survived an assassination attempt in 2009, said on his website it was an “affair of honor” to find who killed Kotiyev.
Ingushetia, a region west of Chechnya, is part of an area where militants wage almost daily violence to try to establish an Islamist state in the patchwork of mostly Muslim regions in the Caucasus mountains between the Caspian and Black seas.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/08/27/Senior-security-official-shot-dead-in-Russia-s-North-Caucasus.html
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UK military making contingency plans on Syria
AP | Aug 27, 2013
LONDON: The British government says its military is drawing up contingency plans for a possible military attack on Syria.
The possible military response would be in reaction to an alleged chemical attack on civilians in Syria.
Prime Minister David Cameron is facing pressure to recall Parliament later this week to discuss the crisis in Syria.
Cameron's office said Tuesday that the UK is considering a "proportionate" response that would deter Syrian President Bashar Assad from using chemical weapons in the future.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/UK-military-making-contingency-plans-on-Syria/articleshow/22094771.cms
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Ban Ki-moon appoints Pak general as UN military advisor
August 26, 2013
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon on Monday appointed a Pakistani army general as the Military Adviser for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
Lt Gen Maqsood Ahmed, who replaces Senegal's Lt Gen Babacar Gaye whose tour of duty ended on July 8, recently completed his duties as a
Corps Commander in the Pakistan Army, an appointment that he had held since February 2013.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/Ban-Ki-moon-appoints-Pak-general-as-UN-military-advisor/Article1-1113365.aspx
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Amnesty International Concerned About Tajik Citizen Detained In Uzbekistan
Aug 27 2013
London-based rights group Amnesty International is expressing concern over the fate of a Tajik citizen reportedly detained in Uzbekistan.
In a statement issued on August 21, the group said that Abdumavlon Abdurakhmonov, 38, has been detained without access to his family since April.
Full report at:
http://www.rferl.org/content/uzbekistan-tajik-citizen-detained-amnesty/25082830.html
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Russia: Syria has defences to prevent ‘easy victory’
27 August 2013
AFP, Moscow
A possible Western intervention in Syria would not bring an “easy victory” because the Damascus government has enough air defense systems to rebuff attacks, the Interfax news agency said Tuesday.
“If the U.S. army together with NATO launch an operation against Syria there won't be an easy victory,” the news agency quoted a military-diplomatic source as saying.
“Multi-functional surface-to-air missile system Buk-M2E and other means of air defense that the Syrian troops possess will give a proper response to the aggressors,” the source added.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/27/Russia-Syria-has-defences-to-prevent-easy-victory-.html
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Italy rules out armed action in Syria without U.N.
27 August 2013
AFP, Rome
Italy on Tuesday ruled out taking part in any type of military intervention in Syria without U.N. Security Council approval, saying there was no alternative to “a negotiated political solution.”
“Italy will not take part in any military solutions without a U.N. Security Council mandate,” Foreign Minister Emma Bonino told lawmakers.
Bonino said there was a proposal to hold a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday and the situation would also be discussed by NATO in Brussels on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/27/Italy-rules-out-armed-action-in-Syria-without-U-N-.html
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South Asia
At Least 15 Uyghurs Killed in Police Shootout in Xinjiang
Aug 27 2013
Chinese authorities have shot dead at least 15 ethnic Uyghurs in a desert area in Xinjiang, accusing them of terrorism and illegal religious activity, in the latest violence to rock the troubled northwestern region of China, according to police sources.
They were among a group of more than 20 Uyghurs surrounded and fired upon by police in a lightning raid last week in the Yilkiqi township in Kargilik (in Chinese, Yecheng) county in Kashgar prefecture, the sources said.
"We conducted an anti-terror operation on August 20th, successfully and completely destroying the terrorists," Yilkiqi township police chief Batur Osman told RFA's Uyghur Service.
He refused to give the number of Uyghurs killed in the shootout, saying many of them were from out of town and some were not carrying identification documents.
Chinese authorities usually blame outbreaks of violence in Xinjiang on "terrorists" among the region's ethnic minority Muslim Uyghurs, but rights groups and experts say Beijing exaggerates the terrorism threat to take the heat off domestic policies that cause unrest or to justify the authorities' use of force against Uyghurs.
Full report at:
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/shootout-08252013134303.html
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Taliban kill 12 workers in Afghanistan: officials
Aug 27 2013
HERAT: The Afghan Taliban executed 12 Afghan workers in two provinces after accusing them of working for the government, officials said on Tuesday.
The Taliban are increasingly targeting civilians seen to be cooperating with the government, raising concerns about the prospects for peace after most foreign troops pull out next year.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has been visiting Pakistan for two days, condemned the killings.
