Efforts to Impose Sharia Law in Iraq Spark Controversy
New Age Islam News Bureau
29
Nov 2013
Calls to impose Islamic law in different parts of the Middle East have increasingly spread. (Photo by REUTERS/Mansi Thapliyal)
Arab World
• Efforts to impose Sharia law in Iraq spark controversy
• Mortar fire kills 4 by Ummayad mosque in Damascus – TV
• Al Qaeda militants filmed executing rival Syrian rebel faction
• 18 found dead near Baghdad after kidnapping: officials
• Islamic Front endorses jihad, says 'the Muhajireen are our brothers'
• Qatar grants Palestinians $150m
• Grand Mosque project structure collapses
Pakistan
• 8 Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat gunned down in Karachi
• 3 suspected militants killed in US drone attack in Pakistan
• JUI-F jirga demands talks with Taliban
• Govt duty-bound to down drones: Sunni Ittehad Council Muftis
• Pakistan stops sending police on UN missions
India
• Standing by Palestine, India opens visa service in Ramallah
• India has to secure access to Middle-East energy reserves: Planning Commission
• 26/11 dossier not a sham, India tells Pakistan
• Afghan President to hold talks with Indian PM next month
Africa
• Malian arrested for murder of American attaché and four Saudis
• Tunisians demand minister apologizes for 'sexual jihad' remark
• On patrol with Nigeria's morality police
• Libya army depot blast kills dozens
Europe
• Chechen-led group swears allegiance to head of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham
• Isolation fuels radicalisation in arid north Cameroon
• Syrian refugee children face 'catastrophic' life in exile, UN says
• Bradford brothers admit collecting Al Qaeda Jihad manuals
• Slaughter ban splits Polish Jews, Muslims
South Asia
• Information Minister: Seems BNP has declared war on the people
• Stoning will not be brought back, says Afghan president
• Another Hindu village in Bangladesh comes under Jamaat-e-Islami -Shibir attack
• The Afghan villages where the Taliban rule at night
North America
• Bachmann: Iran Nuclear Facilities ‘Must be Bombed’
• Staying out of politics, fighting militants challenges for Raheel: US media
• No cover: US may recall CIA station chief in Islamabad
Southeast Asia
• Nuzul Al-Quran to Be Observed As A Holiday In Federal Territories, Malaysia From 2014
• In Central Java, NU to open dialogue with Ahmadiyah followers
Mideast
• University bans Arab students from waving Palestinian flag during protests
• Syrian refugees in Turkish camps live on 80 liras of monthly aid
• Iran reaffirms intel cooperation with Turkey
• Muslim scholars call for unity in Islamic world
• Turkey's 'sultan' losing his swing ahead of elections
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/efforts-impose-sharia-law-iraq/d/34654
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Arab World
Efforts to impose Sharia law in Iraq spark controversy
Nov 29, 2013
Iraqi Justice Minister Hassan al-Shammari announced Oct. 23 that he had prepared a Sharia-based personal-status law and submitted it to the cabinet for approval and referral to the Council of Representatives for passage. Should the law be approved, Iraqi municipalities would be required to apply penalties that violate human rights, such as mutilation and stoning, among others.
The Iraqi religious parties, including al-Fadhila (Islamic Virtue Party), to which the justice minister belongs, welcomed the proposed law, lauding it as an achievement. During his announcement, Shammari claimed that the draft law followed on the request of Iraqi religious scholars and tribal leaders and was the product of consultations with Muslim authorities.
For more than a century now, calls to impose Islamic law in different parts of the Middle East have increasingly spread, with Islamists promoting a religious utopia among their communities, offering its members a paradise on Earth prior to the one that awaits them in the heavens. They openly proclaim, “Sharia is the solution.”
Given the tyranny, economic collapse and social disintegration plaguing most countries in the region, the welcoming attitude toward political Islam and the imposition of Sharia would normally come as no surprise. What is odd today, however, is that the movement’s slogans continue to attract people from different social classes even after the failed governing experiences of political Islam across the region, from North Africa to Afghanistan.
Shammari contended that those opposed to the proposed Iraqi law are simply against the “Islamist thesis,” but following the announcement of the draft law, the Shiite cleric Sayyed Hussein al-Sadr issued a fatwa declaring that it is better for the state to adopt legislation regarding civil laws that are compliant with international conventions and to leave issues of Sharia to clerics to decide. He asserted that the people should confer with religious authorities, not the government, when it comes to matters involving Sharia.
To learn what Najaf clerics think about the draft law, Al-Monitor interviewed a jurist close to the grand ayatollahs of the holy city. He asserted, “We wanted Iraq to be a civilian and civilized state, and we expect religion to be eliminated from national identity cards in order to make religion a personal matter that people approach based on their convictions rather than legal obligation. It seems, however, that the religious parties are moving us toward both a sect- and clan-based culture.”
