Indian Madrasas Quietly Promoting the Syncretic Traditions of both Hinduism and Islam
New Age Islam News Bureau
11
Jan 2015
Hundreds of thousands of people gather on the Place de la Republique to attend the solidarity march (Rassemblement Republicain) in the streets of Paris. (Reuters photo)
• Indian Madrasas Quietly Promoting the Syncretic Traditions of both Hinduism and Islam
• Readings of Islam Based On Beauty Needed: Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities
• Love Jihad: No Love Lost Between BJP, VHP in Himachal Pradesh
Pakistan
• Ex-Pakistan Taliban Members Join IS Group, Behead Man
• Asma Says 21st Amendment Suicide Attack on Parliament
• Three suspected militants, suicide bomber arrested in Quetta
• Govt to act against ‘violent banned outfits’ only
• Banned group in Khyber Agency renounces violence
• Over 400 villagers booked under anti-terror law
• Musharraf demands constitutional role for army to eradicate terrorism
• Word of caution: ‘No single institution can tackle terrorism’
• No safe haven for Pindi’s Shias: Coping with loss of their best sons
Arab World
• Kurdish Forces Kill Tens of ISIL Terrorists in Northern Iraq
• Several ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraqi Army's Ambush
• IS Kills 26 in Surprise Attack on Kurdish Forces in Iraq
• Over 13 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraq's Tikrit
• Seven killed in north Lebanon suicide attack
• Egyptian cleric rejoices in Charlie Hebdo shooting attack
• ISIL Terrorists Suffer Major Losses in Iraq's Kirkuk
• Isis Makes Me ‘Ashamed To Be Muslim,’ Says Iraqi
• German ISIS suspect held after Syria return
• Man resembling Paris attacker says belongs to ISIS
South Asia
• Drone Strike Kills 8 Insurgents in Nangarhar
• Protesters in Uruzgan, Afghanistan, Hail Paris Gunmen as ‘True Mujahideen’
• ISIS start operations in Helmand, residents claim
• Tarique should be brought to book for distorting history
Europe
• Paris Gunman Appears In Video, Declares Loyalty to Islamic State
• BBC To Revise Ban on Depiction of Prophet Mohammad
• British Hate Preacher: 'Britain Is the Enemy of Islam'
• Muslim employee of Paris market praised for hiding customers from gunman
• Attacks highlight problem of radicalism in French prisons
• #JeSuisAhmed: ‘Do not confuse extremists with Muslims’, says slain cop's brother
• Spain wants to change Schengen rules to thwart Islamist returnees
• Sleeper cell awakes France’s worst fears in three days of terror
• Arson attack at German paper that ran Charlie Hebdo cartoons
• 35,000 Germans rally in Dresden against racism and xenophobia
• Muslim employee in Paris kosher supermarket hailed as ‘hero’
• French far-right’s call for death penalty mere politicking: experts
• UK set to raise terror threat level: Report
• Paris attack rallies Islamic extremists, may boost support
North America
• Terror Sanctuaries in Pakistan an Issue of Concern: Pentagon
• US joins France in calling supermarket assault 'anti-Semitic'
• Kerry: ‘no act of terror will stop march of freedom’
• US to host summit on Feb 18 to fight 'violent extremism'
Africa
• Nigeria Appeals for Support after 'Deadliest' Boko Haram Attack
• Algerian sources warned against attack on Charlie Hebdo offices
• Tunisian transsexual sparks debate after appearing on popular TV show
• Sudan's Bashir launches re-election bid, poll organizers say
Mideast
• Former Intel Officer Warns Of Jihadist Sleeper Cells in Turkey
• Al-Qaeda Posts ‘Bomb Recipe’ To Target Passenger Jets
• Over 12,000 Turkish Extremists Fighting for ISIL in Syria
• Iranian FM: Certain Regional States Required to Alter Terrorism Policies
Southeast Asia
• Failure of Religious Authorities Will See Muslim Youth Led Astray, Warns Preacher
• Suspected terrorist shot dead in South Sulawesi
• Malaysians taking loans to join Isis, reports paper
• Church fails to get 9-man bench to hear ‘Allah’ review
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/indian-madrasas-quietly-promoting-syncretic/d/100957
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India
Indian Madrasas Quietly Promoting the Syncretic Traditions of both Hinduism and Islam
Jan 11, 2015
A group of madrasas in this central Indian town is quietly promoting the syncretic traditions of both Hinduism and Islam, far from the frenetic efforts of political custodians of religion to cement polarisation.
Five Muslim and two Hindu women form the Nida Mahila Mandal (NMM), which operates these schools, headquartered at Madrasa Firdaus, just outside the gates of old Mandsaur city.
The madrasas — with names like Madrasa Gurukul Vidyapeeth and Madrasa Jain Vardhaman — have strength of 5,500 students from across the district. In 78 of these madrasas, Hindu students outnumber their Muslim friends.
“We were educating children from poor families. A lot of poor Hindu families wanted to enrol their children in our schools, but were concerned about religious education,” says NMM chairperson Talat Qureshi.
“That is when we thought of reviving India’s older system of madrasas that offered subsidised education, and where such legends as Munshi Premchand, Raja Rammohun Roy, Bharatendu Harishchandra and Pandit Ramchandra Shukla had their education,” says Dr. Qureshi, a dentist by profession.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/mandsaurs-inclusive-madrasas/article6775712.ece
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Readings of Islam Based On Beauty Needed: Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities
January 11, 2015
Readings of Islam based on justice, virtue and beauty should be encouraged in society, National Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities and Professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia Akhtar ul Wasey has said.
“Conscientious efforts are needed to introduce the beauty of Islam to the new generations,” he said.
Prof. Wasey was inaugurating a seminar on the concepts of Islamic beauty here on Saturday.
He said that a practical approach to all aspects of human life was what made Islam universally relevant.
The Academy for Islamic Studies and Research promoted by the Ithihadu Shubbanil Mujahideen (ISM) organised the seminar.
“Islam is a religion that embraces beauty and charm. But it keeps a tab on us from falling ourselves into vices by enjoying the beauty,” Prof. Wasey said.
Academy chairman P.P. Abdul Haq presided over the seminar on concepts of Islamic beauty.
Delivering the keynote address, Indian Islahi Movement general secretary Husain Madavur said that society should be encouraged to enjoy beauty by upholding values. Scholar P. Mohammed Kuttassery released a few books published by Yuvata Books. Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM) State secretary P. Mustafa Farookhi, Mujahid Students Movement (MSM) State president Abdul Jaleel Mamankara, Mujahid Girls Movement (MGM) president Khadeeja Nargese, Noushad Kuttiadi, Hamza Sullami Karakkunnuand others spoke.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/readings-of-islam-based-on-beauty-needed-wasey/article6776941.ece
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Love Jihad: No Love Lost Between BJP, VHP in Himachal Pradesh
Anand Bodh, TNN | Jan 11, 2015
SHIMLA: The Sangh Parivar seems to be a divided house on the issue on Love Jihad in Himachal Pradesh. The hill state's VHP unit has declared a war on Muslim boys marrying Hindu girls and then allegedly abandoning them, but local BJP leaders say they haven't come across any such instance in the state so far.
