Combating Extremist And Terrorist Ideology: More than 300 Twitter Hashtags ‘Targeted Saudi Arabia’ in a Month

More than 300 Twitter Hashtags ‘Targeted Saudi Arabia’ in a Month

25 August 2013

Over 300 Twitter hashtags targeting the Kingdom and its people have been registered in just one month by the Sakina program combating extremist and terrorist ideology, which is run by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, according to the program’s director.

Speaking to Al-Watan newspaper, Abdul Monem Al-Mashooh said: “The hashtags were made by unknown people who know what they are doing and are following up closely the current events in the region.” He said over 17,000 tweets reacted to these hashtags.

“This number should be taken into consideration and should not be ignored even though it increased suddenly before vanishing. Although these hashtags failed to achieve their goals, they succeeded in stirring a limited number of people, a matter which should be dealt with carefully,” he added.

He regretted the fact that several accounts on Twitter acknowledged and interacted with the hashtags without verifying their sources and real purposes.

“Everyone should realize very well that this is a battle against the Kingdom and it should be fought with great wisdom. Our religion, security, unity and minds are targeted. Reforms and advice are a must but those who wish evil to this country and hate us should not play any role in the process of reform and advice.” Al-Mashooh said the hashtags were made from unknown Twitter accounts that are run by people who want to wreak havoc and chaos in the Kingdom in order to achieve their goals.

“They care about nothing but instigating sedition, exaggerating mistakes, and filling people’s minds with hatred. They have been trained to create an environment conducive to chaos,” he warned.

Al-Mashooh said most Twitter users in the Kingdom realize that such hashtags come from foreign sources.

“Most people refuse such hashtags because they go against the Shariah. People realize what happened to other countries whose people listened to the calls for chaotic revolutions,” he said while emphasizing the importance of countering such hashtags with wisdom.

The Sakina program plays a weak role in countering such extremist ideologies on social networking sites because it does not have enough capabilities, Al-Mashooh pointed out. He called for setting up a center to study such hashtags and other posts on social networking sites.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/2013/08/24/More-than-300-Twitter-hashtags-targeted-Saudi-Arabia-in-a-month.html

----------

Fiery Friday Sermon Sparks Skirmishes In Riyadh Mosque

 Aug 25 2013

RIYADH – The Ministry of Islamic Affairs will start an investigation into skirmishes that broke out between worshipers following a highly politicised Friday sermon at a mosque in Riyadh.

Hamad Al-Hoqail, the imam who delivered the controversial sermon at Al-Firdous Mosque in Al-Nahda neighborhood of eastern Riyadh, was temporarily banned from delivering the Friday sermon, according to a report in Al-Hayat Arabic daily.

The imam’s prayer against Egypt’s Defense Minister and Army Chief Gen. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad infuriated several Egyptian expatriates who came to offer Friday prayers.

Initially, an Egyptian expatriate clashed with a Saudi man, which in turn resulted in two groups of faithful being involved in a scuffle.

Eventually, several Egyptian worshipers boycotted the sermon. When the call for prayer was made, the situation quickly returned to normal and all worshipers joined the prayer, the newspaper reported.

Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Alsheikh, assistant undersecretary for mosque affairs at the ministry, said the ministry has decided to investigate whether the imam was really responsible for the skirmish.

“The ministry will start investigation into the incident on Sunday. We will not allow anybody to politicize Friday sermons or misuse them to settle political scores,” he said.

Al-Alsheikh said the ministry is keen to ensure that mosque pulpits are only used for fulfilling the religious mission of promoting virtue and guiding people onto the right path.

“Pulpits should not be misused for pushing political agenda. The ministry will investigate the matter and determine whether the sermon was really responsible for the skirmishes between worshipers,” he said.

“Mosque imams and preachers have been instructed not to include any political or sectarian issues in their sermons. Repeat offenders of the regulations will have their services terminated,” he added

According to Al-Alsheikh, the matter will be referred to the specialized Shariah committee under the ministry.

“The imam will be barred from offering Friday sermons until the conclusion of the investigation. He will be allowed to resume giving sermons if it is found that he did not violate the ministry’s rules,” Al-Alsheikh said.

He emphasized those using mosque pulpits to settle political scores would be tantamount to sedition.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130825178115

----------

355 dead after Syria 'chemical' attack: NGO

August 24, 2013

Syrian state media accused rebels of using chemical arms against government troops in clashes Saturday near Damascus, while an international aid group said it has tallied 355 deaths from the purported chemical weapons attack earlier this week. Doctors Without Borders said three hospitals

it supports in the eastern Damascus region reported receiving roughly 3,600 patients with "neurotoxic symptoms" over less than three hours on Wednesday morning, when the attack in the eastern Ghouta area took place.

Of those, 355 died, said the Paris-based group. Death tolls have varied over the alleged attack, with Syrian anti-government activists reporting between 136 and 1,300 being killed.

Meanwhile, US naval forces are moving closer to Syria as president Barack Obama considers military options for responding to the alleged use of chemical weapons by president Bashar Assad's government.

US defense officials saod that the navy had sent a fourth warship armed with ballistic missiles into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, but without immediate orders for any missile launch into Syria. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss ship movements publicly.

Obama emphasized that a quick intervention in the Syrian civil war was problematic, given the international considerations that should precede a military strike. The White House said the president would meet Saturday with his national security team to consider possible next steps by the United States. Officials say once the facts are clear, Obama will make a decision about how to proceed.