“The killing of innocent engineers and workers shows that the Taliban and their foreign masters want Afghanistan to be an impoverished and underdeveloped country forever,” he said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1038712/taliban-kill-12-workers-in-afghanistan-officials
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Fifteen Islamic parties of Bangladesh plan polls alliance
Aug 27 2013
Around 15 Islamic parties affiliated with Hifazat-e Islam are mulling to form a new alliance to participate in the next parliamentary polls and highlight among voters its 13-point demand, including scrapping the education and women policies and building an Islamic state.
The declaration came at a views-exchange meeting organised by “Islami Dalsamuha” (alliance of Islamic parties) at the head office of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon (BKA) in the capital’s Lalbagh yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/fifteen-islamic-parties-plan-polls-alliance/
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Maldives needs to resolve issues in judiciary to implement Islamic Sharia: Dr Luthfee
August 27, 2013
Maldivian Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate Dr Musthafa Luthfee has said that the Maldives needs to resolves issues judiciary in order implement Islamic Sharia.
Dr Luthfee made the statement while speaking on the vice presidential debate show hosted by TVM and MNU on Monday. He said that Maldives being an Islamic State, the country’s laws dictate that country implement proper Sharia Law.
Full report at:
http://sun.mv/english/15477
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Afghanistan Launches Awareness Campaign To Stem Hazardous Exodus
By Farangis Najibullah
August 25, 2013
Afghan authorities have launched a campaign aimed at raising people's awareness of the risks of taking illegal avenues to a new life abroad.
Afghanistan has earned a reputation as a source of illegal immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, prompting a backlash from some destination countries.
With nearly 2.6 million refugees in more than 80 countries, Afghanistan was the leading country of origin for refugees in 2012. And as the end-of-2014 withdrawal date for NATO troops nears, concerns have risen that the exodus of Afghans will only increase.
"Many Afghans who consider seeking asylum abroad have little knowledge of the dangers involved," says Siddiq Hazratzai, a spokesman for the Kabul office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Full report at:
http://www.rferl.org/content/afghanistan-illegal-migration-awareness-campaign/25085337.html
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Mufti a spiritual leader of Ansarullah remanded by Dhaka Court
Aug 27 2013
A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed Mufti Jasimuddin Rahmani, a spiritual leader of Ansarullah Bangla Team, on a seven-day remand in blogger Rajib murder case.
Rajib, also an activist of Shahbagh movement, was hacked to death in the capital’s Pallabi on February 15.
Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-or-Rashid passed the order after Detective Branch (DB) of police produced Rahmani before the court on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/ansarullah-leader-remanded-2/
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‘Peace process will be Afghan-led’, Sharif assures Karzai
MEENA MENON
Aug 27 2013
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is looking to Pakistan to help in the peace process and provide an opportunity for talks involving the Afghan High Peace Council and the Taliban.
Reading out a statement to the media after his one-on-one meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Mr. Karzai said, “We discussed in this regard primarily and with emphasis, the issue of joint fight against extremism and reconciliation and peace building in Afghanistan with the expectation that the government of Pakistan will facilitate and help in manners it can to the peace process in Afghanistan and in providing opportunities or a platform for talks between the Afghan High Peace Council and the Taliban movement.”
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/peace-process-will-be-afghanled-sharif-assures-karzai/article5061054.ece
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North America
Hindu Man Mistaken for Muslim Refused Service by JetBlue
Aug 27 2013
A Hindu man, mistaken for a Muslim, was refused service by JetBlue earlier this month. Aditya Mukerjee, a New York-based data scientist, opted out of the TSA's wave detectors and chose to have a pat-down instead. During the procedure, for unknown reasons a swab sample of Mukerjee's hands caused the detector to beep and this spurred a series of events, which included detention for hours without food or water and encounters with various law-enforcement agencies. However, what upset Mukerjee the most was the way JetBlue treated him after they assumed he was a Muslim. A JetBlue security official asked him a series of offensive questions such as, “We have some female flight attendants. Would you be able to follow their instructions?” and “Will you need any special treatment during your flight? Do you need a special place to pray on board the aircraft?” Despite clearance from TSA and NYPD, JetBlue refused to allow him to fly.
Full report at:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/60791/jetblue-racial-profiling-incident-proves-what-every-muslim-already-knows
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World Muslim Congress' Unity Ceremony Set to Counter Mulberry Quran Burnings
By Suzie Schottelkotte
August 27, 2013
MULBERRY | It's not the sprawling Unity Church of Dallas, but Mike Ghouse said Monday he's pleased to stage his group's annual Unity Day ceremony Sept. 11 at the less imposing Mulberry Civic Center.
"This is where we need to be," he said. "We are going to show the world that this is how we do it."
Ghouse, president of the Dallas-based World Muslim Congress, is bringing his group's annual ceremony to Mulberry to counter a Florida minister's plan to burn 2,998 Qurans at a Mulberry resident's home a few miles away. Ghouse traveled to Mulberry on Monday to scout locations for the peaceful ceremony and to meet with others who oppose Pastor Terry Jones' protest.
