ISIS Confirms Death of 'Number Two' Commander in US Air Strike

New Age Islam News Bureau

14 Oct 2015

Muslims and their supporters participate in a rally for Muslim rights outside of the James A. Byrne Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia January 13, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller

 

Arab World

•  ISIS Confirms Death of 'Number Two' Commander in US Air Strike

•  ISIL Encircled By Iraqi Troops in Ramadi

•  Lebanese Hezbollah Forces Enter Syria's Aleppo for Large-Scale Liberation Operation

•  Syrian Army Wins Back 13 Strategic Towns in Hama, Lattakia Provinces

•  Syrian Army Repels Militant Attacks near Lattakia

•  Syrian Warplanes Bomb ISIL Hideouts in Raqqa, Aleppo

•  Saudi king and French PM seek to enhance ties

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South Asia

•  Afghan, US Forces Destroy Al-Qaeda Training Sites in Kandahar

•  MP Claims Mullah Mansour Recently Visited Ghazni and Led Attacks

•  Dozens of Policemen under Siege of Taliban in Farah’s Bala Buluk District

•  Afghan forces retake Chahar Dara District of Kundoz from Taliban

•  Afghan refugees hit by aid cuts as Europe crisis drains funds

•  Afghanistan: Government will put every effort to protect journalists

•  Who is behind the Bangladesh killings?

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Mideast

•  34 Terrorists, Including Turkish Nationals, Killed in Lattakia

•  Two More Iranian Military Commanders Killed in Syria

•  Three Israelis killed on Jerusalem’s bloodiest day of ongoing unrest

•  Houthis only ones who can end war in Yemen, says Saudi FM

•  U.S. labels attacks on Israeli civilians as acts of ‘terrorism’

•  Israel authorizes sealing off parts of Jerusalem

•  Anti-Daesh quartet positive step: Iran MP

•  US withdraws Patriot missiles from Turkey

•  EU delegation to visit Turkey to discuss refugee plan

•  Turkey: Erdogan orders separate probe into Ankara bombing

•  Turkey condemns Israel’s disproportionate use of force

•  Istanbul Summit Unites Muslim Scholars

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Pakistan

•  Blast at MNA's Political Office in DG Khan, Seven Killed, Several Wounded

•  Three Militants Killed In Mastung: Police

•  Zardari, Gilani, Kayani Knew About Osama: Former Defence Minister

•  Turkish leadership praises Pakistan’s role for peace

•  Sindh police denies issuing ISIS militants' list

•  Fate of 28 Pakistanis killed in Mina stampede still unknown

•  Army chief meets Turkish president, PM

•  Peshawar among four districts most sensitive for Muharram

•  EU crisis drains funds for refugees in Pakistan

•  Siraj for provision of constitutional rights to tribesmen

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India

•  In A First, Mumbai ATS Blocks Website Urging Indians to Join Islamic State

•  Uniform Civil Code Impractical In a Country As Diverse As India: Muslim Cleric

•  India to Take Only Non-Muslim Refugees Sparks Protests

•  Temple, mosque targeted in UP’s Faizabad

•  The meet that wasn’t: Let NSAs talk in New York, India told Pakistan

•  Dilip Kumar Twice Visited Pakistan on Secret Missions: Kasuri

•  Defying Stereotypes, Muslims Take Part in Ramlilas

•  Don’t sell meat during Navratras: Islamic body

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Southeast Asia

•  PAS and Perkasa Forge Cooperation for Malay-Islam Interests

•  PM: Use Islam to Counter Violence, Extremism

•  Russia-made missile brought down Malaysian plane over Ukraine: report

•  Muhyiddin supports Sosma for terrorism, not government critics

•  Muslim extremists torch church in Indonesia

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Africa

•  Six People Killed In Terrorist Attack in Northern Mali: Government

•  'Boko Haram cluster bombs' may come from Nigerian military

•  Libyan FM in Egypt for talks on unity govt plan

•  Gunmen abduct 50 Tunisians in western Libya

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Europe

•  Russia: Damascus Embassy Shelling 'Act Of Terror'

•  Swedish Police Mistakes Bearded Hipsters for ISIS Terrorists

•  Jeb Bush says Putin’s Russia should face consequences over Syria

•  France, S. Arabia sign €10bn worth deals

•  Russia and U.S. to hold new round of military talks

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North America

•  Tennessee Muslims Blast Religious Doctrine Bill

•  Muslim Groups’ Lawsuit over NY Surveillance Revived

•  Americans Dominate World’s Influential Muslims

•  UN chief calls Erdogan, condemns Ankara attack

•  Canada Muslims Fight Winter with Free Coats

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/isis-confirms-death-number-two/d/104918

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Arab World

 

ISIS Confirms Death of 'Number Two' Commander in US Air Strike

October 14, 2015

BEIRUT: The spokesman of the self-styled Islamic State (IS) confirmed on Tuesday the killing of the extremist organisation's second-in-command in a US air strike earlier in August.

“America is rejoicing over the killing of Abu Mutaz al-Qurashi and considers this a great victory,” Abu Mohamed al-Adnani said in an audio recording posted on jihadist websites.

“I will not mourn him... he whose only wish was to die in the name of Allah... he has raised men and left behind heroes who, God willing, are yet to harm America,” he added.

Adnani did not say, however, in what circumstances Qurashi died.

But the White House, in an announcement on August 22, said that Qurashi, whose real name is Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, was killed on August 18 in a US air strike near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

It said the strike targeted a vehicle and also killed an IS “media operative” known as Abu Abdullah.

Read: US air strike kills 'IS number two': White House

The US National Security Council said at the time that Hayali was IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's senior deputy.

The White House described Hayali as a member of the IS ruling council, and “a primary coordinator for moving large amounts of weapons, explosives, vehicles and people between Iraq and Syria.”

ISIS controls large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and has set up a “caliphate” straddling both countries.

Also read: ISIS declares ‘caliphate’

In its August announcement, the White House also said that Hayali “was in charge of ISIL operations in Iraq, where he was instrumental in planning operations over the past two years, including the ISIL offensive in Mosul in June 2014.”

Like many senior Iraqi insurgents, before joining the IS group, Hayali had been a member of Al-Qaeda's Iraqi faction and was reportedly a former Iraqi officer from the era of Saddam Hussain.

IS militants launched a devastating offensive in Iraq in June 2014.

Beginning in Mosul, the country's second city and capital of Nineveh province, they swept security forces aside and eventually overran around a third of the country.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212841/is-confirms-death-of-number-two-commander-in-us-air-strike

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ISIL encircled by Iraqi troops in Ramadi

14 October 2015

Iraqi forces trained by the U.S.-led anti-ISIL coalition have advanced 15 kilometers (10 miles) into Ramadi, encircling the militants holding the key city for months.  

“We now believe that battlefield conditions are set for the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] to push into the city,” said Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve and Combined Joint Task Force. “There are four approaches into the city with Iraqi security forces occupying all four of those approaches and squeezing in.”

Warren told reporters in a video conference that Iraqi forces recently trained and equipped by the coalition have also been deployed around Ramadi.

Located 100 kilometers (63 miles) west of Baghdad, Ramadi has been under ISIL control since May. The Iraqi government has been strongly criticized by the U.S. for not taking decisive action against the militants in control of the Anbar capital.

The U.S.-led coalition has conducted a total of 7,440 airstrikes against ISIL, with 4,798 in Iraq and 2,642 in Syria, according to Warren.

Of those in Iraq, 292 airstrikes have been conducted around Ramadi, according to Warren.

“We've conducted 52 strikes just in the last 10 days,” he said. “These strikes have killed hundreds of fighters, destroyed mortar positions, vehicle- borne IEDs, explosive facilities, heavy machine guns, and even sniper positions.”

In northern Iraq, he said peshmerga forces have retaken more than 400 square kilometers (250 square miles) from ISIL and liberated 23 villages.

He also added that since the beginning of May, U.S.  airstrikes have killed approximately 70 senior and mid-level ISIL leaders, including the group’s second in command Haji Mutazz and a senior ISIL operative, Junaid Hussain.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/iraq/165236/isil-encircled-by-iraqi-troops-in-ramadi

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Lebanese Hezbollah Forces Enter Syria's Aleppo for Large-Scale Liberation Operation

Oct 13, 2015

The sources said that after the victories of the Syrian army and Hezbollah in Zabadani and conclusion a six-month-long ceasefire agreement with the militants in the nearby areas of Syria-Lebanon border, a 200-member group of Hezbollah fighter has been dispatched to the battlefronts in Aleppo.

The sources said that the experienced fighters of Hezbollah, the Syrian army troops and the Russia air force are to carry out a massive joint operation to recapture the second import Syrian city of Aleppo in the coming day.

On Tuesday, the ISIL militants' positions, supplying routes and munitions depots across the Northern province of Aleppo were massively targeted by the Syrian warplanes, leaving tens of terrorists killed or injured.

The sources said that the Syrian Air Forces targeted a long convoy of the ISIL vehicles in Jabboul, Howejine, Alam hills, Sabe’en and al-Ne’am areas in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo.

The sources added that the Syrian air fleet carried out airstrikes against gatherings and supply routes of the ISIL in Deir Hafer and al-Sfeira in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo, which resulted in the destruction of all vehicles of the militants.

The ISIL terrorists' strongholds in al-Sheikh Ahmad and Jub al-Safa villages in Deir Hafer in Aleppo province were also bombed by the Syrian army, killing and wounding several terrorists.

The Syrian air force also hit munitions depots of terrorists in Heijeneh, Qseir al-Ward, Tal al-Naa’am, Treidem and Um Damneh in Aleppo.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940721000834

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Syrian Army Wins Back 13 Strategic Towns in Hama, Lattakia Provinces

Oct 13, 2015

The Syrian troops established full control over Kafar Nabouda, Atshan, Qubeibat, Maarakaba, Oum Harten, Sekik, Tal Sekik, Tal al-Sakher and al-Basha in the Northern countryside of Hama Province in Central Syria.

In the Northern province of Lattakia, the Syrian army took control of the towns of Jub al-Ahmar and Kafar Delbe, and Ruwaiset Khandaq Jamo, the statement said.

The Syrian army's general command also said that the army units also targeted command centers and concentration points of terrorists in Tal A’as, Ruwaiset al-Qubour, Sama and Melouhet Katef al-Ghadr in Lattakia province.

Meantime, operations on both sides of the borderline between Hama and Idlib provinces resulted in the death of many terrorists, the destruction of a number of armored vehicles and ammunition depots in al-Tamane’a, Sekik, and Tal Sekik in Hama province. Five machine gun-equipped vehicles and three US-made TOW missile launch pads were also destroyed in Oum Harten in Hama province, the statement added.

