New Age Islam News Bureau
16
Jan 2015
Isis has fighters 'just waiting for order to attack West', says British grammar schoolboy turned teen jihadist Shabazz Suleman
Arab World
• Hezbollah: Charlie Hebdo Reiterated Abuse against Sanctities Supports Terrorism
• Belgium’s Marginalized Muslims Fight in Syria ‘Out Of Despair’
• Arab States Endorse New Palestinian Move at U.N. Security Council
• Islamic State kills 17 in Syria after hit-and-run attacks
• 13 killed in anti IS strikes, bomb attacks in Iraq
• Iraqi Forces Kill 10 ISIL Terrorists in Salahuddin
• After Charlie Hebdo Cartoons, Muslim Leaders Discuss How to Respond
• Timeline of Egyptian Reactions to Blasphemy and Insults to Islam
• Qaeda looks to regain ground with Charlie Hebdo attack
• Assad says Moscow talks must focus on fighting ‘terror’
India
• Another ISIS Terror Message Found Scribbled In Washroom of Mumbai Airport
• Days After He Talked Of a Survey of Muslims in Jail, SMCC Chairman Is On Way Out
• Godhra police arrest 4 for forging documents to aid Pakistani nations seeking Indian visa
• Prominent Muslim Outfits Put Off Meet Due To Differences
Pakistan
• Law against Terror Funding To Be Tightened
• Extremism Being Promoted In Balochistan to Weaken Nationalists: Mengal
• Clampdown on Religious Hate Mongers Ordered
• Terror-Linked Madrasas to Face Action: Punjab HM
• Pakistan’s political, military leadership working together against terrorism: Gen Sharif
• Military courts a last resort to root out terrorism: Nawaz
• Pak parliament: ‘Charlie Hebdo’ cartoons a conspiracy to widen misunderstandings
• Call to implement SC judgement on protection of non-Muslims’ rights
• Pakistan calls for fresh push to promote peace between Israelis, Palestinians
Africa
• Nigeria: Boko Haram Taunts France in New Video
• Libyan factions agree on ‘agenda’ for unity govt.
• Cameroon says Chad to send troops to fight Boko Haram
• Kenya: Saudi Arabia Torture Victims, Senator Ask State to Shut Down Recruitment Agencies
South Asia
• China Sacks 32 Xinjiang Officials Engaged In Organizing Mecca Pilgrimage
• Charlie Hebdo Publishes Cartoon on Bangladesh
• Fresh War to Begin in Afghanistan: Ex-Minister and Jihadi Leader
• Bangladesh Minister: Zero tolerance to BNP-Jamaat sabotage
Mideast
• Hamas: “Zionist Lobby” to Blame for New Charlie Hebdo Cover
• Davutoglu Compares Netanyahu to ‘Paris Terrorists’
• Turkish PM warns EU against 'stigmatizing Muslims'
• Islamist Terrorism in France Accompanied by Anti-Israel Conspiracy Theories
• Up to 700 Turks in IS: Turkish FM
• Palestinians mark 50 years of revolution
Europe
• ISIS Has Fighters 'Just Waiting for Order to Attack the West', Says Teenage Jihadist
• Belgium Foils ‘Grand Scale’ Terror Attacks
• Debunking the Myth of Muslim-Only Zones in Major European Cities
• German police arrest two Salafist suspects in raid
• Terror threat in Europe shuts down Jewish schools
• Hollande reassures Muslims, Islamists hack French websites
• 10 arrests in Paris, bomb threat closes train station
• U.N. alarmed by ‘downward spiral’ of Israelis, Palestinians
• U.N. envoy: ISIS ‘only 20 miles away from Aleppo’
• European Parliament calls on Egypt to release all political detainees
• Salman Rushdie defends free speech, says hasn’t been weakened
North America
• Obama Loses Lustre On IS: Almost 56 Percent Say He’s Not up To the Fight
• Canadian FM in Cairo Says Anti-Islam Insults Unacceptable
• US will send 400 troops to train moderate Syrian opposition
• Duke University cancels plan for Muslim prayer call
• US General: ISIS recruiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan
• Kerry: Boko Haram massacres ‘crime against humanity’
Southeast Asia
• Freedom of Expression No Excuse for Religious Provocation, Says Najib
• New Islam Violates the Very Spirit of the Quran
• Spectre of Sharia law is haunting Southeast Asia
• How teenage hugs angered Islamic authorities in Malaysia
• Former Minister: Preachers, Politicians Creating Stranglehold on Islam to Cow Muslims
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hezbollah-charlie-hebdo-reiterated-abuse/d/101058
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Arab World
Hezbollah: Charlie Hebdo Reiterated Abuse against Sanctities Supports Terrorism
January 16, 2015
Hezbollah condemned the reiterated and serious abuse of the French magazine of Charlie Hebdo in its Wednesday edition which included drawings that abuse Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Islam and all the religions as well as the human sanctities in general.
In a statement, the party pointed out that what the French magazine did again greatly provokes the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, all the believers in the religions, and those who are careful about dialogue as well as the unifying common values, Al-Manar reported Wednesday.
The statement stressed that Charlie Hebdo's action contributes directly to supporting terrorism and extremism.
Hezbollah asserted that it categorically rejects this heinous act that cannot be justified by any of the considerations that those who contrived it resort to.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931025000422
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Belgium’s Marginalized Muslims Fight in Syria ‘Out Of Despair’
16 January 2015
Western fighters in Syria and Iraq have found some of their most willing recruits in tiny Belgium, a chilling trend highlighted by the killing of suspected terrorists by police on Thursday and which likely has its roots in the despair many feel at home.
Belgian police killed two men who opened fire on them during one of about a dozen raids against an Islamist group that federal prosecutors said was about to launch “terrorist attacks on a grand scale”.
While the attack on satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo has focused the threat of radicalized Muslims in France returning from Syria, per capita Belgium is the European country providing the highest number of citizens to fight with Syrian rebels in recent years, data shows.
Even in absolute numbers, Belgium is third only to much larger France and Britain, with nearly 300 citizens travelling to fight between late 2011 and December 2013, according to the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization.
The government estimates 170 Belgians are thought to be in Syria and another 40 are thought to have been killed, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, who said returned fighters are subject to investigation and monitoring.
“We have seen Belgium at the centre of things for quite some time,” said Matthew Levitt at the U.S.-based Washington Institute and who regularly travels to Belgium to study the issue.
“You can see just walking around the capital,” he said.
Brussels is best known as the headquarters of the European Union. But away from the glass and steel buildings of EU institutions, joblessness among 18-to-25 year olds runs as high as 50 percent in the commune of Molenbeek across the city’s industrial-era canal.
While it is difficult to say exactly why so many young Belgian Muslims are heading to Syria, the seeds of anger and disenfranchisement are sown in the city’s poorer quarters, according to former justice minister, Laurette Onkelinx.
“Despair is certainly one of the key explanations,” she told public broadcaster RTBF. “When you are in despair, when you have no future, you are much easier prey to preachers of hatred.”
Belgium has one of the highest percentages in the industrialized world of young people who are not in employment, education or training, according to the OECD.
Many children of immigrants from North Africa, who parents came to work in Belgium’s steel plants in the 1960s, feel marginalized now that the car plants and factories where they would have found work two decades ago have closed.
Many also face discrimination for being Muslim, the largest minority religion in Roman Catholic Belgium and who make up about 6 percent of the population. Others were made to feel more ostracized by the extreme right Vlaams Belang party, which promoted intolerance of Muslims in the northern Flanders region.
Inspired by radical Islamic preachers in Britain, the group Sharia4Belgium emerged in 2010, encouraging Belgian Muslims to leave to fight in Syria, although its leader is in prison and the group has now disbanded.
“The fact that a lot of youngsters prefer to live under bombs than in ‘hospitable, warm Flanders’ as such is another proof against the government. Everything seems better than Belgium,” the group wrote on its website.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2015/01/16/Belgium-s-marginalized-Muslims-fight-in-Syria-out-of-despair-.html
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Arab states endorse new Palestinian move at U.N. Security Council
16 January 2015
Arab foreign ministers endorsed a Palestinian plan to resubmit a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council calling for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories by late 2017.