Full report at:
http://www.theledger.com/article/20130826/news/130829384
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Calls for Restraint Rise as US/NATO Push for "Illegal" War in Syria
Jon Queally, staff writer
Aug 27 2013
As all signs indicate a growing push for Western military intervention—war, that is—in Syria, have the U.S. and its "more than willing" coalition of NATO allies done anything to enact or facilitate a diplomatic solution?
And amid calls for missile strikes and possible air assaults against the government of President Bashar al-Assad in the wake of possible use of chemical weapons, has there been adequate consideration of the further violence and bloodshed that such attacks are likely to cause?
For many, the answer to both questions: No.
Full report at:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/26-2
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US Hopes Apache Sales Will Keep Indonesia on Side
Aug 27 2013
Indonesia will buy eight Apache attack helicopters off the United States, it was announced on Monday, as US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta in what analysts said was a diplomatic bid to check the rise of China.
During the meeting, Yudhoyono said that Indonesia-US cooperation could enhance the prosperity of both nations, as well as have important implications for the peace and stability of Asia, according to a spokesman.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/us-to-sell-apaches-to-indonesia-for-500m/
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US forces move closer to Syria as options weighed
AP | Aug 27, 2013
WASHINGTON: US naval forces are moving closer to Syria as President Barack Obama considers military options for responding to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad government. The president emphasized that a quick intervention in the Syrian civil war was problematic, given the international considerations that should precede a military strike.
The White House said the president would meet on Saturday with his national security team to consider possible next steps by the United States. Officials say once the facts are clear, Obama will make a decision about how to proceed.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-forces-move-closer-to-Syria-as-options-weighed/articleshow/22091416.cms
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John Kerry: Syria chemical attack 'undeniable'
AP | Aug 27, 2013
WASHINGTON: Secretary of state John Kerry on Monday outlined the clearest justification yet for US military action in Syria, saying there was "undeniable" evidence of a large-scale chemical weapons attack, with intelligence strongly signaling that Bashar Assad's regime was responsible.
Kerry, speaking to reporters at the State Department, said last week's attack "should shock the conscience" of the world.
"The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. By any standard, it is inexcusable and — despite the excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured — it is undeniable," said Kerry, the highest-ranking US official to confirm the attack in the Damascus suburbs that activists say killed hundreds of people.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/John-Kerry-Syria-chemical-attack-undeniable/articleshow/22080727.cms
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Obama awards Medal of Honour to Afghan war veteran
AP | Aug 27, 2013
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has bestowed the Medal of Honor on US Army Staff Sgt Ty Carter, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who risked his life to save an injured soldier and to resupply ammunition to his comrades during intense fighting in a remote mountain outpost.
Obama says Carter "displayed the essence of true heroism."
The October 3, 2009, battle occurred while Carter was stationed at Command Outpost Keating. US troops were vastly outnumbered by 400 Taliban fighters.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Obama-awards-Medal-of-Honour-to-Afghan-war-veteran/articleshow/22079027.cms
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Pakistan
MQM Chief Demands Handing Over Karachi To Army
Aug 27 2013
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain demanded Tuesday that the administration of Karachi should be handed over to army personnel, DawnNews reported.
In a statement issued from London, Hussain said the situation of Karachi was worsening day by day and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should hand over responsibilities of the city to army personnel.
Hussain said the Sindh government, which was led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), had failed to provide protection to residents of Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood despite the fact that the area was steeped in violence and gang-wars and several people had died due to terrorist attacks.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1038700/mqm-chief-demands-handing-over-karachi-to-army
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Enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and detention, cooperate or face arrests, SC
Aug 27 2013
QUETTA: A bench of the Supreme Court (SC), hearing the cases of missing persons in Quetta Registry, observed on Monday that Frontier Corps (FC) and other security agencies are not cooperating with the court for the early and safe recovery of missing persons. The court also said it could issue arrest warrants of those involved in forced disappearances, extra-judicial arrest and detention if the authorities concerned did not cooperate in production of missing persons before the Supreme Court.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\08\27\story_27-8-2013_pg1_6
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Attack on security forces' camp kills six in S Waziristan
ZAHIR SHAH SHERAZI
Aug 27 2013
PESHAWAR: At least four militants were killed during an attack on a security forces' camp which claimed the lives of two soldiers and wounded nine others in South Waziristan tribal region early on Tuesday.
Four militants attacked a security forces' camp using heavy weaponry in Sara Rogh are of South Waziristan tribal region, according to security officials who wanted not to be named.
Security personnel engaged in retaliatory firing killing three attackers whereas the fourth militant detonated a suicide vest he was wearing and blew himself up.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1038701/attack-on-security-forces-camp-kills-six-in-s-waziristan
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400 civilians died in 339 drone attacks, NA told
KHAWAR GHUMMAN
Aug 27 2013
ISLAMABAD: The government informed the National Assembly on Monday that 339 drone attacks had been recorded in the country since 2004, according to findings of a number of unofficial organisations which followed America’s policy to use drones worldwide. A written answer submitted to the house in response to a question said that 400 civilians had died in the tribal belt as a result of the attacks. There was no mention of the number of terrorists killed.
