New Age Islam News Bureau
19 Nov 2014
The historic Sajadah Mosque in Madinah (Photo Courtesy: Mekkah Daily)
Arab World
• Historical Landmarks Threatened by Prophet’s Mosque Expansion
• Riyadh Fears Islamic State Wants Sectarian War in Saudi Arabia
• 23 Al-Nusra Terrorists Killed in Syria's Daraa
• Dozens of ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraq's Babil
• 10 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Salahuddin
• Syrian Sunni Cleric: ISIS Chief Al-Baghdadi ‘Is Going To Hell’
• Several People Killed in a Car Bomb explosion in Arbil
• 7 family members killed by rocket attack in Sinai
• Kurds seize IS arms, buildings in besieged town
• Peshmerga kills Turkish jihadists in Iraq: Sources
• Takfiri Militants Lose Ground in Syria's Homs, Hama
• Iraqi Kurds say West not providing enough arms to defeat Islamic State
• Two Australian Brothers Who Dreamt of Jihad Rejected as 'Too Fat to Fight'
North America
• Haqqani network as much a threat as any other terrorist group: US
• White House reviewing policy toward US hostages held by militants
• Obama’s envoy on ISIL holds talks with top civilian, military officials in Ankara
• Facebook shuns ‘full regulation’ despite ISIS threat
• Study suggests US Muslim population unknown to Americans
South Asia
• Taliban suffer heavy casualties in clearing operations
• Drone strike leaves four militants dead in Kunar province
• President Yameen launches MVR200 million ‘Maldives Youth Entrepreneurship Programme’
• BNP: Liberation War a commodity to government
Europe
• British Families in Shock as Islamic State Lures Sons into 'Barbaric Madness'
• Spanish lawmakers pass symbolic motion on eventual recognition of Palestine
• Iraq’s anti-ISIS strategy ‘bearing fruit’: U.N.
• Belgian jihadist’s ‘appearance in is beheading video’ probed
• Almost 700,000 Euros raised as the 'Adopt a Christian from Mosul' campaign continues
• French PM warns youth against jihad in Syria, Iraq
India
• Israel echoes Modi, calls for no distinction between terror groups
• 2002 riots: Nanavati report gives clean chit to Narendra Modi
• Assam blames growing radicalism on Bengal religious leaders’ trips
• India hands dossier to Bangladesh on terror plots
• BSF intercepts Pakistan boat at Sir Creek, suspected people on board fled
• SC seeks current status of 1971 Prisoners of Wars languishing in Pakistan jails
Pakistan
• Pak takes issue of border spat with India to US
• ATC sentences four to death in Farzana murder case
• Altaf urges govt to cope with IS threat in Pakistan
• Grenade attack kills two policemen in Charsadda
• Grand jirga on problems of IDPs planned
Mideast
• Government preparing to grant ‘political amnesty’ to Kurdistan Workers' Party militants
• Turkey’s top religious body says exposing privacy with online photos ‘improper’ in Islam
• Iranian FM Condemns Israel's Provocative Moves,
• East Jerusalem home of Palestinian suicide attacker demolished
• Bennett calls for military operation in east Jerusalem to root out terror
• Iran nuclear talks get down to nitty-gritty
Africa
• Fani-kayode: Blood of children, shame of nation
• Kenya police carry out fresh raid on Mombasa mosque
• Israel Plotting to Assassinate Nigeria's Top Shiite Leader
• Religion engenders moral rectitude, says State Governor
Southeast Asia
• Islamic scholars need input from science and societal behaviour experts: Tun Mahathir
• Non-Muslim sworn in as Jakarta governor
• Ban on Allah in Herald a matter of national security, says A-G
• "No place for radicalism in pesantrens": Religious Affairs Minister
• Philippine army major, two soldiers killed in rebel ambush
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/historical-landmarks-threatened-prophet’s-mosque/d/100091
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Arab World
Historical Landmarks Threatened by Prophet’s Mosque Expansion
By Saudi Gazette | Madinah
19 November 2014
Power outage notices on the doors of a number of mosques including the historical Sajdah Mosque have left historians fearing that they might get demolished to make way for the Prophet's Mosque expansion project, Makkah daily reported.
Local authorities erected notices to cut off the power from several mosques in areas of Madinah that have been marked for demolition.
Some of the marked mosques carry historical and Islamic significance that date back to the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) era.
Historians and concerned citizens are unsure whether the expansion project plans include renovation of the mosques, taking into account their architectural heritage, or to demolish them completely.
Among the mosques that could be demolished are the Ijabah Mosque and the Sajdah Mosque, also known as the Shukur Mosque.
The Sajdah Mosque is where the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Sujud Ash-Shukur (prostrating to Allah in order to express gratitude).
The mosque is located near the public transport stop north of the Prophet’s Mosque.
Both the Sajdah and Ijabah Mosques are classified by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities as historical Islamic landmarks.
Abdullah Kabir, Madinah landmarks researcher, said the expansion project must consult expert architects to ensure the preservation of the Sajdah Mosque’s architectural identity.
Preserving the historical significance of buildings in Madinah is considered complimentary to the expansion project’s vision and not an obstacle against modernization, he said.
He said: “Al-Sajdah Mosque is not just a praying location. “Imam Al-Bayhaqi and others copernfirmed the Prophet has performed sujud in this mosque.
“The mosque has a long history of preservation that started from the first Hijri century during the time of the Umayyad Caliph Umar Bin Abdul Aziz. The last renovation of the mosque was during the late King Fahd’s time.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/11/19/Historical-landmarks-threatened-by-Prophet-s-Mosque-expansion.html
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Riyadh Fears Islamic State Wants Sectarian War in Saudi Arabia
Nov 19, 2014
RIYADH: Tighter security in Saudi Arabia has made it hard for Islamic State to target the government so the militants are instead trying to incite a sectarian conflict via attacks on the Shi’ite Muslim minority, the Saudi Interior Ministry said.
Last week the Sunni group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called for attacks against the Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia, which has declared Islamic State a terrorist organisation, joined international air strikes against it, and mobilised top clergy to denounce it.
He spoke after an attack on Shi’ite civilians, the first since 2006 by militant Saudis based inside the kingdom.
Islamic State has not claimed the shooting and the Saudis have not held the group responsible but they arrested more than 50 people including some who fought with Sunni jihadis in Syria or had been previously jailed for fighting with al Qaeda.
As the world’s top oil exporter, birthplace of Islam and a champion of conservative Sunni doctrine, Saudi Arabia represents an important ally for Western countries battling Islamic State and a symbolic target for the militant group itself.
“Islamic State and al Qaeda are doing their best to carry out terrorist acts or crimes inside Saudi Arabia,” Major General Mansour Turki, security spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told Reuters. “They are trying to target the social fabric and trying to create a sectarian conflict inside the country.”
The attack by gunmen in the Eastern Province district of al-Ahsa on November 3 killed eight members of the kingdom’s Shi’ite minority who were marking their holy day of Ashoura. Turki said he was not aware of any evidence that it was coordinated with Islamic State operatives outside Saudi Arabia.
