Al-Qaeda Declares War on ISIL in Syria's Damascus Province
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 Nov 2015
Photo: TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army repelled the militant groups' offensive on their military checkpoint Southeast of Aleppo province, and killed or wounded at least 50 of them in their counter-assault on Monday.
Arab World
• Al-Qaeda Declares War on ISIL in Syria's Damascus Province
• 50 Terrorists Killed, Wounded in Army Counter-Attack South of Syria's Aleppo
• Muslims main victims of terrorist attacks: Iraq FM
• Air strikes claim 18 lives in Syria
• Nusra Terrorists Killed in Airstrikes in Hama
• At Least 17 Militants Killed, Injured in Hama
• Army chief: Germany planning to deploy 1,200 troops for ISIS fight
• Militants Retreat from More Areas in North of Syria's Lattakia Province
• U.S. senators want 100,000 foreign troops to fight ISIS in Syria
• EXCLUSIVE: Syrian Army Seizes Strategic Hilltop in Dara'a Province
• Over 20 ISIL militants Killed, Wounded by Gov't Forces East of Syria's Aleppo
• Terrorism, Syria to top GCC talks agenda
• Hundreds of Fresh Forces Heading to North to Join Syrian Army Operations near Aleppo
• Iraqis find three more mass graves in formerly IS-held Sinjar
• Iraq tells civilians of ISIS-held Ramadi to leave
• Bahrain summons Iran envoy over Khamenei’s remarks
• Army Gains More Territory in Damascus Countryside
• UN official praises KSA’s efforts in combating drugs
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Africa
• Pope: Christians, Muslims are ‘brothers’
• Blasts leave five dead in far north Cameroon
• Pope Francis to end Africa trip with mosque visit
• Burkinabes vote to choose president in key election
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India
• ISIS not Muslim, people of other faith defaming Islam: Assam leader
• Maharashtra to soon roll out policy to combat terror threat
• Data on Muslims in police will no longer be public
• Madrasa row: Was abused by ustad, says Kerala filmmaker Ali Akbar
• Liberal Muslim Body in Kerala Raps Kanthapuram
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South Asia
• U.S. Embassy warns possible attack within 48 hours in Kabul city
• Suicide bomber targets Afghan election official in Kabul
• West Bengal's Trinamool Congress in trouble over arrest of three ISI agents
• President Ghani, Nawaz Sharif to meet on the sideline of Climate Change Conference in Paris
• Siraj flays govt silence over executions in Dhaka
• Bangladesh bloggers fear deadly backlash won't end soon
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Mideast
• Russian plane breached Israeli airspace, says minister
• 16 dead in fighting for south Yemen province
• Israel convicts two in murder of Palestinian teen
• Thousands mourn Kurdish lawyer shot dead in Turkey
• General Soleimani: I'm Looking for Martyrdom
• Iran condemns West's 'double standards' in letter to youth
• Houthi militia chief’s brother killed in Yemen
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Europe
• Polish Muslims rally against racism and terrorism
• Spain divided on joining anti-ISIL strikes
• Moscow imposes sanctions against Turkey
• Obama visits Paris attack site, pays tribute to victims
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Pakistan
• Suspected Muslims Burn Christian TV Station in Pakistan
• Sectarian harmony, religious tolerance vital for coexistence: Ashrafi
• JUI-F pledges full support to army against any external aggression
• Zardari calls for preventing misuse of ‘religion-based’ laws
• Developed countries more responsible for tackling climate change, says Nawaz
• JI leader calls for starting work on CPEC’s western route
• The End of Education concludes
• Sikh pilgrims return home
• Dr Asim accepts corruption, terrorism charges
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Southeast Asia
• Three of country’s top leaders on IS hit list, Hishammuddin says
• Muslim religious teacher to remain as principal of Christian-majority school, director says
• Indonesia: a vision of a peaceful post-Islamofascist worl
• Tee to Malays: Unite against anti-BM moves
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North America
• Obama accepted $1.3mn in gifts from Saudis in 2014: Report
• Trump says won’t take back remark on Muslims ‘cheering’ 9/11 attacks
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
Al-Qaeda Declares War on ISIL in Syria's Damascus Province
Nov 30, 2015
Prior to this turmoil along the border of Lebanon and Syria in Qalamoun mountains, there have been similar cases of fight between them in Northern Syria that included a war in Northern Aleppo and Raqqa.
On Wednesday, heavy fighting erupted between two rival Takfiri terrorist groups in Idlib province, leaving casualties on both sides.
A large group of terrorists were killed in exchange of fire between al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham terrorist groups in al-Rami village in Idlib countryside.
Earlier this month, fierce clashes also took pace between rival terrorist groups in the province of Dara'a, leaving scores of militants dead and injured as rifts widened between the terrorists after the Syrian army continued advance in more militant-held territories.
Clashes erupted between terrorists of al-Nusra Front and the so-called "Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk" terrorist group in al-Allan area in the Western countryside of Dara'a after al-Nusra announced on its Twitter account on Sunday that it had killed the chief of Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk.
Dozens of terrorists from both sides were killed or injured in the clashes.
Abu Ali al-Breidi, the leader of Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk, was reportedly killed in a suicide attack by al-Nusra Front that targeted one of the terrorist group’s positions.
Terrorist groups' confirmed infighting between the Takfiri terrorist groups on their social media pages, and said that members of Liwa Shuhadaa al-Yarmouk killed around 50 al-Nusra Front leaders in less than one month, and killed and abducted 300 other al-Nusra Front members.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000571
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50 Terrorists Killed, Wounded in Army Counter-Attack South of Syria's Aleppo
Nov 30, 2015
The Syrian Army's military checkpoint near al-Aziziyah came under attack of the militant groups, who failed to infiltrate into the government defense lines and fled the battlefront after leaving scores of dead or wounded members as a result of the Syrian forces' counter-assault.
Informed sources said on Sunday that the Syrian Army and popular forces gained the upper hand in the combat against the ISIL terrorists in the Eastern part of Aleppo province and made remarkable advance near Deir Hafer region.
The Syrian army’s elite special operations division known as the “Tiger Forces” were at the time within 5km from the Western district of Deir Hafer, leaving the ISIL in a vulnerable position with very little reserves to combat the advancing army, the sources said.
Since losing the Kuweires Military Airport earlier this month, ISIL defenses have been falling apart all over the Aleppo province's Eastern part; this has paved the way for the Tiger Forces and their allies to advance into areas that were once considered untouchable.
As a result of the loss of ‘Aqulah, the ISIL is facing a serious threat at the strategic hilltop village of Tal al-Ahmar, which is another gateway to Deir Hafer front as it sits on the seasonal road leading to the aforementioned city.
If Deir Hafer is captured by the Tiger Forces, the Syrian Armed Forces will be in position to reenter the Raqqa province after being expelled by ISIL in August 2014.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000231
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Muslims main victims of terrorist attacks: Iraq FM
Nov 30, 2015
The Iraqi foreign minister says the terrorist activities committed by Takfiri Daesh terrorists show the terror group’s hatred toward the entire world, noting that Muslims are the main victims of terrorist attacks.
“What unites them [terrorists] is this hatred they share. They are ready to die. They are ready to kill themselves to take out the largest number of victims. They detest the entire world and, it must be said, most of the victims are Muslim,” Ibrahim al-Ja’afari said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday.
Al-Ja’afari said that the recent deadly terrorist attacks in Paris claimed by Daesh marked a new stage in the war against extremism that will leave no country in the world untouched.
On November 13, a series of coordinated bombings and armed attacks against different venues, including a concert hall, in the French capital killed 130 people and injured 350 others.
“The world took too long to react against Daesh and al-Qaeda. In 2004, 11 years ago, I said terrorism had no religion, had no country, had no particular beliefs. And in 2012, I said that we were in a third world war. Now, you will see that no country can live in peace, quietly,” al-Ja'afari said.
The Iraqi foreign minister said Daesh terrorists, who control swaths of land in Iraq and Syria, “come from 100 countries. They are from the world's greatest democracies,” adding that the terror group has become an international breeding ground for extremism.
Al-Ja'afari, who was speaking on the sidelines of international climate negotiations, which is bringing together more than 150 world leaders in the French capital, called on the international community to “take initiative” against the terrorist group.
“We cannot cover our heads when faced with this terror and let our communities, our cities, be terrorized, to be afraid. That is their [terrorists’] goal, their objective,” he said.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/30/439709/Iraq-Ibrahim-alJaafari-France
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Air strikes claim 18 lives in Syria
Nov 30, 2015
BEIRUT: Air strikes believed to have been carried out by Russian warplanes killed at least 18 civilians and wounded dozens more on Sunday in a northern Syrian town held by insurgents, Syrian opposition media reported.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the air strikes struck the town of Ariha, killing at least 18 people, including four children, and wounding dozens more.
The Local Coordination Committees, an activist collective, said the air strikes struck a busy market, inflicting heavy casualties.
The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, said the air strike destroyed three buildings in the centre of Ariha.
Ariha Today, a Facebook page that covers events in the town, said the air strikes were carried out by Russian warplanes, killing 40 people and wounding more than 70. Conflicting tolls are common in the chaotic aftermath of violent incidents in Syria.
If Russian warplanes carried out Sunday’s strikes it would be one of the deadliest incidents since Moscow began launching air strikes in Syria two months ago.
Opposition activists say more than 400 civilians have been killed by Russian strikes since the air campaign began on Sept 30.
An amateur video posted online showed several men being treated on the floor of what appeared to be a clinic. Blood stains could be seen on the floor’s white tiles.
On the street outside, four men could be seen lying near the building, with several young men weeping over them.
Shortly afterwards, an ambulance arrived and a wounded man in a wheelchair was carried into the clinic. The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other reporting of the event.