The silence of the Najaf clerics and their spokespeople on this subject contrasts with their opinions on the provision of services, security and national reconciliation. Spokesmen for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Najaf’s highest-ranking cleric, have repeatedly declared, along the lines of the jurist's observation, that religious authorities want a civil state for Iraq, not a religious one.
Some have been highly critical of the draft law. Critics claim that the law represents an attempt to exploit the boiling sectarian atmosphere and distract from the failures of political parties in order to attract votes. It has been noted that Shammari has had to face down harsh criticism and calls for his resignation after hundreds of al-Qaeda affiliates escaped from the Abu Ghraib and Taji prisons during July 21–22.
Civil society movements have launched an extensive campaign in Iraq against the draft law for widely violating human rights, especially those of women and children. Mustafa Kazimi, an Iraqi human rights and democratic activist, wrote on his Facebook page, “This arbitrary and unjust law’s clear violations against the disadvantaged in situations such as granting legal license for parents to marry off girls who are under nine years old and boys who are under 15 years old is an offense against children and an exploitation of childhood. This draft law also considers that a husband provides Nafaqah [housing, food and clothing] in return for the sexual pleasure provided to him by his wife. This is an obvious insult to women and a waste of dignity.”
Attempts to impose Sharia in Iraq will likely lead to deeper sectarian divisions in the society, as religious views differ from one sect to another. Accordingly, there have been calls in some Sunni quarters to separate themselves from the Shiites and establish a Sunni state in their areas, in part because, they allege, the Shiites are moving toward the declaration of a Shiite state.
The rallying cry behind the imposition of Sharia has seemingly shifted from calls for improved social life to social factors linked to conflicts of identity in the Middle East in general and Iraq in particular. Clinging to it has become an approach adopted by religious parties to maintain their political gains and cling to power.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/11/iraq-draft-law-sharia-islamization.html#ixzz2m4qm9u3b
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Mortar fire kills 4 by Ummayad mosque in Damascus - TV
Nov 29 2013
At least four people were killed and 26 wounded on Friday by mortar fire near the famed Ummayad mosque in Syria's capital Damascus, state television reported.
"Mortars fired by terrorists in front of the Ummayad mosque have killed four people and injured 26," state television said in a breaking news alert
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_11_29/Mortar-fire-kills-4-by-Ummayad-mosque-in-Damascus-TV-4331/
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Al Qaeda militants filmed executing rival Syrian rebel faction
Nov 29, 2013
Al Qaeda militants have been filmed executing seven men from a rival rebel Syrian faction as part of a campaign to marginalise other moderate groups in the civil war.
The amateur video, apparently taken on a mobile phone, shows the men kneeling on the ground before each one is shot in the head and slumps forward onto the ground.
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, have taken advantage of a power vacuum in rebel-held areas to assert its authority over more moderate elements of the armed opposition.
The video, posted online by the anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group yesterday, shows armed men in black standing below an ISIL banner.
The Observatory said the video was taken in the northern Syrian town of Atarib in Idlib province. Its authenticity could not be independently confirmed.
A masked man on the video identifies seven men kneeling as members of the Ghurabaa al-Sham brigade, a moderate Islamist group that was one of the first to fight Assad.
A man who appeared to be Commander Hassan Jazera was among them.
'Hassan Jazera is the most corrupt and the biggest thief,' said the man.
He spoke into a microphone to a crowd of men, some of whom used their mobile phones to film the killing.
The man, reading from a piece of paper, said Jazera's men were also charged with kidnapping and had been tried in a religious court run by ISIL. They were then shot in the head.
In May, an alliance of Islamist groups moved against Ghurabaa al-Sham following a disagreement over territory and complaints of looting.
Jazera's unit of around 100 fighters was all that was left of Ghurabaa al-Sham's roughly 2,000 men, fighters from that group told Reuters this summer.
Jazera and his men were arrested by ISIL a month ago, the UK-based Observatory said.
The rise of Al Qaeda in Syria has forced some in the West to temper calls for Assad's removal from power.
In August, ISIL took control of the northern border town of Azaz, expelling western-backed Free Syrian Army units. On Friday, ISIL captured a second border town, ousting a moderate Islamist rebel unit and detaining its leader.
The Syrian uprising against four decades of Assad family rule started in 2011 and erupted into a civil war after Assad's forces shot demonstrators and deployed tanks to crush the protest movement. More than 100,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2515026/Al-Qaeda-militants-filmed-executing-rival-Syrian-rebel-faction.html#ixzz2m51I9j7f
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18 found dead near Baghdad after kidnapping: officials
2013-11-29
BAGHDAD: The bodies of 18 people kidnapped hours earlier by a group of men wearing military uniforms were found just north of Baghdad on Friday, security and medical officials said.