Himachal Pradesh has a total population of a little more than 68 lakh. It has one of the highest proportions of Hindus in India (95.45%) while Muslims constitute only 1.94%. Also, it has no history of Hindu-Muslim clashes. But a recent booklet published by Durga Vahini, VHP's women's wing, claims many Hindu women are disappearing in the state and they suspected Love Jihad behind it.
"We have information about Love Jihad incidents from Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur and Solan districts. As the issue is sensitive for many of the affected families, they don't want to disclose their names," said Aman Puri, state vice-president of VHP. He said VHP was not against love but it was against conversion after marriage. "Why don't Muslim boys embrace the Hindu religion after marriage?" he asked.
Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Shanta Kumar, however, said he has never heard of Love Jihad in Himachal Pradesh. "No case has come to my knowledge ever. Himachal Pradesh has witnessed complete harmony between Hindu and Muslim communities and it would continue in the future. If VHP leaders have information, they should share it with us to improve our knowledge," he said.
Durga Vahini's north India coordinator Rajani Thukral blamed migrants. She said that a list of Love Jihad victims would be released and they would reveal from how many places girls were taken away. "We will also reveal where religious conversion is taking place," she added.
BJP's state president Satpal Singh Satti too said he had never come across any incident of Love Jihad. "Marriage is a personal matter between two people. A Muslim can marry a Hindu. It is purely a personal matter. If someone marries as part of a conspiracy, then it is wrong," he said.
Himachal Pradesh DGP Sanjay Kumar said "For marriage, girls and boys often elope, but they return home. Linking it to Love Jihad would not be correct."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Love-Jihad-No-love-lost-between-BJP-VHP-in-Himachal-Pradesh/articleshow/45838894.cms
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Pakistan
Ex-Pakistan Taliban members join IS group, behead man
January 11, 2015
ISLAMABAD (AP) — An online video released Saturday purports to show former militants of the Pakistani Taliban pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and beheading a man they identify as a Pakistani soldier.
The video shows former Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid along with dozens of other militants in a wooded area. Shahid already announced his support for the Islamic State group in an audio message in October. He was later replaced by the Pakistani Taliban.
Other militant leaders who identify themselves as from Afghanistan and Pakistan also pledge their support to the Islamic State group. At the end of the video, the militants behead a man they identified as a Pakistani soldier.
The SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based terrorism monitor, said the video was released by the Islamic State group on Twitter and jihadi forums.
The video is sure to raise concerns about whether the Islamic State group has found support in Pakistan and Afghanistan, a region already awash with dozens of militant groups. Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan owe their allegiance to Mullah Omar, a cleric who has led the Taliban since the 1990s and hasn't been publicly heard from for years.
The area where the video was shot was not identified but Taliban militants are known to operate in the rugged mountainous regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The militants frequently target Pakistani troops who have been carrying out missions in the country's northwest. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan's military or government.
The Islamic State group controls about a third of both Syria and Iraq. A U.S.-led coalition is targeting the group in airstrikes. On Saturday, the U.S. military said in a statement it carried out 12 strikes on the group in Syria and three strikes in Iraq. Eleven of the coalition airstrikes in Syria targeted Islamic State group positions around the border town of Kobani near Turkey.
Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/video-ex-pakistan-taliban-members-join-group-behead-173815927.html
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Asma says 21st amendment suicide attack on parliament
January 11, 2015
LAHORE: Former president of Supreme Court Bar Association and chairperson of Friends group, Asma Jahangir, has termed the 21st amendment a suicide attack on parliament.
She said the new legislation would have a serious impact on political discourse of the country.
She was talking to media persons on Saturday at Lahore Judicial Complex where she had come to cast her vote in the election of Lahore Bar Association.
She said the parliamentarians were ‘blackmailed’ on the issue of military courts.
Ms Jahangir said members of the parliament failed to question the reasons behind terrorism and to come up with a rational solution to curb the menace. She said former dictator Musharraf also tried to establish military courts but failed due to strong agitation by the civil society.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156304/asma-says-21st-amendment-suicide-attack-on-parliament
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Three suspected militants, suicide bomber arrested in Quetta
January 11, 2015
QUETTA: Three suspected militants, including a suicide bomber, were arrested by security forces in Quetta on Sunday morning.
A security official, who requested anonymity, told Dawn that the forces acted on a tip-off and took three militants, including a suicide bomber in custody during a raid in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta.
Security forces also recovered suicide jackets and large number of arms and ammunition from the militants. However, the identity of the arrested could not be revealed.
During interrogation it emerged that the militants were planning to target vital national installations and security forces in Quetta.
In Balochistan, security forces have intensified raids against militants operating in Quetta and other parts of the province after the tragic incident of Peshawar. Security forces and police have so far detained dozens of suspected militants during various raids.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156373/three-suspected-militants-suicide-bomber-arrested-in-quetta
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Govt to act against ‘violent banned outfits’ only
January 11, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Of the nearly 72 organisations and outfits that have been declared ‘proscribed’, only a handful are likely to face action in the coming days as part of the government’s impending crackdown on terrorists and militant groups, sources in the interior ministry told Dawn.
The sources say that the government’s focus, at least in the initial stages, would be on organisations which had taken up arms against the state. Such organisations will not be allowed to operate on Pakistani soil anymore and members of such groups who are known to be involved in violent activities will be arrested, an official in the interior ministry told Dawn.
“Following their arrest and interrogation, such individuals will be produced before military courts for trial under a defined procedure,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156321/govt-to-act-against-violent-banned-outfits-only
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Banned group in Khyber Agency renounces violence
January 11, 2015
LANDI KOTAL: A Bara-based proscribed group, Amr Bil Maroof wa Nahi Anil Munkir, renounced on Saturday violence and pledged to cooperate with the political administration in establishing its writ and restoring peace in this part of Khyber Agency.
The group’s leaders announced their decision at a grand Jirga of Bar Qambar Khel tribe. The Jirga was attended, among others, by MNA Nasir Khan Afridi, officials of the political administration and two former MNAs Abdul Latif Afridi and Hameedullah Jan Afridi.
Nearly three thousand tribesmen of Sheikhmal Khel, Wandgary and Dray Plaar clans of Bar Qambar Khel took part in the gathering.
The jirga was the first of its king since 2006. The banned group’s leaders assured the administration of winding up all jails run by it, removing its flags from atop houses and adhering to a “complete ceasefire”.