The focus of the answer was on how the government disapproved of the attacks, termed them a violation of the country’s sovereignty and was building pressure through likeminded organisations, countries and the UN against their legitimacy.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1038672/400-civilians-died-in-339-drone-attacks-na-told
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Pakistan objects to 4 Indian projects on Chenab river
PTI | Aug 27, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has raised objections to four power projects being built by India on the Chenab river on the ground that they allegedly violate the Indus Waters Treaty.
The projects include the 850-MW Ratle power project and the 1,000-MW Pakal Dul hydroelectric plant, minister of state for privatization Khurram Dastgir told the National Assembly or lower house of parliament.
Information on these plants was received by Pakistan last year and Islamabad objected to their designs, he said during question hour yesterday.
Pakistan has raised the issue with India at all levels. A protest about the alleged reduction of water flow in the Chenab was lodged with India by the Permanent Indus Waters Commission and the Foreign Office, he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-objects-to-4-Indian-projects-on-Chenab-river/articleshow/22095071.cms
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‘Will help in resuming talks with Taliban’: Sharif
Imtiaz Ahmad, Hindustan Times
August 27, 2013
In his first visit to Pakistan after 18 months, Afghan president Hamid Karzai was unable to get a firm assurance from Islamabad that it would release all Afghan prisoners who are not facing criminal charges, a term used to describe those detained for links to the Afghan Taliban. PM Nawaz
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Will-help-in-resuming-talks-with-Taliban/Article1-1113451.aspx
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Zardari exiting Presidency as a ‘satisfied man’
August 27, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Outgoing President Asif Ali Zardari says that after overseeing the first-ever democratic transition of power in Pakistan and relinquishing presidential powers to parliament, he is leaving the presidency as a satisfied man.
“Democratic transition to power means strengthening of democracy and I’m confident that Pakistan will be the ultimate winner,” said President Zardari while speaking at a farewell dinner he hosted for journalists at the Presidency on Monday. “I’ve no regrets. I’m exiting the Presidency with honour and dignity.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/595723/farewell-dinner-zardari-exiting-presidency-as-a-satisfied-man/
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Arab World
Syrian bishop warns intervention could spark 'world war'
August 26, 2013
A Syrian Chaldean Catholic bishop on Monday warned that an armed intervention in Syria could unleash a "world war", while the Vatican's official newspaper called for more "prudence" from Western powers.
"If there is an armed intervention, that would mean, I believe, a world war.
That risk has returned," Monsignor Antoine Audo of Aleppo told Vatican radio.
"We hope that the pope's call for real dialogue between the warring parties to find a solution can be a first step to stop the fighting," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/Syrian-bishop-warns-intervention-could-spark-world-war/Article1-1113367.aspx
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Fugitive Brotherhood leader argues against "terrorism" charge
27 August 2013
In a video aired Monday night on Al-Jazeera satellite station, leading Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed El-Beltagy said Egyptian authorities have no shred of evidence the group engaged in any terrorist acts, as alleged by the Egyptian government.
El-Beltagy, himself facing charges but not yet arrested, urged detained members of the Brotherhood not to answer questions by investigators as authorities, he says, "lack legitimacy".
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/80020/Egypt/Politics-/Fugitive-Brotherhood-leader-argues-against-terrori.aspx
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Egypt hopes for a ‘no strike’ scenario against Syria, urges caution
27 August 2013
Concern is growing in Cairo over possible international military action in Syria as calls for a military response increase following an alleged chemical attack by government forces against the opposition.
"UN teams are still working to collect evidence on whether or not [the government of President Bashar Al-Assad] used chemical weapons against its own people, but already some very conclusive statements are being made. It is disturbing one must say," said a Cairo official who asked for anonymity.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/80013/World/Region/Egypt-hopes-for-a-%E2%80%98no-strike%E2%80%99-scenario-against-Syr.aspx
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Jordan says won't be 'launchpad' for any Syria strikes
27 August 2013
Jordan will not be a "launchpad" for military intervention in Syria, a senior government official said Tuesday, as Western and Muslim army chiefs wrapped up a meeting on the conflict.
"Jordan's position has not changed. Jordanian territories will not be used as launchpad for any military action against Damascus," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Amman has repeatedly called for political solution in Syria.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/80033/World/Region/Jordan-says-wont-be-launchpad-for-any-Syria-strike.aspx
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Deaths in police custody revive Egypt rights fears
27 August 2013
AFP, Cairo
Sherif Gamal Siyam spent his last minutes in an Egyptian police van, suffocating to death after tear gas was fired into the vehicle taking him to the Abu Zaabal jail.