All of the corpses had gunshots to the head and chest, and were found abandoned in farmland near the town of Tarmiyah, two police officers and a medical source said.
The dead included two tribal chiefs, four policemen and an army major.
The kidnappers, wearing military uniform and travelling in what appeared to be army vehicles, had told the victims' families that they were suspects in a variety of investigations and had to be taken away for questioning.
Their bodies were found hours later, the sources said.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1059379/18-found-dead-near-baghdad-after-kidnapping-officials
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Islamic Front endorses jihad, says 'the Muhajireen are our brothers'
Nov 29, 2013
The Islamic Front, a newly formed coalition of Syrian Islamist groups that cooperate with al Qaeda and is estimated at 45,000 fighters, released its charter on its official Twitter account on Nov. 26. Although the formation of the Islamic Front has been hailed as a blow to al Qaeda, the new group embraces jihad and calls for the establishment of an Islamic state and the imposition of sharia law, both of which are goals of al Qaeda. The Islamic Front's charter welcomes the "Muhajireen," or foreign fighters, as "our brothers who supported us in jihad."
The document is signed by the following groups: Ahrar al-Sham, Suqour al-Sham Brigade, Ansar al-Sham Brigades, Jaysh al-Islam, Al-Tawhid Brigade, and Al-Haqq Brigade; and is dated Nov. 22, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which provided a translation. When the group's formation was first reported, a seventh group, the Kurdish Islamic Front, was also listed among its members. [See LWJ report, Analysis: Formation of Islamic Front in Syria benefits jihadist groups.] Most of these groups have coordinated military operations with al Qaeda's two affiliates in Syria.
While the Islamic Front's charter does not mention al Qaeda, either to include or exclude the two Syrian al Qaeda branches, the Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), it does contain a number of indications that the Islamic Front intends to work with al Qaeda affiliates and other Islamist groups that battle against the Assad regime in Syria.
The charter begins with an invocation of the need for unity in the Islamist ranks: "The Almighty said: 'And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves. .... Verily, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ranks as if they were a solid structure.'"
The Islamic Front defines itself as "a comprehensive Islamic, social, political, and military formation that aims to completely bring down the Assad regime in Syria, to build an Islamic State wherein God's law [Shar' Allah], the Glorious and the Almighty, alone is sovereign ...."
The charter states that the group "is an independent entity established in Syria [that is] is not subordinate to any foreign party, be it an organization, state, or [political or ideological] current."
In the "Scope and Identity" section, the group "calls on all factions active on the ground to combine with it and to unite around the Ummah's [Muslim community's] desired goal of defeating the enemy and establishing a state in which justice and progress prevail under the umbrella of Islam and the authority of [Islamic] law."
The section further provides that the Islamic Front "is grateful for the efforts of all sincere [people] who are active in the field. [The front] strives to coordinate with them at the highest levels. All who agree with the Front in its premise, its goal, and its methods are invited to contribute and to take up a position [in the Front] according to their merit."
With respect to "Members and Membership," the charter states: "The sons of the Front are Muslims who are loyal to the religion of Islam. Jihad in the cause of Allah and the rejection of tyranny and despotism brought them together." It also notes that "the sons of the Islamic Front are among the first who revolted against the Assad regime and undertook to protect the people from its oppression. The most prominent military victories against the Assad regime are attributed to them."
The Islamic Front includes among its listed goals the complete dismantling of the Assad regime and the establishment of an Islamic state under sharia law in its place. Another stated goal is to "close ranks and unify the forces active in the blessed revolution in order to spread security and to rebuild Syria on sound foundations of justice, unity, and integration."
In the charter's section on "Strategy," in "Article Eleven: The Relationship with Outside the Front," the Islamic Front indicates its openness to working with a broad range of other groups. The charter provides: "The groups, factions, and brigades that work on fighting the Assad regime and bringing it down are allied groups with whom we agree in the goal and with whom we coordinate and cooperate so as to achieve this aim."
Significantly, in a section titled "The Muhajireen [Foreign Fighters]" the Islamic Front states: "They are our brothers who supported us in jihad. Their jihad is appreciated and thanked. We are obligated to preserve them, their dignity, and their jihad.... They are owed what we are responsible for and they are responsible for what they owe us."
