Gay Sex Causes Earthquakes and 'Disgusts' Allah, Says Muslim Cleric in Ghana
New Age Islam News Bureau
27 May 2016
Photo: Heightened hostility has been reported among Zongo communities in Accra, Ghana’s capital, towards homosexual relationships. PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images
• End Moral Crimes’ Charges and Virginity Tests, HRW urges Afghanistan
• ISIS India Wing Talked About Extorting Money from Bollywood Stars
• Is Council of Islamic Ideology ‘In Denial’ About Violence against Women?
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Africa
• Gay Sex Causes Earthquakes and 'Disgusts' Allah, Says Muslim Cleric in Ghana
• South Africa: Zuma reaffirms South Africa’s friendship with Palestine
• Man Accused of Plotting to Join Islamic State Testifies
• Uganda: 7 convicted of al-Shabab's deadly World Cup bombings
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South Asia
• End Moral Crimes’ Charges and Virginity Tests, HRW urges Afghanistan
• ISIS Loyalists As Active As Ever In Afghanistan: Russian Foreign Ministry
• Karzai Urges Government to Halt Further Execution of Militants
• Afghan Air Force participate in 50 to 180 missions a day: MoD
• Top ISIS commander likely killed in Afghan Air Force raid in Nangarhar
• Bangladesh tycoon charged with sedition
• 6 Bangladeshi nationals charged for involvement in terrorist-related activities
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India
• ISIS India Wing Talked About Extorting Money from Bollywood Stars
• Muslims and RSS Cannot Afford To Go On Hating
• MP Man Threatens School with ‘IS Attack’ if Children’s Fee Not Waived Off
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Pakistan
• Is Council of Islamic Ideology ‘In Denial’ About Violence against Women?
• Four Suspected Afghan Terrorists Killed In Mohmand
• ‘Terror Attack’ On Bahawalnagar Shrine Foiled; Three Arrested
• Chabahar not a rival to Gwadar, Iranian envoy tells Pakistan
• Fading splendour of Thatta's Shah Jahani mosque
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Europe
• Church Accused of Ulterior Motives for Harbouring Muslim Migrants
• Putin Declares Russia an 'Ally' To Islamic World
• CNN: ISIS Terrorists Blending in With Europe-Bound Migrants
• Views of 44% of Europe Muslims are fundamentalist, Czech study shows
• Fingerprints and DNA of up to 800 terror suspects destroyed because of errors by spies and the police
• Preacher Calls on Muslims in Europe to Start Ramadan Same Day as Morocco
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Arab World
• Gulf Money Turned Kosovo into ISIS Hotbed While EU and US Turned a Blind Eye
• Syria: Infighting Intensifies between ISIL, Rival Terrorists North of Aleppo Province
• Iran’s Reformist-Dominated, Massively Overhauled Parliament to Be Sworn In
• Terrorists' Attacks Repulsed by Syrian Army in Aleppo
• Syrian Warplanes Continue to Bomb ISIL Positions East of Homs Province
• Syrian Army Sends more Troops to Eastern Battlefields of Damascus Province
• Syrian Army, Hezbollah Cut off Main Supply Line of Terrorists East of Damascus
• Air Force Destroys Terrorists' Military Positions in Deir Ezzur
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Mideast
• Turkish FM Calls for ‘Pluralist New Syria’
• Bibi Scolds New Israeli Lawmaker Who Called for End to Temple Mount Ban
• 67 PKK militants surrender in Turkey's southeast
• Turkey no longer interested in buying US drones: Turkish official
• Turkey calls on EU countries to rethink PYD bureaus
• Israel and Saudi Arabia: Strange bedfellows
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Southeast Asia
• More Indonesian Celebrities, Rock Stars Turn To Islam
• Tourism Bureau to Attract Muslim Tourists To Taiwan
• Sixth in custody after terror tinnie raid
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North America
• Muslim Scouts Pursue an American Tradition — In an America Wary Of Muslims
• U.S. Commandos Work With Syrian Fighters in Push toward ISIS Stronghold
• Meet The White House’s New Muslim American Community Liaison
• Fired US Muslim Workers Lodge Discrimination Complaint
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Gay Sex Causes Earthquakes and 'Disgusts' Allah, Says Muslim Cleric in Ghana
Fri, May 27 2016
A Muslim cleric in Ghana has said sex between gay couples "disgusts Allah" and is responsible for earthquakes.
Mallam Abass Mahmud said in an interview: “Allah gets annoyed when males engage in sexual encounter and such disgusting encounter causes earthquake.”
He also said Allah destroyed the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah ‘as the result of homesexuality’.
His comments follow reports of heightened hostility among Zongo communities in Kumasi and the capital Accra towards homosexual relationships.
A local news station reported that a number of gay men have fled their homes because they were ‘afraid to disclose their sexual preferences for fear of attacks’.
According to the Daily Mail, Mahmud added: “Should we allow such a shame to continue in our communities against holy teachings? Certainly no, and we are very happy to chase away such idiots from our Zongo communities.”
The British Government’s travel advice for Ghana warns: “Although there is a small gay community, there is no ‘scene’ and most Ghanaians don’t accept that such activity exists’.
News Ghana reported that Muslim youths in the communities are known to have created special task forces to fight what they describe as the importation of “white man’s culture”.
Homosexuality is illegal in 34 of Africa’s 56 states, according to the International Gay and Lesbian Association.
independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/gay-sex-causes-earthquakes-and-disgusts-allah-says-muslim-cleric-in-ghana-a7051336.html
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End Moral Crimes’ Charges and Virginity Tests, HRW urges Afghanistan
Fri May 27 2016
The Human Rights Watch has urged the Afghan government to urgently act to end wrongful imprisonment and humiliating, scientifically invalid “virginity exams” of women and girls.
Accordin to the rights organization, the Afghan police and prosecutors continue to engage in the abusive practice, despite a pledge from President Ashraf Ghani in a February 2016 letter to Human Rights Watch to “prevent the imprisonment of women accused of running away from their family.”