With the pressure increasing, Syria's state media Saturday accused rebels in the contested district of Jobar near Damascus of using chemical weapons against government troops advancing into the area. State media said the army offensive there had forced the rebels to resort to such weapons "as their last card."

State TV broadcast images of plastic jugs, gas masks, vials of an unspecified medication, explosives and other items that it said were seized from rebel hideouts Saturday. It did not, however, show any video of soldiers reportedly affected by toxic gas in the fighting in the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus.

The claims could muddy the debate about who was responsible for Wednesday's alleged gas attack, which spurred demands for an independent investigation and renewed talk of potential international military action if chemical weapons were indeed used.

Just hours before the state media reports, the UN disarmament chief arrived in Damascus to press Assad's regime to allow UN experts to investigate the alleged attack. The regime has denied allegations that it was behind that attack, calling them "absolutely baseless" and suggesting they are an attempt to discredit the government.

The US, Britain, France and Russia have urged the Assad regime and the rebels fighting to overthrow him to cooperate with the United Nations and allow a team of experts already in Syria to look into the latest purported use of chemical agents. The UN secretary-general dispatched Angela Kane, the high representative for disarmament affairs, to push for a speedy investigation into Wednesday's purported attack. She did not speak to reporters upon her arrival in Damascus Saturday.

The state news agency said several government troops who took part in the Jobar offensive experienced severe trouble breathing or even "suffocation" after "armed terrorist groups used chemical weapons." It was not clear what was meant by "suffocation" and the report mentioned no fatalities among the troops.

"The Syrian army achieved major progress in the past days and for that reason, the terrorist groups used chemical weapons as their last card," state TV said. The government refers to rebels fighting to topple Assad as "terrorists."

The report was followed by an unusual string of breaking alerts on the TV's news scroll Saturday, with a series of claims related to the alleged use of chemical arms by rebels in Jobar.

One message cited a Syrian TV journalist who is embedded with the troops in the district who said the army confiscated an arms cache that included gas masks and several barrels with "made in Saudi Arabia" stamped on them. It did not say what was in the barrels, but appeared to suggest that some sort of chemical agent was inside and supplied by Saudi Arabia, the region's Sunni Muslim power and a staunch supporter of Syria's Sunni-led revolt.

Another news scroll said that troops, after overrunning rebel positions, received antidotes following exposure to chemical agents. The TV said the medicines were produced by a Qatari-German medical supplies company. Qatar is another strong supporter of the Syrian rebels. The report could not be immediately verified.

State TV also broadcast images of a Syrian army officer, wearing a surgical mask, telling reporters wearing similar masks that soldiers were subjected to poisonous attack in Jobar. He spoke inside the depot where the alleged confiscated products were placed.

"Our troops did not suffer body wounds," the officer said. "I believe terrorist groups used special substances that are poisonous in an attempt to affect this advance."

The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV, that has a reporter embedded with the troops in the area, said some 50 soldiers were rushed to Damascus hospitals for treatment and that it was not yet known what type of gas the troops were subjected too.

For days, the government has been trying to counter rebel allegations that the regime used chemical weapons on civilians in rebel-held areas of eastern Damascus, arguing that opposition fighters themselves were responsible for that attack.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius dismissed the Syrian government line.

"All the information we have is converging to indicate there was a chemical massacre in Syria, near Damascus, and that Bashar Assad's regime was behind it," Fabius told reporters during a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah. He did not elaborate.

France has suggested that force could be used against Syria if Assad's regime was proven to have used chemical arms.

The new talk of potential military action in Syria has made an independent investigation by U.N. inspectors critical to determine what exactly transpired.

The U.N. experts already in Syria are tasked with investigating three earlier purported chemical attacks in the country: one in the village of Khan al-Assal outside the northern city of Aleppo in March, as well as two other locations that have been kept secret for security reasons.

It took months of negotiations between the U.N. and Damascus before an agreement was struck to allow the 20-member team into Syria to investigate. Its mandate is limited to those three sites, however, and it is only charged with determining whether chemical weapons were used, not who used them.

Leaders of the main Western-backed Syrian opposition group on Saturday vowed retaliation for the alleged chemical weapons attack.

From Istanbul, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad Al-Jarba, also criticized the lack of response to the attack by the United Nations and the international community, saying that the UN was discrediting itself.

"It does not reach the ethical and legal response that Syrians expect. As a matter of fact we can describe it as a shame," he said.Syrian state media accused rebels of using chemical arms against government troops in clashes Saturday near Damascus, while an international aid group said it has tallied 355 deaths from the purported chemical weapons attack earlier this week.

Doctors Without Borders said three hospitals it supports in the eastern Damascus region reported receiving roughly 3,600 patients with "neurotoxic symptoms" over less than three hours on Wednesday morning, when the attack in the eastern Ghouta area took place.

Of those, 355 died, said the Paris-based group. Death tolls have varied over the alleged attack, with Syrian anti-government activists reporting between 136 and 1,300 being killed.

Meanwhile, US naval forces are moving closer to Syria as President Barack Obama considers military options for responding to the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad's government.

US defense officials told The Associated Press that the Navy had sent a fourth warship armed with ballistic missiles into the eastern Mediterranean Sea but without immediate orders for any missile launch into Syria. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss ship movements publicly.

Obama emphasized that a quick intervention in the Syrian civil war was problematic, given the international considerations that should precede a military strike. The White House said the president would meet Saturday with his national security team to consider possible next steps by the United States. Officials say once the facts are clear, Obama will make a decision about how to proceed.