He had been arrested four days earlier, on August 14, when security forces began clearing a protest camp against the ouster of Egypt’s elected president Mohammad Mursi.
The Islamist president, a Muslim Brotherhood member, was deposed by the army on July 3 after massive protests against his rule.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2013/08/27/DEATHS-IN-POLICE-CUSTODY-REVIVE-EGYPT-RIGHTS-FEARS-.html
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Kingdom tightens laws to prevent all forms of abuse
Aug 27 2013
JEDDAH/RIYADH – Citizens and expatriates welcomed the Council of Ministers’ approval of a law against various types of abuse, including those at workplaces, and penal action against offenders.
The Cabinet session chaired by Prince Muqrin Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier, Adviser and Special Envoy of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, on Monday passed the new law which guarantees protection from various kinds of abuses and provides assistance and treatment to victims of abuse.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130827178367
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Terrorist organizations use media to lure potential members
Aug 27 2013
Abed Altala from Tayibe is not the first Arab-Israeli who crossed over to Syria to fight alongside rebel ranks against Assad's regime. In fact, he is the fourth to have been arrested after returning to Israel recently. Testimonies suggest there is an unknown number of Arab-Israelis who have joined extremist Islamic organizations - a phenomenon that is causing concern in the Shin Bet.
Altala, 26, is on trial for joining terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra, affiliated with al-Qaeda . From his investigation, security sources suspect his is not a solitary incident.
Full report at:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4422349,00.html
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Saudi Govt stops hiring foreign lecturers on Islamic studies
27 August 2013
The Ministry of Higher Education has decided to stop recruitment of foreign lecturers in specializations such as the Arabic language and Shariah as part of its efforts to provide employment opportunities to local talent.
Higher Education officials have also reached an agreement with the Ministry of Labor to limit the number of visas it would apply for to hire teaching staff from abroad, a source said.
“The decision to stop recruiting foreigners for the two faculties is the first step toward minimizing foreign academics at university faculties,” the source said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/462657
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Syria accuses Kerry of lying, disregarding UN
AFP | Aug 27, 2013
DAMASCUS, Syria: Syria on Tuesday said US Secretary of State John Kerry was lying when he stated there was "undeniable" evidence of a large-scale chemical attack likely launched by Damascus, accusing him of disregarding the work of UN investigators.
On Monday, Kerry used tough language to refer to an alleged poison gas attack in Damascus last week, saying that an "international norm cannot be violated without consequences."
The remarks were the clearest justification yet for US military action in Syria, which, if President Barack Obama decides to order, most likely would involve sea-launched cruise missile attacks on Syrian military targets.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syria-accuses-Kerry-of-lying-disregarding-UN/articleshow/22094972.cms
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Mideast
Assad is not to blame for Syria chemical attacks, says Kurdish party leader
Mail and Gaurdian
Aug 27 2013
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad would not be "so stupid" as to use chemical weapons close to Damascus, says Saleh Muslim, the leader of the country's largest Kurdish group.
The head of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) says he doubts the Syrian president would resort to using such weapons when he felt he had the upper hand in the country's civil war.
He suggests that Wednesday's attack, which the opposition says was carried out by government forces and killed hundreds of people, was aimed at framing Assad and provoking an international reaction. Assad has denied his forces used chemical weapons.
Full report at:
http://mg.co.za/article/2013-08-26-kurdish-pyd-leader-assad-is-not-to-blame
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Palestinians call off peace talks with Israel after clash
Aug 27 2013
QALANDIA REFUGEE CAMP (West Bank): Palestinian negotiators called off a planned round of peace talks Monday after Israeli soldiers killed three protesters during clashes following an arrest raid in the West Bank, officials said.
The violence, the deadliest incident in the area in years, dealt a new blow to US-led peace efforts, which resumed late last month after a nearly five-year break. Palestinian officials have accused the Israelis of stonewalling and using the process as a cover to build new Jewish settlements.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Palestinians-call-off-peace-talks-with-Israel-after-clash/articleshow/22074303.cms
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Al-Qaeda in Yemen denies U.S. claims on attack plots
27 August 2013
AFP, Dubai
Al-Qaeda in Yemen has denied U.S. allegations it is plotting massive attacks that prompted the closure of Western missions in the country this month, in a statement posted online.
The extremist network also denied reports confirmed by Yemen’s President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi that U.S. intelligence services had intercepted a conversation between al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and Nasser al-Wuhayshi, head of the Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/27/Al-Qaeda-in-Yemen-denies-U-S-claims-on-attack-plots-.html
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Turkey seizes gas masks, weapons from North Korea destined for Syria: Report
Aug 27 2013
North Korea tried to export gas masks to Syria but they were seized in Turkey along with arms and ammunition, a Japanese daily said Tuesday, as the US threatened action over an alleged chemical weapons attack.