The Observatory reported several other strikes in the northwestern province of Idlib believed to have been carried out by Russian warplanes on Sunday. It said that an office of the Turkistan Islamic Party, a group that consists mainly of fighters from Asian states, was hit in the town of Jisr al-Shughour and that planes struck a relief office for the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham group in the town of Saraqib.
The LCC reported air strikes on a hospital in Idlib, the provincial capital, and other targets in Saraqib. Russia says its air strikes are aimed at the militant Islamic State group and other “terrorists,” but Western officials and Syrian rebels say most of the strikes have focused on central and northern Syria, where IS does not have a strong presence.
In the capital Damascus, state media quoted President Bashar Assad as saying that he is determined to continue fighting “terrorism in all its forms” because Syria and its allies are “confident that eliminating terrorists is the main step in bringing about stability to the region and the entire world.”
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223179/air-strikes-claim-18-lives-in-syria
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Nusra Terrorists Killed in Airstrikes in Hama
Nov 30, 2015
Informed sources said on Sunday that the airstrikes destroyed positions of al-Nusra terrorists in Al-Lataminah town and Skeik village in the Northern countryside of Hama on Saturday night, killing a large number of militants.
The air raids also destroyed terrorists’ machine gun-equipped vehicles and other vehicles which were carrying ammunition.
The Syrian fighter jets on Sunday traced and targeted the ISIL centers in at least three key regions in Hama province, leaving many militants dead or wounded.
The Syrian bombers struck the ISIL defense lines in Qleib al-Thawr, Salba and Jurouh West of Salamiyah city, and inflicted heavy losses on their military vehicles and equipment.
Also on Sunday, the Syrian warplanes continued pounding the ISIL military sites in Hama province in heavy airstrikes, inflicting heavy damage on their military equipment.
The ISIL concentration centers near Eidoun village came under several strikes of the Syrian warplanes, which inflicted heavy death toll on the militants and destroyed most of their military hardware.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000468
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At Least 17 Militants Killed, Injured in Hama
Nov 30, 2015
The Syrian army targeted Takfiri terrorists' positions and strongholds in Tal Taraa in Atshan village in the Northeastern countryside of Hama on Monday.
At least 17 militants were killed and injured in the military operations.
The Syrian fighter jets on Sunday traced and targeted the ISIL centers in at least three key regions in Hama province, leaving many militants dead or wounded.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000549
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Army chief: Germany planning to deploy 1,200 troops for ISIS fight
29 November 2015
From a military point of view, around 1,200 soldiers would be necessary to run the planes and ship,” army chief of staff General Volker Wieker told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, adding that the mission would begin “very quickly once a mandate is obtained”.
“The government is seeking a mandate this year,” said Wieker.
Berlin on Thursday offered France Tornado reconnaissance jets, a naval frigate, aerial refuelling and satellite images in the fight against ISIS.
Between four and six Tornados would be deployed to deliver images of the ground, even in poor weather and during the night, Wieker said.
Asked why Germany had shied away from participating in direct air strikes, Wieker said the coalition already had “sufficient forces and means” dealing with that aspect of the battle.
“What is needed is reconnaissance on the ground, so that these forces can be deployed effectively. Our Tornados can contribute a lot in that area,” he said.
Talks are ongoing with Turkey and Jordan on stationing the planes in Incirlik -- which also serves as a base for U.S. jets, as well as in Amman.
Wieker swiped aside any criticism that Germany had opted for “the least dangerous” tasks, saying: “This allegation is not justified. What is the difference when you fly a bomber jet or a reconnaisance plane over the same area? The levels of threat and danger are the same.”
Post-war Germany has been traditionally reluctant to send troops abroad, although it has joined UN-mandated missions in the Balkans and elsewhere, and the NATO coalition in Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/29/Army-chief-Germany-planning-to-deploy-1-200-troops-for-ISIS-fight.html
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Militants Retreat from More Areas in North of Syria's Lattakia Province
Nov 30, 2015
The sources said that the Syrian army and popular forces' joint operation in the Northern territories of the Lattakia province have ended in recapturing Kishkar mountain.
The sources further added that the militant groups have left behind many dead or wounded members and retreated from the battlefield.
On Sunday, the Russian Air Force traced several gatherings of the militant groups in the mountainous areas of Lattakia province and targeted them in massive airstrikes.
The militant positions and military sites in the Nuba mountains and Selma and their surrounding areas were heavily bombed by the Russia warplanes, which left scores of the terrorists dead or wounded.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000357
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U.S. senators want 100,000 foreign troops to fight ISIS in Syria
29 November 2015
U.S. senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham called Sunday for 100,000 foreign soldiers, most from Sunni regional states but also including Americans, to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Syria.
Both McCain, the chair of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and Graham, one of its members, sharply criticised current U.S. strategy as insufficient and unsuccessful in defeating the extremists.
That strategy has consisted of carrying out air strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in support of local ground forces, which have also received weapons and training.
“I think 100,000 would be (the) total requirement,” McCain told journalists in Baghdad when asked about the size of the anti-IS force he and Graham were advocating for Syria.
“That would not be hard for Egypt; it would be hard for Saudis, it would be hard for some of the smaller countries,” but Turkey could also provide forces, McCain said.
Saudi Arabia is already involved in a war in Yemen, while Egypt is battling an insurgency and Turkey is more concerned with Kurdish rebels than ISIS.
The force would also include some 10,000 American soldiers “providing capability the Arabs don’t possess,” said Graham, adding: “When’s the last time an Arab army’s manoeuvered?”
The two senators also called for the number of American forces in Iraq to be increased to around 10,000.
That figure would include special forces to conduct “more of the raids you saw not long ago,” Graham said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/29/US-senators-want-100-000-foreign-troops-to-fight-ISIS-in-Syria.html
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EXCLUSIVE: Syrian Army Seizes Strategic Hilltop in Dara'a Province
Nov 30, 2015
The Syrian troops stormed the military positions of the militants in Koum Aqre hilltop near the strategic towns of Kafr Shamis and Sheikh Meskeen, killing scores of the Al-Nusra Front Takfiri terrorists in heavy clashes over the strategic regions.
On Saturday, the Syrian forces started their military operations in the surrounding areas of the strategic towns of Sheikh Meskeen.
On Sunday, the Syrian forces stormed the militant groups' defense lines in the Southern Dara'a province and pushed them back from Khirbat Kom Maqaraq strategic village after inflicting heavy casualties on the militants.
The pro-government forces continued their advance against the militants near Kafr Shamis, targeting Takfiri terrorists at the village of Khirbat Kom Maqarah.
Following a series of fierce clashes with the militants, the Syrian army and its allies prevailed over the militants and won control over Khirbat Kom Maqarag village in the Northern countryside of Kafr Shamis in Dara'a province.
On November 19, the Syrian army intensified operations against the Takfiri militants in the province of Dara'a, engaging in heavy clashes with the terrorists in various locations.
The Syrian troops targeted militants' positions in Sheikh Meskeen, Atman and Muzayrib towns in Dara'a province.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000646
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Over 20 ISIL militants Killed, Wounded by Gov't Forces East of Syria's Aleppo
Nov 30, 2015
The ISIL defense lines near the town of Deir Hafer came under attack of the pro-government forces, which claimed the lives of many militants and destroyed their military equipment.
Informed sources said on Sunday that the Syrian Army and popular forces gained the upper hand in the combat against the ISIL terrorists in the Eastern part of Aleppo province and made remarkable advance near Deir Hafer region.
The Syrian army’s elite special operations division known as the “Tiger Forces” were at the time within 5km from the Western district of Deir Hafer, leaving the ISIL in a vulnerable position with very little reserves to combat the advancing army, the sources said.
Since losing the Kuweires Military Airport earlier this month, ISIL defenses have been falling apart all over the Aleppo province's Eastern part; this has paved the way for the Tiger Forces and their allies to advance into areas that were once considered untouchable.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000650
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Terrorism, Syria to top GCC talks agenda
30 November 2015
RIYADH: The Kingdom will host the summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Dec. 10 at which the regional leaders will discuss ways and means to fight terrorism besides key regional conflicts and global issues.
The 36th GCC summit will also focus on the Syrian crisis, Yemen war, regional military cooperation and, above all, economic unity among the member states of the GCC.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the role of Iran will also be taken up for discussion,” said a GCC official, while speaking briefly about the summit’s agenda.
“The fight against terror, however, will top the agenda,” said Khaled Al-Jarallah, Kuwait’s deputy foreign minister, in a statement. “The GCC summit convenes under highly sensitive and critical circumstances that require the member countries to forge a closer security alliance,” said the statement.
GCC Secretary-General Abdullateef Al-Zayani is currently touring the Gulf states to hold talks with top leaders and officials with an aim to finalize the agenda. Al-Zayani called on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE’s vice president and ruler of Dubai, on Sunday and briefed him about the arrangements for the summit.
“Sheikh Mohammed was also briefed on the agenda of the summit, which will deal with political, economic and security topics in the light of the current developments in the region,” said a statement released Sunday. Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Al-Zayani on Sunday. The GCC chief briefed the emir about the prominent issues on the agenda.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/843181
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Hundreds of Fresh Forces Heading to North to Join Syrian Army Operations near Aleppo
Nov 30, 2015
The sources said that the Local Defense Force (LDF) has dispatched hundreds of the ready-to-fight combatants to the Aleppo province to take part in large-scale operations with the Syrian forces in the Southwestern countryside of province.
Sources said earlier today that the Syrian Army and the country's National Defense Forces (NDF) pushed back militants from the surrounding areas of the Air Force Academy in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo in a raid.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000426
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Iraqis find three more mass graves in formerly IS-held Sinjar
Nov 30, 2015
IRBIL: Kurdish officials said Sunday three more mass graves have been found in the northern town of Sinjar, where Kurdish forces backed by heavy United States (US)-led airstrikes drove out the militant Islamic State (IS) group earlier this month.