With the pressure increasing, Syria's state media Saturday accused rebels in the contested district of Jobar near Damascus of using chemical weapons against government troops advancing into the area. State media said the army offensive there had forced the rebels to resort to such weapons "as their last card."

State TV broadcast images of plastic jugs, gas masks, vials of an unspecified medication, explosives and other items that it said were seized from rebel hideouts Saturday. It did not, however, show any video of soldiers reportedly affected by toxic gas in the fighting in the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus.

The claims could muddy the debate about who was responsible for Wednesday's alleged gas attack, which spurred demands for an independent investigation and renewed talk of potential international military action if chemical weapons were indeed used.

Just hours before the state media reports, the U.N. disarmament chief arrived in Damascus to press Assad's regime to allow U.N. experts to investigate the alleged attack. The regime has denied allegations that it was behind that attack, calling them "absolutely baseless" and suggesting they are an attempt to discredit the government.

The US, Britain, France and Russia have urged the Assad regime and the rebels fighting to overthrow him to cooperate with the United Nations and allow a team of experts already in Syria to look into the latest purported use of chemical agents. The U.N. secretary-general dispatched Angela Kane, the high representative for disarmament affairs, to push for a speedy investigation into Wednesday's purported attack. She did not speak to reporters upon her arrival in Damascus Saturday.

The state news agency said several government troops who took part in the Jobar offensive experienced severe trouble breathing or even "suffocation" after "armed terrorist groups used chemical weapons." It was not clear what was meant by "suffocation" and the report mentioned no fatalities among the troops.

"The Syrian Army achieved major progress in the past days and for that reason, the terrorist groups used chemical weapons as their last card," state TV said. The government refers to rebels fighting to topple Assad as "terrorists."

The report was followed by an unusual string of breaking alerts on the TV's news scroll Saturday, with a series of claims related to the alleged use of chemical arms by rebels in Jobar.

One message cited a Syrian TV journalist who is embedded with the troops in the district who said the army confiscated an arms cache that included gas masks and several barrels with "made in Saudi Arabia" stamped on them. It did not say what was in the barrels, but appeared to suggest that some sort of chemical agent was inside and supplied by Saudi Arabia, the region's Sunni Muslim power and a staunch supporter of Syria's Sunni-led revolt.

Another news scroll said that troops, after overrunning rebel positions, received antidotes following exposure to chemical agents. The TV said the medicines were produced by a Qatari-German medical supplies company. Qatar is another strong supporter of the Syrian rebels. The report could not be immediately verified.

State TV also broadcast images of a Syrian army officer, wearing a surgical mask, telling reporters wearing similar masks that soldiers were subjected to poisonous attack in Jobar. He spoke inside the depot where the alleged confiscated products were placed.

"Our troops did not suffer body wounds," the officer said. "I believe terrorist groups used special substances that are poisonous in an attempt to affect this advance."

The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV, that has a reporter embedded with the troops in the area, said some 50 soldiers were rushed to Damascus hospitals for treatment and that it was not yet known what type of gas the troops were subjected too.

For days, the government has been trying to counter rebel allegations that the regime used chemical weapons on civilians in rebel-held areas of eastern Damascus, arguing that opposition fighters themselves were responsible for that attack.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius dismissed the Syrian government line.

"All the information we have is converging to indicate there was a chemical massacre in Syria, near Damascus, and that Bashar Assad's regime was behind it," Fabius told reporters during a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah. He did not elaborate.

France has suggested that force could be used against Syria if Assad's regime was proven to have used chemical arms.

The new talk of potential military action in Syria has made an independent investigation by U.N. inspectors critical to determine what exactly transpired.

The U.N. experts already in Syria are tasked with investigating three earlier purported chemical attacks in the country: one in the village of Khan al-Assal outside the northern city of Aleppo in March, as well as two other locations that have been kept secret for security reasons.

It took months of negotiations between the U.N. and Damascus before an agreement was struck to allow the 20-member team into Syria to investigate. Its mandate is limited to those three sites, however, and it is only charged with determining whether chemical weapons were used, not who used them.

Leaders of the main Western-backed Syrian opposition group on Saturday vowed retaliation for the alleged chemical weapons attack.

From Istanbul, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad Al-Jarba, also criticized the lack of response to the attack by the United Nations and the international community, saying that the UN was discrediting itself.

"It does not reach the ethical and legal response that Syrians expect. As a matter of fact we can describe it as a shame," he said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/355-dead-after-Syria-chemical-attack-NGO/Article1-1112512.aspx

----------

Grand mufti to rights groups: Practice what you preach

 Aug 25 2013

The grand mufti of the Kingdom, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheik, has criticized human rights organizations for not practicing what they preach.

Al-Asheik questioned the role of the organizations in the recent turmoil prevailing in the Islamic countries.

He said that adversaries supply arms and ammunition to countries afflicted with war and sectarian tension in order to further weaken Islam and unity among Muslims.

In his Friday sermon at Imam Turki bin Abdul Aziz Mosque in Riyadh, the Grand Mufti said that enemies are taking advantage of the situation and urged Muslims to join hands in fighting such forces.

In the sermon, he cited a Prophetic “hadith” in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, told a man to “support thy brethren whether they are in the right or not.” The man then asked how he could stand in support of someone who is an oppressor. The Prophet replied “by preventing him from committing further injustice.”

http://www.arabnews.com/news/462413

----------

Major arms shipment ‘reaches Syrian opposition fighters’

 25 August 2013

Reuters, Amman

Four hundred tons of arms have been sent into Syria from Turkey to boost insurgent capabilities against Syrian government forces, opposition sources said, after a suspected chemical weapons strike on rebellious suburbs of Damascus.