The Syrian army's general command also said that the army's operations resulted in destruction of terrorists’ command centers and ammunition depots in Ma’aret al-Nu’man, Saraqeb, Haish, Muhambel, Tal Tera’I, Southern Khan Sheikhoun, al-Latamneh, and Habbit.

Earlier today, a large ammunition depot of ISIL terrorists in the Eastern territories of Hama province was destroyed as a result of the Russian fighter jets' attacks on the group's stronghold.

Local sources said that the Russia military air fleet in Syria carried out several airstrikes against the gathering centers of the ISIL terrorists in Aqayrbat in Eastern Hama, and destroyed ISIL's weapon-ammunition depot.

Yesterday, the Syrian army retook 2 more strategic towns in the Northern countryside of Hama from the Takfiri militants.

The army regained full control over al-Lihaya and al-Mansoura towns yesterday.

Also earlier today, local officials declared that the Syrian Army's operations near the newly-recaptured town of Selma in the coastal province of Lattakia, resulted in the killing and wounding of several terrorists, and the recapture of Tartiyah area.

The sources said that after restoring security to Selma on Monday, the Syrian army launched a fresh round of operation against the militant groups in Tartiyah area.

The sources added that Tartiyah was the scene heavy clashes between the army and militants since early hours of Tuesday, and finally the army troops pushed back the terrorists and entered the area.

The Syrian army and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance forces, after fierce clashes on Sunday night and Monday morning, pushed back the militant groups from Selma in the coastal province of Lattakia, and retook full control over the town.

Sources said that the Syrian army troops alongside the Hezbollah fighters purged the surrounding al-Khazan hilltops of the terrorists on Sunday night and entered the town of Selma early on Monday.

The sources added that the militant left behind dozens of killed or wounded members and retreated from the battlefront.

Also today, the Syrian army announced that its forces fended off massive attacks of the militant groups in the nearby areas of the coastal city of Lattakia, adding the militants sustained heavy losses in the army's counter-attack.

The army said that the militant groups, who have sustained heavy losses in the Syrian and Russian airstrikes since September 30, stormed the government positions in Doreen town, its surrounding hills and Kafr Dalbeh area to revenge their failures in Selma town, which was recaptured by the Army soldiers on Monday.

The army rejected the militant groups' claims of capturing Doreen town and Kafr Delbeh area from the government forces, and said the militant groups retreated their forces from the abovementioned fighting areas after scores of them were killed or wounded in the army's counter-attack.

The army stressed that both Doreen town and Kafr Dalbeh areas are under the full control of the Syrian soldiers.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940721001324

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Syrian Army Repels Militant Attacks near Lattakia

Oct 13, 2015

The army said that the militant groups, who have sustained heavy losses in the Syrian and Russian airstrikes since September 30, stormed the government positions in Doreen town, its surrounding hills and Kafr Dalbeh area to revenge their failures in Selma town, which was recaptured by the Army soldiers on Monday.

The army rejected the militant groups' claims of capturing Doreen town and Kafr Delbeh area from the government forces, and said the militant groups retreated their forces from the abovementioned fighting areas after scores of them were killed or wounded in the army's counter-attack.

The army stressed that both Doreen town and Kafr Dalbeh area are under the full control of the Syrian soldiers.

The Syrian army and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance forces, after fierce clashes on Sunday night and Monday morning, pushed back the militant groups from Selma in the coastal province of Lattakia, and retook full control over the town.

Sources said that the Syrian army troops alongside the Hezbollah fighters purged the surrounding al-Khazan hilltops of the terrorists on Sunday night and entered the town of Selma early on Monday.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940721000992

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Syrian Warplanes Bomb ISIL Hideouts in Raqqa, Aleppo

Oct 13, 2015

The air raids hit hideouts of senior ISIL commanders, which are located 30 km to the Northeast of Raqqa city.

The Syrian air raids also hit ISIL hideouts and vehicles in Jeb al-Safa, Tal Istabl, al-Dakouneh, Tal Na’am and Tal Fa’ouri in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo.

Earlier, the ISIL militants' positions, supplying routes and munitions depots across the Northern province of Aleppo were massively targeted by the Syrian warplanes, informed sources said Tuesday, adding the air attacks left tens of terrorists killed or injured.

The sources said that the Syrian Air Forces targeted a long convoy of the ISIL vehicles in Jabboul, Howejine, Alam hills, Sabe’en and al-Ne’am areas in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940721001373

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Saudi king and French PM seek to enhance ties

14 October 2015

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman held talks with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in various fields as well as the latest developments in the region.

Valls, who wrapped up a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, was leading a large delegation to the Second Saudi-French Business Opportunities Forum which concluded on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, France announced a series of deals worth 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion) with Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The talks were attended, among others, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar, National Guard Minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and Minister of State Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban.

Full Report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/14/King-Salman-French-PM-discuss-ways-to-enhance-bilateral-ties.html

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South Asia

 

Afghan, US forces destroy al-Qaeda training sites in Kandahar

By KHAAMA PRESS - Tue Oct 13 2015

Afghan and U.S forces jointly destroyed the training sites of al-Qaeda in Shorabak District of southern Kandahar province.

After months of intelligence gathering and planning, the operation began in the evening hours of Oct. 7 and ended on Oct 11 in which U.S. carried out 63 precision airstrikes while Afghan forces engaged in several battles on the ground against al-Qaeda networks at two related sites.

“This is one of the largest joint ground-assault operations we have ever conducted in Afghanistan,” said Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, a U.S. spokesperson in Afghanistan. “We struck a major al-Qaeda sanctuary in the center of the Taliban’s historic heartland. This significant operation is a testament to the professionalism and expertise of our Afghan partners and demonstrates the growing capability of the Afghan security forces.”

The assault team was comprised of more than 200 Afghan and U.S. servicemembers who navigated through difficult terrain and cleared two targeted areas. The first site, a well-established training camp, spanned approximately one square mile. The second site covered nearly 30 square miles.

“The goal of the operation was to degrade the terrorist network in Afghanistan,” Shoffner said. “Aside from validating the accuracy of our intelligence, we were able to seize a large amount of data and weapons.  Based on the digital media equipment collected from the site, it also appears that this was the location of a large media cell.”

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/us-afghan-forces-destroy-al-qaeda-training-sites-in-kandahar-3987

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MP claims Mullah Mansour recently visited Ghazni and led attacks

By KHAAMA PRESS - Wed Oct 14 2015

A member of parliament has claimed that Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour recently visited Ghazni province and led militant attacks there.

Arif Rahmani who represents Ghazni province in Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of the Parliament said during Wednesday’s session that Mullah Mansour stayed in Nawa District for five days to lead operation.

This was the first time he came to Afghanistan, even though, government knew about it but no actions taken against him, Rahmani said.

Giving insight about the recent failed attack of Taliban on Ghazni city, Rahmani said that they “Taliban” planned to explode several car bombs and other militants to storm the provincial capital but security forces foiled the plan.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/mp-claims-taliban-supreme-leader-recently-visited-ghazni-and-led-attacks-3992

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Dozens of policemen under siege of Taliban in Farah’s Bala Buluk District

By KHAAMA PRESS - Wed Oct 14 2015

Dozens of Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) have been surrounded by Taliban in Bala Buluk District of western Farah province.

A policeman told Khaama Press by telephone that Taliban are about 100 kilometres away from them.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/breaking-news-dozens-of-police-under-taliban-siege-in-farahs-bala-buluk-district-3994

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Afghan forces retake Chahar Dara District of Kundoz from Taliban

By KHAAMA PRESS - Wed Oct 14 2015

Afghan forces have pushed back Taliban from one of their strongholds in northern Kundoz province.

Officials say Chahar Dara District has been retaken from Taliban after severe clashes.

An officer said that they are in the control of government compounds including the district’s police HQ and governor’s office.

He added that several Taliban have been killed in the operation backed by air strikes.

Mohammad Qasim Jangal Bagh, police chief of Kundoz province said that a clearance operation against Taliban is still in progress.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/afghan-forces-retake-chahar-dara-district-of-kundoz-from-taliban-3990

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Afghan refugees hit by aid cuts as Europe crisis drains funds

October 14, 2015

PESHAWAR: Aid programmes for some of the 2.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan are being slashed amid the worst funding shortfall for a generation, as the European and Syrian migrant crisis uses up cash and dominates headlines, United Nations officials said.

Pakistan hosts the world's largest long-term refugee population, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), mostly Afghans who fled more than three decades of war.

The exodus of people from countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan is forcing UN officials to cut programmes like infant feeding, education, and sanitation for refugees in Pakistan.

The UNHCR in Pakistan has received only $33.6 million for 2015 out of its $136.7 million annual budget, officials said.

That means schools like the one run by principal Mohammad Zamir, 55, at the sprawling Kababiyan refugee camp outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, are telling students to go home.

“This year, during the summer holidays, we were suddenly told that the funds aren't there, and so we are withdrawing 7th and 8th grade classes,” said Zamir, gazing over a crowd of blue-uniformed students sitting on the floor of a tent.

Thousands of children could be affected by the cuts.

Global Problem

More than half a million refugees have tried to enter Europe this year, including 80,000 Afghans, UNHCR says.

That's still a fraction of the 2.5 million who live in Pakistan. Many fled violence one or two generations ago.

Since the 1980s, Afghanistan has endured the campaign against Soviet occupation, civil war after the Soviets withdrew and the ongoing battle against Taliban insurgents since the hardline Islamist movement was toppled in 2001.

“The U.N. is supporting Syrian refugees. But no one ever asks about Afghans. Our war has been going on for 35 years,” said Mohammad Amin, a white-bearded veteran of the fight against the Soviets, unable to hide his anger.

Globally, UNHCR's budget is under-funded by 61 per cent in 2015, the largest gap in more than 15 years.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212836/afghan-refugees-hit-by-aid-cuts-as-europe-crisis-drains-funds

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Afghanistan: Government will put every effort to protect journalists

By KHAAMA PRESS - Wed Oct 14 2015

The Presidential Palace ‘ARG’ has announced in a statement that government will put every effort to protect journalists, the announcement comes as Taliban threatened to attack the offices and staff members of Kabul-based 1TV and Tolo TV channels.

The statement released on Tuesday states that government supports the free, impartial and balanced activities of the media.

“The media and their free operations represent the expression and crystallization of the spirit of the freedom-loving people of Afghanistan, and the government fully supports the free, impartial and balanced activities of the media in giving information to the people,” States the statement.