He said improved government security, such as guards at possible targets, increased border defences and surveillance, have made it much harder for militants elsewhere to organise violence inside Saudi Arabia such as al Qaeda’s 2003-06 uprising which killed hundreds and led to the detention of more than 11,000 people.
Although Saudi citizens have played important leadership roles in various al Qaeda organisations, Riyadh has not yet identified any in senior positions in Islamic State, Turki said.
However, the group tends to use Saudi members of Islamic State in its propaganda because of the kingdom’s role as the leading Sunni state, he said.
Riyadh is worried that the rise of militant Sunni groups, including al Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front and Islamic State, as participants in the Syrian war would radicalise Saudis who might then carry out a new wave of strikes inside the kingdom.
Although it has backed rebel groups fighting alongside jihadis against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Saudi Arabia has also taken steps to stop its people joining militants in Syria or Iraq or giving them money.
Turki said a royal decree in February imposing long prison terms for people who went abroad to fight or helped others to do so, and for people who gave moral or material support to militant groups had reduced the number of Saudi jihadis.
“One of the people we arrested (since the decree) was used by them (Islamic State) to write Friday sermons. Does this mean they do not have anybody capable of doing that? Of course not, but they want our language, our personality, to be reflected in their speeches,” he said.
Since the decree was issued, the rate of Saudis travelling to Syria or Iraq for jihad had slowed sharply, while the rate of Saudis returning to the kingdom from those countries had accelerated, he said.
The authorities have identified between 2,000-2,100 Saudi citizens who have fought in Syria since its crisis began in 2011, of whom around 600 have returned, he said. Of those numbers, only about 200 had left Saudi Arabia since the February decree while around 170 had come back.
The difficulty of getting its fighters past security and into Saudi Arabia has pushed Islamic State to try to incite sympathisers inside the kingdom to carry out their own attacks, Turki said.
Unlike the al Qaeda campaign last decade, the attack in al-Ahsa was not aimed at government, infrastructure or foreign targets, which are now better protected by security forces, but struck at unarmed Shi’ite villagers.
That showed the increasingly sectarian nature of jihadi ideology but also that tighter security had reduced the number of straightforward targets for militant attacks, Turki said.
The authorities detained 10 more people on Sunday for the attack, taking to 54 the total number of suspects arrested in 11 different Saudi cities.
“The situation is unlike 10 years ago when we had the first al Qaeda attacks. We were not ready at that time. Our public was not informed, our policemen were not trained or equipped for such a danger,” he said.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/region/19-Nov-2014/riyadh-fears-islamic-state-wants-sectarian-war-in-saudi-arabia
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23 Al-Nusra Terrorists Killed in Syria's Daraa
Nov 19, 2014
The Syrian Army continued to gain more ground in its fight against al-Nusra Terrorist Front in Daraa province, leaving 23 militants dead and several of their vehicles destroyed.
The army soldiers stormed the hideouts of the terrorists in the nearby areas of Daraa on Tuesday, and killed dozens of them in Sheikh Miskin, al-Tibeh, Daraa al-Balad, Ein Afa, Enkhel, Atman, and Deir al-Adas.
Several vehicles belonging to the terrorists were targeted durign the operation.
Abdul-Rahman al-Sedyawi, Qais al-Rfaidat, Mohammad Hasan al-Khatib, Hasan Khalil al-Khatib, and Abdelhakim al-Khatib were identified among the killed terrorists across the province.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs and terrorists against both the army and civilians.
The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle-East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.
As the foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US government has boosted its political and military support to Takfiri extremists.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930828000569
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Dozens of ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraq's Babil
Nov 19, 2014
Iraqi troops launched a major ground offensive against the ISIL Takfiri group in Babil province, killing and injuring dozens of terrorists.
The Iraqi Army stormed the strongholds of the terrorists in Majar area located between the two districts of Jurf al-Nasir and Amiriyat al-Fallujah, North of Babil, claiming the lives of 13 militants.
Also, seven vehicles belonging to the Takfiri group were destroyed during the operation.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control parts of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930828000691
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10 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Salahuddin
Nov 19, 2014
Iraqi security forces and tribes killed 10 terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Salahuddin province.
"The Iraqi air force bombed the ISIL positions, and killed four of them and burned their vehicles," a security source said.
"The tribesmen attacked the ISIL terrorists to the North of Tikrit, killing six others," the source added.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930828000854
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Syrian Sunni Cleric: ISIS Chief Al-Baghdadi ‘Is Going To Hell’
Nov 19, 2014
A prominent Syrian Sunni cleric condemned the ISIS killing of the American Peter Kassig and said that ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “is going to hell.”
“We have to speak loud and very clear that Muslims and Islam have nothing to do with this,” Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
“ISIS has no nationality. Its nationality is terror, savagery, and hatred.”
He expressed his “deepest condolences” to Kassig’s family, as well as to the families of the “many Syrians” who have been killed. (Kassig converted to Islam in captivity; his parents now refer to him as Abdul-Rahman.)
Al-Yaqoubi was an early critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and was forced to flee the country soon after the 2011 revolution began, having called on the president to step down.
He had been an imam and preacher at the regal Grand Umayyad Mosque of Damascus.
As the United States, Iraq, and their allies try to blunt ISIS’s advance militarily, thought leaders around the world are trying to grapple with why so many jihadis are flocking to Syria and Iraq, and how to stem the tide.
“There's no end unless we stop people from joining ISIS,” al-Yaqoubi said.
The imam has co-signed an open letter to al-Baghdadi that “refuted the ideological foundation of ISIS, banning every Muslim from joining it and making it clear that this is non-Islamic, anti-Islam, and we must put an end to it.”
He told Amanpour that Muslim scholars around the world must make clear that the ISIS leadership are falsely representing Islam.
“The ideology always existed. People from the beginning of Islam accused even the cousin of the Prophet of Islam – this is Ali, the fourth caliph – accused of being non-Muslim and they killed him.”
“They consider anyone who works for democracy as a heretic. They consider anyone who works with non-Muslims as an apostate. So there is no justification. They're just against the world. They're against Muslims; they’re against everyone.”
That is exactly the message al-Yaqoubi sees in the latest brutal ISIS video. In addition to claiming to have killed Kassig and a line of Syrian soldiers, the group for the first time claims that al-Baghdadi has accepted oaths of allegiance from across the region – Algeria to Yemen.
“They are challenging the world. They absolutely are hit, severely hit now and they are desperate and they want to fight to the end.”
“The problem with these people is they don't care if they are killed because they think they are martyrs – they're going to be in hell, of course. Every Muslim knows about this.”
ISIS, he said, “are not Syrians.”
“These people are bringing terror, savagery, and hatred from all around the world just in order to take revenge, they claim in the name of Islam, for the Syrian people who have been killed for three and a half years.”
“This is why I believe we need to topple the Assad regime, and this is the key point here – as long as the Assad regime continues its atrocities against the Syrian people, you’ll see more recruits and more savagery happening and taking place. We need to put an end to this and otherwise we might see just ISIS invading Damascus.”