The source said the Gulf-financed shipment, which crossed from the Turkish province of Hatay in the past 24 hours, was one of the single biggest to reach rebel brigades since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad turned violent two years ago.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/25/Major-arms-shipment-reaches-Syrian-rebels-opposition.html

----------

Iraq attacks kill 14

25 August 2013

Attacks in Iraq killed 14 people including six soldiers on Sunday, officials said, amid a surge in violence authorities have so far failed to stem despite wide-ranging operations targeting militants.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has vowed to press on with the anti-insurgent campaign, which is among the biggest since US forces withdrew in December 2011, but analysts and diplomats say authorities have failed to tackle the root causes of the violence.

Full report at:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/79869/World/Region/UPDATE-Iraq-attacks-kill-.aspx

----------

5 suspected Islamic militants arrested in northern Sinai

25 August 2013

Five alleged Islamic militants have been arrested in Sheikh Zoweid, North Sinai, in a joint operation between the Egyptian army and border guards, state news agency MENA reported on Sunday.

The men allegedly belong to groups accused of carrying out recent attacks on security checkpoints and facilities in the peninsula.

Full report at:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/79853/Egypt/Politics-/-suspected-Islamic-militants-arrested-in-northern-.aspx

----------

Assad’s brother accused of orchestrating Syria chemical attack

25 August 2013

Maher al-Assad, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s brother, is being accused of involvement in Syria’s recent chemical weapons attack, the Guardian reported on Saturday.

Not seen for a year, Maher has remained in the shadows commanding Syria’s most formidable military division, while his brother has been in the public eye.

According to the Guardian, the question on the lips of many Syrians is to what extent has Maher played a role in the most recent atrocity witnessed in Syria.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/25/Assad-s-brother-accused-of-orchestrating-Syria-chemical-attack-.html

----------

Syria jihadists vow revenge strikes over chemical claims

25 August 2013

Syrian jihadist group al-Nusra Front, linked to al-Qaeda, on Sunday vowed revenge strikes on villages from President Bashar al-Assad’s community over accusations the embattled leader’s forces used chemical weapons.

“The Alawite villages will pay the price for each chemical rocket that struck our people in Damascus,” al-Nusra front chief Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani said in an audio message posted on the internet and on his Twitter account, according to AFP.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/25/Syria-jihadists-vow-revenge-strikes-over-chemical-claims-.html

----------

Iraq Expands Airport to Shake off War-Torn Era With Bigger Fleet

 Aug 25 2013

Iraq plans to construct a new central airport and is continuing a fleet expansion with the possible addition of Bombardier’s CSeries as the war-torn country seeks to revive its travel industry and lure tourists.

The government will unveil a list of contractors next week it will ask to bid for construction of the airport in Karbala south of Baghdad, Nasser Hussein, director general of Iraq’s civil aviation authority, said in an interview in Baghdad. At a cost of $2.5 billion, the new hub would be the country’s biggest, with capacity of 20 million passengers a year, he said.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/iraq-expands-airport-to-shake-off-war-torn-era-with-bigger-fleet/

----------

More looted artefacts from Malawi National Museum recovered

25 August 2013

In the last two days a collection of 16 objects reported missing from the Malawi National Museum (MNM) were recovered.

The museum was looted 15 August during deadly clashes that erupted across Egypt in the aftermath of the dispersal by police of two sit-ins held by supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi at Rabaa Al-Adawiya in Cairo’s Nasr City district and Al-Nahda Square in Giza.

Full report at:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/79828/Heritage/Museums/More-looted-artefacts-from-Malawi-National-Museum-.aspx

----------

Compensation for demolished buildings around Haram delayed

 Aug 25 2013

An official working on the project to develop the surrounding areas of the Grand Mosque at Makkah has said SR30 billion of the SR90 billion owed in compensation to former property owners has not been paid out.

“Since 2009, SR60 billion has been paid out in four stages. The outstanding amount has not been paid because owners haven’t completed administrative procedures,” said Abbas Qattan, a supervising engineer.

Qattan said that the committee and the notary has assigned four judges to look into these cases and maintained that they were not to blame for the delay in payment, saying that legislative deeds or paperwork for inheritors were incomplete.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/462407

----------

Muslim Brotherhood's leaders to be tried in Egypt

IANS | Aug 25, 2013

CAIRO: The trial of top leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi hails, will begin on Sunday, media reported.

The Muslim Brotherhood's general guide Mohamed Badie, who was arrested Tuesday, would appear at criminal court on Sunday, Xinhua reported citing some media reports.

"Badie, along with his two deputies, Khairat al-Shater and Mohamed Saad al-Katatni, will appear before court tomorrow (Sunday), they face criminal charges including inciting violence and killing anti-Morsi protesters outside the Muslim Brotherhood's guidance bureau," a statement from the prosecutor's office said.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Muslim-Brotherhoods-leaders-to-be-tried-in-Egypt/articleshow/22044571.cms

----------

South Asia

Maldivian Foreign Minister dies during treatment in Singapore

By JJ Robinson | August 25th, 2013

Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla has died during treatment after undergoing kidney dialysis at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

The 67 year-old died during treatment at 1:05am Male’ time on Sunday morning, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Dr Samad was first admitted to intensive care on August 20 in a critical condition after suffering a severe heart attack. The 67 year-old had undergone heart bypass surgery 15 years ago.