The discovery brings the total number of burial sites in the area to five and the total number of bodies uncovered to between 200 and 300, according to local officials.
While experts say proper excavation and identification of the bodies could take months, Sinjar residents are expressing frustration with the process so far, complaining that their requests from the Kurdish Regional Government for expert help have gone unanswered.
Residents are seeking a faster identification process and assistance in rebuilding the town, much of which is uninhabitable after more than a year of clashes and airstrikes.
The graves found over the weekend are believed to contain 80 to 100 bodies, Qasim Simo, the head of security in Sinjar, said on Sunday.
Two were uncovered to the east of the town and one was found within the western edges of Sinjar town itself.
Experts caution however, that properly counting and identifying the dead is a process that could take months and requires a controlled environment.
Local media reports showed some of the burial sites being excavated with heavy construction equipment.
At others, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were seen moving what appeared to be human remains into plastic garbage bags.
"The important thing is that the site is secure," said Kevin Sullivan of the International Commission on Missing Persons, an organisation that specialises in war crimes documentation, including the excavation of mass grave sites.
"The site needs to be controlled, for example, by police or under authority of a prosecutor and the bodies need to be exhumed in a systematic way with any identifying artifacts," as wallets and scraps of clothing, he said.
Careful record taking is key to being able to initiate war crimes proceedings in the future, he added.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223294/iraqis-find-three-more-mass-graves-in-formerly-is-held-sinjar
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Iraq tells civilians of ISIS-held Ramadi to leave
30 November 2015
Iraq’s military command has told civilians in the ISIS-held Ramadi to leave the city, a sign that an operation may soon be underway to retake the provincial capital.
Monday’s statement, broadcast on Iraqi state TV, says the Ramadi families are requested to leave the city from its southern, Himaira area. No further instructions or details were given.
It’s unclear if the long-awaited operation to recapture Ramadi is imminent.
The U.S.-led alliance carried out seven airstrikes near Ramadi on Saturday, targeting ISIS fighters, key positions and weapons caches.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/30/Iraq-tells-civilians-of-ISIS-held-Ramadi-to-leave.html
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Bahrain summons Iran envoy over Khamenei’s remarks
Nov 30, 2015
DUBAI: Bahrain’s foreign ministry has summoned Iran’s envoy and accused Tehran of interfering in its affairs after remarks by the Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, BNA state news agency said.
Iran’s acting charge d’affaires Hameed Shafee Zad was handed an official letter protesting the “blatant interference” in Bahrain’s internal affairs, BNA reported late on Saturday.
Khamenei’s remarks “carry an explicit incitement and reflect a clear determination to foment discord and fuel tensions in the region,” BNA quoted foreign ministry undersecretary Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla as saying.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223181/bahrain-summons-iran-envoy-over-khameneis-remarks
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Army Gains More Territory in Damascus Countryside
Nov 30, 2015
The Syrian soldiers regained control of new areas in Marj al-Sultan village and the area surrounding the airport in Damascus Countryside on Sunday.
Dozens of Takfiri terrorists were killed in the military operations.
On Saturday, at least 17 terrorists were killed and many more were injured in fierce clashes between the Takfiri militants and the pro-government forces in three key areas in Damascus countryside.
The Syrian Army and popular forces engaged in fierce clashes with the Takfiri terrorists near Marj al-Sultan village, al-Nashabyeh and Deir al-Asafir, which left many terrorists killed or wounded.
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000626
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UN official praises KSA’s efforts in combating drugs
30 November 2015
RIYADH: The Kingdom is moving in the right direction as far as combating drug trafficking and related crimes are concerned, a visiting UN official has said here.
Gillian Murray, deputy director, Division for Policy Analysis of the United Nations Office on Drugs, met Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Atram, assistant director of Narcotics Control and Operations.
Murray said she was in Riyadh to exchange experiences with the Kingdom in the field of narcotics control. The visit to the Kingdom is within the framework of the cooperation with the member countries to combat the drug menace, she added.
The UN official said her office is preparing for an extraordinary session next year to chalk out a clear-cut plan to be implemented till 2020.
Welcoming the visiting delegation, Al-Atram said the Kingdom and the UN have been cooperating to combat drug trafficking for a long time.
Abdelilah Mohammed Al-Sharif, secretary general of the National Committee for Narcotics Control and assistant director of Anti-Drug and Preventive Affairs, said the Kingdom signed the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs,(1961) in 1973.
The convention is an international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific (nominally narcotic) drugs and of drugs with similar effects, except under license for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research.
Its major effects included updating the Paris Convention of July 13, 1931 to include the vast number of synthetic opioids invented in the intervening 30 years and a mechanism for more easily including new ones, he said.
He recalled that the Kingdom also took part in the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971. It was a UN treaty designed to control psychoactive drugs such as amphetamine-type stimulants, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and psychedelics signed in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 21, 1971.
The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 could not ban the many newly discovered psychotropics because its scope was limited to drugs with cannabis, coca and opium-like effects.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/843141
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Africa
Pope: Christians, Muslims are ‘brothers’
November 30, 2015
BANGUI: Pope Francis on Monday said Christians and Muslims were “brothers”, urging them to reject hatred and violence on a visit to a mosque in a flashpoint Muslim neighbourhood of the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui.
“Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters,” he said in an address at the central Koudoukou mosque in the PK5 district on the most dangerous part of his 24-hour visit to the war-torn nation.
Full report at:
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2015/11/30/pope-christians-muslims-are-brothers/
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Blasts leave five dead in far north Cameroon
Nov 29, 2015
Five people have been killed in a double bomb attack in a town near Cameroon’s volatile far northern border with Nigeria.
Officials said the bombings were carried out in the town of Dabanga on Saturday.
The first blast was carried out by a female assailant inside a house while the second occurred when another female attacker blew up her explosives near a local store.
According to the governor of the far northern region, Midjiyawa Bakary, two Cameroonian soldiers were also seriously injured in the attacks.
Authorities said the two females were Nigerians who had entered Cameroon as refugees.
No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the deadly incident, but the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group, which is based in neighboring Nigeria, has carried out similar attacks in Cameroon.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/29/439558/Cameroon-Dabanga-bombing-Nigeria-Boko-Haram
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Pope Francis to end Africa trip with mosque visit
30 November 2015
Pope Francis is ending his three-nation African tour on Monday in Bangui by visiting a mosque located in a besieged Muslim enclave cut off by Christian militias, hoping to bridge the Central African Republic’s religious divide marked by three years of violence.
Healing rifts between Christian and Muslim communities has been a theme throughout Francis’ first visit to the continent, which has also taken him to Kenya and Uganda.
The pontiff’s two-day visit to the former French colony is taking place amid a surge in violence and has meant unprecedented security measures.
CAR’s United Nations peacekeeping mission brought in additional forces and has deployed over 3,000 soldiers in an attempt to secure the city during the pope’s visit. The government is also contributing around 500 police and gendarmes. French troops based in Bangui are also on alert.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2015/11/30/Pope-to-end-Africa-trip-with-mosque-visit.html
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Burkinabes vote to choose president in key election
Nov 29, 2015
Voters in Burkina Faso are heading to the polls to elect a new president and parliament after a year of political turmoil.
People formed long lines at voting stations in the capital, Ouagadougou, and other major cities across the West African country on Sunday morning.
The government figures show that some 5.5 million people are eligible to cast their votes to choose a new leader for the first time in almost three decades.
More than a dozen candidates are standing for the presidency and opinion polls suggest that Roch Marc Christian Kabore and Zephirin Diabre are the front-runners.
Hundreds of troops have been deployed across the African country to prevent any incident of violence.
The polls close at 18:00 GMT and electoral commission says provisional results must be known by Monday evening. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, a run-off vote will be held.
The people are hoping to turn the page after a year of turmoil during which they ousted long-time ruler Blaise Compaore and repelled a military coup. He was forced to flee the country following mass street protests in October 2014 against his bid to change the Constitution to extend his 27-year rule.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/29/439625/Burkina-Faso-Blaise-Compaorelast-Roch-Marc-Christian-Kabore-
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India
ISIS not Muslim, people of other faith defaming Islam: Assam leader
November 30, 2015
Agartala, Nov.30: Slamming the terror activities of Islamic State or ISIS, a Assam leader said that the ISIS is not a Islamic organisation but a group of people who are defaming Islam. “ISIS is not at all Muslims, rather these are people from other religion wearing masks and defaming Islam”, viewed Vice President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat H.R.A. Choudhury.
Speaking at the convention of Tripura State Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind Choudhury said, “I understand that these people (ISIS) are not Muslims at all. They are not Muslims and are from some other religion and wearing Muslim masks and doing all their activities.” (ALSO READ: South Indian Muslims more attracted to ISIS than North Indian Muslims, says Kiren Rijiju)
Choudhury, a senior advocate of Gauhati High Court and president of Samajwadi Party of Assam’s state committee, also believed that due to the destructive activities of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the entire Muslim community is affected globally and suspected to be involved or sympathiser of terrorist activities.
“Everyone is affected and questions are being raised (against Islam) due to the ISIS activities. Those who are doing all these in the name of the Koran and Allah are misusing the name of Koran and Allah. See no religion teaches all these ………. a real Muslim can never do all these things,” said Choudhury.
Full report at:
http://www.india.com/news/india/isis-not-muslim-people-of-other-faith-defaming-islam-assam-leader-746003/
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Maharashtra to soon roll out policy to combat terror threat
Nov 30, 2015
Soon after reports of some Muslim youth from Maharashtra being attracted to the ideology of Islamic State came to the fore, senior Home Department officials have confirmed that the Devendra Fadnavis government is in the final stages of rolling out a policy on deradicalisation, the main objective of which will be to dissuade Muslim youth from adopting extremist ideology.
