Muslims Bow before Motherland 96 Times in a Day: Noted Indian Islamic Scholar
New Age Islam News Bureau
6 Apr 2016
Photo: Haji Hayat Khan, a tribal elder who is now the coordinator for several militias in eastern Nangarhar province, fires a heavy machine gun toward Islamic State positions in Kot district.
• Islamic State Threatens Attacks on London, Berlin and Rome in New Video
• Afghan Spy Agency Enlists Villagers to Hold Off Islamic State
• Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar Conducted Recruitment Drive in UK: Report
India
• Muslims Bow before Motherland 96 Times in a Day: Noted Indian Islamic Scholar
• Indian Banks Have Capacity to Launch South Asian Shariah Fund
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Europe
• Islamic State Threatens Attacks on London, Berlin and Rome in New Video
• Amnesty Highlights 'Disturbing Rise' In Global Executions
• Rise of EUROPEAN Jihadis: EU admits ISIS is exploiting refugee crisis to infiltrate Europe
• Swiss anger at Muslim handshake exemption in Therwil School
• Albanian prosecutors urge heavy jail time for 9 Muslims
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South Asia
• Afghan Spy Agency Enlists Villagers to Hold Off Islamic State
• 30 Killed As Afghan Air Force Pound Militants in Uruzgan Province
• Civilians Suffer Casualties as Militants Attack Vehicle in Ghazni
• Afghan forces instructed to consolidate operations to fight growing instability
• NDS confirm suicide bomber shot dead near Kandahar police headquarter
• No casualties reported as suicide blast rocks Kandahar city
• Afghan immigrant actors to get $3 million for US Marine training program
• 2 women, 2 men mysteriously killed in west of Kabul city
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Pakistan
• Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar Conducted Recruitment Drive in UK: Report
• Pakistan Ranks Third In Executions Race with Unprecedented Number of Hangings In 2015
• At UN, Pakistan Slams ‘Nuclear Doublespeak’
• Afghan agent arrested from Balochistan: FC official
• Opposition critical of ‘one-member commission’ to probe Sharif family
• Gulshan-i-Iqbal blast Forensic report hints at Khorasani group’s involvement
• Over 70 ‘illegal immigrants’ arrested at Gwadar
• Two killed in train bomb attack
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Southeast Asia
• Ban On Outdoor Music Concerts In West Aceh Due To Sharia Law
• Maybank Islamic optimistic of more revenue from Singapore
• Islamophobic Myanmar minister criticized over his anti-Muslim remarks
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Mideast
• Turkey to Work On Rule to Strip Terrorism Supporters of Citizenship, Says Minister
• Investigation Launched Into Massive Leak of Turkish Citizens’ Personal Data
• Turkish academics, lawyer awarded for successful ECHR appeal on YouTube ban
• Solving ‘little’ Cyprus’ problem will contribute to regional peace, says Turkish Cypriot leader
• Energy firms eyeing consortium to carry Israeli gas through Turkey
• Israel-Turkey to meet soon to mend ties
• Trade among countries brings peace, says İTO head
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Arab World
• Yemeni Rocket Kills 70 Saudi Mercenaries in Jawf
• After Reverses, ISIL Attacks Syrian Forces Near Damascus
• Islamic Body Stresses Need To Bolster Muslim Economy
• Al-Eis Recapture Paves Way for Syrian Army Move to Idlib Province
• Bahraini Forces Attack Protesters after Teenager's Funeral
• Egypt not sending imams to 'take control' - NZ Muslim leaders
• Iran Censures Support for Israeli N-Program
• ISIL Commander Warns Members against Defeat in Raqqa
• Churkin Blames Western States for Blocking Russia’s Proposal on Syria Talks
• Syrian rebels advance against Islamic State near Turkish border
• Iran's N. Chief Warns against Violation of July Deal
• Iran, Spain Discuss N. Cooperation
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North America
• Senator Blasts Administration's Fight against Islamic State
• Lawmakers: U.S. Should Take the Lead in Fighting Terrorism in Europe
• U.S. firm to de-mine Iraqi city of Ramadi retaken from Islamic State
• Meeting with generals, Obama cites progress against Islamic State
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Africa
• What Africa Tells Us About The Fight Against Jihadist Terrorism?
• Africa’s Authoritarians: Old Men Play Dominoes with Democracy
• Libya's Tripoli government to step down
• Muslim Teacher Who Died Protecting Christians Honoured For Bravery
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Muslims Bow before Motherland 96 Times in a Day: Noted Indian Islamic Scholar
Apr 06, 2016
“Muslims bow before their motherland 96 times while offering namaz five times in a day. But how many times people raising the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan bow before their motherland?”
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangimahli, Imam-e-Eidgah and noted Islamic scholar posed this question for saffron outfits (without naming them) amid the raging Bharat Mata slogan controversy.
“Muslims bow before their motherland (India) 96 times in 24 hours while offering namaz five times a day. How many times these people (pressing Muslims to raise Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogan) bow before their motherland,” asked Khalid Rasheed, while talking to HT on Tuesday.
He said: “Muslims do not need to prove to anyone their love for the country. We have been raising the slogans ‘Hindustan Zindabad’, ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Madre Watan’. All have the same meaning as ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”
“We will not say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ under anyone’s pressure,” he added.
Coming down heavily on the recent fatwa issued by Darul Uloom, directing Muslims not to raise ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan, Khalid Rasheed said: “Institutions of religious importance like Darul Uloom should not issue fatwa on sensitive issues like the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”
“Fatwas issued by the Darul Uloom are taken seriously by the community (Muslims). So, the institution must not issue such Fatwas,” he said.
Stressing on the negative impact of such Fatwas, the Islamic scholar said: “Such Fatwas further alienate the Muslim community from the mainstream of the society. Therefore, Darul Uloom should not have issued fatwa on this issue (Bharat Mata Ki Jai).”
Khalid Rasheed also asserted that there was no need for Darul Uloom to issue fatwa on each and every issue which comes before it.
“There is absolutely no need to issue fatwa on every issue. The Darul Uloom must ignore controversial issues,” he said.
The issue of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ made headlines after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi courted controversy at a public meeting at Udgir tehsil in Latur district (Maharashtra) on March 13.
He declared that he would not chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan even if a knife was put to his neck. Owaisi’s statement was a riposte to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement advocating that younger generation must be taught to chant slogans in favour of the country.
However, the RSS chief had recently stated that no one should be forced to chant the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan.
hindustantimes.com/india/muslims-bow-before-motherland-96-times-in-a-day-farangimahli/story-CoSjky46D3GmZM31MqDpBP.html
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Islamic State threatens attacks on London, Berlin and Rome in new video
05/04/2016
The Islamic State militant group released a video on Tuesday suggesting it may carry out further attacks in the West, naming London, Berlin and Rome as possible targets.
"If it was Paris yesterday, and today Brussels, Allah knows where it will be tomorrow. Maybe it will be in London or Berlin or Rome," said a member of the group in English on the video which showed footage of the aftermath of previous attacks.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for bombings that killed 31 people in Brussels in March and attacks in Paris last November that killed 130.