On Thursday the Foreign Ministry reported that Dr Samad’s condition appeared to have stabilised, although he remained in intensive care in a state of induced unconsciousness after undergoing dialysis.

Full report at:

http://minivannews.com/politics/maldives-foreign-minister-dies-during-treatment-in-singapore-63274

----------

Rohingya official welcomes Saudi support

 Aug 25 2013

Waqar Ad Deen, chief of the Rohingyan Arakan Union, said the organization is grateful to the Saudi Arabian government under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for helping the community in its hour of suffering.

He told Arab News that “the Kingdom is very supportive of us in our tragedy. Saudi Arabia was the first country to provide support at all levels, whether financial or moral, to the Burmese refugees during the reign of King Abdulaziz some 70 years ago.”

He added: “I hope Islamic countries will follow the Kingdom’s example, especially now that violence against the Muslim minority is escalating at the hands of the Buddhist Myanmar government,” he said.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/462397

--------

Buddhists torch Muslim homes in Myanmar

 Aug 25 2013

YANGON, Myanmar: Fresh sectarian violence broke out in northwestern Myanmar late Saturday when Buddhist mobs burned down dozens of homes and shops following rumors that a young woman had been sexually assaulted by a Muslim man. There were no reports of injuries.

Myanmar's radical monk Wirathu, whose anti-Muslim rhetoric has placed him at the center of rising religious violence, said on his Facebook page that hundreds of people took part in the riot on the outskirts of Kantbalu.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/news/1038273/buddhists-torch-muslim-homes-in-myanmar

----------

Revisiting the Maldives’ transition to democracy

By Ahmed Hamdhan | August 24th, 2013

The first multiparty presidential election of 2008 in Maldives saw an end to the 30-year dictatorship of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the adoption of a modern democracy for the first time in the Maldives. Nevertheless, as in many other nascent democracies, there is real doubt whether Maldives can sustain its democracy in its fullest sense, especially after the recent coup that ousted the first democratically elected president in February 2012.

Some scholars argue that the mode of democratic transition a country experiences proves to be a critical factor in determining the country’s democratic future. Hence, an analysis of the mode of democratic transition that occurred in Maldives may help in predicting whether democracy could be sustained in future.

Full report at:

http://minivannews.com/politics/comment-revisiting-the-maldives-transition-to-democracy-63187

----------

Afghan minister due today for talks with Dar

 Aug 25 2013

ISLAMABAD: Afghan Finance Minister Dr Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal is arriving here on Sunday to hold talks with Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on the economic agenda to be discussed during the forthcoming visit of President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan, it was officially announced on Saturday.

The Afghan president is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Monday.

Afghan Ambassador Muhammad Umer Daudzai met Senator Dar on Saturday to discuss details about Dr Zakhilwal’s visit. While they discussed the visit, Mr Dar told the Afghan ambassador he looked forward to meeting the Afghan finance minister.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/news/1038248/afghan-minister-due-today-for-talks-with-dar

----------

Southeast Asia

Java A-G to Look Into Birth Cert Woes of Illegitimate Muslim Children

BY S. INDRAMALAR

 Aug 25 2013

PETALING JAYA: There will be a solution to the issue of illegitimate Muslim children being denied the right to have their father’s name recorded on their birth certificates, said Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail.

“I assure you that I will find a solution for this by next week. For me, registration is just registration. Fatwa cannot override the law if there is nothing wrong with the law. What you want ... what we all want is to help the child and, to me, a law is a law, just like how a rose is a rose,” he said at the closing of the Forum on the Rights of Women and Children: A National Concern.

Full report at:

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/25/AG-to-look-into-birth-cert-woes-of-illegitimate-Muslim-children.aspx

----------

Malaysia urges UN to probe alleged us of chemical weapons in Syria

 Aug 25 2013

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia wants the United Nations to investigate reports of alleged use of chemical weapons that killed hundreds of civilians and injured many more in the vicinity of Ghouta near Damascus, Syria on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said Sunday Malaysia was deeply concerned about the reports and condemned such action, if proven to be true, as it was clearly a violation of international law.

Full report at:

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/25/Malaysia-urges-UN-to-probe-alleged-us-of-chemical-weapons-in-Syria.aspx

--------

Densus 88 Arrests Alleged Terrorist in Lamongan

 Aug 25 2013

Indonesia’s anti-terror detachment Densus 88 on Sunday nabbed a suspected terrorist in Lamongan, East Java.

“At around 6:30 a.m. we arrested Agus Martin, who is also known as Hasan, in Tenggulun village in Lamongan,” an anonymous source with Densus 88 told the Jakarta Globe.

Agus was captured next to the Al-Islam boarding school, the Alma Mater of Ali Ghufron, Amrozi and Ali Imron — the trio responsible for the 2002 Bali bombing.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/densus-88-arrests-alleged-terrorist-in-lamongan/

----------

Two measures to help Malay Muslims

 Aug 25 2013

TWO new measures were announced by the government to help the Malay-Muslim community shrink the income gap and increase its social mobility.

One will give tuition subsidies to Malay students at another four tertiary institutions: Lasalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), Yale-NUS College and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University.

The other will hand the Malay/ Muslim Community Development Fund a higher grant of up to S$2.6mil (RM6.7mil) a year to help more low-income families in their community. Currently, it is S$1mil (RM2.5mil).