A Libyan-registered vessel, identified as Al En Ti Sar, left North Korea for Syria earlier this year with the consignment, the Sankei Shimbun said, quoting unnamed sources from the US military, Japanese and South Korean intelligence.
The US military, which obtained the information, was tracking the ship in coordination with other countries, the daily -- which is known for its North Korea coverage -- said in a detailed report.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-seizes-gas-masks-weapons-from-north-korea-destined-for-syria-report.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53298&NewsCatID=359
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Turkey hasn’t agreed yet on Mavi Marmara compensation with Israel
Aug 27 2013
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said Aug. 26 they haven’t agreed yet on the amount of compensation with Israel for victims of a deadly raid in 2010 on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
Israel formally apologized to Turkey in March over the killing of nine Turkish citizens on board the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara vessel. It also agreed to redress the damages and loss of life and promised to lift an embargo imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-hasnt-agreed-yet-on-mavi-marmara-compensation-with-israel.aspx?pageID=238&nID=53304&NewsCatID=338
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Holy Quran to be rendered into Oshiwambo by a Shi’a lecturer
26 Aug 2013
Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization has announced its readiness to released the translation of the holy Quran in Oshiwambo.
IBNA: According to the public relations office and information center of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO), the translation will be prepared by the ICRO in a bid to offer the teachings of the holy Quran in the countries where the language is spoken.
The translation is scheduled to be completed by Ali Logambo, Shi’a lecturer and religious evangelist in Namibia.
Oshiwambo is used specifically for the Kwanyama and Ndonga dialects. Over half of the people in Namibia speak Oshiwambo, particularly the Ovambo people.
http://www.ibna.ir/vdca6an6y49n0w1.tgk4.html
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African migrants forced to accept 'voluntary’ deportation despite UN policy
By Ilan Lior | Aug. 27, 2013
The Interior Ministry pressures African migrants in Israeli detention centers to agree to voluntary repatriation, in violation of UN policy, according to human rights organizations. Two lawyers for the Hotline for Migrant Workers yesterday sent a letter to the Justice Ministry documenting alleged abuses by Interior Ministry employees of the return policy.
In a letter to Deputy Attorney General Dina Silber, Asaf Weitzen and Nimrod Avigal claimed that jailed migrants are being told they will not be granted refugee status in Israel and will remain in custody unless they sign the forms agreeing to voluntary repatriation.
Full report at:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.543703
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India
In Krishna's land, Muslims help in Janmashtami preparations
PTI | Aug 27, 2013
MATHURA: Thousands of Muslim artisans in the region have been working round the clock to make countless bejewelled costumes and accessories for the idols of Krishna and other Hindu deities for the Janmashtami festival on Wednesday.
The VHP's controversial yatra from Ayodhya has not had any impact as the Muslims join Hindus in preparation for the celebration of Lord Krishna's birth.
"We are working beyond our scheduled time in order to prepare maximum 'poshak' (dresses) of Thakur ji (Lord Krishna)," said Ikram, one of the artisans.
Another worker Iqbal, who is known for his expertise in preparing crowns for the idols, says he feels ecstatic whenever he comes up with a new design.
Preparing attractive dresses and accessories for idols has taken shape of a cottage industry in Mathura, Vrindavan and Goverdhan which employs roughly six thousand Muslim families.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-Krishnas-land-Muslims-help-in-Janmashtami-preparations/articleshow/22095805.cms
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65 terror groups active in India: Govt
PTI | Aug 27, 2013
NEW DELHI: The government has identified 65 terror groups active in the country, out of which a maximum of 34 are in Manipur, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Minister of state for home RPN Singh said available intelligence inputs show that militants/terrorists active in India are often supported and funded by their parent outfits based abroad, particularly in Pakistan, in terms of shelter, training, weapons and finance.
"The existing statutory and legal structure provides adequate provisions to deal with funding of terrorism," he said in a written reply.
The list of terrorist groups active in various states shows Jammu and Kashmir has five such organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul-Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Harkat-e-Mujahidden and Al Badr.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/65-terror-groups-active-in-India-Govt/articleshow/22097789.cms
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Hurriyat leader calls for Singh-Sharif dialogue at UN meet
Aug 27 2013
Srinagar: Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq urged the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue and de-escalate growing tension between the two countries.
“Nobody will gain if the present situation along the LoC is allowed to worsen. It (ceasefire violations) threatens to cause a setback to your intended efforts to work with each other to put India and Pakistan on the path towards peace,” Mirwaiz wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mirwaiz-calls-for-singhsharif-dialogue-at-un-meet/1160436/
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Govt has pressed Pakistan for Dawood, Hafiz Saeed's extradition: Shinde
PTI | Aug 27, 2013
NEW DELHI: The 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case mastermind Dawood Ibrahim and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed are in Pakistan and government has pressed for their extradition to India, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said when he had met his Pakistani counterpart, he had demanded that Dawood Ibrahim and Saeed be handed over to India.