The United States helped defeat a similar draft resolution in a Security Council vote on Dec. 30. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he hoped to revive the resolution.
The earlier Palestinian resolution called for negotiations to be based on territorial lines that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war.
It also called for a peace deal within 12 months.
The Palestinians, frustrated by the protracted impasse in peace talks with Israel, have sought to internationalize the issue by seeking U.N. membership and recognition of statehood via membership in international organizations.
Indefensible
Israel, which pulled troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, has said its eastern border would be indefensible if it withdrew completely from the West Bank.
Jordan, which controlled the West Bank and East Jerusalem until 1967, remains a member of the Security Council while several other countries with revolving membership were replaced over the New Year.
The Palestinians hope these states will be more sympathetic to their resolution demanding an Israeli withdrawal and Palestinian independence by 2017, although the veto-wielding United States would be all but certain to vote “No” again.
A committee including Jordan will be formed to make consultations to mobilize international support for the -reintroduction of a new resolution, Arab foreign ministers said in a statement after their extraordinary meeting in Cairo.
The resolution will call for an end to the Israeli occupation and the completion of a final settlement, it said
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is alarmed that Israelis and Palestinians are engaged in a downward spiral of actions and counter-actions and calls on both sides not to exacerbate existing divisions, a senior U.N. official said on Thursday.
One day after the failed Security Council bid, Abbas signed on to 20 international agreements, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The move angered Israel and the United States, and prompted warnings from Western states against escalation.
In response, Israel decided to withhold critical tax revenue and seek ways to bring war crimes prosecutions against Palestinians, a move that drew Western condemnation also.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/15/Arab-states-endorse-new-Palestinian-move-at-UN-Security-Council.html
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Islamic State kills 17 in Syria after hit-and-run attacks
16 January 2015
Islamic State has beheaded or shot 17 men in Syria in the past two days as it faces increasing attacks from unidentified gunmen in areas it controls, a monitoring group said on Friday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which uses a network of sources across the country to report on the war, said the spike in execution-style killings follows the killing of 10 Islamic State fighters in hit-and-run attacks in several areas around Deir al-Zor province this month.
Deir al-Zor stretches from Raqqa to the border with Iraq and links Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in the two countries.
Syrian state news agency SANA said on Thursday Islamic State executed three civilians and displayed their bodies in the town of al-Mayadin.
Islamic State fights in Syria against both forces loyal to President Bashar Assad and rival insurgents in a war that is in its fourth year and which the United Nations says has killed 200,000 people.
There have been no claims of responsibility for the recent attacks, attributed by Syrian state media last week to "popular resistance" to Islamic State.
Last year, Reuters reported on Syrians who say they have been hunting down Islamic State fighters in Deir al-Zor province operating in small groups in a guerrilla campaign that has emerged as a response to IS brutality.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Islamic-State-kills-17-in-Syria-after-hit-and-run-attacks-387966
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13 killed in anti IS strikes, bomb attacks in Iraq
Jan 16, 2015
At least 13 people were killed in Iraq in bomb attacks and strikes by the US—led coalition against the Sunni radical group Islamic State (IS), a security source said.
In Anbar province, seven IS militants were killed and five others injured in air strikes by US—led coalition warplanes against positions of the extremist militants near the town of al—Baghdadi, some 200 km northwest of Baghdad, Xinhua quoted a security source as saying.
In a separate incident, two Shia militiamen were killed and four others wounded when a booby—trapped house was detonated during a search operation in a village south of Salahudin’s provincial capital city Tikrit, some 170 km north of Baghdad.
In Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala, three IS militants were killed when a sticky bomb attached to their car was detonated in a militant—seized area of Hunbis, near the town of Maqdadiyah, some 100 km northeast of Iraq’s capital.
Also in the province, a police officer was gunned down by unknown militants in Maqdadiyah, the source said.
The security situation in Iraq has drastically deteriorated since June 10, when clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and Sunni militants. The latter later took control of the city of Mosul and seized territories in Nineveh and other Sunni provinces.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/13-killed-in-anti-is-strikes-bomb-attacks-in-iraq/article6792729.ece
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Iraqi Forces Kill 10 ISIL Terrorists in Salahuddin
January 16, 2015
The Iraqi security forces killed 10 ISIL terrorists, including a senior leader of the terrorist group, during violent clashes in Northern Tikrit in Salahuddin province.
"A security force clashed with a group of ISIL militants near the bridge of al-Fatha in Northern Tikrit, killing 10 terrorists, including a senior leader of the group known as Abu Qatiba al-Karboli,"a security source said on Wednesday, adding "The force has returned to the headquarters in Baiji after completing the mission."
Noteworthy, the bridge of al-Fatha has reportedly been targeted by the ISIL terrorists. Al-Fatha bridge links between the areas of Northern and Eastern Salahuddin as well as the Eastern areas of the province of Kirkuk.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931025000522
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Qaeda looks to regain ground with Charlie Hebdo attack
16 January 2015
The attack on Charlie Hebdo has thrust Al-Qaeda back in the spotlight as the jihadist network proves it can still attack the West and seeks to regain ground lost to the Islamic State group.
The militant Islamist organisation founded by Osama bin Laden has seen its preeminence challenged by IS, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda that has seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq.
IS has increasingly become a global reference point for jihadists, with many claiming allegiance to its self-declared "caliph" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Analysts had warned that the two groups' rivalry could spark a dangerous competition to win jihadist hearts, boosting the threat of extremist attacks in the West.
Their fears were realised last week in Paris, when extremist gunmen killed 17 people in attacks including the assault on satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo -- since claimed by Al-Qaeda -- and a hostage-taking at a kosher supermarket.
"The attack on Charlie Hebdo definitely puts Al-Qaeda back in the saddle in its rivalry with the Islamic State," said Yemen expert Laurent Bonnefoy.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/120407/World/Region/Qaeda-looks-to-regain-ground-with-Charlie-Hebdo-at.aspx
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After Charlie Hebdo Cartoons, Muslim Leaders Discuss How to Respond
16 January 2015
Muslim leaders across the world asked their followers to act with patience, kindness and understanding in emulation of Prophet Muhammad in the wake of the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris last week. After the latest issue of the satirical magazine published Wednesday featured yet another cartoon lampooning the prophet, some Muslims asked their local imams and religious leaders about potential violence in the wake of the attacks and how to deal with their anger over the disrespectful image. For many, the debate raised the question: "What would Muhammad do?"
“The answer is not to become violent because that’s not what the prophet himself did,” said Malik Khan, a senior member and former president at the Islamic Center of Boston. “He basically dealt with people with respect. ... We say that if you kill one person, you kill all of humanity.”
Two radical gunmen killed 12 people at the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo last week in retribution for the magazine’s many offensive cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Five others died in murders committed by an associate of the gunmen over the next two days.
Full report at:
http://www.ibtimes.com/what-would-muhammad-do-after-charlie-hebdo-cartoons-muslim-leaders-discuss-how-1784602
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Timeline of Egyptian Reactions to Blasphemy and Insults to Islam
16 January 2015
Ten years ago, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten angered millions of Muslims around the world by negatively depicting the Prophet Mohammed in cartoons, a direct challenge to the Sunni Muslim prohibition on representations of religious prophets - positive or otherwise.
Other western publications and film-makers followed suit and continued to depict the Prophet - all negatively - in cartoons and films.
Ahram Online takes a look at the most famous cases that caused both official and public anger in Egypt over the past several years.
Danish cartoons -- 2005
In September 2005, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 editorial cartoons negatively depicting the Prophet Mohammed. These sparked a wave of anger and violent protests in Muslim countries, including Egypt, but only a few months later.
In Syria, the Danish embassy was burned by angry protesters.
In Egypt, hundreds of thousands of Muslims protested after Friday prayers at Al-Azhar University.
In December 2005, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mohammed Sayid Tantawy issued an official statement slamming the newspapers and its cartoons and calling on the UN to intervene to stop insults against the prophet. The Egyptian government also threatened Denmark - a country which provides economic aid to Cairo - with an economic embargo.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/120307/Egypt/Politics-/Timeline-of-Egyptian-reactions-to-blasphemy-and-in.aspx
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Assad says Moscow talks must focus on fighting ‘terror’
16 January 2015
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said hoped-for talks in Moscow with opponents must focus on the fight against “terrorism”, while adding that he is unsure the meeting will reap any results.