The video showed images of the House of Commons in London and Rome's Colosseum.
independent.ie/world-news/europe/islamic-state-threatens-attacks-on-london-berlin-and-rome-in-new-video-34600622.html
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Afghan Spy Agency Enlists Villagers to Hold Off Islamic State
April 5, 2016
KOT, Afghanistan—An Afghan spy agency is recruiting villagers for militias to hold back Islamic State fighters seeking to expand their foothold in this opium heartland in eastern Afghanistan.
The program, which one top official says the government hopes to roll out across the country and may later use against the Taliban, is President Ashraf Ghani ’s riskiest attempt to defend rural villages—and a part of his much larger counterinsurgency strategy.
The government has closely guarded the program, and news of it hasn’t been reported since its establishment in August 2015. Details of the program came from Afghan government officials, local village leaders and Western officials who have been monitoring its progress.
The militia groups that are part of the pilot project, known as the People’s Uprising Program, are being called on to hold territory the army has recaptured from Islamic State in three districts.
More than a thousand men, mostly village farmers who turned against the extremist group’s harsh rule in areas it seized in the past year, are on the payroll of the spy agency, the National Directorate of Security, which receives funding from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. So far, the militias in Kot, with the backing of the army and police, have repelled six Islamic State attacks.
“We use these uprising people to protect their villages, and their outposts are installed once the areas are cleared by our forces,” said an Afghan security official working with militias enrolled in the program. “The real fighting is done by army and police.”
The formation of an anti-Islamic State militia program underscores the limits of Afghanistan’s capabilities to prevent extremist groups from expanding. U.S. and coalition officials say the drawdown of foreign troops and intelligence assets—and Afghan security forces’ inability to maintain control over its territory—are major reasons the country is once again at risk from international terrorists.
A budgetary squeeze that has curbed training national military forces is leading Mr. Ghani to back the program despite the poor record of previous militia groups that failed to pacify restive areas and, in fact, inflamed tribal rivalries.
The idea for the latest militia program arose after the villagers revolted against Islamic State’s harsh rule. Residents initially saw them as the latest armed force to fight over their land, and they were hoping to be left alone.
But the extremist group, which has expanded its presence in other war-torn countries, began preaching about a global caliphate, hunted down men with ties to the government and staged public executions.
“When they started beheading people, they lost their popular support,” said Haji Hayat Khan, a tribal elder from Kot who has become the coordinator for several militias in the province. “Their savagery provoked us to stand up against them.”
The village militias are active in Kot, Achin and Nazian districts in the province of Nangarhar, and are already being considered for 140 districts in 32 provinces, said Abdul Qayum Rahimi, the director of the People’s Uprising Program at the Independent Directorate of Local Governance, a ministerial-level body that oversees provincial governments.
“People want to free themselves,” said Mr. Rahimi, an appointee of President Ghani. “The government is helping them.”
The NDS spy agency was brought in to help recruit and pay new militia members—who must be between 18 and 50 and own a Kalashnikov—and to build outposts. The army and police equip the units with ammunition and heavy weapons, like machines guns and rockets to defend their positions and hold on to territory, according to officials familiar with the program. They also carry walkie-talkies to call for help from local police and army units in case of an attack.
The CIA pays most of the Afghan intelligence agency’s bills, according to Afghan security officials who work in intelligence and are familiar with its operations. But the NDS has discretion over how the funds are spent.
Young girls in a village on the front line with Islamic State fighters in Kot district, in the eastern province of Nangarhar. A militia of Kot residents have held the village since Afghan government forces recently drove them out. Islamic State fighters remain in villages less than a mile away, from where they continue to mount attacks in attempts to retake the areas formerly under their control.
Mr. Rahimi and other Afghan officials declined to discuss any CIA role in the anti-Islamic State militia program. Mr. Rahimi said the program was looking for additional funding from foreign donors.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul declined to comment on the militia program and whether the CIA was partly funding it. The CIA declined to comment.
“If we look at the challenges [Afghan security forces] are facing today, being stretched and being too thinly distributed is something they need an answer to,” said Franz-Michael Mellbin, the European Union’s envoy to Afghanistan. The People’s Uprising Program, he adds, “is partly their answer.”
The People’s Uprising Program mirrors a previous nationwide effort to arm village groups. Community-based units, known as the Afghan Local Police, were formed to keep insurgents at bay. But human-rights groups and analysts over the years have criticized them for abuses, including extrajudicial killings, kidnappings and extortion.
Under the PUP, the spy agency is involved for the first time. Officials say the village militias will ultimately be either integrated into the Afghan Local Police or disbanded.
Mr. Rahimi, the program’s director, acknowledges that arming untrained villagers is a delicate task: “If we do not manage this properly, it will be a mess. People with guns can do anything.”
Islamic State emerged in Afghanistan as foreign troops were winding down combat operations in 2014 and took control of six or seven districts in the country’s east. The group faced little opposition until the U.S. this year launched a campaign of airstrikes that accompanied Afghan ground operations to push the group out of its stronghold in Achin and Kot districts toward the mountainous border with Pakistan.
Islamic State controlled Kot through most of 2015, forcing villagers to obey strict edicts that required men to wear long beards and banned women from leaving the home without a male chaperone.
The increasingly harsh rule prompted many to flee, including tribal elder Mr. Khan and others who turned to the government for help.
“They claimed to be establishing a caliphate all over the world,” said Mr. Khan. “They were using savagery to intimidate people to pledge allegiance to their group.”
On the outskirts of villages near the front line, militia members scan for signs of enemy activity with AK-47s slung over their shoulders and pistols in their pockets. Older men with grizzled beards and limbs missing from past conflicts stand guard along muddy tracks in the lush valley, clutching World War II-era rifles.
“We patrol these villages on foot. We have the support of local population,” said Shakir, one of the militia’s commanders. “Whenever they observe Daesh activities they tip us and we go after them,” he said, using an Arabic name for Islamic State.
The extremist group isn’t the only group vying for control of the lucrative opium fields in Kot and surrounding districts. The Taliban are fighting to regain their former territory from both Islamic State and the government. Another anti-Islamic State militia group is also operating in Kot—under the control of a prominent Afghan politician.
His men recently came under fire from the government for leaving the decapitated heads of Islamic State fighters by the side of the road as a warning.
Local officials say the government’s focus, for now, is on Islamic State and that worrying about local strongmen could worsen the conflict.
“The government is already dealing with a lot of issues and doesn’t want to create more problems,” said Attaullah Khogyanai, a spokesman for Nangarhar province. “This is a time-consuming process. We will deal with them when the time comes.”
wsj.com/articles/afghan-spy-agency-arms-villagers-to-hold-off-islamic-state-1459848602
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Jaish-E-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar Conducted Recruitment Drive in UK: Report
Apr 5, 2016
LONDON: Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar was allowed to preach extremist ideology at several British mosques during a month-long visit to UK in 1993 on the invitation of Islamist scholars when young Muslims were asked to seek weapons training at terrorist camps in Pakistan, it emerged on Tuesday.