Heather Barr, senior women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said “President Ghani’s promise to end the practice of arresting women and girls for ‘running away’ is an important step forward for women’s rights in Afghanistan.”
“But to make a real difference, the president needs to issue a clear and binding order that immediately changes how every police officer and prosecutor handles complaints against women and girls. For too long, women and girls fleeing violence have been treated as criminals while their abusers go free,” Barr added.
HRW added that the government should take concrete steps to implement the promised reform and ensure that women and girls who have been the victims of violence are protected by the legal system.
“In Afghanistan today, hundreds of women and girls are imprisoned on charges of “moral crimes,” Human Rights Watch said, adding that “These so-called crimes include “running away” from home, and committing or attempting to commit zina, or having sex outside of marriage.”
According to HRW estimate, in 2013 that half of all women in prison and about 95 percent of girls in juvenile detention in Afghanistan have been arrested on “moral crimes” charges.
Citing a research report, HRW said in most cases, the women and girls accused of these “crimes” were fleeing forced child marriage or domestic violence. In some cases, women and girls who have been raped were charged with zina, alongside their rapist.
HRW said the so-called “virginity tests” have no scientific validity in reality, insisting that their use is based on the mistaken belief that “virginity” can be determined by examining a woman or girl’s hymen to determine whether it has been broken during sexual intercourse.
“In fact, some girls are born without a hymen, hymens often break during daily non-sexual activities, and some hymens remain intact after sexual intercourse. These factors make “virginity examinations” so unreliable that the World Health Organization has said that they have no scientific validity and health workers should never conduct them,” HRW added.
khaama.com/end-moral-crimes-charges-and-virginity-tests-hrw-urges-afghanistan-01078
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ISIS India Wing Talked About Extorting Money from Bollywood Stars
by Rashmi Rajput
New Delhi, May 25, 2016, 12:48
As it looked for means to fund terror activities, the Janood-ul-Khalifa-Hind, the alleged Indian wing of the Islamic State, considered extorting money from Bollywood stars. A suggestion to take Naxal help to procure arms was reportedly turned down.
According to sources, two alleged top commanders of the module busted by security agencies earlier this year, Rizwan Nawazuddin alias Khalid and Muddabir Sheikh, have revealed this in interrogation.
Officials said Rizwan, 19, who has been named by them as operational head of the Indian wing of IS, had told them that the plan to target Bollywood stars was discussed in a September 2015 meeting of members of the Lucknow module.
“But just before the module could chalk out the entire plan, security agencies which had been monitoring their online activities arrested them in a nationwide clampdown,” a source said. The NIA had arrested 23 alleged IS sympathisers in a joint operation with six state counter-terrorism agencies earlier this year.
Rizwan and his associates allegedly also planned to carry out lone wolf attacks against top Sangh Parivar leaders such as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and the VHP’s Ashok Singhal and Pravin Tagodia, hoping this would bring them in international spotlight.
Rizwan, two of whose uncles are in the Army, talked about toying with the idea of attacking an Army base in Meerut too, say investigators. While his father is a revenue official in UP, another uncle is a district magistrate.
The 19-year-old allegedly confessed that he was drawn to extremist ideology after he started surfing the Internet to kill time.
According to his “confession”, his module’s current handler, Shafi Armar alias Yusuf, didn’t want to initially pledge allegiance of his Ansar-ul-Tawhid to the IS. His brother Sultan had allegedly left the Indian Mujahideen owing to differences over money with Bhatkal brothers Rizwan and Iqbal, and initially approached the al-Qaeda and Taliban for help, before taking funds from the IS. “Only the IS was receptive to the offer made by the Armar brothers. They made Armars in charge of the Indian operations and they were asked to scout for recruits back home who could help carry out ‘lone wolf attacks’ and spread the IS agenda in the subcontinent,” Rizwan has allegedly told interrogators.
Officials claim the Indian module first received funds in October last year, with Yusuf allegedly routing Rs 6 lakh through hawala channels in Mumbai to be received by Muddabir Sheikh. A techie who had been jobless since September last year, Muddabir had reportedly got in touch with Yusuf through encrypted chatting apps Trillian and Sureshot. Yusuf allegedly made him the Amir, or the chief of the Indian module, in October last year.
The Lucknow meeting where targeting actors was discussed also saw a discussion on training locations, Rizwan allegedly revealed. Among the places considered were the jungles of Panvel on Mumbai outskirts, and the forests of Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/islamic-state-india-wing-extorting-money-bollywood-stars-2817533/#sthash.bpn7QaGk.dpuf
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Is Council of Islamic Ideology ‘In Denial’ About Violence against Women?
May 27, 2016
ISLAMABAD: Senior members of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) categorically denied on Thursday that there was any violence or physical oppression of women at the hands of their husbands or in-laws, at least inside Pakistan.
Two of the council’s senior-most members told Dawn that Pakistanis were God-fearing and religious-minded folk who did not beat their wives.
The CII had been considering its own draft of a ‘Women Protection Bill’, written by CII member Imdadullah. But the draft does not outline any punishments for those who do beat their wives.
A major divergence between the CII’s proposed legislation and the law it seeks to replace – the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence bill – is that the council has highlighted women as “culprit party”, while the Punjab bill focuses on women victims of domestic violence.
The council’s 75 page draft, instead, describes the modes of punishments husbands are permitted to impose on their wives, if they do not comply with their responsibilities under Sharia.
Much of the CII’s opposition to existing domestic violence legislation has been the assertion that domestic violence does not exist in Pakistan, and therefore does not need to be legislated against.
Taking a very simplistic approach when asked about this issue, Allama Iftikhar Naqvi posited that, “That women are facing injustice and ill-treatment here is only Western propaganda.”
He then asked the reporter: “Tell me, do you beat your wife? No. Does your wife beat you? No. So who is spreading this propaganda?”
Instead, Allama Naqvi argued, the real issue facing women was the lack of understanding of their own rights, as granted by Islam.