“They're recruiting a lot of people. They have a huge army. They have an intelligence network. And all of that should be destroyed on the ground.”
Al-Yaqoubi recalled a Syria few are able to recognize amid the rubble and bloodshed of more than three years of civil war.
“Syria is an example of moderate Islam and tolerance – Jewish people, Christians, Shiites and all sects lived side by side. And we need this long history to come back.”
“Syrians are ready to heal their wounds and put their hands together against all odds and come out as a democratic nation, bringing freedom and dignity to the Syrian people and fighting terrorism wherever it exists in the world.”
http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2014/11/17/cleric-isis-chief-al-baghdadi-is-going-to-hell/
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Several People Killed in a Car Bomb explosion in Arbil
Nov 19, 2014
A car bomb exploded in the centre of the Iraqi Kurdish capital Arbil on Wednesday, killing several people, local television reported.
Footage from the scene showed several charred vehicles and what appeared to be a blood stain on the cobbles outside the governor's office.
A witness at the scene said two police and two civilians had been killed.
Islamic State militants who overran swathes of northern Iraq this summer have repeatedly threatened to launch attacks against Kurdistan, but the region has so far largely managed to insulate itself from the violence.
The last major attack in Arbil was more than one year ago, when militants launched a coordinated suicide and car bomb attack on the headquarters of the security services. Another blast took place in August, but there were no casualties.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/115901/World/Region/UPDATED-Car-bomb-explodes-in-centre-of-Iraqi-Kurdi.aspx
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7 family members killed by rocket attack in Sinai
Nov 19, 2014
Seven civilians and three militants have been killed in fighting in the volatile North Sinai region, an Egyptian security source told Aswat Masriya.
A mortar shell on Tuesday struck a house in the village of Negah Shabana south of the town of Rafah, killing seven civilians, all from one Bedouin family.
The source said that the rockets were aimed at a nearby security checkpoint but missed their target.
The source added three children were among the dead and a woman was injured by shrapnel.
Shortly after the rocket attack, Apache helicopters shelled a house where the reported jihadists were hiding, killing three, the source said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/115878/Egypt/Politics-/UPDATE--family-members-killed-by-rocket-attack-in-.aspx
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Kurds seize IS arms, buildings in besieged town
Nov 19, 2014
BEIRUT: Kurdish fighters captured six buildings from Islamic State militants besieging the Syrian town of Kobani on Tuesday and seized a large haul of their weapons and ammunition, a group monitoring the war said.
Islamic State has been trying to take control of the town, also known as Ayn al-Arab, for more than two months in an assault that has driven tens of thousands of Kurdish civilians over the border into Turkey and drawn strikes by US-led forces.
The hardline Muslim movement, an offshoot of Al Qaeda, has declared an Islamic caliphate covering large areas of land that it has captured in other parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
The six buildings seized by Kurdish fighters from Islamic State were in a strategic location in the town’s north, close to Security Square where the main municipal offices are based, said Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Observatory, a group that tracks the conflict using sources on the ground.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1145428/kurds-seize-is-arms-buildings-in-besieged-town
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Peshmerga kills Turkish jihadists in Iraq: Sources
Nov 19, 2014
Kurdish Peshmerga forces have assaulted a village in northern Iraq and killed 25 Islamist militants, most of whom are reported as Turkish jihadists, sources have claimed.
Islamist militants Nov. 17 reportedly launched an operation into a village in the area around the Mosul Dam that has been controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) security forces, Doğan News Agency reported on Nov. 18.
The security sources said 25 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants have been killed, with most of them believed to have been Turkish citizens fighting with the group.
The identities of the killed militants will be announced to the public after being deferred to the Turkish authorities, sources also stated.
Hundreds of Turks are believed to have joined ISIL along with thousands coming from Western countries, despite measures taken by the respective governments.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/peshmerga-kills-turkish-jihadists-in-iraq-sources.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74520&NewsCatID=352
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Takfiri Militants Lose Ground in Syria's Homs, Hama
Nov 19, 2014
Foreign-backed militants sustained heavy toll in Homs and Hama provinces, as the Syrian Army made major advances against the armed groups.
The army soldiers staged a series of separate operations on the outskirts of Homs, inflicting heavy casualties on the rebels in the areas of al-Barghouthiyeh, Salam Gharbi, Khreijeh, Aqrab, al-Houla, Housh Hajjo, al-Saan, Talbisa, Haret al-Badu, Um Sharshouh, Ein Hussein, and Ein al-Dananier.
Also, the Syrian troops made gains in their fight against the insurgents in Hama province and claimed the lives of scores of them in Kfar Zeita and Morek.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs and terrorists against both the army and civilians.
The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle-East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.
As the foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US government has boosted its political and military support to Takfiri extremists.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930828000881
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Iraqi Kurds say West not providing enough arms to defeat Islamic State
Nov 19, 2014
The president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Masoud Barzani, accused Western countries on Wednesday of not providing enough heavy weapons to help his 'peshmerga' forces deliver a "decisive blow" against Islamic State militants.
Islamic State (IS) has caused international alarm by capturing large expanses of Iraq and Syria, declaring an Islamic "caliphate" that extends across the border between the two.
Western powers see the Kurds as a vital bulwark against further IS advances. France, Britain, Germany and others have begun arming the Kurds, whose Soviet-era weaponry has proved ineffective against insurgents flush with hardware plundered from the Iraqi army after it abandoned its posts in June.
"We'd like to thank the members of the (anti-IS) coalition for the support they have provided, but ... all the support we have received so far is not up to the level that is needed," Barzani told France 24 in an interview aired on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/115902/World/Region/Iraqi-Kurds-say-West-not-providing-enough-arms-to-.aspx
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Two Australian Brothers Who Dreamt of Jihad Rejected as 'Too Fat to Fight'
Nov 19, 2014
Two Australian brothers who have flocked to join the Islamic State [IS] in Syria have been described as "unfit", "obese" and "not fit to fight".
An Australian-Muslim community leader, Dr Jamal Rifi, said that two of the four brothers from Sydney were weighed more than 140kg (308lb, 22st) were unable to run let alone fight for the jihadi cause.
The brothers, son of Lebanese immigrants, told their mother last week that they had reached Syria in search of "paradise", despite telling her that they were travelling to Thailand for a holiday.
Rifi added that it would be embarrassing for the brothers to eat the food of the jihadists and fight alongside them as the large brothers "can't even run on the field".
"They're definitely not fit to fight, they don't have any knowledge of how to fight. They would be used for a propaganda video the same way as we saw with Abdullah Elmir," said Rifi, referring to the Australian Ginger Jihadist at the centre of one of the terror group's recruitment videos.
Full report at:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/australia-two-sydney-brothers-who-flocked-fight-isis-too-fat-1475231
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North America
Haqqani network as much a threat as any other terrorist group: US
Nov 19, 2014
WASHINGTON: The US State Department reminded Pakistan on Wednesday that the Haqqani network was as much a threat to regional security as any other terrorist group.