“We are going to Russia not to start a dialogue, but to meet with these (opposition) figures and to discuss with them the framework of a dialogue,” said Assad in an interview with Czech newspaper Literani Noviny published Thursday.
Such talks, he said, should focus on “Syrian unity, the fight against terrorist organizations, support for the army and the war on terror”.
Since the start of a 2011 revolt against him, Assad has equated peaceful protesters with rebels and jihadists, branding them all as “terrorists”.
Assad’s comments echoed the regime’s stance last year, during two rounds of failed talks in Geneva.
Instead, the opposition has repeatedly called for talks to focus the creation of a transitional Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/15/Assad-says-Moscow-talks-must-focus-on-fighting-terror-.html
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India
Another ISIS Terror Message Found Scribbled In Washroom of Mumbai Airport
TNN | Jan 16, 2015
MUMBAI: Another terror message has been found scribbled on the wall in the washroom of Mumbai Airport.
The message says that the "ISIS has planned a terror attack in Mumbai on January 26", TV channels reported on Friday.
The message was found scribbled on the wall of men's toilet of Terminal 1 of domestic airport.
This is the second terror message found scribbled in the toilet of Mumbai airport in recent days.
Earlier on January 7, a 'terror strike' alert was found scribbled on a wall in the men's toilet at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA).
Security had been increased at the airport after the terror message was found..
The message on the toilet wall read: 'CSI ATTECK BY ISIS DATE 10/01/15'.
After this alert warning, passengers entering and leaving the airport were being scanned thoroughly.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Another-ISIS-terror-message-found-scribbled-in-washroom-of-Mumbai-airport/articleshow/45906836.cms
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Days After He Talked Of a Survey of Muslims in Jail, SMCC Chairman Is On Way Out
Jan 16, 2015
Days after he announced plans to commission a survey to find out the number of Muslims in Maharashtra’s jails, State Minorities Commission Chairman Munaf Hakim is set to be replaced. Sources said the Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday took the decision to appoint a new chairman.
While the government is yet to issue an official order, a formal Government Resolution on the dissolution of the current board and the appointment of a new chairman is expected on Friday.
Hakim, who was appointed by the previous Congress-NCP government in August 2012, has completed only half of his five-year term.
“It is normal practice for new governments to fill these positions with their own representatives. The same process has been followed here. The commissioning of the study was just a trigger for what was bound to happen,” said a senior state government official.
“I just hope that whoever comes in my place works towards the well-being of the community,” said Hakim.
On January 12, The Indian Express had reported about Hakim’s plans to commission a survey by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences to find out the total number of Muslims in Maharashtra’s jails and the charges under which they had been arrested.
“A similar report was commissioned five years back… I decided to commission a fresh study… I told the government that the panel was well within its right to commission the survey,” said Hakim.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/days-after-he-talked-of-a-survey-of-muslims-in-jail-maharashtra-minority-panel-chief-is-on-way-out/#sthash.3rAPAPU5.dpuf
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Godhra police arrest 4 for forging documents to aid Pakistani nations seeking Indian visa
Jan 16, 2015
The Godhra police arrested four persons for allegedly forging sponsorship letters on the basis of which Pakistani nations were getting their Indian visas issued from Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Forged documents being used in the issuance of visa were under the scanner of the Godhra police since last three months and police had filed a case regarding the same in November last year.
Investigations revealed that the accused, Nishar Ahmed Asla Hafiz, Shoeb Ahmed Hazi, Imtiaz Ahmed and Hussain Abdul Hasan were involved in the process of forging sponsorship letters and in some cases, even selling these forged letters to the Pakistani nationals who were interested in visiting Godhra. Police were alarmed of the possibility of forging of documents after the number of Pakistanis visiting Godhra rose sharply in 2014 to 1,803 in 2014 from 877 in 2013.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/godhra-police-arrest-4-for-forging-documents-to-aid-pakistani-nations-seeking-indian-visa/
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Prominent Muslim Outfits Put Off Meet Due To Differences
Jan 16, 2015
The colloquium convened by several prominent Muslim organisations to discuss the situation in the wake of the Ghar Wapsi row and controversial statements by BJP MPs has been put off. A two-sentence long email from the co-convenor former SP leader Kamal Faroqui on Thursday evening cited “unavoidable circumstances” as reason for cancelling the meet, slated for Sunday. The organisations, including Jamiat Ulema e Hind, Jamat e Islami, Ahle Hadees, Milli Council, All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board, Institute of Objective Studies among others, is learnt to have developed differences over how the colloquium should be set up.
First, Jamat e Islami Hind and Ahle Hadees pulled out, and sources indicate other organisations too developed cold feet. ENS
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/muslim-outfits-put-off-meet/
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Pakistan
Law against terror funding to be tightened
January 16, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Having frozen over Rs1 billion funds of proscribed organisations, the government has decided to deal with all domestic and international flow of funds to suspected terrorist entities in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) to avert adverse international reaction.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue was informed by the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank on Thursday that the AMLA 2010 needed to be amended to ward off international isolation and ease operational difficulties being faced by local law-enforcement agencies.
The meeting was presided over by Senator Nasrin Jalil of the MQM.
Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood Khan said the definition of financing of terrorism for the purpose of starting investigation into suspicious transactions reports (STRs) would be amended to include “financing of terrorism including funds collected, provided, use or meant for, or otherwise linked or related to terrorism, terrorist act or organisations and individuals concerned with terrorism”.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1157345/law-against-terror-funding-to-be-tightened
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Extremism being promoted in Balochistan to weaken nationalists: Mengal
January 16, 2015
QUETTA: Chief of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said extremism was being promoted in Baloch society to weaken Baloch nationalists.
"Extremists are penetrating in a tolerant Baloch society," Mengal told DawnNews in an exclusive interview on Thursday.
He said new shadowy extremist organisations were surfacing in the province to undermine the Baloch political and democratic movement.
He rejected claims of the nationalists-led government that the law and order situation has improved in Balochistan.
Mengal stated that in the chief minister's own constituency, mutilated bodies were being found.
When asked about his participation in proposed multiparty conference in Balochistan, Mengal said, "earlier I may participate, currently I may not be in a position to participate in any APC".
Mengal questioned the power of any future APC with regard to Balochistan.
The former chief minister lamented that 'mass graves' were still being recovered in Balochistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1157223/extremism-being-promoted-in-balochistan-to-weaken-nationalists-mengal
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Clampdown on religious hatemongers ordered
January 16, 2015
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa technical committee on law and order has directed the provincial police to crack down on the people spreading religious hatred through written material, speeches or wall chalking.
The directions were issued during a meeting chaired by provincial information minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani here on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by the home and tribal affairs department here on Thursday, the technical committee directed all administrative and police officers of the districts, especially those of Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Malakand, to conduct search operations against terrorists and keep a close watch on the movement of suspicious people.
It said the police should also take effective steps to contain incidents of extortion, kidnapping for ransom and targeted killing.
Govt also asks police to check incidents of extortion, kidnapping, targeted killing
The committee ordered a ban on the movement of Afghan prayer leaders and criminals in their respective areas.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1157372/clampdown-on-religious-hatemongers-ordered
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Terror-Linked Madrasas to Face Action: Punjab HM
January 16, 2015
LAHORE: The Punjab government says it has received threat alerts for airports, prisons, schools and sensitive installations, besides targeted killing of known personalities and kidnap for ransom.
It has also pledged to take action against the madrasas found involved in terrorism.
“Security has been put on red alert after reports of terrorists’ attacks on airports, prisons and other sensitive installations,” Home Minister retired Col Shuja Khanzada told a press conference at the Chief Minister’s Office here on Thursday.
“Schools may be hit; there may be (indiscriminate) firing incidents, while target killing of prominent personalities and kidnap for ransom are also feared.”
Terrorists may also resort to kidnap for ransom, targeted killings
Threats existed and all security forces had been put on high alert to counter the terrorists, Mr Khanzada said.