Where the Punjab bill aims to address the grievances of women who face violence at the hands of their husbands or relatives, the CII’s law has no provisions to award punishments to men who resort to violence against women, and clerics continue to deny that this is a problem.
At a press conference earlier in the day, CII chairman Maulana Sherani described some of the punishments that are permitted against women who do not comply with their responsibilities under Sharia.
“No man can beat or humiliate his wife, and if there is a need to discipline her, then he should distance himself from her until she mends her ways,” Mr Sheerani said.
He said Islam gives women extensive rights and allows women to play an active role in society.
“Whenever there is a need, the government can force men to conscript, but women cannot be forced to do so. Similarly, if a woman denounces Islam, she cannot be awarded the death sentence as it is prescribed for men. Women can own property and even do jobs, while conforming to religious norms,” he added.
When asked about cases where husbands beat their wives, he claimed that there was no one in Pakistan disgraced enough to beat a woman.
“In our tribal culture, we stop firing during gunfights if a woman appears in the range,” he said. “If there is any such case, the government has to create awareness first, instead of making stringent laws.”
dawn.com/news/1260927/is-cii-in-denial-about-violence-against-women
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Africa
Gay Sex Causes Earthquakes and 'Disgusts' Allah, Says Muslim Cleric in Ghana
Fri, May 27 2016
A Muslim cleric in Ghana has said sex between gay couples "disgusts Allah" and is responsible for earthquakes.
Mallam Abass Mahmud said in an interview: “Allah gets annoyed when males engage in sexual encounter and such disgusting encounter causes earthquake.”
He also said Allah destroyed the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah ‘as the result of homesexuality’.
Full report at: independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/gay-sex-causes-earthquakes-and-disgusts-allah-says-muslim-cleric-in-ghana-a7051336.html
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South Africa: Zuma reaffirms South Africa’s friendship with Palestine
Fri, May 27 2016
JOHANNESBURG, (AA): South African President Jacob Zuma told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas that his country remains a committed friend of the Palestinian people.
Zuma hosted Abbas in Cape Town during a working visit aimed at strengthening socio-political ties and economic relations between the two countries, the presidency said in a statement Wednesday night.
“It is my great pleasure to welcome you again to our shores, and South Africa will continue to be a liberated zone and a friend of the Palestinian people,” Zuma said.
The two leaders held bilateral talks on a broad range of issues including the current initiatives aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestine standoff, in particular the postponed Paris Middle East conference that was scheduled for the end of May.
Full report at: muslimnews.co.uk/news/palestine/south-africa-zuma-reaffirms-south-africas-friendship-palestine/
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Man Accused of Plotting to Join Islamic State Testifies
May 26, 2016
A Minnesota man on trial for plotting to go to Syria to join the Islamic State group testified Thursday that he thought about leaving the United States because he could feel the government closing in, but said he had no real plan and believed a scheme to get fake passports for the journey was a bad idea.
Guled Ali Omar, 21, is one of three men on trial in U.S. District Court in Minnesota on multiple counts. The most serious is conspiracy to commit murder outside the United States, which carries the possibility of life in prison. He is the only defendant to testify.
Prosecutors have said the men were part of a larger group of friends in Minnesota's Somali community who recruited and inspired each other to go to Syria. Six other men who were part of the alleged plot have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to support a foreign terrorist organization. A 10th man is at-large, believed to be in Syria.
During the trial, which is in its third week, prosecutors played secretly recorded conversations in which the men discussed travel plans, including the possibility of obtaining fake passports to go to Syria via Mexico.
Full report at: abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-accused-plotting-join-islamic-state-takes-stand-39409603
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Uganda: 7 convicted of al-Shabab's deadly World Cup bombings
Fri, May 27 2016
A Ugandan judge today convicted seven men of carrying out twin bombings which killed 76 people who were watching the 2010 World Cup final in the capital, Kampala.
The men, who were also convicted of multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, could face the death penalty in sentencing Friday. Another suspect was convicted of aiding and abetting terrorism, while five others were acquitted. In convicting the seven men, High Court Judge Alphonse Owiny Dollo said there was proof that the July 2010 bombings were planned in Somalia and that explosives used in the attack were ferried through Kenya.
The 13 suspects including Ugandans, Kenyans and Tanzanians were charged under Uganda's anti-terror law. FBI agents testified during the trial in Kampala. One of the convicts, a Ugandan named Issa Luyima, was identified as the mastermind of the attacks, the judge said in his decision. The suspects appeared calm throughout the session that lasted more than five hours.
Full report at: dnaindia.com/world/report-uganda-7-convicted-of-al-shabab-s-deadly-world-cup-bombings-2217134
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South Asia
End Moral Crimes’ Charges and Virginity Tests, HRW urges Afghanistan
Fri May 27 2016
The Human Rights Watch has urged the Afghan government to urgently act to end wrongful imprisonment and humiliating, scientifically invalid “virginity exams” of women and girls.
Accordin to the rights organization, the Afghan police and prosecutors continue to engage in the abusive practice, despite a pledge from President Ashraf Ghani in a February 2016 letter to Human Rights Watch to “prevent the imprisonment of women accused of running away from their family.”
Heather Barr, senior women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said “President Ghani’s promise to end the practice of arresting women and girls for ‘running away’ is an important step forward for women’s rights in Afghanistan.”
Full report at: khaama.com/end-moral-crimes-charges-and-virginity-tests-hrw-urges-afghanistan-01078
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ISIS loyalists as active as ever in Afghanistan: Russian Foreign Ministry
Thu May 26 2016
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said the loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group are as active as ever in Afghanistan.
There are concerns that the loyalists of the group will attempt to expand activities and foothold across Afghanistan and into the Central Asia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters “The ISIS-controlled branch in Afghanistan is as active as ever as it is seeking to spread its influence to the bordering states of Central Asia and the north of Afghanistan.”