The counter-radicalisation strategy will focus on bettering education, healthcare and civic amenities in minority-dominated areas to counter the threat posted by the Islamic State and other fundamentalist groups. Even as the Centre is working on a countrywide deradicalisation programme, Maharashtra is readying its own blueprint to combat the menace.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister even held a brainstorming meeting with various government departments regard this last week. In an acknowledgement of the development backlog in minority-dominated regions, the government’s policy, revealed sources, talks of increasing public spending in such regions and making coordinated efforts towards bettering water supply, sanitation facilities, healthcare, and transportation infrastructure in minority dominated belts of the state including Melagaon, Meraj, Bhiwandi among others. It further states that the goverment must take steps to “increase access to modern education” in Muslim-dominated backward belts to complement education in madrassas.
The government is also planning new scholarships to arrest the high drop-out ratio in these regions’ schools. There is also a plan to construct hostels in every district in the state, for young Muslim girls interested in pursuing higher education. The government is also planning to take steps to ensure that women doctors from the community are available in taluka-level government healthcare facilities in such pockets, an official said.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-to-soon-roll-out-policy-to-combat-terror-threat/
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Data on Muslims in police will no longer be public
by Zeeshan Sheikh
Mumbai
Nov 30, 2015
For the first time in 16 years, the Union Home Ministry has decided to stop making public information about Muslims serving in the police force.
Until last year, representation of SCs/STs and Muslims in the force was part of a chapter titled ‘Police Strength, Expenditure & Infrastructure’ in an annual report called ‘Crime in India’, published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
In the NCRB report for 2013, information about Muslims in the police force showed that there were 1.08 lakh Muslim policemen who accounted for 6.27 per cent of the total 17.31 lakh police strength in India.
Their representation had been falling — in 2007, they made up 7.55 per cent of the total force, and in 2012 they were 6.55 per cent.
Muslims were the only religious community in India whose representation in the force was separately provided in the NCRB report. In fact, such data was first made public in 1999 during the Vajpayee-led NDA government.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/data-on-muslims-in-police-will-no-longer-be-public/
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Madrasa row: Was abused by ustad, says Kerala filmmaker Ali Akbar
by Shaju Philip
Nov 30, 2015
Challenging the claim of Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliyar that Kerala madrasas were free from sexual abuse, a Malayalam film director said he was sexually exploited by an ustad (teacher) during his time in madrasa.
Film director Ali Akbar said that when he studied in Class IV at a madrasa in Wayanad district, the then ustad had sexually abused him. “That madrasa was run by Kanthapuram Musliyar. If Musliyar is willing to look into the issue, I am ready to give details of the ustad,’’ said Akbar.
His statements come after Muslim woman journalist V P Rajeena alleged that ustads abused girls and boys in the madrasa she was in.
Akbar alleged that the ustad sexually exploited every student in his class. “Sexual exploitation of children in madrasas is still going on. But, nobody is ready to speak out against it out of fear. When leaders like Kanthapuram Musliyar are heading the madrasa education system in Kerala, who would dare to complaint against an ustad,’’ asks Akbar.
The film director said that after the incident, he never attended madrasa. “That incident of abuse…in early 1970s haunted me for several years. Hence, I decided against sending my children to madrasa,’’ said Akbar.
He added: “After the experience from ustads, many students start abusing their classmates… Ustads create curiosity about sex in their class on whudu (ablution). After that, it is easy to trap children.’’
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/kerala-filmmaker-ali-akbar-says-he-was-also-abused-at-madrasa/
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Liberal Muslim Body in Kerala Raps Kanthapuram
30th November 2015
KOZHIKODE: Adding fuel to the ongoing gender equality controversy among Muslim outfits, Muslim Educational Society (MES) State president Dr Fazal Gafoor on Sunday said Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar was encouraging Sangh Parivar to beat Muslims.
Kanthapuram had said on Saturday that the calls for gender equality were aimed at destroying Islam. “Being a progressive organisation MES can’t approve such statements and the Muslim outfits should be up in arms against Kanthapuram on such views. Not only Hindu fundamentalism but Muslim fundamentalism also prevents social development of the country. It is time for secular parties and progressive organisations to resist such undesirable trends,” Gafoor said.
Full report at:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Liberal-Muslim-Body-in-Kerala-Raps-Kanthapuram/2015/11/30/article3153875.ece
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South Asia
U.S. Embassy warns possible attack within 48 hours in Kabul city
Nov 30 2015
Embassy of the United States in Kabul has warned a possible attack in the city within 48 hours.
“U.S. Embassy Kabul has received credible reports of an imminent attack in Kabul City, Kabul Province, Afghanistan within the next 48 hours,” according to a statement released by the embassy on Monday.
The embassy urges its citizens to exercise extreme caution while moving around the city during this period.
“During this period of heightened threat, the U.S. Embassy strongly urges U.S. citizens to exercise extreme caution if moving around the city. There were no further details regarding the targets, timing, or method of the planned attack,” the statement adds.
The statement further states that the security situation in Afghanistan is extremely unstable, and the threat to all U.S. citizens in Afghanistan remains critical.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/u-s-embassy-warns-possible-attack-within-48-hours-in-kabul-city-4371
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Suicide bomber targets Afghan election official in Kabul
Nov 30, 2015
KABUL: A suicide bomber targeted a senior member of Afghanistan's election commission during the morning rush hour in the capital Kabul on Saturday, killing his driver and wounding several passers by.
Abdul Rahman Rodwal, regional director at the country's Independent Election Commission, survived the attack in the Shah Shaheed area of eastern Kabul, police said.
No group has claimed responsibility but Taliban insurgents who are fighting to topple the foreign-backed Kabul government frequently carry out suicide and roadside bombings across the country.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1222900/suicide-bomber-targets-afghan-election-official-in-kabul
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West Bengal's Trinamool Congress in trouble over arrest of three ISI agents
2015-11-30
Five Urdu-speaking Muslims have been arrested in Kolkata so far since Friday, after police in Uttar Pradesh arrested a top Pakistani ISI agent Mohammed Ejaz alias Kalam from Meerut.
One of the five arrested in Kolkata is Muhammed Ashfaq Ansari, a student leader of the Trinamool Congress.
Ashfaq is accused of handing over secret documents, like naval designs smuggled out of the Garden Reach Shipbuilding docks in Kolkata port by his father Muhammed Irshad Ansari who worked as a 'contract labour' in the shipbuilding yard.
Ashfaq was the general secretary of the Trinamool Congress unit at Harimohan Ghosh College in the port area until about two months ago.
"We removed him from that position after we received allegations of his mastani (roughneck activities) in the area," said West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee.
Two years ago, Ashfaq was involved in clashes during a student union election at Harimohan Ghosh College, during which a police officer Taposh Choudhury was shot dead.
Trinamool Congress has earlier faced considerable flak over sending Ahmed Hassan Imran to Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on a party ticket, despite intelligence records suggesting he had been a vice-president of the now banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Imran is linked to the Saradha money laundering scam and stands accused for sending Saradha funds to the Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh.
JMB militants had set up a bomb-making factory at Khagragarh in Burdwan town next to the Trinamool party office, when an accidental bomb explosion there in Oct 2 last year blew the lid on their presence.
Irshad's confessions
"Irshad has confessed in preliminary interrogation on Sunday night that he stole designs of corvettes and patrol crafts designed and manufactured at the Garden Reach yards. He says the designs were handed over to their Pakistani handlers by Ashfaq," said a top official of the Intelligence Bureau.
Full report at:
http://bdnews24.com/neighbours/2015/11/30/west-bengal-s-trinamool-congress-in-trouble-over-arrest-of-three-isi-agents
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President Ghani, Nawaz Sharif to meet on the sideline of Climate Change Conference in Paris
Nov 30 2015
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is expected to meet with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on the sideline of the Climate Change Conference in French capital Paris.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah who was talking at the Council of Ministers on Monday said that political leaders who recently visited Kabul from Quetta and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province requested a meeting between President Ghani and PM Nawaz Sharif at the sideline of the climate change summit.
He said the request was accepted.
Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, head of Pakistan’s Qaumi Watan Party who was part of the delegation told reporters upon his return to Islamabad on Sunday that visit had achievements.
He said the stalled talks between the two countries would revive and would gradually move on.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/president-ghani-nawaz-sharif-to-meet-on-the-sideline-of-cop-21-in-paris-4368
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Siraj flays govt silence over executions in Dhaka
November 30, 2015
LAHORE
Vehemently condemning the executions of pro-Pakistan leaders in Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer, Senator Sirajul Haq, has said that there seems no difference between the rulers sitting in Dhaka and Islamabad.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina Wajid and the rulers in Islamabad have no difference over the issue of pro-Pakistani leaders in Bangladesh, he said while addressing a big demonstration on the Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, to protest against the oppression of the Dhaka regime. The JI Deputy Secretary General and former MNA Dr Farid Ahmed Piracha, also addressed the rally. A large number of women and children attended the rally.
Speaking on the occasion, Siraj said that the government of Hasina Wajid was executing the loyalists of Pakistan while the rulers in this country were silent spectators on that. He said that the youth and the aged people of Bangladesh had sacrificed their lives for this country but the rulers in Islamabad did not bother to raise this issue with the international fora that showed their indifference and their deviation from country’s ideology. He said the ruler’s talk of a liberal Pakistan was tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of the martyrs of Kashmir and Bangladesh. He said that those who had been executed in Bangladesh had not been fighting for power. Love of Pakistan and its ideology was part of their faith and they had offered their lives for the love of this country.