“The government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan recognizes any threat against journalists and media (In latest instance against Tolo and TV1 televisions) to be in contradiction to our national and religious principles and values as well as against the ruling laws of the country, and condemns it in the strongest terms.”

The statement further states that media plays an important role in flourishing the democratic system and strengthening national and public interests and facilitating the continuation of it is government’s responsibility.

“The Media and their workers have an important role in flourishing of the democratic system, giving information to the citizens as well as in strengthening national and public interests; facilitating continuation of this important and sacred mission remains responsibility of the government,” the statement adds.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/presidential-palace-government-will-put-every-effort-to-protect-journalists-3989

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Who is behind the Bangladesh killings?

October 14, 2015

A series of deadly attacks in Bangladesh has alarmed the international community - and there is little clarity on who carried out the attacks. BBC Bengali's Akbar Hossain examines the key questions behind the killings.

The shooting dead of two foreigners in recent weeks has raised new security questions in Bangladesh.

Could Islamic State militants have carried out the attacks?

The attacks on Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella and Japanese farmer Kunio Hoshi were similar in style and militant group Islamic State has reportedly said they carried out both attacks.

However, the government quickly denied the presence of IS on its soil.

Security sources believe Islamist extremist groups are behind the killings - but are sceptical about claims that IS is operating in Bangladesh.

Former Army Brigadier General Shakhawat Hossain, now a security analyst, says: "Every underground [Islamist] outfit has some sort of interconnection because they share the same ideology."

"But I'm not sure whether Islamic State has any link to the foreigner murders."

Who else has been blamed for the attacks on foreigners?

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who heads the Awami League party, has blamed the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for the murders of the two foreigners.

Bangladesh police guard the site where Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi was killed in Rangpur district, 300 kilometre north of DhakaImage copyrightAP

Image caption

Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi was killed in Rangpur district, 300 kilometres north of Dhaka

The BNP has denied the accusations, and says the prime minister's statement will hamper an independent investigation.

The police are under international pressure to find the killers.

However, analysts say political instability is fuelling militant groups - and could affect the investigation.

Full Report at:

However, "the country needs political stability to fight it," he adds.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34517434

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Mideast

 

34 Terrorists, Including Turkish Nationals, Killed in Lattakia

Oct 13, 2015

The terrorists were killed in a military operation in the town of Rabe’a in the Northern countryside of Lattakia.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Army announced on Tuesday that its forces fended off massive attacks of the militant groups in the nearby areas of the coastal city of Lattakia, adding the militants sustained heavy losses in the army's counter-attack.

The army said that the militant groups, who have sustained heavy losses in the Syrian and Russian airstrikes since September 30, stormed the government positions in Doreen town, its surrounding hills and Kafr Dalbeh area to revenge their failures in Selma town, which was recaptured by the Army soldiers on Monday.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940721001239

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Two More Iranian Military Commanders Killed in Syria

Oct 13, 2015

Colonel Farshad Hasounizadeh, the former commander of IRGC's Saberin Special Brigade, was martyred while fulfilling his duty as military adviser in Syria and fighting the Takfiri terrorists in the Muslim country.

Also, the former commander of IRGC Hazrat Hojjat 1 Brigade Hajj Hamid Mokhtar-band, nicknamed Abu Zahra, was killed in Syria on Tuesday.

Both Hasounizadeh and Mokhtar-band were IRGC war veterans and were martyred in Southern Syria.

Their martyrdom comes just days after another IRGC war veteran Brigadier General Hossein Hamadani was martyred during an attack by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the outskirts of the city of Aleppo while fulfilling his duty as military advisor and defending the holy Shiite shrines in the country, an IRGC statement said on Friday.

General Hamadani was in Syria to render military advice to the Syrian army and popular forces in their fight against the ISIL terrorists in the Arab country.

According to Iran's military rules, those missed or killed in operation are promoted to a higher rank and that's why in a few Persian-language sources, Colonel Hasounizadeh has been referred to as a General.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940721001386

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Three Israelis killed on Jerusalem’s bloodiest day of ongoing unrest

14 October 2015

JERUSALEM: Jerusalem suffered on Tuesday its bloodiest day yet in a wave of unrest, with at least three Israelis killed as Palestinian attackers shot at a bus and drove a car into pedestrians.

The bus attack was the first assault with a gun in Jerusalem in the two-week-old upsurge of Palestinian violence.

The rising tide of unrest, which has seen a series of stabbing attacks and violent protests, has raised fears of a full-scale third Palestinian uprising, or intifada.

Also read: Israeli troops kill six Palestinians, unrest spreads to Gaza

A Palestinian was also killed on Tuesday in clashes in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

In the first and second intifadas, in 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, hundreds of people were killed in near daily Israel-Palestinian violence.

Tuesday’s attack on an east Jerusalem bus saw one Palestinian with a pistol and another with two knives assault some 15 people, police said.

Two Israelis were killed and around 10 were wounded, medics and police said.

One attacker was shot dead and the other was wounded.

Know more: Israeli forces shoot dead five Palestinians in Gaza, Jerusalem

“I was in my house and I heard between 20 and 30 shots between the police and the terrorists,” one resident of the area said, declining to give his name.

Another said the incident lasted for nearly 10 minutes.

In another attack at around the same time in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish area of the city, a Palestinian rammed a car into people at a bus stop and jumped out with a knife.

At least one person was killed and eight wounded, medics said. The attacker was shot and later died, police said. It was unclear if the attacks were coordinated.

All three attackers were from the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabel Mukaber, police said.

A spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, called the attacks “heroic” and said the “intifada is intensifying”.

The Jerusalem attacks came after a Palestinian stabbed and wounded a passer-by north of Tel Aviv before being overcome by civilians.

Police described the attacker as a 22-year-old Palestinian from east Jerusalem and said he was taken to hospital with serious injuries after residents beat him.

After initially breaking out with attacks and violent protests in annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, unrest has also spread to Gaza, with clashes along the border in recent days leaving nine Palestinians dead from Israeli fire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would use “all means” available to end Palestinian violence and that new security measures were planned.

Speaking before parliament, he warned Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas that he would hold him responsible if incitement led to a further deterioration after nearly two weeks of violence.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212934/three-israelis-killed-on-jerusalems-bloodiest-day-of-ongoing-unrest

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Houthis only ones who can end war in Yemen, says Saudi FM

14 October 2015

RIYADH: Houthi rebels and their allies in Yemen are the only ones who can bring an end to the seven-month-old war there, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.

“I believe that the matter of the end of hostilities lies entirely with the Houthis and with Saleh,” Adel al-Jubeir said, referring to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

“They are the ones who started this, and they are the ones who continue this,” he told a joint news conference with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius.

The Iran-backed Houthis overran Yemen’s capital Sanaa unopposed in Septe­mber last year and went on to seize territory as far south as Aden, aided by renegade troops loyal to Saleh.

Their advance prompted Saudi Arabia in March to form an Arab coalition which began air strikes and assistance to Yemeni forces on the ground.

Bolstered by heavy weaponry and Gulf troops as well as Yemeni fighters trained in Saudi Arabia, the anti-rebel fighters since July have retaken Aden as well as four other southern provinces.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212937/houthis-only-ones-who-can-end-war-in-yemen-says-saudi-fm

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U.S. labels attacks on Israeli civilians as acts of ‘terrorism’

14 October 2015

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry strongly condemned what he called “terrorist attacks” against Israeli civilians and urged both Israelis and Palestinians to stop the violence.

“The United States condemns in the strongest terms possible the terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians,” Kerry told reporters.

Full Report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/14/U-S-labels-attacks-on-Israeli-civilians-as-acts-of-terrorism-.html

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Israel authorizes sealing off parts of Jerusalem

14 October 2015

Israel began setting up checkpoints in Palestinian areas of Occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday as it struggled to stop a wave of attacks that have raised fears of a full-scale uprising.

A police spokeswoman said checkpoints were being set up at “the exits of Palestinian villages and neighborhoods in east Jerusalem,” where most of the recent attackers have come from.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday he plans to travel to the Middle East to try to calm violence between Palestinians and Israelis and move the situation “away from this precipice.”

The trip would mark Kerry’s most direct efforts to broker peace between the two sides since talks led by the United States failed last year. Israel and the Palestinian territories are experiencing their worst unrest in years.

Full Report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/14/Israel-authorizes-sealing-off-parts-of-Jerusalem.html

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Anti-Daesh quartet positive step: Iran MP

Oct 14, 2015

A senior Iranian lawmaker has hailed the formation of an anti-Daesh quartet including Iran, Russia, Iraq and Syria as a positive and successful step in combating terrorism in the region.

On Wednesday, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis), highlighted the major gains made by the alliance against Takfiri terrorists, reaffirming the Islamic Republic's support for the anti-terror campaign.

Boroujerdi made the remarks upon his arrival in the Syrian capital, Damascus. The Iranian lawmaker is expected to discuss bilateral ties, the anti-Israel resistance and the campaign against terrorists with senior Syrian officials, including President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem and Parliament speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Laham during his stay.

Boroujerdi said that “those who claim to be fighting terrorism should have a positive stance regarding this cooperation."

He further said that the so-called US-led coalition against Daesh in Iraq and Syria has failed to succeed.

The Syrian military has been fighting terrorist groups for over four years. Iran has been offering Syria military advice in its fight against terrorist groups. Tehran has on numerous occasions insisted that the Syrian crisis needs a peaceful solution.

Since March 2011, about 250,000 people have lost their lives and millions more been displaced by the war in Syria.

The Syrian army’s counter-terror fight has recently taken a new turn as Russia in late September responded positively to a request by Damascus and began providing air support for government troops by conducting air raids on terrorist positions.

The file photo shows a group of Takfiri Daesh militants at an unknown location.

Backed by Moscow’s anti-terror air raids, the Syrian army has in recent days made numerous gains on the battlefield against Takfiri terror groups. However, the Russian air raids have drawn criticism from Western governments and their regional allies, which have long been supporting the militants operating in the region.

Since last September, the US and some of its allies have been pounding positions purportedly belonging to Daesh inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a United Nations mandate. The campaign has so far failed to dislodge the group, which has overrun about a third of the country.

Full Report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/14/433359/Iran-Boroujerdi-Syria-Daesh-Russia-Iraq-AntiDaesh-quartet

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US withdraws Patriot missiles from Turkey

13 October 201

The Patriot air defense missiles deployed by the United States in Turkey's southeastern Gaziantep province since 2013 have left the country, Turkish security sources said on Tuesday.

The missiles were shipped to "Ocean Globe" at Turkey's Mediterranean port of Iskenderun, which later left for the U.S.