Full report at: khaama.com/isis-loyalists-as-active-as-ever-in-afghanistan-russian-foreign-ministry-01075
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Karzai urges government to halt further execution of militants
Fri May 27 2016
The former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has urged the Afghan government to halt further execution of the prisoners charged with the terror offences.
In an online statement issued following the death of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, Karzai has said ‘brotherhood’ and ‘unity’ are the only way to achieve peace in the country.
The statement by Karzai further added that war and violence have been imposed on the Afghan people from abroad, insisting that the Taliban statement proves that the group’s leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was killed on the side of Durand Line in control of Pakistan.
He called on the new leader of the Taliban group Mawlavi Haibatullah Akhundzada to join peace process and return to Afghanistan.
Full report at: khaama.com/karzai-urges-government-to-halt-further-execution-of-militants-01080
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Afghan Air Force participate in 50 to 180 missions a day: MoD
Fri May 27 2016
The Afghan Air Force (AAF) participate in 50 to 180 missions a day to support the Afghan National Security and Defense (ANSDF) forces.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Dawlat Waziri, said the Afghan Air Force utilizes the available resources, including combat and airlift equipment to support the Afghan ground forces.
He said the Afghan Air Force provide close-air support as well as logistics support to the Afghan forces in their fight against terrorism.
The Afghan defense officials said last month that the Afghan Air Force carried out the most missions in mid-April by flying 83 missions over a period of 24 hours.
Full report at: khaama.com/afghan-air-force-participate-in-50-to-180-missions-a-day-mod-01079
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Top ISIS commander likely killed in Afghan Air Force raid in Nangarhar
Thu May 26 2016
Afghan Air Force Mi-17sA top commander of the loyalists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group has likely been killed in airstrikes in eastern Nangarhar province.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the airstrikes were carried out in Kot and Achin districts of Nangarhar by the Afghan Air Force.
A statement by MoD said at least 8 militants were killed in the air raids and a top commander of the terror group identified as Mullah Bozorg has likely been killed as well.
Full report at: khaama.com/top-isis-commander-likely-killed-in-afghan-air-force-raid-in-nangarhar-01076
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Bangladesh tycoon charged with sedition
Thu May 26 2016
Bangladesh police on Thursday charged a senior opposition official with sedition for allegedly plotting against the state when he met an Israeli government adviser, an official said.
The move comes as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is stepping up a crackdown on political opponents in the Muslim-majority country, which is reeling from a wave of killings blamed on Islamists.
Met Israeli official
Full report at: thehindu.com/news/international/bangladesh-tycoon-charged-with-sedition/article8652002.ece
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6 Bangladeshi nationals charged for involvement in terrorist-related activities
Thu May 26 2016
SINGAPORE - Six Bangladeshi nationals have been charged in court for providing, collecting and possessing property in relation to terrorism.
They were among a group of eight Bangladeshi nationals who were detained under the Internal Security Act in April this year, said the authorities in a statement on Friday (May 27).
The Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) launched an investigation on April 8 after receiving information on several radicalised Bangladeshi nationals who were involved in terrorism financing activities.
news.asiaone.com/news/crime/6-bangladeshi-nationals-charged-involvement-terrorist-related-activities
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India
ISIS India Wing Talked About Extorting Money from Bollywood Stars
by Rashmi Rajput
New Delhi, May 25, 2016, 12:48
As it looked for means to fund terror activities, the Janood-ul-Khalifa-Hind, the alleged Indian wing of the Islamic State, considered extorting money from Bollywood stars. A suggestion to take Naxal help to procure arms was reportedly turned down.
According to sources, two alleged top commanders of the module busted by security agencies earlier this year, Rizwan Nawazuddin alias Khalid and Muddabir Sheikh, have revealed this in interrogation.
Officials said Rizwan, 19, who has been named by them as operational head of the Indian wing of IS, had told them that the plan to target Bollywood stars was discussed in a September 2015 meeting of members of the Lucknow module.
Full report at: indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/islamic-state-india-wing-extorting-money-bollywood-stars-2817533/#sthash.bpn7QaGk.dpuf
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Muslims and RSS cannot afford to go on hating
May 27, 2016
The rise of the BJP in the Northeast, the shrinking of the Congress and the emergence of powerful satraps in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, are vital features of this election. Strangely, print and electronic media have ignored its crucial impact on the 180 million Indian Muslims, and therefore on secularism in India. This may be the decisive feature of the 2016 assembly polls.
Muslims across India view Narendra Modi through the lens of the 2002 tragedy in Gujarat. This image has been magnified by the unfortunate role of Hindutva fanatics in the last two years. Ghar wapsi, love jihad, Go to Pakistan, beef eating, Bharat Mata ki Jai, and now the likely release of the Malegaon suspects, have left most Muslims in a state of panic. Note that barely 25 per cent of Muslims belong to the upper and middle classes. The remaining, about 135 million, belong to the Dalit and backward classes. Even in the language of eminent Muslims like Ashraf Ali Thanwi, they were described as Arzal (Dalits or most backward castes).
Full report at: indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/narendra-modi-assam-elections-indian-muslims-rss-modi-govt-2820928/
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MP Man Threatens School with ‘IS Attack’ If Children’s Fee Not Waived Off
May 27, 2016
A father of two in Dewas allegedly impersonated the Islamic State terror group and wrote a letter to his children’s school, saying that the institution will be bombed and the principal set ablaze if outstanding fees weren’t waived.
Police booked Usmaan, the father of a boy and a girl, for allegedly writing the letter and posting it to the principal of BCM school, Verges Joseph. The letter was hand-written and in Hindi.
Full report at: hindustantimes.com/india/mp-man-threatens-school-with-is-attack-if-children-s-fee-not-waived-off/story-KbZ3mXRI7jBNFP4b68smMI.html
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Pakistan
Is Council of Islamic Ideology ‘In Denial’ About Violence against Women?
May 27, 2016
ISLAMABAD: Senior members of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) categorically denied on Thursday that there was any violence or physical oppression of women at the hands of their husbands or in-laws, at least inside Pakistan.