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/11/islamic_front_endors.php#ixzz2m4qeg4LB
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Qatar grants Palestinians $150m
November 29, 2013
DOHA — Qatar has granted $150 million to the Palestinian Authority (PA) to help revive its economy as peace talks with Israel have run aground, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said on Wednesday. The PA, which relies on foreign aid to plug a chronic budget deficit, has long struggled to pay salaries of some 170,000 civil servants and finance the costs of running main services in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s only power plant was forced to switch off its generators earlier this month due to a shortage of fuel which the PA has been unable to pay for. “We asked for $150 million, and the emir was very accepting of this. We hope it will be granted at the soonest time possible,” Hamdallah told Reuters after talks with the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Doha. “We have a lot of resources in Palestine but we are facing these economic problems because of the occupation,” he said. Last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Paris after talks with Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Attiyah that Qatar had agreed to provide $150 million in debt relief to the Palestinian Authority.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20131129188087
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Grand Mosque project structure collapses
Nov 29, 2013
A newly constructed structure at the Grand Mosque in Makkah collapsed on Thursday delaying work on the second phase of the Mataf expansion project. No one was injured in the accident that took place south of the Umrah Gate.
“The structure collapsed because of the amount of debris on scaffolds,” said Ahmed Al-Mansouri, spokesman of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques. “No one died or was injured in the incident as it took place in an area away from the Mataf," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/484806
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Pakistan
8 Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat gunned down in Karachi
November 29, 2013
KARACHI - Eight people were gunned down in separate incidents here on Thursday.
A worker of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat was shot dead at Mehmoodabad No 6.
Police said the victim was on his way when at least two armed riders opened fire on him and escaped. Police shifted him to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors pronounced his death. Police believed the incident was occurred over sectarian basis. Further investigation was underway.
A rickshaw driver namely Rafaqat Hussain, 42, was gunned down near football ground, Chanesar Goth. Police said the victim was sitting at the said place when two armed riders shot him dead and fled. Police suspected the incident occurred over personal dispute. Further investigation was underway.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/karachi/29-Nov-2013/8-gunned-down-in-karachi
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3 suspected militants killed in US drone attack in Pakistan
Nov 29, 2013
At least three suspected militants were killed when two missiles fired by a US drone hit a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan Agency, amid anti-drone protests being staged in the country. Several people were also reported injured in the strike at Angar Kalli village near Miramshah
Tehsil in North Waziristan last night, local media reports said today.
The identity of those killed or injured could not be ascertained.
The reports said that drones had been hovering over the area for hours.
The attack comes at a time when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has taken an increasingly anti-drone stance with regular sit-ins being organised to stop Nato supply lines.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/3-suspected-militants-killed-in-us-drone-attack-in-pakistan/article1-1157013.aspx
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JUI-F jirga demands talks with Taliban
November 29, 2013
PESHAWAR - The Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) convened “Tribal Jirga” Thursday demanded the federal government to reinitiate dialogue process with Taliban, create suitable environment for its success and urged to take effective steps to end the US drone attacks inside Pakistan.
Talking to media persons after the tribal jirga, chief of his own faction Maulana Fazlur Rahman regretted that unfortunately no effective strategy of the government was witnessed for peace. He said that in the former JUI-F convened jirga in Islamabad the tribal elders had given a unanimous declaration for peace and also assured its full support in this regard.
Condemning the US drones air strikes inside Pakistani territories, Maulana said that the government should effectively take the issue of drones at the concerned forum and ensure a halt to it. “Only purposeful dialogue would be the only way for sustainable peace in the region,” he maintained.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/editors-picks/29-Nov-2013/jui-f-jirga-demands-talks-with-taliban
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Govt duty-bound to down drones: Sunni Ittehad Council Muftis
November 29, 2013
LAHORE - As many as 30 Muftis belonging to Sunni Ittehad Council (SIT) have said in a joint declaration that as per Sharia it is govt’s duty to shoot down drones and stop Nato supplies to protect sovereignty of the country.
In a press release issued here on Thursday, the Muftis said that government was bound by Sharia and Constitution to protect the countrymen. They said the US had attacked on Pakistan through drones and that’s why government should come forward to stop the Nato supplies and shoot down drones in order to avoid the anarchy.
They said government should detach itself from US war. It is obligation of the state to protect every inch of the land, they said. If the government did not fulfill its obligation, it would result in anxiety and restlessness in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/lahore/29-Nov-2013/govt-duty-bound-to-down-drones-sic-muftis
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Pakistan stops sending police on UN missions
November 29, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has stopped sending its police personnel on the United Nations peacekeeping operations, putting home security on her priority list, The Express Tribune has learnt.
If Islamabad continues ban on sending peacekeepers on UN Missions by March 2014, Pakistan will slip to second position from first in list of 117 states which offer their services to UN to help countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/638638/needed-at-home-pakistan-stops-sending-police-on-un-missions/
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India
Standing by Palestine, India opens visa service in Ramallah
November 29, 2013
India on Friday reiterated its support to the Palestinian cause and announced that it has begun a direct visa issuance system from its office in Ramallah that is expected to further strengthen people-to-people contact between the two countries.