Appealing to the masses to help the law-enforcers in pre-empting the nefarious designs of the terrorists, he said there was an extraordinary “do or die” like situation prevailing in the country that called for extraordinary measures and the citizens should share the responsibility of maintaining peace.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1157389/terror-linked-madressahs-to-face-action-khanzada
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Pakistan’s political, military leadership working together against terrorism: Gen Sharif
January 16, 2015
LONDON - Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Thursday visited Royal Military Academy and Royal College of Defence Studies in London and said that the Peshawar massacre has united the whole nation, adding that the political and military leadership of Pakistan is working together against terrorism.
During his visit to London’s Royal Military Academy, General Sharif met Pakistani cadets under training in the academy. He urged Pakistani cadets to become team leaders and to bring honour to the country. He also visited Royal College of Defence Studies and presented Pakistan’s stance on security challenges and terrorism. He said that Pakistan is determined to work against terrorism. The Pakistani high commission in London also held a reception in army chief’s honour in which British Defence Minister Michael Falcon, members of parliament Lord Tariq Mehmood, Saeeda Warsi, Lord Nazir Ahmad, Khalid Mehmood and members of European Parliament Dr Sajjad Kareem and Amjad Bashir and leaders of local Pakistani community participated.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jan-2015/pakistan-s-political-military-leadership-working-together-against-terrorism-gen-sharif
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Military courts a last resort to root out terrorism: Nawaz
January 16, 2015
RIYADH: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Thursday said the government resorted to the establishment of military courts as a last resort to meet the challenges posed by extraordinary circumstances through which the country is currently passing.
In a statement issued here, the Prime Minister said the country is in a state of war and military courts have been approved for a limited time only to root out terrorism and extremism from the country. He said the PML (N) has played a proactive role in the restoration of judiciary and respects the independence of the judiciary, adding, amendment in the Constitution should not be construed otherwise. Prime Minister Sharif, who arrived here Thursday on a two-day private visit, said the PML (N) government respects and implements all judicial decisions in letter and spirit.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jan-2015/military-courts-a-last-resort-to-root-out-terrorism-nawaz
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Pak parliament: ‘Charlie Hebdo’ cartoons a conspiracy to widen misunderstandings
Jan 16, 2015
Pakistan parliament adopted a unanimous resolution against blasphemous caricatures published by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, saying it is a deliberate attempt to “widen misunderstandings among civilisations” and incite violence.
The resolution tabled in the National Assembly or the lower house said: “These cartoons are a conspiracy to widen misunderstandings among civilisations.”
It also said ridiculing of religion is “condemnable” and termed it against the freedom of speech.
The resolution called upon the international community, particularly the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU) and the United Nations community to take action against publishing such material.
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique later led lawmakers outside parliament in protest, chanting slogans.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/neighbours/pak-parliament-passes-resolution-says-charlie-hebdo-cartoons-a-conspiracy-to-widen-misunderstandings/#sthash.OAvE3oa6.dpuf
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Call to implement SC judgement on protection of non-Muslims’ rights
January 16, 2015
KARACHI: Highlighting various forms of religious discrimination in the country, speakers at a discussion urged the government to implement last year’s landmark judgement of the Supreme Court that had outlined a strategy on how to protect non-Muslims’ rights.
The speakers, who mainly represented both Hindu and Christian communities, were unanimous in their demand that the government should completely ban issuance of permits for the sale of alcohol as all types of intoxicants were prohibited in their religions as well.
Another point of consensus was the opposition to the use of the term ‘minority’ that, it was said, reflected that non-Muslims could never attain equal rights as enjoyed by Muslims in Pakistan.
The discussion on ‘Religious freedom in Pakistan in the light of the Supreme Court’s judgement’ was organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) here on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1157275/call-to-implement-sc-judgement-on-protection-of-non-muslims-rights
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Pakistan calls for fresh push to promote peace between Israelis, Palestinians
January 16, 2015
NEW YORK - Voicing concern over impasse in Israeli-Palestinian talks, Pakistan has urged members of UN Security Council to work on a resolution that could pave the way to a clearly marked pathway to peace.
“Absence of engagement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, a constant state of fear and animosity between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and continuing violations of the Palestinians’ rights do not constitute a state of limbo but a very precarious and perilous situation,” Pakistan’s permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Masood Khan told the 15-member council on Thursday. “Violence and conflict can erupt any moment,” he warned while speaking in a debate on the situation in the Middle East.
“A fresh push towards peace is urgently needed,” the Pakistani envoy said as he called for some initial steps, including immediate release of the withheld tax revenues by Israel to the Palestinian Authority, lifting blockade of Gaza, and honouring of pledges of reconstruction of Gaza should by contributors and donors. “International efforts to resume the peace process, based on internationally agreed parameters, should be reinitiated, he said. Masood noted that Palestine had acceded to more than 15 international conventions and treaties and was expected to soon become a State party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Palestinian statehood had been increasingly recognised worldwide, including by Sweden, United Kingdom and Ireland.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jan-2015/pakistan-calls-for-fresh-push-to-promote-peace-between-israelis-palestinians
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Africa
Nigeria: Boko Haram Taunts France in New Video
Jan 16, 2015
Maiduguri — Leader of the Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau yesterday released two videos in which he expressed "gratitude" over the terrorists' attack that befell France last week.
Shekau insisted that the Charlie Hebdo newspaper cartoons that depicted Prophet Muhammad was published "in bad faith and a clear provocation against the Muslims."
He also promised "serious reprisals against France" if its government allows the newspaper to release new cartoons.
Shekau did not elaborate on how the reprisal will be accomplished but only pointed out that his group and their brethren all over the world never forgive atrocities against them.
The attack was said to be the deadliest in the last 50 years, with French President Francois Hollande describing it "an act of extreme barbarity and a terrorist attack."
It also elicited global condemnation and a one million man match in France with some world leaders in attendance.
Unlike in previous videos, Shekau this time around dressed in local attire, popularly called 'babbar riga,' a cap and a turban with AK47 rifles hung by his side.
He spoke elaborately in Arabic.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201501150431.html
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Libyan factions agree on ‘agenda’ for unity govt.
16 January 2015
Libya's warring factions have agreed on an "agenda" to form a unity government after two days of U.N.-brokered talks in Geneva, the U.N. said Friday.
The North African nation has been gripped by civil conflict since the overthrow of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in a 2011 uprising, with rival governments and powerful militias battling for control of key cities and the nation's oil wealth.
"The participants agreed after extensive deliberation on an agenda that includes reaching a political agreement to form a consensual national unity government and the necessary security arrangements to end the fighting," a U.N. statement said.
The United Nations said the participants "expressed their unequivocal commitment to a united and democratic Libya governed by the rule of law and respect for human rights."
They also agreed to work towards the release of abducted people, providing and allowing humanitarian aid to reach affected regions, opening airports and securing land and maritime navigation.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/16/Libyan-factions-agree-on-agenda-for-unity-government-.html
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Cameroon says Chad to send troops to fight Boko Haram
Jan 16, 2015
Chad will send a large number of troops to neighbouring Cameroon to help it fight increasing incursions from Boko Haram Islamist militants attacking from Nigeria, the Central African nation's President said on Thursday.
The announcement by President Paul Biya did not specify how many troops Chad will send, but comes a day after the Chadian government said it will actively help Cameroon fight Boko Haram militants.
Chad President Idriss Deby Itno "has decided to send a large contingent of Chadian armed forces to help the Cameroonian Armed Forces facing...repeated attacks from the Boko Haram terrorist sect," Mr. Biya said in the statement on the presidency's website.
Mr. Biya has called for international military help to fight the Islamist militant group that has seized swathes of northern Nigeria and is threatening neighbours who share borders with the northeastern zones occupied by the group.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/cameroon-says-chad-to-send-troops-to-fight-boko-haram/article6792808.ece
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Kenya: Saudi Arabia Torture Victims, Senator Ask State to Shut Down Recruitment Agencies
Jan 16, 2015
THE national government has been urged to vet all immigrant workers' recruiting agents before licensing them.
Victims of Saudi torture led by Mombasa nominated Senator Emma Mbura on Wednesday said last September's ban on recruitment and movement of domestic workers to the Gulf region and Middle East was cosmetic.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi made the announcement.
Mbura said recruiting agents should be held responsible for the travel and safety of Kenyan immigrant workers who pass through their agencies.