Two of the council’s senior-most members told Dawn that Pakistanis were God-fearing and religious-minded folk who did not beat their wives.
The CII had been considering its own draft of a ‘Women Protection Bill’, written by CII member Imdadullah. But the draft does not outline any punishments for those who do beat their wives.
A major divergence between the CII’s proposed legislation and the law it seeks to replace – the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence bill – is that the council has highlighted women as “culprit party”, while the Punjab bill focuses on women victims of domestic violence.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1260927/is-cii-in-denial-about-violence-against-women
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Four suspected Afghan terrorists killed in Mohmand
May 27, 2016
PESHAWAR: Four suspected Afghan terrorists were killed in a clash with security forces on Friday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The clash occurred in Mohmand Agency's Khwezai tehsil, which borders Afghanistan.
"Terrorists attacked a security check post in Khozai area of Mohmand Agency, which borders Afghanistan," said a security official.
The security official added all four terrorists were killed in retaliatory action by security forces.
Mohmand is one of Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies near the Afghan border where the military has been battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade.
dawn.com/news/1261013/four-suspected-afghan-terrorists-killed-in-mohmand
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‘Terror attack’ on Bahawalnagar shrine foiled; three arrested
May 27, 2016
LAHORE: Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police claimed on Thursday to have foiled a terror attack on a shrine in Bahawalnagar district and arrested three alleged terrorists of banned outfits Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ).
A CTD spokesman said after receiving information about the presence of suspected terrorists, a team raided a house near the shrine and arrested three people. He said the suspects were identified as Muhammad Asif of Khushab, Muhammad Jamil of Lahore and Muhammad Sadiq of Toba Tek Singh.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1260987/terror-attack-on-bahawalnagar-shrine-foiled-three-arrested
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Chabahar not a rival to Gwadar, Iranian envoy tells Pakistan
May 27, 2016
ISLAMABAD: Addressing tensions surrounding Chabahar, Mehdi Honerdoost, the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, said the Chabahar port agreement between Iran, India and Afghanistan is 'not finished' and 'not limited to these three countries'.
Speaking on Pakistan-Iran relations at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad (ISSI), the envoy revealed that the offer to cooperate had first been extended to Pakistan and then China, implying neither had expressed interest.
Ahmed Saffee, a research fellow at the ISSI, quoted the Iranian envoy as saying that the deal is still on the table for both Pakistan and China, assuring that 'Chabahar is not a rival to Gwadar'.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1261006/chabahar-not-a-rival-to-gwadar-iranian-envoy-tells-pakistan
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Fading splendour of Thatta's Shah Jahani mosque
May 27, 2016
THATTA: Legend says when construction on Pakistan's Shah Jahani mosque was destroyed in 1644, advisers to the Mughal governor told him to find someone "who is so pious that he has committed no sin in all his life" to lay the foundation.
Bells rang out with the message, calling on such men to come in the darkness of the night and lay a stone in the grounds of the mosque, which was being constructed on the orders of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor best known for building the Taj Mahal.
The next day, 450 bricks were found placed in the foundations at the site in the town of Thatta.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1261002/fading-splendour-of-thattas-shah-jahani-mosque
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Europe
Church Accused Of Ulterior Motives For Harbouring Muslim Migrants
27 May 2016
The comments follow recent news articles about German churches skirting the edges of legality by offering religious sanctuary to failed asylum seekers. Citing traditions that date back to the middle ages, the churches prevent the deportation of illegals by keeping them on religious ground.
While this is not strictly legal, the German government has turned a blind eye to the practice, according to reports by Agence France-Presse.
Accusing the church of acting charitably towards illegal migrants “under the guise of love for their neighbours,” AfD Bavarian chapter chief Petr Bystron said: “This phony public image of reaching out to refugees is also financing a gigantic charity industry under the organisational roof of the churches”.
Full report at: breitbart.com/london/2016/05/27/church-accused-of-ulterior-motives-for-harbouring-muslim-migrants/
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Putin Declares Russia an 'Ally' To Islamic World
5/27/16
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed that his country will always be a “reliable ally” to the “Islamic world” at a discussion event on the topic of Islam and Russia, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
“The agenda for your meeting today addresses important issues, many of which are directly related to the events that are happening at the moment in a number of Muslim countries and, without exaggeration, urgently call for a global response,” Putin told a panel gathered to discuss Russia’s strategy in dealing with Islamic countries.
Putin boasted that Russia had devastated extremist groups in the Middle East with airstrikes against militants in Syria, including the Islamic State group (ISIS). The Russian president has been a longstanding partner of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and Russia and Iran launched a campaign of military intervention to support his faltering regime in 2015.
Full report at: newsweek.com/putin-declares-russia-ally-islamic-world-464160
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CNN: ISIS Terrorists Blending in With Europe-Bound Migrants
27 May 2016
A new report claims Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists are blending in with migrants and traveling to Europe.
CNN reports that smugglers are helping the ISIS fighters join refugees in countries like Libya. From there, they make the journey across the Mediterranean Sea to the European continent.
One smuggler told CNN he has been approached by people he knows are members of ISIS asking for help getting to Europe.
Special:
Full report at: newsmax.com/Newsfront/cnn-isis-terrorists-blend/2016/05/26/id/731027/
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Views of 44% of Europe Muslims are fundamentalist, Czech study shows
27 MAY 2016
Prague, May 26 (CTK) - The opinions of 44 percent of European Muslims correspond to the definition of religious fundamentalism, according to a survey the Czech European Values think tank presented yesterday, which unveils serious shortcomings in Muslim immigrants' integration in this respect.
Problems with the integration in the European system of values concern both first and further generations of Muslim immigrants, the think tank said in a press release.
The survey showed that fundamentalists increasingly incline to radicalisation.
For example, the application of force was assessed as a justified measure to protect the faith by 35 percent of the surveyed Muslims, but 70 percent of fundamentalists among them.
"University education lowers the probability of radicalisation," sociologist Marketa Blazejovska said.