"We have long communicated to the Pakistani government our view that militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban and the Haqqani Network, continue to pose a threat to Pakistan, to the region, and to the United States,” said director of the State Department’s Press Office, Jeff Rathke. “It’s vital that every effort is made to deny safe haven to any and all violent extremists.”In this first official US reaction to National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz’s comments that Pakistan should not target militant groups that did not “pose a direct threat to the state”, Rathke said the United States believed all terrorist groups were a threat to regional and international security.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1145501/haqqani-network-as-much-a-threat-as-any-other-terrorist-group-us
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White House reviewing policy toward US hostages held by militants
Nov 19, 2014
President Barack Obama has ordered a comprehensive review of U.S. policy governing efforts to free Americans being held by militant groups overseas, the White House said on Nov. 17.
In recent months, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants have beheaded three Americans, including Peter Kassig, an aid worker and former U.S. Army Ranger, whose death was announced in a video released by the group on Nov. 16.
"The administration's goal has always been to use every appropriate resource within the bounds of the law to assist families to bring their loved ones home," White House National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/white-house-reviewing-policy-toward-us-hostages-held-by-militants.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74475&NewsCatID=358
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Obama’s envoy on ISIL holds talks with top civilian, military officials in Ankara
Nov 19, 2014
Just weeks after his last visit to Turkey, U.S. President Barack Obama’s special envoy for coalition efforts against jihadists in Iraq and Syria, John Allen, is holding talks with top civilian and military officials in Ankara.
“General Allen is in Ankara, meeting with senior officials to continue ongoing discussions about countering ISIL [the Islamic of State in Iraq and the Levant],” a U.S. official, who requested anonymity, told the Hürriyet Daily News on Nov. 19.
Allen, the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, was set to meet Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu before noon, and was scheduled to hold talks with senior military officials at the General Staff headquarters later in the day.
Allen had also held talks in Ankara in the first half of October.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/obamas-envoy-on-isil-holds-talks-with-top-civilian-military-officials-in-ankara.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74528&NewsCatID=510
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Facebook shuns ‘full regulation’ despite ISIS threat
Nov 19, 2014
Stricter regulations have the potential to “ruin” social-media platforms, a senior Facebook executive has warned, despite mounting concerns over the use of such sites by extremists.
Facebook and Twitter have been accused by spy chiefs as aiding groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which have used the internet to recruit foreign fighters and coordinate attacks.
Robert Hannigan, head of Britain’s electronic spying agency GCHQ, this month warned that internet companies have become “the command and control networks of choice” for terrorists, calling for greater cooperation with security services.
A panel on social media held at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit (ADMS), which opened on Tuesday, heard calls for greater regulation of social-media sites.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/2014/11/18/ADMS-Facebook-shuns-full-regulation-despite-ISIS-threat.html
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Study suggests US Muslim population unknown to Americans
Nov 19 2014
About 1.6 billion of the world’s population are Muslim, collectively comprising the world’s second largest religion and 23 percent of the world’s population. Contrary to popular association, the vast majority of Muslims live in Asia and the Pacific Rim, rather than the Middle East. The Middle Eastern Islamic population is more comparable to Sub-Saharan Africa’s 248 million than Asia’s nearly one billion. But the distribution of Islam throughout the world is not the only perception radically distorted by our current foreign policy and political fixation on Muslim populations. It turns out that most of us don’t even know how many Muslims live in the US.
Muslim Population in the US – Misperceptions
A new poll conducted by Ipsos MORI, the second largest polling organization in the United Kingdom, tracks perceptions varying nationalities have about the demographics of their own country. The results reveal the incredible disparity between our perception of the Muslim population and the reality in the US. And while the poll can’t reveal the motivations behind the way Americans answered, drawing a connection between our demographic misperceptions and the current media and political fixation on radical Islam seems reasonable.
Full report at:
http://muslimvillage.com/2014/11/18/59260/study-suggests-us-muslim-population-is-unknown/
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South Asia
Taliban suffer heavy casualties in clearing operations
Nov 19 2014
At least 91 Taliban militants were killed and 70 others were injured following military operations by Afghan national security forces in various provinces of the country.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) following a statement said, Afghan National Police conducted several anti-terrorism joint operations with Afghan National Army and NDS to clean some of the areas from terrorists and enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan.
The statement further added that the operations were conducted in Kunar, Nangarhar, Parwan, Takhar, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Ghazni, Khost, Paktika and Helmand proivinces.
As a result of the operations at least 35 armed Taliban members were killed, 70 wounded and 13 others were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces, the statement said.
Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated light and heavy rounds ammunition, the statement added.
Afghan National Police discovered and defused four different types of IEDs placed by enemies of Afghanistan for destructive activities in Chahar Dara district of Kunduz province.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far.
http://www.khaama.com/taliban-suffer-heavy-casualties-in-clearing-operations-9023
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Drone strike leaves four militants dead in Kunar province
Nov 19 2014
At least four militants were killed following a drone strike by NATO-led coalition security forces in eastern Kunar province.
According to local government officials, the airstrike was carried out late on Tuesday evening in Ghaziabad district.
Provincial police chief, Abdul Habib Syed Khel said two commanders of the anti-government armed militants were also among those killed in the raid.
The identities of those killed in the airstrike have not been ascertained so far.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the reports so far.
Kunar is among the volatile provinces in eastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militants are actively operating in its various districts and frequently carry out insurgency activities.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/drone-strike-leaves-four-militants-dead-in-kunar-province-9026
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President Yameen launches MVR200 million ‘Maldives Youth Entrepreneurship Programme’
Nov 19, 2014
President Abdulla Yameen launched the ‘Get Set – Maldives Youth Entrepreneurship Programme’ at a function held last night to mark ‘National Youth Day.’
According to the President’s Office, MVR200 million (US$12.9 million) worth of loans would be provided through the initiative to encourage entrepreneurship among youth and assist the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“Two individuals may jointly apply for loans to start up their businesses under this scheme,” the President’s Office explained in a statement.
“The recipients of the scheme will be granted soft loans, along with the required technical assistances through business incubation programmes.”
In his speech at the function, President Yameen pledged to help all young job seekers secure employment, adding that enough job opportunities were currently available for skilled youth.
“However, Maldivian youth should have the courage to remain in a job,” he said.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/president-yameen-launches-mvr200-million-maldives-youth-entrepreneurship-programme-91106
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BNP: Liberation War a commodity to government
Nov 19, 2014
Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, a front organisation of BNP, yesterday alleged that the government was preparing a fresh list of freedom fighters.
The organisation termed the government move to prepare a fresh list “illegal” alleging that the government was using the Liberation War as a commodity.
“The government is using the Independence War to achieve its political gains. In 1971 the number of freedom fighters was around 1,00000 but now it has stood at 3,00000,” Hafizuddin Ahmed, vice-chairman of the BNP, said.
Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, the freedom fighter said none had the right to play with freedom fighters.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2014/nov/19/bnp-liberation-war-commodity-government#sthash.C0h8i5nN.dpuf
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Europe
British Families in Shock as Islamic State Lures Sons into 'Barbaric Madness'
Reuters | Nov 19, 2014
CARDIFF: "Do you know how much it hurts to raise someone and watch them grow and suddenly they're just gone?" says Ahmed Muthana, 57, a retired electronics engineer in Wales whose two sons Nasser, 20, and Aseel, 17, have gone to fight for Islamic State.