Senior representatives of the Deobandi sect, which controls nearly half of Britain's 1,600 mosques, hosted Azhar during the visit in which hundreds of young Muslims were urged to seek weapons training at terrorist camps in Pakistan, according to a BBC investigation.
Azhar was chief organiser of the Pakistani jihadist group Harkat-ul Mujahideen in early 1990s.
According to the report, during his UK tour - until now kept under wraps - Azhar delivered "sermons on jihad" to large audiences in London, Birmingham, Yorkshire and Lancashire and the message was of hatred for Christians, Jews and Hindus.
Witnesses said that large sums of money were donated after each talk.
Azhar, then 25, was the product of a radical Karachi seminary and shortly before his arrival in Britain in August 1993, he had helped supply Osama bin Laden, then based in Sudan, with 400 jihadist fighters to wage attacks in Somalia.
The investigation, shared with 'The Times', has uncovered the details of his tour in an archive of militant group magazines published in Urdu.
The contents provide an astounding insight into the way in which hardcore jihadist ideology was promoted in some mainstream UK mosques in the early 1990s - and involved some of Britain's most senior Islamic scholars.
Azhar's tour lasted a month and consisted of over 40 speeches.
Azhar, captured in India shortly after his British trip, was released from prison in 1999 in exchange for 155 passengers of a hijacked plane in Kandahar. After his release, he formed the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group which is blamed for several attacks in India.
Masood Azhar is currently in "protective custody" in Pakistan after the Pathankot terror attack, which claimed the lives of seven Indian soldiers in January this year.
The Deobandis trace their roots back to a Sunni Islamic seminary founded in Deoband in 19th century India.
The original seminary in India has issued a fatwa against terrorism but some Deobandi madrasas in Pakistan reportedly propagate extremist jihadist ideology.
The investigation will be broadcast as a two-part documentary titled 'The Deobandis' by BBC Radio on April 5 and April 12.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Jaish-e-Mohammed-chief-Masood-Azhar-conducted-recruitment-drive-in-UK-Report/articleshow/51701480.cms
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India
Muslims Bow before Motherland 96 Times in a Day: Noted Indian Islamic Scholar
Apr 06, 2016
“Muslims bow before their motherland 96 times while offering namaz five times in a day. But how many times people raising the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan bow before their motherland?”
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangimahli, Imam-e-Eidgah and noted Islamic scholar posed this question for saffron outfits (without naming them) amid the raging Bharat Mata slogan controversy.
“Muslims bow before their motherland (India) 96 times in 24 hours while offering namaz five times a day. How many times these people (pressing Muslims to raise Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogan) bow before their motherland,” asked Khalid Rasheed, while talking to HT on Tuesday.
He said: “Muslims do not need to prove to anyone their love for the country. We have been raising the slogans ‘Hindustan Zindabad’, ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Madre Watan’. All have the same meaning as ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”
“We will not say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ under anyone’s pressure,” he added.
Coming down heavily on the recent fatwa issued by Darul Uloom, directing Muslims not to raise ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan, Khalid Rasheed said: “Institutions of religious importance like Darul Uloom should not issue fatwa on sensitive issues like the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”
“Fatwas issued by the Darul Uloom are taken seriously by the community (Muslims). So, the institution must not issue such Fatwas,” he said.
Stressing on the negative impact of such Fatwas, the Islamic scholar said: “Such Fatwas further alienate the Muslim community from the mainstream of the society. Therefore, Darul Uloom should not have issued fatwa on this issue (Bharat Mata Ki Jai).”
Khalid Rasheed also asserted that there was no need for Darul Uloom to issue fatwa on each and every issue which comes before it.
“There is absolutely no need to issue fatwa on every issue. The Darul Uloom must ignore controversial issues,” he said.
The issue of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ made headlines after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi courted controversy at a public meeting at Udgir tehsil in Latur district (Maharashtra) on March 13.
He declared that he would not chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan even if a knife was put to his neck. Owaisi’s statement was a riposte to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement advocating that younger generation must be taught to chant slogans in favour of the country.
However, the RSS chief had recently stated that no one should be forced to chant the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan.
hindustantimes.com/india/muslims-bow-before-motherland-96-times-in-a-day-farangimahli/story-CoSjky46D3GmZM31MqDpBP.html
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Indian banks have capacity to launch South Asian Shariah Fund
Apr 06, 2016
The leading Indian banks have the capacity to launch a South Asian Shariah Fund to capitalize the region's untapped market for Islamic finance which requires multi-billion dollars of financing annually. "The whole South Asian market is really untapped for the Islamic finance. In these markets, Indian stocks would be the top fifty (for investments)," said Ariff Sultan, regional director for Asia Pacific at the US-based global Shariah compliance product screening group, IdealRatings. Indian banks are in a position to lead the Shariah fund for the region, given their global network which includes facilitating Islamic banking and financing in one way or another, observed Sultan after addressing the Islamic Banking & Investment Asia/Middle East Congress 2016 being held in Singapore 5-6 April. Sultan noted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wide range of business and investment discussions during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has announced USD2 trillion Public Investment Fund, which adds to similarly huge funds available in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Dubai among other global investors that are seeking business opportunities in India, he pointed out. Sultan said IdealRatings has been approached by a number of Islamic Banking-linked investors to screen opportunities for placing their funds in the Indian market. But there are regulatory restrictions. He hoped that Prime Minister Modi would consider amending these restrictions and allow Islamic funds into India, which along with China, leads as growth engines for Asian economies. "The Islamic funds are going into China via Hong Kong but are not able to reach India," said Sultan of the estimated USD2 trillion investment funds under the Islamic Banking network now seeking cross-border investment opportunities both in muslim and non-muslim markets. Islamic banking system is just another model of interest free but fee-based funding that are going global, said Sultan, a Singaporean of Indian origin and a 25-year veteran of the financial institutions. "With pro-growth, pro-poor, and financial stability characteristics, an internationalisation of Islamic finance may unleash true economic growth potential in jurisdictions where it is either established or finding its way," said Ijlal Alvi, chief executive of the International Islamic Financial Market. Riding on the global success of sukuk, issuance of which has reached USD767 billion end of last year, Islamic Banks are working on new products including Shariah compliant FX forward, Islamic cross currency swap, market risk participation agreement in addressing market needs and risk management tools, he said.
moneycontrol.com/news/business/indian-banks-have-capacity-to-launch-south-asian-shariah-fund_6154941.html
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Europe
Islamic State threatens attacks on London, Berlin and Rome in new video
05/04/2016
The Islamic State militant group released a video on Tuesday suggesting it may carry out further attacks in the West, naming London, Berlin and Rome as possible targets.
"If it was Paris yesterday, and today Brussels, Allah knows where it will be tomorrow. Maybe it will be in London or Berlin or Rome," said a member of the group in English on the video which showed footage of the aftermath of previous attacks.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for bombings that killed 31 people in Brussels in March and attacks in Paris last November that killed 130.
The video showed images of the House of Commons in London and Rome's Colosseum.
independent.ie/world-news/europe/islamic-state-threatens-attacks-on-london-berlin-and-rome-in-new-video-34600622.html
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Amnesty highlights 'disturbing rise' in global executions
06/04/2016
A surge in the number of executions recorded worldwide saw more people put to death last year than at any point since 1989, Amnesty International says.