She said she is still following up on a case in which a Kenyan youth, William Juma Kalama, was arrested on suspicion of having drugs.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201501160737.html
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South Asia
China sacks 32 Xinjiang officials engaged in organizing Mecca pilgrimage
Saibal Dasgupta,TNN | Jan 16, 2015
BEIJING: China has begun investigating a significant aspect of the lives of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, which concerns the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. It has sacked 32 officials for sending "unqualified people" on government organized tours to Mecca from the disturbed province.
Officials removed from their post include Aniwar Turdi, who was director of the pilgrimage affairs office under the Xinjiang Ethnic Affairs Committee. Two other important officials axed include Wang Xinzhong, head of public security bureau of Kizilsu prefecture and Yalikunjan Turdi, mayor of Artux, in Xinjiang.
More than 14,000 Chinese pilgrims went to Mecca on these government-organized trips last year. A much larger number of people in Xinjiang applied to be selected for the jorney resulting in a long waiting list, official sources said. But many of those who managed to get selected were not qualified because they were much below in the list.
These people were helped by officials, who abused their power by changing the list to cut waiting time for their relatives and others they favoured, investigators said. These officials in are now being investigated.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-sacks--Xinjiang-officials-engaged-in-organizing-Mecca-pilgrimage/articleshow/45911529.cms
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Charlie Hebdo Publishes Cartoon on Bangladesh
January 16, 2015
The new edition of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has published a cartoon on Bangladesh, depicting some garment workers sewing t-shirts with the slogan "Je suis Charlie."
In the cartoon, some garment workers, wearing ripped dresses, are seen sewing t-shirts containing the slogan Je suis Charlie.”
“Je suis Charlie-I am Charlie" emerged as a message of support for the magazine following the attack on 7 January, which left eight journalists, including its editor, dead in addition to four others.
The caption of the cartoon on Bangladesh read: “Pendant ce temps, au Bangladesh,” which means “See, what is happening in Bangladesh, on the other hand.”
The cartoon probably contained the message that the selling of those t-shirts with the slogan “Je suis Charlie” has widely been increased as the slogan emerged as a message of support and the Bangladesh factories are making a good business over it.
A worker, busy in sewing a t-shirt, has been seen saying: “De tout coeur avec vous,” which means “We are with you.”
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/jan/16/charlie-hebdo-publishes-cartoon-bangladesh#sthash.0lZjPlYW.dpuf
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Fresh War to Begin in Afghanistan: Ex-Minister and Jihadi Leader
January 16, 2015
Ismail Khan, ex-minister of water and energy and a well-known Jihadi leader has expressed concern over the new insurgent groups coming to Afghanistan.
He says in coming two months the security situation of Afghanistan will worsen and a new war will begin.
He asked Afghan nation, specially Ex-Mujahideen and local elders to unite against the threats Afghanistan is facing from the insurgents.
Ismail Khan’s concern over security comes after reports published indicate the formation of new militant groups in parts of the country.
Security officials of Zabul and Helmand provinces have so far confirmed the movement of new militant groups in their provinces.
Recently a senior official in Farah province even reported the establishment of a training camp by Islamic States (IS) supporters.
Abdul Khaliq Noorzai, district administrative chief of Khak-e-Safid says a group of 80 insurgents who carry the flag of IS has established a training camp in his district.
He says the group is busy training insurgents in his district.
In Afghanistan’s neighboring Pakistan, IS supporters have released a video announcing their allegiance with the group.
http://www.khaama.com/fresh-war-to-begin--afghanistan-ismail-khan-28013
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Bangladesh Minister: Zero tolerance to BNP-Jamaat sabotage
January 16, 2015
State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said the government would not show any tolerance to the ongoing nationwide violence.
He said: “Stern action will be taken against the criminal, who are conducting subversive activities across the country. The government will show zero tolerance to BNP-Jamaat terrorism.”
The junior minister made the statement while talking to journalists after holding a party meeting at the political headquarters of the Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina in the capital’s Dhanmondi on Thursday.
Kamal further said: “The government has successfully been controlling the terrorist activities by BNP-Jamaat members. We will take tougher action against them if necessary.”
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2015/jan/15/kamal-zero-tolerance-bnp-jamaat-sabotage#sthash.wStIiMYk.dpuf
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Mideast
Hamas: “Zionist Lobby” to Blame for New Charlie Hebdo Cover
16 January 2015
Governments and Islamic authorities across the Middle East have denounced the latest issue of the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo after its decision to depict the Prophet Mohammed on its cover.
Egyptian religious authority Dar al-Iftaa said on Tuesday that the new cartoon is “an unjustified provocation to the feelings of the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, who love and respect the prophet.”
A spokesperson from the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the French publication but was quoted as saying in a Bloomberg report, “We disapprove of provocative moves and this weekly’s undertaking is insulting and will provoke the feelings of Muslims.”
The Gaza-based Hamas terror group denounced the French magazine, asserting that its publication was part of a global conspiracy led by the anti-Muslim “Zionist lobby.”
“We condemn the latest publication of Charlie Hebdo, which has caricatures offending the Prophet Mohammed,” spokesman Fawzi Barhoum stated, according to Channel 10 news.
image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/76-LIBI-ColdWeather-600WIDE.jpg
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Davutoglu compares Netanyahu to ‘Paris terrorists’
16 January 2015
ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu of committing “crimes against humanity” comparable to those of the gunmen behind the Paris attacks that left 17 dead.
Davutoglu’s comments risk inflaming a new row in the increasingly tense bilateral ties after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted Netanyahu for “daring” to attend the weekend’s anti-terror solidarity march in Paris after the attacks.
Davutoglu sniped that Netanyahu had looked “alone” at the Paris march against terrorism, where the Turkish and Israeli prime ministers had joined other world leaders in a show of solidarity.
A statement by the Turkish presidency Thursday said Netanyahu had staged “a miserable political show” by attending the Paris rally and had sought to exploit the event for “his own political purposes.”
“The Israeli government should abandon its aggressive and racist policies, instead of attacking others under the pretext of anti-Semitism,” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in the statement.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/690256
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Islamist Terrorism in France Accompanied by Anti-Israel Conspiracy Theories
16 January 2015
In a traumatic week for Paris that saw the murders of 12 people at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, four hostages killed at a kosher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes, and a police officer executed in Montrouge—all coming at the hands of Islamist terrorists—the violence was accompanied by the usual anti-Israel conspiracy theories.
Brothers Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi, the two Muslim terrorists suspected of carrying out the Charlie Hebdo shooting—were killed Friday in a police raid on a printing shop in the Paris suburb of Dammartin-en-Goele, where the Kouachi brothers had taken one man hostage. A separate but simultaneous raid killed Islamist terrorist Amedy Coulibaly, who took nearly 20 hostages at Hyper Cacher (the kosher supermarket) on Friday and had killed a female police officer on Thursday. Fifteen of Coulibaly’s hostages were freed. According to French police, Coulibaly was a close associate of Cherif Kouachi and may have been involved in the Charlie Hebdo attack.
Since the March 2012 attack in which Mohammed Merah killed three children and a rabbi at Jewish school in Toulouse, the threat of Islamic terrorism has not let up for Jews and the general public in France.
Full report at:
http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/27651/islamist-terrorism-in-france-accompanied-by-anti-israel-conspiracy-theories-jewish-world/#3jtT0UuYZOgSBY8i.99
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Turkish PM warns EU against 'stigmatizing Muslims'
16 January 2015
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told the European Union on Jan 15 they shared many values, including freedom of speech, but warned against "stigmatizing Muslims" in the fallout from the Paris Islamist attacks.
Davutoğlu noted after meeting European Union President Donald Tusk that he had been in Paris at the weekend to take part in the Charlie Hebdo solidarity march.
"We were together shoulder to shoulder against terrorism and again here I want to express our condolences and solidarity with the French people," he said.
"We don't want to see any extremist approach, in this (case a) terrorist attack" in Europe which has been and should remain multicultural, he said.
But that also worked the other way, he said, warning of the danger posed by "an exclusivist approach against Muslims," as seen in the emergence of the far-right PEGIDA anti-Islam group in Germany.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-warns-eu-against-stigmatizing-muslims.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77022&NewsCatID=510
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Up to 700 Turks in IS: Turkish FM
16 January 2015
Istanbul: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said up to 700 Turkish nationals have joined the Islamic State group, sounding the alarm over the risk of attacks inside Turkey if the extremists return home.