Full report at: praguemonitor.com/2016/05/27/views-44-europe-muslims-are-fundamentalist-czech-study-shows
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Fingerprints and DNA of up to 800 terror suspects destroyed because of errors by spies and the police
27 MAY 2016
The fingerprint and DNA profiles of up to 800 terror suspects have been destroyed because of errors by spies and the police, it has emerged.
The number of destroyed cases represents of one in 10 of the 8,000 extremists whose details are held on the Government’s counter-terrorism databases.
The Home Office must get a grip of how data is being managed to prevent issues like this from damaging our national security
Keith Vaz MP
Full report at: telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/26/fingerprints-and-dna-of-up-to-800-terror-suspects-destroyed-beca/?WT.mc_id=e_DM122691&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_FAM_New_AEM_Recipient&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Edi_FAM_New_AEM_Recipient_2016_05_27&utm_campaign=DM122691
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Preacher Calls on Muslims in Europe to Start Ramadan Same Day as Morocco
Thursday 26 May 2016
Starting from this Hijri year, Al-Balagh Association for Cultural and Social Work in the city of Leiden, Netherlands, has decided to follow Morocco’s declaration of proven sighting for the months of Ramadan and Chawwal issued by the moon sighting committees of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.
This decision was justified on the basis that Morocco has the “most precise and accurate” Islamic calendar.
In a statement signed by the Libyan writer and preacher, Jalal Ali Jehani, on behalf of the steering committee, the association called on all imams and preachers in The Netherlands and Belgium to follow the right path in this respect so as to avoid the annual chaos, contradictions and errors coming from inaccurate astronomical calculations of some Middle Eastern countries.
Full report at: moroccoworldnews.com/2016/05/187512/preacher-calls-on-muslims-in-europe-to-start-ramadan-same-day-as-morocco/
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Arab World
Gulf Money Turned Kosovo into ISIS Hotbed While EU and US Turned a Blind Eye
27 May, 2016
Kosovo, a predominantly Muslim land severed from Serbia by US and NATO military intervention, was turned into a hotbed of radical Islamism and a fertile recruiting ground for terrorists thanks to money pumped into it by Gulf kingdoms, the New York Times reported.
Among all European nations Kosovo holds the grim record of having the biggest per capita rate of people joining the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria. In a land of 1.8 million, 314 Kosovars were identified by the police over the past two years as IS recruits.
Local authorities and moderate imams blame the problem on a network of extremist clerics backed by money coming from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and other Arab nations. Funded through a shady network of private donations, mercurial charities and Islamic scholarship programs, they spread the brand of Islam called Wahhabism, a hardline sect to which Saudi Arabia adheres.
Full report at: rt.com/news/344561-kosovo-isis-hotbed-saudi-money/
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Syria: Infighting Intensifies between ISIL, Rival Terrorists North of Aleppo Province
May 27, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Local sources said that several terrorists were killed in clashes between the ISIL and the coalition of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and al-Shamiyeh Front in the Northern territories of Aleppo province near the border with Turkey.
"The ISIL terrorists stormed strongholds of al-Shamiyeh and FSA near the villages of Tal Hussein, Tatiyah, Baryshah and Janhat in the Eastern side of the town of Azaz a few kilometers South of Aleppo border with Turkey," the sources said.
"The ISIL pushed its rivals back from the villages," the sources said, adding, "Heavy death toll on both sides was reported."
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950307000293
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Iran’s Reformist-Dominated, Massively Overhauled Parliament To Be Sworn In
05/27/16
Iran’s newly elected parliament, officially called the Islamic Consultative Assembly, will be sworn in Saturday. The swearing-in of the massively overhauled 290-member assembly comes at a critical time for the Reformist President Hassan Rouhani, whose coalition currently holds 122 seats in the parliament.
The rest of the seats are almost evenly divided between the Principlists — a loose coalition of hard-liners and social conservatives that currently holds 84 seats in the legislative body — and Independents, who, with 82 seats, hold the balance of power.
The parliament exercises minimal control over the country’s foreign policy and security issues as the unelected supreme leader and the 12-member Guardian Council — also unelected — being the real centers of power. However, in some other areas, the legislative body does have certain degree of independence, and it can, among other things, control the annual budget, approve the impeachment of ministers and issue formal questions to the government.
Historically, Iran’s parliament has been overwhelmingly dominated by conservatives and hard-liners. However, following elections held in February and the run-offs in April, 216 incumbents — nearly three-quarters of the parliament — lost their seats, and the pro-Rouhani bloc became the single-largest coalition in the assembly.
Full report at: ibtimes.com/irans-reformist-dominated-massively-overhauled-parliament-be-sworn-2374948?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Obama-Makes-History-In-Hiroshima&utm_campaign=pulse_email_newsletter
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Terrorists' Attacks Repulsed by Syrian Army in Aleppo
May 27, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian military forces repelled joint attacks of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and al-Nusra Front on the government forces' strongholds in the Northern part of Aleppo city, forcing them to retreat from the battlefield with no gain.
The Syrian soldiers fended off the terrorists' offensive to break through the government forces' position in al-Khalediyeh district, which ended in the killing or wounding of several militants.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950307000256
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Syrian Warplanes Continue to Bomb ISIL Positions East of Homs Province
May 27, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian fighter jets carried out several combat flights over the ISIL strongholds in the energy-rich regions in Eastern Homs and targeted them heavily, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.
The Syrian bombers struck fortified positions of ISIL terrorists in surrounding the oil fields of Jazal and al-Sha'er, in which a convoys of vehicles, some of which equipped with machineguns, were destroyed and several ISIL fighters were killed.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950307000317
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Syrian Army Sends more Troops to Eastern Battlefields of Damascus Province
May 27, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian media sources announced that a large number of fresh recruits have been dispatched to Eastern Ghouta to join the government forces' anti-terrorism operations there.