He said that Indian Prime Minister Modi had stated in Dhaka that he had reached Dhaka from Delhi with the Mukti Bahini to disintegrate Pakistan. He wondered why the Pakistani rulers could not approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Modi and Hasina Wajid for their violation of the tripartite agreement in 1971.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-5-354166-Siraj-flays-govt-silence-over-executions-in-Dhaka
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Bangladesh bloggers fear deadly backlash won't end soon
November 30, 2015
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Omi Rahman Pial has changed homes five times in the last three months. He hasn't seen his young daughter in weeks and is afraid to be seen on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital and home to several grisly killings of secular bloggers like him.
"I am a refugee in my own country," he said. "And under the threat of being killed, nowhere to go. Where should I go? So if you want to see the maximum punishment a blogger could get in Bangladesh, look at me."
Fear is running high following months in which four bloggers and three other people have been killed, allegedly by Islamist radicals. Many bloggers have gone into hiding, and some have left the country.
Authorities blame the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its main Islamist ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, saying they want to destabilize the country ahead of executions, expected late this year, of two influential politicians from the two parties for war crimes. Some of the victims were involved in a movement that has pressed for capital punishment for those politicians and several others for actions during the country's 1971 independence war against Pakistan. Two of the politicians have been executed.
The parties deny involvement in the killings, saying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government is pushing hard-liners to strike back by cracking down on its opponents. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility, but authorities deny that the Sunni extremist group has any presence in the South Asian country.
The blogger attacks have made many fear the rise of religious radicalism in this Muslim-majority nation known since independence for its secularism.
The first strike this year came in February when American-Bangladeshi blogger and writer Avijit Roy was hacked to death as he and his wife walked on the campus of Dhaka University. Then three other secular bloggers have been killed in daylight attacks in Dhaka and outside.
Early this fall, two foreigners — an Italian aid worker and a Japanese agriculture researcher — were killed within a week of each other. The IS group claimed responsibility, as it did Oct. 31, when assailants attacked two book publishers in their Dhaka offices; one died man died and three others were critically injured.
"I am scared. They may kill me anytime," Pial said in an apartment he shares with another blogger who has also gone into hiding, fearing for his life.
"I have not seen my 6-year-old daughter for weeks, my wife is safe for now as she is outside the country with a scholarship. I don't go outside for days," Pial said.
"It's a difficult time for us, for the nation. I don't know where we are heading to."
Pial often appears in television talk shows and stands against radical religious ideologies, war criminals and the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which he says should be banned for extremism and its stand against the country's independence. He views the killings by suspected radicals as part of a "pseudo-war" against the ongoing war-crimes proceedings, which he has advocated for years.
Full report at:
http://www.akronlegalnews.com/editorial/14026
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Mideast
Russian plane breached Israeli airspace, says minister
Nov 30, 2015
JERUSALEM: A Russian jet recently penetrated Israeli airspace but was not shot down thanks to an open communication system between the two countries, Israel’s defence minister said on Sunday as tensions continued to flare between Ankara and Moscow after Turkish troops downed a Russian warplane.
Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said the plane entered about a mile into Israeli airspace by “mistake” and immediately turned around back to Syria when the Russians were notified.
Yaalon told Israel Radio that after Russia announced its air campaign in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his military chief of staff and other officials, met Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Israel later opened a channel for coordination with Russia “to prevent misunderstandings”.
He said there has been one incident so far of a Russian plane entering Israeli airspace and it was “immediately corrected in the communications channel”. He didn’t say when it occurred.
“Russian planes don’t intend to attack us and therefore there is no need to automatically, even if there is some kind of mistake, shoot them down,” he said.
Yaalon’s remarks come amid a crisis between Ankara and Moscow after Turkey downed a Russian warplane.
Putin issued a decree on Saturday calling for sanctions against Turkey. It includes a ban on some goods and forbids extensions of labor contracts for Turks working in Russia as of Jan 1. It doesn’t specify what goods are to be banned or give other details, but it also calls for ending chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism companies to stop selling vacation packages that would include a stay in Turkey.
Putin also called for ending visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey and ordered the tightening of control over Turkish air carriers in Russia “for security reasons”. The decree was issued “to protect Russian citizens from crimes”, a Kremlin statement said.
The decree came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced regret over the incident, saying his country was “truly saddened” by the event and wished it hadn’t occurred.
Yaalon explained on Sunday that the Russians notify Israel ahead of time when they will get close to the country’s airspace.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223194/russian-plane-breached-israeli-airspace-says-minister
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16 dead in fighting for south Yemen province
29 November 2015
Yemeni loyalists supported by a Saudi-led coalition battled Sunday to oust Iran-backed militia group from a southern province where they have made gains in recent weeks, with at least 16 reported dead.
Ground fighting and air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition killed 12 Houthis in Daleh province, military sources said. Four loyalists were also killed.
Daleh is one of five southern provinces which the coalition-backed loyalists retook from the Houthis in a July offensive.
But the Houthis and their allies managed to recapture the province’s second-largest city, Damt, earlier this month.
In the oil-rich Marib province east of the capital Sanaa, coalition strikes on Houthis' military vehicles meanwhile killed eight militiamen, army sources there said.
Loyalists control Marib city but have so far failed to secure the rest of the province, the source of much of Yemen’s oil output.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/29/16-dead-in-fighting-for-south-Yemen-province.html
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Israel convicts two in murder of Palestinian teen
30 November 2015
An Israeli court on Monday found two Jewish defendants guilty of the 2014 murder of a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem, but held off on formally convicting a third man pending a psychological review, Israeli broadcasters said.
Mohammed Abu Khdeir was 16 years old when he was abducted, brutally attacked and burned alive by Israeli extremists in July of last year.
Israeli prosecutors soon charged three over the kidnapping and murder. One of the defendants being a 31-year-old from the West Bank settlement of Adam while the two others were 16-year-olds, one from Jerusalem and the other Beit Shemesh, an Israeli town west of Jerusalem. All were from the same family.
The court also delayed the verdict against the third suspect in the case, 31-year-old Yosef Haim Ben David, following a last-minute insanity disorder plea.
The two minors confessed to abducting, bludgeoning and burning Abu Khdeir in what they described as revenge for the killing days earlier of three Israeli youths.
The incidents touched off Israeli-Palestinian violence that culminated in the seven-week Gaza war.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/30/Israel-convicts-two-defendants-in-2014-murder-of-Palestinian-teen.html
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Thousands mourn Kurdish lawyer shot dead in Turkey
November 30, 2015
DIYARBAKIR - Tens of thousands of people on Sunday mourned the killing of a prominent Kurdish human rights lawyer in Turkey’s troubled southeast that has raised new tensions with its biggest ethnic minority.
Tahir Elci, one of the country’s best-known advocates for Kurdish rights, was killed on Saturday during a gun battle between police and unidentified gunmen in southeastern city of Diyarbakir while making a statement calling for calm. Two police were also killed. The death of Elci, who was the head of Diyarbakir Bar Association, triggered protests from Diyarbakir to Istanbul, where police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Some 50,000 people mourned as his casket draped in the red, yellow and green Kurdish flag and red carnations made its way through the streets of Diyarbakir - the biggest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast, an AFP correspondent reported.
Many colleagues including Metin Feyzioglu, head of the Turkish Bar Association, carried his coffin, while prayers and slogans echoed from the crowd, who had gathered behind a huge black banner that read: “We will never forget you.”
“Martyrs do not die, Tahir Elci is immortal,” demonstrators chanted in Kurdish.
Elci was killed by a single bullet to his head, but it was not clear whether the attack directly targeted the lawyer or whether he died in the crossfire during shooting between the assailants and police.
“We are very sad. It’s a bullet that targeted peace and orphaned an entire people. We owe him a lot because this person struggled for peace. All he wanted was peace,” said Diyarbakir resident Kadri Kavut, 47.
“One Tahir was lost but 1,000 other Tahirs will replace him,” said Mehmet Tekin, another mourner.
Turkey’s southeast has been hit by the worst violence in years after a two-year ceasefire between the Turkish government and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, collapsed in July.
Elci’s killing has triggered new tensions, with his supporters accusing the state of being behind the murder.
The lawyer had caused controversy by saying in an interview the PKK was not a “terrorist” organisation.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/30-Nov-2015/thousands-mourn-kurdish-lawyer-shot-dead-in-turkey
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General Soleimani: I'm Looking for Martyrdom
Nov 30, 2015
Speaking in an interview with the Arabi-language al-Waqt news and analysis website on Monday, General Soleimani referred to the killing of Iran's former ambassador to Beirut Qazanfar Roknabadi during the recent stampede in Saudi Arabia whose body was identified after DNA tests and repatriated to Tehran last week, and said his martyrdom in Mecca while fulfilling pilgrimage was a glorious end for him.
He described Roknabadi as a revolutionary figure, and said, "Roknabadi played an important role in safeguarding Lebanon's integrity against the Zionist regime's savage bombings during the 33-day war in summer 2006."
Asked about rumors about his injury or death in Syria spread by the terrorist groups and the Zionist media, General Soleimani said, "This what I have been looking for in all plains and mountains."
Syrian terrorists claimed earlier this month that they had killed Iranian Qods chief, the commander of Iranian forces in Iraq and Syria, Gen. Qassem Soleiman, in the fighting East of Aleppo. Their claim was not confirmed by any other source.
The Israeli Debka file also released the terrorists' rumor, claiming that they struck his car with a TOW missile.
But a well-placed source in the Iranian IRGC strongly rejected the rumors as "ridiculous", stressing that "the brave commander is alive and safe".
"General Soleimani is alive and safe," the source told FNA English after terrorist groups and an Israeli website claimed that the Iranian major general has been killed in Aleppo in Northern Syria.
"Such rumors have been spread by the terrorists due to the heavy blows that they have received from the Syrian forces led by the Iranian military advisors in different parts of Syria in the past two months and given General Soleimani's key role in their defeats," he added.