Full report at:

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Regional/2013/08/25/Two-measures-to-help-Malay-Muslims.aspx

----------

Pakistan

Militants kill four, torch two Nato tankers in Balochistan

SYED ALI SHAH

 Aug 25 2013

QUETTA: Armed militants killed four people including two police officials in Balochistan's volatile Kech and Sibi districts and torched two oil tankers carrying fuel for Nato forces in Khuzdar on Saturday, police said.

Muhammad Tariq, a levies official told Dawn.com that armed motorcyclists opened fire at a car in Tump tehsil of Kech district. He said two persons inside the car were dead on the spot. He said the miscreants kidnapped the third person along with them.

Tariq said the assailants drove off the scene after the attack. “The incident appears to be an act of targeted killing,” he said.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/news/1038055/militants-kill-four-torch-two-nato-tankers-in-balochistan

----------

12 tonnes of explosives seized in Pakistan

 Aug 25 2013

Pakistani security officials on Sunday seized 12 tonnes of explosives and arrested a terrorist from a hideout in the restive northwest, bordering Afghanistan.

During an operation in Khyber Agency, security forces seized mine bombs, rockets and jehadi books among others, Col. Naeem of Frontier Scouts said.

The seized explosives were meant to be used in terrorist attacks in Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Karachi, he added.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Khyber Agency, three security officials were injured when their vehicle hit a landmine.

The incident occurred in Shakus area of the Bara tehsil.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/12-tonnes-of-explosives-seized-in-pakistan/article5058379.ece

----------

Dissent within: Fissures grow within TTP over govt talks offer

 August 25, 2013

DI KHAN / PESHAWAR: Growing fissures within the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are fuelling doubts about the monolithic status of the extremist outfit. The cracks have become more discernible following the government’s vague offer of peace negotiations.

On Saturday, the TTP sacked Asmatullah Muawiya, the chief of Punjabi Taliban, for welcoming Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s call for talks.

“The Taliban Shura (decision-making body) met under Commander Hakimullah Mehsud and decided that Asmatullah Muawiya has no relation with the TTP,” said TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/594953/dissent-within-fissures-grow-within-ttp-over-govt-talks-offer/

----------

Balochistan on strike over killing spree

 Aug 25 2013

QUETTA: A complete wheel-jam and shutter-down strike was observed in Baloch-dominated areas of Balochistan on Saturday against the alleged extra-judicial disappearances and recovery of bullet-riddled bodies of Baloch political activists and members of the civil society. The Baloch National Front (BNF) had given the strike call following a staggering hike in the number of incidents involving the dumping of mutilated bodies across the province. All street and trade centres were closed throughout the day, while transport remained suspended, paralysing life in the Baloch-dominated districts of the province. The strike was observed in Mastung, Kalat, Surab, Khuzdar, Hub, Turbat, Gwadar and other districts. It may be mentioned here that the body of a Baloch journalist, Abdul Razaq Baloch, was found in Karachi after he went missing some time ago.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\08\25\story_25-8-2013_pg7_11

----------

Release of Indian prisoners: Pakistan's minority community leaders want India to reciprocate gesture

Yudhvir Rana, TNN | Aug 24, 2013

AMRITSAR: Following the release of 362 Indian prisoners by Pakistan on Saturday, its minority community leaders aligned with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party Pakistan Muslim League (N) has sought a similar gesture by India to prepare a congenial atmosphere before a possible meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York next month.

New Delhi has remained non-committal on likelihood of any such meeting.

While talking to TOI over phone from Karachi on Saturday evening, former member of Sindh assembly, Michael Javed who is also a minority leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) said, "Pakistan government has released more than 350 Indian prisoners. If the Indian government reciprocates the gesture it could help in making congenial atmosphere before the possible meeting of two prime ministers."

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Release-of-Indian-prisoners-Pakistans-minority-community-leaders-want-India-to-reciprocate-gesture/articleshow/22034225.cms

----------

Mideast

Turkey PM hits back at US over his claims on Israel, Egypt

 Aug 25 2013

ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday criticized Washington for its response to his claims of Israel’s involvement in the Egypt crisis.

The Turkish leader on Tuesday accused the Jewish state of being behind the military-backed ouster of President Muhammad Mursi last month.

Erdogan’s accusation was furiously rejected by the White House describing it as “offensive and unsubstantiated and wrong.”

“Why is the White House making a statement on this? The White House should not have spoken about this. If there’s somebody to speak on this, it should have been Israel,” Erdogan said in televised remarks Saturday.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/462366

--------

Six killed in bomb attack on Yemen air force bus

 August 25, 2013

At least six people were killed and 26 wounded on Sunday in a bomb attack on a bus carrying members of Yemen's air force to their base in the capital Sanaa, witnesses and medics said. Ameen Saree, an air force officer who rushed to the scene, said a bomb had been planted in the vehicle.

"The bomb exploded in the rear part of the bus and six of our colleagues were immediately killed," Saree told Reuters.

"The rest have been injured and are being treated in hospitals." Yemen has been gripped by turmoil since pro-democracy protests against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh broke out in early 2011.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Six-killed-in-bomb-attack-on-Yemen-air-force-bus/Article1-1112656.aspx

----------

Iranian military chief warns against U.S. crossing Syria ‘red line’

 25 August 2013

A top Iranian military chief warned on Sunday that the U.S. will face “harsh consequences” if it intervenes in Syria over claims of chemical attacks, reported Agence France Presse citing a Fars new agency report.

“If the United States crosses this red line, there will be harsh consequences for the White House,” armed forces deputy chief of staff Massoud Jazayeri was quoted as saying.