He had told the Pakistan interior minister that the two could be Karachi or elsewhere in that country.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-has-pressed-Pakistan-for-Dawood-Hafiz-Saeeds-extradition-Shinde/articleshow/22094794.cms
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Gwalior lab to test Syria chemical attack samples?
P Naveen, TNN | Aug 27, 2013
BHOPAL: The United Nations has asked three countries including India to test samples collected from the alleged chemical attack site in the Syrian capital, Damascus, which killed at least 1,300 people.
The samples would be tested at Gwalior's Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE) if the external affairs ministry gives its nod.
Questions remain whether a go ahead would be given. A ministry official said the testing may hurt diplomatic ties with Syria.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gwalior-lab-to-test-Syria-chemical-attack-samples/articleshow/22083492.cms
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Another LeT suspect arrested in Malda
PTI | Aug 26, 2013
RAIGANJ (West Bengal): A suspected linkman of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba was arrested from Malda district today and brought here in North Dinajpur district for interrogation, a top police official on Monday said.
Md Abu Bakkar (35), owner of a cyber cafe at Shamsi in Malda district's Chanchal police station area, was arrested on information passed by another LeT suspect Md Alauddin who was nabbed a few days back in North Dinajpur district, SP Akhilesh Chaturvedi said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Another-LeT-suspect-arrested-in-Malda/articleshow/22074437.cms
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Supreme Court raps J&K for ‘discriminatory’ compensation scheme for victims of riots
Utkarsh Anand
Aug 26 2013
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Jammu and Kashmir government for adopting a “discriminatory” policy while deciding compensation for “state subjects” and “non-state subjects” who are victims of riots or other incidents.
“It is the same calamity, affecting all of them equally. You want to give more to certain persons and less to others, is that justified? You are not helping the nation,” observed a bench led by Chief Justice P Sathasivam.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/supreme-court-raps-j-k-for--discriminatory--compensation-scheme-for-victims-of-riots/1160390/
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Pak continues to target Indian posts along LoC
M Saleem Pandit, TNN | Aug 27, 2013
SRINAGAR: The Pakistani army continued to target Indian forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch on Monday.
Defence spokesman Col R K Palta said mortars and automatic weapons were used to attack the posts in Poonch's Garhi sub-sector.
"Indian troops retaliated strongly, triggering exchanges which ended around 5am. There were no reports of loss of life or injury to anyone."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-continues-to-target-Indian-posts-along-LoC/articleshow/22083609.cms
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Southeast Asia
Guarantee East Java Shia Will Be Safe: Amnesty
Aug 27 2013
Displaced Shia residents from the trouble-plagued East Java island of Madura must be allowed to return home safely, voluntarily and with dignity, Amnesty International demanded on Monday.
The activist group called on authorities to meaningfully remedy the violations of the community’s human rights, including through compensation for harm, rehabilitation and guarantees the offenses will not be repeated.
The community was forcibly displaced in August last year after an anti-Shia mob attacked its village in Sampang on Madura. Since then, it has been forced to live in two temporary shelters, including one in Sidoarjo, without adequate access to water, housing, sanitary and health services.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/guarantee-shia-will-be-safe-amnesty/
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Indonesia Condemns Syria Chemical Weapons Attack
Aug 27 2013
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister on Tuesday condemned Syria’s suspected use of chemical weapons on its citizens and called for action to be taken to quell violence in the war-torn nation.
“The international community must not let the situation get worse in Syria. If [Syria’s regime] has actually used chemical weapons, it marks the lowest point in the conflict,” Marty Natalegawa said in a press statement.
Marty said that Indonesia considers the use of chemical weapons a crime against humanity.
“We must support the United Nation’s investigation over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria,” Marty said. “The international community must make sure that perpetrators of such inhumane acts are punished accordingly.”
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-condemns-syria-chemical-weapons-attack/
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Harassed out of school - more non-Muslim students leaving Seri Pristana
Aug 27 2013
At least three non-Muslim pupils have left SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh and 10 others are to follow - the result of alleged intimidation following the shower room incident.
The three who left earlier claimed they were intimidated and bullied by school authorities after the issue of non-Muslim pupils being ordered to have their recess in the school's shower room surfaced.
At a Press conference today, it was revealed that the parents of 10 other non-Muslim pupils will be transfering their children out of the school following the arrest of a parent for allegedly intimidating the headmaster.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/harrassed-out-of-school-more-non-muslim-students-leaving-sk-seri-pristana
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Sarawak CM’s son had child with Aussie mistress, says ex-wife in Syariah court
Aug 27 2013
The Syariah High Court today heard of the Sarawak chief minister's son's philandering ways when he was still married to his wife of almost two decades, Shahnaz A. Majid (pic).
Shahnaz, 50, said Datuk Seri Mahmud Abu Bekir Abdul Taib had brought an Australian and a Russian woman to family gatherings while they were still married.