According to Turkish Defense Ministry, the Patriot assets and personnel were deployed in Gaziantep after Turkey appealed to its NATO allies to guard against any Syrian missile threat.

However, the deployment of the missiles expired in October, which was later not renewed.

Syria’s devastating civil war, now in its fifth year, has left some 250,000 people dead, according to UN figures, and the country is now divided between different heavily-armed factions.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/turkey/165226/turkey-erdogan-orders-separate-probe-into-ankara-bombing

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EU delegation to visit Turkey to discuss refugee plan

13 October 2015

An EU delegation will arrive in Turkey Wednesday to continue negotiations over an action plan to halt the flow of refugees into Europe.

The plan was proposed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and presented to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 5.

According to the plan, EU offered a billion euros ($1.13 billion) in humanitarian assistance for refugees hosted in Turkey.

Juncker is dispatching a European Commission delegation, expected to reach Ankara on Wednesday, and led by European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans; it will be accompanied by EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/turkey/165230/turkey-erdogan-orders-separate-probe-into-ankara-bombing

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Turkey: Erdogan orders separate probe into Ankara bombing

14 October 2015

Turkey’s president on Tuesday announced a separate investigation into Saturday’s terror attack in Ankara.

In a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in the Turkish capital, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had ordered the State Supervisory Council (DDK) to conduct a probe.

“I ordered the State Supervisory Council to undertake a comprehensive examination and investigation to handle this issue from a different perspective,” he said.

The DDK is an inspection body under the control of the presidency. Its investigation will be conducted in parallel to police and judicial inquiries into the suicide blasts that killed at least 97 people and injured hundreds more in the deadliest attack in modern Turkish history.

Erdogan said the attack on a peace rally was an assault not just on those attending the demonstration but on “our country and the whole Turkish nation.” He also said those behind the blasts would soon be discovered.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/turkey/165237/turkey-erdogan-orders-separate-probe-into-ankara-bombing

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Turkey condemns Israel’s disproportionate use of force

13 October 2015

Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned Israel’s disproportionate use of force against Palestinians in recent violence in the volatile region.

About Israeli force’s insistence in “practices contrary to the status quo”,  Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that it was “concerned about the possible spread to Gaza of escalating tensions”, following the loss of civilian lives in Israel’s airstrikes Sunday.

Turkey called on Israel “to comply with international law on the Palestinian lands it holds under occupation” and in this framework to “immediately put an end to its provocative arbitrary practices targeting the status and the sacredness of Haram al-Sharif [Al-Aqsa Mosque], as the only way to prevent the escalation of tensions”.

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Sunday killed a Palestinian woman and her daughter, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/turkey/165225/turkey-condemns-israels-disproportionate-use-of-force

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Istanbul Summit Unites Muslim Scholars

13 October 2015

CAIRO – A galaxy of Muslim scholars from across Asian and Pacific countries will come together this week in Istanbul, in a bid to achieve unity among Muslims.

The event's purpose is "a recognition of Muslims in Asian and Pacific countries, exchanging ideas on problems the Islamic world encounters and discussing solutions, re-establishing historical ties with Muslim countries and communities in the Asia-Pacific region, discussing opportunities for cooperation in religious education and services," according to officials at the Presidency of Religious Affairs (DİB), Daily Sabah reported on Tuesday, October 13.

The summit is held under the title "Abundance In Unity: Thinking Hikmah (Wisdom) and Peace Together" and will be attended by 125 delegates from 37 countries, from Afghanistan to Australia and to tiny Pacific nations.

Full Report at:

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/495065-istanbul-summit-unites-muslim-scholars.html

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Pakistan

 

Blast at MNA's political office in DG Khan, Seven killed, several wounded

October 14, 2015

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Five people were killed and several injured in a blast on Wednesday at the political office of Sardar Amjad Farooq Khosa, a Member of National Assembly belonging to the ruling PML-N, in Taunsa Sharif tehsil of Punjab's Dera Ghazi Khan district, police said.

District Police Officer (DPO) DG Khan Ghulam Mubashir Maiken said five people were killed in the blast and added that rescue personnel had rushed to the blast site and shifted the victims to District Headquarters Hospital DG Khan.

The condition of four wounded was reported as critical, according to hospital sources. The nature and intensity of the explosion was not known.

A large contingent of police and security personnel, including the Bomb Disposal Squad, reached the site.

Eye-witnesses said two motorycycle-riding attackers drove into the residence of the PML-N leader following which the blast took place. The witnesses added that a local Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader was among those killed in the blast.

The political office of the legislator caught fire as a result of the explosion and a huge plume of smoke was visible in the air, according to eye-witnesses.

The blast, which took place days ahead of Muharram, could be heard across two kilometres. The government has formulated a strict security plan and beefed up security arrangements for the Holy month of Muharram.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1213023/blast-at-mnas-political-office-in-dg-khan-five-killed-several-wounded

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Three militants killed in Mastung: police

SYED ALI SHAH

October 14, 2015

QUETTA: Police on Tuesday claimed to have killed 3 suspected militants in Balochistan’s Mastung district.

“Police launched a search operation against militants in Mastung’s Kanak area,” said a police official.

He added that the three terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with police personnel while the search operation was underway.

Read: Afghanistan should avoid speaking language of Pakistan's enemies: Nisar

“A huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered during the operation,” added the police official.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212949/cm-urges-students-to-go-for-higher-education

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Zardari, Gilani, Kayani Knew About Osama: Former Defence Minister

October 14, 2015

ISLAMABAD: Former defence minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar created a stir yesterday claiming the powerful troika knew about the presence of Osama Bin Laden before he was killed in 2011. The Al-Qaeda founder was killed by the United States Navy Seals in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011 in a covert operation. From 2001 to 2011, Bin Laden was a major target of the war on terror, as the FBI placed a $25 million bounty on him. The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was ordered by US President Barack Obama. The raid on Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad was launched from Afghanistan. After the raid, reports at the time stated that US forces had taken Bin Laden’s body to Afghanistan for identification and then buried it at sea within 24 hours of his death.

Critics accused Pakistan of protecting Bin Laden. Then President Asif Ali Zardari denied that his country’s security forces sheltered the Al-Qaeda supremo. Ahmed Mukhtar, a former defence minister, told CNN-IBN television channel that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the Inter-Services Intelligence knew about the presence of Bin Laden in Pakistani.

“Some people knew, people in the Pakistan Army as well as people in the other forces they also knew it and they were on the lookout for somebody of the stature of Osama Bin Laden,” he maintained. Pakistan has always ‘categorically’ denied that the country’s leadership, ‘civil as well as military’ had any prior knowledge of the US operation against Osama Bin Laden. Mukhtar added, “If you are trying to get hold of a gentleman who has been hiding away in the mountains for more than 15-18 years, then these kind of people are difficult to be found and once you find them they normally don’t live after that. They attempt to commit suicide. They would attempt to finish off their bodies by just killing themselves. I don’t know why he didn’t run away himself?”

PPP leader Senator Rehman Malik, who was the Interior Minister when Bin Laden was killed, said Mukhtar “did not understand the anchor’s question.” He said that Mukhtar was the minister for water and power when the US operation took place so he was least expected to know about security matters. “I was the interior minister and I categorically deny anyone among the civil and the military leadership knew of Bin Laden at all,” he insisted.

Full Report at:

http://nation.com.pk/national/14-Oct-2015/zardari-gilani-kayani-knew-about-osama-mukhtar

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Turkish leadership praises Pakistan’s role for peace

October 14, 2015

ISLAMABAD - Turkish leadership has hailed Pakistan’s role for peace and defeating terrorism in the region.

President and Prime Minister of Turkey expressed these views during their separate meetings with Army Chief General Raheel Sharif in Ankara on Tuesday. The Turkish leadership emphasised the need to strengthen more fraternal ties between the two countries. Speaking on this occasion, General Raheel Sharif assured Turkish leadership of Pakistan’s full support in handling with their security challenges.

Full Report at:

http://nation.com.pk/national/14-Oct-2015/turkish-leadership-praises-pakistan-s-role-for-peace

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Sindh police denies issuing ISIS militants' list

IMTIAZ ALI

October 14, 2015

KARACHI: A Sindh police spokesman on Wednesday has denied a news report claiming the police issued or prepared a list of 53 Islamic State (IS)-'inspired' militants.

The spokesman in his statement categorically denied issuance of such a list by any department working under Sindh police.

A report carried by almost all the newspapers of Pakistan on Tuesday claimed that police investigators claimed to have traced more than 50 militants in Karachi ‘inspired’ by the self-styled Islamic State (also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh) which wants a presence in the country.

Also Read: IS phenomenon will not be allowed in Pakistan, Afghanistan: COAS

The report said that the investigation arm of police (east zone) came up with a list of 53 suspected militants who operate in a manner bearing the hallmark of Daesh.

“The list prepared by the SSP investigation’s east office carries the names of the militants and their personal details. For instance, a militant named Abdullah Yousuf alias Abdul Aziz alias Saqin heads a militants’ group in Sindh which is inspired by the IS. His aides are Abdullah Mansoori and Misri Pathan of Dera Ismail Khan and Tayyab and Ali Rahman of Karachi who are engineers by profession.” said the report quoting an official.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1213020/sindh-police-denies-issuing-is-militants-list

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Fate of 28 Pakistanis killed in Mina stampede still unknown

IFTIKHAR A. KHAN

October 14, 2015

ISLAMABAD: The fate of at least 28 Pakistani pilgrims remains unknown even three weeks after the deadly Mina stampede during Haj. And the helpless government still has no option but to wait for information from the Saudi government.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf informed Senate on Tuesday that the number of Pakistanis who had died in the Mina stampede was 99 and 70 of them were buried in Saudi Arabia. The body of a relative of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was flown to Pakistan.

But the minister could not explain why he was sure that the 28 pilgrims had died and if it was so why their bodies had neither been buried nor sent to Pakistan.

The minister’s unsatisfactory answer prompted opposition to walk out of the house.

On Monday, Senate chairman Raza Rabbani had asked Sardar Muhammad Yousaf to come to the upper house and update it on the Mina stampede.

He was directed to come with a complete report.

But his statement added to the confusion because what he said was different from what had been stated by the Minister of State for Religious Affairs Pir Muhammad Aminul Hasnaat. The latter had put the number of Pakistani pilgrims killed in the disaster at 97 and said that 56 of them had been officially verified by the Saudi government and 41 by their relatives.

Opposition walks out of Senate over minister’s unsatisfactory reply

When asked if a contingency plan had been made in view of the incidents of stampede in Mina in the past, he said it was the responsibility of the Saudi government and the job of the government of Pakistan was to make arrangements for its pilgrims.