At least 1,634 people were executed in 2015, a rise of more than 50% on the previous year, the group found in its review of the use of the death penalty.
Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were responsible for 89% of the executions.
The total does not include China, where Amnesty said thousands more were likely killed but records were kept secret.
On the other hand, the group also noted that for the first time ever a majority of the world's countries had fully abolished the death penalty.
Fiji, Madagascar, Congo-Brazzaville and Suriname changed their laws in 2015, while Mongolia also passed a new criminal code that will take effect later this year.
Executions worldwide (1985-2015)
Amnesty said China remained the world's top executioner. It estimated that thousands of people had been put to death and thousands of others sentenced to death in 2015.
It added that there were signs that the number of executions in China had decreased in recent years but the secrecy around the death penalty made that impossible to confirm for certain.
Full article at: bbc.com/news/world-35971623
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Rise of EUROPEAN jihadis: EU admits ISIS is exploiting refugee crisis to infiltrate Europe
Apr 6, 2016
Officials at Frontex admitted a string of security blunders which have led to a large number of people arriving in Greece and Italy with false documents not facing thorough checks or penalties.
It said the Paris attacks last November demonstrate how the chaos caused by the ongoing migrant crisis could be used by terrorists to reach the EU, with the aim of slaughtering innocent civilians.
Brexit campaigners tonight said the startling admission proves that Britain's security is being directly compromised by our links with Brussels.
Britons will vote on whether to maintain our relationship with Brussels in a landmark referendum on June 23.
Full article at: express.co.uk/news/world/658508/EU-migrant-crisis-Islamic-State-ISIS-refugees-Syria-Greece-Italy-terror-Paris-attacks
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Swiss anger at Muslim handshake exemption in Therwil school
Apr 5, 2016
A Swiss secondary school has caused uproar by allowing two Muslim boys not to shake hands with women teachers - a common greeting in Swiss schools.
The boys had told the school in the small, northern town of Therwil it was against their faith to touch a woman outside their family.
Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said shaking hands was part of Swiss culture and daily life.
A local teachers' union said the exemption discriminated against women.
The case has propelled Therwil, a town of 10,000 people in the Basel-Country canton, to the centre of a national debate about Swiss identity. A similar case has been reported elsewhere in the region.
Full article at: bbc.com/news/world-europe-35967349
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Albanian prosecutors urge heavy jail time for 9 Muslims
Apr 5, 2016
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian prosecutors have asked for 15-to-20 years of jail time each for nine Muslims, including two preachers, accused of recruiting and sending more than 70 men to join rebel groups in Syria.
The nine Muslims, who were arrested two years ago, are accused of recruiting, training and inciting hatred mainly in the capital, Tirana, from two mosques that were not recognized by the country's Muslim community.
About two-thirds of Albania's 3.2 million inhabitants are Muslims. Mainstream religious leaders have asked their believers not to join rebel groups in Syria. Still, scores of Albanians are believed to have joined Islamic extremist groups in Syria and Iraq.
The court's verdict is expected within a month.
pantagraph.com/news/world/europe/albanian-prosecutors-urge-heavy-jail-time-for-muslims/article_e0210bb4-5abb-5062-9c1c-7422ec72ab49.html
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SouthAsia
Afghan Spy Agency Enlists Villagers to Hold Off Islamic State
April 5, 2016
KOT, Afghanistan—An Afghan spy agency is recruiting villagers for militias to hold back Islamic State fighters seeking to expand their foothold in this opium heartland in eastern Afghanistan.
The program, which one top official says the government hopes to roll out across the country and may later use against the Taliban, is President Ashraf Ghani ’s riskiest attempt to defend rural villages—and a part of his much larger counterinsurgency strategy.
The government has closely guarded the program, and news of it hasn’t been reported since its establishment in August 2015. Details of the program came from Afghan government officials, local village leaders and Western officials who have been monitoring its progress.
The militia groups that are part of the pilot project, known as the People’s Uprising Program, are being called on to hold territory the army has recaptured from Islamic State in three districts.
More than a thousand men, mostly village farmers who turned against the extremist group’s harsh rule in areas it seized in the past year, are on the payroll of the spy agency, the National Directorate of Security, which receives funding from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. So far, the militias in Kot, with the backing of the army and police, have repelled six Islamic State attacks.
Full article at: wsj.com/articles/afghan-spy-agency-arms-villagers-to-hold-off-islamic-state-1459848602
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30 killed as Afghan Air Force pound militants in Uruzgan province
Wed Apr 06 2016
Afghan Air Force operations 2016At least 30 militants were killed in two separate operations conducted by the Afghan National Security Forces pounded militants in southern Uruzgan province in coordination with the Afghan Air Force.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the militants were targeted in Dehrawood district of Uruzgan by the Afghan security force.
According to an operational update by Ministry of Defense (MoD), at least 17 militants were also wounded during the raids.
Full article at: khaama.com/30-killed-as-afghan-air-force-pound-militants-in-uruzgan-province-0569
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Civilians suffer casualties as militants attack vehicle in Ghazni
Wed Apr 06 2016
civilians shot in GhazniA civilian was reportedly killed and nine others were wounded after gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the restive southeastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan.
According to the local government officials, the incident took place earlier today in Andar district after unknown gunmen targeted the vehicle.
Provincial police spokesman Ahamd Fahim Amiri confirmed that the incident took place in Kote Sangi area of Andar district.
Full article at: khaama.com/civilians-suffer-casualties-as-militants-attack-vehicle-in-ghazni-0568
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Afghan forces instructed to consolidate operations to fight growing instability
Wed Apr 06 2016
Afghan army operationsThe Afghan security institutions have been instructed to consolidate and create further coordination to fight the growing instability in the country.
The instruction was issued during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting chaired by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
According to the Presidential Palace media office, the NSC meeting reviewed the reports about the security situation of Helmand, Urugan, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Faryab, Sar-e-Pul and Baghlan provinces.
Full article at: khaama.com/afghan-forces-instructed-to-consolidate-operations-to-fight-growing-instability-0567
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NDS confirm suicide bomber shot dead near Kandahar police headquarter
Wed Apr 06 2016
suicide bomber shot dead_censoredThe Afghan intelligence has confirmed a suicide bomber was shot dead near the police headquarter in Kandahar city this morning.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the suicide bomber was identified and killed before he manage the carry out the attack in the 5th police district of the city.
According to a statement by NDS, the bomber was equipped with suicide attack vest and was shot dead by the intelligence operatives around 11:00 am local time.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
Full article at: khaama.com/nds-confirm-suicide-bomber-shot-dead-near-kandahar-police-headquarter-0566
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No casualties reported as suicide blast rocks Kandahar city
Wed Apr 06 2016
suicide blast in Kandahar cityA relatively heavy explosion rocked Kandahar city earlier today with the preliminary reports suggesting only the suicide bomber was killed in the incident.
The bomber detonated his explosives before reaching to his potential target which remains unascertained, leaving only himself dead.