"A large number of the Republican Guard's soldiers, who finished their trainings, have been sent to battlefronts to join the Syrian army and their allies' war on terrorism in the Eastern part of Damascus province," the sources said, adding, "The Syrian government forces are resolved to fortify their positions in the newly-liberated regions as much as possible."
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950307000237
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Syrian Army, Hezbollah Cut off Main Supply Line of Terrorists East of Damascus
May 27, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army announced that its troops and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters continued to drive the terrorist groups back from more territories in Eastern Ghouta and cut off a main supply route of Faylaq al-Rahman and Jeish al-Festat in the region.
The Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah, after two days of tough battle, cutoff Faylaq al-Rahman’s main supply road to the small town of Harasta al-Qantara, leaving them trapped between the government forces.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950307000270
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Air Force Destroys Terrorists' Military Positions in Deir Ezzur
27 May, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian air force pounded the military positions and gathering centers of the Takfiri terrorists in Deir Ezzur province, inflicting heavy losses on them.
Scores of terrorists were killed and wounded in the Syrian fighter jets' raids in Deir Ezzur province.
Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Raqqa and Hama, over past 24 hours.
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in Syria's key provinces.
Deir Ezzur
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950307000283
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Mideast
Turkish FM calls for ‘pluralist new Syria’
May/26/2016
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has called for the implementation of a “real political transition” to a “pluralist new Syria,” amid reports of a new constitution being drafted for Syria.
“A real political transition needs to be implemented for a new democratic Syria, based on the rule of law, in which people can elect their leaders through their free will,” said Çavuşoğlu at a meeting of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly held in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
“You represent the will of the Syrian Turkmen. Our aim is that our Turkmen brothers, who are an indispensable component of Syria, have their say in the administration of the country,” the minister said.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-fm-calls-for-pluralist-new-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99701&NewsCatID=510
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Bibi Scolds New Israeli Lawmaker Who Called for End to Temple Mount Ban
Fri 27 May 2016
At his Knesset swearing-in speech, longtime Temple Mount activist and new Likud lawmaker Yehuda Glick called for an end to the ban on Jewish prayer at the Jerusalem compound.
Glick, who officially became a Knesset member Wednesday, filling a vacancy left by former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on the party’s list, has promised he will abide by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive, designed to defuse tensions there, barring Knesset members and ministers from going to the hot spot, which is holy both to Jews and Muslims.
During his speech Wednesday, Glick, 50, said, according to The Times of Israel: “As long as I’m here, I will do all that is in my power to end the injustice that takes place every day at the holiest place in the world, where police officers are under orders to check whether a 90-year-old Jew is, God forbid, moving his lips or not.”
Full report at: forward.com/news/breaking-news/341441/bibi-scolds-new-israeli-lawmaker-who-called-for-end-to-temple-mount-ban/
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67 PKK militants surrender in Turkey's southeast
May/26/2016
A total of 67 militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) surrendered to Turkish security forces on May 26 as clashes intensified in two neighborhoods of the southeastern district of Nusaybin despite a statement from the group announcing a redeployment outside the district.
Some 42 PKK militants, including 10 women and 32 men, reportedly surrendered to the authorities on May 26 as operations intensified in Nusaybin’s Fırat and Yenişehir neighborhoods.
The militants surrendered following repeated calls from security forces, reports said, adding that a total 10 were injured.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/67-pkk-militants-surrender-in-turkeys-southeast.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99711&NewsCatID=341
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Turkey no longer interested in buying US drones: Turkish official
May 27, 2016
A U.S. restriction on the sale of some weapon systems has driven Turkey to develop its own technologies, the head of Turkish defense industry said on May 26.
“I don’t want to be sarcastic but I would like to thank [the U.S. government] for any of the projects that was not approved by the U.S. because it forced us to develop our own systems,” according to İsmail Demir, who spoke during a panel discussion at the Atlantic Council think tank.
While Turkey fights the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as well as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets, the American Congress has dragged its feet on approving the sale of armed drones and guided ammunitions to its NATO ally, citing concerns about the Turkish army’s fight against terrorism in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-no-longer-interested-in-buying-us-drones-turkish-official--.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99731&NewsCatID=510
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Turkey calls on EU countries to rethink PYD bureaus
May 27, 2016
Turkey has called on the Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany and France to rethink decisions to permit Syria’s Democratic Union Party (PYD) to open bureaus on their soil, claiming such a move could encourage militants to target Turkey and Turkish people.
The warning was issued by Turkey’s top security board, the National Security Council (MGK), in a bi-monthly meeting under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and with the participation of Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and top military and intelligence officials late May 26.
Turkey considers the Syria-based PYD and its armed wing, People’s Protection Units (YPG), as affiliates of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and accuses the group of trying to establish an autonomous region in northern Syria. Turkey has long been calling its Western allies, including the United States, to distance themselves from the PYD and instead cooperate with putatively moderate Arab rebels in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-calls-on-eu-countries-to-rethink-pyd-bureaus-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99728&NewsCatID=510
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Israel and Saudi Arabia: Strange bedfellows
Fri 27 May 2016
Israelis say they’re besieged by Muslim extremists, and many of these extremists are motivated by the intolerant, Wahhabi ideology born and bred in Saudi Arabia. But beneath the surface, these two old adversaries actually have a lot in common. In fact, in the contemporary Middle East, they’ve become the strangest of bedfellows.
Rumors about the budding relationship have been circulating for the past few years. In 2015, former Saudi and Israeli officials confirmed that they’d held a series of high-level meetings to discuss shared concerns, such as the growing influence of Iran in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon, as well as Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme. Shimon Shapira, an Israeli representative who participated in secret meetings with the Saudis, put it this way: “We discovered we have the same problems and same challenges and some of the same answers.” On May 5, former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal and retired Israeli Major General Yaakov Amidror spoke together at a Washington event hosted by The Washington Institute Of Near East Policy— the policy wing of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. The event, broadcast live online, showed that Saudi Arabia and Israel have finally come out of the closet together. Here are some traits Saudi Arabia and Israel have in common.