She said she was informed about his relationship with the Australian woman, with whom he had a son, named Adam.
"He took her to his younger brother's wedding in 2000 or 2001 in Kuching," she said when questioned by her counsel Akbardin Abdul Kader today.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sarawak-cms-son-had-child-with-aussie-mistress-says-ex-wife-in-syariah-cour
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'Handle religious issues with care' All Perak state assemblymen urged
BY IVAN LOH
Aug 27 2013
IPOH: All Perak state assemblymen have been urged to avoid sensationalising any religious issue.
Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah said he hoped that the assemblymen, regardless of their political affiliations, would be exemplary when handling such sensitive issues.
“Religion is one subject that is close to the heart. It has close emotional connection to the devout,” he said.
“In a country where its people comprise various faith, it is important to be thoughtful and careful when making statements or giving a response towards matters related to religion,” he said, adding that arguments should not be polemic and open statements should not be provocative.
Full report at:
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/27/Handle-religious-issues-with-care-Avoid-sensationalising-such-matters-Raja-Nazrin-tells-reps-By-I.aspx
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Africa
Kenya: Radical Muslim cleric death still a mystery
August 26, 2013
By Tom Odula
NAIROBI, Kenya: A Kenyan government task force has failed to establish who killed a Muslim cleric whose assassination one year ago sparked days of deadly violence, according to a report released Monday.
Aboud Rogo Mohammed, who had been sanctioned by the U.N. and U.S. for supporting the al-Qaida-linked Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, was shot dead last August as he drove his wife to a hospital in the coastal city of Mombasa.
Mohammed's death sparked riots in Mombasa, Kenya's second city, killing four people, including three security officers.
The government panel recommended in its report that a public inquest be opened and called for further investigation. Mohammed's wife, Hania Said Saggar, has blamed Kenyan police for her husband's death. Police deny any involvement but insist Mohammed belonged to a terror cell that planned to bomb Kenyan targets in late 2011.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Aug-26/228754-kenya-radical-muslim-cleric-death-still-a-mystery.ashx#ixzz2dBUBuVsT
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Nigeria: Gunmen Kill 32 in Benue, Borno Communities
BY PETER DURU AND NDAHI MARAMA, 27 AUGUST 2013
No fewer than 32 persons were killed by gunmen in separate incidents in Benue and Borno communities last Sunday. The bloody attack in Benue State occurred in Agbena and Agbaaga villages in Ukum Local Government area of the state, which left about 18 persons dead.
The Borno State incident claimed 14 lives with nine others sustaining various degrees of injury when suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Bama community in Bama Local Government Area of the state, Sunday morning.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201308270398.html?viewall=1
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Nigeria: 11 Feared Killed in Fresh Communal Clash in Benue
27 AUGUST 2013
The Benue State Police Command has confirmed an outbreak of hostilities in some villages in Ukum and Katsina Ala local government areas in Benue.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adams Audu, confirmed the development on Monday in Makurdi at a news conference.
He said that the police were still investing the cause of the hostilities, assuring that the investigations would be made public.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201308270958.html?aa_source=slideout
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Tunisia blames ‘terrorist’ Ansar al-Sharia for killings
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Reuters, Tunis
Tunisia has declared Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist organization after obtaining proof it killed two secular politicians and several soldiers, Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Tuesday.
Ansar al-Sharia is the most radical Islamist group to emerge in Tunisia since secular autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in 2011.
Its attacks have posed a challenge to the authority of the moderate Islamist-led government.
“We have discovered proof that the Ansar group is responsible for the assassinations of Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi and the attacks at Mount Chaambi,” Larayedh told reporters.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/27/PM-Salafists-behind-killing-of-Tunisia-politicians.html
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Tanzania: Police Clears Air On Suspected Bomb Found At Dar es Salaam Church
BY JIMMY LWANGILI, 27 AUGUST 2013
POLICE in Dar es Salaam have clarified that an object found hanging from a transformer near the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, KKKT, church in Kijitonyama, Dar es Salaam, was not a bomb but a device used for meteorological activities.
Dar es Salaam Special Zone Commissioner of Police (CP) Suleiman Kova told reporters that the device was shaped like a box and contained small batteries and wires.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201308270349.html
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Somalia: A Shabab Accused of Killing Civilians in Mustahil, Hiran Region
27 AUGUST 2013
Mustahil — Al Shabab fighters launched attacks on Mustahil town in Hiran region yesterday which resulted in heavy casualties including the death of civilians. Ahmed Abdalla Osman Inji who is among the politicians residing From Hiran region said that Alshabab fighters massacred civilians in the town. The politician added that no troops were present in the town when the fighters attacked the civilians who mainly pastoralists and farmers. The politician's word comes a day after Al Shabab claimed the killing of Ethiopian government officials in the town.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201308270925.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-missionaries-make-kyrgyz-inroads/d/13225