The Afghan Intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) confirmed that a suicide bomber was shot dead by the Afghan intelligence operatives in the 5th police district of Kandahar city.
Full article at: khaama.com/no-casualties-reported-as-suicide-blast-rocks-kandahar-city-0564
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Afghan immigrant actors to get $3 million for US Marine training program
Wed Apr 06 2016
Afghan immigrant actorsA US defense contractor has reached to an agreement with the Afghan and Iraqi immigrants for a $3 million settlement over claims for a training program for US Marine Corps.
The immigrants had claimed they were owed overtime pay after they spent years in the California desert posing as combat bystanders for US Marine Corps training exercises, it has been reported.
Full article at: khaama.com/afghan-immigrant-actors-to-get-3-million-for-us-marine-training-program-0563
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2 women, 2 men mysteriously killed in west of Kabul city
Tue Apr 05 2016
The dead bodies of two women and two men have been recovered from the west of Kabul city after they were mysteriously killed, security officials said Tuesday.
It is yet not clear who murdered the couples and what was the motive behind the murder as the security officials say they have launched an investigation into mysterious murder case.
Head of the Criminal Investigation Department for 101 Asmaye Zone Fraidoon Abedi confirmed that the dead bodies of two women and two men were recovered from the vicinity of Dasht-e-Barchi area.
Full article at: khaama.com/2-women-2-men-mysteriously-killed-in-west-of-kabul-city-0559
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Pakistan
Jaish-E-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar Conducted Recruitment Drive in UK: Report
Apr 5, 2016
LONDON: Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar was allowed to preach extremist ideology at several British mosques during a month-long visit to UK in 1993 on the invitation of Islamist scholars when young Muslims were asked to seek weapons training at terrorist camps in Pakistan, it emerged on Tuesday.
Senior representatives of the Deobandi sect, which controls nearly half of Britain's 1,600 mosques, hosted Azhar during the visit in which hundreds of young Muslims were urged to seek weapons training at terrorist camps in Pakistan, according to a BBC investigation.
Azhar was chief organiser of the Pakistani jihadist group Harkat-ul Mujahideen in early 1990s.
According to the report, during his UK tour - until now kept under wraps - Azhar delivered "sermons on jihad" to large audiences in London, Birmingham, Yorkshire and Lancashire and the message was of hatred for Christians, Jews and Hindus.
Witnesses said that large sums of money were donated after each talk.
Full article at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Jaish-e-Mohammed-chief-Masood-Azhar-conducted-recruitment-drive-in-UK-Report/articleshow/51701480.cms
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Pakistan ranks third in executions race with unprecedented number of hangings in 2015
April/06/2016
NEW YORK: Amnesty International reports that there was a dramatic 54 per cent increase in executions globally in 2015, with Pakistan carrying out 326 executions last year – the highest ever recorded by Amnesty International for the country.
Combined with Saudi Arabia and Iran, the three countries are responsible for nearly 90 percent of all global executions.
In 2015, Pakistan completely removed a seven-year moratorium on the death penalty after Taliban militants gunned down more than 150 people, most of them children, at Peshawar's Army Public School on Dec 16, 2014.
The human rights organisation said that the figure of at least 1,634 people executed last year – up from 1,061 in 2014 – does not include executions in China where data on the death penalty is considered a state secret.
Full article at: dawn.com/news/1250294/pakistan-ranks-third-in-executions-race-with-unprecedented-number-of-hangings-in-2015
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At UN, Pakistan slams ‘nuclear doublespeak’
April/06/2016
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has assailed the double standards practiced by some states, which preach nuclear disarmament but fail to take necessary steps themselves.
Speaking in a session of the UN Disarmament Commission, a subsidiary of the General Assembly, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said that a handful of nuclear weapon states advocate abstinence for others but are unwilling to give up their large inventories of nuclear weapons or their modernisation.
“This doublespeak has only aggravated the sense of insecurity among other states,” she told the 35-member commission.
“Instead of fulfilling their legal disarmament obligations, these States have almost exclusively pursued non-proliferation with messianic zeal,” the Pakistani envoy added. “This gap between legality and reality has eroded the global faith in the mutually reinforcing nature of these processes."
Full article at: dawn.com/news/1250309/at-un-pakistan-slams-nuclear-doublespeak
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Afghan agent arrested from Balochistan: FC official
April/06/2016
QUETTA: An agent working for the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) – Afghanistan's premier spy agency – was arrested from Chaman district in Balochistan Wednesday morning, officials said.
A Frontier Corps (FC) spokesman said personnel conducted a raid on a compound in Boghra, a residential and commercial area in Chaman, and picked up an agent working for the NDS.
Explosive materials, primacords, detonators, bombs and fuses were also recovered from the agent's possession.
Full article at: dawn.com/news/1250304/afghan-agent-arrested-from-balochistan-fc-official
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Opposition critical of ‘one-member commission’ to probe Sharif family
April/06/2016
ISLAMABAD: Politicians belonging to opposition parties severely criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's decision to form a judicial commission to clear his children of allegations that resurfaced after 'Panama Papers' revelations.
The Pakistan People's Party termed the premier's address to the nation last evening “most unfortunate,” because he “blamed his woes on the policies of Zulfikar and Benazir Bhutto to deflect the storm brewing as a result of the Panama Papers.”
“Instead of answering questions raised in the leaked documents, the PM resorted to a blame-game against PPP leaders,” Farhatullah Babar, the party’s spokesperson, said in a statement issued soon after the PM’s address.
Full article at: dawn.com/news/1250297/opposition-critical-of-one-member-commission-to-probe-sharif-family
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Gulshan-i-Iqbal blast Forensic report hints at Khorasani group’s involvement
April/06/2016
LAHORE: The first analysis report of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) about the identity of the suspected suicide bomber indicates that Khorasani group, an offshoot of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was behind the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park attack.
Khorasani group of the TTP (Jamatul Ahrar) was said to be most notorious since it had leanings towards the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
The PFSA was engaged by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) after a damaged head of the suspected suicide bomber was found at the site of the blast which claimed more than 70 lives, besides injuring over 300 people, mostly children and women.
After the blast, the TTP (Jamatul Ahrar) had shared a photo of the alleged bomber, claiming responsibility of the attack.
Full article at: dawn.com/news/1250289
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Over 70 ‘illegal immigrants’ arrested at Gwadar
April/06/2016
KARACHI: The Pakistan Coast Guards on Tuesday claimed to have arrested more than 70 illegal immigrants, including Afghan nationals, at Gwadar while they were attempting to enter Iran through Pakistani routes.
In a statement, the coastguards said security personnel arrested the illegal immigrants during a regular checking on Shahjahan Road.
“The arrested persons included 53 Afghans comprising 34 men, six women and 13 children,” it said.
The remaining 22 were Pakistanis who were arrested when they were attempting to enter Iran without valid visas and other documents, according to the statement. It added that they were poised to use the sea border to reach their desired destination.
This is the second such arrest made by the coastguards within the past one month, as the security agency on March 17 apprehended 103 illegal immigrants at Pasni while they were attempting to enter Iran without valid documents.