He said the Saudi government was not allowing any other country to intervene in investigation into the incident.

“A committee formed by the Saudi government is investigating the matter and reasons of the stampede are still unknown,” he said.

The minister could not give an appropriate reply to Senate chairman Raza Rabbani’s question as to why Pakistan’s matter was still pending when India and Iran had already accounted for their citizens who had lost their lives in the Mina tragedy and the two countries had also taken possession of bodies of their victims and had buried them.

The matter was finally referred by Mr Rabbani to the standing committee on religious affairs.

National Finance Commission

Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar informed the Senate that the National Finance Commission (NFC) was incomplete after the elevation of a private member of Punjab as the provincial finance minister.

He said he had sent a third reminder to the Punjab government to appoint a new member so that a meeting of the NFC could be convened.

Replying to a call-attention notice, the finance minister justified the issuance of euro bonds of $500 million at a high mark-up rate of 8.25 per cent, to pay back loans obtained in the past.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212945/fate-of-28-pakistanis-killed-in-mina-stampede-still-unknown

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Army chief meets Turkish president, PM

October 14, 2015

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif, who is on an official visit to Turkey, called on Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.

According to a tweet of the director general, Inter Services Public Relations, the Turkish leaders appreciated Pakistan’s role for regional peace and Pakistan Army’s contribution towards defeating terrorism.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212940/army-chief-meets-turkish-president-pm

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Peshawar among four districts most sensitive for Muharram

October 14, 2015

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police on Monday declared Peshawar, Hangu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan as the most sensitive districts for Muharram.

An announcement in this respect was made after senior police officials of the province met here to discuss Muharram security plan.

Provincial police chief Nasir Khan Durrani chaired the meeting, where regional police officers, district police officers, AIG of Special Branch, DIG of Counter-Terrorism Department and Peshawar police chief were in attendance.

According statement issued by the police, 429 Muharram processions will be taken out in the province, while 940 majalis will take place during the month.

The police have identified 129 ‘trouble spots’ on procession routes across the province.

The provincial capital has 67 imambargahs from where 121 precessions will be taken out on different days of Muharram.

Police say all processions will be electronically monitored

In Dera Ismail Khan district, which has 66 imambargahs, 174 processions will be taken out during Muharram.

Hangu and Kohat DPOs told the meeting that ensuring law and order in both districts during Muharram would be a challenging job.

Nasir Durrani directed the police to ensure live electronic monitoring of all processions and adopt three-tier checking for entry to every imambargah and procession.

He said for the first time in the province, all processions would be electronically monitored live for which a software had been installed in all districts of the province.

They were also told to make security zones for imambargahs and precessions, adopt three-tier security filter points, frisk people before allowing to them to enter imambargahs and processions, and keep organisers along with the police on these points.

The police chief said the police would ensure that procession route and venue be cleared by a joint team of all relevant departments; no food or drinks be allowed to be distributed to participants without strict checking, and proper lighting arrangement be made in and around the venue of majalis.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212767/peshawar-among-four-districts-most-sensitive-for-muharram

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EU crisis drains funds for refugees in Pakistan

October 14, 2015

PESHAWAR - Aid programmes for some of the 2.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan are being slashed amid the worst funding shortfall for a generation, as the European and Syrian migrant crisis uses up cash and dominates headlines, United Nations officials said.

Pakistan hosts the world’s largest long-term refugee population, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), mostly Afghans who fled more than three decades of war.

The exodus of people from countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan is forcing UN officials to cut programmes like infant feeding, education, and sanitation for refugees in Pakistan.

The UNHCR in Pakistan has received only $33.6 million for 2015 out of its $136.7 million annual budget, officials said.

That means schools like the one run by principal Mohammad Zamir, 55, at the sprawling Kababiyan refugee camp outside Peshawar, are telling students to go home.

“This year, during the summer holidays, we were suddenly told that the funds aren’t there, and so we are withdrawing 7th and 8th grade classes,” said Zamir, gazing over a crowd of blue-uniformed students sitting on the floor of a tent.

Thousands of children could be affected by the cuts.

More than half a million refugees have tried to enter Europe this year, including 80,000 Afghans, UNHCR says.

That’s still a fraction of the 2.5 million who live in Pakistan. Many fled violence one or two generations ago.

Full Report at:

http://nation.com.pk/national/14-Oct-2015/eu-crisis-drains-funds-for-refugees-in-pakistan

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Siraj for provision of constitutional rights to tribesmen

October 14, 2015

PESAHWAR - Jamaat Islami (JI) Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has vowed to make vigorous efforts for provision of all constitutional rights to tribesmen, saying a grand tribal jirga would soon be called in Islamabad to deliberate upon the issues being faced by the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.  

He also demanded compensation package for collateral damages made during military operation in FATA. “Tribesmen are patriotic citizens, loving Islam and their country,” he added. He said that tribal people had accomplished all promises made with the father of the nation Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

However, he regretted the rulers did nothing for development and prosperity of FATA since the creation of country. He vowed that they will provide all rights to people of FATA. Now, he made it clear, nobody can further betray tribesmen. They (tribesmen) must be given their due rights like people of other part of country, he asked.  

He was addressing a public gathering at Ghazi Baig in Mohmand Agency on Tuesday. He said there was no medical and engineering university in FATA whereas tribal people were also deprived of clean drinking water facility. He said that the tribal youth were also wandering for jobs in the country.

Full Report at:

http://nation.com.pk/national/14-Oct-2015/siraj-for-provision-of-constitutional-rights-to-tribesmen

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India

 

In a first, Mumbai ATS blocks website urging Indians to join Islamic State

By Rashmi Rajput

Mumbai        

Oct 14, 2015

In a first, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has blocked a website that was allegedly propagating jihadi content and urging Indians to join the Islamic State (IS). The crackdown followed the agency scouting for internet content aimed at inciting Indians to either take up arms in West Asia or commit acts of terror in India. Isdarat.in was blocked around a fortnight ago after sleuths from the state counter-terrorism agency stumbled upon the website that used Arabic language for posting IS-related content.

Areeb Majeed, a youth from Kalyan who fled with three of his friends in May 2014 to fight alongside the IS, was the first Indian national to be chargesheeted by an investigating agency on charges of fighting for the dreaded outfit. “While investigating the Kalyan case, it was revealed that the youths were indoctrinated online and since then, we have a dedicated cyber team that scans IS-related content on the internet and filters it. Key words are used to scan the content and if found to be a threat, the website is immediately blocked or pulled out,” said a senior official, explaining the filtration process adopted by the agency. “During a routine scan, we came across this website, and as the content was posted in Arabic, we roped in an expert who helped us translate the material. Finding the content highly offensive, we wrote to the Centre, following which it was blocked,” the official added. Isdarat in Arabic means ‘to spread’ or ‘publish’. The website mainly posted reports on current activities in Iraq related to Indian nationals who have joined the outfit. It referred to IS jihadists as ‘martyrs’ and urged the Indian youth to join ‘the holy war’ that the outfit is currently fighting under the Caliphate. It also posted pictures of various Indians, including the four Kalyan youth and four alleged IM operatives-Ariz Khan alias Junaid, Md Khalid, Mirza Shadaab Baig and Mohd Sajid alias Bada Sajid-who are believed to have joined the IS recently and have entered Syria through Afghanistan to participate in the war. The website also urged the Indian youth to become lone-wolf attackers and carry out attacks on Indian soil. “The last time IS trained its guns on Indians was when Fahad (one of the four Kalyan youth) posted a tweet threatening to kill ‘all adult males in India, if they fail to accept Islam’. The NIA was quick to react and the Twitter handle was immediately banned,” informed the official. In the last three months alone, the agency has deleted around 1,000 posts from various social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and various messenger services that were allegedly used by ‘IS sympathisers’ for propaganda. However, this is the first time they have blocked a website preaching IS literature, the official said. According to sources, the Internet Protocol address of the website was tracked to Indonesia but it is suspected to have been created using a proxy server. “We do not think that it originated in Indonesia and might have been floated using a proxy server. This means that finding the origin of the website becomes next to impossible,” the official said. One of the challenges cops face in taming the digital space is the failure to locate the culprits as most of them use proxy servers. “Many of these posts do not originate from India. It is a mammoth task to locate the miscreants, as we have to send out letters to the websites or the social networking platforms which consumes a lot of time,” police sources explained. The ATS decided to finally ban the website after it found many Indians active on the website. “We monitored the comments page and found that day by day the number of Indian youths commenting on their website was increasing. This is alarming in nature and therefore we decided to ban it,” the official further said. rashmi.rajput@expressindia.com

http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/in-a-first-ats-blocks-pro-isis-website/

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Uniform Civil Code Impractical In a Country As Diverse As India: Muslim Cleric

Oct 13, 2015

New Delhi: Muslim cleric Abdul Hameed Nomani on Tuesday called the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) impractical in a country as diverse as India.

Nomani, who was reacting to the Supreme Court's decision asking the Centre to come up with a swift decision on Uniform Civil Code to bring an end to the continuing confusion over personal laws, said the entire Muslim community, is against the Uniform Civil Code.

"It is impractical. In a country like India where there is diversity of religion and class, Uniform Civil Code is unnatural here," Nomani told ANI here.

"The biggest example is that the NDA Government whether Vajpayee's or the present regime, they have never opened up about the code or explained what the code would be about. This is against the freedom of religion. This is related to the state government, which defies the Constitution which defines the Fundamental Rights of a citizen," he added.

Full Report at:

http://www.sify.com/news/uniform-civil-code-impractical-in-india-muslim-cleric-news-national-pkntecfaaccjh.html

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India to take only non-Muslim refugees sparks protests

14 October 2015

The Indian government’s recent pledge to provide refuge to non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan has drawn sharp reactions from across the region, especially in India’s northeastern Assam State.

Political parties, student organizations and civil society groups in the region recently took to the streets to oppose the move.

They slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance government for what they described as “polarizing” the public along religious lines.

“This is a dangerous development, especially for the people of the region who are already suffering from illegal infiltration from neighboring Bangladesh,” former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta told Anadolu Agency.

“We cannot allow this to happen. We must not allow divisions in the name of religion,” he added.

Last month, the central government, citing humanitarian considerations, announced its decision to allow Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals from minority communities -- who had entered India before Dec. 31, 2014 -- to remain in the country without the necessary documents.

Mahanta, who is also a former student leader, warned that the move violated the terms of the Assam Accord, which deemed all persons to have entered the country after March 25 of 1971 -- irrespective of their religion or caste -- to be illegal aliens.