A year ago, U.S. President Barack Obama warned the use of chemical weapons in Syria would cross a “red line” and have “enormous consequences.”

On Sunday, his Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S. military was ready to take action against Syria.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/08/25/Iranian-military-chief-warns-against-U-S-crossing-Syria-red-line-.html

----------

Compromise possible for a just pact: Abbas

 Aug 25 2013

RAMALLAH – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinians will not demand to return to pre-1967 lines if they offered a just peace agreement.

Abbas told a delegation of left-wing members of Kenesset from the Meretz party who visited Ramallah late Thursday that if offered a just agreement, the Palestinian leadership would agree to a final end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and “will not demand in the future to return to Jaffa, Acre or Haifa. Peace with Israel will be final and binding.”

According to an account of the meeting posted on the Meretz website, Abbas told the delegation, headed by MK Zahava Gal-On, that “the Palestinian people are ready for and want peace.”

Full report at:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130825178141

----------

Africa

Thousands rally in Tunis to launch week of anti-govt demonstrations

AFP | Aug 25, 2013

TUNIS: Thousands of protesters gathered outside Tunisia's national assembly Saturday demanding the ouster of the Islamist-led government, amid political deadlock a month after the assassination of an opposition MP.

"The people want the fall of the regime," "Get out!" and "(Rached) Ghannouchi assassin," were some of the slogans chanted by the protesters, the latter referring to the ruling Islamist party Ennahda's veteran leader.

The organisers, who say the protest marks the first day of a week-long campaign to bring down the government, dubbed the "week of departure," claimed 60,000 people attended, while the police gave an estimate of 10,000.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Thousands-rally-in-Tunis-to-launch-week-of-anti-govt-demonstrations/articleshow/22037843.cms

----------

How Libyan navy warned off suspected supertanker

August 25, 2013

TRIPOLI – Dramatic footage has emerged of a 20-meter Libyan navy patrol boat apparently forcing a 340-metre supertanker to change course away from Sidra, where it was thought it would take on an unauthorised shipment of crude oil.

A week ago, Prime Minister Ali Zidan warned that any suspect vessel entering Libyan waters would be fired on without warning.

Full report at:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130825178133

----------

Two die in DR Congo fighting

 Aug 25 2013

GOMA, DR Congo: Shelling killed two people Saturday in Goma in the restive east of DR Congo after a newly-formed UN brigade took its first military action to back government troops and prevent rebels from entering the mining hub.

It was unclear who fired the shell that smashed into Goma’s western neighborhood of Ndosho, sparking an angry reaction from residents who blocked access to vehicles, witnesses said.

“A shell has just landed on my neighborhood,” Ndosho resident Charles Paluku told AFP on the phone, adding that two people had been reported dead as a result of the explosion.

Another witness speaking on condition of anonymity provided the same death toll and said the shell had struck near Ndosho’s Saint-Francois Xavier church.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/462359

---------

North America

US military ready to act against Syria if ordered: Hagel

AFP | Aug 25, 2013

US defence secretary Chuck Hagel said on Sunday the US military was ready to take action against the Syrian regime if ordered, but stressed that Washington was still evaluating claims of a chemical weapons attack.

"President Obama has asked the defense department to prepare options for all contingencies. We have done that," Hagel told reporters in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

"Again, we are prepared to exercise whatever option, if he decides to employ one of those options."

He said the US and its allies were assessing intelligence on allegations that President Bashar al-Assad's forces unleashed chemical weapons in an attack near Damascus last week as he battles an uprising that began in March 2011.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-military-ready-to-act-against-Syria-if-ordered-Hagel/articleshow/22045425.cms

----------

US says man arrested with uranium for Iran hidden in shoes

AFP | Aug 25, 2013

NEW YORK: A man was arrested in New York City's international airport with uranium destined for Iran hidden in the soles of his shoes, the US Justice Department said.

Patrick Campbell, 33, who was arrested Wednesday as he arrived at the John F Kennedy airport from Paris, is accused of trying to act as an intermediary to sell Iran 1,000 tons of purified uranium, in violation of US law.

The Sierra Leone-based Campbell had been under surveillance since May 2012, when he responded to an ad on the site Alibaba.com by someone looking to buy uranium 308, or yellow cake.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-says-man-arrested-with-uranium-for-Iran-hidden-in-shoes/articleshow/22040810.cms

----------

Kerry discussed chemical weapons attack with Syrian FM

 August 25, 2013

US secretary of state John Kerry spoke Thursday with Syria's foreign minister about an alleged chemical weapons attack a day earlier that reportedly killed hundreds of civilians, an American official said. Kerry discussed the attack on rebel-held areas near Damascus with Walid al-Muallem

"to make clear that if, as they claimed, the Syrian regime has nothing to hide, it should have allowed immediate and unimpeded access to the site rather than continuing to attack the affected area to block access and destroy evidence," the official said.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/Kerry-discussed-chemical-weapons-attack-with-Syrian-FM/Article1-1112611.aspx

----------

Gitmo war crimes tribunal in ‘hot mess’ over computer issues

 Aug 25 2013

GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE, Cuba — Defense lawyers asked the judge in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal on Friday to halt pretrial hearings in the 9/11 case until technicians fix a slew of computer and email problems that they said had made it nearly impossible to do their work.

“We’re basically put back in the 19th century,” said Army Major Jason Wright, who represents the alleged mastermind of the hijack plane attacks, Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

“It takes about five to 10 times what it would normally take to do defense functions.”

Pentagon technical advisers have said it would take up to 111 days to fix the problems once a contract was signed and money allocated, and that it was unlikely the work could be finished before the start of 2014.