The source declined to mention where General Soleimani is stationed now, and stressed, "His whereabouts is always a top secret and only his team and a few top commanders who stand atop the chain of command know his real-time location."
"There is a very strict security protocol and a Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) to contact him, and his location is only known by very few people atop the chain of the command, who are responsible for coordinating the war on terrorism," he said.
"There is also a level two who come to know controlled information about him only after three days. These commanders come to be informed of such sensitive information during briefings and debriefings," the source told FNA.
"These tight security protocols are there for his security and due to the secret nature of his mission," he said. "Gen. Soleimani is not a commander in the battlefield who could be hunted. His case is totally different from martyr General Hamadani. He is the liaison of all fronts to coordinate war in Iraq and Syria and no wise person would ever send such a top leader to small battlefields."
Full report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940909000640
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Iran condemns West's 'double standards' in letter to youth
29 November 2015
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday condemned the West’s “double standards” in a letter to the youth of America and Europe following the Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
“Anyone who has benefited from affection and humanity is affected and disturbed by witnessing these scenes -- whether it occurs in France or in Palestine or Iraq or Lebanon or Syria,” he wrote in the letter, translated into English and French.
“It is correct that today terrorism is our common worry,” he said, while condemning the “contradictory policies” of the United States in “creating, nurturing and arming Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and their inauspicious successors”.
“The military invasions of the Islamic world in recent years - with countless victims - are another example of the contradictory logic of the West,” Khamenei argued.
“The pain that the Islamic world has suffered in these years from the hypocrisy and duplicity of the invaders is not less than the pain from the material damage,” he said.
So long as “double standards dominate Western policies” and “terrorism... is divided into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ types” and “governmental interests are given precedence over human values and ethics, the roots of violence should not be searched for in other places”.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/29/Iran-condemns-West-s-double-standards-in-letter-to-youth.html
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Houthi militia chief’s brother killed in Yemen
29 November 2015
An airstrike has killed Ibrahim Badr Al-Houthi - the brother of Abdulmalik al-Houthi, near a Yemeni border area, Al Arabiya News channel reported on Sunday.
The airstrike targeted the Houthi leader in Al-Saifi area in the northwestern city of Saada. Eight other leadership figures in the Iran-backed militia group were also killed in the airstrike.
The news come as Yemeni loyalists supported by the Saudi-led coalition battled Sunday to oust the Houthis from a southern province where they have made gains in recent weeks, with at least 16 reported dead.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/29/Brother-of-Houthi-militia-chief-killed-near-Yemen-border.html
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Europe
Polish Muslims rally against racism and terrorism
November 30, 2015
POZNAN - Hundreds of people protested in the Polish city of Poznan on Sunday against terrorism and racism, in one of the first such demonstrations called by Muslim leaders in the overwhelmingly Catholic country.
Around 300 demonstrators gathered in the centre of the western city carrying banners reading “Muslims against terrorism” and “Stop racism”.
Poland, where 90 percent of the 38 million population is Catholic, is estimated to have around 15,000 to 25,000 Muslims. “We condemn all forms of terrorism and we express our solidarity with the French people and all victims of terrorist attacks around the world,” said Youssef Chadid, the imam of Poznan who organised the rally.
He said some Polish people were “very racist” and thought all Muslims were terrorists. “So we are protesting today against terrorism and racism,” he said.
Poland’s new conservative government has taken a tough stance on Europe’s migrant crisis, refusing to take in refugees under the EU’s redistribution programme.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/30-Nov-2015/polish-muslims-rally-against-racism-and-terrorism
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Spain divided on joining anti-ISIL strikes
29 November 2015
Spaniards are divided on whether Spain should take part in the international military campaign in Syria against the ISIL group, with just over half, 54, percent, opposed, a poll published Sunday showed.
About a third, 35 percent, are in favour of joining the military campaign in Syria and the rest were undecided, according to the poll published in El Mundo newspaper.
The poll -- carried out after the November 13 suicide bomb and shootings in Paris -- also found that 83 percent of Spaniards believed a Paris-style attack could happen in Spain, suggesting that national security could emerge as a theme for a December 20 general election.
Another poll published Saturday in the conservative daily La Razon showed 69 percent of Spaniards wanting Spain to help France "in its fight against terrorism".
By contrast with the poll in El Mundo the survey showed more people supporting Spain "bombing the terrorists in Syria" than not, with 49.3 percent in favour compared with 43.6 percent against.
Several thousand people marched Saturday in Madrid against Spanish involvement in the Syrian conflict as conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy stressed he would not rush into a decision.
"No to war," chanted the demonstrators who gathered rallied outside the Reina Sofia museum in the Spanish capital. The organisers estimated their number at around 6,000.
With elections looming, Rajoy's government has been holding off on any decision on whether Spain will join France, the United States and others in airstrikes against ISIL strongholds in Syria.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/166841/spain-divided-on-joining-anti-isil-strikes
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Moscow imposes sanctions against Turkey
29 November 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an executive order imposing economic sanctions against Turkey following the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish jets on Nov. 24.
According to a statement issued by the Kremlin Saturday, Putin signed the order imposing a ban on economic operations of several organizations under the jurisdiction of Turkey as well as a temporary limitation on certain goods originating from Turkey.
The order also prohibits the employment of Turkish citizens by Russian employers as of Jan. 1, 2016. The prohibition will exclude employees who have already been officially hired as of Dec. 31, 2015.
The sanctions include the unilateral suspension of the visa-free regime for Turkish nationals traveling to Russia starting in 2016. Russian travel agencies are also to suspend the sale to Russian citizens of products that consider visiting Turkey.
The order excluded Turkish citizens who have temporary or permanent residence permits in Russia, as well as Turkish citizens -- including their family members -- who have been assigned to diplomatic representations and consulates.
The sanctions also introduced a ban on charter flights between Russia and Turkey. Moreover, security control on Turkish ships within Russian waters in the Sea of Azov and in the Black Sea would be enhanced.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry asked early on Saturday its citizens to delay non-urgent and non-significant trips to Russia amid strained relations between the two countries.
Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol intercepted an unidentified warplane on Nov.24 within engagement rules when it intruded into Turkish airspace on the Syria border.
The intruding aircraft was warned about the violation 10 times within five minutes before it was shot down.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/166826/moscow-imposes-sanctions-against-turkey
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Obama visits Paris attack site, pays tribute to victims
30 November 2015
President Barack Obama laid a rose at a memorial on Monday night for the victims of the Paris attacks shortly after arriving in the city, visiting the Bataclan concert hall, one of the locations of the onslaught that left 130 people dead on Nov. 13.
Obama, who is in town for international talks to curb climate change, was joined at the site by French President Francois Hollande not long after Air Force One touched down around midnight local time.
The surprise nighttime visit to the memorial did not appear on Obama’s public schedule. He has made a concerted effort to show U.S. solidarity with France after the attacks.
He and Hollande agreed during a meeting in Washington last week to ramp up military operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq and coordinate intelligence on domestic threats.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/11/30/-Obama-visits-Paris-attack-site-pays-tribute-to-victims.html
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Pakistan
Suspected Muslims Burn Christian TV Station in Pakistan
November 29, 2015
In what could be one of the most heartbreaking attacks against Christianity in the Pakistani town of Karachi, a Christian TV station has been reduced to ashes by masked men who are suspected to be Muslims.
According to Breitbart, the fire started to consume the entire building at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, with the masked men spotted by some sources fleeing the arson scene.
Gawahi TV is a Christian TV station that sits in the middle of a Muslim majority community, and while it aims to spread the good news of Jesus through news stories and corresponding, it seems the Muslims are not pleased with the station's activities.
One of the employees, who was among the people who probably lost their jobs after the fire destroyed the entire complex asked, "How could anyone do this? I saw with my tears-filled eyes the Holy Bible's pages blackened by the fire. How could their heart allow them to set ablaze this truth?"
Previous reports state that the television station has received multiple threats from Muslim radicals, and according to the reports, the local authorities have done nothing but fail to provide the necessary protection that the station requested after having been threatened by a community that sees Christianity as a sin.
Full report at:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/suspected-muslims-burn-christian-tv-station-in-pakistan-151139/
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Sectarian harmony, religious tolerance vital for coexistence: Ashrafi
Nov 30, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Key to solution to the growing problem of sectarian intolerance lies with religious scholars.
This was said by Maulana Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council and a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology. He said the council had prepared a 14-point code of conduct for religious organisations to curb sectarian violence. He claimed that representatives of all religions and sects had approved the code which would be discussed in the next meeting of the council.
Talking to APP on Sunday, Maulana Ashrafi said that the proposed code of conduct stressed the need for regular seminars and sermons during Friday prayers for promoting sectarian harmony and peace. It calls upon religious parties to avoid violence in the name of religion.
The code says that no sect can be termed infidel.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223234/sectarian-harmony-religious-tolerance-vital-for-coexistence-ashrafi
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JUI-F pledges full support to army against any external aggression
M.B. KALHORO
Nov 30, 2015
LARKANA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, addressing what appeared to be one of the biggest gatherings organised by the party in Sindh, on Sunday threw his party’s weight behind the army chief “in defending every inch of the country’s territory” in the face of a threat from the US and its allies.
Besides him, a host of leaders including Senate Deputy Chairman Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidery, Maulana Saeed Yousuf, Maulana Mohammed Amjad Khan, Syed Salman Gillani, Nayab Sarkash Sindhi (of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz), Qari Mohammed Usman, Malik Sikandar (from Balochistan), Rashid Mehmood Soomro and Nasir Mehmood Soomro spoke to the participants at the gathering titled ‘Shaheed-i-Islam conference’ held to pay tribute to JUI-F leader Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro on his first death anniversary.
The conference was held in the Peoples Stadium which was packed with JUI-F leaders, activists and supporters who came from across the country. Delegations from from other countries including the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar and Dubai also participated in the conference.