Full report at: mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=60307&dir=2016/may/27
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Southeast Asia
More Indonesian Celebrities, Rock Stars Turn To Islam
Fri, May 27 2016
Until very recently, Teuku Wisnu was known mostly for his role in a humdrum soap opera broadcast by local television channels.
Three years ago, Teuku underwent a transformation by appearing less on television and developing the habit of wearing typical Muslim garb and growing his beard long.
Soon, he started appearing on television playing a different kind of role, that of a Muslim preacher.
Last year, Teuku caused a stir after stating on national television that Muslims should not recite Al Fatiha, the first chapter of the Koran, as a prayer for the dead.
This week, the 31-year-old Aceh native made the transformation complete by deciding to change his name into Teuku Al-Fatih.
Full report at: thejakartapost.com/life/2016/05/27/more-celebrities-rock-stars-turn-to-islam.html
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Tourism bureau to attract Muslim tourists to Taiwan
Fri, May 27, 2016
More needs to be done to encourage Muslim visitors to visit Taiwan, Saudi Arabian travel industry representatives said, as the Tourism Bureau aims to attract more Muslim tourists.
Cathay Pacific Airways Riyadh-based sales and marketing manager Mazen Ibrahim Kabbout and several Cathay affiliated Saudi Arabian travel agents were this week invited by the bureau to visit Taiwan. It is the first time the bureau has invited Middle Eastern agents to explore business opportunities in Taiwan.
Taiwan needs to resolve visa issues if it wants to draw more tourists from Saudi Arabia, Kabbout said.
“All Arabs, especially Saudi Arabians, need to arrange visas before they come to Taiwan, but they do not have to arrange visas for Hong Kong or the Philippines. As such, it is easier for them to travel somewhere else,” he said, adding that Taiwan should waive visa requirements or make it visa-free for visitors who travel for a certain number of days.
Taiwan also needs more English or Arabic translators for tourists, as well as more Halal certified restaurants, Kabbout said
Full report at: taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/05/27/2003647241
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Sixth in custody after terror tinnie raid
Thu May 26 2016
A sixth man is in custody over the so-called "terror tinnie" case, accused of buying a boat five other Melbourne men allegedly planned to use to flee Australia to join Islamic State.
Islamic preacher Musa Cerantonio, Shayden Thorne, Kadir Kaya, Antonio Granata and Paul Dacre were arrested near Cairns last week towing a seven-metre vessel en route to Cape York.
Police allege the five men planned to travel by boat to Indonesia and then on to Syria to join IS fighters.
Murat Kaya, 25, was not with them at the time but was arrested after counter-terror raids on Friday morning.
Police allege he bought a car, boat and trailer for the purpose of travelling to northern Queensland from where the group would leave by boat with the intention of entering Syria to fight.
Full report at: sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/05/27/sixth-custody-after-terror-tinnie-raid
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North America
Muslim Scouts pursue an American tradition — in an America wary of Muslims
26 MAY 2016
The Boy Scouts of Troop 1576, from Sterling, Va., hauled their gear up a short pat onto a moonlit field. They unfolded tents, assembled poles, pounded pegs. They rigged a kitchen and stacked provisions. Headlamps illuminated the bowlines and square knots they tied.
The older Scouts, at 15 or 17, passed on lore and tips to the younger ones, 11 to 13:
“No, see, look, you have to put the stakes in at the opposite angle, tilted away from the tent.”
“Keep your clothes for tomorrow in the sleeping bag with you. I put my shoes in, too, so they’ll be warm when I wake up.”
It was 34 degrees. The moon highlighted patches of snow like smears of paint among the trees on the hill.
Full report at: washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/muslim-scouts-pursue-an-american-tradition--in-an-america-wary-of-muslims/2016/05/25/ac6c798e-fa7f-11e5-80e4-c381214de1a3_story.html
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U.S. Commandos Work With Syrian Fighters in Push Toward ISIS Stronghold
MAY 26, 2016
WASHINGTON — American Special Operations forces and the Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters they are advising this week pushed closer to Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital in northern Syria.
Defense Department officials confirmed that photographs taken by an Agence-France Presse photographer in the village of Fatisah that were released on Thursday showed American commandos, dressed in camouflage, assisting fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces during their offensive against the Islamic State north of Raqqa.
The United States has disclosed publicly that about 200 of its commandos and support personnel are on the ground in northern Syria, where they are working with the Syrian Arab and Kurdish partners. About 100 more are on the way.
Full report at: nytimes.com/2016/05/27/world/middleeast/us-commandos-work-with-syrian-fighters-in-push-toward-isis-stronghold.html
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Meet The White House’s New Muslim American Community Liaison
05/26/2016
With Islamophobia rampant in communities across the U.S., Muslim Americans now have a chief ally at the White House.
Zaki Barzinji, former Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.), recently assumed the new role as liaison to the Muslim American community under the Office of Public Engagement, the White House director of specialty media told The Huffington Post this week. In his new post, Barzinji will plan outreach to Muslim Americans, as well as Sikhs, Buddhists, and Hindus, working to ensure that these communities are represented at the federal level.
Full report at: huffingtonpost.com/entry/white-house-muslim-community-liaison-zaki-barzinji_us_57462d15e4b03ede4413d236?section=india
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Fired US Muslim Workers Lodge Discrimination Complaint
May 26, 2016
A federal civil rights complaint against a Wisconsin manufacturing company that allegedly fired 15 Muslim workers for religious reasons is one of four such cases pending with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and one of 68 the agency has resolved over the last 10 years.
Since 2006, the EEOC has heard Muslims' allegations of religious discrimination against companies of various sizes and in different sectors, including corporate giants such as McDonald's, Merrill Lynch, Rite-Aid Pharmacy, UPS and Wal-Mart.
A national survey has indicated religious discrimination is increasing in American workplaces. The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding found there was an 87 percent increase in the number of religious discrimination complaints filed with the EEOC between 2004 and 2014.
Full report at: voanews.com/content/fired-us-muslim-workers-discrimination-complaint/3348238.html
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