Minister of state for external affairs E Ahamed, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, said India is perhaps the first country in the region to launch a visa issuing system from Ramallah.
The facility was launched in September this year. "With this facility, Palestinian nationals will be issued visas within 2-3 working days," he said.
Stressing that "Indians have always placed Palestine close to their hearts", Ahamed said since the opening of its representative office in Palestine India has been extending technical and economic assistance to the Palestine National Authority in the form of development projects, setting up educational institutions, humanitarian relief etc.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/standing-by-palestine-india-opens-visa-service-in-ramallah/article1-1157094.aspx
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India has to secure access to Middle-East energy reserves: Planning Commission
Express news service Posted online: Thu Nov 28 2013
Pune: As the west becomes more self-sufficient in the energy sector, there will be an increased burden on India to ensure a secure access to the energy reserves in the Middle East, said Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.
Ahluwalia was addressing the convocation ceremony of the 125th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla on Friday. Addressing a gathering of about 300 passing out cadets of the NDA, their parents and the academic staff including officers of the armed forces, Ahluwalia emphasized that at such times, India’s defence forces will have to play a more significant role in “safeguarding the country’s energy supplies”.
“For long, the Middle East has been the dominant source of energy for the whole world. (But) the growth of new energy sources in North America has meant that those parts of the world will become more or less energy self-sufficient. Their interests in preserving access to oil supplies will reduce. On the other hand, our import dependence on oil will increase. Especially as our GDP goes up, our growth rate goes up, really, the burden of ensuring that we can have secure access (to energy) will fall much more on us than we have now,” said Ahluwalia.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-has-to-secure-access-to-middleeast-energy-reserves-montek/1200732/
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26/11 dossier not a sham, India tells Pakistan
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times New Delhi, November 28, 2013
India on Thursday that it will “not ever” allow Pakistan to “wish away” its deeply felt national sentiment that perpetrators of 2008 Mumbai attacks should be brought to book and asked it to act expeditiously as “99% evidence” was available there.
“Would India just allow somebody to wish away what is a deeply, deeply felt national sentiment that the perpetrators of 26/11 should be brought to book? We will never allow that to happen, not now, not later, not ever,” said external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin at a briefing here.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/26-11-dossier-not-a-sham-india-tells-pakistan/article1-1156946.aspx
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai to hold talks with PM next month
TNN | Nov 29, 2013
NEW DELHI: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will visit India again next month, the government confirmed on Thursday. While the visit will take place at the invitation of a Pune-based university, Karzai will be received by PM Manmohan Singh in Delhi.
Karzai had visited India earlier this year at the invitation of a Punjab-based university. During his meeting with Singh, the two leaders will again review relations, especially the security situation in the war-ravaged country ahead of the withdrawal by international forces next year.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Afghan-President-Hamid-Karzai-to-hold-talks-with-PM-next-month/articleshow/26545411.cms
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Africa
Malian arrested for murder of American attache and four Saudis
Nov 29, 2013
A member of an extremist group wanted in the fatal carjacking of an American official in Niger more than a decade ago has been arrested by French soldiers in northern Mali, prosecutors said. The suspect, known as Cheibani Ould Hama, was due to be transferred to the capital, Bamako, on Thursday afternoon, chief prosecutor Daniel Tessougue said.
"He was arrested with three other people by the French army," Tessougue said. "He will be handed over to Malian authorities at a gendarmerie camp in Bamako. They [French forces] have not given us more information."
Full report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/28/mali-arrest-american-diplomat-saudi-tourists
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Tunisians demand minister apologizes for 'sexual jihad' remark
World Bulletin / News Desk
Nov 29, 2013
The Tunisian Minister for women dismisses media reports allleging that Tunisian women have been travelling to Syria to offer sexual favors to jihadist fighters as a sign of their devotion to the cause.
“There is no official information or reports about any case of what is known as 'sexual Jihad'”, said Tunisian minister of Women and Family Affairs Siham Badi in a press conference on Tuesday.
Tunisian Interior Minister, Lotfi Ben Jeddou sparked uproar last month when he alleged that Tunisian women were traveling to Syria, having sex with militants and returning pregnant to Tunisia.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=123783
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On patrol with Nigeria's morality police
Nov 29, 2013
Kano: Six men in green uniform stand in the back of a pick-up truck in northern Nigeria's biggest city, on the look-out for prostitutes, their clients, transvestites, drunks and drug addicts.
Their patrols in Kano also scout for men and women deemed to be dressed indecently, examples of supposedly "immoral" behaviour and even Western-style haircuts they consider violations of Islamic law, known as sharia.