Members of the group said in speeches on the occasion that Amr Bin Maroof was never involved in attacks against security forces nor had it demolished any school or any other government building.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156331/banned-group-in-khyber-agency-renounces-violence
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Over 400 villagers booked under anti-terror law
January 11, 2015
THATTA: A forest officer on Saturday got around 400 peasants, including women and children, booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act on charges of grabbing forest land and beating up the department’s employees during an operation to retrieve the land.
Sujawal range forest officer Mohammed Ramzan Shar got an FIR registered under Sections 355 and 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) at the Banno police station in Sujwal district against around 400 villagers living in the Mulchand forest area.
The complainant said that the villagers were found busy ploughing the forest land ignoring repeated warnings conveyed to them by the forest department. He said that on Saturday, officials and employees of the Mulchand forest administration tried to retrieve the land but were beaten up by the villagers.
He said an escort force from the Sujawal police station was called in for assistance but the villagers also reacted violently to retain their illegal possession of the land.After registration of the FIR, police started raids on the houses of the nominated suspects, including Usman Kandra, Moosa Jamari, Bachal Jamari, Gul Chang and Ali Mohammad Kandra to arrest them. It was not immediately known as to how many of the booked suspects were picked up.
Bachal Jamari, Moosa Jamari and some other suspects told this reporter by phone that the action against villagers was being taken at the behest of an influential figure of the area who wanted to get their ancestors’ land vacated.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156213/over-400-villagers-booked-under-anti-terror-law
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Musharraf demands constitutional role for army to eradicate terrorism
January 11, 2015
KARACHI - Former president and All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) Chairman General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has demanded for giving a constitutional role to Pakistan Army for complete eradication of terrorism and taking Pakistan on the path of development.
He was talking to APML Secretary General Dr Mohammad Amjad at his residence here on Sunday. He said that during his tenure he formed the National Security Council for army’s role in security and other issues so that there was complete understanding between the politicians and the army on critical issues and they could debate openly on any issues including internal and foreign affairs as well as national security matters.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/11-Jan-2015/musharraf-demands-constitutional-role-for-army-to-eradicate-terrorism
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Word of caution: ‘No single institution can tackle terrorism’
January 11, 2015
DERA GHAZI KHAN: “The government cannot hope to curb terrorism by hanging a few terrorism convicts,” said former Punjab governor Latif Khosa.
He was addressing lawyers at the annual dinner of the district bar association at the Circuit House. A large number of lawyers and judges were present on the occasion.
District Coordination Officer Nadeemur Rehman and District and Sessions Judge Malik Munsif Awam also addressed the lawyers.
“The nation stood united in the wake of the massacre in Peshawar on December 16,” Khosa said. “A number of meetings were held with various political parties to develop consensus on the policy for tackling terrorism and most parties had had to swallow a bitter pill when they agreed to the formation of military courts.”
He said bypassing the judiciary may prove dangerous for the country.
“The Pakistan Peoples Party will not allow military courts for political purposes,” he said. “Terrorism cannot be rooted out by letting one institution of the state handle it.”
He said if there were flaws in ant-terrorism laws, they should be amended.
“If a constitutional amendment can be approved in a few days, surely the government can also amend laws,” he said.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/819961/word-of-caution-no-single-institution-can-tackle-terrorism/
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No safe haven for Pindi’s Shias: Coping with loss of their best sons
January 11, 2015
RAWALPINDI: Even to someone who has lived in Chittian Hattian all their life, the neighbourhood was unrecognisable on Saturday morning. The hazy day seemed to reflect the gloomy mood of the area and from the confines of the houses packed next to each other, the sounds of silent sobbing betrayed the tragedy of what had befallen this quiet neighbourhood the night before.
Friday’s deadly attack claimed the lives of two members of the same family, and deprived the community of four of its best sons and community activists.
Haider Kazmi, the father of a one-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter, was a regional manager at a local private bank. He was also the nephew of Ibne Rizvi – who is the central leader of PPP dissident group led by Naheed Khan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156275/no-safe-haven-for-pindis-shias-coping-with-loss-of-their-best-sons
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Arab World
Kurdish Forces Kill Tens of ISIL Terrorists in Northern Iraq
January 11, 2015
Kurdish forces killed a large number of ISIL terrorists in a series of attacks on the ISIL positions in Nineveh province in Northern Iraq.
At least 60 ISIL terrorists were killed by the Kurdish forces in Kirkuk and Mosul and 40 others were injured.
The Kurdish forces attacked the Takfiri terrorists' positions in the Southern and Western parts of Kirkuk as well as Al-Kavir and Makhmour towns near the city of Mosul.
Earlier this week, Iraqi security officials and analysts said that the Iraqi security forces backed by Shiite militias, Kurdish forces and Sunni Muslim tribesmen will drive the ISIL terrorists from all Iraqi lands before the end of 2015.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931021000581
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Several ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraqi Army's Ambush
January 11, 2015
Several ISIL terrorists were killed in an ambush Sunday by the Iraqi Army in Anbar Western province, a security source said.
Iraqi forces waiting in ambush near Barwana district, opened fire on the terrorist group and managed to kill 10 militants, including snipers.
Also, the army troops captured three elements of the ISIL Takfiri group during the ambush attack.
The security in Iraq has drastically deteriorated since June 10, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and the ISIL. The latter later took control of the country's Northern city of Mosul and seized swathes of territories in Nineveh and other predominantly Sunni provinces.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931021001196
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IS kills 26 in surprise attack on Kurdish forces in Iraq
January 11, 2015
ARBIL: Militants from the Islamic State jihadist group launched a surprise attack on Kurdish forces in the Gwer area of north Iraq, killing 26, security officials said on Saturday.
The militants crossed the Zab river by boat and occupied Gwer — some 40 kilometres southwest of Kurdish regional capital Arbil — for about an hour before being pushed back, the officials said.
Accounts differed as to whether the attack began late on Friday or early Saturday.
The 26 people killed were members of the Kurdish asayesh security forces, said Barzan Qassab, the deputy head of the asayesh for Arbil, and the toll was confirmed by another asayesh souce.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156273/is-kills-26-in-surprise-attack-on-kurdish-forces-in-iraq
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Over 13 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraq's Tikrit
January 11, 2015
At least 13 terrorists were killed in heavy fighting between Iraqi troops and the ISIL Takfiri group in Southern Tikrit, Salahuddin province.
The Iraqi Army managed to kill several ISIL terrorists in Nibai area on a mission to liberate Dujail district from the Takfiri group.
The army plans to continue its offensives in the city to fully regain the control of the area from the terrorists, according to a report.
The security in Iraq has drastically deteriorated since June 10, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and the ISIL. The latter later took control of the country's Northern city of Mosul and seized swathes of territories in Nineveh and other predominantly Sunni provinces.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931021001099
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Seven killed in north Lebanon suicide attack
January 11, 2015
At least seven people were killed and scores more were wounded in a suicide attack in a pro-Assad neighborhood of the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. Syria's Al-Qaeda wing claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the army, the attack in the predominantly Alawite neighbourhood of Jabal Mohsen was carried out by one suicide
bomber. But the country's state-run news agency said the attack was carried out by two.