Full article at: dawn.com/news/1250198/over-70-illegal-immigrants-arrested-at-gwadar
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Two killed in train bomb attack
April/06/2016
QUETTA: Two passengers of Quetta-bound Jaffar Express were killed and five others injured when a bomb hit at a railway track near Mithri area of Sibi district on Tuesday.
Police said the bomb had been planted at the track linking Quetta with the rest of the country, near Mithri, about 30 kilometres from Sibi town.
The bomb exploded when the train was passing through the area.
“The bogie No-3 of Jaffar Express was hit by the blast, leaving one passenger dead on the spot and injuring several others,” a senior officer of Railway police said, adding that soon after the blast security forces rushed to the area and shifted victims to the Sibi divisional hospital.
Full article at: dawn.com/news/1250252/two-killed-in-train-bomb-attack
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Southeast Asia
Ban on outdoor music concerts in West Aceh due to Sharia law
06/04/2016
Jakarta: Outdoor music concerts have been banned from a regency in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province on the grounds they violate Sharia law.
Draconian regulations – such as a ban on women straddling motorcycles (they must ride side-saddle), unaccompanied women working or visiting night spots after 11pm and a requirement that boys and girls are taught separately at school – have been introduced in different parts of Aceh in recent years.
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Maybank Islamic optimistic of more revenue from Singapore
Wednesday, 6 April 2016
SINGAPORE: Maybank Islamic Bhd is confident its Islamic banking business in Singapore will contribute further to revenue in the future.
Group head, Islamic banking, and chief executive officer Datuk Muzaffar Hisham said this was in view of the ongoing support from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in promoting Islamic banking.
"We are very pleased with the support," he said when met by Bernama and Mediacorp on the sidelines of the two-day Islamic Banking and Investment Asia/Middle East Congress 2016 in Singapore.
Full article at: thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2016/04/06/maybank-islamic-optimistic-of-more-revenue-from-singapore/
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Islamophobic Myanmar minister criticized over his anti-Muslim remarks
April 5, 2016
AhlulBayt News Agency - Myanmar’s minister of religious affairs and culture has come under fire for his offensive comments about Muslims in the Southeast Asian country.
In a recent interview, Thura Aung Ko claimed that Islam in Myanmar is the religion of “minority associate citizens” who acquired citizenship through the 1948 Union Citizenship Law.
The London-based Myanmar Muslim Association in a statement on Monday objected to "the irresponsible comments” by the minister.
The statement stressed that full rights for Muslims were enshrined in Myanmar’s several constitutions.
Full article at: en.abna24.com/service/east-asia/archive/2016/04/05/745228/story.html
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Mideast
Turkey to Work On Rule to Strip Terrorism Supporters of Citizenship, Says Minister
April 6 2016
Turkey will work on a new rule to strip citizenship from Turks found to be supporting terrorism, the justice minister said on April 6, a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he wanted such a measure.
Erdoğan first floated the idea on April 5 in a speech to lawyers. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu hours later said there were no such plans underway, but Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ on April 6 contradicted him.
“Erdoğan envisages a new rule [for stripping citizenship],” Bozdağ told reporters.
“Of course we will begin work on this.”
Erdoğan did not specify who he was targeting with the comments. In the past he said that those Turkey accuses of supporting terrorism - whether they are journalists or aid workers - are no different from terrorists themselves.
Full article at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-to-work-on-rule-to-strip-terrorism-supporters-of-citizenship-says-minister.aspx
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Investigation launched into massive leak of Turkish citizens’ personal data
April/06/2016
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation on April 6 into reports of a massive data leak of the personal information of nearly 50 million Turkish citizens.
“The number [almost 50 million] is close to the number of Turkish voters. This information about voters is also shared with political parties, and it should be examined whether or not they are the source of the leak. All necessary investigations have been launched,” Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ told reporters.
Full article at: hurriyetdailynews.com/investigation-launched-into-massive-leak-of-turkish-citizens-personal-data.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97387&NewsCatID=341
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Turkish academic at Istanbul Technical University sued over fake PhD
April/06/2016
Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) has sued one of its research assistants for 355,000 Turkish Liras and filed a criminal complaint against him for allegedly holding a fake PhD degree, daily Habertürk reported on April 6.
The university learned the research assistant, identified as Sinan Ö., who had been working at its architecture department since 2001, had presented fake PhD documents to the school when the head of the department sent a thank you email to Berlin Technical University for the academic. Receiving a response from Berlin Technical University saying “they do not have such a student,” İTÜ applied to an Istanbul civil court of first instance to sue Sinan Ö.
According to the petition submitted to the court by the school, Sinan Ö. began working at İTÜ’s Architecture Faculty’s Department of Architecture in 2001 as a research assistant. After obtaining his master’s degree, the academic was known to be pursuing his PhD studies until last year.
Full article at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-academic-at-istanbul-technical-university-sued-over-fake-phd-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97397&NewsCatID=509
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Solving ‘little’ Cyprus’ problem will contribute to regional peace, says Turkish Cypriot leader
April/06/2016
Solving the dispute on the “little” divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus would also bring peace and prosperity to the crisis-riddled region, said Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı.
“By little Cyprus solving its own problem, it will very much contribute to regional security,” said Akıncı on April 6 in Istanbul during a speech at the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit organized by the Marmara Group Foundations.
Akıncı said a crisis happening anywhere around the world affects not only the country it is in, but also the countries surrounding it and those all around the world.
“Nowadays, incidents do not only affect the country where it happens, it affects everywhere. An economic crisis in a country affects other countries too and a bomb that explodes in a society [hurts] our hearts, if not our bodies,” said Akıncı, giving the example of 3-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi, whose washed-up body aroused the attention of the globe to the migrant crisis.
Full article at: hurriyetdailynews.com/solving-little-cyprus-problem-will-contribute-to-regional-peace-says-turkish-cypriot-leader.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97395&NewsCatID=351
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Energy firms eyeing consortium to carry Israeli gas through Turkey
April/06/2016
At least 15 energy companies want to be part of a planned consortium which will carry Israeli gas to Europe via Turkey, according to Turcas CEO Batu Aksoy, who said the first Israeli gas may reach Turkey in the next five years.
“We plan to establish a buyer consortium [to carry Israeli gas to Europe through Turkey]. Each consortium member will take some gas in this plan. At least 15 companies have contacted us so far and voiced their intention to become a part of this planned consortium,” he said in an exclusive interview with daily Hürriyet.
Full article at: hurriyetdailynews.com/energy-firms-eyeing-consortium-to-carry-israeli-gas-through-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97392&NewsCatID=348
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Israel-Turkey to meet soon to mend ties
April/06/2016
Officials from Turkey and Israel will meet soon to hold talks to mend the strained ties since 2010.
The Turkish and Israeli officials will meet in the first half of April, diplomatic sources told Hürriyet Daily News on April 5, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The sources, however, did not disclose the exact time and venue of the meetings, as they were not yet clearly set.
The relationship between Turkey and Israel was severely strained after the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara vessel was raided by Israeli commandos in 2010, killing nine Turkish and one Turkish-American citizen on board.