"Once we receive an intelligence report or a tip-off of an immoral act being committed in a particular place, we mobilise our men to the area and put an end to it and arrest the perpetrators for either counselling or prosecution," Adamu Haruna Bayero, who heads the patrol, told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/on-patrol-with-nigeria-s-morality-police-451882
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Libya army depot blast kills dozens
Nov 29, 2013
More than 40 people were reported killed on Thursday in an explosion at an army depot in southern Libya after locals had tried to steal ammunition, while four soldiers died in other violence in the restive east.
The incidents highlighted the turmoil in Libya where the government is trying to restore order in a country awash with weapons after the 2011 ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.
The blast in Brak al-Chati, near the main southern city of Sabha, happened after a group of 43 people were entering the army depot to steal ammunition, a security official said.
"More than 40 people were killed," said Khalifa Alsghair, commander of a border security guard brigade in Brak al-Chati.
Full report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/29/libya-army-depot-blast
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Europe
Chechen-led group swears allegiance to head of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham
Nov 29, 2013
A Chechen-led group of fighters in Syria has sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, who heads the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), an official al Qaeda affiliate.
Jaish al-Muhajireen wa Ansar, or Army of the Emigrants and Helpers, is led by a jihadist known as Abu Omar al Chechen. On Nov. 21, Abu Omar's group released a statement confirming its allegiance to al Baghdadi on FISyria.com, which is the official website for the Army of the Emigrants and Helpers.
The statement is titled, "Omar al Chechen swears allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi," according to a translation obtained The Long War Journal.
The Army of the Emigrants and Helpers "has sworn an oath" to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the statement reads. However, "the brothers from the Imarat Kavkaz (Islamic Caucasus Emirate) who have sworn an oath to" Doku Umarov, the emir of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Caucasus Emirate, are awaiting approval before confirming their formal allegiance to al Baghdadi.
"At the current time, consent to the oath is awaited from the Imarat Kavkaz emir," the statement reads.
Full report at:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/11/muhajireen_army_swea.php#ixzz2m4wyySuX
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Isolation fuels radicalisation in arid north Cameroon
Nov 29, 2013
DOUGUI, Cameroon, Nov 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Nafisa Isa lost her home when a dam broke and flooded her village. Now she and her children live in a camp, threatened by malnutrition and malaria. But Nafisa doesn't want a hospital - she wants a mosque.
"Only God can save us, so we have to pray. We need a place to pray," said the 38-year-old mother of two.
Medicine has run out at the nearest clinic, a day's walk away. Treatments distributed by U.N. child agency UNICEF near the camp have been seized by unscrupulous government officials who then sell them to desperate mothers, Nafisa said.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/29/us-cameroon-islamists-idUSBRE9AS09020131129
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Syrian refugee children face 'catastrophic' life in exile, UN says
Nov 29, 2013
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian children already traumatised by war are facing a life of "catastrophe" in exile, without education or normal childhood freedoms, the UN refugee agency has warned.
Child labour is a huge problem across the refugee communities of Jordan and Lebanon, with children as young as seven taking on the role of breadwinner for their fractured families.
More than a million Syrian children are refugees, most of them in neighbouring countries. The report, the Future of Syria: refugee children in crisis, published by the UNHCR on Friday, involved four months of research across Jordan and Lebanon, speaking to children and the international workers supporting them.
Full report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/nov/29/syrian-refugee-children-catastrophe-exile-un
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Bradford brothers admit collecting Al Qaeda Jihad manuals
Nov 29, 2013
TWO brothers from Bradford today admitted having terrorist material including documents such as The Al Qaeda Manual and 44 Ways of Supporting Jihad.
Muhammed Saeed Ahmed, 21, and Muhammed Naeem Ahmed, 20, admitted 11 counts between them of collecting or possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
The brothers appeared at the Old Bailey.
Muhammed Saeed Ahmed admitted 10 of the charges and Muhammed Naeem Ahmed six of them.
Full report at:
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/bradford-brothers-admit-collecting-al-qaeda-jihad-manuals-1-6275966
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Slaughter ban splits Polish Jews, Muslims
November 29, 2013
A coalition of Poland Muslims and Jews seeking to overturn a ban on religious slaughter split this week over a disagreement on strategy.
The Polish Constitutional Tribunal has accepted for review an appeal by the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland on the slaughter ban, while the Muslim Religious Association of Poland has turned to the European Commission in an attempt spur outside intervention.
Ritual slaughter without prestunning has been banned in Poland since the beginning of January and efforts by Prime Minister Donald Tusk to push through legislation allowing the practice have been rebuffed by parliament.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/Slaughter-ban-splits-Polish-Jews-Muslims-333471
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South Asia
Information Minister: Seems BNP has declared war on the people
November 29, 2013
BNP it seems has called war on the people and humanity, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu commented on Friday after visiting the burn victims of blockade.