The National News Agency said one suicide bomber blew himself up in a café in Jabal Mohsen, a predominantly Alawite neighborhood, before a second bomber set off his charge when people gathered at the scene, resulting in more casualties.
The NNA identified the two bombers as Taha Samir Kayyal and Bilal Mohammad Ibrahim, both Lebanese from Mankoubin in the northern city that has been rocked by frequent violence linked to the ongoing conflict in Syria.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/10/Seven-dead-20-wounded-in-twin-explosions-in-North-Lebanon-.html
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Egyptian cleric rejoices in Charlie Hebdo shooting attack
January 11, 2015
With most of the world united against a plague of violence that has shocked and rattled Parisians in recent days, claiming the lives of 17 people, one person seems particularly "happy" in light of the spate of attacks.
An Egyptian cleric, speaking to supporters in a video translated by MEMRI on Saturday, said the shooting attack on the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine was a punishment by Allah against those poking fun at the Prophet Muhammad – an attack equated with "an act of war."
The Paris-based publication, founded in 1992, is known for its cartoon covers lampooning the prophet and for its controversial depictions of radical Islam.
"People mocked the prophets of Allah," Mostafa Al-Adwy, a frequent guest on Islamic programs on Egyptian television, said in a video posted to his website, "but the mockers were punished by Allah for their mockery."
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Watch-Egyptian-cleric-rejoices-in-Charlie-Hebdo-shooting-attack-387365
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ISIL Terrorists Suffer Major Losses in Iraq's Kirkuk
January 11, 2015
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters intensified their offensive operations against the ISIL Takfiri group in South of Kirkuk, killing and injuring dozens of terrorists.
A security source said that the Peshmerga forces clashed with the terrorists in Wehda village, and managed to kill 10 terrorists and injure 20 others.
The security in Iraq has drastically deteriorated since June 10, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and the ISIL. The latter later took control of the country's Northern city of Mosul and seized swathes of territories in Nineveh and other predominantly Sunni provinces.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931021000271
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Isis Makes Me ‘Ashamed To Be Muslim,’ Says Iraqi
January 11, 2015
Hassan, the head of a Kurdish family in Iraq, told AsiaNews he is “ashamed to be a Muslim” because the Daesh (ISIS) commits violence in the name of Islam.
One of Hassan’s sons, a member of the Kurdish Barzani Party, added, “We do not want to live with ISIS, we do not want to live with the Arabs: they have always had trouble,” referring also to Saddam Hussein after the first Gulf War, who, despite being an atheist, pretended to be Muslim to hold on to power, and promoted fundamentalist policies.
In 2006, a special Iraqi court charged Saddam Hussein with genocide for attempting to exterminate the Kurdish race through military operations in 1988, killing at least 50,000 civilians and destroying thousands of villages.
The Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga, a force of about 150,000 men and women, have now pushed back ISIS, alleviating last summer’s crisis. The Peshmerga, assisted by Syrian Kurdish (YPG) and PKK fighters, are reportedly also on the verge of liberating the town of Sinjar. But another type of conflict is just beginning.
Full report at:
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/09/isis-makes-me-ashamed-to-be-muslim-says-iraqi/
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German ISIS suspect held after Syria return
11 January 2015
Months after he returned from Syria, a 24-year-old German suspected of joining ISIS militants was arrested on Saturday, German federal prosecutors said in a statement.
According to the statement, the suspect allegedly arrived in Syria in October 2013 and was a member of the group until he returned home in November,
German officials estimate around 550 of their citizens have made their way to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside ISIS, according to Agence France-Presse.
The surge in foreign fighting in Syria and Iraq has raised Europe’s fears of attacks on home soil when the fighters return.
The German suspect is to go before a judge Sunday, but has not been accused of involvement in any attacks and prosecutors stressed there was no link with this week's bloody assault on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in France.
Authorities said they had searched the man's home in Dinslaken in northwestern Germany but didn't elaborate.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/11/German-ISIS-suspect-held-after-Syria-return.html
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Man resembling Paris attacker says belongs to ISIS
11 January 2015
A man resembling Amedy Coulibaly, who shot a policewoman and took hostages at a Jewish supermarket in the Paris attacks, claimed to be a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group in a posthumous video released online on Sunday.
Speaking into the camera, the man says he "came out against the police," while a text playing over the image confirms he killed a policewoman in southern Paris on Thursday and attacked the supermarket the following day.
French prosecutors said Sunday they had linked Coulibaly to the shooting of a jogger in southern Paris just hours after a massacre by two other gunmen at the Charlie Hebdo weekly.
In a statement the Paris prosecutor's office said there was a link between "the bullets found in Fontenay-aux-Roses" where the jogger was shot and wounded, and those from a Russian Tokarev pistol used by Coulibaly in the supermarket attack.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/11/Man-resembling-Paris-attacker-claims-to-be-ISIS-member-.html
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South Asia
Drone strike kills 8 insurgents in Nangarhar
January 11, 2015
Eight insurgents have been killed and three others wounded in a drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province.
Edris Mohamand, spokesman for the border police in the east says that the drone strike occurred in Lal Pura district this morning.
Since January 1, 2015 NATO has carried at least 7 drone strikes in different parts of the country.
In one air strike some important commanders of Haqani group got killed in Khost province.
Insurgents are suffering heavy casualties in drone strikes.
http://www.khaama.com/drone-strike-kills-8-insurgents-in-nangarhar-2697
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Protesters in Uruzgan, Afghanistan, Hail Paris Gunmen as ‘True Mujahideen’
Jan 11 2015,
Hundreds of residents of central Uruzgan province participated in a demonstration to show their support for the gunmen who attacked a French newspaper last week.
The rally participants called the gunmen as ‘true mujahideen’ and ‘heroes’ and condemned President Ghani’s stance for denouncing the attack.
The demonstration was organized in Chora district following Friday prayers with rally participants calling the gunmen true Mujahideen.
They demanded President Ghani to withdraw his condemnation of the attack, insisting that the newspaper had published blasphemous cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.
President Ghani issued a statement following the attack and said “Killing of defenseless people and civilians is a heinous act of terrorism, and there is no justification for this brutal act.”
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/protesters-in-uruzgan-hails-paris-gunmen-as-true-mujahideen-9233
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ISIS start operations in Helmand, residents claim
Jan 11 2015
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh, has started operations in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan.
According to the local residents of Sangin district, a group of insurgents in black uniforms have started movements in the district carrying black flags and vehicles.
They are saying that the group is led by a local commander identified as Abdul Rauf are operting in Zamin Dawar area of Sangin and also parts of Kajaki district.