Full report at:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130825178123

---------

Europe

UK cops under fire over arbitrary terror arrests

Aug 25, 2013

Scotland Yard faces legal action over its use of wide-ranging terrorism laws to question people at airports, after refusing to hand over the results of investigations into the alleged misuse of these powers by its officers.

Britain's biggest force has been given a seven-day ultimatum by the police watchdog to hand over its findings for some of the 18 outstanding complaints about its use of the tactic - following its "consistent refusal" to investigate.

The two organizations have been at loggerheads for months after police refused to reveal the reasons why some passengers were stopped by officers using a tactic that rights organizations have claimed indiscriminately targets ethnic groups.

The IPCC is also overseeing another seven complaints involving other forces, but it says it has received full co-operation over these.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/UK-cops-under-fire-over-arbitrary-terror-arrests/articleshow/22040694.cms

----------

Islamic scholars experience diversity of Muslim practices at U of T summer program

By: Wendy Gillis News reporter

 Aug 25 2013

Three dozen men and women sit barefoot inside a makeshift prayer room inside a downtown Toronto office tower. It is shortly after 1 p.m. on a recent Friday, time for the Juma prayer.

The voice of Laury Silvers, kneeling at the front of the group, breaks through the silence as she recites verses from the Qur’an.

For some gathered here, this marks their first experience of seeing mixed-gender prayers led by a woman, a practice that remains highly unusual in Muslim communities.

Unorthodox, too, is the worshippers’ formation: rather than being separated, women and men are sitting intermingled.

Full report at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/08/25/islamic_scholars_experience_diversity_of_muslim_practices_at_u_of_t_summer_program.html

----------

India

No land demarcation problem between India and Bangladesh

 Aug 25 2013

There is no land demarcation problem between Bangladesh and India and all pending issues between the two countries have been resolved, top executives of land records departments of the neighbouring countries announced here on Sunday.

The 82nd India-Bangladesh joint border conference began here on Thursday to settle various disputes along the border shared by the two neighbours which concluded here yesterday.

“India and Bangladesh have resolved all border issues including the problems of enclaves in West Bengal, Chandan Nagar enclave in Tripura, Char dispute at river Muhuri in South Tripura district and all boundary problems,” Abdul Mannan, director general of Bangladesh land records and N R Biswal, Director of Survey of India, East zone said in a joint press conference.

In the three-day border conference, the six-member Indian side was led by N R Biswal while the six-member Bangladesh side was headed by Abdul Mannan.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-land-demarcation-problem-between-india-and-bangladesh/article5058459.ece

---------

362 Indian prisoners repatriated from Pakistan

Yudhvir Rana, TNN | Aug 25, 2013

ATTARI: In a possible bid to improve relations with India, Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif government on Saturday repatriated 362 Indian prisoners including eight children (all fishermen) from Attari border on completion of their jail sentences. As earlier reported to Indian authorities, a total of 365 Indian prisoners were to be repatriated by Pakistan. According to fishermen who arrived here, name of a 17-year-old prisoner from UP, Manoj Kumar, was deleted at the last moment by the Pakistan government and prisoner Raju died due to illness. Executive magistrate P P S Goraya, who received the prisoners, said that as against an earlier information of arrival of 365 Indian prisoners from Pakistan, a total of 362 arrived.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/362-Indian-prisoners-repatriated-from-Pakistan/articleshow/22043735.cms

----------

BSF produces documents to disprove allegations of Bangladeshi woman's rape

Jayanta Gupta, TNN | Aug 24, 2013

KOLKATA: The Border Security Force (BSF), South Bengal Frontier, has produced documents in support of its claim that no rape was committed against a Bangladeshi woman on July 10 at Angrail in North 24 Parganas after she was apprehended while attempting to cross over to Bangladesh. Though the accused BSF jawan was suspended and a court of inquiry initiated soon after the allegation was raised by a local villager, the BSF claims that medical examination of the accused at the local primary health centre immediately after the incident didn't reveal that he had had sexual intercourse.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BSF-produces-documents-to-disprove-allegations-of-Bangladeshi-womans-rape/articleshow/22033086.cms

----------

No Babar monument in Ayodhya limit: VHP

August 25, 2013

Hours before Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police to prevent 84 chaurasi kos padyatra, Madhya Pradesh VHP leaders said monuments perpetuating the memory of Mughal ruler Babar are unacceptable within the cultural limit of Ayodhya.

 The cultural limit, according to Parishad, is spread across 252 square kilometres covering six districts around Ayodhya.

“We will not allow any monument in memory of Babar to exist within Ayodhya’s cultural limit,” MP and Chhattisgargh VHP organisation secretary Ambarish Singh told mediapersons in Indore on Sunday morning.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/uttarpradesh/No-Babar-monument-in-Ayodhya-limit-VHP/Article1-1112720.aspx

----------

Tunda holds grudges against Lakhvi, says he was sidelined

 Aug 25 2013

Arrested terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda told his interrogators that he holds a grudge against Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi for scuttling his chances of reaching the top position in the outfit despite being the “architect” of its pan-India structure, which was earlier confined to Kashmir.

Senior Delhi police officials who interrogated the 70-year-old bomb expert said he blamed Lakhvi for keeping him on “fringes” of the LeT which carried out number of terror attacks in India.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tunda-holds-grudges-against-lakhvi-says-he-was-sidelined/article5058505.ece

----------

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/combating-extremist-terrorist-ideology-more/d/13191