“Torching running buses like this, derailing trains like this, it seems that under the umbrella BNP has called war against the people and humanity,” he said.
Such incidents did not take place even in 1971, he said.
Nineteen people were burned when a bus was set on fire Thursday night in Dhaka. One teenager, among the burn victims, died.
Inu visited the ailing burn victims at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday and spoke to reporters afterwards.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/nov/29/inu-seems-bnp-called-war-people#sthash.SjVQWqxM.dpuf
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Stoning will not be brought back, says Afghan president
Nov 29, 2013
Afghanistan's government has backed away from a proposal to reintroduce public stoning as a punishment for adultery after the leak of a draft law stirred up a storm of international condemnation.
The president, Hamid Karzai, said in an interview that the grim penalty, which became a symbol of Taliban brutality when the group were in power, would not be coming back.
"It is not correct. The minister of justice has rejected it," he told Radio Free Europe, days after the UK minister Justine Greening urged him to prevent the penalty becoming law.
Afghanistan's penal code dates back over three decades. The government is drawing up a new one to unify fragmented rules and cover crimes missed out when the last version was written, such as money laundering, and offences that did not even exist at the time, such as internet crimes.
Full report at:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/28/stoning-not-brought-back-afghan-president-karzai
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Another Hindu village comes under Jamaat-Shibir attack
November 29, 2013
The vandals beat 12 women as the males fled the scene sensing the attack. They did not spare even the children during the attack
At least five shops and two houses of minority Hindu community people were vandalised and looted by Jamaat- Shibir men on Thursday, the last day of the opposition-sponsored 71-hour countrywide rail-road-waterways blockade. Patgram Upazila Chhatra Shibir leaders Rana Islam reportedly led the attack on the Hindu people of Ghoshpara village under Patgram upazila around 9:30am.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2013/nov/29/another-hindu-village-comes-under-jamaat-shibir-attack#sthash.YgMcHakU.dpuf
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The Afghan villages where the Taliban rule at night
2013-11-29
Jahanzeb says he can no longer live in his home village in eastern Afghanistan where, when night falls, fear rules in “the kingdom of the Taliban”.
The terrified 30-year-old has fled to the nearby major city of Jalalabad and spends his days tediously filling sacks of flour for a pittance, separated from his family.
“I would prefer to be in my home district,” he told AFP, studiously pouring 49 kilograms of flour into a bag for which he will be paid the equivalent of five European cents.
“But I am here because there is always fighting over there. In the fields, houses, everywhere.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1059367/the-afghan-villages-where-the-taliban-rule-at-night
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North America
Bachmann: Iran Nuclear Facilities ‘Must be Bombed’
Nov 29, 2013
House Intelligence Committee member Michelle Bachmann said that Iran’s nuclear facilities “must be bombed.”
In a speech at a Zionist Organization of America gala on Sunday night, Bachmann said that the Geneva deal reached between Iran and world powers at the weekend will severely limit Israel’s ability to operate freely in the interests of its self defense.
Bachmann said, “It may be incumbent upon the Prime Minister to make a decision he has no desire to make, and that would be to bomb facilities, that must be bombed, in Iran.”
The former presidential candidate framed the deal as a deliberate effort to harm Israel’s security interests.
Full report at:
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/11/28/bachmann-iran-nuclear-facilities-must-be-bombed-geneva-deal-obamas-biggest-cudgel-to-prevent-israel-self-defense/
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Staying out of politics, fighting militants challenges for Raheel: US media
2013-11-29
WASHINGTON, Nov 28: Pakistan’s new army chief will face two major challenges, continuing the culture of non-interference in civilian affairs introduced by his predecessor and fighting terrorists who continue to pose an existential threat to the state, according to the US media.
Almost all major US media outlets commented on the change of military command in Pakistan, describing it as “the most crucial” decision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s new tenure.
“The question now is whether Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s changes to the military culture that have rendered the prospect of a military coup a secondary risk will continue under Gen. Raheel Sharif,” asked The New York Times.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1059305/staying-out-of-politics-fighting-militants-challenges-for-raheel-us-media
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No cover: US may recall CIA station chief in Islamabad
November 29, 2013
LAHORE / ISLAMABAD: The United States is likely to withdraw the current CIA station chief in Islamabad after his cover was blown when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) named him in a first information report registered against the recent drone strike in Hangu district.
As part of its understanding with Pakistan, the CIA station chief works undercover.
Although it was not possible to verify PTI’s claim, sources told The Express Tribune that the US is increasingly worried about the new development and is considering recalling its top spy from the country.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/638561/no-cover-us-may-recall-cia-station-chief-in-islamabad/
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Southeast Asia
Nuzul Al-Quran To Be Observed As A Holiday In Federal Territories, Malaysia From 2014
29 November 2013
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Government has agreed to declare Nuzul Al-Quran as a public holiday for Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Putrajaya) starting next year.