“There are around 500-700 Turkish citizens who have joined the ranks of IS,” Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by Turkish media.
“A common concern about the foreign fighters is: What will happen when they return to their homeland? We have this concern too,” he said as he returned from a trip to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) which is only recognized by Turkey.
He added that Turkey had barred entry to around 7,250 people from abroad who were planning to join IS and said 1,160 would-be jihadis were also deported.
He added that Turkey is taking “extreme measures” to ensure security along its 911 km border with Syria but could never make it completely watertight. “A passage (into Syria) can always be found.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/690251
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Palestinians mark 50 years of revolution
16 January 2015
Palestinian expatriates recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the start of their revolution here at the country’s consulate.
Those in attendance included Muhammad bin Ahmed Tayeb, director general of the Foreign Ministry’s office in Makkah Region and permanent representative of the Kingdom to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Others who attended included ambassadors, consuls general, diplomats, businesspeople, media representatives and prominent members of the Palestinian community in Jeddah. Prince Sultan bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Sultan bin Nasser, and Bandar bin Fahad Al-Fahid, chairman of the Arab Tourism Organization, were also present.
In his opening speech, Consul General of Palestine in Jeddah Imad Shaath said: “We meet here today, in this great country, and on this great occasion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Palestinian revolution.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/690316
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Europe
ISIS Has Fighters 'Just Waiting for Order to Attack the West', Says Teenage Jihadist
16 January 2015
A teenage former grammar schoolboy who went to Syria has warned that ISIS has "many" extremists "just waiting for the order to do attacks on the west".
Shabazz Suleman, a former pupil of Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe, disappeared in the summer of 2013 while carrying out voluntary work with a Turkish charity providing aid to Aleppo.
It has previously been claimed that the 19-year-old was included along with another British national in prisoner exchanges that saw Turkish diplomats released from Isis custody in September last year.
And speaking to The Times newspaper in the aftermath of last week's Charlie Hebdo shootings, Suleman claims he was given the choice to be part of the exchanges or deported back to Britain without being linked to Isis.
Praising the Paris murders, he said: "There's so many brothers just waiting for the order to do attacks on the west."
And describing how he was among 200 Isis captives eventually released by Turkey, he said: "Cops were friendly. Understood why we wanted to fight in Syria. They hated Assad, Israel etc. Their ideology was that of the Muslim brotherhood.
"It was good," he added. "Had pizza in prison. Dominoes lol. Was allowed net. We spoke to dawla (the so-called "caliphate") in prison. Watched ISIS videos."
"After a month of waiting they told us buses are waiting outside for u (sic). MIT (Turkish intelligence agency) ran the exchange. Told us we are free. Exchanged at the border. We drove into dawla."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/ISIS-has-fighters-just-waiting-for-order-to-attack-the-west-says-teenage-grammar-school-jihadist/articleshow/45900886.cms
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Belgium foils ‘grand scale’ terror attacks
16 January 2015
Belgian police have wrapped up a major anti-terror operation in which two suspected Islamist militants who were alleged to be planning imminent attacks were shot dead, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said Friday.
"Operations on the ground are now over. We are now exploiting the information" from the deadly raid in the town of Verviers and other searches around Belgium, he told France's iTele news channel.
Belgium is on high alert after two people were killed and one was arrested during an anti-terrorist operation in the eastern city of Verviers on Thursday.
The suspects were shot dead after they opened fire against police buildings with automatic weapons. All three were citizens of Belgium.
Officials said the suspects had returned from Syria and were about to launch imminent attacks on Belgian police stations.
“The suspects immediately and for several minutes opened fire with military weaponry and handguns on the special units of the federal police before they were neutralized," said prosecutors' spokesman Eric Van Der Sypt.
Public television RTBF showed video from Verviers of a building at night lit up by flames, with the sound of shots being fired.
Late into the evening, police commandos were controlling some streets and checking other sites.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/01/16/Belgium-on-high-alert-after-terror-attack.html
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Debunking the Myth of Muslim-Only Zones in Major European Cities
16 January 2015
Entire neighborhoods of Paris, London, and other European cities have become Muslim-run "no-go zones," off-limits to law enforcement and governed by Islamic sharia law. The story, making the rounds since last week's Paris terror attacks, is shocking—and demonstrably untrue. Yet it continues to spread.
Steve Emerson, a U.S. television commentator, set off a firestorm in Britain on Jan. 11 when he told Fox News that "non-Muslims just simply don't go in" to the British city of Birmingham, and that in some parts of London, "religious police" beat people who don't wear "religious Muslim attire." Prime Minister David Cameron called Emerson "a complete idiot," and Emerson quickly backtracked, admitting he had made "an inexcusable error." British social media had a field day, with Twitter posts showing "sharia-compliant" cloth-covered jars of homemade jam and photoshopped images of mosques dominating the Birmingham skyline.
The story didn't die there. Nigel Farage, head of Britain's anti-immigrant U.K. Independence Party, asserted on Jan. 13 that there were no-go zones "right across Europe. We have got no-go zones across most of the big French cities," he told Fox News. Another Fox commentator, Nolan Peterson, has been posting online reports this week saying that some 750 areas in France have been "marked as off-limits by French authorities, restricting access by police and other emergency services."
Full report at:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2015-01-14/debunking-the-muslim-nogo-zone-myth
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German police arrest two Salafist suspects in raid
Jan 16, 2015
German police said on Friday they had arrested two people following a raid on 11 properties linked to radical Islamic Salafists, shortly after Belgian police killed two men during similar raids against an Islamist group.
The arrests followed investigations which have been going on for several months into five Turkish citizens aged 31 to 44, who are suspected of “preparing a serious act of violence against the state in Syria” and money laundering, police said.
Some 250 police officers took part in the raid in Berlin.
Police said there were no indications that the group had been planning attacks in Germany.
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/europe/german-police-arrest-two-salafist-suspects-in-raid/
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Terror threat in Europe shuts down Jewish schools
16 January 2015
AMSTERDAM - The only Orthodox Jewish school in the Netherlands was closed on Friday as a precautionary measure after an anti-terrorism raid in Belgium left two suspects dead.
There was no concrete threat against the Cheider School in Amsterdam, Dutch national broadcaster NOS said, citing the school's Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs. School phones went unanswered Friday morning.
Jewish schools in Antwerp and Brussels are also temporarily closed after two terrorism suspects were killed in a raid in Verviers, Belgium, on Thursday.
Dutch Jewish schools and prominent Jewish monuments - including Amsterdam's Anne Frank House and Jewish Historical Museum - have had extra security since June, on advice of the country's national anti-terrorism office.
That followed a terrorism-related shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, Belgium, in May that killed four.
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Terror-threat-in-Europe-shuts-down-Jewish-schools-387961
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Hollande reassures Muslims, Islamists hack French websites
Jan 16, 2015
President Francois Hollande assured Muslims in France and abroad that his country respected them and their religion but would not compromise its commitment to freedom and democracy.
Speaking a week after Islamist militant violence that killed 17 people in Paris, he told a meeting at the Institute of the Arab World in Paris that Muslims were “the first victims of fanaticism, fundamentalism and intolerance”.
The French military’s cyberdefence specialist meanwhile reported a surge of hacking against some 19,000 French websites in the past four days, with Islamist messages appearing on some and denials of service blocking others.
The Interior Ministry said it would grant French citizenship to Malian immigrant Lassana Bathily who was hailed as a hero after he concealed shoppers at a kosher grocery last Friday to save them from an Islamist gunman who killed four hostages before police shot him dead.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/europe/hollande-reassures-muslims-islamists-hack-french-websites/#sthash.xudtJhc2.dpuf
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10 arrests in Paris, bomb threat closes train station
16 January 2015
Paris police said Friday the Gare de l'Est train station has been closed and evacuated after a bomb threat, as authorities try to prevent new violence after the worst terrorist attacks in decades.
The station was closed "as a precaution," a police official said, according to the Associated Press. The official, who was not authorized to be publicly named, would not give further details.