In the meantime, a local government official has confirmed that a gun battle broke out between the Taliban militants and a newly formed group recently which left at least 20 people dead.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/isis-daesh-start-operations-in-helmand-residents-claim
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Tarique should be brought to book for distorting history
January 11, 2015
BNP senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman should be brought to book for his derogatory remarks on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as well as distorting history, said Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, media adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Staying abroad, Tarique Rahman is resorting to falsehood on various historical facts to hatch conspiracy against the country, he told a discussion on “Bangabandhu and Bangladesh” at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.
Sohojoddha Muktijoddha Command organised the discussion marking the historic Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu.
With Sohojoddha Muktijoddha Command President Asaduzzaman Zakir in the chair, Journalist Subhash Singh Ray, Freedom Fighter Fulu Sarker, leaders of the Muktijoddha Comand, among others, addressed the discussion.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2015/jan/11/iqbal-sobhan-tarique-should-be-brought-book-distorting-history#sthash.cxYP1sfC.dpuf
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Europe
Paris gunman appears in video, declares loyalty to Islamic State
Jan 11, 2015
One of three gunmen behind the worst militant attacks in France for decades appeared in a video released online on Sunday, declaring his allegiance to the Islamic State armed group and urging French Muslims to follow his example.
In the seven-minute video apparently intended for release after the actions, Amedy Coulibaly, who staged the attack on a Jewish deli, said the planned assaults on a satirical journal and a Jewish target were justified by French military interventions overseas.
A French anti-terrorist police source said there was no doubt it was Coulibaly in the French-language recording.
Seventeen victims were killed in three days of violence that began with an attack on the Charlie Hebdo weekly on Wednesday and ended with Friday's dual sieges at a print works outside Paris and a kosher supermarket in the city.
French security forces killed Coulibaly (32) on Friday after he planted explosives at the Paris deli in a siege that claimed the lives of four hostages. They also shot dead two brothers behind the Hebdo killings, Said and Cherif Kouachi, after they took refuge in the print works.
The Kouachi brothers said they were aligned to al Qaeda, which competes for influence with Islamic State among militant Islamists.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/paris-gunman-appears-in-video-declares-loyalty-to-islamic-state/article6777787.ece?homepage=true
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BBC to revise ban on depiction of Prophet Mohammad
January 11, 2015
The BBC is set to revise its editorial guidelines that ban the depiction of the Prophet Mohammad, the Independent reported.
BBC journalist David Dimbleby revealed in this week’s edition of “Question Time” that it was the organization’s policy not to show any images or depictions of the prophet.
However, the Independent reports that the guideline has been removed, possibly revoking a formal ban.
“This guidance is old, out of date and does not reflect the BBC’s long-standing position that program makers have freedom to exercise their editorial judgment with the Editorial Policy team available to provide advice around sensitive issues on a case by case basis,” a BBC spokesman said.
“The guidance is currently being revised.”
This change in policy comes after Islamist gunmen stormed satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo, known for its controversial covers depicting the prophet and other religious figures, killing 12 people, including four of its editors and cartoonists.
Albeit briefly, the BBC showed images of the magazine’s controversial cover portraying the prophet during their coverage of the Charlie Hebdo attack.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/television-and-radio/2015/01/10/BBC-to-revise-ban-on-depiction-pf-Prophet-Mohamed-.html
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British Hate Preacher: 'Britain Is the Enemy of Islam'
January 11, 2015
A British hate preacher backed the Paris massacres just hours after the bloody events unfolded and told his followers ‘Britain is the enemy of Islam’.
Cleric Mizanur Rahman, of Palmers Green, north London, defended the brutal murder of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo offices, saying ‘insulting Islam…they can’t expect a different result.’
Experts have warned the sermon, which backed the jihadists who killed 17 people over three days in the French capital, could incite further killings.
Speaking to an audience in London which was streamed online to thousands of his followers, Rahman praised Al Qaeda and said ‘Britain is the enemy of Islam.’
Sam Westrop, director of counter-extremism group Stand for Peace told the Sunday Mirror: ‘His kind of rhetoric is not an echo of Islamist terror and extremism – it is a driving force behind it.
Full report at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2905075/Hate-preacher-backs-massacres-says-Britain-enemy-Islam.html#ixzz3OZPBZPWN
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Muslim employee of Paris market praised for hiding customers from gunman
Jan 11, 2015
As the authorities in France worked on Saturday to piece together the sequence of events at a kosher supermarket in Paris where a gunman and four hostages were killed on Friday, there was an outpouring of praise online for a young employee credited with saving the lives of some customers by hiding them in a cold-storage room.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/muslim-employee-of-paris-market-praised-for-hiding-customers-from-gunman/article6777552.ece
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Attacks highlight problem of radicalism in French prisons
January 11, 2015
At least two of the gunmen who unleashed terror on France are believed to have been radicalised in prison, a fertile ground for extremism that authorities are struggling to contain.
Both Mohamed Merah, the al-Qaeda militant who shot dead seven people in a series of 2012 attacks, and Mehdi Nemmouche, last year's Brussels Jewish museum killer, were radicalised in jail.
And in the latest attacks, Cherif Kouachi, one of the brothers who massacred 12 people in an attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine, came under the influence of Djamel Beghal, a known figure of French radical Islamism, when serving time in the Fleury-Merogis prison.
Amedy Coulibaly, the man who killed a policewoman and four shoppers, also came under Beghal's influence and met Kouachi in the same jail, Europe's largest.
"We have a real problem with our prison policy," said Martin Pradel, a lawyer who has defended jihadists.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/attacks-highlight-problem-of-radicalism-in-french-prisons#sthash.dPWivwg1.dpuf
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#JeSuisAhmed: ‘Do not confuse extremists with Muslims’, says slain cop's brother
January 11, 2015
The brother of a French Muslim police officer who was gunned down by terrorists in the Charlie Hebdo attack made an emotional appeal Saturday for tolerance.
The Guardian report that Ahmed Merabet's brother Malek Merabet paid tribute to Ahmed who sacrificed his life while countering terrorists.
“I address myself now to all the racists, Islamophobes and anti-Semites,” Merabet said on Saturday. “One must not confuse extremists with Muslims; mad people have neither colour nor religion.”
“Devastated by this barbaric act, we associate ourselves with the pain of the families of the victims,” he said adding, “I want to make another point: don't tar everybody with the same brush, don't burn mosques or synagogues. You are attacking people. It won't bring our dead back and it won't appease the families.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156374/jesuisahmed-do-not-confuse-extremists-with-muslims-says-slain-cops-brother
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Spain wants to change Schengen rules to thwart Islamist returnees
January 11, 2015
MADRID: Spain wants to see the Schengen treaty modified to allow border controls to be restored to limit the movements of Islamic fighters returning to Europe from the Middle East, a report said on Sunday.
“We are going to back border controls and it is possible that as a consequence it will be necessary to modify the Schengen treaty,” Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz told the daily El Pais ahead of a Sunday morning ministerial meeting on the subject in Paris.