Like any father of faraway children, he can easily slip into a reverie, talking about the studious older son who was accepted into medical school and his more rambunctious and athletic younger brother.
"The little one (Aseel) wanted to be an Olympic swimmer and an English teacher. Nasser liked science and wanted to be a doctor," said their father. "Nasser was always primarily concerned with his studies and Aseel liked to play around."
Then, without notice, the young men vanished.
"Nasser told us he was going to Birmingham, and the next thing we know, he is in Syria," he says. "Aseel said he had a test and suddenly he's in Cyprus."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Families-in-shock-as-Islamic-State-lures-sons-into-barbaric-madness/articleshow/45202664.cms
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Spanish lawmakers pass symbolic motion on eventual recognition of Palestine
November 19, 2014
MADRID: Spanish lawmakers on Tuesday urged their government to recognise Palestine as a state, albeit only when the Palestinians and Israel negotiate a solution to their long-running conflict.
The symbolic motion, which echoes similar votes last month in Britain and Ireland, received the backing of all the political groups of the lower House.
British lawmakers had in mid-October voted overwhelmingly in favour of recognising Palestine as a state, in a non-binding motion heavy with symbolism but unlikely to change government policy.
The motion was passed by 274 in favour to 12 votes against, to “recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel” as part of a “contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution”.
That vote was followed by Sweden recognising the state of Palestine in late October.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/793478/spanish-lawmakers-pass-symbolic-motion-on-eventual-recognition-of-palestine/
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Iraq’s anti-ISIS strategy ‘bearing fruit’: U.N.
19 November 2014
The new Iraqi government’s strategy of enlisting Kurds and local tribes in the fight against Islamists is yielding results, the U.N. envoy for Iraq told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has made it a priority to pay salaries, arm and train fighters from local tribes and communities and provide legal guarantees for volunteers, envoy Nickolay Mladenov said.
“This strategy is bearing fruit,” Mladenov told the 15-member council.
“Communities are beginning to push back.”
The massacre by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group of 322 members of the Albu Nimr tribe spurred cooperation with the government in its campaign to defeat the militants, he said.
Mladenov called on all militia groups who are not aligned with the Islamist militants to enter talks with Baghdad on resolving differences and joining the government’s anti-Islamist campaign.
Also Tuesday, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein called for a campaign led by Muslims to undermine the ideology of ISIS, saying this may ultimately be more effective than air strikes.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/19/Iraq-s-anti-ISIS-strategy-bearing-fruit-U-N-.html
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Belgian jihadist’s ‘appearance in is beheading video’ probed
Nov 19, 2014
Belgian authorities were investigating Tuesday whether an alleged jihadist from a Brussels suburb had appeared in a video by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that shows the beheadings of Syrian military personnel.
The Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws reported that one of the men featured in the video looked like Abdelmajid Gharmaoui, who is currently on trial in his absence in Belgium for membership of a jihadist group.
It published an image of an unmasked man with a partial beard and long curly hair taken from the ISIS video, alongside a photo of a similar-looking man identified as Gharmaoui that the paper said was taken in Syria in July 2013.
Several European countries are investigating whether their nationals feature in the video, which shows the simultaneous beheadings of 18 Syrian prisoners and, separately, of kidnapped US aid worker Peter Kassig.
"We can neither confirm nor deny (the report of a Belgian in the video). The analysis is underway," a spokeswoman for the Belgian interior ministry said.
The Belgian federal prosecutor's office was also investigating.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2014/11/18/Belgian-jihadist-s-appearance-in-is-beheading-video-probed.html
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Almost 700,000 euros raised as the 'Adopt a Christian from Mosul' campaign continues
Nov 19, 2014
Rome (AsiaNews) - Thanks to the generosity of many readers and friends of AsiaNews, the campaign "Adopt a Christian from Mosul" has raised nearly 700,000 euros (almost US$ 900,000) to fund the basic needs of Christian and Yazidi refugees in Kurdistan, who fled the violence and cruelty of the Islamic caliphate.
On 10 October, we sent the bishops - who like their faithful are also refugees - a second instalment of 393,297.76 euros raised in September. With 279,219.96 euros raised in August, the total amount sent comes to 672,517.72 euros.
This is surprising given the modest size of our agency, but it is a sign of active compassion towards the Iraqi people on the part of tens of thousands of people who understand that the fate of East-West relations is being played out in the Middle East.
Pope Francis has never failed to appeal to the world's sense of charity for the persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
Full report at:
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Almost-700,000-euros-raised-as-the-'Adopt-a-Christian-from-Mosul'-campaign-continues-32422.html
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French PM warns youth against jihad in Syria, Iraq
Nov 19, 2014
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned the young French against participation in jihadist war in Syria and Iraq, RIA Novosti reported referring to Le Figaro.
“I am in my turn appealing to individuals, especially to young people, who might be tempted by the idea of going to war in Syria or Iraq. They should be well aware that there they will find death. They themselves can kill others torturing people and conducting horrifying executions,” Valls said as quoted by the newspaper Monday.
Earlier French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said it was possible that a French citizen was among Islamic State (IS) militants in the video, showing the execution of US aid worker Peter Kassig.
In spring 2014, Cazeneuve stated in a report that 285 French nationals were in Syria, with some of them possibly fighting alongside radical jihadists. The minister also stated that 120 French citizens intended to join the Islamic militants.
Islamic State, a Sunni jihadi group, has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June, the group extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories it had seized.
http://en.trend.az/world/arab/2333985.html
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India
Israel echoes Modi, calls for no distinction between terror groups
TNN | Nov 19, 2014
NEW DELHI: As alleged Palestinian terrorists attacked a synagogue in western Jerusalem killing four Israeli nationals, Israel took recourse to PM Narendra Modi's call in Australia for a policy of no distinction between terrorist groups and for willingness to empower states fighting such forces.
On Tuesday morning, two Palestinian terrorists, armed with axes, knives and a pistol, entered a synagogue in the western Jerusalem neighbourhood of Har Nof, killing four Israelis and seriously injuring four.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put the blame for the gruesome attack on Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas and said this was the result of the direct incitement being led by Hamas and Abbas.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Israel-echoes-Modi-calls-for-no-distinction-between-terror-groups/articleshow/45199030.cms
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2002 riots: Nanavati report gives clean chit to Narendra Modi
Nov 19, 2014
Justice (retd) GT Nanavati has indicated that he did not find any justification to summon the then chief minister Narendra Modi to examine his role in the Gujarat riots of 2002, even though the CM and his Cabinet were included in his probe commission’s terms of reference.
Asked why he did not summon Modi, Nanavati told The Indian Express, “The question is, is there a justification to call anybody?”
Nanavati, who heads the two-member commission, submitted its final inquiry report into the post-Godhra riots to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel at her official residence on Tuesday. The report was submitted 12 years and 25 extensions after the commission was appointed by the Modi-led state government on March 6, 2002.