The Gare de l'Est is one of several major train stations in Paris, serving cities in eastern Paris and countries to the east.
Meanwhile, the Paris prosecutor's office said around 10 people have been arrested in anti-terrorism raids in the region, targeting people linked to a gunman involved in a deadly terrorist attack on a French satirical newspaper.
Spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre said the arrests began overnight and continued in three towns Friday morning.
Authorities are on high alert in France and neighboring Belgium, where authorities moved swiftly Thursday night to pre-empt what they called a major impending attack.
The prosecutor's office says Friday's raids around Paris are linked to Amedy Coulibaly, one of three gunmen involved in France's worst terrorist attacks in decades.
Authorities in France and several countries are looking for possible accomplices.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/01/16/Around-10-held-in-Charlie-Hebdo-attack-probe-.html
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U.N. alarmed by ‘downward spiral’ of Israelis, Palestinians
16 January 2015
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Israelis and Palestinians to end provocations not exacerbate existing divisions, saying he was alarmed at the “downward spiral” of actions and counter actions between the two parties.
Israel is withholding critical tax revenue and seeking ways to bring war crimes prosecutions against Palestinian leaders in retaliation for the Palestinian moves to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“We call on Israel to immediately resume the transfer of tax revenues,” U.N. deputy political affairs chief Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen told the U.N. Security Council.
"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now entering unchartered territory, which, lamentably, seems to have dashed any immediate hope for a return to peace talks," the U.N. chief said.
The Arab League said on Thursday that it would seek to shore up international support for another attempt to obtain a U.N. resolution on ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands.
The decision at a gathering of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo came after Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas asked them for another chance following the U.N. Security Council's rejection of his last bid in December.
Those at the meeting gave several Arab countries the task of undertaking "the necessary communications and consultations to submit a new Arab proposal to the Security Council," a statement said.
After last month's failed U.N. bid, the Palestinians were granted a request to join the International Criminal Court, in a move paving the way for them to pursue Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/15/U-N-alarmed-by-downward-spiral-of-Israelis-Palestinians.html
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U.N. envoy: ISIS ‘only 20 miles away from Aleppo’
16 January 2015
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is “only 20 miles away” from Syria’s second biggest city of Aleppo, the U.N. peace envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday.
“I am just determined to raise the fact that Aleppo cannot be abandoned,” De Mistura said, vowing to press on with efforts for a truce in between government and opposition forces in the city.
“We are engaged in intense discussions with the government... and the opposition regarding the freeze,” he said.
De Mistura, a Swedish-Italian diplomat appointed as U.N. envoy on Syria in July, said Aleppo was a “symbolic microcosm of all of Syria.”
This was so “because it has the highest number of displaced people, because it has seen two years of suffering,” he added.
De Mistura said the international community had to make sure that the Syrian conflict did not go in a “backburner,” adding: “Movement towards some kind of political solution should take place this year.”
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/15/U-N-envoy-ISIS-only-20-miles-away-from-Aleppo.html
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European Parliament calls on Egypt to release all political detainees
16 January 2015
The European Parliament has called on Egypt "to release immediately with no condition" all political detainees, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and has said that it won't send a full observation mission to monitor upcoming parliamentary elections AFP reported.
In a statement issued on Wednesday the European Parliament expressed its concerns about the "restrictions" imposed in Egypt on fundamental human rights, citing concerns about freedom of expression, the right to assembly, restrictions on NGOs, and political pluralism.
"Since July 2013 more than 40,000 protesters were arrested and 1400 protesters were killed because of the excessive use of force by the security forces," read the statement, which called on the Egyptian government to release all political detainees including 167 former MPs elected to parliament in 2011 and currently in detention.
Egyptian officials have repeatedly denied holding political detainees, arguing that all detainees have been charged with crimes. Muslim Brotherhood-associated political figures are typically charged with incitement to violence or membership of a terrorism organisation -- the Brotherhood was banned in late 2013.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/120440/Egypt/Politics-/European-Parliament-calls-on-Egypt-to-release-all-.aspx
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Salman Rushdie defends free speech, says hasn’t been weakened
Jan 16, 2015
Author Salman Rushdie, who lived for years under a death threat after his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses” drew the wrath of Iranian religious leaders, is defending the absolute right of free speech.
Rushdie made the comments yesterday at the University of Vermont after being asked about last week’s deadly attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
The Yemen—based group Al—Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility.
Rushdie spoke of how the writings of authors who offend powerful people frequently outlive the criticism, even if the artists themselves don’t survive.
He says freedom of speech has not been weakened.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/rushdie-defends-free-speech-says-hasnt-been-weakened/article6792737.ece
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North America
Obama Loses Lustre On IS: Almost 56 Percent Say He’s Not up To the Fight
16 January 2015
Nearly 56 percent of Americans say President Obama doesn’t have what it takes to fight Islamic terrorists, and only 33 percent think he’s up to the job, a new Fox News poll showed.
The poor showing comes as 64 percent also believe the threat from the Islamic State is growing. Only 4 percent think the danger’s decreasing, Fox News reported.
Meanwhile, Mr. Obama’s numbers for overall foreign policy aren’t that much better. He only gets a 34 percent approval rating in that category, compared to a 57 percent disapproval, the poll showed.
And another 53 percent say the president’s weak on handling terrorism in general, Fox News found.
The poll of 1,018 was conducted Jan. 11-13 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/15/obama-loses-luster-on-islamic-state-almost-56-perc/
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Canadian FM in Cairo says anti-Islam insults unacceptable
16 January 2015
Canadian foreign minister said on his visit to Cairo that he respects freedom of speech, but does not support insults to Islam's Prophet Mohamed.
Minister John Baird said in a meeting with Egyptian Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb that respect for all beliefs is essential.
Baird is on a visit to Cairo essentially to press for the release of a Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy imprisoned with two Al-Jazeera colleagues for more than a year.
In his meeting with Egypt's top Islamic cleric Baird discussed the recent Charlie Hebdo attacks and the controversy it has sparked on freedom of speech and Islamic extremism.
El-Tayyeb said that Islam is committed to freedom of opinion, adding that taking away this right is a form of "new slavery". He however said that it should be used to insult religions and nations.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/120409/Egypt/Politics-/Canadian-FM-in-Cairo-says-antiIslam-insults-unacce.aspx
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US will send 400 troops to train moderate Syrian opposition
16 January 2015
The United States will send 400 troops to train moderate Syrian rebels this spring. Pentagon spokesman Maj. James Brindle confirmed the planned deployment early Jan. 16 morning. The U.S. plan was first reported by Defense One Jan. 15.
Last month, President Barack Obama signed into law a massive defense policy bill that endorsed his plan to fight militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including air strikes and training Iraqis and moderate Syrian rebels. The law authorized the training and equipping of moderate Syrian rebels battling the extremists for two years, and provided $5 billion to train Iraqis battling the militants who brutally rule large sections of the two countries.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-will-send-400-troops-to-train-moderate-syrian-opposition.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77024&NewsCatID=359
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Duke University cancels plan for Muslim prayer call
16 January 2015
Duke University has canceled its plan to use the tower of its chapel for a weekly call to prayer for Muslims, an idea that had angered a prominent evangelist.
In a release Thursday, the university said Muslims will instead gather on the quadrangle before heading into a room in the chapel for their weekly prayer service.
"Duke remains committed to fostering an inclusive, tolerant and welcoming campus for all of its students," said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations. "However, it was clear that what was conceived as an effort to unify was not having the intended effect."
Under the canceled plan, members of the school's Muslim Students Association would have recited the call lasting about three minutes from the bell tower. However, the plan drew the ire of evangelist Franklin Graham, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham, who urged Duke alumni to withhold support because of violence against Christians that he attributed to Muslims. He wrote on Facebook that the decision is playing out as "Christianity is being excluded from the public square."
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/01/15/Duke-to-hold-weekly-Muslim-call-to-prayer-from-chapel-tower.html
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US General: ISIS recruiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan
January 16, 2015
The commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan Gen. John Campbell has said that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is recruiting militants in Afghanistan.
In an interview with the Army Times, Gen. Campbell said “We are seeing reports of some recruiting. There have been some night letter drops, there have been reports of people trying to recruit both in Afghanistan and Pakistan, quite frankly.”