Full article at: hurriyetdailynews.com/israel-turkey-to-meet-soon-to-mend-ties.aspx?pageID=238&nID=97359&NewsCatID=510
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Trade among countries brings peace, says İTO head
April/06/2016
Trade is a bridge that can be used to foster peace all around the world, according to the head of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO), İbrahim Çağlar.
“Trade is one of the bridges that extends to peace. The possibility that countries that are in reciprocal trade relations would engage in war is far less than that of countries that are not conducting trade among each other,” Çağlar said April 6 at the opening ceremony of the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit organized by the Marmara Group Foundation in Istanbul.
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Arab World
Yemeni Rocket Kills 70 Saudi Mercenaries in Jawf
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Scores of Saudi mercenaries in Yemen were killed in an Ansarullah Rocket attack on their position in the war-hit country’s Northern province of al-Jawf, local reports said.
The rocket hit a building of the Saudi mercenaries late Tuesday and killed 70 of them. At least 100 others were injured in the attack, Yemen's al-Masirah TV reported.
Local sources said the death toll may increase as the position was targeted while the mercenaries were distributing arms and munitions among themselves.
In a seperate development, Saudi state television admitted that three people were killed in shelling by Yemeni forces on the kingdom’s southern province of Jizan.
Saudi warplanes bombed an area in al-Zabab region in southern Yemen and the Hayran city in the Northwestern province of Hajjah, al-Masirah reported without saying if there were any casualties.
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000935
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After reverses, ISIL attacks Syrian forces near Damascus
BEIRUT - Reuters, April 6 2016
The Islamic State and the Levant (ISIL) militants launched attacks on government-held areas near Damascus overnight on April 6 in an apparent response to the group's loss of ground elsewhere in Syria.
The jihadist group said in a statement it had attacked the Tishrin power station 50 km (30 miles) northeast of the capital and a Syrian military source acknowledged the group had staged assaults, but said all those who took part had been killed.
Syrian and allied forces backed by Russian air strikes have forced ISIL militants out of the town of al-Qaryatain, 100 km (60 miles) west of the ancient city of Palymrya, itself recaptured by the government last week.
The Syrian military source said Tuesday night's attacks outside Damascus appeared to be the jihadist group's response to its reverses around Palymra.
Full article at: hurriyetdailynews.com/after-reverses-isil-attacks-syrian-forces-near-damascus.aspx
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Islamic body stresses need to bolster Muslim economy
Wednesday 6 April 2016
JEDDAH: The Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA) stressed the need to strengthen economy of the 57 Muslim countries, at a meeting of the General Assembly and the Board of Directors of the ICCIA.
The session was attended by Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Iyad Madani, Islamic Chamber of Commerce President Saleh Kamel, besides several representatives from ICCIA and Muslim states.
Full article at: arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/906261
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Al-Eis Recapture Paves Way for Syrian Army Move to Idlib Province
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The winning back of the strategic town of al-Eis and its adjacent hill in Southern Aleppo on Wednesday morning was a crucially important step paving the way for the Syrian army to move to Idlib province.
The Syrian army and their allies managed to recapture the strategic town of al-Eis and Tal al-Eis during an intense night operation, military sources said Wednesday.
Winning back of Tal al-Eis has given the pro-government forces the high ground in Southern Aleppo, which allows them fire control over the strategic Aleppo-Damascus Highway (M-5 Highway) that flows into the provincial capital.
With thousands of soldiers in the strategic towns of Al-Hadher, Al-Safira, and Al-Eis, the pro-government forces have shifted their attention to the key village of Al-Zorba and the nearby ICARDA Farms that provide the government forces a gateway to regions Northeast of Idlib province.
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000919
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Bahraini Forces Attack Protesters after Teenager's Funeral
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Bahraini Security forces have clashed with demonstrators holding a rally to denounce the death of a 17-year-old teenager who succumbed to injuries he sustained in a police chase.
Protesters took to the streets in the town of Shahrakan, located on the outskirts of Manama, to condemn the killing of Ali Abdulghani, who died of his wounds in a hospital in the capital four days after he was reportedly overrun by a police vehicle, presstv reported.
The demonstrators blocked a road with a large waste drum which they set ablaze and hurled stones at security forces. Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
According to witnesses and a report from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), police on March 31 stormed a property belonging to the victim's aunt while Abdulghani was present. Abdulghani fled the scene as the police attempted to arrest him.
Later in the day, he was seen and photographed while lying on the ground “with blood spilt from a serious head injury”. The victim was then transferred to the Bahrain Defense Forces Hospital.
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000984
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Egypt not sending imams to 'take control' - NZ Muslim leaders
05/04/2016
New Zealand Muslim leaders are rejecting suggestions imams are being sent from Egypt to 'take control' of local mosques and stem radicalisation.
The Egyptian ambassador to New Zealand, Tarek al-Wasimy, has been quoted in international media saying Islamic scholars from Cairo's Al Azhar University are coming to New Zealand to stem radicalisation at Islamic centres.
But Federation of Islamic Associations in New Zealand president Hazem al-Arafeh said that was not true.
He said imams who study in Egypt have been invited to work in Muslim communities for more than 10 years, and have to follow the policies set out by the communities, not take control of them.
Full article at: radionz.co.nz/news/national/300831/imams-not-sent-to-nz-to-'take-control'
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Iran Censures Support for Israeli N-Program
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Gholam Hossein Dehqani said Israel’s nuclear program receives copious support from certain countries, which is ironic.
In his address to the annual session of the world body’s Disarmament Commission on Tuesday, Dehqani said the support is accorded even as the regime violates all international rules on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
“One of the biggest historical ironies is that the Zionist regime, which has flouted all international rules and norms on the prohibition of weapons of mass destruction, receives the most technical and financial support from certain nuclear countries to build such weapons,” Dehqani added.
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000900
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ISIL Commander Warns Members against Defeat in Raqqa
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior ISIL commander in the terrorist group's stronghold city of Raqqa disclosed that all ISIL militant troops across the province are in a state of alert after the recent military advances of the Syrian army in Homs and Aleppo provinces, preparing for the government troops' imminent attacks on their military positions.
"Losing battles in several other provinces means losing Raqqa," one of ISIL's senior commanders in Raqqa province said in a warning message to ISIL ranks through the social media.
He cautioned that fewer ISIL militants can now be seen throughout Raqqa city, and said a majority of "ISIL members have been sent to warfronts in Hasaka, Homs and Deir Ezzur provinces to prevent the Syrian army's further advances there".
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000818
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Churkin Blames Western States for Blocking Russia’s Proposal on Syria Talks
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The western member states of the UN Security Council voted to block Russia’s proposal on the all-inclusive nature of the upcoming round of intra-Syrian talks, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said.
According to the Russian diplomat, a delegation from Ukraine, which is not a permanent UN Security Council member, also added its destructive share into the decision to block the Russian proposal, TASS reported.
Churkin said Moscow repeatedly expressed its concerns that Syrian Kurds were still not invited to take part in the Geneva talks on the ongoing conflict settlement, adding that "such stance contradicts UN Security Council’s resolutions in the inclusiveness of the political process in Syria."