Apart from Nanavati, the former Supreme Court judge, the commission includes retired Gujarat High Court judge Akshay Mehta.
Speaking after submitting the report, Nanavati also responded to the late president K R Narayanan’s allegation of a conspiracy between the Centre and the state to perpetrate the riots. “When some allegations are there and you are called upon to produce the documents and you don’t produce it, what does it mean? It means the allegation does not appear to be true,” Nanavati said.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/no-reason-to-call-modi-claims-nanavati-turns-in-his-2002-riots-report/99/
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Assam blames growing radicalism on Bengal religious leaders’ trips
Nov 19, 2014
The Tarun Gogoi government in Assam has blamed the frequent visits of religious leaders from West Bengal for spreading “fundamentalism and radicalism in the mind of certain Muslim men living in the state.” In a status report submitted to the Union Home Ministry regarding the extent of the presence of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Assam, the state government has also said that the only woman arrested by them revealed during interrogation that “girls as young as 11-year-old were being sent to Simulia madrasa in Burdwan and were given firing practice.”
The Assam government sent a formal note to the Centre, requesting a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the arrest of eight JMB members from the state in October. Gogoi has also written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying that Al Qaeda posed a serious threat to the state.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/assam-blames-growing-radicalism-on-bengal-religious-leaders-trips/#sthash.jHILrncW.dpuf
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India hands dossier to Bangladesh on terror plots
Nov 19, 2014
(Reuters) - India has handed Bangladesh a list of 11 men suspected of plotting attacks including one targeting its prime minister, officials said on Wednesday, as the two countries tighten security cooperation against Islamist militants.
Indian security officials uncovered the plot against Sheikh Hasina last month after two members of a banned Bangladesh group were killed in an explosion while building bombs in India's West Bengal state just over the border from Bangladesh.
The men were believed to be members of the outlawed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh who were using India as a safe haven to plan the attacks.
The plot deepened concern in India that jihadist groups were setting up bases in the east of the country while security forces have been focused on the threat from Pakistan-based militants on the more heavily guarded western flank.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/19/us-bangladesh-india-security-idUSKCN0J30U120141119?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
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BSF intercepts Pakistan boat at Sir Creek, suspected people on board fled
Nov 19, 2014
At least five years after the illegal intrusions stopped from Pakistan in Harami Nala and Sir Creek at Gujarat-Pakistan border, the BSF (Border Security Force) intercepted a Pakistani boat at Sir Creek on Wednesday.
The boat was found coming close to the Indian waters at the Sir Creek that alerted the Creek Commandos of the force who are right now engaged in the search operations at the spot.
A senior officer from the BSF Operations said, “The boat was intercepted at Sir Creek however a few metres away before it could fully enter into the creek that is supervised by the Gujarat Frontier. When the boat was intercepted, it was found empty. It was checked thoroughly and nothing was found inside it. We suspect that the fishermen or those who were on board fled but we cannot say that they were indeed fishermen since no fish stock was found inside the boat”.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/bsf-intercepts-pakistan-boat-at-sir-creek-suspected-people-on-board-fled/99/#sthash.Y7oVTc5Z.dpuf
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SC seeks current status of 1971 Prisoners of Wars languishing in Pakistan jails
Nov 19, 2014
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to inform it about the current status of 54 Indians Prisoners of War (PoW), languishing in Pakistan jails since 1971, and took strong note of submission that though Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has provided the information, the Defence Ministry is yet to do the same.
“The Union of India is a sum total of all the ministries. This is your inter-ministerial problem. You cannot take a stand that your one department is not doing the needful,” a bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur said.
The bench granted three weeks more time to the Centre for filing the present status of 54 PoWs who are in Pakistan jails for last 43 years.
It also sought to know whether post-retirement benefits have been given to the next kith and kin of these PoWs and how many of them are yet to be paid.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-seeks-current-status-of-1971-prisoners-of-wars-languishing-in-pakistan-jails/article6611905.ece
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Pakistan
Pak takes issue of border spat with India to US
Chidanand Rajghatta,TNN | Nov 19, 2014
WASHINGTON: Pakistan's top military general brought complaints about his border spats with India to US doorsteps even as the country's chief foreign advisor undercut his narrative of Pakistan's struggle against terrorism by saying his government is not going to target militants that do not pose a threat to the state.
On his first visit to the US as the country's army chief — and the first in four years by a top Pakistani general — Gen Raheel Sharif is trying to rebuild the country's military ties with Washington that has been undermined by the US raid on a Abbottabad villa that found and killed Osama bin laden and flaming rows over spying activity against each other. Ahead of the visit, Sharif and his US-dependent army has tried to rebuild the narrative about Pakistan's renewed resolve to fights terrorists (against the universal perception that it actually fosters them) in order to extract more aid and military supplies.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-takes-issue-of-border-spat-with-India-to-US/articleshow/45199000.cms
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ATC sentences four to death in Farzana murder case
Nov 19, 2014
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore sentenced four accused to death for killing Farzana Iqbal apparently for the sake of honour outside the Lahore High Court on May 27, 2014.
The ATC heard the murder case of 25-year-old Farzana Iqbal today. While announcing the verdict of the case, the court sentenced to death her ex-husband Mazhar Iqbal, father Azeem, brother Zahid and cousin Jahan Khan along with fine of Rs 100,000.
Another accused in the case Ghulam Ali was also sentenced to ten years imprisonment along with Rs 100,000 fine.
It may be mentioned that members of Farzana’s family opened fire at her outside LHC on May 27, 2014 followed by nearly a dozen men, including her father, brothers and ex-husband pelting her with stones and bricks that killed her on the spot.
She was waiting to record her statement in favour of her husband at the LHC when she was attacked and killed.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-166225-ATC-sentences-four-to-death-in-Farzana-murder-case
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Altaf urges govt to cope with IS threat in Pakistan
Nov 19, 2014
KARACHI/LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain urged the government to take measures to cope with the threat of Islamic State militants instead of denying their presence in the country.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he said that evidence of IS presence are popping up in different parts of the country. “IS is a greater threat than Taliban that has entered Pakistan,” he said.
Hussain appealed to the people to show unity and rid the country of those killing people belonging to minorities.
He said that the nation should be informed about how the jawans of the Pakistan army had been fighting militants with courage.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-166178-Altaf-urges-govt-to-cope-with-IS-threat-in-Pakistan
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Grenade attack kills two policemen in Charsadda
Nov 19, 2014
PESHAWAR: A grenade attacked killed two policemen and wounded another one in northwestern Charsadda district on Tuesday, police said.
The incident happened in the Shabqadar area of Charsadda, 30 kilometres north of Peshawar, the capital of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Two men riding a motorbike threw a hand grenade on a police vehicle patrolling the area, killing two policemen and wounding another one,” district police chief Shafiullah Khan told news agency AFP.
He said one of the policemen died on the spot and the second in hospital.
Another local police official Asghar Khan also confirmed the incident.
Spokesman of the Jamaatul Ahrar faction of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued to local media in Peshawar.