According to Gen. Campbell, the leaders are concerned about any potential for the ISIS group to spread although the group has ‘hard message to sell’ in Afghanistan.
“The Taliban have their allegiance to (Taliban commander) Mullah Omar and a different philosophy and ideology than ISIS, but, potentially, there are people who are disgruntled with the Taliban, they haven’t seen Mullah Omar in years, or they want to go a different way,” Gen. Campbell said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/us-general-isis-daesh-recruiting-in-afghanistan-and-pakistan-8954
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Kerry: Boko Haram massacres ‘crime against humanity’
16 January 2015
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that massacres in two Nigerian towns by the “evil” Islamist group Boko Haram this month constituted a “crime against humanity.”
“What they have done with respect to the slaughter recently is a crime against humanity nothing less,” Kerry told a news conference during a visit to Bulgaria.
“It’s an enormously horrendous slaughter of innocent people and Boko Haram continues to present a serious threat not just in Nigeria and the region but to all of our values and all of our sense of responsibility regarding terrorism,” he said.
“Boko Haram is without question one of the most evil and threatening terrorist entities on the planet today,” he said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2015/01/15/Kerry-Boko-Haram-massacres-crime-against-humanity-.html
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Southeast Asia
Freedom of expression no excuse for religious provocation, says Najib
January 16, 2015
Malaysia will not allow religious provocation or any threatening act or the insulting of any religion to take place, even in the name of freedom of expression, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today, adding that freedom had its limitations.
He said the authorities would continue to take action against those attempting to cause religious conflict.
"Mutual respect among the various races is a basic principle that we need to practise to ensure national harmony is maintained," he said in a message aired over local radio.
Najib said Malaysia strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks in several locations around the world such as in Paris and Sydney.
"In the Charlie Hebdo context, we completely avoid such attacks; nevertheless at the same time, it is pointless to accept such actions of provocation against other religions," Najib said.
He was referring to last week's incident which saw an attack on the office of a French satire magazine in Paris that killed 12 people.
The magazine had published among others provocative cartoons that were seen as insulting Prophet Muhammad, an act that came under fire from Muslims.
Najib also said to safeguard the country from terrorist threats such as Isis, also known as the Islamic State, the authorities had started an operation to detect and detain those involved with such groups.
He drew attention to the white paper to address the Isis threat that was tabled in parliament in November last year and new anti-terrorist bills to be tabled in March.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/freedom-of-expression-no-excuse-for-religious-provocation-says-najib-bernam#sthash.6qC2v7fx.dpuf
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New Islam violates the very spirit of the Quran
FMT Reporters | January 16, 2015
PETALING JAYA: The Federal Territory Islamic Department (Jawi) continues to receive brickbats for its determination to punish the Muslim girls who were hugged and kissed by K-Pop musicians last weekend.
Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz, in his second blog posting on the issue, laments that the Islam that the Malays used to practise is being replaced by a version so harsh that it violates the very spirit of the Quran.
He refers to Verse 125 of the 16th chapter of the Quran: “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way. Lo! Your Lord is Best Aware of him who strays from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who go aright.”
Writing in wisecracking and caustic Malay prose, Ariff says, “Our practice of Islam in the way that God commands is gone. What we have now is whipping, clobbering and crucifying. If you want to escape all that, marry an ustaz.”
Full report at:
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/01/16/new-islam-violates-the-very-spirit-of-the-quran/
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Spectre of Sharia law is haunting Southeast Asia
January 16, 2015
Brunei increasingly represents Southeast Asia's deepest anxieties about its own future.
It's easy to overlook Brunei, a country smaller than Delaware located on the north side of Borneo, population 412,000. But there's a reason the kingdom's neighbours recently started watching it closely. By embracing a stringent variant of Islam, the government of Brunei increasingly represents the region's deepest anxieties about its own future.
On December 23, officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, stopped by local restaurants with a stern request: Take down your Christmas decorations. According to the Borneo Bulletin, which confirmed the operation with the local Shariah Enforcement hotline, as well as staff at one of the restaurants, proprietors were informed that the decorations were "against Islamic beliefs." Four days later, the Religious Affairs Ministry affirmed in a press release that "public displays" of Christmas cheer -- or any other non-Islamic religious festival -- were, in fact, prohibited under sharia.
It's no surprise that Southeast Asian news outlets began to pick up on the issue last week. The region has experienced extraordinary growth over the past 15 years -- if the 11 nations and 600 million people comprising Southeast Asia were a single country, they'd now enjoy the seventh largest economy in the world -- that was prompted in part by spillover from China's boom and relative political stability across the region. But, above all, it benefited from a general diminishment (or downplay) of ethnic, racial and religious tensions.
That's no small accomplishment. Southeast Asia is home to a panoply of religions, including Buddhism, and various forms of Christianity. In the 12th century, Islam arrived in the region, and today is the dominant faith, with roughly 240 million followers amounting to around 42 percent of the region's population (and 25 percent of the total world Muslim population). For much of the region's history, tensions between these communities were an unavoidable fact of life.
Although the region has now managed to reach some religious equilibrium, it's always been a tenuous arrangement -- that is to say, the example of Brunei's Sharia system has long hovered over the region. And in a region as closely-knit as Southeast Asia, what happens in one country more often than not finds an echo, if not an analogue, in its neighbours. For example, long- standing tensions between fundamentalist Buddhist sects and Muslims in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar turned into actual anti-Muslim violence in Myanmar back in July, causing shockwaves across the region.
Meanwhile, Brunei-type Muslim suspicions of Christmas have long-standing antecedents across the region, including the notorious 2000 Christmas Eve bombings of churches in Indonesia. Since then, tensions have dropped off. But here and there, the problem re-emerges. In majority-Muslim Malaysia, for example, Christmas 2014 featured shopping malls filled with Christmas decorations, photo-ready Santas -- and a very public discussion, initiated by fringe religious groups, about whether or not Muslims are allowed to say "Merry Christmas" to Christians. That discussion was swiftly brought to a close when senior members of the Malaysian government (to their credit) went out of their way to publicly wish their compatriots a merry Christmas.
The imperative wasn't just political and moral -- it was also economic. Malaysia is keen to develop into a knowledge- based economy, expanding beyond its traditional role as an agricultural, natural resource and manufacturing hub. Doing so, however, requires retaining and attracting talent -- something that Malaysia has struggled to do in recent years, according to a 2011 World Bank report on Malaysia's Brain Drain.
Full report at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-asia-sharia-comment15-20150115-story.html
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How teenage hugs angered Islamic authorities in Malaysia
January 16, 2015
A video of a Korean pop band embracing teenage girls in Malaysia has attracted heavy criticism and triggered a debate over the behaviour of young Muslim women in the country.
Several girls, giggling and sometimes hesitant, can be seen acting out scenes from Korean dramas with different members of the band, all of which end in friendly hugs. A band member also kisses one girl on the top of her head.
Islamic authorities for Kuala Lumpur, where the meeting took place, have said they will investigate the incident for possible violations of Sharia law, and have called on the girls involved to come forward to assist in the inquiry.
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-30817127
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Former Minister: Preachers, Politicians Creating Stranglehold on Islam to Cow Muslims
January 16, 2015
Datuk Zaid Ibrahim today accused preachers and politicians in Malaysia of dictating Islam as “way of life”, creating indoctrinated Muslims who found difficulty adapting to the modern world.
According to the former law minister, Muslims nationwide are not allowed to think for themselves or find the “way of life” themselves, and were subservient to the skewed teachings of “designated individuals”.
“Today, the ‘way of life’ is dictated to us by preachers making good money selling religious books and recordings of their lectures,” Zaid wrote in a post titled “Islam is a way of life — your way”.
“The ‘way of life’ is also dictated to us by politicians striving for power and by graduates from the Middle East who have no real jobs other than preaching and selling this ‘way of life’.”
Zaid claimed these gatekeepers insist that Muslims must discover Islam only through themselves as the religion is “not easy”, suggesting that it is a “good business idea” despite being nonsensical.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/zaid-preachers-politicians-creating-stranglehold-on-islam-to-cow-muslims#sthash.VRwKrBWN.dpuf
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hezbollah-charlie-hebdo-reiterated-abuse/d/101058