The Assam Accord was signed in 1985 following six years of bloody agitation by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

Mahanta has called on veterans of the Assam agitation to spearhead the protest against the government’s new pledge.

The AASU, the region’s most prominent student organization, has likewise slammed the government pledge, staging a series of protest rallies across the state to voice its opposition to the move.

“During the Assam agitation, a total of 855 Assamese youths sacrificed their lives to free the state of illegal infiltrators,” Samujjal Bhattacharyya, chief advisor to the AASU, said.

“This government is trying to polarize the nation along religious lines,” he added. “We don’t want illegal foreigners to be categorized according to religion.”

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), an influential peasants’ organization, meanwhile, has also staged demonstrations against the decision.

“With this [decision], all efforts to free the region from illegal migrants will have been in vain,” said KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/165238/india-to-take-only-non-muslim-refugees-sparks-protests

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Temple, mosque targeted in UP’s Faizabad

Faizabad

Oct 14, 2015

A temple and a mosque were targeted in Faizabad on Monday night by some miscreants in two separate incidents which the authorities see as a conspiracy to create communal tension.

In one incident, a crude bomb was thrown at a mosque situated in the heart of Faizabad city late Monday night, police said on Tuesday.

No one was hurt in the incident but glass of doors and windows was broken due to impact of the blast, police said. Faizabad district magistrate Anil Dheengra and senior superintendent of police Mohit Gupta said investigation was being conducted into the bomb blast.

“It seems to be a well-planned conspiracy to create communal riots here but we will never allow any such incident,” Gupta said.

“We heard a big sound of explosion at around 1.30 in the night. We came out and found the mosque premises full of smoke and smell of explosive. There were lots of small iron pieces and nails spread around.

Those were later collected by bomb disposal squad,” said Shoib, secretary of the mosque management committee.

“We have filed a complaint about the attack,” said Mansur Ilahi, a Samajwadi Party leader.

In a separate incident, idols in a Shiv temple in Wazirganj area of Faizabad city were found broken, police said. This incident created tension locally but tempers were cooled by police intervention.

Faizabad SP (City) R A Gautam said a case had been lodged regarding the breaking of the idols at the temple.

Full Report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/temple-mosque-targeted-in-up-s-faizabad/story-faPhPY5UNfwSacWWe8hxmM.html

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The meet that wasn’t: Let NSAs talk in New York, India told Pakistan

by Shubhajit Roy

New Delhi

Oct 14, 2015

On the morning of September 20, three days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out for annual meeting of the United Nations general assembly, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan T C A Raghavan reached out to Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and suggested a meeting in New York between the National Security Advisors. The Indian offer was simple: since the two Prime Ministers and their NSAs would be in New York around the same time, it would be an opportunity to move forward on the “Ufa understanding”. The agenda was also fixed, as per the Ufa understanding: “Terrorism and related issues”.

The Indian offer, made a month after the NSA-level talks scheduled for August 23-24 was cancelled after a sharp exchange of words, surprised Islamabad.

Chaudhry took it up with the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on National Security and Full Report at:

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/the-meet-that-wasnt-let-nsas-talk-in-new-york-india-told-pakistan/

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Dilip Kumar Twice Visited Pakistan on Secret Missions: Kasuri

JAWED NAQVI

October 14, 2015

NEW DELHI: A day after he stood his ground against rabid anti-Pakistan protesters in Mumbai, former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri visited Dilip Kumar on Tuesday, saying the ageing movie idol, also a frequent target of Shiv Sena violence, was an apostle of peace between the two countries.

The actor had visited Pakistan twice on secret missions for the Indian government, he said.

“After Monday’s violent protests against my visit, I thought I should spend some time with our great apostles of peace,” he told this correspondent on phone. “I met followers of Mahatma Gandhi at his Mani Bhavan former home. Gandhi’s indefinite fast to get Pakistan its monetary dues from India is not known in Pakistan. Then I visited the Jinnah House, and it broke my heart to see it in disuse and disrepair when it could have easily become Pakistan’s consulate in Mumbai.”

The Quaid too was only known as a negative character in India.

“His secular credentials enshrined in his address to the new nation are hardly known here.”

His meeting with Dilip Kumar was the highpoint of his last day in Mumbai. “His wife Saira Banu told me that Dilip Saheb had been twice on secret missions to Pakis­tan. He was flown to Islama­bad by the Indian government in special aircraft. I believe one of the visits took place during the Zia ul Haq period. The other was more recent.”

Actor described as ‘apostle of peace’

Following the Kargil war in 1999, then Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had apparently called up Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to express regret that while he (Vajpayee) had been received in the Lahore with such warmth, Pakistan had wasted no time in trying to occupy Kargil.

This is stated in Mr Kasuri’s book ‘Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy’. The book then goes on to say that Vajpayee told Sharif that he would like him to talk to someone sitting next to him.

“Sharif was astonished to hear the voice of Dilip Kumar (earlier Yusuf Khan), who was originally from Peshawar tell him: ‘Mian Sahib, we did not expect this from you since you have always claimed to be a great supporter of peace between Pakistan and India. Let me tell you as an Indian Muslim, that in case of tension between Pakistan and India, the position of Indian Muslims becomes very insecure and they find it difficult to even leave their homes. Please do something to control this situation.” the book said.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212936/dilip-twice-visited-pakistan-on-secret-missions-kasuri

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Defying stereotypes, Muslims take part in Ramlilas

Shailee Dogra

Oct 13, 2015

Amid tension brewing between Hindus and Muslims in other states, for the city these religious boundaries seems to fade away when it comes to Muslim families playing prominent roles in Ramlilas---which year after year has been portraying the story of triumph of good over evil.

Defying stereotypes, an engineering student of a Muslim family in Manimajra, is portraying the role of Sita while his uncles for more than two decades have been playing prominent roles in the Ramlila. The Ramlila committee at Manimajra has three Muslim artistes, while the Garhwal Ramlila Committee in Sector 28 two Muslim artistes.

Becoming a epitome of ‘communal harmony’, these artists who in real life are either students, employed in government sector or private sector --- during Navratras ---nine auspicious days of Hindus’---abstain from non- vegetarian food and liquor.

“Religion brings us together and for artistes in the Ramlila, it is not just about religion. The boundaries which divided one community from the other in name of religion are fading away. Youngsters today are open to each other’s customs and are ready to accept beliefs. Ramlila is one platform where tradition goes beyond religion”, said Miraz Malik, 17, an engineering student who is portraying role of Sita this year.

Having been associated with Ramlila for last three years, for Miraz, portraying Sita demands a lot of sacrifices and changes in the lifestyle for the next nine days. “As the tradition goes I have to sleep on the floor, non-vegetarian food is a complete no, even the vegetarian food I will have should not have onion and garlic” said Miraz who does not have any hesitation in doing so.

Miraz was inspired by his uncle Idam Khan, 38, who has been portraying various characters in the Ramlila at Manimajra along with his younger brother Taj Ali, 35, for more than two decades now.

Full Report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/defying-stereotypes-muslims-take-part-in-ramlilas/story-HxAArZfEh4TMhUKDVO08MI.html

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Don’t sell meat during Navratras: Islamic body

Oct 13, 2015

BIJNOR: With the commencement of the Navratra festival on Tuesday, the Jamat-e-Shababul, a Bijnor-based Islamic outfit, has appealed to Muslims across the city not to sell meat during the nine days of the festival. The Imam of Bijnor's Jama Masjid urged fellow-Muslims to sell meat discreetly, if at all they absolutely should, in deference to the sentiments of Hindus.

Urging Muslims to create an "example of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood", the organization also asked Muslims to shun beef altogether. JeS spokesperson Anwar Ul-Haq, who is also the Imam of Bijnor's Jama Masjid, said, "Some politicians try to create a rift between Hindus and Muslims in order to make political gains. The lynching incident in Dadri was one such attempt. However, I compliment ordinary Hindus and Muslims in the area who rejected the politics of hate and ensured that brotherhood between the two faiths was not broken. They have shown great maturity."

"Navratras began on Tuesday. Our Hindu brothers and sisters observe a fast during these nine days. All Muslims must respect the religious sentiments of Hindus during this period. In fact, it is the responsibility of every Muslim to do so. I appeal to all Muslims to refrain from doing anything that might hurt the sentiments of Hindus. We are trying to reach out to Muslims across the district and spread our message. We also request them not to sell meat in the open. If they must do so, they should at least cover the same. It should not be displayed in the open."

Full Report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/Dont-sell-meat-during-Navratras-Islamic-body/articleshow/49342638.cms

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Southeast Asia

 

PAS and Perkasa forge cooperation for Malay-Islam interests

BY MOHD FARHAN DARWIS

13 October 2015

PAS and Malay right-wing group Perkasa today sealed an agreement to work together on issues related to Islamic and Malay interests.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang today announced the cooperation between his Islamist party and Malay right-wing group Perkasa on three current issues, including the edict by the Malay Rulers that investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) be resolved quickly.

PAS and Perkasa also urged Putrajaya to release 1MDB critics Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang, both of whom have been charged for attempted sabotage of the Malaysian economy after lodging reports with foreign authorities against the state investment firm.

They also want Putrajaya to be transparent over the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

In the meeting held at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali also commended the Islamist party for ending its association with DAP.

"I wish to express my gratefulness and congratulations (to PAS) for severing ties with DAP," Ibrahim said of PAS's move, which subsequently caused the collapse of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact.

"Perkasa is of the opinion that PAS is not at a loss here in terms of its political journey to uphold the tenets of Islam in the country," he said at a joint press conference with Hadi today.

Ibrahim said that the cooperation between the two groups would also address matters that concerned all Malaysians, including issues of safety and security.

"We view seriously, the usage of Sosma which we feel is an abuse of power and can bring about an impact to the nation's stability and is contradictory to the freedom of speech that is enshrined in the Constitution," Hadi said at the press conference which was held at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Both groups earlier held a meeting that lasted two hours and concluded around 5pm.

"Our discussions were very sincere, I also explained why I am quite critical although having contested on a PAS ticket, everything is now 'kosong-kosong'," Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim had won the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election on a PAS ticket but turned independent shortly after, a move which had upset several PAS leaders including its former spiritual leader, the late Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

Perkasa also urged PAS to be proactive and initiate cooperation with all parties, including Umno.

Full Report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pas-and-perkasa-forge-cooperation-for-malay-islam-interests

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PM: Use Islam to counter violence, extremism

October 14, 2015

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Razak today called on ulama and Muslim professionals to explain the real meaning of Islam to counter the idea of violence and extremism in the country.

He said they should come forward with action plans, strategies and programmes that the government could implement to check and disable the idea and ideology of violence.