Pakistan has been battling extremist militant groups in the northwest and its semi-autonomous tribal belt since 2004, after its army entered the tribal region to search for Al Qaeda fighters who had fled across the border following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
In June the army began a major offensive against militant hideouts in North Waziristan tribal agency, a major base for the TTP, after a bloody raid on Karachi Airport ended faltering peace talks between the government and the Taliban.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1145323/grenade-attack-kills-two-policemen-in-charsadda
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Grand jirga on problems of IDPs planned
Nov 19, 2014
ISLAMABAD: A political jirga organised by the Awami National Party (ANP) here on Monday to discuss problems faced by people displaced from conflict-hit tribal areas extended support to a grand jirga being held by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F here on Saturday.
The meeting, held at the residence of ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, was called to discuss the problems faced by internally displaced persons but it was decided to postpone the discussion.
It was attended by the chiefs of five political parties, some of which are ideologically at loggerheads with each other – Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the JUI-F, Sirajul Haq of Jamaat-i-Islami, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao of Qaumi Watan Party, Mehmood Khan Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Asfandyar Wali Khan of ANP.
“We have decided to adopt the resolutions that will be finalised in the grand tribal jirga as they will reflect the true voice of the internally displaced persons themselves,” the ANP chief announced after the meeting.
According to sources, the JI chief also invited the leaders of other parties to attend the Jamaat’s three-day international gathering beginning in Lahore on Nov 21.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1145229/grand-jirga-on-problems-of-idps-planned
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Mideast
Government preparing to grant ‘political amnesty’ to Kurdistan Workers' Party militants
Nov 19, 2014
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader has interpreted recent developments in the peace process as a signal indicating the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) intention to grant a “political amnesty” to members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“All targets of the PKK and its extensions are being represented by the AKP. If it ends up like this [an amnesty], then there will have been no need to have dispatched the military [to the southeast] when the first armed activity began in 1984,” MHP head Devlet Bahçeli said on Nov. 18, speaking at a MHP parliamentary group meeting.
The PKK militants took up arms in 1984 to fight for Kurdish independence but later revised that goal to autonomy in south-eastern Turkey.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/mhp-leader-claims-govt-is-preparing-to-grant-political-amnesty-to-pkk-militants.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74488&NewsCatID=338
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Turkey’s top religious body says exposing privacy with online photos ‘improper’ in Islam
Nov 19, 2014
Sharing personal photos on social media is inappropriate according to Islam, Turkey’s Directorate for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has announced.
“It is improper in religion for a person to expose their privacy on virtual platforms and share it with other people,” the Diyanet said in its monthly magazine, according to daily Habertürk.
“People should be cautious against this danger. It is necessary to pray to God and worship in order to avoid sins, and to be busy with more useful things. Friendship circles should be formed according to this [principle],” it added.
Both men and women have a right to use the Internet, but people must protect the scale of their lives, the Diyanet said, underlining that living within the framework of Islamic morality and lifestyle is important for a Muslim.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-top-religious-body-says-exposing-privacy-with-online-photos-improper-in-islam-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74484&NewsCatID=393
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Iranian FM Condemns Israel's Provocative Moves
Nov 19, 2014
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation condemned the recent provocative actions taken by Israel in the Holy Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and asked the OIC to coordinate a collective response to Tel Aviv.
"These measures are in line with the Zionist regime's uninterrupted policies for Judaizing Palestine," Zarif said in his letter to his OIC counterparts.
Zarif strongly criticized the international bodies for keeping mum on Israel's aggressive moves, and urged the Muslim countries to show reaction to the Zionist regime's hostilities.
The Iranian foreign minister underlined Iran's readiness to have consultation with the OIC countries to adopt urgent and effective action in support of the Holy Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930827001645
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East Jerusalem home of Palestinian suicide attacker demolished
November 19, 2014
JERUSALEM: Israeli forces on Wednesday demolished the east Jerusalem home of a Palestinian who drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians last month killing two of them, the army said.
“The home of the terrorist, who killed an Israeli baby and a young woman on October 22 in a tram station in Jerusalem, was destroyed in Silwan,” an army statement said.
The home demolition came after two Palestinians armed with a gun and meat cleavers ran amok among worshippers in a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday, killing five of them, in the city’s bloodiest attack in years.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a harsh response to the bloodshed, and pledged to speed up demolitions of the homes of perpetrators of attacks in Jerusalem in line with a policy announced earlier this month.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/793556/east-jerusalem-home-of-palestinian-suicide-attacker-demolished/
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Bennett calls for military operation in east Jerusalem to root out terror
Nov 19, 2014
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett called Wednesday for Israel to launch a military operation in east Jerusalem to root out terror infrastructure.
Bennett's comments came in an Army Radio interview a day after two Arab suspects from east Jerusalem’s Jebl Mukaber neighborhood stormed the Kehillat Bnei Torah Synagogue in Har Nof, killing five people.
The Bayit Yehudi leader called for an action similar to 2002's Operation Defensive Shield aimed at rooting out terror in the West Bank during the second intifada.
"We need to move from defense to attack, like we did in Operation Defensive shield," Bennett said.
"Go in with Border Police forces, make arrests, create intelligence channels, stay there on a permanent basis, not just when there's a terror attack," he added.
"Instead of just placing guards at every cafe and restaurant in Israel, at every synagogue and every kindergarten, we need to go to the source," he stated.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Bennett-calls-for-military-operation-in-east-Jerusalem-to-root-out-terror-382236
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Iran nuclear talks get down to nitty-gritty
Nov 19, 2014
Iran and six world powers get down to business in Vienna on Wednesday, groping for the elusive magic formula to secure a milestone nuclear deal that satisfies hardliners in Tehran and Washington.
The clock will be ticking though on the second day of a final round of talks, with the deadline for Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany on Monday.
"This is a very critical week obviously in Iran negotiations," US Secretary of State John Kerry, expected in the Austrian capital later in the week, said in London on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/115886/World/Region/Iran-nuclear-talks-get-down-to-nittygritty.aspx
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Africa
Fani-kayode: Blood of children, shame of nation
November 19, 2014
FORTY-NINE innocent little boys were butchered by Boko Haram in their schools on November 10, 2014 as they resumed class in Yobe State. The question must be asked: is there any limit to the depravity of these monsters and those that secretly support and encourage them? I may not know much but one thing that I know is this: the spilling of innocent blood has terrible consequences for both the land on which it is spilt and for those that spill it. I am talking about long-term generational consequences. This is the more so when that blood is the blood of children. Our girls are kidnapped from their schools, abducted, raped, married off and sold into slavery and we call ourselves blessed.
Our little boys are bombed to smithereens in their schools, their young lives are snuffed out, there is no sense of outrage and no-one is brought to book yet we call ourselves blessed.
Our level of sensitivity has been seared to a point that we don’t care anymore and we are no longer moved when we hear about the horrors being inflicted on our people yet we call ourselves blessed. When will we appreciate the fact that there is something fundamentally wrong with us? I had every reason to feel so sad on the day that the news from Yobe came but my initial sadness was quickly overwhelmed by a deep and burning rage.