The JUI-F chief paid tribute to Dr Soomro for his services to Islam, the Ummah and Pakistan, and strongly condemned his assassination which, he said, was part of the West’s conspiracy to replace Muslim rulers with liberal ones around the world. He also made mention of terrorist attacks on himself, Akram Khan Durrani and other JUI-F leaders as well as ulema over the past few years in the country.
“We see the current Russia-Turkey tension with concern. Turkey, which is on the path of progress and development is being pushed into a war. The ongoing military strikes by Western forces are targeted against Asia and aimed at weakening Asian states’ economies. Actually, it’s a war for economic interests,” Maulana Fazl told the audience. In this context, he referred to the West’s military adventures in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and other Islamic states.
“The US-led Europe is bent upon snatching Islamic states’ right to rule over their respective territories. It has unleashed a propaganda based on wrong perception of Islam,” he said.
Maulana Fazl said his party valued China’s friendship with Pakistan. “We as an independent country must have a political and economic system of our own choice and the JUI-F wants the state to run it without any external influence,” said the Maulana.
Liberalism and extremism
The JUI-F chief lashed out at liberalism and liberal forces within Pakistan, and observed that the forces advocating and supporting liberalism and secularism failed to maintain their foothold within their areas of influence for long.
Turning to neighbouring India, Maulana Fazl said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was losing his popularity due to the wave of religious extremism in his country. He in the same breath added that religious institutions, ulema and their followers were also enduring undue pressures.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223187/jui-f-pledges-full-support-to-army-against-any-external-aggression
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Zardari calls for preventing misuse of ‘religion-based’ laws
AMIR WASIM
Nov 30, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has stressed the need for stopping misuse of “religion-based laws” and vowed that his party will continue its struggle to build a progressive, egalitarian and democratic Pakistan, despite all odds.
“We will continue our struggle to ensure that religion-based laws are not misapplied to stifle dissent, haunt minorities or hound vulnerable and weak sections of Muslims in the name of faith,” he said in a message on the eve of the 49th founding day of the PPP falling on Monday (today).
“The party wants to make Pakistan a welfare state where the motivating force and rationale for state policies is welfare of people and nothing else,” he said.
Know more: Zardari weighs option to take charge of PPP-P
The former president said that “Bhuttoism” was the name of an ideology and the founding day of the Pakistan People’s Party was an occasion to celebrate it. “It is also an occasion to renew our pledge to empower people, emancipate women, integrate minorities in the national mainstream and strengthen democratic institutions.”
Motivated by the ideology of Bhuttoism, the previous PPP government restored the unanimous Constitution of 1973, opened doors of political reforms and participation in tribal areas, took militants head on, launched a massive poverty alleviation programme, made workers share-holders in state-run enterprises and improved the lot of minorities, he said.
Claims PPP wants to make Pakistan a welfare state where the motivating force for state policies is welfare of people and nothing else
Paying tribute to political workers, Mr Zardari said that democracy had survived and flourished on their sweat, blood and tears. “It is because of activists’ sacrifices that dictatorship has not been able to take roots in Pakistan.
“The epic struggle for safeguarding democracy and democratic institutions and empowering people will continue,” he said.
The PPP leadership has decided to cancel the traditional party gathering held every year in Lahore to mark its founding day, depriving diehard PPP workers of an opportunity to interact with their young leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Earlier, the party leadership had announced that Bilawal would attend the party convention in Lahore and announce a new strategy for the party and guidelines for its activists.
But later the PPP announced that it had decided not to hold any main event on the founding day because of ongoing local government elections in Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan People’s Party Vice-President Sherry Rehman said that since the third phase of the elections in the two provinces was scheduled to be held on Dec 5, it would be difficult for leaders and office-bearers of the party to leave their areas at this crucial time.
Last year too, the party had announced that Bilawal would make his address to the party’s major annual event, but at the eleventh hour, he was asked to stay in London and the ceremony was addressed by his father Asif Zardari.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223244/zardari-calls-for-preventing-misuse-of-religion-based-laws
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Developed countries more responsible for tackling climate change, says Nawaz
Nov 30, 2015
PARIS: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said that with the developed countries having more responsibility in tackling the climate change challenges, Pakistan was ready to contribute in the global efforts.
“Though Pakistan has minimum level of carbon emissions, we will contribute in the global efforts to tackle the climate change issues,” Nawaz said in a brief chat with the media soon after his arrival in Paris to attend the two-week 21st UN Climate Change Conference being opened in the French capital on Monday.
Nawaz will deliver his speech on November 30, opening day of the two-week event, which is scheduled to be attended and addressed by 147 world leaders, including United States President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
To a question, the prime minister said that Pakistan would not let come any hurdle in its development process.
“We will present our point of view before the world and will also listen to the point of view of other countries,” he added.
The prime minister will also hold meetings with other world leaders on the sidelines of the conference.
Zahid Hamid, the newly appointed Minister of Climate Change will lead the Pakistani team during the two week negotiations, comprising federal and provincial government officials. A dozen or so representatives of leading non-governmental organisations and civil society groups will also participate in the conference.
During his visit to Malta, Premier Nawaz Sharif participated in the 24th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The prime minister was seen off at Luqa International Airport by senior officials of the Malta government. Pakistan's Ambassador for Tunisia resident in Malta Zaheer Pervaiz Khan was also present.
During his stay in Malta's capital Valletta, Nawaz participated in CHOGM's multiple sessions on violent extremism and radicalism, climate change, Sustainable Development Goals and migration.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223104/developed-countries-more-responsible-for-tackling-climate-change-says-nawaz
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JI leader calls for starting work on CPEC’s western route
Nov 30, 2015
QUETTA: The provincial chief of Jamaat-i-Islami in Balochistan, Maulana Abdul Haque Hashmi, has urged the government to immediately start construction work on the western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Speaking at a ceremony in Loralai on Sunday, he said that the CPEC would prove to be a game changer as far as economic development was concerned and bring progress and prosperity to all countries in the region.
The JI leader said that all segments of society needed to play their role for the eradication of corruption from the country. He said that insecurity in Balochistan had contributed to decline in provincial economy, adding that peace was a must for a boost in economic activities.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223238/ji-leader-calls-for-starting-work-on-cpecs-western-route
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The End of Education concludes
SHAZIA HASAN
Nov 30, 2015
KARACHI: Education, various forms of media and technology remained at the heart of all the panel discussions, talks, debates, presentations and interactive sessions on the second and final day of School of Tomorrow’s International Education and Cultural Festival ‘The End of Education’ organised by Beaconhouse School Systems at a hotel here on Sunday.
The keynote speech by Roger Schank, professor emeritus at the Northwestern University, on ‘School is not working’ proved enlightening when he offered suggestions such as shutting down high schools, stop preparing students for college and eliminating testing. Cheers and applause followed his every suggestion.
One of the panel discussions asked if media and technology controlled global thinking. Researcher and lecturer Dr Carl Olson said that an unthinking acceptance of whatever the media offered was very dangerous.
Vice Chancellor of LUMS Dr Sohail H. Naqvi compared the media to computerised tomography. “You can’t judge a patient’s condition by looking at just one image of a slice of the brain. You have to look at all the angles to ascertain the problem. Similarly, one can’t base his or her impression by just looking at one point of data shown through the media to get the complete picture,” he said.
Dr David Cole from the United States said that for his generation, the changes in the media happened slowly. “Before television, we listened to the radio and before the radio we had telephones. So for us the changes weren’t so rapid unlike today where you see new changes and discoveries in media taking place every few months,” he said. “Today, we see something on the Internet and think it must be true as it was on the net. But we can’t be passive receivers of information coming our way through the various forms of media.” He said instead of allowing the media to use you, you should use it instead.
Throwing more light on that, Dr Naqvi brought up the example of India. “India also has dirty streets and people living in terrible conditions but on their channels and in their monies they show beautiful homes and lovely sceneries fooling the world into thinking what a great land it is. If you don’t take advantage of your media, someone else will use it against you,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Olson said that when he posted on social media that he was going to Pakistan, he got reactions like “stay safe, look out and are you crazy!” He said that if he had been influenced by them, he would not have been present at the conference.
Another session focussed on the right to privacy, social norms and where to draw the line with journalists and activists Afia Salam and Gibran Nasir, actor Adnan Malik and fashion designer Hasan Sheheryar as the panelists.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223161/the-end-of-education-concludes
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Sikh pilgrims return home
Nov 30, 2015
LAHORE: A number of Sikh pilgrims on Sunday returned home, urging governments of both India and Pakistan to end all sorts of visa restriction by opening borders for pilgrims in particular and the public in general.
Over 2,500 Sikh pilgrims, who had arrived in Lahore (Pakistan) on Nov 20 for a 10-day tour to participate in the 547th birth anniversary of Baba Gurunanak in Nankana Sahib district, returned India by three special trains.
Before departure, they appreciated the Pakistan government for facilitating them.
“We desire that Pakistan end visa restrictions for pilgrims, enabling us to visit temples of our gurus. And India too should end visa restrictions for Pakistani devotees,” deputy group leader Sardar Gurbachan Singh said while talking to media at the Lahore Railway Station.
Pilgrims group leader Sardar Gurmeet Singh said arrangements were really appreciable as the government did a lot for them.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1223255/sikh-pilgrims-return-home
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Dr Asim accepts corruption, terrorism charges
November 30, 2015
Former Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain has confessed to his crimes under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Waqt News reported. “He has accepted all corruption charges and assistance to the terrorism,”police sources told the media.
According to media sources Dr Asim has been presented to the City Court in Karachi. “Police will ask the court to extend his remand,” media reported.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/national/30-Nov-2015/dr-asim-confesses-his-crimes
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Southeast Asia
Three of country’s top leaders on IS hit list, Hishammuddin says
November 30, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — Three top Malaysian leaders are on the terror group Islamic State's (IS) hit list, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.