“We are faced with ideas of violence and extremist movements, and these movements can have a detrimental effect on the Islamic world. How can Muslims permit murder among themselves?” he said when speaking at the national-level Ma’al Hijrah celebration at the National Mosque.

Also present were Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom.

The celebration, carrying the theme ‘Perpaduan Nadi Transformasi Negara’ (Solidarity the Pulse of National Transformation), was held at the National Mosque for the first time to coincide with the golden jubilee of the house of worship and its status as an Islamic landmark in the country.

Najib said ulama and professionals should use every medium possible to explain the real Islamic teachings, especially to the young generation.

He said Islam should be explained in small doses to avoid confusion because Islam was not hostile to other religions.

The prime minister also pledged to continue to champion the plight of Muslims in Palestine against exploitation by the Zionist regime.

Full Report at:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/10/14/pm-use-islam-to-counter-violence-extremism/

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Russia-made missile brought down Malaysian plane over Ukraine: report

October 14, 2015

GILZE RIJEN: Investigators concluded on Tuesday that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made BUK missile fired over war-torn Ukraine, but 15 months after the disaster Russia and the West remain locked in a bitter blame game.

The Dutch-led inquiry did not identify who launched the missile that crashed into the Boeing 777 on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

But Russia, Ukraine and Western nations all seized the moment to step up accusations that the fault for the tragedy lay at someone else’s door.

“Flight MH17 crashed as a result of the detonation of a warhead outside the airplane against the left-hand side of the cockpit,” the chairman of the Dutch Safety Board, Tjibbe Joustra, told a press conference.

“This warhead fits the kind of missile that is installed in the BUK surface-to-air missile system.” The inquiry delineated a 320-square-kilometre area in eastern Ukraine from which the missile must have been fired.

And while the report did not specify whether it was under the control of pro-Russian separatists battling Ukrainian forces, the board’s chairman Joustra later seemed to suggest it was.

“It’s an area where the borders have fluctuated a lot, but it’s a territory where the pro-Russian rebels have laid down the law,” he told Dutch media after briefing lawmakers.

The much-anticipated report also said it was possible that some on board the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur may have remained conscious during the 90 seconds it took to crash.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1212935/russia-made-missile-brought-down-malaysian-plane-over-ukraine-report

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Muhyiddin supports Sosma for terrorism, not government critics

14 October 2015

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he had always supported the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) but only against terrorism.

What he was against, the former deputy prime minister said, was the use of the law against government critics like former Umno leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and lawyer Matthias Chang.

"My stand has never changed. I support Sosma to address security offences that threaten peace and public harmony.

"What I disagree with is the abuse of Sosma against the original aim of the act when it was enacted," he said in a statement today.

Full Report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/muhyiddin-supports-sosma-for-terrorism-not-government-critics

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Muslim extremists torch church in Indonesia

14 OCTOBER, 2015

Indonesia (ODM/MNN) — Muslim extremists in Aceh province made good on a threat against Christians on Tuesday, 13 October.

Open Doors USA President and CEO David Curry explains, “The Indonesian Christian Church (HKI) was burned down. Their pastor and the congregation have been greatly affected by this. We’re asking people to know what’s happening in Indonesia to support persecuted Christians there, to be praying for this church.”

Curry adds that the arson follows a vicious social media campaign. “Muslim extremists have been spreading a viral message about ‘here’s what’s happening in churches’ and sort of stirring up dissension.”

In addition to the risks posed by social media, there’s what’s being preached by the imams in some of the more radical areas, says Curry. There were concerns about what the imams were preaching in the Aceh Singkil regency. ”The most dangerous time in the week for Christians is that Friday afternoon after the mosque has let out and these extremists who are preaching messages of hate towards Christians, Jews, and others come out riled up.”

That’s also been proven true in several Muslim-dominated areas as of late–like Palestine, which led to the stabbings of three Israelis recently. Curry says, in this case, the call to arms went viral in Indonesia. “With all of the technology available, there’s more opportunity for people to stir up dissension, and (now) you have this incident in Indonesia, where this church was burned down.“

Before the HKI arson, Pastor Erde, whose church was also torched last month, witnessed hundreds of extremists parading to the police and legislative offices to demand the closure of all churches in the regency. “Every church member is guarding their own church right now. Please pray that there won’t be any more church demolitions today,” said the pastor. There are about 10 churches in Aceh Singkil. Curry adds, ”There’s a lot of political pressure on police to overlook these incidents. It’s a largely Muslim culture.”

Full Report at:

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/muslim-extremists-torch-church-in-indonesia/

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Africa

 

Six people killed in terrorist attack in northern Mali: Government

Oct 14, 2015

At least six people have lost their lives in a “terrorist attack” carried out by unknown militants in the Timbuktu region of northern Mali, the government says.

The militants raided a convoy of civilian vehicles guarded by police forces in an area some 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Gao, the biggest city in northern Mali, at around 7:30 a.m. local time (0730 GMT) on Tuesday, the government said in a statement.

The Malian government did not specify who was traveling in the civilian vehicles and why they were being escorted by security forces.

The terrorist attack with rocket-launchers caused the death of six civilians and wounded two others including a soldier,” according to the statement.

A security source told AFP that the raid began when one of the vehicles hit a landmine planted by the militants.

Full Report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/14/433327/Mali-terrorist-attack-MINUSMA-Tuareg-rebels

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'Boko Haram cluster bombs' may come from Nigerian military

13 October 2015

Nigeria has warned civilians that Boko Haram is using deadly cluster bombs but campaigners say the armed group may have got the banned weapons from the military in the first place.

Defence spokesman Rabe Abubakar urged people to be on their guard for "cluster bombs, sometimes scalled scatter bombs", as engineers had recently found caches in northeastern Adamawa state.

"The military high command has discovered that the Boko Haram terrorists in the areas have used such lethal instruments over time to push their callous terrorist cause," he said last Thursday.

"These bombs are used against large areas containing many targets such as columns of vehicles, marketplaces, places of worship or large troop concentrations," he added in a statement.

The insurgents, allied to the ISIL group in Syria and Iraq, have in recent months increasingly used suicide and bomb attacks in northeast Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Abuja has described the attacks, which have caused mass civilian casualties, as desperate acts following apparent army gains in the northeast when soldiers overran their training camps, and hundreds of fighters allegedly surrendered.

- Past use -

Cluster bombs are a category of ordnance dropped from planes or fired from artillery via a shell, missile or rocket and spread hundreds of tiny sub-munitions or "bomblets" over a wide area.

Many of the devices fail to explode on impact and effectively become de facto landmines hidden for years, making them difficult to clear and posing a significant risk to civilians.

More than 100 countries signed the UN Convention on Cluster Munitions that came into force on August 1, 2010 banning the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions.

Nigeria has signed but not ratified the convention and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) campaign group said Abuja had still to declare its stockpiles and detail how it would get rid of them.

Photographs posted on the Nigerian Defence Headquarters Twitter feed suggested the bombs were sub-munitions for the French-made BLG-66 Belouga, normally launched from aircraft, the CMC said.

Nigerian pilots are said to have used the Belouga on bombing raids against rebel positions in Sierra Leone in October 1997, while the junta in Freetown at the time said civilians were also targeted.

Nigeria, which was then leading troops from the West African regional force ECOMOG seeking to restore the ousted Sierra Leone president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, denied the claim.

CMC director Megan Burke told AFP in an email exchange it was unclear how Boko Haram was using the bombs, as the group does not operate aircraft.

But she added: "As to where BH would have gotten them, it seems possible that they could have come from Nigerian military stocks...

"Certainly we will be monitoring developments on this as this is a weapon that should not be used by anyone (government or non-state actor) under any circumstances."

Nigeria has previously indicated it still has old stocks of British-made BL-755 cluster bombs, which are launched from aircraft.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/165222/gunmen-abduct-50-tunisians-in-western-libya

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Libyan FM in Egypt for talks on unity govt plan

13 October 2015

Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Dairi arrived in Cairo Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials on the latest developments in crisis-hit Libya, a diplomatic source told Anadolu Agency.

The top diplomat is expected to discuss with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry the outcome of the Morocco-hosted national dialogue between Libyan rivals, the source added.

Last week, UN Special Envoy Bernardino Leon announced a plan for forming a unity government in Libya.

According to the UN draft, Fayez Sarraj, a Tripoli MP, was proposed for the prime minister’s position.

According to the UN proposal, a one-year-long government of national accord will be established, where a council of ministers headed by a prime minister and two deputies will have executive authority based in Tripoli.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/165224/libyan-fm-in-egypt-for-talks-on-unity-govt-plan

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Gunmen abduct 50 Tunisians in western Libya

13 October 2015

Fifty Tunisian workers were abducted Tuesday in Libya’s western city of Sabratha in response to the arrest in Tunisia last week of a Libyan official, security sources told Anadolu Agency.

“Gunmen loyal to Sabratha’s local council raided the homes of several Tunisian laborers who they abducted and took to an unknown location,” local sources in the city told Anadolu Agency.

On Saturday, Hussein al-Zawadi, head of the Sabratha local council, was reportedly arrested in Tunisia.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/165223/gunmen-abduct-50-tunisians-in-western-libya

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Europe

 

Russia: Damascus embassy shelling 'act of terror'

13 October 2015

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday described the shelling of Moscow's embassy in Damascus as an "act of terror" aimed at intimidating those who support Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria.

"It is a clear act of terror meant to scare supporters of fighting terrorism," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow, after two rockets struck the Russian embassy compound.

Nobody was killed during the incident which took place as some 300 people were rallying near the embassy in support of Russia's recent intervention in Syria.

Demonstrators had been waving Russian flags and holding up large photographs of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We are counting on the perpetrators being found and that measures be taken to prevent such acts in the future," Lavrov said, adding Moscow would investigate the incident along with Syrian authorities.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165221/russia-damascus-embassy-shelling-act-of-terror

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Swedish police mistakes bearded hipsters for ISIS terrorists

October 13, 2015

A club of bearded men posing for a photograph in the Swedish countryside with their black flag was mistaken for Islamic State militants, prompting a visit by the police, a club member has said.

Andreas Fransson was with his friends on Saturday outside the ruins of Brahehus castle in southern Sweden when two police officers turned up.

“They told us that a motorist thought he had seen a gathering of Isis terrorists,” said Fransson, whose Bearded Villains organization does charity work.

On grasping the situation, the two officers “had a good laugh” and got back in their patrol car “with smiles on their faces”, said Fransson who works in public relations.