EU and US security ministers met at France's interior ministry on Sunday to work out a joint response to the threat of jihadist attacks following days of carnage in Paris by three gunmen claiming to act on behalf of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156375/spain-wants-to-change-schengen-rules-to-thwart-islamist-returnees
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Sleeper cell awakes France’s worst fears in three days of terror
January 11, 2015
PARIS: Blood-curdling, Al Qaeda-inspired murder that tore at the heart of the nation which raised him was not ghoulish enough for Cherif Kouachi. His body, felled by elite soldiers' bullets and stun grenades, was not yet cold when he also came back from the dead.
Kouachi had picked up the phone when a reporter for news channel BFM rang the printing plant, his and his elder brother Said's final redoubt, where an army of soldiers, police officers, and helicopters cornered them after a 40-plus-hour manhunt through villages and woodlands of northern France.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1156370/sleeper-cell-awakes-frances-worst-fears-in-three-days-of-terror
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Arson attack at German paper that ran Charlie Hebdo cartoons
January 11, 2015
BERLIN: A German newspaper in the northern port city of Hamburg that reprinted Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) cartoons from the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo was the target of an arson attack early Sunday, police said.
“Rocks and then a burning object were thrown through the window,” a police spokesman told AFP. “Two rooms on lower floors were damaged but the fire was put out quickly.”
The regional tabloid daily, the Hamburger Morgenpost, had splashed three Charlie Hebdo cartoons on its front page after the massacre at the Paris publication, running the headline “This much freedom must be possible!”
No one was hurt in the attack, which police said occurred at about 0120 local time.
Two people were detained, while state security has opened an investigation, police said.
Whether there was a connection between the Charlie Hebdo cartoons and the attack was the “key question”, the police spokesperson said, adding that it was “too soon” to know for certain.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/820091/arson-attack-at-german-paper-that-ran-charlie-hebdo-cartoons/
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35,000 Germans rally in Dresden against racism and xenophobia
January 11, 2015
A rally against racism and xenophobia on Jan. 10 drew tens of thousands of people in the eastern German city of Dresden, which has become the centre of anti-immigration protests organised by a new grassroots movement called PEGIDA.
"We won't permit that hate will divide us", Dresden's mayor Helma Orosz said in front of the 18th-century Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady).
Around 35,000 people attended the rally that was jointly organised by the state government of Saxony and the city of Dresden, officials said.
The movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) is holding weekly rallies in Dresden with a record number of 18,000 people attending last Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/35000-germans-rally-in-dresden-against-racism-and-xenophobia.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76772&NewsCatID=351
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Muslim employee in Paris kosher supermarket hailed as ‘hero’
11 January 2015
During the hostage ordeal by an Islamist gunman in Paris this week, 15 people managed to hide from the assailant with the help of the shop’s Muslim French employee, French media reported.
Originally Malian, 24-year-old Lassana Bathily guided 15 people to safety in the store’s freezer and away from the gunman, the New York Times reported citing French media.
“I told them to calm down, not make any noise, or else if he hears that we’re there, he can come down and kill us,” he told French television channel BMTV.
The hostage situation ended when police stormed the building, killing the assailant. Four hostages were killed before forces went in.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/01/11/Muslim-employee-in-Jewish-supermarket-hailed-for-saving-lives-.html
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French far-right’s call for death penalty mere politicking: experts
11 January 2015
A French far-right leader’s renewed call last week for the re-instatement of the death penalty after the deadly Charlie Hebdo attack has been dismissed by analysts as a “mere political move.”
In the aftermath of the attack on the French satirical magazine in Paris by radical Islamist gunmen that left 12 people dead, National Front leader Marine Le Pen said she “believe[d] that the death penalty should exist in our legal arsenal.”
“I always said that I would offer French citizens the possibility to express themselves on the topic through a referendum,” Le Pen told television channel France 2.
Yet the notion of capital punishment, which was practiced in France from medieval times until the late 1970s, is unlikely to make a return, even with much of the French public shocked by the most deadly attack on their soil in the last half-century, said Remi Piet, a French public policy academic at Qatar University.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2015/01/11/French-far-right-s-call-for-death-penalty-after-Paris-attack-mere-politicking-experts-.html
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UK set to raise terror threat level: Report
By: Press Trust of India | London
January 11, 2015
Britain is considering raising its terror threat level to its highest in seven years following reports that nearly 150 jihadists may be planning Paris-style gun attacks in the country.
Senior security sources warned that the risk to the country was nearing “critical” from the current “severe”, according to ‘The Sunday Times’.
Ministers ordered border staff to step up the search for illegal firearms after security chiefs warned that up to half the jihadists who had returned from Syria were capable of assaults like those on the satirical magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’ and a kosher supermarket, in which 17 people died.
UK government sources told the newspaper that more than 30 Islamic State (IS) fighters in the UK have been placed under surveillance by the MI5 security service because they are considered a serious threat.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/europe/uk-set-to-raise-terror-threat-level-report/#sthash.QoshhoHz.dpuf
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Paris attack rallies Islamic extremists, may boost support
By: Associated Press | Beirut | Posted: January 11, 2015
The militant chatter spread like wildfire. Within minutes of news breaking about the deadly terror attack on a Paris newspaper this week, supporters of extremist Islamic groups extolled the suspects in the massacre as “lions of the caliphate” and praised the killings on social media.
Loyalists of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group alike described the assault on Charlie Hebdo’s offices that killed 12 people as revenge for the French satirical publication’s mockery of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad and France’s military involvement in Muslim countries.
Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi became icons in the terror-sphere. Many militant supporters organized under the Arabic hashtag (hash)Parisattack and (hash)Parisisburning, with some calling the newspaper assault a holy attack by the “lions of the Khalifa,”or caliphate.
Over and over, Twitter users who identified with the Islamic State group or al-Qaida posted pictures and videos of a black-clad gunman -presumably one of the brothers – shooting a French police officer in the head as he lay on a Paris sidewalk before fleeing.
“Watch how a brother kills a French policeman,” some wrote. Others described the slaughter at Charlie Hebdo as a “heroic” and “joyous” event.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/europe/paris-attack-rallies-islamic-extremists-may-boost-support/99/#sthash.bGDm4q1E.dpuf
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North America
Terror sanctuaries in Pakistan an issue of concern: Pentagon
January 11, 2015
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon said on Saturday that the “sanctuary” that some of the militant groups enjoy in Pakistan has long been an issue of concern.
Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said that it was for Pakistan to continue the fight against terrorism in its own interest, and noted that like the Paris victims, Pakistanis have been victims of terror. “It’s not about us putting pressure on the Pakistani government. It’s about the Pakistani government continuing to address this threat in keeping with their best interests and the interests of their people,” Kirby replied, when a journalist suggested that Washington pressurise Pakistan into doing more.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/11-Jan-2015/terror-sanctuaries-in-pakistan-an-issue-of-concern-pentagon
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US joins France in calling supermarket assault 'anti-Semitic'
January 11, 2015
WASHINGTON -- The United States has joined France in characterizing Friday's assault on a kosher supermarket in Paris as "anti-Semitic," after four Jewish shoppers became the first casualties in a spike of violent attacks on the community in recent months.
The attack was the culmination of a violent week for the people of France, which began with a slaughter of Charlie Hebdo cartoonists and editors at the hands of trained Islamic extremists.
"We condemn in the strongest terms yesterday's cowardly anti-Semitic assault against the innocent people in the kosher supermarket," Chanan Weissman, a spokesman for the State Department, told The Jerusalem Post.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/US-joins-France-in-calling-supermarket-assault-anti-Semitic-387343
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Kerry: ‘no act of terror will stop march of freedom’
11 January 2015
Top U.S. diplomat John Kerry vowed that no act of terror would halt “the march of freedom” as he expressed solidarity Sunday with the people of France after last week’s Islamist attacks.
“We stand together this morning with the people of France as they march in tribute to the victims of last week’s murderous attack on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo in Paris,” the U.S. Secretary of State said in India.
“We stand together not just in anger and outrage but in solidarity and commitment in confronting extremism and in the cause that extremists fear so much, and that has always united our countries. Freedom.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/01/11/Kerry-no-act-of-terror-will-stop-march-of-freedom-.html
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US to host summit on Feb 18 to fight 'violent extremism'
January 11, 2015
The United States will host a summit on February 18 on how to fight "violent extremism around the world" in the wake of the Paris attacks, Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday.
Speaking in the French capital, where he was to take part in a massive demonstration to pay tribute to the victims of this week's Islamist militant attacks, Holder said the meeting would take place in Washington DC and would also aim to "pool our resources."
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/120026/World/International/US-to-host-summit-on-Feb--to-fight-violent-extremi.aspx
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Africa
Nigeria appeals for support after 'deadliest' Boko Haram attack
January 11, 2015
Nigeria's military has called for support in tackling Boko Haram after a major attack on a key northeast town that is feared could be the worst in the bloody six-year insurgency.
There are still no independently corroborated figures for the huge numbers said to have been killed in Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad in the far north of Borno State.
But defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a statement issued late Saturday that the description of the assault as "the deadliest" in a conflict that has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2009 was "quite valid".
"The attack on the town by the bloodhounds and their activities since January 3rd, 2015, should convince well-meaning people all over the world that Boko Haram is the evil all must collaborate to end, rather than vilifying those working to check them," he said.
Nigeria's military -- west Africa's largest -- has faced repeated criticism for failing to end the six-year Islamist insurgency, as well as allegations of human rights abuses.
Soldiers have complained of a lack of adequate weapons and even refused to deploy to take on the better-armed rebels, who want to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.
With elections set for next month, Nigeria's government has also been accused of playing politics with the insurgency, as most of the areas worst affected by the violence are main opposition strongholds.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/nigeria-appeals-for-support-after-deadliest-boko-haram-attack--.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76774&NewsCatID=357
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Algerian sources warned against attack on Charlie Hebdo offices
January 11, 2015
A failure in French intelligence services surfaced over the weekend, when news broke that Algerian intelligence sources warned their French counterparts on January 6th of the expected attack on the Charlie Hedbo offices that took place the next day.
Furthermore, the terrorists responsible both for Wednesday's Charlie Hebdo attack and for Friday's attack on a Kosher supermarket were familiar to French and international security forces.
Cherif and Said Kouachi, the brothers responsible for the Charlie Hebdo attack, had been arrested a decade ago for their ties to a Middle Eastern based terrorist organization. The two were on a no-fly list in both the US and Britain due to their terror-related activity.
Said, the younger of the two brothers, served a short prison sentence for his affiliation with a terror organization.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/International/Algerian-sources-warned-against-attack-on-Charlie-Hebdo-offices-387359
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Tunisian transsexual sparks debate after appearing on popular TV show
11 January 2015
The uncharacteristic showing of a transsexual on a popular Tunisian chat show this week has stirred a debate online, reflecting the divided nature of Tunisian society.
Born “Leila”, but going by the name “Jalel,” the transsexual appeared on Andi Mankolek (“I Have Something to Tell You”) – a program that enjoys the highest viewership among Tunisian television channels – explaining that he was registered as female at birth but has long identified as a man.
Responding to a question about whether his family considered him a male or a female, Jalel said: “They have always known me as a female, and they still do treat me as one,” Jalel said.
Jalel, who revealed that he has been using hormonal treatment to look and sound like a man, explained that he wants to undergo a sex reassignment surgery but cannot because such surgeries are illegal in the tiny North African nation. A Tunisian female footballer grabbed headlines in 2013 when she legally changed her status from female to male after court consent. But such incidents seldom take place.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/01/11/Tunisian-transsexual-sparks-debate-after-appearing-on-popular-TV-show-.html
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Sudan's Bashir launches reelection bid, poll organizers say
11 January 2015
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir submitted his candidacy Sunday for reelection in an April 13 vote widely expected to hand him another five-year term, poll organizers said.
The election will be only the second since Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes in Darfur, seized power in a 1989 coup.
The opposition boycotted the first polls in 2010, which observers said failed to meet international standards, and it has threatened to do so again.
"Today we started accepting applications" by would-be candidates for the presidential and parliamentary elections, National Electoral Commission member Al-Hadi Mohamed Ahmed told reporters.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/01/11/Sudan-s-Bashir-launches-reelection-bid-poll-organizers-say.html
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Mideast
Former intel officer warns of jihadist sleeper cells in Turkey
January 11, 2015
A former top official of Turkish intelligence has warned that jihadists are "highly likely" to activate their sleeper cells in Turkey in the face of the recent developments in the region.
"There are sleeper cells [of the jihadists in Turkey]. Particularly following the latest developments in Syria and Iraq, these elements that engaged in regional conflicts are highly likely to be used in Turkey, too. Security forces and politicians should consider the issue carefully," daily Cumhuriyet quoted Cevat Öneş as saying in an interview on Jan. 10.
Öneş is a former deputy undersecretary of Turkey's National Intelligence Agency (MİT).
Turkish authorities have been on alert since a female suicide bomber detonated herself at an Istanbul police station in the touristic area of Sultanahmet, killing a policeman on Jan. 6, a week after a far-left group attacked another police station.
Turkey have recently launched a probe on a possible link of the Sultanahmet suicide bombing, which was carried out by a Daghestani-origin Russian citizen, with jihadist groups, including the the Levant (ISIL).
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/former-intel-officer-warns-of-jihadist-sleeper-cells-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76758&NewsCatID=341
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Al-Qaeda posts ‘bomb recipe’ to target passenger jets
By: Press Trust of India
January 11, 2015
Al-Qaeda has provided its followers with a new “bomb recipe” with which an explosive device can be made using household goods avoiding metal components intended to evade airport security and blow up a passenger jet.