The defence minister made the revelation in an interview with The Star ahead of next month’s Umno General Assembly, but did not disclose the identities of said leaders.
While the identities of the leaders were not made known, The Star reported that the trio could possibly be Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Hishammuddin himself.
“They are trying to scare us and hijack the true face of Islam.
“I am relieved and proud the world leaders who were here for the summit came and went without incident. I congratulated the military and the police the very next day,” he was quoted as saying, referring to the recent Asean summit which was held in KL.
Hishammuddin recently said he was on the IS list after attending a ministerial summit in March.
“It is not like the draw of al-Qaeda or Jemaah Islamiyah. They are different from other terrorist groups, they have the money, arms and sophisticated communications especially in the social media.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/three-of-countrys-top-leaders-on-is-hit-list-hishammuddin-says
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Muslim religious teacher to remain as principal of Christian-majority school, director says
BY SULOK TAWIE
November 30, 2015
KUCHING, Nov 30 — Religious teacher Roslin Che Mood will remain as principal of Christian Dayak-dominated SMK Sungai Paoh for now despite initial protests by parents, Sarawak education director Rakayah Madon said today.
“But I believe that he will not be there forever. It could be for a short period,” she told reporters.
“He will stay put for a while as what Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem had told me. He had told me to let Roslin be there first,” she said after attending the opening of SK Matu Baru at Kampung Bintawa Hilir here by Federal Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar here.
“The chief minister had also told me that Roslin should not be disturbed in discharging his duties and responsibilities as principal of the school,” she said, adding the chief minister had summoned her after parents and Dayak groups had protested against the appointment.
She also received reports that there was no longer any complaints from the parents against the appointment after Adenan had assured them he would intervene in the appointment if doing so would benefit the students.
Adenan, responding to outrage expressed by Dayak parents of the students as well as Dayak-based groups, had pledged to intervene, but stressed that he would first find out more details about the appointment and Roslin’s background.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/muslim-religious-teacher-to-remain-as-principal-of-christian-majority-schoo
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Indonesia: a vision of a peaceful post-Islamofascist worl
30th Nov 2015
AS the threat from Isis grows starker, the caliphate's intellectual underpinnings have become clear: the missionary efforts of Wahhabi preachers, fuelled by tens of billions of dollars of Saudi oil money, that have saturated the Muslim world in the past 40 years.
This is the rigid, medieval version of Islam which decrees that infidels be killed and their womenfolk violated - that such behaviour is the devout Muslim's religious duty.
Millions of Muslims, praying in the ugly mosques built with Saudi money, have absorbed this hate-ridden version of the religion with their mothers' milk.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his followers are piously putting it into practice, with the results that we see.
It is not only the Shia, the Christians and the Yazidis who are suffering in consequence; the Sufis of Afghanistan and Kashmir and the Muslims of northern India, whose religious practices are intertwined with Hinduism, have been forced into silence.
Great artists like the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the legendary qawwali singer of Pakistan, are condemned as un-Islamic by imams for whom all music is the Devil's work.
Against this background of atrocity and intolerance, a very large Muslim organisation in the world's most populous Muslim country this week declared that the time has come to fight back.
Nahdlatul Ulama, an Indonesian Muslim organisation, claims to have 50 million members, more than one in four of Indonesia's Muslims.
This week it released a feature-length film, The Divine Grace of East Indies Islam, which, from a foundation of Sunni theological orthodoxy, challenges Isis head on.
Against Isis footage of prisoners being marched to a river bank, shot in the head and dumped in the water, the soundtrack declares, ''Many who memorise the Koran... love to condemn others as infidels while ignoring their own infidelity to God, their hearts and minds mired in filth.''
''We are directly challenging the idea of Isis, which wants Islam to be uniform, meaning that if there is any other idea of Islam that is not following their ideas, those people are infidels who must be killed,'' Yahya Cholil, general secretary of the organisation's supreme council, told the New York Times. ''We will show that is not the case with Islam.''
Like European countries with large Muslim populations, Indonesia has suffered its share of terrorism from the Islamofascists, most notoriously the Bali bombings of 2005 (180 dead) and 2015 (seven dead), which were aimed at foreign tourists.
Non-Sunni Muslims and minority religions have also been targeted, with churches forced to close, Shia Muslims attacked, and Ahmadiyya Muslims, stigmatised as heretics, harassed and intimidated.
In the province of Aceh, where coastal areas were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami, with the loss of more than 230,000 lives, Saudi-style Islamism has taken root.
Fundamentalists interpreted the tsunami as God's punishment for sinful behaviour, and the imposition of Sharia law followed, with corporal punishment for gambling and drinking alcohol and women obliged to wear headscarves in public and other repressive measures. But Aceh has always been exceptional: as the spot where Islam arrived in South East Asia in the 15th century, it has always been the most religiously conservative part of the country.
The rest of the country continues to hold out against such policies.
The main island of Java was a major centre of both Hinduism and Buddhism for more than a millennium before Islam swept all before it, and the Indonesians continue to take pride in the richness of their cultural heritage: the extraordinary ninth century Buddhist complex at Borobudur, near Yogyakarta, survives, despite bombs in the 1980s and recent threats by Isis to destroy it, and continues to stage performances of the Ramayana, the Hindu epic.
''Islam,'' VS Naipaul wrote in 1981 in his book Among the Believers, ''which had come only in the 15th century, was the formal faith.
But the Hindu-Buddhist past, that had lasted for 1,400 years before that, survived in many ways - half erased, slightly mysterious, but still awesome, like Borobudur itself. And it was this past which gave Indonesians... the feeling of their uniqueness.'' The rich, even baffling diversity of Indonesia's past is matched by the complexity of its present, and makes it more comfortable in a globalised world than countries like Saudi Arabia, glued to a one-dimensional tradition of zealotry.
Full report at:
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/indonesia-vision-peaceful-post-islamofascist-world/2856583/
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Tee to Malays: Unite against anti-BM moves
November 30, 2015
PETALING JAYA: The Malays must unite against the onslaught of those seeking to rob them of their identity and political power by undermining the role of Bahasa Malaysia as the language of the nation, says controversial preacher Ridhuan Tee Abdullah in his latest article in Sinar Harian.
He says the Malays’ real enemies are not fellow Malays who happen to be political adversaries, but the “ultra kiasu,” a term he defines for the purpose of the article as “those who want to destroy the Malays and Islam.”
Anticipating critics who would refer to his Chinese origin and accuse him of presumptuousness, he says, “When I say ‘Malays,’ I mean ‘Muslims’ of course.”
He says recent attempts to reduce the importance of Bahasa were part of an effort to weaken the Malays.
He concedes that it is not easy to unite the Malays, but says he notices that Malays across the political divide, “including a handful from PKR,” have recently shown that “they are becoming more aware of who their friends and enemies are.”
He urges government agencies and Malay NGOs to strive to become similarly “mature.”
“How unfortunate that this country, which originated from Malay statehood, may lose its identity so easily because of evil influences,” he says.
Tee reminds his readers of Bahasa Malaysia’s role as a tool to unite the people, citing Sabah’s effort to promote its use. “Sabah is on the right track in empowering the language without neglecting English,” he says. Probably referring to Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, he adds, “That is how a real statesman should act, as befit a future prime minister.”
Full report at:
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/11/30/tee-to-malays-unite-against-anti-bm-moves/
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North America
Obama accepted $1.3mn in gifts from Saudis in 2014: Report
Nov 29, 2015
The former Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and other top officials showered the Obama family with more than $1.3 million in gifts throughout 2014, according to the US State Department.
In its annual accounting report released this week, the State Department revealed that on January 14, 2014, the American president received a “gold and silver men’s wristwatch with leather band,” valued at $18,400.
The monarch gave Obama another “white gold men’s wristwatch with leather band,” in April with a price tag of $67,000.
The president received a “48-inch gold-plated brass replica of the Mecca Clock Tower on marble base” in March with an estimated price of $57,000 – roughly matching the annual income of a median American family.
On January 14, 2014, King Abdullah, who died earlier this year at the age of 90, gave Obama’s wife a “diamond and emerald jewelry set including necklace, earrings, ring and bracelet,” costing $560,000.
The first lady received another exquisite set of the same gifts which was worth a tad higher at around $570,000.
King Abdullah did not forget Obama’s daughters, sending them a “diamond and emerald jewelry set including earrings, necklace, ring, brooch, and wristwatch,” along with a “Diamond and ruby jewelry set including earrings, necklace, ring, brooch, and wristwatch,” priced $80,000.
In 2014, Obama received about 30 bottles of wine, a staple of presidential gifting, plus one cognac valued at $615.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/29/439635/Obama-Gifts-Saudi-King-Abdullah-Michelle
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Trump says won’t take back remark on Muslims ‘cheering’ 9/11 attacks
November 30, 2015
WASHINGTON - US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump insisted on Sunday he was “100 percent right” when he said he saw Muslims in Jersey City, New Jersey, cheering the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center even though fact-checkers have debunked his claim.
In a phone interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said he was getting an “unbelievable response” from “hundreds” of people who told him they also saw televised Muslim celebrations of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in Manhattan.
“I saw it. So many people saw it. And, so, why would I take it back? I’m not going to take it back,” said Trump, who has been among the most vocal of the Republican candidates in the race for the November 2016 election in expressing skepticism about Muslims living in the United States.
Trump came under fire last week after making remarks at a rally and in a nationally televised appearance that he had seen thousands of people in Jersey City cheer the collapse of the Twin Towers in Manhattan.
On Saturday, he appeared to reframe his words by saying the sentiment was shared worldwide.
Full report at:
http://nation.com.pk/international/30-Nov-2015/trump-says-won-t-take-back-remark-on-muslims-cheering-9-11-attacks
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