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000897
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Syrian rebels advance against Islamic State near Turkish border
Tue Apr 5, 2016
Syrian rebel forces closed in on a town near the Turkish border held by Islamic State militants on Tuesday after seizing numerous villages from the group in the area, rebels and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The rebels involved in the offensive include factions fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army that have been supplied with weapons via Turkey. They are advancing towards the IS-held town of al-Rai.
Full article at: reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-rebels-idUSKCN0X20QI
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Iran's N. Chief Warns against Violation of July Deal
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi strongly warned the western members of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) against violating the July nuclear deal, saying that any such violation would receive Tehran's firm response.
"Legally speaking, there is a possibility that the other side misuses a point in the nuclear deal, but meantime, the document enjoys such an integrity and power that the other side doesn’t allow itself to create any problem," Salehi said, addressing Iranian foreign ministry officials in Tehran on Wednesday.
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000837
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Iran, Spain Discuss N. Cooperation
Wed Apr 06, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian and Spanish officials in a meeting in Tehran explored avenues to expand the two countries' cooperation in nuclear technology, specially in nuclear safety.
The meeting was held between Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and President of Spain's Nuclear Safety Council Fernando Marti Scharfhausen on Tuesday.
Full article at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950118000635
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North America
Senator Blasts Administration's Fight Against Islamic State
Apr 5, 2016
The Obama administration's fight against the Islamic State is at risk of becoming a "grinding failure for our nation," an influential Republican senator said Tuesday in a broadside that illustrated the mounting frustrations in Congress with the U.S. strategy to defeat the extremist group.
In a brief but pointed letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said U.S. military commanders are being hamstrung by an overly cautious Obama administration.
McCain drew a parallel between the campaign against the Islamic State and the war in Vietnam, a conflict he served in as a Navy pilot.
Full article at: abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/senator-blasts-administrations-fight-islamic-state-38172250
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Lawmakers: U.S. Should Take the Lead in Fighting Terrorism in Europe
April 5, 2016,
It's in the interest of the United States to take a leadership role in combating terrorism in Europe so that the violence doesn't spread to America or jeopardize Americans abroad, senators and experts said at a Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday.
"The most dangerous result, really, of this situation is that every success that the Islamic State has in Europe breeds more success here at home," said Clinton Watts, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. "A successful attack in Paris, Istanbul, Brussels, inspires [a radicalized American] here in the states who maybe has no connection to the Islamic State or al-Qaida to start to move forward."
Full article at: usnews.com/news/articles/2016-04-05/lawmakers-us-should-ta
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U.S. firm to de-mine Iraqi city of Ramadi retaken from Islamic State
Apr 4, 2016
A U.S. de-mining company is removing explosives and training Iraqis to dismantle the devices planted by Islamic State in the largest Iraqi city retaken from the militants, a diplomat and two U.S. officials said on Monday.
Hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted throughout the streets and buildings of Ramadi, 100 km (60 miles) west of Baghdad, have delayed the return of around half a million displaced residents since the Iraqi military backed by U.S. air strikes recaptured the city three months ago.
Full article at: reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-usa-ramadi-idUSKCN0X123U
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Meeting with generals, Obama cites progress against Islamic State
Apr 5 2016
WASHINGTON — President Obama met with his top generals for a big-picture overview of the U.S. defense posture Tuesday, but said most of the discussion focused on his "top priority" — defeating the Islamic State.
"ISIL continues to lose ground," Obama told reporters after the meeting at the White House. "But as we've seen from Turkey to Belgium, ISIL still has the ability to launch serious terrorist attacks. One of my main messages today is that destroying ISIL continues to be my top priority and so we can no longer tolerate the kinds of positioning that is enabled by them having headquarters in Raqqa and in Mosul."
Full article at: usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/04/05/meeting-generals-obama-cites-progress-against-islamic-state/82678516/
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Africa
What Africa tells us about the fight against Jihadist terrorism
April 5, 2016
A vicious terrorist attack last month by a transnational jihadist group killed a large number of civilians in a region of strategic importance. That this sentence applies equally to the March 22 Belgium attacks, the March 27 Pakistan attacks, or the attacks in Cote d'Ivoire on March 13, shows what a grim month March was in the fight against militant jihadism.
While September 11, 2001, is commonly regarded as the "beginning" of the jihadist war against the United States, it bears remembering that al Qaeda's first successful attack on American targets came three years earlier in Africa, with the August 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. Even less remembered is that in the aftermath, in a foreshadowing of the Bush Doctrine, President Bill Clinton asserted that the United States would use preventive force against terrorist threats. As Clinton argued in his radio address following Operation Infinite Reach's cruise missile strikes on suspected al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan:
We also had compelling evidence that the bin Laden network was poised to strike at us again, and soon. We know he has said all Americans - not just those in uniform - all Americans are targets. And we know he wants to acquire chemical weapons. With that information and evidence, we simply could not stand idly by.
Full article at: chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-africa-comment-faaafe92-fb4f-11e5-886f-a037dba38301-20160405-story.html
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Africa’s Authoritarians: Old Men Play Dominoes With Democracy
05/04/2016
In the euphoric moment of a new Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni reflected on his predecessors: Idi Amin and Milton Obote.
“The problem of Africa in general, and Uganda in particular, is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power.”
That was in 1986. Three decades on, Museveni is the poster child for third-termist presidents.
It’s a phenomenon that risks plunging nations into civil turmoil and undermining democratic gains along with foreign investment.
While historically, Sub-Saharan politics has been characterized by a pattern of infinite presidential mandates toppled only by violent coup d’états, that trend had been subsiding. Elections of recent years might not always have been free or fair, but change of government involved far less bloodshed than in previous decades.
But now, the totalitarian ruler is reawakening.
Full article at: fronteranews.com/news/africa/africas-authoritarians-old-men-play-dominoes-democracy/
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Libya's Tripoli government to step down
5 April 2016
One of two rival governments in Libya has announced that it is stepping down, a justice ministry statement has said.
The announcement comes less than a week after the arrival in Tripoli of a UN-backed national unity government.
The Tripoli-based administration said it was standing down to prevent further bloodshed.
Since 2014 Libya has had two competing administrations, the one in Tripoli backed by powerful militias and the other in the eastern city of Tobruk.
The Tobruk-based administration, formed by the House of Representatives, still opposes the UN-backed body.
Full article at: bbc.com/news/world-africa-35974641
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Muslim Teacher Who Died Protecting Christians Honored For Bravery
April 5, 2016
A Muslim teacher who died shielding Christians during a bus attack in Kenya has been posthumously awarded for his bravery.
Deputy head teacher Salah Farah was shot during the ambush by Al-Qaeda-linked militant group, Al-Shabaab, in December 2015. Farah was shot after he refused to be separated from Christian passengers on a bus traveling between Nairobi and Mandera. The father of four small children died a month later during surgery for his wounds.
In previous attacks throughout the region, the Somalia-based militants have killed Christians and spared Muslims. In December’s attack, sixty passengers were on the packed bus that was ambushed by armed gunmen.
Full article at: mintpressnews.com/muslim-teacher-died-protecting-christians-honored-bravery/215341/
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