Full report at:
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/opinion/columnist/187081-fani-kayode-blood-of-children-shame-of-nation
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Kenya police carry out fresh raid on Mombasa mosque
November 19, 2014
NAIROBI: Kenyan police officers on Wednesday carried out a fresh raid on a mosque in the port city of Mombasa, police said.
“We conducted a security operation in the mosque, we will give details later,” said Richard Ngatia, the senior officer in the district of Kisauni where the raid took place.
It came just two days after police raided mosques in the same city searching for weapons and radical supporters of Somalia’s al Qaeda affiliated Shebab militants.
According to another police source, who wished to remain anonymous, grenades, bombs, oil and ammunition were discovered in the latest raid.
On Monday, security forces targeted the Masjid Musa and Sakina mosques in Mombasa.
These raids resulted in the death of a 20-year-old, who police said had tried to throw a grenade at security forces and the arrest of more than 200 people.
Thirteen of those arrested have been charged with possession of explosive materials and pleaded not guilty.
The two mosques have been closed since Monday’s security operation.
Following the raid, four people were stabbed to death in apparent revenge attacks.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/793547/kenya-police-carry-out-fresh-raid-on-mombasa-mosque/
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Israel Plotting to Assassinate Nigeria's Top Shiite Leader
Nov 19, 2014
The Zionist regime is seeking to coax the Nigerian government into assassination of the African country's top Shiite leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, his son revealed on Wednesday.
"Given the Zionists' strong relations with the Nigerian government, they always take action against the Shiites in Nigeria," Ali Zakzaky told FNA.
He revealed that the Zionists are pressuring the Nigerian government to assassinate Sheikh Zakzaky soon, and the government is looking for an opportunity as it also sees the Shiite leader as a burden due to his harsh criticism of the government's atrocities against people.
"The US and the Zionists are pressuring the government to assassinate the Nigerian Shiite leader for their fear of the 12-million-strong Shiite population in Nigeria," Ali Zakzaky said.A suicide bomber detonated himself in the Tsohuwar Kasuwa area of the Nigerian town after joining Shiite worshippers who were marching to mark Ashura, a solemn day when Shiites mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hossein, a grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), in 680 AD at Karbala in Iraq.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930828000346
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Religion engenders moral rectitude, says State Governor
Nov 19, 2014
KWARA State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has stated that religion, if fundamentally upright and properly focused, could be used to engender moral rectitude in Nigeria.
To that end, he urged religious institutions to partner his government in promoting moral values and good conduct in the state. Speaking during the assalat (prayer) by the Ilorin branch of Nasrullahi-l-fatihi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) in Ilorin, Ahmed stressed that the partnership would assist in stemming moral decadence in the society.
He attributed most religious crises in the country to intolerance and lack of proper understanding of religion by some adherents. However, he commended NASFAT for the feat achieved by enlightening the Moslem faithful on Islam and assured the society of his continuous support to its educational and moral programmes.
Ahmed also charged NASFAT and other religious bodies to lend their voices to demanding good governance and accountability in the country just as he promised that his government would not renege in showing good examples and transparency in governance despite huge resource challenges.
http://ngrguardiannews.com/news/national-news/187141-religion-engenders-moral-rectitude-says-ahmed
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Southeast Asia
Islamic scholars need input from science and societal behaviour experts: Tun Mahathir
Nov 19, 2014
KUALA LUMPUR: Islam religion experts need input and reasoning from science and societal behaviour experts to back their stance against excessive liberalism, says former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Dr Mahathir said this is to convince and explain why excessive liberalism such as on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender is wrong according to Islamic teachings.
It is incumbent upon Muslim scholars and thinkers to ensure Muslims are guided by Islam and the Al-Quran, and not by charlatan with own agenda,” he said during a keynote speech at the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2014 opening ceremony at Seri Pacific Hotel, here, today.
Dr Mahathir said the country need fatwas on the many challenges faced by the Muslims to decide what is acceptable and what is not.
Full report at:
http://www.nst.com.my/node/51832
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Non-Muslim sworn in as Jakarta governor
Nov 19, 2014
(Reuters) - Jakarta's first Christian governor in nearly 50 years was sworn in on Wednesday in the face of protests from religious hardliners opposed to a non-Muslim taking over one of Indonesia's most powerful political jobs.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known by his nickname "Ahok", has been acting governor of the Indonesian capital since Joko Widodo stepped aside last month to become president.
Hundreds of Islamic hardliners over the last few weeks have protested against the inauguration of Ahok, underlining the growing religious intolerance in a nation with the world's biggest Muslim population.
Thousands of police were deployed around the capital this week in case of violence, but there was only a small group of peaceful protesters on Wednesday.
"I don't need to be approved by everyone," Ahok told reporters after being sworn in by the president. "The ones that deny me aren't Jakartans. They come from Bekasi, Depok, Bogor, which are not in my territory."
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/19/us-indonesia-politics-idUSKCN0J306920141119
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Ban on Allah in Herald a matter of national security, says A-G
Nov 19, 2014
He said the prohibition was done in accordance with provisions in the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and subsidiary legislation.
"'National security' – that was the issue the government was concerned with. It had nothing to do with freedom of religion. It was only concerned with national security," Gani said in a keynote address at a recent legal conference.
The government's top lawyer said the September 14, 2013 Court of Appeal decision was confined to the publication of Herald and not the Al-Kitab, which were two publications of entirely different characters.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ban-on-allah-in-herald-a-matter-of-national-security-says-a-g#sthash.DljGXf6C.dpuf
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"No place for radicalism in pesantrens": Religious Affairs Minister
Nov 19, 2014
In his first public speech as Religious Affairs Minister , Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said Islamic schools foster " Keindonesiaan " – the Indonesian national character that embraces both diversity and unity.
"Pesantrens act as guards to preserve and protect diversity in Indonesia. Therefore, there is no place for radicalism in pesantrens ," he said at the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival in Surabaya on November 5th.
"We should be proud of them, and they should continue to teach good, correct and true Islam . I am pretty sure the results will be excellent. Pesantrens will produce students with strong nationalism, tolerance, and openness, but not radical[s]."
Diversity is common in pesantrens, he added.
"Students learn from each other's cultures and various ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, they are commonly exposed to and appreciate diversity," Lukman Hakim continued. "They should utilise these differences as an opportunity to learn from one another and not to build enemies."
Full report at:
http://khabarsoutheastasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2014/11/19/feature-01
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Philippine army major, two soldiers killed in rebel ambush
Nov 19, 2014
A Philippine army major and two of his men have been killed in an ambush by Muslim guerrillas opposed to peace talks, authorities said Tuesday.
The officer and two soldiers were in civilian clothing and driving an unmarked pickup truck when they were waylaid along a national highway on the southern island of Mindanao on Monday, regional military spokesman Colonel Dickson Hermoso told AFP.
“They were on a personal trip when they were halted and shot at,” Hermoso added.
The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters gunmen later stole the victims’ wallets and laptops, the army spokesman said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2014/11/18/Philippine-army-major-two-soldiers-killed-in-rebel-ambush.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/historical-landmarks-threatened-prophet’s-mosque/d/100091