He acknowledged that the club’s flag – two crossed sabres on a black background – could easily be confused with that of the militant group.“We belong to a club that is part of an association created in the United States, called the Bearded Villains and which fights against injustice, homophobia, racism and oppression,” he said.

Full Report at:

http://nation.com.pk/international/13-Oct-2015/swedish-police-mistakes-bearded-hipsters-for-isis-terrorists

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Jeb Bush says Putin’s Russia should face consequences over Syria

14 October 2015

Republican Jeb Bush vowed on Tuesday to take a more aggressive approach to countering Russia if he is elected president next year, calling Vladimir Putin an "agile adversary" who is exploiting a vacuum of U.S. leadership in Syria and elsewhere.

In an interview with Reuters, Bush said that if elected in 2016 he would seek to build a coalition of European and Arab partners to work for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which he said is key to resolving the festering conflict and a worsening refugee crisis.

Calling Putin a "bully", Bush said the United States and Europe should also extend sanctions against Moscow over its military aggression in Ukraine that are set to expire at year's end.

"How to deal with him is to confront him on his terms, not to create a more bellicose environment but to simply say that there is going to be a consequence," Bush said in the interview, in which he also called for a tougher stance against China and to counter growing Iranian and Russian influence in Iraq.

No-fly zone

Russia's sudden step-up of military intervention since last month in support of Assad has raised questions about U.S. influence in the region and cast doubt on Obama's strategy, which has mostly steered clear of confronting Assad militarily.

With a raft of policy proposals, Bush has sought to position himself as the most substantive candidate on foreign policy, drawing a contrast with "outsider" candidates like Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson who have never held elected office.

Bush's approach to coalition-building over Syria carries echoes of the coalition his father, then-President George H.W. Bush, built in 1991 to respond to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. He said he would create a no-fly zone to protect Syrian refugees and allow for training of Syrian rebels, an effort that has mostly collapsed under President Barack Obama.

Obama has resisted the creation of a no-fly zone and has not stepped in to protect Syrian rebels now under attack by Syrian government forces backed by Iranian troops and Russian warplanes. He has said Russia is acting out of weakness and warned Moscow it would get sucked into "quagmire" in Syria.

Full Report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/10/14/Jeb-Bush-says-Putin-s-Russia-should-face-consequences-over-Syria.html

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France, S. Arabia sign €10bn worth deals

13 October 2015

France on Tuesday announced a series of deals worth 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion) with Saudi Arabia, during a visit by Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

"France-Saudi Arabia: 10 billion euros in contracts," he wrote in a tweet.

The deals include contracts and letters of intent between the two countries whose economic and political bonds have been strengthening.

Among the agreements is a Saudi order for 30 patrol boats.

The deals also cover energy, health, food, satellites and infrastructure, according to the prime minister's office.

The announcement came during the third high-level visit by French officials to the world's biggest oil exporter this year.

France has been reinforcing links with the conservative Islamic kingdom -- the Arab world's largest economy -- despite persistent criticism from rights activists of the kingdom's record on civil liberties.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165228/portugal-grants-citizenship-to-exiled-sephardic-jews

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UK to record anti-Muslim hate crimes separately

13 October 2015

Islamophobic hate crimes are to be recorded as a separate category for the first time by police in England and Wales, UK's Prime Minister David Cameron has announced. Due to this move anti-Muslim attacks and anti-Sematic ones will be treated as same.

UK's Home Office is expected to release new tatistics which are expected to show a rise in numbers of hate crimes over the past year, continuing the trend seen in 2013-2014, when offences involving religious hatred soared by 45 per cent and race hate crime by 4 per cent.

Speaking at the first meeting of a new Community Engagement Forum PM David Cameron also announced that his government will provide new funding to boost security at religious buildings as a precaution against religious hate attacks.

The Forum brings together representatives of faiths including Islam from around the country, and is intended to provide the PM with an opportunity to hear directly from those challenging extremism in the community.

Announcing its creation in a speech in Birmingham in July, Cameron said it was part of a drive to isolate extremists and "actively encourage reforming and moderate voices" in Muslim communities.

"We all have a role to play in confronting extremism. That's why I have invited important Muslim and non-Muslim figures to join the new Community Engagement Forum, so I can hear directly about their work in our communities, the challenges they face and so that they can be part of our One Nation strategy to defeat it," Cameron said.

"I want to build a national coalition to challenge and speak out against extremists and the poison they peddle. I want British Muslims to know we will back them to stand against those who spread hate and to counter the narrative which says Muslims do not feel British.

"And I want police to take more action against those who persecute others simply because of their religion," he added.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165231/portugal-grants-citizenship-to-exiled-sephardic-jews

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Russia and U.S. to hold new round of military talks

14 October 2015

Military commanders from Russia and the United States will hold another round of talks Wednesday on how to stay out of each other's way in the skies over Syria.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the latest “de-confliction” talks as jets from both countries pounded targets in the war-torn Middle Eastern country.

“Russia must act professionally in the skies over Syria and abide by basic safety procedures,” Carter said in Boston after talks with his Australian counterpart.

“We'll have another conversation with the Russians tomorrow on this subject. Those discussions are progressing. Nothing has been finalized,” he said.

“Even as we continue to disagree on Syria policy, we should be able to at least agree on making sure our airmen are as safe as possible.”

Carter would not put a time frame on the “de-confliction” talks, but added: “I expect that to conclude shortly.”

Full Report at:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/14/U-S-Russia-to-hold-another-round-of-military-talks.html

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North America

 

Tennessee Muslims Blast Religious Doctrine Bill

13 October 2015

TENNESSEE – A leading US Muslim advocacy group has urged Tennesseans to oppose a bill on "religious doctrine" at public schools proposed by a Colombia Republican lawmaker Sheila Butt.

"Islamophobes like Rep. Butt fail to recognize that there is a big difference between teaching students about religion as an important part of world history and promoting particular religious beliefs," the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Government Affairs Manager Robert McCaw said in a statement cited by The Tennessean on Monday, October 12.

"The education of children in Tennessee should not be delayed because of anti-Muslim bigotry."

Claiming that middle school world history lessons on Islam were “inappropriate”, Butt has proposed a bill that would ban public schools from teaching "religious doctrine" earlier than 10th grade.

She said the bill is an attempt to balance the mention of religion and religious indoctrination.

“It is interesting that CAIR would comment on my bill since the legislation never even mentions a particular religion, but instead explicitly states that no religion shall be emphasized or focused on over any other,” Butt said in a prepared statement.

“The bill calls for comparative religion to be taught in high school and simply addresses the balance and age-appropriateness of teaching religion in Tennessee public schools."

Butt’s bill came in response to complaints by parent who claimed that students were asked to write down "Allah is the only god" and memorize the five pillars of Islam.

"If you're teaching the Middle East, then of course you're going to mention the religion that was prevalent in that area," Butt said.

"But to teach the doctrine is another thing. ... It's just a bill about balancing the teaching of religion in education."

Full Report at:

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/495063-tennessee-muslims-blast-religious-doctrine-bill.html

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Muslim groups’ lawsuit over NY surveillance revived

October 14, 2015

NEW YORK - A coalition of Muslim groups can pursue a civil rights lawsuit that accuses New York City police of conducting secret surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey without suspicion of criminal activity, a US appeals court ruled on Tuesday. The 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia reversed a lower court’s decision to throw out the case, finding the plaintiffs had legal standing to assert claims that the counter-terrorism program violated their rights.

http://nation.com.pk/international/14-Oct-2015/muslim-groups-lawsuit-over-ny-surveillance-revived

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Americans Dominate World’s Influential Muslims

13 October 2015

CAIRO – Reflecting the growing influence of American Muslims, an annual list of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims has included more Muslims from the United States than any other country on this year’s edition.

“This list acts as an opportunity to shed some light on the many challenges and pioneering triumphs that are present at the very crux of shaping the Muslim community,” says the publication’s foreword.

Since 2012, the US has outpaced nations with a far larger Muslim population, netting at least 40 notable people of influence, with Pakistan (33), Saudi Arabia (32), Egypt (27) and the UK (27) not too far behind.

But only Muslim convert Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson, co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, Calif., and Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, made the Top 50 in recent years.

The seventh annual list, which is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center, a respected Jordanian think tank, lists 32 newcomers to the 2016 list — seven with American ties.

The center defines influence as any person with the power to make “a significant impact on the Muslim world.”

University of Notre Dame Islamic studies professor Ebrahim Moosa, a scholar of contemporary Muslim thought, said he’s back on the list after a five-year absence.

“I don’t think Muslim Americans are becoming more influential, but some people are taking note of the achievements of Muslim Americans,” he said.

The list of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims is issued annually by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) in Amman.

It is issued in cooperation with Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at George Town University in the United States.

This year’s list was topped by Jordanian King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein followed by Al-Azhar's Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al-Tayyeb.

Full Report at:

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/495049-americans-dominate-world-influential-muslims-list.html

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UN chief calls Erdogan, condemns Ankara attack

13 October 2015

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has offered condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Saturday's twin bombings in capital Ankara that killed 97 people, sources at the Turkish presidency said Monday.

In a phone conversation with Erdogan, Ban expressed his regrets over the terrorist attack and strongly condemned it.

Erdogan thanked the secretary-general for the solidarity and condolence messages. He added that Turkey was steadfastly struggling against all terrorist organizations, including the PKK, DHKP-C and ISIL.

At least 97 people were killed and more than 240 people were injured in Saturday's twin bombings in front of Ankara’s main train station, according to Turkish Prime Ministry. Three days of mourning for the victims were declared across Turkey early Saturday.

The bombings came about three weeks ahead of Turkey’s Nov. 1 early general elections.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165198/un-chief-calls-erdogan-condemns-ankara-attack

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Canada Muslims Fight Winter With Free Coats

12 October 2015

HALIFAX – Muslims in Halifax city in the eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia have collected hundreds of donated winter coats, offering a warmer winter to underprivileged people and local shelters.

“Lots of people suffered last winter by not having adequate coats, so our goal today is to try to provide as many Haligonians with a warm coat before the winter hits,” Asraa El-Darahali, the coordinator for Coats for Humanity, told Global News on Sunday, October 11.

Meeting on Sunday at Mic Mac Mall in Halifax, Muslim volunteers launched "Coats for Humanity" drive between noon and 5pm.

By the end of the event, over 700 coats were donated.

The group is continuing to collect donations until the end of the month at Dalhousie University’s Dentistry Building; St. Mary’s University’s The Language Centre, and interfaith prayer room; SimplyCast; and Bedford Orthodontics.

Full Report at:

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/495021-canada-muslims-fight-winter-with-free-coats.html

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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/isis-confirms-death-number-two/d/104918