The terror group’s branch in Yemen, which directed Wednesday’s attack against the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, has also told operatives that Britain is a higher priority target than France.
Outlining the bomb “recipe” in the latest issue of its online magazine ‘Inspire’, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) states: “We have spared no effort in simplifying the idea.”
The instructions for the “hidden bomb” are outlined in the latest issue of Inspire, which was published on Christmas Eve and features a civilian airliner on its cover.
The device, that can purportedly be made from household goods and avoids using metal components, is intended to evade airport security and blow up a passenger jet, The Sunday Times reported.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-others/al-qaeda-posts-bomb-recipe-to-target-passenger-jets/#sthash.OfPCIb9F.dpuf
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Over 12,000 Turkish Extremists Fighting for ISIL in Syria
January 11, 2015
Thousands of Turkish extremists have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists in Syria, a Turkish researcher disclosed.
"At least 12,000 Turkish nationals have joined the Takfiri terrorists in Syria to fight against the Damascus government," Head of the Turkish Research Center 21 Century Umit Ozdaq told Taraf newspaper.
He noted that some of them have joined ISIL in Syria alone and some others with their family members.
Ozdaq also disclosed that 400 extremists from Northern Kazakhstan have joined the ISIL in Syria.
In November 2014, informed sources revealed that the Turkish Air has been transferring large groups of Takfiri terrorists from different countries to Syria and Iraq.
“The airliner transported 91 Takfiri Tajiks from Dushanbe to Istanbul at 21:10 on July 2 onboard flight 254,” a source, who asked to remain unnamed for fear of his life, told FNA at the time.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931021000495
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Iranian FM: Certain Regional States Required to Alter Terrorism Policies
January 11, 2015
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif asked certain regional states to stop wrong policies towards terrorism.
"We should focus on fighting terrorism and ISIL as the main goal in the region and some countries are needed to change their wrong policies," Zarif said in a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides in Tehran on Sunday morning.
Stressing that the future of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people, he said, "Iran helped to the establishment of a new government in Iraq and we are ready to cooperate with all the regional states to settle the problems in the region. Solutions to the regional problems should have the potential for implementation."
Elsewhere, he referred to the relations between Iran and Cyprus, and said, "The two countries are able to further enhance the level of their relations more than ever through cooperation in different political, economic and cultural fields."
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931021001285
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Southeast Asia
Failure of Religious Authorities Will See Muslim Youth Led Astray, Warns Preacher
January 11, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11, 2015: Religious enforcers in Malaysia need to act decisively against those trying to undermine Islam to prevent confusion that could destroy the morals of the younger generation.
Independent Islamic preacher Datuk Daud Che Ngah told The Rakyat Post that the lack of seriousness by religious authorities in enforcing Islamic law in the country had been the cause of young children, especially those living in the city, to be easily trapped by the things that could jeopardise the purity of Islam.
“The failure to enforce Islamic law has resulted in Muslims being misled from their true teachings to a point where they are being shameless and enthralled by Western culture,” he said when contacted today.
Commenting on the recent K-Pop concert which courted controversy yesterday, when a few of its band members were seen touching, hugging and kissing a few tudung-clad Malay girls on the stage, Daud also cited last year’s “I Want to Touch a Dog” event, which had put the Muslim community and Malays in a quandary.
Full report at:
http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/01/11/failure-religious-authorities-will-see-muslim-youth-led-astray-warns-preacher/#ixzz3OZORFUxl
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Suspected terrorist shot dead in South Sulawesi
January 11 2015,
A suspected terrorist linked to the Santoso gang was killed by officers of the National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism unit in Tanalili district in North Luwu, South Sulawesi.
South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Setiadji said the suspect, identified as Ilham Syafii, resisted arrest, leading to a shoot-out with officers from Densus 88 and the provincial police.
Ilham died at the scene and his body was taken to Andi Mappaoddang Police Hospital in Makassar.
Police confiscated a 9-millimeter Browning Hi Power semi-automatic handgun, five bullets, a folding knife and a cellphone at the scene.
Anton said Ilham was a resident of a restive area of Poso, Central Sulawesi and alleged that he was part of a terrorist group in the region led by Santoso.
Ilham “was part of the Poso network; he was a courier. He went from Poso to North Luwu to hide,” Anton told The Jakarta Post.
Anton said Ilham had been targeted by Densus 88 for a long time. Knowing he was being sought, Ilham escaped into a local plantation in Beringin — some 400 kilometers from the provincial capital of Makassar — before he was tracked down.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/01/11/suspected-terrorist-shot-dead-south-sulawesi.html#sthash.OMtx3ape.dpuf
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Malaysians taking loans to join Isis, reports paper
January 11, 2015
Some Malaysians have gone to the extent of taking personal loans from banks and moneylenders in order to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) in the Middle East.
The South China Morning Post quoted Malaysian counter-terrorism officials as saying the loans were taken to fund passage and living expenses in Syria and Iraq.
"At least two women have taken personal loans to pay for their passage to Syria to join Isis and also to fund their living expenses there," the official told SCMP.
"One woman took a RM20,000 personal loan from RHB Bank while the other borrowed RM6,000 from a licensed moneylender."
SCMP reported that the emerging trend comes after an Isis cell leader in Malaysia urged followers to apply for the loans in order to help them join the fight in the Middle East.
Despite numerous Isis supporters and sympathisers being arrested by police, Malaysians have not been discouraged from attempting to join up with Isis.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysians-taking-loans-to-join-isis-reports-paper#sthash.axISGy5g.dpuf
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Church fails to get 9-man bench to hear ‘Allah’ review
January 11, 2015
The chief justice of Malaysia has turned down a request by the Catholic Church to convene a minimum nine-man panel to deliberate its review application against the ban on the word Allah when the case comes up on January 21.
The church was instead informed that only a five-man bench would be constituted to hear the matter.
The decision by Tun Arifin Zakaria was conveyed to the Catholic Church by the special officer to the chief justice, Dr Alwi Abdul Wahab, in a letter dated December 31.
The letter which was sighted by The Malaysian Insider, said that the request for a full bench could not be entertained. There were no reasons given on why the request was dismissed.
On December 23, a lawyer for the church had sent a letter to Arifin, urging for at least nine Muslim and non-Muslim judges to hear its arguments on fundamental constitutional provisions relating to religion.
The letter, which was also sighted by The Malaysian Insider, had said the church wanted a quorum that reflected the multi-cultural and multi-religious diversity of Malaysian society, given the nature of the issues raised.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/church-fails-to-get-9-man-bench-to-hear-allah-review#sthash.hv5Do3MY.dpuf
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/indian-madrasas-quietly-promoting-syncretic/d/100957