The Prime Minister's Department in a statement on Thursday made the announcement. Apart from declaring Nuzul Al-Quran as a public holiday; the Federal Territories will also enjoy an extra holiday on Feb 3 (Monday) since the Federal Territory Day coincides with the second day of Chinese New Year on Feb 1, 2014 (Saturday).
Full report at:
http://malaysiandigest.com/news/480492-nuzul-al-quran-to-be-observed-as-a-holiday-in-ft-from-2014.html
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In Central Java, NU to open dialogue with Ahmadiyah followers
Nov 29, 2013
Indonesia's Ahmadiyah community, deemed "deviant" by some Muslims, faces many pressures in East and West Java, but Central Java has chosen a middle way.
Governor Ganjar Pranowo indicated people in the province should be able to practice their faith. And local Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leaders say they will approach the minority group through dialogue.
"The governor suggests not disbanding Ahmadiyah. If at some point people argue that their teaching is not in accordance with Islam, he suggests assisting the group instead of alienating them," said Abu Hafsin, chairman of the NU regional board (PWNU), following a meeting with Ganjar in Semarang on October 17th.
Full report at:
http://khabarsoutheastasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2013/11/27/feature-06
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Mideast
University bans Arab students from waving Palestinian flag during protests
November 29, 2013
The University of Haifa banned Arab students from waving Palestinian flags during protests that took place earlier this week against the Begin-Prawer plan, causing reactions from NGOs for and against the decision.
Fady Khoury, a lawyer for Adalah, an Arab legal rights group, told The Jerusalem Post that the university is violating the principle of freedom of speech and should not act as a filter or interfere in the substance of expression.
The Begin-Prawer plan is being debated in the Knesset and seeks to regulate Beduin settlement in the Negev.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/National-News/University-bans-Arab-students-from-waving-Palestinian-flag-during-protests-333446
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Syrian refugees in Turkish camps live on 80 liras of monthly aid
November 29, 2013
Syrian refugees staying in refugee camps in the southern provinces of Turkey have been living on an allowance of 80 Turkish Liras ($40 or 29 euros) per month, according to a recent report drafted by the Parliament’s Human Rights Inquiry Commission.
Hot meal distribution in refugee camps was stopped due to “food culture differences,” and refugees now cook their meals on their own with ingredients they buy from markets at refugee camps via a card system. Many refugees complained that 80 liras was not enough for their food shopping from grocery providers at refugee camps, since no other monetary assistance was provided to the refugees, the report said.
Sixty of the 80 liras are provided by the United Nation’s World Food Program while remaining 20 liras are provided by Turkish Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD).
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/syrian-refugees-in-turkish-camps-live-on-80-liras-of-monthly-aid.aspx?pageID=238&nID=58693&NewsCatID=352
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Iran reaffirms intel cooperation with Turkey
Nov 29 2013
Iran’s ambassador to Turkey Ali Reza Bikdeli has offered to mediate between the Turkish government and the Syrian regime to help them mend ties. He has also offered Iranian cooperation with Turkey’s intelligence agency MIT.
Cooperation between MIT and Iran’s secret service MOIS caused a stir recently, when MIT chief Hakan Fidan was accused for exposing Iranian citizens who were being recruited by Israeli Mossad agents in Turkey to spy on Iran.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=123958
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Muslim scholars call for unity in Islamic world
World Bulletin / News Desk
Nov 29 2013
Muslim scholars from 25 countries called on Muslims to be in unity, asking for help from all scholars in the world to make peace among Muslims, in a written statement released after gathering in Istanbul on Thursday.
The statement started with the recitation of the tenth verse from the 49th capter of the Quran, which says "The Muslims are brothers to each other, therefore make peace between your two brothers and fear Allah, so that you may gain mercy."
In the statement, scholars condemned all efforts to divide the Muslims and demanded that all the scholars keep their eyes open against these efforts all over the Muslim world.
The written statement underlined the need for Palestine to be handed to the Muslim community and stresses that all the people should stand against TV channels that discriminate against Muslims.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=123937
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Turkey's 'sultan' losing his swing ahead of elections
Nov 29 2013
Turkey's once all-powerful prime minister is battling problems on both the domestic and international fronts that threaten to diminish his popularity ahead of an election cycle next year.
With three straight election wins under his belt, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dominated Turkish politics for 11 years and enjoyed a free hand in crafting government policy.
But the tough-talking leader known as the "Sultan" who took office promising bold reforms has become an increasingly polarising figure in Turkey and now faces a key test in local polls in March.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/87807/World/Region/Turkeys-sultan-losing-his-swing-ahead-of-elections.aspx
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/efforts-impose-sharia-law-iraq/d/34654